Century history of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Ohio, and representative citizens, 20th, Part 113

Author: Sanderson, Thomas W., comp
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1074

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The children of Jonas and Lavina ( Pierce) Foster were seven in numer, as follows: Ab- by Phebe, born at Johnstown, New York, in 1821. and now residing at Portland, Oregon, who is the widow of George H. Haskell, whom she married in 1839: Delia L., born in 1823, at Johnstown, who married Josiah Dun- lap, and died December 10, 1860: Lemuel T .: Adaline D., born at Youngstown, in 1827. who married E. W. Wood-both now de- ceased-(E. W. Wood was a colonel of the 57th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, and fought at Yorktown, Fair Oaks. Seven Pines, the seven days' fight before Richmond, White

MR. AND MRS. LOUIS GLUCK

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Oak Swamp and Malvern Hill) ; Sarah Stod- dard, born in 1829, and now residing in Board- man township, who married (first ) James W. Eckman, and is now the widow of Benjamin McNutt; Laura Amanda, born in 1831, who married Clark Wood and died in 1886; and Orinda S., born November 18, 1841, who is the wife of James Crandon, of Niles, Ohio.

Lemuel T. Foster was 10 months old when his parents came to Mahoning County, where he was reared under the same conditions, and as a boyhood companion, as was the late Pres- ident Mckinley, with whom a cordial friend- ship lasted through the latter's life. At the outbreak of the Civil War Mr. Foster became immediately concerned in military affairs, and ably assisted in organizing the First Regi- ment, Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, and was elected colonel of this regiment, but a change of plan caused the regiment to be withdrawn. Later he was made captain of Company L, 17th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, partici- pated in many of the serious engagements of the war, notably the taking of Island No. 10, and spent a large part of his time in success- fully recruiting for the colored regiments.

After his return from the army he engaged extensively in agricultural pursuits and in de- veloping the resources of his large property in the vicinity of Youngstown, on which he raised many fancy Shorthorn cattle. He or- ganized the Foster Coal Company, which has mined many thousands of tons of coal from his land and is still a rich deposit. From youth Mr. Foster has been an interested fac- tor in political life, and probably has known personally as many public men in Ohio as any other citizen. He has frequently been a dele- gate at conventions and assisted in the nomi- nation of General Fremont for President, and of Salmon P. Chase for Governor. In 1877 he was nominated for congress by the Green- back party, was a candidate in 1878 and in 1880, and again was prominent in 1891 as the Populist party's choice for the state senate. In local offices he served nine years as a jus- tice of the peace and six years as township trustee.

Colonel Foster was united in marriage on

March 11, 1869, to Florence E. Lanterman. who was born near Youngstown in 1843, and died June 19, 1873, leaving two children. Una L., who married (first ) Hosea W. Simon, and (second) William Bakody, of Youngstown township; and Ina Wood, who married John Kennedy, of Youngstown township. Colonel Foster was married (second) September 1I. 1878, to Susanna B. Alexander, born March 28. 1848, a daughter of William W. and Eliza- beth (Baird) Alexander, of Pittsburg, Penn- sylvania. The children of this marriage are: Charles L., an expert electrician, a graduate of the Case School of Applied Science at Cleveland, who is with the Westinghouse Company, at Cleveland; Lida L. and Alice Wood, both of whom were educated in Boston and later at Oberlin College: Grace A., who is a student of Vassar College, class 1908; and Bessie B., a student at Rayen High School.

L OUIS GLUCK, a prominent citizen of Mahoning County and an ex-county commissioner, resides in a beautiful modern home which stands on the corner of Wilson avenue and Pearl street, Youngstown. Mr. Gluck was born in Wittenberg. Germany, in the town of Buoch, Oberant Waiblingen, August 7, 1841, and is a son of Christian and Caroline ( Frank) Gluck.

Christian Gluck was a blacksmith by trade and owned his own shop at Buoch, Oberant Waiblingen, and when his son Louis was 14 years of age, he took the latter in as his helper and taught him the business. When Louis was 19 years old his father died and the mother then rented the shop to a master black- smith. The property finally passed out of the family, as all the members subsequently came to America, following Louis, who was the first one to try his fortunes in this country. The mother died in 1882, at Youngstown. The children, seven in number, were as follows: Christiana, who married John Doepping : Louis, subject of this sketch: Frederica, the first of the daughters to cross the Atlantic.

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who married David Weimer; Caroline, who married Philip Shantz; Frederick, residing in San Jose, California, a carriage manufactur- er, who followed his brother Louis, to the United States: Christian, who died at Pitts- burg : and Paulina, who married George, Baum, of Allegheny.

