USA > Indiana > Marion County > Indianapolis > Memorial record of distinguished men of Indianapolis and Indiana > Part 40
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Christian F. Deinrich
many years and at the time of his death he was treasurer of the German Butchers' Society. He was also interested in the furniture business." Mr. Heinrich was a member of the Independent Order of Turners, and of the Indianapolis Butchers' Association, of which he was president and treasurer for a number of years. He was a member of Druid Lodge, No. 8, and was always active and prominent in the work of the society. He, with his family, was associated with St. Peter's German Lutheran church on Ohio street, one of the oldest houses of worship in the city.
On September 18, 1872, was solemnized the marriage in Indianapolis of Mr. Heinrich to Miss Elizabeth Schell, the daughter of Joseph and Christina (Schmidt) Schell, both of whom were born in Germany. Her parents were for years engaged in the gardening industry and were among the oldest and most prominent families of the capital city. Mrs. Heinrich was one of three children. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Heinrich. They are Carl, who married May Dehner of In- dianapolis; Dena, who married Edward Spreng, and they live in Buffalo, New York, and have two children, Dorothy and Elizabeth; Miss Elizabeth Heinrich who makes her home with her sister in Buffalo; Fritz, who married Jennie Weston, of Indianapolis, where they now reside, and they have two children,-Hazen and Weston; Gustave Heinrich, who married Lillian Mack, of South Illinois street, Indianapolis, Indiana, and in which city they make their home.
herman Frommeper
O MAN in the business world of Indianapolis probably num- N bered his friends in greater numbers than did Herman From- meyer at the time of his death. Had he not made a success of his business, had he been a failure, the ability which he pos- sessed of making and holding friends would have made him a marked man. Money and fame do not make a man happy, if he has to enjoy them alone. Man is a social being, and is mis- erable without the companionship of others. Therefore the gift of making friends is the most valuable in the world. Mr. Frommeyer piled up during his business career something like a quarter of a million dollars, but he was no mere money maker. He was devoted to his business, and his keen business sense made him greatly ad- mired by his associates, but his business did not occupy him to the exclusion of everything else. His home and family, his friends and their affairs, came first. It is needless to say that those who mourned his death were many.
Herman Frommeyer was the son of Henry Frommeyer, who was born in Han- over, Germany, in 1828. At this time the King of England and the King of Han- over were one and the same person and Hanover was a thriving commercial city. Henry Frommeyer, therefore, had many opportunities to learn the ways of the business world as he grew up, and when he came to America in 1849 it was quite natural that he should become a merchant. He located in Indianapolis when the site of the present Union depot was a corn field. When he stepped off the boat in New York he had only twenty-five cents in his pocket, and he was accompanied by his wife, so he did not remain idle more than an hour or so after landing on these American shores. For several years he worked for $2.75 a day, but he and his wife were of that sturdy race that knows how to save intelligently, and so in a few years he was able to start his store. For forty years Mr. Frommeyer conducted this wholesale queensware store, on Meridian street, just south of Washington. The present spacious structure, measuring twenty by sixty-seven feet, came into his possession in 1872. It is located on one of the most important thoroughfares in the heart of the business district. He possessed all the qualities that make us wel- come with open arms our brethren from the land that gave us Goethe and Schiller. By industry and perseverance in the business practices that he had learned in the shops of Hanover and through his experience in this country he built up a large fortune, amassing over a quarter of a million dollars. He married in Germany before coming to this country. His wife was Clara Glaw, and she was also a na- tive of Germany. They became the parents of three children, of whom Herman was the youngest. The others were Henry and Mrs. Mamie Councilman, both of whom are yet living. Mr. Frommeyer died on the 28th of February, 1901, having been preceded by his wife, who died on the 11th of May, 1899. He had turned his business over to his sons a number of years before his death and spent his last years in a peaceful retirement.
