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CORNELL 

UNIVERSITY 

LIBRARY 


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Library  Annex 

DATE    DUE 

GAYLORO 

PRINTED  IN  USA 

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Cornell  University 
Library 


The  original  of  this  book  is  in 
the  Cornell  University  Library. 

There  are  no  known  copyright  restrictions  in 
the  United  States  on  the  use  of  the  text. 


http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924006111326 


COURT  HOUSE  AND  SOLDIERS'  MONUMENT, 
WINCHESTER,   INDIANA, 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 

OF 

Randolph  County 


INDIANA 


With  Biographical  Sketches  of  Representative  Citizens  and 
Genealogical  Records  of  Many  of  the  Old  Families 


By 
JOHN  L.  SMITH  AND  LEE  L.  DRIVER 


ILLUSTRATED 


1914 
A.  W.  BOWEN  &  COMPANY 


Indianapolis,  Indiana  f^'  .         ^.^j 


,  \5l %\ 


\>>; 'iJ ;/ ; 


DEDICATION 

This  work  is  respectfully  dedicated  to 

THE   PIONEERS 

long  since  departed.     May  the  memory  of  those  who  laid  down  their  burdens 

by  the  wayside  ever  be   fragrant  as  the  breath  of  summer 

flowers,  for  their  toils  and  sacrifices  have  made 

Randolph    County    a    garden    of 

sunshine   and   delight. 


5^ 


AUTHORS'  INTRODUCTION 


To  write  a  history  is  but  to  commit  to  words  in  type  events  as  they 
have  transpired,  and  to  be  pure  history,  it  must  be  colored  as  little  as  pos- 
sible by  the  views  or  personal  opinions  of  the  writers. 

In  presenting  this  history  of  Randolph  county,  the  authors  have  at- 
tempted in  every  instance,  to  refrain  from  the  expression  of  their  opinions 
and  to  give  the  facts — indeed,  it  will  be  noticed,  by  the  careful  observer, 
that  the  same  incident  is  given,  in  some  instances,  in  different  language,  in 
more  than  one  place,  because  coming  from  different  sources  of  seemingly 
equal  authority.  We  make  no  claims  to  originality,  but  have,  with  great 
care  and  much  labor,  sifted  every  possible  particle  of  information,  hoping 
from  the  mass  to  collect  the  best  and  most  important  facts  and  events  for 
preservation. 

It  has  been  impossible  to  publish  all  of  the  matter  placed  at  our  disposal; 
much  has,  no  doubt,  been  omitted  which  should  have  been  published,  and 
much,  perhaps,  has  been  published  which  the  reader  will  consider  superflu- 
ous. Much  information,  in  the  possession  of  those  who  should  have  been 
glad  to  furnish  it,  has  been  omitted  for  lack  of  interest  of  those  parties  and 
their  failure  to  furnish  us  the  facts,  though  often  requested  so  to  do. 

The  authors  desire  to  express  their  appreciation  of  the  assistance  of 
Enos  Lollar,  W.  P.  Noff singer,  Willard  Upham,  Beeson  Bros.,  Elijah  Pea- 
cock, H.  S.  Wood,  and  many  others  who  have  helped  in  this  work.  .  Espe- 
cially do  they  desire  to  pay  tribute  to  the  faithful  and  careful  work  of  Rev. 
Ebenezer  Tucker  who  labored  in  gaining  special  information  of  the  pioneers 
among  whom  he  lived. 

The  earnest  endeavor,  on  the  part  of  the  authors,  to  give  a  complete 
history  of  the  county  to  June  30,  1914,  will,  we  trust,  be  appreciated. 

John  L.  Smith, 
Lee  L.  Driver. 

Randolph  County,  Ind. 


PREFACE 


All  life  and  achievement  is  evolution;  present  wisdom  comes  from  past 
experience,  and  present  commercial  prosperity  has  come  only  from  past  exer- 
tion and  suffering.  The  deeds  and  motives  of  the  men  who  have  gone  before 
have  been  instrumental  in  shaping  the  destinies  of  later  communities  and 
states.  The  development  of  a  new  country  was  at  once  a  task  and  a  privi- 
lege. It  required  great  courage,  sacrifice  and  privation.  Compare  the  pres- 
ent conditions  of  the  people  of  Randolph  couflty,  Indiana,  with  what  they 
were  one  hundred  years  ago.  From  a  trackless  wilderness  and  virgin  land, 
it  has  come  to  be  a  center  of  prosperity  and  civilization,  with  millions  of 
wealth,  systems  of  railways,  grand  educational  institutions,  splendid  indus- 
tries and  immense  agricultural  and  mineral  productions.  Can  any  think- 
ing person  be  insensible  to  the  fascination  of  the  study  which  discloses  the 
aspirations  and  efforts  of  the  early  pioneers  who  so  strongly  laid  the  founda- 
tion upon  which  has  been  reared  the  magnificent  prosperity  of  later  days? 
To  perpetuate  the  story  of  these  people  and  to  trace  and  record  the  social, 
political  and  industrial  progress  of  the  community  from  its  first  inception 
is  the  function  of  the  local  historian.  A  sincere  purpose  to  preserve  facts 
and  personal  memoirs  that  are  deserving  of  perpetuation,  and  which  unite 
the  present  to  the  past,  is  the  motive  of  the  present  publication.  The  work 
has  been  in  the  hands  of  able  writers,  who  have,  after  much  patient  study 
and  research,  produced  here  the  most  complete  historical  memoirs  of  Ran- 
dolph county  ever  offered  to  the  public.  A  specially  valuable  and  interesting 
department  is  that  devoted  to  the  sketches  of  representative  citizens  of  this 
county  whose  records  deserve  preservation  because  of  their  worth,  effort  and 
accontplishment.  The  publishers  desire  to  extend  their  thanks  to  the  citi- 
zens of  Randolph  county  for  the  uniform  kindness  with  which  they  have  re- 
garded this  undertaking  and  for  their  many  services  rendered  in  the  gaining 
of  necessary  information. 

In  placing  the  "History  of  Randolph  County,  Indiana,"  before  the  citi- 
zens, the  publishers  can  conscientiously  claim  that  they  have  carried  out  the 
plan  as  outlined  in  the  prospectus.  Every  biographical  sketch  in  the  work 
has  been  submitted  to  the  party  interested,  for  correction,  and  therefore  any 
error  of  fact,  if  there  be  any,  is  solely  due  to  the  person  for  whom  the  sketch 
was  prepared.  Confident  that  our  efforts  to  please  will  fully  meet  the  ap- 
probation of  the  public,  we  are, 

Respectfully, 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I— GENESIS  OF  THE  COUNTY 25 

First  Events,  Settlement,  Towns,  etc. 

CHAPTER  II— GEOLOGY  AND  TOPOGRAPHY 27 

General  Features — Rivers — General  Natural   Features — The   Soil  and   Climate 

CHAPTER    III— INDIAN    OCCUPANCY 52 

Story  of  the  Indians — Territory  Acquired  by  White  Men. 

CHAPTER  IV— ORGANIZATION   OF  THE  COUNTY 74 

Official  Acts  Connected  With  Its  Organization — Organization  of  Various 
Townships. 

CHAPTER   V— EARLY    SETTLEMENT    OF    THE    COUNTY 74 

First  Set  of  Officers — Pioneer  and  Later  Court  Houses,  Jails  and  Care'  for 
the  Unfortunate  Poor — Where  the  Pioneer  Settlers  Emigrated  from — 
Where  They  First  Efifected  Their  Settlement — First  Entries — The 
Early-day  Mills — Pioneer  Schools  and  Churches — Customs  and  Man- 
ners of  the  First  Established  Homes — Going  to  Market — Mail  Facil- 
ities. 

CHAPTER  VI— PUBLIC  ROADS— PAST  AND   PRESENT 362 

CHAPTER  VII— COUNTY,  STATE  AND  NATIONAL  REPRESENTATION—     39 
List  of  All  County  Officers — State  Senators — Representatives — Congressmen 
for    Randolph    County — Men    Who    Have    Received    Appointments    to 
Government   Positions   from   This    County. 

CHAPTER  VIII— MILITARY  HISTORY  OF  THE   COUNTY 412 

Their  Soldiers — Soldiers  of  the  Mexican  and  Civil  War  from  the  County — 
Those  Who  Served  in  the  late  Spanish-American  War. 

CHAPTER  IX— EDUCATIONAL  DEVELOPMENT  OF  COUNTY 581 

Subscription  Schools — Public  Schools — Growth  of  the  Common  School 
System  in  Randolph  County — Present  Standing — Number  of  School 
Houses,   Teachers   and   Pupils   by  Township. 

CHAPTER  X— CHURCH   DENOMINATIONAL  HISTORY 667 

Church   Schools  of  the   County — Churches  in   Various  Townships. 

CHAPTER  XI— CIVIC  AND  BENEVOLENT  SOCIETIES 725 

Masonic,  Odd  Fellows,  Knights  of  Pythias,  Red  Men,  and  Other  Orders — 
First  and  All  Subsequent  Lodges — Insurance  Orders — Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic  Veterans,  Women's  Military  Societies — Organiza- 
tions, Etc. 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XII— AGRICULTURE   786 

Farming  and  Stock-raising  in  Randolph  County — Value  of  Farm  Products — 
Advanced  Agricultural   Methods — Agricultural   Societies. 

CHAPTER      XIII— TRANSPORTATION— RAILROAD       BUILDING      AND 
FREIGHTING    796 

Early-day  Freighting — The  First  Railroads — Present  Railway  System  of 
the  County. 

CHAPTER  XIV— THE  BENCH  AND  BAR  OF  THE  COUNTY 817 

The  Lawyers,  Past  and  Present — Early  Courts — Celebrated  Legal  Battles 
and  Important  Cases  at  Bar — Brief  Sketches  of  Many  Old-time 
Attorneys. 

CHAPTER  XV— THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION 

Early  Doctors— Their  Experiences — Character  of  the   Pioneer   Physicians — 
_  List  of  All  Now  Practicing — ^Advancement  in  Science  of  Medicine,  Etc. 

CHAPTER  XVI— THE  NEWSPAPERS  OF  THE  COUNTY 880 

CHAPTER   XVII— BANKS   AND    BANKING - 887 

CHAPTER   XVIII— HISTORY   OF    EACH    TOWNSHIP 890 

The  Original  Townships  Organized — Changes  in  Civil  Subdivisions  of  Ran- 
dolph County — Population  at  Various  Periods — ^Early '  Settlement  of 
Each  Township — History  of  Towns  and  Villages  in  Each  Township — 
Special  History  and  Events. 

CHAPTER    XIX— CITIES    AND    TOWNS 1016 

Their  Founders — Incorporations — First  Settlers — Early-day  Business  Inter- 
ests— Growth  and  Development  in  Recent  Years — City  Government — 
List  of  Mayors — Street  Making — -Industries — Fire  Department — Water 
Works — Electric  Light  and  Power  Plants. 


HISTORICAL  INDEX 


Agriculture 786 

County  Fairs 791 

Farm  Machinery 787 

Farm  Products,  Value  of 798 

Alluvium  40 

Altitude ' 38 

Amusements,  Early 237 

Attorney,  First  County 384 

B 

Banks  and  Banking 887 

Banks  of  Cities  and  Towns 887-889 

First  Bank  887 

Bear  Story  268 

Bell-mak5ng    270 

Bench  and  Bar 817 

Early  Courts 818 

First  Courts 820 

First  Judges 824 

List  of  Lawyers 829 

Binding   Out   Children 199 

Birds  and  "Varmints" 275 

Board  of  Commissioners 144 

'Board    of   Justices 147-400 

Bowlders 42 

Brick  and  Tile 48 

Bridges,    Concrete 380 

Bridges,  Wooden 383 

Burning  at  the. Stake 70 

C 

Cabin  Home 224 

Cammack,  Elihu 264 

Carding  Machine 219 

Cholera   (1849)   254 

Church,  History  of 667 

First  Services    669 

First  Churches   241 

First  Quaker   Church 669 

First  Methodist    Church 707 

First  Christian    Church 678 


Church  History — Continued. 
First  Disciple    Church 681 

First  United  Brethren   Church 692 

First  Presbyterian  Church 695 

First  Evangelical  Church 699 

First  Church  of  the  Brethren 700 

First  Baptist  Church 713 

First  Church  of  God 706 

First  Spiritualists    706 

First  Holiness     Band 706 

First  Catholic    Church 720 

First  Colored    Church 721 

Clearing  Land 275 

Clothing,    Home-made 233 

Commissioners,  Drainage '. 411 

Commissionera(,    First 398 

Congressmen 407 

Connor,  David 71 

Convention,  Constitutional 407c 

County,   organized 120 

Court,   Common  Pleas 409 

Court  House,  Contract 151 

Court    House,    First i 144 

Court  House,  First,  Sold 162 

Court  House,   Present 163 

Court  House,  Second 147 

D 

Death  of  Fleming 68 

Deerskins —  Dress 284 

Drift,   The   41 

E 

Early   Roads   220 

Early  Settlers 206 

F 

Fallen   Timber   276 

Fines,   List  of 393 

First  Mill,  Corncracker 212 


HISTORICAL  INDEX. 


First  Things   28 

First    Water    Mill 213 

Fleming,  the  Indian 69 

Fort  Jefferson 90 

Franklin  Township .' 949 

Early  Settlers 949 

Description 949 

Towns    951 

Biographies  of  Early  Settlers — 953-957 
Furniture,   Home-made  226 

G 

Gas    and    Oil 50 

Geology  37 

Geology,  Economic 46 

Gravel  and  Sand 48 

Green,   Johnny    65 

Green    Township    1005 

Description    1005 

Early  Settlers 1006 

Towns    1009 

Greensfork  Township 926 

Description 926 

Early  Settlers 926 

Land  Entries 926 

Towns    929 

Biographies  of  Early  Settlers-_930-938 
Grist  Mill,  First 213 

H 

Hogs,   Wild   229 

Hoosier,   Origin   of  the   Xame 75 

House-raising    224 

Hurricane   305 

I 

Indian    History    60 

Indian  Occupancy 52 

Indiana  in  1818 76 

Indiana   State   Map 59 

Infirmary    1'2 

Infirmary,    Physicians    of 185 

J 

Jackson   Township    997 

Description    997 

Early    Settlers    998 

Towns    1000 

Biographies  of  Early  Settlers-1002-1005 


Jail,   First  144 

Jail,  Present 170 

Jail,  Second  166 

Johnny  Cake 227 

Judges,   Circuit 408 

Judges,  Common  Pleas 408 

Judges,  Probate  408 

L 

Land    Entries   209 

Libraries,  Public 1482-1507 

Winchester     1507 

Union    City    1482 

License,   Peddling   . 392 

Lost  Child  284 

M 

Marriage,  First 670 

Medical  Profession 841 

Pioneer    Physician    841 

Fees    845 

Pioneer  Ideas  and   Beliefs 846 

Physicians,   List  of 853 

Medical   Society 877 

Dentists,   List  of 876 

Meeting-house,  Friends 241 

Military  History 412-580 

Soldiers,  Revolution   412 

Soldiers,  Indian   War 413 

Soldiers,  War  of  1812 413 

Soldiers,  Randolph    Count)' 414 

Soldiers,  Mexican   War 417 

War   of   Secession 412 

First   Call  for  Troops 424 

First  Enlistments 424 

First   Volunteers    424 

First   Relief   Fund 428 

First  Bounty 430 

First  Regiment,   Account  of 453 

Spanish-American  War   556-580 

Volunteers,    List    of 567 

Monroe    Township 1010 

Description 1010 

Land  Entries 1011 

Early  Settlers 1011 

Towns    1012 

Biographies  of  Early  Settlers_1014-1016 

Moorman,  Will  of  James 187 


HISTORICAL  INDEX. 


Mound  Builders  S3 

Mound,  Burial 57 

N 

Nettle  Creek  Township 991 

Description 991 

Early  Settlers  992 

Land    Entries    993 

Towns    993 

Biographies  of  Early  Settlers._99S-997 

Newspapers    880 

First   Newspaper  880 

Winchester,  Newspapers  of 880-884 

Union  City,  Newspapers  of 884-885 

Farmland,  Newspapers  of 885 

Lynn,  Newspapers  of 886 

Parker,  Newspapers  of 886 

Ridgeville,  Newspapers  of 885 

Saratoga,  Newspapers  of 886 

Northwestern  Territory 81 

O 

Officers,  County 407e 

Officers,   First _^ 399 

Oil   Mill,    First 215 

"Old  Times"  385 

Organization  of  County 74 

Orphans'  Home   186 

P 

Pioneer  Churches 222 

Pioneer   Homes   223 

Pioneer  Schools 222 

Poor    Farm    174 

Prosecuting  Attorneys 410 

Public  Office  Building 160 

Public   Square   Fencing 387 

Q 

Quaternary  Age 40 

R 

Randolph   County    (1818) 117 

Randolph   County    (1819) 123 

Religion,  Early 

Reminiscences — Early  Times 244 

Representatives,  House  of 407a 


Representatives,  Joint 407b 

Road   Building  369 

Road,  Stone  380 

Roads,  First 368 

Roads,  Gravel 379 

Roads,  Public 362 

Roads,  Superintendents  of 380 

Rock,  Analysis  of 43-44 

S 

Salamana  and  Madison  Townships 133 

School    Examiners    411 

Schools  of  County 581-666 

Early   School   House 583 

Early   School   Trustees 584 

Early  School  Teachers 588 

County   Seminary    593 

Union   Literary   Institute 599 

Ridgeville    College 617 

Normal    Schools    621 

Consolidation  of  Schools 622 

Senators    407a 

Sheriff's   Residence   170 

Societies,    Secret    725 

Underground  Railroad 751 

Sons    of    Liberty 767 

Temperance,   Early  '. 771 

Murphy    Movement    778 

Temperance,    Reminiscences 782 

St.  Clair,  First  Governor 91 

Stoney  Creek  Township 983 

Description , 983 

Early  Settlers  — ' 1 984 

Towns   985 

Biographies  of  Early  Settlers 987-991 

Stray  Pen 145 

Surface,  Configuration 37 

T 

Tavern,  License 391 

Tax,    First    County 235 

Tax  Levy,  First 389 

Toll  Road,  First 221 

Trace,    Quaker   364 

Transportation    799 

Early  Freighting 800 

Flat-boating  801 

First    Railroad    803 

First   Traction    816 

Turtle,    Little    61 


HISTORICAL  INDEX. 


u 

Union  City 1016 

Location    1016 

Early  Settlement 1017 

First  Things   1020 

Official   History   1021 

Union  City  Water  Works 1022 

Biographies  of  Early  Settlers-1024-1026 


w  ■    ; 

Ward  Township 957 

Description 958 

Early  Settlers  958 

Land  Entries 960 

Roads  __- 961 

Towns    961 

Biographies  of  Early  Settlers-_963-969 

Washington    Township   „„^^^^_^-^  916 

PescriptioB  BjQ 

^  loneers,   Principal 916 

Land    Entries    917 

Towns    919 

Biographies  of  Early  Settlers— 920-926 

Wayne,  Anthony 97 

Wayne   Township   969 

Description 969 


Wayne  Township — Continued. 

Early  Settlers 969 

Land    Entries   971 

Towns   973 

Biographies  of  Early  Settlers 975-983 

West  River  Township 938 

Description ■_  938 

Early  Settlers 938 

Land  Entries 940 

Firs*t  Things   940- 

Pigeon  Roost  942 

Towns    , 943 

Biographies  of  Early  Settlers__945-949 

White  River  Township 890 

Location    '. 890 

Early  Settlement 891 

Early  Settlers 892 

Land    Entries    . ,,. —  893 

Towns    ^-^^  B95 

Biographies  of  Early  Settlers— 896-916 

Winchester 1026 

Location  1026 

Early  Settlement 1027 

First  Things   1029 

Present  Business 1032 

Fire   Department   1034 

Water  Works 1035 

Biographies   of  Early  Settlers 1035 


BIOGRAPHICAL  INDEX 


Abel,  E.  Reed 1601 

Abel,   M.   D.,  Oscar  E 1375 

Abshire,   Albert    R.    1179 

Adamson,   James    1S6S 

Adamson,    William    1428 

Addington,    Henry   Tajdor 1074 

Addington,    Mrs.   Jessie 341 

Addington,  Thomas   304 

Aker,    Andrew    — 339 

Almonrode,  Thomas  A.   1538 

Anderson,  Alonzo   M.  1246 

Anderson,   B.  335 

Anderson,    Denzil    M.    1309 

Anderson,   Norman  1308 

Arnold,  Mrs.  Celia 249 

Ashcraft,   Emory  L.  1120 

Ashwill,   James   E.   1567 

Aukerman,  Manford 1416 

Aukerman,    Orville   E.   1368 

B 

Bailey,   Elisha   T.   322 

Bales,  Alonzo  L.  1196 

Bales,   Cliflf  G.  1168 

Bales,-  Isaac   N.   1058 

Bales,  William   H.  1057 

Ball,    Uriah    278 

Banta,   Samuel   S.   lOSl 

Barber,   D.   E.  1400 

Barber,   George   W.   1400 

Barger,   Philip 354 

Barnard,  M.  D.,  Pliny  C. 1366 

Barker,   David   E.   1568 

Barrett,   Harry   E.   1276 

Bascom,    Erastus    K.   1072 

Bascom,  George  McDowell 1072 

Beard,   Jr.,  Paul 263 

Beeson,  Isaac  F.  I486 

Bickel,  -John  H.  1465 

Bird,  Jesse  F. HgO 


Bogue,    Parker   1503 

Bolinger,  Charles  T.  1585 

Boltz,   Benjamin   F.  1597 

Boots,  Albert  L.  1112 

Boots,   Morgan 1112 

Borror,  Isaac  M. 1420 

Bosworth,   William   C.   1524 

Botkin,  M.  D.,  Charles  L. 1559 

Botkin,   Oliver   Perry  1580 

Botkin,  W.   M.  258 

Boiisman,    Cyrus    1511 

Bowen,  Charles  E.  1244 

Boviren,  Ephraim  L. 1132 

Bowen,  J.   C.  252 

Bowen,   Squire   ._ 249 

Bowen,  Squire   Columbus  1132 

Bragg,    Daniel    1404 

Bragg,   Mrs.    Mary  A.   E.   1412 

Brandriff,    Rev.   R.   897 

Branson,   Isaac  305 

Brickley^  John  C.  1387 

Brosey,   Christopher   C.  1499 

Brouse,   B.   V.   M.  1380 

Brouse,   John  A.   1381 

Brown,   Aria    M.   -1209 

Brown,  Daniel   W.   1434 

Brown,   Edwa!rd   I.  1578 

Browne,   George   W.   1134 

Browne,  James   M. •_ 1207 

Browne,    Thomas    M.    835 

Bunch,   John   C.   1320 

Burke,  Austin   H.   1201 

Burroughs,    John    1350 

Burrows,  John  T. 1232 

Butler,  Augustus   R.   1341 

Butterworth,   Henry  E.  1455 

C 

Cadwallader,    N.    331 

Caldwell,   Frederick  S.  1SS7 


BIOGRAPHICAL  INDEX. 


Callahan,  Daniel  W.  1215 

Carter,   Columbus   R.   1458 

Carter,    Elihu    1065 

Carter,  John  William 1065 

Cheesman,  John  E. 1082 

Chenoweth,    Christopher   E.   1336 

Chenoweth,  Ernst  E. 1153 

Chenoweth,  M.  D.,  Forest  A. 1156 

Chenoweth,  John  M.  1154 

Chenoweth,  John  T. 1157 

Chenoweth,  William  L.  1338 

Christopher,    John    1384 

Clark,  James  W.  311 

Clark,  Sylvander  G. L 1579 

Clark,  Thomas  H. 1172 

Clayton,  Stephen  E. 1527 

Clevenger,   Stephen . 1228 

Clevenger,  William  313 

Coats,   John  898 

Coats,  Seth  D.  1150 

Coats,    William    1151 

Condon,  Thomas   H.  1230 

Conklin,   Jacob    E.   1481 

Corl,   Jacob   357 

Cougill,  Samuel  M. 1409 

Courtney,  Cyrus  B. 1123 

Cox    , Simon    296 

Crist,    Charles   320 

Crist,  John  W.  1287 

Curry,   Henry  S.  1494 

Curry,    Robert    H.   1495 

D 

Daggett,    Benjamin   W.   1461 

Davis,   Frank  R.  1576 

DeLong,  Albert  T. 1591 

Denlinger,    Benjamin   F.   1067 

DeVoss,  Joseph  C.  1122 

DeVoss,  John  L. 1121 

Diggs,    Jr.,    William 265 

Downing,  John  L. 1235 

Dragoo,  Andrew  C.  1552 

Driver,  Lee  L.  1396 

Driver,    Jacob    __, 300 

Drollinger,    Harry    I.    1562 

Dunn,    Ernest    M.    1241 

E 

Eastman,    George  A.  1187 

Eastman,   Henry  O. 1187 


Edger,   Edward  346 

Edwards,  Alden  J.  1357 

Edwards,   George   W.  1508 

Emrick,  LeRoy  1470 

Engle,    Calvin   S. 1148 

Engle,   Capt.   Edmund       1526 

Engle,  Isrum  H.  Zlii 

Engle,   James   S.   1052 

Engle,   John   R.   1534 

Engle,    William   1052 

Evans,*  Edward  A.  1335 

F 

Farabee,  John  W.  1436 

Favorite,  Andrew  J.  1088 

Favorite,   Charlie   1088 

Fields,  Charles  A.  1569 

Fields,    P.   344 

Fink,    John    1513 

Fisher,   Clifford   C.  1301 

Fisher,  Jane  260 

Fisher,  John  259 

Fletcher,  Frank 1582 

Fletcher,  James   M.  1556 

Focht,  Fermen  C.  1586 

Fortenbaugh,  John  B. 1500 

Fowler,  William  W.  1596 

Fowler,    Hezekiah   1343 

Franklin,   Elmer   E.  1268 

Fraze,  Ozzie  O. 1278 

Frazier,   Francis 268-1466 

Friedline,  Joseph   E.  1377 

Friddle,  Samuel  C. ^1595 

Fudge,  Albert  E. 1248 

Furnas,    Miles   J.    1451 

G 

Gable,   Louis   C.  1518 

Gaddis,   Albert   C.   1564 

Gaddis,  Thomas  W. 1374 

Gaines,  Alden  L. 1537 

Gates,  John  A.  1600 

Gillam,  Elihu  S. 1242 

Gilmore,  Isaac  Routh 1456 

Good,   Henry  D.   1158 

Good,  Rudolph  1158 

Goodrich,   James   P.   1521 

Green,  Alva  C.  1252 

Green,  Benjamin  F. 1213 


BIOGRAPHICAL  INDEX. 


Green,  Levi  W.  1078 

Grove,  Daniel  W. 1561 

Gwin,  Mary  Frances  1551 

H 

Halliday,   Charles  F.  1225 

Hamilton,  James   M.   1292 

Hamilton,   Capt.   Robert  W.   1293 

Harris,   Emmett   B.   1249 

Harris,   William    1448 

Harter,   F.   Marion 1274 

Harter,  George  W.   1492 

Hawkins,  John   1269 

Hawkins,    Joseph ■ 63 

Hawkins,   Nathan   1270 

Hawkins,    William    1056 

Hawkins,   William   L.   1056 

Henning,  John   C.   1143 

Hernley,    William   A 1360 

Hiatt,  Adam  R.  1223 

Hiatt,   Allen   R.   1284 

Hiatt,  Nelson  B.  1310 

Higi,  Joseph   F.   1479 

Hill,   David  Edgar   1411 

Hill.   Fanny   (Diggs)   267 

Hindsley,  Alvah  C. 1271 

Hindsley,   James   W.   1472 

Hindsley,   Rufus   G.   1529 

Hinshaw,  Albert  C.  1290 

Hinshaw,  Benjamin  E. 1091 

Hinshaw,    Seth    1210 

Hirsh,  Joseph  C.  1068 

Hobbick,   David  1059 

Hobbick,  Hosea  F. 1059 

Hoffman,  Daniel  E.  1272 

Hoke,    John    350 

Holsapple,   Samuel  J.  1590 

Hook,  William  J.  1598 

Hoover,  Peter  C 343 

Hoppes,  Jesse  L.  1169 

Hough,   John   1536 

Hough,   Thomas    W.   1528 

Huber,  David  1315 

Hubbard,  Thomas 351 

Hull,  Henry  C. 1177 

Humphreys,   James   B.   1496 

Hunt,  M.  D.,  Bader  S. 1144 

Hunt,  Robert   G.  1460 

Hunt,  Samuel  H. 1530 


Hunt,  Union   B. 1291 

Huston,   Volney   H.   1256 

J 

Jackson,  Jesse  W. 1190 

Jaqua,  Edwin  S. 1069 

Jarrett,  James   C. 1588 

Jerles,  William  D. 1542 

Johnson,  Jacob 337 

Johnson,   John   I.   1118 

Johnson,   J.    M.   1118 

Johnson.  Jonathan   G.  1090 

Johnson,    Silas    253 

Jones,   John    Henry  1474 

Jordan,   James    B.   1364 

K 

Kabel,   Frederic 1365 

Kabel,  Herbert  M. •__1254 

Kabel,  Philip  1554 

Keckler,   Simon  B.   1298 

Kelley,   Dennis  1060 

Kelley,   James   357 

Kemp,   Isaiah   W.   1251 

Kennedy,   George   P.   1175 

Key,  John 314 

Keys,  Eli  Wright 1388 

King,   Albert   1382 

King.    William    1463 

Kizer,   Thomas   W.   1045 

Kizer,   William   D.   1045 

Knox,  James  C. 1340 

L 

Lacey,  John  Edwin 1147 

Lahey,  Michael 1316 

Lamb,  James  A.  1323 

Lasley,    David    293 

Leavell,  Thomas  C. 1589 

Lee,   John   H.   1282 

Lee,  Riley  Smith  1509 

Leggett,  George  E.  1092 

Lennon,    Charles    H.    1571 

Lewellen,   Benjamin  F.   1080 

Lewellen,  Elias   F.  1080 

Locke,   William   322 

Lollar,  Joseph  W. 1516 

Lorton,  Israel  J. 1484 


BIOGRAPHICAL    INDEX. 


Losch,    William   J. 1398 

Love,   Thomas    C.   1227 

Lumpkin,  Robert  H.  1217 

Mc 

McAllister,   Wert   1162 

McCollum,  Jesse  E. 1333 

McFarland,  Elijah  W. 1417 

McFarland,  Joseph  H.  1592 

McKew,  Arthur 323 

McNees,    Harvey   E.   1086 

McNees,   John    B.   1086 

M 

Macy,  Judge  John  W. 1048 

Macy,  Jr.,   John  W.  1050 

Magee,  Harry  E. 1115 

Mangas,   Isaac   N.  1426 

Mangas,  John  W. 1440 

Mann,  John  l 296 

Markle,  M.  D.,  Grant  C.  1182 

Markle,   M.   D.,  John   E. 1182 

Marker,  John  D.  1348 

Marlatt,  M.  D.,  Clarence  L. 1602 

Marlatt,  William  P. 1116 

Marsh,  Benjamin  F.  1084 

Martin    Elisha    336 

Meeks,    Amos    F.    1306 

Mendenhall,  Barzilla  C. 1543 

Mendenhall,    Hiram    904 

Meredith,  D.  V.  S.,  William  A. 1219 

Middleton,  John  Fletcher 1261 

Middleton,  Thomas   321 

Miller,  Thomas   P.  1501 

Miller,  William  E. 1076 

Miller,   Daniel   B.   —  301 

Milligan,  M.  D.,  Charles  E. 1096 

Mills,  John  A.  1505 

Mills,  G.  William 1222 

Mills,   Thomas   W.   1506 

Mock,    John    315 

Money,  James   D.   1438 

Monks,   Edgar   L.   1135 

Monks,   George  W.  1125 

Monks,  Hon.  Leander  J.  1124 

Moore,   David  W.  1489 

Moore,   Arthur    R.   1488 

Moorman,  Thomas  1137 

Moorman,  Thomas  F. 1137 


Morgan,  M.  D.,  Thomas  W. 1332 

Mote,  Oliver  Perry 1285 

Mote,  William  H. 1288 

Mullen,    Clarence    1424 

Mullin,  Fernandis   B.  1258 

Murphy,  Robert 342 

Murray,  Ralph  V. 1369 

N 

« 

Xoflfsinger,    Ezra   1476 

O 

Orcutt,  Amos  356 

Orr,    Darius -- . 1395 

Orr,  John  E.  1394 

Osborn,   Charles  W. 1445 

Osborn,  Daniel  Worth 1444 

P 

Painter,    Ollie    M.    1403 

Parker,  Jesse 245 

Parry,  Walter  G. 1128 

Paul,   Samuel  1544 

Paxson,   J.    359 

Peacock,  Thomas  C. 1346 

Peacock,    William    281 

Penery,  Ira  C. L 1304 

Pickett,   Mary   (Hyatt-Coats) 307 

Pierce,   Burkett 297 

,  Pierce,   Charles  F. 1054 

Pierce,   Charles  W. 1572 

Pierce,   Clarence  S. 1193 

Pierce,   Levi  1573 

Pierce,    Rev.    Xathan 1574 

Porter,  Frank  B. 1297 

Porter,   James   325 

Porter,  Thurman  E. 1298 

Price,  John   R.   1351 

Puckett,  Joseph 906 

Puckett,  Samuel  C. 1391 

Puckett,    William   Y.   1130 

Pursley,    David    E.    1236 

R 

Ramsey,    Simon   1185 

Reeder,  Martin  A. 301 


BIOGRAPHICAL    INDEX 


Reeves,  Dr.  J.  L. 1102 

Reinheimer,  Lincoln  S.  C 1195 

Retter,    Fred   1234 

Retz,  Anna 257 

Rickert,  John  E. 1318 

Robbins,  George  W. 1204 

Robinson,   William   291 

Robison,    George   W.   1095 

Robison,  M.  D.,  John  S 1_109S 

Roby,    William    H.   1220 

Rogers,  Thornton   1313 

Rogers,  M.  D.,  Aaron  G 1312 

Roll,  Charles  A. 1601 

Ross,   William   A.   1239 

Roszell,   William  T.   1188 

Rubey,   John   C.   _.__ 1362 

Ruby,  M.  D.,  Samuel  B 1191 

S 

Sala,  Albert  F.  1063 

Sarff,    William   H.   1548 

Shaler,   Thomas    336 

Shaw,   Frank  L. 1322 

Sheppard,    Julian    1379 

Shierling,   Curtis   M. 13(^ 

Shockney,  Theodore 1164 

^hockney,  Theodore  H. 1113 

Shockney,   Saniuel 1114 

Shultz,  Clyde  E. J 1353 

Shultz,    George    C.    1098 

Shultz,  Milton 1 1098 

Simmons,    Edar   ,1422 

Simmons,   Nathan   C.   1497 

Sipe,   John   W.    1393 

Slonaker,  Arthur  S.   1407 

Slusher,   Alen   B.   1358 

Smiley,   Noah   F.   1475 

Smith,    M.    D.,    Calvin 1593 

Smith,    Jere    272 

Smith,  John  L. 1452 

Smith,   Oliver  G.   1414 

Smithson,   Ira  E.  1546 

Smullen,  William  W. 1390 

Snodgrass,  Joseph  M.   1280 

Spera,   Curtis  M.   1361 

Stanton,  William  -J 360 

Starbuck,  John  W. 1356 

Strahan,   Nathan  U.   1141 

Sutton,  James  B. 1429 


Sutton,  Oliver  J. 1431 

Swain,    Ira 255 

T 

Taylor,  J.   Vining   1160 

Taylor,  William 334 

Thomas,    George    282 

Thornburg,   Charles   L.   1520 

Thornburg,   Ernest   1532 

Thornburg,  W.  A. 308 

Thornburg,   William   H.   , 1583 

Thornhill,  Joseph  H.  1490 

Tritt,  Charles  W. 1100 

Turner,  John   M.   1372 

U 
Ullery,    George    A,    1433 

V 
Van   Pelt,   George   1303 

W 

Wallace,    M.    D.,   John    M 1514 

Ward,   Don   C.   1198 

Ward,   Thomas  293 

Warner,  George  W. ^_1478 

Warren,  Isaac  W. 1427 

Warren,  J.   R. 345 

Warren,   William   H.   1468 

Watson,  Carl  W. 1171 

Watson,  Seward  S. 1238 

Watts,   Isaiah   P.   1108 

Watts,    Joseph    1212 

Watts,   Samuel   1109 

Way,  Judith  (Wilson) 279 

Wiggs,    F.    G.   311 

Williams,  Luther  L. 1540 

Wilmore,   D.   D.,  Augustus   C 1324 

Wilmore,    William    A.    1330 

Wilmore,  W.  C.  326 

Wise,   Henry  1140 

Woodbury,  Bert  E. 1279 

Wright,    Curtis    K.    1265 

Wright,   D.   D.   S.,   Cyrus   C 1200 

Wright,  Frank  E. 1300 


BIOGRAPHICAL  INDEX. 

Wright,  Solomon 286  Z 

Wysong,  Charles  D 1260 


Y 


Zeller,  M.  D.,  Frank  Arthur 1419 

Zimmerman,  Albert  E.  1401 

Zimmerman,   Emanuel 1406 


Yount,   Charles   F.   1203  Zimmerman,  Philip 1547 


//^   f )  /^ 


HISTORICAL 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE   GENESIS   OF   THE   COUNTY. 

All  things  must  have  a  beginning.  To  trace  the  beginnings  of  the  ori- 
ginal inhabitants  the  limits  Of  Randolph  county  is  of  course  impossible. 
The  first  people  of  which  we  have  a  trace  left  nothing  but  a  few  mounds 
and  embankments  by  which  we  might  know  them. 

That  Randolph  county  was  inhabited  by  these  people  known  as  the 
"Mound  Builders"  goes  without  question.  Traces  of  their  work  and  art 
are  found  in  various  parts  of  the  county.  Their  mounds,  or  look-outs, 
are  still  fairly  well  preserved;  their  "fort,"  the  only  one  in  this  portion  of 
Indiana,  is  still  partially  preserved.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  much  of  it 
has  been  destroyed,  we  know  nothing  of  these  people  except  that  they  lived 
and  built  a  few  crude  mounds  and  forts.  We  are  but  little  interested  in  their 
welfare,  because  they  have  left  nothing  by  which  the  world  is  wiser  or 
better.  No  nation,  as  well  as  individual,  can  hope  to  have  future  genera- 
tions interested  in  its  life  unless  it  has  left  something  by  which  humanity 
has  been  made  better. 

From  whence  the  mound  builders  came,  or  whither  they  went  is  only  a 
matter  of  conjecture.  They  attained  some  degree  of  skill  but  certainly 
had  no  very  high  degree  of  civilization. 

Their  successor  or  the  Indian  dates  back  to  the  time  of  tradition  and  yet 
the  Indians  had  no  tradition  of  the  mound  builders,  so  great  was  their  an- 
tiquity. 

The  first  inhabitants  of  Randolph  county,  so  far  as  the  knowledge  of  the 
Indian  goes,  were  the  Miami  Indians.  The  Miamis  were  a  fierce  war-like 
tribe  that  inhabited  practically  all  the  Northwest  Territory  as  well 
as  other  portions  of  the  middle  west.  The  Iroquois,  on  the  east,  were 
also  a  fierce  war-like  tribe  and  overcame  the  Miamis  about  tWo  hundred 
years  ago.    The  Miamis,  however,  with  the  support  of  the  other  Indians  and 


26  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

the  French,  succeeded  in  driving  the  Iroquois  back  into  New  York  and  again 
claiming  the  control  of  the  middle  west.  That  the  Miamis  laid  claim  to 
the  land  in  this  county  is  clearly  shown  by  a  speech  made  on  the  22nd  of 
July  in  council  at  Greenville,  Ohio,  by  Little  Turtle  the  head  chiet  ot  the 
Miamis,  and  in  his  address  to  General  Wayne,  he  said : 

"I  wish  to  inform  you  where  your  younger  brothers,  the  Miamis  lived, 
also  the  Potawatamies  of  St.  Joseph  together  with  the  Wabash  Indians. 
You  have  pointed  out  to  us  the  boundary  line  of  the  Indians  and  the  United 
States,  but  now  I  take  the  liberty  to  inform  you  that  that  line  cuts  off 
from  the  Indians  a  large  portion  of  country  which  has  been  enjoyed  by 
my  fore-fathers  time  immemorial  without  molestation  or  dispute.  The  print 
of  my  ancestors'  houses  are  everywhere  to  be  seen  in  this  portion.  It  is  well 
known  by  all  of  my  brothers  present,  that  my  fore-fathers  kindled  the  first 
fire  at  Detroit;  from  thence  he  extended  his  line  to  the  head  water  of  the 
Scioto ;  from  thence  to  its  mouth ;  from  thence,  down  the  Ohio  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Wabash;  and  from  thence  to  Chicago,  on  Lake  Michigan;  at  this 
place,  I  first  saw  my  older  brothers,  the  Shawnees." 

General  Wayne  in  the  Treaty  of  Greenville  recognized  these  claims  and 
dealt  with  the  Miami  Indians  accordingly. 

Later  on,  1809,  an  additional  treaty  was  made  with  the  Miamis  at  Ft. 
Wayne  by  which  we  gained  the  Twelve  Mile  Purchase.  This  purchase  is 
a  strip  of  land  twelve  miles  wide,  the  western  bovindary  of  which  is  parallel 
to  the  boundary  Hne  established  by  the  treaty  of  Greenville. 

There  is  no  history  of  Randolph  county  connected  directly  with  any  In- 
dians as  the  county  itself  had  very  few  Indians  ever  dwelling  within  its 
borders.  The  few  who  were  here  were  of  the  roving  type,  traveling  from 
one  camp  to  another.  The  only  Indian's  name  identified  with  the  county  is  the 
word  "Mississinewa." 

The  territory  of  which  we  are  now  a  part  was  first  organized  in  1721  as 
Illinois  county.  The  first  government  was  attempted  in  1779  when  Col. 
John  Todd,  who  bore  the  commission  of  county  lieutenant  of  the  county  of 
Illinois,  visited  the  old  settlement  of  Vincennes  and  Kaskaskia  for  the  pur- 
pose of  organizing,  among  the  inhabitants  of  these  places,  forms  of  tem- 
porary government,  according  to  the  provisions  of  the  Acts  of  the  General 
Assembly  of  Virginia  of  the  previous  October.  But  little  headway  was  made 
with  this  organization.  Indiana  territory  was  organized,  as  such,  by  an  Act 
of  Congress  May  7,  1800.  By  this  act  we  received  the  name  of  "Indiana." 
Just  why  this  territory  should  be  called  Indiana  is  not  known.  The  word  no 
doubt  is  a  memorial  to  the  Indians,  who  received  their  name  from  Columbus, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  27 

when  he  thought  he  had  discovered  the  East  Indias.  It  perhaps  was  applied 
directly  to  this  territory  because  a  company  of  Englishmen,  whose  purpose 
it  was  to  exploit  this  territory,  named  their  company  the  "Indiana  Company." 

Had  Thomas  Jefferson's  plan  been  adopted  for  the  new  territory,  the 
northern  part  of  this  county  would  have  been  in  the  state  of  Metropotam'ia 
and  the  southern  part  would  have  been  in  the  state  of  Saratoga,  as  the  line 
dividing  these  ,two  suggested  states  passed  through  Randolph  county. 

Settlers  began  to  come  in  the  county  as  early  as  1814.  Many  of  the 
easterners,  especially  of  Virginia,  .had  emigrated  to  the  Carolinas  and  there 
being  dissatisfied  with  local  conditions,  especially  slavery,  had  come  on  into 
the  then  unsettled  valley  of  the  Mississippi.  Among  these  settlers  were  the 
Wrights  and  the  \\'^ays,  who  started  their  homes  along  White  river  in  and 
around  Winchester.  The  Parkers,  Thomases  and  Wilcutts  came  farther  north 
and'  settled  first  in  Wayne  county,  and  then  moved  on  over  what  is  now 
the  southern  boundary  of  Randolph  county.  These  people  being  Quakers 
and  religiously  opposed  to  slavery  had  left  the  Carolinas  because  of  that 
institution,  and  came  into  the  middle  west  to  establish  homes  free  from  its 
pernicious   influences. 

By  1818  enough  settlers  were  in  the  northern  part  of  Wayne  county  to 
justify  the  organization  of  a  new  county,  complete  account  of  which  is 
given  under  the  chapter   of   "Organization,"   in  this  volume. 

Courts  were  established  and  the  wheels  of  government  started. 

The  church  became  an  early  factor  of  the  community  for  these  people 
were  indeed  God-fearing,  and  were  not  of  the  rough  and  wild  type  to  be 
found  in  many  of  the  frontier  settlements.  The  traveling  minister,  be  his 
denomination  what  it  may,  found  always  a  welcome  into  any  of  the  homes 
where  he  might  wish  to  stop.  Settlers  eager  and  anxious  to  hear  the  doc- 
trines of  their  church  discussed  or  to  hear  proclaimed  from  the  lips  of  a  good 
man,  any  doctrines  that  would  lead  to  the  betterment  of  society. 

The  peddler  with  his  stock  of  goods  upon  his  back  was  also  a  welcome 
visitor  to  the  pioneer  home.  He  not  only  provided  the  family  with  tempor- 
ary needs,  physically,  but  was  the  disseminator  of  news  and  gossip  from  one 
farm  home  to  another. 

The  tavern  soon  became  a  necessity  and  many  a  farm  home  became  the 
stopping  place  of  the  traveler.  Some  such  homes  bore  splendid  reputations 
and  were  always  eagerly  sought  by  the  wayfarer.  Regular  taverns  were  kept 
in  some  of  the  settlements.  The  first  to  be  built  in  Winchester  was  in  18 19 
by  a  Mr.  McCooI.    Paul  W.  Way  was  also  another  early  hotel  keeper. 

The  justice  of  the  peace  was  always  a  man  of  influence,  however  ignor- 


28  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

ant  he  might  be  of  the  law.  He  was  no  doubt  Hmited  in  the  finer  arts  of 
legal  practice,  but  he  had,  and  exercised,  great  authority.  At  first  it  might 
seem  that  he  was  an  extremist,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  he  had  drastic 
laws  to  enforce.  For  example,  horse  stealing,  upon  second  offense,  was 
punishable  by  death,  and  a  fine  of  $i.oo  was  assessed  for  each  ofifense  for 
"blaspheming  in  the  name  of  God,  Jesus  Christ  or  the  Holy  Ghost."  Any 
one  who  "Marked  a  hog,  shoat  or  pig  other  ^than  his  own,  or  changed  the 
mark  of  a  hog,  shoat  or  pig,  other  than  his  own,  should  be  fined  in  any 
sum  not  to  exceed  $10.00  and  should  have  upon  his  or  her  bare  back  lashes 
not  to  exceed  thirty- three." 

It  will  be  seen  that  travel  was  extremely  difficult,  as  our  rivers  were  not 
large  enough  to  be  navigable  and  paths  had  to  be  blazed  through  the  unbroken 
forests.  But  man  is  a  social  being  and  the  paths  soon  became  trails  and  the 
trails  became  public  highways.  These  usually  led  from  one  town  to  another, 
from  one  church  or  another  or  from  the  neighborhood  mill.  Indeed,  the  early 
mill  became,  what  in  later  days,  would  be  called  a  "social  center."  The 
railroads  eventually  came,  and  the  problem  of  transportation  was  solved. 

Many  towns  were  "laid  out"  and  their  proprietors  hoped  to  make  a 
metropolis  of  them.  Among  the  towns  organized  with  bright  hopes,  but 
which  never  got  beyond  the  dreams  of  the  proprietors  were,  Randolph,  in 
Wayne  township,  Castle,  Mt.  Holly,  Allensville,  Flemingsburg,  Spring- 
borough,  Rockingham,  Steubenville,  Royston,  Newburg  and  Newtown. 
Others  thrived  for  a  few  years  but  local  conditions  and  locations  conspired  to 
defeat  their  becoming  a  metropolis.  Others  such  as  Deerfield,  Windsor, 
Huntsville,  Arba,  and  New  Pittsburg  were  trading  points  of  importance  but 
were  "killed  by  railroads  missing  them." 

In  the  development  of  the  county,  in  every  institution  or  enterprise,  it 
has  been  and  will  always  continue  to  be  the  "survival  of  the  fittest."  The 
old  must  give  way  to  the  new;  the  problem  of  yesterday  is  solved  today  and 
becomes  a  memory  tomorrow. 

FIRST  THINGS. 

The  first  settler  was  Thomas  W.  Parker,  on  Nolan's  Fork,  in  Greens- 
fork  township,  west  of  Arba,  in  April,  18 14. 

The  first  boy  in  the  country  was  Jesse  Parker,  son  of  Thomas  Parker 
above,  eight  years  old.  He  lived  long  at  Bethel,  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  a 
jovial,  hearty  old  man,  honestly  earning  his  living  by  the  constant  "rap,  rap, 
rap  of  his  well  worn  hammer."     (Died  near  Lynn,  fall  of  1881.) 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  29 

The  first  girls  were  Celia  and  Sarah  Parker,  daughters  of  Thomas  and 
Anna  Parker  above.  Sarah  was  burned  to  death  when  a  girl;  Celia  was 
married  to  Benjamin  Arnold,  and  resides  at  Arba. 

The  first  woman  was  Anna  Parker,  wife  of  Thomas  Parker  above. 
Thomas  and  Anna  Parker  died  more  than  eighty  years  ago. 

The  first  county  formed  in  what  is  now  Indiana,  was  Knox  county, 
created  in  1790,  under  Governor  St.  Clair,  with  Vincennes  as  the  county 
seat,  and  including  all  Indiana  and  Michigan,  the  settlers  along  the  Ohio, 
a  fort  and  garrison  at  Fort  Wayne,  and  one  at  Detroit. 

The  first  settlement  in  Indiana  was  at  Vincennes,  by  the  French  (per- 
haps) in  1702.  A  post  was  established  by  Sieur  Juchereau  and  Missionary 
Meret  at  that  date. 

When  General  Gage,  a  British  officer,  demanded  of  the  French  settlers 
at  Vincennes  that  they  should  leave  their  homes  and  their  lands,  the  French 
protested  that  they  had  held  them  by  charter  from  the  French  King  for 
seventy  years,  and  that  to  drive  them  away  now  would  be  unjust  and  cruel, 
and  they  were  allowed  to  remain. 

The  first  county  east  of  the  "Old  Boundary"  (Wayne's),  agreed  on  in 
1795,  was  Dearborn,  erected  by  Indiana  Territory  in  1803,  settled  in  1796, 
before  any  surveys  had  been  made  except  the  "gore"  between  the  Ohio 
line  and  the  "Old  Boundary"  line,  which  was  surveyed  in  1800,  three  years 
before,  and  embracing  the  whole  region  west  of  the  Ohio  line  and  east  of 
Wayne's  boundary. 

Wayne  county  was  organized  in  18 10,  embracing  all  the  territory  east 
of  the  "New  Boundary,"  and  north  of  the  southern  boundary  of  the  county. 

Randolph  county  was  organized  in  1818,  at  first  extending  westward 
only  to  the  west  boundary  of  the  Twelve  Mile  Purchase.  It  was  first 
settled  in  18 14. 

The  first  organization  of  the  Northwest  Territory  was  by  the  (old) 
Congress  of  the  Confederation  in  1787. 

The  first  Governor  was  Gen.  Arthur  St.  Clair,  October  5,  1787. 

The  first  capital  of  the  Northwest  Territory  was  Marietta,  established 
by  Governor  St.  Clair  shortly  after  his  appointment. 

The  first  capital  of  the  state  of  Indiana  was  Corydon,  in  Harrison 
county,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state,  almost  exactly  south  of  Indianapolis. 

The  first  Governor  of  Indiana  was  Jonathan  Jennings,  elected  in  1816. 

The  first  Representative  for  Randolph  county  was  Ephraim  Overman. 

The  first  Senator  was  Patrick  Baird,  of  Wayne  county. 

The  first  two  townships  in  Randolph  county  were  Greensfork  and  White 


30  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

River,  established  in  1818  by  Eli  Overman,  John  James,  Benjamin  Cox, 
country  commissioners,  and  embracing  the  entire  county. 

The  first  road  opened  through  the  county  was  the  "Quaker  Trace," 
from  Richmond  to  Fort  Wayne,  in  181 7. 

The  first  "public  road"  established  was  from  Winchester  to  Lynn  in 
1819,  at  the  May  session  of  Commissioner's  Court. 

The  first  justice  of  the  peace  may  have  been  John  Wright.  At  any 
rate  he  officiated  at  the  second  wedding  in  February,  18 19. 

The  first  marriage  license  was  issued  by  Charles  Conway,  clerk,  to 
Jacob  Wright  and  Sally  Wright,  February  2,  1819.  They  were  married  by 
John  Gibson,  a  Methodist  Episcopal  minister. 

The  first  licensed  store  was  opened  by  William  Connor,  November,  18 18, 
on  sections  10,  18,  14,  two  or  three  miles  northwest  of  (Old)  Snow  Hill, 
in  Washington  township.  (Jesse  Connor,  son  of  John  Connor,  and  nephew 
of  this  William  Connor  says  that  he  was  born  in  that  first  store,  and  that 
the  place  was  where  Lynn  now  is,  and  not  as  above  stated.  Mr.  Jesse 
Connor  was  born,  however,  not  before  183 1,  thirteen  years  after  this  store 
was  licensed.  This  William  Connor  was  a  bachelor,  and  unsettled  in  resi- 
dence ,  a;id  business. ) 

The  first  town  laid  out  was  Winchester  in  November,  181 8. 

The  first  house  in  Winchester  was  built  in  the  spring  of  1819.  It 
was  a  round  log-cabin,  one  story,  "scutched  down"  with  clapboard  roof 
and  stick  and  clay  chimney.  It  stood  on  inlot  No.  9,  north  front,  and  was 
owned  and  occupied  for  many  years  by  Martin  Comer. 

The  first  steam-mill  was  built  at  Winchester  by  Elias  Kizer,  in  about 
1835.     It  stood  on  Salt  creek  on  the  north  side  of  Washington  street. 

The  first  steam  engine  brought  to  the  county  was  for  that  mill. 

The  first  dwelling  in  the  county  was  erected  by  Thomas  Parker,  in  the 
spring  of  1814,  on  Nolan's  Fork,  west  of  Arba. 

The  first  meeting-house  was  built  by  the  Friends,  at  Arba,  in  the  fall  of 
1815. 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  Friends'  meeting-house  at  Arba,  during 
the  winter  of  1815-16,  by  Eli  Overman. 

The  first  Methodist  meeting  was  held  at  the  dwelling  of  Ephraim  Bo- 
wen,  northwest  of  Arba,  in  1815. 

The  first  Methodist  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Holman,  of 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  at  the  cabin  of  Ephraim  Bowen,  in  the  year  of  1815. 

The  first  white  child  born  in  the  county  was  Robert  Thomas,  son  of 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  3 1 

John  W.  Thomas,  the  second  settler  in  the  county.  The  child  was  born  near 
Arba,  December  i8,  1814. 

The  second  child  was  a  son  of  Clarkson  Willcutts,  who  was  the  third 
settler,  and  it  was  born  February  13,  18 15. 

The  first  white  child  born  in  White  River  township  is  thought  to  be 
Fanny  (Diggs)  Hill,  daughter  of  William  Diggs,  Jr.,  [Old  Billy  Diggs], 
wife  of  Matthew  Hill,  of  Jericho;  she  was  born  September  11,  1817. 

Lydia  (Wright)  Jones,  sister  of  Solomon  Wright,  who  lived  near  the 
mouth  of  Cabin  creek,  was  born  October  5,  1817,  three  weeks  after  the 
arrival  of  her  parents  from  Clinton  county,  Ohio. 

The  first  sheriff  was  David  Wright,  appointed  by  Governor  Jennings  to 
organize  the  county  in  18 18. 

The  first  county  election  was  held  in  August,  1818. 

The  first  officers  elected  were  Wm.  Edwards,  John  Wright,  associate 
judges;  Charles  Conway,  clerk,  and  recorder;  David  Wright,  sheriff;  Solo- 
mon Wright,  coroner;  Eli  Overman,  Benjamin  Cox,  John  James,  com- 
missioners. 

The  first  Commissioners'  Court  was  held  in  August,  18 18. 

The  first  Circuit  Court  was  held  at  the  house  of  William  Way,  October 
12,  1818,  by  the  associate  judges,  Edwards  and  Wright. 

The  first  attorney  admitted  to  practice  law  in  Randolph  county  cir- 
cuit court  was  James  Rariden,  who  was  also  appointed  first  prosecuting 
attorney. 

The  building  of  the  first  court  house  was  let  to  Abner  Overman,  for 
$254.50,  December  6,   1818. 

The  building  of  the  first  jail  was  undertaken  by  Albert  Banta,  for 
$125.00,  December  6,  1818. 

They  were  both  accepted  by  the  commissioners,  June  6,  1820. 

The  first  bill  by  the  grand  jury  was  John  P.  Huddleston  versus  James 
Frazier,  for  an  afifray,  found  June,  1820. 

The  first  trial  in  the  circuit  court  was  Conway  versus  Connor. 

The  first  judgment  rendered  by  the  court  was  in  the  same  .case.  The 
judgment  was  for  the  plaintiff,  and  the  amount  $135.00.  Time  of  rende-r- 
ing  judgment,  April,  1820. 

The  first  criminal  case  was  State  versus  James  Frazier.    Acquittal. 

The  first  divorce  granted  was  in  favor  of  Huldah  Way  from  her  hus- 
band, Nathan  Way,  August,  1823. 

The  first  settler  in  Greensfork  township  was  Thomas  Parker,  west  of 
Arba,  April,  18 14. 


32  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  first  settler  on  White  river  was  WilHam  Diggs,  Jr.,  who  came 
during  the  summer  of  1816,  with  Paul,  Henry  H.,  William  and  Robert 
Way.  He  married  during  the  winter  of  1816  or  1817,  and  settled,  per- 
haps, February,  181 7. 

The  first  settler  in  West  River  may  have  been  William  Blount.  He 
first  entered  land,  and  may  have  been  the  first  settler.  His  entry  is  dated 
April  10,  1815.  It  was  afterward  the  Zimmerman  (Retz)  farm,  on  West 
river. 

The  first  settler  in  Ward  township  is  not  now  known.  James  Strain 
entered  a  section  of  land  in  1816,  but  he  is  said  never  to  have  lived  on  the 
land.  Fifteen  entries  were  made  in  1817,  the  first  being  Daniel  Richard- 
son, May  21,  1817,  southwest  quarter  of  12,  21,  14,  on  Mississinewa  river, 
northeast  of  John  Keys. 

The  first  settler  in  Nettle  Creek  was  probably  John  Burroughs,  south- 
west of  Losantville,  in  1822. 

The  first  settler  in  Stoney  Creek  may  have  been  Isaac  Branson.  "Aunt 
Patsy"  Branson  said  that  she  came  with  her  husband  to  Stoney  Creek  town- 
ship in  1819.  She  was  perhaps  mistaken.  He  entered  his  land  November 
28,  1822.  Yet,  he  may  have  resided  in  the  county  some  years,  and  he  en- 
tered land  in  that  township,  November  28,   1822. 

However,  David  Vestal  made  the  first  entry,  October  31,  1822,  four 
weeks  before  Isaac  Branson  did  his.  Yet  Mr.  Branson  is  said  to  have  come 
in  February,  1819,  and  "Aunt  Patsy"  thought  they  were  first,  and  perhaps 
they  were. 

The  first  settler  in  Green  township  may  have  been  Martin  Boots.  His 
entry  was  macie  August  18,  1832,  six  entries  being  made  in  that  year. 

The  first  settler  in  Monroe  township  was  perhaps  John  Rody.  At  least 
he  entered  the  first  land,  April   10,   1833,  one  mile  south  of  Morristown. 

The  first  settlers  in  Wayne  township  were  probably  Benoni  and  Henry 
Hill  and  Amos  Peacock,  in  the  spring  of  1818. 

The  first  resident  of  Jackson  township  is  thought  to  have  been  Philip 
Storms.  He  lived  at  a  very  early  day  at  the  Allensville  crossing  of  the 
Mississinewa,  and  still  before  that  in  the  southern  part  of  the  township. 
He  was  poor  and  not  able  to  purchase  land,  and  once  or  twice  had  land 
entered  from  under  him,  which  provoked  him,  as  well  it  might,  since  that 
was  justly  enough  reckoned  a  very  serious  breach  of  "squatter  unwritten 
law."    He  resided  in  the  region  in  1830. 

The  first  settler  in  Washington  township  may  have  been  Travis  Adcock. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  33 

At  any  rate,  he  made  the  first  land  entry  in  that  township,   18x4,  and  he 
was  residing  there  at  a  very  early  date. 

The  first  settler  in  Franklin  township  was  Meshach  Lewallyn,  during 
the  summer  of  181 7. 

The  first  framed  bridge  (probably)  was  made  over  White  river  north, 
toward  Deerfield. 

The  first  railroad  through  the  county  was  the  Indianapolis  &  Belle- 
fontaine  railroad,  completed  in  1852-3.  This  road  was  afterwards  called 
the  "Bee  Line"  and  is  now  a  part  of  the  New  York  Central  Lines. 

The  first  wagon-shop,  so  far  as  now  known,  was  owned  by  Thomas 
Butterworth,  before  1840,  who  lived  two  and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  Win- 
chester. 

The  first  blacksmith  shop  may  have  been  John  Way's  at  Winchester, 
(not  known).  James  Frazier,  father  of  Francis  Frazier,  the  bellmaker, 
was  a  bellmaker  and  blacksmith.  He  came  in  1817,  (in  the  spring).  Jere 
Smith's  father  came  in  August,  1817,  and  he  was  a  blacksmith  and  worked 
at  his  trade. 

The  first  brick  may  have  been  burned  by  David  Wysong,  south  of  Win- 
chester.    He  burned  the  brick  for  the  court  house,  built  in  1826. 

The  first  lime  kiln  was  probably  at  Maxville. 

The  first  orchard  is  thought  to  have  been  set  out  by  Henry  H.  Way, 
near  Sampletown,  about  1817  or  181 8.  Some  of  the  trees  are  still  standing, 
two  to  two  and  a  half  feet  through,  and  in  a  bearing  condition. 

The  first  binder  was  owned  by  Wm.  Wright  in  Stoney  Creek  township. 
This  machine  was  a  "Buckeye  Wire  Binder"  sold  by  George  Robbins  of 
Farmland.  It  was  necessary  to  watch  the  machine  as  it  was  in  danger  of 
being  destroyed. 

The  first  brick  house  in  Winchester,  and  perhaps  in  the  county,  was 
built  by  Martin  Comer,  where  the  Randolph  County  Bank  now  stands. 

One  of  the  oldest  brick  dwellings  in  the  county  now  stands  on  the  Brick- 
ley  farm,  one  mile  southwest  of  Dunkirk  meeting-house.  The  bricks  were 
burnt  on  the   farm   for  the  purpose. 

The  -first  frame  house  in  the  county  was  built  in  Winchester,  by  Judge 
Sample,  in  1820. 

The  first  penitentiary  sentence  was  rendered  in  the  August  term,  1824, 
against  David  Banta,  for  hog  stealing.  The  prisoner  escaped  into  Ohio  and 
was  never  captured,  and  so  the  sentence  remains  not  carried  out  to  this  day. 

The  first  conviction  was  David  Banta's. 
(3) 


34  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  first  slander  case  was  tried  August,  1826. 

The  first  slander  conviction  was  February,  1828. 

The  first  water-mill  in  Greens  fork  township  may  have  been  Jessup's  on 
Greenville  creek.    It  was  built  as  early  as  1820,  and  perhaps  earlier. 

The  first  mill  in  the  county  may  perhaps  have  been  Lewallyn's,  near 
Ridgeville,  as  early  as  18 19,  and  probably  sooner  than  that. 

The  first  mill  on  White  river  was  probably  Sample's  Mill,  west  of 
Winchester,  or  Jeremiah  Cox's  mill  near  Jericho.  Cox's  mill  was  built  in 
1825,  five  or  six  miles  east  of  Winchester.  No  mill  is  found  at  either  place 
now. 

The  first  carding  machine  in  the  county  was  owned  by  Daniel  Petty  east 
of  Winchester,  very  early,  exact  date  not  known. 

The  first  carding  machine  in  Winchester  is  supposed  to  have  been  built 
by  Moorman  Way,  Esq.    It  was  run  by  ox-power,  and  was  built  about  1832. 

The  first  grist  mill  in  Jackson  township  is  thought  to  have  been  a  corn- 
cracker,  built  soon  after  1833  by  Jacob  Johnson. 

The  first  water  mill  in  Jackson  township  is  thought  to  have  been  built 
on  the  Mississinewa  by  Hinchey.     The  exact  date  is  not  known. 

The  first  school  in  Jackson  township  was  taught  by  Mrs.  Beach  in 
1838,  in  her  own  house. 

The  first  pike  in  Randolph  county  is  thought  to  have  been  the  Green- 
ville and  Winchester  pike  (or  a  pike  near  Bloomingsport). 

The  first  two-story  hewed  log  cabin  in  Winchester  was  built  in  the  fall 
of  1819,  on  Inlot  No.  i,  west  front,  by  James  McCool,  a  blind  man.  It 
was  good  and  substantial,  and  was  occupied  by  him  as  a  hotel  in  1819. 

The  first  cook  stove  brought  to  Randolph  county  was  by  Edward  Edger, 
of  Deerfield,  about  1838  or  1839.  It  cost  $50.00  in  silver  at  10  per  cent, 
premium,  equal  to  $55.00  in  currency,  besides  the  cost  of  hauling  it  from 
Cincinnati. 

Another  cook  stove  was  brought  to  the  county  at  the  same  time  for  Mrs. 
Kinnear,  south  of  Deerfield.  It  was  just  like  Mr.  Edger's  and  cost  the 
same  amount. 

The  first  entry  in  Randolph  county  was  by  Jeremiah  Mottatt,  fn  Wayne 
township,  northwest  of  Harrisville,  December  i,  18 12,  northwest  quarter 
section  18,  town  20,  range  15.    He  never  occupied  the  tract. 

The  first  entry  in  Greens  fork  township  was  by  Clarkson  Willcutts,  Janu- 
ary 9,  1814,  southeast  quarter  section  28,  town  16,  range  i. 

The  first  entry  in  Washington  township  was  by  Travis  Adcock,  May 
14,  1814,  northwest  quarter  section  14,  town  18,  range  14. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  35 

The  first  entry  in  West  River  township  was  by  William  Blount,  April 
i.o,  1814,  southwest  quarter  section  8,  town  i8,  range  13. 

The  first  entry  in  White  River  township  was  by  Shuball  Ellis,  Novem- 
ber 30,   18 14,  northeast  quarter  section   18,  town  20,  range   14. 

The  first  entry  in  Ward  township  was  by  James  Strain,  October  16, 
1816,  section  13,  town  21,  range  14.      He  never  lived  on  it. 

The  first  entry  in  Jackson  township  was  by  John  Abercrombie,  Octo- 
ber 16,  1816,  southwest  quarter  section  7,  town  21,  range  15.  Jackson  town- 
ship was  not  settled  till  long  afterwards. 

The  first  entry  in  Stoney  Creek  was  by  David  Vestal,  October  31,  1822, 
southwest  quarter  section  8,  town  19,  range  12.  Two  more  entries  were 
made  the  same  day  by  John  Connor,  and  five  more  in  the  month  of  Novem- 
ber following,  or  880  in  all  in  less  than  a  month. 

The  first  entry  in  Nettle  Creek  was  by  John  Burroughs,  October  21, 
1822,  southwest  quarter  section  15,  town  18,  range  12.  Within  less  than  a 
month,  760  acres  were  entered  in  that  township. 

The  first  entry  in  Franklin  township  was  by  Meshach  Lewallyn,  July 
19,  181 7,  sections  i  and  12,  town  21,  range  13. 

The  first  entry  in  Monroe  township  was  by  John  Rody,  April  10,  1833, 
southeast  quarter  of  southeast  quarter  section  17,  town  21,  range  12. 

The  first  entries  in  Green  township  were  made  by  John  Michael  and 
Martin  Boots,  August  18,  1832,  northwest  quarter  section  8,  town  21,  range 
12,  and  northeast  quarter  section  9,  town  21,  range  12. 

The  first  carding  machine  in  Randolph  county  was  on  Salt  creek,  east 
of  Winchester,'  owned  by  Daniel  Petty,  date  not  known. 

The  first  tan-yard  was  probably  set  up  by  Hugh  Botkins  southeast  of 
Huntsville.  Mr.  Botkins  came  very  early.  The  first  one  may  have  been  at 
Sampletown. 

The  first  burying  ground  was  probably  at  Arba.  Arba,  Lynn,  Cherry 
Grove,  Jericho,  White  River  and  Dunkirk  meetings  were  all  established  short- 
ly after  the  settlement  of  the  county,  Arba  being  almost  certainly  the  first. 

The  first  drain-tile  made  in  the  county,  as  also  in  the  state,  were  manu- 
factured by  hand  by  John  K.  Martin  in  a  machine  made  by  himself  in  1856. 
He  made  200  rods  and  burned  them  in  a  brick-kiln  in  his  father's  yard. 

The  first  woolen  factory  in  Randolph  county  is  thought  to  have  been 
at  Unionsport  by  Hiram  Mendenhall.     The  date  cannot  be  stated. 

The  first  teacher's  institute  was  held  at  Winchester  under  the  direction 
of  Prof..  E.  P.  Cole,  principal  of  Randolph  County  Seminary,  about  1850. 


36  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Those  early  institutes  were  full  of  interest  and  profit,  and  would  compare 
very  favorably  with  many  held  in  later  times. 

The  first  session  of  the  Union  Literary  Institute  commenced  June  15, 
1846,  with  Rev.  Ebenezer  Tucker  as  principal,  in  a  two-story  hewed  log 
house,  upon  ground  cleared  from  the  heavy  green  woods  for  the  purpose. 
A  huge  tree-trunk,  four  feet  through,  lay  for  years  not  twenty  feet  from 
the  door,  that  had  just  been  felled  "in  the  green,"  and  the  boarding  house 
erected  the  next  year  had  several  green  stunips  under  the  floor. 

The  first  hotel  in  Winchester  was  kept  by  James  McCool,  a  blind  man. 
It  was  set  up  in  1819. 

The  first  hotel  in  the  county  may  have  been  kept  by  Joseph  Gass,  be- 
tween Economy  and  Winchester.  At  least  it  was  there  in  the  spring  of 
181 7,  when  the  "Way  Company"  came  through  from  Caroline  to  White 
River. 

The  first  store  in  Winchester  would  seem  to  have  been  kept  by  Esquire 
Odle,  at  what  date  is  not  now  known. 

The  first  hatters'  shop  was  owned  by  James  Oldham,  which  was  begun 
perhaps  in  1819. 

The  first  county  treasurer  was  Jesse  Johnson,  appointed  by  the  com- 
missioners, Nov.ember,  1818. 

The  first  assessor  (lister)  was  George  Bowles,  appointed  February, 
,1819.  He  made  his  report  in  May  and  was  allowed  $10  for  assessing  the 
county. 

The  first  treasurer's  report  was  made  May,  1819;  sum  received  $10; 
expenditures,  $20. 

The  first  grist-mill  on  the  Mississinewa,  above  Lewallyn's  was  built 
by  Mr.  Parsons,  who  came  there  in  1829,  and  built  it  soon  after. 

The  first  murder  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  state  was  done  in  Wayne 
county,  in  1816.  A  man  by  the  name  of  Criss  killed  his  son-in-law,  Mr. 
Chambers.  He  was  tried,  convicted,  and  hung  at  Salisbury,  then  the  county 
seat  of  Wayne  county. 

The  first  post  offices  in  the  various  townships  were  probably  as  fol- 
lows: White  River  (and  in  the  county),  Winchester,  Ward,  Deerfield; 
Greens  fork,  Spartanburg;  Washington,  Bloomingsport ;  Franklin,  Ridgeville; 
Wayne  (old)  Randolph;  Stoney  Creek,  Windsor;  West  River,  Trenton; 
Huntsville,  Nettle  Creek,  Losantville;  Jackson,  New  Lisbon;  Green,  Fair- 
view;  Monroe,  Farmland. 
/      . 


CHAPTER  II. 
GEOLOGY  AND  TOPOGRAPHY. 

Randolph  county  being  one  of  the  oldest  as  well  as  the  highest  counties 
in  the  state  has  been  the  subject  for  very  careful  survey,  both  as  to  its  geology, 
fauna  and  flora. 

The  geological  survey  was  carefully  made  of  the  county  in  1882  by 
Prof.  A.  J.  Phinney.  Dr.  Phinney  was  a  physician,  located  in  Muncie  and 
made  his  report  to  Prof.  John  Collett,  at  that  time  state  geologist. 

Dr.  Phinney's  report  is  so  complete  and  exact  and  was  made  after  such 
careful  investigation  and  research  that  we  feel  the  best  interests  of  our  read- 
ers will  be  served  by  re-publishing  his  report,  which  is  as  follows : 

SURFACE  CONFIGURATION. 

The  surface  is  generally  level  or  rolling,  with  the  exception  of  three 
ridges  in  the  southern  part,  which  might  in  places  be  termed  hilly.  These  ridges 
are  highest  south  of  the  water-shed,  owing  to  the  erosion  of  the  valleys  during 
the  slow  elevation  of  the  divide.  The  surface  near  the  water-shed  is  usually 
level,  but  grows  more  hilly  as  you  go  towards  the  south  line  of  the  county. 
North  of  White  River  is  a  low  ridge,  forming  the  water-shed  of  the  north- 
ern part.  The  highest  land  in  the  state  is  formed  on  the  middle  ridge  near 
Bloomingsport  (one  and  one-half  miles  northwest),  on  the  summit  between 
Green's  Fork  and  Martindale  creek,  the  elevation  of  the  road  bed  of  the  I.,  B. 
and  \Y.  R.  R.,  being  here  1,234.40  feet  above  the  ocean.  Colonel  ^loore, 
Chief  Engineer,  estimates  the  elevation  of  some  of  the  hills  south  of  this  point 
to  be  at  least  fifty  feet  higher,  making  the  highest  point  in  the  state  about 
1,285  f^st  above  the  ocean.  Hills  on  the  east  ridge  are  nearly  as  high.  The 
following  table  of  altitudes  of  the  road  bed  of  the  I.,  B.  &  W.  R.  R.  was  fur- 
nished by  Colonel  Moore,  Chief  Engineer.  The  base  line  of  this  road  places 
the  Union  Depot,  at  Indianapolis,  at  721.20  feet  above  the  sea  level. 


38  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

TABLE  OF  ALTITUDES. 

Feet  Above  Ocean. 

West  line  of  Randolph  County : 1,171.50 

One-half  mile  south  of  Losantvillc 1,140.60 

Valley  of  Nettle  Creek 1,129.40 

Summit  between  West  River  and  Nettle  Creek 1,1 86. 10 

West  River  Valley  Bridge 1,120.00 

Township  Line  at  Hoover's  Sawmill 1,220.00 

Summit  between  Martindale, creek  and  Green's  fork 1,234.40 

Crossing  of  Richmond,  Ft.  Wayne  R.  R.  near  Lynn 1,173.80 

Elevation  of  Lynn  station 1,183.00 

Summit  of  line  between  Washington  and  Green's  Fork  Townships 1,187.50 

Summit  west  of  boundary  road 1,220.00 

Di^'ide  of  drainage  between  Noland's  Fork  and  Greenville  creek 1,186.00 

Summit  between  Noland's  fork  and  east  fork  of  White  Water 1,214.60 

State  line  one  mile  north  of  the  southeast  corner  of  the  county 1,180.44 

East  of  the  point  last  named  the  descent  is  gradual  to  the  Miami  Valley. 

Low  water  Mississinewa  river,  at  Ridgeville 964.00 

Summit  between  Mississinewa  and  White  Rivers 1,095.00 

\A"inchester,  crossing  of  Bellefontaine  R.  R 1,088.00 

Union  City,  C,  C,  C.  &  I.  R.  R 1,107.00 

The  county,  as  a  whole,  is  one  of  the  most  elevated  in  the  state,  its 
southern  part  forming  the  water-shed  of  eastern  Indiana.  Streams  flow  in 
every  direction  from  its  summit.  The  principal  rivers  are  the  Mississinewa, 
and  its  branches,  viz. :  Elkhorn  and  Bear  creeks,  and  the  Little  Mississinewa ; 
White  river  and  its  tributaries,  viz. :  Little  White  river,  Cabin  creek.  Sugar 
creek,  and  Salt  creek,  in  the  central  part.  South  of  the  divide.  West  river, 
Martindale  creek,  Green's  fork  and  Noland's  Fork  of  White  Water  river, 
while  on  the  east  Greenville  and  Dismal  creeks  drain  the  swampy  tracts  near 
the  summit.  All  these  streams  form  an  abundance  of  water  for  stock,  though 
none  are  hardly  large  enough  to  furnish  much  water  power  for  manufactories. 
\Miere  streams  are  not  accessible,  water  can  usually  be  obtained  by  wells,  the 
depth  varying  from  ten  to  thirty  feet.  Springs  are  numerous,  though  mostly 
small,  and  the  character  of  the  water  such  as  is  usually  found  in  limestone 
regions,  though  a  few  were  observed  which  are  chalj^beate. 

Nearly  all  the  larger  streams  of  the  county  have  their  sources  in  broad, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  39 

swampy  tracts,  which,  when  the  country  was  first  settled,  were  almost  impass- 
able, and  were  from  one  quarter  to  two  miles  wide,  and  the  larger  from  five 
to  six  miles  long.  The  water-shed  between"  Noland's  Fork  and  Greenville 
creek  is  hardly  perceptible,  and  the  broad  prairie  which  now  borders  both  these 
streams  can  be  traced  from  the  south  line  of  the  county,  with  the  direction  a 
little  east  of  north,  to  a  point  east  of  Union  City,  from  thence  continuing  in 
the  same  direction  for  fifteen  miles  through  the  northwestern  portion  of  Darke 
county,  Ohio.  South  of  Union  City  a  branch  of  this  prairie  crosses  the  east 
ridge,  and  extends  in  a  southwesterly  direction  to  the  valley  of  Green's  Fork, 
forming  the  broad  prairie  from  which  Dismal  creek,  the  east  branch  of 
Green's  fork  and  White  river  have  their  sources.  Cabin  Creek  and  West  River 
,  rise  in  another  long  swampy  tract,  which  lies  to  the  east  of  the  west  ridge. 
North  of  West  River  township,  this  swampy  tract  extends  for  about  two  miles. 
Bear  creek  and  the  stream  from  the  north,  which  empties  into  the  Mississinewa 
river  a  short  distance  above  the  mouth  of  Bear  creek,  are  in  the  same  line. 
The  streams  which  occupy  these  broad  valleys  could  never  have  excavated 
them;  in  fact,  until  ditches  were  cut,  they  had  not  even  made  a  channel  for 
themselves.  They  evidently- mark  the  course  of  glacial  rivers,  flowing  from 
the  northeast  to  the  valley  of  the  Ohio  of  the  ocean.  The  direction  of  the 
flow  of  these  ancient  streams,  at  right  angles  to  the  present  lines  of  drain- 
age, shows  that  the  surface  at  the  north  was  relatively  much  higher  than  at 
present,  and  that  the  divide  now  so  prominent  a  feature  of  the  surface  con- 
figuration, hardly  had  an  existence  at  the  close  of  the  Glacial  epoch.  The  three 
ridges  are  only  remnants  of  the  broad  table  land  which  once  existed,  the  gla- 
cial streams  having  carried  away  the  material  which  once  united  them.  The 
hills,  so  prominent  a  feature  of  the  southern  part  of  the  ridges,  were  carved 
from  the  level  table  land  by  currents  of  water.  They  have  nothing  in  common 
with  those  hills  of  sand  and  gravel  (kames),  found  so  frequently  in  Delaware 
county  and  other  portions  of  the  state. 

Union  City  is  situated  on  the  east  ridge,  and  the  people  have  always  had 
more  or  less  difficulty  in  obtaining  water.  In  order  to  secure  a  supply  for 
water  works,  an  excavation  was  made  southwest  of  the  city,  thirty  feet  in 
diameter  and  twenty  feet  deep.  A  drill  was  then  sunk  twenty  feet  more,  strik- 
ing a  vein  of  water  which  filled  the  well  and  overflowed  the  top,  and  has  since 
continued  to  supply  the  city  with  clear  cold  water.  They  evidently  tapped  the 
ancient  channel  which  passed  a  little  to  the  east.  In  draining  the  swamps,  elks' 
antlers  have  been  found :  some  very  large  and  having  a  spread  of  six  feet. 
Remains  of  the  mastodon  have  been  occasionally  met  with. 

North  of  the  Mississinewa  river,  in  Jay  county,  is  a  ridge  known  as  the 


40  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Lost  Mountain.  This  ridge  has  a  similar  position,  and  evidently  originated  in 
the  same  manner  as  the  low  divide  north  of  White  river.  Overflows  from 
the  Glacial  river  evidently  once  covered  most  of  Wayne  and  White  River 
townships,  finding  an  outlet  through  the  channel  marked  "probable  course  of 
Glacial  river."  Although  no  deep  channel  was  formed,  enough  material  was 
removed  to  give  to  the  remaining  portion  the  character  of  a  ridge,  and  the 
erosive  action  of  White  river  has  still  further  contributed  to  that  result.  A 
similar  condition  prevails  north  of  the  Missigsinewa  river,  in  fact  that  chan- 
nel marked  "probable  course  of  Glacial  river"  can  be  traced  through  Randolph 
to  Jay  county.  West  of  Ridgeville  it  curves  to  the  east,  and  with  a  somewhat 
circuitous  course  terminates  in  the  main  channel  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  mak- 
ing probably  the  supposition  that  the  ridge  is  the  result  of  erosion. 

GENERAL  GEOLOGY. 

QUATERNARY  AGE. 

Under  this  head  may  be  classed  all  those  de^sits  which  have  taken  place 
during  and  since  the  close  of  the  Glacial  epoch,  and  it  embraces  all  those 
accumulations  of  peat,  muck  and  vegetable  mold  which  are  now  among  the 
very  best  farming  lands  in  the  county.  The  largest  of  these  deposits  occur  in 
the  valleys  of  those  ancient  rivers,  their  channels  having  been  silted  up  with 
sand  and  gravel,  leaving,  at  first  series  of  shallow  lakes.  All  depressions  in 
the  surface  were  left  filled  as  the  waters  slowly  receded.  These  lakes  and 
ponds,  after  a  long  period  of  time,  became  filled  from  the  accumulations  of  an 
aquatic  vegetation  and  the  wash  from  the  higher  lands..  Although  shunned 
by  the  earlier  settlers,  the  judicious  use  of  ditching  has  redeemed  these  wastes, 
and  now,  over  a  great  part  of  these  prairies,  may  be  seen  the  fields  of  golden 
grain.  The  depths  of  these  deposits  varies  from  two  to  ten  feet,  the  lower 
part,  in  places,  resembling  a  marl.  The  largest  of  these  prairies  are  found 
bordering  Greenville  and  Dismal  creeks  on  the  east  and  Cabin  creek  and 
West  river,  near  the  southwestern  part  of  the  county.  Smaller  accumulations 
of  muck  occur  in  every  township. 

ALLUVIUM. 

All  of  the  streams  of  the  county  being  small,  no  very  extensive  alluvial 
deposits  are  found  here.  The  valleys  of  the  Mississinewa  and  ^Vhite  rivers 
afford  the  best  example  of  this  formation.     Although  limited  in  extent,  they 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  4I 

are  noted  for  their  fertility — a  characteristic  of  these  deposits  wherever 
found.  Formed  from  the  finer  clay  and  sand  washed  from  the  higher  lands, 
and  mixed  with  vegetable  detritus,  they  have  every  element  necessary  for  the 
production  of  magnificent  crops. 

THE  DRIFT. 

This  deposit  covers  the  whole  county,  the  depth  ranging  from  twenty- 
five  to  possibly  one  hundred  feet.  It  is  here  a.  gray  and  yellowish  clay,  with 
some  sand  and  gravel  in  the  deeper  portions.  From  ten  to  thirty  feet  of 
clay  is  passed  through,  in  digging  wells  before  gravel  is  reached.  The  depth 
■  of  the  surface  clays  together  with  their  extent,  and  the  numerous  large  bowld- 
ers which  are  found  on  the  surface  are  records  of  melting  of  extensive 
glaciers.  The  clays,  sand  and  gravel,  which  are  scattered  over  such  a  large 
extent  of  territory,  tell  us  of  the  mighty  force  which  ground  to  powder  the 
shales,  destroyed  the  cohesion  of  sandstones,  and  brought  from  the  Canadian 
highlands  mere  remnants  of  tho;e  azoic  rocks  that  were  torn  from  their 
parent  ledges. 

If,  standing  upon  the  summit  of  Little  mountain,  Lake  county,  Ohio, 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the  surface  of  Lake  Erie,  one  will  fill,  in 
imagination,  that  vast  vacuity  which  probably  extends  to  the  Canadian  shore 
with  the  Erie  shale,  Waverl}^  group  and  carboniferous  conglomerate,  which 
once  occupied  it,  he  will  be  able  to  form  some  conception  of  the  mighty  force 
which  excavated  the  basin  of  Lake  Erie,  and  scattered  the  debris  oyer  Indi- 
ana and  Ohio.  That  great  glacier  moved  from  the  northeast  to  the  south- 
west, and  the  Little  mountain,  with  its  precipitous  walls  facing  the  lake,  indi- 
cates the  position  of  the  land  side  of  that  glacial  plow.  Probably  the  low 
divide,  which  extends  from  northeastern  Ohio  into  Indiana,  passing  through 
the  southern  part  of  Randolph  county,  marked  the  southern  border  of  this 
glacier.  This  was  followed  by  the  great  glacier  from  the  north,  which 
covered  the  continent  as  far  south  as  the  fortieth  parallel  of  latitude.  As 
this  melted,  leaving  the  debris  of  its  work  of  destruction  behind,  to  be  sorted 
by  the  volumes  of  water  flowing  from  it,  a  depression  of  the  continent  took 
place,  the  glaciers  dropped  their  loads  of  gravel,  sand,  clay  and  bowlders. 
After  this  part  of  the  ice  age  the  surface  clays  were  deposited  and  the  future 
wealth  of  the  soil  determined.  During  the  period  of  elevation  which  fol- 
lowed, the  sheet  of  clay  was  cut  through  by  the  rivers  which  were  draining 
the  waters  from  the  basins  of  the  Great  lakes.  As  the  rivers  flowed  across 
the  divide,  they  excavated  those  deep  and  broad  valleys  now  occupied  by 


42  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Greenville  and  Dismal  creeks,  Cabin  creek  and  West  river.  Portions  of  the 
table  land  separating  them  were  subject  to  the  action  of  currents  of  water, 
which  carved  those  rounded  hills,  so  common  near  the  summit  of  the  divide. 
As  the  lake  basins  became  drained,  the  ancient  river  channels  were  silted  up, 
in  many  places  wholly  obliterated,  leaving  only  a  series  of  shallow  lakes  to 
mark  their  former  course.  During  this  last  act  in  the  great  drama  of  water 
and  ice,  the  surface  configuration  of  the  county  was  marked  out.  Gradually, 
with  a  continued  but  unequal  elevation,  the  p^sent  lines  of  drainage  became 
established  at  right  angles  to  those  ancient  river  channels. 

BOWLDERS. 

Bowlders  are  common  everywhere,  but  are  found  in  greater  numbers 
in  the  southern  part,  near  the  summit  of  the  divide,  the  erosion  which  this 
part  of  the  county  has  suffered  having  carried  away  the  finer  material,  leaving 
them  exposed.  East  of  Windsor  and  south  of  White  river  is  a  line  of 
bowlders,  extending  nearly  to  IMacksville,  many  of  which  are  of  large  size. 
In  section  29,  White  River  township,  range  14  east,  20  north,  is  one  thirteen 
feet  long  and  five  feet  above  the  surface  and  with  not  less  than  five  or  six 
feet  imbedded  in  the  earth.  W^est  of  Fairview  and  south  of  the  Mississinewa 
river  is  another  nearly  as  large.  Quartzytes,  green-stones  and  granites  are 
the  prevailing  kinds.  ^lany  of  the  quartzytes  are  of  great  size,  and  show  by 
their  well-rounded  forms  the  rough  usage  to  which  they  have  been  subjected. 
The  greenstones  (Dioryte,  with  others  of  the  Hornblende  series)  are,  many 
of  them,  large,  and  are  usually  angular.  All  forms  of  granites  occur  here. 
The  transition  into  the  gneissoid  rocks,  however,  is  rare,  the  tendency  of  the 
gradations  being  towards  the  Syenites.  But  few  limestones  were  found. 
In  many  places  bowlders  were  so  numerous  that  the  farmers  were  complelled 
to  haul  them  off  their  fields.  The  immense  pile  along  the  roadsides  afforded 
ample  opportunity  for  their  study. 

PALEOZOIC    GEOLOGY. 

The  only  rocks  found  in  the  county  belong  to  the  Niagara  period,  Upper 
Silurian  age.  But  few  exposures  occur,  and  only  along  the  larger  streams. 
At  IMacksville,  on  White  river,  is  an  outcrop  exposing  a  thickness  of  about 
six  feet  of  a  soft  friable  and  coarse  grained  limestone  of  a  whitish  cream 
color,  becoming  yellowish  on  exposure,  judging  from  what  was  seen  on  the 
suiface.  This  is  suitable  only  for  lime,  of  which  it  makes  an  excellent 
quality.     It  ^ets  quick,  owing  to  its  being  nearly  a  pure  carbonate.     Air.  J. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  43 

C.  Brickley  burns  annually  about  seven  thousand  bushels,  which  hardly  sup- 
plies the  local  demand.  This  industry  might  be  much  increased  if  the  rock 
was  quarried  properly.  Instead  of  taking  a  few  loads  from  where  it  can  be 
obtained  the  easiest,  a  quarry  ought  to  be  opened  and  worked  below  the  sur- 
face of  tiie  river,  and  with  a  front  not  less  than  ten  or  twelve  rods  in  length. 
When  once  opened,  rock  could  be  obtained  with  much  less  expense  than  at 
present,  and  if  a  continual  burner  was  used  the  cost  of  production  would  be 
much  less.  Not  over  two  or  three  feet  of  stripping  is  required  here,  and 
that  principally  the  alluvial  deposits  of  the  river.  Although  this  rock  is  a 
magnesian  limestone,  the  amount  of  magnesia  present  is  much  less  than  in 
rocks  of  the  same  age  in  Grant  and  Huntington  counties. 

The  following  analysis  is  taken  from  Professor  Cox's  report  for  1878: 

ANALYSIS    OF    ROCK    AT    MACKSVILLE. 

Water  exiDclled  at  212°  Fahr 1.18 

Silicic  acid  . 1.20 

Ferric    oxide    : 1.30 

Alumina 4.40 

Lime _ 45.45 

Magnesia    4.01 

Carbonic  acid 40.11 

Sulphuric  acid .27 

Loss  and  undetermined 2.08 

Total  100.00 

"The  principal  ingredients  of  this  rock,  as  seen  from  the  above,  are 
carbonate  of  lime,  carbonate  of  magnesia  and  alumina.  In  calcining,  prob- 
ably tiie  greater  part  of  the  magnesia  is  driven  off,  especially  if  a  white  heat 
is  obtained.  The  strata  here  range  from  two  to  five  inches  in  thickness,  and 
though  very  soft  when  first  taken  from  the  quarry,  become  hard  on  exposure. 
In  the  upper  layers,  casts  of  pentamerus  oblongus  are  very  abundant,  many 
being  nearly  perfect;  but  as  no  pains  have  been  taken  to  save  the  finest  ones, 
only  weathered  specimens  could  be  obtained.  Impressions  of  an  Orthis  and 
Spirifer  were  observed,  and,  judging  from  the  description  given,  Orthoceras 
annulatum  and  Platyostoma  niagarensis  have  been  occasionally  met  with. 
The  direction  and  amount  of  dip  could  not  be  determined.  A  small  exposure 
occurs  in  section  8,  West  River  township,  range  13  east,  19  north,  on  Cabin 


44  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

creek,  which  was  worked  for  lime,  on  a  small  scale  some  years  ago.     No  out- 
crop can  be  seen  at  present. 

Near  Ridgeville  the  rock  is  exposed  along  the  Mississinewa  river  for 
about  two  miles.  Here  is  found  about  six  feet  of  a  whitish,  coarse-grained 
limestone  which,  though  soft  and  friable  when  first  taken  from  the  quarry, 
hardens  on  exposure  and  forms  the  principal  stone  used  in  the  vicinity  for 
walls  and  building.  The  strata  range  from  two  to  four  inches  in  thickness. 
This  stone  makes  excellent  lime,  though  nona-is  being  burnt  at  present.  This 
rock  differs  very  little  from  that  at  Macksville,  as  can  be  seen  from  the  fol- 
lowing analysis  from  the  Indiana  Geographical  Report  1878. 

ANALYSIS  OF  ROCK  AT  RIDGEVILLE. 

Water  expelled  at  212"  Fahr 0.90 

Silicic  acid .70 

Ferric  oxide 2.70 

Alumina 3.75 

Lime   45-o8 

Magnesia    4.36 

Carbonic  acid 40.21 

Sulphuric  acid .44 

Loss  and  undetermined   1.86 

Total 100.00 

The  presence  of  iron  in  the  upper  layers  causes  them  to  turn  rusty  or 
yellowish  red  upon  expoaire  to  the  air,  •  the  oxide  becoming  a  sesquioxide. 
Numerous  ixnpressions  of  fossils  were  seen.  Corals  of  the  genus  Favosites 
were  numerous,  but  good  specimens  could  not  be  obtained.  The  more  com- 
mon of  the  fossils  found  are  Favosites  niagarensis.  F.  Favosus,  Strophomena, 
rhomboidalis,  S.  striata,  Orthis  elegantula,  Pentamerus  oblongus,  P.  sp., 
Cladopora  reticulata,  Zaphrentis  bilateralis,  IMeristina  nitida  and  Platyostoma 
niagarensis.  W'est  of  Fairview,  near  the  river,  rock  is  found  about  two  feet 
below  the  surface.  This  differs  in  no  particular  from  that  at  Ridgeville,  ex- 
cept that  the  strata  are  thicker.  Only  a  small  amount  has  been  quarried. 
At  neither  of  these  localities  could  the  dip  be  determined.  The  rocks  in  this 
county  differ  from  that  found  in  Delaware  countv  in  the  absence  of  the 
argillaceous  and  cherty  layers,  as  well  as  the  more  durable  and  desirable  blue 
stone.  The  dip  in  Delaware  county  being  to  the  southwest,  the  rock  there 
belongs  higher  in  the  series.     The  difference  is  not  due  to  a  change  in  the" 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  45 

lithological  character  of  the  same  strata,  but  to  a  change  in  the  conditions 
under  which  they  were  deposited. 

At  the  close  of  the  Lower  Sihirian  age  the  southern  portion  of  that  Hne 
of  upheaval  known  as  the  Cincinnati  arch  was  raised  above  the  sea.  In  the 
continental  ocean  surrounding  it  was  deposited  the  Niagara  limestone,  the 
most  extensive  of  any  of  the  formations  subsequent  to  the  Lower  Silurian. 
The  Cincinnati  arch,  extending  from  Nashville,  Tennessee,  to  a  point  between 
Toledo  and  Sandusky.  C)hio,  was  a  line  of  uner|ual  disturbance,  which  finally 
culminated  in  the  elevation  of  the  whole  arch  above  the  ocean  at  the  close  of 
the  Devonian  age.  This  arch  is  not  a  single  fold,  but,  as  ably  shown  by  Prof. 
J.  S.  Newberry,  in  the  geological  survey  of  Ohio,  its  northern  portion  consists 
of  at  least  two  distinct  folds.  During  the  deposition  of  the  Niagara  lime- 
stone around  the  Lower  Silurian  island,  the  sea  was  gradually  returning  with 
the  elevation  of  the  arch,  and  the  dififerent  portions  of  the  Niagara  group, 
following  the  retreating  waters,  were  deposited  successively  further  from 
the  old  shore  line.  Today  the  most  recently  formed  strata  of  the  Niagara 
are  probably  found  along  the  AVabash  river,  showing  that  there  has  been  a 
gradual  elevation  of  this  portion  of  eastern  Indiana,  during  the  Niagara 
period.     The  dip  of  the  strata  is  both  to  southwest  and  northwest. 

The  dip  of  the  blue  limestone  of  Delaware  county  is  such  "that  the  strata, 
if  continued  into  Randolph  county,  would  overlap  the  whitish  rock  found 
here.  This  blue  limestone  if  traced  to  the  northwest,  is  found  to  underlie  the 
yellowish,  massive  limestone  of  Grant  county,  the  probable  equivalent  of  the 
Guelph,  Cedarville,  or  Pentamerus  limestone,  which  is  found  covered  by  the 
whitish  limestone  along  the  Wabash.  The  limestone  of  Jay  is  similar  to  that 
of  this  county,  but  in  Wells  county  the  blue  limestone  appears  in  the  bed  of 
the  Waba-h. 

Above  the  Niagara  group  in  Ohio,  is  the  Salina,  with  its  beds  of  gypsum, 
but  if  any  of  this  formation  was  deposited  in  Indiana,  it  is  either  covered  by 
the  drift  or  has  been  removed  by  erosion.  Immediately  succeeding  this  is 
the  water-lime  (Lower  Helderburg),  which  forms  the  surface  rock  over  a 
large  part  of  Ohio,  but  gradually  becomes  thinner  and  disappears  before 
reaching  this  portion  of  Indiana.  It  is  possible  that  this  formation  may  be 
covered  by  the  drift  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  state;  but  so  far,  where 
the  Devonian  is  exposed  v/ith  the  Niagara,  there  has  been  no  water-lime  inter- 
vening, and  the  exposures  are  so  numerous  along  the  western  border  of  the 
.arch,  that  if  ever  deposited  it  would  have  been  observed;  so  far  no  out-crop 
of  water-lime  is  found  in  Indiana.  The  water-lime  of  the  falls  of  the  Ohio 
at  Louisville,  belongs  to  the  Upper  Helderburg  of  Devonian  age. 


46  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  prevalence  of  rocks  of  the  Niagara  group  over  so  large  an  extent  of 
territory  in  this  state,  together  with  the  absence  of  the  water-lime  and  salina, 
indicates  that  this  portion  of  the  state  was  above  the  ocean,  at  the  time 
of  their  deposition.  There  is  no  evidence  to  show  that  Randolph  and  Jay 
counties  were  covered  by  Devonian  seas,  although  they  may  have  been.  It  is 
possible,  even  probable,  that  investigation  will  show  that  the  Cincinnati  arch, 
north  of  the  Ohio  river,  consist  of  three  folds  instead  of  two,  and  that  the 
older  one  of  these  extended  from  the  Lowei*  Silurian  island,  west  of  north, 
far  into  Indiana. 

This  county  is  the  highest  in  the  state,  because  it  forms  part  of  the  Cin- 
cinnati arch  which  is  crossed  by  the  gentle  fold  extending  from  northeastern 
Ohio  into  Indiana;  everywhere  through  its  course  it  marks  a  high  elevation, 
and  where  these  two  lines  of  disturbances — if  they  be  such — cross,  is  found 
the  highest  point  measured  in  Ohio  and  Indiana.  The  highest  points  do  not 
necessarily  coincide  with  the  water-shed,  for  deep  valleys  were  excavated 
through  this  ridge  by  the  glacial  streams,  showing  that  its  present  relative 
altitude  is  of  comparatively  recent  date. 

ECONOMIC  GEOLOGY. 

The  soil  of  this  county  is  its  only  genuine  and  real  mine  of  wealth  and 
most  bountifully  has  it  responded  to  the  labors  of  the  husbandman.  Although, 
with  the  exception  of  the  prairies,  the  soil  is  for  the  most  part  a  heavy  clay, 
it  ha.-i  been  enriched  by  the  vegetable  accumulations  of  ages.  The  days  being 
the  debris  of  many  different  formations,  contain  all  the  elements  necessar}' 
for  a  fertile  soil.  In  the  southwestern  part  of  the  county  the  soil  is  some- 
what sandy;  the  fields  of  wheat  one  can  see  here,  show  well  the  adaptability 
of  the  soil.  North  of  White  river,  the  soil  is  a  heavy  clay,  with  occasional 
patches  of  muck;  but  as  all  this  portion  admits  of  draining  but  little  differ- 
ence could  be  seen  as  regards  the  prospects  of  a  bountiful  harvest.  Wheat, 
corn  and  grass  are  the  principal  productions,  and  if  the  prospects  for  this 
year  are  a  criterion  from  which  to  judge,  few  counties  in  the  state  will  have 
better  cause  to  feel  proud  of  their  crops  of  wheat  and  grass.  Some  complaint 
was  heard  that  the  wheat  was  turning  to  chess,  but  the  real  difficulty  was 
that  the  farmer  showed  chess  instead  of  wheat,  and  now,  as  harvest  is  near  at 
hand,  he  tries  to  shirk  the  responsibility  by  claiming  his  misfortune  to  be  due 
to  a  freak  of  nature,  rather  than  to  the  proper  cause — his  own  carelessness — 
as  wheat  never  turns  to  cheat,  nor  cheat  to  timothy. 

In  the  southern  part  of  the  county  the  prairies  and  the  clays  of  the  high 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  47 

lands  are  about  equally  divided,  giving  more  variety  of  soil  than  is  found  in 
the  northern  part.  All  this  portion  admits  of  easy  drainage,  and  the  farmers 
are  fast  learning  that  labor  expended  in  ditching  is  repaid  many  fold.  The 
prairies  and  tracts  of  muck  are  well  adapted  to  corn  and  wheat,  while  the 
clays,  in  addition,  produce  heavy  crops  of  grass.  Many  fields  will  yield  from 
two  to  three  tons  of  hay  per  acre.  Blue  grass  (Poa  pretensis),  is  the  most 
abundant  of  the  native  grasses,  but  timothy  (Phleum  pratense),  grows 
equally  well. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that,  however  fertile  a  soil,  it  will  continue 
to  produce  abundant  harvests  unless  some  effort  is  made  to  supply  that  waste 
of  plant  food  which  is  lost  with  every  crop  harvested.  Rotation  of  crops  is 
a  help  to  prolong  the  fertility  of  the  soil;  but  as  every  crop  of  grass,  corn 
stalks  or  straw,  removes  some  of  the  silica,  potash  lime  and  phosphates,  this 
waste  will  have  to  be  supplied  if  the  soil  is  expected  to  produce  with  its  usual 
degree  of  fertility. 

Randolph  is  comparatively  a  new  county,  and  the  vegetable  accumulation 
of  ages  is  still  present,  but  the  time  will  come  when  this  will  disappear,  as  it 
is  constantly  exposed  to  atmospheric  agencies,  and  then  over  a  great  part  of 
the  county  will  be  found  a  stiff  and  unproductive  clay.  The  loss  of  vegetable 
material  can  be  supplied  by  turning  under  green  crops  of  clover,  weed,  corn 
stalks,  etc.,  but  the  mineral  loss  must  be  replaced  by  some  of  the  many  fer- 
tilizers. There  has  been  very  little  need  of  the  farmer  paying  much  attention 
to  this  subject;  but  the  time  will  come  when  the  successful  farmer  will  be  the 
one  who  knows  best  how  to  supply  the  soil  the  waste  of  mineral  and  vege- 
table material." 

Many  of  the  things  mentioned  in  Dr.  Phinney's  report  as  existing  at 
that  time  are  yet  of  great  importance  from  a  historical  standpoint. 

Mr.  J.  C.  Brickley  spoken  of  in  connection  with  the  quarries  at  Maxville 
died  but  recently. 

Lime  is  no  longer  burned  in  Randolph  county. 

The  analysis  of  the  rock  at  Macksville  and  Ridgeville  is  of  the  upper 
strata.  At  the  present  time  the  analysis  of  the  rock  at  Ridgeville  is  quite 
different  from  that  reported  by  Professor  Cox,  in  1878.  The  quarries  there 
are  now  worked  some  forty  or  fifty  feet  deeper  than  what  they  were  in  1878. 
The  stone  crusher  at  Ridgeville  is  one  of  the  largest  and  mo.st  complete  of 
any  found  in  the  state  and  hundreds  of  car  loads  of  crushed  lime  stone  are 
sent  annually  from  this  quarry  for  the  purpose  pi  building  roads. 


48  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

GRAVEL   AND   SAND. 

Gravel  i?  found  in  abundance  in  many  parts  of  the  county  but  some  have 
been  almost  destitute. 

Stoney  Creek  township  has  some  great  pits  as  almost  the  entire  town- 
ship is  underlaid  with  a  good  quality  of  gravel.  Xettle  Creek  township  in 
the  southwestern  portion  has  some  gravel ;  W§st  River  has  but  little  excepting 
along  the  stream  of  West  river.  The  recent  dredging  of  this  stream  brought 
to  light  that  the  entire  valley  is  underlaid  with  a  vein  of  gravel  twelve  and 
fifteen  feet  thick.  Washington  township  has  one  or  two  pits  west  of  Lynn 
but  very  little  elsewhere  in  the  township.  Greensfork  has  but  little  and 
Wayne  township  has  one  or  two  large  pits,  especially  one  that  is  known  as  the 
Thornburg  pit.  Jackson  township  is  somewhat  underlaid  along  the  Alissis- 
sinewa,  as  is  W^ard,  Franklin  and  Green.  The  northeastern  portion  of 
W  hite  River  has,  so  far  as  has  been  discovered,  no  supply  whatever.  These 
pits  however,  are  all  surface  pits. 

In  recent  }ear5  it  has  been  discovered  that  the  best  gravel  is  far  below 
the  surface  and  can  be  brought  to  the  surface  only  by  pumping  or  dredging. 
Thousands  of  yards  of  first-class  gravel  have  been  brought  to  the  surface  in 
this  way,  principally  by  dredging.  The  county  commissioners  have  had  a 
dredge  on  the  county  farm  and  thousands  of  yards  have  been  dredged 
there.  In  the  eastern  part  of  White  River  township  along  White  river  are 
some  other  dredge  pits.  Along  W'est  river  many  are  also  found.  This  has 
been  responsiljle  in  two  ways  for  the  many  splendid  roads  spoken  of  else- 
where. 

In  the  communities  where  gravel  is  to  be  found  the  gravel  roads  are 
found,  in  other  communities  the  crushed  stone  is  to  be  fuund,  the  stone  com- 
ing from  the  Ridgeville  and  !Macksville  crushers. 

Alany  of  these  gravel  pits  also  contain  sand  but  the  sand  is  not  usually 
considered  of  being  a  high  quality  because  of  its  lack  of  "grit." 

f  BRICK  AND  TILE. 

Abundance  of  good  clay  for  brick  and  tile  is  found  in  many  parts  of 
the  county. 

Formerly,  almost  any  man  who  wished  to  build  a  very  large  brick  house 
would  manufacture  the  brick  on  his  own  farm.  This  led  to  local  brick  yards 
furnishing  the  immediate  community.     Scores  and  scores  of  such  factories 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  49 

have  been  in  the  county  but  at  this  time  all  have  disappeared  and  all  the  bricks 
now  usecl  in  the  county  are  shipped  from  other  places. 

Tile  has  been  manufactured  in  several  parts  of  the  county  and  there 
have  been  large  factories  at  Farmland,  "Strahan's  Corner,"  half  way  between 
Farmland  and  AA'inchester,  Oak  Grove,  two  miles  north  of  Parker,  Hunts- 
ville,  Winchester,  Ridgeville  and  no  doubt  many  other  places.  Two  extensive 
factories  have  been  started,  one  north  of  Winchester  and  the  other  at  Lynn 
but  at  the  present  time,  1914  both  of  these  factories  have  stopped  making 
tile  so  it  can  be  said  of  the  tile  as  of  the  brick,  the  industry  has  gone  and  all 
the  products  now  used  in  the  county  are  shipped  from  other  places. 

Since  Dr.  Phinney  has  written  his  article  on  the  geology  of  Randolph 
county  a  great  change  has  been  made  in  the  water  supply  of  the  county. 
The  rivers  are  no  longer  as  large  as  they  were  at  that  time  due  to  clearing 
of  the  forests  and  the  draining  of  the  land.  Practically  all  of  the  streams 
of  his  time  have  now  been  tiled  and  the  farmer  plows  the  original  bed  of  the 
small  creek.  The  dug  well  is  rapidly  disappearing  and  very  few,  if  any,  are 
.being  put  down  in  this  day.  Through  the  study  of  sanitation  it  has  been 
found  that  the  walls  in  these  wells  are  so  easily  contaminated,  thereby  spread- 
ing many  diseases,  such  as  typhoid  fever,  that  people  no  longer  use  this  supply 
of  water  but  resort  to  the  driven  deep  well.  These  wells  range  in  depth 
from  sixty -to  two  hundred  ninety  feet  in  the  county. 

Some  obtain  the  water  supply  in  gravel  but  nearly  all  find  it  in  rock  or 
limestone.  This  insures  a  bountiful  supply  of  pure  water  which  can  not 
be  contaminated  from  any  surface  conditions.  ]\Iany  flowing  wells  are 
found  in  different  parts  of  the  county.  These  wells  are  found  in  nearly 
every,  part  of  the  count}-.  Some  of  the  strongest  are  along  Greenville  creek 
near  Spartanburg,  along  AVest  river,  in  West  River  township,  Cabin  creek 
in  Stoney  Creek  township,  Ali-sissinewa  in  Jackson  and  AA^ard  townships,  and 
Salt  creek  in  AA'hite  River  township.  One  of  the  strongest  of  these  wells 
is  upon  the  count}-  farm  only  a  few  miles  distance  from  the  highest  point  in 
the  state,  making  it  somewhat  problematical  as  to  the  source  of  the  pressure 
raising  this  water.  These  wells  have  taken  the  place  of  the  natural  springs, 
once  found  so  abundantly  in  the  county  and  now  almost  a  thing  of  the  past. 
These  springs  which  once  furnished  the  supply  of  water  to  the  early  settler 
have  long  since  ceased  to  flow,  due  of  course  to  the  draining  of  the  swamps 
and  ponds. 
(4) 


50  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

GAS  AND  OIL. 

Another  natural  resource  that  has  proven  of  great  value  to  the  county  is 
that  of  natural  gas  and  oil.  When  it  was  discovered  that  Indiana  was  under- 
laid with  a  supply  of  these  fluids  the  people  of  Randolph  county  were  quick 
to  test  for  them.  Practically  the  entire  county  has  been  tested  but  only  three 
fields  of  an}'  consequence  have  been  found.  -  The  strongest  gas  wells  were 
found  in  and  around  Parker,  Monroe  and  Green  townships.  Many,  how- 
ever, have  been  dug  in  White  River  township  around  Winchester  and  a  few 
have  been  drilled  with  success  in  the  neighborhood  of  Saratoga,  in  Ward  and 
Jackson  townships.  The  rock  pressure  of  these  wells  originally  was  about 
three  hundred  twenty  pounds  but  have  decreased  in  recent  years  to  very  much 
less  half  that  amount.  This  supply  was  so  wantonly  destroyed  and  misused 
that  instead  of  being  an  abundant  cheap  fuel,  it  has  been  wasted  until  it  has 
become  a  very  expensive  one.  When  the  flow  of  gas  was  at  its  height  $i.oo 
per  month  was  considered  a  high  price  for  each  stove  but  at  the  present  time 
with  the  same  amount  of  gas  burned  it  would  cost  five  to  ten  times  that 
amount.  The  supply  at  present  is  very  limited  and  it  is  only  a  question  of  a 
short  time  until  it  will  be  completely  exhausted. 

Oil  was  discovered  about  1896  and  the  "boom"  spread  over  this  county 
as  well  as  the  remainder  of  the  state.  None  of  any  consequence,  however, 
was  found  in  the  county  except  in  and  around  Parker,  in  Monroe  township. 
The  supply  here  was  heavy  for  a  while  but  was  soon  exhausted  and  the  field 
is  now  practically  abandoned. 

Randolph  county  is  one  of  the  richest  agricultural  counties  in  the  state, 
made  so  from  its  fertile  soil,  cultivated  and  developed  by  its  industrious  and 
intelligent  people. 

That  the  natural  resources  of  the  soil  are  fast  disappearing  is  a  matter 
of  fact.  These  resources  have  been  conserved  and  replenished  by  intelligent 
farming  in  many  communities  but  it  must  be  said  that  in  many  cases  much 
of  it  has  been  wantonly  destroyed  through  ignorance  and  greed.  People 
have  constantly  taken  from  the  soil  as  though  it  was  an  inexhaustible  supply 
but  already  the  efifects  of  this  debauchery  may  be  seen  in  many  communities. 
The  agricultural  communities  are  learning  the  values  of  conservation  and 
fertilization  and  are  giving  this  question  study  and  experiment  as  it  has  never 
been  given  before. 

At  this  time  the  county  has  as  one  of  its  officers,  a  county  agent  whose 
duty  it  is  to  confer  with  farmers  upon  these  various  questions,  also  to  bring 
to  them  the  latest  and  most  scientific  knowledge  gained  from  study  and  re- 


RAiyDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  5 1 

search  work  in  the  problems  thej'  ha^'e  to  solve.  The  present  incumbent  of 
the  office,  Mr.  Charles  A.  Mahan  is  a  graduate  of  Kentucky  Agricultural 
College,  a  man  of  three  and  one-half  year's  experience  as  a  soil  expert  in  the 
Philippines  and  one  year's  experience  as  Coun|:y  Advisor  in  Kentucky,  hence 
his  services  to  the  county  are  those  that  would  come  from  a  trained  mind  and 
are  of  great  benefit  to  the  farming  community.  Randolph  county  will  no 
doubt  be  much  benefited  by  the  progressive  movements  along  agricultural 
lines  as  well  as  other  lines.  Its  inhabitants  are  progressive,  intelligent  and 
energetic,  characteristics  which  will  make  any  county  great. 


CHAPTER  III. 

INDIAN  OCCUPANCY TERRITORY  ACQUIRED  BY  WHITE  MEN. 

* 

"When  man  first  appeared  on  the  soil  of  America  is  unknown;  the 
record  is  lost  in  the  misty  ages  of  the  past.  Bvit  certain  it  is  that  for  thou- 
sands of  years  before  the  age  of  history  man  dwelt  in  America.  When  the 
Europeans  first  landed  on  the  American  coast,  they  found  in  the  unknown 
world  a  race  of  people  who  had  traditions  running  back  for  many  centuries. 
So  long  had  they  been  here  that  they  had  lost  all  knowledge  of  tradition  of 
whence  they  came.  It  was  a  race  different  in  almost  every  respect  from  any 
of  the  other  known  races  of  the  world.  But  prior  to  their  time,  running 
back  for  many  ages,  there  had  been  another  race  which  had  peopled  the 
continent  and  governed  it  for  centuries  and  possibly  for  thousands  of  years, 
but  that  race  had  disappeared  so  long  before  the  Indians  took  possession,  that 
the  red  man  had  no  tradition  of  them.  Whether  this  race  was  the  predeces- 
sor or  the  successor  of  still  another  race  which  has  left  evidence  of  its  exist- 
ence, is  not  known.  The  Toltecs  of  Mexico,  the  predecessors  of  the  Aztecs, 
left  records  reaching  back  for  a  thousand  years  before  the  Christian  era,  and 
yet  these  records  reach  not  back  far  enough  to  give  the  world  any  knowledge 
of  the  race  which  built  the  famous  buried  cities  of  Central  America.  The 
ruins  in  Central  America  show  that  at  one  time  there  had  existed  a  race  far 
advanced  in  civilization,  living  in  houses  in  walled  cities.  Those  cities  were 
large  enough  to  have  contained  a  population  reaching  far  in  the  thousands, 
possessing  great  wealth  and  a  knowledge  of  many  of  the  arts  and  sciences. 
The  race  that  built  and  occupied  those  cities  had  disappeared,  and  the  cities 
had  been  ruined  and  destroyed  so  long  before  the  advent  in  Mexico  of  the 
Toltecs  that  the  latter  had  no  knowledge  of  them. 

The  growth  of  a  people  which  depends  for  increase  upon  natural  causes 
must  of  necessity  be  very  slow;  therefore,  to  have  reached  so  great  a  popula- 
tion as  occupied  the  ruined  cities  of  Central  America,  the  race  must  have 
dwelt  upon  the  continent  many  centuries.  To  destroy  a  race,  overturn  its 
cities,  and  bury  their  ruins  so  deep  that  an  occupation  of  the  soil  around 
them  and  over  them,  by  another  race  for  many  centuries,  revealed  no  knowl- 
edge of  such  ruins,  must  have  required  ages.     Yet  such  is  the  history  of 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


53 


Central  America.  In  Indiana  we  find  no  trace  of  such  a  race,  yet  there  is 
abundant  evidence  to  show  that  at  one  time,  long  anterior  to  the  coming  of 
the  red  man,  Indiana  was  quite  densely  populated  by  a  race  that  lived,  flour- 
ished and  passed  away  without  leaving  any  records  except  in  its  monuments, 
weapons,  and  uten^ls  for  domestic  use.  '  This  has  been  called  the  race  of 
Mound  Builders.  Who  were  they?  Whence  came  they?  When,  where  and 
how  did  they  disappear?  These  questions  remain  unanswered,  yet  the  fact 
is  patent  that  at  one  time  Indiana  was  quite  densely  populated  by  them.  The 
works  left  by  this  prehistoric  race  are  of  three  kinds — fortifications,  mounds 
and  memorial  pillars.  This  is  not  the  usual  classification,  for  what  are  here 
denominational  memorial  pillars  are  generally  classed  as  mounds." — Smith's 
History  of  Indiana.) 


Prehistoric  Works  of  Ramdolph  Co 

The  greatest  specimen  of  the  mound  builderS'  art  and  the  best  known 
group  of  mounds  is  near  Newark,  Ohio,  and  consists  of  "elaborate  earth 
works,  in  the  form  of  a  circle,  octagon  and  square,  enclosing  an  area  of  about 
four  square  miles,  on  the  upper  terrace  between  two  branches  of  the  Licking 
river.  Scattered  over  the  same  plain,  and  crowning  the  neighboring  hills,  are 
numerous  mounds,  evidently  erected  by  the  same  people  that  built  the  larger 


54  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

works."  There  seems  to  have  been  two  similar  chains  of  mounds  extending 
from  Ohio  to  Central  America.  They  crossed  Indiana  in  two  chains,  one  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  state,  where  there  are  some  splendid  specimens  yet 
remaining,  the  other  through  the  central  part  of  the  state,  passing  through 
Randolph  county. 

We  have  in  this  county  two  classes  of  mounds ;  one  a  fortification  and 
the  other  memorial  mounds.  The  fortification,  or  "The  Old  Fort,"  as  it  is 
known  in  the  early  history  of  the  county,  is  hear  the  city  of  Winchester,  on 
what  was  formerly  the  county  fair  grounds.  It  is  the  best  specimen  of 
mound  builders'  fortifications  found  in  the  state.  It  is  not  only  the  largest, 
but  is  constructed  on  more  scientific  plans  than  any  other  of  the  state.  It  is 
an  enclosure  of  about  forty-three  acres,  and  a  rectangle  of  almost  equal  size, 
being  1,350  feet  east  and  west,  and  about  1,200  feet  north  and  south,  as  is 
shown  on  the  map  of  it  here  given.  There  were  two  openings  of  about 
eighty  feet,  one  in  the  east  and  one  in  the  west  end.  The  west  opening  was 
protected  by  a  semi-circular  embankment,  with  one  part  of  the  circle  opened, 
so  as  to  make  the  entrance  easy  of  access,  and  yet  protected.  The  embank- 
ments were  from  seven  to  ten  feet  high  and  when  the  first  settlers  entered 
this  county  they  were  covered  with  large  forest  trees,  similar  to  those  of  the 
surrounding  country.  So  far  as  we  are  able  to  learn,  no  scientific  investiga- 
tion has  ever  been  made  relative  to  the  structure  of  these  walls,  which  seems 
to  have  been  made  by  throwing  up  dirt  from  the  adjacent  territory.  The 
walls,  except  those  on  the  south,  have  been  carried  away  and  made  into 
brick.  In  the  exact  center  of  this  fortification  is  a  mound,  at  this  time  about 
fifteen  feet  high.  No  large  trees  have  grown  on  the  mound,  but  quite  a  num- 
ber were  near  its  edge.  These  trees,  however,  do  not  in  the  least  indicate 
the  proper  age  of  these  specimens  of  the  mound  builders'  art.  The  mounds  in 
general  and  this  mound  in  particular,  Dr.  A.  J.  Phinney,  writing  of  the  geology 
of  Randolph  county  for  the  State  Geologist's  Report  of  1882,  says:  (It  will 
be  noted  that  Dr.  Phinney's  statements  differ  a  little  from  the  one  given  be- 
fore, but  we  give  each  of  them  for  what  they  are  worth;  they  matter  only  in 
details  and  not  in  any  essentials.) 

"Evidences  of  a  prehistoric  race  are  abundant,  and  of  such  a  character, 
in  view  of  the  magnitude  of  their  works,  that  the  observer  experiences  a  feel- 
ing akin  to  reverence  toward  the  mighty  people,  whose  history  is  only  written 
in  their  majestic  ruins.  In  nearly  every  part  those  relics,  as  arrow-heads, 
axes,  pestles,  etc.,  have  been  found.  From  whence  did  they  come?  What 
their  conditions  of  life,  their  religion,  and  fate?  are  questions  one  intuitively. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  55 

asks  when  in  the  presence  of  their  monuments  of  industry.  The  largest 
works  of  this  ancient  people  are  near  Winchester,  west  of  the  confluence  of 
Sugar  creek  with  White  river.  It  consists  of  a  walled  rectangular  enclosure, 
with  curved  angles,  1,320  feet  long,  and  1,080  feet  wide.  Its  area  is  thirty- 
one  acres.  Part  of  the  south  and  west  walls  lies  within  the  county  fair 
grounds,  the  remainder  in  cultivated  fields,  and  they  are  in  a  fair  way  to  be 
entirely  destroyed.  On  the  eastern  half  of  the  south  wall,  which  has  never 
been  disturbed,  are  beech  trees  two  feet  in  diameter.  This  part  of  the  wall 
is  the  highest;  and  though  it  may  have  once  been  from  eight  to  ten  feet  in 
height,  it  is  now  not  over  six  feet.  In  the  center  of  the  enclosure  is  a  circular 
mound  one  hundred  feet  across,  and  about  eight  feet  high.  Excavations  have 
been  made  seven  or  eight  feet  in  tlepth,  both  from  sides  and  summit,  but  noth- 
ing has  ever  been  found.  The  east  and  west  walls  each  have,  near  their 
middle,  an  opening,  or  gateway.  The  one  on  the  east  is  unprotected,  but  the 
west  one  formerly  had  an  embankment  in  the  form  of  a  half  circle,  which 
overlapped  the  gate  way.  No  trace  of  this  remains  at  present.  The  mound 
lies  in  a  direct  line  between  the  two  passage-ways.  No  evidence  exists  of  a 
ditch  either  on  the  outside  or  inside. 

]\Ir.  John  K.  Martin,  in  removing  part  of  the  east  wall,  north  of  the 
opening,  reports  having  found  a  number  of  holes  about  fifteen  inches  in  dia- 
meter, and  extending  seven  or  eight  feet  below  the  summit  of  the  wall.  These 
evidently,  mark  the  position  of  posts,  and  shows  that  the  enclosure  was 
further  protected  by  a  palisade.  Just  inside  of  the  embankment  and  about 
three  feet  from  the  surface,  piles  of  ashes  and  charcoal  are  frequently  met 
with.  Their  position  indicates  that  they  have  been  covered  by  the  wash  from 
the  walls.  No  relics  have  been  found.  Nearly  east  from  the  northeast  cor- 
ner of  the  enclosure  is  a  fine  spring. 

Southeast  of  the  works  along  Sugar  creek  the  bluffs  are  sandy,  and  the 
Mound  Builders  probably  used  them  for  their  burial  ground,  as  many  human 
skeletons  have  been  exhumed  while  digging  for  gravel.  The  absence  of  all 
implements  of  warfare  shows  that  this  enclosure  was  not  occupied  for  any 
length  of  time  as  a  fortification  but  as  a  permanent  residence.  The  streams 
are  small  and  the  bluffs  low.  Had  the  inclosure  included  the  spring,  the  sup- 
position that  it  was  for  protection,  would  have  been  more  probable.  It  is  not 
unlikely  that  this  was  a  place  for  holding  council  or  religious  ceremonies.  In 
section  2^,  range  14  east,  Washington  township,  is  a  large  circular  mouiid, 
which,  although  now  somewhat  reduced  in  size,  could  not  have  formerly 
been  less  than  fifteen  feet  high  and  one  hundred  feet  in  diameter.    In  section 


56  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

23,  same  township,  is  another,  which  measured  three  hundred  feet  in  circum- 
ference and  fifteen  feet  high;  this  was  better  preserved  than  the  former. 
Small  bowlders  were  observed  on  the  summit  and  sides.  No  excavations 
had  been  made  in  either  of  these  mounds.  Both  were  evidently  built  of  clay 
taken  from  the  immediate  vicinity.  They  may  have  served  as  points  of  out- 
look, as  they  are  only  about  one  mile  apart.  In  section  4,  one  mile  southwest 
of  the  last  one  described,  is  a  very  large  mound  which  is  considered  artificial 
by  the  people  in  that  vicinity ;  but  its  relation  to  some  small  streams  suggested 
that  it  was  more  likely  one  of  nature's  carving.  On  the  map  is  marked  its 
location,  as  future  investigations  may  probably  show  that  it  really  belongs 
with  the  works  of  the  Mound  Builders. 

In  section  28,  range  12  east,  20  north,  Stoney  Creek  township,  between 
Stoney  creek  and  White  river,  is  a  large  mound  novjf  covered  with  small  oak 
trees.  This  is  nearly  circular,  fifteen  feet  high,  150  feet  in  diameter.  Exca- 
vations show  that  it  is  composed  of  clay  mixed  with  charcoal  and  ashes.  At 
the  depth  of  nine  feet  a  skeleton  was  found;  beneath  it  was  a  pile  of  stone 
two  feet  high  and  three  feet  in  diameter.  Mr.  Thompson,  on  whose  farm 
this  is  situated,  has  quite  a  collection  of  implements  found  in  this  vicinity. 

In  section  10,  range  13  east,  2  north,  Franklin  township,  was  a  circular 
inclosure,  with  an  area  of  about  one  and  one-half  acres.  The  walls  were  four 
feet  high.  Although  when  first  noticed  by  the  earlier  settlers  it  was  in  a  good 
state  of  preservation,  it  has  been  destroyed,  and  no  trace  of  it  remains. 
North  of  the  Mississinewa  river,  between  Ridgeville  and  Fairview,  are  a 
number  of  small  tumuli,  which  contain  ashes  and  charcoal.  These  may 
have  been  built  by  the  Indians,  as  this  used  to  be  their  camping  ground. 

Many  of  the  gravel  banks  have  served  for  the  Indians  as  burial  places, 
as  skeletons  are  frequently  met  with  while  digging  gravel  for  pikes.  Some 
of  the  skeletons  were  of  large  size,  and  deposited  with  them  were  articles  of 
ornament,  as  paint,  shells,  etc.  The  position  of  some  indicate  that  they  had 
been  buried  in  a  sitting  posture." 

Another  embankment  exists  west  of  Winchester,  near  Sugar  creek, 
enclosing,  perhaps,  an  acre.  These  walls,  however,  are  not  very  high,  and 
little,  if  anything,  can  be  learned  of  their  structure. 

Washington  township  has  at  least  three  excellent  specimens;  one  near 
the  head  waters  of  White  river,  one  near  Rural,  and  one  west  of  Lynn. 
Doctor  Moore,  of  Earlham  College,  a  man  of  unusual  scientific  ability  and 
carefulness  of  expression,  wrote  the  following  of  this  mound : 


Mounds   and   Embankment 
of   an   Old   Port,  Near 
Winchester. 


Monnd   Nen  r   Windsor. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,.  INDIANA.  57 

CONCERNING    A    BURIAL    MOUND.  RECENTLY    OPENED    IN    RANDOLPH    COUNTY. 

Southern  Randolph  and  the  adjacent  portion  of  Wayne,  is  in  the  main  a 
level  tract,  the  land  during  ordinary  seasons  being  rather  wet. 

Besides  a  number  of  well-defined  made  mounds  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Lynn  Station  on  the  Grand  Rapids  and  Indiana  railroad  there  are  frequent 
examples  of  natural  mounds.  These  are  usually  much  larger  than  the  arti- 
ficial mounds.  They  may  be  compared  to  drift  islands  surrounded  by  flat 
■  areas  of  dark  colored  soil.  Some  of  these  mounds  of  modified  drift  have 
been  utilized  by  ancient  people  as  burial  grounds.  The  one  I  speak  of  is  a 
fraction  over  a  mile  west  of  Lynn  Station.  It  is  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
yards  in  circumference  and  eighteen  to  twenty  feet  high,  and  is  so  sym- 
metrical as  to  have  the  appearance  of  a  made  mound;  but  in  a  wide  cuttmg 
made  through  it  by  the  gravel  haulers  the  structure  clearly  shows  an  aqueous 
deposit  from  top  to  bottom.  In  this  mound  the  workmen  say  they  have 
opened  "more  than  a  hundred  graves."  They  "counted  until  they  reached 
seventy."  Quite  a  number  of  the  skulls  were  sufficiently  preserved  to  bear 
handling,  even  after  being  for  a  short  time  exposed  to  the  air.  Some  of  them 
on  being  treated  with  a  solution  of  glue  have  rather  a  fresh,  recent  look. 
Very  many  of  the  bones  were  broken  to  crumbs  by  visitors  in  sport.  Some 
of  the  skeletons  were  in  a  sitting  posture  with  the  chin  crowded  upon  the  knees. 

The  depth  of  the  graves  was  from  a  yard  or  less  to  twelve  feet  or  more. 
The  skeletons  were  of  both  sexes  and  various  ages,  some  quite  young.  It 
was  alleged  that  a  horse's  bones  were  found,  but  I  was  unable  to  find  the  least 
scrap.  They  also  tell  of  a  dog's  skull  with  the  teeth  all  perfect.  This  is  pos- 
sibly so,  but  it  would  seem  more  likely  that  it  was  the  head  of  a  wolf,  which 
is  quite  similar.  Quite  a  number  of  implements  were  found,  some  of  which 
are  here  on  the  table.     One  skeleton  was  found  with  a  large  dart  in  each  hand. 

They  assert  that  a  scapula  was  found  pierced  by  a  flint  dart  and  that  the 
dart  was  lodged  in  said  bone,  and  that  the  bone  immediately  crumbled  from 
about  it.  There  were  beads  of  bone,  shell  and  copper — but  few  of  the  latter — 
also  copper  rings,  tube  pipes  and  various  other  things,  the  uses  of  which  are 
not  very  well  known. 

You  will  see  in  the  skulls  presented  for  your  examination  that  there  is 
quite  a  diversity.  Two  of  them  are  of  the  brachycephalic  or  short  head  type, 
one  barely  so,  the  other  extremely  so.  The  one  has  the  lateral  diameter  on 
the  proportion  to  the  fore  and  aft,  as  86  to  lOO,  the  other  of  92  to  100.  The 
others  are  all  orthocephalic,  though  one  of  them  approaches  to  the  long-head 
style. 


58  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

You  will  note,  not  only  the  extent  to  which  the  teeth  are  worn,  but  also 
the  peculiar  manner  of  wearing.  It  will  also  be  seen  that  decayed  teeth,  caries 
of  the  bone  knd  also  signs  of  gumboils  and  abscesses  are  not  confined  entirely 
to  civilized  races.  The  upper  wisdom  teeth  on  one  of  the  skulls  show,  each, 
examples  of  enamel  tubercles  on  the  fangs,  a  rather  rare  phenomenon,  as  I 
understand.  You  will  note  also  in  one  of  them  an  extraordinary  double 
suture  at  upper  border  of  occiput. 

A  question  of  interest :  Did  such  diverse»skulls  belong  to  the  same  tribe, 
or  did  different  tribes  at  different  times  bury  in  the  same  grounds  ? 

No  doubt  Dr.  Moore  felt  reasonably  sure  of  the  authenticity  of  the  above. 

A  small  mound  west  of  Winchester,  near  the  old  Dunkirk  meeting 
house,  has  been  partially  removed  with  no  evidences  of  anything  other  than 
"a  pile  of  dirt." 

Stoney  Creek  township  has  the  best  specimens  to  be  found  in  the  county. 
There  are  some  circular  embankments  near  the  Friends'  meeting  house  at 
Cedar.  A  little  north  of  Cabin  creek  there  are  two  circular  embankments 
together,  the  circles  cutting  each  other.  A  small  mound  is  in  the  center  of 
each  circle  higher  than  the  embankments.  The  earth  for  both  the  walls  and 
the  mounds  would  seem  to  have  been  taken  from  the  space  between  the  two, 
pretty  much  the  same  as  is  done  or  has  been  done  in  some  of  the  Ohio 
mounds.  The  largest  mound  of  the  county,  and  one  of  the  largest  of  the 
state,  is  to  be  found  just  east  of  Windsor,  on  the  bluff  between  White  river 
and  Stoney  creek.  This  is  situated  on  the  highest  point  to  be  found  here  and 
being  some  twenty-five  or  thirty  feet  high.  It  was,  no  doubt,  used  for  ob- 
servation purposes,  while  it  is  now  covered  with  forest  trees.  We  must  con- 
sider them  no  objections  to  the  above  theory,  because  they  in  no  way,  as  has 
been  said  before,  indicate  the  age  of  these  mounds.  It  is  said  that  an  exca- 
vation of  considerable  size  formerly  appeared,  perhaps  twenty  rods  from  the 
base  of  the  mound,  and  this  is  thought  to  have  been  the  place  from  which 
the  earth  was  taken  for  its  construction.  Excavations  have  been  made  in 
this  mound,  nothing,  however,  having  been  found,  excepting  some  charcoal 
and  a  few  arrow-heads,  which  were  found  in  abundance  in  the  surrounding 
fields.  Squire  Thompson,  a  former  owner  of  this  mound,  had  at  one  time 
many  fine  specimens  of  arrow-heads,  hatchets,  hammers  and  various  other 
implements  used,  no  doubt,  by  the  builders  of  these  mounds.  However, 
these  implements  may  not  have  been  any  of  the  work  of  the  mound  builders, 
for  this  mound  would  have  served  the  purpose  of  a  watch  t6wer  or  protection 
to  the  American  Indian,  as  well  as  to  the  mound  builders,  and  may  be  silent 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


59 


60  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

remainders  of  many  a  bloody  conflict  in  ages  long  since  forgotten.  There  is 
another  small  mound  across  the  river  from  the  one  just  spoken  of  and  not 
very  far  away. 

It  is  the  theory  of  some  investigators  that  the  mound  builders  emigrated 
from  the  east  to  the  southwest,  taking,  perhaps,  centuries  of  time  in  their 
travels  and  that  these  mounds  were,  in  a  way,  only  temporary  affairs.  But, 
who  the  mound  builders  were  and  whence  they  came,  and  whither  they  went, 
we  know  but  little,  for  they  have  left  no  trace  o^  their  habitation,  except  these 
few  crude  mounds  and  embankments.  In  fact,  we  care  but  little  about  them, 
for  no  nation  can  expect  future  generations  to  be  interested  in  its  history 
unless  they  have  left  something  that  will  in  some  way  make  humanity  better. 
The  passing  of  the  mound  builders  was  so  remote  that  even  the  oldest  of  the 
American  Indians  have  no  tradition  concerning  them. 

INDIANS. 

Just  when  or  how  the  American  Indian  had  its  origin  as  such  is  not 
known.  One  theory  is  that  they  lived  across  the  Bering  Strait  and  have 
come  into  America  through  what  is  now  Alaska.  Another  is,  that  they  may 
have  in  some  way  drifted  across  the  Pacific  ocean,  following  the  Japan  cur- 
rent, and  landed  on  the  western  coast  of  North  America.  The  third  is,  that 
they  entered  North  America  from  the  northeast,  having  come  from  Iceland 
or  some  of  the  Northern  islands.  We  are  little  concerned  in  their  history, 
except  those  that  formerly  occupied  this  territory. 

The  great  family  of  the  Algonquins  occupied  this  territory.  Those  en- 
tering into  the  treaty  of  Greenville  were  the  Chippewas,  Ottawas,  Pota- 
watamies,  Wyandots,  Delawares,  Shawnees,  Miamis,  W'eas  and  Kickapoos. 
Those  occupying  this  immediate  territory  were  the  Miamis  and  the  Shawnees. 
This  was  clearly  defined  in  the  speech  made  on  the  22d  day  of  July,  1795,  in 
council  at  Greenville,  when  Little  Turtle  spoke  as  follows : 

"General  Wayne :  I  hope  you  will  pay  attention  to  what  I  now  say  to 
you.  I  wish  to  inform  you  where  your  younger  brothers,  the  Miamis,  live, 
and,  also,  the  Potawatamies  of  St.  Joseph's,  together  with  the.  ^Vabash•  In- 
dians. You  have  pointed  out  to  us  the  boundary  line  between  the  Indians 
and  the  United  States,  but  now  I  take  the  liberty  to  inform  you  that  that 
line  cuts  oiif  from  the  Indians  a  large  portion  of  country  whiclv  has  been 
enjoyed  by  my  forefathers,  time  immemorial,  without  molestation  or  dispute. 
The  print  of  my  ancestor's  houses  are  everywhere  to  be  seen  in  this  portion. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  6l 

I  was  a  little  astonished  at  hearing  you,  and  ray  brothers  who  are  now  pres- 
ent, telling  each  other  what  business  you  had  transacted  together  heretofore 
at  Muskingum,  concerning  this  country.  It  is  well  known  by  all  my  brothers 
present  that  my  forefather  kindled  the  first  fire  at  Detroit;  from  thence  he 
extended  his  lines  to  the  headwaters  of  Scioto;  from  thence  to  its  raouth; 
from  thence,  down  the  Ohio,  to  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash;  and  from  thence 
to  Chicago,  on  lake  Michigan ;  at  this  place  I  first  saw  my  elder  brothers,  the 
Shawnees.  I  have  now  informed  you  of  the  boundaries  of  the  Miami  nation, 
where  the  Great  Spirit  placed  my  forefather  a  long  time  ago,  and  charged 
him  not  to  sell  or  part  with  his  lands,  but  to  preserve  them  for  his  posterity. 
This  charge  has  been  handed  down  to  me.  I  was  much  surprised  to  find 
that  my  other  brothers  dififered  so  much  from  me  on  this  subject;  for  their 
conduct  would  lead  one  to  suppose  that  the  Great  Spirit,  and  their  fore- 
fathers, had  not  given  them  the  same  charge  that  was  given  to  me,  but,  on 
the  contrary,  had  directed  them  to  sell  their  lands  to  any  white  man  who 
wore  a  hat,  as  soon  as  he  should  ask  it  of  them.  Now,  elder  brother,  your 
younger  brothers,  the  iliamis,  have  pointed  out  to  you  their  country,  and 
also  to  our  brothers  present." 

The  Algonquins  were  the  natural  enemies  of  the  Iroquois  on  the  east, 
and  the  Dakotas  on  the  west,  and  were  held  together  as  a  nation  because  of 
the  enmity  of  those  two  nations,  yet  the  tribes  were  frequently  at  war  among 
themselves,  which  made  Indian  occupancy  uncertain  at  all  times. 

The  Aliamis,  who  inhabited  this  particular  territory,  were  among  the 
highest  type  of  the  Algonquin  nation  of  the  Potawatamies,  the  AA'eas-and 
the  Kickapoos,  and  were  almost  their  equal. 

The  Shawnees  were  in  southern  Ohio  and  Kentucky  and  in  southern 
Illinois.  It  were  they  who  created  the  most  trouble  through  the  influence  of 
Blue  Jacket,  Black  Wolf  and  Tecumseh. 

The  Aliamis  great  chief  was  Me-che-can-noch-qua,  or  Little  Turtle,  who 
was  a  man  of  extraordinary  courage  and  ability,  and  with  physique  equaling 
his  courage.  He  was  commanding  in  appearance  and  received  unusual  at- 
tention and  rank  from  both  the  Indians  and  the  whites.  After  the  Indians 
had  surrendered  at  Greenville,  he  visited  Philadelphia,  where,  in  recog- 
nition of  his  attitude  toward  the  Americans,  he  was  presented  with  a  sword 
by  President  Washington.  He  fought  until  defeated,  but  knew  when  he  was 
defeated.  He  advised  against  forming  the  confederacy  by  Tecumseh  against 
the  Indians.  His  successor  was  Pa-lonz-wa,  or  Francis  Godfrov,  as  he  was 
better  known  among  the  early  settlers  of  this  county.     The  Godfroy  trail 


62  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

from  Winchester  to  Fort  Wayne  was  so  named  because  one  of  the  stations 
was  at  the  home  of  Francis  Godfroy.  Godfroy  was  a  man  of  unusual  size 
and  his  courage  and  cunning  won  him  a  place  with  the  Miamis,  second  only 
to  Little  Turtle.  "During  nearly  all  the  time  of  his  chieftainship  he  was  a 
firm  friend  of  the  whites.  As  early  as  1822  he  employed  some  workmen- 
from  Fort  Wayne  to  build  for  him  on  the  banks  of  the  Wabash  a  large 
house,  after  the  manner  and  style  of  the  white  man  of  wealth.  In  this  house 
he  dispensed  the  most  generous  hospitahty,  and  Indian  and  white  man  alike 
were  welcome  to  his  board.  When  his  tribe  made  the  final  treaty  with  the 
government  and  ceded  possession  of  their  lands  in  Indiana,  four  sections  on 
the  Mississinewa  were  reserved  for  Pa-lonz-wa.  On  this  reservation  he 
erected  a  trading  post,  and  became,  for  those  days,  a  noted  merchant.  Reck- 
less and  careless  of  money  and  having  more  land  than  he  knew  what  to  do 
with,  he  scattered  his  favors  with  a  prodigal  hand.  It  was  told  of  him  that 
being  at  Lafayette  on  one  occasion  when  a  steamboat  arrived  at  that  point 
from  the  Ohio  river,  he  offered  the  captain  a  half  section  of  land  if  he 
would  convey  him  and  his  party  to  their  homes,  some  three  miles  above 
where  Peru  now  stands.  The  offer  was  accepted  and  the  trip  up  the  Wabash 
was  made,  but  on  the  return  to  Lafayette  the  steamer  was  lost.  Pa-lonz-wa 
made  the  deed  to  the  promised  half  section. 

"He  died  in  1840,  and  was  buried  on  a  high  knoll  which  overlooks  the 
Wabash.  On  his  grave  a  marble  shaft  has  been  erected,  bearing  on  one  side 
his  white  name,  and  the  date  of  his  birth  and  death.  On  the  other  is  the 
following  tribute  to  his  memory:  'Late  Principal  Chief  of  the  Miami  Na- 
tion of  Indians.  Distinguished  for  courage,  humanity,  benevolence  and 
honor,  he  lived  in  his  native  forest  an  illustration  of  the  nobleness  of  his 
race,  enjoying  the  confidence  of  his  tribe  and  beloved  by  his  American  neigh- 
bors. He  died  as  he  lived,  without  fear  or  reproach.'  His  funeral  was  one 
of  the  noted  events  of  that  day,  and  was  attended  by  hundreds  of  Indians 
and  whites.  The  principal  address  was  delivered  by  Wa-pa-pin-sha,  a  noted 
Indian  orator  of  his  tribe.    Translated,  it  is  as  follows : 

'Brothers,  the  Great  Spirit  has  taken  to  himself  another  of  our  once 
powerful  and  happy,  but  now  declining,  nation.  The  time  has  been  when 
these  forests  were  densely  populated  by  the  red  men,  but  the  same  hand  whose 
blighting  touch  withered  the  majestic  frame  before  us  and  caused  the  noble 
spirit  by  which  it  was  animated  to  seek  another  home,  has  dealt  in  a  like 
manner  with  his  and  our  fathers ;  in  like  manner  will  he  deal  with  us.  Death 
of  late  has  been  common  among  us,  so  much  so  that  a  recurrence  of  it  scarce- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  63 

ly  elicits  our  notice.  But  when  the  brave,  the  generous,  the  patriotic  are 
blasted  by  it,  then  it  is  the  tears  of  sorrow  flow.  Such  is  now  the  case.  Our 
brother  who  has  just  left  us  was  brave,  generous  and  patriotic,  and  as  a 
tribute  to  his  merit  and  a  reward  for  his  goodness,  the  tears,  not  only  of 
his  own  people,  but  of  many  white  men,  who  are  here  assembled  to  witness 
his  funeral  rites,  freely  flow. 

'At  this  scene  the  poor  of  his  people  weep,  because  at  his  table  they 
were  wont  to  feast  and  rejoice.  The  weak  mourn  his  death,  because  his 
authority  was  ever  directed  for  their  protection.  But  he  has  left  the  earth — 
the  place  of  vexation  and  contention — and  is  now  participating  with  Poca- 
hontas and  Logan  in  those  joys  prepared  by  the  Great  Spirit  for  such  as  well 
and  faithfully  discharge  their  duties  here.  Brothers,  let  us  emulate  his 
example  and  practice  his  virtues.'  " 

"Pa-lonz-wa  was  followed  in  the  chieftainship  of  his  tribe  by  John 
Baptiste  Big  Leg,  who  was  the  last  chief  of  the  Miamis.  He  lies  buried  by 
the  side  of  Pa-lonz-wa,  and  a  plain  marble  slab  marks  the  spot  where  his 
bones  lie.  It  bears  the  following  inscription :  'Head  Chief  of  the  Miami 
and  Kansas  Tribe.  A  brave  warrior,  a  generous  man,  and  a  good  Christ- 
ian.' "     Godfrey  had  three  sons,  Francis,  Poqua  and  James. 

Some  of  Godfrey's  descendants  yet  live  on  the  Mississinewa,  near 
Peru,  and  one  of  them,  showed  the  courage  and  fire  of  his  ancestors  by  his 
deeds  of  bravery  and  endurance  in  rescuing  and  saving  the  lives  of  many 
people  during  the  flood  of  1913. 

There  were  many  Indians  in  the  county  at  the  time  of  its  settlement, 
although  there  were  no  Indian  villages.  It  is  interesting  to  know  the  opinions 
of  some  of  the  early  settlers  concerning  these  Indians,  and  we  shall  here  take 
the  liberty  to  quote  some  of  them,  found  in  Tucker's  History,  under  the  head 
of  Biographies. 

BIOGRAPHIES. 

Mr.  Hawkins  says:  (Joseph  Hawkins,  of  Jay  county,  Indiana)  "I 
was  well  acquainted  with  Johnny  Green,  the  old  Indian  warrior  mentioned 
by  J  ere  Smith. 

"The  Indian  chiefs  were  Cornstalk,  Blue  Jacket,  Split  Log  and  Capt. 
Johnny,  Shawnees  or  Delawares;  Richardville  and  the  two  Godfreys,  Fran- 
cois and  Lewis,  Miamis. 

"This  Cornstalk  was  not  the  chief  who  led  the  Indians  in  the  battle  of 
the  Kanawha,  1774.    That  Cornstalk  (as  also  his  son)  was  basely  shot  while 


64  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

in  a  fort  by  the  soldiers  therein,  into  which  he  and  his  son  had  gone  in  a 
peaceable  and  friendly  manner." 

Mr.  Hawkins  was  intimate  when  a  boy  with  the  Godfroy  chiefs  and 
their  families.  He  gives  the  following  incident  concerning  Poqua  Godfroy 
(son  of  Chief  Francois)  : 

"Poqua  Godfroy  (son  of  Chief  Francois)  got  into  an  affray  at  Hamil- 
ton. He  was  about  twenty-one  years  old.  He  was  frightened,  and  thought 
the  white  folks  were  going  to  kill  him,  and  so  he  tried  to  be  beforehand  with 
them,  and  clashed  away  right  and  left  himself.  He  was  arrested  for  assault 
and  battery,  but  was  at  length  released  on  bail,  and  suffered  to  depart.  On 
his  way  home,  the  first  man  he  saw  whom  he  knew  was  my  brother,  Samuel 
Hawkins,  at  Winchester,  after  the  mail.  The  boy  was  wild  with  joy;  he 
cried  out,  'O,  you  my  friend;  you  shall  go  home  with  me.  They  try  to  kill 
me,  but  you  my  friend!' 

"And  Samuel  took  his  mail  that  way,  and  went  home  with  Poqua  and 
stayed  over  night  at  the  house  of  the  old  chief,  much  to  the  delight  of  the 
frightened  Indian  boy  and  his  aged  father  also."  Chief  Godfroy  afterward 
moved  to  the  mouth  of  the  Mississinewa,  and  died  there  not  far  from  1840. 
His  stately  monument  is  still  to  be  seen  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  near  the 
mouth. 

Godfroy  was  the  home  chief,  and  Richardville  the  war  chief  of  the 
Miamis.  Godfroy  was  an  honest,  upright,  reliable  man,  esteemed  by  the 
whites  and  beloved  by  the  Indians. 

Cornstalk  (the  elder)  was  a  Shawnee  chief  of  bravery  and  distinction, 
and  one  of  the  leaders  of  his  tribe  at  the  battle  of  the  Kanawha  (Point 
Pleasant),  Va.,  in  1776.  He  had  tried  before  that  disastrous  engagement 
to  induce  his  people  to  bury  the  hatchet,  but  in  vain.  After  that,  however, 
his  efforts  were  crowned  with  success.  He  submitted  in  good  faith  to  the 
whites,  joined  in  the  treaty  and  observed  it  faithfully,  and  lived  c[uietly  and 
at  peace.  Some  of  the  Indians,  however,  remained  hostile,  and  such  was  the 
temper  of  the  times  and  so  ready  were  the  whites  to  commit  atrocities  against 
the  helpless  "red  men,"  that,  in  1777,  when  Cornstalk  and  his  son,  Enilipsco, 
both  of  excellent  character,  of  kindly  disposition,  and  entirely  and  sincerely 
friendly  and  peaceable,  entered,  in  amity  and  good  will,  the  American  fort  at 
Point  Pleasant,  they  were  murdered  in  cold  blood.  Cornstalk  himself  fell 
pierced  by  seven  or  eight  bullets.  His  grave  is  said  yet  to  be  visible  at  Point 
Pleasant,  near  the  site  of  the  ancient  fortress. 

Some  of  the  descendants  of  the  old  chief  are  thought  to  be  still  living, 


CEREMONIAL         STONES         MADE 
FItOM   BLACK   AND   BANDED 
SLATE.     ABOUT  ONE- 
HALF  NATURAL 
SIZE. 


I'lTEIt    PART:      FLINT    DIGCiING    IMPLEMENTS 
OF    UNIQUE    SHAPE.     LOWER    PART:     JAS- 
PER IMI'LEMENTS  OF  UNUSUAL  FORMS. 
ABOUT    (JNE-HALF    NATURAL    SIZE. 


UPPER    PART:      EFFIGY      ARTEFACTS    REPRE- 
SENTIN(;      BUFFALO      SKULLS,      WOLF     AND 
FOX     HEADS,      TADPOLES,      FISHES,      ETC. 
LOWER      PART:     JASPER      IMPLEMENTS 
WITH     BEVELED     BASE.     ABOUT     ONE- 
HALF    NATURAL    SIZE. 


wj '4  .,*    .^2   wj  t 


TYPES  OF  BEVELED  AND  SERRAT- 
ED KNIFES  FOUND  IN  RAN- 
DOLPH ( :OUNTY.  ABOUT 
ONE-HALF  NATURAL 
SIZE. 


RATSTDCTLFH    COUNTY,    INDIATSTA;  65 

residing  on  the  Kansas  river.  One  of  his  sons  lived  to  a  greatly  advanced 
age. 

Cornstalk,  the  younger,  v^ras  a  chief  in  later  times  after  the  war  of  1812, 
He  was  friendly  and  a  fine,  stately,  noble  Indian.  He  used  to  come  to  Ran- 
dolph county  to  hunt,  spending  more  or  less  time  among  the  settlers.  A  strik- 
ing incident  is  related  of  Cornstalk  and  his  wife  by  Squire  Bowen,  which 
occurred  soon  after  the  settlement  of  his  father,  Ephraim  Bowen,  in  the 
county.  We  have  no  detailed  statement  of  the  life  of  this  chief  at  our  com- 
mand. 

"Johnny  Green"  was  a  chief  who  dwelt  in  the  region  of  Randolph,  and 
was  well  known  to  many  of  the  settlers  of  that  time.  Several  mention  him 
in  their  "Reminiscences."  He  was  somewhat  noted  in  the  Indian  wars,  being 
present  at  "Wayne's  victory"  in  1794.  He  is  supposed  to  have  been  con- 
cerned in  the  killing  of  Morgan  in  Wayne  county.  He  had  much  provocation 
to  the  deed,  since  Morgan  was  a  bitter-  "Indian  hater,"  and  had,  not  very 
long  before,  undertaken  treacherously  to  procure  the  murder  of  the  old  In- 
dian. At  Brookville  (perhaps),  "Johnny"  had  obtained  leave  to  accompany 
some  whites  in  a  trip  they  were  making.  Soon  after  they  started,  Morgan, 
among  others,  tried  to  induce  the  crowd  to  kill  Green,  and  succeeded  in 
getting  a  vote  to  that  effect.  One  of  the  party  took 'Johnny  under  his  pro- 
tection and  got  him  safely  away. 

A  white  man  was! burned  at  the  stake  by  the  Indians  somewhere  east  of 
Muncie,  but  the  particulars  of  the  fact,  whether  as  to  reasons,  time  or  parties 
engaged,  we  have  never  learned. 

[Note. — Whether  this  "Johnny  Green's  tribe"  (mentioned  below)  be- 
longed to  the  "Johnny  Green"  already  named,  we  are  not  able  to  state.  There 
may  have  been  more  than  one  "Johnny  Green,"  as  there  were  two  "Corn- 
stalks" and  two  "Killbucks."] 

Johnny  Green's  Tribe. — They  emigrated  to  the  West  and  settled  in 
Iowa,  and  they  now  live  in  Story  county,  near  Marshalltown,  on  the  Iowa 
river,  above  Iowa  Rapids. 

Johnny  Green,  the  old  chief,  is  dead,  and  his  son,  "Buck  Green,"  is  now 
chief.  The  number  of  the  tribe  is  about  350.  They  own  a  reserve  of  land; 
have  good  houses  and  dress  mostly  like  whites,  though  the  women  go  bare- 
headed and  wear  blankets  and  moccasins,  Indian-fashion. 

The  men  spend  most  of  their  time  in  hunting;  the  women  make  baskets 
and  beadwork  and  other  curious  things.  The  tribe  is  harmless  and  peaceable. 
The  squaws  mav  often  be  seen  riding  by  on  ponies,  with  pannier  baskets 

(5) 


66  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.' 

laden  with  trinkets  for  sale,  and  having,  besides,  a  child  in  each  basket,  the 
whole  cavalcade  presenting  a  sight  comical  to  behold.  [This  account  is  given 
by  a  friend  of  the  author's,  who  resides  in  Iowa,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  tribe 
in  question.] 

Francis  La  Fontaine,  Miami  Chief. — His  Indian  name  was  To-pe-ah. 
His  father  was  French  and  his  mother  a  Miami] woman,  and  he  was  born  near 
Fort  Wayne  in  1810.  In  1832  he  married  Catharine  ( Po-con-go-qua ) , 
daughter  of  C'hief  Richardville,  and  upon  the  old  chief's  death  was  chosen 
principal  chief.  He  moved  to  the  forks  of  the  Wabash,  and  lived  there  till 
the  removal  of  his  tribe  west  of  the  Mississippi,  in  1846. 

He  spent  the  winter  with  his  people,  but  returned  in  the  spring;  v>'as 
taken  ill  on  the  journey  and  died  at  Lafayette,  April  13,  1847,  aged  thirty- 
seven  years.  In  person,  he  was  tall, ;  corpulent  and  robust,  a  man  of  wonder- 
ful size  and  strength,  his  usual  weight  being  350  pounds.  He  presented, 
when  dressed  in  Indian  costume,  a  splendid  specinien  of  manly  dignity. 

He  had  seven  children,  only  two  of  whom  are  now  living. 

His  body  was  embalmed  at  Lafayette,  brought  to  Huntington  and  buried 
there. 

John  B.  Richardville  (Pe-che-wa),  was  the  son  of  the  sister  of  Little 
Turtle,  Taucumwah,  by  a 'French  trader,  Joseph  Drouet  de  Richeville,  born 
about  1761.  Pe-che-wa  became  the  recognized  chief  by  a  daring  act  of 
humane  valor  when  but  a  young  man.  He  was  present  at  Harmar's  defeat 
in  1790;  signed  the  treaty  of  Greenville  in  1795,  of  Fort  Wayne  and  of  V"in- 
cennes  in  1809,  and  of  St.  Mary's  in  1818. 

