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BIOGRAPHIES
A Standard History
of
Erie County, Ohio
An Authentic Narrative of the Past, with Particular
Attention
to the Modern Era in the Commercial, Industrial,
Civic and Social Development. A Chronicle of the People, with Family
Lineage and Memoirs.
By
HEWSON L. PEEKE
Assisted by the Board of Advisory Editors
Volume I.
ILLUSTRATED
The Lewis Publishing Company
Chicago and New York
1916
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CLAUDE B. DEWITT.
One of the leading members of the Sandusky bar for the
past fifteen years. Mr. DeWitt has many
interests and activities outside of his profession which
have made his name familiar and prove the value of his
service and his high standing in the community.
The DeWitt farm, on which he was born in Perkins
Township, Apr. 20, 1878, is almost the only farm now in
thta township which has remained in the same family for
three successive generations. It was settled by
his grandparents, George W. and Elizabeth (Buck)
DeWitt, who were of Holland Dutch parentage, and
came to Ohio during the decade of the '30s. After
they married they established their home on the farm a
part of which is now included in the grounds of the Ohio
Soldiers' Home. Their location there was in 1849
and it continued to be their place of residence the rest
of their lives. Will C. DeWitt, father of
the Sandusky attorney, and the only son of George W.
and Elizabeth DeWitt, was born and spent his entire
life on the same farm, and died there in 1913.
This old homestead, interesting and valuable to the
DeWitt family, is now owned by Claude B. DeWitt,
who was the only child of Will C. DeWitt and
wife. The mother was Anna Bennett, and she
was also born in Erie County. Her parents were
Robert and Ellen (Milner) Bennett, the former of
Irish and the latter of English descent. Robert
Bennett likewise spent all his years in Erie County.
After graduating form the Sandusky High School in 1895,
Claude B. DeWitt, entered the Ohio State
University, where he was given his degree LL. B. in
1900. Experience and hard work have brought him a
large practice at Sandusky, where he enjoys an enviable
position.
In 1902 Mr. DeWitt was revision clerk of the
General Assembly of Ohio, and was selected by
Governor Nash as secretary of the code commission to
draft the municipal code for Ohio cities that was
enacted in 1902. He was formerly a member of
Company B, Sixteenth Regiment Ohio National Guard, and
since 1910 has been in charge of the Boy Scout movement
at Sandusky. He served as director of public
safety at Sandusky during 1910-11, and since 1907 has
been referee in bankruptcy of the United States District
Court. He was director of the Castalia Bank during
1912-1913. Mr. DeWitt is secretary of The
Great Lakes Waterways Conference, an organization made
up of all the Chambers of Commerce in the port cities of
the Great Lakes.
In politics a republican, he served a number of years
on county and city committees. Mr. DeWitt
is affiliated with Masonry, including the thirty-second
degree of Scottish Rite and Erie Commandery of the
Knights Templar, and also with the Benevolent and
Protective Order or Elks. He is a member of the
Sunyendeand Club. His church is the
Congregational.
On Apr. 25, 1901, at Columbus, he married Tella M.
Axline. Her father, Gen. H. A. Axline,
served as a private in the Civil war, during the Spanish
American war was colonel commanding the Tenth Ohio
Volunteer Infantry, and for twelve years was adjutant
general of Ohio, so that his name is one of the best
known in the State. Mr. and Mrs. DeWitt
have one child, Axline C. DeWitt, now twelve
years of age.
Source: The Standard History of Erie County,
Ohio - Published 1916 - Page 884 |
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GEORGE H. DEWITT.
For a great many years the name DeWitt has been
prominently associated with the financial affairs and
public utilities of Sandusky and Erie County.
George H. DeWitt was for many years an active factor
in the pioneer interurban line of Ohio, between Sandusky
and Milan and Norwalk. He is now living retired,
but in his former years has effected much that is
permanent in Sandusky's business life.
A native of Erie County, he was born Feb. 24, 1847, a
son of W. H. and Hannah (Buck) DeWitt. W. H.
DeWitt was born in New Jersey and his wife in
Pennsylvania. He came to Erie County in 1830 and
was one of the very early settlers at Sandusky, which
was then a very small hamlet. his first enterprise
there was farming, but later he became a holding
contractor and still later bought a brick yard and
manufactured brick until within a short time of his
death. He was a citizen of integrity and of
unimpeachable honor, and stood very high in all the
relations of a long and busy lifetime. He died in
1901. He was a devout Methodist and worshipped in
that faith all his career from childhood
Of the three children in the family, George H.
DeWitt is one of the two now surviving. He was
educated in the public schools of Sandusky, but at the
age of fifteen started out to make his own way and
worked as a clerk in a dry goods store and still later
followed the same line of business for himself at Salem,
Ohio He continued a merchant there for six years
and then returning to Sandusky became identified with
the old horse car street railway. Perhaps as much
as any individual he helped to develop Sandusky's
traction interests. He was a director in the old
Sandusky Street Railway, and afterwards became
associated with others in the People's Electric Street
Railway, which built and installed the electric line
running out to the Soldiers Home. Still later he
was one of the prime factors in the building of the
interurban line known as the Sandusky, Milan & Norwalk,
which was the pioneer electric interurban line in the
State of Ohio. After the road was constructed and
the company thoroughly organized he became its president
and manager, and he held that official position for
eight years until the property was sold to parties
outside of Sandusky. Since then he has lived
largely retired, and spends his time looking after his
private interests.
Mr. DeWitt has always been a public spirited and
unselfish citizen and willing to work for the best
interests of Sandusky in every way. He has given
his time and energy to the promotion of a number of
business enterprises, and has been highly prosperous.
He is a member of the Sunyendeand Club.
On Oct. 10, 1876, he married Miss Fannie A. Summers
of Salem, Ohio. Their two children are Helen,
born in October, 1880; and Lucy, born in October,
1885. Helen is now Mrs. August Kuebeler, Jr.,
of Sandusky, and Lucy is Mrs. George
McCune of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and the mother of
two children, Clodagh and Parguy.
Source: The Standard History of Erie County,
Ohio - Published 1916 - Page 1199 |
NOTES:
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