A Centennial biographical history of the city of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio, Part 35

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1156

USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > A Centennial biographical history of the city of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio > Part 35

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After his marriage Andrew Morrison located at Taylor's Station, owning

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there one hundred and seventeen acres of land constituting a part of his pres- ent farm. He was at that time conducting a sawmill, but in 1868 he purchased one hundred and twenty-six acres of land south of Taylor, and removing to that place he made it his home for two or three years, after which he traded it for one hundred and ninety-six acres of his present farm, which now com- prises a tract of three hundred and thirteen acres. Since that time it has been the place of his abode and is one of the most desirable farming prop- erties in this section of the state. He also owned one hundred and eighty- five acres of land north of Reynoldsburg, in Jefferson township, and forty- five acres near Bullits Park, just outside of the city limits of Columbus. His business interests have been capably managed, his well directed efforts bring- ing to him a high degree of success. He has never had time nor inclination to seek public office, but exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Democratic party. In early life he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, but in more recent years has not held mem- bership connection with any denomination. His wife, however, is a Meth- odist. Socially he is connected with the Reynoldsburg Lodge, F. & A. M., his life exemplifying the benevolent principles of the fraternity. His career has been an active, busy and useful one, and his worth as a man and citizen are widely acknowledged.

RICHARD SINCLAIR.

Richard Sinclair, a retired merchant residing in Columbus, was born in the city of Rochester, New York, November 28, 1828, a son of George and Mary (Hositt) Sinclair. The father was born in Scotland, but in early life emigrated to the United States, where he was married, after which he located in Rochester, New York, and engaged in the butchering business. In 1839 he came with his family to Columbus, where he opened a meat market and con- tinued actively in that line until within a short time prior to his death, which occurred when he was in his seventy-fifth year. His wife, who survived him for some time, died in 1875. She was born in Edinburg, Scotland, and in her girlhood came to America with her parents, who located in Rochester, New York.

Richard Sinclair, who is the only survivor in a family of five children, accompanied his parents on their emigration to Columbus, in 1840, and in the public schools of the city he continued his education for a time. In his twelfth year he entered his father's market, where he remained until he had attained his majority, when he opened a meat market on his own account on High street. between the American and United States hotels. There he car- ried on business until 1850, when he sold out. Having saved some money, he purchased eighteen acres of land on what is now West Broad street, the consideration being four thousand dollars. Of this he paid two thousand down, while the balance was to be met in payments of five hundred dollars. Hardly more than a year had passed when he was offered forty thousand dol-

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lars for the property, and, refusing this, he later sold it for sixty thousand. He has erected between twenty-five and thirty dwelling houses and a number of store buildings in this city. A large business block on West Broad street, which has a forty-four-foot front and is ninety-nine feet in depth and three stories high, and is now occupied by a stock of hardware, was erected by him and was for some years the best business block west of the Scioto. Promi- nently connected with real-estate and building interests, he has done much to improve the city along substantial lines of progress and development.

On the 7th of November, 1856, Mr. Sinclair was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Romosier, of Columbus, a daughter of John Romosier. She died in 1882, leaving eight children : Charles, who is now a ticket agent for the Hocking Valley Railroad ; George W., who died in 1888; Lucy, who died in 1898; Elizabeth, the wife of Lawrence H. Cott; Eloise; Mrs. Matilda Howe; Richard ; and Ethel. Mr. Sinclair erected his fine brick residence at No. 913 West Broad street in 1891, and it is known as one of the attractive homes of the city. Although he started out in life with very limited capital he has by energy, economy and good management accumulated a handsome com- petence for old age. He always voted the Democratic ticket, first supporting James Buchanan for the presidency and since that time has never wavered in his allegiance to the party.

LEONHARD HIRSCH.

In this age of colossal enterprise and marked intellectual energy, the prominent and successful men are those whose abilities, persistence and cour- age lead them into large undertakings and assume the responsibilities and labors of leaders in their respective vocations. Success is methodical and resultant ; and however much we may indulge in fantastic theorizing as to its elements and causation in any isolated instance, yet in the light of sober investi- gation we will find it to be but a result of the determined application of one's abilities and powers along the rigidly defined line of labor. America owes much of her progress and advancement to a position foremost among the nations of the world to her newspapers, and in no line has the incidental broadening out of the sphere of usefulness been more marked than in this same line of journalism. Columbus has enlisted in its newspaper field some of the strongest intellects of the state,-men of strong mental grasp, cosmo- politan ideas and notable business sagacity.

