USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > History of the city of Columbus, capital of Ohio, Volume I > Part 119
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On leaving the army, he resumed his medical studies, which had been broken off by the fortunes of war. In 1871 he graduated and received the degree of Doctor of Medicine from the University of the City of New York. In 1873 he located in Columbus, and began the practice of his profession, which he has con- tinued without interruption to the present time. He held the position of City Physician for two terms. He was also honored with the appointment of the Governor of Ohio to represent the State in the Convention of National Charities, held at Boston, Massachusetts. He is at present the local Surgeon of the Baltimore & Ohio Railway, and also of the Travellers' Accident Company. He has taken a lively and effectual interest in the affairs of the Grand Army of the Republic; is a member of J. C. McCoy Post, Number 1, Department of Ohio;
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has presided over the Post as its Commander; has been twice honored by the Post as Delegate to the Department Encampment, and was elected a Delegate of the Department of Ohio, to represent it in the National Encampment, which met in the City of Washington in 1892, and is at present a member of the Staff of the National Commander in Chief of the Grand Army.
Doctor Kroesen has been for many years affiliated with many of the society organizations which are well known in all communities. He is a member of the Independent Order of Red Men ; of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; of the Order of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, of the Supreme Council for the United States of America, their Territories and Dependencies, of which Supreme Council he is an active member, of the Thirtythird and last degree. He is also a member of the Royal Masonic Rite, in which he has attained the ninetyfifth degree.
In all the relations of life Doctor Kroesen maintains an upright walk and conversation. He carries along with him, in all his affairs, the same zeal and devotion to the right and the true, as he conceives them, which characterized his early devotion of himself to the cause of his beloved country. He is genuine, reliable and faithful ; an exemplary citizen ; a successful and beloved physician, a generons, affectionate and devoted friend. A life of usefulness and honor, so intelligently and devotedly entered upon in youth and maintained to the present, still opens before him, more widely and welcoming than ever, the prosperities and the rewards which, when truly earned, are faithfully awarded.
OSCAR G. PETERS
[Portrait opposite page 152, Volume II.]
Was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, April 6, 1842. When he was three years of age the family moved to Columbus and lived for several years on South High Street, in the old family homestead near Fulton Street. While he was still quite young a house was bought on the corner of Long and Front streets, "away out in the country." Here the mishaps of boyhood were encountered, and here the developments of a shrewd business career began to manifest themselves. His inclination to earn money led him when about twelve years of age. while still attending school, to seek employment as an errandboy mornings and evenings and Saturdays, his first engagement being with A. H. Sells, next with Henry Plimpton, both in the millinery business.
During the Fremont presidential campaign, 1856, he earned money selling peanuts and apples, and probably was the first newsboy in Columbus, as he sold on the street daily and weekly papers and monthly magazines, thus early showing a natural tendency to a business career. Grammar and High School studies were mastered and at the age of fifteen he went to work in bis stepfather's tan yard breaking bark for the mills. Three weeks sufficed to satisfy his mind that there were better avocations for him, and he decided to take a course in the Commer- cial College, and improved rapidly in double entry bookkeeping, graduating in six months. Anxious to practice his newly acquired knowledge, he accepted the first
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position tendered him in the tinware house of P. B. Doddridge, on High near Town Street. Instead of bookkeeping, his energies were utilized for doing chores and working at the bench. This was so foreign to his tastes that he left the place after nine weeks of humiliation and discouragement, and soon after went into the grocery store of Godfrey M. Robinson, who treated him with respect and con- sideration, and permitted him to keep books, to the complete satisfaction of both the employer and employé.
A little more than a year sufficed to enable the young man to outgrow the business, and he found a larger field in the Brotherlin, Halm & Company's furni- ture manufacturing business as bookkeeper. Eighteen months later he was ten- dered the position of clerk with his uncle, Nathaniel Merion, who was Commissary of Subsistence in the United States Army (volunteer service). On the resigna- tion of Captain Merion, eight months afterwards, Mr. Peters closed the accounts without the loss of one dollar. He took the same position under Captain George Evans, remaining one year. At this time, at the age of twentyone, he was mar- ried to Alice E. Heckler. Two children were born of this union, the daughter died in infancy, and the son is now attending the University of Michigan. He then accompanied Captain William A. Murfey to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, as chief clerk, under whose administration he commanded the highest salary that was then paid to a government accountant in the Commissary Department. This post was one of the largest and most important dépots for subsistence supplies in the country.
At the close of the war, after four years' service, Mr. Peters returned to Columbus, and became bookkeeper for the wholesale firm of Kelton, Bancroft & Company. Several months later he opened a retail grocery store. His success was marked, and he was obliged to move into larger quarters on the corner of High and Chestnut streets. Eight years of close application made him a small competeney, which was merged into the Peters' Dash & Columbus Buggy Com- pany, where his ability as a business man and expert accountant proved invalu- able in helping to build up the largest manufacturing plant for light vehicles in the world.
