Charles Watson - Scholze Tannery
- Nov 11, 2025
- 1 min read
Updated: Nov 16, 2025
When my great-grandfather Charles Richards (Watson) arrived in the US, he landed in New York on April 27, 1880 on the ship Bolivia. The ship had left Liverpool and arrived after a 7-10 day trip. He stayed in Peekskill, New York for about a year before traveling on. My mom said that her grandmother Ida Bell had said he also lived in Cincinnati for a short period before arriving in Tennessee. I have not found this yet, but I believe there were other relatives living in that area.
In 1881 when he was about 25, Charles started working at Scholze's Tannery in Chattanooga, Tennessee per his obituary. He had been a currier in that trade since he was 15 in Scotland and also while in New York. Charles was promoted to foreman shortly after starting and worked there for 22 years. Here are some photos, including one of the building in 1914 (from cousin Elaine Ellis—Margaret Watson’s granddaughter), some letters on the letterhead, the location on a modern map, and the founder with a little background on the company. Apparently, the smell was pretty bad from the tannery.
Written in 2025 by Jamie
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