TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 325 capacities. He later became buyer for various departments and in 1911 was made general manager, while upon the demise of Jacob Lasalle in 1921 he succeeded to the presidency of the company. In 1922 he secured control of the stock of this corporation, the business of which is steadily developing under his capable direction and wise management. His high standing in commercial circles is indicated in the fact that he has been honored with the presidency of the Toledo Retail Merchants Board and of the National Retail Dry Goods Association. He is also a member of the federal trade committee of the Department of Commerce and was president of the Toledo Rotary Club in 1918. With financial interests he is identified as a director of the Second National Bank. In Toledo, in 1910, Mr. Koch was united in marriage to Miss Helen Copelin, a daughter of I. W. Copelin. Mr. and Mrs. Koch have a son, Alfred, Jr., who was born March 18, 1911. Mr. Koch is a member of the Toledo Club and the Toledo Tennis Club, while his deep interest in the cultural advancement of the city is manifest in his identification with the Toledo Art Museum and the Civic Music League, of both of which he is a director. He is likewise a trustee of the Toledo Community Chest. During the period of the World war he served as secretary of Draft Board, No. 2, and was made president of Toledo Chapter of the American Red Cross. He has gained an enviable name and place for a man of his years, being widely recognized as one of the prominent merchants and foremost citizens of Toledo, where he has always lived and where he has a very large circle of friends. CHARLES A. LANGDON Charles A. Langdon is a successful architect of Toledo who has been a resident of this city sufficiently long thoroughly to establish his reputation as a leading representative of his profession and his business is one of growing extent and importance. He was born in Castleton, Vermont, August 5, 1866, a son of Charles and Sarah Jane (Moulton) Langdon, who were also natives of that place, in which they spent their lives. The father was educated for the law but engaged in business as a member of the firm of Sherman, Langdon & Williams, marble dealers, at West Rutland, Vermont. His demise occurred in 1871. The family is an old and distinguished one in both the paternal and maternal lines. The ancestral record is traced back to George Lankton, a native of England, who sailed for America in 1646, first locating at Wethersfield, Connecticut, whence he removed to Northampton, Massachusetts, and there died. In subsequent years the present spelling of the name was adopted and Benjamin F. Langdon, the grandfather of the subject of this review, was a prominent attorney of Castleton, Vermont. The Moulton family is of Norman descent and Thomas Moulton, the American progenitor of the name, was prominent in court circles of England prior to his emigration to this country. He became one of the early settlers of the New England colony, first establishing his home at Windsor, Vermont, and had charge of a large estate. Mrs. Sarah Jane (Moulton) Lang-don passed away in 1874, leaving a family of three children : Helen C., who married Curtis C. Gardiner, a representative of the Hartford Insurance Company and a resident of New York city; Lucy Caroline, the wife of Bates Waynan, who is connected with the American Express Company at New York ; and Charles A. Charles A. Langdon attended the public schools and Castleton Seminary at Castleton, Vermont, until he reached his fourteenth year, when he became a pupil 326 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY in Smith Academy at St. Louis, Missouri, and later entered the manual training department of Washington University of that city, from which he was graduated in 1884. He then spent part of a year in the office of J. B. Legg, one of the most prominent architects of St. Louis, and in December, 1884, he came to Toledo as a Leacher in the Scott Manual Training School. During the following year his work was of varied nature, after which he became identified with Isaac D. Smead, engaged in the heating and ventilating business in Toledo and Kansas City, Missouri, and remained in his service for six years. On the expiration of that period he returned to Toledo and was connected with the drafting department of the Conant Furniture Company and also with the Ketcham Furniture Company. In 1897 he established himself in the practice of his profession, opening an office in this city and conducting his business alone until 1899, when he formed an association with Otto H. Hohly under the name of Langdon & Hohly, which continued until Ralph S. Gram was admitted to partnership under the name of Langdon, Hohly & Gram. Their handiwork is seen not only in many of the large and substantial structures of the city, but of western Ohio, some of the most notable buildings which they have been connected with being The Rickey Memorial Hospital at the Masonic Home, Springfield, Ohio ; the buildings of the Marsh Foundation School, Van Wert, Ohio, the Epworth Methodist Episcopal, First Reformed and Memorial Reformed churches, Toledo Ohio, the plants of the Toledo Machine Tool Company and many fine residences. Their professional services are in constant demand and they rank with Toledo's leading architects. On the 17th of July, 1888, Mr. Langdon was united in marriage to Miss Alice McCreery, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph McCreery, well known residents of this city. They are members of the First Congregational church and Mr. Langdon gives his political support to the republican party. He is a member of the Toledo Chamber of Commerce, whose well devised plans for the promotion of the industrial interests of the city receive his hearty support. In Masonry he has attained high standing, the honorary thirty-third degree having been conferred upon him. He has made continuous progress in his profession, working his way upward through his experience and study, resulting in the attainment of wider knowledge and greater efficiency, and his labors have contributed to the development and improvement of the city. Mr. Langdon resides at No. 223 Melrose avenue. WILLIAM F. MILLER William F. Miller, who since 1915 has engaged in general law practice in Toledo, has practically spent his life in this city, where he first opened his eyes to the light of day on the 19th of April, 1888, his parents being Charles H. and Alvina A. (Schelske) Miller. The public school system of the city accorded him his early educational opportunities and when he had completed the work of the grades and the high school he entered the Woodville Lutheran Normal School at Woodville, Ohio, from which he was graduated with the class of 1911. Having determined to make the practice of law his life work, he then matriculated in Toledo University as a law student and later he entered the Hamilton Law School of Chi cago, from which he was graduated in 1915, with the LL. B. degree. The same year he entered upon active practice