Marquis was born at Mt. Vernon, Ohio May 1, 1828.[3] He was moved to Bellefontaine, Ohio at age five. He was in merchandising.[4] He worked at his father's store until it closed in 1848.[3] On November 12, 1860, Marquis was married to Annie M. Sterritt, of Logan County, Ohio,
He was named postmaster of Bellefontaine in 1853 by President Pierce, serving until 1861.[3] 1862–1870 he was in partnership as a hardware merchant, and continued alone after that. Along with William Lawrence, he organized the Bellefontaine National Bank in 1871.[3] Marquis was a delegate to the 1876 Democratic National Convention, (St. Louis).[3] He was nominated in 1878 for the 4th Congressional District, but lost to J. Warren Keifer.[5] In the 1889 election for Lieutenant Governor, Republican Elbert L. Lampson defeated Democrat Marquis by a margin of 375,090 to 375, 068.[6] Lampson was unseated after serving eighteen days, when the Democratic Ohio State Senate seated Marquis in his place.[7]
^Leonard, J.W.; Marquis, A.N. (1899). "Who's who in America". Who's Who in America Expanded Biographies. 1. Marquis Who's Who. ISSN0083-9396. Retrieved 2015-05-12.
