Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 62

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 62

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The subject of this sketch was three years old when his father died, after which event he went to live with a brother-in- law whose house he made his home unti! old enough to earn his own livelihood. When a youth of nineteen he started out to make his own way and for some time there- after was employed as teamster by a man who operated a flouring mill. On attaining his majority Mr. Inman received eight hun- dred dollars from his father's estate and with this sum as a nucleus he began farm-

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ing upon his own responsibility and was soon on the road to prosperity. In April. 1843, he entered the marriage relation with Miss Rebekkah Jones, and for several years following lived with his father-in-law, who was a large land owner and wealthy farmer, cultivating one of the latter's places for a share of the proceeds: On the death of his father-in-law in 1851, Mr. Inman and his wife came into possession of four hundred and eighty acres of the estate and to this he subsequently added until he finally became the owner of twelve hundred acres of valu- able land, the greater part of which he im- proved and from which he received ample income that eventually made him one of the wealthiest farmers of Butler county.

Mr. Inman cultivated his land upon quite an extensive scale, raised large crops of grain, and in addition to tilling the soil, de- voted a great deal of attention to live stock. in which branch of farming his success was most gratifying. He frequently marketed as high as six thousand dollars' worth of hogs a year, and at one time the proceeds of his farm for a single season in grain and live stock amounted to the munificent sum of eighteen thousand dollars. In his prime Mr. Inman possessed business ability of a high order and was naturally a money maker. He invested judiciously in real es- tate, which increased greatly in value as the country improved, and everything else to which he addressed himself appeared to prosper. His career from the beginning proved eminently successful and in all of his dealings and business transactions he never suffered a reverse or a loss worthy of men- tion. Wide-awake, energetic and progres- sive, he took advantage of every opportunity to add to his means, but never resorted to

speculation, being always satisfied with the sure and steady gains which came through safe and legitimate channels. By the latter means he accumulated an ample fortune, es- timated at one hundred and forty thousand dollars, much of which is still in his posses- sion, although he has been quite liberal with his children, to each of whom he has given from two hundred to three hundred acres of land, besides assisting them in many other material ways. His first marriage resulted in six children, the oldest of whom is a son by the name of Andrew, whose birth oc- curred in the year 1844 and who is now a retired farmer living at Seven Mile: Eliza- beth, the second of the family, died at the age of two years; Jacob, who was born on September 20, 1849, is a prosperous farmer and stock raiser of Wayne township; Mary A. departed this life when a young lady of eighteen: Harriet married Albert Wilson and lives on a farm in the township of Wayne, her husband being one of the lead- ing agriculturists of his neighborhood; Wil- liam, the youngest of the number, was born in 1858 and is now engaged in farming and stock raising in Wayne township. The living children of Mr. Inman are married, well settled and greatly esteemed in their respective places of residence. The family name is an old and honored one and those bearing it have done nothing to bring it into disrepute.

Mr. Inman's first wife died October 4, 1885, and later he contracted a matrimonial alliance with Harriett Hunsucker, who has proven a fit companion and a helpmeet in the true sense of the term. In politics Mr. Inman was originally an old-line Whig and to him was accorded the privilege and the honor of casting his first presidential ballot

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for America's most beloved and popular statesman, Henry Clay. After the above party had fulfilled its mission and ceased to exist he cast his fortunes with its successor and continued a zealous Republican until the national campaign of 1896, when he gave his support to William J. Bryan. Since then he has acted with the Democracy on state and national issues, but in local affairs votes for the man instead of party. He has never been an office seeker, but in 1880 was elected real-estate assessor of his township, run- ning on the Republican ticket and overcom- ing a large normal Democratic majority.