in Toledo. He has never sought to concentrate his efforts and attention along a single line but has continued in general TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 327 practice and his responsibilities and duties along professional lines have constantly increased in volume and importance. His success is attributable to the thoroughness with which he prepares his cases, the clearness and force with which he presents his arguments and the accuracy with which he applies the principles of jurisprudence to.the points in litigation. Aside from his connection with the bar he is interested in many of the local industries. On the 10th of September, 1913, Mr. Miller was united in marirage to Miss Florence A. Raabe of Toledo and their children are : Paul C., Elizabeth Jane and William F. Jr. Mr. Miller and his wife have membership in the Lutheran church and the breadth and nature of his interests is further indicated in the fact that he is the secretary of the Robinwood Hospital, Lutheran Hospice, and Lutheran Inner Mission Society, and has membership in the Commerce Club and in the Lucas County Bar Association. WILFRED GEORGE CHRISTENSEN Wilfred George Christensen, one of the younger representatives of the Toledo bar, already, however, making steady professional progress, was born in this city July 21, 1896; his parents being John and Ann ( Johnson) Christensen, who were natives of Denmark. Coming to the new world, the father engaged in business as a structural iron worker. Wilfred G. Christensen pursued his early education in the public schools and in due course of time attended the Scott high school, while later he matriculated in the Junior College of Arts of the Toledo University. Determining upon the practice of law as a life work, he studied and was admitted to the bar in December, 1920, and in 1921 was graduated from the law department of the Toledo University. He has thus thoroughly qualified for his profession and is already well established as a capable and resourceful young lawyer. He belongs to the Lucas County Bar Association, is also a member of the Loyal Order of Moose and of the Masonic fraternity and the sterling traits of his character commend him to the confidence. and high regard of those with whom he comes into contact. JOHN P. HURLEY John P. Hurley, Sr., organizer and president of The Toledo Parlor Furniture Company, was born in Ontario, Canada, October 15, 1862, and is the son of Michael and Ellen (Lee) Hurley, both of whom were natives of Ireland, whence they crossed the Atlantic to Canada, settling there in early life. The father engaged in farming in that country for some time. In 1865 he removed with his family to Toledo, turning his attention to the contracting business. Both he and his wife passed away in this city. John P. Hurley, Sr., attended St. Patrick's parochial school and the Toledo Business College. In 1876 he entered the printing trade, serving his apprenticeship with the Toledo Printing and Publishing Company (afterward the News Bee Company). He later became foreman of the B. F. Wade Printing Company. In 1888 with others, he engaged in the manufacture of furniture in a small store on 328 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY Summit street, the present site of the Bostwick-Braun Company. In 1890 The Toledo Parlor Furniture Company was incorporated and Mr. Hurley has been president and manager since its organization. The company, now located on City Park avenue, near Dorr street, manufactures a high-grade line of upholstered furniture, for the territory covering Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Its excellent reputation is well known throughout this section of the country and a large number of retail furniture dealers have continually sold this concern's line since its organization, thirty-three years ago. On the 8th of September, 1885, Mr. Hurley was married to Miss Mary A. Nesbit of Toledo, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Nesbit. They have become parents of seven children who are all living except two. Walter J. was educated in the public and parochial schools and St. John's University. During the World war he served in the army and has since been associated with his father in the furniture business. He married Miss Katherine Kountz, daughter of General John S. Kountz and Agnes Kountz of Toledo, and they have three children. Eleanor N. was educated in the public and parochial schools, the Ursuline Convent, Mary Laws School, Michigan State Normal, and the Toledo and Columbia universities ; she is now teaching in the Toledo public schools. Joseph S. was also a pupil of the public and parochial schools, St. John's University and in Campion College of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. He enlisted in the navy during the World war, and then entered the University of Pennsylvania. At the present time he is also connected with the Toledo Parlor Furniture Company. Paul J., educated in the Toledo public and parochial schools and St. John's University, is also identified with his father's business. John P., Jr., attended the Toledo public and parochial schools, St. John's University, and is now completing his education at the University of Notre Dame. The religious faith of the family is that of the Roman Catholic church. Mr. Hurley is a charter member of the Knights of Columbus. He also belongs to the Toledo Chamber of Commerce, and is interested in other manufacturing industries and organizations in Toledo whose plans and purposes are for the upbuilding of the city and the support of all measures which tend to promote progress and improvement in municipal affairs. FRANK O. MOBURG Frank O. Moburg of Toledo, whose business interests are largely concentrated in the seven Rex Spray companies, of which he is the president and general manager, was born in Marshalltown, Iowa, May 10, 1869, and is a son of Oliver and Julia Moburg. His youthful days were spent in his native state, where he pursued a high school education and a commercial college education, being thereby qualified for the practical and responsible duties of the business world. In young manhood he became interested in the manufacture of insecticides and fungicides (spray chemicals) and throughout the intervening period has directed his efforts along that line. For three years Mr. Moburg represented one of the leading firms in that line of business as a traveling representative. In 1896, in Omaha, Nebraska, he organized the first Rex Spray Company and later the other Rex Spray companies, and is now general manager of them all, is vice president and general manager of The Toledo Rex Spray Company, and president and general manager of the other Rex Spray TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 331 companies, which are operating in seven different cities of the Union. He is chairman of the boards of directors of these different corporations, and a very substantial business has been developed, the trade relations now reaching out to every section of the United States and Canada. The products manufactured