BIOGRAPHIES

† Source:
A. History of Northwestern Ohio
A Narrative of Its Historical Progress and Development
from the First European Exploration of the Maumee and
Sandusky Valleys and the Adjacent Shores of
Lake Erie, down to the Present Time
by Nevin O. Winter, Litt. D.
Assisted by a Board of Advisory and Contributing Editors
Illustrated
Vol. II
Published by
The Lewis Publishing Company
Chicago and New York
1917

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	HON. ULYSSES GRANT DENMAN † Source: History of Northwestern Ohio - Vol. II _ 1917 - Page 677
John Duck	JOHN DUCK.  An early Toledo business man whose worthy enterprise and character are continued into the present by his sons, was the late John Duck, who was a native Irishman and had all the finer fibre and characteristics of that race.      He was born at Athlone, Ireland, June 14, 1847, and when at the height of his business prosperity passed away at his home in Toledo on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 1885.  His age at the time of his death was thirty-eight years, two months, twelve days.      In his native town of Athlone, his father, James H. Duck, owned and conducted a meat market.  It was there that John Duck gained his practical vocational training.  He attended a college in Dublin and Summer Hill College until he was eighteen years old.  He carried away honors in every subject.  At the age of nineteen, in 1866, he came to the United States and after a brief stay in New York arrived in Toledo in 1867.  For a few years he worked at his trade in Toledo.  In 1870 he opened a meat market on Superior Street near Monroe, and a few years later moved to Monroe Street.  In order the more adequately to serve his large patronage he established a branch meat market at the corner of Avondale and Collingwood avenues, but in a few years discontinued this place through inability to get trustworthy and competent help.  While the receipts were large, he never realized more than comparatively small profits from the branch store.  He was engaged in the meat business at the time of his death, and in seventeen years he had acquired an enormous patronage, having one of the largest markets in Toledo.      Though he died long before his time he had already satisfied many of those ambitions for which men particularly strive.      He left a widow and five children, four sons and one daughter, all of whom are still living.      The late John Duck was a man who made friendships easily and kept his friends close to him.  He was a member of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church and of the Catholic Knights of America, and for many years had served as president of the Local Butchers' Association.  A large concourse of friends assembled to do honor to his memory at the funeral held in St. Francis de Sales Church.      On June 23, 1873, Mr. Duck married Miss Margaret McCormack.  By a curious coincidence they were married at Athlone, Michigan, a town of the same name as Mr. Duck's birthplace in Ireland.  Mrs. Duck is still a resident of Toledo.  All her children were born in that city and were educated at St. Francis de Sales parochial school.  The oldest is James H., who is associated as a salesman with his brother, William B. at Toledo.  John J. Duck has a splendid business on St. Clair Street in electrical supplies and construction work.  Leo E. is a resident of California.  William B., the fourth son, practiced law for fourteen years and is now president of The William B. Duck Company, dealers in electrical and wireless supplies and Victrolas.  This business not only supplies a large local trade but has been extended as a mail order concern all over the country.  Its location is on Superior Street.  The only daughter, Elizabeth, is now Mrs. James Sheridan of Toledo. † Source: History of Northwestern Ohio - Vol. II _ 1917 - Page 1100
Wm. B. Duck	WILLIAM B. DUCK is a Toledo lawyer with an exceptional genius for the management of business affairs, and the service which he now gives to the world as president of The William B. Duck Company, electrical and wireless supplies, transcends in importance his work as a lawyer.  A wealth of ideas, ability to translate them into practical results, business judgment and sound understanding - these have been the reasons for his unusual success.      He was born in Toledo, Feb. 5, 1881, son of the late John Duck, reference to whom is made on other pages.  His mother, Margaret (McCormack) Duck, is still living in Toledo.  The house where William B. Duck was born stood on the present site of the People's Savings Association Building at 337 Huron Street.  Just across the street was the home of Petroleum V. Nasby.  The St. Francis de Sales parochial school in which he received his early education was at that time taught by the Order of Christian Brothers.  He was sixteen years old when he was graduated on June 18, 1897, and for his excellent work in Stenography he was awarded the gold medal donated by the late Dennis Coghlin.  A little later he entered the law office of King and Tracy, of Toledo, as a stenographer.  He read law as opportunity offered, and at the age of twenty took a summer course in law at the University of Michigan.  He was at the university eight weeks, and with four fellow students performed the remarkable feat of actually covering two years of law studies in that time.  This he accomplished only by the hardest work and concentration.  He was at his studies for fifteen hours a day.  On Dec. 5, 1902, at the age of twenty-one, he successfully passed the examination for admission to the bar.  He was the first person in Toledo to pass the bar examination at that age without having taken a college course.      From his admission to the bar until 1906 he remained with the law firm of King and Tracy, and then established an independent practice with offices in the Nicholas Building.  He kept his law offices there until January, 1916, and was almost altogether known as an able young member of the local bar.  He is still a member of the Lucas County Bar Association.      In 1909 his brother, J. J. Duck, made a suggestion that he lend his assistance toward the development of a mail order business for the sale of electrical supplies.  J. J. Duck had issued a small catalog the year before, but the results were not particularly gratifying.  The big possibilities of this business appealed strongly to William B. Duck and an arrangement was entered into whereby he was to have complete charge of this department of the business.  At this time the daily receipts were hardly in excess of $6.00.  In the original catalog considerable prominence was given to electrical supplies for the use of electrical contractors.  There was one page illustrating a wireless set.  He quickly saw why the pages devoted to contractors' supplies were not "pulling."  At that time the concern received only dealers' discounts and could not hope to meet the prices of jobbers.  Individuals who received the overwhelming majority of the catalogs would have no use for such goods.  The great possibilities of wireless telegraphy appealed strongly to William B. Duck.  