George Donnenwirth

GEORGE DONNENWIRTH, president of the Bucyrus City Bank, of Bucyrus, O., has been identified with the business interests of this place for over a half century and occupies an enviable position in the esteem of his fellow citizens that he has won through his personal characteristics. He is a man of broad and abundant sympathies, keeping ever in memory (he struggles of his own youth, and has so built up his own fortunes that the path he has traveled lies plain for another to follow, through the exercise of the same industry, frugality and integrity. The life of such a man is always interesting.

George Donnenwirth was born Jan. 28, 1835, at Columbus, O. His parents were George and Sophia (Anthony) Donnenwirth, and his grandparents were George.and Magdalene (Ruth) Donnenwirth. Tt was in 1827 that the grandparents left France and came to America, making their first stop at Buffalo, N. Y., and from there moving to Stark county, O. The grandfather was seeking farm land and this he secured to his satisfaction when he came to Crawford county, in 1834, settling in Cranberry township.

Of their five children, one son, George, was born at Slrasburg, France, (now in Germany) in 1810, and in 1 827 accompanied his parents to the United States, l'rior to 1833 he worked as a blacksmith at several points and also assisted in the construction of the Ohio Canal, in 1838 he came to New Washington, Crawford county, where he opened his blacksmith shop and also invested in property, andere long was recognized as an enterprising and worthy citizen, 1846 being elected a representative to the state legislature. Subsequently, in 1855, when elected county treasurer, he moved to Bucyrus, where the remainder of his life was spent and there he was twice elected mayor.

Until he was 14 years of age, George Donnenwirth, Jr., attended school, but his father was a very practical man and in accordance with his decision the son began to learn a self-supporting trade and spent four years at his father's forge. He then went to Sandusky and worked in a grocery store for almost two years and afterward became a clerk at Burlington, la., from there returning to Ohio and locating in Bucyrus. Deciding to make this city the seat of his business efforts he shortly afterward entered into partnership with Henry Anthony in the establishing of a brewery. This partnership continued for but a brief time, however, Mr. Donnenwirth’s father then buying the Anthony interest and becoming the senior partner. The business was conducted under the style of George Donnenwirth & Son until 1875, when the senior partner retired. At this time the junior member of the firm became the senior; he admitted his half-brother, Frank P. Donnenwirth, and the business was continued until 1889.

In the meanwhile, George Donnenwirth had become a banker in a small way, and in 1881 was one of the organizers and vice president of what was known as the Monnctt Bank of Bucyrus. January 1, 1892, the investment was increased and the style of the concern was changed from the Monnctt Bank to the Bucyrus Cilv Bank. Mr. Donnenwirth was elected president of the institution )an. 2, 1888 which position, as above indicated, he still

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As printed in History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.