Sutro

From American Biography, 1919:

The Sutro family is of German origin. Emanuel Sutro was a native of Bruck, in Bavaria, where he was born December 21, 1791. He married, in 1826, Rosa Warendorff, who was born in March, 1803, in the city Dueren, which lies midway between Aix la Chapelle and Cologne. About 1830 Emanuel Sutro established himself in Aix la Chapelle as a manufacturer of woolen fabrics. He died December 8, 1847, leaving besides his widow, eleven children, seven sons and four daughters, two others having died in infancy.

Soon after the death of Emanuel Sutro occurred the revolutionary disturbances of 1848, which induced Mrs. Sutro to emigrate from her native country to the United States. Her eldest son, Emanuel S., preceded the rest of the family. In October, 1850, Mrs. Sutro followed with her other children, except two who remained for a time to complete their education. The family took up their residence in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1873 Mrs. Sutro moved to New York, where she died August i, 1883. She was a woman of rare intellect and force of character.

Of the seven sons who survived her, several had notable careers. Most generally known is the name of Adolph Sutro, the builder of the famous Sutro tunnel in Nevada. He was born April 29, 1830, and died in San Francisco, California, August 8, 1898. Soon after the settlement of the family in Baltimore he emigrated, toward the close of the year 1850, to California. In 1859 the discovery of the celebrated Comstock lode in Nevada drew him to Virginia City. In a very short time his practical and trained mind saw that the clumsy and old-fashioned methods being followed in mining were both inadequate to the needs and frightfully expensive. The shafts of the mines were deep, as low as fifteen hundred feet, the temperature in the lower levels high, ranging even to one hundred and ten degrees Fahrenheit; great volumes of water were encountered, and pumping fifteen hundred feet was expensive; the air was foul and poisonous, and like an inspiration the thought flashed through the visitor's mind, why not drain and ventilate these mines?

Against the opposition of the owners of the Comstock mines he fought for the necessary legislation before the Nevada Legislature and Congress. By dint of remarkable perseverance and force of character he won his fight and constructed the tunnel. Upon the completion of this work he sold his interests in it and again turned his attention to San Francisco. There he bought large tracts of land, developed Sutro Heights, built the Cliff House and The Sutro Baths, and collected a great library. He led several successful fights in the public interests against the corporations, and was finally elected Mayor of San Francisco. His was an heroic character that ranks with the foremost pioneers of California.

Theodore Sutro, the youngest son of Emanuel and Rosa (Warendorff) Sutro, born March 14, 1845, is a graduate of Harvard College, distinguished at the New York Bar, also in journalism, in literature, as a connoisseur of art, and as an orator; and prominent in the public and social life of New York.

Ludwig Sutro, the sixth son of Emanuel and Rosa (Warendorff) Sutro, was born April 8, 1839, and married, at St. Louis, Missouri, November 21, 1876, Lilly Fraatz, born December 12, 1851, daughter of Otto and Louise Fraatz, of the city of Goettingen, in Germany. With his brother Hugo he established, in 1874, under the firm name of Sutro Brothers, in the city of New York, an enterprise for the manufacture of braids and similar articles, which in time grew to large proportions. Upon the incorporation, in 1888, of the Sutro Brothers Braid Company, Ludwig Sutro became president of the corporation. In 1915 he resigned from the executive control of the company and became chairman of its board of trustees. He is a notable merchant who followed, throughout his business career, the finest ideals of mercantile rectitude and justice. Caring nothing for social or public distinction, he devoted himself to charities, in which he has taken a generous and helpful interest.

-- American biography: a new cyclopedia, Volume 5, ed. by William Richard Cutter (Pub. under the direction of the American historical society, 1919)

Some sources for information on this interesting family:


Portrait of Rosa Warendorff Sutro and Pictures of Sutro buildings in Aachen, Germany; both from Schlegel's

Information about Theodore Sutro from the New York Times

Theodore Sutro was a German immigrant to New York in the first half of the nineteenth century. He was a successful lawyer and socially-prominent citizen. He had much in common with Louis Windmuller and their paths would certainly have crossed frequently. Both were German immigrants who supported German-American causes, both belonged to the Reform Club, both pursued political reform and supported liberal politics, both favored advancement of women in business and women's suffrage.

Theodore Sutro was a member of the prominent Sutro family which included Adolph Sutro, who was mayor of San Francisco between 1894 and 1896. The family was responsible for constructing the Sutro Tunnel, a drainage tunnel located under the Comstock Lode in Northern Nevada. Theodore Sutro was President of the Sutro Tunnel Company and was its general counsel.

The archives of the New York Times contain a very large number of news articles in which Theodore Sutro's name appears. Here are summaries of a few:

1. Celebration of the 80th birthday of Mrs. Rosa Sutro, mother of Adolph Sutro (of Sutro Tunnel fame) Present: Theodore Sutro (MRS. SUTRO'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION. New York, N.Y.: Mar 15, 1883 pg. 1. "The eightieth birthday of Mrs. Rosa Sutro, the mother of Adolph Sutro, of Sutro Tunnel fame, was celebrated yesterday at Pinard's... [Theodore Sutro was present to help celebrate the event.]")

2. Wedding of Theodore Sutro to Florence Clinton. (New York, N.Y.: Oct 2, 1884 pg. 1. "St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church, Jersey City Heights, was crowded last evening with friends to witness the marriage of Miss Florence Clinton, daughter of Mr. Henry W. Clinton, of Jersey City, and a well-known pianist in that city, to Mr. Theodore Sutro, a lawyer of this city. .. Present were O.M. Sutro, Baltimore; Mr. & Mrs. E.S. Sutro and Mr. L. Sutro, NY; Mr. Alfred Sutro, Baltimore.")