This interesting and entrancing discovery was at this time in its infancy.  Through the medium of electrical journals William secured the names of manufacturers of wireless apparatus for private and commercial use.  The first catalog issued contained the largest line of wireless apparatus at that time shown in any catalog.  In a short time the wireless business quickly predominated all other lines, and in each year the volume of business doubled over the preceding year, this record being maintained until the business assumed very liberal proportions.  the name of the company soon became a byword with every experimenter of wireless throughout the United States and Canada and was favorably known to many people in every country throughout the world.  Among their patrons were numbered scores of universities and educational institutions in the United States and foreign countries.  At that time, and in fact until recently, the business was conducted under the name of the J. J. Duck Company.      In March, 1914, J. J. Duck desired to withdraw the local electrical construction and supply business, formerly owned by him, from the company.  An arrangement was entered into whereby this was accomplished, Mr. William B. Duck retaining the mail order business only, which had been built up exclusively by him.  By the terms of sale the corporation which retained the mail order business assumed nearly all debts and acquired but a relatively small amount o cash and accounts receivable.  In fact an inventory disclosed the net assets of the mail order business to be $200.00 exclusive of its good will.  After office furniture and fixtures were deducted it left a little less than nothing.  This condition was not a miscalculation.  It was exactly as intended.  William B. Duck had always contended the mail order business had been operated on practically no capital because of liberal credit and a quick turn over of stock.  The future success of the company with a business amounting at that time to $65,000. 00 per year would definitely decide this question.  It would seem to be an impossibility to make headway under such apparently distressing conditions, but without borrowing any money from banks or others or being pressed by creditors he was able to make more than an ordinary success of the business.  He was always a strong believer in progressive advertising and through some elaborate advertisements, some features of which were rather daring, the volume of business almost trebled.  In six months the company had earned almost enough to discount all bills.  It soon became apparent that much larger quarters were now necessary.      On Feb. 15, 1915, a little surprise was sprung on the people of Toledo, when the company leased for a period of ten years the four-story building at 224-226 Superior Street.  Comparatively few of Mr. Duck's friends were aware that he was interested in anything except the legal profession.  Thus the surprise at the announcement in the daily papers of the fact that The William B. Duck Company had leased a four-story building was quickly followed by rumors, nearly all pessimistic in character.  That a young lawyer, supposedly a stranger to the electrical business, should lease a large store in the heart of the city, when others older established, better known and financially stronger, had failed to make a success in a building less than one-fourth the size was regarded as trifling with certain disaster.  Mr. Duck heard with interest and some amusement that he was granted only three months to exist.  But two years' time has proved that he was not rash, and that gloomy prediction was premature.      At the present time probably every resident of Toledo and every stranger in the city have been attracted by the novel electric sign over the building on Superior Street.  While this sign proclaims far and near the name of the company, its special feature is an electrical contrivance showing a pond in which a duck swims about, occasionally diving below the surface.      The William B. Duck Company carries a complete line of electrical and wireless supplies and also handles Victrolas and records.  On opening the new building a retail store was established for local patronage.  Mr. Duck did not expect a large income from this branch, but by a thoroughly systematic and unique advertising campaign surprised both himself and his friends.  In former years Victrolas and records were sold exclusively to the mail order trade.  The first floor of the building is now given up to beautiful is now given up to beautifully appointed Victrola parlors and a general retail department.      Mr. Duck now issues one of the most elaborate and artistic illustrated catalogs published, containing about 320 pages, and with many very unusual features.  In fact, it is a treasure house of electrical and wireless information.  Mr. Duck knew nothing whatever about electricity or wireless telegraphy when he went into the business.  He made that handicap really an advantage.  The technical electrician would probably have omitted from the catalogue many details necessary to a clear understanding of the apparatus described.  But Mr. Duck reasoned and carried out his line of reasoning, that many of the prospective buyers knew as little about the subject as he himself, hence he put nothing in the catalog which he did not readily understand, and to this feature alone he attributes a large share of his remarkable success.  His unfamiliarity with the technical details of the subject convinced him that in order to sell goods through the medium of a catalog he should describe the uses and purposes of every article listed.  Being a lawyer and possessed of more than ordinary literary ability he was able to prepare a catalog which in many respects is real literature, and from all sides have come testimonials commending him on the literary and typographical style of the work.  He also originated the plan of demanding postage in advance for the catalog, and the rate of postage has risen in proportion to the increase of the size of the catalog.  Eight cents is now asked for the catalog.  By this plan the mere curiosity seeker and catalog fancier is eliminated.  With the first order for a dollar's worth of goods the eight cents is deducted.  It required some courage to make this innovation, but it is indicative of its value that all his competitors in the business have followed suit, and no catalogues of this kind are now distributed free.      Mr. Duck for many years has been a thorough student of literature and has studied the works of all the great workers and orators.  He is a member of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, of the Knights of Columbus, the Toledo Commerce Club, and finds his chief recreation in automobiling and literature.      On June 26, 1912, at Toledo, he married Miss Luvina Agnes Gilligan one of Toledo's most beautiful and charming girls.  They now have two children both born in Toledo; William B., Jr., and Edward John. † Source: History of Northwestern Ohio - Vol. II _ 1917 - Page 1101
	HON. WARREN JOSEPH DUFFEY † Source: History of Northwestern Ohio - Vol. II _ 1917 - Page 694

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