▁† M rs . ▁Re id ▁– ▁Am anda ▁Re id ' s ▁mother ▁who ▁oper ates ▁a ▁board ing house ▁for ▁sem inary ▁students . ▁She ▁is ▁a ▁strict ▁Re formed ▁Pres by ter ian ▁who ▁often ▁cl ash es ▁with ▁her ▁more ▁open - mind ed ▁daughter . ▁ ▁† Char lot te ▁Bon ner ▁– ▁The ▁daughter ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁newspaper ▁editor , ▁she ▁grows ▁up ▁in ▁Way nes bor o , ▁obtain s ▁a ▁college ▁degree ▁and ▁becomes ▁a ▁Club ▁member . ▁She ▁joins ▁the ▁newspaper ▁staff ▁and ▁makes ▁news ▁reporting ▁her ▁career . ▁▁ ▁† Ste wart ▁Bod ien ▁– ▁The ▁son ▁of ▁Captain ▁Bod ien , ▁he ▁becomes ▁an ▁engineer ▁and ▁invent or , ▁and ▁eventually ▁man ages ▁a ▁paper ▁mill ▁started ▁by ▁Ludwig ▁R aus ch . ▁▁ ▁† R ud y ▁L ichten stein ▁and ▁† S oph ie ▁Klein ▁L ichten stein ▁– ▁The ▁children ▁of ▁German ▁imm igr ants , ▁both ▁grow ▁up ▁in ▁Way nes bor o , ▁are ▁excellent ▁students , ▁and ▁marry ▁as ▁adult s . ▁Following ▁in ▁his ▁father ' s ▁foot steps , ▁Rud y ▁becomes ▁a ▁lawyer ▁with ▁a ▁strong ▁interest ▁in ▁workers ' ▁rights . ▁His ▁wife , ▁Soph ie , ▁obtain s ▁a ▁college ▁degree ▁and ▁becomes ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Club ▁in ▁spite ▁of ▁her ▁German ▁background . ▁▁ ▁† Fran z ▁L ichten stein ▁– ▁The ▁half - bro ther ▁of ▁Rud y ▁L ichten stein , ▁Franz ▁becomes ▁an ▁activ ist ▁and