BIOGRAPHICAL - 425 death, Mr. Malone was compelled to abandon active building operations, as the result of the amputation of both of his legs, and he subsequently owned and conducted the cigar and news stand in the St. Charles Hotel, where he was a familiar figure, sitting in his wheeled chair and chatting cheerfully with his many friends and acquaintances. He possessed the most remarkable Christian fortitude and endurance, and expended his last breath in an attempt to console the devoted members of his family who had gathered about his deathbed. Mrs. M. J. Malone, nee Mary Ann Mulhennv, daughter of the late John Mulhenny, died Oct. 7, 1902. Six children survive Mr. and Mrs. Malone : Edward, Charles, Raymond, Lewis, Theresa and Gertrude. Mr. Malone was a member of the Knights of Columbus and of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, both of which organizations were represented by large delegations at his funeral. Solemn requiem mass was held at St. Francis De Sales Church, of which Mr. Malone was a devout member, and the large attendance testified to the general esteem in which Mr. Malone was held. Rev. J. A. Lane was the celebrant, assisted by Rev. Francis T. Moran, of Cleveland, a warm personal friend of Mr. Malone, and by Rev. F. J. Collins, of Defiance. The children of M. J. Malone, with the exception of Edward J.. reside at the old family home, at 2432 Putnam street. Edward J. Malone was educated in the St. Francis De Sales parochial school and has been employed by the Northwestern Ohio Natural Gas Company, as bookkeeper, during the past seven years. He acts as the representative of the family in the management of the family property, which consists of considerable real estate in the city of Toledo. He is an active and energetic young bUsiness man, highly valued by his employers for his integrity, accurate methods and faithful attention to his duties. Mr. Malone is a consistent member of St. Francis De Sales Roman Catholic Church and a regular attendant upon its services ; he also belongs to the Knights of Columbus. On Tune 4, 1906, Mr. Malone was united in marriage to Miss Mabel Ray, of. Detroit, Mich., daughter of Thomas F. Ray. They are the parents of one daughter, three years of age—Mary Octaviaborn in Toledo. The family resides at 405 Boston street, and their charming home is a favorite gathering-place for a wide circle of friends. James W. McMahon is superintendent of the Northwestern Ohio Natural Gas Co., 520 Jefferson street, Toledo. The company is one well known to every resident of the city; supplying, as it does, 32.000 subscribers in Toledo alone, and the towns of Bowling Green, Maumee and Perrysburg along its pipe line. Many other applications for service are received by the company from towns which it will not at present undertake to supply. The president of the company is A. C. Bedford, of New York City ; M. V. Daly, of Cleveland, is vice-president ; George H. Jones, of New York City, is secretary and treasurer ; R. C. Burkhalter, of Toledo, is assistant secretary and treasurer ; and Mr. McMahon is general manager, having succeeded Mr. Daly. Natural gas was first piped into Toledo from Wood county, Ohio, in 1887, but, since 1902; the 426 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY supply has been derived from West Virginia and the company owns and operates 300 miles of pipe line, with pumping stations and other equipment. It is Mr. McMahon's opinion that the mountains of West Virginia contain sufficient natural gas to supply the city for many years to come, probably half a century at the very least. The use of natural gas in the place of coal makes Toledo a far cleaner city than could possibly be the case where coal is the only fuel, and it is one of the great advantages which the city offers as a place of residence. The energy and ability of Mr. McMahon have been powerful factors in the promotion of the interests of both stockholders and subscribers of the company, and he is beyond doubt an exceptionally valuable man in the office he occupies. He is a native of Ellicottville. Cattaraugus county. New York. a city which lies in the district which has been the birthplace of many of the most prominent men connected with the natural gas and oil companies. Mr. McMahon was born Nov. 13, 1856. attended public school in his native village and graduated from Niagara University, in 1876. He engaged in mercantile and lumber dealings in his native place and was recognized there as an able and successful man of business. On July 1. 1902, he entered upon the duties of the responsible position which he now holds with the above-described company. In political belief, Mr. McMahon is a stanch and loyal Democrat. His wife's uncle appointed Grover Cleveland to the first political office he ever held, and Mr. McMahon was the youngest delegate to the first national convention which nominated Grover Cleveland for President of the United States, and also a delegate from New York to the second Cleveland convention. Political affairs have always had a great interest for Mr. McMahon, who served as dairy commissioner in New York, as state committeeman for several years, as member of the local legislature repeatedly in the same State, and, since Jan. 1, 1910, as member of the civil service board in Toledo. Mr. McMahon is a close student of political history, and of current events in their bearing on world politics ; he holds pronounced opinions on the Irish situation, which have been expressed as follows : am a conservative man and never did believe in the musket carrying, 'liberating' brand of patriotism when applied to Ireland. I believe Parnell had the right idea and events have justified his course. I want to see Ireland have home rule ; that is, autonomy like that enjoyed by Canada. In other words, I would like to see it part of the British Empire, like one of our states is part of the Union. That, in my opinion, is the proper destiny of the country, and I have no patience with those who are talking of a 'free Ireland.' What could little Ireland do with its 4,000,000 people? It is not strong enough to maintain an army and navy, and it would fall a prey to some European power. With home rule, the industrial problems would be solved in Ireland. The people would be their own rulers and they could get to work and develop the resources of the country, live in peace and harmony with their neighbors; and become a prosperous and contented nation." The marriage of Mr. McMahon and Miss Matilda Torrance was celebrated in Ellicottville, N. Y., BIOGRAPHICAL - 427 June 14, 1887. Mrs. McMahon was born in Gowanda and graduated from the Sacred Heart Convent at Rochester, N. Y. She is a woman of charming personality, and a devoted wife and mother. Mr. and Mrs. McMahon are the parents of three children : John B. was born in New York, received the degree of Bachelor of Arts from Notre Dame University, at South Bend, Ind., and is now a law student at Harvard University ; Maria was born in New York, graduated at Sacred Heart Convent, Grosse Point, Mich., and is now a student at the Women's College of the Western Reserve University, at Cleveland, and upon graduation. from that institution expects to pursue advanced study at Vassar ; James T. was born in Toledo and is a student at St. Mary's College, at Dayton, Ohio. The following organizations have Mr. McMahon enrolled among their honored members : The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of Toledo ; the Toledo Cub, the Toledo Yacht Club, the Knights of the Maccabees of the World, the Knights of Columbus, the C. M. B. A.. and the Chamber of Commerce. Mr. McMahon is also vice-president of the Commercial Savings Bank & Trust Company, of Toledo. John A. O'Dwyer is known to the public largely as an organizer, and it was his ability in that capacity for civic and fraternal bodies that finally brought him into public life and politics. Mr. O'Dwyer is a native Toledoan. having been born in this city, March 11, 1868. First a messenger for the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railway, he later became a clerk for the Chicago, Hamilton & Dayton railway, and, in 1892, was appointed deputy city clerk by Sylvester Lamb, who was then filling the office of clerk of the city of Toledo. Mr. O'Dwyer left the municipal service at the opening of President Grover Cleveland's second administration to accept the office of special agent for the United States Secret Service. He later became deputy marshal under United States Marshal Smalley, for the Northern Ohio district, and, beginning in 1898, served a two-year term as chief deputy-sheriff of Lucas county, under Sheriff Charles Stager. Six years ago he was appointed a member of the Lucas County Board of Elections, and has since then served as its president. Mr. O'Dwyer has been active in Democratic politics for the past fifteen years, serving at various times as secretary and chairman of the Democratic Executive and Controlling Committee of Toledo and Lucas county, and he has been the recognized local party leader for some time. He is also the member from the Ninth Ohio Congressional District of the Democratic State Central Committee. John A. O'Dwyer has been actively identified with the Knights of Columbus for several years. having been its national organizer in the states of Ohio, Texas and Oklahoma. After his work as organizer he was elected Grand Knight of Toledo Council ; he has also served a couple of terms as the executive head. State Deputy, of the Ohio Knights of Columbus, and is at present district deputy. He is also supreme lecturer and a member of the national board of directors of the Knights of Equity. As a member of the Toledo Chamber of Commerce he has served on its convention committee, and is a member of the Busi- 428 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY ness Men's Club, Ancient Order of Hibernians and Toledo Lodge of Elks. In business he is a member of the firm of O'Dwyer & Downey, operating the Ohio Cigar Store. He is married to Mary U. Sweeney, daughter of Cornelius and of Ann Sweeney, of Toledo, Ohio, and resides at 323 Avondale avenue. James H. Taylor, founder and promoter of the American Woodenware Manufacturing Company, 371-472 Erie street, Toledo, of