Jonah Thorn (1813-1899)
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Obituary of Jonah Thorn from a newspaper called the Tribune:
A Pioneer Gone
- Jonah Thorn one of the oldest men in this part of the county and
one of the first settlers and businessmen of Lowell passed away
Saturday night September 2, 1899, at the advanced age of 85 years,
8 months and one day. He has been in very feeble health for the
last year or two and for several months has been unable to leave the
house. He was born at Warrenburg, hear Saulsbury, Wiltshire,
England, December 31, 1813. In 1832 he came to Canada and to the
United States in 1832; locating in Ohio. After six years residence in
Ohio he came to the Indiana settling in Lake county where he has
been a resident ever since. He was the first man to move his family
into the original town of Lowell and the first man to do business
therein. He was brought up in the Episcopalian Church faith but
united with the M.E. Church at Ashtabula, Ohio, in 1845 and remained
a faithful member to the end. He has been a member of the Official
Board of the M.E. Church of Lowell since its organization here. He
was five times married. His first wife was Phoebe Richmond. To this
union three children was born, one dying in infancy. His second wife
was Lucretia Foote; the third Mrs. Hullinger; the fourth Mrs.
Scritchfield and the fifth Mrs. M.E. Clark who survives him. He was
an honorable, upright man in his dealings with his fellowmen and was
always accounted one of our best citizens. He leaves his wife, two
daughters -- Mrs. P.D. Clark and Mrs. J.A. Ault both of Lowell, a number
of grandchildren and a large circle of friends and neighbors to mourn
his departure, His funeral occurred from his late home Tuesday,
September 5th at 1 o'clock p.m., Rev. A.A. Randall officiating, after
which he was laid to rest in the Lowell cemetery. The following acted
as pall bearers: W.F. Clark, John Ault Jr., W.E. Ault, Fred Ault, Horace
Johnson and James M. Vories; the first four his grandchildren. Funeral
director Weaver had charge of the remains. The Tribune extends to
the bereaved family and friends its sincere sympathy in this their dark
hour of sorrow.
Cemetery indexes at the Lowell Public Library show that Jonah Thorn (Dec. 31, 1813-Sept. 5, 1899) was buried at Cedar Creek Cemetery in Row R18, next to his first wife, Phoebe Richmond Thorn (Mar. 24, 1816-Nov. 11, 1863).
This March 27, 1952, Lowell Trbune article was found on page 1, column 1:
Jonah Thorne First Business Man in Town of Lowell
Mrs. Etta Clark Vories writes from Port Huron, Michigan, to the Lowell Tribune:I noticed a statement to the effect that you would publish articles of interest concerning the early history of Lowell.
The celebration of Lowell's hundredth anniversary, in my opinion, is a fine idea.
As my grandfather, Jonah Thorne, was one of the earliest citizens of the town, I feel that it is appropriate to submit the enclosed brief item:
Jonah Thorne was one of the first settlers in the town of Lowell. He was English by birth. At an early age he came to Canada, afterward coming to the United States. About the year 1838 he located in Lake County, Indiana. According to his obituary published in the Lowell Tribune September 2, 1899, "He was the first man to move his family into the original town of Lowell and the first man to do business therein." Also quoting from the same authority, "He was an honorable upright man in his dealings with his fellow men, and was always counted one of our best citizens."
A few of the older citizens of Lowell may remember Mr. Thorne's store on Commercial Avenue, where for many years he conducted a hardware business. He had no sons. The writer's mother, Mrs. P.D. Clark, was his youngest daughter. This is submitted by his granddaughter.
The following August 28, 1952, Lowell Tribune article appeared on page 11, columns 1-2:
Lowell's First Businessman
Jonah Thorne, builder and operator of the first store in Lowell, was born at Warrenburg, Wiltshire, England, on December 31, 1813. In 1832, at the age of 19, he came to Canada with his brother, Franklin. There he met and married Miss Phoebe Richmond and to them were born two daughters, Lauretta Abagail in 1838, and Sarah Jane in 1841. While the children were very small the Jonah Thorne family moved to Ashtabula, Ohio, and in 1842, settled in what is now Lowell, Indiana. The two daughters are supposed to be the first children of settlers in this area.In the year 1852, about the time of the platting of the new town and the renaming "Outlet" to Lowell, Mr. Thorne built and operated the first small frame hotel and general store. The location of this business was on the south side of Main Street between the present Frank Maloy and Kanaar homes, back from the street. This hotel remained in the family for five generations and some of the lumber from the building is in Sarah Jane Thorne Clark's home, now occupied by the Jacob Hoffman family.
In about 1855 a general store was opened on the county road (now Commericial Ave.) at the present location of the Sweet Shop and Corner Barber Shop, so Mr. Thorne closed his "mill district" store and opened a hardware store on the county road, also, at the present location of the Roberts law office. Mr. Thorne lived during this period on the north side of the county road across from the present Methodist church. He was a successful business man and his daughters were inclined to have a knowledge of good management in business affairs as well as in their homes.
Abigail wed John Ault, son of an early settler, Andrew Ault, and Sarah Jane married Perry D. Clark, son of Jabez Clark. Mr. Thorne's wife, Phoebe, died at the age of 47.
Thorne's real estate holdings included Commerical Ave. from the west boundary of the town square to the creek which then ran west of the present railroad tracks and up to the present railroad tracks and up to the present location of Hardings, Inc. The Lowell town hall now stands on land donated by Thorne for a public hitching rack.
Developing the town seemed to be Mr. Thornes' greatest interest and many of the homes and stores he constructed still stand. His great granddaughter Iva Nichols, now lives in one of them.
In 1855* he married the widow of Jabez Clark, Marietta, and they lived in a duplex house on the west side of Lowell on property now owned by Walter Matter. A brick yard was owned and operated by Perry Clark in that vicinity.
In 1899, at the age of 85 years and 8 months, Jonah Thorne died at his home and was buried in the old part of the Lowell cemetery beside his first wife.
Jonah's brother, Franklin, settled in Chicago where he built an iron foundry called the Franklin Iron Works. It is now the Wisconsin Steel Mills and a subsidiary of U.S. Steel.
One living granddaughter of Jonah Thorne, a daughter of the Perry Clarks, is Mrs. Etta Vories, age 79, of Port Huron, Mich. She will be in Lowell for centennial festivities.
Other descendants, many living in Lowell, are Walter James, Getti Powell, Mrs.Agnes Machacek, Mrs. Iva Nichols, Mrs. Alice Ruley, Myrtle Johnson, Thorne Clark, Millard, Virginia and Margaret Clark.
*NOTE Although this article states that Jonah Thorn married the widow of Jabez Clark in 1855, this is incorrect. For one thing, Jabez Clark didn't die until 1876. For another, according to Mr. Thorn's obituary (at the beginning of this page), he had five wives, the last one being the widow of Jabez Clark. The 1855marriage date likely refers to one of his other wives.
Go to Jonah Thorne, "Pioneer History Index," for further information.
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