USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > History of the city of Columbus, Ohio, from the founding of Franklinton in 1797, through the World War period to the year 1920 > Part 81
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of this sketch was about six years of age when the family located in Clark county and there his boyhood days were spent. His educational opportunities were limited, but he attended the local schools, where he soon assimilated all there was to be learned there. An older brother, who was a student in the University at Springfield, gave him assistance in the way of personal instruction and the loan of books, so that he got a fair start in his search for knowledge.
When about fifteen years of age Mr. Bowen obtained a position with a master builder at Springfield, who had a large and well selected library, to which he gave the young man free access, which was a wonderful opportunity. His employer dicd two years later, how- ever, and thereafter for several years he was engagd in teaching school. Mr. Bowen's en- trance into active business was as follows. A new school house was to be built and the trustees needed plans and estimates. These were made and presented to the trustees by Mr. Bowen. After inspecting them, the trustees asked, "Young man, will you build it for your estimate?" "Yes," was the answer, and a contract was entered into. The building was com- pleted, accepted and paid for, and that ended Mr. Bowen's school teaching days.
Mr. Bowen had now determined to engage in the building and contracting business and, in order to obtain a larger field for his labors he, in 1852, moved to Columbus. In 1864 he became associated with W. W. Pollard, land surveyor, and two years later he was appointed assistant city civil engineer. Two years later he was made chief city engineer, which posi- tion he held until 1873, when he received the appointment as surveyor and engineer of Frank- lin county. He remained in this office for thirteen years and during that period he had charge of all the bridge work in the county. Among the public works completed during his term of office were the Broad street and State street bridges, the state storage dam, the Green Lawn annex bridge and the Hocking Valley railroad bridge. The latter was the first iron bridge of any importance in Franklin county and in designing it Mr. Bowen introduced some novel features, the half deck and graded roadway.
In 1876 Mr. Bowen was made chairman of a legislative commission which made a per- sonal examination of the conditions surrounding the terrible railroad disaster near Ashtabula. In 1882 the Secretary of State was instructed by the Legislature to publish a code of rules for county surveyors, and engaged Mr. Bowen to compose the text of the code, which he did, with the exception of the law points. For twenty-five years following, he maintained a private office, doing engineering and general contracting work, up to about 1907, since when he had been retired from active labors. His death occurred on October 30, 1919.
In 1858 Mr. Bowen was married to Theodosia Newbold, who died in 1863, without issue. On July 2, 1868, he was married to Carrie H. Flood, daughter of Charles and Mary Ann (Dean) Flood. Mr. Flood was for many years editor of the Cincinnati Enquirer, and later was connected with the newspaper business in Columbus. To Mr. and Mrs. Bowen were born the following children: Frank, of Columbus; Josephine, who lives at home with her mother; William, who married Florence MeNamier; Charles F., a physician and X-ray specialist, who married Miss Ghee, of Wheeling, West Virginia; Bruce, who married Florence Young, of Columbus.
Politically, Mr. Bowen was a lifelong supporter of the Democratic party and in religion he and the family affiliated with the Congregational ehureh. By a straightforward and com- mendable course, Mr. Bowen had made his way to a respectable position in the business world, winning the hearty admiration of the people and earning a reputation as an enterprising, pro- gressive man of affairs and a broad-minded, charitable and upright citizen, which the public was not slow to recognize and appreciate, for he ever enjoyed the confidence and esteem of the entire community.
FELIX A. JACOBS. In connection with industrial interests in Columbus, the reputa- tion of Felix A. Jacobs has been pronounced for over half a century. In studying the lives and characters of prominent men in any walk of life we are naturally led to inquire into the secret of their success and the motives that prompted their action. Success is oftener a mat- ter of experience and sound judgment and thorough preparation for a life-work than it is of genius, however bright. It has been by his well directed efforts and close application, honesty and the adherance to proper ideals that has led to the material success and high standing of Mr. Jacobs in public and private life.
