USA > Indiana > Lake County > A standard history of Lake County, Indiana, and the Calumet region, Volume II > Part 33
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55
GREEN ENGINEERING COMPANY. The Green Engineering Company was originally a Chicago industry, but after four years of operation in that city the plant was established at East Chicago in 1905. The factory grounds comprise twelve acres, and about three hundred and fifty men, mostly skilled workers, find employment and the means of their liveli- hood with that industry. It is one of the central institutions of pro- ductive industry which have given character to the Calumet region in general, and which are the mainstay of the resident population.
The Green Engineering Company has a plant and its general opera- tions are those of a general foundry and machine works. The special line of manufacture which has given the company its widest reputation is mechanical stokers and pneumatic ash handling systems. The goods manufactured have a standing reputation among industrial managers and the company's specialties are shipped all over the world. The plant is modern in equipment and has all the facilities for general foundry and machine works.
The officials of the company are: P. A. Poppenhusen, president, a resident of Evanston, Illinois ; H. A. Poppenhusen, secretary and general manager ; and J. S. Dewey, superintendent of the works. Mr. Dewey has been with the company since 1900, and had supervision and active control of the erection of the plant at East Chicago. His home is in East Chicago, and his family consists of his wife and two children. Mr. Dewey is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, is a member of the Commer- cial Club and the East Chicago Club and the Safety First Association.
ALWIN WILD. Now one of the oldest merchants of Hobart, Alwin Wild has performed the kindly and efficient services of undertaker to the community for many years, is a prosperous furniture dealer, and his services are also recalled with appreciation for the work he did as township trustee and in connection with many other civic enterprises during the last quarter of a century.
Alwin Wild was born at Shermerville, Illinois, in July, 1862. Edu- cated in the country sehools until sixteen years of age and reared on a farm, he spent his early career until twenty-two as a farmer, and then entered the employ of Peter Geisen in his furniture store at Crown
alwin Dild
707
LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
Point. After two years, well equipped with experience, he engaged in the furniture and undertaking business for himself at Hobart. That was in 1886, and his name has been continuously associated with mer- cantile and civic affairs in that city ever since. His first location was in the building where the Hobart Bank now stands, and after two removals in 1893 he erected the building where Frank Reissig now has his place of business, and the building is still his property. In 1910 Mr. Wild put up the new structure where his enterprise is still con- ducted, a two-story and basement building, 47x75 feet, a concrete and steel building, with all modern services and conveniences. The front of the upper floor is for apartments, while in the rear is a display room, the first floor being used for his stock of furniture, and the basement as a storage room and morgue. In the rear stands a two-story building, 32x41 feet, used also for storage and for the shelter of his funeral equip- ment. The services of the Wild undertaking establishment extends in all directions about Hobart for fifteen miles. He keeps four hearses, an ambulance and an automobile, and in his furniture store carries a complete stock of household goods, besides paints and other lines.
On January 18, 1888, Mr. Wild married Bertha Wischman of Hobart. Mr. Wild traveled with her through the South and East, but in spite of his devoted care she died July 27, 1911. She received her education in the Hobart schools. The five living children are: Mrs. Albert Wrob- bel, of Hobart; Myrtle, sixteen years of age, and a student in the high school, who was the only Indiana girl who won the contest inaugurated recently by the Chicago American with a trip through Yellowstone Park as one of the prizes; Helen, aged fourteen ; Mildred, aged eleven; Almira, five years old. Mr. Wild has fraternal affiliations with the For- esters of America, the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks.
His civic relations have been of special importance. He is an active member of the Commercial Club, and was one of the charter members of the Hobart volunteer fire department, having been in the service for twenty-three years and for a time was assistant fire chief. In 1904 Mr. Wild was elected township trustee of Hobart Township, serving until 1908. He had the administration of the schools and the public roads, and is credited with starting the first stone road in his township. He was also instrumental in installing a modern heating and ventilating plant in the public school, and a water supply, favored and worked to get the manual training department organized, and did much to improve the athletic department of the school. His own pleasures are chiefly in the sports of motoring, fishing and hunting. Mr. Wild is a democrat. A few years ago he was a participant in the exciting pur- suit of the car-barn bandits through the sand dunes in the vicinity of Miller and Gary. Mr. Wild was in the depot where one of the bandits lay asleep, but was unaware of the outlaw's identity. He had his team and wagon there, later loaned it to the officers who carried the bandits to the station in his wagon.
