600 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY
ents were among the pioneer settlers of the Keystone state, and her father served in the War of 1812. Mrs. Stetler died in February, 1904, when eighty-nine years of age, and her husband spent the closing years of his life with his son, James A., passing away at the advanced age of ninety-two.
James A. Stetler, an only child, was born in Union county, Pennsylvania, May 5, 1840, and when a boy of eight came with the family to Summit county. His early education was obtained in the rural schools of Green township, and his studies were completed in a select school. For a number of years he remained on the homestead and then started out in life for himself. His industry and ability placed him with the leading agriculturists of Green township, and his public spirit was expressed by actual achievements for the general good. He filled various township offices and belonged to the Apollo Lodge of Odd Fellows, which he joined at Akron. James A. Stetler was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and shaped his conduct by its teachings. On September 2, 1860, he married Miss Lovina Koons, who was born in Columbia county, Pennsylvania, November 29, 1841. Her parents, Henry and Esther (Rough) Koons, were also natives of the Keystone state and migrated to Ohio, residing for many years on a productive farm in Norton township, Summit county. To Mr. and Mrs. James A. Stetler were born four children. William H., the eldest, lives at North Hill, Akron. He married Miss Rose B. Haggerty, by whom he has three children: James R., Harry and Lucille. Charles E. married Miss Ada Rhodes and they are now residing in St. Louis, Missouri. Marvin T. is the third in order of birth. Clarence O., the youngest son, married Miss Minnie Harmon, who passed away June 2, 1922, leaving two children, James H. and Mildred. The father, James A. Stetler, died June 26, 1922, and the mother passed away in March, 1915.
Marvin T. Stetler was a boy of eight when the family came to Springfield Center, Ohio, and here he obtained his early instruction, afterward attending the Uniontown high school. He followed the occupation of farming until he reached the age of twenty-nine and then became a traveling salesman, filling that position for four years. During 1904 he was in Virginia, at which time he was connected with the lumber industry, and in 1905 went to Kansas City, Missouri. There he conducted a ladies' tailoring establishment for about eight years but in 1913 returned to Springfield Center. For several years he was an in-
AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 601
spector for the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company of Akron and in 1916 entered the real estate field, in which he has since continued. Having an intimate knowledge of the value of local property, he is well qualified to direct the investments of his clients and has negotiated many important deals. Mr. Stetler has studied the question from the standpoint of the purchaser as well as that of the man who handles property, and a large and constantly increasing business is evidence of the confidence reposed in his ability and honesty. He also has a thorough understanding of financial affairs and is secretary and a director of the Security Savings Bank, one of the substantial moneyed institutions of Akron.
Mr. Stetler was married January 7, 1890, in Mogadore, Ohio, to Miss Maud L. Morton, a native of that place. Her parents were Oscar A. and Jennie (Manges) Morton, the former of English descent and a son of Samuel Morton, who drove by ox team from Connecticut to Ohio, casting in his lot with the early settlers of Summit county. Oscar A. Morton, is now living retired at Mogadore. His wife passed away August 3, 1918. She was a native of Bedford, Pennsylvania, and of German and Irish ancestry. To Mr. and Mrs. Stetler were born two sons. Warren A., the elder, is an expert electrician and lives in Springfield Center. He married Miss Iris Modroo, of Uniontown, Ohio, and they have two children, Juanita and Dale. Russell E. enlisted in May, 1918, joining the Twenty-seventh Company of Ohio Infantry. On the 21st of the following July he was sent overseas; landed in England, August 3, and reached France on the 10th of that month. Later he was attached to the One Hundred and Sixteenth Field Signal Battalion of the American Expeditionary Force. His next assignment was with Headquarters Company of the Sixth Army Corps and subsequently he was made corporal of Company C, connected with the Field Signal Bureau of the Third Army Corps. He was at Coblenz when the armistice was signed and was afterward in Germany with the Army of Occupation. After the war he married Miss Thelma Ackerman, of Wooster, Ohio, and they now have three children, Virginia Clare, Keith Russell and Dorothy Corinne.
Mr. Stetler is a member of Henry Perkins Lodge, No. 611 F. & A. M.; Washington Chapter, No. 25, R. A. M. ; Akron Council, No. 80, R. & S. M. ; Bethany Commandery, No. 72, K. T.; Valley of Cleveland Consistory, A. A. S. R.; Tadmor Temple, A. A. 0. N. M. S. ; and Yusef Khan Grotto, M. 0. V. P. E. R. He is
602 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY
also a member of Akron Aerie, No. 555, of the Fraternal Order of Eagles; a past noble grand of Akron Lodge, No. 61, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows ; a member of Akron Encampment, No. 18, of which he is a past chief patriarch ; and a member of Akron Canton, No. 2. Mrs. Stetler belongs to Colfax Lodge, No. 8, of the Daughters of Rebekah; Corona No. 2; Elva Chapter, No. 304, of the Eastern Star; Bethany Shrine, No. 7; Favorite Review, No. 164, of the Woman's Benefit Association; the Woman's Club of Akron ; and the Summit County Federation of Women's Clubs. They are prominent in social circles of Akron, in sympathy with all worthy public projects, and their many admirable qualities of mind and heart have drawn to them a wide circle of steadfast friends.
CHARLES ISAIAH PARLETT
Charles Isaiah Parlett, attorney at law, practicing in Akron, was born in Mount Pleasant, Jefferson county, Ohio, June 11, 1880. His parents, Isaiah and Jane (De Yarmon) Parlett, were also natives of this state, always residing in Jefferson county, where the father devoted his entire active life to the occupation of farming. He passed away in 1898, at the age of fifty-six years, while his wife survived him for almost a quarter of a century, dying in 1922 at the age of seventy-six. They were parents of seven children, of whom six are yet living : Charles I., of this review; William S., who is a resident of Mount Pleasant, Ohio ; David E., of Toledo, this state ; Ralph E., living in Houston, Texas; Mrs. Lou Brown, who makes her home at Adena, Ohio; and Mrs. Minnie Yost, a resident of Toledo, Ohio.
When a little lad of six years Charles I. Parlett entered the primary grade of the Mount Pleasant school and had completed the entire course of the public school system at the age of seventeen. He then started out to provide for his own support, becoming connected with railroad work in a clerical capacity. He was later made claim adjuster for The Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad and continued in that position for five years but in the meantime had become interested in the science of law and resolved to qualify for practice in that professional field. In preparation therefor he entered the law office of George T. Bauder of Cleveland, Ohio, under whose direction he pursued his reading until admitted to the bar in June, 1924. He opened an office and
AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 605
began practice in Akron, but continued his Cleveland connection also. He belongs to the Cleveland Bar Association and the Ohio State Bar Association and most closely follows the ethical standards of the profession.
Mr. Parlett chose as his life companion one who had been born and reared in his native city, for on the 8th of July, 1900, he wedded Miss Roxie D. Coss, of Mount Pleasant, Ohio, a daughter of Alfred Coss. They have a family of four children : Mildred, who was born in Jefferson county in 1902 and is a graduate of the Lakewood high school, is now the wife of Lawrence Walchlie, and resides in Lakewood, Ohio. Clyde A., who was born in Jefferson county in 1904, also completed a course in the Lakewood high school and three years at Ohio Wesleyan ; Charles Edgar, who was born in 1906, is a student in the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio. Bruce Alfred, who was born in 1908, was graduated from the Lakewood high school, and is now a student in Cornell University.
