(RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE) 50 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY Camp Wadsworth, in Spartansburg, South Carolina, in connection with World war activities. He now has membership in the American Legion and in the Military Surgeons Association. He likewise belongs to the Portage Country Club, the University Club, the Akron City Club, the Akron Automobile Club, and the Akron Chamber of Commerce, while his wife belongs to the Woman's City Club of Akron. Both are consistent and helpful members of the First Presbyterian church, in which the Doctor has served as elder. He has also been greatly interested in the Boy Scout movement and from 1917 until 1926 was a member of the Akron Boy Scouts Council. Anything that tends to uplift humanity, to promote intellectual or moral progress or to advance civic standards receives his endorsement and support, and along these lines, as well as in professional circles, his life has been one of great usefulness. His residence is on Tinkham road, Fairlawn. OHIO COLUMBUS BARBER No other living man holds just the same place in the history of the city of Akron or has contributed in so great a measure to the making of that history as has Ohio C. Barber, manufacturer, financier and philanthropist. He was born in this city and has witnessed its growth from a village into a metropolis, and there is scarcely a phase of its industrial development that does not bear the impress of his efforts and achievements. Mr. Barber was born in Middlebury, now a part of Akron, on April 20, 1841, a son of the late George Barber, who was the pioneer match manufacturer of the west and was practically the founder of the Diamond Match Company. Of the career of George Barber ample mention is made elsewhere in this volume. The Barber family is of English origin, and was founded in America in the seventeenth century by five brothers of the name. The paternal grandmother of Mr. Barber was Anna Bacon, who was a full cousin to Lord Bacon. The mother of O. C. Barber was of Holland Dutch stock. Her mother was born when Washington was in office as president, and during her life every man who filled the office of President of the United States was born —even President Wilson being a young man while she lived. She reached the age of ninety-eight and a half years. Mr. Barber's father lived to reach the age of seventy-six years, and his wife eighty-three and a half years. AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 51 When a lad of fifteen years 0. C. Barber began working in his father's match factory. In 1861 he became a partner of his father and in 1862 took over the management of the business. The Barber Match Company was organized in 1868 with George Barber as president and 0. C. Barber as secretary and treasurer, and that order continued until the death of George, when 0. C. succeeded him as president. In 1881 Mr. Barber arranged for a consolidation of a number of the large manufacturers of the country, the consummation of which plans was the organization of the Diamond Match Company, the largest manufacturers in the world. Mr. Barber became vice president of that company at its organization, was made president in 1888 and since 1913 has been chairman of the board. Mr. Barber was interested largely in the development of the match business throughout the world. Due to his influence the methods of manufacturing matches by the system worked out in the research department of the Diamond Match Company have been extended to every quarter of the globe. Machinery for making matches manufactured at Barberton, Ohio, can be found in Europe, England, Switzerland, Germany, and in New Zealand, Asia, Australia, Africa, Manila and in South America, in Peru, Chile and Argentine. There is not an hour in the day when the sun ceases to shine on factories containing machinery developed by the research department of the Diamond Match Company. This research department was the first to develop commercially the manufacture of potash. No other known concern of today has made a commercial success of extracting potash from kelp. This process has been worked out under the supervision of the president of the Diamond Match Company, Mr. W. A. Fairburn, who is a great chemist himself. Through his efforts and direction, says Mr. Barber, "We are going to be able to supply ourselves with potash, one of the essential elements in the manufacture of matches," and he adds, "I am free to say without criticism to any of Mr. Fairburn's predecessors that he is the most able man we ever had in the position." In 1889 Mr. Barber was one of the founders of the American Strawboard Company, and is today president of the same and he is recognized all over the world as the potent spirit in that line of industry. He was one of the organizers of the Diamond Rubber Company and was its guiding hand until that company was taken over by the B. F. Goodrich Company. He is a pioneer in the sewer pipe and steel tube manufacture in the West. 52 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY He was the founder of the Stirling Company, which a few years ago combined with the Babcock & Wilcox Boiler Manufacturing Company at Barberton, and the two together became the largest manufactory of steam boilers in the world with the most improved patents, and for a number of years made about 80 per cent of the boilers used in the navy of the United States. One of the greatest achievements in his career, in the opinion of Mr. Barber, is that of causing the organization of the General Fire Extinguisher Company/ This organization and its products have saved more money to the people of the United States in the way of subduing fire than any one could imagine. The methods of putting out fires automatically are now in such widespread use that their value is beyond all computation. Mr. Barber is the founder and sole owner of the O. C. Barber Concrete Company, whose plant at Barberton is probably the largest concrete block factory in the world; he is the owner and founder of the O. C. Barber Fertilizing Company at Barber, Virginia; he has taken up and is developing large tracts of land in and about the city of Canton, Ohio, in connection with which he has organized and is operating a very large plant under the name of the O. C. Barber Mining and Fertilizer Company, in connection with which he owns very large and valuable coal, lime and clay properties. Mr. Barber is responsible for the inception of and the carrying through to the securing of a franchise for the project to build what is known as the Barber's Subways at Cleveland, which plan calls for the building of an underground system of subways connecting every railroad entering that city with the lake front, thus facilitating the handling of freight, and also the establishing of a great warehouse system on the lake shore, where Mr. Barber already owns large docks. Mr. Barber's identification with the banking and financial history of Akron covers a long period. He was for many years a director in the First National Bank, and succeeded to the presidency of the same upon the death of J. B. Wright and continued at the head of that bank until its consolidation with the Second National, under the name of the First-Second National Bank. He was instrumental in bringing about that consolidation and was elected president of the two banks, and so continued until January 1, 1916, at which time he resigned. In 1891 Mr. Barber founded and began the development of the city of Barberton, which under his guiding hand has since AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 53 grown into an important industrial center with a population of over twenty thousand people. He developed and brought to an almost magical perfection "Anna Dean" farm, located near Barberton, which is considered one of the most beautiful estates and model farms in America and of which a full account is given on other pages of this volume. As a philanthropist Mr. Barber has been most generous and he has contributed freely of his means to the benevolent and charitable institutions of both Akron and Barberton. He built the City Hospital of Akron and gave it to the city, and in many other ways has been of great use and benefit in philanthropic work, all movements for the welfare of the community receiving his generous aid. With a record of notable achievements covering over half a century of time, Mr. Barber, now in his seventy-fifth year, is still the man of large affairs, still an organizer and builder and a doer of large things. His physical strength is equal to his courage, and both are equal to his ambition, and that his long, useful life may be prolonged to such a time as will enable him to see the full realization of his ambitions, is the wish of an entire community, for it is conceded that humanity will be the gainer 133 what Mr. Barber does. On October 10, 1866, Mr. Barber married Laura L. Brown of Akron, who is now deceased. IRVIN J. MUSSON Diligence, perseverance and thrift are recognized the world over as the foundation of material prosperity and these three qualities have brought Irvin J. Musson to the fore in business circles of Akron. He was born in Kent, Ohio, December 23, 1887, and is a son of John R. and Nellie (Roberts) Musson, also natives of the Buckeye state. The father has followed the blacksmith's trade for many years, and he also made wagons in the early days, having long been a leader of business enterprise in Kent. The mother is deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. John R. Musson were born eight children : Glenn F., secretary of the Dauntless Plumbing & Electric Company of Akron ; Robert C., a department manager for the M. F. Murdock Company of this city; Shelly L., who is employed in a similar capacity by that firm; John W. and Irvin J., of Akron; Mrs. William Evans, who 54 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Mrs. Howard Thompson, of Canton; and Mrs. George Moon, of Kent. Irvin J. Musson was a pupil in the public schools of Kent and received his higher education in the University of Akron. After leaving that institution of learning he became a member of the office force of the Dauntless Plumbing & Electric Company, entering upon his duties in 1907, and he has remained with the firm for twenty-one years. He has served the corporation to the extent of his ability and in the steps of an orderly progression has risen to the offices of treasurer and manager, for which he is well qualified by reason of his broad experience and executive force. The business is located at No. 212 South Main street and its steady growth testifies to the efficiency of its executives and the quality of service rendered by the firm. Mr. Musson was married November 11, 1920, in Niles, Ohio, to Miss May Kitselman, and they now have two children : Irvin J., Jr., who was born in Akron in 1922 ; and Ann, born in 1925. In Masonry, Mr. Musson is connected with Akron