Ferdinand Schumacher
Encyclopedia
Ferdinand Schumacher aka The Oatmeal King, was a German immigrant, an American
entrepreneur
and one of the founders of companies which merged to become the Quaker Oats Company
.
, Hanover, Germany March 30, 1822, son of a merchant. He completed high school locally, and apprenticed in the grocery business. He pursued this, and clerked in a manufacturing business until age 28, when he and his brother Otto emigrated to the United States. He farmed for two years and established a grocery trade in Akron, Ohio
in 1852. In 1857, he rented water power on the Ohio Canal
in northwest Akron to power a mill for production of oatmeal. In 1858 he added equipment for pearling barley
. He continued adding to his plant, and introduced steam power in 1875.
Ferdinand Schumacher married his cousin, Hermine Schumacher, in 1851, and had two children. He was active in the temperence movement, and was strongly for prohibition
. He supported the erection of many churches.
Schumacher ran unsuccessfully for Ohio Secretary of State in 1872 and 1882, and Ohio Governor in 1883 as Progressive Party nominee.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and one of the founders of companies which merged to become the Quaker Oats Company
Quaker Oats Company
The Quaker Oats Company is an American food conglomerate based in Chicago. It has been owned by Pepsico since 2001.-History:Quaker Oats was founded in 1901 by the merger of four oat mills:...
.
Biography
Ferdinand Schumacher was born in CelleCelle (district)
Celle is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Uelzen, Gifhorn, Hanover and Heidekreis.- Geography :...
, Hanover, Germany March 30, 1822, son of a merchant. He completed high school locally, and apprenticed in the grocery business. He pursued this, and clerked in a manufacturing business until age 28, when he and his brother Otto emigrated to the United States. He farmed for two years and established a grocery trade in Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
in 1852. In 1857, he rented water power on the Ohio Canal
Ohio and Erie Canal
The Ohio Canal or Ohio and Erie Canal was a canal constructed in the 1820s and early 1830s. It connected Akron, Summit County, with the Cuyahoga River near its mouth on Lake Erie in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and a few years later, with the Ohio River near Portsmouth, Scioto County, and then...
in northwest Akron to power a mill for production of oatmeal. In 1858 he added equipment for pearling barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
. He continued adding to his plant, and introduced steam power in 1875.
Ferdinand Schumacher married his cousin, Hermine Schumacher, in 1851, and had two children. He was active in the temperence movement, and was strongly for prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
. He supported the erection of many churches.
Schumacher ran unsuccessfully for Ohio Secretary of State in 1872 and 1882, and Ohio Governor in 1883 as Progressive Party nominee.
External links
- Biography at Ohio Historical Central.
- Description of Ferdinand Schumacher at the Cleveland Memory Project.