Herman Frommeyer was born in Indianapolis, in 1866. He was born after
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his father had become comparatively prosperous and consequently he received every advantage in the way of education, for the Germans as a race believe most strongly in the power of a thorough education. He first attended the grammar and high schools of his home city and on completing this preparatory work, entered Harvard University. From this old institution, that has lived long enough to have become enshrined in tradition, and claims as sons many of the greatest in our land, Herman Frommeyer was graduated. After his college life was over the young man entered his father's store and learned the business from its very foundations, under the careful eye of his father. When the latter retired he and his brother shared the responsibility and the proceeds equally, and the firm became Frommeyer Brothers, under which name it is still doing business. As a business man he inherited his father's keen insight, and it is safe to say that Frommeyer Brothers, both as a wholesale and as a retail house, did about the largest business in china, glass and queensware of any firm in the city.
He was a man who was very fond of an out of doors existence. Nothing suited him better than camping, somewhere in the real wilds, where he might tramp all day without seeing a soul, or fish for hours with nothing but his dog for company. In this way he gathered strength for the exactions of the business and social life of the city. He was a member of the Elks Club and was very prominent in the Knights of Columbus. In a professional way he was a member of the State Wholesalers' Association and of the Commercial Club of Indianapolis, being active in some of the progressive movements instituted by the latter organization. He was a devout com- municant of St. Mary's Roman Catholic church, and in a quiet way did much to aid in her charities.
Mr. Frommeyer married Josephine Doherty, the daughter of John Doherty. The latter was born in Dublin, Ireland, and came to America with his parents as a boy of ten. They located in Columbus, Indiana, and here he married his wife, Catherine O'Brien, who was also a native of Ireland, and had come to Columbus with her parents as a child. Mrs. Frommeyer is one of four daughters, two of whom are deceased. Her remaining sister is Mrs. Marie Beard, who lives with her two children, Bryan and Fred, at 909 North Capitol street. Mr. and Mrs. From- meyer became the parents of two daughters, Catherine, who is now seventeen, and Frances, who is fourteen. Both of these girls are in the high school at present.
Mr. Frommeyer is what is called a man's man, that is, he had the traits that ap- peal to men, and when a man is popular with men then a woman should give him her complete trust, for it takes a man to judge a man. He was particularly rich in friends in the business world, for there he showed his strongest characteristics of frankness, honesty and upright dealing. His parents had represented one of the finest families in the city, and had stood for the highest ideals, and the son did not fall short of these. They also were charitable to a very great degree, never losing an opportunity to relieve the sick and needy, but often doing it in so quiet a way that no one knew of it. Mr. Frommeyer carried his charity almost too far; he could never refuse an appeal and was often imposed upon. He, however, could spare the money, for in addition to the fortune that his business brought him he had in- vested in a large amount of real estate and the value of this property had almost doubled before his death. The latter event took place on the 14th of January, 1903, and not until then did the family realize his wide popularity. He was in the prime of life and at the very acme of his usefulness, but in his premature death his widow has at least the consolation of knowing that he accomplished more than most men who live to twice his age.
Doctor Talilliam Talands
HEN we lose one of our great surgeons, we bitterly regret his loss W and think of the many lives he has saved and the marvelous surgical feats he has performed, but perhaps the truest grief comes when we lose the old family physician, a man who has doctored all of the children from the baby to the eldest, who has been with the families at births and deaths, who has shared their joys and sorrows, and in truth is not regarded as a physician but as a very close friend. Such a man was Doctor William Wands. He was one of the most prominent as well as one of the oldest physicians in In- dianapolis, and although he did much charity work and was county physician, a large part of his practice was in families where he had been physician for years, and where "the Doctor" was a person of great authority. He was exceedingly successful, and this was due to some extent to the charm of his personality and the strength of his will. He was greatly beloved by all who knew him and exerted a powerful influence over a wide sphere.
