Ferdinand Amann
Ferdinand Amann was born at Stundweiller, Germany, October 15, 1818, and came to this country with his brother Xavier, landing in New York April 27, 1836. The two brothers journeyed to Dayton, where they worked at their trade, that of tailoring. From Dayton Mr. Amann went to Cincinnati, where he remained two years, when he went to St. Louis, and was there almost two years. From St. Louis he went to New Orleans, and in 1842 had the yellow fever in that city. In the spring of 1844 he returned to Dayton, and in the fall of the same year married Miss Mary A. Wagner, a sister of Peter and Matthias Wagner, of Sidney. In 1847 he moved to Sidney, and carried on merchant tailoring in partnership with his brother. In 1852 he sold his interest to his brother, and took charge of the National Hotel. His wife died September 18, 1852. Six children – five sons and one daughter – were the result of this union, two sons and the daughter of whom survive. In 1854 he married Miss Catharine Wagner, a sister of his first wife. In 1856 he bought the Sidney Hotel, now known as the Wagner House, of which he was landlord until the breaking out of the war, when he entered the army as 1st Lieutenant of Captain Schultz’s artillery company, which was mostly composed of Shelby County men, and whose officers were all from Sidney. He received his commission from Governor Tod on the 5th of September, 1861. While quartered at Louisville he took sick, and retuned home on an extended furlough. He never fully recovered his health, and when he returned to the army he was assigned to hospital duty in Nashville. At the end of two years he resigned. In 1864 he moved to Fort Wayne, where he kept a hotel until the latter part of 1866, when he returned to Sidney. In 18873 he was elected County Treasurer, and served two terms. He made a courteous, capable, and honest officer, and retired with the confidence and respect of the people. By his last wife he had eleven children – eight boys and three girls – of whom two sons and one daughter preceded him to the grave. He had seventeen children by the two marriages, and eleven of them are living.
Ferdinand Amann, one of the oldest and best known residents of Sidney, died on Saturday morning, January 21, 1882. His health had long been impaired with that insidious disease, consumption, and his death was not unexpected. About a year ago he commenced to grow worse rapidly, and during the summer he spent several weeks at mackinaw, Michigan. He returned home feeling better, but the improvement was only temporary, and late in the fall he had to take to his bed.
Mr. Amann possessed many sterling virtues. He was a devoted husband, a kind father, and raised a model family. In climbing the ladder of life he was frequently buffeted by adversity, but his integrity never had a blemish. He was a great friend of improvements, and nothing was ever agitated for the benefit of Sidney that did not receive his liberal aid and cordial encouragement. – Sidney Journal
From History of Shelby County, Ohio; R. Sutton & Co, Philadelphia PA, 1883