Mr. and Mrs. Parlett reside in their home at 13441 Emerson avenue, Lakewood, Ohio. They hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church there and loyally follow its teachings. He is a Scottish Rite Mason, having attained the thirty-second degree.
FRANK PFEIFFER
As an enterprising agriculturist, Frank Pfeiffer contributed toward the development and utilization of the natural resources of northeastern Ohio and is now enjoying the reward of a well spent life. He was born in a log house on a farm on the Merriman road, Portage township, (now Akron) November 3, 1860, the only child of George Frederick and Catharine (Grohe) Pfeiffer, both natives of Germany. The father was born January 17, 1829, in Oldenburg and came to the United States in 1848, crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a sailboat which required forty-eight days to make the trip. Landing in New York he started on foot on his journey westward. Owing to his limited Means he was obliged to secure work for short intervals to help him on his way. From Cleveland he walked to Akron and arriving late in the afternoon he inquired for work at the home of John Brown (of Harper's Ferry fame) who lived on Perkins Hill, but not in need of any help and noting his tired condition Mr. Brown invited him
606 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY
to stay for supper, and he gladly accepted, it being his first meal in Summit county. Securing work in Akron he remained there until after his marriage in 1854 to Catharine Grohe, who was born near Manheim on the Rhine April 23, 1829, and came to the United States in 1852, first locating at Randolph, Portage county, and later at Akron. In 1862 he rented a farm at Western Star, beginning his life's ambition—agriculture. After four years he purchased a farm of sixty-one acres in Sharon township, Medina county, which he sold in 1874, later purchasing a farm of eighty-five acres north of Akron in Portage township, which he sold in 1887, and purchased a farm of one hundred and eighty-one acres at Uniontown, Stark county, Ohio, where he spent the remainder of his life. His demise occurred September 3, 1908. Mrs. Pfeiffer thereafter made her home with her son until her demise April 1, 1918.
Frank Pfeiffer remained with his parents until after his marriage. In the acquirement of an education he completed the public school course and then spent two years at Buchtel College. Starting out in life for himself he decided to follow the occupation to which he had been reared and for some years operated his father's farm near Akron. In 1887 he moved his family to his father's farm at Uniontown, Stark county, and continued to operate the same for eighteen years, and was recognized as one of the leading agriculturists and prominent citizens of Stark county. In 1899 he purchased one hundred and thirty-seven acres of land on the Mogadore road near Akron and three years later purchased another tract of land along the Canton road, adjoining the first purchase. In 1905 he retired and erected a fine modern home, on spacious grounds beautified with an abundance of shrubbery and trees, both ornamental and fruit, on the Canton road, now known as 2401 East Market street.
Mr. Pfeiffer was married October 8, 1885, in Akron to Miss Lydia M. Hawk, who was born August 24, 1866, in Suffield town• ship, Portage county. Her father, Michael Hawk, was a native of Germany, born September 25, 1834, and came to the United States with his parents in 1839. His parents came to Suffield township, where he grew up to manhood. In 1869 he purchased one hundred and forty-four acres in Tallmadge township, now known as Goodyear Heights. In 1911 he sold the farm and retired, purchasing two acres of land on the Canton road, upon which he erected a modern home. Her mother, Albertina (Bletzer ) Hawk, a native of Germany, was born March 23, 1841, and
AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 607
at the age of fourteen years came to the United States and on July 3, 1859, was united in marriage to Michael Hawk, to whom one son, Albert, and two daughters, Salinda and Lydia Margaret, were born. Albert and Salinda are now deceased. Mrs. Hawk's demise occurred May 24, 1893. Mr. Hawk, seven years later, contracted a marriage with Sara Mumaw. His death occurred March 29, 1920.
Mr. and Mrs. Pfeiffer have three children : George Frederick, born August 28, 1886, was the eldest, graduated from the Uniontown high school and also from Ohio Northern University. He is now and for a number of years has been in the Summit county engineers office as bridge engineer, designing and supervising bridge construction for the county. He married Miss Clara E. Packer, who is also a graduate of Ohio Northern University, and they are the parents of three children : Paul Orin, Earl Forest and George Frederick. They reside in their fine modern home at 2415 East Market street.
Raymond Arthur, born August 28, 1890, after graduating from Buchtel Academy and Actual Business College, engaged in bookkeeping for several years but later turned his attention to surveying. During the World war he entered the service of his country in May, 1918, joining Company G of the One Hundred and Thirty-second Regiment, Thirty-third Division, Illinois. While in France he participated in the Meuse-Argonne drive, taking active part in some very spirited action in the offensive near Verdun. After the armistice the division was sent into Germany with the Army of Occupation but later returned to Luxemburg. He returned with the Division in May and was honorably discharged May 28, 1919. On his return he again followed his chosen profession.
Clara May, the youngest child, born November 30, 1892, was united in marriage to Loyal H. Slee soon after his return from the World war. He was attached to the First Division, United States troops and experienced some very desperate action on the front lines, especially in front of Verdun. After the Armistice the Division was sent with the Army of Occupation to Coblentz on the Rhine river, where they remained until the following September, when they returned to the United States. Mr. Slee received his honorable discharge in September, 1919. After his return he again resumed his work in the office of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Mr. and Mrs. Slee reside in their fine modern
608 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY
home at 29 Tudor avenue. They are the parents of three children; Walter Franklin, Glen Howard and Pauline Margaret.
Although never aspiring for office Mr. Pfeiffer, while living in Stark county, was elected a justice of the peace and township treasurer for two terms, also served six years as treasurer and director on the board of the Uniontown special school, and for many years was a notary public in both Stark and Summit counties. He was also elected township trustee in Springfield township, Summit county, and has also been connected with and served on the directorate in various business enterprises of this locality for years. Mr. and Mrs. Pfeiffer are members of the First Reformed church, Akron, and he is a member of the consistory as an elder and contributes liberally to the support of the church. His public service has been demonstrated by honest and efficient service for the general good, and an exemplary life has won for him the unqualified esteem of his fellowmen.
Mr. Pfeiffer does not attribute his success in life alone to his efforts but shares it with his wife, who has been ever faithful, energetic and a willing helpmate.
DERWIN DWOID DANIELS, M. D.
An able physician and surgeon, Dr. Derwin Dwoid Daniels is well established in his profession, which he has followed in Akron for a period of thirteen years, and he also manifests a deep interest in matters touching the welfare and progress of the city. He was born May 5, 1890, in Democracy, Ohio, and is a son of Joseph Elmer and Ardella Frances (Nichols) Daniels, natives of the same locality. The father was an agriculturist and used the most effective methods in the cultivation of his land, developing one of the valuable farms of Knox county, Ohio. Death summoned him in 1910 but the mother survives. She has three children : Derwin D., Gale and John L. Daniels.
Dr. Derwin D. Daniels obtained his early instruction at Fredericktown, Ohio, and later attended the Mount Vernon high school. For two years he was a teacher in the rural schools of Wayne township, Knox county, and afterward matriculated in Ohio State University, from which he received the M. D. degree in 1914. During the following year he was an interne in the City Hospital of Cleveland, Ohio, and on November 22, 1915, located in Akron. In the intervening period he has established a large
AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 611
practice and is a member of the medical staff of the Peoples Hospital of Akron. He has taken postgraduate courses in Boston and other large cities of the United States and utilizes his scientific knowledge to the best advantage in his efforts to combat disease.
