From "History of Wheeling City and Ohio County, West Virginia and 
Representative Citizens," by Hon. Gibson Lamb Cranmer, 1902. 

Typed by Laurie Birks Dean

pp. 496, 499

Herman HESS, manager and one of the proprietors of the Hess, Lem? & 
Company's wholesale and retail meat market, was born in Wheeling, 
April 14, 1860, and is a son of Otto Hess, who was born in Hesse-
Darmstadt, Germany, April 11, 1834.
	The elder Hess came to America with his parents when twelve 
years of age, and at landing at Baltimore proceeded at once to 
Wheeling, where, with his father Otto, he engaged in the meat 
business.  At the death of Otto Hess his son, Otto, assumed charge of 
his business, and successfully conducted it until his retirement from 
active life.  He is now a resident of Elm Grove.  Twice married, his 
first wife was formerly Lizzie Weisgerber, who was born in Wheeling, 
and bore him four children.  Herman is the only one living, of the 
offspring of the first marriage.  By a later marriage, with Rachel 
Boger, there is also one child, Anna.
	In his younger days Herman Hess received an excellent 
educational training, and he has since added to his knowledge by 
constant reading and familiarizing himself with current events.  He 
studied at the Fourth Ward public school and Frasher's Business 
College, and also at St. Vincent's College, from which he was 
graduated in 1880.  Of an ambitious turn of mind, he thought to 
improve his prospect by journeying to Leadville, Colorado, when he 
was engaged in the meat business for eight years, and also took a 
hand at mining.  Not fully realizing his expectations in the West he 
returned to Wheeling in 1892, and has since devoted himself 
exclusively to his present business.  He is a Republican in politics, 
but has no aspirations for official recognition.  In religion, he is 
connected with the German Lutheran church.  Mr. Hess is highly 
esteemed in the business world of Wheeling, and is possessed of those 
solid and common-sense traits which are bound to bring a fitting 
social and financial reward.