In  1827  he  built  a  fine  dwelling  on  his  reservation,  five  miles  from  Fort 
Wayne.  He  was  an  extensive  trader,  having  an  establishment  in  Fort 
Wayne,  but  moving,  in  1836,  to  the 'forks  of  the  Wabash,  he  died  a-t  his 
house  at  St.  Mary's,  August  13,  1841,  aged  about  eighty-one  years.  He  was 
of  middling  height  and  weight,  quiet,  modest  and  retiring,  but  genteel  and 
manly  in  his  deportment  with  the  whites,  and  having  a  large  influence  over 
his  people  and,  moreover,  highly  respected  and  confided  in  by  the  white 
settlers.    His  daughters  erected  a  marble  monument  over  his  remains. 

He  was  succeeded  by  Francis  La  Fontaine,  who  had  married  Catharine, 
daughter  of  Richardville. 

"Captain  Logan  (Spemica  Lawba — High  Horn),  a  Shawnee  chief,  was 
born  on  Mad  river,  i  Ohio,  in  1778.  He  was  captured  when  a  lad  by  Capt. 
Benjamin  Logan,  of  Kentucky,  in  1786;  was  adopted  by  him,  and  afterward 
returned  to  his  tribe,  continuing,  however,  to  be  the  friend  of  the  whites. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  67 

This  friendship  he  showed  in  a  most  remarkable  manner,  finally  sealing  his 
fidelity  with  his  blood. 

"He  was  one  of  General  Hull's  guides  to  Detroit  in  1812.  Afterward 
he  conducted  twenty-five  women  and  children  from  Fort  Wayne  to  Piqua, 
through  the  wilderness,  with  signal  kindness  and  humanity,  making  the  entire 
journey  without  sleep,  and  treating  his  helpless  charge  with  the  utmost  gentle- 
ness and  the  most  delicate  attention. 

"During  the  siege  of  Fort  Wayne  by  the  Indians,  after  the  surrender  of 
Detroit  by  Hull  in  August,  1812,  it  was  determined  to  send  relief  from 
Piqua,  and  it  became  necessary  to  convey  the  information  to  the  beleaguered 
fort.  Two  white  men,  with  Captain  Logan  and  some  friendly  and  faithful 
Shawnees,  undertook  the  perilous  task.  They  passed  the  besiegers  and 
reached  the  fort  in  safety,  and  Captain  Logan,  with  Captain  Johnny  and 
Bright  Horn,  two  of  his  Indian  companions,  retraced  their  steps  to  their 
comrades,  who  were  waiting  outside  the  besiegers'  lines.  The  re-enforcements 
reached  the  fort,  and  the  Indians  finally  withdrew  and  abandoned  the  siege. 
Subsequently  he  met  his  death  in  a  most  affecting  manner,  which  can  be  best 
related  by  quoting  (substantially)  from  Kingman  Bros.'  History  of  Allen 
county,  Indiana. 

"  'On  the  morning  of  November  22,  1812,  a  subordinate  officer  charged 
him  with  unfaithfulness.  Stung  by  this  charge  and  to  prove  its  falsity,  he 
started  with  Captain  Johnny  and  Bright  Horn  down  the  Maumee  to  recon- 
noiter.  Suddenly  they  were  surprised  and  captured  by  a  company  under 
Winamac,  a  Potawatarnie  chief,  and  Elliot,  a  half-breed,  in  the  British 
employ.  Seizing  the  opportunity,  they  attacked  their  captors,  killing  two 
and  wounding  three  more.  Logan,  however,  received  a  fatal  wound,  and 
Bright  Horn  was  also  wounded.  Captain  Johnny  mounted  the  two  wounded . 
men,  each  upon  one  of  the  enemy's  horses,  and  started  them  toward  the 
camp,  vifhich  they  reached  about  midnight.  He  stayed  long  enough  to  secure 
Winamac's  scalp,  and  came  in  on  foot,  reaching  camp  by  daylight.  Captain 
Logan  lingered  two  days  in  intense  suffering,  and  died.  He  was  buried  with 
the  honors  of  war,  but  his  death  cast  a  gloom  over  the  entire  army,  and  es- 
pecially caused  great  grief  to  him,  whose  bitter  words  had  impelled  Captain 
Logan  to  the  act  by  which  he  met  his  untimely  death  at  the  early  age  of 
thirty-four.'  " 

Interesting  reminiscences  were  given  concerning  some  of  the  early 
traders  and  Indians.  The  Indian  causing  the  most  trouble  in  this  county 
lived  in  the  Mississinewa  country,  and  was  known  as  Fleming.     Fleming 


68  ran;dolph  county,  Indiana. 

created  a 'great  deal  of  disturbance  and  caused  the  white  people  a  great  deal 
of  uneasiness,  and  it  must  have  been  rejoicing  when  they  learned  of  his  death 
■at  the  hand  of  Jesse  Gray,  an  early  settler  of  that  region.  Of  this  event,  we 
take  the  following  from  an  interview  given  by  Joseph  Hawkins,  Esq,,  of 
Jay  county,  and  Thomas  Ward,  of  Randolph  county :  :   : 

DEATH  OF  FLEMING.  ; 

[We  subjoin  an  account  of  the  death  of  "Fleming,"  an  Indian  (not 
indeed  a  chief),  which  occurred  near  Ridgeville,  soon  after  the  settlement  of 
that  vicinity,  given  by  Joseph  Hawkins,  Esc].,  of  Jay  county,  Indiana,  as  toM 
him  by  parties  acquainted  with  the  transaction.  Some  account  of  the  same 
tragedy  may  be  found  inthe  reminiscences  of  Thomas  Ward,  George  Thomas, 
and  perhaps  others.]  "One  Smith,  a  mulatto,  had  a  white  wife.  She  told 
the  Indian,  Fleming,  that  if  he  would  kill  Smith  she  would  marry  him.  The 
Indian  shot  Smith  through  the  body,  but  did  not  kill  him.  Out  of  this  in 
some  way  grew  the  fact  that  some  half -drunk  Indians  (Fleming  and  others) 
made  an  attack  on  Joab  Ward.  He  was  at  breakfast,  and  they  came  in  armed 
with  butcher  knives.  He  arose,  seized  a  gun  from  the  hooks,  and  sprang 
backward  to  the  outer  door,  and  into  the  back  yard,  pointing  his  loaded  gun 
at  one  and  another  of  the  gang.  Elias  Kizer  managed  to  get  another  loade,d 
gun,  and  joined  Ward  in  the  yard.  Then  Fleming  began  to  run,  and  Ward 
told  Kizer  to  shoot  him,  which  he  did,  the  bullet  striking  his  foot,  as  it  was 
raised  in  running,  passing  in  at  his  heel  and  up  his  leg  to  his  knee.  The  other 
Indians  begged  so  hard  that  they  were  let  go.  Fleming  got  across  the  river 
and  lay  down  in  the  bushes,  remaining  there  some  time.  Jesse  Gray,  the 
famous  'Indian  hunter,'  hearing  the  fact,  came  with  his  brother  John,  a  lad 
of  sixteen),  to  shoot  the  Indian.  He  told  his  brother  to  shoot  him.  The 
Indian  lay  on  his  belly,  and  as  the  boy  went  to  shoot,  he  bent  his  body  upward 
from  the  ground;  and'  as  the  boy  shot,  he  drew  himself  suddenly  down, 
hugging  close  to  the  ground,  and  the  bullet  only  grazed  his  back.  But  he 
acted  as  though. he  had  received  a  fatal  shot,  and  they  thought  him  killed 
and  went  off.  After  the  poor  fellow  had  been  wounded  (in  all)  three -days, 
Lewallyn,  from  pityj  took  him  in.  Some  days,  after,  Jesse  Gray  and  Smith 
came  to  Lewallyn's  and  shot  Flemmg  in  the  bed  as  he  lay,  and  killed  him. 
The  Indian  saw  them  come,  and  turned  oyer  to  the  wall  and- wrapped  his 
head  in  the  blanket,  and  Sniifh  put  his  gun  against  Fleming's  back  and  shot 
him  through  the  heacVas  he  lay  there  in  bed." 


l^ANDOi/PH'-'dOUNTY,'  I-NDIANA.  69 

-:.-    i '[^ote! — Joab  AV-ard  told- Hawkins  "as -to  tTie -attack-,  arid"- €■l^ar-ks  Sim- 
i«6ns,  an  employe  of-  David  Connor, -told  him-  as  to  what  .Gray- and  Smith 

*d.]       -     ■■•■^  .  -  -■  -  -:  -,  -  _.     -  .-     -■    ■■■:--■ :        ."  -- 

-DEATH, OF  FiiEHiNG — By- Thomas  Ward'.  • ---•      • 

"A  -whi-te  man  brought,  whisky  and  sold  it  to  the  Indians..  .That  white 
man  fell  out  with  my  father,  Joab  Ward,  one  ifnorning,  and  told  him  he 
should  'smell  h — 1'  in  less  than  an  hour.  Within  an  hour's  time  three  Indians, 
Fleming,  Killbuck  and  another,  came  to  father's  house  a.-;  they  were  eating 
Jareakfast,  armed  with  big  knives  and  partly  drunk.  Elias.  Kizer.  and  .Thomas 
Andrews  were  there.  All  three,  managed  to  get  their  guns.  iFleming:  tried 
hard  to  kill  father ;  but  when  the  men  got  the  guns,  Fleming  ran,  and  .the 
other  Indians  began- to  beg.  Elias  Kizer.  shot  Fleming:  as.  he  ran, 'the  ball 
striking  his  heel  when  his  foot  was  raised,  and  running  up  his  leg  to  his 
knee.  He  managed  to  cross  the  river,  but  fell  in  the  weeds  on  the  north 
bank,  and  lay  there  several  days.  Jesse  Gray  and  his  brother  came  and  un- 
dertook to  kill  him  as  he  lay  in  the  weeds,  and  thought  they  had  done  so. 
They,  however,  did  not  injure  him.  Xewallyn,  who  lived  near,  took  him  in  out 
of  pity,  but  Smith,  the  mulatto  whom  Fleming  had  shot  through,  but  had  not 
killed,  came  with  Jesse  Gray  to  Lewallyn's  house  and  shot' him  dead  in'  his 
bed,  as  he  lay  upon  a  pallet  of  deer  skins.  Before  Fleming  was  killed,  he 
kept  on  threatening  to  kill  Joab  Ward  and  my  father." 

It  seems  that  the  Indians  were  not  much  offended  at  the  death  of  Flem- 
ing. "  He-vvas  vicious,  and  the}'^  had  turned  him  off,  and  he  skulked  around, 
■getting  his  living  from  place  to  place  among'  the  whites  as  he  could.  They 
came  and  buried  him,  but  said,  "He  no  good — Fleming  bad  Indian." 

Jesse  Gray,  however,  was  afraid  of  the  vengeance  both  of  the  Indians 
and  the  whites,  and  he  fled  the  state,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Ohio,  near  Hill 
Grove,  Darke  county,  and  resided  at  that  place  several  years. 
-■'  -  Tyre  T.  Puckett,  residing  west  of  Winchester,  relates  concerning  the 
poor  Indian,  that  Fleming  lay  wounded  on  a  deer-skin  at  Lewallyn's  cabin. 
The  Indians,  though  they  had  banished  him  from  their  tribes,  nevertheless 
took  pity  on  him.  In  particular,  "Aunt  Sally,"  wife  of  "Uncle  Jake,"  and 
rnother  of  "Indian  Jim,"  came  and  doctored  him,  and  said  he  would  get  well. 
Gray  and  Smith  came  to  the  cabin.  Gray  undertook  to  get  Mrs.  Lewallyn 
but  of  the  house;  she  resisted,  and  he  pulled  her  out,  she  crying  out  mean- 
while, "Don't  do  any  murder  here."  Almost  instantly  she  heard  the  shot, 
and,  struggling  back,  she  saw  Fleming  lay  dead  upon  his  pallet. 


70  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

The  grand  jury  (of  which  Mr.  Puckett's  father  was  a  member)  in- 
dicted Jesse  Gray  (and  probably  Smith)  for  the  homicide,  and  a  "true  bill" 
was  found  against  them.  They  fled  the  county  and  the  state,  and  no  special 
pains  were  taken  to  find  them,  since  everybody  was  glad  the  "vicious  Indian" 
was  out  of  the  way.  Mrs.  Lewallyn  was  the  witness,  of  course,  for  the  state, 
because  she  was  the  one  (and  the  only  one,  perhaps)  who  saw  the  "deed," 
except  indeed  Smith  and  Gray  themselves.       * 

Charles  Morgan  and  his  two  brothers  were  killed  by  the  savages  at  a 
sugar  camp  in  the  northern  part  of  Wayne  county,  where  they  were  boiling 
sugar  water.  Morgan  resisted  powerfully,  but  was  overcome  and  toma- 
hawked. One  boy  was  killed  by  the  tomahawk  and  the  other  was  shot 'as  he 
started  to  run.  All  three  were  scalped.  This  took  place  before  1811.  Mor- 
gan was  a  leader 'in  the  band  that  tried  to  murder  Johnny  Green,  an  Indian 
warrior  residing  in  the  region,  and  many  thought  at  the  time  that  Morgan's 
death  was  accomplished  by  Green  in  revenge  for  his  bitterness  against  the 
Indians. 

Armfield  Thornburg,  a  pioneer  of  Stoney  Creek  township,  is  said  to  have 
said  that  the  three  Indians  who  killed  Morgan  and  the  two  lads  were  "trailed 
and  were  killed  on  the  banks  of  Stoney  creek,  three  miles  south  of  Windsor, 
just  in  Delaware  county." 

BURNING   AT    THE    STAKE. 

"In  the  Indian  village  of  Old  Town,  five  miles  above  Muncie,  many 
victims  were  tortured  to  death  by  a  slow  fire.  They  were  tied  to  a  stake, 
which  was  of  oak,  and  ten  or  twelve  feet  high.  'A  ring  of  ashes  was  round 
the  stake,  and  the  dancing  in  a  circle  by  the  Indians  had  trampled  the  ground 
as  hard  as  a  brick.  The  stake  remained  for  many  years  to  be  seen  and  shud- 
dered at  by  the  passing  traveler. 

Mr.  Thomas  S.  Neely,  of  Muncie,  Indiana,  and  a  pioneer  of  that  region 
(in  history  of  Delaware  county,  also  elsewhere  quoted  from),  says:  'On 
the  farm  of  Samuel  Cecil,  in  section  25,  Center  township,  in  1839,  was  a 
piece  of  ground  near  the  then  Richmond  state  road,  now  the  Burlington 
pike,  on  which  tradition  says  one  Colonel  Winchester  was  burned' by  the  In- 
dians. The  stake  was  visible  when  I  came,  and  was  charred.  Around  it  for 
about  fifty  feet  the  ground  was  'level  and  smooth,  and  the  spot  was  round 
like  a  circus  ring,  only  not  thrown  up  on  the  circle.  This  tradition  had  gained 
considerable  credence  at  the  time,  and  all  believed  it  to  be  true.'  " 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  71 

Who  this  Colonel  Winchester  was,  when  the  act  was  done,  or  why  in 
particular  they  subjected  this  prisoner  to  that  fate  we  have  no  information. 
This  method  of  putting  to  death  was  but  common  among  the  Indians,  and 
many  wretched  captives,  both  of  Indians  and  whites,  perished  in  that  way. 

Among  the  early  Indian  traders  of  this  county  were :  David  Connor, 
aong  the  Mississinewa ;  Joseph  Gess,  on  the  Muncie-Greenville  trail,  south 
of  Winchester,  and  Edward  Edger,  of  Deerfield.  Of  these  men,  Connor  was 
the  best  known  trader  of  that  time.     Of  him.  Tucker  says : 

David  Connor,  Indian  trader  and  chief  [white  man],  came  to  Green- 
ville in  1811  or  1812,  and  opened  a  small  store  and  trading  house,  from 
which  he  dispersed  blankets,  calico,  powder,  lead,  flints,  tobacco,  whisky  and 
what  not,  to  the  "noble  red  men."  He  was  married,  but  his  wife  remained  in 
Greenville,  refusing  to  accompany  him  in  his  wild  life  among  the  Indians. 
Although  a  rough,  hard  man  in  many  respects,  yet  he  had  some  good  traits. 
He  wielded  a  great  influence  over  the  Indians,  which  he  sometimes  employed 
for  good  purposes.  In  about  1824  (so  says  Judge  Wharry,  of  Greenville, 
Ohio,  who  knew  Connor  all  his  life)  some  New  York  Indians,  traveling  to 
Green  Bay,  were  murdered  by  some  white  villains  in  Indiana.  Connor  suc- 
ceeded in  securing  justice  and  keeping  the  peace,  and  the  Miamis  on  that  ac- 
count made  him  a  "chief"  of  their  tribe,  with  all  due  'ceremony.  He  estab- 
lished himsef  at  Fort  Recovery  soon  after  the  war  of  1812  had  closed  in  the 
West,  probably  in  18 14.  He  had  used  his  influence  in  securing  the  treaty  of 
peace,  and  had  made  some  enemies  thereby.  Several  Indians  came  to  his 
store  one  day,  and  told  him  they  had  come  to  kill  him.  "All  right," 'said  he, 
"give  me  a  few  minutes  to  fix  things  up."  They  granted  his  request  and  sat 
down.  Suddenly  he  took  a  keg  of  powder,  poured  it  on  a  deer  skin,  and 
seizing  a  fire  brand,  swore  in  strong,  rough  Miami,  that  he  and  they  "should 
go  to  h — 11  together."  They  "got"  in  a  "heap  hurry."  The  Indians  never 
molested  him  again.  'One  of  them  told  Judge  Wharry:  "Connor  one  devil 
of  a  man;  he  care  no  more  for  Indians  than  he  care  for  himself." 

He  next  built  a  shanty  above  Deerfield  (1820-21).  After  a  few  years 
he  moved  down  the  river  to  three  miles  below  Wheeling  and  twenty  miles 
above  Marion.  Still  again  he  moved  three  miles  below  Marion,  bought  land, 
built  mills,  grew  rich,  and  died  some  years  ago. 

[Note. — Some  will  have  it  that  he  had  a  station  at  Mississinewa  cross- 
ing, near  Allensville,  and  also  one  at  Ridgeville,  but  the  residents  along  the 
river  do  not  understand  the  matter  thus.] 

At  Greenville  the  understanding  was  that  he  had  a  wife  and  two  boys 


^2  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

and  that  she  wbulcl  not  go  with  him  in  his  wild,  roving  border  Hfe,'  and  he 
"took  up"  with  Polly  Voorhees,  by  whom  he  raised  a  large  family. .  lie  was 
'a  very  rough,  outbreaking  man,>_  so  passionate  that  few  dared  to  cross  him. 
R.  H.  Surription  taught  school  near  him,  and  six  of  his. children  attended. the 
school.  He  -did  not  call  for  his  iDay. till;  the. middle  of  tjie. second  term.^  The 
bill  was  large' aad  Mr.  Sumiition 'feared  ti.e  might  not  take  the  matter  kindly. 
Connor  ha:ppened  to  be  in  good  humor  and  paid  the  bill  without  a  word.  At 
one  of  his  "posts,'.'  the  Indians  got  "ahead"  of  him.  He  had  a  shed  at  the 
side  of  his  cabin,  and  a  log  out  on  the  side  next  the  store-room,  and  as  he 
bought  bundles  of  skins,  he  would  toss  them  through  the  "crack"  into  the 
shed.  '  By  some  means  the  Indians  made  or  found  a  hole  from  the  outside 
into  the  shed,  through  which  they  got  out  parcels  of  skins.  First  one  would 
get  out  a  parcel  and  take  it  in  and  sell  it  to  Connor,  then  another,  and  so  on, 
till  Connor  began  to  wonder  where  they  got  so  many  coon  skins.  Polly  had 
noticed  the  game  of  the  "red  skins,"  and  at  last  she  said,  "Connor,  you  fool, 
how  long  are  you  going  to  buy  your  own  coon  skins?"  "Why?"  said  he. 
"Because,"  said  she,  "those  tarnal  Ingins  have  been  stealing  your  coon  skins 
and  selling  them  to  you  over  and  over."  What  he  did  then  and  there  is  not 
told,  but  we  may  easily  guess  that  there  was  a  "rumpus,"  or  danger  of  one 
about  that  time.  [Burgett  Pierce  and  others  mention  Connor  in  their  reci- 
tals.] 

The  "Jay  County  History"  says  "that  a  pioneer  family  lived  for  a  con- 
siderable time  in  a  cabin  built  at  Fort  Recovery,  Ohio,  by  David  Connor,  for 
a  trading  house  at  that  point.  So  that  most  probably  Mr.  Connor  traded  at 
one  period  with  the  Indians  near  Fort  Recovery.  Judge  Wharry,  of  Green- 
ville, who  knew  Connor  well,  states  that  he  went  from  Greenville  to  Fort 
Recovery  in  1814,  and  stayed  and  traded  at  that  location' for  several  years. 

Connor  is  said  to  have  been  an  adept  in  deceiving  the  Indians  and  at  the 
same  time  commanding  their  confidence  and  respect.  At  one  time  he  went 
among  them  with  a  supply  of  needles,  and  gave  out  the  information  that  the 
needle  makers  had  all  died  and  that  he  had  the  only  known  supply  and 
emphasized  that  as  soon  as  this  supply  was  gone,  no  more  needles  were  to  be 
had.  He  succeeded  in  disi>osing  of  his  stock,  exchanging  one  needle  for  each 
coon  skin,  worth,  perhaps,  from  50  to  75  cents.  He  is  said  to  have  taken 
tin  cups,  ^melted' the  bottoms  out  a;nd  handles  off,  and.'traded  the  rims  to 
the  Indians,  convincing  them  that  they  were  silver  bands.  He  also  did  a 
thriving  business  with  them  in  whisky  until  as  one  Indian  said:     "We  no 


UPPER  PART:  TYPES  OP  BLACK  FLINT  ARROW 
POINTS   AND   KNIVES.  LOWER   PART: 
FANCY  JASPER  AND  CHALCEDONY  ARTE- 
FACTS. ABOUT  ONE-HALF  NATURAL 
SIZE. 


INDIAN  RELICS  FOUND  IN  GRAVE 
SEVEN  FEET  UNDERGROUND. 


COLLECTION  OF  BLACK  CEREMONIAL  STONES,  TYPES  OF  GROOVED  AXES  FOUND  IN 
BEVELED   AND   SERRATED   KNIVES,         RANDOLPH  COUNTY.  ONE-SIXTH 
GROOVED  AXES  AND  INDIAN  NATURAL  SIZE. 

ORNAMENTS. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  J2) 

trade  with  Connor.     Too  much  Mississinewa  in  fire-water.     No  make  Injun 
drunk." 

But,  the  haughty  Indian,  erect  and  defiant,  lord  of  all  he  saw,  was  soon 
to  give  way  to  the  milder  Indian,  who  lived  in  subjected  peace  with  his  white 
neighbor;  glad  of  the  opportunity  to  trade  hijii  pelts,  meat,  or  baskets, 
moccasins  and  trinkets  for  corn,  salt,  meal,  powder,  arms  and  last,  but  not 
least,  fire-water,'  the  last  of  which  did  more  to  exterminate  the  red  man  than 
all  other  forces  combined.  Through  its  influence  he  became  indeed  a  "red 
devil,"  ready  to  fight,  stab  and  kill  and  then  become  a  helpless,  besotted,  hor- 
rible example  of  its  exterminating  force.  It  was  impossible  for  him  to  live 
in  civilization,  and  he  was  swept  west  of  the  Mississippi,  never  again  to  be  a 
factor  in  the  settlement  of  the  great  Middle  West. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ORGANIZATION    OF   THg    COUNTY. 

"The  night  was  dark,  the  rain  falling  in  torrents,  when  the  inmates  of 
a  small  log  cabin  in  the  woods  of  early  Indiana  were  aroused  from  their 
slumbers  by  a  loud  knocking  at  the  only  door  of  the  cabin.  The  man  of  the 
house,  as  he  had  been  accustomed  to  do  on  like  occasions,  rose  from  his  bed 
and  hallooed,  'Who's  here?'  The  outsiders  answered,  'Friends,  out  bird- 
catching.  Can  we  stay  till  morning?'  The  door  was  opened,  and  the 
strangers  entered.  A  good  log  fire  soon  gave  light  and  warmth  to  the  room. 
Stranger  to  the  host,  'What  did  you  say  when  I  knocked?'  I  said,  'Who's 
here  ?'  T  thought  you  said  Hoosier.'  The  bird-catchers  left  after  breakfast, 
but  next  night  returned,  and  hallooed  at  the  door,  'Hoosier,'  and  from  that 
time  the  Indianians  have  been  called  Hoosiers — a  name  that  will  stick  to 
them  as  long  as  Buckeyes  will  to  Ohioans,  or  Suckers  to  Illinoians." 

Thus  the  Hon.  O.  H.  Smith,  in  his  early  Indiana  trials,  accounts  for  the 
name  of  Hoosier  as  an  appellation  to  the  people  of  this  great  common- 
wealth. There  are,  however,  other  explanations  of  the  same  term,  although 
they  may  not  be  as  authoritative.  There  was  an  early  traveler  in  this  state 
by  the  name  of  Sulgrove.  Meredith  Nicholson,  in  his  excellent  book,  The 
Hoosier,  gives  the  following  story : 

"Sulgrove  related  the  incident  of  an  Irishman,  employed  in  excavating 
the  canal  around  the  falls  at  Louisville,  who  declared  after  a  fight  in  which 
he  had  vanquished  several  fellow  laborers,  that  he  was  'a  husher,'  and  this 
was  offered  as  a  possible  origin  of  the  word.  The  same  writer  suggested 
another  explanation,  that  a  certain  Colonel  Lehmanowski,  a  Polish  officer 
who  lectured  through  the  west  on  Napoleon's  Wars,  pronounced  Hussar  in 
a  way  that  captivated  some  roystering  fellow,  who  applied  the  word  to  him- 
self in  self-glorification,  pronouncing  it  'Hoosier.'  Lehmanowski's  identity 
has  been  established  as  a  sojourner  in  Indiana,  and  his  son  was  a  member 
of  an  Indiana  regiment  in  the  Civil  war.  The  Rev.  Aaron  Woods  is  another 
contributor  to  the  literature  of  the  subject,  giving  the  Lehmanowski  story 
with  a  few  variations.  When  the  young  men  of  the  Indiana  side  of  the  Ohio 
crossed  over  to  Louisville,  the  Kentuckians  made  sport  of  them,  calling  them 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  75 

'New  Purchase  greenies,'  and  declaring  that  they  of  the  southern  side  of  the 
river  were  a  superior  race,  composed  of  'half  alligator,  half  horse,  and  tipped 
off  with  snapping  turtle!'  Fighting  grew  out  of  these  boasts  in  the  market 
place  and  streets  of  Louisville.  One  Indiana  visitor  who  had  heard  Leh- 
manowski  lecture  on  "The  Wars  of  Europe"  and  been  captivated  by  the 
prowess  of  the  Hussars,  whipped  one  of  the  Kentuckians.  and  bending  over 
him  cried,  'I'm  a  Hoosier,'  meaning,  'I'm  a  Hussar.'  Mr.  Woods  adds  that 
he  was  living  in  the  state  at  the  time  and  that  this  was  the  true  origin  of  the 
term.  This  is,  however,  hardly  conclusive.  The  whole  Lehmanowski  story 
seems  to  be  based  on  communication  between  Indiana  and  Kentucky  work- 
men during  the  building  of  the  Ohio  Falls  canal." 

This  could  hardly  have  been  the  origin  of  the  time  because  the  canal 
was  not  built  until  1830.  Much  earlier  than  this;  in  fact,  1828,  a  man  by  the 
name  of  John  Finley,  a  Virginian,  came  to  Indiana  and  lived  in  the  state 
several  years.  He  had  been  here  at  least  seven  years,  when  he  published  a 
poem  known  as  The  Hoosier  Nest,  in  which  he  uses  the  word  Hoosier.  Evi- 
dently it  had  been  in  use  for  some  time,  because  Finley  himself  could  scarcely 
have  originated  the  term.  Finley  is  describing  an  early  Indiana  life  when  he 
says: 

"I'm  told  in  riding  somewhere  West, 

A  stranger  found  a  Hoosier  nest ; 

In  other  words,  a  Buckeye  cabin, 

Just  big  enough  to  hold  Queen  Mab  in. 

Its  situation  low,  but  airy. 

Was  on  the  borders  of  a  prairie; 

And  fearing  he  might  be  benighted 

He  hailed  the  house,  and  then  alighted. 

The  Floosier  met  him  at  the  door. 

Their  salutations  soon  were  o'er. 

He  took  the  stranger's' horse  aside 

i\nd  to  a  sturdy  sapling  tied. 

Then  having  stripped  the  saddle  off. 

He  fed  him  in  a  sugar  trough. 

The  stranger  stooped  to  enter  in. 

The  entrance  closing  with  a  pin ; 

And  manifested  strong  desire 

To  seat  him  by  the  log-heap  fire. 


.76 


RANDOLPH.  -GOtJJSrTYj-  lUDlAi^A, 


Where  half  a-dozen  Hoes-ieroonsv  -     -    -'- 
With- mush' and  milk,  tin-cups  and-spoonsr 

White-heads-,  bare  feet;  and  dirty  faces, 

Seemed  much  inclined  to  -keep  their  places. 


hOIANA  IM   1616 


In  order  to  get  a  complete  understanding  of  the  history  of  Randolph 
county  it  will  be  necessary  to  go  far  back  into  our  colonial-history;  in  fact, 
to  the  very  beginning  of  it.  The  territory  was  claimed  by  lio  less  than  four 
states — New  York,  [Massachusetts,  Connecticut  and  A'irginia,  which  was 
organized  under  "royal  charter,  which  gave  them  certain  control  of  land  as 
far  west  as  the  Mississippi.  France  also  laid  claim  to  this  territory,  through 
the  right  of  exploration  and  discovery  on  the  part  of  LaSalle  and  other 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  7J7 

Frenchmen.  At  the  close  of  the  French  and  Indian  War,  France  deeded  this 
territory  to  Great  Britain  in  1763.  The  British  then  had  three  forts,  one  a,t 
Detroit,  one  at  Vincennes  and  one  at  Kaskaskia.  When  the  colonists  de- 
clared their  independence  in  1776,  the  settlers  west  of  the  Appalachian  moun- 
tains, became  very  restless.  Especially  was  this  true  of  Kentucky,  which  was 
then  no  more  or  less  than  a  frontier  settlement  of  Virginia.  So  keen  did 
they  become  in  the  matter,  that  they  sent  one  of  their  most  forceful  citizens, 
George  Rogers  Clark,  to  Williamsburg,  Virginia,  to  confer  with  the  gover- 
nor, Patrick  Henry,  concerning  the  matter.  Clark  urged  that  they  were"  in 
great  danger  from  the  Indian  tribes,  and  this  danger  could  not  be  overcome 
until  the  forts  along  the  Ohio  were  captured.  For  the  British  were  doing 
all  in  their  power  to  incite  the  Indians  against  the  Americans.  From  the 
forts  at  Detroit,  Vincennes  and  Kaskaskia,  agents  were  sent  out  arnong  the 
Indians,  encouraging  them  to  all  sorts  of  depredation.  Rewards  were  paid 
for  prisoners  and  scalps.  Governor  Henry  was  not  disposed  to  look  upon  the 
scheme  with  much  favor,  and  gave  it  but  little  encouragement  at  first.  Clark, 
however,  was  insistent  and  succeeded  finally  in  impi-essing  upon  him  the 
great  amount  of  dissatisfaction  that  existed  among  the  colonists  in  Kentucky. 
He  did  not  succeed,  however,  in  doing  this  until  he  put  the  matter  squarely 
at  Governor  Henry,  by  saying,  "A  country  that  was  not  worth  defending, 
was  not  worth  possessing."  This  remark  fired  the  zeal  of  Henry,  and  he 
gave  Clark  money  and  authority  to  raise  a  companj'  of  Kentuckians,  to  move 
against  Kaska.skia  and  Vincennes.  Clark  succeeded  in  capturing  these  forts, 
and  upon  this  claim,  Virginia  based  its  claims  to  what  is  now  known  as  the 
Northwest  territory.  Thus,  we  see  that  New  York,  Massachusetts,  Con- 
necticut and  Virginia,  each  laid  claim  to  this  territory. 

Trouble  soon  began  to  occur  in  Congress  between  the  members  of  the 
House  of  Representatives  and  Senate  from  these  various  states,  formed  from 
the  colonies  that  we  have  mentioned.  This  was  especially  true  after  the  close 
of  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  the  people  west  of  the  Alleghenies  began  to 
clamor  for  their  rights  of  statehood.  The  state  of  Franklin  had  been  organ- 
ized where  we  now  have  Tennessee,  and  the  Carolinas  and  Maryland  had  had 
difficulties  over  this  matter.  Jefiferson  was  long  headed  enough  to  see  that 
the  only  solution  of  the  problem  was  to  put  the  control  of  the  entire  country 
under  that  of  the  general  central  government.  Some  of  the  colonies  were 
slow  to  accept  this  idea,  but  Virginia  through  its  representatives,  kept  push- 
ing the  matter  and  urging  it  not  only  at  home,  but  in  Congress  as  well. 

"In  1781,  Virginia  signified  her' willingness  to,  make  the  cession  of  the 


78  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

land  northwest  of  the  Ohio,"  says  O.  H.  Smith,  "when  Congress  should  agree 
to  the  terms  proposed  by  her.  Finally,  in  1784,  the  following  deed  of  cession 
was  made: 

"To  all  whom  shall  see  these  presents :  We,  Thomas  Jefferson,  Samuel 
Hardy,  Arthur  Lee  and  James  Monroe,  the  underwritten  delegates  for  the 
commonwealth  of  Virginia,  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  of  America, 
send  greeting : 

"Whereas,  The  General  Assembly  of  the  commonwealth  of  Virginia,  at 
their  session  begun  on  the  20th  of  October,  1783,  passed  an  act  entitled  'an 
act  to  authorize  the  delegates  of  this  state  in  Congress  to  convey  to  the  United 
States,  in  Congress  assembled,  all  the  right  of  this  commonwealth  to  the 
territory  northwestward  of  the  river  Ohio  in  these  words,  to-wit: 

"Whereas,  The  Congress  of  the  United  States  did,  by  their  act  of  the 
6th  day  of  September,  in  the  year  1780,  recommend  to  the  several  states  of 
the  Union,  having  claims  to  waste  and  unappropriated  lands  in  the  western 
country,  a  liberal  cession  to  the  United  States  of  a  portion  of  their  respective 
claims  for  the  benefit  of  the  Union;  and  whereas,  this  commonwealth  did, 
on  the  2d  day  of  January,  in  the  year  1781,  yield  to  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States,  for  the  benefit  of  the  said  States,  all  right,  title  and  claim 
which  the  said  commonwealth  had  to  the  territory  northwest  of  the  river 
Ohio,  subject  to  the  conditions  annexed  to  the  said  act  of  cession;  and  where- 
as, the  United  States,  in  Congress  assembled,  have  by  their  act  of  the  13th 
of  September  last,  stipulated  the  terms  on  which  they  agree  to  accept  the 
cession  of  this  state,  should  the  legislature  approve  thereof,  which  terms, 
although  they  do  not  come  fully  up  to  the  proposition  of  this  commonwealth, 
are  conceived  on  the  whole  to  approach  so  nearly  to  thera  as  to  induce  this 
state  to  accept  thereof,  in  full  confidence  that  Congress  will,  in  justice  to  this 
state,  for  the  liberal  cession  she  hath  made,  earnestly  press  upon  the  other 
states  claiming  large  tracts  of  waste  and  uncultivated  territory,  the  pro- 
priety of  making  cessions  equally  liberal  for  the  common  benefit  and  support 
of  the  Union ;  be  it  enacted  by  the  General  Assembly,  that  it  shall  and  may  be 
lawful  for  the  delegates  of  this  state  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States, 
or  such  of  them  as  shall  be  assembled  in  Congress,  and  the  said  delegates,  or 
such  of  them  so  assembled,  are  hereby  fully  authorized  and  empowered,  for 
and  on  behalf  of  this  state,  by  proper  deed  or  instruments  in  writing,  under 
their  hands  and  seals,  to  convey,  transfer,  assign  and  make  over  unto  the 
United  States  in  Congress  assembled,  for  the  benefit  of  the  said  states,  all 
right,  title  and  claim,  as  well  of  soil  as  jurisdiction,  which  this  commonwealth 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  79 

hath  to  the  territory  or  tract  of  country  within  the  Hmits  of  the  Virginia 
charter,  situate,  lying  and  being  to  the  northwest  of  the  river  Ohio,  and  sub- 
ject to  the  terms  and  conditions  contained  in  the  before  recited  act  of  Cong- 
ress of  the  13th  day  of  September  last;  that  is  to  say,  upon  condition  that  the 
territory  so  ceded  shall  be  laid  out  and  formed  into  states,  containing  a  suit- 
able extent  of  territory,  not  less  than  one  hundred  nor  more  than  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles  square,  or  as  near  thereto  as  circumstances  will  admit ; 
and  that  the  states  so  formed  shall  be  distinct  republican  states  and  admitted 
members  of  the  Federal  Union,  having  the  same  rights  of  sovereignty, 
freedom  and  independence  as  the  other  states ;  that  the  necessary  and  reason- 
able expenses  incurred  by  this  state  in  subduing  any  British  posts,  or  in 
maintaining  forts  or  garrisons  within,  and  fqr  the  defense  or  in  acquirng  any 
part  of  the  territory  so  ceded  or  relinquished,  shall  be  fully  reimbursed  by 
the  United  States;  and  that  one  commissioner  shall  be  appointed  by  Cong- 
ress, one  by  this  commonwealth,  and  another  by  those  two  commissioners, 
who,  or  a  majority  of  them,  shall  be  authorized  and  empowered  to  adjust 
and  liquidate  the  account  of  the  necessary  and  reasonable  expenses  incurred 
by  this  state,  which  they  shall  judge  to  be  comprised  within  the  intent  and 
meaning  of  the  act  of  Congress  of  the  loth  of  October,  1780,  respecting  such 
expenses;  that  the  French  and  Canadian  inhabitants,  and  the  other  settlers 
of  the  Kaskaskias,  St.  Vincent's  and  other  neighboring  villages,  who  have 
professed  themselves  citizens  of  Virginia,  shall  have  their  possessions  and 
titles  confirmed  to  them  and  be  protected  in  the  enjoyment  of  their  rights 
and  liberties ;  that  a  quantity,  not  exceeding  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
acres  of  land,  promised  by  this  state,  shall  be  allowed  and  granted  to  then 
Colonel,  now  General  George  Rogers  Clark,  and  to  the  officers  and  soldiers 
of  his  regiment  who  marched  with  him  when  the  posts  of  Kaskaskia  and  St. 
Vincent's  were  reduced,  and  to  the  officers  and  soldiers  that  have  been  since 
incorporated  into  the  said  regiment,  to  be  laid  off  in  one  tract,  the  length  of 
which  not  to  exceed  double  the  breadth,  in  such  place  on  the  northwest  side 
of  the  Ohio  as  a  majority  of  the  officers  shall  choose,  and  to  be  afterwards 
divided  among  the  said  officers  and  soldiers  in  due  proportion,  according  to 
the  laws  of  Virginia ;  that  in  case  the  quantity  of  good  lands  on  the  southeast 
side  of  the  Ohio,  upon  the  waters  of  the  Cumberland  river,  and  between  the 
Green  river  and  Tennessee  river,  which  have  been  reserved  by  law  for  the 
Virginia  troops  upon  continental  establishment,  should  from  the  North  Caro- 
lina line  bearing  in  further  upon  the  Cumberland  than  was  expected,  prove 
insufficient  for  their  legal  bounties,  the  deficiency  should  be  made  up  to  the 


8o  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA; 

said  troops  in  good  lands,  to  be  laid  off  between  the  rivers  Scioto  and  Little 
Miami,  on  the  northwest  side  of  the  river  Ohio,  in  such  proportions  as  have 
been  engaged  to  them  by  the  laws  of  Virginia;  that  all  the  lands  within  the 
territory  so  ceded  to  the  United  States,  and  not  reserved  for  or  appropriated 
to  any  of  the  before  mentioned  purposes,  or  disposed  of  in  bounties  to  the 
officers  and  soldiers  of  the  American  army,  shall  be  considered  as  a  common 
fund  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  such  of  the  United  States  as  have  become  or 
shall  become  members  of  the  confederation  or  federal  alliance  of  said  states, 
Virginia  inclusive,  according  to  their  ustial  respective  proportions  in  the 
general  charge  and  expenditure,  and  shall  be  faithfully  and  bona  fide  dis- 
posed of  for  that  purpose,  and  for  no  other  purpose  whatsoever;  Provided, 
that  the  trust  hereby  reposed  in  the  delegates  of  this  state  shall  not  be  exe- 
cuted, vmiess  three  of  them  at  least  are  present  in  Congress.' 

"And,  whereas,  the  said  General  Assembly,  by  their  resolution  of  June 
6,  1783,  had  constituted  us,  the  said  Thomas  Jefferson,  Samuel  Hardy', 
Arthur  Lee  and  James  Monroe,  delegates  to  represent  the  said  common' 
wealth  in  Congress  for  one  year  from  the  first  Monday  in  November  then 
next  following,  which  resolution  remains  in  full  force : 

"Now,  therefore,  know  ye  that  we,  the  said  Thomas  Jefferson,  Samuel  • 
Hardy,  Arthur  Lee  and  James  Monroe,  by  virtue  of  the  power  and  authority 
committed  to  us  by  the  act  of  the  said  General  Assembly  of  Virginia,  before 
recited,  and  in  the  name,  and  for  and  on  behalf  of  the  said  commonwealth, 
do  by  these  presents,  convey,  transfer,  assign  and  make  over  unto  the  United 
States,  in  Congress  assembled,  for  the  benefit  of  the  said  states,  Virginia  in- 
clusive, all  right,  title  and  claim,  as  well  of  soil  as  of  jurisdiction,  which  the 
said  commonwealth  hath  to  the  territory  or  tract  of  country  within  the  lirhits 
of  the  Virginia  charter,  situate,  lying  and  being  to  the  northwest  of  the  river 
Ohio,  to  and  for  the  uses  and  purposes,  and  on  the  conditions  of  this  said 
recited  act.  In  testimony  whereof  we  have  hereunto  subscribed  our  names 
and  affixed  our  seals  in  Congress,  the  first  day  of  March,  in  the  year-  of  Our 
Lord,  1784,  and  of  the  independence  of  the  United  States  the  eighth." 

New  York,  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut  finally  fell  into  line,  and 
although  Connecticut  held  for  a  long  time  to  a  claim  on  what  is  called  the 
Western  Reserve,  it  finally  surrendered  this  to  the  government  on  the  30th 
of  May,  1800.  The  plan  of  Jefferson  had  finally  won,  and  the  United  States 
had  control  over  the  Northwest  Territory,  having  all  claims  excepting  that  of 
the  Indians.  The  first  thing  to  do  was  to  establish  some  sort  of  government". 
The  British  had  governed  it  by  the  common  law  of"  England,,  and  the' French 


UUTI.IXJO   MAP   OF   ItAXDOLPH    COUNTY. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  8l 

had  had  scarcely  any  government  at  all.  At  first  Congress  provided  for  the 
formation  of  the  nevi^  territory  of  ten  states.  Smith,  in  his  history,  says: 
"The  region  west  of  Lake  Michigan  and  north  of  parallel  45  v^as  to  be  known 
as  the  state  of  Silvania ;  the  lower  peninsula  of  Michigan  north  of  parallel  43 
as  Chersonesus;  that  part  of  Wisconsin  between  parallels  43  and  45  as 
Michigania;  between  parallels  41  and  43  the  eastern  state  as  Metropotamia ; 
and  the  western  as  Assenisipia;  between  parallels  39  and  41,  the  eastern  as 
Saratoga  and  the  western  as  Illinois;  between  parallel  39  and  the  Ohio,  the 
eastern  state  as  Pelisipia  and  the  western  as  Polypotamia;  and  the  territory 
east  of  a  meridian  line  drawn  through  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Kanawha  as 
Washington.  By  this  proposition  Indiana  would  have  been  divided  among 
six  of  the  states.     No  action  was  ever  taken  on  this  report. 

From  the  time  of  cession  until  1787  there  had  been  no  organized  con- 
trol over  the  Northwestern  territory.  The  people  had  been  left  to  struggle 
along  as  best  they  could.  Several  companies  had  been  organized  in  the  east 
for  the  purpose  of  settling  and  colonizing  this  territory,  and  propositions  had 
been  made  to  Congress  for  the  purpose  of  large  tracts  of  land,  but  none  of 
them  had  ever  fully  materialized.  On  April  23,  1787,  a  committee  consist- 
ing of  Mr.  Johnson,  of  Connecticut;  Mr.  Pinckney,  of  South  Carolina;  Mr. 
Smith,  of  New  York;  Mr.  Dane,  of  Massachusetts;  and  Mr.  Henry,  of 
Maryland,  reported  an  ordinance  for  the  government  of  the  Western  terri- 
tory. It  was  discussed  from  time  to  time  and  greatly  amended.  Finally, 
on  the  13th  of  July,  it  passed  Congress.  This  great  ordinance  laid  the 
foundation  of  freedom  in  the  rich  states  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Michigan 
and  Wisconsin,  and  is  known  as  the  Ordinance  of  1787,  for  the  government 
and  control  of  the  Northwe.st  territory.  This  great  document  of  state  is  of 
such  great  importance  to  all  people,  that  even  a  history  of  so  small  a  portion 
of  this  great  territory  as  Randolph  county,  could  not  in  any  sense  be  complete 
without  a  definite  knowledge  of  what  this  ordinance  is.  It  lays  the  very 
foundation  of  our  government,  giving  us  our  rights  and  privileges,  and  de- 
fining our  relation  to  the  state.     It  is  as  follows : 

AN  ORDINANCE  FOR  THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  THE  TERRITORY  OF  THE  UNITED 
STATES    NORTHWEST    OF    THE    RIVER    OHIO. 

Be  it  ordained  by  the  United  States  in  Congress  assembled,  that  the  said 
Territory,  for  the  purposes  of  temporary  government,  .be  one  District ;  sub- 
ject, however,  to  be  divided  into  two  Districts,  as  future  circumstances  may, 
in  the  opinion  of  Congress,  make  it  expedient. 

(6) 


02  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Be  it  ordained  by  the  authority  aforesaid,  that  the  estates  both  of  resi- 
dent and  non-resident  proprietors  in  the  said  Territory,  dying  intestate  shall 
descend  to,  and  be  distributed  among  their  children,  and  the  descendants  of  a 
deceased  child,  in  equal  parts ;  the  descendants  of  a  deceased  child  or  grand- 
child to  take  the  share  of  their  deceased  parent  in  equal  parts  among  them; 
and  where  there  shall  be  no  children  or  descendants,  then  in  equal  parts  to  the 
next  kin,  in  equal  degree;  and  among  collaterals,  the  children  of  a  deceased 
brother  or  sister  of  the  intestate  shall  have,  in  equal  parts  among  them,  their 
deceased  parents'  share ;  and  there  shall,  in  no  case,  be  a  distinction  between 
kindred  of  the  whole  and  half  blood;  saving  in  all  cases  to  the  widow  of  the 
intestate,  her  third  part  of  the  real  estate  for  life,  and  one-third  part  of  the 
personal  estate;  and  this  law  relative  to  descents  and  dower,  shall  remain  in 
full  force,  until  altered  by  the  Legislature  of  the  District.  And  until  the 
Governor  and  Judges  shall  adopt  laws  as  hereinafter  mentioned,  estate  in  the 
said  Territory  may  be  devised  or  bequeathed  by  wills  in  writing,,  signed  and 
sealed  by  him  or  her,  in  whom  the  estate  may  be  ("being  of  full  age),  and  at- 
tested by  three  witnesses;  and  real  estates  may  be  conveyed  by  lease  and  re- 
lease, or  bargain  and  sale,  signed,  sealed  and  delivered,  by  the  person,  being 
of  full  age,  in  whom  the  estate  may  be,  and  attested  by  two  witnesses,  pro- 
vided such  wills  be  duly  proved,  and  such  conveyances  be  acknowledged,  or 
the  execution  thereof  duly  proved,  and  be  recorded  within  one  year  after 
proper  magistrates,  courts  and  registers,  shall  be  appointed  for  that  purpose; 
and  personal  property  may  be  transferred  by  delivery;  saving,  however,  to  the 
French  and  Canadian  inhabitants,  and  other  settlers  of  the  Kaskaskies,  Saint 
Vincents,  and  the  neighboring  villages,  who  have  heretofore  possessed  them- 
selves citizens  of  Virginia,  their  laws  and  customs  now  in  force  among  them, 
relative  to  the  descent  and  conveyance  of  property. 

Be  it  ordained  by  the  authority  aforesaid.  That  there  shall  be  appointed, 
from  time  to  time,  by  Congress,  a  Governor  whose  commission  shall  continue 
in  force  for  the  term  of  three  years,  unless  sooner  revoked  by  Congress :  he 
shall  reside  in  the  District,  and  have  a  freehold  estate  therein,  in  one  thousand 
acres  of  land,  while  in  the  exercise  of  his  office. 

There  shall  be  appointed,  from  time  to  time,  by  Congress,  a  Secretary, 
whose  commission  shall  continue  in  force  for  four  years,  unless  sooner  re- 
^'oked;  he  shall  reside  in  the  district,  and  have  a  freehold  estate  therein,  in 
five  hundred  acres  of  land,  while  in  the  exercise  of  his  office;  it  shall  be  his 
duty  to  keep  and  preserve  the  acts  and  laws  passed  by  the  Legislature,  and  the 
public  records  of  the  District,  and  the  proceedings  of  the  Governor  in  his 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  83 

executive  department ;  and  transmit  authentic  copies  of  such  acts  and  proceed- 
ings, every  six  months  to  the  Secretary  of  Congress :  There  shall  also  be 
appointed  a  Court,  to  consist  of  three  judges,  any  two  of  whom  to  form  a 
court,  who  shall  have  a  common  law  jurisdiction,  and  reside  in  the  District,' 
and  have  each  therein  a  freehold  estate,  in  five  hundred  acres  of  land,  while 
in  the  exercise  of  their  offices;  and  their  commissions  shall  continue  in  force 
during  good  behavior. 

The  Governor  and  Judges,  or  a  majority  of  them,  shall  adopt  and  pub- 
lish in  the  District,  suchJaws  of  the  original  States,  criminal  and  civil,  as  may 
be  necessary,  and  best  suited  to  the  circumstances  of  the  District,  and  report 
them  to  Congress,  from  time  to  time ;  which  laws  shall  be  in  force  in  the  Dis- 
trict until  the  organization  of  the  General  Assembly  therein,  unless  disap- 
proved of  by  Congress;  but  afterwards  the  Legislature  shall  have  authority 
to  alter  them  as  they  shall  think  fit. 

The  Governor  for  the  time  being  shall  be  Commander-in-chief  of  the 
militia,  appoint  and  commission  all  officers  in  same,  below  the  rank  of  gen- 
eral officers;  all  general  officers  shall  be  appointed  and  commissioned  by 
Congress. 

Previous  to  the  organization  of  the  General  Assembly  the  Governor  shall 
appoint  such  magistrates  and  other  civil  officers,  in  each  county  or  township, 
as  he  shall  find  necessary  for  the  preservation  of  the  peace  and  good  order  in 
the  same.  After  the  General  Assembly  shall  be  organized,  the  powers  and 
duties  of  magistrates  and  other  civil  officers  shall  be  regulated  and  defined  by 
the  said  assembly ;  but  all  magistrates  and  other  civil  officers  not  herein  other- 
wise directed,  shall,  during  the  continuance  of  this  temporary  government, 
'  be  appointed  by  the  Governor. 

For  the  prevention  of  crimes  and  injuries,  the  laws  to  be  adopted  or 
made  shall  have  force  in  all  parts  of  the  District,  and  for  the  execution  of 
process,  criminal  and  civil,  the  Governor  shall  make  proper  divisions  thereof ; 
and  he  shall  proceed  from  time  to  time,  as  circumstances  may  require,  to  lay 
out  the  parts  of  the  District  in  which  the  Indian  titles  shall  have  been  extin- 
guished, into  counties  and  townships,  subject,  however,  to  such  alterations  as 
may  thereafter  be  made  by  the  Legislature. 

So  soon  as  there  shall  be  five  thousand  free  male  inhabitants,  of  full  age, 
in  the  District,  upon  giving  proof  thereof  to  the  Governor,  they  shall  receive 
authority,  with  time  and  place,  to  elect  representatives  from  their  counties  or 
townships,  to  represent  them  in  the  General  Assembly;  provided  that,  for 
every  five  hundred  free  male  inhabitants,  there  shall  be  one  representative,  and 


84  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

SO  on,  progressively,  with  the  number  of  free  male  inhabitants,  shall  the  right 
of  representation  increase,  tmtil  the  amount  of  representatives  shall  amount 
to  twenty-five;  after  which  the  number  and  proportion  of  Representatives 
shall  be  regulated  by  Legislature;  provided,  that  no  person  be  eligible  or 
qualified,  to  act  as  a  Representative,  unless  he  shall  have  been  a  citizen  of  one 
of  the  United  States  three  years,  and  be  a  resident  in  the  District,  or  unless, 
he  shall  have  resided  in  the  District  three  years,  and  in  either  case,  shall  like- 
wise hold  in  his  own  right,  in  fee  simple,  two  hundred  acres  of  land  within 
the  same;  provided,  also,  that  a  freehold  in  fifty  acres  of  land  in  the  District, 
having  been  a  citizen  of  one  of  the  States,  and  being  resident  in  the  District, 
or  the  like  freehold  and  two  years'  residence  in  the  District,  shall  be  neces- 
sary to  qualify  a  man  as  an  elector  of  a  Representative. 

The  Representatives,  thus  elected,  shall  serve  for  the  term  of  two  years ; 
and  in  case  of  the  death  of  a  Representative,  or  removal  from  office,  the  Gov- 
ernor shall  issue  a  writ  to  the  county  or  township  for  which  he  was  a  mem- 
ber, to  elect  another  in  his  stead,  to  serve  for  the  residue  of  the  term. 

"The  General  Assembly  or  Legislature,  shall  consist  of  the  Governor, 
Legislative  Council,  and  a  House  of  Representatives.  The  Legislative  Coun- 
cil shall  consist  of  five  members,  to  continue  in  office  five  years,  unless  sooner 
removed  by  Congress;  any  three  of  whom  to  be  a  quorum;  and, the  member  of 
the  Council  shall  be  nominated  and  appointed  in  the  following  manner,  to 
wit :  As  soon  as  Representatives  shall  be  elected,  the  Governor  shall  appoint 
a  time  and  place  for  them  to  meet  together,  and  when  met,  they  shall  nomi- 
nate ten  persons,  residents  in  the  District,  and  each  possessed  of  a  freehold 
in  five  hundred  acres  of  land,  and  return  their  names  to  Congress;  five  of 
whom  Congress  shall  appoint  and  commission  to  serve  as  aforesaid :  and 
whenever  a  vacancy  shall  happen  in  the  Council,  by  death  or  removal  from 
office,  the  House  of  Representatives  shall  nominate  two  persons,  qualified  as 
aforesaid,  for  each  vacancy,  and  return  their  names  to  Congress ;  one  of  whom 
Congress  shall  appoint  and  commission  for  the  residue  of  the  term :  And 
every  five  years,  four  months  at  least  before  the  expiration  of  the  time  of 
service  of  the  members  of  council,  the  said  House  shall  nominate  ten  persons, 
qualified  as  aforesaid,  and  return  their  names  to  Congress;  five  of  whom 
Congress  shall  appoint  and  commission  to  serve  as  members  of  the  Council 
five  years,  unless  sooner  removed.  And  the  Governor,  Legislative  Council, 
and  House  of  Representatives,  shall  have  authority  to  make  laws,  in  all  cases 
for  the  good  government  of  the  District,  not  repugnant  to  the  principles  and 
articles  in  this  ordinance  established  and  declared.  And  all  bills,  having 
passed  by  a  majority  in  the  House,  and  by  a  majority  in  the  Council,  shall 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  S$ 

be  referred  to  the  Governor  for  his  assent;  but  no  bill  or  legislative  act 
whatever,  shall  be  of  any  force  without  his  assent.  The  Governor  shall 
have  power  to  convene,  prorogue,  and  dissolve,  the  General  Assembly,  M^hen, 
in  his  opinion,  it  shall  be  expedient. 

The  Governor,  Judges,  Legislative  Council,  Secretary,  and  such  other 
offices  as  Congress  shall  appoint  in  the  District,  shall  take  an  oath  or  affirma- 
tion of  fidelity,  and  of  office;  the  Governor  before  the  President  of  Con- 
gress, and  all  other  officers  before  the  Governor.  As  soon  as  a  Legislature 
shall  be  formed  in  the  District,  the  Council  and  House  assembled,  in  one 
room,  shall  have  authority,  by  joint  ballot,  to  elect  a  delegate  to  Congress,- 
who  shall  have  a  seat  in  Congress,  with  a  right  of  debating,  but  not  of  voting 
during  this  temporary  government. 

And  for  extending  the  fundamental  principles  of  civil  and  religious 
liberty,  which  form  the  basis  whereon  these  republics,  their  laws  and  con- 
stitutions, are  erected;  to  fix  and  establish  those  principles  as  the  basis  of  all 
laws,  constitutions  and  governments,  which  forever  hereafter  shall  be  formed 
in  said  territory;  to  provide  also  for  the  establishment  of  states,  and  perma- 
nent government  therein,  and  for  their  admission  to  a  share  in  the  Federal 
councils  on  an  equal  footing  with  the  original  states,  at  as  early  periods  as 
may  be  consistent  with  the  general  interest. 

It  is  hereby  ordained  and  declared,  by  the  authority  aforesaid.  That  the 
following  articles  shall  be  considered  as  articles  of  compact,  between  the 
original  states  and  the  people  and  states  in  the  said  territory,  and  forever 
remain  unalterable,  unless  by  common  consent,  to-wit : 

Art.  I.  No  person,  meaning  himself  in  a  peaceable  and  orderly  manner, 
shall  ever  be  molested  on  account  of  his  mode  of  worship  or  religious  senti- 
ments, in  the  said  territory. 

Art.  2.  The  inhabitants  of  the  said  territory  shall  always  be  entitled  to 
the  benefits  of  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  and  of  the  trial  by  jury";  of  a  pro- 
portionate representation  of  the  people  in  the  Legislature,  and  of  judicial  pro- 
ceedings according  to  the  course  of  the  common  law.  All  persons  shall  be 
bailable,  unless  for  capital  offenses,  where  the  proof  shall  be  evident,  or  the 
presumption  great.  All  fines  shall  be  moderate;  and  no  cruel  or  unusual 
punishment  shall  be  inflicted.  No  man  shall  be  deprived  of  his  liberty  or 
property,  but  by  the  judgment  of  his  peers,  or  the  law  6-f' the  land,  and  should 
the  public  exigencies  make  it  necessary,  for  the  common  preservation,  to  take 
any  person's  property,  or  to  demand  his  particular  services,  full  compensation 
shall  be  made  for  the  same.     And,  in  the  just  preservation  of  "rights  and 


86  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

property,  it  is  understood  and  declared,  that  no  law  ought  ever  to  be  made, 
or  have  force  in  the  said  territory,  that  shall,  in  any  manner  whatever,  inter- 
fere with,  or  affect,  private  contracts  or  engagements,  bona  fide,  and  without 
fraud,  previously  formed. 

Art.  3.  Religion,  morality,  and  knowledge,  being  necessary  to  good 
government  and  the  happiness  of  mankind,  schools  and  the  means  of  educa- 
tion shall  forever  be  encouraged.  The  utmost  faith  shall  always  be  observed 
towards  the  Indians ;  their  lands  and  property  shall  never  be  taken  from  them 
without  their  consent;  and  in  their  property,  rights  and  liberty,  they  never 
shall  be  invaded  or  disturbed,  unless  in  just  and  lawful  wars  authorized  by 
Congress ;  but  laws  founded  in  justice  and  humanity  shall,  from  time  to  time, 
be  made  for  preventing  wrongs  being  done  them,  and  for  preserving  peace 
and  friendship  with  them. 

Art.  4.  The  said  territory  and  the  states  which  may  be  formed  therein 
shall  forever  remain  a  part  of  this  Confederacy  of  the  United  States  of 
America,  subject  to  the  Articles  of  Confederation,  and  to  such  alterations 
therein  as  shall  be  constitutionally  made;  and  to  all  the  acts  and  ordinances  of 
the  United  States  in  Congress  assembled,  conformable  thereto.  The  in- 
habitants and  settlers  in  the  said  territory  shall  be  subject  to  pay  a  part  of  the 
Federal  debts,  contracted  or  to  be  contracted,  and  a  proportional  part  of  the 
expenses  of  government,  to  be  apportioned  on  them  by  Congress;  according  to 
the  same  common  rule  and  measure  by  which  apportionments  thereof  shall 
be  made  on  the  other  states;  and  the  taxes  for  paying  their  proportion  shall 
be  laid  and  levied  by  the  authority  and  direction  of  the  legislatures  of  the 
district  or  districts,  or  new  states,  as  in  the  original  states  within  the  time 
agreed  upon  by  the  United  States  in  Congress  assembled.  The  legislatures 
of  those  districts,  or  new  states,  shall  never  interfere  with  the  primary  dis- 
posal of  the  soil  by  the  United  States  in  Congress  assembled,  nor  with  any 
regulations  Congress  may  find  necessary  for  securing  the  title  in  such  soil 
to  the  bona  fide  purchasers.  No  tax  shall  be  imposed  on  lands  the  property 
of  the  United  States;  and  in  no  case  shall  non-resident  proprietors  be  taxed 
liigher  than  residents.  The  navigable  waters  leading  into  the  Mississippi 
and  St.  Lawrence,  and  the  carrying  places  between  the  same,  shall  be  common - 
highways  and  forever  free,  as  well  to  the  inhabitants  of  said  territory  as  to 
the  citizens  of  the  United  States  and  those  of  any  other  states  that  may  be 
admitted  into  the  Confederacy,  without  any  tax,  impost,  or  duty  therefor. 

Art.  5.  There  shall  be  formed  in  the  said  territory,  not  less  than  three, 
nor  more  than  five  states;  and  the  boundaries  of  the  states,  as  soon  as  Vir- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  87 

ginia  shall  alter  her  act  of  cession,  and  consent  to  the  same,  shall  become  fixed 
and  established  as  follows,  to-wit:  The  western  state  in  the  said  territory 
shall  be  bounded  by  the  Mississippi,  the  Ohio  and  Wabash  rivers;  a  direct 
line  drawn  from  the  Wabash  and  Post  Vincents,  due  north,  to  the  territorial 
line  between  the  United  States  and  Canada;  and  by  the  said  territorial  line 
to  the  lake  of  the  woods  and  Mississippi.  The  middle  states  shall  be  bounded 
by  the  said  direct  line,  the  Wabash,  from  Post  Vincents  to  the  Ohio,  by  the 
Ohio  by  a  direct  line  drawn  due  north  from  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami  to 
the  said  territorial  line  and  by  the  said  territorial  line.  The  eastern  state 
shall  be  bounded  by  the  last  mentioned  direct  line,  the  Ohio,  Pennsylvania 
and  the  said  territorial  line;  provided,  however,  and  it  is  further  understood 
and  declared,  that  the  boundaries  of  these  three  states  shall  be  siibject  so  far 
to  be  altered,  that,  if  Congress  shall  hereafter  find  it  expedient,  they  shall 
have  authority  to  form  one  or  two  states  in  that  part  of  the  said  territory 
which  lies  north  of  an  east  and  west  line  drawn  through  the  southerly  bend 
or  extreme  of  lake  Michigan.  And  whenever  any  of  the  said  states  shall  have 
sixty  thousand  free  inhabitants  therein,  such  state  shall  be  admitted,  by  its 
delegates,  into  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  on  an  equal  footing  with 
the  original  states,  in  all  respects  whatever;  and  shall  be  at  liberty  to  form  a 
permanent  constitution  and  state  government;  provided,  the  constitution  and 
government,  so  to  be  formed,  shall  be  republican  and  in  conformity  to  the 
principles  contained  in  these  articles;  and  so  far  as  it  can  be  consistent  with 
the  general  interest  of  the  Confederacy,  such  admission  shall  be  allowed  at 
an  earlier  period,  and  when  there  may  be  a  less  number  of  free  inhabitants  in 
the  state  than  sixty  thousand. 

Art.  6.  There  shall  be  neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude  in  the 
said  territory,  otherwise  than  in  the  punishment  of  crimes,  whereof  the  party 
shall  have  been  duly  convicted;  provided,  always,  that  any  person  escaping 
into  the  same,  from  whom  labor  or  service  is  lawfully  claimed  in  any  one  of 
the  original  states,  such  fugitive  may  be  lawfully  reclaimed  and  conveyed  to 
the  person  claiming  his  or  her  labor  or  service  as  aforesaid. 

Be  it  ordained  by  the  authority  aforesaid,  that  the  resolutions  of  the 
23d  of  April,  1784,  relative  to  the  subject  of  this  ordinance,  be,  and  the  same 
are  hereby  repealed  and  declared  null  and  void. 

Government  became  a  great  necessity  in  this  new  territory.  The  Indians 
were  committing  all  sorts  of  depredations  and  were  not  held  in  any  restraint 
whatever,  by  what  few  authorities  were  there.  In  fact  the  same  legislative 
bodies  that  passed  the  Ordinance  of  1787  for  the  government  of  the  North- 


OO  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

west  territory,  of  the  13th  of  July,  1787,  also  passed  on  the  21st  of  July  the 
following  resolution: 

"Resolved,  That  the  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs  for  the  northern 
department,  and  in  case  he  be  unable  to  attend,  then  Col.  Josiah  Harmar,  im- 
mediately proceed  to  Post  Vincennes,  or  some  other  place  more  convenient, 
in  his  opinion,  for  holding  a  treaty  with  the  Wabash  Indians,  the  Shawnees, 
and  other  hostile  tribes;  that  he  inform  those  Indians  that  Congress  is  sin- 
cerely disposed  to  promote  peace  and  frfendship  between  their  citizens  and 
the  Indians;  that  to  this  end  he  is  sent  to  invite  them,  in  a  friendly  manner, 
to  a  treaty  with  the  United  States,  to  hear  their  complaints,  to  know  the  truth, 
and  the  causes  of  their  quarrels  with  those  frontier  settlers ;  and  having  in- 
vited those  Indians  to  the  treaty,  he  shall  make  strict  inquiry  into  the  causes 
of  their  uneasiness  and  hostile  proceedings,  and  form  a  treaty  of  peace  with 
them,  if  it  can  be  done  on  terms  consistent  with  the  honor  and  dignity  of  the 
United  States." 

Nor  were  the  Indian  troubles  the  only  troubles  of  the  United  States  at 
this  tirne.  The  term  of  the  enlisted  soldiers  was  rapidly  nearing  an  end,  and 
this  led  Congress  on  the  3d  of  October,  1787,  to  pass  another  resolution  as 
follows : 

"Whereas,  the  time  for  which  the  greater  part  of  the  troops  on  the  fron- 
tiers are  engaged,  will  expire  in  the  course  of  the  ensuing  year, 

"Resolved,  That  the  interests  of  the  United  States  require  that  a  corps 
of  seven  hundred  troops  should  be  stationed  on  the  frontiers  to  protect  the 
settlers  on  the  public  lands  from  the  depredations  of  the  Indians,  to  facilitate 
the  surveying  and  selling  the  said  lands,  in  order  to  reduce  the  public  debt, 
and  to  prevent  all  unwarrantable  intrusions  thereon." 

The  Indian  question  was  made  all  the  more  difficult  to  handle  by  a  dis- 
sension among  those  in  authority  at  W^ashington.  This  is  indicated  by  a  letter 
written  December  14,  1786,  from  John  Jay  to  Thomas  Jefferson,  which  reads 
as  follows : 

"In  my  opinion  our  Indian  affairs  have  been  ill  managed.  Indians  have 
been  murdered  by  our  people  in  cold  blood  and  no  satisfaction  given;  nor  are 
they  (the  Indians)  pleased  with  the  avidity  with  which  we  seek  to  acquire 
their  lands." 

It  will  be  noticed  that  neither  Jay  nor  Jefferson  had  ever  come  in  direct 
contact  with  the  Indians  or  with  the  Indian  question,  and  balancing  against 
their  opinion,  were  the  opinions  to  the  contrary  of  those  who  had  come  in 
contract  with  the  Indians  in  their  own  habitat.     Such  men  as  Washington, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  89 

St.  Clair,  Clark  and  Wayne  were  as  strong  in  their  opinions  in  favor  of  the 
way  the  Indians  were  being  treated,  as  were  the  opposition.  Congress  evi- 
dently held  to  the  opinion  of  these  men,  as  on  the  5th  of  October,  1787,  it 
appointed  Arthur  St.  Clair  as  the  governor  of  the  new  territory. 

St.  Clair  was  a  soldier,  having  served  in  the  British  army  during  the 
French  war,  and  in  the  American  forces  in  the  Revolutionary  war  with  great 
distinction.  Congress  evidently  felt  that  he  would  be  severe  with  the  Indians, 
as  he  was  instructed  not  to  neglect  any  opportunity  that  might  offer  of  ex- 
tinguishing the  Indian  right  to  land  as  far  west  as  the  Mississippi  river,  and 
as  far  northward  as  the  completion  of  the  forty-first  degree  of  north  latitude. 
He  was  also  instructed  to  use  every,  effort  to  affiliate  the  various  Indian  tribes. 
He  established  his  seated  government  at  Marietta  on  the  Ohio  river.  He  had 
a  general  court  composed  of  three  men.  That  he  and  these  men  understood 
the  conditions  under  which  they  labored  is  shown  by  the  position  that  they 
established  in  their  government,  which  was  as  follows : 

"Whereas,  idle,  vain  and  obscene  conversation,  profane  cursing  and 
swearing",  and  more  especially  the  irreverently  mentioning,  calling  upon,  or 
invoking  the  Sacred  and  Supreme  Being,  by  any  of  the  divine  characters  in 
which  He  has  graciously  condescended  to  reveal  His  infinitely  beneficent  pur- 
poses to  mankind,  are  repugnant  to  every  moral  sentiment,  subversive  of 
every  civil  obligation,  inconsistent  with  the  ornaments  of  polished  life  and 
abhorent  to  the  principles  of  the  most  benevolent  religion.  It  is  expected, 
therefore,  if  crimes  of  this  kind  should  exist,  they  will  not  find  encourage- 
ment, countenance  or  approbation  in  this  territory." 

"Whereas,  mankind  in  every  stage  of  informed  society,  has  consecrated 
certain  portions  of  time  to  the  particular  cultivation  of  the  social  virtues,  and 
the  public  adoration  and  worship  of  the  common  Parent  of  the  Universe ;  and 
whereas,  as  a  practice  so  rational  in  itself  and  conformable  to  the  divine  pre- 
cepts is  greatly  conducive  to  civilization  as  well  as  morality  and  piety;  and 
whereas,  for  the  advancement  of  such  important  and  interesting  purposes, 
most  of  the  Christian  world  have  set  apart  the  first  day  of  the  week  as  a  day 
of  rest  from  common  labors  and  pursuits;  it  is  therefore  enjoined  that  all 
servile  labor,  works  of  necessity  and  charity  only  excepted,  be  wholly  ab- 
stained from  on  said  day." 

Thus  it  is  seen  that  while  St.  Clair  was  stern  in  every  particular  yet  he 
hoped  to  govern  with  kindness.  This  in  view,  he  attempted  a  compromise  or 
treaty  with  a  number  of  the  Indians  of  the  Six  Nations,  but  the  Wyandot, 
Delaware,   Ottawa,   Chippewa,   Potawatamie  and   Sac  tribes   refused  to  be 


go  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

bound  by  his  treaties  and  entreaties,  and  soon  began  depredations  against  the 
people  of  Virginia  and  Kentucky. 

Three  expeditions  under  Harmar,  Scott  and  Wilkinson  had  been  sent 
against  the  Indians  and  had  been  unsuccessful,  especially  against  the  tribes 
of  the  Miamis  and  Shawnees.  Their  people  had  been  killed,  their  villages  had 
been  destroyed,  their  children  and  women  had  been  taken  into  captivity.  This, 
however,  did  not  subdue  the  Indians,  and  St.  Clair  found  it  necessary  to  form 
an  expedition  himself  to  go  against  them.  •  British  agents  were  making  it  all 
the  worse,  because  they  were  secretly  helping  the  Indians  at  every  oppor- 
tunity. This  was  especially  true  of  the  agents,  Simon  Girty,  Alexander 
McKee  and  Matthew  Eliott,  who  were  subordinate  agents  in  the  British 
Indian  department.  It  must  be  remembered  that  Great  Britain  still  had  forts 
along  the  Niagara  and  Detroit  rivers,  which  they  maintained  in  defiance  of 
their  treaty  of  peace  of  1783.  Ha-d  it  not  have  been  for  the  secret  help  of 
the  British  agents,  the  United  States  might  have  had  no  difficulty  in  handling 
the  Indians  and  holding  them  to  their  treaty.  But  the  British  were  jealous 
of  the  power  of  the  United  States,  and  were  anxious  for  the  profitable  fur 
trade  which  they  were  carrying  on  in  this  territory.  St.  Clair,  however,  was 
not  to  be  discouraged  and  on  the  28th  of  March,  1791,  he  left  the  city  of 
Philadelphia  and  proceeded  to  Pittsburg.  From  Pittsburg  he  went  to  Lex- 
ington and  from  Lexington  to  Fort  Washington,  where  Cincinnati  now  is, 
where  he  arrived  on  the  15th  of  May.  During  the  first  part  of  the  month 
of  September,  in  1791,  General  Butler  in  command  of  the  major  part  of  the 
army,  who  from  Ludlow's  Station  near  Fort  Washington,  had  marched  about 
twenty-five  miles  north  where  he  built  a  fort  called  Fort  Hamilton.  As  soon 
as  this  fort  was  finished,  he  continued  his  march  toward  the  Miami  village  to 
a  point  about  forty-two  miles  north  of  Fort  Hamilton,  where  he  built  Fort 
Jefferson.  Fort  Jefferson  is  just  a  little  south  of  where  Greenville.  Ohio, 
now  is. 

Having  completed  Fort  Jefferson,  they  pushed  on  further  to  the  north. 
Hard  rains  had  been  falling  for  several  days  and  this  turning  to  snow,  made 
the  soldiers  very  uncomfortable.  The  roads,  if  such  they  might  be  called, 
were  very  bad,  indeed.  In  fact  they  were  frequently  stopped  on  account  of 
the  road-cutter  not  being  able  to  keep  ahead  of  the  army,  slow  as  it  may 
travel.  On  the  30th  of  October,  they  made  but  seven  miles,  although  they 
traveled  all  day  and  left  a  portion  of  their  equipment  behind.  Provisions 
were  short.  The  quartermaster's  department  was  not  adequate.  The  militia 
was  very  much  dissatisfied  and  sixty  of  them  deserted  on  the  31st.     It  was 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  9 1 

reported  that  half  of  them  had  gone  but  this  was  a  mistake.  St.  Clair  sent  a 
convoy  of  soldiers  in  pursuit  of  them  with  orders  to  Major  Hamtramck,  to 
send  a  sufficient  guard  back  with  Benham,  and  to  follow  the  militia  about 
twenty-five  miles  below  Fort  Jefferson,  or  until  he  met  the  second  convoy  and 
then  return  and  join  the  army.  Only  a  few  Indians  were  reported  as  having 
been  seen.  In  fact  they  lament,  that  in  one  day,  they  saw  five  and  allowed 
them  to  get  away.  This  was  not  due  to  the  fact  that  Indians  were  not  around 
in  plenty,  but  rather  to  the  fact  that  the  Indians  were  more  skilled  and  cun- 
ning than  the  white  men  in  the  arts  of  Indian  warfare.  At  this  time  the 
Little  Turtle,  Blue-jacket,  Buck-ong-a-he-lax  and  other  Indian  chiefs  of  less 
distinction,  were  lined  a  few  miles  distant  from  St.  Clair's  army  with  about 
twelve  hundred  warriors,  awaiting  a  favorable  moment  to  begin  an  attack. 
Simon  Girty,  the  British  agent  to  whom  we  have  referred  to  before,  was  an 
active  agent  among  the  Indians.  The  campaign  of  St.  Clair  was  so  disastrous, 
not  only  in  its  immediate  but  in  its  far  reaching  ef¥ect,  and  has  such  great 
bearing  upon  the  attitude  of  the  settlers  in  Randolph  county  years  later,  that 
we  shall  give  his  correspondence  in  full. 

In  a  letter,  dated  "Fort  Washington,  November  9,  1791,"  and  addressed 
to  the  secretary  of  war.  Governor  St.  Clair  said  :  "At  this  place  (the  ground 
on  which  the  army  was  encamped  on  the  evening  of  the  3d  of  November), 
which  I  judged  to  be  about  fifteen  miles  from  the  Miami  village,  I  determined 
to  throw  up  a  slight  work,  the  plan  of  which  was  concerted  that  evening  with 
Major  Ferguson,  wherein  to  have  deposited  the  men's  knapsacks,  and  every- 
thing else  that  was  not  of  absolute  necessity,  and  to  have  moved  on  to  attack 
the  enemy  as  soon  as  the  first  regiment  was  come  up.  But  they  did  not 
permit  me  to  execute  either,  for  on  the  4th,  about  half  an  hour  before  sun- 
rise, and  when  the  men  had  been  just  dismissed  from  parade  (for  it  was  a 
constant  practice  to  have  them  all  under  arms  a  considerable  time  before  day- 
light), an  attack  was  made  upon  the  militia.  Those  gave  way  in  a  very 
little  time  and  rushed  into  camp  through  Major  Butler's  battalion  (which 
together  with  a  part  of  Clarke's,  they  threw  into  considerable  disorder,  and 
which,  notwithstanding  the  exertions  of  both  those  officers,  was  never  alto- 
gether remedied),  the  Indians  following  close  at  their  heels.  The  fire,  how- 
ever, of  the  front  line  checked  them,  but  almost  instantly  a  very  heavy  fire 
began  upon  that  line  and  in  a  few  minutes  it  was  extended  to  the  second 
likewise.  The  great  weight  of  it  was  directed  against  the  center  of  each, 
where  the  artillery  was  placed,  and  from  which  the  men  were  repeatedly 
driven  with  great  slaughter.     Finding  no  great  effect  from  our  fire,  and  con- 


92  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  - 

fusion  beginning  to  spread  from  the  great  number  of  men  who  were  falling  in 
all  quarters,  it  became  necessary  to  try  what  could  be  done  by  the  bayonet. 
Lieutenant-colonel  Darke  was  accordingly  ordered  to  make  a  charge  with  part 
of  the  second  line  and  to  turn  the  left  flank  of  the  enemy.  This  was  executed 
with  great  spirit.  The  Indians  instantly  gave  way  and  were  driven  back 
three  or  four  hundred  yards,  but  for  want  of  a  sufficient  number  of  riflemen 
to  pursue  this  advantage,  they  soon  returned  and  the  troops  were  obliged  to 
give  back  in  their  turn.  At  this  moment  they  had  entered  our  camp  by  the 
left  flank,  having  pushed  back  the  troops  that  were  posted  there.  Another 
charge  was  made  here  by  the  second  regiment,  Butler's  and  Clarke's  battalions, 
with  equal  effect,  and  it  was  repeated  several  times  and  always  with  success, 
but  in  all  of  them  many  men  were  lost  and  particularly  the  officers,  which, 
with  so  raw  troops,  was  a  loss  altogether  irremediajDle.  In  that  I  just  spoke 
of,  made  by  the  second  regiment  and  Butler's  battalion,  Major  Butler  was 
dangerously  wounded  and  every  officer  of  the-  second  regiment  fell  except 
three,  one  of  which,  Mr.  Greaton,  was  shot  through  the  body. 

"Our  artillery  being  now  silenced,  and  all  the  officers  killed  except 
Captain  Ford,  who  was  very  badly  wounded,  and  more  than  half  of  the  army 
fallen,  being  cut  off  from  the  road,  it  became  necessary  to  attempt  the  regain- 
ing of  it  and  to  make  a  retreat,  if  possible.  To  this  purpose  the  remains 
of-the  army  was  formed,  as  well  as  circumstances  would  permit,  toward  the 
right  of  the  encampment,  from  which,  by  the  way  of  the  second  line,  another 
charge  was  made  upon  the  enemy  as  if  with  the  design  to  turn  their  right 
flank,  but  in  fact,  to  gain  the  road.  This  was  effected  and  as  soon  as  it  was 
open,  the  militia  took  along  it  followed  by  the  troops.  Major  Clark  with 
his  battalion  covering  the  rear. 

"The  retreat,  in  those  circumstances,  was,  you  may  be  sure,  a  very 
precipitate  one.  It  was,  in  fact,  a  flight.  The  camp  and  artillery  were 
abandoned,  but  that  was  unavoidable,  for  not  a  horse  was  left  alive  to  have 
drawn  it  off  had  it  otherwise  been  practicable.  But  the  most  disgraceful 
part  of  the  business  is,  that  the  greatest  part  of  the  men  threw  away  their 
arms  and  ;accoutemients,  even  after  the  pursuit,  which  continued  about  four 
miles,  had  ceased.  I  found  the  road  strewed  with  them  for  many  miles, 
but  was  not  able  to  remedy  it,  for,  having  had  all  my  horses  killed  and  being 
mounted  upon  one  that  could  not  be  pricked  out  of  a  walk,  I  could  not  get 
foi'ward  myself  and  the  orders  I  sent  forward  either  to  halt  the  front  or  to 
prevent  the  men  from  parting  with  their  arms,  were  unattended  to.     The 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  93 

route  continued  quite  to  Fort  Jefferson,  twenty-nine  miles,  which  was  reached 
a  little  after  sunset. 

"The  action  began  about  half  an  hour  before  sunrise  and  the  retreat  was 
attempted  at  half  an  hour  after  nine  o'clock.  I  have  not  yet  been  able  to  get 
returns  of  the  killed  and  wounded,  but  Major-general  Butler,  Lieutenant- 
colonel  Oldham  of  the  militia,  Major  Ferguson,  Major  Hart  and  Major 
Clarke  are  among  the  former.  Colonel  Sargent,  my  adjutant-general,  Lieu- 
tenant-colonel Darke,  Lieutenant-colonel  Gibson,  Major  Butler  and  the  Vis- 
count Malartie,  who  served  me  as  an  aid-de-camp,  are  among  the  latter  and 
a  great  number  of  captains  and  subalterns  in  both. 

"I  have  now,  sir,  finished  my  melancholy  tale — a  tale  that  will  be  felt 
sensibly  by  every  one  that  has  sympathy  for  private  distress  or  for  public 
misfortune.  I  have  nothing,  sir,  to  lay  to  the  charge  of  the  troops,  but  their 
want  of  discipline,  which,  from  the  short  time  they  had  been  in  service,  it 
was  impossible  they  should  have  acquired  and  which  rendered  it  very  difficult 
when  they  were  thrown  into  confusion  to  reduce  them  again  to  order,  and  is 
one  reason  why  the  loss  has  fallen  so  heavy  on  the  officers,  who  did  every- 
thing in  their  power  to  effect  it.  Neither  were  my  own  exertions  wanting, 
but,  worn  down  with  illness  and  suffering  under  a  painful  disease,  unable 
either  to  mount  or  dismount  a  horse  without  assistance,  they  were  not  so  great 
as  they  otherwise  would,  and  perhaps  ought  to  have  been.  We  were  over- 
powered by  numbers  but  it  is  no  more  than  justice  to  observe,  that,  though 
composed  of  so  many  different  species  of  troops,  the  utmost  harmony  pre- 
vailed through  the  whole  army  during  the  campaign.  At  Fort  Jefferson  I 
found  the  first  regiment,  which  had  returned  from  the  service  they  had  been 
sent  upon,  without  either  overtaking  the  deserters  or  meeting  the  convoy  of 
provisions.  I  am  not  certain,  sir,  whether  I  ought  to  consider  the  absence 
of  this  regiment  from  the  field  of  action  as  fortunate,  or  otherwise.  I  in- 
cline to  think  it  was  fortunate,  for,  I  very  much  doubt  whether,  had  it  been 
in  the  action,  the  fortune  of  the  day  would  have  been  turned;  and,  if  it  had 
not,  the  triumph  of  the  enemy  would  have  been  more  complete  and  the 
country  would  have  been  destitute  of  every  means  of  defense.  Taking  a 
view  of  the  sitttation  of  our  broken  troops  at  Fort  Jefferson  and  that  there 
was  no  provisions  in  the  fort,  I  called  upon  the  field  officers,  viz :  Lieutenant- 
colonel  Darke,  Major  Hamtramck,  Major  Zeigler,  and  Major  Gaither,  to- 
gether with  the  adjutant-general  (Winthrop  Sargent),  for  their  advice  what 
would  be  proper  further  to  be  done  and  it  was  their  unanimous  opinion,  that 
the  addition  of  the  first  regiment,  unbroken  as  it  was,  did  not  put  the  army 


94  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

on  so  respectable  a  foot  as  it  was  in  the  morning,  because  a  great  part  of  it 
was  now  unarmed;  that  it  had  then  been  found  unequal  to  the  enemy  and 
should  they  come  on,  which  was  possible,  would  be  found  so  again;  that  the 
troops  could  not  be  thrown  into  the  fort,  both  because  it  was  too  small  and 
that  there  were  no  provisions  in  it;  that  provisions  were  known  to  be  upon 
the  road  at  the  distance  of  one  or  at  most  two  marches;  that,  therefore,  it 
would  be  proper  to  move,  without  loss  of  time,  to  meet  the  provisions,  when 
the  men  might  have  the  sooner  an  opportunity  of  some  refreshment  and  that 
a  proper  detachment  might  be  sent  back  with  it  to  have  it  safely  deposited 
in  the  fort.  This  advice  was  accepted  and  the  army  was  put  in  motion  at 
ten  o'clock  and  marched  all  night  and  the  succeeding  day  met  with  a  quantity 
of  flour.  Part  of  it  was  distributed  immediately,  part  taken  back  to  supply 
the  army  on  the  march  to  Fort  Hamilton  and  the  remainder,  about  fifty 
horse  loads,  sent  forward  to  Fort  Jefferson.  The  next  day  a  drove  of  cattle 
was  met  with  for  the  same  place  and  I  have  information  that  both  got  in. 
The  wounded,  who  had  been  left  at  that  place,  were  ordered  to  be  brought 
to  Fort  Washington  by  the  return  horses. 

"I  have  said,  sir,  in  a  former  part  of  this  letter,  that  we  were  over- 
powered by  numbers.  Of  that,  however,  I  have  no  other  evidence  but  the 
weight  of  the  first  which  was  always  a  most  deadly  one  and  generally  de- 
livered from  the  ground — few  of  the  enemy  showing  themselves  afoot,  ex- 
cept when  they  were  charged,  and  that,  in  a  few  minutes  our  whole  camp, 
which  extended  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  yards  in  length,  was  entirely 
surrounded  and  attacked  on  all  quarters.  The  loss,  sir,  the  public  has  sus- 
tained by  the  fall  of  so  many  officers,  particularly  General  Butler  and  Ivlajor 
Ferguson,  can  not  be  too  much  regretted,  but  it  is  a  circumstance  that  will 
alleviate  the  misfortune  in  some  measure,  that  all  of  them  fell  most  gallantly 
doing  their  duty.  I  have  had  very  particular  obligations  to  many  of  them, 
as  well  as  to  the  survivors,  but  to  none  more  than  to  Coloiiel  Sargent.  He 
has  discharged  the  various  duties  of  his  office  with  zeal,  with  exactness  and 
with  intelligence,  and,  on  all  occasions,  afforded  me  every  assistance  in  his 
power,  which  I  have  also  experienced  from  my  aid-de-camp.  Lieutenant 
Denny,  and  the  Viscount  Malartie,  who  served  with  me  in  the  station  as  a 
volunteer." 

In  the  disastrous  action  of  the  4th  of  November,  1791,  St.  Clair  lost 
thirty-nine  officers  killed  and  five  hundred  and  ninety-three  men  killed  and 
wounded.  Twenty-two  officers  and  two  hundred  and  forty-two  men  were 
wounded.     The  officers  killed  were:     Major-general  Richard  Butler;  Lieu- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  95 

tenant-colonel  Oldham,  of  the  Kentucky  militia;  Majors  Ferguson,  Clarke 
and  Hart;  Captains  Bradford,  Phelon,  Kirkwood,  Price,  Van  Swearingen, 
Tipton,  -Smith,  Purdy,  Piatt,  Guthrie,  Cribbs  and  Newman;  Lieutenants 
Spear,  Warren,  Boyd,  McMath,  Read,  Burgess,  Kelso,  Little.  Hopper  and 
Lickens;  Ensigns  Balch,  Cobb,  Chase,  Turner,  Wilson,  Brooks,  Beatty  and 
Purdy;  Quartermasters  Rej^nolds  and  Ward;  Adjutant  Anderson;  and  Doc- 
tor Grasson.  The  officers  wounded  were :  Lieutenant-colonels  Gibson,  Darke 
and  Sargent  (adjutant-general);  Major  Butler;  Captains  Doyle,  Trueman, 
Ford,  Buchanan,  Darke  and  Hough;  Lieutenants  Greaton,  Davidson,  De- 
Butts,  Price,  Morgan,  McCrea,  Lysle  and  Thomson;  Ensign  Bines;  Adju- 
tants Whisler  and  Crawford;  and  the  Viscount  Malartie,  volunteer  aid-de- 
camp to  the  commander-in-chief.  Several  pieces  of  artillery  and  all  the 
baggage,  ammunition  and  provisions  were  left  on  the  field  of  battle  and  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  Indians.  The  stores  and  other  public  property  lost  in 
the  action,  were  valued  at  thirty-two  thousand  eight  hundred  and  ten  dollars 
and  seventy-five  cents.  The  loss  of  the  Miamis  and  their  confederates  has 
never  been  satisfactorily  ascertained,  but  it  did  not,  probably,  exceed  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  in  killed  and  wounded. 

With  the  army  of  St.  Clair,  following  the  fortunes  of  their  husbands, 
there  were  more  than  one  hundred  women.  Very  few  escaped  the  carnage 
of  the  4th  of  November  and  after  the  flight  of  the  remnant  of  the  army,  the 
Indians  began  to  avenge  their  own  real  and  imaginary  wrongs  by  perpetrating 
the  most  horrible  acts  of  cruelty  and  brutality  upon  the  bodies  of  the  living 
and  the  dead  Americans  who  fell  into  their  hands.  Believing  that  the  whites, 
for  many  years,  made  war  merely  to  acquire  land,  the  Indians  crammed  clay 
and  sand  into  the  eyes  and  down  the  throats  of  the  dying  and  the  dead.  The 
field  of  action  was  visited  by  Brigadier-general  James  Wilkinson,  at  the  head 
of  a  small  detachment  of  mounted  militia  on  the  ist  of  February,  1792,  about 
three  months  after  the  battle.  In  a  letter  dated  "Fort  Washington,  13th 
February,  J  792,"  written  by  Captain  Robert  Buntin,  and  addressed  to 
Governor  St.  Clair,  this  expedition  of  Wilkinson  is  noticed  as   follows : — 

"I  went  with  General  Wilkinson  to  the  field  of  action  to  recover  the 
artillery  carriages,  which  he  was  informed  remained  there,  and  to  bury  the 
dead.  His  little  army  for  this  excursion  was  composed  of  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  regulars  and  one  hundred  and  thirty-one  volunteer  militia  on 
horseback.  He  has  a  good  talent  for  pleasing  the  people ;  there  is  no  person 
in  whom  they  have  more  confidence;  none  more  capable  to  lead  them  on. 
It  ajDpears  as  if  he  made  the  Indian  mode  of  warfare  his  study  since  he  first 


g6  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

came  to  this  country.     I  think  him  highly  worthy  your  friendship,  from  his 
attachment  to  your  person  and  interest. 

"The  regulars  left  Fort  Washington  as  an  escort  to  provisions  for  Fort 
Jefferson  on  the  24th  ultimo — the  snow  about  ten  inches  deep — and  we 
marched  next  morning  with  the  volunteers.  The  sledges  which  transported 
the  forage  delayed  us  so  much  that  we  did  not  get  to  Fort  Jefferson  until  the 
30th,  about  twelve  o'clock.  The  general  was  much  longer  in  getting  to  this 
place  than  he  expected  and  in  order  to  Expedite  the  business  and  avoid  ex- 
pense, he  ordered  the  regulars  to  return  to  Fort  Washington.  This  morning 
C30th),  the  wind  from  the  southward,  with  a  constant  fall  of  snow,  rain  and 
hail,  and  a  frost  the  following  night  made  the  breaking  of  the  road  very 
difificult.  Though  the  front  was  changed  every  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes, 
the  road  was  marked  with  the  horses'  blood  from  the  hardness  of  the  crust  on 
the  snow.  We  left  Fort  Jefferson  about  nine  o'clock  on  the  31st  with  the 
volunteers  and  arrived  within  eight  miles  of  the  field  of  battle  that  evening, 
and  next  day  we  arrived  at  the  ground  about  ten  o'clock.  The  scene  was 
truly  melancholy.  In  my  opinion  those  unfortunate  men  who  fell  into  the 
enemy's  hands,  with  life,  were  used  with  the  greatest  torture,  having  their 
limbs  torn  off;  and  the  women  have  been  treated  with  the  most  indecent 
cruelty,  having  stakes  as  thick  as  a  person's  arm  drove  through  their  bodies. 
The  first,  I  observed  when  burying  the  dead  and  the  latter  was  discovered 
by  Colonel  Sargent  and  Doctor  Brown.  We  found  three  whole  carriages; 
the  other  five  were  so  much  damaged  that  they  were  rendered  useless.  By 
the  general's  orders  pits  were  dug  in  different  places  and  all  the  dead  bodies 
that  were  exposed  to  view,  or  could  be  conveniently  found  (the  snow  being 
very  deep)  were  buried.  During  this  time  there  were  sundry  parties  de- 
tached, some  for  our  safety,  and  others  in  examining  the  course  of  the  creek, 
and  some  distance  in  advance  of  the  ground  occupied  by  the  militia,  they 
found  a  large  camp  not  less  than  three  quarters  of  a  mile  long  which  was 
supposed  to  be  that  of  the  Indians  the  night  before  the  action.  We  remained 
on  the  field  that  night  and  next  morning  fixed  geared  horses  to  the  carriages 
and  moved  for  Fort  Jefferson.  *  *  *  As  there  is  little  reason  to  believe  that  the 
enemy  have  carried  off  the  cannon,  it  is  the  received  opinion  that  they  are 
either  buried  or  thrown  into  the  creek,  and  I  think  the  latter  the  most  prob- 
able ;  but,  as  it  was  frozen  over  with  a  thick  ice,  and  that  covered  with  a  deep 
snow,  it  was  impossible  to  make  a  search  with  any  prospect  of  success.  In 
a  former  part  of  this  letter  I  have  mentioned  the  camp  occupied  by  the  enemy 
the  night  before  the  action.     Had  Colonel  Oldham  been  able  to  have  com- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  97 

plied  with  your  orders  on  that  evening,  things  at  this  day  might  have  worn  a 
different  aspect." — (Dillon's  History  of  Indiana.) 

As  we  have  said,  the  influence  of  this  defeat  was  far-reaching.  The 
news  of  it  soon  spread  to  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia  and  the  tide  of  emigra- 
tion which  had  been  flowing  into  the  middle  states  was  stopped  for  a  long 
time.  "The  principal  causes  of  failure  of  the  expedition  were :  Mismanage- 
ment of  the  quartermaster's  department,  the  unfavorable  season  at  which  the 
army  marched  to  attack  the  Indians  and  the  want  of  discipline  in  the  troops. 
The  failure  of  the  expedition  can  not  justly  be  imputed  to  the  conduct  of  the 
commander-in-chief,  at  any  time  before  or  during  the  battle." 

"St.  Clair  resigned  and  Major-general  Anthony  Wayne  was  appointed  in 
his  stead.  It  was  a  fortunate  thing,  indeed,  for  the  settlers  of  this  country, 
that  a  man  of  the  temperament  and  ability  and  training  of  Anthony  Wayne 
was  appointed  to  this  responsible  place.  Wayne  had  had  great  training  in  the 
Revolutionary  war,  was  a  natural  soldier,  had  a  keen  knowledge  of  Indian 
warfare  and  was  an  Indian  hater.  His  indomitable  courage,  his  keen  scru- 
tiny of  human  nature,  in  fact  to  the  possibilities  before  him,  made  him  an 
especially  good  man  for  this  place.  Although  he  hoped  to  settle  these  Indian 
problems  in  a  peaceable  way,  he,  soldier  that  he  was,  immediately  began  to 
recruit  and  organize  his  army.  He  sent  out  spies  among  the  Indians  to  learn 
their  every  movement.  Agents  were  also  sertt  to  them  to  insure  them  of  his 
friendly  mission,  provided  they  would  be  loyal  to  the  United  States.  These 
agents  were  to  insure  the  Indians  in  the  strongest  and  most  explicit  terms, 
that  the  United  States  renounced  all  claim  to  Indian  land  which  had  not  been 
ceded  by  fair  treaties  made  by  the  Indian  nation.  These  instructions  came 
from  the  secretary  of  war  to  General  Ruf us  Putnam,  on  the  22nd  of  May, 
1792.  These  agents  were  furnished  copies  of  former  treaties  with  the 
Indians,  so  that  the  Indian  might  be  fully  informed  as  to  what  the  exact  con- 
ditions were.  There-  had  been  the  following  treaties :  One  of  Fort  Stanwix, 
made  on  the  22d  of  October,  1784.  One  of  Fort  Mcintosh,  made  on  the 
2ist  of  January,  1785.  One  made  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami  river 
on  the  31st  of  January,  1876.  One  at  Fort  Harmar  on  the  9th  of  January, 
1789.  To  show  the  Indian,  in  his  sincerity,  Wayne  was  instructed,  in  April, 
1792,  to  issue  a  proclamation  informing  the  people  of  the  frontiers  of  the 
proposed  attempts  to  conclude  a  treaty  of  peace  and  prohibiting  all  offensive 
movements  of  the  whites  to  the  northward  of  the  Ohio,  until  they  should 
receive  further  information  on  the  subject. — (Dillon's  History  of  Indiana.) 

(7l 


98  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

It  was  a  difficult  matter  for  Wayne  to  convince  the  Indians  of  his  sin- 
cerity. For  example,  two  messengers  were  sent  from  Fort  Washington 
with  a  speech  to  the  Indians  on  the  Maumee.  Dillon  says  that  these  mes- 
sengers were  captured  by  a  party  of  Indians,  who  on  being  informed  that 
their  captives  were  messengers  of  peace,  spared  their  lives  and  conducted 
them  toward  the  rapids  of  the  Maumee.  But,  while  moving  on  to  the  route 
of  that  place.  Freeman  and  Gerrard,  the,/nessengers,  asked  so  many  questions 
concerning  the  number  of  different  tribes,  the  course  of  streams,  etc.,  that 
their  conductors  took  them  to  be  spies  and  killed  them  when  they  were  within 
one  day's  march  of  the  main  body  of  the  Indian  councils.  But  who  can 
blame  the  poor,  benighted  Indian,  after  he  had  been  treated  in  the  manner  in 
which  he  had  by  both  the  French  and  British,  for  years  and  years  before. 
No  wonder  that  he  lacked  confidence  in  the  United  States,  for  both  the  British 
and  French  had:taught  him  that  the  people  of  the  United  States  were  traitors, 
not  only  to  France  and  Great  Britain,  but  to  the  Indians  themselves,  and,  was 
merely  using  every  means  to  gain  the  land  from  them  and  force  them  west 
of  the  Mississippi  river.  And  history  seems  to  bear  out  the  truth  of  such 
an  opinion.  In  order  to  find  out  more  about  the  Indians,  Wilkinson,  the, 
Brigadier-general,  advised  that  William  May  desert  the  American  army  and 
act  as  a  spy  among  the  Indians. 

May  did  what  he  was  ordered,  with  the  promise  that  should  he  execute 
his  mission  with  integrity  and  effect,  he  was  to  be  given  some  little  establish- 
ment to  make  his  old  age  comfortable.  May  deserted  according  to  orders 
and  continued  to  reside  among  the  Indians  until  the  latter  part  of  September, 
1792,  when  he  left  them  and  arrived  at  Pittsburg  and  made  his  report  to 
Major-general  Wayne.  On  the  i8th  of  August,  1794,  almost  two  years 
afterward.  May  was  captured  by  the  Indians  near  the  rapids  of  the  Maumee 
and  on  the  next  day  he  was  tied  to  a  tree  and  shot.  President  Washington 
had  a  personal  interest  in  this  matter  and  about  the  20th  of  May,  1792,  sent 
Major  Alexander  Trueman  and  Colonel  John  Hardin  of  Kentucky,  with 
copies  of  a  speech  to  the  Hostile  Indians.  Major  Trueman  was  engaged  in 
this  service  of  his  own  free  will  and  desire  and  he  was  joined  by  Colonel 
Hardin,  who  undertook  to  discharge  the  duties  of  a  peace-messenger,  at  the 
request  of  Brigadier-general  Wilkinson.  The  speech  with  which  these 
officers  were  charged  was  addressed  "To  all  the  Sachems  and  Warriors  of 
the  tribes  inhabiting  the  Miami  river  of  lake  Erie  and  the  waters  of  the 
Wabash  river,  the  Wyandots,  Delawares,  Ottawas,  Chippewas,  'Potawa- 
tamies,  and  all  other  tribes  residing  to  the  southward  of  the  lakes,  east  of  the 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  99 

Mississippi,  and  to  the  northward  of  the  river  Ohio,"  and  it  contained  the 
passages  which  follow : 

"BROTHERS— The  President  of  the  United  States,  General  Wash- 
ington, the  great  chief  of  the  nation,  speaks  to  you  by  this  address.  Sum- 
mon, therefore,  your  utmost  powers  of  attention  and  hear  the  important 
things  which  shall  be  spoken  to  you  concerning  your  future  welfare;  and 
after  having  heard  and  well  understood  all  things,  invoke  the  Great  Spirit 
above  to  give  you  due  deliberation  and  wisdom,  to  decide  upon  a  line  of  con- 
duct that  shall  best  promote  your  happiness  and  the  happiness  of  your  chil- 
dren and  perpetuate  you  and  them  on  the  land  of  your  forefathers.  Brothers, 
the  President  of  the  United  States  entertains  the  opinion  that  the  War  which 
exists  is  founded  in  error  and  mistake  on  your  parts;  that  you  believe  the 
United  States  wants  to  deprive  you  of  your  lands  and  drive  you  out  of  the 
country.  Be  assured  this  is  not  so.  On  the  contrary,  that  we  should  be 
greatly  gratified  with  the  opportunity  of  imparting  to  you  all  the  blessings  of 
civilized  life,  of  teaching  you  to  cultivate  the  earth  and  raise  corn;  to  raise 
oxen,  sheep  and  other  domestic  animals;  to  build  comfortable  houses  and  to 
educated  your  children,  so  as  ever  to  dwell  upon  the  land.  *  *  i=  War, 
at  all  times,  is  a  dreadful  evil  to  those  who  are  engaged  to  act  against  so  great 
numbers  as  the  people  of  the  United  States. 

Brothers :  Do  not  suffer  the  advantages  you  have  gained  to  mislead 
your  judgment  and  influence  you  to  continue  the  war,  but  reflect  upon  the 
destructive  consequences  which  must  attend  such  a  measure.  The  President 
of  the  United  States  is  highly  desirous  of  seeing  a  number  of  your  principal 
chiefs  and  convincing  you,  in  person,  how  much  he  wishes  to  avoid  the  evils 
of  war  for  your  sake,  and  the  sake  of  humanity.  Consult  therefore,  upon  the 
great  object  of  peace;  call  in  your  parties  and  enjoin  a  cessation  of  all  further 
depredations  and  as  many  of  the  principal  chiefs  as  shall  choose,  repair  to 
Philadelphia,  the  seat  of  the  general  government,  and  there  make  a  peace, 
founded  on  the  principles  of  justice  and  humanity.  Remember,  that  no 
additional  lands  will  be  required  of  you,  or  any  other  tribe,  to  those  that 
have  been  ceded  by  former  treaties,  particularly  by  the  tribes  who  had  a 
right  to  make  the  treaty  of  Muskingum  (Fort  Harmar),  in  the  year  1789. 
But,  if  any  of  you  can  prove  that  you  have  a  fair  right  to  any  lands  com- 
prehended by  the  said  treaty,  and  have  not  been  compensated  therefor,  you 
shall  receive  a  full  satisfaction  upon  that  head.  The  chiefs  you  send  shall 
be  safely  escorted  to  this  city;  and  shall  be  well  fed  and  provided  with  all 
things   for   their   journey.     *     *     *     Come,   then,   and   be   convinced    for 


too  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

yourselves,  of  the  beneficence  of  General  Washington,  the  great  chief  of  the 
United  States,  and  afterward  return  and  spread  the  glad  tidings  of  peace 
and  prosperity  of  the  Indians  to  the  setting  sun." — (Dillon's  History  of 
Indiana. ) 

The  lack  of  confidence  which  the  Indians  had  in  peace,  or  in  a  docu- 
ment sent  to  them  by  Washington,  and  the  treachery  which  they  exercised 
toward  his  agent,  is  shown  in  the  story  of  William  May,  whom  we  will 
remember  had  deserted  and  joined  the  'Indians,  as  he  told  it  to  General 
Wayne  on  the  nth  of  October,  1792.  The  story  is  as  follows:  "That,  in 
the  latter  end  of  June  (1792),  some  Indians  came  on  board  the  vessel  for 
provisions;  among  whom  was  one  who  had  two  scalps  upon  a  stick;  one  of 
them  he  knew  to  be  William  Lynch's  (Major  Trueman's  waiter),  with  whom 
he  (May)  was  well  acquainted;  he  had  light  hair.  That  he  mentioned 
at  once  whose  scalp  it  was.  The  other  they  said  was  Major  Trueman's;  it 
was  darker  than  Lynch's.  The  manner  in  which  Trueman  was  killed,  was 
mentioned  by  the  Indian  who  killed  him,  to  an  Indian  who  used  to  go 
in  the  vessel  with  May,  in  his  presence,  and  immediately  interpreted,  viz : 
This  Indian  and  an  Indian  boy  having  met  with  Trueman,  his  waiter  Lynch, 
and  the  interpreter,  William  Smalley;  that  Trueman  gave  the  Indian  a  belt; 
that  after  being  together  three  or  four  hours  the  Indians  were  going  to  leave 
them.  Trueman  inquired  the  reason  from  the  interpreter,  who  answered 
that  the  Indians  were  alarmed,  lest  there  being  three  to  two,  they  might 
injure  them  in  the  night.  Upon  which  Trueman  told  them  they  might  tie 
both  his  servant  and  himself.  That  his  boy  Lynch  was  first  tied  and  then 
Trueman.  The  moment  Trueman  was  tied,  the  Indian  tomahawked  and 
scalped  him,  and  then  the  boy.  That  the  papers  in  possession  of  Trueman 
were  given  to  Mr.  McKee,  who  sent  them  by  a  Frenchman  called  Captain 
Le  Motte,  to  Detroit,  on  board  the  schooner  of  which  he.  May,  had  the  charge. 
That,  upon  his  return  from  Detroit  to  the  rapids  (of  the  Maumee)  he  saw 
a  scalp,  said  to  be  Hardin's;  that  he  also  saw  a  flag  by  the  route  of  San- 
dusky; and  that  the  hair  was  dark  brown;  but  don't  know  by  what  nation 
he  was  killed;  these  papers  were  also  sent  to  Detroit,  on  board  the  schooner, 
by  Mr.  Elliott.  That  a  Captain  Brumley,  of  the  fifth  British  regiment, 
was  in  the  action  (of  the  4th  of  November,  1791),  but  did  not  learn  that  he 
took  any  command;  that  Lieutenant  Sylvey,  of  the  same  regiment,  was  on 
his  march  with  three  hundred  Indians,  but  did  not  get  up  in  time  to  partici- 
pate in  the  action;  that  Simon  Girty  told  him  there  were  twelve  hundred 
Indians  at  the  place,  but  three  hundred  of  them  did  not  engage,  who  were 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  lOI 

taking  care  of  the  horses,  exclusive  of  the  three  hundred  with  Lieutenant 
Sylvey;  in  all.fifteen  hundred.  *  *  *  That  it  was  the  common  opinion, 
and  the  common  conversation,  that  no  peace  would  take  place  unless  the  Ohio 
river  be  established  as  the  boundary  line  between  the  Indians  and  the  Ameri- 
cans."—  (Dillon's  History  of  Indiana.) 

It  seems  that  almost  every  act  on  the  part  of  the  white  man,  in  the 
wilderness  or  in  Congress  at  this  time,  was  such  as  to  make  the  Indians  lose 
confidence  in  their  sincerity.  Some  of  the  Indians  really  wanted  peace  at 
most  any  price,  excepting  that  of  losing  their  homes.  This  was  true  of  the 
great  Vv'abash  and  Illinois  tribes,  and  on  the  27th  of  September,  1792, 
Brigadier-General  Rufus  Putnam  succeeded. in  forming  a  treaty  with  thirty- 
one  Indians  of  these  tribes.  Nothing  in  this  treaty  was  unreasonable,  and 
Putnam  congratulated  himself  upon  the  success.  You  can  imagine  the  con- 
sternation of  these  Indians  when  the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  on  the 
13th  of  February,  1793,  deemed  one  of  the  articles  particularly  objectionable, 
and  after  several  consultations,  finally  refused  to  ratify  the  treaty  by  a  vote 
of  21  to  4.     The  article  which  was  so  objectionable  was: 

"The  United  States  solemnly  guaranty  to  the  Wabash  and  Illinois  na- 
tions or  tribes  of  Indians,  all  the  lands  to  which  they  have  a  just  claim; 
and  no  part  shall  ever  be  taken  from  them  but  by  a  fair  purchase,  and  to 
their  satisfaction.  That  the  lands  originally  belonged  to  the  Indians;  it  is 
theirs,  and  theirs  only.  That  they  have  a  right  to  sell  and  a  right  to  refuse 
to  sell.  And  that  the  United  States  will  protect  them  in  their  said  just 
rights." — (Dillon's  History  of  Indiana.) 

Is  it  any  wonder  that  the  Indians  would  doubt  the  sincerity  of  the  people 
of  the  United  States,  when  such  an  article  as  this,  simple  and  truthful  though 
it  may  be,  should  be  turned  down  by  the  Senate  of  that  great  government. 
Yet,  in  spite  of  such  treatment  of  the  Indians,  the  United  States  continued 
in  their  attempt  to  make  treaties  with  them.  One  of  the  strongest  nations  was 
the  Potawatamie.  This  nation  was  invited  to  send  a  delegation  to  Wash- 
ington, to  consider  the  subject  of  treaty.  And  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  chief 
of  the  Potawatamie  said  in  a  speech :  "We  are  very  glad  to  hear  from  you ; 
but  sorry  we  cannbt  comply  with  your  request  (to  send  a  deputation  of 
chiefs  to  Fort  Washington).  The  situation  of  affairs  in  this  country  prevents 
us.  We  are,  every  day,  threatened  by  the  other  Indians,  that  if  we  do  not ' 
take  a  part  with  them  against  the  Americans,  they  will  destroy  our  villages. 
This,alone,  my  father,  makes  it  necessary  for  all  the  chiefs  to  remain  at  home. 
*     *     *     My  father :  You  tell  us  you  art  ignorant  why  the  red  people  make 


I02  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

war  on  your  white  people.  We  are  as  ignorant  of  it  as  you  are;  for,  ever 
since  the  beginning  of  the  war,  we  have  lain  still  in  our  villages,  although  we 
have  been  repeatedly  invited  to  go  to  war ;  but,  my  father,  the  confidence  we 
have  in  you  has  prevented  us  from  making  war  against  you,  and  we  hold  you 
by  the  hand  with  a  stronger  grip  than  ever.  My  father,  keep  up  your  spirits 
more  than  ever;  for  you  have  this  year  more  red  people  to  fight  than  you 
have  had  yet.  *  *  *  If  I  could  give  you  a  hand  I  would  do  it;  but  I  can 
not;  and  I  am  glad  if  me  and  my  people  can  have  a  quiet  life  this  summer.  If 
I  had  been  disposed  to  believe  all  the  reports  I  have  heard,  I  would  have  made 
your  messengers  prisoners;  for  we  are  told  they  are  spies,  and  that  you  have 
an  army  coming  against  us ;  but  I  am  deaf  to  everything  that  comes  from  the 
Miamis.  Every  day  we  received  messengers  from  those  people,  but  we  have 
been  deaf  to  them,  and  will  remain  so." — (Dillon's  History  of  Indiana.) 

"All  this  time  General  Wayne  was  preparing  for  war,  and  on  the  7th  of 
October,  1793,  General  Wayne  was  at  the  head  of  two  thousand  six  hundred 
regulars,  and  four  hundred  auxiliary,  marched  from  Fort  Washington.  The 
regular  fort  at  Greenville,  and  another  on  the  field  where  St.  Clair  met  his 
defeat.  This  he  called  Fort  Recovery.  Here  he  remained  until  the  30th  of 
June,  1794,  without  meeting  any  resistance.  On  that  day,  however,  about 
fifteen  hundred  Indians,  with  some  British  and  Canadians,  assailed  a  body 
of  troops  under  the  very  walls  of  the  fort,  but  were  finally  repulsed.  Not  long 
after  this,  sixteen  hundred  volunteers  under  the  command  of  General  Scott, 
joined  Wayne.  His  preparation  at  every  point  caused  consternation  to  reign 
among  the  Indians.  They  had  so  easily  overcome  Harmar  and  St.  Clair  that 
they  had  been  led  to  believe  that  all  the  Americans  could  be  as  easily  overcome. 
It  did  not  take  long,  however,  before  they  saw  in  General  Wayne,  an  entirely 
different  character.  Little  Turtle,  who  had  the  command  at  the  defeat  of 
St.  Clair,  was  among  the  first  to  recognize  Wayne's  ability.  All  that  plan 
to  surprise  him  failed.  Every  effort  they  had  made  to  defeat  him  had  come 
to  naught.  They  had  found  him  cautious,  and  diligent  on  all  occasions,  and 
he  seemed  to  be  endowed  with  some  great  power  which  they  did  not  under- 
stand. Little  Turtle  referred  to  him  as  an  "who-never-sleeps,"  and  this  had  a 
great  effect  among  the  Indians. 

That  Little  Turtle  recognized  that  he  had  finally  met  his  master,  is 
shown  by  his  urging  that  a  treaty  of  peace  be  made,  in  a  council  held  on  the 
19th  of  August  of  this  same  year,  in  which  he  says :  "We  have  beaten  the 
enemy  twice  under  different  commanders.  We  can  not  expect  the  same  good 
fortune  to  attend  us  always.     The  Americans  are  now  led  by  a  chief  who 


■RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA.  IO3 

never  sleeps.  The  nights  and  the  days  are  alike  to  him,  and  during  all  the 
time  that  he  had  been  marching  on  onr  village,  notwithstanding  the  watch- 
fulness of  our  young  men,  we  have  never  been  able  to  surprise  him.  Think 
well  of  it.  There  is  something  whispers  me  it  would  be  prudent  to  listen  to 
his  offers  of  peace." — (Dillon's  History  of  Indiana.) 

Indians  were  under  the  subtle  influence  of  that  greatest  of  all  chiefs, 
Tecumseh,  and  influenced  by  the  magic  spell  by  his  brother,  the  prophet,  and 
refused  to  follow  the  advice  of  Little  Turtle.  Believing  in  the  power  of 
Tecumseh  and  the  prophet  to  protect  them  against  the  bullet  of  the  white 
men,  and  feeling  that  they  were  sure  of  success,  they  prepared  for  battle,  and 
attacked  General  Wayne  on  the  morning  of  the  20th  of  August.  That 
Wayne's  separation  had  been  conjplete,  that  Little  Turtle's  characterization 
of  him  was  exactly  right,  and  that  the  Indians  were  completely  crushed,  is 
shown  by  Wayne's  report  of  the  battle,  which  we  will  here  give : 

GENERAL  WAYNE,  TO  THE  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 

"Headquarters,  Fort  Defiance,  Grand  Glaize,  28th  August,  1794. 

"Sir :  It  is  with  infinite  pleasure  that  I  now  announce  to  you  the  bril- 
liant success  of  the  Federal  army  under  my  command,  in  a  general  action 
with  the  combined  force  of  the  hostile  Indians,  and  a  considerable  number 
of  the  volunteers  and  militia  of  Detroit,  on  the  20th  instant,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Maumee,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  British  post  and  garrison,  at  the  foot  of 
the  rapids.  The  army  advanced  from  this  place  (Fort  Defiance")  on  the 
15th,  and  arrived  at  Roche  de  Bout  on  the  i8th.  The  19th  was  employed  in 
making  a  temporary  post  for  the  reception  of  our  stores  and  baggage,  and 
in  reconnoitering  the  position  of  the  enemy,  who  were  encamped  behind  a 
thick,  brushy  wood,  and  the  British  fort. 

At  eight  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  20th,  the  army  again  advanced 
in  cokimns,  agreeably  to  the  standing  order  of  march;  the  legion  on  the 
right,  its  flank  covered  by  the  Maumee;  one  brigade  of  mounted  volunteers 
on  the  left,  under  Brigadier-General  Todd,  and  the  other  in  the  rear,  under 
Brigadier-General  Barbee.  A  select  battalion  of  mounted  volunteers  moved 
in  front  of  the  legion,  commanded  by  Major  Price,  who  was  directed  to  keep 
sufficiently  advanced,  so  as  to  give  timely  notice  for  the  troops  to  form  in 
case  of  action,  it  being  yet  undetermined  whether  the  Indians  would  decide 
for  peace  or  war. 

After  advancing  about  five  miles,  Major  Price's  corps  received  so  severe 


I04  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

a  fire  from  the  enemy,  who  were  secreted  in  the  woods  and  high  grass,  as  to 
compel  them  to  retreat.  The  legion  was  immediately  formed  in  two  lines, 
principally  in  a  close,  thick  wood,  which  extended  for  miles  on  our  left,  and 
for  a  very  considerable  distance  in  front,  the  ground  being  covered  with  old 
fallen  timber,  probably  occasioned  by  a  tornado,  which  rendered  it  imprac- 
ticable for  the  cavalry  to  act  with  effect,  and  afforded  the  enemy  the  most 
favorable  cover  for  their  mode  of  warfare.  The  savages  were  formed  in 
three  Hues,  within  supporting  distance  of  eath  other,  and  extending  for  nearly 
two  miles,  at  right  angles  with  the  river.  I  soon  discovered,  from  the  weight 
of  the  fire  and  extent  of  their  lines,  that  the  enemy  were  in  full  force  in  front, 
in  possession  of  their  favorite  ground,  and  endeavoring  to  turn  our  left  flank. 
I  therefore  gave  orders  for  the  second  line  to  advance  and  support  the 
first;  and  directed  Major-General  Scott  to  gain  and  turn  the  right  flank  oi 
the  savages,  with  the  whole  of  the  mounted  volunteers,  by  a  circuitous  route ; 
at  the  same  time  I  ordered  the  front  line  to  advance  and  charge  with  trailed 
arms,  and  rouse  the  Indians  from  their  coverts  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet, 
and  when  up,  to  deliver  a  close  and  well  directed  fire  on  their  backs,  followed 
by  a  brisk  charge,  so  as  not  to  give  them  time  to  load  again. 

"I  also  ordered  Captain  M.  Campbell,  who  commanded  the  legionary 
cavalry,  to  turn  the  left  flank  of  the  enemy  next  to  the  river,  and  which  af- 
forded a  favorable  field  for  that  corps  to  act  in.  All  these  orders  were 
obeyed  with  spirit  and  promptitude;  but  such  was  the  impetuosity  of.  the 
charge  by  the  first  line  of  infantry,  that  the  Indians  and  Canadian  militia  and 
■\^olunteers  were  drove  from  all  their  coverts  in  so  short  a  time,  that,  although 
every  possible  exertion  was  used  by  the  officers  of  the  second  line  of  the  legion, 
and  by  Generals  Scott,  Todd  and  Barbee,  of  the  mounted  volunteers,  to  gain 
their  proper  positions,  but  part  of  each  could  get  up  in  season  to  participate  in 
the  action;  the  enemy  being  drove,  in  the  course  of  one  hour,  more  than  two 
miles  through  the  thick  woods  already  mentioned  by  less  than  one-half  their 
number.  From  every  account,  the  enemy  amounted  to  two  thousand  com- 
batants. The  troops  actually  engaged  against  them  were  short  of  nine  hundred. 
This  horde  of  savages,  with  their  allies,  abandoned  themselves  to  flight  and 
dispersed  with  terror  and  dismay,  leaving  our  victorious  array  in  full  and  quiet 
possession  of  the  field  of  battle,  which  terminated  imder  the  influence  of  the 
guns  of  the  British  garrison,  as  you  will  observe  by  the  inclosed  correspond- 
ence between  Major  Campbell,  the  commandant,  and  myself  upon  the  oc- 
casion. 

The  bravery  and  conduct  of  every  officer  belonging  to  the  army,  from 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  IO5 

the  generals  down  to  the  ensigns,  merit  my  highest  approbation.  There 
were,  however,  some,  whose  rani<  and  situation  placed  their  conduct  in  a  very 
conspicuous  point  of  view  and  which  I  observed  with  pleasure  and  the  most 
lively  gratitude.  Among  whorri,  I  must  beg  leave  to  mention  Brigadier- 
general  Wilkinson  and  Colonel  Hamtramck,  the  commandants  of  the  right  and 
left  wings  of  the  legion,  whose  brave  example  inspired  the  troops.  To  those 
I  must  add  the  names  of  my  faithful  and  gallant  aids-de-camp.  Captains 
DeButt  and  T.  Lewis;  and  Lieutenant  Harrison,  who,  with  the  adjutant- 
general,  Major  Mills,  rendered  the  most  essential  service  by  communicating 
my  orders  in  every  direction  and  by  their  conduct  and  bravery  exciting  the 
troops  to  jjress  victory.  Lieutenant  Covington,  upon  whom  the  command  of 
the  cavalry  now  devolved,  cut  down  two  savages  with  his  own  hand  and 
Lieutenant  Webb  one,  in  turning  the  enemy's  left  flank.  The  wounds  received 
by  Captains  Slough  and  Prior  and  Lieutenant  Campbell  Smith,  an  extra  aid- 
de-camp  to  General  Wilkinson,  of  the  legionary  infantry,  and  Captain  Van 
Rensselaer  of  the  dragoons,  Captain  Rawlins,  Lieutenant  McKenny  and 
Ensign  Duncan,  of  the  mounted  volunteers,  bear  honorable  testimony  of  their 
bravery  and  conduct. 

Captains  H.  Lewis  and  Brock,  with  their  companies  of  light  infantry, 
had  to  sustain  an  unequal  fire  for  some  time,  which  they  supported  with 
fortitude.  In  fact,  every  officer  and  soldier  who  had  an  opportunity  to  come 
into  action  displayed  that  true  bravery  which  will  always  insure  success.  And 
here  permit  me  to  declare,  that  I  never  discovered  more  true  spirit  and 
anxiety  for  action  than  appeared  to  pervade  the  whole  of  the  mounted  volun- 
teers and  I  am  well  persuaded  that,  had  the  enemy  maintained  their  favorite 
ground  for  one-half  hour  longer,  they  would  have  most  severely  felt  the 
prowess  of  that  corps.  But  while  I  pay  this  tribute  to  the  living  I  must  not 
neglect  the  gallant  dead,  among  whom  we  have  to  lament  the  early  death  of 
those  worthy  and  brave  officers,  Captain  M.  Campbell  of  the  dragoons  and 
Lieutenant  Towles  of  the  light  infantry,  of  the  legion,  who  fell  in  the  first 
charge. 

Enclosed  is  a  particular  return  of  the  killed  and  wounded.  The  loss 
of  the  enemy  was  more  than  double  to  that  of  the  Federal  army.  The  woods 
were  strewed  for  a  considerable  distance  with  the  dead  bodies  of  Indians  and 
their  white  auxiliaries — the  latter  armed  with  British  muskets  and  bayonets. 

We  remained  three  days  and  nights  on  the  banks  of  the  Maumee  in 
front  of  the  field  of  battle,  during  which  time  all  the  houses  and  cornfields 
were  consumed  and  destroyed  for  a  considerable  distance  both  above  and 


I06  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

below  Fort  Miami,  as  well  as  within  pistol  shot  of  the  garrison,  which  was 
compelled  to  remain  a  tacit  spectator  to  this  general  devastation  and  con- 
flagration, among  which  were  the  houses,  stores  and  property  of  Colonel 
McKee,  the  British  Indian  agent  and  principal  stimulator  of  the  war  now 
existing  between  the  United  States  and  the  savages. 

The  army  returned  to  this  place  (Fort  Defiance)  on  the  27th  by  easy 
marches,  laying  waste  the  villages  and  cornfields  for  about  fifty  miles  on  each 
side  of  the  Maumee.  There  remains  yet  a  great  number  of  villages  and  a 
great  quantity  of  corn  to  be  consumed  or  destroyed  upon  Auglaize  and  the 
Maumee  above  this  place,  which  will  be  effected  in  the  course  of  a  few  days. 
In  the  interim  we  shall  improve  Fort  Defiance  and  as  soon  as  the  escort  re- 
turns with  the  necessary  supplies  from  Greenville  and  Fort  Recovery,  the 
army  will  proceed  to  the  Miami  villages  in  order  to  accomplish  the  object  of 
the  campaign.  It  is,  however,  not  improbable  that  the  enemy  may  make  one 
desperate  effort  against  the  army,  as  it  is  said  that  a  reinforcement  was  hourly 
expected  at  Fort  Miami  from  Niagara,  as  well  as  numerous  tribes  of  Indians 
living  on  the  margin  and  islands  of  the  lakes.  This  is  a  business  rather  to  be 
wished  for  than  dreaded  while  the  army  remains  in  force.  Their  numbers 
will  only  tend  to  confuse  the  savages  and  victory  will  be  the  more  complete 
and  decisive  and  which  may  eventually  insure  a  permanent  and  happy  peace. 

Under  these  impressions,  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  most  obedient 
and  very  humble  servant, 

Anthony  Wayne. 
The  Hon.  Alajor-general  H.  Knox,  Secretary  of  War. 

The  British  still  maintained  a  fort  on  the  banks  of  the  Maumee,  and 
General  Wayne  after  the  battle  of  the  20th  of  August,  encamped  almost 
within  reach  of  the  guns  of  this  fort.  The  British  questioned  the  right  of 
Wayne  to  camp  there  and  several  letters  were  exchanged  between  their  com- 
manding oflficers,  Ala j or  Campbell  and  General  W^ayne.  The  first  two  of 
these  letters  will  show  the  position  of  the  British  in  this  Indian  war  and  also 
the  resolution  with  which  General  \\'ayne  accepted  the  conditions. 

(NUMBER  L) 

Aliami  (Maumee)  River,  August  21,  1794. 

Sir :     An  army  of  the  United  States  of  America,  said  to  be  under  your 

command,  having  taken  post  on  the  banks  of  the  Miami    f Maumee)    for 

upwards  of  the  last  twenty-four  hours,  almost  within  the  reach  of  the  guns 

of  tills  fort,  Ijeing  a  post  belonging  to  his  majesty  the  king  of  Great  Britain, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  IO7 

occupied  by  his  majesty's  troops  and  which  I  have  the  honor  to  command, 
it  becomes  my  duty  to  inform  myself  as  speedily  as  possible,  in  what  light  I 
am  to  view  your  making  such  near  approaches  to  this  garrison.  I  have  no 
hesitation  on  my  part  to  say  that  I  know  of  no  war  existing  between  Great 
Britain  and  America. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir,  with  great  respect,  your  most  obedient  and 
very  humble  servant, 

William  Campbell^ 
Major   24th   Regiment,   commanding   a   British   post   on   the  banks   of  the 
Miami. 

To  Major-general  Wayne,  etc." 

(NUMBER  II.) 

"Camp  on  the  bank  of  the  Miami  (Maumee),  August  21,  1794. 

Sir :  I  have  received  your  letter  of  this  date  requiring  from  me  the 
motives  which  have  moved  the  army  under  my  command  to  the  position  they 
at  present  occupy,  far  within  the  acknowledged  jurisdiction  of  the  United 
States  of  America.  Without  questioning  the  authority  or  the  propriety,  sir, 
of  your  interrogatory,  I  think  J  may,  without  breach  of  decorum,  observe  to 
you,  that,  were  you  entitled  to  answer,  the  most  full  and  satisfactory  one  was 
announced  to  you  from  the  muzzles  of  my  small  arms  yesterday  morning  in 
the  action  against  the  horde  of  savages  in  the  vicinity  of  your  post,  which 
terminated  gloriously  to  the  American  arms,  but,  had  it  continued  until  the 
Indians,  etc.,  were  driven  under  the  influence  of  the  post  and  guns  you  men- 
tion, they  would  not  have  much  impeded  the  progress  of  the  victorious  army 
under  my  command,  as  no  such  post  was  established  at  the  commencement 
of  the  present  war  between  the  Indians  and  the  United  States. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir,  with  great  respect,  your  most  obedient  and 
very  humble  servant, 

Anthony  Wayne, 
Major-general  and  Commander-in-chief  of  the  Federal  Army. 

To  Major  William  Campbell,"  etc. 

The  Indians  had  been  completely  crushed  and  their  only  hope  lay  in 
being  able  to  receive  support  from  the  British.  Wayne  had  asked  them  to 
meet  him  at  Greenville  to  make  terms  of  peace,  but  the  British  had  succeeded 
in  getting  them  to  refuse  to  go  to  Greenville  but  persuaded  Little  Turtle,  Blue 
Jacket,  Buck-ong-a-he-las,  and  other  distinguished  chiefs  to  agree  to  hold  a 


I08  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

council  at  the  mouth  of  the  Detroit  river.  The  British  soldiers  of  this  section 
were  hoping  that  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  would  again  engage  in 
war,  which  seemed  at  that  time  quite  a  possibility.  However,  this  was  averted 
through  the  skill  of  John  Jay,  who,  as  an  emissary  to  England,  succeeded  in 
perfecting  a  treaty  of  commerce-  and  navigation  between  the  United  States 
and  Great  Britain.-  By  this  treaty,  Great  Britain  agreed  to  withdraw  on  or 
before  the  first  day  of  June,  1796,  all  troops  and  garrisons  from  all  the  posts 
and  places  within  the  boundary  lines  of  the  United  States,  by  the  treaty  of 
peace  of  1783.  Further  said,  "There  shall  be  a  firm,  inviolable  and  universal 
peace  and  a  true  and  sincere  friendship  between  his  Britannic  majesty,  his 
heirs  and  successors  and  the  United  States  of  America,  and  betvveen  their 
respective  countries,  territories,  cities,  towns  and  people  of  every  degree, 
without  exception  of  persons  or  places."  Preliminary  articles  of  peace  agree- 
ing to  a  meeting  of  Wayne  and  the  Indians  at  Greenville,  on  or  about  the  1 5th 
of  June,  1795,  were  made  during  the  winter  of  1794  by  the  Wyandots, 
Ottawas,  Chippewas,  Potawatamies,  Sacs,  Miamis,  Delawares  and  Shaw- 
nees.  The  Indians  began  to  assemble  at  Greenville  early  in  June  and  by  the 
1 6th,  were  ready  to  begin  negotiations.  The  council  lasted  from  the  i6th  of 
June  to  the  loth  of  August.  Perhaps  no  meeting  of  Indians  has  ever  brought 
forth  such  flights  of  oratory  as  did  the  arguments  upon  this  occasion.  That 
the  Indians  were  mindful  of  their  rights,  understood  that  they  had  been 
wronged  and  imposed  upon  by  the  French,  the  British  and  the  Americans,  is 
evident  from  the  argument  that  they  used  there.  Little  Turtle  denied  that 
his  tribe  had  ever  sold  their  right.  ^lasass,  a  Chippewa  chief,  speaking  on 
the  behalf  of  the  Ottawas,  Chippewas  and  Potawatamies,  sai-d  during  the 
course  of  discussion,  "I  always  thought  that  we,  the  Ottawas,  Chippewas  and 
Potawatamies,  were  the  true  owners  of  those  lands,  but  now  I  find  that  new 
masters  have  undertaken  to  dispose  of  them,  so  that,  at  this  day,  we  do  not 
know  to  whom  they  of  right  belong.  We  never  received  any  compensation 
from  them.  I  don't  know  how  it  is,  but  ever  since  that  treaty,  we  have  be- 
come objects  of  pity  and  our  fires  have  been  retiring  from  this  country." 
There  seemed  to  have  been  a  general  misunderstanding.  Little  Turtle,  the 
]\liami  chief,  in  addressing  General  Wayne,  said :  "I  was,  yesterday,  sur- 
prised when  I  heard  from  our  grandfathers,  the  Delawares,  that  these  lands 
had  been  ceded  by  the  British  to  the  Americans  when  the  former  were  beaten 
by  and  made  peace  with  the  latter,  because  you  had  before  told  us  that  it  was 
the  Wyandots,  Delawares,  Ottawas,  Chippewas.  Potawatamies  and  Sauck- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  IO9 

eys,  who  had  made  this  cession."    On  the  22d  of  July,  Little  Turtle  spoke  as 
follows : 

"General  Wayne:  I  hope  you  will  pay  attention  to  what  I  now  say  to 
you.  I  wish  to  inform  you  where  your  younger  brothers,  the  Miamis,  live, 
and,  also,  the  Potawatamies  of  St.  Joseph's,  together  with  the  Wabash 
Indians.  You  have  pointed  out  to  us  the  boundary  line  between  the  Indians 
and  the  United  States,  but  now  I  take  the  liberty  to  inform  you  that  that 
line  cuts  off  from  the  Indians  a  large  portion  of  country  which  has  been 
enjoyed  by  my  forefathers,  time  immemorial,  without  molestation  or  dis- 
pute. The  print  of  my  ancestors'  houses  are  everywhere  to  be  seen  in  this 
portion.  I  was  a  little  astonished  at  hearing  you,  and  my  brothers  who  are 
now  present,  telling  each  other  what  business  you  had  transacted  together 
heretofore  at  Muskingum,  concerning  this  country.  It  is  well  known  by  all 
my  brothers  present  that  my  forefather  kindled  the  first  fire  at  Detroit; 
from  thence  he  extended  his  lines  to  the  headwaters  of  Scioto;  from  thence 
to  its  mouth;  from  thence,  down  the  Ohio,  to  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash; 
and  from  thence  to  Chicago,  on  lake  Michigan;  at  this  place  I  first  saw  my 
elder  brothers,  the  Shawnees.  I  have  now  informed  you  of  the  boundaries 
of  the  Miami  nation,  where  the  Great  Spirit  placed  my  forefather  a  long 
time  ago,  and  charged  him  not  to  sell  or  part  with  his  lands,  but  to  preserve 
them  for  his  posterity.  This  charge  has  been  handed  down  to  me.  I  was 
much  surprised  to  find  that  my  other  brothers  differed  so  much  from  me  on 
this  subject;  for  their  conduct  would  lead  one  to  suppose  that  the  Great 
Spirit,  and  their  forefathers  had  not  given  them  the  same  charge  that  was 
given  to  me,  but,  on  the  contrary,  had  directed  them  to  sell  their  lands  to 
any  white  man  who  wore  a  hat,  as  soon  as  he  should  ask  it  of  them.  Now, 
elder  brother,  your  younger  brothers,  the  Miamis,  have  pointed  out  .to  you 
their  countrv,  and  also  to  our  brothers  present.  When  I  hear  your  remarks 
and  proposals  on  this  subject  I  will  be  ready  to  give  you  an  answer.-  I  came 
with  an  expectation  of  hearing  you  say  good  things,  but  I  have  not  yet  heard 
what  I  expected." 

Tarke,  or  Crane,  the  chief  of  the  Wyandots,  then  arose  and  made  a 
speech,  from  which  the  following  passages  are  copied:  "Elder  Brother 
(General  Wayne):  Now  listen  to  us!  The  Great  Spirit  above  has  ap- 
pointed this  day  for  us  to  meet  together.  I  shall  now  deliver  my  sentiments 
to  you  the  fifteen  fires.  I  view  you  lying  in  a  gore  of  blood.  It  is  me,  an 
Indian,  who  has  caused  it.     Our  tomahawk  yet  remains  in  your  head.     The 


no  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

English  gave  it  to  me  to  place  there.  Elder  Brother,  I  now  take  the  toma- 
hawk out  of  your  head;  hut,  with  so  much  care  that  you  shall  not  feel  pain 
or  injury.  I  will  now  tear  a  big  tree  up  by  the  roots  and  throw  the  hatchet 
into  the  cavity  which  they  occupied,  where  the  waters  will  wash  it  away 
where  it  can  never  be  found.  Now  I  have  buried  the  hatchet,  and  I  expect 
that  none  of  my  color  will  ever  again  find  it  out.  I  now  tell  you  that  no  one 
in  particular  can  justly  claim  this  ground;  it  belongs,  in  common,  to  us  all; 
no  earthly  being  has  an  exclusive  right  to  it.  The  Great  Spirit  above  is  the 
true  and  only  owner  of  this  soil,  and  he  has  given  us  all  an  equal  right  to  it. 
Brother,  you  have  proposed  to  us  to  build  our  good  work  on  the  treaty  of 
Muskingum;  that  treaty  I  have  always  considered  as  formed  upon  the 
fairest  principles.  You  took  pity  on  us  Indians.  You  did  not  do  as  our 
fathers,  the  British,  agreed  you  should.  You  might,  by  that  agreement, 
have  taken  all  our  lands ;  but  you  pitied  us,  and  let  us  hold  part.  I  always 
looked  upon  that  treaty  to  be  binding  upon  the  United  States  and  us  Indians." 

The  Indians  were  keen,  but  Wayne  was  keener ;  they  were  sagacious,  but 
Wayne  more  than  they ;  they  were  cunning,  but  Wayne  seemed  to  divine 
every  purpose  and  heated  with  a  direct  thrust;  they  were  convincing,  but, 
Wayne  showed  them  the  fallacy  of  their  position ;  they  were  deternimed,  but 
Wayne  met  them  with  a  greater  determination.  It  was  a  clash  between  the 
best  men  of  both  nations,  and  the  white  man,  as  usual,  won.  Wayne  suc- 
ceeded in  convincing  them  that  he  was  sincere  in  what  he  was  trying  to  do, 
and  that  the  great  father  at  Washington  expected  to  use  them  and  treat  them 
as  his  children.  He  gave  them  the  exact  conditions  of  the  treaty,  read  the 
provisions  to  them  time  and  time  again,  and  explained  each  and  every  pro- 
vision.' There  could  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  conditions  of  this  treaty.  That 
he  was  sincere  and  knew  exactly  how  to  impress  his  sincerity  upon  the  In- 
dians is  shown  by  the  following  speech  which  was  made  in  one  of  these 
meetings : 

"Brothers :  All  nations  present,  now  listen  to  me !  Having  now  ex- 
plained these  matters  to  you  and  informed  you  of  all  things  I  judged  neces- 
sary for  your  information,  we  have  nothiiig  to  do  but  to  bury  the  hatchet 
and  draw  a  veil  over  past  misfortunes.  As  you  have  buried  our  dead  with 
the  concern  of  brothers,  so  I  now  collect  the  bones  of  your  slain  warriors, 
put  them  ino  a  deep  pit  which  I  have  dug  and  cover  them  carefully  over  with 
this  large  belt,  there  to  remain  undisturbed.  I  also  dry  the  tears  from  your 
eyes,  and  wipe  the  blood  from  your  bodies  with  this  soft,  white  linen.  No 
bloody  traces  will  ever  lead  to  the  graves  of  your  departed  heroes — with  this 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1  I  I 

I  wipe  all  such  entirely  away.  I  deliver  it  to  your  uncle,  the  Wyandot,  wlm 
will  send  it  round  among  you.  (A  large  belt  with  a  white  string  attached.) 
I  now  take  the  hatchet  out  of  your  heads,  and  with  a  strong  arm  throw  it 
into  the  center  of  the  great  ocean,  where  no  mortal  can  ever  find  it;  and  I 
now  deliver  to  you  the  wide  and  straight  path  to  the  fifteen  fires,  to  be  used 
by  you  and  your  posterity  forever.  So  long  as  you  continue  to  follow  this 
road,  so  long  will  you  continue  to  be  a  happy  people.  You  set  it  is  straight 
and  wide,  and  they  will  be  blind  indeed  who  deviate  from  it.  I  place  it  also 
in  your  uncle's  hands,  that  he  may  preserve  it  for  you.  (A  large  road  belt.) 
I  will,  the  day  after  tomorrow,  show  you  the  cessions  you  have  made  to  the 
United  States,  and  point  out  to  you  the  lines  which  may,  for  the  future, 
divide  your  lands  from  theirs ;  and,  as  you  will  have  tomorrow  to  rest,  I  will 
order  you  a  double  allowance  of  drink — ^because  we  have  now  buried  the 
hatchet  and  performed  every  necessary  ceremony  to  render  propitious  our 
renovated  friendship." 

Thus  the  battle  of  argument  came  and  went  for  several  days,  until  all 
the  articles  of  the  treaty  had  been  read  and  explained  the  second  time. 
Wayne  put  squarely  at  the  representatives  of  each  tribe,  and  each  in  return 
answered  that  they  were  satisfied  with  the  treaty,  which  was  signed  on  the 
3d  of  August,  1795,  by  the  sachems,  chiefs  and  principal  men  of  the  Indian 
nations  who  inhabited  the  territory  of  the  United  States  northwest  of  the 
river  Ohio.  A  copy  of  the  treaty  was  delivered  to  each  nation,  and  on  the 
loth  of  August,  in  council.  General  Wayne,  at  the  close  of  a  short  speech, 
said :  "I  now  fervently  pray  to  the  Great  Spirit  that  the  peace  now  estab- 
lished may  be  permanent  and  that  it  may  hold  us  together  in  the  bonds  of 
friendship  until  time  shall  be  no  more.  I  also  pray  that  the  Great  Spirit 
above  may  enlighten  your  minds  and  open  your  eyes  to  your  true  happiness, 
that  your  children  may  learn  to  cultivate  the  earth  and  enjoy  the  fruits  of 
peace  and  industry.  As  it  is  probable,  my  children,  that  we  shall  not  soon 
meet  again  in  public  council,  I  take  this  opportunity  of  bidding  you  all  an 
affectionate  farewell,  and  of  wishing  you  a  safe  and  happy  return  to  your 
respective  homes  and  families." 

The  past  had  been  a  Herculean  one,  but  Wayne  had  proved  himself 
equal  to  the  occasion  and  the  treaty  was  concluded  in  a  manner  satisfactory 
to  the  government  and  to  the  Indian  tribes  as  well. 

The  Ordinance  of  1787  provided  for  what  is  termed  the  second  gov- 
ernment. That  is  when  the  territory  should  contain  five  thousand  free  in- 
habitants of  full  age,  they  should  elect  a  legislature  of  their  own.     The 


112  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

people  elected  the  members  of  the  House  or  Assembly,  and  this  House  or 
Assembly,  when  organized,  could  send  to  the  President  of  the  United  States 
the  names  of  ten  persons.  From  this  list  the  President  should  select  five, 
who  should  act  as  a  council  or  upper  body  of  the  Legislature.  On  the  29th 
day  of  October,  1798,  Governor  St.  Clair  issued  a  proclamation,  calling  for 
the  election  of  representatives  to  this  General  Assembly.  The  election  to 
take  place  on  the  third  Monday  of  December  and  was  to  convene  on  the 
following  22d  day  of  January,  or  January,  1799.  The  capital  at  this  time 
was  at  Cincinnati.  Governor  St.  Clair  was  extremely  anxious  that  the  new 
territorial  government  should  be  started  about  upon  a  broad,  sane,  moral 
basis,  and  to  that  effect  he  addressed  the  Assembly  or  Legislature  as  follows : 
The  providing  for  ,and  the  regulating  the  li\es  and  morals  of  the  present 
and  of  the  rising  generation,  for  the  repression  of  vice  and  immorality,  and 
for  the  protection  of  virtue  and  innocence,  for  the  security  of  property  and 
the  punishment  of  crime  is  a  sublime  employment.  Every  aid  in  my  power 
will  be  afforded,  and  I  hope  we  shall  bear  in  mind  that  the  character  and 
deportment  of  the  people  and, their  happiness,  both  here  and  hereafter,  de- 
pend very  much  upon  the  spirit  and  genius  of  their  laws."  The  territorial 
government  had  scarcely  been  started  when,  on  the  7th  of  Alay,  1800,  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  approved  an  act  of  Congress,  which  en- 
titled, "that  from  and  after  the  fourth  day  of  July  next,  all  that  part  of  the 
territory  of  the  United  States  northwest  of  the  Ohio  river,  which  lies  to  the 
westward  of  a  line  beginning  at  the  Ohio  opposite  to  the  mouth  of  Kentucky 
river  and  running  thence  to  Fort  RecoAer}-  and  thence  north  until  it  shall 
intersect  the  territorial  line  between  the  United  States  and  Canada,  shall,  for 
the  purpose  of  temporar\-  government,  constitute  a  separate  territory,  and  be 
called  the  Indiana  Territory.'"  An  act  to  divide  the  territory  of  the  United 
States  northwest  of  the  river  Ohio  into  two  separate  governments.  This  act 
put  them  back  into  the  first  form  of  territorial  government  again,  and  the 
William  Henry  Harrison,  who  had  been  elected  as  a  delegate  to  Congress 
under  the  old  territorial  government,  was  appointed  governor  and  govern- 
ment was  established  at  Vincennes,  where  Governor  Harrison  assumed  his 
duties  as  governor  in  January,  1801.  He  immediately  called  a  meeting  of 
the  territorial  judges,  who  met  promptly  and  enacted  several  laws.  In  1804 
Congress  attached  all  the  land  which  was  situated  west  of  the  ^lississippi 
river  and  north  of  the  33d  degree  north  latitude,  to  the  territory  of  Indiana, 
tinder  the  name  of  "District  of  Louisiana,"  but  in  1805  it  was  organized  as  a 
separate  territory.     The  population  of  the  new   Indiana  Territory  having 


KANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  II3 

increased  svifficiently,  Governor  Harrison  issued  a  proclamation,  calling  for 
an  election  of  members  of  the  Assembly  to  take  place  January  3,  1805.  The 
Assembly  met  at  Vincennes  on  the  first  of  February,  and  selected  ten  names 
for  the  President  to  choose  a  council  from,  just  as  they  had  done  in  former 
territorial  government.  A  few  days  after  this  January  election,  however, 
Congress  again  divided  territory,  cutting  off  what  is  known  as  the  "Territory 
of  Michigan." 

This  was  the  last  change  made  in  the  territorial  boundaries  until  1809, 
when  the  state  received  its  present  boundaries.  In  that  year,  February  3d, 
Congress  passed  a  bill  organizing  the  Illinois  territory.  '  This  bill  provided 
that  on  and  after  the  first  day  of  March,  1809,  all  that  part  of  the  territory 
lying  west  of  the  Wabash  river,  and  running  due  north  from  Vincennes, 
should  constitute  the  territory  of  Illinois.  This  left  matters  in  a  very  muddled 
condition,  and  many  doubted  whether  the  Legislature  was  really  a  legally 
organized  body  or  not.  General  Harrison,  himself,  was  in  doubt,  and  as 
soon  as  the  election  was  over  and  the  Legislature  chosen,  it  was  dissolved 
by  him.  Another  election  was  called  for  in  May,  and  he  fixed  the  number  of 
members  of  the  House  to  be  elected  as  eight,  one  less  than  the  minimum 
number  prescribed  by  the  act  of  Congress.  He  also  called  for  the  election 
of  a  Congressional  delegate  at  the  same  time.  It  has  been  thought  by  some 
that  his  purpose  in  doing  this  was  to  get  the  real  voice  of  the  people  on  the 
question  of  slavery.  Doubts  again  arose  as  to  the  legality  of  this  election. 
But  the  governor  held  that  it  was  legal,  and  did  not  change  his  opinion  until 
they  held  the  election  illegal.  The  governor  apportioned  the  territory  and 
ordered  a  new  election. 

In  the  meantime  thousands  of  emigrants  were  pouring  into  the  state, 
and  the  feeling  became  prevalent  that  the  territorial  govefnment  was  inade- 
quate to  their  needs,  and  that  statehood  was  desired.  Pursuant  to  this,  the 
territorial  Legislature  adopted  a  memorial  on  the  14th  of  December,  1816, 
asking  Congress  to  admit  Indiana  into  the  Union  as  a  state,  upon  equal  foot- 
ing with  the  original  state.  This  memorial  met  with  favor  on  the  part  of 
Congress,  and  it  passed  an  enabling  act  authorizing  an  election  to  be  held  on 
the  first  Monday  of  May,  1816,  for  the  election  of  delegates  to  the  conven- 
tion, to  frame  the  state's  constitution.  The  delegates  were  duly  elected  and 
the  convention  began  its  session  at  Corydon  on  June  loth,  1816,  and  re- 
mained in  session  nineteen  days.  The  act  of  Congress  that  enabled  the 
people  of  Indiana  Territory  to  form  a  Constitution  and  State  Government 
contained  certain  conditions  and  propositions  in  respect  to  boundaries,  juris- 
(8) 


114  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

diction,  school  lands,  salt  springs,  land  for  seat  of  government,  etc.  All  of 
these  conditions  and  propositions  were  ratified  and  accepted  by  an  ordinance 
which  was  passed  by  the  Territorial  convention  at  Corydon  on  the  last  day 
of  its  session,  June  29,  1816.  The  conditions  as  to  boundaries  were:  that 
the  new  state  should  be  "bounded  on  the  east  by  the  meridian  line  which 
forms  the  western  boundary  of  the  state  of  Ohio,  being  a  north  line  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Miami ;  on  the  south  by.the  Ohio  river,  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Great  Miami  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  Wabash;  on  the  west  by  a  line 
drawn  along  the  middle  of  the  Wabash  from  its  mouth  to  a  point  where  a 
due  north  line  drawn  from  the  town  of  Vincennes  would  last  touch  the 
northwestern  shore  of  said  river,  and  from  thence,  by  a  due  north  line 
until  the  same  shall  intersect  an  east  and  west  line  drawn  through  a  point 
ten  miles  north  of  the  southern  extreme  of  Lake  Michigan;,  on  the  north  by 
the  said  east  and  west  line  until  the  same  shall  intersect  the  first  mentioned 
meridian  line  which  forms  the  western  boundary  of  the  state  of  Ohio." 
Controversies  have  arisen  at  different  times  concerning  the  eastern  and  north- 
ern boundaries  of  the  state,  but  the  one  that  interests  us  is  the  line  between 
Indiana  and  Ohio  as  that  affects  the  eastern  boundary  of  Randolph  county. 
This  confusion  arises  because  of  the  difference  between  the  line  as  described 
in  the  act  of  April  19,  1816,  or  the  one  enabling  us  to  be  admitted  as  a  state, 
and  that  of  May  7,  1800,  when  the  territory  northwest  of  the  Ohio  river 
was  divided  into  two  districts.  By  that  act,  Congress  declared,  "That  from 
and  after  the  fourth  day  of  July  next  all  that  part  of  the  territory  of  the 
United  States  northwest  of  the  Ohio  river,  which  lies  to  the  westward  of  a 
line  beginning  at  the  Ohio  opposite  to  the  mouth  of  Kentucky  river,  and 
running  thence  to  Fort  Recovery,  and  thence  north  until  it  shall  intersect  the 
territorial  line  between  the  United  States  and  Canada,  shall,  for  the  purpose 
of  temporary  government,  constitute  a  separate  territory,  and  be  called  the 
Indiana  Territory."  It  will  be  noticed  in  the  above  that  this  division  of  terri- 
tory was,  "for  the  purpose  of  temporary  government,"  and  not  for  a  gov- 
ernment permanent  as  the  state  would  be.  The  mouth  of  the  Kentucky 
river  is  several  miles  west  of  that  of  the  Great  Miami.  The  line  provided 
for  in  the  act  of  May  7,  1800,  would  not  have  been  a  due  north  and  south 
line,  but  would  have  run  east  of  north  until  it  reached  Fort  Recovery  on  the 
headwaters  of  the  Wabash,  and  from  thence  would  run  due  north.  Such  a 
line  as  that  proposed  by  this  act  would  have  given  to  Ohio  quite  a  strip  along 
the  southeast  side  of  Indiana,  while  it  would  have  added  to  Indiana  some  of 
the  territorv  now  in  Ohio  north  of  Fort  Recovery.     This  line  enters  Ran- 


KANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  II5 

dolph  county  about  four  miles  west  of  the  Ohio  line  and  passes  out  of  the 
county  almost  in  the  comer  of  Jackson  township.  It  is  known  on  the  map 
as  the  ''Old  Indian  Boundary  Line.'' 

The  convention  that  formed  the  first  constitution  of  the  state  of 
Indiana  was  composed,  mainly,  of  clear-minded,  unpretending  men  of  com- 
mon sense,  whose  patriotism  was  uncjuestionable  and  whose  morals  were 
fair.  Their  familiarity  with  the  theories  of  the  Declaration  of  American 
Independence — their  territorial  experience  under  the  provisions  of  the  ordi- 
nance of  1787- — and  their  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States,  were  sufficient,  when  combined,  to  lighten,  materially, 
their  labors  in  the  great  work  of  forming  a  constitution  for  a  new  state. 
With  such  landmarks  in  view,  the  labors  of  similar  conventions  in  other 
states  and  territories  have  been  rendered  comparatively  light. 

In  the  clearness  and  consciousness  of  its  style — in  the  comprehensive  and 
just  provisions  which  it  made  for  the  maintenance  of  civil  and  religious 
liberty — in  its  mandates,  which  were  designed  to  protect  the  rights  of  the 
people,  collectively  and  individually,  and  to  provide  for  the  public  welfare — 
the  constitution  that  was  formed  for  Indiana  in  1816  was  not  inferior  to  any 
of  the  state  constitutions  which  were  in  existence  at  that  time." 

The  voting  for  the  members  of  the  first  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of 
Indiana  resulted  in  the  election  of  ten  members  of  the  Senate  and  twenty- 
nine  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives.  What  is  now  a  part  of 
Randolph  county  was  then  a  part  of  Wayne,  and  our  senator  was  Patrick 
Baird.  Our  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives  were:  Joseph  Hol- 
man,  Ephraim  Overman  and  John  Scott.  Ephraim  Overman  afterwards 
removed  to  Randolph  county  and  lived  near  Arba.  It  was  his  oldest  son, 
Eli,  who  was  one  of  the  first  commissioners  of  the  county.  Thus  the  terri- 
torial government  of  Indiana  was  superseded  by  a  State  Government  on  the 
7th  of  November,  1816,  and  the  State  of  Indiana  was  formally  admitted  into 
the  Union  by  a  joint  resolution  of  Congress,  approved  on  the  nth  day  of 
December  in  the  same  year.  Upon  its  admission  into  the  Union,  Indiana  had 
fifteen  counties,  namely:  Knox,  Gibson,  Posey,  Perry,  Warrick,  Wayne, 
Franklin,  Washington,  Orange,  Jackson,  Jefferson,  Switzerland,  Dearborn, 
Harrison  and  Clark.  After  the  organization  of  Indiana  as  a  state,  the 
organization  of  counties  was  very  rapid.  During  1816-17  four  counties 
were  organized.  During  1818  eight  counties,  Randolph  being  one  of  them. 
After  1818  the  settlement  of  the  state  became  much  more  rapid,  as  all  of  the 
great  central  and  northern  part  of  the  state  was  opened  to  settlement  during 


Il6  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

that  year,  having  been  purchased  from  the  Indians  October  6,  1818.  From 
1818  to  1822  seventeen  counties  were  organized;  1823  to  1828,  fourteen 
counties;  1830  to  183.7,  twenty-one  counties;  1843  to  1871,  thirteen  counties; 
making  in  all  the  ninety-two  counties  of  the  state.  The  state  early  fixed  a 
liberal  policy  for  the  organization  of  counties.  After  the  Legislature 
had  passed  a  bill,  authorizing  the  organization  of  a  new  county,  in  which  it 
would  state  definitely  the  boundary  of  said  county,  the  governor  would  issue 
an  order  of  election  to  some  person  in  the  new  county,  as  sheriff,  authoriz- 
ing him  to  hold  an  election,  in  which  there  would  be  elected  two  associate 
judges  of  the  circuit  court,  one  clerk,  one  recorder,  and  three  commissioners. 
Of  course,  one  of  the  new  needs  of  a  county  would  be  the  county  seat  or  seat 
of  justice.  On  January  2,  1818,  the  Legislature  passed  an  act  fixing  the  seat 
of  justices  in  all  the  new  counties.  The  General  Assembly  would  appoint 
five  commissioners,  who  were  non-residents,  three  of  whom  should  be  a 
quorum.  These  commissioners  "shall  proceed  to  fix  in  the  most  eligible  and 
convenient  place  for  the  permanent  seat  of  justice  for  each  new  county, 
taking  into  vien'  the  extent  of  the  county,  the  quality  of  the  land  and  the 
prospects  of  future  as  well  as  the  weight  of  present  population,  together 
with  the  probability  of  future  division;  and  it  shall  be  the  further  duty  of 
the  said  commissioners  to  receive  donations  in  land  from  any  person  or  per- 
sons owning  land  in  the  said  county,  and  offering  donations  in  land  for  the 
use  of  the  same,  and  to  fix  on  such  place  for  the  seat  of  justice,  in  said  new 
county,  as  near  as  may  be  the  center  of  that  tract  or  district,  which  is  likely 
to  remain  permanent  after  future  divisions,  as  may  best  conserve  to  the  in- 
terests of  said  county."  The  county  commissioners  should  then  appoint  a 
county  agent,  A\hose  duty  it  was  to  plot  the  ground  so  donated  to  the  county, 
advertise  for  the  sales  of  these  plots,  give  deed  to  the  purchasers,  and  in 
general  act  as  business  agent  of  the  county.  The  money  derived  from  the 
sales  of  these  plots  should  be  used,  first,  to  pay  the  locating  commissioners; 
second,  to  pay  the  purchase  price  if  any  land  had  been  bought.  This  was 
not  done,  however,  in  Randolph  county,  as  the  land  was  all  donated,  of 
which  we  shall  speak  later.  Third,  to  pay  for  public  buildings,  and  fourth, 
if  any  funds  then  remained,  they  should  be  put  in  the  general  fund  for  the 
support  of  the  county.  But  it  will  be  seen  that  an  exception  to  thi;  law  was 
made  for  a  county  library  fund  in  Randolph  county.  Pursuant  to  and  in 
harmony  with  these  laws  and  upon  a  petition  from  people  in  the  north  end 
of  Wayne  county,  the  following  act  was  approved  January  10,  1818. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


it; 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY    ORGANIZED. 

