USA > Indiana > Allen County > Fort Wayne > Valley of the upper Maumee River, with historical account of Allen County and the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Volume II > Part 17
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The Fort Wayne steam stone works, the leading establishment in its line, is managed by Henry Keller. He is a native of Gemany, born in 1853. He emigrated to America in 1870, and located at Chicago, where he learned the stone cutter's trade, and remained until 1884, being for five years foreman of one of the largest in the state and old- est stone yards in that city. On February 2, 1884, Mr. Keller removed to Fort Wayne and purchased a half interest in the stone works of Frederick Roth. The firm of Roth & Keller has ever since met with success, and at present it is the most extensive in the city, and is the only one in northern Indiana having a steam derrick. Mr. Roth died September 14, ISSS, but the firm name is continued. The business was established about twenty-three years ago, and has continued at the same location to the present, passing through various hands. When Mr. Keller entered the firm the business was on a small scale, but each year it has improved. They employ from forty to fifty men and do a general stone cutting business. Contracting is also carried on, and among the
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buildings for which this firm has furnished the cut stone are the new government building, asylum for feeble-minded children, St. Mary's Catholic church, St. Paul's Lutheran church, Schmitz's, Rich's and Baker's business blocks, at Fort Wayne; First Methodist Episcopal church, Jacob Bros.' residence and I. O. O. F. block at Huntington; the Peru Catholic church; city hall and engine house, Defiance, Ohio; county jail, Decatur, Ind .; court-house in Bluffton, Ind., and Paulding, Ohio, and various others. Mr. Keller was married January 4, 1880, to Ida Scheibe, a native of Chicago, who died in 1882, leaving one son, Frederick. He was married November 11, 1884, to Mary Leitt, born in Germany, by whom he had four children, of whom three are living, Henry, Ida and Mary. Mrs. Keller is a member of the Catholic church.
Elliott S. Underhill, one of the prominent young men of the city, was born at Olmstead Falls, Ohio, December 1, 1858. He is the son of P. S. and Harriet O. Underhill, natives of Vermont and Maine, respectively. When he was quite young, his parents located in Fort Wayne. The father died in 1877, but his widow is still a resident of the city. In 1875, Mr. Underhill engaged in the grocery business and was so occupied for three years. In the spring of 1879, he embarked in the marble business, and in ISSI, went to Hicksville, where he was a partner in the same business two years. Returning to Fort Wayne, from 1883 until 1885, he was employed as a letter carrier, and then in the retail oil business. During the session of 1887 of the Indiana legis- lature, he was employed as a clerk in the house of representatives. He then resumed the marble business, and is now one of the proprietors of Underhill's monumental works, a large establishment at No. S2 Barr street: Mr. Underhill was married April 8, 1880, to Anna E. Scott, by whom he has three children: George E., Jessie and Hattie. In politics he is a republican, and he has for four years been a member of the republican county central committee.
Among the industries of Fort Wayne, a notable one is the manufac- ture of the various popular beverages of the day. Prominent among those so engaged is the firm of Louis Brames & Co., manufacturers of seltzer and mineral waters, ginger ale, birch beer, etc. Louis Brames, the leading member of this firm, began this business in 1880, the firm being known for the first year as Brames & Ehrman. He does a large manufacture and ships extensively. Mr. Brames was born in Adams county, Ind., near Decatur, January 3, 1847. His father, Christopher Brames, was born in Germany, in 1814, and was married in his native land to Elizabeth Vodde. The family emigrated about 1834, and after spending four years in New York, came to Fort Wayne. He was by occupation a farmer and was an early settler of Allen county. He died at this city, April 25, 1881, and his wife followed him February 12, 1886. Of their seven children three are living, of whom Louis is the second. He attended the common schools and a commercial college at this city, and in 1868 engaged in the grocery business, and three years later became a bookkeeper, successively for Messrs. Oppenheimer & Heil-
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broner, Abraham Wolf, and Frank Hake & Co. He was married in 1871, to Mary A. Tibett, who was born in Allen county, in 1849, and they have four children: Anna, John B., Antoinette and Louis. In politics he is a pronounced democrat, and in 1878, he was elected to the city council from the first ward, an honor which was again conferred in ISSO. He is a member of the Catholic church.
