Toledo City (part 13 of 21)

Elmer Herman Gerson

Elmer Herman Gerson, president and treasurer of I. Gerson and Sons Company, is one of Toledo's well known and successful business men whose long identification with his line of business has given him a position of leadership and prominence that is outstanding in trade circles. It is true that he entered upon a business already established, but in the further development and conduct of the enterprise many a man of less capability would have failed. He has adapted himself to the changing conditions of the commercial world and progressiveness and straightforward business practices have been contributing factors to the continued success of the undertaking. Mr. Gerson comes to Toledo from the neighboring state of Indiana, his birth having occurred at Union City, October 3, 1878, his parents being Isaac and Caroline (Rosenfield) Gerson. The father was born in Germany, and came to America when about twenty-five years of age, locating at Union City, Indiana, where he entered the hide and fur business, in which he was engaged until his removal to Bucyrus, Ohio, in 1890. There he became identified with the scrap iron industry and was so associated until 1899, when he removed from Bucyrus to Toledo and here organized the firm of I. Gerson & Sons, continuing active in the business to the time of his death, which occurred on the 18th of October, 1917. He had thus for more than a quarter of a century figured in connection with an industry that became widely and favorably known not only in business circles of Toledo, but throughout northwestern Ohio and southern Michigan.

Elmer H. Gerson was educated in the public schools of his native city and of Bucyrus, Ohio, and later came with his parents to Toledo. From boyhood he was the active assistant of his father in business and upon the latter's death the business was incorporated under the style of I. Gerson & Sons Company, and Elmer H. Gerson became the president and treasurer. The business of this company is cogducted on a vast scale and is one of the largest in its line in this section of the country. Ninety employes and two yards covering seventeen acres, with an equipment of the best in the way of shipping facilities and the latest improved machinery materially aid in its operation.

In addition to the attention which he gives to executive control of the business, Mr. Gerson is likewise a director of the Commercial Savings Bank & Trust Company and president of The Gerson Realty Company. He has made for himself a most creditable position in commercial circles and is numbered among the city's strong and capable business men whose methods are clean and square.

Fraternally he is a Royal Arch Mason and he also belongs to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He is likewise a member of the Progress Club and of B'nai B'rith, a Jewish benevolent organization. Mr. Gerson is a man of generous spirit, constantly extending a helping hand where aid is needed' and ready at all times to help any movement or project that is of benefit to the city. The company has a branch office in Detroit at No. 1004-5 Book building.

William Edwin Williams, Jr., associated with the firm of Brown, Geddes, Schmettau & Williams, has despite his comparative youth gained a place of distinction in legal circles that many a man of twice his years might well envy. He was born in Jackson, Ohio, March 18, 1893, and is a son of William Edwin and Margaret (Evans) Williams. The father, who devoted his life to the practice of medicine, passed away December 26, 1911.

William E. Williams, Jr., obtained a public school education which was completed by a course in the high school of his native city. His further educational training was obtained in the Ohio State University, where he pursued the arts course until graduated with the class of 1915, and the law course, which won him his professional degree in 1917. On the 15th of May of the following year he enlisted for service in the World war as a private and was sent to the Fourth Officers' Training School at Camp Custer, Michigan, where he was commissioned a second lieutenant of the Field Artillery and assigned to duty at Camp Zachary Taylor near Louisville, Kentucky. On the 16th of August he was transferred to Camp Jackson in the replacement troops and later he was sent to the School of Fire at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Subsequently he was attached to the Fifty-eighth Regiment of Field Artillery at Camp Jackson near Columbia, South Carolina, there remaining until discharged on the 10th of December, 1918.

With his release from the army Mr. Williams came to Toledo and has here engaged in law practice, being now associated with the firm of Brown, Geddes, Schmettau & Williams. From the beginning he was recognized as one of the prominent representatives of the younger members of the bar. The thoroughness with which he prepares his cases, the unremitting study which he makes of every cause entrusted to his care and his forcefulness in the actual work of the courts have gained for him a notable distinction.

Mr. Williams belongs to the Beta Theta Pi and the Phi Delta Phi, two Greek letter fraternities, has membership in the Commerce Club, in the American Legion, in the First Congregational church and, along professional lines, in the Lucas County and Ohio State Bar associations. He enjoys golf and tennis and employs a portion of his time for needful recreation, but the major part of his attention is given to his professional duties and- those obligations which should claim the cooperation of every citizen.

Frank B. Folger

' Frank B. Folger is the manager of sales for the Jacob Folger estate, controlling the extensive pork packing and sausage manufacturing business which was established by his father, long recognized as one of the prominent business men of this city. Jacob Folger was born in Bavaria, Germany, April 16, 1844, and passed away at Toledo, April 13, 1916, at the age of seventy-two years, of which nearly sixty years had been passed in the new world. He was the youngest of the seven children who reached maturity, born to John and Catherine Folger, and between the ages of six and thirteen years was a pupil in the public schools of his native country. He then started alone for the new world to join his elder brother, who some years before had come to the United States and was engaged in the butchering business in New York city. After a voyage of seven weeks Jacob Folger reached the eastern metropolis and spent three years in a practical apprenticeship to the butcher's trade under his brother. In 1860, when sixteen years of age, he came to Toledo, where he worked in the market of Gottlieb Stahl, his wages being increased from eight to sixteen dollars per month. From this meager sum he saved an amount that in 1864 enabled him to start in business on his own account, although in a very limited way. In the same year he married the daughter of Benjamin Emch, who joined him in business under the firm style of Folger & Emch but who a year later retired from the firm. Mr. Folger then not only conducted a retail butchering business but also began the manufacture of sausage and gradually enlarged his packing facilities, so that after a few years he abandoned the retail trade, conducting the business exclusively as a wholesale enterprise. In 1883 his plant was removed from Central avenue, where the street railway barns now stand, to West Toledo and today covers several acres. Mr. Folger always made a specialty of packing pork and manufacturing sausage and won a high reputation in that connection throughout the state. A wholesale establishment is maintained whereby the products of the packing house are sent to the retailers. Some years prior to his death Jacob Folger turned the management and control of the business over to his sons, Charles A., Frederick J. and Frank B.

Jacob Folger was also much interested in the Forest cemetery, the municipal burying ground, and for years served as president of its board of trustees. Up to the time when he took over the executive management the financial report had showed an annual deficit, and it was due to his able control that it was placed upon a self-supporting basis. Politically Mr. Folger was a republican and at one time represented the fourth ward in the city council, where he made so admirable a record that his friends urged him to become a candidate for mayor, but this he declined to do. He belonged to the German Pioneer Association of Toledo and to the Druid Society. Such was the hospitality of his attractive summer home on the Ottawa river, which was always open to the entertainment of his legion of friends, that it became familiarly known as Folger's Country Club.

In 1864 Jacob Folger wedded Mary Emch, daughter of Benjamin Emch and a native of Wood county, Ohio. They became parents of the three sons previously mentioned and four daughters, of whom Amelia died in 1907, the others being Anna, wife of Charles J. Sanzenbacher ; Julia and Lena.

Frank B. Folger, who, like his brothers, has become active in the management of the business established by the father, was born in Toledo, September 27, 1881, and after attending the public schools continued his education in the Tri-State Business College. In 1916 he became identified with the pork packing and sausage manufacturing business which had been established and for many years successfully conducted by his father, and although he started out in a minor position, he has risen steadily, as he has gained knowledge of and experience in the business, to the responsible place of manager of sales. The business has thrived and developed under the careful control of Frank B. Folger and his brothers and is still conducted as the Jacob Folger estate. It has long since become one of the paying productive enterprises of the city and in control of sales Frank B. Folger by undaunted enterprise and progressive methods has contributed in no pall measure to the continued success of the undertaking.

On the 25th of January, 1910, Mr. Folger was married to Miss Crissa Grant and they have become parents of seven children: Jacob, born in 1911; Rada, born in 1912; Anna, born in 1914; Franklin, born in 1915; Helen, born in 1916; Bessie, born in 1918; and Charles, born in 1920.

Mr. Folger is politically an earnest republican and fraternally is connected with Toledo Lodge, Knights of Pythias. He is loyal to the public welfare in every way and supports all measures for the general good, but the major part of his time and attention is claimed by his business affairs and it has been his close application and unremitting energy that have brought him to the enviable position which he occupies in the business circles of his native city.

George Strafford Mills

George Strafford Mills, a Toledo architect whose work is known nationally, has made his home in this city from the age of nineteen. He is a native of England, born in London, December 5, 1866, his parents being George and Mary Huxley (Callow) Mills. In 1870 the father brought his family to the United States and settled in St. Louis, Missouri. He was a well known journalist who at one time edited the St. Louis Times, and also the Globe-Democrat of that city and was also admitted to the St. Louis bar. He died at Excelsior Springs, Missouri, August 18, 1890. His widow returned to England.

