TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 101 prises of that character in the city, in which he continued in successful business until about a year prior to his death. He afterward devoted his attention to the Lakeside Biscuit Company, of which he was vice president, and to the management of private interests. He was a director of the Keasy Pulley Company, the Ohio Savings Bank and also of the Yost Electric Company. On the 2d of June, 1885, Mr. Bour was married to Miss Carolyn A. Kendrick, a daughter of Frederick and Henrietta Kendrick, the former proprietor of the original mineral baths at Mount Clemens, Michigan. They became the parents of six children : Mrs. Hattie Brymer of Toledo ; Mrs. Fred Wolf of Mansfield, Ohio ; Mrs. George Willi of New York city ; Mrs. William A. Bowers of Mansfield ; Kendrick, living at Utica, New York ; and John M., Jr., of Toledo. Mr. Bour was a member of the Toledo Club and the Toledo Yacht Club and took a deep interest in the Toledo Museum of Art. From an early period in the existence of the Chamber of Commerce Mr. Bour was closely identified therewith and served as its second president, largely aiding in formulating its policy and directing its early development.. It is said that he gave largely to charity in private and that there are many recipients of his bounty who bless his memory for his unostentatious kindness. He always attempted to keep his benefactions unknown to the world and at all times his good deeds, which were many, were free from any attempted display. Life was to him purposeful and earnest and he made it his rule to meet fully every duty and obligation that devolved upon him and to use every opportunity to the best advantage. The principles which governed his conduct and the ideals which he held before him were most high and honorable and his friendship was prized by all with whom he came into contact. His death, which occurred May 20, 1922, was keenly felt by the entire community. GROVE H. SECUR Grove H. Secor, who since 1908 has been engaged in the house moving business in Toledo, conducting his interests under the name of The W. J. Musson Company, was born in New Boston, Michigan, on the 4th of September, 1878, his parents being Horace J. and Viana (Grove) Secor. The father was also a house mover and thus it was that Grove H. Secor early became familiar with the business. In his youthful days his time was largely devoted to the mastery of the branches of learning taught in the public schools of Detroit, where he passed through consecutive grades to his graduation from the high school. In vacation periods and after his textbooks were put aside he became his father's assistant in the work of house moving at Detroit, to which city the family had removed when he was but two years of age. There he remained until 1908, when, believing that there was a good business opportunity in Toledo, he came to this city and here established business on his own account. His patronage steadily grew and developed as the years passed and in January, 1920, he purchased the business of William Musson, which he consolidated with his own and is now conducting under the name of The W: J. Musson Company. On the 6th of August, 1900, in Toledo, Mr. Secor was married to Miss Irene De Shetler and they have become parents of three children : Esther May, Ganall Clara and Una Louise. Mr. Secor belongs to various fraternal organizations, having membership with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Independent 102 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY Order of Odd Fellows, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Modern Woodmen of America. He is also interested in the East Side Commerce Club, which indi-cates his activity in behalf of those forces which make for the improvement and development of the city and the advancement of its business conditions. GORDON MACDONALD MATHER Gordon Macdonald Mather, president and founder of the Mather Spring Company, is one of Toledo's foremost manufacturers and successful business men, whose activities have been a most important factor in the city's industrial, financial and business growth. George Macdonald Mather is a southerner by birth and his life story is an interesting one. He was born in Louisiana, September 24, 1868, a son of Joseph and Mary (Lyons) Mather. His father, now deceased, was a sugar planter of St. James parish, that state, where the family has been identified with the state's 'history for over two hundred years. Gordon Macdonald Mather was accorded excellent educational advantages in private' schools and was about seventeen years old when he started out in life for himself. His first work was that of a shipping clerk. In the year 1886 he came to the north with Cleveland, Ohio, as his destination. There he first became con-nected with the business of spring and axle manufacturing and in 1891 removed to Canton, Ohio, where he established a spring and axle factory, developing a business of substantial proportions. He became one of the prominent and influential residents of Canton and was particularly active in the Chamber of Commerce, of which he served as president for several years and largely through his influence and efforts various manufacturing interests and industrial concerns were influenced to establish business in Canton. Throughout his life he has manifested a most marked public spirit and his ideals of service have taken tangible form in active and resultant work for the general good. In 1911 Mr. Mather located in Toledo, where he organized the Mather Spring Company, of which he has since been president. Something of the growth of the business is indicated in the fact that in the first year of its existence the employes numbered one hundred, while today there are between seven hundred and eight hundred workmen in the plant, which has become the largest spring manufacturing establishment in the world, the product being principally auto springs. In harmony with his civic spirit and his humanitarian principles Mr. Mather has taken the deepest interest in the Morris Plan Bank, furthering every activity that would promote thrift among wage earners. He served for a time as president of the bank and at all times his sound judgment and business experience are available in connection with the careful direction and management