Doctor Wands was born at Denny, Scotland, on the 24th of December, 1836. Denny was near historic old Stirling, and the romantic scenes surrounding his birthplace had considerable effect on the mind of the boy as he grew up. He was encouraged to read, especially history, to learn more about his interesting country, and he always remained loyal to the land of his birth. He came to this country while he was yet a lad, in 1848. His parents located in Indianapolis, and their first home was near the northwest corner of Capitol avenue (then Tennessee street) and North street. From their house they looked out across corn fields and orchards. They later moved to McCarty and Greer streets, and there they remained for many years. The Doctor was the eldest of fourteen children, and the old house was gay with children's voices. Fortunate is he who is a member of a large family, for he learns the lessons of independence and unselfishness, as Doctor Wands could have told you. Of all this family only one sister is now living, Mrs. Charles D. Bushong, of Indianapolis.
Dr. Wands was graduated a short time before the outbreak of the Civil war from a New York medical college. During the war he served as assistant surgeon in the Nineteenth Indiana Regiment, most the time being stationed in the eastern part of Tennessee. This practice, while hard on the sensibilities of a man not as yet inured to the suffering which he met every day, was yet of great benefit to him, especially in giving him self confidence and teaching him to rely on himself. He served through the whole four years, and at the close of the war returned to Indian- apolis and went into general practice. For eight years he was county physician, and at the time of the Clem murder, forty-four years ago, he was a witness in that celebrated case, having heard the shots fired while he was on his way to the county poor house. He officiated as superintendent of the county infirmary.
He was distinguished by his quiet, unostentatious manners and refinement of
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bearing. He was extremely courteous, and was a perfect type of the gentleman of the old school, always wearing a silk hat and a black broadcloth suit. He was especially kind to the poor, and was known all over the city among the poorer class as their friend. He died very suddenly, on the 25th of August, 1908, after a few hours' illness. He had been in his office attending to his patients as usual, although he did not feel well, and after a sudden attack of heart disease which came upon him at midnight he only lasted seven hours. At the time of the funeral the house was a mass of flowers, sent from every part of the country, by rich and poor, showing in what high esteem he was held.
Doctor Wands was associated with Doctor Sutcliffe, as far as their use of the same office was concerned, and although not business partners their friendship was very close. Perhaps no one suffered from the loss of Doctor Wands as did Doctor Sutcliffe, for although not brothers by blood, they had for so long borne one an- other's burdens and shared each other's joys as to have become brothers in heart. The following is quoted from the Indianapolis Medical Journal of September, 1910, showing how highly he was thought of by the men of his own fraternity: "Dr. Wands was a man in whom there was no evidence of deception. He was frank and open hearted and always loyal to his friends. When the fault of a friend was suggested to him he would cover it with a mantle of charity and would often say, 'perhaps he was misunderstood.' He was prone to look for the good traits of char- acter and overlook those which had defects.
"Although not a teacher in any of the medical institutions, he was interested in the modern methods of education. About a year ago when visiting the bedside clinic of the City Hospital he said, "The instruction I have heard today is superior to that I heard in Europe and I now see that the work of the Indiana school of Medi- cine should have the undivided support of the medical profession.'
"Dr. Wands never advertised for friendship yet he was receptive to it, while perhaps he was cautious in the formation of a friendship, yet it made it a still more valuable asset. It was substantial, enduring and true. The world is made better by the lives of such men."
He was a Republican in his political beliefs, and was active in the work of this party. In his religious faith he was a member of the Presbyterian church, and he was affiliated with the Masonic fraternal order, being a member of the Ancient Landmarks lodge. He was also a member of the Marion County Medical Society, and was a charter member of the old Indianapolis Light Artillery Company.
Dr. Wands was married on the 28th of April, 1881, to Mrs. Ebenezer Smith, and he took her to Scotland for the wedding trip. While there they visited his old home, and he spent considerable time in study in the hospitals of Glasgow and Lon- don, and he also attended clinics in Paris. Two children were born of this union and he also had a daughter by a previous marriage. This daughter is Miss Dora Wands, who is now living in Indianapolis.
