In the late 1970's, two of our DeVine relatives took it upon themsleves to write down their family history as they recollected it being told to them..This is their account.
The DeVine Family History
By Dorothy and Catherine DeVine
If Daniel C DeVine and Helen E Hochwalt DeVine are in your lineage, you may be interested in these small happenings in their lives and some of their fore bearers.
DANIEL CLIFFORD DEVINE was born April 17th, 1884, in Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio, the third child of William Edward and Catherine Ellen DeVine (both first generation lace curtain Irish). William operated a butcher shop on Bruen Street in Dayton at that time. As a young boy Clifford had a pinto pony and it was his job to deliver the meat after school and during the summer months. When he returned home his father always checked the wheels of the wagon to see if they were wet, as he was told never to come through the creek, but he sometimes parked in the middle and did a little skinny dipping from the wagon.
After the butcher shop failed, at the age of 12, Clifford left school and went to work. Although his parents urged him to continue his education, he felt he should help with the family’s finances and later completed his high school education by going to night school. At one time he worked as a draftsman in Milwaukee for several years and lived there with his cousin, Owen DeVine. When he married Helen E Hochwalt in 1908, he worked as a draftsman at the Globe Iron Works in Dayton, and made $1200.00 a year. As his father-in-law said, “Imagine that kid making all that money!”
In 1911, the Midwest, including Dayton, had a severe depression and through Albert G Daugherty (a former fellow employee at the Globe Iron Works) he came to York and got work at S.Morgan Smith Company. He also got the job through a recommendation from Carey Etnier-an executive of the company and a relative of S.Morgan Smith. Mr. Etnier had met Daniel C when they had both bid on a job. Although Daniel C DeVine didn’t get the contract, Mr. Etnier was very favorably impressed by his youth and evident qualifications. While Etnier lived, he was always a champion for him. After three months on the job Clifford sent for his wife and two daughters and they lived in a boarding house in York on Park Street with Mrs. Van Gordon. They then rented 615 Linden Avenue and in 1919 bought 612 Linden Avenue, directly across the street. This was the family residence until the four older children left home at which time Daniel C. turned it into two apartments. A year or so later, at the time of his retirement, he bought the Levi Grim farm at RD 1 East Berlin ,York County ,Latimore Township PA, and lived there the rest of his life.
During the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, Daniel C was Treasurer of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St Rose of Lima Catholic Church in York. This was a branch of an international organization which was founded over 150 years ago to provide food, clothing and other basic needs to the destitute, while keeping a low profile. Their work is done quietly and unceremoniously-reaching out in friendship to the needy-all the work being done by volunteers. At that time at St. Rose’s a few men of the congregation met privately in the Rectory every Sunday evening before services and gave financial assistance and other aid to needy families in the parish-in those years-one big item being coal. They also assisted the indigent who applied for help at the rectory. Money for this charity was obtained from a ‘poor box’ at the rear of the church, and when necessary, from the pockets of the group. Times were hard in those days-no welfare and no social security. Daniel never missed a meeting and never talked about what was done. He served until the Society was disbanded when times improved.
Daniel C. was successful in his work at Smith’s and was made Superintendent within a few years. The family lived close to the shop as he was always on call and seemingly had no problem solving most emergencies. There were no labor unions and no welfare programs so he filled in whenever necessary, being frequently called upon to settle even family disputes. He was exceptionally well liked by all men, and in his retirement years, three of his colleagues made regular visits to see him at least twice each year until his death.
Although he still had one more son to educate, Daniel C felt the pressures of the job and in 1944 he took early retirement at the age of 60 when he was the Assistant to the Vice President of the Company. This did not go down very well with the Smiths, as they said he was very much needed as the war was still going on. They showed their displeasure by denying him any pension, although he had worked for them for 34 years. Later they asked him to come back as a consultant once or twice each month and gave him $200.00 a month for this service. Under this new policy one of his duties was to look over the plans for the new plant being built on Taxville Road. On this job alone they recouped their investment. Among missing items on the construction he found and called their attention to was the fact that no provision had been made by the architects for plumbing. He continued this consultant arrangement until the plant was sold to Allis Chalmers and the new owners terminated his work. Although he never mentioned it, this was a blow, as he missed the contact-it was an absorbing interest. Although he didn’t have to worry about the day to day responsibilities, he still knew what was going on and he enjoyed it. He loved his work.