which he is now president and general manager, merits consideration in this historical compilation by reason of his status in the industrial world. He is a product of the old Empire State, born at Watertown, Jefferson county, New York, May 3, 1851, a son of Joseph G. and Mary (Gillespie) Taylor, natives of the British Isles. The parents immigrated to this country in an early day and became numbered among the pioneer settlers of Watertown, R. Y., where the father was first engaged in following his occupation of contractor and builder and later in constructing the wooden portions of railway locomotives. Both were members of the official church of their native land, the Episcopal ; were exemplary, honored citizens and commanded in fullest measure the respect of the entire community. James H. Taylor, to whom this review is dedicated, received his rudimentary education in the common schools of the city of his nativity and later attended the high school in Toledo, to which city his parents moved in 1866. When in his sixteenth year, he found employment with the Union Manufacturing, Company, manufacturers of woodenware, shortly after the organization of that concern, with which he remained for thirteen years, and then removed to Westfield, Hampden county, Massachusetts, where he was engaged as superintendent and manager of a wooden-ware manufacturing company. and where he remained three and a half years. He then returned to Toledo and embarked in business on his own account, founding the American Churn Company, the title of which later was altered to the American Wooden Ware Company, and seven years afterward he sold this establishment to the estate of William Peter, at which time he became manager of the woodenware department, receiving in return for his services and patents a royalty on the output thereof. After haying faithfully and conscientiously performed the duties of this responsible position for eleven years, he organized, in 1902, the American Woodenware Manufacturing Company, of which he became president and general manager, and in which capacity he still officiates. In 1903 he purchased the property at 371-472 South Erie street, where the establishment is today located. On Oct. 25, 1875. Mr. Taylor was happily united in marriage to Miss Amelia Kirchmaier, of Plymouth, Richland county, Ohio. a daughter of William and Ernestine (Roth) Kirchmaier, both of whom were natives of Stuttgart, Wurttemberg, Germany. The union of Mr. Taylor and wife has been blessed with the birth of seven children. One died when two years and a half old, and six are living, namely : Julius Bryon, who is now superintendent of the concern of which his father is president and general manager : Herbert G., who is managing salesman of the company ; James H., Jr., who is secretary of BIOGRAPHICAL - 429 the company ; Wilma Blanch, who is the wife of Clarence Foote ; Harriet Fowler, who makes her home with her parents ; and Myron Ralph, who is attending school. In his religious views Mr. Taylor adheres to the faith of his honored parents, being a member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, of Toledo, in which he has been a member of the vestry for many years and was a director during the erection of the present edifice. In his political adherency, like many of the other substantial business men, he is a Republican ; and though he takes deep interest and has been influential in civic affairs, he has never aspired to a public career, preferring to devote his undivided attention to his business and domestic affairs. Charles Stollberg, general manager of the American Can Company's plant in Toledo,. was born in that city, Sept., 11, 1860, a son of Christian and Elizabeth Stollberg. natives of Germany. Charles Stollberg secured his educational training in the public schools of Bono, Lucas county, and at the age of sixteen commenced to familiarize himself with the tinners' trade. He continued to work for others for six years and, in 1882, when in his twenty-second near, he embarked in business for himself, in which he was engaged for about four years, at the expiration of which he founded and organized the Toledo Tinware Manufacturing Company, of which he became general manager. The concern was operated under the above title for fifteen years, until 1901, when it was sold to the American Can Company, though Mr. Stollberg was retained as general manager, in which position he has continued to officiate from that time to this. In addition to acting as general manager of the plant proper he has general supervision over the company's affairs in and about Toledo. On Jan. 20, 1889, Mr. Stollberg and Miss Agnes A. Blank were united in holy wedlock. Mrs. Stollberg is a daughter of Philip and Elizabeth (Sheron) Blank, the former of whom was born in Germany and came to Toledo in 1832, and the latter was born in Toledo in -1837. her parents having been numbered among the-pioneer settlers of Lucas county. Mr. Stoll-berg and wife have no children. He is a Mason in good standing, being a member of all the Masonic bodies, and he also holds membership in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Toledo Club. In his political views he is a consistent adherent of the principles expounded by the Republican party. though, notwithstanding he takes a commendable interest in questions of public policy, he is not an active politician. Both Mr. and Mrs. Stollberg are communicants in St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church, in the affairs of which they take an active interest, and they endeavor to carry the tenets of their faith into their daily conduct in their relations with their fellow-beings. Mr. Stollberg is a man who commands not only the respect and confidence, but also the affectionate regard of those who come within the sphere of his influence, and he is one of the widely known and progressive citizens of Toledo. Oren S. Wilcox, a prominent and influential figure in the commercial circles of Toledo, and one of the proprietors and president 430 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY of the M. I. Wilcox Company, which wholesales mill supplies. was born at Point Peninsula, a post-hamlet on the shores of Lake Ontario, in Jefferson county. New York, April 24, 1864. His parents were Oren S., Sr., and Mary (Cline) Wilcox, the former of whom was also a native of Point Peninsula and the latter was born at Three-Mile Bay. a post-hamlet on a bay of Lake Ontario in the same county. The paternal grandfather, William Wilcox. served as a drummer boy in the American army during the War of 1812. Later in life he came to be one of the wealthy planters of Jefferson county, New York., making his residence at Point Peninsula. at which place there was then a settlement known as Wilcoxville, having been named after the Wilcox family. William Wilcox lived to be ninety-six years of age, and many other members of the family have attained to advanced years. Three of his sons, brothers of Oren S.. Sr.. served in the Mexican war, under the command of Gen. Winfield Scott. and were killed in active service. Oren S., Sr.. during his early manhood, was a general merchant at Point Peninsula. and later was engaged in the same business at Three-Mile Bay. His cousin, Minot I. Wilcox, an uncle of the subject of this review, came to Toledo about 1841, and three years later embarked in the retail grocery business in partnership with another brother, Leonard, under the firm name of Wilcox Brothers, in 'which they were successfully engaged for several years and then entered the mill-supplies business, at which time the firm title was altered to the M. I. Wilcox Company. The immediate subject of this sketch received his primary educational training in the common schools. in the vicinity of the parental home at Point Peninsula. and later worked his way through the high school at Watertown. in his native county, graduating with the class of 1883, and thus having learned the lesson of self-dependence at the same time that he was acquiring an education. He then came to Toledo and entered the employ of the M. I. Wilcox Company, in which capacity he continued until the death of his cousin, Minot I. Wilcox, when he and George A. Weber purchased the above concern, of which he became vice-president, in which position he officiated until Nov. 1, 1909, when the company was reorganized with C. T. Stanley as manager, A. J. Wilcox as vice-president, F. F. Ingalls as secretary and treasurer, and the subject of this review as president. On Oct. 1. 1890. Mr. Wilcox was united in marriage to Miss Mary Pratt, an accomplished young woman of Toledo and a daughter of Judge A. and Katherine (Sharring) Pratt. Judge Pratt was one of the pioneer settlers of Toledo and there attained to gratifying success and prestige as a member of the legal fraternity. His wife was born in England and came to this country in her early years, residing first at Adrian. Mich., and later removing to Toledo. To the happy union of Mr. Wilcox and wife has been born one daughter—Catherine L. In his political belief Mr. Wilcox is a loyal adherent of the Republican party. He is essentially progressive and public-spirited and takes a profound interest in all enterprises and undertakings which make for the well-being of the community. He is affiliated with the fraternal order of Free & BIOGRAPHICAL - 431 Accepted Masons, the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and the Business Men's Club. The members of the Wilcox family hold membership in Collingwood Avenue Presbyterian Church, of Toledo, in the affairs of which they take an active interest and enact, prominent roles. Beginning life without a dollar, Mr. Wilcox has made his own way in the world to his present enviable position through the employment of indomitable industry, sheer force of will and uncompromising honesty. As a man his character is above reproach and he enjoys the unqualified esteem of all who have dealings with him. Genial and generous, he is very popular with friends and acquaintances, and his well established reputation for rugged integrity only adds to the general confidence in which he is universally -'held. Adam R. Kuhlmann, president and general manager of the Ohio Brick Company, of Toledo, vice-president