Leo R.
Meyer
LEO R. MEYER. A
taste for mechanics has been a leading factor in the pronounced success that
has rewarded the business endeavors of one of Elyria's substantial young business
men, Leo R. Meyer, president and treasurer of the Leo R. Meyer Motor Company,
successor of the Elyria Garage Company. In early manhood other and profitable
vocations awaited him, but he fortunately recognized his natural talents and
took the trouble to develop them, and now is at the head of one of the most
prosperous enterprises in his line in this section of Ohio.
Mr. Meyer comes of
old Ohio families. He was born at Norwalk, Huron County, Ohio, June 21, 1887,
and is a son of John W. and Josephine (Lais) Meyer, the former of whom was born
at Havana, Huron County, and the latterof Monroeville, Ohio. The father was in
the meat business, and conducted a market at Norwalk until 1905, and then
transferred his interests to Elyria, where he continued in business some years
under the name of the Elyria Provision Company, but now lives retired and is
one of Elyria's highly respected citizens.
Leo R. Meyer attended
the grade schools and the high school at Norwalk, Ohio, until he was sixteen years
old, when, having finally secured his father's consent, he became a machinist
apprentice in the shops of the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad Company, where
he continued for four years, emerging well qualified and well satisfied. A
little before this time his father had removed to Elyria, and subsequently the
father and son became associated in business and conducted the affairs of the
Elyria Provision Company for about five years, of which company Leo R. Meyer
became president. Mr. Meyer then moved to Detroit, Michigan, where for eight
months he was identified with the mechanical department of the Fisher Body
Company and investigated along other lines in which he was interested, but in
August, 1910, he returned to Elyria, acquired stock in the Elyria Garage
Company and became its general manager and treasurer. Under his able and
intelligent management the business was greatly developed, and in March, 1921,
upon its merging into the Leo R. Meyer Motor Company, he was elected president
and treasurer of the company. The other officers of the company are J. Ogden
Meyer, vice president; Lillian G. Meyer, secretary; Leo R. Meyer, Jr., J.M.
Shibley, Alvin John Meyer.
The company are
distributors of the Dodge Brothers motor vehicles and have been identified with
this manufacture since their inception into the manufacturing and the marketing
of their product under their own name since 1914. The company conducts a sales
and service station in addition to dealing in automobile parts and accessories,
carrying the most complete line of parts and accessories available in this
district. Mr. Meyer is not only the responsible head of this company, but is,
as it were, its dynamic force, his energizing spirit being shown in every
department. His interests penetrate the owning of valuable real estate in
Elyria and the county, and he is also identified with the Perry-Fay Company and
the Lorain County Savings and Trust Company and numerous other corporations.
Mr. Meyer married, on
November 7, 1916, Miss Lillian G. Graver, who was born at South Amherst, Ohio,
a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Graver, who are natives of Germany. Mr. and
Mrs. Meyer have three children, J. Ogden, Leo R., Jr., and Alvin John. Mr.
Meyer is a republican in politics, but has never consented to accept any public
office, although he has many friends and is a popular and respected citizen
well qualified in many ways. He belongs to the Elks Lodge, to the Elyria
Automobile Club and to the Automobile Dealers' Association of America.
******************************************************************************
HISTORY OF OHIO
The American HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC., 1925
Volume III, page 184, 185
******************************************************************************
HURON COUNTY OHIO - BIOS: MEYER, Leoo R. (published 1925)
******************************************************************************
Contributed to the HURON Co., OH Biographies Project with
permission of the OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing list coordinator (Maggie
Stewart-Zimmerman<73777.25@compuserve.com>) and the submitter.
******************************************************************************
File contributed to OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List by:
Mrs. Gina M. Reasoner
AUPQ38a@prodigy.com
29 July 1999
Go to the Biographies Index
page
Go to the Biographies Home
page