On the 3d of January, 1914, Dr. Daniels was married in Mount Vernon, Ohio, to Miss Cora P. Colgin, a daughter of John and Elizabeth Colgin, residents of Howard, this state. Dr. and Mrs. Daniels have become the parents of a son, Ralph Weber, who was born March 28, 1917, in Akron and is attending the Rankin school. Dr. Daniels' residence is at 497 Sunset View drive. A thirty-second degree Mason, Dr. Daniels is identified with both the York and Scottish Rites and in his life exemplifies the beneficent teachings of the order. He is also a Shriner and belongs to the Masonic and Automobile Clubs and the East Akron Board of Trade. His religious opinions are in harmony with the doctrines of Grace Methodist Episcopal church and his professional affiliations are with the Summit County and Ohio State Medical Societies, the Cleveland Academy of Medicine and the American Medical Association. Studious by nature, Mr. Daniels is constantly widening his field of usefulness and his fellow practitioners and the general public unite in bearing testimony as to his worth.
LOUIS K. SCHWARTZ
Concentrating his energies upon a definite objective, in the attainment of which he has exercised intelligence and good judgment, Louis K. Schwartz has become a successful furrier and one of Akron's prominent business men and influential citizens. A native of Austria, he was born April 8, 1877, and was a boy of ten when his parents, Jacob and Mary (Stremple) Schwartz, came with their family to the United States. They settled in Cleveland, where the father spent the remainder of his life, and the mother is still a resident of the city. They had six children, three of whom survive : Mrs. L. Faflick and Mrs. Emma Kulow, who live in Cleveland, Ohio; and Louis K.
The son attended the public schools of Cleveland and in 1892, when a youth of fifteen, entered the employ of a well known furrier of that city. Mr. Schwartz remained with him for a number of years, gradually assuming heavier responsibilities,
612 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY
and in 1910 started out for himself. Selecting Akron as the scene of his activities, he began the manufacture of fur garments and prospered from the beginning. A forceful executive as well as an expert furrier, he has built up one of the largest and most efficiently operated institutions of the kind in the city. He is also a director of the Columbia Printing Company of Akron.
Mr. Schwartz was married, November 24, 1899, in Cleveland to Miss Mary Bistike, by whom he has four daughters. Rose, the eldest, was born in Cleveland in 1900 and completed her studies in the high school at Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Florence, born in Cleveland in 1902, is the wife of M. C. Cummins of Akron and the mother of a son, Jerome Cummins. The younger children of Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz are : Cecelia, who was born in Cleveland in 1907 and is a graduate of the Cuyahoga Falls high school ; and Marie, who was born in Cuyahoga Falls in 1911 and pursued her studies in Our Lady of the Elms School.
Mr. Schwartz is second vice president of the Liedertafel of Akron and has long been active in the affairs of that organization. He is a business man of high standing and loyally supports all movements for the growth and betterment of the city with which his interests are allied. From an early age he has been self-supporting, and his success is the merited reward of an upright life of well directed industry.
WALTER FRANKLIN KIRN
Among those who have seen Akron develop from a town of a few thousand inhabitants to a city of metropolitan proportions is Walter F. Kirn, who for forty years has been engaged in the plumbing business here and who at all times has stood for those projects and measures which have looked to the further improvement and upbuilding of this section. While he has conducted a successful business, he has at the same time found opportunity to cooperate in public affairs and is now doing effective service as a member of the school board.
Akron numbers him among her native sons, his birth having here occurred November 22, 1868. His parents were John M. and Katherine (Angne) Kirn, who were natives of Germany and in early life came to the new world. The father, at one
AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 615
time a member of the board of education, conducted a building and contracting business in Akron to the time of his death, which occurred in 1878. The mother survived until June 2, 1895. In their family were nine children, but only five are yet living : Walter F. ; Oscar C., a resident of Chicago ; Martin J., living in Peterboro, Ontario; and Mary and Mrs. Susan L. Norris, both of Akron.
In his youthful clays Walter F. Kirn attended the public schools of this city, being graduated from the high school in 1886, after which he became a student in Hammel's Business College. In January, 1888, he began learning the plumbing and heating business as an employe of John Robb, one of the pioneer plumbers of Akron and at that time proprietor of one of the only two plumbing shops in the city. In the spring of 1891 the death of his employer, followed by liquidation of the business, necessitated new connections and employment was found with Kraus & Oberlin, continuing with them until the dissolution of that firm in 1896. Mr. Kim then entered into the partnership of Kraus, Kirn & Company, which was later incorporated as The Kraus-Kirn Company. For seventeen years he acted as secretary and treasurer of the corporation. Constant association since their employment by Mr. Robb culminated in 1913 in a partnership between Mr. Kirn and John H. Shuman, a man of exceptional mechanical ability and fine personality. The remarkable friendship of these two men endured for a period of thirty-six years and was brought to a close through the accidental death of Mr. Shuman in 1924. Mr. Kim afterward took over his partner's interest in the business and is now sole proprietor, although still carrying on the business under the old firm style of the Kirn & Shuman Plumbing & Heating Company. For many years he has enjoyed a very liberal patronage, having installed the plumbing in some of the finest structures, both business and residential, of Akron. He has lived to witness a remarkable change in plumbing methods. When he began learning the business the old-fashioned built-in copper bath tubs, marble washstands and black cast iron sinks were in use. Today modern fixtures and installation are highly specialized. Everywhere there is effort to secure better sanitation and greater convenience, and old equipment has been rapidly replaced by that of the most modern character. Mr. Kirn also conducts a heating as well as a plumbing business, installing modern steam, hot water, vapor and vacuum systems in all types of buildings. He has ever kept abreast with
616 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY
the trend of the times and has long occupied a position among the foremost representatives of the plumbing business in Akron. As the years have passed he has also extended his efforts into other fields and his sound business judgment is regarded as a valuable factor in the attainment of success. Among his other business interests he is a director of the Standard Savings Bank of Akron and one of the organizers and vice president of The Portage Savings & Loan Company and president of the Rubber City Realty Company. He is serving on the board of the plumbing and heating examiners and there are few men so able to speak with authority upon any question having to do with plumbing or the installation of modern heating systems. He was state president for two terms of the Ohio State Association of Master Plumbers and served on the board of directors of the National Association of Master Plumbers, and for a number of years has been treasurer of the Akron Master Plumbers Association.
On the 21st of February, 1905, Mr. Kim was married to Miss Gertrude E. Haggerty, of Akron, a daughter of Horace G. Haggerty, of a prominent family of this city. They have two sons and a daughter, all born in Akron : Walter N., who was born February 27, 1906, and is now a student in the University of Akron; Theodore Ivan, who was born August 23, 1907, and is a high school student; and Dorothy E., who was born February 18, 1911, and is also attending high school. Mrs. Kirn is active in the local and state Ladies Auxiliary of the Master Plumbers Association, the Women's City Club, Federation of Women's Clubs, Home and School League and Federation Garden Club.