of the Toledo Builders' Supply Company, a director in the National Realty Company, and financially interested in several other enterprises, merits consideration in this work by reason of his enviable status in the commercial world, to which he has attained through the employment of exceptional industry, frugality and intelligence. He is one of Toledo's native sons, having first beheld the light of day in the parental home at the corner of Mulberry and Erie streets, Oct. 22, 1862, a son of Christian and Eliza (Friend) Kuhlmann, both of whom were natives of Hanover. Germany. Christian and his good wife came to this country in their earlier years, locating in Toledo and becoming numbered among the pioneer settlers of that city. During the first three years of his residence there he followed the trade of bricklayer and then engaged in the business of contracting and building, which he successfully and profitably pur- sued until 1884, when he retired from active work to enjoy the fruits of his long and .exceptionally industrious career. He was a Republican, a Lutheran, and an exemplary and honored citizen. In 1908, in the fullness of years. he passed to his well earned reward, admired and respected by all who knew him. The educational advantages of the subject of this review were those afforded in the public schools of Toledo. At an early age he learned the molders' trade in the employ of the Moore Brothers, of Toledo, and later familiarized himself with the science of bricklaying under the able direction of his father. After attaining to his legal majority he left the employ of his honored parent and, during the following four years, worked for other contractors and builders. When twenty-five years of age he embarked in the contracting and building business on his own account, and six years later he formed a partnership with Richard Kind for the purpose of dealing in building supplies. 'Eight years later, in 1902, this firm was consolidated with three others of a similar nature, under the title of the Toledo Builders' Supply Company, of which Mr. Kuhlmann then became vice-president, which office he still occupies. In 1904, when the Ohio Brick Company was organized, he became president and general manager thereof. He is a member of the board of directors of the National Realty Company, of Toledo, and 432 - MEMOIRS OP LUCAS COUNTY is also financially interested in several other concerns, among which are the Zehner Brothers Packing Company, the Toledo Rex Spray Company, and the National Paper-Box Company. '.Mr. Kuhlmann is a member of the Toledo Chamber of Commerce, the Business Men's Club, the Toledo Builders' Exchange, the Toledo Yacht Club, .and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, in all of which he is very popular for his genial disposition and his many excellent' qualities. In his political and religious beliefs he adheres to the faith of his father, being an active member of the Republican party and of Salem Lutheran Church, of Toledo. On May 28, 1889, was solemnized his marriage to Miss Caroline Albreicht, daughter of Charles and Mary (Oesher) Albreicht, of Dunkirk, Chautauqua county, New York. The happy marital union of Mr. Kuhlmann and wife has been blessed with the birth of six children: Alma, Gertrude, Charles, Edwin, Luette, and Irene. George Pope MacNichol, a resident of Toledo, is a product of the State of Maine. He was born in Eastport, Washington county, Nov. 5. 1869, a son of Archibald and Delia Helen (Burrall) MacNichol, the former of whom was born, in the little village of Mascarene, province of New Brunswick, Canada, in the year 1840, and the latter first beheld the light of day in East Machias, Washington county, Maine, in 1836. Mr. MacNichol is descended froM Scotch-English ancestry, and his maternal grandfather, Ovid Burrall, became the husband of one of the descendants of Capt. Stephen Smith, of Revolutionary fame, who was associated with Col. Ethan Allen, Colonel Eddy and Major Stillman, in defending the settlements of Eastern Maine against the attacks of the British. The Smith family was first represented in the New World by John Smith, who came to Massachusetts from England, about 1630, and one of his descendants, Stephen Smith, married Deborah Ellis, a daughter of Jonathan and Patience Ellis, of Plymouth, who were very prominent in the early history of New England. The early education of the subject of this sketch was acquired in the graded schools of Calais, Washington county, Maine, after which he attended the high school at that place and later. Phillips-Exeter Academy, of Exeter, Rockingham county, New Hampshire, where he spent one year. He then matriculated as a student in the 'Collegiate Department of Harvard University, at Cambridge, Mass., and spent two Years there. He then entered the medical school of that celebrated institution of learning, where he pursued a complete course .of study and was graduated as a member of the "class of 1893. For the ensuing two years he was engaged in the practice of medicine and then abandoned his practice to enter the business world. He became interested in the Michigan Alkali Company, of Wyandotte, Wayne county, Michigan, of which he was secretary and treasurer for five years, after which he associated himself with the Edward Ford Plate Glass Company, of Toledo, in which he was also secretary and treasurer for a period of five years. By his sterling integrity he has won the friendship- of substantial business men, who realize that he can be depended upon to fulfill his contractual obligations to the very letter. In BIOGRAPHICAL - 433 his political belief he is a Republican of the unwavering type, taking an interest in public matters. In his religious faith he is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and in his fraternal relationships he is admirably affiliated, being a Thirty-second degree Mason and a member of the Toledo Country Club, the Middle Bass Club, the Toledo Yacht Club, and the Harvard Medical Association. On June 6, 1894, was solemnized his marriage to Miss Laura Blaine Ford, the daughter of Edward and Caroline J. (Ross) Ford, of Zanesville, Ohio, and of this happy union have been born four children, namely : Edward Ford, Archibald Ford, George Pope, Jr., and Laura Ford. Charles Sumner Burge, a prominent and influential business man of Toledo, is a native of this county, having been born in the village of Maumee, Nov. 24, 1868, and is a son of Robert and Margaret (Shoemaker) Burge, the former of whom is a native of Devonshire, England, and the latter of Maumee, this county. The paternal grandparents, who were also natives of England, settled in the village of Maumee in an early day, and there, during the remainder of his career, the grandfather followed the occupation of mason and builder. The maternal grandparents also came to Ohio in an early day, locating in Miami, where they continued to make their residence during the residue of their lives, the grandfather being a ship captain on the Great Lakes. Robert Burge, the father of the subject of this review, like his honored parent, was also a mason and builder by occupation, which he successfully followed, first in the village of Maumee, until 1883, and then in the city of Toledo, where, since 1892, he has been living retired from active work, enjoying the fruits of an exceptionally enterprising career. Charles Sumner Burge acquired his educational training in the public schools of his native village and in those of the city of Toledo. In 1882, when only fourteen years of age, he. commenced his real work in life by entering the employ of the S. W. Flower Company, of Toledo, dealers in seeds, in which capacity he continued until 1888, when he entered into partnership with Mr. Flower and became one of the proprietors of this concern, the affairs of which have been conducted solely under his able direction since the death of Mr. Flower, which occurred Nov. 13, 1908. Mr. Burge was also financially interested in the Dollar Savings Bank, of -Toledo, of which he was vice-president until it was merged with the Ohio Savings Bank & Trust Company, in December, 1909, and in this capacity, as in his private business career, he brought to the discharge of his duties capability of a high order and absolute integrity, essential attributes in the large affairs of life. All who come in contact with him receive kind and courteous treatment, and his business associates, patrons of the concern of which he is now in charge, and all others with whom he comes in contact hold him in high regard and esteem. He is public-spirited and takes a profound interest in civic affairs in his city and county. In his political adherency he is aligned in the ranks of the Republican party. He is. a member of the Toledo Business Men's Club, the Toledo Produce Exchange and the Masonic fraternity, in the 434 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY affairs of which he is a prominent figure. On June 13, 1892. he was happily united in marriage to Miss Lenora C. Barks, a daughter of Charles and Elzina Barks, of Toledo. Mr. and Mrs. Burge have no children. Willard Ezra Allen merits recognition in this compilation by reason of his standing as one of the successful representatives of the manufacturing interests of the city of Toledo, as well as for the reason that he is a citizen of sterling worth and one who enjoys uniform popularity in the community which is his home. Mr. Allen is a native of the neighboring Ohio county of Lorain, where he was born on a farm, in what was then called Camden, but now Lipton, Aug. 15, 1860 ; and he is a son of Charles Willard and Ruth E. (Beach) Allen, the former of whom was born Oct. 18, 1835, near Brockport, N. Y., and the latter July 12, 1837. in Auburn, N. Y. Both families were early founded in America. the paternal in New England, which was the generous and beneficent cradle of much of our national history, and the maternal in New Jersey, the citizenship of which State has exercised a wholesome influence in the affairs of our common country. The first American ancestor of this immediate branch of the Allen family was one William Allen, who emigrated from England in 1635, and settled at Salisbury, in the county of Norfolk, Massachusetts. One