of the institution. He is like-wise a director and member of the executive board of the Willys-Overland Company, is a director of the First National Bank and a director of the Northern Refrigerating Company. Thus his activities have covered a broad field and his labors have at all times been of a character that has contributed to public progress and prosperity as well as to individual success. On the 23d of February, 1911, Mr. Mather was married to Miss Charlotte Bope of Canton, Ohio, and they have an interesting family of six children : Mary Lyons, Gordon M., Jr., Henry Timken, Charlotte, Rathbun Fuller and George. TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 105 Mr. Mather is well known as a member of the Toledo, Toledo Country and Toledo Yacht Clubs and his sterling qualities make for popularity in these organizations. He is a self-made man in the truest and best sense of the term and his life should prove of inspirational value to others, showing what may be accomplished in individual efforts intelligently directed. His opportunities have not been more than have come to thousands of others and that he has reached a position of leadership is due to his industry, initiative, power of organization and great executive ability. Mr. Mather's residence is at No. 2143 Collingwood avenue. EMERY RANKIN HIETT It is a splendid thing when man places a correct valuation on life and its opportunities, when he subordinates the material to those higher interests which make for progress not only in this life but in the life to come. This Emery R. Hiett did in a marked degree, and, while he possessed that commendable ambition which prompted him to provide liberally for his family that they might be shut out from the hardships of life, he never neglected the higher, holier duties. Even in business he carried out his ideal of service as the founder of the Peoples Savings Association, of which he was the secretary and general manager. Mr. Hiett was born at Sugar Grove, Indiana, November 14, 1852, his parents being John and Mary Frances (Rankin) Hiett. The father was a pioneer in Indiana, having settled there on a farm more than ninety years ago. At the usual age Emery R. Hiett entered the public schools near his father's home and later attended De Pauw University at Greencastle, Indiana, where he applied himself thoroughly to his studies and won his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees, after which he took up the study of law and was admitted to practice at the Indiana bar. He then opened an office in Lafayette, Indiana, where he followed his profession for a time, but in 1880 removed to Toledo and was admitted to the Ohio bar. For a year he was also associated with the real estate office of John W. Hiett, his father-in-law, and during that year he acquired an intimate knowledge of the city and its people. He was afterward a member of the law firm of Thomas & Hiett and his solid acquirements in the law were shown when, in association with Judge Winters, he codified the building association laws of the state of Ohio, which have since been used as a model in other parts of the country. Mr. Hiett continued in the active practice of his profession for several years, when he became impressed with the need of a savings institution that would enable the people to own their homes. He began studying conditions in other large cities of the country and as the result of his investigation and initiative he gave out a plan which he put into execution in August, 1887, in the organization of the Peoples Savings Association, with its first headquarters in his law office. The business gradually grew, however, until it was necessary to find regular banking quarters and removed to the first floor of the Nasby building. This also became too small in time and the Association erected its own building on Huron street, between Madison and Adams, which it now occupies. The business was incorporated in 1887 and Mr. Hiett was identified therewith as secretary and manager to the time of his death, the success of the business being attributable in very large measure to his capability, systematic efforts, thoroughness and progressiveness. In 1889 Mr. Hiett was elected secretary of the Ohio Building Associa- 106 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY tion League, in which position he served until 1895, when he became president and continued in that position until 1902. His opinions were long accepted as authority upon matters with which the league was concerned and he was a member of the committee that prepared the first draft of the state code for the Ohio building and savings associations. In May, 1882, Mr. Hiett was united in marriage to Miss Ella Frances Hiett, a daughter of John W. and Mary Elizabeth Hiett. Her father was a Virginian, who came to Toledo in 1860 and was here engaged in the real estate business.. Mr. and Mrs. Emery R. Hiett became the parents of three children : Ralph W., who wedded Mary Louise Mehring and lives in Cleveland ; Stanley J., who married Clara I. Jones, and is an attorney of Toledo ; and Lawrence D., a horticulturist of this city. During his college days Mr. Hiett became a member of the Beta Theta Pi. He belonged to the Toledo Country Club, the Inverness Club, to the Rotary Club and to the Toledo Commerce Club and of the last named is one of the organizers. He also held membership in the Masonic fraternity and loyally followed the teachings and purposes of the craft. His political belief was that of the republican party, while his religious faith found its expression in his membership in St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal church. He was long a member of the church board, was much interested in the young people of the church and their progress and did everything possible to assist them in adopting and upholding those principles which make for character development and for real worth in the world. Mr. Hiett passed away very suddenly on the 1st of March, 1918, and at his passing the Rotary Club very aptly expressed the feelings of his associates in the following tribute : "The club today is mourning the loss of our fellow member, Emery Hiett, who died so suddenly last Friday, stricken with heart failure while on the way to Rotary. Here was a man who stood for all the Rotary ideals and lived them in his