Lodge, Washington Chapter, Akron Council and Yusef Khan Grotto of Akron. He belongs to the Masonic Club and is a charter member of the Kiwanis Club of Akron, while his religious views are in harmony with the doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal church. Fidelity to duty is one of his salient characteristics, and a winning personality has drawn to him a wide circle of sincere friends. WILLIAM H. KROEGER William H. Kroeger is not only numbered among the well known citizens of Akron who figure prominently in the financial group but is also classed as a public-spirited citizen whose labors have been a direct element in the city's advancement and improvement along various lines. He was the founder and is the president of The South Akron Savings Association; is likewise widely known in insurance and real estate circles, and throughout his entire career he has never allowed anything to bar his path which could be overcome by determined and persistent effort. Born in Akron, September 27, 1879, he is the son of John and Marie (Wendling) Kroeger, both of whom were of European birth and, coming to America in 1872, settled in Akron, where the father became associated with the Buckeye Reaper & Mower AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 57 Company, manufacturers of harvesting machinery. Here he passed away in 1900, while the mother is still living, as are seven of their eight children, namely; William H., Henry R., Edward J., Philip, Albert, Frank W. and Mrs. L. K. Haberkost. In his youthful days William H. Kroeger attended the public schools, the Lutheran parochial school and a business college and started out to provide for his own support by working for the B. F. Goodrich Company. He next learned the molder's trade, which he continued to follow for ten years, and in the meantime he read law. He was first called to public office through his appointment as clerk of the police department of Akron and he also rendered valuable service on the board of public safety during the years of 1905, 1906 and 1907. Later he was appointed deputy county treasurer and occupied that position for four years, discharging his duties with promptness and fidelity. So creditable was his record that he was then elected county treasurer in 1910, and further endorsement of his valuable work in that office came in re-election in 1912, so that he remained the incumbent in that position until 1915. With his retirement from office Mr. Kroeger was elected vice president and treasurer of The Coventry Land & Improvement Company, which developed Firestone Park, and later he continued in the real estate business on his own account and has since been more or less closely associated with realty transactions, his labors bringing satisfactory results not only in the enlargement of his own fortunes but in the development of the city as well. In 1922 he organized The South Akron Savings Association, of which he is now the president, and in this position is bending his efforts to administrative direction and executive control, having made for himself an enviable place among the financiers of Summit county, while at the same time he has continued in the real estate and insurance business. He is likewise a director of The Acme Mortgage Company and of the Liedertafel Home Company. Mr. Kroeger was elected in 1918 to the commission that drew up the charter under which the city of Akron is now operating, and was elected councilman-at-large to serve in the first council under the new charter. In November, 1904, Mr. Kroeger was married to Miss Carrie L. Cram, a daughter of H. A. Cram, and she passed away in Akron in June, 1925, leaving one child, Ruth Esther, who was 58 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY born in Akron, November 29, 1912, and is now a pupil in West high school of Akron. Mr. Kroeger belongs to the Concordia Lutheran church and has been an elder since the organization of the church in 1904; was for three years financial secretary, treasurer and member of the building committee in charge of construction when the new church edifice, costing one hundred fifty thousand dollars, was erected in 1926-27. He is also identified with the Akron Liedertafel and the Akron City Club. He has membership in the South Akron Board of Trade, the Akron Chamber of Commerce and the Akron Automobile Club, and is deputy state supervisor of the Board of Elections. His activities and interests center in those channels through which flows the greatest good to the greatest number, and he stands stanchly for those forces which make for the intellectual, moral and cultural as well as material progress of the community. HAMMOND U. GATES In the commercial world of today, competition is exceedingly keen and only those endowed with more than ordinary ability win the full measure of success. To this class belongs Hammond U. Gates, one of the men who are responsible for the exceptional record of the Standard Scale & Refrigerator Company, which is coming rapidly to the fore in business circles of Akron. Mr. Gates was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, June 19, 1887, and is a son of J. A. and Julia B. (Anderson) Gates, the former a native of Germany, while the latter was born in Pennsylvania. J. A. Gates was but two years old when his parents left the fatherland and sailed for America, hoping to profit by the opportunities for advancement in the new world. For a half century he was engaged in merchandising and is now living retired in Akron, where he has made his home since 1916. In his family are four children : 0. L., of San. Antonio, Texas; and Mrs. E. Boher, Mrs. Olive Bradley and Hammond U. Gates, all residents of Akron. The last named attended the public schools of East Liverpool, Ohio, and McKeesport, Pennsylvania, also taking a course in a business college. At Wellsville, Ohio, he entered the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad and remained with the company for five years. On the expiration of that period he located in AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 59 Akron and in 1914 formed a partnership with C. M. Wilhelm, with whom he has since been associated. They organized the Standard Scale & Refrigerator Company, starting with a net capital of forty dollars, and after waiting for six weeks received their first order. Since that time the business has made remarkable strides and in 1927 it was more than quadrupled. At that time the partners were forced to seek more commodious quarters and purchased the building at No. 458 East South street to take care of the growth of their young enterprise. They are outfitters to concerns merchandising meat, groceries, drugs and confectionery and also carry a full line of equipment for restaurants. The company is also prepared to turn out equipment made especially for merchandising concerns. It operates a cabinet workshop and employs experts capable of making modern store fixtures. Mr. Gates, the senior partner, has devoted deep thought and study to the business and is alert to every new avenue opened in the natural ramifications of the trade. The members of the firm are business men of keen sagacity, thoroughly imbued with the progressive spirit of the age, and their integrity is above question. Mr. Gates was married February 12, 1913, in Zanesville, Ohio, to Miss Myrtle J. Hilton, a daughter of J. M. Hilton, and they now have two children : Lloyd, who was born in Akron in 1918 and is a grammar school pupil ; and Delton, who was born in this city in 1921 and is also attending the public schools. Mr. Gates is a member of the United States Chamber of Commerce and adheres to the teachings of the Church of Christ. He is a public-spirited citizen and an enterprising, farsighted business man, fully alive to conditions in the modern commercial world and endowed with the energy, aggressiveness and resourcefulness necessary to cope with them. ERNEST O. TAYLOR Ernest O. Taylor has well earned the reputation which he enjoys as one of the leading funeral directors of Summit county, for he has given thoughtful attention to every detail of his business; has installed a high-class equipment and has proven an expert mortician in every respect. He was born on a farm in Guernsey county, Ohio, on the 2d of August, 1890, a son of John S. and Jennie M. (McFee) Taylor. He secured his educa- 60 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY tional training in the grade and high schools of Cambridge, and then for three years he was employed at the undertaking business with the Bair Company at Cambridge. With the purpose in view of making that business his life work and in order to still further prepare himself for it, he entered the Columbus Training School of Embalmers, which is taught by instructors from Ohio State University, and he was graduated in 1912. In 1913 Mr. Taylor came to Barberton and for four and a half years was employed by F. J. Weigand, undertaker. He then entered into a partnership with E. E. Prentice, of Kenmore, with whom he remained in business until 1921, when the partnership was dissolved, and on October 15th of that year he started in business alone at Barberton. He has a well furnished and nicely arranged establishment, and his outside equipment is motorized and of modern design. His progressive spirit is indicated by the fact that he owned the first limousine funeral car in this section of the county, and in every respect he has kept his establishment and his service up-to-date. On October 16, 1913, Mr. Taylor was united in marriage to Miss Esther M. Homer. He is a member of the Masonic lodge, in which he is a past master, and the Kiwanis Club, while his religious connection is with the Presbyterian church. In his political attitude he is independent but is not neglectful of his responsibilities as a citizen, giving his support to all measures for the advancement of the public welfare. Because of his clean character and fine personal qualities he is held in high esteem by his fellowmen. LLOYD DENVER CARTER Lloyd Denver Carter, postmaster of Akron, has not only been active in public life but has accomplished much as a business man and has ever stood for those interests and projects which feature in the public welfare. Ohio claims him as a native son, for his birth occurred in Kenton, November 3, 1879, his parents being G. J. and Pyrena (Pancake) Carter, both of whom were natives of Indiana but became residents of Ohio in early life. The father was a dental graduate of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and practiced his profession in Ohio for many years, but both he and his wife have now passed away. In their family were three children, the two daughters being Mrs. Day- AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 63 ton A. Doyle, Jr., and Mrs. Owen Roderick, both residents of Akron. Lloyd D. Carter, the only son in the family, attended the Kenton schools until graduated from high