USA > Indiana > Allen County > History of the Maumee River basin, Allen County, Indiana > Part 26
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
In his political allegiance Mr. Vonderau is found stanchly ar- rayed as a supporter of the principles and policies of the Democratic party, while he is one of the leaders in its local ranks. He has naturally been called upon to render service in offices of public trust in his township, having long been a member of the school board of his district, while he was incumbent of the office of township assessor for a period of five years. In 1905 he was elected to his present responsible office, that of township trustee, and he has proved him-
347
ALLEN COUNTY, INDIANA.
self a most capable and loyal official, fully justifying the confidence placed in him by his fellow citizens. He is a member of the German Lutheran church.
In the year 1889 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Vonderau to Miss Mary Griebel, who likewise was born and reared in this county, being a daughter of George and Fredericka (Wolf) Grie- bel, the former being a representative farmer of Marion township. They have become the parents of five children, Frida, Annie, Her- man, William and Johanna.
348
THE MAUMEE RIVER BASIN.
HENRY W. BECKER.
The subject of this sketch, who is clerk of the board of public works of Fort Wayne, has proved himself well entitled to the trust reposed and is one of the popular citizens of his native county. He was born in the city of Fort Wayne, on the 21st of February, 1859, and is a son of Frederick and Margaret (Jennedein) Becker, both of whom were born in the Rhenish district of the German and French border, near the province of Alsace, which is now a portion of German territory. They were reared and educated in their native land and there their marriage was solemnized. In 1848 they im- migrated to America, making Indiana their destination. They made the trip by way of the Great Lakes to Toledo, Ohio, and from that port they came by canal to Fort Wayne, where they established their home, the father having been one of the pioneer blacksmiths and wagonmakers of this city, while it may be noted that in 1850, at the time of the great hegira of gold-seekers to California, he found great demand for the wagons which he manufactured for use in making the long and perilous trips across the plains to the new eldorado. He was one of the sterling citizens and well known and highly honored business men of Fort Wayne, and here he continued to reside until his death, which occurred in 1882, at which time he was nearly sixty-three years of age, while his widow was somewhat past the age of seventy-two at the time of her death, in 1891. Of their children five are living, namely: Frederick, Minnie, Charles, Mary and Henry W. Frederick and Charles are successfully con- tinuing the blacksmithing and wagon-making business established by their father so many years ago, and their sisters preside over the domestic economies of the home, none of the children having married except the subject of this review.
Henry W. Becker was reared to maturity in his native city and
349
ALLEN COUNTY, INDIANA.
here he has ever continued to make his home. He received a good public-school education and in his youth learned the stone-cutter's trade, becoming a skilled workman and continuing to be identified with the work of his trade until 1893, when his health became so seriously impaired that he was compelled to retire from the business, having been at the time a member of the firm of Griebel, Wyckoff & Becker, engaged in the manufacturing of monuments and other cemetery work. After disposing of his interests in the business noted Mr. Becker became deputy assessor of Wayne township, serv- ing in this capacity for a period of five years, at the expiration of which, in 1900, he was elected assessor, remaining incumbent of this office, by successive re-elections until his appointment as clerk of the board of public works, which position he is now efficiently filling. In politics he is a stalwart Democrat, and has ever taken a deep interest in the forwarding of the party cause and been active as a worker in its local ranks. He commands unqualified esteem in the community and well merits the recognition accorded him in this historical compilation.
In the year 1883 Mr. Becker was united in marriage to Miss Lavina Englert, who was born and reared in Fort Wayne, being a daughter of Frank and Louisa Englert, who were early settlers here and both of whom are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Becker have six children, namely : Magdalene, Margaret, Flora, Henry, Roy and Frederick, all of whom remain beneath the home roof, the pleasant family residence being located on East Jefferson street.
350
THE MAUMEE RIVER BASIN.
JOHN R. HARTZELL.
One of the fine landed estates of Allen county is that owned by Mr. Hartzell, who is one of the leading farmers and stock-growers of Adams township and one of its honored and influential citizens, while he is also a representative of one of the sterling pioneer families of the county, with whose development the name has been prominently identified.
