Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 101

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others
Publication date: 1905
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1149

USA > Ohio > Butler County > Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio > Part 101

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mr. Thiem was married, in the city of Hamilton, to Miss Anna Margaret Martin. who was born, reared and educated in this city, and is a lady of refinement and culture. They have an interesting family of three children. the eldest of whom, Alma Olga, is just budding into womanhood. She is a student in the city high school, while her sister and brother, Mabel Pauline and Ru-

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dolph Ferdinand, are pursuing their studies in departments suited to their years. The family are members of St. John's German Evangelical Protestant church, of which Mr. Thiem is a member of the board of trustees. He is also a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. In his political affiliations he is independent of party lines, casting his ballot for men rather than meas- ures.

JOHN J. HOLBROCK.

John J. Holbrock, a well-known citizen of Hamilton, occupies the building in which he was born and where his entire life has been spent in the shoe trade. His birth oc- curred on the 25th of November, 1860. His parents, John H. and Maria Anna (Schumacher) Holbrock, were natives of Oldenburg, Germany. The father came to America in 1847, and located at Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was engaged as a shoe- maker until 1854, when he came to Hamil- ton and opened a shoe store. In 1856 he built the house known as No. 112 South Third street and opened a stock of goods in the lower room, while the upper story was occupied as the family residence. He handled boots, shoes, leather findings and shoemakers' supplies, and also did an ex- tensive business in manufacturing new work. Being thrifty and economical, while possessing a thorough and practical knowl- edge of his business, he soon became very well-to-do, and died possessed of valuable property interests in the city of his adop- tion. His death occurred in September, 1903. as the result of being thrown from a street car in Hamilton. The mother of

John J. Holbrock came with her parental family from Germany and located in Cin- cinati about the time Mr. Holbrock did, and they were married in the Queen City. The mother's death occurred in this city in 1902. Both husband and wife were well advanced in years. These parents reared a family of five children, who attained to years of maturity. The eldest of these is Mrs. Mary Segers, whose husband is a well-to-do busi- ness man in Hamilton. The second and third born died in infancy, and John J. was the fourth in order of birth; Mrs. Minnie Stricker died in young womanhood, leav- ing two children; George H. and William G. are partners in a large dry-goods es- tablishment in Hamilton.

John J. Holbrock was educated in the parochial school connected with St. Ste- phen's church. He grew to manhood in his father's business and learned the trade of a shoemaker under his father's tuition. He worked on the bench for several years, as occasion required. but his life has been mostly spent behind the counter and in su- perintending the business. Before the father's death the building was enlarged and the floor space of the store greatly increased. Two large rooms are now occupied with a carefully selected stock of footwear, em- bracing every feature of the shoe business. The leather-findings department has also been continued, while competent workmen are employed to attend to the repairing de- partment or manufacture new work, as re- quired. The establishment gives steady em- ployment to seven persons in the two de- partments. Mr. Holbrock has been very successful in his business career and stands very high in the social and commercial af- fairs of his native city.

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The subject was married on the 16th of May, 1887, to Miss Rosa P. Hepting, of Middletown, Ohio, a daughter of Matthew and Rosa (Ritter) Hepting. Her father was a cooperage contractor, in which busi- ness he became wealthy and during the later years of his life he was one of the heaviest taxpayers in Butler county. He is now de- ceased. The mother is still a resident of Middletown, where the family is well and favorably known. There were three chil- dren in the family. Mary, widow of Bern- ard Keuping, resides in Middletown, and John. the only son, is a prosperous grocer in Hamilton. Mr. and Mrs. Holbrock have no children. They are active working mem- bers of St. Stephen's Catholic church, and members of the various societies connected therewith.

WALLACE E. BEACH.

