A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume II, Part 6

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1150

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Frank P. Belle spent the first nine years of his life in Germany and then ac- companied his parents on their emigration to the new world. He pursued his education in the public schools of this county and in 1861, when twenty-five years of age, took up his abode in East Cleveland township, where for forty- eight years he has now been engaged in market gardening, raising all the fruits that grow in this latitude, with many varieties of vegetables. His long exper- ience in this line has enabled him to produce garden products of the highest grade as well as fruits of the finest kind and he finds a ready sale on the market. Year by year his success has increased until his extensive trade had made him one of the men of affluence in his district. That he is a man of the utmost re- liability is indicated in the fact that he has been chosen administrator of three different estates and has assisted in adjusting several others.

On the 26th of May, 1863, Mr. Belle was united in marriage to Miss Sophia Murman, a daughter of Jonas and Mary Ann Murman. Her father emigrated to America in 1859, establishing the name in Cuyahoga County. He had the following children : Margaret, a Sister of Charity, now living in Buffalo; Mrs. Belle ; Rosa, the wife of Frank Andrus; Josephine, the wife of Louis Tincher,

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

of Cleveland; and Michael, who is engaged in the grocery business on the south side. He is married and is the father of twelve children.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Belle have been born three sons and three daughters, but of these Frank, John B. and Elizabeth are deceased. The last named was the wife of J. N. Wagner, and unto them were born four children, of whom Frank, the eldest, is conducting the Globe Printing establishment on Ninth street, and Mathias is an accountant. Joseph is connected with railroad work and Irene is at home with her father. Rosa, the second daughter of the family, is the wife of Jacob Schoen, a carpenter, living on Miran street, and they are the parents of seven children, four of whom are attending St. Francis school. John F., the fifth member of the family, is his father's successor in the gardening business and is married to Matilda Gottschalt. Anna M., the youngest, is the wife of Henry Kline, and they reside on Russell road. The families are all devout mem- bers of the Roman Catholic church.

Mr. Belle has served for four terms as a member of the village council and his record was characterized by devotion to the higher interests of the citizens at large and good government. Both he and his wife are members of St. Fran- cis church at the corner of Superior and Baker streets. They are a remarkably hale and hearty couple for their years, time having dealt lightly with them. Mr. Belle has passed the seventy-third milestone on life's journey, and possessing many admirable qualities of head and heart has won the highest regard of his fellow townsmen.

JAROS PAVLIK.

Jaros Pavlik, who has been brewmaster of the Standard Brewing Company, for the past five years, was born in Kuttenberg, Bohemia, on the 22d of May, 1876, his parents being John and Antonia Pavlik. The father, whose birth oc- curred in Blatna, Bohemia, on the 18th of June, 1837, owned and conducted a brewery in his native country until 1904, when he sold out and retired from active business.

In his youthful days Jaros Pavlik attended the public schools in pursuit of an education and when fourteen years of age left the high school and began learning the brewing business under the direction of his father, with whom he remained for two years. Subsequently he worked in a brewery at Beroun, Bo- hemia, for a couple of years and afterward spent a similar period in a brewery at Enns, Austria. Afterward he worked in a brewery at Pilsen, Bohemia, for thirteen months and at the end of that time, in 1897, crossed the ocean to the United States, locating in Cleveland, Ohio, where for three years he worked as an assistant in the Pilsener Brewery. Subsequently he spent a year and a half in Schlather's Brewery and then made his way to Massillon, Ohio, where for six months he was employed by the Schosten Brewing Company. He next went to Chicago and attended the Wahl-Henius Institute of Fermentology for four months and then, returning to Cleveland, again entered the service of the Pil- sener Brewing Company, remaining with the concern for two years. Afterward he removed to Mankato, Minnesota, and there acted in the capacity of fore- man for the Standard Brewing Company for two months. Again returning to Cleveland, he entered his present position as brewmaster of the Standard Brew- ing Company, and his services have proven of great value to his employers, his wide experience along this line having fully qualified him for the capable dis- charge of the important duties devolving upon him in this connection.

