John and brother Francis were in business together in the James Leffel& C o. (See bio of brother Francis)
He was intered in the Leffel-Bookwalter Mausauleom. Married to ElizaJo L effel daughter of James Leffel and Mary Ann Croft.
"John W Bookwalter was prominent in the field of literature. He wasthe a uthor of Canyon and Crater, Siberia and Central Asia, and Ruralvs. Urb an. He also instigated publication of the Leffel MechanicalNews, a bi¬ monthly periodical which gained wide circulation. InMarch, 1871, the f irst number was issued of the Leffel MechanicalNews, published by Jame s Leffel & Co., Springfield, Ohio--a journalwhich has since become wid ely known throughout the United States,and, indeed, in all parts of th e world, as one of the leadingperiodicals of its class, having in fact h ardly any rival in itsspecial field. Its projector and controlling man ager was John W.Bookwalter, then a partner in the house, and now sole p roprietor bothof the immense manufacturing concern conducted under the n ame ofJames Leffel & Co. and of the Mechanical News. The firm. having acquired an extensive reputation through the sale of the celebratedLeff el Double Turbine Water Wheel, and having a very largeacquaintance thr ough their business correspondents and otherwise withthe manufacturing a nd milling public, Mr. Bookwalter was convinced ofthe feasibility of e stablishing, by means of these facilities, ajournal which should deser ve and thereby achieve a permanent success.The result proved his belie f to be well founded. The Mechanical.News, from its first issue in 187 1, was a complete success incirculation, in influence, and in the publ ic favor attending it."
