BIOGRAPHY: FOSTER, CLAUD HANSCOMB (23 Dec. 1872-21 June 1965), automotive inventor, industrialist, and philanthropist, was born in the Cleveland suburb of Brooklyn to George and Julia Wells Foster. In 1891, he opened a machine shop, playing the trombone for 11 years in the Euclid Ave. Opera House orchestra to support his business. In 1896, Foster became an automobile dealer, selling the Cleveland-built General, in 1900 also acquiring Peerless and Ajax automobile agencies. Foster developed the Gabriel Horn, a multitone automobile horn powered by exhaust gases, starting the successful Gabriel Co. in 1904. Foster then patented his "Snubber" automotive shock absorber in 1914, capitalizing its production at $1 million.

From 1920-25, the Gabriel Co. earned annual profits of more than $1 million, selling 75% of all shock absorbers marketed in the world. Foster developed an employee profit-sharing incentive program, between 1917-25 paying his employees more than $600,000 in addition to their salaries. He sold the Gabriel Co. in 1925 to Otis & Co. for $4 million, only half the company's evaluated price, and remaining the company's chairman 1928.

Known as the "Doctor of Car Riding," Foster was often consulted by manufacturers when new car models developed riding difficulties. Throughout his career, Foster made numerous large anonymous gifts to hospitals and charitable institutions. On 22 July 1952, he announced to the heads of 16 educational and charitable institutions that he was dividing the bulk of his wealth, almost $4 million, among them. Married to Emma Schultz on 2 May 1894, Foster had 2 sons, Earl and Daniel. Foster is buried in RIVERSIDE Cemetery.

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Gabriel Snubbers -- This consisted of a housing that contained a belt wound into a coil. It was kept under tension by a spring. The housing was fastened to the frame and the outer end of the belt was attached to the axle to limit the degree of rebound from a jolt.l Co. started operation in 1906 making accessory auto horns. The founder, Claude H. Foster, named his firm after the horn-tooting angel Gabriel. When the pushbutton horn came along in 1914, it killed the Gabriel and all other body-mounted horns. Foster looked for a product to keep his company in business and came across the Snubber.

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Claud H. Foster loved to tinker with things. He loved to put things together and take things apart. He did this well with automobiles, except for one thing: the horn. So he decided to invent a fool-proof horn using the concept of a trombone, calling it "Gabriel's Horn." He started the Gabriel Company from $1,500 he had saved up. The time came when he decided to retire. An investment firm offered him $10 million for the company. But he knew if he took their bid, a lot of stock holders in his company would lose their money. He also knew that because of some expiring patents, it wasn't worth that much money. He said this, "Over the years I have come to realize that nothing we earn, none of the things we accumulate belongs to us. While on this earth we are merely stewards or trustees for God's resources." So Mr. Foster decided to sell his company for the fairer price of $4 million. He had such joy and peace doing that, that he decided to do something else. He threw a big party with his friends who worked in an orphanage and in a hospital. Then that night he gave the $4 million dollars away. He said he has never regretted it, and has found great peace and thankfulness in his life just thinking about it. He said it was "the best party I ever had." There is a joy and peace that comes in giving to others.

---http://www.gtpres.org/Sermons%202001/011118sermon.htm

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During the 1910's and 1920's, prominent Willowick landowners included J.C. Gilchrist whose property was north of Lake Shore Boulevard between East 288th and East 293rd Streets; William Flood, who played an important role in the incorporation of Willowick as a village; Claude Foster who had property north of Lake Shore and east of Willough beach Park (he invented the Gabriel car horn and Snubbers shock absorbers); and the Lindus Cody family whose property ran north and south of Lake Shore, bordered on the east by East 317th Street and on the west by the intersection of Vine and Lake Shore.

