USA > Indiana > Marion County > Indianapolis > Memorial record of distinguished men of Indianapolis and Indiana > Part 26
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Mr. Faulkner had a number of brothers and sisters. Emma, who is now Mrs. Joseph Shannon, and lives in Glenns Valley, Marion county, Indiana; Charles F., the eldest son; Edgar, living in Indianapolis; Ida, who married E. E. Hartman, of Indianapolis; Lewis A., who resides in New York City; and William, living in In- dianapolis.
Mr. and Mrs. Faulkner became the parents of one son, who married Ethel M. Dunlap. They live on East Pratt street, in this city. A niece of Mr. Faulkner's was also reared by them from her childhood. She is now the wife of John Chan- deller. She is now living in Indianapolis, on Bellfountaine street. Mrs. Faulk- ner lives in the comfortable home that she and her husband built together, at 2118 Park avenue.
Joseph Langbein
OR many many years America and her business opportunities have F been exploited in other lands, and to her shores have come people of every country to take advantage of these. While a welcome has been extended to all, and a large degree of personal freedom assured to them, it has been the solid, thrifty German who has been most acceptable, for in a large majority of cases he has come already prepared for self support and with aspirations that in- clude the founding of a home, the rearing and educating of his children, and the as- suming of the responsibilities of citizenship. Such a man was Joseph Langbein, who for many years of a busy life was a representative business man of Indianapolis, Indiana. He was born in Hessen, Germany, in 1820, and died in Indiana, May 31, 1879. He was the only one of a family of three daughters and four sons born to his parents, Frantz Langbein and his wife, to come to America. The father conducted a hotel in Germany and was in easy financial circumstances.
Joseph Langbein learned the bakery and confectionery trade after his school period was over and then, as a journeyman, visited France, where he followed his trade for seven years. He was thirty years of age when he came to the United States and after landing at New York, went to Cincinnati, Ohio, but shortly afterward be- came a resident of Indianapolis, Indiana. There are many of the older people of this city who can recall the old Warner bakery and there Mr. Langbein found employ- ment and remained until about 1850, when he established a bakery of his own, on the corner of North Jersey and Washington streets. He proved a good business man and prospered and within a few years was able to erect a brick business block, on the opposite corner from his first store, and after moving into the new quarters went into the general notion business and continued in that line until within a short period of his death. While he never lost his love for his native land, in 1870, with his wife and eldest son making a visit to the old country, he became in all essentials, an American citizen and took pride in his adopted country and her institutions. He was one of the charter members of the Indianapolis Maennorchor Society and be- longed also to the Masons, having become identified with the fraternity while living in France.
On November 25, 1850, Joseph Langbein was united in marriage with Miss Amelia Enrick, who was born April 10, 1833, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, not far distant from the capital, Harrisburg, in Dauphin county. Her parents, Lawrence and Catherine (Webber) Enrick, were both born at Frankfort-on-the- Main, Germany, the former on May 15, 1785, and the latter on December 11, 1803. In 1831 they came to America accompanied by their one child, and during the long voyage of forty-two days the little daughter learned to walk, although it may be supposed that the uncertain deck of a sailing vessel on the sea could not have been an easy floor for the little one to have essayed her first steps on. The
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voyagers landed at Baltimore, Maryland, where they were met by a brother, John Enrick, who had already secured a farm in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. They all made the overland trip to Lancaster county in the relative's farm wagon. After a time spent in looking for a desirable location, Lawrence Enrick rented a farm for seven years and while the family lived there three more children were born into the family.