Levi and Mary (Souders) Hartzell, the parents of the subject, were both born and reared in Miami county, Ohio, the former having been born on the 20th of March, 1812, while the latter was born on the 3Ist 'of December, 1820, near Covington, Ohio. The father died on the 31st of January, 1871, at the age of fifty-eight years, nine months and eleven days, and his venerable widow still resides on the old homestead, in Adams township, the place having been endeared and hallowed to her through the memories and asso- ciations of the past. Her marriage to Mr. Hartzell was solem- nized on the 25th of February, 1841, and she and her husband came to Allen county, Indiana, in June following, arriving at their desti- nation on the 16th of that month. John Souders, the maternal grandfather of the subject of this review, was born in Pennsyl- vania, and the paternal grandfather, Philip Hartzell, was born in Virginia, both families having been founded in America in the colonial era of our national history, while both became represented among the pioneers of the state of Ohio, where members settled in the early portion of the nineteenth century.
Levi Hartzell first came to Indiana with his maternal grand- mother, Mrs. Anna Kritz, who lived near New Haven, Adams township, and who had come to Allen county with her three sons, David, Jacob and Abraham Miller. Her maiden name was Studabaker and after the death of her first husband, whose
351
ALLEN COUNTY, INDIANA.
name was Miller, she became the wife of a Mr. Kritz, one child, Polly, having been born of the second union and having been a member of the family at the time of the removal to Indiana, about 1832, the family being numbered among the first settlers in the practically untrammeled wilds of Allen county. When Levi Hart- zell came here he received much encouragement and no little tangible aid from his grandmother and uncles. He purchased a tract of land adjoining the farm of his grandmother, paying one hundred dollars and assuming an indebtedness of the remainder of the pur- chase price. He returned to Ohio and was there married, after which he came with his bride to the embryonic farm in the midst of the forests of Allen county. On his eighty-acre tract he had made a clearing and erected a log cabin, and this figured as the destina- tion of the young couple, who made their bridal tour by driving through from Covington, Ohio, with horse and wagon, the horse having been borrowed for the momentous occasion. Mrs. Hartzell had been somewhat reluctant to make this change in the new coun- try, but her father advised her to try the experiment and if she were dissatisfied at the expiration of one year he stated that he would assist them to return to Ohio. Before the expiration of the year she had become so well pleased with the outlook and conditions that she had no wish to leave the little home in Adams township. Mr. Hartzell began operations on his farm with most primitive equip- ments, and his widow recalls the fact that one horse and one cow constituted the live stock on the pioneer farm at that time. Wheat and corn had to be taken to Defiance to be ground, as the nearest mill was at that point, while the trip was usually made by boat. The first mill in the vicinity of the family home was erected and equipped some years later, being one of the first in Allen county and having been put up by a man named Townsend. .
Levi Hartzell continued to give his undivided attention to the improvement and cultivation of his farm until the construction of the Wabash & Erie canal through this section was instituted. He then secured employment in connection with the construction work, assisting in getting out timber, building docks, etc. He had made no little development on his farm, of which he had secured posses- sion eight years prior to his marriage, and having thus come to
352
THE MAUMEE RIVER BASIN.
