Ohio History Journal

JOSEPH A. HOWELLS Joseph A. Howells was born at St. Clairsville, Bel- mont County, Ohio, September 1, 1832. He was the son of William C. and Mary (Dean) Howells and a

brother of William Dean Howells. For fifty-seven years he was foreman, editor and proprietor of the Ashtabula Sentinel. He was appointed American Con- (549)

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550      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

sul to Turk Islands, British West Indies, October 30,

1905. He died August 10, 1912.

On July 19, 1913, there was placed at the head of

his grave in the cemetery at Jefferson, Ohio, a rather

remarkable but appropriate monument. It is the im-

posing stone on which for more than fifty years Joseph

A. Howells, "with hands of boy and man," made up the

forms of the Ashtabula Sentinel. On it is engraved the

following commemorative verse, written by his brother,

William Dean Howells:

 

Stone, upon which with hands of boy and man,

He framed the history of his time until,

Week after week, the varying record ran

To its half-centuried tale of well and ill,

Remember now how true through all those days

He was -- friend, brother, husband, son --

Fill the whole limit of your space with praise.

There needs no room for blame -- blame there was none.

This verse was widely noted and reproduced at the

time of the erection of the stone on which it is engraved.

It is an object of interest to those visiting historic Jef-

ferson, the former home of Benjamin F. Wade and

Joshua R. Giddings.

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