• John Carlisle came to Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio, with his parents, Andrew Carlisle and Eleanor Carlisle, in 1792, when it was part of the Northwest Territory.
In 1801, on April 30th, at Chillicothe, Ohio, John Carlisle and Elizabeth Mann were united in marriage by the Rev. M. Speer, of the First Presbyterian Church.
He always wore a cue and persisted in this peculiar style of dressing his hair until his death, which occurred July 19th, 1847, at the family homestead on Main street, Chillicothe. Every morning during his life he had his hair dressed and his cue braided and tied with a black ribbon by his barber, Jim Richards. His hair was black and made a braid about two feet long.
The following obituary notice was taken from the Scioto Gazette of July 21st, 1847, Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio:
“Died – In this city about one o’clock A. M. on Monday last, after a short and painful illness, in the seventy-sixth year of his age, John Carlisle, Sr., Esq.
“The deceased for the last fifty years has been one of the most active and useful citizens of Chillicothe.
“He settled here about 1792, and soon entered upon a successful and extensive mercantile career, which was continued until after the late war with Great Britain.
“During the struggle in which the people of the Scioto Valley warmly participated, Mr. Carlisle on more than one occasion made large advances to the government, both of goods and provisions, organizing, transporting and equipping troops, from his own private purse, thus contributing material aid to his country.
“In his mercantile transactions he was distinguished for liberality to debtors, and promptitude to creditors, and ever combining the character of a public-spirited citizen, high-minded gentleman and an enterprising merchant.
“For the last twenty-five years Mr. Carlisle has devoted much of his attention to the interests of this town and county.
“In the address published in our last paper by the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas for this county, ample testimony is borne to this philanthropic and liberal course.
“His services as Commissioner of Ross County continued to the day of his death and have been of marked utility. In the discharge of the different duties of that office, he probably gave just offense to none.
“Mr. Carlisle was ever an ardent and honest politician, none more uncompromising of principle, none more lenient to the convictions of others than he. A close and intimate personal friend of Henry Clay and of General William H. Harrison, and others of national reputation, but a closer and more intimate friend of suffering humanity, and particularly so of the poor and unfortunate of our own community.
“We trust that some contemporary of Mr. Carlisle’s will furnish our city with a suitable notice of the life and career of this aged and respected citizen. He was one of the few men of the olden time who have been spared to the present generation, as examples of integrity and manly virtue.
“Mr. Carlisle as the father of a large family, all of whom, yet living, occupy respectable positions in society. He leaves an aged wife, with whom he has lived a faithful and a loving husband for nearly half a century.
“His funeral was attended yesterday by the Masonic fraternity, of which organization he was an honored member of high standing, and a large concourse of citizens, including the municipal authorities.”

In the August number of the Scioto Gazette (1847) appeared the following clipping:
“Judge Bailhicke was formerly the editor of the Scioto Gazette, and at this writing is the proprietor and editor of the Alton (Illinois) Telegraph, and thus discourseth upon seeing the notice of the death of the late Mr. Carlisle:
“ ‘Passing away. The following obituary notice extracted from the last Scioto Gazette, of Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio, a newspaper, the name of which recalls to us the many passing incidents of the olden time, announces the death of an old and valued friend.
“ ‘We became personally acquainted with the late Mr. Carlisle in 1812 and know that his great work as a man and public spirit as a citizen are not here overrated.
“ ‘To him more, perhaps, than any other individual is the beautiful city of Chillicothe indebted for many of its improvements, and notwithstanding his advanced age, his death may justly be considered a great loss to the community among whom he so long resided.
“ ‘The friends of our youth are passing away, one after another, and their departure from the stage of human action earnestly admonishes us that our own cannot be far distant.’ "1206, pp 6 & 7

• Their son John became a prominent business man in Chillicothe having a mercantile business at the SE corner of Paint and Main streets. His brother [sic] Henry Nelson continued in business with him and the two built a two-story brick building on this busy corner.1282, p 118

• He [William Roberts Eckart] married Eleanor Carlisle, who was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, where her father, John Carlisle, was a pioneer resident, settling there in 1798. Mr. Carlisle was a merchant of prominence, a man of influence in public matters, and a Republican in politics.1192

• The town of Chillicothe, in Scioto township, was made the seat of government for the Northwestern Territory in 1800, which was previously at Cincinnati, but by act of Congress removed to Chillicothe. It was incorporated as a town January 4, 1802, and the following officers appointed by General St. Clair, commanding the Northwestern Territory: ....John Carlisle, Members of Select Council.1283, p 128

• The first flat boats that floated down the Scioto were two sent out by McLaughlin and John Carlisle, in 1803, from Chillicothe, and destined for New Orleans.1284, p 79

• For some time the Chillicothe congregation worshipped in the old state house, the use of which was generously offered to them. There is no record as to the time when the first meeting house was erected; but it must have been commenced not long after Mr. William’s acceptance. In the then existing circumstances of the congregation, the building of a church was a work demanding great courage and self-denial. After commencing the building, they found themselves unable to finish it, and were in danger of losing all they had invested. In this emergency John Carlisle came forward, and at his own expense finished the building and handed it over to the congregation free from debt.1284, p 249

• one of those “belonging to the bridge company”1284, p 269
• A toll bridge was constructed across the Scioto in 1815, the company owning it belonging to... John Carlisle.1197, p 70

• The campaign of 1840 was the political event in the history of Chillicothe. As may be inferred from the preceding statement, the political sentiment was largely with the “Tippecanoe and Tyler too” party... This...prepared the way for the largest and most enthusiastic political meeting ever held in Ross County. ...it was estimated that forty thousand people assembled at Sugar Grove to hear General [William Henry] Harrison.
On this occasion the ladies of the city presented General Harrison with a cane cut on the battlefield of Tippecanoe where he won distinguished honors as a military officer. John Carlisle delivered the presentation speech, to which the General responded feelingly and appropriately. The ladies concerned in this gift were ...Eliza Carlisle, etc.1197, pp 75-6

• Coming to Chillicothe in 1802, he [John Waddle] became a clerk with John Carlisle, another Irishman, born in 1771, who had come to Chillicothe with his parents in 1798.1197, p 148

• John Carlisle [was] among the first general merchants. In 1802 John Carlisle advertised that he kept superfine and coarse cloths, cassimeres, blankets, camels-hair shawls, India lute-string, books and stationery, queens-ware, cutlery, coffee, tea, sugar, liquors and mill saws, a sufficiently varied assortment.
It is impossible to give a full list of the various mercantile enterprises which have flourished in Chillicothe; and the following list contains only a part of the more prominent firms:
Dry Goods: includes A. & H. N. Carlisle
Porkpackers: includes Cox & Eckert1197, pp 222-4

• She [Elizabeth Carlisle] was a daughter of John Carlisle, who located in the county in 1791; was thus a resident before the organization of the county, which occurred in 1798, and eleven years before the state was admitted into the Union; he spent his life here and at one time owned most of the land upon which Chillicothe is now located, besides being the possessor of large tracts in other localities of the county.1197, p 415

• Death Date and Place: 19 Jul 1847, Chillicothe.
“Died July 19, 1847, age 76 Years.”1281

• 1790 Census: Hopewell, Cumberland, Pennsylvania. Over 16.1285
• 1820 Census: Chillicothe, Ross, Ohio. 030302/30210.1210
• 1830 Census: Chillicothe, Ross, Ohio. 10013001/0132001.1211,1286, p 25
• 1840 Census: Chillicothe, Ross, Ohio. 001111001/01113001.1212