W. A. MILLER. The Gary branch of Armour & Company was estab- lished in September, 1908, and opened for business on January 4, 1909, with W. A. Miller as manager. The office and warehouse now occupy a two-story and basement building, 75 by 125 feet, and all the facilities measure up to the high standards maintained everywhere by this great packing house. From the Gary plant the goods of Armour & Company
708
LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
are distributed at wholesale throughout the district for thirty or forty miles around Gary. Mr. Miller is one of the trusted and expert men who have been developed by the great house of Armour, and has had a long experience in the meat business, at one time as an independent retail dealer, and for a number of years with the present firm. At Gary the operations of the branch house were conducted at a loss for the first year or so, but Mr. Miller has since developed a business which classifies it at a high rank among similar houses throughout the country, and now has under him a staff of thirteen employees.
W. A. Miller is a native of Indiana, born at Walkerton, May 7, 1875. and has an extensive acquaintance over this section of Indiana acquired since boyhood. His education was received in the public schools of Chicago, and he first learned the undertaking business. Later he was one of the employees of the Chicago Telephone Company, and was night manager of the company's South Chicago office eighteen months. This was followed by work as a stationary engineer with the Illinois Steel Company, and from that he went into the retail meat trade, selling meat over the block for four years. Armour & Company then secured his services as a salesman, and for four years before coming to Gary he was one of the handy men of the Armour staff, and was sent to many different houses wherever needed as a relief manager.
Mr. Miller was married June 15, 1898, to Winifred O'Donnell, daughter of Daniel O'Donnell. Daniel O'Donnell was for many years an employe of the Standard Oil Company, and was an oil worker in the early days of Western Pennsylvania, and a contemporary and associate of Rockefeller, and when the latter was still young and obscure, Daniel O'Donnell once loaned him the sum of five hundred dollars. Mr. Miller and wife are the parents of five children: Edward, Cyrian, Margaret, Winifred and William Jr. Mr. Miller affiliates with the Masonic lodge and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and in politics is independent.
HUBBARD STEEL FOUNDRY COMPANY. Established at East Chicago in 1909, and beginning operations in January, 1910, the Hubbard Steel Foundry Company now occupies large grounds and is an industry worth noticing among the various manufacturing units in the Calumet region. Its plant is located with convenient access to the tracks of the Pennsyl- vania, Baltimore & Ohio and Indiana Harbor Belt Railway, and the grounds cover twenty-five acres. The output of the foundry is steel castings and chilled rolls for the rolling mills. The company also does a large amount of bridge and structural steel casting work, and special custom orders. The plant has a capacity of 1,600 tons per month, in- cluding 1,000 tons of steel work and 600 tons of chilled rolls. Its output is shipped all over the United States.
The president of the company is Albert Pack, who also fills the office of treasurer, and W. L. Ronstrom is secretary. The Hubbard Steel Foundry Company is an Illinois corporation, with its head offices in the Railway Exchange Building in Chicago.
Albert Pack was born at Alpena, Michigan, in 1889, a son of Albert and Cora (Maltz) Pack. His father was a lumberman, and moved from Michigan to Pittsburgh, where Mr. Pack received his education. At the age of fifteen he went into the steel mills and learned the business both in office and in the mills, and rose rapidly to responsible positions in the industry. He was at Canton, Ohio, with one of the large mills
709
LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
there for a time, and has been president of the East Chicago plant since 1912. Mr. Pack has his home in Pittsburgh.
O. C. WICKS, M. D. After half a dozen years of practice in his profession in Michigan, Doctor Wicks moved to Gary in 1908, and is now one of the leading physicians in the city, well known all over the com- munity and popular in all classes. He has a large private practice and is one of the prominent citizens of the Calumet region.
