USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > Cleveland, Ohio, pictorial and biographical. De luxe supplement, Volume I > Part 11
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Arthur Adelbert Stearns
is the author of a treatise on Law of Suretyship and Annotated Cases in Suretyship, the latter volume now being in use by many law schools. He contributed the chapter on the Law of Indemnity in . the recent extensive publication known as the "Encyclopedia of Law & Procedure."
On the 21st of November, 1888, Mr. Stearns was united in mar- riage to Miss Lillian G. Platt, of Cincinnati, and they have a son Elliott E. Stearns, and two daughters, Helen H. and Dorothy D. The family are prominent socially and Mr. Stearns' activity has car- ried him into important relations with public interests. The cause of education has ever found in him a stalwart champion and, ever keenly interested in his alma mater, he served for eighteen years as one of the trustees of Buchtel College. He was also its financial agent in 1887 and 1888 and has rendered valuable service to the school in many ways. His political allegiance has always been given to the republican party.
In May, 1908, Mr. Stearns was chosen by the Municipal Trac- tion Company as one of the arbitrators to arbitrate the many points under consideration involved in the street car strike. He has at all times been interested in matters of municipal moment and has given his support to various measures which he deems vital to the city's upbuilding and improvement. His social nature finds expression in his membership in the Union, the Colonial and other clubs and his standing among his brethren of the legal fraternity is indicated by the fact that he served for many years as secretary of the Cleveland Bar Association and in 1907 was honored with election as president. He has been an extensive traveler in foreign lands, having made ten visits to Europe, covering all the beaten paths of travel and many "out of the way" places.
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J. W. Bruch
Frederick MA. Bruch
F REDERICK W. BRUCH, president of the Acme Machinery Company of Cleveland and a man of many varied and important business interests, is a na- tive of Rhine-Bavaria, Germany, and a son of Karl F. and Sophia (Zepp) Bruch. The father was a blacksmith by trade, following that pursuit in his na- tive land until 1854, when he sailed with his family for the new world, spending his remaining days in Cleveland. He was born in 1806 and lived to the advanced age of eighty-eight years.
Frederick W. Bruch was but two years of age at the time of emi- gration to America, his birth having occurred on the 22d of Feb- ruary, 1852. He is indebted to the system of public instruction for the advantages which he acquired and when his school. days were over he began learning the machinist's trade, which he continuously followed until 1880, when, owing to his prudent and careful expen- diture, he felt justified in making investment in an independent busi- ness. In this venture he was associated with Claus Greve and Dan- iel Luehers, and they established the Acme Machinery Company on the site of the present establishment on St. Clair avenue. The busi- ness was conducted as a partnership affair until 1892, when it was incorporated as the Acme Machinery Company, Mr. Bruch becom- ing its president, in which capacity he has since remained. The es- tablishment ranks among the most prosperous enterprises of the kind in this city and employment is furnished to four hundred and fifty people. The plant is well equipped and the output, by reason of its excellence, finds a ready sale on the markets of the world, while the business methods of the house are in close conformity with a high standard of commercial ethics. Mr. Bruch is also the president of the Kraus Furniture Company; was one of the organizers and a director of the Cleveland Machinery Company; is president and was one of the organizers of the Adams Realty Company; is a di- rector of the State Banking & Trust Company; is vice president of the Standard Fullers Earth Company of America, at Mobile, Ala- bama; and is interested in various other corporations. In business matters his discernment is keen and his judgment accurate, while his
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Frederick TO. Bruch
enterprising spirit does not fear to venture where favoring oppor- tunity points the way.
Pleasantly situated in his home life, Mr. Bruch was married Sep- tember 29, 1888, in Cleveland, to Miss Emma Mohrman, a native of this city. They have become parents of four children: Alfred E., who completed his education at the University School and is con- nected with the Acme Machinery Company; Karl F., who was grad- uated from the University School with the class of 1909; Ethel S., who is attending school in the east; and Edward P. The family residence is at No. 11130 Euclid avenue. Mr. Bruch is interested in fraternal organizations and that for which they stand, and is re- garded as a valued and exemplary member of Forest City Lodge, No. 388, F. & A. M .; Webb Chapter, R. A. M .; Cleveland Council R. & S. M .; Oriental Commandery, K. T .; and Al Koran Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. He is now a veteran member of the lodge, coun+ cil and chapter. He belongs also to the Colonial Club, while his political allegiance is given to the republican party. A self-made man, possessing now a handsome competence, he has attained to his present position in the business world through his own efforts. His early training made him a capable mechanic and his thorough knowl- edge of machinery, together with his rare business talent and bound- less energy have earned for him a place among the substantial men of the city in which almost his entire life has been passed.
