My great grandfather, Frank Friedrich Speck, was born today, May 21st in 1887. While Frank's early years are still a mystery to me (I have yet to find anything about him prior to 1915), I have learned much about him through The Daily Independent, the local newspaper in Monessen, PA.
Frank was a proprietor of a moving and storage business in Monessen. He was partners with John Bwash when they owned Marple Transfer. The Specks lived next door to the Marples in 1930, but I do not know the connection between them, other than the company name.
In 1922, there is a notice in the newspaper about the dissolution of their partnership when John Bwash retires. By 1924, the company is known as Speck Transfer and Moving Company.
I also was able to learn a little about Frank from deed records in Westmoreland County. From 1918 to about 1920, Frank (and his wife Elizabeth) bought several homes and/or lots and resold them for a profit, usually within about a year. I believe that they did live in some of these homes, as their address changed quite a bit during these years. Others were bought and sold with a WH Keefer. During this time, Frank worked at the Foundry (Census and Draft Card) and was not yet in the moving business.
Look for another post about Frank's life in the 1930s.
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