(RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE) 400 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY and initiative spirit. When Luther B. Ranney went to California during the gold excitement of 1850, he originated and built the first hydraulic mining machine, which, though comparatively crude in its mechanism, did its work and demonstrated in a practical manner the feasibility of that method of mining. He was a resident of California about four years. Luther K. Ranney has led a busy and useful life; is a loyal and public-spirited citizen and in every relation of life has been true to his ideals and his conscience, so that he has well earned the confidence and respect which are accorded him. He has held offices at different times, being on the school board as a director and a councilman for two years. CLAUDE KING TRAXLER Alert, energetic and capable, Claude King Traxler has made the most of his opportunities and is now classed with the substantial business men and leading realtors of Akron—his native city. He was born May 26, 1883, and is a son of Charles and Carrie A. (King) Traxler, also natives of Ohio. The father was connected with the B. F. Goodrich Company and the American Hard Rubber Company for a number of years and has spent the greater part of his life in Summit county. He still resides in Akron, but the mother is deceased. In the acquirement of an education Claude K. Traxler attended the public schools of Akron and in June, 1901, was graduated from the Central high school. His first business experience was gained with the American Hard Rubber Company, with which he spent several years, and later he was in the employ of the B. F. Goodrich Rubber Company. His work was performed with ability and conscientiousness, and he was steadily advanced. In 1908 he entered the real estate field and soon evinced a special talent for this line of activity. While developing the business he also contributed materially toward the city's upbuilding and improvement, and owing to his intimate knowledge of the value of local property was frequently consulted by realty investors, negotiating many important deals. His enterprise, sagacity and ability won him the presidency of the Akron Real Estate Board in 1921, and since 1924 he has been its executive secretary, working earnestly and effectively to promote the interests of the organization. AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 401 Mr. Traxler was married June 10, 1911, in Burton, Ohio, to Miss Treasure I. Hotchkiss, a native of that place, who previous to her marriage was a teacher in its public schools. Her father, Clarence Hotchkiss, was born in Geauga county, Ohio, and her mother, Phila (Rice) Hotchkiss, is also a native of the Buckeye state. Mr. and Mrs. Traxler have become the parents of two sons, Eugene Rice and Donald King, who are public school pupils. While his business interests have always been in Akron, Mr. Traxler has lived in Stow for a period of ten years and has a beautiful home which was built in 1927 and is situated on the Cleveland-Hudson road. For several years he has served as a member of the Stow township school board. His wife is one of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and both Mr. and Mrs. Traxler are earnest workers in behalf of the Stow Church of Christ, Of which he is a deacon, also acting as superintendent of the Sunday school. Along fraternal lines he is connected with the Masonic order, belonging to the Adoniram Lodge, F. & A. M. ; Washington Chapter and council. He takes delight in golf and is a member of the Silver Lake Country Club. As a business man he enjoys an enviable reputation, and his worth as a citizen is uniformly attested. E. HARVEY SCHROP A tireless, systematic worker, E. Harvey Schrop pressed steadily onward to the goal of success and is now living retired in Akron. He was born in Springfield township, Summit county, Ohio, October 23, 1856. His father, William J. Schrop, was a native of Berks county, Pennsylvania, and at an early age came with his parents to Ohio, thereafter living in Summit county until his demise. He served on the school board and manifested the interest of a good citizen in public affairs. His wife, Louisa (Henderson) Schrop, was a native of Springfield township, this county, and was of Irish ancestry. E. Harvey Schrop obtained his early instruction in the rural schools of his native township and in 1876 was graduated from one of the high schools of Akron, it being the old Jennings school on Summit street. On starting out for himself he chose agricultural pursuits, which he followed for an extended period, and with the exception of five years which were spent in farming in Michigan, has always lived in Summit county. Gaining that expert 402 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY knowledge of his occupation which is acquired by broad experience, deep thought and study, he made his efforts count for the utmost and developed a highly productive farm, also conducting a large dairy. In 1913 he was able to retire and erected a fine home on East Market street in Akron, where he has since resided. Mr. Schrop was married March 23, 1882, in Springfield Center, Ohio, to Miss Angeline Hilbish, a native of Springfield township and a daughter of Benjamin Hilbish. Ivan H., the only child of this union, married Miss Ada Wilson, of Marlboro, Ohio, and passed away October 10, 1927, leaving a son, Wilson Jay. The last named married Florence Shick and on June 20, 1928, there was born to them a son, Harvey Schrop, named for his great-grandfather. The home in which Mr. and Mrs. Schrop reside stands on land purchased by Henry Hilbish, the grandfather of Mr. Schrop, who was born on this place and represents one of the old and prominent families of Springfield township. Mr. and Mrs. Schrop have long been affiliated with the Presbyterian church of North Springfield, of which he has been treasurer and a trustee for fifteen years and an elder for twenty years. His wife has been equally active in religious work and has served as president and treasurer of the Ladies Aid Society. Mr. Schrop was clerk of Springfield township for five years and cooperates in all measures for the general good. Throughout his career he has conscientiously discharged every duty and obligation, and his influence upon the life of his community has been of the highest order. HORACE S. SEYMOUR. Seldom has a death brought such uniform sorrow and regret to a community as did that of Horace S. Seymour, who passed away April 18, 1928. He was then but fifty-two years of age and it seemed that his career of usefulness and service should have been continued for a long time. He was connected with the Akron Beacon Journal, but it was not alone his capability and success in the newspaper field that endeared him to his fellowmen. His was a nature rich in its sympathy and in kindly deeds, and particularly was he the friend of the young boys who constituted the delivery staff of the paper. His influence upon their lives was too great to be measurable, but there are many capable business men in Akron today who attest the fact that they AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 405 received encouragement and stimulus for better living from Horace S. Seymour. His birth occurred in Pennsylvania May 19, 1876, in the little town of New Milford, where he spent his youthful days until after he had graduated from the high school. When a young man of twenty years he went to Binghamton, New York, and there secured employment in the office of the Binghamton Street Railway Company, with which he was associated until 1902, when he became identified with the circulation department of the Binghamton Evening Herald. He had been in that position for two years when members of the Kilmer family, then prominent in Binghamton, decided to establish a new paper. Several months before this plan reached its fulfillment Mr. Seymour set out with a corps of workers to develop circulation for the new publication, and so well did he succeed that between February and April, 1904, he had secured a subscription list of twenty thousand names, reaching this number before a press had turned in the printing of the first paper. Mr. Seymour remained in charge of the suburban circulation for the Binghamton Press until 1907, covering the territory within a radius of sixty miles of the city, and in the year mentioned became circulation manager of the paper, continuing to fill that position until 1911, when he was offered and accepted the position of circulation manager of the Beacon Journal of Akron. He continued to fill that position until his demise and he was also the treasurer and a director of the Beacon Journal Company, his sound judgment and executive ability contributing to the successful management of the paper. While in Binghamton, in 1905, Mr. Seymour was united in marriage to Miss Harriet J. Burkmann, of that city, a daughter of Herman and Julia (Hagaman) Burkmann. The Seymour residence is at 524 Merriman Road. Though they had no children of their own, Mr. Seymour took the greatest interest in young people. It is said that thousands of Akron boys started their business training under Mr. Seymour and he never failed to win their friendship. He seemed to have an almost intuitive understanding of boy nature and he took great delight in talking with them and training them. Nearly six hundred Beacon Journal carriers were serving under him, and this is the story which one who knew him well wrote of him : "Into his hands came hundreds of boys every year in the seventeen years that he was circulation manager. They were just average boys; some good and 406 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY some bad and some not interested enough in life to be either. Some came from good homes and some from no homes at all. But they were all alike to Mr. Seymour—they were 'his boys.' They came to him just at the time they were beginning to awaken to a desire to get into the business of life and make a little bit of money for themselves. And Mr. Seymour took seriously the task of initiating them into the game of business. To him the boys were very human raw material which might either be made into a good, workable bit of fabric in the mill of life, or else spoiled and started early for the rag bag. They are at their most impressionable age, ranging from twelve to fourteen years, now and then varying a few years on either side of that figure. Things a boy learns at that age he rarely forgets. Recognizing that acquaintance with the parents as well as the boy would inevitably work toward a happier solution of the problem and help to weld the boy more firmly into a liking of his job, Mr. Seymour early instituted meetings at the Beacon Journal of the boys and their parents, together with himself and other circulation department heads. The meetings were simply 'get togethers' where they all talked things over, got acquainted and worked out problems that perplexed the youthful business men. And Mr. Seymour always had time to help any boy to solve his problem. Refreshments were served and after the meeting was over, the entire group would go to a movie to round out the evening. About three times a year these meetings were held, and to stimulate the boys to competitive effort he instituted campaigns and contests among them for new subscribers. One scene, typical of the man, remains clearly pictured in the writer's mind. It was at one of the meetings which marked the middle of such a contest. 