USA > Ohio > History of the Upper Ohio Valley, with family history and biographical sketches, a statement of its resources, industrial growth and commercial advantages, Vol. I > Part 52
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William Robertson, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Hagerstown, Md., in 1812, and died in Wheeling in 1864. He was engaged in mercantile business, and at one time was mayor of the city of Hagerstown. In 1833 he married Sarah Clark, who had come with her father to this country from Ireland. In 1849 Mr. Rob- ertson came to Wheeling and was engaged in merchandising in that city until death. He was alderman from the Second ward for eight years, and a prominent whig. Fourteen children were born to this marriage. Richard Robertson, the subject of this sketch, was born November 7, 1845, in Hagerstown, Md., and is a twin brother of Hon. Edward Robertson, state labor commissioner, and formerly a mem- ber of the state legislature. Mr. Robertson received a common school education, and when fourteen years of age entered W. M. Ewing's job printing office as an apprentice, but subsequently left there and went to the Intelligencer office. The turmoil and excitement of the civil war was at its full, and the seventeen-year old boy becoming fired with patriotic zeal, left his unfinished apprenticeship, and enlisted in 1863 in Company C, Fourth West Virginia cavalry, with which he served nine months, and then re-enlisted March 24, 1864, in Battery H, First West Virginia light artillery. The battery was stationed at Fort Fuller, New Creek (now Keyser), W. Va. The command was sur- prised and captured by Gen. Rosser's cavalry, November 28, 1864, and with a number of others Mr. Robertson was taken to Richmond, where he experienced the horrors of prison life in Pemberton prison, until
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February 15, 1865. He was then paroled, but for six months hovered between life and death as a result of the experienced hardships. He was honorably discharged at the end of the war. After completing his apprenticeship in the Register office, he was a typographical tour- ist for eight years. He returned to Wheeling in 1874, and was mar- ried to Miss Mary Emert. They have had no children. In 1878 he was one of the founders of the Wheeling Sunday News Letter, and through its fluctuations of fortune, always experienced by a new paper, and its varying changes of partnership, has retained an inter- est in the establishment. In January, 1890, he became sole proprie- tor. Politically, Mr. Robertson is a republican, and has always taken an intense interest in the rights of organized labor. He was master workman of district 35, Knights of Labor, for two terms, and repre- sented them twice in the general assembly. He was president of the Ohio Valley Trades and Labor assembly for one term, and has been a continuous delegate to that body since the date of its formation.
A. G. Robinson, born in 1816, died in 1886, was one of the most enterprising and valuable citizens of Wheeling, and prominently in- terested in manufacturing. He was born at Washington, Penn., son of a native of Ireland, and in 1840 came to Wheeling, where he en- gaged in merchandise, in the firm of T. W. Bassett & Co. Subse- quently he embarked in the manufacture of paper, forming the firm of A. G. Robinson & Co., which became at that time the most exten- sive wrapping paper mannfacturers in the United States, operating eight to ten mills, and supplying the entire west with their product. Mr. Robinson also engaged in the iron manufacture, being interested in the Virginia mills, built on the point where the Baltimore & Ohio depot now stands, the first mill in the west devoted to the exclusive manufacture of nails. He was also interested in the Benwood mills, the successor of the former enterprise, and was one of the Gill, Kelley & Co., at Benwood, in 1853. Returning to the paper manu- facture in about 1861 he was engaged in that business until his death. Mr. Robinson took an active part in politics also, and was one of the very few original abolitionists in Virginia, taking a bold stand on that issue. In 1860 he was a delegate to the Chicago national convention, and supported the candidacy of Lincoln. When West Virginia was organized as a state, Mr. Robinson was elected and served two terms as recorder of Ohio county. His wife was Anne Williams. She is the daughter of Col. Williams, one of the engineers in the service of the national government in the location of the old national road, who married Naomi Eoff. The latter was born in the old fort at the forks of Wheeling creek, in 1791, the daughter of John Eoff, one of the first settlers of the county of Ohio. When only three weeks old she was carried back over the mountains by her mother, on account of the hostility of the Indians. Mrs. Anne Robinson was born May 1, 1818, and is still living at Wheeling, her native place. To A. G. Robinson and wife were born four children, of whom three died in childhood. The survivor is Cecil A. Robinson, president of the La Belle Iron works, and one of the most prominent of the young
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manufacturers of Wheeling. He was born at that city, January 1, 1855, and received a common school education. In 1875 he became book- keeper of the Ætna Iron works, where he remained until 1880. In the following year he became the secretary of the La Belle works, and in September, 1887, he was elected president, in which position he has the general supervision of the works. Mr. Robinson was married in 1877 to Ella Wright, daughter of John Wright, of Wheeling.
