A Centennial biographical history of the city of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio, Part 44

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 44

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Our subject was reared and educated in Circleville until his eighteenth year, and then engaged in clerking for several years. Selecting the law as his profession, he entered the office of Paul Jones, of this city, and applied himself so well that he was admitted to the bar in 1894. In 1898 he was elected to be a justice of the peace and has been in office continually ever since. An active Democrat, Mr. Helwagen has been prominently identified with his party. Socially he is connected with the Woodmen of the World and the Red Men.

The marriage of our subject was celebrated February 12, 1896, to Miss Elizabeth Sauer, of Columbus, and one daughter, Clara Lucille, has been born to them. Mrs. Helwagen is a daughter of one of the old and prominent families of this city.

HENRY BOHL.

The insurance interests represented at Columbus, Ohio, involve. directly and indirectly, an almost incredible amount of capital and command the sery- ices of men whose ability and business experience fits them for any position, either in public or private life, to which they may be called. One of the most prominent representatives of this interest is Hon. Henry Bohl, the super- intendent of agencies for Ohio and Indiana of the Prudential Life Insurance Company, who has held many responsible positions as insurance manager, legislator and government official, and in all of them has acquitted himself with the greatest credit.

Mr. Bohl was born in Bavaria, Germany, and came to America with his parents, Conrad and Catherine (Altvater) Bohl, when he was ten years old. The family settled in Washington county, Ohio, where they lived on a farm, near Marietta. In 1864 Mr. Bohl settled in Marietta himself, his parents remaining on the farm. Young Bohl received a good common-school edu- cation and began his insurance career in Marietta in 1869. Three years later ill health compelled him to go south and he connected himself with a promi- nent insurance company at Atlanta, Georgia. In 1873 he was unanimously elected as secretary of the Underwriters' Insurance Association of the South, which covered a territory embracing eleven states. Returning to Marietta, Ohio, in 1874, he was in 1875 elected to the Ohio legislature from Wash- ington county. He was elected to succeed himself in 1877, and he was again elected in 1883. It is worthy of note that the nomination was given him each time by acclamation. He was the chairman of the house committee on insurance for several years, and during the administration of Governor Hoad-

HENRY BOHL.

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ley was the chairman of the house finance committee, the most important body in the legislature. He was also the secretary of the Ohio state Demo- cratic executive committee in the memorable state campaigns of 1884-5; was chairman of both the Democratic Ohio state central and executive commit- tees in 1886, and chairman of the Ohio state central committee in 1887, and in each instance he was elected by acclamation. Early in President Cleve- land's second administration Mr. Bohl was appointed United States marshal for the southern district of Ohio, and he served in that position during the Ohio miners' strikes and the Debs railway strike of 1894, with rare finesse and sagacity and upheld the laws with courage. In April, 1895, he resigned this office to accept his present position. In making mention of his retire- ment the press of the state almost without exception expressed regret at the step he had taken and referred in terms of the highest praise to his integrity and faithfulness in office. The Enquirer, Commercial Gazette, Times Star and Tribune of Cincinnati and the German press of the same city and of the state generally, as well as the English papers, were unstinted in good words, and it was the unanimous opinion of Mr. Bohl's fellow townsmen that no one better deserved them.

In 1887 Mr. Bohl was appointed the receiver of the Second National Bank of Xenia, Ohio. His work there was so well appreciated that in 1893 Hon. J. H. Eckels, the comptroller of currency, tendered him the receiver- ship of the Citizens' National Bank of Hillsboro, Ohio, which Mr. Bohl declined, with thanks. About this time he was appointed superintendent of agencies of the Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company of Newark, New Jersey, and filled the position for five years, with much credit and success. Mr. Bohl had declined the position of receiver of the public money for Wyo- ming tendered him during President Cleveland's first administration, as well as an Indian agency and a chief-clerkship in the office of the department of the interior at Washington. In 1878 he was a prominent candidate for con- gress in this district and was strongly supported for the nomination in the convention through more than eighty ballots, until, the second day, he with- drew and General A. J. Warner was nominated. In 1880 the Democratic press brought him forward for the office of secretary of state, but he declined to be a candidate. In 1881 he was urged to be a candidate for the lieutenant- governorship and also for the senatorship in his district, but he declined to accept the nomination for either office. In 1884 many prominent Democrats of his district again insisted on nominating him for congress, and at a time when his nomination was deemed possible he withdrew from the field in the interest of harmony. For many years he was a stanch Democrat, but in 1896, on the adoption of the Chicago platform of that year declaring for the free and unlimited coinage of silver at a ratio of sixteen to one, and other populistic ideas, he left the party and has since affiliated with the Republicans, in whose councils he has been given a place of honor. During the campaign of 1896 he made speeches in favor of Mckinley in Ohio, Indiana, and three in Chicago, Illinois.