'How many new subscribers have you got, Jimmy?' he asked a quiet little fellow who had hung back on the fringes of the crowd. The boy came forward rather hesitantly and in a small voice announced he had only three, protesting he couldn't get any more in his territory. 'Well, let's see about this,' was Mr. Seymour's serious rejoinder. 'How many are there on your route who aren't taking the paper? And how many of these have you seen?' The boy became interested, and Mr. Seymour, forgetting for a moment the many others in the room, turned his entire attention to working out the case at hand. The boy brightened and became enthused. 'Now, let's go and get 'em along that line,' said Mr. Seymour with an encouraging slap on the back as he rose to his feet and again turned to the group of boys. And the boy in ques- AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 407 tion came back a few days later with a good bunch of subscriptions, not enough to capture the prize, but enough to satisfy himself that he was capable of doing things. Today there are hundreds of young Akron business men who received their first business training under the guiding hand of the late circulation manager." Albert Gross, who began seventeen years ago as a carrier boy under Mr. Seymour when he first came to the Beacon Journal and who worked himself up with the aid of a helping hand to become his assistant, said : "Nobody knew how sick he has been for years, and the boys he built into men never even guessed it as he pepped them up and taught them always to be square shooters. He was a square shooter himself and he made that one of his elementary teachings. He never fired a boy if he laid down on the job. He changed the boy around to a different route and always strove to create in him the idea of ownership of his business. He taught the boys that carrying the paper was only fifty per cent of the job, and that building up his business and taking care of it was the other fifty per cent." This phase alone of Mr. Seymour's nature would entitle his memory to be honored and cherished for years to come, but there were other qualities just as admirable. He was a loyal follower of the teachings of Masonry and became a Knight Templar and Mystic Shriner and was also a past monarch of Yusef Khan Grotto, M. 0. V. P. E. R. He belonged to the Fairlawn Country Club and the social side of his nature found expression in warm friendships and agreeable companionship. During the seventeen years of his residence in Akron he made for himself a warm place in the hearts of those with whom he came in contact and enjoyed the highest respect of all. One of the local papers said of him : "He despised sham and hypocrisy. Gentleness and modesty were the ruling attributes of his character. Combined with these was an industry, a faithful attention to his daily tasks, an ambition to excel in his professional efforts which gave him rank as one of America's leaders in the newspaper circulation field. He came to the service of the Beacon Journal when Akron was in the small city class. Always progressive in his methods, he grew with the city and the newspaper that he loved and served so well. He possessed the sterling personal qualifications that would have won success for him in any line of business. He had intelligence, foresight and system. He had a singular genius for inspiring the good will, confidence and affection of all with whom his lot 408 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY was cast. Long before the idea of vocational training became the rule in modern educational systems he was applying this precept in what he was pleased to term the Beacon Journal University. He took a deep personal interest in all the boys who came under his direction and when the boys grew up he did not cease his interest in their personal welfare. Many of them came back to him for advice. Still others were proud to come to tell him of the progress they were making in their own ventures, or the places of high trust they held in business and professional life. The untimely death of this man, so lovable, so able and so useful, brings a loss that is irreparable. Those who knew him best loved him most, for in him they recognized one of those rare characters wholly devoid of sham or pretense of any kind. Those who knew him will treasure only golden memories of his worth as a good citizen and friend." Mr. Seymour was interred in Spring Forest cemetery at Binghamton, New York. ISHAM FRANK ALLEN Among those who occupy positions of prominence in the financial circles of Akron there is none whose life record illustrates more clearly the value of earnest and honest effort than does that of Isham F. Allen, the president of the Standard Savings Bank, president of the Standard Mortgage Company and treasurer of the Exchange Realty Company. Power grows through the exercise of effort, and it has been by reason of ceaseless activity, intelligently directed, that Mr. Allen has risen to executive position in connection with three of the foremost financial interests of this city. He is a native son of Akron, born January 2, 1868. His father, John Allen, was also a native of Ohio and he wedded Ann Morgan, whose birth occurred in Cuyahoga county, Ohio. He devoted his entire life to the occupation of farming and both he and his wife have now passed away. They were parents of four children, of whom the eldest, Mrs. Emma A. Sissler, is deceased. Three of the family survive—Jessie, John and Isham F. At the usual age Isham F. Allen entered the public school of Akron and on leaving the high school after mastering all the intermediate grades he secured work with the Worthington Company of Cleveland, Ohio, being seventeen years of age when he thus entered into active connection with the wholesale hardware AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 409 trade. He remained a capable and trusted employe there for six years and then returned to his native city, where he became a partner in the firm of Rohrbacher & Allen in the retail hardware business, carrying on his interests under that name for a number of years. Eventually he sold out and turned his attention to the real estate field in connection with J. C. Dye under the firm style of Dye & Allen. He still remains a partner and the firm has long enjoyed an extensive patronage, making their business one of the profitable realty interests of Akron. As the years passed and Mr. Allen studied the business situation in Akron, he felt that there was opportunity for the conduct of a banking enterprise and in 1921 organized the Standard Savings Bank, of which he became president in 1924. This institution also entered upon a prosperous existence because its foundation was laid in principles that have carefully safeguarded the interests of depositors and at the same time have led to the steady progress in the growth of the business. He is likewise the president of the Standard Mortgage Company and thus through his connection with three large corporations he is controlling important interests which feature in the business development and material growth of the city. Aside fro mhis association with the Dye & Allen. Land & Improvement Company he is the president of the Allen Land Company and a director of the Akron General Insurance Company and his enterprising spirit has been a contributing feature to the success of all of these interests. On the 30th of June, 1891, Mr. Allen was united in marriage to Miss Eva Geddes, a daughter of James D. and Marietta E. Geddes. They have one child, Clifford G., who was born in 1897 and was graduated from the Akron high school and also from the Case School of Applied Science in Cleveland. He is now general manager of the Palmer Match Company. He married Miss Grace Beatrice York of Massillon, Ohio. Mr. Allen and his wife are members of the High Street Christ church, and fraternally he is connected with the Masons and the Odd Fellows, in which associations are found the rules that govern his conduct and the principles which guide him in all the relations of life. His social nature is expressed in his connection with the Akron City Club, of which he is a charter member, the Fairlawn Country Club and the Akron Automobile Club, and his interest in public affairs is manifest in his connection with the Chamber of Commerce. He has labored just as earnestly and effectively for public welfare and advancement as he has for the development 410 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY of his individual interests, and his business activities have ever been of a character which have contributed to general progress as well as to personal success. His life record is a splendid illustration of the value of industry and integrity as dominant factors in the business world. He has resided at No. 45 Oakdale avenue for thirty years. WILLIAM PETER WELKER William Peter Welker, vice president and trust officer of The Ohio State Bank & Trust Company, is one of Akron's well known and highly regarded bank officials. His experience as a banker began at the outset of his business career almost twenty-five years ago, and includes prominent and important banking affiliations previous to his coming to Akron. Mr. Welker was born in Salem, Ohio, November 18th, 1876, a son of Wallace W. and Anna (West) Welker. Mr. Wallace W. Welker was connected with the iron industry, lumber trade and mercantile interests in Pittsburgh. His family consisted of a son and a daughter; William P. and Helen. William P. Welker received his early education in Leetonia, Ohio, where he completed his high school course, while his college work was done at the University of Michigan with the class of 1901. For three years he was a student at the Pittsburgh Law School but did not enter the profession, choosing a financial career instead. His initial experience was gained in Pittsburgh with the American Trust Company, later merged with the Colonial Trust Company, of which he was made first assistant trust officer and served in that capacity until 1920. At that time he tendered his resignation and came to Akron as trust officer of the Ohio Savings & Trust Company, which in 1922 was consolidated with State Savings & Trust Company, becoming The Ohio State Bank & Trust Company. Mr. Welker was elected vice president, trust officer and secretary of The Ohio State Bank & Trust Company, and his efforts have been a contributing factor in the growth of this bank which occupies a foremost position among Akron's strong and ably managed financial institutions. A more extended mention of The Ohio State Bank & Trust Company appears on another page of this work. Mr. Welker has other business connections, being a director of The Nash Investment Com- AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 413 pany, The Gary Company of Akron and The Main & Market Building Company. On the 5th of March, 1912, Mr. Welker was married in Pittsburgh to Vera W. Wilson, a daughter of Mrs. G. W. Barricklow of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Welker have a son, Wilson Wallace, born in Akron, March 27, 1926. Appreciative of the social amenities of life, Mr. Welker is a member of the Portage Country Club, the Akron City Club and the Exchange Club. A thirty-second degree Mason, he is identified with the York and Scottish Rites in Pittsburgh and Tadmor Temple of the Mystic Shrine in Akron. He is also a member of the Akron Chamber of Commerce and in his religious faith is a Presbyterian. Mr. and Mrs. Welker are well known in Akron's best social circles, and Mrs. Welker is a member of the Woman's Club, and is vice president of the Tuesday Musical Club. The Welker home is at 233 North Portage Path. STANLEY SWIGART ROTHROCK Well equipped for life's duties and responsibilities, Stanley S. Rothrock is coming