Mr. Enrick was not altogether satisfied, however, with Lancaster county and kept informing himself concerning sections of the country where it might be possible for him to acquire land, having owned a property in Germany and not desiring to continue a renter. Finally he decided to venture into Indiana and soon the family were on the way, in one of the big farm wagons of well known pattern of that time, and after six weeks of slow journeying reached the log cabin set- tlement which is now the capital city of Indiana on July 4, 1838. A few preten- tious houses had been erected and the old State House had just been completed, but along Washington street the wealthiest people still were contented with their log cabins. Indians were no unusual visitors in the place and the wooden stock- ade had not yet been removed from around the Circle. At first Mr. Enrick found employment in doing odd jobs, but later established a small grocery business on South Madison street, where he continued for a time, and he also assisted in dig- ging a canal. In memory of the customs of his native land, some time later Mr. and Mrs. Enrick opened a German Garden, and there are many of the German citizens of Indianapolis who recall with sentiments of affection and kind recol- lection this early German institution. The people were exceedingly neighborly and called each other by their first names and when they gathered in the Garden after the day's work was over, surrounded and accompanied by their wives and children, they enjoyed preserving old-time German customs. They drank the cider that Mr. Enrick manufactured and ate the delicious "caffee-kuchen" baked by Mrs. Enrick, washing it down sometimes with native German wines or milk or buttermilk. They were as one big family, a happy, frugal people, who knew how to find enjoyment in simple things and smoked their German pipes and sang their German songs with that capacity of contentment that rested and refreshed them for the work of the following day. Lawrence Enrick died in 1857 and was mourned by the whole German community. For some years afterward his widow continued to carry on the Garden but finally retired to the home of her daughter Mrs. Langbein, where her death occurred in 1890.
Mrs. Langbein was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, as mentioned above, and was the second in the family of seven children and is the only survivor. The others were: Julia, who died many years ago, was the wife of Henry Ben- denz; Elizabeth, who was the wife of G. Waltner; and John, Fred, Joseph and Susan. The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Langbein: Bertha, who died April 23, 1911, was the wife of J. B. Lizins, the architect with R. P. Daggert & Company for the soldiers' monument at Indianapolis, had two children, -J. Bernard, who died at the age of twenty-three years, a violinist of great talent, and Charles G., residing at Indianapolis, married Mary Owings and they have one daughter, Mary Josephine; Joseph, who is deceased, is survived by his widow, Mrs. Louise (Hurley) Langbein; Charles E., who is deceased, married Mary Crane and is survived by one son, Charles E., who married Myrtle Hiddings; Lena, who is deceased, married Valentine Dell, and they had one son, Frank;
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and Theodore, who is deceased, married Mary R. Reitzel. They had two children: Thelma Amelia and Lawrence Robert. Mr. Langbein during his life was a con- sistent member of the Roman Catholic church, to which his family also belonged. Mrs. Langbein disposed of the brick block that her husband had erected in 1889, but still owns city property, including a double house on College avenue and her handsome residence at No. 1911 College avenue, Indianapolis.
JONATHAN M. SEGER
onathan Al. Seger
RESIDENT of Indianapolis for nearly forty years prior to his death, the late Jonathan M. Seger was for many years one A of the prominent and influential citizens. He was a man of exceptional business acumen and circumspection and his char- acter was the positive expression of a strong, upright and loyal nature. His reputation in business and private life was ever unassailable and popular confidence and respect were vouchsafed to him as his honest due. He had a wide circle of friends in his home city and to them his loyalty was one of deep appreciation. He left the record of a worthy and useful life and his standing in the community in which he so long lived and labored was such as to render most consonant the memorial tribute and record entered in this edition.
Jonathan Millett Seger was a native of the old Pine Tree state and was a scion of families founded in New England in the colonial days. He was born on a farm in Oxford county, Maine, on the 11th of March, 1836, and his death occurred at his home in Indianapolis on the 8th of March, 1902. His funeral services were held three days later, on his sixty-sixth birthday anniversary, and his remains were laid to rest in that beautiful "God's Acre," Crown Hill cemetery. He was a son of Jon and Lydia (Farnum) Seger, both of whom passed their entire lives in Maine, where the father devoted practically his entire active career to agri- cultural pursuits. The Seger family was founded in the Pine Tree state in the early pioneer days, as is evident when it is stated that the paternal grandfather of the subject of this memoir was a native of that commonwealth and was a child at the time the family home was established in Oxford county. As a lad he was captured by the Indians, by whom he was held for five years, when his release was effected, his parents having been unable to gain trace of him for the interven- ing period.
