CHARLES L. DRIEHORST, SR., one of the leading business men of Washington, is a native of the "Fatherland," born August 14, 1810, in a small town on the river Weiser, "Lauenforda," Kingdom of Hanover. His father died in 1845, his mother some time later. Before leaving his native land our subject had learned the trade of carpenter and joiner, at which he worked there for a time. Then, having decided to seek the New World, he set sail in April, 1841, landing on June 21 in Baltimore, whence he at once proceeded to Washington county, Penn., where a sister had already settled. He immediately began work at his trade, and being desirous of obtaining, as quickly as possible, a thorough knowledge of the English language, he spent the winter months in school. On October 10, 1842, he went squirrel hunting, and one of those little rodents, which he had shot, having lodged in a tree, he climbed to get it, but unfortunately slipped, and fell to the ground, whereby he received injuries, which confined him to the house for several years. He was first taken care of by a sister, and afterward by the family of Judge Wotring, where in his affliction he found a home. By the time he was able to resume work, all his savings, laid away by careful thrift, were completely exhausted, and he had again to begin life at the bottom of the ladder. In November, 1845, he set sail for the "Fatherland," where he remained until the spring of 1846, and on his return be again landed in Baltimore in June. On July 7,1846, he married Miss Amelia Klieves, in Wheeling, who was also from the same place in Germany. She died August 15, 1861, leaving six children as follows: Theodore, Rosanna, Matilda, Charles, Lewis and Louisa. On March 5, 1863, Mr. Driehorst was married to Augusta KIieves, sister of his first wife. He worked as contractor at his trade till 1864, after which he entered the clothing store of J. B. Reckers as clerk, in which capacity he worked for thirteen years. In 1877 he began the grocery business on his own account, opening a small store on his property on West Wheeling street; the following spring he added to it a bakery, which by industry and strict attention to business, and the wants of his customers, he has built up, till it is the leading establishment of the kind in the town. Politically our subject is a Democrat, and has served both as assessor and collector of taxes in the borough of Washington. In church connection he is a Lutheran, and has ever been faithful to his church and its interests.

Text taken from page 324 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed August 1997 by Jean Suplick Matuson of Plano, TX as part of the Beers Project. Published August 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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