Worthy S. Streator - Cleveland Civic Life

Cleveland Civic Life

Throughout his life Streator maintained close ties with the civic and business leaders in Cleveland and Ohio. He was involved with his church, the Disciples Church. He was a long-time resident of a grand mansion on 240 acres (0.97 km2) on "Millionaires' Row" along Euclid Avenue in Cleveland. His neighbors included the first American billionaire, John D. Rockefeller. In 1865, Streator along with James A. Garfield and J.P. Robison organized the Christian Standard publishing company. Its periodical, Christian Standard became one of the leading independent religious magazines in the church. In 1887, Streator was instrumental in founding the Disciples Union of Cleveland.

After the death of Streator's friend, Leonard Case in 1880, Streator along with other Cleveland leaders enacted Case's plan to create a first-class research institute in Cleveland. The initial endowment by the group, led by the estate of Leonard Case created what was later to become the Case Western Reserve University.

By 1886, Streator returned to business, when he partnered with William Halsey Doan in creating the firm of W.H. Doan & Company. They began selling crude oil on commission, shipping it from the oil fields of northwestern Pennsylvania to Cleveland.