After acquiring a handsome competence for his old age, and seeing the different members of his family well provided for. Mr. Inman moved to the village of Seven Mile, where he is now living in honorable retirement. He bears the weight of his eighty-four years with few of the indications of age, being vigorous in his bodily powers, and mentally as strong and keen as many men who have not reached the half-century mark. He still looks after the management of his two farms, attends to his extensive business affairs with all the alertness of his younger days and, despite his advanced age. manifests a lively interest in current events and moves among his fellow men as one whose usefulness is by no means diminished. He has always been a kind and obliging neighbor and an excellent citizen, whose hands were ever open to the needy and whose example is eminently worthy of emu- lation. During his long and busy life he has been foremost in advocating all reforms contributing to the material and moral benefit of the community in which until re- cently he dwelt. He has lived to see many remarkable improvements brought about

and in his partial retirement from the ac- tivities of life he now views with pride and satisfaction the prosperity of the country and the part he has taken in the wondrous. change.

HARRY C. BLUM.

The subject of this sketch was born in- Hamilton, May 25. 1865, and received an excellent business education in the Hamil- ton public schools and at the Ohio Com- mercial College. At the age of fifteen years he commenced apprenticeship to the cabinet- maker's trade. under the tutorship of his father. After spending three years in this business, he secured a position as bookkeeper . for the Sohn-Ridge Implement Company, serving over a year in that capacity. In November. 1883, he secured a similar posi- tion with the Portsmouth (Ohio) Foundry and Machine Company. This engagement constituted his principal employment until 1895, when he was chosen manager of the Cincinnati Abattoir Company in Hamilton. Mr. Blum has been the representative of this concern in the city for nearly ten years, discharging the duties of the responsible position with business skill and fidelity. The position is one of great responsibility, in- volving careful attention to details and fa- miliarity with the financial character of the many customers. He must necessarily han- dle large sums of the company's money, pass upon the financial character of would-be customers, extend or refuse credit, make- collections, etc. In the discharge of his of- ficial duties Mr. Blum stands in about the same relation to his company that the- cashier sustains to his bank. His long con -.

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tinuance in the position, with the expansion of discretionary power and increase of sal- ary, is the best evidence of Mr. Blum's capa- bility and business integrity. He is con- sidered a very rapid and accurate account- ant, as evidenced in his selection as an ex- pert in examining the financial reports of the county commissioners and in other tem- porary positions requiring a superior knowl- edge of the science of accounts.

Mr. Blum has been unfortunate in his domestic life. He was happily married on the 9th of March, 1893, to Miss Rose .L. Stead, an estimable young lady of Hamil- ton, Ohio, who was born in Hanover town- ship, Butler county. She was the daughter of Booth F. and Mary (Davis) Stead, an early established family in the county who were prominent in the early history of the county. On the 27th of December, 1898, Mrs. Blum was called to another life, since which sad event Mr. Blum has lived at his parental home.

Mr. Blum is a representative of the minority party in Butler county politics, and has served the Republican party as a mem- ber of the central committee and also as a member of the county executive committee. Of the social fraternities, he is an active. member of the Lone Star Lodge, No. 39, Knights of Pythias.

The family genealogy of Mr. Blum is as follows: He is the only child of Ernst F. and Selenah (Garver) Blum, who were married in 1864. The mother died in the year following her marriage, hence the sub- ject never knew the depths of a mother's love. But this loss was mitigated, in a measure, by the introduction into the ma- ternal relation of Miss Emily Beer, whom his father married in September, 1867. She

proved to be a most excellent woman and is the only mother whom Harry ever knew. By this union his father has four children, three of whom are living. Matilda is the wife of Charles Conner, a prosperous busi- ness man in Hamilton; Anna died in 1888, at the age of eighteen years; Miss Emma is at home with her parents, and Jennie mar- ried Paul Thompson, of Hamilton, now of Chicago. The father of the subject was born in Hesse Cassel, Germany, September 30, 1836. At the age of eleven years he emigrated with his parental family to Texas and settled with them in a German colony at New Braunfels. This colony was estab- lished in 1844. There the parents ended their days, the father living to the ripe old age of ninety-one years, the mother dying at the age of sixty-seven. They had a fam- ily of five children, three of whom are now living. Ernestine, widow of Hon. Herman Schulz, of San Antonio, Texas; Matilda married Hon. Herman Seele, a prominent lawyer at New Braunfels. He has been a member of the Texas legislature, mayor of New Braunfels, and otherwise prominent in political affairs.