J. J. Pankhurst
John F. Pankhurst
A MONG the men who have been active in inaugurating and shaping the business policy and commercial de- velopment of Cleveland was John F. Pankhurst, ac- tive in the control and management of the Globe Iron Works Company, the Cleveland Dry Dock Company and other business enterprises. His demise therefore removed from the city one whom she could ill afford to lose, a man whose strength of purpose and undaunted energy found expression in the development of business concerns whose magnitude made them not only a source of individual profit but also an element in the city's growth.
Mr. Pankhurst was born in Cleveland, March 28, 1830, and was a son of J. J. and Sarah Pankhurst, natives of England. After com- ing to America his parents resided for a brief period in Syracuse, New York, and then removed to Cleveland, where the father followed the carpenter's trade, and as his financial resources increased made in- vestment in real estate. His son was a pupil in the Cleveland schools to the age of seventeen years, after which he pursued a special course in engineering and mechanics. The advantages of his youth, how- ever, were comparatively few and a portion of his education had to be attained by attending night school. For some time he was en- gaged in work along engineering and mechanical lines, his evening hours being devoted to study. This course he followed for five years and in the early '6os he sailed as assistant engineer on a lake steamer under Captain George P. McKay, who was afterward manager of a fleet of vessels owned by M. A. Hanna & Company. It was Mr. Pankhurst's plan to become a marine engineer but other opportuni- ties opened before him and he bent his energies in a different direc- tion. In 1865 he became a partner in the firm of Wallace, Pankhurst & Company and opened a machine shop on the east side of the river. Three years later the Globe Iron Works were purchased. This con- cern had been conducted under a partnership relation formed in 1853. Under the new management the business steadily and rapidly increased and was reorganized and incorporated in 1886, with a capital of five hundred thousand dollars, with H. M. Hanna as presi-
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John F. Pankhurst
dent, J. F. Pankhurst as vice president and general manager and Luther Allen as secretary and treasurer. Previous to the incorpora- tion of the Globe Iron Works Company, Robert Wallace and H. D. Coffinberry were associated with Mr. Pankhurst but in 1886 there was a separation of interests, two corporations being formed. For thirty years Mr. Pankhurst was connected with the lake carrying trade and was a guiding spirit in the Globe Iron Works Company, operating the most extensive shipbuilding interests with one excep- tion in the entire United States. In the development of the ship- building of the Great Lakes Mr. Pankhurst indeed figured promi- nently. Shipbuilding and marine engineering were his natural trend, his early education and experience fitting him for the emi- nent position which he filled. Moreover, close application to busi- ness was one of his marked characteristics and he informed himself so thoroughly concerning every phase of the business that if a plan called for a quick judgment it was never an ill advised one owing to a lack of understanding of the situation. He became known all over the United States in connection with the Globe Iron Works Company and through his efforts and those of two or three who were associated with him in business, Cleveland attained her present proud position as a shipbuilding port. Although ships were built in Cleve- land many years before Mr. Pankhurst became connected with the shipyard, it was within fifteen or twenty years of his demise that the city became classed as one of the largest shipbuilding ports of the world, the plant of the Globe Iron Works Company being surpassed in extent only by the works of William Cramp's Sons in Philadelphia. Under the management of Mr. Pankhurst lighthouse tenders and revenue cutters were built for the government, the magnificent float- ing palaces of the North Land and the North West were constructed and the largest of the new type of steel ore carriers were built. The Globe Iron Works in large measure are a monument to the splendid business ability, executive force and carefully formulated and well defined plans of him whose name introduces this review.
