Elias White Hale Jacobs was born around 1829 in Pennsylvania to Alexander Jacobs. His father was a carpenter. Jacobs probably grew up in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, and by 1850, he was working as a carpenter. He moved to Clayton County, Iowa, soon afterward, and he married Emeline M. Cook there around 1853. They had at least six children: Stella, born around 1854; Blanche, born around 1857; Adaline, born around 1859; Edward, born around 1860; Frank, born around 1863; and Mary, born around 1870.
By 1860, he was working as a master carpenter in Clayton, and he owned $1,000 of real estate and $300 of personal property. A decade later, he was living in Mendon, Iowa, and he owned $2,000 of real estate and $500 of personal property. By 1880, he was working as an architect. He died around 1893.