WALTER W. MANNHARDT, a prominent and respected physician of McClure, Henry county, Ohio, was born in Custar, Wood county, Ohio, on July 19, 1881, and is the son of Herman and Louise (Wingert) Mannhardt, the former born in Germany and the latter near Bucyrus, Ohio. The father was early in life educated in medicine and for ten years was a physician and surgeon in the German army. Upon coming to America he located in Galion, Ohio, being accompanied by his father, also named Herman, and who was also a native of Germany and a physician by profession. They practiced together for a number of years at Galion, and later moved to Custar, Wood county, Ohio, but a few years later returned to Galion, where the grandfather died in 1904. The subject's father is now a successful and well-known physician at Custar, and to him and his wife have been born five children, Anna, twins that died in infancy, Walter W. and Mabel.
The subject of this sketch remained at home until thirteen years of age and attended the grammar and high schools of Custar, graduating from the latter. He then took a course in pharmacy at Ada, Ohio, though he left there two months before graduation in order to enter the Toledo Medical College in 1899. During his attendance at this institution he was assistant to Dr. Jacobi, a specialist in diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat, being professor of pathology in the college and eye and ear examiner for St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum, as well as for the Lake Shore Railroad. The subject graduated in 1903 and then attended three months at Rush Medical College, in Chicago, taking special work in diseases of the ear, nose, eye and throat. During this time he also attended clinics at St. Augustine Hospital in Chicago, so that at this time he was well prepared, theoretically and practically, for his life work. He entered upon the active practice with his father and brother-in-law at Custar, Ohio, previous to his graduation, but after concluding his studies he came to McClure and opened an office, and though one of the younger men of his profession here, he has already firmly established himself in the confidence of the people, receiving his full share of the public patronage. He has been uniformly successful in the practice and has earned the respect and esteem of his professional colleagues. Politically the Doctor is a Democrat, fraternally a Mason, an Odd Fellow and a Knights of Pythias, and in religion a Presbyterian. He takes a deep interest in the welfare of his community and is popular with all who know him.