The father of the subject learned the cabinetmaker's trade in San Antonio and he has followed that business all his life. He came north in 1859, and finally landed at Cincinnati in 1860. On the 22d of April, 1861, he enlisted in the three-months service at the beginning of the Civil war, being a member of Company D, Ninth Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry. On the expiration of this term he re-enlisted for the three-years service as a musician. The law authorizing the enlistment of military bands was re- scinded by congress in September, 1862, and Mr. Blum and his associates in like capacity

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were honorably discharged. In 1864 he enlisted for the third time during the war and was assigned to the One Hundred and Sixty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry and served this term mostly in the Kanawha valley. Previous to this enlistment, how- ever, Mr. Blum had removed from Cincin- nati to Hamilton and he has lived in this city continuously since 1863. In 1865 Mr. Blum formed a business partnership with D. W. Sortman in the manufacture and sale of furniture, this partnership existing for thirty-six years. They first engaged in the retail trade on Main street, but subsequently built a factory and abandoned the retail store. Their first factory was burned, and they rebuilt at another location, the building being now occupied by the Advance Manu- facturing Company on North B street. After disposing of this property, they erected the plant now occupied by Mr. Blum, directly across the street from the former location. This is a three-story brick, with basement, and is well adapted to the business for which designed. It is supplied with all necessary machinery and appliances and gives employment to an average of four- teen mechanics. Mr. Blum, Sr., is a Re- publican of the stalwart type. He cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln and has fol- lowed the fortunes of the party without de- viation to the present day. Ernst F. Blum is a man well and favorably known in Ham- ilton. During a residence here of more than forty years, he has been identified with every phase of material progress and has witnessed with just pride the growth and prosperity of Hamilton, having contributed his full share to this end. He is a musician of more than local prominence and has been the leader of the Apollo Band since 1866,

with the exception of three years. His chil- dren are all natural musicians, an accom- plishment which has been encouraged in the home.

The parents of Ernst F. Blum were Caspar F. and Katherine Marie (Lesser) Blum, natives of Hesse Cassel, Germany. They were Protestants in religious views, and their son, of whom we now write, early allied himself with the church. He has been a member of St. John's German Evangelical Protestant church in this city for more than forty years, and has served fully half of that period in some official position in the church. The wife and family are all members of the same religious organization. Mr. Blum and family were very near to their late pas- tor, Rev. Dr. Hermann, whose sudden death came to them as an irreparable personal loss

REV. WILLIAM F. HELLE.

It is not an easy task adequately to de- scribe the character of a man who has led an eminently active and busy life in connec- tion with the noble profession of the Chris- tian ministry and who has stamped his in- dividuality on the plane of definite accom- plishment in one of the most exacting fields of human endeavor. Yet there is always a full measure of satisfaction in adverting, in even a casual way, to the career of an able and conscientious worker in the great vine- yard of the divine Master. Mr. Helle merits consideration for what he has accomplished and also for the inflexible honor and in- tegrity which have characterized him as a man among men. He is recognized as a man of high intellectuality and has devoted

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himself with all of zeal and earnestness to the uplifting of his fellow men and to es- tablishing the kingdom of Christ upon earth, while he is at the present time the. loved pastor of the Lutheran church at Trenton, in Madison township. He has been the architect of his own fortunes and has shown his devotion to the land of his adoption by valiant service in the Union ranks dur- ing the war of the Rebellion.