Mrs. Wands' former husband, Ebenezer Smith, was a man of so fine a character and splendid principles that special mention must be made of him. He was born in Middlebury, Connecticut, on the 2nd of January, 1845, and died before he reached the age of thirty. He felt the call of the west with its freedom and splendid op- portunities and left his eastern home in 1866 in response to this feeling. He located in Indianapolis and in connection with Melville Strong established a house for the sale of dental goods. He was a man of tremendous energy. He did not seem to know what fatigue meant, and the work which he accomplished was enough to have
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killed most men. He was also possessed of that gift of youth, enthusiasm, and hav- ing a daring spirit he introduced new life into the business world .. It was not long before the house of which he was one of the founders had gained a large trade and no house of its kind in the west and south had a finer reputation for fairness and squareness in all of its dealings.
On the 10th of December, 1867, he was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Miller. This marriage was a most happy one, and in the few short years that remained to him the beautiful home life which was his was his greatest joy. In September of 1871, he went into the real estate business. He was peculiarly well fitted for this business, having a keen judgment, and a wide knowledge of real estate values, and the reputation which he had already gained for honesty stood him in good stead in this new field. Carried away by his enthusiasm and interest in his work he began to overtax his strength, and about this time he was considerably worried over business affairs. In January of 1873 he became worse and his wife urged him to see a physician, but he had always been so full of health and vigor that he could not be- lieve that anything serious was the matter. He therefore put off seeing the doctor until April, and he then learned that he was a sufferer from Bright's disease. From then until the end of his life each day was a brave struggle with suffering and slowly approaching death. He sought health at the mineral springs in Wisconsin and spent the winter of 1873 in Florida for the same purpose. To no avail, for he steadily failed. As he became weaker, his mind seemed to become all the clearer, and the real strength and beauty of his character became all the more evident. He returned from the south on the 2nd of April, and lingered until the first week in June, when he passed away. The following is a tribute paid to him by his fellow citizens: "As citizens we rejoiced in the accession to our midst of a noble man. In a much greater degree should we be filled with sadness when we lose such a man. In the death today of our fellow citizen, Eben Smith, a man who as a friend was stead- fast; as an adviser, reliable; as a worker, indefatigable, and exemplifying in its fullness the great command 'Whatsoever thy hands find to do, do it with thy might,' this city has lost one of its best business men, the church a consistent member and society an ornament and we hereby tender to his afflicted family, in this their great bereavement, our warmest sympathy."
By her first marriage Mrs. Wands became the mother of Winnefred E. Smith, who is one of the most prominent business men in Indianapolis. He is the efficient head of the Anti-Trust Coal and Ice Company, and has apparently inherited many of the fine qualities of his father. He married Miss Bianca Sibert, of Rochester, In- diana, and they have three children: Lawrence, who lives with his grandmother, Russell and Kenneth.
Francis P. Bailey
LIFE of significant rectitude and usefulness was that of the late Francis Patrick Bailey, whose influence was ever cast in the A maintenance of those things which make for the best in the scheme of human activities and whose success was on a parity with his sterling integrity of purpose, from which there was no deviation. He was a boy of fourteen years at the time of the family removal to Indianapolis and through his own ability and efforts he rose to a place of prominence as one of the representative business men of the capital city, the while his character was such as to gain and retain to him the inviolable confidence and esteem of all with whom he came in contact in the varied relations of life. Strong and vigorous of physique and in the full maturity of his powers, he seemed not the one upon whose lips death would thus set its seal, but, after a brief illness, he was summoned to the life eternal on the the 17th of January, 1910, secure in the high regard of the com- munity which had so long represented his home and been the center of his interests. For thirty years prior to his death he was actively identified with the L. W. Ott Manufacturing Company, representing one of the important industrial enterprises of Indianapolis, and of this corporation he was vice-president for a score of years prior to his demise.