Allen county as a pioneer of 1833. His widow still lives on the old homestead, and the log cabin continued as the family residence until 1868, when he erected the present substantial and commodious brick house. In company with L. M. Rogers Mr. Hartzell was engaged in the general merchandise business in New Haven for about a score of years, while he was also associated with Mr. Rogers and John Bigue in the erection of the grist mill which is still operated in that thriving town, the building having been erected about 1863, while Mr. Hartzell was the part owner and operator at the time of his death. He was a man of distinctive energy and business acu- men, and the influence of his enterprise and his sterling character was exerted in a most helpful way in the community to whose up- building he contributed in so significant a measure. He erected a saw mill on his farm and continued the operation of the same until within a short time prior to his demise. He accumulated a valuable landed estate, having had about four hundred and forty acres, divided into three farms, while he cleared about two hundred and thirty acres and placed the same under effective cultivation, being one of the most extensive agriculturists and stock growers of Adams town- ship. Mr. Hartzell naturally took a prominent position in connec- tion with public affairs of a local nature, and his counsel was held in high regard by his neighbors and other friends. During the Civil war he was an enrolling officer and rendered valuable service in re- cruiting the Union ranks. He held various local offices, and received the nomination for that of county commissioner, but was defeated by normal political exigencies, though he ran far ahead of his ticket. He was the nominee of the Republican party, and the Democratic majority in the county was at that time about four thousand. Two of his sons, Elias and Joshua, served with fidelity and valor as Union soldiers during the Rebellion. Levi Hartzell was one of the lead- ing business men of Allen county for many years, and his name was ever a synonym of integrity and inflexible honesty of purpose. His death resulted from exposure during a hunting trip, and the com- munity felt a deep sense of personal loss when he was thus called from the scene of his earnest and well directed endeavors. He was broad, charitable and tolerant in his views, guiding his course ac- cording to the golden rule and avoiding contentions and bicker-
353
ALLEN COUNTY, INDIANA.
ings of all sorts, though he never lacked the courage of his con- victions. He espoused the cause of the Republican party at the time of its organization and ever afterward remained a stalwart advocate of its principles and policies, while his sons followed in the same political faith, much to his gratification. He was a lover of good horses, and the best of drivers and draft horses were to be found on his place, while he found much pleasure in riding horseback, having made at one time the trip to Covington, Ohio, by this means, covering one hundred miles in one day. He was progressive and public-spirited and ever ready to assist in the carrying forward of enterprises for the general good. He was an advocate of good roads, good schools, etc., and was one of the stockholders in the first gravel road constructed in the county. In 1858 he started a brick yard on his farm, and here were manufactured the bricks for his own residence as well as many other buildings in this part of the county. He made a specialty of raising fine varieties of fruit, and his generosity was such that he gave away many bushels each year, never refusing those who applied. Mrs. Hartzell, though venerable in years, is well preserved in mind and body, and in the old homestead which has 'been her place of abode for the past sixty- four years she is surrounded by a host of warm friends and finds pleasure in being useful and busy, while the golden evening of her life is brightened by the gracious memories of the days long past.
Levi and Mary (Souders) Hartzell became the parents of nine children, of whom seven attained maturity. Joshua, who remains a bachelor, is with his mother on the old homestead, while it may again be noted that he was a valiant soldier in the Civil war; Elias is a successful farmer of Madison township; Susan is the wife of Dr. Lycurgus S. Null, of New Haven, this county; Jennie is the wife of Townsend C. Shilling, of Troy, Ohio; John R. is individually mentioned in appending paragraphs; Allen is associated in the oper- ation of the homestead farm; Warker remained with his mother until his death, at the age of forty-three years.
John R. Hartzell, the immediate subject of this review, was born on the old homestead farm, on the 4th of November, 1851, and he early began to lend his aid in the work of the farm, while he re- ceived his educational training in the common schools of the county.
23
354
THE MAUMEE RIVER BASIN.
Two years after the death of his father he assumed charge of the home farm, to which he gave his attention until the time of his marriage, in 1876. He then removed to his present farm, which lies opposite the old homestead, his estate being divided into three farms, with an aggregate area of about three hundred acres, while two of the places have houses and other buildings of substantial order. He maintains a general supervision of all his farm property, which is devoted to general agriculture, dairying and the raising of high-grade live stock, a specialty being made of the breeding of short-horn cattle, of which he maintains a herd of upward of fifty head; Shropshire sheep and Poland China swine: standard-bred horses, as well as the Percheron and Belgian draft horses, his place being known as Maple Grove farm. He finds a local market for his surplus live stock, and at the time of this writing has about one hundred and twenty-five head of horses and cattle. For the past twenty-three years he has carried on a most successful dairying business, selling about one hundred gallons of milk daily at the present time and keeping an average of about fifty head of milch cows. During all the years through which he has conducted this enterprise his wagons have never failed to make regular deliveries in the city of Fort Wayne. The home farm is improved with modern buildings, is well tilled and is one of the model places of the county. In politics Mr. Hartzell is a stalwart Republican, though never a seeker of office. In a fraternal way he is identified with New Ha- ven Lodge, No. 253, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, which he has represented in the grand lodge of the state, while both he and his wife are affiliated with the adjunct order, the Daughters of Rebekah, in which Mrs. Hartzell has passed the various official chairs and also been a delegate to the grand lodge; and he is also a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Pathfinders.