meet the approval and requirements of all state experiment stations and the United States department of agriculture. Mr. Moburg was the originator of commercial lime-sulphur solution or sulphide of calcium, which is now manufactured by various large corporations in the United States and is recognized as the authentic necessary product for the control of San Jose scale for orchard and various shade trees. The various Rex companies unitedly maintain a fellowship in the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Dr. O. F. Hedenburg of that Institute devotes his entire time to developing new products and improving, if possible, the qualities of the products as now manufactured in the Rex plants. The business now includes the manufacture of lead arsenate under Rex patents ; calcium arsenate, the product recommended by the United States department of agriculture for control of the boll weevil and other insecticides and fungicides and has continuously expanded until it is now the largest of its kind in the world. On the 10th of May, 1899, in Sheldon, Iowa, Mr. Moburg was united in marriage to Miss Lulu E. Shaffer, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Cyril Shaffer. They took up their residence in Toledo in 1913, and through the period of their residence here they have gained many warm friends who esteem them highly for their possession of those traits of character which in every land and. clime awaken confidence and regard. Mr. Moburg belongs to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and he has gained for himself a creditable position and wide popularity in some of the leading clubs and social organizations of his adopted city. He belongs to the Commerce Club of Toledo, also to the Toledo Club and to the Inverness Club. His religious faith is manifest in his membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. JACOB LASALLE Jacob Lasalle was the president and a founder of The Lasalle & Koch Company of Toledo, conducting one of the leading as well as one of the largest department stores not only in Ohio but in the middle west. His birth occurred in the year, 1833, in Marsberg, Germany, where his boyhood was spent. It was in 1856, when a young man of twenty-three, that he crossed the Atlantic to the United States and located at Dubuque, Iowa, where he secured a position as clerk in a dry goods store. Later he went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he invested his small savings in a tobacco business, which, owing to a combination of unusual circumstances, was not profitable. He next removed to Chicago, where he engaged in the brokerage business and 'purchased a seat on the Stock Exchange. In the Illinois metropolis he won and lost two fortunes. He was a resident of Chicago when the Civil war was inaugurated and organized and equipped a company, which was taken into the Union army. Mr. Lasalle served as a captain of the Eighty-second Illinois Infantry Regiment during the period of hostilities between the north and the south and following the successful termination of the conflict returned to Chicago, where he was married. He began his domestic life 332 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY in Toledo, Ohio, and here opened a small dry goods store, of which he was the sole owner and only employe. In 1871 he became associated with Alies S. Cohen in the dry goods business, under the name of Lasalle & Cohen, which partnership was maintained until 1876, when Mr. Cohen withdrew, leaving Mr. Lasalle to continue the business alone. In 1882 the latter formed a partnership with Messrs. Cohen and Joseph Koch under the firm name of Lasalle, Cohen & Koch, which was changed to Lasalle & Koch when Mr. Cohen withdrew five years later. From 1890 until 1900 the store was located in the new Bronson building at the corner of Summit and Adams streets, but in the latter year the firm left Summit street, the heart of the retail shopping section, and removed to the Secor building at Superior and Jefferson streets, where they conducted business until 1917, when the present magnificent store building at Huron and Adams streets was completed. Mr. Lasalle occupied the presidency of The Lasalle & Koch Company from the time of its incorporation until his death. He remained active in the business until his advanced age necessitated the gradual relinquishment of his duties in connection with the control and management of this large corporation. He made almost daily trips to the store and was personally acquainted with the nearly one thousand employes of the establishment, knowing them by name. The deep interest which he manifested at all times in their welfare won him their love and respect. In Chicago, Illinois, in 1864, Mr. Lasalle was united in marriage to Miss Sibella Stern and they became the parents of two sons and two daughters : Solomon, who acted as general manager of The Lasalle & Koch Company until his demise in 1918 ; Dr. James J., of Toledo, who is mentioned at length on another page of this work ; Mrs. A. Tutner of Cleveland, Ohio ; and Mrs. Lyman Felheim, who is a resident of Erie, Pennsylvania. Mr. Lasalle was a worthy exemplar of the Masonic fraternity and an active worker in the B'nai B'rith. His death, which occurred on the 17th of September, 1921, when he had reached the venerable age of eighty-eight years, was the occasion of deep and widespread regret, for he had gained an extensive circle of warm friends in Toledo during the long period of his residence here. Coming to the new world in early manhood, he here found the opportunities which he sought and through their wise utilization won a place among the most prominent merchants of Toledo, where he was an active factor in business circles for more than a half century. EDWIN J. LYNCH Edwin J. Lynch, member of the law firm of Hackett & Lynch, is a well known figure in both legal and civic circles not alone in Toledo but throughout the state. In the midst of an extensive law practice of an important character he has found time to fill a number of public offices and the competent manner in which he has discharged his duties is evidenced in the fact that he has again and again been chosen by appointment or election to positions of public trust. Throughout his life he has been a resident of Toledo, his birth having here occurred on the 1st of May, 1887, his parent's being John E. and Julia C. (Stack) Lynch, whose family numbered four children, of whom he is the eldest, the others being John Thomas, Walter and Robert. Edwin J. Lynch was a pupil in St. Patrick's Academy and in the Central high school before he entered Toledo University. In preparation for his profession he TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 335 became a student in the University of Notre Dame, which conferred upon him his LL. B. degree in 1910. He was admitted to the Indiana bar in September of that year and to the bar of Ohio in December. He entered upon the general practice of law in Toledo in 1910 and was associated with Paul Ragan until 1916, when the present firm of Hackett & Lynch was