USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume II > Part 27
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O. J. Campbell, the youngest of the family, after attending the public schools of his native town, continued his education in Alfred University of New York and in the high school at Ravenna, Ohio. He then went into the army as pay- master's clerk and so continued from 1863 until 1865. Resuming his studies after the close of the war-for he had enlisted when but a boy-he entered the University of Michigan, from which he was graduated with the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1870 and with the Bachelor of Law degree in 1873. In his college days he was at the head of a glee club and in his younger manhood was much interested in music and sang in opera in various local entertainments. He possessed a fine bass voice, and his interest in the art, together with his abil- ity made him a great favorite in musical circles. Returning to Cleveland, he served as deputy clerk of the courts until 1874, when he entered upon the active
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practice of his profession as a member of the firm of Hutchins & Campbell, his two partners being Judge Hutchins and his father. The association was main- tained until about 1882 or 1883, when the senior partner went upon the bench, and since that time Mr. Campbell has been alone in a practice which has con- stantly developed in extent and importance. He is well versed in the various departments of the law, is thoroughly devoted to the interests of his clients, and his conscientious and careful preparation of his cases and his clear presentation in the courts are the strong elements in what is termed a successful legal career.
On the 20th of June, 1876, Mr. Campbell was married to Miss Fannie A. Fuller, a daughter of Augustus and Mary (Hutchins) Fuller, the latter an aunt of Judge Hutchins. Two sons and a daughter have been born of this marriage. Oscar James, born August 16, 1879, is a graduate of Harvard University, which has conferred upon him the B. A. and M. A. degrees. He is now an instructor at Harvard, where he is also studying literature. From 1905 until 1907 he was instructor in English and international law at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. For a year previous he had been in Berlin, Germany, pursuing his studies under private instruction. He married Emily Fuller and they have one child, Eunice. Charles Fuller, born in 1883, was graduated from the Uni- versity of Michigan with the B. A. degree in 1905, and is now in the lumber bus- iness in Grand Rapids. He married Cornelia Sweet. The daughter, Jean, is a graduate of the Middleberger School of Cleveland of the class of 1902, and is now teaching in Laurel School, a private school for girls in this city.
In his political views Mr. Campbell is a republican but not an active party worker. He belongs to the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity ; in professional relations is connected with the Cleveland bar and Ohio State Bar Associations; and in religious faith is a Presbyterian, his membership being in the Euclid Avenue church, in which he takes active and helpful part.
HERMAN HENRY HACKMAN.
Various corporate interests profit by the business discernment and keen en- terprise of Herman Henry Hackman, who figures prominently in the commer- cial circles of this city as the senior partner of the H. H. Hackman Leather Com- pany. His parents, Joseph and Margaret (Schwartz) Hackman, were both natives of the north of Germany. The son, however, was born in Cleveland, October 25, 1847, and with the period of the city's greatest commercial and in- dustrial development he has been closely associated, for after attending the pub- lic and parochial schools here to the age of fourteen years, he entered upon active business life and has since continued a factor along lines of activity that have not only contributed to his individual success but have also been features in public progress. He entered the employ of his father, who was a mason con- tractor, and learned the trade of brick-laying. At the same time he was learning much that was even more valuable-the power and effectiveness of unabating industry and unfaltering perseverance as factors in the business world. For two and a half years he continued to engage in brick-laying and at the end of that time secured the position of cashier with the Western Union Telegraph Company, acting in that capacity for four years. Throughout this period he was constantly on the alert for an opening or an opportunity that would lead him into still larger undertakings, and in 1868 he became connected with the leather findings business at 150 Seneca street, now West Third street, in asso- ciation with H. H. Wolke. The partnership was dissolved in 1887, when Mr Wolke retired and Mr. Hackman continued in the business alone. In 1896 he removed to the corner of Seneca and Long streets and in 1905 organized the present company, admitting his son, H. H. Hackinan, and C. F. Baker to an in- terest in the business under the firm name of H. H. Hackman Leather Com-
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pany. They do business in general boot and shoe supplies and leather findings, having a trade which extends throughout northern Ohio and western Pennsyl- vania. It has reached large proportions, having enjoyed continuous and health- ful growth under the directing influence of Mr. Hackman, who has closely studied the leather market and is thus able to make judicious purchases and profitable sales. It is seldom that a successful business man at the present time confines his attention alone to one line, for his cooperation is sought as a guid- ing force if not as an active factor in the management and control of various in- terests. Thus Mr. Hackman has become a director in the State Banking & Trust Company, in The Mars Wagar Realty Company and in the Broc Carriage & Wagon Company. He is also a trustee of the Western Reserve Insurance Company and is respected and honored among his associates and colleagues for the soundness of his judgment and his strict conformity to a high standard of commercial ethics.