When he was about 77 years of age, he had a debilitating illness. Mostly all his organs were suffering from old age. He was in the hospital at Harrisburg for about 10 days, made a good recovery by afterwards was very frail. Although he always said he felt ‘Fine” he gradually did less and less and at the age of 87 he was again hospitalized in Harrisburg and died 5 days later on October 28, 1971.
WILLIAM EDWARD DEVINE was born in Fairfield Ohio September 12, 1843 and married Catherine Ellen McGarry in New York City on January 26th 1870.
Their children were:
Charles Edward DeVine born 12/15/1871
Mary Ellen DeVine born 11/3/1875
Daniel Clifford Devine born 4/17/1884
William Edward DeVine’s family emigrated from Ireland, date unknown. His family was James Devine and his mother Mary O’Donohue. We were told his family at first mined coal in Western Pennsylvania and that William operated the company store and ‘bought time’.
It is unknown how he met and married Catherine Ellen McGarry in New York or why they moved to Ohio. We were also told that he was a scout for the Union Army in the Civil War and we knew that his wife got a small pension after his death for this service.
After their marriage in 1870 William and Catherine moved first to Chillicothe, Ohio; later to Marietta, Ohio and lastly, in the 1880’s to Dayton Where Daniel C DeVine were born. William operated a butcher shop there but this venture failed, as to many of his wealthy clients charged their purchases and he was unsuccessful at collecting bills. Later he worked in a foundry as blacksmith and was unfortunate that he lost an eye.
It is known that William had one brother and one sister. The brother Laughlin married and had two children, Owen and Esther. He and his first wife divorced (later he had three more wives) and she took the children and homesteaded in the West. The son Owen at one time owned a drugstore in Milwaukee which failed when the street where it was located was closed for a year for repairs. Later he became a stockbroker. He married and adopted two children. When Daniel C got his first job away from home it was in Milwaukee and he lived with Owen and his family. The daughter Esther married an Episcopalian minister, Rev George Williams, and they became missionaries to Hindustani, a part of India. They visited Daniel C and his family in York and drove a very beautiful car with a “California Top”-rather like a tent which could be folded-probably the first convertible. She gave the four DeVine children presents from the missionary lands-‘Put and Take’ tops. They lived in Lansdowne near Philadelphia and had one son, George Williams who when last heard from in the 1930’s was a lawyer, married and living in Philadelphia. Daniel C and his family visited Esther in Lansdowne on two different occasions, when he went to Philadelphia to take delivery of his new cars-the Peerless-which was brought in by rail. As far as the DeVine children were concerned the only highlight of the trip was a visit to the zoo. We were also fascinated by Cousin Esther who was enormously fat and we were sure it was a direct result of spreading butter on her crullers. She also had her telephone on a long string so she could take it up and down stairs-fun! The sour note of both trips; we took our music along and sang for all.
William’s sister, Elizabeth, never married was a school teacher and lived on a farm outside of Marietta Ohio.
William and Catherine survived two floods; one at Marietta (year unknown) when the Ohio River overflowed, and one in Dayton in 1911 when they lived on Bruen Street and the Miami River flooded. At this location, the water rose to the next to last step on the second floor of their home and Catherine said she had to dig her silver out of the mud. These disasters and the loss of the butcher shop were heavy financial burdens for them.
William died in Dayton on the same date as his birth September 12, in the year 1916.
CATHERINE ELLEN MCGARRY was born in New York City on December 26th 1851 and married William Edward DeVine there on January 26 1870. We know nothing of her family except that her parents came from Ireland. Her father’s name was Ambrose McGarry her mother’s name Catherine. At the time of her marriage she was a milliner in New York.
