USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > Ohio, the future great state, her manufacturers, and a history of her commercial cities, Cincinnati and Cleveland > Part 12
USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Ohio, the future great state, her manufacturers, and a history of her commercial cities, Cincinnati and Cleveland > Part 12
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A. J. BEATTY.
THE biography of such a man as A. J. BEATTY is fraught not only with read- able interest, but has a useful moral effect upon the present time and posterity. It teaches youth what industry and moral worth can achieve, and that they can hope for all things if they make honor their guide, and are prompted by honorable emulation.
The subject of this sketch was born in Steubenville, Jefferson County, Ohio, Novem- ber, 1811. His father and mother-Joseph and Elizabeth Beatty-both resided there during the city's infancy and early history. The early days of the subject of this biog- raphy were partially spent at school; but directly he became of size sufficient to make his labor available, and at the age of ten years, he entered a dry-goods store as a boy to do general work, which position he kept for four years, when he entered a drug-store and learned to be a prescription drug-clerk. This he continued till 1833, when a desire for a change presented itself, together with the opportunity; so he entered the service of Mr. Torbull, in the book trade, as salesman. This business did not seem to be his exact ideal, so he made up his mind to try the grocery business, and, accordingly, acted as salesman for Mr. Andrews. This seemed to suit his taste better, for, after learning the trade, he started in the business for himself, which he managed successfully three or four years, when a taste for manufacturing compelled him to give up merchandising, and next we find him producing from the loom woolen jeans. This, in a short time, proved financially disastrous, so much so that it took Mr. Beatty twenty years to work off the indebtedness. And here we find a strong point in his character, by which he has won ultimate success. After this failure he commenced clerking for Beatty & Steelman, glass- ware manufacturers, and remained in the position till the panic of 1857, when his employers went, with thousands of others. This presented an opportunity for A. J. Beatty to commence once more for himself; so he rented the establishment, and first conceived the idea of turning his attention to the production of one article-tumblers. We need not say that in the production of this one article it allowed him to turn out. the greatest number at a minimum cost, and the plan which caused all his neighbors to laugh, proved such a success that in little or no time he was supplying manufacturers cheaper than they could produce, and from that time Mr. Beatty has been one con- tinued success. The business to-day is five times as large as when he first launched out into it.
In 1847 Mr. Beatty married Miss Abby Johnson, who departed this life in 1871. Mr. B. has a family of four children-two sons and two daughters. The sons now have an interest and are active workers in their father's business.
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A. C. RICHARDS.
MR. A. C. RICHARDS, one of the best known manufacturers of the West, and, in his specialty, one of the most eminent, was born in London, England, in the year 1820. He came to the United States with his parents in 1826, and settled in Philadelphia, where, at the age of thirteen, he was apprenticed to a cabinet-making firm, and learned the trade with all the remarkable thoroughness which characterized that period. Learn- ing a trade at that time meant an intimate knowledge of all its details in every depart- ment, and not a mere branch of the business, as is the style nowadays. How much Mr. Richards has since profited by this early training, his splendid reputation as a designer and manufacturer of elegant furniture conclusively testifies.
In 1843 he came to Cincinnati for the purpose of pursuing his chosen avocation, but, finding business depressed, embraced the first opportunity for employment, which presented itself in a job of pit digging for the veneer mill then about to be erected by Henry Albro. When the mill was completed his services were still in request by Albro, in whose employment he accumulated his first thousand dollars, saving it from his wages at $1.25 per day.
In a mere sketch like this it is not expected to trace the biography of its subject in detail, nor even allude to all the important circumstances which have influenced its results. Mr. Richards was engaged with the Meaders, with Mr. Rammelsberg, and with Mitchell & Rammelsberg, through a long series of years, in a position of great trust and responsibility remaining with the last mentioned house some thirteen years as general overseer and manager of their large manufacturing interests, and enjoying their confi- dence in probably a greater degree than business firms are accustomed to repose in their most trusted employees.
