Nauts-Ryan family papers

Collection

Identifier: MS-0609

Staff Only

Collection Overview

Abstract

The Nauts-Ryan family papers cover the period from 1844-1970 with primary emphasis on the years between 1844 and 1930. The largest portion of this collection consists of the correspondence of Charles H. Nauts, and his father John C. Nauts. Overall, the collection is centered around the life of Charles H. Nauts, Tax Collector for northwest Ohio (1921-1930), and an active Toledo Republican. The correspondence and newspaper clippings follow his political activities and subsequent drowning in Lake Erie (June 14, 1930).

Dates

Creation: circa 1600, 1844-1970

Extent

1.17 Cubic Feet (1 legal-size archive box, 1 oversize box)

Creator

Nauts, Charles H., 1868-1930 (Person)
Nauts family (Family)

Scope and Contents

The bulk of the Nauts-Ryan family papers concern Charles H. Nauts (1868-1930), an influential Toledo Republican. This material includes a strong set of correspondence between Charles Nauts and various people including his wife, Mary Ellen Ryan, and many prominent Republicans in Toledo, and Washington, D.C. The correspondence traces his courtship with Mary Ryan and his campaign to be appointed Tax Collector of northwest Ohio. There also is a large amount of material (telegrams, newspaper articles, etc.) concerning his drowning death in Lake Erie.

Of secondary interest are two smaller series of correspondence. One by John C. Nauts, the father of Charles, details his struggles from 1849-1879 to raise a family despite various financial problems that included bankruptcy. The other small group is a set of letters written by Alfred Nauts, John's brother. This set was written to his family while he was serving as a sailor on various ocean-going ships. The period, covered from 1851-1857, shows Alfred changing from a homesick young man to a seasoned sailor. The correspondence ends with his death in 1857.

Another small section of interest is a collection of cures and recipes from the late 1800's including cures for cholera and whooping cough and a recipe for ketchup.

Biographical / Historical

Charles H. Nauts was born in Louisville, Kentucky on May 14, 1868. He was the fifth of nine children of John C. Nauts and Virginia Boone Nauts. In 1875, the family moved to Toledo, Ohio where Charles completed a public school education. He learned the steamfitting and plumbing trade working for various companies including the Nauts Brothers, a firm which he owned until 1894. He married Mary Ellen Ryan on December 19, 1889 and together they raised a family of seven children, including three daughters, Marian, Huldah, and Alice, as well as four sons, Herbert, Merritt, Robert and Walter. After 1894, Charles worked as a sewer contractor and became increasingly involved in the Toledo Republican Party. He served as Secretary of the Lucas County Republican Executive Committee and established political ties that led to his appointment as Tax Collector for northwest Ohio by President Warren Harding in October of 1921. He served in this post until he drowned in Lake Erie on June 14, 1930. He died while taking a pleasure cruise with six other prominent men from Toledo, and his son, Herbert. A large search of Lake Erie was conducted for them and there were fears that they had been kidnapped or murdered by Lake rumrunners. The search was front-page news in Toledo for a week until all the bodies were recovered. The tragedy was deemed an accident. It was believed their speedboat hit a rock or sandbar at a high speed.

For other members of the Nauts-Ryan Family, the Collection's genealogy charts provide basic biographical data. Only a minimal amount of further information can be gleaned from correspondence in the collection.

Conditions Governing Access

No known access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers using this collection assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright, and are responsible for securing permissions necessary for publication or reproduction.