everyday life. He was always in his place at the luncheons. Not an absence mark is checked against his record for this year and only three all of last year and these when out of the city. If is, indeed, a record to be proud of. Whenever there was a call for volunteers to do some unselfish work for others, Emery Hiett was always among the first to respond: He never missed our orphan party at Keith's and at the last one I sat in front of him as he entertained several little girls from the home, whom he had with him every year and for whom he had special gifts. What a heritage to have left behind him so many who will miss his smiling presence. I don't know how many stocks and bonds he left. I am not anxious to find out how big his bank account was, for I know he has built his monument in the hearts of those who knew him and for whom he was always glad to do some kindly act. He was rich in the affection of his friends. Many there will be who will miss the sunshine of his cheery smile and his friendly greeting. In many long years of close friendship I cannot recall once that I ever met and talked with him that I didn't feel as if he had imparted to me some of the sweetness of life and if there ever lived a man who embodied in his everyday life the motto of Rotary, 'He profits most who serves best,' that man was Emery Hiett. We mourn together with his wife and family for we, too, feel as if we had lost a real friend and such a loss is hard to bear. But we are all proud that we had an Emery Hiett in Rotary and have with his family the pride and joy they must feel as they look over his many years of usefulness in Toledo and the sunshine he has shed along the way." In the funeral TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 107 services his pastor said : "Men like Emery R. Hiett are not so plentiful but that when they are taken from us there is a great vacancy in home and church, in social and business circles, in our whole city life. And one reason why Mr. Hiett is and will be missed so much is because his life was a life of service. He accepted unhesitatingly the philosophy of the Nazarene—'He that would be greatest among you let him be your minister.' He was richly endowed with intellectual gifts. From his youth he was possessed with an insatiate thirst for knowledge. He sought a college education and in college he was no ordinary student and thereafter he never ceased to be a student. The improvement of the mind, the acquisition of knowledge, was a passion with him all his life. He read the best books. He thought deeply upon what he read. He saw things in the large and saw them clearly, but he was no intellectual miser. He loved to share his wealth of information and his thoughts with others. This made him not only a delightful but also a most profitable and inspiring companion. He knew how to relate his knowledge to practical affairs. My first conversation with him was on a business matter, but I soon found him quoting Emerson's essay on Compensation and when I noted it he told me that he made it a point to read that essay at least once a year. Mr. Hiett was a very exact man. There were times when some men thought him exacting, but he was never as exacting of others as he was of himself. He had a passion for seeing things done right. He had little patience with a selfish man. He had the ability to see the viewpoint of the other man and a business transaction with him meant an exchange of benefits. His loyalty to the principle of service carried him out into the life of the community, where in many ways he made notable contributions. He was proud of his association with a business that he believed had made no mean contribution to the thrift of the community and that had helped large numbers to become the owners of their own homes. Many a man received from him encouragement and counsel and came to know that Mr. Hiett had a warmth and brotherliness of heart that did not always show upon the surface. In many ways he showed his interest in the boys and the young men of the community. He was the companion of his own three sons and has left to them an unusually rich heritage of fatherly sympathy and counsel, but he formed a place in his own heart for other boys and young men. Busy man that he was and carrying heavy responsibilities, I noted his presence on two successive Friday evenings in February at 'Father and Sons' gatherings, where he was taking the place of father to other boys. He held in fine balance his duties to the home and to the community. The fellowship of his wife and boys was his delight and yet the call of the needs of the community could be heard by him even in the home circle. He was the friend and patron of everything that ministered to the soul of his city and made for the refinement and uplift of life. In the number of social, fraternal and business relationships, of which he formed a part, he greatly delighted, all the more as I firmly believe because of the unselfishness of his spirit. He embodied in his everyday life the motto of. the Rotary Club. `He profits most who serves best,' and it was while on his way to one of these meetings that he was stricken. He prized very highly its weekly meetings. Mr. Hiett's patriotism was only another expression of his spirit of service. He loved his country not in a selfish way, simply because of the blessings and opportunities it brought him, but also because of its contributions to the welfare of mankind. Never was he in greater sympathy with our country than in her espousal of the rights of men and nations as they are involved in the present world conflict. It was his regret, expressed more than once, that his years made it impossible for 108 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY him to put his own service alongside that of his sons in helping to establish right-eousness on the earth through the prowess of our country's arms. Some of us will not soon forget an address he gave a few days ago when he was bidding Godspeed to one of our physicians who was leaving home and business in response to our country's call. Mr. Hiett cheerfully bore a share of war's responsibilities and carried the burden of others upon his heart and it is more than likely that these helped to shorten his days. Any sketch that did not refer to Mr. Hiett's spirit of service in connection with the