One of the leading and most thoroughly competent brewers of Indiana is Peter Nusbaum, foreman of the celebrated establishment of C. L. Centlivre. He was born in Germany, December 26, 1845, the son of Peter and Margaret (Dietsh) Nusbaum, who were born and passed their lives in that country. The eldest of their seven children was Peter Nusbaum. He received his education in his native land, and in 1859 began to learn the trade he has since followed. In 1871 he came to this country, and settled at Chicago, where he remained seven years, coming then to Fort Wayne. He was engaged by Mr. Centlivre as foreman, and has held the position ten years. His thirty years' expe- rience has made him a valuable man in that business. Mr. Nusbaum was married in 1874 to Susanna Mathy, who was born in Chicago in 1857, and they have seven children: Matilda, Joseph, Mary, Malchen, Victor, Louis and Ida. He is in politics a democrat.
A well-known citizen of Fort Wayne, and a representative of one of the oldest families, is Philip J. Lindlag. His father, C. W. Lindlag, was born in Germany in 1818, and there married Sevilla Kiser, who was born about 1820. They came to Allen county about 1834, and the father was engaged in farming until 1861, when he removed to the city from his Wayne township farm. He worked upon the Wabash & Erie canal during his early residence in the county, and after removing to the city was elected street commissioner in 1862. He also did business
as a contractor. He died in 1882, and his widow followed him in 1884. The second of the three living children is Philip J., born at Fort Wayne, December 27, 1854. He received a common school education. For some years he was engaged in the contracting business, and was subse- quently for fifteen years, the Fort Wayne agent for Graser & Brand's brewery, of Toledo. In 1889 he became the agent of the Berghoff brewery company, of Fort Wayne. He resides at the old home, 115 Washington street, and owns 213 acres of land in the township, the farm of his parents. He is a democrat in politics, and a member of Phoenix lodge, No. 10I, K. of P.
One of the early German settlers in Allen county, was John Braun, ·who came to America about 1847, stopped awhile in New Jersey, and came to Fort Wayne about 1850. Here he married Barbara Heber, a country woman, who had immigrated about 1852. She is now living in the city. He was a carpenter by trade, and worked at that in Fort Wayne until about 1863, when he removed to St. Joseph, and located on the farm where his son now resides. In 1880, he began the manu- facture of brick. His death occurred June 27, 1886. John C. Braun, the son of these worthy parents, was about seven years of age when
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they removed to the farm. He was educated at the St. Peter's Luth- eran school of St. Joseph township, and was confirmed at St. John's school in Fort Wayne. He resided on the farm and worked with his father at brick making, until the latter's death, when he took charge of the yards, and has since conducted the business. The yards are among the most extensive, and have a daily capacity of about 11,000 brick. The average product is about 11,000,000 per year. Mr. Braun and wife are members of St. John's Lutheran church. He was married in the fall of 1887, to Louisa Braun, who was born in Germany, and came to America about ISS5. To this union a daughter has been born, Lottie. Mr. Braun has a well improved and valuable farm of fifty-four acres, upon which he has a comfortable two-story brick residence.
The brick industry enlists no more industrious manufacturer than Joseph Fremion, whose extensive yards are located at the north limits of Fort Wayne, between Harrison and Lafayette streets. The daily pro- duct of these yards is ten to eleven thousand daily, and the average annual output is 1,100,000. All of this immense product is sold as rap- idly as made. Mr. Fremion was born at Lorance, France, April 23, 1829. Coming to America in 1848, he first made his home in Hancock county, Ohio, but in 1853 came to Fort Wayne. In 1869 he engaged in his present business. Mr. Fremion was married in 1854 to Sera- phine Perasote, a native of France. They have nine children, of whom seven are living. They are members of St. Peter's Catholic church.
The manufacture of brick, one of the important Fort Wayne indus- tries, is quite extensively engaged in by Leonard & Son. The senior member, Nelson Leonard, was born in Henry county, Ind., in 1825, and came to Allen county in March, 1871, and located on the Leo gravel road, two miles north of Fort Wayne, and established a brick yard. He has followed brick-making all his life, and is one of the pioneer brick- makers of the state. He married Drusilla Llewellyn, who was born near Harrisburg, Va., in 1823, and came with his parents to Indiana when about thirteen years of age. To these parents five children have been born, all of whom are living. The junior member of the firm, Jefferson Leonard, was born in Delaware county, Ind., December 9, 1847. In August, 1863, he ran away from home and enlisted in Company A, Twenty-first Indiana heavy artillery, and was with Sherman in his Atlanta campaign. He was mustered out at Indianapolis, December 20, 1865. After the war he went to southern California, and remained eighteen months, and then came to Fort Wayne and went to work with his father. In 1879 he went to Detroit and took charge of the packing house of Willard Parker & Co., and remained two years. He then returned to Fort Wayne and went into partnership with his father. He was married June 15, 1880, to Aurelia Smith, of Freemont, Ohio, who died February 5, 1884, at the age of thirty-two years and six months. He is a member of Summit City lodge, No. 132, F. & A. M., Royal Arch, and of Harmony lodge, No. 19, I. O. O. F., of which he has filled all the chairs.
