Moment in Time Revisited

The first Grandview Heights municipal election occurred more than 100 years ago on April 28, 1906. Samuel Coates Jones, an extremely active lawyer and politician, was elected the first mayor. He was born in West Milton, in Miami County in 1854. He attended Antioch College and the University of Michigan and was admitted to the bar in 1879. By the time he moved to Columbus in 1891 he had already served two terms as president of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorney’s Association. He maintained a private practice but was also elected to serve a two-year term as Chairman and Professor of Law at The Ohio State University. He was elected to the Columbus City Council in 1894. He moved to Grandview Heights in 1904 and resided at the southeast corner of Elmwood and First Avenues. Newspaper articles from the period indicate that he was a vocal advocate of incorporation for Grandview Heights. Tragically, he did not complete his term. He died of pneumonia at the age of 55 on April 24, 1909. As a final tribute the entire Franklin County Bar Association attended his funeral.

NOTE: Originally submitted to ThisWeek News for publication April 25, 2006.