Michigan

Biographical Sketch of Myron Bond Vorce

Myron Bond Vorce, born on August 14, 1871, in Cleveland, was the son of Charles M. and Evelyn Cornelia Marshall Vorce. He had a public school education and married Ethel Ridgley Stearns in 1903. Initially a clerk, he transitioned to engineering after joining a surveying team and later worked with E.W. Bowdich on Cleveland projects. Vorce was an assistant engineer for the Park Board and later served as a city engineer before founding Vorce Engineering Co., where he became president and general manager. He was an active member of various clubs, particularly in yachting.

Biographical Sketch of William Grant Smith

William Grant Smith was born on August 24, 1861, in Fox Lake, Wisconsin. He was educated in public schools and Ripon College. In 1902, he married Martha Chapin Wilcox and had one daughter, Josephine. Smith began his career with The American Express Co. in 1879, advancing through various roles, including superintendent of the Wisconsin and Michigan divisions, and holding key positions in Omaha and Chicago. He was active in several clubs and organizations, notably the Illinois Society, Sons of the American Revolution. His recreational interest included motoring.

Biographical Sketch of Ernest M. Sprague

Ernest M. Sprague, born on October 20, 1865, in Farmington, Michigan, was the son of Lorenzo and Laura G. Mead Sprague. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1888. After working as an assistant engineer for the Chicago & North Western Railway for six years, he joined the American Bridge Company in 1894, eventually becoming manager of its Cleveland branch. Sprague married Maude Sill in Denver on March 8, 1901, and they had two children.

Biographical Sketch of John Warren Taylor

John Warren Taylor, born November 10, 1851, in Mecca, Ohio, was the son of William D. and Mary A. Moran Taylor. He received his education from West Farmington Seminary and the University of Michigan, earning an LL.D. in 1898. After being admitted to the bar in 1876, he practiced law in Warren, Ohio, until 1884 and then moved to Cleveland. Taylor was an influential figure in real estate, holding leadership roles in multiple companies and serving on several boards, while remaining unmarried and adopting a daughter, Mary B. F. Taylor.

Biographical Sketch of Fred Schauffler

Fred Schauffler was born on November 24, 1876, in Millersburg, Ohio. He served in the U.S. Army during the Philippine Insurrection and the Boxer Uprising. Schauffler worked for the New York Central Lines from 1905 to 1911 before establishing his own real estate ventures in Cleveland. He is the president of the Schauffler Realty Company and the Factory Building Company, and is an active member of the Cleveland Real Estate Board and the Chamber of Commerce. He married Nina Knickerbocker in 1909.

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Philip Schmidt

Thomas Philip Schmidt, born October 8, 1875, in Cleveland, was a prominent attorney and active Democratic politician. Educated at the University of Michigan, he married Ami Mueller in 1906 and had one son. Schmidt served in the Ohio Senate from 1905 to 1908 and was involved in various transportation companies and civic organizations in Cleveland. Notably, he attended numerous state and national conventions and supported Tom L. Johnson’s political initiatives. His interests included athletics and gardening.

Biographical Sketch of George Bennett Siddall

George Bennett Siddall, born on December 13, 1866, in Oberlin, Ohio, was an accomplished attorney. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1891 and from Western Reserve Law School. Admitted to the bar in 1896, he joined the law firm of Henderson, Quail & Siddall in 1904. Siddall held numerous leadership roles, including secretary and general counsel for The Peerless Motor Car Co. and president of multiple refining and quarry companies. He was active in several professional associations and clubs in Ohio and Chicago.

Biographical Sketch of Roland Edward Skeel

Roland Edward Skeel, born on February 9, 1869, in Fulton, New York, was a prominent physician who earned his M.D. from the University of Michigan in 1890. He served as Dean of Cleveland College Physicians and Surgeons from 1902 to 1910 and held a professorship in gynecology at Western Reserve University. Skeel was affiliated with several hospitals as a consulting and visiting gynecologist and was a member of the American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association. He married Alva P. Boepple in 1893.

Biographical Sketch of John C. Skeel

John C. Skeel, a building contractor born in Sterling, New York, in 1846, was the son of Truman C. and Sarah M. Cooper Skeel. He married Carrie P. Stockwell in Dover, Michigan, in 1889, and they had five children. Skeel served two years in the Civil War with the 110th Regiment, New York State Volunteers. He held leadership roles in several companies and was an active member of various Masonic organizations, the Cleveland Builders Exchange, and the Chamber of Commerce.

Biographical Sketch of Albert William Smith

Albert William Smith was born on October 4, 1862, in Newark, Ohio. He received his Ph.C. from the University of Michigan in 1885, a B.S. from the Case School of Applied Science in 1887, and a Ph.D. from the University of Zurich in 1891. Married to Mary Wilkinson in 1890, he became a professor of chemistry at Case School of Applied Science the same year. A member of several professional societies, he contributed to various technical papers in society proceedings.