Wallace Eade Beach, the popular and gentlemanly ticket agent at the Union depot. Hamilton, is a native of Cincinnati, and was born on the 12th of June, 1870. Al- most from infancy he has been self-depend- ent, his parents, who were William and Abbie (Carey) Beach, having died when he was a child. He is the only survivor of his family and knows of the existence of no near relatives except his paternal grand- mother, Mrs. William Beach, of this city. Mr. Beach received the elements of an Eng- lish education in the public schools of Cin- cinnati, and began his independent career in the capacity of an errand boy in the em- ploy of Mabley & Carew, merchants, in Cin- cinnati, where his holidays were spent at fifty cents a day. On leaving school Mr. Beach

secured a position as errand boy in the book store of Robert Clark & Company, and re- mained there two years, his next engage- ment being in a like capacity at the general offices of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad Company. After one year he was promoted to file clerk, a position he held one year. and was then freight-earning clerk for a year. His next promotion was to the position of assistant ticket agent at the depot ticket office, where he served for two and a half years and was then assigned to other lines of work. He went on the road as a fireman, next we find him a brakeman on a freight train, promoted to brakeman on pas- senger train. then assistant conductor, then brakeman for five years on a fast freight. He came to Hamilton January 1, 1900, as assistant ticket agent, and after one year in that capacity he was promoted to full charge of the office of the Erie and the Cin- cinnati. Hamilton & Dayton. Mr. Beach is entitled to great credit for his persistency and faithfulness and his legion of friends are as pleased as he that he has received the recognition which he so justly merited.

Wallace Beach is a universal favorite among his co-laborers and acquaintances. His genial nature, always having a smile and pleasant word for everyone, has made him many warm friends among the travel- ing public and established a record for the Hamilton ticket office entirely different from that usually found in places of like charac- ter. Mr. Beach was married in this city, September 28, 1892. the lady of his choice being Miss Carrie, oldest daughter of Sam- uel W. Brock. a well-known jeweler of Hamilton. Miss Brock was reared and edu- cated in Hamilton and was well known in the social circles in girlhood. This happy

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union has been blessed with the birth of a son and a daughter, Donald and Edith. Mr. Beach is a member of the Royal Arcanum, and himself and wife are members of the First Presbyterian church.

RALPH C. SULLIVAN.

The subject of this review is one of the prominent and popular young business men of the city of Middletown, being manager of the Journal Printing Company and man- aging editor of the Daily Journal. Ralph Chenoweth Sullivan is a native of the city of Washington, D. C., where he was born on the 19th of April, 1879, being a son of William M. and Jennie Sullivan, his father being at that time engaged with the bureau of engraving and printing in the national capital, whence he came to Middletown in 1880, being at the present time postmaster in this city and the head of the printing and publishing business with which the subject is identified. He was a valiant soldier in the war with Spain, having been captain of Company L, First Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

The subject received his preliminary edu- cational training in the public schools of Middletown, being graduated in the high school as a member of the class of 1897, after which he. completed a special course of study in the training school in Dayton, Ohio. From the time of leaving school to the pres- ent he has been connected with his father's business, that of publishing the Middletown Journal, which has daily and semi-weekly editions, and of conducting a finely equipped general printing establishment, which has the best of modern facilities for turning out

all kinds of work, including books, cata- logues, etc. He has held his present mana- gerial and editorial position since 1890, and has shown much discrimination and busi- ness acumen, besides a marked power and facility as an editor. His prominence in connection with local affairs is indicated in his having been elected vice-president of the Middletown Business Men's Club for the years 1903-4. In April, 1899, Mr. Sulli- van enlisted in the First Regiment of In- fantry of the Ohio National Guard, as a pri- vate, and served two years as quartermaster sergeant of Company L, being later pro: moted second lieutenant and battalion adju- tant of his regiment, and from this grade he was promoted to first lieutenant. with the same auxiliary office, and is now captain and commissary of the regiment, on the staff of Colonel Charles F. Hake, Jr .. of Cincin- nati. In politics Mr. Sullivan is a stanch advocate of the principles of the Republican party.

THOMAS CONNOR.

Thomas Connor, the well-known whole- sale liquor dealer, is a native of Hamilton, where his entire life has been spent. He is a son of Peter and Mary (O'Brien) Con- nor, natives of County Roscommon. Ire- land. They came to America in childhood and settled in Hamilton about 1850. Peter Connor was during his productive years a hard-working mechanic. As prosperity smiled upon his efforts, he went into busi- ness on his own account, and was for many years a cooperage contractor of this city, supplying barrels to the two distilleries then operating in Hamilton. But during his later

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years in business he supplied flour barrels to the mills of the city. He has been retired from active business for the last fifteen or twenty years. Both parents are living, en- joying the fruits of their early industry and frugality. They had a family of four sons and two daughters. five of whom are living.