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Since April 1, 1895, Mr. Bohl has directed the affairs at Columbus of the Prudential Life Insurance Company with characteristic ability and suc- cess. His public spirit is recognized by his fellow citizens of all political parties, and he is one of the foremost to advocate any measure which he believes promises good to his city, county or state. In January, 1901, he was elected vice-president and director of the Columbus Savings & Trust Company, of Columbus, Ohio, it being the first bank in Columbus with a cash capital of five hundred thousand dollars. In March, 1901, he was also elected chairman of the legislative committee of the Columbus board of trade, it being one of the most important committees of this commercial body, with a membership of over one thousand.

From the Western Underwriter, of Chicago, of January 17, 1901, we quote the following: "Those who have watched the progress of the Pruden- tial in Ohio and Indiana cannot help but recognize the dominant personality behind the agency machinery in those two great life-insurance states. The dash and spirit. the system and wholesomeness manifest in the building up of this section of Gibraltar are largely due to the head and heart of Hon. Henry Bohl, superintendent of agencies for the territory named. Mr. Bohl has enthusiasm tracing every vein, and intelligence runs with it. His faculty to stimulate and to produce results is peculiarly fitted to agency guidance. Mr. Bohl is a widely known factor in Ohio politics, and his renunciation of Bryanism was a significant event in the Buckeye state. Owing to a constant drain on his physical resources in advancing his company's interests, Mr. Bohl has been in delicate health for weeks and not able to visit his field. His hundreds of friends will be glad to learn of his returning vitality and will wish him years of health and prosperity."

In the spring of 1899 Mr. Bohl delivered a lecture on life insurance before the students of the Ohio State University, making' clear the science and ethics of the subject. He was the first man to speak from a university or college rostrum in Ohio upon this subject. He suggested that this science be added to the department of economics in the university. The Daily Even- ing Dispatch of Columbus sees no good reason why other branches of insur- ance, especially fire insurance, should not be added.

JOHN W. SLYH.

John W. Slyh is one of the representative farmers and successful citizens of Franklin county and is numbered among its native sons, his birth having here occurred on the IIth of March, 1844. He is a son of Jacob and Emeline (Lakin) Slyh, and a grandson of Mathias and Mary (Drill) Slyh, who became the founders of the family in Franklin county. The grandfather was born in Pennsylvania and was the son of Frederick Slyh, who was a native of Germany and became the progenitor of this branch of the family in America. He settled in Lancaster county Pennsylvania, about 1735, there residing until his death. His son Mathias subsequently took up his abode near Har-

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per's Ferry, Virginia, and wedded Mary Drill, who was born September 8, 1779, and was of English birth. They made their home in that locality until their removal to Franklin county, Ohio, in 1829. He was an enterprising man and a most excellent citizen. In the Reformed church he held member- ship and died in that faith, February 6, 1843. His wife, Mary, died March 17, 1816. He had two sons, Mathias and Henry, the former born April 12, 1765, and the latter in 1767. Henry came to Ohio in 1810, locating in Pick- away county, whence he afterward removed to Madison county. Jacob Slyh, the father of our subject, was a son of Mathias Slyh.