George Strafford Mills attended the public schools of St. Louis and also the Manual Training School of Washington University, from which he graduated in 1884. He then entered the office of George I. Barnett as a student, pursuing his studies in architecture under Mr. Barnett's direction. He came to Toledo to teach drawing in the Scott Manual Training School, then just started, and shortly afterward was made superintendent of that school, which post he occupied until in November, 1892, when he resigned this position to start his career as an architect, as a member of the firm of Mills and Wachter, an association maintained for five years, until April, 1897. Following the dissolution of this partnership Mr. Mills continued in the practice of his profession alone unti! April, 1912, when he organized the firm of Mills, Rhines, Bellman & Nordhoff.

During the many years of his practice of the profession of architecture, his name and the names of his associates: have been connected with the most important buildings erected in Toledo and in many cities of the country from Boston to San Francisco.

Mr. Mills became a member of the American Institute of Architects in 1900 and his standing in his profession is best indicated by the fact that in 1915 he was elected a fellow of the Institute, an honor which is bestowed upon only a few architects of marked distinction. He was elected vice president of the Institute and served on its executive committee, 1918-1919.

Mr.. Mills was married November 14, 1894, to Alice F. Baker, daughter of George and Fidelia Latimer Baker, who died September 25, 1913. They had two daughters, Fidelia Latimer and Elizabeth Mary, the latter of whom is deceased. On October 26, 1915, Mr. Mills married Stella A. Petersen.

Mr. Mills is a Consistory Mason, having attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite. He is a member of the Toledo Club, the Country Club and the Commerce Club and is active in many of the city's enterprises. He resides at No. 2268 Scottwood avenue.

George Joseph And William Joseph Kerscher

George Joseph and William Joseph Kerscher can rightfully be placed in the classification of self-made men. It has been due entirely to their own efforts and business integrity that success has attended them. From a small beginning they have builded their business until it has become one of the leading activities of its kind in the state.

George Joseph Kerscher, president of the Kerscher Elevator Company of Toledo, has reached his present creditable position in business circles, not by leaps and bounds but by a steady progression that has indicated the wise and careful use of every chance that has come to him for advancement. Born in Toledo, on the 17th of March, 1887, he is a son of Michael and Theressa (Reibmeyer) Kerscher, who came to Toledo in 1870. The father, who was a teamster and for many years was in the employ of an express company in this city, is now deceased.

The son, George Joseph Kerscher, was educated in St. Mary's parochial school, pursuing his studies to the age of fourteen years, when he started out to provide for his own support by obtaining the position of glass gatherer in a glass works of this city. He was afterward employed by the Richard Boiler & Engine Company for a period of two years and as he worked his way steadily upward he became imbued with the ambition to engage in business on his own account. He next became associated with his brother Joseph Kerscher, working for him until the formation of the Kerscher Elevator Company, which he joined his brothers, Joseph and William Kerscher, in organizing. They established their business upon a sound and substantial basis. The brother Joseph has passed away. The two remaining brothers continue active in the business, of which George J. Kerscher is now the president. To-day they are among the leading manufacturing men of this city.

George J. Kerscher is well known in club circles. He belongs to the Kiwanis Club, to the Toledo Automobile Club and also has membership with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Loyal Order of Moose, the Chamber of Commerce and Toledo Builders Exchange - associations which indicate much of the nature and diversity of his interest. He enjoys athletic and out-door sports particularly hunting and fishing, and to these turns for recreation from the arduous cares of business.

William Joseph Kerscher, the junior partner in the Kerscher Elevator Company, was born in Toledo, September 11, 1888, and he, too, attended St. Mary's parochial school, while later he pursued a course in a business college. He afterward became bill clerk in a wholesale house, in which he was employed for a time and in 1904 he entered the employ of his brother, Joseph Kerscher. Later he joined his brothers in the Kerscher Elevator Company, which was Brand in 1912, and which was incorporated in 1920, William J. Kerscher becoming the secretary and treasurer. The firm manufactures electric hydraulic belts and hand- operating freight and passenger elevators. Its new brick plant, in the 900 block on Michigan street, which is 150x75 feet and contains two floors and also a warehouse, 50x50, is equipped with the finest machinery obtainable and enables the company to render a superior workmanship in the building of its product.

While the Kerscher brothers are comparatively young men they have won wide recognition in Toledo's manufacturing and business circles. The two brothers have from the beginning been closely associated in the management and control of the enterprise, the labors of the one ably supplementing and rounding out the efforts of the other.

On the 16th of February, 1911, William J. Kerscher was married to Miss Christena M. Christ of Toledo and they are parents of two children: Francis and William Joseph, Jr. William Joseph Kerscher is a member of the Toledo Credit Men's Association, Toledo Builders' Exchange and the Toledo Automobile Club. Like his brother, William J. Kerscher finds great pleasure in fishing and hunting and when opportunity offers he makes a trip into the forest and to the streams for this purpose.

Richard D. Logan

Since 1909 Richard D. Logan has been identified with the Toledo bar, during which period he has won a well established position in the ranks of his profession, and his fellow practitioners unite in bearing testimony to his high character and superior mind. He was born in Waverly, Ohio, December 2, 1884, a son of James Wilson and Kate (Dougherty) Logan, who are also natives of the Buckeye state. For forty years the father has been connected with mercantile interests of Waverly and he is numbered among the leading business men and progressive citizens of that place. He has also been prominent in civic affairs, serving for one term as mayor of Waverly and also filling other public offices of trust and responsibility. The mother is living and three children have been born to them: Frank i. a noted cartoonist residing in Waverly, Ohio; Mrs. Robert Brown, who is living in New York city; and Richard D.

In the acquirement of an education Richard D. Logan attended the grammar and high schools of Waverly and then became a student at the Ohio State University, which conferred upon him the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1907, and at which time he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, the honorary scholarship fraternity. Two years later he received the LL. B. degree from that institution on the completion of a course in law. Coming to Toledo, he began his professional career, first becoming connected with the firm of Swayne, Hayes & Fuller, with whom he was associated for about four years, and he then engaged in practice independently until 1918. He has since been a member of the firm of Doyle & Lewis, engaged in general practice, and one of the leading law firms in the state, a liberal clientele being accorded them. Mr. Logan has a comprehensive knowledge of the principles of jurisprudence and he is noted for the precision of his briefs, the logic of his arguments and the skill with which he has handled cases of a difficult nature.

On the 5th of June, 1912, Mr. Logan was married to Miss Florence Durflinger at London, Ohio, her father being Judge S. W. Durflinger, a prominent jurist in Central Ohio. To this union has been born a son, Richard D., Jr., whose birth occurred in this city March 28, 1919. Mr. Logan is a member of St. Mark's Episco- pal church of Toledo and in his political views he is a republican. He is identified with the blue lodge in Masonry and is also a member of the Toledo, Toledo Country and Sylvania Golf clubs. His professional relations are with the Lucas County and Ohio State Bar associations and he is also a member of Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity and Phi Kappa Psi and Phi Beta Kappa, college fraternities. Close application, persistency of purpose and the utilization of the talents with which nature endowed him have brought Mr. Logan to a position of prominence in legal circles of Toledo and no representative of the bar of this city has a higher conception of the dignity and responsibility of his profession.

An investigation into the records of those who have at any period contributed in substantial measure to the growth, progress and improvement of Toledo indicates that in this connection mention should be made of Daniel Segur, Sr., who was a merchant and real estate dealer. He was born in Herkimer county, New York, in 1812 and was descended in the paternal line from English ancestry, representatives of the name having emigrated from England to Rhode Island in 1684. The name was originally spelled Seager, and was of Norse origin. It was so spelled down through and after the Revolutionary war. Mr. Segur's father so spelled it. The sixth generation in America changed the spelling, the Rhode Island branch taking Segar and the western branch, Segur. The History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, by Samuel Green Arnold, states that at the last general assembly Samuel Seager represented Kingstown, Washington county, Rhode Island. Samuel Seager's conimissions as captain, lieutenant colonel, colonel and brigadier general are all spelled Seager. The grandfather of Daniel Segur was a brigadier general of the Rhode Island militia in colonial days under King George I[I and was one of the first colonial officers who declared for the independence of the colonies after the Declaration of Independence was written. He was a man of means and invested his money in Continental scrip in order to aid congress to carry on the Revolutionary war. Notwithstanding the fact that he had held large landed estates his patriotic course brought him into straitened financial circumstances because of the depreciation of the Continental currency, and with the parents of Daniel Segur he removed from Rhode Island to Herkimer county, New York, where he died after a few years of suffering and invalidism, resulting from wounds sustained during the war for independence.

In the year 1815 the parents of Daniel Segur established their home in Oneida county, New York, where his father engaged in farming and in milling. That section of the country was then largely an undeveloped wilderness and the Indian tribe from whom the county took its name and had not yet been removed to western reservations, so that in his infancy and early childhood Daniel Segur became familiar with the adventurous life of the western frontiersman, with its hardships and privations. His father died in his forty-fifth year and upon Daniel Segur devolved the support of the mother, an invalid sister and numerous younger brothers.