Dr. O. C. Wicks was born in Baltimore, Maryland, July 20, 1869, a son of Gardner A. and Sarah R. (Makinson) Wicks. His father was a cabinet maker by trade. Doctor Wicks began life with plenty of stimulus to accomplish all he could on his self-reliant efforts, since the family were not in a condition to supply him with funds for a leisurely educa- tion. From the public schools he became a student in the Polytechnic Institute at Baltimore, and having exhibited special proficiency in the mechanic art, did his first regular work as a teacher of drawing and manual training, and for ten years was employed in that vocation, namely, as a special supervisor. In the meantime he took up the study of medicine, and in 1902 was graduated M. D. from the department of medicine and surgery of the University of Michigan. His first six years as a physician and surgeon were spent in Muskegon, and from there he moved to Gary in 1908, and has since built up a large practice in general medicine. Doctor Wicks is a member of the Lake County and the Indiana State Medical societies and the American Medical Association.
In August, 1891, occurred his marriage with Carrie M. Satterfield, of Easton, Maryland. They are the parents of one son, John S., now a student in the University of Indiana. Doctor Wicks affiliates with the Masonic order, is a progressive republican in his political sympathies, and belongs to the First Congregational Church at Gary.
HARRY CALL. An active and successful attorney at Gary, Harry Call has had a varied and broad experience in his profession, and has been a member of the Gary bar since the first year of that city's existence. He is associated with Judge Greenlee in practice and his services have frequently been called in as an attorney for much important litigation in Lake County.
Born in Grant County, Indiana, January 5, 1876, Harry Call is a son of John W. Call, the present postmaster of Gary, whose career is sketched elsewhere in this publication. It is a matter of note that John' W. Call constructed the first improved highway in Lake County, and his son was associated with his father in this work, and had charge of construction and the laying of the first gravel surface on a public road in Lake County. His education was acquired in the common and high schools, and after his experience with his father, he was employed in the steel plant for a year, and after that for seven years was in the mail service. While working for the Federal Government he pursued the study of law with Judge Greenlee, and was admitted to the Indiana bar in 1904, and to the Supreme Court in 1906. Since the latter year his home has been in Gary, and his practice has grown in proportion to the city's rapid development.
On June 23, 1903, he married Kathryn Gainer, of Greencastle, Indiana. Of their two children, one is deceased, and John Gainer Call is now about six years of age. Mr. Call affiliates with the Masonic lodge and the Knight Templar commandery, the Benevolent and Pro-
710
LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
tective Order of Elks, is a charter member of the Gary Commercial Club, also belongs to the Gary Y. M. C. A. and the Hammond Country Club.
DON F. VAN LIEW. A young business man of Gary whose forte is real estate, and who has become known pretty generally throughout the city, is Don F. Van Liew, active manager of the large business conducted by the firm of Jeffery & Morgan.
Don F. Van Liew was born at Lakeville, Indiana, August 17, 1879, a son of A. O. and Mary Van Liew. His father was a druggist at Lake- ville and the family had their home in Northern Indiana for many years. Don F. Van Liew, after getting a public school education, learned telegraphy and was employed as an operator by the Wabash Railroad for four years. From handling a telegraph key he turned his attention to a more active and independent line, and in 1905 entered the employ of Jeffery & Morgan at Chesterton, Indiana, and in a short time had so thoroughly gained the confidence of his superiors that when they opened a branch office in May, 1907, at Gary, Mr. Van Liew was elected to take charge of the business, and has successfully discharged those responsibilities ever since. The business is chiefly in the making of loans and realty, renting and insurance, and it has been built up to large proportions.
Mr. Van Liew, in November, 1905, married Laura E. Ketring, of Chesterton, but who was born at North Webster, Indiana. They are the parents of two sons: Donald E. and John A. Mr. Van Liew affiliates with the Masonic order, has held all the chairs in the Knights of Pythias, and in politics maintains an independent attitude.
C. C. BRINK, M. D. Though one of the younger members of the medical fraternity of Lake County, Doctor Brink in ability and in the extent of his patronage ranks second to none of his competitors. Doctor Brink has brought to the active work of medicine and surgery an ex- ceptional equipment, gained both from the schools and from the resources of his own mind and adaptability for his chosen vocation. After an extended hospital experience in the East, Doctor Brink located at Hobart about two years ago.
