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Source:
History of Auglaize Co., Ohio -
Vol. II of 2 Volumes
Edited by William J. McMurray
Wapakoneta, Ohio
Historical Publishing Company
Indianapolis
1923
BIOGRAPHIES
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1923
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX >
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C. H. DICKMAN
is treasurer and general manager of the Kramer& Dickman
Creamery Company of Minster. This was at one time one of
the largest business concerns of the kind of northwestern Ohio,
and its history furnishes an important part of the record of
general agricultural activates in Auglaize county. For a
number of years Mr. Dickman has been in the employ of an
old and well-known citizen and business man of Minster, J. B.
Kramer. Then in 1888 these two men became associated
in a co-partnership for the purpose of making high-grade butter
by the gathered cream system. While J. B. Kramer
furnished much of the capital, the active men in the business
were Mr. Dickman and John T. Kramer, son of J.
B. Kramer. Mr. Dickman became manager, and young
Mr. Kramer became the butter maker. The industry began
in a small building on the site of the present main plant in
Minster. The first butter was made Dec. 10, 1888, and only
fifty pounds were churned the first day. In 1895 a new
system was adopted, when the firm began using the whole milk
instead of the gathered cream. That was the plan of
operation for ten years, and after 1905 a return was made to the
gathered cream system. In a short time after the plant
began receiving the whole milk, the average weekly receipts
arose to 250,000 pounds. There also followed a rapid
expansion of the business. In August, 1895, a building was
erected at McCartyville, Ohio, and machinery installed for
skimming the milk. In 1896 another skimming station was
started northwest of New Bremen, and this station soon became a
lively center of the milk industry. In 1898 the firm
bought the creamery at New Knoxville and thoroughly remodeled
it, and this subsequently became one of the busiest departments
of the company's activities. In September, 1900, the
company bought the John Barhorst creamery at Fort Loramie,
and shortly thereafter erected a skimming station at Moulton.
In less than twelve years the Summit City Creamery, as the
business was known, had reached out and expanded so as to cover
nearly all the territory around Minster. In 1908 the
business was incorporated under the laws of Ohio, with a capital
stock of $15,000, and for a number of years its annual products
had been around and above 500,000 pounds of the very finest
creamery butter. This butter is marketed all over western
Ohio and also in New York city, and bore the standard brand, the
"XXX," which purchasers readily identified and which brought the
contents of the package the highest market price. In the
year 1909 the company installed a Frick refrigerating
system, making the first artificial ice in Minster. In
September, 1920, Louis Huenke, with two of his sons,
C. V. and Howard, and Harry Komminsk, took
over the interest which had up to this time been owned by J.
B. Kramer and sons. Besides the creamery business the
company handles large quantities of poultry. Since 1920
the company has been buying eggs and is specializing in and
encouraging the production of high-grade infertile eggs, having
wonderful success in educating the poultrymen in the production
of better eggs. This has been a prosperous business, which
was built up from a small beginning. It reflects the
business energy and integrity of several well-known local
citizens, and besides their share of the prosperity attending
the growth and development of the business, a splendid farming
community has been given an immense impetus toward diversified
industry and increased prosperity through this organization
whose headquarters are at Minster. C. H. Dickman,
who throughout has been the guilding business manager of the
concern, was born at Minster on Nov. 22, 1862, a son of C. H.
and Mary Angeline (Kramer) Dickman. Mr. Dickman's
parents were both natives of Minster. His father was born
on May 12, 1837, and died on Jan. 14, 1899. His mother was
born on Apr. 26, 1840, and died on June 9, 1897. His
grandfather, C. H. Dickman, was a native of Germany, born
in Westerbackum, Oldenberg, Sept. 4, 1805, who came to America
in 1833, and in 1835 pioneered to Minster, Ohio. He was a
cabinet maker by trade and his first work of importance in
Minster was the building of the altars and pulpit in the
first log church. In addition to his cabinet making, he
engaged in a general store business and was a member of the
first council in the village of Minster. He died on July
21, 1841, leaving a wife, Maria Angela (Drees) Dickman,
and two small sons, Charles Henry and Bernard.
The maternal grandfather, BERNARD KRAMER
was a locksmith by trade and a native of Handorf, Oldenburg,
Germany. He was one of the early pioneers and settled in
Minster in 1833. Mr. Dickman's father was a
well-known stock buyer in the early days, also a farmer, and
subsequently became identified with a flouring mill, and later
was in the Star Brewing Company of Minster. He was a
Democrat in politics, and for a number of years served as city
marshal of Minster. All the family are members of the
Catholic church. C. H. Dickman, Sr., and
wife were married in St. Augustine's church, Minster, on June
12, 1860, and were the parents of twelve children. The
nine now living are: C. H. Dickman; Mary, the wife
of Hy. Rakel of Cincinnati; Catherine, widow of
the late August Luckman, formerly a shoe merchant at
Minster; Bernard, a resident of Piqua, Ohio; Josephine,
wife of Fred Goeke, of Piqua; John, a steam
engineer living at Chicago, Ill.; Joseph, a steamfitter
living in California; Rosa, wife of Anthony Kramer,
who is with the Standard Oil Company at Minster, and Charles,
a printer living at Chicago. Those dead are a son,
Frederick, who died in infancy, and two daughters,
Elizabeth, wife of Herman Altemeyer, also deceased,
and Agnes, wife of John Rohlfing, now living in
Chicago. C. H. Dickman received his early education
in the public schools of Minster, and at the age of fifteen
began learning the cigar-maker's trade. Thus it will be
seen that he became dependent upon his own resources at this
early age, and his success in life can be attributed to the fact
that he has not only worked hard, but has made intelligent use
of his opportunities. After working at his trade a little
more than two years, he found other employment, and in 1880 he
took a job driving a huckster wagon for J. B. Kramer, and
was in his employ for seven and one-half years, making regular
weekly trips through the country, buying butter, eggs, poultry
and other produce, for which he offered in trade dry goods
notions and groceries. In the fall of 1887 he went to
Sedalia, Mo., making his home with his uncle, the Rev. B.
