Twentieth Century History of Youngstown and Mahoning County Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 113

Author: Sanderson, Thomas W
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 993

USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > Youngstown > Twentieth Century History of Youngstown and Mahoning County Ohio and Representative Citizens > Part 113

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

George W. Ripple attended school during his boyhood, walking a distance of two and one-half miles, but from the time he was old enough to share in the labors of the farm, his work was laid out for him, and as his father was a very practical man, he carefully attended to it, growing into manhood thoroughly pre- pared for future usefulness. He has engaged in general farming and for many years has done a large amount of contracting, especially stone work. in Mahoning and other counties. Hle started out in life for himself with very little, but he has always been most industrious and an excellent manager. He is a stockholder in the Dollar Bank. Youngstown, Ohio, and a stockhohler in the Mineral Ridge Maunfac- turing Company, of Mineral Ridge.

In October, 1864. Mr. Ripple was married ( first ) to Elizabeth Miller, who came to Ohio with her parents from Pennsylvania. There were tive children born to this marriage. as follows: Orpha, who died in infancy : Sher- man, deceased, who married Minnie Brenner and left four children, Cleo, Harry, Laura and Florence: Cornelia, who married Chaney Brobst and has one chikl. Herman: Ella, who died in infancy: and Birdie, who married Grant 1. Crum, and they have one son. Myron George. Mr. Crin has resided with Mr. Rip- ple since he was 15 years of age and is his partner in the contracting business. The mother of the above mentioned family died in : the firm of Wilson. McNab & Hamilton and September. 1878.

Mr. Ripple was married ( second ) to Sarah

E. Rorak, who was born in Austintown town- ship July 18, 1859, and is the only child of James and Mary E. ( Pernell) Rorak. James Rorak was born in Ireland and came to Amer- I ica in his youth, settling in Austintown town- I ship, where he married. He enlisted for service in the Civil War and fought bravely through many battles, but was subsequently captured by the Confederates and confined in Andersonville Prison, where this gallant soldier, with thou- sands of his unlucky comrades, perished from starvation and privation. His widow survived some years and died at Youngstown.

Mr. Ripple has always resided in Austin- town township and is one of its most reliable and prominent men. He is chairman of the U. E. Church board of trustees, having been a member for a number of years. Politically, he is a Republican and has been township trus- tee for a long period. He belongs to the order of Knights of Pythias at Jackson.

J. HAMILTON, attorney at law, at Youngstown, is also one of the very prominent business men of this city. being president of the Valley Invest- ment Company, president of the Audi- torium Company, secretary of the Mahoning Lmunther Company and associated with several other corporations both as stockholder and officer. Mr. Hamilton was born in Blair County, Pennsylvania. His parents came to Mahoning County, Ohio, when he was quite young and this locality has been his home ever since. He was mainly educated at the Wash- ington and Jefferson College, coming to Youngstown in 1888. After a short period of clerking in the office of the Lake Shore and Michigan Sonthern Railroad Company, he be- gan the study of law, under the preceptor- ship of A. W. Jones and W. S. Anderson. and was admitted to the bar on June 4. 1891, immediately entering into practice. Early in 1902. Mr. Hamilton became associated with so continued for. three years. On June I, 1906, this partnership was dissolved and since

Dia zed by Google

903

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

then Mr. Hamilton has practiced alone. He enjoys the reputation of being a very able at- torney. He is identified with numerous im- portant business interests in addition to those already named.

On June 26, 1895, Mr. Hamilton was mar- ried to Sarah Louise Fownes, a daughter of the late Benjamin Fownes, who was a prom- inent hardware merchant at Youngstown. Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton have two children. Mar- garet Fownes and William. Mr. Hamilton belongs to the Elks, the Youngstown club and to the Mahoning Golf club. His business lo- cation is in the Dollar Bank Buikling.

OSEPH HOFFMAN, one of the members of the Fred Hoffman Sons. dealers in lumber and proprietors of a planing mill at Youngstown, was born in this city August 19, 1869, and is a son of Fred and Theresa (Geidner) Hoffman.

The father was a native of Germany, who came to America in 1850 when about 10 years old. He was reared to manhood in Youngs- town and early in life engaged in the Inmber business in which he continued for a period of 40 years. He originated and established nearly all of the lumber and planing mill plants in the city of Youngstown. A short time previous to his death, which occurred in 1905. he established the business now conducted by his sons at their present location. His wife is still living.

