MONTGOMERY COUNTY OHIO BIO: KREIDLER, John Ulrich (published 1882)
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
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frog158@juno.com
July 22, 1999
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From the 
The Ohio Biographies Project
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~usbios/Ohio/mnpg.html
a part of
The U.S. Biographies Project
http://members.tripod.com/~debmurray/usbios/usbiog.html


"The History of Montgomery County, Ohio" by W.H. Beers & Co.  1882


Capt. John Ulrich Kreidler, Superintendent of Street Railroad, Dayton, was born 
October 31, 1832, in Greenmettstetten, O.A. Horb Wurtmbuerg, Germany.  His 
father, Joseph, was born in 1800, in the above place, where he plied his trade 
of blacksmithing until he came to America.  His mother, Mary Ann Dettling, was 
also born there in 1799.  They had three children, John U., James S. and Mary,
born in the order named.  The father, with his family, emigrated to America in 
1847, and landed in New York on the 7th of June of that year.  He went to the 
village of Charlton, Saratoga County, N.Y., where he remained until April, 1848,
when he came to Dayton, where he died in June of the following year, with the
cholera.  His wife survived him until 1866, and his son James until 1867, all 
dying in Dayton.  His daughter Mary is the wife of ex-Street Commissioner Julius
Wehner, of Dayton.  Our subject attended the public schools of his native 
country until thirteen years of age, when he commenced working at blacksmithing
with his father, and so continued until he came to America.  Arriving in Dayton,
he quarried stone, drove a canal boat from Toledo to Cincinnati, and sawed
wood for one year, and then learned shoemaking, under McCutheon & Vogt, at
which he worked as journeyman until 1857, when he became solicitor for the 
Fireman's Insurance Company, and continued until 1858.  In 1858-9, he was on the
police force and afterward solicitor for the Central Insurance Company, until
the breaking-out of the war.  At this time, he was a Lieutenant of the National
Guards, but, finding that his company was not going to war he resigned his 
commision and enlisted as private in Company C, First Ohio Volunteer Infantry,
April 16, 1861, and served four months.  He then returned to Datyon and resumed
 his business, but in August, 1862, re-enlisted as Captain in Company E, One 
Hundred and Eighth  Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served until
December 7, 1862, when his company was captured at Hartsville, Tenn.  When he
re-enlisted, his company presented him with a handsome sword, which he promised 
them should never be taken; when taken prisoner he broke this sword in the face
of the enemy, and for this offense he, of all his company, was the only man not
paroled.  He endured all the horrors of the rebel prisons at Atlanta and Libby
for four months, and then, April 17, 1863, was exchanged at Annapolis, Md.  He
continued in the service until February 10, 1864, when he resigned his command,
because the Colonel of his regiment, who had ben tried, convicted and dismissed 
from the service as a horse-thief, was re-instated.  The Captain had called him 
and believed him to be a horse-thief, and couldn't endure the idea of fighting
beside such a man.  On his return to Dayton, he studied book-keeping, and was
elected City Clerk in April, 1864.  He was re-elected three times, but resigned
 during his fourth term and engaged in the grocery business.  In May, 1868, he
was elected First Lieutenant of Police, but was legislated out of office in the
winter following.  In the spring of 1869 his successor was elected but never
qualified, and he was ordered to remain on duty, notwithstanding a number
of lawsuits against him and a conviction for usurpation of office.  He continued
to draw his pay under the orders of the Superior Court until 1870, when he was
fully vindicated by a decision of the Supreme Court of the State.  In the 
spring of 1870, he was appointed Superintendent of the Dayton Street Railroad, 
Route No. 1, and has since continued a valuable and efficient officer of that
service.  He was married, November 28, 1854, to Miss Rosa Bobe, daughter of
John Bobe, a well-known stone-mason of Dayton, and Anna (Hengstler) Bobe, who
are still living.  By this marriage he was blest with three boys and two girls,
viz.: Edward (who died in 1857), John E., William A., Rosa C. and Caroline C.  
Mr. Kreidler was a Captain for two years, and Secretary five years, of the old 
Deluge Volunteer Fire Company, No. 4.  He was also Captain of the Knight of St.
George, the first company of uniformed Catholics in the United States.  His 
checkered career has given him a knowledge of men that well fits him for the 
office he now occupies, where he has a great many men under him.  In the above,
we have neglected to say that from 1857-1860, he studied law with D.W.
Iddings, and became an active Notary, but never applied for admission to the bar.
 

Submitted by Tina Hursh <frog158@juno.com>