450 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY Central Railroad Company and his ability won him advancement to the position of assistant general freight agent. He continued in their service until 1917, when he came to Toledo as traffic manager for the Willys-Overland Company, in which capacity he has since served. Broad experience well qualifies him for the responsible duties which devolve upon him and his services are of great value to the company, which controls one of the largest automobile industries in the country. In Detroit, Michigan, on the 8th of August, 1892, Mr. Thompson was united in marriage to Miss Florence Alton and they have become the parents of five children: Charles A., the eldest, was born in Detroit in 1894 and acquired his education in the public schools of that city, where he is now engaged in the real estate business. He married Miss Marie Cronin and they have had four children: Phyllis, deceased ; Elaine ; C. A., Jr., and Marylin ; F. H. Thompson, Jr., the second son of Mr. Thompon of this review, a native of Detroit, was born June 30, 1896, and is now associated with his elder brother in the real estate business in Detroit. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, winning promotion to a lieutenancy, and was stationed in the West Indies ; Helen G. was born in Detroit in October, 1904, and completed her education in the Scott high school of Toledo ; Florence was born in Detroit in 1906 and is now a member of the senior class of the Scott high school ; Robert Lee, a native of Toledo, was born in 1908 and is also attending Scott high school: Mr. Thompson is a Presbyterian in religious faith and his political views are in accord with the tenets of the republican party. As a member of the Chamber of Commerce he is doing all in his power to promote the industrial prosperity of Toledo and he is also connected with the Transportation Club and the Automobile Club. Throughout his career he has closely applied himself to the work in hand, always endeavoring to discharge his duties according to the best of his ability, and the years have chronicled his growing success. He is recognized as a capable business man and progressive citizen and measures up to the highest standards in every relation of life. DANIEL DOW SCHENCK Daniel Dow Schenck was one of the best known men in the anthracite coal trade in the middle west and his untimely death on October 12, 1918, was a distinct loss to Toledo, where he was born and reared and where his friends were coextensive with his acquaintances. Mr. Schenck was born December 9, 1875, a son of Schuyler C. and Harriet Elizabeth (Dow) Schenck, more extended mention of whom will be found elsewhere in this work. Daniel D. Schenck graduated from Phillips Academy of Andover, Massachusetts, in 1894, and from the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale University in 1897. Almost at once after leaving college he entered upon his business career in connection with his father's extensive and varied interests. He early displayed an aptitude and capability that were emphasized in his later business career. Upon the death of his father he succeeded him in various important and prominent corporate interests, among them being the presidency of The Toledo & Indiana Railroad, sales agent for the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Coal Company in Toledo, extensive coal trade interests in Chicago formerly known as the S. C. Schenck Company and TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 453 on the board of directors of both the First National Bank and Union Savings Bank. While a large part of his business responsibility centered in the S. C. Schenck Company of Chicago, he was actively identified with these various interests until his death and in all of them his wisdom, judgment and rare personality were recognized and valued. A contemporary biographer said of him : "Mr. Schenck was always a man of force and initiative, keen in mind, rare in judgment, genial and lovable in disposition, democratic in temper. He was a man with a multitude of friends and no enemies and in the prime of life and service at the time of his death." He was a member of the Toledo Club, the Country Club, Inverness Club, the Toledo Yacht Club, the University Club of Chicago and the Yale Club of New York. He was a trustee and a member of the building committee of the First Congregational church and a member of the board of trustees of the Toledo Hospital. FRANK W. JAMES Frank W. James, who figures prominently in commercial circles of Toledo, has devoted the greater part of his life to the millinery business, of which he has gained a specialized knowledge, and his constantly expanding powers have placed him at the head of the most important undertaking of the kind in the city. He was born in Morrow county, Ohio, December 28, 1877, and his parents were George B. and Vandalia (Westbrook) James, also natives of the Buckeye state. The father has devoted his life to the occupation of farming and is numbered among the leading agriculturists of Morrow county. The mother is deceased. They were the parents of two children : Mrs. Imogene Shoemaker, a resident of Marion, Ohio ; and Frank W. Frank W. James acquired his education in the district schools of Morrow county, Ohio, and the high school at Marion, this state, after which he entered business life, being connected with various lines of activity. Eventually he secured a position as traveling salesman for a wholesale millinery firm of Columbus, Ohio, and successfully represented that house for six years, gaining a comprehensive knowledge of the business. While thus engaged his duties frequently brought him to Toledo and he was so favorably impressed With trade conditions here that he decided to embark in an independent business venture in this city. Accordingly he opened a retail millinery store on Cherry street and his efforts met with such decided success that he determined to enlarge the scope of his activities. Disposing of his retail store at the end of two years, he entered the wholesale millinery field in 1910, conducting an establishment at No. 136 Summit street, where he remained until January 1, 1921, when he was forced to seek larger quarters and removed to his present location on the second floor of a building at No. 232 Superior street. He conducts his interests under the style of the F. W. James Company, of which he is the president, and