People

Frederick Root went to work right after preparatory school to work at his father’s company, Morgan, Root & Company, founded in 1849. John McBride later purchased the Morgan interest, changing the name to Root & McBride Brothers. It was incorporated in 1895 as the Root & McBride Company, one of the leading pioneer wholesale dry-goods firms in the Midwest.

There was not a single department or line that escaped Frederick’s experience. His detailed knowledge of dry goods helped promote the company's fortunes, and Root was made vice-president and director of the company.

Root & McBride became the largest importer and jobber of dry goods in Ohio. The firm focused on the wholesale distribution of textiles, ready-to-wear clothing, and sundries to retail merchants in a six-state area. The merchandise also included floor coverings, curtains, blankets. 

The dry goods and textile business underwent a recession in the early 1950s. Although the industry began to recover in 1953, Root & McBride did not experience the upswing in business. A group of investors took control of the firm in 1953 under the name of National Investment Company. By the end of 1953, Root & McBride was liquidated. The company officially went out of business on May 21, 1954.

On August 28, 1865, Frederick Payne Root was the eldest son of Ralph Randolph and Anna Tubbs Root. He was educated in private schools and graduated from the Brooks Military School, a college preparatory school operated for males in Cleveland. 

Root married Mary Randall Crawford. Mary was born in 1867. They had two sons: Paul Crawford, born in 1891, and Ralph Randall, born on October 25, 1896. Mary died on March 27, 1903. Frederick remarried Eleanor Kingsbury of Montclair, New Jersey. They had one son, Paul Crawford.   

Root was also a director of the Union Commerce National Bank of Cleveland and a trustee of the Society for Savings Bank. He was an active member of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce, Civic League, and the City Club. He was a charter member of The Country Club. Social memberships included Mayfield, Roadside, and Union clubs. 

Frederick Root died on June 8, 1945, at age 80. He was buried with Mary in Lake View Cemetery.