About ten years ago he purchased a third interest in the establishment he now owns, which is comprised in the large warehouse and salesrooms on Fourth Street, and the extensive furniture factory near the foot of Sixth Street, and at once inaugurated the most important improvements in the manufacture of cabinet furniture for the better class of retail customers, to whom he was well known, and whose preference for his goods have since that time been abundantly justified by the superiority of his designs, the integrity of his mechanism, and the faithfulness with which he has applied the strictest rules of business honor to all his transactions in a large and increasing trade. No man really occupies a more enviable position in the community of which he is a member, nor more clearly exemplifies the legitimate result of well-directed energy, industry, and thoroughness of purpose.
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A. E. BURKHARDT.'
A MAN who, from an humble position and by his own efforts, has risen to affluence and social position, and through all the events of a checkered life has preserved his integrity unimpeached, well deserves the pen of the historian, and to be held up as a model to posterity.
A. E. BURKHARDT was born in Herschberg, near Zweibrücken, Rhenish provinces, Bavaria, April 26, 1845, and is, therefore, in his thirty-first year. When ten years old, his father died, and he, with his mother and sister, embarked for America the same year, settling with them in Cincinnati immediately after their arrival. In three and a half years after he lost his mother, so, at the age of thirteen, he, with his sister, were left orphans. Mr. Burkhardt attended school in Germany when only six years old, and continued his education in the public-schools of Cincinnati till his mother's death, which occurred in IS59; after which, he entered the employ of Mitchell & Rammelsberg as errand-boy at a salary of one dollar per week. This position he occupied only three months, and left to better himself pecuniarily, having received an offer of one dollar and fifty cents per week from Jacob Theis, retail hatter and furrier; and here was his first step that has resulted in his present colossal business. Commencing at the lowest pos- sible position, he gradually promoted himself by his strict attention to the duties imposed upon him, till after a few years we find him occupying the loftiest position within the . gift of his employer, and a fitting reward for his zealous fidelity to his employer's inter- ests. This position he continued until January, 1867, at which time himself and brother- in-law, F. B. Burkhardt, bought out the business from Mr. Theis. The subject of this sketch assumed sole management. What success has attended his exertions and shrewd business management is apodictical to us all, for there are few among our readers who do not know Mr. Burkhardt personally or by reputation as taking the lead in the art as hatter and furrier. His business so soon increased that the demand for more capacious accommodations resulted in his leasing the new and spacious salesrooms at 113 West Fourth Street (Mitchell's Block), where he caters to the wants of his customers, though he still keeps the old stand on Main Street. A. E. Burkhardt & Co. are also large exporters of raw skins, their principal shipping-points being Leipzic and London. They receive consignments from every State in the Union, British and South Americas, and have over three thousand correspondents. On March 1, 1871, Mr. B. was joined in wedlock to Miss Emma Amanda, the only daughter of our distinguished fellow-citizen, Andrew Erkenbrecher, Esq., and we need not add that the result has been a happy one. He has been successful in all of his business pursuits, from a rare combination of industry and judgment, and has gained the confidence and respect of the whole com- munity by at all times exhibiting a rectitude of character which never wavered from a proper direction. He can enjoy the fruit of the seed he has sown, whilst his nature is susceptible of enjoyment. and the stamina of life have not weakened and decayed. He has all the elements of happiness within his reach, and they are of his own creation.
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GEO. WILLARD.