Catherine and William’s first child, Charles Edward, was born December 15th, 1871.He never married, worked in the butcher shop and as draftsman and was said to be brilliant. He died of pneumonia in Dayton on April 6th 1913, at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.
Their second child, Mary Ellen, was born November 3rd, 1875 and she never married. After completing Normal School in Chicago she found that she was unable to get a teaching position in Dayton as her certificate was from Cook County Illinois, and was not acceptable in Dayton. She then took office work as secretary to Harold Talbot, a man who made his millions in heavy construction, early aviation, mining interest in Canada, etc. During the early 1920’s the propeller from the Wright Brother’s first airplane was displayed in Talbot’s office. One of his construction projects was the bridge over the Susquehanna River at Wrightsville, PA. Mary Ellen worked for Harold Talbot until his death and then for his wife and various members of the family until she retired in 1949. The Talbot family held her in high esteem and she was retired at her full salary, then about $5000.00. She moved to York, PA to be near her only remaining brother, Daniel Clifford, and rented an apartment in the 500 block of West Market Street. She died there on October 20th, 1950.
Catherine and William’s third child Daniel Clifford was born in Dayton Ohio on April 17th 1884 and married Helen Edith Hochwalt in 1908.
The only reference Catherine Ellen made to any relatives that is remembered was that she was related to Cardinal McCloskey. This would be John Cardinal McCloskey who graduated from Mt St Mary’s College in Emmistburg Maryland and the first American Cardinal. He was later President of the College and presided at Commencement exercises there in 1875- called ‘the Cardinal’s Years”. He is buried in St Anthony’s Cemetery at the College with a somewhat impressive monument which is inscribes” Sacred to the memory of the Very Rev. John McCloskey, DD President of Mt St Mary’s College, who died on December 24th 1880.in the 65th year of his age. May he Rest in Peace. Amen”
Catherine Ellen was a very gentle quiet person. Although she had very little money she and her homes always displayed good taste and cheerfulness. When her daughter, Mary Ellen built her home in Oakwood, one of the restrictions was that the lots had to be professionally landscaped. Catherine Ellen there upon personally worked with the landscape architect so they would get the results they wanted. She definitely had a green thumb.
Catherine became deaf in her last years, and in January 1932, began to decline in health generally. She died in her home on Grafton Avenue in Dayton on May 29th 1931.
HELEN EDITH HOCHWALT was born on April 7th, 1885 in Dayton, Montgomery County Ohio, and the first child of Edward Andrew Hochwalt and Emma Theresa Schwind. She was told she weighed in at almost 15 pounds and was given in baptism the names of Helen Edith Charlotte Louise Josephine. As the first grandchild in the Schwind family, her many aunts and uncles clamored to have her named for them and her parents tried to oblige by throwing in as many names as possible.
On June 9th, 1908, she married Daniel Clifford DeVine at 6:30 am in Emanuel’s Church in Dayton Ohio. The town was settled by Irish and Germans and they stayed strictly separate; Emanuel’s being German Catholic and Sacred Heart being Irish Catholic. At the time of Helen’s marriage to Clifford, the German priest made the remark that “it was a shame so many of the nice German girls were marrying Irish boys”. Her wedding ceremony was followed by a catered champagne breakfast at the family home complete with a harpist and at which event her father and the priest proceeded to get tipsy.
In the afternoon she and Clifford left by train for a two week honeymoon at Racquette Lake in the Adirondacks. In addition to her clothing she carried the sum of $1.00 in a silver change purse. As she said, had she gotten lost, she doesn’t know what she would have done. They changed trains at Buffalo and in the station were greeted effusively by Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, who shook hands, gave them a big bow and a “Hello”. They were naturally flattered although Holmes probably saw them as perspective voters, since he shortly after ran for President and was defeated by William Howard Taft.
