Christian Parsch


Submitted by Denise Higgins
August, 2013

Here is a photo of Christian Parsch, founder of Parsch Lumber Company in Elyria.  "History of Lorain County":  "CHRISTIAN PARSCH.....Something more than half a century ago the late Christian Parsch was known in Lorain County only as a very industrious and capable carpenter. He subsequently brought the scope of his activities to work as a building contractor and from that developed one of the largest establishments for the supplying of lumber and other building materials, and for the work in building contracting lines in the entire county. Christian Parsch was a splendid type of the man who comes up from small things to large accomplishments, and his record whether in business, in private life, and in his attidude toward public concerns is one that should be remembered in this county. When he died at his home in Elyria, July 17, 1905, he had reached the age of seventy-two. Though nearly all his life was spent in Lorain County, he was born at Lammersdorf of the River Rhine, near Cologne, Germany, January 17, 1833. When only ten years of age he came with his family to the United States, and after a brief residence at Buffalo, NY, they came on to Cleveland Ohio. It was in Cleveland that Christian, who in the meantime had gained an education partly in the  schools of Germany and partly in those of America, took up the carpenter's trade... From there he moved to Avon in Lorain County, Ohio, was a journeyman worker in that section, and in 1857 removed to Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio. Not long afterward he began taking independant contracts for building, and out of that grew the largest establishment which still bears his name in Elyria. The late Mr. Parsch was for many years one of the active members and liberal supporters of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Elyria, to which his family also belong. His wife, Mrs. Catherine Herbert Parsch, died at her home on East Broad Street in Elyria, July 20, 1907. She was at the time seventy-one years of age, was a native of Ireland, but had lived continuously in Elyria for fully forty years. She became the mother of nine children, six of whom survived her. There are now three sons and one daughter living: William T., president of the Parsch Lumber Company; Alexander P., vice president of the company; John C., and Mrs.Joseph Tyler (Anna) of Elyria. The daughter Mary, who married C. Esker of Elyria, died after her mother, and the other daughter, now desceased, was Lucy, Mrs. James McCarvel. The son William is also a director of the Machine Parts Company of Elyria. For a great many years the lumber and building business was conducted under the simple name C. Parsch, but in 1900 it was incorporated as the Parsch Lumber Company, at which time Christian's sons, William, Alexander and John, took an active share in the business."










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