Histories

A Centennial Biographical History of the City of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio

Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1901

https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Centennial_Biographical_History_of_the/yNYyAQAAMAAJ?hl=en

Excerpt from book: pages 164-168

Henry Lorenz Siebert

The Siebert family has long been prominently connected with the material development and substantial upbuilding of Franklin county and the city of Columbus. The founder of the family in America was Henry Lorenz Siebert, who was born in Trieste, Hesse-Cassel, Germany, in 1791, where his parents — natives of the same country — spent their entire lives. At an early age the son entered the German army and served during the closing years of the Napoleonic wars, seeing altogether seven years of miltarv service. Released from the army, he settled in Buckenheim, a suburb of Frankfort-on- the-Main, where he opened a bakery. He married Susan C. Dollinger in 1820, and the following children were born to them in Germany: William, born February 14, 1821; Christian, November 9, 1822; a daughter that died in infancy; Sophia, born July 20, 1825; Henry L., July 17, 1827; Louis, born June 29, 1830; and Carl, who was born and died in the year 1832. Three children were born after the arrival of the family in this country, namely: John, Susan and Charles M.

The father of this family purchased property in Buckenheim and carried on business there from 1820 until September, 1832. About the middle of October of the same year, with his wife and children, he sailed from Bremen for the United States, arriving at Baltimore, Maryland, after a voyage of sixty-five days in a small sailing vessel. Mr. Siebert's reasons for leaving the fatherland are to be found in the facts that he was a liberal in his political views, was opposed to government by autocratic repression, and wished to remove his sons beyond German military requirements. He remained in Baltimore only long enough to make arrangements for moving westward. With two "prairie schooners" he started overland for Ohio. The family first stopped to rest at Wheeling, West Virginia, then crossed the Ohio river on a flatboat, and journeyed to Zanesville in this state, whence after a two-months sojourn they located in Somerset, Ohio. Here he purchased a house, but soon traded the property for a farm of fifty-five acres, three miles and a half from Somerset, now known as the Libbey farm. He remained there but one season and then, through the influence of friends, removed to Columbus., where he arrived July 8, 1834, and went into business at the northeast corner of Rich and High streets. His building and its contents were destroyed by fire in April, 1835, and he next opened a store on the corner of Main and Fourth streets, Fourth street being at that time the eastern boundary of the town. Mr. Siebert remained here until 1837, when he bought a house at No. 660 South High street. Two years, later he removed to the Reinhardt farm, six miles west of Columbus, but after two years returned to the capital, settled once, more in his South High street home and lived there until his death in October, 1842. His widow remained at the old home until her death, at the age of nearly seventy, in November, 1869.

Their oldest son, William, in partnership with M. C. Lilley, established the firm of Siebert & Lilley, bookbinders and publishers, in 1842. but later went to Paris, Illinois, and bought a farm; still later he became the cashier of the First National Bank in Paris, and was identified with that prosperous institution for many years, until his retirement, about 1890. Mr. Siebert was a collector and reader of books, taking an especial delight in the study of German history. Before his death, which occurred in 1898, he presented the most of his books to the library of the Ohio State University, and these form the nucleus of a collection named in his honor, the Siebert Library of German History. A son, William, survives him, who participated in the battle of Santiago.

Sophia became the wife of Cyrus Obetz, and they are now residents of Paris, Illinois. They have one son. Professor Henry L. Obetz, formerly dean of the homeopathic department of the University of Michigan, and now one of the leading physicians and surgeons of Detroit, Michigan.

Christian, the second son of Henry L. Siebert (Sr.), was born November 9, 1822, and for many years carried on business as a gunsmith in Columbus. He married Amelia Brown March 15, 1859. He purchased property on the southwest corner of High and Frankfort streets on the south side of Columbus, and built a residence, in which his widow still lives. Christian and Amelia Siebert have had six children, three of whom — Flora, Nettie Alma and an unnamed son — died in infancy. Mrs. Anna B. Miller, a widow, lives with her mother; Frank also lives at home; Mrs. Kate Bobb, the wife of Mortimer Bobb, died February 8, 1900. There are two grandchildren, Marie Siebert Miller, now a pupil in the South Side high school, and Katherine Siebert Bobb, an infant. By a former marriage, to Sarah Maccam, Christian Siebert had four children. Mary, the eldest, resides at home; the other three died in infancy. The parents were members of the Universalist church, to which Mrs. Amelia Siebert still belongs. In politics Mr. Siebert was a Republican, and he was a charter member of the Odd Fellows lodge of this city. He was known throughout the state in a business way, and had large property interests in Columbus. He was a man of large proportions physically, was generous in private charity, and altogether large-hearted and kindly. He died September 18, 1886, after a lingering illness.

