USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > Memorial record of the county of Cuyahoga and city of Cleveland, Ohio, Pt.1 > Part 29
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Dr. Eyman was married September 12, 1880, in Fairfield county, to Miss Lestia, a danghter of Warren Dern, a stock dealer of New Salem, Ohio, and a native of Pennsylvania. Dr. and Mrs. Eyman have an only child, Ethel; born August 23, 1881.
C D. ELLIS, M. D., a physician and sur- geon at No. 433 Pearl street, Cleveland, was born in Christian county, Kentucky, August 6, 1860, a son of William and Anna, (Harrison) Ellis, natives respectively of Mary- land and Kentucky. In early life the father was engaged at the tailor's trade, later, at the breaking out of the late war, opened a general supply store at Hopkinsville, Kentucky, which he continued until 1878, and in that year be- came owner and manager of the Hopkinsville Flouring Mills. The latter was destroyed by fire in the fall of 1882. Mr. Ellis then became the first manufacturer of artificial ice in that part of the State, which business is still con- ducted by his son, F. L. Ellis. During the late war, he was a stanch Union man. He has served as Councilman of Hopkinsville eight terms, and is in every way a most worthy and highly es- teemed citizen. He is now eighty-three years of age. Mrs. Ellis died in 1885, at the age of sixty-four years.
C. D. Ellis, M. D., the youngest in a family of four children, all now living, attended the public schools of Hopkinsville, completed the studies in the Hopkinsville high school, and graduated in the class of 1883. After spend- ing eighteen months in the practice of medicine at Emporia, Kansas, Dr. Ellis camo to Cleve- land in 1885. In addition to his general prac- tice, he is professor of Osteology and Minor Surgery in the Cleveland University of Medi- cine and Surgery, also Visiting Physician and Secretary of the Advisory Board in the Homeo- pathie Hospital, a lecturer in the Training School for Nurses, and President of the Hahne-
mann Society. Surgical clinie is held by tho Doctor every Friday afternoon at the college throughout the year.
He was married in 1883, to Miss Effie Ca- hoon, a daughter of Thomas and Lizzie Cahoon, who reside at 371 Franklin avenne, Cleveland. His father has been Conneilman of this city. Mrs. Ellis died in 1888, at the age of twenty- seven years, having been a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church. In 1890 the Doc- tor was united in marriage with Miss May B., a danghter of Capt. George and Mary Warner, of this city. Mrs. Ellis is a member of the St. John's Episcopal Church. In his social rela- tions, the Doctor is a member of the Royal Arcanum, the Golden Chain, the Homeopathic Round Table Club, and was formerly Treasurer of the State Homeopathic Medical Society, of which he is now a member. In political mat- ters, he is identified with the Republican party.
D R. STANLEY L. THORPE, a physician and surgeon of Cleveland, was born in Sandusky, Ohio, February 28, 1851, a son of Dr. Frederick S. and Mary (Kilbourne) Thorpe, natives of Granville, this State. The father followed the practice of medicine in Granville and Sandusky for many years, was a man of wide and favorable reputation as a phy- sician of the allopathie school, was acquainted with the trials and hardships of Ohio pioneer medical practice, and was a most worthy and esteemed citizen, as well as a skillful practition- er. He was a Republican in political matters, and during the latter years of his life held the Government position of chief clerk in the cen- sus office at Washington, District of Columbia. His death ocenrred in 1862, at the age of forty- five years. Dr. Thorpe was a beautiful singer, and thus rendered the churches in Sandusky and Washington valuable service. Mrs. Thorpe died in 1872, at the age of forty-nine years.
Stanley L., the youngest of three children, and the only one now living, received his edu-
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cation in Sandusky, Cleveland, and in the Se- ville Academy. After practicing dentistry for a few years, he began reading medicine with Dr. II. F. Biggar, and gradnated at the Homeo- pathie Hospital College in Cleveland in 1882. He also took a course in the New York Post- . Graduate School. Since that time Dr. Thorpe has been engaged in the practice of medicine in this city, and of late years has made a specialty of throat and Inng diseases. He has served as Physician in the Homeopathic Dispensary one year. He is a member of the Ohio State Homeopathic Medical Society, of the Round Table Club of Cleveland, of the Masonic order, is Examining Physician for the Sons of St. George, and was a Physician for the National Union. Politically, he votes with the Repub- lican party.
