Full text of "Biographical history of Tippecanoe, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton, Warren and Pulaski counties, Indiana"

REYNOLDS HISTORICAL
GENEALOGY COLLECTIOM

Bi ographical History

Ti ppecanoe . IMLe, Jasper, Hewton ,

talon, lam mi Pulaski

Counties. Indiana.

ILLUSTRATED.

i^i. VOLU rvTE II.

CHICAGO:
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY.

1899.

1308843

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

CHARLES E. MILLS.

Charles E. Mills, the present prosecuting attorney for the thirtieth ju-
dicial circuit of Indiana, and city attorney of Rensselaer from the organiza-
tion of the city until his appointment to his present position, is a lawyer of
more than local repute, and one of the most prominent members of the Jas-
per county bar. He was born in Ottawa, LaSalle county, Illinois, August 7,
1856, and is of English ancestry. His grandfather, Daniel Mills, came to
America with his family, but recrossed the ocean, and while there the father
of our subject, Daniel C. Mills, was ushered into existence. While he was
yet a lad, the family once more crossed the ocean to America, the grandfa-
ther becoming associated with the father of our eminent statesman, Roscoe
Conkling, in the manufacture of veneering at Cohoes Falls, New York, the first
enterprise of the kind in this country. The family afterward moved to Ot-
tawa, Illinois, where the grandfather died, and where the father still lives.
Charles E. Mills was reared on a farm and attended the public schools dur-
ing his youth, afterward entering Adrian College, at Adrian, Michigan. He
then passed considerable time in teaching school, and was very successful in
this profession. During this period he began the study of law, at Ottawa.
He located in Remington, Indiana, in 1885, was admitted to the Jasper
county bar in 1888, and moved to Rensselaer three years later. Like many
a country-born youth who has attained eminence in our country, he worked
his own way, by perseverance and industry, from teaching to law, and from
law to official life. He is a deep thinker, and reasons along sound logical
lines, convincing his hearers through their common sense rather than by a
pyrotechnic display of neatly turned words and phrases. He has built up a

540 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

large general practice in law, prepares abstracts of title and devotes himself
to any and all branches of legal business in the state courts.

Mr. Mills chose as the partner of life's vicissitudes, Miss Anna Rebecca
Smith, of Marseilles, Illinois, a daughter of Charles P. Smith. They have
three sons, — Edward F. , Emory S. and Charles Howard. Mr. Mills is a
member of the Knights of Pythias and the Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows. He is a Republican in politics, and has served his party faithfully.
He has been on several local committees, was secretary of the Jasper County
Republican Committee in 1894, its chairman in 1896, and from 1894 has
been secretary of the Republican committee of the tenth congressional dis-
trict. He was a candidate for nomination to the state legislature in 1894
and came within two votes of receiving the nomination, and at no time have
his patriotic impulses and extreme good nature been more fully displayed
than in his hearty efforts to assist the successful candidate to election. He
has a wide acquaintance with public men throughout the state and stands
high in the esteem of every one. He takes a commendable interest in all
that pertains to the good of the community, and considers as a trouble no
act of his that leads to the development and growth of the institutions of this
county. One of the many movements with which he has been connected
may be mentioned in this connection: this was the organizing, in 1895, of
the Jasper County Telephone Company, a corporation that has been of ines-
timable value in this progressive age, and of which he has held the office of
secretary since its inception.

GEORGE H. SMITH.

George H. Smith, ex-county auditor of Benton county, and one of its
enterprising and progressive farmers, resides on section 10, Union township,
Benton county, his home being pleasantly located seven miles north of
Fowler, Indiana. He was born in Richland county, Ohio, near Shelby, on
the 22d day of February, 1844, and there remained on a farm until seven-
teen years of age; and being no longer able to content himself at home
while his country was endangered, he offered his services to the government,
and enlisted November 9, 1 861, as a member of Company H, Sixty-fourth
Ohio Infantry. With that command he went to the front and served during
the war with the Army of the Cumberland. He was wounded at Chicka-
mauga, and also at Kenesaw mountain. The latter wound being very serious,
he was confined in the hospital for seven months. When he had sufficiently
recovered, he rejoined his regiment, then stationed at Athens, Alabama, and

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 541

served until January, 1866, when he was honorably discharged, with the
rank of corporal, at Columbus, Ohio.

The country no longer needing his services, Mr. Smith returned to his
home in Shelby, Ohio, where he remained until the spring of 1871, when he
came to Benton county and located upon the farm which has since been his
place of residence. Here he has a finely improved tract of land, comprising
one hundred and sixty acres. The greater part of this is under a high state
of cultivation, and the waving fields of grain indicate the thrift, enterprise
and careful supervision of the owner. He has made excellent improvements
upon his property and is regarded as one of the leading agriculturists of the
community.

Mr. Smith was married, in 1874, to Miss Mary E. Drake, and they have
an interesting family of five children: Annie B., Dora, Don Carlos, Edwin
and Edna, the last two being twins. In his political views Mr. Smith is a
Democrat. He served as trustee of Union township, Benton county, from
1882 until 1886, and in 1892 he was elected county auditor for four years,
and discharged the duties of that position in a prompt and able manner. In
all his duties of citizenship he displays the same loyalty that he manifested
when on southern battle-fields he followed the stars and stripes to victory.
Socially he is connected with the Masonic Lodge, No. 444, of Goodland,
and of the Order of the Eastern Star, of Fowler. He continues his army
relations through his membership in the Grand Army post of Goodland.

JOHN F. MAJOR.

John F. Major, who was engaged in the grocery business at Remington,
Jasper county, Indiana, is one of the most genial and popular business men
of the town and has been identified with this county most of the time for the
past thirty-five years. March i, 1899, he sold his grocery business to Hart-
man & Morris, who are now carrying it on.

Mr. Major comes of Irish ancestors who embraced the Presbyterian
faith, and in his make-up are found many of the sterling characteristics
peculiar to that class of people. He was the second born in a family of six
children, namely: William S., Dakota; John F. ; Clara, deceased; Charles
S., of Tennessee; George E., Dakota; and Alice, also of Dakota. Their
father, George Major, was born in the north of Ireland and came to this
country when a boy; their mother was by maiden name Amanda Snoddy.

George Major was one of the early residents of Indiana and figured
prominently here at that time. He was born in Londonderry, Ireland, in
September, 18 19. When only a boy he emigrated to America with his par-
ents and settled in Clinton county, Indiana, in 1831. His educational

542 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

privileges were very slight, and he was compelled to work on the farm the
most of the time until he was thirty years old. He was fond of study and
at such times as he could he would be reading and studying such books as he
was able to get hold of. At this age he began teaching school and for a
number of winters he worked in this capacity. In 1864 he moved to Jasper
county and purchased land near Remington. He was elected county com-
missioner about 1 866 and held this office three terms. In 1 874 he was elected
state senator and was re-elected in 1878. In 1882 he was selected as one
of the directors of the Indiana Northern prison and served for six years. In
1849 he was married to Amanda, daughter of William and Barbara (Schrader)
Snoddy. Their children are named in the second paragraph of this sketch.
Mrs. Major died November 22, 1886, and Mr. Major is still living at Bloom-
ington, Indiana.

John F. Major was born in Clinton county, Indiana, October 23, 1857,
and in the spring of 1864 came with his parents to Jasper county. He was
early inured to hard work, his boyhood being filled with more work than play,
and his educational advantages were meagre, being limited to a few months'
attendance during the winter in the common schools. However, he made
the most of his opportunities, and by close observation and contact with the
world he has gained a good practical education. In 1881 he went to Michi-
gan City and accepted a position in the state prison, remaining one year. At
the end of that time he returned to Jasper county and engaged in farming.
For four years he carried on agricultural pursuits, after which, broken in
health on account of hard work, he sought a change of climate and occupa-
tion. The next year he secured a position at Osage Indian agency, in the
Indian department, and at the end of the year, there being a complete change
made at the agency, he among other officials left, and on his return to Indi-
ana he again accepted a position in the prison at Michigan City, where, this
time, he remained five years and a half. His next move was to Reming-
ton. Here he then purchased the building he now occupies, and the stock
of furniture which it contained, and ran the store for about three years.
During President Cleveland's administration he was postmaster at Reming-
ton, a position he filled most acceptably four years, going out of office May i,
1898. Retiring from the post-office, he again engaged in business at his old
stand, opening out a stock of groceries, and has since carried a fine line of
goods and counted among his customers the leading people of the place.

Mr. Major is a Democrat, enthusiastic in promoting the best interests of
his party, and while he does not seek official honors he has been urged by
his many friends to accept office. In the fall of 1898 he was a candidate for
the office of county clerk, was elected and will take office May i, 1900. Fra-
ternally Mr. Major is identified with the F. & A. M., in which order he was

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 543

selected worshipful master January i, 1899; with the I. O. O. F., in which
he has the honor of being a past grand; with the K. of P. since 1892, in
which he is a past chancellor and is now master of finance; and he is also a
member of the Tribe of Ben Hur.

He married Miss Nannie Kirkpatrick, of Warsaw, and they have one
child, named Winfred.

JAMES D. SMYTH.

The subject of this biographical review is a "Buckeye" by birth, being
born in Ross county, Ohio, on the 18th of December, 1841, and he obtained
a practical education in the schools of his native state. His early years in
business were spent as a clerk in his father's store, and this apprenticeship
served him a good purpose later in life, for most of his mature years were
spent in merchandising. In 1866 he came to Oxford, then the county-seat of
Benton county, and in 1869 purchased his father's business there and contin-
ued it successfully until 1877. In November, 1880, he opened a boot and
shoe store, which business he conducted until 1883, when he sold out and
removed to Lochiel and opened a dry-goods and grocery store, carrying a
heavy stock of general merchandise. He was afterward commissioned post-
master of Lochiel, that being the first post-office established in Union town-
ship. But the "goddess of fortune " did not always smile upon him. Like
others in business during the " panicky " times following 1873, he lost heavily
in business, principally on account of the difficulty of collecting old debts.
Mr. Symth has, however, ever been an enterprising and public-spirited citi-
zen, endowed with indomitable energy and exceptionally good business qual-
ities.

He has been a lifelong Republican, active and influential in the councils
of the party. In 1896 he was made the Republican nominee for the office of
county auditor, being elected in November of that year. He brought to the
office a ripe business experience and familiarity with public affairs of his
adopted county. He is now serving his first term in this important and
honorable position.

Mr. Smyth is a son of Douglass and Rachel (Connor) Smyth. His father
was a native of Londonderry, Ireland, where he was born in 1801, and
received a thorough education and business training in his native country.
His early manhood years were spent as a clerk in Ireland, and in 1832 he
came to America and settled in Bourneville, Ross county, Ohio, where in
1838 he was married and entered upon mercantile pursuits, and fifty years of
his life were spent in this business. Removing to Oxford, Indiana, he
remained here engaged in trade until 1869, when he returned to Ross county,
Ohio, where he died in 1873.

544 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

The mother of our subject was a native of Ohio, was a few years
younger than her husband and survived him for twenty-five years, her death
occurring on the 4th of April, 1898, at the ripe old age of seventy-nine and
a half years. It is probable that she also was a descendant of Irish ances-
tors, though it is not definitely known.

Six children were born in the family of our subject's parents, three of
whom have passed to the unknown "beyond." The eldest of the family is
Elizabeth, the widow of Austin Pepper, and she resides in Ross county,
Ohio; James D. was the second in order of birth; the third was William,
who died in young manhood during the civil war, though not a soldier;
Rebecca died about twelve years of age; Cora became the wife of John
Giffin and died in Bainbridge, Ohio, June i, 1S98, making the second visit
of the "grim destroyer" to the family during the first half of the year;
Julia is the wife of Lorenzo Wiley and resides in her native city.

The subject of this sketch was married in Benton county, October 28,
1869, the lady of his choice being Miss Melissa E. Boswell, who was born in
Tippecanoe county, Indiana, and removed with her parents to this county in
childhood. All the six children of Mr. and Mrs. Smyth are living. The
eldest is Miss Bertha, the second Parnham, the third Frank, the fourth
Annie, the fifth Nona and the sixth Edna. Parnham is an electrician and
civil engineer; Frank is the very efficient deputy county auditor, a pleasant
and obliging young gentleman, whose experience in public affairs may later
be turned to good account; and the younger children are still in school.
Mrs. Smyth and two daughters are members of the Methodist Episcopal
church; and Mr. Smyth, although not connected with any religious organ-
ization, contributes of his means to the support of the gospel and all other
worthy religious and charitable enterprises. He is a prominent member of
Oxford Lodge, No. 169, I. O. O. F.

Such in brief is the history of a worthy representative family, traced
genealogically from its founder on American soil. We gladly give space to
so worthy a record, believing that in the years to come it will be found
interesting and valuable to posterity.

JAMES HAY.

One of the prominent old citizens of Brookston is James Hay, an hon-
ored veteran of the civil war, who has occupied various official positions of
trust and responsibility, his fellow citizens showing the high esteem in which
they have ever held him by honoring him with their ballots. In the fratern-
ities he ranks deservedly high, being a Knight of Pythias and for many years
active as an Odd Fellow and a representative of his own lodge in the grand

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 545

lodge of the state; he has been a Master Mason for thirty-three years, and
master of lodge five years; with three of his daughters belongs to the East-
ern Star, and was one of the organizers of Champion Hill Post, No. 171,
G. A. R. His present home, which he purchased in 1897, is situated just
east of the corporation limits of Brookston.

The grandfathers of James Hay were both natives of Ireland, Presby-
terians in religious faith. James Hay, the paternal grandfather, had a large
number of children and died in Pennsylvania, at an advanced age. James
Skillen, the maternal grandfather, died in Canada, where he had lived for
several years.

The parents of our subject were John and Elizabeth (Skillen) Hay,
natives of the Emerald Isle. The father, a shoemaker by trade, followed
that calling in Canada until 1848, when he moved to Pennsylvania. After liv-
ing there for three or four years he went to Indianapolis, which was his abid-
ing place for several years. About 1855 he came to White county and oper-
ated a sawmill on the Tippecanoe river at Oakdale about two years. He
ne.xt followed his trade in Springboro for some years and at last retired to a
farm in Prairie township, owning eighty acres a mile east of Brookston.
His first wife, Elizabeth, died in Canada, in 1845, and the lady whom he
afterward married. Miss Margaret Smith, is still living. By the first mar-
riage there were four children: Sarah J.; Mary, wife of Byron Scribner, of
Chicago; James; and George, of Prairie township. Five of the eight
children of the second union survive, namely: Elizabeth, wife of Thomas
Kennedy; Ellen, wife of Chester R. Smith; Margaret, William and Anna.
The parents of our subject were both members of the Presbyterian church.

James Hay was born in Quebec, Canada, January 21, 1843, and from
the time that he was eight or nine years old he attended the public schools of
Indianapolis. When he was about si.xteen he commenced learning the black-
smith's trade, which calling he followed, altogether, about a quarter of a
century. In 1861 he came to Brookston and enlisted in Company A, Forty-
sixth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, as a private. He served for three years
and two months and participated in many of the leading and decisive battles
of the war, among them being the notable engagements with the enemy at
Champion Hills, Sabine Cross Roads, Port Gibson, New Madrid, Island No.
10, Vicksburg and Memphis.

Upon his return from fighting for his country Mr. Hay worked at his

trade in Indianapolis for about a year, and then was employed on a salary

for a like period in this place, after which he bought his employer's shop and

ran it, at intervals, until 1878. That year he was elected sheriff, sold his

shop, and went to Monticello, where he discharged the duties of his office

during his term of four years. At the end of that time he returned to Brooks-
35

546 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

ton and worked at his old trade for two years, and for the following ten
years managed a farm belonging to his wife and situated three and a half
miles east of Brookston. He was a member of the village board of trustees
for one term and was town marshal for one year. Politically he sides with
the Republican party.

On the 1 6th of September, 1866, Mr. Hay married Miss Maria Barr,
slaughter of Robert and Elizabeth Barr. Their five children are Elda E. ;
Robert J., who married Daisy Holmes and has two children — Paul and Mary;
Eola May, now a resident of Chicago; Iva B., who is the wife of Ever Giles,
of Prairie township, and has one daughter, Esther; and Pearl. Two of his
children — Elda E. and Pearl — are at home. Robert J. is a prominent citi-
zen of Brookston and by profession is a teacher.

HON. EDMON G. HALL.

Prominent among the well-known professional men of Benton county
stands the name of Edmon G. Hall. We think it was Burke who once said:
"The atrocious crime of being a young man I will neither attempt to palliate
nor deny." Like that eminent orator, Mr. Hall pleads "guilty to the
crime" of being young; yet he has attained a higher degree of prominence,
both in his profession and in the political world, than many men attain in a
life-time.

The subject of these paragraphs was born in Benton county, Indiana, on
the 1 8th of January, 1864, and even in childhood he laid preference to the
profession of a lawyer. In his childish plays he often espoused the cause of
a companion under " indictment " and successfully "defended" him. He
was furnished with excellent educational advantages — in the high school of
Oxford, in his native county, at Purdue University and at the University of
Michigan. He entered the law department of the last named institution in
1886 and was graduated two years later.

He immediately came to Fowler, in his native county, and began the
practice of his chosen profession. During the first eight years here he was
associated with Hon. John T. Brown, after whose death he was alone until
April, 1896, when he formed a partnership with Judge Saunderson, which
still continues. (See sketch of James T. Saunderson, in this work.) But
with commendable ambition to ascend the ladder of fame, Mr. Hall early
took an active interest in local politics. He allied himself with the Repub-
lican party and took an active part in various political campaigns. As a
" stump" speaker he is logical, forceful and " magnetic." He soon became
recognized as a " born leader " and was nominated by the joint primaries of
Benton and Newton counties as the candidate for representative in the lower

BIOGBJPHICAL HISTORY. 547

house of the state legislature. His triumphant success followed at the gen-
eral election of 1896. While serving his first term he was recognized by
appointments on various committees, and he championed and secured the
passage of some needed legislation.

Returning to his constituents and his law practice, he was again honored
by a unanimous renomination and was re-elected at the November election
of 1898. Endorsed as he was, with indomitable energy, eloquence, self-reli-
ance and the prestige of a successful and satisfactory service behind him, he
was re-elected by a plurality of eleven hundred and eleven.

Edmon G. Hall is the only son, and second child, of Allen C. and Ellen
Z. (Frazier) Hall, both of whom were natives of Warren county, Indiana,
and moved to Benton county before the subject of this sketch was born.
The father passed his whole life as a farmer and stock-raiser. His genea-
logy was traceable to Scotch ancestors, and his wife's to English. Their
only children were Edmon G. , of this sketch, and Adda, who is the wife of
Joseph H. McCord, a prominent and wealthy farmer and stock dealer in
Warren county, where he owns a fine farm of one thousand acres. They
have si.x children. Since the death of her husband Mrs. Hall has resided in
the beautiful little city of Fowler.

The subject of this sketch was married December 13, 1896, to Miss
Alice M. Shoup, a native of Tippecanoe county and daughter of Lewis M. and
Rebecca (Atchison) Shoup, now residents of Fowler. Mrs. Hall removed to
this county with her parents in childhood, and here she was educated, grew
to womanhood and was married. The only child born of this union is May
Bernice, whose birth was on December 3, 1897.

Mr. Hall is prominently identified with the social orders, being a mem-
ber of the Masonic, Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias fraternities. His
wife is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church, earnest and
zealous in good works. Mr. Hall, though not identified with any religious
organization, is nevertheless liberal in the support of the gospel and all other
worthy religious and charitable enterprises. He is a young man of prepos-
sessing appearance and commanding form, magnetic temperament, eloquent
in speech, thoroughly versed in legal knowledge, a hard worker and an honest
and conscientious counselor: more could not be said: less would not be true.

HORACE G. GOODWINE.

Horace G. Goodwine is one of the extensive land-owners and farmers of
Prairie township, Warren county, and is classed among the enterprising, pro-
gressive citizens to whom the advancement and material development of the
county are largely due. He was born February 9, 1854, at the home of his

548 , BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

parents, James and Sophia (Buckles) Goodwine, and throughout his life has
been identified with the varied interests of his native county.

His father, James Goodwine, was born in Kentucky, on the 19th of
June, 1812, and died at his home in Pike township, Warren county, on the
3rd of January, 1892. Among the honored pioneers who laid the foundation
for the present prosperity and improvement of the county and hastened for-
ward the work of its development, he was numbered, and for many years he
was regarded as one of the most prominent and influential citizens of his part
of the state. His parents were James and Elizabeth (Snyder) Goodwine,
and the former served as a soldier in the war of 18 12 and also participated
in the movement against the Indians in 1832 known as the Black Hawk
war. During the early childhood of his son James, he removed with his
family to Jackson county, Indiana, and thence to Bartholomew county,
where his wife died. He afterward brought his family to Warren count}^
locating in what is now Liberty township. The grandfather of our subject
became a very prominent citizen of the community, and served for many
years as county commissioner, in a most acceptable and efficient manner.
His death occurred in 185 1, and the township mourned the loss of one of its
valued representatives.

Coming to Indiana in his childhood, James Goodwine, Jr., was reared
amid the wild scenes of the frontier and experienced all the hardships and
trials which fall to the lot of the pioneer. He assisted in the development
of wild land, and was an advocate of the introduction of all progressive
measures. On the 15th of August, 1833, he was united in marriage to Miss
Sophia Buckles, a native of Ohio and a daughter of William and Lois
Buckles. They became the parents of twelve children, of whom the follow-
ing are living: William H., a resident of West Lebanon, Warren county;
Mrs. India Fleming; Horace G. and Fremont. Those who have passed
away are John Q., Mary J., Washington, Louisa, Frank and Marion.

Throughout his active business career Mr. Goodwine carried on agricult-
ural pursuits and stock-raising, and managed his interests with such ability
that he acquired a very valuable property, becoming one of the wealthy mea
of the state. His first purchase of land comprised forty acres, which he
secured from his father. With characteristic energy he began its develop-
ment and soon placed the tract under a high state of cultivation. As his
financial resources increased he made additional purchases until he became
the owner of about fourteen thousand acres of as fine land as can be found
in Indiana. He carried on farming and stock-raising on a very extensive
scale, and kept on hand at all times from one to two thousand head of cattle.
He gave to his mammoth business interests his personal supervision, was his
own bookkeeper, bought and sold his stock and was at all times perfectly

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 549

familiar with the minor as well as with the larger interests of his business.
He possessed keen discrimination, sound judgment and untiring industry,
and long before his business career was ended he was numbered among the
wealthy men of the state of Indiana. Beginning in 1871, he was for many
years president of the Warren County Agricultural Association and did much
to advance the farming interests of the community by advocating improved
machinery, progressive methods and the introduction of all that would enable
the farmer to produce greater crops with minimum effort. He was broad-
minded and public-spirited, and gave liberally to the support of many meas-
ures for the benefit of the community and the general welfare of his adopted
county. In his political views he was a Republican, but was rather liberal
in politics as he was in his religious belief. He was, however, very loyal to
his native land, and gave three of his sons to his country in the war of the
Rebellion. John Q. died in the army while at Savannah, Georgia, and
William and Frank also fought for the supremacy of the Union. The
mother of these children died several years before the death of her husband,
passing away in 1885.

Horace Goodwine spent the days of his boyhood and youth at his
parents' home, and in early life became his father's assistant in business. He
has inherited many of his father's business qualifications, is energetic, indus-
trious and resolute in carrying out his plans. Above all he is straightforward
and reliable in his dealings, thus enjoying the confidence and respect of all
with whom he is brought in contact. He is the owner of twenty-one hun-
dred acres of line land and carries on general farming and stock-raising.

On the 8th of November, 1874, Mr. Goodwine was united in marriage
to Miss Mary A. Briggs, a daughter of Eli and Serena Briggs, and to them
have been born three children: Ora J., Edna L. and Arley Owen.

HARRISON GOODWINE.

The name of Goodwine is one of the most familiar ones to the inhabi-
tants of Warren county, as it belongs to one of the honored old pioneer fam-
ilies here. Many of the third and fourth generation from the founder of the
name in this section are now numbered among the most intelligent, wealthy
and prominent citizens of Warren county, and of this number is the subject of
this sketch, of Prairie township.

James Goodwine, son of John Goodwine, was a native of Kentucky, in
which state he grew to manhood and married Elizabeth Snyder. They be-
came the parents of seven children who survived to mature years, namely:
Elizabeth, Thomas, James, India, Martha, Harrison and John W. In the
first part of this century James Goodwine and his large family removed to

550 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Jackson county, Indiana, and later to Bartholomew county. In 1828 they
became residents of Warren county, where James Goodwine dwelt up to the
time of his death, March 12, 185 1. His first wife died prior to the removal
of the frmily to this section and Mr. Goodwine married Mrs. Sarah Logan,
widow of William Logan and daughter of John Shumaker. One son, Abner,
was born to Mr. and Mrs. Goodwine, and the latter survived her husband
many years, departing to her reward, June 17, 1872. The only members of
the family now living are John W. and Abner.

Harrison Goodwine, Sr. , father of the subject of this sketch, was born
in Bartholomew county, and was not yet grown when he came to this portion
of the state. For his companion along life's journey he chose Miss Isabel
Charlton, whose birth had occurred near Knoxville, Tennessee, and whose
parents had died when she was young. She had made the journey to Indi-
ana with other relatives. Mr. and Mrs. Goodwine settled upon a farm in
Liberty township, but the greater part of their lives«was passed in Jordan
township. Mr. Goodwine was extensively and successfully engaged in farm-
ing and stock-raising and accumulated much valuable property. He was a
man respected by all who knew him, and in his daily life he put into constant
practice the teachings of Christianity. Both he and his wife were members
of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in political faith he was a Republican.
His earthly labors ceased April 13, 1887, when he was nearly sixty-five years
of age. His faithful wife died November 20, 1890, aged seventy-four years,
ten montjis and twenty-eight days. Joy and sorrow came to them, as it does
to all, but they were loyal to their country, their God and the right, and what
greater tribute can be paid to mortals.' They gave up two of their loved
sons to their native land, and followed them through long days, months and
years of conflict on the fierce battle-fields of the south, only to have them
fall at last, sacrifices to their country. Thomas J. was killed at the siege of
Atlanta, in 1864, and William S. died while in the service, at Harper's Ferry,
Virginia, in the spring of 1865. An infant son, twin of Josephine, and Jo-
sephine herself, wife of William Cotterman, are both deceased. The living
children of Harrison Goodwine, Sr. , are Arthur, of Ambia, Benton county,
Indiana; James, of Talbot, same county; Lafayette, who lives near Hoopes-
ton, Illinois; Harrison, Jr., and Mary Jane, wife of Oscar Crane, of Rossville,
Indiana.

Harrison Goodwine, Jr., was born at the old family homestead in Jordan
township, Warren county. May 28, 1850. He was brought up as a farmer
and has always followed agriculture as a business. His home has been in
Prairie township for twenty-eight years, and he has won prosperity and is
numbered among the rich and enterprising farmers of the county, owning, as
he does, six hundred acres of finely improved land and other real and per-

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 551

sonal property. He has been successful as a stock-raiser, raising as specialties
the finest grades of registered short-horned cattle and Poland-China hogs;
and he also owns a fine herd of deer and elk. The wife of Mr. Goodwine
was formerly a Miss Mary A. Piles, and they have one daughter, Dora, and
lost another little girl in infancy.

DANIEL F. GILLETT.

This well and favorably known business man of Chalmers is a native
of Poweshiek county, Iowa, his birth having taken place September 3, 1856,
near the town of Brooklyn. His father, Simeon Gillett, was born in the
state of New York, and was a western pioneer of the sturdy, fearless type, —
the true forerunner of civilization and progress. At an early day he settled
in La Salle county, Illinois, prior to the great Indian massacre, and Chicago
was the nearest base of supplies, the trip thither being made with a team.
About 1854 Mr. Gillett removed to Poweshiek county, Iowa, and entered a
quarter-section of land, fifty miles distant from the nearest post-office, Iowa
City. After he had improved his land to a certain extent he decided to re-
turn to Illinois, and from 1857 to 1869 he was a resident of La Salle county.
Then for a few years he carried on a farm in Benton county, Indiana, and is
now living retired in the' village of Raub. His father, Gideon Gillett, was
likewise a native of the Empire state, though his ancestors were New Eng-
landers. His forefathers were farmers. He lived to see his numerous sons
and daughters well settled in life, and died when about seventy-six years
of age.

The mother of the subject of this article. Miss Eliza Baker in her girl-
hood, was born in New York state, a daughter of Samuel A. Baker, also of
that section of the Union, and of English descent. For a livelihood he cul-
tivated a farm, and he was spared to the ripe age of seventy-eight years.
Of his four children, all but Mrs. Gillett survive, she having departed this
life in 1873, when forty-six years old. She had six children, namely : Sid-
ney J.; Mary D. , wife of J. O. Warsley; Cynthia L. , wife of L. J. Warsley;
Daniel F. ; Naomi, wife of Elmer Shonkwiler; and Edward Hayden, de-
ceased.

From his fourth until his fourteenth year Daniel F. Gillett lived in Illi-
nois, and from that time until he reached his majority he lived in Benton
county, Indiana, upon his father's farm. After his marriage he managed an
eighty-acre farm belonging to his father for some fifteen years, and then
purchased a quarter-section of land about nine miles west of Fowler, Indi-
ana. This place he continued to operate until 1891, when he sold out and
for the next seven years managed the farm owned by Albert Gaslee in this

552 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

county. In 1898 he embarked in his present Hne of business, having bought
out Higgins Brothers, hardware merchants, of Chalmers. He carries a full
and well-selected line of agricultural implements, tools, light and heavy
hardware, stoves, etc.

February 23, 1875, Mr. Gillett married Miss Caroline Cooper, a daugh-
ter of William and Adeline (Bagwell) Cooper, and three children were born
to them, namely : Joseph B. ; Harley, who died at the age of two and a
half years; and Winnifred, who was eighteen months old at the time of her
death. Joseph B. married Mary Childress, and is a successful young farmer.

In political affairs Mr. Gillett is an uncompromising Democrat. He is
identified with the Knights of Pythias, and religiously is a Presbyterian. All
local improvements, the preservation of good government, the cause of edu-
cation, proper training for the rising generation, and everything calculated
for the public benefit, find in him a zealous supporter.

EDWIN R. PRICE.

Ever since he was appointed to the office of justice of the peace, on the
i6th of September, 1895, Edwin R. Price has discharged his duties with fidel-
ity, accuracy and promptness, thus winning the commendation of all his
fellow citizens in Chalmers. He was born within a mile of his present home
in the town just named, on his father's homestead in Prairie township,
December 29, 1846, and has spent the greater share of his life in this locality.
No one in the county is more highly esteemed, and his record is one of which
his family have occasion to be proud.

Many years ago three brothers of the name of Price went to the terri-
tory of Ohio. One, the grandfather of our subject, remained in that state,
while another brother afterward went to Massachusetts, and the third settled
in Missouri. A son of the last named was General Price, the famous Confeder-
ate officer who engaged the Union forces in numerous skirmishes in the west,
and whose daring and brilliant campaigning led the federals into many a
disastrous defeat. The Prices are of English descent. Our subject's grand-
father Price died in the Buckeye state, when well along in years. He was
the father of one son and eleven daughters.

The parents of E. R. Price were John and Susanna (Kent) Price, both
born in Ohio. The father came to Indiana at a very early day, before the
Indians had departed to the west, and after living in Jasper county for a year
he came to White county. Though he was a poor man when he took up his
abode here, and notwithstanding the fact that he was but thirty-seven years old
when he died, in the winter of 1851, he was then wealthy, for that day, and
was one of the largest land-owners in the county. His widow is still living,

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 553

now in her eighty-fifth year, a devoted member of the Universalist church.
Of her nine children, five of whom were sons, five survive, namely: James
K. ; Nancy J., wife of Joseph Taylor; Edwin R. ; Rachel R., wife of O. K.
Rainier; and Daniel S. The father of Mrs. Price was James Kent, a native
of Ohio and a farmer and early settler in this county, where he died when
about sixty-five years of age.

The boyhood of Edwin R.. Price was spent in the usual pursuits of a
farmer lad. His elementary education was such as was afforded by the dis-
trict schools, and later it was his privilege to attend the academy at Battle
Ground for three years. In 1867 he commenced teaching and for nine terms
he was an energetic and successful instructor of the "young idea." From
1 87 1 to 1873 he was engaged in the mercantile business, and then, selling
out, he went to Lafayette and took a position as a bookkeeper. On the ist
of January, 1876, he returned to the old homestead, which he cultivated for
two years, and in 1878 he went to Kansas and for six years was occupied in
agricultural pursuits in that state. From 1884 until 1892 he managed a farm
in the vicinity of Chalmers, and in 1895 he built his present home in the
town.

For his companion and helpmate along the highway of life Mr. Price
chose Miss Elizabeth Parker, a daughter of Robert and Mary (Overton)
Parker. They were married April 25, 1871, and became the parents of four
children — Edna, Maud, Nellie and Anna. Little Anna died in infancy.

From the time that the Presbyterian church was organized here Mr. and
Mrs. Price have been actively interested in it, and for several years Mr. Price
was an elder in the church. In political matters he is a Democrat, and
socially he belongs to the Knights of Pythias and the Knights of the
Maccabees.

CHARLES F. WINSHIP.

Charles F. Winship, who has charge of the pumping station on the Big
Four Railroad at Earl Park, Indiana, is a native "Hoosier, " born at Stock-
well, February 19, 1861, a son of Charles and Nancy (Peede) Winship, the
former a native of Bath, Maine, and the latter of Kentucky. Charles Win-
ship learned the carpenter's trade in his native city and worked at it there
for several years. Then he came west to Indiana and located in Lafayette,
where he contracted for and erected a number of buildings. At his death he
•owned a farm near Monitor Mills, Indiana, and his residence in Stockwell,
Indiana. He died in October, 1876, at the age of sixty-four years. His
widow is still living, now seventy-one years of age, and makes her home with
her daughter, Mrs. Crouch, in Lafayette. There were born to this couple
.^even children, namely: Alice, wife of John Crouch of Lafayette, a bridge-

554 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

builder on the Big Four Railroad; Fanny, who died when young; Charles F. ,
the subject of this sketch; George, deceased; Harry, who is located at
Quincy, Illinois, and is a bridge-builder for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
Railroad Company; Grace, deceased; and Bert, located at Lafayette.

Charles F. Winship attended school at Stockwell until he reached the
age of sixteen, spending the summers in work on neighboring farms. He
continued as a farm hand until he was twenty-two years old, when he mar-
ried and settled on sixty acres of rented land. This farm he cultivated two
years. The next three years he was employed at section work on the Big
Four Railroad, and followed this with two years in the sawmill at Stockwell,
Indiana. Then he worked for one year as stone mason in bridge construction
for the Big Four Railroad, and in 1893 was appointed to the charge of the
pumping station at Earl Park, which position has had his prompt and careful
attention ever since. The care of such a station is one of the important
interests of a road.

Mr. Winship was married October 18, 1884, at Stockwell, Indiana, to
Fannie Parvis, daughter of David and Martha Parvis, who reside on a farm
near Stockwell, Indiana. She is the second in a family of five children, the
others being Maggie, wife of Ellis Gladden, a farmer near Frankfort, Indiana;
Fred and Samuel, of Clarksville, Indiana; and Isabelle, deceased. Mr. and
Mrs. Charles F. Winship have four children, viz.: Grace, born December 12,
1885; Chester, September 6, 1887; Herold, February 13, 1892; and Seward,
April 24, 1896, — the last named a native of Earl Park and the others of
Stockwell, Indiana.

Mr. Winship attends the services of the Methodist Episcopal church, of
which his wife is a member. He has been identified with the I. O. O. F.
for the past six years, and politically, like his father, is an ardent Republican.

WILLIAM OWENS WALKER, M. D.

Dr. W. O. Walker, one of the most skillful and efficient physicians in
White county, who has been a resident of Wolcott since 1889, was born in
Fleming county, Kentucky, June 17, 1836, and is the son of William M.
and Ada L. (Owens) Walker, and a grandson of William Edgar and Eliza-
beth (Melford) Walker. The grandfather was a soldier in the war of 1S12,
and was a pioneer farmer in the state of Kentucky. Owing to conflicting
claims he was obliged to pay for his farm three times! W^illiam M. Walker
was born on this farm in 1796, and was reared and died there in Fleming
county, Kentucky, twelve miles south of Maysville. He was married to
Miss Adah L. Owens, a daughter of Dr. Owens, one of the most famous
early pioneer doctors of the west. Mrs. Walker was born in Kentucky and

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 555

attended the school and academy at Maysville. She died in 1842, leaving
three children who grew to adult years, the others all dying in childhood.
The only one living is William Owens, the subject of our sketch, Mary
Elizabeth, ten years older than he, having died at the age of forty-five;
and John Edgar, who died when twenty-five, two years younger. In 1845,
Mr. Walker, the father, married Miss Julia Carpenter, the daughter of
William Carpenter, of Fleming county, Kentucky, who is still living at the
old homestead. Mr. Walker was a thrifty, industrious man, and owned two
hundred and twenty acres at the time of his death, in 1868. He was a
prominent member of the Presbyterian church, and active in all good works.
He was a man not unacquainted with trouble, five of his children having
died within a few days of each other, during an epidemic of scarlet fever.

William Owens Walker remained in his native county until he was sev-
enteen, attending the public schools and later the academy. Many of his
teachers were not unknown to fame, among them Mr. Huston, who became
president of Union College, New York. When he was seventeen years old
Mr. Walker went to Bourbon county and engaged in teaching school for
six years, studying medicine under Dr. Abraham Cook, of Millwood, during
the last year and a half of this time. He took his first course in medicine
at Ann Arbor in 1860-61, and graduated at the Medical College of Ohio at
Cincinnati, July i, 1862. He first located in Lewisburg, Kentucky, and
after a few months moved to Bethel, where he remained ten years, meeting
with merited success. From there he went to Winchester, Clark county,
and practiced for fifteen years, when his health began to fail and he was
obliged to seek a residence elsewhere. He then moved to Bainbridge, Indi-
ana, where he remained but a short time before going to Remington, where
he entered into partnership with Dr. D. H. Patton. In the spring of 1889,
he came to Wolcott, where he has since been engaged in general practice,
and has a patronage extended and lucrative. He has been in the ranks for
thirty-seven years and has gained an enviable reputation for accuracy and
skill in the treatment of disease.

He was married October 3, 1861, in Union county, Kentucky, to Miss
Mary P. Payne, a daughter of John B. and Harriet L. (Smith) Payne, na-
tives of Kentucky. They were wealthy, and socially were prominent people.
Three children were born to this union: William Payne, a prosperous mer-
chant of Peoria, Illinois; Pearl, the wife of Wallace F. Browne, of the firm
of Browne & Stewart, paper brokers of Cincinnati; and Harriet, wife of Ed-
gar W. Runyan, now holding an appointment as civilian in the commissary
department of the army at Cincinnati.

Dr. Walker has been a Mason for thirty years. He is a Democrat, al-
though he takes no part in politics. He was president of the White County

556 . BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Medical Society for three consecutive terms, and was secretary of the board
of health. He is a member of the county and state societies, and American
Medical Association; keeps well abreast the times in all departments pertain-
ing to his profession, having taken a post-graduate course at the Chicago
Policlinic in April, 1899. He is a member and earnest worker in the Chris-
tian church and has been an elder in that body since its reorganization nine
years ago.

PERRY B. ANDERSON.

The record of a noble, well rounded life, full of quiet, unassuming deeds
of goodness and usefulness, of duties faithfully performed, is usually a very
simple, straightforward story, and the stranger who peruses the lines which
chronicle a life gains little idea of the man himself, — the man who has fought
bravely and conquered difficulties of every nature, perhaps. Only those who
have been associated with him for years, who have been his friends and com-
panions, can form a just idea of what his success and high standing in the
community mean. Thus, when the fact is told that Mr. Anderson of this
sketch has lived in Prairie township, Warren county, at his present home on
section 10, for almost thirty years, and that no one has more friends and well
wishers here than he, the best possible tribute to his sterling worth and pop-
ularity has been given. A gallant soldier during the civil war, a devoted and
loyal citizen in the years of peace which have followed, such a man is Perry
B. Anderson.

Joseph S. and Malinda Anderson, the parents of the above, were natives
of Ohio. They were married in that state and there five children were born
to them. In the autumn of 1853 they removed to Indiana and took up their
residence on section 12, Prairie township, Warren county. The mother died
in 1857, but the father continued to dwell on the same old homestead until
the spring of 1898, when he went to live in Boswell, Benton county, Indiana.
His son, Harris G. , who was born after the family came to this county, and
Perry B., are the only ones of the six children of Joseph Anderson now living.

The birth of Perry B. Anderson occurred in Warren county, Ohio,
November 17, 1844. He was reared to an agricultural life and early had
instilled into his mind the noble precepts and principles which he has endeav-
ored to put into daily practice since. He was a youth in his eighteenth year
when he enlisted under the banner of the Union, in Company D, Eighty-
sixth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and for nearly three years, or until the close
of the war, he stood bravely at his post of duty. The hardships and expos-
ure incident to army life told severely upon the lad, at first, but he would not
give up, and dating from the battle of Stone river, in which he took part, he
never missed but one engagement in which his regiment participated — that

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 557

exception being the one at Peach Tree creek. Among the encounters with
the rebel forces in which he was actively concerned were the battles of Perry-
ville, Wild-cat Hill, Silver Springs, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Resaca,
Pickett's Mills, Kenesaw mountain and Jonesboro, and was present at the
fierce fights at Franklin and Nashville, where the Confederates under Gen-
eral Bragg were overthrown by General Thomas. When the terrible conflict
between the north and the south had been terminated, he returned home, to
resume the peaceful vocations of life. In 1869 he came to the valuable and
well kept homestead which he now owns and occupies, and here he has a
pleasant residence and all the comforts of life. He is a Republican in his
political views, but has never sought or accepted public office.

October 6, 1887, Mr. Anderson and Mrs. Clara J. (Mitchell) Charles
were united in marriage. Mrs. Anderson is a native of Clinton county,
Indiana, a daughter of William F. and Eleanor Mitchell, of Ohio. The
father died in the Buckeye state and the mother later removed to Tippecanoe
county, Indiana, where she passed the remainder of her days. Of their eleven
children who lived to maturity only three are now living: Violet, Oliver D.
and Clara J. Mrs. Anderson, who was next to the youngest in her parents' fam-
ily, first married John Charles, who died January 27, 1877, and their daughter
Ella is now Mrs. Thompson.

WILLIAM R. COFFROTH.

William Randolph Coffroth, of the firm of Langdon & Coffroth, promi-
nent lawyers of Lafayette, with their office in the Wallace block, corner of
Fourth and Ferry streets, claims Indiana as his native state, his birth having
occurred January 26, 1865. His parents, John and Susan (Randolph) Coff-
roth, were born in Pennsylvania and Ohio respectively, and their family
comprised a son and daughter, — William R. and Bessie. John Coffroth's
native town was Greencastle. From there he went to Chambersburg, where
he remained until 1849, when he left Pennsylvania to make his home in
Indiana. He practiced his profession, that of law, in Huntington and
adjoining counties from 1849 to 1870, and then came to Lafayette, where
he continued practice until about two years before his death. He was
admitted to practice in the United States supreme court in 1866. A talented
lawyer and a man whose character was without a blemish, he was an orna-
ment to the profession he represented, and those who knew him best trusted
him most fully. Among his stanch friends was the late Jeremiah S. Black,
one of the most celebrated jurists of America. Always a Democrat, Mr.
Coffroth was honored by his party. He was twice a member of the Indiana
legislature, and once was a candidate for attorney general. Also, in 1886,

658 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

he was a candidate for supreme judge of Indiana. Subsequently he was
appointed one of the supreme court commissioners by the legislature, but
the supreme court held the act unconstitutional and he did not serve. For
a term of years he was president of the board of trustees of Purdue Uni-
versity. He died July 21, 1895, at the age of sixty-seven years lacking a
few days. His widow is still living, a resident of Lafayette. She is a
devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

The paternal grandfather of our subject was William Coffroth, a native
probably of Virginia, of German descent. The Coffroth family, however,
dates back many generations in America. He died in the prime of life, some
time in the '30s. The maternal grandfather was William Randolph. He
was a merchant in Huntington, Indiana, where he was also for some years
a justice of the peace and at one time filled the office of mayor. He has
passed his eightieth milestone and is still a resident of Huntington. His
family consists of two daughters and two sons.

William R. Coffroth has lived in Lafayette ever since he was five years
old. He attended the public schools, was two years a student in Purdue
University, and then went east and prepared for college at East Hampton,
Massachusetts, after which he entered De Pauw University, Greencastle,
Indiana, and during his college course he spent one year in the study of law.
He continued his law studies in his father's office and was admitted to the
bar in 1887. In 1890 he was taken into partnership with his father, under
the firm name of Coffroth & Coffroth. Previous to this time the elder Mr.
Coffroth had been associated with T. A. Stewart, the firm style being Coff-
roth & Stewart. The younger Coffroth was admitted to practice in the state
supreme court of Indiana November 18, 1892, and in the United States cir-
cuit court of appeals for the seventh circuit in February, 1898. Politically,
like his honored father before him, he is an ardent Democrat.

Mr. Coffroth is a Master Mason and belongs to the Sigma Chi college
fraternity. His home is at the corner of Ninth and Union streets, Lafayette.

LOUIS BORK.

It is largely due to citizens of the class to which our subject belongs that
the state occupies the prominent position she enjoys in our commonwealth.
Mr. Bork, a prosperous farmer of Benton county, is a son of Frederick and
Margaret (Young) Bork, and was born January 24, 1849, near Tiffin, in
Bloom township, Seneca county, Ohio. His father was born in Prussia,
June 14, 1808, and grew to manhood in that country. In 1833 he came to
America and entered two hundred acres of land in Seneca county, at a cost
of one and one-half dollars per acre. Five years later he was married

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 559

to Miss Margaret Young, in New Washington, Ohio. She was born in
France, August 7, 1822, and died at her home in Tiffin, Ohio, in 1891, leav-
ing eleven children. They are Phillip, who owns two hundred and four acres
of land near Tiffin, Ohio, where he resides; Eva is the mother superior of the
Orphans' Home at Tiffin, Ohio; Magdaline is the wife of Frederick Buchman,
of Fremont, that state; Frank owns one hundred and sixty acres near Tif-
fin; Mary was for several years a sister of the Orphans' Home, where she
died; Louis, the subject of this sketch; John lives four miles south of Tiffin
on his farm of one hundred and forty acres; Louisa died at the age of four
years; Nimrod, who owns a farm of two hundred and forty-three acres four
miles south of Tiffin; and Minnie and Elizabeth reside at home. The father
of this family is now in his ninetieth year and resides at Tiffin. His parents
were Philip and Magdaline (Birch) Bork, both natives of Prussia, and emi-
grants to America with their son, Frederick. The maternal grandparents
were named Young.

Seneca and Broom townships furnished an education to Louis Bork.
He was an attendant of the schools in the former four years and in the latter
six. He followed the vocation of a farmer, working on his father's farm un-
til he was twenty-four years of age, when he entered the matrimonial state,
and took his bride to a farm of two hundred and five acres, which was en-
tered by David Wagner and later bought by Louis Bork. This was two
miles south of the home farm, and six miles south of Tiffin. He cultivated
this farm for seventeen years, and then moved to this county in 1889, and
purchased three hundred and twenty acres four miles northeast of Dunning-
ton. This was wild prairie land in Parish Grove township, and he has im-
proved it and placed it in such a state of cultivation that it is one of the finest
farms to be found. His residence was constructed at a cost of fifteen hun-
dred dollars, while his barn, the largest and finest in the county, cost three
thousand seven hundred dollars. He carries on general farming, but also
raises large numbers of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs.

Mr. Bork was married February 11, 1873, at Tiffin, to Miss Margaret
Kuntz. The marriage rites were performed by Father Miley. The bride
was a native of Seneca county, Ohio, and was a daughter of Michael and
Catharine (Unser) Kuntz, of Germany. Six children were the fruits of this
union: Ida, born October 28, 1874, is the wife of John Martin, of Fowler,
Indiana, married November 28, 1895; Loretta, born June 25, 1877, became
November 28, 1895, the wife of Peter Kirsch, a farmer residing four miles
west of Dunnington; Lucy, born October 14, 1878, is the wife of John Pit-
stick, a farmer near Dunnington, and her marriage took place on the same
day as that of her two elder sisters, at St. Mary's church at Dunnington, the
marriage rites being performed by Rev. F. J. Lambert; Albert, born Janu-

560 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

uary 15, 1881, died at the age of six weeks; Emma, born November 19, 1882,
resides at home; and Leo, born July 8, 1886, is also at home. Mr. Bork is a
member of the Cathohc church of Dunnington, and was one of the most lib-
eral contributors when it was in course of construction. He is a Democrat in
political affiliations.

Michael Kuntz was born in Germany, January i, 1820, and came to
America in 1836; and his wife Catharine, nee Unser, was also born in Ger-
many March 20, 1822, and came to America in 1833. They were married in
1844, and now reside at Tiffin, Ohio. Their si.x children are Margaret, who
is the wife of Louis Bork; Joseph, Michael, Julius, Henry and Frank, all
farmers, near Tiffin.

WILLIAM D. HESTON.

This enterprising young man is an investment broker of Lafayette,
Indiana, his office being in the Lahr House Block, 501 Main street. He was
born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 22, 1871, and belongs to a
family which has figured prominently in the Keystone state for many genera-
tions, their history in this country covering a period of two hundred years.
An extended notice of the Hestons is found in Chambers' Encyclopedia.
Edward Heston, the great-great-great-grandfather of William D., came to
this country from England at the same time William Penn came, and he
settled at Philadelphia, where he became the owner of a tract of land, which
remained in the family for a number of years and which is now a part of the
present site of Philadelphia and which is called Hestonville. Isaac Heston,
the grandfather of our subject, was a well-to-do man and had a number
of negroes in his employ, not, however, as slaves. He was the father of a
large number of children and lived to the age of seventy-six years. His
father. Judge Heston, was a member of the legislature and for two terms was
judge of the common-pleas court. The Judge's father was a Revolutionary
soldier. The whole family have been of the Quaker faith, and were known
at that early day as Free Quakers, who believed ingoing to war in defense of
their country. The parents of our subject are Edward W. and Ella C. (Lodge)
Heston, both natives of Philadelphia. Their family comprised four children,
three sons and one daughter, namely: Thomas L., of Cynwyd, a suburb of
Philadelphia; Isaac J., of the same place; William D., whose name intro-
duces this sketch; and Susan E. L. Edward W. Heston was a farmer in
his young manhood, but now lives retired at Cynwyd. He clings to the faith
of his fathers and maintains a membership in the Society of Friends, while
his wife is an Episcopalian.

The maternal grandfather of our subject was Thomas G. Lodge, and he,
too, was a native of Pennsylvania and of English descent. He owned a

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 561

large tract of land at Cynwyd, where he spent his life, and where he died at
the age of eighty-four years or thereabouts. He had six children, and two of
his sons were in the Union army during the civil war, one of them a
surgeon.

William D. Heston was reared at Cynwyd and received his early education
in the public schools of that place, supplementing the same by a course in the
Friends' College at Philadelphia. On leaving college, in 1890, he came
west to Lafayette, Indiana, and accepted a position as cashier in the banking
establishment of Mortimer Levering, which place he filled until August i,
1897, when he started in business for himself as investment broker, in which
he is meeting with fair success.

Mr. Heston resides at the corner of State and Ninth streets, Lafayette,
where he has recently built a most attractive home, in the colonial style of
architecture. He was married February 10, 1896, to Miss Mary D. Loomis,
daughter of John D. and Ellen (Watson) Loomis.

Mr. Heston is a member of the order of Elks, the Lafayette Club and
the Lincoln Club, and his political affiliations are with the Republican
party.

JOB WICKERSHAM.

In 1893 Job Wickersham, in partnership with J. H. Watts, embarked
in the feed-yard business in Monticello, and also carried on a restaurant here
until August, 1894, when he disposed of his interest in the restaurant and
has since given his attention to the other line of trade. In 1895 he sold his
original feed stand and in February of that year leased the South Side feed
store and yard of J. A. Moore, and is still running the business. For thirty-
four years he has lived in this county, and no one is more generally esteemed
and respected. Fraternally, he is a member of the Knights of the Macca-
bees, and in politics a Democrat.

The paternal great-great-grandfather of our subject, a Scotchman, came
to America with William Penn. Then followed, in the line of descent. Job
Wickersham, born in Virginia; his son Job, born in Pennsylvania; and our
subject's father, who bore the same Christian name. Grandfather Wicker-
sham was a farmer and millwright, and was numbered among the early
settlers of Columbiana and Logan counties, Ohio, his death occurring in the
last named locality when he had passed the prime of life. The parents of
Job Wickersham, of whom this sketch is written, were Job and Ann Eliza
(Ballinger) Wickersham, natives of Ohio. The father was a farmer and a
raiser and shipper of live stock. In 1864 he came to Big Creek township,
and after living there a year removed to a farm just north of Monticello.
At the end of two years he settled on the Richard Imes farm, on the bank of

562 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

the Tippecanoe river five miles northwest of the town, and died there in
March, 1874, aged sixty-one years. His widow is still living, and has been
a valued member of the Methodist church from early youth. Her father,
John Ballinger, was a native of Ohio, a farmer, and his death occurred when
he was about sixty-five years old.

Born in Logan county, Ohio, June 12, 1852, Job Wickersham is one of
nine children, the others being as follows: Eli L., of Cass township. White
county; Alonzo, of Rockwood, Tennessee; Ann Anadelia, wife of Amos
Humphreys, of Lima, Ohio; Melissa E., wife of Henry Young, of Shawnee-
town, Illinois; Ella M., wife of Lewis C. Reynolds, of Monon township;
Perry J., deceased; Mary C. , deceased, in her life-time the wife of Harvey
Snyder; and Charley, who died at the age of ten years.

When he was twelve years old Job Wickersham came to White county,
and since 1865 has lived in Union township. After leaving the district
schools he attended the Monticello high school, and subsequently to his
father's death he carried on the old homestead, a place of three hundred and
twenty acres, for two years, it then being divided among the heirs. The
young man then bought the shares of his brothers Alonzo and Perry, and
built upon the place and otherwise improved it. In 1891 he sold his farm,
which comprised one hundred and five acres; but two years before he had
leased the Judge Turpie farm of one hundred and fifty-seven acres, and
has lived there since March, 1889, as it is located but a mile north of town
and is thus convenient for his business.

The marriage of Mr. Wickersham and Eva Viola, daughter of Randolph
and Judith (Crouch) Land, was celebrated December 21, 1876. Their chil-
dren are all living save Ernest, who died in infancy, and are named as fol-
lows: George R. , Job Victor, Earl L., Raymond, Clarence Dale, Nellie J.,
Donald, Forest and David Turpie. George R. enlisted in Company G, Eleventh
United States Infantry, May 21, 1898, and served under Nelson A. Miles at
San Juan, Porto Rico, and was honorably discharged after a year's service,
and is now in Monticello. (More about him further on in this sketch.) Mr.
Job Wickersham and his wife are members of the Christian church.

The grandfathers of Mrs. Wickersham were John Land and William
Crouch, the latter one of Indiana's pioneer farmers. William Crouch
was born in Virginia, of English ancestry. He was an old-fashioned Demo-
crat, had a plantation, manufactured tobacco and also owned a sawmill.
He later lived successively in Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana, dying in
Adams, in the latter state, when nearly eighty-six years old. Six of the seven
children of his first wife, Judith, m'c King, lived to maturity. They were Jes-
sie, Lewelen, Eliza, May, Matilda and Elizabeth. His second wife, whose
maiden name was Mary Cotter, was born in east Tennessee, of Irish

BIOGBJFHICAL HISTORY. 568

descent, and died in Indiana when nearly sixty-six years old. Of her eleven
children, James, George, Judith and Nancy were born in Tennessee, Melinda,
Sally Ann, Rebecca, Martha, William and Jeptha in Kentucky, and Amanda,
the youngest, in Indiana. George and Jeptha Crouch were well known for
many years in the United States and Canada as extensive dealers in horses.
George now lives retired on his farm near Marshall, Missouri, and Jeptha
lives at Lafayette, Indiana. He and his son George Roland are importers
and breeders of fine horses.

Randolph Land was a native of Kentucky, and his wife, Judith, was
from Tennessee. Of their four daughters, Georgia Melinda died at the age
of eight years. Artemisia is the wife of WiUiam J. Martin, of St. Paul, In-
diana; and Harriet Elma is the wife of Frank Lowe, of Rushville, Indiana.
Their father was a farmer and general merchant, and for some years was en-
gaged in the grain business in St. Paul, this state. He was an early settler
of Jefferson county, and for twenty-eight years has resided in White county,
seven years in Monticello. Mrs. Land died in August, 1883, aged fifty-four
years, and his present wife was formerly Miss Martha Alander. All were
members of the Christian church, Mr. Land being a deacon in the same.

George R. Wickersham, in the following letters written while a soldier
in the Spanish-American war, shows that he possesses the family traits of
keen and accurate observation and strong vitality:

On Board the Transport Whitney, in the Caribbean Sea, Aue;ust 1, 1898.

Dear Father:— We left Tampa a week ago Saturday. We left docks at 10 o'clock and
got out in the gulf at 3 in the afternoon. We did not see land until two days later, when we
sighted the southwest point of Cuba. The next morning we saw a large range of mountains
on the mainland and later on the Isle of Pines. Two days later we sighted a range of mount-
tains in eastern Cuba. About 10 o'clock we came to the wreck of the Christobal Colon, then
the Viscaya and then the other two vessels that were sunk near Santiago. It is a coaling station
now. We then passed through Windward Passage and the next morning sighted Hayti. We
followed its north coast until we arrived at Samana bay, on the eastern shore, Saturday morn-
ing. We had orders to meet the whole fleet there, but two of the boats had left and we got
orders to move on or follow them to Cape San Juan, on the northeast coast of Porto Rico. We
went into the harbor of a small village and stayed all day yesterday, waiting on the other seven
boats. The natives brought out cocoa nuts, bananas, mangoes, and lemons. I got about
twenty-five cents worth— about half a bushel- of lemons. We left there at dark, after sending
the mail ashore to wait for a mail boat. We started for the cape, but this morning the gunboat
Annapolis met us with orders to go to Ponce, on the south coast, where General Miles landed
three days ago. We will get there some time to-night.

This is Tuesday morning. We are in the harbor of Ponce. There are about ten or
twelve transports here and a lot of warships — the cruisers Columbia, Prairie, Howard, and a
monitor; we passed several last night. There are newsboats here. We met the New York
Journal boat (the Echo) Saturday morning and they said they were going to San Juan.

One of our boats, the Decatur H. Miller, has not arrived yet. It has Company F on
board; that is the one that Goslee and Van Pelt are on. It stopped in Samana to get water.
We anchored alongside the Gussie, the boat that landed the first party in Cuba. It is just like
our boat, Tbe natives have brought out several loads of fruit and eggs. Eggs are forty cents

564 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

a dozen. There is a small town at this port; the buildings look like warehouses and factories.
Ponce is several miles up the mountains. I see the soldiers on shore unloading the barges.
Everything is loaded on barges and then towed ashore. I saw them swinging mules off the top
of a vessel into a barge with a derrick. The shore is piled up with boxes, tents, hay and grain.
The harbor is full of small boats, some with fruit and tobacco and some with officers.

We had a smooth voyage until we struck the Windward Passage, and there the ship
pitched terribly. When we got in the Atlantic it was worse. I was on guard night before last
and the wind almost blew me off the deck. We had a litile squall off the west coast of Cuba.
We all slept in the cabin that night. We saw a water-spout the same day. We had to sleep
on deck on our blankets. It has rained five or six times a day for a day or two. You can see
Jack Tars here in every direction; a number of them were painting the Columbia as we came
past. I did not get sea-sick, but I got sick of the food we had. I finally got around the of-
ficer's cook and he managed to fill my mess pan once a day for twenty-five cents. I lived on
that and coffee. I had to do it on the "Schley."'

I don't know when we will go ashore. The captain has just gone ashore to find out.
Our company and troop B of the Second Cavalry are the only troops on this boat. The natives

here don't want Spanish money for their fruit. A fellow called one a d d Spaniard a while

ago, and he threw up his hands and said: "Don't call me a Spaniard or they will kill me on
shore."

General Miles is up in the country with five thousand troops. The mountains rise up
behind the town several thousand feet, but they say the country is level after you get back of
them.

When you write send to Company G, Eleventh Infantry, Ponce, Porto Rico. Give my
regards to all; tell any one to write to me, as news is scarce here. Good bye. George.

Las Marias, Porto Rico, August 25, 1898.

Dear Mother: — Your letters of the 22d and 28th were received a few days ago, and I
will now try and answer them.

We landed at Ponce August Bd and marched about four miles, and camped in a field
between the city and Port Ponce. We stayed there until the next Saturday and then Com-
panies G and A were ordered to do provost guard duty. We intended to relieve two Illinois
companies, but when we reached headquarters we found that it was a mistake and we had to
return. We then got orders to march to the train anil go to Yauco, a town about twenty-five
miles northwest of Ponce. Company F went with us.

The railroads here are not like the ones at home. The track is only about three feet wide
and the engines look like big boxes with smoke-stacks. The cars have only four wheels, and
the box-car we rode in was crowded with sixteen men. The train did not leave until 10 p. M.,
and we arrived at Yauco at 11:30. The next day we joined the rest of the companies of the
Eleventh and went into camp. The natives were very glad to have us there, and helped all
they could. Every one said he was a Porto Rico " Americano," and this, with " Americano very
good," is about all the English they know. August 9th we got orders to move, and then our
troubles began. We started north toward Mayaguez; our company was the advance guard.
I was in the pont all day. The pont is seven men who go about one-half mile ahead of the
main body to look out for the enemy. Our native scouts brought back word that there was a
large body of Spaniards a short distance ahead; but we did not find them that day.

Then follows a description of the battles and the capture of the Spanish
colonel and his staff, which was published in the Monticello paper in letters
from other parties. In these George states that he got a piece of flag, a
piece of the Spanish colonel's shoulder straps and some Spanish papers,
intending to bring them home. He continues:

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 565

It rains about half the time and everybody got sick. Out of one hundred and fifteen men
in our company only sixty were able for duty, and they did not feel well. All our sergeants and
corporals are in the hospital now. We had nothing but dog tents and some had three men in
them. George Wood and a fellow named Smith, from New Haven, Connecticut, were in one
with me, and both got sick, so I slept in an ox cart for a few nights. I have been sick ever
since we came to Las Marias, but not seriously enough to report at sick call. George Wood
and Smith are still here and are very sick with fever and bowel trouble. They will go to the
hospital at Mayaguez to-morrow. Fred Schilt, James Rufing, Allen North, Austin Henry and a
Reynolds boy from Patton have been sick, but are up town once in a while now, except North,
who is pretty sick. Charles Herron is in Company F with Goslee, Van Pelt and Tillet. A
centipede bit him on the foot at Yauco, but it did not hurt him much.

I like this country along the coast. It is very productive. All kinds of tropical fruits
grow here, and coffee grows in abundance. This town has about two hundred population and
is about two hundred years behind the times. We don't know when we will leave, and we get
no news except from the letters we receive, and that is two or three weeks old. This town is on
the top of a mountain, and the other night I was on picket post above the clouds. The food we
get is not very good, but I guess we will get through all right. We have not been paid since
we left Tampa, and I don't know when we will. The natives seem glad that we are here, but
you can't tell anything about them. George.

FRANK R. BAXTER.

One of the industrious and prosperous citizens of Prairie township,
Warren county, is Frank R. Baxter, whose success in Hfe is truly well
deserved. About three decades ago he arrived in this country, a stranger,
with no capital save a brave and determined heart and good health.
Daunted by nothing, he steadily persevered, ever getting nearer and nearer
the goal which he had in view, the honorable one of position and a com-
petence, results which he achieved long ago.

A son of William and Martha (Glascow) Baxter, natives of Ireland,
Frank R. Baxter, as the names of his parents indicate, is of original Scotch-
English stock, and his ancestors were adherents to the Protestant faith,
probably Presbyterians. Frank R. was born in county Tyrone, Ireland, in
1847, and passed his happy boyhood and youth in the beautiful Emerald
Isle. His parents never left that land, and when the young man, at nineteen
years of age, determined to seek a new home and a fortune in the United
States, it was well for him. that he did not know that the leave-taking with
friends and relatives was the last. So far as he knows, he is the only mem-
ber of his family in America.

The civil war had closed and affairs in this country were just settling
down to a safe basis when Mr. Baxter became a citizen of the United States
in 1866, and for a few years he lived in Greenwich, New York. Thence he
went to Kenosha county, Wisconsin, where he remained for about two years,
after which he spent a year or so in Illinois. Then coming to Warren county,
he has since made his home here, with every intention of being a perma-

566 BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY.

nent resident. At present he owns a finely improved tract of land, three
hundred and sixty acres, altogether, and is extensively interested in the
raising of grain, hay and live stock. Though not in any sense a politician,
he is identified with the Democratic party.

In November, 1881, Mr. Baxter was united in marriage with Miss
Mary A. Mathis, daughter of Samuel B. Mathis, an early settler of Jordan
township, Warren county. Six children bless the home of our subject and
his estimable wife, and are named in the order of. their birth, as follows:
Dora, William, John, Sarah Jane, Maggie and Pearl, all born on their father's
farm in Warren county.

JOSEPH BARGER.

One of the substantial, respected residents of Lauramie township, Tip-
pecanoe county, is Joseph Barger, who, assisted only by his faithful, indus-
trious wife, has won a competence and provided well for his family, and at
the same time has been loyal in the discharge of his duties as a citizen.

He is a worthy representative of an old and respected Pennsylvania
family, founded in this country by a native of Germany. Henry Barger, the
father of our subject, was born near Philadelphia, and in his early manhood
was married to Catherine, daughter of John Kennedy, a prosperous farmer
of Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, and sister of John, William and Betsey
Kennedy, her family likewise being of hardy German stock. To this union
five children, Joseph, Sarah, Elizabeth, Sevilla and Benjamin, were born.
Henry Barger was engaged in farming in Lycoming county until he was well
along in life, and died at the ripe age of eighty-five years. He was noted
for industry, justice and reliable qualities, and was highly esteemed by every
one. He adhered to the German Reformed church and put into daily prac-
tice the noble principles of conduct in which he heartily believed.

Joseph Barger was born in Lycoming county, March 8, 1837, ^"d there
obtained a limited common-school education. As soon as he was able to
work he was initiated into the various departments of farming, and during
his life he has performed a vast amount of extremely arduous labor. When
he had arrived at his majority he went to Ohio, and for some time was
employed on farms near Troy, Miami county, his home being with his uncle,
William Barger.

An important event in the life of our subject was his marriage, Septem-
ber I, 1 86 1, to Maria Cruea, who is a daughter of Thomas and Charlotte
(Thomas) Cruea, and was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, December 3,
1842. Her father, a son of John Cruea, was born in Montgomery or Miami
county, Ohio, about 1810 or 1812. He learned the trade of shoemaker, but
was chiefly engaged in farming. For years he owned a homestead in Miami

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 567

county, but in old age he sold it and invested in town property. He was a
member of the Christian church, and died happy in his faith when in his
eighty-fifth year. His ancestors were Germans, who founded the family in
America in the early colonial history of the Keystone state. Mrs. Barger had
several brothers and sisters, namely: Anna, John, Joseph, Elizabeth, Henry,
Prudence, Catherine, Nancy, Melissa, Sarah and Eunice.

After his marriage Mr. Barger rented land in the neighborhood of Troy,
Ohio, and in 1865 came to Tippecanoe county, leasing a farm for the follow-
ing year at a point four miles east of Lafayette. Making a little progress, he
bought twenty acres, which he sold in 1869, and removed to his present prop-
erty — one hundred and twenty acres — in Lauramie township. He later added
eighty acres, and now has the entire place under fine cultivation. The land
is very fertile, and good barns, fences and other improvements have been
made by the enterprising owner, who erected a commodious dwelling-house
in 1885. Now being well along in years, he expects to retire soon, and for
that reason will sell his property at the very reasonable rate of sixty dollars
an acre.

Three children came to bless the home of Mr. and Mrs. Barger, namely:
Clifton, Elverson and Chelcie. Thirty-five years ago this estimable couple
joined the United Brethren church, in which they have been interested
workers, and at present Mr. Barger is one of the trustees. He is a strong
temperance man and votes the Prohibition ticket.

JAMES GOODWINE.

For more than sixty years James Goodwine, now deceased, was a
respected and honored resident of Warren county. He took up his abode
here in pioneer days and not only witnessed its development from a wild
frontier region to a district of rich farms, thriving villages and active indus-
tries, but also bore his part in the work of improvement, and by his well
directed eSorts attained a position among the most substantial citizens of the
county. "

A native of Kentucky, he was born on the 19th of January, i8i2,»and in
the autumn of the same year his parents, James and Elizabeth (Snyder)
Goodwine, removed to Jackson county, Indiana, where they continued their
residence six years. In 18 18 they went to Bartholomew county, this state,
where the mother died. In 1828 James Goodwine, Sr. , came to Liberty
township, Warren county, where his death occurred in 1851. He loyally
served his country in two wars, entering the army at the time of the second
trouble with England, and when the Indians began hostilities against the set-
tlers of the central Mississippi he again shouldered his musket and participated

568 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

in the Black Hawk war. A well known pioneer of Warren county, he took
an active interest in everything pertaining to its early development and for
many years held the office of county commissioner.

James Goodwine, whose name heads this review, was the third in order
of birth in a family of eight children, and was about sixteen years of age
when he came with his father to Warren county. His advantages for obtain-
ing an education were limited to those afforded by the pioneer schools of the
neighborhood. On the 15th of August, 1833, he was united in marriage to
Miss Sophia Buckles, a native of Ohio and a daughter of William and Lois
Buckles, and they began their domestic life upon a farm. Twelve children
came to bless their home, of whom five are yet living: William H., Mrs.
Christina Fleming, Mrs. India Fleming, Horace G. and Fremont — all resi-
dents of Warren county.

After his marriage Mr. Goodwine applied himself assiduously to his busi-
ness interests and became one of the most successful farmers of the county.
He was in many respects a remarkable man. He possessed great energy,
industry and business capacity, and to his first purchase of forty acres of land
he added until his possessions aggregated more than twelve thousand acres.
He was also one of the extensive stock-raisers of the state, and in both de-
partments of his business met with most creditable prosperity. He followed
progressive methods, planted only good seed, raised his stock from the best
breeds, kept everything about his place neat and thrifty in appearance and
was most practical and enterprising. He was long regarded as one of the
leading and most successful farmers of the county, and his opinions were
largely received as authority on agricultural matters. In 1871 he was chosen
president of the Warren County Agricultural Society, and for many years
acceptably filled that position. In 1890 he was called upon to mourn the
loss of his wife, and about two years later he passed away, his death occur-
ring in Pike township, Warren county, on the third day of January, 1892.
Thus a busy and useful life was ended, and over the record there falls no
shadow of wrong. He always enjoyed and merited the high regard of his
friends and neighbors, and in his death the community lost one of its best
citizens.

PHILIP F. WARD.
An honored old resident of Chalmers is Philip F. Ward, a pioneer set-
tler of Indiana, and for over two-score years a citizen of White county.
During a period of nine years, while he carried on a hotel at Reynolds, he
served as school treasurer of the district, and for many years he was a super-
visor. Always a Democrat until the breaking out of the civil war, he has
since been independent, voting as he deemed best.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 569

In tracing the history of the ancestors of Phihp F. Ward" it is found that
both of his grandfathers were soldiers in the war of the Revohition, and, what
is still more remarkable, they were both in the British army, but deserted tO'
the Americans and fought for the independence of the colonies. The
paternal grandfather, John Ward, was born in England, and after he adopted,
the cause of this country he thoroughly identified himself with it andi passed!
the remainder of his life in Delaware. He received a grant of land in returm
for his services to the colonists, and in the primitive style of that period,,
which consisted in blazing the trees around as large a portion of land as was
desired, he laid out his farm in Delaware. Both he and the maternal grand-
father of our subject attained unusual longevity, he dying at the age of one
hundred and five years, and the latter, John Price (for that was his name), at
one hundred and seven years. John Price was a native of Germany, and one
of the reasons for his desertion of the English army was that he found he
was fighting against a large number of his own countrymen, who were in the
American ranks. He, too, received land in Delaware for his able assistance
in the war, and this land he plowed with a wooden plow which he con-
structed himself. He died on his old farm in Delaware. He was the father
of five sons and five daughters.

William and Nancy (Price) Ward, the parents of the subject of this
sketch, were likewise natives of Delaware. In 1830 the father removed to
Lafayette, Indiana, and lived in a log cabin there for one year. Then, going
to Clinton county, he entered two tracts of land, eighty acres in each, and
bought two more similar pieces of adjoining property, thus making his home-
stead one of three hundred and twenty acres. There were two log cabins on-
the land, one of which he occupied, and three years later his son Philip'
married and began keeping house in the other. The father became very
well off, according to the standard of those days, and by his own industrious-
efforts accomplished a great deal. He was about eighty-two years of age at
death, which event took place in 1855. His widow survived him three-
years, dying at eighty-two, likewise. Both were faithful members of the
Methodist church. The father was a soldier of the war of 18 12, and for
years afterward used his old musket to shoot squirrels and rabbits. He was
not an office-seeker, and though he was supervisor for some time it was,
merely out of regard for the wishes of his friends and neighbors.

Philip F. Ward was born in October, 1815, near Whiteleysburg, Mary-
land, but across the state line, in Delaware. He was thus a lad of fifteen
when the family came to Indiana, and he remembers well the condition of
things here at that time. Luckily he had already acquired a fair general
education, and was ready for any hard work that he could find, whereby he
might earn his livelihood. For three years he worked in a distillery near

570 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Lafaj-ette, at Durgee's Run, receiving his board and twenty-five dollars a
month. All the mashing was done by hand, as no modern machinery was
then in use. The young man thoroughly disliked the business and never
touched the liquor while employed there. His next employment consisted in
working on the government pike from Lafayette to Crawfordsville. By this
time he had saved up a snug little sum of money, and this he invested in an
eighty-acre farm in Clinton county, three miles from Frankfort. He partly
improved the place during his seven years' residence thereon, and then
traded it for a quarter-section of land in Wild-cat prairie, near Lafayette.
After five years he moved to this county and bought one hundred acres in
Big Creek township, four miles northwest of Chalmers. He subsequently
added ninety-seven acres to his original purchase, and built a large house
and barn and made other substantial improvements. For the first one hun-
dred acres he had paid twelve dollars an acre, and at the end of seventeen
years he sold it for thirty-five dollars per acre. His next investment was in
three hundred and twenty acres of land four miles west of Chalmers, and this
place he allowed his sons to improve and cultivate while he managed the
hotel at Reynolds. Part of the farm he eventually exchanged for a stock of
hardware, and in 1888 he brought this from Reynolds to Chalmers. After
conducting a store here for seven years he disposed of the stock and has since
been enjoying the rest which he has certainly earned. He owns eight good
houses here, and rents them to tenants, and has a residence property in
Lafayette and also one in Gas City. He was the architect of his own fortune
and gave each of his children a good start in life.

The marriage of Mr. Ward and Miss Eliza Goldsberry took place in
1835. She was a daughter of Jonathan and Lucy Goldsberry. Five chil-
dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Ward, viz.: William, who first married a
Miss Bickenstaff, and after her "death wedded a Miss Wilson, and has seven
children; Francis, the next in order of birth; Eliza Jane, who became the
wife of W^illiam Bowman, of Coffeyville, Kansas, and they have eight chil-
dren, all but one of them now married; Emeline first married Andrew Adams
and had two children, and she is now the wife of Rev. William Williams, an
evangelist in the Christian church in Missouri, and by this marriage has had
several children; and Susan, who married John Campbell and became the
mother of four children, and died several years ago. After the death of his
first wife Philip F. Ward married Miss Susan De Ford, and they became the
parents of four sons and seven daughters, of whom the following are living:
Nancy, George, Elias, Melissa, Elizabeth, Sarah (or Sally, as she was always
called), Jennie and Philip. Mr. and Mrs. Ward are devoted members of the
Christian church and are active in all good work. They possess the love and
respect of all who know them, and in their declining days they can look back

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 571

over lives well spent, good deeds performed for their fellow men, and feel
assured that in them their children have had worthy examples of noble Chris-
tian lives.

WILEY E. PRUNER, D. D. S. 1308843

More progress has been made in dentistry than in any other of the ap-
plied sciences, perhaps, within the past few years, particularly in mechanical
workmanship. The people desire nothing but the latest and best methods
when the question of dentistry is before them, for they realize, much more
than did their forefathers, the importance and value of good and well kept
teeth. New discoveries and treatments are being made, continually, in
diseases of the teeth and gums, and whereas, it was formerly the custom to
have every aching tooth drawn, the offending member can usually be saved.
Skill in mechanical dentistry has worked wonder's, and now, in place of
annoying plates, crowns and bridges are resorted to, and all defects of
alignment can be remedied. The great advancement made in this profes-
sion, and its yet greater possibilities, has attracted to the ranks many ambi-
tious young men, and as the course of required study and preparation has
become more and more exacting and severe ere degrees are granted, the pub-
is placing greater confidence in them, and the outcome will redound to the
mutual benefit of both sides.

Though he has been located in Monticello, White county, only about two
years. Dr. Wiley E. Pruner has already established an enviable reputation
in his chosen line of work. His experience has been quite extensive, and
even when a student the excellence of his work was frequently the subject
of remark among his instructors. He is a southerner by birth, and during
the first fifteen years of his life he resided in Virginia, his native state. He
was born in the town of Lebanon, January lo, 1873, being one of the eight
children of George A. and Alvira (Ruth) Pruner, likewise natives of the Old
Dominion. Nannie is deceased, but the others are still living and are named
respectively, Walter, William, Samuel, John, Mollie and Lettie. George
A. Pruner is a harness manufacturer, and has been actively engaged in that
business for many years, formerly at Lebanon, and now at Bickley Mill,
Virginia. He has been married three times, and by his first union had two
children, — Tilden and Joseph. The mother of the Doctor was a second wife,
and her father was a Baptist minister in Virginia. He reared five children
to lives of usefulness, was loved and admired by all who came within the
range of his acquaintance, and at the ripe age of eighty-eight years he
received the summons to the silent land. Our subject's mother, a devoted
member of the Methodist church, to which the father likewise belongs, has
been called to her final reward.

572 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

For several years Dr. Pruner attended the public schools of Abingdon,
Virginia, and gained an excellent general education. Going west when he
was eighteen years old, he engaged in business, taking charge of the drug
store of his brother, and while there conceived the idea of entering his pres-
ent line of endeavor. It was in 1892 that he seriously commenced the study
of dentistry, and three years later he was graduated with the degree of Doctor
of Dental Surgery, at the Indiana College, in Indianapolis. He opened an
office in Edinburg, Johnson county, Indiana, at first, and was engaged in
practice there for about two years. In March, 1897, he came to Monticello,
and judging from the success he has already achieved he has a most promis-
ing future in his profession. Socially, he is identified with Monticello Lodge,
No. 117, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and politically he is affiliated
with the Democratic party.

JOHN R. WILLS.

John Ross Wills is one of the prosperous, substantial and highly
respected citizens of Winamac, Pulaski county, Indiana, and his influence
is a power for good in the community. Although a resident of the city but a
short time, coming here with his family in 189S, his previous business trans-
actions in this community gave him an extended acquaintance, and made
him many friends. He was born in Pittsfield township, Pike county, Illi-
nois, February 3, 1869, and is a son of Abner Vine and Elizabeth (Helm)
Wills. The name is a contraction of Willis, that having been the original
name, but in corresponding, the parties omitted the second "i," and for sev-
eral generations they have been known by the present name of Wills. The
antecedents were English, and took an active part in the "War of Roses."
Their advent in America was prior to the Revolutionary war, in which some
of them fought, and they have always been known as people of means, some
members of the family having as much as two hundred and fifty thousand
dollars. The grandfather of our subject, William Ross Wills, was a native
of Connecticut. He moved to Marietta, Ohio, and still later to Pike county,
Illinois, reaching the latter place by means of a raft, which he chose as his
conveyance down the Illinois river. He was yet a young man, and engaged
in farming and stock-buying, afterward opening a pork-packing establishment
at Atlas, that county.

Abner Vine Wills was born February 14, 1849, in Pike county, Illinois,
on the same farm upon which our subject entered into existence. This farm
of three hundred and twenty acres was an inheritance from his father, and
is devoted to grazing, over two thousand head of stock being raised by him
here annually. He also owns in that county two thousand acres, which are

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 573

tended by two tenants. He is a Republican, and is prominent in fraternal
societies, being a member of Pittsfield Lodge, Knights of Pythias, the
Masonic order, Royal Arcanum, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the
Modern Woodmen of America. His wife, Elizabeth Helm, was born in Pike
county, and her father, John Helm, is now a resident of the state of Wash-
ington. Her grandfather was a native of England, and sought a home in
America.

John Ross Wills received a common-school education, was a student of
the high school at Pittsfield for eighteen months, and then matriculated at
the Illinois College, at Jacksonville, Illinois, taking a scientific course and
receiving his diploma in June, 1891. He at once began working with Wills
& Company, composed of his father and Henry Whitner, whose business it
was to construct ditches. He began taking contracts in Pulaski and Logan
counties, Illinois, and secured forty miles of work. To facilitate matters,
the company purchased a dredge, at a cost of eleven thousand dollars, which
was used there and then taken to Kenton, Ohio, where they dug ten miles.
The firm was now dissolved, our subject, with his father and brother, pur-
chasing the dredge of the Gibney Company, at Celina, Ohio, and finishing one
contract of six miles and another of three miles. They then bought another
dredge, which was put to work in Logan county, Illinois, while a third was
bought and put in Lawrence county, Illinois. This was afterward taken to
Wayne county, Ohio, where there were twelve miles of ditch to be dug, and
after completing it, was taken to Fulton county, Illinois, where it is at work
on a nine-mile contract. The second machine was brought to Pulaski county
in 1894, and did its first work here on Dickey creek, a ditch seven miles in
length and an outlet for Bruce's lake. It was next taken to Newton county,
this state, where a twelve-mile ditch was dug, and then back to Illinois, to
Tazewell county, in December, 1898, where they are at present working on a
thirteen-mile job. The third machine was placed in Champaign county, Illi-
nois, where a stretch of nine miles was put through, when they took it to
East Peoria for two miles of work, then to Momence, that state, to work on
a ten-mile ditch. That contract completed, they brought this machine to
this county in March, 1898, and first constructed the Budd & Fisher ditch,
nine miles in length, and then began on the Steinberg and Monon ditches,
which will be thirty-two miles in extent when completed. It was found nec-
essary to purchase a fourth dredge in order to keep up with their contracts,
and this machine was purchased of Mr. Joslin, of Wooster, Ohio, and sent
to White county, this state. After finishing an eight-mile branch to Big
creek, they will proceed to Ford county, Illinois, and put in a five-mile
stretch, then back to White county, where they have an eight-mile contract.
In addition to this they have a machine leased with which they are digging a

574 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

stump-slough ditch, four and one-half miles long, near Medaryville, this
state. The firm is A. V. Wills & Sons, but the business belongs to the sons
exclusively, the father lending his name to give them a good start. They are
one of the best known ditching companies in the west, and their financial
standing is unexcelled.

Mr. Wills was married October 13, 1S95, to Miss Estella Venard, a
native of this county, born May 12, 1876. They have one child, Everett
Ross, born July 24, 1898. Mr. Wills is a member of the Pittsfield, Illinois,
lodge of Knights of Pythias, and in politics affiliates with the Republican
party. He built a fine residence here in 1898, and also owns a farm of two
hundred and forty acres, in Harrison township, this county.

HENRY O. HATHAWAY.

Henry Owen Hathaway, a successful and enterprising business man of
Winamac, Pulaski county, was born September 17, 1855, in Troy, Ohio, a
son of Joseph C. and Mary Elizabeth (Wooley) Hathaway. The father,
now a resident of Clyde, Ohio, was born October 5, 1831, in Miami county,
Ohio, and in his early manhood was engaged in farming. Removing to
Shelby county, Ohio, he carried on a cheese factory there for three years,
after which he cultivated a farm in Wood county, Ohio, for four years. His
next location was in the vicinity of Sandusky, where he had a milk route two
years, and then operated a cheese factory for four years, in the meantime
carrying on a farm. His next enterprise was the management of a grocery
and restaurant at Bryan, Ohio, and in 1877 he came to Pulaski county.
Buying seventy-one acres of land of Henry Zellers, in what is now the town
of Pulaski, he engaged in agriculture for three years, then trading the home-
stead for a saloon owned by Gideon Shank, and running it for two years.
About this time Albert Field, whom he had known in Ohio, came to Wina-
mac to> paint the stage scenery of the Vurpllat opera-house, and, yielding to
his representations, Mr. Hathaway was induced to invest all of his capital,
some three thousand dollars, in the organization of a theatrical company
which was to produce plays in the smaller cities and towns throughout the
country. This enterprise was a financial failure, and ere long the means
which had taken many years of hard labor to amass were dissipated. As
previously stated, Mr. Hathaway is now living in Clyde, Ohio, where he is
employed on a salary at present. He is an Odd Fellow in high standing,
and was a justice of the peace at one time.

On the 28th of January, 1850, the marriage of Joseph C. Hathaway and
Mary Wooley was solemnized, in Troy, Ohio. Her ancestors were south-
ern people, orginally from Scotland, as it is supposed, and her brothers and

BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY. 575

sisters were: Walker, Henry, Tandy Caroline, Delia and Lena. To the
union of J. C. Hathaway and wife were born Charles Franklin, March
8, 1851; Clara Belle, November 16, 1853; and Henry Owen, Septem-
ber 17, 1855. Charles F. was accidentally killed November 15, i860,
while on his way to school. He was riding on a load of wood, and, in
going down a hill, lost his balance and fell at the horses heels, the wagon
wheels passing over him and instantly crushing out his poor little life.
Clara B. is the wife of William Haff, a farmer of Sandusky county, Ohio,
and their children are: May, Perry, Lily and Cora. Mrs. J. C. Hathaway
was summoned to the silent land November 5, 1885, and was buried in San-
dusky county, Ohio.

Until he was seventeen years of age, Henry O. Hathaway remained with
his parents and then commenced learning the carpenter's trade with J. F.
Weeks, of Clyde, Ohio. At the end of three years he began work as a jour-
neyman, and was located in Toledo two years and in Sandusky for a like
period. He then entered his father's employ and carried on his restaurant
for six months, and the following winter worked as usual at his trade, in San-
dusky. In 1877 he arrived in Winamac, where he found employment with
George Rhodes, and worked on the Frain Hotel, the Vurpllat opera-house
block and the Sabel block. The next year he spent in Pulaski, but at the
end of that time he returned, and for the past seven years has been busily
engaged in contracting and building. He has superintended the construction
of the county infirmary, the public-school building, the power-house and
electric-light plant, the Stutsman block and much other work for private par-
ties. He has built up an enviable reputation for thoroughness, punctuality
and honesty in the execution of his contracts, and merits the extensive pat-
ronage he is now commanding. All local affairs receive his earnest atten-
tion, and having been elected to serve as a member of the town council he
was its efficient president for three years. He is a Democrat and a member
of the Odd Fellows society.

Mr. Hathaway and Sarah Jane Good were united in wedlock December
26, 1878. She was born on her father's old homestead, in Indian Creek
township, February 16, 1856, and was successfully engaged in teaching for
some years prior to her marriage, — two years in the Busch school, in Beaver
township; a similiar period in the Centre school, in Indian Creek township,
and another year in the Brown school, in the same locality. She is a
daughter of Ephraim and Catherine (Hoch) Good, and sister of Frank, Mary
and Linda Good. Her great-grandfather, Abraham Hoch, of Pennsylvania,
had eight children, namely: John, Michael, Abraham, Elias, Philip, Jacob,
Christina and. Margaret. Jacob, the grandfather of Mrs. Hathaway, was the
only one of the sons who came west, and Christina, wife of William Wolf,

576 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

settled in Monroe township, Pulaski county, many years ago. Jacob
Hoch, who was born in Union county, Pennsylvania, about the beginning of
this century, came to Indiana in September, 1844. The long and difficult
journey was marked by the death of his little daughter, Sarah, and in sadness
the rest of the family, his wife, Mary (Wagner) Hoch, Harrison, Catherine,
Eliza, Israel and Mary Ann, continued the trip across the country to Pulaski
county. They had a few household goods and a good wagon and team, and
the father bought some land on section 23, Monroe township, which property
is now in the possession of his son, Israel, who was born January 28, 1836,
and he and his sister, Mary Ann, wife of Henry Zellers, are the sole repre-
sentatives of the parental family. To the original purchase of eighty acres,
Jacob Hoch later added seventy acres, bought of William Huddleston, and
forty acres of state land, all of which he greatly improved. He was a worthy
man, a Democrat in politics, and for two years was one of the trustees of his
township. Like his ancestors, he adhered to the faith of the German Lu-
theran church. His wife was born July 28, 1802, in Berks county, Pennsyl-
vania, and died in 1894. Jonas, father of Ephraim Good, had six sons, the
eldest of whom, Reuben, married Caroline Meyer, and was seventy-six years
of age at the time of his death, September 11, 1897. His wife died Feb-
raary 13, 1889. Samuel, the second son, was thrice married, by his first
nnion having two children, William and Lida, and by his second marriage,
Mary and several others, and by his third marriage having two children,
Jessie and Samuel. Jonas, the third son, was the father of the following
named children: George, Matilda, Betsy, Isaac and John, who are deceased,
and Hannah, Ella, Eli, Nancy, Samuel and Frank. Daniel had two chil-
dren, Michael and Fanny, and George, the youngest of the family, never
married.

The marriage of our subject and wife was blessed with five children, two
sons and three daughters. Charles Carroll, born October 7, 1879, married
Maud Shields, and is now a stationary engineer in the employ of the East
Chicago Boiler Works, at Hammond, Indiana. Landry, born September 26,
1886, died April 16, 1888. Arden Owen was born February 19, 1889; Mary
Mildred, July 20, 1893; and Marjorie, February 7, 1895.

THOMAS H. ROBINSON.

The gentleman whose name heads this biography is one of the most
prominent and influential residents of Rensselaer. He is a retired farmer
and stock dealer, and moved here several years ago from his farm in Gillam
township. He first saw the light of day on this same farm February 23,
1842, and was reared to manhood in this county, where he is known and re-

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 577

spected by everyone. His father was William Robinson, who came to Gil-
lam township from Fort Wayne in 1838. He was one of the pioneer farm-
ers of this section, but afterward went to Kansas, where he spent eighteen
years, after which he returned to his farm here, where he died. The mother,
Mary Hanley, was born in Ireland, and in her childhood was brought to Fort
Wayne, this state, where she met and married William Robinson. She was
the mother of twelve children, of whom seven are living, and she makes her
home with Thomas H., the eldest and the subject of this sketch. The other
children are: Michael, of Gillam township; Mary, wife of H. McCullough,
same township; James A., of Oklahoma; George P., of Stockton, Kansas;
A. Warren, also of Kansas, and Alfred C, of Hays City, Ellis county,
Kansas.

The boyhood of Mr. Robinson was spent on the farm, which meant in
those days plenty of hard work, and sometimes, as in his case, a three-
months attendance at the country schools in winter. When he was nineteen,
in the spring of 1861, he enlisted in the state militia for one year, and when
that was disbanded re-enlisted in the Ninth Indiana Regiment at Laporte in
September, 1861. They went to West Virginia, and on to the south, where
they were in the Army of the Cumberland, under General Rosecrans, and
fought in several desperate battles. After his term of enlistment had expired
lie returned home and once more took up the peaceful routine of agricultural
life. His first farm was situated near that of his father, and contained forty
acres. He bought the old homestead at a later time and made it his home
as long as he lived in the county. He was a good farmer and accumulated
considerable property. Besides the homestead of three hundred and sixty
acres in Gillam township he owns six hundred and fourteen acres in Pu-
laski county, which is fenced and in pasture. He has dealt largely in stock
and has been wonderfully successful. His own preference has always been
for farm life, but he realized the necessity of good education for his chil-
dren, and that they might derive the benefit from a residence in town he
rented his farm and moved to Rensselaer. Here they have received every
advantage, and have repaid him a hundred fold by their close application to
study and their rapid progress in all branches.

Mr. Robinson led to the altar Miss Frances M. Rockwell, of Kankakee
township, this county. She was a teacher in the schools and is a lady of intel-
ligence and refinement. They have five children, all of whom are unusually
bright, having inherited from their mother not only the ability to learn read-
ily, but the more important art of imparting that knowledge to others under-
standingly. They are Emma (Mrs. John Schmidt, of Spokane, Washing-
ton), who was a graduate of the State Normal School at Terre Haute and
enjoyed a fine reputation as a teacher, in Winamac, where she was principal,

578 BIOGRAPHICAL HIS TOBY.

in Milwaukee, where she taught two years, and later as principal of the
school in Helena, Montana; Lois I. lives at home and is a teacher in the
Rensselaer schools, having prepared herself for her pedagogic work by a
two-years course at the Terre Haute Normal School; Gertrude also took a
two-years course at the same normal school and is now teaching in Marion
township, making her home with her parents; Schuyler C. is a route agent
in the United States mail service; and Sylvia, the youngest of the family, who
is at home. She also was intending to teach, but too close application to her
studies injured her health so that she has been obliged to rest for a time.
This is an unusual record for a family, and the parents may well feel proud
of such children. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson are members of the Methodist
Episcopal church, and are liberal contributors, both of time and money, to
the cause. They own a pleasant home in Rensselaer and are liberal dis-
pensers of hospitality.

Mr. Robinson is a past grand in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows,
and in politics is a Republican and voted for McKinley, although he leans
toward the Populists and towards the Prohibitionists at times. He has been
candidate for auditor, and served three terms, consecutively, as trustee of
Gillam township.

RICHARD COOPER.

Richard Cooper, who was named in honor of his paternal grandfather,
a respected citizen of Delaware, is a native of Indiana, his birth having oc-
curred in Union township, Fulton county, upon the old homestead owned
and carried on by his parents. His ancestors, as far as known, have followed
agricultural pursuits as a means of livelihood, and, without exception, have
been noted for all of the qualities which go towards the making of good and
thoroughly desirable citizens.

William Cooper, the father of our subject, was born in Susse.x county,
Delaware, and continued to reside there until he reached man's estate. Be-
lieving that the west afforded better opportunities to an ambitious young
man, he came to Indiana, and in the vicinity of Attica, Fountain county,
found employment on the Wabash & Erie canal, then in process of con-
struction. Later^ he made his home in Fulton county, and eventually came
to Pulaski county, where his death occurred about 1872. His devoted wife,
whose maiden name was Mary Weible, survived him many years, dying
about 1855. She was a native of Pennsylvania, and was married to Mr.
Cooper about 1841. They became the parents of the following named chil-
dren: Ann E., Richard, Peter, Martha, William Martin, John and Luke.

Richard Cooper, born April 18, 1843, remained at home until he was
twenty-one years of age, when he yielded to his earnest longing to strike a

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6/yiy ^CT/^^^uynj

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 579

blow for the Union, in which he firmly believed. He enlisted in Company
B, One Hundred and Forty-sixth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in October,

1864, and served until his country no longer had need of him. He took part
in numerous encounters with the enemy, and was actively engaged in the
battle of Franklin, December 13 and 14, 1864, and Nashville, December 15
and 16, 1864. After Lee's surrender he was honorably discharged, July 21,

1865, at Indianapolis.

Returning home from the southern battle-fields, Mr. Cooper resumed his
former occupation of agriculture, renting land for some time. In 1883 he
bought his present fine homestead, situated on section 24, Franklin township.
This farm he has greatly improved, having built necessary barns and fences
and placed the land under good cultization. In addition to operating his
home farm, he has rented outside land from time to time and has been pros-
pered in his business undertakings.

On the 29th of December, 1868, Mr. Cooper married Margaret Ann
Morse, a daughter of Solomon and Harriet fBaum) Morse. She was born
October 13, 1847, in Rochester, Fulton county, Indiana, and by her mar-
riage she became the mother of one daughter, Ruth Lenora, who was born
October 24, 1869, and died March 3, 1880.

The boys who wore the blue during the Rebellion have ever had a warm
place in Mr. Cooper's heart, and he greatly enjoys the comradeship of Win-
amac Post, G. A. R., with which he is connected. In his political standing
he is a stanch Republican, having departed from the faith of his father, who
was affiliated with the opposite party.

JOHN FRAIN.

Few citizens of Pulaski county are more widely known or have taken a
more active part in the upbuilding and development of this section of Indiana
than John Frain, who, for some fifty-five years has been a resident here.
Like all of the frontiersmen, he was obliged to endure many hardships in the
early days, but he possesses the courage and force of character of his Ger-
man ancestors, and by persistence and determination won a decided victory
over difficulties which would have daunted many men.

The original spelling of our subject's surname was Frahn, it is believed,
and by accident or design it was changed to its present form, — Frain.
His grandfather Frain was born in Germany and was for years a resident in
the environs of Philadelphia, where he was engaged in the teaming business.
The parents of John Frain were Peter and Rebecca (Bilger) Frain, both
natives of Maxatawney township, Berks county, Pennsylvania. The father,
who was small in stature, and weighed only one hundred and forty pounds,

580 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

was a stone mason by trade, and while working and lifting received injuries
from the effects of which he died, December 28, 1822, at the age of forty-
six years. At that time he was making his home near Middleburg, in Centre
township. Union county, Pennsylvania, and his remains were laid at rest in
the old Hosinger Lutheran church-yard. He was a lifelong member of that
church. His will was probated before Peter Hachenberg, at New Berlin,
January 4, 1823, JohnBilger, his brother-in-law, being named as his executor.

His widow, Rebecca Frain, who was born December 14, 1785, died Jan-
uary 31, 1874, and was buried in the Grubb churchyard in Union county.
Pennsylvnaia. She had become acquainted with Mr. Frain in childhood, but
their marriage took place in Union county, where she thenceforth made her
dwelling-place. Four years subsequent to the death of Mr. Frain she became
the wife of Frederick Meiser, who was a substantial farmer and the proprie-
tor of a saw and grist mill. They had two sons, namely: Joseph, born Novem-
ber 12, 1827, and Frederick, June 23, 1829. The elder son, who died in
1896, never left the old homestead in Union county, and in addition to owing
considerable valuable real estate he was the owner of several mills. He
married a Miss Schadel first, and had five children by that union, and later
married another lady and had several children. Frederick, the younger son
of Mr. and Mrs. Meiser, is now living in Perry county, Pennsylvania. He
has been married three times, his first wife being a Miss Houser, and several
children graced their union. Mrs. Rebecca (Frain) Meiser was a large woman
physically, and was exceedingly active and energetic. Doubtless her chil-
dren inherited from her much of her strength of constitution and keenness and
vigor of mind and disposition. Her father, George Bilger, a tailor by trade,
came to America from Germany prior to the war for independence, and dur-
ing the Revolution he was employed in making clothes for the soldiers. His
eldest daughter, Elizabeth, married Robert Hasley, a carpenter, and lived in
the Keystone state. Rebecca, (Mrs. Frain) was the next in order of birth.
Susan, the next, first married Samuel Boyer, a tanner, of Middlebury, and
later she became the wife of a Mr. Keller and had several children. Jacob,
the next of the family, married Mollie Gilbert, and he, as well as his younger
brothers, George and John, were stone masons, all living in Pennsylvania.
John was engaged in farming, also, and for his wife he chose a Miss Wetzel.
Frederick, the youngest of the family, also a farmer, was born November 6,
1787, in Maxatawney township, Berks county, and married a Miss Katherine
Boyer.

John Frain is the fourth child of Peter and Rebecca (Bilger) Frain. The
eldest, Sarah, was born March 20, 1809, died February 6, 1893, and was
buried in the Winamac cemetery. In her girlhood she became the second
wife of Lewis Guss, who was a tailor by trade. She bore him eighteen chil-

BIOGBJPEICAL HISTORY. 581

dren, eight of whom are living, and Edward and Peter reside in Pulaski coun-
ty. Catherine, born about 1811, died and was buried in Michigan. She was
the wife of Benjamin Shetherley, a farmer of that state, and a number of
children blessed their union. Peter, born February 2, 18 14, in Middleburg,
Pennsylvania, died in that town May 6, 1889. He was a tailor by trade and
followed that calling throughout his active life. For a wife he chose Nancy
Baughmann and they became the parents of John, Charles, Howard, Mary
Elizabeth and Martha. Elizabeth, born July 14, 1818, in Middleburg, mar-
ried Michael Womer, who was born December 15, 1818. When they had
reached middle life they were quite substantial people, physically, as he
weighed two hundred and forty-five pounds, while her weight was about two
hundred and twenty-five or thirty. Their children, seven sons and three
daughters, were also remarkably large and strong. Peter married a Miss
Rouch and moved to Michigan, where he has become wealthy and highly re-
spected. He owns about thirteen hundred acres of fertile land, most of which
is under high cultivation. George, born September 7, 1820, in Middleburg,
died and was buried in Lafayette, Indiana, in November, 1893. He came
to the west in 1842, and, after spending a year in Logansport, went to La-
fayette, where he made his permanent home. For some time he was engaged
in running a tailoring establishment, but later he dealt in real estate and
did teaming and transferring. He married a Miss Cook and their only child
was Oscar. Mary, born May 4, 1822, died in Perry county, Pennsylvania, at
the age of fifty-five years. Her first husband, Henry Sechrist, was a prosper-
ous farmer, owning large islands in the Susquehanna river. They had two
daughters. After the death of Mr. Sechrist his widow married Henry C.
Clemens and they had several children. Both are now dead.

The birth of John Frain, of this sketch, occurred October 3, 18 16, in
the town of Middleburg, Union county, Pennsylvania. He was young when
death deprived him of his father, and after his mother's second marriage the
lad was offered sixty dollars to stay with them until he was eighteen years of
age, Lewis Guss being made his guardian. Six months at the blacksmith's
trade, however, was as much as the youth desired, and he left home and
worked for George Lyman, a carpenter, for two years, and learned the trade,
Mr. Lyman giving him only his board for his services. He then completed
his trade at Lewistown, Pennsylvania, and worked as a journeyman until
June, 1839, when he started for the west, believing that he would have bet-
ter opportunities in a new country.

On the 25th of June, 1839, he and Rudolph Hoch embarked on a canal-
boat at Lewistown, thence going to Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, over the
mountains to Johnstown, and by canal to Pittsburg, down the Ohio river to
Cincinnati, and, after two days spent in that town, went by stage to Indian-

582 BIOGRAPHICAL SISTORT.

apolis. There they found employment with Jonathan Gable, a contractor
and builder, for three months, after which they went to Rochester, and there
separated, Mr. Hoch going to visit his sister, Mrs. Abraham Bruce, in Fulton
county, while our subject went to Laporte county, and worked at his trade
with Mr. Griffith Treadway, until December, 1839. The two young men
then joined their fortunes again, and prospered in various places, — Laporte,
Michigan City, South Bend, Plymouth, Rochester, Delphi, Logansport and
Lafayette among others, — looking for work and a good opening for business.
At the last named place they remained, being employed by J. L. Pfeifer until
the spring of 1840, and thus Mr. Frain was enabled to attend the convention
which nominated William Henry Harrison for the presidency, on the famous
battle ground at Tippecanoe.

In May, 1840, the two young men came to Pulaski county, where Mr.
Hoch had sisters residing. In 1842 Mr. Frain bought, for two hundred dol-
lars in cash, the pre-emption claim of Jesse Klinger (uncle of Colfax Klinger,
of Winamac). This tract of land, one hundred and forty -two acres and a
fraction, situated on section 19, in Monroe township, Pulaski county, was
improved by a small log cabin, and five acres had been broken and planted
with corn. The patent to this property was made out to Mr. Frain, August
I, 1844, and signed by the president of the United States, John Tyler. In
the meantime Mr. Frain had been employed at his trade in Logansport, and
in the spring of 1844 he returned to his native state on a visit. In the
autumn of the same year he came back to Indiana, but before going east he
became the owner of another tract of land — thirty-three acres, bought of
Henry P. Rowan, the payment therefor being one horse. In 1846 Mr. Frain
settled on his farm, which has been his home ever since, and as the years
passed he added to his possessions and improved his property until it bears
little resemblance to the wild tract of half a century ago. In the home place
he has about five hundred acres, in addition to which he owns forty-three
acres on section 7, Tippecanoe township; forty-five acres on section 35, Har-
rison township, where his daughter, Mrs. George Graffis, lives; fifty-four acres
on section 19, same township; and one hundred and sixty acres — the old Helm
farm — in Harrison township, now managed by his son, Felix Frain. Alto-
gether, Mr. Frain owns about eight hundred acres in this county, four hundred
acres or more of this being improved and under cultivation, and three good
dwellings and other buildings stand on this property. After coming here he
resided in the old cabin for four years, and then built a large log house, which
sheltered his family until 1865. That year witnessed the erection of the
present house of our subject. He owns an interest in the Frain Hotel, at
Winamac, and it is named in his honor, and besides this he owns other prop-
erty there.

BIOGHAPHICAL HISTORY. 583

The marriage of John Frain and Rebecca Jane Donham, daughter of
Daniel and Mary (Cohee) Donham, took place January i, 1846. She was
born October 15, 1820, in St. Clair township, Butler county, Ohio, on her
father's farm, and when she was but three years old her mother, then only
thirty years of age, was summoned to the silent land. She left five children,
namely: Rachel, Sarah, John, Rebecca and Nancy. The father married
again, choosing Mary Lyman for his wife, and they became the parents of
Mary, Julia and Samuel. The entire family of Daniel Donham (with the
exception of Rachel) came west in 1837 and located in Carroll county, Indi-
ana. The father died July 30, 1863, aged seventy odd years. He was of
English descent, a son of Richard and Nancy Donham, of Delaware. Rich-
ard and Nancy Donham passed their entire lives in that state, and left three
children: Rachel, Daniel and Hannah. The Cohees, as well as the Don-
hams, were Delaware people.

The children born to John Frain and wife are named as follows: Edwin,
Daniel, George, John, Mary Emma, Felix B. T. , Sarah Jane, William Henry
and Alice. Edwin and Felix B. T. are represented elsewhere in this work.
Daniel, born March 12, 1848, is the proprietor of a marbleyard at Rochester,
Indiana. He married Elnora Emory, and has three sons, William Henry,
Carl and Howard. George, born February 2, 1850, was married, on Christ-
mas day, 1872, to Fiana, daughter of William Wentz. She was born in Har-
rison township, this county, March 25, 1855, and by her marriage has two
daughters, Hilda Myrtle and Mary Belle, aged sixteen and eleven years,
respectively. John, born December 6, 1851, died June 16, 1863. Mary
Emma, born December 19, 1853, became the wife of George Washington
Graffis, a farmer of this county, December 31, 1874. His birth occurred
March 31, 1850, in Pulaski county. Their children are: Bertha Alice, born
September 22, 1875; Virgil Warren, July 29, 1877; Earl Floyd, March 29,
1879; and Thomas Errett, June 6, 1881. Bertha Alice and Elmer Rouch
were united in marriage July 12, 1892, and their two children are Otto Sam-
uel, born June 7, 1893, and Grace Marguerite, December 15, 1894. Sarah
Jane, born December 27, 1858, is the wife of David Wood, a miller, living
at Terre Haute, and their children are Effie Frain and Otto. William Henry,
born May 8, 1861, died March 17, 1872. Alice, born October 2, 1864, died
October i, 1865.

The ancestors of John Frain were stanch members of the German Lu-
theran church, and he was reared in that creed, while his wife's relatives were
Methodists. Some of their children are identified with the Christian church,
but, without exception, the entire Frain family is always found on the side of
righteousness, education and whatever tends toward the bettering and elevat-
ing of humanity. Prior to the civil war Mr. Frain was a Whig, and since

584 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

the organization of the Republican party he has been loyal to its teachings.
His word is considered as good as his bond, and his name is a synonym for
integrity, justice and honor.

NATHAN RAWN.

Nathan Rawn, a soldier in the civil war, is a man to whose enterprising
and progressive disposition the state of Indiana is deeply indebted for much
of her present prosperity. It was our subject who braved the displeasure
and deep-seated prejudice existing among the early settlers against tiling,
and he converted a tract of undesirable, low, swampy land into a farm of
great productiveness, and is among the leading farmers in Pulaski county,
Indiana, whose opinion is respected and followed by his less experienced
neighbors.

He was born February 23, 1839, on a farm in Greenfield township,
Fairfield county, Ohio, a son of Joseph and Mary (Fisher) Rawn. Joseph
Rawn, Sr., his grandfather, is supposed to have been a native of Penn-
sylvania, but a descendant of the Rahn family of Germany. The spelling^
of the name was changed by those living in this country to Rawn. He
reared a family of twelve children, eleven sons and one daughter, among
whom were Samuel, Jacob, Peter, Isaac, Nathan and Joseph.

