History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio; their past and present, Part 140

Author: Nelson, S.B., Cincinnati
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Cincinnati : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1592

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FRANK JAMES WADE, real-estate, stock, bond and note dealer and broker, and pres- ident of the Cincinnati Real Estate and Stock Exchange, was born in Owego, Tioga Co., New York, October 21, 1852. He is a son of James A. and Mary (Day) Wade, both of whom were natives of the State of New York, and of English descent, although both families date back in the history of this country to its earliest colonization by

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the English. James A. Wade is a carpenter and builder, in which business he is now engaged in Aurora, Ill., where he located in 1858, and where the subject of this sketch, Frank J. Wade, received his education.

At the age of sixteen, Frank entered the employ of a wholesale grocery firm, with

whom he remained for two years. He then learned the trade of a silversmith, and in 1872 came to Cincinnati and entered the employ of Homan & Company, with whom he was associated until 1874. For two years following he had charge of a silverware manufacturing establishment at Racine, Wis. Returning to Cincinnati, he embarked, in 1877, in the real-estate business with Meyers, Gibbs & Company, with whom he remained three years, then entering into the same business for himself. He is now associated with Mr. Adam Lepper, under the firm name of Lepper, Wade & Com- pany, conducting one of the most extensive businesses of its kind in the city .. In the development of Cincinnati suburban property, Mr. Wade, both alone and in connec- tion with the present firm, has been actively identified, having been interested in subdivisions in all of the circle of hill-top suburbs, and in the contiguous territory in Kenton and Campbell counties, Ky. He was one of the charter members of the Cin- cinnati Real Estate and Stock Exchange, was its first treasurer, was elected its pre- siding officer January 1, 1892, and re-elected by a unanimous vote, January 1, 1893. He is a member of the Masonic Order, being a 32 degree Mason, A. A. S. R., a Knight Templar, and a Noble of the Mystic Shrine. He is a member of the B. P. O. E. and the Knights of Pythias, being a past major of the Uniformed Knights of the lat- ter Order.

Mr. Wade was married, December 23, 1874, to Ettie M., daughter of John Bees- ley, a merchant tailor of Cincinnati. One child born of this marriage, Mamie B., died in her thirteenth year. The family reside in a very charming place in West- wood, this county.

ALONZO C. HORTON, real-estate agent, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, January 1, 1838. His father, Henry V. Horton, a native of the State of New York, came to Cincinnati in 1830, and was here engaged for many years in conducting a silver- smith establishment. He was prominently identified with the Sons of Temperance for many years, and up to the time of his death was the grand scribe of the national division of the Order. He died in Cincinnati in 1870.

The subject of this sketch received his early education in the public schools of Cincinnati, and completed it at Herron's Academy. For a time thereafter, he was employed with the Cincinnati Daily Times, after which he was for a brief period an employe of the O. & M. R. R. Co. In 1865 he entered into the real-estate broker- age business, in which he has had several partnership associations, the first being with Samuel Sargent, the second with the firm of Geo. H. Shotwell & Company, and the third and last with George F. Meyers; he is now engaged in the same business alone. Mr. Horton has been very actively identified with the development of the suburban districts, one of the very earliest subdivisions made in the county being that of a large tract of land in the now extensively improved and populous north end of Vine street, known as Corryville, in which he was associated with the late Truman B. Handy. He was among the earliest of the real-estate dealers to make a specialty of, and engage extensively in, auction sales. He was urgent in his endeavors to estab- lish a real-estate exchange in Cincinnati, and it was largely through his efforts that this was finally accomplished; he was the first president of that body, with which he has ever since been connected. He is a Republican and an active member of the Lincoln Club, of which he was president two terms. Mr. Horton was married, in 1865, to Maria R., daughter of Nathaniel Bartlett, one of the pioneer merchants of Cincinnati. Three sons and one daughter born of this marriage survive, namely: A. Bartlett, a journalist, now Cincinnati correspondent for several newspapers of New York City; George M., who is associated with his father in the real-estate business; Alice M., wife of William L. Harvey, who is engaged in the grain business in Cin-

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cinnati; and Alonzo C., Jr., a student. The family residence is on North Crescent avenue, Avondale. They are members of the Swedenborgian Church.

