John Rudolphus Booth (1827-1925) and Frederick Weyerhaeuser (1843-1914) were two well-known entrepreneurs of the North American lumber industry in the 19th century. They are very contrasting characters that appear to have nothing in common. They are from different parts of the world; Booth is Canadian and Weyerhaeuser is German. They did not share the same faith or educational background. Booth was Presbyterian and went to a local county school. Weyerhaeuser was Protestant and went to a Lutheran school till the age of fourteen. One might look at them and presume that they were different from each other as night and day. However, when looking at such influential characters, it is unimaginable not to notice their striking similarities. They were brought up on farms and their families did not own much wealth. They were both exposed to work at a young age and possessed a knack for business.
There may be a common misconception that one must be well-educated or come from a wealthy family or have a defined list of qualities to be a successful entrepreneur. Contrary to that belief business activity transcends social class, faith, educational and family background, and the success of an entrepreneur depends on sheer passion and drive. Business leaders are susceptible to the volatility of the business market and make decisions based on their managerial style and personality. In this essay, I will compare the business careers of John R. Booth and Frederick Weyerhaeuser, and illustrate how they became the ‘Kings of the Lumber Industry’.
With little or no capital in his hands, John R. Booth ventured out of his hometown. John Booth went to the state of Vermont and found a job as a carpenter at the Central Vermont Railway where he would help build bridges. He also dabbled in construction work of a paper mill and a saw mill near Hull. He got his first taste of business at this saw mill since the