Family
The origins of the business lie with Mortimer Birdsul Mills, who was born in 1845 in Ontario, Canada but who later became a citizen of the United States, resident in Chicago, Illinois. Mortimer Mills would have 13 children. One son, Herbert Stephen Mills, was born in 1872 when his father was about 27. In 1892, Bert E. Mills, the youngest of Mortimer Mill's children was born. In about 1895, Fred L. Mills, the first of Herbert Mills' sons, was born. Ralph J. Mills, Herbert's second son, was born in July 1898. In about 1900, Herbert Mills, the third son of Herbert Stephen Mills was born. His younger brother, Hayden ("Bill") Mills, was born two years later in about 1902. The Mills brothers were raised in Oak Park, Illinois, and continued to live in that area until at least the mid-1930s. In 1929, Herbert Mills had died aged 57, leaving a fortune to his wife and eight children. The business was continued with Fred L. Mills, Herbert's first son, taking over as president while his three brothers, Ralph, Herbert, and Hayden held other top management positions.
Read more about this topic: Mills Novelty Company
Famous quotes containing the word family:
“The strongest bond of human sympathy, outside of the family relation, should be one uniting all working people, of all nations, and tongues, and kindreds.”
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)
“If we can find a principle to guide us in the handling of the child between nine and eighteen months, we can see that we need to allow enough opportunity for handling and investigation of objects to further intellectual development and just enough restriction required for family harmony and for the safety of the child.”
—Selma H. Fraiberg (20th century)
“Family lore can be a bore, but only when you are hearing it, never when you are relating it to the ones who will be carrying it on for you. A family without a storyteller or two has no way to make sense out of their past and no way to get a sense of themselves.”
—Frank Pittman (20th century)