20 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
bituary. 
WILLIAM C. BARRY. 
Following a brief illness, William Crawford Barry, 
President of the Ellwanger and Barry, Inc., Mount Hope 
Nurseries, Rochester, New York, died at his home, De¬ 
cember 12th. 
Mr. Bariy was the son of Patrick Barry, the famous 
nurseryman, editor and author, who in company with 
George Ellwanger, founded the present well-known firm 
of Ellwanger and Barry in 1840, and who did so much lo 
make Rochester a city of nurseries. 
The late William C. Barry was a worthy son of his 
father. He was born September 17th, 1847, and prac¬ 
tically grew up in the nursery business. 
For a number of years he was tutored at home. Later 
he entered Seton Hall College in New Jersey, which at 
that time was conducted by Rev. Bernard J. McQuaid, 
later the first bishop of Rochester diocese. After com¬ 
pleting his studies in the New Jersey college, Mr. Barry 
was sent to Europe, where he studied for two years in 
Heidelberg and Louvain. Upon his return to Rochester 
he took up the work of the great horticultural business 
founded by his father. 
Perhaps Mr. Barry’s greatest service was rendered to 
Rochester when he served as a park commissioner. He 
was one of the original members of the Park Board, or¬ 
ganized in 1884, and he served until it was abolished in 
March, 1915, most of the time as vice president of the or¬ 
ganization. To no other one man does Rochester owe 
more for the intelligent development of its parks. 
Mr. Barry gave to his work as park commisisoner, un¬ 
selfishly and without stint, his business talents and splen¬ 
did horticultural knowledge. During all the years he 
was a member of the commission, he was chairman of 
the Highland Park committee. Highland Park became 
city property through the generosity of the firm of Ell¬ 
wanger & Barry, and while that park naturally received 
much of Mr. Barry’s attention, his broad knowledge and 
equipment made his advice most valuable in all Park 
Board matters. 
Besides the nursery business Mr. Barry had many 
other interests. He was an officer and director of the 
old Flower City Bank for many years, his connection with 
that institution continuing until its merger with the Na¬ 
tional Bank of Rochester in 1906. He was a pioneer in 
the street railroad business of Rochester, being a director 
in the old Rochester City and Brighton Railroad, one of 
th(‘ most prosperous city roads in the country at the time. 
Later, after the merger of all the Rochester lines, Mr. 
Barry was a director for many years in the Rochester 
Railway Company and the Rochester and Suburban Rail¬ 
road Company. He was president of the Rochester 
Trust and Safe Deposit Company and vice president of 
the Lincoln National Bank, and a trustee of the Monroe 
County Savings Bank. 
From the time of its organization Mr. Barry was a 
charter member of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce. 
He served for many years as a trustee of that body and 
did much public service on its various committees. Mr. 
Barry was liberal of spirit, interested in the welfare of 
Rochester, and always a leader in civic enterprises. 
The many resolutions adopted by his business asso¬ 
ciates speak highly of the love and esteem with which he 
was held. 
Bishop Hickey, who officiated at his funeral said;— 
‘To-day not only a parish, but a whole city mourns the 
loss of a Christian man, William C. Barry. The church 
asks that we pray for the dead and may you all do so at 
tl)is time. 
“There was a distinguishing mark of our departed 
brother, his intense faith. His faith in the hour of his 
death was a virtue. As a child it was ever the same. 
This is a gift we all might pray to have. 
It was that faith that guided him everywhere. He 
was, first of all, a man of God. From the teaching of 
his church he was a high priest of the layman. He car¬ 
ried his faith into his family and business life and to know 
that William C. Barry was interested in anything was to 
fill one’s trust in it. 
By his industry and talents he rose to prominence. 
His honesty was a watchword in the community. I 
speak to-day, not only , because of a personal 
love, but I believe it is good for the world to 
hear it, and I pray God his life may stir others to a life as 
