USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > Memorial record of the county of Cuyahoga and city of Cleveland, Ohio, pt 2 > Part 45
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seventy five years, and his mother died at the age sixty-six, while attending the World's Fair at Chicago. From an accidental fall down stairs she received a wound (concussion of the brain) from which she died after two hours of nneon- sciousness. llis father is, and his mother was, an ardent member of the First Baptist Church.
W K. MAHIER, Superintendent of the Cleveland Special Police, was born in the " metropolis of the lakes," Novem- ber 27, 1857. He finished his school days at the Spencerian Business College, thus giving him such educational equipments as ought to be re- quired of the " youth universal " before his en- trance into competition with the business world.
On leaving his school-books he assisted his father for about three years, engaged in team- ing and contracting. Ile was next connected with the work-house as a guard under Superin- tendent Patterson until 1878, when it ocenrred to him that a special police and detective agency could be operated to advantage and with profit in Cleveland, and he made the venture. Ser. vice was extended to protection of manufactur- ing, marine, merchants' and residonce districts; and ere many months all these districts were under protection of patrolmen from Superin- tendent Maher's office. Ilis detective agency soon found publie favor, and it extended its workings to points anywhere in the United States. Both detective and patrol departments are in " touch " with the local police, and al- ways work in harmony with them. The old Merchants' Police Company was succeeded by the Cleveland Special Police, with James T. Daugherty as president; J. C. MeMillan, seere- tary and treasurer, and William K. Maher as superintendent and general manager.
Mr. Maher is by nature adapted to the busi. ness in which he engaged. In the first place, it is agreeable to him, and he takes a spocinl pride in guiding and directing the movemonts of his men for the detection of a wrong and
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the capture of the offender, although he is never known by the publie to be engaged in any given piece of work. In order to equip himself perfectly Mr. Maher has spent much time in the larger cities of the United States, studying the advanced methods of patrol and detective work as practied by the police depart- ments of those cities, and has made the subject one of general study in order that his patrons may have the best service known to the deteet- ive world.
Our subject is a son of John Maher, a native of Ireland, who came to Cleveland and was somewhat prominent as a teamster, contractor and grader. Ile was married in Ireland, to Julia Kelly, who died leaving two children,- William K. and Nellie. For his second wife Mr. Maher married Miss Ryan, and they have had one son, James. Superintendent Maher was married September 21, 1881, in Cleveland, to Miss Annie Iliggins, of St. Louis, Missouri, whose parents were of Irish birth. By this marriage there are the following children: John F., Julia E., Josephine M., William and Cath- erine.
A LVA J. SMITHI, general passenger and ticket agent of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad Company, is a worthy representative of that familiar and most numerons family, ever foremost in the history of our country, beginning with Captain John Smith at the settlement of Virginia and found- ing of Jamestown, just a quarter of a century before the appearance of Lieutenant Samuel Smith, eight generations in advance of our sub- ject, and reinforced by countless numbers from all Europe during the two and a half centuries or more of our existence as a nation.
A record in possession of the family records the lineal heads of families from Lieutenant Sammel Smith, who emigrated from England in the ship Elizabeth of Ipswich, April 30, 1634. lle is supposed to have died in 1680. His sou
Philip became one of the leading men of his community, was a lieutenant (probably from serving in the Indian wars of New England), represented his townspeople in some of their deliberative bodies and held the office of deacon in his favorite church society. He was mur- dered in accordance with a decree of Cotton Mather about 1685, on account of the troubles with witchcraft. llis wife was Rebecca, a daughter of Nathaniel Foote.
Jonathan Smith, son of Philip, married Abi- gail, a daughter of Joseph Kellogg. Ile died in Whately, in 1734. His son Elisha married Sarah Field. The wife of Benjamin was Mchitable. Benjamin's children were: Philip, who married Eliza Graves; Rev. Paul, who married a lady of his own name, Elizabeth Smith: Silas took for his Lavina Houghton; Elisha, who married and left New England for the West; Jonathan married Elizabeth Chaun- eey; and Gad's wife was Irene Wait.
