In 1863, Mr. Clark's attention was attracted to the manufacture of petroleum oils, a business then in its infancy. In connection with his partners, he erected a factory on the Newburg road, the capacity of which was about fifty-six barrels of crude oil per day. They soon discovered that there was money in the enterprise, and before the end of the year they had increased the capacity of their works four-fold; and the enterprise of this firm has aided materially in making Cleveland what it is to-day, the successful rival of Pittsburgh in the manufacture of petroleum oils. In 1865, the manufacturing branch was purchased by his partner, and the general commission business was continued by Mr. Clark until 1866, when he sold out his interest, remaining nominally out of the business until June of that year, when he wearied of idleness and sought active business once more. Purchasing the controlling interest in another refinery, he set to work, vigorously, enlarging the capacity of the works and bringing capital and energy to bear with such effect upon the business of the firm, that it now ranks among the leading oil refining establishments of the country.
[Illustration: Yours Respectfully, M. B. Clark]
Mr. Clark has been no niggard with the wealth that has accrued to him from his business. During the war he contributed liberally and was active in aiding the cause of the government by giving every practical measure his cordial and generous support. In other matters he has manifested a like liberal spirit. In politics he has acted with the Republicans, and has been active in furthering the success of that party. In 1866, he was elected member of the city council from the fourth ward, and was re-elected in 1868. In religions matters he has always connected himself with the Wesleyan Methodists, and has been a leading supporter of that congregation in Cleveland.
Still in the vigor of life, Mr. Clark has the opportunity of doing much more for the prosperity of the city by increasing the manufacturing business, and this his practical nature leads him to do.
It will be seen that Mr. Clark has been the architect of his own fortune. His sympathies are with the industrial classes, from which he sprang, and in return he has the confidence and good will of a large portion of that class.
Mr. Clark was married in 1853, and has a family of five children.
Jacob Lowman.
Jacob Lowman was born in Washington county, Maryland, Sept. 22, 1810. He worked with his father on the farm until he was eighteen, at which time he became an apprentice to the smithing department of the carriage building trade. At the expiration of his apprenticeship, in 1832, he came to Ohio. He stopped in Stark county for a few months, and then came to Cleveland, in search of work, which he readily obtained, with Elisha Peet, on Seneca street, where Frankfort street now intersects it. He worked about a year and a half, for which he received nine dollars per month and board. Being of steady habits, he saved in that time about seventy-five dollars. Mr. Lowman then bought out his employer, and commenced at once on his own account, at the same place. After two years, he built a shop where the Theatre Comique now stands, and remained there eight years. At first he labored alone, after awhile he had one journeyman, soon adding still another, and another, till, at the end of the eight years, he employed about fifteen men. He then removed to Vineyard street, having built shops there to accommodate his increasing business. This was about the year 1842--3. After moving to the new buildings, his business constantly grew with the city, and more men were employed. In 1851, Mr. Lowman commenced the erection of a still larger building to meet his increasing demands; he was then employing from thirty-five to forty men. About this time too, he associated with him Mr. Wm. M. Warden, who had then been in his employ for about ten years. Their facilities were sufficient till about the time of the war, when they erected a large brick building on Champlain street, now occupied as a smith shop, trimming shop, store room, etc., since which they have employed about sixty men. Mr. Lowman, for a number of years, did little beside a local trade, but for the last five or six years he has built up quite a large foreign trade, shipping West extensively--Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Indiana and Kentucky, being the principal markets.
Mr. Lowman has been strictly temperate all his life. He has taken a lively interest in the Sunday schools of the city, in connection with the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he has been a member nearly since he came to the city.
He was married in 1841 to Miss Minerva E. Peet, by whom he had four children, three of whom are now living--the oldest son being in business with his father. He suffered the loss of his partner in life in 1857. He married again in 1863, to Mrs. Sarah D. Goodwin, of Lorain county, Ohio, formerly of Vermont.