|
OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS
A Part of Genealogy
Express
|
Welcome to
Hamilton County, Ohio
History & Genealogy |
| |
G.
H. RABE was born in Germany in 1816. At about
the age of seventeen he went to sea and followed the life of
a sailor for some twelve years, visiting almost every region
of the globe. In 1846 he came to Cincinnati, and was,
for a number of years, steamboating on the Ohio and
Mississippi rivers. In 1850 Mr. Rabe went to
California, and remained there until 1854, when he returned
to Cincinnati. He then engaged in farming for about
eight years in Delhi township. In 1873 he began his
present business, locating in Cumminsville, and has been
engaged in the distillery business ever since.
Source: 1789 - 1881 History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with
Illustrations and Biographical Sketches - Publ. L. A.
Williams & Co. - Page 516 |
| |
SAMUEL
W. RAMP, Esq. One of the notable features of politics
and the public service in Cincinnati and Hamilton county, is
the number of comparatively young men occupying the most
responsible, and in some cases the most difficult, positions,
by the willing suffrages of the people. Several of these —as
Auditor Capeller, of the county official force,
and Comptroller Eshelby, of the city
government—appear with suitable notices in our galaxy of
prominent Queen citizens; and we are happy to be able to add
to the representatives of the brain, business tact and
ability, and personal popularity of young Cincinnati, the name
which heads this article—by no means the least in prominence
and responsible duty of those which appear in this volume.
Mr. Ramp is as yet but thirty-six years old, having
been born in this city January 18, 1845. His father, also
named Samuel, was a native of Norfolk county, England,
born in 1808. His mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth
Smith, was born in the same county, but two years later
than he who became her husband. They were married February 6,
1828, in the old country, but early determined to push their
fortunes in the New World, to which they emigrated in 1834.
They remained in the east a few years, then came to Cincinnati
in 1840, where they have since continuously resided, the
father still pursuing actively the trade of a bricklayer and
builder, which he took up upon arriving here nearly half a
century ago. Three of their children were born in the old
country and three here, but all are now in the grave except
the subject of this sketch. He is the youngest of the family.
His education was received in the public schools of
Cincinnati, and was continued to the A grade of the first
intermediate department, when the needs of the family, or his
ambition to make an independent living, led him, at the age of
thirteen, to abandon the schools and take an appointment as
messenger in the court-rooms then occupied by their honors,
Judges P. Mallon and C. Murdock. It is a
fact of some interest that his business career began, nearly a
quarter of a century since, in the same building where he is
now doing the best and strongest work of his life. After about
two years' service in the courts, he took a clerkship, though
still very young, in the office of Colonel Oliver H.
Geoffroy, then incumbent of the office of county
treasurer. He remained with the Colonel during his entire
administration and then made a venture in the banking
business, at first as assistant teller in the First National
bank of Cincinnati, upon its organization about 1863. His
experience in the county treasury peculiarly fitted him for
his duties here, and he was presently advanced to the post of
receiving teller, one of the best and most important places
in a banking institution. After some two years' service in
this bank, he accompanied its cashier in the formation of a
new bank, the Central National, in which also he took the
position of receiving teller. He remained in this but one
year, and then, in 1866, being as yet but twenty-one years
old, he passed to the Third National bank, in which he
obtained the yet higher office of assistant cashier. His
duties here, as elsewhere, were so performed as to secure the
approbation of his superiors, and to lead to a much longer
connection than with either of the other banks he served. He
was assistant cashier of the Third National for fourteen
years, or until he assumed the duties of his office in
February, 1880. He obtained this nomination at the great,
unwieldly Republican convention of that year, which comprised
nearly one thousand members, and after five ballots and a
struggle of several hours against other candidates, most of
them his superiors in age and duration of political service,
the choice of the convention fell upon Mr. Ramp;
and the nomination was triumphantly ratified at the polls in
October by a majority of about three thousand seven hundred.
He had well entitled himself to the position, not only by his
fidelity, efficiency, and integrity in business, but by his
services to the dominant party. He had taken an active
interest in politics from the time he became a citizen, was an
original member and is now a director of the famous Lincoln
club, and for a time served as secretary of the city executive
committee. In his new office his business qualifications have
rendered eminent public service in the transaction of its
important affairs. It keeps the files of all the courts of the
city and county, except the probate and police courts, and
otherwise transacts the people's business in important
relations. No less than twenty-three clerks are employed in
its multifarious work.
Mr. Ramp was married
June 18, 1868, to Miss Susie A., daughter of John T.
Johnson, the well-known Cincinnati leaf tobacconist, and
Ann Elizabeth Johnson. They have one child living—Ada
Lillian, born November 9, 1870; and lost one in 1870—John
Thomas, aged about eight months.
Source: 1789 - 1881 History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with
Illustrations and Biographical Sketches - Publ. L. A.