In early life he evinced a leaning toward the legal profession, but because of the death of his father it was necessary for him to leave school and to concentrate his energies upon the immediate task of earning a living. When but fifteen vears of age he went to Utica, New York, and obtained a situation in a hotel, earning a small salary, the greater part of which he sent to his mother to aid her in caring for the younger children of the household. However, his industry, sobriety and perseverance attracted the attention of Henry Huntington, a wealthy and influential resident of Rome, New York, who at that time was president of the Bank of Utica. Through the influence of the banker Daniel Segur was to be sent to school, but his elder brother, who had established himself in business in Buffalo, induced Daniel to join him there and he did so, becoming a clerk in the Mansion House of that city. He was always a believer in the opportunities of the growing west and in 1832 he took another step westward by removing to Cleveland, where with his elder brother he conducted the Mansion House, the venture proving profitable until the autumn of 1835, when the hotel was destroyed by fire.

In the spring of 1836 Mr. Segur took up his abode in Toledo and here he conducted another hotel, also known as the Mansion House. This was a large wooden building situated between Lagrange and Locust streets and from the beginning the new enterprise prospered. Unfortunately for him, however, he was induced to enter upon the management of a more extensive and pretentious hotel project and, leaving the Mansion House, he completed a new hostelry known as the American Hotel at the corner of Elm and Summit streets. Then came a period of widespread financial depression whereby Mr. Segur lost every dollar that he had previously acquired. He thus had to begin life anew empty-handed, possessed of nothing Save courage and experience.

From time to time Mr. Segur figured prominently in the political life of his city, as well as in its business circles. In 1838 he served his first term as a member of the city council and for a number of years thereafter with only slight interruptions he continued to hold city and county offices. In 1842 he was elected street commissioner and during his term of service Cherry street was opened under his supervision through morasses, swamps and a jungle wilderness from the Manhattan canal to Tremainesville. Two years later Mr. Segur was reelected to the same office and under his direction a very extensive series of grades was projected and executed, regarded at that time as an almost Herculean task. Water street was graded from Monroe to Lagrange and Summit street from Perry to Elm, including the grading of the intervening and cross streets from Summit to Water street as far as Lagrange street. The whig party, of which he was an advocate, had now come into power and in 1845 Mr. Segur was appointed collector of canal tolls, holding the position for six years, receiving a salary of about fifty dollars per month. This enabled him not only to support his mother and younger brothers but also to invest a small sum in real estate in Toledo and vicinity and, starting in this way, he later developed a comfortable fortune. He was always strictly fair and just in his real estate dealings, never taking advantage of the misfortunes of a humble client but doing everything in his power to assist the poor to acquire property, frequently waiting as long as ten years after mortgages were due in order to collect the sum owing him. In the six years in which he served as collector of canal tolls he handled nearly half a million dollars of state funds and in less than a week after resigning the position to his successor his accounts were settled without the deficit of a single penny. Having always entertained conservative views upon the slavery question, when the whig party embraced an anti-slavery plank in its platform in 1855, with Salmon P. Chase as one of its leaders, he joined the ranks of the democratic party, with which he afterward affiliated. Notwithstanding this, whenever he was a candidate for municipal office he received the strong support of many republicans

In 1858 Mr. Segur was appointed deputy collector of customs and held the position until the close of President Buchanan's administration. Later he engaged in various industrial pursuits, carried on farming and dairying, engaged in the culture of tobacco, in real estate dealing and in merchandising. He conducted a retail boot and shoe store, also a merchant tailoring establishment and handled readymade clothing and men's furnishings. At times he lived on his farm in order more efficiently to manage his agricultural interests and when after a temporary absence he would return to the city he was always elected to the council or aldermanic board and in 1876 was the presiding officer of the board of aldermen. He was repeatedly urged to become a candidate for more important positions but preferred to give his time and energies to the development of the city in other ways and at no time was his cooperation withheld from any project which he deemed of vital worth to the benefit and welfare of Toledo.

In 1841 Mr. Segur was married to Lucy Keeler, a daughter of a pioneer resident of Toledo. She passed away after less than a year of married life. Ten years later Mr. Segur wedded Rosa L. Klinge, who was well known at that time as a journalist and became better known with the passing years as one of the editorial contributors to the Toledo Commercial, the Toledo Blade and several monthly publications. To Mr. and Mrs. Segur were born three children, one of whom died in infancy; Daniel, mentioned elsewhere in this work, who died in 1917; and Fannie, who is the wife of George W. Foster of Dallas, Texas. Mrs. Segur passed away in 1906. She was one of those devoted and consecrated women to whom the suffrage cause owes much. She was the dominant figure in the Toledo Association for nearly twoscore years and it was said of her: "She would have unflinchingly faced the cannon's mouth for her cause." That the work of herself and associates has borne fruit is a matter of history. That she might enjoy the rights and privileges of citizenship without the shadow of a doubt she took out naturalization papers February 23, 1895, having been born in Germany, although her marriage to an American would automatically confer upon her American citizenship. Mr. Segur died in 1876. Long did Mr. and Mrs. Segur remain active factors in the life of Toledo, contributing 'along varying lines to its development and progress and taking active part in promoting its transformation from a western frontier town into one of the metropolitan centers of the middle west. Mr. Segur did much to shape the policy and direct the destiny of the city as a public official and as a business man and his name is thus indelibly stamped upon the records of the municipality.

Herman Wiener

The history of a city does not depend entirely upon its machinery of government ordinance or even upon the men who occupy its public offices but also in large measure upon those who are directing its commercial and industrial activities, conducting interests which not only contribute individual success but also promote public prosperity. In this connection Herman Wiener is known, for he is one of the active and energetic manufacturers of Toledo, being president and treasurer of the Universal Glove Company. He was born in Russia, October 15, 1888, and is a son of Martin Zacariah and Mollie R. (Smilack) Wiener. The father was a wholesale grain dealer in Russia and died when his son, Herman, was a lad fourteen years of age. The latter afterward took up the task of supporting his mother as well as himself and remained in Russia until 1904, when he crossed the Atlantic to the new world, being at that time a youth of sixteen years. He made his way at once into the interior of the country, with Toledo as his destination, and here began earning his living as a laborer. He was energetic and ambitious and in order to win advancement he attended night school and throughout the intervening years has been a thorough student in the school of experience, learning many valuable lessons of life. For six years he occupied the position of scale master with Henry Rosen. In 1910 he organized the Universal Glove Company for the purpose of manufacturing cotton gloves, being very desirous to engage in business on his own account, so that his labors might directly benefit himself. A laudable ambition, therefore, prompted his establishment of his manufacturing interests, which were conducted under a partnership relation until 1915, when the business was incorporated under the present name, with Mr. Wiener as the president and treasurer. The company today employs one hundred and seventy-five people and has two hundred and seventy-five employes. The concern manufactures thirty-five thousand pairs of gloves per month. The plant is a three-story brick building, one hundred and twenty by sixty feet, and well supplied with modern equipment and machinery for carrying on the work.

On the 25th of December, 1915, Mr. Wiener was married to Miss Carrie Rosenbaum of Chicago and they have become parents of three children: Martin Zacariah, Virginia and Helen. Fraternally Mr. Wiener is connected with the Masons and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, while of the Loyal Order of Moose he is a life member. He also belongs to the Chamber of Commerce and thus gives tangible evidence of his interest in and support of all plans and measures for the general good. He has never regretted his determination to leave his native country and seek the opportunities of the new world, for in this country he has found chance for steady progress and step by step has advanced until his position as a manufacturer of Toledo is both a creditable and enviable one.

William H. Simmons

When determination, perseverance and talent are arrayed against drawbacks, poverty and trials, the result is almost absolutely certain. The former are invincible - they know no defeat. This truth finds verification in the life record of William H. Simmons, who was a man of marked force of character and by determined purpose and indefatigable effort rose from a humble position to one of prominence in business circles. His was the record of a strenuous life - the record of a strong individuality, sure of itself, stable in purpose, quick in perception, swift in decision and energetic and persistent in action. The story of such a life cannot fail to impress all who read it and certainly should serve as an example to others. Mr. Simmons was born in Toronto, Canada, July 12, 1837. He was left an orphan at the age of fourteen years, and thus thrown upon his own recources, he early called forth his latent powers, developing self-reliance and independence of thought and action. He spent two years in Syracuse, New York, and then went to Adrian, Michigan, where he was employed as a clerk in a hardware store at a salary of fifty dollars per year and board. Thus he worked until the outbreak of the Civil war, when he entered the commissary department at Chicago. Later he returned to Adrian and three times endeavored to enlist for active service in the Civil war but was rejected each time on account of physical disability.

The year 1865 witnessed Mr. Simmons' arrival in Toledo, where he became identified with the leather business as a partner of Orlando C. Smith under the firm style of Simmons & Smith, a relation that was maintained for a number of years. In 1879 Mr. Simmons became associated with G. H. Peabody, a capitalist of Boston, Massachusetts, in the manufacture and jobbing of beots and shoes. A substantial plant was developed and the output of the factory was sent over a wide territory. In 1894 this business was incorporated under the name of the Simmons Boot & Shoe Company and Mr. Simmons continued as the president and treasurer to the time of his death, which occurred April 3, 1906. In the meantime he had been active in developing the business to one of gratifying proportions and ere his demise the orphan boy of fourteen years, left without capital and with but limited educational opportunities, had become a commanding figure in the manufacturing circles of Toledo. He was also one of the directors of the Northern National Bank and his opinions concerning business matters were regarded as most sound and his discrimination particularly keen. ;

On September 7, 1865, Mr. Simmons was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Young of Adrian, Michigan, who survived her husband until December 30, 1921. They became parents of a son, Francis William, who is a native of Toledo and has succeeded his father in the presidency of the Simmons company. Mr. Simmons held membership in Trinity Episcopal church, in which he served as warden, and throughout his career his life was actuated by noble principles and the highest sense of personal honor. He never allowed individual interests or ambition to dwarf his public spirit or his activity, and his breadth of view not only recognized possibilities for his own advancement but for the city's development as well, while his lofty patriotism prompted him to utilize the lattter as quickly and as effectively as the former.