rapidly to the fore in business circles of Akron but he resides in Tallmadge and is also a serviceable factor in that community. He was born in Portage county, Ohio, October 17, 1897, a son of Amos A. and Ada (Swigart) Rothrock, of whom further mention is made elsewhere in this work. In 1915 he completed a course in the West high school of Akron, then traveled to California by auto and spent a year there. Upon his return he matriculated in the Michigan State College, from which he was graduated with honors in 1920, B. S. On entering commercial life he applied himself with characteristic energy and zeal to his duties, soon demonstrating his capacity for business affairs, and is now filling a responsible position in the credit department of the Mohawk Rubber Company of Akron. Mr. Rothrock was married June 30, 1924, in Tallmadge to Miss Rosalind Sackett, a daughter of Frank and Margaret (McNely) Sackett. Previous to her marriage Mrs. Rothrock was a well known educator and taught for five years in the public schools of Akron. Mr. Rothrock is allied with the republican party, and his religious faith is indicated by his affiliation with the Tallmadge Congregational church, of which he has been a trustee for five 414 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY years. While attending the State College of Michigan he joined the Hermian Literary Society and is a member of Loyalty Lodge No. 645, Royal Arch Masons. Possessing a studious nature, keen intelligence and the capacity for sustained effort, Mr. Rothrock is destined to succeed in whatever he undertakes, and his high moral worth is attested by all with whom he has been associated. For amusement he turns to baseball and golf. JOHN H. DELLENBERGER, SR. John H. Dellenberger, Sr., an Akron pioneer, achieved prominence in the lumber business and is now enjoying the ease and comfort purchased by years of tireless industry, directed by keen intelligence and the spirit of enterprise. He was born in Suffield township, Portage county, Ohio, June 9, 1844, his parents being Joseph and Elizabeth (Stair) Dellenberger, who were natives of Alsace-Lorraine, the latter's home being in the vicinity of the River Rhine. They were French subjects and Joseph Dellenberger served in the army of Napoleon III. In 1839 he brought his bride to the United States, settling in the Congress Lake district of Stark county, Ohio. There John H. Dellenberger was reared, pursuing his studies in the district schools, and during vacation periods assisted his father in the cultivation of the farm. In February, 1865, when a young man of twenty, he enlisted in the Union army, responding to President Lincoln's last call for troops, and served with Company H, of the One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Volunteer Infantry until the following fall, when he was honorably discharged at Camp Chase, Ohio. In 1866 he located in Akron and followed the carpenter's trade for a time. Later he established an enviable reputation as a building contractor and in 1870 began his career as a lumberman. He organized the Akron Lumber Company, capitalized at one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, and owned and operated by Mr. Dellenberger and his three sons, who controlled the oldest business of the kind in the city. They maintained a high standard of production and the industry constantly expanded, progressing with Akron. In 1919 the firm sustained a heavy loss when their large planing mill was destroyed by fire, and in 1920 John H. Dellenberger, Sr., retired. He had devoted fifty years to the upbuilding of the business and was recognized as one of the foremost lumbermen of the city. AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 415 On Thanksgiving Day of 1868, Mr. Dellenberger was married in Linesville, Pennsylvania, to Miss Elizabeth Jane Acker, who was born in Wheeling, West Virginia. Her parents were William and Nancy Ann (Lopeman) Acker, the former also a native of Wheeling, while the latter was born in Maryland. To Mr. and Mrs. Dellenberger were born three children. Albertus Jay, the eldest, married Miss Jeannette Feller, by whom he has a daughter, Ruth, and they make their home in North Springfield, Summit county, on three acres adjoining his father's home. Harry A. resides at No. 60 Rhodes avenue in Akron. His first wife, who was Miss Belle Morgan, died in May, 1918, leaving a daughter, Vandalia. His second union was with Miss Mabel Thornton and they have become the parents of two children, Billie Arthur and Jane Arlette, while they also have an adopted son, Carl. John II., Jr., the third son, married Miss Helma Nelson, by whom he has a daughter, Elizabeth, and their home is at the corner of East Market street and Grand avenue in Akron. In 1910, after a residence of thirty-five years in the Rubber city, Mr. and Mrs. John H. Dellenberger, Sr., removed to the suburban district of North Springfield, purchasing a tract of several acres, and their beautiful home at No. 2325 East Market street has become a center of the social life of the locality. They are consistent members of Grace Methodist Episcopal church of Akron and manifest a deep and helpful interest in movements for the betterment of their community along material, moral and civic lines. Mr. Dellenberger belongs to Buckley Post of the Grand Army of the Republic, and his wife is a member of the Woman's Relief Corps and other organizations. They have a wide acquaintance and stand deservedly high in public esteem. W. OLIVER WISE. W. Oliver Wise, lawyer and lawmaker, advancing steadily since admitted to the bar on his twenty-first birthday and now numbered among the able and successful attorneys of Akron, was born in Summit county, September 8, 1875, his parents being Jacob and Martha E. (Gigger) Wise, who were also natives of Ohio and spent their entire lives in this state. The father was an inventor of farm implements and machinery, also dealt in implements and was owner of a hotel. W. Oliver Wise, an only child, pursued his early education in 416 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY the graded schools of Manchester and afterward attended the Akron high school, from which he was in due time graduated. He was also a student in Duff's College at Pittsburgh and with a desire to become a member of the bar began reading law in the office and under the direction of Judge C. R. Grant and of Senator George W. Sieber. Later he matriculated in the Cincinnati Law School, in which he completed a three years' course, winning the LL. B. degree, and on the day on which he attained his majority he also realized another ambition—that of being licensed to practice law. He has ever remained a student of his profession and completed a postgraduate course in the Columbian University law department, now the George Washington University, at Washington, D. C., from which he received the LL. M. degree in 1897. He was admitted to the bar of the supreme court of the District of Columbia in 1896 and to the United States supreme court in 1899, having the distinction of being at that time the youngest member of the United States supreme court in the entire country. He entered upon the active practice of his profession in Akron in 1899 and through the intervening period, covering almost three decades, he has been numbered among the leading lawyers of the city. On one occasion Mr. Wise said that he "wanted to be a lawyer because he was fascinated by knotty problems and arguments to which he listened when his father was involved in litigation." Moreover, he had another ambition and that was to become a member of the legislature "because he had always been interested in debating and enjoyed participating in it." This desire on his part found its realization in his election to the Ohio house of representatives as a member of the eighty-fifth and eighty-sixth general assemblies and during his incumbency in that office he was made chairman of the common schools committee. So acceptable was his service in the lower house that he was chosen to represent his district in the state senate of the eighty-seventh assembly and is now chairman of the fish and game committee and secretary of the committee on agriculture. His efforts, however, have not been confined to law or to lawmaking. He is a man of the broadest interests. Birds and flowers, education, music, art and all those things which make life brighter and better and give man a broader vision have featured in his career. For eight years he served as a member of the Akron board of education and was its president for one term, laboring earnestly and effectively in the interests of the schools. It was Mr. Wise who originated the idea of the Wooster Stadium and who AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 417 encouraged orchestral music and athletics in the schools. In a word he introduced progressive ideas that have kept the schools of Akron on a par with the leading institutions of like character in the country. His love of birds has led him to attract the feathered songsters to his home, which is known as "Birdland" in the Portage Lakes region, and there more than five hundred birds spend the summer months. He is the vice president of the American Audubon Society. Moreover, he is one of the trustees of the Portage Fish & Game Association and a past president of the Akron Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America. He is likewise a director of the Akron Automobile Club and a director of the Summit County Historical Society. He is well known in fraternal circles, having attained the Knight Templar degree in the Masonic order, while with the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine he has crossed the sands of the desert. He was also one of the organizers of Yusef-Khan Grotto and of the Masonic club. He assisted in the organization of the Summit County Historical Society, of which he is a director and has membership in the Congress Lake Club and the University Club. As a matter of course he became a member of the Chamber of Commerce and in the path of his profession he has association with the Akron, Ohio State and American Bar Associations. He also is a charter member of the 50 Year Club of Akron. If one were actuated by a desire to reach a climax in biographical writing, it could best be done in the history of Mr. Wise by thus introducing the record of his home and family relations, for it is here that his interest chiefly centers. He was married October 31, 1900, in Orrville, Ohio, to Miss Grace Griffith, a daughter of Oliver K. Griffith, a prominent resident of Orrville. After a most happy married life of a quarter of a century Mrs. Wise passed away in Akron in February, 1926, survived by two daughters of whom the father has every reason to be proud, for innate culture and liberal education in the arts and sciences have not only qualified them for prominent social position but for almost any calling to which they might choose to turn their attention. The elder daughter, Janet, born in Akron in 1902, was an honor student at Central high and was graduated from Dana Hall of Wellesley, Massachusetts. She also attended Western Reserve University College for Women and completed a further course in Smith College at Northampton, Massachusetts, and was graduated in June, 1926. The younger daughter, Eleanor, born in Akron in 1904, after leaving Central high school attended 418 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY Dana Hall at Wellesley, Massachusetts, and following her graduation there entered the Women's College of the Western Reserve University at Cleveland, Ohio, and was graduated in June, 1927. Mr. Wise