He whose name initiates this sketch was reared to the sturdy discipline of the farm and after availing himself of the advantages of the country schools near the old homestead he was enabled to continue his studies for some time in a well ordered academy at North Rumford, in his native county. After leaving the farm he served an apprenticeship at the trade of carriage-maker and in the same he be- came a skilled artisan. In 1859 he was one of the adventurous spirits who went to California, where the seach for gold was still at its zenith. He made the jour- ney to San Francisco by way of the Isthmus of Panama and after remaining for an interval in the city mentioned he joined the ranks of gold seekers. He be- came associated with two other men in the ownership of a claim at Dutch Flats, and they worked the same night and day, as their water supply for sluicing pur- poses was secured at a cost of twenty-four dollars a day and no time was to be lost save at appreciable financial sacrifice. He was measurably successful in his quest for, the golden treasure, and it was by accident that he was induced to come
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to Indiana, where he was destined to achieve prosperity through his well directed endeavors. While in California Mr. Seger formed the acquaintance of a young German named Affanstranger, and they became intimate friends and associates. Mr. Affanstranger, who was a blacksmith by trade, had made three trips across the plains to the Pacific coast and in the meanwhile his mother had purchased property in Indianapolis. It was her wish that he should take charge of the same, and when he decided to come to Indianapolis he endeavored to pursuade Mr. Seger to accompany him. The latter did not view the suggestion with favor but after his friend had arrived in Indianapolis, and had written him several urgent letters, he consented to join Mr. Affanstranger in the Indiana capital city, their intention being to engage in the manufacturing of carriages and other ve- hicles, as each was a skilled workman,-one a carriage-maker and the other a blacksmith, as has already been noted. Soon after his arrival in Indi- anapolis, however, Mr. Seger contracted typhoid fever, from which he did not recover for four months. In the meanwhile he decided to remain in the city which had in one sense accorded him a sorry welcome, in that his initial experience was that of illness. He came here in the year 1863 and in starting his business enterprise as a carriage builder he began operations alone instead of in partnership with his friend, as had been originally intended. He conducted a carriage shop on Indiana avenue for four years and in the meantime his business foresight and sagacity had led him to realize the advantages offered in the handling of local realty. He accordingly disposed of his carriage factory and turned his attention to the buying and improving of city real estate. He eventually purchased large amounts of vacant property, which he improved with excellent buildings. He re- tained until his death much valuable property in Indianapolis.
Mr. Seger won large and definite success through normal lines of enterprise and in all his transactions his integrity and honesty of purpose were never ques- tioned, so that his reputation came to constitute his best business asset. He was a man of broad views and marked civic loyalty, and while he never identified him- self actively with partisan politics he gave his support in public affairs to the men and measures meeting the approval of his judgment. His unvarying courtesy, genial nature and ready sympathy gained to him a wide circle of friends in the capital city, where he enjoyed unqualified popularity and approbation. His inter- ests centered in his business and his home, and of the latter, with its ideal asso- ciations, he was most deeply appreciative, as is shown by the fact that he often ex- pressed the sentiment that he had been so long without a home that when he did establish one and had the companionship of a devoted and cherished wife he had no desire to go forth for social pleasures in the line of clubs or fraternal organi- zations. His home at the time of his death was at 629 North Illinois street, a property which was sold by Mrs. Seger, who now resides in the fine apartment building known as the "Meridian," at 26 West Michigan street.
On the 9th of September, 1869, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Seger to Miss Anna Wood, who was born and reared in Indianapolis and who has here maintained her home from the time of her nativity. She is a daughter of Reason H. and Mercy (Wyncoop) Wood, the former of whom was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, and the latter in Boone county, Indiana. Reason H. Wood was a child of three years at the time of his parents' removal from Ohio to Indiana, in 1836, and the family home was established in what is now the city of Indianapolis
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in the early pioneer days, before the completion of the old state house and before any railroad entered the future metropolis. The father of Mrs. Seger was a son of George Knight Wood and Phoebe T. (Hardesty) Wood, whose names merit enduring place on the roll of the honored pioneers of Indiana's capital city, where they continued to reside until their death. George K. Wood was a cooper by trade and upon coming to Indianapolis he purchased land on the west side of White river. He there conducted a cooperage and he was well known and highly es- teemed in the pioneer community. He died in 1855 and his widow, who attained to the venerable age of eighty-four years, passed the closing days of her life in the home of her granddaughter, Mrs. Seger, her death occurring in 1891. Reason H. Wood learned the trade of cooper and when the war with Mexico was pre- cipitated he managed to enlist, though he was only eighteen years old and small for his age. He proved that corporeal ponderance was not a prerequisite of effective service and he was a faithful and valiant soldier,-one who continued in the ranks until the close of the war. The mother of Mrs. Seger died when she was but six years old, and she was reared by her grandparents.
