|
DANIEL
E. SWITZER
Daniel
E. Switzer was born on a farm, and there lived and received his
education until he was twenty years old, at which time he came to
Findlay, farm life having little attraction for him. Our subject's
father is
Henderson
Switzer, who was born in
Richland
county, this state, but who later moved to Hancock county, where his
son Daniel was born in 1S68. The elder Switzer is a farmer. In 1895
Mr. Switzer established the bakery of Switzer Brothers, he having
learned the baker's trade soon after coming to
Findlay
. He has built up a large and flourishing trade, which is a credit
to
Findlay
. He was married in 1891 to Clara, daughter of Daniel Alspach, and
they have four children, as follows: Jessie, Walter, Glenn and Ruth.
Mr. Switzer is a member of the Order of Elks, and also the Order of
Maccabees. In politics he is a Republican.
CHARLES
F. SMITH
The
career of this gentleman, now manager of an important traction
system at Findlay, is both interesting and instructive, inasmuch as
it is typically American, and illustrates a distinctive phase of our
national life. Students of our great transportation systems, to
which the
United States
owes more for its rapid development than any other cause, are always
struck with the fact that its great captains and ruling spirits
almost invariably rise from the "bottom of the ladder" up
through the various grades until they reach the top. When this
pinnacle has been reached its duties are discharged with a capacity
usually measured by the thoroughness of the educational process
undergone in attaining it, and generally the one who has been
faithful in small things is rewarded by being placed in charge of
the larger affairs. In the case under consideration, it may be
mentioned in passing that Mr. Smith acquired his first
taste as well as his first knowledge of transportation by electric
propulsion while serving as an office-boy for one of the
Cincinnati
inclined plane railways. When the opportunity and the man meet and
the man has the qualities in him to take advantage off the
opportunity, the result follows as a matter of course, and what
pessimistic fault-finders are in the habit of denouncing as
"special privilege" or "favoritism" is really
nothing more than the bright boy or man proving himself equal to the
occasion which is constantly presenting itself to the deserving in
this country of unequaled opportunities. Though
of German extraction this branch of the Smith family has long been
thoroughly acclimated by naturalization upon American soil. John C.
Smith, father of our subject, came over in infancy with his parents,
who located at
Cincinnati
, and there passed the remainder of their lives. After reaching
manhood he became a mechanic, served through the Civil war in
one of the
Ohio
regiments of infantry, and died in
Cincinnati
in 1893, aged fifty-three years. Charles F. Smith was born at
Cincinnati
, November 6, 1863, and got such academical education as he was
destined to receive in the schools of that city. But he was one of
those boys who do not need much "schooling" of the
ordinary kind, they having a way of their own for learning those
things which are calculated to be most useful and valuable. When the
youthful Smith had reached his fourteenth year he secured a position
as
office-boy with the
Mt.
Adams
and Eden Park Inclined Plane Railway Company, and stuck closely to
his position for the next ten years. He became assistant
superintendent of the company, in which position he continued until
he came to .Findlay, in September, 1887. Without unnecessary delay
he purchased the material and superintended the building of the
Findlay Street
Railway, with a single trackage of eight miles at first, which has
since been more than doubled. Mr. Smith continued as manager of the
street railway
until its absorption by the Toledo, Bowling Green & Southern
Traction Company, after which he was made manager of the latter and
has since retained that position. Inasmuch as he has gone through
every department he understands the business from the ground up, and
consequently makes an invaluable employe both for his company and
the people. But his activities have not been confined to one line of
work. In 1892 he became one of the organizers of the Hancock Light
and Power Company, of which he was president for three years, and
after the reorganization in 1895 he held the vice-presidency until
the company was absorbed by the
Findlay Street
Railway Company in 1899. In June, 1901, Mr. Smith secured the
franchise for heating houses by the hot-water system, which will be
carried on by the traction company under his management.
It will be seen from the foregoing
recital that Charles F. Smith is
just the kind of man needed in every community to make the wheels of
progress go round and who arc especially valuable in these days of
electric development, when no town is of consequence which has not a
good transit system, electric lighting plant and other up-to-date
improvements. Improvement enterprises will not be established,
neither will they progress, without the right kind of men behind
them. In 1885 Mr. Smith was married at
Cincinnati
to Miss Lizzie J., daughter of John M. Farland, and Harry C Smith is
the product of this union. Mr. Smith's political predilections are
Republican, and his fraternal connections are with the Mystic
Shrine. Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias and Elks.