Dr. Thorpe was married in 1873, to Miss Lavina, a daughter of the late Isaac Culp. Mr. Culp was a prominent merchant of Medina for many years, and died at the age of seventy-five years. Dr. and Mrs. Thorpe had six children, four of whom still survive. Mrs. Thorpe at- tended the Seville high school, and afterward pathie Hospital College of this eity, in the class read medicine and graduated at the Homeo- of 1883. She followed her chosen occupation for a number of years, but owing to delicate health has retired from active practice. Dr. and Mrs. Thorpe are members of the Woodland Avenue Congregational Church.
H ENRY S. BLOSSOM, one of Cleveland's prosperous business men, was born in Willoughby, Lake county, Ohio, Febru- ary 2, 1852, a son of Henry C. Blossom, who was a native of Chardon, Ohio, born in 1822; and the latter was a son of Orrin Blos- som, of English ancestry.
Mr. Henry C. Blossom at the age of sixteen years began as a clerk in a general store in Painesville, this State, where he remained five years. Coming to Cleveland in 1843, he be-
came a clerk in the hardware store of W. Bing- ham, which was located near the present site of the magnificent retail department of the W. Bingham Company's stores. He soon became a partner in the business, which grew enor- monsly under his successful management. In this trade he remained until his death, which occurred in August, 1883. He was one of the leading prosperous business men of Cleveland, always taking an active interest in charitable institutions and movements. Politically he was a Republican.
His mother, whose maiden name was Emma Louisa Nash, was a daughter of Rev. Alvan Nash, for many years a Presbyterian minister, famous in the Western Reserve and founder of the young ladies' seminary at Willoughby, Ohio. Ile graduated at Williams ( Massachn- setts) College, and came to Ohio in pioneer times. Mrs. Emma Louisa Blossom's mother, whose maiden name was Abiah Sheldon, was a native of Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
Mr. Blossom, whose name introduces this memoir, graduated at the high school in Cleve- land and completed his school education at Brooklyn (New York) Polytechnic Institute, in 1870. In the autumn of this year he en- tered the employ of W. Bingham & Company, and was admitted as a partner in 1875; in 1888 a stock company was formed to be known as the W. Bingham Company, and Mr. Blos- som was elected secretary, which position he still ocenpies. Since he has had this place busi- ness has grown from small proportions to one of the largest establishments of its kind in the United States, carrying on both a wholesale and a retail business. The location of the es- tablishment is on Water and Superior streets.
In 1877 Mr. Blossom was married to Miss Leila Stocking, a danghter of Zalmon S. Stock- ing, and they have had five children, viz .: Dudley Stuart, Carl Woodruff, Henry Sheldon, l'elham Hooker and John Theodore. Henry S. died at the age of two and a half years, Mrs. Blossom died in April, 1892, and in Jme, 1893, Mr. Blossom married Eva Gillam Pin-
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son, of Atlanta, Georgia, a daughter of the noted physician, Dr. Lewis M. Gillam of Geor- gia.
Mr. Blossom is one of the directors of the Chamber of Commerce of Cleveland, in politics he is a Republican and in religion a member of the Episcopalian Church.
JILLIAM R. COATES, Deputy Connty Clerk of Cuyahoga county, was born in Royalton, this county, November 17, 1851, a son of John and Incy . (Weld) Coates. Soon after his birth his parents moved from their log-cabin home to Brecksville, where he was reared and received his education, which he continued at Oberlin College. At the age of seventeen he began teaching district school in the township of Brecksville, and continued for several years in connection with the man- agement of a farm. Subsequently he taught high school at Independence, Ohio. Also he was a member of the Board of Education for seven years, and was influential in establish- ing the graded school of Brecksville-the first in the county outside of a village or city. IIe was also instrumental in establishing township superintendency, his township being the first in the county to adopt it. During the twelve years he was in the teachers' profession he did much institute work in this county, holding varions offices and being twice its president.
