Levi Addison Ault
Encyclopedia
Levi Addison Ault was a Canadian
-born businessman and bureaucrat whose career was closely associated with the city of Cincinnati, Ohio
, where he earned the nickname "Father of Cincinnati's parks".
to a successful Franco-Ontarian
fabric manufacturer, Ault moved to Wisconsin
in his teens, where he worked as a bookkeeper. In 1876, he moved to Cincinnati and took a job as a lampblack salesman.
Two years later, Ault and his business partner Frank Wiborg incorporated Ault & Wiborg, an ink
manufacturer which became the world's top producer and supplier of inks and lithograph supplies. In 1928, Ault sold his share in the company for $14 million.
In the mid-1920s, Ault was offered an ambassador
ship by U.S.
President
Warren G. Harding
, but he declined.
Ault was also an avid naturalist, whose passion for parks led him to join Cincinnati's parks board. He served as chair of the board from 1908 to 1926, and donated 204 acre
s (825,000 m²) of land to the city to create Ault Park
. Twenty acres (21,000 m²) not donated by Ault himself were later added to this park as well.
He also donated a family property on Sheek's Island
to the Township
of Cornwall
, which also became known as Ault Park
.
In 1958, 28 years after Ault's death, Sheek's Island and Ault's birthplace in Mille Roches were submerged by construction on the St. Lawrence Seaway project. With the help of Ault's surviving family, Ault Park was rebuilt on the new river shoreline near Long Sault, and is home to a historical museum commemorating The Lost Villages
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-born businessman and bureaucrat whose career was closely associated with the city of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, where he earned the nickname "Father of Cincinnati's parks".
Biography
Born in Mille Roches, OntarioMille Roches, Ontario
Mille Roches is an underwater ghost town in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is one of Ontario's Lost Villages, which were permanently flooded by the creation of the St...
to a successful Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarians are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. They are sometimes known as "Ontarois"....
fabric manufacturer, Ault moved to Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
in his teens, where he worked as a bookkeeper. In 1876, he moved to Cincinnati and took a job as a lampblack salesman.
Two years later, Ault and his business partner Frank Wiborg incorporated Ault & Wiborg, an ink
Ink
Ink is a liquid or paste that contains pigments and/or dyes and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing and/or writing with a pen, brush, or quill...
manufacturer which became the world's top producer and supplier of inks and lithograph supplies. In 1928, Ault sold his share in the company for $14 million.
In the mid-1920s, Ault was offered an ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
ship by U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Warren G. Harding
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
, but he declined.
Ault was also an avid naturalist, whose passion for parks led him to join Cincinnati's parks board. He served as chair of the board from 1908 to 1926, and donated 204 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (825,000 m²) of land to the city to create Ault Park
Ault Park
Ault Park is the fourth-largest park in Cincinnati at 223.949 acres , owned and operated by the Cincinnati Park Board. It lies in the Mount Lookout neighborhood on the city's east side. The park sports a soccer field, playground, and an impressive flower garden, first designed by George Kessler and...
. Twenty acres (21,000 m²) not donated by Ault himself were later added to this park as well.
He also donated a family property on Sheek's Island
Sheek's Island, Ontario
Sheek's Island is an island in the St. Lawrence River in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is considered to be one of Ontario's Lost Villages, which were permanently flooded by the creation of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1958...
to the Township
Township (Canada)
The term township generally means the district or area associated with a town. However in some systems no town needs to be involved. The specific use of the term to describe political subdivisions has varied by country, usually to describe a local rural or semi-rural government within the county...
of Cornwall
South Stormont, Ontario
South Stormont is a township in eastern Ontario, Canada, in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. The township was incorporated on January 1, 1998, by amalgamating the former geographic townships of Cornwall and Osnabruck....
, which also became known as Ault Park
Ault Park (Ontario)
Ault Park is a park on the St. Lawrence River in the Township of South Stormont, near Long Sault, Ontario, Canada.Originally on Sheek's Island, the park was built on family property donated to the Township of Cornwall by Levi Addison Ault....
.
In 1958, 28 years after Ault's death, Sheek's Island and Ault's birthplace in Mille Roches were submerged by construction on the St. Lawrence Seaway project. With the help of Ault's surviving family, Ault Park was rebuilt on the new river shoreline near Long Sault, and is home to a historical museum commemorating The Lost Villages
The Lost Villages
The Lost Villages are ten communities in the Canadian province of Ontario, in the former townships of Cornwall and Osnabruck near Cornwall, which were permanently submerged by the creation of the Saint Lawrence Seaway in 1958....
.