USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > Memorial record of the county of Cuyahoga and city of Cleveland, Ohio, Pt.1 > Part 12
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D AVID R. AND DAVIS HAWLEY, pro- prietors of the Hawley House, Cleve- land, are two of the best known hotel- men of the city, having been connected with the hotel business of this place for the past twenty-eight years. No two men in the city, perhaps, have a larger acquaintance among the traveling public. Embarking in hotel life while in their 'teens they naturally grew into the business until they assimilated, as it were, in their very natures all the elements that con- stitute the true type of a modern hotel-man, for which very few are well fitted.
When they first came to this city, in 1866, they seeured employment in the Weddell House, then condneted by the Kirkwood Brothers, D. R in the dining-room and Davis as cigar boy. After a time the former secured employment at the City Hotel as steward, and later as clerk, until 1871, when he purchased the old Clinton Hotel, entering into partnership with A. M. Lowe. In 1878 he placed the man- agement of that honse in the hands of his brother Davis, who was by this time clerking For him. He then purchased the City Hotel and gave his attention to its management; but he soon disposed of this property and bought. the Striebinger Hotel, which he soon afterward Hold.
In 1882 the two brothers, in company with John Langton, erected the Hawley House, which institution had long been their "cher- ished dream." Their desire was to erect and own one of the best hotel buildings in the city, and they had postponed the fulfilhnent of it for a long time on account of the over-eantionsness of some of their friends who advised against it. It was therefore with some misgivings that they embarked in this heavy financial responsi- bility, but their snecess has proven the correct- ness of their judgment, for never has a month gone by since the house was opened when a good showing was not made on the favorable side of the ledger. The house has been under the immediate supervision of the brothers ever since its opening, and thus its good manage- ment has been uniformly assured.
The Hawley brothers came to Cleveland poor boys and among entire strangers; but they had the courage and sound business judgment that have prospered them and placed them in easy circumstances; and to say that loyalty to the best interests of Cleveland has been constantly one of their first thoughts would be superfluous to the citizens.
They were born on a farm in Upper Canada, the sons of Davis and Amelia (Lake) Hawley, native Canadians. Their father died in 1863, and their mother in 1868. They spent their boyhood days on the farm with their parents, David R. nutil he was eighteen years of age, and Davis until fourteen. The elder went to Rochester, New York, and obtained employ- ment in the Clinton Hotel, where he remained until he came to this city, in 1866. Ile was born April 20, 1843, and has been twice mar- ried,-first in 1867, to Miss Mary Morey, who died in 1878, leaving two sons,-Charles and Frank. For his second wife he married, in 1892, Miss Nellie Ronse. Mr. and Mrs. D. R. Hawley reside on Sibley street.
Mr. Davis Hawley was born September 18, 1850, and on leaving home at the age of four- teen years first went to Detroit, Michigan, where he was employed until 1866, when he
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came to Cleveland, as before stated. After being cigar boy at the Weddell House three years, he entered the employ of the White Sew- ing machine Company, in their shops, for three years, when he became clerk for his brother at the old Clinton House. He remained in that relation there, sharing the profits, until the erection of the Hawley House in 1882. In Freemasonry he is a member of the Cleveland City Lodge, No 15, of Webb Chapter, No. 14, Oriental Commandery, No. 12, Cleveland Coun- cil, No. 32, and also of the Masonie Club, of this city. He was one of the organizers of the Cuyahoga Building and Loan Company, of Cleveland, in 1863, of which he was eleeted first vice-president and a member of the board of directors and also a member of the executive and appraisal committees. Of this company he is one of the main faetors. Being a lover of good sport, he also aided in the organization of the Cleveland Base Ball Club, to which he has now for six years given much attention, being secretary of tho club; and he was also one of the organizers of the Cleveland Athletic Club, of which he is one of the directors.
lle was married in November, 1873, to Miss Mary Switz, of this city, and they have one child, named Davis, Jr. This family resides at the hotel.
In 1890, on the death of Mr. Langton, the brothers assumed full control of the hotel. Besides their possession of the hotel property, the Hawley brothers have invested a consider- able amount in real estate elsewhere in the city. They are members of the Cleveland Hotel- keepers' Association.