Mr. Kirn is widely and favorably known through various relations outside of business. He was one of the organizers of the Home Guards; one of the organizers and president of the Spicer-town Civic Association; one of the organizers and president of the Summit County Health Protective Society, which pioneered in anti-tuberculosis work; one of the organizers of Akron's first children's playground, which movement has grown into an established institution. He was chairman of the county Fair Price Commission, acting on behalf of the government. Appreciative of the social amenities of life Mr. Kim is well known in club circles being a member and a director of the Akron Automobile Club; a member of the Portage Fish and Game Association; a member of the Akron Chapter Izaak Walton League; member of the Ohio & Pennsylvania Rod & Gun. Club, of which he has been president; member of the Congress Lake Country Club; mem-
AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 617
ber of the Luna Lake Club ; member of the Wild Flower Preservation Society; the Akron Launch Club, of which he has been commodore; member of the Akron Chamber of Commerce and the Akron Builders Exchange. In his fraternal connections he is past chancellor commander of Aetolia Lodge No. 24, Knights of Pythias, and a member of Nemo Lodge No. 746, I. 0. 0. F. His interest in the public welfare has been manifest in many tangible ways. He is now serving on the Akron board of education and is a stalwart champion of the public school system and popular education. He has served on both city charter commissions. The spirit of progress has actuated him at every point in his career and he has made steady advance, winning for himself the good will and high regard of those with whom business or social relations have brought him into active association. A man of well balanced capacities and powers, whose sound judgment and straightforward business methods have carried him steadily forward to an outstanding position in his field of activity, he is not only regarded as an excellent type of Akron's very best citizenship but also one of the city's strong and able business men.
Mr. Kirn's residence at southwest corner of East Exchange street and Kirn street, was erected by him in 1906 and stands on the site of the old Kirn homestead where he was born and which has been in the possession of the family since 1841.
HUGH U. GARDNER
Hugh U. Gardner has long been an active figure in the business and financial affairs of Kenmore and has proven a man of discriminating judgment in practical matters. He has also borne his full part in civic affairs and has contributed to the advancement of the community's welfare. Mr. Gardner was born on a farm in Knox county, Ohio, on the 12th of October, 1888, and is a son of John and Mary (Breckler) Gardner. He attended the public schools of Danville, Ohio, and after graduating from high school began work as a clerk in a retail store in that city, where he remained five years. He then engaged in real estate and insurance business there until January 1, 1914, when he came to Kenmore, where he is still interested in the same line of work, and for a time was employed as bookkeeper and secretary for W. A. Peters, dealer in builders' supplies. In 1918 Mr. Gardner moved his office to the Kenmore Bank building and became
618 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY
a member of the board of directors of that bank and a member of the finance committee in addition to being engaged in the insurance and real estate business with much success. He represents a number of the leading insurance companies of this country and has placed a large amount of business throughout this section of the county. In 1920 Mr. Gardner organized the Kenmore In-. vestment Company, with an authorized capital of one hundred thousand dollars, and was elected its secretary and treasurer, which positions he is still filling.
On August 15, 1915, Mr. Gardner was united in marriage to Miss Mary C. Rice, of Danville, Ohio, a daughter of the late C. M. Rice, who was a prominent attorney and influential citizen of that locality. To Mr. and Mrs. Gardner has been born a daughter, Mary 0.
In his political views Mr. Gardner is a democrat, and he has shown a commendable interest in public affairs. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Brookside Country Club and the Kenmore Chamber of Commerce, and is vice chairman of the executive committee of the Boy Scouts of Kenmore. His religious membership is with the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic church, and he gives generous support to every worthy benevolent cause, no measure for the benefit of his community appealing to him in vain. Personally he is a cordial and friendly man, and throughout the range of his acquaintance he is deservedly held in the highest regard.
HARRY E. WOODWARD, D. O.
Osteopathy has become firmly established as an effective method of combatting human ailments and is gaining in public favor from year to year. Among the most successful practitioners of this system in Summit county is Dr. Harry E. Woodward, who has been a resident of Kenmore for the past ten years and has built up a large and remunerative practice.
The Doctor was born at Braceville, Trumbull county, Ohio, on the 14th of January, 1876, and is a son of Almon G. and Mary (Walker) Woodward, the latter of whom is deceased. In the family were six children, four sons and two daughters. Harry E. Woodward secured his early education in the grade schools and attended the medical department of Hiram College. He then entered the Des Moines Still College of Osteopathy, Iowa, from
AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 621
which he was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Osteopathy in 1916. He first located in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he practiced for about a year. In 1917 he passed the examination before the Ohio state medical board, from which he received a license to practice in this state and also did postgraduate work at that time. In March, 1918, Dr. Woodward came to Kenmore and has since been actively engaged in the practice of his profession, having gained a flattering reputation as a skilled and capable osteopath.
On December 24, 1906, Dr. Woodward was united in marriage to Miss Nell Imogene Garn, of Culver, Indiana, and to them was born a son, Donovan Garn, who died in 1917, at the age of six years.
The Doctor is a republican in his political views and his religious membership is with the First Christian church. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, the Order of the Eastern Star and the Phi Sigma Gamma college fraternity. He maintains professional affiliation with the Akron District Osteopathic Association, the Ohio State Osteopathic Society, the American Osteopathic Association and the American Electronic Association. Because of his success, his sterling character and friendly manner, he is held in high regard throughout the community in which he lives. Dr. Woodward's residence is at 18 North Fourteenth street, Kenmore.
THOMAS W. PIFER
Thomas W. Pifer, who successfully controls the activities of the Knickerbocker Storage Company, Inc., of Akron, is a typical business man of the present age, quick to perceive an emergency and equally prompt in devising plans to meet it. He was born in Frostburg, Maryland, January 25, 1876, a son of Augustus and Mary (Zimmerman) Pifer, the latter also a native of that state. Augustus Pifer was born in Germany and was but a year old when his parents came to the United States. He lived in Maryland for an extended period and in 1881 established his home in Akron. Being a brick and stone mason and a skilled craftsman he aided in constructing many of the substantial buildings in Akron and continued a resident of the city until his demise. His wife has also passed away. Six children were born to them and four are now living, namely : Mrs. Henry Al-
622 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY
bright, George Pifer, Mrs. Charles Hanson and Thomas W. Pifer.
The last named was a child of five when the family came to Akron and his education was acquired in the Copley school. Afterward he learned the trades of a plasterer and brick mason and was thus employed until 1893, when he became a salesman for the. Kirk Furniture Company of Akron. He filled the position for sixteen years and was then placed in charge of the firm's storage business. This he purchased in 1916 and has since conducted the business under the style of the Knickerbocker Storage Company, Inc., of which he is president. He has 48,000 feet of floor space on Cherry street and in its management brings to bear broad experience, mature judgment and keen discernment. The business has been established upon a solid financial basis and is constantly expanding.
Mr. Pifer was married October 30, 1893, in Akron to Miss Ora B. Lord, a daughter of Herman Lord, of Meadville, Pennsylvania, and they have become the parents of four children, all of whom are natives of Akron. The eldest, Russell R., was born in 1896 and married Miss Opal Gardner, of Akron. They have two children, Phyllis and Richard. Gladys, born in 1900, is the wife of E. Spellman and the mother of two children, William and Eleanor. Halley was born in 1902 and is now Mrs. H. A. Brillhert, of Akron. She has two children, Thomas and Cloyd. Thomas W., the next of the family, was born in 1908 and is at home.
Mr. Pifer is identified with the Loyal Order of Moose and the Akron Automobile Club. In religious faith he is a Baptist and faithfully observes the teachings of the church. Industrious and persevering, he has steadily advanced toward the goal of success and possesses those qualities which make for strong and enduring regard.
HARRY DAVID TEEPLE
Harry D. Teeple, treasurer of the Akron Pure Milk Company, one of the largest and most successful business enterprises of its kind in the state, was born in Manchester, Summit county, Ohio, July 21, 1871, his parents being David and Elizabeth (Getz) Teeple. The mother was born in Pennsylvania, but the father was a lifelong resident of Summit county, where he followed the
AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 625
occupation of farming until his life's labors were ended in death. His family numbered four children : Aaron G., Harry D., Flora C. and Edward.
