History of Madison, (Lake County) Ohio United States of America

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Frederick Burr Opper, cartoonist, was born in Madison, Ohio, Jan. 2, 1857; son of Lewis and Aurelia (Burr) Opper; grandson of Ernest and Anna (Hartman) Opper and of Charles and Polly (Bestor) Burr, and a descendant of Benjamin Burr, a native of England, who was an original settler of Hartford, Conn., in 1635. His father emigrated from Austria-Hungary and engaged in mercantile pursuits in Madison, Ohio. Frederick was educated in the public schools of Madison, and in 1871 entered the office of the Madison Gazette to learn the printer's trade. He removed to New York city in 1872, and became a clerk in a mercantile house, devoting his leisure to drawing humorous sketches for which he obtained a ready market. He attended the drawing class of the Cooper Union evening school for one term and in 1876 left his clerical position to illustrate for Wild Oats and other publications. He was a member of the art staff of Frank Leslie's publishing house, 1877-80, and a member of the staff of Puck, 1880-99, becoming a stockholder in the corporation. He was married in 1881 to Nellie Barnett. In May, 1899, he accepted an offer from the New York Journal, to become a cartoonist on the Journal, Chicago American and San Francisco Examiner, Three collections of his Puck drawings were published, entitled Puck's Opper Book, The Funny World, and Just for Fun; and a collection of his Journal cartoons was published, entitled Willie and His Papa. He also illustrated Bill Nye's History of the U.S.; an edition of Mother Goose; Mr. Dooley's Philosophy, and many other books, besides a collection of his own verses and pictures entitled The Folks in Funnyville.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Madison, (Lake County) Ohio

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