On the 28th of July, 1856, was celebrated the marriage of John F. Pankhurst and Miss Marie Coates, a daughter of Matthew and Charlotte Coates, who, coming from England, settled in Cleveland at an early period in the development of this city. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Pankhurst were born three children but two are now deceased. The surviving daughter, Abigail M., is the wife of T. H. Pratt, of Paris, France, and their daughter is the Countess Mercati of Athens, Greece.
Mr. Pankhurst was prominent in the higher circles of Masonry, having attained the thirty-second degree, while his membership also
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John F. Pankhurst
extended to the Mystic Shrine. His political allegiance was given to the republican party and he was one of the vestrymen of St. John's Episcopal church. He took active and helpful part in all that per- tained to municipal progress and sought the benefit and improvement of Cleveland in many ways. He was a member of the Chamber of Commerce and served on the committee of one hundred organi- zed for the encouragement of Cleveland industries. As he pros- pered in his undertakings he embraced his opportunity for judicious investment and was financially interested in many important con- cerns, including the Forest City Savings Bank, of which he was vice president. His name, however, will be best remembered in connection with the development of the Globe Iron Works, which has furnished employment to thousands of workmen and won for the city prestige in shipbuilding circles. The innate force of his character as manifest in laudable ambition, firm purpose and unfal- tering energy carried him to success that made him one of Cleve- land's renowned captains of industry and a conspicuous figure in the iron and steel trade of the country.
Arnold C. Saunders
HE late Arnold C. Saunders, who died January 22, T 1908, was one of the leading business men of Cleve- land, being president of the Lorain Coal & Dock Company, of which he was the organizer. He had been connected with matters pertaining to the lake trade since he was sixteen years of age, and had de- veloped an extensive business when his plans were ended by death.
Born in Rome, Ashtabula county, Ohio, in 1852, he was a native son of the state he lived to honor. His education was received at Lisbon and Akron, but when only sixteen he came to Cleveland to enter the firm of Rhodes & Company, one member of which was the late M. A. Hanna. This concern became in 1885 M. A. Hanna & Company, and Mr. Saunders was taken into partnership. The con- nection continued until 1893, when he left the firm to organize the Lorain Coal & Dock Company, of which he was made president, continuing in that position the remainder of his life. He was also vice president and director of the Johnson Coal & Mining Company, as well as interested in other companies of magnitude, his ripened experience and shrewd judgment being eagerly sought after.
At his death Mr. Saunders left a widow and three children: Clarence R .; Mrs. A. J. Miller, a resident of New York city; and Arnold, a student of Hotchkiss preparatory school of Connecticut.
In addition to his vast business interests Mr. Saunders found time to serve as a member of the University School Corporation. His political convictions made him a stanch republican, while his re- ligious affiliations were with the Calvary Presbyterian church. The Union, Roadside, Country, Euclid, Tavern and Coal Clubs all had him as a member and he always took pleasure in them. He was a man whose life was filled with so much that was calculated to win public esteem and personal affection that he was sorely missed when death claimed him.
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SaBoynton
Silas Albert Boynton, M. D.
R. S. A. BOYNTON became most widely known, D perhaps, in connection with the professional service which he rendered President Garfield during the days in which he lingered after the assassin had done his work. In Cleveland, however, Dr. Boynton had established a high reputation as a skillful and able physician and as a broad-minded, influential man whose abilities well qualified him for the position of leadership which was accorded him. He was born in Orange, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, February 24, 1835, a son of Amos and Alpha (Ballou) Boynton. The latter was a native of New Hampshire and by her marriage became the mother of six children. The father was one of the pioneers of Cuyahoga county. He and President Garfield's father were half-brothers and settled on adjoining farms in this county, giving their attention to general agricultural pursuits. Both families were members of the Disciples' church and S. A. Boynton and James A. Garfield in their boyhood days were sent to Hiram College, an institution conducted under the auspices of that church. Their friendship continued not only through the period of youth and their college days but also in their later life, being continued up to the time of the president's death. In the attainment of his professional education S. A. Boyn- ton attended the Cleveland Homeopathic Medical College and be- gan practice in Warrensville, Ohio. In 1863 he came to Cleveland and established himself in general practice, enjoying gratifying suc- cess as the years passed. He always kept in touch with the most ad- vanced thought and methods of the profession, carrying his scientific research and investigation far and wide into the realms of profes- sional knowledge. He was at one time professor in the Homeopathic College here and the profession, as well as the public, accorded him prominence as a representative of the medical fraternity.
