James Kilbourn Oil Portrait ca. 1830

James Kilbourn (b. October 19, 1770-d. April 24, 1850) was the founder of Worthington, Ohio. Son of an impoverished farmer, he set out on his own at 16, illiterate and poor. Self-educated and self-made, his life typifies the frontier entrepreneur. In addition to founding the City of Worthington in 1803, he also founded the cities of Bucyrus, Norton, Lockbourne and Sandusky, served in the U.S. Congress, and was active in the religious and political life of Columbus and Ohio. This James Kilbourn oil portrait on canvas by unknown artist was originally owned and hung in the first Worthington Public Library from 1927-1974. The portrait hung opposite that of Kilbourn’s granddaughter Elizabeth Jones Deshler, who donated the funds for Worthington’s first public library building in 1925. It was given to the Worthington Historical Society in 1974. Portraits were common keepsakes of New England life. Prominent people often had more than one portrait made. The skill of the artist indicates that portrait painters were able to earn a living in the region. Oil portraits were frequently painted and collected before the advent of photography.

Contributor: Worthington Historical Society

Worthington Libraries and the Worthington Historical Society have partnered to build Worthington Memory, an online scrapbook of Worthington's history. Visit us at http://www.worthingtonmemory.org. Your Items Are Needed! For more information please contact WorthingtonMemory@worthingtonlibraries.org.