John R. Robinson, for many years connected with the iron industry of Wheeling, and at present manager of the La Belle Iron works, was born at Philadelphia, October 21, 1829. He is of Quaker parentage and his father was a native of England and the mother of Scotland. In his childhood Mr. Robinson lived until he had reached the age of twelve years, with his grandmother, who resided about four miles from Doylestown, Penn., and subsequently with his parents at New York, except an intervel spent at Pittsburgh, until 1849, when he re- moved to Wheeling. At Pittsburgh he had been engaged as an iron worker, and here he found employment in the Top mill, until the Bel- mont works were completed, when he went to that establishment. He was connected with the LaBelle mill from the time of its erection, and was first made manager in 1868, having previously held the same position for one year in the Chesapeake Iron works at Harrisburgh, Penn. In 1871 Mr. Robinson retired from the works, and until 1886 devoted himself to the tillage of a farm he purchased near Bellaire, and to stone quarrying and contracting. At the latter date he re- sumed the management of the La Belle mill. He is a stockholder in this company, to the success of which his notable ability as manager is fully devoted. Mr. Robinson has been a member of the Presbyter- ian church since his twenty-first year, and is now an elder of the Third church of Wheeling. He was married at Pittsburgh in 1849 to Sarah J. Oxley, who died in 1882. Six of their ten children survive: Rev. E. S. Robinson, pastor of the Cannon City Presbyterian church; Col. George O., who lives one and a half miles west of Bellaire on his farm, and operates a coal mine and brick works extensively on the B. & O. railroad; William. druggist, of East Liverpool; Clarence, of Belmont county. In 1884 Mr. Robinson was married to Mrs. Eliza- beth Choen, of Bellaire.
John Robrecht, a member of the board of public works of Wheel- ing, has been since 1872 engaged in the hotel business in that city as proprietor of the New St. Charles. Mr. Robrecht, though he has been for a number of years one of the prominent citizens of Ohio county, did not come to this region until 1848. He was born on the river Weser, in Germany, February 12, 1828. When he had reached his twentieth year, he came to the United States to seek his fortune, and landing at Baltimore remained there one month, after which he came to Wheeling. At first he worked at various occupations, but finally learned the trade of a plasterer, which he soon mastered, so that in 1849 he began to take contracts on his own account. In this occupation he continued for five years, completing extensive contracts at Wheellng, Moundsville, Bellaire and elsewhere, and making a suc-
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cess of the business. In 1854 he changed his occupation to that of farming, occupying 450 acres of land on Short creek, where for eigh- teen years he carried on operations in agriculture and stock dealing. He carried on farming on a most extensive scale, probably not being equalled in the state. In 1863, while he was cultivating four farms, he raised 2,700 bushels of barley, 900 bushels of rye, 3,300 bushels of oats, 300 tons of hay, 8,000 bushels of corn, and 1,600 bushels of wheat, and kept 700 head of sheep. On January 1, 1872, Mr. Robrecht removed to Wheeling, having on the previous day purchased the St. Charles hotel property. This establishment he has since conducted success- fully, besides taking and completing various heavy contracts in street pavement and street railway construction. Ever since he became ac- quainted with the affairs of his adopted country Mr. Robrecht has taken an active interest in politics and public matters, but has never held office until February, 1889, when he was chosen a member of the board of public works of the city, a position he now holds. He is one of the best known residents of German birth of Ohio county, and has the respect and esteem of all as one of those self-made men who have been strong enough to arise from poverty and adverse circumstances to a reputable position among their fellows, and amass property by their industry and ability. Mr. Robrecht was married in 1849 to Mary Wilke, who was born in the same place as her husband. She died in 1873 at the age of forty-seven years, leaving five daughters and four sons.
