This home was purchased for $2.25 million in 2013 by an LLC. "I remember him more as an outdoorsman than I do as a businessman," says his daughter, Amy. 25 Most Expensive Homes in Columbus, Ohio Updated 2022. He had the nurses in tears.". In his late twenties, Robert settled in Columbus and soon became a top salesman for the H.C. Godman Shoe Company. Phone: (614) 263-5297. Newspaper accounts said he complained of feeling ill, opened the window and fell. Twice the four beneficiaries failed to reach agreement on the distribution. The Wolfes. "The Wolfes had all the power prior to World War II," recalls one civic leader. Owning both theJournaland theDispatch, the Wolfe brothers became Republicans to be reckoned with. Get contact info, address & run background checks for Alan Wolfe. The opportunity is there if I want it." Its where they check vehicles and guests for safety. The Columbus Dispatch was owned by the Wolfe family for 110 years, according to the article. With 905,000 people in the city proper and just over 2 million in the metro area, Columbus is the second largest midwestern city behind Chicago. "That wouldn't have happened 10 years ago," says one associate. Robert, who died at the age of 81 in 1981 of kidney disease, married four times and had two sons, Michael Lambert Wolfe and William Culver Wolfe. She recalls her father picking her up after school and taking her to help tend to the cattle and ducks on his farm-called Lobo Land and Cattle-near Buckeye Lake. The family casts a long shadow,hesaid. Johnhad greatvision.". He rose through technical and management jobs at WBNS-TV, becoming president in 1971. Thrusting John W. to the forefront was a stunning and tragic accident that killed his brother, Edgar Jr. Ed, as his friends called him, had spent his career at the Wolfe papers, becoming publisher and chairman of the Dispatch Printing Company when Preston retired in 1973. Columbus married Sally Wolfe. On Harry's death his nephew Edgar-Robert's son-assumed family leadership, setting the stage for the later dominance of Edgar's own sons, John Walton and Edgar Jr. Harry's three sons-Robert, Richard and Preston-all became active in family businesses. Perhaps to protect some earlier investments, the Wolfes injected another $100,000 into the failing institution. Their father had inherited roughly half the family financial interests; their older brother, Robert F. II, had been killed in an auto accident at 19. Another real possibility is that John W. and John F. may orchestrate the sale of some-or even all-of the family's major assets. The family's business interests advanced with the century and the city. Family members are active on local boards, including the zoo, where KatieWolfe Lloyd serves as secretary, andthe Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation board, chaired by Ann Wolfe. Rightly or wrongly, he was seen as more liberal, more open and friendly-certainly more social. Granted, they say, he is a little rough around the edges, but he also is exceedingly loyal and often generous. Columbus married Sallie Alice Wolfe. Among Edgar Jr.'s children, Edgar III has died; Andrew describes himself as a farmer, tending his property near Buckeye Lake; Elisa says she wants to open a business of her own; and Amy stays home with her child, John Preston Wolfe. But when four or five employees withdrew money from a Wolfe-owned bank during a run, Harry fired or blackballed them. A new entry in the top 25 list! They are the only two family members in positions of real power in Wolfe enterprises. Colleges, news out lets, military, and politicians are corrupt, by way of Satanist pretending to be Jewish. The capabilities of the fourth-generation Wolfes have yet to be thoroughly tested. Forbesmagazine's estimate that the Wolfe family collectively is worth more than $300 million may be conservative. That was his familys legacy, and just to think he had to be the one at the helm when it happened.". He is an avid historian with an amazing grasp of early Columbus lore. Amy Parrett, (814) 790-6688, Erie P Andrew Jackson and his wife, Nancy Barton Wolfe, a staunch Presbyterian, moved about Eastern Ohio, trying to earn enough in the shoemaking trade to raise six children. Others, though, say Wolfe can be warm, even charming-and as true a friend as anyone could want. And in those days, to get a call from the Wolfes was like word from God.". The Wolfe family did not startThe Columbus Dispatch, and the familyno longer owns the newspaper. But the brothers didn't let such opinions stand in the way of good business. He is also the son of Cardinal Health founder Robert Walter. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Longtime Ohio newspaper publisher John F. Wolfe, whose family sold The Columbus Dispatch last year and still owns television and radio stations, has died at age 72. "Jerry" Jurgensen, who arrived in Columbus in 2000 to become chief executive officer of Nationwide. But the Wolfes still had veto power. Whether the Wolfes used their influence or not seems almost beside the point. "And Johnalways was advising them. The case, however, eventually was dismissed.). Tipton was replaced as director of the Ohio Center. John W. was a stronger personality than his brother, although Edgar Jr. was three years older. "Then Columbus began to grow after the war and more families got involved. Scott, a daughter of Eddie's mother by her second marriage, has no Wolfe blood. This home is owned by a business entity but appears to be owned by Kent Bowen, CEO of ContactUS Communications. January 1927 The Beginning The Columbus Zoo opened with a small collection of animals that were donated by the Wolfe Family (who owned the Columbus Dispatch newspaper). . Of all the fourth-generation Wolfes (21 so far), John W.'s favorite seems to be Amy. The property was purchased by Robert Ouellette, who is a partner at the IceMiller law firm in 2015. Probably not. Using profits from the shoe business, the brothers next moved into newspaper publishing. 