Roswell Smith, son of Benjamin Smith, mar- ried Mary Craft, and his following six brothers married,-Elijah to Miriam Morton, Isaac to Roxa Morton, Bezaleel to Lavina Munson, Aca to Judith Graves, Adna to Keziah Humes, and Rufus, our subject's grandfather, married Anna Munson. ITis son, Ashley Smith, father of Alva J., was born in Massachusetts in 1796, and November 25, 1819, married Miriam Russell, whose father, Elihu Russell, married Miriam, a daughter of Thomas Sanderson. Joseph San- derson, an ancestor of the latter, came from Norfolk county, England, in 1637, was Master of the Mint at Boston in 1652, and made the celebrated and now very rare " pine-tree " shil- lings. ILis descendants were William Sander- son, leaving Joseph Sanderson, leaving Joseph Sanderson, born August 30, 1714, and died March 20, 1772, who left Thomas Sanderson, born in 1746, who was the father of Miriam Sanderson, who married Elihu Russell. Elihu Russell's children were Polisena, Lucy, Betsy, Delia, Miriam, Levi, Elihn, William S., Austin, Wellington, Emery, Esteven, Sumner, Ashley and Mary.
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Ashley Smith became a millwright and dur- ing our second war with England was a Federal soldier from Massachusetts. lle emigrated to New York in 1822 and settled at Churchville, Monroe county, where he died in 1854, at fifty-eight years of age. llis wife preceded him three years, aged fifty-one. Besides Major Smith, Ashley Smith was the father of Francis, who died in 1887, at sixty-eight years of age; Charles Augustus, a farmer, who died in 1891, at Merrill, Wisconsin, aged seventy-two; Levi 1 .. , at Maple Rapids, Michigan; Fidelia M., now Mrs. Benjamin T. Richmond, of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Austin R., who died in Cleveland in 1881, at forty-seven, and was ticket agent at the nuion depot; George W., a farmer near Grand Rapids, Michigan, and two others who died very young.
Alva J. Smith was born at Churchville, Sep- tember 30, 1840, and was a pupil of the Church- ville village schools until thirteen years old, when by the death of his father he was made an orphan and went to Wisconsin, where he resided for a time on a farm with his brother. Ile re- turned to his native town the next year and elerked in his brother's store until the spring of 1858, when he went to Albion, New York, and seenred a clerkship, which he held till the breaking out of the Civil war.
On the 13th of April, 1861, the day follow- ing the firing on Fort Sumter, Mr. Smith in company with a number of young men orga. nized a company for service in the Union army, but disbanded after a short period of drill. The following spring Mr. Smith enlisted at Roch- ester, New York, in the Fourth New York Artillery, being ordered to report at Washing- ton, where the regiment was stationed during that summer. A complete review of his mili- tary service given without comment is as fol- lows: Enlisted as private in Company C, July 29, 1862; promoted Corporal September 1, 1862; in service in the defense of Washington, to June 1863, Abercrombie's division, Twenty- second Corps; commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Eleventh New York Volunteer Artillery
June 21, 1863; engaged in the organization of. a regiment at Rochester till October, same year, where, on 16th of the same month he was transferred to Fourth New York Volunteer Artillery; and was in defenses of the eapital till April, 1864, in DeRussy's division of the Twenty-second Corps. His engagements were: Wilderness, May 5 to 7; Corbin's Bridge, May 6; Spottsylvania, May 8; Ny river, May 9 and 10; Po river, May 11; North Anna, May 23 to 27; Tolopotomy, May 28 to 31; Cold Harbor, June 1 to 12, 1864; before Petersburg, June 16 to 19; Weldon Railroad, June 22 to 23; Deep Bottoms, June 27 and 28 (was promoted First Lieutenant July 27, 1864); Mine Explosion, July 30; Strawberry Plains, August 14 to 18; White Oak Swamp, Angust 25; Poplar Springs Church, September 30 and October 2; Boydton Road, October 27 and 28 (was promoted Captain November 5, 1864); reconnoitre to HIateher's Run, December 8 and 9; assigned to dnty as Aide on the staff of Fourth Brigade, First Division of Second Corps, December 25, 1864; relieved in Febru- ary, 1865; Dabney's Mills, February 5 to 7. same year; acting Brigade Inspector, Fourth Brigade, First Division, Second Corps, Febru- ary to April, 1865; Peeble's farm, March 25; Ilatcher's Run, March 29; Boydton Road, March 30 and 31; White Oak Road, March 31; Sontherland Station, April 2; fall of Peters- burg, April 3; siege of the same during the year, April 16, 1864, to April 3, '65; Amelia Springs, April 5, 1865; Deatonville, April 6; Sailor's Creek, April 6; High Ridge, the 7th; and Appomattox Court House, the 9th of the same month; grand review at Washington, May 28; acting Ordinance Officer of First Division of Second Corps, June 23 to 26; mus- tered out of service September 26, 1865; and Brevetted Major of United States Volunteers, March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious condnet during the war. Colonel Smith came to Ohio in 1866, and on Angust 4, 1877, was appointed Aide-de-camp on the staff of Gover- nor Thomas L. Young with the rank of Colonel.