ALBERT WILLIAMSON, real-estate dealer and insurance agent, residence No. 518 Chase avenue, North Side, Cincinnati, was born in Colerain township, Hamilton Co., Ohio, November 2, 1843, one of the family of four children born to David and Eliz- abeth (Huston) Williamson. He was educated at Farmers' College, College Hill, and in boyhood worked on the farm. During the years of the Civil war, he was in the employ of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad Company; during 1874- 75-76 lie was deputy recorder of Hamilton county; from 1880 to 1885 he was a member of the board of aldermen of Cincinnati, and ever since that time has been engaged in the real-estate and insurance business. Mr. Williamson was married February 26, 1867, to Sarah D., daughter of Nathaniel and Margaret (Nelson) Har- ris, natives of Cincinnati and Pennsylvania, respectively, and to this union were born five children, two of whom are deceased; the living are: George H., who was educated in the public schools of Cincinnati, and is now a dealer in carriage and wagon materials; Albert W., educated in the Cincinnati schools, now a bookkeeper (was married February 17, 1892, to Miss Retta I. Stoughton), and Horace G., residing at home and attending school. Mr. Williamson and his family attend the Presbyterian Church; he is past master of Hoffner Lodge No. 253, F. & A. M., Cin- cinnati; politically he is a Democrat.

The father of our subject was born June 6, 1808, in Hunterdon county, N. J., and came with his parents to Colerain township at the age of six years. He was an edge tool manufacturer for a number of years, but afterward retired to farm life in Colerain township, where he died January 8, 1878. The mother of our subject was born in Colerain township, Hamilton Co., Ohio, April 24, 1814, and died October 1, 1876. They reared a family of four children-two sons and two daughters-as follows: Hannah Jane, now Mrs. Thomas Cooper, residing at Newton, Jasper Co., Ill .; Mary E., now Mrs. Berger, residing in Cincinnati; Paul H., now in San Fran- cisco, Cal., and Albert, our subject. Both paternal and maternal ancestors experi- enced the trials of the American Revolution, many Williamsons being soldiers in the ranks, while the great-grandfather, Capt. John Huston, fell at the battle of Brandy wine.

ROBERT LESLIE, real-estate dealer, was born in Dublin, Ireland, May 18, 1832. His parents, also natives of Ireland, as were their ancestors for many generations, came to this country in 1836, locating in New York City, where our subject received his education, and resided until his seventeenth year. In September, 1848, he came with an elder brother, James Y. Leslie, to Cincinnati, and here the latter established a furnishing goods and hosiery business, employing Robert as one of the salesmen. Two years later, the brothers formed a partnership which continued until 1855, when Robert purchased his brother's interest. For some years he carried on the business alone, and then became associated with William H. Taylor in the same line, the partnership continuing under the name of Taylor, Leslie & Company, for some years. After the dissolution of this firm, Mr. Leslie continued alone. In 1885 he embarked in the real-estate business, in which he is still engaged as senior member of the firm of Leslie, Dicks & Company. The firm's interests are largely in real estate in Norwood, of which Mr. Leslie is a very energetic and public- spirited citizen. To his untiring efforts is largely due the development and won- derful growth of this most prospering of our suburbs. He and his associates have recently added a fifty-acre snbdivision to South Norwood, containing two hundred lots, several of which have already been sold and built upon. Mr. Leslie has him- self erected thirty handsome residences in Norwood. His residence is on Floral avenue and Jefferson place. He has one son, Walter B., who is engaged in the furnishing-goods business in New York. One daughter, Alice A., is the wife of William A. White, of the firm of Leslie, Dicks & Company.

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

GABRIEL DIRR, real-estate and insurance agent, and notary public, was born in Baden, Germany, April 8, 1838, son of Barney and Agatha Dirr, both also natives of Germany. His father came to America with his family, landing in New York August 9, 1854. He then located near Utica, N. Y., but only remained there two years, coming to Cincinnati in 1856. He established a dry-goods store in the city, which he conducted until his death in 1885; his wife died five years later. They were the parents of twelve children, of whom five yet survive.

The subject of our sketch received a college education in Germany. He came with his parents to America when a boy, and learned the carriage-making trade at Mt. Pleasant, Ohio, after completing which he bought a shop, and was engaged in the manufacture of carriages until 1865. ] He then sold the shop and opened a grocery store in Cumminsville, which he conducted until 1872, when he sold out to his brother. He was elected mayor of Cumminsville the same year; in 1873 was elected a member of the board of aldermen of the Twenty-fifth Ward; in 1877 was elected a member of the General Assembly of Ohio; in 1879 was elected president of the board of aldermen of Cincinnati, and for two years he was a member of the council. Since that time he has been engaged in the real-estate and insurance business.