"Tom" Connor, as the subject is fa- miliarly known, was educated in the city of his birth, and, in early life learned the cooper's trade in his father's shops. He followed this business for a number of years. but the aggressions of machine-made goods upon the trade rendered that business un- profitable and he turned his attention to other lines. In the scramble for wealth and influence he noticed that liquor dealers were among the most successful and he en- gaged in the business as a retail dealer. some twenty-five years ago. His means were limited and he prosecuted the business on a small scale for many years. It was his aim then, as now, to keep a quiet and orderly place, discountenancing drunkenness and lawlessness with as much zeal as men in other lines of trade, but with passing years Mr. Connor became affluent and in 1901 he enlarged his business to the capacity of a wholesale establishment. His stock is large and carefully selected, while his patronage is not confined alone to local consumers. Mr. Connor is a careful, conservative busi- ness man, whose personal habits are correct and temperate. He is not specially social by nature, and this characteristic in his make-up has doubtless saved him from many of the temptations of more convivial nature.

Mr. Connor was married on the 28th of April, 1891, to Miss Hanna Sauer, a native of Hamilton and a representative of a well- known and prominent family in Butler -

county. The two children born to this union died in early infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Connor are members of St. Mary's Roman Catholic church. In fraternal relations Mr. Connor is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and of the Fra- ternal Order of Eagles. In political views he is a Democrat, though not specially active in local politics.

CHARLES A. SHAEFFER. M. D.

The subject of this article is a native of Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, and was born in Kittanning on the 21st of May, 1867. He was reared and educated in his native state. His first independent effort after leaving school was in the capacity of a' school teacher, but he soon took the study of medicine under the tutorship of his brother. Dr. Samuel A. Shaeffer, then a prominent and well-known physician who did not live to see the full fruition of his professional ambition. He was a graduate of the Western Pennsylvania Medical Col- lege of Pittsburg, and had been in success- ful practice for a number of years. But he died at the age of thirty-six years from ty- phoid fever. a disease which shows an un- usual rate of fatality in the Shaeffer family. After completing the preliminary work in the office of his brother, Dr. Charles Shaef- fer entered the well-known Baltimore Medi- cal College, from which he was graduated in 1892. The year following he was engaged in the Baltimore Hospital, and in 1894 came to Butler county, Ohio. Dr. Shaeffer opened an office in the village of Darrtown and

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soon established a large and lucrative coun- try practice. After eight years in practice in that place, the Doctor decided upon re- moving to a larger place where there were opportunities for professional growth. Being but a few miles removed from his former location, he still retains the patron- age of many of his Darrtown customers, while adding largely to his sphere of use- fulness in a rapidly-growing city practice. The Doctor is a careful, methodical student of his profession and keeps fully abreast of the onward march of medicine and surgery by surrounding himself with the latest liter- ature of these sciences and by attendance at. and participation in, the deliberations of medical societies. He is a member of the Butler County Medical Society, the Union District (or Tri-state) Medical Society and the Ohio State Medical Association. In November, 1903. the Doctor was appointed police surgeon of the city of Hamilton, a position which he still occupies. He has a large and favorable acquaintance through- out Butler county, and should his ambition lead him to seek higher professional posi- tions the ermine of official station could not · be more worthily bestowed.

Dr. Shaeffer is a son of Josiah J. and Lucinda (Fiscus) Shaeffer, both parents American born, but of German antecedents. They are both deceased, father dying at the age of forty-six years and mother at fifty- two. They were the parents of three sons and two daughters, only two of whom are living, the mother. two daughters and one son dying of typhoid fever within a com- paratively short space of time. The sur- viving brother of Dr. Shaeffer is Wilson A .. a safemaker in the employ of the Mosler Safe and Lock Company in this city. The

father of the subject served three years as a soldier in the One Hundred and Twelfth Pennsylvania Infantry during the Civil war, and remained in the commissary department as a government employe for one year after the close of hostilities. He served twenty- five years as justice of the peace in Arm- strong county and one term as county pro- thonotary.

