Submitted by Marcia Levy
Jonathan Warner was born in 1865 in Mineral Ridge, Ohio. His parents were Jacob Warner (1806—1910) and Maria Lewis (1846). He graduated from The Rayen School in Youngstown and attended Williams College where he dropped out in his junior year to work for the Falcon Iron Co. in Niles. In 1891 he married Mary Ward (1870-1906) of New Castle, Pa. They had a daughter Elizabeth (1893-1971) who married Edward Ford Clarke.
In 1895 he helped organize the Struthers Sheet Mill which later became the US Steel Corporation.
In 1907 he purchased the Empire Iron and Steel mills in Niles, Ohio which later became the Brier Hill Steel Co. He founded the Trumbull Steel Co. in 1912 and built the first strip mills in the area. The Trumbull Steel Co, was located in Warren, Ohio and employed more than 6000 men. In 1919 he purchased the Liberty Steel Co. near Leavittsburg.
Jonathan Warner owned a home on Wick Avenue and in 1919 he purchased 325 acres of land on what is now Warner Rd in Liberty Township and built a mansion and a farm where he bred prize cattle.
In 1925 there was an investigation of misuse of funds of Trumbull Steel Co and Jonathan Warner resigned as president. He agreed to turn over all of his financial assets, his home on Wick Avenue, his art collection, and his farm and mansion on Warner Rd.
In 1929 Cleveland financier, Cyrus Eaton took over chairmanship of Trumbull Steel and in 1930 he merged it with Republic Iron and Steel.
Jonathan Warner left Ohio in August of 1925 and never returned to Ohio. He went to Europe to live and married his secretary, Clara Owens (1891-1976) ,in 1926 in France. He returned in 1931 and lived in Philadelphia,Pa where he died in 1934.
He was involved in the industrial and civic affairs in the Mahoning Valley for over 30 years.
