Soldier, lawyer, banker.
Born in Columbus, Ohio on 27 April 1843, son of Edward Bailey, he served in the American Civil War. Discharged in 1865, he worked at various jobs then took education at Bethany College in Virginia from 1871 to 1875. He began a law practice at Marysville, Ohio and was admitted to the Bar in 1877. Later that year, he moved west and established a real estate, loan and law office in Wichita, Kansas. In failing health, he sold the business in 1880 and spent the next two years travelling through Mexico, California and other Pacific states, returning to Ohio in early 1882.
Hearing of a land boom in Dakota and Manitoba, he arrived at Winnipeg in July 1882 and opened a private bank at Gladstone in partnership with C. P. Brown, under the name of Lockhart, Bailey & Company. Within a year, Bailey bought the assets of the company, converting it into W. S. Bailey & Company which he operated until 1900 when he closed the business. He travelled through Europe for much of that year then returned to Gladstone to operate a money-loaning business.
He died at Gladstone, unmarried, on 23 January 1916. His remains were returned to the United States for burial.
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Bailey and Bickle Block (41 Morris Street North, Gladstone)
A History of Manitoba: Its Resources and People by Prof. George Bryce, Toronto: The Canadian History Company, 1906.
Death registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Gladstone banker dead,” Manitoba Free Press, 26 January 1916, page 34.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 9 November 2014
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