formed. Although advancement at the bar is proverbially slow, he has made steady progress, demonstrating his ability in the careful manner in which he prepares his cases and in his clear and cogent presentation of his cause before the court. Step by step he has advanced and his ability, his oratorical power and his knowledge of the law have gained him prestige at the Toledo bar. Mr. Lynch is a communicant of the Catholic church, belonging to St. Ann's parish. He also holds membership with the Knights of Columbus as a representative of Toledo Council, No. 386. He is also a member of Toledo Lodge, No. 53, B. P. 0. E. His political support is given to the democratic party and he is a member of the Frank H. Hurd Democratic Club and also of the Gem City Democratic Club of Dayton. He belongs to the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and has manifested keen interest in public affairs, endorsing all plans and measures which he deems of vital worth in the upbuilding of the community. In 1915 he was elected a member of the state senate from the thirty-fourth district and served in the eighty-first general assembly. In 1915-16 he was assistant prosecuting attorney of Toledo and Lucas county and from 1916 until 1919 he occupied the position of assistant United States district attorney of the northern Ohio district. In 1920 he was a delegate to the democratic national convention and he is now serving as a member of the democratic state central committee. Along professional lines his membership is with the Toledo and Lucas County Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association and the National Bar Association. While he has held various public offices, the duties of which he has discharged with capability and fidelity, he regards the pursuits of private life as in themselves abundantly worthy of his best efforts and his devotion to his clients' interests has become proverbial. SEAMAN G. VROOMAN For many years the name of Vrooman has been a prominent one in connection with the printing business in Toledo, and following in the footsteps of his father, Seaman G. Vrooman is displaying the same ability and enterprise which characterized the latter in the conduct of his interests. He is one of Toledo's native sons and was born March 30, 1884, his parents being George W. and Emma B. Vrooman, the former a native of New York state and the latter of Elmore, Ohio. As a young man the father came to Toledo, where he followed the printer's trade, working for others until he had accumulated sufficient capital to enable him to embark in business independently, when he organized the Vrooman Printing Company. The business was founded soon after the close of the Civil war, being one of the pioneer enterprises of the city, and Mr. Vrooman successfully operated it until his demise, which occurred in 1911, winning a high place in the esteem of his fellow citizens. For twenty-one years he had survived the mother, who passed away in this city in 1890. Following his graduation from one of the high schools of Toledo at the age of seventeen years, Seaman G. Vrooman began learning the printer's trade in his 336 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY father's plant and has since been connected with the business. He was at first identified with the Montgomery & Vrooman Company, which later became known as Vrooman, Anderson & Bateman and subsequently as Vrooman & Anderson. In 1914 the business was incorporated under the name of The Vrooman-Fehn Printing Company and the subject of this review is filling the office of president. He possesses an expert knowledge of the trade and his sound judgment, executive ability and persistency of purpose have enabled him to develop a large volume of business. The plant, which is located at No. 38 Ontario street, was erected expressly for this purpose and is modern in every particular, being equipped with the latest and most improved automatic machinery. The firm employs twenty-five experienced printers and press operators and produces direct by mail sales campaigns complete. All that indicates progress in the "art preservative" is to be found in this establishment, which has ever been distinguished by its high quality of work and ranks with the best in the city. In Detroit, on the 19th of February, 1909, Mr. Vrooman was married to Miss Myrtle T. Rochford, a daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. J. J. Rochford, and they have two children : George R., who was born in 1911 and is attending school ; and Carolyn, born in 1920. Mr. Vrooman is a member of the United Typothetae of America and was one of the organizers of the Toledo Exchange Club, of which he was the first secretary. He is a member of the Sylvania Golf Club, and in Masonry has taken the Knights Templar degree in the York Rite, and in the Scottish Rite Consistory he has attained the thirty-second degree, and is also a member of Zenobia Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He has been a persistent, resolute and energetic worker and the years have chionicled his growing success. His life has been spent in this city and the spirit of enterprise and progress which has been the dominant factor in its upbuilding and development finds exemplification in his career. LEE DAVID MOON The steps in the orderly progression of Lee David Moon are easily discernible and indicate his faithfulness to duty, his diligence in the performance of every task assigned him and his ready recognition and utilization of the opportunities which have come to him for advancement; Mr. Moon is now general agent for northwestern Ohio for the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company. He was born in Jeffersonville, this state, October 4, 1874, a son of Asbery and Lydia Margaret (Mock) Moon, the former a farmer by occupation. Lee David Moon obtained a country school education and continued his studies in a town high school, after which he took up the profession of teaching, which he followed for a year. He later attended a business college at Cleveland, Ohio, and subsequently organized a business college, which he conducted for three years. On the expiration of that period he went on the road as a traveling salesman and manager for a typewriter company, devoting the succeeding four years of his life to that business. He then turned his attention to insurance, entering the employ of the New York Life Insurance Company, which he represented as agent for fourteen years and also as instructor of agents. He found this a congenial field, closely studied and thoroughly mastered the various phases and questions of the business, and is today recognized as one of the foremost insurance men of his section of the state. In March, 1915, there came to him the well merited appointment of general agent for TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 337 the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company in northwestern Ohio and he is now serving in that capacity. On the 8th of October, 1901, Mr. Moon was united in marriage to Miss Lou Wilson of Cleveland, Ohio, and