70:, and their uncle Charles Wood with a business proposition. William felt that there was money to be made by providing a way by which people interested in owning a home could purchase one in installments, making a small down payment and paying what they could monthly. This "Easy Pay Plan" opened the possibility of home and land ownership to large groups who might not otherwise be able to do so. Clifford and his uncle both liked the idea; together they pooled $ 3000 to start
20:
105:, which Harmon established in 1921, originally supported a variety of causes. They spent hundreds of thousands of dollars establishing over 100 "Harmon Fields" playgrounds in locations in 24 different states. They also provided college loans for poor individuals and fund nursing programs, but is best known for having funded and collected the work of a large group of
112:
Harmon also had an alter ego, Jedediah Tingle (or
Jebediah Tingle, depending on the source). Under that name, he dispersed money for less focused and more frivolous or impulsive purposes. Tingle's agents would bestow funds and treats on kids, artists, and poets. For example, "Tingle" funded giving
81:. With some advertising, the development of over 200 lots sold quickly.Further developments were soon built in Ohio and western Pennsylvania, followed by expansion into various cities in the Midwest and the East Coast of the United States. Wood, Harmon & Co. soon had offices in over 26 cities.
92:
and expansion of the city's rail transit would provide opportunities for the company. This action proved to be fortuitous, with the company ultimately developing over 20,000 building lots in
Brooklyn. Wood, Harmon & Co. diversified by creating other companies to acquire and hold business
121:
Harmon died July 15, 1928, in
Southport, Connecticut, after years of illness. At his death, he still had US$ 2,000,000. A Charlotte, North Carolina public librarian who had received annual gifts from "Jebediah Tingle" sought out other Tingle recipients with the goal of holding a memorial.
113:
dollar bills to reward young camp-goers for their skill in holding their noses while underwater. One recipient was awarded for not appearing in public in
Abraham Lincoln makeup during the run of a play. Tingle's true identity was not publicly known until after Harmon's death.
93:
properties and real estate for lease and/or sale. In 1907, William took his partners to court over
Clifford and Wood having set up further businesses using the corporate name without his involvement, leading to the dissolution of the company.
232:
Perry, Regenia; Knight, Christina; Tani, Ellen; Jegede, dele; Parnell Jr., Kevin L.; Cooks, Bridget R.; Ditillio, Jessica M.; Holloway, Camara Dia; Walsh, Meaghan; Borum, Jenifer P. (9 January 2023).
261:
210:
524:
233:
255:
55:
314:
519:
201:
529:
477:
196:
451:
392:
417:
328:
102:
39:
472:
160:
142:
483:
364:
494:
487:
143:"William E. Harmon, Donor of Provo's Newest Playground, Worked His Way Up From Poverty to Financial Supremacy"
239:
206:
71:
58:. When he was six years old, he and his mother joined their father living in Native American territory.
514:
509:
106:
43:
54:
Harmon, a white man, was born in Ohio and raised in the
Midwest; his father was an officer in the
434:
277:
67:
247:
251:
243:
306:
289:
89:
78:
503:
178:"Breaking Racial Barriers: African Americans in the Harmon Foundation Collection
19:
346:
85:
38:), was a white real estate developer and philanthropist. He founded the
177:
161:"Harmon, Philanthropist, Was Jebediah Tingle, Anonymous Benefactor"
18:
84:
In 1900 Wood, Harmon & Co, purchased large tracts of land in
397:
Buy
Happiness; Wealthy Man Proves It; 'Jebediah Tingle' Is Dead"
418:"William E. Harmon, Playgrounds Doner, Died Sunday, July 16"
109:, many of whom would go on to become widely recognized.
452:"Memorial Planned for the Mysterious "Jebediah Tingle""
495:
1924 letter from Tingle to
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
197:"African American art and the Harmon Foundation"
66:In 1887, Harmon approached his younger brother,
365:"Wood, Harmon & Co, are Likely to Dissolve"
30:(March 25, 1862–July 15, 1928), also known as
484:Correspondence from and about Jedediah Tingle
8:
88:, in anticipation that the building of the
386:
384:
382:
380:
378:
248:10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T001094
190:
188:
186:
329:"Harmon's Subdivision of Branch Hill ad"
180:, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.
137:
135:
412:
410:
301:
299:
131:
285:
275:
525:20th-century American philanthropists
195:Evenhaugen, Anne (22 February 2013).
42:, which was noted for its support of
16:American developer and philanthropist
7:
473:Note about Jedediah Tingle donations
264:from the original on 26 April 2023
213:from the original on 15 April 2023
202:Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
14:
77:Their first development was near
317:from the original on 2016-05-24.
