by Laurel | May 10th, 2010
May 10, 1933
Alexander McAuslan
Was Senior Member of McAuslan & Wakelin, Dry Goods Merchants.
Native of Scotland, Emigrated in Youth.
Worked at Providence 16 Years Before Coming to Paper City and Entering into Partnership.
Alexander McAuslan, 78, senior and surviving member of the original firm of McAuslan and Wakelin, for two generations dry goods and department store merchant here, died at 4:45 yesterday afternoon at his home, 1895 Northampton street, after a period of failing health.
Mr. McAuslan took great pride in having learned the business from the bottom up. He was a member and faithful attendant of the First Congregational church where he was deacon for many years. He did not belong to any fraternal orders. He had been vice-president and director of the old Board of Trade and was a member and strong supporter of the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, but held no office in it. He was interested in all civic affairs but never sought or held public office.
Was Native of Scotland.
Mr. McAuslan was born August 17, 1854 in Glenderuel, Argylshire, Scotland. When not quite 15 he emigrated to the United States and located at Providence, where he was fist employed at the Boston store by his uncle, the late John McAuslan, part owner. Here he remained for 16 years saving prudently and withe the aim of being able to go into business.
In 1885 he moved to Holyoke and became a partner in the firm of Connely, McAuslan and Reid. Their store was in the Windsor block on Dwight street which included the hotel which burned in 1899. After two years, one partner retired and the other died, and in 1899 his brother-in-law, the late William B. Wakelin, joined the firm. This partnership continued until the death of Mr. Wakelin some years ago.
After the Windsor hotel fire, the firm acquired a location on High street near Dwight and a year of so later the Wolcott block, giving it a corner location. The firm incorporated in 1909 under the name of the McAuslan & Wakelin company, with Mr. Wakelin as president, Mr. McAuslan as treasurer and James H. Wakelin as secretary.
Mr. McAuslan married in February 1884, Elizabeth (Ingles) Tyler of Providence, daughter of Edward Tyler, who survives him. He also leaves two sons, Edward and John of Holyoke; three daughters, Mrs. Carl W. Boeghold and Mrs. Fayette White of Holyoke and Mrs. Jane Malcolm of Bristol, Ct. The funeral will be held at the First Congregational church Thursday afternoon at 3. The body may be viewed at the Dickinson-Streeter funeral parlors up to Thursday morning. The body will be cremated.
From The Springfield Republican.