in the control of his interests he displays notable administrative ability, keen sagacity, enterprise and breadth of vision. His efforts have been attended with a gratifying measure of success and he is now at the head of the largest wholesale millinery establishment in the city, eighty persons being employed in the operation of the business. At Columbus, Ohio, on the 25th of December, 1899, Mr. James was married to Miss Jeannette Randall, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Randall of that 454 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY city, and they have become the parents of a daughter, Jean Olive, whose birth occurred in Toledo in 1918. Mr. and Mrs. James are Christian Scientists in religious faith and he is a member of the Toledo Credit Men's Association, the Toledo Commerce Club and the, Maumee River Yacht Club. He is also a thirty-second degree Mason. His well-directed efforts have contributed to the commercial expansion and upbuilding of the city, as well as to the attainment of individual prosperity. GEORGE DAVID MOORE One of the important industrial plants of Toledo is that of the Chevrolet Motor Ohio Company, of which George David Moore is the vice president and general manager. This business had its inception in August, 1909, and has been developed and enlarged until it is today one of the chief productive industries not only of this city but of the entire state. The life story of its vice president is one of interest because of the fact that, starting out in the business world for himself when but a lad of twelve years and working for twenty-five cents per day, he has steadily advanced until he has reached the commanding position which he now occupies and his life should certainly serve as a source of courage and inspiration to others. Mr. Moore was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, August 22, 1877, and is a son of David' and Elizabeth (Evans) Moore. The father, a native of Scotland, came to America in 1864, when a youth of eighteen years, and for an extended period was identified with foundry interests, continuing in that line of business until his death, which occurred in 1920. George David Moore has spent his life in Ohio, pursuing his education in the public schools of Hamilton, to which place the family removed from Cincinnati when he was a youth of eight years. From the age of twelve he worked in a foundry both before and after school, receiving twenty-five cents per day for his labor, and when his textbooks were put aside he concentrated his entire effort and attention upon the business. He made steady progress, thoroughly mastering every task assigned to him, and his increasing power and ability in his chosen field brought him to the position of foreman of the brass department in a large brass foundry when he was twenty-three years of age. In that position of responsibility he continued until 1909, when he came to Toledo, where he entered into active connection with the Warner Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of auto parts, his position being that of paymaster and timekeeper.. Later he was advanced to the position of general superintendent and factory manager, and when the business was sold to the General Motors Company he was assistant general manager. Today his official position is that of vice president and general manager of The Chevrolet Motor Ohio Company, manufacturing division, a branch of the General Motors Company. This business was established in Toledo in August, 1909, and was conducted under the name of the Warner Manufacturing Company until October 16, 1916, when it became affiliated with the General Motors Corporation as a unit of the Chevrolet division and has operated as such to the present. During their entire business career in Toledo the company has been engaged in the manufacture of transmissions, differentials and steering gears for automobiles. The business was started with thirty men and approximately twenty thousand square feet of Boor space. Year by year the trade has steadily grown until at present there are TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 457 about two thousand employes and the plant includes over three hundred thousand square feet of floor space. They have a strictly modern plant, both as to buildings and equipment, and theirs is one of the most important industrial concerns of Ohio. As vice president and general manager Mr. Moore has contributed in notable measure to the success of the business at Toledo and is today regarded as one of the valued and representative manufacturers of the state. On the 5th of July, 1899, Mr. Moore was married to Miss Katherine M. Huber of Harrison, Ohio, and they became parents of a daughter, Mildred Elizabeth, who was educated in the University of Michigan and in the Michigan State Normal College at Ypsilanti and is now a teacher in the public schools of Toledo. In his fraternal relations Mr. Moore is both a Mason and an Odd Fellow and in the former organization he has attained high rank, becoming a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason and a member of the Mystic Shrine. He is a loyal follower of the teachings and purposes of the craft, making its beneficent spirit a workable principle in his life. Forceful and resourceful in business, he has become a dynamic power in manufacturing circles and certainly deserves great credit for what he has accomplished, as he started out independently when a lad of twelve years and has since provided for his own support. Working his way steadily upward, he has carefully and wisely utilized every chance that has come to him. His eyes have ever been upon the door of opportunity and as it has opened he has crossed the threshold, his will responsive to the chances that have appeared before him, and he has at all times stressed those qualities which are essential and salient factors in the attainment of honorable success. Mr. Moore's residence is at No. 2712 Glenwood avenue. LEONARD PETER MAJEWSKI Persistent labor has been the foundation of the substantial success that has come to Leonard Peter Majewski, who is now owner of a foundry in which he employs a considerable force of workmen. A native of Poland, he was born on the 27th of October, 1879, and is a son of Thomas and Rose Majewski, the father a laborer. The family crossed the Atlantic in 1881 and arrived in Toledo on the 17th of March of that year, so that Leonard P. Majewski, spending