Fred Walter
Well-Known Mansfield Resident Eighty-Four Years Old Today
Today marks the eighty-fourth birthday anniversary of Fred Walter, who has long been identified with the business interests of Mansfield and who is one of this city's substantial and respected citizens. Mr. Walter was born in Huntheim, in the grand duchy of Baden, Germany, Jan. 13, 1826. With his parents he came to America in 1833, arriving in New York after a voyage of forty-seven days on a sailing ship. Coming to Ohio the family settled on a farm in Huron county, on which the young man worked until 1845 where he was apprenticed to learn the brewing trade in this city, in which employment he continued until 1850, when he organized a party of nine men for a trip to California to which state the lure of gold was drawing many men at that time. After two years of indifferent success at mining Mr. Walter decided to establish himself in the brewery business, which he started in a small way at Weaverville, Cal. He and his partner in the business met with success from the start and three years later erected a building in which they installed what was at that time a modern equipment. In 1858 he came back to Ohio to marry Miss Mary Wilhelm of Monroeville, the ceremony having been performed on Dec. 28, and a few days later he and his bride started back to California, where they resided for about ten years, after which they came back to Ohio and have since resided in this city. In 1860 Mr. Walter was elected to represent his district in the California legislature and was one of those who voted to make the first appropriation for the California state house. While still in California, in 1865, he was elected as state and county tax collector for a term of two years, which office requiring all of his time, he disposed of his interest in the brewery which he had conducted up until that time. Soon after returning to Mansfield Mr. Walter went into the wholesale grocery business as a member of the firm of Remy, Hedges & Walter, in which he continued until 1879, after which he went into the wholesale liquor business, establishing the business which is now conducted under the firm name of the Fred Walter's Sons company, with which business he was actively associated until 1891, since which time he has been living in quiet retirement, enjoying his pleasant home surroundings and being assured of the esteem and respect of a large number of friends.
From The Mansfield News, Thursday, June 13, 1910