John Jeremiah Jacob

Background

John Jay Jacob was born in Baltimore, Maryland.

Career

He was involved in banking, as well as in commerce, real estate and infrastructure: railroads, canal, bridge, and utilities. As a young man he met Thomas Prather in Philadelphia, and became inspired by his talk of the frontier. He left with him for Kentucky in 1800 at the age of 22.

With his new-found partner, he established Prather and Jacob.

A successful businessman, he became the largest landowner and the richest resident of the city, its first millionaire. Jacob organized and was the first president of the Louisville branch of the Bank of the United States and its successor, the Bank of Kentucky.

He was also treasurer of the Louisville and Portland Canal and involved in the Ohio Bridge Commission in 1827. He was among the founders of the Louisville Gas and Water Company in 1838.

Jacob"s residence was built on the block bounded by Third and Fourth streets, and Chestnut and Walnut Streets.

(He shared the lot with George Keats, brother of the poet John) His land holdings included much of the eventual central business district and Jacob"s Woods, the area presently bounded by Fifth, Preston, Broadway, and Breckinridge streets. Together with George Keats, in 1841 Jacob was elected to Louisville"s City Council for the Fourth Ward. He was a major contributor to Louisville"s Blind Asylum and the City Hospital.

In 1842, he erected Lyndon Hall, now part of the Hurstbourne Country Club"s clubhouse, on his estate in what is now Hurstbourne.

His papers are held by the Filson Historical Society"s Special Collections in Louisville.

Membership

He organized and was a member of the board of directors for the Galt House. He was president of the Lexington and Ohio Railroad and a member of the board of directors of the Louisville and Frankfort Railroad.

Connections

sister-in-law:

Thomas Prather