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Orville S. CAESAR
LPrevette0290  (View posts) 	Posted: 14 May 2001 12:00PM GMT
Classification: Obituary
	Edited: 9 Nov 2001 6:44AM GMT
Surnames: CAESAR, PETERSON, MARTINSON, LITTELL, SMITH, GREENWOOD, FARISS
Transcribed from a clipping from The Evening Telegram, Superior, Wis. Friday, May 31, 1965.

O. S. Caesar, Ex-Superiorite And Former Greyhound Co. President, Dies at Age 72

An ex-Superiorite and former president of the Greyhound Bus Corp., Orville S. Caesar, 72, died Wednesday
 in Barrington, Ill. Caesar resided in Barrington, a Chicago suburb, for many years.

At the time of his death, Caesar was a member of the executive committee and the board of directors of
 the Greyhound Corp. He has been a member of the board since 1928 and was president of the firm from 1946 
to 1955.

Caesar is credited with establishing the first bus service between Superior and Duluth in 1916 and was a 
pioneer in bus transportation in northern Wisconsin.

Caesar was born May 22, 1892 in Rice Lake, one of a family of six children. His father, Frank, was a 
blacksmith who had been born in Sweden. The mother was of Norwegian ancestry. Frank Caesar had a 
blacksmith shop where he constructed wagons and sleighs. Young Caesar helped his father in the shop.


In 1902 or 1903, Caesar saw his first car and it wasn’t long before his interest centered around
 the motor vehicle. And, about the same time, the youngster became a publisher, printing with a friend,
 Marshall Brekke, a little newspaper called the “Commander”. He later sold his interest in the paper
 for $75 and took a permanent job with an auto agency in Rice Lake.

He worked after school for the agency as a mechanic. He drove his first car, a Rambler, in 1906. In 1908,
 Caesar sought his fortune in Minneapolis, Minn., working for the Studebaker Co., in the service department.
 He worked night and day to learn everything he could about the engine of the car.

To Superior

Caesar moved to Superior in 1912, where he became shop superintendent of the Ross Motor Co., which sold 
Studebaker, Chandler and Franklin cars. Three nights a week he taught automotive mechanics to persons of
 all ages and walks of life.

In 1916, Orville’s father died and he moved back to Rice Lake and established a small car dealership,
 selling Studebakers and other cars.

Lack of capital was troublesome and in a short time his old employer in Superior induced him to return 
as a partner.
Expanding his interests later, he and Ford Campbell took on an agency for White truck Co. It was during
 this period that Caesar started his bus line.

At first the business was confined to Superior and Duluth for which the public paid 25 cents per ride. 
The business later expanded and buses were soon traveling between Superior -Duluth and Ironwood, Mich.

In 1922, Caesar sold his auto business interests to devote all his time to the bus enterprise. In 1925, 
after Caesar had built up the bus business, he sold it to Northland Transportation Co., which was formed 
by the Great Northern Railway Co.

C. E. Wickman, Hibbing, Minn., another former Greyhound president, sold his bus line, which operated in
 the Duluth and Iron Range area, to Northland and became president of the Northland firm. Caesar became
 assistant general manager of the firm.

In the years to follow, scores of bus companies were put together to form the giant Greyhound Corp.


Caesar was married in 1913 to Altie Peterson, his boyhood sweetheart. She died in 1921. They had two 
daughters, Doris and Althalie. In 1950, Caesar married Jane Martinson, who survives him.

Caesar, in working with his hands, had been an inventor and developer. He invented the hot water heating 
system for cars. Along bus lines, he was the developer of the scenicruiser.

Caesar succeeded Wickman as Greyhound president.
Besides his wife, Caesar is survived by his two daughters, Mrs. W. Littell and Mrs. Lyman Smith, three
 stepsons, Jack, David and Warren Martinson; one brother, Frank Jr. , and two sisters, Mrs. Elvin 
Greenwood and Helma Fariss.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Barrington Presbyterian Church. There will 
be a private family burial.

Should friends desire, memorials may be made to the Orville S. Caesar Memorial Fund at the Sherman 
Hospital, Chicago, Illinois.