and his daughters attend the First Presbyterian church, of which he is a trustee. There are few men of such breadth and variety of interests. Life has been to him full and rich with its opportunities for work and study and pleasure and service. Along each line he has accomplished much, and while he disclaims any great credit as a contributor to the world's work, he may well feel that he has gained much from life's opportunities. His contemporaries and his colleagues, however, speak of him as one whose labors have been vital to the community, enriching city and state by what he has accomplished as lawyer and lawmaker and as the advocate of progress, improvement and achievement. FRED W. FUCHS Through the wise utilization of his powers of organization and administration Fred W. Fuchs has achieved success in the dairy business and represents the third generation of the family in Akron. He was born July 9, 1889, in this city, of which his parents, F. William and Anna (Wilhelm) Fuchs, were lifelong residents. They were of German lineage and members of families that were established in the Rubber city during the formative period in its history. F. William Fuchs was a maltster and the owner of the business conducted under the name of the Akron Brewing Company. He responded to the final summons in 1916 and his wife's death occurred in 1919. They had two children, Mrs. J. B. Kittelberger and Fred W. Fuchs, both of whom are residents of Akron. The son completed a course in the Central high school and was next a student at Buchtel College, becoming a member of the class of 1912. After leaving that institution of learning he entered the employ of the B. F. Goodrich Rubber Company, and then became a member of the clerical force of the Akron Brewing Company, working for his father for five years. His first independent undertaking was the formation of the Akron Beverage & Cold Storage Company, with which he was identified for a few years, and on January 1, 1925, organized the Peoples Dairy Company, now located on Grant street. The plant is immaculate and thoroughly up-to-date. When Mr. Fuchs started AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 421 the business he had about twelve employes and maintained about five delivery wagons. In three years he has developed an industry which furnishes work to seventy-five persons and eleven trucks and twenty-two wagon routes are now required for delivery purposes. He is president and treasurer of the business, which reflects his progressive spirit and high standards, and he is also president of the Kramer Clothing Company, at 193 South Main street, a director of the Kittelberger Electric Company, and member of the firm of Crockett & Fuchs at Barberton, distributors of coca-cola and soda waters. Mr. Fuchs was married July 11, 1911, in Akron, to Miss Lucy C. Hanscom, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Hanscom, and they have become the parents of one child, Fred W., Jr. He was born in this city, January 12, 1914, and is attending the West high school. Mr. Fuchs is a thirty-second degree Mason and Shriner and also an Elk. He is also a member of the Lone Star Fraternity, the City and Automobile Clubs, the Akron Chamber of Commerce, and the Ohio and International Dairymen's Associations. His life is governed by the teachings of the First Reformed church, and his genuine worth has established him high in public esteem. His residence is at 871 Ardmore avenue. PAUL C. LAYBOURNE Paul C. Laybourne, senior partner in the law firm of Lay-bourne, Zesiger, Johnson & Crafts, is one of the prominent members of the Akron bar. He was born in Springfield, Ohio, July 23, 1887, a son of Christopher and Anna B. (Walker) Laybourne. The Laybournes are from an old family of Virginia. Christopher Laybourne came to Ohio in early life, and here he married Miss Anna B. Walker, who was born and reared in this state. He had attained the venerable age of eighty-two years at the time of his death in 1926, and his widow still survives. Their family consists of a son and a daughter, the latter being Hazel, now Mrs. Clement Jones, who resides in Springfield, Ohio. Paul C. Laybourne, who was reared in Springfield, attended the schools of that city and later Ohio State University, from which he was graduated in 1911, having pursued the regular law course. He sought opportunity in the west, locating in Oregon, 14-VOL. 2 422 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY where he practiced for a year but at the end of that time returned to Ohio, opening an office in Springfield, where he remained until 1916. In that year he came to Akron and in 1917 entered the office of the county prosecuting attorney, while from 1918 until 1921 he filled the position of assistant prosecuting attorney. He has since devoted his energies to his private law practice, and his present association with Earnest E. Zesiger, Harold V. Johnson and Clayton E. Crafts, comprises one of the strongest law firms in this section of the state. He is a member of the Summit County Bar Association and enjoys the high respect and confidence of his colleagues and contemporaries. Among his business interests outside of his profession, he is a director of the Depositors Savings & Trust Company of Akron. On the 24th of December, 1912, Mr. Laybourne wedded Miss Pauline B. Breckenridge, daughter of John C. Breckenridge, inventor of steel wool machinery, now widely used. Mr. and Mrs. Laybourne have two children : Bruce B., born in Springfield, Ohio, October 10, 1914 ; and Paul C., born in Akron, December 21, 1919. In his fraternal connections Mr. Laybourne is a member of the Elks lodge of Akron, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. He also belongs to the Summit County Bar Association and the Civitan Club. For eight years he was chairman of the civil service commission of Cuyahoga Falls, and he has ever manifested a helpful attitude toward projects and measures instituted for the public good and at all times has given stanch support to those activities which are a matter of civic virtue and of civic pride. Mr. Laybourne's residence is at 416 Chestnut boulevard, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. THE FALLS RUBBER COMPANY The Falls Rubber Company, one of the largest and most important industrial concerns in Cuyahoga Falls, was incorporated May 7, 1909, the original incorporators being H. F. Siegrist, William Sherbondy, A. H. Stevenson, W. G. Short and A. J. Latimer. The original capitalization was seventy-five thousand dollars, and the first plant was established in the tile building at Water and Broad streets, which is still used by the company. At the beginning the company manufactured automobile tires, bicycle tires, special tires for electric cars, horseshoe pads and rubber AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 423 accessories. J. H. Weld was the first president; L. H. Steurgen, vice president, and H. F. Siegrist, secretary, and in 1910 Frank Nolte came into the company as secretary and factory manager. In 1911 W. S. Bailey of Cleveland was elected president, with 0. C. Nelson as secretary, and Frank Nolte as treasurer. In 1914 M. J. O'Donnell of Cleveland became president, and during his administration the company bought additional property adjoining their first location and erected a new and modern factory building The business of the company increased rapidly, so that by 1917 the sale of tires and tubes alone ran over one million dollars, and by 1920 had increased to one million eight hundred thousand dollars, so that further additions to the plant and equipment were made necessary. By 1924 the sales had grown to two million seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and during that year J. 0. King of Cleveland became president of the comapny, serving until January 23, 1927, when George D. Kratz succeeded him and is still at the head of the business. The present capitalization of the company is two million five hundred thousand dollars; it utilizes the latest type of machinery for producing extra high grade tires and tubes, and occupies over two hundred thousand square feet of floor space, while about five hundred persons are employed in producing what are believed to be the best tires and tubes in the market today. FLOYD A. REES An able advocate as well as a wise counselor, Floyd A. Rees occupies a place of prominence in legal circles of Akron. He was born April 12, 1893, in Minersville, Ohio, the only child of his parents, John E. and Lettie E. (Evans) Rees, the former a native of Wales. The mother was born in the Buckeye state and previous to her marriage engaged in teaching. John E. Rees has lived in Ohio since he was a child of three and is superintendent of a large mining corporation whose holdings are located in the Minersville district. Floyd A. Rees attended the grammar school in his native town and the Middleport high school. His higher education was received in the Ohio State University, from which he received the degree of LL. B. in 1916, and in the following year he opened an office in Akron, where he has since engaged in the general practice of law. His studies did not cease with his admission to the 424 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY bar for he has been a constant reader, ever eager to broaden his knowledge of the law in its various branches. He has steadily advanced in his profession, winning the confidence of the public and the respect of his fellow practitioners. He enjoys a representative clientele and is accorded a most creditable position among the representative members of the Akron bar. Aside from his professional connections Mr. Rees is president of the Knights of Pythias Building Company, owners of the Pythian Temple property on South High street. He is a member of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He is a charter member and first secretary of the Welsh Cambrian Society of Summit county; is past chancellor commander of Akron Lodge No. 603, Knights of Pythias, and past prince of Zinebi Temple No. 216, D. 0. K. K. His professional connections are with the Summit County, Ohio State and American Bar Associations. He is a member of the First Presbyterian church. Mr. Rees' residence is at No. 370 Wildwood avenue. OAKLEY SPAGHT Oakley Spaght, a farm boy and identified with farm work until 1906 and then for ten years foreman and park superintendent of the Silver Lake Park Company, is now connected with the real estate business at Stow, where his activities are wisely and successfully conducted. He has always resided in Summit county, his birth having occurred in Uniontown, December 3, 1880. He is a son of William and Susan Spaght. The father was born in 1850 and in young manhood wedded Susan Baughman, whose birth occurred at Uniontown, Ohio. He was of German descent, while his wife was a representative of an old Pennsylvania Dutch family. During his early boyhood Oakley Spaght remained upon his father's farm and early became acquainted through practical experience with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. After obtaining a common school education he attended the Akron high school and was graduated in 1896. Following the completion of that course he returned to the farm and again concentrated his efforts and attention upon general agricultural pursuits for a decade but in 1906 determined to try his fortune along AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 425 other lines. Accordingly he sought what he believed would prove an advantageous field and accepted a position with the Silver Lake Park Company as foreman and park superintendent. He worked along that line