Dr. Shaeffer was married January 24, 1889. in Indiana. Pennsylvania, to Miss Belle Lukecart, who was born in Indiana county. in the Keystone state. She. is a daughter of John S. and Rebecca (Keel) Lukecart, both natives of Pennsylvania. The only son of these parents is David Nel- son, a soldier in the regular army of the United States, now stationed at Fort Brown. Texas. There are eight daughters in the family, three of whom are married, and all, except Mrs. Shaeffer, are living in their na- tive locality. A rather peculiar coincidence in the family of Mrs. Shaeffer is the fact that her mother and herself and her daugh- ters were all born on the 18th of July. Dr. and Mrs. Shaeffer have an interesting little family of one son and one daughter, the for- mer being Arthur L., who was born May 26. 1891. and the latter, Elda F., born July 18, 1896. Mrs. Shaeffer is a member of the Baptist church and the Doctor is a Methodist in his religious affiliations. He is prominently associated with various social and beneficial orders, viz: Knights of Pythias, and Uniformed Rank; Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Junior Order of United American Mechanics, Sons of Veter- ans. Independent Order of Foresters. Pro- tected Home Circle. Knights of Ancient Rome and Columbia Mutual Aid Society.

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PROF. LEONARD P. SHIDELER.

The subject of this sketch is a native of Preble county, Ohio, and was born on the 14th of September, 1852. His early years were spent on the parental farm and in attendance upon the district school. After mastering the curriculum of the public schools he became a student in the Eaton high school. finally entering the National Normal University at Lebanon, Ohio, where he pursued a special course in preparation for teaching. He entered the army of peda- gogues at the age of twenty, and has been a teacher for considerably more than thirty years. Nine years were spent in the schools of his native county and twenty-three years in Butler county. For many years the Pro- fessor confined his work to the country and village schools, but for the last four years he has been identified with the public schools of Hamilton. Two years of this time he was principal of the Columbian school, on the west side, and for the two years following he has been principal of the Straub school, in the second ward.

Mr. Shideler is an educator of broad ex- perience in every phase of child life and his kindly disposition and sympathetic nature endears him to his pupils and broadens his influence for good. Under his present en- gagement he has within his charge an en- rollment of three hundred and twenty-five pupils. under the instruction of eight teach- ers. The building is first-class in all its appointments and one of the best in the city. Being located in a German neighborhood. the children of those parents desiring to pre- serve their mother tongue receive instruction in the German language, this being a special provision for their accommodation. Pro-

fessor Shideler has devoted his life to the profession of teaching, in which sphere of usefulness he has rendered incalculable benefit to the rising generation in the shap- ing of human character. No other profes- sion in life brings the conscientious man or woman so close to the hearts of the people as the teacher. nor have any as great an in- fluence in shaping the destinies of those who are soon to assume the reins of government. Mr. Shideler is a man of exemplary life and character, greatly interested in the work of his chosen calling and fully abreast of the time in the onward march of his profession.

A brief ancestral history of the subject of this review is as follows : He is a son of Hon. Henry Shideler, who was born in Preble county, Ohio, in 1820. He was a thrifty farmer in that county. a man of su- perior intelligence and an honored and use- ful citizen. He served two terms as a state senator in the Ohio legislature and was a justice of the peace for many years. He was a leading Democratic politician who took an active interest in all public affairs. both local and general. He died at the age of seventy-three years. The mother of Profes- sor Shideler was in maidenhood Miss Han- nah Ann Dunn. She was born in Pennsyl- vania, in 1829. and married in Preble county. where her life was ended at the age of seventy years. They were the parents of twelve children, of whom eight are now liv- ing. Of these. Mrs. S. E. Litehiser, of Preble county, is the eldest. Leander P .. of this sketch. is the second born of those sur- viving: Jacob H. is a traveling salesman, with his residence at Dayton. Ohio: Mrs. Mary Patterson is also a resident of Day- ton : Mrs. Allen Harp resides in West Vir- ginia : Charles D. is engaged in insurance

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and real-estate business at Richmond, Indi- ana, and Mrs. Ollie Hyatt lives at Anderson, Indiana.

