"C" is for Conner, Henry Workman (1797-1861)

"C" is for Conner, Henry Workman (1797-1861). Merchant, banker. In 1822 Connor arrived in Charleston and began the factorage and commission house of Conner & Wilson. The firm pioneered the use of steamships to carry freight and passengers between Charleston and towns in the interior of South Carolina and Georgia. Conner was one of the original directors of the Bank of Charleston—of which he served as president. The bank was the largest private financial institution in the state and one of the most influential in the American South. In 1850, Conner became president of the South Carolina Railroad. Other business ventures included the Atlantic Steam Navigation Company and the Charleston Gas Light Company. At the time of his death, few men had contributed more to the antebellum growth of Charleston than Henry Workman Conner.