they have one son, Wilson Millen, born November 2, 1914. Mr. Moon is well known in connection with public interests of Toledo and as a factor in its social circles. He belongs to the Masons, the Chamber of Commerce, is a member of the Sylvania Golf Club and was one of the organizers . of the luncheon club known as the Optimist, of which he has served as vice president from the beginning. He is likewise a trustee of the Collingwood Avenue Presbyterian church and his further interest in those forces which make for the uplift of the individual and the benefit of mankind is indicated by his service as vice president and one of the trustees of the North Toledo Community House. He studies closely all those problems which are of vital concern to the general welfare and in civic matters his influence is always on the side of right and progress. WILSON N. HOOT Wilson N. Hoot, secretary, manager and founder of the Florists & Gardeners Insurance Association, one of the most successful enterprises of the kind in Toledo, has devoted his life to the business in which he is now engaged, gaining that specialized knowledge which makes him an authority in his line of work. He was born in Findlay, Ohio, April 5, 1870, a son of Joseph and Phoebe (Dunn) Hoot, the former a native of Pennsylvania, while the latter was born in Wood county, Ohio, in 1843. In early life the father came to Ohio with his parents, who made the journey from Pennsylvania with a team and wagon, settling on a farm in Hancock county. On starting out in life for himself Joseph Hoot also took up the occupation of farming, but subsequently sold his land and turned his attention to the mason's trade. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hoot have passed away. They were the parents of nine children ; Benjamin F., a resident of Findlay, Ohio ; Elias, of Toledo ; Albert, whose home is in Waterloo, Iowa ; John D., a resident of Bowling Green, Ohio ; M. J., of Deshler, this state ; and Wilson N., Ira E., Alvin J. and A. H., all of whom are living in Toledo. In the acquirement of an education Wilson N. Hoot attended the district schools of Wood county, Ohio, and for a year he was a student in the law school of the University of Michigan. He then entered the law office of E. H. Westenhaver, a well known attorney of North Baltimore, Ohio, with whom he remained for three years. When sixteen years of age he began selling insurance for the Phoenix Fire Insurance Company of Brooklyn, New York, and was at first located at Hoytville, Ohio, later going to Muncie, Indiana, as general manager for the Hoosier Insurance Company, with which he was identified until 1917. In July of that year he organized the Florists & Gardeners Insurance Association, of which he is secretary and manager. His keen sagacity, executive force and expert knowledge of the work have materially promoted the success of the enterprise, which has rapidly developed since its inception, and the business has already assumed large proportions. Mr. Hoot is also a director and secretary of the Fort Meigs Mutual Insurance Association and his influence is one of widening activity and strength in the field in which he is operating. On the 2d of June, 1894, at Hoytville, Ohio, Mr. Hoot was married to Miss Frances M. Dye, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Simpson Dye, well known farming 338 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY people of that section, and to this union three children have been born : Harry, the eldest, was born in Wood county, Ohio, May 8, 1896, and obtained his education at Muncie, Indiana. He is now master electrician for the Milburn Electric Company of Toledo ; Elsie B. was born in Hoytville, Ohio, October 21, 1897, and also attended the schools of Muncie, Indiana ; Rex D., the youngest in the family, was born at Hoytville in December, 1898. He likewise acquired his education at Muncie and is now engaged in farming in Lucas county, Ohio. He married Miss Ethel Ennis of Muncie. When national issues are at stake Mr. Hoot casts his ballot in favor of the candidates of the republican party, but at local elections he supports the man whom he deems best fitted for the office to which he aspires, regardless of party affiliations. Fraternally he is identified with the Knights of Pythias. The word fail has never found a place in his vocabulary. Starting out in the business world at an early age, he has steadily worked his way upward, achieving that success which is the merited reward of industry, perseverance, capability and integrity. He is a man of resolute purpose and marked strength of character and his individual qualities are such as have gained for him warm and enduring regard. MRS. HARRIET MAY BARLOW Mrs. Harriet May Barlow, founder and promoter of the Old Ladies Home of Toledo, active in the organization of the Educational Club and of several other societies for cultural and intellectual advancement, is perhaps best known through her efforts in behalf of art and is a charter member of the Art Study Club, which constituted a part of the nucleus of the present Toledo Museum of Art. Mrs. Barlow is a native of Monroe, Michigan, and a daughter of John W. and Lucretia (Comstock) May, the former a native of Hartford, Connecticut, and the latter of the state of New York and a descendant of an old family of New Canaan, Connecticut, representatives of old Puritan New England stock. Mrs. Barlow through her paternal line, is a descendant of Governor Robert Treat of the Connecticut Colony, and of Captain Hezekiah May of Wethersfield, Connecticut, of Revolutionary fame. She is also a lineal descendant of Captain Seymour Nichols of the American navy during the Revolution, and a great-granddaughter of Peter Comstock of New Canaan, Connecticut, who saw service in the Continental army. The parents settled in Monroe Michigan, and removed to Toledo during the early girlhood of their daughter Harriet, who was reared in one of the finest homes of the city, with all the advantages of wealth and social position. She became the wife of Anthony W. Barlow, who owned a large crockery business on Summit street, between Madison and Jefferson avenues. In 1887 Mrs. Barlow went to Europe and spent a year and a half abroad in the study of art. Her studies were carried on from the standpoint of a connoisseur, as she studied the history and technique of art, while still later she carried on the same line of study in New York, where it was said of her by a prominent art critic that "she knew more of art and pictures than any woman in America." Returning to Toledo, Mrs. Barlow became one of the founders of the Art Club of this city and was its leader for three years. It was an organization of men and women formed for the study of art and to this end Mrs. Barlow was of the greatest assistance, for she had brought from Europe more than four hundred photographs, TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 341 eight by ten inches, of the art treasures of the old world, including the finest specimens of architecture, sculpture and painting. She