of his descendants was Ezra S. Allen, the paternal grandfather of the subject of this review. Ezra S. Allen was born near Brockport, N. Y., Jan. 26, 1812, and devoted the greater part of his comparatively short life to agricultural pursuits. In 1836 he removed to Lorain county, Ohio, and settled on the farm which is still known as the "Old Allen Homestead," and there he succumbed to the grim reaper, March 18, 1841, at the early age of twenty-nine years. The maternal great-grandfather of Willard E. Allen was Benjamin Beach, who married Jane Allen, daughter of Capt. Job Allen, a well-known military and political leader of the early days in New Jersey. Benjamin Beach operated iron mills and mines during the Revolutionary period at various places in New Jersey, and he maintained one of his forges at Valley Forge. in Pennsylvania. where Washington and his army were encamped during the dreary winter of 1777-78. Ralph Beach, who is associated with Thomas A. Edison, at West Orange, N. J., in the construction of the new Edison electric street car, has in his possession a cannon ball that was cast at Valley Forge by his ancestor, Benjamin Beach. The maternal grandfather of Mr. Allen, whose name was also Benjamin Beach, was born at Rockaway, N. J., Dec, 11, 1771, and in his youth became an iron worker, being connected with his father's interests in the iron mines of New Jersey, which are still owned by members of the Beach family. Later he removed to the vicinity of Plattsburgh, N. Y., where he met and married his third wife, Mary Holcomb, whose father and brothers were active in the War of 1812. He followed agricultural pursuits there for a time, and then moved to the vicinity of Auburn, N. Y., where he died Oct. 1, 1838. Charles Willard Allen, the son of Ezra S. Allen and the father of Willard E., was less BIOGRAPHICAL - 435 than a year old when his parents removed from the Empire State to their new home in Lorain county, Ohio, and there he grew to manhood, early devoting his attention to the basic industry of agriculture, to which he maintained an unswerving allegiance throughout the greater part of his active career. He received his rudimentary education in the district schools of the neighborhood in which he lived, and finished with a course at Oberlin (Ohio) College. He then remained for some time upon the home farm, after which he entered the employ of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad Company and assisted in the construction of the first railroad bridge across the Maumee river at Toledo. Again returning to the old homestead in Lorain county, he was there engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1874, when he removed to Monroe county, Michigan. and purchased a farm in Erie township. To the improvement and cultivation of this landed possession he continued to give his attention until 1907, when he practically retired from active participation in affairs and took up his residence in the city of Toledo. One year later he removed to Oberlin, Ohio, but in 1909 returned to Toledo, where he now maintains his home. He is a man of sterling character, strong both physically and mentally, despite his advanced age, and upon the record of his long career as one of the world's noble army of workers there rests no blemish. His life has been one of consecutive industry, and he gained success through his own well-directed efforts. He is a Republican in his political proclivities, and has been active in promoting the interests of that party, casting his first vote for Gen. John C. Fremont for President. and he and his good wife have been life-long members of the Baptist church. On Nov. 3, 1858. he was happily married to Miss Ruth E. Beach, who, after a period of fifty-two years of wedded bliss, in the evening of life is enjoying with him the fruits of their combined efforts and. industry. She is the daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Holcomb) Beach, and is the youngest of twenty-four children born of the three marriages of her father. Her early education was secured in the district schools, and after attending the Auburn (N. Y.) Seminary she became a teacher at the age of fifteen. Later she entered Oberlin College, where she completed her education. At the age of seventy-three years she is in the enjoyment of excellent health, and she is the only survivor but one of her father's numerous family. The mother of the late Hon. Charles P. Griffin. who so long represented Lucas county in the Ohio legislature, was a sister of Mrs. Allen. Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Allen there were born six children, of whom the following specific mention is appropriately made in this connection : Willard E. is he to whom this review is more particularly dedicated; Rufus W. is a partner in the firm of Granger & Allen at Oberlin. Ohio ; Marietta is the widow of Fred E. McCaskey and resides at Toledo ; Theodore B. is the senior member of the firm of T. B. Allen & Co.. oil producers, of Toledo ; Laura B. is the Wife of Wallace Washburn, of Syracuse, N. Y., and Charles J. resides in Toledo. Willard Ezra Allen, whose name initiates this biographical 436 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY review, secured his early educational training in the district schools of Lorain county, Ohio, which he attended from the age of six to fourteen, when his parents removed to Monroe county, Michigan. From then until his nineteenth year he contributed his quota to the work of the home farm, increasing his services as his ability and physical powers justified, and in the meantime taking up and continuing various studies, preparatory to teaching. At the age of nineteen he secured his first school—a four months' winter term, at a monthly stipend of $18. The school was located in Bedford township, Monroe county, four miles from his home, and he walked that distance twice daily during the continuance of the term. The following summer he taught another term in Erie township, and in these pedagogic endeavors he earned the first money that enabled him to enter Hillsdale College, at Hillsdale, Mich. He matriculated in this institution of learning in September, 1880, and after completing the fall term he again resumed teaching, taking charge of the same school in which he had labored the previous winter, and at a salary increased to $24 per month. In addition to his work as teacher he continued his college studies during the winter months and re-entered college for the spring term of 1881, successfully passing the final examination for the year with his class. He was chosen president of the Freshman class near the close of his first year in college, and in 1883 he entered the Junior Oratorical Prize contest of the Alpha Kappa Phi Society for what was then known as the Melendy Prize. He selected as the subject for his oration, "Poetry Among the Arts," and at the end of the contest he was awarded the honors of the occasion. Up to the time of completing his college work the vacation periods were devoted by Mr. Allen to the agency business, beginning in the summer of by with a pocket dictionary as the article for sale. He succeeded in disposing of a copy to the first customer called upon, and although a profit of but one cent was realized from the transaction at the close of the first day's work his profit on sales made amounted to nearly one dollar. In four days the little city of Hudson, Mich.. had been thoroughly canvassed and a net profit of $15 had been accrued by the ambitious and energetic salesman. From that time on, hook selling and other agency work, pursued during the college vacations, became the source of sufficient revenue to enable Mr. Allen to pursue his course of study. In 1884 he entered the subscription book publishing field, opening his first office at Hillsdale, Mich., and among other books which he published was one entitled "Anecdotes of the Rebellion," of which. more than 30,000 copies were sold. In 1890 he became associated with George F. Cram, the map and atlas publisher of Chicago.. the style of the firm becoming "The Cram-Allen Publishing Company," with offices located in the Illinois metropolis. In 1893 Mr. Allen severed his connection with this publishing company to accept an appointment by Governor Altgeld as special Illinois representative to the International Irrigation Congress which convened at Los Angeles, Cal., in October of that year. He was chosen as a member of the BIOGRAPHICAL - 437 National Executive Committee on Irrigation and served in that capacity for the period of one year. In the spring of 1894 he organized the Morning Daily News Company at Los Angeles, Cal., and began the publication of a paper which later became the official organ of the People's Party in Southern California. He disposed of his interest in this newspaper in 1895 and returned to his former home, where he spent the ensuing three years in developing certain inventions. In 1898 these inventions formed the basis for the organization of the Allen Manufacturing Company of Toledo, which was incorporated in 1901 under the laws of the State of Ohio, with Fred E. McCaskey as president, and Willard E. Allen as secretary and treasurer. This company has for years manufactured a number of specialties, the most important of which is the Allen Bath Apparatus. After the death of Mr. McCaskey, in 1905, Mr. Allen became the sole proprietor of the concern, and has continued as such up to the present time. He is also interested in several other establishments in Toledo, as well as being the owner of valuable real estate interests in the city. It will be seen from the foregoing that Mr. Allen's career has been an exceedingly active one, and the success that has attended his efforts has been due solely to his native ability and energy. He has gained a high standing in his home city as a man of large affairs, and is identified with various organizations, such as the Business Men's Club, the Chamber of Commerce and the Toledo Credit Men's Association. Fraternally he ranks high in the Masonic order. He became a Master Mason Oct. 5, 1885, and at the present time is a member of Rubicon Lodge, No. 237; Fort Meigs Chapter, No. 29 ; Toledo Council, No. 33 ; Toledo Commandery, No. 7; the Miami