On the 18th of November, 1902, in Cleveland, Mr. Pavlik was united in mar- riage to Miss Theresa Korecky, by whom he has a son, Chester, now five years of age. They reside in a pleasant home at No. 5712 Clark avenue. In politics Mr. Pavlik is somewhat independent, always taking into consideration the quali-

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

fications of a candidate rather than his party affiliation. Religiously he is a faithful communicant of the Catholic church, while fraternally he is identified with the Knights of Pythias, the Foresters of America and the C. S. B. P. J. Society. He is also a member of the Brewmasters' Association. He has never had occasion to regret his determination to seek a home in America, for through the wise utilization of his opportunities he has won a creditable position among the substantial and enterprising residents of Cleveland.

ANDREW SETH UPSON.

With the rapid commercial development of the country there have come to the front men capable of directing mammoth concerns and who by reason of this quality are today the leaders in their particular field of activity. Such has been the record of Andrew Seth Upson, president of the Upson Nut Company and the Union Rolling Mills Company, who stands now at the head of the most ex- tensive nut manufactory of the country. Mr. Upson was born at Burlington, Connecticut, June 16, 1835, and is a representative of one of the old New Eng- land families, tracing his ancestry back to Thomas Upson, whose name appears as one of the first settlers and property holders of Farmington, Connecticut. Seth Upson, his grandfather, founded the family at Wolcott, Connecticut, where many of his descendants still reside. Seth Upson, the father, was a farmer by occupation and followed that pursuit in Connecticut until his death, which oc- curred about 1837. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Martha Brooks, was also a native of Burlington, Connecticut, and died in 1889. One of the mem- bers of the family served as mayor of Baltimore and others were prominent in public life. The family of Seth and Martha Upson numbered four daughters and two sons, Andrew S. being the fifth in order of birth. His brother Dennis, becoming a resident of Unionville, was engaged in business with the subject of this review until his death in 1859.

On the home farm at Burlington, Connecticut, Andrew S. Upson spent his youthful days, pursuing his education in public and private schools there. In a rural environment he developed a sturdy physique, while his educational advan- tages brought a mental development that has constituted the foundation of his success in later life. At nineteen years of age he entered the bolt and nut works owned by his brother-in-law, Dwight Langdon, at Farmington, Connecticut, and after being employed in the factory for one year was sent upon the road as a traveling salesman, thus representing the house until the death of Mr. Langdon in 1860, when he formed a partnership with George Dunham and took over the business under the name of Upson & Dunham. At that time between thirty and forty operatives were employed in the factory. The business had been estab- lished in 1854 at Unionville, Connecticut, by Mr. Langdon, who manufactured carriage bolts from square iron, having four hand headers, a furnace with a home-made blower and five lathes of various kinds. The plant was valued at ten thousand dollars and had a capacity of three thousand bolts per day. Dur- ing his early connection with the business Mr. Upson's work consisted of making bolts in the shop a part of the time and driving through the country with a wagon load of bolts and nuts, which he sold to blacksmiths and wagon-makers. Upon becoming head of the firm he instituted various improvements in methods of manufacture and from time to time the business underwent various changes, constantly growing in volume and importance and in time absorbing many large and valuable plants in various parts of the country. Today there is a plant con- ducted at Unionville and another large plant at Cleveland. and the enterprise is one of the mammoth concerns of its kind in the world. Since the incorporation of the business, July 14, 1864, Mr. Upson has been its president and has been the guiding spirit in its progress, expansion and improvement. The Cleveland fac-

ANDREW S. UPSON

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

tory was opened in 1872 and today there are fourteen hundred employes of the company in their two establishments, while their sales extend not only to every state in the Union but also to Mexico, South America, Europe and Australia. The success which Mr. Upson has attained in manufacturing lines has led to his cooperation being sought in other fields and he is now a member of the advisory board of the Citizens Savings & Trust Company of Cleveland, a director in the Union National Bank, vice president and director of the State Banking & Trust Company and a director in the Western Reserve Insurance Company and the Bankers' Surety Company.