Louis J. Harpst possesses those qualities which make for leadership, and for thirty-two years he has been closely identified with business interests of Toledo as a heating contractor, during which period he has established a reputation as the foremost representative of his profession in the city. He was born at Monroe, Michigan, July 22, 1858, and his parents were George and Mary (Cronbach) Harpst. They were of European birth and the father came to the United States when but fourteen years of age. He was married in Monroe, Michigan, and in Monroe county, that state, he engaged in farming, in which he was quite successful, accumulating a comfortable competence, which enabled him to spend his later years in retirement. , His demise occurred in this city in 1908. The mother passed away in 1915, at the advanced age of ninety-one years. Eight children were born to them: Henry, of Toledo; Mike, John and Herman, residents of Monroe county ; and Mrs. Minnie Hoffman, Mrs. Carrie Rahm, Mrs. Louise Reiger and Louis J., all of whom are living in this city.

In the acquirement of an education, Louis J. Harpst attended the district schools of Monroe county, Michigan, and afterward completed a course in the

Loe J. Harpst Toledo Andolucas. County 403

Tri-State Business College of Toledo. He secured employment with E. H. Kuhlman & Company, with which he was connected for two years, and in 1890 he embarked in business on his own account as a sheet metal manufacturer and heating engineer, roma small beginning the business has been developed to one of extensive proportions, keeping pace with the growth of the city, and Mr. Harpst 'has incorporated his interests, which are now conducted under the style of the Hoffman & Harpst Company. He is president of the firm and has installed heating systems in a large number of public buildings and private residences. He was awarded the heating contract for the Orphans' Home and the plant of the Toledo Machine & Tool Company and since he entered this field of activity has installed over twentyfive hundred heating systems in Toledo, a record unsurpassed by any other firm in the city. Mr. Harpst was one of the organizers, and has been president since its inception of the Kuhlman Engineering Company, which is recognized as one of the leading concerns of its character in the city. He has become recognized as an authority on heating engineering and his work represeuts the highest degree of efficiency in his line.

On April 3, 1890, Harpst married Miss Louise Hoffman, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Hoffman of Toledo, and they have become the parents of five children: Gertrude, the eldest, completed her education in the Scott high school of this city; Ruth is a teacher in the La Grange school of Toledo; George completed a course in mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan and is now connected with his father in business. During the World war he enlisted for service in the United States army; Clarence served in the navy during the war with Germany and he was also graduated from the State University of Michigan as a mechanical engineer, being now associated with his father and brother in business; Elsie is a graduate of the Scott high school and also resides at home.

Mr. Harpst is a Lutheran in religious faith and his political support is given to the republican party. He is identified with the Masonic fraternity and also has membership with the Exchange Club, the Builders Exchange and the Chamber of Commerce. He is a self-made man, before whom the door of opportunity has swung open because of his enterprise and perseverance, and one of the most important industries of the city stands as a monument to his initiative spirit, his powers of organization and his executive ability.

Educational interests of Toledo find a prominent representative in R. H. Demorest, who for the past ten years has been principal of the Scott high school, and his jong retention in this position is proof of his professional ability and the value of the service which he is rendering the city. He was born in Marysville, Ohio, December 25, 1880, a son of Louis B. and Sarah (Marshall) Demorest, who are also natives of this state, in which they have always resided. For forty- three years the father was engaged in educational work at Marysville, where he is now living retired, and he is widely known and highly esteemed in his community. Mr. and Mrs. Demorest have become the parents of five children: Francis M., a well known chemist of Columbus, Ohio; R. H.; D. J., who is also a prominent educations and has charge of the department of metallurgy at the University of Ohio, being

In 1898 R. H. Demorest was graduated from the Marysville high school and he next entered the Ohio State University, in which he completed a scientific course in 1904. In the fall of that year he took up the profession of teaching, which he has since successfully followed, first going to Greenville, Ohio, and later to Parkersburg, West Virginia. In 1906 he came to Toledo to become an associate teacher in the physics department of the Central high school, with which he was connected until 1913, when he was made principal of the Scott high school, and has since served in that capacity. He keeps in touch with the most advanced thought of the day in regard to the control and management of public schools, has instituted many improvements and innovations in the curriculum and methods of instruction and under his able direction the school has made splendid progress. He has secured the hearty cooperation and enthusiasm of both the teachers and pupils and excellent results have attended his efforts. j

At Marysville, Ohio, on the 17th of August, 1904, Mr. Demorest was married to Miss Harriet Wiltsie, a daughter of the Rev. T. L. Wiltsie, now deceased, formerly pastor of St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal church of this city. Mr. and Mrs. Demorest have no children but their niece, Margaret, a daughter of Professor D. J. Demorest, resides with them. Mr. Demorest is a member of the committee of religious education in Toledo and his deep interest in the welfare and progress of the city along material lines is indicated by his membership in the Chamber of Commerce. He holds to high standards in his professional work and is a worthy representative of a family which for many years has figured prominently in educational circles of the state. =

Leo Edward Guthrie

Leo Edward Guthrie, a veteran of the World war, now engaged in the general practice of law in association with the well known firm of Brown, Geddes, Schmettau & Williams, was born June 28, 1894, in Bloomdale, Ohio, a son of Harvey James and Venie Ann (Bushong) Guthrie. The father is a real estate dealer and broker of Toledo who removed to this city in 1903.

Leo Edward Guthrie was at that time a youth of nine years and his early education, begun in the schools of Bloomdale, was supplemented by further study in the public schools of this city and in the Central high school, while sitll later he attended the Davis Business College and also the Toledo Conservatory of Music, for the arts have also found expression in his interests and activities as well as the profession which he has made his life work. His more specific literary and law courses were pursued in the Toledo University and St. Johns College, one and onehalf years of which he spent in the. study of law at the latter institution, attaining his LL. B. degree in 1918. He then entered upon general practice and is now associated with the firm of Brown, Geddess, Schmettau & Williams, one of the strongest law combinations in Ohio. He belongs to the Lucas County Bar Association and to the Ohio State Bar Association.

Mr. Guthrie is a veteran of the World war, having in April, 1918, entered the office of the judge advocate general. He first joined the infantry as a private and was advanced to top sergeant, following which he was transferred to Washington for service as previously indicated, there remaining until December, 1918. He was made battalion sergeant major, J. A., two months later was promoted to the rank of regimental sergeant major and was discharged with the latter rank, July 31, 1919. When his military duties were ended he returned to Toledo and resumed his association with the firm of Brown, Geddes, Schmettau & Williams, a connection that is most helpful in his law work, while his practice is steadily increasing, both in volume and importance.

Mr. Guthrie is an active member of the Vernon McCune Post, American Legion, and his interests are those of a broad-minded and progressive young man whe recognizes and meets the obligations of loyal American citizenship.

Edward Hale Belden

One of the chief factors in the rapid development and upbuilding of Toledo has been the automobile industry and it now ranks as the second city in the United States in the extent and importance of its interests along this line. Among the largest and most important industries of this nature which have been established - in Toledo is the Willys-Overland Company, of which Edward Hale Belden is the vice president and chief engineer, and broad experience and superior professional ability well qualify him for the discharge of the responsible duties which devolve upon him in these connections. He was born in Jackson, Michigan, December 23, 1868, a son of Eugene and Harriet (Wildey) Belden, who were natives of Michigan and spent their lives in that state, the father devoting his attention to the occupation of farming. Both Mr. and Mrs. Belden have passed away. In their family were four children: Milton E., Judson E. and Gracie E., all of whom are still residing in Jackson; and Edward Hale.

The public schools of Jackson, Michigan, and the Detroit Business College afforded Edward Hale Belden his educational opportunities and when but fourteen years of age he became connected with the machinery department of the McCormick Harvester Company of Chicago, as a field expert. Later he took up the study of electrical engineering, gaining practical experience in the plants of the Fort Wayne and Westinghouse Electric companies. He completed his apprenticeship with the former firm, with which he remained for several years, and he afterward joined the Packard Motor Company of Detroit as assistant chief engineer, filling that position for three years. In 1916 he came to Toledo and has since been connected with the Willys-Overland Company, of which he is now serving as chief engineer and vice president. He is a man of marked ability in his chosen field and during the period of his identification with the firm he has designed all of the product for the Overland and Willys- -Knight Company. His scientific knowledge and practical turn of mind have enabled him to find a ready and correct solution for difficult engineering problems and his work represents the highest degree of efficiency in the line in which he is specializing. He also possesses marked executive force and the ability to think in large terms and much of the prestige which the company today enjoys is attributable to his seasoned judgment and well directed efforts.

