Capt. J. Victor Ehrhart
A well known river man of Cincinnati is Captain J. Victor Ehrhart, who is head of the Ehrhart Marine Wrecking Company, which he established about thirty years ago. He is a native of Switzerland, his birth having occurred, on August 8, 1846, but at the age of eight years he emigrated to the United States with his parents, who located in Cincinnati. Here he obtained his education in the common schools of the city and grew to manhood, and at about the age of twenty years he went on the river. The work proved to be very fascinating to him, having at that time just enough danger attached to it to make a strong appeal to a healthy, vigorous youth such as he was. At that period there were many wrecks, but the government snag boats have cleared up the river and government lights now mark the course of the channel, so that navigation has been robbed of the many dangers that made it alluring to the youth of days gone by. River wrecks in the early part of the last century and on past the Civil war provided ample opportunity for many acts of chivalry and heroism, that were adapted to both song and poem as well as romance. After he had familiarized himself with the river and navigation generally Captain Ehrhart engaged in the wrecking business, and for over forty-five years he has been a submarine diver. He followed his vocation from Pittsburg to New Orleans, up the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers, and has a very extensive acquaintance with men in all of the various capacities of inland navigation, throughout the central states. About thirty years ago he became associated with George W. Neare, who conducted the large insurance agency of Gibbs & Company and was given charge of the wrecking and rating departments of their business. Mr. Ehrhart has been very successful, and is one of the widely known and most capable men in his line on the river.
Captain Ehrhart married Miss Anna M. Shields, a daughter of John Shields of New Orleans, who passed away on the 11th of April, 1911. Five of the children born unto Captain and Mrs. Ehrhart are living, and in order of birth they are as follows: Captain Leonard, who is associated in the wrecking business with his father; Ernestine; William; Minnie; and J. Victor, Jr. Captain Ehrhart has been a resident of Cincinnati for fifty-seven years, and during that time has witnessed the many changes that have taken place in the city with the progress and development of modern civilization. River transportation has very largely been superseded by the many railroads that now run into the city, while he has also witnessed the improvement and modern luxuries that have been introduced for the comfort of passengers on the boats, making this mode of traveling a source of pleasure rather than the danger fraught hardship it was fifty years ago.
From Cincinnati, The Queen City, Volume III by Rev. Charles Frederic Goss, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1912