475:in the June 10, 1922, issue of
435:"For Not Being Abraham Lincoln"
353:. January 25, 1903. p. 9.
97:Foundation and Jedediah Tingle
1:
486:in the January 1923 issue of
458:. July 29, 1928. p. 15.
103:William E. Harmon Foundation
40:William E. Harmon Foundation
424:. July 18, 1928. p. 1.
391:Love, Sam (July 22, 1928).
371:. July 10, 1907. p. 3.
347:"Investment with Insurance"
546:
34:(cited in some sources as
520:Philanthropists from Ohio
311:Croton Friends of History
530:Businesspeople from Ohio
369:The Brooklyn Daily Eagle
107:African-American artists
44:African-American artists
422:The Punxsutawney Spirit
240:Oxford University Press
207:Smithsonian Institution
24:
456:The Knoxville Journal
72:Wood, Harmon & Co
56:10th Cavalry Regiment
22:
351:The Brooklyn Citizen
235:African American art
28:William Elmer Harmon
478:The Saturday Review
335:. January 31, 1888.
333:The Cincinnati Post
149:. October 30, 1925.
307:"The Other Harmon"
86:Brooklyn, New York
68:Clifford B. Harmon
25:
439:The New Near East
257:978-1-884446-05-4
23:William E. Harmon
537:
489:Public Libraries
460:
459:
448:
442:
441:, September 1922
432:
426:
425:
414:
405:
404:
401:Arizona Republic
388:
373:
372:
361:
355:
354:
343:
337:
336:
325:
319:
318:
303:
294:
293:
287:
283:
281:
273:
271:
269:
229:
223:
222:
220:
218:
192:
181:
175:
169:
168:
167:. July 19, 1928.
157:
151:
150:
147:The Daily Herald
139:
545:
544:
540:
539:
538:
536:
535:
534:
500:
499:
469:
464:
463:
450:
449:
445:
433:
429:
416:
415:
408:
390:
389:
376:
363:
362:
358:
345:
344:
340:
327:
326:
322:
305:
304:
297:
284:
274:
267:
265:
258:
231:
230:
226:
216:
214:
194:
193:
184:
176:
172:
159:
158:
154:
141:
140:
133:
128:
119:
99:
90:Brooklyn Bridge
64:
52:
36:Jebediah Tingle
32:Jedediah Tingle
17:
12:
11:
5:
543:
541:
533:
532:
527:
522:
517:
512:
502:
501:
498:
497:
492:
481:
468:
467:External links
465:
462:
461:
443:
427:
406:
374:
356:
338:
320:
295:
286:|website=
256:
224:
182:
170:
165:The Miami News
152:
130:
129:
127:
124:
118:
115:
98:
95:
79:Loveland, Ohio
63:
60:
51:
48:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
542:
531:
528:
526:
523:
521:
518:
516:
513:
511:
508:
507:
505:
496:
493:
491:
490:
485:
482:
480:
479:
474:
471:
470:
466:
457:
453:
447:
444:
440:
436:
431:
428:
423:
419:
413:
411:
407:
402:
398:
396:
387:
385:
383:
381:
379:
375:
370:
366:
360:
357:
352:
348:
342:
339:
334:
330:
324:
321:
316:
312:
308:
302:
300:
296:
291:
279:
263:
259:
253:
249:
245:
241:
237:
236:
228:
225:
212:
208:
204:
203:
198:
191:
189:
187:
183:
179:
174:
171:
166:
162:
156:
153:
148:
144:
138:
136:
132:
125:
123:
116:
114:
110:
108:
104:
96:
94:
91:
87:
82:
80:
75:
73:
69:
61:
59:
57:
49:
47:
45:
41:
37:
33:
29:
21:
488:
476:
455:
446:
438:
430:
421:
400:
394:
368:
359:
350:
341:
332:
323:
310:
266:. Retrieved
234:
227:
215:. Retrieved
200:
173:
164:
155:
146:
120:
111:
100:
83:
76:
65:
53:
35:
31:
27:
26:
515:1928 deaths
510:1862 births
504:Categories
126:References
50:Early life
288:ignored (
278:cite book
268:1 January
217:1 January
315:Archived
262:Archived
211:Archived
393:"Money
254:
62:Career
117:Death
290:help
270:2024
252:ISBN
219:2024
101:The
395:Can
244:doi
506::
454:.
437:,
420:.
409:^
399:.
377:^
367:.
349:.
331:.
313:.
309:.
298:^
282::
280:}}
276:{{
260:.
250:.
242:.
238:.
209:.
205:.
199:.
185:^
163:.
145:.
134:^
74:.
46:.
403:.
292:)
272:.
246::
221:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.