gave lectures before the Study Club on the art treasures which she had personally seen and her vivid descriptions were such as to bring the object strongly before her hearers. Mrs. Barlow has spent a very busy life in a large and constructive way. Having a natural gift for leadership, a cultured mind and great executive ability, she very naturally became a force not only in connection with the cultural movements and intellectual progress of the city but also in its philanthropies. Her home on Madison avenue was the center of much of the social and club life of Toledo at an earlier period and wherever possible she rendered effective aid to those who needed assistance. She early became interested, while she was president of the Woman's Christian Association, in the cause of helpless women, as she found so many who needed aid. At her own expense she went to Cincinnati and to Cleveland to study plans in those cities of homes for friendless women, and having made a thorough survey, she returned to Toledo and called the advisory board and members of the Woman's Christian Association together and proposed the establishment of a home. While there was much opposition by those who said it could not be done, there were enough farseeing members to support the measure and a beginning was made. The upper floor of a house on Locust street was rented and furniture was donated for the different rooms by the churches of the city. Mrs. Barlow took many of the women into her own home at first, and the second day after arrangements were made for the home and before it was really in readiness, it had three inmates. This was the beginning of the present Old Ladies Home of Toledo and full credit is due to Mrs. Barlow for her unselfish pioneer work in this connection. The place was first called the Home for Friendless Women. During a campaign for funds for the project Mrs. Barlow and a companion met William J. Finlay and solicited a donation from him. His answer was "Not today," but he promised that they would hear from him later. Following this Mrs. Barlow made a trip to Europe and while there she learned that Mr. Finlay had donated the present Old Ladies Home. Mrs. Barlow immediately wrote Mr. Finlay a letter of thanks for his magnificent gift. Not long afterward, when Mr. Finlay was stricken and on his deathbed, only a few moments before he passed away he requested a friend to read this letter to him. Her interest in the project has never ceased and for a number of years from its beginning she was one of its guiding spirits, while her labors made her the founder of this noble institution. Mrs. Barlow, associated with Mrs. W. W. Boles, Dr. Mary Law, Mrs. Lucy Harmon and Madam Burridge, became one of the founders of the Educational Club, one of the splendid organizations of the city. Mrs. Barlow was vice president thereof, served as chairman of the art department for four years and for two years held the office of president. This was first started as a neighborhood club with twenty-nine members, holding its meetings in Collingwood Hall. Mrs. Barlow also became one of 'the charter members of the Sorosis Club and served as its vice president. She has always made her home the center of attractive and ennobling social activity. She has entertained at some of the most beautiful social functions held in Toledo and very winter for years her beautiful residence at No. 1606 Madison avenue was opened to entertain the young people of the city at a dance. There are indeed few of the important social and uplift interests in Toledo with which Mrs. Barlow has not been associated. She is a member of the Toledo Colony of New England Women, having become one of the charter members. This was 342 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY founded by Miss Temperance Reed, who was elected the first president, while Mrs. Barlow was chosen vice president. Miss Reed leaving the city, Mrs. Barlow did the work of the presiding officer and served as president two different terms and has held office during nearly all the period of her membership. She is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a member of the Historical Society and of the Woman's Club of Toledo. She was invited by the noted Sorosis Club of New York to become a member thereof but declined. Her ,religious faith is indicated in her connection with the First Congregational church, of which she has been an active member of church and Sunday school, since her childhood. Perhaps her greatest interest, or that which has brought her most actively before the public, has been art, on which she has delivered talks and lectures at schools, churches and clubs, graduating exercises and on many occasions both in and out of Toledo. The Art Study Club, which she was so active in organizing and which awakened widespread interest in the city, culminated in the establishment of the Art Museum. Mrs. Barlow had two very talented daughters. Mrs. Florence Ruthrauff of New York was considered one of the finest art critics in the eastern metropolis, as well as one of its most beautiful women. She passed away in 1916. Her two children are Wilbur Barlow Ruthrauff and Mrs. Harriet May Cassebeer, both of New York. The other daughter, Mrs. May Barlow Stearns, was a pupil of Marchesi of Paris, the only resident of Toledo who ever studied under the great master. She sang in opera under the name of Marie De Laneaux for many years and for three years was in concert work in Europe. At present she is devoting much time to writing on musical subjects and is also well known as an instructor and coach, as well as a translator of the French language. She has been an ardent worker for suffrage and also in the League of Women Voters. Thus the daughters, like the mother, have taken active part in furthering those interests and forces which have been most effective in promoting intellectual and cultural progress in Toledo and other sections of the country and in this busy, workaday world the value of such an influence cannot be overestimated. W. G. NICHOLS As the executive head of the W. G. Nichols Auditing Company of Toledo, W. G. Nichols is not only widely known in the commercial and financial circles of this city, but he is generally recognized as one of the most expert accountants in the state of Ohio. It is to his work as its chief that his present organization has reached its high standard and won a merited reputation for reliability. This firm and its organization is the fruit of twenty-five years of experience in the fields of auditing and accounting on which Mr. Nichols is an undisputed authority of first rank. W. G. Nichols was born in Lima, Ohio, on the 22d of May, 1868, and is one of the five children in the family of W. G. and Mary C. (Watt) Nichols. He received his general education in the public and high schools of Lima and Kenyon College at Gambier, Ohio. His first experience in the business world was obtained in his father's book and stationery store. It has been over twenty-five years now since he entered upon the work in which he was destined to achieve noteworthy