As mentioned above, Mr. Gluck was in- structed by his father in his trade, which was manufacturing plows, axes, stone-cutting tools and like implements, no horseshoeing being included, as there were no horses in the vil- lage in which the shop was located. After working for three years at his father's forge, he worked out as a bound boy for two years, being apprenticed to a practical horse-shoer. He not only received no pay, but his father had to pay the horse-shoer a premium of $10 in gold. He worked for the two years con- tracted, and then had to take an examination and make new horse shoes, before what is called in Germany, the boss or master black- smith, there being one of these officials in very county appointed to examine workers and find out the full extent of their ability. It is this system of thorough education which has fre- quently been called to the attention of Amer- ican employers.

Mr. Gluck had now reached the age of army service and he complied with the law and entered a regiment in which he was drilled for six weeks, when he was relieved of further duty on account of being the eldest son of a widow. Mr. Gluck then went out as a jour- neyman blacksmith and worked at Baden and Wertemberg, and also in Switzerland up to. September 1, 1866, when he returned to his home and took charge of his father's old shop for a few months. He soon found that he knew too much and was too good a workman to spend the rest of his life in the little moun- tain village, and in a few months he closed up his affairs and started for America, promis- ing to pave the way for the rest of the family, which he subsequently did.

Mr. Gluck landed on American soil in De- cember, 1866, and went to Rochester, New York. It is probable that he was sadly dis- appointed at first, as the city which he selected

had no opportunities to offer him in the way of employment, and after fruitlessly searching for four weeks, he came on to Youngstown, Ohio. In this city he found his first employer in Charles Grude, who was located on the corner of Champion and Front streets, with whom he remained for two months, and then entered the machine shops of Homer Hamil- ton, as a blacksmith, working there for two months. Mr. Gluck then moved to Brier Hill and for four years was employed at the Mid- dle furnace there and became prosperous, but the exposure and exhausting work subjected him to a heavy cold that resulted in illness and his physician gravely cautioned him concern- ing his subsequent following of his trade. Mr. Gluck went then to Pittsburg, where he mar- ried and then took charge of a garden owned by his father-in-law, David Plieniger, at Alle- gheny, where he continued for six years. At the close of this period he returned to Youngs- and opened up a grocery store at Brier Hill, in 1877. which he successfully conducted until 1881. when he gave up mercantile business, but still retained his property at that point, and then moved to his farm in Coitsville township. In 1880 he purchased 108 acres of choice farming land to which he has added until his farm now includes 182 acres, and is recog- nized as one of the best-improved pieces of agricultural property in the township. All the buildings on his property he has erected him- self and they are up to the highest standard of farm structures, not excelled in any way by any other in Coitsville township. Mr. Gluck devotes some of his land to general agriculture and raises much live-stock. He continued to reside on this farm until Novem- ber, 1903, when he built his handsome resi- dence on the corner of Wilson and Pearl streets, Youngstown, where he has resided un- til the present. Mr. Gluck owns considerable other property, including a second residence on Pearl street and three desirable vacant resi- dence lots. He has other business interests and at present is engaged in closing up the estate of the late George H. Dingledy, of which he is one of the executors.

On January 30, 1870, Mr. Gluck was mar-

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ried (first) to Louisa Plienigen, who died Feb- ruary 15, 1874, while residing at Allegheny. She was a daughter of David Plienigen, a prominent citizen and capitalist of that section. There were two children born to this marriage. namely : Albert and George. The former married Emma Kurz and they have one child, Ernest. The latter married Ida Spatholt, of which union there are two children, Carl and George. Mr. Gluck's older sons are prominent business men at Youngstown, partners in the well known hardware firm of Gluck Brothers Company, situated on Market street.

Mr. Gluck was married (second) Septem- ber 26, 1875, to Caroline Lenz, who is a daughter of Jacob and Christina Lenz. They have four children, namely: Lucy, who mar- ried John Spatholt, and has two children, Margaret and Dora; Mary ; Anna, and Louis. Mr. Gluck and family are among the leading members of the German Lutheran Church at Youngstown. He has always taken an active interest in the benevolent and charitable work of this religious body.