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Some Wolfes, such as retired Dispatch publisher Preston, live productively into old age. His first, to Jo Ann Wallace, ended in 1968 in one of the most bitter divorce cases in Ohio history. In 1903, they outmaneuvered a congressman from Steubenville, J.J. Gill, and bought theOhio State Journal. Many younger Wolfes--including John W.'s own children-have dropped out or shown no interest in running the family empire. (he was a personal friend of J. Edgar Hoover), hunting, fishing, travel and photography. The Wolfes abandoned the shoe business decades ago, and recently sold their significant interest in BancOhio Corp., somewhat diluting their financial power. Harry Wolfe particularly despised the New Deal policies of Franklin Roosevelt during the Depression, believing Roosevelt's social reforms would turn the country toward socialism. Back at the Ohio Company, John W. distributed the ashtrays to certain employees as a reminder of who "feeds" them. As his health deteriorated in 1984 and early 1985, Eddie tried to get his financial affairs in order. "When I got to Columbusin 2000, he was one of the first meetings Itook," Jurgensen said. I bet he spends just as much time on his philanthropic endeavors as he does on business. Like Preston, John F. dislikes public speaking, though he does it more often than John W. Bob Johnson, now publisher of Newsday on Long Island, New York, was vice president and general manager of the Dispatch from 1974 to 1982. An early investment in the Ohio Trust Co. led, in 1929, to the family forming BancOhioCorp., which National City (now PNC) acquired in the 1980s. The Bank of California charges the trustees purposely refused, despite repeated requests from Eddie III, to turn over his share of the trust to him. The talk around town was that if you wanted something done, you had to have it cleared with the Wolfes. Appraised Value: $2,550,000if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'nothingbuthouse_com-leader-3','ezslot_7',115,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-nothingbuthouse_com-leader-3-0'); The former home of ESPN analyst and former OSU quarterback Kirk Herbstreit. He was entitled to about one-fourth of the estate of his father, Edgar Jr., who had died in a plane crash in 1975. And an empire it is. Eddie had executed his final will and amended his trust in April, 1985, about a month before his death. During a banking crisis in 1907, the Ohio Trust Company was about to close its doors. This is a very modest 3 bedroom, 2 bath home. After her divorce from Ed Jr., Marilyn remarried and had another daughter, Jane Scott, who has become the focal point of the current family legal battles. "When he went to the hospital, he told them he was a concert pianist and would never be able to play again. After Robert made his fortune in Columbus, he is said to have paid for the education of the jailkeeper's daughter, and even to have left money to her in his will. But Harry never wavered. The family got its Columbus start in 1888, when Robert F. Wolfe landed in the city at age 28 after bouncing around the nation in a novelistic string of jobs including canal boat crew member, New York newsboy, Atlantic coast shipper, Louisiana lumberjack and Texas cowboy. Home to 5 of the Fortune 500 and a major hub for both insurance and banking, Columbus is growing rapidly due to major growth in jobs and an educated workforce. Edgar, Harry's nephew, but full partner since 1927, was the family strongman. He knew it was time," he said. John W. Wolfe, the Ohio Company's chairman, oversees all major family enterprises from his office in the BancOhio building at 155 E. Broad St. It's their reputation for secrecy, for hard-nosed, back-room dealing, for political kingmaking, for refusing to conform to some of the conventions of "polite" society. And both have taken the side of their late cousin, Eddie III, and his half sister, Jane Scott, in the current legal battles. But their other assets remain impressive: The Ohio Company, Central Ohio's largest brokerage and investment banking house, has nearly $100 million in assets and a net worth of nearly $50 million. Wolfe was angry at the Mid-Ohio Health Planning Federation and its director, Gordon Labuhn, for opposing his plan to build a $40 million cancer research hospital at Ohio State University. He loved music, often entertaining friends on the piano or electric organ. Through Dispatch editorials and in other ways, John F. Wolfeled a campaign against placing a casino in the Arena District in 2010, leading some to accuse the family of putting theirArena District investment interests ahead of the community's interest. Only the Wolfe Wear-U-Well shoe business was in decline, and it had long since become a relatively small part of the family empire. You would go before him to present a plan and he would sit at the end of the table and not say more than three words. Some have moved to California and Texas. Whether youre talking abouttheeconomics,philanthropies orpoliticsof Columbus, theyre involved for more than 125 years., Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Turn-of-the-century Columbus was a boom town, with the population increasing nearly five-fold between 1880 and 1920, offering endless possibilities for ambitious entrepreneurs. But both