| The JULIUS KELLER Family has its roots in Germany, where Julius was born, as far as we can determine, about 1862. He arrived from Germany in 1880 in Philadelphia. We know that he took the Oath of Allegiance on April 4th,1880. Shortly after arriving he married CLARA HOHLE. She bore him four sons, JULIUS Jr, WILLIAM H., HARRY, and FREDERICK. They were all born between December 1880 and 1899. He settled in the area of Philadelphia called Germantown. During the thirteen years after arriving in Philadelphia he worked as a tool maker. In 1893 he invented a new piston valve for the pneumatic drill, which made the drill a tremendously efficient tool that is still using his invention today. He started his own Company called "Philadelphia Pneumatic Tool Company". He moved his family and Co. to Fond du Lac, WI in 1912, and renamed the company to the "Keller Tool Co.". During his life he patented over 17 tools and motors. He also invented the typewriter ribbon drive mechanism which was used worldwide until the invention of the cartridge ribbon in the 1960's.He gave control of the Company to his son William H. Keller in 1917. William immediately moved the Company to Grand Haven, Michigan. Julius died in Fond du Lac in 1922. We do not have much information about son JULIUS Jr, except that he was born between December 1880 and December 1881 in Philadelphia. He lived in Lancaster County before 1910 because he was included in the 1910 National Census. He was married four times! He was the Secretary/Treasurer of the Company while it was Fond du Lac, WI. For some reason he left the Company and moved to California where he died in between 1946 and 1950. We know a little more about WILLIAM H.. He was born about 1882 in Philadelphia. He married three times. In 1917 he took over the control of the "Keller Tool Co." and moved the company to Grand Haven, Michigan. One interesting fact about William was that one day his wife left him, without notice, and William was so upset that he sold the company without any regard for its true value. It was rumored that the selling price was a fraction of the real worth of the Company! He walked away from the Company that he spent so much time making it one of the largest Pneumatic tool company in the World! William moved to Chicago and worked as a consultant until his death around 1950. We also do not have much information about HARRY except that he was born about 1884 and was married three times. He had a successful career with the Ford Motor Co. and he died in Grand Haven, Michigan about 1952. We know the most about FREDERICK. Fred was the youngest of the four sons born in Philadelphia in 1899. He went to the GERMANTOWN ACADEMY. He married twice, his first wife was SUESANNAH BIRD CRAIG. They had three sons, FREDERICK born in 1918, JOHN CRAIG born in 1919, and DONALD born in 1920. His second marriage was to ELSIE MAE KIEM in Philadelphia in 1925. They moved to Grand Haven, MI. He was a very successful businessman earing him an entry in the publication "WHO'S WHO in THE SOUTH and SOUTHWEST" in 1960. He died in Louisville, KY in 1960. Any information will be greatly appreciated. I am willing to share any information that I have. |
The Julius Keller Family Home Page
Updated September 5, 2000 |
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Jim Keller Augusta, Georgia A-United States jimpluslin@knology.net |
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