Mr. Upson was married in Unionville township, Farmington, Connecticut, October 2, 1859, to Miss Chloe M. Moses, a daughter of Orrin Moses, of Bur- lington, Connecticut. She was a lady of most benevolent spirit, taking an active part in church and charitable work, the poor and needy finding in her a warm friend. She died January 26, 1907, and her loss was deeply deplored by all who knew her. Six children had been born of this marriage, of whom three are yet living: Dennis Andrew and William Jewell, who are associated with their father in business ; and Mary Chloe, the wife of Frederick H. Rose, a son of ex-Mayor Rose and assistant treasurer of the Upson Nut Company. Since 1889 Mr. Up- son has spent the larger part of his time in Cleveland but maintained his home in Unionville until the death of his wife, when he removed to this city. He had, however, in the meantime maintained an elegant home at No. 7208 Euclid avenue, having purchased the property in 1890. Both were members of the Congrega- tional church at Unionville. Mr. Upson is one of the trustees of the New Eng- land Society. He is also a member of the Colonial, Euclid and Union Clubs. In politics always a stalwart republican, he has never sought political office except at the solicitation of friends. He served several terms as an assessor and as a member of the board of revision of taxation in Farmington. In 1872 he was elected as a republican to the legislature of his native state and the following year was reelected and in 1879, although resident of a democratic district, he was chosen for the state senate and once more in 1881. In 1880 he was a member of the national convention which nominated James A. Garfield for the presidency. His political allegiance is always a matter of principle and nothing could induce him to vote for a candidate whom he thought would abuse the powers of office. In all his life he has stood for a progressive, honorable citizenship and his in- fluence has been a steady, moving force in that direction. In manner unostenta- tious and free from display, his modest deportment, his social nature and his genial disposition render him a favorite with all. He has the entire respect of those in his employ, the good will of his colleagues and contemporaries and wher- ever known he is honored not alone by reason of the splendid success he has achieved but also owing to the straightforward business methods he has ever followed.

WILLIAM L. BLAIR.

William L. Blair, superintendent of transportation with the Nickel Plate Railroad Company at Cleveland, which position he has occupied since October, 1906, is one of Ohio's native sons, his birth having occurred in Hamilton, Butler county, on the 27th of December, 1858. His grandfather, Thomas Blair, was a native of Ohio, while his father was one of the early pioneers of the state. Wil- liam Henry Blair, father of our subject, was born at Hamilton, February 12, 1818, and long figured prominently in the public life of his native city, where he served as postmaster for twenty years prior to 1880, when he retired from that office as he had entered it, with the confidence and good will of all concerned. The succeeding seven years were then spent in the enjoyment of well earned rest, and in 1887 he was called to the home beyond. His wife, who bore the

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maiden name of Angeline Linn, was born in Paris, Kentucky, and was a daugh- ter of Joseph and Sophia (Johnson) Linn.

At the usual age William L. Blair entered upon the task of acquiring a pub- lic-school education, continuing his studies through consecutive grades until he had graduated from the high school with the class of 1870. His school days over, he became telegraph operator for the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Rail- road at Lockland, Ohio, in December, 1872. There he remained until April, 1873, when he was transferred to Hamilton, remaining at that point until Jan- uary, 1877. He was then called to a more responsible position by being ap- pointed to a place in the office of the general manager of the Cincinnati, Hamil- ton & Dayton Railroad as operator and clerk, there remaining until August, 1881. On that date he came to Cleveland as chief clerk to the general manager of the Nickel Plate Railroad, so serving until September, 1893, when he was made superintendent of the eastern division and thus continued until March, 1901, when he was appointed superintendent of telegraph. Four years thus passed, and in October, 1905, he returned to the eastern division as division superintendent and in October, 1906, again came to Cleveland, since which time he has been superintendent of transportation at this point. Thus he has made a gradual advance in railway circles, rising from one position to another of larger importance until he is now widely and favorably known in railway circles as a man of spirit and executive force.