On the 15th of November, 1876, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Hartzell to Miss Minnie Brittingham, who was born in Farmington, Pennsylvania, being a daughter of Dr. William B. and Mary W. Brittingham, who removed to Fort Wayne when she was a child of three years. Mr. and Mrs. Hartzell have two daugh- ters, Naomi Olive and Iola Ethel.
ALLEN COUNTY, INDIANA.
AUGUST R. SCHNITKER.
-
The subject of this sketch occupies a prominent place among the substantial and enterprising business men and progressive and pub- lic-spirited citizens of Allen county, which has represented his home from his boyhood days to the present time, while he has attained to success and prestige through his own well directed efforts along normal and legitimate lines of industrial enterprise. He is the senior member of the firm of A. R. Schnitker & Son, who are engaged in the manufacturing of handles for agricultural imple- ments, the well equipped plant of the concern being located in the thriving village of New Haven. The subject was for nearly six years an able, faithful and valued member of the board of county commissioners, and to him is accorded the unqualified regard of all with whom he has come in contact in business, official or social relations.
August R. Schnitker was born in Prussia, Germany, on the 8th of March, 1847, being a son of Christian and Charlotte Schnitker, who immigrated to America in 1854, at which time the subject was about eight years of age. The family came at once to Allen county, Indiana, and settled in Jefferson township, where the devoted wife and mother died about eighteen months later, while the father passed away in 1865 at the age of fifty-two years. Of the three children August R. was the eldest; Charles died at the age of forty years, and Caroline married Godlid Slagel, dying when still a young woman. Concerning the career of our subject we are pleased in being able to make quotation from an appreciative sketch which was published in a New Haven paper :
"It has been more than half a century since our genial 'Gus,' as he is familiarly known about New Haven, landed upon American soil. It was in 1854 he left Prussia, Germany, with his parents and
356
THE MAUMEE RIVER BASIN.
set sail for the new world. They crossed the ocean in a sailing vessel, and the voyage was of eleven weeks' duration, and owing to the severe storms encountered the three-masted vessel arrived in New York harbor with but one mast standing. From New York they went to Cincinnati to visit his father's brother, then came to Fort Wayne by packet, as railroad accommodations to these parts at that time were very limited. They stopped at the American house over night and then proceeded by canal packet to the Gronauer lock, east of town, and thence to their log cabin, one mile from that point. They resided there about one year, until the death of his mother, and in 1856 Gus came to New Haven. From that time until 1863 he received his schooling, studying both English and German. In 1863 he commenced to learn the harness trade, under John French, who shortly afterward enlisted in the One Hundred and Twenty-ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, with which he went to the front, his shop being closed. Mr. Schnitker then went to work in the stave factory of Schnelka, Beugnot & Company, where he was employed until 1865, when he again went to work at the har- ness trade, this time for Louis Traub, in Fort Wayne.
"On the 13th of June, 1866, he engaged in the harness business for himself, in New Haven. He had little or no means, but his honesty and integrity had won for him the confidence of all and made his credit good, so that, with plenty of pluck and energy, he made the venture a success. He made his first set of harness for J. L. Richard, from whom he received the first money in his shop. He gave his personal attention to the business until 1881, and finally disposed of the shop in 1888. In 1881 Mr. Schnitker engaged in the manufacture of all kinds of handles, having as his partner F. E. Bueter. Two years later Jobst Fischer bought an interest in the business, and the handle factory was conducted under the firm name of Schnitker, Bueter & Company. A year later Mr. Bueter retired, and the firm of Schnitker & Fischer thereafter continued the enterprise until 1903, when Mr. Fischer retired from the firm and removed to Kansas, Mr. Schnitker then becoming sole owner, but soon afterward admitting his son Charles to partnership, under the present firm title of A. R. Schnitker & Son. The firm is today successfully conducting the handle factory, which is located in the
357
ALLEN COUNTY, INDIANA.
west end of the town, and an extensive business is controlled, having important bearing upon the general prosperity of the town and sur- rounding country."
