Amaziah Winger

As printed in 1902

AMAZIAH WINGER.

Faithfulness to duty and strict adherence to a fixed purpose in life will do more to advance a man's interests than wealth or advantageous circumstances. The successful men of the day are they who have planned their own advancement and have accomplished it in spite of many obstacles and with a certainty that could ‚have been attained only through their own efforts. This class of men has a worthy representative in Amaziah Winger, who began life amid unfavorable circumstances and has steadily worked his way upward until he occupies an enviable position in industrial circles, being superintendent and one of the stockholders of the Superior Drill Company.

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Swiss an- The representatives of the name are very numerous in Pennsylvania. The parents, Jacob and Catherine (Trout) Winger, were both natives of Pennsylvania, the former born in 1810 and the latter in 1809. They remained in the State of their nativity until 1837, when they came to Springfield, Ohio, and here the father engaged in. carpentering and building for many years, being well known in building circles. He possessed natural mechanical ability and was an expert workman. His death occurred in

1886, and his wife passed away in- 1890. They were the parents of ten children, six of whom are yet living, while three of the number died in early childhood. Hezekiah was a soldier in the Civil war for four years, going to thefront with Mason’s Zouaves, of the Second Ohio Regiment, but died in Springfield in 1863. The others are—Amaziah; Mrs. Catherine Ramsay, of Cheboygan, Michigan; Mrs. John’ A. Sites, who is a widow living in Denver, Colprado; George W., who is bookkeeper of the First National Bank of Springfield; John M., who is connected with the Superior Drill Company; and Mary, the wife of Theodore Troupe, a druggist. George was.also a: soldier of the Civil war, having gone to the front with the One Hundred and Fiftysecond Ohio Regiment. With the exception of our subject all were born in’ Springfield and the educational privileges which they enjoyed were those afforded by the public schools here.

Amaziah Winger, like the others, attended the public school of this city, and entering upon his business career he became an employe in a lumber yard. In 1858 he embarked in the same line of business for himself, as a member of the firm of Simp- - son, Yarnell & Company, lumber manufacturers and jobbers, located at the corner of Washington and Limestone streets. In 1862 Mr. W inger sold his business interests and enlisted in the Union army as a member of Company A, N ninety-fourth Ohio Voltinteer Infantry. He saw service at the battles o of Perryville, -Storie River, Chickamauga, the Atlanta campaign, and participated in the siege af the city, was with Sherman on the march to the sea, then took part in the Carolina campaign and was afterward in the

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Mr. Winger then purchased an interest in a lumber business, becoming a member of the firm of Hayward & Winger. In January, 1885, he became interested in the Superior Drill Company, accepting a position as superintendent and has since devoted his entire attention to fostering the growth of his business, which has assumed good proportions and now yields a desirable profit to its stockholders. Mr. Winger is a man of resourceful business ability, and has been an active factor in the successful control of other enterprises. He was a director of the Lagonda Bank, was one of the organizers and one of the first directors of the Merchants & Mechanics Loan Association, and is a director of the Springfield Savings Bank. He is also a member of the board of trade and has served on a number of important committees.

In this city, in 1867, Mr. Winger was united in marriage to Miss Mary Crothers, who died in 1872, leaving two daughters, Frances and Laura, the former a graduate of a college in Yonkers, Pennsylvania, and the latter of a college in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. In 1876 Mr. Winger was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Mary B. Torbert, the widow of James Torbert. She was born in Lebanon, Ohio, and is a daughter of James Barr, of that place, who removed from Lebanon to Springfield and was afterward connected with manufacturing interests in Cincinnati,

Ohio. After the war he engaged in the life insurance business for a time.

Mr. Winger served as a member of the city council for one year and in politics has always been a Republican. He belongs to Mitchell Post, No. 45, G. A. R., and is also a member of the commandery of the Loyal Legion, of Ohio. He holds membership in Clark Lodge, No. 101, F: & A. M.; Springfield Chapter, R. A. M.; Springfield Council, R. & S. Mi; and Palestine Commandery, K. T. Both he and his wife belong to the Presbyterian church, taking a very active part in’ its work and upbuilding. For a number of years he was one of the church trustees and is now serving as deacon. He is a liberal contributor to charitable work and to the Young Men's Christian Association, being particularly interested in the latter organization. He has also been a generous friend to the Clark Memorial Home and his wife is serving as a member of ıts board of managers and also of the board of managers of the Children’s Home. While he has led a very busy and useful life he has realized that the character of a man is shown by the use which he makes of his financial success and he has freely given of his means to various worthy objects, because of his deep interest therein. His record as a soldier and as a citizen, as a gentleman and a man of honor is one worthy of high commendation and of emulation.