An  Act  for  the  formation  of  a  new  county  off  the  north  end  of  Wayne. 

Section  i.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  In- 
diana, That  from  and  after  the  tenth  day  of  August  next,  all  that  part  of  llie 
county  of  Wayne,  which  is  enclosed  in  the  following  bounds,  shall  form  and 
constitute  a  new  county  (that  is  to  say).  Beginning  at  the  state  of  Ohio  line, 
where  the  line  that  divides  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  townships  strikes  said 
Ohio  line ;  thence  west  with  said  township  line  until  it  strikes  the  old  bound- 
ary; thence  westward  with  the  center  line  of  the  i8th  township  in  the  new 
purchase  until  it  strikes  the  Indian  boundary;  thence  northward  with  said 
boundary  line  until  it  strikes  the  state  of  Ohio  line ;  thence  south  with  said  line 
to  the  place  of  beginning. 


Ft  Recoverv^ 


Randolph  Co. 

Aug.  1818. 


Sec.  2.  The  said  county  shall,  from  and  after  the  tenth  day  of  August 
next,  be  known  and  designated  by  the  name  and  style  of  the  county  of  Ran- 
dolph; and  it  shall  enjoy  all  the  rights,  privileges  and  jurisdictions  which  to 
a  separate  county  do  or  may  properly  belong. 


Il8  KANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Sec.  3.  William  Major,  of  Dearborn  county;  Williamson  Dunn,  of 
Jefferson  county;  Stephen  C.  Stevens,  James  Brownlee  and  John  Bryson,  of 
Franklin  county,  be,  and  they  are  hereby  appointed  commissioners  to  desig- 
nate the  place  for  the  permanent  seat  of  justice  of  Randolph  county,  agree- 
ably to  an  act,  entitled  "An  Act  for  fixing  the  seats  of  justice  in  all  new 
counties  hereafter  to  be  laid  off."  The  commissioners  above  named  shall 
convene  at  the  house  of  Ephraim  Overman,  on  the  first  Monday  in  Septem- 
ber next,  and  then  proceed  to  discharge  Jhe  duties  assigned  them  by  law; 
and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  sheriff  of  the  county  of  Wayne  to  notify  the 
said  commissioners,  either  in  person  or  by  written  notification,  of  their  said 
appointment,  at  least  ten  days  previous  to  the  time  appointed  for  the  meeting 
of  the  said  commissioners.  And  the  said  sheriff  shall  be  allowed  a  reasonable 
compensation  for  his  services  out  of  the  first  monies  in  the  treasury  of 
said  county  of  Randolph,  to  be  allowed  and  paid  as  other  county  claims  are. 

Sec.  4.  The  board  of  commissioners  of  said  new  county  shall,  within 
six  mouths  after  the  permanent  seat  of  justice  shall  be  established,  proceed 
to  erect  the  necessary  buildings  thereon. 

Sec.  5.  Until  suitable  accommodations  can  be  had,  in  the  opinion  of 
the  circuit  court,  at  the  seat  of  justice  of  said  new  county,  all  the  courts  of 
justice  shall  be  holden  at  the  house,  of  William  Way,  or  such  place  to  which 
the  court  shall  adjourn,  in  said  county ;  after  which  time  the  circuit  court 
and  all  courts  necessary  to  be  held  at  the  county  seat,  shall  be  adjourned  to 
the  same. 

Sec.  6.  Whenever  the  seat  of  justice  within  the  county  of  Randolph 
shall  have  been  established,  the  person  or  persons  authorized  to  dispose  of 
and  sell  the  lots  at  the  seat  of  justice,  shall  reserve  ten  per  centum  on  the 
net  proceeds  of  the  whole  sale,  for  the  use  of  a  county  library  in  said 
county;  which  sum  or  sums  of  money  shall  be  paid  over  to  such  person  or 
persons  as  may  be  authorized  to  receive  the  same,  in  such  manner  and  in 
such  installments  as  shall  be  authorized  by  law. 

Sec.  7.  All  that  part  of  Randolph  county  which  was  formerly  the 
county  of  Wayne  shall  constitute  to  form  a  part  of  the  Wayne  district  for 
the  purpose  of  electing  senators  and  representatives  to  the  General  As- 
sembly, until  otherwise  authorized  by  law. 

This  act  to  take  effect  and  be  in  force  from  and  after  the  tenth  day  of 
August  next. 

In  accordance  with  the  laws  then  in  force,  Governor  Jennings  appointed 
David  Wright,  sheriff,  to  organize  the  county.     He  did  so,  by  making  two 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I  IQ 

Ijrecincts,  Greensfork  and  White  river,  the  chief  settlements  being  on  these 
two  streams.  An  election  was  held  in  August,  1818  (the  exact  day  not 
being  known),  to  choose  associate  judges,  sheriff,  clerk,  recorder  and  three 
county  commissioners,  which  officers  were  chosen  as  follows :  William 
Edwards  and  John  Wright,  associate  judges ;  David  Wright,  sheriff ;  Charles 
Conway,  clerk  and  recorder;  Eli  Overman,  Benjamin  Cox  and  John  James, 
commissioners.  Mr.  Tucker,  in  his  history,  speaks  of  a  coroner  having  been 
elected,  and  that  Solomon  Wright  was  elected  to  this  office,  but  we  have 
failed  to  find  any  such  mention  made  in  the  records.  To  control  the  or- 
ganizations of  counties  and  townships  and  the  election  of  officers  in  same, 
the  legislature  has  passed  the  following  act : 

An  Act  to  provide  for  the  election  of  county  and  township  officers. 

Sec.  3.  The  county  commissioners  of  each  county,  at  their  first  meet- 
ing after  being  elected,  shall  lay  off  their  counties  respectively,  into  a  suitable 
number  of  townships,  describing  the  bounds  thereof,  which  they  shall  cause 
to  be  fairly  recorded,  and  shall,  from  time  to  time  thereafter,  make  such 
alterations  and  additional  townships  as  they  may  think  proper:  Provided, 
however,  no  new  township  shall  be  laid  off  without  an  application  from  at 
least  thirty  citizens  residing"  within  the  bounds  of  such  intended  new  town- 
ship by  petition ;  Said  petitioners  or  some  one  of  them  having  published  such 
intention  of  applying  for  a  new  township,  by  setting  up  a  written  notice 
thereof  in  three  of  the  most  public  places  within  such  bounds,  thirty  days 
before  such  application  is  to  be  made :  Provided,  that  the  board  of  county 
commissioners  of  the  several  counties  in  this  state  shall  not  lay  off  more  than 
eight  townships  in  their  respective  counties;  and  provided,  also,  that  not 
more  than  twenty  justices  of  the  peace  shall  be  elected  or  commissioned  for 
any  one  county. 

Sec.  4.  After  the  board  of  commissioners  shall  have  laid  off  their 
counties,  respectively,  into  a  suitable  number  of  townships  as  above  directed, 
they  shall  order  an  election  in  each,  on  such  day  as  they  may  direct,  for  such 
number  of  justices  of  the  peace,  not  exceeding  three,  as  shall  be  assigned  by 
them  to  each  township;  which  election  shall  be  held  and  conducted  in  all 
respects  according  to  the  laws  of  this  state  regulating  elections,  and  the  per- 
son having  the  highest  number  of. votes  (to  the  number  to  be  elected  in  such 
township)  shall  be  elected;  the  returns  of  which  election  shall  be  made  to  the 
clerk's  office  of  the  circuit  court,  in  the  same  manner  that  returns  of  the 
general  elections  are  made. 


120-  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


COUNTY    ORGANIZED. 


Pursuant  to  this  act,  the  three  commissioners,  Eli  Overman,  Benjamin 
Cox  and  John  James,  met  in  early  August,  presumably  the  loth,  in  the 
cabin  of  Benjamin  Cox,  and  organized  Randolph  County  into  townships. 
The  cabin  of  Mr.  Cox  stood  near  the  river  east  of  w^hat  is  known  as  the 
White  River  Church,  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  Section  15,  Township  20, 
Range  14.    This  land  had  been  entered  by  Mr.  Cox,  September  11,  1817. 

What  a  wonderful  and  interesting  thing  that  was  surrounded  by  an  un- 
broken wilderness,  and  with  nothing  for  precedence  or  guidance  they  were 
entrusted  with  the  organization  of  what  was  to  become  one  of  the  greatest 
counties  of  their  commonwealth.  They  were  men,  howeveV,  of  unusual 
ability,  excellence  of  character,  sincerity  of  purpose,  and  actuated  by  lofty 
ideals  of  citizenship. 

Mr.  Cox  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  in  the  year  1785  and  moved  to 
Ohio  in  1806,  and  to  W^hite  River,  east  of  Winchester,  the  fall  of  1816.  He 
married  Ann  Rhodes  and  had  eight  children,  all  of  whom  were  married 
and  had  families.  He  entered  land  on  -White  River,  and  lived  there  until  he 
died  in  about  1852,  sixty-seven  years  of  age.  He  was  a  minister  among 
Friends  and  his  work  was  acceptable  and  useful.  While  upon  a  religious 
mission,  in  North  Carolina,  his  wife  died  in  her  sixty-third  year.  Mr.  Cox 
was  not  only  a  minister,  but  taught  school,  having  taught  school  in  the  settle- 
ment, probably  about  1820.  Mr.  Cox  was  especially  fitted  for  the  work  of 
organization  and  was  the  only  one  of  the  three  commissioners  who  was  buried 
in  the  county  which  he  had  helped  to  organize. 

Eli  Overman,  the  second  commissioner,  was  also  a  member  of  the 
Friends  church.  We  have  heard  of  his  having  been  a  minister  in  the 
church,  but  he  was  a  teacher  and  taught  the  first  school  in  the  settlement 
near  Arba,  having  taught  there  in  1820,  probably  the  same  time  that  Cox  was 
teaching  near  White  River.  Mr.  Overman  afterward  moved  to  Grant 
County  and  died  there.  Mr.  James  also  lived  near  Arba,  having  settled 
there  about  1816  to  181 8,  having  bought  the  land  that  was  entered  by  John 
Thomas.  Mr.  James  was  a  Baptist  minister,  and,  like  Mr.  Overman,  re- 
moved to  Grant  County,  where  he  died. 

It  will  be  seen  that  Randolph  county  was  the  most  northern  county  or- 
ganized in  the  state,  and  that  the  territory  had  been  obtained  from  three 
sources.  The  land  beginning  at  the  old  Indiana  boundary  line  of  1795  was 
obtained  from  the  Indians  in  the  treaty  of  Greenville,  1795.  The  remainder 
of  the  county  was  the  northern  part  of  what  is  sometimes  called  the  Twelve 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  121 

Mile  Purchase  or  the  Cession  of  1809.  This  strip  of  land  is  twelve  miles 
wide  and  its  western  boundary  is  parallel  to  the  treaty  line  of  1795,  and  was 
obtained  by  a  treaty  of  September  30,  1809,  at  Fort  Wayne  with  the  Miami, 
Delaware  and  Potawatamie  tribes. 

The  western  boundary  of  Randolph  county  at  this  time  is  known  in  the 
record  of  the  New  Indian  Boundary  Line,  although  recent  map  makers  of 
the  county  have  persisted  in  the  error  of  calling  it  the  "Old  Indian  Boundary 
Line."  The  Old  Indian  Boundary  line  is  the  line  of  1795,  and  it  starts  in 
Greensfork  township  and  crosses  the  county  to  the  corner  of  Jackson.  The 
remainder  of  the  land  in  Randolph  county  at  this  time  (1914)  was  obtained 
from  the  Miami  Indians,  October  16,  1818,  and  is  usually  known  as  the 
New  Purchase. 

As  we  have  said  before,  Randolph  county  was  organized  in  early 
August,  1818,  in  the  cabin  of  Benjamin  Cox,  with  Eli  Overman,  Benjamin 
Cox,  John  James,  as  commissioners,  and  Charles  Conway  as  clerk.  Upon 
that  memorable  day  they  proceeded  to  organize  the  county  as  directed  by 
law,  and  the  first  article  written  is  an  account  of  their  meeting. 

It  shall  be  ouj  endeavor  to  give  all  these  records  of  organization  and 
to  quote  exactly  the  records  as  found  in  the  minutes  of  the  meetings  of  the 
commissioners.  These  records  are  well  preserved,  and  with  the  exception 
of  those  from  1820  to  November,  1826,  are  all  to  be  found  in  the  court  house 
at  Winchester. 

Mr.  Conway,  the  clerk,  held  that  office  for  a  number  of  years,  and  all 
these  records  were  made  by  him,  and  they  certainly  show  the  ability  of  this 
man  to  act  in  this  capacity. 

The  first  item  placed  in  these  records  is  as  follows :  "Beginning  on  the 
new  boundary  line  one  mile  South  of  the  Tweenteeth  Township  and  in  the 
nineteenth  township,  thence  East  With  Said  Section  line  to  the  old  Boundry 
line,  then  South  to  Where  the  section  line  Between  Section  twenty-two  and 
Section  twenty-seven  Intersect  the  same,  thence  East  with  said  line  to  the 
State  line  between  the  State  of  Indiana  and  the  State  of  Ohio,  all  that  part 
of  Randolph  County  south  of  the  above  Discribed  line  to  be  Known  by  the 
name  of  Greensfork  Township  and  all  that  part  of  said  County  North  of 
said  line  to  be  Known  by  the  name  of  Whiteriver  Township. 

Ordered  that  an  Election  be  held  at  the  house  of  William  Wright  in 
Whiteriver  Township  on  the  Twenty-ninth  day  of  August,  1818,  to  Elect 
two  Justices  of  the  Peace  and  two  Constables  in  said  Township  for  the  time 
Limited  by  Law  and  appointed  John  Wright  Inspector  of  Elections  in  said 
Township  for  one  year."     There  was  evidently  a  mistake  in  these  records 


122  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

because  if  they  ran  to  the  old  boundary  Hne  and  then  south,  they  could  not 
have  gone  between  sections  22  and  27,  for  this  was  north  of  the  east  and 
west  line.  In  the  map  of  Randolph  county  of  August,  1818,  two  dotted 
lines  will  be  seen  on  the  upper  right  hand  part  of  Greensfork  township. 
The  upper  line  indicates  the  line  betwen  sections  22  and  27,  the  lower  line 
indicates  where  it  would  be  had  they  gone  south.  We  think  the  latter  is  the 
right  one,  as  will  be  shown  in  the  organization  of  Jackson  township  later  on. 
It  is  no  wonder,  however,  that  they  shoij^ld  make  such  a  slight  error,  because 
the  surveys  were  not  very  well  known  at  that  time. 

Section  three  of  the  act  for  the  formation  of  Randolph  county  pro- 
vided that  William  Major,  of  Dearborn  county;  Williamson  Dunn,  of  Jef- 
ferson county;  Stephen  C.  Stevens,  James  Brownlee  and  John  Bryson,  of 
Franklin  county,  be,  and  they  are  hereby  appointed  commissioners  to  desig- 
nate a  place  for  the  county  seat  of  justice  of  Randolph  county.  They  were 
to  convene  at  the  house  of  Ephraim  Overman,  on  the  first  Monday  in  Sep- 
tember, and  then  to  proceed  to  describe  the  duties  assigned  them  by  law.  It 
is  scarcely  probable  that  all  these  men  met  at  that  time;  in  fact,  the  only 
record  indicates  that  only  two  of  them  were  present,  for  in  the  November 
term  of  1818  we  find  that  it  was  "Ordered  that  the  treasurer  pay  unto 
Daniel  Petty  for  accounts  Produced  from  Williamson  Dunn  and  John  Bry- 
son two  of  the  State  Commissioners  for  Establishing  the  seat  of  Justice  in 
Randolph  County  By  the  said  Petty  the  sum  of  Xinetyseven  Dollars."  Just 
who  Mr.  Petty  was,  and  why  he  should  have  the  account  is  not  known. 

It  is  said  that  the  commissioners  were  in  dotibt  as  to  the  best  place  to  put 
the  seat  of  justice.  One  of  them  favored  putting  it  at  Sampleton,  located  in 
section  22.  The  others  favored  \\'inchester.  ^Ir.  Sample  and  other  resi- 
dents of  that  community  would  not  donate  any  land,  however,  for  the  use 
of  the  county  and  this  became  the  deciding  factor,  for  by  establishing  the 
county  seat  at  Winchester,  these  commissioners  received  and  procured  for 
the  county  donations  of  land  as  follows:  Charles  Conway,  60  acres;  John 
Wright,  50  acres;  David  Wright,  10  acres;  David  Stout,  18  acres;  Daniel 
Petty,  20  acres.  One  hundred  and  fifty-eight  acres  in  all  is  certainly  a^ 
splendid  donation  to  the  county.  This  land  is  all  located  in  sections  20  and 
21,  township  20  north,  range  14,  in  and  around  the  town  of  Winchester. 
These  commissioners  decided,  as  they  had  a  right  to  do,  to  locate  the  seat 
of  justice  upon  this  land.  It  is  said  that  when  they  decided  to  put  the  court 
yard  where  it  is,  that  Eli  Overman,  who  was  a  school  teacher,  and  for  that 
reason   was  acquainted  with  the  ceremonies  that  Columbus   went  through 


P.ANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


123 


taking  San  Salvador,  and  the  demonstrations  that  Balboa  made  in  taking  the 
Pacific  for  the  King  and  Queen  of  Spain,  took  the  Jacob  staff  and  stuck  it  in 
the  ground  with  a  solemn  declaration,  "Here  shall  be  the  northeast  corner 
of  the  public  square."  Whether  Mr.  Overman  was  in  jest  or  in  earnest,  of 
course,  is  not  known,  but  it  does  show  the  importance  Avhich  he  placed  to  the 
act  that  had  been  done  that  clay.  Paul  Way  was  appointed  county  agent,  at 
what  time  is  not  known,  but  it  was  before  the  May  term  in  1819,  however, 
as  Mr.  Way  made  a  report  at  that  session.  Mr.  Way  was  a  surveyor  and 
laid  off  the  gifts  of  land  in  town  lots,  of  which  more  will  be  said  later  on. 
The  commissioners  proceeded  at  once  to  arrange  for  public  buildings,  but 
these  will  be  discussed  at  another  time. 

At  this  time  we  shall  trace  the  development  of  township  organization, 
until  the  present  or  permanent  form  of  the  county  was  obtained.  As  has 
been  said,  the  county  was  organized  into  two  townships  in  August,  1818,  as 
shown  by  the  map  of  the  county  at  that  time.  The  settlement  of  the  county 
was  rapid  and  as  the  number  increased  the  demand  for  new  townships  also 
increased.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  as  the  population  in  any  part  of  the 
county  would  increase,  the  demand  for  a  new  township  would  be  made  in 
that  part  of  the  county. 

Ft  fiKovBKY. 


f?ANDOLPH  Co. 


124  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


WEST    RIVER   TOWNSHIP. 


West  River  township,  as  shown  by  the  map  of  November,  1819,  was 
petitioned  for  in  the  November  session  as  follows :  "Reed  the  petition  of 
sundry  Inhabitants  of  the  West  Part  of  Greens  fork  Township  Praying  that 
a  new  Township  may  be  laid  off  Beginning  on  the  line  of  Wayne  County  at 
the  West  line  of  Section  Sixteen  in  Township  Eighteen  and  Range  fourteen 
thence  with  Said  line  to  the  line  of  Whiter iver  Township.  Ordered  that  all 
that  Part  of  Greensfork  Township  West  of  the  above  described  line  be  and 
the  same  is  hereby  stricken  off  into  a  new  Township  to  be  Known  by  the 
name  of  Westriver  Township.  All  Elections  in  said  Township  are  to  be  held 
at  the  house  of  Jess  Cox.  William  Smith  is  hereby  appointed  Inspector  of 
Elections  in  Westriver  Township.  Ordered  that  an  Election  in  Westriver 
Township  on  th€  first  Saturday  in  December  next  for  the  Purpose  of  Elect- 
ing Two  Justices  of  the  Peace  in  said  Township."  Great  changes  were  made 
in  the  county  in  1820. 

WAYNE   TOWNSHIP. 

In  1818  the  new  purchase  of  the  cession  with  the  Miami  Indians  had 
been  made  and  all  the  central  and  northern  parts  of  Indiana  were  opened  to 
settlement.  The  surveys  were  made,  and  dispositions  were  made  of  the  land 
in  1820.  It  must  be  remembered  that  Randolph  county  was  the  most  north- 
ern county  organized  at  that  time,  and  on  January  20th  of  that  year,  the 
following  law  was  approved :  Sec.  i .  Be  it  enacted  by  the  General  Assem- 
bly of  the  State  of  Indiana,  that  all  that  part  of  the  New  Purchase,  recently 
acquired  from  the  Indians,  which  lies  east  of  a  due  north  line,  drawn  from 
the  northwest  corner  of  Randolph  county,  and  north  of  said  Randolph 
county,  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby  attached  to  the  said  county  of  Randolph 
county  and  from  henceforth  shall  be  held  and  considered  an  integral  part 
of  Randolph  county.  The  northwest  corner  of  the  county  at  that  time  was 
where  a  boundary  line  of  1809  left  the  parallel  direction  to  the  old  boundary 
line  and  went  directly  to  Fort  Recovery,  Ohio.  It  is  about  one  mile  south- 
west of  where  Ridgeville  now  is.  This  extended  Randolph  county  to  the 
Michigan  line  and  it  became  necessary  to  organize  this  portion  into  a  town- 
ship. The  commissioners  did  this  in  their  August  term  of  that  year,  when 
it  was  "Ordered  that  part  of  the  New  Purchase  Which  was  added  to  the 
County  of  Randolph  by  a  late  act  of  Assembly  into  a  new  Township  to  be 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


125 


Known  and  Designated  by  the  name  of  Wayne  Township  and  that  all  the 
Klections  to  be  held  in  Wayne  Township  be  held  at  the  house  of  Dr  William 
Turner.  Ordered  that  Ezra  Taylor  be  Inspector  of  Elections  in  Wayne 
Township  for  and  During  the  term  of  one  year.     Ordered  that  an  Election 


§ 

o 

DO 

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vr> 

u 


Randolph  Co.  1520 


so 

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Q 


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-IS 


Wayne 
Au6.\4-\d2Q, 


Ward 
Au6.)5'\d20. 


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ill 


White  RiVfR. 


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RlVPR. 


I'' 

» 


GRrewsfibRK. 


be  held  in  Wayne  Township  on  the  last  Saturday  in  November  Next  for  the 
Purpose  of  Electing  two  Justices  of  the  Peace  and  one  Constable  in  said 
Township."  The  Dr.  William  Turner,  in  whose  house  the  election  was  to  be 
held,  lived  m  Fort  Wayne,  as  did  the  inspector,  Mr.  Ezra  Taylor.  The 
treasurer's  record  shows  that  ^Ir.  Taylor  received  seventv-five  cents  for 
l)ringing  the  election  returns  from  Fort  Wayne  to  Winchester.  He  certainly 
earned  his  seventy-five  cents.  This  Wayne  township  should  not  be  contused 
Avith  the  present  township  of  Wayne. 


126 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


WARD    TOWNSHIP. 

On  the  next  clay,  August  15,  the  commissioners  proceeded  to  organize 
Ward  township,  as  follows:  "Ordered  that  all  that  part  of  Whiterivcr 
Township  North  of  an  East  and  west  line  Dividing  the  twent3'^eth  and 
twentyfirst  Congressional  Township  be  stricken  off  into  a  new  Township  to 
be  Known  and  Designated  by  the  name?  of  Ward  Township.  Ordered  that 
all  Elections  in  Ward  Township  be  held  at  the  house  of  James  Massey  and 
that  James  Massey  be  Inspector  of  Elections  in  Ward  for  one  year.     Or- 


Randolph  Co.  1824 


kVARO  \8B0       li: 


J4 


Rjvei^ 


l<8 

/I 

'  O 


(5R£eM5^0RK 


dered  that  an  Election  in  Ward  Township  on  the  second  Satturday  in  Sep- 
tember Next  for  the  Purpose  of  Electing  two  Justices  of  the  Peace  and  one 
Constable  in  said  Township." 

The  county  retained  these  boundaries  until  the  23d  of  December,  1822, 
when  the  following  act  was  approved:  Be  it  enacted  by  the  General  As- 
sembly of  the  State  of  Indiana,  that  all  that  part  of  the  New  Purchase, 
lately  acquired  from  the  Indians  contained  in  the  following  boundaries, 
to-wit:  "Beginning  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Randolph  County,  thence 
west  four  miles,  thence  due  north  until  it  strikes  the  northern  boundary  of 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I27 

Indiana,  shall  from  henceforth  form  and  constitute  a  part  of  the  County  of 
Randolph,  in  as  full  and  complete  a  manner  as  though  it  had  been  attached 
to  and  formed  a  part  of  said  county  at  the  beginning  of  its  formation." 
This  made  the  boundary  line,  in  December  23,  1820,  about  three-fourths  of 
a  mile  east  of  where  our  present  (1914)  western  boundary  is.  At  this  same 
time  Randolph  county  was  given  control  over  Delaware  county,  ~W'hich  com- 
prised all  the-  northwestern  part  of  the  state  east  of  the  second  meridian  not 
included  in  Randolph  county.  By  an  act  relative  to  county  boundaries,  ap- 
proved January  31,  1824,  Randolph  county  was  defined  as  follows:  "Sec. 
8.  That  all  the  territory  included  within  the  following  boundaries  shall  form 
and  constitute  the  county  of  Randolph,  to-wit :  Beginning  at  the  Ohio  state 
line,  where  the  line  dividing  townships  fifteen  and  sixteen  strikes  the  same; 
thence  west  with  said  township  line,  until  it  strikes  the  old  Indian  boundary ; 
thence  to,  and  with  the  center  line  of  township  eighteen,  to  the  northwest 
corner  of  section  twenty,  in  township  eighteen,  and  range  twehe  east  of  the 
second  principal  meridian;  thence  north  to  the  line  dividing  townships 
twenty-one  and  twenty-two;  thence  east  to  the  Ohio  state  line,  and  thence 
with  said  state  line  to  the  place  of  beginning." 

The  records  of  the  county  from  February,  1821,  to  November,  1825, 
having  been  lost,  it  is  not  known  just  what  disposition  the  commissioners 
made  of  the  new  part  added  to  Randolph  county.  It  is  presumed  that  Ward 
township.  White  River  township  and  West  River  were  extended  to  the 
new  county  line. 

We  must  remember  that  Randolph  county  had  control  over  Delaware 
county  and  some  time  during  the  year  1825  Liberty  township,  in  Delaware 
county,  was  organized.  The  only  record  we  have  of  it  is  in  Jere  Smith's 
reminiscences,  in  which  he  says  : 

LIBERTY   TOWNSHir    (DELAWARE   COUNTY). 

"In  the  May  term  of  1825,  David  Rowe  was  allowed  $1.50  for  making 
return  of  the  election  of  two  justices  of  Liberty  township.  From  this  and 
from  my  recollection,  I  can  say  that  in  January,  1825,  either  the  whole  or 
the  east  part  of  Delaware  county  was  made  into  Liberty  township.  The 
township  containing  Smithfield  is  still  called  Liberty.  And  as  Daniel  Stout 
had  been  county  commissioner  in  Randolph  and  had  moved  to  what  is  now 
Delaware  county,  built  a  mill  and  laid  out  Smithfield,  I  presume  he  had  that 
county  erected  into  Liberty  township.  There  were  but  few  inhabitants  in 
that  region,  and  David  Rowe,  who  brought  the  election  returns,  lived  pretty 


128  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

well  up  on  Prairie  creek,  at  least  six  miles  from  Smithfield.  Also,  May, 
1826,  John  J.  Deeds,  who  had  settled  on  White  river  and  built  a  mill  above 
Smithfield,  was  appointed  supervisor  on  the  west  fork  of  White  river  from 
the  mouth  of  Cabin  creek  to  Mont-see-town,  as  the  Indians  called  it.  Hence 
'Mont-see-town'  was  then  (May,  1826)  in  Liberty  township  and  in  Randolph 
county  as  well." 

Some  corroborative  evidence  of  tfeis  is  that  in  the  January  term,  1826, 
David  Vestal  was  appointed  assessor  in  Liberty  township  for  the  year 
1826,  and  Aaron  Richardson  was  appointed  inspector  of  elections  in  Liberty 
township  for  one  year.  John  Coon  and  John  H.  Myers  were  appointed 
fence  viewers  in  Liberty  township  for  one  year.  Then,  in  the  May  term  of 
1826,  "William  Vanmeter  is  appointed  supervisor  on  the  state  road  from 
the  post  Numbered  39  to  the  post  Numbered  44  ordered  that  all  the  hands 
in  Liberty  Township  North  and  South  between  the  last  numbered  posts  do 
work  on  said  road  and  also  on  the  west  fork  of  White  river  from  Moncey 
town  to  the  line  Dividing  Ranges  7  &  8  East."  Thus  it  will  be  seen  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  Liberty  township  was  organized,  and  not  very  long 
before  January,  1826. 

STONEY   CREEK  TOWNSHIP. 

Settlement  was  now  being  made  very  rapidly  along  the  west  fork  of 
White  river  and  Stoney  Creek  and  West  river,  which  is  evident  by  the  change 
in  township  made  in  the  next  few  years.  In  1827,  July  2d,  Stoney  Creek 
was  organized  as  follows :  "Ordered  that  Congressional  Townships  19  & 
20  and  21  in  Range  12  East  be  stricken  off  into  a  Township  to  be  known  by 
the  name  of  Stoney  Creek  Township  Except  such  part  as  are  included  in  the 
bounds  of  Delaware  County.  Ordered  that  an  Election  be  held  in  Stoney 
Creek  Township  on  the  third  monday  in  July  (instant)  for  the  purpose  of 
Electing  one  Justice  of  the  peace  in  said  Township.  Ordered  that  all  Elec- 
tions in  Stoney  Creek  Township  be  held  at  the  house  of  Joseph  Thornburgh. 
Samuel  Vestal  is  appointed  inspector  of  Elections  in  Stoney  Creek  Township 
for  one  year." 

Two  things  concerning  this  organization  are  not  clear :  First,  why 
should  they  omit  the  half  of  township  18,  included  in  Randolph  county;  and 
second,  why  should  they  "except  such  part  as  are  included  in  the  bounds  of 
Delaware  county,"  when  none  of  the  townships  19  or  20  and  21  of  range  12 
were  in  the  county  of  Delaware?     It  is  quite  possible  that  the  petitioners 


KANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


129 


and  even  the  commissioners  were  not  very  familiar  with  the  survey  at  that 
time. 

The  next  changes  were  made  in  1831.  One  new  township,  Washington, 
was  organized  and  the  boundaries  of  each  of  the  other  organized  townships 
were  changed.  The  townships  at  that  time  being  White  River,  Greensfork, 
Ward,  West  River  and  Stoney  Creek.     Washington  township  was  organized 


Randolph  Co.  1827 


as  follows:  "Be  it  Known  that  hereafter  all  that  part  of  Greensfork  and 
West  River  Townships  described  as  follows  to  wit  Beginning  on  the  Wayne 
County  line  at  the  Section  corner  between  Sections  14  &  15  in  Range  14 
thence  N.  8  miles  thence  West  7  miles  thence  S.  8  miles  to  the  line  of  Wayne 
County  thence  to  the  beginning  Shall  be  known  by  the  Name  of  Washington 
Township  with  the  East  half  of  Section  10  Township  18  of  Range  14.  Or- 
dered that  all  Elections  in  Washington  Township  shell  be  held  at  the  house 
of  Joatham  Beeson  in  the  Town  of  Blooming  Port." 

It  seems  strange  that  an  exception  of  the  east  half  of  section  10,  town- 
ship 18  of  range   14,  should  be  made  and  is  not  included  in  Washington 
township.     That  this  was  done,  however,  there  can  be  no  doubt,  because 
(9) 


130  RANDOLPH     COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

in  the  March  term  of  1832  the  following  is  found:  "Be  it  remembered  that 
the  East  line  of  Washington  Township  is  hereby  so  altered  as  to  begin  at  the 
Wayne  County  line  at  the  corner  between  Sections  14  and  15  in  Range  14 
thence  North  as  formerly  including  the  east  half  of  Section  10  in  Township 
18  &  Range  14  E.  in  Washington  Township."  It  is  easily  explained,  how- 
ever, when  we  consider  that  Paul  Beard  owned  the  east  half  of  Section  10 
and  the  west  half  of  Section  11.  Mr.  Beard  was  an  unusual  man.  He  had 
an  indomitable  will  and  exceedingly  great  force  of  character.  Being  a  phy- 
sician, his  influence  was  unlimited.  His  buildings  were  located  in  section  11, 
and  he,  not  wanting  to  own  land  in  two  townships,  persuaded  the  commis- 
sioners to  make  an  exception  of  the  east  half  of  section  10. 

Verily,  there  were  political  bosses  even  in  that  day.  The  time  never 
has  been  when  we  were  without  political  bosses,  the  time  never  will  be,  when 
we  shall  not  have  them.  The  only  question  to  decide  is :  What  shall  be  the 
character  of  the  bosses  or  leaders?  May  they  always  be  as  upright  and 
honorable  as  was  Paul  Beard. 

On  the  same  day  that  Washington  township  was  organized.  West  River 
township  was  changed  as  follows :  "And  West  river  Township  shall  contain 
the  following  bounds  (hereafter)  towit  beginning  at  the  Wayne  County  line 
on  the  line  dividing  Sections  15  &  16  in  Range  13  thence  N.  8  miles  thence 
west  8  miles  to  the  Delaware  County  line  thence  direct  to  the  South  west 
corner  of  Randolph  County  thence  direct  to  the  beginning.  Ordered  that  all 
Elections  hereafter  in  West  river  Township  shall  be  held  at  the  house  of 
.Wm.  Smith." 

Evidently  the  people  of  Stoney  Creek  township  felt  this  to  be  a  dis- 
crimination against  them,  as  they  lost  quite  a  little  of  their  territory.  The 
commissioners  in  this  same  session  equalized  the  matter  somewhat,  when  it 
was  "Ordered  that  one  mile  of  off  the  west  end  of  Whiteriver  &  Ward 
Townships  be  added  to  Stoney  Creek  Township  and  ordered  that  all  Elec- 
tions in  said  Township  hereafter  shall  be  held  at  the  house  of  Wm.  Moore 
Junior."  This  evidently  didn't  yet  satisfy  the  people  of  Stoney  Creek  town- 
ship. It  is  impossible  to  know  at  this  time  just  what  local  forces  were  acting 
in  the  matter,  but  another  change  was  made  in  the  July  term,  when  it  was 
"Ordered  that  two  miles  &  a  half  &  forty  poles  from  the  west  County  line 
and  2  miles  South  be  taken  from  the  N  west  corner  of  west  river  Township 
and  added  to  Stoney  Creek  Township."  These  changes  are  shown  in  the 
map  of  183 1. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


13' 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP. 

In  the  meantime,  settlement  had  been  very  rapid  along  the  Mississi- 
newa.  Ward  township,,  especially  in  and  about  l^eerfield,  was  becoming,' 
one  of  the  most  populated  parts  of  the  county.  This  influence  spread  east. 
until  there  was  a  sufficient  number  of  people  who  desired  a  new  township 
to  be  organized.     This  the  commissioners  did  on  the  4th  day  of  November, 


Rahoolpm  Co.  1831 


r'. 


Ward  »620 


/WniTr  RivrR 


/ 


/ 
t — 


1833,  when  it  was  "Ordered  that  the  following  bounds  be  Known  hereafter  by 
the  name  of  Jackson  Township  to  wit  Beginning  at  the  State  line  at  the  Sec- 
tion line  between  Sections  25  and  36  in  Town  17  Range  one  west  thence 
west  to  the  old  boundary  thence  to  and  with  the  Section  line  between  Sec- 
tions 8  &  17  of  Town  19  Range  15  East  to  the  Range  line  between  Ranges 
14  &  15  thence  North  with  said  Range  line  to  the  north  line  of  the  County 
thence  East  to  the  State  line  thence  to  the  beginning  And  that  all  Elec- 
tions in  said  Township  be  held  at  the  house  of  Thomas  Pettens  Ordered 
that  an  Election  be  held  in  Jackson  Township  on  the  first  Saturday  in  De- 
cember next  for  the  purpose  of  Electing  two  Justices  of  the  peace  in  said 


132  R.\XDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Township.     William  Keennon  is  appointed  inspector  of  Elections  in  Jack- 
son Township  until  the  next  annual  Election  for  Township  officers." 

ORGANIZATION. 

Thus,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  southern  end  of  Jackson  township  is  lo- 
cated upon  the  first  section  line  south  of  the  point  on  the  Indian  boundary 
line,  reached  in  the  first  organization  of  the  count} .  This  is  why  we  think 
they  came  south  to  this  line,  rather  than  north  to  the  line  between  Sections 
2-/  and  22,  as  indicated  in  the  record  of  1818. 

GREEN    TOWNSHIP. 

The  northwest  comer  of  the  coimt)"  was  also  anxious  to  have  a  local 
township,  and  petitioned  the  commissioners  to  organize  them  into  a  new  town- 
ship, which  they  did  on  the  6th  of  January-,  1834,  when  it  was:  "Ordered 
that  the  following  Boimdar}-  be  hereafter  known  by  the  name  of  Green  Town- 
ship to  Avit :  begnning  on  the  north  line  of  the  Count}  at  the  comer  b€tA\  een 
Sections  4  &  5  of  Town  21  Xorth  of  Range  13  E  thence  South  7  miles  thence 
west  7  miles  to  the  west  line  of  the  Count}"  thence  with  said  line  to  the  be- 
ginning." 

"Ordered  that  an  Election  be  held  at  the  house  of  Thomas  Brown 
Senr,  in  Green  Township  on  the  hrst  Saturday  in  Februarj"  next  for  the 
purpose  of  Electing  a  Justice  of  the  peace  in  said  Township. 

John  Merine  is  appointed  inspector  of  Elections  in  Green  Township 
untill  the  annuel  Election  for  To\\-nship  officers." 

A  change  was  also  made  in  the  line  bet\veen  Greensfork  and  Wash- 
ington townships,  in  September,  1834,  by  the  line  being  fixed  where  it  is  at 
the  present  time.  This  line  had  been  a  matter  of  contention  since  183 1, 
and  continued  to  be  for  a  number  of  years  afterward.  Just  what  influence 
was  brought  to  bear  to  make  the  change  of  1834  is  not  known,  but  on  Sep- 
tember 2.  1834,  the  following  order  was  made:  "Ordered  that  one  half 
mile  be  Stricken  (jff  the  west  side  of  Greensfork  TovsTiship  and  added  to 
Washington  Township  and  that  the  dividing  line  between  said  Townships 
hereafter,  is  to  begin  on  the  south  line  of  the  Count}-  at  the  middle  of  Sec- 
tion 14  Town  18  Range  14  and  extend  Xorth  paralel  with  the  Section 
lines  to  the  south  line  of  White  river  Township." 

It  must  be  remembered  that  Randolph  Count}-  had  at  this  time  control 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


133 


of  the  land  north  of  it  in  what  is  now  Jay  County,  although  we  had  a 
northern  boundary  definitely  fixed  in  1824.  The  tax  gatherer  or  collector 
of  ''ir834  was  Mr.  Carey  S.  Goodrich.  At  that  time  taxes  were  collected  by 
visiting  the  people  and  assessing  and  collecting  the  taxes  at  the  same  time. 
The  people  in  what  is  now  Jay  County  demurred  to  paying  their  taxes, 
claiming  that  they  received  no  benefits  whatever  from  it.  Mr.  Goodrich 
visited  that  territory  and  returned   with  the   report  that   after   seeing  the 

Randolph  Co.  1833-1634 


Gre£m  165^ 


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country  he  didn't  blame  them  very  much.  But  this  led  to  a  dissatisfaction 
on  the  part  of  those  people  to  the  extent  that  the  commissioners  proceeded 
to  organize  them  into  separate  townships. 

SALAMANA    AND    MADISON    TOWNSHIPS,    JAY    COUNTY. 


In  January,  ■  1835,  the  commissioners  ordered  that,  "All  that  part  of 
Randolph  County  (being  the  Attached  part)  lying  North  of  an  East  and 
west  line  dividing  Townships  21  &  22  in  Range  fourteen  is  hereby  Stricken 
off  into  a  Township  to  be  known  by  the  Name  of  Salamana  Township,  and 


^34  KANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

ordered  that  all  Elections  in  said  Township  be  held  at  the  house  of  Daniel 
Farber.  And  ordered  that  an  Election  be  held  in  said  Township  on  the  last 
Saturday  of  this  Instant  January,  for  the  purpose  of  Electing  one  Justice 
of  the  peace  in  said  Township.  Obadiah  Winters  is  appointed  Inspector  of 
Elections  in  Salamana  Township  until  the  next  annuel  Election  for  Town- 
ship officers."  "Salamana"  Township  evidently  proved  to  be  too  large  for 
the  people  to  handle,  consequently  the  township  was  divided  in  the  May  term 
of  that  same  year,  by  the  following  order:  "Ordered  that  hereafter  all  that 
part  of  Jay  County  (which  is  attached  to  this  county)  included  in  the  fol- 
lowing bounds  constitute  a  new  Township  to  be  known  by  the  name  of  Mad- 
ison Township  to  wit:  Beginning  at  the  south  East  corner  of  Jay  County, 
thence  West  along  the  County  line  to  the  south  West  corner  of  section  36 
in  Township  22  Range  14;  thence  north  With  the  section  line  to  the  north 
line  of  Jay  County;  thence  East  with  the  County  line  to  the  State  line; 
thence  South  with  the  State  line  to  the  place  of  beginning;  and  that  all  elec- 
tions in  said  Township  be  held  at  the  house  of  Benjamin  Goldsmith. 

"Abraham  Lotz  is  appointed  Inspector  of  Elections  in  Madison  Town- 
ship to  serve  until  the  next  annual  election  for  Township  officers. 

"Ordered  that  an  election  be  held  in  Madison  Township  on  the  third 
Saturday  in  June  next  for  the  JDurpose  of  electing  one  Justice  of  the  peace 
for  said  Township." 

These  elections  were  no  doubt  held,  as  in  September,  1835,  the  county 
treasurer  was  ordered  to  pay  "Daniel  Farber  $1.00  for  making  return  of 
election  in  August  1835  from  Salamony  Township."'  On  the  same  day  an 
election  was  ordered  to  be  held  in  Madison  township  on  the  second  Saturday 
in  October  for  the  purpose  of  electing  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  said  town- 
ship which  election  was  held  in  clue  time. 

The  changes  in  the  townships  seem  to  have  taken  place  in  the  corners 
of  the  county,  which  was  no  doubt,  due  to  the  fact  that  these  parts  were  at 
this  time  being  settled  more  rapidly  than  the  center  which  had  been  settled 
previously  to  this  time. 

Another  change  was  made  in  1835  in  the  West  River  township  region, 
when  the  following  changes  were  ordered :  "That  hereafter  the  bounds  of 
Westriver  Township  be  as  follows  towit :  Beginning  on  the  line  between 
Wayne  and  Randolph  Counties  at  the  corner  of  sections  14-15-22  and  23  in 
township  18  Range  13  thence  North  eight  miles  to  the  corner  of  sections 
2-3-10  &  II  in  Township  19  Range  13  thence  west  4  miles  to  the  Range  line 
between  Ranges  12  &  13  thence  South  8  miles  to  the  County  line  thence  east 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


135 


to  the  place  of  Beginning  and  ordered  that  all  Elections  in  said  Township  be 
held  at  the  Town  of  Huntsville." 


Ramdolph  Ca  1835 


Gf^Etn  1834 


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yVV*iTE  River 

; 
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^mprom 


NETTLE   CREEK   TOWNSHIP. 


"Ordered  that  the  bounds  of  Nettle  Creek  Township  be  as  follows  to  wit 
beginning  at  the  County  line  between  Wayne  and  Randolph  Counties  where 
the  line  between  Ranges  12  &  13  meets  the  same  thence  North  with  said  line 
7  miles  thence  west  to  the  west  line  of  Randolph  County  thence  to  the  South 
west  corner  of  said  County  thence  east  to  the  place  of  beginning  And  ordered 
that  all  Election  in  said  Township  be  held  at  the  house  of  James  Harty." 

By  a  careful  comparison  of  the  maps  of  1834  and  1835  it  will  be  noticed 
that  the  north  line  of  Nettle  Creek  township  is  one  mile  north  of  the  southern 
line  of  Stoney  Creek  in  1834,  and  that  sections  11  and  12  of  township  19, 
12  east,  were  not  included  in  the  order  organizing  Nettle  Creek  township, 
lust  how  and  why  \\k-9q  kccIi'ius  u  ere  placed  in  Stoney  Creek,  the  records  do 


136 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 


not  say,  but  they  are  there,  and  there  they  will  no  duuljt  stay,  unless  at  SDiiie 
time  the  territory  should  be  reorganized. 


Randolph  Co.  1838 


UNION   TOWNSHIP. 

The  organization  of  townships  necessarily  depended  largely  upon  local 
conditions.  A  striking  example  of  this  is  in  an  attempt  to  organize  a  town- 
ship with  Unionsport  as  its  center.  Unionsport  had  been  organized  as  a  town 
in  1837,  and  by  the  spring  of  1838  had  begun  to  assume  municipal  airs.  In 
March,  1838,  they  attempted  to  put  their  hopes  and  desires  into  realization 
by  petitioning  the  commissioners  to  organize  a  new  township  at  which  time 
the  commissioners,  "Ordered  that  the  following  bounds  shall  Constitute  and 
be  Known  by  the  name  of  Union  Township  to  wit  to  commence  at  the  North 
west  corner  of  West  river  Township  thence  South  two  miles  thence  East  to 
the  line  of  said  Township  thence  North  four  miles  thence  west  four  miles 
thence  South  to  the  beginning  ordered  that  all  elections  in  Union  Township 
be  held  at  the  School  house  in  district  number  two  And  Hiram  Mendenhall 
is  appointed  Inspector  of  Elections  in  said  Township  of  Union." 

This,  no  doubt,  brought  about  the  storm  of  opposition  which  resulted 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1 37 

in  Miles  Hunt  and  others  remonstrating,  record  of  Avhich  is  made  in  the  May 
term  of  1838,  as  follows:  "Reed,  the  Remonstrance  of  Miles  Hunt  iV 
others  against  the  Establishment  of  Union  Township  which  was  Publickiy 
read  and  continued  &c.''  No  doubt  this  question  received  a  great  deal  of 
attention  in  that  community  and  caused  the  commissioners  quite  a  little  of 
concern,  so  much  so,  that  the  election  provided  for  in  the  order  was  not  held, 
and  in  January  of  1839  it  was,  "Ordered  that  Union  Township  be  disoled  and 
rendered  null  &  Void  and  that  the  Townships  out  of  which  the  said  Town- 
ship was  taken  and  formed  have  their  former  Bounds.  And  the  Board  Ad- 
journed until  tomorrow  morning  9  Oclock.  John  Coats,  George  A.  McNees 
and  John  L.  Addington." 

WAYNE    TOWNSHIP. 

The  extreme  length  of  Jackson  Township  made  it  necessary  to  organize 
a  new  township  which  was  done  in  September,  1838,  by  the  following  order: 
"Ordered  that  all  that  part  of  Jackson  Township  lying  South  of  the  line 
dividing  Townships  20  &  21  in  Range  15  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  Stricken 
off  and  called  Wayne  Township  and  ordered  that  all  Elections  in  A^'ayne 
Township  be  held  at  the  house  of  Harper  Poivel.  And  ordered  that  all 
Elections  in  Jackson  Township  be  held  at  the  house  of  Ezekiel  Davis." 

MONROE   TOWNSHIP. 

Thus  the  county  remained  for  almost  seven  years,  when  Monroe  town- 
ship was  organized  February  18,  1846.  Monroe  township  was  an  exception 
in  its  organization  to  the  usual  rule.  Heretofore,  townships  had  in  the  main 
been  organized  by  the  division  of  one  township,  but  Monroe  was  made  up  of 
parts  of  White  River,  Green  and  Stoney  Creek  townships.  The  petition  was 
received  and  the  order  made  on  the  i8th  day  of  February,  1846,  as  follows : 

FORMATION  OF  A  NEW  TOWNSHIP    FOR  CIVIL   PURPOSES. 

"Received  the  petition  of  Sundry  Citizens  of  White  river  Township  and 
Green  Township  and  Stony  Creek  Township  in  Said  County  praying  the 
formation  of  a  new  Civil  Township  in  Said  County  to  be  formed  out  of 
Territory  belonging  to  the  above  named  Civil  Townships  to  be  Known  and 
deisignated  by  the  name  of  Monroe  Township. 

It  is  therefore  Ordered  by  the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  said  County 


138 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


at  this  their  March  term  aforesaid  that  Monroe  Township  be  and  the  Same  is 
hereby  formed  out  of  and  Compresid  of  the  following  Territory  within  the 
following  meets  and  bounds,  to  wit:  commencing  at  the  South  East  Corner 
of  Section  Seventeen  Township  No.  twenty  North  of  Range  No.  thirteen 
East  *  *  *  Thence  West  on  Said  Section  line  to  the  County  line  Thence 
North  along  said  County  line  to  the  center  of  Section  twenty-nine  Township 
No.  21  N.  of  Range  No.  12  East  thence  East  on  the  Said  center  Section  line 
through  the  center   of  Sections  twenty-nine   Section   twenty   eight   Section 


Randolph  Co.  1659 


Green 


Monroe 

16-16 


M 


Ward 


/White  River 


twenty  seven  Section  Twenty  six  and  Section  tweny  five  of  Township  No. 
2  1  N.  of  Range  12  E  and  Through  the  center  of  Section  thirty  and  Section 
twenty  nine  in  Township  twenty  one  North  of  Range  No.  thirteen  East  to 
the  north  and  South  line  dividing  Sections  twenty  nine  and  twenty  eight  in 
Township  and  range  last  menioned  thence  South  on  Said  Section  line  to  the 
place  of  Beginning. 

"Ordered  by  the  Board  of  Commissioners  that  the  School  house  known 
as  Edward  O.  Haymond  School  House  be  and  it  is  hereby  made  the  place  of 
holding  Elections  in  Monroe  Township." 

"C)\(]crc(]  liv  lhc  Pxijird  ibaf    Andrew   Devo'^s  be  and  be  is  iiereliy  ap- 


KANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I39 

pointed  inspector  of  Elections  in  Monroe  Township  to  Serve  until  the  Annual 
Township  Election  on  the  first  Monday  in  April  and  until  his  Successor  is 
elected  and  qualified." 

WASHINGTON    HAS   TROUBLE   WITH    WEST   RIVER  AND   GREENSFORK. 

The  organization  of  West  River  township  in  1835  made  it  long  and 
narrow,  being  four  miles  wide  and  eight  miles  long.  This  left  Washington 
township  six  and  a  half  miles  wide  and  eight  miles  long,  being  two  very 
unequal  townships.  An  effort  was  made  to  adjust  this  difference  in  1849, 
when  the  county  commissioners,  "Received  the  petition  of  Sundry  Citizens 
of  West  River  and  Washington  Townships  presented  by  Miles  Hunt  their 
Attorney,  praying  for  one  mile  of  territory  to  be  taken  from  the  West  Side 
of  Washington  township  and  attached  to  the  east  side  of  West  River  town- 
ship." This,  however,  was  not  agreeable  to  all,  for  the  same  record  says: 
"To  which  Thomas  Philips  by  Wm.  A.  Peelle  his  attorney  filed  a  remon- 
strance to  said  petition  and  the  Board  after  hearing  the  argument  of  Counsel 
took  case  under  advisement."  Mr.  Hunt  lived  in  West  River  township  and 
Mr.  Philips  in  Washington,  which  might  explain  their  positions  in  this  mat- 
ter. Neither,  however,  desisted  in  their  intentions,  for  in  the  last  term 
(December  7,  1849),  they  again  attempted  the  same  thing  with  the  following 
result : 

"Now  here  comes  Miles  Hunt  and  Divers  others  Citizens  of  West  River 
and  Washington  Townships  and  present  their  petition  which  is  in  words  and 
figures  following  towit :  from  which  it  appears  that  Said  petitioners  disire 
to  have  two  miles  detached  off  of  and  from  the  West  Side  of  Washington 
Township  &  attached  to  West  River  Township — Also  comes  Thomas  Philips 
and  Divers  other  citizens  of  Washington  Township  and  remonstrate  against 
the  prayer  of  said  petition,  whch  Said  Remonstrance  is  in  the  words  & 
figures  following  to  wit:  (here  insert) — Whereupon  the  board  after  due  con- 
sideration and  deliberate  overrule  the  prayer  of  Said  petition,  &  direct  that 
the  Township  boundaries  be  undisturbed."  (Note. — The  original  petitions 
and  remonstrances  are  not  to  be  found  in  the  records. ) 

But  the  movement  was  not  to  be  stopped,  nor  were  the  commissioners  to 
be  released  from  further  attempts  to  change  the  boundarie:.  of  these  town- 
ships. In  the  June  term,  1850,  on  the  moi'ning  of  Friday,  the  7th.  "The 
Board  met  pursuant  to  adjournment  present  the  Honorable  Abraham  Adam- 
son,  John  M.  Lucas  and  Emson  Wright  Esqrs.  members  of  Said  Board," 


140  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

and  "Received  the  petition  of  Sundry  Citizens  of  West  River  and  Washing- 
ton TownshijDs  praying  that  a  certain  portion  of  territory  may  be  detached 
from  Washington  Township  and  attached  to  West  River  Township  for  Civil 
purposes. 

"It  is  therefore  Ordered  by  the  Board  that  the  following  territory  be 
and  the  same  is  hereby  attached  to  the  east  side  of  West  River  township,  to 
vvit:  Sees.  11,  14,  23,  26  &  35  all  of  T  19  N.  of  R  13  E  and  Sees.  2,  11  &  14 
all  of  T  18  N.  of  R.  13  E  all  of'  which  the  Township  officers  and  others 
Interest  in  the  execution  of  the  laws  in  West  River  and  Washington  town- 
ship will  Severally  take  notice." 

Thus  Washington  township  was  to  rest  from  "line  troubles,"  until  1856, 
when  the  disease  broke  out  in  the  east  part  of  the  township,  at  which  time 
an  attempt  was  made  to  organize  a  new  township,  by  presenting  the  following 
petition : 
"To  the  Honorable  Board  of  County  Commissioners  of  Randolph  Count}^ :" 

"Your  petitioners,  citizens,  residents,  householders,  freeholders  and 
voters  of  Washington  and  Greensfork  Townships  in  Said  Randolph  County, 
would  show  to  your  honorable  body  that  from  the  present  size  and  Shape 
of  the  said  Townships  of  Washington  &  Greensfork  they  labor  under  great 
inconvenience  and  are  put  to  great  trouble  in  the  transaction  of  their  town- 
ship business,  as  well  as  to  exceeding  great  inconvenience  in  the  discharge  of 
their  duties,  and  in  the  exercise  of  their  rights  as  voters.  They  therefore 
ask  your  honorable  board  to  create  for  them  a  new  township  giving  it  Such 
name  as  you  may  See  proper  &  conferring  upon  it  all  the  corporate  powers 
of  and  pertaining  to  civil  townships  under  the  laws  of  the  State, — Said  town- 
ship to  be  created  by  detaching  one  Mile  and  a  half  off  of  the  East  side  of 
Washington  township,  and  Two  Miles  and  a  half  off  of  the  West  Side  of 
Greensfork  township  excepting  as  to  the  north  end  of  Greensfork  for  one 
Mile  North  &  South  they  only  ask  that  one  mile  and  a  half  be  detached. 
From  the  territory  so  proposed  to  be  detached  as  aforesaid  (see  the  map 
accompanying  petition)  they  respectfully  ask  that  a  civil  township  be  organ- 
ized as  aforesaid  &c."  Signed  by  William  Norton,  Sr.  and  one  hundred  and 
thirty-five  others,  many  of  whom  were  prominent  citizens  in  the  county. 
"And  thereupon  Jeremiah  Horn  by  James  Brown  his  attorney,  files  a  remon- 
strance against  granting  the  prayer  of  said  petition,"  said  remonstrance  being 
as  follows: 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I4I 

"To  The  Honorable  Bord  of  County  Commissioners  of  Randolph  County, 

Ind. :" 

"Whereas  a  petition  is  about  to  be — presented  to  the  Bord  of  County 
Commissioners  praying  for  the  formation  of  a  New  Township  to  be  Stricken 
off  of  Washington  &  Greenfork  Townships,  Taking  off  of  Washington 
Township  one  &  one  half  miles  &  two  &  one  half  miles  off  of  Greensfork 
Township,  leaving  Greensfork  Township  three  &  one  quarter  Miles  wide  and 
Seven  Miles  long  Completely  destroying  the  geographical  form  of  the  Town- 
ship and  deranging  the  School  districts  as  they  are  now  formed  it  will  be 
attended  with  a  Verry  Considerable  expense  to  the  County  now  and  here- 
after, will  anually,  take  from  the  School  &  Township  fund  the  amount  paid  a 
new  Sett  of  Township  officers  Therefore  we  the  undersigned  Citizens  and 
Voters  of  Greensfork  Township  remonstrate  against  any  Such  division  of 
the  Township  as  set  forth  in  the  Petition,  Considering  it  unnecessary  &  un- 
called for  seeing  no  local  Matter  to  Warrant  any  such  divission  We  therefore 
pray  that  your  Honorable  Bord  will  not  grant  the  prayer  of  Said  Petioners." 
Signed  by  Thos.  Hough  and  one  hundred  ninety-four  other  citizens. 

A  similar  remonstrance  was  received  from  the  citizens  of  Washington 
township,  signed  by  Strother  Brumfield  and  twenty-two  others.  Evidently 
almost  all  of  the  voters  and  freeholders  of  the  district  affected  had  signed 
either  the  petitions  or  remonstrances,  and  it  must  have  been  a  relief  to  the 
commissioners  to  have  been  able  to  make  the  following  entry : 

"In  the  case  of  the  petition  of  Sundry  citizens  of  Washington  Town- 
ship and  Grens-Fork  Township.  The  Board  after  receiving  Sundry  re- 
monstrants against  granting  the  prayer  of  said  petition  for  establishing  a  cer- 
tain Township  therein  prayed  for.  The  Board  by  the  agreement  of  all 
parties  continue  the  case  until  the  next  term  of  this  Board.  And  the  Board 
Adjourned  until  to  morrow  morning  9  O  clock."  This  matter  was  evidently 
dropped  on  the  part  of  both  petitioners  and  remonstrators,  as  no  other  action 
was  ever  taken  by  the  Board  of  Commissioners. 

This  attempt  however,  was  not  to  be  the  last  one,  on  the  part  of  the 
citizens  of  these  two  townships  to  change  the  boundary  line.  The  incon- 
venience of  having  a  township  line  within  half  a  mile  of  the  principal  town 
of  another  township  are  too  great  to  go  tmnoticed  and  as  late  as  May  22,  1889, 
an  attempt  was  made  to  change  the  line  by  having  the  County  Commissioners 
act  upon  the  following  petition  which  recites  excellent  reasons  for  the  change 
desired  and  let  us  predict  here  that  the  time  will  yet  come  when  such  a  change 
will  be  made  and  made  for  the  reasons  recited  in  this  petition : 


142  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

"To  the  Hon.  Board  of  Commissioners  for  the  County  of  Randolph : 

W'e  the  undersigned  \^oters  and  free  holders  owners  of  the  land  afifected 
by  the  granting  this  petition  do  most  respectfully  pray  arid  ask  tb  have  the 
township  line  dividing  Greens  fork  and  Washington  townships  moved  one- 
half  (J4)  mile  east  of  the  present  line  dividing  said  Greensfork  and  Wash- 
ington townships  it  being  a  section  line.  By  said  township  line  being  located 
where  it  now  is  we  suiifer.  great  inconvenience  thereby  many  having  to  attach 
to  Washington  township  for  school  purposes  and  on  election  days  have  to 
travel  from  four  to  six  miles  otherwise  we  would  have  to  go  the  short  distance 
of  one  half  to  two  miles  and  believing  it  would  not  cause  any  hurtful  damage 
to  either  Greensfork  or  Washington  townships  in  their  social  or  geographical 
territory  all  this  we  ask  your  Honorable  body  to  consider  and  grant. 

Names :  Isaac  Hollingsworth,  Wright  M.  Turner,  Jesse  Pierson,  Paul 
Beard,  Wm.  Bond,  Philip  Capper,  S.  Y.  Miles,  Henry  Rich,  Thos.  E.  Farmer, 
James  R.  Davis,  Fred  Davis,  Silvester  Tillson,  Charlie  G.  Stidham,  Gideon 
A.  Bird,  George  \X.  Lewis,  Abel  Hinshaw,  W.  A.  Hinshaw,  L.  D.  Shafer, 
C.  K.  Karnes,  Ed  Mann,  Emerson  Pickett,  Joseph  A.  Brown,  James  Brown, 
Levi  Wenner,  J.  R.  Rhoades,  James  St.  Myers,  Thomas  Tharp,  Labe  Tharp, 
Ed.  I.  Brown,  B.  H.  Piatt,  L.  C.  Boon,  F.  A.  Tillson,  L.  C.  Moody,  Ira  E. 
Quigg,  James  Price." 

In  June,  however,  of  the  same  year  this  petition  was  "dismissed  for  want 
of  being  signed  by  majority  of  the  interested  voters  of  the  townships  afifected. 
June  terrii,  1889.     John  R.  Phillips,  P.  B." 

FRANKLIN  TOWNSHIP. 

The  next  and  last  change  to  be  made  in  the  county,  was  the  organization 
of  Franklin  Township,  off  the  west  end  of  Ward,  when  Robert  Starbuck  and 
one  hundred  and  fifty  other  citizens  of  Ward  township  jiresented  the  follow- 
ing petition  to  the  county  commissioners : 

"To  The  Honorable  the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  Randolph  County  and 

State  of  Indiana :" 

"We  the  Undersigned  Residents  And  voters  of  Ward  Township  In 
Said  County  Would  Respectfully  Show  your .  honors,  that  owing  to  the 
Erronnous  Length  of  Said  Township  East  &  West  Bounded. as  it  now  is 
that  we  Labour  Under  Inconveniences  in  Many  Respects  And  therefore  Ask 
your  honors  for  a  Dicision  of  Said  Township  Believing  that  it  would  greatly 
facilite  the  Interests  And  Convenience  of  a  Majority  of  the  Citizens  of  Said 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  143 

Township,  we  ask  for  Said  Division  to  Commence  at  the  North  East  C(;r- 
ner  of  Section  one  in  Township  No.  21  of  Range  No.  13.  East  on  the  Town- 
ship and  Range  line  of  Said  Congressional  Township  Runing  thence  Southe 
on  Said  line  to  the  Southern  line  of  Ward  Township  as  it  now  is  Bounded. 

we  ask  your  honors  to  Locate  and  Establish  Said  Division  And  as  in 
Duty  Bound  your  Petitioners  will  Every  Pray  &C." 

This  petition  was  acted  upon  June  5,  1859,  when  the  following  record 
was  made: 

"Notice  of  said  petition  having  been  given  according  to  law  &  the  subject 
having  been  duly  considered  thereupon  the  Board  granted  the  prayer  of  the 
petitioners,  &  Ordered  that  Ward  Township  Randolph  County  Indiana  be 
divided  as  follows  (to  wit)  commencing  at  the  North  East  corner  of  Section 
one,  in  township  No.  21  of  Range  No.  13  East,  on  the  township  &  range  line 
of  said  congressional  township,  running  thence  South  on  said  line  to  the 
southern  line  of  Ward  township  as  it  is  now  bounded.  The  western  end  of 
said  division  to  be  known  &  designated  as  Franklin  township  &  No.  12.  And 
it  is  further  ordered  that  such  division  shall  not  take  effect  till  on  the  first 
Monday  in  Api-il  i860." 

No  doubt,  the  time  for  its  taking  effect  was  made  for  April,  i860,  so 
as  to  allow  the  officers  of  Ward  township  time  to  adjust  the  financial  matters 
between  the  two  townships.  This  was  done  in  the  spring  of  i860  and  on 
March  9,  it  was  "Ordered  by  the  Board  that  two  Justices  of  the  Peace  for 
Franklin  Township  be  elected  at  the  April  Election  i860,  &  such  other  Town- 
ship officers  as  may  be  required  by  law."  This  was  the  last  change  in  the 
civil  townships  of  Randolph  County.  As  our  townships  stand  today,'  Ward 
is  the  only  civil  township  that  coincides  with  a  congressional  township,  it 
being  Township  21,  Range  14  East. 

It  may  be  as  many  more  years  before  any  changes  will  be  made,  but  the 
writer  of  this  article  predicts  that  at  sometime  the  following  changes  will  be 
made:  White  River  township  will  be  divided  into  two  townships  by  a  line 
north  and  south  somewhere  near  the  center,  east  and  west.  The  West  River 
township  line  will  be  pushed  east  at  least  one-half  mile,  perhaps  one  mile. 
The  Washington  township  line  will  be  pushed  east  one  and  one-half  miles. 

Our  purpose  in  giving  the  records  and  details  accompanied  by  the  maps 
as  found  in  this  chapter,  has  been  to  show  not  only  the  exact  origin  of  our 
townships  as  they  are  today,  but  to  show  the  people  of  the  present  and  future 
generations  that  our  fathers  wrestled  with  many  local  problems  and  met 
them  as  well  as  seemingly  could  have  been  done,  although  were  the  county 


144  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

to  be  redistricted  today,  a  much  better  organization  could  be  made.  Qjndi- 
tions  have  arisen  that  even  the  most  fanciful  dreamer  of  a  few  years  ago 
could  not  have  thought.  Alodern  times  have  brought  about  conditions  that 
will  make  the  township  problem  with  its  schools  and  its  roads,  a  more  seri- 
ous one  in  thp  future  than  it  ever  has  been  in  the  past.  Men  equal  to  the 
problems  of  the  past  have  always  arisen,  and  no  doubt,  the  people  of  the 
future  will  find  their  solution  by  men  of  equal  ability. 

PUBLIC    BUILDINGS. 

As  has  been  noted  before,  one  of  the  duties  of  the  newly  elected  county 
commissioners  of  a  new  county,  was  to  provide  public  buildings  to  be  paid 
for  out  of  the  sale  of  lands  donated  to  that  county  for  that  and  other  purposes 
specified.  Agreeably  to  this,  the  commissioners  of  Randolph  county  early 
set  to  work  to  provide  for  the  building  of  a  court  house,  jail  and  a  stray  pen. 
This  court  house  and  jail  were  to  be  put  upon  a  square  selected  by  the  state 
commissioners.  These  commissioners  having  established  the  seat  of  justice 
in  what  is  now  known  as  Winchester,  no  doubt  advised  with  the  county  com- 
missioners as  to  the  exact  location  of  these  buildings.  The  plans  and  speci- 
fications for  the  court  house  and  jail  are  to  be  found  in  the  first  record  of 
the  county  and  are  as  follows : 

DECEMBER   TERM,    1818. 

"At  a  special  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Commissioners  in  the  Town  of 
\Mnchester  for  the  purpose  of  the  Letting  to  the  lowest  Bidder  the  Building 
of  a  Court  house  Jail  and  Stray  Pen  in  said  town  The  Court  house  to  be  of 
the  following  Description  towit  24  feet  Long  18  feet  wide  two  stories  High 
Covered  with  Joint  shingles  made  of  Walnut  or  Popler  two  floors  to  be  made 
of  Good  seasoned  plank  ij4  inches  thick  sills  and  sleepers  made  of  Oak  an 
Walnut  the  \^^all  to  be  of  hewn  timber  to  face  at  Least  12  inches  hewn  to  9 
inches  thick  Both  floors  to  be  Tounged  and  Grooved  the  underside  of  the 
upper  floor  to  be  made  Smoothe  7  joist  in  Each  story.  Planed  and  made 
smooth  7  by  33/2  inches  two  Doors  of  a  suitable  size  to  be  made  of  good  well 
seasoned  Plank  4  Windows  2  below  and  2  above  12  lights  Each  with  good 
shutters  Hung  on  the  out  side  of  the  house  doors  &  window  shutters  to  be 
hung  with  good  Iron  hinges  a  good  Paire  of  Winding  Stairs  doors  &  win- 
dows Cased  A  Brick  Chimney  made  of  good  well  burned  Brick  a  good  fire- 


l!.iiidoli)li   CouiiH'   -Inlinii.-ii-y. 


The  James  Mooriniiu   Orplians'  Home. 


Soldiers'  iintl  Sailcji's'  Mommient. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I45 

place  below  and  above  the  house  to  be  Neatly  daubed  also  Set  on  Walnut 
Blocks  3  at  Least  on  Each  side  i8  inches  long  the  floor  to  be  well  nailed 
down  all  to  be  finished  in  a  Workinlike  manner  Abner  Overman  Became  the 
Undertaker  to  Build  said  house  for  the  sum  of  $2.54  &  50  cents  and  Give 
Bond  and  security  to  have  the  same  Finished  according  to  the  foregoing 
Description  in  18  Months  from  this  Date. 

The  jail  to  be  of  the  following  description  towit:  To  be  built  of  tim- 
ber hewn  Square  to  13  inches  18  feet  Long  14  feet  Wide  with  a  partition 
Wall  7  feet  from  one  and  floors  as  above  and  below  with  timber  of  the  same 
Discription  a  Window  in  Each  Room  12  inches  square  the  windows  Well 
Lined  with  Iron  and  Iron  grates  Well  fastened  into  said  liheing  two  Doors 
made  of  Good  Soiled  Oak  Plank  well  seasoned. 

I  inch  thick  Doubled  &  nailed  with  Double  tens  cut  nails  in  Every  three 
inches  square  Storongly  Hung  on  Good  Iron  Hinges  7  feet  6  inches  Between 
floors  the  under  floor  laid  on  Good  Oak  sills  settled  on  the  Ground  so  as  to 
Bring  the  floor  Verry  near  the  Surface  of  the  Ground  a  good  Joint  shingle 
Roof  well  nailed  on  the  under  floor  and  first  Round  to  be  made  of  Same  good 
lasting  timber  let  down  Close. 

Albert  Banta  Became  the  undertaker  to  Build  said  Jail  for  the  sum  of 
$1.25  dollars  and  give  his  Bond  to  have  the  same  finished  according  to  the 
above  Description  in  18  months  from  this  Date." 

No  doubt  a  stray-pen  was  built  as  well  as  a  court  house  and  jail,  but 
no  record  is  made  of  such  for  some  time.  There  may,  however,  have  been 
but  little  need  of  the  stra3'-pen  because  there  were  only  a  few  settlers.  Prac- 
tically all  stock  ran  at  large  and  no  one  would  stop  to  take  the  time  or  trouble 
to  "pen"  a  pig,  horse  or  cow. 

The  court  house  and  jail  were  crude  affairs'but  served  their  purpose  and 
served  it  well.  The  men  who  built  them  had  plenty  of  time  and  no  doubt 
did  their  work  well  as  is  seen  by  the  report  of  acceptance  at  a  special  term, 
June  6,  1820,  just  eighteen  months  to  a  day  from  the  time  the  contract  was 
let  and  the  exact  time  that  the  buildings  were  to  be  done.  At  that  time  the 
following  report  was  made : 

JUNE  6,  1820. 

"State  of  Indiana,  Randolph  County,  Board  of  Commissioners,  June  6,  1820: 
A   Special   Meeting  of  the  Board  of   Commissioners  in  the  towne  of 
(10) 


'46  RANDOLPH    COUNTY.    INDIANA. 

Winchester  for  the  purpose  of  Receveing  the  Public  Buildings  in  said  town. 
Present  EH  Overman  Benjamin  Cox  and  John  James. 

It  is  agreed  upon  by  the  Commissioners  that  they  the  Court  house  and 
Jail  in  said  town  of  Winchester  and  ordered  that  the  treasurer  pay  Albert 
Banta  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  Eight  Dollars  and  twenty  Cents 
in  full  of  his  Contract  for  building  Jail  and  also  Ordered  that  the  treasurer 
pay  Abner  Overman  the  sum  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  nine  Dollars  and 
thirty  Cents  for  Building  Court  house  in  said  town  of  Winchester." 

It  will  be  noted  that  Mr.  Overman  received  the"  munificent  sum  of  $4.80 
extra  upon  the  building  of  this  court  house,  which  was  certainly  a  record  for 
even  so  early  a  time  and  only  equaled  by  that  of  Mr.  Banta,  the  undertaker 
of  the  jail,  who  received  $3.20  extra  for  his  services  in  the  construction  of 
the  "County  Bastile." 

The  "oldest  inhabitants"  differ  as  to  the  exact  location  of  the  court 
house,  some  saying  that  it  was  on  the  present  court'house  square,  others  that 
it  was  on  the  north  side  of  Washington  street.  No  doubt  the  first  opinion  is 
the  correct  one.  It  could  hardly  have  stood  in  the  center  of  the  court  house 
square,  as  the  new  one  which  was  built  in  1826,  is  known  to  have  stood  in 
the  center  of  the  yard  and  at  various  times  during  its  construction,  the 
records  make  mention  of  the  meetings  and  the  elections  held  in  the  court 
house  which  would  necessarily  have  been  torn  away  for  the  construction  of 
the  new  building. 

The  jail  was  situated  near  the  southwest  corner  of  the  court  yard,  just 
east  of  the  box-elder  trees  now  growing  at  that  corner  of  the  yard.  There 
are  many  people  now  living  who  remember  having  seen  this  jail  and  all  who 
remember  it  agree  that  it  was  a  log  jail  as  specified,  with  the  corners  inter- 
locked and  no  opening  in  the  lower  room  except  the  window  as  described  in 
the  specifications.  The  entrance  to  this  room  was  made  by  a  trap  door  in 
the  floor  of  the  upper  room.  No  provision  was  made  for  any  heat  which 
certainly  must  have  made  "thirty  days"  a  very  unpleasant  sojourn  in  the 
winter.  The  stairway  leading  to  the  second  story  was  what  is  commonly 
known  as  the  "Mill  stairs,"  and  instead  of  running  up  the  side  of  the  build- 
ing as  outside  stairs  usually  do,  it  is  built  leaning  to  the  building  very  much 
as  a  ladder  would  stand. 

The  court  house  stood  for  only  a  sliort  time  as  we  find  on  May  2,  1826 
it  was  ordered  that : 


KANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA.  I47 

MAY    TE«M,     1826. 

"John  Coats,  David  Frazier,  and  Samuel  D.  Woodworth  are  appointed 
a  committee  to  form  the  plan  of  a  courthouse  in  the  County  of  Randolph  and 
make  an  Estimate  of  the  probable  Expense  and  Report  the  same  to  the 
Board  of  Justices  at  July  term  1826." 

No  doubt  this  was  the  result  of  much  agitation  all  over  the  county. 

There  are  two  important  conditions  to  keep  in  mind  at  this  time,  one  is 
that  the  county  did  not  have  county  commissioners,  the  law  creating  the  office 
of  county  coinmissioners  having  been  repealed,  but  the  business  was  trans- 
acted by  a  board  of  justices.  This  board  of  justices  was  composed  of  all  the 
justices  of  the  peace  to  be  found  in  this  county.  This  would  put  a  man  of 
authority  in  practically  every  neighborhood  of  the  county,  as  every  township 
had  from  one  to  three  justices  and  frequently  the  meetings  were  attended  by 
ten  to  twelve  of  these  men.  Another  important  factor  in  all  public  work  at 
that  time,  was  the  county  agent,  a  man  elected  by  the  commissioners  or 
justices  and  whose  duties  were  to  look  after  public  affairs  in  a  general  way. 
Paul  W.  Way,  of  Winchester,  was  elected  near  the  beginning  of  the  county's 
organization  and  served  for  a  great  many  years  and  was  in  office  at  the  time 
of  the  building  of  the  second  court  house  and  upon  him  fell  largely  the 
responsibilities  of  its  engineering,  both  as  to  the  building  and  the  raising  of 
the  funds  with  which  it  was  to  be  built.  To  show  that  the  question  was  dis- 
cussed  thoroughly  and  that  opinions  were  frequently  exchanged,  we  give  the 
transcript  of  the  records  concerning  this  building  as  follows : 

JULY    TERM,    1826. 

'■'At  a  Randolph  Board  of  Justices  began  and  held  at  the  courthouse  in 
Winchester  on  monday  the  3rd  day  of  July,  1826  present  the  honorable  John 
Coats  president  &  William  Massey,  John  Odle,  Isaac  Barnes,  Samuel  D. 
Woodworth,  William  N.  Rowe,  George  Reitenour  Esq's  members. 

Ordered  that  Paul  W.  AVay  County  Agent  advertise  and  let  to  the 
lowest  bidder  the  building  of  a  Brick  courthouse  in  the  Town  of  Winchester 
of  the  following  description  towit  forty  feet  Square  on  the  out  side  wall  to 
begin  one  foot  at  least  under  the  Surface  of  the  Earth  two  feet  three  inches 
thick  until  the  wall  rises  one  foot  above  the  Surface  of  the  Earth  then  the 
wall  to  be  Eighteen  inches  thick  until  it  rises  twelve  feet  above  the  Surface 
of  the  Earth  then  the  wall  to  be  thirteen  and  one  half  inches  thick  until  the 


148  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

wall  is  21  feet  high  from  the  Surface  o^  the  Earth,  with  two  chimneys  one  in 
the  North  west  and  the  other  in  the  North  East  corner  of  said  house  with  a 
lower  and  upper  fire  place  in  Each  chimney  and  a  Brick  moulding  at  the  top 
of  the  wall  on  the  North  and  South  side  gable  ends  of  Brick  in  the  usual 
form  of  a  dweUing  house  brick  to  be  well  laid  in  morter  made  of  Sand  and 
lime  and  clay  one  third  of  Each  the  wall  to  be  penciled  on  the  outside  two 
doors  in  the  lower  Story  one  in  the  middle  of  the  south  side  and  one  a  proper 
distance  from  the  corner  in  the  East  side  Sixteen  windows  of  a  Suitable  Size 
to  admit  of  twenty  lights  8  by  10  inches  order  of  the  same  to  be  designated 
by  the  Agent  aforesaid  Doors  and  windows  faced  with  Scantling  3  inches 
thick  and  width  thickness  of  the  wall  a  Post  in  the  center  of  the  house  of 
Sufficient  Strength  and  Size  to  Support  all  the  weight  that  may  be  on  the 
same  from  the  Second  third  floor  and  roof  one  Summer  at  Each  Story  10 
by  14  inches  Post  of  Black  walnut  Summers  of  oak  Rafters  and  collar  beems 
of  durable  timber  and  Sufficient  Size  Sheeted  with  plank  ^  inch  thick  and 
covered  with  Joint  Shingles  18  inches  long  4  inches  wide  ^  of  an  inch  thick 
at  the  but  end  popler  or  black  walnut.  Sale  to  be  on  the  last  Saturday  in 
July  (instant)  Brick  work  in  one  contract  and  woodwork  in  another — the 
Brick  work  to  be  completed  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  November  1827 
and  wood  work  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  December  1827  one  half  of  to  be 
paid  to  the  undertakers  on  the  ist  day  of  January  1827  and  the  balance 
when  the  work  is  completed.  Bond  and  approved  Security  will  be  required 
of  the  undertakers." 

JULY  29,  1826. 

At  a  called  session  of  the  board  Of  justices  began  and  held  at  the  court 
house  in  Winchester  on  Saturday  the  29th  day  of  July,  1826  presents  the 
honorable  John  Coats  president  and  David  Frazier  and  Joseph  Hale 
Esquires  members. 

"Ordered  that  the  following  be  the  conditions  of  the  Brick  work  of  a 
court  house  in  the  Town  of  Winchester  in  County  of  Randolph  to  wit,  the 
wall  of  said  house  to  commence  one  foot  under  the  Surfice  of  the  Earth,  the 
wall  to  be  2"]  inches  thick,  till  it  rises  one  foot  above  the  Surfice  of  the  Earth 
to  be  made  of  good  sound  well  burned  Brick  no  Salmon  Brick  in  the  first  2 
feet.  Then  the  wall  to  be  18  inches  thick  till  it  rises  16  feet  above  the  Sur- 
fice of  the  Earth,  then  to  be  121^  inches  thick  till  it  rises  27  feet  above  the 
Surfice  of  the  Earth  with  a  chimney  in  the  North  East  corner  of  sd.  house 
with  a  fire  place  below  4  feet  wide,  and  one  above  at  least  2  feet  wide,  and 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  149 

one  in  the  N.  W.  corner  of  the  Same  description,  with  Straight  arches  over 
the  doors  and  windows  in  a  workmanhke  manner,  the  Brick  to  be  laid  in 
mortar  of  Equal  parts  of  Sand,  lime)  and  clay,  the  work  to  be  done  in  a 
workmanlike  manner  and  to  be  completed  by  the  first  of  November  1827  and 
the  undertaker  will  be  Entitled  to  one  half  of  his  pay,  on  the  first  of  January 
next,  the  balance  on  or  before  the  ist  of  November  1827  if  sd.  work  should 
be  then  completed,  if  not,  when  sd.  work  is  completed  the  undertaker  will 
be  required  to  give  Bond  with  approved  Security  in  double  the  sum  of  his 
contract. 

"Ordered  that  the  following  be  the  description  of  the  carpenters  work 
on  the  before  mentioned  court  house  to  wit :  There  are  to  be  i  Summer  across 
Sufficiently  Supported  by  pillars  of  Stone,  to  bear  up  the  Sleepers  and  all 
the  weight  that  may  come  on  the  same,  2  Summers  to  cross  the  house  at  Each 
Story  Supported  by  two  Sound  Posts  under  Each,  well  Supported  at  the  bot- 
tom, and  Sufficiently  large  to  Support  all  the  weight  of  the  two  upper  floors, 
and  Roof,  Summers  to  be  oak  and  at  least  12  inches  Square,  and  C.  3  Joice 
4  by  12  inches  in  the  Second  floor,  and  C.  3  Joice  3  by  8  in  the  upper  floor, 
with  a  four  Square  Roof  made  in  a  form  to  receive  a  cupolo  at  a  future  day 
to  be  covered  with  Joint  Shingles  not  more  than  18  inches  long  or  4  inches 
broad  five  Eights  thick  at  the  but  end  not  to  Show  more  than  one  third  the 
length.  Shingles  to  be  poplar,  one  Door  frame  in  the  center  of  the  South  side 
of  sd.  House  5  by  7  feet  one  in  the  East  end  4  by  7  feet  9  window  frames  to  be 
put  in  the  under  Story  of  a  Size  Sufficient  to  take  24  lights  in  Each,  10  by  12 
and  10  window  frames  in  the  upper  Story  Sufficient  to  take  20  lights  in  Each 
ID  by  12,  the  door  and  window  frames  to  be  finished  in  order  to  receive  the 
Sash  and  Shutters,  and  plain  Solid  wood  cornish  around  said  house,  with 
tin  conductors  at  Each  corner  to  convey  the  water  from  said  house  the 
cornish  to  be  of  yellow  poplar  all  the  work  to  be  of  good  durable  timber,  and 
to  be  performed  in  a  complete.  Strong  workmanlike  manner,  so  as  to  bear 
the  inspection  of  good  workmen,  the  work  to  be  carried  on  and  put  in  at 
Such  time,  or  times,  as  the  mason  may  call  for  the  same  so  as  to  hinder  the 
mason  as  little  as  the  nature  of  the  case  may  require  the  work  to  be  com- 
pleted on  or  before  the  first  of  January  1828. 

The  undertaker  will  be  required  to  give  Bond  and  Security  in  doublfc 
the  amount  of  his  contract  and  will  be  entitled  to  Receive  one  half  the  amt. 
of  his  contract  on  the  first  day  of  January  next  and  the  balance  when  the 
work  is  completed; 

And  the  Board  adjourned  until  Board  in  course. 

John  Coats  Presd." 


150  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Evidently  a  contract  (which  was  not  recorded),  was  made  and  entered 
into  between  the  county  and  David  \\'}'song,  to  build  the  walls  of  the  court 
house.  This  is  shown  by  the  order  made  by  the  commissioners  September 
4,  1826,  when  they  made  the  following  entry: 

SEPTEMBER  TERM,    1826. 

"The  Board  of  Justices  agree  to  give  David  Wysong  who  heretofore 
became  the  contractor  to  build  the  wall  of  the  courthouse  in  Winchester  the 
sum  of  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars  in  addition  to  his  former  con- 
tract and  the  said  David  agrees  on  his  part  to  make  the  foundation  of  said 
house  of' rock  dimensions  to  be  the  same  towit:  two  feet  high  27  inches 
thick  one  half  of  said  $225  dollars  in  six  months  after  his  former  contract 
becomes  due  and  the  balence  in  six  months  after. 

John  Coats^  P.  of  the  Board.'" 

Mr.  Wysong  evidently  began  on  the  building  immediately  as  he  began 
to  receive  his  pay  as  early  as  January,  1827,  when  it  was  "Ordered  that  the 
county  treasurer  pay  David  Wysong  $292.50  in  part  for  building  courthouse." 
Again  in  January,  1828,  ^Ir.  Wysong  was  paid  $292.50  "in  part  for  building 
the  Courthouse." 

In  September,  1828,  it  was  "Ordered  that  the  County  treasurer  Pay 
David  W3'song  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  twelve  dollars  and  fift)-  cents 
with  legal  interest  until  paid."  It  was  also  "Ordered  that  the  County  trea- 
surer pay  David  Wysong  the  sum  of  $2.25  interest  on  contract  for  laying 
foundation  of  the  courthouse." 

In  ]March,  183 1,  it  was,  "Ordered  that  the  county  treasurer  pay  David 
Wysong  $127,123.-2  in  part  and  Balance  of  principal  and  interest  for  laying 
foundation  of  the  court  house." 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  ^Ir.  Wysong  had  to  literally  "build  the  court 
house  on  time,''  as  he  is  said  to  have  said. 

Paul  W  Way,  who  was  a  carpenter,  had  the  contract  or  a  part  of  it  at 
least  for  the  carpenter's  work,  as  on  ]\Iay  8,  1827,  it  was  "Ordered  that  the 
county  treasurer  pa}'  Paul  W.  Wa}-  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  ninetveight 
dollars  and  fifty  cents  in  part  for  doing  the  carpenters  work  on  the  court 
house."  'Mr.  Way's  duties  as  we  have  said,  were  many  and  he  was  prac- 
tically the  moving  spirit  in  all  the  business.  This  is  shown  by  an  entry  of 
the  same  day  just  mentioned,  when  it  was, 

"Ordered  that  the  county  treasurer  pay  Paul  W.  Way  the  sum  of  3 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I5I 

dollars  for  2  days  spent  in  going  to  Centerville  &C  to  advertize  Sale  of 
courthouse  and  2  dollars  paid  to  Scott  &  Buxton  for  advertizing  2  dollars 
for  writing  Conditions  of  Sale  one  dollar  for  crying  .Sale  2  dollars  for  spirits 
writing  4  bonds  to  close  the  Sale  i  dollar  total  amt. — $11.00." 

Mr.  Way,  no  doubt,  employed  men  to  work  on  the  building  up  until  the 
contract  was  let  for  the  carpenter's  work  in  March,  1828,  as  we  find  in  July, 

1827,  it  was  "Ordered  that  the  county  treasurer  pay  John  Maxwell  three 
dollars  and  fifty  cents  for  putting  an  Extra  Summer  in  the  lower  Storey  of 
the  courthouse  as  soon  as  the  same  is  done  and  completed  in  a  workmanlike 
manner."     The  real  contract  for  the  carpenter's  work  was  made  in  March, 

1828,  as  follows: 

MARCH   TERM,    1 828. 
COPY   OF    CONTRACT. 

"Ordered  that  the  lower  floor  in  the  courthouse  be  laid  so  far  back  as 
the  south  summer  to  be  laid  of  oak  plank  not  Exceeding  6  inches  in  width 
and  at  least  i  ^  inches  thick  to  be  tongued  and  grooved  and  laid  down  broken 
Jointed  well  nailed  down  on  oak  Sleepers  at  least  12  inches  in  diameter  and 
the  bark  taken  off  and  not  to  exceed  2.1  feet  from  centre  to  centre. 

one  pair  of  Stairs  to  Start  at  on  near  the  west  end  of  the  north  summer 
to  run  up  the  wall  till  it  comes  under  the  centre  of  the  window  in  the  centre 
of  the  west  end  of  said  house  thence  to  turn  east  and  enters  the  floor  in  the 
gangway  the  said  Stares  to  be  four  feet  wide  to  be  railed  and  banastered  in  a 
workmanlike  manner. 

upper  floor  to  be  laid  of  oak  plank  of  the  same  description  as  the  under 
floor  and  put  down  in  the  sam  manner. 

A  petition  to  be  run  across  the  upper  floor  from  East  to  west  to  Joining 
the  North  sound  post  on  the  south  side  of  the  same  with  a  partition  through 
the  centre  of  the  North  room  two  doors  to  be  hung  in  the  first  pai-tition  so 
as  to  fall  back  against  said  partition  when  opened  the  partition  to  be  of  poplar 
plank  not  exceeding  one  foot  in  width  and  at  least  one  and  J4  inches  thick  >to 
be  dressed  on  each  side  tongued  and  grooved  and  put  up  in  a  workmanlike 
manner  with  chair  boards  in  side  of  the  rooms  and  wash  boai-ds  on  each  side 
of  the  partition. 

I  Door  4  by  7  feet  i  do  5  by  7  feet  9  windows  24  lights  each  1 1  do 
20  lights  each  10  by  12  inches  door  shutters  to  be  made  folding  of  panel  work 
out  of  white  walnut  plank  i  inch  thick  when  dressed  and  lined  with  half  inch 
plank  hung  with  Strong  iron  hinges  window  Shutters  to  be  made  in  the  same 


152  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

form  of  the  doors  hung  in  the  same  manner  and  made  out  of  the  same  kind 
of  materials  windows  to  be  filled  with  Glass  and  Sash  made  out  of  white  wal- 
nut plank  at  least  one  &  ^  inch  thick  when  dressed  the  whole  to  be  done 
and  completed  on  or  before  the  second  monday  in  August  1828. 

The  County  Agent  is  ordered  and  directed  to  advertise  and  Sell  to  the 
lowest  bidder  the  above  named  work  in  two  seperate  contracts — the  doors 
and  windows  in  one  contract  and  the  balance  in  another.  Said  Sale  to  be  on 
the  24th  day  of  this  instant  at  the  courthouse  door  in  the  Town  of  Winchester 
bond  with  approved  Security  will  be  required  of  the  undertaker  the  under- 
taker shall  receive  one  half  of  his  pay  on  the  first  day  of  January  next  and  the 
balance  in  one  year  from  that  date." 

This  contract  was  amended  in  the  May  term  as-  follows ; 

MAY  TERM,    1 828. 

"Ordered  that  the  agent  have  the  upper  floor  in  the  courthouse  laid  of 
poplar  plank  not  Exceeding  eight  inches  broad,  the  Stairs  to  Start  as  before 
ordered  and  run  within  four  feet  of  the  South  summer  then  to  turn  East,  the 
under  floor  to  be  completed  by  the  second  monday  in  August  next  and  the 
balance  to  be  completed  by  the  Second  monday  in  February  next. 

The  door  and  window  Shutters  to  be  made  of  white  walnut  yellow 
poplar  plank,  the  sash  to-  be  made  of  white  walnut  or  yellow  poplar  plank 
the  undertaker  will  have  till  the  second  monday  in  February  next  to  put  iti 
the  sash  and  glass  March  24  1828." 

There  seems  to  have  been  some  difiiculty  concerning  the  settlement  for 
the  work,  as  we  find  in  July,  that  "Abel  Lomax  and  John  Irvin  are  chosen 
to  adjudge  the  Carpenters  work  of  the  Courthouse  in  Winchester  Randolph 
County  and  report  whether  said  work  is  done  according  to  contract,  and  if 
not  done  agreeable  to  contract  to  assess  the  damages,  said  arbitrators  to  meet 
in  Winchester  on  the  first  monday  in  September  next. 

"Ordered  that  the  County  Agent  contract  with  some  Suitable  person 
to  pitch  and  paint  the  Cornish  on  the  Courthouse  as  soon  as  possible." 

The  above  committee  on  adjustments  made  the  following  report  in  the 
September  term  of  1828: 

SEPTEMBER   TERM,    1 828. 

"Whereas  at  the  July  term  of  This  Board  in  the  year  of  1828  Abel 
Lomax  Esq.  and  John  Irvin  were  appointed  as   referees  to  adjudge   the 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  153 

carpenters  work  of  the  courthouse  in  Winchester  Randolph  County  and 
report  whether  said  work  was  done  according  to  contract  and  if  not  done 
agreeable  to  contract  to  assess  the  damages  said  Arbitrators  to  meet  in  Win- 
chester on  the  first  monday  in  September  1828  and  on  the  day  and  year  last 
aforesaid  the  said  Abel  Lomax  appeared  and  the  said  John  Irvin  not  appear- 
ing, David  Haworth  is  chosen  in  place  of  said  John  Irvin,  and  the  said  Abel 
Lomax  and  David  Haworth  after  being  duly  affirmed  proceeded  to  discharge 
the  trust  confided  to  them  who  after  some  time  return  their  award  as  follows 
(towit)  that  Paul  W.  Way  the  contractor  for  said  work  give  Bond  with 
security  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Board  of  Justices  that  he  will  Warrant 
said  roof  and  Every  part  thereof  to  Stand  good  for  and  during  the  term  of 
five  years  from  and  after  this  date  and  assess  four  dollars  damages  in  conse- 
quence of  the  corners  of  the  roof  not  being  made  in  a  workmanlike  manner 
and  five  dollars  damages  for  three  of  the  sound  posts  in  the  lower  Story." 

In  January,  1829,  Solomon  Wright  was  paid  $112.50  "in  part  for  work 
done  on  the  courthouse  in  1828."  David  Heaston  was  paid  on  the  same  day, 
$109.67  "for  work  done  on  the  courthouse."  George  Burkett  was  paid 
$2.50  for  extra  work  done  on  the  doors  of  the  court  house. 

On  the  4th  of  May,  1829,  we  find  the  following:  "This  day  the  Board 
of  Justices  have  examined  and  received  the  work  done  by  David  Heaston  on 
the  courthouse  agreeable  to  his  contract." 

Another  evidence  that  Mr.  Way  hired  the  work  done  by  the  piece  and 
that  difificulties  of  all  kind  arose,  was  found  in  the  November  term  of  1829, 
as  follows : 

"The  Board  now  takes  into  consideration  the  work  done  on  the  court 
house  by  Thomas  Wright  and  consider  the  same  as  it  Respects  the  doors  and 
windows  not  finished  in  a  workmanlike  manner  and  leave  it  to  the  choice  of 
said  Wright  to  get  a  painter  to  inspect  said  work  and  if  it  is  Judged  by  said 
painter  to  be  done  in  a  workmanlike  manner  the  county  is  to  pay  the  cost  of 
said  inspection  if  not  said  Wright  is  to  pay  the  cost  of  inspection  and  finish 
the  work  in  the  manner  in  which  it  ought  to  be  done,  and  if  it  is  deceded  by 
a  painter  that  the  work  is  now  done  accoidg  to  contrack  by  a  Report  from 
said  painter  to  Charles  Conway  he  as  Clerk  of  said  Board  is  hereby  author- 
ized to  issue  an  order  in  favour  of  said  Wright  for  the  amount  of  his  con- 
tract, if  not  considered  by  a  painter  to  be  finished  when  said  Wright  does 
finish  the  work  he  is  to  notify  five  of  the  Justices  of  the  peace  living  nearest 
to  the  town  of  Winchester  to  attend  and  Exmonin  the  same  and  report  to  the 
next  term  of  this  Board." 


r54  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

What  painter  was  selected  to  inspect  the  work  is  not  known,  but  at  least 
a  portion  of  the  work  was  found  satisfactory  and  in  January,  1830,  "The 
Board  of  Justices  having  inspected  the  painting  done  on  the  doors  and  win- 
dows of  the  courthouse  receive  the  same  And  order  the  county  treasurer 
to  pay  Thomas  Wright  the  sum  of  $150.00  for  painting  done  on  the  court 
house." 

It  is  a  pretty  hard  matter  to  know  jusj:  when  any  part  of  the  building 
was  finished  and  made  ready  for  occirpancy.  It  would  seem  that  a  building 
begun  in  1826  could  have  been  made  ready  long  before  this  evidently  was. 

In  1829,  Joseph  Crown  was  "allowed  to  work  at  his  trade  in  the  west 
room  of  the  courthouse  until  uext  Board  of  Justices  prived  he  takes  the 
necessary  care  of  the  courthouse  and  suffers  nothing  to  be  injured  therein." 

In  January,  1830,  Mr.  Way  was  allowed  "fifty  cents  for  cleaning  the 
shavings  out  of  the  lower  floor  of  the  courthouse." 

The  peculiar  manner  of  contracting  public  work  in  vogue  at  that  early 
day  is  shown  by  the  contract  made  with  Joel  Ward  in  March,  1831,  as 
follows ; 

"The  Board  of  Justices  hereby  contract  with  Joel  Ward  to  proceed  to 
Erect  a  Bench,  Bar  and  suitable  small  benches  table  &c  in  the  court  house  ac- 
cording to  the  plan  proposed  or  any  better  plan  in  any  part  of  said  work  that 
said  Ward  may  think  proper  and  said  Ward  is  to  have  said  work  completed 
against  February  term  of  the  circuit  court  1832  and  when  said  work  is  done 
said  Ward  is  to  make  his  charge  for  the  same  and  if  his  charge  is  not  agreed 
to  by  the  Board  doing  County  business  then  to  be  valued  by  workmen  at  the 
expense  of  the  county  and  they  do  hereby  agree  that  said  Ward  draw  on  the 
county  at  any  time  hereafter  for  the  sum  of  fifty  dollars."  It  is  peculiar 
that  men  transacting  public  business  should  make  such  a  contract,  and  the 
only  excuse  to  offer  for  it,  is  the  confidence  the  board  had  in  Mr.  Ward. 

JMr.  Ward  Was  unable  to  complete  his  work  in  the  specified  time  and  in 
March,  1832,  was  allowed  "further  time  until  the  February- term  of  the  cir- 
cuit court  in  the  year  of  1833,  to  finish  his  contract  heretofore  entered  into 
to  erect  a  Bar,  Bench  &c  in  the  courthouse." 

W^hen  the  time  for  settlement  came  in  September,  1833,  it  was,  "Ordered 
that  the  County  treasury  pay  Joel  Ward  $125  in  part  for  making  Bar,  Bench 
&  Seats  in  the  Courthouse."  They  could  not  agree  upon  the  remainder  of 
the  bill.  Mr.  Ward  was  claiming  $150  for  the  entire  work  and  as  seen  above, 
they  paid  him  $125  and  made  the  following  entry: 

"As  the  Board  of  Commissioners  and  Joel  Ward,  the  contractor  to  make 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1 55 

a  Bar,  Bench  Seats  &c  in  the  Court  house  cannot  agree  upon  the  price  of  said 
work,  it  is  agreed  between  the  contracting  parties  that  Henry  Sybowl  and 
Thomas  N.  Davis  value  said  work  and  report  to  the  next  term  of  this  Board." 
Let  us  state  here  that  Mr.  Ward  held  the  esteem  of  the  commissioners,  be- 
cause he  was  this  same  day  appointed  by  them,  a  trustee  of  the  county  library 
and  also  on  this  day,  filed  his  report  as  overseer  of  a  public  road. 

In  November,  1833,  the  following  entry  was  made,  "It  is  further  agreed 
between  the  County  commissioners  and  Joel  Ward  that  Thomas  N.  Davis  and 
Henry  Sybowl  or  Abel  Lomax,  Shall  Value  the  Bar,  Bench  &  seats  made  in 
the  courthouse  by  the  said  Joel  Ward  &  make  report  of  their  decision  to  the 
next  term  of  this  Board."  Evidently  they  had  some  trouble  in  doing  this,  as 
in  the  January  term  of  1834,  we  find  that  "the  settlement  between  the  County 
and  Joel  Ward  in  Regard  to  the  work  done  on  the  Bar  &c  in  the  courthouse 
is  continued  until  the  next  term."  In  March,  1834,  it  is  noted  that  "a  settle- 
ment between  the  county  commissioners  and  Joel  Ward  in  regard  to  making 
the  Bar,  Bench  and  Seats  in  the  Courthouse  is  continued  to  the  next  term  of 
this  Board." 

Mr.  Ward's  contention  had  been  for  only  a  little  over  $50.00,  so  it  is 
eacy  to  imagine  his  gratification  when  the  following  report  was  made  by 
the  committee,  November,  1834:  "The  honorable  Board  of  County  com- 
missioners for  Randolph  County  November  term  1834  we  your  referees  who 
were  appointed  by  said  Board  to  take  into  consideration  the  Value  of  cer- 
tain work  done  on  the  courthouse  in  Randolph  County  by  Joel  Ward  accord- 
ing to  a  certain  contract  of  the  Board  doing  County  business  in  Randolph 
County  at  their  March  term  ;[83i  with  the  aforesaid  Joel  Ward,  now  report 
that  we  have  discharged  that  duty  having  taken  the  whole  of  the  work  item 
by  item  into  consideration  it  is  our  opinion  that  it  is  worth  $188.00  &  88 
cents  November  ist,  1834  Thomas  N.  Davis,  Abel  Lomax." 

Another  evidence  in  the  patch  work  is  that  in  September,  1835,  it  was, 
"Ordered  that  Charles  Conway  employ  a  workman  either  to  seal  or  lath  and 
plaster  the  Northeast  Room  in  the  Court  house  over  head  as  soon  as  con- 
venient." 

In  the  September  term  of  1836,  there  are  two  items  a  little  hard  to 
explain,  but  we  give  them  for  what  they  are  worth.  "The  filling  up  of  the 
south  side  of  the  court-house  floor  and  laying  the  same  with  brick  heretofore 
undertaken  by  Jehu  Robinson  is  this  day  examined  By  the  commissioners,  ap- 
proved and  received,"  and  "Ordered  that  the  County  treasurer  pay  Jehu 
Robinson  $22.00  for  laying  the  south  side  of  the  Court-house  floor."     This 


1^6  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

would  indicate  that  all  of  the  lower  story  had  not  been  used  up  to  that  time. 

The  final  work  of  completing  the  court  house  was  started  ]\Iarch  6,  1839, 
when  it  was  "Ordered  by  the  Board  of  Commissioners  that  Paul  W.  W^ay 
County  Agent  sell  to  the  lowest  bidder  the  finishing  of  the  Courthouse  in 
Winchester  work  to  be  completed  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  March  1840,"' 
and  "Moorman  Wa}^  is  appointed  to  Superintend  the  finishing  of  the  Court- 
house in  Winchester." 

Mr.  Way  procured  the  plans  and, specifications  of  !Mr.  Thomas  Best 
and  proceeded  to  advertise  and  sell  the  contract,  report  of  which  was  made 
at  the  opening  of  the  !May  term,  1839,  as  follows : 

"To  the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  Randolph  County,  Indiana,  at  their 
May  Term,  1839." 

"Pursuant  to  your  order  of  last  session  I  proceeded  to  advertise  and  sell 
to  the  lowest  bidder  the  finishing  of  the  courthouse  in  this  Town  after  the 
order  of  the  draft  produced  by  Mr.  Thos.  Best,  which  draft  and  Book  of 
explanation  is  herewith  produced  the  Sale  took  place  on  the  30th  day  of 
March  1839  in  this  Town  at  which  time  and  place  the  Conditions  of  the 
said  Contract  was  fully  made  Known  by  me.  David  Pleaston  having  become 
the  lowest  and  best  bidder  the  said  contract  was  cried  of  to  David  Heaston 
at  two  thousand  dollars  and  the  said  David  Heaston  having  been  called  on 
by  me  to  execute  his  Bond  for  his  performance  agreeable  to  the  conditions 
of  sd.  sale  refuseth  to  execute  the  same  Winchester  Alay  6th,  1839.  Paul 
\\'.  Way  C.  Agent." 

Whereupon  the  commissioners  again  took  action  in  the  matter  by  pay- 
ing Mr.  Best  Sio.oo  "for  drawing  the  draft  and  making  a  description  of  the 
work  to  be  done  on  the  courthouse,"  and  again  proceeded  in  the  matter  by 
making  the  following  order  on  IMay  9,  1839: 

"The  Board  of  County  Commissioners  of  Randolph  County  order  that 
Paul  \Y  Way,  County  Agent,  advertise  and  resell  on  Saturday  the  fifteenth 
day  of  June  next  to  the  lowest  bidder  the  finishing  of  the  court  house  in  said 
County  agreeable  to  the  drafts  and  descriptions  made  and  deposited  with 
said  Agent,  by  Thomas  Best,  by  order  of  said  Board  Except  the  Plastering 
of  the  walls  on  the  outside  instead  of  which  the  walls  are  to  be  painted  and 
Penciled,  the  floor  and  wood-work  of  the  first  Stor^-  and  the  roof  and 
Cupola  to  be  completed  by  the  third  monday  in  October  next,  and  the  remain- 
der of  the  work  to  be  completed  within  twelve  months  from  that  time  the 
undertaker  will  be  entitled  to  one-half  of  his  pay  on  the  first  monday  in 
March  next  and  the  residue  twelve  months  from  that  time  provided  the 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I57 

work  is  done  according  to  agreement  The  use  of  the  court  house  is  reserved 
for  all  Conty  Courts  at  their  respective  Terms.  And  Moorman  Way  is  ap- 
pointed to  Superinted  the  said  work  and  report  when  called  on." 

Mr.  Way  (Paul  W.)  performed  this  work  and  reported  to  the  commis- 
sioners in  November,  1839,  as  follows: 

"Report  of  Paul  W.  Way  County  Agent  To  the  Honorable  the  Board 
of  Commissioners  of  Randolph  County,  Indiana. 

"Pursuant  to  your  order  issued  at  your  May  Term  1839,  I  have  resold 
the  finishing  of  the  Court  house  in  this  Town  on  the  15th  of  June  A.  D. 
1839.  At  which  sale  MichaelAKer  of  this  Town  become  the  Undertaker  at 
$248o.}'2  of  which  Sum  is  to  be  paid  on  or  before  the  ist  Monday  of  March 
1840  &  the  balance  at  twelve  months  from  that  date  provided  the 'said  work 
is  completed  and  reed,  by  that  date,  and  the  said  Michael  AKer  having 
entered  into  Bond  with  surety  as  required  (which  Bond  is  herewith  sub- 
mitted) Winchester  Sept.  2nd,  1839.     Paul  W.  Way  C  Agent." 

Mr.  Way  was  paid  with  the  following  order :     "Ordered  that  the  County 

Treasurer  pay  Paul  W.  Way  County  Agent  for  advertising  crying  sale  pre- 

. paring  Bond  and  Report  of  the  first  sale  of  the  Court  house  four  dollars  also 

four  Dollars  for  second  sale,  two  Dollars  also  for  having  sale  advertised  in 

PoUadium  and  keeping  court  house  Shut  making  in  all  ten  Dollars." 

Mr.  Aker  completed  the  work,  received  his  full  pay,  and  on  September 
I,  1841,  it  was  "Ordered  that  the  Job  of  repairing  and  iinishing  the  Course 
house  he  received  and  that  Michall  Aker  and  Andrw  AKern  be  released 
from  any  further  responsibility  relative  to  said  job  And  the  Bonn  given  by 
the  Said  AKers  be  cancelled." 

In  the  meantime  another  office  building  had  been  constructed,  for  the 
use  of  the  clerk  and  recorder.  In  March,  1836,  we  find  "Jeremiah  Smith  is 
appointed  a  Special  commissioner  to  let  the  Building  of  a  Clerk  &  Recorders 
office  and  enclosing  the  public  Buildings  in  the  Townsh  of  Winchester  ac- 
cording to  the  plan  of  the  Board  of  -Commissioners." 

Mr.  Smith  performed  that  duty  and  on  the  3d  of  May,  1836,  the  fol- 
lowing entry  was  made :  "Reed,  the  Report  of  Jeremiah  Smith  the  com- 
missioners heretofore  appointed  to  let  out  the  building  of  a  circuit  clerk  and 
Recorders  office,  Privy,  and  enclosing  Estray  pen,  and  the  Court-house, 
Stating  that  he  had  performed  that  duty  and  produced  the  Bonds  executed 
by  the  contractors  for  said  work,  which  is  approved  and  said  report  and 
Bonds  are  ordered  to  be  filed  in  the  clerk's  office  of  this  Board,  which  is 
done  accordingly  And  ordered  that  said  commissioners  so  alter  the  contract 


158  RANDOLPH    COUXTY,    INDIANA. 

for  fencing  the  Square  that  the  south  line  of  the  fence  be  even  with  the 
South  side  of  the  Jail  door  and  drawn  in  as  far  on  the  west  side  as  will  be 
necessary  to  make  that  line  of  the  Square  and  to  go  north  and  East  so  as  to 
make  the  fence  ten  rods  Square  making  the  small  gates  opposite  the  doors 
of  the  court-hous  and  omitting  to  make  the  large  gate  if  the  contractor  will 
agree  to  discount  one  third  of  the  amount  he  i-  to  receive  for  his  contract  to 
wit  $50.06  said  fence  to  be  made  of  Walnut  or  poplar  plank,  which  altera- 
tion in  said  contract  is  agreed  to  by  Paul  \X.  \\^ay  said  contractor.  And  or- 
dered that  Robinson  ^tlclntire  be  and  he  is  hereby  appointed  to  Superintend 
the  buildings  in  the  place  of  Jeremiah  Smith,  who  has  resigned  said  Super- 
intendance." 

This  building  was  a  two-room,  one-story  brick,  situated  in  front  of  ana 
a  little  to  the  south  of  the  east  entrance  of  the  present  court  house.  The 
contract  excepting  the  office  rooms  was  let  to  Paul  W  W^ay.  For  some  rea- 
son the  board  became  dissatisfied  with  IS'Iv.  Wa)^  or  his  contract,  and  in 
September,  1836,  declared  "The  contract  heretofore  made  with  Paul  ^^'.  ^^'ay 
in  Regard  to  enclosing  the  court-house  and  Estra^'-pen  is  by  agreement  be- 
tween the  said  Paul  W.  Way  and  the  County  commissioners  disannulled  and 
made  entirely  \'oid  and  of  none  effect."  (This  contract  was  certainly  can- 
celled.) The  contract  for  the  construction  of  the  building  was  let  to  David 
Heaston  for  $587.50. 

Mr.  Heaston  for  some  reason  Avas  unable  to  complete  the  building  in  the 
required  time  and  in  Xo\  ember,  1836,  it  was  "Ordered  by  the  Board  that 
David  Heaston  have  further  time  until  the  next  Term  of  this  Board  to  finish 
the  Building  of  the  Clerk  and  Recorders  office  by  him  heretofore  undertaken." 
The  building,  however,  was  completed  and  paid  for  in  full  in  the  September 
term  of  1837.  A  man  by  the  name  of  Samuel  Schaggs  made  the  "Batten  win- 
dow-shutters." 

These  two  rooms  proved  to  be  too  much  space  at  first,  so  it  was  "Ordered 
that  Paul  \y.  ^Vay  County  Agent  rent  the  East  Room  or  Recorders  office  to 
the  highest  bidder  for  a  office  untill  the  First  IMonday  in  August  Xext  and 
Repport  to  the  Xext  Term  of  this  Board." 

In  January,  1839,  ^Ir.  Way  made  the  follovnng  report:  "Pursuant  to 
your  orders  I  have  advertised  and  Sold  to  the  highest  bidder  the  recorders 
office  in  this  Town  till  the  4th  day  of  August  next  to  be  occupied  as  an  office 
Doctor  Hosea  D.  Searls  become  the  purchaser  at  S23.10.  Xovember  loth, 
1838.  Paul  \Y.  Way  C.  Agent." 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  on  the  same  day  of  the  acceptance  of  the 


-RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  159 

completion  of  the  court  house,  September  i,  1841,  that  it  was  "Ordered  that 
the  Auditor  &  Treasurer  be  authorized  to  rent  a  house  for  their  respective 
Offices  of  Ehas  Kizer  One  Door  A\"est  of  Goodrich  &  Brothers  Store  at  three 
dollars  per  month  for  both  at  the  Expense  of  the  County  from  One  year  from 
this  date.  Ordered  that  Elias  Kizer  be  allowed  Eighteen  Dollars  for  rent  of 
Offices  for  the  Auditor  and  Treasurer  for  Six  Months."  This,  however,  did 
not  prove  to  be  very  satisfactory,  at  least  to  the  commissioners. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  the  exact  inside  workings  of  a  change 
that  was  made  February  20,  1846,  when  it  was  "Ordered  by  the  Board  that 
the  Auditor  and  Treasurer  of  said  County  occupy  the  East  room  of  the 
Brick  Building  on  the  public  Square  Known  formerly  as  the  Recorders  office 
as  the  room  for  their  respective  offices  and  to  remove  all  fixtures  and  other 
apparatus  Building  to  their  respective  offices  from  the  rooms  now  occupied 
by  said  Auditor  and  Treasurer,"  and  it  was  further  "Ordered  that  Willis  C. 
Wilmore  be  allowed  to  move  the  Book  of  Record  into  the  west  end  of  the 
Brick  building  occupied  now  as  the  Clerk  office  which  shall  be  occupied  by 
both  Clerk  and  Recorder  And  Court  Adjourned  till  Court  in  Course.  Read 
and  Signed  in  open  court.  Henry  Leeka, 

Abraham  Adamson, 
Nathaniel  Kemp." 

It  is  strange,  indeed,  that  the  commissioners  would  put  four  such  im- 
portant offices  as  the  auditor,  treasurer,  clerk  and  recorder's  in  the  two  small 
rooms;  perhaps  it  was  a  "fit  of  economy." 

The  recorder  occupied  this  room  until  April  18,  1853,  when  he  was 
ordered  to  "occupy  the  Room  up  Stairs  in  the  courthouse  known  as  the  Sons 
of  Temperance  Room  as  his  office  for  the  purpose  of  Recording  Deeds  &C 
and  all  other  instruments  required  to  be  recorded  in  said  Recorder's  office  in 
the  County  of  Randolph." 

The  crowding  of  these  four  important  offices  into  two  small  rooms  and 
the  general  feeling  that  prevailed  at  that  time  that  the  court  house  was  not 
safe  led  to  the  agitation  of  the  building  of  a  new  set  of  office  rooms  in  1856, 
when  it  became  known  that  the  county  would  build  a  two  story  brick  building 
on  the  north  side  of  the  court  house  the  Odd  Fellows  conceived  the  idea  of 
building  a  third  story  to  it.  This  was  considered  by  the  commissioner  to  be 
an  economical  plan  for  the  county  and  we  find  that  on  the  22nd  day  of 
January,  1856,  the  following  agreement  was  entered  into: 

"It  is  agreed  by  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners  now  in  session  and 
Harrv  H.  Neft',  Silas  Colgrove,  Martin  A.  Needer  and  \Mlliam  .A    Peelf  g 


l60  RArNDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

committee  appointed  by  the  Winchester  lodge  No.  121  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  that 
the  said  lodge  (upon  the  Second  story  of  the  public  building  now  in  con- 
templation of  being  built  on  the  public  square  in  the  town  of  Winchester)  be 
permitted  at  the  entire  expenses  of  said  lodge  to  furnish  and  carry  up  the 
wall  for  a  third  story  and  in  every  respect  as  to  said  Story  to  furnish  steps 
and  make  floor  for  said  third  Story  and  in  every  respect  as  to  said  third 
story  to  furnish  and  finish  the  same  Excepting  the  roof  and  materials  for  the 
same  and  the  cornish  thereof,  the  lodge  agrees  to  defray  one  third  the 
expense  of  roof  &  cornish.  It  is  also  agreed  that  the  said  commissioners 
secure  in  some  proper  way  the  quiet  and  uninterrupted  enjoyment  of  said 
third  story  for  a  Lodge  room  for  said  order  so  long  as  the  order  may  desire 
it  and  free  ingress  and  egress  to  the  same. 
Read  and  signed  in  open  Court. 
And  the  Board  adjourned  till  the  ist  Monday  in  March. 

George  W.  Vanderburgh, 
Nathaniel  Kemp, 
Thomas  Aker."" 

With  this  agreement  between  the  county  commissioners  and  the  trustees 
of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  the  county  commissioners  advertised  for  the  letting  of  the 
contract    to  build  said  building  and  on  Saturday,  March  8,  1856: 

"The  Board  of  County  Commissioners  proceeded  to  let  the  building  of 
the  public  offices  and  received  sealed  proposes  according  to  the  advertisement 
and  the  building  of  the  brick  work  was  awarded  to  Benedict  Feathers  at  the 
sum  of  $1,316.00;  the  carpenters  and  joiners  work  was  let  to  Thomas  Best 
&  Co.,  for  the  sum  of  $744.00  and  the  plastering  of  the  offices  was  let  to 
Micaijh  Puckett  for  the  sum  of  $210.00  and  bond  was  given  by  these  parties 
to  faithfully  perform  the  work." 

April  15,  1856,  it  was:  "Ordered  by  the  Board  that  Moorman  Way, 
Esquire,  be  and  he  is  hereby  appointed  the  Special  Agent  for  Randolph 
County  to  visit  Dayton,  Cleveland,  and  Cincinnati,  Ohio  (if  necessary)  and' 
there  to  contract  for  Stone,  Iron  and  Iron  Doors  and  fixtures  necessary  to 
the  erection  of  the  County  offices  of  said  County,  now  under  contract  for 
building.  Said  Moorman  Way  is  empowered  by  this,  his  said  appointment, 
to  make  all  the  purchases  of  said  material,  which  said  material  shall  be  paid 
for  out  of  the  County  Treasury  of  said  County  in  cash  on  the  ist  monday  in 
June,  1856." 

At  this  time  the  commissioners  also  located  the  building  as  follows : 

"Now,  at  this  time  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners  located  the  site 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  l6l 

for  the  County  offices  on  the  following  described  portion  of  the  public  Square, 
towit :  to  be  set  30  feet  from  the  north  wall  of  the  Court  House  the  east  side 
of  said  offices  to  be  in  line  with  the  east  wall  of  the  Court  House  and  to  be 
laid  out  and  built  north  of  said  first  line  towards  Washington  Street  and  to 
front  to  the  east." 

On  May  19th,  however,  the  commissioners  changed  their  mind  and  it 
was  ordered : 

"That  the  edifice  about  to  be  erected  on  the  public  square  for  the  County 
offices  be  erected  on  the  north  side  of  the  public  square,  commencing  forty 
feet  north  of  the  north  wall  of  the  Court  House  to  front  with  the  east  front 
of  the  court  house  and  run  north  forty  feet  towards  Washington  street." 

On  this  same  day :  "The  Board  of  County  Commissioners  sold  to 
George  Monks  the  present  edifice  occupied  for  offices  of  Auditor,  Treasurer 
and  Clerk  for  the  sum  of  $100.00,  payable  in  six  months  from  date;  the 
Board  excepting  the  stone  forming  the  foundation  of  said  building  and  a 
book  case  in  the  east  side  of  the  Clerk's  office." 

,  It  was  evidently  the  intention  of  Mr.  Monks  to  use  the  material  of  the 
old  building  in  the  new  building  but  something  must  have  gone  wrong  as  in 
December  of  the  same  year  the  Commissioners  ordered : 

"That  Carey  S.  Goodrich  be  and  he  is  hereby  authorized  to  have  and 
take  possession  of  the  edifice  known  as  the  old  Clerk  and  Auditors  office  on 
the  public  square  except  the  east  case  in  said  office  and  such  pigeon  holes  as 
are  not  affixed  to  said  building  for  the  sum  of  $50.00  said  edifice  to  be  re- 
moved by  the  15th  of  May  next  and  that  George  Monks  be  released  from  his 
said  contract  heretofore  made  with  the  County  Board  pertaining  to  said 
edifice." 

But  the  building  of  the  new  office  rooms  north  of  the  court  house  did 
not  yet  provide  adequate  room  for  the  various  offices  of  the  county.  It 
would  have  been  enough  had  the  old  court  house  been  secure.  It  seems  that 
this  building  was  never  considered  safe.  The  recorder  was  ordered  to  take 
the  "Sons  of  Temperance  Room"  in  1853  and  that  organization  was  required 
to  move.  Tom  Brown  rented  the  grand  jury  room  in  185 1  and  various  other 
rooms  were  rented  in  the  old  building  but  the  people  generally  seemed  to  be 
somewhat  afraid  of  it. 

In  1864  the  county  commissioners  rented  McKews  hall  for  the  purpose 
of  holding  the  Common  Pleas  Court.     They  also  rented  a  room  of  Moorman 
Way  in  which  to  hold  the  Circuit  Court.  Court  was  held  in  McKews  hall  until 
the  8th  of  January,  1866,  when : 
(") 


l62  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

"It  is  hereby  Ordered  by  the  Board,  that  the  Room  known  and  desig- 
nated as  Locke's  Hall  in  the  third  story  of  the  building  situated  on  the  North- 
east corner  of  Washington  and  Meridian  Streets  in  the  town  of  Winchester, 
be  and  the  same  is  hereby  furnished  to  the  County  for  all  the  uses  and  pur- 
poses of  a  Court  Room,  in  lieu  of  the  'Old  Court  House'  this  day  sold  to  the 
said  John  Ross  by  said  Board." 

Concerning  the  purchase  of  the  "old  court  house"  the  following  entry 
is  made : 

"The  Board  proceed  to  offer  the  said  Court  House  &  Privy  for  sale  to 
the  highest  bidder  and  John  Ross  did  then  and  there  bid  for  the  same  the 
sum  of  three  hundred  and  forty  dollars  and  the  said  sum  of  $340  being  the 
highest  and  best  price  bid  for  said  property  the  same  is  openly  struck  of  and 
sold  to  the  said  John  Ross  for  said  sum : .  And  he  the  said  purchaser  is  to 
remove  from  ofif  the  Public  Square  said  buildings  and  all  the  rubbish  of  same, 
taking  care  not  to  injure  any  of  the  public  property  of  the  County  in  the 
removal  of  said  buildings  or  rubbish.  He  is  also  required  to  give  his  note 
with  apjproved  security  waiving  valuation  and  appraisement  laws,  to  secure 
the  payment  when  it  becomes  due  of  the  above  price.  He  the  said  John  Ross 
thereupon  makes  and  executes  his  promissory  note,  to  secure  the  above  sum 
which  note  is  in  the  words  and  figures  following — towit : 

S340.00  Winchester,  Ind.,  January  8,  1866. 

Twelve  months  after  date  we  or  either  of  us  promise  to  pay  to  W.  E. 

Murray,  Auditor  of  Randolph  County,  Indiana,  the  sum  of  Three  hundred  and 

forty  dollars,  for  value  received,  waiving  valuation  and  appraisement  laws. 

This  note  is  given  to  secure  the  payment  of  the  price  of  the  Court  House  and 

privy.  Signed, 

John  Ross, 
Wm.  Daugherty, 
John  B.  Roberts. 
Filed  with  Trust  Fund  notes. 

Which  said  note  and  security  is  approved  by  the  Board,  and  the  said  Board 
Order  and  direct  that  said  old  buildings  be  removed  together  with  the  rubbish 
from  ofif  the  Public  Square  by  the  first  day  of  July,  1866,  to  which  the  said 
purchaser  agrees." 

As  will  be  seen  by  this  entry  John  Ross  had  purchased  the  old  court 
house  that  day.     This  old  building  was  torn  down  and  the  material  useci  to 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  163 

build  the  present  three-story  brick  building  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Frank- 
lin and  Main  streets. 

Another  contract  was  made  in  this  location  of  the  court  room,  March 
13,  1867,  when  the  commissioners  entered  into  an  agreement  for  "Bradbury's 
Hall  for  Use  of  Courts";  on  this  day  Mr.  Bradbury  leased  to  Randolph 
county  for  the  term  of  three  years  the  third  story  of  the  building  situated 
on  the  west  part  of  lot  No.  9,  north  front,  town  of  Winchester,  county  and 
state  aforesaid,  and  for  the  sum  of  $200.00  per  annum,  commencing  on  the 
1st  day  of  November  1866  and  bound  himself  to  provide  said  room  with 
sufficient  seats  for  court  purposes : 

Said  room  not  to  be  used  for  other  than  Court,  xVgricultural,  Religious 
and  Political  purposes." 

It  will  be  noted  that  "McKews,"  "Locke's"  and  "Bradbury's"  Halls  is 
the  same  room.  This  hall  was  afterwards  known  as  "Stone's  Hall,"  and  we 
find  that  March  10,  1869: 

"It  is  ordered  by  the  Board  that  A.  Stone  is  allowed  one  hundred  fifty 
dollars  in  full  of  amount  due  and  owing  to  him  for  rent  of  his  Hall  for  Court 
room,  and  he  by  agreement  releases  the  said  Board  of  Commissioners  from 
any  further  liability  for  rent  for  said  room  under  the  provisions  of  a  contract 
with  D.  M.  Bradbury  made  March  13,  1867.      (See  Comrs.  Rec.  No.  3  p. 

563.)" 

This  contract  was  cancelled  with  Mr.  Stone  because  the  commissioners 
had  on  the  21st  of  December,  1868,  purchased  of  George  McAdams :  "His 
undivided  half  in  value  of  the  property  on  the  north  side  of  the  public  square, 
Lots  No.  8  and  9  in  the  north  front  known  as  the  City  Hall  in  the  town  of 
Winchester."  The  commissioners  paid  Mr.  McAdams  the  sum  of  $4,000.00 
and  received  a  warranty  deed  for  said  property  and  made  the  following  entry 
concerning  it: 

"And  it  is  hereby  ordered  by  the  Board  that  said  Hall  or  room  known 
as  "City  Hall"  situate  on  Lot  Number  Eight  (8)  (We^t  part)  and  east  part 
of  Lot  No.  (9)  Nine  in  the  North  Front  of  the  town  of  Winchester  in  said 
County  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  declared  to  be  for  the  use  of  said  County 
of  Randolph  for  the  purposes  of  a  Court  House  in  which  to  hold  the  Circuit 
and  Common  Pleas  Court  of  said  County,  and  for  all  other  purposes  for 
which  a  Court  House  is  required." 

This  room  was  used  for  court  purposes  until  the  present  court  house  was 
occupied  in  1876. 

On  April  i,  1876,  Mr.  W.  D.  Kizer,  county  auditor,  sold  the  "city  hall" 


164  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

to  Mr.  Chas.  E.  Magee  for  the  sum  of  $3,075.00,  "reserving  the  right  to  use 
and  occupy  the  front  room  in  the  second  story  of  the  building  on  said  real 
estate  for  one  year  free  of  rent,  and  the  right  to  use  and  occupy  the  residue 
of  said  second  story  of  the  building  on  said  real  estate  during  the  sessions  of 
circuit  court  for  one  year  free  of  rent." 

It  had  been  evident  for  some  time  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  build 
a  new  court  house  and  provisions  were  Ijegun  for  the  same  by  levying  a  tax 
as  early  as  1870.  It  was  the  policy  to  accumulate  a  fund  for  that  purpose  so 
that  the  rate  of  taxation  would  not  be  so  high  when  the  building  was  actually 
constructed.  Quite  a  sum  of  money,  something  like  $35,000.00,  had  been 
accumulated  for  that  purpose  and  in  1875  the  county  commissioners  were, 
short  sighted  enough  to  refuse  to  make  a  levy  for  county  purposes  thus  ex- 
hausting all  the  surplus  and  leaving  the  county  without  any  funds  whatever 
when  it  became  necessary  to  build  the  new  court  house.  It  is  said  the  com- 
missioners took  this  unwise  step  largely  through  personal  reasons. 

April  8,  1875,  the  county  commissioners  held  a  special  session,  the  fol- 
lowing of  which  are  the  minutes  : 

"A  special  session  of  the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  Randolph  County, 
Indiana,  was  begun  and  held  at  the  Auditors  office  of  said  County  on  Thurs- 
day April  8th,  A.  D.,  1875,  in  pursuance  to  a  summons  duly  issued  on  the  8th 
day  of  April  1875  by  Wm.  D.  Kizer  Auditor  of  said  County,  and  Served  by 
W.  A.  .Daly,  Sheriff,  due  return  whereof  was  made  on  said  8th  day  of  April 
1875,  by  which  it  is  shown  that  due  service  thereof  was  made.  Present  Philip 
Barger,  F.  G.  Morgan  and  Thomas  Clevenger,  members  of  said  Board.  Wm. 
D.  Kizer  Auditor  of  said  County,  and  Ex-Officio  Clerk  of  said  Board,  and 
Wm.  A.  W.  Daly,  Sheriff  of  said  County.  The  Board  having  under  con- 
sideration the  propriety  of  building  a  Court  House  for  said  County,  and  hav- 
ing duly  deliberated  thereon,  adopt  certain  Plans  and  Specifications  and  order 
notice  to  contractors  to  be  published,  which  is  as  follows,  viz : 

Notice  to  Contractors  and  Builders. 

Auditors  Office,  Randolph  County,  Indiana. 

Winchester,  April  8,  1875. 
Notice  is  hereby  given  that  sealed  proposals  will  be  'received  by  the 
Board  of  Commissioners  of  Randolph  County  Indiana,  for  the  building  of 
a  county  Court  House,  until  June  (i6th)  Sixteenth  1875,  at  12  o'clock  M. 
noon,  when  the  bids  will  be  opened.  The  Commissioners  reserve  the  right 
to  reject  any  or  all  bids  if  considered  for  the  best  interest  of  the  County. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  165 

A  bond  signed  by  two  responsible  parties  will  be  required  to  accompany  the 
bid  in  the  sum  of  Five  Thousand  Dollars  that  the  bidder  will  enter  into  a 
contract  and  furnish  sufficient  and  satisfactory  bail  if  said  contract  is  awarded 
him.  Two  setts  of  Plans  and  Specifications  prepared  by  J.  C.  Johnson  Archt, 
Fremont  Ohio  can  be  seen  at  the  Auditors  office  in  Winchester  Randolph 
County,  from  April  14th,  1875,  until  the  day  of  letting.  The  building  to  be 
commenced  July  ist,  1875,  the  foundation  to  be  completed  by  November  ist, 
1875,  the  building  to  be  completed  by  April  ist,  1877.  All  of  the  plans  will 
be  on  file  from  and  after  June  ist,  1875." 

Mr.  J.  C.  Johnson  was  selected  as  architect  and  on  June  i6th,  1875,  the 
following  bids  on  plan  No.  i  were  received  and  bonded : 

On  plan  No.  i,  entire  building  except  steam  heating  were  received  and 
bonded. 

G.  W.  Webster,  $79,000.00  and  $2,800.00. 

Christian  Boseker,  $73,231.31  and  $4,100.00. 

G.  W.  Myers  and  M.  A.  Reeder,  $80,000.00  and  $3,444.00. 

J.  W.  Hinkley,  $79,500.00  and  $3,500.00. 

M.  T.  Lewman  and  W.  W.  Blankenship,  $83,666.00  and  $3,400.00. 

F.  L.  Farmer  &  Co.,  $88,295.00  and  $4,500.00. 

A.  G.  Campfield,  $73,000.00  and  $4,300.00. 

Marcus  Bossier,  $81,807.00  and  $3,878.00. 

Beaver  &  Butts,  $76,065.00  and  $3,330.00. 

Wm.  Ballard  for  W.  H.  Ballard,  $83,000.00. 

Miller  Frayer  &  Sheets,  $82,853.00  and  $4,766.00. 

The  contract  was  given  to  Aaron  G.  Campfield  to  build  and  erect  said 
court  house  at  the  sum  of  $73,000.00.  Mr.  Campfield  entered  into  contract 
with  the  commissioners  on  the  2nd  day  of  June,  1875,  and  proceeded  immedi- 
ately to  the  erection  of  the  court  house,  which  was  built  according  to  specifica- 
tions and  completed  and  accepted  by  the  county  commissioners  April  i,  1877, 
at  which  time  Mr.  George  Ennis  was  appointed  janitor  at  a  salary  of  $425.00 
per  year.  Mr.  Ennis  continued  in  this  position  faithfully  until  his  death  on 
the  2nd  day  of  August,  1912,  at  which  time  Charles  Puckett  was  appointed, 
serving  until  January  i,  1914,  when  James  A.  Davis  received  the  appointment. 

It  no  doubt  seemed  to  the  county  commissioners  that  the  present  court 
house  was  sufficiently  large  to  accommodate  the  public  for  an  indefinite  period 
but  it  fs  now  entirely  too  small  and  inadequate  to  meet  the  needs  of  public 
business.  It  seems  strange  that  a  building  costing  the  amount  that  this  one 
did  should  be  built  and  no  protection  made  against  fire  of  any  of  the  public 


l66  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

recoixls  and  up  to  date  no  commissioners  or  county  council  has  ever  had  the 
"back-bone"  to  provide  the  protection  against  so  serious  a  loss. 

The  attic  of  the  present  building  is  a  mass  of  pine  timber  of  the  most 
inflammable  kind,  needing  only  a  small  start  of  flame  to  completely  destroy  the 
building. 

At  this  time,  1914,  the  question  of  remodeling  the  building  is  being  agi- 
tated and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  such  a  splendid  thing  will  in  the  very  near 
future  be  accomplished. 

Were  the  records  of  the  county  to  be  destroyed  the  loss  from  such 
destruction  could  not  be  estimated  in  dollars  and  cents.  The  cost  of  repair 
of  the  court  house  would  be  a  bagatelle  in  comparison  to  such  loss. 

JAIL. 

It  has  been  noted  in  the  earlier  part  of  this  chapter  that  the  first  jail 
built  in  the  county  was  begun  in  1818  and  completed  in  1820..  This  jail  is 
said  to  have  had  inter-locking  corners  and  some  of  the  people  now  living 
who  remember  seeing  it  say  that  it  was  a  double  wall  but  the  records  give  no 
evidence  of  any  such  construction.  Memory  is  a  very  treacherous  affair  and 
for  that  reason  we  are  inclined  to  think  that  the  specifications  were  followed 
literally  and  that  it  was  to  have  had  a  wall  made  of  logs  hewn  to  13  inches 
square. 

This  building  stood  on  the  southwest  corner  of  the  present  court  house 
square  east  of  the  box-elder  tree  now  growing  there.  This  jail  served  its 
purpose  well  for  many  years  and  many  desperate  characters  have  been' securely 
kept  in  it,  but  like  all  materials  the  logs  in  time  began  to  give  way  through 
age  and  decay  until  at  last  it  is  said  that  three  prisoners  escaped  by  digging 
their  way  through  the  rotten  logs.  This  building  stood  until  some  time  after 
December  term  of  1857  in  which  it  was : 

"Ordered  by  the  Board  that  William  W.  Smith  be  and  he  hereby  is 
authorized  to  remove  the  old  log  County  Jail  off  of  the  public  square  from 
where  it  now  stands  and  to  sell  the  iron  now  attached  to  said  Jail  and  to  pay 
the  proceeds  of  said  sale  into  the  County  Treasury  and  make  report  of  his 
doing  in  the  premises  to  the  next  term  of  this  Board." 

The  jail  was  removed  by  Mr.  Smith  to  a  lot  just  back  of  the  present  site 
of  the  A'Vinchester  postoffice  and  was  converted  into  a  pig  pen. 

December  6,  1856,  the  commissioners  had  provided  for  a  new  jail  and 
ordered  that : 

"Thomas  Best  and  Moorman  Way  be  and  they  are  Hereby  appointed  by 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  167 

this  Board  to  get  up  a  plan  and  Specifications  for  a  County  Jail  and  for  the 
purpose  of  enabling  said  Best  and  Way  or  either  of  them  to  give  the  best  and 
most  approved  plan  they  or  either  of  them  are  hereby  authorized  to  visit  the 
several  prisons  in  the  adjoining  counties  or  adjoining  state  for  the  purpose  of 
giving  the  most  approved  plan  for  said  Building  and  make  report  of  their  pro- 
ceedings in  the  premises  to  the  next  term  of  this  Board." 

The  architects  evidently  did  not  get  their  plans  and  specifications  as  soon 
as  the  commissioners  expected,  but  April  14,  1857,  the  following  entry  was 
made : 

"Now  at  this  time  the  Board  of  County  Comrs.  had  selected  the  site 
for,  and  on  which  to  build  a  County  Jail  and  Sheriff  residence  which  building 
is  to  be  set  south  of  the  Court  House,  and  in  line  with  the  Court  House  and 
public  offices,  and  to  set  forty  feet  south  of  the  Court  House  and  the  east  line 
or  east  front  of  said  building  to  be  set  in  line  with  the  east  line  or  east  front 
of  said  Court  House  and  public  offices.  The  North  east  corner  of  said  build- 
mg  to  set  forty  feet  south  of  the  southeast  corner  of  the  Court  House  and 
run  south  forty  feet  thence  west  thirty  feet  thence  north  forty  feet  thence 
east  thirty  feet  to  the  place  of  beginning  which  building  shall  be  two  stories 
high  with  a  permanent  stone  foundation.  According  to  the  specifications 
which  may  hereafter  be  adopted  by  the  Board  of  Co  Comrs." 

At  a  special  session  held  April  29th  a  very  peculiar  state  of  affairs  is 
shown  when  it  was : 

"Ordered  by  the  Board  that  Nathaniel  Kemp  and  Thomas  Aker  be  and 
they  are  hereby  appointed  and  rec[uired  to  visit  Dayton  and  Cincinnati  for  the 
purpose  of  employing  a  Mechanic  and  contracting  with  same  for  the  building 
Iron  Cells  and  the  other  necessary  appendages  to  the  County  Jail  And  said 
Nathaniel  Kemp  and  Thomas  Aker  report  that  they  have  attended  to  the  same 
and  make  report  of  the  following  contract  made  and  entered  into  by  them 
with  Cincinnati  JNIechanic  at  the  following  terms  and  prices,  etc." 

It  will  be  observed  that  Mr.  Kemp  and  Mr.  Aker  were  two  of  the 
county  commissioner .s  at  the  time. 

The  records  have  three  and  a  half  pages  blank  following  this,  hence  it 
was  evident  that  they  intended  to  fill  in  terms  and  prices  at  some  later  time. 
The  contract  spoken  of  was  made  with  Jacobs  &  Co.,  of  Dayton,  Ohio. 

It  was  not  until  the  2nd  of  May,  1857,  that  anything  definite  was  done 
concerning  the  jail  and  we  find  at  that  time  that  it  was : 

"Ordered  by  the  Board  that  Nathan  Garrett.  Auditor  of  said  County, 
give  the  Notice'  to  the  Contractors  for  the  Building  of  a  County  Jail  and 


l68  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Sheriffs  Residence  as  soon  as  the  time  can  be  fixed  upon  by  Nathaniel  Kemp 
&  Moorman  Way,  said  Notice  to  be  given  by  Publication  being  made  in  the 
Randolph  County  Journal  a  weekly  newspaper  printed  and  published  in  Win- 
chester." , 

The  advertisement  was  properly  written  and  published  and  on  the  15th 
day  of  June :  the 

"Board  of  County  Commissioners  proceeded  to  receive  the  proposals  of 
several  mechanics  for  the  erection  of  the  County  jail  to  be  together  with  the 
sheriffs  residence  on  the  south  part  of  the  public  square  and  after  examining 
the  several  proposals  the  brick  work  was  let  to  Benedict  Feathers  for  the  sum 
of  fourteen  hundred  dollars  it  is  therefore  ordered  by  the  Board  that  the 
Brick  work  be  and  is  hereby  let  to  Benedict  Feathers  for  the  said  sum  of  four- 
teen hundred  dollars  and  that  said  Benedict  Feathers  be  required  to  give  bond 
in  the  penal  sum  of  twenty  eight  hundred  dollars  with  sufficient  free  hold 
security  to  the  acceptance  by  the  Board.  And  after  examination  of  the 
several  proposals,  the  Carpenters  work  was  let  to  Martin  A.  Reeder  for-  the 
sum  of  six  hundred  and  twenty  five  dollars,  and  that  said  Martin  A.  Reeder 
be  required  to  give  bond  in  the  penal  sum  of  twelve  hundred  and  fifty  dollars 
with  sufficient  freehold  security  to  the  acceptance  of  the  Board.  And  after 
examinations  of  the  several  proposals  the  plastering  was  let  to  A.  D.  and  A. 
O.  Neffs  for  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  forty  five  dollars.  It  is  therefore 
ordered  by  the  Board  that  the  plastering  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  let  to 
A.  D.  &  A.  O.  Neff,  for  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  forty  five  dollars  and 
that  said  A.  D.  &  A.  O.  Neff  be  required  to  give  bond  in  the  penal  sum  of 
two  hundred  and  ninety  dollars  with  sufficient  freehold  security  to  the  accept- 
ance of  the  Board." 

This  jail  was  completed  in  the  spring  of  1858.  The  commissioners  were 
so  well  pleased  with  the  work  of  Mr.  Way  that  on  March  3d, of  that  year 
they  passed  the  following  resolutions  and  ordered  it  to  be  "spread"  upon  the 
records  of  this  Court  : 

"W^hereas,  the  County  Buildings  being  nearly  completed  and  the  services 
of  Architect  and  Superintendent  being  no  longer  indispensible,  therefore : 

Resolved,  that  the  thanks  of  this  Board  be  and  hereby  is  tendered  to 
Moorman  Way  Esqr  for  the  faithful,  efficient,  and  skillful  manner  in  which 
he  has  discharged  the  trusts  committed  to  him. 

Resolved,  that  Mr.  Way  be  requested  to  present  his  claims  for  services 
rendered,  at  his  earliest  convenience  to  the  Board,  that  the  same  may  be 
passed  upon  and  allowed. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  169 

Resolved,  that  the  Auditor  be  directed  to  present  Mr.  Way  with  a  copy 
of  the  foregoing  preamble  and  resolutions." 

Final  settlement  was  made  for  the  contract  for  this  building  on  June 
17th,  1858. 

For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  county  the  sheriff  was  provided 
with  a  residence  in  connection  with  the  jail  and  the  sheriffs  from  that  time 
on  have  lived  with  their  families  in  the  jail. 

This  jail  was  peculiarly  constructed  in  the  interior.  It  had  a  walkaway 
around  the  cells.  If  prisoners  were  disposed  to  take  advantage,  they  could 
make  it  very  dangerous  for  the  sheriff. 

This  walk  way  extended  around  a  room  known  as  the  "Jail  Entrance." 

At  one  time  three  prisoners  had  planned  to  do  violence  to  the  deputy 
sheriff  and  inquired  of  Mrs.  Ford,  the  sheriff's  wife,  if  Mr.  Ford  was  at 
home  and  upon  being  told  that  he  was  not,  asked  when  he  would  return. 
Mrs.  Ford  answered  that  she  did  not  know.  This  conversation  did  not  in  any 
way  attract  her  attention,  as  such  a  conversation  was  usual,  Mr.  Ford  being  a 
popular  man  with  the  prisoners. 

On  the  evening  of  May  29th,  187 — ,  the  day  of  the  above  conversation, 
Mr.  Ford  entered  his  room  to  put  the  prisoners  in  the  cells  and  Mrs.  Ford, 
as  was  the  custom,  stepped  to  the  door  to  lock  him  in  the  "jail  room,"  when, 
to  her  horror,  she  saw  one  of  the  prisoners,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Dudley, 
strike  Mr.  Ford.  Dudley  was  standing  on  this  walk-way  and  had  a  small 
stick  of  wood  attached  to  his  string  which  was  fastened  around  his  wrist. 

Mr.  Ford  lived  until  the  first  day  of  the  following  January,  when  be 
succumbed  to  the  influence  of  the  blow. 

Prisoners  were  afterwards  overheard  to  regret  their  action,  as  they  had 
not  intended  to  strike  Mr.  Ford,  but  had  expected  to  strike  the  deputy.  Being 
above  him  they  could  not  tell  which  one  was  there. 

So  far  as  we  are  able  to  learn  this  is  the  only  case  where  a  sheriff  or  any 
attendant  has  ever  been  injured  in  any  way. 

At  one  time  the  jail  itself  was  surrounded  by  a  high  board  fence  no  doubt 
more  to  prevent  prisoners  seeing  out  and  people  seeing  in  than  for  any  means 
of  protection.  It  seems  to  have  been  a  common  playground  for  the  children 
of  Winchester  at  that  time,  as  we  have  been  told  by  a  number  of  citizens  of 
their  playing  in  this  enclosure  and  especially  of  being  able  to  crawl  under  the 
building  in  playing  hide  and  seek. 

At  one  time  when  some  prisoners  had  escaped  it  was  thought  that  they 
were  in  hiding  under  the  jail  and  the  story  is  told  that  Mr.  Kb.  Hall,  a  man 


I/O  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

who  is  fearless,  was  the  only  one  who  would  agree  to  crawl  under  the  building 
and  endeavor  to  find  them,  and  much  to  his  'satisfaction  and  that  of  his 
friends,  no  prisoners  were  there. 

It  seems  strange  that  in  the  records  of  the  commissioner's  court  no  men- 
tion has  been  made  whatever  concerning  the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
Winchester  Lodge,  No.  56,  having  built  the  third  story  of  the  building;  how- 
ever, the  fact  remains  that  the  building,  instead  of  being  situated  with  the 
length  way  north  and  south,  it  was  east  and  west  and  the  Winchester  Lodge 
No.  56  built  the  third  story  the  same  as  the  Odd  Fellows  built  the  third  story 
of  the  north  building. 

The  Masons  occupied  this  room  until  the  building  was  demolished,  at 
which  time,  March  13,  1883,  they  sold  their  interest  to  the  county  for  the 
sum  of  $500. 

The  condition  of  the  old  jail  became  so  wretched  from  every  point  of 
view  that  the  grand  jury  in  1880  investigated  and  censured  the  commission- 
ers so  severely  for  their  allowing  such  a  condition  to  exist  in  a  civilized 
county  that  the  commissioners  took  notice  of  it  and  at  a  special  meeting  of  the 
board  employed  E.  J.  Hodgson,  architect,  January  ist,  1881.  Mr.  Hodgson 
was  to  receive  the  sum  of  $600.00  for  his  services.  On  the  first  day  of  Febru- 
ary, 1 88 1,  notice  was  served  to  contractors  and  builders  that  the  commis- 
sioners would  receive  sealed  proposals  in  the  auditor's  office  in  the  town  of 
Winchester,  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  until  i  o'clock  p.  m.,  Monday,  the 
4Lh  day  of  April,  for  furnishing  material  and  labor  required  in  the  erection, 
construction  and  completion  of  a  jail  and  sheriff's  residence  in  the  town  of 
Winchester. 

On  April  ist  two  of  the  commissioners,  Elias  F.  Halliday  and  William 
R.  Coggeshall,  met  in  the  commissioner's  office,  with  R.  V.  Murray,  sheriff, 
and  George  X.  Edger,  auditor,  and  received  and  opened  bids  which  were  as 
follows : 

William  H.  Meyers  and  Martin  A.  Reeder,  for  entire  building $39,106.00 

J.  W.  Hinkley  and  James  Noms,  for  entire  building 37,500.00 

B.  F    Haugh,  for  entire  building 37,000.00 

Aaron  G.  Campfield,  for  entire  building 34,500.00 

After  inspecting  and  examining  the  bids  they  let  the  contract  to  Mr. 
Campfield,  who  entered  into  contract  with  the  commissioners  to  faithfully  per- 
form the  work  in  a  skillful  manner  agreeable  to  the  plans  and  specifications  as 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I7I 

filed  in  the  auditor's  office  and  gave  bond  for  its  completion,  with  Thomas  M. 
Brown,  D.  E.  Hoffman,  C.  E.  Magee  and  Thomas  Ward  as  bondsmen. 

On  .the  same  day  the  commissioners  entered  into  a  contract  with  Martin 
A.  Reeder  for  Lot  No.  seven  (7)  in  the  southeast  square  of  the  town  of 
Winchester  for  the  sum  of  $2,500.00. 

The  contracts  for  the  inside  work  of  finishing  the  jail  were  let  to  other 
parties.  The  contract  for  tile  floor  was  let  to  the  United  States  Encaustic 
Tile  Compan}^  for  $225.00.  The  plumbing  to  J-  &  F.  Niel,  $1,350.00.  Heat- 
ing and  ventilating  to  H.  M.  Crane,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  for  the  sum  of 
$1,156.00.  The  iron  work  to  H.  C.  Hepburn  and  William  Renschall,  of 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  for  $2,089.00. 

The  material  furnished  by  Messrs.  Hepburn  and  Renschall  was  very 
unsatisfactory.  May  i6th,  1887,  the  board  met  and  inspected  the  plate  iron 
furnished  for  the  floor  and  decided  it  was  not  of  the  kind  and  quality  as 
provided  for  in  the  contract  and  specifications  and  condemned  and  rejected  it 
and  ordered  the  company  not  to  put  any  of  this  iron  in  the  jail  building,  and 
Tuesday,  Ma}''  24th,  was  set  for  the  time  of  letting  same,  on  which  day  they 
received  but  one  bid,  being  that  of  William  Fitzmaurice.  Mr.  Fitzmaunce's 
bid  was  for  $3,100.00. 

"And  the  board  having  seen  and  inspected'  siid  bid  and  after  due  con- 
sideration did  reject  said  bid."  Two  days  later,  however,  Mr.  Fitzmaurice 
filed  another  bid,  as  follows : 

"1,  William  Fitzmaurice,  do  hereby  propose  and  offer  to  the  board  of 
commissioners  of  the  county  of  Randolph  to  furnish  all  the  material  and 
labor  and  employments  mentioned  and  described  in  the  specifications  as 
therein  stated  and  required  subject  to  all  the  conditions  therein  mentioned  for 
the  sum  of  $500.00,  to  be  paid  to  me  when  same  is  done  and  accepted  and 
approved  by  the  board.  Said  work  to  be  completed  on  or  before  July  ist, 
1887."  Which  bid  the  commissioners  accepted  and  promised  to  pay  the  same 
when  the  work  was  completed  and  accepted  by  the  board. 

The  jail,  however,  was  soon  completed  and  was  at  that  time  one  of  the 
most  modern  structures  in  the  state.  It  has  since  that  time  borne  the  test  put 
upon  such  buildings  and  at  this  time,  19 14,  is  satisfactory  and  a  very  good 
building.  At  different  times  grand  juries  have  reported  repairs  of  various 
kinds,  which,  fo'r  the  most  part,  have  been  made  by  the  county  commissioners. 


1/2  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

INFIRMARY, 

To  care  for  the  poor,  to  relieve  the  distressed,  to  sustain  the  unfor- 
tunate, and  to  aid  those  who,  by  misfortune  or  otherwise,  are  no  longer 
able  to  care  for  themselves,  has  been  a  duty  of  society  since  the  organization 
of  man.  No  nation  has  ever  been  more  attentive  to  this  class  of  unfortunates 
than  the  United  States,  and  nd  state  has  ever  done  its  part  more  willingly 
and  heroically  than  Indiana,  and  we  ihope  that  no  county  has  responded  to 
the  needs  of  its  unfortunates  with  more  willingness  and  a  greater  degree  of 
consideration  than  has  Randolph  county.  It  is  true  this  county  has  been 
governed  by  state  laws  and  has  had  to  stay  within  the  limits  of  its  means 
and  has  no  doubt  at  times  seemingly  fallen  short  of  what  it  might  otherwise 
have  done,  yet  the  records  of  the  county  are  clear  as  to  their  having  always 
responded  to  the  needs  of  the  poor. 

In  the  organization  of  the  county  a  building  was  provided  for  the  courts 
and  offices.  The  jail  was  built  to  care  for  the  criminals,  and  even  a  stray 
pen  was  maintained  to  care  for  the  stock  that  had  wandered  away  from  its 
rightful  domain,  but  no  such  provision  was  made  for  the  poor. 

Each  township  had  two  overseers  of  the  poor  appointed  and  it  was  the 
duty  of  these  men  to  look  after  the  unfortunates  in  their  respective  town- 
ships in  the  early  history,  there  being  few  people,  the  needs  of  the  people 
being  small  and  easily  furnished,  provisions  being  somewhat  lalentiful,  being 
charitable  and  hospitable  and  generous  to  a  fault,  the  poor  were  cared  for 
without  any  appeal  to  the  public. 

The  first  recorded  appointments  of  the  overseers  of  the  poor  were 
made  on  June  6th,  1820,  when  we  find: 

"Richard  Beason  and  Mashack  Luallen  appointed  overseers  of  the  poor 
in  Ward  township. 

George  Whitehouse  and  Captain  Mackley  appointed  overseers  of  the 
poor  in  Wayne  Township  for  one  year. 

James  Wright  and  John  Balanger  appointed  overseers  of  the  poor  in 
White  River  Township  for  one  year. 

Ephraim  Overman  and  John  Cammack  appointed  overseers  of  the  poor 
in  Greens  fork  township  for  one  year. 

William  Hunt  and  Jehue  Jackson  appointed  overseers  of  the  poor  in 
West  river  township  for  one  year." 

It  is  improbable  that  any  appointments  had  been  made  previous  to  this 
time,  as  the  machinery  of  government  was  only  just  starting  at  this  time. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  173 

Most  of  the  people  helped  at  this  time  lived  in  Greens  fork  and  White 
River  townships.  This  can  easily  be  explained  because  most  of  the  people 
lived  in  these  townships.  When  it  became  necessary  to  care  for  an  unfor- 
tunate person  they  were  farmed  out.  The  first  entry  we  have  of  this  is  in 
the  November  term  of  1826,  when  it  was : 

"Ordered  that  the  County  Treasurer  pay  Curtis '  Clenney  the  sum  of 
three  dollars  and  75  cents  fof  five  days  attending  as  overseer  of  the  poor  to 
farming  out  Levi  Halle,  a  pauper  in  greensfork  Township,  and  George  T. 
Wilson  $1.50  for  two  days  attending  to  the  same." 

It  was  further :  "Ordered  that  the  County  treasurer  pay  Joseph  Halle 
the  sum  of  six  dollars  in  part  for  Keeping  and  maintaining  Levi  Halle  a 
pauper." 

The  records  have  a  great  many  such  instances  as  this  where  people  were 
farmed  out  and  where  people  were  paid  for  keeping  their  -own  relatives. 
The  county  has  had  a  few  cases  where  people  were  kept  by  the  county  for 
a  great  many  years.  The  Levi  Halle  spoken  of  was  kept  until  he  died, 
February  22,  1830,  when  it  was : 

"Ordered  that  the  County  treasurer  pay  Abraham  Reins  the  sum  of 
$2.50  for  making  a  coffin  to  inter  Levi  Halle  a  pauper,  who  deceased  February 
22nd,  1830." 

Mr.  Halle  was,  we  take  it,  an  average  pauper  of  that  time  and  we  find 
that  in  May,  1829,  he  was  "farmed  out  at  $39.84  to  Joseph  Halle  for  the 
ensuing  year." 