school, after which he spent three years as a student in Hiram College. His textbooks were then put aside that he might enter upon an active business career, which he did by becoming identified with manufacturing interests at Kenton. He was there connected with a structural steel and foundry business, in which line he remained active in Kenton and elsewhere from 1901 until 1921. He came to Akron in November, 1917, to take charge of the plant of the Acme Steel Company, with which he was associated for four years, occupying a position of large responsibility. Gradually he had worked his way upward, developing his powers through the exercise of effort and gaining broad knowledge of steel manufacturing in all of its phases—not only of production but of relation to the trade as well. However, in 1921 he withdrew from that field and formed a partnership with Faye E. Jenkins in the real estate and insurance business, in which he engaged until July, 1923, when he became safety director for the city of Akron, continuing to fill that position in a most capable manner until July 1, 1927, when he was appointed acting postmaster and is now the incumbent in that position. His has been an active and useful life. In his youthful days, when not in school or college, he was connected with the steel business, working in the foundry or out on erecting jobs, being thus employed in the days before the pneumatic and electric hammers, when rivets were pounded with a sledge hammer weighing nine pounds. From that point forward he has labored consistently and earnestly to accomplish each task assigned him and his faithfulness and capability advanced him to responsible positions, gaining him recognition that eventually led to his selection for important public office. In January, 1905, Mr. Carter was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Quayle, of Madison, Ohio, a daughter of John and Mary Quayle, and they have one child, George E. Carter, born in Kenton, August 25, 1910, and now a senior in the Hudson Academy. Fraternally Mr. Carter is a Mason; has attained the Knight Templar degree in the York Rite, and is a member of the Mystic Shrine. He belongs to the Akron City Club, of which he is a director, the Fairlawn Country Club and the Akron Automobile Club and he greatly enjoys travel, chiefly securing his recreation 64 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY in that way. He and his wife are members of the First Congregational church, of which he is a trustee, and they are well known socially. Mr. Carter is widely known by reason of his business and political connections and is one of the popular and highly esteemed residents of Akron. His residence is at No. 1119 Delia avenue. LEWIS H. SMITH The standing of a community largely depends upon the character of those who represent it in official capacities, and Clinton is fortunate in having as its chief executive a citizen of the type of Lewis H. Smith, who has forcibly demonstrated his qualifications for such service, also enjoying an enviable reputation as a business man. He was born November 17, 1895, and is one of Clinton's loyal sons. His father, David Calvin Smith, was born in Franklin township, Summit county, in 1859 and was practically a lifelong resident of Clinton. He was a well known lumberman and hardware merchant, thoroughly imbued with the spirit of enterprise and actuated at all times by worthy motives and high ideals. In 1885 David C. Smith married Miss Mary E. Huber, also a native of Summit county, and they became the parents of eight children : Dorothy, who is Mrs. C. W. McLaughlin, of Clinton, and has a son, Robert; Clarence D., of Akron, who married Miss Clarissa Staffer and has two children, Mary E. and Robert D. ; Thurman C., of Canton, Ohio, who married Miss Nell Shannon and has a daughter, Dorothy L.; Ruth, who is the wife of J. A. Christie of Akron and the mother of two daughters, Katherine Ann and Dorothy Ruth; Lewis H.; Miriam, who married F. B. Bradshaw and lives in Jacksonville, Florida; Carrie, who is Mrs. J. C. Tuttle, of Akron, Ohio; and Amelia, who is the wife of D. J. Renkert and a resident of Canton. David C. Smith was a faithful Christian and church member for more than forty years and his public spirit was expressed by service on the school board and the town council as well as in other capacities. He measured up to high standards in every relation of life and was esteemed and respected by all who knew him. On March 30, 1928, he was called to his final rest, and his wife passed away November 4, 1926. Their son, Lewis H. Smith, was graduated from the Clinton AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 65 high school in 1915 and received his first commercial experience in his father's hardware store. Alert and energetic, he readily mastered the details of the trade and was thus employed until 1917, when he responded to the call of his country. He enlisted in the Thirty-third Company of Ohio Infantry, attached to the Ninety-fifth Division, and was honorably discharged at Camp Sherman, Ohio, December 20, 1918. Returning to Clinton, Mr. Smith resumed his work in the store and gradually relieved his father of the burden of management, taking over the business after the latter's death. He closely adheres to the high standards upon which it was founded and ably conducts the establishment, which is the oldest and largest hardware house in this locality. In politics Mr. Smith is a strong republican and has been a central committeeman since 1924. He was elected mayor of Clinton in 1927, and his administration has met with widespread approval. To the solution of all civic problems he applies keen discernment and the sound judgment of a practical business man, and the good of the community is his first concern. He is president of the Clinton Alumni Association, one of the directors of the Anna Dean Country Club, and holds the office of counselor in the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. Mr. Smith is also connected with the American Legion, belonging to Post No. 271, of Barberton, Ohio. Nature has endowed him with much personal magnetism and that he is a young man of exceptional worth is indicated by the place which he holds in the esteem of Clinton's citizens, with whom his life has been spent. G. KENNETH PARKE, M. D., C. M. As an able physician and surgeon Dr. G. Kenneth Parke is upholding the prestige of Akron's medical fraternity and successfully follows in the professional footsteps of his father. A native of Quebec, Canada, he was born October 22, 1899, and represents an old and prominent family of that province. His parents, Dr. George Hugh and Agnes Mary (Wilmot) Parke, have always lived in the dominion, and the father had long been classed with the leading physicians of Quebec. To Dr. and Mrs. G. H. Parke were born three sons : Gerald S., a resident of Montreal, Canada; Charles Wilmot, who served in France during the World war and was killed in action; and G. Kenneth. 66 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY The last named received his public school education in Quebec and pursued his scientific studies in McGill University, from which he won the M. D., C. M. degrees in 1922. During 1923 he interned in a hospital in Montreal and spent the following year in postgraduate study in London, England, and Edinburgh, Scotland. He next became surgeon on a ship which sailed from Liverpool and carried passengers to many ports of the world. Dr. Parke filled that post for a year and then located in Barberton, Ohio, where he followed his profession for six months. For a similar period he was an interne of the Peoples Hospital in Akron and at the end of that time opened an office at No. 375 South Maple street, where he has since been located. He is connected with the staff of the Peoples Hospital, and a large and rapidly increasing practice indicates the confidence reposed in his knowledge and skill. Dr. Parke was married June 16, 1928, in Akron to Miss Harriet Doyle, whose father, Judge Dayton A. Doyle, was a distinguished jurist and historian in Akron. During the World war Dr. Parke served in the Canadian Royal Air Force but was not sent overseas. He now holds the rank of captain in Hospital Company No. 134, Ohio National Guard. The Doctor is also a member of the American Business Club, the Akron Automobile Association, the Summit County and Ohio State Medical Societies, the American Medical Association, and the Nu Sigma Nu medical fraternity. In religious faith he is an Episcopalian and is a member of St. Paul's church. His interest centers in his profession, of which he has been a constant and untiring student, and he possesses every quality essential to success in the Vocation of his choice. In manner he is courteous and dignified and readily wins friends. RALPH J. MYERS Ralph J. Myers, the capable and efficient city solicitor of Kenmore, has gained a high reputation as an able and successful lawyer and is building up a large clientele, while at the same time his record as a public-spirited citizen has gained for him the respect of his fellowmen. Mr. Myers was born at Spencer, Medina county, Ohio, on the 1st of February, 1897, and is a son of Walter and Viola (Gallatin) Myers, who were the parents of four children, all of whom AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 67 are living. The father, who is deceased, followed farming for a number of years, but later engaged in the automobile business in Akron. Ralph J. Myers secured his elementary education in the public schools of LaGrange, Ohio, graduating from high school, and then studied law at Cornell University and Akron University. He was admitted to the bar in 1925 and at once opened a law office in Kenmore, where he has practiced to the present time. In 1926 he was appointed city solicitor and in 1927 was elected to that office, in which he has rendered effective and appreciated service. Well grounded in the basic principles of jurisprudence and a constant student of his profession, he has gained the respect of his professional colleagues and the confidence of the public, being a keen and resourceful lawyer. On May 26, 1924, Mr. Myers was united in marriage to Miss Verna Moore, of New Philadelphia, Ohio. He gives his political support to the democratic party and is a member of the Knights of the Golden Eagle, while his religious faith is that of the Evangelical church. He stands consistently for the best things in the life of his community, and his sterling qualities of character and his agreeable manner have won for him the respect and friendship of all who know him. HARLAN NIMS WOOD Harlan Nims Wood, a prominent figure in educational circles, now senior master and Latin instructor in the Western Reserve Academy at Hudson, was born in Bellevue, Ohio, and is of New England lineage in both the paternal and maternal lines, his parents being Melvin and Helen (Nims) Wood, the former a representative of an old Vermont