They traveled as brother and sister, the parents of each feeling that this was much safer for both. Margaret, after being in Crestline for a bit, married Friedrich Bietsch (which was anglicized to Frederick Beach).

On arriving in the States, George lost no time in developing his skills in the carpentry trade. He worked for his brother, Adam, in Adam's building firm until they set up a joint firm, A. Feick & Bro. Philip, the oldest brother was never a part of this firm. Perhaps he did work with the, certainly they several times had to finish jobs that Philip had contracted for and could not finish. From letters left behind it seems that they felt obligated to take care of Philip. Philip did not seem to have the drive that his two younger brothers did.

The firm of A. Feick & Bro. flourished. Both Adam and George built large, comfortable homes on Miami Avenue, now Central Avenue. Adam's home was torn down after the death of his wife and his children erected the "Adam Feick Flats". George's home is stall standing as is the garage he built to be their first office. George later built a store and office building on the corner of Central Avenue and Decatur Street and housed his office on the second floor.

It is George Feick who built the Feick Building in downtown Sandusky, long Sandusky's "skyscraper". He built the first three floors and later added five more stories. It was constructed so that an additional five stories could be added to the section at the rear of the building but these never were built.

The following excerpts from local history books tell more about Johann George Feick I of Sandusky:

Both John A. Feick and George Feick Sr. are written about in most of the histories of the state of Ohio and the histories of Erie County. However, the biographies of both which are found in Galbreath's "History of Ohio" which was published in 1925 are the most accurate. After one has read histories, biographies and obituaries of both men and their sons, one begins to feel that everyone is taking credit for the construction of everything built by Feicks in the 1800's. The following is from Galbreath's "History of Ohio" page 395, volume III:

George Feick

For half a century much that is substantial and prominent in the City of Sandusky has born the impress of the individuality of George Feick. Mr. Feick is a contactor and builder whose work finds striking testimony in many familiar structures not only in Erie County but elsewhere. These include some of the notable public and institutional buildings. many of the qualities of durability and strength which he has introduced into his buildings have been found latent factors in his own character, and accounts for his success.

Coming to the United States at the age of seventeen, he has molded his destiny by his own efforts and honorable purpose. He was born at Steinau, Kreis Dieburg, Hesse Darmstadt, January 23, 1849. He was reared in his native land, was confirmed in the Lutheran Church, and had a common school education. For three years he also served an apprenticeship at the cabinetmaker's trade. With this experience and qualifications he set out in 1866 for the new world, and on July 10th of that year joined his brothers, Philip and Adam, in Sandusky. For several years he was employed by Adam Feick, but in 1872 they formed a copartnership, which endured to their mutual satisfaction and success until the death of Adam Feick in 1893.

While the Feick brothers were associated in partnership they erected many fine buildings, some of which may be mentioned as follows. Tenth Ward School Building; Erie County Jail; part of the Ohio soldiers and Sailors Home; the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad stations in Sandusky and in Painesville; Talcott Hall for Oberlin College; the State Capitol Building at Cheyenne, Wyoming.

During the last thirty years Mr. George Feick has been in the contracting and building business alone, and during a greater part of the time has had as his capable associate his son, Emil Augustus Feick. In this time the work has gone forward characterized by the same ability and skill as in earlier years. George Feick was the contractor who built the Law Building of the Ohio State University at Columbus; the Edward Gymnasium for the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware; several buildings for Oberlin College, including the Severance Chemical Laboratory; the Warner Gymnasium; the Carnegie College Library and the Phinney Memorial Chapel, the Men's Building, Rice Hall, Keep Cottage, the Administration Building; and in 1915 he built the handsome new Sandusky High School building.

In 1916 the contracting firm of the George Feick & Sons Company was incorporated, with George Feick, Sr., president; Emil A. Feick, vice president, and George Feick, Jr., secretary-treasurer. They have since built the Savings Bank and Mohican blocks at Mansfield, Ohio; the Hotel and Administration Building for the Lakeside Association at Lakeside, Ohio; the St. Joseph's Church at Marblehead, Ohio; and various buildings in Sandusky, and have just finished the Feick Building, an eight-story office building, the first floor of which is occupied by the Citizens Banking Company.

Cousin?

Hi, I stumbled on your Feick-Gregory Family Album website today and found it fascinating. My mother was Antoinette Elizabeth Feick, daughter of Emil Feick (older brother of George, Jr.) and Louise DeLor. I've always known intellectually that there were still Feicks in Sandusky, but they didn't become real until I started looking at your album. My father was Clark E Center, also of Sandusky. The Center-Feick connection is a long one, for according to the 1880 census, my g-grandfather Clark Center lived four doors down the street from Adam Feick and five or six doors down from George, Sr. My mother had some interesting stories about her 'grandpa' (George) whom she adored. If you're interested in hearing some I'd be glad to pass them on. 

My mother, as I said, adored, and perhaps was in awe of, her grandfather. He was the patriarch of the family when she was little -- and beyond. Indeed, when she found herself in a bad marriage, she didn't divorce until after his death. She said simply that she couldn't divorce while he was alive.

Mother studied art at the Carnegie Institute for a while, and she lived for a while in New York City, also studying art, I believe. She left New York like this: Her roommate was in the chorus line in Shubert's (?) Follies. One night she was ill and couldn't go on. Mom said, " I know all your routines, I can do it, I'll go on in your place!" And she did, doing a creditable job. The next day, her father and grandfather knocked on her door and took her home. It seems a friend of her grandfather was in the audience, recognized her, and immediately called him. George and Emil took the next train.

Did you know that George, Sr. once buggy whipped a man? He always allowed his horse to stop when it needed to relieve itself. He was driving his buggy through the streets of Sandusky when he came upon a man, also in a buggy, who refused to let his horse stop, making it continue down the street while relieving itself. George drove up to him and gave him several lashes with his buggy whip, shouting "How would you like it if someone did that to you?"

Christmas in the Emil Feick household when mother was a little girl went like this: On Christmas eve there were no decorations, just a good deal of excitement. After the children (mother and her brother Dick) went to bed, the decorating began, the tree went up, and the presents were put out. On Christmas morning mother and uncle Dick came downstairs to find the decorated tree with presents under it. They were allowed to open one(!) present, then sat down to breakfast. After breakfast the family went to church, followed by Christmas dinner at grandpa's house. I suppose, but don't remember her saying so, that George, Sr's other children in Sandusky brought their families as well. At any rate, Christmas dinner and the subsequent visiting went on far too long for impatient children. They'd have to open their other presents at home in the very late afternoon or evening.

That all I recall just now. I remember various family members visiting us when I was a child, but I'm blurry on names. I recall my mother's aunt Olga. I think she was married to a man named Carlton (first name) Tell me of the Feicks still in Sandusky. There are no Centers left there, so I don't expect to learn much about that side of my family. But I do have a number of photographs from the Feick side, mostly unidentified. If you or other family members would like to see them and perhaps identify them, I'd be happy to scan a few at a time and send them.

I'm in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I'm in charge of the special collections library at the University of Alabama (http://www.lib.ua.edu/libraries/hoole/). My mother and dad lived in Chicago, Whiting, Indiana, and New York City before moving to Oak Ridge, Tennessee during WWII. I grew up near there, went to college in Alabama, and stayed. I haven't been to Sandusky since my uncle Dick died in 1953. I was six.