Prominent among the men who have given the city prestige in this direction must be placed Leonhard Hirsch, the subject of this review. His identification with the art preservative of all arts dates from an early period in his career. He was born October 13. 1834. in the town of Berncastel, which lies on the banks of the Moselle river, in Rhenish Prussia. At the accustomed age he entered the public schools of the fatherland, there pur- suing his studies until he entered upon his business career as an apprentice

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to the carpenter's trade. He followed that pursuit through the period of his minority, and soon after attaining man's estate he began business on his own account as a printer and lithographer in Frankfort-on-the-Main, but was obliged to abandon all and flee to England when that famous old city was occupied by the Prussians in 1866. For five years he remained on the "merrie isle," where he was employed at his trade and finally became the manager of the Hermann, a German weekly paper published in London.

Attracted by the opportunities of the new world, where the field of advancement lay open to all and where liberty of thought and action is one of the cherished possessions of the people, he resolved to seek a home beyond the water, and in 1870 crossed the Atlantic to New York. In the metropolis he soon secured an excellent position in the line of his trade, having for a time served as the manager of the Oestliche Post, a daily paper published in the German language. In 1872 he became a resident of St. Louis, where he also acted as the manager of a paper until 1876, the year of his arrival in Columbus, where he was employed for a number of months in the office of the Westbote. Wishing, however, to engage in business for himself, he estab- lished a Republican Sunday paper published in his native tongue. He called it the Ohio Sontagsgast and by his unflagging industry, perseverance, keen sagacity and capable management he made it a profitable business venture. Although the majority of German residents are advocates of Democratic prin- ciples he made his paper a Republican organ, fearlessly advocating the prin- ciples of the party in which he has ever believed since becoming a student of American politics. At the same time his journal became a bright, newsy organ, devoted to the welfare of the city and state, as well as to the expression of the editor's political views. In 1891 Mr. Hirsch broadened the scope of his enterprise by establishing a daily paper, called the Daily Express, which is the only German Republican journal in central Ohio. From the beginning it has constantly grown in favor and therefore in patronage, and now has an excellent circulation among the German-American people, in whose homes it carries influence by its frank expressions concerning the questions and interests of the day which affect all mankind.

In 1886 Mr. Hirsch was appointed by Governor Foraker to the position of supervisor of public printing, and in that office he rendered most effective service. He filled the position for five terms, being re-appointed by Gov- ernor Foraker and later by Governor Mckinley.

In 1871 Mr. Hirsch was united in marriage to Miss Lotta Meyer, and they now have five sons and a daughter. The sons follow in the father's political footsteps, being earnest advocates of the Republican party. The success which has come to Mr. Hirsch has been by no means the result of fortunate circumstances. It has come to him through energy, labor and per- severance, directed by an evenly balanced mind and by honorable business principles. He has made the most of his opportunities, and at the same time the rules of his life have been such as to win the unqualified confidence of his fellow men, gaining their esteem and regard.

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BENJAMIN G. WHEELER.