UKE BRENNAN, the oldest active resi- dent contractor in the city of Cleveland and a gentleman who has paved more miles of streets, built more rods of sewer and cleaned a greater number of streets than any other one man, came to Cleveland in 1853. He brought with him enough capital for buying a
team and set to work supplying himself with material to be used in completing his contracts for both pavement and sewer, which he seeured. lIe did the work on many of the largest con- traets let and many of the streets he has paved twice, including Superior and Broadway. For many years he was given the contract for all street cleaning and street improvement of the entire eity.
Mr. Brennan came from Brooklyn, Con- neetient, where he located on coming to the United States in 1849. He was without eapi- tal except an industrions nature and an active, muscular body. He hired himself ont as a farm land, and being economical saved up sufli- cient in five years to start himself in business in Cleveland, and his progress in the city has been most satisfactory. Ile is unusually fortunate in the figuring on contracts, and of building, receiving them in many instanees at a figure which has enabled him to sublet and still reap a handsome margin.
Mr. Brennan is probably as widely known as any man in the city, from the nature of his business. He is most easily approached and an interesting gentleman, when he has leisure time. Two incidents in his life of special inter- est we will mention here, one demonstrating the luck of some men, and the other demonstrating Mr. Brennan's sympathy with injured human- ity. Some years ago a eannon target praetiee was given in Cleveland, presided over by the light artillery, when a prize of $150 was offered for the one hitting the "bull's eye" at a three- fourths mile range. Mr. Brennan happened along, paid for a shot, made mental calculation as to his sight, fired, and although unused to fire-arms, his ball struck the target and won the money.
In 1880, while taking a journey, Mr. Bren- nan overheard a detective planning with an ae- complice to secure the conviction of a prisoner named Welch, accused of murder at Fremont, Ohio. It transpired finally that through man- Factured testimony, Welch was convicted and sentenced to be hanged, for all which the de-
J. C. Shields.
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tective was to receive 83,000. As the day of exeention came nearer, Mr. Brennan became more and more convinced that an innocent man, thongh a bad citizen, was abont to suffer death, and he determined to prevent it by repeating to Governor Foster the conversation with his female companion in the train. He went to Column- bus, was introdneed to the Governor, told him his seeret and Me. Welch's sentence was com- mited to life imprisonment.
Mr. Breman has visited Ireland twice since he left it in 1849, the last time taking with him his wife and daughter, dining with the Lord Mayor of Dublin, who married a consin, a Miss Brennan.
Mr. Brennan was a son of Ennis Brennan, who came to Cleveland in 1862, and died here in 1872, aged sixty-five. His wife was Ellen Gavican, who died in 1884, aged eighty-four years. They were from county Roscommon, Ireland, where Mr. Brennan, onr subject, was born, in October, 1830.
In April, 1852, Mr. Brennan married Cathe- rine Barlow, from his own connty in Ireland. Their children are: Frank, deceased; Hubert, deceased; Anna, wife of Charles M. Le Blond, of Cleveland; John F., who married Miss Lil- lian Ohlemacher, of Sandusky, Ohio; Teresa, wife of Charles P. O'Reilly, of Cleveland; and Georgie, Joseph, Mary Ellen and Luke died in infaney.
Mr. Brennan is an active member of the Knights of St. John, and was a delegate to the Catholic convention in Baltimore in 1890.
D R. DANIEL HEIMLICH, a physician and surgeon of Cleveland, was born in this eity, October 4, 1867, a son of Abra- ham and Clara Heimlich, natives of Austria, but now residents of Cleveland. In 1885 our subject graduated at the West high school, four years afterward completed the course at Adel- bert College, and in 1892 graduated in the Medical Department of the Western Reserve
University. He then went to Europe, and at- tended medieal lectures in Berlin, Vienna, Lon- dou and other large cities, also studied under the best instructors of the continent. Dr. Heim- lich returned to this city in 1893, and has since been engaged in the active practice of medicine and surgery, having an office at 521 Woodland avenne. His residence is located on the West Side, where he has resided for nineteen years. In 1893 he became the Democratic candidate for Coroner, and was elected by a very large majority, having run much ahead of his ticket. Dr. Heimlich was a student of Dr. Gustav C. E. Weber, of this city. He is a member of the Cleveland (Ohio) Medical Association, and is physician for the II. B. & S. U. Society. He is well read in his studies, and stands high in his profession.
I OSEPHI C. SIHIELDS, Treasurer of Cuya, hoga county, was born in New Alexandria, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, in the year 1827. His parents were John and Elizabeth (Skiles) Shields, both natives of Penn- sylvania, his father being of Irish and his mother of German descent. He served as a private in the war of 1812. The paternal grand- father of our subjeet was a Colonial soldier of the Revolution.