3. WOODEN WEDDING AT DELMONICO'S. (New York, N.Y.: Oct 2, 1889 pg. 1. "The fifth anniversary of their wedding was celebrated by Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Sutro with a dinner and musicale last evening at Delmonico's. At the dinner, which began at 6 o'clock, there were about twenty-five guests, consisting only of members of the Sutro and Clinton families. ... ")

4. Mrs. Theodore Sutro was one of the chief promoters of a charity festival. Other promoters included Mrs. Louis Windmuller and Mrs. William Steinway. Tickets were sold at the offices of William Steinway, 169 East Fourteenth Street, and Louis Windmuller, 20 Reade Street. (OUR FIRST KUNSTLERFEST. New York, N.Y.: Oct 25, 1891 pg. 1. "On the evening of Dec. 3 a Kunstlerfest, similar in character to those arranged by the Artist Guilds at Munich, Dusseldorf, Vienna, and Berlin, will be held in Music Hall, Seventh Avenue and Fifty-seventh Street. The ball, which will be the first to be held in Music Hall, will begin at 9 o'clock. The proceeds will go to settle an old debt incurred by artists at the Centennial celebration and to facilitate the erection of a Goethe monument in this city.")

5. The festival was a "great social success" with credit being given to Mrs.Jacob H. Schiff, Mrs. Theodore Sutro, Mrs. louis windmuller, Mrs. William Steinway, Miss Shurz, Mrs. Andrew Carnegie, and others. (A GREAT SOCIAL SUCCESS. New York, N.Y.: Dec 4, 1891 pg. 1. "Artistically, socially, and financially, the Kunstlerfest, or Artists' Festival, held at the Carnegie Music Hall last evening was a most pronounced success. From an artistic standpoint the affair was worthy of the skilled minds and hands that planned and executed it. Society favored it with its presence to such an extent that the gathering was one of the most brilliant that has been brought together in this city. [The list of patrons includes Andrew Carnegie, William Steinway, and Louis Windmiller.])

6. Theodore Sutro joined many other German-Americans in opposing a political nomination. (GERMANS AGAINST MAYNARD. New York, N.Y.: Nov 1, 1893 pg. 1. "The anti-Maynard movement, which was begun under the direction of the Bar Association, has gathered great momentum. A cell has been issued for a mass meeting of German -- Americans, to be held to-morrow evening at Cooper Union. There was a conference yesterday among the promoters of the movement, at which it was agreed that Arthur Von Briesen should open the meeting, introducing Hugo Wesendonck as Chairman, Louis Windmuller as First Vice President, and Theodore Sutro as Chairman of the Committee on Resolutions. [Other participants include: R. Knoedler, Alfred Roelker, John Frankenheimer, and Carl Schurz.]")

7. The Times gave an account of the meeting: German-American citizens joined in an emphatic protest against the election of Judge Maynard to the Court of Appeals at a mass meeting in Cooper Union last night. (GERMANS AGAINST MAYNARD. New York, N.Y.: Nov 3, 1893 pg. 2)

8. Louis Windmuller and Theodore Sutro agitated for state and municipal political reform. (FOR BETTER GOVERNMENT. New York, N.Y.: Nov 24, 1893 pg. 1. "A meeting of several well-known German-Americans was held at the house of Oswald Ottendorfer, 150 West Fifty-ninth Street, Wednesday evening to discuss the best means of pushing a movement for reform in the administration of municipal and State politics and affairs. Besides Mr. Otendorfer, there were present Arthur von Briesen, Gustav H. Schwab, Carl Schurz, Louis Windmuller, John Pannes, Theodore Sutro, Percival Knauth, Carl Hauser, and Edward Grosse.")

9. Sutro won the Comstock Tunnel Case. (VICTORY FOR THEODORE SUTBO ET AL. New York, N.Y.: Mar 9, 1894 pg. 1. "Complete victory. Masterly and exhaustive opinion reviewing whole case on merits. Strong vindication and approval acts of Sutro, Lowengard, and Trustees. Aron scored roundly."

10. Theodore Sutro, with Mrs. Sutro was an active advocate for women's sufferage. (SOCIETY WOMEN WANT VOTES. New York, N.Y.: Apr 11, 1894 pg. 1. "The society women of New-York want to vote. Having reached this determination, they have set about accomplishing their desire in the energetic manner characteristic of them on all occasions. Without any particular display of flags or brass bands, they organized themselves for action, and the Constitutional Convention, when it meets May 8 at Albany, will be confronted with the results in no uncertain manner.")

11. Sutro promoted law training for women. (DINNER OF WOMAN'S LAW CLASS. New York, N.Y.: May 1, 1894 pg. 1. "Gentlemen of the legal profession, I may say our manifold brothers-in-law, behold the coming day which wise men and prophets have so long foretold! We are a 'voice crying in the wilderness,' and already we have fed upon the Invigorating pabulum of locusts and wild honey. Tonight we represent, not only that much-debated 'coming woman,' but the woman who is here.")

12. Sutro was an active opponent of Tammany Hall. He helped organize an anti-Tammany conference on behalf of the German-American Reform Union. (THE ANTI-TAMMANY CONFERENCE. THEODORE SUTRO. W. HARRIS ROOME. New York, N.Y.: Sep 4, 1894 pg. 1. "Six representatives from each of the anti-Tammany organizations will meet at the Coleman House to-night to discuss the kind of platform upon which it is proposed to fight Tammany. It is intended to start the plan of combining against Tammany in this way.")

13. In 1897, Sutro and Windmuller were listed as both attending lectures at the Reform Club. (THE REFORM CLUB'S DINNER New York Times (1857-1922); Mar 7, 1897; p. 1.)