During his whole period of American citi- zenship, Mr. Gluck has been a supporter of the Republican party and for many years has been identified with its councils in Mahoning County. In 1884 he was elected to the im- portant office of county commissioner, and served so creditably and satisfactorily that he was re-elected and served a second term, the whole period covering six years and two months. His personal popularity and the pub- lic confidence in his ability and integrity re- sulted in his running ahead of his ticket, lead- ing by over 1,000 votes. Since retiring from the office of commissioner, Mr. Gluck has con- sented to serve in no other. He has come to the time of life when he feels like taking re- laxation and he proposes that in the summer of 1907 it shall take the form of a visit, in company with his wife, to his old home in Germany, returning as a man of substance and prominence to the village he left forty years ago, a youth with but little capital beyond his trade and his enterprise. Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Gluck are presented with this biograph- ical mention.

H UGUST D. C. KROECK, a leading business man at Austintown Center, where he is engaged in the manu- facture of wagons and is a dealer in hardware, farm implements and harness, was born near the Rhine River, in Germany, October 7, 1847. His parents were Wehunt and Catherine ( Hood ) Kroeck.

The father of August Kroeck was born in Germany and became a farmer. He married Catherine Hood and comfortably provided for his family until his death at the age of 65 years. His widow came to America in March, 1870, but died in the following February, aged 65 years. They had six children, namely : Andrew, deceased; August; Charles; Wil- helm, residing in Germany; and Philip and Minnie, twins, the latter of whom married Carl Brandt.

The boyhood of August D. C. Kroeck was passed on the home farm, and up to the age of 13 years he attended school. He was then apprenticed to a local wagonmaker, with whom he worked for three and one-quarter years, receiving no compensation except his board. After this he was paid one dollar a week, and he continued to work at the trade until he started to America in 1868. After a voyage of twenty-three days he landed in the United States and came immediately to Youngstown. Finding himself hampered more or less by his ignorance of the English language, he made the learning of it one of his first interests. He worked in different lines, as a mason, in a rolling mill and a lum- ber yard, and thus met many workmen from whom he soon acquired a speaking knowledge of the strange tongue. After this he came to Austintown, where he went to work at his trade in the big shop then located at Taylor's Corners. When it burned down he returned to Youngstown and worked up to the spring of 1870 in that city and at Sharon and Berlin. After his marriage he settled at Austintown. opening a shop. although he had no ready cap- ital. Evidently he presented a very honest appearance, as he was able to secure a bill of goods on credit from a business house at War- ren, and thus was able to begin in a small way

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a business which he has developed into one of large proportions.

Mr. Kroeck met all his bills, and thus kept his credit good, and as his mechanical skill became known, his trade increased until he found it necessary to enlarge his accommoda- tions, and from repairing go into manufactur- ing wagons. He had the business foresight to start a store for the sale of his wagons and for goods along the same line, as harness, farm implements, factory buggies and other goods of like nature, and now his trade terri- tory covers Mahoning County and distant points. a few years since he having sold a large bill consigned to Cuba. Mr. Kroeck's success marks the progress of a self-made man. In addition to his shop and store, he owns a 22-room hotel building and a fine IO- room residence at Austintown. His place of business is well known all through this sec- tion. as he handles all the standard makes of agricultural implements, including the Syra- cuse, Oliver, Gale and Imperial plows, culti- vators, planters, mowing machines and mod- ern farm tools of every kind. There is still another reason, and that is that Mr. Kroeck has established as good a name for honesty and fair dealing as he has for the excellence of his goods.

On March 13, 1870, Mr. Kroeck was mar- ried to Susanna Smith, who was born De- cember 1, 1849. Her father died in Germany as the result of an accident in a coal mine, and her mother subsequently married Henry Young, with whom she came to America ; later they both died in Austintown township. Mr. and Mrs. Smith had two children, Philip and Susanna. Of Mrs. Smith's subsequent marriage to Mr. Young there were seven chil- dren, as follows: August, Lewis, Elizabeth, Julia. Lena and Rose (deceased), and Wil- liam ( deceased).

Mr. and Mrs. Kroeck have five children, namely : Catherine, who married Orvil Har- roff, residing at Alliance; William, who as- sists his father in the carriage shop and also conducts the hotel. married Daisy Diamond. and they have one son, Randall; Andrew. re- siding at Lowellville, married Jennie Foot ;

Charles and Lewis, both of whom work in the shop, all of the sons being practical men and good citizens. Mr. and Mrs. Kroeck be- long to the Reformed Church.