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Paul Koehler, a well-known manufacturer of brick, was born in Wayne township, February 21, 1856, the son of Michael and Catherine (Kiefer) Koehler. The father was born in Germany and came to this country in about 1841, making his home in the same year at Fort Wayne, and engaging in his business of brick-making. He died March 1, 1881, at the age of fifty-six years. His wife, who was born in Canton, Penn., died in September, 1886. Of their ten children, five sons and five daughters, one daughter is deceased. Paul Koehler was educated in the schools of Wayne township, and worked with his father at brick-making, and after the death of the latter, he took the management of the yard for his mother. In 1883 he engaged in brick making at Decatur, and in the fall of 1884 he went into business for himself, purchasing the yard of Alexander Armison at Decatur. This establishment includes twelve acres, and a two-story brick residence. At the yards are made a daily average of 14,000 bricks, and the annual output is very large. The product finds a ready sale at Fort Wayne, where Mr. Koehler resides. He was married in 1881, to Mary Brown, of St. Joseph town- ship, and they have three children: Andrew, Clara and Charles. Mr. Koehler and wife are members of the St. John's Lutheran church.
John A. Koehler, a prominent manufacturer of brick at Fort Wayne, with residence and yards on Lafayette street, just without the city limits, was born at Fort Wayne, July 6, 1850, the son of Michael Koehler, one of the early manufacturers of brick at this place. The latter was a native of Germany, who came to America in 1847, and made his resi- dence at Fort Wayne in the same year, and died in this city March 31, 188I. John A. received a common school education and remained with his parents until he was twenty-six years of age, when he established himself in business. His yards have a daily capacity of 12,000 brick and the average product each season is very large. Mr. Koehler is also agent for the Grosser & Brand brewing company, of Toledo, Ohio. Since 1886 he has been a member of Phoenix lodge, No. 101, K. of P., and his religious affiliation is with St. John's Lutheran church. He was married in 1871 to Anna Bergeman, of Fort Wayne, and to them seven children have been born, of whom five survive.
The City book bindery of Fort Wayne, though a comparatively new enterprise, is successful, owing to the good business qualifications of its proprietor, George W. Winbaugh. He was born in Indiana, June II, 1860, and came with his father, John Winbaugh, to Fort Wayne in 1865. The father was a wagon-maker by trade, and followed that calling until his death in 1869. George W. was reared in Fort Wayne and educated at the public schools. About 1872 he entered the employ of Davis & Bros., bookbinders, and served an appren- ticeship with that firm, with whom he remained until 1886. He then left their employ and formed a partnership with L. D. Ward, and together they established the City book bindery. In the fall of 1888, Mr. Winbaugh became the sole proprietor, his partner retir- ing, and he has since conducted the business alone. He does general
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bookbinding and paper box manufacturing on an extensive scale, supply- ing a territory within a radius of forty and fifty miles from Fort Wayne. He was married December 25, 1887, to Miss Jenny Titus, of Fort Wayne, and has one son, Charles, born December 21, 1888. Mr. Win- baugh is a member of English Lutheran church, and of Fort Wayne lodge, No. 14, I. O. O. F.
In the spring of 1873, Robert Gage, now a well-known and worthy citizen of Fort Wayne, engaged in the manufacture of brooms in this city, a pursuit which he has continued to the present. His establish- ment, which is one of the most extensive of the kind in this region, is situated at 318 West Main street, and his trade is a wide one. Mr. Gage was born in Pennsylvania, June 26, 1842, son of Robert and Mary Gage, both of whom were natives of Ireland. They immigrated to this state and three months after the birth of their son Robert, arrived at Fort Wayne, on the night of October 31, IS42. Robert Gage was mar- ried November 18, IS67, to Sarah, daughter of John and Sarah Conley. She is a native of Ireland. Mr. Gage has succeeded in his business, is enterprising and popular, and worthy as a citizen. He is a Mason, a member of the Knights of Pythias and a republican in politics.
BUSINESS INTERESTS.