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In the summer of 1866 Mr. Smith began his successful railroad career in the general ticket office of the Bee Line at Cleveland; was made chief clerk of the office the next year, and per- formed those duties till August of 1874, when the office of assistant general tieket agent was created for him in recognition of his faithful and efficient service; and in the same month, ยท five years later, the office of general passenger agent was tendered to him and accepted. Upon the consolidation of the passenger departments of the Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Rail- road and the Indianapolis & St. Louis Rail- road in January, 1881, his jurisdiction was ex- tended over that line. Ile was appointed general passenger agent of the Dayton & Union Railroad January 2, 1882. When the Cincin- nati, Hamilton & Dayton was made a part of the Bee Line, Colonel Smith was made general passenger agent of that line also, and held the oflice from December 31, 1881, till May, 1882, when the departments were again made separate.
March 1, 1887, Colonel Smith severed his long connection with the Bee Line and became chief of the passenger and ticket department of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad Company. Colonel Smith is a prominent mem - ber of the Association of General Passenger und Ticket Agents, was elected its secretary in 1579, and has served continuously for fifteen years, being annually re-elected.
Colonel Smith is progressive and remarkably industrious. Ile understands the needs of the traveling publie and has so equipped and fitted up the passenger service of his line as to make it equal to any and superior to many metropoli- tan lines.
September 7, 1865, Colonel Smith married, at Warsaw, New York, Miss Harriet L., a daughter of Zelotes Cornwell, whose wife was Polisena Russell. An ancestor, Susanna Robin- son, who came over in the Mayflower, had a grandchild named Chapman, who married Corn- well, the father of Zelotes.
Mr. Cornwell was born in Massachusetts and "was a farmer. He died in 1866, at the age of
sixty-eight, and his wife in 1857, being fifty- two years old. Mr. Cornwell's children were: Darius; William; Anna Elizabeth, now Mrs. John W. Richmond; George, who died in 1888, at the age of fifty-two; Zelotes; Charles, who die.l in 1891, at the age of fifty; Hiram, and Harriet Louisa.
Colonel and Mrs. Smith's family consists of three children, viz .: Amy E. Smith, an art teacher in Oberlin College; Miriam C .; and Alva C.
Colonel Smith is a member of the Loya Legion and of the Grand Army of the Repub- lie; also of Woodward Lodge, A. F. &. A. M of Cleveland.
C HARLES F. SCHWEINFURTH, a prominent architect, came to Cleveland in 1883, in which year he submitted plans for the Everett residence on Euclid ave- nne, which plans were accepted, and with which began his architectural work in Cleveland. De- eiding to remain in Cleveland, he made a per- manent location in the city, and since that date he has submitted plans for many of the most handsome and important buildings erected in the city, among these structures being the resi- dences of William Chisolm, Samuel Mather, J. E. French and others. The excellent build- ing of the Young Meu's Christian Association in the city of Cleveland, the Lennox apartment house, the People's Savings and Loan six-story brick and stone bank building, and many other important buildings have been built according to plans submitted by . Mr. Schweinfurth. He has also submitted plans upon which were built. certain grand and important buildings erected in Toledo, New York, Brooklyn and other cities.
Mr. Schweinfurth was born in New York eity. His father was of German birth, and was a government architect at the time of the Ger- man insurrection of 1848 '49. lle came to America in 1849, and located in New York city, where he followed his profession, gaining
CUYAHOGA COUNTY.
considerable notoriety. Ile is a relative of Dr. George Schweinfurth, the celebrated African explorer. Under the instruction of his father the subject of this sketch mainly gained his knowledge of architecture. Under his father he was compelled to learn also carpentering, stone-cutting and briek-laying, and thus he was made an efficient and practical architect. When entering the profession upon his own responsi- bility he occupied an office in New York city. Ilis first important piece of work was the remod- eling of an apartment house of thirteen stories, which he finished in 1882. Mr. Schweinfurth is an architect of marked ability and compe- tency. He is a :uember of the American Insti- tute of Architects, and was President of the Ohio Association of Architects for three suc- cessive terms.
