John H. Lesh

1846 - 1898

Goshen’s 10th Mayor

1890 - 1892

DEATH OF EX-MAYOR J. H. LESH

Life Spark Extinguished at 5:20 Tuesday

MENINGITIS THE IMMEDIATE
CAUSE OF DEATH

PASSING OF A GENIUS IN FINANCES

His Rise From a Very Humble Station to Affluence

Additional News Items of General Interest Caught
In Swirl of Every Day Affairs

The death of Ex-Mayor John H. Leah, which was momentarily expected throughout Tuesday, occurred last evening at 5:20 o’clock. He never regained consciousness. The immediate cause of death was attributed to meningitis, the remote cause that led to his untimely end being hepatitis, or hardening of the liver. Mr. Leah has been a sufferer from this malady for several years and had consulted all the eminent specialists, resorted to the most efficacious sanitarium and health resort treatments, but with only temporary relief obtained at any time. He has been steadily declining for some months and the inevitable had been realized by his family and friends for some time. All possible medical skill was unavailing to save or greatly prolong his life.

The snapping of the life thread of this prominent citizen and manufacturer of Goshen removes from commercial circles one of the best business men ever known in this city. As the greatest hard wood lumber dealer in this part of the country his reputation was widely known. He was in the truest sense a self made man, broad minded and capable of dealing with large affairs. His business acumen and genius for money making early asserted themselves and by his own efforts he hewed for himself a name and great riches before the meridian of life was reached, and at the time of his death was in possession of a large estate. He died while yet in the prime of life, being but little over 51 years of age. He was unstinted in his devotion to his friends and generous to a fault, and equally unswerving in his antagonism to his enemies. He was liberal in contributions for charity and the church, many deeds of benevolence being bestowed without solicitation and unknown to the world. The story of his life is one of many self accomplishments from small beginnings as a farmer’s son.

Brief Review of Life.

John H. Leah was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, March 19, 1846, being a son of Joseph and Margaret Lesh, the mother’s maiden name being Leslie. The family moved to Wabash County, this state in 1850, and there both parents died. The deceased was reared to hard work on the home farm, and when twenty years of age was told by his father that, inasmuch as he was unable to give him a start in financial matters, he could then start for himself and not remain at home until he was twenty-one and legally of age. For seven years after starting out for himself he found employment as a day and monthly laborer and during this time was married to Mary B. Clay, and the two children now living, Mrs. W. Jack Latta and Jo H. Lesh, were born.

The year 1873 was the important epoch in the financial career of Mr. Leah. Prior to this time he had worked as hard at farming and kindred employments as was possible for a man to work, and after seven years he was but little better off than when he started. He concluded to try lumbering as a means of bettering his condition. Investing a few dollars which he had saved in some live timber, he cut the trees down, carted the logs to a neighboring saw mill, converted the logs into boards, and when this lumber was sold he found his original investment had been multiplied by seven. Moving at once to North Manchester he turned his entire attention to the lumber trade, and so successful were his efforts that four years later an inventory disclosed that be had accumulated $15,000.

North Manchester then proving too limited a field for his labors, he established a lumber office in Chicago. But desiring to live at Goshen, a place he had always admired, he moved his family to this city in order to get better railroad transportation to where his business was located. Goshen has ever since been his home. After two years profitable transaction in lumber at Chicago be closed out, and invested his capital, amounting to about $20,000, in a like business in Goshen He was evidently adapted to all the intricacies of the lumber trade, for from the beginning he was successful. The business of John H. Lesh & Co., was established by him, and was successful for nine years, when the firm was dissolved.

Mr. Lesh was president of the Lesh, Sanders & Egbert Co., of Goshen and of the Lesh Prouty & Abbott Co., of East Chicago, both extensive lumber firms. He was also president of the Sanders, Lesh & Egbert Co., proprietors of the Lesh addition to Goshen, and was formerly a director of the City National Bank of Goshen, and for over a year the president of the State Bank of Goshen. He was the owner of considerable real estate in different places—one tract near Goshen being as finely an improved piece of land as there is in the state. He owned sixteen acres of Chicago suburban property and about 1,255 acres of southern lands.

Unsolicited on his part he received the republican nomination for mayor of Goshen by acclamation in 1890. He was elected and served one term, making an excellent mayor. He positively declined a renomination. He was a member of the I. O. O. F., the K. of P. and Masonic fraternities, attaining the highest rank in the latter, and was one of Goshen’s few Mystic Shrines.

The death of Mr. Lesh removes from Goshen the third bank president with in the past year and a half. Judge J. M. Latta, president of the City National bank, and Laporte Heefner, president of the State bank, whom Mr. Lesh succeeded, preceding him.

Funeral Arrangements.

The funeral services will be held Friday forenoon at 10 ’clock from his late home, 213 South Sixth street, Rev. B. B. Royer, pastor of the First Reformed, officiating. Interment will occur at Oak Ridge cemetery. The various lodges, of which deceased was a member will attend in separate bodies, though no arrangements for their participation in the services have been arranged.

Friends can view the remains Thursday afternoon from 3 to 6 o’clock.

The Goshen Daily News, Wednesday February 16, 1898, page 1,4

LAST SAD RITES.

All that was mortal of ex-Mayor John H. Lesh was laid to rest this forenoon at Oak Ridge cemetery, followed by a large concourse of relatives, friends and fraternal brethren. The funeral services were held at home of the deceased, 213 South Sixth Street at 10 o’clock, and was largely attended. The majority of the members of the I. O. O F., the Masonic lodges and the Knights of Pythias attended in bodies. The city officials were also represented. The funeral oration was delivered by Rev B. B. Royer of the Reformed church and Rev. Dr Van Nuys of the Presbyterian Church assisted in the services.

The floral offerings were many and most magnificent. Among the floral pieces were a cross, the shape of the emblem of the order, from the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rites Masons of Indianapolis; a crescent frown Murat Temple Shrine of Indianapolis, and lilies from El Old Shrine Club of this city. Mrs. Fitch of Ft. Wayne represented the lodge of that city.

The pall bearers were Mr. S. F. Proaty, of DesMoines, Iowa, Frank Abbott, Chas. W. Miller, F. E. Baker, D. A. Sanders, Haines Egbert. D. W, Neidig, Frank A. Hascall, Geo. F. Alderman, Lew Wanner.

While the remains laid in state at the Sixth street home Thursday afternoon, they were viewed by many friends and citizens, which attested the esteem in which the deceased was held in this community. An excellent citizen and a man of great influence has been removed from our city.

The Goshen Daily News, Friday February 18, 1898