Mr. and Mrs. Seger became the parents of two children, both of whom died in infancy. Mrs. Seger has long been active in the social affairs of her native city and takes distinctive pride and satisfaction in claiming the fair capital of the state as the place of her nativity and of her home. She is a zealons member of the Roberts Park Methodist Episcopal church and of its Home Missionary Society, and also is an appreciative and valued member of the Thursday Afternoon Club, a literary organization of representative women of the city.
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ALBERT S. COMSTOCK
Albert S. Comstock
MONG those who have stood as distinguished types of the world's productive workers was the late Albert S. Comstock, who in- A delibly impressed his influence upon the civic and industrial history of Indiana's capital city, who was deeply appreciative of all that represents the higher values of human existence who proved a force in the commercial world, who realized the responsibilities which success imposes, and who ordered his course upon a lofty plane of integrity and honor. He was actively and prominently identified with business interests in Indianapolis for more than a quarter of a cen- tury and long held precedence as one of the city's representative manufacturers. He continued as executive head of the Comstock & Coons Company, extensive manufacturers of pumps, until his death, which occurred on the 23d of May, 1901. His career was marked by large and worthy accomplishment and he made his life count for good in its every relation, so that he ever held secure place in the con- fidence and high regard of his fellow men. He attained to the psalmist's span of three score years and ten and thus passed to his reward in the fullness of years and well earned honors.
Albert Sheldon Comstock was born on a farm near Westford, Otsego county, New York, on the 18th of November, 1839, and was a son of Sheldon Comstock, who was numbered among the sterling pioneers of that section of the old Empire state and whose five sons were reared to the sturdy discipline of the home farm, with the work and management of which each continued to be identified until he had attained to his legal majority. The parents finally removed to Sylvania, Lucas county, Ohio, not far distant from the city of Toledo, and they passed the remainder of their lives in the Buckeye state. The subject of this memoir early learned, in connection with the work of the home farm, the lessons of practical industry, and the discipline was such as to promote physical strength and inspire definite ambition. In the meanwhile he availed himself of the advantages of the common schools in the vicinity of the old homestead, and later supplemented this training by attending night schools. An alert and receptive mind enabled him to make the best use of such educational opportunities as were afforded him and he became a man of broad mental ken and wide information, as he was fully alive to the value of the lessons to be gained under the direction of that wisest of headmasters, experience.
At the age of twenty-one years Mr. Comstock went to Utica, New York, where he found employment as clerk in a clothing store. Later he was identified with the same line of enterprise in the city of Buffalo, but eventually his health became much impaired and he found recuperation through returning to the home of his parents, who had in the meanwhile removed to Ohio, and with whom he remained about two years. After recovering his health Mr. Comstock cast about for an in- viting field of endeavor, and about the year 1864 he came to Indiana and located
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at Lafayette, the capital and metropolis of Tippecanoe county, where he engaged in the produce business. Within a short period he became associated with Mr. Dur- bin in the manufacturing of pumps, and they continued in this line of enterprise at Lafayette for some time. Upon the removal of Mr. Durbin to Indianapolis Mr. Comstock purchased the former's interest in the business, which he sold a few years later. He then came to Indianapolis, and here he again entered into part- nership with Mr. Durbin and resumed the manufacturing of pumps, upon a larger scale and with better facilities, the well equipped plant of the firm having been located at the corner of South Meridian and South streets. Upon the death of Mr. Durbin, Mr. Comstock admitted to partnership in the business his valued friend, Mr. Coons, who had held the position of bookkeeper in his establishment in Lafayette. Under the title of the Comstock & Coons Company they built up a large and important industrial enterprise in the manufacturing of pumps. They kept pace with the march of commercial progress and through their well directed enterprise contributed materially to the industrial and commercial prestige of the Indiana capital. They also conducted a plumbing business and became extensive dealers in carriages. Careful and conservative policies enabled them to achieve substantial success in their enterprises and their relations were ever of the closest and most appreciative order, the alliance continuing until it was severed by the death of Mr. Comstock. Deprived of the companionship and co-operation of his honored friend and long-time associate, Mr. Coons soon closed out the business, as he stated that he had no desire to continue the same in an individual way and that he was assured that he could never find another partner like Mr. Comstock. Mr. Coons finally removed to the state of California, where he is living retired from active business.