In 1878 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Hackman and Miss Johanna Beckman, a daughter of one of the old Cleveland pioneers. Their children are Mrs. Louise Geurink, Herman Henry, Eugene, Anna, Joseph and Alfred. The parents hold membership in St. Agnes Catholic church, and Mr. Hackman is a councilman of the parish. He also belongs to the Mutual Benevolent Association and is not unmindful of his duties and obligations to his fellowmen, lending a helping hand wherever assistance is needed and the opportunity is presented. He is independent politically, yet is not remiss in the duties of citizenship, for he endorses many movements for the public good. He stands as a high type of the American citizen who is stimulated in his business activity by laudable am- bition while his efforts are characterized as well by recognition of the rights of others. He is now at the head of one of the large leather enterprises of this city and his success is the merited reward of his own labor.
W. A CONGALTON.
With thorough, practical training in the real-estate field, W. A. Congalton in March, 1906, took up business along that line on his own account and while conducting a general real-estate business is making a specialty of handling busi- ness property. His father, Robert Congalton, has for twenty-four years been connected with the Schneider & Trenkamp Company, having charge of the orna- menting department. W. A. Congalton was born at Guelph, Canada, in 1875 and came with his parents to Cleveland in his early boyhood, his education being pursued in the public schools of this city and in the Spencerian Business Col- lege, of which he is a graduate. With all the business world before him and various paths into which he might direct his first steps he chose railroad service, becoming a clerk in the relief department of the Pennsylvania Railroad Com- pany in Cleveland. Later he embraced the opportunity for a forward step in accepting the position of assistant bookkeeper with the Standard Tool Company, with which he continued for three years. He was next with the old Savings & Trust Company on Euclid avenue for three years and during his connection with that bank had charge of its real-estate department prior to the time when the business was merged with the Citizens Trust Company. In 1902 he became asso- ciated with John H. Blood as a real-estate salesman, and during the four years of his incumbency in that position he gained experience that has made him one of the substantial real-estate men of the city. Thus step by step he has grad- ually advanced forward to the goal of prosperity, gaining from new experiences the lessons contained therein and applying it with accuracy to the needs and de- mands of the passing hour. In March, 1906, he embarked in business for him- self and is today well known in real-estate circles, handling all classes of prop- erty but making a specialty of business realty.
W. A. CONGALTON
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Mr. Congalton is well known in the Chamber of Commerce and also as a member of the Cleveland Athletic Club. He enjoys that popularity which comes from the appreciation on the part of one's fellowmen of sterling traits of char- acter and of that business enterprise which is the indication of individual worth and laudable ambition. His fraternal relations are with the United Commercial Travelers, and, as yet unmarried, he makes his home with his father.
SHELDON BECKWITH.
Not all men gain state or national prominence or perhaps become widely known in their home locality, but there is no individual who does not leave his impress for good or evil upon those with whom he comes in contact, and well it is if at the close of his career his name is mentioned with respect and honor as the proof of a useful and upright life. From his boyhood days to the time of his death Sheldon Beckwith was a resident of Cleveland and this part of the state, and though he did not seek to figure in any prominent public relation, his course was characterized by a devotion to duty that might well make his exam- ple one worthy of emulation. Mr. Beckwith was born in Garrettsville, Portage county, Ohio, December 27, 1838. His parents, Thomas and Harriett (Beardsley) Beckwith, were natives of Lynn, Massachusetts, and on leaving New England in the early '30s settled at Garrettsville after traveling across the country in a wagon after the primitive transportation methods of the time. The father became a well known farmer there and continued his residence in Portage county until about 1845 or 1846, when he removed with his family to Cleveland.
