About this collection:

➤ Charles W. Franzheim was born in Wheeling, West Virginia on February 3, 1853 to George W. Mary A. (Hornung) Franzheim. Franzheim was one of six children. His brother, Edward B. Franzheim, was a notable architect in Wheeling, WV. In 1872, Charles graduated with honors from Bethany College. Charles was one of the original stockholders and members of the Board of Directors of the Wheeling Pottery Company, formed in 1879. In 1893 he became the President and General Manager of the company. He was also President and General Manager of Riverside Pottery Company, and Warwick China Company. Throughout his career, Franzheim also served on the boards of several Wheeling businesses, including the German Bank of Wheeling, the Franklin Fire Insurance Company of Wheeling, the Mutual Savings Bank and the Vance Faience Company. Franzheim married Lyda (Lida) H. Merts of Ravenna, Ohio in 1880. Lida Merts was born in Ravenna, Ohio on September 9, 1856. The couple had five children, C. Merts, George W., Mary R., Catherine M. and H. Kenneth. Franzheim died on October 22, 1912, in his home. His wife, Lida, died on January 29, 1934, also in Wheeling, WV.

The collection consists of two pieces of correspondence from Charles W. Franzheim to his wife, Lida, who was visiting her family in Ravenna, Ohio. Both letters are primarily personal in nature, with Franzheim asking after the health of Lida and informing her about the weather and other domestic details of their early married life. The correspondence is noteworthy for the elaborate Wheeling Pottery Company letterhead on which the letters are written. The letterhead depicts the factory in South Wheeling. The accompanying envelopes also include the lithographs of the factory and the company seal.

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