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OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS

 

Welcome to Huron County, Ohio

BIOGRAPHIES
CALEB F. JACKSON.  Without invidious distinction, Caleb F. Jackson may be termed the foremost business man of Norwalk from the fact that his interests are most varied as well as extensive.  Starting out in life on a humble financial plane, he has steadily worked his way upward and his careful management, coupled with unfaltering industry and keen discernment, have brought him to the position which he now occupies.  Honored and respected by all there is no resident of Norwalk who fills a more enviable place in the commercial and financial circles of the city.  He was born June 25, 1854, upon the old Jackson farm a mile and a half south of Norwalk, upon the old state road.  His parents were Charles and Alberta (Fitch) Jackson and he is a great-grandson of Colonel Giles Jackson of Birkshire county, Massachusetts, who won fame as a colonel of infantry in the Revolutionary war and as a chief of staff to Major General Gates he penned the article of surrender at Yorktown and Saratoga.  The original articles of convention for the surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga, Oct. 16, 1877, signed by J. Burgoyne and Horatio Gates, are now in possession of C. F. Jackson at Norwalk, having been inherited by the "second son" for three generations.  Numerous other historical Revolutionary papers of great value are preserved to be handed down to the second son, Thayer Elden Jackson.  Charles Jackson, the father of our subject, was a prominent farmer of Norwalk township, who spent six years of his early manhood in the employ of Shepherd Patrick as a salesman in his general store at Norwalk.  Subsequently, he bought the Jackson farm homestead, which remained in the family for sixty years and his capable management of his business interests, placed him with the substantial agriculturists of Huron county.
     Caleb F. Jackson attended the country school in Norwalk, district No. 3, until he prepared to enter high school in 1868.  He was graduated therefrom in 1871 on the completion of a complete scientific and classical course of study.  He had expected to study medicine, but the death of both parents left him the care of two sisters and a younger brother, a financial burden which made further study in school or college impossible.  At the age of seventeen years, he began work in the dry-goods, grocery and drug store of Wooster & Patrick as "boy of all work," entering their employ on the 13th of November, 1871.  Within, three months, he was made a salesman and promotions followed rapidly.  In 1873, he was head salesman in the drygoods department on a salary of a thousand dollars per year, which at that date was the largest salary paid any salesman in Norwalk - and he was not yet twenty years of age.  In January, 1874, at the age of nineteen and a half years, he formed a copartnership with L. C. Prescott and purchased a drug and grocery store at Flint, Michigan.  The firm of Prescott & Jackson possessed but twelve hundred dollars, but they had energy, determination and perseverance.  They assumed a debt of five thousand dollars and after two years, with all the indebtedness discharged, C. F. Jackson sold his interests to his partner and returned to Norwalk to enter the employ of C. E. Marsh & Company, as salesman and manager of the interests of Mrs. S. P. Pease in the firm.  His next advanced step was made in 1881, when he joined C. E. Marsh in organizing the firm of Marsh & Jackson for the purpose of opening a dry goods and carpet store at No. 11 West Main street.  Great financial success followed this venture for five years and in 1886 Mr. Jackson sold his interests to his partner and went to Minneapolis, Minnesota.  In that growing city, he established the "Jackson Black Goods Store" which became known throughout the northwest as specializing in every known article of dry goods, black or white.  Mr. Jackson  was sole owner of the Minneapolis business and in seven years, had sufficient capital to warrant the stocking of a department store, which he could foresee that at early date, was the coming mercantile establishment of this country.
     In the winter of 1892-3 Mr. Jackson, in partnership with H. H. Hoyt of Norwalk, purchased from the First Methodist Episcopal church of this city, their church property at the corner of Main street and Benedict avenue.  In May 1893, the old church was demolished to make room for the beautiful five-story brick and brown zone building known as The Glass Block.  The building when complete, was leased to the Hoyt & Jackson Company, a corporation of which C. F. Jackson was the president, for a department store and was opened to the public Nov. 29, 1893.  This marked the beginning of a new era in mercantile affairs in Norwalk.  In that day the department store and was opened to the public November 29, 1893.  This marked the beginning of a new era in mercantile affairs in Norwalk.  In that day the department store was untried, except in the large cities and in Norwalk it was looked upon as a venturesome undertaking, which would probably result in failure.  Mr. Jackson's perceptions of the business future, were much keener than the old-school merchants and instead of failure, the business was a great success and for sixteen years has paid its stockholders splendid dividends every year.  In October, 1895, Mr. Jackson purchased his partner's interest in the Glass Block real estate and became sole owner of this valuable property.  He also secured Mr. Hoyt's interest in the mercantile company and immediately changed the corporate name to  The C. F. Jackson Company, which is so well known in the business world today.