John H. Roemer, principal of the Linsly institute, was born in Mon- roe county, Ohio, April 26, 1865. He is the son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Lineberger) Roemer. Mr. Roemer was reared in his native county, and was educated at Marietta college, at Marietta, Ohio. He came to Wheeling in 1887, and took charge of the Linsly institute, which at that time had but sixteen pupils in attendance. Since then he has devoted himself with much energy to the restoration of the popu- larity of the school, and has already increased the attendance to 100. Mr. Roemer is a skillful and successful teacher, though but fairly entered upon a career which promises to be conspicuous and useful. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Phi Beta Kappa societies.
Edward Rogers, a well-known citizen of the First ward of Wheel- ing, has as mill manager of the Top mill, been closely identified with the forge department of the iron manufacture of the city. He was born at Buffalo, N. Y., in 1855, the son of John and Sarah Perry Rogers, natives of England. In that country the father was engaged as an iron worker, and he followed that calling after his immigration. He and family settled at Buffalo in 1842, thence removed to Ironton, Ohio, and from there to Wheeling, about 1860. He had four daugh- ters and one son, the subject of this sketch. One of the daughters died in September, 1882. By a previous marriage to a brother of John Rogers, his wife had two children, both of whom are living. Mr. Ed- ward kogers has been occupied at the Top mill since his fourteenth year, when he began to acquaint himself with the craft. Beginning
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work at the puddling furnace in 1862, he continued to be so employed until October 2, 1882, when he was made mill manager. Mr. Rogers is widely known as a master of his trade, and a gentleman of good business ability and administrative talent. In 1879, he was elected to the responsible position of vice president of the National Amalga- mated Association of Iron and Steel Workers, a position he held for three years. In August, 1882, he was made a trustee of the same as- sociation, but resigned that office when he accepted his present posi- tion. He was a representative of the Boilers' Union as a delegate to the meeting at Pittsburgh, when the Amalgamated association was formed, and has ever since been an active and influential member. Mr. Rogers is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, Wheel- ing lodge, No. 9, I. O. O. F., Fort Henry commandery, National Union, is a member, and was for nine years, trustee of the Lincoln club, and is a trustee of the Dime Savings bank. He was married in April, 1883, to Belle, daughter of Capt. William Prince, a well-known river-man of Wheeling. They have two children: Myrtle B. and Chester P.
William W. Rogers, justice of the peace and pension and claim at- torney, of Wheeling, was born at Sharpsburg, Ky., June 6, 1842. The early home of his family was the Shenandoah valley, of which his grandfather, Charles S. Rogers, was a native. The latter was a gen- eral of the American army during the war of 1812, as was also the father of his wife, Weathers Smith. He was one of the pioneers of Bath county, Ky. His son, George W. Rogers, was a colonel of the Second Kentucky cavalry during the Mexican war, and at its close engaged in the iron business at the Bellefonte and Mandy furnaces, with T. J. Shreeve, at Louisville, Ky. Subsequently he was a partner of the firm of Shreeve & Tucker, bankers of that city. His wife, the mother of the subject of this mention, was Charlotte Carroll, a grand- daughter of " Charles Carroll, of Carrollton," one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and daughter of Dempsey Carroll, a na- tive of the Shenandoah valley and a pioneer of Mason county, Ky. William W. Rogers, at the beginning of the civil war, enlisted in April, 1861, in Company I, Second Kentucky cavalry, and remained in the service until July 17, 1865, when he was honorably discharged. His service was most honorable. Enlisting as a private, he was pro- moted second lieutenant for gallant and meritorious conduct, then captain, and then colonel by brevet, as which he was mustered out. He was wounded twice at Shiloh and twice at Bardstown, Ky., Oc- tober 4, 1863, at which latter engagement he was captured by Gen. Horton, but by reason of his wounds was paroled. His brother, Col. John G. Rogers, Tenth Kentucky cavalry, died of wounds at the close of the war in 1865. After his discharge Col. Rogers made his home at Cincinnati, and engaged in the produce business until 1870, when he removed to Bridgeport, Ohio. Here he was occupied in farming until 1877, when he came to Wheeling, and again entered upon the produce business, at which he was engaged until 1877. In the latter year he was elected to the office of justice of the peace, an office which
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he has filled with credit to himself and to the general satisfaction of the public, conducting in connection with it a pension and claim at- torneyship. Col. Rogers is a member of the P. O. S. of A., of which he is state president. In politics he has always been a staunch re- publican. He votes as he shot.