Jacob Slyh was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, October 31, 1798, and was married, July 31, 1828, to Emeline Lakin, who was born in Westmoreland county, Maryland, April 27, 1801. The following September, accompanied by his wife, he came to Franklin county, Ohio, and spent the succeeding winter in Columbus, which was then a frontier village. In the spring he purchased one hundred and fifty acres of land of which only a few acres had been cleared and on which there was a small log cabin. His capital was limited. He had about six hundred dollars, yet this was con- sidered quite a sum of money in those days. For his land he paid eight dol- lars per acre. At that time he could have purchased the property which is now the site of the Union depot in Columbus for six dollars per acre, but the tract was low and wet and heavily timbered, and he decided that it would be a better investment to buy land four miles away at the higher price of ten dollars per acre. Upon the farm which he purchased he lived until 1850, when he bought another farm in the same township, and taking up his abode thereon made it his place of residence until his death, which occurred March 31, 1887. He was a mem- ber of the Episcopal church for nearly fifty years, living a consistent Christian life and was a generous supporter of the church.

Soon after coming to Franklin county he was elected justice of the peace, but in that office he never tried a suit, always endeavoring to have the contending parties settle their difficulties by arbitration without resorting to the law. He was nominated by the Democratic party for representative in 1848, but as the Democracy was in the minority he was defeated. He was elected to the office of county commissioner in 1850 and served in that capacity for two terms in a very capable manner. He was again elected to the same office in 1862, discharging his duties with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. A liberal and broad-minded man, well informed on the questions of the day, he gave his support to all measures which he believed would prove of public benefit along the social, material, intellectual and moral line. He donated a building site for the Episcopal church in Clinton township, and in connection with John Kenney erected the house of worship. It was called the Union church from the fact that Mr. Kenney was of the Reformed faith, both denominations using the church, holding their services on alternate Sundays. Mr. Slyh was a very industrious man and won success in his undertakings. He cleared the farm himself with

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the aid of his sons and at his death he left seventeen hundred acres of valu- able land in Franklin county, besides considerable city property. During the war of 1812 he used his teams in hauling army guns from Harper's Ferry to Baltimore. One of these guns is now in the possession of John W. Slyh. His wife was born April 27, 1801, and died June 6, 1886. She, too, was a member of the Episcopal church and a consistent Christian woman.

Mr. and Mrs. Slyh celebrated their golden wedding at their home on the 3Ist of July, 1878. The event was largely attended and there were present on that occasion two friends, Mrs. Cleggett and Mrs. Best, who witnessed their marriage fifty years before. Mr. and Mrs. Slyh were the parents of eight children, four sons and four daughters, namely : Daniel, who resides in Perry township; Jacob E., of Clinton township; Rebecca R., now the widow of Harrison Walcutt, of Columbus, Ohio; Henry, deceased; Mary E., the wife of Absalom Walcutt, of North Columbus; John W., of Clinton township; Sirena Ann, the deceased wife of Harrison Walcutt; and Emoline O., who died in infancy.

John W. Slyh, whose name forms the caption of this article, acquired his rudimentary education in the public schools, which was supplemented by a course in Gambier and Worthington Colleges. He was early inured to the arduous task of developing the farm from the wilderness and remained at home with his parents until his marriage which occurred August 22, 1867, Sarah M. Armstrong, a daughter of Samuel and Jane (Thompson) Arm- strong, becoming his wife. After his marriage they took up their abode upon the farm in Clinton township which is still their home. Her father was a son of Robert Armstrong, a native of county Tyrone, Ireland, born in 1795, After attaining his majority he came to America, settling in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and a few years later he removed to Belmont county, Ohio, where he died in 1846. He had seven children, namely : James, William, John, Samuel, Robert, Thomas and Margaret; the last named is the wife of Thomas Thompson. All of the children came to Franklin county with the exception of James, who resided in or near Clarkson, Ohio, and all are now deceased. They were enterprising, public-spirited and highly respected people.

Samuel Armstrong was married in Pennsylvania to Miss Jane Thomp- son, and on coming to Ohio located in Belmont county, whence he removed to Perry township, Franklin county, settling on a farm west of Worthington which he purchased. On this farm he resided until his death. He and his wife were exemplary members of the Presbyterian church of Worthington, in which he served for many years as an elder. Unto them were born ten children, namely: Elizabeth H., the wife of Watson Tripp, of Hilliard, Ohio; Rose A., the deceased wife of William Martin ; Margaret J., the widow of Montgomery Starrett, of Columbus: Robert and Thomas, both deceased ; Sarah M., the wife of our subject: William T., who married Frances King, of Columbus : Mary A., the wife of Samuel Webb, of that city ; and Llewellyn, who married Flora Cook and resides in Clinton township. Mr. Armstrong