OHN S. ORR, one of the old business men of Youngstown, a funeral direc- tor and embalmer for the last thirty- six years, with business location at Nos. 25-26 Phelps street, was born in 1842. at Mt. Jackson, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Orr was reared in his native place and at New Brighton until he was 17 years of age. In 1859 he came to Youngstown and began work as a carpenter, having previously learned this trade. He continued thus employed until 1862. when he enlisted for service in the Civil War, becoming a member of Company A, 142nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, which became a part of the Army of the Potomac. Mr. Orr was seriously wounded at the first battle of Fredericksburg, after which he was . made division foragemaster and served in that capacity until the close of the war. Upon his return to Youngstown he resumed work at his trade and so continued until 1869, when he embarked in a furniture business and also began that of undertaking. About three years later his furniture store was burned and since then he has given his exclusive attention to undertaking and embalming.ª

In 1863 Mr. Orr was married to Sarah Montgomery, a daughter of Joseph and Nancy Montgomery. They have four children : Edith Maud, who is the wife of C. H. Ken- nedy, cashier of the Commercial National Bank ; Sarah Bessie, who is residing at home ; Nettie A., who is the wife of Dr. James C. Orwig, of Glenville, Ohio; and Fred Mont- gomery. The latter is his father's associate in business. He is a graduate of several embalm- ing institutions, including the Massachusetts College of Embalming.

Mr. Orr is identified prominently with the Masonic fraternity. He is a 32nd degree Mason and has passed through all the offices in the Commandery. He belongs to the fol-

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lowing representative bodies: Western Star Lodge, No. 21. A. F. & A. M .; Youngstown Chapter No. 93. R. A. M .: St. John's Com- mandery, No. 20, K. T .; Lake Erie Consist- ory, A. A. S. R .; Royal Order of Scotland; and Al Koran Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. Mr. Orr belongs also to the order of Odd Fel- lows, to the United Workmen and to Tod Post, Grand Army of the Republic. He is a member of the First Presbyterian Church at Youngstown.

A J. GILLESPIE, attorney-at-law, at Youngstown. practicing in the United States District, Circuit and Supreme courts, and a member of the Mercer County, the Allegheny, and the Philadelphia Bar Associations, was born March 9. 1861, at Greenville, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of the late A. D. Gillespie.

A. D. Gillespie was born in Mercer Coun- ty, Pennsylvania, and was reared on the pa- ternal farm. His educational opportunities were only those afforded by the district school, but he prepared himself for the law and was admitted to the bar in young manhood. For a number of years he practiced his profession. subsequently taking his two sons into part- nership under the firm name of A. D. Gilles- pie & Sons. He was more or less of a politi- cal factor in Mercer County, though he did not aspire to political honors. In 1885 his friends urged his candidacy for judge. For ten years he served as one of the burgesses at Greenville. His death occurred there in 1902, at the age of 80 years.

Eugene P. Gillespie, brother of A. J., and for a number of years, up to the time of his death. a member of the Mercer County bar. was educated in the University of Toronto. Canada, and at Allegheny College at Mead- ville, Pennsylvania, then studied law in his father's office. In 1890 he was elected to congress from the Greenville district, which was composed of Mercer. Beaver. Butler and Lawrence counties, and served with distinc-

tion. His death was caused by an accident on the Bessemer Railroad in 1899.

A. J. Gillespie was reared in his native place and was educated in the University of Toronto, Canada, and the University of Penn- sylvania, graduating from the latter institu- tion in 1886. For two years he practiced law in Philadelphia and then returned to Green- ville and entered into partnership with his father and brother, in the firm mentioned. He continued practicing law at Greenville until November, 1905, when he located at Youngs- town and formed a partnership with Mr. Guthman, under the style of Gillespie & Guth- man, which still continues.

Mr. Gillespie is the kind of citizen who is deeply interested in public affairs and local interests. For seven years he served as city solicitor of the borough of Greenville, and iu 1904 his friends insisted on his accepting the nomination for judge in the 35th judicial dis- trict of Pennsylvania. After due considera- tion, however, Mr. Gillespie declined the honor.

In 1888 Mr. Gillespie was married to Ida M. Murray, who is a daughter of the late Henry Q. Murray, of Hartstown, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. Fraternally he be- longs to the Masons and has passed all the chairs in the Blue Lodge, Chapter, Council and Commandery.

Although Mr. Gillespie has removed from Greenville to a wider field of business at Youngstown, he is still largely interested in real estate in the former city, is a stockholder in the People's Electric Light, Heat & Power Company, and owns a magnificent farm of 200 acres in Mercer County. His present resi- dence is at No. 154 Warren avenue, Youngs- town.