Benjamin G. Wheeler, the experienced and popular conductor on the Pennsylvania Railroad, was born April 6, 1849, in Hopedale, Harrison county, Ohio, his parents being Christopher and Rebecca Wheeler. The father was born in Harrison county. Ohio, April 11, 1816, and was the eldest of a large family of children, the others being: Reason, born July 10, 1818; Benjamin, November 20. 1819; Morgan, May 27, 1821 ; Malinda, January 2, 1823; Mocinda, December 2, 1824: Hinzay, December 28, 1826; Hezekiah W., June 30. 1828; Nancy, April 30, 1830: Amon, December 23, 1831 ; John W., July 5. 1833: and Rachel, June 4, 1835. All are now deceased with the exception of Rachel, who is now married and living in the west. The father of our subject resided upon a farm in early life, but about 1850 removed to the village of Hopedale, where he followed the carpenter's trade. On the paternal side he comes of an old American family, the father having been a native of Maryland. For many years Christopher Wheeler was connected with the building interests of Hopedale, and his life's labors were ended in death in that town on the 4th of March, 1887. His wife, surviving him for about nine years, passed away in the same town, March 8, 1896. Their children were: Mary Jane, born May 14, 1839; William Franklin, October 16, 1840; John Wilson, December 17, 1842; Eliza Ellen, December 16, 1844; Reuben Arnold, April 29, 1847; Benjamin G., April 6, 1849; Sarah Ellen, October 13. 1851 ; Keziah Margaret, September 2, 1853; Samuel Christopher, September 30. 1855 ; and Eliza Ellen, January 31, 1858. Four of the num- ber have now passed away. Keziah Margaret died on the 28th of Septem- ber, 1853: Sarah Ellen, on the 9th of March, 1854: Reuben Arnold, July 13. 1857; and Samuel Christopher, May 20, 1881. The last named was a brakeman on the Pennsylvania Railroad, and by coupling cars in the yards in Columbus was fatally injured. John W. Wheeler enlisted in 1861 in the Forty-third Ohio Infantry, and remained for three years at the front. After the war he spent twenty years as an engineer on the Baltimore & Ohio Rail- road and then purchased a farm. which he has since operated. William Wheeler is living in Dennison, Ohio, and for the past twenty years he has been employed in the Panhandle shops at Dennison, as a blacksmith.

Benjamin G. Wheeler was only about a year old when his parents became residents of Hopedale, where he pursued his education in the public schools. From early life. however. he has been dependent upon his own labors, having worked as a farm hand for his board and ten cents per day when a small boy. He also assisted his father at the carpenter's trade before attaining manhood, aiding in shingling. siding and other such work. His brother William was a conductor on the Panhandle Railroad in 1864, and our subject also entered the service about that time, spending three months on a freight train as brakeman. In the discharge of his duties he found it necessary to step over the soldiers who were being taken to the front on freight cars on his run to Newark and Steubenville. In October, 1868, he accepted a permanent posi-

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tion with the Panhandle Company, running from Dennison to Columbus, Ohio, as a brakeman. He held that position for six months and then accepted a similar position on a passenger train, serving in that way until December, 1871. Between the years 1872 and 1876 he was the baggage master on a train and from 1876 until 1881 he was freight conductor. In the latter year he was assistant yard master, also having a passenger run, and in December, 1881, he was given a regular passenger run and has continued in the service of the company in that capacity up to the present time. Over his record there falls no shadow of wrong, for he has ever been faithful and true to his duty, careful and earnest in its discharge. He has been constantly on the Pittsburg division, running between Columbus and Pittsburg, and his trust- worthiness is a matter of record, well worthy of commendation.

On the 15th of May, 1872, Mr. Wheeler was united in marriage to Miss Emma Brydie, of Columbus, in which city they have since made their home, now residing at No. 1223 Hunter avenue. The lady was, a daughter of Hugh and Mary A. Brydie. Her father died in 1861, at the age of forty-five years, and her mother passed away in 1895, at the age of sixty-seven. One of her brothers, James, died when only fifteen years of age, from disease while serv- ing his country in the Civil war. Two of her brothers, William and Millard F., are now residents of New Mexico. Her sister, Ida May, is the wife of Earnest A. Pierce, of Boston, Massachusetts. Mrs. Jennie Deuell and Mrs. · Mattie L. Levi, of this family, are residents of Columbus, and Ella is living in Cincinnati. Her father was a native of Tennessee and her mother of Illinois. Mrs. Wheeler is a member of the Third Avenue Episcopal church. In 1871 Mr. Wheeler became a member of Excelsior Lodge, No. 145, I. O. O. F., of Columbus. In his life he exemplifies the benevolent spirit of the fraternity. Both he and his wife are well known for their genial manner and sterling qualities, and the hospitality of many of the homes of Colum- bus is extended to them.

WILLIAM R. LAZENBY.

