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

Contributed by Linda Fluharty.

Pages 609-610

GEORGE A. FLACCUS, the originator and proprietor of the firm of Flaccus
Brothers, which conducts the largest fruit preserving plant in West
Virginia, and another large preserving plant at New Philadelphia, Ohio,
is a resident and prominent citizen of Wheeling; he was born in Washington
county, Ohio, and is a son of George C. Flaccus.
     His father, George C. Flaccus, who has lived a retired life for many
years at his home near Altenheim, two and a half miles east of Wheeling, on
the National Road, is a native of Germany and came to this country in 1848,
first locating at Pittsburg, where he remained a short time, then removed
to a farm eight miles north of Marietta, in Washington county, Ohio, and
came to Wheeling about the close of the Civil War.
     George A. Flaccus, subject of this sketch, was reared and educated in
Wheeling, where he attended the public schools, Linsly Institute and the
Wheeling Business College.  From 1876 until 1879, he, together with his
brothers, conducted a wholesale grocery store, manufacturing much of the
goods that they sold.  For the past twenty years, especial attention has
been given to the manufacture of catsup, preserves, etc., the first plant
being located at Altenheim, where the business was begun in a small way,
together with the grocery at Twenty-third and Market streets.  In 1890,
the business was removed to its present location on the corner of Seven-
teenth amnd Chapline streets.  Mincemeat and canned goods were first man-
ufactured, but in later years the famous Steers-Head catsup became the
specialty, being manufactured and shipped by carloads, together with pre-
serves, pickles, canned goods, sauces, etc., to all parts of the country.
The buildings occupied cover the entire square on Seventeenth street, from
Chapline street to Eoff street, and are well equipped with up-to-date
machinery, especially adapted for the purpose designed, most of it invented
by the firm.
     Flaccus Brothers were the first firm to engage in the manufacture of
this line of goods in Wheeling and among the first west of the Allegheny
Mountains, as then most manufacturers of these goods were located in Eastern
Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and New Jersey.  They contract with the
farmers and gardners in the territory adjoining Wheeling and at their plant
in New Philadelphia, Ohio, to furnish most of the necessary products, while
large supplies are also drawn from other large fruit centers.
     About 60,000 square feet is the present area of floor space at the
Wheeling plant, which has been continually added to since 1890, while the
New Philadelphia plant has about 30,000 square feet more; the firm has agents
and salesmen in all parts of the country, from Maine to California, particular-
ly in the largest cities and is only able to partly supply the ever increasing
demand.
     George A. Flaccus married Ella B. Friend, a sister of Kennedy Friend, who
is engaged in the furniture business in Wheeling.  For seventeen years they
resided on the Island and for the past six years have maintained a beautiful
summer home on the National Road, near Wheeling Park, which since the spring
of 1901 they have made their permanent residence, - it is called "The Pines"
and is surrounded by beautiful and well kept grounds.  Mr. and Mrs. Flaccus
have one daughter, Adelaide, aged seventeen years, who is attending school at
Washington, D. C. Politically he has always been a Republican.  A portrait of
Mr. Flaccus accompanies this sketch.