Born on May 7, 1844, in the quiet village of Winchester in Adams County, Ohio, Lucien Jerome Fenton would go on to become one of the county’s most influential and enduring figures. His life spanned war, peace, politics, and profound local development, leaving behind a legacy still felt in the community today.
Fenton was the third of eight children born to Benjamin and Elizabeth Smith Fenton. Raised in rural southern Ohio, Lucien’s early years were shaped by the values of hard work and patriotism. At the age of 18, during the height of the Civil War, he enlisted in the Union Army, serving as a private in Company I of the 91st Ohio Volunteer Infantry. That formative experience, like for many of his generation, shaped a lifelong commitment to public service.
After the war, Fenton returned home and began a career in education, teaching school from 1865 to 1881. His aptitude for leadership eventually took him to Washington, D.C., where he served as a clerk in the U.S. Treasury Department. But his heart remained in Ohio, and in 1884, he returned to Winchester and established the Winchester Bank with a capital investment of $50,000. That two-story building—shared at the time with a dry goods store—would evolve into what is known today as the First State Bank of Winchester, a thriving institution with 13 branches across southern Ohio and northern Kentucky.
Lucien Fenton’s leadership extended far beyond banking. In 1892, then-Governor William McKinley appointed him a trustee of Ohio University in Athens. That same year, he was selected as a delegate to the Republican National Convention. In 1895, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving two terms in the Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth Congresses. Though he did not secure a third term, Fenton remained a force in Adams County, returning to banking and devoting himself to public education. He served as president of both the Winchester School Board (1912–1922) and the Adams County School Board (1918 until his death).
On May 22, 1872, Lucien married Sarah Belle Manker of Mason County, Kentucky. Together they had four children, three of whom lived to adulthood: Alberta, Clifton, and Mary. His family life and deep civic involvement were intertwined, reflecting his commitment to building a stronger community through both economic and educational opportunity.
Lucien Jerome Fenton passed away on June 28, 1922, at the age of 78. His wife Sarah followed him in 1931. The couple now rest side by side in Winchester Cemetery—a fitting resting place in the hometown he served with such dedication.
Today, more than a century later, Fenton’s influence endures—in the classrooms he helped guide, in the financial institutions he built, and in the civic spirit he championed. He remains a proud son of Winchester, a soldier, statesman, and servant whose contributions helped shape the course of Adams County history.
