USA > Ohio > Knox County > The Biographical record of Knox County, Ohio : to which is added an elaborate compendium of national biography > Part 46
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FREDERICK C. WOLFE.
For many years Frederick C. Wolfe has been numbered among the citizens of Knox county. He was born in Wurtemberg, Ger- many, on the 25th of October, 1849, a son. of Jacob and Dorothy (Hizerman) Wolfe, who were parents of five children, namely : Jacob, a railroad engineer at Dayton, Ohio; Charles, of Mattoon, Illinois, and an engi- neer on the Big Four Railroad; Frederick, the subject of this review; Minnie, the wife of William Reese, postmaster at Chillicothe, Texas; and Anna, the wife of John Immel, of Vernon, Texas. In the fall of 1862 the father removed with his family to Russia, but after a short residence in that country, with a returning countryman, the family made their way back to Germany, and in the following spring, on the 12th of May, they started for Australia. The vessel on which they sailed, the Australia, landed at New York after a voyage of six weeks, and he decided to remain in America. From that
city the Wolfe family came by rail to Huron county, Ohio, where a brother of Mr. Wolfe resided. On passing through Crestline he met a fellow countryman, whom he paid a short visit, and afterward joined a sister in Delaware county, Ohio. At the latter place he began work at his trade, that of butcher- ing, and his two sons, Frederick and Jacob, were bound out for their board and cloth- ing, while his daughter, Anna, lived in the home of a hotel man in Crestline.
Frederick C. Wolfe, of this review, re- mained until his fifteenth year with the gen- tleman with whom he had been placed, and he was then taken by his father to Green- field, where he was apprenticed to a brick- maker, receiving eight dollars a month and his board. In the following fall, however, he was taken to Delaware, Ohio, where he was employed in a flax mill during the succeed- ing winter, and in the spring he worked in a brick yard, at one dollar per day. Thus he was employed during the summer season, after which he entered a flax mill at Dela- ware, where he learned the weaver's trade. In Octobr, 1870, he came to Mount Vernon, as a weaver for Kelley & Welsh, who had established their flax-bagging mill here the year before. Messrs. Kelley & Welsh had both been connected, as superintendent and bookkeeper, respectively, with the mill at Delaware, where Frederick had learned his trade. The eastern weavers in their mill lack- ed the ability to work the looms to their full capacity, and the services of Frederick were sought, his energy and expertness imbuing such a spirit of rivalry that within a few weeks the output of the looms was more than doubled and the mills placed upon a lucrative basis. In 1871 he secured a brick yard, which he conducted during the sum-
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mer months, in partnership with his future father-in-law, John Welsh, while during the winter season he worked in the factory. In 1873 he rented a yard at Delaware, Ohio, where he followed brick-making during two seasons, during which period he was also engaged, in company with his brother, Jacob, in manufacturing brick in Mount Vernon. In 1875, in partnership with Benjamin Mar- tin, he purchased a half interest in the Mount Vernon flax mill, Kelley & Welsh having failed, and this they conducted successfully for five years as a tow mill. For more than thirty years Mr. Wolfe has been the fore- most brick manufacturer in the vicinity of Mount Vernon, no one in this part of the state being more extensively known in this special line of manufacture. His annual out- put is about one million of the best quality of building brick, and, employing some twelve men during the season, the amount of money placed in circulation through his industry is considerable. His energetic nature, strong determination, sagacity and capable man- agement have brought to him a comfortable competence and his business methods have ever been in strict conformity with the ethics of commercial life. In 1883 he became the owner of the old homestead of his wife's family, and to this, just ten years later to. a day, was added the Evans homestead, mak- ing a most desirable suburban home of one hundred and sixty-seven acres.