church will be inexcusably faulty.. He was a Christian man. His light was never hidden under a bushel but it gave light to all who came to know him. He made a large contribution to the life of the local church, to the religious life of the community and he had a vision of the world kingdom of our Lord and Savious Jesus Christ. In 1886 he became an official member of St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal church, succeeding to the place of his father-in-law and for over thirty years he had given himself unsparingly to the life and work of his church. Possibly no one who could have been taken out of the church would be more missed. His departure from us was sudden and from our standpoint untimely. He carried his years so gracefully and his spirit was so young that few thought him as old as he was. He. seemed to have so many years of high service before him that his death seems untimely. But if we live in deeds, not years, his life was much longer than that of many men of far greater years—and, unless our faith is vain, he has only been transferred to spheres of higher and wider reaching service. Life here with him was a high calling, a sacred trust, and we are confident that the life he is now living is larger, fuller and more radiant in knowledge, love and service." BERNARD R. BAKER Bernard R. Baker, founder of The B. R. Baker Company and its executive head since organization, is one of Toledo's foremost merchants and prominent citi-zens. Mr. Baker has been identified with the city's commercial and business life for nearly forty years and his contribution to Toledo's growth and development is not only the great mercantile house bearing his name but in many other ways his enterprise, civic pride and progressiveness have been factors in the city's improvement. He was born in Organ township, Lucas county, November 13, 1860, so near the city that it can be said his entire life has been spent in Toledo. His parents, Peter and Gracia (Schaefer) Baker, came from Europe in early life and were farming people in Organ township. During the latter years of Peter Baker's life he lived retired in Toledo, enjoying in well earned rest the fruits of his former toil. He has now passed away. His widow is living and yet makes her home in this city. In their family were eight children : Jacob ; Peter ; Mrs. Eva Lux ; Miss Margaret ; Mrs. Charles Bonnot of Canton, Ohio ; Mrs. Rudolph Birkenhauer ; Mrs. Frank Stoiber ; and Bernard R. As a boy Bernard R. Baker was a pupil in the district schools of Organ township, Lucas county, and afterward attended the public schools of Toledo, thus acquiring the education that qualified him for the active and responsible duties of life. In the school of experience, too, he has learned many valuable lessons, profiting by his mistakes and improving his opportunities for advancement. He faced the necessity of entering upon a gainful occupation, and early in his business career he TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 111 established, with L. E. Flory, the firm of Flory & Baker, at the corner of Front and Main streets, dealers in dry goods, furnishings and shoes. This firm was organized in 1886 and Mr. Baker was associated therewith until 1892, when he withdrew and organized The B. R. Baker Company. From a modest beginning this has developed into not only the present magnificent establishment at Nos. 435-439 Summit street, in which are employed more than one hundred and twenty-five people, but the Cleveland store of The B. R. Baker Company on Euclid avenue is also one of the finest stores in its line in that city. In fact, this store is numbered among the largest and finest establishments in this country for men's and boys' apparel exclusively. These stores carry an extensive line of merchandise, specializing in men's and boys' apparel. Mr. Baker is not the type of a merchant whose methods have been mechanical or along a beaten path, but distinctly analytical and progressive. In 1904 he made a trip abroad especially to study stores. He had previously, as a result of extensive travel in the United States, studied merchandising methods in our principal cities. Two subsequent European trips, on which his wife and daughters accompanied him, while ostensibly made for pleasure, afforded opportunity for observing business and civic practices. Mr. Baker served as alderman, from what was the thirteenth ward, under Mayor Jones and was instrumental in the passing of various ordinances that had to do with the improvement and betterment of the city. Always a close observer and strong advocate of civic progress, his efforts have been a big factor in those circles in Toledo. On Nqvember 27, 1883, Mr. Baker was married to Miss Mary F. Comte, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Comte, and they have two daughters : Grace M. was educated in Toledo private schools, later graduating from the Ursuline Academy, and afterward took up the study of kindergarten work, in which she was awarded a diploma, in the public schools of Toledo. Her husband, Joseph L. O'Neil, is the general manager of the B. R. Baker Company and they have three children, Bernard Baker, Joseph L., Jr., and Susanne ; Genevieve Helen Katherine attended private school in Toledo, St. Mary of the Woods Academy and graduated from Marymount School and College at Tarrytown, New York. She pursued her art studies at the New York School of Fine and Applied Arts in New York city. She is now Mrs. Marvin H. Rorick of Toledo. Mr. Baker is a member of the Toledo Club, the Country Club, the Toledo Yacht Club, the Commerce Club and the Toledo Retail Merchants Board—associations that suggest much of the nature of his recreational interests. While he is one of the city's highly successful merchants and has long been regarded as a strong, alert and enterprising business man, his value and worth as a citizen and employer have been many times. attested. He is a genuine "Toledoan," awake to the city's best interests, with implicit confidence in Toledo's future, and displaying a public spiritedness that cannot be questioned. In the management of his business he has always shown a real consideration and manifested much more than an employer's usual interest in his employes. The result has been not only a material factor in the success of The B. R. Baker Company but has