family, while the latter's ancestors were from Massachusetts. The early life of Harlan N. Wood was passed on the homestead farm at Bellevue and in September, 1886, he entered the Western Reserve Academy to prepare for college. He next became a student in Amherst College in September, 1888, and was there graduated as a member of the class of 1892. In the following year he did postgraduate work at Yale University and in fact devoted several summers to further study. In Northfield, Massachusetts, he did work in connection with the Moody schools and in the fall of 1893 he was called to the Western Reserve Academy 68 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY as Latin instructor, being associated therewith for a period of ten years or until 1903. The following year was devoted to postgraduate work at Harvard and subsequently he became instructor of Latin and Greek in St. Johnsbury Academy of St. Johnsbury, Vermont. In 1916 he was called to the Western Reserve Academy at Hudson, where he is now senior master and Latin instructor. Throughout his professional career he has proven an able educator, capable of winning the cooperation of pupils and inspiring them with much of his own zeal and interest in the work. In August, 1898, Mr. Wood was married to Miss Georgia E. Bristol, of Hudson, a daughter of Henry and Lovisa Bristol, of New England ancestry. Mrs. Wood is a musician of liberal training and high standing and is also active in the social life of the community. Mr. Wood is a member of the Classical Association of the Middle West and also of the Ohio Classical League. Moreover, he is a director and vice president of the First National Bank of Hudson and the breadth of his interests is further indicated in his connection with the Library and Historical Association of Hudson as its president. His entire life has been devoted to educational work and he has ever been actuated by high ideals, attended by successful results in the practical work of the schoolroom. BIRTUS O. ETLING The assertion that Birtus O. Etling has, through his business interests and personal influence, contributed as largely to the development and progress of Barberton as any other man is amply borne out by even a cursory review of his activities in this community over the past twenty-five years. A man of great energy, sound judgment in practical affairs and progressive in his methods, he has been intensely loyal to his city and is regarded as one of its representative men of affairs. Mr. Etling was born on a farm near Marshallville, Wayne county, Ohio, on the 19th of September, 1878, and is a son of Abraham and Ada (McIntyre) Etling. His mother died about five years ago, and his father, who was a farmer up to the time of his retirement, now lives in Barberton. The maternal grandfather of B. O. Etling lived to be about one hundred years old, while his paternal grandfather lived to the ripe old age of eighty- AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 71 six. Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Etling were the parents of nine children, seven of whom are living. B. O. Etling received his educational training in the district schools, the Marshallville high school and Wooster Business College. He went to work for the Baltimore & Ohio railroad as station agent and operator, in which capacity he was employed at different stations for four years, and then was promoted to the position of assistant traveling auditor. In the fall of 1902 he came to Barberton and established the downtown office of the Wells Fargo Express Company, remaining there just long enough, however, to induct a new man into his duties. Mr. Etling then engaged in the building and selling of houses, a business which he has continued to the present time, and during these years he has literally erected thousands of houses in this locality, including all of Barberton Heights, subdivisions One and Two and all of the Central Allotment excepting four houses. In 1910 Mr. Etling bought out the Jackson Lumber Company, the name of which was changed to that of the Wiggans & Etling Lumber Company, and a few months later he became the sole owner of the business, which he has operated as the Etling Lumber & Manufacturing Company to the present time. He is also president of the Barberton Lumber Company; president of the St. John Realty Company; was the organizer and is the president of the Great Northern Building & Loan Association ; president of the Akron Rubber Reclaiming Company and a director of the People's Savings & Banking Company of Barberton, and also of the Seiberling Rubber Company and the Sun Rubber Company. His real estate operations are extensive and his civic pride, backed by his means, has prompted him in various ways to promote the welfare and betterment of his community. Mr. Etling has been married twice, first, in August, 1902, to Miss Ida Zimmerman, who died in 1910, leaving two children, Ivory L. and Frieda Lenore. In 1912 he was united in marriage to Miss Nellie Hennigan and they have one child, Nellbirtus. A stanch democrat in his political views, he has taken an active interest in local public affairs and has served as a member of the city council. He is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, in which he has reached the degree of Knight Templar and is a Shriner; the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, and, also belongs to the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce, of which he is a director. He is a Baptist in his religious faith and gives his generous support to 72 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY all worthy benevolent causes, though entirely unostentatious in his giving. A successful business man, a public-spirited citizen and a loyal neighbor and constant friend, he holds an enviable place in the confidence and regard of his fellowmen. Mr. Etling's residence is at 1321 Norton avenue, Barberton. ARTHUR A. BECK Arthur A. Beck, who conducts an up-to-date drug store in Barberton, is not only successful in his material affairs but has also won a high standing among the progressive and wide-awake citizens of his community because of his effective interest in its progress and development. Mr. Beck was born at Napoleon, Henry county, Ohio, on the 27th of July, 1888, a son of F. M. and Ida C. (Diemer) Beck, who now reside in Barberton. He attended the public and high schools of his native town and then entered Ohio Northern University at Ada, from which he received the degree of Graduate in Pharmacy in 1914. His first employment after leaving college was in a drug store in Napoleon, after which he worked for awhile in Lima, Ohio, and in 1916 he came to Barberton, where, in partnership with J. N. Werner, he bought the drug business of W. J. Stimson. One year later he purchased his partner's interest and has since been the sole owner of the store, which has, under his wise management, developed into one of the leading establishments in its line in Barberton. Mr. Beck carries a large stock of pure drugs and standard propietary remedies, as well as the auxiliary lines found on the modern drug store, and by his courteous and accommodating manner and his efficient service he has built up a large and prosperous trade. On November 29, 1916, Mr. Beck was united in marriage to Miss Beatrice C. Westrick, of Defiance, Ohio, and they are the parents of six children, John, James, Peter, Mary, Joan and William. Mr. Beck is independent in politics, standing at all times for what he believes is best for the common good. He is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Columbus, the Brookside Country Club, and the Chamber of Commerce, of which he is a director. His religious membership is with St. Augustine's Roman Catholic church. In former years Mr. Beck was a member of the Ohio National Guard. He is a man of ster- AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 73 ling character and straightforward manner, just in his dealings and friendly in his social relations, and throughout the community he commands the respect and good Will of his fellowmen. S. EARL MCFARREN Alert and energetic, S. Earl McFarren has made the most of his opportunities and is now a dominant figure in the management of the business of one of the large oil companies of Akron. He was born in Sugar Creek township, Stark county, Ohio, June 11, 1897, and is a son of Alden Adam and Ada M. (Hoffman) McFarren, also natives of that county, in which they were married. The father was a trusted employe of the Northern Ohio Power & Light Company for many years and now resides in Akron, conducting one of the filling stations of the C. A. Pierce Oil Company. S. Earl McFarren, an only child, attended the public schools of Massillon, Ohio, and also took a commercial course. After his graduation he entered the employ of The Freedom Oil Works Company of Fredonia, Pennsylvania, and his diligence and ability were soon rewarded by promotion. In 1919 he severed his relations with that corporation and located in Akron. Since January 1, 1921, he has been associated with C. A. Pierce and is now general manager of the C. A. Pierce Oil Company, which has established a large number of filling stations in the city. A forceful executive, he has perfected plans resulting in increased efficiency of operation and has influenced the progress of the firm to a notable extent. Practical experience and close study have given him a detailed knowledge of the oil industry and his standing as a business man is indicated by the fact that he is vice president and a director of the Ohio Petroleum Markets Association and secretary and a director of the Akron Petroleum Association. Mr. McFarren is identified with the York and Scottish Rite bodies of Masons as well as the Shrine 'and holds the thirty-second degree in the order, closely adhering to its beneficient teachings. He is a member of the Masonic Club, the Petroleum Luncheon Club, the Brookside Golf Club, the Akron Automobile Association and the Chamber of Commerce. A keen sportsman, he enjoys fishing and hunting trips and also derives much pleasure from travel. Although but thirty-one years of age, he has already advanced far on the highroad which leads to success, and his tire- 74 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY less energy and pronounced ability insure his continued progress. Mr. McFarren is genial and companionable, and his genuine worth is attested by a wide circle of loyal, steadfast friends. JOHN KEMP WILLIAMS John Kemp Williams, who established and developed one of the largest and most important industrial enterprises of Akron under the name of the Williams Foundry & Machine Company and thus contributed in notable measure to the city's upbuilding and material progress, was born in Utica, New York, February 14, 1856, and when about two years of age was taken by his parents, William and Fanny (Kemp) Williams, to Janesville, Wisconsin, where he