his youthful days in this city, attended the parochial schools. The necessity of providing for his own support, however, caused him at the age of twelve years to put aside his textbooks and start out to find work. He was employed in various ways that would yield him an honest living for a period of four years and then at the age of sixteen he began learning the moulder's trade. He thoroughly acquainted himself with work of that character while in the employ of others and in the course of years he had saved from his earnings, as the result of his industry and economy, a sufficient capital to enable him to establish a little business on his own account. This he did on the 11th of August, 1911, employing at first but one assistant. Something of the steady growth of his business is indicated in the fact that he now has seventeen employes and he owns his foundry, which is situated on a lot seventy-two by one hundred and eighty feet bordering the New York Central Railroad and between Lucas and Belmont avenues. He also owns several houses, from which he derives a substantial rental, having made judicious investment in real estate as his financial resources have increased. 458 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY On the 7th of October, 1902, Mr. Majewski was married to Miss Agnes Kantorczyk, a native of Poland, and they have become parents of five children : Aloysious, Helen, Stephania, Florence and Leonard, Jr. Mr. Majewski has spent practically his entire life in Toledo and his unremitting diligence and persistency of purpose have constituted the basic elements on which he has builded his success. Working, earnestly day by day, he has advanced and his life record proves the force of industry and economy in conquering the difficulties and obstacles that bar the path to prosperity. SAMUEL WESLEY HORTON Samuel Wesley Horton, whose identification with business interests of Toledo covers a period of seven years, is a partner in the investment firm of Sidney Spitzer & Company. He was born at Fruit Ridge Farms in Lenawee county, Michigan, May 3, 1885, and is a son of George Byron and Amanda (Bradish) Horton. The father, until his death in 1922, was the owner of a large estate and devoted his attention to the management of his farm properties and public life of Michigan. After completing his public school course Samuel Horton entered the State Agricultural College of Michigan, from which he was graduated in 1908. He then spent several years assisting his father in operating the farms, until in 1916 he came to Toledo, entered the employ of the firm of Sidney Spitzer & Company, dealers in municipal bonds, and in 1920 was taken into the partnership. On the 26th of April, 1917, Mr. Horton was united in marriage to Lillian Torrence Sheldon, at Adrian, Michigan. They live at Maumee, Ohio, and are the parents of three sons : Samuel Wesley Jr., William Sheldon and George Byron. FRED LEONHARDT Fred Leonhardt, a native son. of Toledo, has devoted his life to the automobile business, of which he has acquired an expert knowledge, and he is numbered among the most successful dealers in the city. He was born May 15, 1885, and his parents, Chris and Mary (Grau) Leonhardt, are of European birth. In early life they came to the United States, settling in Toledo, where the father engaged in tailoring. Mr. and Mrs. Leonhardt are still residing in this city. Five children have been born of their marriage : Albert, William, Mrs. Clara Nixon, Tillie and Fred. Fred Leonhardt attended the public schools to the age of sixteen years, when he started out in life for himself and applied himself to learning the automobile business. He secured work with the Atwood Auto Company, which operated the first repair shop in Toledo, and remained in their employ for twelve years, during which period he became thoroughly conversant with the mechanical end of the business. He was ambitious to advance and in 1912 he opened a repair shop of his own, which he conducted independently for three years, when the Leonhardt & Deermeyer Auto Company was formed. This association was main- TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 459 tained until 1919, when Roy Geller was admitted to a partnership, and the business has been continued under the style o f the Leonhardt-Geller Motor Sales Company, of which the subject of this review is the president and treasurer. They handle the Willys-Knight and Willys-Overland cars and are numbered among the leading automobile dealers of the city. Mr. Leonhardt has a comprehensive understanding of every phase of the business and in its control displays sound judgment, enterprise and executive ability. He is chary of promising and punctual in executing and in business circles of the city he has become recognized as a man to be trusted. In Toledo, on the 21st of June, 1913, Mr. Leonhardt was married to Miss Eva Courtad, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Courtad of Carey, Ohio, and they have become the parents of four children : Rosemary, who was born in 1914 and is now a pupil in the public schools ; Dorothy, who was born in 1916 and is also attending school ; Alice, born in 1918 ; and Robert, who was born December 29, 1921. Mr. Leonhardt is identified with the Masonic order. He is a member of the Toledo Automobile Club, the Lions Club and the Gyro Club and he gives his political support to the republican party because he believes that its principles will best conserve the interests of good government. His resolute spirit, energy and steadfastness of purpose have enabled him to conquer all obstacles and difficulties in his path and in the parlance of the day, he has "made good." His integrity has never been open to question and his genuine personal worth has gained him a high place in the esteem of those with whom he has been associated. JOHN H. LLOYD John H. Lloyd is one of the proprietors of the business conducted under the name of the Lloyd Brothers Company at Toledo, a monument and memorial business constituting one of the largest institutions of the kind in the country. Its main plant is located in this city, but branch establishments have been opened at Detroit and at Washington, D. C., and thus the trade is covering a wide territory. John H. Lloyd was born in Maumee, Ohio, on the 18th of June, 1858, and is a son of Edward and Martha Lloyd. The father was a native of Radnor, Wales, while the mother's birth occurred in Hereford, England. They