On the 20th of October, 1869, Dr. Boynton was married to Miss Anna Thome, a daughter of the Rev. James A. Thome, who for twenty-five years was pastor of the Congregational church on the west side. He was a native of Kentucky and for ten years was a professor in Oberlin College. He took an active interest in all those
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Silas Albert Boynton, M. D.
movements and measures which contribute to the civilization of the world, was at one time president of the board of education and was very active in the affairs of Ohio civics. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Ann Allen, was a native of Connecticut. Unto Dr. and Mrs. Boynton was born a son, James, now deceased. The death of Dr. Boynton occurred December 2, 1907, and thus passed away one of Cleveland's most honored and respected physicians and citi- zens. In politics he was ever an earnest republican and was a most public-spirited man, withholding his aid and cooperation from no movement which he deemed would prove of benefit to the city. He was also very charitable and found ample opportunity to assist his fellowmen through his professional relations. When James A. Gar- field was shot down in the depot at Washington, Dr. Boynton was among the physicians who were called to his bedside and the aid which he there rendered won him the everlasting gratitude of the nation. For many years he was a most successful physician of Cleve- land, continuing in active practice up to the time of his demise, which occurred when he was seventy-two years of age. While he manifested an interest in his profession from the scientific stand- point, the predominating influence in his work was his broad hu- manitarianism, which prompted him to put forth the most earnest effort to alleviate suffering and restore health. His warmth of heart made him loved wherever he went and he was most honored and re- spected where best known.
MED. M. Spangler .
George A. Spangler, Sr.
F EW of the native sons of Cleveland have had a more distinguished career or have contributed more to the development of the real-estate interests of Cleveland than has George M. Spangler, Sr., who has now re- tired from active participation in business. The son and grandson of men who were conspicuous in the pioneer life of this section of the state, from his youth he has been inspired with the ideas of progress and development typical of the early American. The ancestors of the family came to this country in 1727 from Rotterdam, Germany, settling in eastern Pennsylvania. Different members participated in the early struggles of the colonies and then when the western territory was opened moved to it, each playing his part valiantly in his locality. George M. Spangler, Sr., was born on St. Clair street, next to the old Kennard House, May 21, 1842. His father, Miller M. Spangler, was born in Stark county, Ohio, in 1813. Three years later he came with his father, Michael Spangler, to what is now Cleveland. The latter bought land now occupied by the Century building and opened a hotel, named the Commercial, which became a famous hostelry in its time. In De- cember, 1831, he bought one hundred and fifty-nine acres from Mr. Schenefeldt, who had obtained it from the Connecticut Land Com- pany. Later it was discovered that the title was defective, so Mr. Spangler had to purchase it again. This property comprised much of the land upon which many of the finest homes on Euclid avenue have been built. In 1827 he erected the old homestead at the south- west corner of what is now East Seventy-ninth street and Hough ave- nue. A portion of this is still standing and is occupied by his grand- son, George M. Spangler, Sr., although it has been enlarged in the course of years. The old portion, however, is still in excellent con- dition. The material for it had been taken from Michael Spangler's own land and the lumber for it was dressed in the sawmill which was operated on his farm. It was situated almost directly across the street from the old polling place which gained much prominence in local history as the Madison Street Wigwam. In those days, as in the present, the family were noted for their gracious hospitality, for
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George M. Spangler, Sr.
it was the common saying that the latch string was always out for friend or stranger and that the buffet was always laden with good things to eat and drink. This reputation was largely attributable to Mrs. Catherine Lemon, a daughter of Michael Spangler, who delighted in ministering to the comfort and entertainment of her guests. The Cuyahoga building is now located on the site of Mrs. Lemon's residence and the land is still owned by Mrs. Catharine Howe, a daughter of Mrs. Lemon and the only living heir. The stone pillars which were formerly in front of the old dwelling are now placed in the family lot in Lake View cemetery.