Lodge of Perfection ; Northern Light Council, Princes of Jerusalem ; Fort Industry Chapter, Rose Croix H. R. D. M. ; Toledo Consistory of Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret, and of the Ancient Arabic Order, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, Zenobia Temple. He is also a member of the auxiliary Order of the Eastern Star. He has membership in the Sons of the American Revolution ; the oratorical society, Alpha Kappa Phi, of which he is an alumnus, and of the Greek letter fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, Michigan Gamma. He is a member of the Toledo Yacht Club, and his interest in the beautiful and artistic is shown by a liberal support given to the Toledo Museum of Art. In politics by gives a consistent support to the men and measures of the Republican party, but has never been an aspirant for public office, as his business interests demand all of his attention. The religious faith of himself and wife is expressed by membership in the Ashland Avenue Baptist Church, of Toledo, where they are regular attendants. Mr. Allen is a very pleasant and affable man, perhaps a little brusk in business intercourse, but beneath the exterior are to be found all the attributes of the true gentleman, faithfulness to his friends being a prominent characteristic. He is one of the popular citizens of Toledo, where his circle of friends is only circumscribed by the list of his acquaintances. One of the busiest of the busy men of the city, when the hour comes 438 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY for closing his office he lays aside his business cares and in the privacy of his home thoroughly enjoys the companionship of his wife and children, to whom he is exceedingly devoted. On Nov. 3, 1900, Mr. Allen was united in marriage to Augusta L. Sutton, widow of the late Isaac Sutton, of Toledo, Ohio. To her first marriage were born two sons—Raymond Alden and Samuel Wayne. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Allen have been born three children, as follows : Frederick Willard, born Jan. 21, 1902; Ruth Etta, born Jan. 26, 1904; Sterling Ezra, born Oct. 26, 1906, died Feb. 24, 1910. The family home, one of the most beautiful residences in the city, is located at Collingwood Villa, 3015 Collingwood avenue, Toledo, Ohio, and is the center of gracious hospitality. Charles W. Ryan, for many years a prominent figure in commercial circles of Toledo, and now president of the Arbuckle-Ryan Company, of that city, is a product .of the old Keystone State, having been born in Erie, Pa., Oct. 7, 1847, a son of John and Eliza A. (Dodge) Ryan, both of whom were natives of Erie. Pa., the former born in 1813 and the latter about 1819. The paternal grandparents of the subject of this review in an early day removed from their home in Halifax, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, to Erie county, in the same State, where for many years they followed, agricultural pursuits. The maternal grandparents were numbered among the pioneer settlers of Harbor Creek, Erie county, Pennsylvania. Charles W. Ryan received his educational training in the public schools of his native county, after which he removed to Toledo and entered upon his independent career by embarking in the hardware business, becoming a member of the firm of the Arbuckle & Ryan Company. Later, this concern engaged in the Machine business and, in 1896, was incorporated under the laws of the State of Ohio, becoming known as the Arbuckle-Ryan Company, of which Mr. Ryan at that time became president. Though this concern was launched on a modest basis, it was. through the capable and enterprising management of its proprietors, soon placed upon a substantial footing, and advancing step-by-step with the general development of Toledo and vicinity, it has attained to a leading position among the industrial institutions of the city. Mr. Ryan is also interested in various enterprises in Erie, Pa., and owns a portion of the old Ryan homestead there, which has been in possession of the family for more than a century. On Oct. 1, 1884, he was united in holy wedlock to Miss Emma L. Ford. an accomplished daughter of D. E. and Maria F. (Treat) Ford, of Toledo,. and of this happy union was born one son—John Harold. On Feb. 13, 1887, Mrs. Ryan was summoned to the life eternal, leaving her bereaved husband, her devoted son and a large number of friends to mourn her untimely passing. On Dec. 3. 1902, Mr. Ryan was married to Mrs. Laura F. Niles, a sister of his former wife, of which marital union has been born one child—Elizabeth. Mr. Ryan is an attendant at the Congregational Church. of Toledo. In politics he is a loyal adherent of the Republican party, and though he has never cherished aspirations for a public career, he BIOGRAPHICAL - 439 takes a deep interest in civic affairs, being a loyal and public-spirited citizen. As a business man he has attained to gratifying success and prestige and enjoys the good will and unreserved confidence of the many patrons of the establishment of which he is president, his wide circle of intimate friends and his many acquaintances. William F. Dahlmeyer, who is engaged in the manufacture of cisterns and tanks in Toledo, is one of the younger business men of that city, both as regards age and length of time engaged in commercial pursuits but the high standing he has attained and the extensive patronage which is being accorded him is sufficient evidence of his ultimate success in his chosen field of industry. He is one of Toledo's native sons, born June 13, 1881, and is a son of A. William and Mary (Witker) Dahlmeyer, the former of whom was a native of Germany and the latter was born in Wood county, Ohio. The father left the "Vaterland" in 1867 and came to Toledo, where he established the business in which his son, William F., is now engaged. He was reared in his native land and received the excellent educational training afforded in the public schools there. Shortly before coming to America he was a soldier in the German army, participating in the Austro-Prussian war of 1866, and being awarded a special medal by the German government for gallantry in the battle of Langensalza. In politics he was a loyal. Republican, in his religious faith a member of the First Reform Church of Toledo, and he was an exemplary and honored citizen. He was summoned to the life eternal Jan. 29, 1905, admired and respected by all who knew him. The educational advantages of the subject of this sketch were those afforded in the schools of Toledo. In the days of his youth he entered the employ of his father and learned the 'cistern and tank manufacturing business. which he has followed continuously from that time to this, having worked at this occupation in twenty-seven states of the union. When his honored parent passed away he was absent from home, but upon receiving the sad tidings he immediately returned and assumed control of his father's business, and since then he has been continuously engaged in his chosen vocation in The city of Toledo. In politics he renders allegiance to the Republican party. He and his wife hold membership in the First Reform Church, of Toledo, in the affairs of which both are very active. Mr. Dahlmeyer having occupied the office of financial secretary therein for four years, and he has been a member of the consistory for sixteen years. On Oct. 11, 1905, was solemnized his marriage to Miss Edith Schmidt, a daughter of Christian and Sophia (Molt) Schmidt, of Toledo, and of this union has been born one child, a daughter—Gertrude. George W. Close, one of the foremost figures in commercial and banking circles in Northern Ohio, and one of the extensive realty owners of Toledo, is a native of this State, having been born on a farm in the vicinity of Bellevue, Sandusky county, Ohio. Jan. 11, 1851. His paternal great-grandfather was a gallant soldier in the Revolutionary war and shortly after the cessation of hostilities 440 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY settled in Pennsylvania, being the first of the progenitors of the subject of this sketch to establish his domicile in the Keystone State. The parents, George W., Sr., and Mary (Moyer) Close, were both natives of Union county in that commonwealth, the former having been born July 5, 1804, and the latter Jan. 3, 1814.. They were reared, educated and married in their native State, and in 1838 located on a farm in the immediate vicinity of Bellevue, Ohio, where, thirteen years later, George W., of this review, first beheld the light of day. There the Close family continued to maintain their residence until 1876, the father owning and operating his large grain farm until that year. The father then moved to Bellevue with his family and took up his residence in that city during the remainder of his life, enjoying the fruits of his Jong and exceptionally industrious career, his death occurring about 1889. George W. Close, Jr., was twenty-five years of age at the time of his parents' removal from their farmstead to Bellevue, and he acquired his elementary educational training in the district schools in the neighborhood of the parental farm in the last named place. His early life was not much different from that of all farmer lads, and at an early age he became inured to the sturdy discipline of rural life, which tended to develop in him those qualities of industry and application which afterward figured so prominently in his eminent success. He supplemented the knowledge gained in the district schools with a course in the Bellevue High School, and later attended Oberlin College. In 1870, he embarked in the mercantile and private banking business at Berlin Heights, Erie county, Ohio, and also engaged in shipbuilding. In 1882, he disposed of his mercantile and private banking business and in the following year organized the Berlin Heights Banking Company, of which he became president and general manager, which offices he continues to occupy. This concern enjoys an extensive and profitable patronage. He is also interested in the Berlin Fruit Box Company, which was organized in 1863, and of which he has been the president since 1890; the firm of Close & Peak, Wakeman, Ceylon and Berlin Heights, Ohio, dealers in grain and coal ; the Bank of Huron, Erie county, Ohio, of which he is president ; the Wakeman Banking Company, at Wakeman, Huron county, Ohio, of which he is secretary and treasurer ; the American Publishers' Company, of Norwalk, Ohio, of which he is president ; the Equitable Realty Company, of Toledo, of which he is president ; and he is one of the large real-estate owners of Lucas county, being the proprietor of several business blocks and numerous business properties in Toledo, and at present he is acting as receiver for the Wauseon Savings & Trust Company, of Wauseon, Fulton county, Ohio. In all his undertakings Mr. Close has been guided by quick decision, cool judgment, undaunted courage, confidence in his abilities, firmness, strict adherence to correct business principles, and, above all, sterling integrity, which has won him many friends in the commercial world who realize that he can be relied upon to carry out his contractual obligations to the letter. By close observation of the market conditions he has been able to embark in lines of BIOGRAPHICAL - 441 business that are practically certain to yield him substantial returns ; by his industry and well directed efforts he has been instrumental in making those undertakings successful ; and by his sound judgment and conservative methods he has avoided everything resembling speculation and confined himself to strictly legitimate investments. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, having attained the degree of Master Mason, Nov. 1, 1876 ; the Toledo Club and the Country Club. In his political views he is a consistent adherent of the principles of the Republican party, though, notwithstanding he takes a commendable interest in questions of the hour, he is by no means an active politician in the understanding of that term, though he never fails to perform the duties of good citizenship at the polls. hi regard to religious matters, he entertains views which are extremely liberal and broad-minded, and is affiliated with the Congregational denomination, owning the pew which has been in the possession of various of his progenitors. He was instrumental in twice rebuilding the First Congregational Church at Berlin Heights, and has given liberally of his time and means to the furtherance and maintenance of other church societies, and of various worthy charitable and benevolent objects. On Nov. 15, 1876, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Close and Miss Ada Eliza Hine, daughter of Theodore B. and Lovina (Reynolds) Hine, of Berlin Heights. Mrs. Close received her summons to the life eternal in July, 1903, less than two years after the commemoration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of her marriage to Mr. Close. Of this union were born four children—Theodora Hine, who is the wife of Frederick Fox. a banker of Norwalk, Ohio ; Helen Katheryn ; George W., Jr., who is now attending the Holderness School for Boys at Plymouth, N. H.; and Lovina Hine, at Smead's School, Toledo. Louis Beckman, a manufacturer of and retail dealer in optical and surveying instruments in the city of Toledo for the past thirty-six years, with headquarters at 319 Adams street for the last thirty years, was born in Doberan, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany, Feb. 4, 1845. His father, Benjamin Beckman, was also a native of the above place in Germany, where for many years he conducted a picture-framing establishment. The mother of the subject of this record was born in Schwaan, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany. Louis Beckman received the excellent educational training required in the public schools of his native land, attending the gymnasium and college at Rostock, and later an industrial school in the same place, where he was graduated in the year 1861. He then learned the optical and surveying instrument manufacturing business, which he later followed for three years in the employ of one of the leading firms of Berlin, Germany, after which he removed to Paris, France, and entered the employ of another concern engaged in the same kind of work, and where he continued for three years more. In 1870 he came to New York city and for another three years was occupied with work of the same nature, after which, in 1873, he came to Toledo, where he found employment along his special line, and in the ensuing year embarked in 442 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY the manufacture of optical and surveying instruments on his own account, in which business he has been engaged continuously from that time to this. In 1880 he moved into his present place of business, at 319 Adams street, where he has been located ever since. The first floor of the establishment is devoted to the retailing of the instruments, and the floors above are given over to their manufacture. Through honest and persistent endeavor and a loyal devotion to duty, Mr. Beckman has developed an extensive and lucrative patronage and has attained to pronounced success and prestige in his chosen vocation. No one envies him his success or popularity, for all realize that they have come solely through his exceptional energy and perseverance and are the just reward of untiring industry. In his political adherency he is a Republican in national politics, and locally votes for the best man, regardless of party. Though he has never fostered aspirations for a public career, he takes an interest in civic affairs and looks with favor upon all movements which have as their object the public betterment of the city and county, and he is widely recognized as one of Toledo's progressive and public-spirited citizens. In fraternal affiliations he is a member of the Masonic fraternty, in which he is very popular for his genial disposition and his many excellent qualities. On Sept. 16, 1879, he was united in holy wedlock to Miss Ida Jacobs, daughter of Frederick William and Louise (Boldt) Jacobs, the former of whom was born in Madge-burg, Prussia, and. the latter in Heide, in the same country. Mr. Jacobs and wife came to America and located in Toledo about 1860. To the happy union of Mr. and Mrs. Beckman have been born two children, namely, Louis and Oscar. Allen DeVilbiss, M. D., for many years prominently identified with the medical profession. and now president of the DeVilbiss Manufacturing Company, of Toledo, which produces surgical instruments and supplies, was born in St: Albans township. Licking county, Ohio. Dec. 5, 1840. The paternal grandparents, Alexander. Sr.. and ____ (McClean) DeVilbiss. were for many years residents of the State of Maryland, and the former was a native of Germany. his birth having occurred in the province of Alsace-Lorraine. The maternal grandparents were Samuel and (Bliss) Clogston, and the parents were Alexander, Jr., and Lydia (Clogston) DeVilbiss. the former a 'native of Maryland and the latter of Charleston, W. Va. Dr. DeVilbiss, to whom this memoir is dedicated. secured his elementary education in the public schools of Auburn. DeKalb county, Indiana. after which he attended the University of Michigan during one term, and then entered Miami Medical College at Cincinnati, where he laid the foundation of his professional career, and received his degree of Doctor of Medicine as a member of the class of 1868. He embarked in practice at Middletown. Alien county. Indiana, and was later located at Fort Wayne, where he remained until 1887. when he established his offices in Toledo. and there made a specialty of diseases of the ear, nose and throat, being one of the first physicians and surgeons in Toledo to specialize in this branch of medical science, and having BIOGRAPHICAL - 443 done as much toward its perfection as any member of the profession. As a practitioner, he enjoyed a highly successful career, both from a pecuniary standpoint and in the treatment of patients, commanding to the fullest extent the confidence of his patrons and the respect and esteem of his brother practitioners. and keeping abreast of the march of progress in the field of medical research. and doing much toward the advancement of surgery. When Dr. DeVilbiss began to practice the atomizers employed in surgical operations were capable of applying medication in but one direction, thus necessitating the use of several of these instruments in a single application, but, being of an ingenious turn of mind, he devoted a great deal of time and study to the situation and finally invented and perfected an atomizer which would allow of the treatment reaching all the affected portions through the simple turning of an adjustable tip. He also became deeply interested in brain surgery, to which he devoted considerable study, and invented an instrument which has not only replaced the old chisel and mallet formerly employed in surgery, but enables operations to be performed in much less time and without the injury and shock formerly experienced by the patient. and it is now used in operating on the various fiat bones of the body, and has been adopted by the United States government and many of the world's foremost surgeons. In 1890, Dr. DeVilbiss withdrew from the active practice of medicine, having previously embarked in the manufacture of the above instruments of his own invention. In 1900, his son, Thomas A., purchased a half-interest in the business, which at that time was expanded so as to include the .manufacture of a general line of surgical instruments and supplies, and in June, 1905, it was incorporated as the DeVilbiss Manufacturing Company, of which the subject of this sketch is president. his son, Thomas A., is vice-president and general manager. and Frank L. Gutchess is secretary. The company enjoys an extensive and lucrative patronage and has readily attained to a leading position among concerns of a similar nature in Northwestern Ohio. Politically. Dr. DeVilhiss is a Republican, and, though ever ready to defend his convictions, and taking an active interest in public affairs, he finds but little time to devote to politics and does not aspire to the honors and emoluments of public office. He is affiliated with Toledo Post, Grand Army of the Republic, being an honored veteran of the great Civil war, having enlisted Aug. 10, 1862, as a corporal in