came to America in early life and both settled at Maumee, Ohio. The father had learned the stonecutter's trade in his native land and after coming to America was actively engaged at his trade up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1876. His widow survived him and departed this life in Toledo. In their family were seven children, only two of whom are living, John H. and Edward S., the latter a resident of Maumee, Ohio. John H. Lloyd attended the public schools of Maumee, but at a very early age he put aside his textbooks and started to provide for his own support. He began learning the stonecutter's and carver's trade and in 1873 he started in business 'on his own account, and is now considered one of the most extensive builders of monuments and memorials in the United States. He has executed some very large contracts for monuments to noted personages and to a number of heroes of the World war. He has also been the builder of some famous mausoleums, one of these of note being the fine memorial to the Dodge brothers of Detroit, in 460 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY which the bodies of the prominent automobile manufacturers now rest. His business has steadily grown in volume and importance and is today one of the large commercial interests of Toledo, the main plant being situated in this city, while branch houses have been established at Detroit, Michigan, and at Washington, D. C., handling the trade for those localities, therefore, from a more central point. In 1886 Mr. Lloyd was united in marriage to Miss Lucy C. Palmer of Toledo. They have two children : Ruth Lloyd, born in Toledo and educated at Sweet Briar College in. Virginia ; and Rachael, now Mrs. Hoyt S. Holton, who also attended Sweet Briar College and who by her marriage has become the mother of one son:Lloyd S. Holton. Mr. Lloyd is a Mason of high standing, having reached the thirty-third degree in the consistory. He belongs also to the Rotary Club and to the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and is interested in the projects and plans of these two organizations to advance civic standards and promote public welfare. His political allegiance is given to the republican party, but he has never sought nor desired office. He is popular, standing high with his fellow townsmen, and his example is indeed worthy of emulation, as it indicates what can be accomplished through persistency of purpose, intelligently directed. Beginning at the bottom he has worked his way upward in connection with the monument business, with every phase of which he is familiar, and his high efficiency has gained for him a most liberal patronage. His residence is at No. 407 Winthrop street. CARL J. FISCHER Carl J. Fischer, a member of the firm of Sidney Spitzer & Company, bond dealers, is one of the well known men in investment security circles of Toledo. He comes from a family which for nearly fifty years has been prominently identified with the commercial development and upbuilding of the city. He is one of Toledo's native sons, for he was born in this city, on the 4th of December, 1888, and his parents were Ignaz and. Elizabeth (Reiger) Fischer, the former of European birth and the latter a native of Rochester, New York. In his youth the father came to the United States, first locating at Dayton, Ohio, while later he established his home in Toledo. He was a talented musician and in 1876 organized the Ignaz Fischer Music House, which he conducted successfully for forty-three years, gaining a position of leadership in this field. His demise occurred in 1920. The mother is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Fischer had a family of four children : Alpha, a resident of Toledo ; Sister Mary Ursula, who is connected with Ursuline Academy of this city; Marie, who died in infancy ; and Carl J. In the acquirement of an education Carl J. Fischer attended the parochial and grammar schools of Toledo and the Central high school. He obtained a clerical position in the First National Bank of this city and remained with that institution until 1909, when he became connected with the bond and investment banking house of Spitzer and Company and was an employe of this firm for five years. He then left that firm took a position with Sidney Spitzer & Company; investment bond dealers, as a bond salesman, keeping this position until four years ago, when he was admitted as a partner in this well known bond house. Mr. Fischer was married in this city, on the 26th of February, 1916, to Miss Rebekah Colter, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. Wilber Colter of Toledo. Mr. TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 463 Fischer is a Roman Catholic in religious faith and he is also identified with the Knights of Columbus, in which he has taken the third degree. He is a member of the Toledo Commerce Club, and the Toledo Automobile Club, and his political support is given to the men and measures of the republican party. In all matters of citizenship he is loyal, progressive and public-spirited, and during the World war Mr. Fischer spent much of his time with the War Savings committee, at Washington, D. C., working under the direction of Frank A. Vanderlip of the United States treasury. Mr. Fischer has depended upon his own efforts for advancement and although not yet of middle age, his rapidly developing powers have placed him in a position of prominence in business circles of the city. His life has been an exemplary one in all respects and he is accorded the respect, confidence and esteem of these who have known him from boyhood to the present time. CHARLES SUMNER HOLTON For over a quarter of a century Charles Sumner Holton has been identified with business interests of Toledo and as vice president of the Merrill, Dodge & Jackson Company he has been largely instrumental in developing one of the most successful insurance agencies in the city. He was born at Crown Point, Indiana, October 10, 1871, of the marriage of Hiram S. and Gertrude E. (McDonald) Holton, the former a native of Stony Ridge, Canada, and the latter of Elmira, New York. Mrs. Holton's parents were pioneers of Indiana, settling near Crown Point, and in that city her marriage occurred. Mr. Holton engaged in merchandising at Crown Point and he afterward ,entered the employ of the United States government, becoming connected with the pension department at Washington, D. C. He was identified with