Since 1874 Christian A. Schuster has been closely and actively identified with industrial circles in Springfield and his influence in public affairs has also been potent.

At the present time he is serving as a member of the city council, while his business relation is that of a member of the firm of

Peet & Schuster, partners in a galvanized iron and roofing business of this city.

Our subject was born in Erie county, New York, near Buffalo, on the 8th of February, 1848, opening his eyes there to the light of day upon his father's farm. He is ason of Christian and Elizabeth ( Hauck) Schuster, both of whom were natives of Alsace, Loraine, Germany. The former was eighteen years of age when he crossed the Atlantic to the new world, while his wife, who still survives him, is now living near Buffalo, at the age of eighty-seven years. They were married in this country, located upon a farm and amid the surroundings of rural life reared their family of seven children, of whom two are now deceased. Dewald was killed in the army during the Civil war when going with Sherman from Atlanta to the sea, and Jacob died in Florida at the age of twenty-six years. The surviving members of the family are Magdalena, the wife of Jacob Janes, who resides near Buffalo; Elizabeth, the wife of George B. Walter, who is living in Florida; George H., a resident of Goshen, Indiana; Christian A.; and Caroline, the wife of Josiah Young, who makes his home in Green Springs, Ohio. In the common schools of Erie county, New York, the children were educated and were reared upon the home farm. The father had firm faith in Republican principles and gave his support to the men and measures of the party and served in a few local minor effie. Hie located in Erie county, New York, when he could obtain government land there, which fact is an indication that he was one of the first settlers.

Like the others of the family, Christian A. Schuster was educated in the common schools and remained upon the home farm until he was sixteen years of age, when he was apprenticed to learn the trade of tin and sheet metal worker, in Buffalo. In 1866 he came to Ohio, locating first at Fremont and afterward in Toledo. Subsequently he removed to Goshen, Indiana, living also in Elkhart, and in 1869-70 was in Chicago, leaving the latter city in the spring of 1871. He then came to Springfield and made a permanent location here, embarking in business on his own account in 1874, as a partner of T. B. Peet, under the firm name of T. B. Peet & Co. That association was maintained until the death of the senior partner and then the present company was incorporated under the firm name of the Peet & Schuster Company, of which Mr. Schuster has been president and general manager since its organization. They do all kinds of sheet metal work and. roofing, and manufacture all classes of products needed in their business, including sheet metal, tin, slate, tile, iron and composition roofing. Their contract work extends over a territory embracing both Ohio and Indiana and they ship their products to various parts of the country. They began business on a small scale but the trade has gradually grown larger until it has assumed large and profitable proportions. Mr. Schuster has given his entire attention to.the development of the business, which, since 1873, has been carried on at No. 281% South Fountain avenue.

In 1876 Mr. Schuster was united in marriage to Miss Mary Kershner, who was born in Springfield in 1856 and died in 1887. Of the other children, one died in infancy and the others are: Rosamond G.,

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Bertha E. and Robert C. The first two are graduates of the high school. In 1890, in this city, Mr. Schuster was again married, his second union being with Julia Miller, who was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1864, and died in 1901. They had two children: Mary B. and Ruth M.

A believe in Republican principles Mr. Schuster always supports the men and measures of the party by his ballot and upon its ticket he was elected to the city council in 1897, and has twice been re-elected, so that he has continuously served in that office. He has been a member of various important positions and has put forth earnest and effective efforts for the welfare and In 1901 he served as president of the city council and in the same year was a member of the library board of the city. Heis a member of the Commercial Club; belongs to Anthony “Lodge, F. & A. M.; Springfield Chapter, R. A. M.; Springfield Council, R. & S. M.; Palestine Commandery, K. T.; the Scotish Rite bodies of Dayton, and the Consistory of Cincinnati. He was one of the organizers and charter members of the Champion City Guards, of Springfield, and is a consistent member of the High street Methodist Episcopal church.

progress of the community.

As printed in A Biographical Record of Clark County Ohio (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.