Indiana

Biography of James Colyer Gordon

James Colyer Gordon, superintendent of the waterworks system of Independence, had, together with his father, who for thirty years was engineer of the waterworks, had more to do with making this public utility a splendid and effleient organ of public service than any other individual. Independence had had a system of waterworks for thirty years or more. For many years it had been a municipally owned plant and the city corporation had expended an immense amount of money in perfecting the plant and the source of supply. The new water plant is located a mile and a half northeast of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Frank Jerome Bachelder

Bachelder, Frank Jerome; division engineer, B. & O.; born, Durand, Wis., July 5, 1877; son of W. F. and Mattie Bowman Bacheldor; graduate Univ. of Wisconsin; civil engineering; married, Butler, Ind., Nov. 15, 1904, Mabel Reed; one daughter; entered B. & O. service as rodman in 1900; transit man 1902; division engineer Aug. 10, 1902; inspector of maintenance, office chief engineer M. of W., Nov. 25, 1904; division engineer Shenandoah division, May, 1906; division engineer Wheeling division, June, 1907; division engineer Cleveland division, May 10, 1910; member Am. R. A. Engineering Ass’n; Kappa Sigma.

Biographical Sketch of Fred S. Borton

Borton, Fred S.; sec’y Cleveland, Painesville & Eastern R. R.; born, Plymouth, Ind., Oct. 25, 1861; public school education; came to Cleveland, 1881; with Geo. Cooper & Co., till 1884; then with the American Wire Co.; 1884-1891, with Dime Savings & Banking Co.; asst. treas.; elected sec ‘y Cleveland Electric R. R. Co., and the A. B. C. R. R. Co.; then in various capacities with the Everett-Moore Syndicate; in 1906, severed connection; with Herrick, Parmlee & Crawford, with which firm closely associated in 1904 and 1905; and with his brother, T. E. Borton, established the firm of F. S. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John Blechschmid

Blechschmid, John; florist; born, Germany, June 7, 1870; son of John and Christina Hess Blechschmid; educated, public schools, Germany, and Newport, Ky.; married, Cleveland, April 26, 1906, Marie Sterk; three children; 1893, worked for Eugene Walter, florist, Lexington, Ky.; one year for Wm. Jones, florist, Newport, Ky.; one year for Mrs. Hennings, florist, Cincinnati, and several other firms and private parties; then was in Indianapolis, Ind.; then back to Cincinnati, as head gardener in The Zoo; was there two years; in 1904, started his own business in Cleveland; designer and decorator; vice. pres. The Florist Club.

Biographical Sketch of Will P. Blair

Blair, Will P.; brick business; born, Plainfield, Ind., June 28, 1849; son of Enos and Margaruitte Blair; educated, Earlham College, Richmond, Ind., married, Indianapolis, Ind., Viola V. Sanders; issue, one daughter, Marion W. Blair; pres. National Paving Brick Manufacturers’ Ass’n, 1904-5; also pres. in 1910; member of American Ceramic Society; member brick committee of the American Society for Testing Materials; author of “Direction Direction for the Construction of Brick Street Pavements”; 1894 to 1909, sec’y and mgr. of Terre Haute, Ind., Vitrified Brick Co.; sec ‘y and member board of directors National Paving Brick Mfr’s Ass’n; member Ohio, Indiana and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Ernest Borton

Borton, Thomas Ernest; broker; born, Plymouth, Ind., Dec. 14, 1868; son of Dr. Amos 0. and Mary Cooper Borton; educated, high school; graduated in 1887; went to Wabash College, graduating in 1893; married, Elyria, O., Miss Elizabeth Lewis; issue, three children, Marion Frances, Jean Lewis and Robert Ernest; entered the employ of the American Steel & Wire Co.; worked for Dime Savings and Trust Co.; then became sec’y of the Reserve Trust Co.; then sec’y and treas. of the Prudential Trust Co.; resigned and went to California; after two years there returned to Cleveland as asst. cashier of the Cleveland … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Nathan H. Anspach

Anspach, Nathan H.; chief of tariff bureau, L. S. & M. S. R. R.; born, Evansville, Ind., June 19, 1873; son of Herman and Rosa Kaden Anspach; educated Evansville schools; married, Cleveland, Oct. 25, 1898, Sadie Goldsmith; two sons, Herman F. and Robert G.; 1889-90, clerk E. & T. H. R. R.; 1890-93, F. P. agt., E. & T. H. R. R.; 1893-97, sec’y G. S. A., C. & E. J.; 1897-05, C. C. G. M., L. S. & M. S. R. R.; 1905 to date, C. T. B., L. S. & M. S. R. R.; member Transfer Club, Cleveland, … Read more