the service for many years and following his retirement he removed to Chicago, where he resided until his demise, which occurred in 1905, when he was sixty-six years of age. The mother passed away in that city in 1921. In the public schools of Indianapolis, Indiana, Charles S. Holton obtained his education and his initial business experience was acquired in the plant of the E. C. Atkins Saw Company at Chattanooga, Tennessee. In August, 1893, he arrived in Toledo and secured a position with the National Milling Company, with which he remained until 1895, when he engaged in the life insurance business, to which he has since devoted his attention. In 1897 he established the Holton & Clark Company, which was continued until 1905, when the business was absorbed by the Merrill, Dodge & Jackson Company, of which Mr. Holton was made vice president, and he has since filled that office. Broad experience and close study have given him a comprehensive knowledge of the business and his progressive methods and carefully formulated plans have contributed materially to the success of the undertaking. They sell all kinds of insurance, representing the most reliable companies in the field, and their business is one of the largest of this character in the city. On the 25th of June, 1895, Mr. Holton was married to Miss Lillian Valentine of Toledo, a daughter of Frederick A. Valentine, who at the time of his death in 1902 had been for forty years in the service of the Lake Shore Railroad and was one of their most trusted employes. For the last fifteen years he was head ticket agent at the Union Depot in Toledo. Mr. and Mrs. Holton have become the par- 464 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY ents of four children, two sons and two daughters : Hoyt S., the eldest in the family, was born February 19, 1896 in Toledo, and acquired his education in the public schools of this city. He married Miss Rachel M. Lloyd of Toledo, and they have a son, Lloyd Sumner Holton ; Henrietta, now Mrs. Harlan C. Hickenlooper, was born in this city in 1900 and attended the local schools ; Gertrude, who was born in 1907, is a pupil at the Scott high school ; and John Valentine, born June 7, 1910, in Toledo, is a grammar school student. All are natives of Toledo and residents of the city. The family are members of the First Congregational church of Toledo. Mr. Holton casts his ballot in support of the platform and candidates of the republican party. He is one of the charter members of the Kiwanis Club, of which lie was the first vice president, and he is also connected with the Toledo Commerce Club and the Toledo Automobile Club. He belongs to Yondota blue lodge No. 572, and the Royal Arch chapter in Masonry and is likewise identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. Mr. Holton was precinct captain of all the organized drives during the World war for the sale of Liberty bonds. The proud record of Toledo on these drives was due to the excellent work of the city's business men. Mr. Holton is a self-made man who has made good use of his opportunities and has steadily progressed, conducting his business interests carefully and wisely and manifesting an aptitude for successful management. His life has been an active and useful one, the expression of worthy purposes and high ideals, and Toledo numbers him among her leading business men and progressive citizens. Residence 35 Rosalind place. THE HOME BUILDING AND SAVINGS COMPANY The Home Building and Savings Company of Toledo is the monument to the enterprise and business ability of George E. Myers, who still remains the active secretary. For thirty-five years this company has figured in the financial and industrial circles of Toledo. It was founded by Mr. Myers, the secretary of the company, and from the beginning the growth has been of a most steady and substantial character. No savings association has ever accomplished more with a similar capital and in a given length of, time than has this company, as indicated in its financial statement issued for the year ending January 31, 1922. It shows that the company paid the regular five per cent interest and dividends on its deposits and stock plus extra Christmas interest and a dividend of one-half per cent, and still had a balance of undivided profits for the year amounting to thirty-three thousand, eight hundred and thirty-four dollars—more than enough to raise the total year's interest and dividends to six per cent. The business has ever been-managed along safe and conservative lines which, however, have not hampered progress, and during the thirty-five years of its existence the company has never drawn on its undivided profits fund to pay current dividends or interest and has never experienced a year when it failed to protect its depositors, while the reserve fund is left untouched save to meet contingent losses. The resources of the company were a little more than one million dollars in 1913 when a removal was made to the fine new building which they now occupy. Through the intervening period its running stock and deposits have increased fivefold. The property owned by the company at Broadway and Segur is worth at conservative valuation sixty TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 467 thousand dollars. The business has been developed according to the most modern financial methods—methods that will bear the closest investigation and scrutiny —and the continued growth and success of the enterprise is attributable to the high degree of satisfaction felt by its patrons. Not only does the company have many clients in Toledo but draws its customers from all over the country, having probably a million and a half dollars invested in this way from Maine to California. Through this business many attractive homes in Toledo have been erected and the worth of the enterprise to the city can scarcely be overestimated. Mr. Myers has been back of the undertaking from the beginning and his long experience, his sound judgment, his financial foresight and his determination have been the salient features upon which the success of the company rests. WILLIAM GRANT HENDERSON To know when and where to use his powers and just what opportunities to embrace is often the salient feature which carries the successful man beyond his fellows and enables him to become a power in his chosen field. To this class belongs William G. Henderson, vice president and general superintendent of the Toledo