established the entire organization as a standard in commercial circles wherever it is known. Mr. Baker's start in business was in a very modest way and his success has come from the utilization of his native ability and clean business methods, winning a reputation for commercial integrity not surpassed by any business house in Toledo. He has not lived merely to accumulate. His generosity and charity are seldom appealed to by worthy causes or deserving individuals without a response. Often without an appeal voluntary moves of this character have been made in a quiet way and unknown except to the 112 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY recipients. Mr. Baker stands as a high type of the American citizen, resourceful, farsighted, public-spirited, and with that steadfastness of purpose which enables him to accomplish his object in the upbuilding of individual fortune and in the support of interests of vital worth to the community. His residence, "Gray Gate," on Copeland boulevard, is one of the attractive homes of the up River Road section. SIDNEY SPITZER Sidney Spitzer, founder and head of the banking house of Sidney Spitzer and Company, is not only a prominent figure in financial circles of Toledo, but one of the best known investment bankers in the United States. Mr. Spitzer was born on a farm near Medina, Ohio, February 15, 1875, son of Aaron B. and Anna (Collins) Spitzer, was educated in the public schools at Medina and started in a small business of his own while he was still in school. Coming from a family of bankers, Mr. Spitzer was naturally inclined toward a banking rather than a professional career. Associated with his brother Frank Spitzer, they organized the Citizens Savings Bank of Pemberville, Ohio, in 1897, of which institution Mr. Spitzer was one of the executive officers. In 1899 he resigned his position with the Pemberville bank to become associated with Spitzer and Company, investment bankers of Toledo, dealers in municipal bonds, where he soon rose to a place of distinction and later was made a general partner and placed in charge of the purchase of bonds until 1911, when he severed his connection to form the firm bearing his name. Before starting his new banking house Mr. Spitzer, accompanied by Mrs. Spitzer, took an extended trip around the world, visiting all the principal countries of Europe as well as the Far East. On his return to Toledo, in 1912, he established the banking house of Sidney Spitzer and Company, dealers in government, municipal, and other high grade investment bonds. Starting in a small way this business has grown until it has extended to a volume reaching into the hundreds of millions of dollars, placing the firm in the foremost rank among the important investment bond houses of America, with offices in New York, Toledo, Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Columbus, New Orleans, and in Dallas, Texas, and Columbia, South Carolina. Mr. Spitzer is also actively interested in real estate, being one of the large owners and the managing director of the seventeen story Nicholas building in Toledo, one of the largest and finest office buildings in the state, containing nearly one thousand offices. He also has other extensive real estate interests in Toledo. Mr. Spitzer is director in the Commerce Guardian Trust and Savings Bank, as well as several other large financial and industrial institutions in the middle west. He is the president of the Toledo Chapter of the American Archaeological Society and has been identified with various other progressive movements having to do with Toledo's upbuilding and advancement, including the Toledo Museum of Art, of which he is a trustee. He is a member of the Toledo Club, Toledo Chamber of Commerce, Inverness Club, Toledo Country Club, Toledo Automobile Club, the Carranor Hunt and Polo Club, Everglades Club of Palm Beach, Bankers Club of New York, the Maumee Valley Pioneer and Historical Association, the Historical Society of North America and the Investment Bankers Association of America. TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 115 In April, 1903, Mr. Spitzer was married to Alice Louise Horton of Adrian, Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Spitzer have one son, Sidney Horton Spitzer, born January 11, 1904, in Toledo. Mr. Spitzer has traveled very extensively, both in this country and abroad, and finds in this his chief recreation. While Mr. Spitzer has always belonged to many clubs and societies, his chief interest is in his country estate, "Horton Hall," at Perrysburg, Ohio, which is one of the most beautiful homes located within Toledo's suburban district and which is also one of the most interesting homes in the Maumee valley, from a historical standpoint. Within the walls of this stately old mansion which was erected over one hundred years ago, many men of world importance have been entertained, among whom were Daniel Webster and three of the presidents of the United States, William Henry Harrison, William McKinley and Warren G. Harding. WILLIAM F. BROER William F. Broer, president and treasurer of the W. F. Broer Company, whole-sale and retail jewelers of Toledo, established business on his own account in 1904, opening a small store in the Smith & Baker building. Since that time the business has steadily grown and developed by reason of his energy, close application and his earnest efforts to please his patrons. Each passing year has marked a steady advancement and today Mr. Broer is at the head of one of the well known commercial houses of Toledo. Born in Pemberville, Ohio, on the 20th of October, 1878, he is a son of William H. and Elizabeth (Witker) Broer. The father is a native of Germany, while the mother was born in Ohio. The former came to Amer-ica in the late '60s and settled in Pemberville, where he conducted a jewelry business until 1878, when he removed to Toledo, where he remains an active factor in the jewelry trade. His wife died in the year 1904. William F. Broer is the second in order of birth in a family of nine children. He attended the public schools of Toledo and then began learning the jeweler's trade with his father. He gained intimate knowledge of the business and was actively connected with the father until 1904, when he became associated with C. K. Merrill, forming the Merrill & Broer Company, the