Henry Lorenz Siebert, the third son of Henry L., Sr., is now in his seventy-fourth year, and is still robust and active. He acquired his early education in the public schools of Franklin county, and in his sixteenth year became a clerk in the store of Greenwood & King. In September, 1843, he went to Cincinnati and entered the employ of John Griffith, a gunsmith, but returned after six months and became an employe of Peter Ambos. In September, 1844, he went back to Mr. Griffith's establishment, and in February, 1845, obtained a situation with William L. Hudson, of Cincinnati. Mr. Siebert married Anna L. Morris, of Covington, Kentucky, January 1, 1852, and soon after entered into partnership with his former employer, Mr. Griffith. Three years later, through the friendship and assistance of Hon. Timothy C. Day, later a member of congress from Cincinnati, he began business for himself, but failing in the panic of 1857 he entered the hardware store of R. N. Booth & Company, of Cincinnati, where he was employed until 1861. Next he went to Paris, Illinois, where he raised a company and did guard duty to protect the town from the raids of southern sympathizers. In 1865 he returned to Columbus and has lived here ever since. For the past twenty-eight years he has held his present position with the M. C. Lilley Company.

He is a stanch Republican. In 1869 he was elected infirmary director, the first position ever held by a Republican in Franklin county. He and his family are members of St. Paul's Episcopal church, and for the past fifteen years Mr. Siebert has served as one of the vestrymen of that church. In 1864 he became a member of the Masonic lodge in Paris, Illinois. The children of Henry L. and Anna Morris Siebert are as follows: Ada K., who was married, in 1876, to F. W. Schueller, a prominent druggist of Columbus; Myra Belle, the wife of William Scarlett, the treasurer of the M. C. Lilley Company; Ellen M. the wife of Henry H. Thorpe, a popular hotel proprietor of the city; Thomas H., superintendent of the shoe department of the Lazarus store, of Columbus; Alice Winifred, married, October 27, 1897, to John A. Schoedinger, an undertaker; and Frederick J., now a mining engineer in Utah.

Mrs. Susan D. Lindenberg, a daughter of Henry L. Siebert, Sr., was born in Columbus August 31, 1837, and obtained her education in the public schools of the city. She was married to Henry Lindenberg October 23, 1862. Mr. Lindenberg was born in Germany July 29, 1836, came to this country in 1850, and became a partner in the M. C. Lilley Company and the editor of the Odd Fellows Companion. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Lindenberg are: Louis L., born August 1, 1863, educated in the public schools and Ohio State University in Columbus, and for a number of years connected with the M. C. Lilley Company; Theodore L., born October 3, 1873, educated in Columbus, and in Germany, where he spent two years in travel and study with his parents, having since made a trip around the world, at present in the employ of the M. C. Lilley Company; and Charlotte, educated in Bryn Mawr College, Philadelphia, who lives at home. The father of this family died in Germany in 1890. He was a cultivated and widely read man and a charming conversationalist. He was a member of the German Independent Protestant church, and a leading member of the Masonic, Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias fraternities. Mrs. Lindenberg still resides at her beautiful home. No. 1071 Bryden road.

The sketches of Louis and John Siebert will be found in other places in this volume.

Charles M. Siebert, the youngest son of Henry L. Siebert, Sr., was. born In Columbus in 1839. At the age of twelve he began working at the gunsmith's trade with his brother Christian. In 1855 he went to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he spent two years at his trade; thence he went to Cincinnati,where he entered the employ of his brother Henry. In 1857 he made a trip down the Ohio river on a trading boat as far as Hickman, Kentuckv. but was compelled to abandon the trip at this point on account of high water. He returned to Cincinnati, thence to Columbus, where he again worked with his brother Christian, then went to Loudonville, Ohio, where he spent a year in the employ of T. A. Rinehart. In 1861 he went back to Indianapolis, and the next year to St. Louis, where he worked for the government in the United States arsenal. In May, 1864, he enlisted in the One Hundred and Thirty-third Regiment of Ohio Volunteers, with which command he was sent to West Virginia, thence to Petersburg, Virginia. His regiment was attached to the Tenth Army Corps, and from that time on participated in all the more important engagements that occurred in that section of the country. He took part in the hotly contested battle of Weldon Railroad, south of Petersburg, after which his regiment was stationed in a fort on the James river, near City Point, Virginia. At the expiration of his service he returned to Columbus, and in 1866 went to Circleville. Ohio, where he began business for himself as a gunsmith, and there remained for twenty-four years. He then sold his property and moved with his family to Columbus, and has since been in the employ of the M. C. Lilley Company. Mr. Siebert married Harriet Valentine April 16, 1866. To them the following children were born: Christian J., born January 16, 1868, married Cora E. Pausch; Charles M., born November 28, 1869; Alice B., born January 27, 1871, married, October 23, 1895, to Professor Nathan G. Burner; Louis A., born March 16, 1874, married Alberta Dempsey November 3, 1898; Thomas H., born August 30, 1872, died February 28, 1879; and Hattie M., born October 29, 1875, died October 9, 1876.

Charles M. Siebert, Sr., is a Republican, having supported that party since casting his first presidential vote for Lincoln in 1864. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Episcopal church.

[NOTE: the author did not provide a list of sources/citations used]