On the 2d of June, 1916, Mr. Belden was united in marriage to Miss Florence Phillips of New York city, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Phillips. Mr. Belden is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, the Toledo Club, the Inverness Country Club, the Toledo Automobile Club and the Detroit

Athletic Club and his political allegiance is given to the republican party. From an early age he has depended upon his own resources for a livelihood and his life history constitutes a splendid example of notable achievement through individual effort. His constantly expanding powers have taken him from humble circumstances to the field of large enterprises and continually broadening opportunities and he stands today among the foremost representatives of his profession.

Robert Williams Lang

Robert W. Lang, a member of one of the old and prominent families of Toledo, is widely and favorably known in this city, in which his life has been passed. He is recognized as an enterprising and progressive young business man, and as general manager of the Toledo branch of the Standard Manufacturing Company he is filling a position of large responsibility, to which he has risen through merit and ability. He was born in this city March 26, 1887, and is a son of Augustus H. and Sarah A. (Bodley) Lang, the former also a native of Toledo. The mother was born at Angola, Indiana, and came to this city in 1881, soon after her marriage. From 1887 until 1899 A. H. Lang served as secretary and treasurer of the Shaw- Kendall Engineering Company and in the latter year he withdrew from the firm, purchasing a large farm at Ontario, Virginia, but after operating that property for a few years he returned to his native city, in which he is now living retired, and the mother also survives. Seven children were born of their union, namely: Mrs. Florence Rawlinson, who resides at Shanghai, China; Frank G., deceased ; Robert W., of this review; Delmar A., a traveling salesman, whose home is at Minneapolis, Minnesota; Alfred A., of Miami, Florida; Warren C., who is serving as postmaster of Ontario, Virginia; and Howard K., also a resident of Minneapolis.

Robert Williams Lang completed his education in the Central high school of Toledo, from which he was graduated in 1906, and he started out in the business world as office boy for the National Supply Company. He was with that firm for eight years and at the time of his resignation was acting as one of their traveling salesman. He accepted a similar position with the Standard Sanitary Supply Company, with which he has since been identified, and his advancement has been rapid. In 1919 he became assistant manager and on August 15, 1922, he was made manager of the Toledo branch, succeeding O. C. G. Brettell, who was placed in charge of the business at Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Mr. Lang is well qualified for this office, owing to his experience and ability and is bending every effort toward the further development of the interests under his charge, this being one of the large branches of the company in the country.

At Detroit, Michigan, on the Ist of November, 1911, Mr. Lang was married to Miss Blanche M. Gilday, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Gilday of Toledo. Mr. and Mrs. Lang have three sons: Robert W., Norman E. and Joseph F. Mr. Lang has never been unmindful of the duties of citizenship and through his membership in the Chamber of Commerce he is working effectively to promote the industrial prosperity of Toledo and expand its trade relations. He is a member of Barton Smith Lodge, F. & A. M., and also is identified with the Springfield, Ohio, lodge of Elks. He is likewise a member of the Optimist Club and his political tenets are those of the republican party. He has always endeavored to perform his duty according to the best of his ability and each step in his career has brought him a broader outlook and wider opportunities. His success has been founded upon hard work and perseverance and his life has been an exemplary one in all respects, winning for him the respect, confidence and goodwill of all with whom he has been associated.

James Henry Pheatt

James Henry Pheatt, a lifelong resident of Toledo, his connection with the city covering fifty-three years, passed away on the 12th of January, 1915. In the course of his active career he had been closely associated with business enterprises and with the political activity of his native city and was accorded leadership in democratic circles. Born on the 28th of September, 1861, he was a son of Gideon Kelsey and Anna Beatrice Pheatt. He represented one of the old New England families long since established on the Atlantic seaboard. His paternal grandfather was at one time governor of Vermont. The father was a gunsmith by trade and attained a point of expert efficiency in the line of his chosen occupation.

James Henry Pheatt, spending his youthful days under the parental roof, was a pupil in the public schools of Toledo and on starting out in the business world accepted a position with the Walding, Kinnan & Marvin Company, wholesale druggists, under whose direction he received his initial commercial experience. Later, in company with Frank I. King, he turned his attention to the dredging business, which they developed until their enterprise was a large and profitable one. They engaged in dredging sand, for which they found a ready sale, and Mr. Pheatt was connected with the undertaking for some time. He afterward became actively interested in politics and was elected a member of the city council, while subsequently he was chosen president of the council, exercising his official prerogatives in support of many plans and projects of direct public benefit. He was also elected to and filled the office of city auditor.

After a time, however, Mr. Pheatt again entered the commercial field by engaging in the tailoring business in connection with D. E. Nolan, while later he became manager of the Toledo Transfer Company and ultimately, associated with Alexander Arnold, he purchased the Merchants Delivery and was still actively interested in that business at the time of his demise, which occurred on the 12th of January, 1915.

Mr. Pheatt always gave his political allegiance to the democratic party and was recognized as one of its foremost representatives in this city, his opinions long carrying weight in its councils. Fraternally he was an Elk and active.as chairman of the building committee having in charge the erection of the attractive Elks home in Toledo. His religious faith was that of the Presbyterian church and his life was guided at all times by the highest principles and standards of -manhood and of citizenship.

Mr. Pheatt was married in Fremont, Ohio, July 5, 1892, to Miss Fannie Giralda Thompson, a daughter of John Pease and Nancy (Smith) Thompson. Her father was born in Fremont and was descended from Revolutionary war ancestry. There is to be seen a memorial at Spiegel Grove, Fremont, the former home of President Hayes, erected there in honor of the grandfather, Captain Thompson. Mrs. Pheatt is a graduate of the Fremont high school and came to Toledo, where she specialized in the study of piano, voice culture and pipe organ. She possesses a voice of rare sweetness and made rapid advancement in the art of music. She was then sent to New York, where she studied voice under Senor Erani, and having completed her course in the eastern metropolis returned to Toledo, where she has sung at different times in all of the leading churches of the city, including the Protestant, the Catholic and the Jewish. Since the death of Mr. Pheatt she has occupied the position of supervisor of music in the public schools. To Mr. and Mrs. Pheatt were born seven children: Babette, Geralda, Nancy, Mary, James H., Jr., all of whom are graduates of the Toledo high school; Jeanne; and John. While the life record of James H. Pheatt covered but fifty-three years, he had gained for himself a most favorable position in the regard of his fellow townsmen and had made for himself a creditable place in the business and political circles of the city. His life was characterized by a marked devotion to duty and loyalty to any task which he attempted and thus it was that he made his labors extremely useful in the accomplishment of given purposes. His social qualities, too, endeared him to those who knew him and when he passed on he left behind him many friends.

N. J. Rier

The record of N. J. Rier furnishes a striking illustration of the power of perseverance and industry in the attainment of prosperity, for he is a self-made man who began life as an office boy and although but thirty-one years of age he is now at the head of one of the large mercantile houses of Toledo. He is one of Toledo's native sons and was born January 21, 1891, of the marriage of Barnard F. and Elizabeth (Sattler) Rier, the former a native of Minster, this state, and the latter of Cleveland. The father passed away in Toledo on the 5th of March, 1922, when sixty-four years of age, and for many years he had been in the service of the Lake Shore Railroad Company. The mother is still a resident of this city. To Mr. and Mrs. Rier were born five children: N. J., Carl, Anthony, Irene and Mrs. Francis Bodette, all of whom are living in Toledo.

In the acquirement of an education N. J. Rier attended St. Peter's parochial school and after completing a course at the Metropolitan Business College he entered the employ of the Berdan Company, wholesale grocers of Toledo. Starting as office boy, he zealously applied himself to his duties and as his experience and value increased he was intrusted with greater responsibilities, at length becoming traveling salesman. He was one of the most successful representatives of the firm and in 1913 was awarded the first prize as the result of a three months' contest, being presented with a gold watch. In 1919 he again received the first prize for salesmanship, winning the Harry Balf cup, which is one of his most cherished possessions. For fifteen years Mr. Rier remained with that concern, which he left on the 15th of June, 1920, with the good wishes of his fellow workers and employers, to establish a business of his own, organizing the N. J. Rier Company, of which he has since been the president. The other officers are: C. W. May, vice president; O. F. Smith, secretary; James Monaghan, treasurer: and P. J. Stalder, sales manager. They are wholesale confectioners handling several lines but featuring the Schrafft's brands principally. The business is capita ed at twenty-five thousand dollars, all of the stock having been subscribed for, and about ten persons are employed in the establishment, while seven salesmen cover the city and vicinity. Mr. Rier is keenly alive to. every new avenue opened in the natural ramifications of the trade and his initiative spirit and executive powers have found expression in the development of a business of large proportions.

On the 5th of September, 1916, Mr. Rier was married to Miss Margaret Monaghan, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William J. Monaghan of Toledo, and they have become the parents of two sons: Norman J.,.who was born in 1917; and Robert, born in 1919. Mr. Rier is a Roman Catholic in religious faith and he is also identified with the Knights of Columbus, in which he has taken the third degree. His public spirit is denoted by his membership with the East Side Commercial Club and he is independent in his political views, placing the qualifications of a candidate above all other considerations. He is a young man of energy, determination and superior business ability who has made a success of everything that he has undertaken, and Toledo has greatly profited by his progressive spirit and intelligently directed activities.