THE subject of this sketch was born in 1820, at Plainfield, Sullivan County, New Hampshire, where he lived till he was sixteen years old. In 1836, his father, James Willard, believing that the West offered a better field for the farming interest, removed from New Hampshire with his family to Lake County, Ohio, where, with the assistance of his sons, he engaged largely in farming. Being an intelligent man of the old New England school, he early inculcated in the minds of his children that love for industry, economy, and integrity, which is still a characteristic of New England training, and which qualities Mr. GEO. WILLARD inherited to a marked degree, his career and con- duct being guided and governed by them in every relation in life. From this time for a period of thirteen years he followed farming, and then removed to Madison, Lake County, Ohio, where he engaged in merchandising, which business he carried on suc- cessfully for seven years. In 1855, at the solicitation of his brother, J. O. Willard. he removed to Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio. His brother dying soon after, he suc- ceeded him in his position of cashier of the Iron Bank of Ironton, which office he occupied until the bank was reorganized, or merged into the First National Bank of Ironton, soon after which he was elected President, which position he still holds. Up to this time Mr. Willard had no considerable interest in the iron business, but devoted himself wholly and strictly to his business as a banker, which proved to be successful under his administration. The iron interest being a prominent one, he was led to give it his attention ; and, in 1856, embarked in the iron business by purchasing an interest in Vinton furnace, Vinton County, Ohio, and followed these interests by assisting and taking an active part in organizing the Belfont Iron Works, and in which he is largely interested, having been a Director from the first. In 1872, Mr. Willard, with others, believing that the great resources of this iron region were not fully developed, and, after giving the subject much thought and attention, conceived the idea of organizing a new furnace company for the better prosecution of the manufacture of pig iron. His idea embraced the consolidation of two furnaces already built ( Etna and Vesuvius), and the construction of plans of furnaces upon an enlarged and improved scale. In January, 1873, the company was organized and incorporated under the name of the "Atna Iron Works," with a capital of a million dollars, Mr. Willard being elected Pres- ident. The new furnaces, to the building of which he devoted his whole time and attention, are constructed upon European models, and are almost an experiment in this country.
Amid all the political agitation this country has passed through, Mr. Willard was never allured from his business to take part in factional disputes, but has devoted him- self most unremittingly to business-its extensive operations requiring all his time and most watchful attention. He is still comparatively young, and in the prime of physical vigor and matured experience.
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JOHN BOUSFIELD.
THE subject of this sketch is the son of Joshua and Charlotte Bousfield, and was born on the zed of July, 1819, in the county of Chester, England. In the following year his parents moved from Bredbury, where he had previously lived, to Adlington, in the same county, and where his father took charge of a flouring mill. John went to the village school until eleven years old, when he worked on a farm for two years, after which he learned the saddle and harness trade. Coming into possession of a small legacy left him by his uncle, he commenced business for himself, and with the exception of onc change he continued this until 1843, at which time he sold out and embarked for America. He landed in New York March 13, 1844, and commenced the manu- facture of whips, having brought two experienced men with him as workmen, who, during his absence from the city, sold out his business and returned to England. This left him almost penniless, and, failing to find employment, he started for the West, and landed in Fairport, Ohio, with only a silver quarter. He soon stationed himself at Kirtland, Ohio, where he rented a farm and continued his trade, doing work for the farmers, and they, in return, tilling his land. At this he prospcred, and soon bought the farm; also an old water-power flour-mill, in which he commenced the manufacture of pails and tubs on a very small scale; and here, in reality, was the starting-point of his present colossal business. In 1854 he moved to Fairport to increase his business. This proved a failure, and he sold out next year, and, in May, 1855, moved to Cleveland, and organized the Cleveland Wooden Ware Manufacturing Company, which was afterward sold to Greenman & Co., of Massachusetts, John Bousfield remaining as superintendent. In March, 1859, Mr. B. rented a building and again commenced manufacturing, but in five months was burned out. In 1860 he associated himself with J. B. Hervey, and again commenced-this partnership proving very successful-and in 1864 they had to enlarge their works to accommodate the fast growing trade. In 1865 Mr. John Poole was admitted to the firm, and on the 23d of March the old firc king swept down and turned $75,000 capital into ashes. They wasted no time in fruitless sorrow, for in thirty days they were making pails and tubs as earnestly as ever. Mr. Hervey now sold out to Messrs. Bousfield & Poole, who built one of the largest factories in the country, and entered upon the manufacture of wooden ware, matches, sash, doors, blinds, etc. In 1873 it was decided to form a stock company, under the style of Bousfield & Poole Manufacturing Company, of which John Bousfield is President. Mr. B.'s success can be accounted for by his indomitable perseverance, coupled with a remarkable mechanical ingenuity, which has served him to good purpose. He is President of the People's Gas Light Company, Vice-President of the People's Saving and Loan Association, and Presi- dent of the Ohio Wooden Ware Company.
