He arrived in Philadelphia with ambition and not much money, but soon became a successful maker of brass buttons. In 1725, he joined the Quaker faith and married a woman from a successful Quaker family. In general, Philadelphia’s Quakers were a financially ambitious group .It isn’t known how Caspar Wistar decided to start the Glass house venture but one good theory is that he was contacted by unemployed German glass blowers back home in Hilspach Germany.They sought sympathetic German investors in the early North American Colonies.
Wistar had been in constant contact with and correspondence with German businessmen in his Homeland.He would have certainly been aware of such an opportunity to start a Glass works in North American was decided that he would go into business with four master glass gaffers from the Palitinate region of Germany. This was the first cooperative business venture in the early glass industry in this country that the workers had helped to initiate. The names of the four men were Martin Halter,William Wentzel,Simeon Griesmeyer and Caspar Halter.They arrived in Philadelphia in 1738 having sailed from Rotterdam on the ship (Two Sisters).Wistar had to wait until the glassmen had arrived to begin construction of the glass factory.The factory was built in less then a years time.The first pieces of glass to be sold from the factory was in September of 1739.
Since 1730, Caspar Wistar had been purchasing land in Pennsylvania, some of which he sold to the Penn family. When he purchased the Alloway NJ tract, he already owned several thousand acres in Pennsylvania including property outside of Philadelphia near an old glassworks. Since he lived in Philadelphia and had a store in the city, it might be assumed that the glass factory was established there. This was not the case. Location was a critical consideration and the purchase of the Alloway, NJ, tract was not coincidental with the arrival of the German glassblowers in the same year. Caspar Wistar was aware of the particular needs of an operating glass enterprise and the location outside of Salem was ideal!
When Caspar Wistar passed away on March 21st 1752 of dropsy Richard his second son took over the glassworks for his father and ran them successfully until 1782.It was his daughter Catherine who had been a book keeper for her father in the business to make sure all monies owed to and paid out were taken care of. No other person affected the early glass industry in the Colonies more then Caspar Wistar.Last year I got lucky and found descendants of the Wistar family alive and well in England.They are slowly liquidating there collection of manuscripts,family heirlooms ect.Here is a ledger showing repayment of loans to various investors in the glass works mostly Caspars children and there husbands and wives but also private investors including Charles Stedman Henry Stiegels early business partner.
This is an important document which I have scanned and archived pertaining to Caspar Wistars Estate beginning 10 days after his death.This appears to be an account ledger showing repayment of loans from the glass house business to various family members; sons, daughters,son in-laws, daughter in-laws,investors ect.Where I am 90 percent sure of glass I have in my collection as to being attributed to Wistarburgh,these ledger sheets show all the family easily seen in the Wistars lineal descent with monies owed them by the glass house thus tying together the glass house,Caspars children their husbands and their wives to the Americas first sucessful glass factory.This is an important piece of information showing the incredible wealth attained by The Wistars and their extended family.The ledger was kept by Caspars Daughter Catherine who married Isaac Greenleaf.Richard Wistars name is clearly shown and his sister calls him Rich on one occasion.This Diary and ledger ended up in England
via Caspar Wistar the III the doctor.He studied in England for quite a few years and would make it a logical explanation for these papers to be over there still in the Wistar family hands.