acquired a public school education. He afterward learned the machinist's trade, working first at Janesville and subsequently with the O. E. Merrill Company of Beloit, Wisconsin. In 1882 he was sent by the latter organization to Barberton, Ohio, to install the machinery in the plant of the Portage Strawboard Company and later was sent to Akron to install the machinery in the Quaker Oats mill. The importance of this work indicates how thoroughly he had mastered his trade and to how high a point he had developed his efficiency. He afterward went to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he remained for five months but on the expiration of that period returned to Akron, where he established business on his own account in 1885 in a little shop on Canal street. His capability and marked enterprise were soon manifest in the results which attended his efforts. His patronage steadily grew and it was not long before it was necessary to secure additional space, which he did by leasing another building on Canal street. For a time he was associated with Meyer Allen in the manufacture of bicycles, but this did not bring anticipated results and the partnership was dissolved. Later Mr. Williams purchased a building on Cherry street and there developed a plant of which he remained the head for many years and which was devoted to the manufacture of rubber molds for the Goodrich Company. The small foundry and machine shop which he established in Akron grew to be one of the largest of its kind in the state. The business was incorporated in 1897, at which time Mr. Williams became president and general manager, remaining, as he had always been, its guiding spirit. He AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 77 was also a member of the board of directors of the Mohawk Rubber Company and he had many other important business connections. He certainly deserved great credit for what he accomplished, for his progress was the direct outcome of persistent effort and marked capability. Emerson has said "An institution is but the lengthened shadow of a man," and therefore in the great Williams foundry was seen the measure of the enterprise and high efficiency of John Kemp Williams. In the early days when the rubber industry was in its pioneer stages he had frequent talks with Dr. B. F. Goodrich regarding ways and means of curing various' rubber goods, and there was close connection between the Goodrich and the Williams interests. Chris Franz, a brother-in-law of Mr. Williams, became identified with the growing business after a few years and as the result of the combined efforts of the two owners their enterprise became one of the best dividend-paying organizations in Akron. Mr. Williams arrived at his prominence as a successful business man through habits of order and industry, and it is said that he was never late at any appointment in all his life. Mr. Franz was a marvelous mathematician and his efforts therefore ably supplemented and rounded out the labors of Mr. Williams, who was a notably strong executive, sound in judgment and clear in vision. They worked in splendid harmony and the result of their labors was most gratifying. Mr. Williams read broadly upon everything that had to do with his particular line and kept abreast with the best thinking men of the age. In 1917 the partners sold their interests and retired. In the meantime, however, Mr. Williams had become associated with various other business projects. He was one of the incorporators of the Mohawk Rubber Company and an incorporator and vice president of the India Tire & Rubber Company, while in financial circles he was known through his connection with the directorate of the National City Bank of Akron. Extensive and important as were his individual interests, Mr. Williams never for a moment neglected his duties of citizenship, fully meeting every obligation and doing everything in his power to promote the welfare and progress of his community. In 1915-1916 he was a member of the board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce. He was also a member of the Portage Country Club and the Walton Gun Club and at all times was appreciative of the social amenities of life. He held membership in the Masonic fraternity and in the Independent Order of Odd 78 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY Fellows and was ever faithful to the teachings and purposes of those organizations. In 1883 Mr. Williams was united in marriage to Miss Helen Weston, a daughter of Salmon and Mary (Force) Weston. Mrs. Williams makes her home in Tallmadge, and she has a wide acquaintance in Akron and enjoys the friendship of all who know her. Mr. Williams died May 11, 1927. Throughout his life Mr. Williams kept in touch with the best literature and was ever a ready and interesting talker with a splendid command of language and a clear and forceful presentation of every thought which he wished to give to his fellows. The sterling worth of his character brought him warm friendships and high regard, while his business ability gained for him a substantial measure of success. His name is placed high on the roll of Akron's most distinguished and honored citizens and his memory is cherished by all who knew him. HARRY FERDINAND LEVERING Endowed with the creative instinct and the power of imagination, Harry F. Levering has wisely cultivated these qualities, which constitute the basis of his success as a merchant tailor, and for fifteen years he has been a prominent figure in business circles of Akron. He was born May 2, 1878, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and his father, Arthur Levering, was a native of Lancaster, that state. The latter was a lifelong resident of the Keystone state and for many years was in the employ of the Bethlehem Steel Company. His widow, Mrs. Katherine (Schneller) Levering, was born in Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania, and has reached the age of seventy-six years. To their union were born seven children, three of whom survive : Roy A., Fred S. and Harry F. The last named was educated in the public schools of Bethlehem and served an apprenticeship under his uncle, William F. Schneller, a prominent merchant tailor of that city. Mr. Levering remained in his shop for ten years, becoming a master craftsman, and afterward followed his trade in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Wilmington, Delaware; Baltimore, Maryland; and Richmond, Virginia. In 1913 he located in Akron, becoming a designer and fitter for Shelhart, the Tailor, and from 1919 until 1926 was employed in the same capacities by William Booth. For two years Mr. Levering has operated independently, AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 79 conducting an establishment on the second floor of the Akron Savings & Loan building, and a large and desirable clientele denotes his prestige as a merchant tailor. He has originality as well as good taste and takes the pride of an artist in his work, which is unexcelled. The fine fabrics which he uses are imported from England, Ireland, Scotland, France and Germany, and his patrons are never overcharged. He is content with a reasonable profit and maintains a high standard in the management of the business, thus making his private enterprise a public asset. In Washington, D. C., Mr. Levering was married February 8, 1913, to Miss Katherine M. Miller, a member of one of the prominent families of Richmond, Virginia. Mr. Levering is an Episcopalian and attends the services of St. Paul's church. He takes a great interest in boys' work, being chairman of boys' work committee of the local Optimist Club. This great international organization has for its objective boys' work in all phases, not covered or reached by the Boy Scouts. The work of the club here is that of the News Boys Club conducted in connection with the Y. M. C. A., with character building as its aim. Mr. Levering is a member of the National Clothiers & Designers Association, the Akron Chamber of Commerce, the Masonic order, and the Optimist Club, of which he is an ex-president, and the Acacia Club of Washington, D. C. He cooperates heartily in those movements which make for good citizenship, and his ability, enterprise, integrity and public spirit are well known to Akron's residents, who entertain for him high regard. His home is at 515 Moreley avenue, Sunset View. McCLELLAN HEMINGER As a well known and successful real estate man McClellan Heminger has been active in transforming unsightly vacancies into attractive residential sections, carrying on extensive and profitable operations as president of the Heminger, Ritzman Company, Inc., realtors, insurance and loans. Many accord him the foremost place among those who have contributed to the development of the outlying sections of Akron and all acknowledge him to be one of the pioneers in the development of subdivisions His activities have marked the steady growth and progress of the city and in all of his operations he has been actuated by high ideals, endeavoring to make his development projects serve the 80 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY greatest good to his patrons, and in all of his building he has had a thought of beauty and harmony as well as of utility and profit. South Main street owes its improvement in notable measure to his efforts, as does the district around Firestone. Because of his enterprise and the reliable methods he has followed the most envious cannot grudge him his success. Mr. Heminger was born in New Philadelphia, Ohio, September 10, 1861, and is a son of Nathan Lafayette and Catherine (Cordrey) Heminger, who were also born in the vicinity of New Philadelphia, where they spent their entire lives. In early manhood Nathan L. Heminger engaged in teaching school but later took up the occupation of farming and also engaged in railroad construction, building the roadbed and laying the rails for a portion of the Valley road and several other railroads of Ohio. His labors were therefore an element in the growth and progress of the state. He died in 1885, while his wife survived him for four years, passing away in 1889. Four of their children are yet living: William E. and McClellan, of Akron ; Mrs. Rachel Dessecker, of New Philadelphia, and Mrs. Lula Curry, of Canton, Ohio. McClellan Heminger was the fourth in order of birth in the family. In his youthful days he attended the country schools near his father's home and afterward studied in the normal school at New Philadelphia, while later he attended Mount Union. College at Alliance, Ohio, and Cobb's Actual Business College at Painesville, Ohio, eagerly embracing every opportunity to add to his knowledge and thus promote his efficiency and training for later life. He took up the profession of teaching and for twenty years continued in the work. He now holds a life state teachers' certificate and he proved a most capable educator, having the ability to gain the