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Mr. Boushield was married, January 1, 1845, to Miss Sarah Featherstone, of Kirt- land, Ohio, formerly of England, by whom he has had ten children-seven sons and three daughters-six of whom are living. The two eldest sons-Edward F. and Alfred E .- are largely engaged in the manufacture of wooden ware at Bay City, Mich.
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JOHN G. PEEBLES.
IN speaking of the commercial interests and developments in the manufacturing industries of Ohio by her prominent citizens, it is with pleasure we produce a brief notice of Mr. J. G. PEEBLES, of Portsmouth, Ohio, one of our well-known and successful operators. He was born near Chillicothe, Ohio, November 30, 1813, his father's and mother's names being John and Margaret Peebles. In 1819 he left Chillicothe with his parents, for Portsmouth, arriving there April 3d, on a keel-boat which came down the Scioto River. Here he received his early training and schooling, finishing his education in 1827, after which he returned to Chillicothe in the Spring of 1828, and entered into the duties of a clerk for his uncle, John M'Coy, who kept a dry-goods store. This he continued for one and a half years only, when he returned to Portsmouth, and helped his father, who was engaged in the commission business, besides being hotel-keeper, making Portsmouth his home till 1843, when he removed with his family to Pine Grove Furnace, near Hanging Rock, Ohio, having accepted, in 1844, the position of manager of Pine Grove Furnace, which position he occupied till 1854, when he, in company with Samuel Coles and Joseph S. Peebles, bought the undivided one-half of Pine Grove Furnace and Hanging Rock Coal Company, which, in 1864, they sold to Thomas W. Means and others, the present owners. In 1860 he was elected President of the Iron Bank of Ironton, at Ironton, Ohio, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of James Rogers, which position he held until the First National Bank of Ironton was established, the presidency of which he held until after his removal to Portsmouth, Ohio. While living in this part of the country Mr. Peebles became interested in the Belfont Iron Works Company, also in the Ashland Coal Company, and the eastern division of the Lexington and Big Sandy Railroad, still retaining these interests. In 1865, or one year after selling the Pine Grove Furnace, Mr. Peebles, with his family, returned to Ports- mouth. In 1867 he, in connection with Sherman G. Johnson and Benjamin B. Gaylord. built the hub and spoke manufactory, though he has since disposed of all interests once held there to Sherman G. Johnson and Josiah H. Roads. He also became a director in the Portsmouth National Bank, in which he has held stock since its infancy, and last Spring (1875) was elected President to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of George Johnson, prior to which he was Vice-President for many years.
Mr. Peebles was married, June 10, 1835, to Miss Martha Steele, daughter of Robert and Martha Rose Steele, of Philadelphia. Of the marriage nine children have been born, five of whom are living-three sons and two daughters.
Thus he added to his interests in banks and railroads some important investments in the iron' and coal interests, and through his shrewd observation and extensive business knowledge, has managed to make his investments profitable. His tastes are elegant and refined, and since his virtual retirement from the pressing duties of business, he has found enjoyment in the cultivation of those tastes. In manners he is affable and genial. and his disposition frank and generous. In business matters he has always been prompt, and has never allowed his engagements to be unfulfilled or postponed.
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THOMAS W. MEANS.
THOMAS W. MEANS was born in South Carolina in 1803. His father, John Means, was a member of South Carolina Legislature, and a strong antislavery man. The only advantage Thomas W. Means enjoyed in the way of education he received from the common-schools of his native town, and which, at that time, were very limited in the degree of education they could impart. However, by his own efforts, he stored his mind with much valuable information, and qualified himself to fill with honor the important positions in life which he has since occupied. In 1819, when only sixteen years old, he moved to Adams County, Ohio, and started to work in a store. Seven years from the date of his leaving home he moved to Lawrence County, at the time when nine-tenths of all the land there belonged to the Government. Here he com- menced building a furnace, which was put in blast in 1827, and from that time to the present day he has been largely interested in iron ores, blast furnaces, and coal banks, and now owns large interests in the Buena Vista, Bellfont, Pine Grove, and Ohio fur- naces ; Norton Iron Works, Ashland, Ky. : also a large property-holder in Ashland, and has stock in the bank there. He is also President of the Second National Bank of Iron- ton, though he has not been actively engaged for the past eight years, having retired to the quiet seclusion of his home at Hanging Rock, Ohio.