Born at Hammondsport, New York, July 1, 1883, Doctor Brink finished his course at his home high school, took his preparatory work in the Mercersburg Academy of Pennsylvania, entered Cornell Univer- sity, where he specialized in chemistry, and in June, 1910, was graduated M. D. from the Medico-Chirurgical College of Philadelphia. His clini- cal and hospital experience was unusually thorough. Eighteen months were spent after graduating in the Williamsport Hospital of Pennsyl- vania, in the Charity Lying-in-Hospital of Philadelphia and the Medico- Chirurgical Hospital of Philadelphia, and for eight months he was as- sistant to Dr. J. R. Carr, of Norristown, Pennsylvania. On coming to Hobart, Doctor Brink formed a partnership with Dr. E. R. Gordon, and at the death of Doctor Gordon on December 1, 1912, succeeded to the practice.
Doctor Brink married Harriet E. Sadler, of Elmira, New York, on December 28, 1911. Mrs. Brink was born at Elmira August 28, 1886. and besides her education in the high school has developed her talents as a musician, both in piano and vocal. They have one son, John Cal- vin, now seventeen months of age. Doctor Brink has membership in the
E.C. Bring In, Il,
711
LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, is independent in politics, and a member of the Presbyterian church, of the Hobart Commercial Club, and his college fraternities were the Phi Gamma Delta at Cornell and the Phi Alpha Sigma in medical college. Doctor Brink is a member of the Lake County Medical Society, and the Indiana and American Association. He is now assistant coroner of Lake County and health officer for both East Gary and Hobart.
The vigorous and wholesome out of doors has always been a factor in Doctor Brink's career, and while absorbed in his practice he takes his chief diversion in motoring, but also enjoys hunting and trap shoot- ing. In his early days he made a name in some of the minor leagues of baseball, was in the Wisconsin league of 1908, was pitcher for Oshkosh, and also with the Hudson River league and played with the Lake George team at Canandaigua, New York.
H. W. BENNETT. One of the recent additions to Gary's citizenship and business enterprise is H. W. Bennett, who in a short time has built up one of the finest undertaking parlors and service in Northern Indiana. Mr. Bennett has had a long and successful experience in his profession, and has as his associate his son Royal, a hustling young business man.
H. W. Bennett was born in Medina County, Ohio, in 1869, a son of substantial farming people, Henry and Eunice Bennett. His training in the local public schools was followed by a course in the Northern Ohio Normal College at Ada, and for six years he was in the active work of teaching. That was followed by several years as a farmer on the old homestead, and in 1895 he engaged in the furniture and under- taking business at Wellington, Ohio. Subsequently he moved to Lima, was an undertaker there, and after a short experience in the same line at Elyria came to Gary on March 8, 1913, and opened his business.
In 1890 Mr. Bennett married Ida Bauer of Medina County, Ohio. His three children are: Royal W., associated with his father; Edith L., at home; and Mildred Y., also at home. Mr. Bennett affiliates with the Masonic Order, with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, is a progressive republican and a member of the Methodist Church.
Royal W. Bennett, the son, learned the undertaking business in all its details, and has made a valuable partner to his father. He is also engaged in the hay and grain business at Gary. Their equipment for perfect service as undertakers includes everything modern.
GEORGE VERPLANK. The rapid growth of automobile interests in the country during recent years has created an industry which has given a wide field of opportunity and enterprise to many young men of mechanical tastes and ability, and the establishment of Verplank Bros. at Gary is one of the oldest garages and automobile sales agencies in the city. The brothers engaged in business January 18, 1909, the proprietors being George and Jerrett Verplank. Their garage was at 117 W. 6th Street until the fall of 1911, and they then moved to 761 Washington Street, where they occupy the ground floor and basement of a building 60 by 125 feet, and have all the facilities for first-class and reliable service. They handle the agency for the Moline and Studebaker cars and the White trucks, and have the only automobile funeral car in Lake County.
712
LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
George Verplank was born at Spring Lake, Michigan, May 18, 1886, a son of Joseph and Margaret (Brower) Verplank. His father, who is now retired after a long career as a farmer, was for four years sheriff of his county. Mr. Verplank learned the trade of machinist as a boy, and since his school days were over has more than made a living through the present prosperous establishment of Verplank Bros.
On June 2, 1909, he married Adelaide Fetz of Marysville, Kansas. They have three children, Glen, Helen and Leone. Mr. Verplank affiliates with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is independent in politics.
WILLIAM L. FARQUHARSON. A resident of Gary since 1908, Mr. Farquharson served as assistant engineer and is now engineer in charge for the Gary Land Company. The part performed by this company in the initial work of improvement and development at Gary has been described on other pages, and the organization of the company and its personnel has also been made a matter of record. Mr. Farquharson is a skilled young Scotch engineer, who came to Gary about a year after leaving his native land, and in many ways has proved his ability and given excellent service to the corporation which employs him as chief engineer.