Harry D. Teeple first attended school at the little Skunk Hill schoolhouse and was but a boy when he came to Akron to make his home with his maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. George Getz, who put forth every effort to properly rear the boy and give him needed care and attention. In the schools of the city he resumed his studies, attending a school that occupied the present site of the plant of the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company on South Main street. Later he attended high school and entered on his business career by accepting a position in the office of the county surveyor, Joseph Gehres being then the incumbent of that office. A few years later Mr. Teeple became an employe of the Goodrich Hard Rubber Company, which merged into the American Hard Rubber Company, remaining in that connection until 1910, when he became the owner of an enterprise carried on under the name of the Highland Springs Water Company. This business he conducted successfully for six years, at the end of which time he sold out and in 1918 became treasurer of the Akron Pure Milk Company, of which he had been a director since its organization and with which his brother, Aaron G. Teeple, had been prominently identified for a number of years. Harry D. Teeple has ever since been treasurer of the corporation, the responsible duties of which office he performs in a capable and efficient manner. The history of the Akron Pure Milk Company appears under its own caption on another page of this work.
On the 4th of October, 1893, Mr. Teeple married Miss Lucy M. Baker, a daughter of O. C. Baker, who for many years was a prominent and successful groceryman of Akron. Mr. and Mrs. Teeple have two daughters, both born in Akron; Florence A., who is now the wife of Elmer E. Ross and resides in this city; and Edith L., who completed her education at Hiram College and is now teaching mathematics in the Berea, Ohio, high school.
Mr. Teeple belongs to the Akron Automobile Club and to The Exchange Club and has membership in the Akron Chamber of Commerce. He is also a member of the National Dairymen's Association and the National Milk Producers Association. He is secretary and treasurer of the Garfield Hotel Company of Akron, and a director of the Depositors Savings and Trust Company of Akron. He is a member of the High Street Church of Christ of Akron, of which he has served as trustee for ten years and as
626 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY
deacon for seven years. He was president of the Brotherhood class, an organization of over five hundred men, for the year 1927. Mr. Teeple has had a long connection with Akron's business interests and has been a witness of the city's wonderful growth during that time. He is regarded as an able and careful business man and is accorded a position among Akron's best citizenship. Mr. Teeple's residence is at 750 Spring Hill Terrace.
JOSEPH R. HOPE
For many years Joseph R. Hope has been connected with the undertaking business and is regarded as an expert in that line. During the past nine years he has been associated with the Campfield-Hickman Company of Barberton, of which he is now manager, and is regarded as one of the leading business men of the community. Mr. Hope was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, on the 13th of March, 1879, a son of Crawford and Mary (Henry) Hope, both of whom are deceased, the father dying in 1899 and the mother in 1923. He secured a public school education and remained on the home farm until he had attained his majority, when he engaged in well drilling.
In 1901 Mr. Hope turned his attention to the undertaking business at Antrim, Guernsey county, in partnership with his brother, John C. Hope, and they carried on the business there until 1912, when he went to Cambridge, becoming a member of the firm of Hope, Blair & Huston, undertakers. Later the firm became the Hope-Hickman Company, and eventually the Hope Company, under which name business was continued until 1919, when Mr. Hope sold out. In June of that year he came. to Barberton and became associated with the Campfield-Hickman Company, which was incorporated October 1, 1917, by F. M. Hickman and W. L. Campfield, both of whom are now deceased. Mr. Campfield was president of the company until his death, in 1920, when he was succeeded by Mr. Hickman, who had executive charge of the business until he was accidentally killed in November, 1927, since which time Mr. Hope has been president. As manager of the business he is contributing his best efforts to its successful conduct. A modern mortuary building was erected at Kenmore in 1922 and the attractive memorial building at Barberton was built in 1925, both edifices being in advance of the times and a credit to their communities. In addi-
AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 627
tion to its splendid undertaking establishment at Barberton, the company also conducts a large and prosperous furniture business, carrying a complete line of goods and household furnishings.
On November 21, 1900, Mr. Hope was united in marriage to Miss Sadie Temple, of Guernsey county, Ohio, and they are the parents of two sons, Glenn and Crawford. The latter married Miss Opal Barr, of Barberton, and they have three children.
Mr. Hope gives his political support to the republican party and has served as township trustee. He is a Mason and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, in which he is a past worthy patron. He also belongs to the Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Young Men's Christian Association, of which he is vice president and a director. He is an elder in the Presbyterian church and stands consistently for everything that is best in the life of the community. A man of vigorous mentality and strong moral fiber, he has lived a useful life and among the people of his community he is held in high regard.
ANDREW VOLLBRACHT
Leaving home a poor boy, Andrew Vollbracht hewed his way through a forest of difficulties and is now regarded as Akron's leading furrier. A native of Germany, he was born August 12, 1867. His parents, Andrew and Anna (Schote) Vollbracht, were lifelong residents of that country, where the father engaged in business as a dealer in woodenware and was an enterprising merchant.
Andrew Vollbracht attended the public schools of Germany until he reached the age of fourteen and then came to America in the hope of bettering his fortunes. He learned the furrier's trade and on coming to Akron in 1912 opened its first fur store, which was located at the corner of Market and Main streets, in the Portage Hotel building. There he remained until 1926, prospering in the undertaking, and then transferred his establishment to No. 210 South Main street. He started the movement in that direction and the magnificent O'Neil store is now situated a few doors north of his place of business. Since 1925 it has been operated by The Vollbracht Company, Inc., of which he is president, treasurer, general manager and the leading spirit. He is an expert judge of fur and an honest dealer whose word
628 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY
is always to be relied upon. Through judicious management, close attention to detail and efficient service he has created a large business. He is a director of the Portage Iron & Wire Company of Akron.
Mr. Vollbracht was married April 17, 1895, in Brooklyn, New York, to Miss Gesine Fricke and they have become the parents of four children : Mrs. Anna Drake, Charlotte, Elsie and Clara.
Mr. Vollbracht belongs to the Silver Lake Country and Akron Automobile Clubs and the local lodge of Elks, while in religious faith he is a Lutheran. His interest in Akron's welfare and progress is deep and sincere, and his support is given to all measures for the general good. Following the path of opportunity open to all, he has arrived at the goal of success, and an exemplary life has won for him the respect, confidence and goodwill of his fellowmen.
J. CLEVE FRY
J. Cleve Fry, who has gained wide recognition as an able and successful real estate man, has handled a large volume of business during the thirteen years since he quit the educational field to enter upon his present line of effort, and is numbered among Akron's progressive and enterprising business men. He was born on his father's farm in Suffield township, Portage county, Ohio, on the 13th of June, 1882, and is a son of James S. and Mary Ellen (Myers) Fry, the latter of whom was born in Summit county, Ohio. James S. Fry was born and reared on the same farm in Portage county, Ohio, which his father, Wiermen N. Fry, purchased from William Penn. James S. Fry devoted his active years to agricultural pursuits and stock raising, in which he was successful. He and his wife, both of whom are now deceased, became the parents of five children : Elson M.; J. Cleve; Henry Floyd, deceased; Lillian Grace, also deceased; and Lester R. All of the surviving members of the family are residents of Akron.
