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ADOLPH
KESSLER had mastered some considerable degree of commercial
success before he located at Youngstown. His experience has been
an inspiring one.
Born in Hungary in 1889,
he attended school in his native land, and as soon as old enough
worked out at day labor and attended school at night. Getting a
thorough education was an important part of the program of Mr.
Kessler for a number of years both in Hungary and after
coming to the United States. He still lacked several years of
his majority when he reached this country. He knew of Rankin,
Pennsylvania, the home of a chance acquaintance, and that was his
first location. In Rankin, a suburb village of Pittsburgh, he
found work in a grocery store at eighteen dollars a month. He
knew no English, and was as diligent and persistent in acquiring a
knowledge of the language as he was in the performance of his duties
at the store. He was soon earning more than eighteen dollars a
month and in the meantime was attending a night school in Pittsburgh.
His next location was at Akron, Ohio, where he worked with a wholesale
grocery house and attended a business college in the night classes.
His next connection was with the Chicago packing house of
Libby, McNeil & Libby. As a traveling salesman they
gave him territory in Western Pennsylvania and Easter Ohio.
During his trips he came to know Youngstown, appreciated its business
opportunities and its civic pride, and ever since has been a permanent
resident.
On leaving the Chicago house he
engaged in real estate, and soon had a flourishing business.
Mr. Kessler now specializes in high class residence
property, and handles a large amount of valuable property each year.
Soon after coming to Youngstown he married Sallie Shier.
They have two young children, Herbert J. and
Stanley Martin. Mr. Kessler is a
member of the Real Estate Board and the Chamber of Commerce.
Soon after coming to America he took out his first citizenship papers
and after the conventional time allowed he secured his last papers,
making him a full fledged American citizen.
Source #2
- History of Youngstown & The Mahoning Valley, Ohio -
By Jos. G. Butler, Jr. - Vol. 2 -
Publ. American Historical Society - Chicago & New York 1921 |
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ANDREW KIRK,
a leading farmer of Coitsville township, residing on his farm
located in section 6, was born in Hubbard, Trumbull County, Ohio,
Oct. 27, 1830, and is a son of Rayen and Mary A. (Gray) Kirk.
Andrew Kirk, grandfather of our subject, was born
in New Jersey and was a blacksmith by trade. He served in the
War of 1812 under Colonel Rayen, entering in the service from
Coitsville township, then in Trumbull County, where he and his wife,
Elizabeth (Baldwin) Kirk, lived on a farm given them by her
father.
Rayen Kirk was born in Youngstown township, and
was reared in Mahoning County, which was then Trumbull County.
He was a blacksmith by trade and after his marriage moved to
Hubbard, where for many years he conducted a blacksmith shop,
Teamsters with six and eight-horse teams came many miles to Hubbard
to have their horses shod. About the time of the outbreak of
the Civil War Mr. Kirk and all his family, with the exception
of our subject and his sister Jane, moved to Delaware County,
Iowa, where he engaged in farming and also conducted a small
blacksmith shop. Here he remained the rest of his life dying
at the age of 88 years, and his widow lived to the advanced age of
90 years. Nine children were born to Rayen Kirk and
wife, namely: Mrs. Caroline Eberhart, deceased; Andrew;
Mary, Mrs. McClelland; Mrs. Jane Kimmel, deceased; Mrs.
Austria Kramer, deceased; Austin Kirk, a twin of Austria,
is a resident of DesMoines, Iowa; Ward, lives at Humansville,
Missouri; Ralph, died in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Calvin
lives at Strawberry Point, Iowa.
Andrew Kirk has been engaged principally in
farming; but taught district school for two terms in Hubbard, and
also at Brookfield, Trumbull County, Ohio, after which he commenced
farming in which occupation he has since continued. In 1856,
he located on a farm which he owned in Brookfield, residing there
until 1861 when he came to his present place, in 1865 building a
fine large house, which he remodeled, 20 years later into a modern
up-to-date residence. Mr. Kirk was also agent for
sewing-machines many years but since coming here has devoted his
time almost entirely to general farming.
Mr. Kirk was married in 1855 to Letitia
Mackey, a sister of James Mackey, a sketch of whom will
be found in this work. They have reared a family of four
children: Eugene, a resident of Youngstown, Ohio, a civil
engineer and surveyor, who is married and has had two children, of
whom but one, Helen, is living; Carrie L., who lives
at home, and has taught at the Union school on McGuffy street for 20
years; and Natalie, and Emma, who are twins. |
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