William L. Farquharson was born in Scotland on April 27, 1887, a son of Donald and Margaret Farquharson of Glasgow. His father followed the business of valuator for a firm of chartered accountants. The son grew up in Glasgow, and from the common schools prepared for his profession in West of Scotland Technical College, which grad- uated him from the civil engineering department in 1907. In search of a field to apply his knowledge, Mr. Farquharson crossed the Atlantic and went to Winnipeg, Canada, but after about a year spent in Canada and other places came to Gary in June, 1908, and accepted the position of assistant engineer for the Gary Land Company. On January 5, 1914, he was promoted to the post of engineer in charge, and now has all the technical supervision of the varied works carried on by this company.
Mr. Farquharson in 1911 married Margaret McGregor of New York City. She was born in Scotland and came to New York with her parents when a child. Their one son is William Henderson. Mr. Farquharson is financial secretary for Clan MacNeil No. 193 of the Order of Scottish Clans. His church is the Presbyterian, and his political support favors the republican principles.
C. A. HUETTNER. That quality of enterprise which propels a small business into one of rapid prosperity and of ever-increasing strength as a factor in local commerce is well illustrated by the career of the People's Hardware Store of Gary, the oldest and largest establishment of its kind in that city, and without doubt the largest store for hardware in Lake County. The business dates its beginning in Gary April 20, 1908, when C. A. Huettner opened the doors to the trade with a very modest stock of goods. Every month saw a substantial increase in the sales, the stoek was enlarged to suit the demands, and in 1911 the busi- ness was incorporated with Mr. Huettner as president and manager, and F. Eibel as vice president and manager of the plumbing depart- ment. From twenty-five to forty people are now employed in selling the goods, handling the stock and looking after the various service per- formed by the company in its several departments. The store occupies
Jake Kramer In
713
LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
a. 25-foot frontage on Broadway and 50 feet front on Seventh Avenue, with 125-foot depth. The ground floor and basement are given up to the large and varied assortment of builders and general hardware, and there is also a large warehouse.
The genius of this establishment from the beginning has been Mr. Huettner, who, though a young man, had a long and practical expe- rience in this line of merchandising. Born at Joliet, Illinois, May 6, 1884, a son of C. A. and Pauline Huettner, he attended the parochial schools while a boy, and early began work with the Barrett Hardware Company at Joliet. When he was nineteen years of age he had advanced so far into the confidence of his employers and had so well husbanded his earnings that he was able to buy an interest in a hardware store, but sold out his Joliet business in 1908 in order to establish himself as the pioneer hardware man of the rising City of Gary.
Mr. Huettner was married October 17, 1911, to Cassilda Komp of Rock Island, Illinois. They are the parents of two sons, Carl A. and Donald Joseph. Mr. Huettner affiliates with the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks and the Commercial Club.
LOUIS P. Kuss. One of the veteran business men of the Calumet region is Louis P. Kuss, now of Gary, and for many years one of Ham- mond's business executives. Mr. Kuss now handles the insurance and rental department of the South Side Savings Bank, and as manager of this department probably produces more new business in the insurance line than any other individual in Gary.
Louis P. Kuss was born in Laporte County, Indiana, in 1868, son of Christian and Matilda Kuss, his father one of the substantial Ger- man-American citizens and farmers of that county. Reared in the country, with a public school education, Mr. Kuss began his independent business career at Hammond in 1888, when twenty years of age. His home was in Hammond until 1908, and during the first five years of his residence he conducted a business of his own. During the subsequent fifteen years he had charge of the branch office at Hammond of the National Biscuit Company, and was general manager for all the territory of the Calumet district. On coming to Gary in 1908, Mr. Kuss became associated with Mr. C. O. Holmes in the real estate and insurance busi- ness, and was one of the active factors in the organization of the South Side Trust & Savings Bank, and deserves the chief credit for having made the insurance department of this company the largest in the city. He represents twenty leading insurance companies, and for several years has collected in premiums about eighty-five thousand dollars annually. Mr. Kuss is also interested in several real estate concerns in Gary.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.