The  bids  were  taken  on  paupers  and  the  prices  varied  from  $12.00  or 
$14.00  a  year  up  to  as  high  as  $41.00  or  $42.00,  depending  of  course  on  the 
amount  of  help  the  pauper  would  be  to  the  man  bidding  for  him. 

Another  noted  case  was  that  of  Thomas  Morris  who  was  farmed  out 
May  5,  1829,  at  $17.25  to  Stanton  Bailey  for  the  ensuing  year  by  Curtis 
Clenney  and  Travis  Adcock  overseers  of  the  poor  of  Greensfork  township. 
Mr.  Morris  is  still  found  on  the  list  in  1837  as  having  been  farmed  out  at 
$60.00.     How  much  longer  he  remained  we  do  not  know. 

A  man  by  the  name  of  James  Bailey  was  put  on  the  list  as  early  as  1827. 
He  was  farmed  out  for  the  sum  of  $8.00  to  Nancy  Bailey,  his  wife.  This 
was  simply  a  way  of  keeping  a  man  and  his  wife  and  the  less  decrepit  of  the 
two  was  given  the  contract  of  keeping  the  other,  however,  in  later  years,  she 
was  also  paid  for  keeping  a  husband  and  a  son.  These  people  lived  in  West 
River  township  and  were  kept  by  the  county  for  a  great  many  years,  in  fact, 
in  1854  when  the  paupers  were  gathered  from  over  the  county  and  placed  in 


174  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

the  county  infirmary  we  find,  "paupers  from  West  River  township,  are  Nancy 
Bailey,  Hiram  Bailey  and  James  Bailey."  In  June  these  same  people  were 
re-committed  to  their  township  which  was  Nettle  Creek  and  were  farmed  out 
to  Hugh  Bailey  for  the  sum,  of  $150.00  per  year.  We  do  not  know  how  long 
they  remained  dependents  on  the  county  but  we  find  that  in  September,  1859, 
they  were  returned  to  the  poor  asylum  from  Nettle  Creek  township. 

We  mention  these  cases,  not  with  the  idea -of  exploiting  the  unfortunate 
condition  of  any  special  one  but  to  show  the  great  lengths  of  time  from  which 
the  county  has  at  time  extended  this  class  of  protection.  In  fact,  there  is  a 
man  living  in  the  county  today,  1914,  who  has  been  receiving  public  aid  since 
1855  or  for  a  period  of  almost  sixty  years.  The  county,  however,  is  only 
doing  its  duty,  and  it  is  well  that  the  county  is  able  to  so  well  take  care  of  its 
unfortunates.  Conditions  in  some  parts  of  the  state  were  such  that  the 
legislature  was  moved  to  pass  a  law  in  1848  compelling  counties  to  provide 
public  i^laces  wherein  the  unfortunate  poor  might  have  care  and  with  this  end 
in  view,  December  6th,  1850,  it  was: 

"Ordered  by  the  Board  that  Robert  Irvin  Abraham  Adams  and  Peter  S. 
Miller  be  and  they  are  hereby  appointed  Special  Comrs  to  select  and  purchase 
a  farm  as  near  the  County  seat  as  can  be  procured  taking  into  consideration 
price  and  quality,  etc.,  the  said  farm  so  procured  shall  be  kept  and  dedicated 
to  the  support  of  the  poor  of  said  County.  Said  Commissioners  shall  make 
report  of  their  proceedings  in  the  premises  to  the  next  term  of  this  Board." 

March  7,  1851,  it  was:  "Ordered  by  the  Board  that  William  A.  Peele 
and  David  Heaston  be  and  they  are  hereby  appointed  Trustees  to  Superin- 
tend and  farm  out  the  poor  farm  of  the  County  to  some  suitable  person  and 
to  see  that  the  Paupers  are  Received  on  the  said  farm  on  the  ist  monday  in 
may  next  &  properly  provided  for  and  make  report  of  their  proceeding  in 
the  premises  to  next  term  of  their  Board." 

March  28th  Messrs.  Peele  and  Heaston  were  authorized  to  procure  horses 
and  wagon  and  necessary  stock  and  utensils  for  farming  the  poor  farm  of 
said  county,  as  was  always  the  case  were  to  make  report  at  the  next  meeting. 
This  they  proceeded  to  do  by  buying  a  "horse  beast"  of  Acil  Stone  for  $50.00, 
a  "horse  beast"  of  Samuel  Ludy  for  $59.93,  a  "waggon"  of  Henry  Lipp 
for  $65.00,  "goods,  wares  and  merchandise"  of  Best  &  Way,  $46.76,  the  same 
of  Thos.  Ward,  $32.58,  the  same  of  D.  J.  Cottom,  $8.76,  "goods"  of  Zimri 
Moffett  $3.46,  plow  of  Pleasant  Diggs,  $10.50,  harness  of  Sol  Yunker,  $7.12, 
"single  trees"  John  Way  $2.75,  chairs,  Lewis  Walker  $10.00,  harrow,  Thomat. 
Butterworth  $1.75,  oats,  James  Forsythe  $4.00,  tinware  James  O.  Dormer 


KANDOLPI-I    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  _  175 

$2.48,  potatoe  plants  David  Wysong,  75  cents,  bed  steads  William  Allen 
$47.50,  necessary  articles  William  H.  Fitzgerald  $90.17  and  so  the  poor  farm 
was  started  and  equipped. 

William  Fitzgerald  was  selected  as  the  first  keeper  and  his  term  was  to 
expire  March  i,  1852. 

At  this  time  an  inventory  was  made  of  the  property  when  it  was  found 
that  the  county  had  property  to  the  value  of  $1,813.10.  We  are  inclined  to 
think,  however,  that  some  of  the  property  was  appraised  rather  high  as  we 
find  one  table,  $10.00;  three  tubs,  $4.50,  and  other  things  in  proportion. 

At  the  end  of  that  year  Mr.  Fitzgerald  reports  having  thirteen  inmates 
and  "here  further  reports  that,none  of  said  paupers  are  able  to  perform  labor, 
being  all  very  old,  very  young,  weak  minded  or  diseased  and  that  he  has 
realized  nothing  from  their  industry."  He  further  reports  that  expenses 
for  maintaining  his  own  family  and  said  paupers  to  be  $214.72)4. 

There  was  no  building  of  any  consequence  on  this  farm.  The  commis- 
sioners met  on  the  loth  day  of  July,  1852,  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  specifi- 
cations and  bids  for  the  building  of  a  poor  house  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  paupers  when  the  following  order  was  made : 

"Ordered  by  the  Board  that  the  following  plan  be  and  the  same  is  hereby 
adopted  by  the  Board  for  the  Building  of  a  House  on  the  poor  Asylum  of 
said  County  for  the  accommodation  of  the  paupers  at  said  Asylum.  The 
house  shall  be  sixty  feet  long  and  forty  feet  wide  and  twelve  feet  high.  A 
main  Hall  ten  feet  wide  and  sixty  feet  long  through  the  center  of  the  building 
And  a  second  hall  through  the  center  of  the  building  from  east  to  west  six 
feet  wide  and  forty  feet  long,  etc.  And  it  is  therefore  further  ordered  by 
the  Board  that  Thomas  Best  or  Asahel  Stone  be  and  they  are  hereby  appointed 
to  draw  the  draft  and  furnish  specifications  for  the  erection  of  said  building 
and  furnish  the  same  to  this  Board  on  Saturday  the  17th  instant  by  12 
O'clock." 

Mr.  Stone  made  the  plans  and  was -paid  $"'io.62>4  for  the  same. 

In  March,  1853,  the  building'  was  built  by  a  Joseph  Johnson  and  was  ac- 
cepted by  the  commissioners  December  20,  1852,  at  which  time,  however,  they 
reserved  $50.00  until  the  "painting  and  whitewashing"  is  completed. 

In  1853  Mr.  Fitzgerald  reports  having  sixteen  inmates,  to  wit:  7  white 
males,  3  white  females,  2  black  males,  4  black  females.  He  further  reports 
that:  "all  said  paupers  in  said  asylum  are  either  from  age,  infirmity  or 
youth  unable  to  perform  much  manual  labor." 

The  first  loss  of  the  county  by  fire  occurred  on  the  25th  of  January,  1854, 


176  .  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

when  the  "poor  asylum"  was  destroyed.  The  commissioners  found  "that 
the  paupers  of  said  County  are  in  a  destitute  condition"  and  ordered  that  the 
township  overseers  of  the  poor  be  instructed  to  care  for  the  paupers  from  the 
several  townships.  White  River  and  Greensfork  townships  were  the  only 
townships  having  inmates 'in  the  asylum  at  this  time.  For  some  reason  the 
commissioners  ordered :  "that  the  personal  property  appertaining  to  the  poor 
asylum  and  belonging  to  said  County  be  exposed  to  public  sale  to  the  highest 
bidder  on  the  3rd  day  of  March,  next,  on  the  poor  farm  of  said  County" 
and  the  business  of  the  county  infirmary  was  practically  closed  for  a  year. 
They,  however,  proceeded,  immediately,  to  the  construction  of  a  new  build- 
ing and  March  11,  1854,  Thomas  Best  was  "employed  to  make  a  draft 
and  specifications  for  the  Building  an  Asylum  on  the  poor  farm."  Mr.  Best 
was  authorized  to  visit  several  asylums  and  to  "adopt  a  Most  Convenient  plan 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  inmates  and  for  the  family  of  the  Superintend- 
ant."  The  auditor  was  instructed  to  advertise .  for  sealed  proposals  at  the 
next  term  of  the  commissioners'  court  on  said  building.  This  duty  was  per- 
formed and  on  April  17th  the  commissioners  received  sealed  proposals  for 
the  building  and  let  the  contract  to  Joseph  Johnson  for  the  sum  of  $5,950.00 
upon  condition  that  the  building  be  completed  by  May  i,  1855.  Mr.  Johnson, 
evidently,  did  not  succeed  very  well  in  his  building  as  on  May  7,  1855,  the 
commissioners  met  in  a  special  meeting:  "visiting  the  poor  asylum  of  said 
County  and  receiving  said  asylum  and  superintending  the  reception  of  the 
paupers  from  several  townships  in  said  County  and  to  do  and  transact  such 
other  and  further  business  as  the  interests  of  the  said  County  may  require. 
Present,  the  Honorable  Andrew  Devoss,  George  W.  Vanderburg  and 
Nathaniel  Kemp,  lEsqs.,  members  of  said  Board  and  after  visiting  the  said 
asylum  they  find  the  same  unfinished  and  do  not  receive  the  same." 

The  matter  continued  with  more  or  less  quibbling  for  almost  a  year  and 
finally  Ernestus  Strohm  was  "appointed  to  furnish  material  to  complete  the 
County  asylum  of  said  County  as  near  as  can  be  done  on  the  original  plan  and 
to  be  governed  by  the  specifications  if  they  can  be  obtained."  Mr.  Strohm 
completed  the  work. 

Final  settlement  was  made  with  Mr.  Johnson  September  6,  1856.  The 
following  entry  concerning  which  is  made : 

"Now  at  this  time  the  Board  of  County  Comrs.  settle  with  Joseph  John- 
son and  it  is  approved  by  and  between  the  Board  of  County  Comrs  and  the 
said  Joseph  Johnson  that  in  consequence  of  said  Joseph  Johnson  indemnifying 
said  Board  with  bond  and  security  approved  by  said  Board  to  hold  said  County 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I77 

harmless  of  supposed  leins  filed  against  said  Johnsons  dues  or  claims  against 
said  County,  and  said  Bond  being  by  said  Johnson  given  with  Jere  Smith 
his  security  the  Board  Order  the  Auditor  to  Issue  to  said  Johnson,  Orders  to 
the  amount  of  two  hundred  and  eighty  six  dollars  and  thirty  four  cents,  the 
Balance  due  said  Johnson  after  deducting  the  amount  necessary  to  finish  the 
said  Johnson  undertaking  with  said  County,"  etc. 

This  building  served  its  purpose  with  more  or  less  efficiency  for  a  number 
of  years  but  as  the  population  of  the  county  increased  the  needs  of  a  better 
equipment  at  the  poor  farm  correspondingly  increased.  Matters  went  on  in 
their  usual  way  with  more  inmates  being  committed  from  year  to  year  and 
no  additional  accommodations  being  provided  for. 

During  the  administration  of  Mr.  Hall  matters  became  such  that  it 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  public  and  grand  jury  after  grand  jury  reported 
after  having  visited  the  institution  that  the  needs  were  wholly  inadequate  to 
the  necessity.  Public  pressure  finally  became  so  strong  that  in  1899  the  com- 
missioners, William  Horn,  Adam  Slonaker  and  Thomas  H.  Clark,  contracted 
with  W.  F.  Kaufman,  architect,  Richmond,  Indiana,  January  19,  1899,  "to 
furnish  a  complete  set  of  drawings,  specifications  and  all  detail  drawing  re- 
quisite and  necessary  to  erect  a  County  Infirmary  on  the  present  infirmary 
farm  in  Randolph  County,  State  of  Indiana."  Mr.  Kaufman  was  also  to  act 
as  the  superintendent  of  the  erection  of  such  building.  Mr.  Kaufman 
furnished  the  plans  and  specifications  which  were  adopted  by  the  board  and. 
left  in  the  auditor's  office  for  the  use  of  persons  bidding  on  said  proposed 
work  which  was  to  be  completed  on  or  before  October  i,  1899.  Mr.  Kauf- 
man evidently  finished  his  plans  as  he  was  paid  $600.00  on  the  same  on  March 
9,  1899.  Just  why  all  bids  were  not  received  sooner  and  contract  let  is  not 
known  but  it  remains  a  fact  that  they  were  not  received  and  opened  until 
March  19,  at  which  time  the  following  bids  were  received  :  Joseph  Shetterly, 
$34,373.00;  J.  M.  Hagerman,  $36,290.00;  A.  G.  Campfield,  $34,900.00,  and 
W.  H.  Kreep,  $34,950.00.  The  bid  of  Mr.  Shetterly  was  considered  best  and 
was  accepted  and  contract  was  awarded  to  him.  The  time  of  completion  was 
extended  to  November  i,  1899. 

Much  dissatisfaction  arose  during  the  construction  of  the  building  as  to 
the  quality  of  the  material  and  the  work  that  was  allowed  to  be  put  into  the 
building.  Many  additional  items  of  expense  were  also  added,  making  the 
final  cost  of  the  building  somewhere  near  $40,000.00.  The  building  is,  how- 
ever, splendidly  arranged  and  with  the  additions  and  conveniences,  that  have, 
in  recent  years,  been  added,  it  is  now  considered  a  model  infirmary. 
(12) 


178  RAXDOLl'll     COrXTY,    INDIANA 

Tt  should  no  longer  be  called  a  "poor  farm"  but  should  rather  be  called 
"home  for  the  poor.'"  With  the  character  of  the  superintendent  and  matron 
of  recent  years  it  has  indeed  been  a  home  for  the  unfortunates  who  have 
found  it  necessary  to  be  there.  It  would  be  a  shame  for  it  to  be  otherwise 
in  such  a  county  a-  ours  with  its  wealth,  intelligence  and  high  degree  of 
society. 

In  the  meantime,  January  15,  1855,  ]Mr.  Simon  Gray  had  been  appointed 
to  succeed  ^Ir.  Fitzgerald  as  the  superintendent  of  the  asylum. 

It  is  interesting  to  know  at  this  time  that  bids  were  taken  and  that  the 
position  of  Superintendent  of  the  poor  asylum  was  let  to  the  bidder,  usuall}^ 
the  lowest,  who  suited  the  commissioners  best.  Mr.  Gray  took  the  place  on 
the  following  conditions : 

"I  do  hereby  agree  to  superintend  and  take  care  of  the  poor  asjdum  of 
Randolph  County  for  one  year  for  four  hundred  dollars.  Furnish  2  horses  and 
A  wagon  and  gears  and  .Six  cows,  Alyself  and  \Mfe  and  one  girl  ten  years 
old  and  one  other  woman  part  of  the  time,  board  oursehes  and  stock  till  the 
first  of  Ma)-,  3  beds,  6  chairs,  dishes  sufficient  for  our  own  use  and  other 
apparatus  too  tedious  to  mention."     Signed,  Simon  Gray. 

A\"hereupon  the  commissioners  entered  into  contract  with  Air.  Gray. 
He  giving  bond  in  the  sum  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars  for  his  faithful  perform- 
ance as  .such  superintendent.  January  21,  1856,  Mr.  Gray  submitted  two 
propositions  to  the  county  commissioners,  the  first  being: 

I  do  hereb}-  agree  to  take  care  of  the  Randolph  County  poor  asylum 
for  one  year  and  furnish  three  horses  and  gears,  one  waggon,  5  milk  cows, 
Myself  and  wife  and  one  girl  eleven  3'ears  old  for  S400.00,  furnish  our  own 
bedding  and  "clothes  and  the  increase  of  all  stock  to  be  mine."  The  second 
was :  "I  will  furnish  three  horses  and  gears  and  one  Waggon  5  milk  cows 
and  12  or  15  head  of  sheep  and  let  you  (the  County)  have  all  the  increase 
and  profits  of  all  the  Stock  and  furnish  labor  as  before  for  the  sum  of 
S450.00.  '  The  last  proposition  was  accepted  by  the  Commissioners.  'Sir. 
Gray  entered  into  contract,  giving  bond  as  before,  with  Thomas  W.  Coats  as 
his  security. 

The  next  year  the  Commissioners  employed  Jeremiah  Cox  as  superin- 
tendent after  they  had  examined  se\-eral  bids  which  were  submittd.  yir. 
Cox  submitted  the  following  proposal :  "to  render  his  aid  and  wife  and 
four  children,  two  boys,  oldest  10  years,  youngest  nine,  two  girls,  oldest 
seven  years,  youngest  five  years  old  and  to  find  clothing  and  bedding  for  the 
comfort  of  his  familv  and  to  furnish  the  use  of  two  work  horses.  Harness 


I^XMDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  179 

and  a  two  horse  Waggon,  One  two  horie  plow,  one  Shovel  plow,  and  the  use 
of  four  milk  cows  with  the  increase  to  be  left  on  the  farm  and  the  use  of  onu 
cook  stove  with  other  cooking  utensils  all  the  above  mentioned  for  the  term 
of  one  year  for  the  sum  of  $200.00,  prosal  made  this  3  day  of  January,  1857.'' 
Signed,  Jeremiah  Cox. 

The  commissioners  entered  into  a  contract  with  Mr.  Cox,  he  giving  his 
bond  for  $1,000.00  with  Silas  Gray  and  Nathan  Cox  as  security. 

Evidently  the  commissioners  begun  to  think  the  cost  of  the  poor  farm 
was  unwarranted  as  in  December,  1857,  they  ordered  the  auditor  to  make  a 
report  of  "the  whole  cost  of  taking  care  of  paupers  of  said  County  at  the 
County  asylum  for  the  years  A.  D.  1855,  1856,  1857,  including  physicians 
salary,  superintendents  salary,  and  incedental  expenses  appertaming  to  this 
end."  They  further  ordered  the  auditor :  "Ordered  by  the  Board  that  the 
Auditor  be  and  he  is  hereby  required  to  give  notice  by  having  publication 
made  for  three  weeks  successively  in  the  Randolph  County  Journal  of  the 
letting  of  the  County  Asylum  for  the  next  in  coming  year  to  the  lowest  re- 
sponsible bidder,  which  letting  will  be  at  the  Court  House  in  Winchester  on 
Friday  the  15th  day  of  January  A.  D.  1858.  The  Board  reserving  the  right 
to  decide  of  the  manner  proposed,  the  amount  each  bidder  will  undertake  to 
furnish,  etc.,  etc.,  or  perform  the  duties  rec[uired  of  him  according  to  his 
particular  bid." 

These  bids  were  received  January  15,  1858,  and  the  commissioners 
entered  into  a  contract  with  Mr.  Thomas  McConochy,  Mr.  McConochy  giving 
bond  with  Elias  Kizer  having  "appeared  in  open  Court  and  offered  himself 
as  security  for  the  performance  of  said  Thomas  McConochy."  Mr.  Mc- 
Conochy was  to  receive  "the  sum  of  two  hundred  dollars  and  seventy-five 
cents  to  do  all  the  necessary  labor  in  the  house  and  on  the  farm,  without  any 
expense  from  the  County,  to  furnish  two  horses  and  gears,  and  one  wagon 
and  one  milk  cow  and  furnish  my  beds  and  bedding  for  my  own  family  my 
family  in  number  is  four,  myself.  Wife  and  two  children,  one  boy  eight  years 
old  and  a  girl  eleven  years  old." 

During  the  first  year  of  Mr.  McConochy's  term  an  incident  occurs  which 
shoAvs  the  spirit  of  the  earl)-  Society  of  Friends.  The  minutes  of  this  trans- 
action are  self-explanatory  and  show  the  spirit  with  which  that  society 
practiced  the  teachings  of  the  Master. 

"This  Memorandum  is  to  certify  I,  the  undersigned,  on  behalf  of  the 
poor  Committee  of  White  Water  Monthly  meeting  of  the  Society  of  Friends 
in  the  County  of  Wayne  and  State  of  Indiana  do  hereby  Obligate  myself  to 


l8o  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

pay  to  Thomas  McConochy  Superintendent  of  Randolph  County  poor  house 
on  or  before  the  ist  day  of  2nd  Mo.  (February)  1859  The  sum  of  Seventy 
Dollars,  being  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  to  keep  and  support  Samuel  David- 
son who  is  now  an  inmate  of  said  poor  house  for  Two  years  past  &  which  two 
years.will  expire  at  that  time,  and  if  said  Davidson  should  not  live  to  the  end 
of  the  time  above  specified  a  deduction  at  the  rate  of  thirty  five  dollars  a  year 
is  to  be  made  from  this  obligation  for  the  unexpired  time. 
8  mo.  13th  1858.  Jeremiah  Hadley. 

"And  it  is  further  agreed  and  confirmed  between  us  that  the  said  poor 
committee  above  referred  to  is  to  pay  yearly  for  the  same  purpose  to  the 
superintendent  of  the  above  poor  house  the  sum  of  thirty  five  dollars,  to  be 
paid  on  the  ist  day  of  the  2nd  month  of  each  that  said  Davidson  in  said  poor 
House  after  the  expiration  of  the  time  above  mentioned  in  the  above  obliga- 
tion. 
8th  mo.  13,  1858.  Jeremiah  Hadley, 

Thomas  McConochy  Supf 

Mr.  Davidson  died  during  the  year  and  Mr.  Hadley  paid  $70.00  to  Mr. 
McConochy  who  acknowledged  the  receipt  of  the  same  March  9,  1859. 

Mr.  McConochy  was  employed  again  January,  i860,  for  the  period  of 
one  year.  He  was  to  receive  $350.00  but  in  addition  to  his  regular  work 
agreed  to  "re-roof  the  barn,  re-set  all  the  fences  on  the  farm  that  needs  it  & 
clear  up  a  piece  of  groimd  in  the  south  field  on  the  west  side  of  the  State 
road,  &  put  gates  where  they  are  needed  and  make  a  blind  ditch  eighteen  rods 
long  in  the  field  east  of  the  house." 

December  6th,  i860,  the  commissioners  received  the  proposition  to  super- 
intend the  poor  asylum  from  Elias  Kizer.  Mr.  Kizer  had  been  a  very  promi- 
nent man  in  the  history  of  the  county  for  some  years,  having  served  as  road 
supervisor,  road  viewer,  juror  and  county  commissioner  seven  years.  That 
Mr.  Kizer  was  "onto  the  game"  and  understood  public  pulse  is  shown  by  the 
character  of  the  proposal  that  he  submitted  to  the  commissioners.  Evidently 
Mr.  Kizer  knew  some  of  the  unfavorable  conditions  existing  at  the  time 
which  he  hoped  to  rectify.  His  proposition  upon  which  he  was  hired  is 
such  that  we  feel  justified  in  giving  it  in  full : 

"Elias  Kizer  on  proposition  to  Superintend  Poor  Asylum  &c. 

Winchester,  Dec.  6th,  i860. 
To  the  honorable  board  of  County  Commissioners : 

I  propose  to  undertake  the  Poor  asylum  &  farm  for  the  coming  year 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  l8l 

in  Randolph  County  Indiana.  I  will  furnish  team,  wagon,  plows,  &  hands 
sufficient  to  do  all  the  work  on  the  farm  &  in  the  house,  &  not  keep  any  more 
hands  than  are  really  needed;  the  family  shall  be  small  so  as  to  make  the 
expenses  light,  as  possible  on  the  "County.  As  for  my  extras  on  my  table  I 
will  account  for  them  to  the  County  outside  of  what  the  paupers  have  to  live 
on.  I  will  be  accountable  for  all  neglect  on  my  part.  Likewise  I  will  make 
all  the  shoes  or  have  them  made  for  the  paupers,  the  County  just  paying  for 
the  leather,  mending  likewise,  And  I  will  keep  the  farm  in  good  repair,  & 
leave  it  in  the  same.  This  you  may  be  the  judges  of  yourself es.  I  will  do 
all  the  dealing  that  is  necessary  for  the  use  of  the  paupers,  &  keep  a  correct 
account  &  report  to  you  every  three  months  if  required.  N.  B.  I  will  fur- 
nish my  own  beds  and  clothing. 

This  labor  is  worth  five  hundred  dollars  per  year,  but  if  you  think  it 
too  much,  anything  between  that  &  three  hundred  I  will  be  satisfied  with. 
I  leave  this  with  you  for  I  think  you  to  be  reasonable  men  &  know  what  is 
reasonable  &  wright,  &  if  I  don't  perform  the  labor  according  to  contract,  I 
don't  want  anything  for  it.     I  do  this  for  the  good  of  the  County. 

N.  B.  I  will  give  no  meals  victuals  away,  uless"  I  charge  myself  with 
it  at  25  cts  per  meal.  Thiss  I  will  account  to  the  County  for;  this  is  wright 
and  just. 

This  I  submit  to  your  honorable  body. 

(Signed)     Elias  Kizer. 

We  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners  accept  the  proposition  of 
Elias  Kizer.  He  is  therefore  appointed  to  superintend  the  poor  asylum  & 
farm  for  one  year  commencing  Feb.  ist  1861  and  ending  Jan.  21st  1869. 

Read  and  signed  in  open  court  and  the  Board  adjourned  till  Saturday 
morning,  usual  hour.  H.  K.  Wright, 

C.   F.   Alexander." 

Mr.  Kizer  made  good  and  was  again  employed  in  1862  under  the  propo- 
sition that,  "I  will  superintend  the  whole  matter  that  I  have  done  for  the  sum 
of  $500.00  for  the  year  and  of  course  do  the  best  I  can  for  the  County.  I 
will  make  the  expenses  as  low  as  possible,  doing  the  land  justice,  also  the 
paupers."  Mr.  Kizer  was  again  employed  in  1863,  this  time  for  $550.00. 
The  County  to  pay  for  medical  attendance  and  medicine.  Mr.  Kizer  was 
again  employed  in  1864  for  the  sum  of  $600.00.  "The  County  to  pay  for  all 
repairs  and  Smith  work,  furnish  plows  and  farming  implements,  Kizer  to  pay 
the  Doctors  bills  except  in  extreme  cases  and  the  County  to  pay  for  all  medi- 


l82  RANDOLPH,    COL'XTY,    INDIANA. 

cine.  The  farm  to  be  kept  in  as  good  order  or  better  than  it  now  is."  Again 
in  January,  1865,  ]\Ir.  Kizer  was  employed  for  the  year  for  the  sum  of 
$700.00.  This  time  he  went  into  the  following  agreement :  "I  will  do  the 
Very  best  for  the  County  and  the  Paupers  ieaving  all  I  Make  on  the  Farm  at 
the  end  of  the  Year  Except  What  I  take  to  the  farm  of  my  own  property." 

The  Commissioners  were  called  together  January  8,  1866,  to  consider, 
among  other  things,  "proposals  to  take  charge  of  the  poor  asylum  for  the 
ensuing  year."  We.  do  not  know  how  many  proposals  were  offered  or  by 
whom  but  the  one  accepted  was  made  by  Jonathan  Edwards  for  the  sum  oi 
$500.00.  The  county,  "to  pay  the  expenses  of  all  necessary  repairs  Black- 
smithing,  making  or  re-setting  fences,  making  rails,  and  necessary  to  protect 
crops,  etc.  Said  Edwards  to  keep  up  all  the  repairs  of  his  own  property  at 
his  own  expense."  Mr.  Edwards  filed  bond  for  $500.00  with  Hamilton 
Edwards  as  security.     ]\Ir.  Edwards  was  again  employed  in  1867  for  $500.00. 

Competition  .seems  to  have  been  lively  for  1868  as  proposals  were  re- 
ceived from  Jonathan  Edwards,  James  Shaw,  John  W  Bragg,  Xathan 
Fiddler,  W'm.  .\.  W.  Dah-,  Andrew  J.  Aker,  Daniel  ]\IcConochy.  The  pro- 
posal of  Jonathan  Edwards  was  accepted  after,  "the  Board  having  seen  and 
inspected  the  several  proposals."  Air.  Edwards  this  year  was  to  receive 
$500.00  the  same  as  the  year  before.  The  special  December  term,  December 
30,  1868  proposals  were  received  from  Amos  Hall,  Joseph  Kemp,  Joseph 
Kelly,  Nathan  Fiddler-,  Daniel  Barnes,  David  AlcConochy,  Urias  Davis, 
Sampson  Summers  and  Charles  AI.  Stine,  the  proposal  of  Air.  Hall  was 
accepted. 

Air.  Hall's  contract  was  more  liberal  than  any  that  had  preceded  and  tor 
the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  county  the  county  agreed  to  furnish  the 
superintendent,  "with  the  assistance  of  a  Matron  for  said  Asylum  to  assist  in 
the  management  of  affairs  pretaining  exclusively  to  the  health  and  comfort 
of  the  paupers  and  the  preparation  of  their  food  and  who  is  to  perform  her 
duties  under  the  direction  of  the  Superintendent  and  to  be  included  with,  and 
considered  as  a  member  of  his  family."  The  last  condition  was  one  very 
easily  met  from  the  fact  that  the  superintendent's  wife  serves  as  the  matron 
as  spoken  of  in  the  contract. 

Air.  Flail  served  the  county  for  a  great  many  years.  In  1873  he  received 
the  sum  of  $800.00  for  one  year  from  the  ist  day  of  February,  1874,  with  the 
privilege  oi  keeping  the  same  for  one  year  more  on  the  same  terms  and 
conditions.  Air.  Hall  did  this  and  in  1875  was  hired  outright  for  two  years 
from  the  ist  day  of  Februar)',  1876.  Airs.  Hall  again  serving  as  matron 
and  was  to  receive  $130.00  a  year. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA.  1 83 

In  December,  1S77,  proposals  were  again  submitted  by  Amos  Hall, 
Madison  Hill,  Wm.  Smith,  H.  T.  Study,  Lemuel  Grimes,  Marion  Harter, 
Samuel  Witter,  C.  M.  Stine,  James  Edwards,  Samuel  Bright.  The  proposal 
of  Mr.  Hill  was  considered  "the  best  and  most  satisfactory  bid  for  such 
services  and  was  accepted."  He  was  to  receive  $650.00  for  one  year  from  the 
1st  day  of  February,  1878.  Mrs.  Hill  also  to  serve  as  matron.  Mr.  Hill 
served  for  one  year  only  when  Mr.  Hall  was  again  employed  for  one  year 
from  the  ist  day  of  February,  1879,  with  the  privilege  of  keeping  the  same 
for  one  year  more  for  $600.00  per  year. 

The  commissioners  at  this  time  attempted  to  stop  an  abuse  which  had 
crept  into  the  management  of  the  poor  farm  when  they  put  into  Mr.  Hall's 
agreement,  "that  in  no  case  shall  the  paupers  or  inmates  of  said  asylum  be 
taken  from  the  farm  to  perform  labor  for  others."  Mr.  Hall  entered  into 
contract  and  gave  Simon  Ramsey  and  John  R.  Philips  as  security  on  his  bond. 

Mr,  Hall  was  again  chosen  in  December,  1880,  for  $700.00  per  year 
from  the  ist  day  of  February,  1 881  with  the  privilege  of  keeping  the  same  one 
year  more  on  the  same  terms.  Mr.  Hall  again  contracted  in  December,  1882, 
for  $750.00  per  year  for  one  year  with  the  privilege  of  keeping  it  two  years. 
December  10,  1884,  Mr.  Hall  again  contracted  at  $800.00  for  one  year  with 
the  privilege  of  one  year  longer  on  the  same  terms.  December,  1886,  Mr. 
Hall  contracted  for  $800.00  per  year  for  one  year  with  the  privilege  of  con- 
tinuing the  contract  for  one  year  on  the  same  terras.  Mr.  Hall  again  con- 
tracted January  8,  1889  for  $800.00,  payable  quarterly  for  one  year  with 
the  privilege  of  continuing  one  year  longer  or  until  February  i,  1891,  at 
which  time  Mr.  Hall  is  again  employed  under  the  same  conditions  as  before 
for  one  year  with  the  privilege  of  continuing  until  February  i,  1893. 

On  the  loth  day  of  December,  1892,  the  commissioners  received  pro- 
posals from  Henry  T.  Study,  Amos  Hall,  Uriah  Davis,  Elisha  Thompson 
and  after  due  consideration  accepted  the  bid  of  Henry  T.  Study  and  entered 
into  contract  with  him  for  the  sum  of  $800.00.  Mr.  Study  was  to  "take 
possession  of  said  poor  asylum  on  the  ist  day  of  February,  1893,  and  it  was 
mutually  agreed  and  understood  that  this  contract  shall  begin  and  be  in  force 
from  and  after  the  ist  day  of  February,  1893,  ^"d  shall  continue  in  force 
until  the  first  day  of  February,  1894."  Mr.  Study  was  also  given  the  privi- 
lege of  extending  the  time  one  year. 

December  12,  1894,  Messrs.  Study  and  Hall  again  put  bids  before  the 
commissioners,  Mr.  Hall's  bid  being  accepted.  Mr.  Hall  was  again  em- 
jjloyed  for  $800.00  per  annum  for  one  year  with  the  privilege  of  continuing 


184  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

one  year  and  executed  his  bond  with  T.  F.  Moorman,  J.  W.  Macy  and  Ed  I.* 
Brown  security.  Mr.  Hall  again  contracted  December  15,  1898,  for  $800.00 
for  one  year  with  the  privilege  of  continuing  two,  or  until  February  i,  1901. 
Mr.  Hall,  however,  was  not  permitted  to  serve  the  entire  time  of  his  con- 
tract as  death  relieved  him  of  his  long  service  to  the  county  and  on  the  morn- 
ing of  February  15,  1900,  the  last  respects  were  paid  to  him  by  his  many 
friends  and  on  that  day  the  commissioners  made  the  following  entry :  "No 
business  was  transacted  to  enter  of  record  and  the  Board  adjourned  until 
tomorrow  morning  on  account  of  the  funeral  services  of  Amos  Hall,  superin- 
tendent of  the  County  Infirmary."  Mr.  Study  was  selected  in  Mr.  Hall's 
place  to  take  possession  the  6th  of  March,  1900,  and  to  continue  until  the  31st 
day  of  August,  1901. 

Mr.  Study  was  again  employed  June  18,  1901,  for  $978.00  for  a  period 
of  two  years,  the  contract  to  end  the  31st  day  of  August,  1903. 

June  I,  1903,  the  commissioners  began  a  new  policy  of  no  longer  taking 
bids  or  proposals  but  elected  otherwise.  "The  Board  proceeded  to  the  elec- 
tion of  Superintendent  of  County  Infirmary.  Roy  Ford  receiving  the 
majority  of  votes  cast  was  declared  elected  as  such  Superintendent  for  a 
period  of  two  years  and  that  he  received  a  sum  of  $978.00  per  year  for  the 
services  as  such  Superintendent  and  also  the  services  of  his  wife  as  matron 
of  said  infirmary.''  Mr.  Ford,  however,  remained  but  one  term,  as  on  the 
4th  of  June,  1905,  the  commissioners  entered  into  contract  with  Henry  C. 
Hull  for  a  period  of  two  years  begiiming  September  i,  1905,  at  $1,200.00  per 
year. 

Mr.  Hull  continued  as  superintendent  until  March  i,  1914.  Mr.  Hull, 
it  is  said,  is  the  only  superintendent  who  has  ever  been  able  to  make  the  poor 
farm  self-sustaining. 

March  i,  1914,  Mr.  Hull  was  succeeded  by  Henry  Judy,  who  had  been 
elected  January  i,  1914,  for  a  period  of  four  years  at  the  consideration  of 
$1,500.00  per  annum. 

INFIRMARY. 

The  matter  of  medical  aid  for  the  poor  of  the  county  has  been  one  that 
has  attracted  a  great  deal  of  attention  and  been  given  a  great  deal  of  serious 
thought  throughout  the  entire  history  of  the  county. 

In  the  earlier  day  bids  were  received  on  this  the  same  as  the  other  care 
of  the  poor  and  oftentimes  it  was  not  the  skill  or  the  success  of  the  physician 
that  determined  the  matter  but  rather  the  man  that  had  the  lowest  bid.     Too 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  185 

often  the  pauper  has  been  considered  a  pubhc  care  to  be  gotten  rid  of  with 
the  least  possible  attention  and  expense.  Thanks  to  civilization  that  time  has 
passed  and  today  the  unfortunates  receive  the  same  medical  care  as  those  of 
their  more  fortunate  brothers. 

One  of  the  first  contracts  let  in  the  county  was  in  1857  when  Dr.  George 
W.  Bruce  was  "employed  as  a  physician  for  the  County  Asylum  and  Physician 
for  County  Jail  for  the  ensuing  year  at  $25.00  per  year  as  per  contract.  Said 
physician  to  find  his  own  medicine  and  drugs." 

In  1858  Mr.  John  E.  Beverly  was  appointed  "physician  and  surgeon"  for 
county  asylum  and  for  county  jail  and  the  poor  of  White  River  Township  for 
one  year  from  this  date,  the  said  Beverly  to  furnish  out  of  his  own  cost  all 
medicine,  ointment,  drugs,  oils,  etc.,  for  the  sum  of  one  hundred  dollars  for 
the  term  aforesaid. 

In  1861  Dr.  A.  F.  Teele  was  given  the  contract  at  $50.00  per  year,  he  to 
furnish  all  medicine,  drugs,  etc. 

Matters  went  on  in  this  way  until  1870,  the  law  was  changed  whereby 
the  paupers  were  to  have  the  physician  of  their  own  choice  which  worried 
some  of  the  county  commissioners  quite  a  little.  It  must  be  said,  to  the  ever- 
lasting disgrace  of  some  of  these  men,  especially  about  1876,  that  instead  of 
considering  the  bill  of  physicians  or  any  bill  relative  to  the  poor  as  they  would 
any  other  bill  the  commissioners  upon  the  insistence  of  one  of  their  number 
would  refuse  to  allow  the  bill  of  the  physician.  It  is  said  on  good  authority 
that  when  a  bill  was  presented  these  commissioners,  this  commissioner  would 
say  to  the  others,  "now  let's  each  one  of  us  mark  to  see  how  much  we  shall 
pay,"  whereupon  each  would  go  into  one  corner  of  the  room  with  his  back 
towards  the  others,  for  fear  they  might  watch  him,  and  would  mark  some 
amount  considerably  below  what  the  physicians  had  asked.  This  of  course 
naturally  led  to  abuses  and  people  making  claims  would  put  their  claims  con- 
siderably higher  than  they  otherwise  would  be  because  they  knew  of  the 
unbusinesslike  habits  of  the  commissioners  at  that  time.  But  this  custom  died 
with  the  expiration  of  this  man's  term  of  office  and  since  that  time  this  branch 
of  the  business  has  been  conducted  along  business-like  principles. 

Some  of  the  men  who  have  acted  in  the  capacity  of  county  physicians 
have  been :  J.  J.  Evans,  Bruce  &  Harrison,  H.  P.  Franks,  N.  D.  Berry,  H. 
H.  Yergin,  J.  S.  Berry,  David  F.  Orr,  A.  H.  Farquhar,  J.  S.  Blair,  Pleasan'- 
Hunt,  Aaron  G.  Rogers,  W.  A.  Rickard,  James  V  King,  T.  W.  Botkin,  G. 
W.  Bruce,  C.  M.  Kelley,  Franks  &  Trent,  E.  T.  Bailey,  John  F.  Kinney.  J. 
L.  McShirley,  R.  Bosworth,  G.  C.  Baldwin,  N.  E.  Ross,  J.  L.  Conti,  Gran- 


l86  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

ville  Reynard,  Cyrus  Cox,  Amos  R.  Ballard,  L.  E.  White,  James  K.  White, 
D.  M.  Carter,  W.  D.  Simmons,  W.  S.  Shoemaker,  A.  F.  Huddleston,  G.  C. 
Markle,  J.  H.  Moroney  and  E.  W.  Rine. 

Another  interesting  item  concerning  the  care  of  the  paupers  has  been 
the  burial  expenses;  this  expense  has  constantly  increased.  In  1843  coffins 
cost  $2.50;  1847,  $5.00;  1848,  $6.50;  1857,  $8.00  and  so  on  until  $30  at  the 
present  time. 

orphans'  home. 

The  responsibility  of  caring  for  the  unfortunate  poor  has  been  one  of 
the  greatest  ever  placed  upon  local  government.  This  responsibility  carries 
with  it  the  caring  for  both  adults  and  children.  Adults  being  more  or  less- 
able  to  care  for  themselves  at  least  being  past  the  formative  period  of  life 
are  not  so  difficult  to  care  for  as  are  the  children.  Indeed,  the  task  of  caring 
for  and  rearing  the  children  of  the  unfortunate  poor  has  been  a  Herculean 
one. 

The  state  appreciated  that  it  must  be  responsible  for  the  intellectual  and 
moral  elements  of  the  children  as  well  as  the  mere  physical.  Children  have 
been  cared  for  by  the  state  in  two  ways.  First :  By  being  bound  out  to 
serve  as  apprentices,  which  we  shall  speak  of  later  on,  and  second:  by  being 
cared  for  until  homes  could  be  found  for  them.  Formerly,  these  children 
were  kept  at  the  infirmary,  under  all  the  evil  influences  that  would  necessarily 
arise  from  associating  with  such  an  indiscriminate  people  as  would  naturally 
be  found  there.  It  must  be  expected  that  all  classes  of  people  would  be  found 
in  the  county  infirmary.  The  county  cared  for  these  children  the  best  they 
could  under  the  circumstances  but  no  one  has  ever  claimed  that  any  of  the 
finer  elements  of  society  could  possibly  be  inculcated  in  children  under  such 
circumstances. 

The  commissioners,  during  the  course  of  years,  recognized  this  and 
established  a  home  for  the  children  to  which  the  children  of  indigent  poor 
were  taken.  Mrs.  John  D.  Howard  was  selected  by  them  as  the  matron. 
This  was  a  wonderful  step  in  advance  of  what  had  been  done  prior  to  that 
time  but  it  remained  for  a  citizen  of  the  county  to  present  the  final  solution 
of  the  problem  and  strange  to  say  the  problem  was  solved  By  a  man  who  had 
no  immediate  responsibilities  toward  childhood.  This  gentleman,  Mr.  James 
Moorman  had,  long  before  his  death,  determined  to  provide  a  home  for  chil- 
dren and  wrote  his  will  in  accordance  with  that  plan.  Mr.  Moorman  became 
incapable  for  caring  for  his  business  affairs  long  before  his  death.  The  will 
was  opened  by  the  judge  of  the  circuit  court  and  the  policy  of  Mr.  Moorman 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1 87 

anticipated.     This  led  to  the  estabHshment  of  what  is  known  as  the  James 
Moorman  Orphans"  Home,  provided  for  in  the  following  will : 

LAST  WILL  AND  TESTAMENT  OF  JAMES   MOORMAN. 

"Item  I.  I  give  and  devise  the  North  east  Quarter  of  section  twenty 
four  (24)  in  Township  Twenty  (20)  North,  of  Range  thirteen.  (13)  east 
and  all  that  part  of  the  south  east  quarter  of  section  thirteen  (13)  in  said 
Township  Twenty  North  of  Range  Thirteen  (13)  east  which  is  south  of 
the  Indianapolis  and  Belief  ontaine  Railroad  and  west  of  the  gravelpit  owned 
by  the  town  of  Winchester  Randolph  County,  Indiana  said  lands  lying  and 
being  in  Randolph  County,  Indiana  to  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Orplians' 
Home  of  Randolph  County,  Indiana  in  trust,  however,  for  the  purposes  here- 
inafter set  forth  and  I  hereby  appoint  the  following  Board  of  Directors 
of  the  Orphan's  Home  to  be  located  on  lands  above  bequeathed,  Nathan 
Cadwallader,  of  Union  City,  John  A.  Moorman,  of  Farmland,  Davis  Kitsel- 
man  of  Ridgeville,  Clements  F.  Alexander  of  Spartansburg  and  Nathan 
Reed  of  Winchester  and  all  of  said  Board  of  Randolph  Comity  and  State  of 
Indiana. 

Said  Orphan's  Home  to  be  under  their  care  and  management  or  the 
care  management  of  their  successors  in  office  said  Home  being  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Orphans  of  Randolph  County  that  are  under  the  age  of  four- 
teen years,  children  not  born  in  the  County  being  required  to  be  two  years 
a  resident  of  the  County  before  they  can  become  an  inmate  of  the  Home  and 
it  is  my  will  and  I  hereby  direct  that  said  Board  of  Directors  or  their  suc- 
cessors in  office  retain  said  lands  and  premises  intact  as  above  described  and 
that  no  part  thereof  be  sold  or  otherwise  disposed  of  and  so  improve  and 
use  the  same  as  shall  best  secure  the  benefit  of  a  Home  thereon  and  a  sup- 
port and  education  therefrom  to  the  Orphans  of  Randolph  County  under  the 
age  of  fourteen  years.  I  append  further  on  in  said  Will  certain  general 
Rules  for  the  government  of  said  Home,  leaving  however  to  the  above  named 
Board  of  Directors,  Nathan  Cadwallader,  John  A.  Moorman,  Davis  Kitsel- 
man.  Clements  F.  Alexander  and  Nathan  Reed  on  their  organization  the 
adoption  of  such  special  rules  as  do  not  conflict  with  General  Rules. 

Item  2.  I  further  give  devise  and  bequeath  to  the  above  named  Board 
of  Directors  and  their  successors  in  office,  as  a  Trust  Fund  to  be  used  as 
hereinafter  directed  the  sum  of  Ten  Thousand  ($10,000.00)  Dollars.  It 
is  my  will  and  I  hereby  direct  that  said  sum  of  Ten  Thousand  ($10,000.00) 
Dollars  be  loaned  on  real  estate  secured  by  first  mortgage  on  lands  showing 


t88  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

clear  title  by  abstract  said  lands  to  be  of  three  times  the  value  of  the  loaii 
secured  thereby.  Said  money  to  be  loaned  on  farms  if  possible  but  if  in 
cities  then  only  on  business  rooms,  the  ground  value  of  which  equals  the  loan 
and  the  borrower  to  have  a  Fire  Insurance  policy  in  a  Company  designated 
by  said  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Home  as  their  Mortgage  Interest  may  ap- 
pear the  Interest  on  said  loans  to  be  paid  semi-annually  at  such  place  as  mort- 
gagee designates  to  the  Board  of  Directors  or  Treasurer  thereof  of  their  suc- 
cessors in  office  and  it  is  my  will  th^t  the  Interest  that  may  arise  from  the 
Ten  Thousand  Dollars  be  applied  for  the  support  and  education  of  the 
Orphans  of  Randolph  County  under  the  age  of  fourteen  years  as  herein- 
after directed  and  it  is  my  will  that  said  lands  as  described  in  Item  numbered 
One  (i)  be  forever  retained  for  the  purposes  and  uses  therein  set  forth  and 
that  said  premises  be  held  and  known  as  the  James  Moorman  Orphan's  Home 
of  Randolph  County. 

Item  3.  I  further  give  and  bequeath  to  the  Board  of  Directors  of  said 
Orphan's  Home  and  their  successors  in  office. — All  judgments  that  I  may  own 
or  hold  against  any  person  or  persons  or  corporations  at  the  time  of  my 
death,  said  judgments  to  be  held  collected  and  used  under  the  same  restrictions 
and  regulations  and  for  the  same  purposes  as  provided  for  in  Item  Two  of 
this  Will  in  regard  to  the  loaning  of  the  "Ten  Thousand  Dollar  Fund." 

Item  4.  I  give  devise  and  bequeath  to  said  Trustees  or  Board  of 
Directors  of  the  Orphans'  Home  and  any  successors  in  office  all  notes  secured 
by  Mortgage  that  I  may  own  at  the  time  of  my  death,  said  notes  to  be  col- 
lected and  such  of  the  proceeds  as  in  the  judgment  of  said  Board  are  neces- 
sary to  furnish  the  furniture  and  outfit  essential  in  rendering  the  Home  com- 
fortable for  the  orphans  shall  be  so  used  to  purchase  said  out-fit  and  such 
other  portion  of  said  funds  as  may  not  be  used,  I  direct  the  same  to  be 
loaned  on  first  mortgage  &  to  be  used  in  some  manner  and  for  same  purposes 
as  set  forth,  in  Item  numbered  Two  of  this  Will  providing  however  that 
when  a  school  building  is  erected  it  be  done  from  this  fund. 

Item  5.  In  case  of  a  vacancy  in  said  Board  of  Directors  of  the 
Orphans'  Home  said  vacancy  shall  be  filled  by  the  remaining  members  of 
the  Board  provided  there  be  more  than  one  remaining  member  if  there  be 
but  one  remaining  member  he  shall  appoint  two  and  the  Judge  of  the  Circuit 
Court  of  which  Randolph  County  is  a  part  shall  appoint  the  remaining  two 
if  the  (re)  be  no  remaining  member  of  the  Board  the  Circuit  Judge  as  afore- 
said may  appoint  two  members  of  the  Board  and  they  after  duly  qualifying 
shall  fill  the  remaining  vacancies. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA.  189 

Item  6.  It  is  my  desire  and  I  hereby  direct  that  said  Board  of  Direc- 
ors  of  the  Orphans'  Home  and  their  successors  in  office  appoint  a  suitable 
man  of  known  moral  character  &  not  addicted  to  the  use  of  intoxicating 
liquors  and  Tobacco  as  Superintendent  of  said  Home  to  rent  the  farm  and 
care  for  the  proceeds  thereof  and  report  the  same  to  the  Board  of  Directors, 
said  proceeds  to  be  u.ed  for  the  benefit  of  the  Orphan's  Home.  The  said 
Board  of  Directors  shall  have  power  to  remove  said  Superintendent  in  case 
he  prove  incompetent  or  unfit  otherwise  for  said  position  of  Superintendent. 

Item  7.  It  is  my  will  and  I  hereby  direct  that  the  Orphans  of  said 
Home  be  put  under  the  care  and  education  of  a  prudent  female  of  good  char- 
acter who  shall  reside  on  the  premises  and  that  said  orphans  be  taught  Read- 
ing, Writing,  Arithmetic  and  Geography  as  also  Music  and  I  direct  that  a 
suitable  building  be  erected  for  educational  purposes,  it  being  also  understood 
that  Physiology  Drawing  Book-keeping  and  other  usefull  branches  are  desir- 
able if  time  and  opportunity  ofifers  to  add  such  branches  to  the  list.  I  desire 
that  said  orphans  be  trained  to  habits  of  industry  and  strict  morality  and  to 
that  end  desire  that  such  light  work  as  they  may  perform  be  assigned  them 
when  out  of  the  school  room  and  further  desire  and  forbid  that  any  one  but 
those  of  good  moral  character  be  employed  upon  the  farm  or  about  the  build- 
ings and  that  as  one  who  uses  profane  language  or  tobacco  or  intoxicating 
liquor  shall  be  an  inmate  or  employee  on  said  premises. 

Item  8.  In  case  of  applicants  for  the  Benefit  of  the  Orphans  Home 
it  is  my  Will  and  I  hereby  direct  that  the  guardian  or  other  person  who  may 
have  legal  custody  of  such  orphans  be  required  in  legal  form  to  release  all 
care  &  control  of  uch  orphans  to  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Orphans' 
Home  until  said  orphan  arrives  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years  and  it  is  hereby 
made  the  duty  of  the  Superintendent  under  instructions  from  the  Board  of 
Directors  to  see  that  these  provisions  of  this  Will  is  complied  with  bef'-jre 
the  applicant  is  admitted. 

Item  9.  In  the  government  of  the  orphan's  Home  it  is  my  will  that 
only  kind  and  persuasive  measures  be  used  to  restrain  and  reclaim  oft'end- 
ers  and  when  such  measures  shall  fail  of  a  reformatory  effect  that  the  matter 
be  referred  to  the  Board  of  Directors  who  may  proceed  by  proper  means  to 
ascertain  the  truth  of  such  charge  as  are  brought  against  such  ofifenders  and 
dismiss  said  offenders  or  otherwise  dispose  of  the  case  as  the  best  interest 
of  the  home  may  require,  it  is  my  will  and  I  hereby  direct  that  no  harsh  or 
unkind  measures  be  used  in  the  management  of  said  Orphans'  Home,  and 
if  anyone  connected  with  the  management  of  said  Home  be  guilty  or  su-- 


igO  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

pected  of  improper  conduct  in  the  management  of  said  Orphan's  Home,  I 
hereby  direct  that  charges  be  preferred  against  such  offender  or  suspected 
offender  and  that  the  Board  of  Directors  proceed  to  a  thorough  investigation 
of  the  case  and  if  charges  are  true  that  said  offender  or  offenders  be  im- 
mediately dismissed  and  the  vacancy  suppHed  by  other  parties  if  the  case  be 
other  wise  to  deal  with  the  parties  as  the  best  interest  of  the  Orphan's  Home 
may  require. 

Item  ID.  It  is  my  will  that  the  Orphans  at  the  Home  be  supplied  with 
good  and  substantial  food  suited  to  the  season  and  that  they  be  supplied  with 
good  plain  clothing  and  that  in  winter  it  be  warm  and  adopted  to  the  age 
and  physical  condition  of  the  wearer  but  that  in  no  case  there  shall  be  a  vmi- 
form  or  peculiarity  of  dress  that  shall  mark  them  as  inmates  of  the  Home 
or  objects  of  charity  for  I  would  not  that  anyone  have  occasion  by  look  or 
remark  to  "offend  one  of  the  least  of  these"  little  ones. 

I  further  desire  that  every  assistance  be  given  the  inmates  to  find  good 
homes  and  suitable  employments  when  they  arrive  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
years  that  the  good  influence  of  the  home  may  not  be  lost  when  they  come 
in  contact  with  the  outer  world  and  that  the  orphans  may  at  all  times  feel 
when  sick  or  in  need  of  advice  that  they  have  a  friend  in  the  Superintendent, 
Matron  and  Directors  of  the  Home  to  whom  they  can  with  confidence  appeal. 

Item  II.  It  is  my  will  and  I  hereby  direct  that  no  part  of  the  ten 
thouand  dollars  made  to  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Orphans'  Home  in 
my  second  bec[uest  be  used  except  the  interest  thereon  and  that  it  be  kept 
loaned  at  the  highest  legal  rate  of  interest  attainable.  And  should  anv  other 
persons  desire  to  add  to  this  fund  on  the  terms  therein  set  forth  or  contribute 
to  the  aid  of  the  home  for  any  other  good  purpose  it  is  my  will  that  it  be 
accepted  and  used  as  the  donor  may  desire  providing  always  that  nothing  be 
accepted  except  it  comply  with  the  standard  of  good  morality. 

Item  12.  It  is  my  will  that  said  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Orphans' 
Home  so  far  as  practicable  in  all  cases  make  special  written  contracts  with 
such  persons  as  it  shall  be  necessary  to  employ  at  and  about  said  home  and 
giving  no  more  than  a  reasonable  compensation  for  such  services  and  in  all 
cases  where  such  services  can  be  rendered  by  a  female  and  suitable  females 
can  be  employed  it  is  my  desire  that  such  have  the  preference  in  the  employ 
of  the  Home.  I  believe  females  to  be  more  in  sympathy  and  better  calculated 
to  care  for  and  control  the  children  and  as  this  is  a  Labor  of  Love  I  shall  ex- 
pect the  Board  to  ser\e  without  pay,  trusting  that  the  conscienceness  of  having 
done  a  good  work  will  be  to  them  sufficient  remuneration  and  may  the  Blessed 
Master  direct  them  in  the  work. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  IQI 

Item  13.  I  will  and  direct  that  if  thought  advisable  that  my  bequest 
of  Ten  Thousand  Dollars  be  paid  to  said  Directors  of  the  Orphans  Home 
by  the  assignment  by  the  Executors  of  my  last  AVill  and  Testament  to  said 
Directors  of  the  Orphans  HomiC  which  mortgage  notes  belonging  to  my  estate 
as  may  be  acceptable  to  said  Directors  of  the  Orphans'  Home.'' 

"Item  21.  I  further  give  and  devise  to  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the 
Orphans'  Home  of  Randolph  County,  in  trust  for  the  use  of  said  Home,  the 
sum  of  five  thouand  dollars,  to  be  known  as  the  "Orphans'  Home  Im- 
provement Fund,"  said  sum  to  be  invested  in  mortgage  loans  of  one  year's 
duration  and  at  such  time  or  times  as  the  demands  of  the  institution  may 
recjuire  more  or  larger  buildings.  It  is  my  will  that  first  the  accrued  interest 
on  the  said  sum  of  five  thousand  dollars  be  used  and  after  that  such  portion 
of  the  principal  sum  as  may  be  deemed  proper  for  the  good  of  the  Orphans' 
Home. 

Item  24.  I  hereby  give  and  bequeath  to  the  Board  of  Directors  of 
the  Orphans'  Home  all  stock  or  other  interest  that  I  may  own  in  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Union  City,  Indiana,  at  time  of  my  death  and  the  pro- 
ceeds thereof  to  be  loaned  on  mortgage  security,  said  fund  to  be  known  as 
the  'Orphans'  Home  Librar}'  Fund,'  the  interest  only  to  be  used  to  purchase 
such  books,  maps  and  scientific  apparatus  as  the  wisdom  of  the  board  may 
direct  providing,  however,  that  if  there  be  an  excess  above  the  outlay  for 
books,  etc.,  at  end  of  each  year  that  said  surplus  may  be  added  to  the  prin- 
cipal fund  or  the  ($10,000)  ten  thousand  dollars,  as  the  board  may  select. 
I  hereby  grant  to  said  board  of  directors  the  privilege  in  case  said  Home 
ha\'e  sufificient  accommodations  therefor  that  when  an  orphan  arrives  at  the 
age  of  fourteen  that  a  contract,  if  desired  by  the  orphan,  be  made,  to  remain 
until  said  orphan  is  sixteen  years  of  age,  upon  such  terms  as  may  be  agreed 
upon  by  said  orphan  and  said  board  of  directors. 

CODICIL    NO.     I. 

Item  No.  I.  I  give  and  bequeath  to  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the 
Orphans'  Home  of  Randolph  County,  Indiana,  the  further- sum  of  twenty 
thousand  dollars  ($20,000.00)  for  the  benefit  of  said  home  and  to  be  in- 
vested as  set  forth  in  Item  number  two  my  will  of  October  19,  1881. 
Said  sum  of  twenty  thousand  dollars  to  be  divided  to  the  different  funds,  as 
follows,  to-wit :  Ten  thousand  dollars  to  the  permanent  fund,  Eight  Thou- 
sand Dollars  to  the  Building  fund  &  Two  Thousand  Dollars  to  the  Librarv 


ig2  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

Fund  &  each  to  be  loaned  and- used  as  set  forth  in  my  last  Will  and  Testa- 
ment of  October  19,  1881. 

Item  No.  3.  Having  re-affirmed  my  last  will  of  October  19,  1881, 
I  desire  further  to  say  that  recent  conveyances  by  me  made  of  real  estate 
for  nominal  sums  having  been  criticised  by  beneficiaries  of  this  will.  It  is 
my  will  and  desire  that  if  any  beneficiaries  of  this  will  or  codicil  shall  at- 
tempt or  encourage  anyone  to  attempjt  to  set  aside  any  conveyance  of  real 
estate  heretofore  or  hereafter  by  me  made, — such  beneficiary  shall  receive 
from  my  estate  the  sum  of  One  hundred  Dollars  in  lieu  of  the  benefit  in- 
tended and  their  intendent  benefit  or  inheritance  shall  be  by  my  executors 
tranferred  to  the  Directors  of  the  Orphan's  Home  of  Randolph  Co.,  Ind. 
&  to  be  added  to  the  permanent  fund  of  said  Home. 

CODICIL  NO.  3. 

Item  Three  (3).  I  desire  to  increase  the  number  of  Directors  of 
Orphans'  Home  to  seven  instead  of  five  and  add  the  names  of  Joseph  R. 
Jackson  &  Thomas  F.  Moorman  as  the  new  members." 

Winchester,   October  8th,    1888. 

"Pursuant  to  the  terms  and  certain  items  of  the  Will  of  James  Moor- 
man, deceased,  establishing  and  endowing  the  James  Moorman  Orphans' 
Home  Randolph  County,  Indiana,  appointing  a  Board  of  Directors  therefor. 
The  following  named  persons,  named  in  the  said  Will  as  such  Board  met  in 
the  Court  House  in  Winchester,  Indiana  on  Monday  at  10  o'clock  A.  M. 
October  8th,  1888,  towit:  John  A.  Moorman,  Davis  S.  Kitselman,  Clement 
F.  Alexander,  Nathan  Reed,  Joseph  R.  Jackson  and  Thomas  F.  Moorman, 
and  each  of  the  above  named  persons  thereupon  took  and  subscribed  to  an 
oath  to  faithfully  perform  their  duties  as  members  of  the  Board  of  Direc- 
tors of  the  James  Moormaa  Orphans'  Home  according  to  the  terms  and 
conditions  of  the  last  Will  of  said  James  Moorman,  deceased,  and  according 
to  law. 

Joseph  R.  Jackson  was  selected  temporary  Chairman  and  Joseph  W. 
Thompson  was  selected  temporary  Secretary  for  the  Board  of  Directors. 
Thomas  F.  Moorman  moved  that  the  Board  proceed  to  permanent  organiza- 
tion. 

Whereupon  the  motion  of  John  A.  Moorman  it  was  ordered  that  the 
Board  proceed  to  the  election  of  officers  by  ballot  without  nomination.  These 
officers  were  to  serve  until   September  31,   1899,  and  the  following  were 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  193 

elected:  President,  Joseph  R.  Jackson,  first  Vice-President  Nathan  Cad- 
wallader,  2d  Vice-President  Thomas  F.  Moorman,  Treasurer  Nathan  Reed, 
Secretary  and  Attorney,  Joseph  W.  Thompson. 

On  motion  John  A.  Moorman  was  appointed  a  Committee  to  make  the 
following  proposition  to  the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  Randolph  County, 
Indiana.  That  the  said  Board  of  Commissioners  complete  and  pay  for  the 
building  now  in  process  of  erection,  this  Board  to  take  immediate  charge  of 
the  farm  and  home  set  apart  in  the  Will  of  said  James  Moorman  and  this 
Board  to  pay  for  the  hay  and  corn  contracted  for  by  the  said  Commission- 
ers and  assume  all  contracts  made  with  said  Superintendent  and  manage  and 
control  said  farm  and  home  from  this  time  on.  Mr.  Moorman  reported 
that  the  proposition  was  accepted  by  the  Board  of  Commissioners. 

By-laws  were  adopted  for  the  government  of  business  of  the  Institution 
at  its  next  meeting. 

June  5th,  1889,  it  became  apparent  to  the  Board  of  Trustees  that  it 
would  be  impossible  for  them  to  maintain  the  home  for  a  period  of  two 
years  as  the  funds  would  not  be  available  from  the  James  Moorman  estate. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  Trustees  on  that  day  it  was  decided  to  abandon  the 
home  for  a  period  of  two  years  and  "that  the  orphans  and  destitute  children 
now  in  the  care  and  custody  of  said  Board  of  Directors  of  said  Orphans' 
Home  be  returned  to  the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  said  Randolph  County." 

It  was  ordered  that  the  Board  of  Directors  rent  and  lease  to  the  County 
Commissioners  the  farm  to  be  run  by  them  as  an  orphans'  home  until  March 
1st,  1892,  the  Directors  reserving  only  the  right  to  enter  such  premises  in 
the  interest  of  the  Home.  Mrs.  John  Howard  was  employed  by  the  Com- 
missioners as  Matron  of  the  Home,  and  continued  until  the  Board  again 
took  charge  two  years  later. 

In  1890  the  following  officers  were  elected:  President,  C.  F.  Alexan- 
der, Vice-President,  Nathan  Reed,  Treasurer,  T.  F.  Moorman,  Secretary, 
J.  W.  Thompson. 

The  Directors  at  once  proceeded  to  the  beautifying  of  the  home  and 
bought  one  hundred  trees  for  that  purpose.  The  orchard  in  connection  with 
the  Home  was  set  out  in  1891,  at  which  time  "Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  D.  Sum- 
mers donated  to  said  Home  one  hundred  apple  trees,  which  were  put  out 
on  the  east  side  of  said  lane  and  north  of  woods  in  rows  of  ten  trees  each 
way,  all  trees  set  thirty  feet  apart  each  way.  The  last  orchard  to  be  known 
as  the  'Summers  Orchard.'  " 
(13) 


194  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  Treasurer's  report  of  1891  showed  $43,445.67  in  the  hands  of  the 
Treasurer. 

Dr.  A.  F.  Huddleston  was  elected  April  26th,  1892,  to  succeed  Davis 
S.  Kitselman,  who  had  died  a  short  time  before. 

In  November,  1892,  another  member  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  C.  F. 
Alexander  died  and  Luther  L.  Moorman  was  elected  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

Mr.  John  Howard  was  at  this  time  Superintendent  and  Mrs.  Howard 
matron  of  the  Home. 

March  ist,  1893,  "the  Board  took  an  inventory  of  the  property  at  the 
Home  and  farm  and  inspected  the  farm  with  reference  to  ditching,  clearing, 
building,  etc.,  ate  voraciously  of  a  bountiful  dinner  prepared  by  Mrs.  How- 
ard and  viewed  with  interest  the  children  at  dinner.  The  farm  and  Home 
are  now  in  a  prosperous  condition,  the  children,  seventeen  in  number,  seem 
to  be  well  provided  for,  well  clothed,  properly  instructed  and  happy  and 
contented.  The  subject  of  a  building  was  discussed  and  the  ground  looked 
over  with  a  view  of  location." 

April,  1893,  the  Board  again  contracted  with  J.  W.  Howard,  Super- 
intendent, for  a  period  of  one  year. 

W.  E.  Miller  was  elected  to  the  Board  February  3,  1893,  to  take  the 
place  of  Nathan  Reed,  who  died  in  his  home  at  Winchester,  January  26th, 
of  that  year. 

The  position  of  Joseph  R.  Jackson  was  declared  vacant  in  September, 
1893.  Mr.  Jackson  had  removed  from  the  County  and  on  October  3rd,  1893, 
A.  C.  Beeson  was  appointed  in  his  stead. 

In  1894  the  Secretary  J.  W.  Thompson  was  instructed  to  draft  bill  to 
be  presented  to  the  next  Legislature  giving  the  Board  of  Commissioners 
power  to  appropriate  money  to  aid  in  building  Orphans'  Homes. 

In  1895  the  officers  were  Pres.,  Luther  L.  Moorman,  Vice-President,  W. 
E.  Miller,  Secretary  J.  W.  Thompson,  Treasurer  T.  F.  Moorman. 

January  ist,  1896,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Howard  were  again  contracted  with 
for  a  period  of  two  years. 

December  13th,  1897,  "W.  E.  Miller  presented  his  written  resignment 
of  a  member  of  this  Board,  which  resignment  was  accepted,"  and  John 
Howard  was  elected  to  fill  Mr.  Miller's  place  on  the  Board. 

January  1898  "The  Board  was  notified  that  John  Howard  Superinten- 
dent would  not  continue  after  March  ist."  James  M.  Moorman  submitted 
proposition  to  serve  as  Superintendent  of  the  Home  for  $800.00  per  year 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  195 

and  on  motion  the  proposition  was  accepted  and  Secretary  ordered  to  draw 
contract  for  one  year. 

January  28th,  1898,  the  following  resolutions  were  unanimously  ac- 
cepted :  "Whereas  the  house  as  a  Home  on  the  farm  owned  by  this  Board 
is  badly  out  of  repair  and  is  too  small  for  use  as  a  home  and  is  old  and  unfit 
for  an  Orphans'  Home, 

And  whereas,  this  Board  feels  necessity  of  building  a  new  house  suitable 
and  convenient  and  commodious  for  the  inmates,  and, 

Whereas,  this  Board  now  has  first  mortgage  notes  due  the  building  fund, 

Therefore  resolutions  that  this  Board  proceed  to  build  a  suitable  house 
and  building  on  said  farm  for  use  as  an  Orphans'  Home  at  a  cost  not  to 
succeed  ten  thousand  dollars  providing  notes  of  the  building  fund  to  the 
amount  of  ten  thousand  dollars  can  be  sold  and  assigned  without  recourse  at 
an  amount  not  less  than  the  sum  due. 

xA.nd  the  Treasurer  is  hereby  authorized  to  report  to  this  Board  at  its 
next  meeting  if  such  sale  can  be  made." 

This  was  the  introduction  to  the  present  beautiful  building  located  upon 
the  Home  farm  at  this  time.  Mr.  W.  S.  K^aufman  was  selected  to  make  the 
plans.  The  bids  were  let  and  the  following  were  submitted:  Borror  & 
Dull,  $9,160.00;  George  A.  Mangas,  $10,000.00;  O.  L.  Pulse  &  Co., 
$11,150.00;  W.  E.  Thompson,  $10,332.00;  J.  L.  Shetterly,  $9,457.00;  J.  D. 
Babcock,  $10,355.45;  Hagerman  &  Peacock,  $8,841.00;  Norton  &  Eplis, 
$9,199.00;  J.  M.  Shank,  $11,136.00;  Louck  &  Hill,  $10,581.00;  Marion 
Hathaway,  $9,980.00.  It  was  decided  to  have  the  building  plastered  with 
adamant  and  some  of  the  bids  were  revised  and  cost  added,  which  made  the 
bid  of  Hagerman  &  Peacock  $9,000.  It  being  the  lowest  bid,  contract  was  let 
to  them  for  the  said  amount.  The  contract  for  plumbing,  including  a  ram, 
was  let  to  Hode  F.  Hobbick  for  $1,445.00. 

Up  to  this  time  there  had  been  no  direct  relation  between  the  county 
commissioners  and  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Home. 

It  became  necessary,  by  statute,  that  the  county  commissioners  remove 
all  children  from  the  County  Infirmary  and  provide  homes  for  them  elsewhere. 
This  being  the  case  the  Commissioners  did  the  noble  thing  of  entering  into 
the  following  contract  with  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Home.  This 
contract  is  still  in  force  excepting  the  prices  paid  for  the  matron.  These 
changes,  however,  are  slight,  and  have  been  made  in  accordance  with  laws 
passed  by  the  Legislature  of  the  state  subsequent  to  the  time  of  this  con- 
tract : 


196  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

"ARTICLE   OF   AGREEMENT    BETWEEN    BOARD    OF    COUNTY 

COMMISSIONERS  AND  BOARD  OF  DIRECTORS  OF 

JAMES  MOORMAN'S  ORPHAN'S  HOME. 

This  agreement  entered  into  by  and  between  the  Board  of  Commission- 
ers of  the  County  of  Randolph,  and  State  of  Indiana,  party  of  the  first  part, 
and  the  James  Moorman's  Orphans'  Home,  party  of  the  second  part.  Wit- 
nesseth :  that  the  said  Board  of  Commissioners  hereby  agree  to  pay  said 
Orphans'  Home  the  sum  of  six  thousand  dollars  for  the  support,  care,  edu- 
cation, control  and  protection  of  the  dependent,  neglected  and  abandoned 
children  for  which  said  County  may  be  liable ;  and  for  in  consideration  of  the 
performance  of  other  stipulants  herein  contained.  Of  the  above  named 
amount  of  six  thousand  dollars,  the  sum  of  twenty-one  hundred  and  eighty- 
eight  dollars  is  to  be  paid  in  cash,  for  services  heretofore  rendered  by  said 
Orphan's  Home,  in  the  care  of  said  children,  as  per  verified  bills  now  on  file 
before  said  Board  of  Commissioners  and  the  sum  of  three  hundred  and 
seventeen  and  66-100  dollars  for  each  quarter  of  a  year,  for  twelve  successive 
quarters  beginning  with  December  ist,  1898,  payable  at  the  end  of  each 
quarter;  Provided  always  that  the  verified  bills  filed  before  said  Board  of 
Commissioners  for  the  support  of  such  children  as  aforesaid,  for  which  said 
Board  of  Commissioners  shall  be  liable'  shall  be  equal  said  sum  of  three 
hundred  seventeen  and  66-100  dollars  for  each  quarter.  In  the  event  said 
verified  claims  shall  not  amount  to  the  said  sum  of  three  hundred  seventeen 
and  66-100  dollars  each  quarter,  then  said  Board  of  Commissioners  agree 
to  pay. said  Orphans'  Home  the  amount  of  claims  filed  for  the  care  of  such 
children  as  aforesaid,  until  the  sum  of  such  payments  shall  aggregate  the 
said  sum  of  six  thousand  dollars. 

It  is  further  agreed  that  said  Board  of  Commissioners  shall  pay  said 
Orphans'  Home  the  legal  rate  for  the  care  of  all  children  for  which  said 
Orphans'  Home  can  not  care  for  under  the  provisions  of  James  Moorman's 
Will  under  which  it  was  established  and  is  now  operating.  In  consideration 
of  the  foregoing  payments  the  said  Orphans'  Home  hereby  agrees  to  prop- 
erly support,  care  for,  educate,  control  and  protect  any  and  all  children 
placed  in  said  Orphans'  Home  and  on  and  after  the  payment  of  said  sum  of 
six  thousand  dollars  to  care  for  all  children  free  of  cost  that  said  County 
may  be  liable  to  keep,  that  said  Orphans'  Home  can  not  keep  under  the  pro- 
visions of  said  James  Moorman's  will ;  Provided,  however,  if  the  said  James 
Moorman's  Orphans'  Home  shall  not  have  sufficient  funds  so  that  the  net 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  197 

income  arising  therefi-om,  without  the  use  of  any  part  of  the  principal  fund, 
to  support  all  of  said  children  which  may  be  placed  therein  which  can  be 
supported  thereby  under  the  provision  of  said  will  after  the  payment  of  the 
said  sum  of  six  thousand  dollars  aforesaid,  then  said  Orphans'  Home  shall 
be  compelled  to  support  only  such  number  thereof  as  it  can  support  with  the 
net  income  of  said  funds  without  resorting  to  the  use  of  any  part  of  the 
principal  so  as  to  diminish  the  principal  which  may  be  on  hands  at  the  date 
of  the  final  payment  of  the  said  sum  of  six  thousand  dollars. 

It  is  further  agreed  that  at  least  one  joint  meeting  of  the  Commissioners 
and  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  said  Orphans'  Home  shall  be  held  at  the 
room  of  said  Board  of  Commissioners  at  the  Court  House  in  the  city  of 
Winchester,  Indiana  at  such  times  as  may  be  agreed  upon  by  them,  during 
each  quarterly  session  of  said  Board  of  Commissioners;  at  which  meetings 
there  shall  be  full,  free  and  mutual  consultation  of  all  the  business  of  said 
Orphans'  Home,  any  and  all  matters  in  relation  thereto  and  the  wards  of 
said  County  therein  contained. 

In  witness  whereof  the  said  parties  have  hereunto  set  their  hands  and 
corporate  seals  this  the  20th  day  of  January,  1899. 

William  Horn, 
Adam  Slonaker, 
Thomas  H.   Clark, 

County  Commissioners. 

The  James  Moorman  Orphans'  Home,  by  Luther  L.  Moorman  Pres." 

The  salary  of  Superintendent  and  matron  was  raised  to  $900.00  for  the 
year  beginning  March  ist,  1899,  Mr.  James  Moorman  and  Carrie  E.  Moor- 
man. ' 

On  the  death  of  John  A.  Moorman,  Elkanah  Hill  was  elected  to  his 
place  on  the  Board,  April  3rd,  1899. 

J.  W.  Thompson  resigned  August  28th,  1900,  and  B.  F.  Marsh  was 
elected  to  succeed  him. 

John  Howard  resigned  October,  1900,  and  Thomas  H.  Clark  was 
elected  to  his  place  on  the  Board. 

In  1 90 1  the  Board  increased  the  salary  of  the  Superintendent  to  one 
thousand  dollars  per  year  and  also  agreed  to  pay  $2.00  per  week  on  the 
expenses  of  one  girl  when  the  number  of  children  in  the  Home  was  more 
than  thirty. 

In  1902  on  the  recommendation  of  Amos  W.  Butler,  Superintendent  of 


IQS  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

the  State  Board  of  Charities,  who  had  visited  the  Home,  the  Board  of 
Directors  made  application  to  the  school  of  Feeble-minded  Children,  at  Ply- 
mouth. This  was  certainly  an  excellent  policy  and  it  removed  that  class  of 
children  from  association  with  the  other  children. 

Up  to  this  time  the  children  of  the  home  had  attended  school  in  the 
District  School  No.  14,  of  White  River  township.  The  question  of  their 
being  put  info  a  school  by  themselves  was  agitated  by  the  patrons  of  that 
district.  July  14,  1903,  the  Trustee  of  White  River  township  attended  one 
of  the  meetings  and  "proposed  to  equip  suitable  and  furnished  room  in  the 
Home  for  school  purposes  for  an  amount  to  the  Treasurer  for  heating  said 
room  equal  to  the  expense  of  heating  a  school  room  during  the  school  period 
in  said  Township  and  to  employ  and  pay  a  well  qualified  teacher  during  the 
school  term  in  said  Township."  Mr.  Moorman  and  Mr.  Marsh  were  ap- 
pointed to  draft  a  contract  between  the  Township  and  the  Home  for  the 
establishment  and  maintainance  of  such  school.  The  school  was  established 
in  the  Home  in  the  fall  of  1903  and  maintained  until  1909  when  it  was 
abandoned  and  transferred  to  the  Lincoln.  This  was  certainly  a  step  in  the 
right  direction  as  these  children  have  every  right  to  association  with  other 
children  and  influence  that  come  from  mingling  with  other  people  other 
than  themselves. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moorman  resigned  in  May,  1904,  and  the  Board  em- 
ployed Elmer  D.  Nickey  and  his  wife  Ida  H.,  as  Superintendent  and  Matron 
of  the  Home  from  June  ist,  1904,  for  the  sum  of  one  thousand  dollars  per 
annum,  payable  quarterly  with  the  privilege  to  terminate  contract  March 
1st,  1905,  and  served  until  Mar.  ist,  1909. 

Allen  R.  Hiatt  and  wife  Emma  E.  were  employed  as  Superintendent 
and  ^latron  February  12th,  1909,  and  are  still  serving  in  that  position.  At 
this  time,  19 14,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hiatt  have  been  excellent  people  for  the  place 
and  have  made  a  splendid  record. 

The  services  of  James  M.  ]\Ioorman  and  his  wife  Carrie  have  been  so 
valuable  to  the  Home  and  appreciated  by  the  inmates  and  officers  of  the 
Home  to  such  a  degree  that  in  1910,  after  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Aloorman  had 
taken  charge  of  the  Whites'  Institute  at  Wabash,  the  Trustees  requested  their 
picture  to  be  hung  upon  the  walls  of  the  Home.  Such  a  mark  of  distinction 
certainly  was  merited,  as  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moorman  were  of  such  disposition 
and  character  to  make  their  influence  felt  for  years  to  come. 

A.  L.  Nichols  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  Board,  succeeding  James 
M.  ]\Ioorman,  in  November,  1910. 

The  members  of  the  Board  at  the  present  time  are :    T.  H.  Clark,  presi- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  199 

dent;  B.  F.  Marsh,  secretary;  T.  F.  Moorman,  treasurer;  A.  L.  Nichols, 
attorney;  Dr.  A.  F.  Huddleston,  physician,  and  Elkanah  Hill. 

Mr.  James  Moorman,  or  "Uncle  Jimmie,"  as  he  was  commonly  called, 
"had  long  conceived  and  often  talked  of  his  purpose  of  establishing  a  suitable 
and  comfortable  home  for  Orphans  and  destitute  children.  He  also  looked 
with  horror  upon  the  fact  that  little  children  who  were  orphans  and  destitute 
were  crowded  into  the  poor  house  with  a  vicious  class  of  paupers  who  there 
seek  refuge." 

"It  is  not  singular  that  when  it  came  to  writing  his  Will  not  only  the 
greater  part  of  it  should  be  taken  in  providing  rules  for  the  Orphans'  Home 
but  the  first  item  and  first  sentence  of  his  Will  should  indicate  the  object 
and  purpose  of  his  life." 

Mr.  Moorman  showed  his  keen  insight  into  the  future  possibilities  of 
such  a  home  by  the  wisdom  displayed  in  the  provisions  for  that  Home. 

The  rare  judgment  shown  by  him  in  selecting  the  Board  that  was  to 
take  the  initiative  in  the  establishment  of  that  Home  has  only  been  equalled 
by  the  judgment  of  those  who  have  selected  the  successors  to  the  various 
members  of  the  Board.  No  home,  perhaps,  in  the  state  of  Indiana  has  been 
conducted  with  better  business  judgment  and  the  higher  appreciation  of  the 
great  function  of  such  an  institution  than  James  Moorman  Orphans'  Home. 

The  honesty  and  sincerity  at  all  times  of  the  Board  of  Directors  and  a 
fitness  of  the  Superintendent  and  Matron  has  indeed  made  this  a  HOME  to 
the  many  children  who  have  been  placed  in  that  institution. 

It  must  also  be  said  for  the  County  Commissioners  that  they  have  stood 
by  the  Home,  supporting  it  in  every  particular  and  meeting  their  obligations 
at  all  times. 

That  the  children  of  the  Home  now  enjoy  the  splendid  educational 
facilities  which  they  do,  and  are  permitted  to  meet  upon  a  common  level  all 
the  other  children  of  the  community,  take  their  place  in  good  schools  as  an 
equal  of  every  other  child,  a  privilege  which  every  free  born  child  has  a 
right  to  demand,  is  due  largely  to  the  conscientious  and  sincere  love  of  child- 
hood in  the  heart  of  G.  Walter  Hiatt,  Trustee  of  White  River  township, 
through  whose  influence  the  children  were  taken  to  the  Lincoln  school. 

BINDING    OUT    CHILDREN. 

We  referred  heretofore  to  the  policy  of  finding  homes  and  occupations 
for  children  without  placing  them  in  either  the  County  Infirmary  or  the 
Orphan's  Home.  This  was  done  formerly  and  was  transacted  usually  by  the 
"over-seers  of  the  poor"  in  each  Township. 


200  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

It  was  the  custom  also  at  that  time  for  the  parents  to  bind  out  their 
children  as  apprentices,  sometimes  because  of  better  advantages  that  would 
be  offered  the  child  and  sometimes  because  the  parents  were  unable  to  sup- 
port the  child  and  for  that  reason  we  speak  of  this  phase  of  the  child  life  at 
this  point  and  with  this  in  view  here  insert  the  types  of  various  contracts  that 
were  made  in  binding  out  children  as  apprentices. 

No  reflection  is  intended  whatever  upon  the  people  who  did  this  because 
it  was  done  with  the  highest  and  best  of  moti\'es  and  perhaps  today  if  a 
certain  class  of  boys  and  girls  were  compelled  to  work  more  and  to  acquire 
the  means  of  providing  for  themselves,  society  would  be  much  better  off. 

The  indentures  spoken  of  are  as  follows : 

"This  Indenture  made  this  the  first  day  of  October  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  one  thousand  Eight  hundred  and  forty  four  between  Philip  Allen  of 
the  Count}-  of  Randolph  and  State  of  Indiana  by  and  with  the  consent  of 
James  Allen  his  son  a  minor  age  seventeen  years  old  and  Thomas  Costlove 
of  the  State  and  County  aforesaid  W^itnesseth  that  the  said  Philip  Allen  has 
put  and  placed  and  doth  by  these  presents  put  and  place  the  said  James 
Allen  as  an  Apprentice  to  the  said  Thomas  Costlove  to  learn  the  trade  and 
Mvstery  of  Boot  and  Shoemaking  Which  he  the  said  Thomas  Costlove  useth 
and  the  said  Philip  Allen  doth  covenant  to  and  with  the  said  Thomas  Cost- 
love as  an  apprentice  from  the  date  hereoff  until  the  twentieth  day  of  Sep- 
tember in  the  year  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fortyseven  at  which  time 
the  James  Will  be  nineteen  years  and  eleven  months  age  if  living  during  all 
which  time  the  said  apprentice  shall  and  will  faithfully  serve  his  said  blaster 
keep  his  secrets  obej-  all  his  lawful  command  and  shall  do  no  damage  to  his 
said  Master  nor  suffer  none  to  be  done  which  he  can  prevent  he  shall  not 
play  at  any  unlawful  game  nor  frequent  tipling  houses  or  places  of  gambling 
nor  at  any  time  absent  himself  from  the  service  of  his  said  ^Master  without 
his  consent  but  shall  in  all  things  behave  himself  as  a  good  and  faithful 
apprentice  during  the  time  aforesaid  and  the  said  Costlove  doth  covenant  to 
and  with  the  said  Philip  Allen  that  he  will  teach  the  said  James  or  cause  him 
to  be  instructed  in  the  art  trade  and  Alistery  of  Boot  and  Shoemaking  in  the 
best  manner  he  can  and  that  during  the  time  foresaid  he  will  send  him  to 
school  for  the  term  of  two  months  and  that  he  will  find  and  provide  for  the 
said  apprentice  good  and  sufficient  meat  drink  and  lodging  and  apparl  during 
the  said  term  and  shall  at  the  end  thereof  give  to  the  said  James  Allen  one 
entire  new  suit  and  one  good  and  ful  set  of  tools  such  as  are  given  to  Jour  - 
neymen  of  such  art  and  trside. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  20I 

In  witness  of  which  agreement  by  and  between  the  said  Philip  Allen 
and  the  said  Thomas  Costlove  and  of  the  concent  of  the  said  James  Allen  to 
the  covenants  and  binding  aforesaid  the  said  Philip  Allen  and  the  said 
Thomas  Costlove  and  the  said  James  Allen  have  hereunto  set  their  hands 
and  seals  this  the  day  and  year  first  above  written. 

Philip  Allen,     (Seal.) 
Thomas  Costlove,     (Seal.) 
James  Allen  ,     ( Seal. ) 
Signed,  sealed  and  delivered  in  the  presence 
of  Fielding  R.  Merryfield,  Wm.  M.  Fitzgerald." 

State  of  Indiana, 
Randolph  County. 

"Be  it  remembered  that  on  the  ist  day  of  October  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  forty-four,  personally  appeared  Philip 
Allen  Thomas  Costlove  and  James  Allen  and  acknowledged  the  foregoing  to 
be  their  \oluntary  act  and  deed  for  the  purposes  therein  mentioned.  Given 
under  my  hand  and  seal  this  the  day  and  year  aforesaid. 

Fielding  R.  Merrifield,  J.  P.     (Seal.) 

The  above  indenture  was  recorded  December  the  26th,  1844. 

Willis  C.  Wilmore,  Recorder." 
On  margin  of  page : 

"We  hereby  certify  that  by  agreement  of  all  the  parties  concerned  this 
indenture  is  annulled,  August  20th,  1845. 

James  Allen, 
Tho.  Costlove, 
Philip   Allen." 

"The  Indenture  below  binding  Elijah  Hinshaw  to  Elijah  Hinshaw  is 
fully  satisfied  by  mutual  agreement,  and  the  return  of  the  said  apprentice  to 
his  mother  witness  our  hands  and  seals  this  9th  day  of  October,  1850. 

Jane  Jones,  alias  Hinshaw,     (Seal.) 
Elijah  Hinshaw.     (Seal.)" 

"This  Indenture  Witnesseth  that  Jane  Hinshaw,  late  widow  and  relick 
of  Enos  Hinshaw,  deceased,- of  Randolph  county  and  State  of  Indiana,  hath 
put  and  placed  and  by  these  presents  doth  put  and  bind  her  son,  Elijah  Hin- 
shaw, as  an  apprentice  to  Elijah  Hinshaw,  her  brother-in-law,  to  learn  the 
art  and  mystery  of  husbandry  which  he,  the  said  Elijah  Hinshaw,  pursues  as 


202  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

an  occupation,  the  said  Elijah  Hinshaw  to  dwell  with  and  serve  the  said 
Elijah  Hinshaw  as  an  apprentice  from  the  day  of  the  date  hereof  until  the 
twelfth  day  of  April  which  will  be  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  eighteen  hundred 
and  sixty-two,  at  which  time  the  said  apprentice  will  be  twenty-one  years  of 
age  during  all  which  time  the  said  apprentice  shall  dwell  and  faithfully  serve 
his  said  master,  keep  his  secrets  and  everywhere  and  at  all  times  readily 
obey  his  lawful  commands  he  shall  do  no  damage  to  his  said  master  nor  wil- 
fully suffer  any  to  be  done  by  others  and  if  any  to  his  knowledge  be  intended 
he  shall  give  his  said  master  reasonable  notice  thereof.  He  shall  not  waste 
the  goods  of  his  said  master;  nor  lend  them  unlawfully  to  any.  He  shall 
not  play  cards,  dice,  or  any  other  unlawful  game.  He  shall  not  contract 
matrimony  during  the  said  term.  He  shall  not  haunt  or  frequent  taverns, 
tipling  houses  or  places  of  gaming.  He  shall  not  absent  himself  from  the 
service  of  his  said  master,  but  shall  in  all  things  and  at  all  times  carry  and 
behave  himself  as  a  good  and  faithful  apprentice  ought  during  the  whole 
term  aforesaid.  And  the  said  Elijah  Hinshaw,  on  his  part,  doth  hereby  cove- 
nant, promise  and  agree  to  teach  and  instruct  the  said  apprentice  or  cause  him 
to  be  taught  and  instructed  to  read  and  write  &  sipher  as  far  as  the  double 
rule  of  three,  if  the  said  apprentice  be  cable  to  lern  and  also  to  teach  and  in- 
struct the  said  apprentice  in  the  art,  trade  and  mystery  of  husbandry  in  the 
best  way  and  manner  he  can,  and  well  and  faithfully  to  find  and  provide  for 
the  said  apprentice  good  and  sufficient  meat,  drink,  clothing  and  lodging  and 
other  necessities  fit  and  convenient  for  such  an  apprentice  during  the  term 
aforesaid  and  at  the  expiration  thereof  shall  give  unto  the  said  apprentice 
two  suits  of  wearing  apparel,  one  suitable  for  the  first  day  of  the  week,  com- 
monly called  Sunday,  and  the  other  for  working  days.  In  testimony  whereof 
the  said  parties  ha\'e  hereunto  interchangeably  set  their  hands  and  seals  this 
the  seventeenth  day  of  February  in  the  year  of  our  Lord,  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  forty-five. 

Jane  Hinshaw,     (Seal.) 
Elijah  Hinshaw,     (Seal.) 

Signed,  sealed  and  delivered  in  the  presence  of  Kersiah  Fisher  and  ]\Iar- 
shall  W.  Diggs." 

State  of  Indiana,  Randolph  county.  Be  it  remembered  that  the  within 
named  Jane  Hinshaw  and  Elijah  Hinshaw  came  this  day  personally  before 
me  the  undersigned  associate  judge  in  and  for  said  county  of  Randolph  afore- 
said and  acknowledged  that  they  did  sign,  seal  and  deliver  the  within  in- 
denture as  their  act  and  deed  for  the  purposes  therein  specified  given  under 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  2O3 

my  hand  and  seal  at  home  in  the  county  aforesaid  this  the  seventeenth  day 
of  February  in  the  year  of  our  Lord,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  forty- 
five. 

LiTTLEBERRY    DlGGS,     (Seal.) 

Associate  Judge." 

"The  above  deed  was   received    for   record   March   i8th,    1845,   ^t    10 
o'clock  a.  m. 

Willis  C.  Wilmore,  Recorder." 

"This  Indenture  made  this  sixth  day  of  June,  Eighteen  hundred  and  forty- 
five  Between  Jason  Overman  and  William  N.  Jackson  Overseers  of  the  poor 
of  Greensfork  Township  in  the  County  of  Randolph  and  State  of  Indiana 
of  the  first  part  and  Samuel  H.  Middleton  of  the  County  and  State  aforesaid 
of  the  Second  part  witnesseth  that  the  said  overseers  of  the  poor  have  and  by 
these  presents  do  place  and  bind  out  Henry  Sasser  a  poor  boy  aged  eleven 
years  and  six  days  son  of  James  Sasser  deceased  as  an  apprentice  to  the  said 
Samuel  H.  Middleton  to  be  taught  the  art  of  farming  which  the  said  Samuel 
H.  Middleton  now  uses  and  to  live  with  and  serve  him  as  an  apprentice  for 
the  term  of  nine  years  and  twenty  four  days  that  is  to  say  untill  said  ap- 
prentice shall  arrive  to  the  age  of  twenty  one  years  provided  he  shall  live  so 
long  the  said  Overseers  by  these  presents  give  unto  him  the  said  Samuel  H. 
Middleton  all  the  authority  power  and  right  to  and  over  the  said  Henry 
Sasser  and  his  services  during  said  term  which  by  the  laws  of  this  state  a 
Master  hath  to  and  over  a  lawful  Indentured  and  apprentice.  The  said  Sam- 
uel H.  Middleton  on  his  part  in  consideration  thereof  doth  promise  covenant 
and  agree  to  and  with  the  overseers  of  the  poor  and  Each  of  them  and  Each 
of  their  successors  for  the  time  being  and  with  the  said  poor  Ijoys  each  by 
himself  and  respectively  to  learn  and  instruct  the  said  poor  boy  as  his  an 
apprintice  or  otherwise  cause  him  to  be  well  and  sufficiently  instructed  in 
the  art  and  farming  after  the  best  way  and  manner  he  can  and  to  Teach 
and  instruct  him  the  said  apprentice  or  cause  him  to  be  instructed  in  Read- 
ing Writing  and  common  arithmetic  for  the  term  of  eighteen  months  Twelve, 
months  between  the  date  of  this  indenture  and  seventeen  &  six  months  be- 
tween seventeen  &  twenty  one.  Also  to  train  him  up  to  habits  of  obedi- 
ance  industry  and  morality  and  provide  for  and  allow  him  meat  drink  and 
lodging  and  apparel  for  summer  and  winter  and  all  other  necessaries  suit- 
able for  such  an  apprintice  during  the  term  of  his  services  as  aforesaid  and 
at  the  expiration  thereof  shall  give  to  said  an  apprentice  twenty  five  dollars 
and  a  good  freedom  suit  of  home  made  Janes  Cloth.     In  witness  whereof 


204  RANDOLPH    COUNTY.    INDIANA 

the  said  parties  hath  hereunto  set  their  hands  and  seals  the  day  &  date  above 
written  signed  sealed  in  the  presents  of 
S.  A.  Barnes, 
Thomas  Middleton. 

Jason  Overman,     (Seal.) 
W.  N.  Jackson,     (Seal.) 
Samuel  M.  Middleton.     (Seal.)" 
"State  of  Indiana, 
Randolph  County. 

Personally  appeared  before  me  the  undersigned  one  of  the  justices  of 
the  peace  of  said  County  Jason  Overman  William  N.  Jackson  and  Samuel 
H.  Middleton  and  acknowledged  the  signing  and  sealing  of  the  above  Inden- 
ture to  their  voluntary  act  and  deed  for  the  uses  and  purposes  therein  men- 
tioned.    Given  under  my  hand  and  seal  the  22nd  day  of  July  1845. 

Jonah  Peacock,     (Seal.) 

Justice  of  the  peace." 

"The  above  Indenture  was  received  for  Record  June  9th,  1845,  '^^  ^^ 
o'clock  a.  m." 

This  Indenture  made  this  19th  day  of  July  in  the  year  of  our  Lord 
Eighteen  hundred  and  forty  five  between  Daniel  Burket  of  Randolph  County 
and  State  of  Indiana  of  the  one  part  and  William  P.  Gray  of  the  County 
aforesaid  of  the  other  part  Witnesseth  that  the  said  Daniel  Burket  a  minor 
aged  fourteen  years  by  and  with  the  concent  of  Elizabeth  Burket  his  mother 
hath  put  and  placed  himself  as  an  apprentice  to  the  said  William  P.  Gray 
to  learn  the  art  and  occupation  of  farming  which  the  said  William  p.  Gray 
now  useth  and  the  said  Daniel  Burket  does  hereby  covenant  and  agree  to  and 
with  the  said  William  p.  Gray  that  he  the  said  Daniel  Will  dwell  with  and 
serve  the  said  \\'illiam  p.  Gray  as  an  apprentice  from  the  day  of  the  date 
hereof  untill  the  Eleventh  day  of  March  which  will  be  in  the  year  of  our  Lord 
Eighteen  hundred  and  fifty  two  at  which  time  the  said  Daniel  if  living  will 
be  twenty  one  years  of  age  during  all  which  time  the  said  Daniel  shall  and 
will  faithfully  serve  the  said  William  p.  Gray  keep  his  secrets  obey  all  his 
lawful  commands  and  shall  do  no  damage  to  his  said  Master  nor  suffer  any 
to  be  done  b}'  others  which  it  is  in  his  power  to  prevent  he  shall  not  play  at 
any  unlawful  game  nor  frequent  tippling  houses  or  places  of  gaiming  nor 
at  any  time  absent  himself  from  the  service  of  the  said  William  p.  Gray 
without  his  consent  but  shall  in  all  things  behave  himself  as  a  good  faithful 
apprentice  during  the  whole  term  aforesaid  And  the  said  William  p.  Gray 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  205 

on  his  part  does  covenant  and  agree  to  and  with  the  said  Daniel  that  he  will 
teach  and  instruct  the  said  Daniel  or  cause  him  to  be  taught  and  instructed 
in  the  art  and  occupation  of  a  farmer  in  the  best  manner  he  can  and  he  shall 
also  cause  him  to  be  taught  to  read  and  write  and  to  be  instructed  in  the 
general  rules  of  arithmetic  at  least  to  the  double  rule  of  three  inclusive  if 
the  said  Daniel  be  capable  to  learn  and  also  that  he  the  said  William  p.  Gray 
will  find  and  provide  for  the  said  Daniel  Good  and  sufficient  meat  drink 
lodging  and  apparel  during  the  said  term  and  shall  at  the  expiration  thereof 
give  to  the  said  Daniel  one  horse  not  over  six  years  old  worth  at  least  forty 
five  dollars  one  saddle  and  briddle  with  worth  fifteen  dollars  and  two  entire 
new  suits  of  wearing  apparel  one  suitable  for  Sundays  and  one  for  working 
days. 

In  Witness  of  which  agreement  by  and  between  the  said  Daniel  and  the 
said  William  P.  Gray  and  of  the  consent  of  the  said  Elizabeth  Burket  the 
mother  of  the  said  Daniel  to  the  covenants  and  binding  aforesaid  the  said 
Daniel ;  Burket  and  Elizabeth  Burket  his  mother  and  the  said  William  p. 
Gray  have  hereunto  set  their  hands  and  seals  the  day  and  year  first  above 
written  signed  sealed  and  delivered  in  presence  of  Stephen  Carman 

his 
Daniel  X  Burket,     (Seal.) 
mark 
her 
Elizabeth  X  Burket,     (Seal.) 
mark 
his 
William  X.  p.  Gray.      (Seal.)" 
mark 
"State  of  Indiana  Randolph  County  towit 

Be  it  remembered  that  the  within  named  Daniel  Burket  Elizabeth  Bur- 
ket and  William  p.  Gray  came  this  day  personally  before  me  the  undersigned 
a  justice  of  the  peace  in  and  for  said  County  aforesaid  and  acknowledged 
that  they  signed  sealed  and  delivered  the  within  Indenture  for  the  purposes 
therein  specified  Given  under  my  hand  and  seal  in  the  County  aforesaid  this 
19th  day  of  July  1845. 

Stephen  Cannon  J.  J.  (Seal.)" 

"The  above  instrument  was  received  for  record  Oct.  6th  1845  at  2 
o'clock  p.  m. 

Willis  C.  Wilmore,  Recorder." 


CHAPTER  V. 

EARLY  ^ETTLERS. 


A  TALE  OF  THE  AIRLY  DAYS. 

Oh!  tell  me  a  tale  of  the  airly  days — 

Of  the  times  as  they  ust  to  be; 
"Filler  of  Fi-er"  and  "Shakespeare's  Plays" 

Is  a'  most  too  deep  for  me ! 
I  want  plane  facts,  and  I  want  plane  words, 

Of  the  good  old-fashioned  ways, 
When  speech  run  free  as  the  songs  of  birds 

'Way  back  in  the  airly  days. 

Tell  me  a  tale  of  the  timber-lands — 

Of  the  old-time  pioneers; 
Somepin'  a  pore  man  understands 

With  his  feelin's  well  as  ears. 
Tell  of  the  old  log  house, — about 

The  loft,  and  the  puncheon  flore — 
The  old  fi-er-place,  with  the  crane  swung  out, 

And  the  latch-string  through  the  door. 

Tell  of  the  things  jest  as  they  was — 

They  don't  need  no  excuse! — 
Don't  tetch  'em  up  like  the  poets  does, 

Tel  theyr  all  too  fine  fer  use! — 
Say  they  was  'leven  in  the  fambily — 

Two  beds,  and  the  chist,  below. 
And  the  trundle-beds  that  each  belt  three, 

And  the  clock  and  the  old  bureau. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  2O7 

Then  blow  the  horn  at  the  old  back  door 

Tel  the  echoes  all  halloo, 
And  the  children  gethers  home  onc't  more, 

Jest  as  they  ust  to  do ; 
Blow  for  Pap  tel  he  hears  and  comes. 

With  Tomps  and  Elias,  too, 
A-marchin'  home,  with  the  fife  and  drums 

And  the  old  Red,  White  and  Blue ! 

Blow  and  blow  tel  the  sound  draps  low 

As  the  moan  of  the  whipperwill, 
And  wake  up  Mother,  and  Ruth  and  Jo, 

All  sleepin'  at  Bethel  Hill; 
Blow  and  call  tel  the  faces  all 

Shine  out  in  the  back-log's  blaze. 
And  the  shadders  dance  on  the  old  hewed  wall 

As  they  did  in  the  airly  days. 

— From  Farm  Rhymes,  by  James  Whitcomb  Riley.     Copyright  1901.     Used 
by  special  permission  of  the  publishers — The  Bobbs-Merrill  Company. 

Most  of  the  early  settlers  of  Randolph  county  came  from  North  Caro- 
lina. Some  of  them  settled  in  other  parts  after  leaving  Carolina  before  they 
came  to  this  coufity,  but  most  of  them  came  directly  from  "The  Old  Domin- 
ion" to  this  state. 

Thomas  Parker,  the  first  settler,  John  W.  Thomas  and  Clarkson  Wil- 
cutts  had  left  North  Carolina  in  a  party  of  five.  Parker,  with  his  wife  and 
three  children,  selected  his  land  near  the  present  town  of  Arba  and  proceeded 
at  once  to  build  a  cabin  in  which  they  lived  for  four  weeks.  John  W.  Thomas 
and  Wilcutts  afterward  settled  near  Mr.  Parker. 

Mr.  Ephraim  Bowen,  who  came  October  22,  1814,  came  from  Maryland 
and  settled  on  the  north  border  of  section  eighteen,  town  sixteen,  range  one 
west.  Mr.  Bowen  had  visited  this  place  and  returned  to  his  family  in  the 
east.  Mrs.  Bowen  was  not  favorable  to  coming,  but  the  glowing  description 
which  Mr.  Bowen  gave  of  this  land  induced  her,  after  she  had  been  earnestly 
solicited  by  the  children,  to  come  to  the  wilderness  of  Indiana.  They  arrived 
October  22,  1814.  The  children  soon  became  very  homesick'.  Their  spirits 
were  not  raised  any  by  the  wailing  and  howling  of  the  old  dog,  who  was 
seemingly  as  homesick  as  they  were.     The  children  cried  and  wanted   to 


2o8  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

return,  but  the  mother  answered  them  with  the  same  pleading  that  they  had 
used  before  they  had  started.  "Oh,  mother,  do  go."  "Please,  mother, 
do  go."    I'his  soon  stopped  their  being  homesick. 

The  fifth  family  was  Ephraim  Overman,  wife  and  five  children,  all  boys. 
Mr.  Overman  also  settled  near  the  Parker,  Wilcutts,  Bowen  company.  Other 
Carolina  settlers  to  come  in  1815,  or  near  that  time,  were  David  Bowles, 
Jesse  Johnson,  James  Frazier,  and  James  Hodson.  They  settled  near  Lynn. 
Some  of  the  Smalls  came  at  that  time,  also,  as  did  Paul  Beard,  Daniel  Shoe- 
maker, David  Kenworthy  and  James  Frazier.  Early  in  18 16  Paul  W.  Way, 
Henry  W.  Way,  William  Way,  Jr.,  Robert  Way  and  William  Diggs  came 
from  South  Carolina  and  located  land  four  miles  west  of  where  Winchester 
now  is. 

Paul  Way  returned  for  his  parents  and  his  family.  He  returned  to 
Randolph  county  with  them,  and  several  families  besides,  and  -arrived  in 
March,  181 7.  The  same  fall  John  B.  Wright,  David  Wright,  William  Wright 
and  John  Wright  settled  from  Salt  Creek  west.  In  the  summer  of  1817  Will- 
iam Way  returned  on  horseback,  alone,  to  South  Carolina  to  bring  his  father, 
William  Way,  Sr.,  to  the  new  country,  which  purpose  he  successfully  ac- 
complished. With  them  came,  among  others,  a  Mrs.  Beverly,  and  Moorman 
Way,  then  a  lad  of  two  years,  who  was  to  become  one  of  the  most  influential 
and  wealthy  men  in  the  history  of  the  county. 

As  to  settlements  up  to  the  close  of  18 18,  Jere  Smith  says,  in  his 
"Civil  History:"  "In  the  year  1818,  when  Randolph  county  was  erected, 
there  were  fifty  or  sixty  families  on  White  river  and  Salt  and  Sugar  creeks; 
fifty  or  sixty  families  on  Green's  fork  and  Mud  creek;  thirty  families  on 
Nolan's  fork,  including  Joshua  Foster  on  the  Griffis  farm,  near  the  state 
line ;  eight  or  ten  families  on  Martindale's  creek,  and  twelve  or  fifteen  families 
on  West  river,  above  the  Wayne  county  line."  So  that,  by  Mr.  Smith's 
estimation,  there  were,  at  the  time  of  the  election  in  1818,  about  180  families 
in  the  present  boundaries  of  Randolph  county.  Of  course,  at  that  time,  the 
population  was  wholly  east  of  the  western  boundary  of  the  "twelve-mile 
strip,"  since  the  land  west  of  that  line  was  still  Indian  territory,  on  which 
white  men  were  bound  by  treaty  not  to  settle.  In  181 8  the  tribes  ceded  those 
lands,  and  in  eight  or  ten  years  the  county  west  as  well  as  east  of  the  boundary 
was  settled.  In  fact,  that  territory  began  settlement  in  1821,  but  emigration 
was  slow  to  push  in  for  several  years.  It  would  be  interesting  to  find  the 
"election  returns"  for  August,  1818,  the  first  in  Randolph  county,  to  learn 
how  many  and  who  were,  at  that  time,  the  free  and  independent  electors  here. 
Those  returns,  however,  have  not  been  discovered. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  209 

On  West  river,  in  August,  1817,  there  were  eleven  settlers,  all  living  east 
of  the  boundary  and  on  Sections  7,  8,  17  and  18,  the  first  and  the  last  being 
fractional  sections  against  the  boundary.  William  Blount  (and  his  two  sons- 
in-law)  on  Section  7;  James  Malcom,  Section  17;  Henry  Shoemaker,  Section 
17;  Samuel  Sales,  Section  17;  Arny  Hall,  Section  17;  David  Jones,  Section 
17;  Evan  Shoemaker,  Section  18;  Griffin  Davis,  Section  18;  WilHam  Smith, 
Sections  5  and  6;  Isaac  Barnes,  Section  7,  came  in  1818;  John  E.  Hodge, 
Section  8.  came  in  1818.  The  sections  lie  on  both  sides  of  West  River,  but 
on  the  east  side  of  the  boundary,  and  William  Smith  (father  of  Hon.  Jere 
Smith)  went  highest  of  the  river,  taking  land  in  Sections  5  and  6,  the  latter 
section  having  but  a  small  fraction  east  of  the  boundary. 

The  early  settlers  of  the  north  part  of  the  county  were  a  little  late  in 
arriving.  Massix  Lewellen  came  near  Ridgeville  in  1817.  Joab  Ward,  Bur- 
got  Pierce,  Thomas  Pierce,  Henry  Kizer,  David  Connor,  James  Massey, 
Messrs.  Kite,  Jacobs,  Canada,  Reed  and  -many  others.  These  people  were 
practically  all  from  Carolina  and  had  in  a  great  degree  very  much  in  common, 
especially  as  to  political  and  religious  belief.  Their  places  of  settlement  is 
shown  directly  by  the  descriptions  of  the  land  which  they  entered. 

LAND  ENTRIES. 

So  far  as  land-entries  are  concerned,  a  considerable  amount  of  it  was 
done  in  both  1814  and  181 5.  Land  was  often  entered  months  and  even  years 
before  the  owners  occupied  it,  and  not  seldom  the  patentee  never  personally 
took  possession.  And  often,  on  the  other  hand,  persons  would  live  in  the  new 
country  months,  or  even  years,  before  they  could  succeed  in  entering  land. 

Many  came  with  no  money,  and  had  to  work  and  rent  or  live  out,  or  do 
some  other  way  to  earn  the  money  to  pay  for  what  they  bought.  The  records 
of  the  land  office  show  that  the  entries  in  the  county,  during  1814,  were  as 
,  follows  in  order  of  date :  Clarkson  Wilcutts,  Greensf ork,  southeast  quarter 
of  Section  28,  Town  16,  Range  i,  160  acres,  January  19,  .1814.  James 
Cammack,  Greensfork,  east  half  of  Section  — ,  Town  16,  Range  i,  323.16 
acres,  January  22,  1814.  Ephraim  Bowen,  Greensfork,  northeast  quarter  of 
Section  28,  Town  16,  Range  i,  160  acres,  April  13,  1814.  Travis  Adcock, 
Washington,  northwest  quarter  of  Section  14,  Town  18,  Range  14,  160  acres. 
May  14,  1814.  John  Thomas,  Greensfork,  northwest  quarter  of  Section  33, 
Town  16,  Range  i,  156.58  acres,  July  21,  1814  (fractional).  Thomas  Par- 
ker, Greensfork,  northwest  quarter  of  Section  32,  Town  16,  Range  i,  156.88 
(14) 


2IO  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

acres,  August  i6,  1814.  Ephraim  Overman,  Greensfork,  northwest  quarter 
of  Section  27,  Town  16,  Range  i,  160  acres,  October,  1814.  Travis  Adcock, 
Washington,  southeast  quarter  of  Section  10,  Town  18,  Range  14,  160  acres, 
October  19,  1814.  Shubael  ElHs,  White  River,  northeast  quarter  of  Section 
18,  Town  20,  Range  14,  160  acres,  November  30,  1814.  EH  Overman, 
Greensfork,  southeast  quarter  of  Section  33,  Town  16,  Range  i,  156.58 
acres,  December  13,  18 14.  Thus  thjre  were  in  18 14  ten  entries  by  nine 
persons,  comprising  about  1,750  acres.  Seven  were  in  Greensfork,  with  about 
1,273  acres,  two  in  Washington,  with  320  acres,  and  one  in  White  River, 
with  160  acres. 

In  1815  there  was  in  Greensfork  only  one  entry,  Nathan  Overman, 
southwei'L  quarter  of  Section  27,  Town  16,  Range  i,  159.50  acres,  September 
13,  181 5.  There  was  but  one  in  White  River,  to-wit,  George  W.  Kennon, 
southeast  quarter  of  Section  26,  Town  20,  Range  13,  160  acres,  September 
10,  1815. 

In  181 5  there  were  in  West  River  seven  entries,  as  follows:  William 
Blount,  southwest  quarter  of  Section  8,  Town  18,  Range  13,  r6o  acres,  April 
ID,  1S15.  Lot  Huddleston,  northwest  quarter  of  Section  17,  Town  18,  Range 
13,  160  acres.  May  3,  1815.  John  Jones,  Town  18,  Range  13,  325.68  acres. 
May  3,  1815.  John  E.  Hodges,  northwest  quarter  of  Section  8,  Town  j8, 
Range  13,  160  acres,  July  6,  1815.  Isaac  Barnes,  Section  7,  Town  iS,  Range 
13,  186  acres,  July  6,  i8i5._  Arny  Hall,  east  half  southeast  quarter  of  Sec- 
tion 17,  Town  18,  Range  13,  80  acres,  October  12,  1815.  Cornelius  Shane, 
northeast  quarter  of  Section  8,  Town  18,  Range  13,  160  acres,  July  6,  1815. 
Seven  entries,  about  1,230  acres. 

In  1 81 5  there  were,  in  Washington,  entries  as  follows:  Curtis  Clenney, 
southwest  quarter  of  Section  11,  Town  18,  Range  14,  160  acres,  January  7, 
1815.  Obadiah  Harris,  southwest  quarter  of  Section  10,  Town  18,  Range  14, 
160  acres,  May  8,  1815.  John  Ozbun,  southeast  quarter  of  Section  8,  Town 
18,  Range  14,  160  acres,  August  9,  1815.  Paul  Heard,  northeast  quarter  of 
Section  10,  Town  18,  Range  14,  160  acres,  August  9.  1815.  Paul  Beard, 
northwest  quarter  of  Section  11,  Town  18,  Range  14,  160  acres,  /Vugust  9, 
1815.  Obadiah  Harris,  northeast  quarter  of  Section  15,  Town  18,  Range  14, 
160  acres,  October  14,  181 5.  George  Frazier,  northwest  quarter  of  Section  9, 
Town  18,  Range  14,  160  acres,  October  17,  181 5.  Seven  entries,  equaling 
1,120  acres.  The  total  entries  in  Randolph  county  for  181 5  were  sixteen 
entries,  and  2,669.50  acres,  all  but  two  being  in  Washington  and  West  River 
townships.    The  entries  in  Washington  were  in  Sections  8,  9,  10  and  11,  of 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  211 

Township  i8,  Range  14.  The  entries  in  West  River  were  iti  Sections  7,  8, 
17  and  18,  Township  18,  Range  13.  The  total  entries  to  the  close  of  181 5 
(1814,  1815)  were  twenty-six  entries,  with  4,420  acres,  in  four  townships, 
Greensfork,  Washington,  White  River  and  West  River. 

The  year  1816  saw  a  great  increase  of  entries,  and  of  settlements  also. 
The  total  for  1816  was  6,109  acres,  in  the  following  townships :  Greensfork, 
four  entries,  830  acres;  Washington,  thirteen  entries,  2,080  acres;  White 
River,  eighteen  entries,  2,880  acres;  Ward,  one  entry,  640  acres;  West  River, 
three  entries,  400  acres.  The  great  rush  that  year  seemed  to  be  to  Washing- 
ton and  White  River;  1,600  acres  were  entered  in  the  latter  township  in  three 
days,  December  4,  5  and  7;  and  in  Washington  six  entries  were  made  in 
October  and  four  in  November,  or  1,600  acres  in  the  two  months.    The  years 

181 7  and  181 8  saw  a  greatly  stronger  movement,  in  so  much  that  the  entries 
for  the  two  years  amounted  to  25,200  acres,  those  for  each  year  being  some- 
what neai'ly  the  same.  The  entries  in  181 7  were  in  Greensfork,  Washington, 
White  River,  West  River,  Franklin,  Ward  and  Wayne.  Washington,  eighteen 
entries,  3,439  acres;  White  River,  thirty-five  entries,  5,337  acres;  Greensfork, 
-seven  entries,  1,178  acres;  Ward,  eight  entries,  1,280  acres;  West  River, 
twelve  entries,  1,832  acres;  Wayne,  five  entries,  800  acres;  Franklin,  two 
entries,  360  acres.  Entries,  87;  14,226  acres.  The  entries  in  1818  were  in 
the  same  townships.  Washington,  twenty-four  entries,  3,060  acres;  White 
River,  forty-one  entries,  8,437  acres;  Greensfork,  five  entries,  437  acres; 
Ward,  one  entry,  160  acres;  West  River,  nine  entries,  1,440  acres;  Wayne, 
seven  entries,  i  ,280  acres ;  Franklin,  one  entry,  1 54  acres.  Entries,  88 ;  acres, 
11,968.  Total  entries  up  to  the  close  of  1818  were,  in  Washington,  64;. 
White  River,  96;  Greensfork,  24;  Ward,  10;  West  River,  31;  Wayne,  12; 
Franklin,  3.     240  entries,  with  36,729  acres.     Emigration  to  Randolph  after 

181 8  fell  off  greatly,  so  much  so  that  during  the  nine  years  from  1820  to  1828, 
inclusive,  a  smaller  quantity  of  land  was  entered  than  in  18 17  alone. 

The  following  statement  will  show  the  amounts  of  land  entered  year  by 
year  to  1840:  1812,  160  acres;  1814,  1,744;  1815,  2,512;  1816,  6,109;  1817, 
14.226;  1818.  11,968;  1819,  3,623;  1820,  1,779;  1821,  1,654;  1822,  ,2,084.- 
1823,  1,496;  1824,  530:  1825,  789;  1826,  2,047;  1827,  882;  1828,  1,445; 
1829,  2,477;  1830.  4,320;  1831,  10,890;  1832,  8,225;  1833,  16,833;  1834, 
10,430;  1835,  10,909;  1836,  77,368;  1837,  48,308;  1838,  7,293;  1839,  894; 
T840,  700. 

Thus  it  appears  that  the  rush  of  settlers  to  Randolph  was  at  first  in 
181 7  and  18 1 8  and  then  again  from  1833  to  1837,  inclusive,  especially  the 


212  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

two  years  1836  and  1837.  "'"he  amount  of  land  entered  in  these  two  years 
last  named  reached  the  amazing  quantity  of  125,676  acres,  and,  including 
1833,  142,509,  which  is  almost  exactly  half  the  area  of  the  entire  county.  The 
land  entered  in  1836  and  1837  exceeded  all  the  previous  entries  during 
thirty-five  years,  from  18 12  to  1836,  by  some  8,000  acres. 

By  the  close  of  1838  almost  all  the  land  had  been  "taken  up."  Except 
the  "school  sections,"  little  remained  for,  original  entry,  and  what  was  yet 
unentered  lay  in  scattered  parcels  here  and  there  throughout  the  county.  By 
that  time,  therefore,  Randolph  had  been  bought  of  "Uncle  Sam,"  and  the 
public  title  was  transferred  to  private  hands. 

"Speculators,"  however,  here,  as  elsewhere,  had  extensively  "got  in  their 
work,"  and  in  various  localities  vast  tracts  lay  unoccupied  for  years  because 
the  speculator's  title  covered  it.  It  has  been  said  by  some  of  the  early  pioneers 
that  most  of  the  land  on  both  sides  of  the  road  between  Winchester  and  Deer- 
field  was  owned  by  one  man,  and  after  his  death  that  vast  body-  of  land  re- 
mained still  vacant  for  many  years.  As  a  specimen  of  the  evil  work  of  enter- 
ing land  for  "speculation,"  a  single  person,  residing  at  Cincinnati,  appears  to 
have  "entered"  many  tracts  in  several  different  townships  comprising  we 
know  not  how  many  acres.  Another,  from  Cincinnati,  also  engaged  largely 
in  the  same  speculative  work.  Still  a  third  individual  appears  as  having 
entered  tract  after  tract,  scattered  here  and  there. 

One  of  the  first  necessities  of  any  commvmity  is  a  mill.  "To  live  we 
must  eat,  and  if  we  eat,  bread  must  be  prepared,"  is  an  old  statement,  as  true 
today  as  it  was  at  the  time  at  which  it  was  uttered.  Many  devices  were  made 
by  which  com  could  be  cracked  or  pounded  into  meal,  hut  these  could  only 
supply  a  very  small  amount  and  machines  or  mills  became  a  necessity.  The 
primitive  mill  or  corn  cracker  is  described  in  some  of  the  reminiscences  given 
elsewhere.  These  mills  had  also  a  great  function  in  society,  that  of  becoming 
community  centers,  as  it  were,  or  the  meeting  places  of  men  from  various 
localities.  In  this  way  sentiment  was  disseminated,  opinions  were  exchanged 
and  the  mill  became  the  "Public  Forum."  They  were  the  centers  of  travel 
and  were  made  the  objective  points  of  many  early  roads.  The  first  mills 
were  nothing  more  or  less  than  "corn-crackers,"  and  had  an  output  of  but  a 
few  pounds  per  day.  This  was  the  best  they  could  do  and  satisfied  the  needs 
of  the  community.  However,  the  small  output  meant  that  more  mills  must 
be  built  to  supply  the  demand,  thus,  each  community  had  its  own  mill.  Cabin 
Creek  seems  to  have  been  a  favorite  location,  as  it  is  said  at  one  time  there 
were  no, less  than  nine  mills  in  operation  upon  that  stream  alone. 


RANDOLPH    COtTNTY,    INDIANA.  213 

MILLS,    MACHINERY,    ETC. 

As  to  mills,  etc.,  before  1820,  we  have  not  been  able  to  gain  any  certain 
or  exact  information.  There  were  some  mills  built  on  Nolan's  and  Greens- 
forks  (as,  also,  some  horse-mill  corn-crackers  and  hominy-pounders).  Will- 
iam Smith,  father  of  Hon.  Jeremiah  Smith,  built  a  mill  in  1819,  on  West 
river.  Meshach  Lewallyn  built  one  at  Ridgeville  on  Mississinewa,  about  the 
same  time.  Jere  Cox  erected  one  on  White  river,  some  miles  east  of  Win- 
chester, in  1825.  Jessup  had  a  mill  on  Greenville  creek  as  soon  as  1820  or 
before.  Aaron  Hill's  father,  as  also  a  Mr.  Hawkins,  in  the  region  of  Arba, 
had  hominy-pounders,  and  perhaps  corn-crackers,  run  by  horse-power,  shortly 
after  the  first  settlers  came.  However,  Aaron  Hill's  father  came  to  this 
county  in  1831.  Jesse  \\^ay  says  he  thought  the  first  water  mill  in  the  county 
was  built  by  John  Wright,  on  Salt  creek,  just  north  of  Winchester,  in  1818  or 
1819.  But  to  find  exact  dates,  and  to  determine  the  locations  of  those  early 
mills,  is  very  difficult,  and  in  many  cases  an  impossible  task.  In  the  statement 
herein  given,  locality  has  been  followed  rather  than  priority  of  date ;  and  no 
doubt  many,  after  all  the  labor  expended  in  the  work,  have  been  omitted. 

WATER-MILLS. 

A  mill  was  built  at  (just  below)  Macksville  by  Robert  Cox  about  thirty- 
two  years  ago  ( 1848) .  It  is  now  owned  by  Roberts  and  Goode.  It  is  a  good 
(grist)  mill,  and  does  a  thriving  business.  At  the  mouth  of  Cabin  creek  Mr. 
Bunker  built  a  saw-mill  very  early.  Afterward  John  H.  Bond  rebuilt  the  saw- 
mill and  added  a  grist-mill.  William  Roberts  bought  and  rebuilt  the  mill 
soon  after  1854.  It  was  afterward  owned  by  Dick  &  Cowgill.  Up  Cabin 
creek  (three-quarters  of  a  mile)  is  another  grist-mill;  Jacob  Beals  built  one 
on  that  site  very  early.  Afterward  it  was  rebuilt  by  Peter  S.  Miller  (from 
Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania),  and  again  by  William  Marine  (about)  1844. 
Mr.  Marine  was  the  grandfather  of  James  Whitcomb  Riley.  It  was  owned 
by  John  H.  Bond  and  Solomon  Wright,  and  later  by  Henry  Studebaker. 
Steam  was  used  at  one  time  but  now  water  alone.  A  portable  saw-mill  was 
there  once  but  it  has  been  taken  away.  The  mill  now  has  a  good  reputation 
for  work,  and  is  the  only  country  mill  in  the  county.  Just  above  that  (also 
on  Cabin  creek),  William  Marine  had  built  another  mill  (about)  1839.  He 
at  one  time  owned  both  these  mills  (called  Marine's  upper  and  lower  mills). 
While  Marine  was  running  both  these  mills,  Nathan  Mendenhall  undertook 


214  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

to  build  still  another  mill  between  Marine's  upper  dam  and  the  lower  mill 
connected  with  that  dam.  He  built  his  dam,  dug  the  race,  got  the  timber  on 
the  ground  but  finally  he  stopped.  Why,  we  do  not  know,  for  one  would 
think  a  man  might  as  well  go  clear  through  as  to  begin  such  a  job  as  that.  It 
is  a  pity  he  had  not  put  to  actual  test  the  project  of  running  a  water-mill  with- 
out water! 

Two  miles  above  (on  Cabin  creek  still)  stood  Mendenhall's  (lower) 
mill,  built  before  1840.  It  has  been  rebuilt  once  or  twice,  and  was  discontinued 
not  long  ago.  The  works  were  taken  to  Parker,  and  the  mill  is  in  operation 
there  now.  A  mile  above  was  Mendenhall's  upper  mill,  built  by  Nathan 
Mendenhall  (father  of  the  one  mentioned  above),  at  a  very  early  day.  The 
mill  was  rebuilt  by  his  son  Hiram.  It  was  changed  into  a  woolen  factory.  It 
was  at  Unionsport,  and  is  run  by  both  water  and  steam. 

A  s^w-mill  was  built  by  William  Davison  before  1829.  It  was  running 
up  to  1852,  but  was  discontinued  soon  after.  Thomas  Gillum  built  a  "corn- 
cracker"  one-fourth  of  a  mile  south  of  Buena  Vista,  one  of  the  first  water- 
mills  in  the  county.  It  was  gone  long  ago.-  Below  ]Macksville  mill  (on 
White  river),  Mr.  Spillers  built  a  saw-mill  (about)  1850.  It  was  rebuilt  by 
David  Harris.  On  Sparrow  creek  a  saw-mill  was  erected  (before  the  Macks- 
ville  grist-mill  was  built)  by  Morgan  Mills.  He  used  to  saw  day  and  night. 
He  would  set  his  log  and  start  the  saw,  and  then  lie  down  and  take  a  nap. 
When  the  saw  got  through  the  log,  the  snapping  of  the  trigger  would  wake 
him  up,  and  he  would  set  the  log  again.  That  mill  went  down  sixty  years  or 
more  ago.  Robert  Cox  rebuilt  the  mill  and  used  it  to  saw  the  lumber  for  the 
mill  he  built  (at  Macksville)  on  White  river.  Koah  Johnson  built  a  grist- 
mill on  Sparrow  creek  at  the  crossing  of  the  Huntsville  and  Sampletown 
road,  southeast  of  Macksville,  very  early,  about  the  same  time  as  Gillum's 
mill  on  Cabin  creek  there  was  also  a  saw-mill.  Both  have  been  gone  many 
years. 

James  Clayton  built  a  saw-mill  on  "Eight  Mile  Creek"  above  :\Iacks- 
ville.  That  mill  quit  sawing  before  1830.  Lewallyn's  grist-mill  on  the 
Mississinewa  near  Ridgeville,  was  built  (say)  1819  or  1820.  It  was  after- 
ward owned  by  William  Addington,  and  then  by  his  son,  Joab  Addington, 
afterward  by  Addington  &  House.  Still  again  by  Arthur  McKew,  and  later 
by  Whipple.  Frederick  Miller  had  a  grist-mill  and  saw-mill  on  Bear  creek, 
three  miles  southwest  of  Ridgeville,  perhaps  seventy-five  years  ago.  They 
have  been  gone  many  years.  On  Bear  creek,  Josiah  Bundy  and  Jacob  Horn 
once  had  a  saw-mill.    The  old  Sampletown  mill,  between  Macksville  and  Win- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  215 

Chester,  just  east  of  the  "twelve-mile  boundary,"  was  built  very  early,  but 
has  been  gone  a  long  time.  Jere  Cox  built  a  grist-mill  above  Winchester  on 
White  river,  in  1825.  Joseph  and  Benjamin  Pickett  built  a  saw-mill,  William 
Pickett  in  1853  purchased  the  place  and  both  mills.  They  were  operated  till 
about  1864,  and  were  torn  down  in  1870.  Mr.  Pickett  said  there  were  five 
dry  years  (from  1864  to  1869),  in  which  the  water  was  so  low  that  the  mills 
could  not  run,  and  they  were  left  to  go  to  wreck,  and  were  taken  away  in 
1870.  Parsons  had  a  grist-mill  on  Mississinewa  one-half  mile  below  Deer- 
field  before  1832.  Jessup  had  a  "corn-cracker"  on  Greenville  creek,  north  of 
Spartanburg  before  1820.  A  grist-mill  used  to  stand  on  Greenville  creek 
northwest  of  the  Kennon  farm  in  Wayne  township.  It  was  there  in  1850, 
but  has  been  gone  many  years.    The  timbers  are  there  still. 

A  Mr.  Hinchy  had  a  saw-mill  and  grist-mill  on  the  Mississinewa,  east 
of  AUensville,  in  the  early  settlement  of  Jackson  township,  which  were  some- 
what important  for  several  years.  There  were  some  mills  (one  or  more),  on 
Mississinewa,  near  Fairview.  John  Wright  is  said  to  have  had  a  corn-cracker 
water-mill  on  Salt  creek,  north  of  Winchester,  thought  by  some  to  have 
been  the  first  water-mill  in  the  county.  Jesse  Way  said  Wright's  mill  was 
built  in  1818  or  1819. 

Joshua  Bond  had  an  oil  mill  (perhaps  the  only  one  in  the  county),  as, 
also,  a  grist-mill,  both  run  by  horse-power,  near  Winchester,  very  early — 
perhaps  as  long  ago  as  1820,  or  thereabouts.  Joshua  Bond  settled  near  Win- 
chester about  1818,  and  set  up  his  mills  soon  after;  and  about  1835,  or  so,  he 
removed  to  Jay  county,  building  a  horse  mill  there  also,  and  running  the 
same  till  a  comparatively  late  day,  dying  there  also  about  1878,  at  the  age  of 
ninety-four.  His  mill  in  Jay  county  was  noted,  settlers  coming  from  both 
far  and  near. 

Old  Paul  Beard  had  a  saw-mill  on  Greensfork,  which  was  old  in  1837. 
There  was  a  mill  site  where  a  grist-mill  had  been,  but  had  gone  down  in  1832, 
and  a  new  mill  by  Levi  Stout  (same  man)  two  miles  lower  down  on  Greens- 
fork,  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  west  from  Lynn,  about  1838,  which  was  still 
running  in  1854. 

Amos  Ellis  had  a  saw-mill  in  old  times  between  these  two  mill  sites, 
which  was  gone,  however,  in  1840.  Aimbrough  and  Mendenhall  built  a  mill 
on  Cabin  creek  some  time  prior  to  1836,  but  this  mill  ran  only  about  four 
years. 

George  Ritenour  built  a  mill  near  his  residence  west  of  Deerfield  in 
1838,  but  this  mill  lasted  only  a  short  time,  as  the  mill  at  Deerfield  was  much 


2l6  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

larger  and  better.  Robert  W.  Bunker  built  his  mill  on  Cabin  creek,  1839. 
Marsh  mill,  below  Deerfield,  was  built  in  1833.  John  Jackson's  mill,  on  Cabin 
creek,  was  built  in  September,  1834.  Hurst's  and  People's  mill  was  built  near 
Unionsport  in  1841. 

There  were  other  mills  built  from  time  to  time,  particularly  saw-mills, 
concerning  which  no  information  has  been  obtained.  These  early  mills  must 
not  be  reckoned  to  be  like  the  great  mills  of  the  present  day.  They  were, 
indeed,  but  small  and  insignificant  affairs.  It  is  related  of  one  of  the  first 
mills  in  Jackson  township,  that  the  owner  boasted  that  his  whole  "fixings" 
had  cost  him  only  $2.50. 

Those  old-time  mills  were  very  humble,  unpretending  establishments. 
Cox's  mill,  above  Winchester,  built  eighty  years  ago,  and  eleven  years  after 
the  first  settlement  of  the  county,  bolted  flour  in  a  hand  bolt.  The  "corn 
crackers,"  so  called  (Jessup's  on  Greenville  creek,  for  instance),  used  to  grind 
about  a  peck  an  hour.  The  stones  employed  in  many  of  the  first  mills  were 
simply  the  native  boulders  of  the  region,  dressed  to  suit  the  purpose.  Still 
they  served  the  needs  of  the  settlers  in  a  small  way  for  many  years.  Some 
half-dressed  mill  stones  are  lying  beside  the  highways  still.  The  grist  would 
be  sent  on  the  back  of  a  horse  or  a  mule  with  a  half-grown  lad,  and  one  by 
one  these  grists  would  be  slowly,  oh,  how  slowly,  worked  through  the  ma- 
chinery of  the  mill.  Men,  however,  who  were  able  to  command  a  wagon  and 
team  and  enough  grain  to  warrant  the  labor  required,  would  take  a  trip  to  the 
more  extensive  and  better  appointed  mills  on  the  White  Water,  or  the  Still- 
water, or  even  the  Miami.  In  the  earliest  times  boys  have  been  sent  on  horse- 
back twenty  miles  or  more,  from  the  Arba  settleiiaent  to  the  mills  on  the 
White  Water  below  Richmond,  both  to  buy  corn  and  to  get  it  ground  in  one 
of  the  mills  in  that  region. 

The  story  told  by  the  old  settlers  of  nearly  every  one  of  the  first  mills  in 
the  whole  region,  though  perhaps  not  an  actual  fact  as  to  even  a  single  one  of 
them,  is  yet  painfully  suggestive  of  the  more  important  real  fact  that  the 
mills  did  actually  grind  so  "awful  slow"  that  everybody  would  naturally  be- 
lieve that  a  dog  might  "lick  the  meal  by  spirits,"  and  lift  up  his  head  and 
howl  between  the  "jets"  for  more.  But  let  us  not  laugh  at  these  small  begin- 
nings of  things.  The  settlers  used  far  more  labor,  and  displayed  much  greater 
energy  in  undertaking  what  they  were  able  to  accomplish  under  such  ap- 
palling difficulties  than  their  posterity  do  in  effecting  the  far  greater  results 
of  the  present  day. 

For  years  after  the  opening  of  the  country  for  settlement,  the  use  of 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  217 

steam  power  was  unknown.  To  fit  up  a  steam  establishment  required  a 
large  amount  of  money,  more,  in  fact,  than  most  could  command.  Still  as  the 
country  grew,  and  the  milling  necessities  began  to  surpass  the  capacities  of 
the  water-power,  and  the  "corn  cracker"  and  the  hand-bolt  mills  of  the  region, 
men  ventured  to  try  how  steam  would  answer  the  purpose,  and  one  by  one, 
mills  were  built  away  from  the  streams.  The  result  has  been  that  water- 
power  has  dwindled  and  almost  grown  out  of  use,  and  steam  has  nearly  car- 
ried the  day. 

One  of  the  first  steam  mills  in  the  county,  possibly  the  first,  was  built  by 
Elias  Kizer  at  Winchester,  as  early  perhaps  as  1835,  on  Salt  creek  on  the  north 
side  of  Washington  street. 

Mr.  Roberts  had  a  steam  grist-mill  at  Winchester  (in  the  west  part  of 
the  city).  It  was  running  say  in  i860,  but  its  rumbling  has  been  silent  for 
some  years.  The  brick  mill  and  warehouse  near  the  depot  has  been  standing 
for  some  fifty  years.  It  was  built  for  a  warehouse  by  John  Mumma.  Martin 
owned  it  awhile,  then  Heaston  and  Riley,  then  Colton  and  Bates,  then  Bates 
Brothers.  It  is  an  extensive  mill,  has  a  high  reputation,  performing  good, 
thorough,  reliable  work,  and  a  large  amount  of  it,  now  owned  and  operated 
by  C.  Graft. 

Deerfield  steam  mill  was  built  by  Jason  Whipple  eighty-nine  years  ago 
(1845).  Foi'  many  years  it  had  a  very  large  patronage.  At  one  time  it  drew 
custom  for  thirty  or  forty  miles  in  every  direction.  Customers  had  the  privi- 
lege, by  staying  through  the  night,  of  having  their  grists  ground  in  turn,  and 
many  availed  themselves  thereof.  Sometimes  a  dozen  or  twenty  teams  would 
wait  through  the  darkness  of  the  night,  rather  than  go  home  through  the 
long  and  tedious  journey  and  then  be  obliged  to  return  at  a  future  day.  Peo- 
ple came  from  Centerville,  Wabash,  Greenville,  etc.  It  was  owned  by  Willis 
Whipple,  son  of  Jason  Whipple.    This  mill  was  torn  down  in  1907. 

The  mill  at  Allensville  was  fixed  so  as  to  run  by  water  or  steam.  It  was 
built  in  about  1850,  and  ceased  to  be  used  about  1900.  A  saw-mill  (water  and 
steam)  was  built,  and  afterward  a  grist-mill,  by  McNeely  before  1845.  The 
establishment  was  rebuilt  by  Thomas  Reece  and  Company.  There  was  a  steam 
saw-mill  on  Olive  Branch,  then  it  was  made  a  grist-mill,  and  afterward  the 
works  were  taken  out  and  carried  to  Farmland.  At  Farmland,  Dr.  William 
Macy  had  a  steam  saw-mill,  afterward  belonging  to  Ford  and  Company,  but 
it  has  been  silent  for  sixty  years.  Stanley  Brothers  had  a  steam  grist-mill  at 
Farmland  before  i860.     Having  been  burned,  it  was  rebuilt  with  new  ma- 


2l8  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

chinery  by  Hawkins.  Another  steam-mill  at  Farmland  was  built  by  Charles 
Stanley  about  1870. 

A  steam-mill  was  built  at  Ridgeville  on  the  railroad,  by  Arthur  McKew. 
It  was  burned  and  rebuilt  of  brick.  The  mill  is  a  good  one,  and  does  much 
work. 

There  was  a  steam-mill  at  Harrisville,  built  some  years  ago.  A  steam 
grist-mill  was  running  for  several  years  at  Arba,  but  it  burned  down  in  1877, 
and  has  not  been  rebuilt.  There  were  two  steam  saw-mills  at  Spartanburg. 
One  was  built  about  1852  by  William  Luker.  The  other  was  built  by  Wesley 
Locke  about  1880.  It  had  a  corn-mill  and  planing-mill  attached.  A  large 
steam  grist-mill  was  erected  at  Union  City,  Indiana.  It  was  owned  by  Con- 
verse &  Company ;  had  a  capacity  of  200  barrels  per  day. 

A  steam  saw-mill  has  been  in  operation  for  several  years  on  the  State 
line  pike,  two  miles  south  of  Union  City,  but  it  was  removed  about  1881.  Mr. 
Sheets  set  up  a  saw-mill  west  of  Union  City  in  1852. 

There  was  a  saw-mill  on  Oak  street.  Union  City,  and  John  H.  Cam- 
mack  had  a  saw-mill  in  the  Cammack  neighborhood,  some  two  miles  east  of 
Bartonia. 

There  was  a  saw-mill  eight  miles  southwest  of  Farmland,  and  a  steam 
grist-mill  at  Huntsville,  also  a  saw-mill  at  Huntsville,  owned  by  Peyton 
Johnson,  and  there  was  another  saw-mill- owned  by  Jere  Hyatt.  A  saw-mill 
stood  not  far  east  of  Deerfield,  on  the  State  road,  from  early  times  until 
about  1880,  owned  latterly  by  John  H.  Sipe.  There  was,  for  years,  a  saw- 
mill on  the  boundary,  southwest  of  Spartanburg.  A  saw-mill  was  in 
operation  for  twenty  years  or  more  near  Salem.  When  Union  City  began  to 
need  lumber  for  building,  that  mill,  among  others,  helped  much  to  supply  the 
demand.  A  grist-mill  and  a  saw-mill  were  formerly  in  operation  north  of 
Lynn,  but  one  was  burned  (or  both)  and  now_  there  is  neither. 

Anthony  McKinney  built  a  saw-mill  on  Mississinewa,  one  and  a  quarter 
miles  below  Fairview,  about  1839,  put  in  a  corn-cracker  about  1840,  and  built 
a  new  and  more  extensive  mill,  putting  in  "wheat  buhrs"  about  1842.  He 
had  three  run  of  buhrs — and  a  bolt  carried  by  machinery.  It  was  a  good  mill 
for  a  while.  Mr.  McKinney  sold  the  mill  to  Samuel  Zaner.  He  owned  it 
about  a  year  and  sold  to  Abner  Wolverton,  about  1864,  for  wheat.  Steam 
was  put  in  in  1875,  but  has  not  been  used  for  years. 

Mr.  Ward  had  a  saw-mill  on  Mississinewa,  below  Ridgeville,  which  ran 
for  several  years.  John  Foust  had  a  saw-mill  and  corn-cracker  in  about  1856, 
in  Franklin  township,  just  at  the  township  line,  on  Mississinewa.     Cyrus  A. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  2I9 

Reed  had  a  saw-mill  one  mile  above  Fairview.     It  was  built  about  1850,  and 
stood  perhaps  ten  years.    There  was  a  saw-mill  at  Shedville,  run  by  steam. 

Before  1825  Lemuel  Vestal  undertook  to  erect  a  mill  on  Stoney  creek, 
near  Windsor.  Before  completing  it,  he  sold  out  to  John  Thornburg,  who 
finished  the  grist-mill  and  also  built  a  saw-mill.  After  four  years  he  sold  to 
Andrew  G.  Dye,  and  he  to  Moses  Neely,  and  still  again  the  mills  were  trans- 
ferred to  Thomas  W.  Reece,  who  built  them  anew.  Their  owners  since  have 
been  Neely,  Mark  Pattis,  Johnson  &  Dye,  William  A.  Thornburg,  Reece  & 
Sons,  Mahlon  Clevenger,  John  Thornburg,  Robert  Cowgill  and  John  Cleven- 
ger.  Doubtless  other  mills  have  existed,  of  which  no  account  has  been  ob- 
tained. 

OTHER  MACHINERY. 

Peter  Kabel  had  a  carding  machine,  etc.,  in  the  west  part  of  the  county. 
At  first  Mr.  Kabel  had  a  little  carding  machine  in  the  garret  of  John  H. 
Bond's  grist-mill.  He  was  very  poor,  and  got  the  use  of  Bond's  "power." 
After  awhile  he  bought  a  waste  farm  that  was  too  wet  for  tillage.  He 
ditched  the  prairie  and  drained  the  ponds,  springs  and  swamps,  and  collected 
the  water,  and  got  enough  to  run  a  carding  machine  and  woolen  factory.  For 
a  long  time  it  was  a  famous  establishment,  getting  custom  far  and  near,  and 
Mr,  Kabel  made  a  fortune.  His  factory  is  gone  now.  There  are  pleasant 
anecdotes  about  Mr.  Kabel  and  his  mill.  Somebody  had  at  one  time  turned 
the  water  upon  the  wheel  and  made  the  mill  run  empty  through  the  night.  He 
was  provoked,  and  on  Saturday  he  sawed  the  foot-bridge  over  the  fore-bay 
almost  in  two,  and  laid  it  in  its  place.  Monday  morning  he  came  to  start  his 
mill,  and,  forgetting  all  about  his  "trap,"  he  stepped  upon  the  sawed  plank 
and  went,  souse,  into  the  fore-bay.  He  scrambled  out  just  as  Thomas  Ad- 
dington  was  going  to  the  mill.  He  ran  to  meet  Thomas,  laughing  and  crying 
out:  "O,  Thomas,  Thomas,  I  caught  mine  self,  I  caught  mine  self!"  Mr. 
Kabel  lived  three  miles  south  of  Macksville.  There  was  for  some  years  a 
woolen  factory  at  Unionsport.  It  had  a  good  reputation,  and  its  yarns  were 
in  great  demand.  There  used  to  be  a  carding  machine  at  Winchester,  be- 
longing to  Elias  Kizer,  but  it  is  not  there  now.  The  old  county  seminary,  at 
Winchester,  was  fitted  up  and  run  as  a  woolen  mill  factory  for  several  years. 
It  was  quite  extensive  and  did  much  work,  but  it  has  been  discontinued.  There 
was,  for  many  years,  a  carding  machine  and  woolen  factory  at  Deerfield.  It 
was  burned  down  and  rebuilt,  and  burned  again,  and,  since  the  last  fire,  has 
not  been  rebuilt. 


220  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

It  is  told.  US,  as  a  matter  of  curiosity,  that  Moorman  Way  once  undertook 
to  fit  up  a  carding  machine  at  Winchester,  and  run  it  by  ox-power.  The  es- 
tablishment did  some  work  for  awhile.  A  carding  machine  was  built  and 
operated  in  very  early  days,  near  Winchester.  It  is  thought  to  have  been  the 
first  in  the  county,  but  has  been  gone  for  many,  inany  years.  It  belonged  to 
Daniel  Petty,  and  was  operated  by  horse-power. 

Mills  and  warehouses  are  now  run  in  connection  with  each  other.  This 
has  made  it  impossible  to  have  a  miH  ofif  the  railroad.  As  we  have  said  here- 
tofore, there  is  but  one  mill  running  at  this  time,  that  is  not  located  on  a  rail- 
road. This  mill  does  but  very  little  business.  The  mills  of  today  are  to  be 
found  in  Union  City,  Lynn,  Modoc,  Parker,  Farmland,  Ridgeville  and  Win- 
chester. Warehouses  are  to  be  found  in  those  places  and  in  addition,  in 
Crete,  Carlos,  Losantville,  Deerfield  and  Harrisville. 

EARLY    ROADS. 

The  first  roads  of  the  county  were  mere  trails  or  paths  that  led  in  and 
around  the  hills,  or  upon,  crossing  the  streams  at  the  most  available  point,  so 
as  to  prevent  the  least  possible  difficulty.  The  trail  which  was  blazed  on 
trees  or  bush  was  often  difficult  to  follow,  even  by  the  most  experienced 
settler. 

Even  the  roads  established  by  law  were  very  vague  indeed,  as  will  be 
seen  in  some  of  the  entries.  The  first  road  was  to  run  from  Winchester  be- 
tween Jesse  Johnson's  and  Paul  Beard's.  Another  was  laid  out  from  the 
west  end  of  Hezekiah  Hockett's  lane  to  the  Wayne  county  line,  at  the  south- 
east corner  of  Martindale's.  A  third  was  to  go  from  Hockett's  road  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  north  of  "gass"  to  an  irregular  direction  to  the  State  road 
at  Vernon.  This  is  the  only  reference  made  to  the  town  of  Vernon  any- 
where. Another  road  was  to  run  from  the  southwest  corner  of  Samuel 
Smith's  fence  to  the  crossing  south  of  Jackson's,  thence  to  new  road  at  the 
north  end  of  William  Smith's  lane.  If  following  the  roads  was  any  worse 
than  following  the  descriptions  they  must  have  had  a  sorry  time,  indeed. 

When  roads  were  finally  established  the  right-of-way  was  cleared  simply 
by  cutting  the  trees  and  allowing  the  stumps  to  stand.     It  was  often  with 
great  difficulty  that  a  wagon  could  be  drawn  along  these  roads  at  all  because  ' 
of  the  stumps.    As  the  roads  became  more  and  more  traveled  it  became  neces- 
sary to  put  them  in  better  condition.     This  was  done  by  filling  up  the  holes 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  221 

with  logs  and  making  corduroy  sometimes  for  rods  after  rods  and  even  for 
miles. 

But  for  many  years  travel  in  the  spring  of  the  year  was  almost  im- 
possible, and  no  very  great  distances  could  be  gone  at  that  time.  Eventually, 
however,  the  roads  were  graded  and  straightened,  but  little  attention  being 
paid  to  hills  or  hollows.  When  the  gravel  road  was  suggested  it  seemed  at 
first  to  be  a  wild  dream. 

In  Cottman's  History  Pamphlets,  No.  X,  p.  17,  will  be  found  the  fol- 
lowing description  of  traveling  in  early  days : 

"Most  of  the  year  a  journey  over  the  roads  was  simply  a  slow,  labor- 
ious wallowing  through  mud;  the  bogs  were  passable  only  through  the  use 
of  corduroy,  and  this  corduroy  of  poles  laid  side  by  side  for  miles,  not  infre- 
quently had  to  be  weighted  down  with  dirt  to  prevent  it  floating  off  when  the 
swamp  waters  rose.  *  *  *  /^^g  Qj^g  proceeded  he  must  track  to  right 
and  left,  not  to  find  the  road,  but  to  get  out  of  it  and  find  places  where  the 
mud  was  'thick  enough  to  bear.'  *  *  *  Innumerable  stubs  of  saplings, 
sharpened  like  spears  by  being  cut  ofif  obliquely,  waited  to  impale  the  unlucky 
traveler  who  might  be  pitched  out  upon  them,  and  the  probability  of  such  an 
accident  was  considerable,  as  the  lurching  wagon  plunged  over  a  succession  of 
ruts  and  roots,  describing  an  exhilarating  seesaw  with  most  astonishing 
alteration  of  plunge,  creak  and  splash.  Ever  and  anon  the  brimming  streams 
had  to  be  crossed,  sometimes  by  unsafe  fording  and  sometimes  by  rude  fer- 
ries. In  the  latter  case  the  ferry  keeper  was  apt  to  be  off  at  work  somewhere 
in  his  clearing,  and  the  traveler  had  to  'halloo  to  the  ferry'  till  he  could  make 
himself  heard." 

At  first  the  toll  roads  were  private  enterprises  and  people  had  to  pay 
toll  for  traveling  upon  them.  The  toll-gate  keeper  lived  at  the  cross-roads 
and  kept  the  highway  closed  with  the  "pole  and  sweep,"  so  that  tra\clers 
might  not  pass  when  he  was  not  present.  But  the  toll  road  has  long  since 
been  a  thing  of  the  past  and  first-class  free  roads  are  to  be  found  today. 
James  Whitcomb  Riley  represents  an  old  pioneer  talking  reminiscent'y  at  an 
Old  Settlers'  Meeting.  This  old  man  would  represent  a  period  of  about 
thirty  years  ago,  when  Mr.  Riley  has  him  say : 

When  we  had  to  go  on  horseback,  and  sometimes  on  'shanks  mare,' 
And  'blaze'  a  road  fer  them  behind  that  had  to  travel  there. 
"Of  the  times  when  we  first  settled  here,  and  travel  was  so  bad. 


222  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

And  now  we  go  a-trottin'  'long  a  level  gravel  pike, 
In  a  big  two-hoss  road-wagon,  jest  as  easy  as  you  like ; 
Two  of  us  on  the  front  seat,  and  our  wimmen- folks  behind, 
A-settin'  in  theyr  Winsor  cheers  in  perfect  peace  of  mind!" 

— Riley,  James  Whitcomb,  Neighborly  Poems,  page  23,  Indianapolis,  1891. 

But  today  the  picture  which  Mr.  Riley  describes  would  attract  as  much 
attention  as  would  have  the  automobile  and  motorcycle  of  today  attracted  at 
that  period. 

PIONEER  SCHOOLS  AND   CHURCHES. 

Much  has  been  said  of  the  pioneer  schools  in  another  chapter.  These 
schools  were  conducted  in  a  private  cabin,  or  in  rude  houses  constructed 
for  schools  alone.  They  were  built  of  logs,  puncheon  floor,  if  any  floor  at 
all,  a  fire  place  filling  one  end  of  the  room.  For  light,  greased  paper  was 
used. 

For  a  graphic  description  of  a  pioneer  school,  see  Mr.  Macy's  article. 

Churches  were  not  built  until  after  private  homes  had_  been  used  in  a 
community  long  enough  to  justify  a  church  association.  These  churches 
were  crude  affairs,  but  they  served  the  people  well  and  were  the  means  of 
bringing  a  spirit  of  love,  fellowship  and  communion  into  the  community. 

The  ministers  of  that  day  preached  upon  texts  taken  from  the  Bible 
and  paid  no  attention  whatever  to  questions  outside  the  church  proper.  The 
hymn  would  be  announced,  the  minister  would  "line"  it,  the  leader  would 
pitch  the  tune,  and,  with  the  congregation,  sing  the  song.  These  songs  were 
sung  with  a  fervor  and  spirit  that  carried  enthusiasm  and  conviction  to  all 
who  sang  and  heard.  They  may  have  lacked  harmony  but  they  did  not  lack 
in  spirit. 

They  left  an  impression  never  to  be  forgotten,  and  many  a  man  and 
woman  of  today  looks  back  upon  the  singing  in  the  old  days  as  one  of  the 
most  effective  means  of  worship. 

THE  GOOD  OLD  HYMNS. 

There's  a  lot  of  music  in  'em — the  hymns  of  long  ago. 

And  when  some  gray-haired  brother  sings  the  ones  I  used  to  know, 

I  sorter  want  to  take  a  hand.    I  think  of  days  gone  by, 

"On  Jordan's  stormy  banks  I  stand  and  cast  a  wistful  eye!" 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  223 

There's  lots  of  music  in  'em — those  dear  sweet  hymns  of  old, 
With  visions  bright  of  lands  of  light  and  shining  streets  of  gold; 
And  I  hear  'em  ringing — singing,  where  mem'ry,  dreaming,  stands, 
"From  Greenland's  icy  mountains  to  India's  coral  strands." 

They  seem  to  sing  forever  of  holier,  sweeter  days, 
When  the  lilies  of  the  love  of  God  bloomed  white  in  all  the  ways ; 
And  I  want  to  hear  their  music  from  the  old-time  meetin's  rise 
Till  "I  can  read  my  title  clear  to  mansions  in  the  skies." 

We  never  needed  singin'  books  in  them  old  days — we  knew 

The  words,  the  tunes,  of  every  one — the  dear  old  hymn  book  through ! 

We  didn't  have  no  trumpets  then,  no  organs  built  for  show, 

We  only  sang  to  praise  the  Lord  "from  whom  all  blessings  flow." 

An'  so  I  love  the  ^  Id  hynms,  and  when  my  time  shall  come — 
Before  the  light  of  day  has  left  me,  and  my  singing  lips  are  dumb — 
If  I  can  hear  'em  sing  them  then,  I'll  pass  without  a  sigh 
To  "Canaan's  fair  and  happy  land  where  my  possessions  lie." 

— Atlanta  Constitution. 

QUESTIONS  AND  MANNERS  OF  THE  FIRST  ESTABLISHED  HOME. 

Much  of  the  material  given  here  concerning  this  subject  is  the  direct 
result  of  experience  of  those  who  gave  it,  many  years  ago.  These  people 
fived  in  the  county  and  knew  exactly  the  customs,  manners  and  conditions  of 
themselves  at  that  time;  and  if  they  differ  from  what  they  are  today  we 
must  remember  that  the  conditions  and  environments  were  very  much  dif- 
ferent from  what  we  have  it. 

Their  manners  today  would  in  a  way  seem  crude,  but  nevertheless  Ihey 
were  as  earnest  and  sincere  as  we  can  possibly  be  today. 

They  did  the  best  that  could  be  done  under  very  trying  circumstances 
and  met  the  conditions  fairly  and  squarely.  For  the  most  part  they  were  hon- 
est and  upright  people  and  enjoyed  a  good  time  in  the  crude  way  of  (heir 
time. 

Much  of  the  following  was  gotten  from  Mr.  Martin  A.  Reeder,  an  old 
pioneer  of  the  county,  and  Mr.  Joseph  Hawkins,  who  lived  in  Jay  county  at 
the  time  of  these  interviews.  Mr.  Hawkins  was  very  familiar  with  Randolph 
county. 


224  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

MANNER    OF    LIVING. 

Some  articles  have  been  furnished  by  Hon.  Martin  A.  Reeder,  who  has 
been  a  resident  of  the  county  for  about  sixty  years,  the  substance  of  which 
is  given  below,  with  also  some  additions  from  other  sources : 

BUILDU^GS. 

Many  would  put  up  a  "camp,"  and  live  in  that  for  some  weeks  or  months, 
and  wait  to  build  a  cabin  until  the  large  trees  had  been  cleared  from  a  place 
extensive  enough  to  prevent  danger  from  the  tree  trunks  falling  on  the  house. 
Others  would  put  up  their  cabins  in  the  dense  woods,  with  perhaps  a  dozen 
trees  near,  any  of  which  might,  in  a  storm  of  wind,  have  crushed  the  dwelling 
and  all  its  inmates.  And  yet,  though  scores  of  cabins  were  erected  thus,  it  is 
not  known  that  a  solitary  tree  ever  threw  its  huge  trunk  upon  the  roof  of  a 
single  settler's  dwelling. 

CABINS. 