Allen Rose, notable among the contractors and carpenters who flourished during the early days of the cities and towns of the upper Ohio valley, was born in Somerset county, Penn., in 1801. He was reared in his native county, and was there married to Henrietta Brubaker, who was born in Somerset county in 1808. After learning the trade of carpentry in his native county, he removed to Mounds- ville, W. Va., and there engaged in contracting and building for a considerable period. Subsequently he removed to Wheeling, and carried on the same business until his retirement in 1880. His death occurred in 1884. His widow survives and has her residence at Wheeling. Fourteen children were born to these parents, five of whom are now living. One of these, Gilbert E. Rose, now a promi- nent business man of Wheeling, was born at that city De- cember 24, 1848. He was reared in the city and was educated in the public schools of the Fourth ward. In 1872 he began an apprentice- ship as a plumber with the firm of Dillon, Thompson & Co., with whom he learned the trade, at which he was subsequently engaged with other firms until 1885. He then formed a partnership in the same business with John S. Hamilton, establishing the house of Rose & Hamilton, which is still engaged in plumbing and gas and steam fitting, with their rooms at No. 19 Eleventh street. In 1870 Mr. Rose was married to Nora B., daughter of Robert Preston, of Wheeling, and they have had six children. Mr. and Mrs. Rose are members of the Zane Street . Methodist Episcopal church.
J. H. Rosenberg, a prominent contractor in stone construction and builder, of Wheeling, was born in Germany, November 15, 1828, the son of Gerhard Rosenberg and Gesine (Poppe) Rosenberg. He was reared in his native city of Bremen, and there served an apprentice- ship of five years as a stone cutter. In 1851 he came to America, and after remaining in the city of New York a year, worked at his trade as a journeyman in the principal cities of the United States until 1855, when he settled at Cincinnati, and embarked in the stone business on his own account. He was in business there until the close of the war. He was next engaged in sawing stone and quarrying at Portsmouth, Ohio, until 1877, when he removed to Wheeling, of which city he has since been a valued citizen. Here he was engaged in contracting and building, and has met with much success. One of his principal under- takings was the putting down of the flagging about the state house, now the city building of Wheeling. He erected the stone front of the building of Greer & Lang, on Main street, and supplied the stone work for the residence of A. W. Kelley on Twelfth street, and the Rogers block on Main street, and other important buildings. During the period he has been engaged in contracting he has also conducted for two years a stone sawing establishment. He moved to Ports-
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mouth in 1865, and was elected as county commissioner in 1868 for a term of three years. He made the plan and superintended a stone bridge there across what is called Carney's run, two miles below the town near the county infirmary.
August Rolf, a substantial and influential citizen of Wheeling, who is prominently connected with many of the leading and most credita- ble enterprises of the city, was born in the town of Polear, in the king- dom of Hanover, Germany, August 13, 1828. His parents were natives of the same place and his father and three brothers were connected with the extensive glass works at that town, of which his brother, the only other survivor of the family, is at present manager, a position he has held for forty years. Mr. Rolf learned the trade of a tailor in his native land, and after coming to the United States, and to Wheel- ing, in 1846, he continued to follow his trade. In 1850 he went to New Orleans, but returned to this city in the following year. Previous to the war he was a member of a volunteer militia company, as first lieu- tenant, and was ordered by Gov. Wise to Charleston, Va., to be pres- ent at the execution of John Brown. The same company, after the outbreak of the war, offered its services to the government to put down the rebellion, and became Company C, of the Second West Virginia infantry, with Mr. Rolf as first lieutenant, and much of the time in command of the company Mr. Rolf served as first lieutenant until the fall of 1862, when he resigned and returned to Wheeling. Subsequently he has devoted his energies to manufacturing and other enterprises of importance. Early in the history of the Central Glass company, he became a stockholder, and for about eighteen years he has served as a director. Of the German Fire Insurance company, he was one of the organizers, and was a director from the beginning, and has since 1883, held the office of treasurer. He was one of the founders of the German bank, and served as a director of the same until about 1881, and is a stockholder and director of the National bank of West Virginia. In the spring of 1883, he joined with others in the purchase of Wheeling Park, and is now vice president and gen- eral manager for the association, and he is also interested in the State Fair association, as a director To notice briefly some of the other enterprises with which he is connected it may be said that he is direc- tor of the West Virginia Printing company, vice president of the West Virginia China company, a stockholder in the Benwood Iron company, and one of the organizers and present directors of the Fos-" toria (Ohio) Nickle Plate Glass works. Socially, Mr. Rolf and family are highly esteemed. He was married in 1860, to Lena Wagner, who died in 1864, leaving one son, and in 1865, he was wedded to Mary Rodenburg, of Wheeling, by whom he has had three children, two of whom are living. George C., his eldest, is one of the book-keepers at the Central Glass works, William A., is assistant secretary and book- keeper at the Nickle Plate Glass works at Fostoria, and the youngest is Amelia C. In public affairs Mr. Rolf has taken an honorable part as a member of the city council and of the board of county commis- sioners, and as president at one time of the city gas board. His
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career has been one based upon inherent and masterful qualities of manhood, rather than inherited wealth and fortunate circumstances, and his talent for affairs and honorable success have made him one of the popular men of the city.
