REYNOLDS, Joseph "Diamond Jo"

"Diamond Jo" Reynolds was one of the most successful businessmen on the Mississippi River.

REYNOLDS, Joseph "Diamond Jo" (Fallsburg, NY, 1819--Congress, AZ, Feb., 1891). Steamboat company owner. Feeling that he had been unfairly treated by river shippers, Reynolds began building his own boats. In 1874 he moved the main office of the Diamond Jo Line Steamers to Dubuque at EAGLE POINT and continued his business with an estimated twenty warehouses and offices along the MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

Often pictured as a flamboyant figure in the steamboat business, Reynolds was actually a quiet man who shunned society and minded his own business. He achieved his flashy nickname by signing "Jo," the first two letters in his first name, Joseph, outlined with four lines in the shape of a diamond. Not given to drinking, swearing, or gambling, Reynolds banned gambling and bars on his STEAMBOATS.

Reynolds believed in maintaining his boats in top condition and kept stores of tools at different locations along the line for repairs, which he often made himself. Reynolds' habit of selling his boats before they were too old enabled him to buy newer and larger craft, but he never over expanded. His company thrived by adding new customers and running a highly efficient operation. Among his peers, he was known for giving his foremen authority and expecting them to use it.

Deeply hurt by the death of his only son, Blake, Reynolds bequeathed $200,000 to the University of Chicago to establish the Reynolds Club in his son's memory. In 1911 the sale of the Diamond Jo Line brought his widow $1,500,000.