success—that of accountancy. In this field of endeavor he has had a wide experience that has well qualified him for his present work as the head of an auditing company. TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 345 For many years he was chief auditor of the National Supply Company, having been with the Buckeye Supply Company prior to its merger with the National company. For the five years immediately preceding the formation of his present concern, he had charge of a chain of oil well supply' stores for the Jarecki Manufacturing Company. In 1907 Mr. Nichols established the W. G. Nichols Auditing Company, with offices in the Nasby building. The success of his venture was immediate. Before long he was forced to seek larger quarters in order to care for his rapidly increasing business, moving to offices in the Ohio building, in which offices The Fifty Associates Company was started and systematized, while in 1916 he brought his staff to the present offices at 324-325 Nicholas building. While the firm does work in all the branches of business accounting and consultation, it has an unique feature in the installation of cost systems that are Mr. Nichols own creations and are applicable to any type of business institution with which he has come into contact in his long experience as an auditor and accountant. Another interesting phase of the work is that in connection with the income tax computations. Mr. Nichols' practice includes the interpretation of the income tax law and regulations and their applications to concrete instances, the assembling of tax data and the compilation of the reports to the government. Special audits, financial investigations, general business accounting and consultation work are all included in the activities of the company, which has the highest possible reputation for the excellence of its work. Some of the clients of the firm have placed Mr. Nichols on a retaining fee basis, by virtue of which agreement he furnishes them with consultation advice and analysis work at stipulated intervals during each fiscal year. These clients are included in the group of dominant commercial interests in Ohio and are concerns which have a volume of business that fully justifies the retention of an expert along these lines. On the 14th of October, 1890, Mr. Nichols was united in marriage to Miss Nellie May Huss, and they maintain a home in Burnley Wood on River road in Toledo. In addition to his membership in numerous accounting societies, Mr. Nichols belongs to the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and the Exchange and Inverness clubs of this city. His religious preferences are indicated in his attendance at St. Paul's Methodist church. JOSEPH GEORGE GLUCK Joseph George Gluck, lawyer and educator, connected with St. John's University as an instructor in law, has practiced in Toledo since 1918, continuously proving his capability in crossing swords in forensic combat with the able representatives of the profession here. Mr. Gluck is a native of New York city, born February 10, 1889, of the marriage of Samuel and Pauline (Burger) Gluck. Reared in the eastern metropolis, he was graduated from the public schools there and afterward attended the College of New York City. His review of the broad field of business, with its limitless opportunities along many lines, led him to the determination to prepare for the bar and he became a student in the New York Law School, in which he completed the regular course of study in 1908, winning the LL. B. degree, at which time he was but nineteen years of age. On attaining his majority he removed to Indianapolis, Indiana, and in 1912 was admitted to the bar of that state. He then practiced at Indianapolis and South Bend, Indiana, for several years and in 1918 won admission to the Ohio bar, after which he located at Toledo. He was 346 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY licensed to practice in the United States district court in 1919 and through the intervening period has occupied a creditable position as a lawyer in the state and federal courts, gaining a good clientage and displaying marked ability in handling the litigation entrusted to his care. He was an instructor on partnership law, domestic relations and evidence in St. John's University of Toledo and he belongs to both the Lucas County and Ohio State Bar associations. Mr. Gluck is identified with the Independent Order of B'nai B'rith, with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, with the Young Men's Christian Association and with the Commerce Club. In a word, he is in full sympathy with every project which is looking to advancement and progress along permanent lines and he ranks as a public-spirited citizen of Toledo. J. HAROLD RYAN J. Harold Ryan is the president and treasurer of the Arbuckle-Ryan Company, dealers in farm implements and conducting one of the largest business enterprises of this kind in northwestern Ohio. Mr. Ryan was born in Toledo, September 8, 1885, and is a son of Charles W. and Emma (Ford) Ryan who were natives of Erie, Pennsylvania, and of Ohio, respectively. The father arrived in Toledo in 1871 and became one of the organizers of the present Arbuckle-Ryan Company. Charles W. Ryan was first in partnership with John M. Arbuckle, under the name Arbuckle and Ryan. Later J. W. Ryan was admitted and the name changed to Arbuckle, Ryan & Company. In 1896 the business was incorporated as The Arbuckle-Ryan Company, under which style it has been known since that time. The enterprise has developed from a small business to one of vast importance and today is exceeded in volume by no undertaking of similar character in Toledo. The father remained an active factor in the control and management of the business until his death, which occurred on the 13th of February, 1912. He had long survived his wife, who passed away in Toledo, February 13, 1887. J. Harold Ryan, their only child, spent his boyhood largely as a pupil in the graded schools of Toledo, and mastering the preliminary branches, was advanced to the Central high school. He afterward attended Yale University, from which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1908, on the completion of an academic, course, and in that year he returned to Toledo, where he became associated with his father in business. He started at the beginning. Parental influence was not exerted to give him an easy berth. He thoroughly qualified by training and experience for his promotions and gradually worked his way upward, becoming eventually the president and treasurer of the company, filling the dual office since 1919. The company distributes threshing machinery of all kinds, together with road rollers, kerosene tractors, huskers, ensilage cutters, boilers and engines, machine supplies, belting and oils, gasoline engines and feed mills. Their business thus covers a broad scope and the house sustains a splendid reputation, by reason of the line of goods carried and the reliable business methods followed. On the 15th of June, 1921, Mr. Ryan was married to Miss Frances