Joseph Rawn, the father of our subject, was a native of Berks county,
Pennsylvania, whence he emigrated when a young man to Fairfield county,
Ohio. Here he met and married Miss Mary Fisher, making his home in that
county during the remainder of his life and rearing his family on his farm.
He was not a large man, weighing only about one hundred and forty-five
pounds, while his measure would probably reach five feet, six inches. He
was a Republican in politics and in religion a devout member of the Method-
ist Episcopal church, whose earnest endeavor it was to pattern his life by its
teachings. He was in his seventy-first year when the final summons came
to him at his Ohio home, in January, 1883. He was laid to rest at Lithop-
olis, Ohio. His wife, a daughter of John Fisher, was born in Fairfield
county, Ohio, and she was in her seventy-first year at the time of her death,
which occurred June 28, 1890. She was buried beside her husband in the
cemetery at Lithopolis. The children born of this union were ten in num-
ber, viz: Nathan, our subject; Sarah Ann, wife of William Wilson, a farmer
in the state of Ohio; Mary Elizabeth, deceased, whose husband, Edward
Coffman, had control of the canal-boats in Ohio, where he lived; Joseph
Havens, deceased, who was a farmer in Jefferson county, Kansas, and mar-
ried Caroline Hostler; John, a farmer in Ohio, who was twice married, first
to Caroline Morehart, then to Elizabeth Foor; Henrietta, who married John

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 585

Shulky, a farmer in Ohio, now deceased; Ellen, unmarried; Martha, de-
ceased, married Elijah Morehart, a farmer of Ohio; Jacob, deceased, who
was also married; and Francis Marion, a drayman, who married a Miss Poor
and lives in his native state.

John Fisher, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was a native of
Virginia, while the family trace their origin to Germany. Emigrating to the
state of Ohio, they were among the earliest settlers of the Western Reserve.
John Fisher was a man of powerful build, and had many experiences with the
Indians, who infested the country at that time. They often threatened his
life, but were afraid to engage in a fight for fear he would get the advantage
of them. On one occasion an Indian leveled his gun and took careful aim
at him, but did not shoot; this was repeated twice, and the Indian, fearing
he would miss and have to engage in a fight with him, at length withdrew
without firing. Many years afterward he came to Mr. Fisher and told him of
the circumstance and why he was afraid to fire. Mr. Fisher was married to
Miss Barbara Meyers, by whom he had a large number of children, namely:
Sarah, unmarried; Mary, mother of subject; Barbara, wife of Jacob Hoover,
a farmer; Eve, wife of Mintorn Lake, a farmer; Rachel, Mrs. Andy Shell, of
Ohio; Phoebe, wife of John Hannah, a farmer of Nebraska; John, a buggy
and wagon manufacturer of Kansas; Joseph, a buggy dealer of Attica, Ohio;
Elizabeth, wife of Mr. Lake, a farmer of Illinois; and Abraham, who was
killed during the battle of Stone river in the civil war.

When twenty-two years of age, Nathan Rawn left his father's home and
went to Hancock county. He engaged in farm work during the summer of
1861, and in August of that year enlisted in Company A, Forty-ninth Ohio
Infantry Volunteers, under Captain Albert Longworthy. He was discharged
December 31, 1863, and re-enlisted June i, 1864, in the same company.
He served through the entire service, and was discharged at Victoria, Texas,
November 30, 1865. He never lost a day while in the army, and his vigor-
ous constitution enabled him successfully to withstand the hardships of a
soldier's life, although the four years' privations left him far less vigorous
than he would otherwise be.

The war ended, he returned to Miami county, where he farmed one year
and then moved upon the farm of Samuel Coffman, where he tended one
hundred and five acres until 1874, when he purchased his present farm. This
is the southwest quarter of section 2, Indian Creek township, and was for-
merly owned by F. M. Churchman. It had no improvements of any kind,
and the house and other buildings were erected in 1874 by Mr. Rawn. In
addition to farming he also deals in stock, and has built up his land until it
is second to none in this section. When he bought it it was covered by
water, and it was his first effort to tile it and drain off the water, making it

586 EIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

fit for cultivation. This step led to much unpleasantness for a time, as
many of the neighbors looked askance at the project and viewed it with dis-
favor as a new-fangled idea which would lead to disastrous results. Undis-
mayed by their opposition he continued with his work, and had the extreme
satisfaction not only of owning one of the most fertile farms in the locality,
but also of seeing his strongest opponents adopt the plan, many of them fol-
lowing his example and reclaiming waste land.

Nathan Rawn was married February ii, 1866, to Laura Coffman, daugh-
ter of Samuel and Jane (Allen) Coffman. She was born January 29, 1846,
in Fairfield county. The children who blessed their home are: Mary Jane,
born November 11, 1866, was married November 11, 1884, to Joseph Felker,
by whom she has one child, Verna M., who lives with her parents; Alice,
who was born September 13, 1868, married John Bowers March 6, 1888,
and is the mother of four children, — Harry, born April 6, 1889; Myrtle, born
February 11, 1891; Arthur, born February 6, 1893, and Ray, born August
21, 1898; Nora Rawn, the third child, was born July 4, 1870, and married
Henry March, September 6, 1888: they have three children, — Charles, born
in June, 1889, Carl, born June 18, 1891, and Rosie, born in November,
1893.

Mr. Rawn is a member of Star City Post, G. A. R. He is also a zeal-
ous worker in the Presbyterian church, of which he is a member, and a man
who is respected and esteemed by everyone.

JOHN H. KINNEY.

Numbered among the progressive and successful farmers of White
county, is John H. I\inney, who is a native of Pickaway county, Ohio,
where he was born May 17, 1840. He spent his boyhood in this county,
and at the age of twelve years came west with his parents, locating, in 1851,
in Princeton township. White county, Indiana, where he assisted his father
on the home farm until 1874 and then began farming on his own responsi-
bility. He bought eighty acres of land adjoining the parental homestead,
to which he added one hundred and sixty acres and subsequently traded
the same for four hundred and eighty acres, one and one-fourth miles
northwest of Remington. This he still retains, together with his present
home, in Wolcott, which was erected at a cost of one thousand five hun-
dred dollars.

Mr. Kinney was married October i, 1862, near Seafield, to Miss Eliza-
beth Ann Templeton, daughter of James and Rachel Templeton, natives of
Virginia, and a cousin of Lee Templeton, of Fowler. Mrs. Kinney was born
in Shelby county, Indiana, May 3, 1843, and came to White county with

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 587

her parents in early youth. Four children were born of this marriage:
Mary Catherine, wife of James H. Davis, who reside on our subject's farm;
Lucy Ellen, deceased; William C, who is in the hardware business in Wol-
cott; and John E. , deceased. Mr. Kinney is a devout member of the
Christian church, and in his political views is a Republican.

William Kinney, father of our subject, was born Septemper 23, 18 19,
in Pickaway county, Ohio, where he remained until 185 1, then removing to
Princeton township, White county, one and a half miles southeast of Wol-
cott. Here he entered two hundred and forty acres of wild prairie land,
afterward adding eighty acres more, and with the help of our subject he
farmed this property until 1875, when he came to Wolcott and retired from
active labor. He married Miss Mary Ann Phebus, who was born in Picka-
way county, Ohio, in 1721, and died there about 1844. The second wife of
William Kinney was Miss Lucinda Walston, daughter of William Walston,
a native of Kentucky. Of the first marriage four children were born: John
H., our subject; twins, who died in infancy, unnamed; and Catherine, also
deceased. Of the second union there were born the following: Nancy, wife
of Henry Hern, who lives three miles northeast of Wolcott; Mary A., now
residing at Wolcott; Rebecca Jane, who married Moses Dobbins, a sketch
of whom occurs elsewhere in this volume; and Arminta, deceased.

The paternal grandparents of our subject were John and Catherine
(Ike) Kinney, natives of Pennsylvania and early settlers of Pickaway county,
Ohio. The maternal grandfather was Samuel Phebus.

SIMON PHILLIPS.

A retired farmer and auctioneer of Rensselaer, Mr. Phillips is well and
favorably known throughout the entire county of Jasper, as well as in many
of the surrounding counties. He was born in Darke county, Ohio, February
8, 1823, and is a son of Valentine and Abigail (Crawford) Phillips. His
father was a native of Maryland, but at an early day moved to Ohio, where
he was a pioneer farmer. In 1826 he moved his family .to Rush county,
Indiana, where he died in 1840. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, as
were two of his brothers, John and Simon, the latter a captain of one of the
regiments. Abigail (Crawford) Phillips also died in Rush county, in 1845,
leaving three children, John, Susan and Simon.

The grandfather of our subject was one John Phillips, the history of
whose life reads like pages from some romance. He was born in Wales and
was receiving an education to fit him for the priesthood in the Catholic
church. While attending the duties of his profession he met his afBnity in

588 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

the person of Miss Catherine Cassady. She was a lovely and attractive
woman, and the beauty of form and features, combined with an amiable
disposition, exercised such a witchery over the young student that he became
a victim to the goddess of love. His feelings were reciprocated by the young
lady, and they agreed that they could never endure to be separated, even by
the church they both loved. Such a sacrifice could not be the will of an all
wise God. Accordingly the young lady came to America, to be followed in
due time by her lover, where they were happily married, and it is not thought
that either of them regretted their action. He was a good, true man and a
brave soldier of the Revolution, in which war he was wounded by a bayonet
thrust. With such ancestry, it is not surprising that our subject should have
fought his own battles in life and come out the victor.

Mr. Phillips was but three years old when his parents moved to Rush
county, this state. He was brought up on the farm and had to work hard,
while the opportunities for securing an education were very limited. The
winter term of school, which he sometimes attended, was of three months'
duration, and to reach the school-house he had to walk three miles. The
building itself was of the most primitive kind — a log house, with a huge fire-
place in one end, a puncheon floor, slab seats and windows made by leaving
a section of log out of one side of the building, and by covering the aperture
thus made with oiled paper, to keep out the cold. Added to all this, the
books for the little children were such as would be dry and difficult reading
for the more advanced pupils of to-day. In such surroundings our subject
received his education, which he added to by reading and observation until
he became a well posted man on all general topics. When he came to Jasper
county, there were only six houses in the village of Rensselaer, and he has
watched the development and growth with an affectionate interest. He first
settled on a farm in Hanging Grove township, where he remained until 1850
when he bought a farm of eighty acres, three miles east of Rensselaer, and
opened a stone quarry in the vicinity. He then disposed of that eighty and
bought another adjoining Rensselaer and the block where he now lives. He
took an active interest in the advancement of the community and at onetime
was captain of the vigilance committee, and looked carefully after horse
thieves and other evil-doers. He has been quite an extensive stock trader
and a successful one, while he is the most popular auctioneer in this vicinity,
and always has a number of sales to look after.

Mr. Phillips was married in October, 1850, to Miss Nancy, a daughter
of Alexander and Charity Irwin. She was called to her reward in 1882.
The children born to them were as follows: William, deceased; Elza, de-
ceased ; Abigail (Mrs. Charles A. Roberts) ; Emma, the wife of Stephen Barnes,
of Fowler, has two children, Elsie and Nona; Robert, deceased; Simon, de-

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 589

ceased; Nancy is the wife of Frank Vanetta and has two children, Lorene
and Marion; Frederic; Agnes, deceased; and Augustus.

Mr. Phillips was the first town marshal of Rensselaer, and in 1856 was
elected sheriff of the county, before this and Newton counties were divided.
In 1882 he was appointed keeper of the poor-house, which position he re-
tained for five years. Although he was raised in the Democratic faith, he is
a stanch Republican, and has supported each and every Republican candidate
for the presidency since General Fremont was in the race against Buchanan.
He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and of the Order of the Eastern
Star. He commands the respect and esteem of all, by reason of his upright
conduct, as well as his kindly, benevolent nature.

ISAIAH WEYAND.

This gentleman is one of the prosperous and enterprising farmers of
Pulaski county, and is deserving of great credit for his success in business life,
as it is all due to his well directed efforts and energy. A native of Ohio, he
was born on a farm near Caledonia, in Marion county, June 18, 1831, a son
of Daniel and Eliza (Beckley) Weyand. His paternal grandfather, Henry
Weyand, was a native of England, and during his boyhood was brought by
his parents to America, where he followed the occupation of farming. His
children were Peter, Jonathan, Daniel, Mrs. Shaeffer and Mrs. Spiker. The
maternal grandfather of our subject was John Beckley, a native of Germany.
With his parents he emigrated to the New World, becoming a resident of
Pennsylvania. In 1836, however, he took up his residence in Cass county,
Indiana, and followed farming, owning two hundred and forty acres of land.
His death occurred there about 1855. His children were George, John,
David, Isaac, Thomas, Margaret, Eliza, Sally and Polly.

Daniel Weyand, the father of our subject, was born May 11, 1807, in
Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, and when twenty-one years of age
removed to Marion county, Ohio, where he was married. He learned and
followed the hatter's trade in Sunbury, that state, and was also the owner of
an eighty-acre farm there. About 1837 he came to Indiana, settling in Boone
township, Cass county, where he became the owner of four hundred acres
of land, of which he placed two hundred and forty acres under the plow. It
was all in its primitive condition at the time of the purchase, but he suc-
ceeded in transforming much of it into rich fields. He was a very energetic
and industrious man, although of moderate stature, being five feet and six
inches in height and weighing one hundred and fifty pounds. In politics he
was a Democrat, and filled the offices of school trustee and postmaster of
Center, Indiana. Religiously he was connected with the Christian church.

590 BIOORdPEICAL HISTORY.

He died in March, 1894, and his remains were interred in the Kline grave-
yard at Royal Center. His wife, who was born in Northumberland county,
Pennsylvania, May 19, 18 10, died October 9, 1886. Their children were as
follows: Isaiah was the eldest. Israel, born November 13, 1832, died at the
age of forty years. Enoch Beckley, born September 11, 1834, now resides in
Vernon county, Missouri. He married Phoebe Jane Grant, and after her
death wedded Mattie McGee. His children, all born of the first marriage,
were Harriet, Eliza, Lottie, Alice, Leonard, Emma, Ella and Nettie. John
Henry, born September 28, 1836, and now a resident of Cass county, Indi-
ana, married Sarah Burton, and their children are Julietta, Granville, Flor-
ence and Bertha. Simon Peter, born May 9, 1839, died January 14, 1889.
Isaac Spiker, born March 21, 1841, and now a resident of South Dakota,
married Margaret Needles, who died leaving two children. George Washing-
ton, who was born in Royal Center, January 31, 1844, is now an undertaker
there; he married Mina Cramer, and their children are Morris, Addie, Ham-
ilton, and several who died in early childhood. Lucy, born June 20, 1847,
died on the 2d of August of the same year and was the youngest of the
family.

Isaiah Weyand remained at his parental home until he had attained his
majority and then started for California, March 16, 1852, attracted by the
discovery of gold. He was accompanied by Charles 'Anderson, William
Shingles, Isaac Grant and John Fickler, and together they crossed the plains,
to Eldorado county in the Golden state. There Mr. Weyland engaged in min-
ing for a time and also conducted a dairy. He traveled all over the north-
ern part of the state, and on the 14th of January, 1865, started for home,
making the journey by the isthmus route and New York.

He then turned his attention to farming, and after renting land for two
years purchased a part of his present farm, in Franklin township. To the
first forty acres he has added from time to time as his financial resources
have increased until he now owns two hundred and forty acres, constituting
one of the fine farms of the county. Of this, one hundred and sixty acres
is under a high state of cultivation, and the well tilled fields yield to the
owner a golden tribute in return for the care and labor he bestows upon
them. In 1S78 he erected his present comfortable residence and in 1891
built a large barn. All the other accessories and conveniences of the model
farm are here found and the place indicates the careful supervision of a pro-
gressive and enterprising owner.

On the 2 1st of December, 1866, Mr. Weyand was united in marriage to
Miss Dilena Elizabeth Grant, who was born in Brown county, Ohio, May 15,
1847, and when three years of age was taken to Cass county, Indiana, by her
parents, William and Mary (Martin) Grant. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Weyand

BIOGRJPHICAL BISTORT. 591

have been born the following children: Armilda Angeline, born December 2,
1866, was married in September, 1888, to John Andrew Dougherty, and their
children are: Reuben Button, born March 23, 1889; Ralph, Arthur, S. O. ,
L. C, Mary Agatha and Roy. William Daniel, born April 13, 1868, was
married November 29, 1891, to Mary Overpeck, who was born March 14,
1874, and their children are: Tressie May, who was born October 18, 1892,
and Otis Dale, born March 28, 1895. Sophronia Leah, who was born April
24, 1869, died October 12, 1877. Johnson Overton, who was born Novem-
ber 18, 1871, died while bathmg in the Tippecanoe river, June 24, 1888.
Lois Eliza, born April 25, 1877, is a successful teacher, who had charge of
the Johnson school, in Franklin township, for eleven terms, and has also
taught in the Maple Leaf school, in the Winamac Normal, and at Danville
for one term. Lafayette Dipin, born July 14, 1879; Boyd Elgy, born May
II, 1883, and Ivy Launty, born February 26, 1885, are all at home. Harry
Austin, the youngest of the family, was born July 28, 1886, and died Janu-
16, 1889.

The family is one of prominence in the community, and the members of
the household enjoy the warm regard of many friends. For more than thirty
years the parents have resided upon their present farm, and thus have long
been identified with the community. Mr. Weyand has led an active and
useful life, and through his well directed efforts has acquired a most credit-
able success, and won a place among the leading farmers of his county. For
many years Mr. Weyand has been connected with the Masonic fraternity.
He was made a Mason in California in 1856 or 1857, and after becoming a
resident of Pulaski county retook the obligations in Winamac Lodge, No.
262, with which he is now affiliated. Both Mr. and Mrs. Weyand have been
for years consistent and valued members of the Christian church.

MAXIMILIAN JOSEPH VON AUW.

The family of which the subject of this sketch is a sterling representa-
tive belongs to the aristocracy in Germany, and at one time was wealthy and
very influential. Its history can be traced to 1632, to Benzingen, Switzer-
land, whence some of its members removed to Hesse-Darmstadt at an early
period.

The paternal grandfather of our subject was Robert Von Auw, who had
but two children, — Adrian and Reinholdt. The latter, born August 28, 181 1,
in Eberfeldt, Germany, received an excellent education, and was a man of
much more than ordinary ability. For some years he held a position as
bookkeeper and as manager of coal mines, and at one time he was the pro-
prietor of a large book-store. During the stormy days of the revolution of

592 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

1848 he unfortunately published a small pamphlet which was deemed to be
of a seditious nature, and his property was confiscated to the crown. la
spite of this harsh treatment, which was felt by his friends to be unwarranted,
he remained loyal to the government, and, though he was thenceforth obliged
to work for others on a salary, he harbored little resentment. He was a man
of fine physique, about five feet, ten inches in height and weighing in the
neighborhood of two hundred pounds. Religiously he was identified with
the German Lutheran church, and died in that faith, November 29, 1864.

In his young manhood Reinholdt Von Auw married Dorothea Fromman,
who was born November 14, 1818, in the same town as was the husband.
In 1874 she came to the United States and made her home with her son,
Maximilian. She was caljed to her reward in Mansfield, Ohio, December 30,
1887. The eldest child of Reinholdt and Dorothea Von Auw was Caroline,
born July 26, 1835. She became the wife of George Hoffmeister, of Hesse-
Cassel, Germany, and had several children, — Sophie, Leonard, Tony and
others, — all living at this time, while their mother entered the silent land a
score of years ago. Bernhardt, born in August, 1838, married a Miss Nowak
and resided in Darmstadt until his death, January 10, 1865. Edmund,
born June i, 1844, never married, and died in April, 1872, in Hamburg, just
on the eve of his emigration to America. Laura, born June 26, 1843, lives
in the Fatherland and is unmarried. Robert, born August 21, 1846, was a
baker by trade, and died in 1895, in Cleveland, Ohio. The wife of his youth
was Philomena Metzger, and their children were Emma and Reinholdt, and
by the second marriage there were four children, — Sophia, Minnie, Robert
and Herman. Henry, born March 15, 1848, is married and is a resident of
Cologne, Germany. Otto, born September 17, 1858, is unmarried and
makes his home in Cleveland, Ohio, he having come to the United States in
1 87 1. The mother of these children was one of eleven sons and daughters,
who came from one of the honored old families of Darmstadt. For many
years their father served as secretary of the supreme court of that city, hold-
ing that very responsible and lucrative position in a manner which reflected
great credit upon him.

The birth of Maximilian Joseph Von Auw took place August 2, 1851, in
the city of Darmstadt, Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany. At an early age he
formed the resolution to seek his fortune in America, and in March, 1870, he
bade adieu to his fatherland. Making the voyage on the good ship Detchen,
commanded by Captain Wetchen, he arrived safely in New York April 14,
and continued his westward trip until he reached Cleveland, Ohio. There
he dwelt until 1876, working at various lines of business, after which he went
to the vicinity of Mansfield, Ohio, and cultivated a leased farm there for
twelve years. In December, 1888, he rented the John Kelley homestead, in

BIOGBJPEICAL HISTORY. 593

Pulaski county, and carried on that place successfully for four years. His
next venture was to build a mill in Ora, Indiana, which he operated for three
years, but it was burned on the ist of September, 1897. Next, for three
months, he was engaged in the grocery business with Sylvester Allsbrow,
and then he psrchased the stock of drugs owned by Dr. Hall, and has con-
tinued in the drug business every since, increasing the stock of goods until
the present value of the store and contents is many times the price he paid
for his small outfit. Gradually he is building up an excellent trade, and the
good will and confidence of the community are his in a marked degree.

The marriage of Mr. Von Auw and Miss Mary Elizabeth Ludwig, daugh-
ter of Ferdinand and Ann Catherine (Daum) Ludwig, was solemnized De-
cember 27, 1888. Mrs. Von Auw was born in Attica, Ohio, October
20, 1858, and was brought to northwestern Indiana when but a few
weeks old. The eldest child of our subject and wife, Annie Carolina, was
born February 9, 1890. Frank Henry, whose birth took place March 15,
1891, died January 26, 1893. Emma Wilhelmina, born July 14, 1892, died
in 1894. Catherine Amelia, born August 21, 1894, died February 16, 1898,
and John Robert, the youngest, was born November 19, 1896.

Socially Mr. Von Auw is a member of the Knights of the Maccabees,
being the chaplain of his lodge. For two years he has served as a justice of
the peace, and in his political convictions he is a champion of the Demo-
cratic platform. Adhering to the faith of his fathers, he is identified with the
German Lutheran church.

REV. GILBERT SMALL.

Almost half a century ago Rev. Gilbert Small, of Idaville, engaged in
the work of the Christian ministry, and during this long period his voice has
been raised and his influence used in the advocacy of the true and right, and
in the endeavor to uplift and render better and happier his fellow men. He
is well known and uniformly loved and esteemed in Indiana, where the greater
part of his pastoral labors have been wrought.

James and Mary L. (Robertson) Small, parents of the Rev. Gilbert Small,
were of Scotch extraction, but the families whence they sprung had long been
residents of the Empire state. The mother died when her son Gilbert was
but nine days old, and the father subsequently married Sarah Nelson, a niece
of Judge Nelson, a prominent member of the judiciary of New York. In 1832
Mr. Small removed to Indiana with his family, and, settling in Carroll county,
passed the remainder of his life there, his death taking place in 1864. His
widow continued to live for a number of years, and was eighty-eight years of
age at the time of her demise. To the union of James and Sarah Small

594 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTOET.

three children were born: George and Janet, who reside at the old home-
stead in Carroll county; and Mary Ann, who married Captain Hugh Knicker-
bocker and died several years ago.

Bereaved of his mother when an infant. Rev. Gilbert Small, born in
Argyle, New York, February 7, 1828, was reared by his maternal grandpar-
ents. Evincing unusual aptitude for his studies, he was sent to Argyle Acad-
emy, where he prepared for college, and in 1849 he was graduated in Union
College. Later he entered the Associate Theological Seminary, at Cannons-
burg, Pennsylvania, where he remained until 1853, in which year he was
licensed to preach by the presbytery of Cambridge, New York. He was
ordained by the presbytery of Miami, Ohio, in 1855, and became the pastor
of a church at North Liberty, same state. At the close of two years of min-
isterial labors there he went to Indianapolis, where he was pastor of the
United Presbyterian church until 1867. In 1S60 he was the chaplain of the
Indiana state legislature, and during the civil war, in addition to attending to
his duties as a minister, he served as clerk of transportation in the quarter-
master's department, in the government employ. In 1867 he came to Ida-
ville, and for ten years occupied the pulpit of the United Presbyterian church
here, since which time he has been connected with the regular Presbyterians,
and has supplied vacancies in churches not too remote from his established
home in Idaville. He is now serving as pastor of the Union church, in the
presbytery of Logansport. He owns a pleasant home and a fine farm of
eighty-seven acres, adjoining the village of Idaville.

Mr. Small possesses great natural ability, and his superior advantages,
in the way of education and extended experience, render him an authority, —
one to be looked to and consulted. His pen has been wielded forcibly and
opportunely, on every subject of interest to the public, for two-score years
or more, his articles being much sought for by the various newspapers and
journals which he has favored. For eight years he was editor of the Idaville
Observer; for a year he served on the editorial staff of the Saturday Night
Review, published in Logansport; and at present he is a regular contributor
to the Masonic Advocate, of Indianapolis. For three years he was school
examiner for White county, and, though an active Republican, was appointed
by a Democratic board. A strong opponent of the saloon and the sale of
all intoxicating liquors, he is, nevertheless, too much of a philosopher to
throw his vote away by the supporting of the Prohibition party nominees,^
that party being in an utterly hopeless minority. Fraternally he stands high
in Masonry, having attained the Royal Arch and Council degrees.

In 1856 Mr. Small married, in North Liberty, Ohio, Miss Nellie E. Mon-
roe, who died the following year. His second wife, Fannie Garrett, of Indi-
anapolis, died in April, 1887. The lady who now bears his name was Emma

mOGRA'PSICAL HISTOHY. 595

A. Buchanan in her girlhood, her parents being Blair and Sarah F. (Houk)
Buchanan. She was born in 1849, in Cass county, Indiana, where her
father had settled when a young man, and is one of ten children, three sons
and seven daughters, all of whom lived to maturity and were married, save
one brother, who died when twelve years of age. Her youngest sister, Mrs.
Effie V. Moss, is deceased, but the others are still living. The parents
resided in Cass county until their death. In her early womanhood Mrs. Small
married Cephus B. Sanderson, who died in November, 1883, and their two
sons, Harry B. and William Bartlett Sanderson, are engaged in the manage-
ment of rice plantations in the vicinity of Lowry, Calcasieu parish, Louisiana.
To the first marriage of Mr. Small a daughter, Mary, was born, but she only
lived to reach her nineteenth year. Four children blessed the second mar-
riage of our subject, namely: Stella, wife of John McArthur, of Troy, New
York; Harry E., who is a successful physician in Chicago; Albert, city editor
of the Logansport Journal; and William (twin brother of Albert), the general
manager of the Indiana Newspaper Union, with his residence in Indianap-
olis.

RICHARD WELLER HATHAWAY.

Richard Weller Hathaway, deceased, was one of the representative and
popular citizens of Winamac for many years, and his memory is cherished by
a large circle of old friends and acquaintances, both here and elsewhere.
He was of Welsh descent on the paternal side, and was born February 4,
1814, on his parents' farm near Troy, Miami county, Ohio.

Abraham Hathaway, his father, was the eldest child of Abraham Hatha-
way, Sr. , who was a native of Virginia, though his father was born in Wales.
Abraham Hathaway, Sr. , was famed as a hunter, and supplied meat and
wild game to the soldiers of the Revolutionary war, also acting in the capac-
ity of scout for the army on many occasions. His second son, Richard, was
for a time sheriff of Shelby county, Ohio, and later was a resident of In-
dianapolis, Indiana. Caleb, the third son, was an extensive land-owner in
Ohio. To himself and wife, Sally, several children were born, among the
number being Abraham, David Carter, Wesley and Jason. Daniel, the
fourth son, came to Winamac in 1841, and Ebenezer, who was accomplished
as a vocalist and violinist, settled in Francesville at an early day. Abraham
Hathaway, Jr., was a prosperous farmer of Miami county, Ohio, and was
accidentally killed by a falling tree, when he was in the prime of life. He
had served as a soldier in the war of 18 12, being stationed near Erie, Ohio,
and was at all times a loyal citizen and patriot. Politically he was a Jackson
Democrat, and religiously he was a firm believer in the simple, primitive
faith of the Disciples, or Christian, church, often erroneously called the

596 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Campbellite church. His widow, whose maiden name was Bathsheba Coe,
kept their children at the old home, and by heroic efforts gave them good
education and the best advantages in her power. Later she made her home
with her daughter, Mrs. Martha Perry, in this county, for some years, then
resided with her son, B. Franklin, in Ohio, and finally died at the home of
Mrs. Perry, September 23, 1871, at the age of seventy-nine years.

Daniel, the eldest child of Abraham and Bathsheba Hathaway, married
Martha Deweese, and lived in Miami county, Ohio, where he was engaged in
farming and in running a tannery. They had several children, among them
being Mary, George W., Emma and Sarah. Rhoda, second child of Abra-
ham Hathaway, was born in 1810, and died in 1S87. She married Benjamin
Wharton, Jr., and lived near Wellington, Kansas. Their children were:
John, Owen, Richard, Abraham, Sarah, Bathsheba, Martha, and one who
died unnamed. Goble, the third child, lived in Troy, Ohio, and chose for
his wife a sister of the wife of his eldest brother, Daniel. He died in 1851
of the cholera, and left a little son and a daughter, Emma. Jacob, who was
was an expert huntsman and fisherman, served in the Mexican war, enlisting
in Iowa, and died when but thirty years of age. Carter married first Eliza
Snyder, and their children were: Richard, Medary, Matilda, Bathsheba,
Flora, Rhoda (deceased) and Alwilda (deceased). For his second wife he
chose Mrs. Mary Raines, and a daughter, Clara, was born to them. He was
married a third time, but had no children by that union. The next children
of Abraham Hathaway and wife, twins, died in infancy. Martha, the next,
became the wife of Andrew Dye Perry, a tailor by trade, in Dayton, Ohio.
Later he removed to Winamac, where he was employed in the management
of the Kittinger lumber yards until his death. Their children were: Frank,
Richard, Othello, Rhoda, LeGrand B. and Ida. Joseph C. and Benjamin
Franklin were the youngest children of Abraham Hathaway. The latter
resides in Watseka, Illinois. He has been married twice.

Richard Weller Hathaway lived at home until 1840, working at his trade
as a carpenter, and then went to Warsaw, Indiana, where he found plenty of
employment. In 1844 he came to Winamac, and here he continued his
accustomed vocation, buying a strip of land, some twenty-two acres, of Jere-
miah Hawes, about 1846. Among the buildings which he erected is the
house now occupied by Stacy Collins, the same having since been somewhat
altered. This was erected by the aid of our subject's brother, who later moved
into it, and Richard W. , who was yet unmarried, lived within its hospitable walls
for a period also. He built a house for Dr. Patterson where the Keller block
now stands, and many other structures, most of which have been changed or
torn down for various reasons.

In July, 1S51, James Boyles left Winamac for the west, and in the fol-

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 597

lowing December, Mr. Hathaway joined him and a surveying party, in Wis-
consin. In the summer of 1852 they crossed the plains to San Francisco,
where our subject found work at his trade, as he did wherever he went. He
engaged in mining for some time, helped survey the Southern Pacific Rail-
road, drove cattle and horses from California, was with Kit Carson for a pe-
riod, carried the mail to Bradford for four years, and in short led a varied
existence in the far west, doing whatever came to his hand whereby he might
earn an honest living, and from a financial point of view he was quite suc-
cessful, in spiteof many drawbacks. In 1858 he returned home, sailing around
Cape Horn, and landing in New York city. He was married that autumn^
and bought an interest in the farm owned by his father-in-law, and lived there
for five years. He then located in Winamac, where he worked at his trade,
and in 1867 he built the comfortable residence in which his widow lives
to-day. He owned practically all of the land west of the railroad tracks,
within the city limits, was active and enterprising in business, and left a
competence to his widow and children. He enjoyed the respect and genuine
esteem of every one, and his loss has been deeply felt. In his political faith
he was a Democrat.

On the i6th of November, 1858, occurred the marriage of Mr. Hath-
away and Nancy Allora, daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Arterburn) Quig-
ley, who were of Irish and English descent, respectively. Mrs. Hathaway
was born August 8, 1833, near Louisville, Jefferson county, Kentucky. The
marriage of our subject and wife was blessed with three children, namely:
Lola Linetta, born October 3, 1859, and now the wife of Marshall Carper;
Medary Montez; and Veston Quigley, born July 28, 1866, and now acting as
a stenographer in his brother's ofSce.

Peter Quigley, the father of Mrs. Hathaway, was born February 2,
1 79 1, in Reading, state of Pennsylvania. He lost his mother, who was of
Dutch descent, when he was but two years old, and he was reared by a
Protestant family. He was allowed perfect freedom in religious opinion,
and, after carefully comparing the faith of his forefathers with that of his
foster parents, he became a strong Protestant, and as the years passed he be-
came more and more convinced of the wisdom of his judgment. His grand-
father Quigley had eleven sons, all of whom were born in Ireland and came
to this country. One of the number, Aaron, had a son John, the well-known
confectioner at Logansport, Indiana. Peter Quigley learned the trade of a
stone-mason in his native state, and in his early manhood he removed to
Kentucky, where he followed his vocation. He bought fifty-three acres of
land now included within the city limits of Louisville, and carried on lime-
kilns there, employing colored hands, and having salesrooms in the city. In
1834 he removed to Lafayette, Indiana, and six months later he went to

598 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY,

Logansport, where he met with financial reverses through loaning money. He
resumed working at his trade, and assisted Jesse Millison in the building of
the first Catholic church in Logansport. In 1839 he entered a quarter-sec-
tion of land in Pulaski county, and about the same time he built a house and
made other improvements on the property. It was his intention to make a
specialty of raising high-grade stock, and he brought some here from Ken-
tucky, driving them from Lafayette to his farm. He resided here until his
death, March 29, 1844, when his remains were placed to rest in the Winamac
cemetery. He was the first treasurer of Pulaski county, served as a justice
of the peace, was a strong Whig and an important personage in his place
and generation. He first married Rebecca Detroe, in Henry county, Indiana,
and their eldest child, Jacob, first wedded Mary Gundrum and had two sons,
Samuel and William, and by his second wife he became the father of Louise,
Jacob, Alice and two others. William, the younger son of Peter Quigley
and wife Rebecca, died at Lafayette, when ten years of age. For a second
wife, Mr. Quigley chose Elizabeth, daughter of Presley and Sarah (Nether-
ton) Arterburn. She was born near Lexington, Kentucky, May 10, 1806,
and her marriage to Mr. Quigley was solemnized in 1829. Their eldest
child Sarah, born September 17, 1831, became the wife of Francis Wilson
and had several children, among whom were Richard Melvin, who died at the
age of eight monihs, and Theresa, who married Nicholas Stoefel, of Medary-
ville. Mrs. Quigely had the following named brothers and sisters: Neville,
Enos, William, Presley, John, Rebecca, Susan, Jeremiah, and three others.
She departed this life March 22, 1859, and was buried at Winamac. The
Arterburns were of English origin, were active in the Revolutionary war, and
at an early day cotemporaneous with Daniel Boone. Presley Arterburn
went to Virginia from Kentucky, where he was an honored pioneer.

JOHN COEN.

A retired farmer and prominent citizen of Rensselaer, Jasper county,
Indiana, is John Coen, who has been a resident here since September 9,
1852, and is a son of John and Asenath (Mills) Coen. He was born in Knox
cotinty, Ohio, March 14, 1824, and was eighteen years old when his parents
moved to this state. Both parents were natives of Washington county,
Pennsylvania, where the father was born in July, 1793, and the mother in the
same month a year later. They moved to Knox county, Ohio, with their
parents, and were there married. Isaac Coen, the grandfather, came from
Ireland with his father, before the days of the Revolution, and settled in the
state of Pennsylvania, while John Mills, the maternal grandfather, was a

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 599

native of Wales and also came to America before that war, settling in Penn-
sylvania, and later becoming a soldier in that war.

John Coen, Sr. , moved from Knox county to Marion county, Ohio, in
1830. In the fall of 1841 they located in Fountain county, this state, where
they lived ten years, coming thence to Jasper county and settling in Marion
township, about two miles north of Rensselaer. There the father died in
October, 18^4, when but little past sixty-one years of age. The mother was
spared many years, dying in 1878, at the good old age of eighty-four years.
They were members of the Presbyterian church, of which for many years he
was an elder, and were also actively interested in educational matters. They
are remembered as worthy Christian people, whose aim it was to lead
upright, honorable lives, and to inculcate such principles in the teaching of
their children that they might grow up useful and honored citizens. Of the
nine children born to them, one died in infancy, the others growing to adult
years, and but two, William and our subject, are now living. Joshua was
unmarried at the time of his death, but the others, Marilla, Isaac, Rhoda,
Thomas and Hugh, left families to peretuate their memory.

John Coen, our subject came to this county in 1852, and settled on a
a farm adjoining his father's. This land was provided with a log cabin and
some minor improvements when purchased by Mr. Coen, and on it he resided
many years, adding to its value by constant attention and careful cultivation,
until declining health rendered imperative a less arduous life. He was mar-
ried December 26, 1844, to Miss Sarah Miller, who was born in Fountain
county, January 20, 1828. Her father was born in Pennsylvania, and from
there went to Kentucky, thence to Ohio, and in 1821 he came to Fountain
county, Indiana. His wife was reared to womanhood near Dayton, Ohio,
but was ushered into the world in a block house in Cincinnati, and it is
claimed she was the first white child born in that city. She was one of a
large family of children, four sisters marrying and moving to Indiana, where
they resided at different points on the Wabash. She was of plucky disposi-
tion, and wishing to pay these sisters a visit she set out from her father's
home on horseback, making the long journey in that manner, and at the
termination of the visit returned by the same means. After the death of his
wife, Mr. Miller moved to Benton county, Indiana, where he died several
years ago. James and Mary (McCabe) Miller added in no small measure to
the early development of Indiana.

To Mr. and Mrs. Coen have been given a family of eight children, four
of whom reached the years of maturity, and three of whom are still living,
Tirzah P. is the wife of John Van Natta; Jennie is the wife of John Saylor;
Rosella, who died in November, 1881, was the wife of John Kerr; and Har-
riet is the wife of Brazillia Ferguson. Mr. Coen was formerly a Democrat,

600 BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY.

but later affiliated with the Republican party. Both he and his wife are
conscientious members of the Presbyterian church, he having united with
that body in 1843, and his wife in 1842. In December 1854, he was elected
to the office of elder of the church, to fill the vacancy caused by his father's
death, and has served continously in that capacity since, — almost fifty years.
During their long residence in this county they have become widely known
and esteemed, and their many friends are sure of a hearty welcome at their
pleasant home in Rensselaer.

SAMUEL T. FOUDRAY.

An enterprising and progressive farmer of Jefferson township, Pulaski
county, is Samuel T. Foudray, who was born in Fleming county, Kentucky,
near Hillsboro, May 31, 1844, his parents being Sacheverell and Ellen
(Hamlet) Foudray. The father was of French lineage and lost his own
father during his infancy. During early manhood he was married to Ellen
Hamlet, in Fleming county, Kentucky, and there made his home until 1853,
when he removed to Fulton county, Indiana, settling on a farm, which he
made his home until he went to Bloomingsburg, Indiana, where he engaged
in merchandising, being also postmaster of that town for fourteen years. He
also served as justice of the peace and was assessor of his township. In his
political views he was a Democrat, and in religious faith a Universalist. His
life was upright and honorable, and at all times he merited and enjoyed the
confidence of his fellow-men. He died in 1882, at the age of seventy-five
years. His children were Betty Ann, John H., Hannah, Josephine, James
v., Susan, Samuel T. and Butler. Three of the sons, John, James and
Samuel, were loyal defenders of the Union in the war of the Rebellion.
John was a drummer in the Sixteenth Kentucky Infantry and participated in
the battle of Atlanta, and James was in the Fifth Indiana Cavalry.

Samuel T. Foudray was a youth of nine summers when he came with
his parents to Indiana. He obtained his education in the common schools,
and was reared on the home farm, aiding in clearing the land and transform-
ing it into rich fields. He also worked in a sawmill to a limited extent, but
during the civil war he put aside all personal considerations, enlisting June
15, 1862, at Rochester, Indiana, and being mustered in September 6, at
Indianapolis, as a member of Company I, Ninetieth Indiana Infantry or Fifth
Cavalry. He was mustered out at Pulaski, Tennessee, June 15, 1865, and
was honorably discharged at Indianapolis. He participated in the chase
after General John Morgan, following him from Cumberland, Kentucky, to
Buffington Island, Ohio, where his regiment captured thirteen hundred Con-
federate prisoners. Mr. Foudray was also in the battle of Knoxville, Ten-

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 601

nessee, and in the famous Atlanta campaign was under fire for seventy-two
days. He took part in the engagements at Atlanta, Kenesaw mountain,
Lovejoy Station, Rome, Burnt Hickory and many skirmishes, and went on
General Stoneman's famous raid. After the battle of Macon he was captured,
at Sunshine church, by the forces of General Joseph Wheeler, and was taken
to Andersonville, where he was confined for five months and twenty days,
suffering all the hardships of prison life. He was captured July 28, 1864,
placed in Andersonville about the ist of August, and paroled December 20,
1864. At the time of his capture he was a strong young man, weighing one
hundred and sixty-five pounds, and when released weighed less than one
hundred and twenty pounds, but he was even then much more fortunate than
many of his comrades, for he was never ill during that time, his reduced
weight being occasioned by the lack of nutritious food. He was forced to
live on corn bread made from meal oftentimes unfit for human food, and
once or twice a week a small portion of bacon of a little corn or rice were
added to the bill of fare. Mr. Foudray was also robbed by the Confederates
of all of his clothing, being allowed to retain only a pair of trousers, a cotton
shirt and an old hat. His boots being taken from him, he was forced to go
barefooted throughout his prison life. He had no cooking utensils, save an
old tin cup, in which he prepared his entire meal, and at the close of the
war he returned home with the cup as a relic of his army life. The drink-
ing water was obtained from a creek that ran through the stockade, and was
very much polluted; but on one occasion, after a terrible thunder-storm, it
was found that a spring had forced its way through the ground, and from that
time on it yielded an inexhaustible supply of fresh, pure water, which was a
godsend to the poor soldier boys in that hot summer, when the unclean water
was spreading disease throughout their ranks. After being taken from Ander-
sonville, Mr. Foudray was transferred to Florence, where he found prison
life by no means improved, and in some conditions even worse than at Ander-
sonville. The horror of the situation was often too terrible for description.
When paroled he was taken to Annapolis, Maryland, where he remained for
a few days, when he was granted a furlough and returned home, remaining
until April 2, 1865, when he rejoined his regiment at Pulaski, Tennessee,
where he served until the cessation of hostilities. He was never ill or
wounded, but was always found at his post of duty, cheerfully and loyally
defending the old flag and the cause it represented.

When the war was over Mr. Foudray resumed farming in Indiana, and
also engaged in the manufacture of lumber at various places. He was mar-
ried in Fulton county, Indiana, April 18, 1875, to Clarissa J. Miller, who
was born February 28, 1855, in Palestine, Kosciusko county, Indiana, a
daughter of Jacob and Mary A. (Windbigler) Miller. In early life her father

602 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

was a druggist, but later became a farmer. He was a representative of one
of the old Pennsylvania Dutch families, and in Palestine, Indiana, he wedded
Mary A. Brockey, a widow, and the daughter of John and Polly (Borchter)
Windbigler. Her father was a prominent farmer and owned three hundred
acres of land near Rensselaer, Indiana, at the time of his death. Jacob
Miller, the father of Mrs. Foudray, was a farmer of Kosciusko county, and
died there, at the age of fifty years. His children were Susannah and Mary
Ann, twins, the former now deceased; and Clarissa J. Mrs. Miller was
three times married, her first union being with Jonas Brockey, by whom she
had five children: Levina, Fiana, Nathaniel, Elizabeth and Mariette. Her
third husband was Charles Osburn, by whom she had a son, Jeremiah. Mr.
and Mrs. Foudray have but one child. Bertha, who was born in Fulton
county, Indiana, September 3, 1885.

After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Foudray located in Fulton county,
Indiana, where he engaged in sawmill work. He purchased and operated a
sawmill and carried on the lumber business, both in Rochester and Medary-
ville, his connection with that enterprise continuing for twelve years. He
purchased timber land in Fulton county, and used the forest trees in his mill,
his business returning to him a good income. In 1893 he purchased one hun-
dred and twelve acres of wild and very wet land, and at once began the de.
velopment of a farm. He has drained the place, has erected excellent build-
ings, planted a fine orchard and small fruits, and now has one of the most
highly cultivated and desirable farm properties in the county. It is marvel-
ous what he has accomplished within six years, and his farm may well be re-
garded as a monument to his enterprise, thrift and business ability.

Mr. and Mrs. Foudray are most highly-esteemed residents of the com-
munity, and are consistent members and active workers in the church of
God. In his political connections he is a Republican, and served as con-
stable in Newcastle township, Fulton county. He formerly belonged to
Bloomingsburg Lodge, I. O. O. F. , and served as its recording secretary. He
is a self-made man, owing his prosperity entirely to his own efforts. He is
most reliable and trustworthy in all trade transactions, is accounted one of
the substantial citizens of the community, and well merits the respect in
which he is uniformly held.

NATHAN C. GIBSON.

Nathan C. Gibson, who is well and favorably known in Idaville and White
county, is a native of Jackson township, born April 27, 1839. He is a
grandson of William Gibson, who was born at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania,
and removed to Tennessee with his father in childhood. Upon reaching

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 603

man's estate William Gibson went to Ohio, where he married Mary Cham-
bers, and then returned to Tennessee. In 1813 the couple became residents
of Shelby county, Ohio, and in the fall of 1834 they removed to White county,
Indiana, in company with about thirty-five families belonging to the religious
sect known as Seceders. Long since William Gibson and his estimable wife
were gathered to their forefathers, and of their eight children but one sur-
vives. Thomas died while young, and the others, all of whom lived to ma-
turity, were John, Elizabeth, Robert P., Isabel, William, Margaret and
Adam.

Robert Parks Gibson, the father of our subject, was born in Blount
county, Tennessee, December 19, 1812, and is consequently one of the old-
est residents of White county. He retains his faculties to a remarkable de_
gree, and his mind is as keen and active as ever. Notwithstanding his lack
of educational advantages in his youth, he became well informed on a variety
of subjects by private reading and study, and became particularly versed in
the scriptures. For many years he was a minister of the gospel on the front-
ier, preaching the word whenever opportunity offered. His chief occupa-
tion in life was that of farming, and during his prime he was considered one
of the most progressive agriculturists of Jackson township, where he is still
living. In 1838 he married Sarah Tam, a native of Delaware, who had ac-
companied her brother Joshua D. to Indiana. For more than three-score
years this worthy couple have traveled life's pathway together, and now in
their declining days they are quietly waiting for the summons to that land
whither so many friends have passed. They lost eight children, who died in
early life, and a daughter, Mrs. Rebecca Sands, died March 20, 1879.
Their surviving children who live within the radius of a few miles are: Na-
than C; Mary B., wife of Cyrus Gibson; William J., Sarah Ann, wife of
Morris Boehme; Belle, who is caring for her parents; Emeline, wife of John
Gorman; and Ida Jane, wife of Marion Gates.

Nathan C. Gibson was born in Jackson township. White county, April
27, 1839, and for sixty years he has made his home in this immediate region.
While he has been engaged in various lines of business at intervals, his main
attention has always been given to farming, and he is the owner of a finely-
improved homestead in Jackson township. He is one of the proprietors of
the flouring mill at Idaville, and has resided in the village since November,
1898. In his political affiliations he is a Democrat. During the civil war he
enlisted in Company B, One Hundred and Forty-second Regiment of Indiana
Volunteer Infantry, and served from October, 1864, to the close of the con-
flict. With his regiment he took part in the Nashville campaign, under Gen-
eral Thomas, and assisted in the destruction of Hood's army.

The marriage of Mr. Gibson and Miss Elizabeth Wilburn was solemnized

604 BIOGRJPHICAL HIST GET.

March 8, 1867. Mrs. Gibson was born in Madison county, Indiana, April 8,
1849, and by her marriage became the mother of four sons and seven daugh-
ters, namely: Amanda (Mrs. Richard Bird), Orion (deceased), Sarah B. (Mrs.
Samuel Timmons), Minnie, John R., Elizabeth, Ruth, Milton, Pearl, Fred
and Dilla. Mr. and Mrs, Gibson are members of the Church of God, and
always use their means and influence in the support of worthy public
enterprises.

CYRUS W. DUVALL.

The well known gentleman whose name heads this biographical review
is agent for the Standard Oil Company, and also handles express, mail and
freight at Rensselaer, Indiana, which place has been his home since 1853.
His people were among the pioneers of the Western Reserve of Ohio.

Daniel Duvall, the grandfather of Cyrus W., was a Pennsylvanian by
birth, and at an early day came west to Ohio, subsequently continuing his
way westward, and taking up his abode in Kosciusko county, Indiana. About
1835 he removed to Jasper county, this state, where he died in 1842, at the
age of forty-five years, leaving a family of seven children. His son, John W.,
the father of Cyrus W., was born in Darke county, Ohio, January 9, 1827,
and from there came to Indiana, locating in Lafayette, later removing to
Rensselaer, where he became connected with the stage business. He con-
ducted a livery business and ran a stage line from Rensselaer to what is now
Monon (then Bradford), and another to Remington. He was both a Mason
and an Odd Fellow, and he was well known throughout the county. He
died July 7, 1896. His first wife («rV Rebecca Ann Anderson) was a daughter
of Crawford Anderson. She died August 20, 1867, leaving six children,
namely: Martha J., wife of J. Griswold, of Valparaiso; Cyrus W., whose
name introduces this sketch; Samuel H., of South Bend; Mary D., wife of
W. H. Eger, of Rensselaer; Jennie, wife of W. H. Cornell, of Grand
Rapids; and Alberta, wife of Eugene Cornell.

For his second wife, John W. Duvall married Elizabeth, daughter of
Edward Kenton, of Jasper county, who traced her lineage back to Simon
Kenton, the noted Indian hunter, who was associated with Daniel Boone, of
early Kentucky fame. The fruits of this union were two children, — Edmund
D. and Ora, both of Rensselaer.

Cyrus W. Duvall was born July 22, 1853, at Rensselaer, and was reared
here, early making himself useful as his father's assistant in the livery and
stage business. When only thirteen he drove stage for his father. He
attended the common schools at intervals, but his educational advantages
were limited. Early in life he formed a partnership with his father and took

BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY. 605

charge of the hack lines, this association continuing until the winter of 1878,
when he severed home ties and started out for himself. About this time he
married, and with his father-in-law went to Elk county, southeastern Kansas,
where he remained until the spring of 1879. He then came back and was in
the livery barn with his father until the spring of 1881. His next venture
was in the hotel business. During the following year he had charge of the
old Austin House, and through the summer of 1882 he ran a boarding house,
after which he returned to the livery barn with his father. In the spring of
1883 he became proprietor of the Nowels House, but in the fall of that same
year he moved to a place near the depot and established a draying business,
which he has since continued. As stated at the beginning of this sketch, he
is now agent for the Standard Oil Company, and has also contracts to carry
mail, express and freight.

Mr. Duvall married Margaret J. Thompson, a daughter of John and
Sarah Isabel (Curl) Thompson, the latter now deceased. John Thompson
was for many years engaged in merchandising at Rensselaer and is well known
here. He is now retired. He and his wife had ten children. Mr. and Mrs.
Duvall had five children, namely: Blanche May, who died at the age of nine-
teen years; Cyrus Earl, who was for six years clerk in a hardware store in
Rensselaer, but since January i, 1899, has been connected with the clothing
house of L. Wildberg in Rensselaer; and Cora Bell, John Wesley and Carl
Leon.

Mr. Duvall and his wife are consistent members of the Presbyterian
church, and he maintains fraternal relations with the Knights of Pythias. In
his political views he is Democratic.

NEWTON LYONS.

Mr. Lyons, who has been for many years engaged in farming and stock-
raising in Jordan township, Jasper county, was born in Newton county, Indi-
ana, August 13, 1849. He was educated in the common schools and reared
upon his father's farm, where he remained until 1870, when he was married
and settled on a farm of his own. He has done some trading in real estate, but
has given his principal attention to general farming and stock-raising, and
has also bought and shipped stock. In 1889 he bought two hundred and for-
ty acres of land, on the county line in Jasper county, two miles east of Fores-
man and there he has since made his home. He has put this place under a
high state of cultivation, having tiled it, erected substantial buildings and
made all modern improvements.

Mr. Lyons is an uncompromising Republican, and uses his influence for
the good of his party in all public affairs, although he has never aspired to

606 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

office. He is a man of excellent character, modest in his demeanor and is
regarded as a valuable citizen.

The marriage of our subject to Miss Jennie Hershman took place April
14, 1870. Mrs. Lyons was born in White county, Indiana, September 6,
1854, and is a daughter of Jacob and Mary (Edmonson) Hershman. Her
father was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, and is of German descent, while
her mother is a native of Tennessee and traces her ancestry to the Emerald Isle.
They were married in Hamilton county, Indiana, and both are now living in
Newton county. Mr. Hershman is a farmer by occupation, a stanch Repub-
lican, and he and his wife are active members of the Methodist church.
Their children were: George, who died while a soldier in the civil war; John,
a farmer in Iroquois township, Newton county; William, who has been coun-
ty school superintendent in Newton county, and is now a professor in the
New Albany schools; Jennie, wife of our subject; Frank; Sarah (Mrs. James
Hoach); and Linna (Mrs. Thomas Gratners). To our subject and his wife
five children have been born: Herman S., December 10, 1874; Morris E. ,
September 24, 1876; Marian, August 19, 1879; and Lena and Leola, twins,
born January i, 1888.

Samuel Lyons, the father of our subject, was a son of Morris Lyons, a
native of Virginia, of German and Irish descent, who was an early settler in
Ohio, where he spent the remainder of his life, engaged in farming. Samuel
was born and reared in Ohio, and first came to Indiana in 1836, but did not
permanently settle in this state until 1840. At that time the counties had
not been organized, and what are now the counties of Newton, Jasper, Ben-
ton and Warren comprised one county only. Mr. Lyons entered land in what
is now known as Newton county, but later disposed of it, and improved a
second farm, — the one on which he now resides, — at the advanced age of
eighty-six years. He was a blacksmith by trade, and he carried on opera-
tions in this line for many years in conneciion with his farming. He has
always been a conservative man, strictly honorable in all his transactions,
and never getting into debt. He has been fairly successful in life, and has
always been regarded as an excellent citizen.

Samuel Lyons was married to Miss Margaret Smith, daughter of Joseph
and Phebe (Earl) Smith, both natives of Hoboken, New York. The Smiths
and Earls were early settlers of this portion of Indiana. Mr. Smith removed
from New York to Ohio, and later to Newton county, Indiana, where he en-
tered land and improved a farm, on which he resided until his removal to
Kansas. After many years' residence there he returned to Newton county,
and here passed the rest of his days, dying in March, 1894, at the advanced
age of ninety-nine years. He made his home with the father of our subject
for nearly twenty years before his death. Politically he was a strong Repub-

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 607

lican, and he was a consistent member of the Christian church. His chil-
dren were: Joseph, Margaret (mother of our subject), Nathaniel, Sarah
(Mrs. Waters), Hannah (Mrs. Whitaker), John, James and Elizabeth. John,
Margaret and Sarah are the only ones now living.

To Morris Lyons and his wife the following children were born: Isaiah,
deceased; Newton, who lives in Ross county, Ohio; John, deceased; Abel,
deceased; Samuel, father of our subject; Ann, who died when fifty years of
age; Margaret (Mrs. Bookwalter); Elizabeth (Mrs. Hess); Morris, deceased;
and Sophia (Mrs. Ponsler.)

GEORGE W. VAN ALSTINE,

Although but a comparatively recent acquisition as a citizen of Monti-
cello, White county, Indiana, Mr. Van Alstine is one of the most enterpris-
ing and esteemed men of the place. He came to Monticello some five years
ago, from Kankakee county, Illinois, and has been closely identified with
the best interests of the village ever since. He was born in Hillsdale
county, Michigan, February 12, 1843, and is a son of Adam and Catherine
(Gay) Van Alstine. His father was at one time a farmer in the state of
Michigan, but died in Jasper county, Indiana, at the age of seventy-five
years. He married Catherine Gay, who was born in Michigan and died
when our subject was but four years old. There were but two children, —
Charles, of Fostoria, Kansas, and George W. , the subject of this biography.

After the death of his mother, George W. Van Alstine went to Elkhart,
Indiana, and made his home with his grandmother for a time. His father
moved west and took George with him, his early years being spent amid
great disadvantages. He wandered around with his father, here and there,
having no settled home. Sometimes they were engaged at one thing, some-
times at another, but most of the time were employed in putting up telegraph
lines, and they put up the first line on the Rock Island Railroad west of
Chicago. Under these circumstances, his education was necessarily limited,
in so far as school-book learning went; but he had a keen intelligence,
and was quick to pick up any stray bit of information and store it safely
away in his capacious memory, and it was surprising to find the variety and
depth of practical wisdom thus acquired. When the civil war broke out,
Mr. Van Alstine was very desirous of becoming a soldier, but was prevented
from doing so by his father, as he was under age. However, the following
year, 1862, he succeeding in eluding that parent, and in August of that year
enlisted in Company K, One Hundred and Thirteenth Regiment, Illinois
Volunteers. His brother was with him, and the father, finding his sons had
entered the army, followed and joined the same regiment. They took part

608 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

in much of the fighting along the Mississippi river, and were under Sherman.
Our subject's Hfe here was replete with adventure and excitement, and the
experiences through which he went would make an interesting chapter in his-
tory. He was wounded at Guntown, Mississippi, but tenaciously kept
out of the hospital and remained with his regiment, being off duty only six
weeks. He was mustered out June 17, 1865, and returned to Kankakee,
Illinois, where he resumed the peaceful pursuits of pastoral life, which he
followed until he located in Monticello, five years ago. He was not suited
with farm life, preferring some more genial occupation, and accordingly
engaged in business, under the firm name of George W. Van Alstine & Son.
He obtained the franchise and they introduced and operated the electric
plant at this place, furnishing one thousand three hundred incandescent, and
over twenty-eight, arc lights. After successfully completing this enterprise
they sold it to other parties on May i, 1899. Thanks to his enterprise,
Monticello is now a well lighted city, and a new element of prosperity seems
to reign in the community. Since coming here Mr. Van Alstine has estab-
lished a horse market, which has proved of benefit to the surrounding
country.

Mr. VanAlstine was married to Miss Ellen Kile, of Kankakee county,
Illinois, to them have been born two children, — Ernest, who is in business
with his father, and Minnie, the wife of Frank S. Highway, the principal of
the high school at Crown Point. Ernest VanAlstine married Miss Cora Pul-
ver, and is the father of two children. Oaks and Sula Ellen. Mr. Van
Alstine is a Republican. He was made a Mason twenty-two years ago, and is
a member of the Monticello Post, G. A. R. He is a man of ripe experience,
exceptional capacity, and a thorough knowledge of his business, and has
made a host of friends since his advent here.

VALENTINE BATES.

Among the honored old citizens of Big Creek township. White county,
are Valentine Bates and wife, who have dwelt in White county for thirty-
six years, and for three decades lived on one farm, which place they still own.
By industry and thrift, by perseverance and well applied energy, they
acquired a goodly competence, and may now look back with just pride over
lives worthy of praise and emulation. Their children are reared and are
occupying respected and responsible positions in the world's battle-field, and
to them will descend a far more priceless heritage than wealth, an unblem-
ished name.

John Bates, the paternal grandfather of our subject, was born in New
York, and was of English descent. He owned and carried on a farm near

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 609

New York city until his death. The parents of Valentine Bates were Gil-
bert and Harriet (Valentine) Bates, both born in the Empire state. Of
their seven children the following are living: Hannah; Amelia, who is the
■wife of Henry Dater, of New York city; Mary, who is now living in Roches-
ter, New York, and is the widow of Thomas B. Griffith; and Laura V., who
is the wife of Clement Rushton, of Springfield, Massachusetts. The father
passed his entire life in New York city, dying in 1842, when but thirty-seven
years of age. He had been engaged in the dry-goods business. Mrs.
Bates died in 1884, when seventy-seven years old. Religiously, she was an
Episcopalian, while her husband was a Methodist. Her father, Abram Val-
-entine, was of English descent, a native of Ne.w York, and in early manhood
he was a merchant in the metropolis, and later was a farmer. He died at
the ripe age of eighty-five years.

Valentine Bates, like his forefathers, was born in the city of New York,
the date of his birth being January 28, 1832. When he was ten or twelve
years old his mother settled in West Farms, Westchester county, and there
the lad grew to manhood, attending the select school. Then he began clerk-
ing in a country store in Mamaroneck, and a year later he went into the
employ of a wholesale flour house in New York city and was there for over
three years. His brother, John Bates, was captain of a sea-going vessel,
and in 1852 our subject sailed from New York to San Francisco, arriving at
his destination in the following spring. Several years passed, during which
period he engaged in mining, succeeding well. In 1856 he shipped as a
sailor for New York, thus making the long journey a second time. The next
three years he worked for his uncle, Alfred Bates, on his Long Island farm,
after which he went to Pickaway county, Ohio, where he was similarly
employed for a year.

On the 26th of March, 1862, Mr. Bates was married to Miss Caroline
Amelia, daughter of John B. and Caroline (Hammond) Denton, all of New
York state. Mr. Denton was born in Cold Springs, Long Island, was a
mechanic in early life and later a farmer in Suffolk county. New York, where
he and his brother Jonah owned nine hundred acres of valuable land. He
was a kindhearted gentleman, of the old school, and though not professing
Christianity he contributed liberally to all good causes and especially to
those of the Presbyterian church. Mrs. Bates was his only child, and his
closing days of life were passed with her in her pleasant home in Big Creek
township, White county, Indiana. His remains now lie buried in the ceme-
tery at Monticello, his death occurring after he had passed the age of eighty
years.

On the very da}' of his marriage Mr. Bates started with his bride for the
■west, and located in Tippecanoe county, this state, where they spent two

6io BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY.

\-ears. Then he rented land near Brookston for two years, and a farm in
West Point township one year. Coming to Big Creek township, he rented
a farm for a year and then bought one hundred and ten acres, which he pro-
ceeded to improve to a great extent. By further purchases he has added to
this until he now has two hundred and seventy acres, constituting one of the
best kept farms in the county. In 1896 he settled in Monticello and opened
agrocery, which he afterward sold, and in March, 1899, returned to his Big
Creek home, where he is now passing the evening of his life amid plenty and
comfort. In his political views he is an ardent Republican.

He has had seven children, — Laura, John, Edward, Samuel, Wilbur,
Robert and Allen. Laura, the only daughter, married Colfax Mowrer, of
Monticello, and has four children, — Edna, Alice, Helen and Schuyler. John
married Miss Fannie Rinker and has two children, — Lina and Ralph, — and is
living on the first place purchased by Mr. Bates; Robert is with his father on
the present home farm; Samuel is a harness-maker in Logansport; Allen
has been engaged in clerking for several years; Edward died when six
months old; and Wilbur enlisted in the Spanish-American war, in the One
Hundred and Sixty-first Indiana Volunteer Infantry, was stationed in Cuba
under the command of General Lee, and was honorably discharged at the
muster out of his regiment in May, 1899.

To have reared these noble children to be such patriotic and representa-
tive citizens, after commencing life with means so limited and humble, is an
achievement exceedingly gratifying to the parents for their long years of self-
sacrificing endeavor and heroic struggle.

ROBERT J. CLARK, M. D.

The subject of this sketch is an able representative of the medical pro-
fession. He comes of a family of physicians, his father and grandfather be-
fore him having followed the same profession, and his qualifications are
both of a natural and acquired order.

Dr. Othinel Clark, his father, was a native of Clarksburg, Harrison
county, West Virginia, who removed to Tippecanoe county, this state, in
1823, and became a prominent physician of the county. He died here in
December, 1866. The mother of Robert J. {ncc Charille Durkee) was a
native of Vermont, and her father was a physician and surgeon in the army
during the war of 1812. She died at the age of eighty-four years. Dr.
Othinel and Charille (Durkee) Clark were the parents of nine children,
namely: John D., who died in 1862, at the age of twenty-nine years; Cor-
nelia, wife of Noah S. Thompson, San Francisco, California; Jane, a widow,
living at Tacoma, Washington; Allison, a merchant in this state; William R.,.

BIOGRJPEICAL BISTORT. 611

deceased; Robert J., whose name heads this sketch; Mary, deceased; Frank,
a druggist, who died in early manhood; and Fannie M., of Lafayette.

Robert J. Clark was born in the city of Lafayette, May 24, 1844, and in
that city his boyhood days were spent. He received his education in the
public schools and in the University of Notre Dame. In 1862, at the age of
eighteen, he entered the Union' army, for thirty days, and served during the
Morgan raid, and in March of the following year he enlisted, for three years,
as a member of the Twenty-second Indiana Battery, the fortunes of which
he shared until the close of the war. This battery was assigned for duty to
the Army of the Ohio, Twenty-third Corps, and therefore was in many en-
gagements, and not a few hard-fought battles. During his army service he
was wounded a number of times, and has that knowledge of war and army
service which comes only by actual participation.

At the close of the war our subject was honorably discharged and
returned to his father's home on a farm near Lafayette. He remained there
till the death of his father the following year, when he gave exclusive atten-
tion to the study of medicine, for which he seemed to have a natural inclina-
tion. His progress was rapid, his study thorough, and he was regularly
graduated by the Ohio Medical College, at Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1870. He
then served one year as resident physician in the Cincinnati Hospital, where
he had a large experience in all manner of diseases and surgical operations.
This opportunity well improved was invaluable, in that it gave him the bene-
fit of actual practical work and enabled him to commence the actual practice
with experience and confidence. He located in Monticello, White county,
Indiana, in February, 1867, and this place has since been his home. In the
science of medicine he keeps fully abreast with the times; is not only familiar
with the best known remedies, but knows how and when to apply them. His
ability is not confined to the practice of medicine, but he is a skillful surgeon,
and in difficult or complicated operations he is almost universally depended
upon to the extent of a large territory.

Dr. Clark was married to Mary E. Reynolds, a daughter of James C.
and Miranda (Sill) Reynolds, of Monticello. They have two children: Cor-
nelia R., a teacher, and Frederick A., an electrical engineer, and a graduate
of Purdue University.

Fraternally, the Doctor is a member of the Grand Army of the Repub-
lic, Tippecanoe Post, No. 5; and the White County Medical Association,
State Medical Association and American Medical Association.

Dr. Clark is a genial, companionable, sympathetic gentleman, and
possesses in rare degree those characteristic elements which indicate the true
physician. He detests fraud and hypocrisy and has always taken a commend-
able interest in every endeavor to have laws enacted for the protection of the

612 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

people. He believes that to administer strong medicines or attempt diffi-
cult surgical operations without requisite knowledge is a crime, and that the
laws of the state should prohibit persons from committing murder under
cover of pretended qualifications.

JOHN ADE,

The cashier of the Discount and Deposit Bank, of Kentland, is one of the
substantial citizens of Newton county, which he helped to organize and
served as its first recorder of deeds. He was born in Sussex county, England,
September i8, 1828, and is a son of John and Esther (Wood) Ade, both of
whom were natives of that same county. The father followed the occupa-
tion of a maltster in England and with his family sailed for America, in June,
1840, landing in New York after a long voyage of forty-five days. He pos-
sessed but little of this world's goods, and he settled in Hamilton county,
Ohio, near Cincinnati, where he subsequently purchased a small farm and
resided on the same until the close of the civil war, when he sold out and
removed to Scott county, Iowa, and bought a small farm near Davenport,
where he died in the fiftieth year of his marriage. He was the only member
of the family to come to this country, and was an honest, industrious man,
winning the confidence and high regard of all with whom he came in contact.
His wife survived him but a few months, when she passed away at Daven-
port, Iowa. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ade were devout members of the Baptist
church. The following mention is made of their children: John is the sub-
ject of this review. William resides in Davenport and learned the carpen-
ter's trade, but since i860 he has been in the railway mail service. He is
married and has seven children. Henry was the first to be born in the United
States. He married, and followed farming near Davenport, Iowa, until his
death. Samuel died in Iowa. Joseph, the youngest child, was born in Ham-
ilton county, Ohio, and served as a soldier in the civil war, in the Sixth Ohio
Volunteer Infantry. He married, and engaged in farming in Scott county,
Iowa, where he now lives.

John Ade, the immediate subject of this mention, attended the district
schools in his youth and learned the rudiments of farming, but at the age of
eighteen he took up the blacksmith trade, at which he worked about four
years. After his marriage, in 185 1, he had charge of a toll-gate near Cin-
cinnati, working in that capacity until 1853, when he came to Morocco, Jas-
per county, and for two years conducted a general store for Ayers & Com-
pany, afterward becoming the village blacksmith of that place. In i860
Newton county was organized, and Mr. Ade was made his party's candidate
for recorder of deeds and was elected, he being the only successful candidate

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 613

on the Republican ticket. Removing to Kentland, he fulfilled the duties of
his office for four years and was then, in 1864, elected county auditor, in
which capacity he also served four years. At the expiration of his term he
took up farming, traded in real estate and was also in the grain business with
C. B. Cone and Elmer McCray, and in 1872 he entered the banking house of
Mr. Cone, at Kentland, as cashier.

In 1875 Mr. Ade became associated with Greenberry W. McCray and
E. Littell Urmston and they purchased the bank of C. B. Cone, which they
have since conducted, the firm name being Ade, McCray & Company. Mr.
Ade has been its cashier, and during the past twenty-three years has but
seldom been absent from his desk. The Discount and Deposit Bank, of
Kentland, is the oldest bank in Newton county; it is a sound financial insti-
tution and does a larger business than any other concern of a similar nature
in the county.

On May 20, 185 1, Mr. Ade was united in marriage to Miss Adaline Bush,
who was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, August 8, 1833, a daughter of
Isaac and Margaret (Adair) Bush. Isaac Bush was born in New Jersey and
was a farmer and hotel-keeper. Mrs. Bush was born in Fayette county, In-
diana, on the present site of Connersville, and was the first white child born
in that county. Mr. and Mrs. Ade became the parents of seven children:
Anna Eliza, born April 18, 1852, near Cincinnati, Ohio, married John W.
Randall, of Kentland. Mary Alice, born January 19, 1856, married John G.
Davis and resides at Plymouth. Mr. Davis was born in Miami county, Ohio,
March 24, 1854, and educated at Pleasant Hill, Ohio. In January, 1867, he
became editor and publisher of the Chronicle, at Pleasant Hill, which he
conducted for a year, and in 1868 came to Newton county and engaged in
the nursery business and in farming. In March, 1873, he became deputy in
the circuit-court clerk's office and in 1878 he was elected circuit clerk and re-
elected in 1882. He was married to Miss Ade January 19, 1876, and they
have two sons, — William Harry and George A. William H. Ade was born
August 3, 1859, and is now (1899) county treasurer of Newton county.
Emma was born January 23, 1861, and died November 28, 1865. Joseph
was born September 23, 1862, and is now in the railway mail service on the
Fort Wayne Railroad. He was in the wreck that occurred near Shreves,
Ohio, September 21, 1892. He was the only survivor of five postal clerks
that were caught in that terrible disaster, and the other four were burned to
ashes! George Ade was born February 9, 1866, and obtained his early edu-
cation in the public schools of Kentland, later attending Purdue University,
at Lafayette, from which he was graduated with the class of 1887. In early
life he developed a taste for literary work, and his first effort to appear in
print was entitled "A Basket of Potatoes," which was written while being

614 BIOGBAPEICAL HISTORY.

" kept after school " to write an essay. After obtaining his diploma Mr. Ade
accepted a position as reporter on the Lafayette Call. While at Purdue his
classmate and chum was John McCutcheon, who subsequently was the cele-
brated artist of the Chicago Record, and who assisted Mr. Ade in getting a
place on the same paper as a reporter. His ability as a descriptive writer
soon becoming recognized, and in 1893 he was given the special work of
preparing " Stories of the Streets and of the Town," which were illustrated
by his friend McCutcheon. Through this work both these young men have
won a national reputation. Mr. Ade has made two trips to Europe, and
on each occasion has written for the Record a description of his travels, in a
most entertaining manner. Ella M. Ade was born October 23, 1867, and be-
came the wife of W. T. McCray, of whom a sketch appears elsewhere in this
work.

John Ade proudly points to the fact that he has voted the Republican
ticket from the organization of the party, and besides the office mentioned he
served for si.x years as a member of the school board at Kentland. He is a
Royal Arch Mason and is past master of Newton Lodge, No. 361, F. & A.
M., while he has been for over forty years a member of the Christian church.

ALBERT E. TUCKER.

The Tucker family has long been represented in Indiana, and the state
has had no better or more loyal citizens, foremost in works of improvement,
public-spirted and law-abiding. In tracing the ancestry of Albert E. Tucker,
of Harrison township, it is found that his great-grandfather Tucker was an
Englishman by birth. He lived in Nova Scotia and was a sea captain at
the time of the Revolutionary war in this country. He was a Tory and was
employed in carrying supplies to the British army when he was last heard
from. His wife having died at their Nova Scotia home, he took his two boys,
Anson, aged fifteen, and William, thirteen, with him on one of his sea voy-
ages. The vessel stopped at a New England port, and, strange to relate,
the two lads, who in some manner had imbibed very strong prejudices in favor
of the American colonists and their heroic struggles to free themselves from
foreign bondage, deserted the ship which was used for conveying "comfort
to the enemy," and, fleeing into the hills, not only forever lost their father
but were sparated and never saw each other again! William, the younger
boy, was the grandfather of our subject. He was born in Nova Scotia and
died in Lima, Indiana, about 1844. He lived in Connecticut in his youth,
and was married in that state to Sarah Stevens. Later he removed to New
York, thence to Indiana, then to Adrian, Michigan, and finally, returning to
this state, passed the remainder of his life here, engaged in farming and shoe-

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 615

making. His children were: William; Anson; Ann, who became the wife of
Joseph Sawdy, of Adrian, Michigan, and had two children; Warren and
Amanda: Matilda, who married R. D. Gunn, of New York state, and had
two sons, — Sherbun and William; and Seth, the father of Albert E.
Tucker.

The birth of Seth Tucker took place in Stamford, Connecticut, January
lo, 1803. He removed to the Empire state in boyhood, and on the 2d of
October, 1836, came to Indiana and entered a quarter section of land on sec-
tion 23, Lima township. La Grange county, the patent to the property being
signed by Andrew Jackson, under date of April 5, 1836. He resided there
until 1855, when he settled on a farm of one hundred and forty acres, which
he owned in Milford township, and that place he cultivated until he sold it
in 1864. From that time until his death, in 1875, he lived in Grand Rapids,
Michigan. He was a shoemaker as well as a farmer, and was fairly success-
ful in his business undertakings. He was a man of fine physique, six feet
and one inch in height, and often weighed two hundred pounds. He stood
high in the Masonic order, being active in the lodges at Lima and La Grange.
Politically he was a Whig and later a Republican, and religiously he was a
Presbyterian and a deacon in the church. His wife, whose maiden name
was Hannah Evans, was born in the opening year of this century, at Enfield,
New Hampshire. Later she lived in Vermont and New York, and attended
school in Boston for a period. She was married in the Empire state and
accompanied her husband to the west. Her death occurred in February,
1867, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and she was placed to rest near her old
home at Lima. Her eldest child, Edward, died when less than a year old,
and Albert E. was the second. Emily, born in 1835, is the widow of
Grosvenor Rathbun, who was a capitalist. She is now living at Glens Falls,
New York, where her son, Amos, is the proprietor of the Glenn House, a
popular hotel. Edward E. , the third son of Seth and Hannah Tucker, was
born in 1837, and is engaged in farming in La Grange county, Indiana. He
married Martha Bates, and their children are: Edna, wife of Edward Tooley;
Myron, William, Grosvenor and Hattie. William, born in 1841, died in the
autumn of 1865, and left a wife, formerly Clara Young, and one child, Cora,
now married.

The father of Mrs. Hannah Tucker, Edward Evans, was born in Enfield,
New Hampshire, and lived in Vermont, New York, Ohio, and Indiana, set-
tling in La Grange county, this state, about 1845. He came from one of
the respected old New England families, and his father, Edward Evans, was
a hero of the war for Independence, being with the gallant little band under
Washington at Valley Forge. Edward Evans, Jr., married a Miss Dunham,
by whom six children were born, namely: Mehitable, who married William

616 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Corcoran, and lived in New Hampshire; Edward; Dunham, who chose Mary
Bachelor for his wife, and their children were Franklin, Amelia, Mary
Thomas, Alonzo and Ziba; Coale, the fourth in order of birth, went to Ala-
bama, and there reared his children; Polly first married William Aiken, and
had a son, Albert G., and later became the wife of George Spear; Hannah;
and Nancy, who never married.

The birth of Albert E. Tucker took place May i, 183 1, in Ridgeway
township, Orleans county, New York. He remained at his parental home
until he was twenty-eight years of age, when his father gave him a deed to a
tract of eighty acres, situated in Springfield township. La Grange county.
This property, which he had thoroughly merited on account of his faithful-
ness in working on the home farm, he sold in 1864, and invested the pro-
ceeds in one hundred and twenty acres of land in Gilead township. Branch
county, Michigan. In 1865 he came to Fulton county, Indiana, and rented
land in Union township for thirteen years. In the autumn of 1865, how-
ever, he had purchased one hundred and seventy-three acres on sections 35
and 36, Harrison township, and section i. Van Buren township. He built a
comfortable house thereon in 1883, and has since resided here, making sub-
stantial improvements and materially increasing the value of the farm. He
is not a politician nor office-seeker, but is earnest in his desire to see his own
party, the Republican, prosper, as he believes its wise management of the
affairs of this nation since the war has brought about the prosperity which we
enjoy as a people.

On the i8th of May, 1856, Mr. Tucker and Marcella Amelia Nash,
daughter of John Stephens and Catherine Wolcott (Gillette) Nash, were
united in matrimony. Her father, a native of Massachusetts, removed to
Utica, New York, and thence to Summit county, Ohio, where he pursued
his trade as a carpenter. He died at his home in the last named county,
August 30, 1852, aged fifty-seven years. His wife, Catherine, survived him
many years, dying in February, 1879, when in her seventy-fourth year. She
was a native of Wolcottville, Connecticut, and removed to Summit county,
Ohio, with her parents. Her last years were spent at the home of Mrs.
Tucker, in Fulton county. Her eldest child, Edgar, died in infancy, and the
others were Alfred, Melvina, Octavia, Marcella, Eliza and Albert. Her father,
Nathan Gillette, married Abigail Wolcott, and of their children were Alexander,
Eliza, Catherine, Charlotte, Amanda, Abigail, Mary Ann and Oliver. The
Nashes have a family genealogy dating back several generations. Thomas
Nash, the grandlather of Mrs. Tucker, married Mercy Jane Smith, and their
children were Samuel, John, Bailey, Mary Ann, Cynthia and Siloam. Thomas
Nash was a prosperous farmer and land-holder in Massachusetts.

The birth of the wife of our subject occurred on the 5th of August, 1839,

BIOGRAPHICAL EISTOBY. 617

in what was then known as Middlebury, now Akron, Ohio. They became
the parents of six children, five sons and a daughter, all of whom, with the
exception of the eldest son, who died in infancy, are living. Seth William,
born March 12, 1862, is a farmer, residing near Polo, Illinois. He has a
wife and two children, — Mary and Jasper. Kate Merrifield, born March 20,
1864, is the wife of Cyrus Mull, the postmaster at Star City, and their only
child, Otis, was born October 24, 1886. Elon Weston is represented else-
where in this work. Amos Rathbun, born March 25, 1877, and Samuel
Randall, born September 28, 1880, are both at home with their parents. All
of the children have been given good educational advantages, and are well
equipped for the battle of life.

ELON WESTON TUCIvER.

One of the rising young men of Pulaski county is the gentleman of whom
the following lines are penned. He has already taken a prominent place in
educational and political circles, and is generally recognized to be a man of
exceptional ability and talents.

A son of Albert and Marcella Amelia (Nash) Tucker, oar subject was
born May 30, 1868, in Union township, Fulton county, Indiana. He received
the benefits of a common-school education, and, being an apt pupil, made
rapid progress in his studies. It became his ambition to be a teacher, and
in the summer of 1889 he attended the normal school at Winamac. That
winter he was employed as teacher of the Mull school, in Van Buren town-
ship, remaining in charge there for five months. During the few winters
succeeding that one he taught the Mooresburg school, the Smith school and
Center school of Harrison township, and in the winter of 1894-5 was the
principal of the Star City school. The ensuing winters he had charge of the
Smith and Center schools again, and for the past two years he has been the
principal of the school at Francesville. In the meantime he has continued
his own higher education, and in the summer of 1890-1 attended the Val-
paraiso Normal School; in the summer of 1892 was present at the sessions of
the normal at Gibbon, Nebraska, and in the summer of 1898 pursued a spe-
cial course at the Rochester (Indiana) Normal. As he was reared upon a
farm, and early became thoroughly familiar with agriculture, Mr. Tucker
concluded to do some farming upon his own account, and in 1893 bought
forty acres of land, which he cultivated until he removed to Francesville.

From the time that he received the right of franchise, Mr. Tucker has
been an ardent Republican and worker for the party. During the late cam-
paign he served as chairman of the Republican county committee, and so
thoroughly organized and superintended the work before him that the party

618 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

made the best fight ever made in the county, as is generally conceded.
Recently Mr. Tucker entered upon his new duties as deputy in the office of
the county auditor, and is giving thorough satisfaction to all concerned. To
be in position to attend to his office, he made his home in Winamac, in July,
of this year. Socially, he is a member of Francesville Lodge, No. 396,
Knights of Pythias.

On the 22d of February, 1892, Mr. Tucker and Ida Custer, daughter of
Samuel and Mary (Horn) Custer, were united in marriage. Mrs. Tucker is
a native of Indiana, her birth having occurred in Logansport, September 8,
1868. The distinguished Indian fighter. General Custer, was a member of
her branch of the Custer family, and even not distantly related. The eldest
child of the young couple, Albert Custer, was born June 27, 1893, and died
on the 3d of the ensuing October. Albion Chase, the second son, born June
26, 1894, departed this life about four weeks later, on the 27th of July.
Wayne, born January 14, 1896, and Eugene Weston, born February 28,
1899, have been spared to their parents.

CHARLES L. WEEKS.

Among the earliest settlers of Indiana were the ancestors of C. L.
Weeks, a leading citizen of Winamac, and for almost a century his name has
been closely associated with the progress of this state. At a remote period
in the colonial history of America, four brothers of the name left England
and sailed to the hospitable shores, where they separated, locating in different
states, and from them have descended many men who have risen to promi-
nence in the affairs of this nation.

The great-grandfather of our subject, John Weeks, was born in North
Carolina, and for a wife chose a Miss Wright. Their eldest child, Benja-
min, who lived near Greenboro, Indiana, married Winifred Copeland, and
had five children, — Alfred, Ellen, Nathan, Rebecca and Charlotte. William
married Mary Anne Freestone, and resided near Salem, Iowa. Their eldest
child was Elihu, and there were several younger ones. Ralph, who never
married, made his home with our subject's grandfather, James Weeks, until
his death at about fifty years of age. Lydia became the wife of Josephus
Harris, of Indiana; and Anne, who wedded James Griffin, lived in Green-
boro, Indiana. Of her children the names of three — Mary Jane, Eliza Ann
and John — are remembered.

James Weeks, the third child of John Weeks and wife, was the grand-
father of C. L. Weeks. He was born November 17, 1795, in Guilford
county. North Carolina, on a plantation, and when he was eight years of age
he accompanied his parents to Wayne county, Indiana, driving across the

BIOGRAPHICAL BISTORT. 619

country. He located in what was known as the Graves settlement, in Wayne
township, not far from the Smyrna Quaker meeting-house, and about two
miles from the state boundary line. For his day and advantages, he was a
man of good education, and at the age of eighteen he commenced teaching,
and for a long time taught during the winters, while the remainder of the
year he industriously worked upon his quarter-section homestead. After
making many improvements upon the place he sold it, buying one of one
hundred acres in New Garden township, and there he spent the rest of his
life. He was about five feet, ten inches in height, weighed in the neighbor-
hood of one hundred and seventy-five pounds, and was very energetic and
active. He was a Whig and one of the founders of the Republican party,
and though he never occupied public offices, he took great interest in every-
thing affecting the national or local welfare. No one was more thoroughly
opposed to slavery than he, and he was one of the active agents on the under-
ground railway system. In the Society of Friends he was highly esteemed,
being looked up to and consulted on financial questions and all others of
moment. His long, useful life came to a peaceful close November 13, 1887,
and his earthly remains were placed in the Quaker graveyard near Fountain
City, Wayne county. His wife, whose maiden name was Cassandra Cramp-
ton, was a native of the vicinity of Culpeper Court House, Virginia. She
came to Wayne county, Indiana, with her parents, when she was a child,
and was married at the age of seventeen years. She preceded her husband
to the silent land, dying September 16, 1879, when in her sixty-ninth year.
Their eldest child was Merrick C, father of Charles L. , subject of this
sketch. Ruth Anna, the next in order of birth, married Jonathan Williams,
and had one child. Jane, who married Benjamin Bailey and lived near
Denver, Indiana, had three children, — Frank, Emma and Leola. John
Wesley, who is a traveling salesman for a grocery house and resides in the
vicinity of Richmond, Indiana, married Caroline Clark, and their children
are Harry, Lois, Frederick, Cassandra, Grace, Ray and three who have
passed away. Samuel, the fifth child of James Weeks, died in boyhood.
Rachel became the wife of Elwood Jessup, and is a resident of Richmond;
Louise, Mrs. David Johnson, lives on the old Weeks homestead; and Flor-
ence, who is the wife of Elwood Powell, of Portland, Indiana, has one child,
Harry. The two youngest children of James Weeks and wife died in infancy.
The father of Mrs. Weeks, Samuel Crampton, was twice married, his second
wife being Miss Hampton. His children were named as follows: Merrick,
who wedded Ann Smith, lived in Wayne county, and had eight children:
Sarah, Martha, Letitia, Mary, Smith, Samuel, Phoebe and Rachel; Jeremiah,
of Paris, Ohio, married and had several children, — Frank, Wesley and others;
Joshua, lived in Wayne county, married Martha Rhodes, and had children

620 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Frank, Isaac, Lydia, Elijah, Susan and Emeline; Rachel, who became the
wife of Andrew Hampton when she was in her fifteenth year; Elizabeth
(Betsy), wife ofjesse Williams, of this state, and mother of Phoebe, Melinda,
Cassandra, Elizabeth and William; Mary, wife of William Rich, of Richmond,
and mother of Susanna, Rachel, Samuel and Judith Ann. To the second
marriage of Samuel Crampton three children were born, namely: Jacob,
who married Miss Gobel; Andrew, who lived in Iowa, was married and had
one son; and Ann, wife of John Bulla and mother of Helena and other chil-
dren. She was an authoress, and among other popular novels which
emanated from her pen a favorite one was entitled, "Addie, or the White
Slave."

Merrick Crampton Weeks was born August 23, 1831, on his father's
farm near Richmond, Wayne county, Indiana. He remained at home until
he was twenty-eight years of age, when he bought forty acres of land in
Franklin township, Wayne county. Later, he became part owner in a saw-
mill at Arbe, same county, and after two years' connection with that enter-
prise he opened a grocery at Richmond. His place of business was on Fort
Wayne avenue, and at times he carried a stock of five thousand dollars'
valuation. Selling out in 1876, he entered the employ of Nordyke, Marmon
& Company, manufacturers of mill machinery, and continued with them for
one year, after which he went to Indianapolis and was engaged in the gro-
cery and flour business for a period. In July, 189S, he came to Winamac
and aided them in the construction of their mill. He is a member of the
orthodox Society of Friends, is a stanch Republican, and fraternally is a
member of Whitewater Lodge, No. 41, I. O. O. F., of Richmond.

He married Hannah Eliza Thorn, daughter of Benjamin and Hannah
(Dudley) Thorn, December 23, 1859. She was born March 5, 1838, on a
farm situated on Green's Fork, Wayne county. The marriage of Mr. and
Mrs. Weeks was blessed with the following-named children: Minnie Eliza-
beth, born October 11, i860; Charles L. ; Cora May, born May 30, 1865;
Frank Leslie, born May 8, 1867, and now chief clerk in the Indianapolis
office of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company; Weaker Benjamin, born May
30, 1873, and now interested in the Winamac mill as a member of the firm of
Weeks Brothers; and Lulu Cassandra, born July 5, 1875. Cora M., the
eldest daughter, was married on the 8th of October, 1891, to A. R. Roberts,
and their little girl, Frances Elizabeth, was born March 5, 1893, and Charles
Lacy was born April 11, 1899.

The birth of Charles L. Weeks took place September 21, 1862, in Wayne
county. His education was obtained in the district schools and high school
in the vicinity of his home. At the age of seventeen years he commenced
the battle of life in the Richmond City Mill Works, and from 1879 to 1885

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 621

he was traveling salesman for the same firm, his territory being in Indiana,
Ohio and Kentucky. Then for six months he represented E. P. Allis & Com-
pany, of Milwaukee, and, following that, was agent for Nordyke, Marmon &
Company, of Indianapolis, until 1892. In company with Charles E. Nor-
dyke, son of the senior member of the last mentioned firm, he then erected a
mill at Montezuma, Indiana, with a capacity of one hundred and fifty barrels
a day. He owned a quarter interest in this enterprise, and at the beginning
of the year 1895 he sold out to the other partners. Coming then to Wina-
mac he started to erect a mill, in April, in partnership with his brother, W.
B., and is yet connected with this enterprise, which is proving a profitable
one. The mill has a capacity of seventy-five barrels of flour a day, and in
the summer of 1899 the brothers erected an elevator with a capacity of fifteen
thousand bushels of grain. Mr. Weeks is a practical millwright and his long
experience in constructing mills and placing the machinery in order for work,
which was a part of his duty when he was traveling for the firms above men-
tioned, has served him in good stead. He is likewise an excellent financier,
and conducts all of his business affairs with method, foresight and sound
common sense.

On the 6th of June, 1888, Mr. Weeks married Miss Mary Frances Tin-
ney, daughter of Andrew Jackson and Mary Ellen (Wilkins) Tinney. She
was born in Richmond, Indiana, June 12, 1868. Four children have been
born to our subject and wife, namely: Merle Catherine, April 6, 1889; Mil-
lard, April 15, 1892; Paul, April 16, 1893, died in infancy; and Donald, born
September 24, 1895.

Following in the political footsteps of his forefathers, Mr. Weeks is loyal
to the Republican party. Socially he is identified with the Knights of Pyth-
ias, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Masonic order, belonging to
lodges in Winamac, and, with his wife, he is connected with the Eastern Star.

FOSTER REXSTREW.

This prominent resident of Ora, Starke county, Indiana, was born De-
cember II, 1835, near Lamberton, in Clinton county, Ohio. His parents
were Joshua and Delilah (Starling) Rexstrew, and his grandparents were
Joseph and Mary (Foster) Rexstrew. Joseph Rexstrew was a native of
Massachusetts and a godly man, having been brought up in the Quaker faith,
was of English parentage, and was a cobbler and worked at that business in
Ohio to the time of his death, which occurred in 1848, when he was in his
seventy-fifth year. His children were Lydia, Charles, Samuel, Jeremiah,
Job and Joshua. These grandparents made a home for our subject from the
time of his mother's death until their own.

622 BIOGRAPHICAL EISTORY.

Joshua Rexstrew also was a native of Massachusetts and went to Clin-
ton county, Ohio, when a young man and engaged in farming there until
1841, when he moved to Auglaize county, Ohio, where he died about 1852,
in the prime of life. He was a renter, never owning land of his own. He
had been reared in the Quaker religion, while his politics were Democratic.
He married Delilah Starling, a native of Ireland, who died in 1841, when
about thirty years of age. She had four children, viz. : Foster, our subject;
Emily, born in 1837 and married to Lawrence Helm. Their children are
Annie, Charles, Alonzo, Frank, Theodore, Lily, Jane, Letitia and Nina;
Elwood, born in 1839, married Mary Elizabeth Woolary, of Tama county,
Iowa, and has three children, — Gibson, Alice and Jane; and Harriet, born
in 1841, married John Copeland, lives near Winamac and has seven children,
— Emily, Elwood, Harvey, Amanda, Charles, Albert and Edward. The
father then married Nancy Berry, by whom he had twins, now dead. His
third wife was Elizabeth Walten. Three daughters were born to them but
died young. G. F. Starling, the maternal grandfather of our subject, lived
in Ireland, never leaving his native soil. His wife had but one arm, the left
arm was off at the elbow at her birth. He had three children, — Delilah, the
mother of our subject, and two sons.

Foster Rexstrew was a child of six years when he lost his mother, and
her place was largely taken by his grandparents, with whom he lived until
their death, when he was twelve years old. He then went to the home of
Samuel Searles, with whom he lived until two years after he was married.
He worked by the month until 1864, and then left with a company for Cali-
fornia. A stop of one year was made at Boise City, Idaho, when the troupe
pushed on to the coast, arriving at Red Bluff. Here Mr. Rexstrew engaged
in farming, but preferred the eastern soil for that purpose and returned to
Ohio in 1869. He purchased a farm of sixty acres, which he cultivated until
1876, when he bought eighty acres in this state, where he built and lived
until he came to his present location. He is the owner of five very desirable
lots in the village of Ora.

April 12, 1855, Mr. Rexstrew was united in marriage with Miss Nancy
Marie Woolery, a lady born in La Grange county, Indiana, Januarj' 15, 1837.
She was a daughter of John and Eliza Jane (Per Voe) Woolery and a grand-
daughter of Henry Woolery, and also of Jasper Per Voe. Her father was a
native of the state of Pennsylvania, while her mother was from Xenia, Ohio.
Eleven children have blessed the home of Mr. and Mrs. Rexstrew, among
them two pairs of twins. The oldest, Allie Viola, was born April 14, 1856,
and died the next February; John Wesley was born April 17, 1857, and mar-
ried Miss Ida Bennett, by whom he has two children, — Pearl and Sarah;
Mary Catherine married (first) Jonas Speice, and had one child,— Pearl Edith;

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 623

she married (secondly) William Haines and has two children, — Marie Viola
and Ethel May; Henry Elwood was born January 31, 1862, and married Miss
Etta Johnson; their children are Lavantia Marie, Stanley Elwood and Henry
Arthur; Rachel Jane was born February 17, 1863, and was married April 2,
1883, to George William Engle; their children are Henry Oliver, born March
14, 1884; Amy Orilla, born June 18, 1885; John Wesley, born November
14, 1886; Mary Ann, born September 13. 1887, and James Monroe, born
March 23, 1890; the next were twins, Hiram Jefferson and William Edward,
born June 24, 1870; they died in infancy, as did Charles Edward and Har-
riet Belle, born November 17, 1873; the former died March 5, 1874, and the
latter at the age of eleven months; James Loyd was born February 28, 1874,
and married Pearl Sullivan, and they reside in Jefferson township and have
two children, — Allie Viola and Nancy Jane; Emma Luella was born May
22, 1879, and is the youngest of this interesting family.

Mr. Rexstrew is a Republican and for seven years has made a most effi-
cient justice of the peace. He also served as supervisor for four years. He
was always imbued with patriotism and tried several times to enlist in the
army. He is a man of sterling worth, all of whose acquaintances are his
friends.

ISAAC LEVI WASHBURN.
Pulaski county has been fortunate in the class of citizens who have
made their permanent homes here, and among the sterling pioneer families
none played a more important part than did the Washburns. As far as their
history can be traced they are noted for many of the best qualities of the
human race, patriotism being in the foreground. Whenever their personal in-
terests have been placed by the side of the country's welfare, all save the public
good has been cast to the winds, and they have proved themselves heroes
and patriots, indeed. The family is of German extraction, but many genera-
tions have come and gone since it was founded in America. George Wash-
burn, the great-grandfather of our subject, joined the colonial army under
the leadership of Washington, and served from the beginning to the end of
that great struggle for supemacy. Later he was one of the comrades of the
renowned Daniel Boone, in the wilds of Kentucky. In that state his son
Isaac, grandfather of our subject, was born. He married Rachel Laycock,
a native of Virginia and also of German descent, and to them eleven children
were born. He was a soldier in the second war of the United States with
Great Britain, the war of 1812, and subsequently he became one of the first
settlers in Brown county, Ohio, where he owned one hundred and seventeen
acres of land and continued to dwell thereon until his death in 1828. He
was a member of the Baptist church, with which denomination many of his

624 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

descendants have been connected since. After his death his widow married
again and removed to Pulaski county, where she Hved to be nearly one hun-
dred years old.

Moses L. Washburn, the father of our subject, was born in Brown
county, Ohio, April 2, 1815, and in 1833 removed to Cass county, Indiana,
with his mother and stepfather. After working for wages for some years,
he had accumulated sufficient capital to buy a quarter-section of land in Cass
county. On the 27th of June, 1838, he arrived in Indian Creek township,
Pulaski county, and in the following December he bought a quarter section
of land situated in that township. On this property he continued to make
his home until his death, with the exception of thirteen years, between 1851
and 1864, when he lived in Cass county. He was honored with numerous
local offices of trust and responsibility, was one of the county commissioners
for three years, was township trustee for six years, and served as a justice of
the peace. He voted the Democratic ticket and took an intelligent interest in
public affairs. The Baptist church found in him an earnest worker and con-
sistent member, and lofty principles dominated his daily life. His first wife,
Susanna Brown, a native of Preble county, Ohio, was united in marriage to
him, March 23, 1837. She died September 5, 1859, and on the nth of
September, i860, Mr. Washburn married Marilla A. McGovney, a native of
West Union, Ohio. Three children were born to the first union and four
sons and three daughters to the second.

The birth of Isaac L. Washburn occurred April 17, 1842, on his father's
old homestead in this county. He remained there until he attained his
majority, and upon making his first independent venture in life he leased
some land for a year. He next cultivated a farm near Royal Center, owned
by his father. In 1862, his father bought the homestead known as the Will-
iam Washburn place, on section 14, in Indian Creek township, and Isaac L.
managed that farm for five years. Later he became the owner of an eighty-
acre farm on section 4, Van Buren township, formerly the property of New-
ton Reynolds; about 1869 he bought on section 5, and part of the same
tract of one hundred and twenty acres on section 4. During the thirteen
years of his residence there he placed the entire land under cultivation, and
made valuable improvements. For a short time he next lived in Star City,
after which he carried on David Barnett's farm west of that town for one
year. Returning to Star City, he rented a hotel and managed it successfully
for two years. The ensuing eight years he rented one hundred and sixty-
seven acres of Isaac W. Talbott, of Peru, Indiana, and bought the place in
1890. Four years later he built a house, and in 1896 a substantial barn
was added to the other farm buildings. About sixty-two acres of the farm is
located on section 4, Van Buren township, nearly sixty-five acres is on sec-

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 625

lion 5, and forty acres is on section 22, and in addition to this property, Mr.
Washburn owns forty acres on section 27, Indian Creek township. He is
an enterprising, progressive farmer, has been the architect of his own for-
tunes, and is entitled to great credit for the upright, just manner in which he
has met all of his obligations as a citizen, neighbor and friend.

A marriage ceremony performed February 2, 1863, united the fortunes
of Mr. Washburn and Mary Elizabeth McCombs. She is a daughter of John
and Alice (Garrett) McCombs, and was born on the parental homestead near
Royal Center, Cass county, Indiana, November 13, 1844. Susanna, eldest
■child of our subject and wife, was born August 16, 1863, became the wife of
Charles Badger and died in 1891; Rachel Ann, born February 2, 1865, mar-
ried Alonzo Stalnaker, a civil engineer, died April 10, 1883, and was brought
to Star City for burial; John Elliott, born January 27, 1867, married Ida
Simms, and has five children, namely: Moses Lloyd, Hugh, Vern, Glenn
and Rettie M. M. : the family are residents of Denver, Indiana. Martha Alice,
born on Christmas day, 1866, married James Blew and has two children, —
Mary and Donald: they live in Star City, where she has been a successful
teacher in the public schools; Frances, born March 23, 1876, is the wife
of Leonard Felker, an attorney at law of Warsaw, this state.

Socially, Mr. Washburn is a respected member of the Star City Lodge
of Odd Fellows, in which he has passed all of the chairs, and, with his wife,
he is also identified with the Daughters of Rebekah. They are members of
the Christian church of 'Star City, he being a deacon and trustee. Politically
he is a Democrat, and has served the people of his township as an assessor
and as a justice of the peace.

LAWSON H. RECHER, M. D.

Lawson Henry Recher, M. D., of Morocco, Newton county, is a lead-
ing member of the medical profession, president of the Citizens' Bank of
Morocco, an enterprising business man and a substantial factor in the devel-
opment of the material interests of his community. He is of German an-
cestry, but his first American forefathers settled in this country in colonial
times. His paternal grandfather was a native of Maryland, and in the early
years of the present century emigrated to Ohio, settling near Dayton. He
was independent financially, as he brought eight thousand dollars with him,
and he was soon recognized as a leading factor in the development of his
part of the state, building mills and distilleries, and carrying on a freighting
business with teams and wagons between Cincinnati and Dayton. In every
business line he was successful. He lived to the age of three-score years
.and ten. He had eight sons and two daughters. One daughter died unmar-

626 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

ried and the other became the wife of Rev. David Winters, D. D., who was
a noted divine. He performed more marriage ceremonies than any other
clergyman in the state. Of the eight sons, Peter was a farmer, near Day-
ton; Ehas, a farmer and capitahst; Joseph, a farmer; Fred, Jacob and John
died in early life; and Lewis, the youngest, was the father of our subject.
He was born in Montgomery county, in 1816, and was about ten years of age
when his father died. He was reared a farmer, and in 1839 married Nancy
Whitmer. He tilled the soil in Ohio until 1866, when he emigrated to Indi-
ana, settling upon a tract of land near Francesville, where he pursued farm-
ing and stockraising. His death occurred in 1889. He was a kind-hearted,
liberal man, never had a lawsuit in his life, and always observed the goldea
rule. He brought up his children in the principles of industry, economy and
probity, accumulated a competency, and set a good example of citizenship.
His widow is living in Morocco. They had six children, namely: Martha J.,
born near Dayton, Ohio, in 1845, married David Ridenour, an iron-worker,
and resides at Galva, Illinois; James D., unmarried, is engaged in the lum-
ber trade in Texas; Lewis S. is the partner of our subject; Lawson H. is the
subject proper of this sketch; and two died in early life. The parents were
members of the German Reformed church.

Lawson H. Recher was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, near Dayton,
September 19, 1856, came with the family to Indiana in 1866, and here
assisted on the home farm and attended school at Francesville. Early in life
he learned the value of time and was not afraid to work. At the early age
of seventeen he began teaching public school, and continued in that profes-
sion three terms in the graded schools of Francesville; and while teaching he
also studied medicine under the professional guidance of Drs. Robert Mat-
tingly and D. J. Loring; then, entering the medical department of the Uni-
versity of Michigan, he completed the prescribed course there, and was grad-
uated with the degree of M. D. in 1879, being a member of the first class to
take the extended course of that thorough institution of learning. To begin
the practice of his chosen profession, he first located at Medaryville, this
state. In 1882 he came to Morocco, where he soon had a large and lucra-
tive practice. Being, however, also an able business man, as well as physi-
cian, he saw, in his extensive rides over the country, a great opportunity of
improving the vast acreage of wet land existing within the bounds of his
travel. After much thought devoted to the problem of the best manner of
draining and reducing to cultivation this extended waste, he decided upon the
tile system; and, accordingly, in 1886, he associated himself with A. D. Peck
and built the first tile manufactory in the vicinity of Morocco. This institu-
tion, however, was soon afterward destroyed by fire; but the proprietors
rebuilt, and successfully conducted their business for two years, when they

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 627

sold out. When the railroad was completed to Mount Ayr, Dr. Recher
united in partnership with Samuel Wilson and established a drug business at
that place, to be under the immediate personal supervision of Mr. Wilson,
and this continued for three years. In 1890 the Doctor associated himself
in business partnership with Ralph S. Paxton, under the firm name of Recher,
Paxton & Company, and organized the Citizens' Bank of Morocco, which they
managed, meanwhile continuing to carry on the drug business. A year later
Lewis S. Recher purchased the interest of Mr. Paxton, and the firm style
became Recher Brothers, bankers and druggists', Lewis S. being cashier of
the bank.

But Dr. Recher has not confined all his time and attention to his private
affairs, but has also been a public servant, and as such no man has ever been
more faithful to his trust. When the town of Morocco was incorporated the
Doctor was chosen its first treasurer. Subsequently he served five years as
trustee of Beaver township, being elected as a Democrat in a strong Re-
publican township. During his term of office in this relation the first two
miles of gravel road was built, new roads laid out, drainage ditches con-
structed and many other improvements made or inaugurated, — all to the en-
tire satisfaction of the tax-payers, as all the work was done economically and
honestly. The Doctor at present is a member of the school board. In his
social relations he is past master of Morocco Lodge, No. 372, F. & A. M.,
and in religious matters he is one of the original members of the Christian
church at this place.

Dr. Recher has been married twice. First, December 29, 1882, he was
united with Lizzie Conner, who died in 1887, leaving no children. In 1890
the Doctor was united in matrimony with Laura Pratt, M. D., a daughter of
Dr. Benjamin W. and Jane M. (Bean) Pratt. She was born at Johnstown,
Ohio, August 21, 1856, and was educated at Johnstown high school, and at-
tended Columbus Medical College, from which institution she was duly gradu-
ated with the degree of M. D. After graduating at the Columbus Medical
College she took a special course of study in New York city. She practiced
her profession in Goodland, Indiana, till her marriage to Dr. Recher. This
happy couple have one daughter, Freida, born July 18, 1892. The family
have one of the best homes in Newton county.

WILLIAM LeROY BOTT.

There should be something of inspiration to every young man starting
out to fight the battles of life, in the history of William L. Bott, of Star City.
Few men have had more difficulties to contend with in early years, and very
few have possessed more pluck and perseverance.

628 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

The paternal ancestors of the above were Irish Protestants, and for sev-
eral generations lived in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Emanuel Bott, father of
our subject, was born in the Keystone state, and removed to Franklin
county, Ohio, in his young manhood. He then settled in Cass county,
Indiana, where he found plenty of employment as a carpenter and builder,
and in 1869 he went to Logansport. There he became the foreman of Ste-
vens Brothers' extensive business, as contractors and builders, and was thus
employed at the time of his death, in 1871. He was then in his prime, be-
ing but forty-five years of age, and though he was but five feet and a half
tall and weighed one hundred and fifty pounds, he was robust and of good
constitution. He was a worthy member of the German Reformed church,
and in political faith was a Democrat. He married Lydia Schrock, who pre-
ceded him to the silent land some four months. She was a native of Frank-
lin county, Ohio, and was about forty years of age at the time of her death.
Their two eldest children died in infancy. Alice married Jacob Dietz, of
Franklin county, Ohio, and their children are Edgar and William. Charles,
now living in Cass county, married Minnie Ross and has three children, —
Burland, Myrle and a little girl. Frank, next to the youngest child of
Emanuel Bott, married Maud Ross and resides in Logansport; and Minnie is
married and living in Warsaw, Indiana, and has two children.

William L. Bott was born March 21, 1866, in Boone township, Cass
county, Indiana. He was left an orphan at a very tender age and fell into
bad hands. The poor child would have died from ill usage and neglect,
probably, had not a kind old German woman, a Mrs. Swering, nursed him
back to health and strength; but for almost a year he was sickly. He then
lived with his maternal uncle for a short time, and was a member of Scott
Oliver's household for two years. Then he returned to his uncle, and a few
months later found a good home with Daniel Martz, one of the pioneers and
respected citizens of Van Buren township. The lad was only eight years of
age at this time, though he had passed through some experiences which left
a lasting impression upon his character. Mr. Martz, the worthy man, treated
him like a son, sent him to school and followed out the teachings of the
golden rule in regard to him. Being an apt pupil, the boy made rapid prog-
ress in his studies, and later was enabled to pursue a course in the Wina-
mac school and the American Normal College. As soon as he felt himself
qualified he began teaching, and was first located in charge of the Roundtop
{now Pepper) school, on section 35, Indian Creek township, and the follow-
ing year taught the Skillen school on section 19, same township. During
the summer seasons he worked on farms, and in 1888 he secured a position
in the general store of Whitmer & Pepper.