     Even after acquiring this valuable property, Mr. Jackson's ambition was not satisfied, for in 1902, he secured the first Glass Block Annex by the lease of a three story brick block adjoining on the west, thereby increasing the floor space and obtaining better facilities to handle the vast growing trade.  The business has been conducted on a cash basis with a fixed price and to these rules and the straightforward principles which have governed his commercial affairs, the success of Mr. Jackson is due.  In 1904, in order to utilize surplus earnings, Mr. Jackson bought for the company a business block at Findlay, Ohio, for one hundred and thirty thousand dollars and established at that point a second Glass Block department store larger and more beautiful than the original store at Norwalk.  His eldest son, Edward E. Jackson, was made vice-president of the company and general manager at Findlay.  The success of the store at that place has been beyond the expectations of even its proprietor.  In December, 1008, a second annex was added at Norwalk, comprising three floors with a frontage of sixty feet on Benedict avenue, giving the Norwalk store a total of ninety thousand square feet of sales room or nearly two and a half acres - a monument to the business foresight and executive ability of its founder.  In addition to the general management of these great mercantile establishments, Mr. Jackson is interested in numerous manufacturing and business enterprises to which he devotes a portion of his time.  He is president of the Norwalk Vault Company, vice-president of the Auto Buggy Company, treasurer of the Miller Anchor Company, vice-president of the Auto Buggy Company, treasurer of the Miller Anchor Company, a director of the Local Telephone Company, of the Interstate Ice Company and the Tinker Concrete Company, while in numerous other concerns, he is a stockholder, giving him diversified interests probably not exceeded by those of any other business man in Norwalk.  For two years he has been the president of the Norwalk Chamber of Commerce, a strong organization of business men, looking after the welfare and prosperity of Norwalk's business interests.
     On the 11th of November, 1874, Mr. Jackson was married to Miss Mary L. Stevens, of Norwalk and unto them have been born four children: Edward Everett, who was born January 2, 1876, and was married at Findlay, Ohio, September 1, 1905, to Miss Glenna Weil; Thayer Elden, born June 19, 1884; Kenneth Seymour, born July 9, 1886; and Hortence Ione, born Mar. 16, 1891.
     Mr. Jackson is not only well known because of the extent and importance of his business affairs, but also by reason of his co-operation in many interests and measures which relate to the individual or public welfare.  He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, in which he has attained the Knight Templar degree, to the Knights of Pythias lodge, the Royal Arcanum, the Knights of the Maccabees and the National Union.  He is a member of the Ohio Sons of the American Revolution and was for many years a member of the Shakespeare Club, Norwalk's leading literary and social club.  He is likewise a liberal supporter of the Presbyterian church and for many yeas has served on its board of trustees.  He has never become actively connected with politics or aspired to public office.  He is rather retiring in disposition, but most public-spirited and in a quiet and unostentatious way, has devoted much time and money to the public good.  He finds his pleasure in his elegant home and his close, enduring friends and he deserves in the largest degree the respect and confidence as well as the success, which have been accorded him.
(CLICK HERE for picture of the Glass Block Company)
W. H. JACOBS.  This well-known citizen of Norwalk traces his ancestry through the dim vistas of many years to a Frenchman of the family name, who immigrated to Vermont in early Colonial days.  His son, John W. Jacobs, who was born in Vermont, fought under Gen. Putnam at Bunker Hill, and was present during the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. 
     His son, Gustavus, was born in 1792, in Middlebury, Vt., and in 1818 was united in marriage with Harriet Perkins, a native of the same place.  They removed to a farm in the New York colony, where he died at the age of eighty-five years.  They were the parents of nine children - seven sons and two daughters - of which family Henry was killed in the Civil war, and six are yet living.  The parents were members of the M. E. Church.
     Gustavus Jacobs, so of Gustavus and Harriet (Perkins) Jacobs, was born, in 1828, in Wyoming county, N. Y., where his youth was passed.  He learned and followed the boat-builder's trade in connection with the lumber business, and came to Huron county, Ohio, in 1863.  He was married to Sarah A. Roth, who was born March 24, 1831, in Seneca Falls, N. Y., a daughter of Jacob Roth, and grandchild of Casper Roth, whose parents were natives of Germany.  Casper Roth served throughout the Revolution, having fought at Valley Forge, taking part also in the battle of Eutaw Springs, and was present at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis.  His son Jacob was born in 1798, in Pennsylvania, and was married to Catherine McBeth.  He was soldier in the war of 1812, and fought at Lundy's Lane.  After the war most of his life was spent in New York, where he died at the age of seventy-nine years.  Gustavus and Sarah A. Jacobs have passed their wedded life in Huron county, Ohio, where he has accumulated a large fortune, and is now conducting a sawmill at Norwalk.
     W. H. Jacobs, a son of Gustavus and Sarah A. (Roth) Jacobs, was born in 1862, in Norwalk, Ohio.  He attended a grammar school and high school of his native place, and since his eighteenth year has followed carpentry and contracting.  He and George Stewart have conducted a general business in that line under the firm name of Stewart & Jacobs, for about one year and a half.  They engaged in all classes of contract work, including paving, the laying of sidewalks and water pipes, and employing about twenty-eight men.  W. H. Jacobs is also interested in a saw-mill.  He was married to Miss Nettie Hamilton, a native of Pennsylvania, who has borne him one daughter - Maude - and one son - Gustavus.  In political opinion Mr. Jacobs is a stanch Republican, and he and his wife are members of the Congregational Church.