Company A, One Hundredth Indiana infantry, taking part in the memorable siege of Vicksburg and other engagements of less importance in Mississippi, Kentucky and Tennessee. and receiving an honorable discharge from the service, Aug. 10, 1863, just a year after the date of enlistment. The Doctor was united in marriage, Aug. 13, 1868, to Miss Lydia A. Lipes. daughter of David D. and Mary J. (Summers) Lipes, of Virginia. and of this union have been born four children—two daughters and as many sons—namely, Lydia May, Allen, Jr., Mary and Thomas A., a sketch of the last named appearing elsewhere in this work. 444 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY Frank L. Gutchess, secretary of the DeVilbiss Manufacturing Company of Toledo, which manufactures surgical instruments and supplies, is a product of the Empire State and her institutions, his birth having occurred in Cayuga county, New York, Feb. 27, 1865 ; and he is a son of Jacob and Ellen (Buckingham) Gutchess, the former of whom was born in the town of Smithfield, N. Y.. and the latter near Marshall, Calhoun county, Michigan. The paternal grandfather was a soldier in the Continental army during the Revolutionary war, rendering gallant service in the suppression of British tyranny in the American colonies. Frank L. Gutchess was reared in his native county of Cayuga and his educational advantages were those of the common schools in the vicinity of his boyhood home. Shortly after leaving school he entered upon his independent career by embarking in the mercantile business at Syracuse, Onondaga county, New York, which occupation he followed with success until 1889, when he went to Chicago, Ill., where he remained for a short time, and then took up his residence in Toledo ; at which time he became a traveling salesmanfor the firm of Strawbridge & Clothier, drygoods merchants of Philadelphia, Pa. He continued in this capacity until 1904, and then purchased a fourth interest in the DeVilbiss Manufacturing Company, and at the time of the incorporation of this concern, in June of the ensuing year, he became its secretary, which office he has occupied continuously from that time to the present. Since coming to Toledo he has maintained a progressive attitude and has been an active force in the commercial life of the city. In fraternal matters he is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias ; Rubicon Lodge, No. 237, Free and Accepted Masons ; and he is also a member of the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and the Toledo Branch of the National Association of Credit Men. He was married, March 9, 1892, to Miss Lida May DeVilbiss, daughter of Allen DeVilbiss, a sketch of whom appears on another page of this volume, founder and president of the manufacturing concern which bears his name, and Lydia A. (Lipes) DeVilbiss, of Toledo. Mr. and.Mrs. Gutchess have three children, viz : Allen D., Helen and Edith. The family is associated with the Ashland Avenue Baptist Church. The Gutchess home is at 1941 Warren street. Thomas A. DeVilbiss, vice-president and general manager of the DeVilbiss Manufacturing Company, is a native of the Hoosier State, having been born in Fort Wayne, Allen county, Indiana, July 29, 1878, a son of Dr. Allen DeVilbiss, M. D., founder and president of the above concern, and a memoir of whom appears elsewhere in this volume, and Lydia A. (Lipes) DeVilbiss. When Thomas A. was nine years of age the DeVilbiss family removed from Indiana to Toledo, and here he was reared and acquired his educational training in the public schools. Upon leaving school he commenced his real work in life by entering the employ of the Toledo Computing Scale Company, with which he remained for a year and then accepted a position with the Harlin Cash Register Company at Columbus, Ohio, where he remained for about one year, after which he returned to Toledo and purchased a half interest in the DeVilhiss Manufacturing Company, with which he has since been asso- BIOGRAPHICAL - 445 ciated, becoming vice-president and general manager at the time of the incorporation of the concern, in June, 1905. Fraternally, he is a member of the Blue Lodge, Chapter, Council and Commandery in York Rite Masonry, and his interest in the commercial life of the city is signalized by his membership in the Toledo Business Men's Club and the Toledo Chamber of Commerce. In politics he exercises his elective franchise entirely independent of all political organizations, keeping well informed in regard to questions of public policy and casting his ballot in accordance with the dictates of his own judgment. On Dec. 12, 1906, was, solemnized his marriage to Miss Edna Parker, an accomplished young lady of Toledo,- and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James R. Parker. Mr. and Mrs. DeVilhiss have one child, Howard Parker, and they reside at 923 Oakwood avenue. Charles Henry Carroll, for many years a prominent figure in industrial circles in Toledo and now treasurer of the Toledo Pipe Threading & Machine Company, first beheld the light of day in Napoleon, Henry county, July 21, 1872. He is a son of Thomas R. and Godie A. (Cary) Carroll, both of whom were also natives of the Buckeye State, the former having been born in Evansport, Defiance county, and the latter in the village of Texas, Henry county. The mother was a daughter of Joel and Harriet (Ramson) Cary, the latter of whom was a daughter of Russell Ramson, a maternal great-grandfather of Charles Henry Carroll of this review. Russell Ram-son was a son of Joseph Ramson, a maternal great-great-grandfather of the immediate subject of this sketch. Joseph Ramson was born in Nova Scotia, Canada, in September, 1762, and migrated to Connecticut in early youth, enlisting, in 1777, when but fifteen years old, as a private in one of the first regiments of infantry organized in Connecticut in the Revolutionary war, with which he served until 1780, when he received an honorable discharge from the service. Shortly afterward he re-enlisted in another regiment, however, with which he continued until 1781. His total period of •service was three years and three months, and he participated in the celebrated battle of Saratoga ; was under the command of Capt. Benjamin Hawkins, the celebrated soldier, statesman and French scholar. from Sept. 19 until Oct. 9, 1777; and was in the battle of Bemis Heights, where he was under the command of Benedict Arnold, and where he was severely wounded. In 1837, he left the home of his son in Berlin, Hartford county, Connecticut. to visit the home of his boyhood in Nova Scotia, and this was the last that was seen or heard of him, it being generally believed that he was robbed and murdered. Charles Henry Carroll, to whom this memoir is dedicated, received his educational training in the public schools of his native county of Defiance, Ohio, and when only eleven years of age came to Toledo and entered the employ of J. R. McGlone, a manufacturer of lumber, with whom he remained until 1887, when he went to work for the firm of Shaw, Kendall. & Company, dealers in heating and plumbing supplies, where he continued until 1896, and then entered the employ of the National Supply Company, successors of Shaw, Kendall & Company, in which capacity he re- 446 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY mained until 1904, when he became treasurer of the Toledo Pipe Threading & Machine Company, which position he has occupied continuously from that time to the present. Mr. Carroll was married, March 16, 1893. to Miss Grace L. Jenelle, of Detroit, Mich., and of this happy union has been born one child, Miriam Wolcott. Fraternally, Mr. Carroll is a member of all the bodies of York Rite Masonry, including the Commandery. He is also affiliated with the Toledo Club, the Inverness Club and the Toledo Yacht Club, and his interest in the commercial progress of the city is signalized by his membership in the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and the Business Men's Club. In his religious convictions he is a Presbyterian, being a member of the Collingwood avenue church of that denomination, one of the wealthiest Protestant congregations in the city. Mr. Carroll is a self-made man in the best sense of that term. Beginning his independent career as an employe in a lumber yard, when but eleven years of age, he has through his untiring industry and perseverance steadily climbed the ladder of success to his present position. He has always looked with favor on movements for the upbuilding of the county and city and is widely known as one of Toledo's progressive citizens, enjoying the respect and esteem of his competitors. buSiness associates and all others with whom he comes into contact. Walter J. Chase, who is president and treasurer of the B. A. Stevens Company, at the corner of Erie, Lafayette and Lucas streets, Toledo. and who for many years has been a prominent and influential resident of the above city, merits consideration in this historical compilation by reason of his pronounced and gratifying success and prestige in the commercial and industrial worlds V and his sterling worth as a citizen. He is a product of Erie county in this State, having been born in Milan, Sept. 10, 1845. His parents were Harry and Amy Ann (Atherton) Chase, the former of whom was born in the old Empire State, in 1806, and the latter in the State of Massachusetts, in 1815. Harry Chase was reared in his native State and received his education in her common schools. In his early manhood he migrated to Milan, Ohio, where he was successfully engaged in commercial pursuits until 1856. when he removed to Toledo and embarked in the commission business, in which he continued up to the time of his demise, in 1874. He was a very prominent and influential member of the community and at one time was internal revenue collector in the Tenth district of Ohio. and in this capacity, as in all others in which his long and industrious career placed him, he brought to the discharge of his duties capability of a high order and absolute integrity, indispensable attributes in the larger affairs of life. The subject of this review was one of a family of six children—four brothers and two sisters—of whom he is the only one who survives. He