J. Cleve Fry attended the public schools of his home neighborhood, graduating from the Suffield High school in 1902, being president of his class. He then taught school for several years, through which means he earned money to defray the expenses of his further education. He pursued the normal and
AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 631
liberal arts courses in the Ohio Northern University, from which he was graduated in 1910 with the degrees of Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Pedagogy, and was president of the class. He was also active in both military drill and baseball. In the following year Mr. Fry was granted a life teacher's certificate in common and high school work, and soon afterward he entered Chicago University, where he took postgraduate work in science, and in 1913 Ohio Northern University conferred upon him the degree of Master of Science. Mr. Fry devoted his attention to teaching for twelve years, during which period he taught in the grade schools of Suffield township two years and then served as superintendent of schools in Randolph, Paris and Shalersville townships, Portage county, and the cities of Hubbard and New London, Ohio.
In 1915 Mr. Fry turned his attention to the real estate business, spending one year with the firm of Strobel & Shaeffer, and, having found the work congenial as well as profitable, he then opened his own office in East Akron, which section of the city, in his view, presented exceptional opportunities for growth and advancement. Results have vindicated his judgment and he has steadily prospered. Mr. Fry received a commission as notary public in 1916, and has a well furnished office at 377 South Arlington street.
On August 23, 1906, Mr. Fry was united in marriage to Miss Lena Price, a daughter of John and Lucy E. (Semler) Price. Her father was for several years a member of the board of education in Portage county, and was also one of the most successful farmers of the community. Mrs. Fry received her early education in the public schools of Shalersville township, Portage county, and the high school at Uniontown, Ohio. She is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, the Daughters of America, of which she is associate consul, and the Royal Neighbors, of which she has been marshal for the past ten years. Mr. and Mrs. Fry are the parents of two children : Baisee Verona, who died March 27, 1912; and Bernardine Elaine, who was born June 23, 1923, and is an exceptionally bright little miss.
Politically Mr. Fry is a stanch republican and fraternally is a member of Loyalty Lodge, No. 645, F. & A. M., of Akron, in which he was made a Master Mason, September 26, 1918; Akron Chapter No. 209, in which he received the Royal Arch degrees, November 22, 1919; Akron Council No. 80, R. & S. M., in which he became a select master January 1, 1920; and Akron
632 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY
Commandery, No. 25, in which he was knighted April 21, 1920, was made a member of Baharim Council of Princes of Jerusalem April 6, 1921, and of Areal Chapter of Rose Croix on the same date; and Lake Erie Consistory, thirty-second degree, A. A. S. R., April 8, 1921. He became a Noble of the Mystic Shrine October 26, 1925, and is also a member of the Eastern Star and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is secretary of the Sixth Ward Republican Club and is a member of the City and National Real Estate Boards and the East Akron Board of Trade. He and his wife are earnest members of Grace Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mr. Fry is a member of the official board and educational superintendent of the Sunday School. He was one of the organizers and the first superintendent of the Sunday School of the South Arlington Methodist Episcopal church. He has been greatly interested in everything pertaining to the development of Akron along various lines, having served as a member of the City Housing Bureau, being a strong advocate of the Fulton Flying Field, and in other ways showing an up-to-date and progressive spirit in all of his affairs. Personally he is deservedly popular, being a man of kindly and courteous manner, while throughout the community he commands uniform confidence and respect.
CARL HELMUTH POCKRANDT
Carl H. Pockrandt, secretary and treasurer of the Pockrandt Paint Company; secretary and treasurer of the Pockrandt Paint Manufacturing Company, and manager and owner of the Pockrandt Wall Paper Company and the Pockrandt Photo Supply Company, is one of Akron's real wide-awake progressive business men and the acknowledged leader in his line of commercial activity.
Mr. Pockrandt was born in this city, September 14, 1884, his parents being Helmuth and Hannah (Evers) Pockrandt. The mother was also born in Akron, but the father's birth occurred in Germany and he came to America at the age of twelve years. He was active along mechanical lines throughout his entire business life and his death occurred in this city. His widow still makes her home in Akron. They were the parents of two sons and a daughter but the latter is deceased, the sons being Carl H. and Fred C.
AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 635
Carl H. Pockrandt attended the public schools until the age of thirteen, when he started on his business career, his first position being that of elevator boy in the Akron Savings Bank building. He was ambitious and on the alert for a better position, which as it happened proved to be in a line of business with which he has ever since been identified. He entered on an apprenticeship under G. J. Gonder, in the paint contracting business. Later he was for a time in the paint department of the May Company in Cleveland, and still later was for several years with the Billings-Chapin Company, both in the manufacturing and sales departments. This practical experience afforded valuable equipment for him to realize his ambition to go into business for himself in 1910 and in 1914 he opened his present store at 14 North Howard street. Modern merchandising methods combined with his thorough knowledge of the business have been many times reflected in the growth and development of Mr. Pockrandt's interests. In 1917 he established a wholesale department and in 1921 entered the paint manufacturing business, while in 1927 he added an exclusive line of wall papers. Two connected stores in the Pockrandt block accommodate this wall paper, paint and paint accessories business that has become the foremost in Akron.
Mr. Pockrandt is practically the head of both the Pockrandt Paint Company and the Pockrandt Paint Manufacturing Company, two separate corporations, and both are outstanding interests in their respective lines, in this section of the state. Among his other business interests, he is a director of the Dime Savings Bank of Akron. He is president of the North Mill Masonic Temple Company and also of the Akron Holdings Company.
On the 30th of June, 1910, Mr. Pockrandt was married to Miss Kathryn Rupple, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Rupple. Her father is the president of the Pockrandt Paint Company and of the Pockrandt Paint Manufacturing Company. He now spends much of his time in southern California, leaving the management of the business largely to Mr. Pockrandt. For forty years he was superintendent of the Dangler Stove Company, in Cleveland, and was no small factor in the success of that corporation. Mr. and Mrs. Pockrandt attend the Christian Science church and fraternally he is a Knight Templar and Consistory Mason, and a member of Tadmor Temple of the Mystic Shrine and Yusef Kahn Grotto. He belongs to the Silver Lake Country Club, Akron City Club, the Rotary Club and the Akron Chamber of Commerce, and he is also identified with the National Paint Manufacturers Asso-
636 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY
ciation and the National Paint Distributors Association. His interests and activities are varied, making for a well rounded development, while at the same time he has most carefully and thoroughly directed his business affairs, meeting with substantial success. He greatly enjoys travel and has visited many places of interest in this country, Canada and Alaska. He has a wide acquaintance in Akron and many of his warmest friends have known him from his boyhood.
Mr. Pockrandt's residence is at No. 590 Norwood avenue.
JAMES EARL SPRINGER, M. D.
Dr. James Earl Springer is numbered among Ohio's native sons, his birth having occurred in Jeromesville, Ashland county, August 22, 1887. His parents, William K. and Amanda (Lutz) Springer, were also natives of this state and representatives of its pioneer families. The father engaged in educational work and subsequently became a successful agriculturist of Ashland county, devoting his attention to the work of tilling the soil until his death in February, 1900. He was at that time fifty-four years of age, his birth having occurred in 1846. His wife survived him until 1911. In their family were six children : William, Carl and Mrs. Mary Bottorf, all living in Ashland county; James Earl, of this review; Mrs. Luella Stafford, whose home is in Fredericktown, Ohio; and Mrs. Leora Hartman, of Cleveland.
In his youthful days Dr. Springer was a pupil in the Jeromesville schools and afterward entered high school at Wooster, Ohio, where he was graduated with the class of 1905. He had determined to make the practice of medicine his life work and to this end matriculated in the Baltimore Medical College, from which he was graduated in 1911. He then located for practice in Creston, Ohio, where he remained for two years, and in 1914 he opened an office in Akron, continuing in general practice until 1917, when his country's need led him to offer his services and he was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Army Medical Corps, being assigned to duty at Camp Grant, Illinois. He has since taken postgraduate work and now concentrates his efforts and attention entirely upon practice as an oculist, aurist, rhinologist and laryngologist. His knowledge of this particular field is most
AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 637
thorough and his ability is manifest in the excellent results which follow his labors.