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| Wedding Day Daniel Clifford DeVine and Helen Edith Hochwalt |
In the afternoon she and Clifford left by train for a two week honeymoon at Racquette Lake in the Adirondacks. In addition to her clothing she carried the sum of $1.00 in a silver change purse. As she said, had she gotten lost, she doesn’t know what she would have done. They changed trains at Buffalo and in the station were greeted effusively by Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, who shook hands, gave them a big bow and a “Hello”. They were naturally flattered although Holmes probably saw them as perspective voters, since he shortly after ran for President and was defeated by William Howard Taft.
Until she began her schooling, Helen spoke German, the only language used in the home at that time. She was educated by the Notre Dame nuns-the same order which taught Ethel Barrymore. When Ethel had an engagement in Dayton, she visited the nuns and the school presented a recital in her honor at which Helen played a selection on the piano. According to her version of the rendition, Ethel was very much impressed.
Helen led a sheltered, charming Victorian life. She was educated by the nuns in fine manners, music and handwork. They were taught to do their housework in the mornings, and visited relatives, took drives or did embroidery in the afternoons. When she finished high school, she had her own horse and carriage which she drove and later an electric car. Her father owned the first ‘horseless carriage’ in Dayton and it was a real ordeal to go for a drive. In addition to scaring all the livestock (horses and cows) on the roads they carried shovels for use in moving gravel when the car got hung up wherever the road was too high. Although they wore dusters, hats, gloves and veils, they mostly returned home much the worse for wear, due to the dust and heaven help if you got caught in the rain.
Helen seemed to be frightened most of her life. As a young woman her parents had farms used by the as summer places. One was called “High Woods “(Hochwalt means High Woods) and another called “Peppermint Springs” On one occasion when they returned to their home in town after a weeks stay on the farm, they found the house had been completely ransacked. Everything was in shambles. All the dresser drawers had been pulled out, their contents spilled on the floor, candle grease over everything etc. This may have triggered the phobia as from that time on when her father attended Bank meetings at night, her mother, herself and her sisters and brother went upstairs and locked themselves in a bedroom until he returned. She said she never liked the farms as there was nothing to do.
The three months European tour on which her father took the family in 1907 was definitely a high light of her life. Traveling on great ocean liners was the epitome of luxurious living, although she remembered crossing the English Channel as a real ordeal. It was so rough everyone was sick except the sailors and her father. She herself vomited on her new Paris hat!
At that time travel was an adventure. Every detail was not arranged by a travel agent. You were more or less on your own, and all the ports and countries did not look alike. The natives dressed in costume indigenous to the country and spoke their own language. You observed the people and their style of life and ate the local food. Their father bought them hats in Paris, a diamond in Antwerp, pictures in Florence and rugs in Turkey. One item she seemed to treasure and which she often showed her children was a curl of real hair –red, about 6 inches long- which her father bought for her in London and which she added to her hairdo on special occasions.
As music was very big in the family, she was much impressed on this trip when they rode in the same railroad coach with the eminent Polish pianist, Ignace Paderewski (1860-1941). Throughout the trip he wore kid gloves to protect his hands. Switzerland seemed to be her favorite country, as she spoke often of the beautiful scenery and the delicious cheeses and goat’s milk for breakfast.
In addition to her father’s interest in art, he was fond of music. A typical and frequent summer evening’s entertainment was for all the relatives to gather in the living room and listen to Victrola Records while sipping lemonade. Daddy Hochwalt’s record collection was very fine- Enrico Caruso, Madame Ernastine Schumann Heink, Amelita Calli-Curci etc. He had a concertina which was on a table in the room and this he would play when the party got lively. This musical background spilled over when Helen played the piano and taught her children the songs of the day from sheet music purchased at the 10 cent store. – Over There, Tipperary, Beautiful Katie, etc. When we were invited to anyone’s home we were asked to bring our music and we usually obliged. It was probably better than having four bad little kids getting into mischief.