EVI WHERRY, a well- known contractor, has been identified with the growth of Cleveland as a builder for sixteen years. llis first contract was for the construction of a residence for John Huntington. The residences of Captains Scofield and Taylor, General Leg- gett, George Collins, W. S. Tyler, Bishop Leon- ard, and many others of importance, besides numerous business blocks, have risen by the hand of Mr. Wherry. Mr. Wherry was born in West Middletown, Washington county, Penn- sylvania, forty-eight years ago. Ilis father was Noah Wherry, a man of much mechanical genius, but a farmer. In 1832 he left Pennsyl- vania and by covered wagon went to Iowa, be- coming a well-to-do stockman and farmer. When the Civil war came on he enlisted with the " Gray Beard" Company, and served nearly two years guarding prisoners at Alton, Illinois. The plan of forming regiments of the old men was suggested to the War Governor of lowa by Daniel Tarr, father of our subject's mother. On the adoption of the plan, Mr. Tarr was made a regimental officer, as was also Noah Wherry, and did valuable service as a soldier. He lived
many years after the close of the war, dying in lowa at the age of ninety-six years. In 1865 Noah Wherry removed to Dakota, where he now resides, and where he represented his dis- triet in the State Legislature two or three terms.
Levi Wherry enlisted in the Seventh Iowa Infantry, Colonel (afterward General) Lawmay, being succeeded in the Coloneley by Price and Parrott. The regiment served in the campaign from Belmont, Missouri, to Fort Donelson, and was engaged at Shiloh, Corinth, Iuka, Tupelo, Jackson and Holly Springs, and was then trans- ferred to Chattanooga, participating in the At- lanta campaign. Ile marched with Sherman to the sea, back through the Carolinas, and closed this long tramp with the grand review at Wash- ington. Mr. Wherry enlisted as a private, but by promotion was carrying a Lieutenant's com- mission when mustered out, being then only twenty years old. Mr. Wherry married, in 1868, Martha, a daughter of Daniel Ewing. Four sons are the result of this union: William II .; II. M., a plumber; George, an architect; and Warren. Mr. Wherry is a worthy member of Army and Navy Post, G. A. R.
C IIRISTIAN KASPER, a general con- tractor of Cleveland, located on Swiss street, has been identified with the build- ing interests of Cleveland since 1878, his first contract being for the building of a residence on Lorain street, and thereafter he constructed many residences and store houses, and has been a most active man in his calling, achieving more than ordinary success. In 1886 he in- vented the Kasper Self-acting Vat Cleaner, which he manufactured up to 1892, when he disposed of this cleaner and invented the Magic Vat Cleaner, which he manufactured till No- vember, 1892, when he sold the same. In March, 1893, he invented the Kasper Spring Halter-Hitcher, which he is now manufacturing, and which promises to be a well-demanded com- modity. This last invention he is now putting
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on the market, and it has received a favorable introduction, and will probably prove a source of large revenuo to its inventor. Mr. Kasper came to Cleveland in 1870, coming from Pome- roy, Ohio, to where he migrated when a youth with his father, John Kasper, a carpenter and cabinetmaker. Mr. Kasper was born in Prus- sia, December 23, 1846. After going to Pome- roy he learned the carpenter's trade and also the mechanic's trade. He was unmarried when he came to Cleveland, and in 1872 he married Minnie Voss, of this city, and by her has four children. His business career in the city of Cleveland has been characterized by honesty, activity and success. He has not only gained the reputation of a successful contractor, but las distinguished himself as a mechanical genius and as an inventor. Ile has in his em- ploy quite a number of men, and the liberal compensation and other liberalities given them mark him as a generous and fair-minded man. He has always been identified with the Repub- lican party in politics, though he has never sought political preferment.
J JULIUS RENKER, a carpenter and cooper, South Brooklyn, Ohio, is a representative of one of the pioneer families of Cuya- hoga county. Mr. Renker was born in Brook- lyn township, this county, September 2, 1848.
llis father, Henry Renker, a native of Ger- many, was born September 19, 1808, and by trade was a cooper. Ile owned a coffee planta- tion in Mexico, where he spent some years and where he was married, April 4, 1837, to Bertha A. Selilechterway, also a native of Germany, her birth having occurred in Nordhausen, Jan- uary 21, 1811. From Mexico they came to Ohio, first settling in Lorain county and some time later removing to Cuyahoga county and taking up their abode in the village of Brigh- ton. Here he started a cooper shop, which he conducted up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1879. Ile was a member of the
Lutheran Church, and in politics was a Demo- erat. His whole life was characterized by hon- est industry, and by his many excellent traits of character he won the confidence and respect of all who knew him. Ilis good wife passed away October 3, 1869. They were the parents of nine children, six daughters and three sons, all of whom, with one exception, reached adult years, and these eight are still living, namely : Mrs. Hermina Penning, Mrs. Amelia Lind, Herman, Mrs. Matilda Brandwiller, Julius, Mrs. Bertha Love, Mrs. Emma Livingston and Mrs. Lonisa Stafford.