Cabins  were  built  of  round  logs  from  eight  to  ten  inches  through,  and 
covered  with  clapboards.  They  were  of  all  sizes; — some  perhaps  twelve  by 
fourteen  feet,  and  some  eighteen  by  twenty-five  feet,  with  one  seven  or  eight 
feet  story  and  a  loft  above  in  the  roof.  A  small  cabin  would  have  one  door 
and  one  window.  A  large  one  might,  perhaps,  possess  two  of  each.  The 
chimney  and  fire-place  would  be  wholly  outside,  opening  of  course  into  the 
house. 

At  the  "raising"  the  neighbors  for  miles  around  were  expected  to  come 
and  lend  their  aid  (who  at  first,  were  not  many),  and  they  went.  No 
"shirks"  were  there.  "Help  me  and  I  will  help  you,"  was  their  motto,  and 
the  rule  was  faithfully  practiced. 

On  the  "raising  day"  the  body  of  the  house  would  be  completed  and  the 
roof  put  on.  Cutting  out  the  door  and  window  holes,  and  the  opening  for 
the  fire-place,  putting  in  the  doors  and  windows,  building  the  fire-place  and 
chimney,  laying  the  puncheon  floors,  chinking  and  dauljing  ibe  cracks  lietween 
the  logs,  laying  the  loft,  etc.,  were  done  bA-  the  owner  at  his  pleasure  as  he  had 
opportunity.  Barns  and  outhouses  were  raised  from  time  to  time,  so  as  not 
to  tax  the  settlers  too  heavily. 

These  cabins,  though  not  elegant,  were,  when  properly  cor-.pl.eted,  solid 
and  substantial,  and  warm  to  boot;  and  many,  many  years  ot"  happy,  con- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  225 

tented,  prosperous  life  have  been  spent  within  their  lowly  walls.  And  many 
who  lived  all  their  youthful  years  in  such  a  humble  domicile  but  who  have 
since  become  able  to  abide  in  stately  mansions,  can  now  truthfully  declare 
that  their  happiest  days  were  spent  nevertheless  beneath  the  shelter  of  those 
mighty,  overshadowing  forest  trees,  under  the  lowly  roof  of  that  old-time 
log-cabin.     How  true  the  words  of  the  poet : 

"  'Tis  not  in  titles,  nor  in  rank, 
'Tis  not  in  wealth  like  London  bank. 
To  make  us  truly  blest." 

Note. — Many  of  the  early-built  cabins  had  no  windows  at  all.  The  door 
and  the  big,  open-mouthed  fire-place  were  the  only  avenues  for  light.  It  is 
within  the  knowledge  of  the  writer  of  this  sketch  that  families  who  emi- 
grated from  Carolina  to  Randolph  county  in  1847  had  never  seen  any  glass 
windows,  and  had  no  idea  what  they  were  for.  Some  houses  dwelt  in  in  1846 
had  no  windows. 

The  ideas  of  convenience  then  were  not  just  like  our  own.  In  about 
1850  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  said  of  a  certain  new  house 
that  she  occupied '(with  her  large  family),  "the  room  is  so  convenient  [the 
house  had  but  one  room]  we  can  set  up  six  beds  in  it." 

HOW    TO   BUILD   A   "CAMP" BY   JOSEPH    HAWKINS. 

"Have  a  big  log,  cut  notches  up  and  down  the  log  fourteen  feet  spart^, 
set  double  stakes  fourteen  feet  out  from  the  log,  cut  small  logs  six  to  eight 
inches  thick,  'scafe'  off  the  ends  so  as  to  fit  the  notches  in  the  log,  put  cne  end 
in  the  notch  and  the  other  between  the  stakes ;  in  the  notch  let  the  ends  touch, 
but  put  blocks  between  the  other  ends,  so  as  to  make  the  upper  one  slant 
enough  for  the  roof,  put  some  logs  atop  of  the  big  log  and  some  across  the 
front  above;  put  on  the  roof,  and  stuff  the  cracks  with  moss. 

Moss  was  plenty  on  the  old  logs,  as  thick  as  a  cushion  and  as  soft  as  a 
sheepskin;  you  could  tear  off  a  sheet  as  long  as  a  bed-quilt  if  you  wished. 
We  often  used  sheets  of  moss  for  blankets  to  ride  on  instead  of  a  saddle. 
The  front  of  the  camp  was  open  six  feet  high,  and  logs  Vv^ere  across  above. 
A  log  heap  fire  was  built  in  front  on  the  ground.  At  first  we  left  it  unpro- 
tected, but  the  smoke  would  sweep  into  the  camp  and  choke  us  so  that  we 
could  not  stay.     Then  we  took  puncheons  and  set  them  tipright  in  a  semi- 


226  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

circle  around  (outside  of)  the  fire,  leaving  passages  next  the  camp  to  go  in 
and  out  at.  This  mended  matters  greatly.  We  lived  in  this  camp  from 
March  until  November,  1829.  We  cleared  that  summer  nine  acres — ^five  for 
early  corn  and  four  for  late  corn,  potatoes,  turnips,  etc. 

The  men  had  built  three  camps  side  by  side  agajnst  the  same  log,  expect- 
ing to  have  three  families.  Only  two  came,  and  that  left  tvi^o  camps  for  us. 
There  were  eight  in  our  family,  and,  the  two  older  boys  fixed  a  bed  in  the 
extra  camp,  and  the  rest  of  us  slept  (in  three  beds)  in  our  own  proper  camp." 

HOUSES. 

The  houses  were  made  strong  in  this  way.  The  loft  was  constructed  of 
split  logs,  and  the  doors  of  split  timbers  three  or  four  inches  thick,  with 
battens  fastened  across  and  hung  on  strong  wooden  hinges,  having  also  a 
strong  wooden  bar  across  the  door  inside,  fastened  at  each  end  by  the  fork  of 
a  tree  put  into  the  door  casing  by  a  hole  bored  with  a  large  auger. 

To  break  into  such  a  house  as  that  would  be  by  no  means  easy,  yet  the 
dwellings  were  seldom  locked.  Such  a  thing  as  entering  a  house  unlawfully, 
was  well-nigh  unknown. 

FURNITURE. 

This  country  lies  far  interior,  away  from  all  water-courses,  those  old- 
time  channels  of  inter-communication.  Emigrants  could  reach  this  county 
only  by  a  long  and  tedious  stretch  of  wagon  road  and  forest  trail.  Hence, 
the  settlers  brought  with  them  commonly  only  the  most  necessary  things,  and 
especially  those  for  which  no  substitute  could  be  found  in  the  new  land; 
kettles,  ironware,  etc.,  must  be  brought,  since  nothing  could  be  found  in  the 
West  to  take  their  place.  Bedsteads,  chairs  and  tables  were  useful,  but  they 
were  also  heavy  and  bulky,  and  awkward  to  move,  and  substitutes  could  be 
found,  and  they  were,  in  many  cases,  left  behind.. 

Feather  beds,  bedding,  pewter  ware,  cooking  utensils,  etc.,  were  brought. 
But  for  bedsteads,  the  settlers  made  something- which  answered  the  purpose. 
T\^o  rails  with  one  end  inserted  in  the  side  and  end  logs  of  the  cabin,  meeting 
in  a  post  at  the  inner  corner  driven  into  the  ground,  with  clapboards  laid 
across  from  the  side  rail  to  a  strip  pinned  upon  the  log,  would  do  for  a  bed- 
stead. One  active  young  wife  made  one  for  herself  by  boring  holes  in  some 
poles  and  making  two  benches,  and  laying  eight  large,  thick  clap-boards  upon 
them,  and  lo !  she  had  a  bedstead ;  and  on  went  her  straw  bed,  all  the  bed  she 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  22/ 

had,  and  her  sheets  and  bed  quilts ;  and  she  was  never  prouder  of  anything  in 
her  life  than  she  was  of  her  bedstead  and  her  bed,  nice  and  good  and  brand 
new. 

Sometimes,  for  an  extra  nice  "fixing,"  men  would  split  out  pieces  from 
a  straight-grained  oak,  and  make  bed  rails,  and  prepare  other  pieces  for  the 
slats,  boring  auger  holes  in  the  side  rail  and  in,  the  side  house  log,  and  putting 
the  slats  in  these,  and  that  was  good  and  solid.  Four  high  posts  would  stand 
at  the  corners,  and  rods  or  wires  be  strung  from  top  to  top  of  the  four  posts, 
and  curtains  would  be  hung  on  the  rods;  and  who  could  wish  a  neater  cur- 
tained bed  than  that  ?  Often  two  of  these  would  be  made  for  a  single  cabin, 
one  in  each  farthest  corner ;  one  for  the  father  and  mother,  and  the  other  for 
company ;  and  the  children — why,  they  had  to  go  into  the  loft,  and  sleep  under 
the  rafters  to  the  music  of  the  rain  falling  on  the  roof,  or  of  the  snow  rattling 
on  the  clapboards.  And  that  was  a  jolly  place  to  sleep.  And  instead  of  chairs 
were  made  puncheon  stools,  and  puncheon  benches,  which  last  were  better 
than  chairs  or  stools  either,  since  half  a  dozen  urchi-ns  could  sit  upon  one. 
And  as  for  chairs  or  stools  at  the  table,  they  were  not  needed,  inasmuch  as  all 
the  half  grown  boys  and  girls  had  feet,  and  they  stood  up  at  the  table,  like 
folks  at  a  modern  Sunday-school  celebration  picnic  dinner;  and  almost  every 
article  of  convenience  that  settlers  had  they  made  for  themselves.  Door 
hinges  and  latches  were  made  of  wood,  and  a  string  sufificed  to  raise  the  latch ; 
and  to  pull  the  string  inside  was  better  than  a  lock,  because  no  false  key 
could  pick  the  lock  or  unbolt  the  door.  A  poking  stick  answered  for  tongs, 
and  some  stones  on  the  hearth  did  instead  of  andirons;  and,  as  for  stoves, 
those  articles  had  not  been  invented  yet,  or,  if  they  had,  it  wouia  cosi  so 
much  to  haul  the  bulky  things  of  the  sort  which  were  called  stoves  in  those 
days  into  these  western  wilds,  that  when  here,  the  cost  would  be  inore  than 
that  of  a  forty-acre  lot. 

FOOD,    COOKINGj    ETC. 

The  people  of  the  present  time  will  doubtless  be  glad  to  learn  how  the 
pioneers  managed  (not  merely  to  raise  or  earn,  but)  to  make  their  bread  in 
those  days  when  stoves  and  ranges,  and  all  the  modern  paraphernalia  of 
bakmg  and  cooking  were  not.  Bread  was  made  mostly  of  cornmeal,  and  m 
three  forms,  viz :  "Dodgers,"  "Pone,"  and  "Johnny  Cake."  To  the  people 
now  all  these  three  are  reckoned  as  one;  but  to  the  pioneer,  they  were  en- 
tirely distinct,  yet  all  excellent  of  their  kind,  and  either  or  all  good  enough 
to  make  "a  pretty  dish  to  set  before  the  king." 


228  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

"Dodgers"  were  made  of  meal  with  pure  water  and  a  little  salt,  mixed 
into  a  stiff  dough,  and  molded  with  the  hand  into  a  kind  of  oval  cake,  and 
baked  in  a  "bake-pan"  or  '"Dutch-oven,"  viz.,  a  round  iron  vessel  as  wide 
across  as  a  half-bushel,  or  less,  and  six  or  eight  inches  deep,  with  legs,  of 
course,  and  a  lid  with  a  raised  rim  to  hold  coals  on  the  top.  The  coals  were 
put  in  abundance  underneath  the  "oven,"  and  on  the  top  as  well;  and  when 
the  bread  was  done  there  came  out  the  "dodgers,"  as  moist,  as  sweet,  as  nice 
as  epicure  ever  saw. 

"Pone"  was  made  with  meal,  water  and  salt,  with  the  addition  of  milk 
or  cream  and  yeast,  thinner  than  dodgers,  and  was  bakecj  in  the  same  way. 

"Johnny  Cake"  was  made  with  lard  and  butter,  water  and  salt  of 
course,  and  baked  in  a  loaf  or  cake,  say  six  inches  wide  and  an  inch  thick, 
upon  a  board  perhaps  two  feet  long  set  up  before  the  fire.  When  one  side  was 
baked  enough  the  other  side  of  the  cake  was  turned  to  the  fire  till  it  was  done, 
and  then  you  would  have  perhaps  the  sweetest  and  best  corn  bread  ever  made. 
Besides  these  there  were  grated  corn,  pounded  hominy,  lye  huminy,  green 
corn  (roasting  ears),  etc.  Corn  has  been  well  said  to  be  the  poor  man's 
grain,  and  on  account,  among  other  things,  of  the  ease  with  which  it  can  be 
made  into  food,  the  variety  of  which  it  is  capable,  and  the  general  excellence 
of  the  different  kinds.  Lye  hominy  and  green  corn,  the  two  simplest  forms 
of  its  preparation,  are  at  the  same  time  well-nigh  the  best  and  most  delicious 
food  that  ever  passed  the  lips  of  man. 

After  wheat  had  been  raFsed,  of  course,  some  flour  was  used,  but  still  for 
a  long  time  corn  was  the  chief  source  of  bread.  The  mills  were  but  poor, 
many  of  the  first  for  grinding  wheat  having  only  hand  bolts,  and  the  flour 
would  be  none  of  the  best.  But  you  are  not  to  think  that  the  settlers  were 
destitute  of  meat.  On  the  contrary,  they  had  abundance,  and'  that  of  the 
best  and  rarest  kinds.  Deer,  turkeys,  pheasants  and  what  not  were  plenty; 
and  a  good  rifle  would  bring  some  of  them  down  at  almost  any  hour.  To 
shoot  turkeys  standing  in  his  cabin  door  was  no  uncommon  exploit  for  the 
pioneer ;  and  to  bring  down  on  an  average,  one  deer  a  day,  besides  a  full  day's 
work,  was  what  many  a  backwoods  man  succeeded  in  doing.  Almost  every 
settler  (and  settler's  son)  was  a  hunter  as  well,  and  those  who  did  not  care 
themselves  to  shoot  deer  could  readily  get  all  the  venison  they  wished  of  their 
sportsman  neighbors,  and  that  almost  for  a  song. 

Then  there  were  hogs,  at  first  or  very  soon  afterward.  There  were 
many  "wild  hogs,"  that  were  the  offspring  of  such  as  had  strayed  from  older 
settlements,  or  from  the  Indians,  some  of  whom  kept  swine.     These  hogs 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  229 

were  called  "elm-peelers,"  and  were  long-legged,  long-bodied,  long-headed, 
sharp-snouted,  with  short,  straight,  pointed  ears,  and  as  nimble  nearly  as  a 
wolf;  and,  when  very  wild,  more  savage  than  the  bears  themselves.  They 
would  make  but  a  poor  show  (except  as  a  curiosity)  at  one  of  our  modern 
fairs,  but  at  that  time  they  were  highly  valued,  even  above  the  fat,  un- 
wieldly,  helpless  things  called  improved  stock.  When  a  "Yankee  man"  was 
trying  to  sell  some  improved  breed  to  the  western  "hoosier"  (or  "sucker"  it 
may  be)  and  mentioned  as  an  advantage  that  they  could  not  run.  "Can't 
run?"  said  the  settler.  "No,"  said  the  Yankee.  "Don't  want  'em,"  replied 
the  "sucker."  "My  hogs  have  to  get  their  own  living  and  look  out  for  them- 
selves, and  I  would  not  give  a  snap  for  a  hog  that  can't  outrun  a  dog."  So 
"improved  stock"  was  then  and  there  at  a  discount. 

These  woods-hogs  would  get  fat  only  during  "mast  years,"  and  some- 
times the  herds  of  hogs  would  get  to  be  three  or  four  years  old  and  would 
become  thoroughly  wild  and  very  savage,  fleet  of  foot  and  almost  as  fierce 
as  a  tiger,  so  that  hunters  would  be  obliged  to  take  to  a  tree  to  get  beyond 
their  reach.  During  the  non-mast  years  these  troops  of  swine  would  subsist 
upon  roots,  etc.,  such  as  hickory  roots,  sweet  elm  roots,  slippery  elm  bark 
and  such  like.  There  was  no  hog-cholera  then.  Swine  even  now  peel  elm 
trees,  eating  the  bark  as  high  as  they  can  get  at  it,  and  in  such  cases  they 
seem  clear  of  cholera.  This  habit  of  eating  the  bark  from  elm  trees  is  what 
probably  gave  hogs  in  those  days  the  name  of  "elm-peelers."  When  fatted  on 
hickory  and  beech  mast  the  meat  was  very  sweet  but  oily,  and  would  not  make 
good  bacon.  Hunting  wild  hogs  was  grand  sport,  though  somewhat  danger- 
ous withal.. 

Stock,  especially  hogs,  ran  wild  in  the  woods  ^nd  each  man  had  his 
private  stock  mark.  This  mark  was  recorded  in  the  recorder's  office  and  be- 
came the  way  of  marking  one's  stock.  All  other  settlers  must  respect  this 
mark  under  penalty  of  the  law.  There  was  a  law  at  that  time  which  said  that 
if  any  one  should  mark  a  hog,  shoat  or  pig,  other  than  his  own  or  change  the 
mark  on  a  hog,  shoat  or  pig,  other  than  his  own,  he  should  be  fined  in  any 

sum  not  less  than  $ and  should  have  upon  his  or  her  bare  back  lashes 

not  to  exceed  thirty-three  in  number.  This  penalty  would  indicate  the  opin- 
ion of  the  importance  of  stock  protection  at  that  time.. 

The  first  stock  mark  recorded  in  the  county  was  by  Christopher  Baker. 
"This  day  Christopher  Baker  entered  his  stock  mark  as  follows,  towit:  A 
smooth  crop  in  the  left  ear  and  a  slit  in  the  same  and  an  under  bit  in  the  right 
ear. 

"May  31st,  1819.  "C.  Conway,  Clerk." 


230  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

Besides  pork,  as  above  described,  and  wild  game,  the  streams  abounded 
in  fish;  bass,  sahnon,  pike,  buffalo,  red  horse,  white  and  black  suckers,  silver 
sides,  catfish,  etc.,  were  plentiful  in  the  streams,  and  men  could  have  all  they 
pleased  to  catch.  Besides  bread  and  meat,  potatoes  were  soon  raised,  so  as  to 
furnish  a  full  supply ;  as  also  pumpkins,  squashes,  cabbages,  and  other  garden 
vegetables.  But  wheat,  for  several  years,  proved  nearly  a  failure,  so  that 
flour,  if  used,  had  to  be  brought  from  the  Miami  or  some  other  older  settle- 
ment; and  only  a  few  could  afford  to  take  the  trouble  to  get  it,  or  cared  to 
obtain  it  if  they  could. 

But  how  was  cooking  (other  than  baking  bread)  done?  This  way:  A 
stiff  bar  of  iron-wood  (or  of  iron  itself)  was  fastened  in  the  chimney  length- 
wise the  fire-place,  about  midway  from  front  to  rear,  and  perhaps  eight  feet 
high,  called  the  "lug-pole."  On  this  bar  were  suspended  several  hooks  of 
different  lengths,  made  of  small  iron  rods  (or  sometimes  of  wood).  These 
hooks  extended  far  enough  downward  so  that  the  pots  and  kettles  of  various 
sizes  would  hang  above  the  fire  and  close  enough  to  it  to  receive  the  needful 
amount  of  heat.    Thus,  boiling  of  all  kinds  was  done. 

For  roasting  (or  basting),  a  wooden  pin  was  fastened  over  the  fire- 
place, and  from  this  pin  the  turkey,  venison  saddle,  or  what  not,  was  hung  by 
a  string  or  a  wire  in  front  of  the  blazing  fire-place.  The  side  next  the  fire 
would  soon  be  cooked,  and,  by  turning  it  round  and  round,  the  whole  would 
be  done  "to  a  turn,"  the  gravy  dripping  out  into  a  dish  set  below  upon  the 
hearth.  Thus,  with  milk  and  butter  in  abundance  after  the  first  two  or  three 
years,  with  tree-sugar  and  molasses  in  profusion,  with  wild  berries  and 
plums,  etc.,  with  which  the  woods  abounded,  the  settlers,  after  they  once  got 
started,  had  no  lack.  In  fact,  many  things  of  which  they  had  a  plentiful 
supply,  would  now  be  reckoned  (if  they  could  be  obtained  at  all)  a  wonderful 
luxury. 

As  to  the  supply  of  game  and  the  readiness  with  which  it  could  be 
gotten,  it  may  be  stated  that  one  man  has  been  known  to  kill  nine  deer  in  a 
single  day,  another  has  killed  six.  These  are  of  course  extreme  cases,  yet  to 
kill  a  deer  or  two,  half  a  dozen  turkeys,  and  fifteen  or  twenty  pheasants  in  a 
day  was  nothing  uncommon  for  a  single  person. 

To  light  the  house,  no  gas  nor  kerosene,  nor  even  tallow  candles  were 
needed.  The  huge  fire-place  would,  for  an  ordinary  purpose,  give  light  enough. 
Some  had  a  kind  of  contrivance  consisting  of  a  sort  of  dish  or  bowl  with  a 
nose  or  spout  for  the  rag-wick  to  lie  in.  In  the  dish  was  melted  tallow  or 
lard,  and  the  wick  lay  with  one  end  in  the  melted  lard,  and  the  other  up  along 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  23 1 

the  spout.  This  lamp  would  hang  by  a  string  in  the  middle  of  the  room  and 
well  supplied  the  place  of  chandelier  or  astral.  Sometimes  a  still  simpler  ar- 
rangement was  employed,  a  broken  saucer  with  some  tallow  or  lard  in  it 
would  have  a  piece  of  rag'  laid  in  as  a  wick,  and  your  lamp  was  all  complete. 
And  for  outdoor  uses,  the  boys  used  to  light  themselves  and  their  company  to 
meetings  or  spelling  schools,  or  to  hunting  sprees  or  "hoe  down"  parties, 
with  torches,  consisting  of  a  handful  of  hickory  bark.  All  that  had  to  be 
done  was  to  peel  some  bark  as  you  went  along,  light  the  ends  in  the  fire-place 
when  about  to  start  for  home,  and  keep  it  whisking  about  as  you  went  on. 
The  more  wind  the  better,  though  wind  in  those  forest  paths  gave  little  trou- 
ble. A  group  of  torches  scattered  along  among  the  trees,  flaring  and  dancing 
and  flashing  as  they  were  waved  hither  and  thither  by  their  bearers,  pre- 
sented so  picturesque  a  sight  as  in  these  artificial  days  can  seldom  be  wit- 
nessed. A  good  torch-light  was  worth  half  a  dozen  lanterns  any  day  (or  any 
night  rather). 

CANDLES. 

Candles  were  made  by  taking  a  wooden  rod  ten  or  twelve  inches  long, 
wrapping  a  line  or  cotton  cloth  around  it,  and  covering  it  with  tallow 
pressed  around  the  stick  with  the  hand. 

Lamps  were  made  by  digging  the  inside  from  a  large  turnip,  sticking  up 
a  stick  in  the  center,  about  three  inches  long,  with  a  strip  of  cloth  around  the 
stick,  and  turning  melted  lard,  or  deer  s  tallow,  in  until  the  rind  was  full. 
Often  the  great  blazing  fire-place  gave  light  enough,  and  many  an  evening's 
work  has  been  done  with  no  other  means  of  vision. 

IMPLEMENTS. 

The  methods  and  means  of  work  were  simple  enough.  Trees  were 
girdled  and  felled  and  cut  into  lengths  with  the  ax.  In  fact  the  ax  was  to 
the  settler  the  tool  of  all  work.  Without  it  he  was  helpless.  With  it  he 
was  a  crowned  king.  With  an  ax  and  an  augur  and  aa  old  hand-saw  he 
could  make  well-nigh  anything.  Rail-splitting  was  done  with  maul  and  wedge. 
Moving  logs  was  done  with  a  lever,  or  hand-spike,  while  one  in  a  hundred  or 
a  thousand  would  boast  a  crow-bar.     Clapboards  were  split  out  with  a  frow. 

Puncheons  were  split  with  maul  and  wedge  and  shaped  and  smoothed 
with  the  ax,  or  with  a  large,  long  frow,  suited  to  the  purpose. 

Flax  was  threshed  by  whipping  the  bundles  on  a  barrel-head,  or  a  block 


232  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

set  endwise.  It  was  spread  and  rotted  and  dried  and  "broke,"  and  swingled 
(scutched),  and  hatcheled  (hackled),  the  tow  carded  and  the  flax  or  the  tow 
spun  and  reeled  and  spooled  or  quilled  and  warped  and  woven  and  colored 
and  made  up  into  garments. 

Grain  was  hand-reaped  or  cradled  and  threshed  with  a  flail  or  tramped, 
on  the  ground  with  horses  and  cleaned  with  a  sheet  or  a  basket  fan. 

Hauling  was  done  on  a  sled  made  out  of  "crooks"  split  from  a  tree-root. 
Plowing  was  done  with  a  bar-share  plow,  which  had  only  a  wooden  mold 
board.  Hoes  were  huge,  ungainly  things,  large  enough  to  cut  and  dig 
"grubs"  with. 

Men  traveled  mostly  on  foot,  or  on  horseback.  Many  a  man  went  on 
foot  to  Fort  Wayne  or  to  Cincinnati  to  enter  his  land.  One  man  entered 
three  different  forty-acre  tracts  and  went  on  foot  to  Cincinnati  for  the  pur- 
pose, several  times  except  that  one  of  the  trips  was  made  partly  on 
horseback.  Boys  sixteen  years  old  have  tied  up  their  money  in  a  rag  and 
gone  on  "Shank's  mares"  alone  through  the  woods  to  make  entry  of  land 
for  father  or  mother  or  possibly  for  themselves. 

Many  a  farm  was  tilled  for  years  with  a  single  horse,  or  even  an  ox. 
Not  seldom  a  poor  fellow's  only  horse  would  lie  down  and  die  and  leave 
him  in  a  "fix"  indeed.  However  people  were  accommodating  and  a  person 
could  get  help  from  his  neighbors  to  the  extent  of  their  ability.  Wagons 
were  very  scarce.  To  become  the  owner  of  a  wagon  was  an  event  to  reckon 
from  as  the  beginning  of  a  new  era.  One  early  settler  says  that  in  a  space 
of  two  miles  square,  where  resided  perhaps  thirty  families,  only  two  wagons 
were  to  be  found.  He  says  moreover,  that  the  neighbors  got  up  a  milling 
expedition,  taking  a  wagon  with  six  horses  and  twelve  bushels  of,  grain. 
The  horses  were  restive  and  wild  and  would  not  pull  together  and  the  wagon 
became  fast  in  the  mud  and  six  men  took  a  horse  and  a  sack  of  grain  apiece 
and  "put  out"  for  the  mill,  leaving  the  wagon  in  the  mud-hole  to  be  got  out 
at  some  other  time. 

Thus  our  ancestors  plodded  on;  slow  and  tedious  and  awkward- their 
methods  Avould  now  be  reckoned,  but  honest,  faithful,  industrious,  frugal, 
simple-hearted,  sincere,  hospitable  and  generous.  They  heroically  ac- 
complished the  herculean  tasks  appointed  to  their  lot  and  bore  patiently  and 
successfully  the  burdens  which  providence  laid  upon  their  shoulders.  Let 
their  posterity  beware  how  they  condemn  the  humble  condition  of  their  fore- 
fathers. Let  this  generation  look  back  to  those  old-time'  scenes  and  to  the 
worthy  actors  in  them,  not  with  a  feeling  of  shame  nor  a  sense  of  disgrace. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  233 

but  let  them  reckon  it  an  honor  to  have  sprung  from  a  line  of  ancestry  so 
noble,  so  excellent,  so  hardy  and  energetic,  so  worthy  of  sincere  respect,  nay, 
almost  of  reverence ;  and  let  them  see  to  it  that  in  methods  of  energetic  labor 
and  in  heroic  success  in  the  employment  of  larger  and  better  means  of  ac- 
complishment, they  prove  themselves  before  the  world  to  be  worthy  success- 
ors of  their  venerable  progenitors. 

CLOTHING.. 

]\lost  of  the  settlers  brought  with  them  into  the  wilderness  all  they  could 
afford  to  last  them  until  more  could  be  raised,  at  least  to  last  for  one  year, 
and  often  for  more  than  that.  After  a  corn  field  and  a  truck  patch  must 
come  a  flax  patch.  When  the  flax  became  ripe  it  was  pulled,  threshed, 
spread,  rotted,  gathered  up,  broken,  scutched,  hackled,  spun,  woven  and  put 
on  the  back  to  wear.  All  the  machinery  needed  for  this  work  was  a  flax- 
brake,  a  scutching-board,  a  hackle,  a  spinning-wheel,  a  quill-wheel  ana  wmd- 
ing  blades,  warping  bars  and  loom,  all  of  which  were  very  simple  and  inex- 
pensive and  most  of  them  could  be  made  in  the  vicinity  or,  even  at  home. 
And  all  the  work,  from  sowing  the  seed  to  taking  the  last  stitch  upon  the 
garment,  was  done  upon  the  premises  and  much  of  it  was  performed  as  easily 
by  the  lads  and  the  lassies  as  by  the  men  and  women  themselves.  Tht 
hackling  of  the  flax  produced  tow.  This  tow  was  carded  and  spun,  the  flax 
was  spun  into  "chain,"  and  the  tow  into  filling,  and  both  were  woven  into 
"tow  linen" ;  and  out  of  this  strong  and  not  unsightly  fabric  many  garments 
for  summer  wear  were  made,  dresses  for  females  being  colored  according  to 
the  taste  and  the  males  wearing  theirs  uncolored.  For  winter,  people  had 
sheep  and  took  the  wool,  carding  it  by  hand,  spinning  it  on  a  "big  wheel,"  and 
weaving  it  with  linen  or  cotton  warp  (or  chain)  into  "linsey-woolsey"  or 
"jeans."  The  "linsey"  was  worn  mostly  by  the  women  and  the  jeans  by  the 
men;  sometimes  the  fabric  was  colored  "butternut"  and  sometimes  blue. 

Cambrics,  muslins,  etc.,  were  scarce  and  costly  and  rarely  used.  For 
outer  garments  men  soon  began  to  use  deer-skins,  making  pantaloons  and 
"hunting  shirts."  The  latter  was  much  like  a  modern  sack  coat  and  a  very 
comfortable,  though  not  especially  handsome  garment  it  proved  itself.  At 
first  the  buckskin  was  obtained  ready  dressed,  of  the  Indians,  but  the  settlers 
soon  learned  to  prepare  it  themselves.  The  men  had  commenced  to  make 
and  sew  their  own  buckskin  garments,  the  work  being  too  hard  for  female 
fingers.     The  sewing  was  done  with  the  sinews  from  the  deer's  legs  or  with 


234  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA, 

a  "whang,"  i.  e.,  a  thong  or  string  cut  from  the  deer  hide,  a  shoemaker's  awl, 
and  a  very  large  needle.  These  buckskin  clothes  were  just  the  thing.  They 
were  within  the  reach  of  all,  costing  nothing  but  labor;  they  were  very 
durable  lasting  for  years ;  they  were  warm  and  as  to  looks,,  each  man  looked 
as  well  as  his  neighbor  and  what  more  is  needed  ?  And  they  were  an  almost 
perfect  protection.  The  sting  of  the  nettle,  the  scratch  of  the  briers  and  even 
the  bite  of  the  rattlesnakes  was  harmless.  The  cockle-burs  and  the  Spanish 
needles  would  not  stick  to  them ;  they  kept  out  the  cold  "like  a  charm,"  and, 
moreover,  when  properly  dressed  and  neatly  made,  they  presented  by  na 
means  an  unsightly  appearance. 

The  garments  were  commonly  made  and  worn  large  and  free,  which  of 
course  greatly  added  to  their  comfort  and  convenience.  Sometimes,  how- 
ever, in  standing  near  the  fire  a  man  would  get  his  "breeches"  hot  and  an- 
other in  mischief  would  clap  the  hot  buckskin  to  the  flesh  and  the  luckless 
wearer  would  jump  with  a  yell  and  a  bound  clear  across  the  room  as  though 
the  great  log  fire  was  tumbling  on  him.  Sometimes  too  they  would  get  wet 
and  if  allowed  to  dry,  the  skin  would  become  very  hard  and  stiff  and  could 
not  be  used  again  till  it  had  been  softened  by  dampening  and  rubbing. 

The  Indians  made  moccasins  and  the  settlers  bought  and  wore  them, 
being  excellent  for  dry  weather,  winter  or  summer,  but  not  for  wet.  For 
the  wet  season  strong  leather  shoes  were  used,  though  many,  especially  the 
younger  class,  went  much  barefooted. 

Upon  the  head  the  men  wore  in  the  winter  chiefly  a  strong  well-made, 
low  crowned,  broad-brimmed  wool  hat,  somewhat  like  that  which  the  older 
Quakers  now  wear.  Sometimes  a  warm  head-gear  was  made  from  a  coon- 
skin.  It  was  comfortable  but  looked  wolfish.  In  summer  home-made  hats, 
braided  from  whole  rye-straw  grown  for  that  purpose  were  in  extensive  use. 

Women  also  made  their  bonnets  out  of  straw,  only  each  particular  straw 
was  split  into  five  or  six  nieces  by  a  "splitting  machine." 

This  machine  may  be  thus  described :  Narrow  strips  of  tin  were  firmly 
set  in  a  piece  of  wood  an  inch  square  and  six  inches  long.  The  straw  was 
spread  open  and  drawn  through  these  tin  "teeth"  and  made  into  strips  of 
equal  width.  Five  of  these  strips  (sometimes  seven)  were  plaited  into  a 
braid,  and  the  braid  made  long  enough  for  a  whole  bonnet.  The  braid  was 
ironed  smooth  (having  been  bleached  if  thought  necessary),  and  nicely 
sewed  into  bonnets ;  and  they  looked  equal  in  neatness  (not  to  say  taste)  to- 
the  fashions  of  the  present  day. 

Sun-bonnets  were  made  much  as  at  the  present  day,  of  calico,  and  paste- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  235 

board.  The  great  object  of  a  bonnet  was  at  that  time  supposed  to  be  to  pro- 
tect the  face,  head  and  neck  from  the  sun,  and  the  wind  and  the  cold;  and 
they  were  made  accordingly.  What  a  bonnet  is  for  now  is  best  known,  per- 
haps, to  the  wearers ;  or,  if  they  do  not,  how  should  anybody  else  be  expected 
to  know  ? 

The  fashions  of  that  primitive  time,  doubtless,  would  seem  awkward 
and  uncouth  at  the  present  day;  but  the  clothing  answered  the  prime  ends 
for  which  clothing  is  worn,  decency  and  comfort,  even  better  perhaps  than 
the  garments  of  the  present  day.  And  as  to  looks,  folks  were  better  satisfied 
with  what  they  had  then  than  people  are  now;  and,  if  they  were  suited  who 
"had  them  to  wear  and  to  look  at,  surely  we  who  are  so  far  removed  by  two 
generations  of  time  have  no  occasion  to  complain. 

It  can  be  trvily  affirmed  that  underneath  those  coats  and  hunting  shirts, 
uncouth  in  looks  and  awkward  in  fit,  dwelt  souls  brave  and  generous  and 
hearts  tender  and  kind,  loyal,  affectionate  and  true.  God  grant  that  the  same 
may  ever  be  truly  declared  of  their  children  and  their  children's  children 
while  the  ages  roll.  Fashions  may  come  and  fashions  may  go,  but  what 
matter,  so  the  deep  fountain  of  love  and  truth  and  faithfulness  in  the  human 
soul  remains  pure,  untarnished  and  perennial. 

TRADING. 

Money  was  scarce,  little  indeed,  was  needed,  for,  as  has  been  shown, 
almost  every  necessity  and  luxury  was  produced  at  home.  Some  money, 
however,  was  necessary,  chiefly  to  pay  taxes  and  to  buy  iron  and  salt,  powder 
and  lead.  Taxes  indeed  for  many  years  were  low.  The  first  county  tax 
levied  in  Randolph  was  "twenty-five  cents  upon  each  horse-beast."  The  first 
settlement  of  the  treasurer  showed  as  follows : 

In  May,  1819 — 

Receipts $20.00 

Expenditures 20.00 

Balance   00.00 

In  November,  $260.00  were  the  receipts  and  $259.75  the  disbursements. 
In  1820  the  county  treasury  boasted  of  $462.63,  $309.63  of  which  were 
realized  from  the  sale  of  lots,  and  $1  from  a  fine,  leaving  $152.00  as  the  avails 
of  county  taxation  in  a  single  county  for  a  whole  year.  And  up  to  1829  the 
annual  county  taxes  still  fell  short  of  $900.00.     So  "taxes"  required  but  a 


236  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

small  amount  of  the  "needful."  But  iron  and  .salt  and  powder  and  lead  were 
indispensable  and  heavy  and  costly.  They  took  money  and  abundance  of  it, 
or  its  equivalent. 

As  a  specimen  of  the  costliness  of  articles  in  those  times,  the  statement 
is  made  that  Benjamin  Bond,  who  came  to  Wayne  county  in  181 1,  gave  for 
nails  twenty-five  cents  a  pound  and  paid  for  them  in  cordwood  cut  upon  his 
land  just  west  of  New  Garden  meeting-house  in  Wayne  county  at  twenty-five 
cents  a  cord  upon  the  ground,  a  cord  of  wood  for  a  pound  of  nails ! 

Once  in  western  Pennsylvania  in  the  long,  long  ago,  a  horse  was  given 
for  a  barrel  of  salt,  and  at  another  time  (in  this  region)  eighteen  dollars  was 
given  for  a  bushel.  Money  could  be  obtained,  indeed,  though  not  largely.  * 
Deer  skins  would  bring  fifty  cents ;  raccoon  skins,  thirty-seven  and  a  half 
cents  and  muskrats,  twenty-five  cents.  The  fur  buyer  when  he  came  his 
annual  round  would  pay  cash,  but  the  merchants  paid  only  in  trade.  If  the 
settler  would  wait  for  the  fur  buyer,  he  could  have  the  cash,  if  not,  he  must 
"dicker"  it  out  and  let  the  merchant  finger  the  cash  himself. 

Deer  must  be  killed  from  May  till  November  and  raccoons  and  muskrats 
from  December  till  April.  So  the  hunter  had  his  harvest  all  the  year  round, 
only,  if  he  wanted  money,  he  must  store  up  till  the  fur-dealer  came.  But 
necessaries  could  be  gotten  at  any  time.  And  these  were  comparatively  few, 
though  somewhat  expensive.  A  side  of  sole  leather  and  of  upper  leather,  a 
barrel  of  salt,  powder  and  shot  for  himting,  some  fish  hooks  and  perhaps  an 
ax  would  suffice  for  a  whole  year.  For  land  buying  some  money  was  re- 
quired of  course  and  after  the  "specie-circular"  in  the  spring  of  1837,  only 
silver  (for  gold  was  not  then  in  circulation,  being  before  the  days  of  Cali- 
fornia, dear,  and  of  course  scarce,  or  more  properly  speaking,  not  in  ordinary 
use  as  money  at  all)  was  available  and  hard  work  indeed  it  often  was  to  ob- 
tain the  needful. 

One  (now  old)  man  tells  of  the  strait  he  was  put  to  at  the  time  when 
that  famous  "specie  circular"  came  in  force.  He  was  a  lad  of  eighteen 
years.  Having  had  his  eye  for  a  long  time  upon  a  fine  sugar  camp  near  his 
father's  dwelling  but  without  money  enough  for  his  purpose,  he  heard  that 
another  man  intended  to  "enter"  the  tract.  Hurrying  to  gather  up  funds 
for  that  and  for  some  more  land  desired  by  his  father,  he  set  out  on  foot 
and  alone,  carrying  his  money  tied  in  a  knot  in  his  pocket  handkerchief  most 
of  the  way  in  his  hand,  bound  for  the  land  office  at  Fort  Wayne.  The 
money  was  largely  in  paper  and  in  just  three  days  the  "specie  circular"  was  to 
come  in  force.     He  hoped  to  reach  Fort  Wayne  by  that  time  and  struggled 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  237 

on.  But  he  could  not  "make  it."  The  third  night  found  him  kt  St.  Mary's, 
a  few  miles  short.  The  next  day  he  entered  the  land  office,  not  knowing 
what  he  could  do,  fearing  the  worst  yet  hoping  the  best.  The  receiver  hap- 
pened to  be  an  acquaintance  of  his  father's  and  agreed  to  take  his  "paper 
money."  And  so  he  made  his  point  and  got  his  land.  And  then  afoot  and 
alone  he  wended  his  way  homeward  again  without  money  only  as  he  bor- 
rowed two  dollars  of  his  friend,  the  receiver,  but  happy  in  possession  of  the 
certificate  which  would  in  due  time  bring  for  him  a  patent  under  the  "Broad 
Seal"  of  the  United  States  of  America.  The  reason  why  he  was  found  thus 
with  no  money  to  go  home  on  was  this :  He  supposed  that  the  tract  of  land 
he  wished  to  enter  was  an  "80  acre"  piece.  It  was  84,  which  would  take 
exactly  $5.00  extra,  so  the  question  came  up,  "Will  you  take  all  your  money 
and  get  your  land  or  will  you  save  your  money  and  not  purchase?"  He. had 
come  too  far  to  go  back  with  his  object  all  unaccomplished,  and  the  young 
hero  decided  that  he  would  have  the  land  and  get  home  as  he  could.  And 
have  it  he  did  and  under  the  generous  offer  of  his  friend,  the  receiver,  he 
accepted  the  loan  of  two  dollars  to  pay  his  expenses  homeward.  It  is  a 
pleasant  thing  to  note  that,  though  this  boy  (and  his  father)  were  ardent 
Whigs  of  that  olden  time  and  the  receiver  was  a  Van  Buren  Democrat,  he 
befriended  the  boy  nevertheless  like  the  frank  and  genial  man  that  he  was. 

AMUSEMENTS. 

Wherever  there  are  human  beings  there  will  be  amusements.  Thousands 
of  years  ago  a  prophet  foretold  that  Jerusalem  should  be  rebuilt  and  that  the 
streets  "should  be  full  of  boys  and  girls  playing  in  the  midst  thereof." 
Wherever  there  are  boys  and  girls  there  will  be  playing  and  men  and  women 
are  only  grown-up  children.  The  sports  of  the  settlers  were  generally  of  the 
more  active  kind  as  jumping,  wrestling,  running  races,  with  frequently  a 
"hoe-down"  at  an  evening  merry-making,  after  a  raising  or  a  log-rolling, 
or  a  spinning  bee  or  some  other  gathering  for  work  and  assistance. 

An  invitation  would  be  given  to  the  men  and  boys  to  come  and  help 
roll  logs  or  to  raise  a  building  or  something  like  that,  and  to  the  women  to 
come  and  bring  their  spinning  wheels.  Both  classes  would  go.  The  men 
would  roll  logs  or  what  not  and  the  women  would  spin.  At  nightfall  supper 
would  be  served  and  then  for  a  frolic  by  such  as  pleased  to  take  part  in  it, 
which  would  doubtless  be  fast  and  furious,  since  those  who  participated  were 
stalwart  lads  and  buxom  lasses  and  in  sober  truth  "all  went  merry  as  a  mar- 


238  RANDOLPH,  COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

riage  bell."  And  not  seldom  the  women  would  carry  their  spinning  wheels 
as  they  went  and  returned  on  foot. 

Applecuttings,  husking-bees  and  spelling  schools  were  also  favorite  past- 
times.  Applebutter  was  one  of  the  staples  of  life  and  when  the  apples  were 
ground  and  cider  made  young  people  would  be  invited  to  help  "peel  apples" 
and  help  prepare  for  the  "picnic."  The  young  people  would  gather  from 
miles  around  and  enjoy  the  evening"  as  only  young  people  ip  the  bloom  of 
life  could  enjoy  themselves.  After  me  work  was  done,  the  "hoe-down"  or 
some  other  amusement,  was  indulged  in  until  a  late  hour,  when  all  would 
go  home  to  meet  at  another  place  perhaps  the  next  evening. 

Corn  was  snapped,  that  is,  pulled  from  the  stalk,  husks  and  all,  and 
hauled  to  the  barn  to  be  husked  later  on.  Neighbors  would  be  invited  to  the 
husking-bees  and  all  would  have  a  time  of  merriment  while  performing  this 
work.     Fortunate  indeed  was  the  man  who  husked  the  red  ear. 

There  have  been  indeed  more  harmful  sports  than  these  backwoods-balls, 
especially  if  they  were  kept  free  from  the  mischievous  presence  of  and  dis- 
turbing power  of  intoxicating  drinks  (which  was  not  always  the  case),  since 
they  were  for  the  most  part  simply  lively  methods  of  working  off  a  super- 
abundance of  animal  spirits,  which  mere  hard  work  outdoors  or  indoors 
could  not  subdue. 

Then  for  the  boys  hunting  served  the  purpose  both  of  hard  work  and 
high  sport  as  well  for  to  chase  the  bounding  deer  through  the  leafy  woods 
or  to  wait  and  watch  for  his  forest  lordship  as  his  kingly  horns  would  come 
tossing  proudly  among  the  waving  boughs  and  to  bring  his  active  form  to  the 
earth  with  the  unerring  shot  of  the  faithful  rifle  amid  the  wild  baying  of.  the 
eager  hounds  as  they  gathered  to  be  "in  at  the  death," — these  wild  and  fiery 
hunts  were  for  these  rollicking  boys  the  keenest  of  sports.  And  thus  it  was — 

"Mid  earnest  work  and  furious  play 
The  youngsters  passed  their  lives  away." 

The  spelling  school  was  the  great  event  of  winter  evenings.  Spelling 
was  indulged  in  by  old  and  young  and  unfortunate  indeed  was  the  man  who 
could  not  spell  in  these  contests.  Sometimes  it  was  class  against  class,  but 
more  often  one  school  against  another.  The  interest  taken  in  these  spelling 
matches  was  very  intense  and  the  little  old  school  house  would  be  crowded 
to  suffocation.     If  the  contest  was  one  school  against  another  the  members 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  239 

of  each  school  would  line  themselves  on  opposite  sides  of  the  room.  If  it 
were  not  a  contest  between  any  particular  communities,  the  leaders  would  be 
selected  and  these  would  choose  alternately  of  all  the  people  present;  these 
would  line  up  on  either  side  of  the  house  and  the  contest  would  begin. 

The  master  or  the  squire  or  perhaps  the  minister,  at  least  some  one  of 
influence,  would  pronounce  words  first  to  one  side  then  to  the  other;  if  a 
word  was  misspelled  it  went  to  the  opposite  side  and  so  on  until  spelled 
correctly.  All  those  having  missed  it  would  be  retired.  And  so  the  contests 
would  continue  until  but  one  would  remain  on  the  floor.  The  master  would 
frequently  pronounce  word  after  word  and  page  after  page  and  sometimes 
the  entire  spelling  book  before  all  the  spellers  would  be  "down."  Under  con- 
ditions of  that  kind  a  special  list  of  words  would  be  given,  or  perchance  the 
dictionary  would  be  resorted  to.  Spellers  were  so  well  acquainted  with  the 
books  of  the  time  that  frequently  they  could  spell  page  after  page  without 
the  word  even  being  pronounced. 

The  writer  knows  of  two  men  who  at  one  time  spelled  "McGuffy's" 
entire  book  without  having  a  word  pronounced.  This  seems  an  exaggerated 
story  but  many  a  man  knows  it  is  true,  having  heard  it  done. 

The  spelling  school  over,  the  young  lads  would  line  themselves  up  at 
the  door  ready  to  ask  to  see  her  home,  fearful  of  getting  "the  mitten"  and 
receiving  the  jeers  of  his  companions.  But  more  usually  it  was  the  case  of 
"the  longest  way  home  is  the  nearest  and  best." 

Visiting  was  indulged  in  a  great  deal  of  Sundays  and  evenings.  There 
being  no  newspapers,  the  only  method  of  communication  was  by  meeting 
either  at  the  church  or  school  house  or  in  the  home.  After  the  supper  work 
was  done,  the  husband  would  hitch  the  team  to  the  sled  and  all  would  go 
over  to  neighbor  Browns  to  spend  the  evening..  Neighbor  Brown  and  family 
were  always  glad  to  see  them  and  a  pleasant  evening  was  enjoyed.  Innocent 
games  were  indulged  in  by  the  younger  people  while  the  elders  exchanged 
ideas  of  a  more  serious  nature.  The  mother  would  take  her  knitting  and 
spend  an  evening  of  usefulness  as  well  as  pleasure.  The  party  would  soon 
be  divided,  mutually,  into  groups. 

"Soon  was  the  game  begun.     In  friendly  contention  the  old  men 
Laughed  at  each  lucky  hit,  or  unsuccessful  manoeuvre, 
Laughed  when  a  man  was  crowned,  or  a  breach  was  made  in  the 
king-row." 


240  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

For  the  children : 

"Between  the  andiron's  spraddling  feet. 
The  mug  of  cider  simmered  slow, 
The  apples  sputtered  in  a  row, 
And,  close  at  hand,  the  basket  stood 
With  nuts  from  brown  October's  wood." 


They 


"sped  the  time  with  stories  old. 
Wrought  puzzles  out  and  riddles  told." 


While,  perchance  with  the  young  folk : 

"Meanwhile  apart,  in  the  twilight  gloom  of  a  window's  embrasure. 
Sat  the  lovers  and  whispered  together,  beholding  the  moon  rise." 

The  evening  was  soon  past  and  only  too  soon  was  it  necessary  to  make 
the  return  trip.  Happy  indeed  were  the  people  of  those  times,  because  they 
sought  for  real  pleasure  and  found  it  at  their  own  command. 

RELIGION. 

But  not  all  even  of  the  young  spent  their  leisure  hours  in  sport.  For 
many,  very  many  the  religious  exercises  of  those  earliest  days  of  primitive 
simplicity  were  more  satisfying  as  they  were  certainly  more  profitable  than 
any  form  of  mere  worldly  pleasure  could  possibly  be.  Great  numbers  of  the 
first  settlers  of  Randolph  were  men  and  women  of  a  strong  and  earnest  re- 
ligious faith  and  of  a  hearty,  loving  spirit,  fearing  God  and  delighting  to  do 
good  to  men. 

The  earliest  religious  meetings  were  probably  of  the  Friends  or  the 
Methodists,  possibly  the  former,  though  which  ever  may  have  been  first,  the 
other  was  not  far  behind. 

Perhaps  the  earliest  houses  of  worship  through  the  county  were  built 
by  the  Friends,  the  one  at  Arba  being  the  first,  those  at  Lynn,  Jericho,  White 
River,  Dunkirk,  Cherry  Grove  and  perhaps  some  others,  following  not  long 
after  in  point  of  time.  The  Methodist  meetings  were  held  mostly  at  first  in 
private  houses,  as  Mr.  Bowen's  in  Greensfork  near  Arba;  Mr.  McKim's  at 
Spartanburg;  Mr.  Marshall's  in  Ward  township;  Mr.  Hubbard's  and  Mr. 
Godwin's  in  Green  town.ship  and  so  on.  Other  denominations  also  gathered 
congregations  in  various  parts,  as :     The  Disciples,  the  United  Brethren,  the 


RANDOI.PH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  24I 

Christians,  the  Protestant  Methodists,  the  Baptists,  the  Presbyterians  and  in 
latter  days  the  Anti-Slavery  Friends,  the  Wesleyans,  as  also  the  African 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  perhaps  others. 

Some  of  the  Methodist  churches  were  built  very  early  as  the  chapel  west 
of  Deerfield,  the  Prospect  meeting  house  east  of  Deerfield,  Macksville,  etc. 

In  early  times  many  protracted  meetings  were  held  and  several  camp- 
meetings  at  some  of  which  remarkable  seasons  of  religious  awakening  were 
witnessed  and  many  souls  were  brought  to  repentance  and  forgiveness. 
Many  preachers  too  have  been  prominent  and  successful  in  their  labors  for 
Christ.  Protracted  meetings  are  still  employed  (in  addition  to  regular  Sab- 
bath and  other  stated  work),  as  a  powerful  and  efficient  means  for  the  spread 
of  religious  knowledge  and  the  impression  of  the  public  mind  with  religious 
truth.  Camp-meetings  are  also  (though  more  rarely)  held,  since  the  altered 
condition  of  society  renders  them  less  a  matter  of  necessity  or  convenience 
than  formerly.  Almost  every  neighborhood  now  has  commodious  churches, 
large  enough  to  hold  the  congregations  who  desire  to  gather  for  Divine 
worship.  There  are  indeed  in  various  places  in  the  county  groves  which  have 
been  furnished  with  seats,  etc.,  for  the  convenience  of  meetings;  and,  during 
the  pleasant  Sabbaths  of  summer  out-door  meetings  are  occasionally  held  in 
them.  But  immense  crowds  now  are  rarely  seen  except  upon  very  unusual 
occasions. 

In  the  simple-heartedness  of  those  early  times  the  people  are  thought, 
by  the  aged  veterans  who  can  remember  what  took  place  forty,  fifty  or  sixty 
years  ago  to  have  been  more  warm-hearted  and  whole-souled  in  their  re- 
ligious feelings  and  convictions  than  they  are  to-day.  However  that  may  be, 
religion,  to  those  who  then  professed  it  was  a  serious  business  and  they  made 
thorough  work  of  it.  Women  would  take  a  babe  in  their  arms  and  the  hus- 
band a  three-year-old  child  in  his,  while  together  they  would  go  cheerfully 
on  foot  for  miles  to  the  place  appointed  for  divine  service.  The  daughter 
of  the  first  settler  of  the  county  stated  that  she  often  when  a  "girl  in  her 
teens,"  walked  from  near  Arba  to  Newport  to  Friends'  meetings  (at  least 
six  miles),  and  was  not  aware  of  having  done  anything  worthy  of  especial 
mention.  A  young  Friend  at  Cherry  Grove  would  rise  at  3  a.  m.  and  work 
several  hours  in  his  field  and  then  ride  on  horseback  sixteen  miles  to  week- 
day Friends'  meeting.  Children,  ten,  twelve,  even  sixteen  years  of  age  would 
go  "barefoot"  to  church  and  young  women  and  mothers  would  carry  their 
shoes  tmtil  near  the  church,  when  they  would  put  them  on  and  wear  them 
(16) 


242  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

until  a  short  distance  on  their  return,  at  which  time  they  would  take  them  off 
and  go  "barefoot"  home.  A  Methodist  circuit  rider  would  go  his  round 
once  a  month,  riding  frequently  hundreds  of  miles  during  the  time  and  hav- 
ing an  appointment  every  day  and  not  seldom  one  at  night  besides.  The 
preacher  honored  his  calling  then  and  to  be  a  Methodist  circuit  rider  meant 
to  go  to  work  at  preaching  and  to  have  plenty  of  it  to  do ;  and  to  their  honor 
it  should  be  said  that  as  a  rule  they  performed  a  great  amount  of  ministerial 
labor,  and  that,  according  to  the  full  measure  of  their  ability,  they  served  the 
gracious  Lord  in  His  vineyard  in  their  appointed  lot.  And  those  old-time 
ministers  of  Christ  have,  one  by  one,  lain  down  to  their  final  rest  and  their 
souls  have  gone  home  to  receive  the  gracious  welcome,  "Well  done,  good  and 
faithful  servant,  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 

And  true  it  is  that  the  simple-hearted  worship  offered  and  the  instruction 
given  in  those  rude  and  uncouth  cabins  was  to  the  full  as  acceptable  to  the 
Great  Father  of  all  our  mercies  as  is  any  now-a-days  to  be  met  within  the 
grand  and  magnificent  piles  of  brick  and  stone  that  pass  for  houses  of 
worship  in  these  later  days.  Linsey  woolsey  home-  spun  and  deer-skin  hunt- 
ing shirts,  calico  sun  bonnets  and  coon-skin  head-gear  were  as  pleasing  to 
the  eye  of  the  Omniscient  as  can  any  rich  and  costly  methods  and  fashions  be 
which  the  descendants  of  that  honest,  sturdy,  faithful  race  of  sterling  men 
and  loving  women  feel  themselves  called  upon  now  to  indulge  or  to  practice. 

It  is  indeed  a  comfort  to  the  pure  and  humble  soul,  in  all  ages  and  places, 
to  know  and  feel  the  blessed  truth,  that  while  "man  looketh  upon  the  outward 
appearance,  God  looketh  on  the  heart" ;  that  the  Good  Shepherd  knoweth  His 
sheep  and  leadeth  them  in  peace  into  the  green  pastures  of  His  love. 

It  is  an  interesting  reminiscence  of  those  pioneer  days  that  as  late  as 
1840  this  veteran  mail  carrier  for  nearly  thirty  years  on  the  route  north  from 
Winchester  used  to  take,  on  a  horse  led  by  his  side,  a  heavy  sack  of  silver 
money,  sometimes  to  the  amount  of  five  thousand  dollars  to  six  thousand 
dollars  at  a  time  for  payment  at  the  Ft.  Waj'ne  land  office  for  land  entries 
at  that  point.  He  would  camp  out  one  night  as  he  went,  yet  he  was  never 
molested  and  to  the  honor  of  the  veteran  who  did  this  no  man  ever  lost  a 
cent  by  unfaithfulness  of  his.  Night  and  day,  summer  and  winter,  through 
mud,  snow  and  rain,  whether  sweltering  in  a  July  sun  or  shivering  in  a 
December  snow  storm,  swimming  the  swollen  streams  faithfully  and  untir- 
ingly, heroically  did  that  conservitor  of  the  United  States  mail  press  onward 
from  south  to  north  and  from  north  to  south  alternately,  growing  old  but  not 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  243 

rich  in  his  countrys  service  and  only  leaving  that  department  of  work  to  enlist 
in  the  army  at  the  commencement  of  the  war  of  1861. 

One  of  his  stopping  places  was  at  the  residence  of  Edmund  Edger  in 
Deerfield.  Mr.  Connor  would  usually  get  to  Mr.  Edger's  about  dark  and 
would  take  the  money  from  the  sack  and  put  it  under  the  house  through  a  trap 
door.  This  trap  door  was  in  the  floor  and  covered  by  a  rag  carpet.  Mr. 
Connor  or  Mr.  Edger  never  felt  any  uneasiness  about  the  money  being  dis- 
turbed. 

This  not  only  indicates  the  honesty  and  faithfulness  of  such  men  as 
these  but  indicates  the  honesty  of  all  the  people  among  whom  Mr.  Connor 
had  to  stop  or  travel. 

May  the  day  be  long  deferred  when  such  integrity,  though  found  arriong 
the  poor  and  lowly  shall  fail  to  receive  its  due  honor  in  the  hearty  esteem  of 
the  public  in  whose  behalf  such  untiring  faithfulness  has  been  done. 

All  honor  to  him  through  many  long  years  of  weariness  and  privations 
and  toil  faltered  not  in  the  path  of  public  duty,  heroically  performing  what 
was  then  so  indispensable  to  the  public  welfare  and  for  accomplishing  which 
needed  result  no  better  and  easier  method  had  then  been  discovered. 

The  writer  of  this  article  was  searching  in  the  basement  of  the  court 

house  a  few  months  ago,  and  among  other  old  books,  found  a  day  book  that 

had  belonged  to  E.  B.  Goodrich  who  had  come  to  this  country  in  1831.     Mr. 

'  Goodrich  had  written  a  letter  in  this  old  book  and  evidently  had  forgotten  to 

tear  it  out  and  mail  it. 

This  reflects  the  experience  and  attitude  of  the  early  settlers  so  well 
that  we  shall  quote  it  here : 

"We  arrived  at  our  present  place  on  White  River,  Randolph  county, 

Indiana,  on  the day  of ,  after  a  long  and  tedious 

journey.  We  arrived  here  without  any  lives  being  lost  or  limbs  broken  and 
that  is  all  we  can  say.  If  I  was  to  tell  you  of  the  many  difficulties  we  had  t  > 
encounter  in  moving  here,  extreme  cold  weather,  dangerous  roads,  in  conse- 
quence of  ice  you  would  hardly  believe  me  and  therefore  I  shall  say  nothing 
about  it.  We  are  all  in  good  health  and  spirits  and  are  well  pleased  with  the 
country  as  far  as  we  have  as  yet  seen." 

This  letter  shows  the  spirit  of  thousands  and  thousands  of  the  pioneers 
and  all  honor  to  the  men  and  women  who  were  willing  to  brave  the  dangers 
and  hardships  to  make  this  country  what  it  is. 

Of  the  character  of  these  first  pioneers,  no  better  portrayal  can  be  made 


244  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

than  in  the  eloquent  tribute  of  Rev.  Jenkin  Lloyd  Jones  to  the  father  of 
Abraham  Lincoln. 

"Only  he  who  knows  what  it  means  to  hew  a  hom^  out  of  the  forest; 
of  what  is  involved  in  the  task  of  replacing  mighty  trees  with  corn ;  only  he 
who  has  watched  the  log  house  rising  in  the  clearing  and  has  witnessed  the 
devotedness  that  gathers  around  the  old  log  school  house  and  the  pathos  of  a 
grave  in  the  wilderness  can  und.erstand  how  sobriety,  decency,  aye,  devout- 
ness,  beauty  and  power  belong  to  the  story  of  those  who  began  the  mighty 
continent.  In  pleading  for  a  more  just  estimate  of  Thomas  Lincoln,  I  do 
but  plead  for  a  higher  appreciation  of  that  stalwart  race  who  pre-empted  the 
Mississippi  Valley  to  civilization,  who  planted  the  seed  that  has  since  growjj 
school  houses  and  churches  unnumerable.  They  were  men  not  only  of  great 
hearts,  but  of  great  heads,  aye,  women,  too,  with  laughing  eyes,  willing  hands 
and  humble  spirits." 

REMINISCENCES. 

Much  of  the  following  chapter  on  the  Reminiscences  of  the  Earliest 
Settlers,  are  the  reminiscences  actually  taken  from  what  is  known  as  the 
Tucker  history  and  tq  which  we  are  indebted.  These  reminiscences  were 
taken  first  hand  by  Mr.  Tucker  and  as  these  pioneers  have  long  since  gone  to 
their  reward,  the  utterances  will  be  all  the  more  valuable.  Their  experiences, 
joys,  pleasures,  hardships  and  privations  could  only  be  known  to  them,  and 
can  only  be  appreciated  when  read  in  their  own  language,  for  they  were  in- 
deed the  only  ones  who  could  properly  interpret  the  drama  of  their'  life.  It 
is  not  attempted  to  give  these  in  chronological  order  but  rather  as  an  ex- 
pression of  experiences  as  they  came  to  the  minds  of  those  to  whom  we  are 
under  such  a  great  obligation.  In  this  country  with  our  modern  homes  with 
all  their  conveniences,  with  well-improved  farms  and  conveniences  made  pos- 
sible by  modern  machinery  and  devices,  with  rapid  transportation  on  high- 
way and  rail,  with  the  present  methods  of  communications  by  letter  or  by 
wire,  it  is  utterly  impossible  for  us  to  know  the  hardships  and  privations 
undergone  by  them.  Their  story  is  the  story  common  in  the. great  middle 
west.  The  experiences  given  here  by  a  few  only,  reflect  the  experiences  of 
thousands  upon  thousands  of  the  early  settlers  and  pioneers  of  this  country. 
Their  story  is  the  story  of  all,  their  experiences,  the  experiences  of  all  their 
labor,  the  labor  common  to  all;  their  society,  the  society  of  all;  their  gift  to 
posterity  is  the  gift  common  from  all,  to  those  of  the  present  generation. 
These  reminiscences  are  given  years  after  the  events  had  occurred  and  per- 


KANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  245 

haps  time  had  changed  their  color.  Repetitions  had  no  doubt  altered  the 
story  they  had  to  tell,  yet  they  portray  truthfully  the  experiences  of  these  peo- 
ple. Let  us  be  slow  to  criticise,  because  we  know  little  or  nothing  of  what 
they  had  to  undergo. 

The  following  reminiscences  by  old  and  early  settlers  concerning  their 
pioneer  life  in  Randolph  county  and  elsewhere,  were  written  from  their  own 
lips,  mostly  in  their  own  language.  Care  has  been  taken. to  have  all  the  mat- 
ter in  these  narratives  fresh  and  unique,  the  same  thing  not  bemg  repeated, 
each  pioneer's  tale  giving  some  fact  or  phase  not  found  in  any  other. 

Most  of  these  sketches  are  from  the  original  settlers,  and  from  those 
who  came  when  the  land  was  heavily  laden  with. dense,  unbroken  forests,  and 
the  country  was  still  a  wild  and  unpeopled  waste. 

Some  of  the  "sketches"  are  arranged  for  the  most  part,  though  not  en- 
tirely, in  the  order  of  time. 

Some  of  the  "sketches"  contain  incidents  that  occurred  outside  of  Ran- 
dolph county,  yet  in  connection  with  persons  who  have  been  at  some  period 
residents  thereof.    This  portion  of  the  work  might  have  been  greatly  enlarged. 

JESSE   PARKER,    1814. 

son  of  Thomas  W.  Parker,  first  settler,  April,  1814,  and  long  of  Bethel,  Ind., 
but  dying  November,  1881,  near  Lynn,  Randolph  county. 

"The  Indians  were  thick  all  around  us,  but  they  were  civil  and  peaceable 
and  friendly.  They  would  help  the  settlers  raise  cabins,  bring  us  turkeys  and 
venison,  etc.  Three  wigwams  were  in  sight  of  our  cabin.  We  children  had 
great  sport  with  the  young  Indians,  and  they  were  then  almost  or  quite  our 
only  playmates. 

A  squaw  once  scared  me  nearly  to  death.  I  had  gone  to  drive  a  calf 
home  to  its  pen.  The  calf  was  near  one  of  the  wigwams;  I  felt  skittish  (this 
was  before  I  had  became  so  familiar  with  them),  but  the  calf  had  to  be 
brought  and  I  had  to  do  it,  for  children  had  to  mind  in  those  days.  So  how 
about  the  calf?  This  way — I  got  around  it  and  started  it  for  the  pen,  and 
away  we  went,  calf  and  boy,  when,  hallo!  out  popped  a  squaw  full  tilt  after 
me !  She  had  jumped  behind  a  tree  and  stuck  out  what  I  took  to  be  a  gun, 
and  as  I  came  near  she  bounced  after  me.  My  legs  flew,  you  may  guess;  I 
could  keep  up  with  the  calf  with  the  squaw  after  me.  She  chased  me  home, 
she  was  tickled  well-nigh  to  death,  and  I  was  scared  nearly  out  of  my  wits. 
I  thought  I  could  feel  the  ball  hit  me ;  but  she  had  no  gun,  it  was  only  a  stick, 
and  she  was  in  fun.     But  there  was  no  going  around  nettles  then;  they  flew 


246  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

like  Sticks  in  a  whirlwind,  and  she  came  rushing  after  me,  parting  the  brush 
as  she  came!  The  Indians  would  often  come  slipping  around  watching  for 
deer,  and  would  carry  the  dead  deer  to  their  wigwams.  The  squaws  would 
dress  the  venison  and  jerk  the  meat  and  dress  the  skins  for  leather. 

The  Indians  wore  paint  and  all  their  war  equipments,  which  made  them 
look  frightful  enough.  But  we  soon  got  used  to  them,  as  they  were  very 
friendly.  As  the  country  settled  up,  They  went  farther  back — Winchester, 
Macksville,  Windsor- — and  then  to  Smithfield,  Muncie  and  Anderson.  They 
would  pass  back  and  forth  on  their  trails,  bringing  moccasins,  etc.,  to  trade 
for  iron,  salt,  corn,, etc.,  for  their  use. 

There  were  many  rattlesnakes,  yet  but  few  people  ever  got  bitten  by 
them. 

Father  settled  April,  1814;  John  W.  Thomas  and  Clarkson  Willcutts, 
farther  north  during  the  summer,  and  October  22,  1814,  Ephraim  Bowen 
drove  up  to  father's  door,  and  he  went  still  farther  up  Nolan's  Fork,  and  the 
farthest  north  of  any.  North  and  northwest  was  an  endless  wilderness,  ex- 
cept a  few  soldiers  at  Fort  Wayne  and  Fort  Dearborn  and  Green  Bay  and 
Mackinaw. 

At  first  it  seemed  lonely,  but  neighbors  came  gradually,  and  the  blue 
smoke  of  their  cabins  could  be  seen  curling  up  among  the  forest  trees,  as  we 
followed  the  'blazes'  from  hut  to  hut. 

The  settlers  who  had  come  in  by  18 19  were  these :  Thomas  Parker,  John 
W.  Thomas,  Clarkson  Willcutts,  Ephraim  Bowen,  Ephraim  Overman,  Eli 
Overman,  John  Schooly,  Seth  Burson,  Nathan  Overman,  Joshua  Small, 
George  Bowles,  Jesse  Small,  Jonathan  Small,  David  Bowles,  James  Cam- 
mack,  John  Cammack,  John  Jay,  Isaac  Mann,  John  Mann,  William  Mann, 
Stephen  Thomas,  Elijah  Thomas,  Stephen  Williams,  etc.,  etc. 

We  settled  near  (east  of)  the  old  (Wayne's)  boundary.  Game  was 
plenty — deer,  opossum,  coons,  turkeys,  crows,  wildcats,  catamounts,  bears, 
wolves,  etc.  The  wolves  would  come  near  the  door  at  night  to  pick  up  the 
crumbs,  though  precious  little  they  found  to  pick,  except  the  bones.  Stephen 
Williams  built  a  wolf-pen.  Sometimes  a  wolf  would  get  caught,  and  there 
would  be  fun.  They  would  put  a  dog  into  the  pen,  and  the  wolf  would  whip 
the  dog  quick  enough.  The  wolves  would  howl  till  one  could  not  sleep  for 
their  noise. 

Our  bedsteads  had  but  one  post,  and  they  needed  no  more.  The  rails 
were  bored  into  the  logs  of  the  house,  and  met  in  one  post  at  the  corner.  But 
we  slept  first  rate.  The  floor  was  puncheon,  the  door  was  one  big  puncheon, 
the  loft  was  boards  laid  on  poles,  or  often  none  at  all.    We  would  climb  into 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  247 

the  loft  by  a  ladder,  and  slept  under  the  roof  to  the  music  of  the  rain  on  the 
shingles.  The  fire-place  was  cut  out  six  or  eight  feet  long;  the  back  and 
jambs  were  dirt  beaten  in  and  puncheons  outside,  the  chimney  was  sticks  and 
clay;  the  table  was  a  puncheon  upon  poles  laid  on  forks;  the  chairs  were 
rough  stools,  or  we  had  none,  or  sat  on  puncheon  benches ;  yet  we  were  happy 
and'  full  of  glee.  Our  diet  was  splendid — venison,  turkey,  roasted  coon,  fat 
possum,  bear  steak,  roasted  squash,  sweet  potatoes,  pumpkins,  corn  bread 
baked  on  a  hoe,  or  a  lid,  or  a  board,  johnny-cake,  or  dodger  bread,  all  good. 
Health  and  hunger  make  the  best  sauce,  and  we  had  them  both.  Then  we 
had  pounded  hominy,  and  lye  hominy  fit  to  set  before  a  king. 

About  my  schooling :  It  was  not  much,  picked  up  in  the  woods.  The 
neighbors  joined  and  put  up  a  cabin  for  church  and  school,  the  first  of  the 
kind  in  the  county.  The  first  school  was  taught  by  Eli  Overman,  and  I  at- 
tended it  and  was  there  the  first  day.  My  first  book  was  a  primer,  and  my 
next  (and  my  last)  was  Noah  Webster  (spelling  book). 

The  house  had  a  puncheon  floor  and  door,  a  puncheon  to  write  on, 
scalped  off  smooth  with  the  'pitching  ax.'  The  benches  were  split  poles  with 
legs.  Not  a  plank,  nor  a  shingle,  nor  a  brick,  nor  a  nail,  nor  a  pane  of  glass 
was  in  the  whole  house.  The  nails  were  pegs,  the  bricks  were  dirt,  the  planks 
were  puncheons,  the  shingles  were  clapboards,  the  glass  was  greased  paper 
over  a  crack  for  light,  and  the  bigger  boys  got  the  wood  for  fuel.  They  had 
not  far  to  go;  the  mighty  giants  stood  huge,  grim  and  frowning,  stretching 
far  and  wide  their  monstrous  arms  as  if  to  reach  down  and  devour  us.  I  tell 
you,  the  way  the  men  and  women  (and  the  boys  and  girls,  too)  made  the 
work  hop  around  was  a  wonder — a  sight  to  behold.  Log-rolling  would  begin 
and  keep  on  twenty  or  twenty-five  days,  people  helping  one  another  all  around. 
Raising  cabins,  chopping  trees,  rolling  logs,  clearing  land,  splitting  rails,  mak- 
ing fences,  plowing,  planting  and  what  not,  kept  folks  busy  enough  for  weeks 
and  weeks  the  whole  year  through.  People  would  go  miles  to  help  their 
neighbors ;  one  could  hear  the  ax  ring  or  the  maul  go  crack,  crack,  or  the  trees 
come  crashing  down,  from  morning  till  night,  all  over  the  woods.  The  loom 
and  the  wheel  were  heard  in  every  cabin ;  the  giant  oaks,  and  the  kingly  sugar 
maples  and  the  mighty  beeches  could  be  seen  bowing  their  proud  and  stately 
heads,  and  coming  heavily,  helplessly  down  on  every  hand.  The  girls  spun 
and  the  women  wove  and  made  the  clothing,  and  took  care  of  the  family. 
Now,  the  first  thing  when  a  couple  get  married,  is  a  hired  girl,  and  the  next 
thing  a  piano. 

We  had  hard  times,  indeed,  in  those  grand  old  days  amid  the  majestic, 
overshadowing  forest.     And  now,  how  changed!     And  what  shall  sixty-six 


248  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

years  more  of  time,  stretching  forward  into  the  dim  and  wondrous  future, 
accomplish  for  those  who  shall  look  on  those  coming  days?  We  who  have 
borne  the  brunt  of  the  hardy  past — how  few  we  stand,  how  swift  our  passage 
to  the  opening  tomb !  The  rising  race — what  do  they  know  ?  They  complain 
of  hard  times,  forsooth!  Then,  it  was  the  ax,  the  maul,  the  iron  sledge- 
hammer, the  flail,  the  brake,  the  swingling-board,' the  hatchet,  the  'cards,'  the 
wheel,  the  reel,  the  winding  blades,  the  loom.  If  we  went  anywhere,  it  was 
on  foot,  or  on  horseback,  or  even  on  oxback,  or  on  rough,  home-made  sleds. 
And  now  these  things  are  fled,  and  the  faithless  ones  of  the  present  day  will 
scarcely  believe  that  such  things  are  any  more  than  idle  tales  made  up  to  be- 
guile the  weary  hours  in  the  telling ;  yet  they  are  true,  as  the  few  old  pioneers 
know  full  well. 

The  Indians  helped  father  raise  his  cabin.  There  was  no  one  else  to 
help.  He  covered  his  'camp'  with  bedclothes  and  brush  the  first  night.  We 
crept  into  our  cabin  under  the  end  logs  the  first  night  after  it  was  built  be- 
cause no  door  hole  had  been  cut.  Father  and  mother  went  to  Friends'  meet- 
ing at  New  Garden  (probably)  the  next  'First  Day'  after  they  moved  into  the 
forest,  seven  miles  through  the  woods.  John  Peelle  and  Francis  Thomas,  at 
New  Garden  pole-cabin  meeting-house,  one  day,  swapped  pants,  and  Peelle 
kept  the  ones  he  got,  and  was  buried  in  them,  April  21,  1879.  The  swap  took 
place  about  1813,  so  that  he  must  have  kept  those  'pants'  about  sixty-six  years. 

The  Pucketts  were  eight  brothers.  Four  settled  near  Dunkirk.  Daniel 
settled  near  New  Port,  Benjamin  lived  a  few  years  in  Randolph,  but  moved 
to  ]\Iorgan  county,  Ind.,  in  1826. 

We  crossed  the  Ohio  at  Cincinnati,  on  a  flat-bottomed  boat,  that  was 
pulled  over  by  a  rope  stretched  across  the  river. 

There  were  just  three  pole-cabins  in  Richmond  with  families  living  in 
them,  and  one  with  goods  for  sale.  The  families  were  John  Smith,  Jere  Cox 
and  Robert  Hill. 

Robert  Hill  had  the  store.  Mother  sold  him  some  'slaies,'  reeds  for 
■.veaving,  for  some  muslin  and  other  'traps.' 

Francis  Thomas  lived  near  the  toll-gate  below  Newport,  perhaps.  My 
father  and  John  ^V.  Thomas  went  up  to  Nolan's  Fork  and  picked  out  their 
'places.'  Parker  moved  to  his  land  first;  Thomas  next,  and  afterward  Clark- 
son  V^illcutts. 

Thomas  Parker  sold  out  to  John  James,  and  bought  out  Clarkson  Will- 
cutts,  and  Willcuts  bought  elsewhere. 

The  squaw  who  scared  me  so  and  chased  me  through  the  brush,  was  so 
'tickled'  at  my  terrible  'scare'  that  she  could  not  tell  mother  what  she  had 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  249 

done,  for  laughing.  She  fell  down  on  the  cabin  floor,  and  laughed  and 
laughted,  and  kept  on  laughing;  and  to  mother's  question,  she  only  pointed  her 
finger  at  me  as  she  lay  there,  and  burst  out  laughing  again ;  and  I  stood  there, 
as  mad  as  a  lad  of  my  age  could  well  be,  at  the  squaw,  for  scaring  me  so 
terribly,  and  then  laughing  herself  well-nigh  to  death  over  the  fun  she  had 
got  out  of  me." 

MRS.  CELIA  ARNOLD   (pARKER). 

Mrs.  Celia  Arnold,  daughter  of  Thomas  W.  Parker,  first  settler  of  Ran- 
dolph (who  is  now  living  at  Arba,  Ind.),  and  sister  of  Jesse  Parker,  being 
one  of  the  three  children  who  belonged  to  the  family  of  the  first  emigrant 
to  the  Randolph  woods.  She  says,  "I  was  born  in  1811,  married  Benjamin 
Arnold  in  1830,  and  have  had  five  children,  three  of  whom  are  living.  My 
husband  died  12th  month,  nth  day,  1878,  aged  seventy-two  years.  He  was 
bom  3d  month,  nth  day,  1807.  He  came  to  Randolph  county  in  1823,  be- 
ing the  son  of  William  Arnold. 

As  we  were  coming  to  Indiana,  our  wagon  upset  and  scra.ped  my  wrist. 
Two  families,  John  Thomas  and  Thomas  Parker,  came  all  the  way  in  the 
same  wagon,  nine  in  all,  and  some  of  the  way  Thomas  WiUcutts  and  his  wife 
and  five  children.  [Note. — David  Willcutts,  later  of  Newport,  Ind.,  Thomas 
Willcutts'  youngest  son  came  with  us.  ]  All  these  did  all  the  riding  they  did 
on  the  one  wagon.  We  brought  beds  and  cooking  utensils,  and  one  chair 
(for  mother).  She  died  in  1823.  I  used,  when  a  girl  in  my  teens,  to  go  on 
foot  to  New  Garden,  six  and  a  half  miles,  to  meeting.  I  have  done  it  many 
a  time,  and  did  not  consider  myself  as  having  done  anything  worthy  of  spe- 
cial mention." 

SQUIRE   BOWEN,    1814. 

"The  'Quaker  Trace'  was  begun  in  1817.  James  Clark,  with  twenty-five 
or  thirty  men,  started  with  three  wagon  loads  of  provisions,  as  also  a  sur- 
veyor and  chain,  etc.,  and  they  marked  'mile  trees,'  and  cut  the  road  out 
enough  for  wagons  to  pass.  They  wound  around  ponds,  however,  and  big. 
logs  and  trees,  and  quagmires,  fording  the  Mississinewa  above  AUensville, 
Randolph  county,  and  the  Wabash  just  west  of  Corydon,  Jay  county,  and  so 
on  to  Fort  Wayne.  My  brother  James  and  myself  first  went  to  Fort  Wayne 
(with  a  four-horse  team)  in  1820.  James  himself  had  been  the  trip  a  year 
or  so  before  that.  We  took  our  feed  along  for  the  whole  trip,  as  there  was 
but  one  house  from  one  mile  north  of  Spantanburg  to  Fort  Wayne,  viz.,  at 
Thomson's  Prairie,  eight  miles  north  of  Wabash  river.     At  Black  Swamp 


250  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

we  had  to  wade  half-leg  to  knee  deep,  walking  to  drive  (we  always  had  to  do 
that).  After  that  first  trip,  we  always  took  oxen,  generally  three  yoke  for 
a  team.  Xo  feed  was  needed  for  the  oxen,  for  they  could  be  turned  out  to 
pick  their  living.  Our  load  was  commonly  about  2,500  pounds  of  bacon, 
flour,  etc.  Bacon  would  be  10  to  12  cents  a  pound,  and  flour  $7  to  $8  a  bar- 
rel. The  trip  would  take  about' two  weeks,  and  we  expected  to  make  about 
$40  a  trip.  It  would  take  eight  days  to  go,  three  days  in  Fort  Wayne  and 
four  days  to  return.  Once  an  ox  team^came  through  in  three  days,  which 
was  the  quickest  trip  ever  made.  We  would  unyoke  the  oxen,  'hopple'  them, 
put  a  bell  upon  one  of  them  and  turn  them  out.  For  ourselves,  we  would 
build  a  fire  by  a  log,  cook  supper,  throw  down  an  old  bed  on  the  leaves  under 
a  tent  stretched  before  the  fire,  and  lie  down  and  sleep  as  sound  as  a  nut. 
We  would  start  early,  drive  till  9  o'clock  and  get  breakfast,  and  let  the  oxen 
eat  again.  From  two  to  six  teams  would  go  in  company.  Sometimes  the 
teams  would  get  'stuck'  but  not  often.  If  so,  we  would  unhitch  the  'lead' 
yoke  from  another  team,  hitch  on  in  front,  and  pull  the  load  through.  Once 
only  I  had  to  unload.  I  got  fast  in  the  quicksand  in  crossing  the  Missis- 
sinewa.  We  got  a  horse  from  a  settler  (Philip  Storms),  carried  the  flour  to 
the  bank  of  the  river  on  his  back,  hitched  the  oxen  to  the  hind  end  and  pulled 
the  wagon  out  backward. 

The  first  religious  meeting  was  held  in  father's  cabin.  Stephen  Williams 
exhorted  (perhaps  in  1815).  The  first  sermon  was  preached  there  also  (in 
1815),  by  Rev.  Holman,  of  Louisville,  Ky..  text,  Isaiah,  'Is  there  no  balm  in 
Gilead?  Is  there  no  physician  there?  Why  then  is  the  hurt  of  the  daughter 
of  my  people  not  recovered?'  It  was  a  good  Gospel  sermon,  and  was  food  to 
the  hungry  souls  longing  to  be  fed  in  the  wilderness.  AVe  used  to  go  to  meet- 
ing to  Dwiggins'  (near  Newport),  and  they  would  come  up  to  our  house. 
The  IMethodist  meeting  house  near  Dwiggins'  was  warmed  thus :  They  had 
a  box,  nearly  filled  with  dirt,  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  floor,  and  would 
make  a  fire  with  charcoal  in  the  box.  That  house  never  had  a  stove  in  it,  but 
was  warmed  in  that  way  as  long  as  it  stood,  fifteen  or  twenty  years.  They 
would  have  a  rail-pen  near  the  church  to  hold  the  coal,  and  carry  it  in  as  it 
might  be  needed.  Mrs.  Bowen  says  she  has  carried  many  a  basket  of  coal 
to  replenish  the  fire.  The  first  meeting  house  was  at  Arba,  built  by  the 
Friends  in  181 5,  and  used  for  church  and  schoolhouse  both;  I  went  to  school 
there  four  or  five  years.  Afterward  they  built  a  hewed-log  church,  and  had 
a  stove  in  it. 

We  would  catch  wolves  in  a  wolf-pen.  We  could  pay  our  taxes  with 
the  'scalps.'    A  wolf-pen  was  made,  say  six  feet  long  and  four  feet  wide  and 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  25 1 

two  feet  high,  of  poles  for  bottom,  sides  and  top,  the  size  of  your  arm.  The 
top  was  like  a  'lid,'  withed  down  to  the  pen  at  one  end,  and  so  as  to 
lift  up  at  the  other.  The  'lid'  would  be  'set'  with  a  trap  so  as  to  fall  and 
catch  the  wolf  and  fasten  him  into  the  pen.  The  bait  would  be  deer  meat. 
To  kill  the  wolf,  take  a  hickory  switch  and  make  it  limber  by  'witheing'  it, 
i.  e.,  twisting  it  limber.  Make  a  noose  and  slip  it  through  the  pen  and  around 
the  wolf's  neck,  and  lift  him  against  the  top  of  the  pen  and  choke  him  to 
death.  If  the  wolf  was  shot  and  bled  in  the  pen,  no  more  wolves  would 
come  into  it.  One  big  wolf  father  undertook  to  choke,  but  the  dogs  wished 
so  much  to  get  in  at  him,  that  we  let  them  in,  but  the  wolf  fought  them  ter- 
ribly, and  whipped  the  dogs,  till  father  put  an  end  to  the  battle  by  choking 
him  in  dead  earnest.  We  moved  into  the  thick,  green  woods.  We  would  cut 
out  the  trees  a' foot  and  under,  grub  the  undergrowth,  .pile  and  burn  the  logs, 
girdle  the  big  trees,  and  kill  them  by  burning  brush  piles  around  them. 

The  last  time  I  went  to  Fort  Wayne  was  in  1829.  Several  tribes  drew 
their  payment  there  for  years  after  Fort  Wawne  was  laid  out  as  a  town. 
The  Indians  around  here  were  Shawnees.  They  would  trap  in  April  and 
May,  and  then  go  back  to  their  towns.  The  squaws  would  plant  and  raise 
the  corn,  and  dress  the  skins.  The  men  did  the  hunting  and  the  women  did 
the  work.  At  one  time  at  Fort  Wayne,  thirteen  Indians  were  killed  during 
one  payment  in  drunken  fights. 

Plenty  of  wild  plums  and  grapes  (and  some  blackberries)  were  to  be 
found.  The  plums  and  grapes  grew  on  the  banks  of  the  creeks,  and  along 
the  edges  of  the-  (wet)  prairies.  There  were  different  sorts,  red  and  purple, 
small  and  round,  but  very  sweet  and  good,  better  than  most  tame  plums. 
Some  grapes  were  fall  grapes  and  some  winter  grapes.  The  blackberries  grew 
on  the  'windfalls.'  There  was  one  near  Spartanburg.  There  were  crab-ap- 
ples, but  too  sour  to  use,  and  pawpaws,  but  no  one  would  eat  them.  The  woods 
were  ftill  of  weeds  of  many  kinds,  and  of  pea-vines,  and  horses  and  cattle 
lived  well  on  them.  Some  places  had  been  burned  over,  and  the  woods,  in 
those  spots,  were  open  like  a  big  orchard. 

I  knew  Johnny  Cornstalk,  the  Shawnee  chief.  My  mother-in-law  once 
made  him  an  overcoat.  He  was  a  large,  portly,  fine  looking,  genteel  Indian, 
straight  as  an  arrow. 

He  once  came  (with  his  wife)  to  my  father's,  on  horseback,  to  tell  him 
that  they  had  found  a  bee-tree  in  his  woods.  They  rode  up.  Cornstalk  dis- 
mounted, but  his  wife  sat  still  upon  her  horse,  tall,  straight  and  lady-like, 
genteel,  dressed  richly  in  Indian  fashion,  with  a  beautiful  side-saddle  and 
bridle,  and  a  fine  pony.    Mother  said,  'Won't  you  light  ?'     Spry  as  a  cat,  she 


252  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Sprang  off,  and  they  went  into  the  house.  She  was  waiting  for  an  invitation. 
They  were  a  stately,  elegant-looking  couple.  Cornstalk  told  father  of  the 
bee-tree,  and  father  went  and  cut  the  tree  down  and  gathered  the  honey,  and 
gave  Cornstalk  half.  They  were  then  "camping'  near  James  Jackson's  place. 
I  knew  Chief  Richardville  five  miles  above  Fort  Wayne,  on  St.  Mary's  river. 
He  was  a  Miami  chief,  had  a  large,  brick  house  and  was  rich.  His  daugh- 
ters dressed  Indian  fashion,  but  very  grand  and  stylish.  He  was  a  good, 
honest,  genteel,  friendly  man,  and  mych  respected,  both  by  the  Indians  and 
white  men.  We  made  bricks  one  season  at  Fort  Wayne,  and  saw  him  often. 
In  plowing,  when  father  first  moved,  we  used  a  bar-share  plow  and  a 
wooden  mold-board.  I  could  tell  tales  by  the  hour  of  those  old  times,  but  it 
is  not  worth  the  while  to  print  so  much  of  an  old  man's  gossip." 

JAMES  C.  BOWEN,    1814. 

Son  of  the  fourth  settler,  who  came  on  his  forty-fifth  birthday,  October 
22,  1814,  when  James  was  only  a  half-grown  boy. 

"Hunting  was  splendid,  and  game  plenty  in  the  woods.  Deer,  turkeys, 
bears  (and  wolves)  were  abundant. 

We  used  to  go  to  mill  to  Newport,  to  George  Sugart's  mill,  but  oftener  to 
White  Water,  to  Jere  Cox's  mill.  Sugart  had  a  little  'corn-cracker,'  run  by 
water-power.  The  buhr  went  around  no  oftener  than  the  wheel  did.  Sugart 
would  throw  in  a  bushel  of  corn,  and  go  out  and  swingle  flax,  etc.,  for  an 
hour  or  two,  and  then  go  in  and  attend  to  his  grist  again.  Awful  slow! 
One  day  a  hound  came  in  and  began  licking  up  the  meal  as  it  came  in  spurts 
from  the  spout.  It  did  not  come  fast  enough  for  him  and  he  would  look  up 
with  a  pitiful  howl,  and  then  lick  for  more  meal!  We  boys  would  go  four-- 
teen  miles  to  mill  on  horseback.  Sometimes  we  would  go  with  a  wagon  and 
take  a  load,  and  then  it  would  take  two  days.  Often  the  settlers  had  to  go 
over  to  the  Big  Miami  for  provisions.  Sometimes  two  men  would  join  teams 
and  go  with  four  horses,  and  bring  a  big  load.  Once  I  went  with  Clark  Will- 
cutts'  son  (we  were  boys)  on  horseback  to  a  mill  four  miles  east  of  Rich- 
mond, to  get  a  grist  of  corn.  We  each  got  a  sack  of  corn,  took  it  to  Cox's 
mill,  got  it  ground,  and  took  the  meal  home.  It  was  twenty  miles  and  took  us 
two  days. 

Pork  was  $1.50  a  hundred  net,  and  sometimes  $1,  or  even  less  than  that. 
As  late  as  1835,  when  I  was  justice,  I  rendered  judgment  on  a  debt,  and  the 
defendant  said  he  had  wheat  at  Jeremiah  Cox's  mill,  and  he  could  not  get 
I2i/^  cents  a  bushel,  in  money,  to  pay  the  debt.     At  Newport,  Jonathan  Un- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  253 

thank  sued  David  Bowles  for  $5,  balance  on  a  store  debt.  Bowles  was  angry 
and  declared  he  would  never  trade  with  Untha:nk  any  more.  'To  think,'  he 
said,  'that  I  have  traded  there  so 'much,  and  he  must  go  and  sue  me  for  $5!' 
Benjamin  Thomas  (Wayne  county)  said  he  had  as  good  wheat  as  ever  grew, 
and  he  could  not  get  12  J^  cents  a  bushel,  in  money,  to  pay  his  taxes ! 

In  making  'Quaker  Trace,'  in  181 7,  twenty-five  or  thirty  men  started 
with  three  wagon-loads  of  provisions.  I  went  about  twenty-five  miles  (be- 
yond the  Mississinewa  river)  until  one  wagonload  was  gone,  and  then  re- 
turned with  that  team." 

[Mr.  Bowen  thinks  that  Sample's  mill,  on  White  river,  was  the  first  mill 
of  any  importance  in  the  country.  He  says,  also,  that  Cox's  mill  had  at  first 
a  hand  bolt,  and  that  fiour  had  to  be  bolted  by  hand,  which  was  a  slow  and 
tedious  process.] 

[Ephraim  Bowen  came  from  Ohio  in  a  big  Shaker  wagon,  with  a  load 
of  "plunder,"  and  then  went  back  after  his  family.  The  patent  for  his  quar- 
ter-section was  signed  by  James  Madison.  E.  B.  was  an  intelligent,  devoted 
Methodist,  and  did  much  to  help  plant  the  foundations  of  religion  in  this 
western  wilderness.  His  dwelling  was  the  "preacher's  home,"  and  a  preach- 
ing station  for  more  than  thirty  years.  The  first  meeting  was  held  at  his 
house,  and  the  first  sermon  was  preached  there  also.  All  the  Methodists  in 
the  region  were  there,  and  others,  perhaps  thirty  persons.  The  descendants' 
of  E.  B.  are  numerous  and  widespread.  There  were  at  his  death  seventy 
grandchildren  and  many  great-grandchildren.  E.  B.  and  his  family  are  a  fine 
specimen  of  the  hardy  pioneers  who  subdued  these  western  wilds.  Courag- 
eous, honest,  industrious,  devout,  intelligent,  energetic,  upright,  enterprising, 
successful;  their  labors  and  achievements  have  helped  the  howling  wilder- 
ness to  become  the  "garden  of  the  Lord,"  and  to  cause  the  "desert  to  loud  and 
blossom  as  the  rose."] 

SILAS  JOHNSON,   1817. 

"I  was  fifteen  years  old  when  father  came  here.  Paul  Beard  and  Joha 
Moorman  and  Francis  Frazier  and  John  Barnes  were  here  when  we  came. 
Paul  Beard  came  the  same  spring.  The  others  had  come  perhaps  the  year 
before.  Curtis  Clenney  came,  I  think,  the  same  fall.  Daniel  Shoemaker,  James 
Frazier,  David  Kenworthy  were  early  settlers.  The  settlers  before  us  had 
not  been  here  more  than  a  year,  perhaps  not  so  long.  John  Barnes  was  very 
old  and  he  died  last  spring  (1880). 

James  Frazier  (bell-maker)  had  a  large  family,  and  lived  in  a  'camp.' 


254  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  roof-poles  of  his  camp  were  put  in  the  forks  of  a  cherry  tree,  There 
came  a  heavy  snow  May  4, 'after  the  leaves  were  out,  and  broke  down  his 
forks,  roof — snow  and  all  right  on  their  hfeads. 

The  Friends  first  attended  meeting  at  Center  Meeting  in  Wayne  county, 
but  soon  Lynn  meeting  was  setup  (about  1820). 

Francis  Frazier  lived  west  of  the  pike,  a  mile  south  of  Lynn.  Daniel 
Kenworthy  lived  east  of  Jesse  Johnspn.  Curtis  Clenney  lived  a  mile  south. 
Daniel  Shoemaker  lived  a  half  mile  east  of  Lynn.  James  Frazier  lived  one 
mile  east  of  Lynn. 

CHOLERA,    1849. 

-  In  the  morning  about  breakfast,  a  black  cloud  came  up  from  the  east, 
dark  and  threatening;  there  was  some  thunder  and  a  little  rain,  suddenly  a 
sharp  stroke  of  lightning  seemed  to  strike  the  earth  between  Mr.  Palmer's 
and  the  four  corners,  a  mile  east  of  Lynn.  The  sky  was  filled  with  smoke, 
and  a  fearful  sickening  smell  as  of  burning  sulphur  filled  the  air,  which  lasted 
some  time.  A  little  while  afterwards,  that  same  morning,  John  Lister  and 
two  sons  (one  a  lad)  passed  those  corners.  They  were  all  taken  sick  that 
evening,  John  died  next  morning,  and  his  oldest  son  during  the  day.  The 
lad  lingered  a  month,  but  recovered.  William  Hodgin  passed  next,  and  then 
Henry  Benson  and  three  others;  they  were  all  taken  sick  and  died  the  next 
day  or  very  shortly.  On  Chamness'  place,  a  mile  off,  five  or  six  were  taken 
sick,  but  they  did  not  die. 

Isaac  Moody  and  Jonathan  Clevinger  nursed  the  sick  all  the  time,  but 
were  not  sick  themselves.  Most  of  the  persons  east  and  south  of  those  cor- 
ners were  taken  sick.  Twenty-seven  died,  and  a  few  got  well.  It  lasted  two 
or  three  weeks.  There  seemed  to  be  an  uncommonly  sharp  smell  after  dark. 
[See  W.  Pickett's,  Francis  Frazier's  and  W.  D.  Stone's  accounts.] 

When  Jesse  Johnson  came  in  the  fall  of  181 7  (perhaps),  Paul  Beard 
had  cleared  a  field  and  burned  the  standing  trees  black  by  piling  the  brush  of 
the  undergrowth  around  the  roots  of  the  trees  and  then  burning  the  brush 
piles. 

Settlers  at  that  time  were  Paul  Bear'd,  Sr.,  Francis  Frazier,  John  Moor- 
man, John  Barnes  (Wayne  county),  Travis  Adcock,  Isaac  Hockett  (Cherry 
Grove),  Gideon  Frazier. 

David  Kenworthy  had  entered  land  (80  acres)  some  years  before,  but 
he  came  after  Jesse  Johnson  did. 

Jesse  Johnson  had  been  here  and  had  entered  the  land,  and  came  and 
settled  soon  afterwards. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  255 

Curtis  Clenney  was  the  next  that  bought  near  Francis  Frazier,  John 
Moorman  and  Travis  Adcock. 

Clenney  was  in  the  Indian  war  of  1811-13,  in  the  blockhouse  and  scout- 
ing in  the  region. 

James  Frazier  and  John  Baxter  came  the  next  spring.  Edward  Hunt 
came  when  Jesse  Johnson  did,  and  settled  west  of,  and  near  to  Lynn,  1817. 
James  Abshire  was  an  early  settler,  northwest  of  Lynn.  He  was  a  famous 
hunter.     His  son  Isaac  Abshire  is  still  residing  in  that  region." 

IRA  SWAIN,  18 1 5. 

"My  father,  Elihu  Swain,  was  born  in  1759,  on  Nantucket  Island,  moved 
from  there  to  Guilford  county,  N.  C,  in  1776;  to  Jefferson  county,  East 
Tennessee,  in  1785;  to  Wayne  county,  Ind.  (near  Randolph  county  line)  in 
1815,  and  died  in  1848,  aged  nearly  ninety.  He  married  Sarah  Mills  in  North 
Carolina  in  1782.  They  had  ten  children,  six  boys  and  four  girls — ^John, 
Nathaniel,  Hannah,  Samuel,  Joseph,  Lydia,  Elihu,  Rachel,  Job  and  Ira.  The 
family  lived  in  a  tent  made  of  a  wagon  sheet  for  three  weeks  or  more,  lying 
in  beds  on  the  ground.  They  built  a  pole  cabin,  which  for  some  time  had  a 
Yankee  blanket  for  a  door. 

For  two  or  three  years  the  children  used  to  play  with  the  Indians,  who 
were  plenty.  A  dozen  Indians  lived  near,  with  their  families,  in  'camps,' 
made  of  poles  set  up  in  a  circle,  with  ash  bark  peeled  off  the  tree  for  a  roof, 
the  fire  being  built  in  the  middle  and  a  hole  at  the  top  in  the  peak  to  let  off  the 
smoke. 

In  two  or  three  years  the  Indians  left  their  wigwams  and  came  back  no 
more,  but  their  little  pole  tents  stood  tenantless  and  desolate  for  years. 

One  little  Indian  by  the  name  of  'J™/  who  lived  not  200  yards  away, 
and  with  whom  I  played  many  a  day  when  we  were  boys  together,  was 
adopted  by  Judge  Reeves,  and  grew  up  civilized.  I  met  him  years  afterward 
at  La  Porte,  Ind.  He  knew  me,  though  I  did  not  know  him.  He  had-traveled 
a  great  deal,  but  he  came  back,  and  lived  on  Judge  Reeves'  old  place  a  few 
years  ago,  remaining  there  until  he  died.  When  our  family  was  coming 
from  Tennessee,  I  saw  a  sight  of  cruelty  which  will  stick  by  me  to  my  dying 
day,  and  the  memory  of  which  has  done  much  to  fasten  in  my  mind  an 
eternal  hatred  of  human  slavery.  As  we  came  through  Richmond,  Ky.,  a  man 
was  being  flogged  near  the  road  where  we  passed.  I  was  but  a  child,  but  I 
remember  it  well.  The  man's  hands  were  drawn  down  over  his  knees,  and 
a  stick  was  thrust  through  between  his  arms  and  his  legs,  thus  fastening  him 


256  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

forward.  His  body  was  naked,- and  they  were  whipping  him  terribly.  He 
was  screaming  with  all  his  might,  and  his  back  and  hips  were  all  cut  into  a 
jelly.    It  was  a  fearful  sight. 

Father  entered  Congress  land.  The  twelve  -mile  purchase  was  In  mar- 
ket, but  the  land  west  of  it  was  not,  being  surveyed  in  1821-22.  Father  had 
to  go  or  send  to  mill  to ■  Connersville  (thirty  miles).  They  would  buy  com 
near  the  mill  and  get  it  ground  and  briijg  the  meal  home. 

The  first  school  was  near  David  Moore's  (in  1816  or  1817),  with,  per- 
haps, twenty  scholars.  The  house  was  a  pole  cabin,  14x18  feet.  One  end  of 
it  was  cut  out  (much  of  it)  for  a  fire-place.  We  used  to  pile  up  logs  in  the 
fire-place  (i.  e.,  the  larger  scholars  did)  for  a  rousing  big  fire.  The  fire-place 
was  built  up  to  the  mantel,  with  puncheons  filled  in  with  clay  inside,  and  the 
chimney  was  made  above  with  sticks  and  clay  around.  The  floor  was 
puncheons,  and  the  benches  were  split  poles  with  legs.  The  older  pupils  used 
to  get  wood  at  noon  to  last  till  the  next  day  noon.  That  was  not  much  trou- 
ble, though  the  chief  care  was  not  to  fell  the  trees  on  the  schoolhouse,  and  it 
took  'lots'  of  wood  to  keep  the  house  warm. 

For  several  winters  we  had  no  shoes.  Then  father  dug  out  a  large  log 
and  made  a  big  trough  and  tanned  some  hides,  and  made  some  leather,  and 
so  we  got  some  shoes.  One  man  who  had  a  trough  and  some  hides  tanning, 
intending  to  move  and  wishing  to  take  his  hides  along  (I  suppose  they  were 
not  tanned  enough,  and  he  thought  there  was  no  bark  on  the  prairie  where  he 
was  going),  made  a  big  truck  wagon  with  wooden  wheels,  sawed  from  a 
large  oak  tree.  He  loaded  his  tan  trough,  bark,  hides  and  all,  upon  his  huge 
truck-wagon,  and  away  he  started  for  Illinois.  After  traveling  two  or  three 
days,  he  bethought  himself  that  he  had  left  some  tobacco  in  a  crack  of  his 
cabin,  and,  leaving  his  folks  and  team  (of  oxen)  in  the  woods,  he  'footed'  it 
back  after  the  tobacco,  found  it,  got  it,  and  tramped  back  again,  spending  two 
or  three  days  in  the  operation.  What  the  folks  did  meanwhile  I  do  not  know ; 
I  suppose  they  just  waited  there  in  the  woods,  cooking  and  eating,  and  tak- 
ing it  easy. 

The  people  in  those  days  made  'hand-mills'  with  stones  'a  foot  over'  to 
grind  corn  with.  To  turn  them  was  hard  work.  My  wife's  father  once  took 
a  peck  of  corn  to  grind  on  one  of  them;  a  boy  came  with  a  tin  cup  to  toll 
the  grist.  The  man  ground  and  ground,  till  he  got  so  tired  that  he  called  out 
to  the  boy,  'Come  here,  sonny,  with  your  tin,  and  get  some  more  toll,  or  I 
shall  never  get  done.'  People  went  on  horseback,  or  rather  walked  and  led 
the  horse,  with  a  sack  of  corn  or  meal  on  his  back,  thirty  miles  to  mill.  A 
man  or  a  boy  would. go  with  a  horse  and  three  bushels  of  corn  in  a  four- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  257 

bushel  sack  all  that  distance.  Johnny  Banks  made  a  great  improvement;  he 
loaded  one  horse  and  attached  a  rein,  leading  one  and  riding  another,  thus  not 
exactly  killing  two  birds  with  one  stone,  but  what  was  still  better,  getting  two 
grists  of  corn  to  mill  with  one  boy.  Great  labor-saving  invention,  to  make 
one  boy  to  accomplish  the  work  of  two,  and  more  than  that,  for  the  led  horse, 
having  no  boy  to  'tote,'  could  take  a  full  load  of  corn.  We  were  often  two 
weeks  without  bread.  However,  mother  could  make  plenty  of  lye  hominy, 
and  we  had  potatoes,  and  sweet  potatoes,  and  sweet  pumpkins  and  squashes, 
and  plenty  of  bacon  and  chickens  and  eggs,  venison,  wild  turkey,  etc.,  so  that 
people  need  not  starve  even  on  such  fare." 

ANNA  RETZ. 

"Air.  Blount  lived  at  first  on  the  Zimmerman  place  [southern  part  of 
West  river].    Mr.  Barnes  lived  south  of  it. 

Griffith  Davis  lived  south  of  Mount  Pleasant  church.  William  Smith 
settled  a  mile  north.  He  came  in  1 817.  I  remember  the 'falling  timber.'  I  saw 
a  tree  fall  between  the  house  and  the  corn-crib,  and  remember  playing  under 
the  tree  top,  as  it  lay  there,  with  Gaboon's  children,  an  Irish  family,  who 
lived  near  by.  I  recollect  father's  trying  to  get  some  colts  that  were  in  the 
woods  among  the  fallen  timber.  We  could  see  them  and  hear  them  'whinny,' 
but  he  could  not  get  them.  They  worked  round  home  in  three  or  four  days. 
The  cattle  also  took  several  days  to  come  home.  We  could  hear  them  bawl, 
but  they  could  not  be  got  at.  One  heifer  did  not  come,  but 
we  got  her  a  year  afterwards.  A  man  saw  the  mark  on  her  and  came  and 
told  us,  and  father  went  and  got  her.  My  sister  was  keeping  house  for  Isaac 
Branson,  with  his  children;  father  clambered  over  the  trees  after  the  storm 
and  got  there,  half  of  the  house  roof  was  blown  off,  and  the  stable  roof  also, 
and  the  logs  were  blown  down  round  the  horse,  so  that  he  could  not  move, 
yet  he  was  not  hurt;  their  cow  was  killed,  and  that  was  the  only  animal  we 
knew  to  have  been  hurt.  Trees  were  blown  crosswise  in  every  direction; 
east  of  our  house  it  blew  down  but  ^little ;  the  storm  seemed  to  rise  for  a 
spat:e,  but  it  came  down  again  near  Albert  Macy's  and  took  his  house  roof 
off ;  by-and-by  it  rose,  and  did  not  come  down  any  ,more.  The  crops  were 
injured,  but  not  so  badly  as  one  might  think;  there  was  no  hail;  the  worst  of 
the  storm  was  north  of  us.  The  house  we  lived  in  at  the  time  of  the  storm 
is  .standing  yet,  and  in  good  repair." 

(17) 


258  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

W.   M.  BOTKIN    (1816). 

"My  father  was  a  tanner;  his  tan  troughs  are  here  yet,  though  out  of 
use  for  many  years.  A  large  cherry  tree  is  growing  in  the  end  of  one  of 
them,  as  it  lies  buried  in  the  ground.  General  muster  use  to  be  held  on  fa- 
ther's farm.  A  colored  man  named  Jack  ran  away  from  Kentucky  in  early 
times  and  came  to  my  father's,  stopping  awhile  to  work.  One  night  a  spell- 
ing-school was  held  in  father's  cabin.  While  they  were  spelling,  a  knock  was 
heard  at  the  door;  father  went  to  the  door  and  asked  who  was  there.  Jack 
heard  the  reply,  and  knew  his  master's  voice.  Peter  Botkin  opened  the  win- 
dow and  let  Jack  jump  out  and  escape.  The  master  offered  father  $50  to 
help  him  get  the  slave,  but  we  helped  him  off  instead. 

Plows  were  made  almost  wholly  of  wood;  the  bar  and  share  were  iron, 
but  the  moldboard,  etc.,  were  of  wood;  sometimes  a  piece  of  a  saw  or  the 
like  would  be  put  over  the  moldboard  to  make  the  plow  scour. 

To  make  a  cradle  to  rock  the  baby  in,  we  took  a  hollow  buck-eye  and  split 
the  log,  and  put  rockers  on  the  bottom. 

I  have  cut  many  a  cord  of  wood  at  20  cents  a  cord  and  board,  and  have 
split  rails  at  9  1-3  cents  a  hundred.  I  have  worked  many  a  day  for  25  cents 
and  37/4  cents  in  harvest,  from  sunrise  till  sundown  at  that.  Wheat  was 
37^  cents  a  bushel,  and  pork  $1.25  a  hundred  net.  I  used  to  slide  on  the  ice 
barefooted,  the  skin  on  the  bottom  of  my  feet  was  hard,  almost  like  a  stick. 

Methodist  meetings  were  held  in  father's  cabin,  and  quarterly  meeting  at 
Jesse  Cox's.  Father's  cabin  burne  ddown,  and  then  meetings  were  held  else- 
where; William  Hunt  and  Nathan  Gibson  were  preachers;  father  was  very 
poor  when  we  came  to  Randolph. 

There  is  now  on  my  place  a  tan  trough,  made  by  my  father  more  than 
sixty  years  ago,  hollowed  from  the  body  of  a  large  tree,  the  top  of  the  tree, 
some  thirty  feet  long,  being  still  in  connection  with  the  trough.  There  are 
also  rails,  made  of  white^  oak,  of  blue  ash  and  of  walntat,  still  sound  and  in 
use  on  the  farm,  made  by  father  before  1820,  and  put  up  into  fences  by  him 
on  his  original  farm  in  that  early  day.  It  is  only  two  or  three  years  since  I 
changed  the  location  of  some  of  the  rails  which  had  lain  all  that  long  time 
unmolested  in  a  fence,  and  the  'crossing'  of  the  rails  were  firm  and  solid." 

[Mr.  Botkin,  poor  though  he  was  when  a  boy,  as  his  story  shows,  is 
poor  no  longer.  He  owns  several  hundred  acres  of  excellent  land ;  has  a  splen- 
did brick  mansion  in  a  beautiful  situation;  is  a  thrifty  and  prosperous  farmer, 
and  a  prominent  and  influential  citizen,  foremost  in  every  good  work.    It  is 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  259 

really  a  wonder  how  many  of  the  rich  men  of  the  day  are  sons  of  men  who 
were  very  poor,  and  some  of  them  widows'  sons  and  even  orphans. 

Thomas  Ward's  father  was  not  able  to  enter  forty  acres  of  land. 

Nathan  Cadwallader's  father  died  when  Nathan  was  a  lad;  their  old 
horse  died  and  they  were  too  poor  to  buy  another. 

John  Fisher  was  an  orphan  boy  who  rode  a  pony  alone  from  Carolina 
to  Indiana. 

Simeon  Branham  was  an  orphan  boy  who  went  for  himself  alone  in  the 
world  at  sixteen  years  old.     And  so  on  ad.  infinitum.] 

JOHN    FISHER,    1817. 

"Father  was  forty-five  and  mother  was  forty-two  years  of  age  when 
they  died  and  left  me  a  lone  orphan  in  the  world.  I  knew  of  no  settlers  in 
Randolph  when  I  came  but  those  on  Nolan's  Fork.  What  I  understood  to  be 
the  first  wagon  that  went  to  White  river  was  that  of  William  Wright,  from 
Clinton  county,  Ohio,  in  the  fall  of  1817." 

[Mr.  Fisher  is  mistaken.  Settlers  had  come  upon  Nolan's  Fork,  Greens- 
fork,  Martindale  Creek  and  West  River  in  1815,  and  on  White  river  in  the 
summer  of  1816.  Mr.  Wright's  wagon  may  have  been  the  first  that  passed 
through  that  neighborhood  two  miles  north  of  Newport  (Fountain  City). 
The  company  from  Carolina  in  the  spring  of  1817,  bound  for  White  River, 
most  likely  went  along  a  route  farther  west,  past  Economy,  Joseph  Gass',  etc.] 

"I  owned  a  little  mare  and  a  saddle  and  bridle,  and  nothing  else.  I  was 
an  orphan  boy  and  had  no  more  than  that  pony  and  its  accouterments.  I 
had  heard  of  the  free  and  glorious  Northwest,  the  grand  and  fertile  plains 
be}'ond  the  mountains  and  the  river,  where  no  slave  might  tread ;  and  set  my 
heart  to  find  that  wondrous  country,  and  I  found  it  and  thanked  God  for 
the  consolation.  I  crossed  the  Blue  Ridge  at  'Ward's  Gap,'  thence  to  Gray- 
son C.  H.,  Wythe  C.  H.,  Abingdon,  Va.,  head  of  Holston  river,  Tennessee, 
a  large  spring,  from  which  flows  a  wonderful  stream  as  big  as  the  White 
Water  at  Richmond.  I  traveled  down  Holston  to  French  Broad,  turning 
north  into  Kentucky,  crossing  Clinch  mountain,  and  Cumberland  mountains 
to  Cumberland  river,  and  so  on  to  Kentucky  river,  Cincinnati,  Richmond. 
The  latter  place  had  perhaps  thirty  houses,  one  small  store  kept  by  Robert 
Morrison,  one  log  tavern,  etc. 

Newport  was  founded  in  1822.  It  was  a  solid  wilderness  for  years  after 
I  came.  I  have  voted  at  every  presidential  election,  beginning  with  Madison's 
second  term,  18 16.     I  voted  for  Madison,  Monroe  and  Adams,  against  Jack- 


26o  RANDOLPH    COUNTY",    INDIANA. 

son  Van  Buren;  for  Harrison  and  Taylor,  against  Polk,  Pierce,  Buchanan; 
for  Lincoln,  Grant  and  Hayes.  I  hope  to  give  yet  one  more  vote,  and  to  help 
elect  one  more  Republican  president,  and  then  I  must  leave  national  politics 
for  younger  hands."  [Friend  Fisher  had  his  wish.  He  went  to  the  polls  and 
helped  elect  another  Republican  president;  and  now  he  is  gone  to  the  land 
"where  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling,  and  where  the  weary  are  at  rest." 
He  lacked  thirty  hours  of  living  long  enough  to  hear  the  candidate  of  his 
choice  declared  president  by  the  presiding  Officer  of  the  senate  in  thfe  joint 
convention  of  the  whole  congress  assembled  to  witness  the  counting  of  the 
electoral  votes  and  the  proclamation  of  the  grand  result.  The  second  Wednes- 
day of  February  was  on  the  9th,  and  he  died  on  the  morning  of  the  8th,  at 
6  o'clock.     Father  Fisher's  era  of  life  was  truly  an  eventful  one.] 

Mr.  Fisher  says :  "I  had  no  wagon  for  seven  or  eight  years ;  my  hauling 
was  all  done  on  a  sled,  winter  and  summer.  In  1826,  a  neighbor  and  I  bought 
a  wagon  'to  the  halves'  and  we  used  it  in  company.  In  1829,  I  bought  his 
half  and  owned  it  alone.  That  was  an  event  in  my  life,  to  be  the  sole  owner 
of  a  two-horse  wagon.  Wagons  were  like  'angels'  visits,  few  and  far 
between. 

Of  course  there  were  some  wagons  in  the  country,  but  great  numbers 
had  none,  and  I  belonged  to  that  numerous  class  until  the  eventful  hour  when 
the  bargain  was  struck,  the  trade  was  complete,  and  the  wagon  was  mine, 
all  mine." 

JANE   FISHER,    1817. 

"Father,  Edward  Starbuck,  Sr.,  came  to  Wayne  county,  in  1817.  The 
family  who  came  were  father  and  mother  and  nine  children.  One  daughter 
had  been  married  in  Carolina,  and  did  not  come  till  afterward.  Father  had, 
in  all,  eighteen  children;  ten  by  his  first  wife  and  eight  by  the  second,  nhie 
boys  and  nine  girls,  the  first  set  five  and  five,  and  the  second  set  four  and 
four.  The  first  that  died  was  Phebe  (Leverton),  sixty  years  old,  and  that 
was  when  the  youngest  was  twenty-three  years  old.  The  father  and' eighteen 
children  were  alive  till  the  youngest  was  twenty-three  years  old.  The  whole 
eighteen  were  married.  The  next  that  died  was  James,  sixty-five;  Edward, 
sixty-one;  Betsey,  eighty.     Thirteen  are  still  living.    (1880.) 

I  have  a  large  platter  (pewter)  which  was  my  father's  in  Carolina,  which 
he  got  from  his  mother.  Its  age  is  probably  not  less,  perhaps  more,  than  120 
years.  The  platter  is  fifteen  inches  across,  is  heavy  and  thick,  and  has  never 
been  remolded." 

[Mrs.  F.  has  an  iron  candlestick,  more  than  fifty  years  old,  and  as  good 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  26 1 

as  new,  made  by  her  uncle,  Zach'ariah  Coffin,  a  famous  blacksmith  of  those 
early  days.  It  is  "the  old  candlestick" — the  family  candlestick — that  used  to 
hang,  by  a  hook  at  the  top,  from  a  chair-back,  to  study  by,  when  people  were 
thankful  for  "tallow  dips;"  and  the  splendors  of  gaslight  and  kerosene  were 
a  thing  unknown  and  unimagined. 

She  can  show  several  wooden  trays  forty  years  old,  in  good  condition, 
though  dusty  for  lack  of  use.  She  can  show  also  the  greatest  curiosity  and 
oddity  of  all,  in  the  identical  "first  coat  and  pants"  made  for  and  worn  by 
her  oldest  son  Daniel,  now  in  his  fifty-ninth  year.  The  ancient  relic  must  be 
about  fifty-five  years  old.  They  are  truly  quaint  and  odd;  the  coat  is  not 
"shad-belly,"  but  more  like  "swallow-tail;"  the  pants  are  "single  fall,"  as 
was  the  fashion  sixty  years  ago;  the  buttons  are  good,  bright,  brass  buttons, 
good  for  fifty  years  more;  the  cloth  is  striped,  home-made,  strong  and  smooth, 
and  just  a  trifle  coarse.] 

Mrs.  F.  Says :  "When  we  'kept  house,'  at  first,  we  had  a  table,  four  cups 
and  saucers,  half  a  dozen  plates,  four  knives  and  forks,  one  iron  pot,  one 
skillet,  one  rolling  pin,  four  chairs,  one  light  feather  bed,  two  sheets,  one 
flax-and-cotton,  and  one  tow,  one  quilt,  one  coverlet.  I  have  the  coverlet  yet. 
Mother  wove  it  herself,  in  old  Guilford  county,  N.  C,  and  she  gave  it  to  me. 
I  have  had  it -more  than  sixty  years,  and  how  much  older  it  is  I  can  not  tell. 
I  borrowed  a  straw  tick  of  Aunt  Rebecca  for  three  or  four  weeks,  till  I  could 
make  some  for  myself  out  of  tow,  which  I  did,  all  but  the  weaving — I  hired 
that  done.  For  a  bedstead  I  borrowed  an  auger  and  made  two  benches  out  of 
puncheons,  and  lugged  in  nine  clapboards  and  put  across  on  the  benches,  and 
on  this  new,  grand  bedstead  I  made  up  our  bed;  and,  let  me  tell  you,  I  was 
'set  up'  greatly,  and  felt  as  proud  of  my  bed,  all  nice  and  neat,  as  of  anything 
I  ever  had.  My  brother  Edward  and  myself  went  back  to  North  Carolina 
ten  or  twelve  years  ago.  I  was  surprised,  and  pleased,  also,  to  find  how  well 
I  remembered  the  country;  I  could  go  anywhere,  and  knew  every  hill  and 
stream,  every  road  and  farm,  although  I  had  been  absent  fifty  years.  I 
found  in  that  ancient  region  four  aunts  and  one  sister,  whom  I  had  not  seen 
since  my  father  moved  away.  They  were,  of  course,  greatly  rejoiced  that 
we  should  be  spared  to  meet,  face  to  face,  this  side  of  glory  land." 

[Note. — Mrs.  Jane  Fisher,  relict  of  John  Fisher,  deceased,  departed  this 
life  at- the  dwelling  of  her  son-in-law,  Capt.  J.  R.  Jackson,  Union  City,  Ind., 
Thursday,  February  4,  1882,  aged  about  seventy-eight  years.  She  had  be- 
come much  enfeebled,  having,  some  months  before  her  death,  suffered  a 
paralytic  stroke,  from  the  effects  of  which  she  never  recovered.] 


262  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

TEMPLE  AND  PRISCILLA  SMITH,    1817. 

"Joseph  Hockett  came  to  Randolph  county,  Washington  township,  in 
1816.  The  Quaker  meeting  was  set  up  at  Cherry  Grove  in  1816  or  1817; 
they  built  a  double  log  cabin  for  a  meeting-house. 

Bloomingsport  was  laid  out  not  far  from  1828,  by  Nathan  Hockett.  Al- 
fred Blizzard  built  the  first  house.  Beeson  kept  the  first  store. 

Dr.  Paul  Beard,  Sr.,  was  the  first *physician  in  the  region;  there  was 
none  in  Bloomingsport  for  a  long  time.  Dr.  Gideon  Frazier  resided  there  in 
somewhat  early  years. 

Other  physicians  were  Drs.  Gore,  Strattan,  Kemper,  etc.  Messrs.  Bee- 
son,  Comfort,  Bullard,  Budd,  Wyatt,  Wright,  Coggshall,  Hockett,  etc.,  have 
been  merchants. 

There  has  been  a  potter's  shop,  a  wheelwright's  shop,  a  saw-mill,  a 
grist-mill,  etc. 

There  are  two  churches,  Methodist  and  United  Brethren.  At  Ridgeville, 
fifty-four  years  ago,  Meshach  Lewallyn's  daughter  Polly  married  David  Ham- 
mer. At  the  wedding  supper,  the  bride's  brothers  were  present,  and  one  of 
them,  dressed  in  buckskin  hunting-shirt,  and  leather  belt,  and  with  a  butcher 
knife  at  his  waist,  undertook  to  carve  the  turkey,  and  did  it  with  his  hunt- 
ing-knife. 

At  another  wedding,  the  people  had  gathered,  but  the  supper  was  not 
yet  done;  and  as  the  women  were  trying  to  bake  pones  or  slap  jacks  or  some- 
thing, the  crowd  of  half-drunken  fellows  would  snatch  and  eat  as  fast  as  the 
women  would  bake,  till  at  last,  one  chap,  not  quite  so  drunk  as  the  rest,  took 
a  club,  and  stood  and  watched,  and  guarded  the  women  till  they  got  enough 
baked  for  supper.  This  was  at  the  house  where  the  boys  were  chopping  as 
related  below.  The  family  was  immense,  a  dozen  children  or  so;  the  cabin 
was  small.  They  had  a  loom  in  the  house  but  took  it  down  and  out,  to  make 
room  for  the  'weddingers.'  " 

Mrs.  Smith  says :  "When  I  was  twelve  years  old,  my  sister  and  myself 
went  to  help  one  of  the  neighbors  pick  wool.  They  baked  a  great  'pone,' 
and  turned  it  out  on  the  floor.  The  ducks  came  in,  waddling  and  quacking, 
and  fell  to  pecking  away  at  the  "'pone'  till  they  had  broken  it  badly.  The 
woman  had  her  milk  set  under  the  bed,  and  in  scaring  the  ducks  away  from 
the  'pone,'  they  scattered  and  ran  under  the  bed,  and  went  floundering  and 
plunging  and  paddling  'slapdab'  through  the  milk.  As  the  ducks  went  out, 
the  sheep  came  in,  'baa-baaing'  all  over  the  room.     We  went  home  without 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  263 

eating,  and  said  to  mother,  'If  those  folks  wish  us  to  pick  wool,  they  must 
bring  the  wool  here;  we  cant'  stand  such  living;'  and  our  picking  wool  there 
among  the  sheep  and  ducks  was  at  an  end. 

The  boys  would  come  in  and  stamp  the  mud  off  their  feet  upon  the  floor 
until  the  dirt  was  so  thick  that  they  had  to  scrape  it  from  the  floor  with  a 
hoe  to  let  the  door  shut.  One  of  our  neighbors  told  us  to  be  sure  to  call  on 
a  family  of  'new-comers,'  who,  he  said,  were  'upper  crust,'  neat,  stylish  people, 
and  that  we  must  fix  up  our  best.  So  one  day  sister  and  I  fixed  up  in  our 
'nicest,'  and  went  over  there,  a  little  afraid  that  we  were  not  slick  enough. 
When  we  got  there,  lo,  and  behold,  a  sight  indeed !  Four  boys,  brothers,  from 
eight  years  and  upward,  were  at  the  wood-pile  chopping  wood,  with  their 
shirts  on  and — nothing  else !  We  were  taken  aback,  and  thought  we  must 
have  got  to  the  wrong  place.  But  no,  this  was  the  very  house.  We  went  in ; 
they  set  us  some  stools,  black  and  greasy  from  having  had  meat  chopped  on 
them.  Hardly  knowing  what  to  do,  we  spread  some  hankkerchiets  on  the 
stools  and  sat  down.  It  was  winter,  and  the  creeks  were  frozen.  The  boys 
went  out  to  the  ice  to  slide  barefoote'd,  and  when  they  came  back  their  feet 
were  as  red  as  lobsters.  'Are  not  your  feet  cold?'  'No,  they  burn,'  was  the 
reply.  And  such  times  the  folks  had,  and  such  things  were  done  by  young 
and  old  in  days  of  'auld  lang  syne.'  " 

PAUL -BEARD,  JR.,    1817. 

"Settlers,  about  the  same  time  with  my  father,  were  James  Frazier,  east 
of  Lynn;  Francis  Frazier;  John  Pegg,  three  miles  southwest  of  Beard's; 
Obadiah  Harris,  Cherry  Grove;  Stephen  Hockett,  Cherry  Grove;  Edward 
Thornburg,  Cherry  Grove;  Travis  Adcock,  Curtis  Clenney,  Jesse  Johnson 
shortly  after,  and  perhaps  others." 

[Paul  Beard,  Jr.,  and  his  wife  are  both  living  at  this  time,  1880.] 

MRS.    PAUL  BEARDj  DAUGHTER  OF  BENJAMIN  COX,    1817. 

"Mother  was  greatly  afraid  of  the  Indians;  father  was  not  afraid  of 
them  at  all.  They  would  come  at  night ;  father  would  get  up  and  make  a  fire, 
and  let  them  sit  and  smoke  and  stay  all  night  if  they  wished.  Sometimes  they 
would  come  late  in  the  night  and  wish  to  warm,  and  when  they  were  warm 
they  would  go  away.  Father  had  to  go  to  Richmond  for  grain  and  for  mill- 
ing ;  this  was  too  much  trouble,  and  they  used  to  pound  corn  for  bread. 

Father  made  a  sweep  with  a  maul  at  the  end,  and  a  pin  through  the 


264  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

maul;  two  men  would  take  hold  of  the  pin,  one  on  each  side,  and  thus  work 
the  maul  to  pound  corn  into  meal  in  a  trough  or  mortar  below.  We  took 
the  finest  for  bread,  and  the  coarse  for  mush.  We  raised  a  kind  of  squash 
that  was  excellent  for  baking;  many  a  meal  has  been  made  on  baked  squash 
and  milk  and  butter. 

Benjamin  Cox  was  a  great  hunter,  and  killed  abundance  of  deer.  He  has 
shot  as  many  as  five  and  six  deer  in  a  day.  A  prairie  w^as  near  and  also  a 
spring;  he  would  sprinkle  salt  around  liie  spring,  and  the  deer  would  come 
to  lick  the  salt.  He  made  a  scaffold,  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  in  the  forks  of 
t\\  o  elm  trees,  and  from  that  he  watched  the  deer,  and  shot  them  as  they 
came.  He  has  killed  scores  of  deer  from  that  scaffold.  Mrs.  Beard  thinks 
her  father  was  the  first  settler  on  White  River,  east  of  Winchester. 

John  Cox,  father  of  Benjamin  Cox,  came  in  the  spring  of  1818;  Joshua 
and  John  Cox,  sons  of  John  Cox,  came  in  the  fall  of  1818. 

Thomas  AVard  and  Joseph  Moffatt  came  shortly  afterward;  Jonathan 
Hiatt,  Zachariah  Hiatt  and  Jehu  Robison  came  not  long  after. 

White  River  meeting-house  was  built  of  logs  in  1820  or  182 1.  It  was 
warmed  by  a  box  filled  with  dirt,  with  coals  or  bark  on  the  top  of  a  fire." 

"Airs.  Paul  Beard,  Jr.,  is  the  daughter  of  Benjamin  Cox.  She  was  born 
in  1813.  she  married  Paul  Beard,  Jr.,  in  1833.  They  have  had  nine  children, 
eight  are  living  and  seven  married." 

ELIHU    CAMMACK,    1817. 

"The  floor  of  the  barn  on  my  father's  farm  near  Arba  was  made  of  lum- 
ber sawed  by  hand  with  a  whip-saw,  done  in  this  way:  The  log  was  put  on 
a  high  frame,  and  one  man  stood  above  on  the  log  and  the  other  below,  and 
they  sawed  somewhat  as  with  a  cross-cut  saw.  The  work  was  slow  and  very 
tedious,  but  there  w  as  no  other  way  then  and  there.  That  barn  was  covered 
with  shingles,  and  was  reckoned  the  best  barn  in  all  that  ^region. 

The  meeting-house  was  warmed  by  a  dirt  box.  They  would  have  a 
great  log  heap  fire  out  of  doors,  and  take  the  box  out  to  the  fire  and  shovel 
in  coals  enough,  and  then  take  it  back  into  the  house,  and  set  it  in  the  middle 
of  the  room,  and  people  would,  get  round  it  and  warm  themselves  as  well  as 
they  could. 

The  cabin  in  which  I  was  born  sixty-three  years  ago  is  still  standing 
and  in  good  repair.  The  roof  has  been  renewed,  but  the  logs  are  sound,  and 
a  family  occupies  it  now.  The  cabin  was  "scutched  down,'  i.  e.,  scored  and 
hewed  down  after  the  building  was  put  up. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  265 

I  have  hauled  to  Cincinnati  many  winters;  the  price  of  hauling  was  50 
cents  per  hundred ;  the  trip  took  a  week.  A  man  would  make  from  $6  to  $9 
a  trip.  Teamsters  on  the  'pikes'  would  have  big  Conestoga  wagons,  and  four 
to  six  horses,  and  take  tremendous  loads — equal  to  a  small  ship.  Dealers 
would  pack  meat  in  'bulk,'  and  teamsters  would  haul  it  'loose,'  and  sometimes, 
when  they  would  get  'stalled,'  they  would  throw  the  load  of  meat  out  on  the 
ground,  like  a  pile  of  wood,  and  come  back  afterward  and  pick  it  up  again. 
The  first  wagon  I  ever  owned  myself,  about  1841,  I  bought  the  iron  for  in 
Cincinnati,  and  got  the  money  to  pay  for  it  with  by  selling  (hauling)  bacon, 
smoked,  'hog-round,'  good,  sweet  and  nice,  to  Cincinnati  from  near  Arba,  at 
$2.12  per  hundred.  The  iron  was  $3.50  per  hundred.  I  have  hauled  wheat 
to  Eaton,  selling  at  37^^  cents  a  bushel.  I  have  fattened  hogs  and  sold  the 
pork,  net,  at  Spartanburg  for  $1.25  under  two  hundred,  and  $1.37,  two  hun- 
dred full.  This  was  done  about  1842-43.  Henry  Peacock,  of  Jericho,  now 
dead,  has  told  me  that  since  he  settled  in  Jericho,  he  has  paid  $18  a  barrel 
for  salt,  and  paid  for  it  in  pork  at  $2  a  hundred. 

I  must  give  you  a  story  told  me  on  himself  by  Judge  W.  A.  Peele,  at 
Indianapolis,  when  he  was  secretary  of  state.  When  he  was  a  boy  just  old 
enough  to  turn  the  grindstone,  his  father  and  himself  went  to  my  grand- 
father's to  grind  an  ax.  They  went  into  the  house;  grandmother  had  lately 
made  a  rag  carpet,  perhaps  the  first  in  the  county.  His  father  walked  in,  and 
stepped  on  the  carpet.  William  thought  the  carpet  was  some  nice  cloth 
spread  upon  the  floor,  and  that  his  father  had  done  very  wrong,  so  he  tried 
to  better  the  matter  by  undertaking  to  jump  across  it.  He  failed,  and  stum- 
bled upon  it,  and  got  dirt  on  the  carpet,  and  was  scolded  and  laughed  at  be- 
sides for  all  the  pains  he  took  to  keep  off  the  wonderful  and  mysterious 
thing." 

WILLIAM    DIGGS,    JR.,   LATE   OF    WHITE    RIVER,    1816. 

"I  was  born  in  Anson  county,  N.  C,  December  17,  1793.  In  the  year  01 
1816,  I  came  to  Indiana  to  seek  a  home  for  myself.  Paul,  Henry  H.,  Will- 
iam and  Robert  Way  and  I  came  across  the  country  from  North  Carolina  in 
a  road  wagon,  crossed  the  Ohio  river  at  Louisville,  Ky. ;  came  to  Blue  River, 
but  not  being  pleased  with  the  country,  we  came  to  Wayne  county,  made  our 
temporary  abode  at  Charlotte  Way's  (afterward  my  mother-in-law),  and 
looked  around  for  suitable  places.  We  finally  selected  our  lands  and  built  our 
camps  about  two  miles  west  of  Winchester.  I  remained  there  till  the  latter 
part  of  Ausust,  when  the  Indians  became  so  numerous  that  our  friends  ad- 
vised us  to  abandon  our  claims  and  seek  safety  in  the  settlements. 


266  UAXDOI.IMI    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

I  was  married  to  Charlotte  Way  October  6,  1816,  and  returned  to  my 
claim  in  February,  181 7.  At  that  time  there  was  only  one  white  settler 
nearer  than  twelve  miles. 

We  moved  into  a  camp  and  lived  in  it  till  I  could  cut  the  logs  and  build 
a  small  log  house,  which  seemed  a  palace  to  us  then.  We  saw  no  white  man's 
face  for  eight  weeks  after  settling  there.  But  Indians  were  plenty,  yet 
peaceable. 

The  first  year,  I  cleared  four  acre^  of  ground,  and  planted  It  m  corn, 
but  it  did  not  ripen,  and  we  had  to  go  to  Richmond,  where  settlers  had  been 
living  for  twelve  or  fifteen  years,  for  all  our  breadstuff s.  Wheat  was  then 
75  cents  a  bushel,  and  corn  $1. 

When  we  were  getting  out  of  bread,  I  would  start  on  horseback  for  the 
\Vhite  \\''ater,  buy  a  sack  of  corn,  get  it  ground,  and  take  it  home.  In  this 
way  we  lived  till  more  settlers  came.  Xot  long  after,  small  hand-mills  were 
introduced  into  the  county,  and  as  soon  as  the  corn  became  too  hard  for 
roasting,  we  would  take  a  small  jack-plane,  shave  the  corn  off  the  cob  and 
dry  it.  We  would  take  this  corn  to  a  hand-mill  and  grind  it  into  meal.  The 
nearest  mill  to  my  house  was  three  miles. 

Often  I  have  worked  hard  all  day,  and  then  taken  a  sack  of  corn  on  my 
back  to  the  mill,  and  gone  home  with  it  to  furnish  bread  for  my  family 
next  day. 

In  this  manner  we  lived  till  the  country  settled  up  so  as  to  afford  better 
accommodations.  We  brought  up  nine  children;  all  but  one  are  living  yet, 
and  they  were  all  born  in  Randolph  county,  and  on  White  ri^er.  The  eldest, 
Fannie,  now  ^Irs.  Alatthew  Hill,  lives  at  Jericho,  Randolph  county,  Indiana; 
Anna,  now'  Mrs.  Jesse  Reynard,  lives  east  of  Buena  Vista,  Randolph  county, 
Indiana;  Eunice,  now  I\Irs.  Thomas  Moorman,  of  Winchester,  Indiana; 
Pleasant  W.,  married  Anna  Peacock,  and  now  resides  at  Earlham,  ]\Iadison 
county,  Iowa;  Agnes,  not  living;  Henry  H.,  married  Sarah  \\'right  (now  de- 
ceased), and  afterward  Lois  Ann  Carpenter.  Their  home  is  at  Nora,  Jo 
Daviess  county,  Illinois.  Anthony  Diggs  married  Elvira  C.  Thomas,  daugh- 
ter of  George  and  Asenath  Thomas,  and  they  reside  at  Earlham,  ]\Iadison 
county,  Iowa.  Ruth,  married  ^latthew  W.  Diggs,  and  they  live  at  Farm- 
land, Randolph  county,  Indiana.  After  our  children  left  us,  we  sold  the 
farm  which  had  been  our  home  so  many  years,  and  moved  to  Poplar  Run, 
to  be  near  some  of  our  children.  We  remained  there  some  years  when  my 
wife's  health  became  poor,  and  the  children  had  all  left  that  neighborhood. 
We  sold  that  farm  also  and  moved  to  Winchester.  In  about  sixteen  months 
my  beloved  companion  died.     Since  then  I  have  made  my  home  with  my 


KANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  267 

cliildven,  and  am  now  residing  at  Earlham,  Iowa.     My  age  is  now  eighty- 
nine  years. 

Paul  W.  Way,  Henry  H.  Way,  William  Way,  and  Robert  Way  and 
myself,  came  in  the  summer  of  1816;  Henry  H.  Way  and  myself  were  both 
single,  and  we  married  during  the  winter  of  1816-17,  he  taking  for  his  wife 
Rachel  IManlove,  of  Wayne  county,  Indiana;  Robert  Way  stayed,  as  did  all 
the  group  but  Paul  Way,  who  returned  to  Carolina  and  brought  back  a  large 
company  in  the  spring  of  181 7.  During  the  spring  or  summer  of  181 7, 
William  Way  went  to  the  south  and  brought  his  father  and  mother  to 
White  River. 

Paul  Way  and  his  company  got  to  White  River  in  the  spring  of  18 17, 
crossing  the  Ohio  river  on  the  ice  with  their  wagons. 
[XoTE. — That  winter  was  very  cold.] 

Henry,  William  and  Robert  Way  built  cabins  for  themselves  and  the 
rest.  Persons  from  Williamsburg,  fifteen  miles  away,  came  and  helped  raise 
the  cabins. 

Fanny  (Diggs)  Hill  is  the  first  white  child  born  in  White  River,  her 
birthday  being  September  11,  1817.  she  is  living  still.  My  wife  died  January 
31,  1877.  I  went  to  Jo  Daviess  county,  Illinois,  in  May,  1877,  to  visit  my 
children,  stayed  there  three  months,  went  on  to  Iowa,  and  am  in  Iowa  still. 
My  health  is  good,  I  can  walk  around  town  and  to  church,  etc.  I  am  an 
Orthodox  'Body  Friend,'  never  having  gone  with  any  "separations.' 

I  have  voted  at  every  presidential  election  since  I  was  old  enough  to  vote, 
casting  my  first  presidential  ballot  for  James  Monroe  in  1816,  and  having 
voted  for  president  in  all  seventeen  times.  I  was  a  Whig  in  the  days  of  that 
party,  and  have  since  been  and  still  am  a  Republican." 

FANNY    (diggs)    HILL,    1817. 

"I  went  to  school  first  at  Williamsburg,  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  when 
eight  or  nine  years  old.  I  attended  school  also  under  Henry  D.  Huffman 
in  a  log  schoolhouse  three  miles  west  of  Winchester.  For  a  wonder,  that 
house  had  window  sash  and  glass! 

When  my  mother  was  getting  me  to  sleep  one  day,  she  heard  a  noise  out- 
side the  cabin  door.  Hurrying  to  the  door,  she  looked  out,  and  lo !  there 
stood  a  bear! 

She  scared  it  away,  and  it  went  to  the  milk-house,  and  tore  the  cloth  off 
the  milk-strainer,  etc.,  but  shortly  went  away. 


268  RANDOLPH    (fOUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Father  for  years  had  but  one  horse;  mother  has  many  a  time  gone  out 
and  cut  an  armful  of  wild  grass  to  feed  the  horse. 

My  mother's  father,  Henry  Way,  of  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  was  killed 
by  lightning. 

Mother  used  to  tell  me  that  we  were  the  first  family  on  White  river, 
and  that  our  cabin  was  fifteen  miles  away  from  any  other  dwelling,  and  that 
for  six  weeks  she  saw  no  white  person's  face  but  that  of  her  own  husband. 
She  used  to  tell  me  that  the  Indians  told  her  when  they  were  at  her  cabin  how 
easily  they  could  have  killed  her  and  sister  while  the  girls  were  milking,  as 
the  Indians  lay  hid  in  the  brush." 

FRANCIS  FRAZIER,    LYNN. 

"I  used  to  kill  many  deer.  Really,  I  was  too  fond  of  it.  My  friends 
tried  to  get  me  to  quit.  George  Sugart,  with  a  committee  of  friends,  under- 
took to  visit  me  to  give  me  advice.  I  managed  to  shun  them  three  times, 
but  the  fourth  time  they  caught  me  at  home,  and  I  could  not  dodge  them. 
They  talked  kindly  and  urged  me  to  lay  aside  my  gun.  I  tried  to  do  so  for 
awhile,  but  'what  is  bread  in  the  bone,  will  break  out  in  the  flesh.' 

One  day  a  boy  told  me  that  some  swine  needed  attention  out  in  the  woods. 
I  went,  taking  my.  gun.  Tying  two  pigs  together  with  my  suspenders,  I  slung 
them  across  my  shoulder,  and  started  for  the  house.  Along  flew  the  hound, 
chasing  some  deer;  pell  mell  they  went  and  I  after  them.  I  tossed  the  pigs 
between  some  logs  and  laid  off  my  shot  pouch;  had  my  coat  on  my  shoulder 
and  lost  it.  I  shot  one  deer,  and  chased  the  other  a  mile  and  a  half,  but  could 
not  get  it.  I  came  back  and  found  the  dead  deer,  a  splendid  buck,  three 
snagged,  three  years  old.  I  hung  it  up,  hide  on,  entrails  out,  and  went  to 
hunt  for  my  pigs.  They  were  gone,  so  were  my  'gallowses,'  and  I  have  never 
seen  them  to  this  day,  though  that  was  fifty  years  ago,  or  more  than  that." 

BEAR    STORY. 

"One  damp,  drizzily  day  I  was  out  hunting,  and  heard  a  hog  squealing 
terribly.  I  ran  toward  the  noise,  perhaps  half  a  mile;  came  to  a  thickety 
pond  and  started  into  it.  I  saw  nothing,  but  still  heard  the  squealing,  and 
also  the  bones  'craunching,'  and  knew  a  bear  was  killing  the  hog.  As  I 
pushed  through  the  thicket,  the  thought  struck  me,  'What  if  I  shoot  and 
she  takes  after  me?  There  is  nothing  for  me  to  climb,  and  I  shall  be  a 
goner.' 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA.  269 

I  turned  and  went  home,  and  got  my  two  brothers  on  horseback  to  come. 
The  dog  ran  in,  the  bear  bit  him,  and  he  bounded  out  yelling  for  dear  life. 
The  bear  bounced  out  too,  and  we  after  him,  jumping  logs,  and  tearing 
through  the  bush  screeching  like  a  thousand  Indians.  The  dogs  treed  the 
the  bear,  I  shot  him,  and  down  he  came  tearing  through  the  branches,  and 
James  rode  up  just  as  the  bear  fell.  We  skinned  it  and  took  the  meat  home, 
but  it  was  too  fat  to  eat.  Once  William  Kiff  came  to  our  house,  and  wanted 
some  venison;  so  we  went  out  to  hunt.  The  day  was  cloudy  and  misty, 
and  I  was  not  in  humor  to  stay  long.  I  said  to  myself,  T  will  go  home; 
Kiff  may  hunt  venison  for  himself,'  All  at  once  a  red  deer  stood  near  me; 
I  shot  and  down  he  came.  It  was  a  grand,  four  snagged  buck,  right  'in 
the  velvet.'  horns  drop  off  in  winter.  In  the  spring  they  begin  to  grow,  and 
the  horns  will  come  with  'points'  or  snags  on,  one  (on  each  horn)  for  every 
year  of  the  deer's  age.  I  have  seen  a  deer  with  thirteen  snags,  seven  on 
one  horn  and  six  on  the  other.  I  dressed  the  deer  and  carried  it  in,  and 
'jerked'  the  meat,  i.  e.,  cooked  it  in  strips  over  a  slow  fire.  Kiff  filled  his 
pockets  with  the  venison   and  went  home  satisfied. 

We  uaed  to  wear  shoes  and  leggings  to  keep  the  snakes  from  biting  us. 
I  have  killed  nine  rattlesnakes  in  one  day.  The  woods  had  plenty  of 
plums  and  grapes. 

One  morning  I  started  toward  White  river  prairie.  Seeing  something 
run  into  a  hollow  log,  I  stuck  my  rifle  into  the  log  and  let  fly,  but  the 
recoil  of  the  rifle  came  near  knocking  me  down.  As  I  went  home,  I 
came  to  a  'maple  flat,'  and  saw  a  great  gray  wolf  coming.  I  whistled  and 
she  stopped,  and  I  shot  at  her.  I  went  to  the  house  and  got  father  and 
Samuel  to  go  back  with  me.  The  old  sinner  had  tried  to  run,  but  she  had 
made  five  or  six  beds  as  she  went,  and  vomited  mutton  at  each  place.  After 
awhile  we  found  her  nearly  dead.  We  used  wolfskins,  instead  of  saddles, 
like  blankets  on  a  horse. 

On  'fifth  day,'  as  we  were  going  to  meeting,  I  said  to  James,  'Let 
us  kill  a  deer  as  we  go  home.'  'All  right,'  said  he.  James'  wife  spoke 
up,  'If  any  deer  is  killed,  James  will  have  it  to  do.'  We  went  after  the  deer, 
and  the  women  went  home.  We  went  to  a  pond  and  saw  deer  tracks. 
There  was  a  sloping  tree  with  roots  turned  up,  and  James  sat  there  watch- 
ing for  deer.  The  bushes  crackled,  and  out  sprang  two  bucks.  One  threw  his 
head  up,  and  I  shot  it  between  the  eyes  and  the  nose,  and  down  he  dropped. 
'Hallo,'  cried  James,  'is  the  deer  down?'  'Yes.'  We  tied  the  feet  and 
carried  it  home  on  a  pole.     'Well,'  said  James'  wife,  'who  killed  the  deer?' 


270  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

'Francis,'   said  James.     She  hated  it  that  I  had  shot  the  deer  instead  of 
her  precious  husband." 

BELL-MAKING. 

"My  father  was  a  bell-maker,  and  so  was  I.  Bells  were  in  great 
demand  then.  Cattle  and  horses  and  sheep  ran  in  the  woods,  and  there 
had  to  be  a  bell  in  the  flock  to  keep  t^em  together.  I  tended  a  little  farm, 
and  would  plow  till  the  flies  would  vex  my  beast,  and  then  go  and  work 
in  the  shop,  making  bells.  In  that  way  I  would  make  $17  to  $22  worth 
in  a  single  week.  They  sold  from  25  cents  to  $3.50  a  piece.  Those  heavy 
ox  bells  were  large;  they  could  be  heard  easily  four  miles.  I  have  heard 
one  of  them  seven  miles.  (I  questioned  the  accuracy  of  his  memory,  but 
the  old  gentleman  rallied  gallantly  to  the  defense  of  his  bells,  declaring 
that  his  statement  was   simply  the  sober,  actual   fact. — Author.) 

I  would  take  my  saddle-bags  and  stufif  them  with  'nests'  of  bells,  i.  e., 
little  bells  in  bigger  ones,  perhaps  two  dozen  bells,  and  set  out  for  W'inches- 
ter.  The  bells  were  ready  sale,  cash  down.  I  would  trade  for  shoes,  hats, 
anything  needed,  and  tie  them  on  my  horse,  and  go  home  loaded-some  times 
to  the  ^'ery  tail  of  the  horse.  People  would  joke  me,  'Hallo,  there,  got  a 
horseback  grocery?'  'Yes;  can't  you  see  for  yourself,'  I  would  say.  I 
made  the  bells  of  the  best  Juniata  iron.  When  father  died,  the  doctor's  bill 
was  $60.  He  wanted  his  pay  in  bells,  but  I  would  not  do  it,  and  he  took 
a  wagon.  Sometimes  I  used  boiler  iron,  and  sometimes  sheet  iron,  but 
Juniata  (or  Sligo)  iron  was  the  best.  People  would  send  far  ofif  for  my 
bells.  I  sent  $16  worth  to  Fort  Wayne,  and  they  said,  'They  are  the  best 
bells  we  ever  saw."  They  sent  another  order  for  $100  worth,  but  I  could 
not  fill  it.  The  demand  at  home  and  from  Illinois  and  Iowa  movers  was 
more  than  I  could  supply.     I  made  bells  for  over  twenty  years. 

I  was  quite  wild  at  one  time  of  my  life,  and  inclined _to  skepticism.  I 
had  two  nice  horses,  perfect  idols  to  me.  I  would  walk  to  Newport  any  day 
rather  than  ride  either  of  them.  One  day  as  I  was  plowing  I  thought,  'If 
there  is  a  God,  I  wish  he  would  reveal  Himself  to  me  in  some  way  that  I 
may  know  Him !'  Shortly  afterwards,  as  I  was  in  the  house,  and  the  horses 
were  in  the  stable,  suddenly  there  came  a  sharp  flash  of  lightning  and  a 
crashing  thunder  peal.  I  went  to  -the  stable  and  there  were  my  beauties 
with  their  heads  lying  on  a  long  trough.  I  spoke  to  them,  but  they  made  no 
sign.  The  lightning  had  killed  them  both  dead.  It  impressed  me  greatly, 
'Turn,  or  the  next  will  be  thine,'  rang  in  my  soul.     I  did  turn,  and  since  that 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  27I 

time  I  have  tried  in  my  poor,  weak  way  to  serve  the  Lord,  and  I  humbly 
trust  my  Maker  looks  upon  my  feeble  service  with  gracious  favor." 

CHOLERA,  1849. 

"The  rise  of  the  cholera  near  Lynn  (1849)  was  very  strange  and  strik- 
ing. A  cloud  rose  in  the  morning  from  the  east,  with  some  lightning 
and  thunder.  The  lightning  struck  the  ground  at  the  cross  roads  near 
Isaac  Palmer's  east  of  Lynn,  and  there  came  a  terrible  smell.  The  cnolera 
began  the  same  day,  and  ran  along  those  roads  west  and  south.  The  next 
day,  in  the  morning,  when  I  was  at  Newport,  a  neighbor  came  for  a  coffin, 
and  said  'James  Lister  is  dead  with  the  cholera,  sick  only  a  few  hours.'  I 
went  home  instantly.  Henry  Benson  was  taken  also  and  died  that  night. 
Hodgen  died  ako.  Jesse  Williams  came  to  shave  the  corpse,  and  some  one 
said,  'Jesse,  what  is  the  matter?'  He  quit  shaving,  went  out  of  the  door, 
sat  down,  and  in  a  few  minutes  he  was  dead.  Hodgen  and  Williams  lay 
dead  together.  Hodgen's  wife  stayed  all  night  alone  with  the  two  corpses. 
Hodgen's  body  was  taken  away  the  next  morning  for  burial,  and  Williams' 
corpse  lay  there  alone  till  the  next  day.  Twenty-seven  died  in  all.  Dr.  Cook 
came  down  from  Winchester,  saying  that  he  could  cure  it  easily  enough.  He 
went  into  the  field  and  picked  and  ate  blackberries,  and  in  two  or  three 
hours  he  was  dead  himself !" 

Note. — The  writer  of  these  sketches  then  lived  at  the  Union  Literary  In- 
stitute, near  Spantanburg,  and  some  eight  miles  from  Lynn;  and  it  was 
stated  at  the  time  that  six  lay  dead  before  the  one  that  died  first  had  been 
buried.  And  also  that  two  half-grown  lads  had  to  bury  their  father  alone. 
It  was  said  also  that  at  Boston,  six  miles  south  of  Richmond,  Ind.,  the 
first  person  was  taken  sick  at  sunrise,  and  that  before  sundown  six  persons 
lay  dead  in  the  village.  Whether  these  statements  were  true  is  not  now 
known,  but  it  is  certain  that  they  were  made  at  the  time  as  being  matters 
of  current  news,  and  that  they  were  supposed  to  be  correct.  The  writer  well 
recollects  what  fear  pervaded  the  school  at  the  institute  lest  the  dread 
scourge  should  break  out  amongst  them  in  its  terrible  power  as  at  Lynn  and 
elsewhere.  The  boarding  house  of  the  institution  was  filled  with  students, 
and  the  cholera  among  them  would  have  been  an  awful  visitation,  but  by 
God's  mercy  the  fearful  plague  came  no  nearer,  and  they  were  spared.  [See 
also  statements  of  Silas  Johnson  and  William  Pickett,  and  of  Elder  W.  D. 
Stone.] 


272  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

JERE    SMITH_,    1817 READ   AT    OLD    SETTLERS'    MEETING,    JUNE    II,    1864. 

The  subjoined  sketch  is  so  apposite  and  so  well  drawn  that  I  cannot 
forbear  to  transfer  it,  in  substance,  to  my  pages : 

"I  came  to  Indiana,  in  1817,  with  my  father,  William  Smith,  being  twelve 
years  old.  He  stopped  that  spring  near  Garrett's  mill,  on  Green's  Fork,  two 
miles  above  Williamsburg,  In'd.  The  settlers  there  were  mostly  from  the 
same  neighborhood  in  South  Carolina  with  my  father.  David  Young  had 
come  out  in  the  fall  of  181 6,  rented  some  ground  for  father,  and  a  little 
cabin  in  a  new  town  called  Salem,  in  Wayne  county,  extinct  long  ago. 
Father  put  in  a  crop  on  that  land,  and  stayed  there  till  August,  and  then 
went  up  into  Randolph  county.  The  country  all  seemed  k)w  and  like  a 
river  bottom  in  the  jungles.  The  uncleared  land  was  full  of.  ramps,  a  rank, 
ill-smelling  weed,  eagerly  eaten  by  the  cows,  and  utterly  ruining  their  milk. 
They  grew  early,  however,  and  were  soon  gone.  Buckeyes,  nettles,  gnats 
and  mosquitoes  were  very  plenty.  In  May,  I  saw  the  first  Indians.  An  Indian 
family  camped  on  the  bank  of  the  branch  near  Salem.  I  was  terribly 
afraid,  for  all  I  had  ever  read  Or  heard  of  cruel  bloody  savages  came 
thronging  up  to  my  mind.  However,  I  ventured  up  after  awhile,  and  got 
over  my  scare.  After  that,  an  old  Indian,  called  Johnny-  Green,  from 
whom  Green's  Fork  was  named,  used  to  come  and  talk  with  us.  He  would  get 
half  drunk,  and  then  the  way  he  would,  talk  was  a  wonder.  He  would 
tell  of  Wayne's  fight  with  the  Indians  on  the  Maumee.  He  said,  acting  it 
out  as  he  talked,  'Injun  hide  in  timber,  heap  Injun.  White  man  come,  heap 
white  man.  Injun  shoot,  heap  shoot.  White  man  get  in  a  row.  Injun  heap 
shoot,  heap  shoot.  Bimeby  old  Anthony  get  mad,  heap  mad!  Gallop  horse 
along  row,  heap  halloo,  hoo-ee,  hoo-ee,  hoo-ee.' 