until 1916 and then turned his attention to the real estate and insurance business, in which he has won a substantial measure of success, enjoying the confidence and respect of the general public. He is now senior member of the firm of Oakley Spaght & Son, realtors, builders and insurance representatives. The junior partner is his son, Harold W. Spaght. They give their attention to real estate transactions of every character, have done considerable building, have handled estates and have promoted successful development projects, some of the most important being Paradise Park, Stow Highlands, Silver Lake Highlands and Clairmont Acres. The members of the firm are recognized as dependable and energetic men of marked ability and of high character. Aside from his other interests Oakley Spaght is a director of the Falls Savings & Loan Association, which is one of the outstanding financial institutions of Ohio. At Stow, on the 22d of April, 1903, Mr. Spaght wedded Miss Jennie Ripley, who was born in Tallmadge, Ohio, January 9, 1882, and is a daughter of John and Celia Ripley, the former a native of the Buckeye state and the latter of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Spaght have become parents of three children : Harold W., Jeannette C. and Martha E., who is private secretary to her father. The son is a graduate of the University of Akron and received military training which entitles him to rank as first lieutenant if called into the United States service, for he was a first lieutenant of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps of the University of Akron. He was married in 1927 to Georgiana Valentine and is now associated with his father in business under the firm style of Oakley Spaght & Son. The daughter Jeannette is a graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and is a capable piano teacher. Mrs. Spaght is widely known for her deep, effective and helpful interest in local and state affairs. She is an active worker in the church, a prominent figure in the social life of the community and is a member of the Federation of Women's Clubs. She has at various times held important positions in connection with these organizations. Mr. Spaght stands firmly for progress and improvement along all lines affecting the material, intellectual, social and moral welfare of the community. He has held various local offices, the duties of which he has discharged with promptness and fidelity. 426 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY His political allegiance is usually given to the republican party, but he maintains an independent course, regarding the high character of the candidate rather than his party affiliation. He is a member of Cuyahoga Falls Kiwanis Club and at one time served as president of the Akron Real Estate Board. Fraternally he is a Mason, a member of Cuyahoga Falls Lodge No. 247, and is an active member of the Church of Christ, serving as chairman of its' official board, a member of its board of trustees and an elder of the church. Nought can swerve him from a course which he believes to be right in his relations with his fellowmen. He never weighs his acts in the scale of policy and has therefore ever enjoyed the respect, confidence and good will of those who know him. OWEN F. ELLIOTT The horizon of every man's achievements is fixed by his own powers. Owen F. Elliott, who possesses the requisite ability and the equally necessary quality of industry, has accomplished much for one of his years and is well known in commercial circles of Akron owing to his activities in connection with the baking business. He was born in Elliott, Illinois, January 9, 1892, and is a son of Hugh and Elizabeth (Yasel) Elliott. His father was born in Millersburg, Ohio, but the mother was a native of Illinois. In early life Hugh Elliott went to Illinois, where he was married, and followed agricultural pursuits in that state for many years. He returned to his native town in 1900 and still resides there but his wife died in 1922. To their union were born ten children: Irvin, Donald, Mrs. Edna Close, Mrs. Bessie Hellen, Mrs. Harry James, and Bonnie, Elizabeth, Evelyn, Leota and Owen F. Elliott. The last named received his education in the grammar and high schools of Millersburg, Ohio, and came to Akron when a young man of nineteen years, securing a position with the B. F. Goodrich Rubber Company, with which he spent three years. For two years he was a salesman for the Norwald Candy Company of Cleveland, Ohio, and then became a driver of one of the delivery wagons of the Tri-State Baking Company. He also acted as salesman and later worked in the plant. Mr. Elliott mastered the trade and eventually was made manager of the sales department, filling the position for five years. Since 1923 AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 429 he has been general manager and has also become supervising manager of the Toledo and Decatur, Illinois, branches. The business of the Summit Baking Company was absorbed by the Tri-State Baking Company, which was later taken over by the Purity Bakeries Corporation with general offices in Chicago, Illinois. M. L. Molen is president, J. W. Hines, vice president and J. T. McCarthy, secretary and treasurer, the corporation operating thirty-six separate plants in the United States. The Akron plant was started by Mr. Elliott with six ovens and forty employes, and in 1928 has one hundred and twenty employes, being the largest bread plant in Summit county, and is second largest baking plant in northeastern Ohio. It now has fourteen ovens and the number of routes has been increased from ten to forty. In every respect this is a model institution and there is a wide demand for its products, which are distinguished by purity and excellence. Mr. Elliott is supervising manager of the corporation, which owes its local development and prestige to his wisdom, experience and methodical, systematic efforts. The plant is located at No. 693 South High street and the business is conducted on a wholesale basis. Mr. Elliott was married October 10, 1917, to Miss Bessie Magenau, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Magenau and a member of one of the old and prominent families of Akron. Mr. and Mrs. Elliott have one child, Gloria Anna, who was born July 7, 1922, in this city. Mr. Elliott is identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Akron Chamber of Commerce and the Automobile Club. He is affiliated with the Wooster Avenue Reformed church and shapes his conduct by its teachings. His energy, diligence, perseverance and fidelity to duty are amply illustrated in his career, and the respect accorded him is well deserved. Mr. Elliott's residence is at 937 Copley road, Akron. HUBERT CONRAD PECK Hubert Conrad Peck was long a resident of Akron and although many years have elapsed since his death his memory is still fresh in the hearts of those who knew him, for his manhood bore the impress of sincerity and candor and his life was rightly lived. He was born December 5, 1847, in this city, and received his education in its public schools. In 1864, when a youth of 430 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY seventeen, he joined the One Hundred and Eighty-eighth Regiment of Ohio Infantry, enlisting for a term of six months, and at the end of that time reenlisted, serving with Company H of the One Hundred and Seventy-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry until the close of the Civil war, when he was honorably discharged. Mr. Peck returned to Akron and in 1867 was married in this city to Miss Lydia Clowner, who was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, December 12, 1847, and when a child of six came to Summit county, Ohio, with her parents, Jacob J. and Fiana (Mellinger) Clowner, who were also natives of the Keystone state. Her grandparents in the paternal line were Charles and Lydia Mellinger. The latter was also a native of Pennsylvania but her husband was born in Germany, and left the fatherland in his youth, hoping to better his fortunes in America. Jacob J. Clowner was born May 10, 1819, and remained in Pennsylvania until 1853, when he migrated to Ohio, settling in Summit county. He was a carpenter, contractor and cabinet maker, and during the Civil war served as postmaster of North Springfield. Mr. Clowner was a good citizen and enjoyed the esteem of all who knew him. His daughter Nancy became Mrs. John Schrop and has passed away. To Mr. and Mrs. Peck were born seven children. Eugene C., of Macedonia, Ohio, married Miss Iva Kessler and has a son, Lionel, who married Miss Lucile Millett and has a family of three children, Louise, Lionel S. and Eugene C. Perry, the next in order of birth, is deceased. Hubert C., of Akron, who married Miss Ella Quigley, has become the father of two children : Lee, who married Miss Ruth Freeman and has a son, Lee Jr. ; and Nellie, the wife of Fleming H. Coy. Hubert C. Peck also has two adopted daughters : Sybil, who is the wife of Raymond Rett and the mother of one son, Hubert; and Ethel, who is Mrs. Charles Baur. Nora married William Wert, of Akron, and they have become the parents of four children : Mrs. Ruth Wilcox, who has one daughter, Maryland ; and Glenn, Clifford and Bruce Wert, all at home. Johnnie, the fifth in order of birth, has passed away. Melville is a successful architect and resides at home. Pearl is the wife of Floyd Palmer of Akron and the mother of two children, Thelma and Richard. Mr. Peck adhered to the Episcopalian faith and conscientiously followed the teachings of his church. For a number of years he was connected with the local fire department and also served in the Ohio National Guard. His interest in his corn- AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 431 munity was deep and sincere and he was always ready to further plans for its advancement. He was true to the ties of home and friendship, and his death on February 26, 1910, deprived Akron of a citizen of substantial worth. Mrs. Peck lives in Springfield Center in the beautiful home in which her father resided and which is over one hundred years old. She is an Episcopalian and devotes much time to religious, charitable and civic work. Forgetful of self, she has found true happiness in serving others and is highly esteemed in the community in which practically her entire life has been spent. HURL JACOB ALBRECHT Hurl Jacob Albrecht, widely known in mercantile circles, is now extensively engaged in the wholesale and retail grocery trade not only in Akron but in other towns and cities of Ohio. In all that he undertakes he is actuated by a progressive spirit that is based upon a thorough knowledge of present-day conditions and a thorough understanding of the market. His rise has been rather spectacular because of the rapidity with which he has extended his business connections and written success after every venture, and yet an analysis of his career shows that his basic qualities are those which have ever made for advancement—industry, perseverance and loyalty to high principles. Mr. Albrecht was born in Massilon, Ohio, February 10, 1886, but has practically been a lifelong resident of Akron, as the family home was here established in 1891. The name indicates his German lineage. His grandfather, Frederick Albrecht, was born in Bavaria, Germany, September 18, 1818, and was a son of Nicholas and Elizabeth (Engle) Albrecht. He was twenty years of age when in 1838 he came to the new world after having previously learned the shoemaker's trade. Landing at New Orleans, he proceeded northward by way of the river and canals until in the spring of 1839 he established his home in