Shipbuilding Company, whose constantly expanding powers have made him capable of controlling large affairs, the success of which depends upon clear vision and superior administrative ability. William Grant Henderson was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, July 24, 1863, a son of John and Elizabeth (Watt) Henderson, who were also natives of that country. In 1867 they left the land of hills and heather and made their way to Canada, establishing their home at Lindsay, in the province of Ontario, where the father devoted his attention to the operation of a flour mill. He continued a resident of that place until 1885, when he crossed the border into the United States, settling at Detroit, Michigan, where he continued to live until called to his final rest. The mother's demise also occurred in that city. They were the parents of thirteen children, of whom eight survive : John, a resident of Rochester, New York ; George, of Detroit ; William G., of this review ; Alexander and Charles, both of whom are living in Detroit ; Mrs. Jane Thompson of San Francisco, California ; Mrs. Mary Gillis, a resident of Toronto, Canada ; and Elizabeth, of Detroit. The grammar and high schools of Canada afforded William G. Henderson his educational opportunities and after laying aside his text-books he served a four years' apprenticeship to the machinist's trade at Lindsay, Ontario. Going to Port Hope, in that province, he entered the mechanical department of the Grand Trunk Railroad, with which he was connected until 1885, when he went to Detroit and for a year was in the employ of the Russell Wheel & Foundry Company. In 1886 he became identified with the Detroit Shipbuilding Company and continued in their service until 1905, working in various capacities and acquiring a comprehensive knowledge of the business. He then came to this city and in association with others organized the Toledo Shipbuilding Company, of which he was made general superintendent, and he is now filling the office of vice president as well. This has become one of the largest industrial enterprises of the kind in the country and much of its present success is attributable to the well directed efforts of Mr. Henderson, who displays marked ability and enterprise in the control of his business interests, re- 468 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY garding no detail as too unimportant to receive his attention, while the larger factors in his affairs are controlled with notable assurance and power. At Port Hope, Ontario, Canada, on the 23d of December, 1884, Mr. Henderson was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Leonard, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Leonard, both of whom are deceased. Having no family of their own, Mr. and Mrs. Henderson have reared four adopted children, namely : Mrs. Walter L. Weaver, a resident of Toledo ; Mrs. Florence Braun, who is living in Detroit, Michigan; Miss Katherine Marshall, deceased ; and Arthur Leonard Marshall, who was graduated from the Scott high school of Toledo when seventeen years of age and is now a member of the class of 1923, Dartmouth College. The Henderson home is at 2234 Putnam street. Mr. Henderson is a member of the Masonic fraternity. His religious faith is evidenced by his membership in the' Collingwood avenue Presbyterian church. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and his civic spirit finds expression in his connection with, the Chamber of Commerce and he is also a member of the Manufacturers. Association. He is a self-made man who has fought and won in the great battle of life, focusing his energies in directions where fruition is certain. There is in his history an element of inspiration for others and an example of high purpose nobly achieved. CARL S. PETERSEN Leaving his native land in his youth, Carl Petersen has found many opportunities for advancement in the United States and through their wise utilization he has steadily progressed until he now ranks with the most substantial business men of Toledo. He has devoted his life to the meat business, of which he has gained an expert knowledge, and has become recognized as one of the leading dealers in this commodity in the city. A native of Germany, he was born April 11, 1887, and his parents were Siegfried and Margaret (Albertsen) Petersen, residents of central Germany, where the ,father engaged in farming. In their family were ten chil- dren : Neal and Peter, both of whom are living in Toledo ; Julius, of Moneta, Iowa ; Thomas, Sophie, Martha, Marie, Katherine and Hans, all of whom are residing in Germany ; and Carl. The last named acquired his education in his native land and when eighteen years of age he severed home ties and emigrated to the United States, making his way to Toledo, which has since been his home. He at once became connected with the meat business, to which he had served a three years' apprenticeship in Germany, and for a time worked for the Folger Packing Company, later becoming an employe in the Toledo branch of the Swift Packing 'Company. He was very successful as their representative and embarked in the business independently in 1908, starting. with one horse and wagon. In the intervening years the enterprise, has steadily grown, owing to his capable management and untiring efforts, and he is now conducting a large wholesale business in meats and produce. He has a large refrigerating plant, utilizing four trucks for delivery purposes and employing five men to assist him in operating the business, of which he is sole owner. Mr. Petersen is a member of the Maumee River Yacht Club and fraternally is identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He is a self-made man who has taken cognizance of his opportunities, utilizing them to the best advan- TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 469 tage, and ability, industry and determination have brought him to a position of prominence in business circles of the city, to whose commercial prosperity he has contributed through his progressive spirit and executive ability. CAPTAIN WILLIAM JAMES GORDON Captain William James Gordon, who was widely known in marine circles, enjoyed the reputation of being one of the ablest captains on the Great Lakes. He was born in Burlington, Ontario, at the head of Lake Ontario, thirty miles from Toronto, on the 17th of August, 1844. He was a son of William and Rebecca (Abbott) Gordon, natives of Glasgow, Scotland. The