In 1884 he received the appointment of Depnty County Clerk, under Dr. Henry W. Kitchen, and continned there until after his election to the Sixty-seventh General Assembly. For member of this body he received his nomi- nation unexpectedly,-indeed it was a great surprise to him. At that time he was secre- tary of the Republican Central Committee, in which office he had gained a wide acquaintance as well as popularity,-a popularity probably much greater than he was aware of. In the election he ran considerably ahead of his ticket. While in the Legislature he was chosen seere.
tary of the Cuyahoga county joint delegation, and was a member of the standing committees on Schools, Fees and Salaries, Temperance and Enrollment; and in all his relations here he did efficient work in the interests of the public. Since his term in the Legislature expired he has continuously filled the office of Deputy County Clerk. He has been very efficient in his labors for the political welfare of his county, State and nation. He is a member and Clerk of the Board of Education in Brooklyn village. Was active in his advocacy of the annexation of that suburb to the city of Cleveland, and was on April 2d elected Mayor by a large majority over a popular competitor.
He was married in Brecksville, this county, in 1872, to Miss Lettie White, daughter of Jnlins and Harriet (Stone) White, and they have two children, -Herbert J. and Mary Weld,-and are members of the Congregational Church. The residence is on Greenwood ave- nne in Brooklyn village.
IOTHAM POTTER, president of the Bnek- eye Electric Company, Cleveland, Ohio, is one of the most prominent and enterpris- ing of the younger men of the city. Some mention of his life is therefore appropriate in this work, and is as follows:
Jotham Potter is of Welsh descent. His an- cestors settled in Connectiont in the seventeenth century. Later, his forefathers removed to the neighborhood of Morristown, New Jersey, where the family has held the same property for eight generations, and furnished several distinguished officers of the American army in the war for independence, and the war of 1812.
Mr. Potter is a native of the State of Ohio, and a son of the Rev. Dr. L. D. Potter, of Glen- dale, near Cincinnati, a man widely known in educational circles throughout the country. Our subject graduated with honors from Prince- ton College in 1877, and later received the de- gree of M. A. from the same institution. He
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bad a strong taste for the natural sciences, and was selected by competitive examination as a member of the scientific expedition sent out by the Princeton Museum in 1877. For several years he was master in the noted Lawrenceville school, and subsequently read law, but prior to admission to the bar determined to engage in commercial affairs.
IIe became identified with Cleveland and its in- dustries in the fall of 1881, when he made an en- gagement with the Brush Electric Company, to take charge of his business in Japan, China and other Oriental countries. After several months of practical preparation in the Cleveland fac- tories and in Mr. Brush's laboratory, he sailed from San Francisco for Japan in April, 1882, having been married in December, 1881, to Miss Helen Cary, eldest daughter of the late Jolm E. Cary, of Cleveland. Although several English and French manufacturers had endeavored to get a foothold in the Orient, Mr. Potter was, in fact, the pioneer of the electrical industry in that part of the world. He made his residence in Yokohama, Japan, and within a year had built up a large and lucrative business. IIe made extensive contracts with the Japanese Government for lighting docks, arsenals, war- ships, etc., and established the first central sta- tion electric lighting plants in Japan and China.
Mr. Potter's operations in oriental countries resulted in handsome profits to himself and his company, and as a result of the marked ability for affairs which he displayed, he was, in 1884, recalled to Cleveland to take the offices of treas. urer and director of The Brush Electrical Com- pany, returning via India, Egypt and Europe, and thus completing the circuit of the globe. Ile was an incorporator of the Swan Lamp Manufacturing Company, and of the Short Electric Railway Company, both of Cleveland, and became vice president of the former and president of the latter. Until 1893 he took a prominent part in the management of the af- fairs of these and their subordinate companies, and especially administered their finances, be- coming prominently and favorably known in
financial circles in Cleveland and New York. After the formation of the Electrical Trust in New York, he sold, in 1893, his interests in the various enterprises with which he had been prominently identified and retired from their management. At the close of the same year, however, he became president and a large stock- holder of The Buckeye Electric Company, one of Cleveland's prosperous manufacturing con- cerns. Ile is also interested as a stockholder in Cleveland banking institutions and various manufacturing companies, being a director in several.
Mr. and Mrs. Potter are members of the Eu- elid Avenue Presbyterian Church. They have two children, Mildred Day and Sheldon Cary.
Mr. Potter is a Republican in politics. He is a member of the Cleveland Chamber of Com- meree, the Union and Country clubs, the Amer- ican Academy for the Advancement of Science, the University Club of New York, and President of the Cleveland Alumni Association of Prince- ton University.