Carl Bovee Spitzer

Carl B. Spitzer is a partner in the firm of Spitzer-Rorick & Company, and also vice president of the Spitzer-Rorick Trust & Savings Bank. He was born in Amherst, Ohio, on the 7th of February, 1877, the eldest son of Adelbert Lorenzo and Sarah Elizabeth (Strong) Spitzer, of whom mention will be found elsewhere in this work.

Carl B. Spitzer's parents removed to Toledo when he was but five years old. He graduated from the Toledo high school with the class of 1894, and attended Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, one year. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale with the class of 1899.

Mr. Spitzer began his business career with the pioneer bond house of Spitzer & Company, of which his father was one of the founders and a partner during the nearly forty years of its existence. This company was founded in 1882, by C. M. and A. L. Spitzer, and was the first bond house west of New York city to engage in the buying and selling of municipal bonds exclusively. On February 1, 1911, the firm name was changed to Spitzer-Rorick & Company, which maintains a foremost position among the leading bond and high grade investment security houses in Toledo.

Mr. Spitzer was one of the organizers of the Spitzer-Rorick Trust & Savings Bank and through his various connections occupies a prominent position in the financial life of the city.

On the 14th of September, 1904, Carl B. Spitzer was married to Miss Edna Josephine Brown, a daughter of Calvin Brown, who served for some time as president of the Toledo Public Library. Mr. and Mrs. Spitzer have four daughters : Jane, Nancy, Suzanne and Sarah. The religious faith of the family is that of the Episcopal church. Mr. Spitzer is also an active member of the Toledo Commerce Club, of which he was president in 1915, and he belongs to the Toledo | Museum of Art, of which he is a trustee, to the Toledo Club and to the Toledo Country Club. He is active in the Federated Charities and in various organizations for Toledo's betterment and benefit and is likewise associated with activities public-spirited citizens who do many unselfish things to advance public movements, from genuine civic pride. Mr. and Mrs. Spitzer are well known in Toledo's best social circles.

George. Vu. Rouled

George U. Roulet, a member of one of the prominent pioneer families of Toledo, is president of the oldest manufacturing jewelry house in the city, having operated his present business for the past forty-five years, and throughout the period the firm name has stood as a synonym for high class workmanship, integrity and reliability in commercial circles here. He was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, May 12, 1857, and his parents were Frederick G. and Mary Emma (Callame) Roulet, both of whom were natives of Switzerland. On leaving that country they first established their home in Hoboken, New Jersey, where the father found work in New York city, at his trade - that of watchmaking - which he had learned in his native land. It is generally conceded that the Swiss watchmakers are the most expert and Mr. Roulet had acquired great skill in his work. On the 3d of July, 1866, he brought his family to Toledo and successfully followed his trade in this city until his demise.

His son, George U. Roulet, was but nine years of age at the time his parents settled in Toledo and he obtained the greater part of his education in the schools of this city, being graduated from high school in 1871. On starting out in life for himself he decided to follow in the footsteps of his father and completed his apprenticeship in the establishment of S. K. McKinstry, a well known manufacturing jeweler of this city. He was four years in learning the trade, starting with a salary of a dollar and a half a week, and he continued to follow this occupation in the employ of others until 1877, when he engaged in the manufacture of jewelry on his own account, establishing what is now The Roulet Company, which has since enjoyed a prosperous existence; the business developing with the growth of the city. Hes president of the firm and his two sons are associated with him in the conduct of the business, which has become one of large proportions, the house having. ever maintained a position of leadership in connection with the jewelry trade of the city. Mr. Roulet keeps thoroughly informed concerning all new developments in his line of work and his establishment, which is located at No. 319 Superior street, is conducted along the most modern and progressive lines. "Gifts that last" are made by The Roulet Company and not infrequently a piece of jewelry made by the firm from thirty to forty years ago turns up, its condition attesting the quality of materials and workmanship put into it. The firm's business is custom work, consisting of special orders mainly, and it manufactures emblematic goods of every description, including medals and presentation jewels, while for the past few years the concern has made quite a feature of covering wedding rings. Its shop equipment is complete and it makes up as wide a variety of alloys as any manufacturing jewelry house in the country. The establishment is a credit to the city and stands as a monument to the ability and enterprise of its founder.

On the 27th of October, 1880, Mr. Roulet was married to Miss Martha Schulle, a daughter of Mr, and Mrs. William Schulle, prominent residents of Toledo, and they have become the parents of three children, of whom Cornelia Belle is the eldest. She was educated in the public schools and resides at home; Lloyd E., the next in order of birth, attended the local schools and is now serving as vice president of The Roulet Company. He married Miss Edna B. Lewis, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George L. Lewis of Toledo, and they have two daughters, Ruth and Alice; Norman L., the youngest member of the family, is a capable young business man and is filling the offices of secretary and treasurer of the company of which his father is the head. During the World war he enlisted in the aviation department of the United States army and spent seventeen months in training camps.

Mr. Roulet, Sr., was a member of the Ohio National Guard from 1871 until 1899 and retired with the rank of major of artillery. He is a valued member of the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and in civic affairs he has ever been deeply and helpfully interested. He was a member of the commission which granted a franchise to the street railway company, from 1894 until 1898 he served on the board of aldermen, while from 1898 until 1901 he filled the office of city auditor, doing effective service in both connections. Since 1883 he has been identified with Masonry, having attained the Knights Templar degree in Toledo Commandery, and at present is commander of LaFayette Lyttle Commandery No. 77, while in Scottish Rite Masonry he has attained the thirty-third degree and is a noble of Zenobia Temple, Mystic Shrine. He is also a member of the West Toledo Commerce Club and the Exchange Club. Through the force of his own powers he has risen to a foremost position in business circles of Toledo and the success and honor which he has won are well merited. His activities have been directed along those lines which have for their object public improvement and the advancement of the general welfare and he deserves classification. with those men whose labors have made possible the present development and commercial prosperity of the city.

Milo Steele Gibson

Milo Steele Gibson, organizer and promoter of the bond and investment house operating under the name of the Gibson Company at Toledo, at Detroit and at Chicago, makes his home in Toledo. He is a native of Ohio, his. birth having occurred in Dayton, June 1, 1892. He is a son of Grant Robinson and Laura Emily (Smith) Gibson. His-father was for many years actively and successfully engaged in the bond and investment business but is now living retired.

Milo Steele Gibson obtained a public school education, passing through consecutive grades to the Central high school of Toledo, having become a resident of this city in 1904. Upon this training as a foundation he has built his success, learning many valuable lessons in the school of experience from time to time and constantly developing his powers through the exercise of effort. For two years he was an automobile salesman with the Chalmers interests and won honors among hundreds of contestants for efficiency and salesmanship. Later he was advanced to the position of advertising manager and subsequently was given a still more responsible position - that of sales promotion manager. He purchased the agency of the state of Michigan for the sale of the Detroit electric automobile but afterward sold the agency and entered the advertising firm of Baker R. & L. Company of Cleveland, Ohio, the advertising business having to do largely with the automo- bile industry. His next work was that of efficiency engineer for the government during the World war, in charge of about sixty engineers at Akron, Ohio, employed in various rubber plants which furnished supplies to the country for war purposes. In 1919, his military duty having ended, Mr. Gibson was made sales manager of the Henry L. Doherty Company, a New York bond and investment house, capitalized for seven hundred and fifty million dollars and owning street car, light and other public utility corporations in various sections of the country. A year later, however, Mr. Gibson resigned to organize a bond and investment house under the name of the Gibson Company and not only established the Toledo office but also opened branches in Detroit and Chicago. His broad and varied experiences have made him an authority upon many financial questions and he is extremely accurate in his valuation of investment securities. A most progressive and determined spirit has actuated him in his establishment and conduct of the Gibson Company, the clientage of which is steadily increasing, until Mr. Gibson today occupies a notable and enviable position in financial circles of the middle west.

On the 17th of July, 1915, was celebrated the marriage of Milo Steele Gibson to Miss Clare Elizabeth Williamson of Detroit. They have become parents of two children: Elizabeth Jane and Geraldine Anna. Mr. Gibson belongs to the Beta Phi Sigma, a Greek letter fraternity, and he finds his recreation largely in motoring, making frequent automobile trips to various points. Throughout his business career he has been actuated by a most laudable spirit of advancement and he has never allowed obstacles or difficulties in his path in any way to bar his progress, knowing that these can be overcome by determined effort intelligently directed. The steps in his orderly progression are easily discernible and mark the constant unfolding of his powers and the development of his strength. In the so-called battles of the business world he has come off victor.

James C. Burt

James C. Burt, one of Toledo's self-made men, has devoted his entire life to the foundry business and one of the largest industries of this nature in the city stands as a monument to his enterprising spirit and powers of organization. He was born at Buffalo, New York, March 19, 1864, a son of Calvin C. and Sarah (Curry) Burt, the former a native of Oswego, New York, and the latter of County Clare, Ireland. In early life the mother came to the United States and her marriage occurred in the city of Buffalo. In 1866 Mr. and Mrs. Burt arrived in Toledo and the father followed a seafaring life, sailing on the Great Lakes until his death, which occurred in the upper peninsula of Michigan, but the mother passed away in this city. In their family were seven children, of whom four survive: Mrs. E. Banker ; George, who is also connected with maritime interests and is captain of a vessel plying on the Great Lakes; Daniel, a foundryman; and James C. All are residents of Toledo.