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died on his homestead farm in Perry township, January 29, 1881, at the age of seventy-two years, and his wife passed away June 6, 1883, at the age of sixty-eight years.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Slyh were born five children : Charles R., who mar- ried Gertrude Johnson; Emma R., the wife of Louis Gooding, of Columbus; Edwin M., who wedded Alice M. Legg; Harry L. and Chester L. Mr. Slyh holds membership in the Episcopalian church and his wife in the Con- gregational church, of North Columbus, of which the children are also mem- bers. The family have a very pleasant home in the midst of a valuable farm of two hundred and eighty acres, which is owned and operated by John W. Slyh, and is one of the desirable properties in Clinton township. He is a progressive and enterprising agriculturist and his success is attributable en- tirely to his own efforts. He has been identified with the office of township trustee for nineteen years and is the present incumbent. He was also town- ship treasurer for eight years. In politics he is a Democrat and socially he is connected with the Masonic fraternity, belonging to New England Lodge, No. 4, F. & A. M., of Worthington, while in the Scottish rite he has attained the thirty-second degree.

MRS. CATHERINE KRAUSS.

Mrs. Catherine Krauss was for many years one of the most prominent ladies in the city of Columbus, a well-known representative of business in- terests and a leader in charitable and benevolent work. She was born in France and bore the maiden name of Catherine Leib. In 1826 she crossed the Atlantic to the new world and made her way direct to Columbus, where soon after her arrival she was united in marriage to George Krauss. Her husband owned and was landlord of the Eagle Hotel, wherein he operated the first bakery in the city, and he was even more widely known as a French baker than as the host of the hotel. In this hotel was located the first public hall in the city, and there were held the magnificent military balls which graced the early days at the capital. There also the old-time military com- panies had their headquarters and held their weekly drills. Mr. Krauss died in 1850, at the age of sixty-five years, and Mrs. Krauss afterward pur- chased the Canal Hotel, located on what is now South Canal street and at that time in the heart of the business district. She always had a great at- tachment for her old home, and, although changes were wrought in the city so that the residence district was moved elsewhere, she continued at the old homestead until the time of her death.

Mrs. Krauss was most active and influential in benevolent work, and the record of her charities forms a bright page in the history of Columbus. When in the early days Columbus felt the need of and sought to establish an infirmary, Mr. and Mrs. Krauss gave the necessary land and the infirmary was built. It was later removed and the site used by the city whereon to erect the present Beck Street school building. The means of this worthy

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couple were freely used to advance the public interest along the line of ma- terial, social, intellectual and moral welfare, and they never withheld their support and aid whenever opportunity was offered to relieve want or distress. The great cholera scourge and again the epidemic of small-pox, which raged in Columbus in the years gone by, were two occasions which demonstrated the nobleness of the nature of Mrs. Krauss. Though possessed of sufficient means to enable her to remove her family beyond the reach of danger, she refused to go, and, seemingly devoid of any fear of contagion, she put her soul into the work of caring for those from whom all others had fled in fear, and, as the older physicians well say, she was an angel of mercy. This great element of the religion of humanity actuated her every-day life until within the last few weeks, when her eyes became dimmed and the feet, which were always ready to go where others could be made happy, could no longer travel.

The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Krauss was blessed with ten children, five of whom still survive her, namely: Martin, a resident of Kansas City; Christian, who is living near North Lewisburg, Ohio; Mrs. Frederick For- nof, Sr., Mrs. Edward Fisher; and Mrs. Jonathan Dent, who reside in Cali- fornia. The other daughters are all living in this city. Mrs. Krauss con- tinued at the old home she so truly loved until called to the home beyond, April 25, 1898, after seventy-two years' residence in Columbus. "Her chil- dren rise up and call her blessed," and her memory remains as a grateful benediction and inspiration to all who knew her.

SEBASTIAN B. BIGGERT.