America has made wonderful strides in scientific research during the century just completed, and among those who have been leaders of investiga- tion is William Rane Lazenby, whose discoveries along horticultural lines have been not only a source of gratification and pleasure to the scientific world, but also of practical value to the fruit-raisers and agriculturists of the land. He has attained a national reputation in connection with educa- tional work and scientific discovery and to-day occupies an eminent position' among the men of high scientific attainments. His local connection is with the Ohio State University, occupying the chair of horticulture and forestry, but throughout the country he is widely known, being a representative of the leading societies for the advancement of scientific attainment and research along his chosen lines.

Professor Lazenby was born December 5, 1852, in Bellona, New York,

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and acquired his preliminary education in the country schools of his native township. His more advanced studies were pursued in the Pen Yan Academy and in his college course in Cornell University, being graduated in the last named institution with the class of 1874. Immediately after his graduation he was appointed instructor of botany and horticulture in his alma mater, which position he held for two years, when he was made assistant professor of horticulture, serving in that capacity until he resigned in 1881.

It was in that year that Professor Lazenby was elected professor of botany and horticulture in the Ohio State University, at Columbus, with which institution he has since been connected, now holding the professorship of horticulture and forestry. While a member of the faculty of Cornell he was the botanist to the New York State Horticultural Society, the horticultural editor of the Husbandman and lecturer for the New York State Grange. He drafted the bill for, and aided in establishing, the New York State Experi- mental Station, which is located at Geneva. After his removal to Ohio he drafted a bill and secured the establishment of the Ohio Experimental Sta- tion, of which he was a director for six years. He was for five years the secretary and for two years the president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science: has been for the past eight years the president of the Columbus Horticultural Society,-one of the oldest associations of its kind in America; is an active member of the American Pomological Society and vice-president of the National Forestry of Congress, and in addition is an active or honorary member of many state and local societies. He has written much upon horticultural and agricultural subjects and for twenty years has been a lecturer before farmers' institutes.

In 1896 Professor Lazenby was united in marriage to Miss Harriet Edelia Akin, of Columbus, and with their daughter, an only child, they reside in their home near the Ohio State University. The Professor has superior ability as an educator, being able to impart clearly and readily to others the knowledge he had acquired. He has deep love for the subjects in which he gives instruction, and his fondness for scientific research has led him into new fields where he has gained many valuable truths of benefit to his fel- low men.

JOHN H. MILLS.

In railway circles John H. Mills has long been widely and favorably known. He was born April 19, 1867. in New Moscow, Ohio. a son of Henry H. Mills, whose birth occurred in 1833. Both his father and his mother died on the same day,-August 17, 1894,-at Cooperdale, Ohio, their disease being typhoid fever. Ten days later their daughter Bertha also passed away. The father was connected with commercial pursuits, conducting a general mercantile store in Cooperdale.

John H. Mills spent the first sixteen years of his life under the parental roof. and then went to Columbus, Ohio, to learn the carriage-maker's trade.

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This was his first independent venture and thereby tested his power, giving indication of the elemental strength of his character. He worked at carriage- making until December 12, 1890, when he entered the service of the Pan Handle Railroad Company. On the 11th of May, 1892, he became an em- ploye of the Toledo, Walhonding Valley & Ohio Railroad, having charge of the express and baggage. In December, 1896, he came to Columbus and again entered the service of the Pan Handle Road, with which he has since continued.

On the 26th of January, 1895, Mr. Mills was united in marriage to Miss Maggie Finley, the wedding being celebrated in Mansfield, Ohio. Her parents were both natives of Pennsylvania, and from that state removed to West Virginia, where Mrs. Mills was born. Her father was a member of the One Hundred and Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil war and served with the First Army Corps in many of the most important engagements which occurred in that portion of the country. He died at Loudonville, Ohio, where his wife is still residing. In their family were three sons: Wilson and Joseph, who are residents of Loudonville, while James makes his home in Toledo, Ohio. Mr. Mills is the treasurer of the Order of Railway Trainmen, of Columbus, and is regarded as one of the most prominent and influential members of the organization. His political sup- port is given to the men and measures of the Republican party, and in relig- ious faith both he and his wife are Presbyterians, belonging to the Broad Street church. The record of Mr. Mills is that of a man who has by his own efforts worked his way upward to a position of affluence. His life has been one of industry and perseverance, and he has at all times commanded the respect of his fellow men.

DANIEL H. SOWERS.