cooperation of pupils and thus promote their educational development. He taught for a time in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, Beach City and in Clinton, Ohio, was superintendent of schools at Somerdale, Sandyville, Beach City and Clinton and was chairman of the board of education of Coventry township at the time the first school building was erected in the village of Kenmore, serving as a member of the board for several years. His efforts contributed largely to the educational progress made in those various districts. At the close of his teaching experience he became bookkeeper and salesman for the Akron Realty Company and it was while he was acting in that capacity that the Kenmore subdivision was opened in 1901 and he began selling lots there, having disposed of about eighty per cent of the property when he AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 81 ceased his activities in that field. He erected the first home in Kenmore during the period that he was with the Akron Realty Company and that his service to the company was of great value is indicated by the fact that he was advanced to the position of secretary and treasurer, thus having voice in the management and control of the business. In 1906, however, he sold his holdings and established business on his own account. He has erected many buildings in Kenmore and in the Firestone factory district and his efforts have been largely beneficial in developing Akron's suburban property. He has also handled subdivision property at Lockwood Grove, Schaefer Heights, Sherman Park and Wizer Heights and has disposed of all these allotments. He and Fred E. Smith built and financed the Commercial Savings & Trust building on South Main street and he is now a director of the bank. He is likewise a director of the Real Estate Mortgage Company and the Kenmore Savings & Loan Company. Mr. Heminger has been chairman of the zoning board of appeals since its organization in 1922 and he has done effective work in upholding and standardizing real estate activities through his membership on the Real Estate Board. During the World war Mr. Heminger was chairman of Draft Board No. 4, which included all of the seventh ward. On the 27th of December, 1887, Mr. Heminger was married at New Philadelphia, Ohio, to Miss Sarah Jones, daughter of John and Rachel (Richards) Jones, who emigrated from Wales to the United States about 1868 and settled in New Philadelphia, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Heminger were the parents of eight children. Mrs. A. R. Ritzman, who was born in Sandyville and educated in Kenmore, where she now resides, is the mother of three children : Robert, Katherine and Carrol. Richard B., born in Sandyville and educated in Clinton and Kenmore, enlisted for service in the World war, was promoted to sergeant and was on overseas duty for one year. He is married and has one child, James. Mrs. Muriel W. Orr, the third of the family, born in Sandyville and educated in Clinton and Kenmore, now has three children : Herbert, Clifford and Keith. Mrs. Alice C. Beck, who was born in Beach City, was a resident of Akron when she passed away March 8, 1928, leaving three children : Lois, Dorothy and Patricia. Harold R., born in Beach City and now residing in Kenmore, is married and has one child, Heraldine. He was in the officers' training camp and was commissioned second lieutenant but too late to go overseas. Arthur L., born in Clinton and educated in Kenmore, now resides in Akron. He was in the Stu- 82 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY dents Army Training Corps. He has since married and has one daughter, Betty. Mrs. Leah Green, born in Kenmore and residing in Akron, has two children, Marilyn and Gerald. Beyrl G., born in Kenmore, is a student in Stetson University in Florida. The religious faith of the family is that of the Evangelical church. Mr. and Mrs. Heminger are widely known and have many friends in Akron, all of whom attest his sterling worth and his business ability, while the visible proofs of his intelligently directed activity are seen in the improved residential districts which have come into being under his guidance. ERNEST ANDREW PFLUEGER Three generations of the Pflueger family have been identified with the Enterprise Manufacturing Company of Akron and have brought it into a position of leadership not only in the United States but also in the world, for this company stands today first among fishing tackle manufacturers. Ernest Andrew Pflueger, as president of the business and an official of same for the past forty-seven years, is classed with the substantial men of affairs of Akron, and his labors have been a vital force in the city's commercial development. A native of Erie, Pennsylvania, Mr. Pflueger was born December 6, 1866, his parents being Ernest F. and Julia (Dunnebeck) Pflueger, the former a native of Germany and the latter of Pennsylvania. The father's birth occurred in 1843 and he was early left an orphan. With a brother and a sister he came to the United States and spent his youthful days in Buffalo, New York, there learning the molder's trade. In 1868 he removed to Akron, where he entered the employ of the Erie Stove Company and later engaged in the retail grocery business, in which he continued until about 1880. Throughout his entire life he had displayed considerable inventive genius and prior to 1880 had brought out a number of inventions on which he had received patents. In that year he began manufacturing some of these devices, organizing the Enterprise Manufacturing Company for the production of fishing tackle and similar lines. He continued actively at the head of the business to the time of his demise, which occurred in Akron, November 18, 1890, when he was forty-seven years of age. His widow survived until 1905 and had reached the age of fifty-nine years at the time of her demise. AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 85 They were the parents of eight children, four of whom are yet living. Ernest A. Pflueger, who was the second in order of birth in the family, was a pupil in the public schools of Akron until his fourteenth year, when he put aside his textbooks and became his father's assistant in the manufacture of fishing tackle. He has since remained in direct connection with this business and for many years the directing head of an enterprise which has grown steadily, becoming one of the important productive interests of the city. In 1882 he was made secretary and treasurer of the company and for a long period has been president and treasurer. There is no man in the country better informed on fishing and he has to his credit many notable trophies. Mr. Pflueger has fished in the waters of almost every part of this country and of Canada, and it was his love of angling that made him so deeply interested in the business and a most valuable contributor to its success. In 1886 the Enterprise Manufacturing Company was incorporated with a capital stock of fifty thousand dollars and with twenty-five employes. Under the careful guidance and wise direction of Mr. Pflueger the business has since expanded until today three hundred and fifty people are employed in the exclusive manufacture of fishing tackle and accessories, including rods, flies, minnows and other artificial bait, and particularly in the manufacture of hooks, until today the business in that particular field o'ertops that of any similar enterprise in the world. In forma. years Mr. Pflueger also manufactured some novelties, but more and more these have been discarded in order that his attention might be concentrated upon fishing tackle and kindred lines. He is also one of the directors of the First Trust & Savings Bank of Akron and his prominent business standing is indicated in the fact that he has been chosen president of the Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association of the United States for eight consecutive years. On the 5th of October, 1895, Mr. Pflueger was married to Miss Ruth Seiberling, daughter of John F. Seiberling, and they have become parents of four sons. John Seiberling Pflueger, born in Akron in the home of his grandfather, the late J. F. Seiberling, November 24, 1898, attended the Akron high school, was graduated from the Culver Military Academy and also from Cornell University. He is now treasurer of the Enterprise Manufacturing Company and vice president of the Seibert-Barry Agency. In the fall of 1917 he joined the army air service, was 86 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY trained at Columbus and later was transferred to Dallas, Texas, and to Arcadia, California, where he was commissioned a second lieutenant and where he was on duty when the armistice was signed. He returned to Cornell to finish his studies, pursued two summer courses in the University of Wisconsin and was graduated from Cornell in 1921 with the Bachelor of Arts degree. Upon returning to Akron he engaged in the bond and insurance brokerage business until 1924, when he joined the official staff of the Enterprise Manufacturing Company. With his return to Akron he enlisted in Troop E of the One Hundred and Seventh Cavalry, with which he served as captain in 1924 and 1925. He is a Mason, a member of the University Club, the Chi Psi, a national college fraternity, and also a member of the Cornell Masque, Book and Bowl of Cornell and the Cornell Mummy Club. He participates in theatricals, enjoys golf and has always been interested in polo. Naturally he is an ardent fisherman in both fresh and salt water and he enjoys hunting, aquatic sports, baseball and football. He also finds entertainment and recreation in music and in reading, confining his attention largely to history, biography and stories of the great out-of-doors. He wedded Ruth Robinson, a daughter of Byron Robinson, of Akron, and they have one child, Ruth Seiberling Pflueger. The second son, Theodore Seiberling Pflueger, was born in Akron, attended the grade and high schools and pursued his preparatory work in St. John's Military Academy. He next attended Cornell University and later the Babson Statistical Institute. He is now the Pacific coast representative of the Enterprise Manufacturing Company at Oakland, California, and he married Miss Charlotte Patterson, of Akron. He, too, was in service during the World war, was commissioned a lieutenant and was promoted to a captaincy in the aviation branch of the army. He was on duty for a period of eighteen months and was an instructor in this country. The third son, William Seiberling Pflueger, born in Akron, attended the city schools and St. John's Military Academy at Delafield, Wisconsin, from which he was graduated, while later he attended Denison University and is now assistant sales manager of the Enterprise Manufacturing Company. Robert Seiberling Pflueger was graduated from the Akron public schools and also from Middlebury College at