Helen’s heart remained in Dayton as family was ‘All”. Whenever we misbehaved, she would threaten to “go home to Mamma”. Our two week annual vacation was always spent in Dayton; one week with the Hochwalts and one week with the DeVines, and parties every day. It was a chore to get herself, her husband and four kids in apple pie order to make the trip. A trunk and several valises being required, to say nothing go the medicine case holding the combs, brushes, toothbrushes, tooth powder, hair pins, safety pins, physics etc . By the last day before departure, we were down to our bare skins as all the clothes were cleaned and packed and we had to sit on the porch and ‘stay clean’. We would take off by open car early in the morning with Helen in command of the “Blue Book”-our only route to get to Dayton. The trip took two full days but it was no problem for the kids. They enjoyed the scenery, stamped white horses and straw hats, ordered steak whenever possible, took all the little soap cakes at the hotel and read the “Burma Shaves”; He had the ring; he had the flat; she felt his chin; that was that – With Glamour girls you’ll never click, bewhiskered like a Bolshevik; and so on. These signs first appeared in Minnesota in 1926 and were later installed in 43 states and had 600 verses.
Helen was a very strong person .She had abundant energy and kept a large home, managed four and then six children with no effort. In addition to cleaning the whole house and cooking every day, she walked to town whenever possible, a distance of about two miles, and she would be ready to go out to the movies for an evening. When Clifford developed an abscess of the rectum, the doctor came to the house. Father struggled out of his bed to the downstairs where the operation was performed on the kitchen table with Helen administering the anesthetic .After which he struggled back to his bed and shortly recovered. George went into his room to see how he was doing. As he was just coming out of the ether, his eyes were rolling and George ran out of the house and told all the kids in the lot to be quiet because “My Papa is dying!”
On one of the trips Helen and Clifford made to see Edward when he was a student at Mt. St. Mary’s, they passed a kennel selling Cocker Spaniels. Clifford sat in the car and refused to have a thing to do with it, but Helen and Edward fell in love with a ‘little red’ one, so the two of them pooled their resources and came up with the purchase price of $35.00. This turned out to be “Major” who after a rough start due to a skin disease from a dirty kennel, which Helen cured by a special diet, lived many years and gave us all much pleasure. She was also instrumental in getting Clifford and Ed interested in Black Angus and in fact bought the first one –“Betsy” with her money from a dealer in Fairfield.
After Clifford’s first hospitalization, Helen gave him a cooked breakfast which she carried upstairs every day for many years. When she could no longer manage with a tray, she carried it in a basket. Dr. Flickinger inadvertently found out what she was doing and was very impressed. He later told other family members, “Your Parents were good people”.
After Clifford died in 1971, Helen’s son Edward stayed in her house with her until the farm was sold in the spring of the next year. She then made her home with him and Catherine and Dorothy for her final six years, for five of which she was in good health and was able to make two trips to Dayton and many day excursions with Edward and family. Her last year was as an invalid, and she died in Hanover General Hospital December 9th 1977.
EMMA THERESA SCHWIND as born in Dayton, Ohio, on November 6, 1861, and married Edward Andrew Hochwalt on January 9, 1884, in Emmanuel’s Church, Dayton, Ohio.
Their children were: (all born in Dayton)
Helen Edith – April 7, 1885; died Dec. 9, 1977, East Berlin
Agnes Louis – April 8, 1887; died July 10, 1974, Dayton
Edith Charlotte – Feb. 23, 1890; died Oct. 18, 1894, Dayton
Corinne E. – May 31, 1893; died Oct. 25, 1894, Dayton
Dorothy Marian – Oct. 8, 1895
George Coelestine – June 4, 1899
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| The Schwind Family |
Emma Theresa was one of 11 children of Coelestine Schwind (1825-1893) and Christine Latin (1836-1907). Coelestine Schwind came to America in 1850 from Stadtprozelten, Bavaria, to escape being conscripted into the Kaiser’s elite guard. The Kaiser selected only the best young men to serve, and Coelestine fit the bill—6’2” and in excellent health. He was not exactly thrilled by the military life, so he immigrated to America, settled in Dayton, Ohio, and opened a brewery. Christine Latin, his wife, came to America with her family in 1843 from Faulbach, Bavaria. Coelestine and Christine married in Dayton, Ohio, on August 28, 1856.