On March 2, 1861, Mr. Dirr was married to Mary A., daughter of Martin and Mary A. Hensler, of Mt. Pleasant, Ohio. Seven children blessed this union: Mamie A., wife of George A. Shaddinger, with the Adams Express Company, Cin- cinnati; Katie D., wife of John M. Duey, with the Western Union Telegraph Company; Vondie D., wife of Robert R. McRoberts, councilman of the Twenty- fourth Ward; Gabriel D., Jr., attending the Cincinnati Business College; Edna and Reuben; and Lula D. Reif, who was drowned in the Tennessee river at Chatta- nooga, while boat riding in August, 1893. Politically, Mr. Dirr is a Republican; socially he is a member of the F. & A. M., the I. O. O. F., the A. O. U. W. and the National Union.

CAPTAIN CHARLES M. HOLLOWAY, senior member of the firm of C. M. Holloway & Co., was born in Mason county, Va. (now W. Va.), August 5, 1830, a son of Joseph H. and Mary S. (Henton) Holloway. The paternal great- grandfather emigrated from England, and the grandfather was an educator in the early Presbyterian schools of Virginia. The paternal grandmother was Miss Haines, a lady of Irish extraction. The father of Charles M., who was a farmer, died of cholera in 1849, at the age of fifty-five years.

Our subject is the seventh of eleven children, seven of whom are yet living. His education was limited to the meager advantages afforded by the schools of his boyhood, the building for which was of logs, built by the prospective patrons of the school coming together on a certain day and by their united efforts rolling up the logs. The fuel was furnished by the larger boys chopping it from the surrounding forest, and the teacher was paid by subscription, and " boarded round." Capt. Hol- loway's second teacher was Robert Lewis, a descendant of Betty Washington, a sister of the Father of our Country. At the age of eighteen our subject made his first trip to Cincinnati on a flatboat loaded with salt, which was the beginning of a long term of service on the river. When he was but twenty-one years of age he was second pilot on a flatboat running to New Orleans, and he soon became part owner and master of a steamboat. He was variously employed as master on differ- ent boats, in all of which he owned an interest. He became captain in 1862, and in 1866, when the Cincinnati & Big Sandy Packet Company was incorporated as the Cincinnati, Portsmouth, Big Sandy.& Pomeroy Packet Company, he became a stock- holder, also a director of the company, and took command of one of its best boats, the "Fleetwood," a very fast and commodious boat, and very popular. Capt, Hol- loway steamboated on all the rivers of the West and South, and has always been a strong advocate of improving our rivers and harbors, the great natural avenues of

May Jeel heimer

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

transportation which have been given us for the good of all, and which can not be side-tracked by any private corporation. In 1870 Capt. Holloway left the river to take charge of the Cincinnati Agency of the Ohio River Salt Company. Seven years later he purchased the stock and the good will of this company, and has since devoted himself to the wholesale salt trade, of which he is the only exclusive dealer in the city. His efforts have become crowned with success, and his territory now extends to Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia. They handle all kinds of common, fine, packers, table, dairy and rock salt. Capt. Holloway has always been an active dealer in stocks and real estate. He owns the C. M. Holloway subdivision on Walnut Hills, besides consid- erable real estate in Avondale, Los Angeles, California, and Utah. He has stock in some of the banks of Cincinnati, and is a director of the German National; is also interested in the Security Investment Company, a land syndicate located in Wash- ington, D. C. For some time he was general manager of the Cincinnati, Ports- mouth, Big Sandy & Pomeroy Packet Company, and of the Louisville Mail Line, later president of both companies; but in January, 1890, he sold out his entire interest in those companies, and at the present time owns no steamboat property. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, of which he was elected vice-presi- dent in 1873, president in 1874, and re-elected president in 1875; has also frequently represented the Chamber as a delegate to the National Board of Trade. He is a Royal Arch Mason, and a member of the Queen City and Cuvier Clubs.

Capt. Holloway was married February 8, 1858, to Miss Minerva A., daughter of Thomas E. Hanly, a merchant and farmer of Cabell county, W. Va. The issue of this marriage has been five children, four of whom are living: Charles M., Jr. ; G. Clarence, who is an attorney, but is now engaged in business with his father; John Kyle, in partnership with George Dana in the manufacture of the Peerless Ice Cream Freezer at Ninth and Sycamore streets, and Evangeline M. Capt. Hollo- way and family worship at Grace Episcopal Church, Avondale. His beautiful resi- dence, located at the corner of Reading road and Maple avenue, in Avondale, is surrounded by an elegant lawn of four acres. In his political views the Captain is a Democrat; he was appointed, by Governor Bishop, a member of the board of police commissioners of Cincinnati, was elected president of the board, but resigned after a few months' service. He was a member of the board of park commissioners when E. H. Pendleton and Alfred Gaither were upon the board.