The subject of this sketch was born March 23, A. D. 1855, at Brownsville, Monroe Co., Ohio. His father's name is Christian San- der, who was born January 25, 1825, and moved to Brownsville in 1854, the present place of abode, who has been postmaster at Jolly postoffice for twenty-three years, notary public for twenty-one years, taught two terms of public school, and superintendent of the Metho- dist Episcopal Sabbath-school for twenty-eight years. He was mar- ried July 1, 1847, to Mary E. Goss, who was born December 20, 1826. Christian Sander, the subject of this sketch, received a good educa- tion, and a good business training in his father's store, and also a re- ligious training at home, which has been a palladium in his trying days of young manhood. In 1868 he joined the Methodist Episcopal church, and for the last ten years he has been a member of the Fourth Street Methodist Episcopal society. Mr. Sander was united in the holy bonds of matrimony, May 16, 1889, to Ida May Hibberd. She was born February 20, 1868, and is the youngest daughter of George V. Hibberd and Sabina (Redman) Hibberd. Mr. Hibberd was born September 10, 1837, at Philadelphia, Penn., and is by occupation a plumber. To Mr. and Mrs. Sander were born, April 19, 1890, twin boys, one of whom died when nine days old. Mr. Sander conducts a grocery store on the corner of Wood and Eighteenth streets, Wheel- ing, W. Va. The establishment over which he presides was origin- ally established July6, 1880, at 118 Eighteenth street. By his thorough business ability, as well as his sterling integrity, his stock of goods has always been complete. In the fall of 1884 he bought a two-story corner brick house, in which he moved, April 1, 1885, which he occu- pies for a store and dwelling.
Frederick Schaefer, a well-known citizen of Wheeling, where he has been in business many years as a contractor in stone masonry, was born in Germany in 1823. In 1848 he was married to Charlotte Schwertpfeger, and immediately afterward they started for the New World, accompanied by the parents of each and the families of the latter. They were induced to come mainly by the persuasions of Charles Schwertpfeger, who had preceded them to this country. In the old country Mr. Schaefer had learned the trade of stone mason, and had been engaged in contracting there, and this he continued in after arriving at Wheeling. He was a member of Zion's German Lutheran church and was highly esteemed. His death occurred June 18, 1865. There survive him his widow, and one daughter and three sons. The daughter, Louisa, is the wife of Louis Delbrugge, chief of police, and the sons are Fred F. Gustav, who is a prominent carpenter of Wheeling, and Henry. Fred F., the eldest son, is now one of the prominent cigar manufacturers and dealers of the city. He was born at Wheeling in 1854, and was educated in the public schools of the city as well as in private institutions, and also took a.
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course in Wheeling Commercial college. At about the age of fifteen years, he began to learn cigar making, and continuing in the business, embarked in the manufacture on his own account in 1878. He con- tinued to do business alone until about 1886, when a partnership was formed by the admission of his brother, Henry Schaefer. The firm of Schaefer Bros., at their place of business, at the corner of Twenty- second and Market streets, manufacture a general line of cigars and stogies, and keep a full stock of tobaccos and smokers' merchandise. Mr. Schaefer is a member of Zion's Lutheran church, and is one of the popular citizens of the south side.
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