Miller M. Spangler was about six years of age when he came with his parents to Cleveland and has frequently told of plowing and raising corn at what is now the corner of Seneca and Superior streets. In 1845 he was the chief of the fire department, at that time a volun- teer organization, with Charles W. Hurd as first assistant and Z. Eddy, second assistant. It was a valiant corps of men and to this day Mr. Spangler has a memorial which bears the names of all con- nected with the fire department at that time. In 1854 he was made sheriff and was reelected once. During his first term occurred the hanging of the first white man executed in Cuyahoga county. In 1874 he moved out from town and bought land at the corner of Euclid avenue and East Seventy-ninth street, then called Spangler avenue. The name was later changed to Madison avenue north of Euclid and subsequently when the streets were all renumbered it was designated as East Seventy-ninth, Northeast. Mr. Spangler af- terward entered the business world as a malt manufacturer and the concern he established grew to be prosperous and flourishing. De- spite his many interests of a public and private character he still found time to devote to the welfare of the Masonic lodge and was very active in its work. He was a man of fine physical physique and possessed of a magnetic personality which won him friends and ad- mirers and made him welcome in any gathering.
In 1839 Miller M. Spangler married Miss Deborah Ann Potts, a native of Niagara, Canada. She died in 1896, but Mr. Spangler survived until May 5, 1897. One of his brothers was a prominent dry-goods merchant in Cleveland, having learned the business while connected with Peter M. Weddell's store, located where the Weddell House now stands. During the Civil war he became assistant quar- termaster of the United States Army with the rank of captain.
George M. Spangler, Sr., received his education in the public schools of Cleveland and after he had completed the prescribed course, acquiescing in the desire of his father that he should become a farmer, he rented a tract of land from a cousin. He planted his
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George Al. Spangler, St.
crops but did not remain long enough to see them mature. He came to Cleveland and engaged in the mercantile business, to which he devoted his energies until 1879. In that year he joined his father in his malt business, which the two operated throughout the life of the elder man. Two years after the father's death Mr. Spangler sold his interest, rented the property for storage purposes and retired from business life. Since that date he has devoted himself to his extensive real-estate interests. In 1903 he built the Spangler block at the cor- ner of Hough avenue and Crawford road. At that time people doubted the business sagacity of the project for there were only three or four houses in the district then and the block contained ten store rooms. Today these are all occupied by flourishing business enterprises, the surrounding district is thickly populated and many handsome homes have been erected in the neighborhood. He also owns Spangler Terrace at 7701 to 7705 Hough avenue, together with considerable other property of value throughout the city and was formerly a director of the Hough Avenue Savings & Trust Com- pany.
On the 9th of September, 1868, Mr. Spangler wedded Miss Ella A. Kinney, a daughter of Alonzo N. and Eliza (Sharp) Kinney. The former was engaged in farming in Wynantskill, New York. Mr. and Mrs. Spangler have two sons. Kinney M., who is engaged in the manufacture of whetstones at Chagrin Falls, Ohio, is married and has two children: Miller M., who is in school at Hiram, Ohio; and Deborah May, who is in school at Chagrin Falls. George M., Jr., who is married, is connected with the Association of Com- merce of Chicago. Mr. Spangler is a republican in his political sympathies, while Mrs. Spangler is a member of Emmanuel Epis- copal church in which she is one of the active workers. He is also a member of the Chamber of Commerce of Cleveland. In the long span of years which have been granted to him many incidents which are now matters of history have come within his own experience. Many incidents of his boyhood, well remembered now, contrast vividly the character of those days with the present. He can remem- ber that young men and women were in the habit of coming to his grandfather's farm to go bathing in a creek which in that time ran through his place and was dammed, as they preferred this place to the lake. His residence at the southwest corner of East Seventy- ninth and Hough avenue, when first built by his paternal grand- father, was so far from the center of the city and the roads so poor, that it required just about one day's trip to go down town and re- turn, the depth of the sand being such as to render travel extremely difficult. It is within his memory that all this country was brought
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