The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1885-02-05

tive, MIR. Sylyanna BOckiua, who Ii yet
living In MassillOn, and the latter an
sisted him In arranging his business
matters. The day after hia arrival, Mr..
Sylyanua BOchina took him 10 Judge
L0utzenheiser's farm In Plain town
ship, where the future merchant felled
a soft and a hard maple tree. He boiled
the sap out OF the former, dried the
wood and used IL In making lasts. The
hard maple no split up for pegs. Thus
equipped no opened up q shop IN a little
frame structure on the present Court
House lot, where Martin Wikldal's dry
goods store was afterwards located. His
stock In trade was limited 10 the con
tents NJ the k%napsack upon hls back,
which he brought from Philadelphia,
From this small and humble beginning
the B0ckius boot and shoe house
thTived until In sixty.aye years next
May II stands az one OF the reliable aud
representative business houses not only
OF Canton but Ohio. The industry and
thrift OF the young shoemaker brought
him plenty OF patronage, such ~ II was
In those days, and by economy and at
tentiOn to business hia trade grew, and
John Q. Bockius became one OF the fore
most business men In Canton. Some
years after settling In Canton he pur-
chased the property on South Market
street, adjoining the Mckinley block on
the south. Here no removed hia store
and lived In the old homestead until
the time OF his death In May, 1873.
CHANGES IN THE FIRM.
The changes In the BOckius arm have
been few for the number Of years II has
been In existence. From the time OF iis
founding until the present day II has
experienced only two removals. First
when Mr.. B0ckius purchased the old
homestead, and latterly In 1851 when
the Arm purchased the site Of ita present
business block, For thirty four years
past the concern has done business at
one stand, with the exception OF styeral
months In 1868, when their store, with u
number OF Others, was burned out In the
disastrous cassidy block fire.
While yet o boy, Mr.. l. V. Bockius,
entered HIS fathers store as a clerk, and
In lSi8, ut the age Of twenty-five years,
became q partner, the firm becoming j.
O. BOckius u Son. In 1870 another son,
Edward, was taken In, aud the firm
name changed To j.. Q. Bockius 81 Sons.
Eight years later the old pioneer, John
y. BOcklus, quietly passed away, after n
long life OF usefulness anda record such
AZ any man might DO proud Of. After
his death the name OF the lrm was
changed TO J.C. BOckius' Soma. Edward
BOckius Of the firm died In 1881, aud
upon his death another son, Charles j.,
who at theltime was engaged In the boot
aud shoe trade In Port Huron, Mich,
took his place In the firm. Since then
Messrs. l.. V. aud Charles j. Bockius have
composed the firm,
FAMILY RECORD.
John @. Bockius WAS married In Can.
ton In May. 1926. TO Rosanna Keller, a
native OF Baden, who came 10 Canton
with her parents when buttwelye years
Of age. She died In 1865. Their union
resulted In the birth OF seven sons and
six daughters, ak OF whom are yet liy'
lug, namely, Louis v. Charles j. and
Cornelius, OF Canton; Henry j. OF Port
Michigan; Henrietta, now Mrs,
Il. Rohrer, OF Freeport, Illinois; and
s.. now Mrs. Huntington, OF
Georgetown. Colorado.
John Q. B0ckius was az amlable In hie
life ~ no was accommodating
In his business relations, and during all
The years OF his active business life II
,an scarcely DO said that no made an
QauaraI yaura hafnra ka nlad Ia
Europe, and he contemplated re-
)eating the Walt In the summer Of 1873.
iia desire was never realized, death
claiming him In the spring Of that
year, .U
"REMINISCENCES OF EARLY DAYS.
Mr.. BOckius In his latter days related
many interesting "reminiscences Of the
,lrly days In Canton, many OF which
ire fresh In the memory OF Mr.. l.. v.
BOckius, who was an eye witness TO
many circumstances which In this day
make interesting true stories,
John Q. Bockius was the lrst man TO
bring a aide Of red sole leather to Can
ION, Previous TO hia coming raw hide
was used for the soles Of shoes. In those
lays money was scarce and MIR. l.. v.
BOckius says no frequently saw his
iather cut u silver quarter In two or
our pieces on a sh0emaker's lap. stone,
n order 10 make change. Most business
was done by trading and some OF the
may yet DO living who traded
.wenty four bushels OF wheat TO John g.
B1cklns for u pair Of boots. II such
man Ia yet living he Will
10 doubt also remember that Mr.. Book
.1a was not anxious TO make the ex-
,hange. Wheat was not then the cash
commodity II Ia now. Cleveland was
then the wheat market for Stark county
md Mr.. Bockiu9 would frequently take
wagon load OF wheatto Cleveland and
receive In exchange u side OF leather
aud o barrel OF ealt. In his business no
received In trade many pelts, hides, elk
hOrne, ETC., from the Indians; these no
conveyed by wagon TO Philadelphia,
where he would lay In his stock OF
Innings, 1ndings, etc, and jour
ney back home 10 Canton. MIR. B0ckius
several times TO Philadelphia
and return, once helping TO drive u lot
Of cattle for william Fogle, the tanner,
Indians lived about Canton In abun.
dance In the early days, their favorite
place Of co%ngregating being ut the old
market house, which was built en- Mar
ket street, directly In front OF the pres.
ent Bockius block, Here the white res.
idents would amuse themselves with
watching the skillful workmanship OF
their dusky brethren. A large copper
cent would no placed on one Of the
beams OF the market house and an In.
dian told that he could have II II he nit
II with nm arrow at q hundred PAGES.
This no would try but invariably miss,
Finally some one would venture a silver
alxpence 10 the archer's skill, into which
tho ehrSwd Indian would whiz al arrow
every time.
A practical joke, which has almost on.
tered into the history OF Canton, was
perpetrated by some Of the rising gem
Grafton In that dry, some OF whom are
now prominent business mon and clti-
ya.a AZ Nuniau lna mnrnin1 thu raui.