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During the administration of Dr. Edward Hodnett, 1948-1951, Fenn constructed Foster Hall, an engineering building financed by a donation by Cleveland entrepreneur Claude Foster
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Foster, Claude H. b. December 23, 1872 d. June 21, 1965
Known as the "Doctor of Car Riding", he was the inventor of "Snubber" shock absorbers and the "Gabriel" auto horn. A pioneer in automotives, an industrialist and a philanthropist, he gave generously to hospitals and charitable institutions. He was one of the first industrialist to develop an employee profit-sharing incentive program. (Bio by: Joyce Ellsworth )

Claud Foster Park, near Case Western Reserve University's Thwing Center in University Circle.


BURIAL: Riverside Cemetery, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA Plot: Section 22

RESIDENCES:
1900 - 309 Jennings Road, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio (city directory and 1900 Census) Mgr Foster Cycle Co. Living with in-laws.
1910 - 1561 E108th Street

OBIT: Name: Foster, Claude H.
Date: Jun 24 1965
Source: Plain Dealer; Cleveland Necrology File, Reel #109.
Notes: Foster. Claude H. Foster, father of Earl F., grandfather of William E. of Elyria, O., and Donald R. of Fullerton, Calif., great-grandfather of eight, June 21. Friends may call at The Fairhill Home of The Millard Son & Raper Co., Fairhill at East Blvd. Funeral service at The Old Stone Church, Public Square, Thursday, June 24, at 2 p. m. It is suggested contributions be made to The Crippled Children's Hospital of American Cancer Fund.

1. Earl Frank FOSTER b. 15 Apr 1895, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio; d. 13 Jan 1986, Wooster,, Ohio.

1. Daniel K. FOSTER

BIRTH: Headstone in Riverside Cemetery has 1845 for year of birth.

RESIDENCES:
1875 - new home built on what would become known as Denison Ave.
1900 - 284 Denison Ave.
1910 - 1412 Denison Ave.

Voter Registration for 1907 - FOSTER, George 1214 Denison 10/10/07 reg. no. 160 ward 6 prec. D (Is this address correct, or should it be 1412 Denison?)

CENSUS:
Year: 1880; Census Place: Brooklyn, Cuyahoga, Ohio; Roll: T9_1009; Family History Film: 1255009; Page: 58D; Enumeration District: 58; Image: 0262.
Year: 1900; Census Place: Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio; Enumeration District: 208; Sheet: 18B, Ward 42; 284 Denison. [Note - first son listed has a birth date of Aug 1870 but his name is unreadable.]
Birth Year <1848> Birthplace OH Age 32 Occupation Gardener Marital Status M Race W Head of Household George FOSTER Relation Self Father's Birthplace CT Mother's Birthplace CT

DEATH: FOSTER GEORGE N County Name: CUYAHOGA Date of Death: 1/19/1919 Volume Number: 2862 Certificate Number: 1805

OBIT: Name: Foster, George N.
Date: January 20, 1919
Source: Source unknown; Cleveland Necrology File, Reel #026.
Notes: Foster-George N., age 73 years, husband of Julia A., father of Eugene, Claude, Frank and the late Lloyd Foster, Sunday p. m. at his residence, 3865 W. 18th street. Funeral Tuesday, Jan. 21, from late residence at 3 p. m. Burial Riverside cemetery.

VARIATIONS: Prior to finding a reference to Julia's surname being Schaefer in "Claud Foster, A Biography" by Wayman Thomasson, her surname was listed here as WELLS. I'm not sure where that name came from. I've also seen a tree that lists her as Julia ABBOTT. See: Rowlee, Willard Winfield, "Lieut. Heman Rowlee (1746-1818) and his descendants" Ithaca, N.Y.: Andrus & Church, 1907, 145 pgs. (page 70).
BIRTH: Headstone in Riverside Cemetery has 1852 as year of birth.

RESIDENCES:
1920 - 3865 W.18th (6th ward) (next door to her son, Frank)
1939 - 1723 Schaaf Rd.

MARRIAGE: SHAFER, JULIA and FOSTER, GEORGE vol.0013 pg.0148

OBIT: Name: Foster, Julia
Date: May 9 1939
Source: Source unknown; Cleveland Necrology File, Reel #026.
Notes: Foster: Julia, age 88 years, 1723 Schaaf rd.; wife of the late George N., mother of Eugene H., Claud H., Frank G. and the late Lloyd A., grandmother and great-grandmother, March 18. Services and burial Riverside Cemetery Chapel, Wednesday, May 10, at 2:30 p. m.

