Ohio History Journal

Reviews and Comments           315

1885. A copy of each of these, with his autograph, he

presented to the McGuffey Society of Columbus, Ohio.

They are in the list of books presented to the Ohio State

Archaeological and Historical Society.

Just as we go to press, Henry Ford has contributed

Reprints of the Fifth and Sixth Readers, Copyright of

1866. These complete his series of reprints.

 

 

ROBERT FREDERICK WOLFE

The capital city of Ohio was shocked on January 13,

1927, to learn of the tragic death of Robert Frederick

Wolfe, publisher of the Ohio State Journal and the

Columbus Evening Dispatch. At 11:35 A. M. of that

date he fell from a casement window on the fifth floor

of the Dispatch Building and was instantly killed.

The announcement of his sudden death brought a

shadow of gloom over the city with the realization that

Columbus had lost her most prominent citizen.

Robert Frederick Wolfe was born in Cumberland,

Guernsey County, Ohio, November 7, 1860. He was the

son of Andrew Jackson Wolfe and Nancy Jane Barton

Wolfe. His early boyhood days were spent in his native

village. At the age of eleven years he was working in

a glass factory in Zanesville, Ohio. At the age of four-

teen years he was driving a canal boat between Cumber-

land, Maryland, and Georgetown, District of Columbia.

Later he became a seaman on a steam coasting vessel.

Next he went to New York City where he sold

the New York Sun, then published by Charles A. Dana.

Returning to the sea, he sailed to Cuba and thence to

Louisiana. In the cypress swamps of that state he

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316     Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

worked at getting out railroad ties. Later he herded

cattle in Texas.

In 1888 he came to Columbus, Ohio, and engaged as

a traveling salesman in the shoe business. In this he

was remarkably successful. He was one of the original

incorporators of the H. C. Godman Company, which is

now one of the largest shoe-manufacturing companies

in the Middle West.

In 1895 Mr. Wolfe and his brother Harry P. Wolfe,

with a very small capital, entered upon the shoe manu-

facturing business. This enterprise was pushed with

characteristic vigor. At the time of Mr. Wolfe's death

it had grown into "three great chain-store systems, cen-

tering in Columbus, Minneapolis, and Kansas City,

operating more than two thousand stores."

In 1889 and 1890 Mr. Wolfe contributed to the Co-

lumbus Sunday Capital a column of local happenings that

attracted considerable interest. The newspaper business

had a lure for him, probably dating back to the days

when as a boy he sold The Sun on the streets of New

York City. In 1903 he and his brother, Harry, bought

the Ohio State Journal. In 1905 they purchased, also, the

Columbus Evening Dispatch. Both of these properties

promptly responded to his vigorous application of busi-

ness principles and like every other venture undertaken

by him in the last thirty years of his life, rapidly grew

in financial value. In circulation and influence they

have more than kept pace with the rapid and substan-

tial growth of the city of Columbus which they have

signally advanced. His son, Edgar T. Wolfe, is presi-

dent of the Ohio State Journal Company.

Robert F. Wolfe started in life with a very limited

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Reviews and Comments           317

education. He overcame this and other handicaps and

reached the limit of his days crowned with success. To

his friends he was loyal and he had the faculty of bind-

ing others to himself with a friendship as loyal as his

own. Employes were thoroughly devoted to his inter-

ests. To those in need he was generous. He was char-

itable without ostentation. He was public-spirited and

gave freely for the upbuilding of Columbus. Beneath

a rugged, reticent and unemotional exterior he was ten-

der-hearted and kind. After his death many bore testi-

mony to aid received from him in the hour of need. The

number of his benefactions will never be known.

He was a life member of the Ohio State Archaeologi-

cal and Historical Society. On one occasion when the

Society was struggling along with inadequate appro-

priations and had reached the end of its resources to

continue its field work, he contributed $2000, with the

simple injunction that no publicity was to be given to his

donation.

In the newspapers following his death, from which

the preceding sketch has been gleaned, are found ex-

tended accounts of his life with testimonials of appre-

ciation from prominent citizens, including officials of

the state and nation -- all attesting his wide acquaint-

ance and influence that grew as he approached life's end.

 

COUNTY WORLD WAR HISTORIES

Among the material relating to the World War, on

the shelves of the Library of the Society, are two very

interesting publications. The first of these is the "Honor

Roll of Ohio -- Lawrence County." In the introduction

we read:

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