father went to Canada when a young man and there continued to reside. William James Gordon acquired his education in the schools of Hamilton, Ontario, and was early attracted to the lakes, several of his ancestors having been seafaring men. Accordingly he became a sailor on one of the lake boats and his remaining days were devoted to sailing. His faithfulness, his industry and his perseverance won him promotion from time to time until he became captain of vessels and so continued throughout his remain:. ing days. He always maintained order and discipline on his boats. At Simcoe, Ontario, Captain Gordon was united in marriage to Emily Beacham and they became the parents of four children : Herbert, deceased ; Robert Craig, a business man of Minneapolis ; James Alexander of Detroit and Kalamazoo, Michigan ; and Grace, living at home. Captain Gordon's trips took him up and down the lakes and in 1873 he decided to take out naturalization papers, which he did at Chicago, thus becoming an American citizen. Toledo was often an important call for him and believing that the city had a great future before it and pleased with the advantages offered in many ways, he decided to establish his home here. This he did in 1890, settling in the south end, where the family remained for four years. In 1897 the family took up their abode on Acklin avenue and for a quarter of a century has remained within a radius of five blocks. Captain Gordon's boat was lost in a storm on the lakes on the 18th of May, 1896. W. HARVEY VANSKIVER Among the popular and successful automobile dealers of Toledo is numbereu W. Harvey Vanskiver, manager of the Paige Ohio Company and an enterprising and aggressive business man to whom opportunity has even been the call to action. He was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, December 5, 1879, and his parents were Frank and Theresa (Weeden) Vanskiver, both natives of Meigs county. The father was a successful farmer, devoting his life to that occupation, and his death occurred in 1883. He is survived by the mother, who resides at Columbiana, Ohio. Of the three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Vanskiver the subject of this review is the only one living. In the grammar and high schools of Columbiana, W. Harvey Vanskiver obtained his education and after laying aside his textbooks he served an apprenticeship to the machinist's trade in a shop at that place. For about ten years he followed 470 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY the trade and then embarked in business independently, opening a repair shop and garage at Columbiana. For three years he successfully conducted the undertaking and then sold the business, going to Paso Robles, California, ,where he engaged in prospecting for some time, also devoting his attention to the development of almond groves. After spending three years on the coast he returned to Ohio, locating at Youngstown, and from 1916 until 1919 engaged in selling Paige automobiles in that city. In the latter year he came to Toledo and is now serving as manager of the Paige Ohio Company, whose salesrooms are among the finest in this section of the state. The success of the company in this field is chiefly attributable to the untiring efforts of Mr. Vanskiver, who gives careful thought to all of the details of a business which in recent years has risen almost to the dignity of a profession, and the volume of sales is rapidly increasing.. In Salem, Ohio, on the 23d of September, 1903, Mr. Vanskiver was married to Miss Jessie Belle Ford, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Ford, prominent residents of Salem. Mr. and Mrs. Vanskiver have one child, Ruth Elizabeth, who was born in Leetonia, Ohio, in 1910. Mr. Vanskiver is identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and he has taken the council degree in Masonry. He is a member of the Toledo Auto Trades Association and the liberally endowedlub. He is liberally-endowed with ambition, grit and good judgment and these. are qualities which in all honorable vocations ultimately lead to victory. His personal qualities are those which make for enduring friendship and he loyally supports all' those measures which are projected for the development and upbuilding of his city. JEROME H. SMITH Jerome H. Smith, deceased, a prominent figure in the confectionery industry for nearly half a century and founder of the Smith-Kirk Candy Company of Toledo, belonged to that class of business men in whose career. there are no spectacular . phases. However, he achieved success not only in the accumulation of worldly goods, but as well in leaving a good name and having lived a clean life marked by a strict devotion to his duty as husband, father and citizen. Jerome H. Smith was born in Rochester, New York, February 17, 1845, of English .parents, and was one of ten children, four of whom lived to maturity. His mother died when he was about eight years old and it was but a short time afterward that he began to earn his own living, first as a newsboy on the streets of Rochester, New York. Later he worked as a baker's boy. Thus early thrown on his own resources, he learned the necessity of saving more than he spent and or years' kept a daily account of his earnings and expenditures. He took full advantage of his limited opportunities for an education, attending night school, reading the best literature obtainable and attending Shakespearian plays nightly when given in his town. Mr. Smith first came to Toledo in 1869 as foreman of the old Worts, Kirk and Bigelow bakery, then located on St. Clair street, opposite what is now the Rivoli theatre. In 1875 he went to Cincinnati and a year or two later became a member of the firm of John J. Perkins & Company, wholesale grocers, bakers and confectioners. Retiring from that firm in 1890, he bought the Forster bakery, which he subsequently sold to the U. S. Baking Company, later the National Biscuit Company. Mr. Smith became interested in the National Biscuit Com- TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 473 pany as a heavy stockholder and in 1892 returned to Toledo, where for a number of years he was manager of the Toledo unit of the National Biscuit Company. In 1902 he organized the Smith-Kirk Candy Company, becoming its president, and remained its executive head until January, 1919, when he relinquished active management of the business, becoming chairman of the board of directors. He