Mr. Blair is a republican, interested in the success of the party. He was for eleven years a member of Troop A and was thus widely known in military cir- cles of the city. He belongs also to the Cleveland Athletic Club, and he has found his chief recreation in horseback riding. His life has been characterized by worthy purposes and by successful accomplishment of the tasks that he has undertaken, and it has been through the recognition of his fidelity and capabil- ity that his promotions have been won.

HENRY C. ELLISON.

Henry C. Ellison, a retired banker of Cleveland, dates his residence in this city from 1882 and was for many years prominently and actively identified with its financial interests. His birth occurred in Marlboro, Stark county, Ohio, on the 24th of April, 1842, his parents being John and Mary (Vaughan) Ellison. The father followed merchandising throughout his active business career and was likewise a prominent factor in public affairs, serving as postmaster and justice of the peace. Both he and his wife were orthodox Quakers. The paternal grandparents of our subject came to Ohio from Virginia about the year 1810, after having liberated their slaves.

Henry C. Ellison attended the common schools in the acquirement of an edu- cation and when sixteen years of age put aside his text-books in order to earn his own livelihood. Soon the country became involved in civil war and, his patriotic spirit being aroused by the continued attempt of the south to overthrow the Union. he enlisted at Alliance, Ohio, on the 11th of August, 1862, joining Company F. One Hundred and Fifteenth Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was made second lieutenant on the organization of that company, but when the captain became colonel of the regiment Mr. Ellison was advanced to the rank of first lieutenant and as such was mustered into the United States service on the 18th of September, 1862. After serving with Company F for a period of five months he was made regimental adjutant and acted in that capacity until the regiment was mustered out at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on the 23d of June, 1865. He participated in the engagements at Murfreesboro with the troops un- der Generals Rosseau and Milroy, was then on the line of the Nashville & Chat- tanooga Railroad and likewise took part in the last battle at Nashville, Tennes-

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

see. After being honorably discharged at Cleveland, Ohio, on the 3d of July, 1865, he returned to Alliance and secured a position as clerk in the dry-goods store of Ely & Shaffer. In the fall of 1866 he severed his connection with that concern, having been elected auditor of Stark county, to which office he was re- elected in 1868. In 1871, however, prior to the expiration of his second term, he resigned the position to become cashier of the City Bank at Canton. A year later he once more returned to Alliance and there organized the First National Bank, of which he acted as cashier until 1879. In that year he went back to Canton, where he served as cashier of the City National Bank until 1882, when he came to Cleveland as cashier of the Ohio National Bank, acting in that capac- ity until the expiration of the bank's charter in 1889. At that time he became one of the organizers of the State National Bank and served as its cashier until 1894, while throughout the following decade he was the active vice president of the institution. In 1904 the bank was consolidated with the Euclid Park National Bank. Mr. Ellison is at the present time a director of the First National Bank of Cleveland, but is largely living retired in the enjoyment of well earned and richly merited ease. From 1901 to 1904 inclusive he served with the rank of colonel and aid-de-camp on the military staff of Governor George K. Nash.

On the 18th of October, 1866, at Cleveland, Mr. Ellison was united in mar- riage to Miss Isidore Leek, a daughter of Talmadge W. and Mary Ann (South- worth) Leek. Their children are three in number, namely: Corinne, the wife of Bertram L. Britton; Mary, who married James W. Warwick; and Ida Leek.

Politically Mr. Ellison is a stanch advocate of the republican party, while his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Second Presbyterian church. Fraternally he is a thirty-second degree Mason, with which order he has been identified since 1864, while since 1877 he has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He likewise belongs to the Army and Navy Post of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Ohio Commandery of the Loyal Legion of America and the Union and Roadside Clubs of Cleveland, while of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce and the Cleveland Yacht Club he is a life member. Without the aid of influence or wealth he has risen to a position among the leading and "respected citizens of Cleveland, and his native genius and acquired ability are the stepping-stones on which he has mounted.

WILLIAM HANNA GIFFORD.