Massilon, where he was employed as a shoemaker for a few years. He then opened a shop of his own and also established a retail grocery store, his brother Michael managing the latter for six years. Frederick Albrecht continued the two lines of business up to the time of his retirement in 1875. His wife, who in her maidenhood bore the name of Elizabeth Daum, was born in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, in 1828, a daughter of John Daum, who brought his family 432 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY to the United States in 1841. Elizabeth Daum became the wife of Frederick Albrecht in 1847. Mr. Albrecht died in Massilon, June 29, 1887, after a forty-eight years' close association with the business development of that place. His son, Fred William Albrecht, was born in Massilon, April 3, 1861, and became acquainted with the grocery trade while assisting his father in his boyhood days. In 1884 he purchased the business but in 1891 sought the broader field offered in Akron and opened a store near Buchtel College. Here he began developing a chain system of stores in 1900 until more than one hundred such establishments, known as the Acme Cash Basket Stores, are owned by the Fred W. Albrecht Grocery Company, covering Ohio territory as far distant as Warren and Canton. The initiative and enterprise of F. W. Albrecht is evidenced in this extensive business. He likewise became identified with the Central Savings & Trust Company and other business interests in Akron which have featured in the development and prosperity of the city. He belongs to the Chamber of Commerce and the Retail Merchants Association and he has membership in the Rotary, Akron City and Congress Lake clubs. He has also given much attention and valuable service to civic affairs and he belongs to the Trinity Lutheran church. He was married to Miss Mary E. Buehl, a native of Akron and a daughter of the Rev. P. J. Buehl, the founder and first pastor of the German Lutheran church on High street in Akron and later the founder of St. Paul's Lutheran church of Massilon, of which he was pastor for twenty-seven years. Mr. and Mrs. Fred W. Albrecht had a family of four children, of whom the eldest is Hurl J., who pursued his education in the public schools of Akron to the age of seventeen years, when he began assisting in his father's stores. His experience in the grocery trade, therefore, has been of long duration and his enterprise and progressiveness have brought a gratifying reward. Working his way upward through merit and not through parental authority, he ultimately became general manager of the Acme retail stores, but this was not accomplished all at once. He graduated from the Central high school in 1905 and the following year went upon the road as salesman for the Albrecht Barber Supply & Drug Company, with which he remained until the spring of 1908, when he resigned and went to Cuba, establishing an automobile agency in Havana in connection with a partner. They also instituted the first cross-country bus line on the island, mak- AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 433 ing the trip of twenty-two miles to Batabano. After leaving Cuba, Mr. Albrecht resumed connection with the Acme stores, which were then seven in number. He did everything that there was to be done almost in connection with managing and directing the business and in 1912 was in charge of construction, superintending the erection of Acme stores in Kent and in Akron. His military experience caused another break in his mercantile career. In 1916, upon the organization of Battery B, First Ohio Artillery—a unit of the National Guard—he was elected captain and six months later was sent to Camp Willis, where he was appointed major and a little later was advanced to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. Troops were needed on the Mexican border and he left for El Paso, Texas, returning to Fort Sheridan, Illinois, in March, 1917. He was about to be mustered out when the United States entered the World war and he was assigned to recruiting duty for the Akron district to expand the battery into a war-strength outfit. He helped train the first two officers training corps at Fort Benjamin Harrison and soon after rejoining his battery at Camp Sheridan, Montgomery, Alabama, he was detailed to the School of Fire at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. In June, 1918, with his command, he left for France and spent two months in training at Camp De Souge, near Bordeaux, and was on active duty at the front with his men from September until the armistice was signed. He remained overseas for more than ten months, returning to the United States in May, 1919, and on resigning his commission resumed active connection with the grocery business in Akron. Within a few months thereafter Mr. Albrecht built eight new Acme stores and in 1921 superintended the erection of the sevenhundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollar Albrecht bakery, of which he is the general manager. When the Fred W. Albrecht Company was incorporated in 1920 he became its vice president and general manager. This organization conducts both a wholesale and retail business, which includes one hundred and fourteen Acme stores, showing a steady growth in the business, while the Acme bakery furnishes bread, biscuits and cookies to the one hundred and fourteen Cash Basket Stores. In addition to his connection with this business as its second executive Mr. Albrecht is a director of the Hudson National Bank. What he undertakes he accomplishes. In his vocabulary there is no such word as fail, and obstacles and difficulties in his path seem to serve as an impetus for renewed effort on his part. 434 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY In September, 1910, Colonel Albrecht was married to Miss Jessie Anderson, a daughter of Judge G. M. Anderson, a distinguished Akron attorney. Colonel and Mrs. Albrecht have two daughters, Julia Elizabeth and Barbara Jane. The parents hold membership in Trinity Lutheran church and Colonel Albrecht was formerly a member of its council. He has served as commander of Summit Post of the American Legion and has been chairman of the military affairs committee of the Akron Chamber of Commerce. He belongs to the Portage Country Club ; the Lions Club, of which he is a past president; is a life member of the Thirty-seventh Division Association ; and has membership in the Congress Lake Country and Akron City clubs. For recreation he turns to golf, to art and to music and these phases of his character constitute the even balance in his make-up that otherwise would be too strongly inclined to business. He is forceful and resourceful, yet genial and courteous, and the passing years strengthen his ties of friendship, which is indicative of the fact that his life is well lived. JOSEPH G. CHALFANT One of the important industrial enterprises of Akron owes its existence to the progressive spirit and determination of Joseph G. Chalfant, who with his loyal associates, organized the Summit Mold & Machine Company, of which he is now the president and general manager. He qualified for this business as best he could through preliminary study and has constantly added to his knowledge by valuable experience. He has thus broadened his capacities and powers and success is attending his efforts in the direction of his present interests. A native son of Ohio, he was born near Mount Vernon, Ohio, April 5, 1875, while his parents, James A. and Margaret A. (Statler) Chalfant, were natives of Pennsylvania. In early life, however, they came to Ohio. The father had previously conducted a general store at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, until all of his property and holdings were destroyed by fire, leaving him without capital. He started out anew, possessing a courageous spirit that enabled him to stanchly face conditions. He and his family, then consisting of two sons, moved to Ohio, and during the remainder of his life he followed farming. He and his wife have passed away, and of their eight children only four, all sons, are AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 437 now living, namely : Joseph G. ; John S., residing in Mount Vernon, Ohio; Walter Irving, living in Mansfield, this state; and Emory W., of Akron. Born and reared on his father's farm, the educational advantages accorded Joseph G. Chalfant were only those of the district school and he had to walk more than a mile to attend. In the early morning he would arise, do the chores around the place and then trudge off to pursue his studies. He was ambitious, however, and afterward took a correspondence course in engineering. He studied intensively and thus qualified for later service in that field. Thoroughness and energy, resulting in marked capability, have been outstanding features in his life work. He has always commanded and enjoyed the confidence and trust of his employers, to whom he has ever been most faithful. His first job was with the C. & G. Cooper Company at Mount Vernon, but after about a year he removed to Akron and became associated with the Wellman-Seaver-Morgan Company, machinists, for whom he worked for four and one-half years. On the expiration of that period he became connected with the McNeil Boiler Company, spending a year in the welding department. He next secured a position with the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in the engineering and experimental department and remained with that corporation for three years. On the 1st of June, 1913, he established his first independent business venture by opening a welding plant and from this small beginning the business has constantly grown until he organized his interests on the 5th of May, 1915, under the name of the Summit Mold & Machine Company. In August, 1919, they began the manufacture of molds and machinery for the rubber industry and are now the sole manufacturers of the Breitenstein tire mold and engraving machines so extensively used by tire manufacturers. The plant furnishes employment to from fifty to one hundred and fifteen people and is usually operated to capacity. Mr. Chalfant remains the president of the company and general manager of the business and has builded his success upon broad experience and thorough mastery of every task which he has undertaken. Appreciative of the social amenities of life, Mr. Chalfant belongs to the Fairlawn Country Club, the Tuscarora Country Club, the Pennsylvania & Ohio Rod and Gun Club of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, the Izaak Walton League, and to the Akron Automobile Club. He is also identified with the South Akron Board 438 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY of Trade and with the Akron Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Chalfant is fond of outdoor sports, and his recreational exercise is fishing, hunting and golf. Fraternally he is an Odd Fellow and in religious belief a Methodist. His life is well balanced in its interests and activities, and his business affairs find their counterpart in loyal and effective service for the public good. PROSPER WALES GOTT During the later part of his life Prosper Wales Gott lived retired from active business in Hudson and here passed away on the 5th of April, 1922, honored and respected by all who knew him. He was born in Summit county, June 18, 1846, and in the paternal line was of German and Irish parentage, while on the maternal side he came of an old American family. When he was still quite young he responded to the call of the country for troops to aid in the preservation of the Union and served