Mr. Bailey was born in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, on the 11th of March, 1857, and was a son of Michael and Marcella (Dailey) Bailey, both natives of the fair old Emerald Isle. Michael Bailey was born at No. 2 Duke street in the city of Dublin, one of the picturesque, interesting and historical thoroughfares of that fine old city. The old Bailey house is one of the most famous hotels of Dublin and is still maintained with excellent accommodations for its appreciative patrons. Michael Bailey was reared and educated in his native city and there his marriage was solemnized. Soon after this important event in his career he came with his wife to the United States, and after residing in the city of Boston about three years they removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, where they maintained their home until 1871, when they came to Indianapolis. Folk of sterling character, devout communicants of the Catholic church, kindly and generous in their association with others, they gained the high regard of the people of Indianapolis and here they passed the residue of their lives, both having died in the old family homestead at 2040 North Capitol avenue.
Francis Patrick Bailey gained his early educational discipline in the parochial and public schools of Cincinnati and Indianapolis, and in the latter city his first employment was in the real-estate office of the late James Frank, with whom he re- mained several years, during which he gained valuable business experience. Upon the organization of the L. W. Ott Manufacturing Company, more than thirty years ago, Mr. Bailey secured a position with this concern, and with this company, by faithful and effective service, he won successive promotions and became influential
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in the upbuilding of the fine enterprise which has now important bearing upon the industrial precedence of the Indiana metropolis. Mr. Bailey was long one of the leading traveling representatives of this extensive furniture manufacturing com- pany, had also served as an office executive and foreman, and had learned all de- tails of the business, so that he was eminently qualified for the important admin- istrative office of which he was the incumbent at the time of his death. The busi- ness was founded in 1850, by John Ott, who was a pioneer in the manufacturing of furniture in Indiana and upon whose death his son, Lewis W. Ott, became head of the concern. Upon the death of the latter, in 1885, the business was incorpor- ated under the title of L. W. Ott Manufacturing Company and W. F. Kuhn has since served continuously as president of the corporation, in which his principal and most valued coadjutor was Mr. Bailey, who assumed the office of vice-president at the time of incorporation and who retained the same until he was summoned from the scene of his mortal endeavors. Of late years the company has given special attention to the manufacturing of high-grade upholstered furniture, and its trade extends throughout the United States, as well as into many foreign countries.
A careful and aggressive business man, Mr. Bailey won definite and worthy suc- cess in his chosen field of endeavor, and in the midst of the exactions of business he found time and opportunity to identify himself with those agencies which represent the best in civic and social life, the while he was known for his genial and kindly spirit, his tolerance and his unassuming charities and benevolences. Progressive and loyal as a citizen, he was ever ready to do his part in conserving the best in- terests of his home city, and he was influential in the local councils and activities of the Democratic party, being its candidate for representative of the Third ward in the city council in 1900, but meeting defeat with the rest of the party ticket. His religious faith was one of good works and by it he regulated his life. He was a devout and zealous communicant of the Catholic church, in which he was identified with the cathedral parish of Sts. Peter and Paul, and it is worthy of special men- tion that he was an uncompromising adversary of the liquor traffic,-earnest not only in the cause of temperance but also that of total abstinence. He was affiliated with the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Knights of America, the Knights of Father Matthew, the Ancient Order of Hiberians, the Modern Woodmen of Ameri- ica, and the Knights of Pythias. He was one of the prominent members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, in which admirable organization he had a wide acquaintanceship throughout the United States, and he was chairman of the reception committee which provided for the entertainment of the members of the national organization when they convened in Indianapolis, in July, 1908. Cherishing the noble history and tradition of the land of his forefathers, he was an enthusiast in the movement for the revival of the Gaelic language and Irish industrial development. He was long and prominently identified with the Traveling Men's Protective Association, of which he was an in- fluential and popular member.
The domestic chapter in the life history of Mr. Bailey was one of ideal order, and in a memorial of this character it is necessary to touch only briefly upon the same, as the full appreciation of his gentle and noble character must remain as a continuous benediction upon those nearest and dearest to him,-an influence not to be profaned by mere words of adulation. In 1883 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Bailey to Miss Emma Ott, who was born in the old family homestead on West Washington street, between Senate and Capitol avenues, Indianapolis, and who is
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