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Oliver Family History 11

innovations was an independent electric plant consisting of three dynamos driven by
three engines to provide current for 1,700 lights in the hotel. Later electrical current was
provided by the Oliver Electric Plant built by the Olivers on the West Race of the St.
Joseph River (the foundations and part of the control gates of this plant were
incorporated into the Century Center complex years later). Most of the hotel
construction was under the eye of James Oliver, then in his 70s. Joseph, exhausted by
overwork with the company and other matters, had been ordered to take an ocean
voyage to recuperate.

Two years earlier, in 1887, James had agreed to pay one-third the cost of the
proposed new Presbyterian Church, on the southwest corner of Lafayette and
Washington Streets. James was not an active member of the congregation, but others
in the family were. Also in 1890, the Olivers purchased land west of Laurel Street
between “the two railroads” for a public park. This eventually became known as the
J.D. Oliver playground.

South Bend had been attempting to find a way to finance a city hall for many
years. On July 21, 1900, James offered to build the city hall and lease it to the city. In
order to build this new city hall he sold the city a skating rink, a large building at 224 N.
Main Street in 1897. It was razed and the city hall was erected on this site, just south of
today’s South Bend Water Works.

The gratitude citizens of South Bend felt toward James and his wife Susan for
their many public gifts was expressed May 30, 1900, their 56th wedding anniversary,
when they were presented with an 18-carat gold loving cup. The 14-inch cup was
engraved with portraits of the Olivers, the new Oliver Hotel, the original factory on the
West Race, and the new factory that had been erected on the southwest edge of the
city. That same day Joseph and Anna Gertrude announced their new home at 808
West Washington Street would be named Copshaholm, James’ birthplace in Scotland,
in his honor.

James in His Later Life

The death of James’ wife Susan, who had been in poor health with a heart
condition, on September 13, 1902, was a severe blow. They had been married more
than 58 years. Except for servants and a pet parrot he had given Susan, he was now
alone in his huge home.

“It seems I can see her form in every part of the house,” he wrote a friend. He
had a family mausoleum built in Riverview Cemetery and suppressed his grief with
work. James’ last remaining sibling, William, had died in April of 1902. That added to
his overbearing grief.

Business at the Oliver plant had been excellent. Many departments were
working 12 hours a day and were unable to keep up with orders. This flood of business
mostly was attributed to the “No. 1 Oliver High-Lift Gang Plow,” a riding plow developed
by the Oliver father and son team. In 1901 South Bend Iron Works had become Oliver
Chilled Plow Works. All stock remained with the Oliver family. The family decided to
diversify, and acquired stock in a number of companies. The largest project, however,
was construction of the hydroelectric plant on South Bend’s West Race.