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

Typed by Carol Taylor Lanza.

Pages 725 & 726

CHARLES F. BRANDFASS, a well known business man of Wheeling, West 
Virginia, is president and general manager of the Brandfass Tobacco 
Company, which occupies a three-story building at No. 1316 Water 
Street.  He has been a resident of this city since 1863, and is a man 
who has achieved success in business, wholly through his own efforts.

Mr Brandfass was born in Europe in 1851, and was but a child when his 
father died.  In 1860 his mother moved to Wheeling, Ohio County, West 
Virginia, where two of his brothers also live at the present time, 
namely: Henry, a carpenter; and William, an engineer.  A third brother, 
August, was a farmer and is now living in retirement at Brilliant, 
Ohio.  Charles F. Brandfass worked as a farm hand until 1863, in Ohio 
County, and also in Jefferson County, Ohio, and afterward served as 
bell boy at the McLure House, for a year.  He then returned to the 
country for a short time, and later commenced to learn the trade of a 
cigar maker.  He spent seven years on the cigar bench, a part of the 
time being spent in the employ of Mr. Seamon.  In 1874, he entered the 
cigar manufacturing business as a member of the firm of Muhn & 
Brandfass, at the corner of Main and Fourteenth Streets.  This 
partnership was dissolved in 1897, a nephew succeeding Charles F. As 
member of the firm.  Mr. Brandfass then organized the Brandfass Tobacco 
Company, which deals exclusively in leaf tobacco.  The company was at 
once incorporated as a stock company with Charles F. Brandfass as 
president and general manager, and Ed Muhn as secretary.  They do a 
packing and jobbing business, buying mainly from the growers of 
Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin, Ohio and Kentucky, for 
the cigar trade.  They are also distributors for Cuban and Sumatra 
tobacco, which they buy of importers.  The traveling representatives of 
the firm cover the usual jobbing territory of Wheeling wholesale 
houses, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and a part of 
Maryland.  Under the efficient management of Mr. Brandfass, the 
business of the firm has flourished and is one of the leaders in this 
line.  He is also a director of the Wheeling Title & Trust Company and 
the West Virginia Tobacco Company.

Mr. Brandfass was united in marriage with Mary Wiedebusch, and has 
eight children, as follows:
Lottie; Sophia; Carrie; Minnie; Alma; Adelia; Marie; and Carl.  They 
reside at No. 108 ½  Fourteenth Street, where he owns a very 
comfortable home.  From 1870 to 1887, he was actively interested in 
music, and was instrumental in organizing the Opera House Orchestra, of 
which he was manager for three years.  He is a member of the Arion 
Association, and has been a member of the Turner Gymnastic Association 
since he was twenty-one years of age.  He was elected one of three 
members of the water board in 1900-1901, the other members being Messrs 
Butts and Lindsay.  He is a Democrat and served in the council one term 
in the "eighties."  Fraternally, he is a member of Ohio Valley Lodge, 
No. 31, K. Of P., and has been for five years.  He has been a member of 
the Ancient Order United Workmen for nine years, served through the 
chairs of the subordinate lodge, and was then elected grand receiver of 
the Grand Lodge.  During the past three years, he has been a member of 
the finance committee of the Grand Lodge.  He was formerly a member of 
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.