H. C. Settlage
H. C. Settlage, secretary of the People's Oil & Gas Company, of Lima, is an experienced oil and gas man and has been connected with some of the large enterprises, principally located in the Trenton rock fields of Ohio. He was born in 1846, at New Bremen, Auglazie County, Ohio, and is a son of Henry A. Settlage.
The father of Mr. Settlage was born in Germany and came to Ohio in 1838, settling among the pioneers of the Western section of Auglaize County. He was a farmer, and during the building of the Miami and Erie Canal was engaged as a contractor of that useful waterway.
H. C. Settlage was educated in the schools of Auglaize County, and then took a course in Baldwin University, at Berea, Ohio, following which he taught school for two years and then entered into a mercantile business at Wapakoneta, where he continued for the next 10 years and where he still has his residence. He was the elected recorder of Auglaize County and served in that office for the following six years. After retiring from the recordership he became associated with the Wapakoeta Gas Company as general manager and secretary, which he managed for five years and then became interested in the production of crude oil, principally in the Trenton rock fields of Ohio. He organized the National Oil Company, of which he is vice-president, and with other capitalists is interested in the People's Oil & Gas Company of Lima, of which he is secretary.
The People's Oil & Gas Company is strictly a combination of businessmen and capitalists, who produce crude petroleum from tested fields. The policy of this company has always been to work leases in well-known fields, where the speculative feature is at a minimum. The officers of this large corporation are: Charls H. Hubbard, president; William M. Melville, treasurer; H. C. Settlage, secretary, and William G. Brorein, general manager. The office rooms are at Nos. 410-411 Opera House Block, Lima.
In 1870 Mr. Settlage was married to Louisa Kattman, of Auglaize County, and they have three living children, viz: Laura, wife of Van Schwergen, of Lima, who is in the service of the Western Ohio Railway Company; Wesley, who is in the real estate and insurance business, at Wapakoneta; and Fred, who is an employee of the Kreitzer Buggy Company, of Wapakoneta.
Politically Mr. Settlage is identified with the Democratic party. When a resident of Wapakoneta he took an active part in public affairs of the place. He is a member of Lima Lodge No. 162, B. P. O. E. He was reared in the faith of the Lutheran Church.
From History of Allen County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Edited by Charles C. Miller. Richmond & Arnold, Publishers, Chicago, 1906