BIOGRAPHIES 
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Adolph Charles Strobel was born in Ohio in January, 1854, of German parents. He worked for Strobel and Wilken, Cincinnati, at ages 17 and 18 as a clerk (1871-72), 19 to 22 as bookkeeper (1873-76) and age 23 as cashier (1877). At age 23, he married Rudolph Wurlitzer's sister-in-law, Marguerite Farny (February 24, 1877). Around that time, he left his job as cashier at Strobel & Wilken and took the cashier job with Rudolph Wurlitzer & Bro. He was cashier at Wurlitzer from 1878 to beyond 1900.
While working at Wurlitzer, he moved to East Norwood (1884), after purchasing six lots there in 1882, and subsequently having a home built there. In the 1898 Williams Cincinnati Directory, he was listed as the secretary and treasurer of The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, 121 East 4th Street, with his residence in Norwood. He probably lived there until in 1902, when he sold his home, which was located between Highland and Harper Avenues. He died at the age of 52 of typhoid fever, in New York City (probably his home at the time), on August 28, 1906. He might have moved to New York because of the Wurlitzer Company, which had offices there. Strobel & Wilken - first job Emil Strobel (who was probably related to Adolph) and George Wilkin were the owners of Strobel & Wilken. Originally, when Charles Strobel (who may have been Adolph's father) and George Wilken were the owners, the business imported druggists' sundries and fancy goods. Within a few years, they were importers of fancy goods and toys, and manufacturers of pocket books and sample cases. The Cincinnati store may have been a branch of The Strobel & Wilken Company of New York. There was another Norwood connection with Strobel & Wilken — or at least a future Norwood connection: Strobel & Wilken sold products of the Russell & Morgan Printing Company, the predecessor to the U.S Playing Card Company, which later moved to Norwood. Strobel & Weisbrodt - one, a relative, the other a future Norwood connection While working at Strobel & Wilken, A. C. Strobel lived at the same address as Eugene F. Strobel, obviously a relative and one of the owners of Strobel & Weisbrodt, an engraving company. Hugo W. Weisbrodt, a twenty-one year old in 1877, was the other owner. He may have been the H. W. Weisbrodt who made the half-tone engravings of R. P. Bellsmith's photographs in the Mulford and Betty 1894 Norwood book. A new wife and a new job On Saturday evening, February 24, 1877, A. C. Strobel married Margaret (sic) E. Farny (the sister of the artist Henry F. Farny and the sister-in-law of Rudolph Wurlitzer) at Rudolph Wurlitzer home, 60 Franklin Street, Cincinnati. Soon afterwards (by the next year, at least), he joined Mr. Wurlitzer's company. East Norwood - a new home In 1884, A. C. Strobel and his wife, Margaret (sic) Farny Strobel, moved to East Norwood, on Harper Avenue across from the northern end of Pine Street. Later the house would be given the address of 2352 Harper Avenue. He had purchased the lots over a period in 1882. On May 22, 1882, Mr. Strobel purchased lots 26-29 of L. C. Hopkins Subdivision of East Norwood from Lewis G. Hopkins for $2500. On November 6, 1882, he purchased lot 25 from Edward L. & Mary A. Brown. On December 12, 1882, Mr. Strobel purchased lot 24 of the same subdivision for $625. On June 10, 1902, Adolph C. Strobel and his wife, Marguerite F. Strobel, sold all these lots (24-29) to Francis C. Nash. Today, the homes occupying these lots are: 2352 Harper Avenue (lots 25 and 26) - the original Strobel home is still here, 2356 Harper (lot 29) - next lot to the east, 2347 Highland avenue (part of lot 24), 2349 Highland (part of lots 24 and 27), 2353 Highland (part of lot 27) - the last three properties were immediately north of the Strobel home, 2355 Highland (part of lots 27 and 28) and 2357 Highland (part of lot 28) - the last two lots were to the northeast of the Strobel home. – This information is from the Hamilton County Deed Books No. 534, pages 398-399; No. 537, pages 542-?; No, 543, pages 58-60; and No. 874, pages 508-510. A photograph of the home, which still exists, is on page 5 of Mulford and Betty's 1894 book. He also owned a farm with a half-mile horse track along the banks of the Duck Creek, for training trotters. He named the farm Tionesta, probably in honor of his wife's birthplace, Tionesta, Pennsylvania. There is speculation on where this track was located, but we know it was located on the banks of the Duck Creek.
Henry F. Farny - famous brother-in-law and boarder
The year after moving to East Norwood, the Strobel's had a famous boarder – Henry F. Farny, the artist, and brother of Mrs. Strobel. This was probably soon after Farny's "Missouri River Trip" out west. He lived with the Strobel's until at least 1889 and possibly until 1894, when he traveled to Fort Sill in Indian Territory (what was to become Oklahoma) for three months. He was living in Covington that year.
Norwood Promoter - incorporation, school and culture
While he lived in Norwood, Mr. Farny had a studio at Room T in Pike's Building in Cincinnati. He and his brother-in-law probably walked down Pine Street to the East Norwood passenger station to catch the half-hour ride (give or take 6 minutes, based on train schedules of the time) on the Cincinnati and Northern train to their downtown offices. The narrow gauge tracks had been finished to the Court Street Station in downtown Cincinnati on Feb 13, 1882, just three months before Mr. Strobel bought his first four Harper Avenue lots in East Norwood. This convenient transportation surely influenced his decision to built a home in East Norwood.
As a resident and elector (registered voter) of the area, Mr. Strobel signed the petition to incorporate Section 34 of Columbia Township, Hamilton County, Ohio, as the Village of Norwood. He was an active citizen of Norwood after its creation, too. He served as president of the Norwood School Board, vice-president of the Norwood Orchestra and celloist in that orchestra.
Family - wife and two sons
The Strobel's had three children. Only two survived by 1900. They were Langdon F., born March 1880, and Roger L., born June 1885. Both were born in Ohio. Mrs. Strobel was born in Pennsylvania in December 1854. Her parents were born in France. She died in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the home of her son, Roger, on February 20, 1944, at age 90. She had moved to New York in 1931, and lived in Salt Lake City for two months before her death.
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Strobel & Weisbrodt another connection to Norwood |
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The Cincinnati firm of STROBEL & WEISBRODT was listed on page 952 of the 1877 directory as located on the southeast corner of 5th and Walnut. They were "Designers and Engravers on Wood." The proprietors were Eugene F. Strobel and Hugo W. Weisbrodt — who may be the H. W. Weisbrodt of this page. If so, he would have been around 21 years old then. Eugene Strobel was listed as living at 152 Woodward. This was the same address as A. C. Strobel, a 23 year-old bookkeeper for STROBEL & WILKEN, another Cincinnati business.
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STROBEL & WILKEN were "Importers of Fancy Goods & Toys, and Manufacturers of Pocket Books and Sample Cases." They were located at 144 Walnut. The owners were Emil Strobel and George Wilken. Adolph Charles Strobel worked there from 1871 to 1877.
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BIOGRAPHIES 