Sheldon Beckwith largely acquired his education in the public schools of Garrettsville and afterward had the opportunity of attending Hiram College at Hiram, Ohio, for two years. Following the removal of the family to Cleveland he was employed for four years in nurseries belonging to Dr. Taylor, and this gave him an intimate knowledge of the business, so that when he established a nursery for himself he was well qualified by experience and training for its successful conduct. Two years later he accepted a position as teamster for the city and spent seven years in that way. He also served for five years as county and city assessor, and after the death of his father he took charge of the large farm, his father, on coming to Cleveland, having purchased one hundred and twenty-eight acres of land in the vicinity of Kinsman road and Eighty-first and Eighty-second streets. This district is now covered with residences and is thickly settled. For a long period Sheldon Beckwith continued to cultivate the fields, his capable management of farming interests bringing to him a substan- tial measure of success as the years went by.
On the 14th of November, 1864, Mr. Beckwith was married to Miss Anzo- nette Page, a daughter of David and Mary (Allen) Page, who came from the state of New York to Cleveland in 1821, when this city contained a population of less than a thousand. He was a carpenter and cabinet-maker by trade. Mrs. Beckwith was born in Brooklyn, Ohio, now a part of Cleveland, December 5, 1840, and has here spent her entire life watching the development of this city from villagehood. She is well known as a member of the Early Settlers' Asso- ciation, and her long connection with Cleveland enables her to speak with inti- mate and accurate knowledge concerning events of historic importance. By her marriage she became the mother of two daughters and a son: Mrs. Fannie M. Cogan, the wife of Willis D. Cogan; and George S., who is now a draftsman with the Warner Swasey Company, manufacturers of machine tools and astro- nomical instruments. The oldest child, Nellie, died at the age of three years and nine months.
The death of Mr. Beckwith occurred on the 3d of June, 1906, when he had reached the age of sixty-eight years. He was a republican in his political views
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and always kept informed on the questions and issues of the day but never sought nor desired the honors and emoluments of public office. One of the strongest influences of his life was found in his belief in the teachings of the church. For many years his membership was in Plymouth church and later he became a member, trustee and deacon of the East Madison Congregational church. He was appreciative of all those things which have true value in life, recognizing that above all else character building is the one thing to which indi- vidual thought should be given. His was never a self-centered life, but was one in which recognition of the rights of others and of his obligations to his fellow- men was a prominent feature.
EDWIN CHESTER.
Seventy-five years covered the life record of Edwin Chester, and the entire period was passed in Cleveland or Cuyahoga county, so that his record was one of close identification with the interests of this section of the state. He was born in that section of Brooklyn township which is now included in the corporation limits of Cleveland, on the 10th of April, 1832, and died on the 23d of May, 1907. His parents, Simeon and Evelyn (Fish) Chester, leaving their home in Connecti- cut, made the overland trip to Cleveland in 1824. Western New York, Penn- sylvania and Ohio were largely unsettled districts in which the timber was uncut, so that much of the way the family traveled through unbroken forests. At length, however, they safely reached their destination, and the family home was established in Brooklyn township, in that section which now constitutes the west side of Cleveland. The city was of very small proportions and gave little prom- ise of the rapid development and progress which would be carried forward as the years passed on. The shipping interests, too, were of slight importance, and the great natural resources of the state were as yet largely undeveloped. As in every pioneer community the settlers were first engrossed with the tilling of the soil, for the cultivation of crops is the primal task that claims the attention of the white race. Simeon Chester was a farmer and gave his attention to general agri- cultural pursuits and also to teaching school.
In the public schools of Brooklyn township Edwin Chester pursued his early education and later attended the academy in the village of Brooklyn. When twenty years of age he entered the Michigan State University, at Ann Arbor, where he studied civil engineering, but owing to illness was forced to abandon the course one year before the date of graduation. Returning to Cleveland he took up the trade of carriage making, which he followed until after the outbreak of the Civil war, when he responded to the country's call for troops. When peace was restored between the two sections of the country he returned to Cleve- land and soon afterward took up contracting and carpentering, in which field he continued until he retired from active business in 1890.