1. Eugene H. FOSTER b. 1868, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio; d. 1954, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio.
2. 1. Claud Hanscomb FOSTER b. 23 Dec 1872, Brooklyn, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA; d. 21 Jun 1965, Bellevue, Sandusky, Ohio.
3. Frank George FOSTER b. 10 Aug 1875, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio; d. 19 Nov 1948, Miami, Dade, Florida, USA.
4. Lloyd Alden FOSTER b. 4 Oct 1889, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio; d. 15 Jan 1919, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio.

BURIAL: Foster, Ebenezer 7/22/1897 age 87 Lot 62 6-S (Denison Cemetery, Garden Ave., Cleveland)

MARRIAGE: Marriage might have been in 1836. The LDS church records in the IGI have a marriage extract for that year.

BIOGRAPHY: 6' 2" (per his grandson's biography -- see Claud Foster)

In 1850 census, there is a Joanna Williams living in the next household and Leonard Pixley living with her. Almira's uncle's wife? Not sure who this is, but it seems it could be a relative. Leonard is Ebenezer Foster's nephew, son of his sister, Sally.

MARRIAGE: WILLIAMS, ALMIRA and FOSTER, EBENEZER 0003 0192

RESIDENCES: 264 Denison

BURIAL: Foster, Almira 2/14/1896 age 84 Lot 62 5-S (Denison Cemetery, Garden Ave., Cleveland)

DEATH: Foster , Almira Death Date: Interment Date: 02/14/1896 ; Interment Number: 490 Color: ; Sex: ; Age: 84 Address: ; Cause of Death: ; Remarks: Born Dec 13, 1812 at Gilboa NY Died Feb. 14, 1896 Section: ; Lot Number: 62 ; Tier: ; Grave: 5S Marker: yes ; Photo: yes Denison Cemetery

1. Dianna FOSTER, [infant] b. 1 Sep 1834, Brooklyn Township, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA; d. 10 Jul 1835, Brooklyn Township, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA.
2. Ellen M. FOSTER b. 20 May 1835, Brooklyn Township, Cuyahoga, Ohio; d. 21 Apr 1921, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio.
3. Leonard Gurley FOSTER b. 10 Sep 1840, Brooklyn Township, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA; d. 13 Dec 1937, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio.
4. Edward (Edwin) H. FOSTER b. 20 Sep 1842, Brooklyn Village, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA; d. 1 Nov 1908, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio.
5. 2. George N. FOSTER b. Oct 1845, Brooklyn, Cuyahoga, Ohio; d. 19 Jan 1919, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio.
6. Pauline A. FOSTER b. Nov 1848, Brooklyn, Cuyahoga, Ohio; d. Apr 1911; bur. 15 Apr 1911, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio.

BIOGRAPHY: Excerpt from "Claud Foster, A Biography", by Wayman Thomasson, 1949:
"Claud Foster's maternal grandfather, who settled in southern Indiana, died young. LIttle about him is remembered except that his name was Schaeffer and he is credited with having built the first rope-pull gate used in rural sections of Indiana and Kentucky."
[Note: It is unclear whether Julia's father's first name or surname was Schaeffer. We have her surname as Wells, though it's possible that she might have been married and widowed before marrying George Foster though not very likely because of her age.]

Foster/Forester : In the English Middle Ages, the forests and woods were almost always owned or controlled by the lord of the manor -- but people had no reservations about sneaking in and taking firewood, game, or whatever else they might require. To keep the poaching to a minimum, the lord retained a man to watch the forest -- often called a Forester, and sometimes called a Foster. The name stuck as an English Occupation surname when they became adopted.

Abigail and Michael had ELEVEN children when they arrived in Brooklyn, Ohio.

It was the convention of the times to use the mother's maiden name as the middle name for a child. With that in mind, Michael B. Foster was probably named Michael Billings Foster.