Joseph Hoffman, our subject, was reared in Youngstown, his native city. Here he was educated and was practically brought up in the lumber business. On the death of his father, he and his two brothers, Frank C. and Louis J., succeeded to the business of their father, Fred Hoffman, under the firm name of Fred Hoffman Sons,

Mr. Hoffman was married in 1901 to Mar- garet Ryan and they have one son, Herbert J. Hoffman. Mr. Hoffman is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and is religiously

connected with the St. Joseph's Catholic Church.

OL. LEMUEL T. FOSTER, one of the best known and most highly re- spected citizens of Youngstown, who is almost the oldest continuous resident here, has been very prom- inently identified with the agricultural devel- opment and the political affairs of this sec- tion. He was born near Rochester, New York, October 23, 1824. and is a son of Jonas and Lavina ( Pierce) Foster.

The Foster family is of English extraction .

and its founder in the American Colonies was Timothy Foster, who settled in the vicinity of West Salem, Massachusetts, prior to the Revolutionary War, in which he took part, with six of his stalwart sons.

Richard Foster, son of Timothy, who is distinguished as having been a "minute man" at Lexington, was born either at Boston or Salem, Massachusetts. After the close of the Revolutionary struggle, he removed to the eastern part of the State of New York, lo- cating in Washington County, where he bought 1,000 acres of land. A part of this estate is still held by the family. In Massa- chusetts he had married a member of the Titus family and they reared nine children. The sons, on attaining manhood, scattered to different points, one establishing his home in Canada.

Jonas Foster, son of Richard, was born at Hebron, Washington County, New York, May 18, 1792. He was reared on his father's large estate and lived to the mmmusual age of 92 years, dying January 8, 1883, at the resi- dence of his son, Col. Lemuel T. Foster. When the War of 1812 broke out, Jonas Fos- ter entered the army as a fife major and was later promoted. After the close of the naval campaign on Lake Champlain, he returned home and accepted from his father the gift of a 250-acre tract of land, married and set- tled down to farming. Later he removed to the vicinity of the home of his brother Titus,

Dlg zed by Google

904

HISTORY OF MAHONING COUNTY

in the Black River Valley, disposing of a por- tion of his land. In 1823 he located near Rochester, New York, where he lived a short time. He soon became interested in the tales told of the wonderful richness of the still in- settled lands in Ohio and of the business op- portunities offered in the great lumber regions then surrounding the little hamlet of Youngs- town.

On August 31, 1825. Mr. Foster's emi- grant wagon reached Youngstown, and with Mahoning County his interests remained throughout the rest of his long life. He lo- cated in Youngstown township near where his son now resides. He ran sawmills, bonght and sold property and was a type of the en- ergetic, enterprising man, whose example is a stimulus most desired in any new locality. In 1852 he bought a tract of land not far from Youngstown, containing 1511/4 acres of land, for which he paid the sum of $5,000. Here he carried on extensive farming and stock-raising until the close of his active life. Early in his manhood he was an old line Whig and later became a stanch supporter of the principles of the Republican party.

On June 29. 1820, Jonas Foster was mar- ried to Lavina Pierce, who was born Decem- ber 13, 1797, in Otsego County, New York, and was a daughter of Abraham and Lavina (Stoddard) Pierce, who were married in 1794 at Norwich, Connecticut, and had two chil- dren: Stoddard and Lavina. Abraham Pierce was an uncle of Franklin Pierce, who became President of the L'nited States.

The Stoddard family traces its ancestry as far back as the time of William the Conqueror. The founder of the family in America was Anthony Stoddard, who came to Boston, Mas- sachusetts, in 1639. Ile became a man of large affairs and great importance. He was a member of the General Commeil at Boston in 1650. 1659 and 1660, and for the following consecutive twenty years.

Mrs. Lavina (Standard) Pierce, mother of Mrs. Jonas Foster, was a sister of Mrs. Elizabeth (Stoddard ) Sherman, the grand- mother of Hon. John Sherman and his no less distinguished brother. General William Te-

