Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Appleton, Daniel

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APPLETON, Daniel, founder of the publishing house of D. Appleton & Co., New York, b. in Haverhill, Mass., 10 Dec., 1785; d. in New York, 27 March, 1849. He began business as a dry-goods merchant in his native place, but subsequently went to Boston, and in 1825 removed to New York, where he began the importation of English books in conjunction with his dry-goods business. The book department was placed in charge of William ​Henry Appleton, his eldest son (b. 27 Jan., 1814; d.in Riverdale, N. Y., 19 Oct., 1899). This was in Exchange place. He soon abandonedthe sale of dry-goods, and removed to ClintonHall, Beekman street, and there gave his attentionsolely to the importation and sale of books. In 1835W. H. Appleton was sent to represent the house inLondon, and in the following year the father visitedEurope and founded a permanent agency at16 Little Britain. His first publishing venturewas a collection of religious extracts entitled“Daily Crumbs from the Master's Table,” a 32movolume, of which2,000 copies weresold. This wasfollowed byanother book of thesame size andcharacter, and in1832, the cholerayear, by “ A Refugein Time ofPlague and Pestilence.”In January,1838, W. H.Appleton wastaken into partnership,and the firmremoved to 200Broadway. In1848 the fatherretired, and W. H.Appleton thenformed a copartnershipwith his brother, John Adams Appleton (b.in Boston, Mass., 9 Jan., 1817; d. at his residence onStaten Island, 13 July, 1881). Three other sonsbecame partners. Daniel Sidney, the fourth son, b. in Boston, 9 April, 1824, d. in New York, 12 Nov.,1890; George Swett, b. in Andover, Mass., 11 Aug., 1821, d. at Riverdale, N. Y., 7 July, 1878; Samuel Francis, the youngest son, b. in Boston, 26 April, 1826, d. in New York, 25 Oct., 1883. The businesswas removed from 200 Broadway to the oldSociety library building, corner of Leonard streetand Broadway, and subsequently the growth of thecity necessitated many removals farther up-town.In 1881 the retail, jobbing, and importing departmentswere abandoned, in order that sole attentionmight be given to the publications of the house,and the business was removed subsequently to itspresent location, 72 Fifth avenue. In 1853 aprinting-office and bindery were established in Franklinstreet, New York; but the publishing businessincreased to such an extent that in 1868 the manufacturingdepartment was removed to Brooklyn, wherebuildings were erected that cover nearly a wholesquare. The publications of the house extend overthe entire field of literature. Its “American Cyclopaedia” is the largest and most widely circulatedwork of its kind ever produced in this country. Thefirst edition was issued in 1857-'63; and a revisededition, which was practically a re-writing of theentire work, with the insertion of thousands ofillustrations and other improvements, in 1873-'76, additionsand corrections being added from time to time.The “Annual Cyclopaedia,” published in similarstyle and forming an appropriate continuation ofthe greater work, is now in its thirty-sixth year. Itsillustrated books include “Picturesque America,”“Picturesque Europe,” and “PicturesquePalestine,” besides valuable art collections. Its textbooksembrace every subject taught in Americanschools; medical books form a special department,and books in Spanish for the South and CentralAmerican markets form another. Nearly all thenoted scientists of Europe and the United Statesare represented in the list, which also in generalliterature includes the names of Bancroft, Bryant,CiMipor, Dickens, Disraeli, Scott, and other standardauthors. The literature of the civil war isrepresented on both sides, by Generals Sherman, Sheridan,and J. E. Johnston, Admirals Farragut andPorter, Jefferson Davis, William H. Seward, andbiographies of Lee, Chase, “Stonewall” Jackson,A. S. Johnston, and other distinguished participants.The business is conducted by a companyincorporated in 1897, consisting of William W.Appleton, president; Daniel Appleton, 1stvice-president; Edward D. Appleton, 2d vice-president;Sidney Appleton, secretary and treasurer. Theabove, with Charles A. and Robert Appleton,constitute the board of directors of the company.