Biographical Sketch of Charles A. Ricks

Charles A. Ricks, born on August 14, 1868, in Knoxville, Tennessee, served as secretary and treasurer of the Kuhlman Car Co. after a varied business career that began as a clerk at the First National Bank in 1888. Educated at Kenyon Military Academy and Kenyon College, he moved to Cleveland in 1890, eventually managing the Cleveland station for Standard Oil. In 1900, he founded the G. C. Kuhlman Car Co., which produced electric and steam railway cars, employing 700 workers. Ricks was active in various organizations and enjoyed golf and fishing.

Biographical Sketch of William J. Pullman

William J. Pullman, a building contractor born in Bronson, Michigan, on August 21, 1861, was the son of Joseph E. and Sarah S. Parsons Pullman. He married Flora C. Kraimer twice, first in Bronson on November 14, 1880, and again in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 15, 1910. Pullman had two daughters, Faye and Vera, from his first marriage and a daughter, Madge, from his second. He was actively involved in several organizations, including the Masons and Sons of Veterans.

Biographical Sketch of Charles Shadrack Reed

Charles Shadrack Reed, born on September 17, 1862, in North Fairfield, Ohio, was a lawyer and prominent public official. After attending Oberlin College and the University of Michigan Law School, he practiced law in Kansas before becoming the prosecuting attorney of Wilson County. Reed served as a judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Ohio from 1899 to 1911. After resigning, he settled in Cleveland, forming a law partnership. He was married to Nellie B. Baughman and had five children.

Biographical Sketch of Clarence J. Roberts

Clarence J. Roberts, born on April 25, 1863, in Monroe, Michigan, had a high school education. He married Nativa Brillon in Cleveland on September 13, 1887, and they had nine children. Roberts served as the district manager for the Toledo Scale Company for nine years and was an active member of several organizations, including the Knights of Columbus, Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Industry, Rotarian Club, B.P.O.E., and C.M.B.A.

Danielson, Gustave Adolph – Obituary

Gustave Adolph Danielson, 79, of Utica, Michigan, passed away in Enterprise, Oregon on August 21, 1972, after a brief illness. Born in Sweden on January 24, 1893, he served in World War I and later retired from Chrysler Motor Company. A lifelong member of Lodge No. 4 AF AM in Rochester, he is survived by two sons, a daughter, and eight grandchildren. His wife Olive predeceased him in 1968. Funeral services will be held in Rochester, with burial in Birmingham, Michigan.

Biographical Sketch of Walter Cain Ong

Walter Cain Ong, born on November 24, 1848, in Jefferson County, Ohio, was a prominent lawyer and politician. He received his education from local schools and graduated with a B.A. from Richmond College in 1870, later earning his LL.B. from the University of Michigan in 1873. Ong served as Jefferson County’s prosecuting attorney and was later elected to the Common Pleas Bench of Cuyahoga County. He remained active in law until his retirement, also participating in local governance and various civic organizations.

Biographical Sketch of Charles Lathrop Pack

Charles Lathrop Pack, born on May 7, 1857, in Lexington, Michigan, was a prominent forestry expert and businessman. He studied forestry in Germany and explored forests across Canada and the U.S. He married Alice Gertrude Hatch in 1886 and led the Pack Woods Co., a major lumber manufacturer. Pack was active in conservation, serving on numerous committees and attending key forestry conferences. A Republican, he was involved in banking and education, and was a trustee of Western Reserve University.

Biographical Sketch of Benjamin Parmely

Benjamin Parmely, born on October 9, 1869, in Ashland, Ohio, was a prominent lawyer educated in Dayton public schools and later at Garfield University and the University of Michigan. He admitted to the bar in 1893 and held various legal positions, including service as an assistant U.S. attorney. Parmely married Mary E. Tolford in 1904 and had one daughter, Elizabeth. He was active in multiple legal associations and participated in several law firms throughout his career, focusing on corporation law.

Biographical Sketch of Henry S. Pickands

Henry S. Pickands was born on October 4, 1875, in Marquette, Michigan. He graduated from Yale in 1897, obtaining a Bachelor of Philosophy, and soon joined the family business, Pickands-Mather Co. He married Jeanne Call in 1899 and had four children. A prominent figure in local politics, Pickands served as the Mayor of Euclid from 1903 to 1908. He was a Republican and actively involved in several organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce and various clubs.

Biographical Sketch of Walter D. Meals

Walter D. Meals, born on January 4, 1872, in Mill Creek, Pennsylvania, was educated in local public schools and graduated from Keystone State Normal School in 1888. He taught school in Minnesota before earning an LL.B. from the University of Michigan in 1892 and practicing law in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. Meals moved to Cleveland in 1894, where he continued his legal career. He was active in local organizations and served as chairman of the Cuyahoga County Republican Executive Committee before becoming a judge on the Court of Appeals in 1913.