cumseh Sherman. Mrs. Pierce's brother, Major Amos Stoddard, it will be remembered, was appointed by President Jefferson to the high office of commissioner, with powers to exchange treaties with Napoleon Bonaparte in the matter of the purchase of Louisiana in 1803. Upon his return to America after per- forming this mission with great diplomacy, he was made the first Territorial Governor of Lonisiana. During the war of 1812 he was major of artillery ; in 1813 he was ordered to transport the troops under his command to the eastern border of the State of Ohio, and in the journey camped in Boardman township and then proceeded to Fort Meigs. It is sad to relate that so brave a man and so distin- guished a statesman should have been ielled by a splinter from the wall of the fort, which had been struck by a cannon ball. Lockjaw followed. In many ways he was a remarkable man, possessing a marvelous memory and standing mentally far above his contemporar- ies. The family of Colonel Foster has many interesting articles connected with their Stod- dard kindred, and one of these is an original deed, made on parchment, which conveys to Philip Stoddard a grant of land; it bears date of Angust 20, 1662, and the signature of King Charles II. of England. Another object of interest is a letter from Major Stoddard to his mother. Mrs. Foster, while he was Governor of Louisiana. This letter, dated June 16, 1804, at St. Louis, gives a description of the Soco dinner given in honor of the Spanish and French ambassadors and officers.

The children of Jonas and Lavina ( Pierce) Foster were seven in number, as follows: Ab- by Phehe, horn at Johnstown, New York. in 1821. and now residing at Portland, Oregon, who is the widow of George H. Haskell, whom she married in 1839: Delia L., born in 1823. at Johnstown, who married Josiah Dun- lap, and died December 10, 1860; Lemuel T .: Adaline D., horn at Youngstown, in 1827. who married E. W. Wood-both now de- ceased-(E. W. Wood was a colonel of the 57th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, and , fought at Yorktown, Fair Oaks. Seven Pines. the seven days' fight before Richmond, White

MR. AND MRS. LOUIS GLUCK

Digweed by Goog

907

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

Oak Swamp and Malvern Hill) : Sarah Stod- dard, born in 1829, and now residing in Board- man township, who married ( first) James W. Eckman, and is now the widow of Benjamin McNutt; Laura Amanda, born in 1831, who married Clark Wood and died in 1886; and Orinda S., born November 18, 1841, who is the wife of James Crandon, of Niles, Ohio.

Lemuel T. Foster was 10 months old when his parents came to Mahoning County, where he was reared under the same conditions, and as a boyhood companion, as was the late Pres- ident Mckinley, with whom a cordial friend- ship lasted through the latter's life. At the outbreak of the Civil War Mr. Foster became immediately concerned in military affairs, and ably assisted in organizing the First Regi- ment, Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, and was elected colonel of this regiment, but a change of plan caused the regiment to be withdrawn. Later he was made captain of Company L, 17th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, partici- pated in many of the serious engagements of the war, notably the taking of Island No. 10. and spent a large part of his time in success- fully recruiting for the colored regiments.

After his return from the army he engaged extensively in agricultural pursuits and in de- veloping the resources of his large property in the vicinity of Youngstown, on which he raised many fancy Shorthorn cattle. He or- ganized the Foster Coal Company, which has mined many thousands of tons of coal from his land and is still a rich deposit. From youth Mr. Foster has been an interested fac- tor in political life, and probably has known personally as many public men in Ohio as any other citizen. He has frequently been a dele- gate at conventions and assisted in the nomi- nation of General Fremont for President, and of Salmon P. Chase for Governor, In 1877 he was nominated for congress by the Green- back party, was a candidate in 1878 and in [880, and again was prominent in 1801 as the Populist party's choice for the state senate. In local offices he served nine years as a jus- tice of the peace and six years as township trustee.

Colonel Foster was united in marriage on

March 11, 1869, to Florence E. Lanterman, who was born near Youngstown in 1843, and died June 19, 1873, leaving two children. Una L., who married (first) Hosea W. Simon, and (second) William Bakody, of Youngstown township; and Ina Wood, who married John Kennedy, of Youngstown township. Colonel Foster was married (second) September 11. 1878, to Susanna B. Alexander, born March 28. 1848, a daughter of William W. and Eliza- beth ( Baird) Alexander, of Pittsburg, Penn- sylvania. The children of this marriage are : Charles L., an expert electrician, a graduate of the Case School of Applied Science at Cleveland, who is with the Westinghouse Company, at Cleveland: Lida L., and Alice Wood, both of whom were educated in Boston and later at Oberlin College; Grace A., who is a student of Vassar College, class 1908; and Bessie B., a student at Rayen High School.

L OUIS GLUCK, a prominent citizen of Mahoning County and an ex-county commissioner, resides in a beautiful modern home which stands on the corner of Wilson avenue and Pearl street. Youngstown. Mr. Gluck was born in Wittenberg. Germany, in the town of Buoch. Olerant Waiblingen. August 7, 1841, and is a son of Christian and Caroline ( Frank) Ghick.