William F. Helle is a native of the great German empire, having been born in the kingdom of Wurtemberg, on the 15th of May, 1838, and being a son of William Al- fred and Fredrica (Buehrer) Helle, both of whom passed their entire lives in Herren- berg, Kingdom of Wurtemberg, Germany, the former having been a wagonmaker by vocation. In the excellent schools of his native place the subject received his early educational discipline, having completed a course in the gymnasium, whose curriculum is practically that of the American high school. In 1855, 'at the age of seventeen years, he severed the ties which bound him to home and native land and came to the United States, where he spared no effort in continuing his educational work. At the time of the outbreak of the Civil war he was a student in a business college at Ann Ar- bor, Michigan, and he forthwith manifested his loyalty by tendering his services in de- fense of the Union. In the autumn of 1861 Mr. Helle enlisted in the First Michigan Regiment Engineers and Mechanics, in which he became corporal of Company I,' continuing in active service until October 30, 1864, when he was mustered out and re- ceived his honorable discharge, having made the record of a valiant and faithful soldier and having participated in a number of the

most important battles of the great inter- necine conflict which determined the in- tegrity of the nation.

After the close of his military career Mr. Helle located in Columbus, Ohio, where he was matriculated in the Evangelical Luth- eran college and seminary, called Capital University, in which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1867, with the de- .gree of Bachelor of Arts, while soon after- ward he was ordained to the ministry of the Lutheran church. The strong hold which he has maintained on the regard and ap- preciative affection of those whom he has served in a pastoral relation is shown in the significant fact that he has held only three charges during the long years of his labor in the church. His first pastorate was at Crestline, in Crawford county, Ohio, where he remained six years. He then assumed the charge of the church at Upper Sandusky, Wyandot county, Ohio, where he remained from 1873 until 1896,-covering the long period of twenty-three years, during which he accomplished a work, infusing vitality into both the spiritual and temporal affairs of his charge. In April, 1896, he accepted the pastorate of St. Peter's church, in Tren- ton, Butler county, where he has since con- tinued his effective labors and where he has gained the veneration and esteem of all. with whom he has come in contact. In politics he is a stanch advocate of the prin- ciples of the Democratic party, and he has ever maintained a deep interest in the ques- tions and issues of the day, being a man of broad general information and well fortified convictions.

On the 27th of August, 1867, was sol- emnized the marriage of Mr. Helle to Miss Louisa K. Summer, who was born in Ger-

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many, May 10, 1842, and who came with her parents to America in 1847. The sub- ject and his estimable wife have no children of their own, but have adopted and reared three, to whom they have accorded the ut- most solicitude and care, which they have found recompensed in the characters of their wards. The eldest of these children is Frederick Abicht, who is a minister of the Lutheran church, now holding a pastoral charge at Marysville, Union county, this state .. Louisa is the wife of Harry Brown Badicker, of New York city, and Carl A. Wernle, the youngest of the three, is man- ager of the Century Engraving Company in the city of Chicago.

CULBERTSON J. SMITH.

No man in Butler county is better or more favorably known than the subject of this sketch. He was born on a farm, at a place locally known as Cherry Hill, in Wayne township, this city, on the 25th of February, 1850, being a son of John C. and Elizabeth (Jones) Smith, and is a rep- resentative of one of the well-known and prominent pioneer families of the county. John C. Smith, the father of the subject, was a man of sterling integrity, and though quiet and unassuming and a lover of home and of the peaceful life of the farm, he was a man of broad culture and more than ordinary intellectuality. He was educated in Miami University and though he never entered public life his counsels and assist- ance were often sought by those who were prominent in public affairs. He was an in- timate friend of some of the most eminent 26

public men of his day. His father, James Smith, was a man of great force and prominence in the early history of Butler county. He came from Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, to Cincinnati in 1792, being a companion of Captain Ruffin, General James B. Findlay and Jacob Burnett, whose names are prominent in the annals of Ohio history. For many years he was terri- torial agent at Cincinnati for the Northwest Territory, while he was a partner of Gen- eral Findlay in the real-estate business for about ten years, in which connection he aided in locating settlers in the wilds of the present state of Ohio. He was the first marshal of Cincinnati, Ohio, and was cap- tain of the first company of light artillery raised in Cincinnati and was in active service during the war of 1812. He was with his command at Fort Meigs at the time when it was besieged by the British and Indians. This honored pioneer came to Butler county soon after its official organization, and here he became prominent in public and civic af- fairs. He was collector of taxes and also revenue collector for the Northwest Terri- tory. He enjoyed in a high degree the con- fidence and esteem of General Arthur St. Clair, as whose private secretary he served for a time. The town of Rossville was laid out on the 14th of March, 1804, by Henry Brown. Jacob Burnett, James Smith and William Ruffin, this being the nucleus of the present thriving and beautiful city of Hamil- ton. About 1805 James Smith located on a farm in section 21, St. Clair township, and there passed the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1835, while the date of his nativity was December 22, 1763.