A brief sketch of Mr. Means's life is useful for its practical instruction. He has amassed a fortune that would content the extravagant requirements of royalty ; yet he has never risked a dollar in the precarious investment of speculation, but gradually added to his little commencement till its present proportions have been reached-and nothing exists to dim the luster of his life now so near its setting -- in the sear of which hosts of friends and family gather round him; and when his spirit will calmly and hopefully glide away from earth, his honored name will not be forgotten.
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JOHN A. MOHLENHOFF.
HE. who has reaped a plenteous harvest in the field where he has labored, and has won an honorable name in the community where he has lived, well deserves a biography, and the events of his life furnish a useful lesson to posterity. The subject of this memoir was born in Wedehorn, in the kingdom of Hanover, Germany, on the 14th day of July, 1833, where he attended the schools of that locality until 1344. . In IS45 he was sent to the Pieper Institute at Bassum, and there graduated in the Spring of 1849, and at once left Bremer haven for New York, landing in the latter city in May. After remaining in the metropolis a short time, he left for Cincinnati, where he arrived on the first day of June, 1849. His first business experience was in the retail grocery trade. From there he got into the china and glassware business on Fifth Street, between Vine and Race. On the roth day of December, 1854, after obtaining a thorough knowledge of the business, and perfecting himself in the manner of conducting business, he started for himself on Fifth Street, between Walnut and Vine, in the Apollo building, where he still remains, and has, by close attention to business, built up a busi- ness in his line second to none in the city. He has pursued sedulously his trade, never wavering from the paths of legitimate business, and giving it that attention which insures success. There are some men whose judgment appears almost infallible, and from the success which crowns their every effort one is almost induced to believe that there is some truth in astrology, and that to be born under a fortunate star is to insure success in every undertaking. The ambition of Mr. Mohlenhoff has been to become a thorough business man; and his well-known and enviable reputation is a testimony that he has succeeded in the accomplishment of his wishes. He was one of the projectors of the Zoological Gardens, and was elected to the directory immediately after its incorporation. Mr. Mohlenhoff was joined in matrimony to Miss Mary F., daughter of Henry Brandt, on the 25th of October, 1855, the issue of which is a bright family and a happy home, where none enjoy to spend their time not devoted to business better than does the above.
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W. WOOD.
THE subject of this sketch was born in Dutchess County, New York, September 8, 1808, and was the son of Ebenezer Wood. Until fourteen years old he received his schooling at his native home, after which he came to Cincinnati with his parents, and here finished his education in a private school. His first business experience was serv- ing in the capacity of clerk. In 1831 Mr. Wood was married to Miss Hopper, daughter of Aaron Hopper, of this city. He also engaged in mercantile business the same year, which he continued till 1844, when he bought an interest in the business of E. Conkling, and the firm style changed to Conkling, Wood & Co., manufacturers of white lead and colored paints, the factory being located on the same site as the present works of the Eagle White Lead Company. In 1847 or 1848 Mr. Conkling retired, and in 1867 an Act of Incorporation was obtained under the title of Eagle White Lead Company --- capital stock, $200,000; Wm. Wood, President; Wm. C. Wood, Vice-President; J. E. Douglass, Secretary. Mr. Wm. Wood has several machines of his own invention engaged in the works. Their trade has constantly increased, and they now do a busi- ness of $450,000 annually, and their first year's business amounted only to $50,000. It is the only organization that has been successful in the manufacture of colored paints, and to-day the only one existing in the Western country. The works give constant employment to sixty hands, and do an enormous business throughout the country, and their Southern and Western trade is simply immense.
A large three-story building is devoted to the manufacture of kegs and half-barrels for white leads, made almost entirely by ingeniously constructed machinery. The com- pany also manufacture their own tinware. They have recently added to the business a department for the refining and bleaching of oils, which has proved a perfect success.
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