business being established in a modest way in the Smith & Baker building. The venture had a steady growth from the beginning, and in 1915 the entire second floor of the Dime Savings Bank building was leased to accommodate the rapidly expanding trade. In 1916 Mr. Broer purchased the interest of Mr. Merrill and in turn admitted a number of the employes to partnership. In January, 1920, the corporate name was changed to the W. F. Broer Company, with William F. Broer as president and treasurer, William H. Broer and Jay W. Williams as vice presidents, and Albert R. Perry as secretary. Mr. Broer is also a director of the Broer-Kapp Company, retail jewelers of Toledo, and has made for himself a creditable place among the .substantial business men of the city. On the 30th of March, 1904, Mr. Broer was married to Miss Ethel Griffin, a laughter of Hon. Charles P. Griffin of Toledo. They have become parents of four :children : Carleton, who was born in 1906; Marjorie, born in 1909 ; Marion, whose birth occurred in 1911 ; and William F., Jr., whose natal year was 1919. The religious faith of the family is indicated in their membership in the First 116 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY Congregational church, in the work of which they take active and helpful interest, Mr. Broer serving as a member of the church board. He is also a valued and active member of the Rotary Club, being one of the organizers of the crippled children's work, and serving as chairman of the committee in charge until his election as president of the club in 1918. He also belongs to the Toledo Chamber of Commerce. He manifests a deep interest in philanthropic movements and at present is serving as president of the Council of Social Agencies and member f the board of directors of the Community Chest. He is likewise interested in all those forces and organized efforts which are looking to the benefit and upbuilding of the city, to the extension of its trade relations and to the maintenance of high civic standards. In social circles, too, he is well known, enjoying the warm friendship and high regard of many of his co-members in the Toledo, Inverness, Toledo Yacht and Maumee River Yacht clubs. Moreover, his connection with these organizations indicates the nature of his recreation and he especially enjoys marine sports.. He is likewise a Mason, being a past master of Barton Smith Lodge, No. 613, F. & A. M., and affiliating with St. Omar Commandery, Knights Templars. He also has taken the degrees of the Scottish Rite, and is a Noble of Zenobia Temple, Mystic Shrine. Mr. Broer's residence is on Ridgewood road, Ottawa Hills. CHARLES P. REYNOLDS Charles P. Reynolds, president and founder of The Reynolds Monument Company of Toledo, is one of the best known men in his line of .business in. northwestern Ohio. He was born in Bolivar, Ohio, October 22, 1879, a son of William H. and Charlotte (Parks) Reynolds, also natives of this state. For many years the father was a successful farmer near Wauseon, Ohio, but is now deceased, being survived by his widow who resides in that locality. Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds were the parents of three children : Ernest C., whose home is at Wauseon ; Mrs. C. F. Hartman, the wife of a prominent physician of that place ; and Charles P. In the acquirement of an education Charles P. Reynolds attended the public schools of Wauseon, Ohio, and his collegiate training was acquired at Angola, Indiana. Later he completed a course in a business college at Poughkeepsie, New York, and began his business career as a bookkeeper for the Stolberg & Parks Furniture Company of Toledo. Owing to failing health he was obliged to seek a milder climate and spent a short time in California. Having regained his health, he re-turned to Toledo and for a time filled clerical positions in that city, later becoming a resident of Wauseon, where he entered the monument business. Subsequently he sold out and returned to Toledo, organizing the Reynolds Monument Company in 1913. He has since been president of the undertaking and is also at the head of the Fostoria Monument Company of Fostoria, Ohio. He possesses an aptitude for successful management and 'always carefully plans his business, which has steadily developed since its inception, now ranking with the leading enterprises of the kind in the city. In Oakland, California, on the 27th of June, 1903, Mr. Reynolds married Miss Alwillda J. Shaffer, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Shaffer of Wauseon, Ohio, and they have become the parents of three children: Harold S., who was born in 1904 and is a student at the Scott high school; Helen C., who was born in 1909 TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 117 and is attending the public schools ; and Elizabeth J., who was born in 1913, and is also a public school pupil. Mr. Reynolds and his family attend the Ashland Avenue Baptist church of Toledo, and when national issues are involved he supports the republican party, but at local elections he casts his ballot in favor of the candidate whom he regards as best qualified for office, irrespective of party ties. His fraternal connections are with the Masons and the Knights of Pythias and he is also a member of the Optimist Club. He is an enthusiastic supporter of his city because of his belief in its opportunities and advantages and has aided in the promotion of many projects for its development. He is a self-made man, before whom the door of opportunity has swung open because of his ability, industry and determination. He is highly regarded in business circles of Toledo and has many friends, whose esteem he has won and retained by reason of his high principles and fine personal qualities. Mr. Reynolds' residence is at No. 2213 Hollywood avenue. CYRIL GEORGE STEINBICKER Cyril George Steinbicker is recognized as a dynamic force in the business circles of Toledo. Steadily he has advanced, until his forcefulness and resourcefulness have had a marked influence over the industrial activity and development of this city and his life story is of stimulating effect, showing what can be accomplished when there is a will to dare and to do. His present position is that of treasurer of the Bock Bearing Company, one of the important productive industries of northwestern Ohio. Cyril George