Joseph C. Shields was given a fair common- school education, and served an apprenticeship of five years and eight months at the trade of tanner and currier, which trade he followed for a period of two years after serving an appren- ticeship. He then went to Pittsburg, Penn- sylvania in 1845, and there followed the trade of mechanie till the spring of 1852, when he eame to Cleveland to accept a position as hotel clerk, which position he gave up some nino months later in order to accept employment in the service of the Cleveland Transfer Company, with whom he was engaged till September, 1853. Next he was in the employ of the Cleve- land & Toledo Railroad Company until the fall
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of 1858, when he went to Central America to superintend a stage line across the isthinus of Tehnantepec. He was engaged there till the winter of 1860, when he accepted employment from the Adams Express Company at New. Or- leans. In April, 1861, he again entered the service of the Cleveland & Toledo Railroad Company.
In the same year Mr. Shields enlisted as a private in the Cleveland Light Artillery, and after an army service of three months he again took up railroading. In July, 1862, he re- ernited the Nineteenth Ohio Battery, better known as "Shields' Battery," with which he left for the seat of war October 6, 1862. This battery was engaged in upward of fifty fights and skirmishes, some of the most important be- ing Rocky-Face Ridge, Resaca, Dallas, Pine mountain, Stone mountain, Kenesaw mountain, Atlanta, Jonesborough, Lovejoy Station, Frank- lin, Nashville and others. The battery was ordered to North Carolina from Nashville by way of Washington, reaching Washington with the close of the war. The battery returned home to Cleveland, where they were mustered out of the service June 27, 1865, Mr. Shields with rank of Captain.
Upon the close of the war he again took up railroading on the same road where he was formerly employed, and for several years was master of transportation, and then for seven- teen years he was a passenger conductor.
In August, 1886, he entered the County Treasurer's office as a deputy, and as such served until he was elected Connty Treasurer as the Republican candidate in the fall of 1889; and to this office he was re-elected in the fall of 1891, his second term expiring in September, 1894.
Mr. Shields is a member of the Forest City Post, G. A. R., of which he served two years as Commander. He is also a member of the Cuya- hoga County Soldiers' & Sailors' Union, Loyal Legion, and other societies pertaining to soldiers. In many ways he has been prominently con- nected with publie measures, both social and
political. In 1867-'68 he served as a member of the City Council for Cleveland, and he has long since held a very high station in the es- teem and confidence of his fellow-citizens.
In 1862 Mr. Shields married Miss Ellen S. Crawford: they have no children.
P ERRY II. BABCOCK, senior member of the wholesale grocery house of Babcock, Hurd & Company, of Cleveland, Ohio, was born at Ravenna, Portage county, Ohio, January 23, 1816, the son of Ahnon and Mary (Collins) Babcock. His father was born at West Granville, Massachusetts, November 9, 1788, the son of Perry and Cynthia (Hickox) Babcock; and Perry Babcock was born at Wes- terly, Rhode Island, in 1765, and was the son of Jonathan and Snsanna ( Perry) Babcock; Jona- than Babcock was born also at Westerly, Nov- ember 19, 1735, the son of David and Dorcas (Brown) Babcock; David was born at Sonth Kingston, Rhode Island, December 22, 1700, the son of George and Elizabeth (Hall) Babcock; George was a native also of South Kingston, born in 1674, the son of John and Mary (Law- ton) Babcock; John Babcock was born at P'lym- outh, Massachusetts, in 1644. He was a " free- man" in 1669, "conservator of the peace" in 1678, and "deputy" in 1682-'84. He was the son of James Babcock, of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, who was born in England in 1612, and landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in July 1621. Ile was admitted an "inhabitant" in 1642, and a "freeman" in 1655. IIe was twice mar- ried.
Almon Babcock left Granville, Massachusetts, in 1810, and came to Charlestown, Portage county, Ohio, as agent for his father, one of the members of the Charlestown Land Company. In 1814 he married Miss Mary, the only dangh- ter of Robert Johnson Collins, of Rootstown, Portage county, Ohio, she being on her mother's side a descendant From the old and well-known family of Wadsworths of Hartford, Connecticut.
