University of Virginia Library

EDWARD BOYLE JACOBS

The subject of this sketch was born at Hagerstown,
Maryland, March 9th, 1865, and is a son of W. W. and
Ellen C. (Boyle) Jacobs,
both natives of Pennsylvania.
When a small
boy his parents moved to
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania,
where he graduated
from the high
school and embarked in
business at the age of
sixteen years. For a
short period he was employed
in the Post
Office at Chambersburg,
and came to Roanoke,
Virginia, in April, 1888,
and accepted a position
in the motive power department
of the Norfolk
& Western Railway
Company. He was promoted
several times and within a period of three
years was made Chief Clerk to the Superintendent. He
resigned in 1895 to accept the position of Secretary to
D. W. Flickwir, who had been made Receiver for the
West End Iron Company. In the summer of the same
year he became identified with the Iron Belt Building
and Loan Association and a few months later was made
Secretary and Manager, which position he retained
until January 1st, 1902. This was one of the largest
concerns of its kind in the South and on January the
second, 1902, he was named by the United States Court,
as one of the receivers of the Association and acted in
that capacity, until the affairs of the company had
been wound up.

In the spring of 1904, Mr. Jacobs, organized the
Roanoke Chamber of Commerce and was Secretary of
same until 1910. For a period of six years, as Secretary
of the Chamber of Commerce, his services to the city
can hardly be estimated. He kept abreast of the times,
was always keenly alive to the situation, and it was
largely through his untiring efforts that Roanoke became
prominent in the field of industrial endeavor. In
1904 Mr. Jacobs was elected to the City Council from
Highland Ward and served a term of four years. For
two years he was Chairman of the Ordinance and Street
committees and was prominently identified with floating
the bond issue of 1905, which led to extensive
public improvements throughout the city. As Chairman
of the Street Committee, he gave his personal
attention to street improvements, at this time, about
$400,000 was spent for the above-named purpose.
He was largely instrumental in having the splendid
school building near Highland Park erected. By resolution
of Mr. Jacobs, the Gish Tract, a large body of
land owned by the city, was dedicated and designated as
Highland Park.

He was unanimously elected President of the City
Council in 1906, and for two years his administration
was marked by a high order of executive ability.

Since 1910 Mr. Jacobs has been engaged in the business
of Public Accountant and has a large clientele in
this city and throughout Southwest Virginia and West
Virginia.

In 1902 he was married to Nellie M. Gardner,
daughter of Charles F. and Laura Gardner, of Christiansburg,
Virginia, and as a result of that union they
have four children; namely, Kathleen, Edward Boyle,
Elinor and Charles Cleveland.

Fraternally he is a member of all the branches of
Masonry and politically is a Democrat.