He is first vice-president of the Kilbourne & Jacobs Manufacturing Company. He has
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taken a most active part in the development of the capital city during the past half century, seeing it grow from a mere village to its present importance as a eenter of trade, government and culture. Mr. Jacobs was born in the city in which he still resides, being content to spend his life in his native loeality, believing that as great or greater opportunities existed for him here as anywhere in the country. He is descended from one of the old Buckeye families. His father, the late Cornelius Jacobs, was a native of Germany, although his family were orig- inally of English stoek. Cornelius Jacobs came to America in early manhood and to Colum- bus in the early days. He was a gunsmith by trade, which he followed in this city for some time, operating a shop of his own in connection with a general store. Later he manufactured seales. He took an aetive part in the publie affairs of the town and was a member of the city council and the volunteer fire department. He organized a company of artillery of which he was elected captain, and finally he was commissioned major of artillery. He was one of the men who built the first Catholic church in Columbus, known as the "little stone church," and later he drew the plans and superintended the building of Holy Cross church.
In 1847, being imbued with the idea that the city was not a proper place in which to bring up his boys, Cornelius Jacobs bought a farm in Prairie township, Franklin county, Ohio, and in that year moved his family to the country, where he remained, engaged in general agricultural pursuits until 1874, when he returned to the city and here his death oeeurred in 1883. After coming to America he married Christenia Gangloff, a native of Alsace-Lorraine, at that time a province of France. She was a descendant of a Major Gangloff, a Russian army officer, who settled near Pfalsburg, Alsace-Lorraine. She came to America in her young womanhood. Her death occurred in Columbus in 1900 at an advanced age.
Felix A. Jacobs spent his boyhood days on his father's farm, where he assisted with the general work during the summer months and in the winter time he attended the rural schools in his vieinity. He returned to Columbus in 1866, and in that year he and his brothers, Henry and William, formed the firm of Jacobs Brothers, and they engaged in the manufacture and sale of agricultural implements. The venture proved to be successful and a large business was built up, the products of their plant found a ready market owing to their superior workmanship and excellent points. In 1872 the brothers secured an interest in what was known at that time as the Revolving Seraper Company, which has since been developed into the great Kilbourne & Jacobs Manufacturing Company, of which the subject of this sketch is first vice-president. They operate a large plant, modernly equipped and employ a large foree of skilled mechanics and workmen. Their business is rapidly growing and their produets finding a very ready market wherever offered for sale. Mr. Jacobs is also president of the Tallmadge Hardware Company, one of the best known and most extensive hardware eoneerns in Columbus.
In civic life Mr. Jacobs has also long been prominent, taking an active interest in the affairs of his home city. He served a term in the city eouneil and as director of publie im- provements during the administration of Mayor Samuel L. Black. During his term and under his direetion as director of public improvements, plans were completed for the storage dam, which was finally built after legal delays, during which delays, in order to relieve the eity of threatened water famine he constructed an iron eondnit with numerous artesian wells drilled into the roek along the side of the conduit, which supplied abundant water. The West Side levee was constructed during Mr. Jacob's administration as director of public improvements, and the first municipal eleetrie light plant was put in operation by him and plans for a sewer and sewage disposal plant, also the plans for illuminating the West Side grade crossings were drawn under his direction. The city owes Mr. Jacobs a great debt of gratitude for what he has done for its general and permanent welfarc.
F. EWING MARTIN was born in the city where he still resides, and he is a descendant of pioneers of the capital city. His grandfather, William T. Martin, the Columbus pioncer, was a native of Pennsylvania, born in Bedford county, April 6, 1788. His aneestors eame to America in Colonial times and settled in the old Keystone state. In 1814 he married in Bed- ford county, Amelia Asheome, a native of that county, and in 1815 they removed to Columbus, Ohio. He was one of the very carliest school teachers in central Ohio, teaching sehool in Columbus in 1816 and 1817, and he was also a carpenter and builder in those days. He was prominent in the affairs of the community and was ealled on to serve in different official positions of honor and trust. He served as justice of the peace for cighteen years, from 1829 to 1848, during which time he studied law and was admitted to the bar. In 1851 he was elected associate
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judge of the common pleas court of Franklin county, but a year later that office was abolished by the legislature. He was mayor of Columbus for three years, from 1821 to 1827, inclusive. For a number of years he was trustee of Green Lawn Cemetery, and was secretary of the board at the time of his death in 1863. He wrote a history of Franklin county, which work is regarded as an authority on early times and events in this county. He was a man of unusual education, energy and ability for those days and wielded a potent influence for good in the city and county for half a century. He was noted for his sterling honesty, public-spirit and hospi- tality and was highly esteemed by his wide circle of acquaintances. His widow survived until January 16, 1885, dying in Cincinnati.
