William Fulton Ambrose

  General Notes:

In 1901, William was 23 living with his family in Glasgow at 34 Crichton St. His occupation was listed as a Coppersmith.

William left for America on September 10, 1910 from Glasgow on the S.S. Caledonia. He arrived in New York on September 18, 1910 with his final immigration destination of Pittsburgh, PA.

William lived in Scotland, England (No documentation of residing in England but this would have been a short time period), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Ohio. He had a home in Beaver Township, Mahoning County, Ohio in 1920, in Diamond / Milton, Ohio, near Lake Milton, in 1930. From there the family moved to Calla, near Canton, Ohio. They had to move from Milton due to the water rising from the dam constructed on the Mahoning river in 1913. The water eventually covered their home which is now under Lake Milton. The story behind Lake Milton is included here as part of this family history:

Before settlement of Ohio, dense forests covered much of the region. The forests were inhabited by Indians and wild animals including wolf, elk, bear and mountain lion. Indian trails and rivers provided access to the area. When settlers started moving west, they traveled the same routes as the Indians. Historic records recall only a few incidents between settlers and the Indians. John and Mary Young traveled to this area from New York and in 1797 platted a town on the bank of the Mahoning River. In 1803, the Youngs left the area due to homesickness, but the town (Youngstown) still bears their name. Shortly after the Young's departure, iron, coal and limestone were discovered in the nearby hills. In 1826, the first coal mine opened in the valley. After Lake Superior's extensive iron ore deposits were discovered, the Mahoning Valley steel industry grew at a rapid rate. Union Iron and Steel Company, the first Mahoning steel plant, opened in 1892. Additional mills and fabricating plants drew immigrants of all nationalities to the valley.
In 1910, the city of Youngstown acquired 3,416 acres in Milton Township to construct a reservoir to be used as a water supply. A 2,800-foot dam was completed in 1913 impounding 1,640 acres on the Mahoning River. Lake Milton included a small amusement park at Craig Beach with a swimming beach, roller coaster, boat trips and a busy midway. The east side of the lake included taverns, a dance hall and a skating rink. During the 1970s, mounting problems with the Lake Milton dam demanded attention. Considering safety factors, the gates were opened in the spring of 1986 and the lake was drained. State assistance was sought and shortly thereafter repairs to the dam began. Within two years, the dam was ready to hold water again. Lake Milton was officially dedicated as a state park in 1988. William was a Machinist and avid inventor. The mill he worked at relied on him to keep the machinery in top working order. William would also modify the equipment or designed new items to improve production. He had many inventions to his name but unfortunately the company took all patent rights and left him with nothing. When he died from cancer at age 54, his family had nothing to fall back on even though he had made millions for the company.

William married Flora McPhee Jamieson, daughter of William John Jamieson and Flora McPhee, on 31 Dec 1903 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. (Flora McPhee Jamieson was born on 1 Nov 1880 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, died on 4 May 1972 in Newton Falls, Trumbull, OH and was buried on 8 May 1972 in Newton Falls, West Cem., OH.)