In the ancestral history of the family is an interesting military chapter, for Simeon Chester, the grandfather, served with distinction in the Revolutionary war, while his son, Simeon Chester, Jr., was in active service in the war of 1812. Edwin Chester himself was a valiant soldier, enlisting on the 12th of August, 1862, as a member of Battery B, Ohio Light Artillery, under command of Gen- eral James Barnett. He participated in the battles of Logan's Cross Roads, Stone River, Chattanooga and many others of minor importance. At different times he was under command of Generals Rosecrans, Buell, Thomas, Palmer and Critten- den, and continued at the front until honorably discharged on the 16th of June, 1865, at Chattanooga, Tennessee. He never faltered in the performance of any military duty but bravely faced the enemy on every necessary occasion and made a creditable military record. His son, Robert C. Chester, enlisted in May, 1898, as a member of Troop A, of the First Ohio Cavalry to serve in the Spanish-
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American war, and on the expiration of his six months' term he reenlisted, in October, 1898, joining the United States Cavalry with which he went to Cuba, remaining two years with the army of occupation there. He was then honorably discharged on account of disability. Thus four generations of the family have been represented in the four famous wars of the country, and never has there been uttered a word that would show a lack of loyalty or bravery on the part of any one of the representatives of the four generations who have carried arms in defense of American interests.
On the 4th of May, 1859, Mr. Chester was united in marriage to Miss Emily A. Roberts, a daughter of Louis and Anna (Rhoades) Roberts, the former born in 1814 and the latter in 1817. Both were of Welsh descent. The Roberts fam- ily was established in Connecticut about 1700, when ancestors of the name came from Wales. Successive generations were there represented, the ancestral home of the family being maintained in Connecticut, when Louis Roberts, in Septem- ber, 1829, came to Cleveland, where he followed farming. His wife was born in this city and is a granddaughter of Rudolphus Edwards, Sr., who came here with Moses Cleveland in 1796 and was chain-bearer at the time of the first survey of Cleveland. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Chester have been born four children : Clara; Frederick E., who is a carpenter and contractor of Hamilton, Ohio; Margaret E .; and Robert C., a carpenter of this city. Mrs. Chester is a member of the Early Settlers' Association, having spent her entire life in Cuyahoga county, so that she is well acquainted with the history of this section.
In his political views Mr. Chester was a republican and always kept well informed on the questions and issues of the day but had no desire for office. He was a member of Brooklyn Post, No. 268, Grand Army of the Republic, served as its commander and was also a member of the Odd Fellows Society. In com- munity affairs he took an active interest, and although without political ambition he served for nine years as clerk of the board of education and also as assessor and clerk of Brooklyn township. Whatever tended to promote the public wel- fare elicited his interest and often received his cooperation. He lived to see many changes here as the work of transformation was carried steadily forward and Cleveland developed from a village to a city, its boundary lines being ex- tended until it took in many sections which had hitherto been farm land, includ- ing the old homestead of the Chester family. He always rejoiced in the growth and progress of the city and was proud of what was accomplished in the line of general improvement and of the part which his family played in laying the foun- dation upon which the present prosperity and progress of Cleveland has since been built. Frank and fearless in the expression of his views and trustworthy in every relation of life, men came to know and esteem him as a man of his word, in whom the sterling principles of integrity, of diligence and of helpfulness found ready expression.
REV. ALONZO MICHAEL.
The world is better for the life of Alonzo Michael, who became a minister of the Presbyterian church and throughout his earthly pilgrimage cast the weight of his influence on the side of justice, truth and righteousness. He was born in Aberdeen, Maryland, in 1847 and was a graduate of Allegheny Seminary, thus supplementing his early educational privileges. Determining to enter upon the work of the ministry he matriculated in the theological seminary at Prince- ton, and when he had qualified for this holy calling he began preaching in the Presbyterian church at Little Britain, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. Later he removed to Taylorville, Illinois, then to Lincoln, Illinois. After remaining there for a time he removed to Lisbon, Ohio, where he acted as pastor of the Presbyterian church until he was compelled to resign on account of ill healtli.