James C. Burt acquired his education in this city, attending the Franklin school, and he afterward served an apprenticeship to the molder's trade. He was employed in various foundries of Toledo until 1910, when he decided. to embark in business on his own account, forming a partnership with John Holzscheiter. They secured a small room forty by sixty feet in dimensions near the Spark Plug building, which was adequate for their needs until 1914, when they secured additional space by the erection of an addition, and a year later another addition was found necessary. In 1917 they sold the business and a short time later Mr. Holzscheiter retired, thus leaving Mr. Burt to act upon his own initiative. Before taking a decisive step he consulted with Mr. C. O. Miniger of The Auto-Lite Company and they decided to erect the present factory, the site for which Mr. Burt had previously obtained an option on. The Auto-Lite Company promised him its financial assistance and the result was the organization of the Burt Foundry Company, of which he is now president and general manager. The business is conducted in a modern, two-story fireproof building of substantial construction and supplied with equipment of the most improved type. The dimensions of the foundry room are sixty by one hundred and seventy feet, the core room is thirty by one hundred and ten feet and the shipping room and office are thirty by ninety feet in extent. Since the building was completed it has been found necessary to secure an additional floor space of sixty-nine by one hundred and forty feet for the foundry room, thirty by forty-five feet for the shipping room and thirty by sixty-nine feet for the core room. Mr. Burt is an expert foundryman and carefully supervises every phase of the business, which has rapidly developed, owing to his judicious management and well formulated plans. One hundred and fifty men are now utilized in the operation of the foundry, which required but three employes when the business was established, and the concern has become one of large extent and importance.

On the 7th of July, 1889, Mr. Burt was married to Miss Ada Cavashere, whose parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Cavashere, are members of a well known family of this city. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Burt, a son and a daughter. Reeve Burt, the elder, was born in 1895 and acquired his education in the Central high school. He is a capable young business man and is now acting as superintendent of the Burt Foundry Company. He married Miss Ivy Jennings and they have one child, Ada Virginia. Irene was born in 1891 and acquired her education in the public schools of this city. She married Clifford Robinson and they have one son, Walter James.

Mr. Burt is nonpartisan in his political views, placing the qualifications of a candidate above all other considerations. He has ever been actuated by the spirit of progress and his life has been one of activity and usefulness. In his chosen occupation he occupies a position of leadership and his record is a matter of pride to Toledo's citizens, who entertain for him the highest respect and esteem.

Francis William Simmons

Francis William Simmons, president, treasurer and general manager of the Simmons Boot & Shoe Company, wholesale dealers and manufacturers of footwear, occupies a prominent place in the commercial circles of Toledo. With insight that easily penetrates into the intricacies of the trade, with sound judgment and long experience, he has most wisely directed his interests, with the result that a business of large proportions has been established.

Francis William Simmons is a native son of Toledo, born August 7, 1874, his parents being William H. and Mary E. (Young) Simmons, both of whom are now deceased. The father was the founder of the business now conducted by the son and mention of him is made elsewhere in this publication.

Toledo and left high school to enter St. Paul's School at Concord, New Hampshire. There he prepared for Yale and was graduated from the Sheffield Scientific School in 1897, with the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy. Choosing a business career, he returned to Toledo and entered the employ of the Simmons Boot & Shoe Company in a minor capacity. After spending a period in mastering the details of the business and acquainting himself with every phase of the trade, he was advanced to the office of vice president and in 1906, after the death of his father, succeeded him as president, treasurer and general manager. While Mr. Simmons entered upon a business already long established, he was not content with existing conditions but has advanced in keeping with the progress of the times and bent his efforts to increased development which has resulted in the corporation attaining a prominent position in its line throughout the middle west. In 1913 the present large building at Nos. 133 to 137 St. Clair street was completed and in 1919 a branch house was established at Columbus, Ohio, to help take care of the constantly increasing trade.

On the 11th of January, 1913, Mr. Simmons was married to Miss Stella Arnsman, a daughter of Edward E. Arnsman of Toledo, and their three children are: Jane, Mary and John, the birth of the son occurring August 16, 1919. The family reside at No. 2271 Collingwood avenue.

Mr. Simmons is a member of Sanford L. Collins Lodge, F. & A. M., and appreciative of the social amenities of life, he has connection with the Toledo, Inverness and Country clubs. He is also a member of Trinity Episcopal church and is serving as one of its vestrymen. There have been no spectacular phases in his career, which is that of a resolute and successful business man who, with clearly defined purposes, has steadily pushed forward to his objective, contributing to the commercial progress and prosperity of the city as well as to the development of his own fortunes. Mr. Simmons is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and his cooperation can be counted upon to further measures for the general good. He is a republican in politics but is not bound by party ties.

Florence Genevieve Cassidy

Mrs. Florence Genevieve Cassidy is conducting a select dancing school in Toledo, where for many years she has been prominently known in this connection and in musical circles. A native of South Bend, Indiana, she is a daughter of A. B. and Mary (Hess) McMichael. In her early girlhood she was sent as a pupil to St. Pius Convent of Chicago, where in addition to her regular school work she took lessons in piano and voice culture and also studied folk dancing. She afterward studied under Professors A.'Walther, now of New York, and A. W. Kortheuer, deceased, taking piano and harmony.

On the 16th of March, 1906, Miss McMichael became the wife of Edward A. Cassidy and they have one daughter, Geraldine. In September, 1908, Mrs. Cassidy came to Professor Louis Schackne, a professor of dancing, her position being that of pianist, orchestra leader and assistant manager. She soon built up an orchestra of great merit the reputation of which was a strong feature of the pronounced success of the school. She learned much concerning the management of the business through her willingness to help out in any capacity where aid was needed. Since twelve years of age she has played in orchestra, taught piano and studied and has made constant progress in music, as well as in professional dancing. Mr. Schackne died on the 17th of March, 1920, and on the Ist of April, Mrs. Cassidy took over the lease, bought the fixtures and has since been conducting her own business, having charge of the orchestra and managing the dancing school at the same time. She has as assistant Mrs. Lulu Guckert Terry, daughter of E. N. Guckert, the "banjo wizard." ;

Mrs. Cassidy teaches only ballroom dancing and does not allow any of the jazz or extreme dances, tolerating only that which is refined and approved by the best tastes. In this connection she said: "We approve of the modern dances but will not permit freak dancing in our hall," and that it meets the desires of a well satisfied public is evidenced by the unprecedented success of the school since she took full control both financially and socially. Mrs. Cassidy further said: "Exaggerated forms of dancing are going the way of all ridiculous things and there is a growing fondness for the more dignified steps of the past season with a bit of an up-to-date swing to them." Mrs. Cassidy attends the Dancing Teachers' Institute, during the summer months, where she becomes familiar with all the latest and most approved dances in vogue. Her assembly nights are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with classes on Monday nights and on open nights she rents her hall for private parties. She also gives private lessons.

Thomas 'C. Farrell

Thomas C. Farrell, one of the younger representatives of the Toledo bar, has followed his profession in this city for the past twelve years and has demonstrated his ability to solve intricate and involved legal problems. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, November 4, 1889, of the union of Joseph B. and Agnes M. (Coffay) Farrell, the former also a native of Cleveland, while the birth of the latter occurred in Baltimore, Maryland. In early life she became a resident of Cleveland and it was in that city that her marriage occurred. Mr. Farrell became one of the prominent attorneys of Cleveland, continuing there in active practice until his death. The mother survives him. In their family were two children: Ralph and Thomas, both residents of Toledo.

Following his graduation from one of the high schools of Toledo, Thomas C. Farrell became a student at St. John's College of this city and later entered the Ohio Northern University. which bestowed upon him the LL. B. degree in 1910, upon the completion of a course in law. Returning to Toledo, he opened an office in this city, where he has since successfully engaged in practice. He has a thorough knowledge of statute and precedent, is careful in the preparation of cases and convincing in argument and has won many verdicts favorable to the interests of his clients. He has ever remained an earnest student of his profession and as his knowledge and ability have increased his practice has steadily grown.

Mr. Farrell is a communicant of the Roman Catholic church and his political allegiance is given to the democratic party. He enlisted for service in the World war and was commissioned a first lieutenant of the One Hundred and Forty-seventh Infantry. With his command he was ordered overseas and was stationed in France from July 1917, until July, 1919, when he returned to this country, where he was mustered out. He is a member of the American Legion and is also connected with the Lucas County Bar Association and the Toledo

Yacht Club. He is a young man of ability, energy and determination, whose professional career has been marked by continuous progress. Thoroughness characterizes all of his efforts and he conducts his law business with strict regard for a high standard of professional ethics.