Middlebury, Vermont, and is now a law student in the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 87 The family adhere to the religious faith of the Lutheran church and Mr. Pflueger is a Mason who has taken the degrees of both the York and Scottish Rites. He also belongs to the Portage Country Club, the Akron City Club and the Akron Chamber of Commerce, of which he was formerly a director. His interests are broad and varied and his activities have been directed along lines productive of great public good, while in business circles he has made a creditable name and place for himself. His record is inseparably interwoven with Akron's history and its development along manufacturing lines, and his position among the most progressive and reliable business men is an enviable one. The following article recently appeared in the Beacon Journal: "Ernest A. Pflueger, president Enterprise Manufacturing Company, worldwide distributors of Pflueger's famous fishing tackle, is making arrangements to bring Zane Grey, noted American author, to Akron. Details for the visit are being arranged through correspondence. Zane Grey is just as famous as a fisherman as he is a writer. He has broken all world records catching big game fish in the South seas. These included tarpon, sailfish, great tuna and swordfish. His biggest catches ranged from five hundred to eight hundred pounds. Mr. Pflueger has named one of his largest hooks the Zane Grey. They are used exclusively by the author on his fishing trips. Grey will talk to civic organizations while in Akron on outdoor sports." For more than thirty years Mr: Pflueger has resided at 446 West Market street. WILLIAM H. SMITH Endowed with energy and determination and that quality known as "the commercial sense," William H. Smith achieved the full measure of success, becoming recognized as one of the foremost business men of Clinton, and is now enjoying a well earned period of leisure. He was born in Franklin township, Summit county, and was the second of the four sons of Lewis and Elizabeth (Kroft) Smith, the latter also a native of Ohio. The father was born in Germany and came to America in 1821, when a boy of seven. William H. Smith was reared on a farm and received his edu- 88 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY cation in the schools of his native township. At the age of twenty-four he began his independent commercial career in Clinton as a dealer in lumber and also operated a planing mill. For many years he remained at the head of the industry, fostering its growth by close attention to detail and judicious management, and developed one of the largest and best equipped mills in this part of the state. In partnership with his brothers, Adam, William and Jacob, he engaged in general contracting for about thirty-five years and contributed in notable measure toward the upbuilding and improvement of Franklin township, which for half a century was the scene of his activities. Well defined plans and purposes carried him steadily forward, and in 1918 he was able to retire. Mr. Smith was married in Clinton, Ohio, to Miss Anna Mueller, whose parents were natives of Alsace-Lorraine, Germany, and became early settlers of Massillon, Ohio. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Smith are Elsie Elizabeth, who is the wife of Howard Spangler of Cleveland, Ohio, and the mother of two children; and Effie, who is Mrs. George Ikin and resides on the Kent road in Stow township, Summit county. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have an attractive home in Clinton and manifest a deep interest in community affairs. Mr. Smith was township treasurer for four years and ably discharged the duties of the office. He adheres to the Lutheran faith and the standards by which his life is governed are such as inspire confidence and respect. HON. ISAAC S. MYERS In the field of business, politics and sports Hon. Isaac S. Myers has long been a recognized leader. It is characteristic of him that what he attempts he accomplishes, and the cooperation of such a man is always a valuable asset in the conduct of any undertaking, whether it be in the field of commercial activity, in the management of public affairs through political channels or in the direction of those activities which mean recreation and constitute the even balance which makes for well-rounded development. Mr. Myers has been a lifelong resident of Summit county, his birth having occurred in Green township, September 27, 1862. His parents, Peter and Mary (Stump) Myers, were representatives of pioneer families of Ohio that came to this state from AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 91 Pennsylvania. The first representatives of the Myers family in Ohio settled in Stark county, just across the line from Summit county while John Stump, the maternal grandfather of Isaac Myers, took up his abode in this county in 1832. Peter Myers was born in Pennsylvania in 1824 and devoted his life to agricultural pursuits, passing away in 1908, while his wife survived until 1910. They had two children, the daughter being Mrs. F. G. Sours, whose husband is a dealer in feed and building materials in Kenmore. The youthful experiences of Isaac S. Myers were those of the farm-bred boy whose time is divided between the work of the fields and the duties of the schoolroom. After attending the district schools he became a pupil in the Copley school under Professor Crosier and he also pursued the teachers' normal course at Lebanon, Ohio, under Professor Holbrook. He was but seventeen years of age when he took up the profession of teaching, which he 'followed through the winter seasons for seven years. He also spent two years in proving up a homestead in Kansas but in 1883 returned to Akron and secured a clerkship in a clothing store. He was in the employ of the firm of Hoffman & Moss for a number of years and throughout the entire period was actuated by a laudable ambition to engage in business for himself. He carefully saved his earnings, therefore, until his industry and frugal management had brought him sufficient capital to start out independently. In 1893 he became senior partner of the firm of Myers, Ganyard & Stump, clothing merchants, and after a year the firm became Ganyard & Myers, while in 1900 Mr. Myers purchased the interest of his partner and, becoming sole proprietor, incorporated the business under the name of the I. S. Myers Company, of which he has since been president and general manager. He has also extended his efforts into other fields in which he has been equally successful. He turned his attention to real estate in 1908 and has since handled many subdivisions, laying out the first, second and third allotments on North Hill, which have been fully developed and now constitute the site of many attractive homes. He has laid out altogether about twenty-four allotments in different sections of Akron and has erected many residences, thus converting unsightly vacancies into beautiful home sections. He organized the Myers-Hoffman Company for the manufacture of artificial stone as well as for the conduct of building operations and his labors have been a vital element in the city's growth and improvement. He also be- 92 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY came one of the organizers of the Citizens Loan & Savings Company of Akron, of which he was made treasurer in 1909, and he is a director of the Ohio State Bank and president of the Real Estate Mortgage Company, while of the Central Garage, one of the largest in the country, he became a director and has since been elected president. His broad business vision and sound judgment make his cooperation a most valued factor in the conduct of any enterprise with which he is associated. He is an honorary member of the Real Estate Board. In 1887 Mr. Myers was united in marriage to Miss Mary Sisler, of Manchester, Ohio, daughter of John Sisler, a merchant and postmaster of that place. They have one daughter, Ruth, now Mrs. G. F. Lane, of Trappe, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Lane was educated in the schools of Akron and of Painesville, Ohio. By her marriage has become the mother of five children : Mary, Martha, Gilbert Myers, John S. and Kathryn. Mr. and Mrs. Myers have long been prominent socially and their home is the center of a warm hearted hospitality. In the public life of the city Mr. Myers has long been a prominent figure and in the years 1918 and 1919 he was mayor of Akron, giving to the city a businesslike and progressive administration. He also filled the position of county treasurer for four years and has held several honorary offices, including that of member of the state board of agriculture for seven years. He is well known as a sportsman and is now serving his fifth term as president of the League of Ohio Sportsmen, an office which is given only to those who devote their efforts to cultivating a larger popular interest in everything that makes for the conservation of wild life and the treasures of the great outdoors. This Mr. Myers has always done and he is a member of the National Advisory Board of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which organization utilizes every means to protect the migratory birds as they travel between Canada and the southern section of the United States. He is also serving on other boards of various kinds which make for progress and constructive effort, is on the council of the Boy and Girl Scouts, on the board of the Young Men's Christian Association and in a word is in hearty sympathy with every movement that makes for advancement and improvement. He belongs to the Civitan Club, to the City Club, to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is likewise identified with the Chamber of Commerce and in fact there is no movement instituted for Akron's benefit from AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 93 which he withholds his support. Loyal, patriotic, progressive, capable and efficient, Akron points to him as one of her leading and honored citizens. For more than thirty years Mr. Myers has resided at No. 614 Carpenter street, where he built his home in the very early period of that section's development. A. LON HOMEIER A. Lon Homeier, a veteran of the World war, is devoting his attention to the automobile business, and his enterprise and ability have placed him with the foremost dealers in Akron. He was born in Canton, Ohio, November 27, 1893, a son of Samuel S. and Etta A. ( Snyder) Homeier, the former a native of Lords-town, this state, while the latter was born in Canton. The father engaged in merchandising for many years and passed away in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1898, but the mother survives. A. L. Homeier, their only child, attended the Perkins grammar school in Akron and at the age of seventeen was graduated from the Central high school. For a time he was a student at the University of Rochester, New