'White  man  come,  heap  come,  keep  come,  Anthony  heap  holloo,  hoo-ee, 
hoo-ee,  Injun  shoot,  heap  shoot,  white  man  keep  come,  then  Injun  run,  run, 
run,  heap  run.  Me  run,  run,  heap  run.  Bimeby  me  come  to  a  swamp,  me  jump 
in — yoo-ook,  sink  down,  hide,  night  come,  me  slip  away.'  It  excited  .me 
greatly  to  hear  the  old  Indian  savage  act  out  this  scene,  and  tell  the  tale 
of  this  great  battle,  and  the  picture  remains  in  my  mind  vivid  to  this  day. 
In  July,  181 7,  father  entered  fractional  sections  5  and  6,  town  18,  range  13 
east,  near  the  head  of  West  Fork  of  White  Water,  now  in  Randolph,  but 
then  in  Wayne,  just  east  of  the  new  boundary,  and  two  or  three  miles  farther 
up  than  any  other  settler,  like  the  Nolan's  Fork  settlers  three  years  before, 
on  the  utmost  verge  of  civilization.    We  laid  our  corn  by,  helped  Uncle  George 


o 
d 

H 
O 
O 


UANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA,  27,5 

Smith  through  harvest  and  haying,  and  then  August  i8,  1817,  father  took 
his  team  and  wagon,  my  two  older  brothers,  David  and  Carey,  and  myself, 
and  went  out.  to  his  land,  several  miles  through  the  woods,  to  build  a 
cabin.  We  stayed  all  night  at  old  William  Blount's  (the  Zimmerman  farm), 
and  the  next  morning  went  on,  cutting  a  road  as  we  went.  A  little  after  noon 
we  got  to  the  spot,  the  top  of  the  hill  where  my  father  buiTt,  and  where 
he  spent  the  rest  of  his  days.  We  cleared  the  bushes  away,  turned  the  horses 
to  the  feed  trough  on  the  tongue,  and  went  to  work.  In  a  week  we  had 
a  cabin  up  and  covered,  and  had  made  a  fire-place  and  chimney  up  to  the 
funnel  with  dirt  back  and  jambs,  but  the  house  had  no  floor.  Father  and  one 
brother  went  back  to  bring  the  family  and  things,  but  my  other  brother  and 
myself  stayed  there  and  cleared  a  patch  for  turnips.  The  next  week  the 
family  came,  and  we  sowed  our  turnips.  We  had  a  few  small  late  ones  that 
fall.  We  hewed  logs  and  built  a  house  in  October,-  and  had  it  floored  and 
ready  in  December.  In  the  winter  we  cleared  two  acres  in  the  creek 
bottom,  smooth  for  meadow,  and  sowed  it  in  timothy ;  also  six  acres,  "eighteen 
inches  and  under,'  for  corn,  and  built  a  smith  shop  for  father  to  work  at  his 
trade  in.     He  was  a  blacksmith. 

William  Blount  lived  highest  up  the  creek,  but  one  of  his  sons-in-law 
built  a  cabin  about  one-fourth  mile  above  him,  and  another  son-in-law 
lived  on  the  same  section. 

John  Proctor  lived  just  below  on  section  17.  Evan  Shoemaker  had  the 
north  end,  and  Griffin  Davis  the  south  end  of  fractional  section  18. 

John  Jordan  (and  his  son,  William)  lived  on  section  19,  in  Wayne 
county.  Thomas  Brower  and  John  Gwynn  lived  below  on  the  same  section. 
James  Malcom  was  on  the  northeast  cjuarter  of  section  17,  ana  Henry  Shoe- 
maker lived  with  him.  Samuel  Sales,  Arny  Hall,  and  David  Jones,  lived  on 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  17.  Isaac  Barnes  and  John  C.  Hodge 
(brothers-in-law),  from  Beaver  couijty,  Penn.,  had  entered  land  and  built 
cabins.  They  went  back  for  their  families,  and  returned  in  the  spring  of 
18 1 8,  by  boat,  down  the  Ohio  to  Cincinnati,  and  thence  by  land.  Mr. 
Barnes'  cabin  stood  on  section  7,  across  the  creek  from  where  Blount  lived, 
and  where  Barrett  Barnett  lived  a  few  years  ago.  Mr.  Hodge's  dwelling 
stood  on  section  8,  near  and  south  of  where  my  father  built,  and  where 
Emerson  Street  lived  ten  years  ago.    So  Mr.  Hodge  was  our  nearest  neighbor. 

The  country  was  thickly  covered  with  a  tall,  heavy  forest,  having  a  dense 
undergrowth  of  shrubs,  wild  grass  and  weeds.  I  will  name  the  trees  most 
abundant:  first,  beech,  sugar  tree,  ash,  three  varieties,  gray,  blue  and  swamp; 
(18) 


274  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

oak,  five  varieties,  white,  red,  burr,  pin,  and  river;  poplar;  w^alnut — white 
and  black;  elm — red  or  slippery,  and  white  or  hickory;  hickory — white  or 
shell-bark,  and  black  or  pignut;  buckeye,  linn,  wild-maple,  hackberry,  coffee- 
nut,  honey-locust,  cottonwood.  The  undergrowth  was  spice-bush,  iron-wood 
water-beech,  horn-beam,  prickly  ash,  dog-wood,  kunnekanic  (Indian  name — 
tree  now  extinct),  red-bud,  papaw,  wild-plumb,  red  and  black  haw,  sassafras. 
In  swamps  there  were  black-alder,  willow,  thorn,  crab-apple,  young  cotton- 
wood.  Weeds  and  grasses  were  nettles,  pea-vines,  may-apple,  ginseng,  ferns, 
black  snake-root,  seneca-root,  silk-weed,  ramps  (soon  extinct),  bear-grass, 
file-grass,  skunk's  cabbage,  pond  lily,  cats-tail. 

In  clearings,  there  were  butter  weeds,  thistles,  mullen,  dog  fennel;  in 
tilled  lands,  Spanish  needles  and  touch-me-nots. 

The  game  was  deer,  squirrels — gray,  red  and  black;  turkeys,  pheasants 
and  bears.  Other  wild  animals — wolves,  racoons,  ground  hogs,  opossums, 
porcupines,  wild  cats,  foxes,  panthers,  mink,  otters  and  polecats.  Wild  bees 
were  abundant. 

People  helped  each  other  roll  logs,  raise  buildings  and  husk  corn,  often 
going  several  miles  for  that  purpose.  For  milling,  people  haa  to  go  to  Mil- 
ton, or  even  to  Connersville.  My  father  got  a  pair  of  hand  mill-stones,  and 
we  ground  meal  upon  them,  rather  than  go  so  far  to  mill.  We  also  beat 
hominy  in  a  mortar,  and  used  that  and  potatoes  and  squashes  and  pumpkins 
instead  of  bread.  My  father  finally  had  his  mill-stones  geared,  and  much 
of  the  corn  of  the  neighborhood  was  ground  upon  them.  Two  turning  would 
grind  pretty  well,  but  four  would  rattle  it  out  finely." 

CLOTHING. 

"Our  clothing  was  made  of  flax,  wool  and  deer-skin,  all  home  made. 
There  was  no  money  to  buy  "store  clothes,'  and  very  few  to  be  bought. 
Trade  was  mostly  by  barter.  Peltry,  Jioney,  beeswax  ( for  there  were  bees, 
both  wild  and  tame),  etc.,  were  traded  for  salt,  iron  (which  always  had 
to  be  bought),  and  sometimes  for  leather,  though  many  tanned  their  own 
leather,  and  many  wore  only  moccasins.  Hides  were  tanned  in  great  troughs 
made  from  trunks  of  large  trees  chopped  out  hollow. 

Winter  clothing  was  coon-skin  caps,  dressed  deer-skin  hunting  shirts, 
pants  and  moccasins.  Summer  wear  was  linen,  straw  hats,  bare-feet  or 
moccasins.  AVe  often  got  moccasins  from  the  Indians  for  corn,  butter, 
hominy,  salt,  etc.     The  people,  though  now  they  would  be  called  rough  and 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  275 

uncouth,  were  yet  neighborly,  kind,  sociable  and  affectionate,  and  intelligent 
and  moral  withal. 

The  wild  range  was  good  for  many  years,  and  we  soon  had  plenty  of 
cattle,  which  furnished  abundance  of  milk,  butter  and  meat,  with  hides  and 
tallow  to  buy  salt,  iron  and  leather.  From  1821  to  1828,  a  common  way  to 
trade  was,  so  many  young  cattle  for  a  thing,  for  (say)  a  norse,  yoke  of 
oxen,  piece  of  land,  etc.,  and  anything  from  six  months  to  three  years  old 
was  'counted  in.'  If  the  parties  could  not  agree,  the  price  was  settled  by 
referees.  Sometimes  so  many  bushels  of  wheat  or  corn  would  be  the  price. 
In  1826-27,  money  began  to  appear  somewhat,  and  barter  became  less  frequent. 
However,  in  the  spring  of  1838,  I  traded  a  large,  rather  ugly  four-year-old 
horse,  and  a  half -worn  dragon-bitted  bridle,  for  a  forty-acre  lot  a  mile  west 
of  ^\'inchester,   no  price  being  named  in  the  trade." 

CLEARING  LAND. 

"Clearing  land  was  done  thus :  'One  foot  and  under,'  or  'eighteen  inches 
and  under,'  i.  e.,  all  below  twelve  or  eighteen  inches,  were  cut,  and  they  and 
the  'grub'  and  old  logs  were  all  burned  up..  The  rest  were  deadened  by 
'girdling'  ( /.  e.,  cutting  through  the  bark,  or  the  sap),  or  by  burning  brush 
heaps  around  the  trees.  If  girdling  to  the  'red,'  the  tree  would  die  immediately; 
if  only  through  the  bark,  it  would  take  two  or  three  or  four  years,  soonest  if 
deadened  in  August.  The  deadened  trees  would  fall  more  or  less,  and  the 
land  would  have*  to  be  recleared  each  season  for  several  years.  Many,  about 
the  fourth  year,  would  cut  down  everything  standing,  and  clear  the  land 
fully.  The  trees  would  be  made  into  proper  lengths  for  rolling  by  'niggering,' 
i.  c.  burning  the  trunks  into  pieces  by  piling  large  Hmbs  and  chunks  across, 
and  keeping  tires  across  the  tree-trunks.  Attending  to  these  fires  was  called 
'watching  the  niggers.'  I  have  done  it  many  times,  attending  sometimes  a 
hundred  fires  in  one  job.  Sometimes,  at  first,  land  was  cleared  in  the  green, 
but  as  soon  as  they  could,  it  would  be  done  by  deadening,  and  mostly  in 
August,  by  cutting  the  undergrowth,  with  stubs  a  foot  or  so  long;  nearly 
all  would  rot  or  die  out  the  third  year.  The  whole  might  be  cleared  by 
cutting  and  cross-piling  and  firing,  with  but  little  labor." 

BIRDS   AND   '■'varmints." 

"When  the  land  was  cleared  'in  the  green,'  the  birds,  etc.,  for  three  or 
four  years   would  nearly  take   the  crop.     The  trees   left   standing  would 


276  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

afford  them  ample  refuge,  and  they  would  take  heavy  toll.  In  1821  or 
1822,  a  general  inroad  of  turkeys,  birds,  squirrels,  raccoons,  and  even  bears, 
passed  the  West  river  settlement  toward  the  south.  Much  of  the  crops  were 
destroyed.  The  creatures  crossed  over  the  Ohio  into  Kentucky ;  vast  numbers 
were  slaughtered  as  they  passed;  I  once  killed  three  turkeys  from  one  flock, 
and  my  father  and  brothers,  five  more,  making  eight  in  all.  The  little 
boys  used  to  be  kept  going  round  the  fields,  'hallooing'  and  screaming,  to 
keep  the  birds  away;  sometimes  yelling  themselves  hoarse." 

"pigeon  roost." 

"In  the  fall  and  winter  of  1821-22,  a  pigeon  roost  was  made  between 
father's  and  Huntsville,  on  the  southwest  quarter  section  33,  township  18, 
range  13,  and  northwest  quarter  of  section  4,  township  18,  range  13.  They 
began  in  October  or  November,  and  stayed  to  lay  and  hatch  the  next  spring. 
They  would  begin  to  come  about  sun-down,  and  keep  coming  till  8  or  9 
o'clock  at  night;  some  flocks  would  be  more  than  a  mile  long.  There  must 
have  been  millions  of  the  birds;  on  still  nights,  we  could  hear  their  noise 
to  our  house,  a  mile  and  a  half.  People  would  go  there  by  night  and  kill 
them  by  hundreds,  coming  from  Martindale  creek,  and  even  from  Green's 
Fork.  The  birds  would  lay  their  eggs  in  March,  two  in  a  nest,  hatch  and  fly 
away,  such  as  were  left.    I  have  seen  but  few  for  many  years." 

'FALLEN    TIMBER.' 

"In  1824,  a  terrible  hurricane  passed  over  my  father's  house.  It  was  the 
second  Sunday  in  July — the  regular  monthly  meeting  of  the  Baptist  church 
at  Salem,  of  which  my  father  and  mother  were  members.  My  brother, 
David,  and  myself  had  been  there  and  were  going  home;  hence  it  took  place 
July  II,  1824,  at  5  p.  m.  As  we  were  going  along  the  Jacksonburg  road, 
near  the  county  line,  we  saw  a  black  cloud  rising  in  the  west  and  we  stopped 
in  an  empty  cabin,  hitching  our  colts  near  by.  The  cloud  roared  terribly, 
and  the  sky  became  suddenly  dark;  in  five  minutes  it  grew  as  dark  as  a 
starlight  night ;  no  sound  was  heard  for  twenty  or  thirty  minutes  but  a  deep, 
dead,  tremendous  roar ;  I  heard  no  rain,  no  thunder,  no  trees  falling,  nothing 
but  that  awful  roar,  deep,  dead  and  loud;  it  stopped  quite  suddenly,  and  the 
sky  grew  bright  again;  on  going  out,  we  saw  there  had  been  a  heavy  rain, 
and  many  trees,  both  dead  and  green,  had  been  blown  down  around  us.  We 
started  again  for  home,  two  miles  north ;  some  trees  had  fallen  across  the  road, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  277 

but  we  got  to  old  John  Zimmerman's  (Blount's)  place,  with  little  trouble. 
He  .and  his  boys  were  out  fixing  the  fence  to  save  the  crops;  forty  or 
fifty  rods  of  fence  were  flat,  and  many  trees  also.  John  Zimmerman  said  (he 
was  Dutch),  'You  can't  kit  home,  te  trees  is  all  blown  acrost  te  rote.'  We 
said,  'We  will  try.'  David  said,  'Our  colts  can  go  through  the  brush  where 
a  wild  cat  can't.'  The  farther  we  went  the  worse  it  got.  The  thick  tim- 
ber began  one  quarter  of  a  mile  above,  and  for  a  half  mile  to  the  creek  cross- 
ing there  had  been  no  clearing,  but  it  had  been  dense,  unbroken  forest.  As 
we  entered  the  mass  of  crushed  and  fallen  timber,  we  tried  to  follow  the 
track  till  we  got  to  where  Elijah  Arnold  built,  and  his  widow  Rhoda  still  lives 
(1864).  We  could  get  no  further;  it  was  nearly  dark,  and  stripping  the 
bridles  and  old  riding  quilts  from  the  heads  and  backs  of  the  colts,  we 
shouldered  the  things  and  put  for  home.  The  poor  fillies  neighed  most 
pitifully  as  we  left  them;  we  got  home  before  long,  they  came  three  days 
afterwards.  They  never  told  us  how  they  got  through,  neither  can  I  imagine, 
but  they  made  it  somehow,  we  found  the  family  unhurt,  frightened  at  the 
terrible  storm,  but  thankful  for  safety.  Most  of  the  roof  was  blown  off, 
weight  poles  and  all ;  some  of  the  clap-boards  were  carried  200  yards  or  more ; 
the  body  of  the  house  was  hewed  logs,  and  they  stood  firm.  Early  the  next 
morning,  the  whole  neighborhood  set  to  work,  righting  up  houses,  building 
fences,  etc.,  and  on  Thursday,  we  got  the  road  opened  again.  Half  a  mile 
south  of  father's,  a  sound,  thrifty-growing  beech  tree  was  twisted  like  a 
hickory  withe,  from  two  to  eight  feet  above  the  ground,  and  was  lying  down 
all  whole  except  that  twist.  It  would  seem  that  the  tree  had  been  bent  over, 
and  that  while  falling,  it  had  been  'whirled'  by  the  tornado,  and  the  tree 
was  so  tough  and  green  that  it  would  not  break,  but  just  twisted  like  a 
withe.  I  helped  cut  the  tree  out  of  the  road;  it  had  stood  west  of  the  track 
and  lay  a  little  north  of  east.  Another  fact,  at  John  E.  Hodge's  house, 
300  yards  south  of  father's,  a  twelve  or  fifteen  gallon  iron  sugar  kettle 
had  been  leaning  against  the  southeast  corner  of  the  cabin,  a  low,  one-story 
building.  The  wind  moved  the  kettle  three  or  four  feet,  and  turned  it  bottom- 
tipward.  Mr.  Hodge's  cabin  was  wholly  unroofed,  and  some  of  the  ribs 
and  logs  were  thrown  out  of  place;  the  wind  was  stronger  there  than  at 
fathers',  being  300  yards  nearer  the  center  of  the  storm.  How  far  west 
or  how  high  up  in  the  air  the  storm  was  formed  I  never  knew;  it  seems 
to  have  struck  the  timber  at  the  Randolph  and  Henry  line;  its  course  was 
about  due  east,  and  nearly  in  a  straight  line,  verging  slightly  south.  The 
extent  of  the  storm  was  about  six  miles  from  west  to  east;  it  seems  to 
have  come  down  to  the  timber  about  the  county  line,  and  to  have  come 


278  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

nearer  and  widened  for  two  and  a  half  miles,  then  to  have  ground  and  crush- 
ed everything  in  its  reach,  for  about  one  and  a  half  miles  in  length,  and  a 
mile  in  width;  then  it  seemed  to  rise  or  grow  weaker,  till  at  length  it  ap- 
peared to  pass  entirely  above  the  timber.  My  father's  house  and  the  road 
we  traveled  were  nearly  a  mile  west  of  where  its  effect  ceased,  and  its 
crashing  track  was  about  half  a  mile  wide  there,  its  whole  track  being  at 
that  point  about  three  miles  from  north  to  south;  not  quite  a  mile  west, 
the  crashing  power  was  a  mile  wide,  and  for  two  miles  farther  west,  the 
crashing  force  was  a  mile  from  one  to  one  and  a  quarter  miles.  That  whole 
region  was  a  dense  virgin  forest,  and  the  storm  threw  down  all  the  timber 
in  one  immense  mass.  Some  four  miles  west,  a  road  had  been  opened 
north  and  south;  that  road  was  utterly  blocked,  and  for  years  was  wholly 
impassable  for  man  or  beast.  This  space,  four  miles  east  and  west,  and  a  mile 
-  or  so  north  and  south,  was  called  the  'fallen  timber.'  Some  ten  years 
later  the  settlers  began  to  enter  and  clear  the  lands  and  the  tract  is  now 
occupied  by  fine  farms. 

So  far  as  known,  no  person  and  no  animal  was  killed  or  injured,  which 
is,  indeed,  a  wonderful  fact." 

[Note. — It  is  stated  elsewhere  that  a  cow  was  killed  belonging  to  Isaac 
Branson.     See  Reminiscences  of  Mrs.  Anna  Retz  above. 

URIAH   BALL    (1817). 

"When  father  first  came  west  (1817),  not  being  satisfied  with  Warren 
county,  Ohio,  he  took  a  flat-boat  and  floated  down  the  Ohio  and  the  Miss- 
issippi, stopping  first  in  Tennessee,  near  Chickasaw  Blufifs;  he  bought  out  an 
improvement  there  and  located,  but  sickness  soon  drove  us  away  from  that 
region,  and  he  went  across  the  river  to  Little  Prairie,  Mo.  Before  long  he 
turned  his  face  northward  again,  coming  back  through  Kentucky  to  Warren 
county,  Ohio.  The  first  Indian  I  ever  saw  was  near  Chickasaw  Bluffs, 
Tenn.  I  was  afraid  of  him,  and  tried  to  hide  behind  father ;  but  the  Indian 
(all  painted  and  feathered)  would  'peek'  around  father  at  me,  to  scare  me, 
I  suppose. 

The  great  earthquake  had  occurred  a  few  years  before  (1811-12),  and 
at  Little  Prairie  we  would  often  come  to  great  'cracks.'  in  the  ground  several 
feet  wide.  Sometimes  trees  would  be  standing  split  partly  open,  and  'astrad- 
dle' of  the  crack.  Two  miles  from  Little  Prairie,  there  had  been. before  the 
earthquake  a  lake  of  considerable  size.  The  earthquake  so  raised  the  land 
as  to  'spill  all  the  water  out,'  and  the  bottom  was  at  that  time  two  feet 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  279 

higher  than  the  surrounding  land.  Outside  the  lake  were  trees  and  cane- 
brakes,  but  in  the  lake  ground  were  only  great  weeds  like  sun-flower  weeds, 
"called  by  the  French  'wample-pins.' 

The  earth  had  not  done  shaking  yet,  for  as  I  lay  on  the  cabin  floor  sick 
with  the  ague,  the  house  and  the  doors,  and  the  dishes  would  rattle  with 
the  shaking  of  the  earth ;  and  as  we  were  on  the  Mississippi,  the  water  would 
'ripple'  as  though  there  was  a  heavy  shower,  while  yet  the  sky  was  clear 
and  the  air  still. 

In  New  Madrid  the  houses  had  been  cracked  and  twisted  by  the"  earth- 
quake, and  stood  so  yet  when  we  were  there  (although  some  years  after 
the  earthquake  had  occurred). 

I  sat  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi  and  looked  across  the  river 
with  a  spy-glass  at  the  deer  and  the  bears  as  they  would  come  down  to  the 
river  to  drink,  standing  upon  the  eastern  shore." 

[Air.  Ball  now  resides  at  Union  City,  aged  and  feeble.] 

JUDITH    (WILSON)    way    (1817). 

"I  was  born  in  Carolina  in  1807,  and  was  in  my  tenth  year  when  father 
emigrated  to  Indiana  in  18 16-17. 

On  the  first  day  of  December,  1816,  a  large  company  of  emigrants 
set  out  from  South  Carolina,  bound  for  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  as  fol- 
lows: Paul  W.  Way  and  family,  five  in  number;  John  Way  and  family, 
six  in  number;  John  Moorman  and  family,  six  in  number;  Benjamin  Beverly 
and  family,  six  in  number;  George  T.  Wilson  and  family,  five  in  number; 
Armsbee  Diggs  and  family,  two  in  number  they  were  relatives  by  blood,  or 
marriage,  or  both.  Paul  W.  and  John  Way  were  brothers.  George  T.  Wil- 
son had  married  John  Moorman's  daughter. 

Benjamin  Beverly's  wife  was  Paul  Way's  sister,  as  also  was  Armsbee 
Diggs'  wife.  Thus  there  were  six  men  with  their  wives  and  eighteen  children, 
making  thirty  in  all.  We  had  four  wagons,  to  wit:  One  two-horse  wagon, 
two  five-horse  wagons,  one  four-horse  wagon.  John  Moorman  (with  his 
son-in-law,  George  Wilson),  had  a  two-horse  wagon  and  a  five-horse  wagon; 
Paul  W.  Way  (with  Benjamin  Beverly,  his  brother-in-law),  had  one  five- 
horse  wagon.  John  Way  (with  Armsbee  Diggs,  his  son-in-law),  had  one 
four-horse  wagon,  making  sixteen  horses  in  all. 

We  overtook  families  of  emigrants  in  every  variety  of  locomotion;  some 
had  only  pack  horses,  and  sometimes  there  would  be  a  whole  family  with  a 
single  horse.     I  remember  one  such  in  particular.     They  had  a  little  knot 


28o  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

of  a  horse  piled  up  with  goods,  with  two  or  three  children  on  top  and  the 
woman  and  baby  besides.  The  whole  cry  was  'to  get  to  Indiana,'  ho  mat- 
ter how,  so  as  only  to  reach  that  paradise  beyond  the  Ohio. 

As  I  said,  we  started  from  Carolina  December  i,  1816,  and  we  reached 
Williamsburg,  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  February  2'j,  181 7. 

Our  route  lay  across  Blue  Ridge,  over  the  Holston,  along  French 
Broad  and  Crooked  rivers,  through  Sawanna  gap,  over  Cumberland  Moun- 
tains, and  so  through  Tennessee  and  Kentucky  to  the  Ohio  river  at  Cincin- 
nati. We  camped  on  New  Year's  night  on  a  very  high  blufif  on  French 
Broad,  with  steps  cut  down  to  the  river.  We  saw  a  live  alligator,  which  to 
us  children  was  an  unusual  sight.  There  was  a  severe  snow-storm  as  we  were 
on  top  of  the  Cumberland  Mountains,  and  we  had  snow  and  cold  weather 
from  there  all  the  way  through.  The  Ohio  river  was  frozen  over,  and  we 
crossed  on  the  ice ;  boys  were  skating,  and  ladies  and  gentlemen  were  riding 
in  sleighs  on  the  river.  Our  folks  were  afraid  to  cross  with  their  heavy 
wagons  and  big  teams;  and  the  men  went  over  to  Cincinnati  and  got  men 
to  come  with  long  ropes  and  haul  the  wagons  across  the  ice  in  that  way. 
The  hind  wheels  of  Paul  Way's  wagon  (which  was  the  last  one  to  cross), 
broke  through  the  ice,  and  it  was  hard  work  to  get  the  wagon  out  and  across, 
but  they  succeeded.  George  Wilson  (my  father),  was  likely  to  have  been 
drowned.  He  fell  into  an  air  hole  up  to  his  neck,  and  came  near  being 
sucked  under  the  ice ;  but  he  held  to  the  ice  and  the  men  pulled  him  out. 

We  met  a  tribe  of  Indians  (I  think  somewhere  in  Kentucky),  going  home 
with  their  ponies  and  their  squaws.  They  had  been  to  make  peace,  and  to 
get  their  pay  and  their  presents.  There  were  500  or  more  of  them,  men 
and  women  on  ponies  with  the  chief.  Our  company  were  greatly  alarmed, 
but  the  Indians  did  us  no  harm.  They  asked  for  tobacco  and  bread,  and 
they  got  what  they  asked  for,  so  far  as  our  folks  had  them.  We  were 
very  glad  to  get  along  with  them  so  easily  as  that.  They  went  on  their 
way,  and  our  people  passed  on  toward  the  Ohio,  thankful  to  escape  so 
cheaply. 

That  winter  journey  was  a  severe  one,  and  to  look  back  it  is  not  easy 
to  see  how  we  were  able  to  get  safely  through.  But  by  God's  mercy  we 
were  spared  to  come  safe  to  our  looked-for  haven,  and  to  reach  the  friends 
who  had  already  made  the  trip,  and  to  meet  them  in  joy  and  thankfulness 
of  heart." 

This  is  understood  to  have  been  the  first  company  of  emigrants  to 
White  river  in  Randolph  county. 

"Paul  W;  Way,  Henry  H.  Way,  William  Way,  Robert  Way  and  Will- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  28 1 

iam  Diggs  had  gone  up  White  river  from  its  mouth  through  the  woods  to 
Randolph  county.  Paul  Way  had  gone  back  to  Carolina  to  pilot  the  com- 
pany through,  and  the  others  had  stayed  in  Indiana.  Henry  Way  and  Will- 
iam Diggs  went  down  to  Wayne  county  during  the  fall  and  winter,  and  were 
married,  and  William  Diggs  and  his  wife  are  understood  to  have  been  the 
first  family  who  settled  on  White  river  in  Randolph  county.  Fannie  Hill, 
of  Jericho,  oldest  daughter  of  William  Diggs,  says  her  mother  lived  there 
for  six  weeks  without  seeing  a  white  face,  except  probably  her  husband)." 

Such  moving  and  such  settlements  as  this  would  not  very  well  suit 
modern  notions  of  pride  and  comfort.  But  such  was  the  way  of  the  pioneers, 
and  thus  this  goodly  heritage  gained  its  brave  and  hardy  settlers. 

The  Ways,  the  Wrights,  the  Moormans,  the  Diggs,  the  Pucketts,  the 
Hills,  and  many  others  were  numerous  and  noted  in  early  times  among 
the  primitive  settlers,   and  many  of  their  descendants  still  remain. 

[Note. — Truth  compels  us  to  state  that  the  romantic  travel  up  White 
river  from  near  its  mouth  to  the  neighborhood  of  Winchester,  is  declared 
by  William  Diggs,  Jr.,  one  of  the  party  who  is  supposed  to  have  made 
the  wonderful  trip,  to  be  wholly  a  "myth;"  that  their  j.ourney  was  simply 
from  Henry  county  over  into  Randolph,  far  enough  indeed,  but  by  no  means 
such  a  journey  as  a  trip  the  whole  length  of  White  river  would  have  been.] 

[Note.  2 — Jesse  Way,  who  says  he,  too,  was  a  lad  in  the  same  com- 
pany of  emigrants,  though  younger  than  Judith  Wilson,  insists  that  the 
party  saw  no  company  of  Indians  like  that  of  which  she  speaks.  It  is 
difficult  to  see  how  she  could  imagine  the  fact,  more  so  than  to  consider 
that  Jesse  may  have  forgotten  the  circumstance.] 

[Note  3. — Another  and  perhaps  a  more  serious  objection  to  the  cor- 
rectness of  her  memory,  is  the  question  what  Indians  they  could  have  been, 
and  whither  they  were  going.  However,  Aunt  Judith  insists  that  they  met  the 
Indians,  let  them  be  who  they  might  be,  and  no  matter  where  they  had  been 
or  where  they  might  be  going.] 

WILLIAM    PEACOCK. 

"Jessup's  mill,  on  Greenville  creek,  was  built  some  years  before  Cox's 
mill  was,  on  White  river. 

When  I  was  a  little  boy,  say  six  years  old,  I  used  to  go  with  some  older 
boys  to  carry  dinner  to  the  men  who  were  building  Cox's  mill,  on  White 

river. 

For  a  long  time  there  were  no  ministers  belonging  to  Jericho  meeting. 


282  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

John  Jones  came  about  1835.  Benjamin  Cox  belonged  to  White  river,  and  he 
used  often  to  exercise  at  Jericho.  Mr.  Robinson  has  been  a  minister  about 
fifteen  years. 

The  early  settlers  were  Henry  Hill,  Benoni  Hill,  Amos  Peacock,  Abram 
Peacock,  Stanton  Bailey,  Jeremiah  Cox,  William  Pickett,  Joshua  Buckingham. 

The  Shockney  family  did  not  come  for  years  afterwards — not  till  I 
was  grown." 

GEORGE  AND  ASENATH  THOMAS,    1818. 

Asenath  (Hill)  Thomas  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  in  1815,  and  was 
brought  to  Jericho,  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1818.  Jeremiah  Cox  en- 
tered land  in  the  neighborhood  before  Henry  Hill  came.  Abram  and  Amos 
Peacock  were  the  first  settlers  there.  They  came,  also,  in  1818,  but  before 
Henry  Hill  did.  A  Mr.  Kennedy  lived  up  White  river,  three  miles  away, 
near  Mount  Zion.  Mrs.  Thomas  says,  "We  used  to  'neighbor'  with  them,  they 
lived  so  near  us.  We  went  by  a  'blazed  path'  through  the  woods.  An  'Indian 
trail'  passed  from  the  north  and  west  through  Jericho,  and-  past  old  Benja- 
min Thomas',  east  of  Newport.  The  Indians  would  go  in  companies,  fifteen 
or  twenty  pack-horses  at  one  time.  They  would  call  at  father's  (Henry 
Hill's)  for  bread  and  milk.  They  thought  milk  was  a  wonderful  treat. 
They  would  bring  hickory  kernels,  moccasins,  baskets,  etc.,  to  exchange  for 
corn,  meal,  salt,  etc.  One  of  their  chiefs  was  named  Johnny  Cornstalk.  He 
often  passed,  and  was  always  friendly.  He  was  a  stout,  heavy  man,  with 
large  limbs  and  high  cheek  bones.  He  would  come  in  and  stay  and  talk 
and  laugh  and  enjoy  himself  for  hours  with  us.  The  Indians  mostly  talked 
ver)-  broken  English,  but  he  spoke  our  language  quite  well. 

There  was  one  bad  Indian;  the  tribe  had  driven  him  off.  He  skulked 
round  among  the  whites.  'Finally  he  shot  a  white  man,  and  another  white 
man  shot  him  and  wounded  him,  and  still  another  man  killed  him.  The 
Indians  would  not  take  him  after  he  was  wounded.  The  poor  fellow  got 
Mr.  Lewallyn,  of  Ridgeville,  to  take  him  in.  Mr.  Lewallyn  sent  to  the  In- 
dians to  come  and  get  him.  They  said  'No  bad  Indian;  don't  want  him.' 
The  man  whom  the  Indian  shot,  found  that  he  was  at  Lewallyn's,  and  came 
there  and  shot  him  as  he  lay  wounded  in  bed."  [This  was  Fleming.  See 
other  accounts  elsewhere.] 

"Friends'  ^Meeting  at  Jericho  was  established  about  182 1.  They  built 
a  log-cabin  church,  no  windows,  but  merely  holes,  with  shutters.     The  seats 


UANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  283 

vvtre  ptiles,  with  legs.  The  women's  side  had  a  big  fire-place;  the  men's  side 
had  a  hearth  in  the  middle,  with  a  hole  above  to  let  the  smoke  out.  They 
would  use  coals  from  the  fire-place,  with  bark,  etc.,  that  would  not  smoke 
much.' 

Benoni  Hill,  Henry  Hill,  Amos  Peacock,  Abram  Peacock,  Elijah  Cox 
and  Wm.  Cox  formed  the  meeting.  The  first  preacher  was  John  Jones,  1835. 
The  first  school  was  in  1822  or  1823,  taught  by  Mariam  Hill,  consisting  of 
twenty  or  twenty-five  pupils,  in  Friends'  meeting-house.  Father  Henry  Hill 
once  went  to  Richmond  to  work  for  money  to  pay  his  taxes,  $1.  He  could  get 
work  at  25  cents  per  day.  John  Charles  lent  him  $1,  and  he  came  back  and  .paid 
them.  He  has  taken  bacon  to  Richmond,  and  sold  it  at  $1  a  hundred,  half 
in  trade.  Eggs  and  chickens,  for  awhile,  were  no  sale  at  all.  Bye  and  bye 
we  could  get  3  cents  a  dozen  for  eggs,  at  Winchester. 

The  first  mill  on  White  river,  in  this  region,  was  Jeremiah  Cox's — 
a  water  mill;  a  corn  mill  at  first,  then  a  flour  mill  also.  The  first  run  was 
gray  heads;  the  other  run  was  buhrs'  from  abroad.  It  was  built  in  1825, 
and  stood  forty-five  years.    It  was  somewhat  famous  in  its  day. 

The  lumber  for  Jeremiah  Cox's  house,  owned  now  by  Simon  Cox — 
house  still  standing — was  hauled  fifty-two  years  ago  from  Richmond,  and 
from  Uncle  Elijah  Thomas'  saw-mill,  near  Newport. 

Henry  Hill  lived  in  a  pole  cabin,  fourteen  by  sixteen  feet;  no  windows, 
but  a  hole  for  four  lights,  with  a  shutter.  He  made  a  sash  with  his  pocket- 
knife,  put  in  the  lights,  and  then  we  had  a  witidow,  and  were  grand  for  a 
fact !  Our  hearth  was  rock  and  dirt  pounded  together.  Cattle  would  get  fat 
on  the  wild  pea-vines,  etc.,  but  they  died  with  what  was  called  the  'bloody 
murrain.'  They  were  fat  and  full  of  tallow,  but  they  would  be  taken  sick  and 
die  in  a  few  hours.  Father  had  four  heifers  "come  in'  nearly  at  one  time, 
and  three  died  suddenly. 

People  tanned  their  own  leather  in  tan-troughs,  made  from  big  logs 
hewed  out.  George  Thomas  has  a  strip  of  leather  tanned  by  Henry  Hill 
forty-five  rears  ago.  George  has  worn  it  in  his  suspenders  forty  years,  and 
it  is  good  and  strong  now. 

People  went  to  meeting  in  home-spun — the  men  in  linen  or  tow  shirts, 
and  tow  pantaloons,  and  deer-skin  jackets;  the  women  in  check  home-spun. 
All  classes  would  go  barefooted.  After  awhile,  people  began  to  have  shoes, 
and  women  would  carry  their  shoes  in  their  hands,  and  put  them  on  when 
near  church." 


2^4  RANDOLPH.  COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

JAMES   CLARK,    1819. 

"We  went  to  mill  at-  Moffat's,  Newman's  or  Cox's.  Our  corn  sacks 
would  hold  four  bushels,  but  we  would  take  two  or  three  bushels,  and  put  the 
sacks  across  the  horse.  Fruit  was  abundant — gooseberries,  plums,  etc.  Our 
clothing  was  linsey,  home-spun,  or  buckskin.  Breeches,  jackets,  hunting- 
shirts,  were  buckskin. 

To  dress  skins  was  a  great  curiosity.  The  art  is  now  nearly  lost.  I 
used  to  dress  many  skins  years  ago,  and  I  will  tell  how :" 

TO  DRESS  DEERSKINS. 

"Soak  the  skin  soft;  take  off  the  flesh  with  a  grain  knife  (a  tedious 
job,  two  good  skins  are  a  full  day's  work)  ;  hang  them  up  till  dry;  take  deer's 
or  beef's  brains  and  dry  them  on  a  board,  and  put  them  into  a  sack  with 
warm  water,  and  squeeze  them  till  like-  soap-suds ;  work  the  skin  soft  in  this 
lather,  two  or  three  hours,  wring  it  lengthwise  as  dry  as  possible,  and  stretch 
and  pull  it  in  every  possible  way  till  entirely  dry.  Do  so  (soak,  wring,  pull) 
three  or  four  times,  till  white.  Then  cut  off  all  the  flash  and  smoke  the 
skin  soft  and  yellow.  It  is  nice  and  warm  when  dry,  but  when  wet  it  will 
stick  to  your  hide." 

LOST    CHILD. 

"Once  a  child,  Mr.  Burson's,  was  lost — a  three  year-old  girl.  It  wan- 
dered off  three  miles  through  the  woods,  to  Micajah  Morgan's.  Mr.  Morgan 
saw  it  clambering  the  fence,  and  took  it  in.  Mrs.  Morgan  said,  'She  looks 
like  Enoch  Burson's  child.'  Mr.  Morgan  started  on  horseback  with  the  girl, 
and  met  Ephraim  Bowen,  hunting  it.  Mr.  Bowen  took  the  child  and  carried 
it  home." 

WORK,    MONEY,   ETC. 

"At  one  time  I  hired  out,  mowing,  twenty-six  and  a  half  days,  at  25 
cents  a  day.  (Eighteen  years  old.)  We  used  shin-plasters,  mostly,  for  money. 
We  seldom  could  get  silver.  The  coins  were  commonly  cut  up  into  pieces, 
called  'sharp-shins.'  Shin-plasters  disappeared  by  and  by,  but  silver  was  still 
very  scarce.  Sugar  and  deerskins  were  all  we  had  to  sell  for  money.  Sugar, 
$6  a  hundred;  deerskins,  from  25  to  50  cents  apiece;  fawn-skins,  25  cents; 
doe-skins,  ZJV'^  cents;  old  buckskins,  50  cents.  Land  was,  at  first,  $2  per 
acre;  one-quarter  down,  not  less  than  160  acres.     About  1820,  the  price  was 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  285 

put  at  $1.25,  and  80  acres;  and  afterwards,  40  acres,  all  down.  Many 
paid  entry  money  and  could  not  pay  the  rest,  and  lost  their  land.  After- 
wards, the  law  was  made  so  as  to  allow  a  'floating  claim,'  i.  e.,  the  money 
paid  might  apply  to  a  part  of  the  land. 

The  community  was  civil  and  peaceable,  mostly.  No  great  crimes,  no 
big  affrays,  nor  fights,  nor  murders. 

There  was  a  mill  north  of  Spartanburg — Jessup's  mill.  I  went  there 
once.  There  was  no  roof;  the  mill  stood  open.  The  miller's  house  was 
across  the  creek  from  the  mill,  and  a  foot-log  between.  He  would  take  a 
peck  measure  full  over,  turn  it  in,  come  back  and  talk  awhile,  and  go  with 
another  peck,  and  so  all  night  long;  just  about  a  peck  art  hour." 

DEER   HUNTING. 

"Next  day  I  killed  my  second  deer.  I  had  killed  the  first  deer  near 
Overman's.  I  shot  that  first  deer,  and  asked  him  to  help  carry  it  in.  'No,' 
said  Overman,  'I  can't  leave  planting  corn.  You  just  take  it  on  your  shoul- 
ders, and  its  tail  between  your  teeth,  and  climb  a  sapling  and  hang  it  up.' 
I  didn't  do  it,  however.  But  for  my  second  deer.  I  was  hunting  a  horse 
in  the  range.  As  I  was  going  round  a  pond  at  the  head  of  Nolan's  Fork, 
a  deer  sprang  up  ahead  of  me,  and  I  drew  up  my  gun  and  let  fly,  and  down 
came  the  deer.  In  1821,  I  was  staying  with  a  cousin,  north  of  where  Spartan- 
burg now  is.  We  had  been  planting  corn,  and  when  that  was  done  I  went 
hunting.  I  saw  no  game  till,  finally,  I  came  to  Beaver  Pond.  The  deer 
tracks  were  abundant,  but  no  deer.  Coming  to  a  thick  maple-top,  I  laid  my 
rifle  in  it,  and  cleared  away  the  twigs,  and  made  a  'rest'  for  my  gun.  About 
sundown  I  saw  a  deer  cross,  but  too  far  off  to  shoot.  About  dusk  there 
stood  a  doe  in  plain  sight,  about  twenty  steps  away.  I  shot  and  she  went. 
I  hunted  for  her,  but  no  doe  could  I  find.  I  went  back  to  my  'rest'  to  watch 
for  deer  again.  Presently  along  came  a  big  buck,  not  ten  yards  distant.  I 
moved,  and  he  'bounced.'  About  11  o'clock,  I  heard  the  water  go  'plug-plug.' 
-Soon  I  saw  a  deer  about  20  steps  from  me,  running  its  head  into  the  water, 
and  flapping  its  ears.  I  sighted  for  two  minutes,  and  shot,  and  the  deer  ran. 
I  got  down  to  load  the  gun,  but  I  had  not  powder  enough ;  and  so  I  went  to 
the  cabin  about  12  o'clock.  'Where  have  you  been  all  night?'  'Beaver  Pond.' 
'Shooting  deer?'  'Yes.'  'What  luck?'  'Had  two  shots,  but  haven't  found 
my  deer.'  In  the  morning  we  went  out  and  found  both  deer,  dead,  not  ten 
yards  apart.     This  was  the  Napoleon  died,  1821. 

Twice  I  have  shot  three  deer  in  one  day,  and  two  in  a  day  many  times. 


286  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Once  I  was  chasing  a  gang  of  deer,  and  the  sky  clouded  up  and  I  -started 
for  home.  All  at  once  there  stood  four  deer  gazing  at  me.  I  let  drive  at 
them.  After  loading  again,  I  went  to  the  place  and  found  the  'hair  cut'  and 
scattered  on  the  snow.  I  followed  the  trail  and  saw  blood  plenty,  and  at 
length  found  the  deer,  dead,  lOO  yards  from  where  it  had  been  shot.  I 
hung  it  up,  skinned  it,  left  the  meat  hanging,  and,  going  back,  I  found  another 
place  of  'hair  cut.'  I  followed  thatj;rail,  also  and  the  first  I  knew,  there 
lay  the  other  deer,  dead,  in  a  thicket  of  spice-brush.  One  shot  had  killed 
both  deer.  The  carcass  of  the  dead  buck  lay  stiff  and  cold  where  it  had 
been  shot  down.  I  did  with  that  as  with  the  other,  and  went  to  the  cabin. 
Next  morning  we  brought  in  the  venison,  and  splendid  meat  it  was,  too, 
I  can  tell  you." 

SOLOMON    WRIGHT. 

"My  grandfather,  James  Wright,  was  a  Carolinian  Quaker,  who  fled 
to  the  wilds  of  the  Holston,  in  Tennessee,  to  Escape  conscription  into  the- 
army,  in  the  war  of  1776.  My  father,  John  Wright,  was  puny  at  first,  and 
was  rocked  in  an  old  trunk-cover  lined  with  the  skin  of  a  sea  animal,  the 
hair  on  which  is  said  to  rise  and  fall  with  the  tides.  As  he  grew  up,  he 
gained  strength  and  vigor.  He  married  Margaret  Reece,  in  Carolina.  About 
1804,  the  Wrights  emigrated  to  Ohio,  to  military  lands.  In  1814,  or  there- 
abouts, the  twelve-mile  strip  came  into  market,  and  some  fourteen  or  fifteen 
families,  who  lost  their  lands  on  the  military  tract  through  a  flaw  in  the 
title,  came,  soon  afterwards,  to  Randolph  county.  They  had  fine  improve- 
ments in  Ohio,  but  they  lost  the  whole.  James  and  Abram  Wright  moved 
first  of  this  company.  My  father  came  out  and  selected  some  land,  but  did 
not  move  then.  James  and  Abram  Wright  settled  on  Eight-mile  creek. 
William  Haworth  came  with  them.  William  Diggs  and  Armsbee  Diggs 
came  from  Carolina  about  the  same  time.  William  Way,  Sr.,  and  his  sons, 
William,  Paul  and  Henry,  all  grown  and  married,  came  also.  I  think  these 
came  in  the  fall  of  1815.  James  and  Abram  Wright  moved  soon  afterwards 
from  Clinton  county,  Ohio. 

March  10,  18 16,  my  brother  Isaac  (one  of  the  triplets),  and  myself 
started,  with  one  horse  for  us  both,  from  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  to  go  to  the 
woods  of  Randolph.  With  a  few  things  in  a  sack  slung  across  the  horse 
(among  them,  seven  or  eight  apples — the  last  of  the  season),  we  set  off  in 
high  glee,  I  being  fourteen  years  old,  taking  turns  in  riding,  or  as  it  is  called, 
'riding  and  tying,'  a  very  common  practice  then.  Our  route  was  Waynes- 
ville,    Springboro,   Eaton,   New   Paris,   Williamsburg,   Ind.,   and   so   on  to 


RANDOLrH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  28/ 

Randolph.  We  got  to  brother  James'  glad  enough.  Isaac  said,  'I  had  to  walk 
nearly  all  the  way.  Solomon  was  so  chicklegged  he  could  hardly  go  at  all.' 
We  went  to  work  on  father's  place  to  clear  and  build.  One  day  I  had  laid 
off  my  coat  and  vest  on  the  leaves,  when  the  fire  ran  and  caught  them,  and 
burnt  leaves,  coat,  vest  and  all.  As  I  held  up  the  smoking  shreds.  Uncle 
Haworth  cried.  'Save  the  buttons!'  'There  are  no  buttons  to  save'  was  the 
curt  reply.  There  was  I,  a  poor  lad  fourteen  years  old,  one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  from  home,  with  no  clothes  but  shirt  and  pants.  I  had  to  wear 
an  old  overcoat  of  brother  James',  a  world  too  large  and  long,  which  made 
me  the  laughing  stock  at  all  the  log-rollings.  In  warm  weather,  I  gladly  shed 
the  old  coat  and  took  to  shirt  and  pants. 

I  stayed  through  the  summer,  and  were  turned  home;  and  in  about  a 
year  father  and  I  came  through  with  a  load  of  provisions.  A  year  after 
that,  father  moved  to  his  land.  Cabin  creek  was  so  named  on  a  trip  we 
made  to  David  Connor's,  below  Wheeling.  Seeing  a  group  of  Indian  cabins 
on  the  bank  of  the  creek,  some  one  cried,  'Let  us  call  the  stream  Cabin  creek,' 
and  Cabin  creek  it  is  to  this  day.  Muncie  was  so  named  from  Muncie 
[Montzie],  an  old  Indian.  The  Indians  complained  of  Connor's  whiskey. 
'Too  much  "Sinewa,"  they  said.     I  saw  the  first  lot  sold  in  Winchester. 

Once  in  school,  near  Dunkirk,  on  the  last  day,  the  girls  got  behind  the 
chimney  and  pushed  the  fire-place  and  back  wall  over  into  the  house,  and 
scattered  the  clay  all  over  the  floor — grand  fun,  they  thought. 

My  oldest  boy,  George  Washington,  killed  a  bear.  He  was  quite  young, 
and  people  would  ask,  Ts  that  the  boy  who  killed  the  bear  ?'  He  skinned  the 
bear  and  brought  it  [the  skin]  home. 

One  day  some  white  men  and  Indians  were  jumping  near  the  mill-pond. 
One  white  man  jumped  with  stones  in  his  hands.  The  Indians  were  angry. 
One  of  them  threw  the  stones  into  the  pond  exclaiming,  'No  fair !' 

Nathan  Thornburg  came  one  day  and  said,  'We  are  starving  or  meat.' 
We  went  hunting,  but  found  nothing.  Just  as  we  were  going  home,  a  deer 
started  up.  I  shot  the  deer  and  cried  to  Thornburg,  'There  is  your  meat; 
go  get  it,'  which  he  did. 

One  evening  a  man  came  and  said,  'There  is  a  bear  over  the  hill  yonder.' 
We  went,  and,  sure  enough,  the  dogs  had  treed  a  bear.  Thornburg  snapped 
and  I  snapped.  He  stuck  in  a  new  flint  and  shot  the  bear  outright.  One 
man  said,  not  very  long  age,  'The  telegraph  cannot  come  here;  there  is  no 
water-course.'  Once,  as  we  were  traveling  near  Smithfield,  we  came  upon  a 
gang  of  Indians,  lying  on  the  ground  under  the  oak  trees.  The  dog  barked, 
and  they  jumped  up  and  hastily  wrapped  themselves  up  in  some  way.     One 


288  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Indian  asked  me  for  'big  ax,  to  cut  bee  tree.'  I  told  him,  'No;  got  none.' 
He  brought  me  some  venison,  as  black  9s  black  cloth,  and  gave  me  a  piece. 
I  took  it.  The  young  man  with  we  took  none.  The  Indian  was  displeased, 
and  said,  'No  good  white  man.' 

In  1833,  my  wife  noticed  the  'stars  falling.'  She  went  to  the  door  and 
cried,  'O,  come  and  look,  quick,  or  the  stars  will  all  be  down !'  While 
we  were  moving  from  Ohio,  as  we  std|)pedone  evening,  a  young  man  sat  on 
a  stone  and  sang: 

'O,  when  shall  I  see  Jesus,  and  reign  with  Him  above?' 

The  occasion  was  affecting.     We  felt  lonely  and  sad,  and  wept  freely. 

Between  Williamsburg  and  White  River,  an  old  ewe  'gave  out,'  and  we 
laid  her  on  a  tree-root  'in  the  wilderness.'  Seven  weeks  afterward  we  found 
her  there,  feeding  about,  and  took  her  home.  A  great  many  Indians  were 
here  then.  I  used  to  hop  with  them  and  shoot  at  a  mark.  We  lived  in  har- 
mony till  two  young  white  men  went  down  below  Stoney  creek  and  stole  two 
Indian  ponies  and  escaped  to  Ohio.  Shortly,  the  Indians  went  after  them. 
They  said,  'No  good  white  man;  steal  Indian  ponies.'  I  always  noticed  that, 
in  the  Indian  difficulties,  the  whites  were  mostly  to  blame,  and  that  the  trou- 
ble generally  arose  from  stealing  their  horses  or  from  selling  them  liquor. 

A  while  after  we  came  to  Randolph,  father  sent  me  to  mill,  on  the  Still- 
water below  Greenville.  I  followed  the  Indian  trail  through  the  forest, 
seeing  not  a  living  soul,  except  that  I  met  some  Indians,  who,  upon  my  asking 
them  'how  far  to  Greenville  ?'  held  up  six  fingers,  to  mean,  as  I  supposed,  six 
miles.  When  I  got  to  Greenville,  the  old  fort  was  there  in  decay  and  partial 
ruin,  and  not  much  of  a  town.  Passing  on,  I  found  the  mill  on  Stillwater, 
some  miles  below,  got  my  'grinding,'  and  returned  safetly  home." 

[This  was  probably  before  1820.  Solomon  Wright  is  probably  mistaken, 
by  at  least  one  year,  in  his  idea  of  the  time  when  he  came  to  Randolph.  It 
seems  well  settled  that  William  Diggs  and  the  Ways  came  in  the  fall  of  1816, 
and  that  the  Wrights,  etc.,  none  of  them  till  at  least  the  spring,  or,  more 
probably,  the  fall,  of  181 7.  They  did,  some  of  them,  certainly  arrive  that 
fall,  and  that  was  probably  the  time,  December,  1817,  when  William  Wright 
went  to  White  River,  as  told  by  John  Fisher,  he  thinking  that  wagon  the 
first  to  White  River.] 

The  following  reminiscences  of  Solomon  Wright  were  written  and  fur- 
nished by  Miss  Lillie  A.  Garrett : 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  289 

"About  the  time  grandpa  settled  on  this  farm,  he  saw  a  young  fawn 
floating  down  White  river,  rescued  it  from  the  water  and  put  it  into  a  hollow 
sycamore ;  and  when  he  came  back  from  hunting,  took  it  home.  He  kept  it 
several  years.  Grandpa  says,  'I  put  a  bell  on  it,  and  it  would  go  off  into  the 
woods,  and  wild  deer  would  follow  it;  and  when  I  would  hear  the  bell  I 
would  look  out  for  the  deer  and  kill  them.' 

He  became  awful  cross,  and  when  anybody  came,  he  would  turn  his  hair 
back,  bow  up  his  neck,  meet  them  at  the  gate,  and  they  had  to  stand  back  or 
'be  floored.'  One  day,  two  boys  were  going  to  meeting,  and  'Buck'  made 
them  'climb'  to  get  out  of  his  way ;  and  he  kept  them  up  their  saplings  till  it 
was  too  late  for  meeting.  At  last  he  'bunted'  over  one  of  the  children,  and 
grandpa  shot  him. 

Jacob  Wright  and  Sarah  Wright  (?)  were  the  names  on  the  first  mar- 
riage license  issued  at  Winchester.  .     : 

Abram  Wright  and  Isom  Garrett  were  pioneer  teachers.  One  taught  at 
Dunkirk  and  one  on  Green's  Fork,  and  the  schools  used  to  meet  to  'spell' 
against  each  other.  Those  'spelling  matches'  were  gay  times,  and  were  useful, 
to  boot. 

To  persons  inquiring  the  way  to  Winchester,  Charles  Conway  used  to 
reply,  'Just  go  on  as  far  as  you  can  get  among  the  logs  and  brush,  and  you 
are  in  Winchester.'  Paul  W.  Way  surveyed  the  town  plat,  and  Abram 
Wright  carried  the  chain  for  him.  David  Wright  'cried'  the  lots  at  the  first 
sale.  He  said  to  David  Wysong,  'That  young  man  is  good-looking,  and  he 
would  look  still  better  if  he  would  bid  just  a  little  higher.'  Hiram  Menden- 
hall  and  others,  between  1830  and  1840,  joined  their  possessions  and  formed 
a  'Community'  at  Unionsport.  The  town  still  stands,  but  the  'Community' 
was  dissolved  long,  long  ago. 

In  time  of  the  'Millerism'  excitement,  a  deep  snow  fell,  which  the 
frightened  devotees  predicted  would  turn  to  brimstone. 

The  first  teacher  at  Cabin  Creek  was  Mary  Ann  Ring.  Grandpa  sent 
the  two  oldest  children.  The  little  'chits'  hid  their  dinner,  tied  up  in  a  rag, 
under  the  floor  before  they  entered  the  schoolroom  on  the  first  day. 

The  Diggs',   Littleberry,   Marshall  and  Franklin  taught  the  school  in 

after  times,  and  the  'Wright  children'  grew  fond  of  learning,  eight  attending 

at  one  time.     And  future  years  found  them  at  Winchester,  Williamsburg, 

Liber,  etc.,  and  then  as  teachers  through  the  region.    Great  interest  was  taken 

(19) 


290  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

by  them  in  temperance,  anti-slavery,  etc.     Fanny,  the  youngest,  now  the  wife 
of  Judge  R.  S.  Taylor,  of  Fort  Wayne,  used  to  stand  on  a  chair  and  recite : 

'What,  fellow-countrymen  in  chains! 
Slaves  in  a  land  of  light  and  law!' 

— Whittier. 

In  the  'Separation,'  most  of  the^ Cabin  Creek  Friends  left  the  'Body.' 
Amos  Bond,  J.  H.  Bond,  Solomon  Wright,  etc.,  were  noted  Anti-slavery 
Friends.  Great  enthusiasm  prevailed,  and  lectures,  papers,  pamphlets,  etc., 
were  the  order  of  the  day.  The  underground  railroad  track  passed  this  way, 
and  'Cabin  Creek'  was  one  of  the  chief  stations. 

When  'Birney's  vote'  was  found  to  be  about  7,000,  Hiram  Mendenhall, 
who  presented  the  'petition'  to  Henry  Clay,  at  Richmond,  Indiana,  said, 
'Thank  God,  there  are  left  yet  7,000  men  who  have  not  bowed  the  knee  to 
Baal,  nor  kissed  his  image' — referring  to  the  rumor  that  so  many  kissed 
Henrv  Clay.  Grandpa  kept  an  inn  for  many  years,  as  this  road  was  a  great 
A\'estern  thoroughfare. 

The  Van  Amburg  show  passed  here  once  and  the  men,  some  of  them, 
staved  overnight,  and  the  elephant  stood  in  the  yard,  tied  to  a  young  walnut 
tree. 

Some  Mormon  converts  once  camped  at  the  creek  ford,  and  their 
preacher  declared  they  were  going  to  Nauvoo,  protected  by  the  same  power 
that  guarded  Daniel  in  the  'lions'  den.'  They  seemed  sincere  and  hearty  in 
their  faith.  Abram  Wright  attended  a  meeting  of  Mormons,  at  which  the 
people  wept  profusely  under  the  words  of  a  speaker  who  said  he  had  prayed 
all  night  to  be  delivered  from  the  devil,  whose  chains  he  could  hear  rattling 
down  the  stairs. 

Samuel  Peters,  a  highly,  respected  young  colored  man,  used  to  board 
with  us.  He  went  South,  after  the  war,  was  cashier  of  the  Freedman's  Bank, 
at  Shreveport,  Louisiana,  and  had  been  elected  to  Congress  there,  when  he 
died  in  the  fall  of  1873  by  yellow  fever,  which  struck  that  city  so  fatally  at 
that  time.  First  burial  in  Friends'  burying-ground  at  Cabin  Creek  was  a  child 
of  Mordecai  Bond's,  and  the  next  was  Jethro  Hiatt's  wife. 

First  mill  in  Stoney  Creek  township  was  built  at  Windsor  b-\-  John  Thorn- 
burg,  1827.  The  first  cooking  stove  was  owned  by  Solomon  Wright,  bought 
at  Newport. 

A  criminal  with  his  legs  fastened  round  the  horse,  once  stopped  for  din- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  29 1 

ner.  Two  men  held  the  clanking  chains  upon  his  ankles  as  he  walked  into  the 
house.  'Look  at  that  and  be  honest,  boys,'  said  grandpa  to  his  sons,  who 
were  standing  by  and  gazing  at  the  poor  fellow. 

Eminent  Quaker  preachers  of  the  olden  time,  in  Randolph  county,  were 
Isom  Puckett,  Benjamin  Cox  and  others.  In  later  years,  Martha  Wooton, 
Daniel  Puckett,  Charles  Osborn,  etc.,  labored  here  to  some  extent,  though  not 
residents  within  the  limits  of  the. county." 

WILLIAM   ROBINSON.  ^ 

"I  have  owned  and  improved  six  different  farms  in  this  region,  building 
six  separate  houses.  When  my  father  moved  here  I  was  too  young  to  go  to 
mill,  but  my  brothers  used  to  go  to  Solomon  Wright's  to  mill  and  get  wheat 
ground,  unbolted,  and  then  take  the  meal  to  an  old  man  who  had  made  a 
sieve  by  stretching  a  cloth  over  a  piece  of  hoop  bent  round,  and  they  would 
sift  the  meal  through  that  and  thus  make  flour. 

Soon  after  father  settled,  the  State  road'was  made  from  Winchester  to 
the  State  line  toward  Greenville,  right  past  father's  cabin.  I  saw  the  men 
going  along  blazing  'the  trees.'  Judge  Edwards  said  that  when  Paul  Way 
surveyed  the  road,  he  had  a  man  go  along  the  county  road  and  blow  a  horn,  so 
as  to  keep  him  in  a  straight  course.  When  they  reached  the  'Dismal,'  they 
hunted  a  narrow  passage  for  a  crossing,  and  curved  the  road  to  hit  the  spot.. 
The  State  road  was  the  leading  highway  in  this  country,  and,  for  many  years, 
an  immense  amount  of  travel  passed  upon  it.  I  have  counted  eighty  wagons 
of  movers  in  one  day,  going  to  western  Indiana,  Illinois,  etc.  My  father's 
cabin  was  a  stopping-place,  and  we  have  had  so  many  at  once  that  we  boys 
often  had  to  go  to  the  hay  mow  to  sleep  to  give  room  to  the  lodgers. 

Years  afterward,  when  the  West  had  become  somewhat  settled,  cattle- 
used  to  be  taken  east  in  immense  droves.  I  have  seen  700  or  800  in  a  single 
herd.  David  Heaston's,  James  Griffis',  and  my  father's  were  the  chief  places 
for  movers  and  for  droves.  Father  used  to  charge  a  man  for  supper,  break- 
fast, lodging  and  horse  feed,  ^tlV^  cents.  The  old  National  road  was  another 
great  thoroughfare. 

An  old  man,  Banta,  built  a  bridge  over  Greenville  creek  on  the  State 
road,  and  I  helped  him  do  the  job.  We  went  out  there  to  work,  camping 
in  the  woods.  His  folks  neglected  to  bring  us  any  provisions,  and  for  three 
•days  we  lived  on  bread  and  water. 

My  father  lived  here  six  years  before  he  was  able  to  enter  any  land. 


ig2  KANDOLPH    COU^fTY,    INDIANA. 

He  got  money  to  enter  his  first  land  by  hauling  wheat  to  Lewall)m's  mill,  at 
Ridgeville,  for  Hour ;  and  by  buying  pork,  potatoes,  etc.,  building  a  flat-boat, 
and  taking  the  boat-load  of  bacon,  flour,  etc.,  down  the  river  to  Logansport, 
and  selling  his  load  to  the  Indians. 

He  entered  land  east  of  Winchester  (Kemp  farm).  A  company,  of 
whom  Jesse  \\'ay  was  one,  went  down  the  Mississinewa  river  with  loaded 
flat-boats,  and  Jesse  lost  his  boat,  and  his  load,  too,  in  trying  to  run  the  dam 
at  Byles's  mill  on  that  river. 

An  Indian  'trail'  was  simply  a  path  through  the  woods.  The  path  would 
be  trodden  so  as  to  be  plainly  visible.  Sometimes  the  amount  of  pony-travel 
would  be  so  great  as  to  make  a  heavily-trodden  track.  'Trails'  passed  in 
various  directions :  One  led  from  Muncie  to  Greenville,  straight  as  an  arrow. 
One  from  r^Iuncie  to  Fort  Wayne ;  one  from  Godfrey  Farm  to  Fort  Wayne, 
etc.'' 

RUTH     (test)     ROBIXSOX. 

"When  a  girl,  I  went  with  my  mother  to  a  quilting  and  corn-husking. 
When  we  got  there  nothing  seemed  ready,  but  the  boys  went  to  the  woods 
and  got  some  poles  for  frames;  the  women  pieced  the  quilt  and  carded  the 
tow,  and  so  they  quilted  the  quilt,  each  woman  quilting  where  and  how  she 
pleased.  Doubtless,  the  quilt  was  just  as  warm,  which  is  the  chief  thing  after 
all.  One  woman  got  drunk.  She  said  she  was  getting  her  'nats  upon  the 
taps;'  and  she  would  go  out  and  help  cook.  A\'hisk\-  was  everywhere.  Still- 
houses  were  plent}-,  and  much  whisky  was  made  and  drank.  My  father 
settled  in  Union  count)-  in  1817.  He  owned  the  first  mill  in  that  county,  and 
my  oldest  brother  built  a  factory.  My  father  came  to  Ohio  from  Xew 
Jersey  in  1802,  to  Waynesville,  and  I  was  born  there.  He  resided  at  Cin- 
cinnati eighteen  months,  then  at  Covington,  operating  a  woolen  factory,  and 
building  the  first  good  house  in  Covington.  He  li\'ed  thirtv-six  vears  on  the 
East  fork  of  White  river,  and  then  moved  to  Richmond,  residing  there  for 
four  years.     He  died  in  1852.  eight}'-four  years  old. 

Some  men  from  Union  countv-  took  the  first  (and  only)  two  flat-boats 
down  the  East  Fork  of  WhiXt  Water  to  _Xew  Orleans.  There  was  a  heavy 
freshet  and  the  water  was  very  high.  There  was  a  great  crowd  to  see  them 
start,  from  all  the  countrs-  round.  They  sold  their  load  at  New  Orleans  and 
came  back  all  the  wav  from  that  distant  market  on  foot." 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  293 

THOMAS  WARD. 

"The  first  money  I  ever  had,  when  a  young  lad,  as  my  own,  was  12^ 
cents.  My  brother  and  I  sold  a  pair  of  deer-horns  for  25  cents,  and  I  had 
half.  I  managed,  afterward,  somehow,  to  get  87^^  cents,  and  loaned  it  to 
father,  he  promising  to  give  me  a  sheep.  His  'sheep'  proved  to  be  a  lamb, 
but  I  raised  it  and  traded  it  for  a  pig,  and  then  that  for  a  calf,  and  so  on. 
Afterward  I  came  to  be  the  owner  of  a  colt,  which  I  traded  again,  and  so  on 
from  small  things  to  greater,  till,  by  the  time  I  was  twenty-one  years  old,  I 
had  become  the  owner  of  six  hundred  acres  of  wild  land." 

[Gideon  Shaw  states  that  Thomas  Ward,  when  a  lad,  was  at  his  father's, 
in  the  southeast  corner  of  Randolph  county,  buying  furs,  etc.] 

"I  began  very  early  to  trade  for  things.  Father  let  me  have  a  pig  or  two, 
and  I  traded  for  a  calf  and  then  for  a  motherless  colt,  and  so  on.  I  bought 
my  own  clothes.  As  before  stated,  men  would  come  along  and  hire  me  to 
survey  and  deaden  land,  and  I  would  do  the  surveying,  and  hire  the  deaden- 
ing for  less  than  what  they  would  give  me.  At  one  time  I  entered  an  eighty- 
acre  tract  for  $100,  and  sold  it  shortly  after  for  $200.  I  used  to  trade  in 
furs  and  peltry,  and  would  make,  sometimes,  $200  in  a  single  winter,  or  even 
more  in  that  way. 

The  first  land  I  ever  entered  for  myself  I  carried  the  money  in  my  hand 
all  the  way  to  Fort  Wayne,  traveling  on  foot  the  whole  distance.  There  was 
a  nice  Indian  sugar  orchard  which  T  wished  very  much  to  own.  We  found 
out  that  another  party  was  planning  to  enter  it,  and  I  started  on  foot  with 
money  for  that,  tract,  and  also  for  some  that  father  wished  to  enter.  I  had 
the  money  tied  up,  and  carried  it  in  my  hand  the  whole  way.  The  'specie 
circular'  had  lately  been  issued,  and  in  just  three  days  it  was  to  take  effect.  I 
got  to  John  Brooks'  the  first  night,  gave  Mrs.  B.  the  money  to  keep  and  went 
to  bed.  The  next  day  I  got  to  Adam  Miller's,  near  Bluffton.  The  third  day 
I  tried  hard  to  make  Fort  Wayne,  but  the  traveling  was  very  bad,  the  snow 
being  nearly  knee  deep,  and  I  was  but  a  boy  (eighteen  years  old,  or  perhaps 
less),  and  I  had  to  come  short  of  the  mark.  In  the  morning  I  went  to  the 
registrar's  office,  made  application  for  the  land  for  myself  and  my  father, 
got  my  certificate  from  that  office  and  went  boldly  to  the  receiver.  Colonel 
Spencer  knew  my  father  and  knew  me  too,  for  he  had  stayed  at  my  father's 
at  dififerent  times.  I  told  him  the  whole  story — the  paper  money,  the  sudden 
start,  my  hard  travel  on  foot,  and  how  I  had  missed  by  a  few  hours,  and 
what  a  disappointment  it  would  be  to  lose  my  land  after  such  a  chase  for  it. 


294  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

He  was  a  sturdy  Democrat,  and  father  was  a  steadfast  Whig;  but  Colonel 
Spencer  was  a  gentleman  and  a  kind-hearted  man,  and  he  pitied  the  poor 
boy ;  and  he  said  to  me,  'You  shall  have  your  land,  and  your  father  shall,  too. 
I  am  going  into  Ohio  on  business  of  my  own,  and  I  can  use  the  money  my- 
self.' So  he  took  my  money  and  I  entered  the  land.  But  my  piece  was  some 
four  acres  more  than  a  full  eighty,  and  it  took  $5  extra;  and  that  was  every 
cent  of  money  I  had.  But  I  was  determinetl  I  would  have  the  land,  let  come 
what  would ;  so  I  paid  my  last  cent  and  g"ot  it.  I  told  Colonel  Spencer  what  I 
had  done,  and  he  asked  me  how  I  expected  to  get  home.  I  told  him  I  did  not 
know,  but  that  I  was  going  to  start  and  risk  getting  through.  'O,  that  will 
never  do,'  said  he;  and  he  insisted  that  I  should  borrow  of  him  enough  to 
take  me  home.  I  finally  did  so,  and  tramped  home  again,  sending  his  money 
back  the  first  chance  I  found.  I  had  an  uncle  (Daniel  Miller),  on  Robinson's 
Prairie,  and  I  stayed  the  first  night  with  him,  the  second  night  at  Portland, 
and  got  home  the  third  night.  When  I  started  in  the  morning  from  my 
uncle's,  on  my  way  from  Fort  Wayne,  he  told  me  of  a  nearer  way  through 
the  woods ;  that  I  could  go  by  'blazes'  to  the  Wabash,  and  cut  off  several 
miles.  I  took  his  directions,  and  followed  the  'blazes'  through  without  diffi- 
culty. I  thought  no  more  of  traveling  thus  through  the  thick  woods,  guided 
only  by  'blazed'  trees,  than  I  would  now  to  travel  along  a  beaten  road. 

I  have  lost  great  amounts  of  property  during  my  life.  I  put  two  hun- 
dred and  forty-five  acres  of  land  near  Ridgeville,  and  one  thousand  acres  of 
Iowa  land,  into  the  north  and  south  road  through  Ridgeville,  when  it  was 
first  worked  on,  and  lost  it.  I  did  more-  for  the  road  than  anybody  else, 
living  or  dead.  Others  managed  to  secure  their  stock,  but  my  loss  by  the  road 
was  $30,000  or  more.  Mr.  Lewallyn's  mill,  at  Ridgeville,  was  built,  probably, 
after  1819.  My  father,  Joab  Ward,  commenced  building  boats  about  1835. 
When  the  country  along  the  Wabash,  etc.,  began  to  settle  up,  the  fact  made 
a  market  for  several  years,  and  the  people  of  Wayne  and  Randolph 
tried  to  supply  it  by  sending  their  produce  down  the  Alississinewa  to  the 
Wabash,  and  thereabouts.  Boats  were  needed,  and  Ridgeville  was  the  head 
of  high-water  navigation,  and  so  father  took  to  building  boats  and  selling 
them  to  people  to  take  their  produce  down  the  river  on.  He  would  build  a 
boat  forty  feet  long  by  ten  feet  wide,  at  62^/2  cents  a  foot,  i.  e.,  $25  for  the 
boat,  all  ready  for  floating.  He  would  cut  the  timber  green,  from  the  woods, 
have  two  heavy  side-pieces  sloped  rounding  upward  at  both  ends,  cut  a  'gain' 
in  the  lower  edge  to  receive  the  ends  of  the  planks  which  formed  the  bottom, 
pin  the  bottom  planks  to  the  sides  and  the  middle  piece,  fasten  on  some  pieces 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  295 

of  plank  at  the  top  of  the  gunwale,  so  as  to  increase  the  depth  of  the  boat 
(making  it,  perhaps,  two  feet),  stop  up  the  cracks,  and  she  was  ready  to 
receive  her  load  and  to  float  along  her  downward  way.  This  flat-boating 
could  be  done  only  in  times  of  flood. 

High  water  was  mostly  during  the  winter  and  spring.  The  business 
lasted  perhaps  ten  or  fifteen  y^ars.  The  river  floods  became  less,  and  the 
markets  in  that  region  ceased  or  were  supplied  in  other  ways. 

Father  built,  in  all,  a  large  number  of  boats — thirty-seven  in  one  spring. 
He  used  to  hire  hands  to  work  for  him,  and  board  them  at  12^  cents  a  meal. 

One  spring  several  boats  started  down  the  river,  loaded  with  apples, 
potatoes,  cider,  etc.  At  the  first  mill  dam  below  Marion  (McClure's),  one 
boat,  belonging  to  Hampton  Brown,  who  lived  below  Newport  (Fountain 
City),  in  going  over  the  dam,  ran  under  and  sunk  and  lost  the  whole  cargo, 
and  the  boat  was  ruined.     The  men  swam  out  to  the  shore  and  were  saved. 

At  one  time  a  raft  came  plunging  down  upon  the  swift-rushing  flood. 
They  contrived  to  land  a  cable  and  tied  it  round  a  tree ;  but  the  raft  broke  in 
two  and  went  over  the  dam.  There  were  two  men  on  the  raft.  One  came 
ashore,  but  the  other  shot  under  the  water  and  was  never  again  seen  alive. 
His  dead  body  was  found  afterward,  some  distance  below." 

DAVID   LASLEY. 

"William  Edwards  came  in  1818;  Jonathan  Edwards  came  in  1818; 
they  lived  north  toward  town. 

David  Wysong  lived  three-quarters  of  a  mile  east. 

John  Elzroth  lived  near  the  'poor  farm,'  coming  in  1818. 

Thomas  Jarrett  came  in  1818.  He  lived  one-c|uarter  mile  away.  Peter 
Lasley  bought  his  land  at  private  sale,  but  unimproved. 

In  Winchester  there  were  a  few  log  cabins,  and  a  log  court  house. 
David  Heaston  came  in  1819,  a  little  southwest.  In  Winchester  were  Paul 
W.  Way,  Charles  Conway,  John  Odell,  John  Wright  (blacksmith),  John 
Wright  (judge). 

I  cleared  oS  the  public  square  in  Winchester ;  there  were  three  and  one- 
half  acres;  it  took  me  three  months,  working  all  day  and  half  the  night,  and 
I  got  $35  for  the  job.  Moorman  Way  got  more  than  double  that  sum  ($75) 
years  afterward  for  putting  in  new  trees.  It  was  all  'in  the  green,'  there  came 
a  snow  and  the  heaps  would  not  burn  well;  much  was  sugar-tree,  three  feet 
and  over.     A  very  large  elm  stood  right  in  the  cross  street.     The  timber  in 


296  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

this  region  was  sugar-tree,  beech,  hickory,  walnut,  oak,  elm,  etc.  Oak  was 
scarce,  sugar-tree  most  abundant  of  all.  There  was  much  wet  land  in  the 
region  that  nobody  would  have,  that  land  is  now  the  best  in  the  county.  I 
helped  make  a  big  cross-way  on  the  State  road  west  of  Winchester,  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  long.  The  logs  were,  many  of  them,  eighteen  inches  through. 
Two  of  us  built  it  in  three  months,  getting  $10  a  month,  boarding  ourselves. 
Poles  had  to  be  put  in  between  the  logs  a.t  the  top,  and  the  whole  was  covered 
with  dirt  six  inches  deep.  We  had  to  cut  many  of  the  trees,  standing  kiiee- 
deep  in  water,  and  the  logs  often  floated  as  we  hauled  them,  making  the 
work  of  drawing  them  to  the  track  much  easier." 

JOHN  MANN,  GREENSFORK. 

"We  used  to  grind  out  corn  on  a  hand-mill.  My  father  had  one,  and 
the  neighbors  were  in  the  habit  of  coming  and  using  it.  It  was  hard  work; 
a  few  quarts  would  tire  a  man  completely  out ;  you  had  to  turn  with  one  hand 
and  feed  with  the  other  (a  few  grains  at  a  time).  The  mill  worked  very 
slowly,  and  we  generally  ground  only  enough  for  a  meal  or  two  at  once. 
The  way  the  mill  was  made  and  worked  was  this :  The  lower  stone  was  laid 
flat  and  fast;  the  upper  stone  was  fixed  to  turn  upon  a  center  piece  in  some 
\\ay,  and  was  made  to  revolve  by  a  pole,  fastened  (loosely)  in  a  beam  above, 
and  in  the  top  of  the  stone  below,  near  the  edge  of  the  stone,  in  a  shallow 
hole  drilled  in  the  surface.  This  drilling  into  the  stone  was  hard  to  do,  for 
there  were  no  tools,  and  there  was  no  way  to  fasten  anything  to  the  stone. 
These  stones  were  about  two  feet  across,  home-dressed  and  home-made." 

SIMON  cox. 

"When  I  came  to  Randolph,  Charles  Conway  lived  half  a  mile  south  of 
Winchester.  John  Wright  (blacksmith)  lived  on  the  north  side  of  Win- 
chester. Paul  Beard  and  Jesse  Johnson  (and  perhaps  others),  were  on 
Greensfork,  near  Lynn.  There  were  some  settlers  down  White  river,  but  I 
did  not  know  them.  No  settlers  were  on  White  river  above  us.  John 
Cox,  my  father,  came  in  1818,  with  eight  children;  none  are  now  living  but 
myself.  He  died  forty  years  ago.  White  River  meeting  was  set  up  about 
1820.  The  members  were  Benjamin  Cox,  John  Wright  (blacksmith),  Jona- 
than Hiatt,  Simon  Cox,  Thomas  Ward,  Joseph  Moffatt  and  maybe  others. 
Jericho  meeting  was  begun  soon  afterward.  The  first  school  was  about  1823 ; 
Isaac  Pearson  was  the  teacher.     George  Cox,  born  1820,  remembers  riding 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  297 

home  from  school  on  his  Uncle  Pearson's  shoulders;  George  was  perhaps 
three  years  old. 

The  first  mill  was  on  Salt  creek,  north  of  Winchester,  water-mill,  built 
by  Solomon  Wright;  it  ground  very  slowly,  being  in  use  some  years.  Jere- 
miah Cox's  mill  was  the  next — a  flour  mill — bolt  run  by  hand.  The  first 
meeting-house  was  the  White  River  church,  warmed  by  coal  in  the  middle. 

The  first  doctor  I  knew  of  was  at  Winchester.  The  first  store  I  knew  of 
was  there  too.  The  first  frame  house  was  Jeremiah  Cox's,  built  about  fifty- 
five  years,  and  standing  yet  in  good  repair.  The  first  child  born  in  our  set- 
tlement was  my  son,  George  Cox,  born  January  6,  1820. 

Benjamin  Cox  and  myself  once  started  to  go  through  to  the  Johnson 
settlement  below  Lynn,  after  some  grain  to  take  to  mill.  One  had  to  go  ahead 
and  cut  'a  road'  for  the  wagon  to  pass.  We  had  to  'camp  out,'  and  a  deep 
snow  fell  in  the  night." 

BURKETT  PIERCE. 

"Meshach  Lewallyn  and  Joab  Ward  lived  near  Ridgeville  when  I  came; 

they  had  been  there  not  long.     James  Massey  and Massey  came  the 

same  fall  that  I  did,  and  settled  near  Saratoga.  (James  Massey  was  here  in 
1818,  before  B.  P.  came).  George  Ritenour  came  two  weeks  after  me  and 
settled  across  the  river.  Meshach  Lewallyn  built  a  small  mill  in  18 19  (I 
think),  a  water-mill;  it  would  grind  two  or  three  bushels  a  day;  the  meal 
would  come  by  'spurts.'  A  dog  came  in  and  tried  to  lick  the  meal;  now  he 
would  get  some  meal,  and  now  he  wouldn't;  it  did  not  suit  him,  and  he 
would  throw  up  his  head  and  howl,  and  then  he  would  try  to  lick  the  meal 
again.  ( This  story  has  been  told  us  of  four  different  mills  in  the  region,  as 
also  of  one  in  Pennsylvania.) 

Mr.  Lewallyn  afterward  built  a  better  mill,  which  became  a  noted  point 
in  those  times  for  many  years ;  he  built  a  saw-mill  also.  David  Connor  built  a 
log  shanty  two  miles  east  of  Deerfield,  on  the  Mississinewa,  and  traded  with 
the  Indians.  He  sold  them  flour,  and  salt,  and  powder,  and  whisky,  etc.,  for 
furs  and  peltry.  He  took  loads  of  furs  and  skins  in  'pirogues,'  down  the 
Mississinewa,  up  Wabash,  up  Little  river,  across  the  portage  nine  miles  to 
St.  Mary's,  and  so.  to  Toledo  and  Detroit.  He  hauled  his  goods  across  the 
portage  on  wagons  with  three  yoke  of  oxen.  Brother  Thomas  and  I  went 
with  him  once.  He  had  otter,  muskrats,  beaver,  coon  skins,  minks,  etc.,  a 
heavy  load.  He  got  his  pay  in  silver,  and  bought  a  pony  to  bring  the  silver 
home.      (This  was  in  1822.)      He  stayed  at  that  point  a  year  or  two  or  so, 


298  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

and  moved  down  the  river  to  near  Wheeling,  and  later,  to  below  Marion, 
where  he  settled,  built  mills,  and  spent  the  rest  of  his  life.  He  died  rich  a 
few  years  ago.  I  took  hogs  to  him,  which  he  bought  and  butchered.  He 
showed  me  half  a  bushel  of  silver  money.  He  was  a  'smart'  man,  and  a  man 
of  his  word;  but  he  would  have  his  own  way  in  a  bargain.  He  made  a 
■power'  of  money.  He  did  not  like  to  sell  to  settlers,  because  he  could  not 
charge  them  enough.  He  commonly  sold*  to  Indians,  and  his  price  to  them 
was  very  high. 

Lewallyn's  son,  Shadrach,  shot  an  Indian  in  their  yard.  A  patch  of  corn 
had  been  planted,  and  the  boys  were  gathering  it  on  a  sled  (as  most  of  the 
hauling  was  done  then).  The  Indian  had  bought  some  powder  and  whisky 
at  Connor's,  and  he  "cut  up'  and  scared  the  boys.  They  unhitched  the  horses, 
and  one  of  the  boys  ran,  and  the  Indian  ran  after  him  and  pointed  his  gun  at 
the  boy.  Shadrach  called  out,  'What  is  the  matter?'  The  boy  said,  'The 
Indian  is  going  to  shoot  me.'  Shadrach  caught  his  gun  and  undertook  to 
shoot  the  Indian.  Shadrach's  wife  tried  to  pull  him  away  for  100  yards,  but 
he  shot  and  killed  the  Indian  right  there  in  the  yard.  This  was  in  the  evening. 
Shadrach  went  to  his  father's  that  night,  and  in  the  morning  they  covered 
the  body  in  the  hollow  of  a  tree  turned  up.  Old  Meshach  went  to  Muncie 
alone,  and  told  the  Indians  what  his  son  had  done  and  that  he  should-  be  tried 
fairly,  and  suffer  the  penalty.  He  also  told  the  Indians  to  come  and  bury 
their  comrade  and  they  did  so ;  fifteen  or  twenty  came  and  buried  him  on  the 
river  bank  on  my  farm.  The  young  man  was  tried,  but  he  was  acquitted; 
and  that  made  the  Indians  hostile.  I  went  to  Connor  and  talked  with  him, 
and  got  him  to  intercede  with  the  Indians.  Connor  had  great  influence  with 
them,  and  they  would  do  almost  anything  he  wished.  He  told  them  that  I 
was  his  cousin,  and  that  he  wished  they,  would  be  reconciled.  I  had  come 
into  the  county  after  the  shooting  and  before  the  trial.  The  Indians  had 
torn  up  the  floor  in  the  cabin  I  was  to  live  in,  and  I  fixed  it.  We  sent  some 
boys  to  get  the  cabin  ready,  and  we  expected  to  move  up  from  Joab  Ward's. 
While  the  boys  were  at  the  cabin,  six  or  seven  Indians  came  in.  One  of  the 
young  men  set  them  a  puncheon  bench,  and  they  sat  down.  Presently  one 
of  them,  Big  Nose,  drew  his  knife,  and  caught  my  brother  Thomas,  and 
cried,  'Now  I  kill  you;  you  killed  my  cousin.'  Brother  said,  'No,  I  wasn't  in 
the  country  then.'  'You  are  a  liar,'  Big  Nose  cried.  He  held  Thomas  a  long 
time,  but  let  him  go  at  last.  Another  young  man,  who  was  with  Thomas,  ran 
away  100  yards-  and  caught  up  his  gun.  The  Indian  caught  my  brother 
again,  but  finally  said,  'I  let  you  go.    I  no  kill  you  this  time — next  time  I  kill 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  299 

you,  sure."  The  other  Indians  smiled  like,  but  said  nothing.  The  Indian 
turned  my  brother's  face  toward  him  and  said,  'Look,  next  time  I  kill  you.' 

The  boy  came  and  met  us  and  told  us.  Joab  Ward  said,  'Follow  the  In- 
dians.' I  said  'No.'  Then  he  said,  'Go  back  with  me.'  My  wife  stood  there 
with  the  child,  and  she  said,  'Let  us  go  on,'  and  we  started  again.  We  went, 
and  my  wife  followed,  trembling,  but  when  we  got  in  sight  of  the  cabin,  all 
fear  left  her.  We  got  to  the  cabin  and  unloaded,  and  there  came  along  a  big, 
burly  fellow,  and  offered  to  stay  with  us.  'He  was  not  afraid,'  he  said.  He 
stayed.  There  was  a  big  stump  of  a  tree-root  near  by.  Before  bed-time  he 
looked  out  and  said.  'I  see  an  Indian  out  there.  I  see  his  blanket  and  his 
eyes.  He  is  going  to  shoot'  The  fellow  got  his  gun  and  his  axe,  and  stood 
ready  a  good  while.  I  said,  'I  am  going  to  see.'  'Oh,  no,  he  will  shoot  you.' 
I  did  go  out;  there  was  no  Indian,  only  the  stump  and  some  snow.  In  the 
morning  we  went  out  to  cut  up  the  tree.  I  said,  'It  would  not  do  for  an  In- 
dian to  come  and  cut  up  like  that  one  yesterday.'  I  looked  up,  and  there  stood 
an  Indian !     He  heard  what  I  said,  but  he  smiled  and  was  friendly. 

In  about  a  month  my  brother  went  back  to  Ohio.  He  had  not  been  long 
gone  when  six  Indians  came  and  hallooed  from  across  the  river,  wishing  to 
come  across.  Big  Nose  among  them.  I  took  my  canoe,  and  brought  them 
across.  I  charged  him  with  his  mischief.  He  said,  'No,  me  civil.'  'Yes,  it 
was  you.'  'No  whisky.'  They  went  up  to  Connor's,  and  by  and  by,  re- 
tvirned.  (One  was  called  Killbuck.)  One  was  so  drunk  that  he  could  not 
walk  alone;  two  of  them  were  leading  him  across  waist-deep.  When  they 
had  come  across,  Killbuck  said,  'We  not  been  saucy.'  I  went  into  the  house, 
but  presently  he  came  back,  foaming  with  rage.  'You  go  and  get  your  gun,' 
said  he.  'How  do  you  know,'  said  I.  'What  did  you  come  back  for?'  'To 
show  you  I  no  coward,  give  me  some  bread,'  said  he.  I  did,  and  he  went 
away  pacified.  That  poor  drunken  fellow  lay  there  all  night  with  his  feet  in 
the  water,  dead  drunk. 

One  night  an  Indian  hallooed.  'What  do  you  want?'  'To  come  in  and 
warm.'  I  let  him  in.  'Me  civil,'  said  he.  After  he  got  in,  he  began  to  curse, 
and  swore  he  would  kill  the  first  man  that  came  into  the  cabin.  I  quieted 
him  down,  and  then  he  began  again.  He  went  on  to  Connor's,  and  in  the 
morning  he  came  back,  and  said,  'Connor  told  me  "No,"  and  I  won't  hurt 
anybody.' 

In  boating,  flat-boats  would  jump  the  dams  four  feet  high.  People 
would  bring  fruit  from  \\'ayne  county  in  wagons,  and  boat  it  'down  to 
settlers  on  the  Wabash  and  elsewhere. 


300  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

After  Fleming  was  killed,  about  twenty-five  Indians  came  and  had  a 
ceremony  over  him.  They  had  guns,  and  marched  up  very  solemnly.  One 
old  Indian  made  a  speech.  He  spoke  a  long  time ;  KiUbuck  interpreted.  He 
said,  'Don't  be  scared,  he  was  a  bad  Indian.  We  will  be  friendly.'  As  the 
man  stood  there  speaking,  he  seemed  much  affected,  and  the  tears  streamed 
down  his  cheeks. 

We  used  to  go  to  mill  at  first  to  Richmond.  David  Wysong  made  a 
thread-mill  (for  oxen).  One  day  I  went  with  a  grist,  and,  in  the  night,  while 
I  was  there,  the  oxen  slipped  through,  and  stopped  the  mill,  but  they  could  not 
get  out  and  were  just  hanging  by  their  necks. 

The  first  school  was  taught  two  or  three  years  after  I  came,  in  a  log 
cabin,  kept  by  Mr.  Stevens,  at  $i  per  scholar.  There  were  perhaps  twenty 
scholars.  Half  of  the  patrons  could  not  pay.  There  were  only  two  or  three 
books  in  the  school.  The  teacher  would  write  letters  on  paddles  to  have  the 
little  fellows  learn.  I  once  drove  thirty  head  of  hogs  to  Ross  county,  Ohio, 
to  have  them  fatten  on  the  'mast.'  The  Indians  began  to  shoot  them.  I 
talked  to  them.  'Big  Jim,'  said  'Fat  hog  make  good  soup,'  and  laughed. 
When  I  came  to  the  county,  a  big  brush  heap  lay  where  the  Winchester  court 
house  now  stands. 

John  Cox  settled  near  Winchester  in  1815  or  1816." 

JACOB  DRIVER,    1 82 1. 

"Settlers  when  I  came,  in  1821 :  John  Sample,  at  Sampletown  (Mill), 
Paul'  W.  Way,  William  Way,  Henry  Way,  William  Diggs  (old),  William 
Diggs  (young),  Littleberry  Diggs,  Armsbee  Diggs,  Tarlton  Moorman,  Robi- 
son,  Mclntyre,  Walter  Ruble,  John  Wright  and  others. 

The  Claytons  came  nearly  when  I  did — perhaps  two  or  three  years 
afterward. 

Tarlton  Moorman  is  the  brother  of  James  Moorman  and  the  father  of 
Stephen  Moorman.'' 

PELATIAH   BOND. 

"Benjamin  Bond,  my  father,  lived,  at  one  time,  just  west  of  New  Gar- 
den meeting-house,  in  Wayne  county. 

In  building  a  house,  he  bought  nails  at  25  cents  a  pound,  and  paid  for 
them  in  cord-wood  at  25  cents  a  cord,  chopping  the  wood  on  his  own  land, 
and  selling  it  on  the  ground  at  the  rate  of  four  cords  for  $1. 

In  Western  Pennsylvania,  in  early  times,  a  man  gave  a  horse  for  a  bar- 
rel of  salt." 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  3OI 

DANIEL  B.  MILLER,   1 822. 

"The  settlers,  when  I  came  (on  the  Mississinewa,  1822),  were,  Riley 
Marshall,  east  of  Deerfield;.  William  Massey,  James  Massey,  Robert  Massey, 
north  of  Miller's;  Frank  Peake,  north  of  Mississinewa  river;  Samuel  Emery, 
on  the  south  side  of  the  river;  Burkett  Pierce,  west,  of  Deerfield,  north  of 
river;  George  Ritenour,  west  of  Deerfield,  south  of  the  river;  Martin  Boots, 
between  Deerfield  and  Ridgeville.  He  was  the  first  blacksmith  in  that  region. 
He  moved  to  Fairview,  afterward. 

I  was  single,  and  came  on  horseback  from  near  Cincinnati,  via  Rich- 
mond and  the  'Quaker  Trace,'  to  Riley  Marshall's.  I  bought  eighty  acres  of 
a  non-resident  owner,  and  boarded  eighteen  months  at  Riley  Marshall's,  going 
then  to  Wayne  county  to  be  married,  and  bringing  my  wife  with  me,  on 
horseback,  into  the  woods  of  Randolph.  Judge  M.  thinks  James  Massey  was 
the  first  settler  in  Ward  township.  Some  of  the  Masseys  were  there  in  1818. 
Burkett  Pierce  says  James  and  another  Massey  came  the  same  fall  he  did — 
1820  or  1 82 1.  Judge  M.  thinks,  also,  that  Philip  Storms  came  to  Allensvil^e 
after  he  (Miller)  came  to  Randolph,  and  that  Connor  stayed  on  the  river 
above  Deerfield,  five  or  six  years  after  1822. 

Lewallyn's  mill  ground  very  slowly.  They  said  a  pig  crawled  into  the 
trough  and  licked  up  the  meal,  and  that  he  would  sc[ueal  because  the  meal 
did  not  come  fast  enough  for  him.  This  is  probably  another  version  of  the 
'hound'  story,  so  often  repeated. 

Meetings  were  held  for  a  long  time  at  private  dwellings,  i.  e.,  at  Riley 
Marshall's,  and  also  elsewhere." 

MARTIN  A.   REEDER,    1 822. 

"John  Gass  had  settled  at  his  place,  southwest  of  Winchester,  and  was 
keeping  tavern  there  when  the  Ways,  etc.,  came  from  South  Carolina,  in  the 
spring  of  1817. 

The  first  entry  in  Randolph  county  used  to  be  said  to  be  three  miles  east 
of  Winchester,  where  Miles  Scott  now  lives.  That  land  was  entered  by  Jere- 
miah Moffett,  in  December,  1812. 

Anti-slavery  societies  began  to  be  formed  between  1836  and  1840,  or 
sooner.  The  U.  G.  R.  R.  had  a  sort  of  organization,  though  not  a  very  elabo- 
rate one.  Lists  of  the  stations,  of  the  routes,  of  the  men  who  would  enter- 
tain and  who  would  forward  fugitives,  etc.,  were  kept  for  reference  along  the 
route. 


302  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

At  Winchester,  Eli  Hiatt  was  a  chief  promoter  of  the  work.  Others, 
were  James  P.  Way,  Frank  Diggs,  Jesse  Way,  Moorman  Way,  Dr.  Cook, 
M.  A.  Reeder  and  others;  George  Bailey  and  others,  at  Huntsville;  Zimri 
Bond,  John  H.  Bond,  etc.,  at  Cabin  Creek.  Large  numbers  were  in  sympathy 
with  the  work ;  some,  in  fact,  who  would  hardly  have  been  expected  to  do  so. 
One  man,  a  landlord  in  Jay  county,  who  was  then,  and  has  always  since  been, 
a  stanch  Democrat,  was  nevertheless  a  constant  and  reliable  helper  in  the 
U.  G.  R.  R. 

At  one  time,  a  company  of  twelve  stopped  at  Eli  Hiatt's.  The  pursuers 
came  to  town  while  the  fugitives  were  still  here.  They  knew  the  fugitives 
were  not  far  off,  but  not  that  they  were  in  town. 

Dr.  Cook  went  early  toward  Ridgeville,  and,  returning,  met  the  man- 
hunters — giving  them  such  information  as  caused  them  to  suppose  their  prey 
was  ahead,  and  they  pressed  vigorously  onward  (four  men,  all  armed  to  the 
teeth).  The  slaves  were  taken  back  to  Huntsville,  from  there  to  John 
Bond's  and  thence  to  Camden,  and  so  on  toward  Canada. 

During  the  war  of  1861,  Mr.  Reeder  and  his  wife  went  as  nurses  in  the 
hospital,  etc.,  spending  more  than  a  year  in  that  service,  and  going  wholly  at 
his  own  expense.  He  was  at  Washington  City,  at  Gettysburg  and  elsewhere, 
witnessing  many  sad  and  fearful  scenes  of  terrible  suffering,  and  doing  his 
utmost  for  its  relief.  He  bore  a  commission  from  Gov.  Morton,  and  recom- 
mendations from  President  Lincoln,  which  enabled  him  to  go  anywhere  he 
pleased  in  the  prosecution  of  his  loving  work,  and  he  feels  thankful  for  the 
degree  of  success  which  attended  his  labors  in  his  country's  cause.  Gov. 
Morton's  name  was  itself  a  'power,'  and,  of  course.  President  Lincoln's  'sign 
manual'  was  omnipotent,  and  both  together  became  irresistible." 

The  following  was  printed  in  a  Winchester  paper  in  1875  : 

M.   A.   REEDER. 

Last  week,  Mr.  Harris  Allman  and  his  wife  returned,  after  an  absence  of 
forty-five  years,  to  visit  their  former  friends  and  comrades  in  this  vicinity — 
now,  alas,  but  few.  His  father,  Matthew  Allman,  was  a  very  early  settler 
here,  and  in  1830  removed  to  White  Lick,  between  Plainfield  and  Indian- 
apolis.    Since  that  removal,  a  wonderful  change  has  taken  place ! 

Winchester  was  then  a  solid  forest.  About  eight  families  were  at  that 
time  residents  of  the  place,  scattered  here  and  there  over  the  town  plat,  in 
small  log  cabins.     The  heavy  timber  was  near  on  every  hand.     The  streets 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  3O3 

could  not  be  seen.  Only  three  houses  now  [1875]  remain  standing  that  were 
here  when  Mr.  Allnian  left,  and  one  of  them  has  lately  been  reconstructed. 

The  old  settlers  are  mostly  gone.  M.  A.  Reeder  has  been  longest  a  resi- 
dent of  the  town,  including,  also,  his  mother,  who  is  still  living.  Mr.  Allman 
passed  through  the  city  (in  company  with  M.  A.  R.),  searching,  almost  in 
vain,  to  find  the  spots  of  familiar  interest  of  the  early  olden  time.  Mr.  A. 
pointed  out  many  locations  of  objects  then  important,  now  to  the  younger 
generation  unknown. 

The  old  schoolhouse,  on  the  site  where  now  stands  the  residence  of  A. 
Aker,  Jr. ;  the  old  spring  at  which  the  scholars  slaked  their  thirst,  located  on 
the  east  bank  of  Salt  creek,  about  a  rod  south  of  the  Washington  street  bridge  ; 
the  old  Aker  hotel,  partly  standing,  just  east  of  the  city  hall;  the  Odle  store- 
room, the  first  dry  goods  store,  afterward  the  residence  of  D.  Haworth  and 
of  Jacob  Elzroth,  Esq.,  and  now  occupied  by  George  Isom;  Haworth's  cabi- 
net-shop, now  occupied  by  J.  W   Diggs  as  an  undertaken. 

The  big  oak  tree,  seven  feet  through,  which  stood  where  now  stands 
Col.  H.  H.  Neff's  elegant  mansion ;  the  "old  fort  and  mound,"  near  and  in  the 
"Fair  Grounds ;"  the  "Ring  Spring,"  one  hundred  yards  west  of  the  toll-gate 
on  the  pike  leading  westward;  the  big  walnut  tree,  six  feet  through,  standing 
where  now  Hon.  E.  L.  Watson  resides;  the  old  Quaker  (or  Richmond)  Trace, 
leading  from  the  Wayne  county  settlements  into  these  northern  woods,  which 
ran  out  the  south  end  of  East  street,  which  trace  is  now  nearly  obliterated — ■ 
these,  and  other  landmarks  unknown  to  the  present  inhabitants,  were  full  of 
interest  to  one  who  spent  his  boyhood  in  our  vicinity  when  all  was  rough  and 
wild,  full  fifty  years  ago. 

ISAAC    BRANSON STONEY    CREEK. 

Came  to  Randolph  county,  Ind.,  in  1822  (or  sooner),  entered  land  in  the 
southern  part  of  Stoney  creek,  in  1822  [Section  10,  19,  12],  being  the  farm 
afterward  owned  by  Abram  Clevinger.  This  land  he  sold  to  Joseph  Rooks, 
about  1825,  and  entered  land  again  in  the  southern  part  of  Nettle  Creek  town- 
ship [W.  N.  W.,  15,  18,  12],  near  Mr.  Burroughs,  March  26,  1816.  They 
sold  out  again  and  moved  to  Delaware  county,  becoming  pioneers  in  that 
region. 

They  raised  a  large  family  of  children,  enduring  great  hardships  and 
peril.  Mr.  Branson  died  many  years  ago,  but  "Aunt  Patsy"  Branson,  as  she 
is  called,  resides  with  one  of  her  daughters,  in  Muncie,  Delaware  county. 
She  is  nearly  ninety  years  old,  but  very  spry  and  strong,  walking  a  mile  or 


304  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

two  without  difficulty  or  fatigue,  and  retaining  in  memory  the  events  of  hef 
old-time  life  with  remarkable  tenacity. 

They  had  peculiar  hardships  when  they  first  settled  in  Randolph.  They 
came  into  the  woods  with  one  horse  of  their  own,  though  somebody's  two- 
horse  wagon  moved  them  there.  In  less  than  a  week  after  they  arrived,  her 
husband  cut  his  knee  with  a  frow,  while  splitting  clap-boards  for  a  roof  to 
his  "camp,"  and  so  badly  that  he  could  not  step  on  his  foot  for  six  weeks; 
and  much  of  that  time  he  lay  helpless  on  the  puncheons  of  the  floor.  About 
the  same  time,  his  only  horse  died.  The  horse  was  not  very  good,  but  it  was 
better  than  none,  and  it  was  all  they  had,  and  they  had  nothing  to  buy  another. 

They  came  in  February,  and  brought  four  large  iron  kettles  to  make 
sugar  in.  Mrs.  Branson  and  her  husband's  brother,  a  lad  of  seventeen,  who 
came  with  them  into  their  forest  home,  took  hold  and  opened  an  immense 
sugar  camp  that  stood  ready  to  their  hand,  and  actually  cut  the  wood,  carried 
the  water,  made  the  troughs,  and  produced  about  three  barrels  of  excellent 
tree-sugar,  all  nice  and  dry,  as  good  as  need  be.  This  sugar  was  indeed  a 
"God-send"  to  the  poor,  afflicted  family  in  the  wilderness.  Mr.  B.  ■  hired  a 
"plug"  pony  of  his  uncle  in  Wayne  county,  and  contrived  to  do  his  work. 
After  they  got  corn  planted,  he  took  sugar  to  Richmond  and  exchanged  for 
corn  and  other  necessaries.  But  their  corn  and  vegetables  grew  splendidly, 
and  long  before  the  year  was  out,  they  had  plenty  of  corn  and  potatoes  and 
such  things.  They  took  to  the  corn  as  soon  as  it  came  to  "roasting  ears," 
potatoes  as  soon  as  they  would  do  to  cook,  and  sc[uashes  as  soon  as  they  got 
large  enough,  and  so  on. 

They  had  a  cow,  and  the  pea-vines  were  up  to  her  back,  and  she  gave 
abundance  of  milk,  and  grew  fat  on  her  keeping  to  boot. 

When  Mr.  B.  went  to  Richmond  with  his  sugar,  he  borrowed  a  wagon 
and  a  yoke  of  oxen,  and  took  grain  and  things,  also,  for  some  other  neighbor 
settlers,  and  the  trip  took  a  week  or  more. 

Mrs.  B.  thinks  they  came  in  1819,  which  may  possibly  be  the  fact;  but 
if  so,  they  must  have  resided  here  more  than  three  years  before  they  entered 
land,  since  that  took  place  in  the  fall  of  1822.  And  that,  too,  may  have  been 
true,  as  Mr.  B.  seems  to  have  been  very  poor,  and  it  may  have  been  three 
years  before  he  could  raise  the  money  for  an  entry. 

ELDER  THOMAS  ADDINGTON. 

"Once,  when  I  was  a  boy  at  school,  the  teacher  would  sleep  in  'books.' 
There  was  a  boy  in  school  who  was  rather  'simple'  and  greatly  given  to 
'pranks,'  just  because  he  'did  not  know  any  better.' 


KANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  3O5 

One  day,  a  mouse  came  running  across  the  floor,  and  the  'simple'  boy 
went  to  chasing  it.  The  teacher  was  asleep,  but  the  noise  waked  him.  He 
looked  up  and  saw  the  boy  capering  about  the  room.  As  he  spied  the  lad,  he 
caught  his  whip  and  chased  the  little  fellow,  whipping  as  he  went.  The  poor 
chap  gave  no  heed  to.  the  slashing  of  the  teacher,  but  went  dancing  ahead 
after  his  movise.  At  last  he  'grabbed'  with  his  fingers,  clutched  the  'varmint,' 
and  turning  short  round,  facing  the  master,  cried,  'See,  teacher,  I  "cotch" 
him!' 

What  the  teacher  did  thereafter  is  not  remembered.  The  laughing  that 
the  school  accomplished  just  then  was  past  all  control,  and  the  picture  of  that 
'simple  youth,'  grinning  in  glee  at  his  success  in  grabbing  that  quadruped,  is 
a  vivid  thing  in  the  minds  of  all  who  then  beheld  the  performance  of  the  feat." 

WILLIAM    cox,   WEST  RIVER. 

"Settlers  at  that  time  were  Joseph  HoUingsworth,  Albert  Macy,  Jesse 
Ballinger,  Joshua  Wright,  William  Stansberry,  and  others.  Daniel  Worth 
hved  on  the  John  Hunnicutt  place ;  John  Bunker  was  where  John  Charles  now 
resides;  Morgan  Thornburg  lived  near  White  chapel.  Some  of  these  had 
been  on  their  places  for  several  years." 

HURRICANE. 

"Eli  B.  Barnard  says  he  was  twenty-seven  months  old  when  the  tornado 
took  place.  Their  roof  blew  off,  and  they  shoved  the  cradle  with  him  in  it 
under  the  bed  to  keep  him  from  drowning,  and  he  says  he  remembers  that. 
This  was  where  widow  Ballinger  lives  northwest  of  Charles  W.  Osborn's. 

A  horse  was  hemmed  in  with  the  fallen  trees  into  a  place  only  a  few  feet 
square,  and  yet  the  horse  was  not  hurt!  One  man,  scared  nearly  out  of  his 
wits,  had  yet  sense  enough  left  to  pray,  and  he  cried,  'O  Lord,  ii  thou  wilt 
spare  me  this  time,  I  will  get  away  just  as  soon  as  I  can  go!'  And  he  kept 
his  word,  the  people  say,  and  the  next  morning,  picking  his  way  to  the  near- 
est standing  timber,  he  left  for  parts  unknown. 

Squirrels  were  one  year  so  poor  that  they  were  not  iit  to  eat.  William 
Smith's  mill  was  built  before  1819."    [Doubtful] 

WILLIAM    PICKETT. 

"I  have  been  a  miller  much  of  my  life.     I  helped  Jeremiah  Cox  build  his 
mill  on  White  river,  in  1825.     It  was  a  water  mill  and  stood  on  the  place  I 
(20) 


306  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

now  own;  Jeremiah  Cox  died  soon  after.  Joseph  and  Benjamin  Pickett 
bought  the  mill,  Benjamin  Pickett  built  a  saw-mill,  and  in  1853,  I  bought  the 
farm,  108  acres,  and  the  two  mills.  The  mills  ran  till  the'  'five  dry  years,' 
1864 — 69;  they  were  pulled  down  in  1870.  The  river  has  far  less  water  now 
than  formerly.  I  worked  as  a  miller  three  years  at  White  Water,  afterward 
off  and  on  at  Winchester,  dressing  buhrs,  etc.  A  steam  mill  was  built  there 
about  1835. 

When  we  were  tearing  down  my  saw-mill,  a  big  post  fell  on  me.  While 
taking  a  sill  from  the  second  story  (the  mill  was  built  double),  a  post,  a  foot 
square  and  eleven  feet  long,  knocked  me  down  and  fell  on  me.  I  was  con- 
fined several  weeks.  They  thought  I  could  not  live;  but  that  was  ten  years 
ago  and  I  am  here  yet." 

WILD   HOGS. 

"Great  numbers  of  wild  hogs  were  in  the  woods,  descendants  of  tame 
ones,  brought  by  early  settlers,  that  had  become  wild.  The  males  would  stay 
wild  for  years.  They  would  get  with  droves,  and  in  a  short  time  the  whole 
drove  would  become  so  wild  that  you  could  hardly  get  them  back  again. 
Wild  hogs  would  attack  people  when  hard  pressed.  John  Chapman,  Allen 
county,  was  attacked  by  a  wild  boar  when  out  after  the  cows.  He  climbed 
a  big  log,  and  had  to  stay  till  the  creature  left.  He  had  a  fiste  with  him ; , 
the  hog  chased  the  dog  and  then  took  after  Chapman  himself.  He  had  to 
stay  on  the  log  till  some  time  in  the  night. 

An  immense  male  hog  once  attacked  a  cow,  in  Thomas  Coates'  lane. 
He  stuck  his  tusk  into  her  breast,  and  the  blood  spurted  right  out.  He  then 
struck  another  cow  and  knocked  her  down  as  if  she  had  been  shot.  His  tusk 
was  broken,  or  he  would  probably  have  killed  her.  The  children  were  in  the 
lane,  they  saw  the  hog,  and  climbed  the  fence.  The  men  chased  him  more 
than  half  a  mile,  and  shot  him  again  and  again,  and  at  last  killed  him. 

This  animal  belonged  to  one  of  the  neighbors,  but  the  creature  had  gone 
wild.  On  the  ATississinewa  hogs  were  found  wild  in  abundance  when  the 
settlers  first  came  there,  as  people  would  let. their  swine  run  in  the  woods, 
and  after  a  while  hunt  them  up  again,  to  get  them  home,  or  to  kill  them  for 
meat.  They  would  go  out  and  find  the  'range,'  and  when  snow  would  come 
several  men  would  go  on  horseback,  and  shoot  the  hogs  as  they  could  find 
them.  Sometimes  the  creatures  would  be  four  or  five  miles  from  home. 
After  they  were  shot  the  hogs  would  be  hauled  home,  by  the  nose,  or  on  a 
sled  or  on  a  wagon.  Once  in  a  while  people  would  make  a  fire  out  in  the 
woods,  and  scald  and  dress  them  before  taking  them  home." 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  3O7 


DEER,    ETC. 


"Deer  sometimes  have  thirteen  prongs.  At  first  the  straight  'spike' 
grows,  the  next  year  one  prong  on  each  horn,  and  so  on.  A  straight  horn  is 
called  a  'spike;'  one  prong  is  called  a  'fork;'  more  than  one,  'snags,'  three- 
snagged,  four-snagged,  etc.  Deer  were  fat  in  the  summer  and  fall  and  poor 
in  the  spring.  I  have  often  killed  old  deer  that  had  no  horns.  Horns  of  old' 
deer  would  be  perhaps  two  feet  long,  when  full  grown. 

Amos  Peacock  and  Henry  Hill  once  took  a  load  of  smoked  bacon  to 
Richmond,  and  got  only  $i  a  hundred. 

I  have  bought  salt  that  cost  me  $11.37  ^  barrel.  I  had  flax  seed  to  sell. 
I  paid  for  hauling  the  seed,  and  the  salt  back  from  Dayton,  and  the  whole  cost 
me  as  above,  $11.37  P^^  barrel." 

CHOLERA. 

"As  I  was  cradling  wheat,  a  cloud  gathered  south  of  east,  taking  several 
hours.  It  covered  nearly  the  whole  sky.  There  was  much  lightning  and 
thunder,  and  a  little  rain;  I  did  not  stop  cradling.  The  body  of  the  storm 
seem.ed  to  pass  south.  Shortly  after  I  smelt  a  strong  smell  of  burning  sul- 
phur, the  smell  lasting  perhaps  half  an  hour.  It  made  be  feel  sick  and  faint, 
and  I  came  near  falling  to  the  ground.  Shortly  after  that  the  cholera  broke 
out  terribly  at  Lynn  and  other  places."  [See  statements  by  Frazier,  John- 
son, Stone,  etc.] 

MARY    HYATT COATS PICKETT. 

"I  was  born  in  Grayson  county,  Virginia,  in  1806.  My  father,  Zachary 
Hyatt,  came  to  Wayne  county,  Ind.,  1814,  and  to  Randolph  county  in  1817. 
Winchester,  when  I  first  saw  it,  October,  1819,  had  a  court  house  and  jail 
and  three  houses.  Once  father  lay  sick,  and  I  was  weaving.  Suddenly  I  saw 
through  the  open  door  a  deer  crawling  through  a  crack  in  the  fence.  There 
were  two  crooked  rails,  one  up  and  the  other  down.  The  deer  had  one  hind 
leg  broken.  I  sprang  out  with  my  little  thread-knife,  and  my  sisters  and  my- 
self, with  the  dog,  chased  the  deer  one-quarter  of  a  mile  to  a  pond  about 
knee  deep.  The  dog  caught  the  deer  by  the  throat,  and  we  waded  in  and 
killed  it  with  clubs.  We  dragged  the  deer  from  the  water,  cut  the  leaders  of 
the  legs,  and  tucked  the  others  in  so  we  could  carry  it  with  a  pole,  and  in  that 
way  we  bore  it  home  in  triumph.  The  men  were  away,  except  father,  and 
he  was  sick.     Once  the  men  were  shooting  turkeys,  and  one  lit  down  into  the 


308  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

yard  and  tried  to  crawl  through  the  fence.  My  sister  and  I  caught  it  and 
killed  it. 

I  used  to  spin  and  weave  a  great  deal.  I  have  woven  many  a  yard  of 
tow,  and  linen,  and  woolen.  I  wove  coverlets,  etc.,  for  the  whole  region, 
Richmond,  Mississinewa,  Wabash,  etc.  Mr.  Lewallyn  from  Ridgeville,  once 
brought  five  coverlets.  I  told  him,  'I  can't  weave  them,  I  have  more  than  I 
can  do.'  'Don't  say  a  word,'  said  he,  'I  shall  leave  the  work,  and  you  must 
do  it,  though  it  should  stay  here  five  years.'  So,  he  left  the  work,  and  in  due 
time  I  wove  them.  We  used  to  card  and  spin  raw  cotton,  and  wool  too.  My 
price  for  weaving  coverlets  was  $i  apiece. 

One  day  mother  went  away  to  be  gone  ten  days.  The  flax  was  on  the 
ground  rotting.  We  girls  took  up  the  flax,  dried,  broke,  swingled  and  hatch- 
eled  it,  carded,  spun  and  wove  it;  and  by  the  time  mother  came  home,  the 
cloth  was  in  garments  and  on  the  children's  backs. 

We  used  pewter  platters,  dishes,  etc.  [Mrs.  Pickett  showed  a  large  an- 
cient pewter  platter,  about  a  foot  across,  and  heavy  and  thick,  that  her  mother 
bought  in  1818.  It  had  never  been  molded  over,  and  was  about  as  good  as 
new.] 

My  father  sold  his  place  in  North  Carolina,  and  got  ready  to  move  to 
Indiana.  Everything  was  packed  and  loaded,  ready  to  start  in  the  morning. 
The  boys  got  up  before  daylight,  and  fed  the  horses,  and  got  the  harness  to 
'gear  up.'  Mother  said,  'you  need  not  do  it,  father  is  sick.'  In  ten  days,  fa- 
ther died.    Mother  married  again,  and  in  a  year  or  two,  came  to  Indiana." 

WILLIAM   ARMFIELD  THORNBURG STONEY   CREEK. 

"When  we  first  came,  Richmond  was  our  place  of  trade.  We  would  go 
with  the  front  wheels  of  a  wagon,  taking  out  the  king-bolt,  and  fixing  clap- 
boards on  the  bolster  and  the  'slider,"  putting  on  our  coon  skins  and  deer- 
skins and  ginseng,  and  wheat  if  we  could  spare  any,  and  the  corn  to  be 
ground.  The  trip  could  be  made  as  handily  as  you  please.  With  only  the 
two  wheels,  one  could  turn  and  twist  almost  any  way  around  and  among  the 
trees.  The  'truck'  would  be  traded  for  'store  tea,'  and  cotton  yarn,  and  pow- 
der and  sole-leather..  If, a  barrel  of  salt  was  needed,  father  would  go  with 
the  whole  wagon. 

The  first  mill  I  ever  saw  was  Sample's  mill,  a  corn  cracker.  The  mills 
then  were  small  affairs,  but  we  boys  thought  them  something  wonderful. 

Our  folks  made  large  quantities  of  tree  sugar.     Two  springs,  we  made 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  3O9 

each  season,  two  barrels  of  grain  sugar,  loo  pounds  of  cake-sugar,  and  forty 
or  fifty  pounds  of  molasses. 

The  third  spring  of  our  residence  in  Randolph,  Samuel  Anthony,  father 
of  E.  C.  Anthony,  Esq.,  of  Muncie,  came  to  that  place  with  a  store  of  goods. 
Father  needed  some  things.  He  said  to  my  mother  and  myself,  'you  go  to 
Muncie  with  a  sack  of  sugar  apiece.'  We  filled  the  sacks;  mother  took  hers 
before  her,  but  I  took  a  heavy  sack.  We  got  there  in  due  time  (twelve  miles), 
and  traded  the  sugar  at  6^  cents  a  pound  for  coffee  at  half  a  dollar,  and 
other  goods  as  high  as  they  could  well  be.  When  father  built  his  mill,  coffee 
and  whisky  had  both  to  be  furnished,  or  the  men  would  not  work.  I  had  to 
go  to  Judge  Reece's  distillery  in  Delaware  county,  for  the  whisky,  which 
when  a  lad,  I  have  often  done.  Father  and  I  once  went  to  Richmond  with 
two  yoke  of  oxen  and  the  wagon,  carrying  flour  and  ginseng  and  sugar  and 
deer-skins  and  coon  skins,  perhaps  $35  worth  in  all.  The  trip  took  four 
days  (thirty-five  miles).  A  man  named  Brightwell  was  in  company.  As  they 
were  about  to  start  for  home,  Brightwell  said,  'take  a  drink,'  handing  a  bot- 
tle of  'ginger  pop,'  and  as  he  drew  the  cork  the  'pop'  flew  clear  to  the  loft. 
Father  drank  and  gave  me  some.  As  we  came  to  a  big  hill  father  said  to 
me,  'you  tend  the  hind  cattle,  and  I  will  see  to  the  forward  yoke,'  locking 
the  wagon,  as  he  spoke,  but  taking  the  forewheel  instead  of  the  hind  wheel. 
We  went  down  the  hill,  but  it  was  a  terrible  'go,'  neither  of  us  knowing  what 
the  matter  was.  Just  as  we  reached  the  bottom,  I  saw  what  he  had  done,  and 
said,  'what  made  thee  lock  the  forewheel?'  'The  dogs,  I  did,  didn't  I?' 
said  he.  I  told  my  brother,  and  he  remarked,  'father  was  pretty  tight.'  How- 
ever, he  was  no  drinker,  but  he  got  caught  that  time." 

MRS.  JOSEPH  BROWN,  JR. 

"  My  uncle,  William  Simmons,  came  early  to  Randolph  county,  Ind., 
and,  I  think,  as  soon  as  1821.  He  lived  just  at  the  line  between  Jackson  and 
Ward  townships,  directly  on  the  Mississinewa  river,  south  of  New  Pittsburg. 
He  died  in  middle  life,  but  was  the  father  of  twenty-one  children  by  the  same 
wife.  They  were  all  raised  'by  hand,'  the  mother  being  unable  to  'suckle' 
them.     Twelve  became  grown,  and  ten  are  still  living. 

James  Simmons  (my  father)  worked  one  harvest  for  Chief  Richard- 
ville,  near  Ft.  Wayne.  One  day  an  old  man  passed  along  the  road  having  a 
tall  hat  on  his  head  and  a  bundle  on  his  back,  and  being  otherwise  odd  looking 
The  boys  began  to  'poke  fun'  at  him.    Suddenly  he  laid  down  his  bundle,  took 


310  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

off  his  hat,  whirled  round  and  faced  them.  Said  he,  'Do  you  know  the 
eleventh  commandment?'    'No,  what  is  it?'    'Mind  your  own  business.' 

That  was  a  'center  shot,'  their  battery  hushed,  and  without  another  word 
the  old  man  went  his  way. 

When  he  was  a  boy  at  home,  dttring  the  .'squirrel  year,'  James  shot  squir- 
rels for  weeks,  throwing  them  to  the  hogs  outside  the  field,  and  leaving  them 
to  decay  upon  the  ground.  It  was  a  hard  task,  but  they  saved  their  corn  by 
the  means. 

Daniel  B.  Miller  and  his  wife  came  on  horseback  to  their  forest  home, 
and  she  stuck  a  black  locust  riding  switch  into  the  ground  in  the  door  yard. 
It  grew  and  became  a  fine,  large  tree,  and  a  few  years  ago  was  there  still. 

James  Simmons  was  a  great  hunter.  It  may  be  safely  said  that  he  killed 
more  deer  than  any  other  man  in  Jackson  township.  When  he  was  building 
his  log  house,  he  set  himself  to  cut  and  hew  four  logs  a  day,  and  besides  that 
to  kill  one  deer,  and  he  did  it.  They  lived  at  first  for  two  or  three  months 
in  a  'camp'  made  of  rails. 

He  has  killed  six  deer  in  one  day.  At  one  time  he  ran  a  deer  till  away 
after  dark  and  got  lost,  and  in  the  night  he  kept  wandering  round  and  firing 
his  gun.  His  wife  heard  the  firing,  and,  thinking  that  he  might  be  lost,  she 
took  the  ax  and  pounded  as  hard  as  she  could  upon  a  'gum'  there  was  in  the 
yard.    He  heard  the  pounding,  and  the  noise  guided  him  home. 

In  winter  time,  after  supper  he  would  sit  and  tell  deer  stories  as  long 
as  anybody  would  listen.  He  used  never  to  think  about  going  home  from 
hunting  as  long  as  he  could  see  the  'sjghts'  upon  his  gun,  and  often  he  would 
have  a  'time'  to  find  his  way  to  his  cabin." 

BEAR   STORY. 

"When  I  was  a  little  girl,  my  brother  (a  little  bit  of  a  fellow),  and  my- 
self were  playing  by  a  creek  near  the  house,  and  a  bear  came  and  sat  watch- 
•  ing  us  from  the  opposite  bank,  a  high  bluff  ten  or  fifteen  feet  high.  I  thought 
it  was  a  dog,  and  was  not  scared.  Presently  mother  saw  the  old  fellow,  and 
'hissed'  the  dog,  which  came  and  'tackled'  the  bear.  She  called  to  us,  and  we 
heeled  it  for  the  house.  While  the  dog  and  the  bear  were  'tussling,'  Jacob 
Harshman  came  along  with  his  gun,  hunting,  and  he  shot  and  killed  the  bear. 

They  used  to  have  some  fun  in  those  days,  too.  Cameron  Coffin,  a  gen- 
tleman land-owner,  came  out  to  see  his  land;  he  was  not  used  to  the  woods, 
and  the  'bushwhackers'  made  game  of  him.  One  day  he  was  at  James  Sim- 
mons' sugar  camp,  and  the  boys  were  making  wax.     Coffin  was  'green'  upon 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  3II 

the  subject  of  wax  making,  and  they  made  some  very  hard  and  sticky,  and 
got  him  to  take  a  great  chunk  into  his  mouth  to  eat ;  he  chewed  the  wax  till 
his  teeth  and  jaws  were  all  stuck  fast  together.  He  worked  and  worked 
and  clawed  and  dug  at  the  wax  till  he  was  nearly  choked.  Finally  the  stuff 
softened  and  melted  somewhat  in  his  mouth,  and  he  made  out  to  get  clear 
of  it ;  but  he  had  a  terrible  time,  and  the  boys  nearly  died  laughing  at  the  fun. 
.Vt  another  time,  they  were  walking  a  foot  log  over  the  river,  and  he  under- 
took it;  he  did  not  know  how  to  keep  his  balance,  and  the  boys  pretended  to 
come  near  falling  off,  and  shook  the  log  so  that  he  did  fall  off  into  the  water 
waist  deep.  He  was  not  used  to  such  life;  the  backwoods  boys  were  too  much 
for  him,  and  he  'got  out  of  that,'  and  went  back  to  the  settlement  where  he 
came  from,  and  left  the  jolly  blades  to  play  tricks  upon  themselves." 

F.    G.    WIGGS,    GREENSFORK. 

"Father  left  North  Carolina  when  I  was  seven  years  old;  we  were  six 
weeks  and  three  days  on  the  road,  reaching  William  Arnold's  (now  Noah 
Turner's),  May  5,  1826.  I  rode  a  horse  (that  pulled  one  of  our  carts)  all 
the  way.  Father  put  me  on  the  horse  the  evening  we  started,  and  I  rode 
clear  through. ,  We  had  two  carts,  and  father  led  the  other  beast.  Mother  also 
walked  a  great  deal;  we  camped  under  a  tent  through  the  whole  journey; 
several  families  were  in  company:  Joseph  Copeland,  wife  and  four  children; 
Isaac  Cook,  wife  and  four  children;  father  and  mother  and  four  children, 
eighteen  in  all. 

Father  lent  Isaac  Cook  $25.00  to  come  with  (which  he  paid  afterward). 
Father  bought  eighty  acres  of  Benjamin  Puckett,  agreeing  to  give  $250.00 
and  a  cart  valued  at  $25.00.  He  afterward  entered  eighty  acres,  and  mother 
lived  on  it  till  she  died  in  the  fall  of  1881 ;  we  settled  in  the  wilderness.  Will- 
iam Arnold  and  Frederick  Fulghum  came  just  before  father  did.  Fred 
Fulghum  had  come  back  to  Carolina  and  told  us  what  a  grand  place  Indiana 
was,  and  father  was  not  satisfied  till  he  moved  out  there  himself.  Deer  used 
to  come  into  father's  clearing,  and  they  were  so  tame  that  they  would  not 
run  away;  father  had  no  gun,  and  never  shot  any  of  them." 

JAMES  W.   CLARK. 

"The  first  school  I  went  to  was  held  in  a  little  horse  stable  made  of  slabs 
set  endwise.  David  Semans  taught  the  school.  The  seats  were  slabs  with  legs 
in,  no  backs,  of  course.    The  first  church  in  the  town  was  in  1837,  on  the  old 


31:2  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.. 

church  lot,  now  (a  part,  of)  the  graveyard.  Three  carap-meetings  were-  fcM 
:near  Spartanburg  (in  1838-40  probably).  The  rowdies  disliked  Preacher 
Bruce.  He  was  pretty  'sharp'  on  them.  They  had  planned  to  Eog  him.  Tlkej 
were  swaggering  round  with  peeled  canes.  He  disguised  his  dress-,  gpt  a 
'peeled  cane,'  went  down  to  the  spring  among  the  rowdies,  arrd  heaird  aJI  tEneir 
plans.  He  then  went  back,  opened  meeting,  and  told  the  astonished  tricksters 
from  the  pulpit  all  their  plot.  The  rowdies  did  not  whip  him.  There  were 
great  revival  meetings.     At  one  time  one  hundred  members  joined'. 

The  first  disciple  meeting  was  held  near  old  Mr.  Stewart's  a  mile  or  so' 
west  of  town.  Several  persons  joined.  The  Baptists  held  meeting  at  Mr. 
Cartwright's.     He  was  a  Baptist. 

When  I  ^^•as  a  boy,  people  hired  me  to  hunt  their  cattle.  I  could  gq< 
anywhere,  and  not  get  lost,  day  or  night.  When  twelve  years  old,  I  used  to^ 
grind  bark  for  the  tanner  at  eleven  pence  {12^  cents)  a  day.  Wild  hogs; 
were  plenty  in  the  'timber.'  I  have  been  treed  by  them  many  a  time.  As  I 
would  be  after  the  cows,  the  hogs  would  be  in  the  woods,  and  they  would 
see  and  chase  my  dog,  and  he  would  run  to  me,  and  they  after  him.  Then 
the  hogs  would  see  me  and  chase  me.  I  would  begin  to  climb  right  sudden, 
you  may  guess,  a  high  log  or  a  tree,  and  there  I  had  to  stay  till  they  would 
leave,  which  sometimes  would  not  be  anyways  soon.  The  hogs  would  boo-boo 
around,  and  then  seem  to  go  away,  and  suddenly  be  back,  and  try  to  get  at 
me  again.  These  wild  hogs  had  sprung  from  swine  that  had  been  tame,  and 
had  bred  in  the  woods,  and  so  their  offspring  had  grown  to  be  wild.  My 
grandfather  would  let  his  swine  run  in  the  woods,  and  by-and-by  he  would 
find  where  they  slept,  and  build  a  pen  partly  round  their  nest,  and  watch  and 
shut  them  in.  Then  he  would  catch  the  pigs  and  mark  them,  and  let  the 
whole  'pack'  go  again.  At  killing  time,  men  would  go  out  and  track  and 
shoot  them  wherever  they  might  chance  to  be  found.  When  I  was  twelve 
years  old,  grandfather  was  chasing  up  and  killing  his  hogs.  The  men  would 
shoot  them,  and  I  hauled  them  to  the  road  with  a  horse.  I  forgot  how  many 
I  hauled  that  day.  Grandfather  marketed  that  pork  at  Richmond  for  $1.50 
net. 

A  big  poplar  tree  stood  in  front  of  Mrs.  Hammond's  house,  and  another 
large  tree  stood  on  my  lot.  When  I  was  a  boy,  I  had  a  young  bullock,  per- 
haps a  two-year-old,  that  I  worked.  It  was  a  tough  job  to  catch  him,  the  only 
way  being  to  run  him  down ;  and  we  would  have  a  tedious  race.  One  day  I 
chased  him  a  long  time,  and  finally  he  plunged  into  a  pond,  and  I  after  him 
waist  deep.    He  stopped ;  I  gathered  him  by  the  horns,  Frank  Morgan  waded 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  313 

in  with  a  rope,  and  we  roped  him  and  brought  his  lordship  out  of  the  pond 
in  triumph." 

[Mr.  Clark  reckons  himself  to  have  been  longest  a  resident  of  Spartan- 
burg, since  1826,  or  fiifty-six  years  ago.  Frank  Morgan  and  he  were  boys 
then  together,  but  Frank  spent  many  years  of  his  youthful  life  elsewhere, 
and,  moreover,  he  died  in  1880  at  Spartanburg.  Still,  Mr.  C.  is*  by  no  means 
an  old  man,  but  is  active  and  vigorous  as  in  former  days.] 

WILLIAM    CLEVENGER. 

"The  settlers  when  father  came,  1828  (near  father's),  were  Bezaleel 
Hunt,  Nettle  Creek;  Joel  Drake,  Nettle  Creek;  Mark  Diggs,  Nettle  Creek; 
Joab  Thornburg,  Stoney  Creek ;  Jonathan  Finger,  Stoney  Creek ;  Job  Thorn- 
burg,  Stoney  Creek;  Abraham  Clevenger,  Stoney  Creek;  David  Vestal,  Stoney 
Creek.  George  W  Smithson,  Stoney  Creek;  Joseph  Rooks,  Stoney  Creek 
(large  family  boys) ;  Jonathan  Clevenger,  Stoney  Creek;  John  Diggs,  Stoney 
Creek;  and  in  the  colored  settlement,  Richard  Robbins  (blacksmith),  John 
Smith,  Benjamin  Outlan,  Richard  Scott,  Jerry  Terry,  Isaac  Woods. 

I  have  been  to  fifteen  log-rollings  in  one  spring.  The  first  show  T  ever 
went  to  was  an  animal  show  at  Muncie.  I  walked  fifteen  miles  and  got  there 
by  9  A.  M.  My  father  was  a  member  of  the  Christian  church,  and  a  Democrat. 
He  voted  for  Jackson  the  first  time  that  Jackson  was  elected,  just  after  he 
came  to  Randolph  county. 

He  had  just  money  enough  to  enter  120  acres.  He  had  one  old  horse, 
and  it  died  in  the  spring.  He  had  no  way  to  buy  any,  and  he  did  without, 
borrowing  sometimes,  which  was  hard  to  do.  He  cleared  ground,  and  tended 
it  mostly  with  the  hoe.  By  next  season  he  got  an  ox-team.  We  plowed  our 
corn  with  an  ox,  putting  harness  on  it  like  a  horse,  and  one  boy  would  lead  the 
ox  and  one  hold  the  plow. 

Father  and  his  boys  have  cleared  more  land  than  any  other  family  in 
Randolph  county — more  than  six  hundred  acres.  Father  had  no.  wagon  for 
years.  He  hauled  everything  on  a  sled.  He  never  owned  a  good  wagon.  He 
bought  an  old  one  for  $30.00,  and  got  'bit'  at  that.  That  was  about  1836. 
He  used  that  seven  or  eight  years,  and  never  owned  any  other.  He  made  one 
crop  with  no  team,  and  two  crops  with  oxen.  Then  he  traded  the  oxen  for 
one  horse.  The  oxen  were  young,  and  we  could  not  'break'  them  well.  We 
did  mostly  with  one  horse.  Sometimes  in  the  winter  we  would  have  a  boy 
behind  the  sled  with  a  rope  hitched  to  hold  back  with.  We  had  no  wheat 
bread  till  we  raised  some  wheat  to  make  it  from,  for  a  year  or  two,  at  least. 


314  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

1  remember  when  there  were  only  three  wagons  in  two  miles  square  among 
twenty-five  or  thirty  settlers.  Once  we  put  horses  to  a  wagon  with  twenty 
bushels  of  corn  and  wheat,  and  started  to  mill  (Economy).  The  horses  knew 
nothing  of  pulling  together,  and  the  wagon  got  sttick  fast  before  half  a  mile. 
Six  men  took  a  horse  and  sack  apiece  and  went  ten  miles  to  a  mill,  and  left 
four  or  five  to  get  the  wagon  out.  The  mill  was  owned  by  Nathan  Proctor. 
Nathan  Proctor,  Elijah  Arnold  and  others  were  charged  with  counterfeiting, 
thieving,  etc.  They  were  said  to  have  a  'rendezvous'  in  the  'fallen  timber.' 
Some  were  convicted,  and  the  gang  was  broken  up  at  last.  One  of  them,  ar- 
rested for  passing  a  counterfeit  bill,  asking  to  see  the  bill,  took  it  and  swal- 
lowed it. 

My  father  got  his  meat  thus :  He  had  a  dog  that  would  catch  any  hog. 
He  helped  his  neighbors  catch  their  wild  hogs,  and  they  would  pay  him  in 
pork.     The  hogs  were  so  wild  they  would  not  eat  corn. 

How  to  build  a  cabin  with  weight  poles :  Build  the  square,  let  the  top 
end  logs  project  a  foot  or  so,  put  the  butting  pole  farther  out  than  the  body 
of  the  house,  have  it  split  and  notched  and  pinned  with  the  edge  upright,  so  as 
to  catch  the  ends  of  the  boards ;  lay  logs  to  build  up  the  gables,  with  their  ends 
scafed  off  to  allow  the  roof  boards  to  cover  them,  and  the  supporting  poles  so 
arranged  as  to  give  the  proper  slant.  Put  on  the  first  course  of  boards,  and 
lay  a  pole  on  the  course  far  enough  from  the  butting  pole  to  receive  the  sec- 
ond course,  keeping  the  'weight  pole'  up  by  'knees'  between  it  and  the  butting 
pole.  Put  on  the  second  course  and  another  weight  pole,  and  'knees,'  and  so 
on  to  the  top. 

Mother  never  got  a  meal  of  victuals  on  a  cook-stove  in  her  life." 

JOHN  KEY. 

"Father  came  from  Tennessee  in  1829.  He  was  a  Methodist,  and  took 
great  delight  in  the  religious  services  of  the  olden  time.  When  camp-meet- 
ing opened,  he  would  move  down  to  camp  to  stay  while  the  meeting  lasted, 
on  a  rude  wagon  with  truck  wheels  made  by  sawing  them  from  the  end  of 
a  huge  oak  log.  He  had  no  wagon,  and  for  home  purposes  used  a  sled.  When 
father  landed  in  'Randolph,'  he  had  just  37^/2  cents,  one  old  horse,  and  five 
children.  Pork  was  high  afterward,  and  he  sold  four  hogs  for  $50.00,  and 
entered  his  first  forty  acres  of  land. 

Swine  would  run  wild,  and  often,  while  we  were  hunting  them  and  the 
dogs  were  trying  to  catch  them,  the  wild  creatures  would  cut  the  poor  dogs' 
throats  with  their  sharp,  strong  tusks. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  315 

Once  while  some  men  were  hunting  wild  swine,  the  savage  beasts  under- 
took to  run  into  Dolph  Warren's  cabin,  and  scared  the  family  inside  well 
nigh  to  death.  Squirrels  would  be  so  thick  and  would  make  such  havoc  in  the 
corn  that  the  children  had  to  be  set  to  scare  the  greedy  'varmints'  away. 

The  pea-vines  would  grow  as  tall  as  a  man's  head,  and  as  thick  as  they 
could  grow,  so  that  one  could  track  a  horse  or  a  cow  through  the  tangled 
masses  of  pea-vines  almost  as  readily  as  through  a  snow-bank. 

Wild  plums  would  grow  in  the  thick  woods,  loaded  down  with  as  nice 
fruit  as  one  would  need  to  see,  gooseberries,  raspberries  and  blackberries 
would  grow  in  the  'clearings'  and  open  places. 

The  state  road  through  Deerfield  to  Ridgeville,  etc.,  was  cut  out  about 
1830.  Mr.  Andrew  Key  helped  cut  it  out  from  the  state  line  west,  and  as- 
sisted in  opening  it,  too. 

Mr.  Key  entered  forty  acres  at  first  (with  that  hog  money),  and  after- 
ward forty  acres  more ;  still  later,  he  bought  out  Collins  (his  brother-in-law).'" 

"Andrew  McCartney,  born  in  1804,  in  Virginia,  came  first  to  Jay  county, 
in  1837.  He  has  been  married  several  times;  once  and  the  last  time,  to  John 
Key's  sister.  He  had  had  a  large  family,  was  a  rough,  harsh,  cruel  man. 
with  whom  no  one  could  live  in  peace.  He  would  boast  of  his  scrapes  and 
exploits,  and,  in  fact,  would  readily  find  and  plunge  into  enough  of  them  to 
answer  any  five  ordinary  men. 

Riley  Marshall  lived  where  Judge  Miller  did  afterward.  Mr.  Miller 
bought  Mr.  Marshall  out." 

STATEMENT   BY   JOHN   MOCK,    WARD   TOWNSHIP. 

In  1824,  Daniel  B.  Miller  lived  in  Jackson  township.  In  a  few  years, 
the  Harshmans  came,  and  soon  afterward,  John  Sheets  settled  on  the  Missis- 
siuewa,  and  built  a  saw-mill.  Benjamin  Devor,  Ezekiel  Cooper,  Thomas  De- 
vor.  Christian  Nickey,  Dr.  Diehl,  the  Mikesells,  Baileys,  Moses  Byram  and 
the  Debolts,  also  moved  in  before  very  long. 

March  24,  1824,  Ward  (including  Franklin)  township  had  seventeen 
families — Meshach  Lewallyn,  Benjamin  Lewallyn.  George  and  Henry  Ren- 
barger,  Daniel  Badger,  Burkett  Pierce,  George  Ritenour,  William  Odle,  Elias 
Kizer,  Allen  Wall,  David  Connor,  Reason  Malott,  William  Massey,  Riley 
Marshall,  Daniel  Mock,  Jeremiah  Lindsey,  Joab  Ward.  Lewallyn  had  a  mill 
that  would  crack  five  bushels  of  corn  in  twenty-four  hours,  if  everything 
was  in  order.  In  1829  he  put  in  a  hand-bolt  and  ground  wheat,  each  cus- 
tomer bolting  his  own  grist.    A  saw-mill  was  built  about  that  time,  near  Deer- 


3l6  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

field.  At  the  presidential  election  in  1824  five  votes'iwere  cast  in  the  township 
of  Ward.  At  that  precinct  D.  B.  Miller  was  inspector  and  Riley  Marshall, 
clerk.  Persons  could  vote  anywhere  in  the  county,  and  most  of  the  voters 
went  elsewhere  to  cast  their  ballots. 

In  1829,  Ward  received  a  large  reinforcement  from  Tennessee,  Key, 
Fields,  etc.,  etc. 

In  1836,  George  Ritenour  built  a  grist-mill  one  mile  west  of  Deerfield, 
with  two  run  of  buhrs,  which  did  prStty  good  work.  Samuel  Helm  built  a 
saw-mill  two  and  a  half  miles  east  of  Deerfield.  Collins  &  Fields  also  put  up 
a  saw-mill  half  a  mile  east  of  Deerfield.  The  village  of  Deerfield  was  laid 
out  in  1 83 1,  but  did  not  improve  till  1837,  when  Edward  Edger  came  and 
brought  a  store,  and  from  that  time  it  grew  and  a  great  amount  of  business 
was  done  there. 

A  long  time  after  the  first  settlement,  William  P.  Charlton  built  a  steam 
saw-mill  at  Ridgeville,  and  William  Addington  rebuilt  the  grist-mill,  which 
were  of  advantage  to  the  county  round,  but  no  town  was  established  till  years 
afterward. 

There  were  but  few  settlers  in  Green  township  before  1835.  John  Life 
and  Samuel  Caylor,  Bennet  King,  the  Orrs,  Cyrus  Reed,  Philip  Barger,  Elijah 
Harbour,  Thomas  Hubbard,  Nathan  Godwin,  the  Garringers  and  others  came 
about  that  date  or  soon  after.  Fitzpatrick,  Evans,  Haynes,  etc.,  lived  at 
Fairview. 

Antony  McKinney  built  a  mill  in  1839.  Cyrus  Reed  built  a  saw-mill 
near  the  grist-mill,  causing  trouble  and  a  tedious  lawsuit. 

In  1824,  Winchester  was  a  field  of  stumps,  with  one  store  on  the  north- 
east corner  of  the  square,  owned  by  George  Burkett.  The  old  log  court  house 
was  on  the  north  side  of  the  street,  which  lay  north  of  the  square.  Charles 
Conway  lived  in  a  log  cabin  between  the  store  and  Salt  creek,  and  there  was 
a  log  cabin  still  nearer  the  creek.  On  the  northwest  corner  of  the  square  was 
a  double  log  cabin,  occupied  as  a  hotel  by  John  Odle.  There  was  a  small  log 
cabin  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  town,  and  the  new  log  jail  stood  on  the 
jail  lot.  Those  were  the  buildings  in  Winchester  in  March,  1824.  In  1825, 
Thomas  and  Joseph  Hanna  put  a  stock  of  goods  into  a  new  building  on  the 
north  side  of  the  square,  and  before  many  years  Michael  and  Andrew  Aker 
bought  them  out,  and  sold  goods  a  considerable  time.  Meanwhile  the  Man- 
sion House  was  built,  and  Jesse  and  William  M.  Way  put  a  store  in  it;  The 
brick  across  the  street  was  built,  and  Jere  Smith  built  the  Franklin  House. 
A.  B.  Shaw  erected  a  hvkk  on  the  northwest  square.   Moorman  Way  built  the 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  3I7 

brick  west  of  the  Mansion  House.     Rush  and  Kizer  put  up  a  brick  building 
on  the  east  of  the  square. 

In  1836,  Elias  Kizer  and  David  Haworth  put  up  a  steam  grist-mill  east 
of  Salt  creek,  the  first  steam  engine  in  Randolph  county.  This  mill  was  of 
great  importance,  as  there  was  none  north  of  it  nearer  than  Fort  Wayne. 
The  new  (second)  court  house  was  built  in  1826,  or  thereabouts. 

Some  of  the  early  settlers  in  the  region  now  called  Monroe  township 
were  Andrew  Devoss,  John  Henenridge,  Jesse  Addington,  Mr.  Sloan  and 
others.  It  settled  very  slowly.  The  region  had  no  conveniences,  no  thorough- 
fare, no  mill,  no  village  nor  town  of  any  sort,  until  1852.  The  southeastern 
and  southern  portion  of  the  county  had  been  long  settled;  the  Bowens,  the 
Fraziers,  the  Johnsons,  the  Hocketts,  the  Hinshaws,  the  Beards,  the  Hunts, 
the  Botkins,  the  Smiths,  the  Arnolds  of  famous  memory  and  many  others  had 
filled  up  that  region.  But  in  1824,  Nettle  Creek  and  Stoney  Creek  were  still 
in  the  deep,  unbroken  forest.  Nathan  Mendenhall  built  a  mill  on  Cabin  creek, 
which  was  a  great  convenience.  John  Thornburg  put  up  mills  near  Windsor 
for  both  grist  and  sawing. 

Among  the  facts  of  old  times,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  there  was  not  a 
shoe  shop  in  Randolph  county  before  about  1830.  People  made  their  own 
or  got  some  neighbors  to  do  it  for  them,  and  there  was  not  a  boot  made  nor 
worn  in  the  county  before  that  date. 

A  man  by  the  name  of  Hartley  made  the  first  pair  of  boots  in  Winches- 
ter, for  Jklichael  Aker,  and  Aker,  after  exhibiting  them  a  while  to  a  curious 
crowd,  wore  the  boots  himself. 

During  the  winter  of  1824-25,  an  imitation  of  a  school  was  had  at 
Deeriield,  on  a  grade  from  arithmetic  down,  and  the  teacher  could  not  spell 
the  word  "highest"  any  better  than  to  say  h-i-e-s-t,  nor  tell  how  much  salt 
$i.i2j^  will  buy,  at  $i.373'2  for  fifty  pounds  [a  rather  snug  little  mental 
problem,  by  the  way].  I  never  saw  a  blackboard  in  a  schoolhouse  in  Ran- 
dolph county,  except  at  the  seminary. 

The  people  in  the  early  days  were  full  of  hospitality.  The  settlers  were 
from  all  quarters — Connecticut,  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Mary- 
land, Virginia,  Kentucky,  Tennessee  and  Carolina — and  all  classes  ^'iell  with 
each  other  in  generous  hospitality  to  strangers  sojourning  in  the  region. 

None  were  ever  allowed  to  suffer,  and  men  would  kill  deer  and  give  the 
flesh  away.  And  so  with  turkeys  and  pheasants  and  fish.  The  way  to  catch 
fish  was  peculiar,  and  worth  a  description. 

If  the  ice  was  thick  enough  to  stand  on,  we  could  cut  holes,  and  drive  the 
fish  to  the  holes  and  spear  them.     Sometimes,  in  a  sunny  day,  we  would  tie 


3l8  RANDOLPH- COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

three  hooks  back  to  back,  and  haul  the  fish  out  that  way.  In  the  spring  they 
would  bite  freely;  later  in  the  season  we  would  take  torches  of  hickory  bark, 
and  spear  the  poor  fellows  as  they  lay  in  the  ripples  of  the  streams.  Sometimes 
we  made  a  "brush-drag"  by  taking  a  grape-vine  of  sufficient  length,  laying 
strips  of  thin  hickory  bark  across  the  vine  under  it,  and  then  piling  brush 
on  till  there  was  as  much  as  we  wished,  tying  the  brush  to  the  grape-vines 
with  these  strips  of  hickory  bark ;  and,  when  the  drag  was  completed,  it  would 
be  hauled  through  the  water,  and  the  fish  would  move  along  in  front  of  the 
"drag,"  and  so  they  would  be  caught. 

There  were  several  ways  to  kill  deer.  One  way  was  simply  to  shoot  them 
from  the  ground;  another  was  to  climb  a  tree,  and  shoot  them  as  they  were 
drinking  from  a  spring.  Another,  and  a  very  cruel  way,  was  to  bleat  like  a 
fawn,  and  decoy  the  does  to  their  death.  Hunting  turkeys  was  very  sly  work, 
as  they  are  wonderfully  sharp-witted.  However,  in  the  "gobbling  time,"  you 
could  call  the  "gobblers"  to  you  by  making  a  kind  of  pipe  of  the  center  bone 
of  the  wing.  Fox  hunting  and  coon  hunting  were  great  sport,  though  chasing 
the  foxes  and  chopping  the  trees  for  the  coons  made  a  pretty  hard  task;  yet 
the  fun  of  it  made  the  work  seem  light. 

The  tools  for  farm  work  at  first  were  exceedingly  simple.  An  ax,  an 
iron  wedge,  a  mattock  and  a  maul,  and  a  big  "nigger  hoe,"  an  old-fashioned 
single  shovel  plow,  and  a  barshare  plow  with  an  iron  share,  a  coulter  in  front 
and  a  wooden  mold-board,  and  a  harrow  made  of  wood,  teeth  and  all.  These 
were  all  they  had  till  about  1829.  About  that  time,  John  Way  began  to  make 
the  front  part  of  the  mold-board  of  iron,  some  of  which  would  scour,  and  these 
were  used  till  about  1834,  when  Horney,  of  Richmond,  made  a  cast-iron 
mold-board  and  share.  And  in  1845,  Beard  &  Sinex  brought  forward  the 
steel  mold-board.  About  1830,  John  Mansur,  of  Richmond,  sold  cast-steel 
axes,  and  about  1835,  the  Collins'  patent  came.  About  1840,  Gaar  &  Co., 
produced  the  four-horse  power  chaff-piler  threshing  machine,  and  later  the 
eight-horse  power  separator  came  to  hand — the  Pitts,  from  Buffalo,  for 
instance. 

In  1836,  there  was  only  one  open  buggy  in  Ward  township,  and  one 
top  buggy,  Edward  Edger  having  the  former  and  widow  Kinnear  the  latter. 
Reapers  and  mowers,  hay  rakes,  corn  planters,  nor  even  simple  corn-markers, 
had  any  of  them  come  into  use  in  1855,  when  Mr.  Mock  left  Randolph  county 
for  the  West.  The  first  cook  stoves  in  Randolph  were  brought  by  Edward 
Edger  to  Deerfield  in  1838,  one  for  himself  and  one  for  Mrs.  Kinnear.  They 
weighed  600  pounds  each  .and  cost  $50.00,  besides  the  hauling  from  Cincin- 
nati, which  was  a  large  sum.     Roads  there  were  none  in  those  early  times 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  319 

only  perhaps  that  they  were  cut  out  somewhat;  and  the  travel  went  anywhere 
among  the  trees  and  stumps,  with  mud  in  the  wet  season  two  feet  deep,  even 
as  late  as  1855,  when  he  left  for  Illinois.  Mr.  M.  started  from  Deerfield 
June  10,  1855,  in  a  wagon  with  as  good  a  span  of  horses  as  could  be  found 
in  the  county,  with  himself  and  wife  and  three  small  children  and  two  trunks, 
perhaps  600  pounds  in  all,  and  it  was  all  they  could  do  to  get  through  to 
AVinchester.  At  least  a  mile  of  the  corduroy  was  afloat  or  under  water. 
There  were  too  "little  showers"  that  day,  in  which  the  rain  fell  five  inches 
deep. 

]\Ir.  Mock  relates  that  he  once  shot  a  horse  belonging  to  one  of  the  set- 
tlers by  the  name  of  Cox  in  the  White  River  settlement,  east  of  Winchester, 
in  mistake  for  a  deer.  Mock  was  young,  and  he  was  greatly  alarmed.  He 
went  to  Mr.  Cox  and  told  him.  "So  thee  has  killed  my  horse."  "Yes:"  "And 
thee  thought  it  was  a  deer."  "I  did."  "And  thee  wishes  to  pay  me  for  the 
horse."  "It  would  be  no  more  than  right  that  I  should,  I  suppose."  "Well, 
John,  I  guess  I'll  not  charge  thee  -anything  for  the  horse."  And  then  Mock 
felt  mightily  relieved. 

One  of  the  old  settlers  (who  might  be  named,  but  will  not  be,  as  he  is 
}'et  alive )  came  to  mill  one  morning  and  bought  a  drink  of  whisky.  In  un- 
dertaking to  swallow  it,  he  threw  it  up  twice,  but,  catching  it  in  the  glass,  he 
kept  turning  it  down,  exclaiming  the  third  time  he  swallowed  it  (with  an  oath), 
"Stay  down;  whisky  costs  too  much  money  to  be  wasted  that  way."  And  it 
stayed  at  last. 

Jacob  Voris  was  a  butcher  and  a  grocer  and  a  baker.  He  made  great 
quantities  of  gingerbread,  that  wonderful  "nick-nack"  of  olden  time.  The 
chaps  had  a  song  about  it,  one  stanza  of  which  ran  thus : 

"Of  all  the  birds  that  fly  in  air. 

The  white,  the  blue,  the  red; 
Of  all  the  cakes  that  Voris  bakes. 

Give  me  the  'gungerbread.'  " 

At  one  time  they  had  a  spelling  match  at  the  school  west  of  Deerfield  under 
William  Shoemaker  as  teacher.  They  spelled  from  the  dictionary,  which  was 
the  first  time  Mock  had  ever  seen  a  book  of  the  kind.  It  scared  him  out.  He 
thought  it  was  of  ho  use  to  try  to  spell  from  that. 

The  best  teacher  in  that  region  in  those  days  was  James  Edwards,  from 
Cincinnati  or  thereabouts.     He  taught  a  term  or  two  and  left  again. 


220  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

CHARLES  CRIST. 

"When  we  moved  to  Hancock  county,  Ohio,  there  was  but  one  house 
within  three  miles  of  where  we  built  our  cabin.  It  was  January,  and  the  snow 
.was  eight  inches  deep  in  the  woods.  My  family  stayed  at  that  house,  and  we 
(brother  and  myself)  tramped  back  and  forth  night  and  morning,  to  build  my 
cabin,  and  we  could  get  only  two  other  men  (four  in  all)  to  help  raise  it. 
It  was  small,  fourteen  by  sixteen,  and  just  high  enough  to  stand  up  in.  When 
we  moved  in,  it  was  chinked,  but  not  daubed ;  had  neither  chimney,  nor  floor, 
and  no  door  (only  a  hole  for  one).  We  built  a  big  log-heap  fire  to  cook  and 
warm  by  for  two  or  three  days,  till  we  got  a  fire-place  and  chimney  made,  and 
we  hung  up  a  quilt  for  a  door.  There  were  only  three  or  four  houses  then  at 
Fort  Firidlay.  There  was  one  store ;  the  two  men  that  kept  it  were  so  poor 
that  they  had  only  one  coat  between  them,  and  they  brought  their  goods  on 
packhorses.  We  were  as  happy  then  as  ever  in  our  lives.  The  Indians  lived 
on  their  "Reserve,"  between  Findlay  and  Upper  Sandusky  (about  twelve 
miles  away).  They  used  often  to  pass  as  they  were  hunting — Wyandots  and 
others.  They  are  gone  now,  except  some  who  live  like  white  people.  I  have 
stayed  many  a  night  with  the  Indians.  They  lived  well ;  the  half-breeds, 
especially  were  intelligent  and  industrious. 

For  some  years,  we  had  to  go  to  mill  to  Perrysburg  (Fort  Meigs),  on  the 
Maumee  river,  across  the  'Black  Swamp.'  That  'Black  Swamp'  was  a  ter- 
rible place.  We  would  take  three  yoke  of  oxen,  and  twenty-five  bushels  of 
grain,  and  cross  the  swamp,  eighteen  miles,  and  then  go  fifteen  miles  farther 
to  the  mill.  The  trip  would  take  us  twelve  days,  sometimes  going  only  two 
or  three  miles  a  day.  We  crossed  at  what  was  'Hull's  Trace,'  and  the  places 
were  still  there  where  Hull's  soldiers  cut  brush,  and  little  trees,  and  fixed  and 
wove  them  together,  to  make  places  to  keep  them  out  of  the  mud  and  water 
as  they  slept  at  night.  The  mud  was  black  and  deep — how  deep  I  do  not 
know.     Large  rocks  were  scattered  in  many  places  through  the  swamp. 

At  another  swamp  in  that  country,  there  was  a  'crossing'  made  of  rails, 
for  a  road,  and  the  swamp  would  shake  for  several  rods  on  each  side,  as  a 
wagon  passed  along  the  track,  and  if  a  horse  or  ox  got  off  the  rails,  he  would 
sink  into  the  mire  so  that  he  could  not  get  out,  only  as  he  was  hauled  out. 
The  'Black  Swamp"  has  since  been  drained,  and  the  farms  there  are  among 
the  very  best.  This  swamp  extended  a  great  distance,  perhaps  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles.  As  we  traveled  across  it,  we  slept  in  the  wagon,  and  would 
tie  one  ox  to  the  wagon,  and  turn  the  rest  out  to  feed.     The  surface  away 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  32 1 

from  the  track  was  firm  enough  for  cattle  to  walk  on,  and  feed  upon  the 
weeds  and  bushes.  I  was  at  Lower  Sandusky  when  the  cholera  prevailed. 
The  emigrants  going  West  died  there  in  great  numbers.  I  saw  them  lying 
dead  around,  I  cannot  tell  how  many.  I  got  a  load  of  salt  to  take  to  Findlay, 
and  as  I  went  to  get  some  buckwheat  straw  to  stuff  round  my  barrels,  I 
found  several  corpses  lying  covered  in  the  straw. 