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HIe was an active and enterprising man and stir- ring character in his day, in the new Western Reserve. In the war of 1812 he served under General Wadsworth, and afterward settled in Ravenna, and made that place his home during the remainder of his life. Hle built the first brick house in Ravenna, and opened a hotel, which soon became a favorite stopping place on the stage ronte between Cleveland and Pitts- burg. IIe also ran a blacksmith shop and owned a l'arm. Ilis death occurred in 1850.
Mr. Perry II. Babcock was given a good com- mon-school education, and learned the black- smith's trade in his father's shop at Ravenna. In 1839, while working at this trade, he met with an accident, and during the enforced idleness which followed he accepted an invitation to make a trip to Cincinnati as the guest of D. D. and D. McDonald, owner of a flat-boat. This trip required thirty days, quite a contrast be- tween then and now, when the same distance can be made by rail in a few hours' time.
During this trip Mr. Babcock was impressed with the possibilities of the profits that might be earned in the forwarding and commission business, and determined at no distant day to put his ideas into practice; and it was probably this trip, intended as one of pleasure, that changed the whole course of his life; and it may be said that the accident, regretted at the time, turned him from the blacksmith-shop to the busy marts of commerce, and made possible the success of after life, making him a successful merchant instead of a skilled mechanic.
While in Cincinnati he engaged as a elerk in a wholesale grocery house, and remained in that city until 1841, when he returned to Ravenna. The following year he hired a boat and brought a load of coal from the Briar Hill mines (now Youngstown), owned by Tod & Stambangh, which was the first load of coal ever brought from those mines to Ravenna. (The senior member of the above firm, David Tod, was after- ward Governor of Ohio.) Previous to that time coal From the Tallmadge mines in Summit county had been used at Ravenna.
Mr. Babcock remained at Ravenna until 1845, during the season of which year he was in Pitts- burg, forwarding goods through to the lakes in connection with Hubby and Inghes of Cleve- land. Then, owing to his recent marriage, he, in the spring of 1846, removed to Aurora, Ohio, where he engaged in business with Hnrd & Sons, Mr. Hurd being his father-in-law. The firm was engaged in the general mercantile busi- ness peenliar in those days. His work was en- tirely on the outside, attending to the purchases, while Mr. Hurd attended to the inside business.
Mr. Inrd was a splendid business man, a "natural-born" gentleman, and was one of the most popular men of Aurora. The firm con- tinned at Aurora until 1853, and then removed to Cleveland in order to seenre a larger field for operations, and formed the partnership of Bab- cock, Hurd & Company. Altogether this firm has been in existence forty-eight years, and thus Mr. Babcock is a member of one of the oldest houses in northern Ohio.
The commission business was linally dropped by this company, and they confined themselves to the wholesale grocery business exclusively. George Babcock, a son of the subject of this sketch, became a member of this firm in 1865, and remained a member until his death in 1883. Hopson Hard, Jr., died March 31, 1890. At the present time the firm is composed of Perry Il. Babcock (whose name heads this sketch), his son Charles, HI. A. Bishop, MeClellan Hard, son of Elisha Hurd, and Harry C. Hurd, son of Hopson Hard, Jr. The place of business is at Nos. 102-4-6, Water street, corner of St. Clair street.
In 1852 the firm of II. Hurd & Son, which was in reality the predecessors of the present firm of Babcock, Hurd & Company, made the largest cheese ever made in Ohio, weighing 1,000 pounds. It was made for the State fair held at Cleveland in that year, and there being no competition in the cheese industry at that fair, and as there was some jealousy existing in Cleveland toward ontside towns, no preminm was awarded for it. It was sold, at 12} couts
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a pound, to Alden Pease, of Portage county, who sent it to St. Louis for the holiday market.
In 1843 Mr. Babcock was married to Maria, daughter of Hopson Hurd, Sr., of Aurora. Her death occurred in 1882, and Jannary 30, 1881, Mr. Babcock was married to Miss Caroline Baldwin, a daughter of the late Frederick Bald- win of Indson, Summit county, Ohio.
Few of Cleveland's citizens have inet with greater success or attained a more prominent position in mercantile circles than has Mr. Bab- cock. For nearly half a century he has been closely identified with the business interests of Cleveland and northern Ohio, and his career has been a steady march onward and upward. He is yet in the prime of his mental and physical energy, retains an unabated interest in his business, and is punetual in his office hours. He has been a director of the National City Bank since 1874, and vice president of that in- stitution since 1876. He is a life member of the Western Reserve Historical Society, and takes a deep interest in the work of this organ- ization. In business and private life he com- mands the friendship and respect of all who know him. He is quiet and modest in bearing, qniek in his perceptions and decided in his movements, upwright in his dealings, and a typical business man, to whom success has come because he has put forth that energy and de- termination that forced it.