Benjamin Franklin Martin, son of William T. and father of F. Ewing Martin, was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1819. He grew to manhood in his native city and received his educa- tion in the common schools and Blenden Academy. He served as clerk of the city council for seventeen years, from 1810 to 1857. During that period he read law and was admitted to the bar in 1847, and engaged in the practice of his profession for many years, with much success. He was elected prosecuting attorney of Franklin county in 1852, and was appointed by Presi- dent Johnson collector of internal revenue for the Seventh Ohio District in 1865, serving four years. He also served as a member of the board of trustees of Ohio Asylum for the Blind and as a member of the Franklin County Sinking Fund Commission. He was a director of the Columbus & Xenia Railroad company at the time of his death on April 18, 1904. He was a charter member of the Franklin County Bar Association, also a charter member of Magnolia Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, which he helped organize. He married Cecelia Workman. who was born in Athens county, Ohio, a niece of Thomas Ewing and a cousin to the Sherman family of Ohio. She is still living at this writing, 1918.
F. Ewing Martin was born January 13, 1883. He grew to manhood in Columbus and re- ceived his early education in the common schools. He was graduated from the Columbus Latin School in 1899, then entered the Ohio State University from which he was graduated in 1905 with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. Soon thereafter he was admitted to the bar and began the practice of his profession. He is now junior member of the firm of Clark & Martin. He belongs to the Franklin County Bar Association and the Columbus Club.
Mr. Martin married Mary Bole Scott, daughter of the late Hamilton T. Scott of Columbus.
HON. JOHN. H. ARNOLD. One of the most conspicuous legal lights of central Ohio is Hon. John H. Arnold, ex-lieutenant governor and one of the recognized leaders of the Repub- lican party in the Buckeye state. He realized early that there is a high purpose in life and that there is no honor not founded on worth and no respect not based on accomplishment. His life and labors have been worthy because they have contributed to a proper understanding of life and its problems. The strongest characters in our national history have come from the rank of the self-made man to whom adversity acts as a stimulus for unfaltering effort and from this class came the gentleman whose name initiates this sketch.
Mr. Arnold was born at Freeport, Pennsylvania, December 11, 1862, the son of Richard V. and Araminta J. (Holmes) Arnold. The father was born at Manchester, England, in 1836. He was a son of John and Charlotte (Denison) Arnold. John Arnold was a native of Scot- land, and his wife of Donegal, Ireland. She was the daughter of William Denison, who was an officer in the English army and was a younger son of Sir James Denison, Irish peer. Gov- ernor Denison, of Ohio, was of this family. John Arnold immigrated with his family to Amer- iea in 1838, locating in Pennsylvania. He became a contractor, building court houses and other public and semi-public buildings in western Pennsylvania and other states.
Richard V. Arnold was an extensive manufacturer of lumber in Pennsylvania and Mary- land. He was head of the Lochiel Lumber Company, owners and operators of a large saw mill at Bloomington, Maryland, was also part owner and operator of a large planing mill near Pittsburgh. His death occurred in that city in 1884 at the age of forty-eight years. His wife was born on a farm about seven miles from Freeport, Pennsylvania. She was of Scotch- Irish-Pennsylvania Dutch stock, and a daughter of John and Sarah ( Brinker) Holmes, two old Pennsylvania families. Isaac Brinker, her maternal ancestor, was an Indian scout in Pennsyl- vania in pioneer days. She is now making her home in Columbus, and is in her eighty-third year.