CLINTON D. FIRESTONE. [Portrait opposite page 160.]
Mr. Firestone's father, a pioneer of Ohio, settled near Canton, Stark County, and by his toil and energy became the possessor of an excellent farm. Here on November twelfth, 1848, the subject of our sketch was born and spent his early life -- following in due time the usual custom of getting instruction from the coun- try school in winter, and in the summer working upon the farm. His surround- ings were such as to develop that intelligent and untiring energy which forms the basis of success. Working upon the farm and attending to the stock, the boy was, irne to the old adage, the father of the man.
In May, 1864, at the age of fifteen, he entered the Union Army and served until the close of the war. After leaving the army he spent several years in
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school at the Beaver Academy, Beaver, Pennsylvania, and the Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania.
Believing that there were more openings for young men of pluck and energy in the. West, he located at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, accepting a position as time- keeper of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad, theu being con- structed, and soon rose to be chief clerk of the engineering corps, and general accountant of the Construction Company.
In 1870 he returned to Columbus, and became engaged in the manufacture of vehicles, which industry at that time was in its infancy. In 1876, he, with his associates organized the Columbus Buggy Company, and with energy and push they have made this Company one of the largest in the world, and the name " Columbus Buggy Company" is a household word throughout the civilized world.
Mr. Firestone might well find sufficient ground for pride in a business to the success and greatness of which he has so largely contributed by his energy and perseverance. His activities, however, cover a much wider field than this, while his high character as a citizen is attested by the honors that have been heaped upon him.
' In 1884 he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention that nomi- nated Hon. James G. Blaine as the candidate for President of the United States, and the same year he represented the Ohio Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the General Conference that was held in Philadelphia. He was Presi- dent of the Columbus Board of Trade in 1889, and the same year was one of the Commissioners who represented the State of Ohio at the Washingtou Centen- nial held in New York City April 29.
He is at the present time a Trustee of the Chautauqua University, and a Director of the Commercial National Bank, The Columbus Gas Light & Coke Company, The Columbus Natural Gas Company, and the Columbus Street Rail- road Company.
ERRATA.
Page III. Contents, fifth line, read "Algonquins " for "Aglonquins."
Page VIII, list of illustrations, read "796" for "792," opposite to " Wesley Chapel."
Page 53, twelfth line, read " land " for " lands."
Page 405, eighth line from bottom, read "Jarvis " for " Javis."
Page 406, twentyfirst line. omit "per annum."
Page 407, fifth line, read "Sullivant" for " Sullivan."
Page 410, last line, insert " no " after " will."
Page 582, fifteenth line, read " prove" for proves."
Page 604, nineteenth line, read " Josiah Scott," for "Joseph Scott."
Page 618, seventh line, instead of "those valleys" read "the valleys of the Ohio and the Mississippi."
Page 622, fifth line from bottom, instead of " was" read " were."
Page 628, eleventh line fron bottom, after "states " insert a comma.
Page 629, twelfth line from bottom, instead of "pecular " read " peculiar," and in sixth line from bottom, instead of "and " read " than."
Page 630, sixth line from bottom, instead of " to the east and south " read "to the lands east and south."
Page 636, instead of " Cozeau " read "Cazean."
Page 638, seventeenth line, instead of " by him " read "by his heirs."
Page 641, seventh line, instead of " the sale of Starling " read "the sale to Starling; " in the ninth line, instead of "and in the United States Court." read "and another in the United States Court ; " in the eleventh line from the bottom, instead of " Strawbridge to MeDowell," read " Strawbridge by McDowell ; " in ninth line from bottom, instead of "John Strawbridge " read " James Strawbridge."
Page 643, tenth line, after " seven and a half aeres," insert a comma.
Page 644, fifth line from the bottom, instead of " 1881," read " 1851."
Page 647, twentyfirst line, instead of " north western" read " north eastern."
Page 650, twentythird line, instead of " 1804" read "1824;" in twentyfourth line, instead of " orginial," read "original."
Page 655, ninth line, instead of " from and to " read " from " and " to."
Page 656, fourteenth line, instead of "1836" read "1830;" in twentysecond line, after " maintained " insert a comma ; in thirtythird line, omit the word " adverse."
Page 657, last line, instead of " commensurate with " read " sufficient for."
Page 658, tenth line, instead of "reality." read "realty; " in the fifteenth line instead of "twentyfive hundred," read "twentyfive hundred dollars; " in seventeenth line, instead of " sixtyfour hundred " read " sixtyfour hundred dollars."
Page 753, read folio as "753" instead of "375."
Page 899, second line read "opposite page 480" instead of " 408."
Page 901. eighth line read "was " for "were."
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