was married in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1882, to Miss Helen Ridlon of that city, a member of a prominent Ohio family. Mr. Smith passed away on August 26, 1919, leaving a widow and three sons and three daughters. The sons are : Derby R., who is mentioned elsewhere in this work ; Hiram A., who is also referred to on another page; and Roger R., who is an official of the Smith-Kirk Candy Company. The daughters are : Mrs. Harry Daiber of Toledo; Mrs. Frank Kapp of Toledo ; and Miss Lois Smith. Mr. Smith belonged to the Masonic fraternity and in his political belief was a republican. He was a prominent member of the Ohio Confectioners Club and for a number of years was one of the officials of that organization. His greatest interest aside from the welfare of his family was his business. During business hours he was all business, but at home his time was given to his wife and children. His home life was ideal and there he found his greatest happiness and pleasure. He was modest and refined and always -endeavored to rear his family by example. He was much interested in Tbledo and had implicit confidence in the city's future. For a number of years he had owned a considerable tract of unimproved land in the west end of the city. He laid out Maplewood avenue and from there out to Whitney avenue, this property being known as the Cushing subdivision. Many of the stately elm trees and beautiful maples on the west side give evidence of his civic pride and forethought, for he planted them. For several years prior to his death Mr. Smith resided on the River road, near Perrysburg, and while he traveled to some extent in his latter years, he was always glad to get back to his home, the care and upkeep of which was his hobby. He was quiet and unostentatious in his charities, which were often unknown except to the recipients, and a worthy object seldom appealed to him in vain for aid. Mr. Smith was in his seventy-fifth year at the time of his death and was exceptionally vigorous for one of his age. J. MARK BRICKER Business development in Toledo has found stimulus in the efforts of J. Mark Bricker, vice president of the Home Building & Savings Association and one of the leading realtors of the city. He was born in Cuyahoga county, Ohio, August 14, 1857, a son of Nicholas and Susanna (Schuler) Bricker, both of whom were natives of Luxemburg. They came to the United States in the early '50s, settling in Ohio, and the father became well known in industrial circles of the state. He was an honored veteran of the Civil war, in which he served as a private, and was with General Sherman on his memorable march to the sea. Both Mr. and Mrs. Bicker are deceased, the former passing away in 1865. J. Mark Bricker of this review attended the district schools of Berea, Ohio, and while a student in high school was under the instruction of Mr. Sprague. After his graduation he went to Cleveland, Ohio, where he resided for a time, and on the 15th of May, 1880, he came to Toledo. He became connected with 474 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY the Union News Company and for twenty-seven years had charge of the news stand at the Union Station, tendering his resignation in 1913 in order that he might enter the real estate business, with which he has since been identified. He has been very successful in this field and is now president of the South Side Building & Investment Company, vice president of the Home Building & Savings Association, and president of the South Side Realty Company. His judgment is rarely at fault concerning the value of real estate and its possible rise or diminution in price and his investments have been judiciously placed. He has negotiated many important realty transfers and conducts his operations on an extensive scale. On the 10th of August, 1882, Mr. Bricker was married to Miss Fannie Jane Sullery, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Sullery of Toledo, and they have become the parents of a daughter, Zoe, who is now the wife of Louis C. Gens, and they have two children : Mark Bricker and John Louis, both natives of Toledo. Mr. Gens is a veteran of both the Spanish-American and World wars and was a naval officer in the latter conflict, serving as lieutenant commander of the United States Battleship Indiana. Mr. Bricker is identified with the Rubicon Lodge of Masons and is also a member of the Toledo Real Estate Board, while in politics he maintains an independent attitude in many instances yet in state and .national issues is a stanch republican. He has transformed unsightly vacancies into attractive residential districts and his spirit of initiative and enterprise has constituted an important factor in. Toledo's development. His home is at No. 1236 Broadway, where he has resided over thirty-five years. LUCIAN GRANT MEDBURY Lucian Grant Medbury, president and general manager of the Medbury-Ward Company, conducting an engraving business in Toledo, brought to the establishment of the present enterprise broad and thorough experience which he had obtained in Detroit, Michigan, where for a number of years he was employed along this line. Steadily he has developed and enlarged his interests until he is now at the head of a substantial business of this character and one which enjoys the reputation of turning out splendid work. Mr. Medbury is a native of Illinois, his birth having occurred in Kankakee, March 4, 1875, his parents being George Congdon and Emma (Grant) Medbury. The father, who largely devoted his life to the real estate business, has passed away. The son pursued a high school course in Kansas City, Missouri, and in early manhood learned the engraver's trade at Detroit, Michigan, where he remained from 1895 until 1903, being associated with an uncle in the Peninsular Engraving Company, in which he worked his way upward until he was made one of the directors. In 1903 he established a branch of this business in Toledo and was one of .the directors and manager at this point until 1914, when he purchased a plant and organized the Medbury-Ward Company, of which he is president and general manager. In the meantime, as the manager for the Peninsular Company, he had developed a business of goodly proportions and this has further grown and increased under his wise control until he has now many patrons and furnishes employment to forty people. On the 18th of August, 1905, Mr. Medbury was married to Miss Lillian Stratton