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AMBROSE C. WEICKER
Vol. 3, p.1131-1132
Book has photo

The president of the O. K. Transfer & Storage Company of Oklahoma
City is one of those valiant and self-reliant men from whom success
can not long withhold her hand, and he has been in the most
significant sense the essential medium through which he has worked
his way to definite prosperity. He is now one of the substantial
business men and liberal and progressive citizens of the capital city
of a state to which he first came the year prior to its creation as a
territory. Mr. Weicker has been one of the world's productive
workers, has ordered his course with unwavering integrity of purpose
and well merits the high regard in which he is held by his fellowmen.

Ambrose Claborn Weicker was born in Mississippi County, Missouri, on
the 9th of April, 1861, and is a son of George Otto Weicker and Mary
Jane (LETT) Weicker, the former a native of Germany and the latter of
the State of Tennessee. When the subject of this review was five
years of age his parents transferred their residence to a farm in
Carroll County, Missouri, and there he attained the rural schools at
regular intervals until he had attained to the age of sixteen years,
in the meanwhile having giving effective aid in the work of the home
farm. After leaving the parental roof he was employed two years on a
farm in Jackson County, Missouri, and he then went to Leadville,
Colorado, which mining town was then in the height of its ambitious
industrial activities, and after there being employed one year as a
workman in the smelters, he returned to Jackson County, Missouri,
where he remained three years, within which he took unto himself a
wife three months prior to the celebration of his twentieth birthday
anniversary. He then removed with his wife to St. Clair County, that
state, where he devoted the ensuing three years to farming and sheep-
raising, his ambition ever prompting him to forward movement and to
making the best of opportunities presented. The next stage of Mr.
Weicker's activities was at Garden City, Kansas, and after having
there been employed one year as driver for a transfer company, he
purchased a horse and wagon and engaged in the same line of business
on his own responsibility, his cash capital at the time of initiating
this independent enterprise having been only fifty dollars.

A year later, when Oklahoma Territory was opened for settlement, Mr.
Weicker heard the voice of opportunity and decide to cast in his lot
with the pioneers of the new territory, to which he came in July,
1889, about one year prior to the formal organization of the
territory. He established his residence at Guthrie, where he found
remunerative employment with a firm engaged in the transfer business.
In 1893 he purchased the interest of one of the partners and after
continuing the business, as senior member of the firm of Weicker &
Fairfield, for three years, he sold his interest to his partner and
removed to Denver, Colorado, where he became associated with his
brother, Robert V., in the same line of business. The enterprise was
made successful through their energy and close application, and at
the expiration of four years Mr. Weicker disposed of his interests in
Denver and came once more to Oklahoma, the year 1900 having thus
marked the establishing of his permanent residence in Oklahoma City.
Here he purchased the business of G. W. R. Chinn & Sons and became
the sole owner of the substantial enterprise conducted under the
title of the O. K. Transfer & Storage Company. The business is now
incorporated with a capital of $75,000, Mr. Weicker owning 95 per
cent of the stock and being president and manager of the business,
which is the largest and most effectively ,managed enterprise of the
kind in the state. Concerning his vigorous and effective management
of this important business the following pertinent statements have
been made:

"Since Mr. Weicker assumed control of the O. K. Transfer & Storage
Company the history of that corporation has been parallel with that
of Oklahoma City itself,-- an upward march day by day, hour by hour.
Upon the massive wagons and vans of the company is painted a handsome
picture of the globe, and beneath appears the inscription, 'The world
moves; so do we.' Whoever comes to Oklahoma City enlists the service
of the O. K. Company in moving the household effects to the new home,
and if a resident changes location it is the O. K. wagons that are
called to make the careful and expeditious transfer, for the company
has proved itself in every sense reliable and just in its dealings.
Though somewhat peripatetic in his movements before he found the
exact place that fitted his idea of the real one for the development
and upbuilding of the business of his choice, Mr. Weicker knew when
he came to Oklahoma City that he was finally anchored in the desired
port, and the progress of his splendid business, which in scope and
importance he has made second to no other of the kind in the West,
testifies to the accuracy of his judgment.

"There is not in Oklahoma City to-day a more lucrative, and more
carefully and systematically conducted business of any nature than
that of the O. K. Transfer & Storage Company, and in every detail can
be traced the capable directing power of its president. Facing the
Frisco Railroad Station at the corner of First and Hudson streets, is
the mammoth home of the O. K. Transfer & Storage Company,-- a
fireproof, reinforced-concrete structure, seven stories in height and
occupying a ground space 75 by 120 feet in dimensions. Within the
walls of the immense building are afforded the best of facilities for
the storage and safeguarding without impairment of valuable household
goods and other personal effects, and all patrons realize that this
steadfast and popular business concern will take better care of the
properties entrusted than could the owners themselves."

Both as a citizen and as a business man Mr. Weicker has high
standing in the community. He is a democrat in politics, is a member
of the local lodge of the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks, and
is affiliated with all of the Masonic bodies in Oklahoma City, in
which great fraternity he has the distinction of having received the
thirty-second degree of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite.

At Independence, Missouri, September 29, 1880, was recorded the
marriage of Mr. Weicker to Miss Lucy Ann WALKER, daughter of Andrew
J. and Polly (BRADEN) Walker, her father having served in QUANTRELL's
command as a Confederate soldier during the entire period of the
Civil war. The wife of Mr. Weicker's youth was summoned to the life
eternal on the 24th of December, 1910, and of their three children
the eldest, Marian Evah, who was born March 9, 1882, died at the age
of twenty years; Robert Andrew, born July 7, 1890, and Oliver [sic]
Francis, born September 26, 1898, are now associated with their
father's business.

In Oklahoma City, on the 27th of December, 1913, was solemnized the
marriage of Mr. Weicker to Mrs. Cora (STORM) JORDAN, who had come to
this city in 1901 and who, through judicious local investments, soon
accumulated an appreciable fortune in valuable properties. She still
owns in her own right the modern four-apartment brick building at the
corner of Sixth and Harvey streets, as well as several fine cottages
in desirable sections of the city. The family home, one of the
attractive residence properties of the capital city, is at 104 East
Fifth street.

Typed for OKGenWeb by: Dorothy Marie Tenaza on October 31, 1998.

--------------------------------------------------------
12-27-98 Researcher, LaDorna Groom Bunt (faded11@earthlink.net) is
also A.C.'s great-grandaughter and would like contact with anyone
researching this family.

12-24-98 Researcher, Michele Morgan Casse (townieskin@earthlink.net)
advises Oliver Francis listed above as A.C.'s son is, in fact; Olive
Francis, Michele's great-grandmother.

12-21-98 Researcher, Darla Myler (annie@dido.com), Marshall
Missouri, would like contact with anyone researching this family.