On March 16, 1875, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Wolfe and Miss Sarah J. Welsh. Four children have blessed this union, namely: Fred W., who is an em- ploye on the Big Four Railroad and is a veteran of the Spanish-American war; Charles, who is engaged in business with his father; Arthur, who is a graduate of the
high school and is now a student in the State University; and Lucretia Beall, the eldest, at home. Fred is of the third generation who has served in the famous Fourth Ohio Regiment. His great-uncle, Dr. David L. McGuigan, was its surgeon during the Mexi- can war, and his two uncles, William and Zephaniah Welsh, were in its ranks through the war of the Rebellion. Fred went with his regiment to Porto Rico, and as a result another member has been added to the Wolfe family in the person of a bright Porto Rico youth, named Domingo Ramo. The Democ- racy receives Mr. Wolfe's hearty support and co-operation, and he is now serving his sec- ond term as the trustee of Clinton township, having been elected to that position by a handsome majority, in a strong Republican district. In his social relations he is a men- ber of the Knights of Pythias fraternity, be- longing to Timon Lodge, No. 45, and re- ligiously he is a member of the Congrega- tional church. He takes deep interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of his town and county, and contributes liberally to the support of all measures for the public good.
GEORGE W. BURKE, JR.
In the field of educational endeavor Cap- tain George W. Burke, Jr., has become an important factor ; his labors have been effec- tive in promoting intellectual achievement and now he is connected with a very import- ant branch of the teacher's profession-the preparation of young men and young women for the business world. Jolın Wanamaker, the distinguished merchant of Philadelphia, has said: "In these days, business is diffi-
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cult. It is rendered more so because of cables, telephones, six-day ocean steamers, and because every pound of cotton, iron and wool in the country can be counted. The young man who starts in at this time will stand but little chance without a business training. The days of chance are gone. The mercantile profession must be studied just the same as medicine or law, and too high praise can not be given the men who con- duct these training schools." The exigen- cies of the times having made known the need of business training, throughout the length and breadth of the land have sprung up schools for business training-schools that will give practical preparation for the duties that accrue as one enters the com- mercial or industrial field.
Such an institution is capably conducted by Captain Burke in the McDermott Build- ing, of Mount Vernon, under the name of the Burke Business College and School of Music. He is of Irish descent, his ances- try being traced back to Dublin. His grand- father, William Burke, was a resident of Delaware, and his father, the Rev. George W. Burke, a minister of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, is now located in Chester, Pennsylvania. Captain Burke pursued his education in Onancock Acad- emy, at Onancock, Virginia, and in the Goldey Business College, of Wilmington, Delaware. The associate principal of the former was Professor C. N. Wyant, now senior regent of the Kenyon Military Acad- emy, and through his recommendation our subject came to Kenyon and to Mount Ver- non, attending the public schools of this city. He entered upon his business career as assistant bookkeeper in the National Bank of Wilmington and Brandywine, in
Wilmington, Delaware, and after leaving that institution he spent two years in the Danville Military Institute, of Danville, Vir- ginia, as principal of the commercial depart- ment. Subsequently he was principal of the commercial department of the Northwestern Military Academy, at Highland Park, Illi- nois, for three years, and was commissioned by Governor Tanner a captain in the Illi- nois National Guard. On the expiration of three years he was given charge of the musi- cal department as director of music in the Kenyon Military Academy, at Gambier, Knox county, Ohio, and after filling that po- sition for four years he established the Burke Business College and School of Music.
Captain Burke was united in marriage to Miss Susan Miller, a daughter of A. H. and Mary L. ( Morgan) Miller. Her father was a well-known jeweler of Chicago, Illinois, who located in that city in 1856. Her mother is a descendant of General Elias Dayton, who won distinction as a gallant officer in the Revolutionary war, and it was in honor of his son that the city of Dayton, Ohio, was named, he being the first settler there. On her father's side Mrs. Burke is also de- scended from honored Revolutionary ances- tors, tracing the line back to Captain Phill- "ips, of New Jersey, who fought for the in- dependence of the nation. Mrs. Burke ac- quired her literary education in the Chicago Normal School, under Colonel Parker, and pursued her musical studies in the New Eng- land Conservatory of Music, in Boston. She has also studied under many private instruc- tors, having been a student of the art of singing under William Shakespeare, of Lon- don, England; of voice culture and art of singing under Signor Augusto Rotoli, of Boston ; harmony and composition under Dr.