Some info derived from Ancestry WorldTree Project as submitted by Dennis Homan


BURIAL:
Denison Cemetery
Foster , Micheal
Death Date:
Interment Date: 8/1824 ; Interment Number: 27 Age: 45
Remarks: Born 1779 in R. I.
Died Aug 1824
Section: ; Lot Number: 62 ; Tier: ; Grave: 4S Marker: yes ; Photo: yes
--http://www.rootsweb.com/~ohcuyah2/cems/denison/denef.html

NOTE:
Brooklyn history, as noted in Abigail Fish Foster's notes, states that the family left Groton for Ohio in 1826. If that is the case, how then could Michael's gravestone show an internment date of 1824? My guess would be that the history is in error.

SOURCE_OF_NAME:
"Robert Burrows and Descendants 1630-1974", by R.E. Burrows, 1975, 1816 pgs, Ann Arbor, Michigan [pg 254]

OBIT:
Name: Foster, Michael B.
Date: 1824
Source: Cemetery record; Cleveland Necrology File, Reel #026.
Notes: 1779 - 1824. Dennison Cemetery Cleveland, Ohio.

OCCUPATION:
Tailor.

BURIAL: Foster, Abigail 9/8/1849 age 68 Lot 62 3-S (Denison Cemetery, Garden Ave., Cleveland)

BURIAL: Denison Cemetery
Foster , Abigail Death Date: Interment Date: 9/8/1849 ; Interment Number: 69 Color: ; Sex: ; Age: 68 Address: ; Cause of Death: ; Remarks: Same as Int. #69 Should read: "Same as Int. #70"? Section: ; Lot Number: 62 ; Tier: ; Grave: 3S Marker: not known ; Photo: no

MARRIAGE: FOSTER, ABIGAIL and FULLER, WILLIAM vol.0002 pg.0093 (Cuyahoga County)

1. George FOSTER, @ b. 8 Dec 1805, near Preston City, New London, Connecticut; d. 7 Sep 1829, Strongsville, Cuyahoga, Ohio.
2. Lydia FOSTER, [infant] b. Abt 1806, near Preston City, New London, Connecticut; d. near Preston City, New London, Connecticut.
3. Sally FOSTER, @ b. Abt 1807, Groton, New London, Connecticut; d. Aug 1867, Brooklyn, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA.
4. Nathan FOSTER, @ b. 7 Feb 1808, Groton, New London, Connecticut; d. 14 Jan 1899, Berea, Cuyahoga, Ohio.
5. 4. Ebenezer FOSTER, @ b. 19 Apr 1810, North Stonington,,Connecticut, USA; d. 23 Jul 1897, Brooklyn, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA.
6. Daniel C. FOSTER, @ b. 5 Mar 1812, Groton, New London, Connecticut; d. 3 Jan 1882, Brooklyn Village, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA.
7. Eunice FOSTER, @ b. Abt 1813, ,, Connecticut; d. 9 Mar 1879, Mentor, Lake, Ohio.
8. Nancy FOSTER, @ b. Abt 1814, Groton, New London, Connecticut; d. 21 Mar 1857, Brooklyn, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA.
9. Eveline Thankful FOSTER, @ b. 16 Jan 1816, Groton, New London, Connecticut; d. Apr 1895, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio.
10. Matilda FOSTER, @ b. 1 Oct 1819, Groton, New London, Connecticut; d. 14 Apr 1843, Brooklyn Township, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA.
11. Albert FOSTER, @ b. 12 Jul 1822, Stonington, New London, Connecticut, USA; d. 30 Sep 1867, Mt. Vernon, Black Hawk, Iowa, USA.

1. Joseph Benjamin WILLIAMS b. 9 Aug 1802, , Geneva, New York; d. 10 Mar 1888, , Johnson, Kansas.
2. 5. Almira WILLIAMS b. 13 Dec 1812, Gilboa, Schoharie Co., New York, USA; d. 14 Feb 1896, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio.
3. Almon WILLIAMS b. 17 Aug 1811, Broome, Schoharie Co., Ny; d. 18 Apr 1891, Middleburg, Cuyahoga, Ohio.