When Julius Renker was twenty years old he began to learn the trade of cooper in his father's shop, and after his father's death succeeded him in business, continuing the same until 1886. Since then he has been engaged in contracting and building.
Mr. Renker was married May 28, 1873, to Eva C. Kline, who was born and reared in Parma township, this county. She was the sixth born in a family of thirteen children of Philip and Mary (Messersmith) Kline, both natives of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Renker have had four children, Lula, Julia, Ilenry G. and Franklin A. Lula, the oklest, died at the age of three years and three months.
In political alliliations, Mr. Renker is n Re- publican. He served for six successive years as Assessor of Brooklyn township, and ever since the village of South Brooklyn was organ- ized he has been a member of its Board of Health. Ile is one of the charter members of Riverside Lodge, K. of P., and is also identi- fied with the 1. O. O. F., having been a mem- ber of the latter organization for twenty-four years.
G EORGE GUSCOTT, Mayor of South Brooklyn, Ohio, is a native of England, but has been a resident of this country since his early boyhood and has become thoroughly Americanized. A sketch of his life will be louud of interest and is as follows:
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George Guscott was born in Devonshire, England, January 23, 1844, and attended a pri- vate school there until he was eight years of age, being then obliged to quit on account of ill health. In 1857 he accompanied his parents to America. Both his parents, Jason and Har- riet (Glandville) Guscott, were natives of Eng- land. Upon their arrival in this country they settled in East Cleveland, where the father opened a carriage and wagon shop and con- ducted the same one year. Then he removed to Brooklyn village and started a blacksmith and carriage shop where S. R. Brainard's gro- cery store now is, next to what was then Sto- rer's tannery. Four years later he located on a farm in Parma township, this eounty, where he passed the rest of his life, and died at the age of sixty-five years. Ile and his wife had a family of eight children, five danghters and three sons, the subject of our sketch being the oldst child.
George Guseott had begun to learn the trade of blacksmith with his father before they left England, and after they located in Brooklyn village he took up the wagon-making trade un- der Crawford Brainard, with whom he continued four years. At the end of this time he turned his attention to farming. After his marriage, which event occurred in 1867, he moved to Brecksville, Ohio, where he bought a farin of ninety acres and set up a blacksmith and car- riage shop. The first payment he made on this property was with money which he borrowed at 10 per cent. interest. For twelve years he Followed his business and farming, and then went West on a prospecting tour. While on this tour he made some valuable investments in Kansas. Upon his return to Ohio, he removed with his family to Parma, where he entered largely into farming. Subsequently he turned his attention more esqecially to the milk busi- ness, in which he has continued ever since. In 1887 he moved to South Brooklyn and in com- pany with his three cons enlarged the business, making it both wholesale and retail, and run- mng as high as five wagons.
Mr. Guscott's marriage has already been re- ferred to. In March, 1867, he wedded Miss Mary Ann Guscott, a native of England and a daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Sims) Guscott, both born in that country. She was sixteen years old at the time they emigrated to this country, her sixteenth birthday being spent on the Atlantic, and at the time of her marriage they were residents of Alliance, Ohio. She is the only daughter in their famiy of four chil- dren. Mr. and Mrs. Guseott have five children: James 11., Charles E, William George, Pearl M. and Daisy M., and they also reared a nephew of Mrs. Guscott -- David J. Guscott.
Politically, Mr. Guscott is a Republican. In 1890, when South Brooklyn was incorporated as a village, he was elected its first Mayor, and so faithfully and efficiently did he perform his duty that in 1892 he was elected for a second term. He has also served as President of the Board of Health here. Ilis beautiful home is one of the attractive places of South Brooklyn. To him much is due for the efforts he has put forth in various ways in advancing the interests of the town, and none are more anxious to see South Brooklyn take high rank as a Cleveland suburb thau is he.
Mr. Guseott is prominent in numerous secret organizations. lle is a member of Empire Lodge, No. 346, I. O. O. F., of Royalton; Ex- celsior Lodge, No. 5555, Foresters, of Newburg; Grangers, at Brecksville; Sons of St. George, of Newburg; Riverside Lodge and later a char- ter member of South Brooklyn Lodge, K. of P'., and the American Protective Association.
D R. T. C. MARTIN, surgeon, of Cleve- land, was born in Maysville, Mason conn- ty, Kentucky, Jannary 5, 1864, a son of Dr. G. W. and Frances ( Wilson) Martin, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Kentucky. His father was widely patronized as a consulting physician and known as such even throughout the State. He died in 1889,
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