|
KANAWHA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: POPP, Joseph
******************************************************************
Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
September 25, 1999
******************************************************************
History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative
Citizens
W.S. Laidley
Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL.
1911
p. 393
JOSEPH POPP, who enjoys the distinction of being the oldest dealer in and
manufacturer of harness, retail and wholesale, at Charleston, W. Va., has
been a resident of Kanawha County for thirty-nine years and dur-ing all this
tirne has been a busy, useful and respected citizen. He was born in the
village of Konigsofen, Baden, Cermany, his mother's birthplace, September 25,
1854, and is a son of Charles and Mary B (Coetz) Popp.
Charles Popp spent his entire life in Germany and was born at Lauda, in
Baden, about 1800, dying there in 1874. He was a maker of window frames, a
profitable trade at that time. He married Mary B. Goetz, who was about three
years his junior, and her death occurred in 1886. They were members of the
Roman Catholic church. Six children were born to them, all of whom married,
but the only one to come to America was Joseph, who left his native land at
the age of eighteen years.
Joseph Popp obtained a good public school education and then learned his
father's trade. He was more enterprising than the other mem-bers 6f his
family and decided to cross the Atlantic Ocean and seek fortune in America.
He sailed from Bremenhaven, in the steamer Leipsic, which landed him safely
at Castle Garden, New York, seventeen days later, and from there he went to
Pittsburg and from that city came to Kanawha County in 1875. He followed
cabinet making and farming for some years but in i885 learned the trade of
harness-maker with F. E. Perry. Subsequently he embarked in business for
himself on Kanawha Street, Charleston, where he carried on a re-tail business
for some years and then added wholesaling and now has both retail and
wholesale connections that make him a leader in his line of business in this
section.
Mr. Popp was married at Charleston to Miss Minnie Schafer, who' was born in
1859, in Allegheny City, Pa., a daughter of Conrad and Pauline Schafer, the
former of whom was horn in Wertemberg and the latter in Bavaria, Germany.
They came to America on a sailing vessel and were married at Allegheny City
and lived there until 1880, when they moved to Kanawha County, where the
father was a farmer in Elk District and died there at the age of sixty years.
Mr. and Mrs. Schafer had six children born to them, all of whom are living
and four married. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Popp: Rose
Mary, who lives with her parents, was educated in the parochial schools;
Joseph, who was boin April '3, 1892, was afforded good educational
opportunities and is in business with his father; and Mary F., who is a
student in a church school. Mr. Popp and family are members of the Catholic
church. They have occupied their comfortable and attractive residence erected
by Mr. Popp at No.613-15 Kanawba Street, for some five years. He is an active
citizen and is serving in his second term as a member of the city council.
Politically he is a Democrat. Since 1905 he has been a member and treasurer
of Lodge No.771, Knights of Columbus, at Charleston.
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm
|