The agricultural interests of Prairie township are well represented by Sebastian Byron Biggert. The family name was formerly spelled without the final "t." John Bigger, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Ireland, and on leaving the Emerald Isle crossed the Atlantic to the new world, taking up his abode in Pennsylvania, where he was married. Sub- sequently he came to Ohio and settled on the banks of the Big Darby, two miles south of Georgesville, in Pleasant township, Franklin county. He had two hundred and twenty acres of land, all wild and unimproved, for the country was in its primitive condition, and his nearest neighbor was at Har- risburg. He took an active part in the pioneer development of this section of the state, and died upon his old homestead in 1818.

Samuel Biggert, the father of our subject, was born on the old home- stead farm there September 22, 1809, and was reared to manhood under the parental roof. He attended the district schools to a limited extent, for the schoolhouse was some distance from his home and his labors were needed upon the home farm. During his boyhood he engaged in hunting wild game, which was then quite numerous. Indians would frequently camp upon the home farm and there was little promise of progress and improvement in the near future. Mr. Biggert remained at home until his marriage, which oc- curred on the 6th of May, 1834, Miss Mary Roberts becoming his wife.

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She was born December 6, 1816, on the banks of Little Darby, in Madi- son county, Ohio, a daughter of Thomas Roberts, who was born in Berkeley county, West Virginia, in 1774. With his wife, Mrs. Susan Roberts, he came to Ohio, locating in Pleasant township, Franklin county, and his death occurred at West Jefferson, Madison county, September 30, 1864, his wife passing away on the 18th of the same month. After their marriage. Samuel and Mary Biggert took up their abode about three-quarters of a mile from the homestead farm on which he had been reared. Later they removed to Georgesville, where at one time the father owned more than seventeen hun- dred acres of land, a part of which was in Madison county. In his political affiliations he was a Whig, but from the time of the war was a Democrat. His death occurred on the old homestead, June 28, 1888, and his wife, who was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, passed away April 2, 1896. Their children were as follows: Martha, born May 25, 1835, married Beckwith Nolan March 5, 1856, and died in Madison county, Ohio, June 13, 1900; Matilda Marian, born July 14, 1837, was married March 5, 1856, to William Fitzgerald and died in Madison county February 22, 1863; Susan E., born May 20, 1839, was married September 2. 1858, to Joseph Gardner, and died August 22, 1895, in Madison county ; Thomas E., born November 5, 1840, was married November 19, 1863, to Maria Bennett and resides near Wrightsville, Ohio; John, born November 28, 1841, died in infancy; Samuel, born September 13, 1843, died October 20, 1860; Mar- garet Ann, born July 30, 1846, died January 30, 1888; John R., born August 30, 1848, was married January 27, 1881, to Mrs. Jennie Percy and resides at Georgesville; Sebastian B. is the next of the family; Mary S., born Sep- tember 21, 1852, was married March 20, 1878, to Joseph Johnson, of Madi- son county ; William S., born September 28, 1854, died April 13, 1871 ; Char- lotte, born September 7, 1857, was married October 21, 1880, to Luther Johnson, and their home is also in Madison county; and Frank, born March 3, 1862, was married April 14, 1885, to Ella Nash and resides in the same county.

Sebastian B. Biggert, whose name introduces this record, was born on the home farm at Georgesville, July 2, 1850, and was educated in the district schools, pursuing his studies during the winter terms until twenty years of age. In the summer months he was frequently kept at home to assist in the work of the farm. He aided in clearing and developing the land and early became familiar with the duties and labors which fall to the lot of the agriculturist. His school life began rather unfavorably. His first teacher was David Merriman, to whom he went one day. On that day he received a whipping with a rod and refused to go again. However, under other in- structors he continued his mental training, and experience in the practical affairs of life, together with his reading and observation, has made him a well-informed man. He remained at home until his marriage, which was celebrated March 12, 1872, Miss Mary Wignel becoming his wife.

Mr. and Mrs. Biggert began their domestic life upon the farm which

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is yet their home, living in a log cabin of two rooms, to which a third room was afterward added. His capital was small and his farm comprised one hundred and twenty acres, only fifty acres of which had been cleared. He has cleared the remainder, fenced and tiled the place, erected a commodious brick residence about 1882 and has added to his farm all modern accessories and improvements. It is now a very desirable and valuable place.

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A Centennial biographical history of the city of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio, Part 44

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