Dickman, and his cousin, Joseph A. Dickman. In
the spring of 1888 he went to Montrose, Henry county, Missouri,
and started a produce business, which he conducted with success
until the fall of the same year, when he returned to Minster and
became associated with his former employer under the firm name
of Kramer & Dickman, in the creamery business, and has
now given upwards of thirty years to the development of an
industry which vitally touches the welfare and prosperity of
hundreds of farmers in the neighborhood around Minster. At
the organization of the Minster State Bank he became a
stockholder of this institution and has held a directorship in
it since 1914. On Jan. 29, 1890, Mr. Dickman
married Agnes Deiters, the youngest daughter of
Bernard Dieters and wife. She was born on a farm east
of Minster and died on Apr. 26, 1891. Both her children
are now deceased. For his second wife, Mr. Dickman
married Elizabeth Brinker, who was born in St. Louis,
Mo., May 4, 1870. Of their nine children, seven are
living: Della, wife of Louis Hoying, who is
associated with the Hoying-Westerheide Hardware Company
of Minster; Leonora, bookkeeper for the Kramer &
Dickman Creamery Company; Marie, stenographer for the
Minster Mutual Fire Insurance Company; Lavina
stenographer for the Kramer & Dickman Creamery Company;
Genevieve, assistant bookkeeper for the Minster Mutual Fire
Insurance Company; C. H., Jr., a sophomore in the Minster
high school; Bernadette, pupil of the fifth grade of the
Minster public school; and Walter and Frederick,
deceased. The family are active members of hte Catholic
church, and Mr. Dickman is a charter member of Father
Kunkler Council No. 2158, Knights of Columbus, of Minster.
Politically he is a Democrat and served two terms on the village
council and one term as village clerk. In January, 1903,
the board of education of the Minster village school district
elected him a member to fill the vacancy caused by the death of
August Schmieder. He was re-elected in the
spring of 1903, and in the same year was chosen as the clerk of
the board, which office he has held to the present day.
Through his efforts the board of education instituted a high
school in 1906, thus giving the younger generation an
opportunity for a better education than was afforded in the days
when he attended school. The progress of the Minster high
school is noted by the fact that at the beginning of the
1922-1923 class 142 pupils were enrolled.|Source:
History of Auglaize County, Ohio - Vol. II - Pub. 1923 - Page
547-550 |
W. Newton Dingledine |
W. NEWTON DINGLEDINE
Source: History of Auglaize County,
Ohio - Vol. II - Pub. 1923 - Page 604 |
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OTIS E. DUNAN,
president of the First National Bank of St. Marys, for many
years closely identified with the growth and development of that
city and long recognized as one of its most enterprising and
progressive citizens, was born at St. Marys and has lived there
all his life, thus having been identified with all the major
movements which have been instrumental in development there
along what properly may be called "modern" lines, for he has
been connected with the bank of which he is now president since
1877, a date which just about marks the beginning of the period
in which this county began definitely to emerge from what
sometimes is called the "backwoods" period and to put away
pioneer conditions in favor of what since has been known as
"modern" methods, aa change which of course has resulted in a
practical reconstruction not only of the towns and villages of
the county but of commercial and industrial methods and has
brought about the amazing development which has been witnessed
here during the past forty years and more. And in all of
this development Mr. Dunan has been an influential
factor. Mr. Dunan was born at St. Marys on July 3,
1857, and is a son of Washington and Susan L. (Barrington)
Dunan, the latter of whom was a member of one of the real
pioneer families of the St. Marys neighborhood and the former of
whom had become a resident of St. Marys in 1846, following the
opening of canal navigation through that place. They had
two sons, Mr. Dunan having a brother, William R.
Dunan. Reared at St. Marys, Otis E. Dunan was
graduated from the first class that was graduated from the St.
Marys high school. That was in 1874. Three years
later, 1877, he became employed as a clerk in the old St. Marys
Bank, afterward nationalized as the First National Bank of St.
Marys, and he ever since has been connected with this
substantial financial concern, gradually being advanced as
promotions were earned, until in 1907 he was elected president
of the bank, the position he now occupies. In addition to
his banking interests at St. Marys, Mr. Dunan is a member
of the directorate and treasurer of the Union Building and Loan
Company of that city, a member of the directorate and vice
president of the Minster State Bank of Minster, this county; a
member of the directorate and treasurer of the St. Marys
Telephone Company and a director of the Peninsular Telephone
Company of Tampa, Fla. He is a Republican, a past member
of the St. Marys school board and has from time to time been the
nominee of the Republican party for other offices in city and
county. On Apr. 25, 1881, Otis E. Dunan was united
in marriage to Leah N. Van Riper, who was born in
Michigan, a daughter of George and Parthenia (Crowell) Van
Riper, and he and his wife have two children, George and
Anna L., the latter of whom married Dr. Carey P. Kite,
of St. Marys, and has two children, Leah Dunan and
Jeannette N. George Dunan married Betsey Crisick
and has two children, sons both, George and Otis.
The Dunans have a very pleasant home at 5110 West South
street and have ever been interested and helpful factors in the
general social and cultural activities of their home town and of
the community at large.
Source: History of Auglaize County, Ohio - Vol. II -
Pub. 1923 - Page 134 |
NOTES:
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