A RTIIUR B. FOSTER .- We are now per- mitted to direct attention to one of the distinctively representative business men of Cleveland, one who has been a resi- dent of the city for nearly a quarter of a cen- tury, and who is intimately concerned with cer- tain of her most important industrial enter- prises.
Onr subjeet comes from a line of ancestors who have been identified with the interests of America from the carly Colonial period, repre- sentatives of the family having been activo
participants in war of the Revolution. The father of our subject was C. R. Foster, who was for many years engaged in the merchant tailor- ing business at Garrettsville, Portage county, Ohio. He was born in 1823 and died at the age of sixty-five years; his wife passed away in 1869, at the age of thirty eight years.
Arthur B. Foster was born at Garrettsville, Ohio, December 14, 1844, and was reared in his native town, completing his education at the Nelson Academy, at which he graduated in 1861.
In 1862, a youth of cigliteen years, he en- listed in the One Hundred and Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as a musician, and served for three years, receiving his discharge at Cleveland, in 1865. Hle thereupon returned home and engaged in business with his father, and continued this association for a period of five years. He then came to Cleveland and en- gaged with the Domestic Sewing Machine Com- pany as a traveling agent, remaining thus em- ployed until 1878, when he was advanced to the position in charge of the wholesale oflice as local manager. From 1882 until 1890 he had charge of the western department of the com- pany's business, as general manager, finally re- signing this preferment and identifying himself with the National Screw & Tack Company, of which he became president. In May, 1890, he severed his connection with the enterprise noted and purchased the controlling interest in the stock of the Cleveland Electric Manufacturing Company, of which he is vice-president, treasurer and general manager. Ile is also president of the Cleveland Trunk Company, and has other business interests of representative order. The Cleveland Electric Manufacturing Company was organized in 1880 and was duly incorpo- rated with a capital stoek of $100,000, ex-Mayor W. G. Rose being the first president of the eor- poration. The company was organized for the purpose of manufacturing and putting on the market the American watchman's time de- tector, the first device of the kind in which nso was made of electricity. The prosent company
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own and control the patents on this invention, which has met with the most favorable re- ception, the business of the company ramilying into all sections of the Union and also into for- eign countries. There are more of these de- tectors in nse than of all others combined. The company manufacture all their own goods, a corps of seventy-five operatives being retained in the manufacturing department.
Mr. Foster is prominently identified with the Masonic order, being Past-Commander of the Knights Templar, and is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce. In his political proelivities he is a Republican, maintaining a consistent interest in the issues of the day.
The marriage of our subject occurred in 1865, when he was united to Miss Belle Wright, a daughter of A. J. Wright, a well-known resi- dent of Tolland, Connecticut.
F RED C. EMDE, Supervisor of the Di- vision of Cemeteries in the Department of Charities and Correction of the City of Cleveland, was born in this city September 18, 1863. His parents came to this country from Germany early in the '50s, and have ever since been residents of Cleveland. His mother, how- over, died a few years ago; and his father, who until that time was a merchant, retired from business, in which relation he still continues.
Mr. Emde, the subject proper of this sketch, was educated at the German Intheran schools in this city, and at the age of thirteen was ap- prenticed to A. T. Townsend, at that time a prominent druggist here, and became a practi- cal pharmacist. Striking out at the age of eighteen, he traveled extensively, employed in his profession in various large cities, notably at New Orleans, Louisiana, where he remained a number of years. Returning to his native city, after an absence of abont five years, he was em- ployed by 1. 6. Biddle for a few years, and then, in 1889, went into business for himself, which he conducted very successfully until ap-
pointed to his present position, the duties of which were such that to attend to them he had to retire temporarily from other business. He is now having a block built on East Prospect street, where, when his teri as Cemetery Supervisor expires, he intends to open again a first-class pharmacy.
In his political principles Mr. Emde has al- ways been an ardent Democrat, being a regular attendant as delegate to city, county and State conventions, and was appointed to his present position May 1, 1893, by Director W. J. Me- Kinie, as a reward for competency and party service. In his fraternal relations he is a mem- ber of Forest City Lodge and Cleveland Chapter oľ Masons, and of the Knights of Pythias.
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