Williams & Co. - Page 449
(Submitted by Sharon Wick) |
| |
COLONEL JOHN RIDDLE, of Cincinnati, was one of the most
notable characters of the early day in the Miami purchase. He
was of Scotch descent, but was a resident of New Jersey,
whence he emigrated to this country in 1790, settling first in
the little hamlet of Cincinnati. His earlier career in this
place is noticed with some fullness in the annals of
Cincinnati in this volume. He was five feet ten inches high,
large and strong-boned, weighing two hundred and twenty-five
pounds, and a man of herculean strength and great firmness of
purpose, but withal of gentle disposition and rare kindness to
the poor, as many persons still living can testify. He died
at his homestead in the Mill Creek valley, near (the site of
it now in) Cincinnati, on the old Hamilton road, at the age of
eighty-seven, mourned by all who knew him. He left a brief
memoir of the principal events of his life, which was printed
in a pamphlet. It is now very scarce, and the following has
been kindly copied for this volume by his grandson, Mr.
John
L. Riddle :
MEMOIR OF COLONEL JOHN RIDDLE.
In the month of April, 1778, I was called out, and entered the
service of the United States at Elizabethtown, New Jersey, on
a tour of six weeks; also a campaign in the months of June
and July the same year, when the British retired from
Philadelphia, and passed through New Jersey to Sandy Hook. Was
in a skirmish at the draw-bridge below Trenton, and at the
battle of Monmouth, where there were six or seven hundred dead
and wounded laid on the ground; I was commanded by Colonel
Frelinghuysen, afterward General Frelinghuysen, in the months
of September and October. The same year I served another
campaign at Elizabethtown, under Colonel Frelinghuysen and
Captain William Logan. In the year 1782 I followed privateering under
Captain Hiler (a brave and patriotic man),
and sailed from New Brunswick, coasting around Sandy Hook and
Long Island, as far as Cape May. The first vessel we captured
was a sloop-of-war carrying two guns, having boarded her in
the night and ransomed her for four hundred dollars. Same
night boarded and took a six-teen-gun cutter, mounting ten
eighteen-pounders and six six-pounders, having captured her
in the midst of the British fleet, then lying at Sandy Hook;
after running the prize past the guard-ship, up the bay
towards Amboy, we ran her aground on a sandbar in the night.
The next morning took off her fifty prisoners, and everything
else we could, and then set fire to her magazine and blew her
up. She was a double-decker, fitted out with provisions,
ammunition, etc., for a cruise, with the intention of
harassing and destroying our vessels. As we understood from
the prisoners a hundred men were to have been put on board the
day after we captured her; thirty of us boarded her. On
another night the captain and fourteen of us, who had
volunteered our services, sailed up the Narrows in New York
bay, in a whale-boat, and on our return boarded a schooner,
which we ransomed for four hundred dollars, and returned to
our gunboats in Solsbury river, without injury or the loss of
a single life. We had two skirmishes on Long Island; during
the contest one man fell backward in my arms, mortally
wounded. In one of these affairs, in our attack and defence,
we came across a store of dry goods, etc, belonging to the
British, the whole of which we carried away. On another
occasion Captain Story, from Woodbridge, with a gun and whale
boat, fell in with us in Solsbury river. Captains Hiler and
Story, ascending the heights, observed four vessels at a
distance, moored close to the Highlands, termed London
traders—one of them, however, being an armed schooner,
carrying eight guns, used as a guard-ship to protect the other
three. There being a calm, and the tide being against them, we
ran out on them, within a short distance of the British fleet.
A severe cannonading commenced on both sides; at last the
schooner having struck we captured the other two without
difficulty. The guard-ship by this time coming up, poured her
shot on us like hail, one shot cutting off the mast of our
whale-boat, just above our heads; but at last we succeeded in
running the schooner on a sandbar, where we burnt her in view
of the fleet; the others were bilged and driven on the beach.
Not long after the commander of the whale boat, myself and
another man, in the night, took a craft laden with calves,
poultry, eggs, butter, etc., going to the British fleet. A
prize of this kind, at the present day, would be considered of
small amount; but at that time it was far otherwise to troops
in a starving condition. After running out of Solsbury river,
we attacked a large sloop and two schooners, one of them armed
with two three-pounders. They gave us a warm reception. After
a running fire of some time we came up with the schooner, and,
when about to board her, Captain Hiler, damned the captain,
said that if he put the match to another gun he should have no
quarter. No sooner said, however, than the British captain
seized the match from one of his men and directed a shot
himself, which, owing to the rolling of the sea, did no
execution. By force of our oars we soon were near enough to
board, when Captain Hiler, springing aboard of the British
vessel, aimed a blow at the head of the captain, who,
springing backward, escaped, the sword merely passing down his
breast Captain Hiler immediately made another pass which, the
other receiving on his arm, saved his life, and then cried for
quarter, which was granted him. After taking the sloop and two
schooners, we sailed round the Jersey shore, where, having
discovered another sail out at sea, our Captain cried out,
"Men, yonder is another sail; we must have that." Springing to
our oars as hard as we were able we came up with her, boarded
her, and found her to be a prize that the British had taken at
the capes, off the Delaware, and were sending her to New York.
