Harry Samuel Klingler

HARRY SAMUEL KLINGLER, a member of the firm of H. J. Klingler & Company, proprietors of the Oriental Roller Mills, at Butler, is one of the best known, experienced and scientific millers in Western Pennsylvania. He was born in the borough of Butler, in 1856, and is a son of that veteran miller and prominent business citizen of Butler, Hermann Julius Klingler.
Harry Samuel Klingler was educated in the public schools of Butler and at Capital University, Columbus, Ohio. In 1875, when just out of college, he entered his father's mill, in order to learn the business in all its details. This he thoroughly accomplished, and in 1878 was made general manager of the concern, which position he still retains, being also a member of the firm of H. J. Klingler & Company. He has gained a wide reputation as an expert, practical miller, and has contributed to the literature of the trade some valuable articles, some of which were read before the Pennsylvania Millers' State Association, and others published in the leading trade journals. In July, 1883, he won the prize offered by the American Miller, for the best essay on "The Handling of Middlings and the Use of Purifiers." He contributed other articles to that paper during 1884-5 and for four years he informally supported by his pen the Milling Engineer, besides writing for other trade papers. His column of "Random Reflections" in other journals attracted wide-spread attention. In December, 1886, he was one of the prime movers in the organization of the Pennsylvania Millers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company, since which he has been one of the directors. He has also taken a material interest in other business enterprises of Butler, though never to the neglect of his chief life work—milling.
Brought up in the faith of the Lutheran Church, he has continued one of its steadfast adherents, and has been a useful worker in the local congregation. For nearly ten years he served acceptably as superintendent of the Sunday school, and at the Fifty-first Convention of the Pittsburg Synod of the General Council, held at Greensburg, Pennsylvania, September 13-20, 1893, he was elected a trustee of Thiel College, of Greenville.
On February 8, 1878, Mr. Klingler was married to Louisa Catherine Keck, who is a daughter of Jacob Keck, of Butler. They have seven children: Charlotte Frederica, William Julius, Alberta Barbara, Clara Louisa, Harry Samuel Jr., Florence Elizabeth, and Ethel Pauline. The family home is at No. 141 East Jelferson Street, Butler.
Hermann Julius Klingler, father of Harry Samuel, and the founder of the firm of H. J. Klingler & Company, was born near Wurtemburg, Germany, and came of a family of millers. He was fourteen years old when he came to America, and with other members of the family settled on a farm in Manor Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. When eighteen years of age he married and then moved to Kittanning, where, for about one year, he was employed as a clerk in a store. On coming to Butler, in 1849, he engaged in a hotel business, purchasing the old United States Hotel, on the corner of Main and Jefferson Streets. In 1852, on the site of the old property, he built the Lowry House and conducted that hostelry for the following eight years. With James Campbell, under the style of Campbell & Klingler, he also engaged in the dry goods business, having a store on the southwest corner of Main and Mifflin Streets. At a still later period he entered into the foundry business, with Martin Reiber, under the style of Reiber & Klingler. He sold his hotel property in 1860 and in the same year built a substantial and commodious residence on the southwest corner of Jefferson and McKean Streets, where he still resides with his son.
In 1862 Hermann J. Klingler gave up his other business interests to engage in the oil industry and entered into partnership with John Berg, Sr. For several years they operated above Oil City, and they were among the first to engage in shipping petroleum to Europe. The first consignment was made to Liverpool in 1863 and the cargo was in charge of Mr. Klingler and John Berg, Jr. It was during this trip that Mr. Klingler paid a visit to his old home and while there visited many points of interest which his years of absence on the farther side of the Atlantic Ocean had made more important to him. In 1865 Mr. Klingler took a leading part in organizing the Butler County Oil Company, and acted as its superintendent during its two years of existence. It was mainly through his agency that the company acquired 12,000 acres of land in Butler, Armstrong and Beaver Counties. On this land, in a section extending from Parker to below Millerstown, he drilled four test wells. Owing to the fact that the drilling was not carried through to the second sand, no oil was obtained and the territory was abandoned, although subsequently, after more complete tests, it proved to be one of the richest oil fields in the State.
It was in 1867 that Mr. Klingler turned his attention to the business for which, above all others, he had an especial predilection, that of milling, heredity making itself felt. He commenced by building a grist mill on Mifflin Street, which was known as Klingler's Mills. In 1876 he built the present main office at No. 139 East Jefferson Street. A year later he remodeled his mill, adapting it to the new process, a method for regrinding the purified middlings on a small millstone having been invented. Several years afterward he began making use of rolls, being one of the pioneers in this method of milling, and in 1883-4 he reconstructed his mill, installing an entire roller system, after which the plant adopted its present title of the Oriental Roller Mills. In 1885 he further improved his facilities by building a shipping house, 50x110 feet, locating it opposite the West Penn Railroad station.
On March 1, 1886, an important change was made in the business, Mr. Klingler taking as partners his two sons, Harry S. and Fred J., and from that time the business was conducted on a more extensive scale, under the style of H. J. Klingler & Company. In 1889 the plant was further enlarged by the erection of the Specialty Roller Mills and the West Penn Elevator, on the site of the shipping house, a part of the latter being utilized for the purpose. Still more improvements were made in 1891, the Oriental Mills being enlarged and remodeled both outside and in. Both plants were remodeled in 1907 and 1908, making the property one of the most complete and modern roller plants in the United States. In various other ways besides those mentioned, Mr. Klingler has been an active factor in the advancement and prosperity of the community. He was one of the organizers and directors of the First National Bank of Butler, resigning his connection therewith four years later to help organize the Butler Savings Bank, of which he became a director. He also helped to found the German National Bank of Millerstown, of which he was a director and stockholder for a number of years, and was president of the National Gas Company until its purchase by its present owners. He was elected president of the Butler Improvement Association, on its organization in 1887 and took a leading part in securing the location in Butler of business enterprises, one of which was the Standard Plate Glass Factory, of which lie served as president and general manager for many years. In 1890, be platted twelve acres of land between Mifflin and Penn Streets, into thirty-nine lots, and at the same time created the thoroughfare known as Broad Street, which he improved, and built many fine residences in other parts of Butler. Mr. Klingler continues to take an interest in everything that contributes to the moral or material betterment of this city. He has been almost a life-long member of the Lutheran Church. For many years he was a director and for more than ten years was treasurer of Capital University, at Columbus, Ohio, wliich is the most important educational institution of the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio and adjacent States. He was a delegate in 1893 from the Pittsburg Synod to the General Council Lutheran Assembly at Fort Wayne. He has always been a Democrat in politics.
On October 24, 1848, Hermann J. Klingler married Anna Barbara Reiber, a daughter of Martin Reiber, Sr. Three of their eight children survive, namely: Harry Samuel, Frederick Julius, and Paul Gerhardt. Those deceased are Charles Washington, who is survived by his wife and six children, and four who died in infancy.
Source: 20th century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and respresentative citizens, McKee, James A., 1909, page 633-635.