William Holmes Stevenson and Fannie Laune Large

---

---

Husband William Holmes Stevenson ¹

---

           Born: 19 Jan 1857 - Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, PA 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

---

         Father: George Keeports Stevenson (1828-1910) 1
         Mother: Mary Dickson Brown (1831-      ) 1

---

       Marriage: 7 Apr 1881 2

---

---

Wife Fannie Laune Large ²

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

---

         Father: Henry Large, Jr. (1836-      ) 3 4
         Mother: Anna H. Greenlee (      -      ) 3

---

---

Children

---

1 M Henry Large Stevenson ²

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

---

2 M William Holmes Stevenson, Jr. ²

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

---

3 F Anna Large Stevenson ²

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 1921 2
         Buried: 

---

---

General Notes: Husband - William Holmes Stevenson

---

He was educated in the public and high schools of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and entered into business with his father, upon whose death he became the head of the firm, in which his brother, James B. Stevenson, was associated with him. Mr. Stevenson always took unusual interest in public affairs. He was a member of the Common Council of Pittsburgh in 1902-04, and chairman of its finance committee. From 1906 to 1909 he was a member of the Select Council, assisting in the granting of a new city charter to Pittsburgh and the creation of a single council of nine paid members. He also advocated the creation of a Greater Pittsburgh, by the consolidation of Pittsburgh and Allegheny City.
In 1909 Mr. Stevenson ran as an Independent for mayor, the candidate of the independent citizens, and polled about 24,000 votes. In 1908 he was the chairman of the general and executive committees of the great Sesqui-Centennial Celebration of Pittsburgh, and also of the Councilmanic Committee. In 1909, upon the reorganization of the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, he was chosen chairman of the executive committee, and two years later was made president. Three great celebrations were fostered under his administration, the Centennial of Steamboat Navigation, on the western rivers, in 1911; the one hundred and twenty-fifth anniversary of the creation of Allegheny County, in 1913; and the Centennial of Pittsburgh City Charter, in 1916. For all these celebrations Mr. Stevenson was chairman of the general committee. The Society greatly increased in membership during his administration; it erected a fine building, established a library and museum, and began the publication of the "Western Pennsylvania Historical Magazine."
Mr. Stevenson was made a member of the Pennsylvania State Historical Commission in 1913, and in 1919 he became its president. He was largely instrumental in securing the purchase and preservation of the property of the Harmony Society of Economy. He was also a member of the Pennsylvania War History Commission, and during the first World War he was chairman of the Allegheny County Division of the Pennsylvania Council of National Defense. Mr. Stevenson was one of the most active workers in the Chamber of Commerce for many years, having long been a director. In 1913-15 he was president of the organization. He was chairman of the Rivers and Harbors Committee of the body, and later head of its Municipal Affairs Committee. He aided largely in securing a considerable reduction in telephone rates. He was one of the original directors of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America.
Playgrounds for the city of Pittsburgh were of great interest to Mr. Stevenson, and he was for years chairman of the committee of the Pittsburgh Playground Association. In politics he was always an Independent Republican. He was a prominent member of the Orphans' and Citizens' party, was the Pittsburgh chairman of the Union Party in 1901-03, and of the Lincoln and Civic parties in 1905-06, which organization greatly aided in the election of George W. Guthrie as mayor. Mr. Stevenson actively supported the successful candidacy of William A. Magee for mayor in 1921.
While in Council, Mr. Stevenson was a member of the Carnegie Institute board of trustees. He was largely instrumental in securing the land needed for the Carnegie technical schools at a moderate price, and also the site for the building of the United States Mines Bureau. He was a member of the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission and also of the Flood Commission of Pittsburgh.
For many years Mr. Stevenson took an active interest in the development of the interior waterways, and in later years he was deeply interested in the project to construct the Lake Erie and Ohio River Canal. In 1915 he was appointed by the governor as president of the Lake Erie and Ohio River Canal Board of Pennsylvania, and worked unceasingly to secure the waterway. Mr. Stevenson was president of the Mississippi to Atlantic Waterways Committee which had representatives in twenty states. He was a member of the Bellefield Presbyterian Church, and in 1907-09 was president of the Presbyterian Union of Pittsburgh.

1 George P. Donehoo, Pennsylvania - A History (SW) (New York, NY; Chicago, IL: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1926), Pg 228.

2 George P. Donehoo, Pennsylvania - A History (SW) (New York, NY; Chicago, IL: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1926), Pg 229.

3 —, History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Chicago: A. Warner & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 655.

4 —, The History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Part II (Chicago, IL: A. W. Warner & Co., 1889), Pg 513, 738.