On the 10th of October, 1908, Dr. Springer was united in marriage to Miss Daisy G. Fickes, of Jeromesville, Ohio, a daughter of Alfred Fickes, and they have one child, Daisy Jean, born in Chicago, April 5, 1919.
In his fraternal relations the Doctor is a Mason and has taken the degrees of both York and Scottish Rites. He likewise belongs to the Mystic Shrine and is a loyal follower of the high principles and teachings of the craft. He has membership in the Chamber of Commerce and in the Akron Automobile Club and is a helpful member of the Main Street Methodist Episcopal church, at all times cooperating in those movements which tend to uplift and benefit humanity. He is now serving on the staff of the People's Hospital and of the Children's Hospital and he has membership in the Summit County Medical Society, the Ohio State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. He has done postgraduate work in order to advance his knowledge and skill in his chosen field and keeps abreast with the thought of the times and the research work that is continually solving the problems of health and checking the ravages of disease. His residence is at 142 Byers avenue.
GERMANUS E. GARDNER, M. D.
One of the most successful and prominent members of the medical profession in Summit county is Dr. Germanus E. Gardner, of Barberton, where he commands a large practice and is held in high esteem throughout the community. He was born at Danville, Knox county, Ohio, on the 26th of August, 1866, and is the eldest of the eight children of John and Mary (Breckler) Gardner. The father, who followed the vocation of farming, is deceased, and is survived by his widow and six children.
Dr. Gardner secured his early education in the country schools of his home neighborhood ; continued his studies in the normal school at Danville, and then matriculated in Starling Medical College (now the medical school of Ohio State University), at Columbus, from which he was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1891. He served his interneship in St. Francis and St. Anthony's Hospitals at Columbus, and then located in Doylestown, Ohio, where he was engaged in the
638 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY
practice of medicine for twelve years. In 1905 he came to Barberton and has continued here to the present time, becoming one of the best known physicians in this section of the state. He is engaged in general practice, in which he has been far more than ordinarily successful, and is widely recognized as a reliable and skilled practitioner.
On September 29, 1897, Dr. Gardner was united in marriage to Miss Abbie M. Trotter, of Doylestown, Ohio, and they are the parents of two children : Mary Isabelle, who is a graduate of Trinity College at Washington, D. C., and Edna Romaine, who is now a student in Akron University.
The Doctor is a member of the Summit County Medical Society, the Ohio State Medical Society, the American Medical Association and the Association of Surgeons of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and is also a captain in the medical section of the reserve officers' training camp. He is a democrat in his political alignment and has taken an active interest in public affairs but is not an aspirant for public office, though he served as coroner of Wayne county, Ohio, in 1896-98. His religious connection is with St. Augustine's Roman Catholic church and he is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Columbus, the Akron City Club, the Brookside Country Club, the Rotary Club of Barberton and the Chamber of Commerce. Because of his devotion to his profession, his deep sympathy with the sick and afflicted and his courteous and kindly manner, he commands the unreserved respect of his fellowmen throughout the community of which he is an honored resident.
WILLIAM WELCH
One of the most efficient and capable officials of the Akron Rubber Reclaiming Company at Barberton is William Welch, who has held the office of vice president from the organization of the company, and whose practical experience and ripe judgment have been invaluable to the successful operation of the business.
Mr. Welch was born at Fine, St. Lawrence county, New York, September 22, 1887, and is a son of William and Katie (McDonald) Welch. The father was for many years engaged in the lumber business but is now deceased. The son secured his educational training in the public schools of his native county and
AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 641
the high school of Watertown, New York, and then for eight years was employed at farming and in the lumber industry in that state.
In 1916 Mr. Welch came to Akron, Ohio, and secured work with the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, having charge of reclaimed rubber sales. He filled that position for seven years, becoming thoroughly familiar with every detail of the business, and then resigned his position in order to assist in the organization of the Akron Rubber Reclaiming Company, which was chartered in October, 1923, and they took over the plant of the old 0. C. Barber Concrete Block Company at Barberton. On the organization of the company Mr. Welch was made vice president, in which office he has served to the present time. He is also president of the Midwest Rubber Reclaiming Company of East St. Louis, Illinois, which company is controlled by the Akron Rubber Reclaiming Company.
On February 23, 1914, Mr. Welch was united in marriage to Miss Loretta Burns, of Carthage, New York. He is a stanch republican in his political views and has shown a deep interest in public affairs, though he has never held nor sought public office. He is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Akron Rotary Club, Congress Lake Country Club, the Chemists Club of New York, and the Missouri Athletic Club of St. Louis, Missouri. His religious membership is with the Annunciation Roman Catholic church in Akron. His unfeigned cordiality, his kindly spirit and his genuine interest in the welfare of his community have gained for him the respect and friendship of all with whom he has come in contact. Mr. Welch's home is at 1374 Sprague street, Akron.
GEORGE R. PLATT
Prominent among the able and successful lawyers of Barberton stands George R. Platt, who has a large and representative clientele and is regarded as one of the representative men of his community. He was born at Tiffin, Ohio, on the 9th of February, 1888, and is a son of J. H. and Rosa M. (Warner) Platt, the former of whom is rendering distinguished service as judge of the common pleas court. The mother died in 1913.
Mr. Platt received his elementary education in the public school and entered Heidelberg College at Tiffin, from which he
642 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY
was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy in 1911. He then entered the law school of Western Reserve University, from which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Laws in 1914, and in that year was admitted to the bar. He at once engaged in the practice of his profession in Cleveland, where he remained until March, 1916, when he came to Barberton, and here he has since devoted his attention closely to the law. During nine years of this period he was associated in practice with S. A. Decker. Possessing all the requisite qualities of the successful lawyer, he has attained a high place in his profession and has been identified as counsel with many of the most important cases tried in the courts of this and neighboring counties.
On October 27, 1919, Mr Platt was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Moser, of Canton, Ohio, and they are the parents of four children, Amanda Ann, Betty Rose, Jean Marie and Helen Margaret.
Mr. Platt gives his political support to the democratic party and in 1925 was elected city solicitor of Barberton, which position he is still filling. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the American Legion, the Lions Club and the Chamber of Commerce. He is a veteran of the World war, having enlisted September 16, 1917, in the Ohio National Guard. He became a corporal in the One Hundred and Forty-sixth Infantry Regiment, Thirty-seventh Division, and went into training at Camp Sheridan. He was assigned to the observation service and in June, 1918, was sent to France, where he remained until March, 1919, and was honorably discharged March 15. His sterling character, strong personality and agreeable manner have won for him a high place in the respect and esteem of his fellowmen and he is regarded as a distinct asset to his community.
FRANK E. BESSLER
Wisely using the talents with which nature endowed him, Frank E. Bessler has worked along original lines, achieving success and prominence as the inventor and manufacturer of a disappearing stairway which is widely used, and has contributed his full quota toward Akron's industrial growth and prosperity. He was born April 18, 1870, in Tiffin, Ohio, and his parents, John
AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 645
and Elizabeth (Kessler) Bessler, were also natives of the Buckeye state, in which the father always resided, his energies being devoted to the manufacture of shoes. In 1874 he was called to his final rest. The mother has reached the advanced age of eighty-eight years and is remarkably well preserved, retaining all of her faculties. To Mr. and Mrs. Bessler were born seven children, four of whom survive : Mrs. Frances Strausbaugh, and Mayme, John and Frank E. Bessler.
