AV 4 Philander Van Burington Collection

              AV 4
Philander Van Burington Collection
Page 1
OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Audiovisual Collections
AV 4
PHILANDER VAN BURINGTON COLLECTION
( Ca. 1890 – 1926)
OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION
Number:
AV 4
Title:
Philander Van Burington Collection
Creator:
Philander Van Burington
Dates:
Ca. 1890 – 1926
Media:
Glass plate negatives, lantern slides, 35mm slide transparencies, photographs
Quantity:
2 cubic feet
Location:
Ohio Historical Center
BIOGRAPHY OF PHILANDER VAN BURINGTON
Philander Van Burington was born in West Springfield, Pennsylvania on January 14th, 1847. When Philander was nine years old, his parents, Rensalear S. V. Burington and Lucy ( Pike) Burington moved the family west to a farm in Illinois, where they resided for four years. Rensalear S. V. Burington decided that the pioneer life did not suit the family and that there would be more opportunity for work and education for their children in the city. The family moved to Amboy, Illinois in 1851, where Philander was enrolled in the public school system. Within a few years, he decided to learn the printing trade. He started as an apprentice and then occupied various positions in the trade, including editor. He then moved to Marshalltown, Iowa, where he was foreman of the Marshalltown Daily Times for six years.
In the early 1870’ s, Philander Van Burington changed his line of work in order to participate in the westward railroad expansion. He soon became paymaster for the Central Railway Company of Iowa, where he was employed for four years. He moved to Columbus, Ohio in 1881 and worked for the Scioto Valley Railway for two years in the passenger department and eight years as private secretary to the manager. In 1891, Philander Van Burington accepted the position of Auditor of the Columbus Consolidated Street Railroad Company -- later called the Columbus Railway and Light Company, and also the Columbus Railway, Power and Light Company, located at 104 North Third Street. In 1892 he was elected secretary of the company and served in both roles for many years. He was a member of the Columbus Board of Trade and was appointed its Director in April 1905. Philander Van Burington also assisted in collecting statistics, some of which were later compiled and published in a booklet by the Columbus Board of