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Mark Wiess (1842-1910). Mark Wiess and his twin, William Wiess, were the third and fourth children born to Simon and Margaret Wiess. He began his business career as a merchant in Beaumont, Texas in 1866. Like his father, he had a keen business sense and an inquisitive spirit. He was a gifted inventor, and a leader in technological innovation. He was the first person to own a typewriter in Beaumont and he had the first ice company there. He made numerous inventions for his lumber business and it was his vision and guidance that led to the selection for the site of the town of Port Arthur, Texas and for the creation of a ship canal to it, a project credited to Arthur Stilwell. His leadership was key to making his Reliance Lumber Mill the largest of its kind in the world at the turn of the century. The caption to the newspaper photograph at left reads: "RESPLENDENT IN TOP HAT and frock coat, Mark Wiess cut a very distinguished figure when he had this picture made in London in 1900 while there on business for his firm, the Reliance Lumber Company".
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