DAVID
B. SOLT.
David
B. Solt has for twenty years been engaged in dealing in stock as a
member of the firm of P. Solt & Company, of Eagle township. He
makes his home two and a half miles cast 01 Raw son and six miles
southwest of
Findlay
. where he has a valuable property. He is widely known as a
representative of agricultural interests, who through the exercise
of business ability and unflagging enterprise has achieved success
and won an honored name. Born in Eagle township May 23, 1857, David
B. Solt is the second son of Peter Solt, and upon the home farm he
was reared. In his boyhood he began to assist his father by driving
cattle, and thus be was employed until twenty-five years of age,
when he was admitted to n partnership in his father's stock dealing
operations under the present firm style of P. Solt & Company.
The present firm consists of the father, who is the senior member,
D. B. Solt, F. B. McClcllan and Smith Hoy. Mr. McClellan and our
subject handle the stock at Rawson and P. Solt arid Mr. Hoy make
Findlay
their headquarters. This business relation has been maintained for
twenty years and the firm has enjoyed the profits of a constantly
growing business. They have handled stock on an extensive scale and
their annual sales return to them a good income. The subject of this
review remained on his father's farm until his marriage, when he
secured a farm of his own, and nine years ago he came to his present
place of residence in Eagle township, not far from Rawson. Here he
has eighty acres of rich and arable land. It is the old homestead
farm of Daniel Raddebaugh, whose youngest daughter, Amy, became the
wife of Mr. Solt. This land was first improved by Daniel Raddebaugh,
whose father had entered the land for him, although living in
Fairfield
county. The grandfather was Samuel Raddebaugh, who settled near
Findlay
and was killed six or seven years ago, his death resulting from a
beating inflicted by robbers. His children were: John, who is now
living on
Benton
ridge, in
Liberty
township, at the age of ninety years; Joseph, who also lived in that
township and died at the age of seventy-five years; and Daniel, the
father of Mrs. Solt. All aided materially in the upbuilding and
improvement of Hancock county, the family being a prominent one of
this portion of the state. Daniel Raddebaugh was united in marriage
to Maria Hosier, and three years later removed to what is now the
Solt farm, although he had previously come and built a cabin on the
place. He made his permanent location about 1846. She was born July
27, 1825, in Pickaway county,
Ohio
, and there remained until her marriage, which occurred when she was
eighteen years of age. Her last days were spent on the old
homestead,
where she departed this life December 11, 1901.
In their family were eleven
children, of whom one died in infancy, while nine are yet living,
and George, who was a farmer of Wood county,
Ohio
, died at the age of forty- two years. Mrs. Solt is now the only one
living in Eagle township, but
Edmond
and Jane are residents of this county.
Monroe
is living in
Coldwater
,
Michigan
; Jefferson makes his home in
Minonk
,
Illinois
; Edward is a resident of
Findlay
,
Ohio
; Lucy is living in
Marion
, this state; Anna is in
Bluffton
,
Ohio
; and Ellis is a minister of the Evangelical church, at Bluffton.
The father still resides upon the old home place and has now reached
an advanced age. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Solt was celebrated
April 8. 1880, when
the lady was seventeen years of age. Their home has been blessed
with five daughters:
Pearl
May, now the wife of Thaddeus Keller, of Eagle township; Elva Dale.
Jessie Fremont, Dora Olive and Eva Milburn, all
with their parents, the family circle yet remaining unbroken by the
hand of death. Mr. Solt has continued to improve his farm since
locating thereon, remodeling the house, building a barn and adding
many modern equipments and accessories. He also has two other farms
in Eagle township, comprising altogether three hundred and twenty
acres, and two of these he operates, the well-tilled fields yielding
to him a good return. He usually feeds quite a large number of
cattle annually. He has eight producing oil wells upon the home
place, but has confined his attention to agricultural pursuits and
stock dealing, in which he has met with very creditable success. He
is a working member of the Republican party and attends its
conventions.
Both he and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal
church of Rawson, in which he is serving as a trustee. His interest
in everything pertaining to the general welfare is deep and sincere
and Ins hearty coperation has been given to many measures for the
public benefit.
|