On the 1 8th of December, 1889, Mr. Bott became the owner of the

BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY. 62&

stock of hardware formerly the property of Charles Dennewitz, of Star City.
This stock was invoiced at about four hundred dollars, and was contained in
the small store-room now used as a post-office. For two years our subject
carried on a hardware business in the W. E. Clark building, and in April,.
1897, he came to his fine store in the J. W. Warick brick block. His large
and well-selected stock of goods is valued at over four thousand dollars, and
in addition to his hardware line he sells large bills of leather goods, and em-
ploys a harness-maker in this department. The agricultural community are
among his best customers, and he bears an enviable reputation among all
classes for square dealing and uprightness.

The marriage of W. L. Bott and Anna Belle Bennett, daughter of
Captain Nelson B. and Mary J. (Ward) Bennett, was celebrated August 22,
1888. She was born in Winamac, March 29, 1870, and by her marriage is
the mother of three children: Sevilla Glenn, born July 11, 1889; Nelson
Neil, March 6, 1891; and Alice Ruth, August 5, 1892.

Mrs. Bott's father was born in Cass county, Indiana, on his father's farm,
and was but twenty years of age when he enlisted in Company E, Twenty-
ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He served from September 12, 1861, to
May II, 1864, when he was granted an honorable discbarge, at Chatta-
nooga, and the same day he re-enlisted, and remained stanchly at his post of
duty, until he was finally discharged at Marietta, Georgia, several months
after the close of the war, the date of his retirement from the army being
December 2, 1865. He enlisted at first as a private soldier, and by gallantry
and fidelity to duty rose to be corporal, then sergeant, then first lieutenant,
his commission being dated April i, 1864; and from May 19, 1864, until the
end of the following year, he held the rank of captain.

Returning to Winamac, he conducted a wagon factory until his death,
August 8, 1883, when in his forty-fifth year. He married, first, Mary J.,
daughter of Robert Stotts, and their eldest child, Melinda, died in infancy.
Dora Ellen, the third, married Frank Keller, of this town; and Jessie L.,
born February 16, 1873, resides with our subject and wife. The second wife,
whose former name was Linda Lane, survives Mr. Bennett. He was one of
the eleven children of Thornton and Mary Jane (Ward) Bennett, the others
being William C. , Phoebe Ann, Samuel W., John W. , Sarah Jane, Amelia,
Elizabeth, Loretta, Mary and Martecia. Thornton Bennett was born June
27, 1809, in Kentucky, and died on the fifty-second anniversary of his birth.
He removed from Kentucky to Preble county, Ohio, thence to Cass county,
Indiana, in 1836. He entered three hundred and twenty acres in Bethlehem
township, and resided there until his death. He married Miss Ward in
Preble county, Ohio, in 1833.

Fraternally, W. B. Bott stands high in the Odd Fellows order, being a

630 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

trustee of Star City Lodge, No. 442, and having represented it in the grand
lodge. He is also a Knight of Pythias, being a charter member of Star City
Lodge, No. 427, and both he and his wife belong to the Daughters of Re-
bekah. Politically, he is a Democrat.

LEWIS JONATHAN NOE.

The Noe family, which is worthily represented in Pulaski county by the
gentleman whose name heads this sketch, originated in France. His great-
grandfather, Abraham Noe, was born in the town of Noe, France, which had
been founded and named by his ancestors many generations previously. Of
his several children, the names of some are forgotten; but Daniel, who was
born in Caldwell, New Jersey, and served in the colonial army under Wash-
ington, and was with his heroic band at Valley Forge. His last years were
spent in the vicinity of Columbus, Ohio, where he attained the advanced age
of ninety-four years. Lewis, another son, settled in Franklin county, Ohio.

Robert Noe, a younger son, was born at Caldwell, New Jersey (the
birthplace of ex-President Cleveland, also), prior to the Declaration of Inde-
pendence. He married Polly Shipman, a native of Kentucky, and their chil-
dren were Archibald, who was a resident of Grant county, Indiana, at the
time of his death; William and Lysander, who also lived in Grant county;
Emily, wife of Lemuel Taylor, of Ohio; Amanda, wife of William Huddles-
ton; Lot, the father of our subject; Lewis, a citizen of the Buckeye state;
Oscar, of Jones county, Iowa; and Lucindrella, who married William Rue
and lived in Ohio. The father of these children became a pioneer of Cham-
paign county, Ohio, in 1804, removing thence from May's Lick, Kentucky,
where he had spent about a year. He located permanently in Jackson town-
ship, and on his homestead an old tree, which is a veritable landmark, is yet
standing. The Indians had trimmed off the branches on one side and sharp-
ened some of them into prongs, on which they would hang their game when
it was being dressed. Robert Noe died on this farm about 1858, when he
was in his eighty-ninth year.

On this same homestead Lot Noe, the father of our subject, was born,
in January, 181 8, and there, after spending nearly four-score years, he de-
parted this life, April i, 1888. He purchased the farm of his father and was
engaged in its cultivation from that time until his death, with the exception
of a few years, when he operated a sawmill in Indiana. He was a man of
considerable influence in his own community, and occupied various local
offices. Politically he was a Democrat, and in religion was an old-school
Baptist. For a wife he chose Sarah, daughter of William and Mary (Ral-
ston) McKinley, and sister of Nancy, Mahala, Lucinda, William, Mary and

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 631

Michael. William McKinley, Sr. , was probably born in eastern Ohio, and
he was an own cousin of President McKinley. Mrs. Sarah Noe was born in
Champaign county, Ohio, in October, 1820, and is still living on the old
homestead in Ohio, which has been in the possession of the Noe family dur-
ing almost the whole of this century. To the union of Lot Noe and wife
eight children were born, namely: Lewis, Mary, Martha, Melissa, Amanda,
Albert, Cyrus and Lucinda.

The birth of Lewis Jonathan Noe occurred on the old homestead in
Ohio, March 16, 1846. He obtained a good education in the district schools
and engaged in teaching when eighteen years of age, continuing in that voca-
tion for five years steadily, in his home neighborhood. During this period
he spent his Saturdays and holidays in surveying, and assisted in the laying
out of railroads. In 1874 he came to Pulaski county, and, having been ap-
pointed to the responsible position of county surveyor, he served to the en-
tire satisfaction of every one for four years. In 1876 he bought thirty acres
of land in Monroe township, adjoining the town of Winamac. This property
he proceeded to clear and improve, placing ditches and planting small fruits
and orchards. He makes a specialty of raising vegetables and berries for
the local markets, finding a ready sale for all of the fine products of his farm.
Six and a half acres are devoted to the culture of strawberries alone, .and for
many years he has transacted the most extensive business in his line in this
portion of the county. In 1888 he was elected vice president of the State
Horticultural Society and served four years, and was re-elected to this office
five times. When he first settled in Winamac he did a large real-estate
business, thousands of acres passing through his hands, but he lost heavily in
the financial panic, and since then has given his attention to horticulture.

On the 2istof January, 1871, Mr. Noe joined the St. Paris lodge of
Odd Fellows, at St. Paris, Ohio, and passed all the chairs there. He also
belonged to Russell Encampment, No. 141, of the same order, and holds a
regular withdrawal card from the same. In his political views Mr. Noe is
quite independent, though he frequently favors the nominees of the Demo-
cratic party with his ballot.

The marriage of Mr. Noe and Martha Florence Byers was celebrated
July I, 1874. She was born October 14, 1850, in Jefferson township, Clin-
ton county, Indiana, a daughter of Jacob and Susan (Baughman) Byers, both
of whom were of German descent. The father was born March 10, 1818, in
Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, and was one of the ten children of Ephraim
and Catherine (White) Byers, the others being Eli, Joshua, Ellen, Abner,
Agnes, Mary and Eliza (twins), and David and Patterson (twins). In 1S36
he removed with his parents to Clinton county, Indiana; in 1855 went to
Carroll county, this state, and two years later came to this county. Here

632 BIOGRJPEICAL HISTORT.

he resided, in Salem and White Post townships, until 1878, owning six hun-
dred and forty acres, and having his homestead on section 26. He was
elected to the office of county commissioner four years and county treasurer
four years, and was very prominent as a live-stock dealer in this state. The
last thirteen years of his life were passed in Cowley county, Kansas, where
he died on Christmas day, 1891. His first wife, Susan, died in 1855, when
but thirty years of age, and left several children: Frances, George, Ephraim,
Catharine, William, Martha, Isadora and an infant. For his second wife he
chose a cousin of his first wife, Harriet Baughman, and to them were born
Reed, James, Mina and Irene. Susan Baughman was the only daughter of
Jacob and Mary (Ober) Baughman, and her three brothers were Jacob, Jere-
miah and Lewis.

The following named children have blessed the union of our subject and
wife: Sarah, born September 26, 1875; Lewis Jacob, born September 24,
1877, and died August 18, 1878; Thomas Wildey, born December 20, 1878;
Mary Alice, born November 17, 1880; Lot, September 30, 1882; Eva, Febru-
ary 8, 1884; Amy, March 22, 1886; Gulielma, born July 8, 1888, and named
in honor of Mrs. William Penn; Crete, born December 29, 1890, and Laura,
August 9, 1893.

HENRY LEAMING, Jr.

The Leaming family is one of those who were prominent in the colonial
history of New Jersey, as founders and participants in the development of
the new country, and they have furnished not only to that state, but also to
many others, a goodly number of distinguished citizens. Among these was
Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Leaming, of New Haven, Connecticut. He was an
Episcopalian clergyman and one of the most prominent in that church in
colonial times. He was a graduate of Yale College, and crossed the ocean
to be ordained by the bishop of Bath, England. It was in 1670 that the
Learnings were first planted on American soil, by Christopher Leaming.
Their history has been comparatively well preserved by Aaron Leaming, the
second by that name in this line, who was the third in line of descent from
Christopher. The last named was one of the wealthy and prominent men of
his day, who preserved in his book of surveys a concise account of the family
as known to him. On this stable foundation the following records and his-
tory of the family rest.

The genealogical outline in lineal descent from Christopher Leaming to
Henry Leaming, Jr. , our subject, of Romney, Indiana, is as follows :

Christopher (ist) was born in England in 1649, married Esther Bur-
nett, became the founder of the family in America, and died in 1697, aged
forty-eight years.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 638

Aaron (ist), his son, was born in 1687, married Lydia Shaw, nee Persons,,
and died in 1740, aged fifty-three years.

Aaron (2d), son of the latter, was bof-n in 17 15, married Mary Furman,
and died in 1780, at the age of sixty-five years.

Persons, his son, was born in 1756, married Charlotte Eldridge, and
died in 1807, at the age of fifty-one years.

Furman, his son, was born in 1786, married Hannah Ludlam, and died
in 1832, aged forty-six years.

Dr. Furman, son of the last mentioned, was born in 181 5, married Mary
Curwen and died in 1891, at the age of seventy-six years.

Henry, his son, was born in 1845, and married Martha Frances Fox.

Tradition says that Christopher Learning, the immigrant, was born in
Warwickshire, in England, and that the name was originally spelled Leo-
mynge, which as a word means "fat pasture." From Aaron Leaming's
Book of Surveys the following history of the family is obtained. The author
records that many of his facts were gained from his mother and writings in
his possession. He says that the first account he could obtain was, that
Christopher and Jeremiah Leamyeng, as they spelled their name, were
brothers, who left England, their native land, about 1670 for America, to
seek their fortunes in the New World. Who their progenitors were, or from
what part of England they came, or what were their occupations previous to
that date, are matters unknown to their posterity.

In crossing the Atlantic Jeremiah was seized with severe sea-sickness
and bleeding at the nose, with which complaint he died on the voyage, and
left his brother, the only man of the name, to establish the family in the New
World. Christopher landed in some part of New England,- — from the best
information that can be gained, — probably at or near Boston. In 1674 he
married Esther, a daughter of Aaron Burnett, of the east end of Long Island.
Her father left her a tract of land at Sag Harbor, which still bears the name
of Leaming's. Here he resided until about 1691, when, leaving his family
on Long Island, he went to Cape May, New Jersey, which at that time was
a new country, just beginning to be settled, and engaged in whale-fishing
there, and at intervals followed his trade of cooper, whales at that time being
abundant in the vicinity of the Delaware river and casks in good demand.

On the 9th of April, 1696, he caused to be surveyed for himself two
hundred and four acres of land on Cape May (Aaron Leaming's Book of
Surveys, page 93), which was purchased by his son Thomas. To this place
he removed his family and here he passed the remainder of his life. The
precise locality is near Cape Island, in Leaming's Neck. Christopher
Learning died of pleurisy, about the year 1697, aged forty-eight years, and
his remains were buried at the place now called Town Bank, on the bay

634 BIOGRAPHICAL EISTOBT.

shore, Lower township: that was then a village containing thirteen houses;
but on account of the failure of the whaling industry about Delaware bay it
began to dwindle and continued to do so until it finally disappeared alto-
gether. In 1S38 the site was covered by the farm of Israel Townsend.
Aaron Learning says that he saw the graves in 1734, about fifty rods from
the bay, and the sand was then blown up to them.

Christopher Leaming's children were Thomas, Jane, Hannah, Christo-
pher, Aaron, Jeremiah and Elizabeth, — whom, with the widow, he left at
his death, to be scattered as the caprice of youth or fortune might direct.
Upon the introduction of this house of orphans into the world they took the
privilege of changing the orthography of their names. Thomas wrote his
Leamyeng, preserving the spelling of his father, as he was the eldest son, in
case any property might descend to him in England that he might claim by
the original family name. Aaron called himself Learning, and all the
remaining members of the family wrote it the same way. Thomas inherited
his mother's land at Sag Harbor, and he purchased the two hundred and
four acres originally surveyed by his father on Cape May; but he sold the
Sag Harbor property after his mother's death and moved to Cape May.

Aaron Learning, the fifth child of Christopher Leamyeng (ist), and of
the second generation from England, was born at Sag Harbor, Long Island,
October 12, 1687. Upon the death of his father he was bound an appren-
tice to one Collins, a tanner and shoemaker in Connecticut. Disliking either
his master or the trade, or both, he left them, after about three years' serv-
ice, and when he was about si.xteen years of age, and, with the assistance of
a sea captain by the name of Mathews, he transported himself in a vessel to
Amboy, New Jersey, where he accidentally met his brother Christopher, who
had been with a military expedition to Canada and suffered many hardships.
Leaving him there he wandered to Salem, in West Jersey, and for some time
resided at Alloway's Creek, where he was fortunate in becoming acquainted
with, and securing the friendship of, an aged Quaker lady named Sarah
Hall, who was an excellent scholar and famous in those times for her legal
knowledge as well as for other literary attainments. She had an extensive
library, and, being rich as well as benevolent, she took much pains to instruct
this friendless and desolate orphan, and under her kind treatment and tuition
he became a fair accountant, learned something of surveying, obtained a
smattering of legal knowledge and of the Latin language. Aaron Leaming,
Sr. , remarks that in Connecticut the person with whom he lived, being a
Presbyterian, stunted him in his youth with hard work (the boy turning out
to be a small man) and crammed and cramped his mind with predestinarian-
ism and superstition. At Salem he became a Quaker, under the instruction
of his benefactor.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 635

In the summer of 1703 he went to Cape May, with his brother Thomas.
Being of feeble constitution, the new climate caused him a severe sickness,
which left him just alive. He afterward purchased property of Philip Hill.
Aaron Leaming, Sr. , was five feet and six inches in height and weighed about
one hundred and sixty pounds, and was very active and sprightly. His con-
stitution was injured by incessant labor when young. He ate but little flesh
meat, his diet being principally milk. He always had a cough and his lungs
appeared to be affected, and still he was obliged to endure many hardships, as
he settled in a new country. He first located at Goshen, New Jersey, and
commenced raising cattle, which industry he carried to a greater extent than
any other man in his county at that period, and possibly even to a greater
extent than any other man in the state of New Jersey. Also he purchased a
boat and followed freighting for a time, which business proved very lucrative.
By means of incessant industry and frugality, Aaron Leaming became the
wealthiest man in his county. For several years he was clerk of the county;
was a member of the colonial legislature of New Jersey from 1727 to 1744;
and he died in Philadelphia, on the 20th of June, 1746, of pleurisy, and was
buried in one of the Arch street burying-grounds. October 12, 17 14, he mar-
ried Lydia Shaw, the widow of Captain W. Shaw; she was born in East Hamp-
ton, Long Island, April 10, 1680, a daughter of John and Elizabeth Persons.
She had an uncommonly strong and robust constitution and was a woman of
great industry, rising early in the morning and retiring to bed at sundown.
Throughout life she was a member of the Baptist church, and died- October
2, 1762, at the age of eighty-two years, of the gout, on her own plantation,
where she had lived seventy-one years. She was first married to William
Shaw, who died in 171 2.

Aaron Leaming had four children: Aaron, born July 6, 171 5; Jere-
miah, February 12, 1716; Matthias, March 24, 1718; and Elizabeth, Sep-
tember 18, 1721.

Aaron Leaming (2d), the son of Aaron and Lydia (Persons) Leaming,
was born July 6, 1715, and married Mary Furman, the daughter of Jona-
than Fray man (or Furman, as the name was afterward spelled). She was
born at Cape May, March 12, 1720. Their children were Jonathan, born
July 5, 1738; Aaron, who was born August 28, 1740, and died August 31,
1764; Sarah, born February 21, 1743, died when about eight years of age;
Matthias, born September 19, 1749, died September 27, 1763; Mary, born
October 19, 1753, died about 1798; and Persons, born July 23, 1756, died
March 29, 1807, at the age of fifty-one years.

The father of the aforenamed children inherited all the good qualities of
his father; was a man of untiring industry and noted for his frugality; and he
added greatly to his landed estate. He also held a number of public offices;

636 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

was clerk of the county, a member of the colonial legislature for thirty
years, and appointed by the governor and legislature, in connection with
Jacob Spicer, to revise the laws of New Jersey; and the volume of the laws
bearing the title Leaming and Spicer's Revision was the result of their
labors. He was an excellent draughtsman and did a great deal of survey-
ing and conveyancing, being generally applied to for advice in legal matters;
and so far as can be judged from his writings he was doubtless a man of
unusually strong mind and natural abilities, matured by much practical ex-
perience and study. An inventory of his real and personal .estate gave the
value as nine hundred thousand dollars, which in those days was an
enormous fortune, far exceeding that of any other man of his county,
either before or since.

Mr. Leaming was frequently chairman of meetings and committees on
the most important questions that agitated the colonial legislature, particu-
larly in the controversies which were constantly occurring between the gov-
ernors and the legislature. There is good reason to believe that he was a
useful member of the legislative bodies and that he contributed his full share
toward the prevention of the encroachments of the governors of the British
colonies, who were appointed to office by the king as sinecures, while they
were both ignorant and careless of the people's interests. These tyrannical
officers came from England for the main purpose of controlling the people
and enriching themselves, and at length to return to England to spend their
ill-gotten fortune in dissipation.

Mr. Aaron Leaming, the subject of the foregoing paragraphs, died August
27, 1780, at the age of sixty-five years, at Cape May.

Persons Leaming, son of the preceding, was born July 23, 1756, and
named after his maternal grandfather, John Persons. He married Charlotte
Eldridge October 24, 1781. She was a daughter of Samuel Eldridge, an
Englishman, who moved to Cape May from Long Island in the first settle-
ment of the county. At the time of her marriage she was under sixteen
years of age. She died December 12, 181 2, aged nearly forty-six years.
After the death of her first husband she married John Thompson, about
1809. The children of Persons and Charlotte Leaming were: Aaron, born
May 15, 1784, and died January 7, 1836; Furman, born October 3, 1786,
and died March 18, 1832; Mary, born in 1788, died February 5, 1861; Per-
sons, born September 3, 1790, died November 20, 1820; Jeremiah, born
May 25, 1792, and died April 26, 1839; James Ramsey, born June 6, 1794,
and died May 20, 1821; and Charlotte, born August, 1800, and died at the
age of eighteen months.

Persons Leaming was a man of quick and strong temper, which in its
excitements subsided as suddenly as it rose. He was strictly honest and

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 637

upright, not a member of any religious society, and was of a kind disposition.
He passed all his life after marriage on a farm which had belonged to his
maternal grandfather, John Persons, and died March 29, 1807.

Furman Leaming, his son, was born at Cape May, New Jersey, October
13, 1786, and May 14, 1809, married Hannah Ludlam, who was the daugh-
ter of Henry and Hannah Ludlam, of the Upper township of Cape May,
where she was born November 29, 1789. The children by this marriage
were Mary, born March 31, 1810 ; Henry, November 29, 181 1 ; Sarah, May,
1813 ; Furman, August 30, 1815 (the foregoing were born at Cape May);
Lewis, November 20, 1817, at Philadelphia ; Elizabeth, November 19, 1821;
Hannah, January 5, 1824 ; Henry, November 25, 1825 ; Persons, October
15, 1827 ; and Emma, March 26, 1829. Of this number only three survived
to May 18, 1894, at which time Mary, the eldest, was eighty-four years old,
and Henry and Emma, the two youngest, were then living.

The mother of the foregoing children departed this life July 6, 1836, at
the age of forty-seven years and eight months. Her parents, Henry and
Hannah (Smith) Ludlam, were people of sterling worth and integrity, and
both were members of the Baptist church at Dennis Creek, Cape May.
They were the parents of eight children. Henry Ludlam died October 5,
1838, aged nearly ninety years.

Furman Leaming was ordained an elder in the Tenth Presbyterian
church a few years before his death. He was a sincere Christian, of excel-
lent education and of the strictest integrity. He first settled on a farm at
Dyer's Creek, Cape May ; in 18 15 he moved to Philadelphia, where he
was extensively engaged as a hardware merchant until the time of his
death. He was a zealous and exemplary member of the Presbyterian
church ; was the founder of the Presbyterian church at the corner of Twelfth
and Walnut streets, in Philadelphia, in whose vault his remains now lie.
He was a man of remarkable character. In his last moments, when disease
had probably affected his mind, he requested another person, who chanced
to be in the room with him, to retire, as he did not wish his last moments to
be observed. His death took place March 18, 1832.

Dr. Furman Leaming, of the next generation and the father of our sub-
ject, was born August 30, 181 5, at Cape May, New Jersey, and was taken
when a child by his parents to Philadelphia, where he was educated in the
University of Pennsylvania. He obtained a medical education and a diploma
in the medical college attached to that university, and practiced his chosen
profession in the same city for two years, being connected with the dispen-
sary. He spent one year as surgeon on a vessel sent out to make some
improvements at the mouth of the Mississippi river. After that he practiced

638 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

medicine again in Philadelphia, but, his heart becoming affected, he decided
to abandon his profession.

In 1845 he purchased land near Romney, Tippecanoe county, Indiana,
and here he took up his residence with his family in July, in Randolph town-
ship, on the farm where George Curwen Learning now lives. Being entirely
unaccustomed to farm life and the hardships incidental to the pioneer, which
he encountered in his new home, and the family suffering greatly from fever
and ague incident to a new country not far above sea level, the first years
of their life in Indiana were marked with hardships, vicissitudes and unex-
pected disappointments, which both himself and family endured with great
fortitude and patience.

The Doctor built his house on the edge of a beautiful prairie and de-
voted himself to agriculture and the care of his family. He and a few other
Presbyterians founded at Romney a little Presbyterian church, and here
their children were all married and all became members of the church in
which their father had been ruling elder for many years, and where he also
conducted a Bible class.

Dr. Leaming was married in Philadelphia, September 28, 1843, t.o
Mary Curwen, who was born in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, the
daughter of George F. and Eleanor (Ewing) Curwen. Her father, of English
ancestry, was a farmer. Dr. and Mrs. Leaming were the parents of the fol-
lowing: Henry, Joseph, Eleanor, George Curwen, Mary E., Elizabeth M.
and Furman. In his political views the Doctor was an old-line Whig and
after the formation of the Republican party a Democrat. While interested
in all matters of public good, he took no interest in holding office himself,
but served as township trustee for a time. He was a man of broad educa-
tion, posted in current events, advanced in scientific subjects, and of a kind
and accommodating disposition, much beloved and respected by all. He
died on his farm, named Hazlewood, near Romney, April i, 1891, aged
seventy-five years.

Henry Leaming, the subject proper of this sketch, was born January 20,
1845, in Randolph township, on the farm already described, received the
usual primary education and attended West Jersey Academy, at Bridgeton,
New Jersey, and afterward studied under his father's instructions and under
those of Rev. Jennings, of Lafayette, Indiana, and thus acquired a good
education, to which he has added by his practical business life and by his
love of reading valuable books and the current literature, until he is a man of
broad culture and information and an independent thinker.

He early began the labors of the farm, his father being unaccustomed to
such labor, and as he was the eldest son the management of the farm was

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 639

devolved upon him at a very early age, and he continued in this relation un-
til he had reached the age of twenty-six years. By his economy and industry
he was by this time able to buy a ten-acre lot near his father's place, which he
improved while still an inmate of his father's home. At the age mentioned
he married and settled on the Fox homestead, that of his father-in-law, im-
proved it and made of it a comfortable home. In 1891 he erected a tasteful,
model farm residence; and he now owns three hundred and sixty-five acres
of splendid farming land.

On the 1st of November, 1870, when he was twenty-six years of age, he
was united in marriage with Miss Martha Frances Fox, who was born in
Randolph township, on the farm where they now live, July 6, 1835, the
daughter of Amos and Sarepta (Allen) Fox. Her father was born in Hamp-
shire county, Virginia, July 11, 1802, a son of William and Jemima (Vause)
Fox. William Fox was a farmer and slave-holder of the county, and the fa-
ther of thirteen children, namely: Ida. born January 6, 1787; Absalom, May
15, 1790; Vause, August 16, 1791; Eliza, January 22, 1793; George, Septem-
ber 5, 1794; Gabriel, March 18, 1796; Ann, August 26, 1798; Rebecca, Feb-
ruary 28, 1800; Amos, July 11, 1802; Richard, May 3, 1803; Johana, July
29, 1805; William F., August 29, 1810; and Sarah J., November 21, 1812.

Amos Fox came to Indiana and settled in Tippecanoe county, in Ran-
dolph township, about 1833-4, married Sarepta Allen, who was born in Ken-
tucky May 27, 181 1, a daughter of William and Susan (Spurgeon) Allen.
William Allen located in Montgomery county, Indiana, as a pioneer, from
Kentucky, and afterward in Randolph township, Tippecanoe county, in
early day, where he became a prominent citizen. Amos Fox cleared up a
goodly farm and at length became well-to-do and an influential citizen, own-
ing two hundred and ninety-five acres. He died in 1848, at the compara-
tively early age of forty-five years. His children were Martha F. and a son
who died an infant. Mrs. Fox was a member of the Methodist church,
while in politics Mr. Fox was an old-line Whig. He was a successful
farmer, an old-time pioneer, a self-made man, a straightforward citizen and
a useful member of society. Beginning with nothing, he accumulated a
competency.

Mr. and Mrs. Leaming are the parents of the following children: Mary,
Lewis, Emily, Charlotte and Hunter Bell. Both the parents are exemplary
members of the Presbyterian church, in which he has followed his forefathers
in holding the office of elder for many years, — more than twenty-five years.
In politics he was a Republican, voting for U. S. Grant for his first term ;
but as a result of the Tilden-Hayes controversy he became a stanch Demo-
crat. He takes an active interest in politics and keeps himself well posted ;
is independent in his views and action, and a fearless advocate of his princi-

OiO BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

pies ; a public-spirited man, in favor of good roads, good schools, and every
public improvement, one of the prominent and reliable citizens of the county,
well known as a straightforward man and kind neighbor.

His children married as follows: Mary became the wife of Samuel C.
Malsbury, a farmer of Randolph township; Charlotte married Samuel S.
Kirkpatrick, a farmer of Jackson township, and has one child, named
Learning S. ; Dr. Lewis wedded Alice Patton and resides in Otterbein,
Benton county, where he is a successful physician: he received his literary
education in Purdue University and his medical at Rush Medical College at
Chicago; Hunter Bell is attending Purdue University; and Emily is at home
with her parents.

WILLIAM W. WISHARD.

The grandfather of the subject of this sketch, William Wishard, was a
native of Scotland, who fled from that country to Ireland on account of re-
ligious persecution in his native land. In his adopted country he married a
daughter of Lord Lytle, and with her came to the United States, settling in
Kentucky, with a brother who came with him and settled in Pennsylvania.
It is supposed that from these two brothers all in this country of the name of
Wishard have descended. James L. Wishard, a son of William Wishard,
was born in Kentucky in 1794, grew up in his native state and married Miss
Mary Glenn, of Irish parentage. In 1828 he emigrated to Indiana, with his
family, and resided about a year on a farm near Indianapolis, and then re-
moved to Vermilion county, where he entered land, which he improved, and
where he lived until his death, February 19, 1884, at the age of nearly ninety
years. He was a farmer by occupation, of strong physical powers, and
served in the war of 18 12, taking part in the battle of the Thames, where
the celebrated Indian chief, Tecumseh, was killed. He was a man of stern
qualities, firm in his convictions of right and wrong, and of unswerving in-
tegrity. Politically he was an ardent Whig and later a radical Republican.
In religion he was a Methodist, and was a pioneer of his denomination in his
neighborhood, earnestly attached to the institutions of the church and ever
ready to assist in their advancement. His first wife died at about the age of
forty-five years, and he was the second time married, and he survived also
his second wife. By his first marriage he became the father of eight chil-
dren, four of whom are now living. Of these the subject of this sketch is
the oldest. Mrs. Sarah Morey is the second in order of birth now living ;
the third is Mrs. Susan Wishard, and the fourth is James H. Wishard, of
Butler county, Kansas.

William W. Wishard, whose name introduces this sketch, was born in
Fleming county, Kentucky, December 4, 181 8, and was about ten years of

BIOGBJPEICAL HISTORY. 641

age when he came to Indiana with his parents. He well remembers the ap-
pearance of the country in those early times. It is needless to mention that
he had but little opportunity for a school education, and he remained at his
parental home until he was twenty-five years of age, assisting his father in
clearing land and in farm work generally. At the age mentioned he began
improving a piece of land of his own. Shortly he engaged in carpentering,
which he followed for a number of years.

April 28, 1853, he married Miss Mary Irwin, a native of Kentucky, and
soon. after his marriage he came to Rensselaer, arriving here April 3, 1855,
and here he engaged in business with his father-in-law, Thomas Irwin. His
wife died May 23, 1864, and November 27, 1867, he was married to Jennie
Porter, a daughter of Asa Porter. Mrs. Wishard was born in Orange county,
this state, February 16, 1842. After his second marriage Mr. Wishard set-
tled on his farm in Jackson township, Newton county, Indiana, where he
lived and labored until 1892, when he returned to Rensselaer, where he has
since resided, but he still owns his fine farm in Newton county.

By his first marriage Mr. Wishard was the father of five children — two
sons and three daughters. Of these five only one son, William L. , of
Rensselaer, is now living. By the last marriage there were five children, of
whom three are now living, namely: Melville B., a student of Purdue Uni-
versity; Ernest E., a student of medicine, and Glenn at his parental home.

Mr. Wishard has ever been prominent in the advancement of the best
interests of the community in which he has lived. For two terms, six years,
he was a commissioner of Newton county. In the educational and religious
interests of his town and county he has ever been efficiently active. He has
been a member of the Methodist church for over half a century; a class-
leader for thirty successive years, and his religious duties he holds of more
importance than all else in the world.

JAMES B. MARKER.

James Buchanan Marker is a substantial and influential farmer of Van
Buren township, Pulaski county, Indiana, and has achieved his present emi-
nent position entirely by his own unaided efforts. Left at an early age to
battle with the world, he learned habits of industry and frugality which have
since characterized him and led to his ultimate success in life. He was born
in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, May 4, 1841, and is a son of Michael
and Annie (Reynolds) Marker.

Michael Marker was a meritorious actor of English birth and education.
His special line was tragedy, and his career gave promise of great brilliance
when it was suddenly terminated in the very prime of life. He died in Lan-

642 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

caster, Pennsylvania, May 25, 1841, when our subject was but three weeks
old. His wife was Miss Annie Reynolds, by whom he had three children,
two of whom are dead. These were Michael, who died at the age of five
years, and John, who was a child of three at his death. Left with an infant
to care for, Mrs. Marker found a trying ordeal before her, and after vainly
trying to provide for the comfort of the little one, gave him to Moses Wes-
cott to raise, much as her mother's heart rebelled against the separation.
She was married to a Mr. Hatfield, and her third marriage was to Johnson
Lidgard, a farmer. With him she went to Ohio, reaching there in the fall of
the year, when excitement ran high over the presidential candidacy of Henry
Clay. They remained in the state two months and then came west to Pu-
laski county, Indiana. The journey was made by team, their outfit consist-
ing of two horses, a wagon, and their household goods. They located in In-
dian Creek township on the eighty acres now owned by Lawrence Hines, in
the fall of 1 85 1. Forty acres of this land was bought from the government
and forty from John Hadge. A log cabin adorned this land, ten acres of
which was improved, and here he remained until death removed him from his
earthly labors. One child, Mahala, was added to their family. She is the
wife of Henry Moyer. The mother of our subject was born in Pennsylvania,
and was of German descent. She was a member of a large family of chil-
dren, namely: Sophia, who married Samuel Plotner and lives in De Kalb
county, Indiana: her children were John, deceased; Louisa and Electa, both
the latter of whom are married; Deck, a resident of Des Moines, Iowa, and a
younger daughter. Hannah, the second sister, married a Mr. Angus and
after his death was married to a Mr. Bradley, with whom she moved to Illi-
nois. Isaac lived in De Kalb county, Indiana, married, and during the gold
fever of 1849 went to California, as did so many others, and engaged in gold-
mining: he was taken with the small-pox and died there; James lived in
Marion county, Ohio, and married a Miss Slick; Anna, the mother of our
subject; and Eliza, who married and lived in De Kalb county, Indiana, mov-
ing later to Champaign county, Illinois.

James B. Marker was placed with the family of Moses Wescott when
three years of age and remained with him until he was nine years old. His
mother then returned to Pennsylvania and took him with her to Ohio. In a
few weeks he was sent to live with an uncle. He met George Wiscover and
James Hatfield, who were on their way to Indiana to buy hogs and persuaded
them to take him along. This was in the spring of 1849 and they bought
five hundred head of hogs in Steuben and Kosciusko counties, taking them
to Sandusky, Ohio. Our subject now returned to Marion county, and cut
corn, for twenty-five cents a day. His mother was now married to Mr. Lid-
gard, and his home was made with her as long as she lived. After her death

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 643

he made his home with Riley Brown, who was appointed his guardian.
James staid with him six years and then went to Grand Prairie, near Brook-
ston, Indiana, in 1858. He engaged in work there and attended the winter
school. The following year he started for Pike's Peak, went on to Oregon,
and was back in Indiana. He worked for Riley Brown during the fall and
winter of 1859-60, and in January, i860, took charge of forty acres of land
which had been left him by his mother. Later he bought another one hun-
dred and sixty, which in 1867 he traded for the eighty-four acres where he
now lives. The trade was made with Lawrence Hines. A log stable was on
this land, and also a part of the house now occupied by Mr. Marker, the
addition having been added about 1878, and the barn built in 1879. He has
dealt quite extensively in real estate throughout the county, the following
being some of his trades: one hundred and twenty acres in sections 19 and
20, which he exchanged for forty acres in section 19; one hundred and sixty
acres in section 29, which he sold; eighty acres in section 19 and eighty in
section 29, forty-seven acres in section 29, which he sold; forty acres in sec-
tion 30, sold later; sixty-three acres in section 19; forty acres in section 32;
eighty acres in section 24, forty of which he still owns; and one hundred and
sixty acres in section 21. All of this land is in Van Buren township; and in
addition to this he has owned eighty acres in Indian Creek township, and
one hundred acres in Boone township, Cass county.

Mr. Marker was united in marriage, February 17, i860, to Mariah Lid-
gard, a daughter of Solomon and Anna (Hatfield) Lidgard. Their home has
been blessed by the advent of the following children, namely: John, who
was born January 2, 1861, and died five months later; Azuba Ann, who was
born January 27, 1862, and married Joseph Horner: her children are Ada,
Ray and Alice; Mary Elizabeth was born February 21, 1865, and married
James Washburn, of this county; her children are Clyde, Rosa, Frank, Annie
and James; Sophia was born September 15, 1867, and married William Burk,
a son of John Burk; William Henry was born October 2, 1869, and died at
the age of three years; Etta was born May 17, 1872, and married David
Warner, who lives north of Star City: her children are Everet, Cecil, Sylvia
and Barrel; James Franklin was born March 26, 1875, and married Elva
Henshaw; they have one child, named Dale; and Bertha Alma was born May
31, 1878, married Elmer Henshaw, and lives near her father; their children
are Wayne and Carl.

Mr. Marker is a member of Star City Lodge, No. 543, F. & A. M., the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. He is a
Republican, and the present trustee of the township, having been retained in
that capacity for the past fourteen years, although the township is Demo-
cratic. The duties of this oiSce are not light, as the township is one of the

644 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

wealthiest in the county, and a great deal of business must be transacted.
He is one of the most respected men in this section, and is considered author-
ity on most local questions.

GEORGE PARROTT.

George Parrott, of Winamac, Pulaski county, Indiana, represents a type
of men seldom met with in this, the nineteenth, century. A noted hunter,
brave and chivalrous, he is a worthy son of the aristocratic southern family
from which he sprung. He was born February 26, 1826, in Ross county,
Ohio, and is a son of John and Nancy (Sewell) Parrott. The family were
originally of French Huguenot extraction, but the grandfather of our subject,
John Parrott, was a large planter and slave-owner in the state of Maryland.
He had four sons: William, who settled in Dubuque, Iowa; George, who
located near Dayton, Ohio; Isaac; and John, the father of our subject. All
of these sons, with their father, were in the war of 18 12.

John Parrott, the father, would not receive a cent from his father's
estate because it had been cursed by the taint of slavery, and he accepted the
slaves inherited by him only in order to set them free. He fought in the
battle of Fort McHenry, and was also a soldier of the Black Hawk war. He
was a Whig and a strong admirer of Henry Clay. He served his county as
trustee and also took an active part in church work, being a member of the
Free-will Baptist church. He was born near Easton, in Talbot county,
Maryland, and died in Marion county, Ohio, in 1836, in his forty-eighth
year. His grave is in Sullivan cemetery, Prospect township, that county.
He grew to manhood in his native place and there married Miss Nancy
Sewell. The ceremony took place at 7:30 o'clock one evening, and
in one-half hour afterward they left for Ohio, their future home. They made
a short stop in Pickaway county, and then pushed on to Ross county. Here
they rented a piece of land which they tilled for twelve years, when they
moved to Marion county and lived there until his death. He was a man of
moderate stature, measuring five feet, five inches and one-half, and tipping
the beam at one hundred and sixty-five pounds. His wife was a native of
Easton, Maryland, and was seven years younger than he. Their children are:
Elizabeth Ann, born in 18 19, and married to John Essex. They lived in
Ohio and had four children, — Lemuel J., John P., William and Martha J.
Mr. Essex died and she married John B. Andrews. One child was born to
this union, in 1821, Frances by name, who married Henry Ulsh and lived in
Marion, Ohio. Their children are Jacob, deceased, Nancy Ann and Isaac.
Isaac Parrott, born in 1823, is probably a resident of Ohio; he married An-
toinette Miner and has four children, — Angeline, John, George and Gordon.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 645

George Parrott, our subject, was next in order; Rebecca, born in 1828, died
at the age of four years; William, born in 1830, died when in his fifth year^
and Martha, born in 1832, married Charles Lansingmeyer, of Marion: they
have one child, Jacob. After the death of her first husband, the mother of
our subject married John Bates, and a third time entered the state of matri-
mony, her third husband being a Mr. Bowdish. She moved to Crawford
county, Illinois, after the war and remained there until her death.

William Sewell, the grandfather of our subject, was married three times,
the first and second marriages resulting in large families of children. The
third, with Nancy Sewell, was blessed with one child, Nancy, the mother of
our subject. He was at the siege of Yorktown and was blown up in the
French frigate by an explosion. Mr. Sewell was in France when the Revolu-
tion broke out and came to the assistance of America with La Fayette's
forces. The Sewells were of English origin and were in the crusades, going
to Jerusalem, but on their return settled in France instead of their mother
country. William Sewell owned some forty fishing smacks which plied up
and down Chesapeake bay and the banks of Newfoundland.

George Parrott lived with John Andrews until he was sixteen years of
age, when he went to learn the trade of carpenter with Jake N. Lakins. He
remained there six months, and then went to Thomas Henderson to learn
the trade of tanner. He finished this trade in two years, but did not follow
it, as it was distasteful to him and his ambition was to be a carpenter. He
again started at the carpenter trade and stuck to it, working with his brother-
in-law, Henry Ulsh, and later entering into partnership with him. This
partnership lasted until June 16, 1847, when he enlisted in the Mexican war.
He was sent to Camp Washington, near Cincinnati, to join the Second Ohio
Regiment, but was not accepted, as too many had already entered the ser-
vice. He was one of a party of seven young men, among whom were Messrs.
Williams, Arthur, Brannon and Huntsberry, who went west to New Mexico-
on an exploring expedition. They started well equipped for their journey,
and prepared for an encounter with the Indians, who were now in a state of
fury, and of whom horrible stories were told. Their expectations of an
encounter were not to be disappointed, and their first experience with the
red men was on the ground now covered by the city of Topeka, Kansas.
The young men were forced to seek ambush, and were kept in a state of
siege several days, but were not idle during that time, as they killed some-
thing like fifty of the savages, while none of the whites were killed, but sev-
eral severely wounded. The United States regulars at last came to their
rescue, and they were enabled to move on their way, stopping first in the
vicinity of Independence, and later on to Kansas City. Not being favorably
impressed with life on the western prairies, Mr. Parrott made his way to St.

646 BIOGBAPHICAL HISTORY.

Louis, and from there south to Vicksburg. Here he cut one hundred cords
of wood before going on to New Orleans. At the latter city he ran into the
yellow fever district and made his way back to St. Louis, and from there
back to Indiana, arriving here in the fall of 1848. He later worked in Ohio
as superintending carpenter until May, 1854, when he came to Pulaski county.
He lived in section 33, Franklin township, and spent his time in hunting. At
that time game was abundant through this part of the state, and as Mr. Par-
rott was a crack shot he seldom failed to bring his quarry to earth. He has
killed more deer than any man in the county, one hundred having been his
number for one year, besides large numbers of muskrat, mink, 'coon and
other small game. Venison was not the luxury in those days it is considered
now, when it is so difficult to obtain, and, instead of the present price of
thirty or thirty-five cents per pound, it was only occasionally that he was able
to sell the meat, and then the "saddle," or hind quarter, only brought from
seventy-five cents to one dollar and a half. Mink and 'coonskins were worth
as much as a haunch of venison, while for the skin of the deer he received
one dollar. He now bought the forty acres of land where he had located and
on which he had built a cabin. In 1859 he sold that place, and in i860 pur-
chased his present farm of forty acres, in section 16, Monroe township. He
built his house in 1861, and has lived there ever since.

On July 16, 1862, Mr. Parrott enlisted in Company B, Eighty-seventh
Indiana Infantry, and saw active service with his regiment. On the 6th of
October, of that year, he was sunstruck at Springfield, Kentucky, but was
able to take part in the battle of Perryville on the 8th. This sunstroke has
caused him more or less trouble ever since, and he still feels its effects occa-
sionally. He was with his regiment four months, and then he was detailed
into the pioneer corps, and remained with them twenty months, after which
he was sent to the First Veteran Volunteer Engineers and was with them
until the close of the war, being mustered out at Nashville, Tennessee,' soon
after receiving his discharge, on June 26, 1865, at Chattanooga. He was
wounded at Stone river by a flying shell striking his hip. In a publication
entitled " Indiana Officers in the War," Mr. Parrott is spoken of as second
lieutenant. He was made a corporal soon after enlisting, and on April i,
1864, was raised to the rank of sergeant in the United States Veteran Volun-
teers. He served under P. V. Fo.x and William McLoughlin, lieutenant and
acting adjutant.

Returning home after the war he again took up carpentering, carrying
it on in connection with his farming. Many buildings in this vicinity are of
his construction, — notably, the Smith elevator in Winamac, the Lutheran
(Reformed) church, the John Frain house and barn, and the William Chap-
man residence and barn. The work done for Chapman and Frain was his

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 647.

last contract work; for several years past he has retired from active labor of
any kind.

George Parrott was married January i8, 1S49, to Susan Emery, daugh-
ter of John and Catherine (Harter) Emery. She was born in Richland town-
ship, Marion county, Ohio, March 19, 1829. The children who have come
to bless this home are Nancy Jane, born January 26, 1850, who is the wife
of Benjamin Boyles, of Peoria: their children are Nellie, Martha, Jane and
Clarissa; John Emery, who was born October 8, 185 1, and married Ada
Hawes and owns eighty acres in Rich Grove township: his children are
Austin, Bessie, Nora, Grace, Homer, Addie, Charles and Amy; Martha Eliz-
abeth, who was born August 26, 1853, and died October 29, 1878, mar-
ried Frank Boyles, brother of Benjamin, and gave birth to two children, —
George and Benjamin K., the latter of whom died at the age of four months;
William Bewail, born September 8, 1855, who married, October 5, 1878,
Etta Hawes, sister of Ada, and daughter of Daniel and Ellen (Gobel) Hawes,
is a farmer of Richland township, near where his wife was born, on Sep-
tember 24, 1858: their children are Elsie Eunice, born November 17, 1880,
Nellie Gertrude, born August i, 1884, Effie Katie, born August 28, 1887,
George Harrison, born April 7, 1893; Susan Catherine, born March 15, 1858,
married E. N. Stephenson, a molder now living in St. Louis: their children
are Homer (deceased), Marshall and Percival; Ann, born September 8, i860,
who died just as she was budding into a more than brilliant womanhood, and
only lacking four days of attaining her sixteenth year; Charles George, born
October 3, 1866, who resides in Winamac, and is extensively engaged in
insurance; he married Mary Simmons and has two children, — Fern Olive and
Helen Mary. A more complete sketch of him is given on another page.

Mr. Parrott is a Republican, and while in Ohio was complimented by
being elected township clerk; but, having no desire to enter political office,
he declined the honor and would not serve. He is an honorable member of
Winamac Lodge, No. 41, G. A. R., and is one whose friends are legion. It
might be mentioned that Arthur Sewall, prominently before the public as
occupying second place on the Democratic presidential ticket with William
J. Bryan, in 1896, is a relative of our subject.

HON. MARION LYCURGUS SPITLER.

This worthy citizen of Rensselaer is a representative of one of the pio-
neer families of Jasper county, and is well entitled to a place in the annals of
a county whose development from a wild, primitive state to its present con-
dition he has witnessed, being himself a material factor in the grand result.

The Spitlers are of German extraction. Our subject's father, George

648 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

W. , was born in what was then Shenandoah, now Page, county, Virginia,
April 23, 1813, a son of Abram and Mary (Rossenberger) Spitler, whose other
children were Wesley, Zachariah, Rebecca and Mann. In 1834 George W.
Spitler and his father came to Indiana for the purpose of securing a location
for a future home, and in the course of their widely extended travels they
visited the hamlet of Chicago, little dreaming that on the swamp at the
mouth of the sluggish Chicago river would rise a city whose enterprise and
achievements within half a centuryof that time would claim the attention and
become the wonder of the world. The value of land, in the eyes of these Vir-
ginia emigrants, consisted in broad acres of fertile farming tracts, and they
finally selected some property on the banks of the Iroquois river, near the
town of Brook, Newton county, and then returned to their native state.

In the following spring, 1835, George W. Spitler started for his new
field of labor, making the journey with a horse and wagon. On the way he
made an important stop, for in Butler county, Ohio, he was united in mar-
riage with Malinda Hershman, on the 23d of April. The Hershmans had
been old neighbors of his in Virginia, and on his first trip to Indiana he had
visited the family and had then arranged for the marriage the next spring.
The young couple made their wedding tour in the afore-mentioned wagon, and
upon arriving at their destination settled down to true pioneer existence. In
his youth Mr. Spitler had been very studious, and now he found that his
learning was to serve him in good stead, for in the autumn of 1835 he ob-
tained a position as a teacher in West Lebanon, Warren county, and, ac-
companied by his wife, he spent the winter there. In 1841 he removed to a
section of land which he had purchased in the vicinity of Rensselaer, and there
he continued to reside during the remainder of his life. He built a good home
in the village and dwelt there for a few years, but for the most part lived
upon his homestead. His death was a tragic one, as he was killed by a stroke
of lightning, August 17, 1863.

Probably no man did more for the founding of this county on a sub-
stantial basis. He taught the first school in Rensselaer, and was ever
actively concerned in educational matters. In 1839 he was appointed to
the office of county clerk of Jasper county, being the first one here to occupy
that post, which included the offices of auditor and recorder, those places
not yet having been separated into distinct positions. So faithful and effi-
cient was he that the people re-elected him three times to the same office,
and frequently brought his name forward for state positions, as well. At
one time he was colonel of a regiment of militia, and at all times he stood
ready to lay aside his personal concerns, should his country or the public
have need of him. He was a man of generous impulses, ever glad to lend
a helping hand to others, and this quality led to the serious embarrassment

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 649

of his estate at the time of his sudden demise, a condition which would have
been remedied had he not been stricken when in his prime. No one ever
doubted his absolute integrity, and the independence and freedom of con-
science which he desired for himself he just as freely accorded to others.
He was not identified with any church, but was a practical Christian, not-
withstanding. His excellent wife, who had shared with him the vicissitudes
of frontier life and had been a true helpmate, survived him, her death taking
place March 8, 1883, when she was in her seventieth year. Mr. Spitler was
an old-school Jackson Democrat and very zealous on behalf of his party.
His brother Wesley came to this county some years after his own settlement
here, and likewise became a prominent citizen of the county, of which he
served as county surveyor, and in Newton township he held the office of
trustee. He now resides near Effingham, Illinois. Another brother,
Zachariah, was an early settler of what is now Washington township, New-
ton county, and is still living there. Rebecca, the only sister who grew to
mature years, married Thomas Buswell, and accompanied him to Newton
county soon after the close of the civil war. Her husband is deceased, but
she is still living at her old home in Newton county, near her brother Zacha-
riah. Mann, the youngest of the family of brothers and sisters, was very
prominent in his native state and for many years made his home in Page
county, Virgina. He passed away a number of years ago.

The birth of Marion L. Spitler occurred March 12, 1836, in West
Lebanon, Warren county, where his parents were spending their first winter
in Indiana, and his father was teaching a school. He was but four months
old when his parents became permanent residents of Jasper county, and in
the neighborhood of Rensselaer almost his entire life has been passed. His
father, being deeply impressed with the benefits of a good education, gave to
his children as fine advantages as possible, and Marion L. was sent to
Wabash College to complete his studies. He was graduated in that institu-
tion of learning in the class of 1855. When the war of the Rebellion' came
on he volunteered his services in the defense of the Union, enlisting in Com-
pany A, Eighty-seventh Regiment of Indiana Infantry. He was chosen sec-
ond lieutenant of his company and was soon promoted to the rank of
first lieutenant. He was a gallant and competent officer and made an hon-
orable and praiseworthy record while fighting for his native land. In 1866 he
was elected clerk of the county court of Jasper county, and occupied that
office for eight years, the constitutional limit of that position. He was a very
able and popular official. In 1876, upon his retirement from the clerkship,
he entered the law office of Thompson & Brother, of Rensselaer, his duties
pertaining especially to the real-estate and abstract business, and with this
firm he continued until it was dissolved in 1896, owing to the election of

650 BIOGRAPHICAL BISTORT.

Simon P. Thompson to the office of circuit judge. In 1894 Mr. Spitler was
elected on the Republican ticket to the Indiana legislature, representing
Newton and Jasper counties. His services as a statesman reflected great
credit upon himself and justified the wisdom of his fellow citizens in selecting
him as their representative in the legislative halls of the state. His name is
above reproach and all who know him hold him in the highest esteem.
Though reared in the Presbyterian faith, he is not a member of any denom-
ination, but is an earnest believer in practical Christianity, and strives to
practice it in his daily life.

On the 26th of June, 1859, Mr. Spitler married Miss Mary E. Burnham,
a native of Biddeford, Maine. She was reared in New Hampshire, and with
her parents, Simon and Mary (Goodwin) Burnham, she went to Kansas,
where she became acquainted with her future husband. She was one of fif-
teen children, seven sons and eight daughters, many of whom are deceased.
Mr. and Mrs. Spitler have four living children, namely: Marian E., who
married F. B. Learning and resides at Goshen, Indiana; Charles G., who mar-
ried Mildred B. Powell, and is a member of the law firm of Foltz, Spitler &
Kurrie, of Rensselaer; Maude E., at home; and Marion L., Jr., now a stu-
dent of the law department of the state university at Bloomington,
Indiana.

MATTHEW HALE DUNN.

Among the influential men of Pulaski county, Indiana, probably none is
more widely known or highly esteemed than the veteran grain dealer whose
name heads this biography. He was born October 4, 1836, in BurHngton,
New Jersey, on the farm owned by his parents, Richard and Mary Ann
(Simpson) Dunn.

Richard Dunn was born near Plymouth, England, on the land owned by
his father, Charles Dunn, who was a farmer and land-owner. He ran away
from home in his youth, taking passage as a stowaway on the vessel of his
uncle, Charles Dunn. He was left in Paris and immediately took another
vessel and made a tour of the Black Sea. He then decided to come to
America, of which he had heard wonderful stories, and sailed for these
shores, arriving in Baltimore in due time. He pushed on to Bethany, Vir-
ginia, where he was employed in gardening, and later returned to Baltimore,
where he followed the butcher business for a number of years. His next
move was to New Jersey, where he met and married his wife, Mary Ann
Simpson. In 1849 he went to Logansport, Indiana, where he farmed for
two years. He continued to farm from that time, living at Winamac on the
old Rudolph Hoch place, then at Kewanna and Star City, dying at the latter

BIOGEJPEICAL HISTORY. 651

place about 1878, after a well spent life, at the advanced age of eighty-two
years. He was of medium size, probably five feet and three inches in height,
and weighed in the neighborhood of one hundred and sixty pounds. He was
a Republican and a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
The mother of our subject was a native of New Jersey. She was the mother
of nine children, of whom our subject was the oldest. Then came Martha,
who married as her first husband Jacob Masters, who left her two children,
- — Samuel and Elizabeth. After his death she married Elijah Sharp, of
Wichita, Kansas, by whom she had four children, Alice, and three who died.
William Dunn, the third child, resides at Indianapolis, and married Rebecca
Rhue. Their children are Myrtle, Nellie, deceased, Edna Mildred, and
Matthew Hale, deceased. Charles, the fourth, was a soldier of the Ninth
Illinois Volunteers, and forfeited his life at that vile spot, Andersonville,
which will ever remain a blot on the pages of southern history. Richard
died at the age of ten years. John was eleven when death claimed him.
Victoria is the wife of Steven Gardner. Elizabeth married Albert Price; and
Hannah died in girlhood, aged twelve years. The mother's father came to
America from England and settled in New Jersey, where he owned many
vessels and did an extensive business trading along the coast.

Matthew Hale Dunn began work at an early age, being but a lad of ten
when he was introduced to farm work. Eight years later he entered the office
of the Free Territory Sentinel, at Centerville, Indiana, edited by Ross & Vale,
where he learned the trade of printer. He then went to Logansport, where
he received wages, and remained five years. Realizing the advantage of an
education, the next eighteen months were passed in diligent study in the
school at Burnettsville. His next step was to accept a clerkship with T. H.
Wilson, a grain dealer in Logansport, with whom he remained sixteen years,
and became an expert in that particular line, being able to tell at a glance if
an article belonged to the first, second or lower grade. This business suited
him perfectly, and he left Mr. Wilson only to establish himself in the same
business at Star City. He came to Star City in July, 1876, with a capital of
about three thousand dollars, and purchased the business and building of T.
C. Raymond, now of Boston. The first year he bought forty thousand
bushels of grain, the largest amount handled by him being eighty thousand
bushels of wheat and large amounts of all kinds of other grains. He is now
the largest grain dealer in the county, and his integrity and honorable deal-
ings have placed him above reproach.

February 22, 1861, Mr. Dunn and Sarah Margaret Hanawalt were
united in the holy bonds of wedlock. She was born in Monticello, Indiana,
May 28, 1837. In 1872 they built their comfortable home in this village
and have been classed among our most esteemed residents. The children of

652 BIUGRAPHICdL HISTORY.

Mr. and Mrs. Dunn are: Charles Winfield, who is in business with his
father; he was born December ii, 1861, and was married December 31,
1882, to Hulda Jane Truax, daughter of Peter and Jane Truax; she was born
in this county January 26, 1862, and is a woman of many excellent qualities.
Their children were: Simon Hale, born December 5, 1883, who died August
6, 1885; Lynn, born February 16, 1887, who died August 6, 1889; and
Paul, born February 10, 1890. Carter Ann Dunn, who was born February

28, 1864, married Dr. J. F. Noland, February 28, 1883, and resides at
North Judson. Sarah Alma, who was born November 7, 1866, married,
August 29, 1887, Dr. P. D. Noland, a brother of Dr. J. F., and lives at
Kouts; two children have been added to their household,— Anna Belle,
August 6, 1 888, and Eva Margaret, November i, 1892. Mildred Allison
Dunn, who was born September 31, 1869, and died the following August.
Mary Elizabeth, who was born September 10, 1871, and died February 16,
1872; Geneva Kate, who married Luke Hackett, June 27, 1894; their chil-
dren are Margaret Irene, born October 22, 1895, and Catherine Louise, born
December 29, 1887, who died February 6, 1888; Bessie Hale Dunn, who
was born March 9, 1878, married Cecil Graffis, of Hebron, Indiana, March

29, 1894, and is the agent and operator at that station; they have one child,
Thomas Hale, born February 27, 1896, and another, Richard Dunn, born
December 29, 1898; Mary Francena Dunn, who was born November 9,
1880, the youngest of the family, and died August 27, 1896.

Mr. Dunn is a member of Star City Lodge, I. O. O. F. , and a contrib-
utor to the Baptist church, of which he is an honored member. In politics
he adheres to the Republican faith, but is too much of a business man to
dabble in politics. He owns a fine farm of two hundred acres in Indian
Creek township, and is always sure to be at the head of all movements tend-
ing to improve the community.

This sketch would be incomplete did we omit to give mention of the
family of Mrs. Dunn. Her father, John Hanawalt, was born February 28,
18 1 3, in Mifflin county, Pennsylvania. He left there at the age of twenty-
two and came to White county, this state, where he bought one hundred and
sixty acres of land from the government. This was located a mile and a
quarter up the river from Monticello, and in 1839 he moved his family to a
house in Monticello village, which he had previously erected. At Monticello
he worked at the trade of carpenter, building the first court-house erected
there with timber cut from his own land. He also built many of the county
bridges, furnishing the necessary timber, and later, with his wife's brother,
Zachariah Rothrock, built nearly all the boats for the canal. He was of
short, heavy build and never idle. A member of the Sons of Temperance,
he was a firm advocate of temperance principles and a devoted member of

BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY. 653

the Methodist church, in which he was an earnest worker. He supported the
Democratic party. His death occurred July 31, i860, and was mourned by
all in that community. His wife also was a native of Mifflin county, Penn-
sylvania, where she was born November 21, 18 12. She died November 7,
1883, and is buried in Monticello beside her husband. Catherine (Rothrock)
Hanawalt was a daughter of Valentine and Sarah (Steely) Rothrock. She
had a large family of children, most of whom are living. They are as fol-
lows: Sarah Margaret Hanawalt, wife of our subject; Susan Elizabeth;
George M., who died May 28, 1843, at the age of nine months; Cartus Steely
and Martha Ann, twins, born' March 5, 1844, while the mother was on a visit
to Mifflin county, the former married George Washington Grant, and the lat-
ter Joseph A. Herman; Valentine Coltin, born in January, 1848; Florence
C., born February 13, 1850, and married Joseph Jennings, of Attica, this
state; and Elizabeth Allison, the widow of Jesse Bostick, of Monticello.
George Hanawalt, the grandfather of Mrs. Dunn, married Susan Rothrock,
who died at the advanced age of ninety-two years. He lived in Mifflin county,
where he was born. Their children were Henry, Margaret, Ann, Joseph,
Susan and John. His father, George Hanawalt, came from Germany and
married a girl that came over on the ship with him. He was accompanied
by his brother, John, and the land purchased by them in Mifflin county
remained in the family more than a century. George Hanawalt, Jr., was in
the war of 18 12. The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Dunn was Valentine
Rothrock, who married Sarah Steely. He was born in Germany and received
a good education. After coming to this country he lived near Lewistown,
Pennsylvania. In his earlier years he worked at the trade of tailor, but after-
ward devoted his time and attention to farming. His children were Lazarus,
Susan, Catherine, Zacharias, Leah, Margaret, Eliza, Carter, George and
Valentine.

WILLIAM O. TAYLOR.

A life like that of William Ozias Taylor leaves an indelible impression
upon the lives of those who were associated with him and upon following
generations. The example which he set is well worthy of being emulated,
and though he was prospered in most of his affairs he met the sorrows and
trials which came to him, as to all, with a cheerfulness and fortitude that
were the wonder and admiration of every one.

His father. Homer R. Taylor, was born June 25, 1799, in Scotland, and
on the 25th of February, 1819, married Deborah Hinton, whose birth had
occurred in Delaware county, Ohio, March 11, 1801. He died March 2,
1847, and she died November 12, 1856, both being buried in the cemetery at
W^inamac, Pulaski county. Their eldest child, Orrel, born May 9, 1820, first

654 " BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

married Josephus Bell, and on the 4th of March, 1844, became the wife of
Stephen Bruce. Jerome, who, of her five children, alone survived to matur-
ity, married Artha Messerly, of Winamac. Mrs. Bruce died April 9, 1855.
Levi Homer, born July 19, 1822, was married May 9, 1844, in Ohio, and his
daughter, Maria, became the wife of a Mr. Logan. Marinda, born March
II, 1827, wedded Daniel C. Eckelburner, February 15, 1849, and died about
1867; their children were Eliza, Maria, Emma, Mary and Malinda. Ches-
tina, born April 17, 1829, married Edward Tibbetts, October 29, 1848, and
died September 20, 1850. Maria Ann, born July 30, 1831, became the wife
of James R. Dukes, September 23, 1852, and died October 19, 1853. Amanda,
born December 26, 1833, was a cripple, and died February 20, 1854. Har-
manR. , born April 23, 1836, died in Andersonville prison during the civil
war, in 1864. Henry Allen, born July 19, 1838, married Elizabeth Ann
Cooper, and died in the United States service in the civil war while at home
on a furlough, he having contracted a pulmonary disease in the army. James
H., born April 13, 1845, married, in 1872, Mary Hewitt, and they reside in
Marysville, California.

William Ozias Taylor, the third child of his parents, was born July 6,
1824, in Delaware county, Ohio. The entire family, parents and ten chil-
dren, drove from Ohio to Pulaski county in 1842. They had little in the way
of worldly possessions save an ox team, some household goods and a little
money, but they had brave hearts and were willing to work hard and endure
whatever fate had in store for them; and in the end they prospered. Our
subject settled on section i, Franklin township, where he continued to dwell
during the rest of his life, and at one time he owned two hundred and sixteen
acres of valuable improved land. In February, 1865, his patriotism
prompted him to leave his family and his business pursuits in order to render
such aid to the Union as was in his power, as the war then was at a desper-
ate crisis, and seemingly was never to be terminated. Enlisting in Company
G, One Hundred and Fifty-first Indiana Volunteer Infantry, he participated
in several skirmishes with the rebels, but was kept on guard duty chiefly until
the close of hostilities. Shortly after his return home he was engaged in the
removal of some scaffolding from a building, when he fell and received in-
juries which confined him to his bed for two years and rendered him an in-
valid, practically, for ten years. He was public-spirited, and used his ballot
in favor of the candidates of the Republican party. A man of high religious
principle, he was a valued member of the Methodist Episcopal church, doing
his full share toward the support of its work. When past the three-score
and ten years of the Psalmist, he entered into eternal rest, the date of his
death being March 25, 1897, and he was buried in the cemetery at Winamac.

When quite young, Mr. Taylor was married, in Ohio, to a Miss Tibbitts,

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 655

who, with their infant son, died before the removal of the Taylor family to
this state. For about three years after coming here, Mr. Taylor was en-
gaged in driving a stage in Knox county, where he met the lady who became
his second, wife. She was a Miss Catherine Hewitt, a native of Knox county,
born October 31, 1833, and her brothers and sisters were: David, Lawson,
Rose Ann, Mary, Ellen, Moses, and Ulysses Sydney. She died December 6,
1868, at the old homestead, and was buried in the Winamac cemetery. There
sleeps her eldest child, Harriet Ellen, who was born January i, 1852, married
to Richards. Parker, who died in 1874, and she was the mother of three chil-
dren. She departed this life in 1878. Her daughter, Charity A., born May
3, 1870, and now a resident of Aldine, Indiana, became the wife of John
Reckord, in November, 1886, and their children are Eldon, Florence, Ern-
est, Frances, and Glen. Eldon, first child of Harriet Ellen Parker, born
March 22, 1872, married Lily M. Daugherty in 1893, and their surviving
children are Stephen, Mary E. , and William Garrett. Stephen Ozias,
youngest child of Mr. and Mrs. Parker, born May 12, 1874, died at the age
of eleven months. Levi Homer Taylor, second child of William and Cath-
erine Taylor, is represented in this volume. James Henry, the next in order
of birth, was born November 11, 1855, and resides upon his own farm, in
section 12, Franklin township, and part of his house is the old school-house
which he attended in boyhood, though it has been remodeled and bears no
token of its former use. He married first, Ellen, daughter of Benjamin and
Ellen (Justice) Cooper, their union being solemnized March 23, 1876. She
was born December 31, 1856, and died March 25, 1886. Their eldest child,
Cora Ellen, born February 17, 1877, married F. F. Ely, March 31, 1897,
and their home is at Bass Lake, Indiana. Estella Maud, born April 6, 1878,
married William Henry Alexander Garringer, April 6, 1897, and their little
son, Benjamin Russell, was born February 15, 1898. Addison Leroy, born
July 25, 1879, died July 4, 1880; William DuBois, born September 21, 1881,
lives with Benjamin Davis; Jennie Agnes, born November 4, 1882, is at
home; and Elgy Amel, was born January 28, 1885. On the 3d of April,
1889, James Henry Taylor married, for his second wife, Minnie Magdalene
Conn, who was born January 17, 1867. Their eldest child, Henry Cole,
died February 7, 1891; Minnie Opal, was born January 3, 1892; Mary Ruby,
born October 9, 1894, died June 6, 1896; and Lowell Earl, was born Febru-
ary II, 1897. Mary Deborah, the fourth child of William and Catherine
Taylor, was born June 11, 1857, married William Reily in 1887, and lives in
Canadian county, Oklahoma. Their children are named Mearle, Minnie,
Lewis, Dollie and Daisy. The two last named, twins, were born December
12, 1 89 1. Florence Huldah, born November 5, i860, died October 28,
1 896. She had married Alfred Cox, and their children are Alvin, Ada, Hat-

65G BIOGRjiPHICAL HISTORY.

tie, Grover and Mabel. William Ozias, Jr., born August lo, 1867, died on
the second of the following November.

On the i6th of November, 1871, William Ozias Taylor and Jane Riley,
daughter of Fenton and Lucretia (McPherson) Riley, were united in wedlock.
She was born February 10, 1843, in Randolph county, Indiana, and her twin
sister, Sarah Ann, died March 23, 1879. Her eldest sister, Harriet, was
born February 18, 1832; the eldest brother, Joseph McPherson, October 2,
1833; Nancy, born October 27, 1835, died August 4, 1865; George Wash-
ington, born November 5, 1837; James Hamilton, born May 30, 1841; John
J., born January 5, 1846; Mary Elizabeth, born May 14. 1848, died March
10, 1893; Nathan, born September 23, 1850, died March 6, 1880; Abigail
Ellen, born September 9, 1852; and William P., born May 10, 1856. The
father of these children was born in Warren county, Virginia, June 25, 1809,
was taken to Ohio when six months old and moved to Wayne county, Indi-
ana, at the age of twelve. In 1849 he went to Delaware county, Indiana,
whence he moved to Marshall county, this state, in 1864, and in 1866 came
to Pulaski county, where he lived until his death, March 10, 1872, his home
being on section 2, Franklin township, where he owned forty-seven acres.
He was a son of Nathan Riley and grandson of Abram Riley, both natives of
Virginia. The former married Nancy Ballinger, a native of Ohio, and their
children were William, Eliza, Fenton, Margaret, Sarah, Joshua, Elizabeth
and Nancy (twins), Mary, James, Nathan and Miranda. Nathan Riley, Sr.,
died in Wayne county, in 1841. Mrs. Fenton Riley, who was born in War-
ren county, Ohio, May 30, 181 5, moved to Wayne county in 18 16, and was
married there January 21, 1831. Her father, George Washington McPher-
son, was born in North Carolina and removed to Ohio in 18 14. He died in
1 87 1, aged eighty-four j'ears, and his wife. Charity (Locke) McPherson, who
died the same year, was about his age and a native of the same state. They
were the parents of eight children: Joseph and Lucretia (twins), Abigail,
John, Ruth, Elizabeth, Armenia and William. Joseph, father of G. W. Mc-
Pherson, married Lucretia Hicks, by whom he had the following named chil-
dren: Stephen, Hannah, Jehu, Joseph, John, William, George W. , Abigail,
Lydia, Anna, Ruth, Jane and Mary. Charity (Locke) McPherson was a
daughter of John and Elizabeth Locke.

The marriage of William Ozias and Jane Taylor was blessed with a
daughter, Nettie Catherine, born August 26, 1872. She became the wife
of Harry Herbert Hall, a son of John and Sarah Adeline (Dunham) Hall,
born September 27, 1870. The young couple have five interesting little
ones, namely: Mabel, born March 21, 1892; Chester, August 15, 1893;
Ethel, March 24, 1895; Carl, February 22, 1897; and Dewey, October 20,

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 657

Mrs. Jane Taylor is still living on the old homestead which has been her
place of abode for over twenty-eight years. She possesses a wonderful
memory for facts and dates, and had she enjoyed the advantages which are
afforded to the children of this generation, beyond doubt, would have won a
name and fame for scholarship and achievement in some field of learning.
Her mental qualities are no less marked than her kindness and goodness of
heart, as her friends know well. She has been a professing Christian and is
now a member of the Methodist church. Until recently her constant com-
panion was Sarah Josephine, daughter of William Burroughs. She was born
March i6, 1879, and when but nine days old she was taken into the heart
and home of Mrs. Taylor, who gave a mother's kindness to the child. Now,
grown to womanhood, she was married, on the 26th of February, 1899,
to Markel M. Stevenson, and has gone to dwell in Starke county. Mrs.
Taylor also brought up Lewis Eldon Parker, a grandchild of Mr. Taylor's
and mentioned above, from his third year until manhood.

LEVI HOMER TAYLOR

One of the prominent agriculturists of Pulaski county is he of whom this
sketch is penned, a worthy representative of the Taylor family, which was
founded in this section of Indiana almost three-score years ago, ever since
being closely identified with the development and increasing prosperity of this
region.

William Ozias Taylor, the honored father of our subject, and other of
his relatives and ancestors, are fully mentioned in this history. The birth of
Levi Homer Taylor occurred August 10, 1853, in the old-fashioned double
log cabin on the parental homestead, which served the family as a home
during the early days of their pioneer life here. Growing to manhood in
the peaceful yet active vocations common to the time and locality, our sub-
ject then visited the far west, passing nearly a year in California. Returning
home, after his marriage, he at once removed to his present home, then
owned by Stephen Parker. In 1880 he bought forty acres of this place and
ten years later built a comfortable dwelling-house. He now owns one hun-
dred and sixty-five acres, situated on section 6, Tippecanoe township, and
has instituted various substantial improvements, adding greatly to the value
and desirability of the place. He has made it one of the model farms of the
section.

On the i6th of December, 1875, Mr. Taylor married Jennie Cooper,
daughter of Benjamin Cooper. She was born in Cass county, January i,
1853, and died January 18, 1881, leaving two children. Morris, the eldest
child, born December 23, 1877, died when but six months old. Claud, born

658 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

September 14, 1879, is employed in the Malleable Iron Works of Marion,
Indiana. Clyde Ozias, the youngest, was born May 2, 1880. The second
marriage of Mr. Taylor was solemnized August i, 1883, the lady of his choice
being Miss Marietta Snyder, daughter of James B. Snyder. She was born
October 16, 1860, in Morgan county, Ohio, and first came to this state in
1863. Three children bless the union of our subject and wife, — two sons
and a daughter. The eldest, Homer Ralph, was born April 29, 1884. Julia
Alberta was born December i, 1885; and Earle was born August 10, 1S98,
and died on the same day.

In his political faith, Mr. Taylor is a Republican of high standing, and
though he has never cared for office he has served his neighbors most accept-
ably as township trustee and road supervisor, acting in the former capacity
for a period of four years, and his present term expiring in November, 1900.
He has been road supervisor for ten years. Fraternally, he is an Odd Fel-
low, being a member of Monterey Lodge. In the Methodist Episcopal
church, in which Mr. Taylor, Mrs. Taylor and daughter Julia hold member-
ship, he is one of the trustees, and all worthy charities find in him a true
friend.

JEREMIAH WILLIAMSON.

This thrifty and successful farmer of Franklin township, Pulaski county,
was born October 28, 1849, on his father's farm in Rock Creek township,
Carroll county, Indiana. His ancestors were natives of England, and his
great-grandfather, Williamson, was the founder of the family in America.
Samuel Williamson, the grandfather, was born in Juniata county, Pennsyl-
vania, and in 1800 married Nancy Hannah, who bore him the following
named children: David, Molhe, Samuel, John S., Joseph, Sally, James,
George, William, Moses, Henry, Nancy and Joshua. The death of Samuel Will-
iamson occurred in 1S49. He had become wealthy for that day, and owned
thirteen hundred and sixty acres of land in Carroll county, besides other prop-
erty in Cass county.

Our subject's father, John Stewart Williamson, was born in the Tus-
carora valley, Juniata county, Pennsylvania, October 7, 1805, and with his
parents removed to Montgomery county, Ohio, the following year, and to
Carroll county, Indiana, in 1829. He entered a quarter-section of land
there, paying a dollar and a quarter per acre, and his deeds and papers giving
him legal right to the property were signed by President Jackson. He was a
Republican in his later years, and was an active member of the Presbyterian
church. He departed this life September 11, 1880, and was buried in the
Odd Fellows cemetery within sight of his own farm, in Carroll county. His

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 659

wife, whose maiden name was Mary Ann Millard, was born August i, 1828,
in Warren county, Ohio, and is still residing upon the old homestead, where
she has dwelt since 1846. Her father, Thomas Millard, a native of Spring-
boro, Ohio, died ia 1877, aged seventy-four years. He chose for his wife
Mary Pence, of German descent, and to them were born Catherine, Frances,
Mary Ann, Joseph, Samuel, Mordecai, Henry, Warren, Aaron, Rebecca,
Eliza Ann and Elizabeth. The latter died June 20, 1899. Henry died De-
cember 3, 1863, in Helena, Arkansas, while a member of Company F, For-
ty-sixth Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry; and Aaron was a member-
of an Iowa regiment for some time during the civil war. He was a prisoner
for some time in rebel prisons. The father of Thomas Millard was a native
of France, and there, as here, the family has been of the agricultural
class.

John Stewart and Mary Ann (Millard) Williamson were united in wedlock
June 8, 1846, and their eldest child, Lewis, born October 31, 1847, died
April 24, 1875, unmarried. Jeremiah was the next in order of birth. Thomas,
born in January, 1852, died at the age of six years. Mordecai, born Febru-
ary 4, 1854, died in January, 1858. Aaron, born April 20, 1855, died March
4, 1862. Albert, born July 8, 1857, never married and is still living upon
the old homestead. Eliza Jane, born August i, 1859, is the wife of Joseph
Aaron, a farmer in the vicinity of Galveston, Indiana, and they have two
children. Noah, born August 20, 1864, married a Miss Hance.

Jeremiah Williamson remained on the home farm until he was twenty-
four years of age, thoroughly mastering the details of agriculture. In 1873
he bought forty acres on section 15, Franklin township, Pulaski county, and
forty acres on section 8, same township. In 1883 he erected a comfortable
house upon his property on section 15, and has gradually made improvements
which add greatly to the value of the homestead. He is a practical farmer
and is an excellent business man. He is a Democrat in his political creed,
and is now acting in the capacity of justice of the peace, a position he has
filled for the past five years with credit to himself and to the satisfaction
of all.

On the 28th of April, 1874, Mr. Williamson married Amanda Jane
Bousoum, a daughter of Samuel and Samantha (Davison) Bousoum. She
was born September 24, 1852, in Rock Creek township, Carroll county, In-
diana. Josephine, our subject's eldest child, was born October i, 1875, and
after teaching successfully in this county for two terms has taken charge of a
nunnery in Tipton county. Pearl, born June 2, 1880, has taught in the
Bransky and Conn schools in this township. Andrew Jackson, born Septem-
ber 30, 1882, is at home and is a diligent student in the neighborhood
schools.

660 BIOGRAPHICAL BISTORT.

MARSHAL CARPER.

Prominent among the business men of Winamac is the gentleman whose
name introduces this review, He occupies a leading position in commercial
and financial circles, and his enterprise, resolute purpose and laudable ambi-
tion are the elements of his success. The portals of prosperity always swing
wide to the demands of energy, and through this agency Mr. Carper has
advanced steadily to a foremost place in the ranks of the business represent-
atives of Pulaski county.

He was born April 7, 1858, in South Whitley, Indiana, his parents being
Obediah and Martha (Miller) Carper. The family is of German origin, and
was founded in America at a very early day in the history of this country.
The great-grandfather of our subject was twice married, and by his first
wife, Elizabeth Carper, had eight children. The only child of the second
marriage was Nicholas Carper, grandfather of our subject. He was born in
Pennsylvania and married Rebecca Corcoran, a native of Virginia. By occu-
pation he was a farmer and followed that pursuit throughout his entire life.
His sons were: John, Adam, Samuel, Philip, Obediah, and his daughters:
Sarah, who became the wife of a Mr. Snyder, and another daughter, who
became the wife of David Jacoby. Of the sons, Philip married Sophia
Keefer, and their children were Isabella, who married Jacob Baker; Harrison;
and Jacob, who married Catharine Ritter. For his second wife Philip Car-
per married Elizabeth Wise, and they had a daughter Elizabeth, now the
deceased wife of Jacob Haflick. The third wife of Philip Carper was Cath-
arine Reifsinder, and their children were Sophia, wife of John North; Will-
iam, who married Emeline Butler; Monroe, who wedded Elizabeth Guthrie,
and resides in Guthrie Center, Iowa; Alfred, who was born April 15, 1842,
and was married in June, 1873, to Sarah Way, who died May 21, 1874, at
the age of twenty-four years, two months and twenty-seven days. They had
one child, Catharine, who is the wife of Alfred Hathaway. Harriet, the
youngest child of Philip Carper, by his third wife, is the widow of Milton
Cooper, and resides in Grundy county, Missouri. The fourth wife of Philip
Carper was Marie Finestone, and their children were Frances Elmira, wife
of Francis E. Hathaway, who resides near South Whitley, Indiana; Mordecai;
and Arthur Green, who is living in Virginia, Nebraska.

Obediah Carper, father of our subject, was born February 18, 18 18,
near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, whence he removed to Canton, Ohio, and
later to Massillon, that state. He was a carpenter by trade and for many
years followed that pursuit. He went from Ohio to Iowa and subsequently
returned to Markle, Indiana, where he lived on a small farm of forty acres
for two years. He then took up his residence in the town and opened agro-

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 661

eery store, which he conducted until his removal to Springfield, now South
Whitley, where he carried on general merchandising for ten years. In the
spring of 1861 he came to Winamac and engaged in the grocery business
with his cousin, J. G. Miller, under the firm name of Carper & Miller, which
connection was continued for two years. On the expiration of that period he
erected the Jackson Hotel on the site now occupied by the Varpillat Block,
and after two years he bought out his partner, Mr. Miller, and conducted the
hotel alone until 1874, when he sold to Henry Greenwall. This was his last
business venture. The hotel building burned just a few days prior to his
death. Mr. Carper was also the owner of about two hundred acres of land
in Jefferson township and one hundred and sixty acres in Monroe township.
He manifested excellent ability in the management of his business affairs, and
the success he achieved was the merited reward of his own labors. In height
he was five feet and six inches, and weighed about one hundred and seventy-
five pounds. His political support was given the Republican party, and he
served as trustee of his township, but was never a politician in the sense of
office-seeking. He became a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows so-
cieties in Huntington, Indiana, belonging to both the lodge and encampment
in the latter. He died January 5, 1881.

On the 5th of July, 1841, in Canton, Ohio, was celebrated the marriage
of Obediah Carper and Miss Martha Miller, who was born May 24, 1822, on
her father's farm in Perry township. Stark county, Ohio. She is a daughter
of Frederick Miller, who died in 1864, at the age of ninety-two years. He
was born at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and married Mary Fansler, a
daughter of Henry and Annie Marie Fansler. Mr. and Mrs. Miller were
married June 2, 1808, and to them were born seven children: George, born
June 6, 1809, married Elizabeth Snyder, and their children are Mary, Jere-
miah, Alexander, Alfred, Elizabeth and Eli. Henry, born April 8, 181 1,
married Susan Roush, and their children are Sevilla, Frederick, Samuel,
Benjamin, William, Polly, Lydia, Angeline and Katy. Rebecca, who was
generally called Peggy, was born April 11, 1 8 1 3, and became the wife of Jacob
Roush, by whom she had the following children; Jesse, Mary Ann, Reuben,
Jacob and Edward. Polly, born April 19, 181 3, became the wife of Robert
Allen, and their children are William, Levi, Mary Ann, Rebecca, Mahala,
Hanan, Tora and Alfred. David, born May 11, 1818, married Sarah Ar-
nold, and their children are Hannah, Eveline, George, Sarah, Mary, Clara,
Rebecca and John. Mrs. Carper is the next of the family. Susan, the
youngest, was born February 12, 1824, and married Martin Miller, by whom
she had eleven children, Mary, Cyrus, Rebecca, Delilah, and seven others,
whose names are not known.

The following is the record of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Obediah

662 , BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Carper: Angeline, born February 3, 1843, on a farm about ten miles west
of Burlington, Iowa, died March 31, 1865. She became the wife of Samuel
Cook, April i, 1862, at South Whitley, Indiana, and their children were
Obediah, Jacob, and one other whose name is not known. All are now
deceased. Naham, born October 29, 1845, was married August 16, 1865,
to Amelia Heater, and they had one son, Alfred M. , born July 26, 1866.
On the 6th of September, 1873, Naham Carper wedded Mary Story, and
they had a son, Charles Naham. He was married a third time, July 20,
1897, Elizabeth Steckel becoming his wife. Ann Eliza, the next of the fam-
ily, died when only two days old. Elizabeth Ellen, who was born in Stark
county, Ohio, August 6, 1848, died October 31, 1864, and was buried in the
cemetery at Winamac. Marie, born May 13, 1852, died December 5, 1872,
at the age of twenty years, six months and twenty-six days; she also was buried
in the Winamac cemetery. She was married in Winamac, October 14, 1867,
to Paul Shafle, who was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, April 2, 1836, and
died May 5, 1895. He located in Philadelphia in 1850, there learned the
tailor's trade, and subsequently removed to New Jersey. During the civil
war he enlisted in the Third New Jersey Cavalry and served until the close
of hostilities. In 1866 he came to Winamac, where he followed his trade
until his death. Of the Masonic fraternity he was a very prominent and
active member. He was married October 14, 1867, to Marie Carper, and
their children were as follows: Emma, who was born August 20, 1868, and
was married October 8, 1896, to John Weldy, a farmer of Pulaski county,
by whom she has one son, Lloyd; Ella, who was born March 14, 1870, and
died May 17, 1876; and Edna, born December 4, 1872. After the death of his
first wife Mr. Shafle married Catharine Elizabeth Mulvaney, and their children
are Mollie, born November 10, 1877; and Annie and John, both deceased.
Elizabeth Carper, another member of the family of Obediah Carper, died
September 30, 1864, at the age of sixteen years, one month and twenty-three
days. Marshal, whose name introduces this review, is the youngest of his
father's family.

Marshal Carper acquired his education in the public schools, which he
attended until 1874. At the age of sixteen he began learning telegraphy, in
an office of the Panhandle Railroad, and followed that pursuit for a year,
when he entered the employ of Nathan Brothers, of Winamac, with whom
he remained a year. On the expiration of that period he secured a clerkship
with Frankle & Oppenheimer, and a year later, in connection with G. W.
Dolph, purchased the drug stock of M. A. Dilts, valued at about five hundred
dollars. In August, 1877, they removed to the old Barnett block, and Octo-
ber 25, 1880, to the present place of business, in the Keller block. In
August, 1888, Mr. Carper bought out his partner's interest and has since

BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY. 663

been alone in the business. He carries a stock worth six thousand dollars,
and his sales amount to fifteen thousand dollars annually. His line of goods
is carefully selected to meet the varied wants of the public, and his careful
management, honorable dealing and uniform courtesy have secured to him a
very liberal patronage. In June, 1896, he purchased a two-fifths interest in
the bank at Winamac and was at once chosen vice-president, in which capa-
city he has since served.

Mr. Carper was married September 25, 1881, to Lola Linetta Hath-
away, and in the community they have many warm friends. The hospitality
of the best homes of the county is extended them, and they occupy an envi-
able position in social circles. In his political views Mr. Carper is a Repub-
lican, but has never been an office-seeker, preferring to devote his time and
energies to his business affairs, in which he has met with gratifying prosper-
ity. His executive ability, keen foresight and tireless industry are his marked
characteristics, and have made him one of the most successful merchants of
the county.

JETHRO A. HATCH, M. D.

In point of time Dr. Hatch is the oldest physician in Kentland, Newton
county, and he has been prominently before the public for many years as a
member of congress and of the state legislature, being well and favorably
known throughout the county as an able practitioner and as a man possess-
ing rare qualities of mind and heart.

Dr. Hatch was born in Chenango county. New York, June 18, 1837.
His parents, Jethro and Minerva (Pierce) Hatch, were natives of Connecticut
and New Hampshire, respectively, and were pioneers of Kane county Illinois,
in which place they settled in 1847. The father was a well-to-do farmer
and an influential man in his community. He died in 1878, when eighty
years of age. His wife survived him until May, 1882, when she passed away
at the age of seventy-six years. Both parents were devout members of the
Congregational church.

The subject of this review received his literary education in the academy
at Batavia, Illinois, and on leaving this school became a student in Rush
Medical College, in Chicago, from which he was graduated in i860. The fol-
lowing year he took up his residence in Kentland, being the first physician to
locate in this place. In 1862, the second year of the civil war, Dr. Hatch
was commissioned as assistant surgeon of the Thirty-sixth Illinois Volunteer
Infantry, was promoted to surgeon in 1864, and served until the close of the
war, being mustered out in October, 1865. Resuming his profession in Kent-
land, he also took an active part in local affairs and held various offices in the

664 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

town and county until 1872, when, in tlie special session of the legislature
of that year and in the regular session in 1873, he was the representative of
Jasper, Pulaski and Newton counties. In 1874 he was the candidate of his
party for the state senate, but as the Republicans were largely in the minor-
ity, he was defeated with the rest of the ticket. For two years he was chair-
man of the county Republican central committee. In 1894 he was elected to
congress from the tenth district of Indiana, being a member of the lower
house, and during his term of office he was a member of the committees on
mines and mining and on war claims. He was not a candidate for re-elec-
tion, and since returning from Washington has devoted himself entirely to
the practice of his profession, in which he stands at the head.

On May 26, 1881, Dr. Hatch was married to Miss Sarah Shaeffer,
daughter of Gilbert and Margaret (Houseman) Shaeffer, of Lancaster, Ohio.
They have two children, Darwin S. and Hazel M. The Doctor owns an
improved farm in Benton county, within two miles of Kentland, to which he
devotes his leisure time and which is a valuable piece of property. Socially,
he is past master ef Newton Lodge, No. 361, F. & A. M., and past high
priest of Kentland Chapter, No. 89, R. A. M., at Kentland, and is a Knight
Templar. He is also post commander of McHolland Post, No. 102, G. A.
R. , and a member of the Knights of Pythias. His genial, kindly disposition,
his well known ability and his conscientious discharge of the duties of his
profession have made Dr. Hatch very popular throughout the community
and have brought him a large patronage. He is still active and ever ready
to answer the call for help from suffering humanity, and his friends hope he
may see many more years of usefulness.

MOSES ALBERTUS DILTS.

One of the most extensive land-owners and wealthy business men of
Winamac and Pulaski county is Moses A. Dilts, who has reason to be proud
of the truly wonderful success which he has achieved, especially within the
past few years. He is a worthy representative of one of the sturdy pioneer
families of this state, now numbering hundreds of descendants, and from the
early days of the annals of Indiana those bearing the name of Dilts have been
accounted among her most patriotic, enterprising citizens.

The tradition, as handed down from one generation to another in the
family, is to the effect that five brothers of the name of Dilts left their native
Scotland to found homes in America, in the latter part of the eighteenth
century, and that they separated, locating in Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio and
Indiana, respectively. Some of their posterity have spelled the name Diltz,
but the majority, at least in this generation, adopted the other form. It is

Moses A. Dilts.

BIOGRJPEICAL HISTORY. 665

further stated that two of the brothers, not being able to cross the ocean
otherwise, were sold for their passage money and were obliged to work until
the amount was paid, as was the custom at that remote day.

The paternal grandfather of our subject, Peter Dilts, was probably a
native of Virginia, and he died at Abington, Wayne county, Indiana, about
1848, when sixty years of age. He married Sarah Renfroe, probably of
Montgomery county, Ohio, and their children were: Jefferson, who was in
the employ of the government, going with wagon-trains across the western
plains, between i860 and 1870, and was killed by Indians; Francis, the father
of our subject; Enos, who was a brick manufacturer by trade, lived in Wina-
mac from 1862 to 1864, and then removed to Missouri; Henry, whose home
is in Cherry ville, Kansas, where he is engaged in the insurance business;
Lyman, twin brother of Henry, a resident of Colorado Springs, and father of
one child, Estella; and Mary, wife of David Clark, both deceased, and for-
merly of Dayton, Ohio. They were the parents of two children. Henry
has two children, — Daisy and Harry, — the latter agent for the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad at Emporia, Kansas.

Francis Dilts, the father of our subject, was born near Dayton, Ohio,
October 2, 1816, and in his youth learned the trade of wagon-maker. For
about four years he ran a shop at Farmersville, Ohio, and besides making
wagons was also at the head of a plow manufactory there. Then for a
period of eleven years he kept a meat market in the same town, and in 1854
he located in Goshen, Indiana, where he was employed in Kumber's wagon
shop for a year. From 1856 to 1859 he carried on a wagon-repairing shop
and a meat market at Rochester, Indiana, and in August, i860, arrived in
Winamac, where he established a butcher's shop. He also spent a portion
of his time in the employ of Nelson Bennett, in the wagon shop. His death
occurred in this town May 8, 1876. He was a Republican and in religion
was identified with the German Reformed church. For a wife he chose
Sarah Weaver, who was born March 23, 1820, in Germantown, Ohio.
They were married November 20, 1838, and she survived her husband many
years, dying in Winamac, December 27, 1897. Her father, a Pennsylvanian
of German descent, was a soldier of the war of 18 12, and was surrendered
by General Hull. His death took place a few years after he left the army.
He left three young children — Daniel, Sarah and Mary — who were reared by
relatives. Mary became the wife of Henry Beachler, of Darke county, Ohio,
and her eldest child, Henry, lives in Iowa, while her daughter Sarah, wife
of Samuel Kerst, and Mary, wife of J. Barnhart, reside in Darke county.

The eldest child of Francis and Sarah Dilts was Preston, born Decem-
ber 9, 1839, and died October 26, 1877. He first married Carrie L. Hol-

lingshead, the ceremony being performed by Rev. P. C. Prugh, August 11,
43

666 BIOGRJPEICAL HISTORY.

1862. She was born in Xenia, Ohio, February 10, 1844, and died Novem-
ber 5, 1872. Their eldest child, Harry Preston, born April 13, 1864, died
March 5, 1868. Florence May, born March 15, 1867, married Frank Belt,
a farmer of Greene county, Ohio, March 17, 1890. Mary Emma, born
March 5, 1868, died December 8, 1877. Francis William, born November
25, 1869, died June 25, 1874. Clara Josephine, born March 13, 1871, died
Decemberii, 1890. Walter Riley, born March 11, 1872, is now employed by
William Sabel, merchant, of Winamac. For his second wife, Preston Dilts
chose Mrs. Susie M. Woods, their marriage being solemnized November 6,
1873. Their son, Albert Lee, was born July 21, 1874, and is now employed
by the Standard Oil Company at Whiting, Indiana. Harrison Elmer, born
August 25, 1876, resides in Burlington, Iowa, where, on the 2d of October,
1898, he wedded Colorado, daughter of Jesse and Martha Jane Beeson.
Mrs. Susie M. W. Dilts, who died December 7, 1877, married a Mr. Lang-
ley in her early womanhood, and their daughter, Jennie, is now the wife of
James Davis. Later Mrs. Dilts became Mrs. Wood, and two sons were born
of that union, namely: W^illiam and Mark. Daniel, the second child of
Francis and Sarah Dilts, was born April 23, 1842; served in the civil war, in
Company B, Eighty-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and in 1866 mar-
ried Jennie, daughter of James McCall, and has one child, Etta, who is
with her parents at their home in Winamac. Louisa, the third child of
Francis Dilts, was born November 21, 1844, and departed this life October
4, 1855. Francis Dilts, Jr., was born December 9, 1845, ^nd died July 25,
1875. He married Ellen Ann Woods, daughter of George and Ann (South)
Woods. The mother was a daughter of William and Catherine (Mauler)
South, and was born April 21, 1820, in Wayne county, Ohio. She first
married George Wood, and their children were Melissa, born February 18,
1845, in Clinton, Ohio, and died in September, 1852; and Ellen Ann, born
March 9, 1846, also in Clinton. George Woods, born March 3, 1809, first
married Catherine King, June 25, 1834, and their children were Rebecca
Jane, born August 22, 1835; and Horatio, born December 13, 1837, whose
wife was Susan Morris.

The marriage of Mrs. Ann (South) Woods and Peter Kroft took place
March 19, 1844, in Clinton, Ohio. He was a native of Stark county, Ohio,
born April 11, 18 17, and his death occurred April 11, 1898. His eldest
child, Benjamin Franklin, born December 20, 1848, in Fulton, Ohio, mar-
ried Ida Collins, April 3, 1877, and she died February 20, 1897, leaving one
child, Blanche May, born July 16, 1885. On the 15th of December, 1898,
he wedded Elizabeth Fry, widow of John Fry, and daughter of David Will-
iams. William, father of Mrs. Ann (South) Woods Kroft, was born in Penn-
sylvania, the son of Major South, whose title was won in the war of the

BIOGRAPHICAL BISTORT. ■ 667

Revolution. He wedded a Miss Yowey, and their children were Joseph,
Nancy, Rachel and Samuel. William South was first married to Catherine
Mauler, whose brothers and sisters were William, John, Nancy, Elizabeth
and Rebecca. The children born to William and Catherine South were:
Jane, who became the wife of Eli Johnson, of Monterey; Sarah, Richard,
Thaddeus, Catherine Ann, Elizabeth, Schuyler and Julia, Mrs. Samuel
Ward. William South married, secondly. Prudence Mosier, and their
children were: John; Catherine, Mrs. John Karnes; Anderson; James; So-
phronia; Rhoda, wife of Peter Edinger; Margaret, wife of Benjamin Camp-
bell; Henry, of Logansport; Eliza, and one who died when young. The
children born to Francis Dilts and his wife, Ellen Ann, were Rosie E.,
Alice and Frank. Rosie E. married Jacob W. Rearick, March 21, 1886. He
was born May 26, 1859, in Seneca county, Ohio. Their children are: Arlu
Belle, born February 23, 1888; Jacob Arden, born May 26, 1890; and
Charles Foster, born January 17, 1897. Alice Dilts is the wife of Francis
Hutchinson. The younger children of Francis and Sarah Dilts are: Mary
Ann, born November 22, 1847, and died March 17, 1849; Moses; Minerva,
born September 8, 1851, and died March 17, 1863; William Jefferson, born
February 7, 1853, and died September 10, 1874; Salome E. , born January
7, 1855, wife of S. M. Hurst, a carpenter of North Judson, Indiana, and
mother of Grace, Jessie, Noah, S. A., Morris (deceased) and Frances Fern;
Charles, born November 22, 1857, and now living in Winamac; America,
born November 29, 1859, and wife of J. E. Jones, whose sketch is printed
elsewhere in this work; and Carrie Luella, born May 21, 1863, and now the
wife of W. J. Griffin, of Winamac.

The birth of Moses A. Dilts occurred October 25, 1849, at Dayton, Ohio,
and when he was eleven years of age he left home and lived with John Daven-
port for a period. He then returned to the parental household, where he re-
mained until he was in his seventeenth year. Entering the employ of Oba-
diah Carper, he worked in his hotel for two years, and then started out to
sell small wares through the country, walking and carrying a satchel filled
with goods. Later he hired a team and finally he became an auctioneer of
goods. One winter he clerked in the book-store of Samuel Newton, in
Xenia, Ohio, and later was employed for two years in the grocery owned by
his brother Preston, in the same town. The following year he was a travel-
ing salesman for the agricultural implement firm of J. A. Barrows & Com-
pany, of Xenia, and in March, 1873, he embarked in business for himself,
opening a grocery and restaurant in Xenia. In May of the ensuing year he
sold out to Robert McClelland, and in June opened a dry-goods house at
Greenville, Ohio, his stock amounting to but eight hundred dollars. In the
fall of the same year, 1874, he shipped his goods to Winamac, where, in

668 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

December, he started in business in the W. C. Barnett block. In April,
1875, he took his brother Frank into partnership with him, and added a stock
of groceries. That autumn the brother died, but the firm continued to be
known as formerly, Dilts & Dilts, until March, 1876, when our subject dis-
posed of his entire stock of goods and opened a drug store at the same loca-
tion. In June, 1877, he sold out to Mr. Carper, and it is still known as the
Carper drug store.

During the same summer, Mr. Dilts launched himself in a venture en-
tirely new to him, — real estate. He invested in two and a half acres of town
property and proceeded to buy and sell land, as opportunity offered, at the
same time engaging in the auctioneering business. In 1878 he bought his
first farm, and since then he has owned and handled over forty thousand
acres in this county alone, while altogether he has bought and sold, for him-
self and others, over eighty thousand acres. He has handled about five
thousand acres of land outside of this county, and at the present time owns
about that amount of property in the county, it being divided into thirty-seven
farms, now leased to fifty tenants. While he has fine farms for sale in every
township, most of his land is situated in Franklin, Monroe and Harrison
townships, and more than half of it is under cultivation. Associated with
ten of the leading business men of the county, he owns sixteen improved city
lots in Winamac and eighteen unimproved pieces of property here, and has
built ten residences in the town, besides rebuilding the Kylander block in
1894. No commentary on the remarkable success which he has won is
necessary, aside from the facts and figures given above, as it is plainly evident
that he possesses exceptional business ability, and that few, if any, of the
citizens of northern Indiana can compete with him in the sales of real estate
for the past score of years. When his lowly start in the business world is
remembered, his present prominence and wealth appears almost incredible,
but adherence to the simplest principles of integrity and justice have been
among the elements of his prosperity, and no one begrudges him his success.

On the 24th of November, 1874, Mr. Dilts and Rachel W. Williamson
were united in marriage. She was born in Xenia, Ohio, and died November

12, 1884, when in her thirty-first year. Their eldest child, Minnie Maud,
was born December 9, 1876, and is now a student in the schools of Logans-
port; Florence Emma, born July 24, 1877, was graduated in the Winamac
high school, and in Bauer's Academy of Music, in Cincinnati, where she pur-
sued a course of voice culture and painting, and July 7, 1897, she became
the wife of the Rev. C. H. Leeson, of the Methodist cburch, and now located
at Fowler, Indiana; Reuben Alfred, born August 10, 1880, died September

13, 1882; and Frederick LeRoy, born November 12, 1884, died when one
year and three months old. On the 29th of September, 1886, Mr. Dilts

BIOGRJPEICAL HISTORY. 669

married Amanda M., daughter of Jacob and Mary Ann (Good) March. She
was born at Pulaski, Indiana, December 8, 1858, and by her marriage has be-
come the mother of three children: James Albert, born August 19, 1888;
Russell Allen, September 13, 1890; and Clara Cecelia, October 31, 1894.

Fraternally, Mr. Dilts is identified with Winamac Lodge, No. 262, F.
& A. M., and was admitted to the Royal Arch degree at North Judson, Indi-
ana. He also is a charter member of the local lodges of the Knights of
Pythias and the Royal Arcanum, and, with his wife, belongs to the Order of
the Eastern Star. She also is affiliated with the Rathbone Sisters, and they
are both members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Dilts is a true-
blue Republican, and besides serving as a notary public for eight years was
an efficient member of the town board for some time. The Dilts family have
a grand re-union every year, two or three hundred assembling, and in 1898
they were the guests of our subject and wife, who played the host in a most
pleasing manner, entertaining them with the hearty hospitality for which they
are noted, far and wide.

WILLIAM E. NETHERTON.

William Evans Netherton, a prominent citizen of Monroe township,
Pulaski county, is one of the native sons of Indiana, his birth having occurred
on his father's farm in Wayne township, Starke county, December 23, 1855.

The Nethertons are of Scotch descent, and Henry Netherton, the pater-
nal grandfather of our subject, was a native of North Carolina, whence he
removed to Virginia and finally to Kentucky, in the latter state being the
owner of a large plantation and a number of slaves. His sister, Sarah,
became the wife of Preston Arterburn, and mother of Elizabeth (Mrs. Peter
Quigley), of Pulaski county, Indiana. Henry Netherton married a Miss Har-
din, in Virginia, and to them were born the following named children: Moses;
John, who wedded a Miss Yeager and had a son, James, and a daughter;
William; Eliza, who married Franklin Pinell, and had five children, four
attaining maturity, — George, Henry, Narcissus and John Elijah; George Har-
din, who was a soldier in the Mexican war; and Evans, who never married.

William Netherton, the father of our subject, was born January i, 1809,
on a farm in Oldham county, Kentucky. When about twenty-two years of
age he went to Johnson county, Indiana, to buy cattle, and remained there
for some time, later settling in Bartholomew county, Indiana, where he mar-
ried Elizabeth Chenowith. She was a daughter of Havilah Chenowith, and
had four brothers, Havilah, Lawrence, Newton and Harrison. About 1852
William Netherton and family located permanently in Wayne township,
Starke county, Indiana, where he owned two hundred and forty acres of land,

670 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

on sections 32 and 33. Here he erected a hewed-log house and made sub-
stantial improvements in the years which ensued. For several years he was
a justice of the peace, and held other local offices, being a man of prominence
in his community. He was a member of the Christian church, and in politics
was a Democrat. He was called to his reward at his old home, October 26,
1872, having long survived his first wife, whose death had occurred in 1857,
when she was but thirty-five years of age. After her death he married Ellen
Hand, a widow. The children born to his first marriage were as follows: (i)
George Arthur, who was born March 30, 1840, never married; he was a pri-
vate in the Twelfth Indiana Volunteer Infantry during the civil war and was
a teacher by profession; he was elected a member of the Indiana legislature
from La Porte and Starke counties in 1870, and served one term with credit.
The next two children were twins, a girl and boy, who died in infancy,
unnamed. (4) Nancy Ann, born July 8, 1843, married Martin V. Blue, and
went with her husband into the Union army during the civil war, serving for
part of the time as a nurse. They had eight children, William, Mollie, Eliz-
abeth, George, Harry, and three who died when young. Mrs. Blue later
became the wife of a Mr. Dalrymple. (5) Havilah Chenowith, born in 1849,
married Susan Burris, is a farmer of Starke county, and had four children:
Rosa Delia, who died when a year old; Charles Edgar, born January 18,
1880; John William, born in 1882; and Daisy Ella, born in 1889. (6) Mary
Cordelia, born in 1851, and now living at Muncie, Indiana, married Arthur
B. Eidson, now deceased, and their children were Jacob, Flavins, Mary and
Lillie, the two last mentioned being deceased. (7) William Evans, the
youngest and the subject of this article.

William Evans Netherton remained under the parental roof until
he had reached the age of eight years, when he went to live with his
uncle, George H. Netherton. Four years later he became a member of the
household of his brother George, and continued with him four years. He
was but sixteen when he taught his first term of school, near Ora, Indiana,
and for a number of years was engaged in this occupation, with intervals
spent in making railroad ties on contract, and performing other work for the
railroad companies. The summer of 1875 he spent in the Valparaiso Nor-
mal school, in order to better qualify himself for educational labors, and for
several winters thereafter he was regularly employed in teaching. In the
summer of 1879 he assisted the county superintendent of Pulaski county in
conducting the normal, and in September of the same year he was elected
to the responsible office of county superintendent, in which capacity he served
three terms, laboring to the satisfaction of all concerned. His term of office
expired in June, 1885, and he then became an agent for a company dealing
in school supplies, and for two years traveled through Pulaski, Jasper and

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 671

Starke counties, selling goods for the company. Since 1887 he has been
giving his attention to market gardening and horticulture, in which pursuit he
has been extremely successful. At first he lived in the town, but rented
land for the purpose noted, and in 1891 he settled permanently at his
present home. Here he owns forty acres, formerly the property of William
Key, twelve acres being planted with vegetables, and five acres being cov-
ered with berry bushes and various other small fruits. While disposing
readily of the produce of his own place, he also buys quite exten-
sively of people in this locality, and ships to commission houses in the neigh-
boring cities. In addition to this hs imports quite large quantities of fruits
not raised in this locality, such as California products, etc. Well deserved
success is attending his energetic efforts, and his example as a market gar-
dener is being followed by others in this vicinity. Politically, he is a stal-
wart Republican, and fraternally, is a member of the Royal Arcanum.

On the 2d of September, 1882, Mr. Netherton married Clara Marie,
daughter of James H. and Harriet (Ross) Ross. Mrs. Netherton was born
July II, i860, in Illinois, and resided in that state until 1881. Four sons
and a daughter bless the union of our subject and wife, namely: Clyde
Romeo, and Claude Othello, twins, born February 2, 1884; Ross DeWitt,
born July 20, 1886; Cecil William, August 28, 1889; and Hazel Clare, Novem-
ber 27, 1893. Mr. and Mrs. Netherton are members of the Christian church,
and are highly esteemed by all who have the pleasure of their acquaint-
ance.

SOLOMON SPENCER.

The subject of this memoir was for nearly thirty years a general farmer
and stock-raiser in Honey Creek township, White county, and was held in
high esteem in the community. He was born in Union township, in the same
county, January 6, 1839, a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Barnett) Spencer.
Thomas Spencer was born in Pennsylvania and when eight years old removed
with his parents to Ohio, where he lived until about thirty-two years old, dur-
ing ten years of which time he was engaged in the tannery business. He
then located in Union township, three miles south of Monticello, where he
bought out his brother Benjamin. His first purchase comprised one hundred
and sixty acres, to which he added until he owned about two thousand acres,
in Honey Creek and Union townships. He carried on general farming and
stock-raising, having from one hundred to one hundred and fifty cattle, fifty
to a hundred sheep, besides a number of hogs and horses. His death took
place in 1875, at the age of seventy-six years. The mother of our subject
was born in the District of Columbia in 181 3, was married in Fairfield county.

672 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Ohio, and came to White count}-, Indiana, at an early day, making the trip
in a wagon. She died November 23, 1S69, having been the mother of eight
children, namely: Margaret and Robert, deceased; Austin, now an inmate
of the Indiana Insane Asylum, as a result of a sun-stroke; Solomon, our sub-
ject; Perry, one of the county commissioners of White county residing at
Monticello; James, deceased; and Julius and Alva, twins, deceased.

The paternal grandparents of our subject, Thomas and Margaret (Arm-
strong) Spencer, were natives of Pennsylvania. Our subject's great-uncle,
Robert Armstrong, when a small boy, was taken prisoner by the Indians and
was reared by them. He acted as interpreter on one occasion in Ohio and
was recognized by Grandfather Spencer. Robert visited his relatives for a
short time, but returned to his Indian wife and family and remained with the
tribe until his death. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Solomon
Barnett, was born in the District of Columbia and was of English descent.
He served in the war of 18 12 and later was a weaver in the employ of the
government. He lived to the advanced age of one hundred and four years.