MAY FECHHEIMER was born in Cincinnati, February 11, 1847. The families of both his parents, Samuel Fechheimer and Caroline Barnett, came to this country from Bavaria in the same year, 1842, and his parents were married in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1846. His grandparents, Meyer and Rosa Fechheimer, and Jacob and Bertha Barnett, were native to Bavaria, as were their ancestors back to the days of Mendelssohn and Meyerbeer, with both of which eminent musical composers the Fechheimer family were connected.

The subject of this sketch attended the public schools of Cincinnati, and in 1868 entered into business as a salesman for the wholesale clothing firm of Fechheimer, Frenkel & Co., the senior members of which were his uncle, Marcus Fechheimer, and Benedict Frenkel. Of this firm May Fechheimer became a partner in 1873, continuing therewith until its dissolution in 1883, when he became a member of the newly organized firm of Fechheimer Bros. & Co., in the wholesale clothing business on Third street, Cincinnati. In 1888, the firm removed to its present quarters on Fifth street, adding an extensive retail department thereto. The firm consists of our subject and his brother, J. S. Fechheimer, and Arnold Iglauer.

On November 19, 1873, Mr. Fechheimer was married to Carrie Frenkel, of Cin- cinnati, third daughter of Benedict and Charlotte Frenkel, who also came to this country from Bavaria. Five children were born of this marriage, viz. : Ruth, Sam- uel Tilden, Tessie, Delia and Louis, all of whom are going to school. The family

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are inclined to liberal or reformed Judaism. Mr. Fechheimer has been a lifelong Democrat, and has held several important trusts. For five years he was a member of the Longview Asylum Directory under Governor Hoadly's appointment, and was chairman of that board; was also one of Mayor Mosby's appointees, upon the non-partisan board of city affairs. Mr. Fechheimer is a member of the Masonic Order, and has taken the Royal Arch Degree. The family reside in a very hand- some home on Park avenue, Walnut Hills.

THEODORE COOK, one of Cincinnati's most prominent citizens; died at his resi- dence in Clifton, May 6, 1894. He was born in 1833, and hence had nearly completed his sixty-first year. He was a native of Brownsville, Penn., which was also the native place of James G. Blaine and several other persons who became prominent in American life. His father was an industrious, respected farmer, and his mother a woman of much culture and refinement. Theodore attended the village school until twelve years of age, and thus early evinced that paternal industry and maternal mental vigor which assured his later success.

The modest circumstances of the family led our subject to early begin the battle of life, and at the age of thirteen he was employed as a clerk in Camp's store in Brownsville. Being a bright, active youth, he soon won his employer's confidence and favor, and a year hence had saved sufficient from his meager salary to secure his passage on the river to Cincinnati, where he was to seek his fortune. Here he found temporary employment at very small wages, and in 1850 obtained a clerkship in the house of Avery, Wayne & Co .- which was the beginning of his success. Three years later Leidy, Baird & Cassily succeeded this firm, Mr. Cook remaining and obtaining an interest as a silent partner. In 1855, Mr. Cook, in connection with Capt. John B. Davis, bought out and succeeded Leidy, Baird & Cassily, which firm had been very prosperous and concluded to retire from business. Mr. Cook and his partner, Capt. Davis, had but small means, and their purchase was mainly on credit. In 1857, Mr. Cook purchased the interest of Capt. Davis, uniting with the firm of Barker & Hart, the house then becoming Barker, Hart & Cook, and it prospered amazingly. The war broke out in 1861, and this made business for

steamboats and for all connected with them. The trade in which Mr. Cook was engaged naturally brought him in close touch with the steamboat business, and he, with others, such as Thomas Sherlock, Patrick Rogers, and the Gaffs, became large "owners of steamboat property, having a heavy interest in the United States Mail Line which plied between Cincinnati and Louisville. After the war, and when river business began seriously to decline, Barker, Hart & Cook wound up, each of them having accumulated large wealth. Mr. Cook retained an interest in the Louis- ville Line for sometime thereafter, but he virtually retired from that line of busi- ness, since which time he has not been personally identified with steamboat pursuits, though always active, his life throughout from the day he landed in Cincinnati hav- ing been a busy one. He was twice elected president of the Chamber of Commerce, was president of the Fourth National Bank, The Cincinnati Stove Works, The Amer- ican Burial Case Company, and other enterprises.