P ROF. J. ADAM RIMBACH, President of the Vorschule of Cleveland, Ohio, was born in Elyria, Ohio, October 6, 1871. Ilis parents were Heinrich and Elizabeth (Brandan) Rimbach, natives of Hessen, Ger- many. The father was a cabinet maker by trade and located in Elyria in 1852, having come to the United States in 1851. He lived and died at Elyria after settling there. He died in 1878 at the age of fifty-four years. ITis wife died in 1881, at the age of forty-eight years. They were members of the Reformed Church while they lived in Germany, but on coming to Elyria they joined the Lutheran Church. They had a family of nine children, three of whom died in early life. Three brothers, Henry, Er- nest and George are residents of Elyria. John resides in Chicago. Anna, the wife of C. F. Freitag, resides in Elyria.
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Professor Rimbach was educated in Concordia College, Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he gradn- ated in the class of 1890. He then attended the Concordia Theological Seminary of St. Louis, Missouri, where he completed a course in June of 1893. In September following he came to Cleveland, where he was ordained in the Evan- gelical Lutheran Church and assumed charge of Vorschule, which had been established a year previously, and is really in its infancy; how- ever, it gives promise of success. The object of the school is to prepare students for entering the various colleges of the synod of Missouri, Ohio and other States. Professor Rimbach is assisted by Rev. O. Kolbe, who was formerly a pastor of the Newburg Evangelical Luther- an Church. In this school the pupils pursue all the preparatory studies, including Latin, English and German. Professor Rimbach has added to his duties English missionary work in Cleveland. He is a member of " The German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States."
Professor Rimbach is a gentleman of pleasing address and easy manners. Ile is a thorough student and has much aptness for his chosen profession. He has established a school in Cleveland which will prove one of importance to his church, and already there are evidences that the school will be of gratifying success.
AMES S. STEVENS, one of Cleveland's prominent and successful business men, is a native of Cambridgeshire, England, where he was born in the year 1843, the son and only child of Alfred R. and Mary A. Stevens. Ilis parents emigrated to America in 1850 and located in Cleveland, where their son received his educational training in the public schools. The father died in 1880 at an advanced age, but the mother still survives, being a resident of the Forest City, where the major portion of her life has been passed. Alfred Stevens was a
contractor and builder, and a skilled operative in the line of his profession, which he followed for many years in Cleveland.
Our subject devoted himself for some time to the line of work in which his father was en- gaged, becoming familiar with the details of the same under the effective direction of the latter. Hle later served an apprenticeship at the print- er's trade, in the office of the Plaindealer, but subsequently his attention was again directed to mechanical pursuits, for which he manifested a marked aptitude and distinctive genius. For a time he was engaged in manufacturing, and while thus employed he gave evidence of his inventive genius, by the designing of special machinery for the manufacturing of cable lightning rods, with which products the estab- lishment supplied stock to George A. Baker, who was at that time one of the most success- ful and most widely known lightning rod manufacturers and dealers in the Union. Mr. Stevens was identified with manufacturing in- terests in the city of Cleveland for a period of four years, after which he went West. After a period of two or three years' unsettled location in that section of the country, he finally made a permanent location in Missouri, where he re- mained for three years, within which time he conceived the idea which eventuated in the inventing and patenting of the "Stevens Dish- washer," upon which unique and valuable de- vice he received letters patent July 20, 1886. This machine he has since materially improved until it now stands at the point of maximum excellence as accomplishing the work for which it was designed.
Cognizant of Cleveland's position as a manu- facturing and trade center, and realizing the advantages to be gained by a location here, he returned to the city in 1887, and at once effected the organization of a stock company for the manufacturing of this dishwashing machine, which was soon thereafter placed upon the market, meeting with a ready demand, and eventually proving so popular as to extend the business of the company into the most diverse
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sections of the Union, and even into foreign countries. Mr. Stevens is president of the com- pany, whose business affairs he has brought into a most prosperous and substantial condition.
In addition to this conspicuous enterprise, Mr. Stevens has also devoted much attention to the upbuilding of the city, no one man proba- bly having done more to bring about the sub- stantial improvement of East Cleveland. Upon his own responsibility he has secured land in that section of the city, has platted and subdi- vided the same and carried vigorously forward the work of erecting dwelling houses of the better class, the cost of the same ranging in priee from 82,000 to 820,000. Within the past six years he has individually erected an annual average of thirty-six houses in East Cleveland. Having perfected all improvements upon the varions pieces of property, he places them on the market, his efforts in the line redounding greatly to the benefit of the city. In this im- portant enterprise, Mr. Stevens constantly retains in his employ somewhat less than 100 skilled mechanics.