William Hanna Gifford, one of the young business men of Ohio's metropo- lis, is now salesman for the Cleveland Builders Supply Company, the largest house of the kind in the middle west. He was born at Nottingham, Ohio, in 1883 and is a son of William O. and Lillian (Hanna) Gifford. His maternal grandfather was at one time a member of the Cleveland board of education. In the public and private schools of this city William H. Gifford pursued his edu- cation to the age of thirteen years when he entered business life as timekeeper in the employ of the Cleveland Bridge Construction Company. He won promo- tion by unfaltering diligence, perseverance and trustworthiness and was gradu- ally advanced until he became foreman, being the youngest man who ever held that position. Later he formed a partnership with a friend, E. W. Clements, and entered business under the firm name of the East End Moving & Storage Com- pany. He was connected therewith until 1906 when he sold out and became manager and vice president of the Cleveland Macadam Company, with which he continued for two years. He then resigned his position and entered the em- ploy of the Cleveland Builders Supply Company as salesman. He is proving capable in this position, having developed a trade for the house of considerable proportions so that his services are regarded as valuable by the company.

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

On the 7th of September, 1908, in Erie, Pennsylvania, Mr. Gifford was united in marriage to Miss Emma Emilio, a daughter of Frank and Georgiana (Thomas) Emilio, of Toronto, Canada. In his political affiliations Mr. Gifford is a stalwart republican, interested in the success of the party and cooperating in the work for its growth. He is, moreover, well known as an active member of Old Cleveland City Lodge, F. & A. M., and he belongs to the Western Reserve Club. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Craw- ford Road Christian church. He is a young man of strong native intelligence, actuated in all that he does by a laudable ambition that promises well for a suc- cessful future.

WILLIAM BINGHAM.

If the historian were to attempt, without extended preliminary mention, to characterize in a single sentence the achievements of William Bingham, it could perhaps best be done in the words : the splendid success of an honest man, in whose life business ability, recognition of his obligations to his fellowmen and a lofty patriotism were well balanced forces. William Bingham was born in Andover, Massachusetts, March 9, 1816, and is a representative of one of the oldest families of New England, his ancestors being among the Puritans who colonized that sec- tion of the country. The line can be traced back direct to Thomas Bingham who, as early as 1660 aided in founding Saybrook, Connecticut. He was also one of those who at a later day purchased a tract of land from the Indians and upon it established the town of Norwich, Connecticut. In intervening years down to the present time representatives of the name have borne an active and helpful part in the development of New England and among later generations there have been those whose labors were equally effective in the upbuilding of the west.

William Bingham was reared to farm life, dividing his youthful days between the work of the fields and the acquirement of an education in the public schools. The call of the west proved to him irresistible and at the age of twenty years he made his way to Cleveland, where his cousin, Flavel W. Bingham, and other relatives were then living. It was in 1836 that he bade adieu to the home and scenes of his youth, traveling westward over the old pioneer railroad from Al- bany to Schenectady, thence by canal packet to Rochester by the stage and canal to Buffalo, where he became a passenger on the steamboat, Robert Fulton, bound for Cleveland. He had been in this city for but a brief period when he secured a position as salesman in the hardware store of George Worthing- ton and that his ability and enterprise were soon recognized is indicated in the fact that after two years he was admitted to a partnership remaining in that con- nection with the business for another two years, after which he disposed of his interest. He continued in the hardware trade, however, purchasing the stock of Clark & Murphy in 1841, at which time he organized the firm of William Bing- ham & Company. From the outset the business prospered and its trade constantly expanded with the growth and development of the city. In 1855 the firm erected a large business block at Nos. 146, 148 and 150 Water street, occupying the entire structure. During Mr. Bingham's connection therewith the trade increased from twenty thousand dollars annually to more than a million and a half dollars a year. At the outset Mr. Bingham and one associate were adequate to conduct the business but in the course of years assistants were employed to the number of seventy-eight and the house sent its goods into all of the states of the mid- dle west east of the Mississippi. At all times Mr. Bingham kept in touch with the spirit of modern progress as manifest in business methods. In the early days of his connection with the hardware trade most of the products handled were of English, German and French manufacture. He lived to witness an American revolution in the iron trade, through the introduction of the Bessemer process

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A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume II, Part 6

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1150

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1150