for four years and four months in the Civil war as a member of the Nineteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry with the rank of corporal. Although but a boy in his teens, he displayed the soldierly qualities of bravery and loyalty equal to those of many a veteran of twice his years. He won a badge for bravery and took part in the battles of Missionary Ridge, Chickamauga, Stone River, Shiloh and many other engagements. For many years he attended Grand Army reunions. Following the close of hostilities Mr. Gott engaged in business for a time in town and then turned his attention to farming in his home county, not only tilling the soil but also conducting a dairy business on his farm, his capable management, close application and unremitting industry bringing to him a substantial measure of success as the years passed. Thus he acquired a comfortable competence which justified him in retiring from active business in 1903, at which time he took up his abode in Hudson, where he resided until his demise. It was on the 26th of January, 1869, that Mr. Gott was united in marriage to Miss Maria L. Oviatt, a native of Summit county, born of American parentage, her grandfather, Colonel John Oviatt, having held the rank of colonel in the War of 1812. Her parents were Luman and Lucinda (Craig) Oviatt, the former born in Summit county and the latter in Muskingum county, Ohio. Her father was a cattle dealer and farmer. Mr. and Mrs. AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 439 Gott had two children, of whom the daughter, Donna May, now deceased, was the wife of William Hoye. At her death she left two small children, Marvel and Ruth, who were adopted by their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Gott. The son, Thurman 0. Gott, is married and resides on a farm in this county. In community interests Mr. Gott took an active and helpful part and served on the school board for many years while living in Twinsburg. At all times he gave his allegiance and support to those measures which he believed would prove helpful to the district in which he lived. He was very widely and favorably known and beloved, having an extensive circle of warm friends, as has Mrs. Gott, who still makes her home in Hudson, where she is highly esteemed by all who know her. ROSS MENDENHALL Among the important industrial institutions of which Akron is justly proud is that of the Furnas Ice Cream Company, which has attained its present status under the able management of Ross Mendenhall, whose identification with the business covers a period of almost twenty years. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, December 3, 1880, a son of Edward and Ella (Weatherly) Mendenhall, the former also a native of that state, while the latter was born in North Carolina. The father, who was a successful farmer, died in 1924, and the mother passed away in 1914. They had four children : Orin, the eldest, is deceased, while the others are Ross, Mrs. Kate Barnett and Mrs. Maude Elliott. Ross Mendenhall was reared on a farm; attended the country schools and the Indianapolis high school, and received his degree of Bachelor of Arts from the University of Indiana with the class of 1907. After his graduation he took up educational work and for two years was an instructor in the public schools of Elwood, Indiana. He came to Akron in 1907 and has since been manager of the Furnas Ice Cream Company's interests in this city. Through close study and deep thought he has instituted well devised plans for the upbuilding of the business and under his management the small plant has been replaced by a large modern structure containing every appliance for expediting the work. It is situated at Nos. 34-42 North Broadway, and is one of the seven factories operated by this corporation, the others being located in Columbus, Ohio; St. Louis, Missouri ; and Fort Wayne, Indian- 440 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY apolis, South Bend and Terre Haute, Indiana. The company manufactures Standard ice cream and fruit ices unsurpassed in purity and excellence and has long been the recognized leader in its line of business in Akron. Among his other business connections Mr. Mendenhall is a director of the Depositors Savings & Trust Company of Akron. In Jamestown, Greene county, Ohio, Mr. Mendenhall was married to Miss Mary Robinson, a daughter of James Robinson and a member of one of the prominent families in that part of the state. Mr. and Mrs. Mendenhall have two children, Sarah Read, born March 14, 1912, and Robert, born December 16, 1914, both of whom were born in Akron. Mr. Mendenhall is a Knight Templar Mason and is a member of the Masonic Club, the Akron City Club, the Kiwanis Club, the Akron Automobile Club and the Silver Lake Country Club. He also belongs to the Akron Chamber of Commerce. In religious faith he is a Quaker. He has a high conception of duty and honor, and his business relations, like his standing as a citizen, fully measures up to these conceptions. He has resided in Suffield, Ohio, since 1926. ROY H. STULL Development work in Akron has received marked impetus from the well directed efforts of Roy H. Stull, an enterprising, farsighted business man and a prominent realtor and home builder. He was born August 20, 1878, in Millersburg, Ohio, and his parents, Frank W. and Mary C. (Hanna) Stull, were lifelong residents of this state. His father was a millwright and blacksmith and for many years was in the employ of the American Sewer Pipe Company at Barberton. Mr. and Mrs. Stull are survived by two children, Roy H. and Mrs. Grace Hummel, both of Akron. Roy H. Stull obtained his early instruction in Millersburg and was next a student in the Barberton high school. He learned the trade of a machinist and worked for a number of years for the American Sewer Pipe Company, becoming foreman of the shop. In 1917 he entered the employ of the Waggoner & Emmons Realty Company and was assigned the task of selling lots in one of their subdivisions. He was so successful that he decided to continue in that field of activity and in 1917 began dealing in real estate AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 441 and mortgages, becoming identified with the Holmes County Savings & Loan Association of Millersburg, Ohio, and the Ashland Building & Loan Company of Ashland, Ohio. Mr. Stull also entered the contracting business and in four years has erected and sold more than seven hundred houses in and near Akron. His buildings are substantially constructed and attractive in design, representing the best in workmanship and material consistent with the prices charged. In addition he makes loans and also writes insurance. He is sole owner of the business conducted under the name of the Stull Realty Company and president of the Stull-Shoop Contracting Company, which owe their success to his executive capacity and excellent business judgment. Mr. Stull was married March 30, 1919, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Miss Olga Kluth, a daughter of August Kluth of that city, and they have three children. Mr. Stull enjoys outdoor life and spends the summer months at his country home on the shore of Hower Lake. He is a member of the Akron Automobile Club, the Akron Real Estate Board and the East Akron Board of Trade. He is broad in his views, progressive in his standards and high in his ideals, a man whom to know is to esteem and respect. GEORGE A. ROHNER George A. Rohner, affectionately termed "Tony" by his many friends in Akron, has made efficiency his watchword, and the story of his career is the record of an orderly progression that has brought him from a minor position to that of treasurer of the Burger Iron Company, the largest structural iron concern in the city, in which his life has been spent. He was born February 14, 1882, and is a son of Joseph A. Rohner, whose sketch is published elsewhere in this volume. In the acquirement of an education George A. Rohner attended St. Bernard's parochial school, and his first commercial experience was gained in his father's grocery store, in which he spent several years. In December, 1899, he entered the employ of the Burger Iron Company, becoming a member of the office force, and soon demonstrated his worth to the firm. He was advanced through the various departments and is now treasurer and one of the directors of the corporation, with which he has been identified for nearly thirty years, serving the firm to the extent of his ability. Broad experience and close study have given him a detailed 442 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY knowledge of the iron industry and this is supplemented by the forcefulness and initiative of the true executive. He is a director of the Rohner Paper Company, controlled by his father, and also of the Industrial Fire Insurance Company, the Evans Building & Loan Company and the First Trust & Savings Bank of Akron. Mr. Rohner was married December 27, 1905, in Akron to Miss Eva M. Sutter, a daughter of Joseph and Henrietta Sutter of Akron. Mr. and Mrs. Rohner have three children : Robert George, who was born January 7, 1910, is a graduate of St. Vincent's Academy and is now a student at the University of Dayton; Genevieve, who was born February 9, 1915, is attending the school of Our Lady of the Elms; and Ralph Joseph was born July 23, 1924. The family reside at No. 912 Hereford drive, in one of the fine homes in the West Hill district. Mr. Rohner adheres to the Roman Catholic faith and is a devout communicant of St. Bernard's church. In the Knights of Columbus he holds the fourth degree and under his leadership was developed a program of widespread activities that brought more financial reward to the Akron Council and more civic good will than any previous efforts. He was made secretary and treasurer of the Knights of Columbus Building Company and reorganized its finances, secured additional stock subscriptions and led the way toward the construction of the new auditorium. Mr. Rohner is a member of the Rotary Club of Akron, of which he has served as trustee. He is a director of Akron Chamber of Commerce and belongs to the Automobile Club. His hobby is horseback riding and he is a member of the Portage Riding Club. Conscientious and energetic, he gives his best efforts to every cause that he espouses, and an exemplary life has won for him the high and enduring regard of all who have been brought within the sphere of his influence. GEORGE ANDREW MILLER, M. D. Prominent among the able professional men of Hudson and of Summit county is numbered Dr. George Andrew Miller, who is now successfully practicing, his ability being attested in the liberal patronage accorded him. He was born in Twinsburg, Ohio, July 30, 1875. His father, Robert J. Miller, a native of Ireland, was of Scotch-Irish lineage and came to the United States when a young man of twenty-two years. He wedded Amelia AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 445 Foster, who was born in Boston township, Summit county, Ohio, while her parents were Connecticut people. Dr. Miller was reared to young manhood on the old homestead farm, situated two miles south of Aurora, this state, and after completing a high school education in 1894 he entered the Western Reserve Academy, which he attended until 1897. He next became a student in the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and won his diploma in 1903, after which he matriculated in Tufts Medical College and was graduated therefrom with the class of 1908. During the years in which he was engaged in the study of medicine he also owned and conducted a drug store