Ink-Slinger Profiles: Harry Paschall

Harry Barton Paschall was born in Ashley, Ohio on November 27, 1896, according to his World War I draft card. However, according to the 1900 U.S Federal Census, he was born in March 1898. And there is a third birth date, November 27, 1897, in the Roark Report which was not sourced. In the 1900 census Paschall was the youngest of four children born to Francis, a machine salesman, and Cynthia. They lived in Marion, Ohio at 402 Windsor.

The 1910 census recorded the Paschall family in Marion at 216 Mark Street. The Marion Daily Star, December 30, 1915, reported Paschall’s appearance in an advertisement.

Finely Developed Is Harry B. Paschall
High School Graduate’s Picture in Advertisement

In the January issue of the Physical Culture Magazine, the eighteen-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. F.M. Paschall, of Mark street, and a graduate of the class of 1915 of the Marion High School, is shown as a type of the near-perfect physical young man. The picture is shown in the advertisement of a Philadelphia company.

Mr. Paschall took special training under the rules and regulations set forth by the magazine, “Strength,” issued by this company. He also spent a great deal of his spare time doing apparatus work on the Y.M.C.A. gymnasium floor. The article goes on to say that a year before Paschall started his physical training he was undeveloped, but after a few months of special training under the direction of the company he had developed seven inches about the chest and three inches in the biceps and other parts of the body accordingly. The article says that the three hours a week of this training has made him one of the most beautifully developed athletes in the country. He was on the last year’s football squad of the High school.

His art talent was noted in the Marion Daily Star, July 10, 1916:

Marion Boy’s Crayon Sketch Shows Talent
Harry B. Paschall Draws Likeness of Charles E. Hughes.

The Star has received a crayon sketch of the likeness of Charles Evans Hughes, Republican candidate for president, drawn by Harry B. Paschall. The sketch is well drawn and gives evidence that the young artist has more than common skill with the crayon.

Mr. Paschall is a graduate of the class of 1915 of the Marion High school. During his High school career he was the artist and designer for the Quiver, the High school paper, and his work always received praise from the High school students.

Paschall married when he was 19, according to the 1930 census. When he signed his draft card his address was 720 West Fifth Street in Dayton, Ohio. He worked at the Pyramid Film Company in Dayton, and named his wife, Vera, as his nearest relative. Paschall’s listing in the 1918 Dayton City Directory said he was a cartoonist. In the 1919 directory he resided at 235 West Fountain Avenue.

According to the 1920 census, Paschall, his wife and two daughters resided in Dayton at 235 Fountain Avenue. His occupation was artist at a film company. In this decade he moved several times. The 1921 directory said he worked at 25 South Main Street in room 524. In 1922 he was treasurer of the Screen Art Picture[s] Company at 16 4th Street. While in Dayton, he produced the comic strip Everything’s Up to Ma which debuted in the Woman’s Page section of the the Daily Star (Long Island City, New York), December 19, 1921.

Marion, Ohio was Paschall’s new home, in 1923, where he was an artist at the advertising agency, Jay H. Maish Company, 400 South Main Street. He resided at 252 Lincoln Avenue. In the 1925 directory his address was 131-1/2 South State Street. He worked as an artist at 148 West Center Street.

The 1926 Columbus, Ohio City Directory listed Paschall as manager of the Jay H. Maish Company. He commuted to work from Pickerington, Ohio. In 1927 he was an advertising agent in Columbus at 36 West Gay Street, and resided at 96 South Ogden Avenue. His 1928 listing said he was a cartoonist living at 610 South High Street. Apparently he divorced his wife in 1928 because in the following 1929 directory she was listed separately as “wid[ow] Harry”. Paschall was a manufacturers agent at 50 West Broad Street, room 3640.

Paschall’s first name was recorded as “Henry” in the 1930 census. Divorced, he lived in South Bend, Indiana where he was an advertising agent. His wife and three daughters remained in Columbus. The 1933 Columbus City Directory listed his residence at 1438 Haines Avenue where was married to Myrtle and continued as an artist. Their address in 1938 was 1137 Franklin Avenue, Columbus.

In the 1940 census, Paschall and Myrtle remained at the same address. His occupation was artist who had two years of college. The 1949 city directory’s business section listed his advertising agency at 30 East Broad Street, room 503, which he shared with Thurston A. Waters and Daniel W. Boggs. Paschall’s residence was 323 Mayfair Boulevard in the 1954 Columbus City Directory.

Bodybuilding and weightlifting were Paschall’s life-long interests. The Evening Leader (Corning, New York), August 25, 1926, published the Associated Press report of his accomplishment:

Weight Marks Set
Philadelphia, Aug. 25—(AP)—Two new records were established in the national weight lifting championships, held under the auspices of the National Continual Weight-Lifting Association here….In the snatch event of the middleweight class, Harry Paschall, Columbus, O., set a new mark by lifting 185 pounds. His total was 595 pounds.

Paschall created cartoon character Bosco, a German strongman, who first appeared in 1936 in Strength and Health magazine. (Bosco can be seen in action here.) In his books Paschall employed Bosco in Muscle Moulding (1950), Bosco System of Progressive Physical Training (1950), Development of Strength (1951), and Bosco’s Strength Note Book (three numbers in 1951 and 1952).

According to the Roark Report, Paschall passed away September 24, 1957. A family tree (see number 121) said he died in Delaware, Ohio.