Solomon Spencer remained on the home farm until 1869, assisting his
father in breaking part of the land, and securing his preliminary educational
training in the district schools of the vicinity. Later he spent one year in
the school at Monticello, subsequently teaching for several terms, and he most
diligently improved his opportunities for self-education, and was a successful
teacher. In 1S70 he came to the farm where he continued to reside until his
death, buying two hundred and forty acres, situated six miles northwest of
Monticello, in section 13, Honey Creek township, and on this he built a house,
which is still standing, and which is now used as a granary. To this place he
added two hundred and forty acres, and he gave eighty acres to his adopted
daughter, Mrs. J. S. Miller. Mr. Spencer has carried on general farming and
stock-raising for twenty-eight years, and has from seventy-five to one hun-
dred head of cattle ready for market every year. Of other stock he carries
just enough to run the farm. When he first took possession of his place it
was rough prairie land, without any improvements. To-day it is under a high
state of cultivation, he having redeemed the swamp land by ditches and tile
drains, and the entire property shows evidence of skillful management.

The marriage of our subject to Miss Clivia Thomas took place at Battle
Ground, Indiana, February 11, 1869. Mrs. Spencer is a daughter of Jona-
than and Elizabeth (Carr) Thomas, the latter a sister of John P. Carr. She
was born in Madison county, Ohio, one mile east of South Solon, August 4,
185 1. They had no children of their own, but an adopted daughter, Canna,
to whom they became greatly attached, is now the wife of J. S. Miller. Mrs.
Miller has had three children, two of whom are living — Dale, born February
13, 1895, and Frank E., August 5, 1897. Mr. Spencer was a man of utmost

BIOGRAPHICAL BISTORT. 673

integrity, and was a true Christian. His widow is a member of the Method-
ist church. He was a Master Mason and a loyal Democrat. Mr. Spencer
passed from earth February 2, 1899, secure in the esteem and high regard of
all who knew him.

WILLIAM SHIPMAN HUDDLESTON.

The value of a noble life cannot be overestimated, as its influence may
be observed in a community for generations. If a stretch of highway has
been made passable, a tract of land cleared of the dense forest with which it
was encumbered, a new business or industry started in his locality through
his energetic efforts — a man has not lived in vain. True, his name may not
be known beyond his township or county, but it is something worthy of his
ambition to have his name always associated with progress in some direction
— with some enterprise which multitudes enjoy and profit by, or some insti-
tution or organization which tends to aid and elevate mankind.

William Shipman Huddleston, whose death occurred nearly a score of
years ago, is remembered well by a host of his old-time friends and acquaint-
ances in Pulaski county. He was uniformly esteemed and trusted, and bore a
name which was above reproach. He was born February 27, 1825, in Cham-
paign county, Ohio, and was a descendant of an ancient Anglo-Saxon family.
Several generations ago the founder of the family in America settled in Vir-
ginia, in which state-William Huddleston, the grandfather of our subject,
was born. He went to Ohio, where he engaged in farming until his death. His
children included the following: Henry, John, William, Aletha (who mar-
ried Lewis McKay), Nancy, Sarah and Martha (known as " Patty "), the wife
of William Noe, who is mentioned in the sketch of L. J. Noe, elsewhere
printed in this work. William Huddleston, the father of William S. Huddle-
ston, was born in Kanawha county, Virginia, and accompanied his parents in
their removal to Champaign county, Ohio. He later became the owner of a
fine one-hundred-acre farm in Jackson township, that county, and it was
still in his possession at the time of his death. That event occurred while he
was visiting relatives in Winamac, in September, 1866, he being in his sixty-
eighth year.

From his youth he was an earnest member of the Baptist church, and
in politics he was a Whig and Republican. His first wife, whose maiden
name was Amanda Noe, was a native of Champaign county, Ohio. (For her
family history see sketch of L. J. Noe.) She died in March, 1838, when but
thirty-one years of age, and was buried in the Huddleston family graveyard,
on the old homestead. Subsequently Mr. Huddleston married Annie Ken-
Jiedy, who survived him a number of years. Of the children born to William

674 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

and Amanda Huddleston, our subject was the eldest. Polly Ann and Rachel
Jane died when young. Lewis Noe, who died the same year, was his eldest
brother, and was buried in Honey Creek cemetery, in Ohio, never left that
state, and always was occupied in farming. He married Annie Wilson, and
their children were Ida Ellen, Mary Alice, Frank Remington, Clara Alma
(who died when young), Sarah Emily, Susanna Amanda, Elizabeth and
Margaret L. Willis, born in 1833, resides upon the old homestead in Ohio.
He wedded Martha Lewis, and they became the parents of Zella Florence,
Carrie May, Perry Musson, Asa and Ira (twins, who died when young), and
Annie. Esther Ann, born July 18, 1835, married Jacob Nicholas, and since
i860 has lived in Winamac, where Mr. Nicholas has. served for two terms as
county auditor. Their children are Anna Isadora and Ada Douglass. Emily
Jane, born September 29, 1837, became the wife of William Jasper Dennis,
August 18, 1868. He was born in Kentucky, and is a carpenter by trade.
Their children are as follows: Nelson Lewis, who was born May 21, 1869,
married Sarah Nye and has two sons, Harold and Hobart; James Perry,
born January 26, 1872; William, born February 4, 1874, died February 21,
following; Harry Everett, born July 3, 1880, died April 3, 1881.

The early years of W. S. Huddleston passed uneventfully upon his
father's homestead in Ohio, and in the common schools of the neighborhood
he managed to obtain a liberal education. For some time after coming here,
in 1849, he was successfully engaged in teaching in Pulaski county, and in
1850 he arrived in Winamac. From that time forward until his death, some
thirty years later, he was actively associated with the leading business enter-
prises of this town and county. He was influential in the establishment of
the grain-shipping industry, which has since assumed great and important
proportions, and he continued to be interested in this line of business until
his death. Besides, he dealt extensively in land, and by his wisdom in buy-
ing and selling, became one of the wealthiest men in the county. In the
multiplicity of his financial affairs, he never neglected his duties as a citizen,
and he was frequently called upon to officiate in positions of trust and respon-
sibility. He served the people of this county as auditor for two terms and
was county surveyor for a period, discharging his duties with the same fidel-
ity, promptness and thoroughness which he displayed in his own business
affairs. His death, December 15, 1879, was deeply mourned and felt to be
a public loss.

The marriage of WiUiam S. Huddleston and Julia A. Sigler was cele-
brated on August 31, 1850. Their eldest child, Anna Belle, died February
27, 1865, aged eleven years, nine months and twenty-four days. Eulalie,
the next in order of birth, became the wife of George L. Van Gorder. Will-
iam S., Jr., is represented elsewhere in this work. Rowan died October 15,.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 675

1868, aged one year, two months and seventeen days. Lewis Franklin, born
October i, 1869, was married on the ist of October, 1890, to Laura Belle,
daughter of Shubel Pearson, and their little son, Waldemar, was born
November 28, 1892. Henry, an infant son of our subject and wife, died
October 7, 1852.

ALFRED THOMPSON.

For more than two-score years Alfred Thompson was a citizen and busi-
ness man of Rensselaer, Jasper county, actively connected with whatever
was calculated to benefit and upbuild the community; and when death sum-
moned him to his reward, March 3, 1896, his loss was felt to be a public one.
The influence of a noble, upright life is never lost, and the impress which the
character of Mr. Thompson made upon all with whom the varied relations of
business and society brought him into contact cannot be measured.

Born in Stark county, Ohio, October 17, 1829, Alfred Thompson was a
son of David and Eliza (McCoy) Thompson. When he was a child of four
years the family removed to Hancock county, Indiana, and there young Al-
fred attended the district schools, his advantages in the way of an education
being quite meager. Nevertheless he was an earnest student, and when in
his sixteenth year he commenced teaching school, during the winter terms,
while the rest of the year he worked with his father on the farm. In 1847
he went to Columbiana county, Ohio, and there attended school for some
time, after which he entered the banking establishment owned by his uncle,
Thomas McCoy, in New Lisbon, Ohio. Under the able instruction of Mr.
McCoy the young man became thoroughly conversant with every branch of
the banking business, and in October, 1855, he came to Rensselaer, where
for five years he carried on a bank for his uncle. Then he and his cousin,
Alfred McCoy, a son of the uncle, Thomas McCoy, took entire control of
the Rensselaer bank and it was not until 1881 that Mr. Thompson retired
from the business. In the meantime he also had been extensively interested
in the buying and selling of live stock, and had owned and managed a fine
farm near Pleasant Ridge, four miles east of Rensselaer. Punctual and at-
tentive to his business, faithful to the letter of his word and contract, never
taking advantage of another in any unscrupulous way, but always choosing
the open, honorable course in all his transactions, small wonder is it that he
was admired and honored by all who knew him. The poor and troubled
ones of the neighborhood often appealed to him for aid, and it was never re-
fused. His Christianity was of the helpful, practical kind, and he found no
higher pleasure in life than in lending a helping hand to the unfortunate.
His membership was in the Church of God, to which he gave liberally of

676 • BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

time and money. In his early manhood he was allied to the Democratic
party, but from the organization of the Republican party he stood firmly by
the principles which it set forth. For several years before his death he was
more or less of an invalid, and during the last two years he was quite ill much
of the time, and was ready to go when the summons came.

June 12, 1855, Mr. Thompson married Mary E. Travis, who was born in
Clarion county, Pennsylvania, in 1830, a daughter of Stephen and Frances
Travis. Stephen Travis' family were from New York, while his wife's peo-
ple were from Virginia, but both became settlers of western Pennsylvania.
There Mr. Travis died many years ago, and his widow removed to Ohio, and
later to Illinois, and subsequently, soon after the great civil war, to Renssel-
aer, where her death occurred in 1872. Mrs. Mary Thompson has resided on
her present property since four years after her marriage. The house is of
brick, and was built by Mr. Thompson a score of years ago, in 1878. He left
her well provided for, and their only son, Delos, of Rensselaer, looks after
the estate. He married Miss Julia Skinner, and they have three children.
The two daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, Sr. , are Florence, widow of
Charles Sears, and Ora, wife of F. A. Ross. Mrs. Sears was educated in
Valparaiso, and is now living with her mother.

WILLIAM S. HUDDLESTON.

William Sigler Huddleston is one of the proprietors of the Bank of
Winamac, and is a young man of far more than average acumen in affairs of
business. So great is the trust in his judgment that his advice is continually
sought in matters of moment, especially those of finance, by his fellow citi-
zens. He is a son of William Shipman and Julia Ann (Sigler) Huddleston,
whose history is given on another page of this publication. He was born
October 24, 1863, in Winamac, Pulaski county, Indiana, where he passed
successively from childhood and youth into a noble manhood. As a lad he
attended the public schools of Winamac and later entered the business col-
lege at Onarga, Illinois, where he finished the course in ten months. From
there he went to Notre Dame University, South Bend, Indiana, where he
continued his studies for six months and then began his active business life
as bookkeeper for Keller, Bouslog & Company. Six months later he ac-
cepted a better situation, as general assistant in the warehouse of John
Steis, where he remained ten months. At the expiration of that time he
moved onto his farm of three hundred and twenty acres, given him by his
father, and continued to employ his time in husbandry until 1896. He now
took one-third interest, with Louis Keller and Marshall Cooper, in the Bank
of Winamac, and once more took up his residence in the village, in order

BIOGRJPRICAL HISTORY. 677

that he might look after his interefjts in that institution. He still gives his
personal supervision to his farm, and is one of those wide-awake, progressive
characters who keep well abreast of the times, lending his aid to all public
improvements. His personality is a growing incentive to laudable enter-
prise.

Mr. Huddleston was married January 24, 1886, to Miss Kate Cohee, a
native of Logansport and a daughter of Emanuel Cohee. Four bright chil-
dren have added their welcome presence to their home, viz. : William Ship-
man, aged twelve years; Mary Aurora, aged ten; Leslie Emanuel, who died
at the age of six months; and Gladys, aged four. Mr. and Mrs. Huddleston
are members of the Eastern Star and Rebekah lodges, and he has served as
junior deacon of Tippecanoe Lodge, No. 262, F. cS:. A. M., of Winamac, and
has passed all the chairs of the local lodge of Odd Fellows. He is a Demo-
crat, and for four years was town treasurer. Born and reared in this county,
the people may well feel proud of his career, and the popular esteem ac-
corded him is the direct result of his genial and kindly disposition.

JACOB GALBREATH.

An influential and well-to-do farmer of Monroe township, Pulaski coun-
ty, Indiana, Jacob Galbreath, was born September 5, 1836, about four miles
south of Logansport, in Cass county, Indiana. His parents were Thomas
Jefferson and Susannah (Neff) Galbreath. His grandfather .Galbreath was
from Ireland and was probably the first of the family to locate in America.
He was the father of three children, — Thomas J., the father of our subject,
Peggy, and Joseph, the last mentioned of whom is still living. Peggy mar-
ried one James Hodges and located in this county for a time, but later settled
in Iowa, in Johnson county, and in that state their children still make their
homes. They are Jefferson, Martha Jane, Ann, Mary Ellen and Marion.
After the death of her husband the grandmother married a Mr. Watts, by
whom she had two sons, former residents of Cass county, but now deceased.

Thomas J. Galbreath was born December 8, 1812, near Richmond,
Wayne county, Indiana. He lost his father at the early age of twelve years
and soon afterward went to Logansport, where he engaged in work in the
city for several years. In 1833 he bought seventy acres of land near there,
residing on it and cultivating it until 1839, when he came to Pulaski county
and entered a tract of government land. This land was situated in the north-
west quarter of section thirty-five, in Monroe township, and upon it he erected
a log dwelling, in which he made his home until 1861, when it was torn
down and the present edifice, now occupied by George Galbreath, was built.
He lived here until his death, which occurred March 6, 1879, at eight o'clock

678 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

in the morning. He was a man of good physique, measuring five feet ten
inches, and weighing about one hundred and sixty pounds. He was married
May 22, 1833, to Susannah Neff, who was born December 12, 18 12, and was
of Pennsylvania Dutch descent. Their children were Daniel, Jacob, Martha
Jane, Joseph Jackson, James William, George Washington, and Susannah.
Daniel, the eldest of these children, is a resident of Fulton county. He was
born February 16, 1834, and married Mary McBroom, by whom he had eight
children, namely: Susan, Martha, James, Serilda, Mary, Hattie, Ola and
John. Both sons are deceased. Martha Jane was born July 26, 1838, and
married Jesse Wasson, formerly a farmer of Minnesota, but a resident of the
state of Washington since 1889. Their children are Jacob, William, Mary,
Ida, Susan, Jennie and Henry. Joseph Jackson was born February 28,
1842, and was twice married, first to Lucy Tunis, who died, as did her baby
also, and he later married Mary March. The children of this marriage are
Charles, Dora and Thomas. Joseph J. died March 25, 1879, two hours
after his mother had passed away. His widow married Aquilla Mc-
Whorter, a teamster of Winamac. Mary Elizabeth Galbreath was born No-
vember 14, 1847, and was twice married, the first husband being Carey Dick,
a farmer who went to the state of Washington, where he died, leaving three
children, — Claud, Jennie and Jay. Her second husband was Robert Walburn,
of Winamac. They moved to Washington and later located in Lewis county,
Oregon, where they are engaged in farming. They have but one child,
Charity. James William Galbreath was born November 19, 1849, and re-
sided in Monroe township, where he died May 20, 1899. George Washing-
ton was born November 23, 185 1. He lives upon the old homestead, which
he cultivates, and is also interested in a sawmill and threshing-machine with
his brother, James William. He was married September 23, 1874, to Diana
Leach, who was born July 6, 1855, in Shelhart place. Their children are as
follows: Ida Belle, who was born July 31, 1875, is now the wife of Benja-
min Jenkins, of Hammond, Indiana, and they have two children, Ruth and
Charles; Mary Elizabeth was born August 28, 1877, and married Charles
Copeland, a farmer of this county; Daniel was born January 24, 1880; Rob-
ert, February 28, 1882; Susanna Jane, June 11, 1884; Bertha Goldie, Octo-
ber 18, 1886; Emma Ellen, October 7, 1888; and Marion Lewis, December
17, 1890. Susannah, the youngest child of Thomas J. Galbreath, was born
July 23, 1854, and died at the age of eight years.

Jacob Neff, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was a native of
Pennsylvania, and of German extraction. Seven children comprised his
family, those besides Mrs. Susannah Galbreath being as follows: Daniel, a
farmer of Cass county, this state; William, also of Cass county, but formerly
a farmer in Pulaski county; Jonathan, a farmer of the same county; Jacob, a

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTOBY. 679

merchant of Logansport; Rachel, deceased, formerly wife of William Oliver
of Harrison township; Catherine, wife of Elias Shideler, and for many years
a resident of Iowa.

Jacob Galbreath remained with his mother until he was twenty-six years
of age, assisting with the farm work; he then rented and farmed a small
patch of land. In the fall of 1862 he built a log cabin on a tract of land
owned by his father, which he bought the following year and where he now
resides. This tract contained forty acres and was located in the southeast
quarter of the southwest quarter of section 26, Monroe township. The house
built was a log structure, fourteen by sixteen feet, with an addition at one
end, and was the family home until one morning in February, 1879, when it
caught fire in some manner, about three o'clock, and burned to the ground
with all their goods. This was a total loss and a great blow to Mr. Gal-
breath, but he at once set about building a kitchen, which is in use at present,
the remainder of the house being put up in 1886. He then bought the forty
acres adjoining on the north, and at a later time thirty-five acres on the east,
and upon the death of his father received eighteen acres from that estate,
which joined his land on the south. This gives him one hundred and thirty-
three acres in one body, lying in Monroe township, and comprising some of
the best and most highly cultivated farm land in this section.

Our subject was married November 13, 1862, to Margaret Gates, who
was born in White county, Indiana, July 25, 1842, and her death occurred
September 26, 1868, in Winamac, where she is buried. She left two chil-
dren, a son and daughter. The latter, Levina Jane, was born August 21,
1863, and was married to Martin Paul, a motorman of Chicago, on February
14, 1884. Their children were Harvey, who died when two years old, Elsie
and Elva. The son, Andrew K., was born May 8, 1867, on the old home-
stead. He was employed as a teacher in the country schools for several
winters, but is now engaged in farming, one mile south of Winamac, on the
Jacob Shoup place, to which he moved March 3, 1893. He is a Democrat
and was elected by that party, in November, 1895, to the office of assessor
of Monroe township, a position he is still filling, to the entire satisfaction of
property-owners and others. Andrew K. Galbreath, on February 21, 1889,
placed Rachel Jane Timmons, daughter of William Timmons, at the head of
his household. This marriage was blessed by the birth of the following chil-
dren: Elmer, born September 26, 1889; Mearl, born November 5, 1891;
Iva May, born September 9, 1894; and Nellie Myrtle, born August 8, 1896.
On May 23, 1869, our subject led to the altar Lovisa Elizabeth Wentz, a
daughter of Andrew and Matilda Wentz. She was born April 21, 1844, and
died August 4, 1891, after a happy wedded life of almost a quarter of a cent-
ury. She left several children to perpetuate her memory, namely: Charity E.

680 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

was born March 29, 1870. John Thomas, who was born November 4, 1871,
married Miss Ura Frain, daughter of Edwin Frain, whose biography appears
elsewhere. John T. is employed in Hoffman's store in Winamac and has
one child, Albert. Laura Belle was born November i, 1873, and died Sep-
tember 26, 1874. Len J., born April 26, 1876, married Norma Rarick and
has one child, Blanche Olive; he is a farmer. Elsie Ann was born June 18,
1879. George was born February 20, 1880, and died May 6, of the same
year. Dora May was born April i, 1882, and Jacob Martin was born July
16, 1884. Mr. Galbreath is a member of the Church of God, and is a Dem-
ocrat in politics.

MARTIN VAN BUREN STIPP.

Martin Van Buren Stipp, one of the honored pioneers of Monroe town-
ship, Pulaski county, has lived upon the homestead which he now owns and
cultivates, on section 23, since he was a lad of less than ten years of age,
and therefore has not only been a witness of the marvelous development of
this region, but has actively performed his part in bringing about the pros-
perity which it enjoys to-day.

George Stipp, the paternal grandfather of our subject, was a native of
Germany, and located in Virginia prior to the war for independence. Dur-
ing that memorable conflict he served with Washington and Lafayette, and
subsequently received a soldier's claim to some land in Ohio. He was mar-
ried in the Old Dominion to an English lady, and their children were:
Joseph, David, Isaac, John, Frederick, George, Abraham, and two daugh-
ters. While a resident of Virginia he worked at the blacksmith trade, but
after his removal to Ohio he engaged in farming on a large scale.

Abraham Stipp, the father of our subject, was born in Shenandoah
county, Virginia, February 19, 1805, and accompanied his parents to
Greene county, Ohio, where on the 5th of August, 1824, he married Mary
Magdalene, a daughter of George and Mary Ann Coffelt, and sister of Jacob,
Michael, Henry, Joseph, Moses, Rebecca and Elizabeth. She was born in
Virginia, July 16, 1806, and died October 12, 1887. In 1838 Abraham
Stipp and family removed to Shelby county, Ohio, and there he owned a
quarter-section of land. In March, 1842, with his wife, four children, a
young lady, Mary Ann Calvin, and a young man, Mr. Toland, he made the
long and tedious journey, with teams, to Pulaski county. Arriving here, he
bought a quarter-section of land,— ,-the property upon which our subject has
since dwelt. This tract was then in the possession of a Mr. Break, who had
erected a small log cabin and made a few improvements. The house which
now stands on the premises was built about a quarter of a century ago. Mr.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 681

Stipp was a practical, industrious agriculturist, respected by his neighbors
and active in good works. He voted the Democratic ticket, and in a per-
sonal way was opposed to holding office. At times he was urged to accept
local positions, and was once earnestly requested to allow his name to be
used for the office of sheriff, but he refused. Religiously, he was identified
with the Christian church, and served as deacon and in other official capaci-
ties. He was summoned to his reward December 13, 185, and was placed
in the Oliver cemetery, where, nearly half a century afterward, his widow's
remains were laid by his side.

The children of this worthy couple were as named below: (i) Joseph,
born September 21, 1825, married Mary Ann, daughter of John and Eliza-
beth (Wirich) Nickles, the wedding ceremony being performed November
12, 1857. She was born October 22, 1832, in Franklin county, Pennsylvania,
and by her marriage has become the mother of three children: John Mil-
burn, born March 15, i860, died October 5, 1865; Mary Elizabeth, born
March 2, 1863, married John A. Ginther; and LettyAnn, born December 18,
1866, is at home. Mr. and Mrs. Ginther were united in wedlock May 29,
1881, and their children are: Charles Milburn, born October 13, 1883; Laura
Belle, born February 12, 1886; Lucy Edith, October 12, 1888; and Harry
Elliott, August 31, 1891. (2) Letitia Ann, born April 3, 1827, became the
wife of William Keys. (3) William Milburn, born September 19, 1829, died
at the age of twelve years; and (4) Martin Van Buren is the youngest of the
family.

Martin V. Stipp was born November 28, 1832, near Bellebrook, Greene
county, Ohio, and in 1842 came across the country in a wagon to Pulaski
county, Indiana, where he has since made his home. He was about eighteen
years old when his father died, and he succeeded to the ownership of the
homestead in Monroe township, by buying out the other heirs. He has been
very successful as a farmer and is held in high regard by his neighbors and
all with whom he has dealings. Politically, he is a Democrat.

One of the most important events in the life of Martin Van Buren Stipp
occurred about two-score years ago, for, on the 20th of March, 1859, he was
joined in wedlock with Miss Mary Ann Taylor, a native of Miami county,
Indiana, born June 13, 1840. Her paternal great-grandfather, who was a
native of England, settled in Virginia at an early day. He had two sons, of
whom one was the father of Jeremiah, Jesse and others. Jeremiah always
lived in Virginia. Jesse, the grandfather of Mrs. Stipp, was born in 1755,
and died in 1830. He served long and faithfully in the Revolutionary war —
four years on the sea and three years in the regular army. In the progress
of a hot cavalry fight he was severely wounded, a sword-thrust penetrating
his right hip, and from the effects of this he was a cripple throughout the

682 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

remainder of his life. He owned a plantation in Virginia but was never a
slaveholder. He married Sarah Emory, likewise a native of the Old Domin-
ion, and among their children were the following: (i) Ollie, who was a mer-
chant at Terre Haute for many years, owned a number of farms and held the
largest share in the first linseed-oil mill in that locality. He and his wife,
Julia, became the parents of four children, — Andrew, Elizabeth, William and
Samuel. He later wedded another wife, and removed to Wapello, Iowa.
(2) Sarah, the second child of Jesse and Sarah Taylor, was born in 1801, and
became the wife of Henry Paul, then of Champaign county, Ohio, and later
of Miami county, Indiana. Their children were: Ollie A., Barbara, Jonas,
Elizabeth, William, Henry and Sarah. The second husband of Mrs. Paul
was S. Fisthorn, of Royal Center, Indiana. (3) Samuel, the third child of
Jesse Taylor, was a miller by trade and resided in Dayton, Ohio. For many
years he was the superintendent of the Ohio & Erie canal, and was captain
of a boat on the " raging canal " for a long period. He married Lillian Jack-
son, and their children were Morgan, Wesley, John and Ellen. (4) Susan,
the fourth child of Jesse Taylor, married John Sanders, a farmer of Marion
county, and later of Illinois, where both departed this life. Of their children,
William, George and John are remembered byname. (5) Elizabeth became
the wife of John Jacobs, of Clark county, Ohio, and subsequently of Iowa.
(6) Abigail married Thomas McLaughlin, a fuller by trade and a resident of
Hamilton county, Indiana. His children are Ellen, John, Ann, Deborah and
one other. (7) George W. is the father of Mrs. Stipp. John Jenkins, the
maternal grandfather of Mrs. Stipp, was of English descent, and was a native
of Virginia. His wife, whose maiden name was Mary Burkholder, was like-
wise born in the Old Dominion, but her parents were Germans. Mr. Jenkins
removed to Champaign county, Ohio, at an early day, and died upon his farm
in Miami county, Indiana, about 1846, when seventy years of age. His wife
preceded him to the better land, but their name has been perpetuated by
their several children. The eldest of the number was Elizabeth, the mother
of Mrs. Stipp. (8) Sarah wedded Gustavus Jessup, a Missouri farmer, and
their children were Mary, Keziah, John, Emory and Charles. (9) Morgan
married and has several children, including Jane. He is a shoemaker by
trade, and resides in Champaign county, Ohio. (10) Barbara, wife of John
Marshall, a farmer of Miami county, Indiana, is the mother of Elizabeth,
Margaret, George, Emily and Minerva. (11) William, who was a farmer of
Miami county, chose Ellen McLaughlin for his wife, and to them were born
Abigail, Jane and Phebe. To his marriage to Margaret Terhune four chil-
dren were born, and two children blessed his third union. (12) Jane is the
wife of Daniel Benner, a farmer of Miami county, Indiana, and their children
are Letitia, Edward and Ella. (13) Rebecca, Mrs. Allen McGuire, of Miami

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 683

county, is the mother of William and John and four other children. (14)
Julia, whose home is in the same county, is the wife of Gibbon Beane, a
brick-mason, and their children are three in number, Mary, Alice and one
whose name is not recalled. (15) Lorenzo Dow, a plasterer by trade, and
the youngest of the family, lives in Marshall county, Indiana. He married
Eliza Segers, and their children are: John, David, Richard, Adaline and
Indiana. For a second wife L. D. Jenkins chose a Miss King, by whom he
had one child, and subsequently, he was married for a third time.

George Washington Taylor, the father of our subject's wife, was born
March 27, 181 1, in Shenandoah county, Virginia, and about 1831 started for
Champaign county, Ohio, driving a team, and having with him his wife and a
friend, Abraham Beards. He was a hatter by trade, and was thus employed
at the village of Luray, near his childhood's home, and later in New Paris,
Ohio. In 1838 he came to Indiana with a two-horse team, a wagon filled
with household goods, and a small amount of money. Settling in Peru town-
ship, north of the town of that name, in Miami county, he bought land there,
but at the end of a year settled in Jefferson township, where he rented a farm,
and while carrying it on also worked at his trade, in which he was an experi-
enced hand. He found a ready sale at Peru for his products in this line, and
at times employed two men to assist him. Wool hats, which sold at nine
dollars a dozen, were made from the raw wool, which was fulled and con-
verted into the desired shape by a machine which Mr. Taylor had for the
purpose. He also manufactured the fur hats which then retailed at five dol-
lars apiece, the body of the hat being made of the raw coon-skin, with musk-
rat or mink for the nap. In December, 1848, he came to Pulaski county,
where he owned a quarter-section of land, and here he spent the rest of his
life. His homestead, on section 34, Monroe township, was greatly improved
by him, and, as he was a skillful carpenter, he built several substantial farm
buildings on the place. He was a deacon in the Christian church, and polit-
ically was a Whig, serving as a constable in Miami county for some time, and
for several years prior to his death occupying the office of justice of the peace.
He was a self-educated man, and eagerly studied such good books as he
chanced to find. He entered into his reward on December 24, 1863. His
wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Jenkins, was born in Shenandoah
county, Virginia, February 9, 181 1, and died June 9, 1865.

The eldest child of George W and Elizabeth Taylor, John Jenkins, was
born January 16, 1832, and is now living in Marshall county, Indiana. He
first married Nancy Hodge, daughter of Jesse Hodge, of this county, and their
children are William, Adeline, and Rachel. To the marriage of Mr. Taylor
and Mrs. Sarah (Luellen) Tipton the following named children were born:
George, Jesse, Rose, Newton, and Catherine. There were no children born

684 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

to Mr. Taylor's marriage to Catherine Wagner. Adeline, second child of
G. W. Taylor, was born January 21, 1834, and died in March, 1848. Jesse,
born February 17, 1836, is engaged in gardening and raising vegetables for
the local and city markets, his well cultivated farm of sixteen acres, being
adjacent to Winamac. He married Rachel S. James, October 24, 1855, and
their only child, Mary Elizabeth, born January 26, 1857, died February 23,
following. The wife, who was born February 24, 1838, died February 12,
1857. The second wife of Jesse Taylor was Susan, daughter of John and
Elizabeth (Wirick) Nickles. She was born February 18, 1839, in Clark
county, Ohio, and her marriage to Mr. Taylor was solemnized December 17,
1857. Their son, Willard Bell, born July 31, i860, died May 20, 1887. He
had married Hattie W. Wood, and left one child. Fay, born in November,
1883. Samuel Everett, born February 28, 1863, lives on the old homestead
with his father. He was married, on February 28, 1891', to Josie Kessi,
daughter of David Kessi, and their children are: Verne, born January 30,
1892; Cecil Earl, July 28, 1894; and Doris, December I7,'i896. John Sher-
man, born February 5, 1865, died September 19, 1866. Harry Ellsworth,
born March 8, 1870, married Meta Henderson, and resides in Toledo, Ohio.
They are the parents of Vera Mildred, who was born March 2, 1893, and
died March 18, 1896; and Everett Ellsworth, born November 17, 1893. Mrs.
Mary Ann Stipp, born June 13, 1840, is the next child of G. W. Taylor.
George Washington, Jr., was born June 10, 1845, and chose Mary Ann Keys
for his wife. Their son Claud died when young, and their daughter Dora is
the wife of Mr. Lindsay, of Tipton, Indiana.

The marriage of Martin V. Stipp and wife has been blessed with two
sons. George Abraham, born December 13, 1859, remained at home until
he was twenty-two years of age, then, for five summers, he was employed as
a plasterer by Ed Guss, and since the end of that period has been engaged
in independent business. He takes contracts for all kinds of work in his line,
including the making of cement sidewalks, and enjoys a good trade. He was
alone in business until 1898, when he entered into partnership with Ells-
worth Rider, under the firm name of Stipp & Rider. The pleasant home of
the young man, located in the suburbs of Winamac, is presided over
by his charming wife, formerly Laura Zellers. She is a daughter of
Enoch Zellers, was born January 16, 1859, and became the wife of Mr. Stipp
October 16, 1883. Their twin children, Willard and Lola, were born Oc-
tober 5, 1884; Ruth was born July 4, 1893, and Clarence, September 5,
1896. Joseph Milburn, the second child of our subject and wife, was born
August 27, 1864, and on the 12th of May, 1890, married Mary Etta, daugh-
ter of Adam and Martha (Sparrow) Simmermaker. She was born January
7, 1867, and by her marriage has become the mother of two children, — Cecil

BIOGRJPEICAL HISTORY. 685

G. E., who was born June 15, 1893, and died January 17, 1894; and Nellie
Martha, born April 9, 1S99. Joseph M. is a graduate of the Winamac high
school, class of 1886, and was successfully engaged in teaching for several
years in his native county. In September, 1889, he took a position as a
guard in the Michigan City penitentiary, and remained there for six years.
He then returned home, and, after teaching in the Frain school during the
winter of 1895-6, he took a position in the seventh-year grade in the Wina-
mac school, and is still proving a most thorough and satisfactory teacher.
He is a prominent Odd Fellow and has been honored with various offices in
the lodge, and is now its secretary. With his wife he belongs to the Daugh-
ters of Rebekah. He is a valued member of the Christian church. Mrs.
Martin Stipp reared two children besides her own, namely: Ninnie Jenkins
and Milburn Heater, giving them a mother's love and care, and the advan-
tages of a liberal education.

JAMES BLAKE.

This progressive and enterprising farmer of White county was born in
Shropshire, England, December 11, 1844, a son of James and Martha (Shone)
Blake. The father of our subject was born in Flintshire, Wales, April 14,
1808, and came to America in 1850, landing at New Orleans, whence he came
up the Mississippi river by boat and located at Joliet. He subsequently
moved to Kankakee county and purchased one hundred acres of land, which
he cultivated for eighteen years, and then, in 1867, he removed to West
Point township. White county, Indiana, where he bought eighty acres of land.
Mr. Blake was married to Miss Martha Shone in England in 1845, she hav-
ing been born in Shropshire, in 1820. Seven children were born of this
union, two of whom, a son and a daughter, died in infancy, those who grew
to maturity being: Martha, the widow of Henry Magruder, of Wolcott;
James, our subject; Joseph, who owns and occupies a half section of land five
and a half miles south of Wolcott; Sarah, who died in 1896; and John, who
is in the lumber business at Wolcott. The father of these children died in
April, 1883, the mother surviving until March 27, 1898.

James Blake, the immediate subject of this review, left Liverpool, Eng-
land, March i, 1850, with his parents. He spent his boyhood in Illinois, at-,
tending school at Kankakee until he was fifteen, and then worked on his fa-
ther's farm for the next four years, at the end of which period he began life
for himself. During the civil war he managed the farm of a neighbor, whose
daughter he subsequently married, after which event he purchased a farm of
four hundred acres near Manteno, Illinois. On February i, 1868, he came
to West Point township, White county, Indiana, where he bought eighty

686 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

acres of land, and to this he has added, by various purchases, three hundred
more acres, all located five and a half miles south of Wolcott. He has a
comfortable and well built residence, which contains all the modern improve-
ments, and he has all the necessary barns, outhouses, etc.

Here he carried on general farming and stock-raising, with great success,
until 1896, when he came to Wolcott to rest; but January 17, 1898, found
him the owner of the James Blake Livery & Feed Stable, the stock being
valued at five thousand six hundred dollars. He continued the livery busi-
ness until January i, 1899, when he sold it. He still continues, however, to
deal in stock.

Mr. Blake was married December 6, 1865, at Kankakee, Illinois, to
Miss Elizabeth Grimes, a daughter of C. O. Grimes, of New York, who was
of Irish ancestry and was born near Battle Creek, January i, 1846. She at-
tended the Kankakee public schools and graduated at the high school there.
Her death occurred June 19, 1889. Three children were born of this mar-
riage: Alden, now of Wolcott, who graduated at the Indiana State Normal,
at Valparaiso, and at the Chicago School of Pharmacy; Ada and Ida, who are
attending school in Wolcott and possess considerable musical talent. No-
vember 18, 1891, at Wolcott, our subject married for his second wife Miss
Julia (Griffing) Chapman, widow of James Chapman, of Sullivan, Illinois-
She is the daughter of Richard F. GrifBng, of Danbury, Connecticut, and was
born near Pontiac, Illinois, April 14, 1864, attended the Pontiac high school,
and afterward taught school in Livingston county for three years.

Mr. Blake is a Republican in his politics and has served as a trustee in
West Point township in 1891-5; and he is a member of the Christian church,
in which he is a deacon.

DAVID W. HUMMEL.

David W. Hummel was born December 14, 1836, in Bloom township,
Fairfield county, Ohio, and is a son of Isaac and Mary Magdalene (Miller)
Hummel. His grandfather, Frederick Hummel, was born in Pennsylvania,
June 10, 1770, and died in Ohio, March 10, 1841. His wife, Eva, was born
July 23, 1779, and died August 31, 1844. They were buried side by side in
Betzer churchyard, Fairfield county, Ohio.

Isaac Hummel was a native of Carbon county, Pennsylvania, where he
grew to man's estate and was married, after which he moved to the state of
Ohio. Here he owned ninety acres of land, on which he lived, but followed
his trade, that of shoemaker, and in that way made considerable money. He
died April 30, 1884, after a well spent life of eighty years, six months and
seven days. He was an earnest Christian, a member of the United Brethren
church, and in politics an adherent of the Democratic party. His wife was

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 6S7

likewise a native of Pennsylvania, and died February 22, 1878, aged sixty-
seven years, five months and seven days. Isaac Hummel was the father of
sixteen children, — John, William, Solomon, Daniel, David, Elijah, Henry,
Julia Ann (deceased), Isaac (deceased), Catharine Ann, Samuel La Fayette,
Mary Magdalene, Sylvina, Monroe, Anna and one that died in infancy, in
Pennsylvania.

David W. Hummel began to earn wages at the age of sixteen years,
but made his home with his parents until he had reached his twenty-sixth
year. He went to Pickaway county to learn the trade of a blacksmith of
Gussan McSwayer, and remained there two years, when his eyes began to fail
and he was obliged to abandon the trade. He then turned to farm work,
working out by the month until he was twenty-six. In March, 1862, he be-
gan work for his aunt Rachel, wife of George Shelhart, and remained there
until fall, when he went to work for himself, renting the William Korner
place in Van Buren township. The next March he moved to the William
Riley Brown place, now owned by Michael Ruff, and farmed the three hun-
dred and twenty acres of land comprising the farm, until January 25, 1884.
In the meantime, on April 10, 1874, he and Nathan Rawn had purchased
the three hundred and twenty acres contained in the south half of section
2, Indian Creek township. This property was divided February i, 1876,
our subject taking the southeast quarter of the section. This land was in a
wild, uncultivated state, and in the summer of 1883 he built a house, kitchen
and barn; also set out three acres in orchard and sowed five acres of wheat.
It had been fenced previously and used as pasture. On the 25th of January,
1884, he moved here and has since made it his home. The entire one hun-
dred and sixty acres are under cultivation, at least five hundred rods of tiling
having been put in to increase the fertility of the soil, and he now has one of
the best farms in the county, well stocked and supplied with all necessary
modern machinery, etc., all being the direct result of his own industry and
ambition.

Mr. Hummel was married January 18, 1862, to Louisa Cofman, daugh-
ter of Samuel and Jane (Allen) Cofman, who are mentioned below. She
was born May 11, 1844, in Fairfield county, Ohio, and is the mother of four
children, viz.: William Henry, who was born July 14, 1864, and resides
with his parents; he was married December 11, 1888, to Jane Lebo, daugh-
ter of Joseph Lebo, and has two children, — Francis Eugene, born January 29,
1891, and Bertha Verneda, born August 16, 1896; Elijah Franklin, the sec-
ond son of our subject, was born April 29, 1866, and lives at home; Mary
Magdalene was born January 25, 1869, and married Edward Beckley, a son
of George Beckley, on December 1 1, 1889, their children being Annie Lucile,
Clarence L. , Gaylord Ira and Mary; Anna Luella, the fourth child, who was

CSS BIOGRAPHICdL HISTORY.

born July 6, 1871, married Granville Weyand April 23, 1890, and they live
near Luzerne, and have two children, Edith and Glen. Mr. Hummel is a
member of the Methodist Episcopal church and a man of many noble qual-
ities. He has served two terms as supervisor of the county.

Samuel Cofman, the father of Mrs. Hummel, was born on the old Berry
farm, in the vicinity of Lancaster, Ohio, November 11, 181 1. His parents
moved to Virginia the year following his birth, but returned to the Berry
farm in 1823. He was married in 1833 to Mary Allen, who was born Sep-
tember 7, 18 13. Of the children born to them, Henry, born February 20,
1834, resides in Fairfield county, Ohio; he married Mary Jane Lamb, by
whom he had nine children, William, Samuel, Laura, Katy, John, George,
Cora and two that died in infancy; Robert Fulton, born May 26, 1835, "ow
deceased, left George, Ida, Cordelia and two other children; George, born
October 19, 1836, died at the age of five years; John Howard, born March
9, 1840, married Miss Bennett and lived in Ohio; he was killed in a wrestling
match when in his thirty-fifth year. His children being Perry, Manson, Griff,
one who died in infancy, and John; Mary, born July 5, 1841, died at the age
of one year. About one year after the death of his first wife, Mr. Cofman
took for his second wife Jane Allen, a sister of his first. Their children were
Benjamin Franklin, who was born November 4, 1842, and married Rebecca
Halterman; he resides in Fairfield county, Ohio, and has three children,
Arthur, Ralph and Sadie; Louisa, wife of our subject; Laura, born January
29, 1846, married Nathan Rawn, who is represented elsewhere in this work;
Monroe, born March 16, 1848, died at the age of three years; Olive, born
February 10, 1850, died at the age of two years; Jesse, born February 27,
1851, is marshal of Winamac; Lafayette, born September 10, 1853, married
Ella Asbell and lives in Ohio, their children being Gertrude, Pearl and Clar-
ence; Ida Jane, born January i, 1856, married Jacob Grayville, of Colum-
bus, Ohio, and has four children, — Jennie, Ada, Myrtle and Mearle; Emily,
born in March, 1856, died at the age of seven months. Jane Cofman died
August 9, 1858, aged thirty-six j^ears, two months and twenty-three days.
The first wife was born September 7, 1813, and died July 10, 1841. Mr.
Cofman took for his third wife Catherine Ricketts, widow of Hiram Ricketts
and daughter of M. Lightnier. Her first marriage resulted in the birth of
one child, Benjamin, who was born February 17, 1843, and died at the age
of seven years.

Mrs. Hummel's paternal grandfather was John Cofman, who was twice
married, first to Miss Berre, b}' whom he had six children, — Noah, Samuel,
John, Joseph, Peggy and Polly. He was a native of Virginia. Her maternal
grandfather was John Allen, of Dutch and Irish descent; he married Jane
Scott and they had five children, William, Mary, Sarah, Jane and Lucinda.

BIOGRJPHICJ.L HISTORY. 689

FELIX BURTILINE THOMAS FRAIN.

This enterprising farmer of Harrison township is a worthy representa-
tive of one of the sterling pioneer families of Pulaski county, and is descended
from the sturdy German stock to whose energy and stability of character,
patriotism and good citizenship Pennsylvania is largely indebted for her ex-
alted standing among the states of this great republic.

F. B. T. Frain is a grandson of Peter and Rebecca (Bilger) Frain, of
Union county, Pennsylvania, and is a son of John and Rebecca (Donham)
Frain, whose history is printed elsewhere in this work. John Frain was one
of the early settlers of this region, coming here, as he did, in the prime of
his young manhood, fifty-five years ago. He has been actively concerned in
the development of this county, and has long been one of the extensive prop-
erty-holders and influential citizens of his community.

The birth of our subject occurred February 21, 1856, on his father's old
homestead in Monroe township, this county, and his boyhood was spent in
the arduous labors of clearing land and cultivating it. He received fairly
good public-school advantages, and did not entirely leave his studies until he
was about nineteen years of age. He continued to live with his parents un-
til he was in his twenty-fourth year, when he went to Kewanna, Fulton
county, Indiana, and, entering into partnership with William Clark, ran a
sawmill and transacted a remunerative business for three or four years. In
1883 he returned to the old homestead and for the following thirteen years
was occupied in its management. In 1896 he came to his present home,
known as the old Helm farm, — a place of one hundred and sixty acres, — well
equipped with substantial buildings and other improvements. He is a thor-
ough, practical farmer, and is making a success of his various undertakings.
Though he is a stanch Republican and takes a commendable interest in the
maintenance of good government, he is not a politician, and has no desire to
occupy public offices.

The marriage of Mr. Frain and Miss Eliza Ann Stewart, a daughter of
Comfort Green and Matilda (Helm) Stewart, was celebrated June 10, 1877.
Mrs. Frain was born on the paternal farm in Van Buren township, Septem-
ber 28, 1856, and has been acquainted with her husband since they were
children. Their eldest sons, Hugh George and Lewis Thomas, twins, were
born March 30, 1878, and both are at home, assisting their father in the farm
work. Lola Elsie was born March 29, 1882. Lura Myrle and Laura Pearl,
twins, were born September i, 1886, but the latter did not live. Bertha
Alice was born October 2, 1890; Charles Comfort, March i, 1893; and
Clyde Harold, August 20, 1895. The elder children are being supplied with
good educational advantages and otherwise qualified for the battles of life.

690 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

HON. WILLIAM W. GILMAN.

For more than thirty years Hon. ' W. W. Gilman has been numbered
among the representative citizens of Newton county, and has occupied various
offices of distinction and importance. He has ever honestly endeavored to
keep the interests of the people foremost in his mind, his actions being gov-
erned by his earnest convictions of right and duty.

The parents of our subject were Hiram and Elizabeth (Parmer) Gilman,
natives of Vermont and New York state, respectively. His mother was a
daughter of Eleazer Parmer, who owned and operated a mill for many years
in the Empire state, and later was engaged in merchandising. He served in
the capacity of justice of the peace and was a man of high standing among
his neighbors. Hiram Gilman, whose ancestors were English, was a farmer
by occupation. In 1863 he removed from New York state to Illinois, and
two years later settled in Minnesota, where his death took place, in 1868.
His widow lived many years afterward, dying in 1895. Both were members
of the Free-will Baptist church. Their eldest child, Julia, is the wife of P.
Potter. E. T. , the second son, was a commissioned officer in the civil war,
and subsequently was the representative of several leading insurance com-
panies. His present home is in Washington, D. C. Eleazer, the youngest
son, is a resident of Minnesota, and Mary E., the youngest daughter, is the
wife of Merritt Wiseman.

Hon. W. W. Gilman was born in Essex county. New York, September
4, 1834. He was but twelve years old when the battle of life began for him
in earnest, as he left home and worked for small wages, which he turned
over to his father. His rnother, who was a well educated lady, was of great
assistance to the lad in his studies, and when but seventeen he obtained a
certificate to teach, and was thus employed winters for many years. In
1856 he went to Minnesota, where he pre-empted a farm, and made substan-
tial improvements during his seven years' residence there; but in 1863, with
many other settlers, he felt that it was best to abandon it all, as the Indians
of that region were on the war-path, carrying death and distruction wherever
they went. Going to Kankakee, Illinois, he bought a tract of wild prairie
land, which he improved and cultivated for five years. Then, selling out, he
came to Grant township, Newton county, and for two years owned a farm
two miles from Goodland, which place he disposed of in 1870, since which
time he has lived upon his present homestead, adjoining the corporate limits
of Goodland. The land was in a wild condition, but by constant tillage and
care it has been reduced to a high state of fertility and productiveness.

The first presidential ballot of Mr. Gilman was cast for Abraham Lin-
coln, and for over thirty years he was an active exponent of the principles of

BIOGRAPSICAL HISTORY. 691

the Republican party. He attended local and general conventions, and was
well-known and highly esteemed in his party throughout this state. In 1870
he was elected trustee of Grant township, was re-elected upon the expiration
of his term, and in 1874 was honored by the position of clerk of the district
court of Newton county. In 1880 he was elected joint representative of
Newton and Jasper counties, and was re-elected in 1882. In 1890 he was
chosen to represent the people in the state senate, and served on the finance
and other important committees. During his entire public career he acquitted
himself with honor and distinction, winning the praise of all concerned. Dur-
ing the last presidential campaign he arrayed himself against those who
favored the gold standard, and was nominated by the "silver" Democrats
and endorsed by the Populists for the legislature, for the first time in his po-
litical life sustaining defeat. Fraternally, he is identified with the Ma-
sonic order.

In 1854 Mr. Gilman married Miss Cornelia Morse, who was born in Es-
sex county, New York, in December, 1835. She came from an honored
New England family and is related to Professor Morse, the inventor of the
telegraph. Her grandfather, Absalom Morse, was a postmaster for years,
and occupied other public positions of trust. Mrs. Gilman is one of the six
children of William and Mary (Wright) Morse, the others being Absalom;
Julia; Lora, Mrs. D. Pascal; Jerusha, Mrs. W. Mills, and Judson. The par-
ents were Baptists, but Mrs. Gilman is a member of the Methodist church.
To our subject and wife the following named children were born: Minnie,
Mrs. M. Wertsbaugh; Merritt, who died in 1876, at the age of seventeen
years; Hiram, who died in 1873, when in his seventeenth year; William, a
farmer of this township; Fred, a banker of Goodland; Jesse, foreman of an
oil-mill in Chicago; Nellie, Mrs. B. Patton, of Bloomington, Illinois; Jennie,
wife of O. Mohney, of Goodland; and George, who is unmarried and is now
taking upon himself much of the responsibility of the management of the old
homestead. The whole family stands well in the estimation of the people of
this community, where they have lived so long.

MEDARY MONTEZ HATHAWAY.

One of the native sons of Winamac, Pulaski county, the gentleman of
whom these lines are penned, has passed his entire life in this immediate
locality, and none of our citizens are held in higher esteem. He stands well
in the social, fraternal and political circles of the town and county, and takes
an earnest interest in the advancement and prosperity of the community
among which his lot is cast.

He was born March 11, 1862, in Winamac, his parents being Richard

692 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Weller and Nancy Allora (Quigle}') Hathaway, who are represented elsewhere
in this work.

Mr. Hathaway's father died when he was nine years old, and on the
mother devolved the bringing up and care of a family of young children,
three of whom were: Lola, afterward Mrs. Mac Carper, M. M. and Veston Q.
The resources of the mother were limited, and it was only by her energy,
economy and ability that the family were brought up in the ways of prog-
ress and industry. She designed that the children should have as much
education as possible, and planned so that their labor should be given to
objects that would add to the family fund. Her desire has been consum-
mated. She has lived to see them occupying a good standing in the com-
munity, honored and respected residents of the place of their nativity. It is
but a slight tribute to her worth to say that they all hold her in the highest
reverence and that the community value her for her worth and character.
She has attained the age of sixty-six years, and with her youngest son occu-
pies the old homestead in Winamac.

The subject of this sketch attended the public schools of this town, and
at the age of sixteen years commenced teaching, having charge of the Wal-
ters school from 1878 to 1880. He then completed the term of school which
had been begun by Miss Ella Dukes, in Winamac, and for five months was
thus occupied. During the ensuing summer he taught in the normal school
under Professor Scull, and in the winter of 188 1 was principal of the A grade,
his superior. Professor Scull, being the first superintendent of the schools of
Winamac. During that term the young man spent a part of his time in the
classes conducted by the superintendent, and thus acquired broader founda-
tions of knowledge than he had previously been favored with. When the
Keller block was in process of construction, in 1880, he acted in the capacity
of foreman, and superintended the work from first to last.

In August, 1 88 1, Mr. Hathway was offered a position in the office of the
auditor of Pulaski county, Robert Connor, and so thoroughly and efficiently
discharged his numerous duties that he was retained also in the office during
the term of W. H. Bouslog. During this period — eight years — he had taken
up the study of law under the preceptorship of John C. Nye, and in 1890 was
admitted to the bar of this count}'. He at once established himself in prac-
tice, and for some years his time was largely taken up in looking after the
interests of the Standard Oil Company, as their local attorney. Of late
years Mr. Hathaway has been associated with Henry A. Steis, under the firm
name of Steis & Hathaway. He is extensively interested in real estate, and
controls about one thousand acres of land situated within this county, and
for the most part well improved.

An important event in the life of Mr. Hathaway occurred March 11,

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 698

1886, on the twenty-fourth anniversary of his birth, when his marriage to
Miss Elsie L. Morrow was celebrated. She was born September 19, 1867,
in Porter county, Indiana, not far from the town of Hebron, and is a daughter
of Wilson Blaine and Margaret Jane (Hildreth) Morrow. One child. Morrow
Quigley, was born to our subject and wife, October 4, 1890.

In political circles Mr. Hathaway is recognized as an important factor
in this section of the state. He is an enthusiastic Democrat, and not only
has served on all of the local committees, but has also been chairman of the
county committee of his party for two terms. Besides, he acted as chairman
of the old tenth congressional district committee, serving as such for four
years, and is a member of the state executive central committee, serving on
this for the past eight years. His name was brought forward at Delphi,
Indiana, for the state senatorship in 1896, but he declined the honor. His
friends were not content, however, and in 1897, at South Bend, they nomi-
nated him for congress from the thirteenth district. In spite of the fact that
he had a large Populist vote to contend with, besides his regular opponent,
Abraham L. Brick, he ran ahead of his ticket everywhere except in St. Joseph
county.

In 1883 Mr. Hathaway became a member of Winamac Lodge, No. 262,
F. & A. M., and was its worshipful master in 1892. He has attained high
prominence in the order, having taken the thirty-second degree. He belongs
to Logansport Chapter, No. 2, R. A. M., is a charter member of Tippecanoe
Chapter, No. 115, of Winamac, holds fellowship in Logansport Council, No.
6, St. John's Commandery, No. 24, Knights Templar, of Logansport, and
Indiana Consistory, and the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at Indianapolis.
Both he and his estimable wife are associated with Tippecanoe Chapter, No.
96, Order of the Eastern Star, he having been its first worthy patron.

ROBERT A. LOWRY.

Robert Allen Lowry is one of the most prominent and substantial citi-
zens of Indian Creek township, Pulaski county, Indiana, and is a native of
the Buckeye state, having been ushered into existence March i, 1841, near
the town of Carey, Wyandotte county, Ohio. He was a son of John D. and
Margaret (Stotts) Lowry, and a grandson of James Lowry. The family were
of Scotch-Irish origin, although the grandfather was born in Virginia, and
was a stanch Democrat. He was a sparely built man, six feet tall and weigh-
ing one hundred and sixty-five pounds, and he lived to pass his ninetieth year,
dying about 1845, in Wyandot county, Ohio. His children were as fol-
lows: Margaret, spinster; Fannie (Mrs. Samuel Hart), no issue; Elizabeth,
deceased, first wife of Samuel Hart and the mother of James, a resident of

694 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Ohio, and Margaret and John, both dead; John D., the father of our subject;
William, unmarried, a resident of Virginia, and a soldier of the war of 1812;
and Jeremiah, who married a Miss Montague and lived in Ohio. Of the chil-
dren of Jeremiah Lowry, Robert married and lived in Wyandot county, as
did Mary Ann, whose husband was Henderson Leitle; Diana married Allen
Miller and lives in this county; Ellen married Samuel Good, and lives at the
home of Henry Wagoner in Winamac; Susan married Jacob March; John
married and resides in Ohio; William lives in Oklahoma; and Edward is a
resident of Ohio.

John D. Lowry, the father of our subject, was born January 5, 1800,
in Stafford county, Virginia, near Fredericksburg. He left his native state
when about twenty-two years of age and went with his parents to the vicinity
of Circleville, Ohio, where he met and married Miss Margaret Stotts. He
then located in Marion county, and later in Wyandot county, about 1829.
September 20, 1853, Mr. Lowry, with wife and five children, left the state of
Ohio for Pulaski county, Indiana, coming by wagon and arriving here seven
days later. They brought three horses and one wagon with them, hiring two
other teams, as they had three loads of goods. At that time he had eighty
acres of land in Ohio, about twenty-one hundred dollars in cash and some
accounts that would soon be paid in. His daughter Harriet (Mrs. Cyrus
Nye), had located here the year previously, and this was one strong induce-
ment leading to the parents making their home in Pulaski county. He pur-
chased si.xty acres of land from Jacob Ginder, paying two hundred dollars
therefor, and one hundred acres from Solomon Ginder's heirs, paying three
dollars per acre for this purchase. This property is now in the possession of
Horace W. Widup, and the log cabin occupied by Mr. Lowry was situated
about five yards west of the house now standing on the place. At the time
but thirteen acres were fenced and under cultivation. He added to this acre-
age by purchasing the one hundred and sixty acres now known as the Weaver
property. This was the east half of the southeast quarter of the section
28, forty acres in the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of the
same section, and the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of sec-
tion 27. In the spring of 1854 he built a hewed-log house on the site now
occupied by the Weaver residence, and here he lived and looked after his
three hundred and twenty acres until death removed him from the scene of
his activity. His death occurred May 2, 1878, and was followed a few
months later by that of his wife, on February 7, 1879.

Uriah Stotts, the maternal grandfather of our subject, lived near Circle-
ville, Ohio. His children were Ozias, of Elkhart, Indiana; Uriah, of Pulaski
county; Margaret, mother of our subject; and John and Robert, both of
whom died in this county.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTOBT. 695

Robert A. Lowry continued to live on the old homestead until 1868,
when he removed to the farm now owned by him. The place then consisted
of two hundred and forty-seven acres, — forty in section 5, Indian Creek town-
ship, and two hundred in section 4, upon which his residence and other
buildings are erected. He subsequently added to this, fifty-two acres which he
purchased of his brother, and one hundred and twenty acres in section 33,
Monroe township; but the latter purchase was again disposed of. One
hundred and fifty acres of this land are in a high state of cultivation and
shows a careful supervision, the result of which is one of the best kept farms
in Pulaski county. His residence was constructed in 1884, and was built to
meet the requirments of comfort and constant service.

On the 28th of October, 1867, Mr. Lowry was united in marriage to
Miss Paulina Bowers, daughter of Jacob and PhcEbe (Reisch) Bowers, a short
sketch of whom is included in this. The children that have blessed the home
of our subject and his estimable wife are: Margaret Ellen, who was born
August 14, 1868, married James O. Holmes, an engineer of Logansport,
November 22, 1892, and has one child, James Robert, who was born Decem-
ber 14, 1893; Jacob John, born August 3, 1869, resides in Pulaski county
and was married to Kittie Washburn. Their children are Sylvia, born
January 24, 1893; Ivy, who was born May 8, 1895, and died July 27, 1896;
and Osie, born May 15, 1896; Phcebe Alice, the second daughter of our sub-
ject, was born October 8, 1870, and was married December 6, 1893, to
Moses Washburn, a farmer. Hattie May, born October 21, 1871, was mar-
ried February 14, 1892, to Joseph Hare, a farmer, and has two children, —
Mabel May, born September 25, 1892, and Ruth Ada, born December 9,
1897. Mr. Lowry is a strong Democrat and for six years served as county
commissioner, acting as president of the body during the second term. He
also acted as supervisor for a short time. He is a member of Star City
Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is a kindly, whole-souled
gentleman.

George Jacob Bowers, the father of Mrs. Lowry, was born in Wurtem-
berg, Germany, October 16, 1802. He grew to manhood in that country
and was there joined in marriage with Phcebe Reisch. They sailed for
America in 1830, arriving in New York and remaining there one year.
Those of their children who came with them were Jacob, Michael, Margaret,
Rosanna, Frederick, and another son. They came inland, stopping first in
Wayne county, Ohio, and later locating in Seneca county. The trip was
made in 1 848, by wagon and team, the household goods and family alike being
transported in this manner. Mr. Bowers was a blacksmith by trade and car-
ried his tools with him. He located on the farm now occupied by our sub-
ject, and lived in an old log house owned by a Mr. Hall. Here he resided

696 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

from the fall of 184S until the following summer. His first purchase of land
was deeded by Peter Hoover and wife to Jacob Bowers on November 6, 1848,
and was land which had been entered from the government, August 6, 1835,
by John Tilman, Sr., and by him sold to Dan Tilman in 1843. He in turn
sold it to Peter Hoover two years later, for the consideration of two hun-
dred dollars. This was the east half of the northeast quarter of section 4,
township 29, range 2. On May 13, 1848, he bought of John McClelland and
wife the north half of the same quarter-section. This land was entered by
one Rogers in 1838, sold to Thomas I. Boyd, and by him to John McClel-
land. April 16, 1858, he bought of Henry McBrown, the east half of the
northeast quarter of section 5, township 29, which was secured from the gov-
ernment the same year. March 18, 1868, he bought from Joseph LeCutho
the old Tilman farm, which had been entered by Anderson Tilman Decem-
ber 16, 1839. George Jacob Bowers died October 20, 1872, and was
mourned as an industrious, enterprising citizen who was active in advancing
the interests of the community in which he lived. His wile lived to the
advanced age of eighty-three years, her death occurring July 28, 1894.
John George, a son of Jacob and Philena Bowers, died November 17,- 1865,
aged twenty-five years and twelve days; Elizabeth, his sister, died Novem-
ber 5, of the same year, aged eighteen years, one month and fifteen days.
Jacob, son of John Jacob and Phoebe Bowers, died February 18, 1857, aged
twenty-three years, three months and eleven days; John Henry Bowers
died October 28, 1865, aged thirty years, seven months and eighteen days;
and his daughter Paulina, died November 11, 1S65, aged two months and
twenty-one days.

JAMES NATHANIEL HAYWORTH.

James Nathaniel Hayworth, auditor of Pulaski county, is one of the
most efficient and popular of the county officials. He stands for progress
and is in thorough accord with the spirit of the age, — a wide-awake, ener-
getic man, in the prime of life. In honoring him with the responsible posi-
tion which he holds at present, his fellow citizens manifested great wisdom,
and he has fully justified their expectations. The good of the public is the
paramount object of his ambition, and no self-sacrifice is considered too great
for him, if thereby this object may be conserved.

It is supposed that the Hayworths were originally Scotch, and the name
has been variously spelled by different members of the family. An uncle of
our subject omitted the "y, " making it Haworth, and another distant rela-
tive, Wade Hayworth, spelled his name Heyworth. The great-grandfather
of our subject on the paternal side, was the father of seven sons and nine

[AyWl i^ ^^^^-^>^<rc-^-^^

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 697

daughters. The sons were named respectively: Joseph, Nathaniel, Samuel,
Isaac, James, David and Wade. The last mentioned had a very eventful
history. When a boy, he ran away from home and went on board a sailing
vessel. Later he joined the great Arctic explorer. Dr. Kane, and went
with him on the famous expedition which was sent to the relief of Dr. Frank-
lin. He returned with a wonderful collection of curiosities and relics, which
he had gathered with great care and labor in the far north. About i860,
when he was an old man, he married the daughter of a wealthy land-owner
in Illinois, eloping with her in order to evade her parents' authority. He
was a man of many peculiar characteristics, and though small in stature
wore an immense silky beard, which extended below his waist. He was a
decided mechanical genius, and was the inventor of the sulky plow, the corn-
planter and numerous improvements in agricultural implements. He owned
large tracts of land in Illinois, and established the town of Heyworth, that
state.

Nathaniel Hayworth, the grandfather of our subject, was born in North
Carolina, February 12, 1803, and removed to Ohio and thence to Cass
county, Indiana, in 1845. At an early day he came to Pulaski county, and
then lived in White county for about ten years. Returning to Pulaski county,
he bought the William Crane farm, where he passed five years, and then sold
the place and invested his capital in the purchase of the C. M. Kuhn home-
stead, which he managed five years, and then sold. His last years were
passed at the homes of his children. He died February 10, 1871, in the
home of his son, David, near Star City, and was buried in the cemetery
there. He weighed about one hundred and forty pounds, was only three
inches over five feet in height, and was quick and active in mind and action.
He was a Whig and Republican, and, religiously, was connected with the
Christian church. His wife, Deborah Forguson, to whom he was married
in Miami county, Ohio, was born, in Virginia, February 24, 1805, and died
July 16, 1871. Their eldest child, (i) Sarah Ann, who died in 1890, aged
fifty-five years, was the wife of John Benson, a farmer of Jasper county, Indi-
ana. Their children were as follows: James, who married Letitia Priest,
and has five children; Nancy, wife of Charles Nobes; Samuel, who wedded
a Miss Laushbaugh; Ella, wife of Frank Smith; David, who married Belle
Johns, and has six children; Ida, who is married and resides in St. Joseph,
Michigan; John, of Logansport, whose wife was formerly Margaret Brewer;
and Amanda, unmarried. (2) James is the father of our subject. (3) Will-
iam, who died in infancy. (4) Elizabeth first became the wife of Ransom
McConahay, who was a merchant at Monticello, Indiana, and for several
years served as county clerk of White county. Their eldest son, Calvin,
married a Miss Brown, and has two daughters, Grace and Cleo. William

698 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

married Melissa Randall, and their children are Claude, Henry and two
deceased. Elizabeth McConahay became the wife of Mr. Stiers after the
death of her first husband, and she is now Mrs. Lewis Parkinson, of Long-
ton, Kansas. (5) Malinda Hayworth died at three years of age. (6) David
and (7) John, twins, were the next children of Nathaniel Hayworth. David
married Mary Shuler and had one son, M. D. Fonda, and two daughters,
Myrtle and Oba. He removed from this county to Kansas in 1875, and died
a short time afterward. ' John is a veteran of the civil war, now in the Sol-
diers' Home at Lafayette, Indiana. He owned the old Bruce mill at Win-
amac for some time prior to its destruction by fire, for a period was engaged
in farming near Francesville, Indiana, and ran a hotel at Yountsville, this
state, for a few years. He married Melissa McConahay, and their eldest
born, James, of Francesville, chose May Garrigues for a wife; Lewis E. and
George W. died in infancy; Dora married Bonaparte Stalnaker, and has five
children; Mollie married Allen Love and has two children; and Bert, also, is
married. (8) Nancy Ann, born November 8, 1839, in Delaware county,
Indiana, married James Polk Schell, August 3, 1870, and departed this life
March 17, 1898. Their children were: Edith Ann, born November 17,
1872; Charles Walter, born November 24, 1874, died September 22, 1895;
John H., born October 10, 1876; and Jubal Earl, born June 30, 1880. (9)
Sampson died young. (10) Mary Jane, born March 4, 1846, married
Anthony Swayze, March 5, 1863, and died September 4, 1884. Their chil-
dren are: David William Grant, born March 6, 1864; McHenry, November
30, 1865; Charles L. , born August 4, 1867, died August 30, 1868; Albert
Anthony, February 7, 1869; Leota Jane, September 4, 1872; and Carrie
May, May 12, 1880. David W. G. married Ida Stewart, December 31,
1887, and their children are: Clarence Henry, born in October, 18S8;
Cecil, February 14, 1890; Myrtle, in November, 1891; and Lena, in October,
1893. McHenry, who wedded Elizabeth Small, had four children: Nellie,
born March 4, 1887, died at the age of five years; Ford, born December 18,
1888; Claude, born in September, 1891; and Levisa, in August, 1896. Albert
A., who married Dillie Timmons, has two little girls. Hazel, born in July,
1892, and a baby. Leota Jane, who is the wife of Charles Timmons, is the
mother of Goldie, born November 2, 1889; Floyd, born February 2, 1893;
Frederick, born in October, 1894; and Edward, born in 1896.

James Hayworth, the father of our subject, is a native of Miami county,
Ohio, his birth having occurred October 17, 1826. He accompanied his
parents to Cass county, Indiana, in 1845, later lived in Logansport and in
Grant county, and about 1848 came to this county. He was living near
Star City at the time of his marriage, in January, 1850, to Sussanna Miller,
daughter of Captain John Miller and his wife, whose maiden name was Neff.

BIOGRAPHIC J.L HISTORY. 699

Captain John Miller was born in 1802, and died October 5, 1869. They
commenced housekeeping on the old homestead in Harrison township, where
they dwelt for seventeen years. That farm, a finely improved tract of one
hundred and twenty acres, is situated on section 32. In 1865 Mr. Hayworth
removed to Jasper county, this state, and owned a farm of two hundred and
forty acres in Hanging Grove township. He dealt extensively in cattle dur-
ing his residence there. In 1880 he went to Elk county, Kansas, and bought
a ranch of one hundred and sixty acres, situated on the Elk river. There he
engaged in general farming and cattle-raising for two years. Then, selling
his place, he located in Longton, Kansas, where he is still living. As early
as 1850 he started in the business of buying furs, and has followed it more or
less ever since, during the winter season. It was his practice to drive through
the country in a wagon, making a canvass from house to house, buying up all
the mink, raccoon, muskrat, opossum and skunk skins he could find, and in
the early days he dealt extensively in deer skins. From i860 to 1865 he
paid about thirty cents for the skin of a muskrat; from six to eight dollars
for mink; two and two and a half dollars for 'coon skins, and black ones
brought three dollars; while skunk skins were from fifty cents to two dollars
and a half, and opossums from ten to forty cents, while deer skins sold from
fifteen to thirty cents a pound. The chief market for these furs was in
Detroit, the firm of F. Buehl & Company buying nearly all of the skins which
Mr. Hayworth could find in the counties of Pulaski, Stark, Jasper, Newton,
White, Porter and Laporte, and even as far as Kankakee, Illinois. After
going to Kansas he continued the same occupation, going into the Indian
Territory and buying at various Indian agencies, traveling also in different
parts of Missouri and Arkansas. He is a very active, energetic man for his
advanced years. A Republican in politics, he served as a township trustee
in Jasper county, Indiana, for some time, but has never aspired to public
positions.

For a companion along Hfe's journey, James M. Hayworth chose Sus-
sanna Miller. She was born August 16, 1832, and died November 6, 1894.
Eleven children blessed their union, (i) John Ransom, born November 8,
1850, is a resident of Francesville, Indiana, and is engaged in the cattle busi-
ness. He was married December 20, 1875, to Canzada, daughter of Abram
and Ruth (Maggert) Hullinger. She was born in Grant county, Indiana, in
1854, and her eldest child, David A., died at the age of seventeen years. The
younger children are: Bertha Gertrude, Delia Olive, James Abraham and
Ruth. (2) Sarah Elizabeth, born January 18, 1852, makes her home with
her parents in Kansas. (3) David Allen, born February 4, 1853, died No-
vember 9, 1878. (4) Melissa Jane, born September 20, 1854, died February
7, 1881. (s) Nancy Ellen, born December 5, 1856, married Thomas Stil-

700 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

well and resides on a farm in Elk county, Kansas; they have one child, Fay.
(6) William Reiley, born May 2, 1858, is a dealer in wool and furs, at Val-
paraiso, Indiana, and head of the firm of W. R. Hayworth & Company. This
busmess, located at numbers 38 and 40 South Washington street, was estab-
lished by James Hayworth in 1845. William H. married Edith, daughter of
Dr. Robert M. Mattingly, and they have a son, Raymond, while two other
children died in infancy. (7) Mary Miranda, born October 11, 1859, died'
July I, 1881. (8) James Nathaniel is the subject of this sketch. (9) Charles
Ellis, born March i, 1866, lives in Longton, Elk county, Kansas. He mar-
ried Melissa Stow and has three children. (10) Edwin Day Hayworth, born
April 29, 1 87 1, is unmarried and lives at Francesville, Indiana, while his twin
sister, Evalyn May, lives with her father in Kansas.

The birth of James N. Hayworth occurred February 3, 1863, on the old
homestead in Pulaski county, and he dwelt with his parents until 1885, farm-
ing and clerking in a dry-goods store at Longton, Kansas. In 1886 he re-
turned to the state of his nativity, and was engaged in business with his
brother at Francesville for one year. While there he was married, and soon
afterward returned to Longton, Kansas, where he opened a meat market and
carried on business in partnership with his father and brother Charles. Six
months later he went back to Francesville, where for three years he was
the proprietor of a restaurant. Then, in association with John Tillett, he
carried on a dry-goods and grocery store for two years, at the end of that
time buying his partner's interest. After running the store for six months
more he sold out to Henry Jentz and J. A. Hayworth, and turned his atten-
tion to live stock, wool and fur. Two years later he opened a meat market
and carried on that enterprise for five years, buying wool to some extent in
the meantime. In November, 1898, after his election as auditor, he closed
up his own business affairs and removed to Winamac.

The election of Mr. Hayworth to the office of county auditor was a
matter of surprise to many, but attests his personal popularity, and the con-
fidence which the people place in the financial ability and meritorious qual-
ities of this sterling representative of one of our pioneer families. While the
county is strongly Democratic, and he has never before held any public
office of importance, he was elected on the Republican ticket, and enjoys the
honor of being the only representative of his party in any of the county posi-
tions. He is a member of Francesville Lodge, No. 296, Knights of Pythias,
in which he has passed all the chairs, and while living at Francesville he
officiated in some of the minor town positions.

The marriage of Mr. Hayworth and Miss Anna Bledsoe was solemnized
February 11, 1886. She was born October 16, 1865, in Francesville. Her
parents, John Thomas and Mary E. (Hinkle) Bledsoe, were married Sep-

BIOGRJPHIC.IL HISTORY. 701

tember i8, 1862, and the latter is yet living, a resident of Francesville. The
father was born January 7, 1835, and the mother, May 19, 1831. Five
children bless the marriage of Mr. Hayworth and wife: Harry Edwin, born
March 22, 1887; James Archer, January 23, 1889; Adra Dell, October i,
1891; Glenn David, January 3, 1896; and Mary Susan, March 31, 1898.

ISAAC D. HIGH.

A well known citizen of Prairie township, Warren county, and for many
years a trustee of the same, is Isaac D. High, who owns a good homestead
here and is a successful farmer. He is a native of the Keystone state, born
in the town of Maxatawny, Berks county, March 9, 1845, ^ son of John V.
R. and Sarah (Hottenstein) High. In 1852, when the subject of this sketch
was but seven years of age, the family emigrated to Indiana and settled at
Locust Grove, Warren county, wherethe father had made an entry of land
some years before. There being but few railroads at that time, the family
made the trip from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, to Williamsport, by water. Un-
til 1856 they continued to dwell at their first place of settlement, and then re-
moved to Williamsport, where the father died in the spring of i860. The
mother and children then became residents of Prairie township, and at this
writing Mrs. High, now in her seventh-seventh year, is living in Williams-
port. Of her four sons and five daughters all but two, Caroline and Matil-
da, survive. They are named as follows: Charles, John, Isaac D., Edward,
Sarah, Rose and Elizabeth.

The traditions of the High family are to the effect that two brothers
bearing the name came to the United States from their native land, Wurtem-
berg, Germany, in the early colonial days of this country, and settled in
Philadelphia. One of the brothers ultimately drifted to Reading, Pennsyl-
vania, and from him our subject is descended. On his mother's side Mr.
High traces his ancestry to Jacob Hottenstein, who was likewise of German
birth, and whose arrival in America occurred on the 23d of March, 1753.

In the public schools of Warren county Isaac D. High acquired but a
imited education, but he has always been fond of study and has added steadi-
ly to the store of information and knowledge which the district schools of his
boyhood afforded, and he has always taken great interest in the subject of
good schools and teachers for this generation. He became a thorough and
practical farmer, and since 1870 he has owned the fine homestead where he
now resides, and this he has reduced to a high state of cultivation.

In May, 1862, when but seventeen years of age, he offered his services
to his country, enrolling himself under the stars and stripes. He enlisted in
Company B, Fifty-fifth Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and saw

702 BIOGEAFHICAL HISTORY.

hard service for about four months, participating in the battle of Richmond,
Kentucky, and in other engagements in that locaHty and field of military
operations. Though he is a Democrat in his political views, his personal
worth and popularity are plainly shown by the fact that he has been elected
and served for seven years as a township trustee in a township which has a
large Republican majority. He was first honored thus in 1884, and has been
elected time and again since, his present term to expire in 1900.

March 4, 1880, Mr. High married Miss Margaret M. Hindman, a native
of Pennsylvania and daughter of John and Jane Hindman, who never became
residents of this state, and who have passed to the silent land. Mrs. High is
the only member of her father's family living in Indiana. Five children have
been born to our subject and wife, namely: John, Rosa, William, Lucy and
Susan. Mr. High and wife are valued members of the Presbyterian church
of Williamsport, and are active in all good works.

JAMES W. DOUTHIT.

James W. Douthit, a prominent member of the Rensselaer bar, came to
the city of Rensselaer in April, 1878, from Decatur county, Indiana, where
he was born January 15. 1848.

His parents, John W. Douthit and wife, died when he was a small child,
and he remembers little about them. Thus he was early thrown upon his
own resources. His boyhood was spent on the farm, and up to the time he
was eighteen his educational advantages were limited to the common schools.
At that age he entered Hartsville College, an institution of learning conducted
under the auspices of the United Brethren church (house since burned). He
graduated there in 1873, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Science, and later
he took a course in the law department of the university at Bloomington,
where he graduated in 1877. His natural inclinations were for the law, and
this, together with his thorough preparation for legal work, fitted him to enter
upon the active duties of the profession at once. Accordingly, in the spring
of 1878, he came to Rensselaer and entered into a partnership with Ira W.
Yeoman, with whom he was associated in practice for a time. Later he prac-
ticed with D. B. Miller, and since their partnership was dissolved he has con-
ducted practice under his own name. He has been connected with many
important cases, and has gained an enviable reputation at the bar.

Mr. Douthit has been twice married. His first wife, whose maiden name
was Harriet A. Robertson, died after they had been married three years. His
present wife was formerly Miss Lillie B. Fess. They have one child living,
Nora Evangeline.

Politically Mr. Douthit is a Democrat. He has long been active in cam-

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 703

paign work, and has had sole control of the legal part of the campaign, in
consequence of which no mistakes have been made. He was appointed pros-
ecuting attorney in 1895 by Governor Matthews to fill an unexpired term of
eighteen months, which he did to the entire satisfaction of all concerned,
acquitting himself most creditably.

Mrs. Douthit is a member of the Christian church, and he, while not
identified with any church organization, is friendly to all. He maintains fra-
ternal relations with the Masonic order. Personally he is a genial, scholarly
gentleman, and he has the high esteem of all who have the pleasure of his
acquaintance.

WILLIAM C. PIERCE.

William Carper Pierce, an old settler of Jasper county, where he has re-
sided for over fifty years, has always been identified with its agricultural in-
terests, and now, in his old age, is living retired in Rensselaer. Mr. Pierce
was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, December 16, 1821, and spent his boy-
hood days on a farm, obtaining his education in the log school-house of that
day, a description of which has so often been given in the history of primi-
tive settlements. His parents, William and Sarah (Thompson) Pierce, were
natives of Virginia, where they were married, and whence they came to Ohio.
The father served through the war of 1812, and was at Hull's surrender, after
which his regiment, commanded by Colonel (afterward General) Lewis Cass,
was paroled and sent home.

William Pierce, the father of our subject, was a farmer by occupation,
and in 1830 removed from Ohio to Indiana, settling in Tippecanoe county,
where he entered land and spent the remainder of his Hfe, dying of cholera in
1849. His wife was a daughter of Abraham Thompson, also a native of Vir-
ginia, and they spent the latter part of their lives in Ohio. Seven children
were born to this worthy couple, namely: Patience J., who became the wife
of James Severton; James, who was drowned while doing service in the John
Morgan raid; William C, our subject; Francis A., deceased; Rebecca A.,
the wife of Joseph N. Johnson; Sarah M., wife of George Hamilton; and
Benjamin G., residing in Tippecanoe county. The parents were members
of the Methodist church, and the father was a Whig.

Grandfather Pierce was a native of New England, and a soldier in the
Revolutionary war, at the close of which he went to South Carolina, and
from there to Virginia. In the latter state he settled and married, subse-
quently removing from there to Ohio, where the remainder of his life was
spent. His father, Frederick Pierce, was born in county Derry, Ireland,
and from him the Pierce family in the United States originated. Of these

704 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

there is a very large connection, and their record has always been that of
loyal citizens.

The subject of this sketch was nine years old when his parents moved
to Indiana, and he grew to manhood in Tippecanoe county, where he was
married, in 1844, and began farming. In 1848 he came to Jasper county
and bought eighty acres of land, also entering one hundred and seventy acres
and later adding to it until he became the owner of over four hundred acres.
At the time of his settlement in this county neighbors were few and far be-
tween, but one other cabin being in sight and that was two or three miles
east of his own. Everything was in a primitive condition and he experienced
all the hardships and deprivations of those pioneer days. Soon after pur-
chasing his land he engaged in the stock business, having a fine range for
cattle, and for many years he was an extensive shipper of cattle, hogs, etc.
Long before any railroads were built Mr. Pierce drove his stock to Chicago
and later, as facilities for transportation increased, shipped it to the east. He
followed up this business until, feeling the advances of old age, he turned the
work over to his son, James W. , divided his lands among his children and is
passing a quiet and happy old age in the county where he has so long been a
resident.

Mr. Pierce was married Maj' 2, 1844, to Miss Mary Miller, who was a
daughter of a pioneer settler of Clinton county, Indiana, Thomas Miller, who
came to that county in 1830, and who was a chair-maker by trade. He died
when Mrs. Pierce was about ten years of age and she was reared by an uncle
in Tippecanoe county. The children of the Miller family were: John,
Mary, Sarah, Abraham (who was a physician and was a colonel in the civil
war, subsequently being made a brigadier general), Henry, Luvicy and
Mahala.

To Mr. and Mrs. Pierce ten children have been born, of whom six died
in childhood. Those now living are: John L. , an attorney at Lebanon,
Boone county, Indiana; Mary A., wife of Samuel H. Howe, residing near
Dwight, Illinois; James W. , on the old homestead; and Rachel E. , wife of
Thomas A. Knox, of Rensselaer, Indiana. The mother of these children died
January 14, 1887. Mr. Pierce was originally a Whig and afterward a Re-
publican, but of late years has been in sympathy with the Populists. During
his long residence in this county Mr. Pierce has been a most useful and
valued citizen. In the early days he was a large trader, buying cattle and
hogs from the farmers, thus supplying them with money, which was a great
convenience where there were no banks and the distances to the markets were
great and the methods of traveling slow and inconvenient. Mr. Pierce re-
calls many interesting incidents of those early times and especially remembers
the droves of deer and other wild game which could be seen from his cabin

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 705

door. He was very expert with his gun and earned the name of Nimrod,
given him by his neighbors, who considered him a "mighty hunter." Mr.
Pierce is a veteran Odd Fellow, joining the fraternity in 1855. He is the
oldest member of the order affiliated with the Rensselaer Lodge and is held in
high esteem by the brethren.

GREENBERRY W. McCRAY.

Greenberry Ward McCray, president of the Discount and Deposit Bank,
of Kentland, is numbered among the substantial business men of north-
western Indiana, having become a resident of Newton county soon after
attaining his majority. The family is of Scotch-Irish ancestry, but its first
representative in America is unknown. Martin McCray, grandfather of our
subject, was an early settler of Butler county, Ohio, where he resided until
1 8 17, then removing to Indiana and becoming a pioneer in Fayette county,
where he passed the remainder of his life as a farmer. He had a family of
eight children, five daughters and three sons, and of the latter William set-
tled in Indiana, Daniel in Knoxville, Illinois, and James near Burlington,
Iowa.

William McCray, father of our subject, was born in Butler county, Ohio,
February 4, 181 1, and was but six years old when the family removed to
Indiana, where he assisted in improving the homestead. His school days
were limited, but largely through self-instruction he acquired a fair business
education. About 1832 Mr. McCray was united in marriage to Miss Lucinda
Edwards, daughter of William and Rachel (Reese) Edwards, she being a
native of Pennsylvania. He pursued farming in Fayette county, Indiana,
until 1849, when he sold his property and removed to Montgomery county,
Indiana, where he was soon recognized as a successful farmer and representa-
tive citizen. In 1863 he retired from active life, and removed to Crawfords-
■ville, where his death occurred March 15, 1864. William McCray believed
that all men were created equal and of right ought to be free: hence he was
a pioneer abolitionist in Indiana, ever ready to defend the down-trodden and
oppressed. He lived to read the emancipation proclamation of President
Lincoln freeing the slaves, but the great civil war was in progress when he
closed his eyes in death. His remains lie buried in the cemetery at Craw-
fordsville, and on the stone that marks his tomb are inscribed, in accordance
with his request, these words: "Freedom to all humanity." After the
death of her husband, Mrs. McCray removed to Kentland, Newton county,
and passed her remaining years with her daughters. Her death took place
October 5, 1887, at the age of seventy-three years. The children born to
Mr. and Mrs. McCray were as follows: Elmore, who was born October 12,

706 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

1834, in Fayette county, received a business education and was an expert
bookkeeper. He was associated with his brother, Greenberry W., in his
first purchase of land in Newton county, and they were business partners
until his death, which occurred in Kentland April 11, 1874. The remaining
children are: Samuel Parker, who died in infancy; Greenberry W. , our sub-
ject; Oliver, a farmer near Kearney, Nebraska; Almira, now Mrs. R. M.
Donnelly, of Henrietta, Texas; Emma; and Mary, now Mrs. Richard Allen,,
resides in Denison, Texas.

Greenberry W. McCray was born in Fayette county, Indiana, July 13,
1839, and with his father removed to Montgomery county in 1849. Here
he was reared on a farm, receiving a business education in the common
schools and in Wabash College. In October, 1861, while out prospecting,
he purchased a farm in Iroquois ^ownship, Newton county, and in the follow-
ing spring settled thereon, tilling the soil with marked success until 1870,
when he removed to Kentland and with his brother Elmore was engaged in
the livery, agricultural and coal trade. After the death of Elmore our sub-
ject settled up the business and in December, 1875, he purchased one-third
interest in the Discount and Deposit Bank, at Kentland, and was chosen pres-
ident, which position he still holds. The bank owned large tracts of real
estate, and for many years Mr. McCray gave his principal attention to that
portion of the business, also dealt in live stock, and at the same time
looked after his private real-estate interests, and so was, and is yet, one of
the most active business men in the section of the state where he resides.

In politics Mr. McCray is an ardent Republican, but has never sought
office, as his business interests require all his time. He is a member of the
Presbyterian church and is a consistent temperance man, both by precept
and example, as he has never used liquor or tobacco in any form.

On March 6, 1862, Mr. McCray was united in marriage to Miss Martha
J. Galey, of Montgomery county, where her parents, Samuel S. and Eliza
(Vannice) Galey, were pioneers. She was born March 25, 1842. Mr. and
Mrs. McCray have three children: Fannie, wife of Frank A. Comparet;
Warren T.; and Annie, — all residents of Kentland.

CHARLES PULLIN.

Prominently identified with the farming and stock interests of Jasper
county, Mr. PuUin resides at Surrey Station, where he carries on an exten-
sive business in shipping cattle, sheep and hogs. The career of this man,
who by his own efforts has risen from a state of comparative poverty to one
of independence, and has become a successful and influential citizen, is a
striking illustration of what may be accomplished by industry, perseverance

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 707

and the wise use of the faculties with which almost every man is endowed.
As an object-lesson to the youth just starting out in life, it cannot fail to be
of profit.

Mr. Pullin was born in Champaign county, Ohio, September 22, 1839,
and was reared on a farm. He had no advantages of schooling, but had
taken such opportunities as have come to him, and has been a careful ob-
server of what was going on about him, and in that way has acquired a prac-
tical education, which has stood him in good stead in a business way. His
father, William Pullin, was the son of Samuel Pullin, who came to America
from England at a very early day. He located first in Virginia, subsequently
going to Ohio, where he spent the remainder of his life, working at his trade
as a cooper. Our subject has a cooper's adze which belonged to his grand-
father, and which he keeps as a relic. Samuel Pullin was said to be a man of
great courage, and was well suited to a pioneer life. His children were ten in
number: Eliza, Hannah and Rebecca, all deceased; Elizabeth, Mary and
Charles; William, Elias and Archibald, all deceased; and Joseph.

William Pullin was born in Virginia and grew to manhood in Ohio,
where he married and began farming. In 1841 he removed to Illinois, where
he remained but one year. He was of a roving disposition, and spent the
most of his time, from the date given until 1855, in moving about from Ohio
to Illinois and Indiana, and back again. His final location was in Cham-
paign county, Ohio, where his death occurred in June, 1855. The following year
the family returned to Jasper county, Indiana, where they had before resided for
a time, and there rented a farm. Their means was entirely exhausted in
consequence of their frequent changes of locality, and they experienced many
hardships and privations. A cook stove and a cow were borrowed from a
neighbor, and the stove was lost on the way to Indiana. In spite of all these
difficulties, the devoted mother kept her little family of children together,
and worked for their support until they were able to care for themselves.
In this she was assisted by her son, the subject of this sketch, and after his
marriage she was given a home with him, where she was tenderly cared for
until the fall before her death, which occurred April 5, 1888, at the good old
age of seventy-four years. She was a loving and devoted mother, and con-
sistent member of the Christian church. Her children were: John, a farmer
in Jasper county; Charles N. ; William Newton, who learned the black-
smith's trade and was for three years in government employ; he has trav-
eled around the world, and his present whereabouts are unknown; and Eliza
J., who died in Ohio. The mother's maiden name was Barbara Balsman.

Charles Pullin is emphatically a self-made man. As a boy he labored
under every disadvantage and it was only after a hard struggle that he made
his first venture in a business way, which was the purchase of a small drove

708 BIOGRAFHICdL HISTORY.

of hogs that he was lucky enough to sell at a good profit. With this money
he purchased half of a forty-acre tract of land, his brother agreeing to take
the other half, but as the latter was unable to pay his share Charles finally
took the whole of it. Here he began raising hogs and was so successful that
he kept adding to his original purchase until now his farm contains five
hundred acres. On this he has built a commodious residence, two large
barns and outhouses and has set out four fine orchards on his farm. In 1878
he began buying and shipping stock in which, as in all his other enterprises,
he has been unusually successful.

In 1895 Mr. Pullin bought four acres of land and built a comfortable
house with barns, scales and all necessary appliances for his business. This
was occupied by his son until in March, 1898, when he moved to it himself.
Mr. Pullin now rents his farm, which is a valuable property consisting of tim-
ber, pasture and cultivated land, all well watered and admirably adapted
to agriculture, lying in the fertile valley of the Iroquois river. Most of this
land was cleared by his own hands and he worked hard to put it under the im-
provement which it now shows.

Mr. Pullin's first wife was Miss Sarah E. Hinkle, who was born and
reared in Jasper county, where her father's family were among the early set-
tlers. Her mother was the daughter of John McCurtin, who emigrated
from Virginia to Ohio and thence to Indiana and was one of the first set-
tlers in Jasper county. He broke the road from Lafayette to Renssalaer.
Henry Hinkle came from Ohio and was married in Jasper county. He was
a farmer. Of his children two died in infancy and Mrs. Pullin was the only
one who grew to mature years. She was a good wife and mother and a mem-
ber of the United Brethren church. She died March 28, 1883, leaving six
children: William N., who lives in the state of Washington; Amanda
married L. Wriniker and is deceased; Alice Janette is the wife of Robert
Shook, of Jasper county; and Winnifred H., Emmett and Joseph are at
home.

In 1885 Mr. Pullin was united in marriage to Mrs. Rhoda Florence,
widow of Isaiah Florence, a farmer, who died in 1876, leaving two children,
William O. and Mary, both of whom grew to maturity. Mrs. Pullin is the
daughter of William and Margaret (Mackey) Williams, born in Kentucky and
married in Johnson county, Indiana. They settled in Jasper county in 1850,
and there bought a farm and began its improvement, the father, however,
passing away in 1856. His wife is still living, and resides on the old home-
stead. She is now seventy-five years of age, but is active, and is a devoted
member of the United Brethren church. The children of this couple were
Samuel, Joseph, William A. (who died in infancy) and Rhoda, wife of our
subject. Mrs. Williams married a second time, and by her union to Henry

BIOGRJPEICAL HISTORY. 709

Hinkle became the mother of five children: Wesley, Martha, Margaret, Ada
and Marjorie.

Mr. Pullin was for many years a Democrat, but lately has become an in-
dependent, working for the man he considers best qualified for office. He
has never been anxious to hold office himself, although he has filled some of
the official positions in the township. He is a man of undoubted integrity,
honorable in all his dealings, and looks upon his success in life as something
for which he has worked hard, and for which he should be thankful.

NATHANIFX M. GEHRIS.

The postmaster of Walnut Grove, and one of the old residents of Prairie
township, Warren county, is the gentleman whose name begins this article.
It is not definitely known whether his ancestors were Russian or Prussian,
but certain it is that the family of which he is a sterling representative is an
old one in the United States, its founder here having come to America prior
to the war of the Revolution. The paternal great-grandfather of Nathaniel
M. was one of the pioneers of Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, and his
son Peter, the grandfather of our subject, is distinctly remembered by the
latter, who was a child of six years at the time of his aged relative's death.
The parents of Nathaniel M. were Samuel and Juda (Miller) Gehris, the
father born in 1794 and the mother two years previously. The father lived
to be about eighty-six years of age, but the mother, who was of English
descent, was but fifty-two at the time of her demise.

Nathaniel M. Gehris was born April 24, 1832, in Montgomery county,
Pennsylvania, the home of many past generations of his kin, and with his
three brothers and two sisters grew to maturity. Only one brother, Benja-
min, and a half-sister, Emma, both of Reading or vicinity, survive. When
he was a lad of nine years little Nathaniel went to live with a family in his
native county, and remained with them until he was sixteen. He then began
learning the blacksmith's trade near Reading, which occupation he followed
most of the time for twenty-seven years. October 3, 1850, the young man.
arrived in Warren county, in company with John V. High and another
friend, and opened a shop on Pine creek. There he worked for a time, and
then located in Rainsville, and after some months had elapsed he established
a shop on the prairie, not far from his present home, and combined black-
smithing with agricultural pursuits. By degrees he worked his way upward
to an assured competence and standing. The first land which came into his
possession was a small tract of ten acres of timber, and a short time after-
ward he was enabled to purchase one hundred and five acres more of similar
property. Subsequently he sold this and invested the proceeds in an eighty-

710 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

acre tract of prairie land, of which he also disposed, and bought eighty acres
of prairie and twenty-five acres of timber in its stead. At last he settled
down on the fine quarter-section farm which he now owns and cultivates,
and for a number of years he rented land, as well. His possessions were
added to from time to time, until he now owns three hundred and twenty
acres of the productive land of Prairie township. For many years he has
been a merchant and postmaster of Walnut Grove.

May 27, 1852, Mr. Gehris married Miss Anna Rockinfield, whose parents
were among the first settlers of Logansport, Indiana. Mrs. Gehris died
March 3, 1872. Of the children born to this marriage Eliza Jane died Au-
gust 17, 1874, and Sarah Ellen died November 3, 1871, when in her fifteenth
year. Those who survive are Henrietta, Rosa Ann, Susan Alice and Nathan
R. December 13, 1874, Mr. Gehris married Lydia E. Hurst, a native of
Warren county, Indiana, born in 1850. With her parents she removed to
Benton county, Indiana, where she was reared. Mrs. Gehris departed this
life October 8, 1876, and left a daughter, Rebecca Mary. March 27, 1879,
Mr. Gehris wedded Mrs. Mary M. Herren, whose maiden name was Johnson.
She was born in Fountain county and reared in Benton county, Indiana, and
by her first marriage has two children, Anna B. and Sarah B., and by her
union with our subject has one son, Charles Johnson.

For about thirty years Mr. Gehris was a justice of the peace, and in his
own township he has taken a leading part in public improvements. He was
specially interested in the construction of two good gravel roads, and super-
vised the same in an official capacity, and was adjuster of taxes to pay for
the cost of the turnpikes. He has lent his influence to the betterment of our
local schools, and has discharged his duty as a voter independently.

THOMAS A. CROCKETT.

This well-known and representative farmer of Marion township, Jasper
county, is a descendant of early settlers of that county and an honored vet-
eran of the civil war. His parents were Mordecai and Caroline (Lamson)
Crockett, both natives of Indiana.

Mordecai Crockett was employed, after his marriage, in Yount's woolen
mills at Wabash, where he remained until 1848, then removing to Kokomo,
Howard county, where he took up government land and made some improve-
ments. In 1852 he came to Jasper county, entering land and finally owning
some four hundred acres, which he converted into a valuable farm. He was
an industrious and energetic man, a good farmer and trader, and carried on
stock raising in addition to his other work. He was well and favorably
known, was honest in all his dealings, and was a good citizen. He died Au-

BIOGRAPHIC AL HISTORY. 711

gust 29, 1838, leaving his little family to the care of their mother, who brought
up her children to revere the memory of their father and to follow in his foot-
steps. In order to give the children better opportunities for an education
Mrs. Crockett moved to Rensselaer, where she lived eight years, afterward
returning to her farm, but spent her last days at Rensselaer, her death taking
place January 9, 1889. She was a faithful wife, a loving mother and a worthy
member of the Presbyterian church.

Mrs. Crockett's father, Thomas W. Lamson, came from Ohio to Indiana
in pioneer times, and was a farmer by occupation. He was married near
Lebanon, Ohio, and lived there until 1824, when he moved to Crawfords-
ville, Indiana. He remained in that place until 185 1, when he came to Jas-
per county, where he died November 11, 1864, his wife surviving him until
October 19, 1875. They were members of the Presbyterian church. Their
family comprised the following children: Eleazer, Caroline, Hanna, Daniel
and Amos. To Mr. and Mrs. Crockett were born six children, namely:
Thomas A., our subject; David B., a soldier in the civil war, who died while
in service; Sarah A., now Mrs. Frederick Riesling; William W., a carpenter
in Fall City, Nebraska; Mary, the wife of Harvey Wood, of Jasper county;
and Charles A., a merchant in Olathe, Kansas.

Thomas A. Crockett was born in Montgomery county, Indiana, March
3, 1842, and spent his boyhood days on his father's farm, after the death of
the latter going to Rensselaer, with his mother, when he was fourteen years
old. Then he completed his education, and in 1862, when a youth of only
twenty years, he enlisted as a soldier in the civil war, becoming a member
of Company A, Eighty-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry, under Colonel
Hammond. His regiment was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland,
under command of General Sherman, and he saw much hard service in that
famous march to the sea. At the battle of Chickamauga Mr. Crockett was
wounded in the ankle on the last day of the fight, and was sent to hospital
No. 10, at Nashville, and from there to New Albany, where he received a
twenty-day furlough and went home. At the expiration of his leave of
absence he returned to his regiment and overtook his command at Atlanta,
and went through the remainder of the campaign. At the time of General
Lee's surrender at Richmond, his division was at Raleigh, North Carolina,
and marched from there to Washington, D. C. , where it took part in that
wonderful grand review of all the returning troops. The regiment was then
mustered out and Mr. Crockett received his honorable discharge at Indian-
apolis, June 22, 1865.

After his return home our subject resumed work on his mother's farm
until his marriage February 3, 1871, when he began on his own account on
a part of the old homestead which was made over to him. On this he made

712 BIOGRJPEICAL HISTORY.

many improvements, such as buildings, etc., and also has bought another
farm in Millroy township. Mrs. Crockett, whose maiden name was Mary
Reed, was a daughter of James K. and Jane Reed, the former born in Ohio
of Irish and German descent, and the^latter of English ancestry. They were
pioneer settlers of Wabash, Indiana, where both died, the father October 19,
1862, and the mother July 22, 1852. They had three children: Mary, wife
of our subject; Alfred and Alpheus.

To Mr. and Mrs. Crockett four children have been born: James M., liv-
ing in South Dakota; Caddie (Mrs. McCord); Robert E. and George E., at
home. Both parents are members of the Methodist church, and Mr. Crockett
belongs to Post No. 84, G. A. R., at Rensselaer. He is a stanch Democrat
and an honored and respected citizen.

ROBERT S. DRAKE.

This successful and progressive agriculturist and stock-raiser of Jasper
county, is a native of Ohio, where he was born March 16, 1856, his parents
being Zachariah and Elizabeth (Miller) Drake, both of that state. Jacob
Drake, the grandfather, emigrated to America from England with his father
and two brothers, part of them settling in Pennsylvania and the others going
to some of the southern states. Jacob followed the different trades of tan-
ner, saw miller and farmer, and finally located in Ohio, where he died. He
attained prominence in his line of work and was well and favorably known.
His son, Zachariah, was born in Springfield, Ohio, December 5, 1820, at
which time that city had but few houses. His boyhood was spent on a farm
and when twelve years old his mother died, after which he was taken in
charge by an uncle, with whom he remained until 1856, and then moved to
Delaware county, Indiana. In 1S65, he went to White county, where he
bought a farm, and later moved to Monon, where he died in 1873. His
wife survived him and passed away October 10, 1895. She was a daughter
of Thomas Miller, a farmer of Ohio who was of German descent, his family
having originally come from Pennsylvania. He and his wife were zealous
members of the Reformed church. They had six children, namely: Elizabeth,
mother of our subject; Robert; Christiana, now Mrs. Nickey; Mary J. (Mrs.
Steine); Abraham; Margaret (Mrs. Newman); and Sarah (Mrs. Bathrop).
The grandfather died in 1836 and his wife was again married, her second
husband being Judge Dunn, a prominent lawyer, by whom she had three
children — Joseph, Frances and Thomas. Mr. Drake's father died in 1873.

To Mr. and Mrs. Zachariah Drake the following children were born: Sarah
E. (Mrs. Leeds); Robert S., our subject; Martha (Mrs. Morton); Ada (Mrs.

BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY. 713

Middlestat); and Emma (Mrs. Stimson). The parents were members of the
Presbyterian church and an estimable couple.

Robert S. Drake was reared upon his father's farm remaining there until
thirty years of age, and after the death of his father he took entire charge of
the place, paid off the debts and helped his mother in the care and education
of the other children. In 1886 Mr. Drake was married to Miss Jessie L.
Lowe and settled on the place where he now resides. This property he has
put under a fine state of cultivation, having tiled it and made many modern
improvements. The first house which he built was destroyed by fire and he
has since erected a commodious dwelling, which stands on a hill whence a
fine view of the surrounding country is had. The entire place gives evidence
of careful management. Mr. Drake gives considerable attention to stock-
raising, feeding and shipping cattle, and has made a success of the business.
He has two children: Hazel, born April 15, 1887; and Ola M., born April
25, 1897.

Mrs. Drake was born in White county, Indiana, March 13, 1865, and is
a daughter of Hugh and Eleanor (Wilson) Lowe, the former a native of Vir-
ginia, who came to White county at a very early day. He became a large
land-owner and extensive cattle dealer and is a prominent and well-known
citizen of White county, where he still resides. His first wife, who was an
excellent woman and a consistent member of the Presbyterian church, died
in 1873, leaving five children, namely: Lila S. ; Charles, a farmer; Jessie
L., wife of our subject; Mary (Mrs. Gray); and Hugh, a farmer. The father
married a second time, but no children were born of this union.

Mr. Drake is a Republican in politics and takes an active interest in
party affairs. He was elected township trustee and is now filling that office
with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of the community. He is a
member of Lodge No. 524, I. O. O. F., of Monon, in which he has filled all
the chairs and is also a member of the grand lodge.

VINCENT R. CRABB.

A worthy representative of an old and highly honored family of Warren
county is Vincent R. Crabb, a farmer of Prairie township. Few families,
indeed, have such a record as patriots as has the one to which he belongs, for
of eight brothers all but the youngest fought and suffered for their country
and the preservation of her honor, and two of the seven laid down their lives
that the Union might be maintained. Of the others, several have borne
severe wounds and through long, weary years have suffered untold miseries
as the result of their heroic devotion to duty and love for their native land.

The proud father of these noble sons was Vincent M. Crabb, to whose

714 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

teachings must be attributed much of the spirit which manifested itself in the
deeds of his sons. From their childhood they must have had instilled into
their youthful minds the idea that all personal considerations should weigh as
nothing when duty and one's country call, for they were all eager and anxious
to go to the front in the hour of the nation's danger. Vincent M. Crabb came
of the sturdy old Scotch stock, and one can well believe that his ancestors
must have been of those who rallied around Bruce and Wallace, in their
struggles that Scotland might be free and independent. Vincent M. Crabb
married Hannah Rowen, whose lineage was traced to Germany, and some of
the most notable and worthy characteristics of the sons of the Fatherland
•descended to her eight manly sons. In 1S44 the Crabb family removed to
Jasper county, Indiana, and two years later settled in Benton county, whence,
in 1848, they came to Prairie township, Warren county. Here the wife and
mother died in February, 1854, and later the father married Catherine Sar-
gent, by whom he had three children, all now deceased. Mr. Crabb lived in
Benton county from the date of his second marriage until his death, in 1869.
His two daughters are Mrs. Rachel C. Sigler, of Boswell, and Mrs. Elizabeth
Larch, of Perry township, Warren county.

The eldest brother of our subject, John W. , nov,' a resident of Idaho,
was a captain of Company A, First Missouri Infantry, in the war of the
Rebellion. Jarrett, the next brother, whose home is now in Kansas, served
in the One Hundred and Thirteenth Illinois Infantry. Joseph, now of Cali-
fornia, served in the Twentieth Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and
was seriously wounded at the battle of White Oak Swamp, near Richmond.
Andrew J. also enlisted in the Twentieth Indiana, was wounded at the battle
of Bull Run, and on the 2d of July, 1863, received mortal wounds at Gettys-
burg, his death resulting on the 20th of the following September. George W.
was a member of the Sixtieth Indiana Volunteer Infantry for nearly three
years, and then re-enlisted in the Eighty-sixth Indiana Regiment. At the
■close of that regiment's term of enlistment he was transferred to the Fifty-
first Indiana, and continued engaged in the service of the government until
January, 1866, when he was honorably discharged. At present his residence
is in Fowler, Benton county, this state. Ira N. volunteered in the One Hun-
dred and Fifteenth Indiana and died of disease contracted in the service, in
Louisville, Kentucky, in January, 1865. The youngest brother, Dr. James
N., is a prominent and successful physician of Millville, California.

Vincent R. Crabb was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, Decembers,
1838, and from his boyhood was engaged in agricultural pursuits. In
August, 1 86 1, he enlisted in Company D, Eighty-sixth Regiment of Indiana
Volunteer Infantry, and upon the organization of the same was made first
duty sergeant. He took part in the hard-fought battles of Perryville, Ken-

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 715

tucky; Rural Hill, Tennessee, and other encounters with the enemy, and at
the battle of Murfreesboro, December 31, 1S62, he was so badly wounded
that he was never able thenceforward to resume his place in the ranks. On
the afternoon of that memorable and dreadful day he was in the thickest of
the fight, and for a short time appeared to be the favorite target of the foe.
First, a minie-ball grazed his forehead, but stopping not for this, he con-
tinued bravely in his place until he was struck by a ball in the right arm, near
the shoulder. This ball broke his arm and, immediately following, another
bullet entered his right side, and passed through his body, emerging under
the shoulder-blade at the back. Then a shell exploded near him and a
fragment of steel struck his right arm, breaking the bone below the elbow,
and still another fateful bullet found him out, striking him in the right thigh.
His numerous and severe injuries, and the permanent trouble resulting from
them, allow him to be rated on the pension rolls as though he had actually
lost his right arm, as it was feared for a long time that he must certainly do.
The arm was not amputated, but has been permanently disabled, so much so
that it is justly considered equivalent to loss of the member, and the govern-
ment pays but small interest on its debt of gratitude when it turns over to
him thirty-six dollars a month (and an additional sum of fifty dollars every
three years, the price of an artificial arm) as pension money. Mr. Crabb is
an honored member of Garfield Post No. 32, Grand Army of the Republic,
and is an ardent Republican in politics.

The marriage of Mr. Crabb and Miss Catherine Graham was solemnized
December 7, 1876. They commenced housekeeping on the farm owned by
Mr. Crabb, and this place he has managed to keep under cultivation, by the
aid of hired help, as needed. Mrs. Crabb was born in Tippecanoe county,
Indiana, June 9, 1844, a daughter of Samuel Graham. She was a true and
loving helpmate to her husband, sharing and lightening his burdens, and
when, on the 30th of March, 1895, after three and a half years of illness she
was called to the silent land, the blow was a crushing one to her little family.
Mr. and Mrs. Crabb lost a son in infancy, and three of their children survive,
namely: Wilmer G., Edmond B. and Luella L.

CHESTER W. WICKWIRE.

Mr. Wickwire, who at present holds the office of sheriff of Newton
county, where he has resided for twenty-five years, was born in La Salle
county, Illinois, May 17, 1858, a son of Newton and Elizabeth (Crandall)
Wickwire, the former of whom was born in Connecticut, in August, 18 18,
and was eleven years old when his father died. He went to New York and
a few years later removed to Kendall county, Illinois, where he worked as a

716 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

farm hand. He was first married in New York state to a Miss Taylor, who
accompanied him to Illinois, where she died, leaving four children, the
eldest of whom, Clark O., was a soldier in the civil war and died while fight-
ing for the Union. The other three children died while young. His second
wife was Miss Crandall, and they lived in Illinois until 1873, when they
moved to Indiana and settled in Newton county. He now resides in Good-
land. Mrs. Wickwire was a native of Canada and died about 1870, having
been the mother of four children: Frances M., the wife of George Linfoot,
of Chicago; Elnora I., who married Albert Wild, of Goodland, Indiana;
Chester W., our subject; and Clara J., the wife of George Sims, of Good-
land. The third wife of Mr. Wickwire was Miss Margaret Liscom, by whom
he had three children: Nellie C. and Frederick, deceased, and Dora, who
lives at home. By his fourth union no children have been born.

