Barnhart, Charles H.

Charles H. Barnhart, a member of the firm of Barnhart & Klinger, flour and feed merchants, is a well known business man of Butler. He was born in Chicora, Butler County, July 9, 1877, a son of David F. and Mary Catherine (Krug) Barnhart.

David F. Barnhart was born in Chicora, Pennsylvania, in 1852. He attended the district schools and learned the carpenter's trade, and was also a wagonmaker. He died October 22, 1887, and is buried in Hemphill Cemetery, Chicora, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Barnhart was born near Sarver Station, Butler County, in 1853. She now resides in Chicora. To David F. and Mary Catherine (Krug) Barnhart five children were born: Charles H., the subject of this sketch ; Anna, married L. W. Francis, a civil engineer, of Washington, D. C. ; Frank H., Standard Steel Car Company, Butler; George H., engaged in the meat business at Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania ; and Arthur W., with the Carnegie Steel Company, Duquesne, Pennsylvania.

Charles H. Barnhart attended the public schools of Chicora until he was fourteen years of age, when he was obliged to assist in supporting the family, his father having died four years previously. He worked at odd jobs, earning $10 a month, until he was seventeen years old, when he left home, with only $12 in his pocket, and went to Apollo, Pennsylvania, where he secured work with the Apollo Sheet Mill Company at $1.25 per day, handling pig iron. He later had a job as "matcher," bundling sheet iron, for which he was paid $1.65 per day. He would work two shifts at times, doubling up on his work in order to make more money. In 1895 he returned to Butler, where he became an apprentice blacksmith with Grohman & Oesterling, at 128 Mifflin Street. He was taken on trial for two weeks, after which he received the sum of $20 for the first year, $40 for the second year, and $60 for the third year. During his apprenticeship of three years he worked also at various other jobs, such as mowing lawns, digging ditches, etc., to enable him to buy clothes. During his apprenticeship he would board with one partner for three months and then the other partner for the following three months. In 1898 he went to work for P. W. Weisner & Son, blacksmiths, for which he received $8 per week. Later he worked at horseshoeing for Mr. W. B. Robinson, receiving $9 per week. In March, 1899, he purchased for $225 a one-half interest in the blacksmith shop of Adam Schenk, where he did general horseshoeing. In 1900 Mr. Barnhart purchased some land on Bluff Street and erected a frame building 22 feet by 40 feet, which he used as a blacksmith shop. He paid $225 for building this shop, which left his capital at the low ebb of $2.50 to start business. He later enlarged this shop, taking as a partner Daniel Kennedy. This partnership was later dissolved and Mr. Barnhart devoted his entire time to horseshoeing, making a specialty of shoeing race horses. Mr. Barnhart has two large wooden cabinets which are filled with horseshoes of his own make as well as those of other blacksmiths, which are highly prized by him. He later erected a modern blacksmith shop, which has a door made like a large horseshoe. This shop is one of the most complete of its kind in the county. It consists of two floors and a concrete basement. In April, 1921, Mr. Barnhart sold his business to B. E. Wilson, and in May, 1921, purchased the H. J. Klinger retail feed business, and entered into a partnership with Carl J. Klinger. Through Mr. Barnhart's untiring efforts and sound judgment the firm has met with marked success, and it is one of the well established commercial enterprises of Butler. Mr. Barnhart is a self-made man and a citizen who enjoys the high regard of the entire community.
In 1898 Mr. Barnhart was married to Miss Clara M. Leitold, a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Bauer) Leitold, natives of Butler County. Mr. Leitold was the owner of 140 acres of land in Butler County. Both he and his wife are deceased and are buried in South Cemetery, Butler. To Mr. and Mrs. Barnhart two children were born : Lloyd L., born March 16, 1900, died May 13, 1908 ; and Elizabeth Mary, a graduate of Butler High School and Wittenburg College of Music, at home.

Mr. Barnhart is a Republican and is a member of Grace Lutheran Church, in which he is elder. He is an active church worker and devotes a large part of his time to orphanages and other institutions. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows ; Butler Lodge, F. and A. M., No. 272 ; Butler Chapter, R. A. M., No. 273 ; Lorain Commandery, K. T., No. 87 ; New Castle Consistory (thirty-second degree), New Castle, Pennsylvania ; Syria Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., Pittsburgh ; and Syria Caravan, No. 14, A. A. O. N. M. S. Mr. Barnhart has given much of his time to civic bodies, and is universally respected and esteemed by the people of Butler.