It is not known why so many German immigrants settled in Dayton, Ohio, although it may have been because of the Erie Canal—the only path through the wilderness and all people going west came through Dayton by way of this Canal. At one time, the Germans in Dayton had their own German language weekly newspaper. Helen E. DeVine said she spoke only German until she went to school (her first prayer book is in German), and George C. Hochwalt says he remembers people saying that his mother spoke a beautiful high German, while Edward spoke a rather mixed German.
As each of her 11 children was born, Christine retired to the second floor and did not come down for two months. Emma Theresa was the oldest daughter and had to take over much of the household management and work. They kept a hired girl, but Emma complained of having to work too hard before she was married. It is difficult to understand why she had to do this, as the family had money—in fact, each girl was given a dowry of $50,000. At that time, there were no household conveniences and no ready-made clothes. She said she even had to make the underwear.
After the death of their parents, the Schwind family as a group sometimes made investments (in addition to owning the Brewery), and operated the Schwind Realty Company. Edward did not approve of some of their investments as being sound—for instance, the Victory Theatre—and advised Emma not to join. This caused some friction between Emma and her family, but the remained close otherwise.
The Hochwalt residence, at 105 Salem Avenue, sat on a rise overlooking the Miami River—a choice beautiful spot. During the flood of 1911, when many lives were lost and much property was destroyed, Emma opened her home to those in need and looked after a number of refugees for some time. William, their hired man, was marooned at the Pennsylvania Railroad station downtown, and talked about trying to snatch oranges for food as they floated by.
The house should have been preserved as an outstanding example of the architecture of that day. It was a very well-built large red brick Victorian home—marble steps, windowsills, tiled porches, leaded glass windows, built-in bookcases, dining room cupboards, fireplaces, walk-in closets, third-floor pool room, tiled bath and powder rooms, two-story brick stable and garage, etc.
Emma managed a large home with very little help, had a big family, traveled extensively with her husband, and entertained at many family functions. When Edward first became ill, she learned (at age 65) to drive a car in order to keep up with the marketing and other errands necessary to running the house. She was ill for about two years and died at her home in Dayton on April 21, 1941.
EDWARD ANDREW HOCHWALT was born in Dayton, Ohio, on March 6, 1860, one of the six children of George Hochwalt and Theresa Lotthammer. On January 9, 1884, he and Emma Theresa Schwind were married in Emmanuel’s Church, Dayton, Ohio, at 6:45 o’clock in the morning. Early that day, while pumping water, Edward’s sister, Anna, dropped dead. The priest said it would be bad luck to postpone the wedding, so the ceremony was performed and they each returned to his own home for about a month. Although Edward had paid the sexton $5.00 to heat the church, it wasn’t done and the ring froze to the plate. For the occasion, he wore a burgundy colored suit with matching shoes, and Emma wore a suit in the same color—heavily embroidered with jet.
Although he had a secret lifetime dream to become an artist, this ambition was never realized. Edward however was an astute businessman and everything he touched turned to money. When he married, he had a shoe store on Third Street in Dayton. It was about three miles from his home, and he walked to work in the morning; came home at noon; walked back; came home in the evening; walked back; and again walked home at night at ten o’clock, when he closed the store. Coming home one night through one of the covered bridges (the Miami River runs through Dayton), someone came up to him. A hero he was not, so he gave a terrific swing at whoever it was, took off and ran the whole way home. Emma said he had trouble breathing when he finally made it inside the door. He sold this business at a profit, and then went to work managing the Schwind Brewery (then located on River Drive) for his wife’s family. When he was about 37 years of age, he retired from this business, after getting it on a sound financial basis. He was very well-liked and was given a silver cordial set at that time which is engraved “A token of respect and esteem from the Employees of the Schwind Brewing Company to E.A. Hochwalt—on occasion of severing his connection with Schwind Brewing Company—October 1, 1897.” When he worked at the brewery, Helen said her Uncle Mike would take her there on a Sunday afternoon to watch the ferrets (which were kept special for the purpose) catch rats.