Mr. Wickwire has followed farming and stock-raising and is a well known
horseman. He has a farm of nine hundred and sixty acres, within two
miles of Goodland, and he also has a good house in that town, where he
resides while continuing to look after his farm land. In politics he is a
Republican and always takes an interest in local affairs. He is not a mem-
ber of any religious or civic societies, but has always been an honest, con-
scientious and hard-working man, and an economical and shrewd manager,
having by his individual efforts earned every dollar he owns.

Chester W. Wickwire was sixteen years old when the family settled in
Newton county. He acquired his education in the public shools of Illinois
and Goodland and remained at home until twenty-two years old, when he
married and took charge of his father's farm, the latter having moved into
town. Since attaining his majority he has taken an active part in local
politics and has always been numbered among the party workers, having
been a delegate to numerous district, county and state conventions. In 1896
he was chosen by his party as candidate for sheriff, and was duly elected,
entering upon his duties November 18. He was renominated by acclamation
and was again elected in November, 1898. He carried every precinct in the
county, and had a larger majority than any other candidate on the ticket.

Socially Mr. Wickwire is a charter member of Goodland Lodge No. 141,
K. of P., in which order he has filled all the chairs and has been its repre-
sentative in the grand lodge.

On January i, 1880, Mr. Wickwire was united in marriage to Miss Tillie
Hayer, a daughter of Oliver and Julia Hayer, who was born January 13,
1857, in La Salle county, ten miles from the birthplace of her husband. Her
parents still reside on a farm in that county. To Mr. and Mrs. Wickwire
three children have been born, nameh': Newton O., Russell W. and
Vernie F.

BIOGRJPEICAL HISTORY. 717

DAVID WELDON.

One of the prominent agriculturists of Jefferson township, Newton coun-
ty, is David Weldon, whose residence on his present homestead dates back
some sixteen years. A native of Will county, Illinois, born November i6,
1843, he is a son of John and Bridget (Mead) Weldon, who were of Irish
birth. Subsequently to their marriage, in 1828, they emigrated to the
United States, and for some time resided in the state of New York, where
the father worked as a laborer, and at one time made some rails for the
father of the celebrated General Halleck.

In 1842 the worthy couple removed to Chicago and later occupied a
claim near Plainfield, Illinois. Selling out, in 1848, Mr. Weldon removed to
Grundy county, same state, where he entered four hundred acres of land and
improved a farm. There he dwelt until 1877, when a favorable opportunity
of selling the place presented itself, and as Mrs. Weldon had died the pre-
vious year, Mr. Weldon disposed of the property. Later he improved farms
in Benton and Newton counties, Indiana, but his last years were passed with
his children. He died December 10, 1897, at the ripe age of ninety years.
One of the most noteworthy periods of his Hfe was a few years prior to and
during the civil war, when, filled with intense sympathy for the slaves, and
as agent for the "underground railroad," he sheltered and protected them
on many an occasion. His feeling on this subject led to his enrolling him-
self under the new party banner, for he hoped that the Republicans would
soon put an end to the hateful condition of affairs in the south. He was an
active and loyal worker in the interests of his party, attending all of the con-
ventions, and it was a matter of great pride to him that he was a delegate to
the Chicago convention which nominated Abraham Lincoln to the presidency
the first time. He held minor offices in his locality, and was a justice of the
peace for some time. Both he and his wife were reared in the faith of the
Catholic church.

The intense patriotism of the father was reflected in his sons, three of
whom suffered in the defense of the Union. The eldest, James, who was
first lieutenant of a company in the Fifty-fifth Illinois Volunteers, was shot
at the battle of Shiloh, and, returning home, died. John, the second son,
also was a member of the gallant Fifty-fifth; and Margaret, the eldest daugh-
ter, was the wife of Captain Tim Slattery, of the same regiment. Thomas,
the third son, was a soldier in the One Hundred and Twenty-seventh Illinois,
was wounded at the battle of Mission Ridge, and for eighteen years carried
a bullet in his leg, but at last succeeded in having it extracted. His death
occurred in May, 1899. The two younger children were Catherine, Mrs. C.
McNown; and Nancy, Mrs. F. Simons. \'ienna township, where the broth-

718 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

ers enlisted, had a remarkable record, for it furnished more soldiers than it
had ever had votes.

His elder brothers all being away fighting the battles of their country,
David Weldon, the youngest son, was obliged to stay at home and assist
his father in the labors of the farm. He remained in Grundy county after his
marriage and later owned farms in Livingston and Iroquois counties, Illinois.
In 1883 he came to his present home, where he has one hundred and twenty
acres. He has placed considerable tiling, has remodeled the house and
built a barn, and in other ways made a desirable homestead of the property,
which is situated three and a half miles southwest of Kentland.

David Weldon chose for his wife Miss Caroline McNown, daughter of
Hugh and Margaret (Stewart) McNown, all of Canada, and of Scotch-
Irish descent. In 1865, the parents bought a farm in Grundy county, Illi-
nois, and there spent their declining days, the father dying in March, 1895,
at the advanced age of ninety-one, and the mother dying in November,
1885. They were Presbyterians in religious faith. Their children comprised
James, Charles, William, Mary (who married Mr. Moore), Mrs. Weldon,
Robert, and Archie, who is still living in Canada. Robert, a member of the
Thirty-sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry in the civil war, died, after he had
returned home, from the effects of imprisonment and hardship. Four chil-
dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. David Weldon: Olive, now the wife of
Henry Carson, a farmer; Budd and Mabel, at home; and Ridgley, who mar-
ried Millie Cobley and owns a livery at Raub.

Fraternally, Mr. Weldon stands high in the Odd Fellows and Masonic
orders. He is an uncompromising Republican, and endeavors to perform
his whole duty as a patriotic citizen. While a resident of Livingston county
he served as commissioner of the county, and held a similar position as well
as that of school trustee in Iroquois county. Since coming to this township
he filled the unexpired term of a trustee, and has been regularly elected his
own successor to the office since 1895. He and his wife are identified
with the Presbyterian church, and all worthy causes receive their loyal
support.

HARVEY W. WOOD.

Harvey W. Wood, who has been identified with the farming interests of
Jasper county for many years, was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, April
17, 1838, and spent his early youth on a farm, receiving his schooling in the
district schools of the vicinity. Upon attaining manhood he went to Mis-
souri but subsequently -returned to Ohio, and in 1861 enlisted for three
months in an Ohio company, but the quota being supplied he did not serve.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 719

In August, 1862, he enlisted for three years in Company K, Ninety-third
Ohio Infantry, which was attached to the Army of the Cumberland under
General Rosecrans and was in many fiercely contested battles. At Chicka-
mauga his left leg was shattered by a shell and he was confined to the hos-
pital at Chattanooga, going from there to Bridgeport and later to Murfrees-
boro. He was then given a furlough and returned home for a time, subse-
quently reporting for duty at Columbus, whence he went to Camp Dennison,
where he was mustered out May 12, 1865. He then remained in Ohio and
for several years was obliged to walk on crutches, as a result of his wound
received in battle.

In 1866 Mr. Wood came to Indiana and located in Jasper county, where
he engaged in the cattle business, continuing the same for several years. In
1871 he settled on a farm, but subsequently sold out, together with his cat-
tle business, and removed to Rensselaer, where he was elected to the office
of recorder, a position he filled for eight years. During this time he bought
a small tract of land, to which he has added until he now has about five hun-
dred acres, which he has remodeled, improved and ditched, and on which he
has built a commodious house, with barns and other out-buildings, constitut-
ing a most desirable farm and comfortable home, five miles southeast of
Rensselaer. He is a strong Republican and takes a deep interest in all pub-
lic affairs.

In 1 87 1 Mr. Wood was united in marriage to Miss Mary C. Crockett,
who was born in Howard county, Indiana, September 22, 1850, a daughter
of Mordecai and Caroline (Lamson) Crockett. Her father was born April
29, 1816, and was married in Montgomery county, March 27, 1840, to Miss
Caroline Lamson, who was born March 26, 18 16. He worked in a woolen-
mill until about 1846, when he moved to Kokomo, Howard county, and in
1852 came to Jasper county, entered some land, to which he added more by
purchase and was obtaining an excellent start in farming and stock-raising
when he died, in 1854. His wife survived him and in order to give the chil-
dren a better education took them to Rensselaer, where she remained eight
years, and then returned to Howard county, but some years later returned to
Rensselaer, and while visiting her children in the west her death took place,
January 9, 1889. She was a consistent and active member of the Presby-
terian church. Of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Crockett, the following
mention is made: Thomas A. served in the civil war; David B. also fought
in the rebellion; Sarah A. married F. Riesling; William W. ; Mary C. be-
came the wife of our subject; and Charles A.

The children of our subject are: John P., attending a dental college at
Chicago, Illinois; Mabel; Milton V., attending school at Rensselaer; Harvey
W. , Jr., at home; Mary S., Chauncey H. and Letha J. Mr. and Mrs. Wood

720 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

are members of the Methodist church. Socially our subject is affiliated with
the Masonic fraternity and has served as master of Prairie Lodge, No. 125,
at Rensselaer, and he belongs to Post No. 87, G. A. R.

John Wood, father of our subject, was a native of Virginia and a son of
John Wood, who was of English and French descent. The latter moved to
Illinois, where he followed farming until his death. His son was reared in
Virginia and came to Ohio when a young man and settled in Montgomery
county, where he engaged in farming the rest of his life, his death occurring
in April, 1871. Remarried Miss Saloma Razor, who was born in Ohio and
still survives her husband. She is a daughter of Daniel Razor, who was
born in Pennsylvania of German ancestors, and who moved to Ohio at an
early day, where he conducted a distillery and a large farm. He was a
member of the Dunkard church and was a man of honor and ability. To
Mr. and Mrs. John Wood were born the following children: Elizabeth;
Sarah A.; Aldeba; Eli; Harvey W., our subject; Mary; John H., who served
in the civil war; Jennie; Clara, deceased; Clayton, deceased; Melissa; Charles
W., deceased; Loretta and Justin. Mrs. Wood is a member of the Method-
ist church, and, at the ripe age of eighty-six, she now resides in White coun-
ty, Indiana.

GEORGE M. ROBINSON.

Among the Indiana appointments made for postmasters in the spring of
1898 was that of George M. Robinson as postmaster of Rensselaer. He
lived to serve but a brief time, his death occurring on December 28, 1898,
causing a vacancy in the office and a loss that is deeply felt in the commun-
ity of which he was an honored resident.

A native of the Buckeye state, Mr. Robinson was descended from ances-
tors who were among the early settlers of the eastern states. His father,
Joseph Robinson, was born in New York state, January 2, 1815. He was a
cooper by trade, but during the greater part of his life was engaged in agri-
cultural pursuits. Leaving his New York home, he came west to Ohio and
settled in Summit county, where he worked at his trade and farmed until
1864, in which year he came over into Indiana and took up his abode on a
farm one mile east of Rensselaer, where he spent the rest of his life, his
death here occurring in 1887. Joseph Robinson's father was Edward Robin-
son, a native of Rhode Island, who moved to Ohio at an early day and lived
successively in Washington, Medina and Summit counties, and died in the
last named county in 1834, at the age of forty-nine years. His wife, whose
maiden name was Martha Capron, was likewise a native of Rhode Island.
Joseph Robinson married Miss Louetta Aldrich, daughter of Levi W. and

BIOGRAPHICAL BISTORT. 721

Waitsell Aldrich, of New Hampshire. Their union was blessed in the birth
of five children, namely: Charles L. , born July 29, 1838, was in the Union
army, a member of the Twenty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was
killed at Port Republic, June 9, 1862; Jane M., born July 3, 1840, is the
wife of Thomas Thompson, of Rensselaer; George M. is the subject of this
memoir; Oliver P., born December 7, 1845, is deputy sheriff of Jasper
■county; and Welcome, born October 16, 1848, is a resident of Hammond,
Indiana.

George M. Robinson was ushered into life in Summit county, Ohio,
May 5, 1844, and was reared to farm life, early shouldering his part of the
Avork and becoming familiar with every duty of the farm. His educational
advantages were, of course, not equal to those enjoyed by the youth of to-
day, but he improved his opportunities and in time acquired sufficient
knowledge to enable him to teach. After teaching for a time, he learned the
carpenter's trade and engaged in contracting and building, erecting a number
of houses.

Politically Mr. Robinson was always a stanch Republican. He spent a
number of years in public office and was well known throughout the county.
His first county office was that of sheriff, to which he was elected in 1876.
In 1878 he was re-elected, and thus was the incumbent of the sheriff's office
four years. In 1 882 he came out as a candidate for auditor, was elected, and
in 1886, was re-elected, for a second term, serving in all eight years, thus
rounding out a dozen years in county office. The fidelity with which he dis-
charged his duties brought him into public favor, and when, in April, 1898,
he v;as appointed by President McKinley to the position of postmaster of
Rensselaer the public was more than pleased, feeling assured that the office
had passed into competent and trustworthy hands.

Mr. Robinson married Miss Mary E. Catt, a native of Indiana, and they
reared a large family, fourteen children having been born to them, thirteen
of whom are living. Their family record is as follows: Gertrude, wife of D.
G. Warner, Rensselaer, has one child. Rex; Charles, also of Rensselaer, mar-
ried Maude Clark, and they have one child, Dephon; Floyd, who resides on
the old homestead, which is owned by Mr. Robinson, married Miss Cora
Landis; Frank, who died at the age of ten years; Mattie, wife of Fred
Phillips, of Rensselaer; May, wife of Charles Blue, also of Rensselaer, has one
child, Robert; and the following named at home: Verne, George, Clara
(who is assistant postmaster), lima, Harvey, Louis, Grace and John.

In fraternal as well as political circles, Mr. Robinson was popular. He
was one of the charter members of the Knights of Pythias, at Rensselaer,
which he has represented as district deputy, and for a number of years he was
identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

722 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Mr. Robinson had been in failing health for about a year prior to his
death, and he passed from earth's labors December 28, 1898, secure in the
respect and esteem of all who knew him and mourned by a large circle of
friends. He was a man of broad charity in judging his fellow men, was ge-
nial and courteous and was distinctly popular. His life record was one which
remains a priceless heritage to those nearest and dearest to him.

GEORGE S. BROWN.

One of the oldest and best known architects in Lafayette, where he has
resided for fifty-four years, is George S. Brown, who was born in Hamilton,
Ohio, October 18, 1835, a son of George and Margaret (Swaile) Brown. In
his early youth he attended private and select schools, after leaving which he
learned the carpenter and joiner's trade and followed the same for some
years. He then entered his father's office, where he studied architecture and
drawing, with which he later combined contracting, and has continued in
that line of endeavor ever since. He has seen Lafayette grow from a village
to its present size, and has erected a large number of the buildings here and
in the surrounding towns. He is competent and reliable, and throughout the
county has acquired an enviable reputation as an architect and builder.

Mr. Brown was married December 18, 1878, to Miss Annie R. Carley,
a daughter of John and Mary (Rea) Carley, and two children have resulted
from this union: Bessie, who died when about two years old; and Carl.
Mrs. Brown is a member of the First Presbyterian church.

Socially, our subject is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and, politic-
ally, he has always been a Republican, and, with the exception of his first
vote, which he cast for James Buchanan, he has always supported that party.
He served two terms as trustee of the Lafayette city water-works.

George Brown, the father of our subject, was a native of Ireland, where
he was born, near Belfast, in 1807. After attending the public schools he
came to America, at the age of sixteen years, and served an apprenticeship
as an architect in New York, subsequently becoming a builder and con-
tractor, working in various places in New York and Canada. In 1832, from
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, he floated down the river in a skiff to Cincinnati,
where he married Margaret Swaile, December 3, 1833, and he resided there
and at Hamilton, Ohio, until about 1843, when he came to Lafayette and
engaged in building and contracting up to 1865, when he retired. He built
a great many court-houses in this state and Ohio, and was known as " Court-
house Brown," on account of the number of court-houses he built. He died
in 1889, aged eighty-two years, his wife having passed away three months,
previously, at the age of seventy-five years. She was an Episcopalian, while

BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY. 723

he, although a believer in the Bible, was not a member of any church. His
mother was a Presbyterian and his father a Quaker. At one time he was a
member of the city council of Lafayette.

The paternal grandfather of our subject was James Brown, a native of
Ireland, who came to America in 1823, and lived many years in New York
state and Canada, finally coming to Indiana about 1850, and died in Oxford,
Indiana, at an advanced age. The maternal grandfather was William Swaile,
an officer in the British army, of whom all trace was lost after the battle of
Champlain. He was of Irish stock. His wife, whose maiden name was
Ann Foster, was born at Brighton, England, and moved from New York to
Cincinnatia^ where she reared her family.

MARION H. INGRIM.

Marion Hamline Ingrim comes of one of the old and honored families of
the south, several of his ancestors having distinguished themselves by the part
which they bore in the early colonial wars, and without exception they have
ever been ready to sacrifice their own personal interests to the cause in which
they believe, — to the community of which they are and have been patriotic
citizens.

In tracing the ancestry of M. H. Ingrim, of Winamac, it is found that
the founder of the Ingrim family in America was the Rev. Mr. Ingrim, who
was born in England in 171 1 and was one of the colony which accompanied
General Oglethorpe to this continent in 1732. Locating in Georgia, he was
actively engaged 'in the Spanish-American war of 1740-2, and assisted in
driving the Spaniards out of Georgia and Florida, and to the island of Cuba,
where they have been in practically undisturbed possession until the recent
war, when the United States once more meted out to the tyrannous Spaniard
somewhat of his long delayed punishment. Jeremiah, son of the minister
named above, won an honorable record in the war of the Revolution. Old
manuscripts testify to the fact that "he was a private in Captain John Webb's
company, Fifth and Eleventh Virginia Regiments, known also as the Eleventh
and Fifteenth Virginia Regiments, commanded by Colonel William Russell, of
the Revolutionary war; enlisted December 3, 1776, to serve three years;"
and on the roll for November, 1779, his name appears, with the words, "Dis-
charged December 3." His son, John Ingrim, the great-grandfather of the
subject of this sketch, apparently took his vacated place in the ranks of the
patriot army, for the records show that during 1780 and 1781 he "served in
Captain Gilbury McCay's company, Colonel Joseph Reed, Pennsylvania Vol-
unteers, Revolutionary war;" and at the close of that period received an
honorable discharge.

724 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

He was a native of Mrginia, and January 12, 1785, married Rebecca
Williams, whose birth had occurred in Scotland, and for some years this
worthy couple dwelt in Pennsylvania. Their son George, the next in the
direct line, was born in the Keystone state, January 4, 1789, and died at
Winamac, Indiana, September 2, 1844. His wife, Margaret, ncf Kinnear,
was born in Dublin, Ireland, and departed this life September i, 1844. Mar-
garet Kinnear was the daughter of Andrew and Mary (Delamar) Kinnear.
The Kinnears have the record of a high and honorable lineage, reaching back
for more than three hundred years, — to the Huguenots of France. Their an-
cestors (the Delamars) emigrated from France to Dundee, Scotland, and
lived there for one hundred years; thence to the banks of the river Shannon
in Ireland, where they settled and their descendants remained, honored and
influential citizens, for another hundred years, and toward the close of the
eighteenth century (in 1788) crossed over to America.

John N. Ingrim, the father of our subject, was born in Pennsylvania,
July 21, 1809, and was married in Ohio to Rebecca Mc Arthur, October 15,
1833. They removed to Indiana in 1842, and became prominent, respected
citizens of Winamac. The father was successfully engaged in merchandising
here for a number of years and served as postmaster for one term. He was
an active member in the Methodist church and was identified with the Ma-
sons and Odd Fellows. He passed into the silent land August 25, 1877, and
was survived a few years b}- his devoted wife, who was born August 25, 18 12,
and died in 1892.

The birth of Marion H. Ingrim occurred in Fairfield county, Ohio, Oc-
tober 12, 1834. He obtained a liberal education in the public schools and in
the printing offices in which he learned the trade that has commanded the
greater share of his time and energy since. In Louisville, Cincinnati, Chi-
cago, St. Louis and Memphis, he was employed at his chosen vocation, and
in 1859 he embarked in the publishing business upon his own account, at
Grenada, Mississippi. He was quite successful in his new enterprise, and
won a favorable reputation and a paying circulation for the newspaper which
he edited, it being known as the Grenada Locomotive.

When the civil war broke out, I^Ir. Ingrim, whose sympathies were on
the side of the south, enlisted in the company commanded by Captain Calvin
B. Vance, Battery A, Mississippi Light Artillery, Confederate Army, and
took part in numerous skirmishes and battles in Tennessee and Mississippi.
The chief ones were an encounter with the forces of General Hurlbut,
near Lagrange, Tennessee, in September, 1862; Corinth, Mississippi, Octo-
ber 3 and 4; and Chickasaw Bayou, December 30 and 31, of the same year,
and January i, 1863. Later he took part in the famous defense of Vicks-
burg, during the siege, and was made a prisoner of war when the city was

BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY. 725

surrendered to General Grant, July 4, 1863. After an exchange had been
effected for himself and twenty-eight thousand of his comrades, he was sent
to Alabama, but from that time until the close of the war he saw but lit-
tle very active campaigning.

In February, 1865, Mr. Ingrim came to Winamac and. purchased the
Winamac Herald from Judge George Burson. On the i6th of that month he
issued the first number of the paper since well known throughout this section
of the state as the Winamac Democrat. With the exception of a short period
during the '70s he has owned and published this journal regularly for about
thirty years. Its present title is the Winamac Democrat-Journal, the Jour-
nal having been consolidated with the Democrat by Mr. Ingrim just fifteen
years ago. The paper is edited in the interests of the Democratic party, and
presents the news, both foreign and local, in an attractive manner to the gen-
eral public, thus meriting the high praise and extensive patronage which it
enjoys.

In 1887 Mr. Ingrim was honored by being appointed to the position of
postmaster of Winamac by President Cleveland. Fraternally, he belongs to
the J. T. Liddell Camp, United Confederate Veterans, of Carrollton, Missis-
sippi. He is also affiliated with Winamac Lodge, No. 262, F. and A. M. ;
Winamac Lodge, No. 168, I. O. O. F.; Tippecanoe Chapter, Order of the
Eastern Star, and Sophronia Degree Lodge, Daughters of Rebekah. Relig-
iously he is a Methodist in faith, and is associated with the Winamac cliurch
as a member.

The first marriage of Mr. Ingrim was celebrated in Grenada, Mississippi,
February 28, 1861, Miss Argyra A. Moody becoming his bride. She was
called to her reward March 2, 1882, and of their three daughters two have
passed away. Nettie, the one surviving, is now the wife of L. A. Smith, the
well-known druggist of Winamac. On the 27th of May, 1887, Mr. Ingrim
married Miss Alice V. Drake, at Linden, Indiana, and one son, John, born
July 29, 1888, blesses their union.

GEORGE H. HEALEY.

The Brookston Gazette, published in Brookston, Indiana, is a bright,
newsy journal, devoted to the welfare of this community, fearlessly independ-
ent in politics and liberal in its aims. The editor of this well known and
esteemed newspaper has had considerable valuable experience in jour-
nalistic work, having mastered the printer's trade in his youth and gradually
worked his way upward through the various departments of the business
until he was, for two or three years, the editor of two newspapers.

A native of the Hoosier state, Mr. Healey is thoroughly identified with all

726 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

its interests. He was born in Rensselaer, November 14, 1872, being a son
of Colonel Joshua and Julia A. (Rowland) Healey. The father, who won
his title by meritorious service in the civil war, was a native of Canada,
while the mother's birth-place was in Cass county, Indiana. They were the
parents of five children, two of whom have passed away. Dora L. is the
wife of Frank B. Lyon, of Delphi, Indiana, and Maud J. resides in Rensselaer.
The father of the colonel was likewise a Canadian by birth, and up to the
time of his death, when seventy-two, he was exceedingly hale and hearty.
In his early manhood the colonel was engaged in newspaper work, but when
the war of the Rebellion came on he enlisted in Company G, Ninth Indiana
\'olunteer Infantry, and at the end of three months was promoted to the
rank of captain of his company. Later he was commissioned major of the
One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and still later
became the colonel of the One Hundred and Fifty-first Indiana Regiment.
His service was conspicuous for bravery and steadfast heroism, and during
the four years which he spent in the conflict between the north and south he
had numerous narrow escapes from death, was once wounded by a cannon
ball and at another time was seriously injured by his horse falling upon
him. Resuming his former enterprises at the close of the war, he was con-
nected with journalistic work for a number of years. Later he practiced law
at Rensselaer and Goodland, Indiana. His death took place in the last
named town, January 2, 18S0, when he was but forty-two years of age. His
widow, who survives him, resides in Rensselaer. She is a member of the
Christian church. Her father, William Howland, was an early settler of
Cass county, and for years, and until he was quite old, he was a school-
teacher, as well as a farmer.

The early years of George H. Healey were spent in Rensselaer, his
birth-place. He was a pupil in the common schools there until he embarked
in business life. In 1891 he went to Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, and later
to Middlesboro, Kentucky, working at the printer's trade during the year or
more of his stay in the south. Returning to Rensselaer, he soon set out for
the west, and the succeeding four years he passed in Missouri. In many re-
spects he preferred his native state, and he finally returned with the inten-
tion of remaining here permanently. Settling in Brookston, he became the
editor of the Brookston Reporter, which he published until July, 1898, then
disposing of the same. From October, 1897, to February, 1899, he was
editor of the Chalmers Ledger, also, but is now giving his entire time and at-
tention to the Brookston Gazette, which he founded on January i, 1899,
running in connection with it a job printing office.

June 14, 1893, Mr. Healey married Miss Stella Hough, a daughter of
Rev. M. T. Hough, a minister of the Christian church, in Tipton, Missouri.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 727

Henry, the first-born child of Mr. and Mrs. Healey, died at the age of
twenty-one months, and their other children are George and Vera.

Politically Mr. Healey uses his franchise in favor of the Republican
party. Fraternally he is a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the
Modern Woodmen of America.

SIMEON A. DOWELL.

Simeon A. Dowell, who has been a successful and well-known farmer
and stockman of Jasper county for a quarter of a century, was born in
Bartholomew county, Indiana, March 28, 1852, and received his education
in the common schools.

Mr. Dowell is a son of George and Elizabeth (Noblet) Dowell, the
former of whom was a native of Ohio and came to Indiana about 1846,
locating in Bartholomew county, where he engaged in farming. He bought
a tract of land, improved the same and continued working on it until
1 861, when he enlisted in Company C, Thirty-sixth Illinois Infantry, which
was assigned to the western army and participitated in many hard-fought
battles. His health being poor he was detailed to hospital duty and was
finally mustered out at Atlanta. He then returned to Illinois where he had
left his family, and after sojourning there for thirteen years he came to Jas-
per county. He was married in 1842 to Miss Elizabeth Noblet, a native of
Kentucky, and to them were born the following children: James and Nancy
J., deceased; Simeon A., our subject; Malinda (Mrs. Knight); and Harrison
O., who lives at Seymour, Indiana. George Dowell was a son of George and
Grace (Helms) Dowell, the former being a native of Virginia, and the latter
of Maryland. They were of Irish and German ancestry, respectively.

Simeon A. Dowell spent part of his youth in Illinois and has always
been engaged in farming. In 1872 he rented a farm in the Prairie state and
remained there until 1874, when he came to Jasper county and purchased a
farm in Barkley township, where he also handled stock. He subsequently
exchanged this farm for another, sold the latter and bought the one on which
he now lives in 1892. , It consists of two hundred and fifty-five acres, which
he now has under a good state of cultivation, tiled and ditched, and on this
land he has built a pleasant two-story frame house, with barns and other out-
houses attached. He deals to some extent in stock, which he raises and
ships to various parts of the country. His successful career is the direct
result of his ability, enterprise aud strict attention to business, and these qual-
ities have made him the architect of his own fortune.

The marriage of Mr. Dowell took place April 7, 1873, when he was
united to Miss Mary E. Tanner, a daughter of David and Eliza (Freeman)

728 BIOGRJPEICAL HISTORY.

Tanner, who were of German descent and who died in lUinois. Both were
members of the Baptist church. Mr. Tanner was twice married, the children
of his first union being: Mary E., wife of our subject; and Thomas, a farmer
in Jasper county. By his second wife he had the following: Maggie, who
married W. West; Lewis; William, a farmer; Lavina, who became Mrs. R.
Ader; and Almarinda, a school-teacher at Englewood, Chicago, where she
has been for eight years.

The following comprise the issue of our subject and his wife: Lotta
M.. wife of William Burns, a farmer; Clifford, Fred W. , Frank and Emmett,
the latter's birth occurring April lo, 1897.

Mr. Dowell was reared to the principles of the Republican party, in the
interests of which he has always been active and influential. In nominating
him for county commissioner in 1898, his party selected the right man in the
right place, for a man who has made a success of his own affairs will no
doubt know how to conduct those of the county.

BRAZILLIA F. FERGUSON.

The senior partner of the law firm of Ferguson & Wilson has been a
resident of Rensselaer, Indiana, for twenty years, and for ten of those years
he has been engaged in the real-estate business. He was born in Randolph
county, North Carolina, May 31, 1850, and is a son of George W. and
Nancy (Miller) Ferguson. His father was a native of North Carolina, where
he taught school and was also a merchant and a mechanic. In 1852 he
brought his family to Hamilton county, this state, and four years later moved
to Missouri, where they experienced many hardships and dangers incident to
events leading up to the war of the Rebellion. In 1859 they moved to
Johnson county, Kansas, where they remained until 1863 and then came to
Tippecanoe county, Indiana, where the father died at the age of forty-two
years. The mother was a native of Virginia and was thirty-six years old at
the time of her death, in Tippecanoe county, Indiana. There were three
children: Eliza, wife of William C. Haymond; Brazillia F., our subject;
and William H., a farmer of this county.

Mr. Ferguson received a good education, first attending the common
schools and then the college at Battle Ground. After this he taught for ten
years in this state. While thus engaged he was a close Bible student, and
fitted himself for a theological course. He became a minister of the Free
Baptist church, and for twenty-two years labored for the spiritual upbuilding
of his people. He was a pleasant, convincing speaker, and his ministry
was attended with many conversions. Religion to him was the cause of
unbounded happiness and peace, giving to his countenance an expression

/^(^:^^^^

.^^^^-.^y-^^t^

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 729

of smiling content often lacking in many scriptural teachers. He now
preaches an occasional sermon, although not regularly, and he is frequently
called on to speak the last word of comfort and hope at the burial of some
friend, while he is in great demand at weddings. Even during his ministry
he was interested in various business enterprises here, — first in a lumber
yard located at the stand now occupied by Paxton & Company, then as the
prime mover in securing electric lights for Rensselaer, and still later as one
of the most active and successful real-estate men in this vicinity. He first,
conducted the business alone, but found it necessary to take a partner to
properly care for the increasing custom, and he now has one of the largest
and most substantial real-estate enterprises in this part of the state.

Mr. Ferguson has been twice married, — first to Martha A., daughter of
Jesse and Mary J. Robinson, of Tippecanoe county, who left him one child,
George W., a fireman on the Panhandle Railroad, at Logansport; and the
second time to Harriet W. Coen, of this city. Two children have been
born to them, DeMyron and Ethel.

Political affairs have always appealed strongly to Mr. Ferguson, and as
a politician he has taken an active part in advancing local interests, and was
chairman two years of the Republican county committee. He is a member
of the Masonic fraternity, and is also a member of the Knights of Pythias.
He has an unusual degree of popularity among those who have come in con-
tact with him, and enjoys the confidence of everyone. He began the study
of law about ten years ago and was admitted to the bar of Jasper county
June 22, 1893, and is now a member of the well known law firm of Ferguson
& Wilson and is doing a general law business.

LOUIS H. HAMILTON.

Among the self-made men in Jasper county, Indiana, none are more
deserving of honorable mention than its county superintendent of public
instruction, Louis H. Hamilton.

Mr. Hamilton came to Jasper county in 1879 from the Orphans' Home

in Indianapolis, being brought here when eight years old by John G. Gulp, a

farmer, with whom he remained si.x years, as soon as he was old enough

working and attending school. Since he was thirteen years old he has

" shifted for himself." Having a high temper and disliking restraint, his life,

as he drifted about, was attended with many an unpleasant incident. He

was industrious, however, and he worked at anything he could get to do,

principally farming. In an accident with a clay-crusher, July 20, 1887, he

lost an arm, and in this condition, unable to do manual labor, he realized

the need of an education. Accordingly, in September following, he entered
47

730 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

school at Rensselaer, determined to settle down to study and make some-
thing of himself. He graduated at the Rensselaer high school in 1891, after
which he alternated teaching and attending school, teaching in winter, and
in summer pursuing advanced studies at Valparaiso and Terre Haute. In
this way he acquired both the theory and practice of teaching, and rapidly
worked his way to the front, having been elected to his present position, that
of county superintendent of public instruction, in 1S97. In the meantime he
successfully passed a rigid examination and received a state professional
license. Considering the rapid strides Professor Hamilton has already made
in the educational field, it is fair to predict that still higher positions of prom-
inence and honor await him.

Mr. Hamilton married Miss Mary Robinson, of Hanging Grove town-
ship, Jasper county, Indiana, and they have two children, Fred and Marie,
aged respectively four and one years.

Both he and his wife are members of the Christian church. Politically,
he is identified with the Republican party, and, fraternally, with the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias and Foresters.

JAMES YEOMAN.

James Yeoman, whose post-office is Rensselaer, has resided for over
fifty years in Jasper county and is one of the most successful and influential
farmers and stock-raisers in this section of the state. He was born in Fay-
ette county, Ohio, September 20, 1832, a son of Stephen B. and Hannah
(Smith) Yeoman. His grandfather, James Yeoman, a native of New York,
and of English descent, was born June 15, 1775, and was a farmer by occu-
pation. He moved to Ohio and there died. His wife, Sally (Bates) Yeo-
man, born April i, 1779, lived until 1873, reaching the advanced age of
ninety-three years. Both were members of the Baptist church. Their chil-
dren were as follows: Abigail; Stephen B. ; Joseph D., who was among the
first settlers of Jasper county, coming here in 1834; Cyrene; Ira; Alva
Jared; Luddia; Minerva; and Samantha.

Stephen B. Yeoman, father of our subject, was reared and married in
Ohio and in his youth learned the trade of a wheelwright and also made spin-
ning wheels. He afterward engaged in farming and was known as a man
honorable in all his dealings. He lived in Ohio, where all his children but
one were born, until 1844, when he removed to Jasper county, Indiana, and
bought the farm on which our subject now lives. He eventually became a
large land-owner and had succeeded in providing his family with abundant
means when he was seized with the typhoid fever, from the effects of which
he died September 9, 1845. He was a strong Democrat, active and influen-

BIOGRAPHICAL BISTORT. 731

tial, and while living in Ohio served as justice of the peace. His wife sur-
vived him for many years, keeping the family together, opening up and
improving the land, and although she had many hardships and deprivations
to encounter she managed to rear and educate her children so as to make
them intelligent and useful citizens, all of them becoming prominent in after
life. She died January 14, 1875, at the ripe age of seventy-two years. Her
father was James Smith, a native of Virginia, who came to Ohio at an early
day and followed farming. The children of this family were Joseph, James,
Rachel, Jemima, Sarah and Hannah, the mother of our subject. The chil-
dren of the Yeoman family were as follows: Joseph, living in Rensselaer;
Sarah, Mrs. W. H. Stewart; Alvira, who became Mrs. John Slatery; Mary,
Mrs. H. Coen; Minerva, the wife of W. P. Hopkins; Elizabeth, who mar-
ried L. Saylor; John, who died in Colorado; Ira, Hving in Remington, Indiana;
Stephen, a farmer and school superintendent of Gosper county, Nebraska.

James Yeoman was twelve years old when he came with the family to
Jasper county, and after the death of his father he remained with his wid-
owed mother, assisting her in all her laborious duties and in every way act-
ing the part of a dutiful son. He obtained his education in the common
schools, where he improved every opportunity for learning, and when quite
a young man he for some time engaged in teaching school. In 1858 he was
married and settled on a part of the home farm, subsequently moving to his
mother's house and caring for her in her declining years. Soon after her
death he bought the interest of the other heirs and became the owner of the
home farm of one hundred and sixty acres, to which he has added adjoining
land, the whole now comprising four hundred and forty-four acres of good
land. He has built a commodious two-story frame house and has made
many permanent and valuable improvements on the place. He also owns
property in Rensselaer, which he rents. In addition to general farming Mr.
Yeoman has given considerable attention to raising and shipping cattle and
hogs, also buying large quantities of stock, which he feeds and sends to
market.

The marriage of Mr. Yeoman took place July i, 1858, his wife being
Miss Phebe Benjamin, who was born in Jasper county, March 19, 1840. She
is the daughter of Samuel H. Benjamin, who came to Jasper county in 1837
with his widowed mother and entered land in this and Newton county, dying
in the latter in 1895. He was an important factor in developing this section
of the country and was an energetic and enterprising man. He was a prim-
itive Baptist minister by profession and was honored and loved by all who
knew him. The children of this family were as follows: Jared, Phebe A.,
wife of our subject, and Jane. The father was married a second time, his
wife being Miss Elizabeth Price, a daughter of Joseph Price, a primitive Bap-

732 BIUGRAPEICJ.L E IS TORT.

tist minister, one of the early settlers of Jasper county. Of this last marriage
two children were born, — Rial and Siloma.

To Mr. and Mrs. Yeoman six children were born, namely: David, who
died March 3, 1S85, at the age of twenty-two years, while a student at the
university at Lebanon, Ohio- Effie M., wife of H. Wade, of Rensselaer; Alma
J., wife of C. G. Hammond, a teacher at Mount Ayr; Charles R. , living at
Rensselaer; James M. and Grace, at home with their parents. Mrs. Yeo-
man is a member of the Free-will Baptist church, while her husband be-
longs to the Methodist denomination. Mr. Yeoman was formerly a stanch
Democrat, but for the past ten years has been in sympathy with the Prohi-
bition party, although in the election of 1896 he voted for William J. Bryan.
He has filled nearly all the township offices, having been trustee, assessor,
justice of the peace, etc. Socially he belongs to Iroquois Lodge, No. 143,
I. O. O. F. , at Rensselaer. He is a man of undoubted integrity of charac-
ter and is respected wherever known.

ALEXANDER L. WEST.

An enterprising, progressive young farmer of Jefferson township, Newton
county, is he of whom this sketch is penned. He was born on the identical
homestead which he now owns and carries on, and during his entire life he
has been closely associated with the welfare of this community.

Our subject's father, Nathaniel West, was born in Salem, Massachu-
setts, October 15, 1815, a son^of Nathaniel and Mary B. (White) West, like-
wise natives of the Bay state. They had eight children, of whom two,
George and Mrs. W. Noble, of Indianapolis, survive. In 1836 Nathaniel
West, Sr., came to this state, and, buying a tract of land adjoining the cor-
poration limits of Indianapolis, he erected a mill, operated by water power,
and continued to carry on this enterprise, in connection with farming, until
his death in 1842, when he was fifty-seven years of age. His wife departed
this life two years later, when she was in her fifty-ninth year. Both were
devout members of the Unitarian church.

Nathaniel West, Jr., was an exceptionally well educated, able man, one
who would have commanded respect in any community. He was but fif-
teen years of age when he entered Harvard College, where he was graduated
with eighty-two other students, in the class of 1834. Two years later he re-
moved to this state with his father and soon assumed the superintendency
of the mill near Indianapolis. After ten years spent in that business, he
turned his attention to the buying and selling of real estate there until 1S60,
when he came to this county and established himself in the same occupa-

BIUGRAPEICAL HISTORY. 733

tion at Kentland. Becoming the county land agent, he did more than al-
most any other man to secure good, permanent settlers in this region. Hav-
ing the data of the county in his possession, he found that one tract, curi-
iously enough, had never been entered, and this he proceeded to do, taking
up the property in his own name. The farm, which is situated three and a
half miles south of Kentland, was thenceforth his place of abode, and in time
he extended its boundaries to two hundred and forty acres. In 1868 he was
elected clerk of the court of Newton county, on the Independent ticket,
which office, after holding for three years, he resigned in favor of Andrew
Hall, his successor. He was prominent in the ranks of the local Democracy
and was repeatedly urged to become a candidate for one or another import-
ant county office, but almost invariably refused to allow his name to go be-
fore the public. In his early manhood he studied medicine to some ex-
tent, and later was admitted to the bar, after due preparation; but to
neither profession could he determine to devote his energies. A man of the
utmost integrity and justice, he was honored and admired by all, and died
April 13, 1896, regretted and mourned by a multitude of sincere friends.

His first marriage, celebrated in 1843, was with Miss Esther J. Harvey,
of Wayne county, Indiana. She died in 1845, at twenty-two years of age,
and their only child, Francis, died in 1878. In 1859 Mr. West married Miss
Elizabeth A. Cook, daughter of Dr. Jesse Cook, an early resident of Indian-
apolis, in which city he died. Mrs. West, now about sixty-five years of age,
makes her home with her children, and is a devoted member of the Method-
ist Episcopal church, as were her parents before her. Her brothers and
sisters were Sylvester, William, George, Mary, John and Bertha. Lillie,
the eldest child of Nathaniel and Elizabeth West, was the first child born at
Kentland, and she is now the wife of Joseph Barnes. Charles H., the eldest
son, a leading Democratic politician of Benton county (which is strongly
Republican), Indiana, and for many years county superintendent of schools,
has been a candidate for the offices of county treasurer and joint representa-
tive. William, the next in order of birth, started for the Klondike region in
Alaska, and has not been since heard from. Ada is the wife of E. Hawkins;
Clara married Mr. Hays; Mary is Mrs. R. E. Manier; and Howard, the
youngest, is now living with our subject.

Alexander L. West was born June 12, 1867, and attended the common
schools of Kentland. He has always resided on the paternal homestead, and
early evinced a great fondness for agriculture. Having purchased the inter-
ests of the other heirs, he remodeled the farm buildings, and has made other
substantial improvements, not the least of which was the planting of a new
orchard. He operates a thresher and hay-press during the season, and in
numerous ways manifests the progressive spirit of the age. Politically he is

734 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

a Democrat, and has been a candidate for the offices of township and county
treasurer.

In September, 1892, Mr. West married Clara, only daughter of Captain
H. K. and Sally (McClain) Warren. The father, who was born in Oneida
county, New York, November 3, 1833 went to Michigan with his parents in
1836, who settled near Adrian. He grew to manhood there, for several
years was a clerk in the Adrian post-office, then for three years he was an em-
ploye of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway, and in 1857 ac-
companied his parents to Newton county. Early in 1861 he enlisted under
General Milroy, and was commissioned first lieutenant of Company H, Fif-
teenth Regiment of Indiana Volenteer Infantry, known as the Iroquois
Rangers. In the following summer he was mustered into the three-years
service and went to the front, where he participated in many of the memor-
able campaigns of the war, and on one occasion he had the honor of an in-
terview with General Lee, who came under a flag of truce. In 1862 Mr.
Warren was commissioned as captain, and was assigned to the staff of Gen-
eral Wagner, as provost marshal. By the explosion of a shell at the battle
of Stone river, his horse was killed under him, and the wounds and shock
which he himself sustained unfitted him for further service.

Resigning he returned home, in the spring of 1863, and after a time was
elected sheriff of Newton county. He was re-elected to that position in 1868
and in 1870, and in 1879 was appointed coroner of this county, by Governor
Williams. In 1882 Captain Warren was influential in the organization of a
Grand Army post, and was chosen as its first commander, which office he
held until his death, October 26, 1896. He was a Mason and an Odd Fel-
low. In 1867 he had married Miss Sallie, daughter of Dr. J. H. McClain, an
early-day preacher and later a physician of Sheldon, Illinois. Mrs. Warren,
who died September 14, 1893, was a consistant member of the Methodist
church. Her only son, Willie H. Warren, born July 9, 1868, died April 27,
1869. Mrs. West, who was born July 25, 1870, has become the mother of
a son, Lanier, born July 11, 1894, a bright, interesting child, the pride of the
little household; and an infant, George Dewey, born June 27, 1899.

ORLANDO McCONAHAY.

One of the old residents and respected citizens of White county is the
subject of this review, now living in Monon. He was born in Tippecanoe
county, Indiana, February 14, 1831, the third child of Ranson. and Mary
(Thompson) McConahay, who were natives of Kentucky and were married in
that state. When our subject was but three years old he was brought to this
county by his parents, and from the time of his first recollections he has been

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 785

a citizen of this section of the state, and has been loyal, interested, and ac-
tively concerned in its upbuilding and development.

Ranson McConahay was born and grew to manhood in Bourbon county,
Kentucky, and in 1829 he started with a yoke of oxen and a two-wheeled
cart for central Indiana. He stopped at a point about six miles south of La-
fayette and engaged in teaching school and farming there for a few years.
About 1833 he removed to White county and located on land on the bank of
the Tippecanoe river, south of Monticello. There also he taught and farmed at
the same time, at intervals working at his trades of shoemaking and black-
smithing, for he was a man of many talents, and when circumstances made
it advisable he could turn his hand to some other employment. For a few
years he owned and cultivated land north of Monticello, in Liberty township,
and later he became a resident of Monticello itself. Appointed clerk, to fill
out the unexpired term of William Sill, clerk of the court of White county,
he was afterward regularly elected, and served altogether about ten years in
that responsible position, giving general satisfaction to all concerned. He
was the second person to hold the office in White county, being elected on
the Democratic ticket, as he was affiliated with that party. His busy life
came to a close in Pulaski county, when he was sixty-eight years of age, and
at the time he was engaged in a mercantile business. Fraternally he was an
Odd Fellow. His father, David McConahay, of Scotch-Irish descent, was
born, lived and died in Pennsylvania, a few years of his life being spent in
Kentucky, however. He followed agricultural pursuits and met with success
in his financial undertakings. Mary, wife of Ranson McConahay, was a
native of Campbell county, Kentucky, and was married there. Her father
likewise was born and reared in the Blue-grass state.

The first school attended by Orlando McConahay was taught by his
father, at a place south of Monticello. The lad received a liberal education,
finishing his studies in the graded schools of Monticello. When his father
was appointed deputy clerk the youth assisted him in his duties, and in turn
became deputy. He learned all the details of the place, and upon the ex-
piration of the senior man's service young McConahay was elected clerk, — -
this event occurring in 1858. He was re-elected in 1862, and thus acted for
eight years as clerk and for five years had been deputy clerk. In the mean-
time he had taken up the study of law, and now proceeded to engage in
practice, opening an office in Monticello. In that city he also engaged in
the grocery business, and for thirty-seven years was a well known figure in
commercial and professional circles of the place. Desiring a change of loca-
tion, he went to Lafayette, where he established an office for the practice of
law, and for two and a half years he was justice of the peace. In 1886 he
came to Monon, where he is engaged in legal work, collecting and real-estate

736 BIOGRJPHICdL HISTORY.

transactions. Until the breaking out of the war he gave his allegiance to the
Democratic party, but is now a stanch Republican. Formerly he was iden-
tified with the Masonic order, but is now non-affiliated.

The first marriage of Orlando McConahay was to Sarah A. W. Ritchey,
a native of this county. Their only surviving child is Samuel T., a mer-
chant of Attica, Indiana. Mr. McConahay married for his second wife Miss
Maria L. Price. By her marriage to Mr. McConahay she had one child,
Asenath Blanche, now Mrs. Frank Fox, of Lowell, Indiama. The present
wife of our subject was formerly Mrs. Ellen L. Barlow. She has two chil-
dren by her previous marriage, namely: Mary, wife of Charles Montgomery,
of Lowell; and Isaac, of Monon, Indiana. There are no children by the
present marriage.

GEORGE W. BURK.

This prominent citizen of Jasper county, who has for many years been
prominently identified with farming interests and stock-raising, was born in
Tippecanoe countyi this state, July 31, 1833, a son of John and Sarah E.
(Phillips) Burk. He was reared to farm pursuits, and although his early
schooling was somewhat neglected, he later obtained a good, practical educa-
tion. In 1850 he came to Jasper county with his parents, both of whom
died soon after, leaving our subject no other legacy than a pair of strong
hands and a courageous disposition, and with these he started out to win his
way in the world. He secured employment as a farm hand at six dollars a
month, where he worked one season and then engaged in the service of an-
other farmer, with whom he remained for nearly six years. Some time later
he began buying and selling a few cattle, which was the entering wedge to
an industry in which he expanded as time went on. In 1857 he became
associated with another farmer, with whom he remained two years, and in
September, 1859, he moved to the farm on which he now resides. Two
years later, such was his financial success that he began buying the interests
of the heirs who were in possession of the place, but it was eleven years be-
fore he paid up the entire sum and became sole owner.

The farm of Mr. Burk is situated four miles north of Rensselaer, and a
great many improvements have been made by him since he began to occupy
it, he having built a commodious and comfortable house, a large barn, set
out a fine orchard and in other ways changed the place into a valuable piece
of farm land. The property at first comprised two hundred and twenty-
seven acres, to which Mr. Burk afterward added one hundred acres, but sub-
sequently sold the latter. Ever since he commenced farming on his own be-
half he has handled some stock, most of which consists of cattle, with which
he has been quite successful. He has always been a hard worker, living up

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 737

to the principles of honesty and integrity, and the fortune he now enjoys is
the result of his untiring indiviyual labors.

Mr. Burk was reared by Whig and Abolition parents, and as a result be-
came imbued with the principles of the Republican party, in the work of
which he takes an active and influential part. He has never aspired to polit-
ical preferment, but was elected to the office of county commissioner, which
he filled with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of his constitu-
•ents, and it was during his term that the dam was built, the county jail
erected and other public work of importance accomplished.

The marriage of Mr. Burk took place February 19, 1857, when he was
united to Miss Amanda J. Kenton, of Champaign county, Ohio, who was born
January i, 1837, a daughter of Edmond C. and Sarah V. (Anderson) Iventon,
who came to Indiana in 1841 from Ohio. Of this union the following chil-
dren were born: Sarah E. , the wife of D. B. Nowles, who is a lumber mer-
chant of Rensselaer; Lillian A., who married W. Robinson; Eva A; John E.,
in the cattle business in Kansas; George M., at home; and Bessie A. Mrs.
Burk is a member of the Primitive Baptist church.

William Burk, grandfather of our subject, was born in Virginia, of Irish
origin, and settled in Indiana in 1824, bringing his family with him. He
located in Tippecanoe county, entered land in Wea township, in 1828, and
improved it, subsequently moving to Warren county, where he also bought
land and improved it. His declining days were spent in Howard county,
where he died in 1850. His children were Rebecca, Elizabeth, Thomas,
John (the father of our subject), Mary, William, Clarissa, Susie, George,
Joseph and Margaret.

John Burk was born in Virginia, where as a young man he followed the
■occupation of teaming, and when twenty-seven years old came to Indiana
with his parents and settled down to farming. He moved to Warren county
in 1828, where he bought land and cultivated a fine farm. Unfortunately he
■was compelled to liquidate a county treasurer's bond that he had signed,
which reduced him to bankruptcy, and in 1850 he removed to Jasper county
and rented a farm, on which his death occurred March 19, 1S51, his wife
having passed away nine days previously, on the loth of March. Mrs. Burk
was born in Preble county, Ohio, and came with her parents to Tippecanoe
■county. She was a daughter of Simon and Mary (Miller) Phillips, the former
of whom was captain of a company during the war of 18 12. His wife died
in Tippecanoe county, and Simon came to Jasper county, where he spent his
remaining days with the Burk children, his death occurring in 185 1. To him
and his wife were borH these children: Frederick M., Abigail, Sarah E.
■{mother of our subject), Elizabeth, Susan, Delila, Eliza and Jessie. Mr. and
Mrs. Phillips affiliated with the Quaker church.

738 BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY.

The following children comprise the issue of Mr. and Mrs. John Burk:
Lavina J., who married A. Farris, and is deceased; George W., our subject;
Mariah L., who married Wesley Downing, and both she and her husband
are now deceased; Mary, who died in infancy; Joseph A., who was accident-
ally killed by a horse when eleven years old; Cornelius, who died young;
Delila P., who married T. Sampson; Clarissa, who became Mrs. William
Butcher; and Charles, who is a farmer in Iowa.

Edmond C. Kenton, father of our subject's wife, was a member of an
early Kentucky family, the members of which distinguished themselves in
the Indian wars with Daniel Boone, Simon Kenton, and other brave and
heroic defenders of the settlers of Kentucky. Edmond came to Indiana in
1842 and settled in Jasper county on a tract of land which he entered and
on which he made the first improvements. Politically, he was a Whig, but
never aspired to office, and was favorably known as an honorable man who
was fair in all his dealings with his fellow men. He died in 1851 and was sur-
vived by his wife until 1859. She was a Methodist in her religious belief.
To Mrs. and Mr. Kenton the following children were born: Eliza, who mar-
ried E. Cannon; William, who served through the civil war; Amanda J., the
wife of our subject; Rebecca P., who married E. Israel, a soldier of the
civil war; Elizabeth, the wife of John W. Duvall; and Mary J., who married
B. D. Morris.

MICAH B. HALSTEAD.

Mr. Halstead resides near Rensselaer and is among the prominent and
representative farmers and stock dealers of Jasper county, where he came in
185 1, later going to the extreme west and returning in July, 1856, since
which time he has resided in this state. He was born in Crawford county,
Ohio, May 3, 1832, and is the son of Samuel and Susanna (Webster) Hal-
stead, both natives of New York. He was reared on a farm and received
his education in the common schools. His father lived at various times in
Indiana and Illinois, the mother and three children dying in the latter state
and the rest of the children being sent back to La Porte county, Indiana,
where our subject, then seven years old, was given a home with his uncle,
Asaph Webster. Here he was taught the principles of honesty and integrity^
and he ascribes much of his success in after life to the careful instructions
and kindly advice of his uncle, who took a deep interest in the welfare of his
nephew. When grown to manhood Mr. Halstead came with a brother to
Jasper county, the latter bringing with him the first separator ever used in
this locality. Having a sister living in this county, the wife of Mr. Benja-
min, our subject remained with her and during the winter of 1852 taught

BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY. 739

school, going the following year to Illinois. While there he had an oppor-
tunity to visit Oregon, helping a man to drive stock to that state, and was
so pleased with the country that he remained there and in northern Califor-
nia for nearly three years. He then took a steamer at San Francisco, and,
sailing via the Nicaragua route, he crossed the isthmus in July, 1856, and
landed in New York July 15. There he spent but one day and then returned
to La Porte county. While in Oregon he worked for a time in the mines, at
good wages, and at this and other employment earned a good sum of money,
with which he came to Jasper county in 1856 and invested in cheap land,
on which there were few improvements. The following year he took to him-
self a wife and settling on his farm began the work of converting it into the
productive and valuable property which it has since become.

During the next few years Mr. Halstead bought and sold two farms, and
in 1865 purchased the land on which he now lives, consisting of two hundred
acres, on which some improvements had been made. Since then he has at
various times added to it until he now owns two thousand acres, three hun-
dred of which are in meadow and lawn and two hundred and fifty under
cultivation. He has commodious outbuildings, barns, etc., and the entire
place shows evidence of careful management. Mr. Halstead has always
given considerable attention to stock-raising and for a good many years has
been quite extensively engaged in the cattle business, buying, raising and
feeding for market. Lately he has undertaken the grading up of cattle and
is now procuring stock from Canada, principally of the short-horn Durham
breed, which he considers the best for beef. He also raises horses and hogs.

Our subject was married August 30, 1857, to Miss Virginia U. Harris,
who was born in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, February 19, 1836. She is
the daughter of Benjamin and Betsy (Faulk) Harris, her father being the son
of Thomas Harris, of Virginia, the well known physician. Benjamin Harris
was married in Virginia and came to Indiana in 1835, settling in Tippecanoe
county, where he died in 1837. He was a farmer and speculator and a prom-
inent man in his community. His wife survived him and kept the family of
little children together, giving them the best education in her power. In 1851
she removed to Jasper county, where she entered land and improved a farm,
on which she died December 30, 1856, when forty-nine years of. age. Both
she and her husband were members of the Society of Friends, or Quakers,
and were most estimable people. Their children were as follows: William,
deceased; Henry O., a banker in Rensselaer; Regina, deceased; John, who
served three years as a soldier in the civil war and is now deceased; Virginia,
wife of our subject; and Benjamin, a farmer, residing in Rensselaer.

To Mr. and Mrs. Halstead eight sons have been born, namely: Orpheus
C, David L., Edwin M.. William, Sanford S., Everett R., M. Rankin and

740 BIOGBAPHICAL HISTORY.

Chester H. The first four are all farmers in Jasper county. Both parents
are members of the Church of God, and Mr. Halstead is a strong and influ-
ential Republican, but he has never aspired to office. He has always been
active in business life, but has devoted much of his time to the care of his
children, all of whom are well educated, several of them having become
teachers. Edwin, who was a school-teacher in Dakota, was murdered there
February i, 1886. The family are most highly respected and are well wor-
thy the esteem in which they are held.

Samuel Halstead, the father of our subject, came to Indiana in 1836
and located in La Porte county, where the Indians at that time were very
numerous. A few years later he removed to La Salle county, Illinois, where
several of his children and his wife fell victims to disease, and he then went
to Iowa, where he is supposed to have died. The children of this couple
were: Letta, wife of Jared Benjamin; David, a resident of South Dakota;
Merriman, deceased; Micah; Joanna, and George, deceased.

ADDISON PARKISON.

Sixty-one years ago, Addison Parkison, then a lad of ten years, came to
Jasper county. Here he grew to manhood being closely associated with the
development of this portion of the state from a wilderness to a fertile farm-
ing country, and here he expects to pass his declining years. His career as
a business man has been more than ordinarily successful, and comprises a
series of enterprises varied in scope and beneficial to the whole community.
From its organization he has been the president of the Rensselaer, Com-
mercial State Bank, a stable and thoroughly reliable institution, and his
home has been in the flourishing town of Rensselaer for the past fourteen
years.

The father of the above named gentleman was John G. Parkison, a
native of Pennsylvania, born in 1799, and of German extraction. In early
manhood he went to Ohio, where he married Matilda Kenton, a daughter of
Simon Kenton, whose name is conspicuous in the annals of Kentucky, in
whose early Indian wars he was an active participant. In the year 1837 John
G. Parkison, accompanied by his little family, set out to found a new home
in the wilds of Indiana. Coming to Jasper county, he located on a home-
stead in what is now Barkley township, and was one of the pioneers in that
section. There he and his estimable wife passed the remainder of their in-
dustrious. God-fearing lives, respected and loved by all with whom they were
associated in any manner.

Addison Parkison was born in the Buckeye state, in the town of Zanes-
field, Logan county. May 22, 1S27, being the third in order of birth in a

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 741

family which comprised twelve children. Three of the sons and two of the
daughters are still living at this writing (1899). As he was a boy entering
upon the eleventh year of his life when the family removed to this county,
Addison Parkison readily recalls his first impressions of this state, and has
numerous interesting reminiscences of the frontier hardships, privations and
pleasures. From an early age he was impressed into the labors of the farm
a.nd was of great assistance to his father in the arduous duties of clearing and
improving the new farm in the midst of the forest. Later he followed gen-
eral farming and stock-raising upon his own account for many years and was
blessed with abundant success. As his property accumulated year by year,
the result of his energy and good business judgment, he invested in various
enterprises, and in almost every instance thereby increased his possessions.
He now owns a finely improved farm and a beautiful residence in Rensselaer,
the latter being occupied by him and his youngest daughter, who tenderly
cares for his comfort. No man in this locality is held in higher respect, and
his entire career is like an open book, worthy "to be seen and read by all
men." His absolute integrity and regard for his word have never been ques-
tioned by his fellow citizens, and his record is one of which his children have
just reason to be proud. His right of franchise is used in behalf of the
Republican party.

May 25, 1849, Mr. Parkison married Miss Barbara A. Kenton, who, after
a long and happy companionship with our subject, was summoned to her
reward in January, 1898. They were very distant relatives, as Mr. Parki-
son's grandfather and her great-grandfather were cousins, bearing the same
surname, Kenton. Three daughters were born to our subject and wife,
namely: Mrs. Julia Moore, Mrs. Martha J. Willey and Stella A. Parkison.

MRS. HANNAH HAWKINS.

The subject of this brief review merits distinct recognition in this con-
nection, being a representative of one of the old and honored pioneer families
of Tippecanoe county and the widow of one who figured as one of the leading
men of this section of Indiana, — a man of noble character and sterling worth,
and one who here maintained his residence from the early pioneer epoch until
the hour of his death. Mrs. Hawkins, who is the mother of Mrs. Samuel L.
Baugh, to whom more specific reference is made in the sketch of her hus-
band. Dr. Baugh, was born in Butler county, Ohio, on the 19th of Novem-
ber, 1827, being the daughter of William and Mary (Cook) Hollingsworth.
She was about one year old when she was brought by her parents to Tippe-
canoe county, Indiana, where the family took up their abode in October,

742 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

1828. In the pioneer community she was reared to maturity, receiving such
educational advantages as the time and place afforded.

Joseph Hollingsworth, the grandfather of Mrs. Hawkins, was a native of
South Carolina and was a birth-right member of the Society of Friends, with
which noble organization the family has been identified for several genera-
tions. According to the statements of William Hollingsworth, father of the
subject of this review, the family is of Holland-Dutch extraction; while
another account, premised somewhat on tradition, is to the effect that the
original American representatives came from England with the Friends about
the time that William Penn established his colony in the New World. This
account records that three brothers of the name thus settled in America, but
the first authentic datum is that concerning George Hollingsworth, the great-
grandfather of Mrs. Hawkins. He was a farmer, or planter, in Virginia, and
there married a Miss McCoy, both being devoted members of the Society of
Friends. Their children were Abraham, Joseph, John, Isaac, Robert, George,
James, Nathan and Henry. Of these Joseph was the grandfather of Mrs.
Hawkins, as has been already noted. He was a native of Winchester county,
Virginia, whence he eventually removed to Lawrence county. South Carolina.
He was twice married, his first union having been with a Miss Frost, who
bore him two sons, David and Jonathan. After her death he consummated
a second marriage, being united to Margaret, daughter of John and Rachel
Wright, of Maryland, who had become residents of South Carolina. Mar-
garet Wright was first married to David Hammer, and they became the par-
ents of two children, David and Mary. After the death of Mr. Hammer she
became the wife of Joseph Hollingsworth, to whom she bore ten children,
namely: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, John, Joseph, Zebulon, Ezekiel, Charity,
William and Susanah. Joseph Hollingsworth continued to reside in Law-
rence county, South Carolina, until his death.

William Hollingsworth, the son of Joseph and Margaret (Wright) Hol-
lingsworth, was born in Lawrence county. South Carolina, on the i8th of
January, 1785. He was a farmer by occupation, and he eventually emigrated
to Butler county, Ohio, where, on the loth day of the loth month, 181 1, at
the Elk monthly meeting of the Friends' church, he was united in marriage
to Mary Cook, who was born in Union district. South Carolina, November
18,1794, the daughter of John and Olive (Smith) Cook. The marriage cer-
tificate of this worthy couple is still preserved by their descendants. Olive
Cook was a woman of heroic character, and passed through thrilling experi-
ences in connection with the war of the Revolution, having been on the scene
of action. Her horse having been stolen by British soldiers, she rescued the
animal by waving her apron in such a way as to frighten the horse, which
threw its rider and escaped. She died in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, at the

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 743

advanced age of eighty years, the Cooks having settled in Butler county,
Ohio, on their removal to the west.

After their marriage William and Mary (Cook) Hollingsworth, in 1811,
settled in Union county, Indiana, near the present county-seat. Liberty.
They were driven from Indiana by the hostile Indians, and subsequent to
18 12 resided in Butler county, Ohio, where eight of their children were
born. As has already been mentioned, they removed to Tippecanoe county,
Indiana, in October, 1828. Mr. Hollingsworth here entered land where Mrs.
Jonathan Baugh now lives, — -at Farmers' Institute. He devoted his attention
to the cultivation of his farm, a portion of which was timbered, and the place
became, eventually, one of the best improved in this section. He added to
his estate from time to time until he had about six hundred acres in Tippeca-
noe county, while he also owned land in what is now Tipton county, this
state, and in Iowa. He was a man of highest integrity in all the relations of
life and was one of the substantial and representative pioneer farmers of the
county. In religion he adhered to the faith of his fathers, being a prominent
member of the Society of Friends and having been one of the founders of the
church at Farmers' Institute, in which he held some important offices. In
politics he gave his support to the Whig party, and his sentiments were
strongly arrayed against the institution of slavery.

Of the children of William and Mary Hollingsworth we enter the follow-
ing brief record: Sarah was born November 18, 18 12; Susanah, November
9, 1813; John, April 14, 1816; Elihu, April 20, 1818; Midian, January 12,
1820; Asenath, November 10, 1821; Olive, November 22, 1823; Milton,
November 4, 1825; Hannah (subject of this sketch), November 19, 1827;
Eli, October 6, 1830; Josephus, May 19, 1834; and Addison, February 9,
1837. Mr. Hollingsworth died, at his homestead farm, on the 24th of Sep-
tember, 1855, and his wife passed away on the 26th of March, 1850. His
life was ordered upon the highest plane and animated by the most exalted
motives, being singularly in harmony with the pure and noble religious prin-
ciples which he advocated. His kindly disposition, his charity of judgment
and his pronounced benevolence won to him hosts of friends and the confi-
dence and esteem of all. He reared two of his grandchildren in the old
homestead and gave to them the deepest affection and most solicitous care.
They were Asenath and Sarah A. Holeman, children of his daughter, Su-
sanah, who died when they were still in infancy.

Hannah (Hollingsworth) Hawkins, whose name introduces this sketch,
beeame the wife of William Evans Hawkins on Christmas day of the year
1845, being then eighteen years of age. The ceremony was performed near
the home of her father, where Farmers' Institute is now located, and in this
locality she has continued to reside until the present day, secure in the affec-

744 BIOGRAPHIC... l^'^TORT.

tion and esteem of those among whom she ssed so many y. --rs. ill-

iam E. Hawkins was born in Butler county, "o, on th.. 20th > ^pril,
182 1, being a child of about seven years at tl.e ti his y'arents came to Tip-
pecanoe county, in October, 1828, in company with William and Joseph
Hollingsworth (brothers) and their respective families. The journey was
made according to the primitive methods then in vogue, horse and ox teams
furnishing the transportation facilities to these pioneer settlers in the wilds
of Tippecanoe county. The party were about ten days on the way, camp-
ing out at night and bringing with them their cattle and sheep, which were
driven through the long distance of nearly two hundred miles.

William E. Hawkins was born April 20, 1821, in Butler county, Ohio,
attended the pioneer schools and was enabled to lay there the foundation for
the broad fund of information which he later gained in connection with the
practical affairs of a busy and useful life. After his marriage he settled on a
tract of land near Raub's Station, this county, and there continued to reside
about eighteen months, when he disposed of the place and removed to the
present homestead, which comprised three hundred and seventeen acres.
The land which he thus purchased had been improved to a considerable ex-
tent, had a large house and was a valuable property, even at that early day.
The farm was one of the first to be improved in this neighborhood, having
originally been the property of Jehu Ellis, from whom Mr. Hawkins pur-
chased the place.

By sturdy thrift and industry Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins improved the farm
and added to it until they owned about four hundred acres. In 1866 they
built a tasteful two-story residence, which is the present home of Mrs. Haw-
kins, — a place hallowed by the tender associations of many 3'ears. They
were both birth-right members of the Society of Friends, according to whose
teachings and precepts they guided their lives. In the church Mr. Hawkins
was at different times both an elder and an overseer. In his political pro-
clivities he was stanchly arrayed as an old-line Whig until the dissolution of
that organization, when he became a zealous adherent of the Republican
party, opposing the institution of slavery with all the power of his strong
character and rendering aid to the Union cause when rebellion menaced the
integrity of the nation.

Mr. Hawkins passed away June 21, 1883, at the age of sixty-two years,
and the community mourned the loss of one whose life had been an abiding
inspiration and lesson. His religion was one which entered into every act
and thought of his daily life, and his devotion to the cause of humanity was
unwavering. He contributed with liberality to the support of the Friends'
church as well as to other organizations whose aim was the furthering of the
Master's cause on earth. His charity was deep and earnest, and intolerance

BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY. 745

of spirit, in either spiritual or practical affairs, was essentially foreign to his
nature. He was industrious in his habits, realizing the dignity of honest en-
deavor in all the walks of life, and his integrity was never shadowed by even
the breath of suspicion.

Since the death of her husband Mrs. Hawkins has continued to reside on
the old homestead, where she is surrounded with all the evidences of taste and
refinement. She is a woman of marked mentality and sterling character,
and in the community where she has practically passed her entire life she is
held in love and veneration by a large circle of friends, young and old. She
has reared an excellent family of children, who have taken useful places
in life and have shown their appreciation of the Christian example and teach-
ings of their devoted parents. The children of William E.and Hannah Haw-
kins were as follows: Addison, born April 24, 1848; Angelina, born July 12,
1852; Howard and Horace, twins, died in infancy; William Perry, born Oc-
tober 10, 1857, and Robert Douglass, born May 22, 1S73.

RICHARD C. McCAIN, M. D.

For twenty-four years Dr. McCain has practiced medicine in Kentland,
where he is well known as an able and conscientious physician. He was
born in Trenton, Grundy county, Missouri, July 10, 1852, a son of Rev.
Cornelius and Eliza (Curry) McCain. (For ancestral history see sketch of
Rev. Cornelius McCain on another page of this work.) His preliminary
literary education was obtained in the public schools, and at the age of
fifteen he was sent to Hanover College, at Hanover, Indiana, which he
attended about three years. His father in the meantime had settled in
Huntington, Indiana, and here our subject began the study of medicine under
the tuition of Dr. A. H. Shaffer, supplementing this with a course of study
in the medical department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and
completing his studies in the Louisville Medical College at Louisville, Ken-
tucky, being graduated with the class of 1875. He practiced a few months
at Darlington, Montgomery county, Indiana, and then came to Kentland,
where he has since resided, with the exception of eight months in 1890-91,
which he spent in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the drug business. He also
established a drug store in Kentland, and of this he is the present proprietor.
He is a member of the board of United States pension examiners and of the
Newton County Medical Association. Socially, he is a member and past
chancellor of Damon Lodge No. 72, Knights of Pythias, and belongs to the
Masonic fraternity.

On January 23, 1882, Dr. McCain was married to Miss Gertrude E.
Test, a daughter of Thaddeus and Sally (Myers) Test, her birth taking place

746 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

in White county, Indiana. Of this union the following is the issue: Donald,
Helen, Edna, Viola, Nellie, Kenneth C, Paul, Bertha, and John Coburn
and Carrie Louise (twins). Mrs. McLain is a consistent member of the
Presbyterian church. Politically, the Doctor is a stanch Republican, and he
is now serving a second term as president of the school board.

JARED BENJAMIN.

Three-score years ago Jared Benjamin came to Jasper county, thence-
forth to be numbered among its pioneer citizens. As one of the prominent
agriculturists and founders of this county, he well deserves a place in the
records of the state of Indiana, and we are pleased that we are able to pre-
sent a few facts in regard to his useful and well spent life, and to add a
tribute to his sterling manhood.

It is not a matter of surprise to learn that, on both sides of his family,
the patriotic and public-spirited Jared Benjamin had ancestors who fought
bravely for American independence in the Revolutionary war. The founder
of the Benjamin family in the New World, according to well authenticated
records, was one William Benjamin, of England, who took up his abode in
Connecticut long prior to the Revolution. He was the great-grandfather of
our subject, and his son William, the next in the line of descent, was born
in the Connecticut colony, and fought gallantly in the ranks of the American
soldiery. The records show that he was under the leadership of the valiant
General Schuyler in the famous campaign against Burgoyne in 1777, and
that he participated in the battles that led up to the surrender of the British
army, and was present on that memorable and momentous occasion. An
extremely interesting fact in this connection is that he afterward owned and
occupied a house which stood on this historic ground, and which was used by
the British during the battle as a hospital. An English officer and family
were then the occupants of this house, and subsequently the wife, a Mrs.
Reidisel, wrote a very graphic account of her experiences during that trying
period. One of the incidents which she related was that a British officer,
who had lost a leg in the fierce battle then being waged, was brought to the
house for medical care, and the American forces, not knowing the house was
being used as a hospital, made it a target for their cannon. A ball entered
the house and shattered the other leg of the unfortunate British officer!
Such are the vicissitudes of war. William Benjamin, the Revolutionary
patriot, died in the old house, which is still occupied by one of the family,
January 28, 1789. His wife, Abigail, preceded him to the silent land, her
death taking place May 9, 1786. Their children were Joseph, born Decem-
ber 23, 1775; William, December 22, 1776; EHas, January 9, 1779; Phoebe,

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 747

January i8, 17S0; and Jared, the father of the subject of this sketch, Febru-
ary 16, 1782. Phoebe married Samuel Marshall, a son of Abraham Marshall,

and their son William wedded a Jane , who now occupies and owns

the veritable old house and property on the Hudson river, which has been
referred to above. The identical cannon-ball which shot off the leg of the
unhappy English officer was found lodged in the wall of the house, and it is
preserved in the Benjamin family as a memento of the last days of the Amer-
ican struggle for liberty and independence.

Jared Benjamin, the father of our subject, was born in Egremont, Con-
necticut, moved from there to Saratoga county. New York, from there to
Tompkins county, and there married Mary Hemingway, and to their union
five children were born. For his second wife Mr. Benjamin chose Mary
Yeoman, a daughter of Stephen and Abigail (Fountain) Yeoman, and five
children came to bless their union, Jared being one of the number. Stephen
Yeoman was also a hero of the Revolutionary war, and was a gallant
soldier in that long protracted struggle against old-world tyranny. An active
partisan, he incurred the bitter enmity of the Tories, and upon one occasion,
when he was peaceably plowing in the field, he was set upon by a band of
Tories, who at first threatened to hang him, but finally scourged him with
thongs so severely that he never thoroughly recovered from the cruel treat-
ment received.

The birth of the Jared Benjamin whose name heads this sketch occurred
October 10, 1820, in Fayette county, Ohio, of which locality his father was
a leading pioneer. In the Buckeye state eighteen years of the life of our
subject were spent in the quiet routine of agricultural pursuits. In 1838 he
came to Jasper county, and for the following fifty-three years he cultivated
and owned a fine homestead in Newton township. This place he reclaimed
from the virgin forest, and for years he expended much labor, time and money
in its development, transforming it into an ideal country home. In 1891 he
sold the farm and retired to enjoy a well earned rest, after the "burden and
heat of the day."

Half a century ago Mr. Benjamin and his faithful and devoted wife, for-
merly Lettie Halstead, were united in the holy bonds of matrimony, the
ceremony being solemnized September 10, 1848. Mrs. Benjamin is a daugh-
ter of Samuel and Susan (Webster) Halstead. The following named children
were born to our subject and his wife: Teresa, June 17, 1849; Mary, August 6,
1850; Martha, March 13, 1852; and Clarissa, August 8, 1853. Mary and Clar-
issa both died in 1858. Martha is at home with her parents, and Teresa is the
wife of John Martindale, of Newton township. For many years Mr. and
Mrs. Benjamin have been active and loved members of the Church of God
and now in their declining years they may look back over a well spent past,

748 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

and look forward with confidence that the verdict of "Well done, good and
faithful" will be the message that will sound in their ears as they leave this
world to take their places in the heavenly mansions " prepared for the people
of God."

GEORGE W. DAY.

For the past twenty-two years George W. Day has been a citizen of
Benton county, and during this long period has retained the highest regard and
friendship of all who know him. In 1893 he settled upon his present well cul-
tivated and finely managed farm in Hickory Grove township, and has since
devoted his entire time and attention to agriculture in its various departments.
As a business man and financier he has displayed good judgment and made
sound investments, and by industry, economy and thrift has accumulated a
competence. Socially, he is identified with the Tonights of Pythias, but the
hiost of his leisure is devoted to his home and the family circle.

The birth of George W. Day took place in Claiborne county, Tennessee,
April 29, 1858. His parents, Charles and Sarah Day, desiring to escape the
scenes of conflict during the great civil war, removed with their children to
Missouri, in which state the father died. Subsequently the widow and chil-
dren returned to Tennessee, where such education as fell to the share of
George W. was chiefly received. When he was a youth of eighteen years
he determined to strike out for himself, and believing that the north afforded
greater opportunities to a young man of ambition and energy, he came to
Indiana, and soon had gained a footing among our citizens. His pluck and
perseverance met with just recompense, and to-day he is influential and pros-
perous, as he deserves to be.

For his companion and helpmate along the journey of life Mr. Day
chose Miss Belle Keys, daughter of respected pioneers of this locality, —
James H. and Letitia (Stone) Keys. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Day
was celebrated at the home of the bride's parents, April i, 1891. They have
two children, namely: Miriam Leonora, born April 17, 1893; and Harvey
Lynn, born July 20, 1894. Mrs. Day, a most estimable lady, is a member
of the Methodist Episcopal church.

CHARLES E. TRIPLETT, M. D.

Dr. Charles Ephraim Triplett, of Morocco, occupies a conspicuous place
in the history of Newton county, and his is the honor of being the first phy-
sician who was a graduate of a medical college to locate within the bounds of
what is now Newton county.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 749

The Triplett family had its origin in England, and among its members
have been men of special eminence, as the records show that some of them
are buried in Westminster Abbey. The founder of the family in America was
John Triplett, a great-grandfather of our subject, who came from England
and settled in the colony of Virginia. John Triplett, grandfather of Charles
E. , was born in that state and settled in Kentucky, where he was a slave-
owner and farmer, and he died at the age of eighty-seven years. Charles
Triplett, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Kentucky, was
a drover by occupation, and died in 1834.

The maternal ancestors of Mr. Triplett were Scotch-Irish. His mother
bore the maiden name of Clarissa Dockings, and she died a few days after
giving birth to our subject. By her marriage to Mr. Triplett she had four
children, namely: Martha Ann, who died at the age of twenty-eight years,
unmarried; Mary Jane, who became the wife of David Martena, and died in
Kentucky, leaving one son, Charles W., who is now a prominent physician
and capitalist of Champaign, Illinois; William D., who was reared in Ohio,
and when of age went to Missouri and later to Texas, married there and be-
came a soldier in the Confederate army. Doctor Triplett, of this sketch,
while a surgeon in the Union army, after the battle of Stone river, ampu-
tated the arm of a rebel soldier who was acquainted with this brother in
Texas. The Doctor then entered into correspondence with the said brother,
and after the war sent him two hundred and fifty dollars to enable him and
his two motherless children to come north. The latter started on his jour
ney, but was never heard from after reaching Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Charles E. Triplett was born in Fleming county, Kentucky, December
13, 1834, and was only two weeks old when left an orphan. He was reared
in the family of his paternal grandparents, where he lived until fourteen
years of age. A year later his grandparents died, each at the age of eighty-
seven years. Young Triplett was a poor boy and had to employ him-
self in whatever was available. He worked for a time in a tobacco factory
in Henry county, Kentucky, and at the age of seventeen he commenced the
study of medicine, under the instruction of Dr. J. M. Humston, and for three
years worked three days each week as a farm hand with slaves ; and it was
this ambition that won for him the confidence of friends, who subsequently
advanced him eight hundred dollars to secure a college education. He took
his first course of lectures at Louisville, and then two courses at the Transyl-
vania University (now the Kentucky School of Medicine), where he was grad-
uated with the class of 1855-6.

In 1853, while he was a student in college, he met Charles Stewart,
who had been a resident of Jasper county, Indiana, but who, having lost
his wife, had returned to Iventucky. Mr. Stewart told the young student

750 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

about the country in Indiana and advised him to locate there as soon as he
had completed his studies. Thus, in accordance with this advice, soon after
graduating, and armed with a diploma and saddle-bags filled with medicines,
a few dollars in his pocket, etc., but going in debt to some extent also, he
started north on horseback. At Madison, Indiana, he boarded a train for In-
dianapolis, where he again took the saddle and continued his journey. At
Battle Ground he met Dr. William Ball, a former classmate, finding him
sick, and attended him there two weeks. After leaving Battle Ground he
found the country very sparsely settled. Passing Brookston, he traveled
twelve miles to the next house, which was the home of William Jorden.
Nine miles further on was the home of John Alter, and the next was that of
John Lyons, near the Iroquois river, which stream he forded near the pres-
ent railroad bridge. He made his way to Brook, where there were a very
few buildings. A mile from this place he found the home of Andrus Hesse,
and near Beaver City that of James Moore, and there were a few other set-
tlers near the timber.

Arriving at Morocco, his cash consisted of one twenty-dollar gold piece,
and this he gave to the landlord, John Ade, as payment in advance for board,
as he concluded that if he gave Mr. Ade all the money he had, and at some
future time it should become necessary, Mr. Ade would trust him for board.
There were but few settlers near Morocco, and very little sickness, and the
first three months of professional work of our young doctor con-
sisted of the extraction of one tooth. But he was not discouraged. As the
country settled up, calls upon him for professional skill became frequent, and
he was soon engaged in a very extensive practice, even if not lucrative. It
was indeed "extensive," for it "extended" from Rensselaer, Indiana, to
Watseka, Illinois, and from Momence, in the latter state, to Benton county,
in the former ! There were but few roads, and allhis trips had to be made on
horseback, taking a "bee line " from place to place, except when water
would interfere.

In 1S57 Dr. Triplett was united in marriage with Alice Pulver, daugh-
ter of Samuel and Mary Ann (Phinney) Pulver, and afterward stepdaughter
of John Murphey. She was born near Lafayette, this state, February 23,
1840. The Doctor soon paid of? his debts and also purchased a piece of
land. In 1862 he entered the Union army as second assistant surgeon of
the Eighty-seventh Regiment Indiana Volunteers; then was commissioned
first assistant surgeon; later was promoted surgeon of the same regiment,
in September, 1863; then was advanced to the position of brigade surgeon
of the Second Brigade, and later to division surgeon of the Third Division,
and served as such until the close of the war.

Returning to his family, he resumed the practice of his profession, which

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 751

he still continues. He has also dealt in real estate. He and his family own
sixteen hundred acres of land, twelve hundred of which are in Newton coun-
ty; and no man In that county is better or more favorably known.

In his political principles the Doctor is a stanch Democrat, and during
the administration of Grover Cleveland was a member of the board of
examiners for United States pensions.

Of his eight children five died in early life and three attained their
majority. Haidee Florence, born February 25, 1858, died at the age of
twenty-two years; Charles E. , Jr., is the subject of the next paragraph;
and Hattie, born February 4, 1875, married William Kessler and resides in
Morocco and has two children, Chester Lee, born in April, 1892, and Rosetta,
born in October, 1894.

Charles E. Triplett, Jr., M. D., was born in Morocco, Indiana, July 5,
1862, and here grew to manhood and obtained his education in the public
schools of the place, and he also attended school at Battle Ground, this
state. December 14, 1881, he was united in marriage with Eva Carpen-
ter, a daughter of Joseph and Catherine (Foster) Carpenter. She was born
at Delphi, this state. May 17, 1863, and was residing there at the time of
her marriage, although she had been living with the family at Morocco for a
time. Joseph Carpenter was a blacksmith, and was in business at Delphi
and Morocco. His death occurred at the last named place, and his widow
subsequently removed to Michigan, where she now resides.

After marriage Dr. Triplett was engaged in the raising of live stock and
in dealing in the same. His wife died June 12, 1892, leaving three children-
Lora Ethel, born October 26, 1883; William Earl, August 12, 1887; and
Charles Clarence, June 5, 1892. Mrs. Triplett was a highly respected
Christian woman, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. After her
death Dr. Triplett took up the study of medicine under the professional
guidance of his father, and afterward attended lectures at Rush Medical Col-
lege, at Chicago, at which institution he was graduated with the class of
1895. For about eighteen months after that he practiced his chosen profes-
sion at St. Mary's, Illinois, and then returned to Morocco, where he has
since been associated with his father. Socially, he is a Royal Arch Mason,
and in politics is a Democrat.

JAMES T. RANDLE.

This well known representative of one of the pioneer families of Jasper
county is prominent and active in business life, and in 1883 he erected his
comfortable and attractive house at the corner of Cullen and Susan streets.

752 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Rensselaer. For sixty-five years he has dwelt in this county, his career
marked by strict honesty, uprightness and fair dealing, and the high esteem
of all who know him has always been given to him in liberal measure.

The paternal grandparents of our subject were James T. and Mary
(Shields) Randle, natives of New Jersey. They removed to Virginia in early
life and there spent their remaining days. ■ Their son, Thomas, father of
James T,, was born in Hampshire county, in that portion of the Old Domin-
ion now included in West Virginia, January 9, 1798, he being one of six
children. He married Nancy Gulp, whose birth had occurred in the same
county, October 27, 1S12. In the fall of 1832 Thomas Randle, with his
wife and children and his brother-in-law, George Gulp, came to Indiana, and
temporarily located on the Wabash, about four and a half miles below Del-
phi, renting land until they should decide upon a suitable place to make a
permanent home. By illness and other hindrances they were delayed in re-
moving to the spot they concluded to make a settlement upon until the fol-
lowing year, 1S35. Having erected two log cabins the families commenced
keeping house in their new homes in the wilderness, and to them is due the
honor of having been the first white settlers of Barkley township. At the
time of his coming here Thomas Randle had but two children, James T. and
Mary, the latter born at the temporary home of the family on the Wabash,
and nine other children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Randle in this county.
They were both members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and their
humble house and means were always at the service of the pioneer circuit-
rider or local minister, as they were, indeed, to any neighbor or passer-by.
A typical pioneer, hard-working, industrious, courageous, strong of body and
soul — such a man was Thomas Randle. He was a Jackson Democrat of the
old school, — a man who had the strictest regard for his word, fulfilling his
agreements to the letter, and striving to rear his children to be noble, good-
principled men and women. He was summoned to his reward December 1 1,
1870, by which time many of the important changes in the civilization and
development of this section of Indiana had taken place, and he was enabled
to forsee the wonderful prosperity which would descend as an inheritance to
his children and to posterity in general, he having been an important factor
in the grand result. Three sons and a daughter, of the once large family
circle which gathered around the old-fashioned fire-place in the cabin of
Thomas Randle, are all that survive. Isabel, the daughter, is the wife of
Walter Glark, of Gamden, Garroll county, Indiana; William Henry is a resi-
dent of Barkley township; and Nelson lives in Rensselaer.

James T. Randle was born at the old homestead in Virginia October 10,
1 83 1, and was thus a small child when the family removed to this county.
Although he was so young he retains a faint memory of the notable journey

BIOGEAPRICAL HISTORY. ' 753

to Jasper county, and the incidents of his boyhood are indelibly printed on
the tablets of his mind. The Indians had not yet gone to western reserva-
tions, and game of various kinds, especially wolves and deer, was plentiful.
The love of hunting was not inborn in James T. , and upon only one occasion
did he indulge in the so-called noble sport of shooting a deer. Three beauti-
ful deer were grazing in the edge of the forest one day, when the youth
espied them, and the sudden impulse to capture one filled his soul. Hastily
procuring a gun from the house of a neighbor near by, he cautiously returned
and, as the keen-eared creatures lifted up their heads, listening intently, he
aimed at the largest one, a fine buck, which, an instant later, lay on the
ground, mortally wounded, at the feet of the proud young marksman.

Public schools were not instituted in this county for many years after
James T. Randle had need of them, and his only educational advantages
were a few months' attendance at a subscription school. By reading and by
friction with the world he has gained sufficient general knowledge to carry
him through his career creditably, though he has often felt the lack of the
advantages which the children of this age accept as matters of course, and
too often neglect. From his boyhood Mr. Randle determined to follow in
his father's footsteps and to give his time and energies to agriculture.
Frugal and industrious, he early accumulated a snug little property, and as
his means increased year by year he invested the proceeds judiciously and
in time was well-to-do. He dealt more or less in cattle, and in this manner
made large sums. Soon after his father's death he purchased the old home-
stead, and at various periods he owned several hundred acres of farm land,
in addition to other property. He has been retired for some time now,
enjoying the fruits of his former toil, and since 1883 he has lived in the com-
modious brick residence which he built in Rensselaer. He uses his ballot on
behalf of the party nominees whom he thinks are best suited for office.

When he was twenty years of age Mr. Randle lost his loved mother,
who passed to the better land October 22, 1851. The young man was mar-
ried in 1854 to Miss Mary E. Overton, a native of Rush county, Indiana, her
father, James Overton, being one of the pioneers of that locality. Mrs.
Randle died August 14, 1877, and left five children, namely: Robert,
Thomas, John, Emeline E. (wife of B. S. Makeever) and Edward J. The
second wife of our subject was Mrs. Ruth Harris, ncc Benjamin, whose
death occurred January 24, 1897. The present wife of Mr. Randle was
Julia A. Enslen prior to their marriage.

In his religious views Mr. Randle is a zealous and devoted worker of
the Methodist Episcopal church, with which denomination he is identified as
a member. He has always contributed liberally to the support of religious
and charitable enterprises and is interested in every great work of progress

754 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

and advancement. He has been a stockholder in the Commercial State
Bank of Rensselaer since its organization, April 2, 1895, and is now one of
its directors.

ANTHONY TAYLOR.

A self made man and industrious agriculturist of White county, Mr.
Taylor is a native of the north of England, where he was born March 29,
1835, a son of Thomas and Agnes (Bowman) Taylor. His father came to
America in 1845, landing at New York, whence he came direct to Fort
Wayne, Indiana, and later moved to Kosciusko county, where he bought
one hundred and sixty acres of land, which he farmed until his death, that
event occurring in 1 849, when he was aged sixty-five years. His wife, who also
was born in England, where she was married, came to this country with her
husband and died in Kosciusko county, in 1850. The following children were
born to this couple: Thomas, who remained in England; William lives in
Kosciusko county, Indiana; Mary died in childhood; Edward, deceased;
Richard, a farmer living twenty-eight miles west of St. Louis, Missouri;
John, deceased; Jonathan, a farmer in Kosciusko county; James, deceased;
Anthony, our subject; Jane, the wife of William Thomas, a farmer residing
in Elkhart, Indiana; and Joe and Robert, who are living on farms near
Chalmers, Indiana. The paternal grandfather was Thomas Taylor, a native
of England, and the maternal grandfather was Richard Bowman, also of
England, both of whom were farmers by occupation.

Anthony Taylor came to America with his parents when ten years old,
and five years later he was left an orphan, his parents having died within a
year of each other. He remained on the home place for three years, and
then, in 1852, he came to White county, where he worked on the New Albany
& Salem Railroad (now the Monon), during that fall and winter, and was then
employed by various farmers in Princeton township, among whom was John-
Alkire. He returned to Kosciusko for one year and then came to Brookston,
where he worked for Jackson Alkire, and later ran a threshing machine for a
couple of years. Mr. Taylor is the owner of two hundred acres of land,
which he superintends himself, and which is located five miles northwest of
Wolcott, and the most of which he has broken, having added valuable im-
provements, the most important of which is a ditch, which now drains the
major part of his land.

Mr. Taylor was married December 22, 1859, near Chalmers, Indiana,
to Miss Sarah Price, daughter of John and Susan (Kent) Price, who were
natives of Ohio. Mrs. Taylor was born at Battle Ground, Indiana, Febru-
ary 27, 1839, and died in 1880, aged forty-one years. Mr. Taylor was again

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 755

married, his second wife being Mrs. Sarah B. (Hamilton) Kerr, who was
born in Virginia April 12, 184 The wedding took place at Monticello, In-
diana, on March 21, 1888, and one child has been born of this union, Josie,
who is now attending school. Of the first marriage seven children were
born, as follows: James William, who resides in Chicago, Illinois; twins,
who died November 24, 1862, not named; Agnes is the wife of Frank Smith,
a farmer living southwest of Reynolds; John, deceased; Catharine, who mar-
ried Charles Moore, of Chicago; and one who died in infancy. Mr. Taylor
is a stanch Republican in his political affiliations.

ALBERT D. PECK.

The efficient postmaster at Morocco, Indiana, is a lineal descendant of
Joseph Peck, who came from Hingham, England, and settled in Hingham,
Massachusetts, in 1638; and the ancestry of Joseph Peck is traced back
twenty generations farther. The paternal line of descent from Joseph Peck
to our subject is as follows: Nathaniel Peck, fifth son of Joseph, born in
Hingham, Massachusetts; Nathaniel Peck (also known as Lieutenant and
Deacon), born July 26, 1670, died August 5, 1751; Nathaniel Peck, born July
10, 1699, settled near Seekonk and became wealthy, and died in the army at
Fort Edward, August 5, 1756; Thomas Peck, born January 11, 1726 or 1727,
settled first in Providence and later in Scituate, Rhode Island ; his son Thomas
was born December 27, 1757, and settled at what was known as German
Flats, New York, where he died in 1810; his son, Philip Peck, born April 25,
1776, first settled in Smithfield, Rhode Island, and in 1822 removed to New
Berlin, Chenango county. New York, where he died February 17, 1856; and
Henry, the youngest child of Philip Peck and father of our subject, was born
in Smithfield, Rhode Island, July 7, 1817, and was five years old when the
family settled in New Berlin, New York. He was reared a farmer and be-
came one of the largest and most successful agriculturists in his county; but,
being an honest man himself, he placed too much confidence in others, who
defrauded him out of the greater portion of his property. In 1864 he sold
his land and engaged in the agricultural-implement trade, and also kept hotel.
His death occurred April 17, 1873. His wife, who bore the maiden name of
Adaline Dilley, was a daughter of John Dilley, and she was born March 5,
1823, and died July 29, 1887. Henry and Adaline (Dilley) Peck brought up
seven children, namely: Olive Elizabeth, born July 30, 1840, married Wal-
lace Lewis and is now a widow, residing in Otsego county. New York; Julia
Ann, born May 28, 1844, married Martin Adams, and died in Norwich, New
York, February 22, 1872; Albert D., whose name heads this biographical
sketch; Luna A., born November 13, 1848, married Patrick Sullivan, and

756 BIOGRAPHICAL HIS TORY.

died at Elgin, Illinois; Ruth M., born January i, 1851, married Frederick
Quincer and resides at Elgin, Illinois; John Franklin, born August 9, 1852,
is a business man at Elgin; and Matilda A., born September 26, 1856, mar-
ried a Mr. Darrow and died in Gloversville, New York, in 1874.

Albert D. Peck was born in New Berlin, Chenango county. New York,
June 7, 1845, 3-nd passed his early life upon the home farm, receiving his
education at the common schools. In 1861, when volunteers were called for
to defend the Union and the legitimate government, young Peck was but six-
teen years old; but, notwithstanding, October 21, of that year, he enrolled
himself as a soldier, in Company H, Eighth Regiment of New York Cavalry.
The regiment went into camp at Rochester, that State, and later at Wash-
ington, D. C. , where private Peck was taken sick and was consequently dis-
charged, on the surgeon's certificate of disability. May 30, 1862. This ex-
perience, however, did not discourage him, and, regaining his health, he
re-enlisted January 9, 1864, was mustered into service with Company E,
Second Regiment of New York Heavy Artillery, and served in the Army of
the Potomac, participating in the following battles: The Wilderness, Spott-
sylvania. North Anna, Mine Run, Deep Bottom, Cold Harbor, in front of
Petersburg, Five Forks, and was present at Appomattox when Lee's army
surrendered. He was in the grand review at Washington, D. C, and re-
mained in the service till September 29, 1865, when he was discharged by
reason of special order of September 8, 1865.

Returning home, he engaged in farming. In the fall of 1872 he came to
Indiana, locating at Morocco, where his uncle, Thomas Peck, resided, and
here he worked as a carpenter and cooper. From December, 1880, to July,
1884, he was at Chicago, employed in the shops of the Deering Harvester
Company. Returning to Morocco, he, in 1885, associated himself with Dr.
L. H. Recher and engaged in the manufacture of tile, building the first plant
in the vicinity of Morocco; but the works were destroyed by fire. They,
however, rebuilt and continued to conduct the business there till 1889. April
I, 1 891, Mr. Peck moved to Chicago and worked for the Deering Harvester
Company till 1895, when he returned again to Morocco and engaged in drill-
ing wells till 1S97, when he was appointed postmaster. He is a Republican
in his politics, and socially he is a member of Jere. Rusk Post, Grand Army
of the Republic, at Chicago.

Mr. Peck was first married to Miss Harriet Adams, January 27, 1864,
between his first and second enlistments in military service; but Mrs. Peck
died June 22, 1872, leaving no children. October 27, 1873, Mr. Peck was
united in matrimony with Miss Mary Peck, a daughter of Thomas and Alzina
(Medbury) Peck; she was born near Morocco, Indiana, June 10, 1848. By
this marriage there have been seven children, namely: Frank D., born May

BIOGRJPHICJ.L HISTORY. 757

3, 1875; Alida A., born October 15, 1878, died January 10, 1879; James G.,
born December 25, 1880, died January 12, 1881; Asa, born January 18,
1883, died April 3, 1883; Thomas H., born June 6, 1884; Sylvester M., born
July 18, 1886; and Albert R., born August 26, 1888, died April i, 1891.

GEORGE E. MARSHALL.

George E. Marshall, editor and proprietor of the Rensselaer Republican,
Rensselear, Indiana, was born in Will county, Illinois, October 5, 1850, a
son of George and Margaret (Paddock) Marshall, natives of the state of New
York and of English descent. Mr. Marshall is one of a family of eight chil-
dren, five of whom are living. He enjoyed the benefit of good educational
advantages in his youth and on reaching maturity engaged in teaching. He
devoted two years to the study of law, but never entered upon the practice of
that profession. His educational wprk was in California and Illinois, chiefly in
the latter state, and he continued teaching until 1881, when he purchased an
interest in the Rensselaer Republican. In August of the following year, 1882,
he became sole proprietor, and has since edited and controlled the paper,
proving himself as successful in the journalistic as in the educational field.
The Republican is a bright, newsy, up-to-date publication, issued both daily
and semi-weekly. Its politics is indicated by its name.

Mr. Marshall was married June 25, 1884. to Miss Lillie E. Bartoo,
daughter of the late Lafayette Bartoo, of Carpenter township, Jasper county,
Indiana. They became the parents of five children, three sons and two
daughters, namely: Vernon B., Eva Lucile, Star, Edison Tesla, and Carroll,
deceased.

Fraternally, Mr. Marshall is identified with the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias.

HIRAM W. MOORE.

For twenty-one years cashier of the First National Bank of Lafayette,
Hiram W. Moore, is an important factor in the business life of the city. His
ability and trustworthiness have gained him wide influence and he is one of
the valued citizens of Tippecanoe county. Born near Chardon, Geauga
county, Ohio, on the 26th of April, 1848, Hiram W. Moore is a son of
Edmund and Barbara (Fisk) Moore, and on both the paternal and maternal
side traces his ancestry back to the middle of the seventeenth century. His
paternal grandfather, Ebenezer H. Moore, was a native of New York and
was of English descent. He spent his entire life in the east and was a promi-
nent resident of the community in which he made his home. He reared a

758 BIOGBdPEICAL HISTORY.

family of eleven children. The maternal grandfather, James Fisk, was a
native of Providence, Rhode Island, and a direct descendant of Roger Will-
iams. The Fisk family in America dates back to about 1647. He owned a
very large tract of land in the western reserve of Ohio, reared a large family
and died at an advanced age.

The parents of Hiram W. Moore were both natives of Seneca county,
New York, and about 1834 removed to Ohio, locating in Geauga county,
where the father engaged in farming. He held various township offices, and
was a well known and highly esteemed citizen of the community. He died
April 6, 1848, at the age of forty-four years, and his widow, who was born
in 1808, died in 1870. She was a member of the Methodist church. While
not a regular physician she was widely known for her ministration in this line,
and was called to the homes of all in her vicinity to attend the sick, but
never charged anything for her services. They were the parents of nine chil-
dren, seven of whom are now living: James, a resident of Los Angeles, Cal-
ifornia; Sally J., wife of Darius G. Branch, of Chardon, Ohio; Albert H.,
who resides near Bangor, Michigan; Eliza, wife of John V. D. Eldredge, of
Detroit, Michigan; Nancy P., wife of Loren Eldredge, of Chardon, Ohio;
George E., also a resident of Chardon; David F., of South Haven, Michigan,
who was killed by accident in a runaway; Julia, deceased wife of William
Martin; and Hiram W. of this review.

The last named spent the first eighteen years of his life upon his father's
farm in Geauga county, Ohio, pursued his studies in the district school of
the neighborhood, later spent one term in the high school of Chardon, and
for a short time was a student in Oberlin College. He then engaged in
teaching for one term, having charge of the same school which four of his
brothers had taught before him. About a week before the expiration of his
term, however, he closed his school, in order to accept a position in a bank
in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he remained for two and a half years, after
which he became cashier in a large dry-goods house in that city. Soon
afterward, however, he abandoned that place in order to become bookkeeper
for the Lyon Brothers' paper warehouse, and in 1871 went to Plainwell,
Michigan, where he took charge of the banking house of Winegar & Soule,
continuing in that position for two years. In January, 1873, he came to
Lafayette, Indiana, and took a position as bookkeeper in the First National
Bank. In September, 1877, he was made cashier and has since served in
that capacity. The success of the institution is due in no small degree to his
efforts. His thorough understanding of the banking business, his accuracy,
his well known reliability and his personal popularity, all make him an offi-
cial who contributes materially to the advancement of the business.

On the 4th of May, 1870, Mr. Moore was united in marriage to Miss

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 759

Avis Bailey, daughter of Dr. Silas and Mary (Goddard) Bailey. At different
times her father was president of Franklin College and of Kalamazoo Col-
lege, two Baptist institutions. She was a member of the Baptist church,
and died in that faith, in Lafayette, in April, 1873. On the loth of August,
1876, Mr. Moore was again married, his second union being with Miss Cora
Howe, daughter of Warren and Louisa (Boyden) Howe. She is a member
of the Episcopal church and a most estimable lady. Two children have
been born of this union: Warren E. and Robert S. The former, born Sep-
tember 22, 1877, was graduated in Purdue University, with the class of
1897, and is now a civil engineer. Robert, who was born September 3,
1879, is a graduate of the Lafayette high school, of the class of 1896, and is
now a student in Amherst College. The pleasant and hospitalable home of
Mr. and Mrs. Moore is located at No. 215 South Ninth street.

Mr. Moore is a member of the Baptist church, and is an advocate of all
progressive measures which tend to promote the educational, social, material
and moral welfare of the community. He is a Royal Arch Mason, was a
charter member of the Knights of Pythias lodge of Lafayette and also
belonged to the uniform rank of that order. In politics he is an earnest
Republican, was a charter member of the Lincoln Club, and in 1897 served
as its president. His is a well rounded character, in which the business,
political and social interests of the day each have a part. He is broad-
minded, progressive, liberal in. his views, and stands as a representative of
our best type of American manhood and American chivalry.

WILLIAM PERRY.

The senior member of the firm of William Perry & Son, harness dealers
in Kentland, was born on a farm near Strawtown, Hamilton county, Indi-
ana, April 13, 1837. His parents. Freeman and Phebe (Mills) Perry, were
natives of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, respectively, were married in
Hamilton county, and in 1849 removed to Tippecanoe county, Indiana, and
later to White county, and at a later date took up their residence in Kent-
land, where they passed the remainder of their days. The father died in
1875 at the age of seventy-six years, and the mother in 1890, aged seventy-
seven years. They had five children, namely: William, John G. , Elizabeth
and Daniel, who died in childhood, and Marion L. The father was a phy-
sician, but for nearly twenty years before his death was an invalid, which de-
barred him from practice. They were members of the Methodist church.

William Perry passed his early life upon the farm, attending the coun-
try schools until old enough to begin life for himself, when he learned the
trade of a saddler at Brookston and Indianapolis, and in February, 1862,

760 ' BIOGRAPHICAL BISTORT.

came to Kentland, where he opened a store for saddlery, harness, etc., and
he is now the oldest merchant in that line in that part of the state. For
the past thirty years he has also dealt in agricultural implements. He was
first married on November 21, 1862, to Miss Fanny Shields, daughter of
John and Maria (Moore) Shields. Three children were born of this union:
Harry O., who is in business with his father, married Clara Zumbaugh, and
they have one son — Freeman; Mary Agnes, wife of H. A. Strohm; and one
child, Nellie, who died in infancy.

Mrs. Fanny Perry died April 12, 1890, aged forty-five years. Mr. Per-
ry's second marriage took place August 12, 1892, when he was united to
Mrs. Nancy Galloway, the widow of John Galloway. Mrs. Perry has one son
by her first marriage, Charles L. Galloway.

JAMES KIRBY RISK.

The ranks of the business men in our cities are being constantly recruited
from the country xiistricts. Many of the most prominent men of the nation
are they to whom the duties of the field fell in early boyhood, while our mer-
cantile, professional and political circles are constantly adding to their num-
ber the farmer lads who, with the strength of physical and moral manhood
that results from living near to nature's heart, go to the cities to make for
themselves a place in the commercial world and readily adapt themselves to
new conditions, advancing steadily step by step to positions of prominence.
Of this class James Kirby Risk is a worthy representative. He is now serv-
ing as city clerk and is a man highly esteemed for his genuine worth and
ability.

Mr. Risk was born in Ripley county, Indiana, on the 4th of May, 1865,
and is a son of James M. and Charlotte (Gordon) Risk, both of whom were
natives of Ripley county. The former was born November 8, 1837, and was
a farmer and stock dealer throughout his life. During the civil war he went
forth to the defense of the Union, serving about a year as a member of Com-
pany G, Thirty-fifth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. His political support was
given the Democracy. He died in the county of his nativity December 27,
1884, at the age of forty-seven years, but the mother, who was born March
20, 1839, is still living in Ripley county. They were married April i, i860.

In the public schools near his home James K. Risk acquired his educa-
tion, and when fifteen years of age left his father's farm in order to make his
own way in the world. He first went to Danville, Illinois, where for some
time he was in the employ of the Halloway Transfer Company, after which
he spent a brief period in the service of the Danville, Olney & Ohio River
Railroad Company. He then came to Tippecanoe county, in the spring of

f^^E-v^^

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 761

1882, and for some years was employed upon a farm, but in February, 1888,
took up his residence in Lafayette, wfiere he has since made his home. For
about fourteen months he was employed as a salesman in the implement
house of M. E. Sears, after which he spent a year in the employ of M. &W.
M. Simpson, real-estate and loan agents, and a year with the Vernon Cloth-
ing Company. Since September, 1891, he has been in the employ of the S.
N. Ullman Clothing Company, and his business and executive ability make
him a popular and valuable employe.

In his political views Mr. Risk has always been a stalwart Democrat and
for many years has taken an active interest in the work of the party, doing
all in his power to promote its growth and insure its success. In May, 1898,
he was elected to the office of city clerk of Lafayette, over Harry Sample,
one of the best known and most prominent Republicans in the city. He
received a majority of fifty-seven, while the other candidates on the Demo-
cratic ticket were defeated by majorities ranging from fifty to two hundred
and forty votes. His election, therefore, was a high compliment, indicating
his personal popularity and the confidence that his fellow townsmen repose
in his ability and worth. He entered upon the duties of the office September
5, 1898, to serve for a four-years term, and has already won favorable com-
ment by his promptness and fidelity.

Mr. Risk is a charter member of Court Puritan, No. 1125, I. O. O. F. ,
and has filled all the offices in the subordinate court, while at present he is
court deputy and has represented Court Puritan in the last four high-court
sessions. In 1896 he was elected high-court treasurer for the state of Indi-
ana, was re-elected in 1897, and is now serving as high councilor for the
state of Indiana, filling out the unexpired term of C. H. Henderson. He is
an avowed friend of organized labor and a member of the Retail Clerks'
Union, No. 25, of Lafayette.

On September 8, 1891, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Risk and
Miss Dora D. Jolley, of Sugar Grove, Jackson township, Tippecanoe county,
a daughter of Hiram and Mazy Jolley. They have a wide acquaintance in
Lafayette and the hospitality of the best homes is extended them. Their
friends are many and they are held in the highest regard by reason of their
sterling worth.

THOMAS McGUIRE.

The subject of this memoir was born June 2, 1844, at Lockport, Will
county, Illinois, being a son of John and Winfred (Manning) McGuire. The
grandparents were born in Ireland and passed their entire lives there. The
father also was born in Ireland, in county Roscommon, in the year 1817,

762 BIOGRAPHICAL EISTORT.

came to America when sixteen years old and stopped at Roxbury, Massa-
chusetts. He spent the first few years in traveling about over the United
States, and, being pleased with the fertile prairies of Illinois, purchased a farm
of one hundred and sixty acres in Will county, near Lockport. He added to
this at various times, by subsequent purchases, until he had in his possession
a large tract of land. His wife's maiden name was Winfred Manning. She
was born in the same locality as her husband and about the same year. She
came to America and was married in New York city, in 1840. They reared
a family of seven children, as follows : Mary W., the wife of D. G. Murphy,
of Joliet, owner of a livery and quarry near there ; Thomas, whose history is
here briefly set forth ; Bernard, of Chicago ; John, who owns one hundred
and sixty acres near Lockport, Illinois ; Daniel F., a priest in the Church
of the Visitation, Chicago; James L. , a resident of Denver, Colorado ; and
Katie E. , now deceased. They were industrious, hard-working people, and
they accumulated considerable property, so when a child was married they
were able to give him sufficient means to start with. The mother died Oc-
tober 26, 1895, in Chicago, to which place they had moved, and there the
father also died, November 3, 1898, at the advanced age of eighty-two
years.

