Ohio County, West Virginia - Biography of Fred G. Stroehmann

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Submitted by Valerie Crook.

The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume II,
pg. 539-540
Ohio

FRED G. STROEHMANN has been a business builder, creator
of a large and valuable industry for the City of Wheeling, and
just thirty years ago founded what is now the Stroehmann
Baking Company, incorporated, and in all its successive
improvements it has never failed to keep the lead in the
matter of quality and wholesomeness of product.

Mr. Stroehmann has been an American by residence and
in fact and in loyalty for forty years. He was born in the
City of Leun, Kreis, Rhine Province, Germany, August 3,
1866, son of Jacob and Catherine (Lotz) Stroehmann. He
attended the common schools, served his apprenticeship at
the baker's trade, and at the age of sixteen reached the
United States, September 22, 1882. After four years at
Parkersburg he moved to Wheeling, and was a journeyman
for six years with the Wheeling Baking Company.

Mr. Stroehmann established a business for himself in
April, 1892, his first shop being at 2211 Market Street, quar-
ters which he subsequently used as a retail store. Several
successive additions and purchases were made, beginning
about ten years after the opening of the first plant, until
Mr. Stroehmann acquired for the use of his business all the
ground from the comer of Twenty-second up to and including
his original shop. On this ground was erected in 1911 a large
four-story baking plant, equipped with every facility known
to the baking art. This business was one of the first in the
Upper Ohio Valley to introduce not only the mechanical
devices for the utmost efficiency in the baking of bread and
other products, but also in the sanitary handling of the
product and in measures and safeguards for the health and
welfare of the employes.

On the basis of the large business which Mr. Stroehmann
had built up the Stroehmann Baking Company was incor-
porated in 1905. The executive officers were: Fred G. Stroeh-
mann, president; L. F. Stroehmann, vice president; W. H.
Truschel, secretary and treasurer; R. M. Truschel and C. H.
Stroehmann, directors.

The Stroehmann Baking Company built a large plant in
1916 in Huntington, West Virginia, also bought a plant in
1919 in Ashland, Kentucky, which are all successfully operated
through the Wheeling main office, and are all under the per-
sonal direction of Mr. Stroehmann.

Mr. Stroehmann is now one of the older active business
men of Wheeling, and his citizenship has been on a par with
his commercial success, revealing his public spirited attitude
again and again. He has been a member of the Board of
Trade and the Business Men's Association, and is a member
of the various Masonic bodies at Wheeling, affiliated with
Ohio Lodge No. 1, A. F. and A. M., Union Chapter No. 1,
R. A. M., Wheeling Commandery No. 1, K. T., Wheeling
Masonic Club, and is a thirty-second degree Mason, and a
member of Osiris Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. He is also a mem-
ber of Wheeling Lodge No. 28, B. P. O. E. He is a republican
and he and his family are German Lutherans. Mr. Stroeh-
mann married Miss Louise Koehler, a native of Wheeling.
The five children of their marriage are: Carrie, Freda, Carl,
Harold and Irene.