Christian Gluck was a blacksmith by trade and owned his own shop at Bnoch. Oberaut Waiblingen, and when his son Louis was 14 years of age. he took the latter in as his helper and taught him the business. When Lonis w"4 19 years old his father died and the mother then rented the shop to a urister black- smith. The property finally passed out of the family, as all the members subsequently came to America, following Louis, who was the first one to try his fortunes in this country, The mother died in 1882, at Youngstown. The children, seven in number. were as follows: Christiana, who married John Doepping: 1.onis, subject of this sketch: Frederica. the first of the daughters to cross the Atlantic.

Dlg zed by Google

908

HISTORY OF MAHONING COUNTY

who married David Weimer; Caroline, who married Philip Shantz; Frederick, residing in San Jose. California, a carriage manufactur- er, who followed his brother Louis, to the United States: Christian, who died at Pitts- burg: and Paulina, who married George Baum, of Allegheny.

As mentioned above, Mr. Gluck was in- structed by his father in his trade, which was manufacturing plows, axes, stone-cutting tools and like implements. no horseshoeing being included, as there were no horses in the vil- lage in which the shop was located. After working for three years at his father's forge, he worked out as a bound boy for two years, being apprenticed to a practical horse-shoer. He not only received no pay, but his father had to pay the horse-sheer a premium of $10 in gold. He worked for the two years con- tracted, and then had to take an examination and make new horse shoes, before what is called in Germany, the boss or master black- smith, there being one of these officials in every county appointed to examine workers and find ont the full extent of their ability. It is this system of thorough education which has fre- (mnently been called to the attention of Amer- ican employers.

Mr. Gluck had now reached the age of army service and he complied with the law and entered a regiment in which he was drilled for six weeks, when he was relieved of further (Inty on account of being the eldest son of a widow. Mr. Gluck then went out as a jour- nevman blacksmith and worked at Baden and Wertemberg. and also in Switzerland up to September 1. 1866, when he returned to his home and took charge of his father's old shop for a few months. He soon found that he knew too much and was too good a workman to spend the rest of his life in the little moun- tain village, and in a few months he closed up his affairs and started for America, promis- ing to pave the way for the rest of the family, which he subsequently did.

Mr. Gluck landed on American soil in De- cember, 1866, and went to Rochester, New York. It is probable that he was sadly dis- appointed at first. as the city which he selected

had no opportunities to offer him in the way of employment, and after fruitlessly searching for four weeks, he came on to Youngstown, Ohio. In this city he found his first employer in Charles Grude, who was located on the corner of Champion and Front streets, with whom he remained for two months, and then entered the machine shops of Homer Hamil- ton, as a blacksmith, working there for two months. Mr. Gluck then moved to Brier Hill and for four years was employed at the Mid- dle furnace there and became prosperous, but the exposure and exhausting work subjected him to a heavy cold that resulted in illness and his physician gravely cantioned him concern- ing his subsequent following of his trade. Mr. Gluck went then to Pittsburg. where he mar- ried and then took charge of a garden owned by his father-in-law. David Plieniger, at Alle- gheny, where he continued for six years. At the close of this period he returned to Youngs- and opened up a grocery store at Brier Hill, in 1877, which he successfully conducted until 1881. when he gave up mercantile business, but still retained his property at that point, and then moved to his farm in Coitsville township. In 1880 he purchased 108 acres of choice farming land to which he has added until his farm now includes 182 acres, and is recog- nized as one of the best-improved pieces of agricultural property in the township. All the buildings on his property he has erected him- self and they are up to the highest standard of farm structures, not excelled in any way bv any other in Coitsville township. Mr. Gluck devotes some of his land to general agriculture and raises much live-stock. He continued to reside on this farm until Novem- ber. 1903, when he built his handsome resi- dence on the corner of Wilson and Pearl streets. Youngstown, where he has resided un- til the present. Mr. Gluck owns considerable other property, inchxling a second residence on l'earl street and three desirable vacant resi- dence lots. He has other business interests and at present is engaged in closing up the estate of the late George H. Dingledy, of which he is one of the executors.

On January 30, 1870. Mr. Glick was mar-

Din wooby Google -

909

AND REPRESENTATIVE. CITIZENS

ried (first) to Louisa Plienigen, who died Feb- rnary 15, 1874, while residing at Allegheny. She was a daughter of David Plienigen, a prominent citizen and capitalist of that section. There were two children born to this marriage, namely : Albert and George. The former married Emma Kurz and they have one child, Ernest. The latter married Ida Spatholt, of which union there are two children, Carl and George. Mr. Gluck's older sons are prominent business men at Youngstown, partners in the well known hardware firm of Gluck Brothers Company, situated on Market street.