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Percey Goetschius, of Boston; voice culture under the late Hans Balatka, of Chicago; theory and history of music under Louis C. Elson, of Boston; pianoforte and sight-play- ing under Reinhold Faelton, of Boston; voice-buiding, under Fred W. Root, of Chi- cago; lyric action, under Gertrude McQues- ten, of Boston; solfeggio and chorus work, under Samuel W. Cole, of Boston; and voice and chorus direction, under William L. Tomlins, of Chicago. It will thus be seen from the well-known names of her instruc- tors that her musical training has been most thorough and comprehensive and that she is therefore well qualified to have charge of the department of music in the school which her husband founded. She was one of the first students sent to the New England Con- servatory by the Ladies' Home Journal, ow- ing to her having obtained five thousand sub- scribers to that paper. She has had wide ex- perience in teaching, both in classes and pri- vately and aside from studio work in Chi- cago she has taught in the New England Conservatory of Music, in Boston; in Ro- anoke College, at Danville, Virginia, and in the Northwestern Military Academy, at Highland Park, Illinois. She has received the most commendable press notices and highly complimentary testimonials from many sections of the country.
The shorthand and typewriting depart- ment of the school are in charge of Miss Anna Dawson, of Iowa, who is a graduate of the Gregg Shorthand School, of Chicago, and who was at one time deputy county aud- itor in Washington county, Iowa. The de- partment of telegraphy is in charge of J. B. Hyatt, who is now operator for the Cleve- land, Akron & Columbus Railroad in the car shops at Mount Vernon, and thus practical
instruction is assured in that department. The other branches of the school are under the immediate supervision of Captain Burke. There is a day session, meeting five days in a week, and an evening session, held three nights per week. Instruction is given in bookkeeping, commercial law, commercial geography, business arithmetic, civil gov- ernment, letter writing, United States his- tory, penmanship, spelling and office work in the business course, while the English course includes instruction in reading, spell- ing, arithmetic, penmanship, geography, grammar, history and algebra. The school is having a widely felt influence in the com- munity, having stimulated a desire among young people for proficiency in their work. Many students are annually prepared to. enter business life under the direction of Captain Burke and his capable corps of as- sistants, while the efforts of his accom- plished wife have done much to promote mu- sical taste, education and culture in the city. Both Captain and Mrs. Burke are people of genial and social nature and occupy a very enviable position in social circles where true worth and intelligence are received as the passports into good society.
STEPHEN BLUBAUGH.
One of the prominent old pioneer fami- lies of Knox county is that of the Blubaughs, which has here been well represented for many years. The members have ever borne their part in the upbuilding and development of this region, and have invariably been ex- ponents of progress and liberal ideas upon all subjects.
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John Blubaugh, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Germany, but when a young man he came to the United States, locating in Maryland, where he spent the remainder of his life, passing away in death when about fifty years of age. He was a farmer by occupation. Jacob Blubaugh, his son, and the father of our subject, was a na- tive of that commonwealth, and there he made his home until 1828, when he came to Knox county, Ohio, locating on a farm in Brown township. He, too, followed the tilling of the soil as a life occupation. About the year 1862 he took up his abode in Al- len county, Indiana, where his life's labors were ended in death on July 16, 1867, when he had reached the ripe old age of eighty- four years. For his wife he chose Onora Mckenzie, who was born and reared in Maryland, and there married. She also passed away in the Hoosier state, Novem- ber 7, 1866, dying at the age of seventy- eight years. Her father, Moses Mckenzie, served as a drummer boy during the Revolu- tionary war, and throughout that entire struggle he served under General Washing- ton. His father was a native of Scotland. Mr. and Mrs. Blubaugh became the parents of fifteen children, nine of whom grew to years of maturity, and four of the family still survive, our subject being its only repre- sentative in Knox county.