The output of this well known plant now represents an average annual valuation of fifteen thousand dollars, employment being given to a corps of about twenty capable operatives, the annual pay roll representing thirty-six hundred dollars, while from nine to ten thousand dollars are annually expended in the home market for tim- ber and other needed supplies. Eight thousand dollars were ex- pended in the erection and equipment of the plant, which has the latest improved machinery and all other facilities for the turning out of high-grade products.
Mr. Schnitker is a stalwart advocate of the principles and policies of the Democratic party, in whose local ranks he has been an active and valued worker. He has served in various minor offices, and has twice been the candidate of his party for the office of county treasurer, his defeat on each occasion having been compassed through normal political exigencies, the vote being such as to indicate the confidence reposed in him by the people of the county. In April, 1899, he was appointed a member of the board of county commis- sioners, his coadjutors being Matthew Ferguson and Edward Orr. Under this appointment he served nineteen months and was then elected for the short term of one year, and later the long term of three years to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Sylvanus Baker, who had served but five months on his second term, Mr. Ferguson also retiring and Martin Mondy becoming a member of the board, while later Mr. Orr was succeeded by Charles Greable. Mr. Schnitker's term expired on the Ist of January, 1905, and he had thus remained in tenure of the office of commissioner for six consecutive years, lacking only five months. His record was one of careful, faithful and efficient service, and he spared no pains or efforts to protect and conserve the best interests of the county and its people. Within his incumbency the magnificent new court house was completed and furnished, while large expenditures were required for the repairing and building of bridges, especially in 1904, when so many were swept away or otherwise damaged by high waters, thirty-five having been built in the county within that year.
358
THE MAUMEE RIVER BASIN.
In the year 1871 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Schnit- ker to Miss Hannah Linnemann, who was born in Germany and reared in Allen county, and the five children of this union are as follows: William, who is employed with the Western Gas Con- struction Company of Fort Wayne; Charles, a member of the firm of A. R. Schnitker & Son; Frederick, Emma and Amelia, the three younger children being still at the parental home.
359
ALLEN COUNTY, INDIANA.
HENRY F. SCHNELKER.
Without fear of legitimate contradiction we may designate Mr. Schnelker as one of the representative business men of Allen county, while his acumen and progressive ideas are indicated by his identi- fication with the enterprises of notable character. He is concerned with the great basic art of agriculture, in Adams township, is manager of a cooperage and lumber business in the attractive little city of New Haven and is also the exploiter, president and manager of the Blue Cast Magnetic Springs Company, which has head- quarters in the city of Fort Wayne, while the fine springs from which the valuable medicinal water is secured are located one mile north of Woodburn, this county, and fifteen miles east of Fort Wayne, in the heart of Blue Cast park, which clothes the banks of the Maumee river with its beautiful scenery.
The cooperage plant in which Mr. Schnelker is an interested principal, in New Haven, has a capacity for the output of fifty thousand staves daily and three thousand sets of heading in the same time. Employment is given to sixty-five men in the mill, while the entire corps demanded in carrying on the enterprise is about eighty. This business was founded before the war of the Rebellion by the firm of McKendry & Schnelker, while the enter- prise was later conducted in turn under the firm names of Hall, Schnelker & Company; J. Begue & Company ; Indiana Stave Com- pany, for five years; H. Schnelker Company, eight years, while in 1872 the present title of H. F. Schnelker Company was adopted, the enterprise having been successfully carried forward under this name during the intervening years. The company formerly con- trolled three large plants and gave employment to two hundred and fifty men, but the present finely equipped plant handles a large vol- ume of business and is managed in a conservative way. The com-
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.