HON. CHARLES FOSTER, of Fostoria, Loudon Township, Seneca County, Ohio, was born in Seneca Township, the above-named County and State, on the 12th of April, In 1854, Mr. Foster married Annie, daughter of Judge Olmstead, of Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio. The fruit of this union has been two daughters: Jessie, born August 8, 1858, and Annie, born October 11, 1860.
At the age of eighteen Mr. Foster was admitted as a partner into the business of C. W. Foster, Esq., an old established house, having carried on business successfully since the year 1832. Possessing a large amount of business talent, considerable enterprise, and a determination to succeed, the house increased its business, under the joint management, with remarkable rapidity. From the embryo country store it soon developed onto more pretentious proportions, and it now stands a monument to the energy and enterprise of the proprietors. From doing a business of a few thousands a year, the receipts of the firm last year were upwards of a million dollars. The purchase of grain and wool by the firm is larger than that of any similar institution in the County.
In 1870 the subject of this sketch was elected a member to the Forty-second Congress, from the Tenth Ohio District, and was re-elected, to the Forty-third, in 1872. In the former he became popular for sound voting and his strict adherence to the Republican party. In the latter he distinguished himself by exposing the notoriously corrupt Sanborn Contracts. He entered the lists in this exposure against Benjamin F. Butler, from Massachusetts, and had the pleasure of vanquishing that great statesman and orator. An investigation was had; fought on the side of right by Mr. F., on the opposite by Mr. Butler. The result was the overthrow of the entire ring, and Mr. B. had the mortification to endure a disastrous defeat at the hands of the courageous Congressman from Ohio.
Mr. Foster received a third nomination at the convention held at Clyde in 1874, the result of which transpires too late for this sketch. His prospects for a third election look very flattering, however, and nothing short of a political revolution can defeat him.
1874 Atlas
CHARLES FOSTER. If, when we think of Tiffin, the graceful form and somewhat sad face of the eloquent Gibson rises to our mind; so, when we think of Fostoria, the genial face compact figure of another lights the scene. His is a phenomenal individuality -one that has illustrated that a man can be the governor of this great State and at the same moment "Charlie" to everybody in it. Born there, when all around was woods; growing up with the people, ever manifesting a cheerful, generous, helping spirit; his life illustrates the fraternal idea; so the humblest individuals of his home community rejoice that he is one of them. The Hon. Daniel Ryan, in his "History of Ohio," thus outlines his career: "The parents of CHARLES FOSTER were from Massachusetts. They moved West and settled in Seneca county, where he was born April 12, 1828. He received a common-school education and engaged in business pursuits for the early part of his life. In 1870 he was elected to Congress and served for eight years, although his district was politically very strong against him. While in Congress he was noted for the straightforward and businesslike view that he took of all measures. He was one of the Republican leaders of that body. The Republican party in 1879 nominated him for governor, and he was elected. He administered state affairs with success. He took advanced ground on taxing the liquor traffic, and his party -in fact, the entire people of Ohio -have indorsed his views. He is now in private life, devoting his attention to business affairs at Fostoria."
File contributed for use in the Ohio Biographies Project by
Gina Reasoner
GReasoner@prodigy.net
November 22, 1999
Historical Collections of Ohio by Henry Howe LL.D.
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