Stephen Blubaugh is a native son of this county, his birth having occurred on the 20th of December, 1829, and he was reared and educated in Brown township, attending the old log school houses common in that early day. After reaching an age suitable to en- gage in the active duties of life for himself he chose the vocation to which he had been reared, namely, farming, and he remained on
the old home place until his marriage, which occurred February 23, 1857, Miss Mary C. Breckler becoming his wife. She was born in Jefferson township, Knox county, Ohio, January 23, 1840, a daughter of Fran- cis and Catherine (Hecker) Breckler. The father was a native of Lorraine and a son of Christopher, a soldier under Napoleon. The mother was born near Berlin, Germany. In early life they left their homes across the sea and came to America, and their mar- riage was celebrated in Jefferson township, Knox county. They became the parents of six children, Mrs. Blubaugh being the eldest in order of birth. She is a sister of John P. Breckler, a prominent agriculturist of How- ard township.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Blu- baugh were located on the old Blubaugh farm in Brown township, Knox county, until 1858, when they removed to Allen county, Indiana, but soon returned to Brown town- ship, securing eight acres of land. The next year he purchased an eighty-acre tract. In 1870 he secured the John L. Workman farm of one hundred and twelve acres, adding till he owned one hundred and sixty acres, and bought an adjoining farm of one hundred and twenty-five acres. October 15th, 1896, he bought and removed to the Smithheiser farm of one hundred and thirty acres at Danville, but he has sold all but twenty-two acres and on this he has erected the present neat and modern residence just outside the corporation into which they moved in No- vember of 1899. His energy and enterprise, capable management and honorable dealings brought to him a comfortable competence and have enabled him to put aside all busi- ness cares and rest in the enjoyment of the fruits of former toil. Both he and his wife
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are members of St. Luke's Catholic church, Danville, and he assisted very materially in the erection of its first house of worship near this city, which was burned in 1895, and in the following year contributed largely to the erection of the present beautiful building. He has voted for both Republican and Dem- ocratic presidents, his first presidential vote having been cast for Abraham Lincoln, and he has since cast his ballot in support of Grant, Garfield, Cleveland and Harrison. He also supported Bryan in both elections. In all the relations of life Mr. Blubaugh has been honorable, sincere and trustworthy, winning the respect and esteem of all who have been associated with him in any manner.
Not having children of their own this worthy couple have opened their hearts and home to three boys, giving each a good home.
John P. Breckler, brother of Mrs. Blu- baugh, and now a prosperous farmer of Howard township, was with them from his tenth year till his own marriage; Zachariah H. Blubaugh, an orphan boy of about seven years, was also a member of the family till his own marriage, now being an excellent citizen and skillful farmer; S. L. Blubaugh, a cousin of Mr. Blubaugh and son of Mrs. Blubaugh's sister, came to them when a small child, remaining till grown and mar- ried, he also being the owner of a good farm, in Howard township.
ANDREW J. WORKMAN.
Hon. Andrew J. Workman, a member of one of Ohio's old and influential families, has for a number of years been recognized
as one of the leading lawyers of his local- ity. He is a native son of Howard town- ship, his birth having occurred on the 29th of May, 1853. His paternal grandfather, David Workman, was a native of Maryland, but became one of the early pioneers of Knox county, Ohio, where he became a prominent farmer of Howard township. The maternal grandfather, John Davis, was a native of the state of Vermont. Stephen D. Work- man, the father of our subject, also claimed Maryland as the state of his nativity, but when twelve years of age he accompanied his parents on their removal to Knox coun- ty, Ohio, the family locating in Howard township, and there the son was reared to years of maturity. At Loudonville, this county, he was united in marriage to Phelena Davis, a native of Ashland county, Ohio, and after their marriage they took up their abode in Howard township, where they spent the remainder of their lives, each passing away at the age of about seventy-two years. They became the parents of four chuldren, three daughters and a son.
Andrew J. Workman, the subject of this review, attended the district schools of his neighborhood during his youth, and later became a student in the high schools of Danville and Millwood. After completing his education he was engaged in the profes- sion of teaching for seven years, proving an efficient and competent instructor, but on the expiration of that period he abandon- ed that profession, and entered the dry- goods business at Danville, in partnership with David Workman. Two years later, however, he sold his interest therein and embarked in the furniture and undertaking business, to which he confined his attention for the four succeeding years. He still re- tains an interest in this enterprise. Desir-
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ing to enter the field of professional life Mr. Workman then took up the study of law, and after gaining a thorough theoretical knowledge of the profession he opened an office in Danville, where he has since car- ried on an extensive general practice in all the courts. In politics, too, he has been a leader among Republicans and has upheld the principles of his chosen party with firm- ness and unwavering fidelity. For eighteen years he served as justice of the peace of Union township, while for twelve years he was the efficient mayor of the town, and in 1895 he was elected to represent his district in the state legislature.