Thomas McGuire attended the public schools near Lockport, until he
was nearly twenty years of age, when he began farming for himself. Part
of his time was spent in the cultivation of eighty acres which he owned near
Joliet. In 1873 he disposed of this land and in September of the following
year he purchased one hundred and sixty acres in Parish Grove township,
two miles northeast of Dunnington, Indiana. This was virgin soil, and Mr.
McGuire improved it and placed it all under a high state of cultivation. In
1888 he added another one hundred and sixty acres, making him the owner
of three hundred and twenty acres of fine farm land. He erected handsome
buildings on this property, making it among the most attractive in this sec-
tion of the country. The house is a model of comfort and convenience and
cost about three thousand dollars; and the barn, which is complete in every
detail, cost about the same figure.

He was united in matrimony to Miss Eliza Woodlock on November 26,
1877, the ceremony being performed by Father J. F. Lang, in the Dunning-
ton church. His bride was born in Ottawa, LaSalle county, Illinois, in i 855,
and is the daughter of David and Bridget (Loughery) Woodlock, who are
represented elsewhere in this book. Mr. and Mrs. McGuire became the proud
parents of six bright children: John J., born August 23, 1879; Mary W.;
Daniel D. ; Katie Ellen; Thomas F. ; and James Emmett, — all living at home.
Mr. McGuire was a consistent member of the Roman Catholic church at
Dunnington, and was a stanch Republican, having served as trustee of the

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 768

township consecutively from 1889 to 1894. He commanded the full respect
and confidence of the people for the probity of his ofScial acts and his hon-
orable, upright conduct as a citizen and a man. His death occurred October
I, 1898, and all who knew him and appreciated his sterling character mourned
the loss of a true friend and worthy man.

HARRY A. STROHM.

Harry A. Strohm, postmaster at Kentland, and a member of the firm of
Strohm & Dodson, owners of the Newton County Enterprise, of which Mr.
Strohm is editor, was born in Jefferson township, Newton county, Indiana,
November 21, 1868, and in his boyhood worked upon a farm and attended
the country schools. When sixteen years old he became a student at Kent-
land high school and after finishing his course read law in the office of Will-
iam Cummings for two years, at the end of which time he was admitted to
the bar. On January 15, 1890, he was appointed to a clerkship in the cen-
sus department, at Washington, D. C. , spending two years in that service.

Mr. Strohm, however, had the wisdom to perceive that a government
position is a poor place for a young man who has ambition to become some-
thing else than a mere machine, and he determined to enter journalism. On
August I, 1892, he purchased a half interest in the Newton County Enter-
prise and two years later became its editor. The paper is now in its thirty-
third year, and holds a high position among country newspapers. It is Re-
publican in politics, and an ardent supporter of the principles of that party.
In all respects the Enterprise is ably conducted and is a model home paper.

During the session of the state legislature in 1895, Mr. Strohm was
custodian of bills, and from December, 1895, to March, 1896, he was private
secretary to Hon J. A. Hatch, member of congress from the tenth congres-
sional district of Indiana. On March 16, 1898, Mr. Strohm began his duties
as postmaster at Kentland. He is a member of the Sons of Veterans and
has been junior vice-commander of Indiana. He also belongs to the Knights
of Pythias.

The marriage of our subject took place June 8, 1893, when he was
united to Miss Mary Agnes Perry, daughter of William and Fanny (Shields)
Perry.

Mr. Strohm is of German extraction, his paternal grandfather being a
native of Germany, but at an early age settling in New Jersey, whence he
emigrated to Ohio, and from there to Miami county, this state. His son,
John Strohm, father of our subject, was a farmer, during the civil war
served in the Twelfth Indiana Cavalry, and after the war he made his home
in Newton county, where he purchased a farm, which he conducted until his

764 BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY.

death, October 17, 1872, at the early age of thirty-six years. His wife^
Mary J. (Dodson) Strohm, was born in Logan county, Ohio, March 9, 1846,
and came to Newton county in 185 1 with her parents, James W. and Rebecca
Dodson. She was married to Mr. Strohm in February, 1868. Their only
son is Harry A. Strohm. She was during long years a consistent member of
the Methodist church and was universally esteemed and beloved. She died
June 14, 1899.

CHARLES SCHWARTZ.

Mr. Schwartz is the owner of large tracts of land in the states of both
Indiana and Illinois, and has practically retired from the active duties of farm
life, though he maintains his residence on his farm in Benton county, Indi-
ana. He is the eldest son of Phillip and Mary (Herzog) Schwartz, to whom
he was born October 14, 1857, in Bloomington, Illinois. His parents are
natives of Baden, Germany, and are now residents of Illinois, living three
miles west of our subject. His father came to America in 1853, was married
two years later, at Williamsburg, New York, to Miss Mary Herzog, and in
1859 came to the city of Bloomington, Illinois. In 1865 he began farming
on one hundred and sixty acres of land near there, and now owns seven hun-
dred and sixty acres. He is in his seventieth year; his wife in her sixty-
seventh. Six children were born to them: Charles, our subject; George, a
resident of Iroquois county, Illinois, five miles from our subject; Frank,
deceased; Caroline, Mrs. John Metzinger; Albert, a resident of Salina, Kan-
sas; and William, who is on the home farm.

Mr. Schwartz attended school at Prairie Green until he reached his
twenty-first year, when he began farming. The first nine years he cultivated
his land in Illinois, then he purchased one hundred and fourteen acres, three
miles southwest of Dunnington, which he farmed from 1892 until 1896.
Since then he has retired from the active duties incident to agricultural life,
and rents this land as well as the four hundred and forty-four acres which he
owns in Iroquois county.

He chose as his companion through life Miss Magdaline Kirsch, who was
born at Sheldon, Illinois, July, 21, 1871, and is a daughter of Peter and
Sophie (Hireling) Kirsch, of Luxemburg, Germany. Their marriage was cel-
ebrated at Dunnington, Indiana, July 7, 1891, by Father Lambert. Mrs.
Schwartz is a most amiable, pleasant lady, and has presented her husband
with four bright, attractive children: Frank P. was born November 6, 1892;
Mary C. was born March 15, 1894; Sophie E. was born April 16, 1896; and
George Albert was born April 24, 1898. Mr. Schwartz is an honored mem-
ber of the Dunnington church and contributed liberally toward its erection.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 765

In politics he is an independent Democrat, but has never been an aspirant to
office, although he was elected to the offices of assessor and town collector of
Prairie Green, Illinois. He is a highly respected and influential citizen, and
his personality has been felt throughout the surrounding country.

MORRIS PEAK.

This gentleman is one of the leading citizens of the older class, and is
a man of excellent character. The Peak family was originally of Irish
stock. The grandfather of our subject, Joseph Peak, came from Ireland
and settled in New Jersey, not far from Philadelphia. His children were
Joseph, John, and several daughters whose names are not now obtainable.
Mr. Peak was a farmer by occupation, and he died in New Jersey.

John Peak, his son, was the father of Morris, whose name appears
above. He was born in New Jersey, September 13, 1796, received a com-
mon-school education, became a farmer and blacksmith, and when still a
young man moved to Cincinnati, where he followed his trade. Cincinnati
at that time was, but a village. After a time Mr. Peak moved to Union
county, Indiana, and married there Miss Bernice DuBois. She was born
January i, 1799. Her father, of French stock, was a pioneer farmer of
Union county, where he continued to reside until his death. His children
were Benjamin, Abijah, Richard, Allen, Smith and Mary.

John Peak continued to reside in Union county after his marriage, bought
land and improved it and occupied it for some years. Selling it, he resumed
his trade as a blacksmith, in Fairfield, Franklin county, Indiana. After a
time he returned to Union county, where he continued at his trade. In
1855 he came to Tippecanoe county and lived with his children until his
death, which had occurred when he had attained the age of eighty-six years.
He was married twice. By his first wife his children were: Joseph, born
January 20, 1820; William, March 5, 1822; John, May 27, 1823; Granville,
February 25, 1826; Hannah, July 5, 1828; Morris, February 18, 1831;
Smith, August 21, 1833; Mary Ann, April 20, 1836; and Samuel, October
16, 1841, — all born in Union county. By his second marriage John Peak
was wedded to Rachel McCrady, and they had three children, all of whom
died when very young. In religion, Mr. Peak was liberal, and in politics a
Democrat until the great war of the Rebellion, when he became a Repub-
lican. He was a hard-working, upright man, respected by all who knew
him.

Morris Peak, whose name heads this article, was born February 18,
1 83 1, in Union county, this state, received a common-school education and
learned the blacksmith's trade of his father and brother Granville. After

766 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

following his trade for four years at Billingsville, in Union county, he came
to Tippecanoe county in 1854, being twenty-three years of age at this time,
and for the first year here lived with E. W. Cole, in Lauramie township.
In that township, May 7, 1857, he married Miss Eliza Ann Ellis, who was
born August 9, 1834, in this township, on the farm adjoining that on which
our subject now resides. She was a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth
(Stoner) Ellis. Thomas Ellis was born in Maryland, a son of Rowland Ellis,
who was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Going to Ohio when a young
man he there married Elizabeth Stoner, a daughter of Isaac and Barbara
Stoner, and of sturdy Pennsylvania Dutch stock. After living for a time on
a farm in the Buckeye state, Mr. Ellis moved to Indiana, locating in Tippe-
canoe county, in Lauramie township. The family records are as follows:
Thomas Ellis, son of Rowland and Frances Ellis, was born February 19,
1792, and died July 30, 1861. His wife, Elizabeth, )u'e Stoner, was born
March 13, 1796, and died March 4, 1874. They were married January 22,
18 18. Their children were: John, born July 18, 1819; Mahala, born Au-
gust 4, 1820, married Joseph Fowler August 23, 1838, and her death occurred
July 13, 1862; Joseph, born December 16, 1821; Hannah, born March 9,
1823, married Elisha F. O'Neal June 7, 1840; Mary Magdalena, born Au-
gust II, 1824, married Richard Gladden October 31, 1841; Frances, born
September 25, 1826, married Richard Gladden November 8, 1846; Sarah,
born August 14, 1828, was married to Solomon B. Russell March 25, 1847,
and he died April 21, 1847, after which, on July 9, 1848, she became the
wife of Thomas H. O'Neal; James, born December 20, 1830, died June 8,
1859; Barbara Ann, born September 13, 1832; Eliza Ann, born April 2,
1837; Elizabeth, born July 5, 1838, died March 9, 1862.

On arrival here in Tippecanoe county Mr. Ellis located in the wild for-
est, erected a log cabin and cleared and cultivated his land. At first he en-
tered only a small tract, but by economical industry he added to this by en-
tering and purchasing other tracts until he had about four hundred acres
altogether of fine farm land, and he became a citizen well-to-do and promi-
nent. He fully developed his farm and reared his children here in good
style. He was a member of no church, but a man of high moral char-
acter. In religious belief he was brought up a Quaker, while his wife was
attached to the religion of the "Dunkards, " which was the faith of her
forefathers, but here, like her husband, she was a member of no church.

By steady industry they prospered, and no man in this county stood
higher in the sincere esteem of the people than Thomas Ellis. He was par-
ticularly a kindhearted man, and the Ellis family were among the most re-
spected of the pioneers.

Morris Peak and wife resided on the Thomas Ellis farm after marriage

BIOGRAPHICAL BISTORT. 767

about nine years, renting the large place of four hundred acres. In 1867 he
moved to his present homestead, buying one hundred and forty-five acres of
improved land and a good residence, which had been built by William Cor-
nell. By his industry and economy Mr. Peak prospered, and he now owns a
fine farm of one hundred and sixty-nine acres. He is a substantial citizen,
and he and his faithful wife are numbered among the best members of the
community. Their reputation is widely and thoroughly established, and the
people who know them are proud to enjoy their acquaintance. Their chil-
dren are: Evangeline, born March 4, 185S; Annie, September 16, 1869,
and Porter E., July 2, 1871.

WARREN T. McCRAY.

Warren Terry McCray, a conspicuous figure in the business circles of
Kentland, is the senior member of the firm of McCray & Morrison, wholesale
grain merchants of that place. He was born on a farm near Brook, Newton
county, Indiana, February 4, 1865, and is a son of Greenberry and Martha
Jane McCray, natives of Indiana. He was four years of age when his father's
family removed from the farm to Kentland, and when fifteen years old he was
graduated from the public school of that place. For the following si.x years
he was a bookkeeper in the Discount and Deposit Bank, of Kentland, of
which his father was president.

On the day on which he attained his majority, Mr. McCray formed a
partnership with Willis Kirkpatrick, under the firm name of McCray & Kirk-
patrick, and engaged in the grocery business, in which they met with marked
success, their receipts amounting to forty thousand dollars annually. In
1889, however, Mr. McCray withdrew from the firm, and, in connection with
R. G. Risser, of Kankakee, Illinois, established a grain trade in Kentland,
the firm subsequently building elevators at Raub and Effner. In 1893 J. L.
Morrison purchased the interest of Mr. Risser, and the firm became McCray
& Morrison. They buy corn and oats in Illinois and Iowa, which they clip
and clean at their transfer house in Kentland, and they own elevators at Earl
Park, Remington, Beaver City and Morocco. Their transfer house has a
capacity of fifty car-loads daily, is run by a two-hundred-and-fifty-horse-power
engine and they handle five million bushels of grain annually. The success
with which this firm has met is due to the enterprise and spirit, executive
ability and well known reputation for fair dealing possessed by its members.
The establishment of such a large business has been of great value to Kent-
land and the surrounding country, and the farmers of that locality, as well as
of neighboring sections, are not slow to avail themselves of the opportunity

768 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

offered for the disposal of their farm products. In addition to his grain busi-
ness Mr. McCray also owns about one thousand acres of farming land.

On June 15, 1892, our subject was united in marriage to Miss Ella M.
Ade, daughter of John and Adaline W. Ade. They have had two children,
Lucile Ade, born October 30, 1893, and Gilbert Ward, who died in infancy.

In politics Mr. McCray is a Republican, and is always ready to perform
his duty as a loyal citizen. He served as a member of the village board and
during his term of office the electric-light system was put in, the streets were
macadamized, stone crossings were made and this was the beginning of an
era of improvements in the town of Kentland. In 1895 our subject assisted
in organizing the National Grain Dealers' Association and in June, 1897, was
chosen president of that body. He makes a most efficient officer, and under
his judicious management the association is prospering and proving a valua-
ble aid to those engaged in the grain business.

Mr. and Mrs. McCray are members of the Presbyterian church and take
an active interest in all its work. Socially, he is past chancellor of Damon
Lodge, No. 72, Knights of Pythias. The hospitable home of our subject and
his wife is one of the most pleasant in Kentland and they are well known as
genial entertainers.

WILLIAM F. STILLWELL.

One of the leading business concerns of Lafayette for many years has
been the Henry Taylor Lumber Company, of which W. F. Stillwell is now
the president. Under his able management the business has more than
doubled in proportions during the past few years, and the company has as
large and well selected a stock and as fine an equipment as has any enter-
prise of a kindred nature in the state. Success in business does not come as
the result of chance circumstances, but as the legitimate outcome of care-
fully laid plans well executed, of foresight, energy and good methods. Mr.
Stillwell is eminently deserving of prosperity, for he possesses all the neces-
sary requisities and more, and devotes his whole time and attention to the
conduct of his financial undertakings.

Both of the grandfathers of our subject were of English descent. His
paternal grandfather, William Stillwell, was born in Kentucky, whence his
ancestors had removed from New Jersey in pioneer days. He followed mill-
ing for many years in Maysville, Kentucky, and died when about sixty-five
years of age, as the result of an accident. Mr. Stillwell's maternal grand-
father, Leonard Fleming, was born in Virginia, and in his early manhood
engaged in surveying. In early times he went to Kentucky, where he en-
tered large tracts of land and continued to dwell until his death, at three

BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY. 769

score and five years. His father was a man of genius and distinction, at one
time lieutentant governor of Virginia, and for a short period governor of that
state. He came from England as a surgeon in the British navy, and, after
-setthng in this country, took part in the French and Indian wars, and later
in the war of the Revolution.

The parents of William F. Stillwell were John D. and Matilda (Flem-
ing) Stillwell, both natives of Kentucky. John D. followed in the occupa-
tion of his father and carried on a milling business at Maysville, that state,
for a number of years, later engaging in the commission business in Cincin-
■nati. In 1870 he came to Lafayette and was occupied in farming in this
vicinity for several years. He died in August, 1897, at the advanced age of
■eighty-three years, and is survived by his good wife, who is now seventy-four
years old and makes her home in this place. Both were members of the
Christian (Disciples) church. They had two children, one of whom, Lizzie,
is the wife of E. T. Anderson, of Lafayette.

William F. Stillwell was born in Cincinnati, August 25, 1856, and from
fourteen to seventeen years of age he was with his father on the farm in
White county, Indiana. He attended the Lafayette high school and gradu-
ated at Asbury University, at Greencastle, this state, in 1877. Soon afterward
he began the study of law in the office of Judge Coffroth, of the firm of Cof-
froth & Stewart, and was admitted to the bar in 1878. After he had been
actively in practice for three years he was appointed assistant general solicitor
of the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railway Company. A short time
subsequently to the death of his father-in-law, Hon. Henry Taylor, Mr. Still-
well resigned his position in the railroad service in order to take charge of the
extensive lumber business of the deceased. For some time the concern was
run as a partnership affair, the parties thereto being Mrs. Taylor and her
•daughter and Mr. Stillwell. In 1891 the business was merged into a corpo-
ration, and Mr. Stillwell became the president, — a position which he still
occupies. The company manufacture all kinds of hardwood lumber and
make a specialty of ornamental wood-work for the interior of residences and
other buildings. Of late years they have supplied material used in the con-
struction of numerous large public buildings, such as court-houses, etc., ship-
ping great quantities to the east and elsewhere. In this enterprise employ-
Tnent is given to sixty-five persons or more. In 1893 the factory was destroyed
by fire, but the next spring a much larger and more convenient building was
•erected in the place of the old one.

October 26, 1881, Mr. Stillwell married Miss Sallie Belle Taylor, daugh-
ter of Henry and Isabella D. (Sample) Taylor, and they have had two
-children, namely: Henry Taylor, who died from the effects of injuries
received by falling from a window when he was two years old; and Isabel

770 BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY.

Fleming. Mrs. Stillwell, who was a most amiable woman, actively inter-
ested in all worthy religious and charitable affairs and a great favorite in
social circles, died at her home in this city of typhoid pneumonia, April 25,
1898. Her loss is sincerely mourned by the hosts of friends to whom she
had endeared herself in a thousand ways. She was a member of Trinity
Methodist Episcopal church, to which Mr. Stillwell also belongs; was a
charter member of Lafayette Chapter of the Daughters of the Revolution
and was identified with the Monday Afternoon Club. A lady of versatile
attainments, she had received her higher education in the Wesleyan Univer-
sity at Cincinnati.

Fraternally, Mr. Stillwell is associated with Lafayette Lodge, No. 123,
F. & A. M.; Lafayette Chapter, No. 3, R. A. M.; and Lafayette Command-
ery. No. 3, K. T. , and is a member of the Lafayette Club and the University
Club of Indianapolis. Politically, he is a Democrat, but has never been an
office-seeker. He served for two terms as police commissioner, being ap-
pointed thereto by Governor Matthews. His home, a pleasant one, is at
No. 1 109 South street, and is now presided over by Mrs. Isabel Taylor, his
deceased wife's mother.

REV. CORNELIUS McCAIN.

Rev. Cornelius McCain, who for many years was a well known and hon-
ored educator and is now retired from active life, was born in Lebanon, Ohio,.
September 28, 1824, his parents being Daniel and Magdalene (Voorhes) Mc-
Cain, natives of Warren county. His grandfather was William McCain, who
was born in New Jersey, of Scotch ancestry, and removed to Cincinnati, Ohio,
and later engaged in farming. Daniel McCain was likewise a farmer by oc-
cupation, and in 1826 moved to Indiana and settled near Delphi, where he
passed the remainder of his life, dying in 1855. To him and his wife were
born twelve children, eleven of whom grew to maturity, our subject being
the eldest.

Cornelius McCain first saw a school-house when he was nine years old,
and he then attended the country schools three months each year, assisting
on the farm during the summer, until he reached his twenty-first year. Soon
after attaining his majority Mr. McCain identified himself with the Presby-
terian church, and to its service he has given the most of his active life. He
attended Wabash College, entering the preparatory department January i.
1846, and after completing his junior year he entered Hanover College, from
which he was graduated August 6, 1851, being one of a class of eighteen.
After obtaining his diploma he went to Missouri and accepted the professor-
ship of Grand River College, near Trenton, and also taught in the high.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Ill

schools at St. Joseph and Savannah, Missouri. In 1855 he went to Kansas,
where he taught in the Iowa and Sauk Indian Mission, and while there re-
ceived his license to preach. In the fall of 1855 he returned to Missouri,
and in 1857 removed to Iowa Point, Kansas, where he organized a church
and assisted in the erection of a fine large building, working on it himself as
a laborer until its completion. In 1861 he took charge of churches in Ore-
gon and Forest City, Missouri; in 1863 he came to Washington, Indiana,
and took charge of the church in that place; and in 1866 went to Savannah,
Missouri, where he taught for one year and thereafter preached for three
years in Albany, Missouri. He accepted a call in 1870 to Hanover, Indiana,
where he taught for one year and filled the pastorates of the Hanover and
Monroe churches, at the end of that time going to Huntington and four years
later to Kentland, remaining at the latter place until 1882, then going to
Jonesboro. In 1883 he was at Valparaiso; in 1885 at Goodland, where he
remained for six years; in 1890 at Gallatin, Missouri; and in 1895 he re-
turned to Kentland, where he has since lived retired, in the enjoyment of an
honorable old age, happy in the knowledge of having spent a useful and
busy life.

On September 21, 185 1, Mr. McCain was married to Miss Eliza Ann
Currey, who was born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, February 19, 1829, a
daughter of Providence and Amanda F. (Hill) Currey, natives of Morgan
county, Kentucky, and Canada, respectively. Mr. Currey was the first law-
yer to locate in Crawfordsville. Six children have been born to Mr. and
Mrs. McCain, namely: Richard C, of whom a sketch is printed in this
work; Francis M., who died in infancy; Ida, who died at the age of seven-
teen; Inez, who died in infancy; Ada A. ; and Eda L., who married Pro-
fessor Albert L. Candy, and died in 1893, leaving one son, Bert McCain
Candy.

W. J. HINKLE.

Among the well known and highly respected citizens of Monon, White
county, is the subject of this review, who is one of the native sons of this
county, his birth having occurred here thirty-five years ago, on the 15th of
October, 1863. He is now engaged in the real-estate and loan business and
is making a success of his various investments and undertakings. Enterprise
and perseverance, two essentials to success, are among his most marked
characteristics, and in all his transactions he is strictly just and honorable,
winning the good will and confidence of parties with whom he has finan-
cial dealings.

The father of the above named gentleman, W. H. Hinkle, was one of

772 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

the early settlers of this locality and lived to witness vast improvements and
progress hereabout. Born in Kentucky in 1821, he passed twenty-two years
of his life in that state and then set out to found a new home for himself.
Settling in Jasper county, Indiana, he remained there for about two years,
after which he came to White county. Purchasing a tract of land three-
quarters of a mile south of the present location of Monon, he cultivated the
place for two years, then selling out. From that time until 1883 he carried
on a general store in Monon, and was thus one of the oldest merchants in
the town and county, being known far and wide. The last three years of his
life he passed in quiet leisure, enjoying the fruits of his many long years of
active life. He died November 14, 1886, respected and loved by a large
circle of friends and acquaintances. The Democratic party always received
his active and interested support, but he was not one ambitious for public
office. For years he was identified with the Masonic order and with the
Presbyterian church. Exactly five years after the death of Mrs. Sabina
Hinkle, the mother of our subject, his father followed her to the silent land.
She was of Scotch extraction and in. her girlhood was a Miss Johnson, her
birthplace being in Kentucky. Of her eleven children, five grew to maturity.
William H. Hinkle, the grandfather of W. J. Hinkle, was of Jewish lineage.
A resident of Kentucky, he followed the business of manufacturing saddles
and harness, and for his day was a successful man.

In his youth W. J. Hinkle received the advantages of a liberal education
in the public schools of Monon. When but nineteen years of age he em-
barked in business for himself, managing a general store. For a period of
eight years he conducted this enterprise, meeting with marked prosperity^
and then, seeing a favorable opening elsewhere, he disposed of the store and
soon started in his present line of business. Like his father before him, he
is an earnest believer in the principles of the Democratic party, and gives his
support to its nominees. Socially he is a member of the Knights of Pythias
and of the Uniformed Rank of the Knights of Pythias.

December 21, 1884, Mr. Hinkle married Miss Emma Horner, daughter
of C. M. Horner. Mrs. Hinkle was born in this city and is a graduate of the
Lafayette high school. The union of our subject and wife is blessed by three
daughters, namely: Hope H., Wright S. and Emma L.

JOSEPH H. McCORD.

Joseph H. McCord, a farmer and stock-raiser of Warren, county, was
born on the farm where he now resides, in Adams township, October 7, 1855,
a son of Robert and Hannah (Rhodes) McCord. James F. McCord, the
grandfather, came to Warren county in 1822, locating in Warren township,

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 77S

where he lived a short time and then moved to Liberty township and entered
the homestead now in possession of Elizabeth Anderson, consisting of eighty
acres, for which he paid the regular government fee of a dollar and a quarter
an acre. Here he died, at the advanced age of eighty-four years.

Robert McCord came to Warren county in 1822, with his father's family,
and grew to manhood in Liberty township. In the spring of 1855 he pur-
chased the farm on which our subject now lives, and which comprised four
hundred acres. He resided there and in that vicinity until his death, which
took place in 1885, when he was in his sixty-sixth year. He was twice mar-
ried, his first wife being Hannah Rhodes, by whom he had eight children,
namely: Harriet, deceased; Elizabeth, who is the widow of Isaac Jones and
lives in Pine Village; James W. is in California; Elnora is the wife of A. W.
Gephart and they live near Pond Grove; Jane married Allen Eberly and lives
near Pine Village; Joseph H. is our subject; Jonathan lives in California; and
Alice is deceased. For his second wife Mr. McCord married Mrs. Lydia Kid-
ney, widow of James Kidney, and four children were born of this union:
Rebecca, who lives near Pond Grove; Lilley, the wife of Levin Wright; Sam-
uel is a resident of Pond Grove; and Robert is deceased.

Joseph H. McCord has always lived on the home farm, with the excep-
tion of three years, and upon attaining his majority took entire charge of the
place. To the original land he has added from time to time, and, besides
the home place, comprising three hundred and twenty acres, he owns three
other farms, of one hundred and fifty-five, one hundred and five, and one
hundred and ninety-one acres, respectively, which are located in Adams and
Warren townships. His home is located four miles southeast of Pine Village,
on the Rounseville and Green Hill road, and is a highly-improved and well-
managed farm.

On October 10, 18S0, Mr. McCord was united in marriage to Miss Addie
Hall, who was born in i860, a daughter of Allen and Ellen (Frazier) Hall.
Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. McCord: Robert, James, Mary,
Addie, Ellen and Josie. In his political belief our subject is a stanch Repub-
lican, and in his religious affiliations is a consistent member of the Christian
church at Pine Village. He and his family possess the high regard of a large
circle of friends.

JACOB CLOUSE.

On no one industry does the prosperity of our country depend in so large
a measure as on the agricultural. Give prosperity to the farmer and the
wheels of commerce run smoothly for all, while, on the contrary, as has been
demonstrated in recent years, adversity for him affects alike merchant, man-

774 BIOGBAPEICAL HISTORY.

ufacturer and laborer. The staple products of all kinds — food, clothing, and
many of our luxuries — are, directly or indirectly, the result of his labor, mak-
ing him pre-eminently the benefactor of mankind. Among those farmers
who have occupied a prominent place iu the history of Jasper county is the
gentleman whose biography we here present. Born June 21, 1824, in Cum-
berland county, Pennsylvania, he was yet a young man when he came with
his parents to this state, where he has established a most enviable record for
industry, integrity and honorable dealing.

John Clouse, the father, also was a native of Cumberland county, Penn-
sylvania, and grew to manhood in that county. There he was joined in wed-
lock with Miss Barbara Shuff, moved to Holmes county, Ohio, in 1838, and
later, in 1844, came to this county, where he spent the remainder of his life.
He obtained a grant of state land in what is now the town of Barkley, to
which he brought his family the following year. This land, with the help of
his sons, he improved and converted into a fertile farm. The mother was
called away to the invisible world, leaving a family of five children. The
father married another wife, their union being without issue. John, the third
child of the family, went to California during the gold excitement in that state,
accompanied by one Jack Kenton, and lost his life by the blowing up of the
steamer Pearl in the harbor of San Francisco. The other five are at this
writing (1899) alive and are as follows: Jacob, our subject; Mrs. Hester
Lakins; William, a resident of Illinois; Mrs. Mary Wolcott; and Jackson,
also a resident of Illinois,

Jacob Clouse was about twenty years of age when he came with his
father to this state. The first summer he worked on the farm of Jared Ben-
jamin, a well-known pioneer of Jasper county. The following year he was
in the employ of George Spitler, another pioneer. In 1847 he enlisted in
the Fifth Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, and proceeded to Vera Cruz to join
the army under General Winfield Scott, one of the most famous generals of
the Mexican war. There was a cessation of hostilities soon after, and he
returned home and assisted his father on the farm. He was married in 1849
and settled on unimproved land, which he bought and placed in a high state
of cultivation. This farm he still owns, and made his home until the fall of
1893, when he moved to the city of Rensselaer.

He has been twice married, the wife of his youth being Elmina Parker,
a daughter of Bunyan Parker. She was born in 1833, was married at the
age of sixteen and died in 1866, leaving five children to be cared for. These
children are all living and are as follows: Mary E., born September i, 1850;
Margaret Minerva, born April 21, 1852; Levi F., born September 24, 1855;
Ezra, born January 17, 1859; and John W., born July 9, 1862. In 1870
Mr. Clouse placed at the head of his household Miss Margaret McElfresh, a

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 775

native of Maryland. They have one son, William, born February 27, 1874.
They are earnest and consistent members of the Christian church, and have
the good will and respect of the entire community. They have a beautiful
home in this city, the residence surrounded by four acres of lawn and orchard,
which contains grapes and an abundance of small fruit of different kinds.
This property was unimproved when purchased by Mr. Clouse, and he has
made of it a pleasant home in which to spend the evening of life.

WILLIAM M. HOOVER.

This well known farmer and stock-raiser in Marion township, Jasper
county, was born in Ross county, Ohio, 'August 27, 1844, where he was
reared upon a farm and received his early education at a subscription school,
later attending the public school. He came with his father's family to Indi-
ana when only eighteen months old and has spent his entire life on the old
homestead, which was left to him by his father's will.

In August, 1862, Mr. Hoover, then only seventeen years old, enlisted
in the army and served for three years, — -until the close of the war. He was
a member of Company A, Eighty-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry, which
formed a part of the Army of the Cumberland, their first brigade commander
being George H. Thomas, commonly known as "Pap" Thomas; the brigade
was afterward commanded by General Gleason. Schryock was the first colonel
and later Gleason. Mr. Hoover saw considerable hard service and partici-
pated in some of the most noted battles of the war, among them those of
Chickamauga, Lookout mountain, Kenesaw mountain and Knoxville, ending
with the siege of Atlanta. At the time of Lee's surrender he was at Raleigh,
North Carolina, from which place his command marched to Richmond,
thence to Washington, and took part in the grand review. He was mustered
out in that city and received his honorable discharge at Indianapolis. Dur-
ing his experience as a soldier he received several wounds, some of them
serious, but from all of which he recovered. He receives a pension.

After his return from the army, Mr. Hoover resumed his work on the
farm and after his father's death took charge of the home place, where he
still lives and tenderly cares for his mother, who makes her home with him.
He has added to the original farm, which now comprises four hundred and
eighty acres, which he has under a fine state of cultivation, and is largely
engaged in raising and feeding cattle and hogs and shipping them to market.
He also owns another farm, of one hundred and twenty acres, besides prop-
erty in Rensselaer, and has been very successful in his business enterprises.
As a life-long Democrat he has been an active worker for his party, but is
popular with all parties, as was shown in his election as county treasurer,

776 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

when he had seven hundred Republican majority to overcome. On taking^
charge of this office Mr. Hoover found the county badly in debt, but, by
skillful financiering and an insistence on what he knew to be right, he suc-
ceeded in collecting taxes from the railroads and all other corporations,
bringing the county warrants up to par and leaving a safe surplus in the
treasury. He filled the office with great credit to himself and to the entire
satisfaction of the community, and is to-day probably the most popular
Democrat in the county.

Mr. Hoover was married February 14, 1867, to Miss Nancy J. Adams,
who was born in Miami county, Indiana, August 4, 1848. She is a daughter
of Isaac and Ann (Iddings) Adams, who were early settlers of Indiana,
whence they came from Ohio about 1846. The children of the Adams fam-
ily were: Henry, Elizabeth, Sarah, Joseph, Nancy, William, Mary and
Marion. The mother was a member of the Missionary Baptist church. To
Mr. and Mrs. Hoover three children have been born, namely: Alford A. and
William I., farmers in Jasper county; and Frank L. , who is at home with his
parents.

Mr. Hoover is a member of Post No. 184, G. A. R. , of Lodge No. 143,
I. O. O. F. , and of Encampment No. 201, all at Rensselaer. He has passed
all the chairs of Odd Fellowship and is a member of the grand lodge of
Indiana. Both he and his wife belong to the Methodist Episcopal church.

The paternal grandfather of our subject, Jonathan Hoover, was a native
of Virginia and a slave-owner, who removed to Ohio before that state was
admitted to the Union. He set his slaves free when Virginia was declared
free, and for a number of years was engaged in freighting with teams from
Richmond to points in Ohio and other places. He settled in Ross county,
Ohio, where he followed farming until his death. His children were:
Calista, Eliza, Isabelle, Elizabeth, and Alford, the father of our subject.
Alford Hoover was born January 8, 1819, in Harper's Ferry, Virginia, but
grew to manhood in Ohio, where he at first followed the trade of a cooper in
Ross county and later became a farmer. In 1846 he emigrated to Indiana,
settling in Warren county, removing in 1854 to Jasper county. Here he
bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, on which was a small log house
containing but one room, eighteen by twenty-four feet. He improved this
place, adding to it by degrees until he owned a large tract of land on which
he farmed and raised stock.

Alvord Hoover was married in 1840 to Miss Margaret Rozell, who was
born in Fayette county, Ohio, August 23, 1820. Her father was Ebenezer
Rozell, a native of Maryland, and her mother was Esther Cobler, of New
Jersey, both being of German descent. They were married in Ohio and dur-
ing the war of 18 12 Mr. Rozell was detailed to work in a gunsmith shop, he

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 777

being a blacksmith by trade. He receiv.ed a pension during the latter part
of his life. Both he and his wife died in Ohio, the latter at the age of ninety
years. They were members of the Protestant Methodist church. Twelve
children were born to them: Elizabeth, Mary, Lydia, Margaret, Lewis,
Zachariah, Barzilla, James, Esther J., Martin, Caroline and Ebenezer.

The father of our subject died July 30, 1885, and his wife, who makes
her home with her son on the old homestead, has reached the ripe age of
seventy-eight years. She is a consistent Christian woman and is strong in the
faith of the Methodist denomination, to which church she and her husband
belonged for many years. The children of this worthy couple, of whom but
two, William M. and Mrs. Ann E. Richey, are now living, were as follows:
Thornton J. was a merchant at Attica Indiana; Ann E. has been twice
married, her first husband, H. Iliff, dying while a soldier in the civil war;
she is now the wife of O. K. Richey; William M. is our subject; Amanda J.
died in infancy; George O. died in 1888; and Sarah E. in 1863.

JAMES MURDOCH.

American biography furnishes many illustrations of self-made men, and
the Hoosier state and her various counties are not without their quota of this
class. Perhaps no better example of the self-made man in Indiana can be
cited than James Murdock, of Lafayette, president of the Merchants' Na-
tional Bank of this place.

Mr. Murdock was born in county Sligo, Ireland, in 1837, son of John
and Sabina (Ivelley) Murdock, the former a native of Scotland, the latter of
Ireland. Of their family of nine children only tljree are now living, viz.:
Eliza, widow of John Stephens, and James and Thomas. John Murdock,
the father, was a farmer, who left Ireland for Canada in 1848, and moved
in 1850 from Canada to the United States, locating first in New York state,
thence going west to Vermilion county, Ohio, and afterward to Wayne
county, Indiana, at which latter named place he died in 1853. His widow
survived him until 1878, and died at the age of sixty-seven years, in Lafay-
ette, Indiana. He was a member of the Episcopalian church and she of the
Catholic.

James Murdock was reared in Ireland, and received a limited common-
school education there. After coming to America he continued his studies
by attending night school for a short time, and in 1853 he started out to
make his own way in the world, moving to Lafayette and there engaging in
whatever kind of honorable occupation he could secure. After working in a
brick yard, driving team, etc., he turned his attention to farming, in a small
way, with his brothers, in the river bottoms about Lafayette, and was thus

778 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

occupied for several years. In 1859 he engaged in the grocery and produce
business in Lafayette, which he carried on for over twenty years, in the
meantime, however, making other business ventures, as contractor in bridge
building, railroad and gravel road construction, etc.

He was elected township trustee and afterward sheriff of Tippecanoe
county for one term. Subsequently he was chosen warden of the Indiana
State Prison North at Michigan City, which responsible position he filled for
twelve years. Shortly after the discovery of natural gas in Indiana he be-
came associated with friends in Lafayette, Chicago and New York and
organized the Citizens' Natural Gas Company, of Lafayette, of which he
was president. In i8qo he was one of the organizers of the Merchants'
National Bank, of Lafayette, of which he has since been president. He
is also president of the Indiana School Book Company, organized in 1888.
Mr. Murdock is also general manager of a number of natural and artificial
gas companies of Ohio and Indiana. In addition to his other interests Mr.
Murdock is largely interested in farming near his home city.

James Murdock was married in Lafayette July 4, i860, to Miss Joanna
Bourk. Ten children blessed their union — seven sons and three daughters —
seven of whom died in infancy. Of the three surviving, Charles, cashier of
the Merchants' National Bank of Lafayette, married Miss Mollie Lillis, of
Kansas City, Missouri, and they have one child, Charles. Samuel T. Mur-
dock, general manager of the Lafayette, the Logansport and Wabash Valley
Gas Company and the Ohio and Indiana Gas Company, married Miss Addie
Gordon, of Elkhart, Indiana, and two sons and a daughter have been born
to them, — James, Gordon and Mary, — the daughter now attending college at
Manhattanville, New York.

Mrs. James Murdock died October 29, 1891. She was a member of the
Catholic church, as is also Mr. Murdock and his children. Mr. Murdock
lives at 11 14 State street with his son Samuel. Personally he is affable and
one whose kindly disposition marks him as a gentleman in the truest and best
sense of the word. Politically he has always been a supporter of the Demo-
cratic party.

ROBERT A. PARKISON.

Robert A. Parkison, a resident of Barkley township, Jasper county, is a
descendant of an honored pioneer family and a well-to-do farmer. He was
born in Jasper county, March 16, 1861, a son of William K. and Mary (Bark-
ley) Parkison, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Pennsylvania.
The father came to Indiana in 1837, his wife having come the preceding
year. She was the daughter of Henry A. Barkley, who emigrated from Ire-

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 779

land to America when a young man and settled in Pennsylvania, where he
was married. He came to Jasper county, Indiana, in 1837, entered a large
tract of land and became a successful farmer and stock-raiser. He and his
wife were members of the Presbyterian church, and he belonged to the Ma-
sonic fraternity. Their children were: Robert, Isabelle, John, Mary (mother
of our subject), William, James, Rose and Henry.

William K. Parkison was a son of John G. Parkison, who came from
Ohio to Indiana and settled in Jasper county in 1837. He entered land,
which he improved, but later opened a country store, in which he kept a
general assortment of goods and did an extensive business in this, also car-
rying on farming and handling stock. He made a success of all his enter-
prises, and took an active part in the development of the new country in
which he lived. He was a useful and highly respected citizen. In politics
he was a Whig, and filled offices of honor and trust in the county. He died
about 1856, leaving a fine estate. His wife, who was a daughter of Simon
Kenton, died a few years after her husband. Simon Kenton was a celebrated
character in the history of the west. He emigrated at a very early day to
the frontiers of Kentucky, and became a noted Indian fighter, taking a prom-
inent part in the Indian wars. He was constantly to be found on the
frontiers of the newly formed states, where he acted as scout and defender
of the settlers from their dusky foes. He built the first cabin on the spot
where Cincinnati now stands, and later took up his abode where the city of
Urbana was afterward built. In his old age he went to Logan county, Ohio,
and made his home with a daughter there until his death. Some years
afterward the people of Urbana had his remains removed to that city, where
a suitable monument was erected to mark his last resting place. The chil-
dren of John Parkison and wife were: Eliza A., William K., Addison, Mar-
garet, Emma, Joseph, Jane, Julliette, Isabelle, Franklin and Martha. The
parents were members of the Methodist church.

William K. Parkison, father of our subject, was born in Ohio and
removed with his father to White county and later to Jasper'county, Indiana,
when seventeen years old. He lived at home until his marriage, when he
settled in Barkley township near his father's place, and began farming on his
own account. He was successful as a farmer and stock-raiser, became the
owner of large tracts of land and left a large estate to his children. He was
a man of much public spirit and enterprise, and of undisputed honesty and
integrity. A stanch Republican, he was also popular with all parties and
filled many offices of honor and trust. He was defeated only once in his
candidacy and that was when he ran for county commissioner. He fulfilled
■all the duties of his public positions most satisfactorily. He died September
4, 1888, his wife surviving him until January 27, 1892. Of the children of

780 BIOGRJPEICAL HISTORY.

this worthy couple we make the following observations: John, a soldier in
the civil war, was killed in a skirmish, by a sharp-shooter at Rocky Face
Ridge; Miller died at the age of twenty-one years; George B., Harvey E.
and James R. , are farmers in Jasper county; Mary J., is the wife of G.
Moody, of Rensselaer; and Robert A. is the youngest.

Robert A. Parkison received his education in the common schools and
was reared upon his father's farm, where he was born and where he still
resides. To the portion of the estate left to him he has added by purchas-
ing the interest of some of the other heirs and now owns five hundred and
thirteen acres of fine land, all under cultivation or in pasture. Besides gen-
eral farming he raises, feeds and ships cattle and hogs. He has prospered
in all his undertakings and is one of the representative agriculturists of the
county.

Mr. Parkison was married December 22, 1883, to Miss Mary E.
Rogers, who was born in Morgan county, Indiana, May 3, i860, and is a
daughter of John and Mary (Anderson) Rogers, prominent citizens of Jasper
county. The other children of the Rogers family besides Mary E., are
Sarah E., David, James and Catherine. To our subject and his wife six chil-
dren have been born, namely: William K., John R. , George, Fannie F.
(deceased), Mary E., Ida R. and Jennie.

Mr. Parkison is a leader in the Republican party in his locality, and
while he has never been an aspirant for office he was selected at the
county convention as the nominee for county treasurer in 1898, and was
elected and will take the office January i, 1900. He is popular with all classes
of society and is ever ready to assist in whatever tends to the growth and
progress of his community. He belongs to Iroquois Lodge, No. 243, I. O.
O. F. at Rensselaer.

JOSEPH YEOMAN.

Joseph Yeoman became a resident of Jasper county, Indiana, in Sep-
tember, 1844. He was born in Fayette county, Ohio, September 2, 1826,
being the eldest child of Stephen B. and Hannah (Smith) Yeoman. Stephen
B. Yeoman was born in Tompkins county, New York, September 10, 1801.
The family were originally from England, coming to America in early colo-
nial times and taking part in her struggle for independence. They are a numer-
ous family and are well known in Jasper county, where many branches are
represented. Stephen Yeoman was a son of James and a grandson of Stephen
Yeoman. James Yeoman moved from New York to Fayette county, Ohio,
when Stephen was in his youth, and there passed the remainder of his life.
On July 28, 1825, Stephen B. Yeoman and Miss Hannah Smith were united

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 781

in matrimony, the lady having came to that state with a sister. She was
born in Berlieley county, Virginia, now West Virginia, in January 1803, and
her parents continued in that state until their death. After their marriage
Mr. and Mrs. Yeoman resided for many years in Ohio, coming in Septem-
ber, 1844, however, to this county and settling in Newton township. They
purchased of William Mallatt three hundred and twenty acres of slightly
improved land, upon which they settled. This land was largely prairie, and
in addition to farming Mr. Yeoman engaged in the manufacture of spinning
wheels, chairs, etc., and being a skillful mechanic he was soon in the way to
prosperity when his career was cut short by death. September 9, 1845,
about a year after locating here, his death occurred, but even in this short
time of residence he had gained the reputation of being an honorable,
upright man. Both he and his wife were members of the Primitive Baptist
church and were worthy Christian people. The labor and responsibility of
educating and supporting a large family now devolved upon the mother,
and so faithfully did she accomplish this seemingly impossible task that they
grew up to become citizens of worth and are now highly esteemed. The
family consisted of ten children, the eldest of whom is Joseph, our subject,
then a youth of nineteen years, and the youngest born shortly after the
death of her husband. Mrs. Yeoman displayed an energy and soundness
of judgment that carried her through many difficulties, and was successful in
a task that would have appalled the stoutest-hearted man. This most esti-
mable mother was spared to her family until they had all reached years of
usefulness and discretion, and at last laid down her burden, on January 14,
1875, at the age of seventy-two years. Such a noble, sacrificing life could
not help winning affection, and we find that she was beloved not only by her
family but also by a wide circle of friends.

Joseph Yeoman rendered what assistance was in his power to caring for
the fatherless family, and remained at home seven years, until the younger
members were able to contribute their aid. Eight of them are now living.
When he was twenty-six years old Joseph was married, the bride being Miss
Rachel A. Moore, and the nuptials occurring on November 28, 1852. Her
parents were Robert and Elizabeth (McKinley) Moore, the former of whom
was born and reared in the state of Kentucky, and the latter in Brown coun-
ty, Ohio. They were early settlers of Johnson county, this state, where
Mrs. Moore died, leaving Mrs. Yeoman motherless at the age of ten years.
In 1849, the father and his four children sought a home in Jasper county,
but he afterward returned to Johnson, where he died, in January, 1856.
Two brothers of Mrs. Yeoman, Robert and Joseph, now reside in that coun-
ty, while her only sister, Mrs. Martha Wion, is living in Decatur county, Iowa.
To Mr. and Mrs. Yeoman have been born nine children, of whom but four are

782 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTOBT.

living, — Robert J., Martha E. , Mary E. and Reuben. Those deceased are
Hannah P., Minerva A., Ruth A., Myrtle T. and John E. This worthy
couple are members of the Free Baptist church, and reside in their pleasant
home in Rensselaer surrounded by lifelong friends and neighbors.

FERNANDEZ E. PEARCE.

A well known citizen and a representative of one of the pioneer families
of Benton county, is Fernandez E. Pearce. His family is of English origin,
dating back to colonial days in the history of the United States. John
Pearce, paternal grandfather of our subject, was born in that part of the Old
Dominion now known as West Virginia, and he, in turn, was a son of Thomas
Pearce, who was" born, reared and died in the city of New York. His father,
John Pearce, Sr., was a native of London, England, and came to the city of
New York in a sailing-vessel which was owned by his brother. The records
of the family have been carefully preserved and have been handed down from
one generation to another, the oldest son receiving the old papers according
to the request of the founder of the family in the new world. As F. E.
Pearce is an only son the precious documents came into his possession. John
Pearce, the Englishman, married a lady from one of the representative old
Holland-Dutch families of New Amsterdam, later called New York city.

Joseph B. Pearce, father of our subject, was born in Urbana, Champaign
county, Ohio, in the opening year of the present century, and in 1816 came
to Indiana and for nearly a year lived on the land whereon Indianapolis is
now situated. Then, going to Fountain county, he spenfone year there, his
home being at a point about five miles east of the present town of Attica.
There he married Louisa Martin, and soon afterward removed to Grant town-
ship, Benton county. In 1859 they settled in Wea Plains in Wayne town-
ship, Tippecanoe county, and there the wife and mother was called to her
reward, March 13, 1874. Soon after this sad event the father returned to
his old home in Grant township, Benton county, where he passed to the home
beyond on February i, 1886. His two daughters, Mrs. Lucinda Bromley and
Mrs. Hattie Taylor, wife of Hiram Taylor, are deceased.

Thus it is seen that Fernandez E. Pearce is the only surviving member
of his father's household. He was born at the Grant township homestead,
May 14, 1858, and in his boyhood attended the public schools. Later it was
his privilege to be a student in a school in Greencastle, Indiana, and to fit
himself for business life in Bryant & Stratton's Business College, in Indian-
apolis. Then putting his newly acquired knowledge of banking and business
into practice he took a position as a teller in a bank at Lafayette and retained
that office for about a year. His chief occupation in life has been, however.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 783

the one which his father followed, agriculture, and in this direction he has
made a success. He owns a beautiful homestead on section 27, Grant town-
ship, and is here engaged in the raising of a general line of crops commonly
grown in this region, and keeps a good grade of live stock. He also deals in
agricultural implements. In politics he is an ardent Republican, and every-
thing which pertains to the welfare of this community is of special interest
to him.

On New Year's day, 1879, Mr. Pearce abandoned a life of single bless-
edness and was united in marriage with Miss Margaret E. Keys, daughter of
James H. and Letitia (Stonej Keys. Two sons and a little daughter were
born to Mr. and Mrs. Pearce, namely: Charles B., Jennie Louisa and Clay
Keys.

JONATHAN ASA COFFELT.

One of the life-long residents of Warren county is Jonathan Asa Cofielt,
who for a number of years has been a well-to-do and progressive agricult-
urist of Prairie township. He is of German lineage on the paternal side, as
his grandfather Coffelt was a native of Germany, but made a settlement in
the United States about a century ago. The father of our subject, Joseph
Coffelt, was born in 1S09, and passed his early years in Virginia and Ohio,
later coming to Warren county, Indiana, and taking up his abode in Adams
township, where he spent the rest of his days, dying when sixty-seven years
of age. When a young man he married Mahala Huffman, whose death oc-
curred many years previous to his own, about 1855. They were pioneers of
Adams township, and were actively interested in the upbuilding and develop-
ment of this county and state.

Born on the old homestead in Adams township, Warren county, Decem-
ber 23, 1850, the boyhood of our subject was spent after the usual manner
of farmer lads, and before he was half way through his 'teens he was thor-
oughly competent to manage a farm. He was deprived of his mother's care
and counsels when he was but five years old, but his father took the place of
both parents toward the motherless boy, and reared him to the best of his
judgment.

When twenty-four years of age Mr. Coffelt was united in marriage with
Miss Anna Keys, daughter of James H. and Letitia (Stone) Keys, pioneers
of this county (see their sketch elsewhere in this work). The ceremony
which united the fortunes of Mr. and Mrs. Coffelt was solemnized July 30,
1874. They have but one child living, namely: Joseph Harvey, whose birth
occurred September 4, 1890. Their first-born, Theo Randolph, died at the
age of eight years. Mrs. Coffelt is a native of Pine township, Warren

784 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

county, and when she was a child her mother died, but her father passed
away only recently. (See sketch spoken of above.) Mr. and Mrs. Coffelt
own about four hundred acres of fine land and have a beautiful home in
Prairie township. Mr. Coffelt is a Republican in politics, an Odd JFellow,
and a member of the Tribe of Ben Hur.

WALTER V. PORTER.

Walter V. Porter, a descendant of one of the pioneer families of Jasper
county, Indiana, where he was born, in Hanging Grove township, April 24,
1858, receiving his education in the district schools and being reared to
farm life on the homestead of his father. At the time of the latter's death,
which occurred while he was in the army, our subject was eight years old,
and he remained at home with his mother, assisting her on the farm, until
he was twenty-one years of age. For the following three years he was em-
ployed by a stockman, and being an industrious and thrifty young man he
saved his earnings and in 1882 was married and settled on a farm in part-
nership with Joseph V. Parkison. He remained on this place doing general
farming and stock-raising for eight years, when he located on his present
farm, going into partnership with A. McCoy and dealing extensively in stock.
He sold his farm east of Rensselaer and bought land in Jordan township,
which he sold two years later at a good profit, and has since bought a four-
hundred-acre farm in Marion township, and also, in conjunction with Mr.
McCoy, owns one thousand acres in Union township. He has devoted him-
self almost entirely to stock-raising and trading and has made a great success
of the business.

On March 23, 1882, Mr. Porter was married to Miss Ella Parkison,
daughter of the well known pioneers, Joseph and Fannie (Kenton) Parkison,
and granddaughter of the famous Indian fighter, Simon Kenton. A full his-
tory of the Parkison family will be found on another page of this volume. To
Mr. and Mrs. Porter six children have been born; J. V. Rice, February 8,
1884; Fannie, May 29, 1886; Ross, March 16, 1S89; Ella Dole, July 14,
1 891, who died July 27, 1891; Charles, March 31, 1893; and Walter,
Jr., March 11, 1899. Mrs. Porter is a consistent member of the Methodist
church. Mr. Porter is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the uni-
formed rank of the Knights of Pythias. He is a stanch Republican in his
political belief but has never aspired to office.

The parents of our subject were Rice and Mary (Clark) Porter, the
former a son of Asa Porter, who was among the first settlers of Jasper coan-
ty, where he entered land and spent the remainder of his life in farming. He
was an old-line Whig and later became a Republican. He and his wife were

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 785

members of the Missionary Baptist church. Their children were eleven in
number, namely: William, Jonah, Rice, Asa, Isaac J., Robert B., Sarah,
Jennie, Eliza, Mary and Ella. Rice, the father of our subject, came to Jasper
county when about twenty years of age and there married and spent the re-
mainder of his life. He enlisted as a soldier and died at Nashville, Tennes-
see, while in the service, as did his two sons, Jonah and Asa, who were killed
in battle. Of his family, his wife and three children are still living, the
mother now residing in Kansas, where two of her family also live. The sur-
viving children are Jessie P., wife of F. Hammon, a farmer in Kansas;
Walter V., the subject of this sketch; and William, a farmer and grain dealer
in Kansas. Both parents were members of the Baptist church.

WILLIAM HINCHMAN.

This prosperous carpenter and farmer of Princeton township. White
county, was born near Logan, West Virginia, August i, 1830, his parents
being William and Elizabeth (Symns) Hinchman. The father was born in old
Virginia December 25, 1800, and moved to West Virginia when eighteen
years old. Here he became the owner of two hundred acres of land and
carried on general farming, but, contrary to the general custom of those
days, he had no slaves, as he was vigorously opposed to the practice of
slavery. During the civil war his sympathy was all with the Abolitionists,
and this fact led to his arrest and imprisonment by the Confederates. He
■died in the rebel camp at Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1863. His wife was
born in Monroe county. West Virginia, in 1802, her death occurring in the
same state in 1831. The paternal grandfather was William Hinchman, a
native of England, and the maternal family name was Symns, the progeni-
tors originating in Ireland.

William Hinchman, whose name initiates this review, was reared to
manhood in his native state and remained with his parents until 1854, when
became to Princeton township, arriving here on October 13, of the same
year, and he has ever since been closely identified with the interests of this
locality. For a number of years he worked at the carpenter's trade and then
purchased forty acres of land, in i860, adding to the same until he became
the owner of two hundred and seventy acres, of which he still possesses one
hundred and seventy acres, besides his residence and four other dwellings in
Wolcott, all of which he built himself. The success he is now enjoying is
the result of his industry, perseverance and strict attention to business, and
his prosperity is well merited. In 1898 he erected another house in Wolcott.

Mr. Hinchman was united in marriage December 18, 1856, in Princeton
township, to Miss Rhoda Nordyke, a daughter of Robert and Elizabeth

786 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

(Shaw) Nordyke, both of whom were natives of North Carolina and early
settlers of White county. Mr. Nordyke is the father of Captain Nordyke, of
Seafield. Mrs. Hinchman was born December lo, 1836, in Tippecanoe
county, where she attended the district schools, and came with her parents
to White county when ten years old. To Mr. and Mrs. Hinchman were
born the following children: John, who lives on a farm two miles northeast
of Wolcott; Emma, who married George Ferguson, of Wolcott; James, a
barber in Morocco, Indiana; Mary, who became the wife of Henry Waymire
and lives on the old homestead two miles east of Wolcott; William conducts
a general store at Brook; Anne is the wife of Gust Lux, of Wolcott; and
Louis is in the hardware business at Wolcott. Mr. Hinchman has one
brother and one sister, the former a farmer living near Eureka, Kansas, and
the latter a widow of Jacob Sexton, now residing at Wolcott.

Mrs. Hinchman is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In
his political belief Mr. Hinchman is a stanch Democrat, and served as town-
ship trustee in 1860-61.

JOSEPH C. HENKLE.

This well known farmer of Barkley township is the descendant of an
honored pioneer family, and has a most enviable record as a brave soldier
of the civil war. He was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, January 27, 1838, and
was nine years of age when he came to Jasper county with his father, and
spent his younger days in attending the common schools and assisting upon
the farm. After the death of his father he was the mainstay of his widowed
mother, assisting her with the other children and in every way trying to fill
the place of the head of the household. In 1861, when the news that Fort
Sumter had been fired upon by rebellious citizens flashed over the land, and
Abraham Lincoln issued his call for seventy-five thousand volunteers, our
subject was one of the first to respond. He enlisted in Company G, Ninth
Indiana Volunteer Infantry, which was assigned to the Army of the Potomac,
in which they participated in many hotly contested battles and assisted in
the capture of General Garnett at Carricksford. At the expiration of three
months, the time for which he enlisted having expired, our subject returned
home; but in August, 1862, he re-enlisted in the Eighty-seventh Indiana
Volunteer Infantry, which was mustered in at Indianapolis and assigned to
the Army of the Cumberland, of which "Pap" Thomas was in command,
and later General Rosecrans. Mr. Henkle saw much hard service during
the famous march with Sherman to the sea, and received three slight wounds,
the first of which was caused by the fragment of a shell in the battle of Kene-
saw mountain that fractured his ankle bone; the second was at Chattanooga,.

BIOGRJPEICJ.L HISTORY. 787

from a bullet in his side, both wounds received during a charge on the picket
line; the third wound was on the top of the head, received at Kenesaw
mountain in a charge; but in neither case would our subject consent to be
taken to the hospital, for, though not able for duty, he preferred to remain
with his comrades. He took part in the grand review at Washington and
returned to Louisville, Kentucky, where he was mustered out and received an
honorable discharge, July 29, 1865, from the Forty-second veteran regiment,
to which he had been transferred, at Washington, July 28, 1865. In conse-
quence of exposure and wounds Mr. Henkle contracted diseases of the eyes
and lungs, with which he is still afflicted, and has never since been able to
perform any hard labor.

On his return from the army our subject was married, in 1867, to Miss
Mary E. Kessler, and two years later came into possession of his share
of his father's estate, comprising eighty acres, situated five miles
north of Rensselaer. He has made all the improvements on it, and in the
meantime has bought and sold other farming lands, and has also at times
acted as agent for a Bible house. Three children have been born to Mr.
and Mrs. Henkle, namely: George K. , who resides in Rensselaer; William
B. , who died December 25, 1895, when twenty years of age; and Ora, who
is a well known singer and music teacher in Rensselaer. Both parents are
members of the United Brethren church. Mr. Henkle is a staunch Repub-
lican, and for ten years was postmaster of Pinkamink post-office.

The parents of Mr. Henkle were Samson and Margaret A. (Henkle)
Henkle, who were cousins. The father was a son of Moses Henkle, who
was born and spent his life in Virginia. He was a natural mechanic and
was skillful at all trades, but his principal occupation was farming. He was
a slave-owner, as most men of that state were in those days. His children
were as follows: Joel, Silas, Samson, Benjamin, Betsy A. (wife of William
McCray), and Mary A. (wife of Thomas Vanmeter). Samson Henkle was
born, reared and married in Virginia, whence he emigrated to Cincinnati in
1830, remaining there about three years. He was there engaged with James
Gamble in the tallow chandler's business and at the same time ran a stage
line to Hamilton, Ohio. The factory, as well as all the coaches and horses,
was destroyed by fire, and Mr. Henkle went out of the business. He was
succeeded by a Mr. Proctor, the firm now being the well known one of Proc-
tor & Gamble. In 1833 Mr. Henkle removed to Lafayette, Indiana, where
with a partner he carried on the mercantile business until the spring of 1842,
when he went to Jasper county, entered land and made a farm. At that
time the country was very primitive, Indians being the principal inhabitants,
and game of all kinds and wild beasts being found in abundance. Where
Rensselaer now stands there were but two cabins, their occupants being

788 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

George W. Spiller and Samuel Sparley, and the principal and best custom-
ers of Mr. Henkle's store were 'his Indian neighbors. After the red men
began to leave the country he gave up merchandising and turned his atten-
tion to clearing and improving his land. Soon after coming to Jasper county
he secured a license to preach as a local minister in the United Brethren
church, and was a faithful exponent of the gospel until his death in 1855.
He left a good estate to his family.

Mrs. Henkle survived her husband and spent the remainder of her life
among her children, dying at the home of a son in Kansas in 1893, S-t the
ripe old age of ninety-three years. She was a cousin of her husband and a
daughter of Daniel Henkle, a prominent farmer and slave-owner of Virginia.
Her parents had five children, — Enos, Coke, Fletcher, Margaret (the mother
of our subject) and Mahala (Mrs. Sweet). To Samson Henkle and his wife
the following children were born: Amelia F. , wife of Nathan Parker; Joseph
C. , the subject of this sketch; John A. and William, farmers in Kansas; and
Martha B., wife of James Chamberlin.

Mrs. Joseph C. Henkle was born in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, Jan-
uary 14, 1840, a daughter of George and Abigail (Shaw) Kessler, the former
a native of Virginia and the latter of Wayne county, Indiana. Mr. Kessler
removed to Jasper county in 1845, where he bought land, built a cabin, set
out an orchard and in the course of time made of it a fine property. He also
opened and improved other land and was a successful farmer. In his old
age he and his wife made their home with his daughter, Mrs. Henkle, where
the father died May 24, 1897, aged eighty-three years, and the mother June
20, 1899, eighty-three years old. They had but one other child besides Mrs.
Henkle, — James S. , who died while a soldier in the civil war.

SAMUEL GLASGOW.

Samuel Glasgow, a progressive farmer of Jackson township. White
county, Indiana, possesses the sturdy, honorable characteristics of his Scotch
ancestors. Devoted to his home and family, to his country and his fellow
men, he strives to perform his entire duty toward all, and merits the esteem
in which he is held by his acquaintances.

Born in Shelby county, Ohio, December 17, 1842, he is a son of Arthur
and Eliza (McCullough) Glasgow, both natives of the Buckeye state and of
Scotch extraction. Some of the Glasgows served in the war of the Revolu-
tion, and in every war in which this country has since been engaged members
of the family have gone to the defense of the stars and stripes and the prin-
ciples represented by it. Led by a desire to reap some of the advantages
which his former neighbors and friends were having in the far west, Arthur

BIOGRAPHICAL EISTORY. 789

Glasgow left his family and started across the continent in 1849, little dream-
ing that he was destined never to see them again. For two years after
reaching the Pacific slope he mined for gold and was very successful, but at
length the longing for home became so strong within his heart that he em-
barked on a sailing vessel bound for New York. When nearing the end of
his long voyage he was seized with the dread disease, cholera, which proved
fatal and he was buried at sea. Great credit is due the brave wife and
mother, who kept her children together and managed the old homestead
until the elder ones were able to be of material assistance. Both she and
her husband were faithful members of the United Presbyterian church. Her
long and useful life came to a close August 13, 1870, in the old home she
had dwelt in for so many years. Of her nine children only three are now
living. In order of birth they were named as follows: Jane, wife of John
Ewing; Joseph, of this township; John, who entered the Union army during
the war of the Rebellion and died with the measles; James, who was drowned
in the canal at Sidney, Ohio, in 1858; Samuel; Mary, Mrs. John Neal;
Anna, who died in 1850; and two who died when young.

The boyhood of Samuel Glasgow passed uneventfully upon the old
homestead, where he was still living at the time that our civil war was com-
menced. In 1864 he enlisted in the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio
Volunteer Infantry, in answer to the call for one-hundred-day men. Assigned
to the Army of the Potomac, he and his comrades were placed on guard duty,
and were required to build forts and other military works. After the surren-
der of General Lee's army he was mustered out of the service near Peters-
burg, Virginia, and was honorably discharged at Columbus, Ohio.

Resuming agricultural pursuits, Mr. Glasgow helped to carry on the old
homestead until 1870, when he came to Indiana, and located upon a tract of
eighty acres, — the nucleus of his present farm of two hundred and ninety acres.
He has made a great many valuable improvements, has increased the dimen-
sions of his homestead, has remodeled and enlarged the barns and buildings,
and erected a large two-story frame house. Tiling and proper cultivation
have added to the productiveness of the fields, and everything about the
place shows that care and systematic labor are constantly maintained. In
his political affiliations he is a stalwart Republican.

In 1867 the marriage of Samuel Glasgow and Miss Elizabeth J. Stipp
took place in Ohio, in which state her birth had occurred twenty-one years
before. They are the parents of three children: Maggie; Wilda, now the
wife of J. A. Carson; and James, who aids in the care of the home farm.
Mrs. Glasgow is a daughter of Abram and Ann (Commages) Stipp, natives of
Virginia, who made the journey to the Buckeye state one winter in a wagon,
and thehceforth were residents of Ohio. At first they lived at Sidney, where

790 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

the father engaged in merchandising, and later they dwelt upon a farm.
After the death of Mr. Stipp his widow sold the homestead, and during the
remaining fifteen years of her life made her home with Mr. and Mrs. Glas-
gow. She died November 3, 1896, at the ripe age of eighty-six years, a
faithful member of the Presbyterian church. Three of her sons — William,
Martin and John — were heroes of the civil war, the last-named being a mem-
ber of the Twentieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. William died while in the
service; Samuel, another son, died in Ohio; and Maggie is the wife of
William Snodgrass. All the children are now dead except Mrs. Glasgow
and her brother John, who lives on the Ohio homestead near Sidney.

LAFAYETTE MULLEN.

For a period extending over forty years Lafayette Mullen has been a resi-
dent of Warren county, and is well and favorably known here. Left an orphan
at an early age, he was thrown upon his own resources to a large extent in
youth, and has been the architect of his own fortune. Self-made and self-
educated, he enjoys the respect of all who are acquainted with the brave
endeavors he has made to secure a good home and position in the community
in which his lot is cast. Honor and uprightness characterize all his dealings
with others, and injustice and over-reaching are entirely foreign to his
nature.

Lafayette Mullen is a native of Felicity, Clermont county, Ohio, his
birth having occurred July 24, 1848. His father, Mathew Mullen, died when
the son was but eight years old, and the mother, Eliza Mullen, was sum-
moned to her final rest only one year later. When he was ten years
old Lafayette Mullen came to this county and has since regarded it as his
home, his only continued absence from it being when he was away fighting
the battles of his country in the south. He first enlisted in Company H, One
Hundred and Sixteenth Regiment of Indiana Volunteers, with which organ-
ization he served about six months. His second enlistment was in Company
F, Seventy-second Indiana Volunteer Infantry, which was a part of Wilder's
brigade; and at the close of a twelve-months service in that regiment he
was transferred to Company D, One Hundred and Forty-fourth Regiment of
Indiana Infantry, and continued with that branch of the state's troops until
the close of hostilities. He participated in the military operations at Selma,
Alabama, Macon, Georgia, and other important campaigns in the war, and
though he was fortunate in always escaping unwounded, his health became
much impaired by his long and hard service, and this has been a permanent
reminder of the "past unpleasantness." Since his return Mr. Mullen has
devoted his time and attention to farming, and his pleasant and well-kept

BIOGBJPEICAL HISTORY. 791

home is situated in Prairie township. He is a RepubUcan in politics. So-
cially he has become a member of the Knights of Pythias.

December 9, 1868, Lafayette Mullen married Isalemah Keys, daughter
of James H. and Letitia (Stone) Keys. ^See sketch of James H. Keys else-
where in this work.) Mrs. Mullen was born in Pine township, Warren
county, in 1850, and by her marriage to our subject has become the mother
of four children: Cora Belle, born September 3, 1869, is now the wife of
Alonzo Hoppes; James Harvey was born July 21, 1871, and his twin
brother, Charles T., died when five months old; Ella May, born Septem-
ber 27, 1873, is the wife of William McClure.

ALBERT W. CLEVELAND.

This well-known citizen of Rensselaer is a man to whom Jasper county
owes much. One of the most beautiful spots in Jasper county, Indiana, is
his two-acre plat, a short distance north of the depot, in this city, where he
raises all kinds of fruit and has a greenhouse in which are flowers of all de-
scriptions. Mr. Cleveland was born in Cuyahoga county, Ohio, October S,
1834, and was reared to agricultural pursuits. He was married March 25,
1859, to Miss Mary Frazee, who was born in the same county, February 18,
1839. Soon after their marriage Mr. Cleveland wished to engage more ex-
tensively in the dairy business, and in 1868 came to Jasper county, where
the land was better adapted to the dairy purpose, and was also to be obtained
cheap. He bought two hundred acres of unimproved land a short distance
north of this city, and planted trees, erected suitable buildings, and other-
wise improved it, making it a most desirable property. They lived here
many years, prospering in their business, but at length sold the farm and
came to Rensselaer, where they purchased a home and resided many years.
However, they both liked farm life and the cultivation of plants and trees,
and that this love of nature might be indulged three-quarters of a section
of land in Milroy township was purchased. A large part of this purchase
was swamp land, and our subject at once set about its improvement. Fences
were constructed, ditches made, buildings erected, and in a surprisingly short
space this became one of the finest stock farms in this section. After several
years spent in carrying on this large farm, this worthy couple decided on
taking life more pleasantly, disposed of their country home and purchased
their present property of about two acres, situated a short distance from the
depot in Rensselaer. This land also was without improvement of any de-
scription, and here they planted small fruits, orchards, etc., giving ample
scope for the display of their taste and ability in the line of horticulture.

Mr. Cleveland has a natural adaptability for horticulture, and under his

792 BIOGBJPHICAL HISTORY.

management trees, bushes and vines bear abundant quantities of the most
delicious fruit. So well is this fact known that the entire product meets
with ready sale and is in constant demand, bringing him no small profit.
In larger fruits he has apples, pears, plums, and peaches, and in smaller
fruits, all variety of berries, grapes, and currants. It seems almost impos-
sible that in so few years a place can be so transformed from apparent deso-
lation to a state of thrift and abundance. A leading feature of this minia-
ture farm is the greenhouse, over which Mrs. Cleveland has charge. She is
a florist by nature as well as education, and to her taste and good manage-
ment is due the finest greenhouse in Jasper county. Among the flowers are
some of the choicest variety, in whose cultivation Mrs. Cleveland takes great
pride, and from the sale of which she realizes a liberal remuneration for her
pleasant labor. It is said, " He is a public benefactor who makes two blades
of grass to grow where but one grew before; " and 'in this respect can Mr.
Cleveland and his most estimable wife be considered as indeed conferring a
blessing on mankind.

PHILIP DELLINGER.

Happy is the man who is reared amid the beauties of nature, growing
vigorous and strong in mind and body, nourished by healthful country food,
breathing pure air, and from his infancy feeling that freedom and independ-
ence which come to the farmer, above all others. Moreover, it is a well-
known fact that from the farm have come the majority of the men who have
made this nation great, — great as a political factor in the sisterhood of nations,
great in intellectual power, and great in the world of commerce.

Among those who have been influential in the upbuilding of Pulaski
county, the Bellingers occupy a prominent place. The paternal grandfather
of our subject was a Pennsylvanian and a tailor by trade, which occupation
he followed throughout his life. He was a Lutheran, and in politics a Dem-
ocrat. His wife, Mary Shine, was a native of Germany, a daughter of Jacob
and Annie Catherine Shine, and sister of Jacob Shine, of Hancock county,
Ohio, whose wife was a Miss Katie Masters, and whose children were Jacob,
Christopher, Annie, George, John, Katie and Chase. Another brother,
Philip, was twice married, his children being Henry, Sarah, Elizabeth,
Jerome, Lucy and Rose; and his home was likewise in Hancock county.
Katie, a sister, became the wife of Jacob Miller, of Ohio, and their children
were Orlando, Augustus, Mary Ann, Kittie Ann, Philip, Christian, Levina
and Jemima. Mary (Shine) Bellinger, the paternal grandmother of the sub-
ject of this sketch, was a small child when she came to this country. Her
first husband, Mr. Bellinger, died a few years after their marriage, and then

(M^Q^

'jlZ£cfU?f>*-^

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 793

she became the wife of Joseph Somers. Their daughter Sarah married Jacob
Shear, of Marshall county, Indiana, and the latter's child, Sarah, wedded a
Mr. Rhodes, of the same county. Mrs. Mary Shine Dellinger Somers died
at the home of our subject's mother, in 1870, at the age of seventy-four years.
Her mother, Mrs. Annie Catherine Shine, whose death took place February
9, 1867, was within three months of one hundred and two years of age.

George Washington Dellinger, father of our subject, was born in Penn-
sylvania, April 12, 1829, and was but five years of age when he was taken to
Hancock county, Ohio. He learned the cooper's trade, rented land, and
owned forty acres in Eagle township, Hancock county, and after his marriage
came to Pulaski county. In the fall of 1865 he bought one hundred and
eighty acres of the Dipert estate, eighty acres of which was in section 35,
Tippecanoe township, and the remainder in sections i and 12, Harrison
township. The ambitious plans of the young man were frustrated by his
untimely death, February 2, 1866. He was with a party of neighbors, among
them John and Silas Smith, engaged in cutting timber, when a tree fell and
a limb struck him and killed him instantly. Religiously he was a German
Lutheran, and in politics a Democrat, as was his father. He was placed to
rest in the graveyard at Pleasant Hill, in Fulton county.

The marriage of George W. Dellinger and Mary Catherine Wilch was
solemnized March 3, 1S55. Mrs. Dellinger was of German ancestry. A
daughter of John Tobias and Margaret Elizabeth (Young) Wilch, she was
born in Washington county, Maryland, near the Pennsylvania state line,
June 14, 1843. In 185 1 .she removed with her parents to Stark county, Ohio,
settling on a farm about five miles from Canton, and six years later they
located on an eighty-acre farm in Union township, Hancock county. The
eldest brother of Mrs. Dellinger, John Tobias Wilch, died at the age of four
years. The next, Johannas, died at eighteen months. Peter, who married
Elizabeth Cornwell, has eight children, namely: Mary, George, John, Albert,
Emma, Charles, Frank and Elizabeth, and their home is in Schuyler,
Nebraska. Philip Wilch, of Dunkirk, Ohio, married Mary Long, and thqir
children are Frank, Ollie and Nellie. Elizabeth died at the age of four
years, and John at two years. George Washington, of Arlington, Ohio, mar-
ried Lydia Vanatta, and their children are John, Elizabeth, Emma, Katie,
Arminta, George, Edward, Olive, James, Bessie and Earl. Susetta married
Charles Shine, of section 2, Harrison township, and their children are Albert
Preston, .William, Jacob Franklin, George, Catherine, Mollie, Philip, Charles,
Amy and Lulu. Christopher, deceased, lived at Dunkirk, Ohio, married
Harriet Warner, and their children were Otto, Lily and George.

To George Washington and Mary Catherine Dellinger three sons and two
daughters were born. The mother deserves great credit for the effort which

794 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

she made to keep her children together after the death of their father, as
for several years she had but little assistance from any of them, the eldest
being but nine or ten years old at the time of the sad accident. The mother
continued to dwell upon the old home place until 1893, when she went to
Kewanna, remaining in that town until February, 1895, since which time she
has resided in Winamac, and has aided in running the Burton Hotel, of which
her son, John Tobias, has been the proprietor for a year and a half. He was
born May 5, 1856, in Hancock county, Ohio, and has always lived with his
mother. Mary Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of Mrs. Bellinger, was born
February 27, 1859, married Abram Bruce, and became the mother of two
sons: Arthur Claude and Chester Floyd. Millie, born May 13, 1861, is the
wife of Franklin Finley, who owns a farm on section 12, Harrison township,
and their children are Gertrude, Daisy Belle and Nevada Estella. George
Washington, born August 27, 1864, was married November i, 1892, to Lucy
Ann, daughter of David and Mary (Durr) Gring, who was born in Hancock
county, Ohio, March 28, 1871. Their children are: Hulda Catharine, born
September 22, 1893, and George W., born March 23, 1897

Philip Dellinger, next to the youngest of his parents' family, was born
January i, 1863, in Hancock county, Ohio, and was brought to this county
when young. Deprived of the loving care and guidance of his father, he was
doubly kind and dutiful to the widowed mother and aided her in every possi-
ble manner, turning over to her all of his small earnings until he was in his
twentieth year. About that time he began taking contracts for the construc-
tion of ditches, and gave his time and energy to that line of work for four-
teen years. For one year he was associated with Jonathan Masters, and
employed as many as fifteen men at a time, his contracts being princi-
pally in Harrison and Tippecanoe counties, and some being in Fulton coun-
ty. In 1896 Mr. Dellinger was honored by being elected to the important
position of county sheriff. Assuming the duties of his office August 27,
1897, he served to the satisfaction of all concerned, and was re-elected
upon the expiration of his term. This is not the first time that he acted
in an official capacity, as in 1893 he was a clerk in the state legislature
at Indianapolis, where he made an excellent record. Like his forefathers,
he adheres to the doctrines of the Democratic party.

The marriage of our subject and Miss Clara B. Hatfield was solem-
nized August 18, 1897. She was born July 5, 1S67, and is a daughter of
Henry and Marie (Bolinger) Hatfield. The young couple have an attractive
home in Winamac, and their friends are legion throughout the county and
wherever they are known.

In the fraternities Mr. Dellinger is prominent and highly respected. He
was initiated in the mysteries of Masonry in the lodge at Winamac, has taken

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 795

the second degree in the chapter, and it is his intention to advance as rapidly
as possible, eventually becoming a member of the Scottish Rite and Shrine.
Besides he is identified with the Winamac lodge of Odd Fellows and is con-
nected with the Modern Woodmen of America.

JOHN J. HARMON.

John J. Harmon, whose ancestral history is written in connection with
the sketch of his brother, W. L. Harmon, appearing elsewhere in this work,
is one of the progressive and industrious farmers of Newton county, and was
born April 20, 1856, in Randolph county, Missouri. He was seven years of
age when he came with his family to the township in which he now resides
and where he grew to manhood. He began life on his own responsibility
when twenty-one years of age and now owns a farm of four hundred acres of
land in sections 4 and 5, four miles south and two miles east of Pine Village,
where he is also engaged extensively in stock-raising. He is now (July, 1899),
building a residence in Attica, where he proposes to make his home.

Mr. Harmon was married November 6, 1879, to Miss Frances R. Wag-
ner, a daughter of William and Margaret E. (Turman) Wagner, of Medina
township. Mr. Harmon and his wife have four children, namely: Pearl A.,
Floy Theodocia (attending school at Attica, Indiana), Annie M. and
Oscar P.

In his political belief Mr. Harmon is a Republican and is a warm sup-
porter of the principles of his party. Socially he is a member of the Knights
of Pythias. The family attend the Methodist Episcopal church, of which
Mrs. Harmon has been a member since she was thirteen years old. He is a
man of intelligence and ability and well merits the high esteem in which he
is held by all who know him.

HIRAM F. LEAR.

This prominent citizen of Wolcott, White county, Indiana, was born in
Culpeper, Virginia, January 21, 1821, and is descended from illustrious an-
cestors. His paternal grandfather, John Lear, was of English birth, but
took up arms in the defense of American liberty. He, together with John
Sanders and George Washington, carried the body of General Braddock to
the rear, at his death, while his comrades, the " Virginia Blues," saved the
day. General Braddock's sister, living in England, sent to each of the three
ten pounds sterling and a new cockade. Mr. Lear has seen the one owned
by his grandfather, which is now in the Culpeper court-house in Virginia.

796 BIOGRJ.PHICAL HISTORY:

The maternal grandparents were of English descent and named Spicer, and
through them he claims to be descended from Pocahontas.

His father, Nathaniel M. Lear, was born in Fork Erie, Virginia, and lived
there until 1837, when he moved to Belmont county, Ohio, and seven years
later to Union township. White county, Indiana. He farmed here for two
years and then moved to Parke county, where he purchased eighty acres of
land near Rockville. He died on this farm in 1867, at the age of seventy-
two years. He was twice married, — first to Miss Mariah Spicer, who was
born in Virginia, and died at the age of twenty-five years. Mr. Lear can re-
member being taken to her funeral when he was twenty-two months old, so
strong an impression did it make on his youthful mind. She left three chil-
dren: John, who died at Monticello; Hiram, our subject; and Joseph, who re-
sides near Bethany, Missouri. The father was married in 1825, to Mary
Spicer, a sister of his first wife. She died in 1840. Twelve children were
the result of this marriage, of whom we chronicle the following items : Julia
is the wife of Jordon Crane, of Nebraska ; Sarah is the widow of Bart.
Bunnel, of Wolcott ; Albert and Frank are dead ; Elizabeth is the wife of
John Cox, of Rockville, Indiana ; Caroline is the wife of Daniel Cox, of
Rockville ; William is deceased ; Mary Jane is the wife of James McClane^
of Brooklyn, Indiana ; and the others died in infancy.

When Hiram Lear was sixteen years old he accompanied his parents
from Virginia to Belmont county, Ohio, and later to White county, Indiana.
He remained at home, near Monticello, until he had attained his twenty-first
birthday, when his father gave him a Spanish milled dollar and bade him
make his fortune. He secured work of neighboring farmers, first of Thomas
Bunnell, near Monticello, for whom he worked for ten dollars a month, later
for M. Kenton, at twelve dollars a month. Then he and his brother John
rented eighty acres in the vicinity of Chalmers, and followed agricultural
pursuits there for several years. In 1844 he started by himself and entered
his first forty acres in 1855, at Winamac. He added another forty each
year until he had four hundred acres five miles from Wolcott. Afterward he
bought one hundred and twenty acres, at five dollars an acre, and kept add-
ing to this until he owned eight hundred acres. He has given to each son a.
farm and still retains the old home of two hundred and forty acres, besides
two hundred acres near Chalmers. He has done general farming and raised
large numbers of stock, having from fifty to one hundred head of cattle and
two hundred sheep, but he has now retired from the stock business and does
only general farming. From 1853 to 1859 he was engaged in the general
mercantile business at Monon, Indiana, with William Watson as partner,
but his interest is now centered in his farm property.

Mr. Lear was married in 1857, in Big Creek township, to Margaret A.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 797

Burns, a daughter of John and Malinda (Forgeson) Burns, who came to this
county from Germany in 1833. She was born July 4, 1831, and has been a
helpmate in every sense of the word. She is a most prepossessing lady and
has a host of warm friends here. They have a large family of children, viz. :
Frank, of Monticello; Charles, on the Big Creek farm; Thomas, James and
Fay are on farms adjoining their father; Zora is deceased, as is also Sam-
uel; Bert is a student; David died in infancy; Jennie is at home, as are Bes-
sie and Hugh. Mr. Lear is a Republican in politics, but has never devoted
his time to the cause of his party. He was formerly a member of the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, of Rensselaer. He was born in a Method-
ist family but reared in a Quaker atmosphere, having been practically adopted
by a Quaker family for three years. These teachings developed a fine sense
of justice that is one of his dominating qualities, and has enabled him to
quiet many a neighborhood quarrel. He has a strong personality that is felt
throughout the entire community.

DANIEL RANSOM FREEMAN.

One of the pioneers of Pulaski county whom it is a genuine pleasure to
meet is he of whom the following lines are written. He is an entertaining
conversationalist and relates many interesting stories of the early days in this
locality. Like all of the heroic souls who are the forerunners of prosperity
and civilization, his life has been devoted to labor of the most arduous kind,
while his recompense is seemingly small in proportion to the efforts he has
put forth. His posterity, and his fellow-men in general, however, are reap-
ing the rich rewards and are profiting by the sacrifices which he has made;
and this generation and many to come will regard him with gratitude.

Family tradition says that the Freemans originated in England, three
brothers of the name coming to America together, one, the ancestor of Dan-
iel R. , locating in Massachusetts. Many members of this family have been
noted for exceptional size, some attaining the height of six feet and four
inches " in their stockings. " The grandfather of our subject, Daniel Horr
Freeman, lived and died in the Bay state. He was a farmer and also fol-
lowed shoemaking. Of his children the names of Truman, Sylvia and Asa
are remembered; but Asa was the only one who came to the west.

Asa Freeman, father of our subject, was born December 19, 1792, on
his parents' homestead near Seekonk plains, Massachusetts. After his mar-
riage he removed to New York state, and thence with his family and brother-
in-law, William Bates, went to Darby Plains, Union county, Ohio. Mr.
Bates remained there, but Mr. Freeman proceeded within a short time to
Marion county, Ohio, and there carried on an eighty-acre farm, which he pur-

798 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

chased. In the fall of 1854 his sons Daniel R. and Frederick came to Pulaski
county, Indiana, where they entered three eighty-acre tracts of land for the
father, and a quarter-section apiece for themselves, and all of this property
was afterward improved by them.

The entire Freeman household were desirous of making a permanent
settlement here, and in the early part of 1855 Daniel R. Freeman was sent
to secure a habitation. He made a bargain with Perry Campbell for his
quarter-section farm, on section 21, Monroe township, paying down one
hundred dollars in gold, and at the time that the rest of the family arrived,
the remainder of the price, eleven hundred and fifty dollars in cash, was paid
to Mr. Campbell. A log house and stable stood on the place, fifteen acres
were under cultivation, and twenty-five acres had been fenced. The father,
who, as may be judged, was a man of excellent business ability, and fairly
well off for those days, seemed to the poor people of this locality quite a
magnate, for, besides paying cash for his farm, he drove through v.'ith eight
horses, two wagons and a carriage, shipping his household goods and farm-
ing tools by train. He later sold the two hundred and forty acres of state
land previously mentioned, but remained on the old Campbell farm until his
death, October 2, 1876. While a resident of Ohio he served as a magis-
trate, and throughout his life he was a stanch ally of the Democratic party.
He was a man of large physique, sometimes weighing as much as two hun-
dred and eighty pounds. All local enterprises found a sincere friend in him,
and the local Christian church had no more loved and valued member for
many years.

The first wife of Asa Freeman was a Miss Lucy Bates, a native of Massa-
chusetts. Their daughter Lucy died in childhood, and their son William,
born in 1820, was killed by the cars, in Ohio, in 1862. He had been married
twice, his second wife, Hester Haines, surviving him, and she is still living
in Ohio. They were the parents of three daughters, and the only child of
Mr. Freeman's union with Elizabeth Achman, his first wife, was one son,
Asa P. The second wife of Asa Freeman bore the maiden name of Harriet
Farnum. She was born in Woodstock, Vermont, and about 18 17 went to
Marion county, Ohio, with her brother Erastus, and in the Buckeye state
met and married Mr. Freeman. She died on the 4th of. August, 1859, aged
fifty-four years. Her father, Douglas Farnum, came from one of the early
Vermont families, and in 1822 he removed to Marion county, Ohio, where
he was subsequently killed by a falling tree.

The eldest child of Asa and Harriet Freeman was named in honor of his
maternal grandfather, Douglas Farnum. He was born in Marion county,
November 5, 1825, and is now a farmer of Hardin county, same state. He
married Christiana Haines and their children are: Isaac, Truman, Hattie,

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 799

Annie and Dora. Alvin Hannibal Freeman, the third child of Asa Freeman
and wife, was born in April, 1829, was a farmer and blacksmith in Marion
county, and died many years ago. He wedded Louisa Rush and had four
children: Emma, Dora and Charles lived to maturity; and Sarah died at the
age of seven years. Asa Horr Freeman married Sarah Hornback and is
deceased. His children included lona, Hampton, Clara and Josephine.
Frederick Freeman, born in February, 1836, is the president of the Citizens'
Bank, of Prospect, Ohio. He married Nettie Matthews and their children
are John and Jennie. Noah Robinson Freeman, born November 11, 1838,
is a general merchant of Winamac. For a wife he chose Mary Helena,
daughter of Rudolph Hoch. She was born December 13, 1843, and died
February 22, 1892. They were married August 19, i860, and their first
child, Eli Grafton, was born May 12, 1861. He married Johanna, daughter
of Peter Guss, and has six children, namely: Daisy, L. G. , Ruby, Ethel,
Elsie and Noah. He is now a resident of Whitfield county, Georgia. Doug-
las Franklin, born September 10, 1862, died April 25, 1864. Frank, born
March 20, 1864, married Etta Riggles and is the father of four children,
Mabel, Ella, Otto and Claude. He is a constable and a general mechanic
and workman of Winamac. Hattie, born February 24, 1866, married Will-
iam Mellott, a teacher, and resides at Marion, Indiana. Their children are
three in number: Ralph, Edna and Frederick. Ruby, born February 15,
1868, is a merchant in Landess, Indiana. His wife was formerly Ruth Beard-
sley, and their children are Carrie and Jessie. Hardy, born January 16,
1870, died October 4, 1870. Lu, born Septembei; 24, 1 871, enlisted in Troop
I, Third United States Cavalry, during the late Spanish-American war, and
at the battle of San Juan Hill was severely wounded. It was believed that
he would not recover, but the brave young hero has now regained much of
his former health and strength. Ab, born October 11, 1873, is associated
with his father in business. Rosy, born February 9, 1875, was married to
Fred E. Lukins, at Alexandria, Indiana, June 23, 1897. Elsie, born Decem-
ber 9, 1877, is engaged in teaching in the public schools of Marion. Noah
Robinson, Jr., was born October 15, 1878, and is employed in his father's
store. The younger children are: Mollie Emily, born October 12, 1881;
Grace, May 2, 1883; and Norma Helena, November 12, 1885.

On the 29th of January, 1893, Noah Robinson Freeman, Sr. , married
Mrs. Angle Marie Clark, widow of Frederick E. Clark and daughter of James
and Jane Ann (Bellinger) House. She was born at Little Falls, New York.

The youngest child of Asa and Harriet Freeman is Elisha Martin Free-
man, born November 15, 1843, now a resident of Cowley county, Kansas.
He wedded Adeline Parker and has one child living, John. A twin of Elisha
Martin died in infancy. Sarah, Nancy and Silvia Freeman died when young.

800 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Daniel Ransom Freeman was born January 6, 1827, in Marion township,
Marion county, Ohio, but four miles from the town of the same name. He
was reared to agricultural pursuits and has been an intelligent, successful
tiller of the soil. As previously stated, he was instrumental in getting his
father and other members of the family safely and comfortably located in
this county nearly forty-five years ago. He planted a crop on his father's
farm the first thing after his arrival here, in the spring of 1855, and then set-
tled upon his own quarter-section, which was situated on section 28, Frank-
lin township. He built a small house on the state land he had entered and
paid for in gold, and dwelt therein until 1867. That year he disposed of his
own property and went to live upon his father's farm, which was his home
for almost a score of years. In the fall of 1886 he removed to Union City,
Indiana, where he made his home and engaged in carpentering and building
for five years or more. In 1891 he settled on a farm of his own, on section
23, Van Buren township, remaining there until the spring of 1898, when he
located upon another farm of similar proportions — eighty acres — the latter
being on section 15 of the same township. His son, Anthony, now leases
this farm from him, and since May, 1898, Mr. Freeman has lived in Wina-
mac. He has owned several farms, on which he has made substantial
improvements, and now, in the evening of life, he is enjoying a well-earned
rest.

One of the leading interests in the life of Mr. Freeman has been the
church and religion. He was baptized near Winamac by the Rev. John
Barnhart, October 16, 1863, and since that time has been a pillar in the
Dunkard church, serving in various offices and supporting it by his influence
and generous contributions. He was the first speaker in this district on
behalf of this denomination, and is looked up to as an authority among the
brethren.

On the nth of June, 1847, Mr. Freeman and Nancy Ann, daughter of
Friend and Phoebe Biggerstaff, were united in marriage, in Marion county,
Ohio, and for almost half a century they pursued the journey of life together.
Mrs. Freeman was born March 28, 1S24, in Ohio, and died February 12,
1898, and was placed to rest in the cemetery at Star City. The eldest child
of our subject and wife, Friend Biggerstaff, born August 16, 1848, is engaged
in farming on section 35, Beaver township. Asa Ransom, born December
22, 1849, carried on a farm on section 21, Monroe township, this county.
He married, June 22, 1875, Mary A., daughter of Alexander Harrison and
Lydia Ann Price. She was born January 11, 1854, in Coshocton county,
Ohio, and by her marriage has become the mother of the following children:
Carry Luella, born October 25, 1882; Harrison, July 2, 18S4; Nellie May,
October 17, 1887; and Lucy, October 10, 1897. Phoebe Ann, born January

BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY. 801

22, 1852, now of White county, Indiana, is the wife of William Bowsher,
and their children are Annie and Hattie. Noah Harlan, born April 20, 1854,
resides in Beaver township, where he rents a farm. Frederick Elijah, born
April I, 1857, now a liveryman of Buffalo, Indiana, married Melissa White,
and their children are Ora, Blanche, Stella, Addie, Pearl and Jennie. Will-
iam Martin, the next child of our subject, born July 17, 1859, owns and
cultivates a homestead in Beaver township. Delilah Ann, born November
27, 1861, is the wife of Benjamin Zellers, a resident of Winamac; and
Anthony B., born May 16, 1865, the youngest of the family, is located on a
farm in Van Buren township. The second wife of Mr. Freeman was formerly
Mrs. Electa Stout (Shigley) Ferrell, their marriage being solemnized on May

23, 1898. She was born October 18, 1829, in Greene county, Ohio, removed
with her parents to Tippecanoe county, Indiana, in 1836, and with them
•came to Pulaski county, in 1845. Her father built the first house put up in
Jeflerson township, and he and his wife continued to reside here until death.
Mrs. Freeman first became the wife of Van Sant Morgan, who, with others
of his family, settled in Jefferson township about 1848, and after his death
married Mr. Ferrell.

ALEXANDER J. KENT.

To but few is given the satisfaction of seeing the happy conclusion of
their life's work and of enjoying those honors which are as a rule only be-
stowed after death. Alexander J. Kent, the founder of Kentland, was born
in Oneida county, New York, August 30, 181 5, a son of Carroll C. and Pheba
(Dymock) Kent, and was educated in the common schools of his native
■county. After the discovery of gold in California, he, in 1849, equipped five
men, namely: John Allison, W. R. Fowler, Daniel Shaw, James Izzard and
J. B. Chessborough, and furnished transportation for them to Sacramento
City, California. Two years later, in 185 1, he went to that city and there
joined the firm of W. R. Fowler & Company, the name of which was changed
to Kent, Fowler & Company, which carried on a successful wholesale gro-
cery business for some time, until interrupted by a destructive fire. They at
• once resumed business on z, larger scale than before, conducted the same for
the next successive ten years, when they sold out and purchased a vessel, the
Anna Welsh, and engaged in trade between San Francisco and China,
which was a financial success. On her first return trip the Anna Welsh
brought to America the first Chinese colony, and after making three trips the
boat was sold to a Chinese mandarin and its owners returned to New York.

Soon after his arrival at the metropolis Mr. Kent's brother, Hon. P. M.
Kent, of Indiana, called on him and induced him to invest in wild lands in

802 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

northwestern Indiana, and in 1853 he visited that state and invested largely.
In 185s he removed to New Albany, Indiana, and engaged in the wholesale
grocery trade, having one of the largest establishments in the state. He
frequently went to northwestern Indiana and each time invested in land, un-
til his real estate amounted to more than twenty-five thousand acres. In
1859 he took up his residence in what is now Newton county. About this
time a great many people bought farms from him, with little prospect of pay-
ing for them, and had Mr. Kent pressed them for payment when it was due
many who were afterward prosperous farmers would have been obliged to
surrender their lands and become poor men. But Mr. Kent seldom refused
to help deserving persons or worthy enterprises, and to the people suffering
from drought in Kansas in 1861 his donations were most generous. On *one
occasion he replied to a solicitor for corn: "Go to my crib and take out
what you think I ought to contribute, as I don't know exactly how to deal out
to the worthy unfortunate sufferers." As a result five hundred bushels of
corn was taken and the keen edges of hard times were turned. At a later
date four hundred dollars worth of clothing went to Nebraska for the sufferers
from grasshoppers as an evidence of Mr. Kent's free hand and good will. It
is said that this gentleman had from fifty to three hundred dollars invested in
every church in Washington township.

In 1861 came the civil war, and untold distress was the result in thou-
sands of households. Money was close, but Mr. Kent proved himself to be
the man for the times, doing much to relieve the famihes of soldiers, and re-
ceiving the blessings of the widows and orphans whom his generosity had
placed beyond the pale of want. On one occasion, as a company composed
of his neighbors was marching to the depot on its way to the scenes of war,
Mr. Kent came upon the scene and asked Captain Daniel Ash to order " open
ranks." When the order was obeyed Mr. Kent passed through the lines and
gave each man a five-dollar bill. " That came in good time," said one of the
soldiers, " for many of us were leaving home and family without a dollar,
and knew not when nor where the next dollar was to come from." It is
such instances as these that endeared our subject to all who knew him, and
too much cannot be written or said of a man of so much generosity and Chris-
tian philanthropy. He was always a busy man and was seldom seen on the
street except on urgent business.

- Mr. Kent was twice married, the last time to Miss Rosamond C. Chess-
borough, daughter of Noyers P. and Clara (Moore) Chessborough, the latter
a niece of Thomas Moore, the poet. The death of our subject occurred
May 7, 1882, his wife passing away December 24, 1886. They had six chil-
dren: Clara, the wife of Dr. D. R. Burrell, of Canandaigua, New York; May
L., who married Dr. L. T. Desey, of Kentland; John A., deceased; Levanche

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 808

E. , wife of J. L. Morrison, of Kentland; Carroll C. ; and one child who died
in infancy.

Although not a member of any church, Mr. Kent was a liberal contribu-
tor to all denominations and gladly helped them in any way in his power.
In his political belief he was a stanch Democrat.

The parents of our subject, Carroll C. and Pheba Kent, were both born
on the same day, October, 17, 1777, in Connecticut. Mrs. Kent was a
daughter of Colonel Dymock, who served in the English army. Mr. Kent
owned land at Oriskany, New York, on which was fought the battle of
Oriskany, under General Herkimer, during the Revolutionary war. This
land was afterward owned by his son, Alexander J. He died at Whitesboro,
New York, aged eighty-three years. Mrs. Kent died August 21, 1827, aged
fifty years.

JOSEPH A. SHARP.

The art of photography is an invention of comparatively recent years,
and never before have the smiling faces of our friends greeted us from the pho-
tograph in such perfection as at the present time. The first photographic
production, the daguerreotype, was secured by a most expensive and labo-
rious process, requiring care and skill in so preparing the plates that the image
might be retained; and although its advent was hailed with delight it was
far from satisfactory. Then the photograph in its crude form, and the tin-
type had a brief sway, but to-day we have the pleasure of preserving the
likeness of our friends, almost life-like and at slight expense. How many
carry the loved features of dear ones, long since gone to the better world,
only as a memory, and what unspeakable satisfaction would it be to have
this fading memory-picture embodied in a photograph of modern art! The
artist fills a place in the world that can never be supplied by any other pro-
fession or craft. Among the leading artists of the present day is Joseph A.
Sharp, a well-known figure on the streets of Rensselaer, where he has resided
for over twenty years. He is a Kentuckian by birth, an Ohioan by long resi-
dence, and an Indianian by adoption. His father, Andrew Sharp, was a
native of Pennsylvania, but moved to Kentucky, and soon after to Marion
county, Ohio, where he lived until his death. His wife was a native of
Switzerland, her maiden name having been Ann Maria Wirtz.

Mr. Sharp grew to manhood in Ohio, and married Miss Martha Ann
Stively, of that state. When about fifteen years old he was afflicted by a
serious illness, which resulted in his permanent lameness. He took up the
business of photography, acquainting himself with the various details in
Marion, Ohio, and is now one of the most proficient artists in that line.

804 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

After locating for short periods in different places, he came to Rensselaer in
1877 and has since made this his home. He is recognized as a first-class
artist and one who stands at the head of his profession. His studio is first-
class in every respect, and is well patronized. He has made many friends
since coming to this place, — ^friends who bear willing testimony to his ster-
line worth.

JOHN F. BORDERS.

John Fletcher Borders has been a prominent agriculturist of Indiana
since early manhood, and for the past few years has resided near Winamac,
in Harrison township, Pulaski county, this state. He was born near Green-
ville, Darke county, Ohio, July 22, 1834, his parents being Wesley and
Sarah Ward (Eidson) Borders.

Christopher Borders was a native of Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania,
from which state he moved to Virginia, where he married Sarah Blizzards, a
daughter of Ruth W^esley and a native of Greenbrier county. The Wesleys
were originally from England. The children born to this union were Chris-
topher, John, James, Wesley, William, Sarah and Ruth, — all dead but the
father of our subject.

Wesley Borders was born August 27, 1807, in Greenbrier county, Vir-
ginia, and at the age of four years went with his parents to Greene county,
Ohio, where they resided six years previous to locating in Darke county, that
state. Here he was joined in marriage, in 1832, with Miss Sallie Eidson, a
native of the county in which they continued to live until 1835. At this
time he sold the old farm for six hundred dollars, receiving three hundred in
cash and the balance in installments of one hundred dollars annually.
They then went to Preble county, same state, arriving February 22, 1836,
but, not being satisfied with the locality, moved on to Miami county, where
Mr. Borders entered a quarter section of land, March 27, 1837. Seven
years later he made a most judicious trade, disposing of eighty acres of this
farm for a house and lot in West Logansport, Indiana. After holding this
property a few years he took advantage of an opportunity offered for ex-
changing it for two hundred acres of fine land in sections 21 and 28, Harri-
son township, near Winamac, Indiana. This land was owned by John
Baker, with whom the trade was made, and had a house upon it and thirty
acres in cultivation. This farm is now the property of George Douglass. In
the meantime Mr. Borders had disposed of his remaining eighty in Miami
county, Ohio, for four hundred dollars, and having lost his wife about the
same time he did not again begin keeping house until 1849, when he moved
on his farm near this place and continued there until 1863. He then went

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 805

to Greenwood county, Kansas, where he pre-enipted one hundred and sixty
acres, which he improved and cultivated, devoting his attention to this work
until 1888, when he returned to Pulaski county, Indiana, for a year's visit.
Then he once more took up his residence in Kansas, where he remained until
1897, when he came to Pulaski county, and has since made his home with
our subject.

Mr. Borders became identified with the Methodist Episcopal church at
an early age, uniting with that great organization in 1829. He was ordained
or licensed to preach in 1840 and has been one of the most earnest and effi-
cient workers in the field for over half a century. His ministrations were
conducted both in this state and in Kansas, and he is remembered with
kindness and affection by scores of people to whom he brought comfort and
consolation. He was eloquent and fearless in his utterances, and many of
his sermons were given under the most trying and dangerous conditions.
He may well be classed with that grand, old, primeval preacher, Peter Cart-
wright, whose fortitude and courage, in bearing the hardships and perils of
pioneer life that the words of the gospel might be spread, call for our highest
admiration and wonder. In these days of established churches and intelli-
gent, cultivated congregations, but little idea can be had of the rude, wild
and almost savage crowds that flocked to hear the frontier preacher, caring
little for his words and intent only on getting what excitement they could
from the meeting. The speaker, by some happy faculty, touches a sympa-
thetic cord in these uncouth natures and draws them away from their lawless
pleasures, causing them to desire a better life; and the good accomplished in
this direction is not to be estimated by power of pen.

Wesley Borders was twice married, wedding for his first wife Sarah Ward
Eidson, the mother of our subject. She was born August 9, 1807, in Marion
county, Kentucky, and was a daughter of John Eidson, who is mentioned
later in this biography. Her death occurred January 22, 1846, and she was
laid to rest in the town of Gilead, Miami county, Indiana. The children born
of this marriage were as follows: Martha J., born in Preble county, Ohio,
May 12, 1833; John Fletcher, our subject; Sarah Elizabeth, October 27, 1835;
Frances Marie, October 19, 1837, who married Milton Venard March 29, 1855,
and resides in Winamac; Miranda Annice, born May 22, 1839, who married
John Smith and died in her thirtieth year; Ezra Watson, born March 15, 1841;
Emeline, who was born in 1843 and resides in Arizona with her husband and
family. Martha Jane, the eldest child, married Douglass Moore on May 18,
185 I, and after his death was a second time united in marriage, her second
husband being William Dixon, with whom she is now living in Illinois. Sarah.
Elizabeth was married September 9, 1852, to Jasper Newton Mullins, who
was born in Fayette county, Indiana, June 29, 1829, and died January 8,

806 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

1868. His tomb is in Olive Branch cemetery. The children of this union
are Loretta, born June 29, 1853, and married to William Smith, of Mechan-
icsburg, Illinois, and is the mother of the following children: Eula Lee,
born February 17, 1878; Pearl, December 14, 1880; Frankie and Geneva,
born May 12, 1896. Rosella Mullins was born December 18, 1855, and died
September 19, 1857; Mary Ann was born May 13, 1859, and died October
27, 1889; she married Eli C. Morrow and gave birth to three children, —
Madge, Zura Lee and Archie; Marcellus was born November 12, i860; Ells-
worth, born March 14, 1862, married Miss Ida Young and has two children,
— Edward and Maggie, — who were born December 17, 1894; Hortense was
born August 30, 1866, and died in November, 1869. Ezra Watson Borders
is a resident of Columbus, Nebraska. By his first wife. Miss Ora Doud, he
has two children, — Fred and Blanche.

Wesley Borders chose as his second wife Mrs. Lydia Jane Gregory, to
whom he was united January 25, 1849. She was born June 27, 1821, and
was a daughter of William Smith and the widow of Nathan Gregory. She
was a native of Delaware county, Ohio, and was married at the age of twenty
years to Nathan Gregory, who was born February 22, 1817, in Tioga county.
New York. He was a victim of the Mexican war, losing his hfe July 5,
1847, at Camaign (Camargo.'). The children of this marriage were Mary
Jane, born March 2, 1842, and died May 15, 1857, at the age of fifteen years;
George, born January 25, 1845, and Sarah Elizabeth, born August 25, 1847.
The union with Mr. Borders resulted in the following children: Albert, born
November 26, 1850, is a resident of Cripple Creek, Colorado; William, born
April 28, 1853, died at the age of fifteen years; Ophra Elnora, born October
7, 1855, is living in Kansas; Ida Rebecca, born July 10, 1858, also lives in
Kansas; Emory Firman, born November 11, 1861, is a resident of Colorado;
and Wesley Strange, born January 7, 1863, is also a resident of the state of
Colorado. In 1899 Mr. Borders' grandchildren and great-grandchildren num-
bered over one hundred, while that genial gentleman, in his ninety-second
year, was in the enjoyment of excellent health and the pride of his descend-
ants. In politics he has always been a Republican, and has served as justice
both in Ohio and Indiana, where a large circle of warm friends bear tribute
to his noble and praiseworthy life. John Eidson, the maternal grandfather
of our subject, was united in marriage to Miss Martha Gibson, by whom he
had five children, namely: James, Nelson, Sarah, Annie and Matilda.

John Fletcher Borders, our subject, bought the northeast quarter of the
northeast quarter of section 33, Harrison township, in the year 1855, built a
house and began to care for himself. The following year he moved to Fulton
county, this state, where he took charge of the Nail's farm in Wayne town-
ship, which he cultivated two years.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 807

His next change was to this county, where he cultivated the Martin
Venard farm for two years. At that time the civil war was in progress and
the president had made a call for men. Mr. Borders was among the many
who left family and friends to take up arms for their country, and enlisted
November 14, 1 861, in Company H, Forty-sixth Indiana. He was promoted
to the rank of sergeant after six months' service, and was mustered out in
October of 1862. Then, with John Smith, he bought one hundred and sixty
acres of land in sections 21 and 28, Harrison township, upon a part of which
he erected a house. He followed farming there two years, when he once
more became a soldier, enlisting in the fall of 1864, in Company G, One
Hundred and Fifty-first Indiana, and serving until the close of the war. He
was in active service as provost guard one month and discharged the duties
in a manner to call forth the commendation of his superiors.

Returning to the farm in Pulaski county, he continued on it until 1867,
when he moved to Moorsburg and rented a mill which was operated by him
and Joseph N. Mullins for three years. This work was not so pleasant to
him as agriculture, and he accordingly moved back to his farm, which
received his attention until 1895. He was a shrewd, careful manager and
his farming operations were carried on in the most systematic manner, yield-
ing him the most abundant returns. He saw an opportunity to secure a bar-
gain in a tract of forty acres lying in the same township and took advantage
of it, later deciding to make it his home. Accordingly, in 1895, he built a
comfortable and commodious residence upon the land, with other suitable
buildings, and moved there the same year, having sold his large farm. He
also owns a farm of forty acres in section 23, this township.