Mr. Gluck was married (second) Septem- ber 26, 1875. to Caroline Lenz, who is a daughter of Jacob and Christina Lenz. They have four children, namely: Lucy, who mar- ried John Spatholt, and has two children, Margaret and Dora: Mary; Anna, and Louis. Mr. Gluck and family are among the leading members of the German Lutheran Church at Youngstown. He has always taken an active interest in the benevolent and charitable work of this religious body.

During his whole period of American citi- zenship, Mr. Gluck has been a supporter of the Republican party and for many years has been identified with its councils in Mahoning County. In 1884 he was elected to the im- portant office of county commissioner, and served so creditably and satisfactorily that he was re-elected and served a second term, the whole period covering six years and two months. His personal popularity and the pub- lic confidence in his ability and integrity re- sulted in his running ahead of his ticket, lead- ing by over 1,000 votes. Since retiring from the office of commissioner, Mr. Gluck has con- sented to serve in no other. He has come to the time of life when he feels like taking re- laxation and he proposes that in the summer of 1907 it shall take the form of a visit, in company with his wife, to his old home in Germany, returning as a man of substance and prominence to the village he left forty years ago, a youth with but little capital beyond his trade and his enterprise. Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Gluck are presented with this biograph- ical mention.

A UGUST D. C. KROECK, a leading business man at Austintown Center, where he is engaged in the manu- facture of wagons and is a dealer in hardware, farm implements and harness, was born near the Rhine River. in Germany, October 7, 1847. His parents were Wehunt and Catherine ( Hood) Kroeck.

The father of August Kroeck was born in Germany and became a farmer. He married Catherine Hood and comfortably provided for his family until his death at the age of 65 years. His widow came to America in March, 1870, but died in the following February, aged 65 years. They had six children, namely : Andrew, deceased; August; Charles: Wil- helm, residing in Germany; and Philip and Minnie, twins, the latter of whom married Carl Brandt.

The boyhood of August D. C. Kroeck was passed on the home farm, and up to the age of 13 years he attended school. He was then apprenticed to a local wagonmaker, with whom he worked for three and one-quarter years, receiving no compensation except his board. After this he was paid one dollar a week, and he continued to work at the trade until he started to America in 1868. After a voyage of twenty-three days he landed in the United States and came immediately to Youngstown. Finding himself hampered more or less by his ignorance of the English language, he made the learning of it one of his first interests. He worked in different lines, as a mason, in a rolling mill and a lum- ber yard, and thus met many workmen from whom he soon acquired a speaking knowledge of the strange tongue. After this he came to Austintown, where he went to work at his trade in the big shop then located at Taylor's Corners. When it burned down he returned to Youngstown and worked up to the spring of 1870 in that city and at Sharon and Berlin. After his marriage he settled at Austintown, opening a shop. although he had no ready cap- ital. Evidently he presented a very honest appearance, as he was able to secure a bill of goods on credit from a business house at War- ren, and thus was able to begin in a small way

Dfghzed by Google

910

HISTORY OF MAHONING COUNTY

a business which he has developed into one of large proportions.

Mr. Kroeck met all his bills, and thus kept his credit good, and as his mechanical skill became known, his trade increased until he found it necessary to enlarge his accommoda- tions, and from repairing go into manufactur- ing wagons. He had the business foresight to start a store for the sale of his wagons and for goods along the same line, as harness, farm implements, factory buggies and other goods of like nature, and now his trade terri- tory covers Mahoning County and distant points, a few years since he having sokdl a large bill consigned to Cuba. Mr. Kroeck's success marks the progress of a self-made man. In addition to his shop and store, he owns a 22-room hotel building and a fine 10- room residence at Austintown. His place of business is well known all through this sec- tion, as he handles all the standard makes of agricultural implements, including the Syra- cuse, Oliver. Gale and Imperial plows. culti- vators, planters, mowing machines and mod- ern farm tools of every kind. There is still another reason, and that is that Mr. Kroeck has established as good a name for honesty and fair dealing as he has for the excellence of his goods.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Twentieth Century History of Youngstown and Mahoning County Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 113

Author: Sanderson, Thomas W Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 993

Author: Sanderson, Thomas W
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 993