Bruce and Dick say they have no intention of trying to pull off a coup. Within the past decade he has: Used the Dispatch to help defeat a tax levy for the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) because he was angry at Will Hellerman, a Nationwide Insurance executive who was then COTA's chairman. Robert's brother Preston took the newspaper business seriously. EXPLAINER: How ominous is the debt limit problem? Tegna Inc. announced Tuesday morning it has reached an agreement to acquire Indianapolis NBC. Elisa, says one of her attorneys, knew Eddie had AIDS, but at his request didn't reveal his illness to family members. #3 is owned by Wexner friend Jack Kessler. Andrew Wolfe acknowledges in a court filing that he signed the document, but denies it was a final agreement. Mr. Merkel is CEO of Rockbridge, a private investment firm focused on hotels and hospitality. Zillow does give is a value of $3.2 million which would put it very close to top 25. "It's staggering to think of all he has done for the community, which doesn't know anything about it. Dr. Larry Carey, a principal target of Wolfe's ire, was soon forced to resign as chairman of OSU's department of surgery. By the time John F. Wolfe took the reins of the family's business interests, his sixth-floor office overlooking the Statehouse had become a center ofpower in the community. The competition was often fierce and never friendly. It is the former St. Marys school and was purchased by Cardinal Health founder Robert Walter and his wife, Peggy and converted into a residence. For now, John W. Wolfe seems secure. But Robert's nephew Preston, the family historian, tells a different story. At the Ohio Company, John W. appears to ascribe to the Autocratic Oath of management style; he's clearly in control and lets others know it. Voters approved bonds for the venture and, as a result, Port Columbus opened in 1929. Robert, a former employee later recalled, "gave devoted attention. We will get it added in our updated list. And the trustees question whether the "final agreement" signed by Andrew, Amy, Elisa and Eddie was, in fact, final. Or should the current Wolfes be commended for following an old family motto: "Self praise is half slander"? Author John Gunther declared inInside Americathat Robert learned the shoemaking trade in prison. During the 1960s, working from the executive offices of Ohio National Bank, John W. came to dominate family business councils. As Columbus had expanded dramatically after World War II, so had the Wolfe enterprises. He read extensively and often quoted Shakespeare and classical works. In Wolfe's battle with Mid-Ohio, Labuhn says, Wolfe "fought fair, was never dishonest. "My departure to California was of my own motion," he says. Ann attends college in Minnesota; Tory operates a My Nails salon in Columbus; Douglas wants to open a restaurant, to be called El Lobo Charbroil, in Grandview; Robert III once worked for WBNS-TV, but left the station in the 1970s. I shoulda been a detective or private investigator! There is speculation over John W.'s relationships with his four children-all by Jo Ann, who now lives in Arizona and runs a ceramics shop called The Wolfe's Den. Harry's idea of a good time was to invite family and friends to a dinner he had planned and prepared himself at the Wigwam, where the Wolfes often entertained politicians and celebrities and sometimes made business deals. Does it worry John F. that the Wolfes are often criticized for being too private, too secretive? . Today Dick is remarried, lives near Los Angeles and is vice president for technology of a company called Sat-Corp Inc. Last Sold: $240,000 in 1987if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'nothingbuthouse_com-leader-4','ezslot_9',125,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-nothingbuthouse_com-leader-4-0'); Whitebarn Organics is an investment firm run by Les Wexners wife, Abigail Wexner. But among them, they controlled only about half of the Wolfe stock. The Wolfe family developed the land just off I-70 in Violet Township and put up the buildings in the 1920s. Secretive and remote almost to the point of isolation, the Wolfe clan often has seemed like a huge, gray monolith, difficult to approach and even harder to understand; family members cling to their privacy like a life-support system. Wolfe worked closely with the city to develop the Scioto River waterfront, bring the National Veterans Memorial and Museum to the riverfrontand replace the failed City Center Mall with Columbus Commons park, which was renamed in honor of him after his death. The current family patriarch, John Walton Wolfe, has begun flexing Wolfe muscle in some new and intriguing ways, taking a more visible role in deciding what gets done-and what doesn't. Appraised Value: $2,736,000if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,100],'nothingbuthouse_com-netboard-2','ezslot_16',118,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-nothingbuthouse_com-netboard-2-0'); Another Upper Arlington home added to the list! John W. also has a black stepdaughter, Nadine Allen, a product of Italian-born Norina's marriage to an American GI after World War II. "He really struggled it was verydifficult. And he specifically disinherited three relatives: his mother, Marilyn May; and his half-siblings, Andrew and Amy, Edgar Jr.'s children by a second marriage. Also, Elisa's share in her father's estate is in question; John W. wants the option of giving her cash instead of stock. Not the Wolfes. Will any of the lawsuits ever come to trial? TheDispatchand WBNS-TV alone may be worth that much. 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