Beginning with a traffic that ramified throughout the west, then wild indeed, Fort Wayne has throughout the major part of its career as a business center been the seat of extensive mercantile transactions. The traditions of its business are of establishments the dealings of which were not confined by state lines, and of pioneers in trade whose names were familiar even to the mountains beyond the Mississippi, and the story of its modern trade is no less flattering to the enterprise of the city. With railroad development came the establishment of wholesale houses at Fort Wayne, which receive goods from manufacturers, or imports from the seaboard, or fruits from the south, as cheaply as they can be delivered anywhere. The same splendid system of railroads enables the retailers in a considerable area of territory in Indiana, Ohio and Mich- igan, to visit the city more conveniently and receive goods from here more promptly, than is true of any other important point accessible from this region. Consequently, the wholesale business of Fort Wayne is established on a firm foundation, and it is rapidly assuming immense proportions, and will continue to grow, keeping pace with the increasing wealth and population of its tributary territory.
A brief enumeration of the houses engaged in the wholesale trade will convey an idea of the extent of this branch of business which would require much space to give otherwise. The dry goods houses of Root & Co., and George Dewald & Co., are widely known throughout three states. In the grocery trade, and in fruits, there has been the greatest development, and the houses of A. C. Trentman, G. E. Bursley & Co., X
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Skelton, Watts & Wilt, C. D. C. Huestis, J. B. White, Louis Fox & Bro., William Moellering & Sons, Niswonger & Fox, and Pottlitzer Bros., do in the aggregate an immense trade, their salesmen being sent everywhere throughout the wide region tributary to Fort Wayne. In confectionery the houses of Fox & Brother and H. Barcus are prom- inent; the millinery trade is represented by Adams & Armstrong, and the wholesale shoe-house of Carnahan & Co., is one of the leading insti- tutions of the kind in the state. The drug house of Meyer Bros. & Co. is one of the famous establishments of the city, and has a large wholesale trade. The field of the wholesale hardware trade is well occupied by the houses of Coombs & Co., established in 1862, Alderman, Yarnelle & Co., established in 1883, Morgan & Beach, who have done business for over thirty years; Pfeifer & Schlatter, established in ISS2; G. W. Seavey, a house established in 1875 by Prescott Brothers, and saddlery hardware is sold extensively by J. W. Bell and A. L. Johns & Co. The wholesale paper trade, in its various departments, is repre- sented by Foster Brothers, the Newspaper Union, Siemon & Bro., also prominent in the book trade, and M. R. Yohey.
The Fort Wayne newspaper union, which may be termed a whole- sale house, as it is indeed in paper and printers' stationery, is mainly con- ducted for the furnishing of ready printed sheets to newspaper publishers throughout the large parts of the states of Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, and covers the field quite successfully. It is under the management of Charles D. Tillo, a thorough business man, who is well known among the publishers of the states named.
The local trade of some of the famous retail houses of the city almost reaches the dimensions of the wholesale business, and these estab- lishments are resorted to not only by the people of the city but fre- · quently by the inhabitants of towns at a considerable distance, customers who are drawn to the city by the shrewd advertising of Fort Wayne merchants and by the reputation of the latter for enterprise and attrac- tive business methods.
The importance of organized action by those financially interested in the advancement of the city and the enlargement of its field of trade was recognized in January, 1872, by the incorporation of the Fort Wayne board of trade, the first officers of which were: A. P. Edgerton, presi- dent; J. H. Bass and R. G. McNiece, vice presidents; F. S. Shurick, secretary; Charles McCulloch, treasurer. On the 10th of November, 1875, another organization was incorporated, called the chamber of com- merce, in which J. D. Bond, Thomas M. Andrews, F. S. Shurick, George T. Fowler and others were members.