In his private and business life Mr. Comstock exemplified the finest attributes of character, and thus he won and retained warm friends in all classes. As a citizen he was liberal and public-spirited and he took a specially deep interest in all that touched the advancement and prosperity of his beautiful home city. Though he would never consent to become a candidate for public office, he accorded a staunch allegiance to the Republican party and was well fortified in his convic- tions concerning matters of public import. He was prominently affiliated with the various bodies of the time-honored Masonic fraternity, in which he received the thirty-second degree of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, and his funeral ser- vices were conducted under the impressive rites of the great fraternity. Aside from his business, in which he was ever diligent and progressive the interests of Mr. Comstock centered in his home, which was to him a sanctuary and in which his noble characteristics found their apothesis. Kindliness and consideration marked his course at all times and his spirit was as gentle as were his mind and heart large. Strong and true in all the relations of life, Mr. Comstock was a man who honored and was honored by the city and state of his adoption, and altogether consistent is the according to his memory this brief tribute. He had a deep rever- ence for the spiritual verities and attended and gave liberal support to the Prot- estant Episcopal church, of which his widow is a zealous communicant. The remains of Mr. Comstock were taken back to his native state and interred in the family lot in a beautiful cemetery, Forest Hill, at Utica. The beautiful residence which Mr. Comstock erected on North Meridian street, Indianapolis, continued to be his home until he was summoned to the life eternal. His widow finally sold the
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property to Hon. Charles W. Fairbanks, former vice-president of the United States, who there resides at the present time. Mrs. Comstock still remains in Indian- apolis during the winter months and has attractive quarters in the fine apartment building known as the Blacherne. She retains the deepest affection for Indian- apolis, which is endeared to her by many hallowed associations and memories and in which she has a wide circle of friends.
At Utica, New York, on the 22d of February, 1864, was solemnized the mar- riage of Mr. Comstock to Miss Hannah M. Brown, who was born and reared in that city and who is a daughter of James and Mary Brown, both natives of Eng- land. The parents of Mrs. Comstock continued to reside at Utica until their death.
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CHP. Anderson
Mads P. Anderson
UR Scandinavian citizens have vied with the English, Scotch and O German in the completeness and rapidity with which they have assimilated with the American body politic. By as much as they have cherished the best heritages they brought with them from their native lands and have woven them into the fabric of their citizenship, by so much have they added strong and fine fiber to the fabric of American citizenship. Such a worthy and valiant personality was that of the late Mads P. Anderson, who died at his home in Indianapolis on the 8th of October, 1906. He came to America as a youth and upon his arrival his tangible financial resources were represented in the sum of three cents, so that he did not have even the five cents necessary to pay postage on a letter to his mother. From such a status to that of one of the successful and rep- resentative business men of Indianapolis is a marked transition and bears evi- dence of the sterling powers of the youth and the man. Mr. Anderson was dis- tinctively the architect of his own fortunes and he made his life count for good in its every relation, so that he well merited the unqualified confidence and esteem reposed in him by his fellow men. His mind and heart were large and he was ever ready to aid those less fortunate, though in this connection his innate modesty was such that he would "do good by stealth and blush to find it fame." He was firm in his convictions and his course was directed on a high plane of integrity and honor, so that compromise with injustice was to him a matter of impossibility. His life and services as a loyal and public-spirited citizen and substantial and progressive business man of the Indiana capital render most consonant the consideration of his career in this publication.
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