The maternal grandfather of the sub- ject was William Jones, a native of John-

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son county, North Carolina. He came to Butler county in a very early day and pur- chased and operated a large distillery near the town of West Elkton, in which locality he was one of the founders of the church of the Society. of Friends, of which he was a birthright member. He became quite wealthy, having a landed estate of about four thousand acres at the time of his death. The mother of the subject was thus a mem- ber of the Society of Friends by birthright, and she was reared in the simple and noble faith of her ancestral church, ever remain- ing true to the same and exemplifying her belief in her daily walk and conversation. She was a true Christian and a devoted wife and mother, rearing her children in the fear and love of God. Both the Smith and Jones families are of Scotch-Irish extraction.

Hon. Culbertson J. Smith, the immedi- ate subject of this review, was reared on the old homestead farm, in Wayne township, his associations and privileges being prac- tically the same as were common to other farmer boys of the locality and period, while he early manifested a studious and ap- preciative disposition. At the age of six- teen he had made such progress in his school work that he was able to pass a credit- able examination before the county school examiners, and he thereafter devoted his at- tention to teaching for four years, being very successful and receiving high com- mendation for his work. At the age of twenty Mr. Smith was matriculated in Mi- ami University, where he continued his studies for two years, after which he was compelled to retire from active study for a time, and he passed the following two years on the homestead farm, assisting in its management and cultivation. He then

entered the office of Judge Alexander F. Hume, of Hamilton, and took up the study of law. Early formed habits of close study and careful mastery of details enabled him to systematize his work and to make the best possible use of his opportunities. On the 25th of April, 1876, before a committee appointed by the circuit court for the pur- pose, he passed the crucial test as to his fit- ness and was admitted to practice before the bar of Butler county. Mr. Smith at once en- tered upon an active professional career, soon attaining a degree of popularity and prominence which justified the conclusion that he had made an expedient choice of profession. Mr. Smith began his public career in 1882, when he was a candidate be- fore the Democratic primaries for nomina- tion as a candidate for prosecuting attor- ney. Twice he encountered defeat in the nominating conventions, but in 1887 he de- feated his former opponent by eleven hun- dred votes, thus securing a very compli- mentary endorsement from the primaries, while at the polls he secured a plurality of considerably more than two thousand. In May, 1894, he again received the nomina- tion by a very complimentary vote, and was victorious at the ensuing election. Mr. Smith brought to this office superior ability and honest, prompt and efficient manage- ment of the affairs properly coming before him in his official capacity. His administra- tion is referred to, both in public and pri- vate, as clean, able and honorable. Believ- ing that frauds were perpetrated upon the ballot by the loose methods of voting, Mr. Smith interested himself in securing the in- troduction of the Australian primary-elec- tion law for Butler county, and through the co-operation of State Senator Joseph Mc-

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Macken, Butler county made the first test of this system in Ohio, this being in August, 1894. Mr. Smith served three terms as prosecuting attorney and then retired to the private practice with the prestige of well- earned popularity, combined with a valuable experience nowhere else to be gained. It is no exaggeration to say that he stands to- day in the front rank of Butler county's at- torneys, and he possesses the uniform con- fidence and esteem of an appreciative public. His popularity is due, perhaps, in part to his high 'social qualities and genial personality. He is a loyal friend, a wise and faithful counsellor, and able defender of right and justice and an honest and upright citizen. He has ever given an uncompromising al- legiance to the Democratic party and has done signal service in behalf of its cause.

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Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 62

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