William S. Culbertson was born in a small town called New Market, Pennsylvania on February 4, 1814. When he was twenty-one years old, in 1835, Culbertson moved to New Albany, Indiana. He found a job working as a clerk in a New Albany dry goods store owned by Alexander S. Burnett. Dry goods are items such as cotton, cloth, buttons, needles, and threads.

   Culbertson's interest in dry goods grew, so he started his own dry goods business with his younger brother John. This business was called the Culbertson and Brother Dry Goods business and was located on Pearl Street near Main Street in downtown New Albany. This location is near the site of the Municipal parking lot.
 

Answer these questions by circling the correct letter:
 

1. In which state was William Culbertson born?

a) Indiana     b) Kentucky     c) Pennsylvania

2. How old was William Culbertson when he came to New Albany?

a) 64             b) 21             c) 10

3. What was Culbertson's first job after coming to New Albany?

a) banker     b) dry goods clerk     c) servant

4. Who was John Culbertson?

a) William's brother     b) William's son     c) William’s father

5. In what type of business was Culbertson involved?

a) steamboats     b) mansions     c) drygoods

    In 1860, William Arthur Culbertson, William's oldest son, began working as a clerk in his father's dry goods store. In 1861, William Arthur Culbertson became his father's business partner. This business was renamed the W. S. Culbertson and Son Dry Goods business.

    William Culbertson earned his fortune during the Civil War. He earned much of his own money in the dry goods business. He also earned money in banking. In fact, in 1865 William Culbertson helped to start a bank called The First National Bank of New Albany. This bank is was located on the northeast corner of Bank and Main Streets in downtown New Albany. The bank is no longer in operation but the building is still standing. This building was constructed in 1837 and was originally a branch of the Indiana State Bank.

    At one time, Mr. Culbertson was the richest man in Indiana with a fortune worth three and one half million dollars. Washington C. DePauw, another gentleman who lived on Main Street in New Albany during the 19th century, also was worth millions of dollars. At different times, Mr. Culbertson and DePauw were considered to be the richest men in Indiana, and both lived in New Albany.

 
Answer these questions by circling the correct letter:
 

1. What did Culbertson's oldest son do in 1861?

a) built a mansion     b) got married     c) became a business partner

2. In 1865, William S. Culbertson did what?

a) helped start a bank     b) got married     c) built a mansion

3. William Culbertson was once the richest man in Indiana. Another man from New

Albany also was very wealthy. Who was he?

a) John Culbertson     b) Washington C. DePauw     c) James Banes

4. How large was Culbertson's fortune?

a) $120,000     b) $7,100     c) $3 1/2 million

5. Mr. Culbertson earned most of his fortune in what business?

a) cooking     b) dry goods     c) building mansions

    In 1863, William Culbertson bought a lot on Main Street in New Albany for the purpose of building a new home. The lot was a city block long from East Ninth to East Tenth Streets. The lot cost Culbertson $5,000.

    In 1867, two New Albany architects brothers James and William Banes started to work on Culbertson's new home. It was said to look like a French mansion. The style of the home is called French Second Empire. Construction on the home took two years and cost $120,000 to build.

    In 1869, two years after construction had started, William Culbertson and his family moved into their new home at 914 East Main Street. The family had six servants who lived at the mansion and did work such as cooking and cleaning.
 

Answer the questions by circling the correct letter:
 

1. Why did William Culbertson buy a large lot on Main Street in 1863?

a) to build a home     b) to plant a garden     c) to build a dry goods warehouse

2. How much money did Culbertson pay for the lot?

a) $120,000     b) $5,000     c) $7,100

3. When did construction begin on the Culbertson Mansion?

a) 1867     b) 1869     c) 1892

4. Who were James and William Banes?

a) architects     b) servants     c) dry goods clerks

5. When was the Culbertson mansion completed?

a) 1867     b) 1869     c) 1892

    Mr. Culbertson had been married three times in his life. In 1840, he married a lady named Eliza Vance of Corydon, Indiana. She was the first of his three wives. William and Eliza were married twenty-five years and had eight children. Eliza died in 1865.
 
    Two years later William Culbertson married a widow from Evansville, Indiana
named Cornelia Eggleston. They were married thirteen years and had two children.
Cornelia was the first of Culbertson's wives to live in the Mansion. Cornelia died in 1880.
 
    Four years later William Culbertson married his third wife, Rebecca Young of Kentucky.  On June 25, 1892 William Culbertson died of heart failure. He was seventy-eight years old when he died. Culbertson is buried in Fairview Cemetery in New Albany.  During his life he did many generous things to help people in New Albany. In 1873 he donated $25,000 for the construction of a home for widows. These are women whose husbands have died. The Widows' Home was located at 704 East Main Street and is now a private residence.

    Also, William Culbertson donated money for the construction of an orphanage
located at 1801 Ekin Avenue in New Albany. Orphans are children who have no parents.  The orphanage was named The Cornelia Memorial Orphan's Home, after his second wife, who worked to help some of these children.

    In 1886, Culbertson donated money for the construction of the Kentucky and Indiana Railroad bridge over the Ohio River between New Albany and Louisville.
William Culbertson was a generous man who cared for other people; especially those less fortunate such as widows and orphans. He did what he could to make New Albany a nice and prosperous community.

 
Answer the questions by circling the correct letter:

 
1. How many different times was William Culbertson married?

a) one     b) two     c) three

2. How many servants lived and worked at the Culbertson mansion?

a) six     b) two     c) ten

3. Who was Mr. Culbertson's second wife?

a) Eliza     b) Rebecca     c) Cornelia

4. In 1873, William Culbertson donated money to have a home built for what special

group of citizens?

a) servants     b) architects     c) widows

5. In which year did William Culbertson die?

a) 1873     b) 1892     c) 1859