John H. Arnold was educated in the public schools of Freeport and Pittsburgh. After leaving school he worked for his father in Maryland and Pittsburgh for six years. He came
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to Columbus in October, 1885. His first employment in this city was as a mechanic with the old Door, Sash & Lumber Company. He was later a machinist with the Newark Machine Com- pany and then worked in the Panhandle Railroad shops for a year; was then time keeper for Gibbony & Company, who laid the gas mains through Columbus ; then became a foreman with the Case Manufacturing Company. While thus employed he began, in 1891, to read law of nights in the office of Henry F. Guerin, and in October, 1894, he was admitted to the bar, and in that year began practicing in association with Mr. Guerin. Later he was in partnership with John J. Crosby, and was in the loan department of the Michigan Mutual Life Insurance Company, for a number of years, as attorney.
Mr. Arnold has been active and influential in Republican politics since 1888, in which year he began taking an active part in the Ninth and Eleventh Wards of Columbus. He was secretary of the Republican City Central Committee in 1889. From year to year he extended his particular activities to county and state affairs until he is today one of the best known leaders in the Republican party in Ohio. In 1914 he was elected lieutenant-governor and proved to be one of the most efficient and popular men ever elevated to this important office, dis- charging his duties in a manner that reflected much credit upon himself and to the eminent sat- isfaction of his constituents. During the entire session of the state senate not a single ruling of the chair was reversed. He is at this writing, 1918, a strong contender for the nomina- tion for governor before the primaries, and owing to his past commendable record and his wide- spread popularity, his friends predict for him an easy victory should he secure the nomination. His selection for the state's chief executive would no doubt prove to be a fortunate one and in every way justify the wisdom of his party in his selection.
For many years Mr. Arnold has been more or less interested in real estate, mining and oil production operations, and he is one of the incorporators and president of the Loyal Oil & Gas Company in southeastern Ohio, which owns valuable producing oil properties.
Mr. Arnold is a member of the Franklin County Bar Association. He belongs to the Masonic Order, the Knights of Pythias, the Woodmen of the World, the Loyal Order of Moose, Junior Order of American Mechanics, Loyal Order of Oaks, the Patriotic Order of Sons of America, the Columbus Caledonia Society, the Buckeye Republican Club, the Chamber of Com- merce and the Presbyterian church.
On August 17, 1904, Mr. Arnold married Eleanor A. Moore, of Columbus, a daughter of Jonathan and Victorine ( Kirts) Moore. Her mother was the daughter of the late Judge Kirts of this city.
Mr. Arnold is a genial, companionable and broad-minded gentleman whom it is a pleas- ure to meet, and during the years in which he has honored the capital city with his residence no man has stood higher in public esteem.
SAMUEL D. HUTCHINS. The record of Samuel D. Hutchins, one of the well known citizens of Columbus, who has been for a number of years closely identified with the business and civic life of the city, is one that is deserving of our admiration for it shows the possi- bilities here in frec America of a young man of ambition, fortitude, grit and perseverance, al- though springing from an humble environment. But he was fortunate in having behind him progenitors of the right sort, what we in this country would call the best Anglo-Saxon strain, and so it is not surprising that he has made a success in life, despite obstacles.
Mr. Hutchins was born in Cleveland, Ohio, May 25, 1855, the son of William and Ann (O'Brien) Hutchins. The father was a native of Devonshire, England, from which country he came with his parents to America when he was ten years old, the family locating in Boston, Massachusetts, and there he spent his young manhood. Ann O'Brien, mother of our subject, was born in County Clare, Ireland, and she immigrated to America with her parents when a young girl, and grew to womanhood in Boston, in which city she married William Hutchins. Scon afterwards they came west to establish their future home, settling in Cleveland. The father was a locomotive engineer on the Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati railroad, now the Big Four, until he met his death by the explosion of a locomotive boiler at Delaware, this state, in December, 1874, his son William Hutchins, also meeting death in the same accident, being at the time fireman for his father. The family removed to Delaware in 1869 and the death of the mother occurred in that city in 1895.
Samuel D. Hutchins spent his boyhood in Cleveland where he remained until 1869, then moved with the family to Delaware, Ohio. He received his education in the Cathedral school
Erolir Mar Cialr. M. D.
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of Cleveland. In February, 1870, when fifteen years old he began his career as railroader by firing an engine on the Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati railroad, and was promoted to the position of engineer in October, 1872. In 1895 he quit railroading to accept a position with the engineering department of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company, with which he has since been connected, and is now the commercial and engineering representative in Ohio, Indi- ana, Michigan and Kentucky, with headquarters in Columbus. His long retention with this firm would indicate that his work has been ably and faithfully as well as honestly done. As a result of his activities for his firm he has become widely known in the above named states and has greatly increased the business and prestige of the Westinghouse concern in all these states.