The remarkable improvement of the city during the past few-years, is no doubt due in large measure to the efforts of the business men of the city to advertise in a systematic way, the advantages of the city, and attract enterprises which would aid in the increase of population. This work has been done mainly through the organization of the Business Men's Exchange. Late in the winter of 1886, A. S. Lauferty, the foun-
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der of this institution, caused the publication of several calls for a meet- ing for organization, primarily to devise ways and means for the establishment of new gravel roads and the freeing of those now entering the city. Several meetings were held during December, and the sub- ject named was exhaustively discussed without result. Finally at a meeting at which were present J. B. White, G. W. Seavey, Fred Eckart, J. B. Monning, D. N. Foster, Frank Alderman, A. J. Moynihan and A. S. Lauferty, the latter introduced a resolution, setting forth the need of united action on the part of business men, and the convenience of having a recognized head center for discussion and action concerning questions relating to the welfare of the city. The proposed association was dub- bed the Fort Wayne Business Men's Exchange, and A. S. Lauferty, Fred Eckart and J. B. Monning were selected to canvass for members. At the next meeting the association was formed with sixty members, and it was incorporated January 3, 1887. The first officers were: president, J. B. White; vice president, E. C. Rurode; treasurer, Fred Eckart; cor- responding secretary, A. J. Moynihan; financial secretary, J. B. Monning; directors, J. B. White, F. Beach, A. S. Lauferty, E. C. Rurode, Fred Eckart, J. B. Monning, Frank Alderman, D. A. Foster, L. Wolf, G. W. Pixley and O. W. Tresselt; trustees, Charles McCulloch, A. C. Trent- man and C. S. Bash.
First amongst the achievements of the Exchange was the securing of the location of the school for feeble minded youth at this city. Rep- resentatives of the Exchange interested themselves in the matter, and by their efforts in setting forth the claims of Fort Wayne the legislature was induced to pass by the inducements held out by other localities, including even the capital itself, and direct the establishment of the school at this place.
The locating of the Pennington machine works, the Folding bed company, the Bickford furniture company, at Fort Wayne, are also due to the efforts of this organization, and the piping of natural gas is in a considerable degree the result of its out-reaching for all improve- ments possible to add to the city's attractions and conveniences. In municipal affairs it is an important factor, and no question of public improvement is left undebated by the Exchange. Its members repre- sent the plucky, brainy and enterprising citizens of Fort Wayne.
The present officers are: Samuel M. Foster, president; G. W. Seavey, vice president; Fred Eckart, treasurer; J. B. Monning, financial and recording secretary.
August C. Trentman .- The leading commercial house of Fort Wayne, and one of the largest concerns in the west, is the extensive wholesale grocery establishment of A. C. Trentman, located on the northeast cor- ner of Calhoun and East Washington streets. The laying of the foun- dation of this prosperous house dates as far back as 1848, when Bernard Trentman, in partnership with one Mills, established a retail grocery in this city. Two years later Mills retired from the business, and Bernard Trentman continued to conduct a retail establishment until 1864, and
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then engaged in the wholesale trade. In 1865 his son, August C., was admitted as a partner, the firm then being entitled B. Trentman & Son. The senior partner died in 1874, and his son succeeded to the entire business, but conducted the same under the old firm name until 1878, when the latter was changed to August C. Trentman, as it has since re- mained, A. C. Trentman being the sole proprietor. The business con- tinued to increase from year to year, until in 1883 Mr. Trentman found it necessary to provide suitable quarters for the same, and in the fall of that year he began the erection of his present business building which is the largest in the city, and one of the largest in the west. The building is of brick, four stories and a basement, built in recent style of architecture, with pressed brick front, and occupies Nos. III, 113, 115 and 117-19 and 2012 Calhoun street, and Nos. 1, 3 and 5 East Washington street, and has a total floorage of 45,000 square feet. The business is exclusively wholesale, the lines embracing all kinds of groceries, tobac- cos and liquors. The territory covered by the six traveling salesmen employed by Mr. Trentman includes Indiana, southern Michigan, east- ern Illinois and western Ohio, and the amount of business is enormous, and increases each year. As before stated this is the leading commer- cial house in Fort Wayne, and the largest wholesale grocery establish- ment in the state, and as such reflects much credit upon the city as well as upon the gentleman who manages the same as the sole proprietor.
Bernard Trentman, founder of this house, was one of the pioneers of Fort Wayne, and during life one of the most prominent citizens and merchants. Born in Hanover, Germany, in July, 1816, he emigrated to the United States in 1838, and was located first in Cincinnati, where he remained for about two years. In 1840 he came to Fort Wayne, his brother John having settled here two years previous, and he soon after- ward engaged in farming in Marion township. Later he worked on the old Wabash & Erie canal, and was employed in the City mills. In IS48 he embarked in the retail grocery trade, and in 1864 converted the same into a wholesale business. He was a self-made man in every res- pect, coming to Allen county poor, and succeeding by good business qualifications in climbing to a high round in the ladder of prosperity. He was held in high esteem by the community, was a member of the Cath- olic church and died March 19, 1874. While living in Cincinnati in 1838 he was married to Anna M. Rheinhardt, who was born in Hanover, Ger- many, in 1817. To their union eleven children were born, seven of whom survive. The mother died in 1859.
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