Biography of Earl J. Andrews

Andrews, Earl J.; architect and builder; born, Wilmington, O., Nov. 16, 1882; son of William Garner and Rachel Seal Andrews; educated, Marion, Ind., high school and Marion Normal & Science College; married, Canton, O., April 10, 1904, Birdette Wertenberger; learned carpenter’s trade in Cleveland during summer vacations and in 1903 finished trade and took up drawing and de-signing at the same time following practical building work; in 1905 started in business for myself; was the first Cleveland architect to dispense with sub-contractors and employ my own labor and material, thus eliminating annoyance to clients in dealing with a great number … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles Henry Carleton

Carleton, Charles Henry; lumber dealer; born St. Clair, Mich., Sept. 18, 1859; son of George W. and Emeline P. Smith Carleton; educated, high school, St. Clair, Mich., and Business College, Valparaiso, Ind.; married, Wayne, Mich., Jan. 3, 1889, Janet L. Morrison; three children, George M., Margaret and Jean; after leaving school, entered the employ of B. W. Jenks & Co. in a lumbering operation near Grand Rapids, Mich.; came to Cleveland in May, 1885, and entered the employ of N. Mills & Co.; secured an interest in the firm the following year, and has been a member of the above … Read more

Biographical Sketch of W. H. Canniff

Canniff, W. H.; railroad business; born, Litchfield, Mich., Oct. 22, 1847; business career, entered railway service in 1863; until 1865 was night watchman on the Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana R. R., at Osseo, Mich.; February 1865, to August 1868, was agt. of the same road at Trenton, Mich.; August 1868, to August 1872, joint agt. of The Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana, and Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railways, at Salem Crossing, Ind.; August 1872, to December 1879, trackmaster of the Kendallville Division of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern R. R.; December 1879, to November 1880, trackmaster of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Vernon H. Burke

Burke, Vernon H.; attorney-at-law; born, Saybrook, O., Dec. 22, 1865; son of John F. and Minerva C. Stewart Burke; educated, Canisius College, Buffalo, N. Y., Stratton’s Business College, The University of Notre Dame; B. A., C. E., LL. B. degrees; married, Cleveland, Dec. 21, 1892, Matilda B. Hahn; one son, Vernon A. Burke, Jr.; Republican; served on police bench by appointment; senator from Cuyahoga county, 1896-1900; vice chairman Cuyahoga County Republican Committee; has been a trial lawyer; pres. James F. Allen Contracting Co., Cleveland Smelting Co., Idle-wild Co.; sec’y Guest & Buell Co., Fleishman & Smith Co.; director The Cleveland … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Amos N. Barron

Barron, Amos N.; manufacturer; born, Charlestown, Mass., Aug. 24, 1866; son of Henry and Elana Barron; educated, Prescott Grammar School, Charlestown, Mass.; Boston Latin School, Boston, Mass.; Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.; married, Cleveland, Feb. 11, 1908, Jane Carson; one year with The General Electric Co. in Lynn, Mass.; and for one year with one of their sub-companies in Chicago and New York; then entered the employ of The National Carbon Co., in 1894, as traveling representative; after 5 yrs. was made mgr. of the Noblesville, Ind., works; came to Cleveland to assist the general mgr. in supervision of the various … Read more

Biographical Sketch of E. Miller France

France, E. Miller; insurance; born, Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 30, 1866; son of A. J. and Annie Ainsworth France; educated, Philadelphia public schools, and Pierce School; after entering business, took full course in telegraphy and shorthand at night school; married, Roslyn, Long Island, July 7, 1891, Alice H. Leys; one son, Leys, and one daughter, Helen; from 18 to 42, was telegraph operator New York Division of The Pennsylvania R. R.; three years stenographer and private sec’y, four years as see’y and treas. the Standard Wheel Co. (the Vehicle Wheel Trust), of Indiana; 1897, entered the life insurance business, spending two … Read more

Biographical Sketch of C. Brenton Cook

Cook, C. Brenton; automobile business; born, Frankfort, Ind., Nov. 30, 1882; son of Jonathan and Dorcas Cook; educated, public schools, Rose Polytechnic Institute, Terre Haute, Ind., 1901-1905; married, Toledo, O., Feb. 3, 1910, Francis Florence Smith; one daughter, Francis Catherine; 1905-1906, graduate engineering apprentice; 1906-1909, sales engineer Bullock Electric Mfg. Co., Cincinnati, O.; 1909-1912 mgr. Allis-Chalmers Co., Toledo, O.; 1912, branch mgr. Stevens-Duryea Co.; member American Institute of Electrical Engineers; Bachelor of Science (B. S.); member Athletic Club.