F. H. JONES, attorney at law, Norwalk.  From the unanimous testimony of this community, we may well say that this gentleman is one of the leading members of the Huron county bar.  He was born September 15, 1858, near Madison, Wisconsin, a son of James and Sabra (Alvord) Jones, who migrated from Massachusetts to the West, settling in Wisconsin.  After a time, however, they retraced their steps, returning East and locating in Bellevue, Huron Co., Ohio.  The paternal ancestors of the family came to this country about 1700, and settled on the island known as Martha's Vineyard; the maternal ancestors were from England. 
     F. H. Jones received his early education in the common schools, and then became a student in Western Reserve University, Cleveland, where he received the degree of A. B. in the class of 1882.  During the year 1882-83 he was superintendent of the public schools of Mentor, Ohio.  He then entered the Cincinnati Law School, and in 1885 received his diploma, conferring the degree of LL. B.  Locating first in Sandusky, Ohio, he there commenced the practice of his profession, but in a short time removed to Norwalk, entering into the law practice in partnership with G. R. Walker.  This firm was subsequently dissolved, and Mr. Jones opened out his present office, where he has since been in active practice, gaining an unusual degree of success.  Pleasant in address, a diligent student and graceful speaker, his onward course has been the inevitable result following strong and fixed causes.  He has the entire respect and confidence of his professional brethren, and the courts have designated their confidence by appointing him referee in a number of important cases.  He has given special study in the law to the subjects of equity, corporations and realty, and his researches in these lines have made him influential if not an authority, even with the older men of the profession.  Mr. Jones is yet a young man; the future with its fairest promises is all before him, and here his closest friends may in confidence anchor their fondest hopes.  In politics he has always been an enthusiastic and active Republican.
 
 
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