Norman Lewis Crawfis

Norman Lewis Crawfis, well known in business circles as the secretary and treasurer of the M. O. Baker Company, was born in Putnam county, Ohio, October 24, 1886, and is a son of George Clellan and Anna (Conine) Crawfis. The father is a farmer by occupation but is now living retired, having put aside the work of the fields in order to make his home in Toledo.

During the boyhood and youth of Norman Lewis Crawfis the family resided at Findlay, Ohio, where he pursued his education in the public and high schools. Early in his business career he held the position of office manager and bookkeeper for Armour & Company at Findlay for a period of two years and later he traveled for the Toledo Newspaper Company for a year. In 1907 he becamé associated with the firm of M. O. Baker & Company, commission merchants, as office manager and later acquired an interest in the business, which in 1917 was incorporated under the name of the M. O. Baker Company, of which Mr. Crawfis has since been the secretary and treasurer. As one of the officials he bends his attention to constructive efforts, to administrative direction and to executive control and _ his capability and powers are manifest in the success which is attending the undertaking.

On the 21st of May, 1907, Mr. Crawfis was married to Miss Christine M. Peterson of Toledo and they have become parents of two children: Norman Lewis, Jr., fourteen years of age; and Donald Conine, a lad of twelve. Mr. Crawfis finds his recreation largely in automobile touring. He is a member of the Commerce Club and is also a Mason of high rank, having attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite in the Consistory, while with the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine he has crossed the sands of the desert. He is the possessor of many substantial qualities which have gained him the respect, confidence and goodwill of his fellowmen and during his residence in Toledo he has won for himself a most enviable position as a leading representative of business activity here.

Manufacturing interests of Toledo receive stimulus from the efforts of Albert S. Zopfi, secretary and treasurer of the Buckeye Clay Pot Company, one of the important productive industries of the city. He was born in Sullivan county, New York, January 18, 1874, of the marriage of Jacob and Elizabeth (Egler) Zopf, the former a native of Switzerland and the latter of Massachusetts. In early life the father came to the United States, settling in Sullivan county, New York, where he continued to reside until called to his final rest, devoting his attention to the occupation of farming and conducting a tannery. Mrs. Zopfi is also deceased.

his educational opportunities and he afterward engaged in teaching for a time. In 1894 he came to Ohio, locating at Findlay, where he successfully engaged in the manufacture of clay products until 1909, when he came to Toledo. In association with W. kK. Brownlee he organized the Buckeye Clay Pot Company, of which he is now serving as secretary and treasurer, and in the intervening period the business has developed rapidly. The firm manufactures all kinds of fire clay products, disposing of a large portion of its output to the glass manufacturers, and utilizes from one hundred and thirty-five to one hundred and fifty men in the operation of its plant, which is thoroughly modern and is supplied with the most improved equipment. Mr. Zopfi also has business interests outside the city, being treasurer of the Farber Fire Brick Company of Farber, Missouri, which is likewise 'a prosperous business enterprise.

At Findlay, Ohio, on the 12th of May, 1898, Mr. Zopfi was united in marriage to Miss Jane Young, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Young, of that city, and they have a son, Thomas J., who was born in Findlay in 1899 and acquired his education in the public schools of Toledo, while he later attended St. John's College. He is an energetic and capable young business man and is now assisting his father in the conduct of his industrial interests.

Mr. Zopfi is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Merchants & Manufacturers Association and does all in his power to promote the welfare and advancement of his city. He is also a member of the Rotary and Inverness Clubs and his political support is given to the republican party. Throughout his career he has closely applied himself to the work in hand and the years have marked his progress along lines which lead to success. As a business man his standing is of the highest and in all matters of citizenship his influence is on the side of progress and improvement.

In 1909 James Albert McAfee was called to his present responsible position as manager for the Ohio State Life Insurance Company for the northwestern Ohio district and under his guidance the business of the corporation has since steadily grown and developed inthis territory. He is a resourceful insurance man, thorough and systematic in all that he undertakes and his labors have been attended with gratifying results. Mr. McAfee is a native son of the Buckeye state, his birth having occurred at Fort Recovery on the 24th of February, 1859, his parents being James and Elizabeth J. McAfee. The father devoted his life to the occupation of farming but has now passed away. at ; ;

Having mastered the branches of learning taught in the public and high schools of his native city, J. Albert McAfee afterward attended the Wooster (Ohio) College and thus completed his education. In 1882, when a young man of twenty-three years, he embarked in the retail hardware business at St. Marys, Ohio, and successfully conducted the store there through a period of fourteen years, selling out in 1896. In the meantime he had written life insurance for a number of years, or from 1884 until 1896, and since withdrawing from mercantile circles he has devoted his entire attention to the insurance business. In 1897 he came to Toledo and in 1909 was appointed manager of the Ohio State Life Insurance Company for the northwestern district of Ohio, having jurisdiction over twelve counties with forty-five agents and sub-agents. Through the intervening period the business of the company has steadily grown in this territory, owing to his wise management and safe control. He has the ability of winning the cooperation of the representatives of the company in this territory, calling forth their best efforts in behalf of the business.

On the 25th of December, 1884, Mr. McA fee was married to Miss Madie Miller of St. Marys, Ohio, and they have two sons: Fay E. and Albert Lee, both oi whom are engaged in the sale of automobile specialties in Toledo.

Mr. McAfee's interest aside from his business centers largely in church work and he is now a member of the official board of St. John's Methodist Episcopal church and is serving as treasurer of both the church and the Sunday school. He does all in his power to promote the growth and extend the influence of the church and to further in every way the moral development and progress of the community.

Oscar Bb. Harrer

Oscar B. Haller, agency manager at Toledo for the Equitable Life Assurance Society, is a self-made man before whom the door of opportunity has swung open because of his persistence and determination and the success which he now enjoys is well merited. He was born at Bay City, Michigan, December 23, 1882, and is a son of Rev. John George and Rosetta (Brumm) Haller, natives of New York state. For many years the father was actively connected with the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church, residing at Detroit, Michigan, during the greater part of his life, but he is now living retired at Port Huron, that state, and the mother also survives. They are the parents of three children: Hubert, a prominent manufacturer of Detroit; Mrs. Ruth Ottaway, whose home is at St. Clair, Michigan; and Oscar B.

The public schools of Bay City, Michigan, and the Detroit University School afforded Oscar B. Haller his educational opportunities and he began business life as a traveling salesman, acting in that capacity for ten years. He then entered the employ of the Equitable Life Assurance Society, with which he has since been connected, and for eight years was stationed at Saginaw, Michigan. His ability and enteprise soon won him advancement and in 1918 he came to Toledo as manager for the western Ohio district, comprising twenty-five counties. He has made a close study of insurance and owing to his aggressive methods and untiring efforts has been able to build up a large business for the company in the territory of which he has charge, being recognized as one of its most successful managers.

At Saginaw, Michigan, on the 14th of November, 1906, Mr. Haller was married to Miss Gertrude Granville, a daughter of Robert Granville, a prominent merchant of that city, and they have two children: Oscar Robert, who was born at Saginaw in 1909 and is a pupil at the Fulton school of Toledo; and Dorothy Ann, who was born in that city in 1911 and is also attending the Fulton school.

Mr. Haller is a member of the Epworth Methodist Episcopal church, in the work of which he takes an active and helpful interest, and is serving on its official board. His political tenets are those of the republican party and his deep interest in the welfare and advancement of his city is indicated by his connection with the Chamber of Commerce. He is a Knights Templar Mason and in the Consistory he has taken the thirty-second degree. He is also a member of the Toledo Yacht Club. Mr.

Haller has led an active and useful life, employing every opportunity to advance, and his present success is entirely attributable to his own labors. He is etiergetic, straightforward and progressive and measures up to the highest standards of personal honor and present-day business ethics.

Fordyce Belford

Fordyce Belford, referee in bankruptcy and member of the legal profession in Toledo, was born in Caldwell, Ohio, April 25, 1868, his parents being Irvin and Anna (Caldwell) Belford, both of whom were natives of Ohio and representatives of old pioneer families of the state, the town of Caldwell having been named in honor of the maternal grandfather. Irvin Belford removed to Toledo and engaged in the practice of law here for many years, or until the time of his death, ranking high as a capable representative of the profession. His wife has also passed away and in their going the community mourned the loss of two of its highly esteemed and representative residents.

Fordyce Belford attended the public schools of Caldwell until the removal of the family to Toledo, after which he pursued his high school course here. He next entered the University of Michigan and was graduated with the class of 1891, completing the law course and thus qualifying for his life work. Returning to Toledo he began practice independently and in a profession where advancement depends entirely upon individual merit and ability he has worked his way steadily upward, advancing step by step until he is today one of the best known and most successful attorneys of the city. In 1898 he was appointed referee in bankruptcy and has filled the position continuously since, covering a period of almost a quarter of a century.

On the 28th of June, 1894, Mr. Belford was married to Miss Cecile Schneider of Toledo, daughter of John C. Schneider. Huis name is on the membership rolls of the Inverness Club and the Exchange Club and he is also an exemplary representative of the Masonic lodge. Along the strict path of his profession he has membership relations with the Lucas County, Ohio State and American Bar associations and he enjoys and merits the confidence and goodwill of his associate lawyers, by reason of his close conformity to the highest standards and ethics of the profession.