Steinbicker was born in Cincinnati, July 9, 1886, his parents being Henry George and Bernardina (Weber) Steinbicker. The father was a contractor, identified with building operations in Cincinnati, and there the son was reared and educated, attending the parochial schools, the high school and afterward a business college, in which he qualified for duties in the commercial world. He was first employed as a stenographer and afterward as private secretary to a merchandise broker, with whom he remained for four years. On the expiration of that period he was placed in charge of the counting and credit department of a silk manufacturing establishment, with which he continued for three years. He next became secretary of a spring and axle manufacturing concern at Cincinnati, Ohio, serving in that official position for four years, while during the succeeding four years he acted in the dual capacity of secretary and treasurer. The business was merged with the Standard Parts Company in 1917 and to Mr. Steinbicker were assigned the duties of auditor and assistant treasurer of the new organization. In April, 1920, he was elected treasurer of the Bock Bearing Company of Toledo, of which he is also one of the directors. This is today one of the large and important productive industries of the city, furnishing employment to six hundred and fifty people. The plant covers ten acres and the buildings contain one hundred and fifteen thousand square feet of floor space. There are four buildings, splendidly equipped with the latest improved machinery for the manufacture of bearings, and the company is capitalized for one million, six hundred thousand dollars. On the 16th of June, 1909, Mr. Steinbicker wedded Miss Carolyn Holtman of Cincinnati and they have become parents of five children : Robert Henry, Ralph Cyril, Marian Adel, Cyril Joseph and Helen Jeanne. Mr. Steinbicker is a devotee 118 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY of our national game of baseball and greatly enjoys the work done on the diamond. His life has been one of intense and well directed activity, in which his achievements have been the expression of his innate powers and talents and also of the laudable ambition which has actuated him at every point in his career. Steadily he has advanced, determining his own course and his own fate, and the high ideals which have actuated him have placed him in a commanding position among the prominent representatives of manufacturing and industrial activity in his adopted city. WALTER LINT ROSS The life record of Walter Lint Ross, president, receiver and a director of the Toledo, St. Louis & Western Railroad Company, is a notable example of splendid achievement through individual effort and those who know aught of his history recognize in him a man whose inherent force of character and well developed powers give him prestige over his fellows. It is a far step from messenger boy to the presidency of one of the large transportation systems of the country and out of the struggle with small opportunities he has come into a field of broad influence and usefulness. He was born at Bloomington, Illinois, January 1, 1865, and his parents were Alexander S. and Margaret Ross. The ancestors in the paternal line were natives of Scotland, whence they emigrated to the United States, becoming early settlers of Pennsylvania, and the mother was a representative of an old family of Kentucky. The public schools of his native town afforded Walter Lint Ross his educational opportunities and in early life his natural inclination was toward railroading. Beginning as a messenger boy, he rapidly advanced to the position of telephone operator and later became a clerk in the office of the Western Union Telegraph Company at Pontiac, Illinois. He next secured employment as a telegraph operator and as his experience and ability increased he was steadily promoted, becoming successively ticket clerk, billing clerk, cashier, chief clerk in the dispatcher's office terminal, local agent, general agent, division freight and passenger agent, assistant general freight and passenger agent, traffic manager, general traffic manager, vice president in charge of traffic, and finally assumed the duties of his present office. He has been in the service of the following corporations : The Western Union Telegraph Company, Wabash Railroad Company, Illinois Central Railroad Company, Toledo, St. Louis & Western Railroad Company, Detroit & Toledo Shore. Line Railroad Company, Toledo Terminal Company, Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad Company, Iowa Central Railroad Company, and Chicago & Alton Railroad Company. In addition to serving as president, receiver and a director of the Toledo, St. Louis & Western Railroad Company he is also president and a director of the Detroit & Toledo Shore Line Railroad Company ; vice president and a director of the Toledo Terminal Railroad Company ; a director of the Hocking Valley Railroad Company ; and vice president and a director of the Commerce Guardian Trust & Savings Bank of Toledo. He is preeminently a man of large affairs and one who wields a wide influence. He is the possessor of superior executive ability and has the power of concentration which enables him to give' his entire thought to the matter in hand and thus he brings to bear all of his force in the accomplishment of his purpose. Mr. Ross was married at Streator, Illinois, to Miss Katherine C. Cox and they TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 121 have become the parents of two children, a son and a daughter : George Sidney Ross was born December 21, 1894, in Streator, Illinois, and after completing his high school course he became connected with transportation interests and is now secretary and treasurer of the Toledo, St. Louis & Western Railroad Company, known as the Clover Leaf System, with offices in Toledo. When the United States entered the World war Mr. Ross tendered his services to his country and owing to his experience along transportation lines he was assigned to the department of railroad administration, in which connection he rendered valuable service to the government throughout the period of hostilities. He married Miss Lucille Butler of Chicago, Illinois, and they have two children, Lucille; and Thomas Butler who was born June 28, 1920. The