John Fletcher Borders was married September 9, 1855, to Miss Nancy
Elizabeth BenefieJd, daughter of William and Jane (Kane) Benefield. She
was born January 21, 1837, in Delaware county, Indiana, and is a woman of
many excellent attributes, loved and respected by the entire community but
more especially in the little circle about the home. Her children are as fol-
lows : Burlingame, who was born November 9, 1856, and is a lawyer of
prominence in Hammond, Indiana, and whose sketch is elsewhere given;
Minerva Anise, born September 19, 1858, married Jay Edwin Wagner on Oc-
tober 7, 1884, and resides at Wagner, Arizona; Elmina, who was born Decem-
ber 31, i860, is the wife of William Robert Frazier; Martha, born July 25,
1862, is the wife of Frederick Rorenbaugh, who resides on the N. A. Murphy
farm and to whom she was wedded December 25, 1891; Franklin was born
November 15, 1864; Addie, born November 31, 1866, married Frank Long
March 7, 1889, and is the mother of Tolbert, Cleo, Argene, Elmer and
Maude; Warren William was born March 11, 1870, and is a rising attorney
whose biography will be found in these pages; Walter, born May 10, 1872,

808 BIOGRJPEICAL HISTORY.

lives with his parents; Fred was born April 8, 1874, and has been engaged
in teaching for the past six years, being at present connected with the Fair-
view school; and Charles Hayes, born May 14, 1876, is a teacher at the
Helm school, and he has been a most successful teacher for Ave years. Will-
iam R. Frazier is a butcher of Winamac, and was married to Elmira Borders
May 6, 1884. Three bright children have blessed their home, namely: Nel-
lie, born March 7, 1888; Estella, June, 1890; and Raymond, June 22, 1896.

Mr. Borders is an influential citizen of Pulaski county, and in no uncer-
tain manner does he stand in his political convictions. A Republican both
by education and conviction, he has held the office of township trustee for
eleven years to the entire satisfaction of his constituents, whose interests were
paramount to all else. In every walk of life he has been upright and hon-
orable.

William Benefield was born June 6, 1797, in Pennsylvania. He was a
carpenter by trade and worked at his craft in Delaware county, Indiana,
where he lived for many years. He had the misfortune to cut his right knee
in early life, from which wound he suffered all his life, being a cripple from
the time of the accident. In 1848 he located in Pulaski county, where he
entered forty acres in Harrison township, and later bought another forty of
Joseph Reed. He built a frame house, in which he was living at the time of
his death, October 19, 1870. He was joined in marriage with Jane Kane,
who was born January 31, 1837, and is a daughter of John Kane. The Kane
family were from Ireland, and the grandfather of Mrs. Borders is thought to
have married a Miss Wilson, by whom he had three children. The eldest
of these, Rebecca, married Harry M. Ketcham and reared the following chil-
dren: Mary, born December, 1823; Joseph, born October 21, 1826; Rob-
ert, born February 19, 1829; Thomas, born in February, 1831; Nancy
Jane and James. John Kane was born in 1795, and Jane Kane, born in
1801, was the mother of Mrs. Borders. She died February 7, 1873, and is
buried beside her husband. Their children were as follows: John Kane,
born February 4, 1820; Mary Ann, September 21, 1821; Levi, March 27,
1823; Steward, May 28, 1825; Isaac, April 30, 1827; James Jackson, March
19, 1829; William Harrison, July 4, 1831; Enoch, December 28, 1833;
Jane (Mrs. Borders), January 31, 1837; Sarah Jane, May 24, 1839; and Lydia
Margaret, February 24, 1844. Of these children John Kane Benefield mar-
ried, on July 8, 1841, Mary Melissa Mullins. He served in Company H,
Forty-sixth Indiana Infantr}', and died in Louisville, Kentucky, April 14,
1865. His children are John Wesley, who served with his father through
the war; John and Rosa. Mary Ann married Moses Nelson Dunlap and lived
in La Porte county, Indiana. Her children are Joseph, Marilla Jane and
Adeline. Levi married Jane Dukes, a sister of J. M. Dukes, and his widow

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 809

afterward married his brother, Isaac. Steward was twice married. His
first wife, Eliza, iicc Loy, bore him one child, Hiram, now deceased, and his
second wife, Sarah Eliza Steward, three, — Nathan, Riley and Eliza. The
family made their home in Kansas. James Jackson married Elizabeth Lef-
ler and lived in Nebraska. They had one child, a daughter, Nancy. Will-
iam Harrison lives in Washington. The maiden name of his wife was Isabel!
Venard. Enoch married Elvira Routsin, and their children are Marion and
Emma. Sarah Jane married Robert Sellers, of Logansport, Indiana, and
their children are Elizabeth, Rebecca, Renie (Mrs. Ed Murphy), and Rose
(Mrs. William Isaacs). Lydia Margaret Benefield married William Henry
Sellers, more familiarly called "Tip," who was a half-brother of Robert.
He is a carpenter of Logansport and has four children,— Edwin Mc, Har-
vey, Minnie and Harry.

WILLIAM E. FOX.

One of the honored citizens of Wolcott, Indiana, and a patriotic veteran
of the civil war, is the gentleman whose name initiates this sketch and who is
now serving as postmaster of his home city. He was born in Greene county,
Pennsylvania, February I2, 1843, and is the son of Washington and Marion
(Kennedy) Fox, the former of whom is also a native of Greene county, where
his birth took place March 17, 18 16. Upon attaining manhood he began farm-
ing on the place where he now resides, and continued to be actively engaged
until 1868, when he retired to enjoy the fruits of his early labors. His wife was
born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, October 10, 1818, and attended the dis-
trict schools of her neighborhood. She was a devout member of the Method-
ist church and died in that faith, in 1886. To Mr. and Mrs. Fox were born
the following children: David, who is a carpenter in Greene county, Penn-
sylvania; William E., our subject; George, who lives on the home farm;
Perry, a farmer residing near the home place; two who died in youth; Lydia,
who became the wife of Benson Boyers, a farmer in Nebraska; Mary, who
married Bernard Bell, of West Virginia; and two others who died in in-
fancy. The paternal grandparents of our subject were William and Kather-
ine (McLarney) Fox, natives of Virginia and Ireland, respectively, and both
members of the Methodist church. On the maternal side the grandparents
were David and Mary (Wildman) Kennedy, natives of Pennsylvania, who-
also were Methodists in their religious belief.

William E. Fox attended the common schools of Greene county, and in
1866 moved to Fairbury, Illinois, securing work in the adjoining county for
one year, and then renting sixty acres of land near Fairbury, where he con-
tinued farming for the ensuing nine years. In 1876 he came to West Point

810 BIOGRAPHICAL HIS TORT.

township, White county, Indiana, having bought, in 1874, three hundred and
twenty acres of land, located four and a half miles south of Wolcott, and
there he continued to till the soil until the spring of 1883, when be bought
three' hundred and twenty acres adjoining his original purchase and carried
on stock-raising to a large extent. In 18S3 Mr. Fox moved to Monticello,
where he continued in the stock-raising business for six years, and then
moved to Wolcott, where he bought one hundred acres of land adjacent to
the city, on which, in 1893, he erected his present handsome and commodi-
ous residence. He continues to superintend his other landed interests, be-
sides which he is a stockholder in the Bank of Wolcott and has served as
postmaster since September I, 1897.

On September 2, 1861, Mr. Fox enlisted at Morgantown, West Virginia,
as a member of Company F, Seventh Regiment, West Virginia Volunteer
Infantry, and was wounded at Romont, West Virginia, October 26, 1861,
from which he recovered shortly and returned to service. He participated
in the battles of Antietam, Fredericksburg, South Mountain, the second bat-
tle of Bull Run, and in the Peninsula campaign, and served under Generals.
Shields, McClellan, Hancock and Sumner. He was honorably discharged
March i, 1863, at Falmouth, Virginia.

Mr. Fox was married November 4, 1869, at Forrest, Illinois, to Miss
Effie G. Robinson, a daughter of James K. Robinson, a native of Ohio.
Mrs. Fox was born near Washington Court House, Ohio, July 17, 1844, and
came with her parents to Bloomington, Illinois, when six years old. She
there attended school and later at Fairbury. Two children have been born
to Mr. and Mrs. Fox, namely: Estella, a graduate of the State University,
at Bloomington, is now teaching school at Indianapolis; and John J., who is
attending the high school at Logansport. Mr. Fox is a consistent mem-
ber of the Methodist church and in politics he is a stanch Republican. He
belongs to the I. O. O. F. at Monticello and to the G. A. R.

JOHN WATSON.

Mr. Watson, who is a retired farmer of White county, Indiana, was
born in Yorkshire, near Hull, England, April 17, 1827, and is the son of John
and Mary (Adkinson) Watson. The maternal and paternal grandparents of
our subject were natives of Yorkshire, England, and were members of the
Church of England. The father also was a native of Yorkshire, where he
lived until attaining the age of seventy-five years, when, in 1846, he came to
America, landing at Quebec, Canada, and later locating near Newark, Ohio,
where he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land. This he subsequently
sold, and moved to White county, Indiana, seven miles south of W^olcott,

BIOGBJPHICAL HISTORY. 811

where he lived with his children until his death. His wife was born in York-
shire, where she was married and where her death occurred when seventy
years old. The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Watson:
William, deceased; Martha, the widow of George Davidson, who lives near
Alexandria, Ohio; Elizabeth, the wife of William Dickenson, living eight
miles southwest of Wolcott; John, our subject; Robert, a retired farmer, who
resides in Remington; Sara, deceased, and Henry, a retired farmer, living at
Otterbein, Indiana.

John Watson lived in Yorkshire until he was nineteen years old, attend-
ing the common schools and working on his parents' farm. He came with
his father to America, and at the age of twenty-one started in life on his own
responsibility, near Newark, Ohio. In the fall of 1865 he came to White
county, Indiana, locating seven miles southwest of Wolcott, where he bought
two hundred acres of land, adding to the same at various times, until now he
is m possession of six hundred and forty acres, all the improvements on which
were made by him. Here he farmed for thirty-two years, when, having re-
tired to Wolcott in 1896, he purchased the residence in which he now lives.
He still superintends his farm of six hundred and forty acres.

Mr. Watson was united in marriage in 1850, near Newark, Ohio, to Miss
Margaret Downing, a daughter of Henry and Margaret (Birks) Downing,
natives of England and members of the Church of England. Mrs. Watson
was born in Yorkshire, England, February 23, 1835, and came to this coun-
try when she was eight years old. Fourteen children have been born to our
subject and his wife. One died in infancy, and the others are: William, a
grocer in Wolcott; John, a farmer in Texas; Annie, the wife of William
Mantle, of Lafayette, Indiana; Harry, a farmer living southwest of Wolcott;
Mary, who became the wife of James Blake, residing eight miles southwest of
Wolcott; Sadie married James Sheetz and they live ten miles southwest of
Wolcott; Mattie, wife of James McGruder, living in White county; Charles
also lives eight miles southwest of Wolcott; Joe is on the old homestead;
Belle married Thomas Dickenson and they live on the home farm; Elizabeth
is the wife of Absalom Hawk and they reside seven miles southwest of Wol-
cott; and James and George both live on the home farm.

Mr. Watson is a member of the Church of England, but now attends the
Presbyterian church at Cedar Lake. In his political views he is a stanch
Republican.

CHARLES W. DIETS.
Charles Wesley Dilts, a well known business man of Winamac, Pulaski
county, is a native of Rochester, Indiana, his birth having occurred Novem-
ber 22, 1857. From the age of ten years he has been largely dependent

812 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

upon his own resources, and he owes his success entirely to his industry and
good business management. He is a son of Francis and Sarah (Weaver)
Dilts, and is a worthy representative of one of the sterling pioneer families
of Indiana. A full history of his parents and ancestors is given in the biogra-
phy of M. A. Dilts, an elder brother of our subject.

When he was in his eleventh year Charles W. Dilts left the parental
roof, and for the next four years dwelt with his brother Preston. The fol-
lowing few years were devoted to farming and clerking, and in 1876 he went
to Kentland, Newton county, Indiana, where he carried on a farm for two
years. Going then to Sheldon, Illinois, he learned the butcher's trade of
Deaner Anderson, remaining in his employ for four years. Becoming more
ambitious, the young man next turned his attention to contracting, and
superintended the construction of some forty miles of ditches in Iroquois
county, Illinois, keeping fifteen teams and numerous workmen busy until the
task was brought to a successful close. Desiring to see something of the
west, he went to Arkansas, and in the town of Paragould, Greene county,
opened a meat market. Later, going to Pocahontas, in the same state, he
tried the life of a fisherman, selling the fish which he caught, and making a
good livelihood. His next venture was in Rector county, same state, where
he contracted for and furnished logs to a sawmill. In August, 1894, he re-
turned to his native state, and locating in Winamac, opened a market, and
for two years was in partnership with his nephew, Bert Dilts. Afterward he
bought and sold live stock, traveling through Pulaski, Starke, La Porte and
Fulton counties. In February, 1899, he embarked in an entirely new enter-
prise, and has the monopoly in his line of business in the county. He
handles the McCormick farm machinery and does a general second-hand
business, and though but a short time has elapsed since this new undertaking
was begun he bids fair to prosper, and has won the favorable attention of
the public. He is a Republican in politics, and socially is identified with the
Modern Woodmen of America. Like his forefathers for generations, he is a
member of the German Reformed church.

In September, 1880, Mr. Dilts married Aipharetta Miller, a daughter of
William Miller. She was a native of Ohio, born September 5, 1855, and
died in Rector, Arkansas, November 23, 1894. The children of this union
were: Charles W., born September 19, 1881, died May 15, 1893; Carrie
Ellen, born December 2, 1883, died March 29, 1895; Florence May, born
January 20, 1887, died September 22, 1893; Francis Earl, born January 22,
1889; Myron, born October 2, 1891; Bessie, born November 22, 1885, died
August 29, 1887; and Francis Marion, born May 18, 1894. On the 27th of
January, 1897, Mr. Dilts married Miss Mary Jenkins, daughter of Daniel
Jenkins, but their wedded life was of short duration, as she died on the 20th

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 813

of the ensuing September, aged twenty-seven years. Much sorrow has fallen
to Mr. Dilts — trouble in the form of sickness and death and in the guise of
financial adversity; but he has performed every duty devolving upon him,
has met affliction in a brave and noble spirit, and has developed into strong,
self-reliant manhood.

MOSES B. ALTER, M. D.

When Dr. Moses Braddock Alter passed away from earth, on February
13. 18991 a large circle of intimate friends was shrouded in gloom. He had
been for so long a time a prominent factor in the social, business and relig-
ious life of Rensselaer and of Jasper county, had been so thoroughly the
tried and confidential medical adviser of so many of the leading families of a
large extent of country, that it seemed as if his loss was an irreparable one.
His tender ministrations at the couches of their loved ones had ceased, his
wise counsels in public and in personal matters were no longer available,
his Christian labors and sympathy no longer could support the hands of his
religious associates, and the head of a loving home had departed to return
no more, and the entire community felt deeply the loss. For nearly half a
century he had walked the streets of his adopted town and city, and in all
the varied relations of trust, honor and of professional duty in which his per-
sonality was called to act, never were his motives called in question, nor
did malice ever dare whisper aught against his integrity, his honor or his
sterling Christian character. Could one leave a nobler legacy to his descend-
ants than such a memory.'

Dr. Alter came to Rensselaer about fifty years ago, and was in active
practice here for forty years, — longer than any other physician. He was
born at Greenfield, Hancock county, Indiana, April 27, 1838, and was a son
of Dr. Simon and Nancy (Braddock) Alter. Dr. Simon Alter was born
in 1 8 10, at Freeport, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and there took
up the study of medicine, graduating at Jefferson Medical College. Soon
after this he came to Indiana and located at Greenfield, Hancock county,
where he built up a large practice and was one of the pioneer physicians of
the state, esteemed no less as an honorable citizen than as a skillful and suc-
cessful physician. He was here married to Nancy Braddock, a native of
Washington county, Pennsylvania, and later moved to Broad Ripple, near
Indianapolis. From there he went to Peru, and in 1848 came to Rensselaer,
where for thirty years — until his death in 1878 — he was considered as the
leading physician and an influential citizen of Jasper county. He gained a
most enviable reputation as a skillful practitioner, and his patronage covered
a large territory, while his services were dispensed impartially among rich

814 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

and poor alike. He was charitable in his judgment of others, but with a high
standard of morality. He was a pronounced Abolitionist and an earnest
advocate of the rights of others. He was the efficient treasurer of Jasper
county for four years, discharging the duties of the office in the most satis-
factory manner. His wife is now in her eightieth year and resides with her
daughter, Mrs. Richards, at Elk Falls, Kansas. Six children were born to
them: Dr. Moses B., the subject of this biography; John Q., a resident of
Rensselaer; Ella, who grew to womanhood and died many years ago unmar-
ried; David, also deceased; Nancy, wife of Edward Richards, of Elk F^lls,
Kansas; and Isaac B., a banker of Rossville, Kansas.

Dr. Alter was about ten years of age when his father removed to this
place. He was educated in the public schools and then read medicine with
his father, supplementing this with an attendance at Rush Medical College at
Chicago during the years 1858-9, from which institution he received his
medical degree. Soon after commencing his studies in this institution his
father received injuries in an unfortunate accident which resulted in making
him a cripple for life, and to our subject fell the task of taking up and car-
rying on the practice. He faithfully followed that profession until his
death, and was universally conceded to be a physician of ability who gave
to the work his most earnest efforts, and performed his duty conscientiously
and well, thus winning the approbation and confidence of all. The fol-
lowing tribute is from a local paper: "At the time of his death he was,
in length of time here, our oldest physician. He was greatly esteemed
in his profession and had a very large practice, in fact probably too large for
his own good, as he no doubt greatly overworked himself in answering the
many calls upon him. His country practice, especially, with its long and
frequent journeys in all kinds of weather and over all kinds of roads, must
have greatly contributed to accelerate the progress of his disease; and more,
perhaps, than any other doctor, he exerted himself in the treatment of those
whom he knew no reward could be expected of. His kindness of heart was
such that he seldom if ever refused to answer the calls of the poor or the
improvident.

"Besides his good record as a careful, kind and competent physician,
Dr. Alter has left behind him a most excellent record as a private citizen
and as a public official. He was county treasurer of Jasper county for two
terms, from August, 1881, to August, 1885, filling the position to the entire
satisfaction of the people of all parties.

"In the spring of 1892 he was elected a member of the board of trus-
tees of the town of Rensselaer, and re-elected every year until the town was
incorporated as a city, in the spring of 1896, when he was elected an alder-
man from the first ward, and still filled the position at the time of his death.

BIOGRJPRICAL HISTORY. 815

He was president of the board under town government, and also president
pro tent, of the city council. Neither town nor city ever had an official more
watchful and zealous for the people's interests, nor one more wholly above
every suspicion of corrupt or selfish motives. In politics he was always a firm
Republican."

Dr. Alter was converted early in youth and from that time was an active
member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He was long an official member
of the Trinity church at Rensselaer, and was a trustee when the present
church edifice was erected. To this cause he was a zealous contributor of
time and means.

Dr. Alter was married on September 14, 1860, to Miss Elizabeth,
daughter of Jonathan Peacock. Four daughters were the result of this mar-
riage: Flora B., wife of W. W. Watson, an employee of the pension
department in Washington; Olive H., wife of H. L. Gamble, a civil engineer;
Anna L. , wife of Dr. A. E. Kirk, of Terre Haute, Indiana; and Floy G.,
wife of Dr. H. J. Kannal, a graduate of the Chicago Veterinary College.

CHARLES PARROTT.

A prominent citizen of Winamac, and the leading insurance nianager in
Pulaski county, Indiana, is Charles Parrott, who was born October 3, 1866.
He is well known in this county, where he has resided since childhood, and
is a favorite with every one. He has an ancestry of which he may well feel
proud, his parents being George and Susan (Emery) Parrott, and his grand-
father, John Parrott, a native of Maryland and well known in that state and
Ohio. John Parrott was a man of high principles, and in order to live up
to them refused to receive the money which he inherited from his father's
estate, because the latter had been an extensive slave-owner. The slaves
he took and liberated. He was an earnest worker in the Free-will Baptist
church, and was one whose sterling worth made him an object of admiration
and respect wherever known. He married Nancy Sewell, whose father came
with La Fayette to fight for American freedom. John Parrott died in his forty-
eighth year, leaving his widow and the following children: Elizabeth Ann,
Mary Jane, Isaac, George, Rebecca, William and Martha.

George Parrott was a lad of ten years when his father was taken by
death, and for the next six years he made his home in the family of John
Andrews. At that age he began to learn the trade of a carpenter, but was
obliged to quit after six months and learned the trade of tanning. This was
not to his liking, and he again took up carpentering, working with his brother-
in-law and later forming a partnership with him. He wished to enter the
Mexican war, but was not accepted, as more than enough had volunteered;

816 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

so with a party of friends he made a tour of the middle west, having excit-
ing encounters with the Indians. He made a brilliant record in the civil war,
after which he returned to farm and carpenter work a few years, when he
retired. He was a hunter of skill, and a more detailed account of his history
is given elsewhere in this book. His wife was Miss Susan Emery, a native
of Marion county, Ohio. Their children are Nancy Jane (Mrs. Benjamin
Boyles), born January i, 1850; John Emery, born October 8, 185 1, married
Ada Hawes; Martha Elizabeth (Mrs. Frank Boyles), born August 26, 1853,
died October 29, 1879; William Sewell, born September 9, 1855, married
Etta Hawes; Charles George, our subject; and Annie, who died in her six-
teenth year.

Charles Parrott was afforded an opportunity to attend the normal school
for a short time, and made the most of the chance. He received his early
training on the farm, remaining there until 1892, when he determined to try
his hand at something besides agriculture as his life work. He accordingly
went to Winamac and opened an insurance office, in company with M. L.
Burton. The firm was known as Burton & Parrott, the senior partner also
dealing in real estate. The firm was dissolved in 1894 and Mr. Parrott gave
his entire attention to the insurance business. He has worked up the counties
of Pulaski, Jasper and Starke, and controls the business in his line in this
territory. His specialty is fire insurance, in which he represents the Aetna,
Hartford, Home, Connecticut and Phoenix, although he also writes life and
accident policies, the former in the Aetna and the latter in the Fidelity &
Casualty. He is untiring in his work, and his energy and industry have
gained him hosts of friends, and has also placed him at the top as a success-
ful man of business. Commencing as a novice, his progress has been
surprising, even to those who were best acquainted with him.

Mr. Parrott was made a benedict March 27, 1892, his bride being Miss
Mary Simmons, daughter of Fielden and Sarah (Hoosier) Simmons. Two
bright children have been added as a blessing to their home — Fern Olive,
who was born December 29, 1894, and Helen Mary, a "wee tot" who added
her bright presence to the circle January 3, 1897. Mr. Parrott was made
an Odd Fellow in Winamac Lodge in 1896. In politics he is a Republi-
can.

HON. ANSON WOLCOTT.

As an honored representative of the eighth generation of the \\'olcott
family, the gentleman whose name initiates this review retains the distinctive
characteristics of his ancestors, whose residence in this country dates back to
May 30, 1630, and who have achieved prominence in both political and com-

BIOGRAPHICAL BISTORT. 817

mercial circles, and his career adds to the name a lustre attained by long
years of personal endeavor and intrinsic worth. Born in Oneida county, New
York, October 21, 1819, he is a son of James and Louisa (Gould) Wolcott,
the former of whom was a native of Northampton, Massachusetts, and the
latter of Paulett, Virginia.

James Wolcott remained in the town of his birth until twenty-six years
old, when he went to Springfield, Massachusetts, and secured employment
in the United States armory, remaining so engaged for several years. He
then removed to Oneida county. New York, and there secured government
contracts for repairing guns. In 1826 he embarked in farming near Weston,
New York, for three years, at the end of which time he took up his residence
at Rome, New York, and there operated a farm and also instituted the Wol-
cott Hotel. His next venture was a distillery, at Ontario, New York, which
he conducted for five or six years and then purchased a farm near Royalton,
New York, which he disposed of in 1841 and moved to Lockport, there
engaging in the sawmill and lumber business. This he subsequently sold, and
went to Chicago, where he remained with his son, Ebenezer G. Wolcott, the
first president of the Chicago board of trade, and there he died. Mrs. Wol-
cott departed this life in 1856. She was a first cousin of Thaddeus Stevens,
a leader in congress during the civil war. To Mr. and Mrs. Wolcott eight
children were born, two of whom died in infancy, the others being as follows:
Ebenezer, Anson, Chauncey S. (deceased), Charles, Beula and James. The
paternal grandfather of our subject was named James Wolcott.

Anson Wolcott acquired his education in the academy at Richmond,
New York, located on Allen's Hill, and when twenty years old he attended a
similar institution at Royalton for one year. He then went to Louisiana and
held the position of superintendent for Francis Surzett, near Natchez, with
whom he remained for some time. He then studied law under Judge Peats
and was appointed deputy sheriff of Natchitoches county, retaining that office
for a year, when he returned to Lockport and studied law under Joseph C.
Morse and later under Wood & Bowen, teaching school in the meantime.
For three years he was head clerk of the firm of Woods & Bowen, and was
admitted to the supreme court of New York in 1846, being one of five out of
a class of one hundred and fifteen who passed the required examination. In
1848 he was admitted to the United States supreme court, and served as
counsel and attorney in several prominent cases, representing the state at
•various times, and continued the active practice of law until 1861.

Mr. Wolcott has given considerable attention to real-estate investments,
one of which was the purchase of fifteen thousand acres of land in New
York. He ditched the same to the extent of forty-four miles and disposed
of it at a gratifying profit. During the war of the Rebellion he contracted

818 BIOGBJPHICJ.L HISTORY.

for the government for one million bushels each of corn and oats, and
engaged largely in the cotton trade at that time. Upon the close of hostil-
ities he came to Indiana, located at what is now Wolcott, which he founded
and gave his name, and having bought ten thousand acres of land here, in
1858, he built his present residence in 1864 and in 1878 erected an elevator
having a capacity of one hundred thousand bushels, together with corn bins
capable of holding one hundred and thirty thousand bushels. He also owns,
besides his six hundred acres of land, lead, copper and silver mines in Colo-
rado, which are operated under the name of the Wolcott Mining Company.
The marriage of Mr. Wolcott was solemnized in Philadelphia, Febru-
ary II, 1863, when he was united to Miss Georgiana Sayen, a daughter of
George Sayen. She was born in the City of Brotherly Love in 1825 and.
died in 1867, aged forty-two years. One child is the issue of this mar-
riage, Ebenezer, born May 5, 1866, who is now in partnership with
his father. He is a graduate of Wabash College, at Crawfordsville, Indiana.
Mr. Wolcott is a thirty-third-degree Scottish-rite Mason. In politics he is
independent, and served as state senator from 1866 to 1871, during the
entire time of which he was chairman of the finance committee.

DAVID H. YEOMAN.

Lieutenant David H. Yeoman, of Rensselaer, may well be classed
among the leading agriculturists of the state, for he has devoted much time
and thought to the advancement of agricultural interests. He was born
September 26, 1841, and is a son of Joseph D. and Sarah (Nowels) Yeoman.
His father was born in Ohio November 17, 1803, and was there married,
after which he moved to this state in company with John Nowels, the grand-
father of our subject. Thej' were the first white settlers in Jasper county,
having located on the present site of Rensselaer. Mrs. Yeoman was the
first white woman who came to the county, which was a wild, uncultivated
waste, inhabited by Indians, and it may readily be imagined with what
pleasure she greeted the next comer. A brief sketch of the grandfather
appears on another page, in the biography of David Nowels. Joseph Yeo-
man was a man of industrious habits. He moved to Newton township, and
later to what is now Union township, where he entered land and made a
home for himself and family. He resided here until his death, which
occurred March 12, 1846, and although more than half a century has elapsed
since his death, he is still remembered by the older residents as a man of
sterling worth and an honorable, upright citizen. His widow passed away a
few years later, and two children have since joined them in their heavenly
abode. The record reads: Helen, born January 4, 1833, married a Mr.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 819

Warne and died October 13, i860; Thomas J., born September 26, 1837,
the first white child born within the borders of Jasper county, died February
17, 1867; David H., born September 26, 1841; and Sarah, wife of Mr.
Lang, of Surrey, this county.

Lieutenant Yeoman was raised on his father's farm and in winter walked
a mile or more to attend school, during three months of the year. The
school-house was a log structure, with puncheon floors and rude seats of the
most primitive sort, and the school itself was conducted along lines that
would call a smile to the face of the modern pedagogue. However, some
of our most renowned statesmen and brilliant lawyers, and even some of
our presidents, received their fundamental knowledge from just such a source.
It is not so much a man's environment as his will that makes or mars his
future. Deer and all kinds of game were there in abundance, and nothing
was more to the liking of our subject than to shoulder his rifle and start off
on a hunting expedition. He can recall having sixteen deer-skins at one
time, not as a result of hunting, but from animals killed while he was hunt-
ing for the cows. He and his brother Thomas were of different tempera-
ments, the latter being of a more studious nature and a great book-worm,
while our subject loved all outdoor sport and the free life of the farmer.
He enlisted in the Forty-eighth Indiana Regiment and served about a year,
when he was discharged at Corinth, Mississippi, for disability, after taking
part in the battles of Shiloh and luka. After his return home he assisted
in organizing a company of home guards, of which he was made first lieu-
tenant and drill-master. About this time Lieutenant Colonel Edwin P.
Hammond, of the Eighty-seventh Regiment, later Colonel and the present
Judge Hammond, came home to recruit for his regiment. Captain Yeoman
assisted him in recruiting, returned with him to the front of battle, and was
made first lieutenant of Company A, Eighty-seventh Regiment. He par-
ticipated in some of the most decisive engagements of the war, was in the
Atlanta campaign, was present at the surrender of Atlanta, and marched
with Sherman to the sea, being in the Fourteenth Army Corps. He was
brevetted captain about the close of the war, took part in the grand review
in Washington, and was mustered out in June, 1865.

Captain Yeoman now turned his attention once more to agricultural life,
and resumed the cultivation of the old homestead, which he eventually pur-
chased, and still owns. He is a very prosperous farmer, his landed posses-
sions covering some five hundred and seventy acres. He was married Octo-
ber 5, 1865, to Miss Mary E. Morris, a daughter of James T. and Elizabeth
(Hershman) Morris. They came to Jasper county in 1851, and here resided
until the death of the father, in April, 1895. The mother is now in her
eighty-second year, and makes her home with her children. Captain Yeo-

820 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

man and wife became the parents of eight children, four sons and four
daughters, as follows: Elpha L., Dallas M., Victor P., Daisy, James, Har-
riet M., David V., and Etta, who was born in 1873 and died February 26,
1895. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, while
the Captain is also a member of the Masonic fraternity, and commander of
Rensselaer Post, No. 84, G. A. R. He has for years been one of the best
known and respected citizens of the county, and is frequently called on to
preside at meetings held in the interest of agriculture. He has at different
times been a member of the state executive of the Grange; president of the
State Alliance; member of the State Board of Agriculture; and president of
the Jasper County Agricultural Society. In his early days he was a Repub-
lican, but as new issues came up in that organization he found that his views
no longer coincided with those of that party, and he casts his vote with the
party that nearest represents his idea of right. In 1884, he was candidate
for the state legislature on the Greenback ticket, and made a strong race.
In 1892 he was the Populists' candidate for congress, and in his own county
ran ahead of his ticket over one hundred votes. He was the Democratic
nominee in 1898 for joint representative of Jasper and Lake counties and cut
down his opponent's majority in Jasper county from over three hundred and
fifty to fifty-four and in Lake county from about nine hundred to five hun-
dred. This shows the extreme popularity of the Captain.

E. BURRITT DIBELL.

A well-known and highly esteemed resident of Wolcott, where he con-
ducts a banking business, Mr. Dibell was born in Grant county, Wisconsin,
May 2, 1856. He is a son of Elihu L. and Elizabeth A. (Bliss) Dibell, the
former of whom was born in Ashtabula county, Ohio, October 16, 1825, the
son of Obed and Patine (Baldwin) Dibell. Our subject's father attended the
common schools, and later the academy, of Kingsville, Ohio, and remained
on his father's farm in Ashtabula until 1854, when he removed to Will county,
Illinois, remaining there a year, then moving to Grant county, Wisconsin,
where he stayed three years. He next took up his residence in Fillmore
county, Minnesota, and entered land, farming the same for six years, and
going thence to Winneshiek county, Iowa, where he remained for one year,
and then again lived in Will county, Illinois, for three years. We next find
him cultivating land in Kendall county, Illinois, and after seven years' resi-
dence there he, in 1875, came to a one-hundred-and-seventy-five-acre farm,
two miles southwest of Wolcott. Here he farmed for a number of years,
and then entered the lumber business at Remington, Indiana, in which he
continued for five years, when he disposed of his interest in that business and

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 821

retired from active life, taking up his residence in Wolcott, where he Hves in
ease and comfort, after many years of toil. Mrs. Dibell was, before her
marriage, Miss Elizabeth A. Bliss, daughter of Beriah and Polly Lucella
Bliss, natives of Greene county, New York. Of this marriage, our subject
was the first-born, the others being: Arthur, who died in youth; Edwin J.,
who is in the hardware business at Wolcott; and Homer B., who is an at-
torney at Duluth, Minnesota. Homer B. is a graduate of the State Univer-
sity at Bloomington, Illinois, and of the Chicago Law College. He has a
large practice, and represents the Rockefeller interests at Duluth, Minnesota,
in which city he was elected circuit judge, in 1898, for a term of six years.

E. Burritt Dibell followed his father in his various changes of residence,
and was educated in the public schools of Wolcott and in the Jennings Semi-
nary, at Aurora, Illinois. For several years he farmed eighty acres of land
one mile southwest of Wolcott, and later dealt in real estate. He clerked in
the general store of Adams & Company, of Remington, for a short time, and
then came to Wolcott, where, in partnership with his brother, Edwin J., he
conducted a general store for three years, when the business was sold. In
1886 Mr. Dibell organized the Bank of Wolcott. He was elected cashier,
Robert Parker, of Remington, being the president, and these officers have
acted in the same capacity since the founding of the institution. W. F.
Brooker, agent of the Panhandle Railroad, was elected vice-president in
1898. This bank is the oldest in White county, and conducts a general
banking business.

Mr. Dibell was united in marriage, in 1881, to Miss Almira J. Gearhart,
daughter of George W. Gearhart, a native of Illinois. Of this union three
children were born, all of whom are at home, attending the schools at Wol-
cott. Their names are Earl, Mabel and Harry. Mrs. Dibell died in 1892,
at the age of thirty-four. The second wife of our subject was Miss Veta J.
Lisk, daughter of William and Sarah Lisk, of Wolcott, Indiana. Mr. Dibell
is a member of the Masonic fraternity, having become affiliated with that
order seventeen years ago, and is also identified with the Knights Templar
and the Knights of Pythias. In politics he is a Republican.

NOBLE J. YORK.

The character or standing of a town depends largely upon its class of
business men, whether they are enterprising and aggressive or the reverse,
and whether they are reliable and upright or not in their financial methods.
Monon is specially fortunate in this respect, for no place of its size can boast
of more progressive, substantial and square-dealing merchants. Of its repre-
sentative citizens is the gentleman whose name forms the heading of this

822 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

article. For several years he has been engaged in the practice of law and in
the real-estate, insurance, loan and collection business in this place, and has
won an enviable position in the regard of his fellow citizens and in the respect
of all with whom he has had business transactions. He is also local collec-
tion agent for a number of leading commercial houses of Chicago and else-
where, and owns considerable fine business and residence property in this
city and vicinity.

Mr. York is the fifth in order of birth of seven children born to John G.
and Susan N. (Howard) York, natives of Ohio and New York, respectively.
The father, who was of English descent, was a carpenter by trade, and pur-
sued that calling in his native state and in Franklin county, Indiana, whither
he removed in his early manhood. Mrs. York, who was of German extrac-
tion, became the mother of two sons and five daughters, namely: Francis
O., Asbury C., Victoria M., Cinderella S., Noble J., Florence L. and Flo-
rella, twins.

The birth of Noble J. York occurred in Laurel, Franklin county, Indiana,
and in his boyhood he attended the district schools of the neighborhood of
his home. When sixteen years of age he embarked in the business of mak-
ing his own livelihood and for some time was employed as a clerk in the store
of a Mr. Wymond in Connersville, Indiana. Next he was a clerk in a book
store of James Broadbelt in the same town, and later he accepted a position
in the store of his brother-in-law, William H. Rhoades, in Rensselaer,
Indiana. About this time he concluded to try his fortunes in the west, and,
going to Omaha he found employment in the service of the Union Pacific
Railroad Company, then in its infancy, as it owned but twenty-five miles of
track and but five engines. Mr. York became manager of the stores and
master mechanic's department, and continued with the company until the
road was completed. He then worked for the Denver Pacific until its lines
were finished, and had the honor of decorating the first engine which went
into Denver, Colorado. He remained at his post of duty with the corpora-
tion up to the time of its transfer to the Kansas Pacific Railroad in 1872,
when he returned to Indiana. Settling in Indianapolis he bought out the
store of Mr. Hanson, dealer in gentlemen's furnishing goods, and went into
partnership with Mr. Morrow, under the firm name of York & Morrow. Their
location was an excellent one, at the corner of Illinois and Washington streets,
in the Claypool building, and the rentals paid by them amounted to twenty-
five hundred dollars per annum. At the end of two years Mr. York disposed
of his interest in the business and went to Rensselaer, where he became a
clerk in the general merchandising establishment of A. Leopold. In 1883
he came to Monon, and for two years was general manager of a branch store .
of the one at Rensselaer, owned by A. Leopold. He next embarked in busi-

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 823

ness on his own account as a general merchant, and sold out at the expira-
tion of two years, to good advantage. Since that time he has been inter-
ested in the lines of business previously mentioned, — law, real estate, insur-
ance, loans and collections, — and has met with success in this departure.

In politics Mr. York has taken much interest, and, as a Republican, has
been instrumental in the success of his party. He was president of the town
board here for two years, but, aside from this, has never occupied public
office. Fraternally, he belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen
and for two years was grand master of the state association. Religiously he
is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In August, 1886, he mar-
ried Miss Emma M. Harding, a native of Illinois and a daughter of Samuel
F. and Hannah (Redex) Harding. To this union four children have been
born, — Myrtle A., Noble H., Howard R. and Delos F.

HON. A. W. REYNOLDS.

Judge Reynolds, a leading lawyer of White county, Indiana, and a resi-
dent of Monticello, is a man remarkable for the range of his learning and his
exceptional capacity displayed in the legal field. He is an Ohioan by birth
and an Indianian from long residence. He is the son of Ebenezer and Eliza-
beth (Yost) Reynolds. His mother, a native of Ohio, died when he was but
two weeks old; and his father, a farmer by occupation, died in 1861. Five
sons and two daughters composed the family of children.

Mr. Reynolds was born near Somerset, Perry county, Ohio, September
16, 1839, and was reared on a farm, as have been most of America's illus-
trious men. He attended the country schools and the high school at Somer-
set, and came to this village in 1856, entering the high school here, then
under the supervision of Professor Bowman, one of the best instructors in the
state. He was an apt pupil, and his assiduous application to his books
encouraged Professor Bowman to give him private instructions, under which
he advanced so rapidly that he was soon ready to enter Wabash College,
where he remained one year. He then entered Monmouth College, in Illi-
nois, and remained one year. He left home to make his own way in the
world when about seventeen years of age, and his progress has been con-
stantly upward ever since. At first he was undecided between the professions
of medicine and law, having a natural ability in both directions; and had the
first been his choice he would undoubtedly have become a physician of note,
as he is now able to diagnose a case with ease. However, he chose law as
the more certain road to prosperity, and entered the office of Senator Turpie
to study under his direction. He was so assiduous in his studies that his
advancement was rapid, and in two years he was admitted to the bar and

824 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

began practicing at Winamac. He remained tiiere one year, and in 1865
located in Monticello, wliere he has built up a practice at once lucrative and
extended, his clientele covering a large territory and embracing many cases of
intricacy which require both tact and skill to successfully manage.

He was married to Miss L. G. McGee, of this state, who bore him one
child, George, who has been admitted to the bar, and is now practicing with
his father. Politically Mr. Reynolds is a Democrat and has the attributes of
a successful politician, but has refrained from taking an active part in poli-
tics, as he is wedded to his profession and allows nothing to interfere with it,
although his counsel and advice are frequently sought and freely given. In
1868 he was elected prosecuting attorney for Carroll, Benton and White
counties, serving two terms, and was then prevailed upon to enter the race
for state senator. The district was made up of the counties of White, Pu-
laski, Jasper, Newton and Benton, all strong Republican precincts, and it
was expected that any Democrat who might be nominated would be defeated
by several hundred votes. When the returns were all in, it was found that
he was defeated by only twenty-two votes, — showing his great popularity and
the confidence reposed in him. In 1S88 he was elected to the office of circuit
judge for the thirty-ninth judicial district, comprising White and Carroll coun-
ties. He was on the bench six years, showing a rare analytical mind, a dis-
criminating and sound judgment as a lawyer, and a learning and impartiality
which commanded respect, while his own dignified deportment inspired de-
corum in others. Since that time he has returned to private practice. His
library is most complete, containing not only text-books of the best authority,
but reports of the various states, and United States decisions. He is a man
of pleasing address, and is an orator who adorns his calling, his eloquence
appealing to the common sense of his hearers, and his logic being strong and
convincinsr.

HON. GEORGE BURSON.

For more than two-score years the Hon. George Burson has been a
prominent figure in the public affairs of Pulaski county and northern Indiana.
Coming here, as he did, in his early manhood, he concluded to make his
permanent home in Winamac, and from that time until the present he has
been very actively interested in the prosperity of this locality, advancing its
welfare in many ways.

It is probable that the Bursons came to America with one of the colonies
founded in Pennsylvania by William Penn, and certain it is that they were
all identified with the Society of Friends down to and including the grand-
father of our subject. George Burson, for such was his name, owned a mill.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 825

distillery and plaster factory in Loudoun county, Virginia, at one time, but
lost nearly all of his property during a disastrous flood, and was obliged to
begin his financial life over again. With his family he removed to Colum-
biana county, Ohio, where he died within a short time, aged seventy-five
years. His wife bore the maiden name of Susan Kent, and their children
were named as follows : Benjamin, born in 1797 ; Hannah, born' in 1799 ;.
Stephen, born in 1801 ; Silas, born in 1803 ; Elijah, in 1806 ; Elizabeth,
born in 1808, became the wife of Stephen Cole; Thomas, born in 1810 ;.
George in 181 1 ; Aaron, in 1815 ; James, in 1817 ; and Nathan, in 1819.

James, father of our subject, was but six years old when he left his na-
tive state, Virginia, and settled with his parents in Columbiana county, Ohio..
In the early part of the '30s he located in Hancock county, and engaged'
in the practice of medicine. In 1843 he removed to Van Wert county,
Ohio, and was engaged in professional labors there until his death, in Sep-
tember, 1846. At that time he was serving in the responsible office of county
treasurer, having been elected on the Democratic ticket. He was a man o£
commanding presence, six feet and one inch in height, and well propor-
tioned. He married Fiana Dickey, who had been born October 13, 181 5,
in Pennsylvania, and in girlhood accompanied her father, James Dickey, to
Columbiana county, Ohio. The Dickeys were of Irish and German extrac-
tion. Mrs. Burson was an only daughter, and her two brothers were James
and Moses. After the death of her first husband she became the wife of his
brother Silas. The children of the first marriage were George ; Martin
Luther, born January 5, 1846, and now a successful physician of Streator,
Illinois ; Henry Gustavus, born in 1842, enlisted in the Ninety-ninth Illinois
Infantry, was transferred to the artillery service, and was killed at the battle
of Mission Ridge ; Commodore Perry, born in 1844, enlisted in 1861, served
in Company H, Forty-sixth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and was killed at
the battle of Champion Hills, Mississippi, May 16, 1863 ; and Welhngton
Bonapart, born July 10, 1846, married Lucy Uptegraf, and has three chil-
dren, being now the city engineer of Streator, Illinois. By the second mar-
riage of our subject's mother two daughters were born : Laura, who married
Thomas McGowan, and resides at Rensselaer, Indiana ; and Ura L. , who is,
the wife of Shubel Pearson, a merchant of Winamac.

George Burson was born February 24, 1837, in the village of Elkton,
Ohio, and received his primary education in the public schools. When he
was about fifteen he entered the Findlay Male and Female Seminary, at Find-
lay, Ohio, and pursued a systematic course in civil engineering and survey-
ing for two years. In November, 1853, he arrived in Winamac, where his
mother and stepfather had settled the previous spring, and until 1859 he

taught school in the winter and worked on the farm in the summer time. In.
53

826 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

1858 he was appointed deputy sheriff, and served under Charles Cleland for
two years, in the meantime studying law, under the guidance of A. I. Gould.
In the spring of 1861 he embarked in the long and successful legal career
which was crowned in 1884, by his election to the bench, as judge of the cir-
cuit court, Starke county, as well as Pulaski county, being included in his juris-
diction. Upon the expiration of his first term of six years, he was honored
t)y re-election, and continued in the responsible position until 1896, winning
the favorable opinion of the public and the profession. During his term of
office the court-house was built; and, though it is considered one of the best
in the state, it was erected at less expense than many in other counties, ow-
ing to the watchfulness and integrity of Judge Burson, who took great inter-
est in guarding the people's welfare in the matter. As early as 1868 he was
elected district attorney of Lake, Porter, Starke, Pulaski and Jasper counties,
and served two years, with great credit to himself and friends. His first part-
ner in the practice of law was John W. Ryan, now of Muncie, Indiana, the
firm being Ryan & Burson for about a year. Mr. Ryan then moved away
from this place and the Judge continued alone until his election to the bench.

As might be expected of so patriotic a citizen, the Judge cast aside all of
his ambitious plans at the beginning of the civil war, and on October 4, 1861,
enlisted in Company H, Forty-sixth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, being com-
missioned as first lieutenant. On the 29th of the following March he was
promoted to a captaincy, and April 17, 1863, he was commissioned major of
the First Regiment of Arkansas Volunteers, later known as the Forty-sixth
United Stated Colored Infantry. On account of a very severe illness he was
forced to resign his position, and was honorably discharged in 1864 after long
and distinguished service.

Among the various enterprises which have more or less engaged the at-
tention of Judge Burson was the buying and managing of the Pulaski Demo-
crat, a paper published in the interests of the Republican party and the peo-
ple of Winamac and the county in general, but at the end of a year he sold
out and resumed his law practice. He was identified with the Republican
party until the reconstruction, when he transferred his allegiance to the oppo-
site party. In 1874 he was elected to the state legislature and served effi-
ciently for two years, and in 1876 was made a presidential elector, casting
his vote for S. J. Tilden in that memorable autumn. In i860 he was initi-
ated into the Masonic order in Winamac, and has passed all the chairs in the
local lodge. In 1865, after his return from the war, he joined the Odd Fel-
lows, and he also belongs to the Royal Arcanum and to the Logansport lodge
of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.

On the 8th of July, i860. Judge Burson and Miss Melinda Lowry were
united in marriage. Mrs. Burson was born May 4, 1845, i" Wyandot

BIOGBAPHICAL HISTORY. 827

county, Ohio, and is a daughter of John Dixon and Margaret Pearl (Stotts)
Lowry, who are represented in the sketch of Robert A. Lowry. The eldest
child of the Judge and wife is George Lowry, born August 29, 1865, and now
associated in business with his father. Estella, the only daughter, born Feb-
ruary 14, 1867, is the wife of Edward M. Morehart, salesman for the firm
of Meyer Brothers, druggists, of Chicago. Mr. and Mrs. Burson have long
been valued members of the Christian church, and are always confidently
relied upon to do all within their power to elevate and aid their fellow men.

REV. ISAAC SAYLER.

Rev. Isaac Sayler, of Rensselaer, is one of a numerous family bearing that
name and residents of Jasper county. The time of his coming to this county
was October, 1850.

Mr. Sayler was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, April 18, 1809. His
father, Henry Sayler, was born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, in 1776,
and he was the son of Jacob Sayler. The Sayler family is of Holland de-
scent, tracing its ancestry in this country back to colonial times. Jacob Say-
ler was a member of the first continental congress, held at Philadelphia; he
was a gunsmith, and manufactured guns and swords for use in the Revolu-
tionary army. The chair in which he sat at the congress above mentioned
was on exhibition, with those of the other members of the congress, at the
great Centennial Exposition, held at Philadelphia in 1876. He continued to
reside in Pennsylvania until his death. His wife, the grandmother of the
subject of this biography, moved to Pickaway county, Ohio, with her children,
and passed the remainder of her days there. Jacob Sayler and wife became
the parents of five sons and four daughters who grew to mature years; and of
these only David came to Jasper county, Indiana; but he and all his family
have passed to the other world. The names of the children of Jacob Sayler,
in order of their birth, were as follows: The sons were Jacob, John, Henry,
Micah and David; and the daughters were Elizabeth, Mary, Hetty and Sally;
but all of that generation have passed away.

Henry Sayler, the father of the Rev. Isaac Sayler, moved to Pickaway
county, Ohio, in 1793, when he was seventeen years of age, and he was
accompanied by his oldest brother, Jacob. They made a location for the
family in the wilds of the frontier of civilization, planting a crop and making
other preparations. Returning to the Keystone state, they brought out the
family during the next autumn, and here in the extreme frontier they made
their home and engaged in clearing land and in the pursuits of primitive agri-
culture.

In 1805 Henry Sayler was married to Elizabeth Kepner, a native of

828 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Pennsylvania, and to them were born thirteen children, — ten sons and three
daughters. One of the sons died in infancy and all the rest lived to have
families of their own. These were Jacob, Benjamin, Isaac, John, Micah,
Henry, Samuel, Barnhart and Lewis; the daughters were Caroline, Mary
and Sarah. Five of the brothers are residents of Jasper county. John
died a number of years ago; Jacob, the oldest of the five brothers, was born
in 1805, and Lewis, the youngest, in 1830; perhaps a parallel case cannot
be found in the state of Indiana. Another brother, Barnhart, lives near
Watseka, Illinois; Samuel is a resident of Wood county, Ohio; and the only
surviving sister is Mrs. Sarah Harrington, of Iowa City, Iowa.

Rev. Isaac Sayler, from whom the facts in this sketch are mostly ob-
tained, was brought up to the age of fourteen years in Pickaway county,
Ohio, and then the family removed to Marion county, same state, where
they located in the woods, and with the help of the boys they cleared a fine
farm. The father died there in 1854.

Young Sayler had but little opportunity for a school education in his
youth; but when he was twenty-one years old he enjoyed an opportunity of
going from home to school, and he obtained sufficient education to enable
him to teach, and he taught three winter terms of school. He was married
March 21, 1833, to Elizabeth Grauel, who was born in Ohio September 25,
181 1, a daughter of John and Elizabeth Grauel. Mr. and Mrs. Sayler con-
tinued to live in Ohio until they came to Jasper county in 1850. Here Mr.
Sayler purchased a farm of one hundred acres in Newton township, a place
but slightly improved. A small house had been erected there, which the
family occupied the first winter. On this place Mr. Sayler and family made
their home until the death of the wife and mother, which occurred Novem-
ber 21, 1893, when she had reached the age of eighty-two years. To Mr.
and Mrs. Sayler were born eleven children, four of whom died in infancy.
The sixth child and oldest son, Simon B., was a soldier for the Union in the
war of the Rebellion, and died during service, of typhoid fever. Mr.
Sayler's second and only surviving son is Andrew K. , who owns and occu-
pies a part of the old homestead in Newton township. One daughter, Mary
Hopkins, died in 1896. The oldest surviving daughter is Mrs. Esther Daugh-
erty. Mrs. Sarah A. Benjamin resides in Kansas; Mrs. Julia S. Daugherty
is another daughter surviving; and Miss Ellen J. resides with her father in
Rensselaer.

Rev. Isaac Sayler joined the Methodist church at the age of twenty-one
years. In 1840 he was appointed class-leader; in 1844 was licensed as an
exhorter; and in 185 1 as a local preacher, and he preached regularly for
many years. At length the failing health of his wife demanded so much of
his attention that for a year previous to her death he could devote but little

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. • 829

of his energies to the office of the pulpit. He is now retired and with his
daughter resides at her pleasant home in Rensselaer. He has now attained
the ripe age of eighty-nine years, and his physical and mental strength are
remarkably well preserved. His life has ever been in accordance with a firm
belief in the tenets of Christianity, and his faithful work in the Master's vine-
yard has extended over a period of many, many years.

CHARLES A. ROBERTS.

Among the most prominent and well-known citizens of Rensselaer,
Jasper county, Indiana, is Charles A. Roberts, who has spent many years
in active business here, — first as a blacksmith, in which line his services were
in constant demand, then as a dealer in agricultural implements, while now
he is a retired citizen. He was born in the state of Pennsylvania, July 3,
1848, his parents being John and Mary E. (Evans) Roberts.

John Roberts also was a native of Pennsylvania, but was one of the
pioneers of Decatur county, Indiana, to which locality he moved some
forty -eight years ago. He was a carpenter, having mastered the trade by
serving a regular apprenticeship, and followed it in his new home in con-
nection with his farm work. He was a kind and obliging neighbor and
his craft was of great value in that primitive time. He married Miss Mary
E. Evans, a Maryland lady, whose youth was spent near the Potomac
river, upon which she has enjoyed many a sleigh-ride. This most excel-
lent couple are now residing at Newburg, the mother having reached her
seventy-ninth milestone, while the father has passed beyond it to a more ad-
vanced age. They are the parents of nine children, of whom but one, Cal-
vin Thomas, has been called to a better life. The remaining eight have been
reared to lives of usefulness and honor, and have been widely scattered over
the United States. They are William Augustus, in the employ of an in-
surance company at Indianapolis; John Edward, a resident of Westport,
Indiana; Sarah Catherine, the wife of Captain J. A. H. Hosack, of Fort
Worth, Texas; Calvin Thomas, deceased; Charles Amos, our subject; Mar-
tha Priscilla, wife of John Nauman, of Garwin, Iowa; George El wood, of
Indianapolis; Lewis Finney, of Garwin, Iowa; and Francis Marion, of
Indianapolis.

Charles A. Roberts was the fifth child of the family, and was but eight-
een months old when his parents removed from Pennsylvania to Decatur
county, this state. They located near Greensburg, the county-seat, and set-
tled on a farm. When he became older he entered the common schools,
helping about the work of the farm except when in school. The dis-
tance which he had to traverse in going to the school-house was one and a half

830 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

miles, so that he was obliged to carry his dinner, which too often consisted
of nothing but corn bread. In those days it was not an easy matter to ob-
tain an education, the effort costing inconvenience and sacrifice which are
little understood and appreciated by the youth of these modern times. Still,
our shrewdest, smartest men were confronted with these difficulties and sur-
mounted them, giving to the world our ablest lawyers, wisest statesmen, and
most successful business men. Our subject remained upon the farm until
he v/as twenty years old, when he went to Newburg, and entered the shop
of Jacob Smith, to learn the trade of blacksmith. He worked at this trade
seventeen years, eleven of them in Rensselear. He was a good mechanic
and a hard worker, many days putting in fourteen and sixteen hours during
the busy season. He also added a small stock of implements and was in a
flourishing condition, when his health gave out from overwork and he was
obliged to abandon the blacksmith shop, and turned his entire attention to
the implement business. He increased his stock until he carried a fine,
large line of all kinds of machinery, buggies and wagons, and continued the
store until 1891, when he disposed of the stock to Hammond Brothers, and
rented out the building. The succeeding year or two he did not engage in busi-
ness, but tried to rest and build up his health. He then furnished the capi-
tal for a tailoring business, having an interest in the concern for about two
years, when he bought the ground and erected the building in which he
now conducts his business, putting in a small stock of implements and being
content to carry a less extensive line of goods. He is successful and popu-
lar, having a multitude of friends in the vicinity. He has always been a
Democrat. Mr. Roberts was married October 3, 1875, to Miss Abbie
Phillips, a native of this county, and a daughter of Simon Phillips, who is
represented elsewhere in this book. She is a devout Christian and a mem-
ber of the Church of God.

WILLIAM LISK.

Mr. Lisk, the subject of this memoir, recently passed away. He was the
pioneer merchant and business man of Wolcott, White county, Indiana, and
was one of the best known and highly respected citizens of that county. He
was born in Trenton, New Jersey, but was reared in Franklin county, Ohio,
where he obtained his education in the district schools of his neighborhood.
He remained at home until twenty-seven years of age, when he was married
and removed to Chillicothe, Ohio. In 1847 he came to Indiana, locating
near Lafayette, where he farmed for six years, and then removed to Wapello
county, where he spent the following six years. He subsequently returned
to Tippecanoe county and from there, in 1868, he went to White county,

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 831

where, in partnership with J. P. Clute, he ran a general store for five months,
at the end of which time the partnership was dissolved.

Mr. Lisk for one year after this was employed on a farm by Mr. A.
Wolcott, but not being satisfied with this occupation he again entered into
the mercantile business, which he carried on for twenty-eight years. He died
at the advanced age of seventy-nine years, seven months and twenty-nine
days. At the time of his death he owned one hundred acres of land, two
residences in Elwood and three residences in Wolcott. He sold his stock to
E. L. Tyner, in 1897.

The marriage of Mr. Lisk took place October 8, 1846, in Ross county,
Ohio, where he was united to Miss Sarah A. Edmonds, who was born in
that county, a daughter of Robert and Margaret (Fordman) Edmonds, also
natives of that state. Of this union seven children were born, namely:
John W., living in Purvis, Mississippi; Ezra, in Hammond, Indiana; Alice,
wife of F. W. Warner, of Fowler, Indiana; Mary, who married Charles
Elliott, of Toledo, Ohio; Lester E. , the wife of E. B. Dibell, a banker at
Wolcott; and Anna, the wife of H. E. Small, of Wolcott, Indiana.

The parents of our subject were Peter and Abigail (Moore) Lisk. The
father was born in Trenton, New Jersey, leaving his native state in 1821 and
removing to Franklin county, near Columbus, Ohio, where he lived for forty
years and died aged about seventy. He was a shoemaker by trade. The
mother was born in New York state, and died in Franklin county, Ohio, in
1843, aged fifty years. Their family comprised three children: Henry,
William and John, all now deceased. The paternal grandfather of Mr. Lisk
was John Lisk, who was of Dutch and Scotch descent and was a soldier in
the war of 18 12. His maternal grandfather was Samuel Moore.

Mr. Lisk spent a long and useful life, he always maintained an active
interest in the growth of the town with which he was so long identified, and
also in all the enterprises connected with the Methodist church, of which he
was for many years a devoted member. His integrity of character and kind-
ness of heart made him many warm friends and who were delighted to honor
his old age, and who revere his memory. In politics he was a Republican
and was always ready to assist as far as he was able in the deliberations and
councils of that party.

DAVID NOWELS.

Mr. Nowels enjoys the distinction of being the first white boy in Jasper
county, and he is to-day not only the oldest resident of the county, but is also
one of the first settlers now living. He came herewith his father and broth-
er-in-law in 1834, when but a lad of thirteen. They made a settlement on

-832 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

the present site of Rensselaer and built the first house in Jasper county, a log
cabin, hewed from the native timber, the site now being occupied by the
Rensselaer Bank. Here they continued to live, the only companions of his
youth being Indians. David Nowels' life was filled with hardships and trials,
such as can hardly be imagined by the present inhabitants of this now flour-
ishing community. He learned to depend on his own efforts, and this self-
reliance enabled him to surmount all difficulties and achieve the success he so
richly deserves. He is a son of John and Hetty (Vulgamer) Nowels, and he
was born in Holmes county, Ohio, September 15, 1821.

John Nowels was born in the state of Kentucky, March 13, 1769, and
his wife was a native of Ohio. John Nowels went from his native state to
the then territory of Ohio at a very early day. He was not a rugged youth,
as was usual with those times, and was unfit for the work of clearing off land
and farming. In lieu of this he took to hunting, which served as a recreation
and also a profitable business. Game of all kinds was abundant in the wild
country at that time and afforded a large part of the food of the pioneers. He
was a good huntsman and killed a great deal of game, having a contract to
supply the table of the government surveyors when they were making the
original survey of Ohio lands. In 1824, when David was three years old,
John Nowels moved with his family to Fountain county, Indiana. There the
•wife and mother died, and in consequence the family, comprising eight sons
and one daughter, became broken and separated. In 1834, with his son-in-
law, Joseph Yeoman, and David, Mr. Nowels came to this county, where he
■continued to hunt until his death. May 21, 1865, at the advanced age of
ninety-six years, three months and some days.

Sarah (Nowels) Yeoman, the only sister of our subject, was the first
white woman of Jasper county. She died in Union township a few years
after her husband, Joseph Yeoman, who was a native of Ohio, but became a
well known citizen of this county, where he died in the spring of 1859.
Stephen Nowels, an elder brother of our subject, became a resident of Jas-
per county in 1836, but removed to Kansas, where he died a number of
years ago.

David Nowels came to this country when a lad of thirteen years, and as
he was the first and only white boy here at that time, his early education
was obtained from Mother Nature, a most excellent teacher, and was sup-
plemented by his own earnest endeavors in after life. Living, as he did,
among the Indians, he acquired much of their accuracy of observation, keen
ear, quick eye and steady hand. He became an expert marksman at an
early age, and killed many deer in a day's hunt. He grew up amidst these
surroundings, and soon after reaching his majority he embarked on the sea
■of matrimony. He took his bride to the northern part of Marion township.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 833

and they set earnestly to work to make for themselves a home. They have
led lives of industry and activity, and their thrift has been rewarded by
bountiful harvests and increasing flocks until he became known as one of the
most prosperous men in this part of the state. He owned at one time forty-
• five hundred acres of land, thirty-five hundred acres of which were in Jasper
county. Much of this has been divided among his children in Rensselaer.
He erected what is known as the Nowels block, consisting of the Nowels
hotel and four business apartments used as stores, and also containing the
Rensselaer Bank. He also owns considerable other valuable property in
the city. In 1882 he retired from the more active duties of life and moved
to this city, where he occupies a pleasant and commodious home at the
corner of Cherry and Webster streets.

March 10, 1842, eight years after coming to this county, Mr. Nowels
was united in marriage to Miss Phoebe Ann Benjamin, a daughter of Jared
and Mary (Yeoman) Benjamin. She was born in Ohio, February 22, 1819.
Her father died in that state, and in 1838, her mother, with her three chil-
•dren, came to Jasper county. Here the mother died March 20, 1852. Mrs.
Nowels was one of three children and was an only daughter. Samuel, the
elder brother, was for many years a resident of this county, and died many
years ago. Jared, the younger brother, is a resident of Rensselaer. The
union of this worthy couple has been blessed by the birth of nine children,
six of whom are now living. They are as follows: Ezra C. , William R.,
Charles D., David B., Mary H. (Mrs. Henry Grow), and Ida A. (Mrs. Rob-
ert Randle). Ezra is a resident of Colorado; the others live in Rensselaer.
The living descendants of this worthy couple at this writing (June 30, 1899)
number as follows: Six children, twenty-six grandchildren and seven great-
grandchildren.

Mr. Nowels and his estimable wife have lived in this vicinity for over
sixty years, and have seen the wild uncultivated prairie give place to flourish-
ing fields of grain, the wild beast and the red man supplanted by white men
and domestic animals, and a spirit of progress and prosperity take the place
of seeming desolation. They have also seen friend after friend journey to
the better country until few of the friends of their youth remain to call up
the reminiscences of the olden time still so green in their memory. Mr. and
Mrs. Nowels have been permitted to pass the golden milestone together,
cheering each other in the trials that have come to them, and knowing they
have the respect and affection of the entire community, not alone for the
endurance and perseverance that helped make possible our present condition
■of things, but for the unostentatious and kindly disposition they have main-
tained. It is a pleasure to know that they are able to pass the sunset years of
their lives in quiet an4 comfort, reaping the fruits of industry and toil.

834 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

JAMES R. DUKES.

James Ross Dukes, one of the leading farmers of Pulaski county for
many years, and now retired from active life, is a prominent citizen of Win-
amac, Indiana. He was born April 6, 1833, in Eel township, Cass county,
Indiana, and is a son of Ephraim and Jane (Eslinger) Dukes. The family
were of Irish descent, the great-grandfather coming from Ireland to this
country. His wife was a German. The grandfather of our subject was
Ephraim Dukes, who in his early youth followed the sea, having been a sea
captain. He was employed on the water for fifteen years by his uncle, Robert
Groves. After coming inland he followed the trade of a shoemaker, working
at it in Indiana. He was a native of Maryland, as was his wife, w/t" Rebecca
Miller. They moved to Kentucky in 1796, to Ohio in 1801, and in 1818
to Putnam county, Indiana, and later to La Porte county, Indiana, where he
died in 1839, at the age of seventy-nine years. His children were as follows:
Ephraim was the father of our subject. Elizabeth Dukes, who married John
Wesley Clark, and became the mother of five children — Jesse D. (deceased),
John, Jane, William and Mary. Her second husband was Levi Moore, who
lived but a short time. John Dukes attained maturity and lived and died in
Ohio. Malinda Dukes married George McCollum, of McHenry county,
Illinois.

Ephraim Dukes was born on his father's farm June 17, 1801, near Lex-
ington, Kentucky. Soon after his birth his parents moved to Clermont
county, Ohio, where they lived for seventeen years, moving, in March, 18 18,
to Monroe county, Indiana. Four years later they located in Putnam county,
this state, the land owned and farmed by them being the present site of the
city of Greencastle. He always took advantage of an opportunity to dispose
of his land at a profit, immediately purchasing another tract and getting it
under improvement and in desirable shape. In July, 1828, he went to Cass
county, locating near Logansport, and two years later returned to Putnam
county, where he lived two years, when he again returned to Cass county and
made his home near Logansport, in Eel township. In 1834 he entered a
tract of government land in Cass county. In February, 1842, he moved to
Fulton county, on a farm north of Rochester, and in April of the same year
came to Harrison township, Pulaski county, where he bought forty acres in
section 15, of a Mr. Phillips. He then entered land around this forty until
he owned two hundred acres. There was a log cabin on the land, which was
replaced by a hewed-log house in 1845, and ten years afterward this was tora
down and a neat frame dwelling erected. This building was destroyed by
fire in 1883. Three acres of the land purchased from Mr. Phillips were
improved, the remainder of the improvements being added by Mr. Dukes.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 835

He had learned the trade of a tanner and worked at that business until
he moved from Logansport, and from that time he gave his entire time
to farming. He was a Democrat in politics, and a man of intelligence
and rare good judgment. He was appointed by the governor of Indiana
as associate judge of the circuit court of Pulaski county, a position he held
for a number of years, discharging the duties incumbent upon him in a
manner which proved the wisdom of the choice. He was a man of deep
religious convictions, had united with the Christian church at an early
age and began preaching when in his twentieth year. He had charge of
the Kewanna Christian church and later preached in Jasper, Fulton, Cass
and White counties. He was of cheerful disposition and sanguine tem-
perament, and would travel long distances through wild, unbroken country
in order to keep an appointment. These journeys were sometimes made on
horseback, though more often on foot, and the services thus held were among
the most pleasant features of pioneer life. He died in this county April
28, 1872, loved and respected by all who knew him. His body was taken to
Kewanna and placed beside that of his wife, who had died December 13, 1868.
Jane Eslinger Dukes was sixty-four years of age at the time of her death.
She was a native of Tennessee, born near the city of Memphis, and came to
Indiana with her parents in 18 18. September 22, 1822, she was married to
Ephraim Dukes, the father of our subject, and was indeed a helpmate and
support to him. She was the mother of twelve children, namely: Christo-
pher Eslinger, born July 6, 1824; Andrew Eslinger, born July 20, 1826; Dan-
iel B., born September 7, 1828, died October 24 of the same year; Eliza-
beth, born October 21, 1830; James Ross, our subject; John Sutton, born
April 19, 1835, died September 9, 1838; Samuel Ward, born April 16, 1837;
Sarah Jane, born March 31, 1839; Ann Marie, born March 2, 1841, was
married February 13, 1856, to Jacob M. Megahan, of Winamac; Rachel,
born March 28, 1843; Amanda, born April 29, 1845, and Cordelia, born
August 20, 1847. Christopher E. married Malinda Troutman, November
9, 1843. Two sons were born to them — Ozra and Andrew, both deceased.
Christopher died September 2, 1847, and was survived by his widow, who
later married a Mr. Polk, whom she also survived, and she died in Kewan-
na, her home for so many years, on May 29, 1891. Andrew E. Dukes lives
in Kewanna, this state, a retired farmer. He married May Troutman, a sis-
ter to Malinda, on October 22, 1846. Thirteen children were born to them,
of whom six are now living. Elizabeth Dukes married Dr. Oliver Thomas
on November 25, 1843. Her oldest child, Mary (the only one by this mar-
riage), removed from Pulaski county to Nebraska and later to Missouri,
where she now resides, being the wife of Mr. Layton. June 14, 1847,
Dr. Thomas died, and January 13, 1849, his widow was married to John

836 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Lefler, of Jasper county. Both are now dead. A large family was born
to her, most of whom are living in the west. Among them are Felix,
Josephine, Olive, Florence and Chauncey. Samuel Ward Dukes died Au-
gust 13, 1872. He married Mary Jane Polk on June 10, 1855, and she
survived him two years, dying September 12, 1874. Their children were
Hettie, the wife of Samuel Branthoffer, residing in Greenville, Texas, and
Ephraim, who was born May 23, 1868, and lived on the old homestead
after his mother died until his own death, on January 27, 1889. Sarah
Jane Dukes married Levi Benefield, by whom she had five children:
Oliver, Mary, Lucy, Cassius and Clara. After the death of her husband
she married his brother, Isaac Benefield, and bore him four children,
namely: Ephraim, Margaret, William and Nellie. They live at Long-
ton, Kansas. Rachel Dukes was married to Laban Webb Estes on June
28, 1868. She was his third wife and the mother of Len, who was born
May 20, 1869, and died January 11, 1885, and Mary, who was born July
16, 1872, and married G. F. Bouslog on August 26, 1891. Mr. Estes
was born November 16, 1824, in Caldwell county. North Carolina. He came
to this county in 185 1 and bought a quarter section of land in Monroe town-
ship of Jesse Millison, and owned at one time as high as eight hundred acres.
He died May 27, 1873, and March 28, 1881, his widow was united in mar-
riage to Dr. Felix Thomas. Amanda Dukes married John Allen on Septem-
ber 8, i860. Their family included Riley, Marie, Elsie, Charles (deceased),
Ida (also deceased) and an infant, who died. Cordelia married George A.
Warfield, a retired farmer of Winamac, on August 20, 1869. Their chil-
dren are: Lewis W. , who was born November 30, 1871, and who died the
following March, and John, who was born August 15, 1874, and who died
February 22, 1875.

Christopher Eslinger, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was born
in North Carolina, moved to Tennessee, and thence to Monroe county, Indi-
ana, in 18 18. In 1822 he moved to Putnam county, where he lived eleven
years and then located in Illinois. After a few years he crossed the line into
Iowa, where he made his home for fourteen years. In 1849 he went still
farther west, locating in Webster county, Missouri, where he spent the re-
mainder of his life, dying in 1863 at the ripe old age of eighty years. He
married Hannah Callehan, a native of Tennessee. She also reached a
good old age, dying in 1859, in her eightieth year. Jane, the mother of
our subject, was the elder of the two children born to them, the second
being a son, Siminoe, who resided in the west. Christopher Eslinger was
of German descent, and a man of unusual size, weighing three hundred and
sixteen pounds, while he measured six feet and two inches. His wife was of
Irish parentage.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 837

James Ross Dukes remained at home one year after reaching his ma-
jority. He then purchased eighty acres of land in Harrison township, this
county, in 1854, and he erected a house and moved therewith his family the
next October. The following year he returned to Cass county and worked a
rented farm for one year, and then came back to his own farm in this county.
In the fall of 1864 he was elected recorder and, moving to Winamac in April,
1865, he assumed the duties of his office on May 25, 1865, and by reason of
re-election held that position until 1873. In July, 1873, he moved to Star
City and bought the store of Matthias Little, of the firm of Samuel Adams
& Little. The following year he moved the store to Winamac, and for five
years thereafter conducted very profitable merchandising. The two years
succeeding were spent on his farm. During this time he had been con-
sidering the advisability of organizing a bank in Winamac, and the outcome
was the Citizens' Bank, which was opened for business in May, 1881. The
stockholders of this bank were: W. H. and G. W. Thompson, J. H. Wood
and J. R. Dukes. Mr. Dukes was made president of the company and has
made an excellent officer. A few months after organization the Thompsons
withdrew their interests. In 1885 Mr. Wood sold his stock to R. S. Rogers,
and the institution was carried on under this management until 1896, when
Mr. Dukes and Mr. Rogers disposed of their interests to Baldwin, Dague &
Snyder. Mr. Dukes has continued to reside in Winamac, and since October
I, 1898, has been superintendent of the water and light plant. He has
always been active in any work which tended to promote the good of the
community, and his judgment is considered authority on most local matters.
When the war of the Rebellion broke out Mr. Dukes hastened to the support
of his country and enlisted, in August, 1862, in Company E, Eighty-seventh
Indiana Volunteers. He was with his company until October, when he had
the misfortune to cut his left foot, and, erysipelas setting in, the foot was
amputated, and in consequence thereof he was discharged by reason of dis-
* ability the following March. During his service he took part in the battle of
Perryville.

Mr. Dukes was first married on September 23, 1852, when he was united
to Marie Ann Taylor, a daughter of Homer and Deborah Taylor. She was
born in this county August i, 1831, and died October 19, 1853. He was
again married on October 11, 1855, when he wedded Mary Marie Rogers,
widow of Richard Rogers and daughter of Samuel Ludwig McFadden. She
was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, April 18, 1828. The children by her
first marriage were Thomas Fletcher, who was born October i, 1850, and died
February 3, 1867, and Richard Steelman, born October 15, 1853. Her mar-
riage to Mr. Dukes was blessed by the birth of four children, namely: Ella
May, born September 12, 1857, was educated in different leading educational

838 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

institutions in Indiana and is now traveling in England, and for the past fif-
teen years has been a teacher, and for the last five years located in Salt Lake
City, where she is employed in the public schools. Frank Ludwig, born July
30, 1859, is a prominent lawyer of Winamac. He was married on June 27,
1894, to Miss Dora L. Weyand, daughter of Simon Weyand, and they have
one child, Mary. Rosalie Edith Dukes was born May 19, 1861, and married
William A. Hawkins. He is a grocer on Seventy-ninth street, Chicago, Illi-
nois, and resides at Auburn Park. Their children are Max, Don and Olive.
Addie Belle, the youngest child, was born May 8, 1863, and married Charles
H. Peters, an attorney, now residing in Knox, Indiana. They have one
child, Glen. Mrs. Dukes died January 5, 1880, and on July 13, 1882, Mr.
Dukes took as his wife Mrs. Edna Ann McDonald, widow of John McDonald
and daughter of Samuel Home. She had one child by her first marriage,
Carrie, who was born March 7, 1874, and married James Patty. Her chil-
dren are Frances, McDonald and Olive. Mr. Dukes is a prominent member
of Winamac Lodge, No. 168, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, which he
has represented twice in the grand lodge, being also a member of the Encamp-
ment, and of Winamac Post, No. 42, Grand Army of the Republic. In poli-
tics he is a Democrat, giving the questions of the day much attentive and
intelligent thought. He is an earnest Christian and takes great interest in all
religious matters. He united with the Christian church when but seventeen
years of age, and has been a worker in the field since that time, organizing
many Sunday-schools in this county. In business matters he is shrewd and
conservative in his opinions, and so highly is his opinion regarded that he is
in frequent demand as an appraiser of real estate and for other responsible
trusts.

JAMES WILBURN.

Loyal American citizens never weary of hearing praises of the brave
soldier boys whose valor saved the Union at the time of its greatest peril —
saved this fair country, which has steadily advanced from that time to the
present, until it is now acknowledged as one of the great nations of the
earth. We are justly proud of our native land, but it is well for us to pause
sometimes, in the midst of our prosperity, and seriously consider what it
means — what it has cost. In tracing the history of James Wilburn, a most
worthy citizen of Idaville, White county, some faint conception of what it
has cost one man may be gained.

His father, John Wilburn, was born in North Carolina, and about 1836
accompanied his parents to Henry county, Indiana, and thence went to
Madison county. In that locality the grandfather of our subject, William

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 839

Wilburn, died. John Wilburn grew to manhood with his two brothers and
four sisters, of whom the only survivor to-day is Mrs. Edith Shaw, of Tipton
county, Indiana. He chose for his wife Sarah Lawson, a native of Tennes-
see, and they commenced housekeeping in Henry county. Later they lived
in Madison county, and in 185 1 they settled on a farm in Princeton town-
ship. There Mr. Wilburn departed this life, and a number of years later
his widow died, November 16, 1889. In the early days of his residence in
this state he had ample opportunity to exercise his skill as a hunter, of which
sport he was very fond, and as a result of his fine markmanship he had suffi-
cient game to sell to buy his first forty-acre farm. He was a Democrat of
the old school, and he and his wife were members of the Christian church.
They were the parents of four sons and six daughters, of whom but three
survive, namely: James; Henry, a resident of. Jackson township, this county;
and Mrs. Elizabeth Gibson, of Idaville. Those who grew to mature years
but have passed away are: Mrs. Virena Smith, Mrs. Ruth Cressey, Mrs.
Louisa Rigby and Mrs. Melinda Rigby. Martha, Isaac and John died in
childhood.

James Wilburn was born in Henry county, Indiana, August 11, 1841,
and in his boyhood he assisted in clearing his father's farm. Many a day has
he driven five yoke of oxen in breaking the sod of the prairie, and all kinds
of hard work entered into his daily life until he reached his majority. On
the day that he celebrated his arrival at man's estate, August 11, 1862, he
came forward and offered himself to his country, enlisting in Company G,
Sixty-third Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry. This regiment had
already seen much active service in the field, and its numbers having
become reduced four new companies were recruited. Company G was one
of these, and for several months it was stationed at Indianapolis, on de-
tached duty. At length ordered south, it joined the regiment at Camp
Nelson, Kentucky, in February, 1864, and soon proceeded to Knoxville and
thence to Jonesboro. Returning to Bull's Gap, they re-enforced General
Sherman just before the decisive battle of Resaca. In the severe engage-
ment of May 14, 1864, while making a desperate charge on the Confederate
entrenchments, and when within two or three hundred yards of the breast-
works, Mr. Wilburn was shot in the left leg, a few inches above the ankle,
the bones being dreadfully shattered. From ten o'clock in the morning
until late in the evening he lay on the battle-field, with the contest raging
hotly around him all the time. At last he was taken to the field hospital,
where, three days later, it was deemed necessary to have his leg amputated.
He was then sent to Chattanooga, and after two months of suffering he was
removed on a mule-car to Nashville, whence he was transported to Louis-
ville, Kentucky.

840 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Just prior to his departure from Indianapolis for the south Mr. Wilburn
had been united in marriage to Miss Mary Vest, the ceremony being per-
formed February ii, 1864. Her brother was a comrade in the same com-
pany, and thus the young couple had become acquainted. Mrs. Wilburn
hastened to the bedside of her husband at Louisville, where she found him
in a sad condition, as he was emaciated and worn with suffering, and had
recently sustained congestive chills. With a v,?ife's devotion she nursed him
back to something of his former strength. When he had sufficiently re-
covered Mr. Wilburn engaged in teaming, as he was unable to carry on a
farm, and was thus employed in Indianapolis and in this county. Later he
became a partner of Mr. Gibson, and contracted and built graded roads,
and then he operated a farm with more or less success for some eight years.
In 1897, in company with his former partner, Mr. Gibson, and Mr. Timmons,
he bought the flouring-mill at Idaville, and this enterprise he is still carrying
on profitably.

Socially Mr. Wilburn is an honored member of the Grand Army of the
Republic, and he is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. Religiously he and his estima-
ble wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mrs. Wilburn,
who is an own cousin of United States Senator Vest, is a daughter of Zacha-
riah and Mahala Vest, who at the time of her marriage were living in Indian-
apolis, but later removed to Tippecanoe county, this state. Mr. Vest died
in the capital city, and Mrs. Vest passed away in this county in 1897, aged
ninety-eight years. The only child of Mr. and Mrs. Wilburn is Edward,
born in 1874, but they have opened their hearts and home to several other
children, whom they have cared for as though their own. One boy they
reared to manhood, and a little girl was adopted by them when she was an
infant, but she died when about five years old. An adopted son, Marvin
Johnson, is now sharing their home and care.

FITZ WILLIAM BEDFORD.

A prominent citizen of Rensselaer, Mr. Bedford is probably better known
and more favorably than any other man in Jasper and surrounding counties.
His life has been full of rich and varied experiences, and the hard knocks
that the world has dealt him have but served to brush off the crude corners
and bring to the surface the more kindly attributes of the man. He has been
industrious and hard-working always, and whether in boating, merchandis-
ing, cooperage, shipping, or whatever engaged, he has held the highest
esteem of the people. He owns a fine farm of one hundred and twelve acres,
adjoining the village of Rensselaer, upon which he is spending the evening of

\k, 5^ nr(2u/^A -

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 841

life, and he has made it a model farm in all respects, bringing science to the
aid of agricultural skill. He was born in Columbus, Ohio, June 8, 1828, and
is a son of Elias and Maria (Scott) Bedford.

Daniel Bedford, the great-grandfather, was born in Dutchess county,
New York, and was a prominent man of that state, being a judge in the
court of common pleas, and in the different phases of the law having a knowl-
edge that is possessed by few people. Later in life he became a minister of
the gospel, developing a marked degree of eloquence. It has been impossi-
ble to find in his life anything of personal reproach, moral delinquency or
intellectual weakness. He had two brothers, — -David, a merchant in Albany,
New York, and Jonathan, a farmer of Greene county. New York.

Among his children was John Bedford, the grandfather of our subject,
who was a wealthy farmer of Montgomery county. New York. He also
engaged in merchandising and milling, and was a man of ripe experience,
exceptional capacity, and a thorough knowledge of business. He was also
possessed of high literary powers, and was engaged several times in pleading'
law cases.

Elias Bedford, father of the immediate subject of this review, was born
July 13, 1793. He was a colonel in the war of 1812 and in his makeup
had the composition of a hero. Twice he was taken prisoner and four times
wounded. Once, at the battle of Lundy's Lane, a bayonet was thrust
through him in the region of the heart ; under his direction, his soldiers took
a ramrod from his gun and pushed a silk handkerchief through the hole,
stanching the flow of blood and enabling him to continue the fight and main-
tain the command of his regiment! After the close of the war he returned
to New York, taking up his residence in Genesee county, but only for a short
time ; his roving disposition made the quiet life seem irksome, and he went
to Cuba and invested his entire fortune in white Havana box sugar. This
would have been a most profitable venture, but unfortunately the entire con-
signment was lost at sea and he was left penniless. He then went to Galena,
Illinois, and opened the lead mines at that place, and subsequently managed
a flatboat and traded on the Ohio river. He had an interest in the first
steamboat that sailed its waters. He then came to Indiana, bought sixty
acres of land, and laid out the Bedford and Cox additions to Lafayette. He
manufactured brick here for some time, and by his industrious and energetic
methods managed to retrieve, in a measure, his shattered fortunes. He
came to the state in 1830, and died December 23, 1841, from the effects of
the bayonet thrust received at Lundy's Lane thirty years before. He mar-
ried Miss Mary Maria Scott, a niece of General Winfieid Scott, the brave old
fighter. She was a native of Kentucky, born August 9, 179S, but ended her
life in Rensselaer, November 30, 1879. Eight children were born to them :

842 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Moses, born August 8, 1822, fought in the civil war from 1861 to 1865, and
died in Lafayette ; Zachariah, born May 5, 1825, was for twenty years a
United States detective, later a soldier in the Union army, being captain of
Company K, Fifteenth Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and is now a
resident of Iowa ; Fitz William, our subject ; Millicent (Mrs. Miller), of
Chicago, was born March 23, 183 1; Mary Jane, born March 22, 1833, is
the wife of Frederic Cole, of Lafayette ; Daniel Elias, also a soldier in the
Union army, was born February 28, 1835, and is now living in Iowa ; Win-
field Scott, born March 15, 1837, is a silversmith of Davenport, Iowa; and
Julia, born March 18, 1839, is the wife of John Warner, a carriage-maker
of Rensselaer.

Mr. Bedford was brought to Tippecanoe count}' in 1S30, when but two
years of age. But small opportunities were afforded for obtaining an educa-
tion, as the school-house was located at a distance of two miles; the winter
term lasted but two months, and its advantages were of the most primitive
sort. His father entered his long sleep when our subject was but a lad of
thirteen, and, young as he wa-s, the duty of providing for the family and
keeping them together devolved upon him. He put his shoulder to the wheel
and worked bravely, shrinking from no hardships, until he had placed those
depending on him in a comfortable condition. Then he felt that he was
justified in doing for himself and living a more independent life. Generous,
even when about to make his venture into the unknown world, he told them
that he was going to leave them, but would leave everything for them, and
all that he would take was one extra shirt. He first learned the trade of a
cooper, and from early in the morning he worked until late at night, putting
in long hours, long days and long weeks, but he sometimes realized as high
as ten dollars a day from his labors. Then he began buying and shipping
fruit, etc., making considerable money by the transactions. He also engaged
in selling farm machinery, and introduced the first mowing machine in the
county. For thirty-five years he has sold nearly all the farm machinery in
this vicinity, people coming long distances to buy of him. Sometimes liis
sales would amount to as much as two thousand six hundred dollars' worth in
a single day, when he would show and explain the goods, sell them and make
out the notes and papers for the contracts himself. He certainly is a man
of wonderful resource and ability, and when once he gains a customer he is
sure of keeping him. The farmers far and near have almost unbounded faith
in his judgment, while his advice is sought and followed by scores of people
who have thereby profited.

Mr. Bedford was married September 15, 1857, to Mrs. Elizabeth War-
ner, a daughter of John Phillips. She was from Preble county, Ohio, and
died September 5, 1898, in her eighty-second year, after almost a half cent-

BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY. 843

ury of happy married life. She was a woman of many excellent qualities
and was dearly beloved by a large circle of acquaintances. She was for
many years a member of the Christian church, and at the time of her death
was united with the Church of God, at Rensselaer. She was born in Preble
county, Ohio, August 29, 18 16, moved to Rush county, Indiana, when nine
years old, to Connecticut in 1837, to Cincinnati in 1843, and to this county
in 1850. Her first husband was Kellog Warner, to whom she bore nine
children, three of whom died in early childhood. The others were: Nor-
man, in the hardware business here; Martin, who was in the civil war and
was wounded and made a prisoner in the famous Andersonville prison, is now
a resident of Idaho; John, also a soldier, likewise resides in this village;
Lucy, deceased; Sarah, also deceased; and Marshall, of Rensselaer. Mr.
Bedford is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a past
grand, and member of the encampment. He erected a substantial three-
story building in the village and fitted up the third floor for lodge purposes,
making a home for the order when they were poor and needed it. Politically
he is a Republican, cast his first vote for William Henry Harrison, and has
voted for each presidential candidate on that ticket since. He is a strong
temperance man, and has taken an active part in the work of temperance
organizations, many men of the county giving him the credit of saving them
from the drink habit.

SAMUEL B. BYERS.

This highly esteemed citizen of Benton county was born in West Leba-
non, Warren county, Indiana, February 12, 1848, and is a son of Margaret
and Jacob Byers. His father, Jacob Byers, was born near Hagerstown,
Maryland, September 25, 1824, to Samuel S. and Nancy (Bowers) Byers.
Samuel Byers fought for American independence in the Revolution. When
Jacob was fifteen years of age his parents moved to Noble county, Indiana,
where his father entered one hundred and sixty acres of land near Wolf Lake.
This he afterward sold and he moved with his family to Fountain county,
and later to Warren county, both in this state. He entered sixty-eight acres
of land near West Lebanon, which is now covered by the site of part of the
village. In 1869 he disposed of this property and went to Missouri, buying
eight hundred acres there. He sold this and again, in 1876, came to the
state of Indiana and bought eighty acres near Marshfield, where he died at
the age of seventy-four years, and his wife at the age of seventy-five years.
Jacob Byers resides on a farm near Bismarck, Illinois. He was married to
Margaret Williams, who was born in Gallia county, Ohio, February 4, 1826.
Her parents were John and Mary (White) Williams, her father serving in the

844 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

war of 1812, and drawing a pension until his death, at the age of eighty-four
years. She was but twelve years old when her parents moved to Portland,
Indiana, and she was married at West Lebanon, this state, March 13, 1847.
She died January 18, 1898, at the good old age of seventy-two years.

Mr. Byers, our subject, attended school until 1862, first in West Leb-
anon and later in the country west of there. At the breaking out of the
rebellion he enlisted in the Seventy-second Indiana Infantry, Company F, as
a private, and took part in many of the fiercest battles of the campaign. He
fought in the battles of the Atlanta campaign, serving under Generals Thomas,
Grant and Wilson, and was mustered out at Indianapolis, September 25,
1865. He has been successful in securing a pension of twelve dollars a
month since 1889.

After the war he was employed in the government survey in Kansas for
some time, and in 1869 located in Lewistown, Missouri, and conducted the
same business. Next he was manager and buyer for Daniel Gregg, at Lewis-
town. Two years later he came to Talbot to accept a similar position in the
elevator here, and in 1896 was given charge of the engine.

Mr. Byers has been twice married, first to Miss Mary Shankland at
West Lebanon, on December 20, 1880. She was born in Maysville, Ken-
tucky, in 1852, and was a daughter of John and Miranda (Loch) Shankland,
of that place. She died February 19, 1889, at Talbot, leaving two children:
Edward, who was born September 5, 1881; and Ernest, born November 29,
1886. Mr. Byers then led to the altar Miss Fannie Johnston, a daughter of
Adam Johnston, of Wilson county, Kansas, formerly of Brown connty, Ohio,
and she died March 26, 1899. Mr. Byers has been a member of the Masonic
fraternity for fifteen years and an Odd Fellow for eight years. He has filled
all the offices in the Knights of Pythias, and is a prominent member of the
Grand Army of the Republic. He is an attendant of and contributor to the
Methodist Episcopal church, and a Republican in politics.

NEVILLE I. THROCKMORTON.

The well known gentleman whose name heads this sketch, for a time the
recorder of Tippecanoe count}', is a native of this county and has resided here
all his life, with the exception of eleven years spent in Lawrence county,
Indiana. He is self-educated and has made his own way in the world from
the time he was fifteen years old. Brieify, the history of his life and ancestry
is as follows:

Neville I. Throckmorton was born in the village of Romney, December
25, 1839, a son of William I. and Delia M. (Neville) Throckmorton, and one
of a family of four children, two of whom are now living — Neville I. and

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 845

Delia E., the latter the widow of Joseph M. Hall. His parents were both
natives of Virginia, his father born in Romney, Hampshire county; his mother
at Moorefield, Hardy county, that state. William I. was a merchant. In
1837 he came with his wife to Indiana and located first at Romney, where
they lived until 1844. That year they moved to Lawrence county, Indiana,
where they both died a few years later, her death occurring in 1854, at the
age of forty-six years; his in October, 1855, at the age of forty-three. Both
were Presbyterians, and he was an elder in the church.

The paternal grandfather of our subject was Warner Throckmorton, a
native of the old Dominion and by profession a lawyer. He died in the
forty-third year of his age, and left a wife and five children, four sons and a
daughter. The Throckmortons aud Nevilles trace their remote ancestry to
England. The maternal grandfather of our subject was Dr. George Neville,
who also was a native of Virginia and of English descent, and he died in the
prime of life, in his native state, where he had been engaged in the practice
of medicine. After his death his widow and children came west and located
in Tippecanoe county, Indiana.

Neville I. Throckmorton was five years old when, as above recorded,
his parents removed to Lawrence county, and there he lived until he was
nearly sixteen, attending, a part of the time, the public schools. He began
learning the carpenter's trade when a small boy, and has worked at this trade
more or less all his life, but never followed it regularly. At the age of six-
teen he returned to Tippecanoe county and the next two summers he was
employed in farm work. After this he turned his attention to clerking in a
general store in Romney, and clerked there until October, 1861, when he en-
listed in Company C, Fortieth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served until
December, 1862. He was in the battle of Perryville in October, 1862, and
his regiment followed General Bragg from McMinnville, Tennessee, to Ken-
tucky, when they were under constant fire for a number of days. He en-
tered the service as a private and came home with the rank of first ser-
geant.

The six years immediately following the war found him engaged in agri-
cultural pursuits, and the next eleven years he taught school during the win-
ter and in vacation time traveled for A. H. Andrews & Company, selling
school supplies. In 1880 he was elected county recorder of Tippecanoe
county and for four years filled that office, most acceptably. Since his re-
tirement from office he has been engaged in a fire-insurance and loan business
at Lafayette. In 1888 he built his present home, a commodious frame resi-
dence at 1 105 Tippecanoe street, where he and his family are surrounded
with all the comforts of life.

Mr. Throckmorton was married August 14, i860, to Miss Sarah A.

846 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Brunton, daughter of John and Hannah (Pyke) Brunton, and their happy
union has been blessed in the birth of ten children, seven sons and three
daughters, viz.: William J., Henry N., Delia E., Mary E. , Ayers, Charles
P., Oliver P., Julia C. , Neville I., Jr., and one, unnamed, that died in in-
fancy. William J. died in infancy, while his father was in the army.
Henry N. married Rosella J. Pyke, and they have one child, Howard.
Henry is in the abstract, loan and insurance business, in partnership with
Joseph W. McCrea. Delia E. married Frank C. Miller and they have one
child, Helen C, their home being in Columbus, Ohio, where Mr. Miller is
employed as civil engineer for the ColumlDus, Hocking & Sandusky Railroad
Company. Mary E. married Edwin R. Taylor and has two children, —
Helen B. and Robert N. Mr. Taylor is in the grain business at Montmor-
enci, Indiana. Ayers died in childhood. Charles P. is unmarried and re-
sides with his parents. Oliver P. is a soldier in Company C, One Hundred
and Sixtieth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in the American-Spanish war. Julia
C. and Neville I., Jr., live at home.

Mr. and Mrs. Throckmorton are members of the St. Paul Methodist
Episcopal church. He is identified with Lafayette Lodge, No. 123, F. & A.
M. ; Lafayette Chapter, No. 3, R. A. M. ; and Lafayette Commander3\ No.
3, K. T. Also he is a member of John A. Logan Post, No. 3, and is a past
commander of the same. Politically, he came of old Whig stock and is a
Republican.

JOHN FLINN.

The world instinctively pays deference to the man who has risen above
his early surroundings, overcome the obstacles in his path and reached a
high position in the business world. This is a progressive age, and he who
does not advance is soon left far behind. Mr. Flinn, by the improvement of
opportunities by which all are surrounded, has steadily and honorably worked
his way upward and has attained a fair degree of prosperity, being to-day one
of the leading business men of Earl Park, Indiana.

A native of this state, Mr. Flinn was born near West Point, Tippecanoe
county, January 12, 1S53, and is the only son of John and Nora Flinn, both
natives of Ireland. At the age of twenty-five years the father came to the
United States and first worked on the wharf at New Orleans, unloading
boats. He was a very powerful man, being the strongest muscularly of the
two hundred men employed there. At the age of thirty-five, having saved
some money, he came north, and together with his sister, who cared for the
domestic side of the farm life, worked on the place of Dr. Jewitt, near West
Point, Indiana, for thirteen years. In Lafayette he was married, and his

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 847

wife died in Tippecanoe county, in 1S5S, at the age of forty-five years.
Shortly after her death he went to Maryland, where he spent five years, and
on his return to West Point made his home with John Kern until he was
called to his final rest in 1864, at the age of sixty years. He was one of the
one-hundred-day men of the civil war.

After his father's death our subject, then twelve years old, was bound
out to John Kern, who agreed to clothe, board and educate him, and when
he reached his majority give him seventy-five dollars in money, two suits of
clothes, a horse, saddle and bridle. Mr. Kern, however, did not fully live
up to his part of the contract, as he frequently found it more convenient to
keep Mr. Flinn out of school when there was farm work to do than to send
him, during the short terms. He died two years before our subject was of
age and his duties fell upon his widow. Thus well equipped at twenty-one
he "decided to make a man of himself," and came to Benton county, in 1874.
He first rented forty acres of land, and the next year bought a lease of eighty
acres south of Fowler, both of which he farmed one year. In 1876 he re-
turned to Tippecanoe county and for two years managed Mrs. Kern's farm.

On the 20th of December, 1876, Mr. Flinn was united in marriage with
Miss Mary J. Sherry, a daughter of James Sherry, of Tippecanoe county,
and they became the parents of four children: Lizzie Grace, born in Tippe-
canoe county, December 3, 1877, is at home; Nellie Gertrude, born April 4,
1879, died January 12, following, at the age of nine months; Annie Mellie,
born three miles east of Earl Park, June 20, 1882, is at home; and Mary
Josephine, born October 10, 1883, is also with her father. The wife and
mother departed this life October 11, 1883, and on the 22d of January, 1885,
Mr. Flinn married Miss Anna Dailey, daughter of John and Julia Dailey,
natives of Ireland, which is also the burial place of the father. The mother
now finds a pleasant home with our subject. Six children blessed the second
union, all born three miles east of Earl Park: Kittie May, born May 5, 1886,
who died at the age of three years four months and two days; John Earl,
born February 20, 1890, who is at home; Bertha, May 22, 1892; William
Leo, September 20, 1896; Nora Marie, June 7, 1897; and Margaret, Janu-
ary 8, 1899.

The first year of his married life Mr. Flinn spent on Mrs. Kern's farm
and then returned to Benton county, where he rented a farm of two hundred
and forty acres, two miles east of Earl Park, for six years, and then removed
to the farm three miles east of that place, where he superintends six thou-
sand acres of land for Adams Earl. The place is under a high state of culti-
vation and well improved. On the 8th of March, 1895, he formed a part-
nership with Frank Carson, and as joint proprietors they conducted a general
store at Earl Park for nine months, when Mr. Carson sold his interest to

848 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

Edward Yeager; but on the first of Januar}-, 1898, Mr. Flinn became sole
owner. He carries a large and well selected stock, valued at ten thousand
dollars, and besides his valuable farm property of four hundred and eighty-
three acres he owns the building in which he has his store and two other
frame store buildings, and several lots adjoining. He is also interested in
the hardware, coal and lumber business, as a member of the firm of W. C.
Compton & Company. A man of keen perception, of unbounded enterprise,
his.success in life is entirely due to his own efforts, and he deserves a place
as a prominent member among the leading and representative business men
of the county. In political sentiment he is a Democrat, and he most ac-
ceptably served as trustee of his township from April, 1889, to August i, 1895.

DAVID L. FISHER.

One of the best known citizens of White county is David L. Fisher, of
Jackson township, who has been identified with the milling and agricultural
interests of the county for many years. He is a man of great force of
character and possesses a fund of information upon general questions which
renders his opinion worthy of consideration among those with whom he comes
. into contact.

David Fisher, the father of our subject, was born in Virginia, March
25, 1804, and departed this life February 5, 1871. His wife, Susanna, a
native of the same state, born on the 22d of September, 1804, died May 30,
1847. Both were of German descent, and their marriage took place in the
Old Dominion, whence they emigrated to the vicinity of Dayton, Ohio, at an
early day. A few years later they located in Montgomery county, Indiana,
and about 1828 they settled upon a tract of land which the father purchased
in Carroll county, this state, and on which he erected the first gristmill in
that county; and it is related that he was often so busy that for a week at a
time he would go without sleep in order to accommodate his patrons who
came from Cass, White and Clinton counties as well as from all parts of his
own county. There was no mill even at Logansport at that time. Fre-
quently he would be two or three weeks behind in his work, though run-
ning the mill day and night without intermission. Thoroughly just and
honorable in all his transactions, and animated by noble motives, he was
relied upon and consulted by his acquaintances, and his opinion bore more
weight than that of any one in his section of the country. A zealous
preacher in the German Baptist church, he held services far and near, and
was a power for good. When the property of the Indian reservation
came into the market he was selected as an appraiser of the improvements
on squatters' claims, and adjusted numerous difficulties in that connection.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 849

The red men admired and had great respect for him, as he was just and
manly in his treatment of them, and many a night he spent in the wigwam of
some chief, when business took him far from his own home. Originally a
Democrat, he later became a strong advocate of the Whig and later the
Republican party, and though he was urged to become a candidate for the
legislature he refused the honor. His wife was a daughter of Samuel Pfifley,
who emigrated from Bedford county, Virginia, to Indiana, and lived and died
on a farm near Ladoga. Of his numerous children the names of some are
forgotten, and the others are Jacob, John, Samuel, Andrew, Susanna and
Elizabeth. Each of the eight children born to David and Susanna Fisher
lived to maturity, married and had children. They were named as follows:
John, Benjamin, Peter, Ella (Mrs. Howard Amick), Hannah (Mrs. J. Mus-
selman), Anna (Mrs. Edward Robinson), Andrew, now a resident of Sullivan,
Indiana, and David L. All are now dead but Andrew and David.

The birth of David L. Fisher took place in Carroll county, October 14,
1839, and as soon as he reached a suitable age he was initiated into his
lather's pursuits. After managing the homestead for some time after his
marriage, he rented his father's mill, which had been remodeled and en-
larged, and a few years subsequently he leased another still larger mill at
the falls of Pipe creek, Cass county. At the end of a year he came to
White county and bought a quarter section of land in Union township.
After building a house upon this place, which was unbroken prairie, and
after making other good improvements, he exchanged the farm for a half
interest in what was known as the Crooked Creek' mill. Three years later
he exchanged his interest in the mill for his present homestead, which he
now has cultivated by hired help. For a number of years he was extensively
engaged in the sale of agricultural implements, and when he found that his
small shop at his farm was inadequate he opened a store at Burnettville and
took Mr. Love into the business as a partner. One season he sold over ten
thousand dollars' worth of machinery, and at the end of three years he sold
out to P. Amick. During the following two years- he traveled for the Bird-
sell Manufacturing Company, of South Bend, Indiana, and then for a like
period he represented the King Drill Company, of Logansport, on the road.
Returning to the farm, he is still engaged in selling threshers and clover-
hullers, and is the local agent for the Birdsell Company. His keen business
and executive ability have brought to him substantial success, and the ad-
miration of those who know of his brave and manly struggle with poverty in
his early career. In 1876 he was elected to the office of county commis-
sioner, and at the expiration of his term refused to run for the position
again. Politically, he is a firm believer in the Republican party.

When in his twentieth year, David L. Fisher married Miss Nancy Mur-

850 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

ray, who is the eldest child of Samuel and Sarah (Garber) Murray, her birth
having occurred May 8, 1S38. Her father was a native of Pennsylvania,
while her mother was born in Virginia, and their marriage was solemnized in
Ohio. Mr. Murray was a farmer, and in 1852 removed to Miami county,
Indiana, where he cleared a tract of heavily wooded land and made a fine
farm in the depths of the forest. Recently he sold that homestead, and is
now living retired in the town of Mexico, Miami county, having attained the
advanced age of ninety-three years. He has been for years a minister in the
German Baptist church, and three of his sons are doing noble and effective
work as preachers of the gospel. Abram, who is now laboring among the
Oklahoma territory Indians, in the interests of the Methodist denomination,
was a soldier of the civil war for four years. He held a commission as lieu-
tenant, and when Colonel Strait of his regiment was captured by the enemy he
stepped into the command, and though he was in many encounters with the
Confederates was never wounded or taken prisoner. Levi is a minister of
the Christian church in Indiana; and David is connected with the Methodist
church as a minister. Ezra M., another son, also served in the ranks of the
Union army during the war of the Rebellion; and Absalom, the sixth of the
children in order of birth, is at present a resident of Louisiana. The daugh-
ters were Nancy, Hester (Mrs. Abijah Vore), Susan (Mrs. Henry Leedy),
Elizabeth (who died when fifteen years of age), and Catherine, deceased, wife
of John Tudor. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Fisher five children were
born, namely: Samuel, who is a farmer of Cass count}'; Mrs. Laura Seiber;
Mrs. Mattie Beall, and Pearl and Millard, who are still living at home. The
parents are members of the German Baptist church and practice the noblest
principles of living.

BERRY PARIS.

Among the retired farmers of Jasper county, Indiana, who have sought
a quiet home in Rensselaer, where they can enjoy the evening of life free
from active cares, we find the gentleman whose name we are pleased to place
as an introduction to this sketch, Berry Paris.

James Paris, the grandfather of our subject, was a Pennsylvania farmer,
and his son James, the father of Berry, was born in Pennsylvania. The latter
moved from Pennsylvania to Kentucky and thence to Ohio, and died in
Highland county, Ohio. His wife, whose maiden name was Anna May, was
of Virginia birth. She died in Ohio about 1865. They were the parents
of a large family of children, fifteen in all, namely : Sarah, deceased ; John,
a resident of Kentucky ; Nancy and Fannie, deceased ; Stephen, Joshua
and Mary, deceased ; Berry, the subject of this sketch ; Asa, now of Fer-

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 851

ris, Illinois ; Amanda, who died in early womanhood ; James M., deceased;
Harrison and George, deceased ; Eliza (Mrs. Michael Lawler), a resident of
Ohio ; and Parmelia, the widow of James Parker, who was living in Cla-
rinda, Iowa, when last heard from.

On a farm near Winchester, in Clark county, Kentucky, June 25,
1825, Berry Paris was ushered into life, and was reared on the farm and
early inured to hard work. He was eight years old when the family moved
north into Ohio and settled in Highland county, and distinctly remembers
the long, tedious journey and experience in a pioneer settlement. His
advantages for obtaining an education were naturally limited. His few
months' schooling each year was in a log shanty school-house. At the
age of nineteen years he left home to make his own way in the world, and
went back to Kentucky, where he served an apprenticeship to the trade of
blacksmith, and for a time worked at that trade. Having a brother-in-law
who was a carpenter, and being handy with tools himself, he drifted into
work at the carpenter's trade. For nine years he remained in Kentucky.
Coming back to Indiana, he secured a piece of timber land in Grant county
and built a house on it, in which he commenced housekeeping, in pioneer
style, having married in the meantime. After six years spent at that place
he came to Jasper county and rented land in Marion township, which he cul-
tivated one summer. Then he moved to Hanging Grove township, where
he was engaged in farming four years, and whence he returned to Marion
township. He carried on farming operations in Marion township until the
fall of 1884, when he sold his farm and moved to Rensselaer, where he has
since lived retired.

Mr. Paris married Miss Sarah J. Dwiggins, daughter of Daniel and Mary
(Starbuck) Dwiggins, of North Carolina. Their union has been blessed in
the birth of seven children, viz.: Louisa, wife of Willis J. Imes, Rensselaer;
Lydia, wife of Arthur Kimball, Yonkers, New York; Zimri, whose wife, nee
Ellen Nicholson, Railsback, died, leaving him with two children, — Lloyd and
Ellen; Amanda, wife of Frank Lewis, Oxford, Indiana; John, Yonkers, New
York, is married and has three children, — Rex, Irene and Helen; Robert,
Yonkers; and Rosa, wife of William Ladd, Oxford, Indiana.

Mr. Paris is a Prohibitionist of Republican antecedents, and religiously
is a member of the Church of God.

PHILIP J. WARD.

Though not a native Indianian, Philip J. Ward is practically a son of the
Hoosier state, as he has lived within its boundaries for more than three-score
years, and was a child of scarcely three years when he was brought here by

852 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

his parents. The greater part of his mature Hfe has been spent in White
county, at his home on section g, Big Creek township. By honest labor and
persevering toil he accumulated a goodly fortune for himself and family, and
while doing this never neglected the duties which he owed to his country
and communit}' as a patriotic citizen.

Of five children born to Henry and Mary (Hurd) Ward, natives of Dela-
ware and Maryland, respectively, only three survive, — Philip J., Thomas and
Minerva. Philip J. Ward's birthplace was on the border line between those
two states, near Felton, Delaware, but in Kent county, Maryland, and the
date of the event was May 28, 1833. The father, who was a farmer by oc-
cupation, determined that he would seek a new home and wider opportuni-
ties in the west, then being opened up to civilization, and accordingly, in
1836 he made a settlement in Tippecanoe county, Indiana. There he resided
until 1850, when he came to this county and township, and purchased two
hundred and forty acres, later buying another tract of fifteen acres. Three
years prior to his death he took up his residence in Reynolds. He died in
1867, aged fifty-four years, and his wife departed this life in 1843. Her
father, Thomas Hurd, lived and died in Delaware, where he owned a farm.
Formerly a Democrat, Mr. Ward affiliated with the Republican party in his
later years.