in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and thus he provided the means for his college course. It was in the year 1908 that Dr. Miller came to Hudson and opened a drug store, while two years later he entered upon the active practice of medicine and surgery, in which work he has attained splendid success, being recognized as one of the foremost representatives of his chosen profession in northern Ohio. Through close study, broad reading and wide research he keeps in touch with the trend of modern professional thought and progress and he employs the most advanced methods in his efforts to check the ravages of disease. The Doctor is a director of the National Bank of Hudson, also a director of the Hudson Library & Historical Society, and a member of the Summit County Medical Society, the Ohio State Medical Association and the American Medical Association. Dr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Rogers, of Hudson, who for years was instructor in institutional schools of Columbus, Ohio, and later did a similar work in the schools of Cleveland. She was prominent in social and club activities and in musical and church circles and at one time was matron of Hudson Chapter of the Eastern Star. She passed away at her home in Hudson, November 11, 1927, and her demise was the occasion of deep and widespread regret because of the kindly regard and the love entertained for her by all who knew her. On the 23d of June, 1928, Dr. Miller married Mrs. Helen (Lowman) Evans, of Hudson, who is a daughter of Matthew and Mary Lowman, of Cleveland. Mrs. Miller is a graduate of Western Reserve College and took postgraduate work at Wellesley College and Columbia University. For the past four years she was curator of the Hudson Library & Historical Society and pre- 446 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY vious to that time was a teacher in the public schools of Akron and also in the University of Akron for a time. Dr. Miller is a member of the Masonic fraternity and a past master of Hudson Lodge, No. 510, F. & A. M. He also belongs to Akron Commandery, No. 25, K. T., Lake Erie Consistory of Cleveland, and Al Koran Temple of the Mystic Shrine, also of Cleveland. He is past commander of Lee Bishop Post, No. 464, of the American Legion, of which he was one of the organizers, his right to membership being the result of his service in the World war as a member of the Medical Corps of the United States army, and at present he is a captain in the medical detachment of the One Hundred and Forty-fifth Infantry of the Ohio National Guard. He belongs to the First Congregational church and in its principles finds the motive spirit of his upright, honorable life. Always greatly interested in Indian relics, he possesses one of the finest private collections in the country and these are shown with many fine mountings, the work being done by himself. A broad-minded man of scholarly attainments, actuated throughout life by a spirit of kindliness and sympathy, he enjoys to an unusual degree the respect and confidence of all who know him and the warm friendship of many. CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH This historic church was organized at Tallmadge by the Rev. David Bacon, January 21, 1809, with a voluntary system of taxation upon persons and property, raising from two to four dollars a year. The Rev. Simeon Woodruff was the first settled minister. Services were held regularly in the old academy building, which stood upon the site now occupied by the church. For some years the people worshiped in the academy but in 1821 they decided to build a church, as the growth of the organization made this imperative. The new house of worship was dedicated September 8, 1825, and for more than a century the structure has been the center of the religious life of the community, being the oldest church building still in use in the state. A group in this church sent a contribution to the American board one hundred and ten years ago and in September, 1826, the women of the church organized the Female Association of Tallmadge, the first foreign missionary society west of the Alleghenies. The celebration of its centennial brought to light many AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 447 facts of historic interest. It seems that the constitution was suggested by William Slocum, the agent of the American board. The annual dues were fifty cents a year, and five collectors were appointed to secure silver, if possible, or if not, goods of various kinds. Cash was scarce in those days, but we find that in 1828 the society gave thirty-five dollars and sixty-five cents, a piece of cloth valued at sixty-two and a half cents, and four pairs of stockings. In 1843 the society sent eighty-three dollars to the American board, besides forty-two yards of flannel, which the donor undoubtedly spun and wove herself. By this time the church had begun to contribute to other causes—the Home Missionary Society, the American Bible, the Seamen's Friend and education societies. From 1843 the records are complete and show that for years the Congregational church of Tallmadge has been a decided factor in the work of moral and spiritual uplift and a strong force for good in this locality. This noble old church with its beautiful Corinthian pillars, all hand made, always kept fresh in its coat of pure white paint, and with its green window shutters, set in the midst of a grove of fine old trees, is truly an imposing picture of colonial times. The interior of the building is true to type and age—with a balcony around two sides and back of the auditorium. A modern pipe organ has been installed and an important feature of the church is its good music. An outstanding event in the history of the church was its centennial celebration, which started September 6, 1925, and was continued for three days. The present pastor is the Rev. William Henry Morton, whose biography appears elsewhere in this volume. GEORGE E. FURST George E. Furst, who resides on a small but highly productive farm near Twinsburg, has always been an earnest, systematic worker, and his prosperity is well deserved. He was born in Bedford, Ohio, July 1, 1868, his parents being Jacob and Mary (Hist) Furst, natives of Germany. In infancy they were brought to the United States and both were reared and educated in Bedford, Ohio. There they resided until 1902 and then removed to Twinsburg, Ohio, where they spent their remaining years. During the Civil war Jacob Furst enlisted in Company B of the One Hundred and Seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry and participated in the 448 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY battles of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Hagerstown, Maryland; Chancellorsville, Virginia; and Fort Wagner, South Carolina, valiantly defending the Union cause. In their family were eight children, five of whom survive ; George E., the second in order of birth ; William, of Cleveland; Albert, whose home is at Springfield Lake, a suburb of East Akron; and Charles Furst and Mrs. Lillie Belle Hardaker, who reside in Stow township, Summit county. In the public schools of Bedford, George E. Furst obtained an education and remained in that locality until he reached the age of thirty-four years, removing to Twinsburg with his parents at that time. In that vicinity he engaged in farming for many years, bringing his land to a high state of development, and rich harvests rewarded his well directed labors. His dairy was efficiently conducted and his income was also increased by the manufacture of baskets, made from the willow trees on his farm. In the fall of 1927 he purchased a tract of seven acres on the Stow-Hudson road and in the attractive home on this property he has since resided with his brother Charles and sister Mrs. Hardaker. Mr. Furst has demonstrated the value of scientific methods in promoting productiveness and has a highly specialized knowledge of agricultural pursuits, which have constituted his life work. He is a member of the Twinsburg Methodist Episcopal church and shapes his conduct by its teachings. His public spirit was prompted his cooperation in well defined plans and projects for the growth and betterment of his district, and his personal qualities are such as inspire strong and enduring regard and friendship. JACOB PULVER WRIGHT For twenty-five years a resident of Summit county, Jacob Pulver Wright left the deep impress of his individuality upon its business life and won national renown as an authority on the match industry. He was born in Amsterdam, New York, July 12, 1847, and was reared and educated in that state. Mr. Wright served his time as a machinist with the firm of Bogley & Sewell of Watertown, New York, and steadily worked his way upward, eventually becoming a master craftsman. In the spring of 1882 he entered the employ of the Beecher Match Company, then a subsidiary of the Diamond Match Company, and came to Akron in 1900, later moving to Barberton, where he spent the remainder of his life. During 1897 he was in Europe for six months, being AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 449 engaged in patent work for the Diamond Match Company, and in 1900 was again sent abroad. In 1904 he visited the Paris Exposition for the purpose of inspecting the match machinery on exhibition in that city and studying the methods of foreign manufacturers. His life work was the development and improvement of match machinery in all of its phases—a field in which he excelled. Many patents for machines and improvements now in use by the Diamond Match Company were taken out by Mr. Wright, who acted in the capacity of a consulting engineer and rendered to the corporation service of inestimable value. He was a tireless, painstaking worker but never too busy to give assistance and advice in matters pertaining to the manufacture of matches, having an exhaustive knowledge of that subject, in which he was deeply interested. Mr. Wright was at the head of the mechanical research department and remained with the Diamond Match Company until September 3, 1925, when he was killed by a speeding automobile. For some time he had virtually been pensioned and had just recovered from a protracted illness. His kindly, cooperative spirit was always in evidence, and all of his associates were looking forward with pleasure to the time when he would be with them again. While a resident of Watertown, New York, Mr. Wright was married December 25, 1871, to Miss Mary Jane La Fave, who survived him by two years, passing away May 25, 1927. They were the parents of five children. Charles Frederick, the eldest, who is connected with the Diamond Match Company, married Miss May Estelle Dennison, by whom he had three children : Marguerite and Corinne Estelle, at home ; and Charles Jacob, deceased. Bertha Viola, the next in order of birth, is the wife of Archer Henry Harris, who is now retired, but for many years was connected with the rubber industry. Dr. James Newton Wright, a prominent dentist of Pasadena, California, married Miss Mary Alice Beighley and they have one daughter, Mary Alice. Mabel Jeanette is the wife of William Leonard Klein and the mother of three children, Leonard Wright, Bertram Louis and Harriet Muriel. Harry Pulver La Fave, who completes the family, married Miss Mary Josephine Cranz and is living in Barberton. He is connected with the Barberton branch of the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company. Mr. Wright was a Mason and a member of the advisory board of National Lodge No. 558, F. & A. M. He attended the Presbyterian church and was an adherent of the republican party. Con-