In 1879 occurred the marriage of Mr. Workman and Miss Izora Smith. The lady is a daughter of Jonas and Elizabeth (Kre- merick) Smith. The union of this subject has been brightened and blessed by the pres- ence of two sons and one daughter,-Orlin, Eva, and Harley. Orlin will graduate in Kenyon College with the class of 1902. Mr. Workman has long been a member of the Masonic order, holding membership in the lodge at Danville, and in his life he ex- emplifies its beneficent and ennobling spirit. Religiously he is a worthy member of the Christian church, in which he has long serv- ed as a deacon. As might be expected of one who has spent his entire life in this county, Mr. Workman is deeply interested in all movements relating to its progress and the development of its resources. In the many positions to which he has been called it has been his aim to advance the interests of his fellow citizens and promote the welfare of the county. While he has been success- ful in his profession, his aim and purposes have not been selfish, but he has aided the worthy poor by substantial gifts and those just starting out in life by words of kindly
counsel, striving in his life and actions to make the world better for his having lived in it.
REV. WILLIAM MCDERMOTT.
If we take into consideration all the cir- cumstances in his brilliant life, we must admit that it is doubtful if there is any churchman in America who has met with such unparalleled success in his field of la- bor as Rev. William McDermott, the well- known pastor of St. Luke's Catholic church, at Danville, Ohio, and who attends to the spiritual wants of the people of his faith living in the eastern part of Knox county. Like many more of America's great bene- factors and distinguished citizens, Father
McDermott, by which name he is popularly known to all classes in Knox county, had the honor of being born on the Emerald Isle. His birth occurred in Kildare, on February 3, 1859. When William was about ten years old the family moved to Union City, Connecticut. He is one of
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OF KNOX COUNTY, OHIO.
eleven children, seven sons and four daugh- ters, born to James and Margaret McDer- mott. The McDermott family, on account of their noble character, honesty and in- dustry, are regarded as one of the model families of New England.
Although the rest of the family had a marked taste for mercantile and mechanical pursuits, William always had a great desire for higher education, which desire his good parents encouraged to the best of their abil- ity. Hence, on leaving the public schools in Union City at the age of seventeen, he en- tered St. Charles College, near Baltimore, Maryland. There he soon became con- vinced that he had a vocation for the Catho- lic priesthood. Accordingly after finishing his five years' classical course at St. Charles with high honors, he entered the philosophi- cal and theological department of Niagara University, New York, and while at Niagara the faculty conferred on him the highest honors of the institution by appointing him to the office of editor-in-chief of the Ni- agara Index for two consecutive years. Hav- ing completed his ten years of preparation for the priesthood, he was ordained for the diocese of Columbus by Bishop Ryan, of Buffalo, on June 4, 1887. He was imme- diately placed on duty at St. Joseph's Ca- thedral in Columbus, Ohio, where his zeal- ous life and striking eloquence soon at- tracted the attention of the entire city. Al- though very unassuming in his oratory, never attempting anything dramatical or bombastic, still his eloquence is most pro- found and convincing and is of that peculiar kind that is never forgotten. On this ac- count, when the Grand Army of the Re- public held their national encampment in Columbus in 1888 and when over 100,000
people were in and around the cathedral, Bishop Watterson selected Father McDer- mott as the orator of the day, on which oc- casion he preached perhaps the greatest ser- mon of his life on "The Church of God is the Pillar and Ground of Truth." During his two years at the cathedral he received over thirty converts into the church. His greatest work, however, was still to be done.
On August 1, 1889, Bishop Watterson appointed him to take charge, temporarily, of St. Luke's congregation in eastern Knox county, saying that no one else at his dis- posal was capable of doing the great work to be done there. This little parish, although the second oldest in the state, was then in a very dilapidated condition. They had had no services for several months, and many families were moving to other places. The church, which was a small, square, plain brick building, situated on a country road over a mile west of Danville was more than eight hundred dollars in debt. Immediately on his arrival in Danville Father McDer- mott inspired the people with the greatest confidence. They at once saw that he was; a born leader of men and rallied to his as- sistance in all his undertakings. As a re- sult of this confidence and unity, in a little over five years he had the debt entirely paid off and over five thousand dollars worth of improvements made in the church, residence and cemetery. Then came his greatest trial. When he had the little church entirely beau- tified, it caught fire from some unknown cause, probably a defective flue, in the early morning of March II, 1895, and as it was far from any fire protection, he and a crowd of his faithful parishioners were obliged to stand back with tear-filled eyes and see the result of years of hard labor devoured by
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