Until he was eighteen years old Philip J. Ward lived under the parental
roof in Tippecanoe county, and such education as he acquired was obtained
in the old-fashioned subscription schools. At that time he commenced his
independent career by seeking employment with neighboring farmers, and
later he rented land for six or eight years. Subsequently he took charge of
his father's homestead for several years and finally bought four hundred and
eighty acres of land, bounding the old farm on two sides, and to this he added
twenty-five acres at a later date. When the old home place came into his
possession he was thus the owner of over seven hundred acres. When his
children had grown to maturity he gave his son three hundred and thirty-one
acres, and to his daughter one hundred and twenty acres (he had already
given her exceptional musical and educational advantages), and he still re-
tains two hundred and fifty acres of the old homestead.

During the civil war Mr. Ward offered his services to the Union, and
for ten months was a member of Company C, Forty-second Regiment, Indi-
ana Volunteer Infantry, in the Fourteenth Army Corps. It so happened
that the duties to which he was assigned kept him on the march much of the
time, but he did not participate in many engagements with the enemy.
In his political attitude Mr. Ward is independent of party ties.

The marriage of Philip J. Ward and Miss Catherine G. Brady was sol-
emnized September 10, 1S60. Mrs. Ward, who was of Scotch-Irish ex-

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 858

traction, was a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Brittonj Brady, and by
her marriage she became the mother of three children — Paul, Stella and
Emma. Paul married Rosalina Rosentrater; Stella died at the age of
five years; and Emma is the wife of Virgil Ryder, and with him is teach-
ing in a college in Searcy, Arkansas. She is a fine musician, both with
the piano and violin, has frequently given recitals and entertainments,
and is very highly spoken of by competent judges of musical talent.
Mrs. Catherine Ward was summoned to the silent land November 3,
1896, when fifty-four years of age. October 27, 1898, Mr. Ward married
Mrs. Florence J. Pierce, nee Ogborn. She is a daughter of Dr. Ogborn,
formerly of Lafayette, and her first marriage was to George Pierce. They
became the parents of three children — Mattie, Birney and Mary.

WARREN W. BORDERS.

Warren William Borders is a young lawyer of pronounced ability and
one of the foremost citizens of Winamac, Pulaski county, Indiana. He was
born March 11, 1870, in this city and here grew to manhood. He comes
from an old and highly respected family, his parents and grandparents having
long been residents here and having done much toward the development of
his county. He is a son of John F. and Nancy Elizabeth (Benefield) Borders,
a grandson of Wesley and Sarah (Eidson) Borders, and a great-grandson of
Christopher Borders, who was a native of Pennsylvania. Wesley Borders is
a man of ripe experience, having come to this state when it was in a state of
undevelopment and semi-barbarity that made life within its borders one of
privation and hardships. His early life was spent in farming and in 1840 he
was licensed to preach in the Methodist church, a calling which he followed
in this state and Kansas for upward of half a century. He was an earnest,
pleasant speaker whose words carried conviction to the hearts of many, and
it was only when advancing age made it a necessity, that he gave up the work
and repaired to the home of his son, John F. , to spend the remainder of his
days in well-earned rest and comfort. He is now in his ninety-second year
and in the enjoyment of splendid health.

John F. Borders, the father of our subject, was the eldest son in a large
family, and was born near Greenville, Darke county, Ohio, July 22, 1834.
His life has always been devoted to agricultural pursuits, he having owned
several tracts of fine farm land in the county at different times, disposing of
them to advantage and buying others which he improved and again sold.
Twice he enlisted as a soldier of the civil war, and at its close again took up
his work on the farm. In his business affairs he has prospered more than
most men, and is to-day one of the most successful and influential citizens of

854 BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY.

Pulaski county. In 1S55, just previous to reaching his majority, he pur-
chased a farm, upon which he built a house and began to do for himself, his
intelligent judgment carrying him safely through many times of crisis when
other men would have gone down. He has been upright and honorable in
all the relations of life and always ready to further the welfare of the com-
munity by any means in his power. In all the vicissitudes of life he has had
the ready sympathy and encouragement of a most cheerful and helpful wife,
Nancy Elizabeth (Benefield) Borders, to whom he was united September g,
1855. The children who have blessed the home of this most worthy couple,
a more extended account of whose lives is elsewhere given, are as follows:
Burlingame, a lawyer of Hammond, Indiana, whose reputation has been far
reaching and whose success is phenomenal; Minerva Anise, born September
10, 1858, now the wife of Jay Edwin Wagner, of Wagner, Arizona; Elmina,
born December 31, i860, is the wife of William Robert Frazier, a butcher of
Winamac, and is the mother of three children, Nellie, Estella and Raymond;
Martha was born July 25, 1862, and is the wife of Frederick Rorenbaugh;
Franklin was born November 15, 1864; Addie, Mrs. Frank Long, was born
November 31, 1866, and is the mother of Tolbert, Cleo, Argene, Elmer and
Maude Long; William Warren is our subject; Walter was born May 10, 1872,
and resides at home; Fred was born April 8, 1874, and has been numbered
among the best instructors in the county for several years, as is also his
youngest brother, Charles Hayes, who was born May 14, 1876. The par-
ents of Mrs. Borders were William and Jane (Kane) Benefield, her father
being a carpenter and farmer of the state for many years.

Warren William Borders is a man of enterprise and push, and worked
his way to the front largely by his own efforts, teaching school that he might
obtain a college education. He was a student in the high school and then
entered the normal school at Ladoga, Indiana. At the age of eighteen he
taught his first school, in Harrison township, and easily acquired a high repu-
tation for his ability in imparting his information in a clear and lucid man-
ner. The following year, 1889-90, he accepted the school in Salem town-
ship, and the summer following went to Washington, where he was ap-
pointed as a clerk of the census bureau, a position he filled until the fall of
1891, when he entered the University of Indiana. He was a student in this
university two years, taking a literary and second-junior law course. He
then entered the office of his brother, Burlingame, in June, 1893, where he
finished his studies, and two years later formed a partnership with him under
the firm name of Borders & Borders. The next January the brother re-
tired from the firm to open an office elsewhere, and his place was taken by
Leonard Felker, although the former's name was retained, the firm being
known as Borders, Borders & Felker. Two years later this firm was dis-

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 855

solved, and our subject has since continued alone. He has a large practice,
and is known to be straightforward and capable, thus winning the confidence
and good will of those with whom he comes in contact. He is logical and
earnest in his arguments and convinces his hearers through their reasoning
powers rather than through their sympathies.

April IS, 1896, Mr. Borders was joined in matrimony to Miss Mary Ce-
celia Moore, a daughter of James and Margaret (Walch) Moore. She is a
native of the vicinity of Pottsville, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, where
she was born September 6, 1870. It is a coincidence worth mentioning that
the great-grandfather of Mr. Borders was also born in Schuylkill coanty.
Our subject has been identified with the Republican party, and is a member
of the Knights of Pythias Lodge, No. 274, of Winamac, and of Lodge No.
66 of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks at Logansport.

ABEL J. HOLTAM.

Abel Jesse Holtam, a retired business man and agriculturist of Rey-
nolds, Indiana, was born in Gloucestershire, England, June 9, 1826, and is
a spn of Joseph and Sarah (Harrison) Holtam. The father was a native of
the same place and came to America in 1850, landing at New York, whence
he went to Canajoharie, New York, purchasing eighty acres of land, which
he farmed for several years. In 1858 he moved to White county, Indiana,
and located at Reynolds, where at that time there were but two houses,
subsequently moving to Indian Creek, where he remained on a farm for a
few years, and then returned to Reynolds and engaged in general merchan-
dising. His sales was very large, averaging one thousand dollars a month.
He continued in business until his death, which occurred in White county,
in 1888, when he had reached the age of seventy-four years. His wife, who
also was born in Gloucestershire, England, died about 1885. Three children
were born to this worthy couple, namely: Abel J., our subject; Thomas,
the father of Jesse Holtam, of Earl Park, whose sketch occurs elsewhere in
this volume; and Emma, who died in early youth.

Abel J. Holtam attended the public schools of England and later was
apprenticed to the baker's trade, which he followed until fourteen years old,
when he accompanied his parents to America. Upon his arrival in this coun-
try and for many years afterward he followed his chosen vocation in New
York, Cincinnati, Lafayette and Reynolds, establishing a bakery at the lat-
ter place and carrying on a lucrative business until 1888, when he retired.
In 1878 he purchased eighty acres of land, partly lying within the city lim-
its, and of this he still retains sixty-one acres.

The marriage of Mr. Holtam took place in i860, at Reynolds, Indiana,

856 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

when he was united to Miss Pauline Swantz, who was born in Germany, in
1850, and whose parents were natives of that country. Mr. and Mrs. Hol-
tam are the parents of two children: Joseph, who owns one-half interest
in the opera-house at Monticello, Indiana; and Ida, who is attending the
public schools of Reynolds. Mr. Holtarn is a member of the church of Eng-
land but attends the Methodist church at Reynolds. In politics he is a
Democrat.

LOUIS BROWN.

There is no element which has had more potent influence in conserving
the progress and stable prosperity of our great republic than that represented
by the sturdy sons and daughters of the German empire who have come
hither to establish their homes and to rear their children to lives of honor
and usefulness. Among the representative and highly esteemed farmers of
Wea township, Tippecanoe county, is Louis Brown, who may well feel pride
in the fact that he is to be numbered with the class to whom reference has
just been made. He was born in the village of Ensberg, province of Wurtem-
berg, Germany, the date of his nativity having been November 25, 1832.
His parents were Louis and Margaret (Brem) Brown, the former of whom
was a farmer, owning a small farm in the province of Wurtemberg, and be-
ing a man of the stanchest integrity. His wife was likewise a representative
of sturdy German stock, and by her marriage to Mr. Brown she became the
mother of seven children, namely : Katharine, Johannis, Louis, Jacobina,
John, Alexander and Carl. Mr. Brown was an industrious. God-fearing man,
being a member of the Lutheran church, and he lived to attain the age of
about sixty years, his death occurring in his native land.

Louis Brown, the subject of this sketch, who inherited the full paternal
patronymic, received his educational discipline in the excellent common schools
of the German fatherland, which has so long been celebrated for its superior
school system, and grew up in a home where honesty and integrity were instilled
into his mind as the most essential of virtues. The influence of this Chris-
tian home he has had reason to appreciate throughout the many years of his
life of active toil and endeavor. In his youth he assisted in the work of the
farm and was also engaged in teaming. When he arrived at years of maturi-
t}' the young man felt a desire to try his fortune .in the New World, having
been deeply impressed by the information he had gained concerning the op-
portunities afforded in the United States. Accordingly, on attaining his legal
majority, he bade adieu to home and fatherland, July 3, 1853, and prepared
to seek his fortune in America. He embarked on a sailing vessel at Havre,
France, in July, 1853, and by reason of severe storms the boat was retarded

<Sr-«_-CA/

Z/ux-i^'C^ /'^Z^^^^^^iyf

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 857

in its. progress through the north seas, so that the voyage was protracted to
more than twenty-eight days ere the vessel cast anchor in New York, on the
28th of August.

Mr. Brown secured employment in Hoboken, New Jersey, for a time in
connection with the construction of a plank road, and thereafter he engaged
in teaming until May, 1856, when he came westward to Springfield, Ohio,
where he was employed in a brick-yard until January, 1857, when he came
to Lafayette, Indiana, where he engaged in such work as he could find to do
by the day for a time, eventually turninghis attention to farming. In Decem-
ber, 1858, while a resident of Lafayette, he was united in marriage to Mary
Groschaus, who, like himself, was a native, of Wurtemberg, Germany, where
she was born on the 4th of January, 1840, the daughter of John and Ivather-
ine (Haslswart) Groschaus, who were the parents of five children, — Margaret,
Mary, George, Christina and Jacob. The father, who was a farmer and
laborer in his native land, emigrated to America with his family in 1854, set-
tling a few miles south of Lafayette, Indiana. He remained in this county until
the time of his death, which occurred when he was about sixty- five years of
age. He was a member of the Lutheran church and was a man of indus-
trious habits, unbending integrity, straightforward in all his dealings, and
was respected by all who knew him.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Brown rented a farm one-half mile
west of their present home, and Mr. Brown devoted himself to its cultivation
for a period of three years, after which he rented for one year one hundred
acres of Henry Earle, at the expiration of which latter period, in the year
1862, he effected the purchase of his present farm, which he has since oper-
ated with success. This success has come as the direct result of his own
efforts, and such has been his industry, enerergetic application and honorable
methods, that he has been enabled to add to his landed estate until he now has
a fine farm of over five hundred acres, well improved and under effective cul-
tivation. All of this prosperity but tends to show that the statements made at
the opening of this sketch have substantial basis in fact. To his faithful
wife, who has seconded his every effort and given a devoted encouragement,
Mr. Brown attributes much of his success in life, and they are well worthy
of the high esteem in which they are held in the community. The happy
home has been brightened by the presence of seven children, namely: Mary,
Carrie, John, Lizzie, Annie, Ella and Tillie.

Mr. and Mrs. Brown are members of the Lutheran church, to whose
work and collateral benevolences they contribute liberally. In politics our
subject renders allegiance to the Republican party and its dominating princi-
ples. Animated by the most sterling attributes of character, Mr. Brown has

by industry and wise economy achieved a worthy success, has given to his
55

858 BIOGRJFHICAL HISTORY.

children excellent advantages, and has gained an enviable reputation. To
no family in the community do esteem and confidence go forth more freely
and appreciatively.

PHILEMON BEVIS.

The popular and efficient secretary of the Young Men's Christian Associa-
tion at Lafayette was born at Lancaster, now Philadelphia, Cass county, Illi-
nois, April 26, 1865. His parents, Henry and Sarah (Stout) Bevis, were
natives of Ohio, and had five children, namely: Flora B., widow of Joseph
Mclntire, of Urbana, Illinois; Albon, living in Urbana; Philemon; David H.,
deceased; and Grace.

Henry Bevis was a contractor and builder by trade and came to Illinois
in 1857 or 1858, living at different times in Virginia and Urbana, at which
latter place he died in 1895, aged fifty-nine years. He was an exemplary
member of the Presbyterian church, and his children were most carefully
brought up. He was for many years superintendent of the Sunday-school
and Jived a consistent Christian life. He was one of a family of twelve chil-
dren, all of whom were church members, as are also his own children. The
paternal grandfather was David Bevis, a native of Ohio and of Scotch-English
descent. He was a large fruit-grower and resided in the town of Bevis, near
Cincinnati, where he died in 1894, aged eighty-five years. He was a man of
retiring disposition, but was influential and highly respected in his com-
munity. The maternal grandfather was Philemon Stout, who was born in
New Jersey, and who, at an early day, pre-empted land in central Illinois,
where he spent the remainder of his life. He had seven children, of whom
six grew to maturity. Mr. Stout was a farmer by occupation and was a dea-
con in the Baptist church.

The subject of this sketch resided in Virginia, Cass county, Illinois, until
reaching manhood, and was a graduate of the Virginia high school. He sub-
sequently was a student in the University of Illinois, at Champaign, where he
took an architectural course of three years, but on account of failing health
was obliged to leave college before completing the entire course. In 1890
he was appointed secretary of the Young Men's Christian Association at
Dixon, Illinois, where he remained one year, after which he went to Macomb,
residing there for the following three years. The declining health of his
father at this time called Mr. Bevis to Urbana, where he remained for three
years, within which time his father died.

In 1897 Mr. Bevis removed to Lafayette, Indiana, and accepted the
secretaryship of the Young Men's Christian Association, a position for which
he is well qualified. This association has been in existence in Lafayette for

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 859

twenty-five or thirty years, but the present organization was founded in 1889.
It has accomplished a great deal of very effective work in reaching the young
men, has been steadily growing in the last few years and is wielding a good
influence. It has a membership of about three hundred and fifty, which is
constantly increasing. The association occupies the entire building in which
it is located and is fairly well equipped, having a reading-room, audience-
room, parlor, gymnasium and bath rooms. Services are held every Sunday
afternoon, and classes in various studies, conducted by prominent instructors,
are held on week-day evenings. A course of entertainments, comprising
lectures, concerts, etc., all of a high order, is carried out during the year.
An efficient ladies' auxiliary forms an important adjunct of the work. The
officers of the association are: George F. Keiper, president; Edward Ayres,
vice-president; M. K. Weakly, recording secretary; George M. Blackstock,
treasurer; Phil. Bevis, general secretary; W. A. Stilwell, physical director.
Advisory Committee,— James H. Smart, W. W. Alder, B. Brockenbrough,
Sr. , Samuel Moore, Sr. , and M. H. Timberlake. Board of Directors, — W.
J. Rosebery, W. C. Latta, J. W. Morgan, J. F. Kinsey, George B. King,
W. W. Lane, Edward Ayres, E. B. Vawter, R. C. Stader, C. A. Waldo,
George W. Switzer, T. F. Moran, George F. Keiper, G. M. Blackstock, and
M. K. Weakly. The building of the association, which was at one time one
of the handsome residences of the city and contains fifteen rooms, occupies a
prominent location at the corner of Fifth and South streets. Mr. Bevis is
deeply interested in his work, and no more efficient or popular officer has
ever been connected with the organization.

The marriage of our subject took place December 24, 1889, his wife be-
ing Miss Leura B. Palmer, daughter of John M. Palmer, of Lawrenceburg,
Indiana, but now residing in Augusta, Kentucky. Her mother's maiden name
was Augusta Butterfield. Two sons have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bevis,
— Philemon Palmer and Albon Ledru. Our subject and his wife are members
of the Second Presbyterian church, in whose work they take an active part,
and they have a large circle of friends.

BURLINGAME BORDERS.

Among the men who have won enviable reputations in their chosen pro-
fessions our subject stands conspicuous. He is a lawyer whose ability is
recognized throughout northern Indiana, and his services are in frequent
demand ail over this section by people whose cases demand skillful handling.
He was born November 9, 1856, in Pulaski county, and grew to man's estate
in this neighborhood, lately locating in Hammond, where his rapidl}' increas-
ing clientele speaks most flatteringly of his merit. His parents are John F.

860 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

and Nancy Elizabeth (Benefield) Borders, well and favorably known in this
part of the state, and his grandparents are Wesley and Sarah (Eldson)
Borders.

Wesley Borders, the venerable grandfather, is now in his ninety-second
year and in the enjoyment of excellent health. For more than half a cent-
ury he was earnestly engaged in spreading the gospel in Indiana and Kan-
sas, and the experiences through which he passed when thus employed seem
almost incredible in this modern and more advanced age of civilization. He
was considered an able, eloquent speaker, — one who boldly proclaimed his
views and most logically defended them. He was a shrewd man of busi-
ness, as well, and accumulated quite a little property. He was a native of
Greenbrier county, Virginia, where he was born August 27, 1807. His
father, Christopher, was born in Pennsylvania, but sought his fortunes in
Virginia, and soon after the birth of Wesley moved with his family to Ohio.
Here Wesley Borders married Miss Sarah Eldson, in 1832, and to them
the following children were born: Martha Jane, John Fletcher, Sarah Eliza-
beth, Frances Marie, Miranda Anice, Ezra Watson, and Emeline. The wife
and mother died January 22, 1846, and three years later he was united
in wedlock with Mrs. Lydia Jane Gregory, widow of Nathan Gregory.
The children who blessed this union were: Albert, William (deceased),
Orpha, Elnora, Ida Rebecca, Emory Firman, and Wesley Strange. His
descendants of the second and third generation number more than one hun-
dred. He has been a lifelong Republican.

John Fletcher Borders, for many years one of the most highly esteemed
and substantial citizens of Pulaska county, Indiana, resides near the town of
Winamac on a forty-acre tract of land, which has been placed under fine cul-
tivation and adorned with neat and substantial buildings by him, in order
that his declining years might be passed in comfort and amid pleasant sur-
roundings. He was born near Greenville, Darke county, Ohio, July 22,
1834, and at the age of twenty-one bought a piece of land in Harrison town-
ship upon which he built a house and began to work for himself. To this
home he brought his bride, Miss Nancy Elizabeth Benefield, on September 9,
1855, and a most willing and helpful wife has she proved to be. After farm-
ing in various places until 1861, he entered the army and served one year,
when he was mustered out. He purchased an interest in one hundred and sixty
acres of land and farmed a couple of years, when he again joined the army
and became a member of Company G, One Hundred and Fifty-first Indiana
Infantry, remaining until the close of the war. With the exception of three
years spent in the milling business at Moorsburg, he has given his entire at-
tention to farming, and is to-day considered one of the best informed men
on that branch of science in the county. In this county he has owned some

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 861

valuable land, of which he has never failed to dispose to advantage, retain-
ing only two tracts of forty acres each, both in Harrison township, upon one
of which he now resides. In every transaction he has been characterized as
fair-minded and honorable, and the efficiency with which he has discharged
the duties of township trustee has caused him to be retained in that office
for a period of more than eleven years, a fact which bespeaks his integrity.
He is a Republican in politics and is an intelligent worker in that organiza-
tion. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Borders were as follows : Burlingame
is our subject ; Minerva Annis, born September lO, 1858, married Jay Ed-
win Wagner on October 7, 1884, and is now a resident of Wagner, Arizona ;
Elmina, born December 31, i860, is the wife of William Robert Frazier, a
butcher of Winamac, by whom she has three children, Nellie, Estella and
Raymond ; Martha, born July 25, 1862, is the wife of Frederick Roreh-
baugh and resides on the N. A. Murphy farm ; Franklin was born Novem-
ber 15, 1864 ; Addie, born November 21, 1866, married Frank Lang and is
the mother of five children, Talbot, Clio, Argene, Elmer and Maude ; War-
ren William, represented elsewhere in this work, was born March 11, 1870,
and is a prominent lawyer of Winamac ; Walter, born May 10, 1872, lives
at home ; Frederick, born April 8, 1874, is a very successful teacher, as is
his brother, Charles Hayes, who was born May 14, 1876.

William Benefield, the maternal grandfather of our subject, came at an
early age from his native state, Pennsylvania, and worked at his trade of
carpentering for many years in Delaware county, this state. Later he moved
to Pulaski county, where he engaged in husbandry until his death, in Octo-
ber, 1870. His wife, whose maiden name was Jane Kane, was of Irish
extraction and was the third youngest of a large family of children born to
John Kane and wife.

Burlingame Borders, our subject, attended the country schools in his
earlier years and for a short time was a student in the Winamac schools.
He was later found enrolled at the school at Lebanon, Ohio, where he
made a good record in his studies. He then entered the Bryant & Strat-
ton Business College at Indianapolis, taking a complete business course.
He was a great student, and soon turned his attention to the study of law,
entering the office of N. L. Agnew, of Winamac, and applying himself with
such persistency that he had soon mastered the labyrinthine maze of that
most difficult profession, and was admitted to the bar in 1878. Previously
to this he had been engaged in teaching school, while carrying on his law
studies, and continued it five years after being admitted to the bar. The
schools presided over by him were located in Pulaski, Cass and Miami coun-
ties, Indiana, the last school being at Mexico, Miami county, where he was
principal during the year 18S2-3. He began the active practice of his pro-

862 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

fession in March, 1883, having his office wjth his preceptor, N. L. Agnew,
and a year later entering into a partnership with him under the firm name of
Agnew & Borders. They continued together for six years and enjoyed a
large and lucrative practice, being recognized as the leading lawyers in this
section of the state. Fof a short time he was alone and then became asso-
ciated with F. S. Dukes for about two years, when that gentleman was
succeeded by Warren William Borders, a brother of our subject and a law
student under him. The firm of Borders & Borders was well and favorably
known, and continued to practice until the first of January, 1897, when our
subject withdrew, allowing the old firm to retain his name in the business.
Mr. Borders now left Winamac to seek a more desirable location, as the
opportunity offered in that field for the expansion of the business was limited.
He again formed a partnership with his old friend, Mr. Agnew, and opened
two offices, — one at Valparaiso, conducted by that gentleman, and the sec-
ond at Hammond, in charge of our subject. This has proved to be a most
desirable location, and the business has so flourished that Mr. Borders found
it necessary to have assistance in the business, and secured the co-operation
of Lawrence Becker, with whom he formed a partnership in April, 1898, the
old firm being dissolved. This firm do a general law business and have
pleasant, commodious offices in the Tapper Block, where they receive clients
from the greater portion of northern Indiana. Mr. Borders is a strong and
forcible speaker and seldom loses a case, being noted for his persistency and
tenacity of purpose. He had an exceptionally large practice in Pulaski
county, and has been accorded a most flattering reception in Hammond,
where he is known as thoroughly upright and trustworthy. It was his mis-
fortune in early boyhood to be afflicted with an incurable disease of the hip,
which resulted in the removal of the right leg at the hip joint, and this has
necessarily caused him great inconvenience.

On June 20, 1884, Mr. Borders was united in marriage to Miss Mary
Thornburgh, who died in the summer of 1887, leaving a son, Robert Inger-
soll, now twelve years of age. December 24, 1889, he led to the altar Mrs.
Emma A. Gaines, widow of Thomas Gaines and daughter of M, Lovelle, a
lady whose charming personality makes her a general favorite.

Mr. Borders has always lent his influence to the cause of the Republican
party. He, as a charter member of Winamac Lodge, No. 274, Knights of
Pythias, helped to organize that lodge and afterward held several offices in
the same, being now past chancellor commander of that lodge and a past
representative to the grand lodge of Indiana. He is a charter member of the
Logansport Lodge of Redmen, and has lately aided in the organization
of a lodge of Elks at Hammond, in which he holds the chair of lecturing
knight.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 863

WILLIAM SHIVELY.

A retired merchant of Lafayette, Mr. Shively for the long period of sixty-
two years has been an esteemed citizen of that city. He was born in
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, March 30, 18 13. His parents, Daniel and Eliza-
beth (Henneberger) Shively, were natives of Pennsylvania, the former born in
Perry and the latter in Lancaster county. They had nine children, four of
whom are now living: Katie, widow of Emanuel Gipe, resides at Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania; Elizabeth, widow of William Deckart, lives in Blairsville,
Pennsylvania; William is the subject of this sketch, and John is a resident of
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania A son, Peter, died in his eightieth year, in
August, 1898, at Fairfield, Pennsylvania, and was buried at Gettysburg;
Maria (Mrs. Kiefer), was born September 6, 18 11, and died November 9,
1891; Julia (Mrs. Wampler) was born August 11, 1815, and died Septem-
ber 15, 1892. Two children died in childhood. Daniel Shively followed the
occupation of a whitesmith in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, where he died
November 3, 1863, aged eighty-three years. His wife died June 8, 1858,
aged seventy-five years. They were members of the German Presbyterian
church, and were quiet, unostentatious people who lived upright and useful
lives.

Peter Shively, the paternal grandfather of our subject, was a native of
Germany, but came to America before the Revolutionary war and settled in
Perry county, Pennsylvania. He was a farmer by occupation, was a
large land-holder and served as a soldier during the war. He died at
the age of ninety-three years and was the father of sixteen children.
The maternal grandfather was John Henneberger, a native of
Switzerland, whose first settlement in this country was at Lancaster,
Pennsylvania. He afterward removed to Chambersburg, where he
died at the age of ninety-three years. He was a captain during the
Revolutionary war, and carried on farming as an occupation. In those
early days he used to thresh his grain by tramping it out with horses or
beating it with a flail, in which work our subject used to assist him. He
had an old-fashioned hall clock, which has been in the family one hun-
dred and thirty-two years, and still keeps correct time. It has been owned
by only three persons, and has been in the possession of Mr. Shively
since 1864. There were nine children in the family of Mr. Henneberger.

William Shively was reared in Chambersburg, where he attended the
old-fashioned subscription schools, which afforded but few of the facilities
for learning enjoyed by the children of the present day. When sixteen years
old he began learning the trade of a tailor, and coming to Lafayette, in 1836,
he opened a ready-made clothing store, which he conducted for over fifty

864 jBIOGBAPHICAL HISTOKT. ■

years. In all this time he never failed in business, always paid a hundred
cents on the dollar, and as a result of his honesty and industry he has accu-
mulated a valuable property and earned the respect and esteem of everyone
with whom he has had dealings. Mr. Shively now owns two farms on Wea
plains, — one of one hundred and sixty and the other of one hundred and
eighty acres; a farm in Bolivar township, Benton county, of one hundred
and sixty acres; and a farm in Wright county, Iowa, of one hundred and
twenty acres, making six hundred and twenty acres in all. Besides these he
has owned and sold several other farms. The house in which he now lives
was erected in 1839 and rebuilt in 1S60, and is a handsome and substantial
brick building standing in the heart of the city. He also owns several
other residences in Lafayette.

Mr. Shively was married July 16, 1837, to Miss Elizabeth Menefee, of
Kentucky, daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Evans) Menefee. Of their
children a brief record is as follows: Mary is the wife of Anson Hathaway,
and lives in Toledo, Ohio. They have one child, Mary. Laura is the wife
of Stephen O. Taylor, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. They
have four children, — Harry, Lillian, William and Hervey. Annie married
Horatio Gates, and had one child, George. William married Miss Lizzie
Marquette, of Harrisburg, by whom he had several children, all of whom,
with the mother, are deceased. He married for his second wife Miss Lettie
Ellis, and of the second family of children none are now living. He bought
out his father's clothing business, but a short time afterward sold it, and is
now farming in Parke county, Indiana. Daniel was a soldier in the civil war
and died November 3, 1863, from sickness contracted in the army. He was
unmarried. Adelaide died when fourteen years old. Katie became the wife
of Frank M. Curtis and lives in Indianapolis. They have one child, Anna.
Charity died in infancy. Mrs. Shively, the mother of these children, died
in 1886, at sixty-two years of age. She was a beautiful woman, of an ami-
able disposition, bright and cheerful in her ways, and made the hospitable
home a delightful resort for her many friends. She was an earnest, devoted
Christian, and with her husband was a member of the Christian church for
many years.

In his younger days Mr. Shively was an old-line Whig, and voted for
General Harrison in 1836 and 1840. Since the organization of the Repub-
lican party he has affiliated with that body, and is in close sympathy with
its principles. Although he has never held office or desired to, finding his
time fully occupied in attending to his private business, he has never failed
to perform his duty as a voter nor to use his influence in securing good men
as the nominees for public offices. He has seen the city of Lafayette de-
velop from a small village, and in the long life-time which he has spent there

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 865

has done much in aid of its progress and welfare. He has throughout his
hfe been opposed to the use of Hquor and tobacco, and to-day, in his well
preserved old age, shows the results of an upright, temperate life. He has
a large circle of friends and acquaintances, to whom he is endeared by his
many good qualities of mind and heart, and who delight to honor his old age
by showing him many kindnesses and attentions. No citizen of Lafayette is
more deserving of such recognition.

EVERETT A. WALKER.

Everett A. Walker, the editor and proprietor of the Wolcott Enterprise,
was born near Kaneville, Kane county, Illinois, December 6, 1866, and is a
son of Benjamin and Jennie (Roberts) Walker. On the maternal side he is
of Welsh lineage. His grandfather, Griffith Roberts, was a native of Wales,
and with his family came to America about the year 1830, locating first in
New York and afterward in Michigan, where he reared his family of five chil-
dren, namely: Griffith, Evan G., Hugh, Ann (deceased), and Jennie. The
father died on the old homestead in Michigan, in 1862, and the mother sur-
vived him twenty years, spending her last days in Indiana. Benjamin
Walker, the father of our subject, was a son of Orlando and Rachel (Ladd)
Walker, and spent his early youth in Massachusetts. Subsequently he
resided in New York and from that state drove across the country to Kane
county, Illinois, whese he made his home until 1876, when he came to Indi-
ana. In his family were three children who died in infancy, — Charles, Ben-
jamin and Henry, — while those who attained to years of maturity were Har-
riet, Ilona, Damares, Rhoda and Eliza, the last three mentioned now
deceased.

When three years of age Everett A. Walker came with his parents to
Wolcott, Indiana, where he attended the public schools until nineteen years
of age. He then spent one year as a student in the high school at Reming-
ton. During his boyhood and youth he assisted in the cultivation of the
home farm and gave his father the benefit of his services until twenty-two
years of age, when he began learning the printer's trade under the direction
of C. P. Hopkins, of Remington, for whom he worked for a year. He was
then with George Major, the successor of Mr. Hopkins and at one time state
senator of Indiana, acting as his manager for two years. On the expiration
of that period Mr. Walker purchased a newspaper outfit, and on the ist of
April, 1892, opened an office in Wolcott, since which time he has published
the Wolcott Enterprise, an interesting little journal, well edited and attract-
ive from a typographical point of view. It is devoted to the interests of this
locality, and through its columns Mr. Walker advocates all public measures

86G BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY.

intended to advance the general good. The Enterprise now has a large cir-
culation and good advertising patronage, and is meeting with gratifying
success.

In February, 1891, Mr. Walker became a member of Orion Lodge, No.
59S, F. & A. M., of Wolcott, in which he has since held a number of offices,
being treasurer at the present writing. In October, 1 894, he became one of the
few charter members of the Knights of Pythias lodge of Wolcott, and has
the honor of being the only man in the state to receive the title of past chan-
cellor, but he did not accept the office. He is also keeper of the records and
seals, which office he has held for two years. He joined the Modern Wood-
men of America, in July, 1898, and was elected to office therein in the spring
of 1899.

On the 2 1st of June, 1899, Mr. Walker was united in marriage to Miss
Bessie Law, a daughter of J. R- and Mary (Simms) Law. They have a wide
acquaintance in Wolcott and enjoy the warm regard of many friends.

CORNELIUS M. HORNER.

Starting out in life a poor boy, with nothing but a country-school edu-
cation, no influential friends or rich relatives to lend him a helping hand, the
success which has come to C. M. Horner is solely and entirely the result of
his own individual efforts. The history of his hfe should be an inspiration
to every youth who, humble, poor and unfriended, feels at times utterly dis-
couraged, thinking that he can never rise to a place of honor and wealth.
To-day C. M. Horner is one of the richest men and largest tax-payers in
White county and is the president of the Monon Bank.

Born in the vicinity of the town of Wapakoneta, Auglaize county, Ohio,
January 3, 1842, Mr. Horner is a son of Elias and Dorothy (Smith) Horner,
who were natives of England. Their first home in this country was the
birthplace of our subject, and for a few years the father was engaged in mer-
chandising in that locality. In 1844 he came to this state, where he was a
pioneer merchant for many years. At first he was located in Michigan City
and afterward at New Durham, his goods being transported from Michigan
City by team. For some three years he was a local minister, belonging to-
the Northwestern Indiana Conference. His death occurred when he was in
his sixty-fifth year. His widow survived him a number of years, and passed
away at the age of seventy. Of their ten children only four are living.

When he was two years old Cornelius Montford Horner was brought to
Indiana, in which state he has since resided, identified with all movements
which have tended to develop its resources and foremost in the advocacy of
public improvements. He remained with his parents until he was a lad o£

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 867

about thirteen years, when he went to Pulaski county, Indiana, and there
attended the common schools. At eighteen he started out to earn his own
livelihood independently by renting a farm, and was obliged to go in debt for
the one horse which he required on the place. He was very industrious,
working early and late, and during the winter season he taught school. He
was aided in his earnest endeavors by his faithful wife, formerly Miss Mary
E. Brewer, whom he married in i860. He was soon enabled to purchase
forty acres of land near Medaryville, but sold his property and removed his
family to Francesville at the call of his country for defenders of the Union.
He enlisted at the one-hundred-days call for troops, becoming a private of
Company A, One Hundred and Thirty-eighth Indiana Volunteer Infantry.
Before the expiration of his service in this regiment he re-enlisted in the One
Hundred and Fifty-first Indiana Volunteer Infantry, for a term of one year,
and his service as thus continued extended to the close of the war. He par-
ticipated in many important battles and engagements with the enemy, among
others those of Stone river and Nashville.

His patriotic duty completed, Mr. Horner returned to the peaceful
vocations of life, and in 1865 came to Monon, where he has since been
numbered among the valued citizens of the place. Here he opened a
small general store, increased its capacity from time to time, and built
up a large and remunerative business, which he continued to conduct
until 1894. In 1885 he built a fine, substantial brick business block, and
iin 1892 he established the Monon Bank. Making many fortunate invest-
ments in land and in various enterprises, Mr. Horner has steadily grown
in prosperity, and now pays more taxes than any two other men in the
county. In addition to his local interests he owns property in Decatur,
Illinois, to the value of thirty thousand dollars; has two large business
blocks in Des Moines, Iowa, valued at about fifty thousand dollars; and prop-
erty in Kansas, Illinois and various Indiana counties.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Horner have been born two children, who are yet
living: William C. , who is a cashier in his father's bank, and Emma P., wife
of W. J. Hinkle, of Monon. In 1873 Mr. Horner married Miss Lucy J.
Kerr, and their five children are as follows: J. Francis; Mary E., wife of
Alonzo Reed, a mine-owner in Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Flora E. ,
Alta K. and Herbert H., all at home.

In his political views Mr. Horner is a stalwart Republican, unswerving
in support of the party principles, but takes no active part in political work, pre-
ferring to devote his energies to the care of his investments. That he has
manifested unusual ability and genius in this direction, needs no demonstra-
tion. His success has come through the legitimate channels of trade, and
no charge of over-reaching or unfairness has ever been justly laid at his

868 BIOGBJPEICAL HISTORY.

door. He enjoys making a good use of his wealth, and in a quiet, unosten-
tatious manner has helped many a worthy person to make a new start in

life an evidence of the broad, humanitarian principles which permeate his

career.

JEREMIAH WINTER.

The adopted citizens of the United States were by no means backward
in offering their services to the government when the flag was in danger from
those who had sworn to protect it. When the first call for troops was issued
many a son of the British isle, of Germany and of other nations, were among
the first to respond, and no more loyal soldiers were to be found on the
army rolls. Among these was the subject of this review, who was born in
Norfolk, England, November 25, 1842, the son of Jeremiah and Matilda
(Dingle) Winter.

Jeremiah Winter, Sr. , was likewise a native of Norfolk, and in 1858 he
emigrated to America, landing at Castle Garden, and locating in White
county. New York, where he carried on farming on shares until his death, in
1863, at the age of fifty-eight years. He was a member of the Methodist
Episcopal church, and was in sympathy with the principles of the Republic-
an party. His wife was born in Norfolk, was married in England, and died
in White county. New York, in 1893, at the advanced age of ninety-two
years. To this couple six children were born, as follows: Louisa, the wife
of George Dingle, resides in England; George is a farmer in Niagara county,
New York; Jeremiah, our subject; Sarah is the wife of James Hugins, and
lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan; James, who died in- 1867, aged twenty-
seven years, served in the Eighth Heavy Artillery with his brother George;
William lives in Niagara county, near George. The paternal grandparents
of our subject were Jeremiah and Esther (Townsend) Winter, the former a
farmer and a minister in the Baptist church at Norfolk, England. The ma-
ternal grandparents, George and Sarah (Chapman) Dingle, were likewise
natives of Norfolk.

Mr. Winter preceded his parents to this country some six months, com-
ing over in the spring of 1858, and locating in western New York, where he
followed farming until 1862. On August 25th of that year he enlisted, at
Albion, New York, in Company D, One Hundred and Fifty-first New York
Volunteer Infantry, being mustered in at Lockport, New York. His first
battle was that of Gettysburg, and from there he followed Lee to Richmond,
serving under Generals Hooker, Meade, Sheridan and Grant. He was a mem-
ber of the pioneer corps which went ahead to clear the way of obstructions
so that the army might advance, and after the battle in Pleasant Valley, on

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 869

the way to Gettysburg, he was very seriously injured while assisting in the re-
moval ot a fence, receiving a serious fall. His accident compelled him to
remain in the hospital at Harper's Ferry for four months, and he is now re-
ceiving a pension for injuries which he received, and from which he still feels
the effects. His term of service lasted for two years and nine months, and
he was honorably discharged April 14, 1865.

When the war was over Mr. Winter returned to White county. New
York, where he farmed until 1877, when he removed to Indiana and located
in West Point township, White county, and located on a farm of one hun-
dred and sixty acres five miles southeast of Wolcott. To this he has added
one hundred and sixty acres more, the whole of the three hundred and twenty
acres being under cultivation. He carries on general farming, and has from
thirty to forty short-horn cattle, fifteen horses and one hundred and twenty
Poland-China hogs. He is now (1898) completing a twenty-five-hundred-
dollar residence, which is fitted with every modern convenience and in which
there are many evidences of his own and his son's ingenuity and thoughtful-
ness. The latter has done all the wood work, it being his first attempt at
carpentering and being very creditable. No expense has been spared to make
it a comfortable and pleasant home. All the buildings on the place have
been rebuilt in the last three or four years, and everything is kept up to date.

On January 25, 1867, Mr. Winter was married, in Orleans county. New
York, to Miss Emma C. Lewis, a daughter of James Lewis, who was a na-
tive of Waterport, New York. Mrs. Winter was born in Medina, New
York, in 1847, and is the mother of one child, Lewis J., born June 3, 1869.
This son lives on the home farm with his father, with whom he is in business.
He was married in 1891 to Miss Alice Mosier, daughter of Charles and Sarah
' Mosier, of Illinois, formerly of New York. They have one child, Julia
Katherine, born October 3, 1895. Our subject is a member of the Meadow
Lake Presbyterian church and in politics is a Republican. He is well known
throughout the county as an energetic, enterprising man and a loyal citizen.

REV. W. S. BRYANT.

Hev. W. S. Bryant is one of the pioneers of Lauramie township, Tippe-
cano county, and for a quarter of a century has been a minister of the United
Brethren church, doing effective work as a messenger of the gospel of peace
and righteousness. Ever since his early manhood he has endeavored to be a
faithful witness to the truth and has contributed liberally of his time and
means toward the uplifting of humanity.

He comes of sterling Scotch-Irish ancestry, the founder of the family in
America having located in Virginia in early colonial days. His grandfather,

870 BIOGRJPEICAL HISTORY.

William Bryant, was born in that part of the Old Dominion, east of the Blue
Ridge, whose inhabitants are popularily known as " Tuckahoes. " At the age
of twenty-five years, he left his wife and little son, John, and offered his serv-
ices to his country, enlisting in Washington's army, and for seven years he
stood heroically at his post of duty, sharing the untold privations and hard-
ships of that noble band of patriots. In later years he often related to his
grandson, our subject, stories of these interminably long years of suffering,
and told about the marches which he and his comrades made over the snow
and ice-covered land, when their shoes were worn through and they might
easily have been tracked by their blood-stained foot-prints. A sorry look-
ing lot they were, he said, ragged and unkempt, half famished, often going
on half rations and frequently having no food whatever for a day or two at a
time. He fought in many of the important battles of the war and actively
participated in the events which led to the surrender of General Cornwallis.
He was present at that memorable surrender, and heard the conversation
between the two great opposing leaders. He heard Cornwallis say to Wash-
ington, " I am willing to surrender, but have one request to make of you.

Let me open up my cannon on those d d French." Washington replied:

" General, you have no cannon." William Bryant was once allowed to return
to his home on a furlough, and during his brief visit his young wife died.
After the war had been brought to a victorious close he went back to his
Virginia home and later married a lady whose Christain name was Margaret,
but whose surname is not remembered. They became the parents of several
children, among whom were William, Edmund, Nancy, Margaret, Catherine
and Elizabeth. They lived in Hardy county, Virginia, on the southern bank
of the Potomac river. Mr. Bryant lived to be over four-score 3'ears of age, and
died at the home of a relative, in Ross county, Ohio, loved and mourned by a
large circle of friends.

William Bryant, father of our subject, was born on the old homestead in
Hardy county, about a year after the close of the Revolutionary war. At
the age of twenty-seven years he married Elizabeth Hogan, who was seven
3'ears his junior, and who had come from Ireland with her father, William
Hogan, and other members of the family, to Hardy county, when she was in
her nineteenth year. After residing in Hardy county for a short time, Mr.
and Mrs. Bryant emigrated to Ross county, Ohio, where he entered one hun-
dred acres of wild land and made improvements thereon. In 1829 he removed
to Allen county, Ohio, and located six miles north of Lima, on Hog creek,
then a densely timbered wilderness. The Indians had not yet departed for
the " happy hunting grounds " or for the west, and the country was extremely
wild and little inhabited. Finally the sturdy frontiersman made one more
removal toward the setting sun, and lived in Tippecanoe county, Indiana,

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 871

until his death. He arrived in this county April 9, 1845, and made his head-
quarters with his brother-in-law, Abraham Bowen, at his home, about a mile
south of the present home of our subject, until he selected the property now
owned by the latter. He made some improvements on the place, which com-
prises a quarter-section of land, and here he was called to his eternal rest, in
1850, aged about seventy-three years. He was an earnest member of the
United Brethren church, and was loved and honored by every one who knew
him. Like his father before him, he was a patriot, and prior to his mar-
riage, when a war seemed imminent between the United States and -France,
he enlisted in the regular army and was stationed for a year at Harper's
Ferry, while being drilled in military tactics. His children were: Leander,
Archibald, Cunningham, Isaac, Sarah, Rebecca, Mary, W. S., and Wesley,
who died in Allen county, Ohio.

The birth of the Rev. W. S. Bryant took place in Ross county, Ohio,
January i, 1823, and when he was in his seventh year he removed with his
parents to Allen county, same state. As might well be imagined, he had no
educational advantages in that wild country, but by private study of the few
books in his possession he became pretty well informed on a variety of sub-
jects, and was still quite a youth when he was induced to take charge of a
school in Montgomery county, Indiana. He has made farming one of the
chief occupations of his life, and has been very successful. After his mar-
riage, in the summer of 1847, he located on the old Bryant homestead in
Lauramie township, which has since been the scene of his labors as an agri-
culturist. By thrift and industry he has made a good livelihood for himself
and family, and has been able to accomplish much for the church to whose
welfare he is specially devoted. For a number of years he was extensively
engaged in the buying and selling of live stock. His farm, comprising one
hundred and seventy-six acres, is all under fine cultivation, and substantial
buildings and a comfortable house contribute to the general desirability of
the place.

On the 4th of August, 1847, Mr- Bryant married W. Ann Wilson, whose
parents, Cornelius and Elizabeth (Taylor) Wilson, were prominent pioneers
of Montgomery county, Indiana, formerly of Virginia. Mrs. Bryant was
born in Brown county, Ohio, April 7, 1828, and her brothers and sisters
were: James, John, Elizabeth, Amanda, George, Henry, Marse, Martha
and Mary. John was one of the brave boys who wore the blue during the
civil war, and whose life was a sacrifice to his country. The father departed
this life when about eighty years of age, revered and loved by all of his
neighbors and associates. The union of Mr. and Mr. Bryant was blessed
with seven children, namely: Zachariah, Melvina, James, Francis, William
E., John and Mary, — the two last mentioned being twins.

872 BIOGRAPHICAL EISIOBT.

When he was a youth Mr. Bryant made a special study of the Bible,
and has ever since been a great student of the word of God. At fifteen he
joined the United Brethren church in Allen county, Ohio, and, though he felt
at the time that his duty was to enter the ministry and deliver the gospel of
salvation to the people, he resisted the impulse, and it was not until he had
reached the half-century mark that he obeyed what he believes was the
Lord's wish. During this long interval, however, he was a faithful member
of the church, active and zealous in the cause, and occupied the offices of
steward, class-leader and superintendent of the Sunday-school. As he grew
older the conviction grew in his mind that he was called to preach, and at
length he jdelded, and began to teach and minister to his neighbors as a
local pastor. The success which crowned his untiring labors for the Master
gave him new courage, and he left home and went out into the great west.
Traveling through Illinois and Missouri, as well as in Indiana and Ohio, he
held revival meetings, sometimes for four weeks in succession, and rejoiced
in the numerous converts to righteousness which he made by the grace of
God. Recently he contributed four hundred dollars to the new church of
the United Brethren at Clark's Hill, near his home. Now in his seventy-
seventh year, he is passing his days quietly after the stormy voyage of life,
secure in his faith, and trusting that the verdict will be rendered, "Well
done, good and faithful servant; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

DAN W. SIMMS.

BY LUCAS NEBEKER, ESQ., OF THE COVINGTON BAR.

Dan W. Simms was born in Crawford county, Illinois, February 13,
1862. His parents were poor and lived in a most primitive style. The fam-
ily, consisting of the father, mother, two sons and a daughter, moved to
Fountain county, Indiana, in 1870. At the early age of ten years Dan be-
gan to earn his own living by working for wages on a farm, and thereby kept
and clothed himself and gave some assistance to his father's family, and in
the winter months attended district school. In 1875 he went to north-
western Iowa and there worked on a farm for two years, attending school in
the winter. In 1877 he went from Iowa to Wichita, Kansas, and there
formed the acquaintance of a Mr. Cox, one of the cattle kings of that part of
the country, who took a warm interest in him, gave him employment, and
treated him with great kindness. He worked for this gentleman, in the cat-
tie business, in Kansas, the Indian Territory and the "pan-handle" of Texas
until 1880, when he returned to Fountain county, Indiana, with the intention
formed in his mind of acquiring an education and becoming a lawyer. When

'/^

Jfd/ryi/mJ/

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 873

he returned to Fountain county he found his father's family in almost desti-
tute circumstances, both parents being confined to beds of sickness. He
proceeded to relieve the situation as far as possible by securing a job of driv-
ing spikes on what is now the Peoria division of the "Big Four" railroad, and
worked until the following spring in the laying of steel rails on that road, from
Indianapolis to Peoria.

He then began work as a farm hand and saved up what he supposed
would be sufficient money to carry him through a winter term of a high school.
When he was about to enter the school he was taken down with typhoid
fever, and that sickness consumed all the money he had saved. When he
recovered, William A. Wright, a farmer of the neighborhood, offered him a
chance to attend a school, which he was teaching that winter, and at the
same time to earn his board and lodging at his house by attending to and
feeding the stock on his farm. This kind and favorable offer he wisely and
fortunately accepted. During the long winter evenings Mr. Wright patiently
instructed and assisted him, and devoted himself, for hours each evening, to
the cultivation and development of the young man's intellect. He made such
progress that he was able, the next winter, to secure employment himself as
teacher of a district school, and continued to live with Mr. Wright, teaching
in the winter, but attending school in the spring and fall terms at Lebanon,
Ohio; Ladoga, Indiana, and at last at Asbury, now De Pauw, University.

He pursued this course until 1885, but in the meantime began the study
of law, borrowing books from the law office of W. E. Baker, Esq., of the
neighboring town of Veedersburg. He was then admitted to the bar of
Fountain county, and soon after being admitted he was married to Ezadora
J. Wright, a cousin of his benefactor. To them have been born three chil-
dren, a boy, who died when two and a half years old, and two girls, who are
living. About the time of his marriage he began the practice of law at
Veedersburg, in Fountain county, in partnership with Freeman E. Miller, as
Simms & Miller, conducting, at the same time, or during a part of the time,
the public schools of that town. In 1887 he moved to Covington, the county-
seat, and entered into partnership with O. S. Douglass, under the firm name
of Simms & Douglass. It is the opinion of the writer of this sketch that up
to this time the principal success of Mr. Simms, in the line of his chosen pro-
fession, consisted in the acquisition of a varied, though valuable, experience,
arising out of collections from very unwilling debtors, or perhaps from intel-
lectual tournaments with our old friend, WiUiam E. Baker, whose strategy,
eloquence and energy in lawsuits before a justice can be described only by
the word "boundless." I would say, in this connection, that if any lawyer
friend of mine, who has ever met Mr. Baker in the open field of a justice
court, where he was at his best, free and untrammeled by the rules and time

874 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

limits which embarrassed him in the circuit court, — if such a one can con-
scientiously substitute a milder word, the amendment will be accepted.

With this training and preparation he entered upon a successful career
at the bar. The hand-to-hand fight with poverty was ended, and he now,
for the first time, saw the dawn of a bright and prosperous future. The trials
of all his early life had taxed his strength, but had developed his manhood.
He rapidly gained success and prominence as a member of the Fountain
county bar. He has, I think, outstripped all the other members of that bar,
the writer included. By methods, which space will not permit me to
analyze, he trained and cultivated those faculties which pertain to the work
of the successful trial lawyer, and in a short time came to be regarded as a
forcible and dangerous antagonist in a lawsuit.

In January, 1891, Henry H. Dochterman, a very able and distinguished
lawyer, oftered him a partnership, which he accepted. The firm of Dochter-
man & Simms continued until the death of Mr. Dochterman, which occurred
in March, 1893. This relation and contact with an eminent lawyer of large
experience and great learning was in itself a legal education, supplementing
that of a rough experience and self-culture. The value of an opportunity
like this to acquire the methods and accomplishments of the first-class law-
yer is, in my judgment, beyond conception, though seldom fully realized and
appreciated at the time. The firm was engaged in many important difficult
cases. The increasing ill health of Mr. Dochterman forced Mr. Simms into
situations the requirements of which drew upon, and called out, the best
that he was capable of, in the way of ability and diligence.

On April i, 1893, he formed a copartnership with Lucas Nebeker, as
Nebeker cS: Simms. That firm carried on a satisfactory and successful law
business during the five years of its existence, and during this period Mr.
Simms was engaged in many important cases, in various counties of western
Indiana, and in most of them won for himself, by his ability and eloquence,
credit and distinction. In 1898 he sought a wider field, and on February ist
of that year he entered into partnership with J. Frank Hanly and Will R.
Wood, as Hanly, Wood & Simms, at Lafayette. This firm, as is well known,
had a large business and was regarded throughout the state as a strong firm of
lawyers. March 15, 1899, Mr. Simms became a member of the firm of Stuart,
Hammond & Simms, an equally strong combination.

Mr. Simms has had political greatness almost thrust upon him. He repre-
sented his district in the national Democratic convention of i8g6. He was
the choice of his party for congress in 1898, and his removal from the dis-
trict was a matter of great regret and disappointment to his numerous polit-
ical friends and admirers and the party generally, who had counted upon him
as their standard bearer and candidate.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 875

The temptation is strong with me to speak of the social and more per-
sonal qualities of Mr. Simms. Throughout our daily intercourse in our pro-
fessional relation he was courteous and kind at all times. His mind was
always active and energetic. He was, to me, a constant entertainment.
His impulsive disposition sometimes brought about results which formed good
material for jokes, at his expense, some of which material I sometimes used,
with slight embellishment, for the delectation of our court and bar. I must
admit, however, that in these emergencies his resources, aided by a fertile
imagination, were such as to enable him to keep the score about even. I
must not, and in fact I need not, elaborate on the subject. Those who enjoy
the pleasure of his intimate acquaintance can testify not only as to his emi-
nent ability as a lawyer but also as to his jovial and genial disposition.

WILL. R. WOOD.

William R. Wood, son of Robert and Matilda Wood, was born at Ox-
ford, Indiana, January 5, 1861. His father still survives, and resides at Ox-
ford, where for more than forty years he has been engaged in harness-making.
The boy was given such advantages as his primitive surroundings and the
poverty of his parents afforded. Until he reached the age of seventeen he
attended the common schools of his native town. At fourteen years of age
he began to learn his father's trade, working at the harness-bench during the
spring and summer months for three years, when he began school-teaching
in the country schools of Benton county. He taught school two winters, and
then, on borrowed money, entered the law department of the University of
Michigan, where he remained until his graduation, in 1882.

After his graduation he located at Lafayette, Indiana, where he now re-
sides, and here entered the practice of law. His first association was with
Captain W. DeWitt Wallace, (now judge of the Tippecanoe superior court),
as a student, and there he remained until 1884, when he formed a partner-
ship with Captain Bryan, and began the active practice of his profession. In
1890 he was elected prosecuting attorney for the twenty-third judicial cir-
cuit, at which time his partnership with Captain Bryan was dissolved. He
continued the practice alone. In 1892 he was re-elected prosecuting attorney
and continued in that office until November, 1895.

He is a Republican in politics. In 1894 he entered the race for the
nomination for congress in the ninth congressional district, composed at that
time of the counties of Clinton, Boone, Hamilton, Howard, Tippecanoe, Tip-
ton and Warren. Hon. Joseph B. Cheadle was a candidate before the same
convention. He entered the convention with the prestige of having served
four years as the representative of the district. He had been a soldier and

876 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

had the support of a large element among the old soldiers present in the con-
vention. Captain W. H. Hart, now auditor of state, Hon. Thomas H. Boyd
and Hon. J. Frank Hanly were also candidates. Mr. Wood and Mr. Hanly
were both young men, and their candidacy was conducted with the utmost
cordiality and friendship. Mr. Wood was the leading candidate before the
convention for ninety-two ballots, receiving from seventy-five to eighty-five
votes on each ballot. More than once the nomination seemed to be within
his grasp, but at length it became apparent to him and his friends that he
could not secure the nomination. On the ninety-third ballot Tippecanoe cast
her entire vote for Mr. Hanly, at Mr. Wood's request, and the latter was nom-
inated. The spirit with which he accepted his defeat won the admiration of
friends and foes alil<e. He came out of the convention with more friends
than ever. In 1896 he was elected to the state senate from Tippecanoe
county, and re-elected in 1898. His term will e.xpire in 1902.

In the fall of 1896 he and J. Frank Hanly, who was then in congress,
formed a partnership, Mr. Hanly removing to Lafayette from Williamsport,
since which time thay have been engaged in the practice together.

Notwithstanding his early and continuous participation in politics, Mr.
Wood has won distinction as a lawyer. As an advocate he has no superior
at the Tippecanoe county bar. His mental processes are quick and unusually
accurate. He sees intuitively what most men discover only by careful inves-
tigation and research, and arrives at a bound at conclusions ordinarily found
only by the most painstaking plodding. Of the many criminal indictments
drawn by him as prosecuting attorney during the four years he filled that
office not one was held bad by the court. His quick perception and ready
eloquence make him an efficient trial lawyer. If there is a vulnerable point
in the armoF of his adversary he finds it, and the antagonist who would suc-
cessfully withstand his attack must be wary and resourceful. His weapon is
a rapier. He never fights with a bludgeon. His enemy is dissected, and not
mangled.

During long and complex trials he takes but few notes of the evidence,
and is ready to go immediately to the jury at the close of the testimony. He
speaks without apparent preparation, yet he covers the whole case in his
argument. He retains in his memory every scrap of material evidence given
in the cause, and brings to the discussion of it a wealth of logic, invective and
eloquence that wins for his client many a forlorn hope.

Possessed of a warm and generous nature he makes friends and keeps
them. Impulsive and passionate, he is as quick to forgive as to resent an
insult.

In 1883 Mr. Wood was married to Miss Mary E. Giger, of Lafayette,
Indiana. No children have been born to them. They live in a commodious

BIOGRJPEICAL HISTORY. 877

home on Ferry street, and spend a part of each summer in travel. Mrs.
Wood is proud of her husband and of his achievements. Her cheery dispo-
sition and her belief in her husband and in his work have done more, per-
haps, than anything else to keep his impulsive nature evenly balanced. To
him she has been both helpmeet and refuge.

He is a Mason, an Elk, a Knight of Pythias and a Forester, and is also
a member of the National Union.

JOSEPH H. IvIOUS.

One of the representative citizens of White county, Joseph Kious well
deserves mention in its chronicles, and for nearly thirty years he has been
numbered among the extensive land-owners here, even as was his father for
twenty years previously. Both took just pride in the rise of this county to a
position of wealth and prominence in the state, and performed their full share
tovvard insuring this result.

As the surname of our subject indicates, he is of German extraction,
though his paternal grandfather, Adam Ivious, was in all probability, a native
of Pennsylvania, and at an early day was a pioneer near Sterling, Ohio. His
father was a soldier in the war of the Revolution. Adam Kious lived to an
advanced age, his death occurring in the Buckeye state. He followed agri-
cultural pursuits, as have most of his descendants, and all of his sons became
wealthy and prominent in the several localities in which they dwelt. On the
maternal side, our subject is of Irish lineage, the Pritchard family having been
founded in -the United States about 1670, by natives of the northern part of
Ireland. William Pritchard, the maternal grandfather of J. H. Kious, was
born in Maryland, and died in Ohio, in the prime of early manhood, leaving
several children.

John and Harriet (Pritchard) Kious, parents of our subject, were natives
of Ohio. The former, who was a stock-raiser and farmer, like others of his
family, came to White county, Indiana, in 1843, and bought a thousand or
twelve hundred acres of land in Prairie township. To this he added, by
purchase, until he owned in the neighborhood of three thousand acres, which
he improved and greatly increased in value, by judicious work and expendi-
ture. He reared his children to be useful citizens, and passed to his reward
in 1873, when about seventy years of age. He was survived by the wife and
mother, who died in 1886, aged about seventy-four years. For several
terms he had served as county surveyor, and in other local offices he had
manifested his devotion to the best interests of his community. Four of his
eight children are deceased. Lacey M. is the wife of Simon Bailey, of Bat-

878 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

tie Ground, Indiana. Josephine, who lives near Brookston, is the wife of
John Cutler. Harriet V. has never married.

Joseph H. Kious, who was born on his father's farm near Brookston,
December 12, 1846, was given a good business education, completing his
studies in the college at Battle Ground, Indiana. Then returning to the
farm, he gave his attention to the raising of grain and other crops, and was
interested in cattle and hogs to some extent until 1888, when he came to
Brookston to live. He has not given up farming, however, and still owns
fifteen hundred acres, situated in Prairie township, west of Brookston, and
convenient to the town.

In 1888 Mr. Kious erected a handsome modern house on Prairie street,
and on the 12th of June, 1889, he installed in it his bride, who until that day
had been Miss Laura Finch, a daughter of George H. and Phoebe (Keyes)
Finch, of Benton county, Indiana. The marriage of our subject and wife
has been blessed with one child, Laura Blanche.

The Farmers' Bank, of Brookston, now a flourishing financial institu-
tion, was organized and duly incorporated on the ist of May, 1S94. Mr.
Kious and others were influential in this enterprise, which has been a boon
to this town and locality, and for the past five years he has acted in the
capacity of its president, Jeremiah Murphy being vice-president and M. E.
Bennett cashier. In his political standing Mr. Kious is a firm Republican,
stanchly defending the principles of his party, and keeping well informed in
regard to the questions and issues of the day.

EBEN E. BAILEY.

A well and favorably known member of the bar of Tippecanoe county,
Mr. Bailey has been engaged in the practice of his profession in Lafayette
for the past five or six years. He is one of the native sons of this county,
and from his early youth he has been interested in whatever has materially
affected the development and growth of this section of the state. He was
born upon the parental homestead in Sugar Grove township, January 7,
1863, and was there raised to maturity. He received a thorough training in
the various duties of farm management, but he decided in his youth that he
would seek some other vocation. He was an apt student and made rapid
progress in the mastery of the "three R's," in the district school which he
attended in boyhood, and subsequently it was his privilege to become a
pupil in Asbury Academy, at Greencastle, Indiana. Still later he went to
the Illinois State Normal School, after which he traveled more or less for
two years, seeing something of his country, and thinking that he might
possibly settle in the west when he took up the responsible duties of life in

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 879

earnest. He taught school with very good success for nearly two years, and
in the meantime took up legal studies. In 1892 he passed with credit
the required examinations for admission to the bar, and established an office
in Lafayette, where he has since attended strictly to the duties of his pro-
fession.

Other matters having taken up most of his time and attention, Mr.
Bailey has devoted himself but little to politics as yet, though he has faith-
fully discharged his duty as a citizen and voter since he reached his majority.
He uses his franchise in favor of the nominees and principles of the Demo-
cratic party in national elections, and in local affairs exercises wise discre-
on, supporting the best man in every instance, regardless of party lines.
In his fraternal relations he is an honored member of the Masonic order, the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias.

The pleasant home of Mr. Bailey, at No. 626 North Eighth street, is
presided over by his charming wife, formerly Miss Lena B. Mikels, to whom
he was united in marriage December 22, 1892. They have two children, a
little son and daughter, — Ross and Bessie. Mrs. Bailey is a daughter of'
Franklin and Mary (Ross) Mikels, well known citizens of Lafayette.

D. MERONAN KELLEY, M. D.

There is a feeling akin to reverence in many homes of the country for
the physician who has given of his skill, time and anxious thought to relieve
the suffering of the members of the family, and his beneficent care is grate-
fully remembered, even though years have passed since the days of waiting
and anxiety when he ministered to the needs of those upon whom disease had
fastened. In such reverence and'esteem, in the homes of a multitude of old-
time families of White and Carroll counties Dr. Kelley, of Brookston, is now
held, and his name is enduringly inscribed on the pages of the history of this
section of the state as one of the foremost representatives of the noble calling
to which he devotes his energies.

The Doctor was born at South Lansing, Tompkins county. New York,
March 12, 1855, a son of Dennis and Sarah (Shoemaker) Kelley. John Kel-
ley, his great-grandfather, was born in Dutchess county. New York, and was
a soldier in the war of 18 12, by which service he acquired title to a large
tract of land in Tompkins county. New York, removing thither about 1820
and there making his home until his death, at about three-score years and
ten. He had four children: Ann, John, Mary and Robert. His son John also
was a lifelong resident of Tompkins county, and married Catharine Osmun,
by whom he had seven children, namely: Jane, William, John F., Mary-
ette, Dennis, Clarinda and Lewis.

880 BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY.

Dennis Kelley, the Doctor's father, was born November 22, 1831, in
Tompkins county, where he has passed his life as a farmer and hotel-keeper,
engaging in the latter business from 1866 until 1870, although he is now liv-
ing a retired life in North Lansing. He married Sarah Shoemaker, a daugh-
ter of Jacob and Christina (Ozmun) Shoemaker. Her father was a native of
Pennsylvania and prior to 1800 removed to Tompkins county, New York,
where he purchased several hundred acres of land. He there occupied and
developed that extensive tract and thereon reared his family of ten children,
namely: John, Jacob, Henry, Mary, Caroline, Sophia, Christina, Ann, Mar-
garet and Jane. Both he and his good wife remained upon the farm until
death, each passing away when about ninety years of age. Their son Jacob
was born March 30, 1800, and in 1823 he married Christina Ozmun. Their
five children were Ann, Elmira, Sarah, Jacob and Emma, of whom Sarah
married Dennis Kelley, and lived with him in Tompkins count}' until her
death, October 25, 1890, at the age of fifty-six years, excepting one year
which they spent in Michigan. Of their three children the Doctor is the eld-
est. The others are Alma C, who was married in 1876 to D. A. Tarbell,
and has four children, — Clay, Nina, Howard and an infant; and Clarence W. ,
who married Cora Miller, daughter of George Miller, in 1893, and resides in
North Lansing.

Dr. Kelley was afforded the educational advantages of the excellent pub-
lic schools of Tompkins county, New York, and in September, 1878, was
enrolled among the students in the State University of Michigan, at Ann Ar-
bor, being graduated from the medical department, June 30, 1881. From
early youth he had a strong desire to enter the medical profession, a physi-
cian who boarded with the family at that time influencing and directing his
taste in that direction, and in spite of serious obstacles his indomitable will
carried him to a successful consummation of his wishes. In September,
1881, he located in Brookston, where he is still engaged in practice, and
where, by his superior skill, close attention to the wants of the suffering, and
years of successful treatment, he has built up a large and lucrative practice
— the highest testimonial that could be given to his worth, both as a physi-
cian and as a man. He is recognized to-day as the leading medical practi-
tioner of this section of the state, and his reading and study along professional
lines have advanced him greatly on the road to perfection. He is a keen
and intelligent observer of men and affairs, and in business he possesses
great acumen, ability and foresight, his business ventures having been uni-
formly successful. As a result he is now in possession of an ample compe-
tency. In 1 89 1 he became a stockholder in the Brookston Canning Com-
pany, and in 1892 was elected its president, holding the office for three
years, or until he disposed of his stock. In 1897 he purchased a productive

BIOGBJPEICAL HISTORY. 881

farm of two hundred and forty acres, in Benton county, to the superintend-
ency of which he devotes the time he can spare from his professional duties.

In October, 1885, Dr. Kelly was united in marriage to Miss Mima A.
Allen, of Brookston, Indiana, and after nearly seven years of a happy wed-
ded life she was called from earth on April 20, 1892. On the i6th of Feb-
ruary, 1897, was celebrated his marriage to Miss Harriet D. French, of Tem-
pleton, Indiana.

In his political views the Doctor is a stalwart Republican, and, though
deeply interested in the success and growth of the party, has never taken
an active part in political work, or sought office. He has been connected
with the Masonic fraternity since 1876, in the spring of which year he was
made a Mason in Lansing Lodge, No. 774, F. & A. M., at Lansing, New
York. In 1S81 he became a member of Brookston Lodge, No. 66, F. & A.
M., in which he was elected and presided as master during the year 1883.
He later transferred his membership to Lafayette Lodge, No. 123, F. & A.
M., and with it he is still affiliated. He also belongs to Anchor Lodge, No.
287, K. P., of which he was a charter member. In society and business
circles he has ever taken high rank, and he numbers many representative
people among his personal friends.

AARON Y. TAYLOR.

Aaron Y. Taylor is one of the honored and venerable pioneers of Warren
county, in whose development he has ably assisted and with the destinies of
which his own have been indissolubly interwoven for over seventy years. A
son of William and Amasa (Young) Taylor, natives of Virginia, our subject
was born in Fleming county, Kentucky, January 3, 1812. He accompanied
the rest of the family to this state in 1827, and after passing the winter in
the vicinity of the present village of Newtown, Fountain county, they settled
in what is now known as Kent township, Warren county. The parents
continued to reside on the same homestead until death, the father passing
away December 22, 1840, and the mother February 18, 1867. The only
representatives of the family now living are Aaron Y. and his sister, Mrs.
Amanda Becket, of State Line, this county.

As may be supposed, Aaron Y. Taylor had very small opportunities for
the acquisition of an education in his youth, as the country was wild and
there were few inhabitants in this now populous region. He early learned
the essentials of farming, and met with success when he entered upon his
independent life as an agriculturist. He was fortunate in his choice of a
wife, tor she proved a true helpmate, and by their united efforts they acquired

882 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

a goodly competence. For a number of years he wa^ a justice of the peace
and an assessor of the township.

The marriage of Mr. Taylor and Miss Mary A. Spickard was celebrated
October i8, 1844. She was a native of Ohio and a daughter of John
Spickard, who became a resident of Warren county in 1832. Three sons
and six daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, and those who survive
are as follows: Albert S., of Kansas City; Mrs. Martha Jane Sumner, of
Milford, Illinois; Mrs. Mary E. , Wedgbury; George, of Hoopeston, Illinois;
Mrs. Polly King, of Danville, Illinois; and Mrs. Finette Whitehead, of
Chicago. Isabel, a successful teacher of music, died July 7, 1897, 3-iid the
other children died when young. The wife and mother departed this life
January 29, 1896, at the age of seventy-four years, loved and mourned by
all who knew her. She was very fond of music, and largely owing to her
influence her children were thoroughly trained in the pleasing art, several of
them developing great proficiency as musicians. In the work of the Method-
ist Episcopal church she was always active and interested, taking special
pride in her Sunday-school class. Mr. Taylor has been a member of the
same denomination since he reached his majority, and helped to organize the
first class-meeting in his neighborhood. He likewise has been very useful in
the Sunday-school and is one of the trustees of the church. Well posted on
general subjects, he has made a special study of the Bible, believing that it
is the end as well as " the beginning of wisdom." He is now tenderly cared
for in his declining days by one of his daughters, who has come to live at
the old homestead.

DANIEL J. WOOD.

Daniel James Wood is one of the successful business men of Lafayette,
his location being at No. 331 North Third street. Only three years ago he
embarked in his present enterprise, but he has been prospered and is handling
a very large and paying trade in his special line. In 1897 he erected a com-
fortable residence on North Fifteenth street, north of Bell.

The parents of our subject, John L. and Sarah (Hemrich) Wood, were
both natives of North Carolina, whence they removed to Kentucky, later to
Tennessee; thence to Cincinnati, Ohio, and finally to Indiana and Illinois.
They were pioneers in the vicinity of Crawfordsville, Indiana, and in 1853
they became residents of Livingston county, Illinois. In that section of the
state they carried on a farm near Pontiac for about thirteen years. Mr.
Wood learned the shoemaker's trade when he was a young man, and fol-
lowed the business to some extent in his early life. In 1866, desiring to be
near his son, the subject of this article, he settled in Logansport, Indiana, and.

BIOGRJPEICAL HISTORY. 883

there he spent his last years, his death occurring in 1885, when he was in his
eighty-fifth year. His wife survived him several years, dying at the advanced
age of ninety-one, in 1893. They were both devout members of the Meth-
odist church, and enjoyed the sincere esteem of all who knew them. During
the civil war Mr. Wood enlisted as a private in Company G, Fifty-third Illi-
nois Volunteer Infantry, and served for several months. His father, John
Wood, was a native of North Carolina, and for a few years made his home in
Indiana. He attained the remarkable age of one hundred and fifteen years,
and his wife lived to be over one hundred years old. The maternal grand-
father of our subject was of German descent, and lived and died in North
Carolina.

The birth of Daniel James Wood occurred in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio,
January 16, 1838. He was one of thirteen children, of whom but five are
now living, namely: Matilda, wife of Marcus O'Connor, of Pontiac, Illinois;
John W. , of Kansas City, Missouri; Daniel J.; Thomas, of Rock, Missouri;
and Sarah, wife of Stephen Posey, of Logansport, Indiana.

Until he was fourteen years old our subject lived at various places in
this state, after which he went to Illinois, and resided in Pontiac and vicinity
up to 1869, when he became a citizen of Logansport. After three years
spent in that place he went to Kansas and for two years was engaged in
farming and blacksmithing in Atlanta, Rice county. In 1874 he returned to
Logansport, and in the autumn of 1888 opened a blacksmith's shop in La-
fayette. He continued to devote his time and attention to his trade until
1895, when, in company with his son Wilton S., he embarked in the coal,
wood and lime business. This partnership existed up to the i 5th of December,
1897, when the senior Wood bought the younger man's interest in the busi-
ness and has since conducted it alone. They are associated in the manufac-
ture of a hard wall-plaster, and in the busy season give employment to a
number of hands.

At present Mr. Wood favors the principles of the Populist party, though
he was formerly an advocate of the Republican party platform. He is a
master Mason, being identified with Lafayette Lodge, No. 123, F. & A. M.

The marriage of Daniel J. Wood and Miss Margaret Ross was celebra-
ted in May, 1858, and thirteen children came to bless their union. Of the
number, which comprised eight sons and five daughters, the following sur-
vive : Retta, Alice, Wilton S., Martin, Charles, Edward, Harry and May.
Retta is the wife of Charles Mitchell, of Northboro, Massachusetts, and has
one child, William. Alice, a resident of the same town, is the wife of
Michael Moore, and has two children, Cora and Myrtle. Wilton S., of La-
fayette, married Eva Ford and has a son and daughter, Chester and Estie.
Martin wedded Katie Hoffman and lives in this city. Harry chose for his

884 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

wife 'Lizzie Fox and has one child. May is the wife of Edward Breen, Ro-
mona, Indiana. Mrs. Margaret Wood is a daughter of William and Lavina
(Groves) Ross.

ADAMS D. RAUB.

Adams Danforth Raub, one of the best known and most highly respected
citizens of Earl Park, was born in Tippecanoe county, March 7, 1840. He is
the son of John and Caroline (Earl) Raub, the former of whom was born in
Chillicothe, Ohio, and came when quite a young man to Tippecanoe county,
Indiana, where he bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres near Lafay-
ette. He died there in 1847. His wife was born in Upper Sandusky, Ohio,
and was next to the youngest in a family of fifteen children, all of whom
grew to manhood and womanhood. She was married in Tippecanoe county
and died many years ago, having been the mother of three children, namely:
Josephine, who died at the age of fourteen years; Elcina, who died in
infancy; and our subject. The paternal grandparents were natives of Ohio
and the grandmother's maiden name was Nice. The maternal grandparents
were originally from Syracuse, New York, and settled .in Ohio, the maid-
en name of Mrs. Earl having been Danforth. Their ancestors emigrated
from England in 1620 and fourteen of the Danforths were in the battle of
Bunker Hill.

The subject of this sketch attended the district schools on the Wea
plains and later the common and private schools of Lafayette, making his
home at that time in the family of Mr. Adams Earl. He was then for two
years a student in the high school at Thorntown, Indiana, and after com-
pleting his education he returned to the Wea plains, where he ran an eleva-
tor for three years. In 1864 he located at Hickory Grove, just west of
Fowler, where he fenced twenty sections of land for Moses Fowler and
Adams Earl. He collected forty-five thousand dollars in contributions for con-
structing the Cincinnati, Chicago & Lafayette Railroad, which was built by
Moses Fowler, Adams Earl and Gustavus Ricker. The moving of the county-
seat from Oxford to Fowler was agitated at that time, the latter place suc-
ceeding in obtaining it through the generosity of Messrs. Fowler and Earl,
who donated one section of land to the railroad company, which company
then gave ten thousand dollars toward the construction of the new court-house,
while the gentlemen above mentioned paid the balance of thirty thousand
dollars. Mr. Raub came to Earl Park and platted that city in 1871, and in
company with Adams Earl planted maple trees along the sides of all the
streets, having raised the trees from the seed. He also, the same year, laid
out the village of Raub. The first building in Earl Park was the elevator.

BIOGRJPEICAL BISTORT. 885

and the second the depot, both of which are still standing. Several houses
were built on lots donated by our subject and Mr. Earl. A sale of lots
occurred in 1S72, to which several thousand people came on a special train
of freight cars from Lafayette, a free ride and a free lunch being given to
all. In 1872 Mr. Raub built a store and stocked it with about ten thousand
dollars' worth of goods, and in 1891 he built the present tile factory, which
cost twenty-five thousand dollars. He has been a prominent factor in the
history of Earl Park, and his generosity in all matters relating to his com-
munity is known throughout the county.

The marriage of our subject took place in January, 1875, at the house
of Senator Voorhees, in Terre Haute, Indiana, when he was united to Mrs.
Nannie D. (Hardesty) Jones. Her father was one of the first trustees of
the Asbury University, now DePauw University, at Greencastle, Indiana, in
which city Mrs. Raub was born. One child, Ruth, was born of this mar-
riage, in 1878, and she is now a student of the University of Chicago.

MRS. LUTETIA CRAWFORD.

This venerable resident of West Lebanon, Indiana, was born in Harri-
son county, Kentucky, July 22, 1805, a daughter of Samuel and Sarah
(Sellars) Snodgrass. She was reared in her native county, and was nineteen
years of age when her father died. The remainder of the famdy then
removed to Preble county, Ohio, where a portion of the family still reside.
In that county, March 15, 1827, Miss Snodgrass married William Crawford,
and in 1820 they emigrated to Warren county, Indiana, settling in Pike town-
ship, and here Mr. Crawford died, September 24, 1854, on the farm which
he first occupied, and here Mrs. Crawford still makes her home.

She has had seven sons and four daughters. Two of the sons, Samuel
and William, entered the army, in which both lost their lives. There are
now in the family three sons and two daughters, namely: John, George,
Harvey, Margaret, the wife of Salmon Robb; and Sarah Ann Elizabeth, the
wife of Henry Haupt.

Mrs. Crawford is a venerable lady and the sunset days of her life are
serene and pleasant. She has always enjoyed a high reputation for her
many excellent traits of character, and is held in deep affection by a large
circle of friends.

FREDERICK DORNER.

The sturdy German element in our national commonwealth has been one-
of the most important in furthering the substantial and normal advancement
of the country, for this is an element signally appreciative of practical values

886 BIOGRAPHICAL EISTOBT.

and also of the higher intellectuality which transcends all provincial confines.
Well may any person take pride in tracing his lineage to such a source. A
native of the Fatherland, Frederick Dorner possesses many of the character-
istics which have given strength and standing to the German nation, and is a
representative of the best type of our German-American citizenship.

Born in Baden, on the 29th of November, 1837, he is a son of Frederick
and Christina (Von Sholder) Dorner. His paternal grandfather was likewise
born in Germany, where he reared a family of several children, and he died
in the land of his birth, at the advanced age of ninety-three years. The
maternal grandfather followed the dyer's trade as a scource of livelihood,
and died in middle life. Frederick Dorner, father of our subject, engaged in
the operation of a flour mill and thus supported his family. He died in 1873,
at the age of eighty-three years, his wife having passed away six years prev-
iously, and their entire lives were passed in Germany. They held membership
in the Lutheran church and enjoyed the respect of all who knew them. Of
their six children four are now living: Carl, of Geneva, Switzerland; Philip,
of Frankfort, Indiana; Adolph, of Stuttgart, Wurtemberg; and Frederick,
whose name introduces this article.

Until he was eighteen years of age Frederick Dorner remained in the
Fatherland, and within that time acquired a good practical education in the
public schools. On laying aside his text-books he gained some knowledge of
business methods by assisting his father in the mill, but, believing that bet-
ter opportunities were afforded ambitious young men in the New World, he
bade adieu to home and friends and, in 1855, sailed for America. Landing"
on the shores of this republic, he at once made his way to Lafayette, Indi-
ana, where he has since resided. For a number of years he followed various
employments that would yield him an honest living, and in 1870 he engaged
in business on his own account, as a florist. For a number of years he rented
greenhouses and engaged in the cultivation of flowers. In 1891, however,
he purchased nine acres of land in the eastern section of the city, and began
the development of his present extensive establishment. At first he erected
three hot-houses, to which he has added from time to time until his exten-
sive plant embraces seventeen greenhouses with fifty thousand square feet
under glass. He raises all varieties of flowers, but makes a specialty of car-
nations, and no more beautiful or perfect varieties of that flower can be
found than those which come from his conservatories. He ships flowers and
plants to all parts of the United States, from New York to San Francisco
and from New Orleans to Winnipeg, and makes exhibits of flowers and
plants in all sections of the country at different flower shows. Seventeen
persons are engaged in carrying on the business, ten of the number being em-
ployes connected with the family, while the remaining seven are members of

BIOGRJPHiaiL HISTORY. 887

the Dorner family. The business is carried on under the firm name of the
Frederick Dorner & Sons Company, and their stamp upon products is a guar-
anty of excellence. They enjoy a most enviable reputation, and their pat-
ronage is very extensive and of an important character.

On the 2d of March, 1861, Mr. Dorner was united in marriage to Miss
Margaret Eihl, a daughter of Lawrence and Margaret (Kramer) Eihl. Thir-
teen children have been born to them, five sons and eight daughters.
Those yet living are: Frederick, who married Eda Prass and has one
child, Dorothea; Emily, at home; Anna married Fred E. Hudson and they
reside with her parents; Emma, at home; Theodore, who married Lillian
Harrington, has one daughter, Kathryn; and Hermann and William, who are
still with their parents. The children have been provided with excellent
educational privileges, several of them having been students in Purdue Uni-
versity. Frederick and Theodore are now in partnership with their father.
Those who have passed away are Margaret, who died at the age of nine
months; Margaret, the second of the name, who died at the age of ten years;
Frederick, who died at the age of two years; Christina, who passed away at
the age of twenty-three; and two who died in infancy.

In his political views Mr. Dorner is a Republican, and while he keeps
well informed on political questions and takes a deep interest therein, as
every true American citizen should do, he has never sought nor desired public
office, preferring to devote his time and energies to his constantly growing
business. He is now the owner of a valuable property, including a fine resi-
dence, which he erected in 1894. His hopes of benefiting his financial con-
dition in America have been realized. Starting out in life empty-handed, he
has steadily advanced on the road to prosperity, and his industry, capable
management, enterprise and sound judgment have brought to him success,
which he richly merits.

DAVID WOODLOCK.

David Woodlock, one of the most extensive land-owners in the state of
Indiana, has been a resident of Parish Grove township, near Dunnington,
Indiana, for almost thirty years. He was born in county Tipperary, Ireland,
about the year 1829, and is a son of Patrick and Catherine Woodlock. His
ancestors were Irish, some of them taking part in the Danish invasion of
three hundred years ago. The parents of Mr. Woodlock were also natives
of the county of Tipperary, where they died when he was a small boy.
They had a large number of children, eight of whom are now deceased.
They are Mary, Edmond, Katherine, Alice, Bridget, John, Michael and
David. Those living are in America, namely, Patrick, a resident of Ottawa,

888 BIOGRJPHICAL HIST GET.

Illinois; Ellen, the widow of Edward Hammel, of New Haven, Connecticut;
and David, who is here represented.

He was educated in his native country, attending school at Kacher City
and Ballylooby. When about ten years old his father died, his mother hav-
ing been taken to her heavenly home some years previously. In 1848 he
sailed for this country, landing at New York. He went to New Haven,
Connecticut, where he learned the trade of locksmith, and he followed this
vocation there until 1851, when he came west and located at Ottawa, Illi-
nois, where he bought two lots, and built a house in which he lived for three
years. In 1858 hetook a trip south to New Orleans, returning in 1861.
He then bought a farm near Ottawa, where he devoted the next seven years
to the pursuit of agriculture. Not being satisfied with his location there he
came to Benton county, Indiana, and bought a half section of land two
miles north of Dunnington, in Parish Grove township. This land was
secured by him for eight dollars per acre, and is now very valuable property.
He has since added to this tract until he has acquired twelve hundred acres
in this county. He lives on this land and a small portion of it is farmed by
him, while the remainder is cultivated by tenants.

He was united in marriage, in July, 1850, to Miss Bridget Loughery, at
New Haven. She was born in Ireland, and was a daughter of Luke Lough-
ery, of that country. Nine children have been born to this union: John,
who was born in New Haven, and David, Edward, William, Peter, Joseph,
Katherine, Mary and Elizabeth, who were born in this county. Mr. Wood-
lock is a member of the Dunnington Catholic church, and a supporter of
the principles of Democracy.

SIMON P. THOMPSON.

Judge Simon Parr Thomson, of Rensselaer, is the judge of the judicial
circuit comprising Jasper, Benton and Newton counties, and for many years
has been an eminent member of the bar and one of our most prominent citi-
zens. He was born in Orange township, Hancock county, Ohio, May 8,
1838, his parents being David and Eliza (McCoy) Thompson.

David Thompson was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, January 20,
1798, and was but a small boy when his parents moved to Stark county,
Ohio. His father was Isaac Thompson, a pioneer farmer of the Buckeye
state. July 7, 1825, he was united in marriage to Miss Eliza McCoy, a na-
tive of Columbiana county, Ohio. David Thompson took his family to Han-
cock county, Ohio, where he entered eighty acres of land and was a prominent
figure in the history of those days. He was a man of industrious habits and
sterling integrity, and accumulated a large amount of land, enabling him to

"Z<lif>l_^

BIOGRAFEICAL HISTORY. 889

give to each of his children eighty acres. They were the parents of ten chil-
dren, — seven sons and three daughters. On Christmas day, 1853, the parents
and ten children held their last family reunion, as the family circle has been
sadly broken since then. In less than two months, on February 16, 1854,
the beloved father passed to the invisible world, and September 20, 1861,
the affectionate wife and mother also passed away. Since then more than
half of their children have joined them in the other world, there to await the
final reunion. The record is as follows: Matilda, born February 25, 1828,
died July 19, 1864; Isaac, born February 25, 1828; Alfred, born February
17, 1829, died in Rensselaer March 3, 1896; Elizabeth, born July 2, 183 1,
died December 10, i860; Hiram, born May 16, 1833, died March 4, 1864;
David J., born September 11, 1836; Simon P., born May 8, 1838; Thomas,
born August 4, 1841; Mary, born August 13, 1843, died September 28, 1861 ;
and Hawkins L., born April 24, 1845, died September 28, 1862. Of the
four surviving brothers, Isaac resides near the old homestead in Ohio, and
the rest are residents of Jasper county, Indiana. Alfred, deceased, of whom
a sketch appears elsewhere in these pages, came in 1859; Simon B. in 1862;
Thomas in 1870; and David in 1874.

The school advantages enjoyed by Judge Thompson were such as were
usually found in new, thinly settled countries. He attended common school
for three months in the year from the time he was of school age until he was
fifteen. The building was a primitive affair, constructed of logs, and was
reached by a walk of two miles through the timber. By the time he was
fifteen years old he had acquired sufficient knowledge of the rudimentary
branches to enable him to engage in pedagogy. A year later he suffered a
severe blow in the loss of his father. About this time he entered an academy
for a term, and the following year was a student in Otterbein University.
He taught at intervals while attending school, and it was not until 1859 that
he was able to graduate at the Northwestern Normal School at Cincinnati.
Three years later he was. elected teacher of the school at Rensselaer, where
he taught two years; was next appointed school examiner of Jasper countv,
and then accepted a position in the bank of McCoy & Thompson, where he
remained one year. In the meantime he had devoted all his spare time to
the study of law, and having fully determined to take up that profession he
entered the law department of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and soon mastered its
intricacies. He graduated there on January i, 1866, formed a partnership
with Robert S. Dwiggins, in this place, which lasted three years. He then
became a partner in the law firm of Thompson & Brother, which continued
until our subject was elected to the office of judge in 1896. In the mean-
time he had served as prosecuting attorney four years — from 1S72 to 1876.

In 1886 he was elected to the senate of Indiana, and filled the office four
57

890 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

years with credit to himself and his constituents. He displayed high ability
as a legislator, and was a most satisfactory representative of the people. As
prosecuting attorney he was called on to conduct some of the most impor-
tant cases ever tried in the circuit.

For more than a quarter of a century Thompson & Brother was the lead-
ing law firm in Jasper county, and were deservedly popular, as the firm was
public-spirited and did all in its power to advance the public interests. The
educational interests of the county owe their advancement in a large measure
to Judge Thompson, who, as a teacher and school examiner, was the first to
introduce and advocate normal methods of instruction, and his influence as
an educator is still manifest in the excellent school system of Jasper county
and Rensselaer. His enterprise was also manifested in other improvements,
railroads, gravel roads, highways, ditches and public buildings having
received substantial aid from him both in time and money. It was largely
through his influence that the milldams on the Iroquois river were removed,
resulting in a great benefit to public health. He has bought large proper-
ties of non-residents and sold to actual settlers. He reclaimed a large tract
of swamp land in Union township by the construction of about fifteen miles
of ditches, and this land he has divided into a large number of farms, each
bearing special names, which he has placed on sale at such easy terms that
poorjnen are enabled to become land-owners. As a lawyer he is remarkably
able and successful. His character is above reproach, and receives the re-
spect he so richly merits.

On October lo, 1878, he was married to Miss Mary Foltz, of Oxford,
this state. She was born in Tippecanoe county, and is a daughter of Cyrus
and Mary Foltz. Their union has been blessed by the birth of five children,
viz.: Grace, born August 18, 1879; Parr, born July 28, 1880, and died Au-
gust 22 of the same year; Edna, born September 18, 1882; Firman, August
27, 1886, and Simon, February 18, 1893.

GEORGE W. BURNS, M. D.

Forty-four years ago this sterling old citizen of Lafayette came to this
place, and during this long period he has been thoroughly identified with what-
ever has tended toward the development and prosperity of this section. He
has won distinction in his chosen profession in the meantime, and, though
now well along in years, he has not given up his practice. In fact, his numer-
ous friends and regular patients would hardly permit him to retire from busi-
ness, as they are greatly attached to him and have come to rely upon his help-
ful sympathy and aid in times of sickness. Four decades ago, when he came
to this locality, small improvements had been made in the primeval wilder-

BIOGRJPEICAL HISTORY. 891

ness, and little resemblance can be traced in the Tippecanoe county of to-day
to that country of long ago. Though there were many difficulties and hard-
ships to be encountered by the frontiersmen of that early period, they had
their compensations, and never were friends truer and more helpful; and the
simple, unostentatious life which they led was filled with quiet enjoyment,
after all.

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Doctor Burns was born on the 24th of June,
1822. He is a son of Torrence and Barbara (Miller) Burns, who were natives
of Kentucky and Pennsylvania, respectively. They had five children, of
whom only the Doctor and John M., a farmer of Weston, Illinois, survive.
The father ran back and forth on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers with boats
for several years, taking freight from points in the Buckeye state to New
Orleans. Later in life he removed to Elkhart county, Indiana, and, locating
on land near Pine creek, north of Goshen, he improved a farm and reared his
family. After a long and useful career he was summoned to the better land,
having survived his devoted wife for a number of years. Both were mem-
bers of the Methodist church, and were always active in all religious and
charitable work. He ceased from his labor.^ in 1885, when he had attained
the advanced age of ninety-three years. His wife, whose death took place
in the year 1870, was then in her seventy-sixth year. She was a daughter of
John Miller, a native of Pennsylvania and a soldier of the war of 1S12. He
died in the Keystone state when about eighty-two years old. His wife after-
ward came to Goshen, Indiana, and there died in 1844, when about four-
score and two years. Harvey Burns, the paternal grandfather of the Doctor,
was a native of Ireland, of Scotch parentage. He decided to cast in his
fortunes with those of the favored sons of America, and fought for the liberty
and rights of his adopted land in the war of 1812. Having taken up his
abode in Kentucky among the pioneers of that state, he became a wealthy
plantation-owner and slave-holder. His children are five in number, four
sons and a daughter. Longevity is one of the characteristics of the Burns
family, and grandfather Burns lived to the extreme age of one hundred and
fifteen years, his death occurring in 1863.

When his parents removed to this state Dr. George W. Burns was but
four years old, and thus, to all intents and purposes, he is the son of the
Hoosier state. When he was a small boy he commenced attending the old-
fashioned subscription school, held in a log school-house. He also was a
student in the La Porte schools for one year, and in 1849 was graduated in
the medical department of the University of Michigan. He at once began
practice in Cassopolis, Cass county, Michigan, remaining there about five
years. He then came to Lafayette and established himself in the practice,
which has continued up to the present time. Always an earnest student,

892 EIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

he has kept in touch with modern discoveries and methods in the treatment
of disease and has retained the confidence and high regard of his profes-
sional brethren, as weU as of his patients. In national elections he has
always used his right of franchise in favor of the principles and nominees of
the Democratic party, and in local affairs he has exercised wise discrimina-
tion, voting for the man or measure which he deemed best calculated to
promote the welfare of his home community. Although he has passed the
usual age of man in length of days, according to the Psalmist, he enjoys
good health and is well preserved in bod}' and mind.

October 15, 1852, Doctor Burns married Miss Catherine Purkey, daugh-
ter of George W. and Catherine (Richey) Purkey. Eight children came to
bless their union, namely: Addie, deceased; Harvey, who married Emma
Dealey, of Indianapolis, and has two children, Mabel and Joy; Lucinda E.,
who married Robert Layton, of Battle Ground, Indiana, and has six chil-
dren; John and George W. , who are employed in a restaurant; Frank and
Willie, who died in infancy; and Annie, unmarried and living at home.
The faithful wife and mother was called to the silent land December 31,
1 89 1. She had been for many years a devout member of the United
Brethren church and was loved and admired by all who enjoyed the pleas-
ure of her acquaintance.

JOSEPH J. GORRELL.

A well known representative of the journalistic interests of northwestern
Indiana is Joseph J. Gorrell, editor and proprietor of the Pulaski County
Democrat, published at Winamac. His broad experience in the newspaper
field well fits him for the publication of a paper that ranks foremost among
the journals of this section of the state, and he has gained for the Democrat
a most liberal patronage by reason of its high character, its interesting arti-
cles and its advocacy of all measures intended to prove of public benefit.

Mr. Gorrell is one of Indiana's native sons, his birth having occurred on
a farm near Ossian, Wells county, on the 7th of December, 1852, and his
parents being James and Mary Ann (Milliken) Gorrell. The Gorrell family
originated in Ireland, and the first of whom we have authentic record is
James Gorrell, the great-grandfather of our subject. He was born in Mary-
land in 1770, and married Sarah Milholland, a native of the same state,
whose parents were emigrants from the little European kingdom of Holland.
He had a large family, among them these sons: John, James, Jesse, William,
Thomas and Joseph. The last named, who was the seventh son of a seventh
son, was born August 3, 1802, in Pennsylvania and married Esther Glass,
born September 5, 1800, the wedding being celebrated in Beaver county, of

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 893

the Keystone state. Their children were: James, John Glass, Milo Johnson,
William (deceased), Joseph Riddle, twins who died in infancy, Matilda,
Andrew G. and Cyrus Vanemon. Of this family James, Milo and Andrew G.
served in the Thirty-fourth Indiana Infantry during the civil war; Joseph R.
belonged to the One Hundred and Thirtieth Indiana Infantry, and Cyrus V.
was in the Seventy-fifth Regiment of Indiana Volunteers.

James Gorrell, the father of our subject, was born on a farm in Beaver
county, Pennsylvania, September 3, 1826, and in 1831 his parents removed
to their new home in Trumbull county, Ohio. In 1845 he became a resident
of Wells county, Indiana, where he purchased a quarter section of land from
his father, who had entered a section of government land. The entire family
then made their home on this place in Jefferson township. James Gorrell
resided here until 1865, when he formed a partnership with John Brown, of
Fort Wayne, and built the flouring mill at Ossian. He was associated with
Mr. Brown for three years and then became a partner of J. A. Milliken, in
connection with whom he operated the mill until 1874, when he exchanged
that property for a general store in Ossian. He then admitted his son
Joseph to a partnership in the mercantile business, which was conducted
under the firm name of Gorrell & Son until the burning of the store in
March, 1877. For the past six years he has made his home in Knox, Indi-
ana, and is an old gentleman of sterling worth, whose upright life has won
him great coniidence, respect and veneration. In connection with his brother
John he was at one time the proprietor of a paper in Bluffton, Indiana. He
has been honored with several local offices, having served as township
trustee and assessor, and in 1892 he was elected county assessor. In early
life he was a Whig and on the dissolution of that party joined the new Repub-
lican party, with which he affiliated until 1872, when he voted for Horace
Greeley. Since that time he has advocated the cause of Democracy and is
a supporter of its principles as expounded by W. J. Bryan. During the
civil war he loyally served his country as a member of Company A, Thirty-
fourth Indiana Infantry, enlisting in 1861 and remaining at the front until
honorably discharged on account of physical disability. Socially, he is con-
nected with the Masonic fraternity, holding his m.embership in Ossian Lodge,
No. 297.

In Wells county, Indiana, James Gorrell was united in marriage, August
8, 1850, to Miss Mary Ann Milliken, who was born in Juniata county, Penn-
sylvania, February 17, 1832. With her parents she removed in 1835 to
Trumbull county, Ohio, and thence in 1849 to Wells county, Indiana. By
her marriage she has become the mother of the following children: Sarah,
who died at the age of two years; Joseph, of this review; an infant son;
Samuel Mark, editor of the Starke County Democrat, at Knox, Indiana;

894 BIOGRJPHICdL HISTORY.

Esther May, wife of David H. Swaim, editor of the Bluffton (Indiana) Chron-
icle; Horace Grant, who died at the age of five years; Etta Wilmina, who is
engaged in school-teaching in Knox; Daisy Blanche, who died at the age of
one year; and James Donaldson, editor of the North Judson (Indiana) News.

The maternal grandfather of our subject was Samuel Milliken, and his
childrerj/Were Mary A., Martha Jane, James Abraham, William, Joseph Rob-
ertson, John Calvin, Samuel and Ezra. All of the sons, with the exception
of Samuel, served their country in the war of the Rebellion as loyal defend-
ers of the Union cause. The Milliken family is of Irish lineage.

Joseph J. Gorrell, who is the subject proper of this biographical record,
remained in the county of his nativity until 1881 and then went to Fort
Wayne, where he was employed in the shops of the Pittsburg Railway Com-
pany, in the carpenter department, for a year. In May, 1S82, he entered
the Sentinel office to learn the printer's trade, under the direction of E. A. K.
Hackett, but in less than a year secured a position on the Wells County
Times, at Bluffton. Soon afterward, however, in connection with Captain
E. Y. Sturgis and A. G. Gorrell, his uncle, he purchased the Bluffton Ban-
ner, but sold his interest to Mr. Sturgis after fourteen months and purchased
a newspaper plant at Portland. This he removed to Ridgeville and estab-
lished the Ridgeville Banner, which he conducted seven months, when he re-
moved to Winchester and began the publication of the Winchester Democrat,
really a revival of a paper of the same name which had previously gone down
in other hands. This he continued to publish until July 11, 1891, when he
sold it. On the 22d of the same month he came to Winamac and purchased
the Pulaski County Democrat, of which he has since been editor and pro-
prietor. He publishes his paper in the interests of the Democracy, and is a
stanch advocate of Bryan and the party principles as enunciated in the Chi-
cago platform of 1896.

On the 6th of June, 187S, Joseph J. Gorrell was united in marriage
to Miss Emma Jane Lewis, who was born in Jay county, Indiana, April
21, 1 86 1, and is a daughter of David W. and Harriet (Fetters) Lewis.
Their children are Edmund Clive, who was born May 23, 1S79, and is
now his father's assistant in the office; Vivian Frances, born April 19,
1883; Hazel Fay, born February 19, 1887.

Mr. Gorrell's social disposition and genial manner render him a favor-
ite in the lodges with which he is connected, and he is accounted one
of the leading representatives of the Masonic fraternity. Knights of Pythias
and the Royal Arcanum. He became a member of the Masonic order in
Ossian Lodge, No. 297, but was afterward demitted to Winchester Lodge
and later to Winamac Lodge. He was made a Royal Arch Mason in
North Judson Chapter, No. 108, and now belongs to Winamac Chapter,

BIOGRJPHIC.il bistort. 895

No. ii6. He is also affiliated with Logansport Council, No. ii, R. & S.
M., and St. John's Commander}', No. 24, Knights Templar, both of Logans-
port. He also belongs to Winamac Lodge, No. 274, Knights of Pythias,
of which he is past chancellor. In the other bodies he has held various
and responsible official positions. He is a public-spirited and progressive
citizen, giving a loyal and effective support to all measures for the public
good, and in business and social circles is highly esteemed for his genuine
worth.

S. HERBERT MOORE, M. D.

Among the men who, from a humble beginning, have battled bravely
with fate and by their own unaided efforts have climbed to the very pinnacle
of success may be mentioned Dr. S. H. Moore, of Rensselaer, Indiana. One
of a large family he was compelled to do for himself, and determined early
in life to make the practice of medicine his vocation in life, and to this end
bent all his energies, teaching school and studying early and late to prepare
himself for his chosen profession. How well he has succeeded is well known
in this and surrounding counties. His father was a native of Virginia, but
came to Randolph county, Indiana, at an early day and there passed the re-
mainder of his life. Dr. Moore was born in that county in 1829, and was
one of nine children who grew to adult years, the first to die being about
fifty years old. Four brothers and one sister are still living.

Until he was fourteen years of age Dr. Moore remained on his father's
farm, and was then sent to school at Winchester, Indiana. He remained
there four years, working hard to obtain the nucleus of an education.
The following year he secured the position of instructor in the Randolph
County Seminary, and from there went to Wayne county to accept a similar
position. While thus engaged he hoarded up his earnings, and every mo-
ment not actually taken up by his duties as teacher was spent in the study of
medicine. He first studied under the guidance of Dr. Carver, a promi-
nent physician of Wayne county, and later, when his teaching called him
to Williamsburg, that county, he read with Dr. Blair, of that place. He
was then made principal of an academy at Dublin, that county, and soon
after this, thinking himself prepared for a college course, he entered the
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He was able to take only a par-
tial course at this time, and began practicing at Fairview, Randolph coun-
ty. He still continued to study, and took a course of instruction in the
Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati. He then located in Farmland, in his
native county, but feeling that he would never be satisfied with anything less
than the best obtainable instruction he returned to Ann Arbor and completed

896 BIOGRAPHICAL HIS TOBY.

the course, graduating with the degree of M. D. He then went to Indian-
apohs and formed a partnership with Prof. WilHam Hayrnond, of the College
of Physicians and Surgeons, where he remained many years, applying himself
so closely to the work in hand that his health gave way and he was com-
pelled to retire from the business. His work there had been most satisfac-
tory, and it was with sincere regret that his many friends saw him depart.

He now located in Washington, Wayne county, this state, where he
opened an office, taking life easier than he had hitherto done. While
here he was called upon to mourn the death of his wife, formerly a
Miss Card, a most estimable woman and a native of Indiana. He now de-
cided to visit the Pacific coast, and with his two daughters went to Los
Angeles, California, where he practiced two years. He then returned to
Indiana and settled at Muncie, where he remained for two years, then went
to the state of Missouri, where he spent three years at Carthage and three
more at Pittsburg, that state. However successful his business, he found
he was not satisfied at any of these places, and returned to his native
state, locating at Rensselaer. He soon succeeded in building up a large
and lucrative practice, his close application, skillful treatment of disease,
and cheery disposition meeting with well-merited recognition. He has been
at great pains to keep abreast of the times in all branches of his profession
by a systematic course of study and reading, but has made a specialty of
certain diseases, in the treatment of which he is unsurpassed. He is the
father of three children: a son, William, who died at the age of five j-ears, and
two daughters, Edna Belle, the wife of William Watkins, of San Francisco,
and Nydia Marie, the wife of Alfonzo Lagarde, a wine merchant and the
owner of a large vineyard in Santa Clara county, California. Dr. Moore is
a man of high ideals and upright Christian character, and has the confidence
and respect of all with whom he comes in contact.

FREDERICK MAIBAUER.

Frederick Maibauer, ex-county commissioner of Pulaski county and one
of the leading citizens of Medaryville, was born in the city of Graiswalt,
Prussia, July 25, 1842, his parents being John and Gustine (Levering) Mai-
bauer. The father was born in Sweden in 18 10, a son of John W. Mai-
bauer. In early life he was a gardener, and afterward became a game-
keeper. He served as a soldier in the Prussian army during the seven j^ears'
war against Napoleon, and participated in a number of battles. He was a
member of the Black Cavalry, composed of very large men to be used in
making charges in special emergencies. He was six feet and two inches in
height and weighed two hundred and twenty pounds: hence was well fitted

BIOGRJPEICAL HISTORY. 897

for membership in that famous regiment. On one occasion, while making a
charge, he was wounded by a saber thrust, whereby he lost two of his fingers.
He then left the army, and was made a gamekeeper in one of the royal parks
in the northern part of Prussia. In that locality he married Miss Gertrude
Levering, who was born September i8, 1816, in northern Prussia, and by
their union they became the parents of four children: John, Frederick, May
and Ida. In 1856 Mr. Maibauer, with his family, crossed the Atlantic to
America, sailing from Hamburg, Germany, on an old-fashioned sailing ves-
sel, the Louisa Ripke, which was thirty-seven days in making the voyage to
New York, arriving in June. He took up his abode at Danville, Illinois,
where he worked on the railroad, and after one year was made section boss.
In i860 he removed to Lafayette, Indiana, where he engaged in gardening
and spent his remaining days, his death occurring in 1894, when he had
reached the age of seventy-four years. In religious belief he was a Lutheran
and served as church trustee. His political support was given the Democ-
racy. He was an industrious man, straightforward in all his dealings, and a
highly respected citizen.

Frederick Maibauer was a youth of fourteen years when he came with
his parents to America. He had attended the common schools of Prussia,
and after locating in Danville attended the Sunday-school services of the
Lutheran church, which was all the educational training he received in Eng-
lish. In that city he learned the shoemaker's trade, and then removed with
his parents to Lafayette in i860. While there he married Miss Annie Walk-
nitz, who was born March 17, 1849, in Prussia, a daughter of Frederick and
Justina (Schultz) Walknitz. The parents were natives of Prussia, were mar-
ried there and became the parents of the following children: Annie, Charles,
Julius, Louisa and Julia. In his native land the father was a cattle-drover
and after his emigration to America in 1857 he turned his attention to agri-
cultural pursuits and became the owner of two hundred acres of land in Cass
township, Pulaski county, Indiana. He transformed the wild land into rich
and fertile fields and developed an excellent farm whereon he made his home
until his life's labors were ended.

After their marriage our subject and his wife began their domestic life in
Lafayette, where they remained for about five years, Mr. Maibauer serving
on the police force there for four years. In 1874 he came to Medaryville
and began working at his trade, not only doing all kinds of shoe-repairing,
but also engaging in the manufacture of boots and shoes. His excellent
workmanship gained him a good reputation and he therefore secured a liberal
patronage.

His sterling worth also led to his selection for public offices of trust and
responsibility, and in 1890 he was elected a member of the board of county

898 BIOGRJPHICAL HISTORY.

commissioners of Pulaski county. So ably did he discharge his duties that
he was re-elected by a good majority and served until 1896. In politics he
is a Jacksonian Democrat, unswerving in his advocacy of the principles of his
party. He is a secognized leader in political circles, and for the past eighteen
years has served as a member of the Democratic county central committee,
and he has also been road supervisor for eleven years. In all official positions
he has discharged his duties with marked promptness and fidelity. He has
labored most earnestly for the upbuilding and advancement of the county,
has ever favored good roads, good schools, practical improvements and sup-
ported all measures .having for their object the general welfare. When he
was elected county commissioner there were no iron bridges in the west sec-
tion of Pulaski county, and largely through his instrumentality seventy-three
iron bridges were constructed. He found the county forty-nine thousand
dollars in debt when he became a member of the board, but notwithstanding
the great number of bridges built and many other improvements made, this
indebtedness was all paid off within the years of his connection with the
office. When Mr. Maibauer was county commissioner the new stone court-
house was erected at Winamac, at a cost of fifty-two thousand dollars