Aside from the couspicnous interests already noted, he has other important business relations, being a stockholder in each, the East End and Woodland Banks, the Union Building & Loan Association, and the Permanent Building & Loan Association. These several interests are pointed out as being indicatory of the fact that Mr. Stevens is an active, successful and pro- gressive business man.
In the year 1866 he was nited in marriage to Miss Mary Champ, who died, leaving one child, Alfred J., who is now connected with the Cleveland Grease & Oil Company. In 1872 our subject consummated his second marriage, being then united to Miss Ellen V. Anderson. They have had five children, two of whom, George and Helen, aro deceased. The three living are Bertram J., Ernest L. and Dorothy. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Our subject is a man of nnassuming nature, devoted to his family, averse to public or po-
litical notoriety, and yet, withal, is a genial, social spirit, whose friends are in number as his acquaintances. He is a lover of field sports, being acknowledged as one of the best wing and field shots in the city of Cleveland.
The attractive homestead of the family is located on Amesbury avenue, and Mr. Stevens has also a fine country seat, at Willoughby, the same being a farm of 120 acres. Here the family are wont to pass a portion of each summer.
H ENRY REYNOLDS HATCH .- Few, if any, of Cleveland's representative men and honored citizens occupy a more prominent position than does Mr. Henry R. Hatch, head of the large dry-goods house of II. R. Hatch & Company, successors to the well known firm of E. I. Baldwin, Hatch & Com- pany.
Mr. Ilateh was born in the year 1830, at Grand Isle, Vermont. His father was Abijah Ilatch, a native of Highgate, Vermont, and his mother was Abigail Lyon, who was born at Charlotte, Vermont, and was the danghter of the Rev. Asa Lyon, who represented one of the Vermont distriets in Congress for two years.
Mr. Hlateh was reared upon his father's farm until he reached his fifteenth year, at which age he entered the store of John Brown, at North HIero, Vermont, he having had from childhood a desire for a mercantile life. But npon being installed in this his first position he found it not altogether a desirable one, and so returned to the farm, where he remained two years, all the time on the lookout for another mercantile position, and then secured a situation in the store of C. F. Staniford at Burlington, Vermont, promising his father, however, to return and assist him during the busy seasons on the farm as a com- pensation for time, as he was still under age. The embryo merchant remained with Mr. Staniford one year, receiving as compensation for his services $It) and his board. Next he
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was employed by S. L. Herrick, a dry-goods merchant of the same city, at a salary of $125 and board, and making his home with his em- ployer.
After spending about eighteen months with Mr. Herrick, and although perfectly satisfied with his work and surroundings, and having every reason to believe that he was entirely satisfactory to his employer, as he was offered an interest in the business,-Mr. Hatch de- termined to come West, being imbued with the idea that here he would find greater opportun- ities for working out his future. Accordingly he purchased a ticket for St. Paul, Minneapolis, and on the 22d day of March, 1853, he started on his long journey. Upon his arrival at Cleve- land, en route, and having an acquaintance liv- ing in this eity, whom he met, he was persuaded to remain over a day or two, and during his stay his friend's employer-Mr. Sackrider of the firm of Pahner & Sackrider, -- aceosted the yonng traveler with: " I believe you are seeking business, Mr. Ilatch. Allow me to introduce you to a young man who is just embarking in business, Mr. E. I. Baldwin." After a brief conversation between the two young men, dur- ing which ideas were exchanged, and a mutual admiration formed, Mr. Hatch entered into an agreement by which he was to render his serv- ices to the firm of E. I. Bildwin & Company, at a salary of $500 a year, and his journey farther west was terminated then and there. Within three months Mr. Hatch was made head clerk of this thriving house, and at the end of two years and seven months was offered and ac- cepted an interest in the business. The amount of business transacted by the firm at that time (1856) was about $275,000 a year. The follow- ing year was the first of the noted financial panie throughout the country, and Mr. Hatch found, in company with his partner, a heavy weight upon his young shoulders, but he stood firm and passed through successfully.
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