Louis Sohngen

Louis Sohngen, a prominent businessman in Hamilton, Ohio, was born in 1824 near Frankfort, Germany. At age 15, he apprenticed to become a cabinet-maker. He came to New York in 1848 and then settled in Cincinnati, Ohio. He worked at a trade for about 6-months, then got a desire to go to California. He got as far as Louisville, Kentucky, on this trip, then decided instead to settle in Butler County, Ohio. He lived for 6-months in Bethany, then moved to Hamilton where he worked for himself as a cabinet maker. After a year, he opened a grocery store which he ran for about 8-years, becoming a successful merchant. He started buying local grain and began making malt for the brewing industry. When he provided the signature for this publication, he signed his name with an umlaut (Louis Söhngen). Illustration from the “Combination Atlas Map of Butler County, Ohio”, by L. H. Everts, 1875.