Biographical Sketch of Willard A. Collie

Collie, Willard A.; supt. car service, N. Y., C. & St. L. R. R.; born, Martin, Mich., Nov. 28, 1871; public school education in Plainvill, Mich.; married, Fort Wayne, Ind., Sept. 20, 1897, Ella Crosby; two sons, Murray and Wayne; entered service of N. Y., C. & St. Louis R. R. March 10, 1890 as telegraph operator; then car distributor, chief clerk to division supt. and chief clerk to supt. transportation; appointed supt. car service, January, 1911.

Biographical Sketch of Mayo Fesler

Fesler, Mayo; sec’y Civic League of Cleveland; born, Indiana, 1871; son of Peter and Emma Collett Fesler; education, public and high school, Indiana; University of Chicago, Ph. B., 1896; post-grad. University of Chicago; three years fellow in History and Political Science; married, Chicago, June, 1901, Gertrude Fails; one child; sec’y Civic League of St. Louis, 1902-1910; sec’y Civic League of Cleveland since 1910; sec’y City Club of Cleveland, Ohio Municipal League and Cleveland Charter Commission; member City Club.

Biographical Sketch of Charles Harris

Harris, Charles; university prof.; born Albion, Ill., Nov. 19, 1859; son of George and Catherine Smith Harris; A. B., Indiana University, 1879; Ph. D., University of Leipzig. 1883; married. Mary McCalla, of Bloomington, Ind., Dec. 24, 1884; teacher in academy, Vincennes, Ind., 1883-1886; prof. French and German, Southern Illinois State Normal School, 1886-1888; prof. German, Oberlin College, 1888-1893, Western Reserve University, since 1893; member Modern Language Assn, America. Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Psi; Episcopalian. Author: German Composition, 1890; German Lessons, 1892; German Reader, 1895. Editor: Wichert’s An der Majorsecke, 1895; Goethe’s Poems, 1899; Lessing’s Hamburgische Dramaturgie (abridged edit.), 1901. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Max Hilman

Hilman, Max; merchant; born in 1875; educated, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; married, St. Louis, Mo., 1906, Helen Schwab; two children; for twelve years, mgr. and vice pres. the Emerson Elm Mfg. Co., St. Louis, Mo.; since 1908, vice pres. and treas. The Lindner Co., Cleveland; vice pres. and treas. The Wadsworth Co., Akron, O.; vice pres. and treas., The Wadsworth Stone Co., Cleveland; and vice pres. The Gruby Co., Logansport, Ind.; member The Chamber of Commerce, the Advertising Club, Oakwood, and City Clubs.

Biographical Sketch of William Nicholas Hailmann

Hailmann, William Nicholas; educator; born, Glaris, Switzerland, Oct. 20, 1836; son of William Alexander and Babette Hailmann; educated, Gymnasium, Zurich, and with tutor; studied in Medical College, Louisville, Ky., 1855-1856; (hon. A. M. University of Louisville, 1864; Ph. D., Ohio University, 1885); married Eudora Lucas, of Louisville, Dec. 24, 1857 (died 1904); 2d Helena Kuhn, of Detroit, Dec. 25, 1907; teacher of natural sciences, Louisville High Schools, 1856-1865; director German and English Academy, Louisville, 1865-1973; director German and English Academy, Milwaukee, 1873-1878; director German-American Seminary, Detroit, 1878-1883; supt. public schools, La Porte, Ind., 1883-1894; nat. supt. of Indian schools, 1894-8; … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Christian Girl

Girl, Christian; manufacturer; born, Elkhart, Ind., Dec. 31, 1874; son of Joseph and Catherine Linderman Girl; high school education, Elkhart, Ind.; married, Cleveland, September, 1909, Mehitable A. Schottler; organized The Perfection Spring Co. in 1906; organized The Gofy Engine Co. in 1909; and The Marianville Base & Filter Co. in 1912; has been pres. and mngr. of the above companies since; member Cleveland Engineering Society, Society of Auto. Engineers, and on Finance and Endowment and two other committees of same society; member Athletic, Advertising, and Automobile Clubs.