We  lived  in  Marion  county,  Ohio,  when  the  'stars  fell,'  November,  1833. 
Some  people  that  worked  the  next  day  in  a  deep  well  saw  the  'stars  falling'  all 
the  next  day  also.  In  a  deep  well  in  Baltimore  county,  Maryland,  eighty-four 
feet  deep,  which  I  cleaned  out,  I  saw  distinctly  the  stars  from  the  bottom  of 
the  well.  In  Hancock  county,  Ohio,  Mrs.  Crist  saw  a  'ball  of  fire'  fall  to  the 
ground,  and  explode  in  all  directions.  I,  myself,  saw,  one  night,  one  fall  not 
fifty  yards  oiif.  It  struck  the  ground  and  burst,  and  the  fire  flew  every  way. 
The  light  was  bright  enough  to  see  to  pick  up  a  pin.  It  seemed  as  large  as  a 
man's  hat,  and  burst  as  it  struck.  I  have  bought  cornmeal  at  $1.00  a  bushel 
that  was  so  musty  it  was  green,  and  that  smelt  so  strong  you  could  smell  it 
several  feet  from  the  wagon,  and  we  were  glad  to  get  even  that!  I  used  to 
split  rails  at  20  cents  a  hundred,  and  to  work  at  40  cents  a  day. 

The  first  spring,  I  cleared  up  five  acres  for  corn.  A  good  crop  grew, 
but  the  birds  and  "varmints'  mostly  ate  it  up.  I  used  to  kill  squirrels,  and 
coons  and  turkeys,  so  many  that  I  did  not  take  the  trouble  to  pidk  them  up. 
The  turkeys  would  come  twenty  or  thirty  in  a  floclc."' 

THOMAS   MIDDLETON. 

"I  came  to  Indiana  with  $3.00  and  a  rifle-gun.  I  have  been  greatly 
afflicted;  had  much  sickness.  Have  seven  times  been  sick  expecting  to  die; 
yet  I  am  eighty-one  years  old,  and  in  moderate,  though  feeble,  health.  I  have 
paid  thousands  of  dollars  for  doctors'  bills.  I  was  sick,  when  a  boy,  and  I 
am  sick  in  the  same  way  yet.  My  back  was  hurt  when  I  was  a  small  child, 
and  it  hurts  me  still.  I  have  had  the  piles  and  the  gravel  from  early  youth. 
I  was  ruptured  in  1826,  which  remains  till  now.  Dr.  Ruby  made  thirty 
visits  from  Bethel  at  one  time.  I  took  my  wife  and  walked  and  led  the  mare 
to  Richmond.  My  wife  stayed  six  weeks  and  got  no  relief.  She  came  home 
and  lived  till  October.  My  second  wife  was  visited  once  a  day  for  seventy 
days.  I  once  sent  for  Doctor  Warner,  who  prescribed  for  my  case.  Said 
he :  'When  this  medicine  is  gone  come  and  see  me.'  I  went,  and  he  charged 
me  $1.50,  and  said:  'You  can't  be  cured.'  Some  doctors  will  say:  'We 
(21) 


322  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

can  cure  you,  but  all  they  wish  is  a  big  bill;  they  can  run  that  up  on  you  fast 
enough.'  I  was  at  one  time  greatly  troubled  with  the  gravel,  and  Doctor 
Morgan  tried  to  ease  me.  He  injected  morphine  into  my  side,  which  seemed 
to  give  relief.  I  had  been  almost  raving  and  wild  with  pain  from  Wednesday 
morning  till  sometime  Sunday. 

Thus  many  and  severe  have  been  my  afflictions  from  my  youth  even  till 
this  day,  but  I  have  trusted  in  the  Lord,  and  trust  Him  still." 

ELISHA    T.    BAILEY. 

"Doctor  Silvers  used  to  live  near  Ridgeville.  He  and  his  cousin,  when 
small  boys,  were  captured  by  the  Indians,  and  lived  and  traveled  with  them 
for  many  years  (1811  and  onward)  from  Vincennes  to  Muncie,  Greenville, 
Ft.  Wayne,  etc. 

When  the  Indians  captured  the  boys,  the  clothes  were  thrown  on  the 
bank  of  a  creek  to  make  believe  the  children  had  been  drowned. 

The  Indians  often  passed  through  portions  of  Randolph  county. 

Doctor  Silvers  used  to  say  there  was  a  spot  on  Nolan's  Fork,  under  a 
knotty  walnut  tree  (he  thinks  on  the  farm  of  John  Thomas,  one  of  the  first 
settlers),  where  the  Indians  had  buried  money.  The  doctor  ha,s  gone,  in 
later  years,  and  dug  to  find  it;  whether  he  succeeded  or  not,  probably  no 
mortal  knows. 

At  another  place,  near  Richard  Corbitt's,  he  said  metal  had  been  found. 

On  Greensfork,  he  said,  an  old  Indian  buried  a  lot  of  money,  and  the 
doctor  spent  months  in  hunting  for  it,  but  whether  he  found  that  or  not  no 
one  ever  knew  but  himself. 

The  Indians  used  to  have  copper  kettles  (gotten  in  trade  with  the  Eng- 
lish or  the  French),  and  settlers  have  found  some  of  them.  Mr.  Frazier,  on 
Greensfork,  found  one  in  early  times." 

WILLIAM    M.   LOCKE. 

"The  first  preaching  appointment  at  Spartanburg  was  started  by  Ohio 
preachers  at  Brother  William  McKim's.  The  Methodists  built  their  first 
church  there,  in  1837,  and  their  present  one  in  about  1869. 

The  first  preaching  was  about  1833.  We  joined  in  1834,  in  Mr.  Mc- 
Kim's barn.  Camp-meetings  were  held  a  little  west  of  town  three  different 
seasons.  The  preachers  in  charge  were  Revs.  Hall,  Bruce  and  Smith.  Large 
numbers  joined  the  church. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  323 

A  Mr.  Manning  died  near  the  camp  ground.  He  had  been  sick,  and 
was  feeling  better,  and  he  wished  so  much  to  attend  meeting,  that  he  went 
before  he  was  able,  and  by  the  excitement  and  the  night  air  he  took  a  relapse, 
and  was  dead  before  they  got  him  home. 

There  had  been  a  little  mill  where  Jessup's  mill  was  afterward  built,  but 
it  was  gone.  The  'Quaker  Trace'  had  been  cut  out,  but  as  you  went  farther 
north,  the  track  went  'all  over  the  woods,'  over  saplings,  round  logs  and 
ponds,  etc. 

John  Alexander  used  to  tell  how,  in  high  water,  the  cattle  would  get  on 
the  bridges,  and  the  puncheons  would  be  floating,  and  the  oxen  would  get 
their  legs  between  the  puncheons,  and  the  teamsters  would  unyoke  the  cattle 
and  let  them  swim  out.  How  the  wagons  were  got  across  cannot  be  stated. 
Old  Thornton  Alexander  and  his  boys  (colored)  used  to  wagon  regularly  to 
Ft.  Wayne." 

ARTHUR    MCKEW,    183I,    RIDGEVILLE. 

"When  I  was  a  lad,  thirteen  years  old,  I  went  with  father  to  Fort  Wayne, 
with  two  yoke  of  oxen  and  a  wagon ;  and  he  worked  there  two  weeks.  When 
about  to  start  for  home,  father  found  a  man  who  was  going  to  Loga'nsport, 
and  father  waited,  went,  with  him,  taking  the  oxen  and  wagon,  and  sending 
me  home  by  the  'Quaker  Trace,"  alone.  It  took  me  five  days  to  make  the 
journey.  It  was  a  lonely  trip  and  I  camped  out  several  nights.  Father,  in 
coming  home,  lay  out  the  last  night.  There  was  a  heavy  snowfall  and  he 
spread  the  blanket  over  him  and  raked  the  snow  on  and  around  him  to  keep 
him  warm. 

At  one  time,  Thomas  Shaler,  whose  home  was  near  Camden,  Jay  county, 
Indiana,  came  to  mill,  and  after  bacon,  etc.,  with  a  wagon  and  two  yoke  of 
oxen.  As  he  started  home,  in  passing  a  drain  bridged  with  poles,  an  ox  got 
a  leg  between  the  poles  and  broke  it.  Mr.  Shaler  came  back  for  help  and 
hired  me  (a  boy  fourteen  years  old),  to  take  a  yoke  of  oxen  and  help  him 
through.  As  we  were  crossing  the  'maple  slash,'  in  Jay  county,  the  ox-tongue 
broke.  It  was  in  winter  and  the  snow  was  six  inches  deep.  Shaler  went 
to  Mr.  Welch's,  four  miles  off,  to  get  help  and  tools.  He  returned  after 
dark  with  an  ax  and  an  auger  and  two  men.  Joseph  Hawkins  (another  boy. 
fourteen  years  old)  and  myself  took  the  'back  tracks'  of  the  men,  getting  to 
Mr.  Welch's  after  midnight,  nearly  chilled  through.  She' got  up  (the  woman 
was  in  bed),  and  gave  us  some  'corn  dodger,'  and  it  was  good,  sure.  The 
men  came  with  the  wagon  and  team,  near  daylight,  with  feet  badly  frost- 


324  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

bitten.  After  breakfast,  Shaler  and  I  went  on,  getting  to  Philip  Brown's 
for  dinner  (corn  bread  and  venison )-^near  Liber — and  staying  at  Judge 
Winter's  that  night.  In  the  morning,  we  cut  the  ice  and  crossed  the  Sali- 
mony,  and  went  on  through  the  thick  wood,  there  being  no  road ;  and  away  in 
the  night  we  got  within  a  half  mile  of  Shaler's  cabin;  but  there  was  a  creek 
and  ice,  and  the  oxen  would  not  cross;  so  we  tied  them  to  the  wagon,  and, 
shouldering  some  meal  and  bacon,  footed  it  to  the  cabin.  But  that  cabin  was 
a  sight.  No  daubing,  no  chinking,  no  flbor,  no  fireplace,  no  chimney ;  fire  in 
the  middle  of  the  cabin,  and  the  house  filled  with  smoke.  The  woman  got  up, 
cooked  us  some  meat  and  gave  us  some  dodger,  and  we  lay  down.  That 
woman  and  her  four  little  girls  had  been  there  alone  for  more  than  a  week,  and 
were  out  of  food.  [See  J.  Hawkins'  statement.]  The  next  morning  I  started 
for  home  with  the  cattle.  I  had  passed  Judge  Winters'  about  i  P.  M.,  when 
I  met  father,  with  Mr.  Lewallyn  and  Mr.  McCartney,  hunting  me.  We  got 
home  about  midnight,  I  having  been  absent  five  days. 

At  another  time,  a  horse  had  strayed.  He  was  'spanciled,'  and  I  "trailed' 
him.  I  had  on  a  rimless  straw  hat  and  no  coat  nor  vest,  but  simply  tow  shirt 
and  pants,  and  was  barefooted.  I  followed  the  trail  to  near  Huntsville, 
stayed  all  night  with  a  'Dunkard,'  and  the  next  morning  went  with  him  to  a 
'woods  meeting.'  The  preacher  made  inquiry  and  a  man  came  and  told  me 
he  had  seen  such  a  horse,  and  where.  The  horse  had  been  raised  at  Conners- 
ville,  and  seemed  to  be  heading  thither.  I  went  to  Connersville,  Cambridge 
City,  Milton,  Jacksonburg,  Waterloo,  etc.,  but  no  horse  could  I  find,  and  so  I 
set  out  for  home.  I  met  father  near  Maxville,  hunting  for  me.  I  told  him 
what  the  man  had  said,  and  he  went  and  found  the  horse  in  that  neighbor- 
hood. I  had  somehow- missed  him.  My  travels  had  been  one  hundred  miles 
or  more,  and  lasted  seven  days.  At  Waterloo  they  thought  me  a  runaway 
apprentice,  and  were  about  to  arrest  me  as  such;  but  a  man  there  happened 
to  know  my  father  and  myself  and  they  let  me  go.  And  truly  I  was  a  sight 
to  behold,  and  my  story,  though  true,  was  entirely  unlikely,  and  people  would 
not  believe  me. 

Flatboating  was  a  great  business  in  those  times.  We  used  to  steer  the 
boats  down  the  river  over  the  dams,  etc.,  to  the  Wabash,  or  elsewhere,  and 
then  go  home  on  foot.  Once,  five  of  us  were  hired  to  take  five  boats  down 
all  lashed  together.  We  got  through  all  safe,  got  our  pay  twenty  miles  below 
Marion  and  'put'  for  Randolph,  We  struck  south  for  the -road  (what  there 
was),  and  so  to  Marion.  Billy  Gray  said,  'Boys,  this  makes  my  thirteenth 
trip.     I  always  had  plenty  of  company  at  the  start  but  none  when  I  got  home.' 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  325 

We  set  forth  that  day  for  'keeps.'  The  next  day  Billy  Gray  was  not  well, 
but  he  warmed  up  and  left  us.  We  had  to  wade  waist-deep  that  day  to  cross 
a  stream.  The  next  day  he  went  ahead  again,  but  we  passed  him  before  he 
reached  Fairview.  Gray  stayed  at  Elijah  Thomas',  south  of  Fairview.  Add- 
ington  stayed  at  Caylor's  Tavern,  Roe  came  home,  three  miles  from  Ridge- 
ville  and  I  got  home  to  Ridgeville  at  midnight,  having  traveled  that  day  more 
than  fifty  miles,  often  wading  and  in  places  waist  deep." 

[Note. — Arthur  McKew  died  at  his  home  in  Ridgeville,  January,  1882.] 

JAMES   PORTER. 

"George  Porter,  my  brother,  came  out  in  the  spring  of  1829  and  raised 
crops,  and  then  came  back  and  moved  his  family  to  Randolph  three  or  four 
weeks  before  I  arrived  there. 

There  was  a  mill  at  Ridgeville  when  I  came.  Henry  Hinchy  built  a 
water-mill  on  the  Mississinewa  after  a  while  for  corn  and  wheat,  bolted  by 
machinery  in  (about)  1844. 

The  first  school  was  taught  by  George  Porter's  wife  about  one-half 
mile  west  of  our  house  (in  Ward  township),  about  1836. 

We  used  to  go  to  meeting  (Methodist  Episcopal),  at  Riley  Marshall's 
house,  near  (what  is  now)  Prospect  meeting-house.  Mrs.  Porter  used  to 
go  afoot  and  'tote'  the  baby — three  miles.  Mrs.  Porter  used  to  be  greatly 
afraid  of  the  Indians,  though  they  never  injured  her.  Travelers  would  often 
pass  from  Winchester  to  the  'Quaker  Trace.'  We  were  glad  to  see  them 
and  have  them  stay  over  night. 

The  Brockuses  would  drink  and  fight.  Their  wives  were  fine  women 
but  the  men  used  them  badly.  They  would  not  work  but  would  go  ofif  hunt- 
ing or  running  about.     The  women  would  be  at  home  with  nothing  to  eat. 

I  went  three  times  to  Cincinnati  to  enter  land — forty  acres  each  time — 
afoot,  except,  partly  the  second  time.  Then  I  rode  a  colt  to  Hamilton  and 
sold  it  there  for  $35.00  cash  to  enter  land  with.  I  had  been  offered  $100.00 
credit  for  the  horse  at  home,  but  I  was  in  a  hurry  to  enter  my  land  for  fear 
somebody  else  would  get  it  before  me.  I  went  afoot  to  Cincinnati  and  home 
again. 

Thomas  Shaler  lived  in  a  cabin  on  this  place  (and  his  brother;  but  they 
moved  ofif).  He  had  been  here  three  or  four  years.  Samuel  Emery  came 
in  1826.  He  lived  in  Ward  township,  two  miles  down  the  Mississinewa. 
Allen  Wall  lived  close  by  Emery's.  There  were  no  more  between  here  and 
Deerfield  on  the  Mississine^^■a.     Daniel  B.  Miller  and  Riley  Marshall  lived 


326  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

near  Prospect  meeting-house,  east  of  Deerfield.  Philip  Storms  lived  near 
'Sockum,'  at  the  crossing.  He  had  been  there  some  time.  Andrew  Debolt 
lived  at  Mount  Holly.  William  Simmons  had  been  here,  had  gone  away  to 
Blue  river,  and  he  came  again  in  1830.  Messrs.  Keys,  Hodge,  Manus  and 
Fields  lived  south  of  here. 

Thomas  Devor  and  Mr.  Beach,  Jacob  Johnson,  Joseph  Sutton,  James 
Wickersham,  Amos  Smith,  Thomas  Wiley  and  John  Hoke  came  after  a  while. 
John  Skinner  and  James  Skinner  came  also." 

WILLIS  C.   WILLMORE. 

"Before  I  was  five  years  old  I  remember  being  at  my  grandfather  Har- 
rison's; I  was  with  some  black  boys  tramping  clothes  in  a  big  trough.  My 
uncles  made  me  popguns  and  gave  me  slices  of  toast  from  the  plate  before  the 
fire.  When  five  years  old,  father  took  me  to  his  new  home  and  my  new 
mother. 

As  I  got  to  the  gate  I  ran  into  the  house  and  the  first  thing  I  knew  I  was 
in  my  stepmother's  lap.  Father  settled  among  the  Blue  Ridge  mountains. 
A  part  of  the  farm  was  creek  bottoms,  the  rest  was  on  the  mountains.  Some 
of  the  surface  was  very  steep  so  that  it  could  be  cultivated.  The  sloping 
land  had  to  be  plowed  one  way  and  some  could  not  be  plowed  at  all ;  and  that 
which  was  too  steep  to  be  plowed  was  cultivated  entirely  with  the  hoe.  The 
stones  and  the  hoe  would  often  meet,  and  several  hoeing  together  would  make 
lively  music.  The  mountains  were  full  of  bears,  wolves,  panthers,  wild  cats 
and  snakes.  Rattlesnakes  and  copperheads  were  the  most  dreaded.  Our 
nearest  neighbor  was  a  mile  distant.  We  could  see  no  house  but  our  own 
Many  days  would  pass  with  a  sight  of  none  but  our  own  family.  The  pas- 
ture was  fine  in  the  mountains  and  ravines  and  ready  in  March.  The  cows 
would  come  to  their  calves  for  three  or  four  months  and  then  they  had  to 
be  hunted.  I  was  the  cowboy  and  often  night  would  find  me  in  the  moun- 
tains calling  the  cows.  The  hair  would  well-nigh  stand  on  end  for  fright 
while  driving  them  over  rocks  and  hills  and  through  laurel  thickets,  not  know- 
ing when  I  might  meet  a  wild  beast  or  tread  on  a  snake.  One  night,  two  of; 
my  brothers  out  coon-hunting,  came  home  at  daylight  and  said  the  dogs  were 
baying  a  bear  in  the  mountain  close  by.  We  went  with  the  gun  to  find  the 
den.  I  walked  to  its  mouth,  the  bear  met  me  and  passed  without  a  word  of 
'How-d'ye,'  or  'Good  bye.'  I  crawled  in  and  captured  three  cubs  and  took 
them  home. 

Another  night  John  and  I  were  hunting  in  a  strange  place.     John  fell 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  327 

from  a  cliff;  I  hugged  a  tree.  At  dawn  we  were  at  the  edge  of  a  precipice 
over  a  stream. 

One  time  going  home  from  picking  whortleberries  we  came  upon  three 
huge  rattlesnakes  lying  in  the  sun.  We  cut  three  long  forked  sticks  and  put 
them  over  their  heads  and  I  held  down  their  heads  with  a  short  fork  and  cut 
them  off  with  my  pocket-knife.  We  did  this  to  prevent  their  biting  them- 
selves because  we  wanted  the  oil.  We  dragged  our  snakes  two  and  a  half 
miles  to  get  them  home.  When  I  was  skinning  one  of  them  the  headless 
neck  drew  back  and  stood  in  the  attitude  to  strike  and  gave  a  forward  blow 
as  if  to  bite.  My  brother  laughed  at  me  years  afterward  for  being  bitten  by 
a  rattlesnake  without  a  head. 

In  the  valley  where  I  was  born,  in  the  Blue  Ridge,  the  sun  would  shine 
far  up  the  western  heights  long  ere  we  could  see  its  disk  above  the  eastern 
hills  and  long  before  night,  moreover,  it  had  sunk  behind  the  mountain  tops. 
In  that  rugged  country,  work  began  at  daylight  and  at  9  A.  M.  the  horn 
blew  for  breakfast  and  at  2  or  3  o'clock  for  dinner  which  was  the  last  meal. 
The  work  kept  on  from  dawn  till  dark  and  in  winter  cotton  had  to  be  picked 
till  9  or  10  o'clock  at  night. 

The  hills  were  very  steep,  so  much  so  that  often  we  were  obliged  to  'tote' 
things  a  long  way  to  where  they  could  be  'hauled.'  One  day  I  was  driving  a 
cart  and  though  several  were  holding  it,  over  it  went — load  and  all.  Luckily 
the  'overturn'  did  little  damage  so  we  loaded  up  again  and  went  on. 

People  here  can  have  little  idea  of  the  hardships  Of  such  a  life  in  so 
rough  and  rugged  a  land. 

Yet  there  were  some  advantages  even  there.  The  clear,  cool,  bright 
springs  gushing  from  the  hillsides  and  the  pure,  fresh,  bracing  mountain  air 
were  a  delight  to  behold  and  to  breathe. 

I  had  even  in  my  boyhood  resolved  that  this  hard  and  broken  land  was 
'not  the  land  for  me.'  I  had  heard  of  that  fair,  level,  rich  country  in  the 
Northwest  beyond  the  beautiful  Ohio  and  I  determined  to  find  it  and  view 
its  glories  for  myself.  And  in  due  time  the  opportunity  came.  Father  had 
met  with  losses  and  went  to  Ohio  to  find  a  new  home.  Meanwhile  I  remained 
behind  to  settle  his  business  and  a  hard  and  tiresome  task  it  was  indeed. 
In  performing  the  work  I  walked  more  than  a  thousand  miles  and  rode  hun- 
dreds of  miles  besides. 

Once  we  'ran  off'  a  tract  of  land  overflowed  by  a  violent  rain,  riding 
on  horseback  and  using  poles  instead  of  pegs.  The  survey  had  to  be  made 
and  the  surveyor  would  not  do  it  and  so  Tce  did. 


328  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

When  all  was  done  that  I  could  do  there  for  father,  I  moved  stepmother 
with  eight  children  to  the  'Great  West,'  finding  father  in  Gallia  county, 
Ohio,  in  which  region  he  made  his  new  home.  So  here  I  was  in  the  wonder- 
ful Northwest  and  I  had  come  to  stay.  I  had  bidden  the  rough  and  rugged 
mountains  a  long,  long  farewell.  I  had  found  the  forest  plains  of  which  I 
had  dreamed  so  often  and  so  fondly.  In  Ohio  I  married,  and,  after  four 
years,  made  my  way  to  Wayne  count}^  Indiana,  and  after  a  brief  sojourn 
there  we  pitched  out  tent  under  the  green  beeches  of  Randolph. 

But  the  West  was  not  without  its  hardships  also.  Work  was  wearisome 
and  money  was  scarce.  Twenty-five  cents  a  day  (cash)  was  i^eckoned  fair 
wages.  Fifty  cents  in  'dicker'  was  easier  to  get  than  half  that  amount  in 
money. 

I  chopped  and  split  rails  from  heavy  oak  timber  for  25  cents  a  hundred 
and  my  board.  Everything  (that  farmers  produced)  was  low.  The  first 
cow  (and  calf)  I  bought  was  for  $6.50.  She  was  three  years  old  and  very 
small.  When  I  got  home  with  her  and  the  calf  I  called  to  my  wife,  'See 
here,  I  have  brought  you  tivo  calves.'  She  looked  and  cried  out,  'She  can't 
raise  a  calf.'     She  did  though  and  both  of  them  made  splendid  milkers. 

We  bought  pork  at  $2.00  net,  delivered,  and  corn  was  I2j^  cents  a 
bushel.  I  boarded  a  teacher,  Samuel  Godfrey,  in  Wayne  county,  about  1830, 
for  75  cents  a  week. 

November  17,  183 1,  we  moved  into  our  cabin  and  the  next  day  it  snowed. 
I  had  managed  by  years  of  hard  work  to  get  money  with  which  I  had  entered 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  and  I  felt  richer  than  a  king  and  hoped 
and  expected  to  prosper.  But  ,alas,  disease  and  affliction  were  speedily  my 
lot.  I  was  doomed  to  crutches  for  life.  In  less  than  three  months  I  was 
prostrated  with  the  'cold  plague,'  and. I  have  never  stood  upon  my  feet  un- 
supported nor  walked  without  crutches  since  that  hour.  I  lay  a  long  time 
helpless,  my  wife  rolling  me  over  in  bed.  Nobody  thought  I  would  live. 
But  here  I  am !  When  it  became  clear  that  I  could  not  regain  strength,  I  was 
alarmed  at  the  prospect.  What  was  to  become  of  us?  But  these  fears  were 
at  that  time  taken  away  and  I  clung  to  the  promise,  'Seek  first,  etc'  We 
resolved  to  hold  together  as  a  family  which  we  have  done.  To  pine,  would 
avail  nothing.  How  we  lived  is  hard  to  tell.  'God  delivered  us,'  is  all  I  can 
say.  The  wheel  and  the  loom  did  a  brave  part.  When  the  calamity  came  1 
was  engaged  in  preaching  to  two  churches.  Of  course  I  stopped.  But  when 
I  had  recovered  so  as  to  go  on  crutches,  though  not  to  sit  up,  I  was  sent  for 
to  see  a  sick  man.     The  house  was  crowded;  I  lay  on  a  pallet  and  pointed 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  329 

them  to  Christ.  Since  then  often  have  I,  lying  on  a  couch  in  the  congrega- 
tion, invited  sinners  to  repentance  and  bade  Christians  God  speed !  The  fol- 
lowers of  the  Lamb  would  meet  and  sing  and  pray,  and  I  would  try  to  preach 
and  the  Lord  was  well  pleased  for  His  gracious  name's  sake.  And  many  a 
time  we  were  fed  on  heavenly  manna ! 

My  worldly  prospect  was  indeed  dark,  but  God  comforted  me  and  blessed 
be  His  holy  name ! 

I  had  grace  to  trust  Him  and  He  sustained  me.  We  had  kind  friends 
and  we  always  had  enough;  sometimes  the  bitter  tear  would  fall,  but  I  lifted 
up  the  eye  of  faith  to  Him  who  sent  the  ravens  to  feed  Elijah,  and  to  Him 
who,  though  He  rules  all  worlds,  yet  had  not  where  to  lay  his  head !  I  was 
not  disappointed.  My  friends  have  been  many  and  kind  and  with  them 
would  I  live  and  die ;  and  may  we  all  rise  to  light,  clothed  in  the  garments 
of  salvation ! 

I  was  converted  and  joined  the  Baptists  in  1821,  was  licensed  in  1825, 
and  ordained  in  1830,  and  in  1839,  when  we  moved  to  Winchester,  a  Baptist 
church  was  organized  for  that  place  and  region  which  stood  many  years. 

There  was  at  the  time  a  Methodist  meeting-house  and  there  was  no 
other.  The  Presbyterians  began  before  long  and  kept  up  an  organization 
for  ten  or  fifteen  years,  building  a  house  for  their  worship  but  the  church  was 
always  weak  and  at  length  became  extinct. 

After  I  moved  to  Winchester,  at  first  I  wrote  lying  on  a  narrow  straw 
bed  but  mostly  on  my  knees.  The  recorder's  office  then  was  worth  but  little ; 
an  able-bodied  man  could  have  done  the  work  but  I  had  to  hire  a  deputy  and 
the  profits  were  small.  In  the  summer  of  1847,  '^^Y  disease  returned  and  in 
May,  1848,  I  was  hauled  between  two  feather  beds  to  where  I  now  live.  I 
was  confined  to  my  bed  at  that  time  for  more  than  two  years;  since  then  I 
have  been  several  times  snatched  from  the  jaws  of  death  by  the  same  hand 
which  has  led  me  all  my  journey  through.  Like  the  Jews  before  Jordan,  I 
look  across  the  river  and  behold  the  blessed  Canaan. 

Like  Moses  on  Mt.  Pisgah's  top,  I  view  the  heavenly  landscape  o'er  and 
humbly  wait  the  appointed  time  when  God  shall  set  my  happy  spirit  free  and 
receive  my  blood-washed  soul  to  the  blissful  mansions  of  eternal  rest. 

For  some  years  I  trusted  in  the  sweet  Bible  promise  and  was  upheld  in 
the  midst  of  my  sorrow.  But,  as  my  family  cares  increased,  after  a  time  I 
became  somewhat  disheartened;  my  way  seemed  hedged  up,  darkness  was  on 
me  and  I  felt  glooni)^  and  sad.  When  I  looked  at  my  wife  and  children 
and  thought  of  their  needs  and  my  own  and  my  helplessness,  my  soul  cried 
'What  will  become  of  us?' 


330  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

But  one  Sabbath  after  having  been  to  my  appointment  at  Concord  (for 
I  could  preach  though  I  could  not  stand,  and  had  been  greatly  helped  and 
strengthened  in  the  Lord's  work),  I  came  home  and  at  night,  when  in  bed, 
a  burden  of  distress  rolled  upon  my  heart  and  it  seemed  that  I  should  be 
crushed;  I  was  not  asleep,  it  was  no  dream;  but  I  saw  myself  struggling 
through  deep  water  and  suddenly  my  Saviour  was  walking  by  my  side  and 
He  sweetly  held  me  up  as  I  buffeted  the,waves.  Deep  peace  fell  on  me,  all 
trouble  and  doubt  and  sorrow  fled,  and  my  soul  was  bathed  in  joy  unspeak- 
able and  full  of  glory.  The  holy  baptism  of  that  midnight  hour  has  never 
left  me;  but  I  have  been  enabled  to  walk  in  the  strength  of  the  grace  I  then 
received,  even  to  this  blessed  day. 

A  cripple  bodily  I  have  continued  to  be  to  this  moment  but  the  ecstasy  of 
spirit  which  my  poor  soul  has  many  a  time  received  from  the  Lord,  human 
tongue  in  this  world  can  never  tell.  And  the  good  Lord  is  with  His  unworthy 
servant  still. 

The  prayer  of  the  Psalmist,  'When  I  am  old  and  gray-headed,  O  Lord, 
forsake  me  not,'  has  with  me  and  mine  been  wonderfully  answered !  Near 
fifty  years  ago  I  lay  feeble  and  helpless,  waiting  for  death  to  do  its  work  upon 
my  wretched  body;  and  yet,  here  I  am  still,  tarrying  in  this  tabernacle  of 
clay,  patiently  expecting  the  hour  now  surely  near  at  hand,  when  I  shall  be, 
"not  unclothed,  but  clothed  upon" ;  and  mortality  shall  be  swallowed  up  of 
life — Avhen  I  shall  be  permitted  to  see  the  King  in  His  beauty;  when  my 
crutches  and  my  poor  old  frame  shall  be  laid  aside  together,  and  my  freed 
spirit  shall  go  shouting  home!" 

"Hallelujah  to  the  I.amb  who  has  purchased  our  pardon. 
We  will  praise  Him  again  when  we  pass  over  Jordan." 

Since  the  Baptist  church  spoken  of  above  went  down,  Mr.  Willmore 
has  stood  outside  of  special  church  relation.  But  he  is  in  full  and  blessed 
sympathy  with  God  and  all  good  men  and  feels  that  all  humble,  penitent.  God- 
fearing, heaven-seeking  souls  are  his  brethren  and  sisters.  He  feels  too, 
that— 

"The  church  on  earth  and  all  the  dead. 

But  one  communion  make. 

They  all  have  life  in  Christ,  their  Head, 

And  of  His  righteousness  partake." 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  33 1 

Through  the  glass  of  faith  he  views  from  the  tops  of  the  "Delectable 
Mountains"  the  glorious  sights  and  scenes  in  the  New  Jerusalem;  and  feels 
that  the  time  will  not  be  long  till  he  shall  be  among  them,  till  he  shall  join  the 
ecstatic  throng;  till  with  the  spirits  of  the  just  made  perfect  with  the  "church 
of  the  first-born,  whose  names  are  written  in  heaven,"  he,  too,  cleansed  and 
purified,  "washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,"  shall  take  up  the  heavenly  song 
and  swell  the  hallelujah  chorus  that  rises  ever  from  the  hosts  of  the  saved  in 
the  courts  of  glory  on  high ! 

NATHAN    CADWALLADER. 

"When  I  taught  school,  I  did  bravely,  taking  pupils  through  arithmetic, 
etc.,  where  I  had  never  been  myself!  The  first  school  was  by  subscription, 
eight  weeks,  taught  in  an  old  log  building  in  Frederick  Davis'  field.  It  had 
once  boasted  a  clay  and  puncheon  fireplace,  but  that  had  been  pulled  down 
and  the  chimney-place  was  open,  like  a  barn  door.  The  books  were  vi'hat- 
ever  each  pupil  brought — Bible,  Testament,  Life  of  Washington,  Life  of 
Marion,  History  of  England,  spelling  books  and  so  on.  Each  one  used  what- 
ever be  brought,  too ;  'uniformity  of  text-books'  was  not  in  vogue  in  that 
institution,  sure ;  of  course  classification  gave  no  trouble,  but  each  tow-headed 
urchin  was  head  and  foot  too  of  his  own  class.  I  had,  perhaps  twenty  pupils. 
My  school  was  liked;  my  governrrient  was  somewhat  unique  and  certainly 
original.  One  day  I  had  two  lads  standing  face  to  face,  two  or  three  feet 
apart,  with  a  stick  split  at  both  ends  and  one  end  on  each  boy's  nose ;  another 
mischievous  ten-year-old  I  had  thrown  astraddle  of  the  naked  joist-pole  over- 
head ;  and  a  fourth  luckless  wight  who  had  fallen  under  my  magisterial  dis- 
pleasure, was  expiating  his  crime  by  standing  with  his  hands  behind  his  back 
and  his  nose  plump  against  the  wall ! 

Just  at  that  supreme  moment  of  the  endurance  of  penalty  for  trans- 
gressing the  majesty  of  violated  law  in  popped  a  neighbor  and  patron  of  the 
school  more  noted  for  bluntness  than  gentility,  through  the  open  door.  He 
stared,  first  at  one,  then  at  the  next,  and  so  on,  till  at  length  as  the  whole 
ridiculous  gravity  of  the  curious  situation  dawned  upon  his  mind,  suddenly 
he  broke  out  with  a  rough  expression  and,  sinking  with  his  ponderous  weight 
upon  the  puncheon  floor,  burst  into  a  loud  and  uncontrollable  fit  of  laughter. 
Was  not  that  school-room  a  sight  ?  'Wholesome  discipline'  was  at  a  discount 
at  that  moment  of  supreme  ridiculousness ;  and  teacher,  pupils  and  visitor  all 
gave  way  together  and  laughed  in  concert  till  they  got  tired  and  quit  because 
they  could  laugh  no  longer.' "' 


33^  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

At  another  time  the  same  'school  visitor'  "cut  a  shine'  in  that  (or  sonic 
neighboring)  school,  which  fun-loving  teachers  will  wonder  at  when  they 
read:  The  school  was  in  session;  all  were  at  their  'books,'  and  studying  'for 
keeps.'  One  young  man  was  sitting  face  to  the  wall  engaged  in  writing,  as 
he  sat  in  front  of  one  of  those  old  slab  or  puncheon  writing-desks,  fastened 
against  the  side  of  the  house. 

All  at  once  in  popped  'that  same  old  coon'  with  a  meal-sack  slung  around 
his  neck.  Paying  no  special  heed  to  what  was  going  on  in  the  room,  he 
strode  straight  across  the  floor  to  this  young  man  aforesaid;  and,  before  any 
one  had  the  slightest  idea  of  his  intention,  the  old  sack  was  slapped  violently 
round  the  young  man's  face,  the  other  exclaiming,  'Tend  to  your  books,  you 
or-na-ry  cuss.'  Teachers  generally  say  they  like  to  have  visitors;  doubtless 
this  teacher  had  often  said  the  same.  But  probably  thereafter  his  desire  for 
visitors  contained  at  least  one  mental  reservation. 

Mr.  Cadwallader's  school  was  liked,  perhaps  all  the  better  for  his  at- 
tempted 'new  departures"  and  original  methods.  At  any  rate  he  was  engaged 
again  for  the  winter  school  with  an  enormous  increase  of  wages  from 
$7.00  to  $9.00  per  month — a  growth  of  well-nigh  30  per  cent,  and  an  increase 
worthy  of  especial  notice  and  remembrance;  conclusively  showing  that  the 
employers  in  that  backwoods  school  district  thoroughly  understood  the  ap- 
propriate method  and  means  of  rendering  suitable  encouragement  to  corre- 
sponding merits;  and  that  they  put  their  knowledge  earnestly  into. practice, 
much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  worthy  subject  of  the  present  sketch. 

"That  winter  furnished  some  interesting  experience.  The  big  boys  took 
me  at  Christmas  and  ducked  me  through  a  hole  in  the  ice  up  to  my  chin,  till  I 
would  agree  to  'treat,'  which  I  finally  did.  They  let  me  out  and  I  sent  for 
some  apples  for  the  'treat.'  The  sequel  came  near  being  tragic,  for  the  apple 
boys  stayed  so  long  that  the  others  thought  I  was  'shamming,'  and  had  sent 
for  no  apples  and  so  they  caught  me  and  went  to  duck  me  again.  Luckily 
the  boys  came  just  at  the  nick  of  time  and  I  was  let  go  and  we  had  a  gay 
'treat.'  Thus  went  school  life  (not  very)  long  ago,  when  I  was  young  and 
in  my  'teens." 

During  Mr.  Cadwallader's  term  as  Senator,  an  event  occurred  so  curious 
and  vexatious  and  so  apt  an  illustration  of  the  evils  of  hasty  legislation,  and, 
moreover,  of  the  importance  of  careful  and  exact  expression  that  we  cannot 
forbear  to  state  it  somewhat  in  detail.  He  had  resolved  that  Indiana  should 
have,  like  her  sister  states,  a  law  regulating  the  movements  of  railroad  trains, 
a  thing,  in  fact,  greatly  necessary.     So,  he  drew  up  a  bill  mostly  like  the  Ohio 


RANDOLVH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  333 

law,  presented  it  to  the  Senate  and  it  was  "teetotally"  passed  in  fifteen  min- 
utes; in  fact,  before  he  sat  down.  It  was  read,  once,  twice,  ordered  to  be 
considered  engrossed,  read  the  third  time  and  finally  passed,  all  in  the  same 
transaction.  Not  an  objection  was  raised,  not  a  word  was  changed;  it  went 
through  "clean."  It  passed  the  other  House  much  in  the  .same  way  and  noth- 
ing more  was  thought  of  it.  On  the  day  in  which  the  law  was  to  go  into 
effect,  the  whole  State  of  Indiana  was  "waked  up''  by  the  unearthly  screech- 
ing of  every  engine-whistle  on  every  railroad  of  the  State.  Especially  were 
the  ears  of  our  Senator,  whose  residence  is  close  to  the  railroad  depot  in 
Union  City,  greeted  with  whistling  fit  to  "wake  the  dead."  When  the  railroad 
men  were  asked,  "what  does  this  mean?"  they  replied,  "Senator  Cadwallader's 
whistle-bill  requires  it." 

Mr.  Cadwallader  resolutely  denied  the  allegation,  but  on  examining  the 
"Record,"  there  it  stood  in  black  and  white — "Every  engineer  shall,  within 
eighty  rods  of  any  crossing  of  any  street  or  public  highway,  sound  the  whistle 
continuously  until  he  has  passed  said  crossing."  Cities  were  allowed  to 
regulate  the  matter  as  they  chose;  but  as  no  town  had  done  so,  the  law  was 
binding  in  town  and  country  alike.  Here  was  a  racket  indeed.  Mr.  Cad- 
wallader was  nonplussed,  but  knowing  the  bill  was  not  so  when  he  had  it  pass 
the  Senate,  he  got  hold  of  the  copy  thereof  and  found  this  curious  fact  to  wit : 
The  section  as  he  wrote  it  stood  thus :  *  *  *  "shall  sound  the  whistle 
and  ring  the  bell  continuously  until,  etc.,  i.  e.,  sound  the  whistle  once  at  first 
and  then  keep  on  ringing  the  bell,  etc.  Somebody  had  drawn  a  pencil  mark 
across  the  words  "and  ring  the  bell,"  making  the  clause  read,  "shall  sound  the 
whistle  continuously,"  and  thus  it  stands  on  the  "Record."  Who  made  the 
alteration  Mr.  Cadwallader  has  never  been  able  to  find  out.  But  it  shows 
very  strikingly  how  important  it  is  to  have  the  words  of  a  law  just  exactly 
right  and  how  great  a  change  a  slight  alteration  will  make.  The  bill  as  it 
was  presented,  commanded  (though  the  idea  is  not  very  clearly  expressed), 
a  proper  and  needful  thing.  As  it  stands  on  the  Record,  the  thing  required 
would  be  an  intolerable  nuisance. 

Probably  no  man  was  ever  greeted  with  such  a  howl  of  indignation  as 
from  every  corner  of  the  State  met  the  astounded  ears  of  the  Senator  frorif 
Randolph.  Examination,  however,  soon  quieted  the  clamor  and  showed  his 
intention  and  his  action  to  have  been  proper  and  that  he  was  simply  the  vic- 
tim of  a  strange  and,  thus  far,  unexplained  mistake  (or,  possibly,  of  a  trick 
on  the  part  of  some  truckler  to  the  favor  of  railroad  corporations).  Mr. 
Cadwallader  has  had  the  satisfaction  of  witnessing  the  Indiana  Legislature 


334  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

pass  the  "Railroad  Whistle  Bill"  in  an  amended  form,  i.  e.,  in  the  shape  that 
he  put  it  through  the  Senate  originally,  and  of  having  the  Senate  pass,  unani- 
mously, a  resolution  that  the  "blunder"  of  the  previous  "act"  was  in  no  way 
chargeable  to  him.  One  would  have  supposed  that  Governor  Williams  would 
have  seen  the  absurdity  of  the  bill  in  the  form  in  which  it  seems  to  have  come 
into  his  hands,  but  it  appears  he  did  not;  and  "Governors"  are  not  always 
"sharp"  in  the  matter  of  language,  any  more  than  other  people,  as  the  Hoosier 
state,  in  common  with  others,  has  had"  occasion  to  discover. 

I  should  not  do  justice  to  my  feelings  were  I  to  omit  to  state  that  Mr.  C. 
is  himself  an  eminent  specimen  of  an  honorable  and  high-minded  citizen. 
Though  economical,  he  is  not  penurious ;  though  desirous  to  make  money,  he 
is  not  oppressive  to  the  poor  and  unfortunate;  though  not,  in  name,  a  professor 
of  religion,  yet  in  heart  he  delights  in  all  things  good  and  lovely,  and  assists 
liberally  in  building  up  every  worthy  enterprise.  He  is  a  hearty  and  earnest 
friend  of  the  temperance  reform,  and  an  active  and  uncompromising  Repub- 
lican. He  possesses  the  unqualified  respect  of  all  his  fellow-citizens,  and  is 
an  honor  to  the  town  in  which  he  resides,  and  to  the  county  which,  for  well 
nigh  fifty  years,  has  claimed  him  for  her  own.  Although  highly  honored, 
thus  far,  by  his  fellow-citizens,  the  state  will  never  know  what  she  has  lost 
by  neglecting  to  advance  him  to  the  post  of  state  school  superintendent,  for  a 
genius  so  decidedly  fresh  and  vigorous  when  in  the  inexperience  of  untutored 
youth,  as  shown  by  his  original  inventive  powers,  in  the  way  of  penalties  for 
violation  of  school  law,  would  infallibly  have  wrought  out  radical  and 
thorough  reformation  in  all  school  appliances  and  methods,  so  that  lads  and 
lasses  both  in  the  near  and  the  remote  future  would  have  revered  and  blessed 
his  name  as  the  ceaseless  ages  roll. 

WILLIAM  TAYLOR. 

"William  McKim  laid  out  Spartanburg.  William  Dukes  lived  in  the 
house  where  Taylor  now  lives.  Elias  Godfrey  and  Thomas  Hart  kept  a 
grocery  is  the  house  now  occupied  by  John  H.  Taylor.  Mr.  Fires  buih  the 
house  where  John  Wiggs  now  lives,  and  sold  it  to  Stephen  Barnes,  who  com- 
pleted it,  and  occupied  it  till  he  died.  In  the  war  of  1812,  many  men  went 
from  our  region  to  Norfolk  or  Portsmouth.  We  lived  200  miles  from  Nor- 
folk. People  used  to  drive  their  hogs  thither  to  market.  The  country  where 
we  lived  was  level  and  sandy.  The  upper  counties  were  broken,  and  the  soil 
was  good  for  wheat  and  tobacco.    We  lived  east  of  Raleigh  forty  miles.     We 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  335 

could  hear  the  cannon  roar  at  Raleigh  on  the  Fourth  of  July.  We  were  six 
weeks  and  two  days  on  the  road  coming  West.  My  oldest  son  and  myself 
walked  nearly  all  the  way.  We  camped  out  every  night  but  one.  Jesse 
Jordan  had  come  to  Indiana,  and  stayed  three  or  four  years,  and  returned  to 
Carolina  for  some  money  that  was  due  him,  and  he  came  back  to  Indiana  with 
us.  We  were  well  and  enjoyed  the  trip  first  rale.  We  had  two  one- 
horse  carts  to  haul  our  luggage  in.  We  had  a  tent,  and  would  throw 
our  beds  down  on  the  leaves.  We  slept  one  night  at  the  foot  of  ihe 
Blue  Ridge.  We  started  the  last  Sunday  of  April,  and  arrived  at  Arba  June 
8,  1836.  We  came  the  mail  stage  route  a  long  way,  then  through  Powell 
Valley,  Cumberland  Gap,  etc.  We  crossed  the  Blue  Ridge  at  Good  Spur  and 
Poplar  Camp,  and  came  through  Crab  Orchard,  etc.  We  traveled  nearly  a 
week  on  the  Blue  Ridge.  We  could  see  houses  on  points  of  hills  and  away 
down  in  valleys  where  we  could  not  guess  how  anybody  could  ever  get  to 
them.  One  place  called  Dry  Ridge  had  no  water  for  a  long  distance.  We 
crossed  the  Ohio  at  Cincinnati,  which  seemed  to  me  to  be  quite  a  large  town, 
the  largest  I  had  ever  seen.  We  did  not  stop  long  there,  but  drove  through, 
and  camped  for  the  night.  As  we  came  through  Raleigh  they  were  building 
the  new  state  house.  Jesse  Jordan  had  $1,500  in  North  Carolina  currency 
that  he  had  to  exchange  because  it  would  not  pass  in  Indiana.  He  got  United 
States  bank  notes,  the  only  bills  that  would  pass.  I  had  my  money  in  gold.  I 
paid  for  my  land  in  half-eagles — seventy  half-eagles.  I  had  in  North  Caro- 
lina 125  acres.  I  went  back  to  Carolina  once  and  stayed  six  weeks.  Jesse 
Jordan's  widow  also  went  back  a  short  time  ago.  She  said  the  oeople  seemed 
to  be  doing  very  well." 

BRANSON   ANDERSON,    1833. 

"Settlers  when  we  came,  in  1833,  were  Jacob  Chenoweth,  in  Ohio;  Heze- 
kiah  Locke,  on  the  Bailey  place ;  Mason  Freeman,  on  the  Marquis  place.  John 
Foster  came  on  the  Griffiis  place  a  year  or  so  after  we  came.  [This  was  not 
the  Joshua  Foster  who  was  in  that  vicinity  many  years  before.]  Mr.  Farms 
had  just  put  up  a  cabin  on  the  James  Ruby  place ;  had  not  moved  into  it  yet. 
Smith  Masterson  lived  on  the  Downing  place,  north  of  Dismal.  James 
Griffis  lived  on  the  Williamson  farm,  and  moved  not  long  afterward  to  the 
Griffis  place,  on  the  Greenville  State  road." 


3^6  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

ELISI-IA  MARTIN. 

"In  June,  1832,  in  a  race,  molding  brick  with  Silas  Connell,  I  molded, 
from  sun  to  sun,  25,148  brick,  and  he,  23,365.  I  was  about  twenty  years  old. 
My  father-in-law  scolded  me;  told  me  I  should  not  have  tried  it,  and  that  I 
could  not  stand  it.  He  stood  by  me  and  kept  me  from  working  full  speed, 
till  2  p.  m.,  when  he  told  me  to  'go  it.'  Silas  led  me  all  the  forenoon.  A  great 
crowd  were  looking  on,  and  they  bet  tw(^  to  one  on  Connell.  By  and  by  the 
tide  turned,  and  the  bets  became  five  to  one  for  me,  and  I  beat.  People  after 
that  offered  to  bring  men  to  beat  me,  but  they  never  did.  I  had  a  man  on  his 
yard  and  he  on  mine.  They  set  their  watches  just  alike,  and  we  begun  to  a 
second.  We  worked  till  dinner.  I  had  my  dinner  brought  to  the  yard;  took 
a  few  bites  and  went  to  molding  again.  Men  said  I  molded  forty-eight  brick 
the  last  minute.  They  carried  me  to  the  house,  washed  me  in  whisky,  and 
would  not  let  me  lie  down  till  near  morning.  I  went  to  work  the  third  day 
after.  The  bet  was  only  $10  on  a  side.  Isrum  Engle,  of  Union  City,  and 
Ezekiel  Clough,  of  Jackson  township,  lived  at  Cincinnati  at  the  time,  and 
know  that  I  did  what  I  claim  to  have  done." 

Mr.  Martin  was  a  brick  molder,  and  has  been  for  many  years.  He  owns 
a  good  farm  south  of  Winchester. 

THOMAS   SHALER.      [bY   JOSEPH    C.    HAWKINS.] 

"I  had  to  go  to  mill  at  Ridgeville,  from  near  Antioch,  Jay  county,  In- 
diana, generally  on  horseback.  I  had  to  do  the  milling,  while  the  older  boys 
carried  the  mail  from  Winchester  to  Fort  Wayne.  Thomas  Shaler,  who  used 
to  live  near,  but  had  moved  to  near  Camden,  came  to  mother's  on  his  way  to 
mill  with  a  wagon  and  oxen.  He  persuaded  her  to  have  me  go  with  him  and 
get  fifteen  bushels  of  corn,  and  said  he  would  bring  home  the  meal  for  her; 
so  she  sent  me.  Brother  Ben  had  raised  the  corn  at  Joab  Ward's,  and  I 
shelled  it;  got  a  horse  there  and  took  it  to  mill,  and  had  the  meal  all  ready. 
But  Shaler  had  been  getting  drunk  and  fooling  around,  and  he  stayed  three 
days.  I  determined  to  walk  home  and  bring  a  horse  and  get  my  grist  that 
way.  But  at  last  he  got  ready  and  started.  (See  Arthur  McKew's  Reminis- 
cences.) He  left  my  meal  at  William  Welch's,  and  I  took  the  grist  home 
from  there  (John  Adair's  place  south  of  Liber).  Shaler  was  away  about  nine 
days,  and  his  wife  and  family  were  at  home  starving.  He  was  a  drunken, 
shiftless  fellow,  boasting  of  being  half-Indian.     His  wife  was  an  excellenf 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  337 

woman,  with  four  children,  all  girls.  She  was  there  in  the  woods,  ten  miles 
from  any  settler.  Their  cabin  had  no  fire-place,  floor,  nor  chimney,  no. 
daubing  nor  chinking,  and  the  snow  was  eight  inches  deep;  everything  was 
frozen  up,  and  they  had  nothing  to  eat.  She  had  burned  some  coal  in  one 
corner  of  the  shanty,  had  made  a  sled,  and  was  intending  to  take  an  ox,  the 
sled,  her  four  children,  and  a  kettle  with  coals  in  it  to  keep  the  children  from 
freezing  to  death,  and  to  start  for  Mrs.  Hawkins'  cabin  fifteen  miles  off,  the 
nearest  settler  she  knew.  But  her  husband  and  young  McKew  got  to  thei 
cabin  that  night  about  midnight,  with  the  provisions.  Shaler  and  McKew 
cut  the  ice  and  crossed  the  Big  Salamonie,  near  Judge  Winters',  but  there  was 
a  stream  called  Big  Branch,  up  which  the  water  had  set  back  from  the  Big 
Salamonie,  over  a  wide  space.  The  water  had  suddenly  frozen,  and  then  had 
sunk  away,  leaving  the  ice,  and  they  could  not  get  the  oxen  across  in  the 
night." 

[Note. — This  Tom  Shaler  was  the  same  that  James  Porter  found 
"squatted"  on  the  land  that  Porter  entered  afterward,  northwest  part  of  Jack- 
son township,  Randolph  county.  Shaler  moved  from  there  near  to  Liber,  and 
soon  after  that  to  near  Camden.  This  incident  took  place  about  1833. 
Joseph  Hawkins'  father  moved  to  Jay  county  in  1829.  He  died  in  1833,  and 
they  were  "roughing"  it  up  there  in  the  Jay  county  woods,  a  poor  widow  with 
a  large  family.] 

JACOB  JOHNSON,    1833. 

"The  first  resident  of  Jackson  township  is  supposed  to  have  been  Philip 
Storms.  He  'squatted'  on  a  piece  of  land  east  of  my  farm;  but  a  Mr.  Fager 
entered  the  land  from  under  him,  and  he  then  moved  to  Mississinewa  crossing) 
and  remained  there  several  years.  It  is  also  said  that  another  person  entered 
Mr.  Storms'  land  there;  that  he  was  very  angry  and  threatened  to  shoot  thei 
intruder,  but  that  they  finally  settled  the  matter  amicably  and  that  he  moved 
elsewhere.  He  was  living  in  the  region  in  1830,  how  much  later  is  not  now 
known,  and  if  he  had  lived  elsewhere  in  the  township  several  years,  he  was 
certainly  the  first  comer.  Mr.  Jacobs  is  thought  by  some  to  have  been  the  first 
permanent  settler  in  the  township,  but  these  things  are  'mighty  hard  to  find 
out.'    Ishmael  Bunch  was  a  very  early  pioneer  also. 

I  (Johnson)  lived  in  a  rail-pen  from  May  3  to  June  22.  Our  family 
was  myself  and  wife  and  nine  children,  and  we  were  as  happy  as  need  be. 
We  made  the  floor  of  the  rail-pen  of  bark,  and  renewed  it  twice.  When  the 
(22) 


33^  .  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

water  would  splash  up  through  the  bark,  I  would  put  in  a  new  floor  of  the 
same  sort. 

The  State  road  to  Portland  was  laid  out  about  1838,  only  forty  feet  wide. 

The  first  justice  in  Jackson  township  was  James  Wickersham. 

The  first  couple  married  were  David  Vance  and  Sally  Smith  by  Esq. 
Wickersham. 

The  first  mill  was  erected  by  Jones,  on  Lowe's  Branch,  one  and  a  half 
miles  above  me. 

I  built  a  horse-mill,  then  a  water-mill,  and  afterward  a  saw-mill. 

The  grist-mill  was  run  twenty  years  and  the  saw-mill  ten  years,  but  they 
are  all  rotted  down  now. 

The  graveyard  on  my  place  was  begun  about  1840. 

The  Indians  were  all  gone  but  one,  'Old  Duck.'  He  hunted  and  trapped 
and  took  his  skins  and  furs  to  Greenville.  He  used  to  stay  with  Jacobs,  at 
Harshman's,  and  with  Andrew  Debolt." 

Note. — This  "Duck"  is  spoken  of  in  Jay  County  History  as  being  famil- 
iar with  the  early  settlers  of  that  county.  He  seems  to  have  been  a  clever, 
civil,  honest  Indian.  At  one  time  he  was  at  a  church  trial,  and  when  the 
witness  began  to  testify  "crosswise,"  he  rose  to  leave,  saying,  "Me  go;  no 
much  good  here,  too  much  lie." 

The  author  of  Jay  County  History  says  (in  substance)  : 

All  early  settlers  are  familiar  with  the  name  of  the  old  Indian,  Doctor 
Duck,  who  remained  in  the  county  a  long  time  after  his  tribe  had  moved  to 
Kansas.  He  showed  much  skill  in  the  treatment  of  diseases.  *  *  *  He 
was  religious  and  often  appeared  to  be  praying  to  the  Great  Spirit.  He  at- 
tended meeting  for  preaching  at  Deerfield  and  the  church  trial  afterward, 
which  he  left  as  stated  above.  He  tried  to  cure  John  J.  Hawking,  a  pioneer 
of  Jay  county,  but  did  not  succeed,  though  he  lived  with  Mr.  H.  six  months. 
About  two  weeks  after  Mr.  H.  died  (March  15,  1832),  the  Indian  visited  his 
grave  and  spent  nearly  half  a  day  there  alone,  apparently  preaching  and  per- 
forming wild  ceremonies." 

Settlers  (that  Mr.  Johnson  remembers)  when  he  came  were:  Daniel  B. 
Miller,  Ward  township ;  Jacob  Harshman,  two  miles  west  of  Johnson's ; 
Abrani  Harshman,  same  neighborhood ;  Reuben  Harshman,  same  neighbor- 
hood (died  lately  in  Union  City,  Ohio)  ;  Andrew  Debolt,  Mount  Holly,  dead; 
James  Reeves,  near  Castle  P.  O.,  dead;  Amos  Smith,  near  New  Lisbon,  gone 
long  ago ;  Samuel  Skinner,  near  New  Lisbon,  gone  long  ago ;  John  Skinner, 
near  New  Lisbon,  gone  long  ago;  James  Willson,  James  Wickersham,  etc. 


KANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  339 

John  Johnson,  his  brother,  came  when  he  did,  dying  a  year  or  so  ago, 
aged  eighty-eight  years. 

VVilham  Warren,  James  Warren,  James  Simmons,  came  soon  after  Mr. 
Johnson. 

James  Porter  was  li\ing  near  New  Pittsburg,  and  others  had  settled  near 
Allensville,  on  the  Mississinewa  river. 

ANDREW   AKER. 

"]\I)'  trade  as  a  merchant  was  extensive  and  various.  I  used  to  buy  every 
commodity  that  was  salable  at  that  day.  I  bought  produce  of  all  kinds  and 
shipped  it  on  flat-boats  down  the  Mississinewa,  sending  sometimes  two  or 
three  boats  at  once,  loaded  with  flour,  bacon,  apples,  etc.  We  went  to  Logans- 
port,  Lafayette,  etc.,  selling  mostly,  though  not  entirely,  to  Indian  traders. 
Sales  would  be  made  on  credit,  and  then  we  would  go  down  at  the  time  of  the 
Indian  payments,  which  were  made  once  a  year,  generally  in  August  or  Sep- 
tember, and  get  the  money  for  the  goods  sold  to  them.  The  last  time  I  went 
we  had  three  boat  loads.  The  boats  were  made  by  Joab  Ward,  who  kept  a 
boat-yard  near  what  is  now  Ridgeville.  He  would  make  a  boat  all  complete 
for  an  amount  varying  from  $25  to  $30,  which  would  carry  about  one  hun- 
dred barrels  of  flour. 

I  lost  my  sight  about  1836,  and  sold  goods  till  1838.  I  worked  twenty- 
five  years  at  pump-making.  I  had  worked  at  it  when  young,  and,  trying  it 
again  after  blindness  came  on,  I  found  that  I  could  do  the  work  with  success, 
and  resumed  the  business.  I  have  made  and  sold  great  numbers  of  puinps, 
working  all  through  the  country,  making  forty  at  one  time  at  Recovery. 

Thomas  Hanna  kept  a  store  at  Winchester  when  I  came  there.  Esq. 
Odle  had  owned  a  store  before  that ;  Hanna's  store  was  quite  an  extensive 
establishment  for  those  days. 

Paul  W.  Way  set  up  a  dry  goods  store  afterwards,  and  William  and 
Jesse  Way  began  also.  Michael  Aker  bought  out  my  stock  and  followed  me 
in  the  business,  though  he  did  not  continue  long. 

The  court  house  was  up  and  covered  when  I  came  to  Winchester ;  David 
Wysong  furnished  the  brick,  and  the  lime  was  obtained  at  New  Paris,  or  at 
Middleboro ;  lime  was  not  burned  in  this  county  till  afterwards. 

Joseph  Hinchy  had  made  pumps,  hauling  his  tools  with  an  ox  team,  and 
making  them  from  farm  to  farm.  He  is  the  same  man  who  planted  nurseries 
in  various  places  through  the  country. 


340  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Soon  after  I  came  here  I  bought  io8  acres  of  John  B.  Wright  and  lOO 
acres  of  Charles  Conway.  I  bought  the  Daniel  Petty  land  east  of  town,  of 
Oliver  Walker,  as  also  a  lot  in  every  square  in  town.  I  traded  the  lot  in  the 
north  front  with  a  building  on  it  for  the  farm  I  now  live  on  (io8  acres). 

I  traded  i8o  acres  with  a  good  house  and  barn  and  orchard  and  50  acres 
cleared  foi"  400  acres,  and  sold  that  in  four  or  five  years  to  Joshua  Bond  for 
$1,100. 

Ernestus  Strohm  began  a  cabinet  shop,  and  I  was  in  partnership  with 
him  for  awhile.  We  made  a  sideboard  worth  $175  about  1838,  the  first 
costly  piece  of  furniture  made  in  the  county.  It  is  a  splendid  article — large, 
square,  rather  low,  with  a  large  framed  glass  at  the  middle  of  the  top.  I 
have  it  yet  in  a  good  state  of  preservation;  in  fact,  almost  as  nice  and  good  as 
new.  It  was  the  first  thing  that  was  made  in  .that  shop,  and  it  was  made  to 
show  what  kind  of  work  the  shop  could  furnish. 

Some  amusing  things  would  take  place  in  those  primitive  times.  Some 
such  incidents  occurred  in  my  own  experience. 

Curtis  Voris  and  a  half-brother  of  his  had  moved  out  here  from  Green- 
ville. He  had  some  money  to  spare  and  he  asked,  'Who  would  be  safe  ?'  The 
person  told  him,  'Andrew  Aker.'  So  he  came  to  m.e:  'What  per  cent?' 
'Six.'  'How  long  time?'  'A  year.'  'All  right,'  said  he,  'and  I  will  trade  out 
the  interest.'  'Better  yet,'  said  I,  'I  will  take  your  money.  How  much  can  you 
spare?'  'Two  dollars  and  a  half,'  was  the  rejoinder.  That  I  was  astonished 
is  simply  the  truth.  However,  I  took  his  money,  the  whole  of  it,  and  he  kept 
his  bargain  by  trading  out  the  interest,  all  of  it. 

A  man  from  out  North  was  trading  one  day,  and  having  made  a  bill  of 
(perhaps)  $2,  offered  in  payment  a  $5  bill.  It  was  a  base  counterfeit,  and  I 
told  him  so.  'Why,'  said  he,  'it  is  good;  I  got  it  from  Hell.'  'Take  it  back 
there,  then,  it  will  not  pass  here.'     He  meant  a  man  with  that  name. 

One  day  Old  Samuel  Emery,  from  the  Mississinewa  (who  died  only  a 
short  time  ago),  came  in  with  a  roll  of  deer-skins.  He  was  truly  a  rough- 
looking  customer.  His  pants  were  buckskin  and  ripped  up  nearly  to  the  knee. 
He  wore  a  straw  hat,  with  the  rim  half  torn  off;  his  shoes  were  ragged  and 
tied  up  with  hickory  bark ;  and  altogether  he  was  as  forlorn  as  one  often  sees. 
He  wished  to  'trade  out'  his  roll  of  buckskins.  He  got  several  articles,  I 
reckoned  up  the  account  and  the  trade  was  nearly  even.  He  then  said,  'I 
wish  to  get  a  few  more  things,  powder  and  lead  and  some  flints,  and  I  would 
like  to  get  trusted.'  I  spoke  to  Charlie  Conway  at  the  back  end  of  the  store. 
'O,'  said  he,  'Sam  Emery  is  all  right,  he  is  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  out 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  34I 

on  the  Mississinewa.'  He  got  his  powder  and  things  on  credit  and  paid  for 
them  promptly  according  to  agreement.  After  that  time  he  did  a  large 
amount  of  trading  at  my  store,  always  dealing  fairly,  like  the  honorable  man 
that  he  was.  But  when  I  first  set  eyes  on  him  as  he  entered  the  store  with  his 
roll  of  buckskins  on  his  shoulder,  he  was  a  strange-looking  customer  indeed! 

The  same  man  who  loaned  me  the  $2.50  also  bought  a  cow  of  me  for  $8. 
He  agreed  to  pay  me  for  the  creature  in  two  or  three  months.  He  paid  me, 
though  it  took  a  much  longer  time  than  that.  He  made  the  payment  in  small 
sums,  sometimes  as  low  as  i2j^  cents,  a,nd  never  more  than  37^  cents  at  any 
one  time.    But  he  paid  me  fully  after  a  while. 

Shortly  after  I  came  to  Winchester  I  built  a  brick  house,  getting  the 
brick  of  David  Wysong  at  $2.50  per  thousand  delivered.  Mr.  Wysong  died 
only  two  or  three  years  ago,  about  eighty  years  old. 

The  pump  business  is  carried  on  at  present  by  my  sons-in-law,  Knecht 
"and  Thomas.  They  do  not  make  now,  but  buy  and  sell,  purchasing  some- 
times as  high  as  4,000  pumps  at  one  time." 

MRS.    JESSIE  ADDINGTON,    1 834. 

"Joab  Ward  and  Meshach  Lewallyn  lived  near  Ridgeville.  There  were  no 
houses  from  here  to  Winchester.  Thomas  Addington  (not  Rev.  Thomas)  oc- 
cupied a  cabin  near  where  George  Addington  now  lives.  William  Addmgton 
had  come  on  in  March,  and  had  settled  one  mile  north.  There  were  no  settlers 
east  or  west  that  I  know  of. 

Benjamin  Lewallyn  and  a  Mr.  Jones,  as  also  James  Addington  (uncle  to 
Jesse),  had  settled  on  the  Mississinewa,  below  Ridgeville.  That  town  was 
not  begun  till  long  afterward.  People  used  to  bring  flour,  bacon,  apples, 
potatoes,  apple-butter,  etc.,  to  Ridgeville  to  Ward's,  and  buy  of  him  a  flat- 
boat,  to  send  them  down  the  river  to  market.  Mr.  Addington  has  bought  of 
Mr.  Ward  apples  supposed  to  be  spoiled  for  trade  by  being  frozen.  We  had 
to  go  to  White  River  or  Mississinewa  to  get  help  in  raisings  or  log-rollings. 

Thomas  Addington  (cousin  of  Jesse,  son-in-law  of  Joseph  Addington, 
on  Sparrow  Creek)  had  moved  out  here  just  before,  had  built  him  a  cabin  and 
his  family  (and  we,  too)  moved  in  without  chimney  or  floor.  We  stayed 
there,  cooking  outdoors,  for  a  month,  till  outs  was  built.  We  moved  in  as 
soon  as  our  cabin  was  covered,  having  nothing  but  log  walls  and  a  clapboard 
roof.  We  cooked  by  a  log-heap  fire  for  several  weeks,  till  a  chimney  was 
built,  some  time  in  August. 


342  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

Religious  meetings  used  to  be  held  in  private  dwellings  around  the  set- 
tlement by  the  Methodists.  There  was  no  school  for  several  years.  There 
were  several  other  Addingtons,  father  and  uncles  of  Jesse  Addington." 

ROBERT    MURPHY. 

"The#  county  was  new.  Very  few  settlers  were  here  in  1834.  James 
Griffis  lived  on  the  Williamson  place;  Smith  Masterson  lived  west  about  a 
mile;  William  Kennon  lived  on  State  road,  near  Bartonia  (father  of  Thomas 
S.  Kennon) ;  John  Dixon  lived  one  and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  me;  Green 
resided  on  the  State  road.  Kennon  and  Griffis  had  been  here  two  years. 
Masterson  came  the  same  year  but  earlier  than  I  did. 

There  were  no  roads,  only  'blazes.'  There  were  paths,  tracks  and  'blazes.' 
Hill  Grove  and  Spartanburg  both  were  towns,  but  few  houses  in  either. 

For  milling,  we  had  to  go  to  Richmond  or  Stillwater.  There  was  a  mill 
at  McClure's,  which  is  standing  yet.  In  dry  times  the  water  would  fail.  We 
had  to  go  to  Piqua,  or  Troy,  or  Dayton,  for  salt.  Andrew  Kennedy  (Con- 
gressman) once  .said  that  the  time  would  come  when  a  bushel  of  wheat  would 
bring  a  barrel  of  salt.    No  one  believed  him,  but  the  day  has  come. 

I  once  tried  to  go  to  the  first  house  in  Union  City  (there  was  only  one) 
to  appraise  some  property  there  (Star  House).  I  struck  the  railroad  track 
and  went  on  east.  Coming  to  a  house,  I  inquired,  'How  far  east  to  Union 
City?'     'Half  a  mile  west,'  was  the  reply. 

We  had  to  cut  up  corn  and  haul  it  to  the  barnyard  to  keep  the  squirrels 
from  taking  it  in  the  field. 

There  were  no  mills  near,  not  even  a  corn-cracker.  Cole's  mill  and 
Dean's  mill  (Ohio)  were  there.  There  had  been  one  at  Sharp  Eye.  A  dam 
had  been  built,  but  the  people  thought  it  made  them  sick,  and  it  had  to  be 
taken  down.    When  I  first  came  I  moved  into  a  cabin  near  by. 

I  came  in  March,  1834,  and  cleared  seven  acres  and  put  it  in  corn  that 
spring.  I  cut,  rolled  and  burnt  what  I  could,  and  the  rest  I  killed  by  piling  and 
burning  the  brush  around  them.    I  hired  2,000  rails  made  and  fenced  the  land. 

I  have  never  bought  in  all,  during  forty-six  years,  ten  bushels  of  corn. 
Two  grists  of  corn  and  three  bushels  of  wheat  is  all  I  have  bought  in  that  time. 

I  moved  with  three  wagons,  -and  afterward  brought  another  load  of  bees, 
grain,  etc.  I  had  wheat  in  Darke  county,  and  after  harvest  I  hauled  the 
\\-heat  home. 

I  worked  for  one  man  (Mr.  Teegarden)  in  Darke  county  one  year,  at  $7 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  343 

per  month  (some  of  the  tune  at  31  cents  a  day).  I  have  worked  many  a  day 
at  31  cents  a  day.  I  never  hunted  or  fished  much.  They  must  bite  quick  or 
show  themselves,  or  I  was  o-p-h.  I  have  killed  only  two  deer.  One  night, 
fishing  in  a  'riffle,'  in  the  'Dismal,'  we  caught  a  basketful  of  suckers  with  our 
hands,  many  of  them  a  foot  long.  One  year,  the  creek  froze  and  then  raised' 
above  the  ice  with  great  numbers  of  fish,  and  the  water  froze  again  and  fast- 
ened the  fish  between  the  ice,  in  great  quantities.  We  could  have  caught  lots 
of  them,  but  we  thought  freezing  tlie  fish  spoiled  them. 

I  found  a  steel-trap  in  Darke  county,  and  sold  it  to  an  Indian  for  six 
coon-skins  to  be  brought  at  such  a  time.  The  time  came,  but  no  coon-skins, 
and  I  thought  'Good-bye  steel-trap,  good-bye  coon-skins,'  but  he  came  and 
brought  them  afterward  and  said,  smiling,  'Too  good  sugar-making — couldn't 
come.'  Sugar-trees  were  plenty.  We  made  all  the  sugar  we  needed,  and 
some  to  sell. 

The  first  school  in  the  neighborhood  was,  say,  in  1838.  The  first  meet- 
ing-hotise  was  at  South  Salem. 

I  used  to  be  a  Presbyterian,  but  have  joined  the  Protestant  Methodists." 

The  following  is  a  list  of  old  men  residing  in  Wayne  township  (age,, 
1880)  :  John  Hartman,  76;  Jacob  Baker,  79;  Joel  Elwell,  75;  William  A. 
Macy,  71 ;  Ezra  Coddington,  •j'}) ;  Francis  Frazier,  79 ;  Robert  Murphy,  75 ; 
Isaac  Clifton,  73;  George  Huffnogle,  80;  William  Pickett,  79. 

Mr.  Murphy  is  growing  old  and  somewhat  feeble  and  decrepit,  but  no 
more  so  than  might  be  expected  at  his  age. 

PETER   HOOVER,    1835. 

Settlers  when  Mr.  Hoover  came :  Robert  Murphy ;  John  Dixon  came 
the  fall  before  and  bought  out  Mr.  Kennon;  James  Griffis,  William  Kennon, 
Smith  Masterson. 

"People  were  sociable  then.  Men  would  go  seven  or  eight  miles  to  a 
raising  or  a  log-rolling — to  Sheets',  north,  or  to  Griffis'  or  Carnahan's,  south, 
or  even  farther.  People  worked  then.  They  did  not  eat  and  sit  around. 
Twenty  to  thirty  men  were  a  large  crowd.  The  first  election  (for  Jackson 
and  Wayne  townships  together)  was  held  at  Peyton's,  west  of  Union  City,  in 
say  1836,  and  only  seven  votes  were  polled.  The  rest  went  to  other  polls  to 
vote.    A  person  could  vote  anywhere  in  the  county  then. 

Mrs.  Teeter  came  early;  her  husband  had  died  in  Pennsylvania.  She 
raised  a  large  family  and  died  about  90-  years  of  age." 


344  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

P.    FIELDS    (1833). 

"Settlers  when  I  came^some  of  them  were  Burkett  Pierce,  west  of 
Deerfield,  very  old  and  living  still;  George  Ritenour,  across  the  river,  near 
Pierce's,  an  early  settler,  but  is  now  dead ;  William  Odle,  Curtis  Butler,  living 
along  the  river  below  town,  moved  away,  long,  long  ago. 

There  were  none  above  (east  of)«town  till  a  mile  above  me.  Samuel 
Emery  lived  a  mile  up  the  river.  He  became  very  old  and  died  a  year  or  so 
since. 

Mr.  Bragg  came  the  fall  before  I  did,  in  1832;  he  is  dead. 

Allen  Wall  was  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  opposite  Bragg's ;  he,  too, 
is  dead. 

James  Mayo,  north  of  the  river,  also  dead. 

Aquila  Loveall  lived  near  Mayo's ;  he  is  not  living. 

Daniel  B.  Miller,  up  the  river  on  the  south  side ;  he  is  quite  old  and  resides 
at  Winchester,  having  his  third  wife  (he  is  now  dead). 

Robert  Parsons  lived  a  mile  below  Deerfield.  He  owned  a  corn-cracker ; 
he  is  dead.  Deerfield  had  not  'started'  yet.  One  shanty  stood  there,  but  no 
town  had  been  begun.  A  school  shanty  was  standing  one  and  a  half  miles 
above,  on  Congress  land,  on  the  north  of  Deerfield  and  Union  City  road. 

There  was  one  also  near  the  old  (Chapel)  meeting-house  west  of  Deer- 
field. 

The  Chapel  meeting-house  was  built  about  1835,  and  is  the  oldest  one  in 
the  region. 

Prospect  meeting-house  was  not  built  till  several  years  after  I  came 
perhaps  about  1840.  The  cemetery  at  the  Chapel  is  the  oldest  one  in  this  part 
of  the  country. 

When  Lewallyn  came  to  settle  near  Ridgeville,  they  unloaded  their  goods 
into  the  brush.  Some  stayed  and  went  to  building  a  'camp'  and  the  others 
went  back  to  get  the  rest  of  the  'plunder.' 

Lewallyn's  daughter  married  one  Mr.  Renberger,  who  used  to  live  near 
Ridgeville,  and  she  may  perhaps  be  living  now. 

I  came  from  Hawkins  county,  Tennessee,  sixty-four  miles  up  Holston 
river  from  Knoxville.  I  sold  100  acres  of  land  there  for  $400.  We  came 
here  with  one  four-horse  wagon  and  a  carriage. 

Lancelot  Fields,  my  brother,  had  moved  to  this  county  before  me,  and 
had  settled  near  New  Pittsburg,  not  far  from  James  Porter's.     He  had  re- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  345 

turned  to  Tennessee  on  business,  and,  when  he  came  back  to  Indiana,  we  came 
along,  too.    There  were  thirteen  in  the  company. 

Deerfield  &  Union  City  road  had  been  laid  and  'blazed,'  but  it  was  not 
yet  opened  through.    I  helped  open  it  to  Middletown. 

One  Indian,  called  'Old  Duck,'  lived  in  Allen  Wall's  yard,  in  a  little 
shanty. 

Cabins  were  made  with  'knees'  and  weight-poles  and  latch-strings. 

The  people  were  social  and  friendly.  We  used  to  go  six  or  eight  miles 
to  raisings  and  log-rollings,  and  to  Richmond  to  mill. 

Deer  were  plenty,  though  I  did  not  care  for  hunting.  I  never  killed  but 
one  deer  in  my  life. 

But  venison  was  very  ea-sily  gotten.  There  were  plenty  of  hunters  who 
were  only  too  glad  to  shoot  us  all  the  deer  we  wanted.  George  Porter  and 
his  boys  were  hunters,  and  had  no  land.  Zack  Key,  brother  of  Andrew  Key, 
lived  near  us,  and  if  we  wished  any  venison,  all  we  had  to  do  was  to  speak  to 
him,  and  he  would  shoulder  his  rifle  and  bring  one  down  in  a  hurry.  He 
would  hang  it  up  and  tell  me  where  to  find  it,  and  I  would  go  out  and  bring 
the  carcass  in.  The  hunters  cared  nothing  for  the  flesh.  All  they  wanted  was 
the  skins,  which  would  sell  for  from  25  to  50  cents. 

Once  I  was  hunting  my  horses.  They  had  wandered  far,  and  in  looking 
for  them,  I  came  to  Ephraim  Bowen's.  It  was  perhaps  in  1835,  not  long 
after  I  came  to  the  county.  The  settlers  were  far  more  numerous  in  that  part 
of  the  county,  but  farther  north  it  was  wild  enough.  Mr.  Bowen  and  his 
folks  were  very  kind  and  hospitable.  They  could  not  tell  me  where  to  find 
my  horses,  but  they  did  another  thing  which  was  first-rate  for  a  tired  and 
hungry  man.  They  would  not  take. 'no'  for  an  answer,  but  insisted  that  I 
should  stop  and  take  dinner  with  them,  which  I  did,  and  went  on  my  wander- 
ing way  much  refreshed. 

Horses  had  a  wide  range  then,  when  running  out,  and  sometimes  gave 
immense  trouble  to  their  owners  in  hunting  them." 

JOHN    R.    WARREN. 

"Settlers  when  I  came  were  Daniel  B.  Miller,  on  the  Miller  place;  Sam- 
uel Helms,  two  miles  north  of  Saratoga;  Andrew  Key,  three  miles  north  of 
Saratoga;  William  Pogue  (father  of  Robert  Pogue,  Union  City),  near  An- 
drew Key ;  John  T.  Evans,  west  of  Saratoga ;  Edward  Evans,  west  of  Sara- 
toga; Abram  Harshman,  east  of  Saratoga;  Alexander,  near  Harshman's; 


346  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

William  Bragg,  below  Andrew  Key ;  Daniel  Mock,  west  of  Saratoga ;  George 
W.  Barber,  one  mile  west  of  Saratoga;  William  Simmons,  on  Mississinewa 
river ;  Samuel  Sipe,  near  Perry  Fields ;  John  Sipe  came  shortly  after  I  did. 

The  first  school  after  I  came  was  near  Daniel  B.  Miller's,  about  1840. 

The  first  meeting-house  was  the  one  at  Prospect,  1840. 

The  first  grist-mill  was  west  of  Deerfield. 

The  first  smith  shop  was  kept  by  Jojl^ocke,  north  of  Saratoga. 

There  was  but  one  house  in  Deerfield. 

A  man  told  me  I  would  not  know  when  I  got  there." 

EDWARD   EDGER,   DEERFIELD. 

"When  I  came  to  Deerfield  just  three  families  resided  there,  viz :  Henry 
Taylor,  Henry  Sweet  and  Jonathan  Thomas.  Henry  Sweet  was  a  blacksmith. 
Henry  Taylor  had  a  few  groceries  in  a  log  cabin  there.  He  also  sold  some 
whisky,  and  professed,  besides  that,  to  keep  a  hotel,  too. 

Curtis  Butler  had  been  doing  business  there,  and  had  been  acting  post- 
master at  that  place.  Deerfield  was  by  no  means  an  unimportant  place;  in 
fact,  small  though  it  was,  and  deep  buried  in  the  thick  forests  of  the  Missis- 
sinewa. Although  that  valley  had  been  settled  more  than  twenty  years,  yet 
along  its  whole  course  that  little  Deerfield  was  its  only  town,  and  its  only 
post  office,  and  the  only  one,  it  may  be  said,  between  Winchester  and  Fort 
Wayne. 

But  Mr.  Butler  had  moved  to  Marion,  and  left  the  post  office  in  the 
hands  of  William  Odle.  The  amount  of  business  may  be  judged  of  when  it  is 
stated  that  the  salary  of  the  office  was  $1.75  per  quarter.  It  rose  afterward  to 
$40  per  quarter.  I  was  appointed  postmaster  soon  after  my  removal  to  Deer- 
field. Shortly  after  that,  and  for  two  or  three  years,  an  immense  business 
was  done  in  Randolph  and  Jay  counties  in  the  entry  of  land,  especially  in  Jay 
county,  and  vast  sums  of  (silver)  money  were  sent  by  John  Connor,  the  mail 
carrier,  to  Fort  Wayne. 

He  used  to  have  two  horses — one  for  the  mail  and  one  for  the  money 
sack.  He  would  have,  sometimes,  as  much  money  (silver)  as  two  of  us  could 
well  throw  upon  the  horse's  back.  He  would  lead  the  horses  and  walk,  some- 
times. 

People  would  'look  land'  and  leave  the  money  with  me,  and  I  would 
send  it  by  Mr.  Connor. 

He  has  taken  thus  as  high  as  $6,000  or  $7,000  at  one  trip.  We  used  to 
hide  it  in  a  hole  in  the  ground,  beneath  the  puncheon  floor,  under  the  bed. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  347 

We  handled  in  that  way,  in  all,  many  thousand  dollars.  I  would  receipt 
for  the  money,  and  take  Connor's  receipt,  and  he  would  pay  it  at  Fort  Wayne 
and  obtain  the  patents,  and  bring  them  to  me,  and  1  would  deliver  them  to  the 
parties  concerned,  and  they  would  pay  at  the  rate  of  $i  for  eighty  acres. 

Though  Mr.  Connor  was  poor,  he  was  faithful  and  honest,  and,  during 
my  whole  course  of  business  with  him,  for  nearly  twenty  years,  I  never  suf-' 
fered  a  cent  of  loss. 

He  carried  the  mail  for  some  twenty-eight  years,  up  to  about  1861.  His 
appointment  began  about  1835. 

The  mail  routes  were  as  follows :  Richmond  to  Fort  Wayne,  via  Win- 
chester ;  Greenville  west  to  Winchester. 

There  were  perhaps  others.  The  mails  were  carried  once  a  week  from 
Winchester  to  Fort  Wayne  and  back.  Connor  had  to  lie  out  in  the  woods 
one  night  on  his  trip  going  to  and  coming  from  Fort  Wayne.  The  operation 
would  not  be  considered  very  safe  now,  especially  with  hundreds  and  some- 
times thousands  of  dollars  in  conveyance,  but  Johnnie  Connor  was  never 
molested. 

Between  Winchester  and  Deerfield  was  a  dense  forest  and  much  swamp. 

There  were  only  two  settlers  between  Elias  Kizer's  (one  mile  north  of 
AVinchester)  and  Deeriield,  viz. :  Samuel  Cain  and  John  Kinnear.  Mr. 
Cain's  was  two  miles,  and  Mr.  Kinnear's  three  and  a  half  miles,  south  of 
Deerfield. 

A  large  part  of  the  land  on  both  sides  of  the  road  northward  from  Win- 
chester to  Deerfield  was  held  by  James  G.  Birney,  a  non-resident,  and  the 
country  remained  unsettled  for  many  years. 

Deerfield  became  an  important  trading  point,  and  it  was  for  years  a  lively 
place. 

David  Connor,  the  Indian  trader,  left  his  post -east  of  Deerfield  some 
years  before  I  came,  though  I  think  not  very  long. 

I  traded  with  the  Indians  for  furs,  as  also  in  succeeding  years  in  cattle, 
hogs,  etc.  I  traveled  extensivly,  to  Green  Bay  and  the  northwest  for  furs, 
etc.,  and  in  general  trading,  visiting  every  northern  state  and  the  South  also. 

The  trade  at  Deerfield  at  one  time  extended  over  Jay  and  Blackford 
counties,  and  even  much  farther  than  that.  I  have  sold  as  high  as  $15,000 
in  a  single  year,  and  have  taken  in  as  much  as  $700  in  one  day.  One  day  I 
bought  160  saddle  hams  that  had  been  killed  the  day  before.  There  had  fallen 
a  snow  several  inches  deep,  a  tracking  snow,  so  called,  because  the  hunter 
could  track  the  deer  in  it. 


348  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

George  Shaneyvelt,  of  Jay  county,  killed  nine  deer  in  one  day. 

The  furs  were  coon,  mink,  muskrat,  wild  cat,  catamount,  etc. 

Wolves  and  bears  and  wild  cats  were  common,  and  deer  were  very  plenty. 

Deerskins  were  of  different  prices,  from  50  cents  to  $1.  'Short-blues' 
were  $1,  i.  e.,  deer  killed  in  the  fall  whose  hair  was  short  and  whose  skins  had 
a  bluish  cast. 

In  early  times  great  quantities  o|  tree-sugar  and  molasses,  and  of  veni- 
son- hams  used  to  be  wagoned  to  Cincinnati ;  and  salt  and  iron  kettles,  etc., 
would  be  hauled  back.  I  sold  four  tons  of  sugar  kettles  in  one  winter.  The( 
cost  of  hauling  was  great.  At  one  time  a  quantity  of  salt  that  was  worth  $18 
in  Cincinnati,  cost  $20  to  get  it  hauled  from  there  to  Deerfield. 

Four-horse  teams  would  take  two  or  three  days  to  get  from  Winchester 
to  Deerfield. 

Teamsters  would  cut  out  a  road  and  then  throw  _brush  across  to  hide  it 
so  that  nobody  else  would  see  the  track,  that  the  ones  who  made  the  opening 
might  have  the  use  of  it  for  several  trips. 

I  had  the  first  cook  stove  in  the  county.  It  was  brought  from  Cincinnati. 
That  and  another  cost  $100  in  silver  at  10  per  cent,  premium,  equal  to  $110  in 
currency.    The  other  one  was  sold  to  Mrs.  Kinnear,  south  of  Deei"field. 

Considerable  flat-boating  down  the  Mississinewa  was  done  after  I  came 
to  Randolph. 

At  one  time  the  task  was  undertaken  to  take  several  loads  of  coal  down 
the  river. 

A  German  named  Keizer,  who  was  poor,  wished  me  to  advance  goods  td 
him  and  take  the  coal  for  security.  I  would  not,  but  Mr  Searl  let  him  have 
the  goods  and  took  Frederick  Miller  as  security.  The  coal  was  burned,  the 
boats  were  built  and  caulked  with  tow,  and  the  coal  was  loaded  upon  the  boats, 
as  also  the  goods  which  Mr.  Searl  furnished  to  Keizer  upon  Miller's  security. 

I  had  about  two  wagon  loads  of  furs  which  I  put  upon  one  of  the  boats, 
and  steered  the  boat  on  the  trip  down  the  river. 

Mr.  Holly  steered  another  of  the  boats. 

We  came  to  Mr.  McKinney's  dam  below  Fairview,  and  Holly's  boat  got 
fast  on  a  bar. 

Mr.  McKinney  came  out  with  his  rifle  and  threatened  to  shoot  if  we  at- 
tempted to  jump  his  dam.    We  did  attempt  it,  however,  and  he  did  not  shoot. 

But  the  boats  could  not  cross  the  dam,  and  the  merchandise  was  a  total 
loss,  except  my  furs,  which  I  sent  back  by  wagon  to  Deerfield.  Mr.  Searl 
lost  about  $2,000,  which  came  near  breaking  him  up.     These  boats  were 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  349 

loaded  at  Ritenonr's  mill  below  Deerfield,  a  point  at  which  many  boats  re- 
ceived their  cargo. 

At  another  time  Joseph  Hinchy  and  I  took  a  boat  load  of  flour  and  salt, 
etc.,  down  the  river.  He  and  I  built  the  boat,  and  we  loaded  it  at  Ritenour's 
mill.  I  steered  the  boat  and  we  jumped  four  or  five  dams.  One  of  them  was 
Connor's,  which  was  only  a  brush  dam,  and  not  hard  to  pass. 

When  we  got  to  the  'Feeder  dam'  for  the  canal,  they  asked  $io  to  go 
through,  and  it  would  have  taken  all  day  to  clear  out  the  logs  so  as  to  permit 
the  boat  to  pass.  I  offered  $i.oo  for  a  man  to  come  on  the  boat  with  me  and 
help  me  jump  the  dam.  A  man  accepted  the  offer ;  we  performed  the  feat  and 
got  the  boat  over  safe.  The  boat  was  taken  to  Logansport,  and  the  cargo  was 
sold  mostly  to  the  Indians.    This  was  done  in  1839. 

This  Joseph  Hinchy  was  a  very  eccentric  man.  He  owned  land  in  many 
places,  and  set  out  orchards  far  and  near,  planting  and  grafting  the  trees; 
and  some  of  his  old  orchards  are  standing  yet.  He  set  out  trees  at  Joab 
Ward's,  at  Wheeling,  at  ]vIarion  and  many  other  places.  He  was  a  pump- 
maker  also.  [Mr.  Aker  says  he  hauled  his  tools  for  pump  making  on  a  sled 
with  oxen.    He  wore  only  buckskin  clothes.] 

He  used  to  have  plenty  of  money,  and  would  lend  it  to  almost  anybody 
that  wanted  it. 

Deerfield  was  for  years  a  place  of  large  business.  At  first  the  trade  was 
to  and  from  Cincinnati  by  wagon,  afterward  to  the  canal  a.t  Piqua.  We  used 
to  trade  largely  in  swine.  I  once  drove  a  herd  of  hogs  from  Kentucky  to 
South  Carolina,  beginning  to  sell  them  in  Xorth  Carolina,  and  so  onward  till 
they  were  all  disposed  of. 

Once  in  driving  swine  from  Deerfield  with  2,000  in  the  drove,  there  came 
a  terrible  freshet  (about  New  Year's).  We  swam  Greenville  creek  twice. 
The  hogs  swam  the  creek.  We  lost  none,  but  some  we  had  to  pull  out  by  the 
ears.  The  trip  to  Cincinnati  took  twenty-one  days.  There  were  about  ten 
hands  with  the  drove.  I  got  for  the  hogs  $6  net.  Pork,  however,  was  very 
variable,  and  sometimes  fell  very  low,  and  many  have  been  bankrupted 
thereby. 

I  once  traveled  six  weeks  in  Kansas,  sleeping  in  a  wagon  the  whole 
time.  My  companion  most  of  the  time  was  an  Indian,  who  was  a  trusty, 
faithful  man. 

When  a  young  man  I  traveled  through  the  South,  working  at  my  trade  ; 
as  also  I  was  pilot  on  a  steamboat  from  New  Orleans  to  Louisville,  spending 
five  or  six  years  in  these  ways.     During  these  trips  I  passed  through  parts  of 


350  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  Alabama,  Georgia,  Mississippi,  Louisiana 
and  Texas.  When  a  boy  sixteen  years  old,  I  went  as  an  apprentice  with  my 
master,  Benedict  Thomas,  to  Texas,  from  Georgetown,  Kentucky,  with  a  flat- 
boat  load  of  furniture  and  saddles  and  bridles  and  dry  goods.  We  took  them 
on  a  flat-boat  to  the  mouth  of  the  river,  on  a  keel-boat  to  Natchitoches,  and 
thence  by  wagon  i6o  miles  to  the  old  Spanish  fort,  between  the  two  Trinity's 
(rivers).  He  traded  his  goods  for  jnules  and  horses  and  for  Spanish  hides. 
He  stayed  in  Texas  and  sent  me  to  New  Orleans  to  exchange  the  animals 
and  hides  for  mahogany,  coffee,  molasses  and  sugar,  which  I  did  and  returned 
home  on  foot.  Another  man  came  with  me.  We  bought  knapsacks  and 
started,  being  twenty  days  on  the  road,  and  sleeping  in  the  woods  or  with  the 
Indians.  One  place  was  140  miles  (from  French  Camps  to  Fort  Columbia 
on  the  Tombigbee)  ;  thence  we  came  to  Tuscumbia,  and  so,  on  home.  We  got 
provisions  of  the  Indians — jerked  meat,  bear's  flesh  and  venison,  and  also 
hominy  and  sweet  potatoes  and  corn  bread.  We  passed  through  the  Chicka- 
saw and  Choctaw  nations. 

My  brother,  Archibald,  walked  from  New  Orleans  sixteen  times,  and 
my  brother,  William,  twelve  times,  from  1809  and  onward.  They  would  go 
down  with  flat-boats  and  return  on  foot.  The  flat-boats  would  cost  $150  and 
would  have  to  be  sold  at  New  Orleans  perhaps  for  $10.  They  generally  made 
two  trips  a  year.  One  of  them  once  tried  three  trips,  but  he  got  sick.  They 
commonly  traveled  'Carroll's  Trace,'  from  Lake  Pontchartrain  to  Colbert's 
Ferry,  on  the  Tennessee  river.  The  'trace'  stretched  for  miles  and  miles 
through  deep,  tall  cane-brakes,  a  clear  well-trodden  path  with  thick  canes  on 
both  sides  of  the  path  nearly  impenetrable.  The  canes  were  sometimes  thirty 
or  forty  feet  high  and  as  thick  as  they  could  grow. 

In  1847  I  went  to  New  Orleans  for  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs.  Recover- 
ing my  health,  I  returned  home,  and  have  lived  since  that  time,  thirty-five 
years,  enjoying  still  a  reasonable  degree  of  health  and  strength." 

JOHN  HOKE,  JACKSON. 

"The  settlers  in  1836  were,  west  of  Union  City,  Wayne  township, 
Thomas  Peyton,  Converse  place;  Jacob  Emerick,  William  Anderson's  farm; 
John  Emerick,  Weimar  farm;  north  of  Union  City;  John  Sheets,  Smith  farm; 
Eli  Noffsinger,  north  of  Smith's  farm,  on  Little  ^lississinewa:  near  New  Lis- 
bon; Amos  Smith,  west  of  New  Lisbon;  David  Vance,  William  Cox,  Isaiah 
Cox,  Thomas  Wiley,  at  New  Lisbon ;  Andrew  Debolt,  at  Mt.  Holly,  all  sons- 


KAKUOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  35 1 

in-law  of  Amos  Smith;  Jacob  Johnson,  west  of  Mt.  Holly,  1833;  Seth  Macy, 
one  and  a  half  miles  of  Johnson's  (west)  ;  James  Skinner,  one  mile  west  of 
New  Lisbon;  John  Skinner,  near  his  brother  James;  James  Reeves,  father  of 
the  Reeveses,  one-half  mile  north  of  Skinner's;  James  Wickersham,  one  mile 

south  of  New  Lisbon; Nickum,  where  Eli  Mangas  lives;  Thomas 

Devor,  one-half  mile  north  of  Allensville;  John  Thomson,  north  of  Devor's; 
Jacobs,  near  Allensville,  north  of  Afississinewa;  Simmons,  west,  on  Missis- 
sinewa ;  James  Porter,  south  of  New  Pittsburg ;  Philip  Storms  had  been  at 
Mississinewa  Crossing,  but  had  gone  away ;  James  Warren,  near  Middletown, 
one-half  mile  south;  John  \\'arren,  three  miles  west  of  Middletown;  William 
Warren  laid  out  ^Middletown. 

I  think  these  settlers  had  been  here  from  two  to  five  years. 

For  awhile  people  used  hand-mills  to  grind  corn-meal. 

Air.  Skinner  had  a  mill,  perhaps  the  first,  in  about  1840.  It  was  a  corn- 
cracker  and  stood  a  few  years. 

Mr.  Hinchy  had  a  saw-mill  and  a  corn-cracker  one-half  mile  east  of 
Allensville.  -  They  stood  a  long  time. 

Others,  perhaps,  had  mills  that  I  do  not  now  call  to  mind.  The  Allens- 
ville mill  was  the  first  important  and  extensive  mill  in  the  region,  and  it  is 
there  now. 

The  Indians  (Wyandots)  used  to  come  and  hunt  on  Gray's  Branch,  but 
they  had  mostly  stopped  coming  there  two  or  three  years  before  I  -came.  A 
few  came  afterward. 

The  first  settlers  did  little  but  hunt.  They  thought  the  country  would 
never  be  filled  up,  but  would  remain  a  superb  hunting-ground.  Settlers  began 
to  come  in  and  go  to  clearing  farms,  and  then  they  began,  too,  somewhat. 
Hunters  would  come  through  my  clearing  and  say :  'Are  you  going  to  clear 
out  a  farm?'  'Yes,  I  thought  I  would.'  'W^ell,  maybe  that's  the  best  way.' 
The  land  at  first  was  a  good  deal  wet;  half  of  it  stood  in  water  much  of  the 
time.     Clearing  and  draining  has  dried  it  out  pretty  well." 

THOMAS    HUBBARD,    GREEN. 

"I  entered  131  acres  and  bought,  second-hand,  158  acres.  I  now  own 
150  acres.  We  came  in  a  four-horse  wagon,  cutting  our  own  road  from 
White  River,  ten  or  twelve  miles,  taking  two  days. 

A  maH,  Neselrode,  had  a  cabin  and  we  took  the  cabin.  I  paid  for  my 
land  and  had  $50  left.     There  was  a  cabin  or  two  stuck  around  in  the  woods 


352  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

between  here  and  White  River.  We  came  the  road  to  Maxville,  thence  to 
Fairview.  I  did  but  Httle  hunting,  since  I  could  get  plenty  of  deer  hams  for 
37^  cents  a  pair.  I  had  to  take  a  sled  (I  had  a  good  team)  to  White  River 
for  corn,  staying  all  night  and  till  late  next  day.  I  bought  the  corn  and  got  it 
ground  on  White  River.  Corn  was  50  cents  a  bushel.  I  raised  the  first  wheat 
in  the  settlement.  I  got  a  man  to  put  in  three  acres  for  me,  and  when  I. came, 
in  October,  the  wheat  was  up  and  looked  nice.     The  crop  was  sixty  bushels. 

Flat-boats  and  pirogues  were  used  to  go  down  the  river  with  pork,  flour, 
apples,  etc.  One  spring  five  boats  went  down  loaded  with  charcoal.  The 
boats  were  'stove  in'  near  here,  and  the  coal  was  lost.  The  river  was  snaggy. 
One  broke  up  in  going  over  McKinney's  mill-dam ;  the  others  were  'stove  in' 
before  that.  Searl,  of  Deerfield,  owned  the  coal,  and  he  was  nearly  broken  up 
by  the  loss.    They  intended  to  take  the  coal  to  New  Orleans  (about  1840). 

We  bought  the  trees  for  our  orchard  of  Joab  Ward,  of  Ridgeville,  in 
1840.  There  were  120  budded  trees,  and  they  made  a  good  orchard.  We 
gave  $9  a  hundred,  and  we  brought  them  down  the  river  in  a  canoe. 

Mrs.  Hubbard  remembers  seeing  the  soldiers  at  Chillicothe,  guarding  the 
British  prisoners  in  the  war  of  1812.  Her  father  had  just  moved  from 
Pennsylvania,  and  he  was  poor,  and  her  mother  baked  biscuits  and  pies,  etc., 
for  the  soldiers,  sometimes  cooking  all  night  to  supply  their  wants. 

A  Methodist  quarterly  meeting  was  held  in  our  house  before  the  floor 
was  laid.  The  sleepers  were  used  as  seats.  Afterward  the  children  played 
holding  meetings,  singing,  praying,  preaching,  etc.,  going  through  the  whole 
exercise  in  quite  a  business-like  manner." 

MRS.   SHERMAN. 

"We  had  a  splendid  spring  in  a  'gum'  seven  feet  deep.  We  lived  on  the 
Sample  Trace,'  leading  from  Sample's  mill,  on  White  river,  to.Lewallyn's 
mill  on  the  Mississinewa.  And  our  spring  was  a  noted  point.  We  came 
February  20,  1837.  The  snow  had  been  deep.  The  waters  were  high,  and,  in 
crossing  White  River  we  lost  a  bunch  of  keys.  We  never  expected  to  see  our 
keys  again,  but  some  one  found  them, two  or  three  years  afterward,  and  they 
were  returned  to  us,  and  we  have  the  keys  yet.  My  husband  built  a  cabin  on 
his  land  before  we  moved  to  it,  and  we  lived  in  that  cabin  more  than  twenty 
years.  He  improved  his  own  land  somewhat,  but  he  worked  out  a  great  deal, 
mowing,  clearing,  etc.,  on  White  river,  in  the  older  settlements.  I  wove, 
braided  straw  hats,s  etc. 


1     XiMl-    SnllIi-1'  of    llll'    Wllili'   l;i\Hl\ 


A   Straifrlit  Stretch 
Ne.'ir    Ijiir-oln   Scliuol 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  353 

* 

New  Dayton  church  was  built  in  1877,  but  the  graveyard  has  been  there 
forty  years  or  more. 

The  Methodists  formed  a  society  soon  after  we  came,  and  meetings  have 
been  held,  in  dwellings,  etc.,  from  that  day  to  this. 

There  was  no  school  for  some  years  after  our  settlement  began.  The 
people  were  poor  and  'hard  run,'  and  lived  far  apart. 

William  Wright  taught  once,  and  so  did  George  McPherson. 

Asenath  Wright  taught  school  about  1840  in  a  little  old  cabin  on  Rees_e 
W^right's  farm,  that  had  been  a  dwelling. 

For  fifteen  years  no  teacher  in  this  neighborhood  could  go  beyond  the 
'Single  Rule'  in  'Old  Talbot,' 

George  McPherson  was  an  oddity  in  the  school  room.  He  would  call  'to 
books,'  sit  down  to  read  and  let  the  school  run  itself.  If  anybody  passed,  the 
children  would  pop  up  and  run  to  the  window  to  see,  and  so  on." 

[]\Irs.  Sherman  and  her  husband,  Pardon  Sherman,  died  in  the  winter 
of  1881-82,  within  a  few  weeks  of  one  another,  she  going  before  her  husband 
to  try  the  realities  of  the  unseen  Spirit  Land.] 

SILAS  DIXON,   WAYNE  TOWNSHIP. 

"David  Robison  and  Peter  Hoover  were  here  when  I  came ;  Ezekiel  and 
George  Gullett  came  when  I  did.  The  woods  were  alive  with  wolves  and 
bears  and  turkeys  and  deer.  We  once  killed  two  bears  before  breakfast. 
They  came  along  down  the  furrows  as  we  were  passing  back  and  forth.  The 
dogs  were  called  and  they  tried  to  catch  the  bears,  chasing  them  and  treeing 
them,  and  at  length  they  were  shot  and  killed. 

We  used  to  go  to  Moffat's  mill  near  Richmond.  I  entered  forty  acres 
of  land  and  bought  forty  more." 

[Mr.  Dixon  died  in  the  spring  of  1881.  ] 

ISRUM   H.   ENGLE. 

"I  followed  brick-making  in  Cincinnati,  also  wood-sawing.  I  was  un- 
fortunate and  lost  all  my  property  and  had  to  begin  anew.  I  sawed  wood  for 
several  years  in  Cincinnati.  One  day  I  sawed  and  handled  ten  cords,  sawing 
it  once  in  two,  and  tossing  it  into  a  cellar.  I  was  not  especially  tired,  and 
thought  nothing  particular  about  the  matter." 

[Note. — I.  H.  E.  is  the  best  wood-sawyer  and  saw-sharpener  I  ever  knew 
or  heard  of.] 
(23) 


354  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

"I  have  been  a  church  member  for  more  than  sixty-five  years,  and  an 
exhorter  and  class-leader  for  thirty-five  years.  The  religion  of  Christ  has 
been  a  well&pring  of  joy  to  my  sotil  all  that  long  time.  I  have  had  deep  trials, 
but  the  Lord  has  given  me  triumph  over  all!  I  have  taken  every  number  of 
the  Cincinnati  Christian  Advocate,  now  Vol.  XLVII,  No.  2,500,  and  before 
that  the  New  York  Advocate  for  several  years.  I  have  had  abundance,  and 
have  been  brought  low ;  but  my  treas^ire  is  in  Heaven,  and  my  heart  is  there 
also ;  and  soon,  full  soon,  I  shall  see  the  King  in  His  beauty,  and  He  will  give 
me  the  riches  of  the  glory-land !" 

[Mr.  Engle  has  moved  to  Jay  county  to  reside  with  one  of  his  sons,  and 
his  aged  wife  died  there  in  the  spring  of  1882.] 

PHILIP  BARGER. 

"The  county  was  all  woods.  A  few  settlers  were  scattered  here  and 
there,  but  they  had  only  cabins  with  small  clearings  that  hardly  made  a 
'break'  in  the  vast  wilderness. 

Settlers  when  Philip  Barger  came  here : 

Alexander  Garringer,  opposite  Fairview,  across  the  river;  Martin  Boots, 
opposite  I^'airview,  across  the  river. 

A  Mr.  Porter  had  lived  where  Fairview  is,  but  he  did  not  stay.  Daniel 
Culver  bought  him  out,  and  he  had  gone;  Culver  was  living  there  when 
Barger  came. 

Neselrode  lived  where  Hubbard  is  now :  Hubbard  bought  Neselrode  out 
in  1837,  and  lives  there  still. 

Alexander  Stevens  settled  in  the  east  part  of  Green  township  in  1830. 

John  Bone  lived  below  Fairview  (living  still). 

Anthony  (Wayne)  McKinney  came  in  1837. 

His  son,  J.  B.  McKinney,  lives  now  opposite  Fairview,  and  owns  1,400 
or  1,500  acres  of  land. 

Nathan  Godwin  came  in  1837.  His  son,  Thomas  Godwin,  lives  in  Fair- 
view. 

John  Garringer  was  here  in  1836,  where  Baldwin  now  lives. 

Martin  Smith  bought  Garringer  out  in  the  fall  of  1836. 

Bennett  King  lived  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  county.  He  is  father 
of  William  O.  King,  near  Deerfield.  Bennett  King  went  to  Missouri  and  is 
living  there. 

Elijah  Harbour  lived  west  of  Samuel  Caylor's,  fall  of  1835. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  355 

The  Browns  lived  across  the  river ;  Thomas  Brown  and  three  sons. 

Jonathan  Green  married  a  Brown. 

The  Browns  had  been  there  two  or  three  years  when  he  came.  They 
sold  out  to  Zebulon  Cantrell  in  1839  and  left  for  Iowa. 

Israel  Wirt  entered  land  south  of  the  Browns  about  1836,  and  moved 
fall  of  1837.    He  died  August,  1880,  eighty-four  years  old. 

Tunis  Brooks  lived  on  Brooks'  Prairie ;  had  been  there  two  or  three  year?. 

Samuel  Caylor,  1837. 

John  Life  came  spring  or  summer  of  1838. 

Fairview  was  begun  in  1837. 

Alexander  Garringer  had  a  store  across  the  river  (at  his  cabin). 

The  first  mail  route  was  from  Deerfield  to  Granville,  Delaware  county, 
once  in  two  weeks,  out  and  back,  on  horseback.  I  got  the  fifth  number  of  the 
Winchester  Patriot  [H.  H.  Neff],  and  have  taken  the  paper  from  that  office 
ever  since. 

The  first  mill  was  built  by  Anthony  McKinney  on  the  river  below  Fair- 
view,  where  Wolverton's  mill  now  stands. 

First  he  built  a  saw-mill,  then  he  added  a  corn-cracker,  then  a  grist-mill. 
He  was  putting  in  the  dam  in  1838.  He  started  the  saw-mill  in  1839,  the 
corn-mill  in  the  fall,  and  the  wheat-mill  in  1841  or  1842. 

The  first  smith-shop  was  by  Martin  Boots ;  he  had  a  shop  and  was  a  smith 
himself. 

Alexander  Garringer  had  a  smith  shop,  and  Perry  worked  for  him. 

First  school  was  winter  of  1837,  in  a  little  round  log  cabin  near  the 
bridge,  on  the  river  bank  at  Fairview. 

Horatio  Pace  was  the  teacher,  and  the  school  was  very  small. 

First  meeting  was  before  I  came,  perhaps  in  that  round  log  schoolhouse. 

First  meeting-house  was  a  log  house  in  Fairview  (about  1839),  Metho- 
dist Episcopal. 

About  1844  a  quarterly  meeting  was  held  at  Thomas  Hubbard's.  Their 
house  was  new  and  had  no  floor,  and  the  sleepers  were  for  seats.  Bruce  was 
the  preacher. 

Methodist  meetings  used  to  be  held  at  Nathan  Godwin's. 

New  Light  meetings  were  held  at  Martin  Smith's. 

Churches  were  afterward  built  at  Fairview. 

The  schoolhouse  now  standing  is  the  third,  log,  frame,  brick. 

The  first  brick  house  was  either  Samuel  Caylor's  or  William  Ore's. 

First  brick-kiln  was  by  Thomas  Hubbard;  30,000  or  40,000;  for  chim- 
neys, $3  per  thousand. 


356  Randolph  county,  Indiana. 

First  reapers,  J.  B.  McKinney  and  Philip  Barger.  Barger's  started  first. 
They  were  the  Kirby  reaper,  1855  o^"  ^^S^- 

First  threshing  machine  run  was  by  Philip  Stover,  of  Delaware  county — 
'falling  beater,'  'chafif  piler.'  He  threshed  first  for  old  Elijah  Harbour,  and 
then  for  Philip  Barger. 

First  justice  was  John  Garringer,  1838.  They  say  he  kept  his  docket  on 
slips  of  paper,  and  stuck  them  in  the  cracks  of  his  cabin.  Nobody  else  could 
read  them.    After  him  were  Jonathan  Green  and  then  Thomas  Harbour. 

First  grave  in  Fairview  graveyard  was  that  of  an  old  lady,  Mrs.  Shirley, 
mother-in-law  of  Reuben  Eppart.     Mr.  Godwin  laid  off  the  graveyard. 

Thomas  Rowell  was  buried  in  what  is  now  J.  B.  McKinney's  pasture  lot, 
but  the  exact  place  is  unknown.    It  was  before  1838. 

Elijah  Harbour,  though  a  clergyman  and  an  excellent  citizen,  was  also  a 
great  deer  hunter.  He  has  often  shot  them  from  his  own  cabin  door.  One 
night  three  wolves  chased  some  deer  round  his  house  through  the  snow,  mak- 
ing paths  in  the  snow  as  they  went  round  and  round. 

The  wolves  were  chased  away,  being  followed  down  the  river  to  Fair- 
view.  But  father  Harbour  would  never  molest  the  deer  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
the  deer  would  come  on  Sunday  and  graze  quietly  on  the  prairie  as  though 
they  knew  they  would  not  be  harmed  on  that  day. 

^Ir.  Harbour  was  famous  also  for  holding  meetings  for  worship  and- 
preaching,  and  many  a  Christian  soul  has  been  cheered  by  his  warm  and 
loving  words  and  his  fervent  exhortations  and  prayers,  and  many  a  sinner 
convicted  and  converted  through  the  blessing  of  the  Spirit  upon  his  earnest 
warnings  and  appeals. 

His  funeral  was  attended  by  a  very  large  concourse  of  people,  showing 
thus  their  respect  and  esteem  for  so  useful  a  citizen  and  so  loving  and  ardent 
a  Christian." 

AMOS  ORCUTT,   WARD. 

"Deerfield  was  a  small  town  with  two  little  stores  and  a  few  log  houses 

The  settlers  were  (1838)  Isaac  Cherry,  on  David  Harker's  place;  Sam- 
uel Bryson ;  George  Ritenour,  near  the  old  chapel  on  the  river,  west  of  Deer- 
field;  Burkett  Pierce,  across  the  river,  west  of  Deerfield. 

There  were  doubtless  others,  but  there  are  not  now  recollected.  I  was  a 
boy  thirteen  years  old  when  father  came  to  Randolph.  There  were  a  large 
family  of  us,  and  we  had  a  hard,  rough  time. 

Father  died  the  same  year  1  was  married,  and  mother  was  left  with  a 
family  of  seven  or  eight  children,  several  of  them  being  small  and  dependent. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  j57 

The  family  was  raised  successfully,  however.  All  but  one  lived  to  be.  mar- 
ried, and  all  but  two  are  living  still.  Some  of  them  are  getting  to  be  pretty 
well  along  in  years.'' 

JACOB  CORL,  JACKSON. 

"Settlers  in  1838:  Daniel  B.  Miller,  near  Prospect;  Abraham  Harsh- 
man,  near  ^^''illiam  Warren's;  Reuben  Harshman,  Jackson  township,  now 
Union  Ctiy;  Jacob  Harshman,  Jackson  township,  dead;  Andrew  Key,  Ward 
township,  dead;  James  Porter,  Jackson  township,  near  Pittsburg;  William 
Simmons,  dead;  James  Simmons,  dead;  Joseph  Lollar,  near  Saratoga,  dead; 
Simeon  Lucas,  near  Saratoga ;  Joseph  Lucas,  near  Saratoga ;  Sam  Emery  near 
Jay  county,  very  old,  dead;  George  Chaneyvelt,  one  mile  west  of  Pittsburg, 
dead;  William  Sizemore,  near  Middletown,  nearly  one  hundred  years  old, 
dead. 

There  was  an  old  settler,  Mr.  Nunamaker,  at  Pittsburg,  eighty-four 
years  old.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812  and  has  received  a  pension 
for  many  years.     He  died  in  1880." 

JAME.S  KELLY,   GREENSFORK. 

"i  came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1842,  twenty-eight  years  after 
the  first  settlement.  Prices  then  were  almost  nothing.  Wheat  was  25  cents 
in  trade,  32  cents  in  Cincinnati.  It  had  to  be  hauled  in  wagons  through  the 
mud — though  there  were  some  pikes  in  Ohio. 

Men  would  go  with  four-horse  teams,  hitch  their  horses  before  and  be- 
hind the  wagon  to  feed  them  and  sleep  in  the  wagon.  I  was  offered  pork 
(hogs  weighing  200  pounds  net)  at  75  cents  per  100  pounds,  for  money  to 
pay  taxes  and  I  did  not  take  it.  Myself  and  wife  went  over  to  the  Miami, 
helped  butcher  thirty-seven  large  hogs,  cut  the  meat,  chopped  the  sausage, 
stuffed  them,  rendered  the  lard  and  salted  the  pork.  They  gave  us  half  a 
barrel  of  stuffed  sausages,  one  large  ham,  one  keg  of  lard,  ribs,  back-bones, 
etc.,  all  we  chose  to  carry  home.  We  brought  away  meat  enough  to  last  till 
the  next  fall,  all  for  two  days'  work  of  my  wife  and  myself. 

William  Hill,  father  of  Aaron  Hill  (now  living  south  of  Arba),  made  a 
pestle-mill  to  pound  hominy.  He  fenced  it  and  ran  it  by  horse-power,  getting 
some  custom.  Another  man  having  a  corn-cracker,  also  made  a  pestle-mill 
but  did  not  fence  it.  He  would  let  the  mill  run  itself.  In  pounding,  some 
kernels  would  scatter  out  and  sheep  would  come  and  pick  it  up.  One  day 
when  the  mill  was  'going  it  all  alone,'  a  flock  of  sheep  came  picking  around 


358  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

till  a  big  buck,  smelling  at  the  log,  climbed  up  and  stuck  his  head  into  the  mill- 
hole.  'Crack!'  came  the  pestle  and  knocked  the  buck  dead.  The  sheep 
climbed  up,  one  by  one,  till  twenty-seven  sheep  lay  dead  around  the  mill  and 
the  owner  of  the  mill  (and  this  was  the  pith  of  the  joke)  had  to  pay  for  the 
sheep. 

Note. — I  have  given  you  the  story  as  it  was  told.  If  any  body  doubts 
the  tale  I  cannot  help  it. 

Aaron  Hill's  father  used  to  work  oxen  and  sometimes  ride  them.  One 
day  Aaron  rode  an  ox  over  to  Eli  Overman's  on  an  errand.  (One  version 
says  he  went  courting.)  Said  Eli,  'Did  thee  ride?'  'Yes,'  said  Aaron.  Said 
Eli  to  one  of  the  boys,-  'Put  up  Aaron's  beast.'  The  boy  went  out  but  came 
back,  saying,  'I  can't  find  any  beast.'  'I  thought  thee  said  thee  rode.'  'I  did; 
I  rode  an  ox,'  piped  out  the  bashful  boy.  'Go  turn  it  to  the  straw-stack,'  said 
Eli. 

[Aaron  says  the  stories  on  him  are  'bogus.'] 

James  Clark  was  once  driving  to  Whitewater  when  a  big  walnut  struck 
him  on  the  back.  He  was  fire-mad  in  a  second,  thinking  somebody  had  struck 
him.     He  wheeled,  crying  out,  'Who  did  tjiat?'     But  'nary  man.' 

A  man — Mr.  Cartwright — coming  from  North  Carolina,  had  heard  of 
white  walnuts  and  that  they  were  good  to  eat.  He  set  upon  a  lot  of  buckeyes 
and  went  to  eating  them.     Some  one  asked  him : 

'What  are  you  eating?' 

'White  walnuts. 

'Like  them  ?' 

'Not  overly  well,  but  think  I  will  after  awhile.' 

A  young  fellow  whom  I  will  not  name,  once  went  went  to  Fort  Wayne 
with  his  brother  and  brother-in-law  with  provisions  for  the  Indian  trade. 
The  roads  were  terrible  through  the  bogs  and  the  marshes.  The  young  fellow 
— only  a  lad,  as  it  were,  and  a  mild,  gentle  lad  at  that — could  not  get  his  oxen 
through  the  swamps. 

His  brother-in-law,  a  wild,  rough,  profane  fellow,  would  come  and  whip 
and  swear  and  thrash  them  through. 

Finally  at  a  bad  crossing  the  wild  fellow  told  the  boy  he  would  not  swear 
for  him  any  more;  that  he  must  get  through  himself.  The  lad  tried,  but 
'no  go.' 

'You  must  swear  at  them.' 

'I  don't  know  how ;  besides,  I  don't  wish  to.' 

'You  must  or  stay  here  in  the  swamp,'  was  the  unfeeling  reply. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  359 

The  boy,  grown  desperate,  seized  his  gad,  swung  it  over  the  oxen's  head, 
and  laying  on  with  fearful  blows,  broke  out  into  a  sort  of  half  swearing,  yell- 
ing as  if  the  Indians  were  after  him.  The  oxen  went  through,  whether  by 
the  whipping  or  the  yelling  or  the  swearing.  But  the  lad  was  so  mortified 
that  he  offered  the  other  all  his  truck  money  ($3.00  or  so),  if  he  would  not 
tell  of  it.  The  fellow  took  the  money  and  made  the  promise  but  broke  his 
word  and  told  of  it  before  he  got  to  Spartanburg  and  kept  the  money  to  boot." 

[Of  course  these  tales,  related  by  Mr.  Kelly  were  obtained  by  him  from 
early  settlers  since  he  himself  came  to  the  region  at  a  comparatively  late  date, 
and  it  is  no  more  than  likeh'  that  they  should  have  been  stretched  somewhat  in 
the  various  tellings  to  which  they  had  in  the  course  of  years  been  subjected.] 

J.  PAXSON,  UNION   CITY. 

■'At  Canal  Dover,  Ohio,  a  merchant  proposed  that  I  be  his  clerk.  I  was 
surprised  at  the  offer  but  'took  up'  with  it  and  held  it  till  he  sold  out  (two 
and  a  half  years).  At  Union  City  I  was  putting  up  a  store  for  Benjamin 
Hawkins.  He  bought  goods  at  Cincinnati  and  came  and  put  the  bills  into  my 
hands,  saying,  'When  the  goods  come,  I  wish  you  to  "open  them  out"  and  go 
to  selling  them.'  I  was  astonished,  for  I  was  at  the  first  of  it,  but  I  took  him 
at  his  word  and  when  the  goods  were  'hauled'  from  Greenville  (for  the  rail- 
road was  not  in  running  order  yet),  I  went  to  work.  Afterward  we  agreed 
for  my  wages  and  I  stayed  with  him  for  some  years.  But  he  left  and  I  con- 
cluded to  set  up  for  myself.  I  chose  the  boot  and  shoe  trade.  I  went  to 
Cleveland  and  bargained  for  $800  or  $900  worth ;  I  could  pay  only  part  cash. 
Said  the  dealer,  'That  is  a  pretty  large  bill' ;  'yes,  but  I  need  them.  If  you 
prefer,  I  will  let  you  take  a  note  I  have  for  a  farm  I  sold  ($550.00).'  'Well, 
leave  it.'  I  did  so;  soon  sold  out,  so  as  to  need  a  new  supply,  sent  cash  in  part 
payment  of  the  debt  and  for  the  new  stock  and  soon,  when  that  note  came 
due,  he  sent  it  to  me  to  collect,  which  I  did,  and  paid  him.  From  that  time 
I  could  always  get  whatever  I  wished.  My  store  was  the  first  of  the  kind 
in  the  city,  and,  of  course,  it  is  the  oldest  in  the  town.  I  carry  now  $10,000 
to  $12,000  worth  of  goods,  making  large  sales  annually  and  have  been  mostly 
without  a  partner." 

Note. — His  failing  health  and  feeble  strength  made  him  take  in  a  partner 
a  few  years  ago  and  finally  to  sell  out  entirely  in  1880,  the  firm  being  now 
Gordon  &  McKee,  and  still  later  Gordon  &  Thom.as. 


360  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

WILLIAM  STANTON,  STONEY  CREEK. 

"We  passed  through  Gumberland  Gap;  they  hailed  us,  but  allowed  us  to 
pass.  At  Cumberland  Ford  we  encountered  Zollicoffer's  army.  We  asked 
to  pass  their  lines.  ZoUicoffer  said,  'No;  you  may  get  through,  perhaps,  but 
not  here.'  I  said,  'We  will  not  harm  you;  we  have  property  north  and  we 
wish  to  go  to  it.'  But  still  he  said,  'No.'  So  we  turned  back  through  the 
Gap  into  Powell  Valley,  taking  a  circuit  of  thirty-five  miles.  We  crossed 
Cumberland  Mountains  by  terrible  roads.  It  was  a  whole  day's  travel  over  a 
track  but  little  used.  But  we  met  no  army  nor  any  soldiers.  There  were 
eight  wagons  in  company ;  four  stopped  in  Tennessee,  turning  aside  to  a  settle- 
ment of  Friends  there.  These  stayed  in  Tennessee  till  spring.  The  other 
four  wagons  came  directly  forward  through  Kentucky. 

We  crossed  the  Ohio  river  at  Madison.  People  welcomed  us  in  a  very 
friendly  manner,  one  old  blind  man  remarkably  so.  The  people  wished  to 
make  a  dinner  for  us  but  we  could  not  stop.  We  stayed  an  hour  or  two  and 
when  we  started  we  found  in  each  wagon  nice  things — pies,  caKes,  etc.,  as 
tokens  of  good  will.  There  were  about  twenty  persons  in  the  company,  my 
family  having  seven  in  number.  We  came  through  Rush  county,  Indiana, 
to  see  relatives  there,  then  to  West  River,  where  we  stayed  two  months  at 
Absalom  Dennis.'  Afterward  we  came  to  Mark  Diggs',  arriving  there  in 
January.  The  main  trip  took  us  seven  weeks.  We  got  through  safe  and 
sound,  thankful  to  find  at  last  a  quiet  haven  afar  from  storm  and  tempest, 
and  a  peaceful  home  among  friends  in  a  land  of  safety." 

"Away  from  slavery."  That  refrain  has  been  sung  for  three-quarters 
of  a  century  and  solemnly,  mournfully  marching  to  its  steady  chorus  has  been 
the  ceaseless  movement  of  the  endless  column,  leaving  the  southern  plains  and 
valleys,  crossing  the  mountain  heights  and  threading  the  yawning  "gaps," 
crossing  the  beautiful  river  and  spreading  itself  at  length  like  a  fertilizing 
flood  over  the  virgin  Western  plains.  What  wonder  that,  under  the  weakening 
power  of  this  depletive  process  the  Southern  land  should  become  enfeebled 
and  decrepit,  as  though  worn  out  with  deadly  infirmity.  This  avalanche  of 
human  beings  poured  in  a  limitless  flow  upon  these  wide-spread  plains  has 
been  like  the  vital  current  giving  life  to  the  new  created  body  politic.  And 
what  we  have  gained  they  have  lost,  and  what  a  loss !  Why  may  the  process 
now  not  be  reversed — that  as  the  mighty  virgin  West  once  received  her  life 
and  strength  through  the  emigration  thither  of  the  best  and  worthiest  of  the 
dwellers  in  the  Southern  clime,  so  now  the  West  may,  now  and  in  future  years, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  361 

give  back  to  the  depleted  and  enfeebel  South,  depleted  by  a  process  of  im- 
poverishment extending  through  several  generations  and  enfeebled  and  well- 
nigh  exhausted  by  a  long  and  bloody  and  disastrous  war — by  hundreds  and 
by  thousands — the  worthy  and  vigorous  descendants  of  the  sturdy  pioneers 
who  fled  years  ago  from  the  plague  and  curse  of  the  Southern  land — the 
institution  of  human  slavery?  Slavery  is  gone  and  the  emptied  and  im- 
poverished South-land  cries  out  to  the  wealthy  and  populous"  North  and  the 
hardy  and  vigorous  West  to  send  from  their  abundant  and  overflowing 
population  to  restore  her  waste  and  desolte  places  and  to  renew  the  prosperity 
of  the  elder,  ancient  time. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


PUBLIC    ROADS. 


When  the  first  white  settlers  entered  the  boundaries  of  what  is  now 
Randolph  county,  there  were  no  roads,  not  even  trails,  except  one  or  two  made 
by  the  Indians  in  their  travels  from  one  village  to  another.  The  principal 
Indian  village  in  eastern  Indiana  was  at  "Mont-See-Town,"  where  the  city 
of  Muncie  now  stands.  Another  was  near  Camden,  Jay  county,  and  the 
third  colony  was  in  or  near  Greenville,  Ohio.  The  trails  that  crossed  the 
county  led  from  Mont-See-Town  to  Greenville  and  from  Greenville  to  God- 
froy's,  near  Camden.  The  Mont-see-town — Greenville  trail  was  traveled 
more  than  the  other,  because  the  Delaware  Indians  of  Mont-See-Town  and 
Strawtown  (now  Anderson)  went  to  Greenville  to  receive  the  bounty  which 
the  government  paid  them  after  the  Treaty  of  Peace  in  1795  at  that  place. 
This  trail  crossed  the  county  somewhere  near  Windsor,  Huntsville,  Spring- 
borough  and  South  Bartonia.  This,  of  course,  is  only  approximate,  as  no 
definite  records  of  this  trail  have  been  left  by  either  record  or  tradition. 
Jesse  Way,  one  of  our  earliest  settlers,  claimed  that  Springborough  was 
south  of  the  trail.  Jere  Smith  claimed  that  the  trail  passed  near  Spring- 
borough.  Each  of  these  men  were  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  early  times,  so 
we  see  that  a  definite  location  of  this  trail  is  impossible.  Relative  to  this 
subject.  Tucker  says:  "On  the  third  road  (Winchester  to  Bloomingsport)  is 
a  point  of  some  interest,  Joseph  Gass."  Mr.  Smith  says :  "His  house  stood 
on  the  north  side  of  a  brushy  prairie  in  Section  29,  Town  19,  Range  14,  some 
three  miles  north  of  Bloomingsport.  He  built  there  in  early  days  on  teh  main 
Indian  trail  between  Muncie  (an  Indian  town  at  that  time)  to  Greenville, 
where  the  Indian  annuities  were  paid  from  Wayne's  treaty  in  1795  to  1815  or 
181 6,  at  which  time  the  place  of  payment  was  changed  from  Greenville  to 
Fort  Wayne.  The  Indians  traveled  from  Muncie  (which  they  called  Mont- 
see-town)  up  White  river  on  the  south  side  till  they  crossed  Prairie  creek  at 
its  mouth.  They  then  took  a  'bee  line'  for  Greenville,  which  none  but  an 
Indian  can  do.  The  trail  passed  north  of  Huntsville  and  Spartanburg,  and 
was  about  as  straight  as  a  surveyor  could  have  made  it.  The  trace  was  quite 
a  plain  one  and  was  much  traveled  even  by  whites  in  those  days. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  363 

"Joseph  Gass  was  a  brother  of  the  Gass  who  went  with  Lewis  and  Clarke 
across  the  continent  to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  river  (1805-07),  and  who 
published  a  journal  which  he  kept  on  that  expedition.  Joseph  Gass  built  and 
settled  on  that  trace  at  that  point  when  there  was  no  white  settler  from  six 
miles  west  of  Greenville  to  'JMont-see-town,'  and  he  lodged  travelers  who 
passed  on  that  trace,  and  hence  his  house  was  a  noted  place  to  mention  on 
the  route  of  that  road.  Mr.  Smith  says  he  had  often  seen  him  and  the  house 
he  built  there. 

"The  town  of  Springboro  was  afterward  laid  out  February  15,  1834,  at 
the  point  where  J  oseph  Gass  lived,  but  the  towii  was  not  a  success,  and  it  is 
now  extinct. 

"j\lr.  Gass  probably  settled  there  before  he  entered  his  land.  He  was 
there  when  the  'Way  Company'  came  through  from  Carolina  to  White  River, 
March,  1817.  But  the  date  of  his  land  entry  is  August  11,  1817.  How  mucii 
earlier  than  March,  181 7,  Air.  Gass  settled  at  that  place  we  are  not  able  to 
state.  He  seems  to  have  been  one  of  that  enterprising  class  cjuite  common  in 
those  days,  whose  activity  took  the  form  of  trading  with  the  Indians,  which, 
perhaps,  might  have  been  well  enough  except  that  it  often  included  the  prac- 
tice of  selling  strong  drink  to  the  poor  redmen.  That  business,  whether 
among  white  men  or  Indians,  however  lucrative  it  may  be  to  the  trader, 
brings  evil  and  only  evil  to  him  who  uses  the  fearful  fluid.  And  as  now,  so 
of  old,  the  traffic  in  strong  drinks  was  one  great  source  of  trouble  between 
the  settlers  and  the  savages.  A  sober  Indian  was  commonly  peaceable  but  a 
drunken  savage  was  an  object  of  fear  and  dread. 

"However,  in  those  days,  the  manufacture  of  intoxicating  liquors  and 
the  traffic  in  them  was  not  regarded  as  otherwise  than  proper  and  honorable." 
The  otiier  trail  crossed  the  county  through  Jackson  and  Ward  townships, 
but,  like  the  other,  left  no  impression  upon  the  minds  of  the  early  settlers 
sufficiently  to  identify." 

The  early  roads  were  nothing  more  than  trails,  traveled  almost  exclu- 
sively by  men  afoot  or  on  horseback,  and  marked  by  blazes  made  upon  the 
trees  by  scouting  parties.  Naturally,  these  parties  would  follow  the  lines  of 
least  resistance,  traveling  the  hign  ground,  thus  avoiding  swamps  and  cross- 
ing the  streams  at  the  easiest  fords,  which  oftentimes  necessitated  irregular 
paths  to  get  to  these  fords.  These  trails  naturally  led  from  one  settlement  to 
another,  which  would  make  them  run  in  all  directions,  as  no  attention  what- 
ever was  paid  to  section  lines,  or  would  lead  from  some  community  to  a  mill 
or  to  a  church. 


364  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

One  of  the  first,  and  perhaps  the  first  regular  trail  through  the  county, 
was  what  is  known  as  "The  Quaker  Trace."  This  was  a  direct  route  from 
Richmond  to  J^ort  Wayne,  and  being  the  first  established  trail  through  the 
county,  gained  a  reputation  that  made  it  the  county's  first  thoroughfare.  Of 
this  trace.  Squire  Bowen  sa3\s : 

"The  'Quaker  Trace'  was  begun  in  1817.  James  Clark  and  twenty-five 
or  thirty  others  took  three  wagons  with  provisions  and  a  surveyor  with  his 
compass  and  chain  and  measured  distances  and  blazed  trees  and  marked  mile 
trees,  cutting  out  the  road  wide  enough  for  a  wagon  to  pass.  They  wound 
around  ponds  and  big  logs  and  trees,  and  quagmires,  forded  the  Mississi- 
newa  and  the  Wabash,  and  so  on  to  Fort  Wayne.  James  Bowen  went  as  one 
of  the  company  twenty-five  miles  to  beyond  the  Mississinewa  crossing,  till 
one  wagon  load  had  been  used  up.  That  team  returned,  and  James  came 
back  with  them.  The  route  passed  through  Arba,  Spartanburg,  Bartonia, 
South  Salem  (west  of)  Union  City,  through  Mount  Holly,  through  Allens- 
ville,  crossing  the  Mississinewa  just  north  of  that  place,  through  North 
Salem,  and  crossing  the  Wabash  at  Jay  City,  Jay  county,  near  Corydon. 
There  was  but  one  house  between  (what  is  now)  Dan  Comer's,  one  mile  north 
of  Spartanburg  and  Fort  Wayne,  viz.,  at  Thompson's  Prairie,  eight  miles 
north  of  the  Wabash." 

This  is  said  to  be  the  only  thoroughfare  of  any  consequence  whatever  in 
the  counvy  up  until  May,  1819.  Of  course,  many  paths  led  from  one  settler's 
home  to  another,  but  these  were  simply  private  paths  and  no  more. 

At  an  early  meeting  of  the  county  commissioners  in  1819,  perhaps  in 
March,  ('not  definitely  known,  because  no  date  appears  in  the  record,)  the 
county  commissioners  made  the  following  record :  "Jesse  Johnson  presented 
the  petition  of  himself  and  Sundry  Inhabitants  of  the  south  end  of  Randolph 
County  Praying  that  a  Public  Road  may  be  laid  off  -Begining  at  the  town 
of  Winchester,  thence  Nearest  and  Best  way  to  go  Between  Jesse  Johnson 
an  Paul  Beard,  thence  Nearest  and  Best  Way  to  the  County  line  at  the  south- 
west Corner  of  Section  14  in  Township  18  and  Range  14.  Ordered  that 
Francis  Frazer,  James  Wright  and  William  Plockett  are  appointed  to  lay  off 
and  Mark  .Said  Road  and  make  Return  of  their  Proceedings  to  the  Board  of 
Commissioners  at  their  next  session  to  be  held  for  said  County."  It  is  cer- 
tainly to  be  hoped  that  Jesse  and  Paul  stood  still  the  day  the  viewers  were 
there  to  go  between  them.  The  viewers  performed  their  duty  and  reported 
at  the  May  term,  of  1819,  to  the  county  commissioners,  as  they  make  the  fol- 
lowing report :    "Received  the  Report  of  Francis  Frazier  and  William  Hock- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  365 

ett,  who  were  appointed  to  Lay  off  and  mark  a  Publick  Road  from  the  town 
of  Winchester  to  Between  Jesse  Johnsons  &  Paul  Beards,  etc."  This  road 
followed  in  a  general  way  the  present  Lynn  pike,  but,  of  course,  was  crooked, 
angling  and  "zigzaggy."  But  with  all  the  latitude  offered  for  judgment  and 
discretion,  the  viewers  failed  to  satisfy  all  those  interested,  as  is  shown  by  the 
record  of  the  same  date,  as  follows :  "and  on  the  Remonstrance  of  Albert 
Banta  Stating  that  the  Way  the  said  Road  is  laid  off  and  Marked  through  his 
land  will  be  Injurious  to  him.  Ordered  that  John  Balanger,  John  William 
Haworth,  Joshua  Cox  and  Henry  Hill  are  appointed  to  Review  Said  Road 
through  the  land  of  Albert  Banta  and  assess  the  damages  if  Any  that  may  be 
due  to  said  Banta  and  the  said  Viewers  are  to  meet  for  that  Purpose  on  the 
last  Saturday  in  June  Next  at  the  house  of  said  Banta  and  make  Report  of 
their  Proceedings  to  the  Board  of  Commissioners  at  their  August  term 
Xext."  The  viewers  completed  the  work  assigned  them,  and  evidently  did 
not  agree  with  Banta  concerning  the  damages,  for  in  the  August  term  we  find 
the  following  entry;  "Reed  the  Report  of  John  Way,  Joshua  Cox  and 
Henry  Hill,  who  were  appointed  to  Review  that  Publick  Road  laid  off 
through  Albert  Bantas  Land  and  assess  the  Damages,  &c..  Who  Report  that 
there  is  no  damages  Sustained  By  the  said  Banta."  The  road  was  estab- 
lished and  the  commissioners  "Ordered  that  Paul  Baird  be  supervisor  of  the 
Road  laid  off  By  Francis  Frazer  and  William  Hockett  Through  Greensfork 
Township."  (Greensfork  township  at  that  time  extended  two  miles  west  of 
^vhere  Lynn  now  is).  This  road,  of  course,  was  no  exception  and  wound  in 
and  arfjund  hills  where  the  path  could  easiest  be  made.  It  had  not  been  used 
a  great  while  until  changes  and  alterations  were  a.sked  for.  But  even  these 
changes  and  alterations  were  very  indefinite,  but.  no  doubt,  were  made  to  suit 
the  needs  of  the  time.  Just  how  indefinite  they  were  is  shown  by  the  follow- 
ing report  of  the  May  term  of  1834:  'In  obedience  to  an  order  to  us  di- 
rected; from  the  commissioners  Court,  March  term,  1834.  to  view  and  mark 
out  an  alteration  in  the  Fort  Wayne  road,  commencing  where  the  said  road 
crosses  the  south  line  of  Richard  Corbit;  thence  nearly  north  a  Strait  direc- 
teon  in  a  few  rods  of  his  fince,  thence  east  18  or  20  rods  to  the  old  road 
through  the  lane  to  the  north  end  of  Sd  lane,  thence  a  Strait  course  to  the 
prairee  branch  about  2  or  3  rods  west  of  where  the  old  road  crosses  Sd 
Branch,  thence  a  Strait  course  &  nearly  north  a  few  rods  north  a  Malachi 
Nichols  house,  thence  East  18  or  20  rods  to  the  old  road,  intersecting  said 
road  where  the  said  Nichols  line  crosses  Sd.  road,  and  we  the  commission- 
ers after  viewing  the  above  named  ground,  believe  the  ground  better  than 


366  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

the  ground  where  the  old  road  now  goes  also  we  think  it  will  be  as  conven- 
ient for  the  public,  and  as  to  the  distance  there  will  be  but  little  if  any  dif- 
ference, this  2nd  May,  1834.  (Signed)  Isaac  Wood,  Jeremiah  Horn,  Will- 
iam Hill.  And  ordered  that  said  road  be  opened  a  necessary  width  not  ex- 
ceeding 40  feet  and  made  in  all  other  respects  convenient  for  the  passage 
of  travellers."  It  was  straightened  south  of  Lynn  in  1849  and  from  Lynn, 
north.  The  last  change  was  made  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Zimri  Hin- 
shaw  in  1847.  Evidences  of  the  old  road  still  exist  on  Mr.  Hinshaw's  farm, 
as  the  old  house  and  barn  on  the  south  side  of  this  farm  were  built  parallel 
to  the  old  road  and  are  still  standing  in  that  position. 

It  will  be  noticed  not  only  in  the  records  of  Randolph  county,  but  in  the 
state  records  as  well,  as  we  shall  show  later,  that  Winchester  was  the  starting 
point  for  many  roads.  Settlers  were  entering  the  county  very  rapidly,  which 
necessitated  many  new  roads  being  formed.  Great  activity  in  that  line  is 
shown,  as  no  less  than  three  roads  which  eventually  became  real  thorough- 
fares, were  petitioned  for  in  the  August  term,  1819.  It  will  be  noticed  that 
upon  the  receipt  of  a  petition,  the  commissioners  appoint  viewers  to  "lay  off 
and  mark  said  road  and  fix  the  time  of  their  report  to  the  commissioners." 
The  second,  third  and  fourth  roads  petitioned  for,  together  with  the  disposi- 
tion made  of  such  petitions,  will  illustrate  the  usual  form  of  such  petitions 
and  methods  of  their  disposal.  "Reed  the  Petition  of  sundry  Inhabitants  of 
Randolph  Praying  a  Publick  Road  may  be  laid  off  leading  from  the  town  of 
Winchester  of  said  County  Directly  West  as  near  the  Middle  of  Section 
19-24-23,  &c.  as  suitable  Ground  Can  be  an  to  the  Indiana  Boundary  with 
an  offset  of  28  rod  North  a  few  rod  West  of  Henry  H.  Ways  Dividing  hedge, 
thence  west  on  the  line  between  said  Ways  and  John  Samples  to  the  Boundry. 
Ordered  that  Judge  John  Wright,  John  Wright  Senr,  and  Henry  H.  Way 
Lay  off  and  Mark  Said  Road  and  Report  to  the  Board  of  Commissioners  at 
November  term,  1819.  Reed  the  Petition  of  sundry  Inhabitants  of  Ran- 
dolph County  praying  that  a  Publick  Road  may  be  laid  off  from  the  town 
of  Winchester  in  said  County  the  nearest  and  Best  Way  to  go  west  of  Joseph 
Guess  and  East  of  Jonathan  Hoskins  and  on  the  West  side  of  William 
Hocketts  farm  and  on  the  best  and  suitabest  Direction  to  the  County  line  of 
Wayne  one  mile  East  of  the  thirteenth  Range  line.  Ordered  that  Joseph 
PTockett,  Jonathan  Edwards  and  Nathaniel  Kase  lay  off  and  Mark  said 
Road  and  Report  to  the  Commissioners  at  November  term  18 19.  Reced  the 
Petition  of  simdry  Inhabitants  of  Randolph  County  Greensfork  Township 
Praying  that  the  Road  Known  by  the  name  of  the  Lawrenceburg  Road  may 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  367 

be  Continued  from  the  house  of  Ephraim  Overman  to  the  house  of  WiUiam 
Yates  and  that  Overseers  may  be  appointed  to  lay  off  and  mark  said  Road. 
Ordered  that  Ephraim  Overman,  Junr.  and  David  Boivel,  sen.  lay  off  and 
mark  said  Road  and  Report  to  the  Commissioners  at  November  term  1819." 
The  second  road  is  what  is  known  now  as  the  Windsor  pike  from  Winches- 
ter to  a  point  north  of  the  Lincoln  school.  The  third  road  is  what  is  known 
as  the  Bloomingsport  pike,  and  the  fourth  road  is  the  road  north  through 
Arba,  as  Ephraim  Overman  lived  near  Arba  and  William  Yates  lived  north- 
west of  Spartanburg  on  the  north  half  of  section  9,  township  16,  range  i. 

In  November,  1819,  the  southwest  part  of  the  county  began  to  petition 
for  roads  as  follows :  "Reed  the  Petition  of  Sundry  Inhabitants  of  Greens- 
fork  Township  Praying  that  a  Public  (Road)  may  be  laid  off  Beginning  at  the 
line  of  Wayne  County  where  the  Jacksonburg  Road  Intersects  the  same, 
thence  by  Way  of  William  Smiths  the  nearest  and  best  Way  to  the  town  of 
Winchester.  William  Blunt,  William  Smith  and  Paul  W.  Way  are  appointed 
to  lay  off  and  mark  said  Road  according  to  Law."  These  roads  and  others 
later  petitioned  for,  connected  with  the  Jacksonburg  road,  so  named  because 
it  lead  to  Jacksonburg,  a  small  town  in  Wayne  county.  White  River  town- 
ship was  not  organized  until  after  these  roads  had  been  petitioned  for,  hence 
Greens  fork  township  is  the  name  used  in  these  petitions.  West  River  town- 
ship was.  petitioned  for  during  the  same  session  of  the  commissioners  that 
the  fifth  and  sixth  roads  were  petitioned  for. 

The  sixth  road  was  an  irregular  affair,  which  proved  to  be  very  unsatis- 
factory and  was  vacated  in  1833,  when  a  change  was  made  in  the  Winchester 
and  New  Castle  road.  The  seventh  road,  petitioned  for  in  February,  1820, 
is  what  is  known  as  the  "Pocket  Road,"  and  was  "laid  off  begining  where 
the  road  from  the  town  of  Winchester  to  Jesse  Johnsons  8z:c  Crosses  the 
Congressional  Township  line  between  Township  Nineteen  and  twenty,  thence 
the  neareist  and  Best  Way  that  a  Road  Conveintly  Can  be  made  to  the  state 
line  Where  the  Road  from  Greenville  Intersects  the  same."  The  eighth  road, 
petitioned  for  in  February,  1820,  went  in  a  northeasterly  direction,  as  is 
shown  by  the  petitioned  record,  as  follows :  "Reed  the  Petition  of  sundry 
Inhabitants  of  Randolph  praying  that  a  Road  may  be  laid  off  from  the  town 
of  Winchester  and  to  Run  thence  to  James  Masseys  and  to  intersect  near  fort 
recovery  With  the  St.  maries  Road  the  nearest  and  best  Way.  Ordered  that 
Richard  Beason,  James  Wright  and  James  Massey  Lay  off  and  Mark  said 
Road  and  Report  to  May  term,  1820."  James  Massey  lived  in  what  is  now 
Ward  township,  W.  S.  W.  11,  21,  14.     This  road  was  afterward  abandoned. 


368  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  ninth  road  was  petitioned  for  in  May,  1820,  and  was  to  run  from  Sam- 
ple's mill,  located  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  22,  township  20,  range 
13,  south  to  Huntsville.  The  tenth  road  was  petitioned  for  in  May,  1820, 
and  was  to  run  from  Winchester  to  John  Foster's.  Mr.  Foster  lived  on  the 
Griffis  farm,  on  section  25,  township  17.  range  i,  Wayne  township.  This 
land  was  entered  in  181 7  by  Mr.  Chenoweth.  About  this  time  the  state  had 
begun  a  policy  of  constructing  thoroug^hfares  throughout  the  entire  state. 
Canals  were  built  in  many  parts  of  the  state,  but  none  touched  Randolph 
county.  This  part  of  the  state  was  provided  for  in  two  ways;  by  the  open- 
ing and  building  of  public  highways  and  by  the  maintaining  of  open  water- 
ways. The  first  road  provided  for  by  state  legislation  was  what  is  now 
known  as  the  Bloomingsport  pike.  This  road  was  provided  for  on  the  22d 
of  January,  1820,  and  was  to  run  from  Lawrenceburg,  on  the  Ohio,  to 
Brookville,  Franklin  county,  Connersville,  Fayette  county,  Waterloo,  Wayne 
county,  Centerville,  AVayne  cotmty,  to  Winchester.  Three  commissioners, 
of  whom  John  AVright,  of  Randolph  county,  was  one,  were  appointed  to  over- 
see the  construction  of  the  road.  It  was  to  be  built  by  the  nearest  and  best 
way  and  not  to  be  over  seventy  feet  wide.  The  extreme  width  allowed  for 
was  the  importance  that  the  state  attached  to  this  road  as  a  thoroughfare. 
In  fact,  this  was  to  be  the  principal  road  of  eastern  Indiana,  and  connected 
the  civilization  along  the  Ohio  river  to  that  of  the  northern  part  of  the  state, 
namely :  Lawrenceburg  to  Fort  AA'avne.  This  road,  however,  was  never 
built  as  a  state  road  through  Randolph  county,  although  the  state  provided 
later  on  for  its  construction  from  AA^inchester  to  Fort  AA^ayne,  and  named 
Charles  Conway  as  the  commissioner.  On  December  31,  1821,  a  law  was 
approved  providing  for  an  east  and  west  road  known  ai  the  AA'inchester  and 
Indianapolis  state  road.  This  law  provided  "that  -a  road  from  the  Ohio  line 
dividing  this  state  from  Ohio  from  a  direction  from  Greenville,  in  said  state, 
to  AAlnchester,  to  intersect  the  Richmond  road  to  a  point  not  exceeding 
twenty  miles  from  Indianapolis,  in  length  sixty  miles,  be,  and  the  same  is 
hereby  established  and  that  the  sum  of  $2,672.56  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby 
appropriated  to  the  opening  of  the  same,  and  that  Joshua  Foster,  John  AA'ay 
and  Ishem  Puckett,  of  Randolph  county,  be,  and  they  are  hereby  appointed 
commissioners  on  said  mad."  These  commissioners  were  further  given  the 
right  to  exercise  their  discretion  in  the  location  and  building  of  all  bridges. 
~Slr.  Puckett  failed  to  serve  as  commissioner  and  Jesse  Aloorman  was  ap- 
pointed in  his  place.  These  men  made  their  report  January  10,  1823.  Of 
this  road  and  its  making,  -Air.  Jere  Smith  says: 


■RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  369 

"In  ]\Iay,  1820,  \ie\vers  were  appointed  to  mark  out  a  road  from  Win- 
chester to  the  state  line,  near  Foster's  (Griffis  farm).  The  road  was  re- 
ported and  established  in  August,  1820.  John  Coates  was  made  supervisor 
from  ^^'inchester  to  the  ford  of  \A'hite  river,  and  Wmos  Peacock  from 
\\"hite  river  to  the  state  line.  In  1822  or  1823  the  Legislature  authorized 
the  laying  of  a  state  road  from  the  state  line  near  Foster's,  through  Win- 
chester to  Indianapolis.  Joshua  Foster,  John  Sample  and  John  Way  were 
appointed  commissioners  to  la)-  the  road,  They  took  Paul  W.  Way  for  their 
surveyor,  and  started  from  Foster's  to  run  to  Winchester.  But  they  ran  too 
much  south,  so  they  made  a  'bend'  to  the  north  before  reaching  White  river. 
But  being  still  too  far  south  they  veered  again  northward,  west  of  George 
Hyatt's,  and  came  in  at  the  end  of  Broad  (now  Washington)  street  and  ran 
on  that  street  through  Winchester.  Then  diverging  to  the  south  till  they  got 
opposite  (west  of)  the  middle  of  the  public  square  in  Winchester,  they  struck 
west  on  the  route  of  the  present  state  road  (pike  now)  to  the  west  side  of  the 
county.  Thence  down  White  river  (south  side)  to  Old  Town  (Indian 
town)  six  miles  above  Muncie,  thence  down  the  river  by  Anderson,  Straw- 
town,  etc.,  to  Indianapolis.  The  county  road  from  the  state  line  west  to 
^^'inchester  was  merged  in  this  state  road." 

Other  interesting  stories  are  told  concerning  this  road.  It  is  said  that 
when  the  viewers  were  "marking  and  laying  out  the  road,"  the  pioneer 
viewer,  the  one  who  went  ahead  to  direct  the  blazers,  carried  a  cowbell, 
which  he  would  ring  when  he  had  decided  on  a  certain  route.  The  blazers 
would  then  travel  toward  the  sound,  blazing  the  trees  as  they  went.  It  is 
said  that  the  variance  in  direction,  of  which  Mr.  Smith  speaks,  was  due  to 
the  fact  that  the  blazers  failed  to  locate  the  cowbell  and  that  the  bend  in  this 
road  just  out  of  Winchester  is  the  result  of  such  error.  But  this  story,  like 
many  others,  lias  to  be  taken  with  a  grain  of  salt. 

This  state  road  was  eventually  built  but  was  cared  for  by  the  county. 
Joshua  Foster  served  on  this  board  until  his  removal  from  the  county  in 
1826,  Avhich  made  it  necessary  to  appoint  a  new  commissioner.  This  was 
done  during  the  May  term  by  the  board  of  Justices,  who  "proceeded  to  Elect 
a  commissioner  to  fill  said  vacancy,  whereupon  counting  Ballots  it  appeared 
that  John  Nelson  is  duly  Elected  State  road  commissioner  as  aforesaid." 
Mr.  Nelson  served  only  two  years,  when  his  successor,  John  Sample,  was 
elected.  (July  term,  1828.)  It  will  be  seen  from  the  above  that  Mr.  Smith's 
statement  is  not  in  accordance  with  the  records,  as  the  form  of  the  report  of 
(24) 


370  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

the  viewers  and  the  disposition  of  the  report  by  the  commissioners,  is  shown 
by  the  following  record  of  the  report  on  road  No.  2.  "John  Wright  Senr. 
John  Wright  and  Henry  H.  Way,  who  were  appointed  to  lay  off  and  mark 
a  Public  Road  from  the  town  of  Winchester  west  to  the  Indian  Boundry  line 
Report  that  they  performed  that  Duty  according  to  order.  John  Wright  senr. 
is  hereby  appointed  Supervisor  of  said  Road  and  all  the  hands  in  Whiteriver 
Township  south  of  Whiteriver  and  West  shugar  Creek  includeing  David 
Wright  and  David  Stout  Except  Ezekiel  Williams  Do  Work  on  Said  Road." 
This  road  gave  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  especially  west  of  Winchester,  due  to 
the  swampy  conditions  of  the  ground.  It  is  said  that  at  one  time  there  was 
no  less  than  one  mile  of  continuous  causeway  of  corduroy  in  this  road. 
John  Wright,  the  first  supervisor,  paid  but  very  little  attention  to  the  build- 
ing of  this  road,  but,  perhaps,  he  paid  all  the  attention  that  could  be  paid 
b}'  anyone  at  that  time.  That  he  did  something,  is  shown  by  the  following 
report:  "Reed,  the  Report  of  John  Wright,  supervisor,  Stateing  that  he  had 
performed  his  duty  and  that  all  the  hands  had  performed  their  service  accord- 
ing to  Law  Except  William  Haworth  son  of  George  who  is  Delinquent  four 
days."  The  commissioners  evidently  did  not  intend  that  Mr.  Haworth  should 
escape,  because  they  immediately  "Ordered  that  William  Haworth  son  of 
George  be  supervisor  in  the  Place  of  John  Wright  and  that  the  hands  south 
of  said  Road  and  west  of  Shugar  Creek  to  the  13  Range  line  thence  north 
with  said  Range  line  of  Whiteriver  Township  thence  west  to  the  Boundry 
thence  south  with  the  Boundry  line  to  Eight  mile  Creek  thence  up  said  Creek 
to  the  line  of  Whiteriver  Township  line  thence  a  Direct  line  to  where  said 
Road  Crosses  the  13th  Range  line  do  work  on  said  Road  and  order  Issued." 
Just  how  long  Haworth  served  can  not  be  known,  as  the  county  records  from 
February,  1821,  to  November,  1825,  are  lost,  but  Wright  was  reappointed. 
Later,  when  the  road  had  been  extended  by  the  state,  Littleberry  Diggs  was 
appointed  supervisor  in  the  place  of  John  Wright  on  the  state  road'  "from 
the  town  of  Winchester  west  to  the  14  Mile  Stake."  This  stake  was  located 
about  two  miles  west  of  Winchester.  The  road  had  in  the  meantime  been 
divided  into  sections  of  a  certain  number  of  miles  each  'indicated  by  mile 
stakes.  This  road,  like  all  the  early  roads,  has  been  changed  and  straight- 
ened many  times.  The  first  change  was  petitioned  for  on  Tuesday,  Novem- 
ber 14,  1820,  the  record  of  which  is : — "Reed,  the  petition  of  Sundry  Inhabi- 
tants of  Whiteriver  Township  praying  that  from  the  Town  of  Win- 
chester west  may  be  so  altered  as  to  tern  North  between  Henry  Way  and  John 
Sample  Eighteen  poles  Thence  west  by  said  Samples  house  to  the  Boundry 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  3/1 

line  of  the  twelve  mile  Purchase  Which  is  Granted  and  Paul  W.  Way,  John 
Sample  and  Robinson  Mclntire  appointed  to  lay  off  and  mark  said  Road  and 
Report  to  February  term,  1821,  and  Order  Issued."  This  board  of  viewers 
reported  as  instructed,  the  record  of  which  is  made  in  the  February  term  of 
1 82 1,  as  follows:  "Reed,  the  Report  of  Paul  W.  Way  and  Others  who  Were 
appointed  to  lay  off  and  mark  the  Road  from  the  house  of  Henry  Way 
through  the  lane  Bearing  Eighteen  poles  North  thence  west  by  the  way  of  John 
Samples  to  the  Boundry  line  of  the  twelve  mile  Purchase  and  Ordered  that 
the  Supervisor  work  on  said  Road  the  way  that  it  was  last  laid  off."  Strange 
to  say,  one  of  the  latest,  if  not  the  last,  change  in  this  road,  was  made  at  the 
same  place  where  the  first  change  was  made.  This  change  is  where  the  road 
angled  suddenly  to  the  northwest  in  the  middle  of  section  22,  township  20, 
range  13,  east,  where  the  house  of  Elmer  Franklin  now  stands.  The  first 
change  reported  by  Mr.  Way,  caused  the  road  to  leave  the  present  road  at  a 
point  near  the  east  line  of  section  22,  where  the  road  runs  south.  From,  this 
point  it  angled  in  an  almost  direct  line  to  the  turn  just  north  of  the  middle  of 
the  section.  The  last  change  was  made  abou^  1852.  This  was  one  of  the 
most  traveled  roads  of  the  county,  because  of  the  western  emigration,  and 
it  is  said  that  the  travel  on  it  at  tim.es,  almost  equals  that  of  the  National  road. 