Three privateers coming up, which had been dispatched from the
fleet in pursuit of us, we were obliged to cut and run,
carrying with us the schooner last boarded, beaching the
others (loaded with tar and turpentine), and running her into
Sherk river. The next day we returned under British colors,
and, coming alongside the fleet off Sandy Hook, dropped sail
and ran into Solsbury. The same evening we passed through the
narrow passage between Sandy Hook and the Highlands about
sunset, when we spied a craft going across to the guard-ship,
in pursuit of which our captain immediately sent the
whale-boat. But perceiving a line of British soldiers marching
down the beach, with the intention of waylaying us at the
Narrows, we rowed to shore and landed fifteen men, who were to
attack in the rear, the British having in the meantime crossed
the beach on the side we lay with our boat. We were but thirty
strong, including the fifteen we had landed; the enemy about
seventy. While we were looking over the beach for them from
our vessel, they came suddenly round a point within
pistol-shot of us. The first thing we knew was a volley from a
platoon, having come up in a solid column. Twelve of our men
fired with muskets, and in such quick succession that the
barrels began to burn our hands, the other three managed a
four-pounder, which the captain ordered to be loaded with
langrage, crying out: "Boys, land, land; we will have them
all!" When the four-pounder went off, accompanied with the
fire of our musketry, we raised the yell. An opening by our
four-pounder being made through their column the enemy broke
and ran, and the fifteen men before landed happening to come
up, charged and took the captain and nine of his men. In fact
every day at Sandy Hook afforded a skirmish of some kind or
other, either with small arms or cannon. At Toms river inlet
we were twice nearly cast away; once at Hogg island inlet On
two occasions we narrowly escaped being taken prisoners by
two different frigates; one the Fair American. Once in coming
up from Sandy Hook to Amboy, with two gunboats and a
whale-boat, Captain Hiler commanding, being in charge of a
British gunboat, we ran in between an enemy's brig and a
galley, that carried an eighteen-pounder in her bow; the
gunboat had struck, but, before we were able to board her, an
eighteen-pound ball passed through one of our gunboats, which
obliged us to make the best of our way to the Jersey shore;
and getting every thing out of the boat, under a continual
fire of cannon and small arms (which lasted until 9 o'clock at
night), we left her to the British, our ammunition being all
spent.
After peace I returned home and followed the trade of a
blacksmith until the year 1790. In the spring of that year I
sold out, and came, about the close of October, to what is now
Cincinnati, but at the time pretty much in woods. Having
cleared a four-acre lot situate about a mile from the river,
in the year 1791, I was the first that raised a crop of wheat
between the two Miamis. While attending church the settlers
rested on their guns to be ready on the first alarm from the
Indians. In the spring of 1791, while occupied with clearing
the said lot I ran a narrow chance of losing my scalp. Joseph
Cutter was taken in a clearing adjoining mine, and a Mr. VanCleve was killed at a corner of my lot. The Indians were
constantly skulking around us, murdering the settlers or
robbing the stables.
From General St. Clair I received an ensign's commission; was
afterwards promoted to a lieutenantcy; next chosen captain of
the company; then major, and commanded the militia at
Cincinnati and Columbia, seven miles up the river, during the
time of Wayne's campaign. Afterwards elected colonel, and had
the honor to command the troops at Greenville during the
treaty held with the Indians, General Harrison and
General Cass being commissioners. Soon after the war I resigned my
commission to General James Findlay. The time that elapsed
from my appointment as ensign until elected a colonel, was
between twenty and twenty-two years ; and during the whole of
this period I never failed parading but one day, and that on
account of sickness.
Source: 1789 - 1881 History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with
Illustrations and Biographical Sketches - Publ. L. A.
Williams & Co. - Page 416
(Submitted by Sharon Wick) |
| |
FRANK RIES was born in
Bavaria, Germany, Oct. 23, 1825. He came to the United
States and landed in New Orleans in 1841; then came direct
to Cincinnati, arriving here in March, 1841. Here he
began to learn the tailor’s trade which business he followed
for some seven years. In 1853 he moved to St. Bernard,
where he engaged in the saloon business. In 1856 he
moved to Corryville, which has been his home ever since; and
he was engaged in the saloon business. Mr. Ries
was married in Cincinnati at St. Mary’s church Oct. 10,
1848, to Miss Mary Huff bower. She was born in
Germany, having come to Cincinnati in about 1843. By
this union, they have ten children living. Mr. Ries
is a member of the Catholic church, and has been one of its
active adherents. He was one of the building committee
in erecting St. George’s Catholic church at Corryville.
He is a member of the German Pioneers’ association; had one
son, Jacob, in the late war in the gun-boat service,
who did good duty, and was honorably discharged. Mr.
Ries came to Cincinnati in company with his mother
and six children. His sister, Catharine Ries,
came to Cincinnati in 1839.
Source: 1789 - 1881 History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with
Illustrations and Biographical Sketches - Publ. L. A.
Williams & Co. - Page 520 |
|
|
CLICK
HERE to RETURN to
HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO |
CLICK
HERE
to RETURN to
OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS |
|
FREE GENEALOGY RESEARCH is My MISSION
GENEALOGY EXPRESS
This Webpage has been created by Sharon Wick exclusively for Genealogy Express
©2008
Submitters retain all copyrights |
|