York, and in 1916 won the degree of Bachelor of Science from Colgate University. He then matriculated in the Harvard Law School, which he left in 1917 in response to the call of his country, and was sent to the officers training camp at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he received the commission of second lieutenant. Soon afterward he was ordered to France and detailed for liaison and courier service. Mr. Homeier was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant and in 1919 was honorably discharged. Returning to Harvard University, he took a year's course in business administration and then came to Akron, entering the employ of the Selle Company, with which he was connected for two years. In 1922 he aided in forming the Homeier-Whorley Motor Company, which existed until the death of Merton M. Whorley, the junior partner, in 1926, and in January, 1927, Mr. Homeier took over the business which has since been conducted under the style of the Homeier Motor Company. He is the president and treasurer of the firm, and the other officers and directors are Pierce A. Snyder, C. H. Stahl and Harry Williams. The company handles the Ford passenger cars and trucks and has the exclusive agency of the Fordson tractors for Akron and Kenmore. This industrial line was taken over in 1925 and has been built into a major department of the busi- 94 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY ness. The firm specializes in industrial equipment as well as the regular line of farm machinery and sells much equipment to factories, contractors and to municipalities for street cleaning and similar work. The used car branch is at No. 816 East Market street and the new car salesrooms and service departments are located at No. 870 East Market street. The company has about forty employes and is among the leaders in Ford sales in Summit county. The notable record made by the firm is due to the untiring efforts of Mr. Homeier, who is an exceptionally capable executive, thoroughly informed on matters pertaining to the automobile industry. He is also a director of the C. J. Snyder Building Company, the Columbia Silica Company and Market Motors, Inc., all local concerns of importance. Mr. Homeier was married March 21, 1924, to Miss Jeannette Williams, a daughter of Harry Williams, president of the National City Bank and one of Akron's leading financiers. Mr. and Mrs. Homeier have one child, Lon Williams, who was born in Akron in 1927. Mr. Homeier is a Knight Templar Mason and Shriner and treasurer and a director of the Akron Automobile Dealers Association. His name appears on the directorates of the Portage Country and University Clubs, and he is also a member of the Lions Club and the Akron Chamber of Commerce. He is affiliated with Trinity Lutheran church and finds recreation in golf. Mr. Homeier is endowed with that quality known as the "commercial sense" and few men of his years have accomplished as much. He is also the possessor of a forceful personality, and an exemplary life has enabled him to win and retain the esteem of all with whom he has been brought in contact. CARL G. GOTSHALL Throughout his commercial career Carl G. Gotshall has closely applied himself to the work in hand, thus advancing steadily, and is now classed with the foremost realtors of Akron, whose development he has furthered to a notable extent. He was born in New Rumley, Harrison county, Ohio, May 5, 1885, and is a son of William W. and Amanda B. (Pillars) Gotshall, also natives of the Buckeye state, in which they have always resided. To their union were born three sons : Percy, who lives in Akron; Glenn, whose home in in Grand Rapids, Michigan ; and Carl G. AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 95 The youngest son was reared on the home farm and received his high school education in Wooster, Ohio, graduating at the age of eighteen. He also attended Wooster Academy and after completing a commercial course entered the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Mr. Gotshall was placed in charge of a paint crew on the Pittsburgh division of the line and continued in that capacity for four and a half years. On the expiration of that period he tendered his resignation and came to Akron. For a time he worked for the B. F. Goodrich Tire & Rubber Company and was next in the service of the Miller Rubber Company, with which he spent seven years, devoting his attention to the making of tires. Meanwhile he had saved as much as possible from his earnings and in 1914 ventured in business for himself, entering the real estate field. He prospered from the beginning and in 1920 incorporated the business under the style of the C. G. Got-shall Company, of which he has since been the president. His judgment in the selection of property is unerring, and his advice is often sought when important deals are to be consummated. Mr. Gotshall opened up three subdivisions in the Perkins Hill district, purchasing the allotment outright, and has disposed of all of the land. He also acquired the North Hill allotment, selling all of the lots, and recently he placed on the market the tract comprising the J. E. Good Park, which is being rapidly developed. Other property has been platted and sold by Mr. Gotshall, who is one of Akron's most successful real estate men and operates on an extensive scale, also writing fire and automobile insurance. He is president of the Akron Homes Company and the Seas-Gotshall Company, all prosperous concerns which reflect his high commercial standards and progressive spirit. Mr. Gotshall was married May 29, 1914, to Miss Hazel B. Wilson, a daughter of R. G. Wilson of Akron, and they have three children : Lois Gray, who was born May 15, 1920, and is attending the Ranking school; Phyllis Hazel, who was born February 14, 1923; and Doris Jean, born March 19, 1927. Mr. Gotshall belongs to the Kiwanis Club and the Fairlawn Golf and Country Club. He is a Mason and a member of the Grotto, is also identified with the Knights of Pythias, while his religious belief is indicated by his affiliation with the High Street Church of Christ. Opportunity has ever been to him the call to action, and his physical and mental powers are so well adjusted that he is able to carry on with ease a variety of momentous undertakings. His labors have been manifestly resultant, and he 96 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY has many steadfast friends, whom he has gained by a life of industry and rightly directed endeavor. Mr. Gotshall's residence is at No. 458 Beechwood drive. BYRON R. BARDER Byron R. Barder, president and general manager of the Biggs Boiler Works, is one of the best known men in that industry in this section of the country. His identification with this company dates back more than one-third of a century and involves the unique record of advancement from office assistant to chief executive. Mr. Barder is an Akron man in the fullest meaning of the term, as this city has been the scene of his birth, rearing, education and subsequent identification. He was born January 28, 1878, a son of John P. and Ida M. (Huggins) Barder, both of whom were also born in Akron. John P. Barder, who was for a number of years engaged in mercantile pursuits, is survived by his wife, three sons and a daughter : John, who is superintendent of the Biggs Boiler Works; Earl, connected with the B. F. Goodrich Company; Byron R.; and Cora, who is the wife of Jed Ward of Akron. Byron R. Barder attended the public schools and then took a course in a business college. At the age of sixteen he began his business career in the office of the Biggs Boiler Works and was shortly afterward made bookkeeper. His natural ability enabled him to readily acquire a familiarity with the technicalities of the industry, and from time to time his advancements came as the recognition of work well done and his capacity for assuming greater burdens and responsibilities. In 1900, Mr. Barder was made president and treasurer and later general manager of the business, and has ever since remained its executive head. The Biggs Boiler Works was established in 1887 and is one of Akron's important industrial institutions, employing about four hundred persons and sending its products to many parts of the world. During the thirty-five years that Mr. Barder has been identified with this enterprise, he has contributed his best energies toward its success, and its growth and development is a magnificent tribute to his management. Among his other business interests he is president of the Biggs Construction Company and is a director of the National City Bank of Akron. AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 99 Mr. Barder was married November 23, 1904, in this city to Miss Sarah I. Groff, a daughter of Philip and Emily M. (King) Groff, and they have two daughters both born in Akron : Louise Emily and Ruth Irene, both graduates of the Knox School of Cooperstown, New York. Mr. Barder is a Universalist and one of the trustees of his church. He is a thirty-second degree Mason and belongs to the Masonic Club, the Rotary Club, the Portage Country Club, the Akron City Club and the Congress Lake Club. During 1926 he was vice president of the Akron Chamber of Commerce, of which he is now a director and is also a member of East Akron Board of Trade. While his business affairs demand his close attention, Mr. Barder yet finds time to devote to civic affairs, in which he takes a deep interest. He has had a career of unusual activity and notable success and has long been regarded as one of Akron's strong and able business men and an excellent type of the city's best citizenship. Mr. Barder's residence, at 1041 West Market street, is one of Akron's finest private homes. FRED A. JENKINS Fred A. Jenkins, a general merchant of Macedonia, is widely known as a man of marked business ability, sound judgment in practical matters, and progressive in his methods. He has been an important factor in the commercial prosperity of the city and influential in the civic affairs of the community. Mr. Jenkins was born in Clay county, Nebraska, on the 5th of December, 1872, and is a son of Edmund S. and Mary (Morse) Jenkins, who are referred to at length on another page of this work. When he was about four years old he accompanied his parents on their removal to Summit county, Ohio, and here he attended the public schools. As a boy he assisted his father in his farming operations and later learned telegraphy, after which he was employed in various offices. For three years he was on the road for the Haserot Wholesale Grocery Company of Cleveland, with headquarters in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and was then with the same company in Cleveland until 1904. In that year he came to Macedonia and purchased a residence. Soon afterwards he became associated with his brother, Frank B., in a general store and about 1918 they purchased the business of the Mace-