Professor Shideler was married on the 7th of October, 1885, to Miss Lizzie Hel- wig, a native of Warren county, Ohio. She is a lady of culture and refinement, whose greatest virtue lies in her efforts to render the home a happy one and in her devotion to the interests of the home circle. Two sons have come to brighten the domestic fireside and share in the happiness of loving and indulging parents. The eldest of these is William H., a graduate of the Hamilton high school in the class of 1904, while his brother, James Leslie, is just entering upon his high-school course. Both are excep- tionally bright and promising boys, who ap- preciate their opportunities and will ren- der a good account of themselves in later life. This prediction seems to be fully jus- tified in view of present achievements.

Mr. and Mrs. Shideler are Presbyterians in their religious views, though not at pres- ent affiliated with any church organization. Mr. Shideler has always supported the can- didates of the Democratic party, though in no sense a politician. He believes in exercis- ing his right of suffrage independently in local affairs, and in supporting men and measures best calculated to enhance the pub- lic interests.

DANIEL SMITH ROSE.

This utilitarian age has been especially prolific in men of action, clear-trained men of high resolves and noble purposes, who give character and stability to the communi-

ties honored by their citizenship, and whose influence and leadership are easily discerni- ble in the various enterprises that have added so.greatly to the high reputation which Ohio enjoys among her sister common- wealths of the Union. Conspicuous among this class of men in Butler county is the en- terprising farmer and progressive citizen under whose name this article is written, and to a brief outline of whose career the biogra- pher is herewith pleased to address himself.

Daniel Smith Rose, an Ohioan by birth, is proud to call Butler as the county of his nativity. His father, Jasper Rose, was born in New Jersey, near the city of Philadelphia, and as early as the year 1814 was brought to Ohio by his parents, being but six months old when the family migrated west. After stop- ping for a short time in Warren county, the elder Rose changed his residence to the county of Butler, and located in what is now Union township when the settlements were few and far between and when all the vicissi- tudes and hardships incident to life in a new country were being experienced by the pioneers. The father of Jasper Rose was a true type of the strong, rugged, resourceful men of his time and bore his full share in promoting the growth and general welfare of the community in which he founded his home. He purchased a tract of wild land in the township of Union, cleared and other- wise developed it and in due time became a thrifty farmer and a citizen whom all his neighbors and friends were pleased to honor and respect. He departed this life many years ago on the place which labor redeemed from the forest, as did also his faithful wife and companion, and the ashes of both now rest side by side beneath the soil where so many of their years were spent and so much

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of their success achieved. Jasper Rose was reared on the home farm and assisted in clearing and cultivating the same, the mean- time, as opportunities afforded, attending the indifferent subscription schools of the neighborhood, where he obtained the rudi- ments of an education. Like his father, he became a tiller of the soil, and by industry and proper management succeeded well in his life work. He was thrifty, economical and possessed excellent judgment in mat- ters of business, which sterling qualities en- abled him in the course of time to accumu- late the handsome estate which with consid- erable private means he left to his children when called to the great beyond. Jasper Rose was twice married, the first time to Jennie Pocock, who bore him eleven chil- · dren, the following of whom survive : F. R., a prominent business man of Kansas City, Missouri; Noah W., an engineer at the Day- ton National Soldiers' Home; Jennie R., widow of the late Joseph Taylor, of Marion county, Indiana, and Daniel Smith, whose name appears at the head of this review. Mr. Rose's second marriage was without issue.

Daniel Smith Rose, whose birth occurred in Union township, August 23, 1842, was reared on the home farm, and acquired a fair education in the district schools, while he received from his parents the lessons of wisdom and practical industry, which has had so much influence in shaping him for a career of usefulness the whole trend of his subsequent life. During his early youth he labored early and late as his father's able helper; when a little older grown he gave full play to a natural inclination for business by trading and trafficking in various articles among his neighbors and associates.

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Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 101

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1149

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others
Publication date: 1905
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1149