Charles F. Turner
Charles F. Turner, superintendent of motive power for the Columbus, Delaware and Marion Railway Company, with office and residence at Stratford, Delaware Township, was born in Van Wert, Van Wert County. Ohio, March 23, 1866, son of Ephraim and Frances V. (Showalter) Turner. His paternal grandfather was a farmer who removed from Pennsylvania to Licking County. Ohio. Ephraim Turner, who was a miller by trade, after his marriage removed with his wife and eldest child—a daughter—to Van Wert, and subsequently—about 1870—to Berrien County. Michigan. Here he died when the subject of this sketch was about five years old. During the Civil war he enlisted, but was discharged from the service on account of ill health. His wife Frances was a native of Fairfield, Ohio.
Charles F. Turner acquired his early education in the schools of Berrien. County. Michigan. At quite an early age he became interested in the subject of electricity, which he first studied at home, after working hours. In order to obtain a sound theoretical knowledge of the science, he entered, in 1894, the Ohio State University at Columbus, where he took a special course in electrical engineering. He then came into practical touch with the business, being employed successively by several large electric roads in different parts of Ohio and .Michigan, and during the past eight or nine years he has been chief engineer for several such roads, having full charge of power and equipment. He entered upon the duties of his present position on January 1st, [908, but for five and a half years previously had been chief steam and electric engineer for the company.
The plant of which he has charge is one of the most modern and best equipped to be found anywhere, and gives employment to about fifty men. all of whom are under Mr. Turner's direction. The power plant contains one steam turbine of 2.000 kilowatt capacity, the latest type manufactured by the General Electric Company; also an 800 kilowatt auxiliary turbine of the same type. The plant runs twenty-four hours a day. and the latter engine is used for night work. Both are connected direct to the generators, which have a power of 2,300 volts. There is a steam-driven exciter of 25 K. W. and a motor-driven exciter of 75 K. W. There are fourteen pumps for various purposes; a battery of seven boilers of a total horsepower of 2,000, the furnaces consuming forty-eight tons ol coal per day. In addition to the car barns and power plant, in the car-barn building is a fully equipped machine shop, blacksmith shop, carpenter shop and paint shop.
Mr. Turner married Ella Ford, a daughter of Matthias Ford, of Columbus, Ohio. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Stratford, and number many friends among the prominent residents of the township.
From 20th Century History of Delaware County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens by James R. Lytle