Storer of Toledo, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George B. Storer, representing a well known and prominent family of the city. Mr. Ryan votes with the republican party, having given his support thereto since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. He attends the First Congregational church and is interested in all those forces which TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 347 make for uplift and progress. In all community affairs he displays a marked public spirit, while in his business connections he manifests those qualities which indicate that he is ready for any emergency and for any opportunity. Today at the head of a large business he is recognized as one of the forceful factors in the trade circles of Toledo and at all times he sustains the high and merited reputation which has ever been enjoyed by the Arbuckle-Ryan Company since its establishment. EDWARD W. KELSEY, JR. Edward W. Kelsey, Jr., a member of the law firm of Tracy, Chapman & Welles, was born in Toledo, Ohio, September 29, 1885. He is a son of Edward W. and Elizabeth (Hall) Kelsey. His education was obtained in the public and high schools of Toledo, after which he studied law in Ohio State University, and was admitted to the bar in December, 1912. Since that time he has engaged in general practice in the state and federal courts. He belongs to the Lucas County and Ohio State Bar Associations. On the 9th of September, 1914, Mr. Kelsey was married to Miss Charlotte Dwight of Toledo and they have two children, Dwight Edward and Edward (III). Fraternally Mr. Kelsey is a Mason and he belongs to several Greek letter societies, including Phi Delta Theta, Phi Delta Phi and Delta Sigma Rho. He has a wide acquaintance in Toledo, where his social qualities have gained for him many friends and he is popular in the circles in which he moves. FRED H. FROEHLICH Among those who are active in furthering Toledo's upbuilding and development is numbered Fred H. Froehlich, who as president of the Froehlich & Emery Engineering Company is controlling one of the leading construction enterprises of the city, and in the conduct of his business affairs he has displayed that spirit of initiative and progress which works for individual success and also constitutes a factor in public prosperity and advancement. He was born in Waterloo, Indiana, May 6, 1875, and his parents, Herman and Eva (Eckhart) Froehlich, were of European birth, coming to the United States in early life. The father devoted his attention to the manufacture of monuments, conducting a business of that character in Indiana and also in Toledo. His demise occurred in this city in 1919. The mother still makes her home in Toledo. In their family were two children : Edward C., a prominent attorney of this city ; and Fred H. In the acquirement of an education Fred H. Froehlich attended the grammar schools of Waterloo, Indiana, and a high school of Toledo, afterward becoming a student at the Rose Polytechnic School of Terre Haute, Indiana, from which he was graduated in 1899, on the completion of a course in electrical engineering. He at once entered upon the work of his profession, being employed by various firms until 1906, when he opened an office of his own in Toledo as an electrical and mechanical engineer. At a later period he organized the Froehlich & Emery Engineering Company, of which he is serving as president and treasurer, and they have been awarded many large contracts, their business now being one of extensive pro- 348 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY portions. Mr. Froehlich has a thorough knowledge of the scientific principles which underlie his profession and brings to his work untiring energy and marked skill. At Terre Haute, Indiana, on the 22d of June, 1903, Mr. Froehlich was married to Miss Bertha Kern, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Kern, well known residents of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Froehlich have become the parents of two sons : Frederick Kern, who was born in 1907 and is now attending school ; and Joseph Kern, whose birth occurred in 1917. In all matters of citizenship Mr. Froehlich is loyal, patriotic and public-spirited and during the World war he assisted the government by building plants for compressing hay. His political support is given to the republican party and as a member of the Toledo Chamber of Commerce he does all in his power to promote the industrial development of the city. He is a member of the American Association of Engineers, the American Association of Mechanical Engineers, and the local chapter of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers and is a member of the Toledo Club, the Rotary Club, the Toledo Yacht Club and the Sylvania Golf Club, being also identified with the Masonic order. His life has been an active and useful one, crowned with successful achievement, and industry and ability have brought him to his present position of professional prominence. LOUIS H. MATTHES Death called Louis H. Matthes when he was in the midst of a most active business career and one in which he had demonstrated his force of character, his ability, his determination and indefatigable industry. Whatever success he achieved or enjoyed was attributable entirely to his own labor and he started out in the business world when but thirteen years of age. He was born in Toledo, May 25, 1857, his parents being John and Catherine (Krauss) Matthes, the former one of the early turnkeys at the police station. Louis H. Matthes attended the public schools of Toledo for a time but acquired the greater part of his education in the school of experience. Though the training was hard and the lessons difficult, he made steady advancement in that school and throughout his life he remained of studious nature, reading widely and thinking deeply. He was a subscriber to the best magazines and papers and thus he kept in touch with the trend of modern thought and progress. When a lad of but thirteen years he began work by helping to distribute handbills for different firms, including G. W. Bills, who said he would make a bill poster of the boy and started him out to do work of that character, so that he was soon in the business full-fledged. Thinking he would like to travel as poster for a circus, he joined the Forepaugh shows but soon learned that he was too much of a home boy for life on the road, and returned to Toledo. For twenty-four years he remained with Mr. Bills, working steadily upward and having charge of the business in the absence of his employer. In 1890 he was married and for a time engaged in the hotel business, but preferring the advertising business, soon returned to it. Steadily he progressed, finding at all times an able assistant in his wife, who was indeed a faithful helpmate to him, and to her cooperation he always attributed much of his success. In course of time he came to receive large contracts in the nature of his business and was recognized as one of the foremost in his line in Ohio. He became a member of The Exclusive