Mr. Hutchins is second vice-president of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, and has been very active in that body since 1914, when he was chosen a director. He was also very active and influential in all war relief campaigns, giving freely of his time and means in this laudable work. He was a member of the executive committee selected to manage the great three million "war chest" campaign in Columbus, and to handle and administer this huge sum during the year 1918 and 1919. He is a prominent member of St. Joseph Cathedral parish and has also been active and prominent in the Knights of Columbus during the past fifteen years. He served as Grand Knight for two years, was a member of the building committee which erected the new home and has for several years been a trustee of the order.
Mr. Hutchins first married Sarah A. Meara, a daughter of Stephen Meara, a Columbus pioneer. Her death occurred in 1895. She left four sons and one daughter. All the sons resigned good business positions to enlist in the army within sixty days after America entered the European war. William A. left a position with the National Refining Company of Cleve- land; Joseph J. resigned from the staff of the Ohio State Journal; Leo F. quit as bookkeeper for Frank D. Rutherford, dealer in stocks and bonds; and Aloysius F. gave up his work as cashier of the Ford Motor Car Company's Columbus office. The daughter, Helen M., mar- ried D. W. Gray, of Columbus.
Mr. Hutchins married his present wife, Elizabeth J. Jacob, of Utica, New York, in No- vember, 1914.
Mr. Hutchins has worked hard for his success and it has been richly deserved in every respect, for he has not only been industrious but honest and an upright citizen, alway's looking out for the general welfare of his fellow citizens.
LESLIE MAC LISLE, M. D. Parents should carefully consider the inclinations of their children. The great mistakes of life are owing in a large measure to the fact that young pco- ple adopt professions or enter business for which they have no natural ability. It is easy to see that if young men could start out early in life in the pursuit for which nature has best adapted them, and if they should persist in that line industriously and energetically, success would be assured in every instance, no matter if they were not possessed with brilliant or un- usnal ability ; persistence in this one line will bring success. Dr. Leslie Mac Lisle, one of the successful young physicians of Columbus was fortunate in selecting the vocation for whch he seems to have been well qualified by nature.
Dr. Lisle is a native of Franklin county, Ohio, and is of the fourth generation of his family in this county, which was settled here in 1792 by the Doctor's great grandfather, who came to central Ohio in that year from his native state, Kentucky. Ile found a vast wilderness through which roamed wild beasts and savages, but he was a man of courage and went to work carv- ing out a home for his family from the primeval forests. His son, William Lisle, grandfather of the Doctor, was born in Franklin county, Ohio, and here he grew to manhood on the home farm and married Sarah Mae Williams. These two generations were farmers. John M Lisle. son of William and Sarah ( Mac Williams) Lisle, and father of the subject of this sketch, grew to manhocd on the home farm and attended the common schools and Hiram College from which he graduated. He served in the Civil War and later in life studied medicine and was graduated from Starling Medical College in 1875 with the degree of Doctor of Medieine, and he practiced his profession at Roseville, Celina, Pataskala and Marysville, Ohio. He spent the latter days of his life in retirement, living quietly in his home at Columbus, where his death occurred in May, 1916. He married Eva Gates, who was born in Perry county, Ohio, the daughter of Horatio Gates, she passing away in 1883.
Dr. Leslie Mac Lisle was born at Roseville, Ohio, March 10, 1877. He received his
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early education in the publie schools and graduated from the Columbus High School. He en- tered the Ohio State University, from which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts with the class of 1899. He then decided to follow in the footsteps of his father in a pro- fessional way and completed the prescribed course in Starling Medical College, and was grad- uated from that institution with the degree of Doetor of Medieine in 1902. After serving eighteen months as intern at Mt. Carmel hospital in Columbus and taking a six months' post- graduate course in New York City, he began the practice of his profession in Columbus, where he has sinee continued, taking a high rank among his professional brethren and meeting with sueeess from the start.
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