CHARLES N. SCHWAB - Charles N. Schwab, the efficient county surveyor of Henry county, is a native son of the Buckeye state, having been born at Tiffin, on March 26, 1853, and is the son of Oswald and Barbara (Brost) Schwab. The parents were both born in Prussia, the father in 1803 and the mother in 1819, and were married there. By a prior marriage the father had two sons, Mathias, now a farmer of Marion township, Henry county, and Philip C, who died in about 1897. In 1852 the subject's parents came to the United States, locating at once at Tiffin, Ohio, where they remained ten years. They then removed to a farm in Putnam county, which he obtained in a trade for a house and lot in Tiffin. A portion of this tract was cleared and planted to corn, but they were about this time taken ill with the ague and for nine months were unable to do any work, the squirrels getting all of their corn crop in the meantime. After about three years they came to Pleasant township, Henry county, purchasing forty acres of partially cleared land. There the parents passed the remainder of their lives, the father dying in 1879 and the mother in 1892. They were members of the Catholic church, and were the parents of two children, the subject of this sketch, and Peter, who was born in this county and now resides on the old homestead in Pleasant township.
Charles N. Schwab was reared under the parental roof and attended the district schools. At the age of eighteen years he came to Napoleon and entered the office of County Surveyor Kolbe, with whom he worked for five years. During the next four or five winters he was engaged in teaching school, spending the summer months on the home farm. In 1879 he married and remained on the farm for a year thereafter, but then came to Napoleon again and entered the auditor's office as deputy to Auditor Charles Evers, continuing in this position three years. In 1886 he was elected county surveyor for a term of three years, and at the close of his first term was chosen to succeed himself, thus serving six years. He then established a surveyor's office in Napoleon and during the following six years was city engineer of Napoleon, having in charge the building of the sewer system and the paving. In 1898 he was again elected county surveyor, and was re-elected, his present term expiring in September, 1905. His long period of service in this responsible position is .the best testimonial not only to his ability as a surveyor, but also his popularity with the people of Henry county.
In 1879 Mr. Schwab married Miss Susan L. Daniels, who was born in Lorain county, this state, the daughter of John and Margaret Daniels. To them have been born two children, William P., who is employed in his father's office, and Edward J., who resides in Cleveland. In religion the family support the Catholic church, of which they are consistent members. Possessing genial ways and genuine worth, Mr. Schwab has made friends of all who have come in contact with him.