Ambition is the keynote of progress. When ambition is satisfied satiety follows, action ceases and effort becomes futile. It is the man to whom satiety is ever in the future that advances in the business world, continually working his way upward until he attains a position of eminence and promi- nence. Such has been the life record of Daniel H. Sowers, now a well known and highly esteemed resident of Columbus, exercising much influence in public affairs, especially along the lines of commercial and industrial activity which contribute to the city's prosperity.

Mr. Sowers is a native of Champaign county, Ohio, born in the year 1867. His grandfather, Henry Sowers, was a descendant of Christopher Sowers, who located in Germantown, Maryland, in 1689, and was the first publisher of a German newspaper in the colonies. About the year 1810 Henry Sowers removed with his parents from Maryland, his native state, to Perry county, Pennsylvania, where in 1827 he was married. He became the father of two sons and three daughters, all of whom are now residents of Perry county with the exception of S. K. Sowers, the father of our sub-

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ject, who came to Ohio in the year 1857, locating in Champaign county. There, in 1861, he was joined in wedlock to Miss Eunice Blose, and five children graced their marriage, of whom three are now living near Urbana, while the brothers, John and Daniel, are residents of Columbus. The for- mer is the secretary and treasurer of the wholesale lumber company of Smith & Sowers.

Daniel H. Sowers, whose name introduces this record, pursued his early education in the schools of his native county and was a member of the grad- uating class of the Ohio Wesleyan University in 1889. In the fall of that year he adopted the profession of law and entered upon a course of legal study in the office of Powell, Owens, Rickets & Black. In 1891 he was admitted to practice at the Columbus bar and since 1892 has been a member of the law firm of Huggins & Sowers. In addition to his regular law prac- tice, which engages most of his time and attention, however, he is interested in several business enterprises, and his wise counsel and sound judgment are important factors in their successful conduct. At a meeting of the Columbus Board of Trade, held in January for the purpose of selecting officers for the current year, Mr. Sowers was elected the first vice-president of that body and is now occupying the position. His knowledge of jurisprudence is compre- hensive and exact. As a practitioner of law he ranks very high in contrast with those of equal age and experience, and those who are acquainted with his strong mentality, his powers of close application and his laudable ambi- tion predict for him a very successful career as a representative of the legal fraternity.

In Columbus, in 1898, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Sowers and Miss Elizabeth Deshler, a daughter of William G. Deshler, an old resident and prominent citizen of Columbus, where for some years he engaged in the banking business, but is now living retired. One of the best residences in Columbus, situated on East Broad street, is their home. It possesses all the external features of beauty and style which modern architectural skill could devise and provide, and in its interior adornments and furnishings it suggests refined and cultured taste. It is an ideal home where comfort, good cheer and hospitality reign supreme.

LEWIS L. RANKIN.

In the last half of the present century the lawyer has been a pre-eminent factor in all affairs of private concern and national importance. The man versed in the laws of the country. as distinguished from business men or politicians, has been a recognized power. He has been depended upon to conserve the best and permanent interests of the whole people, and without him and the approval of his practical judgment the effect of the statesman and the industry of the business man and mechanic would have proved futile. The reason is obvious. The professional lawyer is never the creature of

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circumstance. The profession is open to talent, and eminence or success cannot be obtained except by indomitable energy, perseverance and strong mentality.

It has been along these lines that Lewis Lincoln Rankin has gained prominence in his chosen calling. He was born August 4, 1860, in Mifflin- ville, Mifflin township, Franklin county, Ohio, and there upon the home farm, where his ancestors have lived for many generations, he resided with his parents until eleven years of age. He is a son of Swan I. and Sarah M. Rankin. The mother was a daughter of Alexander B. and Mary Ann Denune, who were early settlers of Mifflin township. Her father was born May 18, 1807, her mother May 10, 1814, and they were married on the Ist of Decem- ber, 1831. Of their eight children who reached adult age all are yet living in Franklin county, namely : Mrs. Susan E. Temple, Mrs. Sarah M. Rankin, Mrs. Margaret A. Decker, Cyrus P., Mrs. Pauline Kiner, Elias A., John B. and Mrs. Huldah W. Horn.

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A Centennial biographical history of the city of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio, Part 35

Author: Lewis Publishing Company Publication date: 1901 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1156

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1156