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Eighteen years ago he came to Cleveland and for a time took a much needed rest, thus partially regaining his health. Indolence and idleness, however, were utterly foreign to his nature, and he could not content himself without doing some active work for the cause of the church that he so dearly loved. He there- fore took up the task of organizing a Sunday school on the south side, and this was the beginning of the South Side Presbyterian church, which is now one of the most effective forces in the religious development of the city. While his health prevented him from taking the active part in church work that he desired, he always continued an influential factor therein, and the weight of his influ- ence was always on the side of upbuilding and improvement in the moral devel- opment of the community.
Mr. Michael was married in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, to Miss Grace B. McSparran, a native of Lancaster county, who was indeed a faithful com- panion and helpmate to her husband on his journey of life, assisting him heartily in all of his church work by her ready sympathy, her tact, and her own devotion to the cause of Christianity. They became the parents of four children : James M., who is traveling for the Hobart Electric Company ; and Elizabeth O .; Amelia R. and Grace Bell, all of whom are at home with their mother. Mr. Michael on coming to Cleveland built a nice home on Scranton road, where the family now re- side. His death occurred in 1893, but the measure of his life's work cannot be taken until his influence ceases its fruition in the good that is done by others by reason of his precept and example. He enjoyed the fullest regard of the leading church workers of the city and the respect of all with whom he came in . contact, for he had a rich mind and kind heart and a catholic spirit, which recog- nized the brotherhood of the race, and sought to do good to all men.
WILLIAM SINTON FITZGERALD.
It is ability that has gained for William Sinton FitzGerald the creditable position which he is filling at the Cleveland bar, for he is yet a young man. He has, however, become well known here not only in connection with the profes- sion but as an orator, whose ability has brought him prominently before the public on many occasions. A native of Washington, D. C., Mr. FitzGerald was born October 6, 1880, a son of David and Esther (Sinton) FitzGerald. His paternal grandfather, David FitzGerald, Sr., was born in Canada and died in Bombay, where he was buried in the English cemetery. He was a subaltern in the British army, serving with the Forty-fourth Regiment of English Infantry, and died at the age of thirty-three years. His son and namesake, David Fitz- Gerald, Jr., was born in London, England, June 8, 1843, and came to the United States in the early '6os. He had formerly graduated from Trinity College, Eng- land, and was a civil engineer. He had been a resident of America for but a brief period when he offered his services in behalf of the Union. He acted as General Belknap's adjutant until severely wounded, being struck in the thigh by a shell. He never fully recovered, being in poor health thereafter until his death, which occurred in Washington, D. C., October 31, 1897. After his in- jury he was appointed by President Grant as librarian of the war department library and thus served for nearly thirty years or until his demise. His wife was born at Jedburgh, Scotland, May 1, 1857. She was a daughter of Thomas Sinton, a contractor, who built many bridges in Scotland and conducted an ex- tensive business in that country. He was born in the land of hills and heather, but spent his last years in Keokuk, Iowa.
William S. FitzGerald, the only living child of his father's family, was edu- cated in the public schools and the high school of Washington, D. C., from which he was graduated in 1897. He further pursued his education in the Columbian University at the nation's capital and in the Columbian Law School, from which
WILLIAM S. FITZGERALD
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he was graduated with the Bachelor of Law degree in 1903. The following year he pursued a post-graduate course and won his Master of Law degree. In 1904 he was admitted to the bar in Washington and the same year was ad- mitted to practice in the Ohio courts. He entered upon the active work of his profession, however, in the capital city, there remaining until October, 1904, when he came to Cleveland, where he has since practiced, his ability gaining him substantial and also creditable recognition as one of the able members of the Cleveland bar. His knowledge of the law is comprehensive and exact, and his application of its principles accurate. He is seldom if ever at fault in quoting a precedent or point at law, and the earnestness and zeal with which he defends the interests of his clients is another potent element in his success. Moreover, he possesses marked oratorical ability, being widely recognized as a forceful, logical and entertaining speaker. This has led to his selection as presiding officer on various public occasions. At the fifth annual Mckinley day banquet, January 29, 1908, he acted as toastmaster and delivered a most entertaining in- troductory address. On the occasion of the Mckinley day banquet on January 29, 1906, he was the orator of the day. On the former occasion President Taft was among the guests.
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