As he prospered, Edward bought real estate and at one time had several farms and many rental properties in Dayton. There were many business opportunities in those days; people came to Edward for financial and business advice, and many times he would be paid in stock. He was vice-president of the American Savings and Loan. Later, he was vice-president of the Franklin Savings and Loan, and also at the same time, vice-president of the Third National Bank. He did much of the real estate appraising for both institutions. He was very well-known and respected in the community, and after the flood of 1911, had the honor to be selected as one of six men to evaluate flooded properties. He was given the downtown section and spent many months on the work.
After retiring from management of the Schwind Brewery, Edward joined a group of men who bought the Thomas Brewery Company. The members were Nick Thomas (the original owner), John Hall, Ed Hall, Billy Brandenbaugh and Edward Hochwalt. This venture was a success and was sold at a profit about 1907. Edward’s share was $1,000,000.00 This was a huge amount of money for the times, so he brought his check home to show the family, and each of the children held it in his hand.
Later, he and four other men bought land and owned the Enid City Realty Company in Enid, Oklahoma. At that time, it was though this part of Oklahoma might develop into valuable oil fields. They operated the Enid City Railway Company in addition to their real estate holdings. They were each offered $1,000,000.00 to sell, but the deal fell through as the vote was two “for” and three “against.” (Edward voted “for.”) After Edward’s death in 1935, George C. Hochwalt, his son, went to Enid to check on the property and found it was then to be of minimal value only—possibly as cheap building lots. His share was then sold for a nominal sum.
Edward and several others organized the Citizens’ Electric Company in Dayton in the very early days of electricity. This later became the Dayton Power & Light Company, which is still operating today. He sold his interest in this business at a profit.
Edward enjoyed foreign travel and made many trips to Europe, South America, Central America, and one to Hawaii. On this latter tour with his wife in 1898—an unheard of trip at that time—they stopped off at Manila and were detained on the island for about a week when the Spanish-American War broke out. During the Battle of Manila Bay, the Brothers of Mary, who operated a school there, told them if hostilities broke out, they should immediately come to them, as the guns could not reach their school and they would be safe. Due to their kindness, Edward had a very special regard for them and gave to them generously. It was on this trip, also, that Edward received special permission from the Captain, the ship was stopped, and he was taken by small boat (the only passenger to do so) to the Island of Molokai—a leper colony—to visit one of his former teachers who was stationed there (a Christian Brother). This was the Island on which Father Damien (Joseph Damien de Vauster 1840-1889) ministered to the lepers.
In 1907, Edward made a three-month tour of Europe with his wife and four children. In the 1920s, he took a trip abroad to tour the battlefields after the First World War and talked about going down in the trenches and seeing shells still lying about. On a trip to Central America, he bought a full bunch of bananas, put them in his stateroom, and was told he could not take them ashore, so he ate them all by the time he reached New York. On a trip to South America about 1910, George and Dorothy, who were still living at home, were sent to boarding schools—Dorothy to Reading and George to the Brothers. Upon their return, they immediately took George (probably feeling sorry for him) and went on a trip to Europe and the Holy Lands. On their foreign travels, Edward and Emma purchased many fine paintings, linens, rugs, art objects, and jewelry. Their children and grandchildren still have many of these items in their possession.
At the time of his death, Edward and Emma had been married for 51 years, lived through the Spanish-American War, Dayton Flood, First World War, and the flu epidemic following. Their greatest personal tragedy occurred in 1894 when they lost their two daughters, who died of diphtheria within a week of each other—Edith was then about four-and-a-half and Corinne about one-and-a-half. At the time of the stock market crash and the following Depression, Edward was 69 years old, had had several strokes, and was too sick and frail to recoup the heavy financial losses he sustained. He died in Dayton on May 25, 1935.