The grammar and high schools of Tiffin afforded Frank E. Bessler his educational advantages and after laying aside his textbooks he served an apprenticeship to a cabinet maker. He followed the trade in Tiffin until 1901, when he came to Akron and obtained employment as an inside finisher. While thus engaged an idea was shaping itself in his mind which in later years was to bring him fame and fortune. He constructed several models, carrying on his experiments for a period of four years, and in 1907 achieved his objective. To conserve space and at the same time permit easy access to the attic in his home in Akron, he built a movable stairway, which was easily lowered on firmly controlled slides by pulling a chain that hung from the ceiling. The convenience of this device appealed strongly to Mr. Bessler's neighbors and friends, who persuaded him to place it on the market. Accordingly the Bessler Disappearing Stairway Company was formed and thirty-seven patents were taken out to protect their inventions. Mr. Bessler was elected president of the company, which intended to sell stairways only in Akron, but the business was soon developed to such an extent that an office was opened in New York city and agents were appointed in Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Belgium. Mr. Bessler has added a number of improvements and his stairway is now letter perfect. At the Sesqui-Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia his company was awarded the only gold medal issued for disappearing stairways. This exhibit entailed the expenditure of seventy-five thousand dollars, and in return the firm received many orders from foreign countries. Enclosed in strong packing cases, the stairways are shipped to various parts of the world in separate parts and can be easily assembled in a short space of time when ready to install. These stairways are made in steel and wood and are used for other purposes than attics, being converted into ventilators by letting the panel part way down from the ceiling. Strong and durable, they are easy to operate and designed to be used in all places where it is possible to utilize a stair-
21-VOL. 2
646 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY
way of this type. The Bessler Company is the pioneer in the manufacture of disappearing stairways and confines its effort to this line exclusively. The plant at No. 1900 East Market street is equipped to turn out fifty stairways a day and as many as one hundred orders a day are received. In the city of Akron there are four thousand of these stairways in use and the number is growing at the rate of two a day. Three plants turn out the parts used for the stairways and they are assembled in the general headquarters of the firm on East Market street. The Bessler Disappearing Stairway Company is one of Akron's most unique institutions, sending its products to world markets. They furnish employment to about thirty skilled mechanics.
Mr. Bessler was married March 25, 1902, in Akron to Miss Carrie C. Bowlin, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Bowlin and a member of one of the prominent families of Tiffin, Ohio, Mr. Bessler belongs to the Chamber of Commerce, the Akron Manufacturers Association and the Automobile Club. He is a Roman Catholic and a faithful communicant of St. Vincent's church. Through the force of his personality and the strength of his mental endowments Mr. Bessler has passed far beyond the ranks of mediocrity, taking his place among the successful few, and his career has been conspicuously useful. His residence is at 29 North Walnut street.
MICHAEL J. MARLOT
Among the younger members of Akron's legal fraternity is numbered Michael J. Marlot, who possesses an analytical, well trained mind and meets every requirement of his profession. He was born February 26, 1901, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father, William C. Marlot, is a native of New Jersey, having been born January 25, 1878, in the city of Newark, and is a son of Michael and Mary Marlot, natives of Italy. His parents came to the United States in youth and lived for a time in New Jersey. Later they went to Philadelphia, where Michael Marlot engaged in the shoe business for a number of years, and they now make their home in Akron. William C. Marlot received his education in the public schools of the Quaker city and afterward was identified with contract work in the field of railroad construction. In 1912 he came to Akron and has since been employed as a court interpreter, being well versed in the Italian language, which he
AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 647
speaks with fluency. He is also a successful realtor whose operations have been of direct benefit to the city. In 1900 he was married in Philadelphia to Miss Mary F. Ferrar, by whom he has two children : Michael J.; and Helen, who was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1904 and is a graduate of the Central high school of Akron.
The son received his early instruction in his native city and at the age of sixteen years completed a course in the Central high school of Akron. For two years he attended the University of Ohio and his studies were continued in the Akron Law School, from which he won the degree of LL. B. in 1925. Since his admission to the bar Mr. Marlot has practiced in Akron and displays keen sagacity in the solution of intricate legal problems. He maintains an office on the third floor of the Second National Bank building and has already established a lucrative clientele.
Like the other members of the family he is a Roman Catholic and conscientiously follows the teachings of the church. He belongs to the local aerie of the Fraternal Order of Eagles and is a member of the Summit County and Ohio State Bar Associations and several American-Italian organizations. An earnest student and a tireless worker, Mr. Marlot is coming rapidly to the fore in his profession, and his many good qualities have drawn to him a wide circle of steadfast friends.
ROBERT F. ETIENNE, M. D.
Dr. Robert F. Etienne is one of Akron's prominent physicians and owes his success to an exceptionally thorough education and natural talent for the profession. He was born at Storm Lake, Iowa, April 20, 1892, a son of Jacob and Mary (McTigue) Etienne, the former an Alsatian and the latter a native of Sarnia, Canada. Although of French lineage the father was a German subject and when a young man he sought the opportunities of the United States, locating in Iowa. He has passed away and the mother is also deceased. Eight children were born to them and six are now living : John, a resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota ; Lewis, of Los Angeles, California ;
Mrs. Mary Smith and Mrs. Ellen Cokins, who reside in South Dakota ; Margaret Etienne, of Mason City, Iowa; and Robert F.
Dr. Etienne attended the public schools of Cedar Falls, Iowa, and was next a student in the State Teachers College of Iowa,
648 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY
from which he received the degree of B. D. I. in 1911 and that of M. D. I. in 1912. For two years thereafter he was a teacher in the public schools of Thompson, Iowa, and then matriculated in the University of Iowa, which awarded him the A. B. degree in 1915. In 1919 he was graduated from the medical department of that institution and after a year's service as an interne in the Lying-In Hospital of New York city he returned to his native state, locating in Webster City. There he followed his profession for two and a half years and then became resident physician of the City Hospital of Akron. For two years he filled that position and has since engaged in general practice, maintaining an office at No. 648 North Main street. His scientific knowledge is used to the best advantage in his efforts to combat disease, and his services are in constant demand.
Dr. Etienne is a Roman Catholic in religious faith, and his fraternal affiliations are with the Knights of Columbus, in which he has taken the third degree, the Eagles and the Elks. Along professional lines he is connected with the Summit County and Ohio State Medical Societies and the American Medical Association and during the World war he served in the Students Army Training Corps. As a director of the North Akron Board of Trade he is demonstrating his public spirit and also belongs to the University Club, the Silver Lake Country Club, the Automobile Club and the Liedertafel. Nature has endowed Dr. Etienne with fine qualities of mind and heart, and during the period of his residence in Akron he has won a high place in the esteem of his professional colleagues and the general public.
JOHN FRANKLIN HARPER
For sixteen years John F. Harper, as secretary and treasurer of the Barberton Lumber Company, has been prominently identified with important business interests, prior to which he had been for a long period engaged in educational work, in which he gained a high reputation.
Mr. Harper was born at Hillsboro, Highland county, Ohio, on the 7th of September, 1864, a son of Isaac and Amanda M. (Higgins) Harper. He secured his education in the district schools and Lebanon University, after which he engaged in teaching school, following that profession for twenty-eight years, or until 1912, when serving as superintendent of the Norton township