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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
Portrait &
Biographical Record of Stark County, Ohio
Containing Biographical Sketches of
Prominent and Representative Citizens,
Together with Biographies and Portraits of all the
Presidents of the United States.
Chicago - Chapman Bros. -
1892
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LOUIS
A. KOONS. The mercantile establishment par
excellence of the city of Massillon is the spacious and
handsome emporium belonging to Louis A. Koons,
located very eligibly at No. 9 Main Street. It is in
all respects a leading and well-appointed establishment,
where is always displayed an unusually fine and very
complete assortment of everything in the lines indicated,
every department being replete with the latest novelties.
The prices quoted, too, are rock-bottom figures, yet no
inferior goods are allowed to be placed in stock, patrons
being assured of receiving honest value and satisfactory
treatment in this deservedly popular store. He has
been established in his present place of business since
1888, and does a jobbing, wholesale and retail trade.
Four floors are now occupied, each 17x125 feet, and for the
successful handling of his goods and for the accommodation
of his patrons he has an elevator. Two rooms are
devoted to the retail trade. "The Bazar" is the
largest house of the kind in the country, and one of the
very largest in the State.
Mr. Koons was born in this county,
Mar. 27, 1858, to Jacob and Catherine (Ruckenbroad) Koons,
the former of whom was born in Germany and there passed the
life of a farmer until his removal to America at the age of
eighteen years. Ye located in Massillon, and began
working in the old machine shop of Hart & Brown,
continuing until his death, in 1868, at the age of
forty-eight years. He was an expert machinist, and
possessed many worthy traits of character, but was on a
quiet, retiring disposition. He was an earnest quiet,
retiring disposition. He was an earnest member of St.
John's Evangelical Church, which he helped to build up.
His wife was born near Columbiana, Ohio, and was a daughter
of Rev. Michael Ruckenbroad, a native of
Wurtemberg, Germany. When a young man he came to
America, and followed his trade of shoemaker in
Pennsylvania, afterward settling in Columbiana County, Ohio,
when it was a wilderness, entering and improving a farm
there. In addition to this, he worked at his trade,
raised flax and spun and wove his own cloth. He was a
Deacon of the Dunkard Church and organized a society of that
denomination in Columbiana County, preaching in an old log
schoolhouse that was located on his land. He died in
Massillon at the age of eighty-four years. The
paternal grandfather lived and died in Germany. The
mother of Louis A. Koons resides in Massillon, and is
a member of the Christian Church. Her son has in his
possession an old Bible that was printed in Germany in 1629.
Louis A. Koons was one of four sons and four
daughters born to his parents, six of whom lived to maturity
and five are now living. He attended the common and
grammar schools of Massillon until the death of his father,
then, at the early age of eight years, he was compelled to
begin life's battle for himself. At the age of twelve
years, he entered the employ of Kelley & Pepper,
brickmen, remaining with them two seasons, attending school
during the winter months. Although the labor was quite
hard for one of his years, he showed much pluck and
perseverance and kept at his work, receiving fifty cents a
day for his services. When fourteen, he began clerking
in a grocery store, but two years later became an apprentice
of the Russell Company as machinist, and in two
years' time had thoroughly learned the trade. He soon
after entered the employ of H. A. Kitzrailler, a
grocer and dealer in queensware, and during the three years
that he remained in his employ he obtained a thorough
insight into how business affairs were conducted, and
decided to continue in that line of work. After being
in the employ of Powell & James for six years,
he began business for himself in the spring of 1882, dealing
in stoves, hardware, house-furnishing goods, etc.
Although he began at the bottom of the ladder it was
not two years before he had the largest business of the kind
in the city, he was then in partnership with L. P. Yost
and W. F. Koons, but later sold out to them, and
purchased the Five and Ten Cent store at Massillon, which
was a very small establishment, and in its conduct was
associated with Mr. Heininger, the firm being known
as Heininger & Koons. They did business
in a room 17x60 feet until January, 1885, at which time they
started a branch store at Canal Dover, which Mr.
Heininger took as his share of the business. Mr.
Koons gradually increased his stock until it has
assumed its present magnificent proportions. In 1891,
he was an incorporator of the Union Cigar Company and was
made its general manager and superintendent. This
factory is at No. 1 East Main Street, and has a very
extensive business, keeping two men busily employed on the
road. Mr. Koons was the first man to
propose the Massillon Building St Loan Association and was
one of its chief organizers and is now a leading Director.
It was established Mar. 22, 1888, and for some time Mr.
Koons was its Secretary, but he was compelled to
resign the position on account of the big business he was
doing. He was married in Canal Fulton in December,
1880, to Miss Caroline Morgan, who was
born in Dowlais, Wales, a daughter of Thomas
Morgan, who came to Canal Fulton and kept an hotel
there. To Mr. and Mrs. Koons
two children have been born: Louis A., Jr., and
Thomas A. Mr. Koons has served in numerous
minor official positions, such as Township Clerk, etc., and
in 1891 was Clerk of Massillon, but resigned this position
to look after his business affairs. He has been a
prominent candidate several times for Mayor but has
withdrawn in favor of his friends. He is a true-blue
Republican, and on several occasions has been a delegate to
county and State conventions. He has been Chairman of
the city Republican Central Committee, was a member of the
County Central Committee, and is President of the McKinley
Club. Socially, he belongs to the Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of
Pythias, the Sexanual League, is a Counselor of the Chosen
Friends, a member of the Protective Home Circle, a charter
member of the Junior Order of Mechanics, and last, but not
least, is Trustee, Treasurer, and an earnest member of the
Christian Church. He is a wide-awake man of business,
and is an active competitor for legitimate trade in his
line, and is regarded as representing one of the rising
business houses of the State.
Source: Portrait &
Biographical Record of Stark County, Ohio - Chicago -
Chapman Bros. - 1892 - Page 358 |
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