About this collection:

➤Robert William Schramm was born on November 13, 1934 to George W. and Gladys Palmer Schramm of Wheeling, WV. Schramm was the grandson of Andrew August Schramm, founder of Uneeda Brewing Company and later owner of Wheeling Coffee and Spice Company. Andrew August Schramm (1863-1939) immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1880. His first business was a collar and harness company in Wheeling. He married Elizabeth Burkle and they had several children, including George W. Schramm (1902-1976). George W. Schramm, who owned and operated the Wheeling Coffee and Spice Company, married Gladys Palmer (1903-1998) in 1924. Palmer’s family lived on Wheeling Island. Her father, W. R. Palmer was a tin mill worker and involved in the Crescent Lodge No. 8, Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers of North America Union. George and Gladys Schramm had three children, George, Sharon and Robert William.  Schramm was the author of several history books examining the history of the Ohio Valley, including West Liberty State College (2001), The Linsly School (2003), Moundsville (2004), Wheeling Island: A Photographic History (2006). Besides history and science, Schramm’s interests and hobbies included ham radio, photography, and music. He died at his home in West Liberty on June 21, 2014.

This collection includes the personal and family papers of Robert W. Schramm, including photographs, family memorabilia, personal papers, and audiovisual material from 1880-2010. Many of the family photographs are of the Schramm family and depict Andrew August Schramm and his wife, Elizabeth, and their son, George. Also included are advertising material related to A.A. Schramm’s businesses, including Uneeda Brewing Company and Wheeling Coffee & Spice. The collection also includes many photographs from the Palmer family, several of whom were iron and tin mill workers, and lived on Wheeling Island. Much of the personal family papers are those of Robert Schramm, and include early childhood comics, membership cards from Wheeling organizations, report cards, and a childhood diary. The audiovisual material includes oral histories and presentations from Schramm’s later years when he focused on writing about and showcasing Wheeling’s history. The collection also includes several artifacts, including a ribbon from the Crescent Lodge No. 8, Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers of North America Union, Uneeda Brewing Company beer bottles, a Paramount Coffee jar and Dawn Coffee jars, products both made by Wheeling Coffee & Spice Company.

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