Edward’s father was George Hochwalt, and we were able to glean these facts concerning his life: George Hochwalt was born in Germany and came to America with his family as a small child in a sailing vessel which was wrecked off the coast of Nova Scotia. For six weeks, the survivors lived on what they could find—mussels, fish, etc.—and were finally picked up by another sailing vessel and brought to Baltimore, Maryland. There, when he was about six years of age, his father sold him as an indentured servant to a family who made shoes. He said these people always treated him well, and from them he learned his trade of shoe making. When he was 21 years of age, he was given his freedom, a suit of clothes, and $100. He went to Dayton, Ohio, and continued his trade.
At the time of the Civil War, he decided a Hero’s life or death did not appeal to him, so he paid someone to fight for him. This method of fulfilling your duty was quite common at the time; it was an accepted practice that you could buy your way out of the service. It was done by some of the most outstanding men of the country: J. Piermont Morgan, Jay Gould, Jim Fish, the elder John D. Rockefeller, William H. Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, Philip Armour, etc.
George Hochwalt was married twice. The names of his wife and children of the first marriage are unknown to us. One boy from this marriage became a priest and later “Monsignor Hochwalt”—head of the Catholic University in Washington (probably in the 1920s).
George’s second wife was Theresa Lotthammer. Their children were:
Edward Andrew, born in Dayton March 6, 1850; died in Dayton May 25, 1935 (married Emma Schwind).
Emma - Later married to a Burkhardt.
Carl – moved to Cleveland (the only member of the family to continue in his father’s trade—the shoe business).
Augustus – a medical doctor who practiced on Main Street in Dayton. He was a specialist and was called out of town (to Chicago, as an example) on many occasions for consultation on maternity cases. He had diabetes, and weighed all his food. Although he was successful in his profession, he was a thwarted opera singer.
Anna – died January 9, 1884 – the morning of her brother Edward’s marriage.
Albert – well-known sports writer and author; had novels and many articles published in Field and Stream and Sports Afield.
Theresa Lotthammer Hochwalt (Edward’s mother) lived to be in her nineties and spent her last days very comfortably and well taken care of at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Dayton (broken hip). As children the DeVines visited her and were very much impressed with their “Great Grandmother.”
Theresa Lotthammer’s father lived to be 104—had four wives and is buried at Canton, Ohio, with a large monument and all four wives strung out beside him.
Helen Hochwalt DeVine
Children of: -
PARENTS
Edward Andrew Hochwalt: b. 3/6/1860, Dayton, Ohio; d. 5/25/1935, Dayton, Ohio; m. 1/9/1884, Dayton, Ohio.
and
Emma Theresa Schwind: b.11/6/1861, Dayton, Ohio; d. 4/21/1941, Dayton, Ohio;m.1/9/1884, Dayton, Ohio
PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS
George Hochwalt: emigrated from (Darmstadt) Germany in 1833. b. 11/27/1821 d. 4/24/1894, Dayton.
and
Theresa Lotthammer (2nd wife): b. 10/14/1823, Canton, Ohio; d.9/4/1922, Dayton, Ohio
MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS
Coelestine Schwind: b. 1825, Stadtprozelten, Bavaria; d.1893, Dayton, Ohio; m. 8/26/1856, Dayton; emigrated 1850.
and
Christine Latin: b.1836, Faulbach, Bavaria; d.1907, Dayton, Ohio; emigrated 1843.
MATERNAL GREAT GRANDPARENTS
Ignatius Schwind: b. Stadtprozelten, Bavaria; m. 1816, Germany; d.Germany
and
Elizabeth? unknown: b. Stadtprozelten, Bavaria; d. Germany
MATERNAL GREAT GRANDPARENTS
Valentine Latin: b. Faulbach, Bavaria; d. Dayton, Ohio; m. 1834, Germany; emigrated 1843
and
Barbara Hartman: b. Faulbach, Bavaria; d. Dayton, Ohio; emigrated 1843
PATERNAL GREAT GRANDPARENTS (added by Joel Borchers—source World Family Tree cd-rom #2)
Henry Hochwalt: b. 9/14/1790; d. 6/11/1880
and
and
Eva Haas: b. 2/27/1800; d. 4/9/1878
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