acquired his educational training in the public schools of his native city and those of Toledo, having removed to the latter place in 1856, when eleven years of age. After leaving school he entered the employ of Roff & Company. hardware dealers, in the capacity of clerk, and there he remained for six years, at the expiration of which, in 1870_ BIOGRAPHICAL - 447 he became an employe of Chase, Isherwood & Company, tobacco Manufacturers and wholesale dealers, which concern was then owned and conducted by his brother. Here he was employed continuously for twenty-eight years, until 1898, when he resigned to accept the presidency and treasurership of the B. A. Stevens Company, becoming the successor of B. A. Stevens, the founder and promotor of that institution. It was organized in 1875 and, like other concerns of that nature, it was launched in a modest manner, but was soon placed on a sound basis, and, advancing step-by-step, with the development of Toledo and vicinity, it rapidly attained to a foremost position among industrial and commercial enterprises of the State. The company was incorporated under the laws of the State of Ohio, in 1903, and the present officers are : Walter J. Chase, president and treasurer ; J. T. Dempsey, vice-president ; and John A. Haverfield, secretary. Among the products of the concern are the following: Refrigerators and ice-boxes, cold storage doors, cooling rooms, market fixtures, butchers' machinery, tools and supplies, bar furniture and fixtures, billiard and pool tables, sectional howling alleys, automatic five and ten-pin alleys, lunch outfits, tobacco cases. and billiard, bowling and bar supplies. Mr. Chase is a member of the National Union and the Royal Arcanum, and he and his wife hold membership in First Congregational church of Toledo. On Oct. 6, 1870, was solemnized his marriage to Miss Clara W. Tingley. an accomplished young woman of Providence, R. I., and a daughter of Henry F. and Lucy (Ann) Tingley, the former of whom is proprietor and general manager of the Tingley Marble Works. of Providence. Of the happy marital union of Mr. Chase and wife have been born three children, all of whom are making a success of life. They are : Walter N., who is now teller in the Toledo Savings Bank & Loan Association ; Arthur J., now general manager of the New Paint & Varnish Company of Toledo ; and Clara L.. who is principal of the kindergarten of the Fulton street school of Toledo. The commercial career of Mr. Chase has been characterized by exceptional enterprise, integrity, business tact and shrewdness, and he commands in fullest measure the unreserved confidence and esteem of his business associates, the institution's many patrons and all others with whom he comes in contact. His life has been one of persistent, honest endeavor, in which no man can point to a dishonorable act, and in the various capacities in which his long and exceptionally industrious career has placed him, he has displayed the very highest qualities of ability, energy and devotion to duty, which makes his life an inspiration to others, and the records of which will remain a precious heritage to those he leaves behind. Francis Edwin Tracy, for many years a prominent figure in the commercial circles of Lucas county, is a native of the old Bay State, having been born in the beautiful city of Pittsfield, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, May 26, 1842. He is of a highly honorable English ancestry, being descended on his father's side from King Ethelred, one of the early British sovereigns, and other of the earlier members of the English nobility. One of the first repre- 448 - MEMOIRS OF LUCAS COUNTY sentatives of the Tracy family in America was Gov. William Tracy, who, in 1620, accompanied by his wife, Mary (Conway) Tracy, emigrated from their home in England to Virginia, where for many years. he was a prominent figure in commercial and political circles and for a short time was Colonial governor. In later years other members of the family settled in Massachusetts, and there many of the progenitors of the subject of this review were born and spent their entire lives. Francis Edwin Tracy is a son of Doria and Almaria (Nichols) Tracy, the former of whom was born in Pittsfield, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, May 18, 1808, and the latter in the little village of Richmond, in the same county, April 15, 1815. In the fall of 1842, when Francis Edwin of this sketch was but a few months old, Doria Tracy removed with his family to Monroe county, New York, establishing his residence in the immediate vicinity of the city of Rochester, where for the ensuing eight years he was engaged in the manufacture of staves and land plaster, after which he embarked in the lumber business. Francis Edwin Tracy acquired his educational training in the public schools of Livingston, New York, and in academies in the State of New York and in Franklin county, Massachusetts. He then associated himself with his father in the lumber business, in Allegany county, New York, where he remained until 1867, when, with the other members of his father's family, he came to Toledo. With his father and his brother Henry, he erected a saw mill on the east bank of the Maumee river. The two brothers formed a partnership and operated the saw mill under the firm title of Tracy brothers, and which was the first concern of importance to be established in East Toledo. They constructed the large Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad Company docks on the Maumee river, in the immediate vicinity of their sawmill. It required great industry and perseverance to succeed in those days, but being possessed of exceptional ability, business tact and shrewdness, the Tracy Brothers soon placed their lumber business on a sound basis, and advancing step by step with the general growth of Toledo and vicinity, rapidly attained to a leading position among the industrial concerns of the city and county. The business was continued until 1899, when, because of the great scarcity of raw timber, it was dissolved. The immediate subject of this sketch then embarked in the brick manufacture business, in which he was actively engaged up to about two years ago, when he retired from active work, though a portion of his time and attention are taken up in looking after his real estate interests. In politics Mr. Tracy is a stanch and earnest adherent of the "Grand Old Party," and though not an office seeker in the usual understanding of that term, he was for several years a member of the board of trustees of the Natural Gas Plant of the City of Toledo. For many years he has been a communicant in the First Congregational church of Toledo, in the affairs of which he has been an active participant, being a member of the board of deacons at the present time. Mr. Tracy was married, June 6, 1866, to Miss Mary Emily Orton, who was born in Cuba, Allegany county, New York, July 4, 1847, and is a daughter of Horatio and Sarah (Carson) BIOGRAPHICAL - 449 Orton, of Allegany county, New York, where Mr. Orton was a prominent farmer. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Tracy have been born six children : James Frank, who was born Nov. 2, 1867, is married to Maud Hunter Kirk, daughter of Maj. Ezra and Mary Kirk, and is the cashier of the People's Savings Association of Toledo—he is the father of two children, Mary and Frank ; Thomas Orton, born June 25, 1873, married Jeanette Bishop, of Paw Paw, Van Buren county, Michigan, later went to Grand Rapids, Mich., where he engaged in the manufacture of dental supplies, after which he returned to Toledo and became vice-president of the Ransom & Randolph Company ; Martha Orton, born Dec. 31, 1870, was a teacher in the Manual Training School in Toledo for several years ; Frederick Doria, born Nov. 25, 1875, is the husband of Grace Horton, of Bluffton, Wells county, Indiana, and is now superintendent of the Eastern Oil Company of Buffalo, New York ; Katherine Mary, born Aug. 20, 1879, and married to Edwin C. Law, of Toledo, in November, 1909, was a teacher in the kindergarten in the Illinois school ; and Ralph Woodruff, who was born April 7, 1882, died July 6, 1896. Mr. Tracy. to whom this review is dedicated, has a sister living in Toledo—Mrs. Katherine Lampson, who was born Jan. 4, 1833. Of his brothers, William N., who was born May 11, 1846, died in August. 1910, and Henry, who was a member of the former firm of Tracy Brothers, passed away in 1905. The father, Doria Tracy, went to his reward Jan. 19, 1904. Edward McLeary, the machinist who maintains his place of business at 2-4 St. Clair street, Toledo, is a native of the Buckeye State, having been born. in Canton, Stark county, Ohio, Feb. 13, 1846, a son of Edward and Mary (Francois) McLeary, the former of whom was a native of Antietam, Md., and the latter of whom was born in France. The father was left an orphan in early youth and was compelled to maintain himself from the very first, and, though deprived of the advantages of an education, he learned at a tender age the lessons of self-dependence and hard work. In 1846 he took up his residence in Lucas county, and there he resided throughout the remainder of his career, his death occurring in 1887, and his good wife passed away six years later. In politics he was a staunch and earnest supporter of the Republican party and was a prominent figure in local politics, being one of the early street commissioners of Toledo and one of the first directors of the Lucas County Infirmary. His last years were spent on a farm in the vicinity of Toledo. Of the union of the parents were born nine children—seven sons and two daughters—one of whom died prior to the birth of the immediate subject of this review, and of whom only four are now living. Edward McLeary, to whom this sketch is dedicated, was reared in Lucas county, and there received his educational training in the public schools. He then learned the machinist's trade, and first embarked in business on his own account in August, 1883, when he established his present shops at 2-4 St. Clair street, Toledo, where he has maintained his headquarters ever since. He makes a specialty of repairing machinery of every description, and generally has sev-