5 AMUEL A. McNEILLY, a prominent citizen of Ellsworth township, resid- ing on his valuable farm of 225 acres. was born in the northern part of Ellsworth township, two miles north of his present home, in Mahoning County. Ohio. November 15. 1839, and is a son of

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James and Elizabeth ( Trimble) McNeilly. The parents of Mr. McNeilly were born in County Down, Ireland, about 1800, and both died in Ellsworth township, the father in 1848 and the mother in the fall of 1868. They were married in Ireland and when they came to this section they were among the earliest set- tlers. The timber on the land was so dense that James McNeilly could not build his log cabin until he had felled some trees. During the early days on the farm, wolves howled around the cabin at night so that the inmates could scarcely sleep. Later Mr. McNeilly built a frame house, and with the assistance of his sons, cleared up a farm. Eight children were born to James McNeilly and wife, four sons and four daughters, namely: Robert, who died in 1890; Margaret, deceased, who married E. P. Miller, residing in Ellsworth township; William, residing in Wayne town- ship. Ashtabula County, who married Lois Beardsley, now deceased; Eliza, deceased, who married Ward Dean, residing in Ellsworth township; Samuel A .; and three others, who are deceased.

Samuel A. McNeilly was reared on the home farm and attended the district schools. In 1861 he was married (first) to Mary Smith, daughter of Walter and Mary Ann Smith, the latter being of Scotch extrac- tion. Walter Smith was born in Connecticut and came to Ellsworth township in 1806, where he purchased 15 acres of land and start- ed the first tannery in Mahoning County. Mr. and Mrs. Smith had four daughters and three sons, namely : Eliza, Laura, Martha and Mary. Fitch, Samuel and Walter. Fitch died while studying for the ministry. Samuel Smith, deceased, was sheriff of Mahoning County in 1861. Walter Smith was either the second or third volunteer to enter the Federal army from Ellsworth township and was the first to be brought home dead in the following fall.

Mr. and Mrs. McNeilly had children as follows: Walter, who has been a railroad mail clerk at Chicago since the election of President Harrison, married Eva Price, of Youngstown, and has three children, Ruth,

Donald and Lenora; Helen, who married John Schaffer, residing in Ellsworth township, has one child, Pauline; Mary E., who married Frank Ressler, residing in Ellsworth, has one daughter, Elizabeth; and Charles, whose busi- ness is that of a steel blower, resides at Youngstown, and married Gertrude Wehr.

During the Civil War Mr. McNeilly was a member of the military organization known as the Home Guards. He has devoted his life to agricultural pursuits and since 1862 has resided on his present farm. He owns two farms, and both are valuable on account of their productiveness and also because on one of them both oil and gas have been found. At present he is mostly interested in raising horses, cattle and sheep. He is regarded as one of the township's most substantial men.

Mr. McNeilly's first wife died in 1897, and he was married (second), in 1905, to Mrs. Susan Gretsinger, who is a daughter of the well-known and beloved envangelist, Rev. Excell, who still survives, aged 85 years. Both Mr. and Mrs. McNeilly are members of the Presbyterian Church, of which he has been a trustee for twenty-seven years. Politically a Republican, he cast his first vote for Presi- dent Lincoln.

ILLIAM BONNELL McELE- VEY, dealer in real estate, stocks and bonds and insurance, with quarters in the Dollar Bank build- ing, at Youngstown, is one of the city's representative business men. He was born in 1866, at New Castle, Pennsylvania, and was 15 years of age when he came to Youngstown.

Mr. McElevey was educated at the public schools and was a student in the Rayen School. During the early years of his business life he was in the iron trade for a time and for five years was assistant superintendent of the Ma- honing Valley Iron Company. He then went to Chicago as secretary and treasurer of the Lake Side Nail Company, at Hammond, Indi- ana, and later was a broker in coal, coke and

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pig iron. He spent ten busy business years in Chicago and then left that great metropolis and returned to Youngstown. Here he em- barked in a general insurance and real estate business. He deals also in stocks and bonds and handles safe investments. In his insur- ance risks he represents these companies : North British and Mercantile, of New York; the Girard, of Philadelphia; the New Bruns- wick, of New Brunswick, New Jersey; the Providence Life and Trust Company, of Phil- adelphia ; the Employers' Liability Assurance Corporation, of London; the American Sure- ty Company, of New York; and the Etna In- demnity Company. Mr. McElevey is also interested in other business enterprises of this locality.

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Century history of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Ohio, and representative citizens, 20th, Part 113

Author: Sanderson, Thomas W., comp Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1074

Author: Sanderson, Thomas W., comp
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1074