daughter, Mildred Ross, was also born in Streator, Illinois, and completed her education at Northwestern University. She was mar-ried in Chicago to H. A. Crowe, who is likewise a graduate of that institution of learning and is now the vice president of the Ames-Kiebler Printing Company .of Toledo. They are the parents of two children, Walter and Katherine Harker. Walter L. Ross is a Knights Templar Mason and in Oriental Consistory he has taken the thirty-second degree, while he is also a Noble of the Mystic Shrine. He is a member of the standing committee of the Association of Railway Executives and is a prominent clubman, belonging to the Inverness Golf Club of Toledo, of which he is the president ; the Toledo Country and Automobile clubs, the Toledo Club, the Chicago Athletic and Chicago clubs ; and the Streator Club. He has never been content to choose the second best, and holding to high ideals, he has made his work a dynamic force in accomplishing results which have been factors in an advancing civilization. His is the record of a self-made man who has constructed his own success—a record which the American public holds in the highest honor. EDWARD GUSTAVUS SHAWAKER Edward Gustavus Shawaker, who for the period of twenty-seven years has conducted a wholesale leather and findings business under the name of the E. G. Shawaker Company, was born in Ashland county, Ohio, September 2, 1868, a son of Godfrey and Sarah (Ullman) Shawaker. The father was a manufacturer and tanner and from early boyhood Edward G. Shawaker was more or less familiar with this line of business, into which he eventually entered, finding here the opportunity for the exercise of his energy and diligence. His education was obtained in the public schools at Loudonville, Ohio, and he started out in the business world as a clerk in a dry goods store. In 1895, at the age of twenty-seven years, he became identified with the wholesale leather and findings business and in 1910 incorporated his interests under the name of the E. G. Shawaker Company, of which he has since been the president and manager. The business has now been in existence for twenty-seven years and has shown an annual growth and development that is indicative of capable management, of thorough understanding of the trade and of progressive measures and methods. On the 7th of January, 1903, Mr. Shawaker was united in marriage to Miss Louise Schmidt of Toledo and they have three sons : Wayne Edward, who is a student in the University of Michigan ; Ralph Franklin, who is attending the Scott high school ; and Robert Paul. Mr. Shawaker is a Mason, having attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite and Consistory, and he also belongs to 122 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY the Mystic Shrine. He has membership in the Inverness Club and largely finds his recreation in golf, greatly enjoying a game on the links. His interest in community affairs is that of a public-spirited citizen, who without desire for the honors or emoluments of office, nevertheless recognizes his duties and obligations in regard to public service and lends the weight of his aid and influence to all measures which he believes will prove helpful to city, commonwealth or country. COLONEL GEORGE PLUMB WALDORF Consistently shaping his course with regard to environment, capability and oppor-- tunity, Colonel George Plumb Waldorf came to rank with the representative and prosperous business men of Toledo and one who has exerted considerable influence over public thought and action, being recognized for many years as a leader in the ranks of the republican party in this state. Now at the age of seventy-three years he is living retired, yet keeping in touch with the progress and interest of the world through his wide reading. Colonel Waldorf was born in Brookfield Center, Trumbull county, Ohio, December 20, 1849, his parents being Asa Burton and Jerusha Eliza (Wilmot) Waldorf, who were in comfortable circumstances, the father being an attorney, who in 1852 took up his abode in Lima, Ohio. George Plumb Waldorf pursued his early education in the public schools and afterward entered the Phillips Exeter Academy at Exeter, New Hampshire, there pursuing a course prepartory to entering Harvard, but ill health and other circumstances forced him to change his plans. His father had died in 1859 and as it became necessary to assist his mother he accepted employment in a bookstore at Lima, working for one hundred and fifty dollars per year. Close application, energy and efficiency, however, enabled him to advance in the business world and later he purchased the store in which he had first been employed. From 1877 until 1886 he filled the position of postmaster of Lima and then with the discovery of oil in the Lima district he entered the oil game, becoming general manager and treasurer of the Trenton Rock Oil Company, with which he was identified for several years, when they sold out to the Standard Oil Company. It was in 1889 that Colonel Waldorf came to Toledo and was here appointed collector of internal revenue for the tenth district, occupying the position for thirteen years, or until September, 1907. He has always been a republican since age conferred upon him the right of franchise and from early manhood has been an active worker in party ranks. In 1888 he was made a delegate to the republican national convention from the Lima district and was again sent as a delegate in 1904 from the Toledo district. He has held no political offices, however, outside of that of postmaster and of collector of internal revenue, for business interests of importance have claimed his time and energy. He has become a large property owner in Toledo and in 1915 he began the erection of the Hotel Waldorf, a fireproof structure of ten stories and containing five hundred and five rooms. While he has retired from active business he still supervises his investments, displaying the same clear insight into business conditions and situations that marked his earlier life. In 1871, in Lima, Ohio, Colonel Waldorf was united in marriage to Miss Mary Reed Holmes, who passed away in the year of 1899. In 1901 he wedded Viella Holmes Porter, a widowed sister of his first wife, who passed on in 1918. Colonel Waldorf has membership in the Masonic fraternity. He was a member of the Pres-