Upon the leasing by the city of the Cincinnati Southern railroad, Mr. Cook was elected the first president of the company. Always enterprising, he purchased con- siderable land in what is called South Clifton, and much of it he improved. It can not be said of him, as it is of other leading citizens of Cincinnati, that he never built a house, for he built many, and has always been in the front in enterprises calcu- lated and intended to forward the interests of the city. He was one of the project- ors of the "Grand Hotel," the Suspension Bridge and the Southern railway, and was active in their construction; he was also foremost in locating and building the Queen City Club at the corner of Elm and Seventh streets. There was seldom a movement in Cincinnati of a public character in which Mr. Cook was not engaged. Being free from business that required constant attention, he was often called upon

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to aid in the promotion of benevolent enterprises, and he was never found wanting. He was one of the best known citizens, enjoyed the confidence and respect of all, and for forty-five years his interests were identified with those of the Queen City. Always alive to the city's welfare, there were few public movements in which he was not identified in some way. Although not actively in politics in the sense of hold- ing office, he was constantly waging warfare against all that was corrupt and disrepu- table, and advocating decency and good government. The Cook homestead in Clif- ton is one of the handsome residences in that aristocratic suburb, and has been the scene of many social triumphs. In politics Mr. Cook was a Democrat. During the Civil war he was a War Democrat, and gave freely of his labor and means to main- tain the Union cause. He was one of those who believed that the best way for a political organization to secure success was to deserve it, and this principle was his guiding star. Mr. Cook held numerous public offices, among which was the chair- manship of the commission appointed by President Cleveland to inspect, upon behalf of the United States, the affairs of the California and Oregon Railroad Companies. He was also a member of the State Tax Commission of Ohio, appointed by Governor Mckinley. In his early days he was the nominee of his party for Congress, but was defeated with the rest of the ticket.

Mr. Cook was a member of Calvary Protestant Episcopal Church in Clifton. For seven or eight years he superintended the Sabbath-school, and for many years was a member of the vestry. He contributed liberally toward all charitable and religious causes, and was foremost in maintaining them. Mr. Cook was married to Miss Anna Semple, who survives him. The children who are living are Cassily C. Cook, an attorney; Theodore Cook, Jr., and Clifford, who is a student at Yale Col- lege; the only daughter is Mrs. J. M. Schoonmaker, of Pittsburgh, Penn. Mr. . Cook left an estate estimated to be worth over a quarter of a million dollars, largely consisting of valuable Clifton property.

PATRICK POLAND, the son of John Poland, a manufacturer, was born March 22, 1824, at the family residence, Hollywood, near the town of Ballymore Eustace, a few miles from Dublin, Ireland, and died November 30, 1892, at his residence, No. 116 East Fourth street, Cincinnati. He was educated at the Collegiate Academy of Ballymore Eustace, taking the classical course, at which time he had in view the study of law. Upon his graduation, however, he became engaged in journalism in Dublin, whence he came to this country in 1844, locating in Cincinnati. Here for a time lie wrote for " The Catholic Telegraph," then as now one of the leading pub- lications devoted to the interests of the Roman Catholic Church, and also contributed to the columns of a periodical, known as "Nonpareil," publication of which has long since been suspended. In 1848 he abandoned journalism to accept a position in the wholesale grocery house of Corr & Company. While thus engaged he married Mary Ryan, daughter of Patrick Ryan, a builder and architect who was born in Ire- land, but who had been long a resident of Trenton, N. J., before coming to Cincin- nati. After his marriage Mr. Poland started in the wholesale grocery business for himself in Chillicothe, and there remained two years, when he was called to Cincin- nati to take charge of the business of his former employer, who died soon after his arrival. The business was then carried on under the name of Corr & Poland, the widow of David Corr retaining an interest. Later a partnership was formed with John Henry, under the name of Poland & Henry, which continued until the death of Mr. Henry, in 1881, after which the firm became Poland, Debar & Company. In 1883 Mr. Poland retired from active business, but retained his directorship in the Citizens' National Bank, and in several insurance companies.

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History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio; their past and present, Part 140

Author: Nelson, S.B., Cincinnati Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Cincinnati : S. B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1592

Author: Nelson, S.B., Cincinnati
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Cincinnati : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1592