The  eleventh  road,  petitioned  for  in  August,  1820,  was  "laid  off  Begin- 
ing  at  the  south  End  of  the  main  Street  West  of  the  Public  Square  in  the 
town  of  Winchester  thence  along  said  street  and  in  a  Direction  towards  Fort 
Wayne  to  the  North  Boundry  of  the  twelve  mile  Purchase."  This  road  was 
more  commonly  called  the  Winchester  and  Ridgeville  road  or  by  some-,  the 
Winchester  and  Addington's  Mill  road.  This  road  followed  the  Deerfield 
pike  to  the  crest  of  the  hill  north  of  White  river,  thence  in  a  northwesterly 
directon  to  Ridgeville.  One  small  section  of  this  road  still  exists  near  Stone 
Station,  and  another  section,  which  was  a  continuation  of  this  road,  exists 
northwest  of  Ridgeville.  Sample's  Mill  was  the  principal  objective  point  of 
travel  at  this  time.  The  tenth  road  passed  it,  running'east  and  west,  the  ninth 
road  ran  south,  and  the  next,  or  twelfth  road,  petitioned  for  in  May,  1825, 
was  to  run  from  Sample's  mill  to  Lewallyn's  mill,  which  was  at  Ridgeville. 

The  twelfth  road,  petitioned  for  in  May,  1825,  was  from  the  southeast 
corner  of  section  35,  township  16,  range  i  west,  to  Obadiah  Small's.  The 
point  of  beginning  was  on  the  county  line,  two  miles  east  of  Arba  and  Obe- 
diah  Small  owned  the  land  where  Spartanburg  now  stands.  This  road  is 
thought  to  be  the  one  that  used  to  run  from  Bethel,  Wayne  county,  by  "pin- 
hook,"  Charles  Crist's  and  Jeremiah  Middleton's  to  Spartanburg.     This  road 


372  RANDOLPH    COUXTY^    INDIANA. 

is  now  abandoned.     No  doubt,  many  roads  had  been  petitioned  for  and  es- 
tablished, the  records  of  which  are  contained  in  the  book  that  has  been  lost. 

We  note  that  in  the  May  term,  1826,  "Nathan  Hockett  is  appointed 
Supervisor  on  Hockett's  road  from  the  line  of  Wayne  Cotmty  to  Joseph 
Gass  old  place  and  also  on  the  Road  .that  passes  by  cherry  grove  meeting 
house  that  lies  in  Westriver  Township."  "Benjamin  Luallen  is  appointed 
Supervisor  on  Luallens  road  from  the  ling  Dividing  Township  Whiteriver  and 
Ward  and  all  the  hands  in  Luallens  Settlement  including  Kizers  Settlement 
Except  those  attached  to  oldhams  District  do  work  on  said  road." 

The  next  road,  which  we  shall  call  the  fourteenth,  proved  to  be  a  road 
of  a  great  deal  of  importance.  Just  when  it  was  petitioned  for  is  not  known, 
but  in  May,  1826,  the  following  record  is  made:  "Reed,  the  Report  of 
^Villiam  Massey,  Daniel  B.  Miller  &  John  Odle.  who  were  appointed  to  view 
and  mark  a  public  road  from  the  State  line  in  a  Direction  from  Greenville 
in  the  State  of  Ohio  to  Luallens  mill  on  Missessinewa  Stating  that  they  had 
performed  that  service  whereupon  William  Odle  is  appointed  Supervisor  on 
said  road  from  Luallens  ^lill  to  William  Masseys  Creek  and  ordered  that  all 
the  hands  in  Ward  Township  from  Burkett  Peirces  to  the  East  and  west  line 
of  the  School  Section  in  Township  21  do  work  on  said  road.  Daniel  B. 
iMiller  is  appointed  Supervisor  on  the  Road  from  Luallens  mill  towards 
Greenville  from  William  Masseys  creek  to  the  .State  line  and  that  all  the 
hands  in  Ward  Township  East  of  the  School  Section  in  Township  21  do 
work  on  said  Road."     Of  this  road,  Mr.  Jere  Smith  says : 

/'September,  1825,  a  road  was  reported  beginning  at  the  Greenville  road 
northwest  from  Greenville  (Connor's  old  trace  to  his  trading  post)  by  Daniel 
B.  ]\liller's  to  Lewallyn's  mill.  This  was  not  opened  and  worked  till  1832. 
February  2,  1832,  the  Legislature  passed  an  act  appointing  Daniel  B.  Miller 
commissioner  to  lay  out  a  state  road  from  the  state  line  (same  point  as  the 
thirteenth  roadl  to  Parson's  mill,  thence  to  Lewallyn's  mill,  thence  to  inter- 
sect the  Miamisport  road,  near  Sanders',  in  Delaware  county.  Judge  Miller 
appointed  me  surveyor,  and  in  August  or  September,  1832,  we  began  the 
survey. 

"We  started  where  Connor's  trace  crossed  the  state  line,  a  little  north 
of  Union  City,  went  nearly  straight  to  the  east  side  of  Deerfield,  thence  to 
Parsons"  mill,  half  mile  below  Deerfield,  thence  to  Lewallyn's  mill,  near 
RidgevilJe,  thence  onward  beyond  Emmettsville,  keeping  in  a  straight  line 
to  Sanders'  in  Delaware  county,  passing  north  of  Fairview.  The  county  road 
from  the  state  line  to  Lewallyn's  mill  was  merged  in  this  state  road.     The 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  3/3 

road  remains  substantial!}'  as  we  laid  it  out,  having  on  -it  Middletown,  Deer- 
field,  Ridgeville  and  Emmettsville." 

This  road  crossed  the  Mississinewa  river  near  the  Reitenour  Cemetery, 
at  the  cabin  of  Burkett  Pierce,  going  from  there  directly  where  Ridgeville 
now  is. 

The  next  road  of  record  is  in  Alay,  1826,  and  is  certainly  a  very  peculiar 
record,  and  is  as  follows :  "Reed,  the  petition  of  Sundry  inhabitants  of  this 
county  praying  that  a  Public  road  may  be  laid  off  beginning  at  Hocketts 
road  about  j4-  of  a  mile  North  of  Guesses,  thence  leading  Down  Sugar  creek 
by  the  Likinses  and  D.  Heastons,  thence  to  the  widow  Pucketts  lane  by 
Dunkirk  meeting  house  and  on  to  the  Southwest  corner  of  Wm.  Ways  field, 
thence  .along  the  west  side  of  said  field  to  intersect  the  State  road  in  meri- 
dian Street  in  the  Town  of  Varnon.  John  Likins,  David  Heaston  &  Tarlton 
Moorman  are  appointed  to  view  and  mark  said  road  and  Report  to  July  term, 
1826." 

The  next  road  of  record  is  in  May.  1827,  and  ran  from  Dalton,  Wayne 
county,  through  Losantville  to  Windsor. 

Our  sympathies  are  certainly  with  Curtis  Clenney,  Thomas  Hester  and 
William  Peacock,  whose  duty  it  became  to  "lay  out  and  mark"  the  following 
road  in  November,  1827:  "Received  the  petition  of  sundry  inhabitants  of 
Randolph  County  praying  that  a  Public  road  may  be  laid  out  beginning  at  the 
road  leading  from  Richmond  to  Winchester  at  the  line  between  Obadiah 
Harris  and  John  Moorman,  thence  the  nearest  and  best  way  to  William 
Connors,  thence  the  nearest  and  best  way  to  Hezekiah  Hocketts,  thence 
through  Samuel  Sm.iths  lane,  thence  to  the  end  of  Thomas  Phillips  lane, 
thence  to  the  Meeting  house  near  William  Hunts." 

For  some  reason  the  viewers  did  not  report  at  the  January  term,  1828, 
as  instructed,  but  made  their  report  in  the  May  term  of  said  year,  and 
Thomas  Phillips  was  appointed  supervisor  on  the  road  through  White  River 
township.  This  road  was  extended  in  September, -1828,  as  is  shown  by  fol- 
lowing record,  November,  1828 :  "Jonah  Heaton,  Bazaleel  Hunt  and  David 
Vestal,  who  were  appointed  to  view  and  mark  a  public  road  from  the  meet- 
ing house  near  William  Hunt  the  nearest  and  best  way  so  as  to  pass  some 
where  near  Joseph  Rooks  then  the  nearest  and  best  way  to  the  line  dividing 
Randolph  and  Delaware  counties  in  a  direction  towards  Moncey  town,  now 
verbally  report  that  they  have  performed  that  servise  it  is  therefore  ordered 
that  the  same  be  cut  out  as  a  public  road  or  highway." 

In  January,   1830,  another  characteristic  petition  was  received  as   fol- 


374  RANnOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

lows :  "Received  the  petition  of  Sundry  citizens  of  Randolph  county  pray- 
ing that  a  public  Road  may  be  laid  out  beginning  at  the  west  end  of  Heze- 
kiah  Hocketts  lane  the  nearest  and  best  way  to  the  Wayne  line  at  the  South- 
east corner  of  ]\Iartindales  dedning.  Which  is  granted,  and  Isaiah  Rodgers, 
James  Smith  and  David  Frazier  are  appointed  to  view  and  mark  said  roa<l 
and  Report  to  this  Board  at  March  term  1830." 

In  November,  1830,  the  commissioners  "Received  the  petition  of  Elijali 
Arnold  and  others  praying  for  a  public  foad  to  be  laid  off  beginning  at  the 
Xorth  end  of  Wm.  Smiths  lane  the  nearest  and  best  way  to  Jonathan  Cleav- 
engers  on  Rooks  old  place."  Jeremiah  Smith,  Joshua  Beer  and  Elijah  Ar- 
nold were  appointed  to  view  and  mark  said  road. 

In  March,  1831,  John  Wilson  and  others  23etitioned  for  a  road  "be- 
ginning at  the  Richmond  road  at  or  near  John  Moorman  Sr.  S.  E.  corner  the 
nearest  and  best  way  to  Arby  meeting  house,  thence  the  nearest  &  best  way  to 
the  State  of  Ohio  line  which  is  granted." 

In  ^lay,  1831,  Samuel  Jackson,  William  Davidson  and  William  Pea- 
cock were  appointed  to  view  and  mark  a  road,  the  record  of  which  is  as  fol- 
lows :  "Received  the  petition  of  Sundry  citizens  of  Randolph  county  praying 
that  a  public  road  may  be  laid  out  Beginning  at  the  South  west  corner  of 
Samuel  Smiths  fence,  thence  the  nearest  best  way  to  crossway  south  of  Sam- 
uel Jacksons,  thence  the  nearest  and  best  way  to  the  new  road  at  the  north 
end  of  William  Smiths  lane." 

In  September,  183 1,  a  cartway  was  petitioned  for,  from  Winchester 
across  the  ford  of  White  river  to  Sample's  mill.  The  distinction  between  a 
cartway  and  a  road  seems  to  be  a  difference  in  width,  a  cartway  being  what 
is  ordinarily  called  a  lane.  ^lany  roads  of  local  importance  only  were  peti- 
tioned for  at  each  session  of  the  legislature. 

In  January,  1832,  another  very  interesting  road  record  was  made,  as 
follows:  "This  day  the  petition  of  A^'i!liam  Peacock  and  others  was  ptib- 
lickly  read  And  John  Boroughs,  Jesse  Johnson  and  David  :Moore  are  ap- 
pointed to  view  and  mark  a  publick  road  beginning  at  the  west  end  of  Heze- 
kiah  Hocketts  lane  from  thence  on  the  open  line  south  of  Samuel  Smith's 
fence  until  it  intersects  ihe  road  leading  from  Johnson's  mill  to  Sample's  mill 
from  thence  the  nearest  and  best  way  through  Joseph  Hollingsworth's  lane, 
from  thence  the  nearest  and  best  way  until  it  intersects  the  road  leading  from 
Economy  to  Winchester  at  or  near  Jackson"s  perarie  and  report  to  the  next 
term  of  this  board." 

There  seems  to  have  been  no  definite  records  made  of  the  location  of 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  375 

roads  by  any  survey  tintil  1832.  During  that  year  Jere  Smith  was  at  that 
time  surveyor,  and  recorded  his  "field"  notes  of  that  part  of  the  state  road, 
leading  from  \A'^inchester  to  New  Castle,  which  lies  in  Randolph  county, 
Indiana.  This  was  a  state  road.  In  October  of  the  same  year  he  filed  his 
"field"  notes  of  that  part  of  the  state  road  leading  from  Richmond  to  Fort 
Wayne,  which  lies  in  Randolph  county,  and  the  territory  attached  to  it. 

It  will  be  interesting  to  note  that  this  road  went  "to  the  township  line 
between  township  25  and  26  north,  near  the  one-half  mile  stake  on  the  south 
side  of  section  32  of  township  26.,  range  14,  it  being  the  north  line  of  the 
territory  attached  to  Randolph  county."  This  township  line  passes  through 
the  present  town  of  Berne,  and  the  one-half  mile  stake  referred  to  is  just 
east  of  that  town. 

On  N^ovember  16,  1832.  Mr.  Smith  filed  his  "field"  notes  of  that  part 
of  the  state  road,  leading  from  the  Ohio  state  line  to  Saunders',  which  lies  in 
Randolph  county  and  the  territory  attached  to  it.  This  is  the  road  of  which 
Air.  Smith  speaks,  as  running  "from  the  state  line  to  Parson's  mill,  thence  to 
Lewallyn's  mill,  thence  to  intersect  the  Miamisport  road  near  Saunders'  in 
Delaware  County."  From  that  time  on  all  state  roads  were  surveyed  and 
the  surveys  made  a  matter  of  record. 

The  early  roads  were  petitioned  for,  largely  to  meet  local  conditions. 
Afterward,  many  of  these  same  roads  were  taken  up  by  the  state  and  made 
state  roads.  For  example,  the  Winchester  and  Addington's  Mill  road,  peti- 
tioned for  in  1820,  was  taken  up  by  the  state  in  1839,  and  was  known  as  the 
"State  Road,"  from  Winchester,  Randolph  county,  via  Ridgeville,  Randolph 
county,  Mt.  Pleasant  and  Camden,  in  Jay  county,  to  Bluffton,  the  county 
seat  of  Wells  county.  The  road  one  mile  west  of  Farmland  was  taken  up  by 
the  state  in  1840,  and  was  known  as  the  Hagerstown  and  Camden  road.  The 
Jesse  Johnson-Paul  Beard  road  became  a  part  of  the  Richmond  and  Fort 
Wayne  road.  Many  roads  that  were  of  importance  have  since  been  aband- 
oned, because  of  the  building  of  other  roads.  The  Steubenville  and  Win- 
chester road,  which  angled  from  Steubenville  to  Maxville,  has  long  since 
disappeared,  as  has  another  road  in  the  same  part  of  the  county,  known  as 
the  Rockingham  road,  which  leads  from  Rockingham,  Green  township,  to 
Winchester,  merging  into  the  Steubenville  and  Winchester  road.  The  road 
granted  in  1840,  running  "to  Jericho  meeting  house,  from  thence  to  the  most 
approved  route  to  White  River  meeting  house."  has  long  since  disappeared, 
as  has  also  the  road  approved  in  February,  1841,  known  as  the  road  joining 
the  Cherry  Grove  meeting  house,  Byum  meeting  house  and  Arba  meeting 


376  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

house,  "commencing  on  the  Williamsburg  and  Winchester  road,  in  Section 
3,  thence  East  by  Cherry  Grove  meeting  house  on  the  line  dividing  the  lands 
of  Nathan  Thornburgh  and  Elijah  Hinshaw,  thence  on  same  course  between 
Stilwell  and  Reece,  thence  the  same  course  between  Reece  and  Way  to  the 
corner  thence  angling  south  30  rods  across  William  &  Obed  Beards  land  to 
the  West  line  a  corner  between  Paul  Beard  senr.  and  Jesse  Johnson,  thence 
with  their  line  East  to  the  road  thence  south  to  Beards  saw  mill,  thence  the 
line  between  Paul  Beard  Jr.  and  Obed  Beard  east  to  near  the  Branch,  thence 
up  the  Branch  to  the  east  fence,  thence  on  a  marked  line  on  North  side  of 
Ljmn  Meeting  house  to  the  line  Between  Silas  Johnson,  Isaac  Pearson, 
thence  with  said  line  east  to  David  McCrackins'  line  until  near  the  school 
house,  thence  North  of  said  school  house  a  few  rods  until  it  intersects  the 
line  between  Johnson  and  Farmer,  thence  East  with  said  lines  to  the  line  be- 
tween Moody  and  Willis  C.  Willmore,  thence  same  direction  until  it  strikes 
the  line  Between  Odle  and  Calfer,  thence  due  East  until  it  intersects  the 
Boundry  at  a  corner  Between  Overman  and  Semans  as  Specified  in  said 
order,  thence  south  and  west,  the  boundary  to  a  point  opposite  John  W. 
Thomas,  thence  nearly  east  a  marked  line  to  the  mouth  of  said  Thomas'  lane, 
thence  on  same  course  across  the  creek,  thence  on  nearly  the  neighborhood 
road  a  marked  line  to  a  lane  Between  the  Lands  of  Jeremiah  Horn  and  Cam- 
mack's  heirs,  thence  East  to  where  it  intersects  the  Fort  Wayne  road  near 
Arba  Meeting  house." 

The  winding  path  south  from  Huntsville  has  become  the  Economy  and 
Huntsville  road,  while  the  road  from  Huntsville  through  Unionsport,  Max- 
ville  and  Fairview  into  Jay  county,  is  only  a  matter  of  history.  Many  other 
roads  and  petitions  for  the  same  might  be  mentioned,  but  we  have  given 
sufficiently  to  show  the  nature  of  our  early  roads.  These  petitions  seem 
queer  and  unusual,  but  they  served  their  purpose  and  what  more,  could  be 
asked?  The  country  was  new,  and  roads  of  any  consequence  were  impossi- 
ble. Trails  were  all  that  was  necessary,  because  travel  Avas  almost  wholly  by 
foot  or  horseback.  When  wagons  were  used,  the  loads  were  light,  which  was 
necessary  if  they  traveled  at  all,  a  man  putting  his  small  grist  upon  the 
"hounds"  and  making  his  way  to  the  nearest  mill  as  best  he  could. 

Of  these  roads.  Tucker  says : 

"These  roads,  laid  out,  as  we  have  said,  by  public  authority,  were  opened 
and  worked  to  some  extent,  yet  for  a  long  time  most  of  them  were  but  poor 
indeed.  The  trees  were  cut  away  somewhat,  a  few  bridges  were  made,  and 
log  ways  were  built  in  some  places,  yet  for  the  most  part  they  were  horrid 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  377 

enough.  David  Lasley  relates  in  his  'reminiscences'  how  he  (with  another 
man)  built  three-quarters  of  a  mile  of  'log-way'  on  the  road  west  of  Win- 
chester. As  late  as  1859  there  was  one  and  a  quarter  miles  of  log-way, 
nearly  in  one  'string,'  north  between  Winchester  and  Deerfield.  Often  logs 
a  foot  or  eighteen  inches  through  would  be  laid  down  and  sometimes  abso- 
lutely nothing  on  them,  and  the  wagon  had  to  go  'bumping'  across  that  con- 
tinuous log-heap.  Each  new  road  would  be  divided  into  districts,  an  over- 
seer appointed,  and  'hands'  given  him  for  his  'gang'  to  open  and  work  the 
highway." 

Travel  being  heavy,  the  location  of  towns  and  distances  from  one  to 
another  being  practically  unknown,  the  Legislature  as  early  as  181 7,  enacted 
a  law  requiring  that  road  supervisors  should  place  "at  the  forks  of  every 
public  road  or  highway,  directing  the  way  and  mentioning  the  most  remark- 
able places  on  each  road."  Knowing  the  frailties  of  man,  this  law  carried 
with  it  a  penalty  of  a  ten  dollar  fine  for  anyone  convicted  of  destroying  or 
altering"  these  sign  boards  in  any  way.  This  law  has  never  been  repealed, 
but  the  sign  board  has  long  since  ceased  to  exist.  At  the  present  time 
(1914),  there  is  but  one  set  of  these  boards  left  in  place  in  the  county,  and 
these  are  at  the  site  of  the  old  town  of  Randolph,  long  since  out  of  existence. 
These  boards  axe  one-half  mile  west  of  Bartonia,  inscribed,  "To  Winchester, 
7  miles,  to  State  line,  2V2  miles." 

The  author  of  this  article  recently  had  occasion  to  take  a  photograph  of 
these  sign  boards,  and  while  taking  them  was  forcibly  reminded  of  the  prog- 
ress made  in  community  life  since  these  boards  were  placed  in  position, 
years  and  years  ago.  Instead  of  "muddy  roads,"  with  their  corduroy  and 
almost  bottomless  mud  holes,  traveled  over  by  the  conestoga  wagons,  pulled 
by  two  six  yoke  of  oxen,  the  traveler  today  travels  a  macadamized  road  in 
the  most  modern  vehicles.  While  taking  the  picture  a  school  boy  rode  to  the 
crossing  on  a  bicycle,  thus  reminding  one  of  the  new  in  that  mode  of  travel, 
to  deposit  a  letter  in  a  free  rural  mail  delivery  box,  thus  calling  attention  to 
the  modern  means  of  communication  by  mail,  then  rode  on  to  a  modern, 
consolidated  school,  equipped  with  all  modern  appliances,  maintaining  a 
commission  course,  thereby  reminding  one  of  the  old-time  schools  in  its 
comparison  with  the  new.  Before  the  picture  could  be  taken  it  was  necessary 
to  wait  for  the  settlement  of  dust  from  a  passing  automobile,  traveling,  per- 
haps, fifty  miles  per  hour.  Only  one  thing  was  necessary  to  make  the  picture 
complete,  and  that  would  have  been  the  shadow  of  a  "Limited"  aeroplane. 

When  the  state  was  young  it  was  thought  that  the  rivers  would  be  the 


378  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

great  means  of  transportation,  and  to  that  end  the  Mississinewa  and  west 
fork  of  White  river  were  declared  navigable  streams,  and  were  put  in  the 
care  of  supervisors  for  that  purpose.  We  do  not  know  how  far  the  west 
fork  of  \\'^hite  river  was  considered  navigable,  but  it  was  as  far  up  the  river 
as  Sample's  mill.  In  the  May  term,  1826,  the  following  entries  were  made: 
"John  Samples  is  appointed  Supervisor  on  the  west  fork  of  Whiteriver  from 
said  Samples  mill  to  the  mouth  of  caben  creek.  John  G.  Deeds  is  appointed 
Supervisor  on  the  west  fork  of  whiterK^er  from  the  mouth  of  Cabin  creek  to 
monsey  town  on  said  river."  One  year  from  that  time,  May  8,  1827,  we 
find  that  the  purpose  of  appointing  supervisors  for  these  districts  was  to 
clear  the  rivers  of  snags,  cut  out  the  shallow  places  and  otherwise  make  the 
rivers  so  that  flat-boats  might  be  taken  down  them,  especially  in  the  spring. 
We  do  not  know  that  this  was  ever  done  on  White  river,  at  least  we  have 
never  heard  any  old  settler  ever  speak  of  White  river  as  being  navigable. 
Yet,  in  May,  1827,  the  river  was  no  doubt  worked  and  certain  hands  were 
ordered  out  for  that  purpose,  as  is  shown  by  the  following:  "Henry  T. 
Sample  is  appointed  Svipervisor  on  A\"hiteriver  from  John  Sample's  mill  to 
the  mouth  of  Stoney  creek  and  ordered  that  all  the  hands  opposite  said  dis- 
trict and  within  2  miles  of  said  river  do  work  thereon  under  the  direction  of 
said  Sample."  We  have  failed  to  find  in  the  records  any  report  of  these 
supervisors  on  White  river.  The  ?ilississinewa.  however,  was  declared  by 
law  to  be  navigable,  as  far  as  the  section  line  between  range  14  and  15  east, 
which  is  the  line  dividing  Ward  and  Jackson  townships.  There  is  no  doubt 
about  the  jNIississinewa  having  been  "worked"  and  used  as  a  navigable 
stream.  We  find  that  in  May,  1835,  it  was  "Ordered  that  Alexander  Garrin-- 
ger,  Supervisor  in  Green  Township,  work  all  the  hands  that  live  in  his  dis- 
trict and  within  one  mile  of  Alississinewa  river  one  day  of  their  time  on  said 
River.  Ordered  that  Jehu  I\IcPherson,  Supervisor,  work  all  the  hands  that 
live  in  his  district  within  one  mile  of  INIississinewa  and  west  of  Lawellins  mill 
one  day  of  their  time  on  said  Ri\'er."  The  IMississinewa  was  used  for  trans- 
portation purposes  as  far  up  the  river  as  Deerfield,  but  no  further  than  that, 
as  we  have  been  able  to  learn,  as  is  shown  by  the  reminiscences  of  Mr 
Edger,  spoken  of  elsewhere.  Xo  mention  is  made  of  any  appointments  of 
supervisors  to  work  the  rivers  after  this  time,  it  being  seen,  of  course,  that 
such  was  useless. 

As  the  county  became  more  thickly  settled  and  commercial   interests 
were  correspondingly  enlarged  and  complicated,  more  attention  was  paid  to 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  379 

the  subject  of  roads.     It  is  said  that  the  civilization  of  any  nation  can  be  de- 
termined by  its  roads.    This  saying  is  certainly  true  of  the  middle  West. 

It  is  only  a  step  from  the  blazed  trail  to  the  path,  from  the  path  to  the 
lane,  the  lane  to  the  cartway,  the  cartway  to  the  open  highway,  through  its 
various  steps  of  mud  road,  graded  road,  gravel  road,  crushed  stone  and 
macadam. 

A  problem  through  the  forties  and  fifties  was  one  of  straightening  old 
roads  or  establishing  new  ones  upon  section  lines.  The  old  roads  had 
emanated  from  certain  centers  and  the  problem  of  e.stablishing  new  ones  in 
and  around  these  centers  became  a  very  complex  one.  Among  these  centers 
were  Rockinghams,  in  the  eastern  part  of  Green  township;  Robinson  Mc- 
Intire's  farm,  which  is  at  Maxville,  Huntsville,  West  River  township,  Cherry 
Grove,  in  Washington  township,  Arba,  in  Greensfork  township.  Cox's  Mill,  in 
White  River  township,  John  Massacs,  Ward  township,  Lewallyn's  Mill, 
Franklin  township,  and  Marian's  Mill  and  Georgetown,  in  Stoney  Creek 
township,  but  this  problem  has  been  successfully  solved,  until  today  there  are 
very  few  roads  that  do  not  follow  section  lines. 

The  establishing  of  roads  has  always  been  directly  or  indirectly  in  the 
hands  of  the  county  commissioners  and  must,  of  necessity,  depend  upon  their 
judgment.  It  was  seldom  that  a  petition  for  a  road  was  rejected,  but  one 
exception  to  this  occurred  the  third  of  May,  1838.  On  that  day  petition  for 
five  roads  were  received,  five  of  which  were  rejected,  all  of  which  were 
afterwards  established.  The  commissioners,  John  Coats,  Abraham  Adam- 
son  and  George  A.  G.  McNees,  were  evidently  not  feeling  very  well  that  day. 

As  time  went  on  it  became  evident  to  all  people  that  the  success  of  the 
country  depended  upon  the  condition  of  its  roads.  It  further  became  evi- 
dent that  roads  could  not  he  built  without  money  and  it  was  further  shown 
that  laws  must  be  enacted  v.'hereby  the  progressive  few  could  compel  the 
backward  majority  to  build  good  roads.  Out  of  this  grew  the  gravel  road 
law  and  the  "three-mile  road  law."  Another  great  movement  in  the  road 
management  is  what  is  known  as  the  toll  road.  These  were  a  system  of 
roads  built  by  companies  organized  for  that  purpose  for  the  use  of  which 
toll  must  be  paid.  These  turnpike  and  plank  road  companies  were  organ^ 
ized,  practically,  all  over  the  county  in  about  1856.  x\mong  them  were  the 
Union  City  and  Spartanburg;  Morristown  and  Fairview;  Williamsburg  and 
Blooming-sport;  Winchester  and  State  Line;  Winchester  and  Bundy's  Mill;. 
Winchester  and  Jay  County  Line;  Lynn  and  Winchester;  Bloomingsport  and 


380  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Winchester;  Salem  and  Jericho;  Bloomingsport  and  Economy;  Mt.  Holly 
and  AUensville,  and  Huntsville  and  Boundary.     This  is  only  a  partial  list. 

It  was  soon  learned  by  the  people,  however,  that  public  roads  should  be 
built  and  maintained  at  public  expense  and  that  they  should  be  open  to  any 
and  all  who  cared  to  drive  over  them.  Consequently,  these  roads  were 
either  voluntarily  abandoned  and  the  management  assumed  by  the  county 
or  were  sold  to  the  various  townships  or  the  county.  The  last  of  these  turn- 
pikes disappeared  in  the  early  nineties. 

Randolph  county  today  has  among  the  best  roads  of  any  county  in  the 
state. 

In  spite  of  the  slipshod  methods  by  which  the  roads  have  been  handled 
there  is  no  source  of  greater  mismanagement  of  any  public  affairs  than  that  of 
the  roads.  More  money  has  been  spent  injudiciously  and  more  work  done 
without  intelligent  guidance  and  more  time  squandered  upon  the  public  roads 
than  upon  any  other  matter  of  ]Dublic  utility.  This  fact  is  recognized  by 
everyone  who  gives  the  question  any  study.  The  problem  of  county  man- 
agement today  is  the  management  of  its  roads. 

A  solution  of  this  has  been  attempted  in  the  passing  of  a  law  whereby 
the  county  commissioners  appointed  a  county  superintendent  of  roads,  who 
appoints  sub-superintendents,  who,  with  the  county  superintendent  of  roads, 
becomes  responsible  for  the  care  and  management  of  all  county  public 
highways. 

In  January,  1814,  the  county  commissioners  appointed  Robert  Jellison 
coimty  superintendent  of  roads.  Mr.  Jellison  proceeded  immediately  to  the 
appointment  of  his  various  able  superintendents  and  the  work  or  organiza- 
tion was  begun  immediately.  As  to  what  the  ultimate  result  of  this  man- 
agement will  be  is  of  course  problematical,  but  it  must  be  said  that  the  plan 
bids  fair  to  be  the  best  ever  devised.  The  success  of  this  plan,  however, 
will  depend  largely  upon  the  ability  of  the  men  appointed  as  various  super- 
intendents. If  ability,  knowledge  and  skill  is  to  be  the  determining  factor, 
the  roads  will  be  benefited  by  it. 

At  the  present  time  Mr.  Jellison  has  under  his  charge  the  following 
roads :  Spence,  No.  64,  6,700  feet  stone ;  Fairview  and  Ridgeville,  No.  8, 
47,520  feet  gravel;  Camel,  No.  148,  6,100  feet  gravel;  Woods,  No.  11, 
44,880  feet  gravel;  Kitselman,  No.  25,  31,680  feet  gravel;  Stone  Staton  and 
Olive  Branch,  No.  21,  34,320  feet  gravel;  Gray,  No.  57,  7,870  feet  stone; 
Ridgeville  and  Farmland,  No.  26,  31,680  feet  gravel;  Huber,  No.  87,  14,800 
feet  stone;  Harker,  No.   10,  36,900  feet  gravel;  Sipe,  No.   i,  30,360  feet 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  38 1 

gravel;  Cummings,  No.  135,  31,600  feet  stone;  Hoover,  No.  19,  15,840  feet 
gravel;  Warren,  No.  131,  15,820  feet  stone;  Gettinger,  No.  58,  5,480  feet 
stone;  Saratoga  and  Stone  Station,  No.  28,  24,360  feet  gravel;  Hinkle,  No. 
14,  33,000  feet  gravel;  Stephens,  No.  133,  10,430  feet  gravel;  Olive  Branch, 
No.  144,  5,280  feet  gravel;  Armstrong,  No.  112,  6,100  feet  stone;  Bosworth, 
No.  29,  39,600  feet  gravel;  Winchester  and  Deerfield,  No.  2,  47,520  feet 
gravel;  Shierling,  No.  97,  13,050  geet  stone;  Schlecty,  No.  87,  10,644  feet 
stone;  Warren  &  Weimer,  No.  27,  21,120  feet  gravel;  Harshman,  No.  86, 
15,836  feet  stone;  Hoover  and  Pittsburg,  No.  18,  10,560  feet  gravel;  Rickert, 
No.  17,  26,400  feet  gravel;  Mundhank,  No.  146,  12,330  feet  stone;  Devor, 
No.  34,  15,840  feet  gravel;  Salem  and  Union  City,  No.  5,  39,600  feet 
gravel;  Hinchy,  No.  15,  23,760  feet  gravel;  State  Line  North,  No.  16, 
39,960  feet  gravel;  Van  Pelt,  No.  23,  35,640  feet  gravel;  Manor,  No.  125, 
10,560  feet  stone;  Farmland  and  Shiloh,  No.  24,  15,840  feet  gravel;  Mc- 
Guire,  No.  63,  11,250  feet  stone;  Windsor  and  Winchester,  No.  3,  72,600 
feet  gravel;  Goodrich,  No.  143,  9,200  feet  stone;  Sanders,  No.  96,  11,700 
feet  stone;  Adams,  No.  72,  16,580  feet  stone;  Murray  Pike,  No.  22,  29,040 
feet  gravel;  Pogue,  No.  93,  13,098  feet  gravel;  Heaston,  No.  85,  11,620  feet 
stone;  Romock,  No.  95,  3,360  feet  stone;  Fitzmaurice,  No.  82,  5,260  feet 
stone;  Goodrich,  No.  83,  2,288  feet  stone;  Burke,  No.  y"],  10,171  feet  stone; 
Favorite,  No.  81,  13,188  feet  stone;  Harris,  No.  122,  13,091  feet  stone; 
Hendrickson,  iS^o.  84,  15,760  feet  stone;  Bousman,  No.  116,  14,063  feet 
stone;  Winchester  and  Union  City,  No.  6,  50,160  feet  gravel;  Fraze,  No.  66, 
10,769  feet  stone;  Pierce,  No.  100,  15,815  feet  stone;  Mangas,  No.  90, 
14,523  feet  stone;  Baird,  No.  73,  15,820  feet  stone;  Cox,  No.  80,  7,290  feet 
.stone;  Thompson,  No.  iii,  11,417  feet  stone;  Windsor  S.,  No.  41,  19,800 
feet  gravel ;  Parker  and  Losantville,  No.  40,  44,680  feet  gravel ;  Cabin  Creek 
and  Bronson.  No,  42,  34,320  feet  gravel;  Gilmore,  No.  44,  9,240  feet  gravel; 
Farmland  and  Modoc,  No.  39,  66,000  feet  gravel;  Vanlandingham,  No.  31, 
11,880  feet  gravel;  Maxville  and  Unionsport,  No.  43,  19,800  feet  gravel; 
Moorman,  No.  124,  10,890  feet  stone;  Lasley,  No.  144,  12,320  feet  stone; 
Buena  Vista,  No.  30,  13,184  feet  gravel;  Reinard,  No.  126,  5,296  feet  stone; 
Baldwin.  No.  65,  13,200  feet  stone;  Beeson,  No.  145,  14,520  feet  stone; 
Bunda  Pike,  No.  32,  18,480  feet  gravel;  Clements,  No.  103,  13,391  feet 
stone;  Brooks,  No.  75,  12,000  feet  stone;  Lynn  and  Winchester  pike.  No. 
20,  46,200  feet  gravel;  Brown  and  Benson,  No.  loi,  5,333  feet  stone;  Butts, 
No.  33,  14,540  feet  gravel;  Moore,  No.  91,  14,633  feet  stone;  Green,  No. 
T20,  8,220  feet  stone;  Swank,  No.  134,  21,696  feet  stone;  Chenoweth,  No. 
53,  13,200  feet  stone;  Thornburg,  No.  no,  14,880  feet  stone;  Shockley,  No. 


o 


82  RANDOLl'H    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


109,  11,984  feet  stone;  Rowe,  No.  94,  15,000  feet  stone;  Bickle,  No.  78, 
15,732  feet  stone;  Union  City  and  White  River,  No.  12,  18,515  feet  gravel; 
H.  Bowman,  No.  115,  10,919  feet  stone;  State  Line  S.,  No.  13,  31,680  feet 


gravel 
gravel 
gravel 
gravel 
gravel 


Foutz,  No.  105,  24,879  feet  stone;  Lumpkins,  No.  62,  10,715  feet 
Brewer,  No.  102,  15,735  feet  gravel;  Medsker,  No.  45,  15,840  feet 
Cougil,  No.  47,  9,240  feet  gravel;  Farquhar,  No.  67,  11,800  feet 
Macy,  No.  141,  9,240  feet  gravel;  Keever,  No.  70,  10,560  feet 
Botkin,  No.  140,  15,840  feet  gravel;  Sheppard,  No.  99,  13,100  feet 
stone;  Brosey,  No.  74,  14,620  feet  stone;  Cady,  No.  139,  11,880  feet  gravel; 
Marshall,  No.  142,  9,240  feet  stone;  Morrison,  No.  108,  6,625  feet  stone; 
Huntsville  and  Modoc,  No.  46,  18,480  feet  gravel;  Adamson,  No.  114,  13,221 
feet  stone;  Jarott,  No.  138,  39,040  feet  gravel;  Cox,  No.  104,  10,621  feet 
gravel;  Glover,  No.  68,  12,156  feet  gravel;  Mills,  No.  88,  12,100  feet  stone; 
Hiitchens,  No.  61,  15,995  l^^t  gravel;  R.  Murray,  No.  48,  11,880  feet  stone; 
Sickles,  No.  128,  15,840  feet  stone;  Wysong,  No.  29,  13,200  feet  gravel; 
Baxter,  No.  76,  16,759  feet  stone;  Morris,  No.  89,  14,340  feet  stone;  Lynn 
West,  No.  137,  11,880  feet  gravel;  Pegg,  No.  54,  13,200  feet  gravel;  Albert- 
son,  No.  113,  14,520  feet  stone;  Shockney,  No.  127,  13,391  feet  stone; 
Hinshaw,  No.  121,  13,056  feet  gravel;  Brown,  No.  143,  10,881  stone;  Bev- 
erly, No.  117,  2,691  feet  stone;  Jordon,  No.  59,  14,999  ^^^t  stone;  Lynn 
East,  No.  147,  10,560  feet  gravel;  Johnson,  No.  69,  14,190  feet  gravel; 
Kelley,  No.  49,  19,800  feet  gravel;  Moody,  No.  92,  5,284  feet  stone;  Ward, 
No.  132,  10,268  feet  gravel;  Camel,  No.  35,  13,200  feet  gravel;  S.  C.  Bowen, 
No.  52,  14,520  feet  gravel;  Horn  Pike,  No.  36,  39,  600  feet  gravel;  Wright, 
No.  130,  23,528  feet  gravel;  Sam  Hill,  No.  38,  36,960  feet  gravel;  W.  S. 
Bowen,  No.  50,  12,320  feet  gravel;  Buckley,  No.  37,  19,800  feet  gravel; 
Jackson  Pike,  No.  9,  63,360  feet  gravel;  Burel,  No.  51,  13,200  feet  gravel. 

Another  great  factor  in  the  public  highway  question  of  this  county  has 
been  its  bridges.  Formerly  the  streams  were  crossed  at  some  suitable  place 
called  "fords,"  but  the  traveling  public  has  long  since  demanded  public 
bridges.  Randolph  county,  having  so  many  streams,  makes  the  building  ot 
its  bridges  a  very  important  one.  Formerly  all  bridges  were  built  of  wood 
and  the  county  had  several  "covered  bridges"  or  bridges  that  were  enclosed 
by  roof  and  siding. 

These  bridges  served  their  purpose  well,  but  at  this  time,  1914,  only  two 
of  any  consequence  are  standing.  These  are  the  bridge  southwest  of  Farm- 
land across  White  river,  and  at  the  Steubenville  crossing  of  the  Mississinfewa. 
These  bridges  were  built  in  1883  and  are  still  in  a  splendid  state  of  preserva- 
tion. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  383 

The  wooden  bridges  have  given  way  to  the  steel  structure,  which  in 
time  must  give  way  to  those  built  of  cement. 

Among  the  important  bridges  of  the  county  are  those  crossing  the 
Mississinewa  at  Fairvie\v,  Emmettsville,  Ridgeville,  Ritenours,  Deerfield, 
Shakerag  and  at  each  section  line  east  to  the  state  line.  White  river  is  crossed 
at  Windsor,  Dick's,  Farmland,  Maxville,  Moormans,  Harpers,  Winchester 
and  at  each  place  where  it  is  crossed  by  a  public  road.  Stoney  creek  has  two 
large  bridges  near  Windsor  and  smaller  ones  further  up  stream.  Cabin 
creek  is  spanned  by  three  large  bridges.  Bridges  of  lesser  size  are  to  be 
found  over  West  river  and  Nolan's  Fork,  Greenville  creek,  Little  Mississinewa 
and  various  other  streams.  The  smaller  bridges  are  practically  all  built  out 
of  concrete  and  the  wooden  floors  of  the  steel  bridges  are  being  replaced  by 
reinforced  concrete. 

Bridges  of  modern  times  are  of  such  stability  that  it  is  not  necessary  to 
slacken  sp.eed.  while  crossing  them.  Formerly  this  was  necessary,  as  early  as 
1868,  when  it  was  a  iineable  offense  to  cross  a  bridge  "faster  than  a  walk," 
and  all  bridges  had  fastened  on  them  somewhere  in  public  view  the  state- 
ment:    "$5.00  fine  for  traveling  over  this  bridge  faster  than  a  walk." 

Notes  from  the  Commissioners  record : 

The  court  house  was  begun  December  6,  1818  and  finished  June  6,  1820. 
Second  court  house  was  built  in  1826. 

One  hundred  and  fifty-eight  acres  of  land  was  donated  for  county  pur- 
poses.    Paul  W    AVay  made  first  survey. 

January  3,  1826,  the  commissioners  made  the  following  entry: 

"Ordered  that  the  county  treasurer  pay  Paul  Way,  county  agent,  the 
sum  of  thirty-six  dollars  and  twenty-five  cents 

for  running  ofif  5  surveys  at  3.00 $15.00 

for  laying  ofif  28  lots  in  the  town  of  Winchester 7.75 

for  plat  of  the  same 2.25 

for  advertising  the  sale  of  lots i.oo 

for  2  days  attending  said  sale 2.00 

for  writing  23  deeds  to  close  the  late  sale  at  25  cents  each 5.75 

for  writing  2  deeds  for  donation,  50 i.oo 

for  2^  gallons  whiskey  give  at  the  sale i.oo 

Return   of  sale   .50 

Total $36.25 

In  the  year  1825." 


384  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

We  suppose  that .  whiskey  helped  sell  the  lots.  Lot  sales  were  ordered 
when  the  treasury  became  low,  which  Avas  often. 

Joseph  Crown  rented  a  room  in  the  court  house  in  1829  to  work  at  his 
trade. 

In  1832  Elias  Kizer  was  ordered  to  repair  the  stray  pen  and  the  court 
house. 

The  first  stove  was  bought  for  the  jail  in  1837. 

Paul  Way  was  ordered  to  sell  to  the  lowest  bidder  the  erection  of  a  stray 
pen  in  Winchester.  "Ordered  that  Paul  W  Way  as  agent  sell  to  the  lowest 
bidder  the  erection  of  an  estray  pen  in  Winchester  form  as  agreed  on  by 
himself  and  the  board  of  commissioners,  said  estray  pen  to  be  completed 
against  the  first  Monday  in  May  next."  We  do  not  know  what  it  cost  to 
build  it  but  it  was  sold  in  1851  to  Mr.  Way  for  $4.00. 

Xathan  Garrett  was  ordered  to  secure  the  safety  of  the  court  house  in 

1837- 

First  county  attorney  was  Smith  Elkins,  appointed  in  1838. 

The  county  agent  was  ordered  in  November,  1839  to:  "Repair  the 
upper  story  of  the  county  jail  by  lining  it  with  two  inch  oak  plank;  must  be 
ploughed  and  grooved  and  the  plank  must  be  fixed  in  a  perpendicular  position 
and  spiked  fast  to  the  wall  with  sufficient  durable  nails  and  also  to  have  a 
good  lock  put  on  said  jail  door.  It  is  further  ordered  that  the  trap  door  of 
said  jail  be  sufficiently  secured  to  guard  against  the  escape  of  convict.-." 
The  trap  door  referred  to  was  in  the  floor  of  the  upper  room  and  was  the 
only  means  of  putting  prisoners  in  the  lower  story. 

In  ^Jay,  1840,  David  Moorman  was  allowed  $4.43^  "for  taking  off  old 
lock  and  putting  a  new  one  on  the  jail." 

Evidently  things  had  been  going  wrong  about  the  jail  for  at  the  same 
session  it  was  "ordered  that  the  county  agent  have  the  hinges  on  the  jail  door 
made  sufficiently  strong  to  secure  all  prisoners  that  may  be  put  therein 
instanter." 

In  August,  1840,  Jesse  Way  was  paid  $15.00,  Anderson  D.  Way  $15.00, 
\^'m.  D.  Smith,  Si 5.00  and  Michael  Aker  Si 5.00,  for  assisting  to  convey 
prisoners  to  Jeffersonville.  At  the  same  time  Elisha  Martin  and  Jacob  Rem- 
mel  were  paid  $3.33^  each,  "for  assisting  to  convey  prisoners  as  far  as 
Centerville  who  were  on  their  way  to  State  prison."  Evidently  they  were 
taking  a  "bad  lot"  for  Michael  Aker  was  "allowed  out  of  the  county  treasury 
one  dollar  fifty  cents  for  furnishing  chains  to  secure  prisoners,  to  take  them 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  385 

to  the  State  prison,"  and  Jesse  Way  was  "allowed  $1.37^^   for  pitcher  for 
jail  and  3  pad  locks." 

February,  i84i,the  Treasurer  was  ordered  to  "pay  Stephen  D.  Cun- 
ningham $5.49  for  furnishing  ^nd  irons  for  the  court  house." 

Three  noted  prisoners  of  1841  were  Austin,  Munden  and  Combs.  Thos. 
W.  Coats  was  paid  $30.00  for  helping  to  take  them  to  State  prison.  Joseph 
Kelly,  Samuel  Burres  and  Asahel  Stone  were  paid  $1.00  each  for  guarding 
these  prisoners  "in  jail  one  night."  George  Clark  and  John  Way  were  paid 
"one  dollar  each  for  their  horses  service  in  arresting  David  Combs." 
'  Robert  Irvin,  jailor,  is  paid  $1.00  for  gloves  and  candles  for  use  of 
Munden,  Austin  and  Combs,  prisoners. 

In  1843,  Asahel  Stone  was  "allowed  $30.50  for  building  a  privy  for  the 
use  of  Randolph  county."  The  building  was  situated  on  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  the  square. 

In  1843,  't  was  "ordered  that  the  court  house  of  Randolph  county  be 
kept  for  the  purposes  of  holding  courts  therein  and  political  speaking  only 
and  that  the  sheriff  of  said  county  have  the  care  of  the  same. 

Tn  June,  1844,  Paul  W.  Way,  county  agent,  was  ordered  to  "cause  horse 
racks  to  be  erected  on  each  corner  of  the  public  square  and  other  places  where 
he  may  deem  necessary  on  said  public  square  in  the  town  of  Winchester." 

June  9,  1844,  Elias  Kizer,  one  of  the  county  commissioners,  was  "ap- 
pointed to  furnish  a  stove  for  the  court  house  and  piping  for  the  same  also 
to  get  piping  for  the  stove  for  the  jail  within  and  for  Randolph  county.  Also 
to  repair  said  jail  if  needed  and  report  to  the  next  term  of  this  board."  Mr. 
Kizer,  evidently  did  this  work  immediately  as  the  next  item  is  the  order  for 
$25.00,  paying  him  for  the  same. 

Abraham  Adamson,  one  of  the  commissioners,  protested  against  Henry 
Neff  as  treasurer  in  1844. 

A  reminder  of  "old  times"  is  shown  in  an  order  of  1846,  when  Thomas 
W.  Reece  was  "allowed  the  sum  of  $1.10  for  quills  and  sand  boxes  furnished 
for  Randolph  county  up  to  February  17,  1846."  Steel  pens  were  not  bought 
for  the  county  until  1851,  when  A.  J.  Ru.st  was  allowed  $1.50  for  steel  pens. 
Sand  boxes  were  used  to  hold  sand  in  which  the  quills  were  "stuck."  The 
sand  was  also  used  for  blotting. 

December  11,  1846,  the  board  ordered  that  "David  J.  Cottom  procure 
a  clear  toned  bell  for  the  use  of  the  court  house,  weighing  two  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds,  the  said  bell  to  be  paid  for  out  of  the  first  money  paid  into  the 
(25) 


386  RANDOLPH    COVNTY,    INDIANA. 

county  treasury."  This  bell  was  hung  on  the  outside  of  the  tower  which  is 
shown  in  the  picture  of  the  court  house  and  was  afterward  removed  and 
placed  on  the  town  hall  and  became  the  property  of  C.  E.  Magee  when  he 
purchased  that  building.     Mr.  Magee  still  owns  the  bell. 

December  11,  1846,  the  board  of  commissioners  entered  into  a  contract 
with  A.  D.  Way  which  said  that  he  "be  and  he  is  hereby  authorized  to  care 
and  take  charge  of  the  keys  of  the  court  house  for  the  term  of  five  months 
from  the  date  hereof  for  which  he  is  to  have  the  use  of  the  jury  room  in  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  said  house,  also  he  obligate  himself  to  keep  said  house 
in  good  order."  On  the  same  day  it  was  "ordered  by  the  board  of  com- 
missioners that  division  No.  26  of  the  .Sons  of  Temperance  have  the  privilege 
of  holding  their  meetings  in  the  second  story  of  the  court  house  for  the  term 
of  one  year  for  the  sum  of  $12.00,  also  the  said  Sons  of  Temperance  are 
to  have  the  privilege  of  running  a  partition  across  the  said  second  story  of 
the  court  house  for  which  they  are  to  be  allowed  a  reasonable  compensation." 

Elias  Kizer  furnished  the  wood  for  the  court  house  in  1848  for  $40.50. 

In  December,  1848,  the  board  ordered  "that  D.  W.  Frazer  be  allowed  to 
occupy  the  grand  jury  room  up  stairs  in  the  court  house  (excepting  when  the 
circuit  court  is  in  session  at  which  time  said  Frazer  is  not  to  be  entitled  to 
the  use  of  said  room)  for  the  sum  of  one  dollar  per  month." 

A  plague  broke  out  in  the  town  of  Winchester  in  the  summer  of  1849. 
It  was  claimed  by  many  to  be  cholera.  People  were  very  much  frightened 
as  a  great  many  people  died. 

August  2nd  of  that  year  year  a  special  session  of  the  commissioners  was 
held,  a  report  of  which  is  as  follows  : 

"By  a  citation  issued  from  the  county  auditor  for  the  purpose  of  having 
the  place  of  holding  lections  changed  in  White  River  township  at  the  annual 
August  election,  A.  D.  1849  Present  the  Honorable  Philip  Barger,  Abraham 
Adamson,  Esqrs.  members  of  said  board. 

To  the  honorable  the  board  of  commissioners  of  Randolph  county  in 
special  session  we  the  undersigned  citizens  respectfully  represent  to  your 
honors  that  sickness  prevails  in  the  town  of  Winchester  the  usual  place  of 
holding  the  elections  in  White  River  township  to  such  an  extent  that  it  is 
thought  to  be  dangerous  to  hold  the  coming  August  election  in  said  town. 
We  therefore  pray  your  honors  to  change  the  place  of  holding  said  election 
to  some  suitable  point  in  said  township  where  the  voters  may  not  incur  said 
danger  and  your  petitioners  will  ever  pray,  etc. :  Silas  Colgrove,  Jno.  R. 
Turner,  Edmund  Thomas,  D.  J.  Cottom,  M.  L.  Jones,  J.  A.  Steele,  A.  O. 
Neff,  J.  Y.  Howard,  J.  M.  Hill,  A.  J.  Rush,  H.  Y.  Kizer,  Wm.  Allen,  M.  A. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  387 

Reeder,  B.   C.   Hoyt,   Saml.   Y.   Ludy,   Thos.   Wallace,   Wm.   Darah,   Wm. 
Frazee,  E.  Martin,  W.  G.  Puckett,  W.  Y.  Way,  Y.  W.  Reece. 

Whereas,  by  the  foregoing  petition  we  deem  it  a  sufficient  cause  for  the 
changing  of  said  election;  we  therefore  order  that  the  next  annual  August 
election  be  held  at  a  house  on  Jesse  Smith's  land  near  Isaac  Ray's  about  one 
mile  west  of  Winchester  in  said  township. 

Read,  signed  in  open  court  and  the  board  adjourned  until  court  in  course, 

Philip  Barger, 
Abraham   Adamson.'" 

June  II,  1850,  it  was 

"Ordered  by  the  board  that  Paul  W.  Way  be  and  he  is  hereby  appointed 
to  sell  to  the  lowest  bidder  the  fencing  of  the  public  square  in  the  town  of 
Winchester  with  a  good  and  sufficient  plank  fence  composed  of  post  and 
plank,  the  post  to  be  of  good  white  oak  timber  to  take  bond  and  security  of  the 
undertaker  for  the  faithful  performance  of  his  contract,  said  public  square 
to  be  so  enclosed  as  ten  feet  on  the  east  side  and  ten  feet  on  the  north  side 
next  the  streets  unenclosed  on  the  west  side  enclosed  so  as  to  take  the  market 
house  into  the  enclosure  and  on  the  south  side  on  the  same  line  that  the 
present  fence  now  stands,  and  also  that  said  Paul  W.  Way  have  the  necessary 
removed  and  permanently  set  on  some  site  as  best  suits  his  own  judgment 
concerning  the  same  and  make  report  of  his  proceedings  in  the  premises  to 
the  next  term  of  this  board." 

In  1850,  Martin  A.  Reeder  was  "appointed  to  take  charge  of  the  court 
house  in  Randolph  county  for  the  term  of  one  year  and  keep  the  same  locked 
up  except  on  public  occasions  and  the  Union  Sabbath  school  will  be  permitted 
to  hold  Sabbath  school  in  the  same." 

At  the  same  meeting  it  was  "ordered  by  the  board  that  the  Sons  of 
Temperance  be  permitted  to  occupy  their  rooms  upstairs  at  the  court  house 
for  one  year  at  the  former  rate  of  rent  provided  that  said  Sons  shall. collect 
all  their  dirt  and  floors  cleaning  out  of  the  court  house." 

In  1851,  Haller  Skagg  was  allowed  $14.10  part  pay  for  fencing  the 
public  square.  John  H.  Leake  was  allowed  $14.10  for  the  same.  Ludy  & 
Aker  were  allowed  $6.35  for  nails  and  spikes  for  fencing  public  square. 
Paul  W.  Way  was  allowed  $5.50  "for  his  services  superintending  building 
new  fence  and  selling  old  fence  all  round  public  square,  etc."  Solomon 
Yunker  was  allowed  fifty  cents,  "pay  for  mending  saddle  bags  for  county 
treasurer."  It  must  be  remembered  at  that  time  the  county  treasurer  col- 
lected the  taxes  by  calling  on  the  various  tax  payers  over  the  county. 


388  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Thomas  M.  Brown  rented  the  grand  jiir}'  room  in  1851,  "for  the  term 
of  twelve  months  (except  when  the  grand  jury  shall  be  in  session)  for  the 
sum  of  one  dollar  per  month  to  be  paid  into  the  county  treasury  quarterly." 

In  1853,  the  board  of  equalization  was  made  up  of  township  assessors. 

The  Sons  of  Temperance  had  to  give  up  their  room  in  1853  and  the 
county  recorder  "took  that  room  as  his  office  for  the  purpose  of  recording 
deeds,  etc.,  and  other  instruments  required  to  be  recorded  in  the  said  record- 
er's office  in  the  county  of  Randolph."  The  deed  and  marriage  record  was 
not  indexed  by  general  index  until  1852.  This  work  was  done  by  Willis 
C.  Wilmore  for  which  he  received  $203.18. 

In  1853,  Joseph  Anthony,  circuit  judge,  reports  having  examined  the 
records  of  the  clerk's  office  and  finds  "on  such  examination  the  records  to  be 
kept  in  a  fair  and  legible  hand  and  the  papers  mostly  neatly  filed  and  in  good 
state  for  convenience  and  preservation." 

December  4,  1853,  Wm.  A.  Peele  appeared  before  the  board  of  com- 
missioners and  moved :  "The  court  to  order  what  kind  of  animals  should  be 
allowed  to  run  at  large  upon  the  unenclosed  land  or  public  country  of  any 
township,  which  motion  is  continued  for  further  evidence  to  the  term  of  this 
board." 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  what  Mr.  Peele's  motion  was  but  no 
record  is  made  of  it  ever  having  been  heard  of  again. 

In  December,  1853,  Wm.  Burris  was  allowed:  "Sum  of  $118.12,  pay 
for  78744  words  in  making  up  the  general  index  of  deeds  and  marriages 
of  Randolph  county." 

The  first  iron  safe  bought  for  the  county  was  purchased  for  the  clerk*s 
office  in  1858;  $100.00  was  paid  for  it. 

In  1858,  Elias  Kizer  was  to  furnish  twenty-five  cords  of  wood  for  the 
county  at  $1,40  per  cord,  "to  be  corded  up  on  the  west  part  of  the  public 
square  between  the  court  house  and  the  market  house." 

A  small  fire  occurred  in  the  court  house  in  1855. 

Candles  were  purchased  for  the  court  room  as  late  as  1865. 

December  6,  18 18,  the  first  appointment  of  assessor  was  made  as  fol- 
lows: "George  Bowls  appointed  lister  for  the  county  of  Randolph  for  the 
year  18 19  who  gave  bond  according  to  law  and  took  and  subscribed  the  fol- 
lowing affirmation:  I  George  Bowls  do  solemnly  affirm  that  I  will  as  • 
lister  for  the  county  of  Randolph  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge  and  judg- 
ment diligently  and  indiscreetly  honestly  and  faithfully  execute  and  dis- 
charge the  duties  of  lister  according  to  law.     George  Bowls."     Mr.  Bowls 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  389 

made  his  report  during  the  May  term  of  1819  and  received  the  sum  of  $10.00 
for  his  services. 

The  first  tax  levy  was  made  in  1819  and  was  as  follows :  "Ordered 
that  the  taxes  for  the  year  1819  on  each  and  every  horse  beast,  25  cents."  A 
second  tax  levy  was  made  in  May,  1820,  as  follows:  "Ordered  that  the  fol- 
lowing rates  of  taxation  be  paid  for  county  purposes  for  the  year  on  each 
horse  creature  over  three  years,  etc.,  37/^  cents;  on  each  house  of  entertain- 
ment, $10.00."     The  tax  levy  of  1826  was  as  follows: 

"Ordered  that  the  tax  on  tavern  license  be $  5.00 

The  tax  on  merchandise 10.00 

On  ferrys 2.00 

On  horses,  etc. -37/^ 

On  oxen .18^ 

On  town  lots  two  per  cent,  on  the  value 
On  land  half  the  amount  of  State  tax 

On  pleasure  carriages  of  two  wheels i.oo 

On  pleasure  carriages  of  four  wheels 1.50 

On  silver  or  pinchback  watches .25 

On  gold  watches i.oo 

On  brass  clocks i.oo 

On  stud  horses,  one,  the  price  of  covering  by  the  season." 
Grocers'  license  was  raised  to  $10.00  in  1832. 

The  rate  in  1835  was  fixed  in  the  January  term  of  that  year  when  it  was 
"ordered  that  the  rate  of  taxation  for  the  year  1835  be  as  follows,  to  wit: 

On  grocery  license  by  the  year  at  the  rate  of $15.00 

On  license  to  vend  wooden  clocks  at  the  rate  of 10.00 

On  tavern  license  by  the  year 10.00 

On  horses,  each -37/^ 

On  oxen,  each .18^ 

On  town  lots  two  per  cent,  of  the  valuation 

On  gold,  silver  and  composition  watches,  each -37/4 

On  pleasure  carriages  of  four  wheels i.oo 

On  pleasure  carriages  of  two  wheels .50 

On  first  rate  land,  one  cent  per  acre. 

On  second  rate  land,  ^  of  a  cent  per  acre. 

On  third  rate  land,  Yz  cent  per  acre. 

On  polls,  25  cents  each. 

On   watches    -ZyV-^-'' 


39°  ■  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  writer  of  this  article,  in  looking  through  some  rubbish  in  the  attic 
of  the  court  house  in  1912,  found  the  original  tax  duplicate  of  that  year.  It 
consists  of  a  book  of  fifty-six  pages,  eleven  and  one-half  by  fourteen  inches, 
bound  in  hog  skin,  sewed  by  hand,  and  made  by  C.  Conway,  clerk  at  that 
time.  It  contains  the  items  of  descriptions  of  land,  number  of  acres,  value 
of  land  and  taxable  buildings,  names  of  towns,  in  lots  and  out  lots  and  value 
of  same,  cattle  over  two  years  old,  hogs  over  one  year  old,  merchants'  capi- 
tal, value  of  corporation  stock,  value  of  law  libraries,  value  of  medical 
libraries,  money  at  interest  and  aggregate  value  of  all  other  taxable  property 
not  specified  the  number  of  polls,  total  amount  of  taxables  and  remarks.  In 
that  year  there  were  1,248  people  assessed  in  the  county.  The  poll  tax  was 
37^  cents;  value  of  land  and  taxable  buildings,  $232,184.00;  value  of  lots 
and  improvements,  $6,931.25;  value  of  horses  and  mules,  $48,291.50;  value 
of  cattle  over  two  years  old,  $10,363.50;  value  of  hogs  over  one  year  old, 
$7,097.25;  there  were  nine  merchants,  and  their  capital  totaled  $7,624.00; 
value  of  corporation  stock,  $682.00;  value  of  law  libraries,  $150.00;  value  of 
medical  libraries,  $97.00;  money  at  interest,  $4,063.50;  aggregate  value  of 
all  the  other  taxable  property  not  specified,  $20,105.50. 

November,  1828,  "William  Mann  is  acquitted  of  75  cents  tax  on  a  horse 
improperly  assessed  for  the  year  1828."  September,  1827,  Albert  Banta 
was  acquitted  of  13  cents  tax  on  a  town  lot  improperly  assessed  for  the  year 
1827.    In  the  same  year  John  Coats  was  acquitted  of  16  cents. 

In  1830  it  was  "Ordered  that  county  treasurer  pay  Isaac  Overman  75 
cents,  the  tax  improperly  assessed  and  collect  on  two  work  oxen  for  the  year 
1829." 

June,  1830,  David  Frazer  was  paid  "twenty-five  cents  for  one  quire 
furnished  at  election  prior  to  date  and  fifty  cents  for  making  return  of  the 
election  in  the  year  1829." 

In  1826  Joseph  Pierson  was  paid  $7.80  for  assessing  Greensfork  town- 
ship. Robert  Way  was  paid  $11.20  for  assessing  White  River  towrjship. 
Wm.  Hunt  paid  $7.00  for  assessing  West  River  township.  Riley  Marshall 
$4.50  for  assessing  Ward  township.  These  were  all  the  townships  in  what 
is  now  Randolph  county,  but  that  same  year  David  Vestal  was  paid  $5.00 
for  assessing  Liberty  township,  being  part  of  Delaware  county.  May, 
1827,  James  Clayton  was  given  an  order  for  $30.00  as  assessor  for  the  year 
1827.  In  November,  1827,  Mr.  Clayton  appeared  before  the  board  and  the 
following  entry  was  made:  "This  day  James  Clayton  came  before  the 
board  in  open  session  and  made  affirmation  that  a  county  order  granted  to 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  39I 

him  for  assessing  the  county  for  the  year  1827  is  lost  or  so  mislaid  that  he 
can  not  get  the  same  therefore  ordered  that  an  order  issue  in  the  place  of  the 
one  so  lost  or  mislaid." 

The  Treasurer  reports  in  May,  1826,  a  balance  of  $9.19^..  A  balance 
in  January,  1829,  of  $7.04.  In  ]\Iarch,  1830,  the  treasurer  reports  $9.4114- 
In  May,  1832,  he 'had  $1.91.  As  late  as  May,  1840,  the  treasury  was  so 
depleted  that  it  was  "ordered  that  Goodrich  Brothers  &  Company  be  allowed 
$6.00  for  a  record  book  for  surveyors  office  out  of  the  first  money  that 
comes  into  the  county  treasury."  In  August  of  the  same  year  George  M. 
Monks  was  to  receive  "$13.00  out  of  the  first  money  that  comes  into  the 
treasury  for  money  by  him  expended  for  paper  and  books."  When  the 
treasury  would  get  into  this  condition  they  would  have  a  lot  sale. 

One  hundred  fifty-eight  acres  of  land,  donated  to  the  county  by  the 
gentleman  referred  to  in  the  first  part  of  this  chapter,  was  divided  into  town 
lots,  the  sales  of  which  were  to  replenish  the  treasury  of  the  county,  all 
remaining  lots  in  Winchester  were  also  ordered  sold  in  1827.  Paul  W.  Way 
had  this  in  charge  and  Way  received  pay  for  selling  these  in  1828. 

William  Connor  was  the  first  to  be  granted  license  to  vend  merchandise. 
He  paid  $20.00  for  a  license  for  twelve  months  from  November,  1818,  to 
November,   1819. 

To  keep  a  tavern  one  had  to  have  a  license  which  must  be  obtained  by 
twelve  disinterested  freeholders  petitioning  the  county  commissioners  to 
grant  license  to  some  specified  person.  The  conditions  of  these  petitions  is 
shown  by  the  following  entry,  made  in  March  term  of  1840:  "Herman  L. 
Searls  now  comes  and  files  a  certificate  of  good  moral  character  signed  by  at 
least  twenty-four  freeholders  of  Ward  township,  in  the  county  of  Ran- 
dolph, Indiana,  and  also  a  petition  praying  the  board  of  commissioners  to 
grant  him  a  license  to  keep  a  tavern  in  the  town  of  Deerfield,  in  said 
county,  for  one  year  from  this  date.  And  the  board  of  commissioners 
being  satisfied  that  it  is  the  bona  fide  intention  of  the  said  petitioner  to  keep 
a  tavern  for  the  accommodation  of  the  public  and  that  he  is  furnished  with 
the  spare  rooms  and  bedding  in  his  mansion  house  and  stabling  and  good  stalls 
.for  at  least  four  horses  and  all  things  required  by  law  for  a  tavern  keeper 
and  having  filed  a  bond  and  security  as  required  by  law,  and  having  produced 
the  county  treasurer's  receipt  for  the  sum  of  twenty-five  dollars  the  tax 
legally  assessed  by.  the  board  of  commissioners  on  tavern  license.  It  is 
therefore  ordered  by  the  board  of  commissioners  now  here  that  the  said 
Herman  L.  Searls  have  license  to  keep  a  tavern  in  the  said  town  of  Deerfield 


392  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

for  one  year  from  this  date."  Petition  of  Herman  L.  Searls.  The  rates  were 
fixed  by  the  county  commissioners.  The  first  rate  was  fixed  in  November, 
1819,  for  Mr.  McCool,  who  had  the  first  tavern  in  Winchester : 

"Dieting  per   meal   : $0.25 

Whiskey  per  ^  pt. , —     .I2>^ 

Rum  per  J4   pt-   -37^ 

Brand   per   )4    do 1 .25 

Gin  per  J4  do ■ .25 

Fresock  Brandy  pr  do -37/-^ 

Beer  or  Cider  per  quart .I2j4" 

In  1828  the  rates  were  changed  as  follows: 

"Ordered  that  the  following  be  tavern  rates  for  the  year  1828,  to  wit: 

For   dieting   $0.18^ 

Whiskey  by  the  half  pint .06^ 

Peach  Brandy   .12^/2 

Rum  and  French  Brandy : .18% 

Forage  by  the  feed  of  one  gallon .o6j4 

Horse  feed  and  grain  all  night .25 

Lodging   .o6j4 

Tavern  license  by  the  year 3-oo" 

In  1833,  license  for  peddling  wooden  clocks  was  fixed  at  $10.00  per  year. 
In  1847,  non-resident  peddlers  were  charged  $10.00  per  year.  In  1844, 
Pomeroy  &  Fleming  were  granted  a  license  to  vend  merchandise  and  wooden, 
brass  and  composition  clocks  in  Randolph  county  for  nine  months.  In  1833 
John  Beard  paid  $2.50  for  a  permit  to  sell  goods  in  Ward  township  for  three 
months.  Robert  Taylor  was  granted  a  license  to  keep  a  tavern  in  the  town 
of  Deerfield  in  1839.  Thomas  &  James  Burk  were  granted  a  license  to  keep 
a  grocery  in  the  town  of  Winchester  for  one  year,  1834. 

Edmund  B.  Goodrich  was  assessor  of  1834  and  received  $52.50  for  his 
services. 

The  first  attorney  for  the  county  commissioners  was  appointed  in  1840. 
Mr.  Smith  Elkins  at  that  time  was  paid  $26.00  for  thirteen  days'  services. 

The  first  woman  to  be  placed  in  jail  was  Jemima  Mann.  Jemima  was 
evidently  an  "old  oft'ender,"  as  in  January,  1831,  the  county  treasurer  was 
"ordered  to  pay  Wm.  M.  Way,  jailer,  the  sum  of  $17.00  for  confining  Ishmael 
Bunch  in  jail  and  dieting  same  four  days  and  confining  Jemima  Mann  in  jail 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  393 

two  different  times  and  dieting  the  same  thirty-eight  days,  furnishing  the 
noblocke  for  jail  door  and  furnishing  bed  quilt  for  prisoners." 

The  Indian  mound  is  referred  to  in  1832  as  the  old  fort. 

IMarch,  1840,  Nathan  Garrett  was  "allowed  $60.00  for  apprehending 
two  horse  thieves,  viz :  John  W.  Keener  and  Philip  W.  Hester." 

May,  1834,  "Jacob  Chrisman  received  $1.50  for  three  days  extra  service 
as  supervisor  and  $1.50  for  six  finger  boards." 

The  first  weights  and  measures  procured  for  the  county  was  in  Novem- 
ber, 1819,  when  Charles  Conway  was  "appointed  to  procure  one  measure  of 
I  foot  English,  one  measure  of  three  feet  English  measure  and  half  bushel, 
one  gallon  mea^sure  and  set  of  weights  of  lead  avoirdupois  weight  and  the 
an  initials  letters  of  the  county  for  the  use  of  the  county  of  Randolph."  In 
May  1840  Paul  W.  Way  county  agent,  was  ordered  to  procure  a  half 
bushel  measure  one  foot  one  yard  measure  also  scales  and  weights  as  provided 
for  by  law  for  clerks  office. 

An  agricultural  society  meeting  was  held  in  1840. 

Formerly  fines  and  forfeitures  must  be  recorded  with  the  county  com- 
missioners.    The  principal  offense  at  'that  time  seems  to  have  been  betting. 

The  report  of  January,  1841,  is  as  follows: 

"List  of  fines  assessed  in  the  Randolph  circuit  court  since  the  first  Mon- 
day in  January  A.  D.  1840;  at  April  terrri,  1840: 

State  vs.  Isom  Boswell,  7  cases,  retailing  fine  $2.00 $14.00 

State  vs.  Joseph  Maddox,  i  case  disturbing  religious  society,  fine i.oo 

State  vs.  Joseph  Maddox,  i  case  affray,  fine .50 

State  vs.  Jesse  Myers,   i  case  vending  merchandise  without  a  license, 

fine    1.00 

State  vs.  Peter  Sapp,  i  case  assault  and  battery,  fine . 2.00 

State  vs.  George  Whiting  and  State  vs.  James  Alexander,  i  case  A.  B., 

fined  each  i  cent .02 

State  vs.  Enoch  Light,  3  cases  betting,  fined  $2  each  case 6.00 

State  vs.  Nathan  Garret,  i  case  betting,^  fine i.oo 

State  vs.  Elijah  Arnold,  i  case  violation  estray  law,  fine 15.00 

State  vs.  William  Miller,  i  case  public  indecency,  fine 5.00 

State  vs.  Hiram  Gillum,  i  case  betting,  fine 2.00 

State  vs.  James  Kelly,  2  cases  betting,  fine  $2  each  case 4.00 

State  vs.  Solomon  Knight,  i  case  betting,  fine 1 2.00 

State  vs.  Jacob  Kelly,  i  case  betting,  fine ..: 2.00 


394  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

State  vs.  Benjamin  Hill,  i  case  betting,  fine 2.00 

State  vs.  Andrew  Lykins,   i  case  betting,  fine 2.00 

State  vs.  William  Woolf,  i  case  betting,  fine 2.00 

State  vs.  John  Miller,  i  case  betting,  fine 2.00 

State  vs.  Samuel  Lasley,  i  case  betting,  fine 2.00 

State  vs.  George  Noostadt,  i  case  betting,  fine 2.00 

State  vs.  Morris  Johnson,  i  case  betting,  Jine 2.00 

State  vs.  Walter  S.  Monks,  i  case  betting,  fine 2.00 

State  vs.  Walter  S.  Monks,  i  case  betting,  fine 2.00 

State  vs.  Enoch  Light  and  State  vs.  Morris  Johnson,  look  over 77-52 

State  vs.  David  Wyson,  State  vs.  Benjamin  Hill  and  State  vs.  Madison 

Wheeler,  i  case  each  betting,  fine  $2  each 6.00 

State  vs.  Peter  Wilson  and  State  vs.  Henry  Taylor,  i  case  obstruct- 
ing legal  process,  each  fined  $10.00 20.00 

State  vs.  Jacob  Johnson,  i  case  betting,  fine 2.00 

State  vs.  Jacob  Johnson,  i  case  betting,  fine 2.00 

State  vs.  Jacob  Johnson,  i  case  Thomas  Rhoda  betting,  fined 2.00 

State  vs.  John  Kelly,  i  case  betting,  fined 2.00 

State  vs.  Samuel  McGuire,  i  case  betting,  fined 2.00 

State  vs.  Thomas  McGuire,  i  case  betting,  fined 2.00 

State  vs.  Philip  W.  Hester,  i  case  grand  larceny,  fined 5.00 

State  vs.  John  W.  Keener,  i  ca.se  grand  larceny,  fined 5.00 

State  vs.  Thomas  Jellison,  i  case  A.  B.,  fined i.oo 

State  vs.  Elijah  Arnold,  i  case  larceny,  fine 10.00 

At  October  Term,  1840. 

State  vs.  Jacob  Eltzroth,  2  cases  official  negligence,  fined  each  $5 10.00 

State  vs.  Isaac  Fowler,  i  case  affray,  fined 2.00 

State  vs.  James  H.  Hunt,  2  cases  betting,  fined  $1  each 2.00 

State  vs.  Azariah  Warren,  i  case  fine  betting 2.00 

State  vs.  Nathan  Garrett,  i  case  A.  B.,  fined 2.00 

State  vs.  George  Bailey,  i  case  vending  mdz.,  fine 2.00 

State  vs.  Thomas  E.  Smithson  and  State  vs.  Michael  Chrisman,  and 

State  vs.  Allen  Driskill,  i  case  riot,  each  fined  $8.50 25.50 

State  vs.  Robert  McKay,  2  cases  betting,  each  case  fined  $1 2.00 

State  vs.  Henry  Martin,  i  case  A.  B.  on  peace  maker,  fine 7.00 

State  vs.  Isaac  Hoghland,  i  case  affray .50 

State  vs.  Wesley  Dalby,  i  case  A.  and  B.,  fine .01 

Bro   over   $77-52 

George  W.  Monks,  Clerk." 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  395 

July,  1829,  John  Odle  makes  the  following  report: 
"State  of  Indiana,  Randolph  County : 

Be  it  remembered  that  John  Stephenson  did  on  the  13th  day  of  June, 
1829,  come  before  me,  John  Odle,  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  Randolph 
county,  in  the  town  of  Winchester,  who  did  then  and  there  swear  one  fineable 
oath,  swearing  by  God  in  a  violent  and  angry  manner  for  which  I  assessed 
one  dollar  as  a  fine.  June  20th,  John  Stephenson  paid  me  one  dollar  for 
his  fine.  John  Odle^     (Seal.) 

Justice  of  the  Peace." 

Mr.  Odle  of  the  September  term  fines  the  full  limit  of  the  law  which  at 
that  time  was  as  follows:     (H.  I.) 

Isaac  Barnes  makes  the  following  peculiar  report,  July,  1830 : 
"State  of  Indiana  vs.  Nancy  Hoglin: 

On  a  charge  for  committing  as  assault  and  battery  on  the  body  of 
Marget  Cox  of  Randolph  county.  West  River  township,  at  the  house  of  said 
Hoglin  on  the  14th  day  of  December,  1829.  One  dollar  fine  assessed  against 
said  Nancy  lioglin  of  the  above  county  and  township  on  the  6th  day  of 
February,  1830,  fine,  $1.00. 

"I  do  certify  the  above  statement  to  be  true  according  to  the  proceedings 
on  trial  on  the  said  6th  day  of  February,  1830. 

Given  under  my  hand  and  seal  on  this  13th  day  of  February,  1830. 

Isaac  Barnes,  J.  P." 

In  September  of  1830,  William  Hunt,  justice  of  the  peace,  fined  Harper 
Hunt  $1.00  "on  a  charge  of  stripping  and  offering  to  fight." 
Joel  Ward  made  his  report  on  March,  1832,  as  follows: 
"January  the  3rd,  1832,  the  defendant  paid  in  the  above  fine  and  cost  of 
suit.     Paid  over  the  above  fine  to  Michael  Aker,  seminary  trustee.     I  certify 
the  above  to  be  a  true  copy  from  my  docket  this  3rd  day  of  March,  1832. 

Joel  Ward,         (Seal.) 
Justice  of  the  Peace." 

It  frequently  happened  that  feuds  would  be  carried  on  between  men  or 
families  and  difficulties  were  certain  to  arise  whenever  they  met  and  this 
meant  business  for  the  squires.  .This  was  true  of  Edward  McClue  and 
Ezekiel  Roe.  November,  1832,  they  were  fined  one  dollar  and  July,  1833, 
were  fined  one  dollar.  November,  1833,  they  were  again  fined  onfe  dollar 
and  March  of  1834,  a  fine  of  four  dollars  and  in  May,  1834,  ten  dollars. 


396  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

In  1850,  Robert  P.  Budd  fined  Mary  Life  "for  committing  assault  and 
battery  on  the  body  of  Catharine  Woods  in  the  sum  of  $1.00  and  costs,"  but 
he  offers  the  suggestion  that  "this  is  doubtful  whether  it  will  be  collected." 

The  seal  of  the  circuit  court  was  adopted  as  the  seal  of  the  board  of 
commissioners  in  November,  1819. 

In  May,  1830,  a  peculiar  order  for  an  election  was  made : 

"Ordered  that  an  election  be  held  in  Stoney  Creek  township  for  a  justice 
')f  the  peace  on  the  last  Saturday  in  this  month  if  they  should  get  their  corn 
planted."     George  W.  Smithson  was  appointed  inspector  of  the  election. 

January,  1831,  David  Heaston  was  allowed  $20.00  for  keeping  two 
estray  horses  for  twelve  rriotlths. 

A  partition  was  built  in  the  jail  in  1830.  John  Way  received  the  sum  of 
$1,871^  for  mending  the  jail  and  making  hinges  for  the  partition  door. 

Horse  thieves  have  always  been  the  center  of  public  attention.  In  181 7, 
the  offense  of  stealing  a  horse  was  punishable  by  death. 

As  late  as  1861  George  Stevenson  and  others  filed  articles  in  association 
of  the  Blcomingsport  Vigilance  Society,  which  was  inspected  and  approved 
by  the  board.  The  purpose  of  this  society  was  to  detect  "horse  thieves  and 
other  cnmmals.'  The  "other  criminals"  are  said  to  have  been  Knights  of 
the  Golden  Circle. 

State  roads  were  provided  for  January  15,  1844.  Under  that  act  the 
Huntsville,  Maxville  and  Fairview  road  was  made  a  state  road.  The 
Mont-see-iown  and  Camden  road  and  the  Deerfield  and  Steubenville  roads 
were  also  state  roads. 

William  Hunt's  lane  was  located  by  the  commissioners  in  1844. 

Mail  route  was  established  from  Greenville  to  Centerville  in  1845. 

Bridge  was  built  over  White  river  on  the  old  State  road  in  1846.  Hands 
were  allowed  fifty  cents  per  day,  team  and  driver  one  dollar  per  day. 

The  Board  of  Equalization  made  its  first  report  in  1841. 

The  first  fire  engine  was  purchased  for  the  "town  of  Winchester"  with 
the  public  buildings  therein  in  1841. 

December  5,  1845,  it  was  "ordered  by  the  Board  of  Commissioners  that 
the  premium  allowed  for  wolf  scalps  for  the  year  1845  be  and  the  same  is 
$1.50  for  each  seperate  scalp."  Jacob  Linkle  is  allowed  $1.50  for  a  wolf's 
scalp  on  that  same  day. 

In  1847,  W.  F.  Way  paid  twenty-five  cents  for  fourteen  dozen  quills 
for  the  county. 

The  first  license  granted  a  woman  to  sell  anything  was  granted  in  1847 
to  Mrs.  E.  McCullough. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA.  397 

Originally  the  county  commissioners  appointed  the  jurors.  The  first 
set  of  grand  jurors  was  appointed  during  the  first  meeting,  August,  1818. 
"The  following  men  are  appointed  grand  jurors  to  the  October  term  of  the 
circuit  court :  William  Diggs,  John  Wright,  John  Way,  Jonathan  Edwards, 
John  BaUenger,  William  Wright,  Jeremiah  Meek,  Gideon  Frazer,  William 
Haworth,  Curtis  Clenney,  Isaac  Wright,  Jesse  Johnson,  William  Canada, 
Travis  Adcock,  James  Massey,  William  Way,  Sr.,  Jesse  Roberts,  Armsbee 
Diggs."  The  following  men  were  appointed  petit  jurors  to  the  October 
term  of  the  circuit  court :  "Meshach  Lewallyn,  Paul  W.  Way,  James  Jacobs, 
William  Way,  Sr.,  Abraham  Wright,  Solomon  Wright,  Jesse  Green,  James 
Wright,  David  Stout,  Joshua  Cox,  Samuel  Lea,  Jonathan  Heath." 

In  November,  1819:  "The  following  men  are  appointed  grand  jurors 
to  March  term  of  the  circuit  court,  i§i9 :  John  Way,  James  Massey,  Wil- 
liam Way,  Jr.,  Tence  Massey,  John  Ballenger,  Jonathan  Heath,  William 
Diggs,  David  Stout,  Samuel  Lee,  William  Haworth,  John  Wright,  Jesse 
Green,  John  Wright,  Joshua  Cox,  William  Wright,  Armsbee  Diggs,  Isaac 
Wright,  James  Wright.  The  following  men  are  appointed  1818,  petit  jurors 
to  March  term  of  the  Circuit  court,  1819:  Meshach  Lewallyn,  William 
Haworth,  Jesse  Roberts,  Jonathan  Edwards,  Solomon  Wright,  Daniel  Petty, 
William  Canaday,  John  Elzroth,  James  Wright,  Isaiah  Cox  and  Henry 
Wise." 

Bill  boards  were  removed  around  the  public  square  in  1873. 

Commissioners  were  very  obliging  in  1872  when  they  allowed  George 
Irvin  the  privilege  of  setting  his  fence  out  seven  feet  in  the  Huntsville  and 
Winchester  road  with  the  purpose  of  planting  a  hedge  along  said  road.  Mr. 
Irvin  agreed  to  move  the  fence  in  case  they  wanted  to  greater  improve  the 
road  but  agreed  to  move  it  only  long  enough  for  such  grading  or  improve- 
ment to  be  done." 


CHAPTER  VII. 


OFFICERS. 


One  ot  the  first  provisions  after  the  state  was  organized,  was  to  provide 
for  the  transacting  of  the  county  business  by  a  Board  of  County  Commission- 
ers, to  be  elected  by  the  people.  The  method  of  procedure  in  the  organization 
of  a  county  has  been  explained  in  the  chapter  on  "county  organization."  Un- 
der this  act  the  first  commissioners  of  the  county  were : 

1818,  August,  Eli  Overman,  Benjamin  Cox,  John  James. 

1820,  August,  John  Wright,  Zachariah  Puckett,  John  James. 

We  have  no  records  of  the  county  commissioners  from  1820  to  1825. 
On  the  31st  of  January,  1824,  there  were  two  acts  approved  by  the  Legis- 
lature, relative  to  county  business.  One  was  that,  "each  county  in  the  state, 
a  board  of  commissioners  for  transacting  county  business,  to  consist  of  three 
cjualified  electors,  any  two  of  whom  shall  be  competent  to  do  business,  to  be 
elected  by  the  c|ualified  electors  of  the  several  counties  respectively,  one  of 
whom  shall  be  elected  annually,  to  continue  in  ofiice  three  years,  and  until  their 
successors  are  chosen  and  cjualified.  Sec.  2.  At  the  first  election,  in  pur- 
suance of  this  act,  there  shall  be  elected  three  commissioners ;  the  person  having 
the  highest  number  of  votes,  shall  serve  three  years ;  the  person  having  the  next 
highest  number  of  votes,  shall  serve  two  years ;  and  the  person  having  the  next 
highest  number  of  votes,  shall  serve  one  year ;  but  if  two  or  more  shall  be  equal 
in  number,  their  grade  shall  be  determined  by  lot,  and  at  all  subsequent  elec- 
tions, where  there  shall  be  more  than  one  vacancy,  the  term  of  service  of  the 
person  elected,  shall  be  determined  by  the  same  rule."  This  indeed,  is  a  very 
strange  procedure  of  the  Legislature,  because  "This  act  shall  take  effect  and 
be  in  force  until  the  first  day  of  September  next,  and  no  longer." 

On  the  same  day  another  act  was  approved  as  follows : 

"Sec.  I.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Indiana, 
That  there  shall  be  a  county  board  of  justices  established,  in  each  and  every 
county  in  this  state,  for  the  purpose  of  transacting  county  business;  to  be  com- 
posed of  the  justices  of  the  peace  of  the  respective  counties,  who  shall  meet 
together  and  organize  themselves,  agreeably  to  the  provisions  of  this  act ;  and 
after  being  organized  as  aforesaid,  shall  be  known  and  considered  in  fact, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  399 

law,  and  equity,  a  body  politic  and  corporate,  by  and  under  the  name  and  style 
of  "The  board  of  justices  of  the  county  of  ";  and  as  such,  and  by 

and  under  such  name  and  style,  may  sue  and  be  sued,  plead  and  be  impleaded, 
defend  and  be  defended,  answer  and  be  answered  unto,  in  any  court  of  justice 
whatever;  and  to  do  and  transact  all  manner  of  business  on  behalf  of  their 
respective  counties,  that  may  be  assigned  them  from  time  to  time  by  law';  and 
in  all  cases  where  the  county  may,  or  shall  have  been  injured  in  its  goods, 
chattels,  lands,  tenements,  rights,  credits,  and  effects,  or  contracts,  such  board 
of  justices,  shall  by  and  under  their  corporate  name  and  style  (without  setting 
out  any  of  their  individual  names),  bring  such  suit  or  suits,  action  or  actions, 
either  in  law  or  in  equity,  as  they  may  deem  best  calculated  to  obtain  redress 
for  any  such  injury,  in  the  same  way  and  manner,  that  a  private  individual 
might,  could  or  would  do ;  and  in  all  cases  where  any  person  or  persons,  now 
have,  or  hereafter  may  have  any  claim,  of  any  name  or  nature,  against  any 
county,  suit  may  be  brought  thereupon  in  any  court  of  law  or  equity,  against 
such  board  of  justices,  in  their  corporate  capacity  aforesaid,  and  judgment  and 
execution  had  thereon,  as  in  other  cases. 

Ses.  2.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  each  and  every  justice  of  the  peace,  to 
meet  at  the  places  of  holding  courts  in  their  respective  counties,  on  the  first 
Monday  of  September  next,  and  then  and  there  proceed  to  organize  them- 
selves into  a  county  board  of  justices,  by  electing  some  one  of  their  body  as 
president  of  such  court,  and  causing  their  names  to  be  entered  in  the  record 
book  of  the  county,  as  members  of  such  board :  Provided  however,  that  in  all 
cases  where  the  circuit  court  shall  be  in  session  in  any  county  in  this  state, 
on  the  first  Monday  of  September  next,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  justices 
of  the  peace  in  such  county,  to  meet  on  the  Monday  succeeding  the  term  of 
said  court,  and  perform  the  duties  required  by  the  foregoing  provisions  of  this 
section. 

Sec.  3.  That  the  justice  so  elected  as  president,  shall  serve  as  such,  for 
and  during  the  term  of  one  year,  and  until  another  shall  be  elected.  It  shall 
be  his  duty  to  sign  all  their  proceedings,  and  pronounce  the  decisions  of  the 
court. 

Sec.  5.  The  clerks  of  the  circuit  courts  shall  by  virtue  of  their  office 
attend  the  meetings  of  the  county  board  of  justices,  and  keep  a  record  of  their 
proceedings,  and  do  such  other  business,  as  shall  be  required  by  law ;  and  the 
sheriff  of  the  county,  shall  also  by  himself  or  deputy,  attend  said  board  and 
execute  their  orders. 

Sec.  6.     And  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  said  county  board,  at  their  Novem- 


400  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

ber  session  in  each  3'ear,  to  make  out  a  fair  and  accurate  statement  of  the 
receipts  and  expenditures  of  the  county  for  that  year,  and  have  the  same  set 
up  at  thC'  court  house  door,  or  pubHshed  in  some  newspaper  printed  in  the 
county. 

Sec.  7.  The  county  board  of  justices,  shall,  at  their  January  session 
in  each  year,  appoint  a  suitable  number  of  listers,  constables,  overseers  of  the 
poor,  inspectors  of  elections,  superintendents  of  school  sections,  fence  viewers, 
a  county  treasurer,  and  a  pound  keeper;  'knd  it  shall  be  their  duty  at  other 
meetings,  to  fill  all  vacancies  that  may  happen  in  any  of  their  appointments. 

Sec.  8.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  county  board  of  justices,  at  their 
May  session  in  each  year,  to  receive  and  inspect  the  listers  books,  and  levy  a 
county  tax  according  to  law,  and  cause  their  clerks  to  make  out  a  duplicate 
for  collection  accordingly :  Provided,  however.  That  it  shall  require  five  mem- 
bers of  said  board  to  constitute  a  quorum  to  do  business,  at  their  May  and 
November  sessions ;  and  in  all  cases  when  a  quorum  shall  not  attend,  such  as 
do  attend,  shall  adjourn  from  day  to  day,  and  compel  the  attendance  of  absent 
members. 

Sec.  9.     Required  them  to  be  punctual. 

Sec.  10.  Authorized  them  "to  sit  three  days  at  each  session,  if  the  busi- 
ness before  them  require  it. 

Sec.  II.  Transferred  the  authority  from  the  board  of  county  commis- 
-  sioners  to  the  county  board  of  justices,  "after  the  said  first  Monday  of  Septem- 
ber next. 

Sec.  12.     Required  the  consent  of  three  members  to  appropriate  money. 

Sec.  13.  That  justices  of  the  peace  shall,  from  and  after  the  first  Mon- 
day of  September  next,  be  exempt  from  militia  duty,  and  serving  on  juries, 
and  from  working  on  roads  and  public  highways,  for  a  capitation  tax,  and 
shall  receive  no  other  pay  for  any  of  the  duties  enjoined  upon  them  by  this 
act. 

Sec.  16.  Transferred  all  powers  and  privileges  and  duties  required  of 
the  board  of  county  commissioners,  to  the  county  board  .of  justices. 

"Sec.  17.  This  act  to  take  effect  and  be  in  force  from  and  after  the 
first  Monday  in  September  next." 

Under  the  provisions  of  this  act,  we  have  the  following: 

BOARD  OF  JUSTICES. 

1825,  John  Coats,  president,  Noah  Johnson,  Isaac  Barnes.  Joseph  Hale, 
John  Odle, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  4OI 

1826,  January,  John  Coats,  president,  David  Vestal,  John  Odle,  Samuel 
Woodworth,  Isaac  Barnes,  Joseph  Hale,  William  Hunt. 

1826,  March,  John  Coats,  president,  John  Odle,  Samuel  D.  Woodworth. 

1826,  May,  John  Coats,  president,  Samuel  D.  Woodworth,  Isaac  Barnes, 
David  Vestal,  William  Hunt,  Joseph  Hale,  David  Frazier,  William  Massey. 

1826,  July,  John  Coats,  president,  William  Massey,  John  Odle,  Isaac 
Barnes,  Samuel  D.  Woodworth,  William  N.  Rowe,  George  Reitenour. 

1826,  July  29,  Special  Sessions.  John  Coats,  president,  David  Frazier, 
Joseph  Hale. 

1826,  September,  John  Coats,  president,  William  Massey,  Isaac  Barnes, 
David  Frazier,  John  Odle,  David  Vestal,  George  Reitenour. 

1826,  November,  Samuel  D.  Woodworth,  president,  John  Coats,  William 
Hunt,  David  Frazier,  George  Reitenour. 

1827,  January,  Samuel  D.  Woodworth,  president,  Isaac  Barnes,  George 
Reitenour,  John  Coats,  Joseph  Hale. 

1827,  May,  Samuel  D.  Woodworth,  president,  John  Nelson,  George  T- 
Wilson,  David  Vestal,  Joseph  Hale,  William  Hunt,  William  Massey,  David 
Frazier,  Isaac  Barnes,  George  Reitenour. 

1828,  July,  John  Odle,  president,  David  Frazier,  George  Reitenour, 
George  T.  Wilson,  Daniel  B.  Millar. 

1828,  November,  John  Odle,  president,  William  Hunt,  David  Vestal, 
Joseph  Hale,  Daniel  B.  Miller,  Curtis  Voris. 

1829,  September,  John  Odle,  president,  Joseph  Hale,  Curtis  Voris,  David 
Semans. 

1829,  November,  John  Odle,  president,  Joseph  Hale,  Curtis  Voris,  Jesse 
Wright,  John  Jones,  Daniel  B.  Miller. 

1830,  May,  William  Hunt,  president,  Curtis  Voris,  David  Semans, 
Horace  S.  Ra\\son,  Joseph  Hale. 

1830,  September,  Horace  S.  Rawson,  president,  Alvin  C.  Graves,.  Joel 
Ward,  Benjamin  Wheeler. 

1830,  November,  William  Hunt,  president,  Alvin  C.  Graves,  James 
Smith. 

1 83 1,  January,  Alvin  C.  Graves,  president,  Wm.  Hunt,  Horace  Lawson, 
James  Smith,  Joel  Ward,  Benjamin  Wheeler,  Oliver  Walker,  James  C.  Bowen. 

1 83 1,  July,  Alvin  C.  Graves,  president,  Joel  Ward,  David  Vestal,  George 
W.  Smithson,  James  C.  Bowen. 

Agreeably  to  an  act  of  the  Legislature  of  1830,  the  board  of  justices  in 
the  Mav  term,  1831,  divided  the  county  into  three  districts  as  follows : 
(26) 


402  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

"All  that  part  lying  east  of  the  section  line  dividing  sections  15  &  i6 
,in  the  14th  range  to  be  the  first  district  and  all  that  part  lying  west  of  the  said 
line  dividing  sections  15  &  16  to  the  line  dividing  sections  15  &  16  in  range 
13  to  be  the  second  district  and  all  that  part  west  of  said  section  line  dividing 
sections  15  &  16  in  the  thirteenth  range  to  be  the  third  district." 

The  election  was  held,  the  results  of  which  are  indicated  in  the  intro- 
ductory paragraph  of  the  September  term,  1831. 

"At  a  Randolph  board  of  commis^oners  began  and  held  at  the  court 
house  in  and  for  the  county  of  Randolph  on  Monday  the  5th  day  of  Septem- 
ber, 1 83 1,  present  William  Macy  who  produced  a  certificate  of  having  been 
duly  elected  county  commissioner  for  the  county  aforesaid  for  and  during 
the  term  of  three  years  and  John  James  also  appeared  and  produced  a  cer- 
tificate of  having  been  duly  elected  county  commissioner  for  the  county  afore- 
said for  and  during  the  term  of  two  years  who  were  severally  qualified  into 
office  and  took  their  seats." 

Later  in  the  meeting,  "Elias  Kizer  appeared  and  produced  a  certificate 
of  having  been  duly  elected  county  commissioner  for  said  county  for  and 
during  the  term  of  one  year  from  this  date  who  was  duly  qualified  and  took  his 
seat." 

1831.  September — First  district,  John  James,  2  years;  second,  EHas 
Kizer,  i  year :  third,  William  Macy.  3  years. 

1832.  September — First  district,  John  James;  second,  Elias  Kizer; 
third,  William  Macy. 

1833.  September — First  district,  John  Baxter;  second,  Elias  Kizer; 
third,  William  Macy. 

1834.  September — First  district,  John  Baxter;  second,  Elias  Kizer; 
third,  Robinson  Mclntire. 

1835.  September — First  district,  John  Baxter;  second,  James  Smith; 
third,  Robinson  Mclntire. 

1836.  September — First  district,  John  Coats;  second,  James  Smith; 
lliird,  Robinson  Mclntire. 

1837.  September — First  district,  John  Coats;  second,  Abraham  Adam- 
son.  I  year ;  third,  Geo.  A.  G.  McNees. 

1838.  September — First  district,  John  Coats;  second,  John  L.  Adding- 
ton;  third,  Geo.  A.  G.  McNees. 

1839.  September — First  District,  William  Kennedy;  second,  John  L. 
Addington ;  third,  Geo.  A.  G.  McNees. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  403 

1840.  August — First  district,  William  Kennedy;  second,  John  L.  Add- 
ington;  third,  Samuel  Pike. 

1841.  August — First  district,  William  Kennedy;  second  Elias  Kizer; 
third,  Samuel  Pike. 

1842.  August — First  district,  John  Baxter;  second,  Elias  Kizer;  third, 
Samuel  Pike. 

1843.  August — First  district,  John  Baxter;  second,  Elias  Kizer;  third, 
Henry  Leaky. 

1844.  August — First  district,  John  Baxter ;  second,  Abraham  Adamson; 
third,  Henry  Leaky. 

1845.  August — First    district,     Nathaniel    Kemp;     second,    Abraham 
Adamson ;  third,  Henry  Leaky. 

1846.  August — First    district,     Nathaniel     Kemp ;    second,     Abraham 
Adamson  ;  third,  Philip  Barger. 

1847.  August — First    district,     Nathaniel    Kemp;    second,     Abraham 
Adamson ;  third,  Philip  Barger. 

1848.  August — First  district,  John  M.  Lucas;  second,  Abraham  Adam- 
son; third,  Philip  Barger. 

1849.  August — First  district,  John  M.  Lucas;  second,  Abraham  Adam- 
son; third,  Emson  Wright. 

1850.  August — First    district,    John    M.    Lucas;    second,    George    W. 
Vanderburg;  third,  Emson  Wright. 

1851.  August — First    district,    John    M.    Lucas;    second,    George    W. 
Vanderburg ;  third,  Emson  Wright. 

1852.  March — First    district,    John    M.    Lucas;    second,    George    W. 
Vanderburg;  third,  Andrew  DeVoss. 

1852.  December — First  district,  John  M.   Lucas;  second,   George  W. 
Vanderburg;  third.  Andrew  DeVoss. 

1853.  September — First  district,  John  M.  Lucas;  second,  George  W. 
Vanderburg;  third,  Andrew  DeVoss. 

1854.  September — First  district,  Nathaniel  Kemp;  second,  George  W. 
Vanderburg;  third,  Andrew  DeVoss. 

1855.  September — First  district,  Nathaniel  Kemp;  second,  George  W 
Vanderburg:  third.  Thomas  Aker. 

1856.  November — First    district,    Nathaniel    Kemp;    second,    Endsley 
Jones;  third,  Thomas  Aker. 

1857.  November — First    district,    Elihu    Cammack;    second,    Endsley 
Jones  :  third,  Thomas  W.  Reece. 


404  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  population  of  the  county  at  this  time  having  increased  more  rapidly 
in  some  parts  than  others,  lead  the  commissioners  to  redistrict  the  county  by 
the  following  order : 

"Now  at  this  time  the  Board  of  County  Comrs.  considering  that  the 
former  districting  of  the  county  in  County  Comrs.  districts  as  said  districts 
are  nof  inhabited,  having  become  unequaled  in  population.  It  is  now  therefore 
ordered  by  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners  that  the  territory  included  in 
the  following  boundary  compose  the  first  commissioners  in  said  county  towit 
the  territory  included  in  the  townships  of  Jackson,  Wayne  and  Greens  Fork 
County  Commissioners  District  No.  two  to  be  composed  of  the  territory  lying 
west  of  No.  one  and  east  of  a  line  commencing  on  the  south  line  of  the  county 
line  between  sections  fifteen  and  sixteen  township  eighteen  north  of  range 
thirteen  east,  running  thence  north  through  the  county  to  the  N.  W.  cor.  of 
sec.  four  township  twenty-one  north  of  range  thirteen  east,  and  county 
Comrs.  District  No.  three  to  be  composed  of  the  territory  Lying  west  of  Xo. 
two  and  east  of  the  county  line." 

1858.  November — First  district,  Elihu  Cammack;  second,  Endsley 
Jones;  third.  Hicks  K.  Wright. 

1859.  December; — First  district,  Elihu  Cammack;  second,  Arthur  Mc- 
Kew ;  third,  Hicks  K.  Wright. 

i860.  December — First  district,  Clements  F.  Alexander;  second,  Arthur 
McKew ;  third,  Hicks  K.  Wright. 

1 86 1.  November — First  district,  Clements  F.  Alexander;  second,  Arthur 
McKew;  third,  A.  DeVoss 

]  862.  November — First  district,  Clements  F.  Alexander ;  second,  Arthur 
McKew;  third,  A.  DeVoss. 

1863.  November — First  district,  Clements  F.  Alexander;  second,  Arthur 
McKew:  third,  A.  DeVoss. 

1864.  November — First  district,  Clements  F.  Alexander;  second,  Arthur 
McKew ;  third.  Hicks  K.  Wright. 

1865.  November — First  district,  Clements  F.  Alexander;  second  Nathan 
Reed ;  third,  Hicks  K.  Wright. 

1866.  November — First  district,  Elihu  Cammack ;  second,  Nathan  Reed; 
third.  Hicks  K.  Wright. 

1867.  November — First  district,  Elihu  Cammack;  second  Nathan  Reed; 
third.  Hicks  K.  Wright. 

1868.  November — First  district,  Elihu  Cammack;  second,  Thomas 
Clevenger;  third.  Hicks  K.  Wright. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  4O5 

1869.  November — First  district,  Elihu  Cammack;  second,  Thomas 
Clevenger;  third,  Hicks  K.  Wright. 

1870.  November — First  district,  EHhu  Cammack;  second,  Thomas 
Clevenger :  third.  Hicks  K.  Wright. 

In  1871,  the  districts  became  known  as  the  Eastern,  Middle  and  Western. 
At  least  in  the  December  term  of  that  year,  Thomas  Clevenger  filed  his  cer- 
tificate of  election  as  commissioner  from  the  Middle  district.  These  districts 
remained  with  these  boundaries  until  recently  when  the  east  line  was  changed 
to  the  line  running  north  from  the  Wayne  county  line,  between  sections  13 
and  14  east. 

1871.  Eastern  district,  Elihu  Cammack;  Middle,  Thomas  Clevenger; 
\A'estern,  Hicks  K.  Wright. 

1872.  Eastern  district,  Elihu  Cammack;  Middle,  Thomas  Clevenger; 
Western,  Hicks  K.  Wright 

1873.  Eastern  district,  Francis  G.  Morgan;  Middle,  Thomas  Clevenger; 
Western,  Philip  Barger. 

1874.  Eastern  district,  Francis  G.  Morgan;  Middle,  Thomas  Clevenger; 
^Vestern,  Philip  Barger. 

1875.  Eastern  district,  Francis  G.  Morgan;  Middle,  Thomas  Clevenger; 
Western,  Philip  Barger. 

1876.  Eastern  district,  Wilson  Anderson;  Middle,  Thomas  Clevenger; 
Western,  Elias  Halliday. 

1877.  Eastern  district,  Wilson  Anderson;  Middle,  William  Botkin; 
W^estern,  Elias  Halliday. 

1878.  Eastern  district,  Wilson  Anderson;  Middle,  William  Botkin; 
Western,  Elias  Halliday. 

1879.  Eastern  district,  Wilson  Anderson;  Middle,  \A'illiam  Botkin; 
Western,  Elias  Halliday. 

1880.  Eastern  district,  Wilson  Anderson;  Middle,  William  R.  Cogge- 
shall ;  Western,  Elias  Halliday. 

1 88 1.  Eastern  district,  Wilson  Anderson;  Middle,  William  R.  Cogge- 
shall ;  Western,  Elias  Halliday. 

1882.  Eastern  district,  Benj.  F.  Gettinger;  Middle,  William  R.  Cogge- 
shall:  Western,  Philip  K.  Dick. 

1883.  Eastern  district,  Benj.  F.  Gettinger;  Middle,  William  R.  Cogge- 
shall ;  Western.  Philip  K.  Dick. 

1884.  Eastern  district,  Benj.  F.  Gettinger;  Middle,  William  R.  Cogge- 
shall ;  Western,  Philip  K.  Dick. 


406  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

1885.  Eastern  district,  Adam  R.  Hiatt;  Middle,  William  R.  Cogge- 
shall ;  Western,  Luther  L.  Moorman. 

1886.  Eastern  district,  Adam  R.  Hiatt;  Middle,  John  R.  Phillips;  West- 
ern, Luther  L.  Moorman. 

1887.  Eastern  district,  Adam  R.  Hiatt ;  Middle,  John  R.  Phillips ;  West- 
ern, Luther  L.  Moorman. 

1888.  Eastern  district,  Adam  R.  Hiatt;  Middle,  John  R.  Phillips ;  West- 
ern, William  C.  Diggs. 

1889.  Eastern  district,  Adam  R.  Hiatt;  Middle,  Wesley  S.  Iliff;  West- 
ern, William  C.  Diggs. 

1890.  Eastern  district,  John  F.  Chenoweth;  Middle,  Wesley  S.  Iliff; 
Western,  William  C.  Diggs. 

1 89 1.  Eastern  district,  John  F.  Chenoweth;  Middle,  Wesley  S.  Iliff; 
Western,  William  C.  Diggs. 

1892.  Eastern  district,  John  F.  Chenoweth;  Middle,  Joel  Mills;  West- 
ern,^ William  C.  Diggs. 

1893.  Eastern  district,  William  Horn;  Middle,  Joel  Mills;   Western, 
William  C.  Diggs. 

1894.  Eastern  district,   William  Horn;  Middle,  Joel  Mills;  Western, 
Adam  Slonaker., 

1895.  Eastern  district,  William  Horn;  Middle,  Thos.  H.  Clark;  West- 
ern, Adam  Slonaker. 

1896.  Eastern  district,  William  Horn;  Middle,  Tho.3-  H.  Clark;  West- 
ern, Adam  Slonaker. 

1897.  Eastern  district,  William  Horn;  Middle,  Thos.  H.  Clark;  West- 
ern, Adam  Slonaker. 

1898.  Eastern  district,  William  Horn;  Middle,  Thos.  H.  Clark;  West- 
ern, Adam  Slonaker. 

1899.  Eastern  district,  Geo.  W.  Warner;  Middle,  Thos.  H.  Clark;  West- 
ern, *W.  T.  Botkin. 

1900.  Eastern  district,  Geo.  W.  Warner;  Middle,  Thos.  H.  Clark;  West- 
ern, John  H.  McGuire. 

1901.  Eastern  district,  Geo.  W.  Warner;  Middle,  Thos.  H.  Clark;  West- 
ern, John  H.  McGuire. 

1902.  January — Eastern    district,    Geo.    W.    Warner;    Middle,    John 
Miller;  Western,  John  H.  McGuire. 

1903.  January — Eastern  district,  John  H.  Miller;  Middle,  John  Miller; 
Western,  John  H.  McGuire. 


RANDOLPH,    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  4O7 

1904.  January— Eastern  district,  John  H.  Miller;  Middle,  John  Miller; 
Western,  John  H.  McGuire. 

1905.  January — Eastern  district,  John  H.  Miller;  Middle,  John  Miller; 
Western,  John  H.  McGuire. 

1906.  January — Eastern  district,  John  B.  Fortenbaugh;  Middle,  John 
Miller ;  Western,  John  H.  McGuire. 

1907.  January — Eastern  district,  John  B.  Fortenbaugh;  Middle,  John 
Miller ;  Western,  Luther  L.  Williams. 

1908.  January — Eastern  district,  John  B.  Fortenbaugh;  Middle,  W.  M. 
Alills;  Western,  Luther  L.  Williams. 

1909.  January — Eastern  district,  Chas.  E.  Bowen;  Middle,  W.  M. 
Mills ;  Western,  Luther  L.  Williams. 

1910.  January — Eastern  district,  Chas.  E.  Bowen;  Middle,  W.  M. 
^Mills;  Western,  John  E.  Cheesman. 

191 1.  January — Eastern  district,  **Chris  E.  Chenoweth;  Middle,  W. 
M.  Mills ;  Western,  John  E.  Cheesman. 

1912.  January — Eastern  district,  Chris  E.  Chenoweth;  Middle,  W.  M. 
Mills ;  Western,  John  E.  Cheesman. 

1913.  January — Eastern  district,  Chris  E.  Chenoweth;  Middle,  W.  M. 
Mills :  Western,  Winfield  Smullen. 

1914.  January — Eastern  district,  Chris  E.  Chenoweth;  Middle,  Clarence 
Mullen;  Western,  Winfield  Smullen. 

*  Adam  Slonaker  died  November  26,  1899,  ^^id  W.  T.  Botkin  was  ap- 
pointed in  his  place. 

**  Charles  E.  Bowen  died  June  10,  1910,  and  Chris  E.  Chenoweth  was; 
appointed  in  his  place. 

CONGRESSMEN. 

William  Hendricks,  1817-1823,  First  District— one  district  in  the  State. 

John  Test,  1823- 1827. 

Oliver  H.  Smith,  1827-1829;  John  Test,  1829-1831 ;  Jonathan  McCarty, 
183 1 -1833 — Third  District — three  districts. 

Jonathan  McCarty,  1833-1837;  James  H.  Rariden,  1837-1841;  Andrew 
Kennedy,  1841-1843 — Fifth  District- — seven  districts. 

Andrew  Kennedy,  1843-1847;  William  Rockhill,  1847-1849;  Andrew  J. 
Harlan,  1849-1851 ;  Samuel  Brenton,  1851-1853 — Tenth  District — ten 
districts. 


407a  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

Samuel  Parker,  1853-1855;  D.  P.  Holloway,  1855-1857 — Fifth  District. 

David  Kilgore,  1857-1861 — eleven  districts. 

George  W.  Julian,  1861-1871;  Jeremiah  M.  Wilson,  1871-1873 — Fourth 
District. 

Jeremiah  M.  Wilson,  1873-1875;  William  S.  Holman,  1875-1877; 
Thomas  M.  Browne,  1877-1891 — Fifth  District. 

1 891 -1 897 — Henry  U.  Johnson,  Sixth  District. 

1 897- 1 899 — Charles  L.  Henry,  Madison  County,  Eighth  District. 

1 899- 1 907 — George  W.  Comer,  Eighth  District. 

1907-1914 — J.  A.  M.  Adair,  Eighth  District. 

SENATORS. 

1816-24 — Patrick  Baird,  Wayne  and  Randolph. 
1825 — James  Rariden,  Wayne,  Randolph,  Allen;  Centerville. 
1826-28 — Amaziah  Morgan,  Rush,  Henry,  Randolph,  Allen. 
1829-31 — Daniel  Worth,  Randolph,  Allen,  Delaware,  Cass;  Huntsville. 
1832-33 — Samuel   Hanna,    as   next   above — Fort   Wayne,    St.    Joseph, 
Elkhart. 

1834-35 — Andrew  Aker,  Randolph,  Delaware,  Grant;  Winchester. 

1836-39 — Andrew  Kennedy,  Delaware,  Randolph. 

1840 — Michael  Aker,  Delaware,  Randolph. 

18.11-42 — Michael  Aker,  Randolph,  Blackford,  Jay;  Winchester. 

1843-45 — Isaac  F.  Wood,  Randolph,  Blackford,  Jay;  Spartanburg. 

1846-48 — Dixon  Milligan,  Randolph,  Blackford,  Jay;  Portland. 

1849-50 — Jacob  Brugh,  Randolph,  Blackford,  Jay. 

1851-52 ^Longshore,  Randolph,  Jay;  Deerfield. 

i^53-56 — Theophilus  Wilson,  Randolph,  Jay;  New  Corydon. 

3857-60 — Daniel  Hill,  Randolph;  Jericho. 

1860-62 — Asahel  Stone,  Randolph;  Winchester. 

1862-64 — Thomas  M.  Browne,  Randolph;  Winchester. 

1864-68 — Thomas  Ward,  Randolph;  Winchester. 

1868-72 — Isaac  P.  Gray,  Randolph;  Union  City. 

1872-76 — Andrew  J.  Neff,  Randolph;  Winchester. 

1876-80 — Nathan  Cadwallader,  Randolph;  Union  City. 

1880-84— E'.  H.  Bundy,  Randolph,  Henry. 

1882-86 — Marcus  C.  Smith,  Randolph,  Henry,  Delaware;  Muncie. 

1884— John  W.  Macy  (Randolph),  Delaware,  Henry  and  Randolph. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  407b 

]888 — Theodore  Shockney  (Randolph),  Delaware  and  Randolph. 

1892 — Ozro  N.  Cranor  (Delaware),  Randolph  and  Delaware. 

1896 — Walter  Ball  (Delaware),  Randolph  and  Delaware. 

1900 — T.  Halleck  Johnson  (Jay),  Randolph  and  Jay. 

1904 — Seih  D.  Coats  (Randolph),  Randolph  and  Jay. 

1908 — Nathan  T.  Hawkins  (Jay),  Randolph  and  Jay. 

1912 — Bader  S.  Hunt  (Randolph),  Randolph  and  Jay. 

HOUSE    OF    REPRESENTATIVES. 

The  following  list  gives  name,  residence  and  counties  represented: 

18 1 6 — Joseph  Holman,  Ephraim  Overman  (Randolph),  John  Scott, 
Wayne  and  Randolph. 

1817 — Holman,  Scott,  Robert  Hill,  Wayne  and  Randolph. 

1818,  1819,  1820,  1821 — Supposed  to  have  been  represented  with  Wayne 
county. 

1822-24 — John  Wright  (Randolph),  Wayne  and  Randolph. 

1825 — Daniel  Worth  (Randolph),  Randolph  and  Allen. 

1826 — Samuel  Hanna  (Allen),  Randolph,  Allen,  and  all  the  territory 
north  of  Madison  and  Hamilton  counties  to  the  Wabash  not  attached  else- 
where. 

1827-28 — Daniel  Worth  (Randolph),  as  next  above. 

1829 — Lemuel  G.  Jackson  (Delaware),  Randolph  and  Delaware. 

1830— David  Semans  (Randolph),  Randolph  and  Delaware. 

1 83 1 — Andrew  Aker   (Randolph),  Randolph  alone. 

1832-33 — Eli  Edwards   (Randolph),  Randolph. 

1834 — Zachariah  Puckett  (Randolph),  Randolph. 

1835 — El'  Edwards  (Randolph),  Randolph. 

1836-37 — Zachariah  Puckett  (Randolph).  Randolph. 

1838-39 — Miles  Hunt  (Randolph),  Randolph. 

1840 — Smith  Elkins   (Randolph),  Randolph. 

1841-42 — Robert  W.  Butler  (Randolph),  Randolph. 

1843 — Edward  Edger,  (Randolph),  Randolph. 

1844-45 — Roylston  Ford  (Randolph),  Randolph. 

1846 — James  Griffis  (Randolph),  Randolph. 

1848— H.  H.  Neff,  Asahel  Stone  (Randolph),  Randolph. 

1848— Isaac  F.  Wood.  "  .',"  '] 


4()7C  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

i849 — Elza  Lank,  Jr.,  James  Brown, 

1850 — Elza  Lank,  Jr. 

1851-52 — John  Wilson.  ^  'i 

1853-54 — Josiah  Bundy. 

1855-56 — George  W.  Monks. 

1857-60 — Silas  Colgrove. 

1861-64— John  A.  Moorman. 

1865-66— Thomas  W.  Reece. 

1867-68 — Enos  L.  Watson. 

1869-70 — J.  T.  Vardeman. 

1870-72 — Asahel  Stone. 

1872-74 — Nathan  T.  Butts. 

1874-76 — Martin  A.  Reeder. 

1876-78 — John  A.  Moorman. 

i878-8o^Enos  L.  Watson. 

1880-82— William  E.  Murray. 

1882-84 — Theodore  Shockney. 

1884-86— J.  S.  Engle. 

1886-88— Jonah  L.  Catey. 

1888-90— Wm.  A.  W.  Daly. 

1890-92 — Wm.  D.  Stone. 

1892-96 — Andrew  J.  Stakebake. 

1896-1900 — Silas  A.  Canada. 

1898-02 — Joint  Representative  Blackfoot,  Jay  and  Randolph,  John  A- 
Bonham,  of  Blackford. 

1900-04 — Samuel  R.  Bell. 

1904-06 — Isaiah  P.  Watts. 

1904-06 — Joint  Representative  between  Jay,  Randolph  and  Blackford, 
Sidney  W.  Cantrell,  (Blackford). 

1906-12 — Miles  Furnas. 

1912-14 — Clarence  F.  Pierce. 

CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTION,    185I. 

Randolph  county,  Beattie  McClelland. 

Randolph  and  Jay  (Senatorial),  Dixon  Milligan,  Nathan  R.  Hawkins. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  40/(1 

AUDITORS. 

Charles  Conway,  1818-39,  did  the  business  now  belonging  to  the  auditor's 
office;  A.  K.  Eaton,  1841-45  ;  Nathan  Garrett,  1845-59;  Elisha  Garrett,  George 
O.  Jobes,  1859-61 ;  Thomas  L.  Scott,  1861-65  ;  W.  E.  Murray,  1865-74 ;  W.  D. 
Kizer,  1874-78;  George  N.  Edger,  1878-82;  Benj.  F.  Boltz,  1882-86;  Andrew 
j.  Cranor,  1886-90;  Albert  Canfield,  1890-94;  Wm.  A.  Wiley,  1894-98;  Calvin 
S.  Engle,  1898-1902;  JohnH.  'Boltz,  1902-07;  Mack  Pogue,  1907-1911 ;  Henry 
V  Wood,  191 1. 

CLERKS. 

Charles  Conway,  1818-39;  George  W.  Monks,  1839-53:  Henry  H.  Neff, 
1853-61;  J.  B.  Goodrich,  1861-69;  Henry  T.  Semans,  1869-73;  Richard  A. 
Leavcll,  1873-77;  John  W.  Macy,  1877-81;  I.  R  Watts,  1881-85;  R.  A. 
Leavell,  1885-89;  John  R.  Engle,  1889-93;  -^^  L.  Nichols,  1893-97;  John  E. 
Markle,  1897-01.  James  J.  Eagy,  1901-05;  A.  L.  Farquhar,  1905-09;  A.  R. 
Helms,  1909-13;  Joe  Gard,  1913. 

SHERIFFS. 

David  Wright,  1818-19;  Solomon  Wright,  1820-24;  Thomas  Wright, 
1825-27;  EH  Edwards,  1829-31 ;  Jeremiah  Smith,  1833;  Nathan  Garrett,  1837; 
Robert  Irvin,  1840-44;  Nathan  Reed,  1844-48;  William  Kizer,  1848-52;  Amer 
Forkner,  1852-56;  William  M.  Campbell,  1856-60;  A.  H.  Jenkins,  1860-64; 
Joel  A.  Newman,  1864-68;  William  M.  Campbell,  1868-70:  D.  F.  Ford, 
1870-73;  W.  W.  Macy,  1873-74;  W.  A.  W.  Daly,  1874-78;  W.  W.  Macy, 
1878-80;  R.  Murray,  1880-82;  John  Ross,  1882;  William  K.  Thornburg, 
1884-86;  Benjamin  Hawthorn,  1886-90;  Benjamin  Hawthorn,  188-90; 
James  M.  Fletcher,  1890-92;  James  M.  Fletcher,  1892-94;  David  B.  Strahan, 
1894-  to  1898;  James  W.  Simmons,  March  15,  1898,  to  November  19,  1898; 
Thomas  J.  Overman,  1898  to  1902;  George  W.  Bright,  1902  to  1907  (term 
begins  January  1,  1903);  Albert  King,  1907  to  191 1;  Nathan  U. Strahan, 
191 1 ;  John  C.  Henning,  1913. 

ASSESSORS. 

Olynthus  Cox,  Elmer  Ross,  Thomas  A.  Almonrode,  Pearl  Keever. 


408  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

CIRCUIT  JUDGES. 

John  Watts,  Miles  Eggleston,  Charles  H.  Test,  Isaac  Blackford,  Samuel 
Bigger,  David  Kilgore,  Jeremiah  Smith,  Joseph  Anthony,  Jeremiah  Smith, 
John  T.  Elliot,  Silas  Colgrove,  J.  J.  Cheney,  Jacob  M.  Haynes,  Silas  Colgrove, 
Leander  J.  Monks,  elected  in  1878,  1884  and  1890;  Garland  D.  Williamson, 
appointed  in  1894;  Albert  O.  Marsh,  ,1894;  John  W.  Macy,  elected  in  1902; 
James  S.  Engle,  1908. 

ASSOCIATE  JUDGES. 

William  Edwards,  1818;  John  Wright,  1818-46;  John  Sample,  William 
Peacock,  1834;  Littleberry  Diggs,  Peter  S.  Miller,  Stephen  C.  Stephens,  John 
T.  McKinney,  Daniel  B.  Miller,  John  Mock. 

It  is  possible  that  there  may  have  been  more  than  the  ones  named  above. 

PROBATE    JUDGES. 

A\'illiam  Edwards,  associate  judge ;  John  Wright,  associate  judge ;  John 
Sample,  associate  judge.  James  T.  Liston,  sole  judge.  1831-33;  Zachariah 
Puckett,  sole  judge,  1833-34;  Smith  Elkins,  sole  judge,  1834-36;  E.  B.  Good- 
rich, sole  judge,  1836-42  ;Beattic  McClelland,  sole  judge,  1842-49;  George 
Debolt,  sole  judge,  1849-51. 

Closed  August  16,  1852. 

Probate  business  was  done  at  first  by  the  associate  judges,  then  by  a  single 
judge,  afterward  by  the  court  of  common  pleas  until  that  court  was  discon- 
tinued, and  since  that  time  by  the  circuit  court. 

(See  Judges  of  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  and  also  of  the  Circuit  Court.) 

JUDGES   COMMON   PLEAS    COURT. 

Xathan  B.  Hawkins,  1853  (died  in  office)  ;  James  Brown,  1853-54;  W. 
A.  Peelle,  1854-60;  Jacob  M.  Haynes,  1860-63. 

Since  that'  time  probate  business  has  been  done  in  the  circuit  court. 

The  court  of  common  pleas  was  abolished  (as  also  the  probate  court  had 
been),  and  the  business  of  both  was  transferred  to  the  circuit  court,  by  which 
it  is  still  transacted. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  4O9 

COURT   OF   COMMON    PLEAS. 

The  court  of  common  pleas  was  established  under  the  constitution  of 
3851,  and  continued  till  a  few  years  ago. 

The  prosecuting  attorneys  for  that  court  were  William  Moorman,  elected 
1852;  J.  J.  Cheney.  1854;  E.  L.  Watson,  1856,  1858,  1862;  Thomas  J.  Hos- 
ford,  i860;  J.  E.  Mellette,  John  J.  Hawkins. 

SURVEYORS    (partial  LISt). 

Moorman  Way,  Samuel  D.  Woodworth,  Jeremiah  Smith,  C.  S.  Good- 
rich, Edmund  B.  Goodrich,  Anderson  D.  Way,  Thomas  C.  Puckett,  Enos  "L. 
Watson,  Pleasant  Hiatt,  Charles  Jaqua,  Phinehas  Pomery,  Ephraim  C.  Hiatt, 
Michael  C.  Gafifey,  1880;  A.  M.  Russell,  elected  in  1882;  Charles  C.  Yunker, 
1884  to  1888;  J.  Ellsworth  Hinshaw,  1888  to  1892;  Miles  C.  Coble,  1892  to 
1894;  Jacob  E.  Hinshaw,  1894  to  1900;  Alonzo  L.  Wright,  1900  to  1909; 
Arthur  B.  Purdy,  1909  to  present  time. 

recorders. 

Charles  Conway,  1818-39;  W.  C.  Wilmore,  1839-53;  William  Burres, 
1853-61 ;  J.  S.  Cottom,  1861-65;  F.  A.  Engle,  1865-69;  John  W.  Williamson, 
1869-73;  W.  C.  Brown,  1873-77;  D.  C.  Braden,  1877-81;  O.  F.  Lewellen, 
1881-85;  Nimrod  Brooks,  1885-89;  Benjamin  W.  Simmons,  1889-92,  died 
1892;  William  G.  Moulton,  1892  (until  next  general  election  or  until  his  suc- 
cessor is  .elected  and  qualified);  Perry  Leavell,  1892-99;  Nathan  R.  Cheno- 
weth,  1896-1900;  James  Curtis  Dodd,  1900-05;  John  R.  Fouse,  1905-09; 
Frank  F.  Fielder,  1909-12;  Jesse  W.  Yost,  1912-. 

treasurers. 

Jesse  Johnson,  1818-24;  John  B.  Wright,  1825-29;  James  B.  Liston, 
1829-30;  John  Odle,  1831;  Jeremiah  Smith;  Zachariah  Puckett,  1838;  An- 
drew Aker,  1839-40;  John  Neff,  1844;  Thomas  W.  Reece,  1847;  Simeon  H. 
Lucas,  1850;  Ira  Swain,  1855-57;  John  W.  Jarnagin,  1857-61 ;  E.  F.  Halliday, 
1861-65;  A.  M.  Owens,  1865-69;  James  H.  Bowen,  1869-73;  Simon  Ramsey, 
1873-75;  Harrison  P.  Hunt,  1875-77;  O-  C.  Gordon,  1877-81 ;  Calvin  Puckett, 
1881-83;  Mahlon  T.  Sumption, 1 883-85 ;  William  A.  Martin,  1885-87;  J.  W. 


4IO  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Turner,  1887-89;  I.  V.  D.  R.  Johnson,  1889-91;  George  W.  Veal,  1891-93; 
Mathew  H.  Ruby,  1893-95 ;  Joseph  C.  Devoss,  1895-96;  Harvey  E.  McNees, 
November  14,  1896-97;  Joseph  C.  Devoss,  1897,  until  successor  is  elected  and 
qualified;  Thomas  H.  Johnson,  December  31,  1903,  to  January  i,  1906;  Hicks 
K.  Wright,  1899,  (bond  approved  November  9,  1899);  John  I.  Johnson, 
1901,  (bond  approved  December  4,  1901)  ;  George  W.  Robbins,  1906,  (served 
three  years.  Harry  Jack,  treasurer-elect,  died  the  last  week  of  December, 
1908,  and  Robbins  served  until  a  successor  could  be  elected) ;  John  Collett, 
1909;  Tilman  W.  Baldwin,  191 1;  Henry  D.  Good,  1912. 

CORONERS    (some  OF  THEM.) 

Solomon  Wright,  David  Heaston,  Benjamin  Ramsey,  William  R.  Finn, 
Martin  A.  Reeder,  John  H.  Peake,  Joab  Pierce,  R.  H.  Grooms,  Jonathan  Ed- 
wards, Isaac  R.  Ford,  John  D.  Carter,  J.  J.  Evans,  1884;  Cyrus  Cox,  1888; 
J.  J.  Evans,  1890;  John  D.  Carter,  1892;  Oren  Coats,  1894;  J.  J.  Evans, 
1896;  Jacob  E.  Hinshaw,  1898;  J.  J.  Evans,  1900-1913;  David  C.  Roney, 
1913;  John  S.  Nixon,  October  6,  1913,  to  December  31,  1914. 

PROSECUTING   ATTORNEYS. 

The  first  prosecuting  attorney  was  James  Rariden,  appointed  by  the  court. 
After  him,  at  various  times,  were  Bethuel  Morris,  John  Gilmore,  Lot  Bloom- 
field,  Oliver  H.  Smith,  Amos  Lane,  Charles  H.  Test,  Martin  M.  Ray,  James 
Perry,  William  J.  Brown,  Caleb  B.  Smith,  Samuel  W.  Parker,  Jeremiah 
Smith,  Andrew  Kennedy,  Jehu  T.  Elliott,  John  Brownlee  (up  to  October, 

1839)- 

Elected — William  A.  Peelle,  Thomas  M.  Browne,  Silas  Colgrove,  J.  J. 
Cheney  (common  pleas),  Enos  L.  Watson  (common  pleas),  William  Garber, 
Thomas  M.  Browne,  Daniel  M.  Bradbury,  E.  B.  Reynolds,  Alexander  GuUett, 
A.  O.  Marsh,  J.  E.  Mellette;  Thomas  A.  Spencer,  1882;  Emerson  McGriflf, 
1885;  S.  A.  Canada,  1886;  J.  B.  Ross,  1888;  B.  F.  Marsh,  1890;  James  B. 
Ross,  1892.  Clarkson  L.  Hutchens,  1894-98;  Alonzo  L.  Bales,  1898;  Charles 
L.  Watson,  1900-1905;  W.  O.  Smith,  1905;  Carl  Thompson,  1907;  W.  O 
Smith,.  1909;  E.  E.  Chenoweth,  1911 ;  Bert  E.  Woodbury,  1913. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  4II 


DRAINAGE    COMMISSIONERS. 


James  D.  Bowen,  1881 ;  Reuben  C.  Shaw,   1881  ;  M.  C.  Gaffey,  1881 ; 

■George  W.  Hamilton,  1881 ;  Albert  M.  Russell,  1882;  Walter  C.  Shaw,  1884; 

Charles  C.  Yunker,  1884;  Ellsworth  Hinshaw,  1888;  J.  E.  Hinshaw,  1890- 
J900;  Alonzo  L.  Wright,  1900- 1909;  Arthur  B.  Purdy,  1909-19 15. 

SCHOOL   EXAMINERS. 

Jeremiah  Smith,  George  W.  Monks,  Samuel  D.  Woodworth,  Moorman 
Way,  Carey  S.  Goodrich,  Isaac  F.  Wood,  William  A.  Peelle,  J.  J.  Cheney, 
Pleasant  Hiatt,  J.  G.  Brice,  A.  J.  Stakebake. 

The  first  county  superintendent  was  Charles  W.  Paris,  elected  in  1873, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Daniel  Lesley,  in  1875.  H.  W.  Bowers,  elected  in 
1883;  J.  W.  Denney,  1887,  and  served  ten  years,  when  Charles  W.  Paris  was 
again  elected  and  served  until  1907,  when  the  present  incumbent,  Lee  L. 
Driver,  was  elected. 


CHAPTKR  VIII. 


MILITARY. 


Randolph  county  not  being  entered  by  settler  until  1814  could  not  of 
course  have  had  any  soldiers  in  either  the  Revolutionary  War  or  the  War 
of  1812. 

It  was  only  a  few  of  the  most  adventurous  of  Revolutionary  soldiers 
who  pierced  the  great  unbroken  west  through  the  spirit  of  adventure  or 
of  home  seeking. 

Those  who  had  the  spirit  of  adventure  merely  went  from  place  to 
place  stopping  here  and  there  and  settling  nowhere.  Those  who  left  the 
eastern  colonies  in  search  of  fortune  or  homes  came  into  the  west  and  set- 
tled in  Ohio  or  Tennessee  and  it  was  only  the  most  venturesome  that 
moved  the  second  time  and  came  from  those  two  states  into  Indiana.  It  is 
impossible  at  this  remote  period  to  know  who  these  heroes  were  or  the  mo- 
tives that  brought  them  froin  the  civilization  of  the  east  to  the  wilds  of 
what  was  then  the  extreme  west,  however,  it  is  known  that  a  few  of  these 
old  men,  for  indeed  they  were  old  at  the  time  of  the  organization  of 
Randolph  county,  did  enter  this  county,  here  to  find  a  home  in  peace  and 
happiness  for  the  remainder  of  their  days. 

Being  used  to  hardships  and  privations  the  new  settlements  offered  no 
inconveniences  or  hardships  which  they  were  unwilling  to  endure.  The  only 
record  we  have  of  these  heroes  today  is  the  little  marker  that  stands  at  the 
head  of  the  grave  and  in  some  cases  these  markers  have  been  destroyed  or 
removed. 

In  1840  the  county  within  its  boundary  had  at  least  seven  Revolutionary 
soldiers,  who  were  drawing  pension.s  as  such.  In  that  year,  1840,  there  were 
Samuel  Ambrom  {"Amburn),  age  79;  Drummond  Smithson,  age  85,  who 
lived  at  Stoney  Creek  township;  Robert  Lumpkin,  age  84,  lived  in  Nettle 
Creek;  Wm.  Fitzjerrel  (Fitzgerald),  age  97,  in  Washington:  Chris  Bord- 
ders,  79,  Greensfork;  Joseph  Chandler,  age  87,  and  Elias  Porter,  age  84,  of 
Jackson  township.  The  above  list  is  taken  from  the  official  census  of  pen- 
sioMcrs  for  1840,  and  from  that  it  would  seem  that  no  Rexolutionary  sol- 
diers' widows  were  living  in  this  county. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  413 

A  Mr.  McKinney,  father  of  Anthony  McKinney,  of  Green  township, 
is  buried  at  Fairview.  He  Hved  in  this  county  but  a  short  time.  He  had 
fought  at  Germantown  and  Brandywine  and  was  such  an  admirer  of  Anthony 
Wayne  that  he  named  his  oldest  son,  Anthou}'. 

The  cemetery  at  Windsor  contained  the  body  of  at  least  one  Revolu- 
tionary soldier,  a  Mr.  Dudley. 

Mr.  Fitzgerald,  mentioned  above,  lived  to  the  ripe  old  age  of  one 
hundred  five  years,  one  month  and  fifteen  days  and  even  at  that  old  age 
died  through  the  effects  of  an  accident.  He  had  maintained  his  strength 
and  vitality  up  to  the  time  of  his  untimely  death  and  did  much  manual 
labor  in  spite  of  the  fact  he  was  blind.  His  death  was  caused  from  a  fall 
off  of  a  load  of  oats  and  in  the  fall  struck  a  log  projecting  from  the  cor- 
ner of  the  stable.  It  is  sad  indeed  that  a  man  should  come  to  such  an  un- 
timely ending  after  having  faced  the  enemy  in  defense  of  himself  and  liberty 
through  such  a  war  as  the  Revolutionary. 

The  Indian  AA'ar  of  1789-95  brought  a  great  many  people  into  Indiana 
and  a  few  in  the  near  neighborhood  of  Randolph  county.  No  doubt  a 
few  of  these  Indian  fighters  settled  in  Randolph  county  having  been  a.ttracted 
here  by  the  fertility  of  the  soil  and  the  cheapness  of  the  land.  They  had 
become  acquainted  with  this  part  of  the  country  during  the  year  1793-94-95 
at  which  time  the  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  at  Greenville,  Ohio.  The  great 
majority  of  the  earliest  settlers  however  were  either  Quakers  or  in  direct 
sympathy  with  the  Quakers,  hence,  were  conscientiously  opposed  to  war  and 
we  would  expect  but  few  of  the  early  settlers  to  have  participated  in  mili- 
tary affairs. 

One  of  the  "Indian  Fighters"  was  David  Thompson  who  served  as  a  cor- 
poral under  Mad  Anthony  from  1792  to  1795.  John  Martin,  born  in  1773, 
was  with  St.  Clair  and  Wayne  in  1795  and  with  Harrison  at  Tippecanoe 
and  the  Thames  and  with  Colonel  Crogan  at  Ft.  Stephenson.  Mr.  Martin 
came  to  Randolph  county  in  1822  but  removed  from  this  county  to  Missouri 
where  he  died  in  1839. 

SOLDIERS   AND    WIVES    OF   SOLDIERS    OF   THE   WAR     OF      l8l2     WHO      HAVE     HAD 

PENSIONS. 

Benj.  Cummins  was  in  the  War  of  1812  and  lived  near  Salem;  John 
Ruby,  lived  in  Union  City;  Jacob  Johnson,  lived  in  Jackson  township;  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Nunnamaker,  lived  in  Jackson ;  Chas.  W.  Thomas,  lived 
in  Greensfork  township;   Walter  Ruble,   of  the   Ohio  militia;  Wm.    Rash, 

(27)    ' 


414  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

John  Irvin,  David  Riddlebarger,  Virginia  militia;  John  Gnibbs,  Ohio  mih- 
tia;  Samuel  Barker,  Vermont  militia;  Mrs.  Eleanor  Ruby,  widow  of  John 
Ruby;  Rebecca  Harris,  widow  of  Wm.  Harris;  Polly  Marquis,  widow  of 
Kid  Marquis;  Mrs.  Lacey,  widow  of^Mr.  Lacey;  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Paschall, 
widow  of  Jesse  Q.  Paschall,  Pennsylvania  militia;  Mrs.  Sarah  Bussear, 
widow  of  Martin  Bussear;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Ann  Poyner,  widow  of  Peter 
Poyner,  Ohio  militia;  Mrs.  Sarah  Baxter,  widow  of  Joseph  Baxter,  Penn- 
sylvania militia;  Mrs.  Jane  Leeka,  widow  of  Henry  Leeka,  Tennessee  mili- 
tia; Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Mosher,  widow  of  Solomon  Mosher,  Tennessee  militia; 
Margaret  Wine,  widow  of  George  Wine,  Washington  militia;  Sarah  E. 
Brown,  widow  of  Wm.  Brown,  Ohio  militia;  Susannah  Brooks,  widow  of 
Thomas  Brooks,  Ohio  militia;  Mary  Whitenack,  widow  of  Cornelius  White- 
nack,  New  Jersey  militia;  Nancy  Stockdale.  Other  soldiers  of  1812  connected 
with  Randolph  county  are:  Jesse  Gray,  who  died  in  Jay  county;  Jonathan 
Lambert  and  Philip  Lambert,  buried  at  New  Lisbon.  David  Heaston,  buried 
at  Winchester;  John  Dye,  Jacob  Cline,  Samuel  Wilson  and  John  Hayes, 
buried  at  Windsor;  James  Lambert,  Black  Hawk  War  of  1837;  John  Bolen- 
der,  Grenadier  wars  with  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  buried  at  Windsor;  Curtis 
Clenney,  buried  at  Lynn. 

The  following  is  taken  from  Tucker's  history  and  is  indeed  authentic: 

MILITIA    OF    RANDOLPH    COUNTY 1832. 

"A  very  curious  reminiscence  of  the  military  doings  of  "auld  lang  sayne" 
has  been  discovered  among  the  old  papers  of  Judge  Edmund  B.  Goodrich, 
now  in  possession  of  Mrs.  John  C.  Goodrich,  widow  of  the  ex-Clerk  of 
Randolph  county. 

It  seems  there  was  a  'militia  system'  in  the  'Hoosier  State'  many  years 
ago,  though  how  long  it  lasted  we  are  unable  to  tell.  That  it  was  in  active 
or  attempted  operation  in  1832,  at  least,  is  shown  by  the  relic  referred 
to.  It  is  an  old  paper,  purporting  to  contain  a  list  of  persons  fined  for  re- 
fusing to  bear  arms  on  account  of  'conscientious  scruples'  against  the  prac- 
tice; also  a  list  of  persons  not  scrupulous  in  that  respect  who  were  fined 
for  absence  or  other  dereliction  of  militia  law.  In  the  first  list,  the  fine  is 
$1.50  in  each  case;  in  the  other,  the  amount  varies  from  25  cents  to  $10. 
The  regiment  concerned  was  the  Seventieth,  and  there  seem  to  have  been 
six  companies,  with  Jeremiah  Smith  as  Colonel  of  that  same  regiment.  The 
redoubtable  Captains  were  Messrs.  Comer,  Butler,  Denton,  Hunt,  Fleming, 
Heaston.     Butler  resided  at  Deerfield ;  Heaston,  at  Winchester ;  Hunt^  prob- ' 


•RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  4I5 

ably  near  Huntsville;  Denton's  men  were  residents  of  Nettle  Creek  region; 
Fleming's  men  were  from  Stoney  Creek,  and  Comer's  from  Greensfork, 
Jericho,  White  River,  etc. 

The  'conscientious'  men  were  returned  from  three  companies — Comer's, 
Denton's  and  Fleming's.  There  seem  to  have  been  none  of  that  sort  in 
either  Butler's,  Heaston's  or  Hunt's.  How  many  Capt.  Comer  had  of  non- 
delinquents  it  would  be  interesting  to  know,  as  he  returns  sixty-one  of  the 
'scrupulous'  sort.  Capt.  Denton  gives  but  four,  and  Capt.  Fleming,  twenty- 
one,  or  eighty-six  in  all.  Of  the  other  persons  fined  'for  cause,'  there  were 
in  Butler's  company,  fifteen ;  Denton's,  forty-three ;  Hunt's,  forty-four ;  Flem- 
ings, Comer's,  none;  total,  154;  grand  total,  240;  perfect  ones,  unknown. 

One  Captain  was  fined;  one  Lieutenant,  three  Sergeants  and  two  Cor- 
porals. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  append  the  names  of  those  who  refused  to  bear 
arms,  as  it  will  he  a  very  fair  index  of  the  Quaker  element  at  that  time 
among  those  of  military  age : 

Comer's  Company — ^Moorman  Way,  Isaiah  Cox,  Simon  Cox,  Joshua  Cox, 
Simon  Pickett,  Nathan  Puckett,  Zachariah  Puckett,  David  Haworth,  Henry 
Yeakley,  Littleberry  Diggs,  Armsbee  Diggs,  William  Diggs,  Benjamin  Diggs, 
Lewis  Osborn,  Jesse  Way,  Robert  Way,  Joshua  Robertson,  John  Cox,  Ben- 
jamin Davis,  Nathan  Barker,  William  Harris,  Benjamin  Harris,  Silas  Hiatt, 
Robert  ^^'oody,  Joseph  Picket,  John  Puckett,  Thomas  Buckingham,  Moses 
Mendenhall,  Joshua  Trueman,  Benoni  Hill,  Henry  Hill,  John  Peacock,  Eli- 
jah Case,  William  Case,  John  Pike,  Thomas  Hinshaw,  Nathan  Freeman, 
Stanton  Bailey,  Samuel  Cox,  John  Rhoads,  Nicholas  Robinson,  Amos  Pea- 
cock, James  Foust,  Welcome  Puckett,  Thomas  Green,  Nathan  Green,  Jacob 
Yeakley,  William  Mann,  Tyre  Puckett,  James  Clayton,  Jonathan  Hiatt,  Sr., 
George  Hiatt,  Martin  Hiatt,  Moses  Hiatt  Joseph  Hiatt  Jonathan  C.  Hiatt, 
Thomas  Conner,  Nathan  Hiatt,  Jacob  Knight,  George  Knight,  Jesse  Wright 
— sixty-one. 

Denton's  Company — Jonathan  Macy,  Nathan  Macy,  William  Lee,  Alva 
Macy — four. 

Fleming's  Company — Joseph  Thornburg,  Isaac  Thornburg,  Amos  Smith, 
Isaac  Beals,  Nathan  Thornburg,  John  Diggs,  Mark  Diggs,  William  Hollo- 
way,  Robert  Fisher,  John  HoUoway,  Joseph  Fisher,  Thomas  Fisher,  Joab 
Thornburg,  Job  Thornburg,  John  Thornburg,  Jacob  Beals,  Solomon  Wright, 
Jonathan  Thornburg,  Mordecai  Bond,  Oman  Bond,  Benjamin  Car — twenty- 
one. 


4l6  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  Captain  was  fined  $5;  one  lieutenant,  $6,  and  one  $10;  two  ser- 
geants, $3,  and  two  $2  each;  two  corporals,  $1  each. 

Among  those  fined  "for  cause,"  perhaps  for  want  of  a  "primer"  to  their 
guns,  or  some  other  heinous  military  offense,  occur  such  names  as  Elias 
Kizer,  Daniel  Worth,  William  Macy,  Burkett  Pierce,  Temple  Smith,  David 
Bunker,  Philip  Brown,  Isaac  Amburn,  James  Porter,  William  Chamness, 
William  Smith,  Smith  Masterson,  Samuel  Hawlcins  (then  of  Jay  County), 
Samuel  Simmons,  Daniel  B.  Miller,  Davis  Pegg,  Stephen  Dye,  Hamilton 
Snodgrass,  Joseph  Jay,  John  Borroughs,  Lemuel  Vestal,  Andrew  Aker,  Henry 
D.  Huffman,  Jacob  Harshman,  William  Lumpkin,  Thomas  Maulsby — and  so 
on,  to  the  tune  of  154  in  all. 

The  surviving  veteran  pioneers  who  find  their  names  in  the  above  list 
will  doubtless  chuckle  with  glee  at  reading  this  "reminder"  of  what  must 
have  been  regarded,  even  at  the  time,  as  a  huge  joke. 

The  papers  are  made  out  in  all  due  form,  signed  by  Jeremiah  Smith, 
colonel,  and  judge  of  the  court  of  appeals,  delivered  to  Edmund  B.  Good- 
rich, Paymaster  of  Seventieth  regiment;  and  the  list  is  receipted  by  Robert 
Irvin,  Constable,  with  order  to  him  to  collect  the  fines  aforesaid.  Whether 
any  at  all  were  paid  is  not  now  known.  Jesse  Way  says  that  Robert  Irvin  used 
to  relate,  years  afterward,  that,  as  he  was  on  his  collecting  tour,  he  lodged 
with  a  good-natured  Quaker,  one  of  the  number  who  were  fined  for  "scru- 
ples," and  that,  on  asking  his  host  what  was  his  charge — "I  charge  thee," 
was  .the  reply,  "that  thee  go  home  and  find  some  better  business,  and  never 
be  caught  in  such  a  scrape  again  as  long  as  thee  lives." 

Robert  replied,  "I  believe  I  will  do  it,"  and  he  did  it,  and  kept  the  ad- 
\ice,  too.  He  used  to  laugh  over  the  joke,  and  .--ay  that  it  was  the  best  ad- 
vice he  ever  got  in  his  life. 

War  had,  to  Randolph  county  dwellers,  been  a  thing  well-nigh  un- 
known. Until  the  struggle  of  the  rebellion,  only  one  other  had  called  our 
nation  to  arms,  and  that  was  small  and  of  short  duration,  viz.,  the  Mexican 
conflict.  And  in  that  contest,  bareh'  three  (as  we  have  been  told)  were  Ran- 
dolph county  boys — Allen  O.  Neff,  Augustus  Kane  and  William  D.  Stone. 
Capt.  John  Neff  did,  indeed,  join  the  army  at  that  time,  and  rendered  serv- 
ice for  several  years,  but  he  did  not  go  to  Mexico.  Kane  was  much  on  the 
sick  list,  and  Neff  was  shortly  transferred  to  the  band,  so  that  the  reputa- 
tion of  Randolph  for  warlike  valor  in  this  struggle  would  seem  to  have  been 
left  in  the  exclusive  keeping  of  William  D.  Stone.  He  was  in  the  war  four- 
teen months,  seeing,  in  that  time,  some  severe  service,  and  taking  part  in 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  417 

several  hard  battles,  especially  those  fought  by  our  gallant  little  army  around 
the  city  of  Puebla,  as  well  as  in  some  others. 

When  the  regiment  containing  our  "especial  three"  arrived  at  Vera  Cruz, 
Gen.  Scott  had  stormed  San  Juan  de  Ulloa  and  had  captured  Vera  Cruz; 
had  set  his  eager  legions  on  their  march  into  the  interior;  had  climbed  the 
frowning  heights  of  Sierra  Gorda  and  hurled  backward  in  inglorious  defeat 
the  armed  Mexican  legions;  had  crossed  the  smiling  Table  Lands,  occupied 
the  unresisting  city  of  Puebla,  and  captured  the  strong  fortress  of  Perote; 
and  had  pressed  still  onward,  till  his  gallant  troops  had  invested  the  capital. 
They  had  fought  and  won  the  memorable  contests  at  Churubusco  and  Chapul- 
tepec,  and  Molino  del  Rey,  and  had  at  length  marched  in  triumph  into  the  im- 
perial city  of  the  Montezumas,  and  were  taking  a  brief  respite  from  their 
warlike  labors  in  that  renowned  metropolis. 

The  regiment  to  which  that  before-named  "three"  belonged  had,  after 
undergoing  a  somewhat  romantic  experience  on  their  outward  passage,  landed 
at  Vera  Cruz.  In  company  with  other  regiments,  they  took  up  their  course 
of  march  for  Puebla,  drove  off  the  Mexican  army,  who  had  for  a  consider- 
able time  been  beleaguering  that  town  in  possession  of  the  American  forces, 
relieved  the  besieged  garrison,  and  entered  the  city  amid  the  plaudits  of  the 
rescued  ones. 

Peace  at  length  was  declared,  and  the  army  returned  to  their  homes, 
since  the  causeless  and  cruel  Mexican  war  at  last  was  over. 

REMINISCENCES MEXICAN    WAR W.   D.    STONE. 

In  May,  1847,  he  enlisted  in  the  Fourth  Indiana  Volunteers  as  a  private. 
In  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  bound  for  Galveston,  on  board  the  Ann  Chase,  one 
of  the  boilers  exploded.  Several  men  were  killed,  and  sixty-five  went  on 
boats  and  upon  rafts  to  the  Louisiana  shore,  nine  miles  away,  landing  near 
the  mouth  of  Calcasieu  river.  Stone  was  one  of  that  company.  For  some 
unknown  reason,  the  steamer  managed  to  repair  somewhat  the  damage  done, 
and  went  on  her  course,  leaving  that  company  of  men  in  the  swamps,  helpless 
and  desolate,  to  their  fate.  They  would  not  give  up,  however,  and  footed  it 
sixtv-five  miles,  having  no  food  nor  any  suitable  drink,  through  swamps  and 
jungles,  during  two  days  and  nights,  to  Sabine  City,  La.,  at  the  mouth  of 
Sabine  river.  Here  they  sta3'ed  a  week.  At  this  point,  thousands  of  Texas 
cattle  used  to  cross.  The  cattle  had  to  swim,  and  the  alligators  would  often 
catch  them.  Every  little  while,  a  bullock  would  give  a  spring  and  a  plunge, 
and  that  was  the  last  of  him.    An  aligator  had  him. 


4t8  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.      • 

The  boys,  to  pass  away  the  time,  tried  hunting  alligators.  Four  of  them 
took  a  skiff,  with  only  one  gun  for  them  all,  and  rowed  out  into  the  river. 

Presently  a  huge  monster  came  swimming  along,  and  Stone  said,  "Let's 
lasso  him."     "Agreed,"  said  the  rest. 

So  they  fixed  a  rope  to  the  skiff  and  threw  it  around  the  head  and  neck 
of  the  creature.  The  moment  he  felt  the  rope,  he  started  for  the  gulf  at. 
full  speed.  He  dragged  the  boat  and  its  frightened  cr£w  half  a  mile  or 
more  in  "double  quick."  The  boys  trie^  to  get  him  to  shore.  After  bring- 
ing him  into  about  four  feet  of  water,  one  of  the  men,  Brewer  by  name,  a 
big,  burly  fellow,  tall  and  stout,  jumped  from  the  boat  into  the  river  to  pull 
on  the  rope  and  help  land  him.  Instanter  the  alligator  "took  for"  Brewer, 
and  the  chap  made  some  rather  lively  splashing  through  that  water  about 
that  time. 

However,  they  got  him  ashore  and  shot  him.  They  thought  him  a 
"whaler,"  he  being  seven  or  eight  feet  long,  or  perhaps  longer  than  that,  and 
larger  by  far  than  they  cared  to  encounter  again, -and  so  they  gave  up  the 
business. 

Three  hundred  men  were  still  on  board  the  steamer,  and,  managing  to 
"rig  up"  in  some  way,  as  has  been  stated,  the  ship  made  for  Galveston,  pay- 
ing no  heed  to  the  men  on  shore.  They  reported  at  Galveston  that  sixty- 
five  men  had  made  the  shore,  and  that  they  were  on  the  coast  starving.  A 
schooner  was  sent  for  them  outright,  and  -they  were  found  at  Sabine  City. 
By  that  schooner  the  squad  were  conveyed  to  Galveston;  thence  to  Brazos 
de  Santiago.  Most  went  by  steamer,  but  fifteen  of  them  went  in  another 
way,  to  wit,  by  an  old  yawl.  What  possessed  them  to  go  out  on  the  gulf 
in  such  a  crazy  conveyance  is  "one  of  those  things  that  no  fellow  can  ever 
find  out."  But  go  they  did,  and  a  sorry  time  they  made  of  it.  When  out  on 
the  gulf,  the  yawl  would  dip  and  veer,  first  one  side  and  then  the  other,  and 
they  came  near  drowning  many  times;  but,  through  God's  mercy,  they  were 
spared  to  tread  once  more  the  solid  land. 

The  men  in  the  yawl  had  no  gun,  and  could  not  shoot  any  of  the  sharks. 

Mr.  Stone  says :  "But  we  did  one  thing  that  was  not  planned.  Col. 
Gorman,  of  the  Fourth  Indiana,  had  put  a  lot  of  hams  into  the  bottom  of  the 
yawl  to  be  conveyed  to  Brazos.  We  got  at  these,  pitching  them  out,  one  after 
one,  to  the  sharks." 

From  Brazos,  the  regiment  was  sent  up  the  Rio  Grande  some  two  hun- 
dred miles  by  steamer  to  Gen.  Taylor,  but  they  were  ordered  to  report  to  Gen. 
Scott,  at  Vera  Cruz ;  and,  marching  back  by  land  to  Matamoras,  they  took 
passage  over  the  gulf  again  to  the  Mexican  fortress  and  seaport,  San  Juan 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA.  4I9 

de  UUoa  (San  Hoo-an'  da  Ool-yo-a),  and  Vera  Cruz  (Va'ra  Krooss), 
which,  however,  had  been  reduced  and  captured  before  their  arrival. 

Most  went  by  steamer,  but  a  part  were  taken  (by  their  own  choice)  in  an 
old  sailing  vessel  across  the  Mexican  Gulf  to  Vera  Cruz. 

The  Mexican  forces,  meanwhile,  had  retaken  a  part  of  the  route  from 
Vera  Cruz  to  the  metropolis,  and  had  surrounded  Puebla  with  an  army  of 
7,000  men,  under  Gen.  Ria,  the  place  being  held  against  them  by  the  gallant 
Gen.  Childs,  with  only  a  small  garrison. 

The  little  army  fought  every  day,  more  or  less,  for  twenty-nine  days, 
all  the  way  to  Puebla.  At  Huamantla,  1,500  American  soldiers  routed  5,000 
Mexicans,  secured  the  pass  in  triumph,  and  raised  the  siege  of  Puebla. 

Gen.  Scott,  before  this  time,  had  taken  San  Juan  de  Ulloa  (at  Vera 
Cruz),  and  had  fought  Sierra  Gorda  at  the  pass  up  to  the  heights  of  the  Cen- 
tral Table  Land ;  had  taken  Puebla  and  Perote,  and  had  also,  about  this  time, 
fought  and  won  the  terrible  battles  of  Contreras,  Churubusco,  Chapultepec, 
and  Molino  del  Rey;  and  had  either  just  made  or  was  then  ready  to  make  his 
triumphal  entry  into  the  imperial  city  of  the  Montezumas. 

After  Puebla,  they  fought  at  Tlascala  to  protect  the  "tobacco  train,"  a 
bevy  of  wagons  laden  with  a  supply  of  that  fragrant  weed  for  the  use  of 
the  American  soldiers. 

The  bombardment  of  Atlixco  on  the  march,  though  a  cruel  thing,  was 
nevertheless  a  magnificent  spectacle.  The  artillery  was  posted  on  the  heights, 
and  the  town  lay  far  down,  hundreds  of  feet  below  in  the  valley.  It  was  in 
the  night,  and  the  track  of  the  shells  through  the  starlit  sky  could  be  distinctly 
seen  as  they  went  speeding  on  their  path  of  destruction.  The  shells  would 
burst  in  the  midst  of  the  town,  scattering  death  and  ruin  far  and  wide.  The 
city  could  not  long  endure  so  unequal  a  contest,  but  surrendered  at  discretion. 

These  troops  did  not  go  to  the  City  of  Mexico,  as  Gen.  Scott  was  in 
possession,  and  the  actual  war  was  over.  The  army  remained  in  the  con- 
cjuered  country  during  some  months,  till  the  treaty  of  peace  had  been  made. 
The  evacuation  then  took  place,  and  the  soldiers  came  home  during  the 
summer  of  1848." 

MEXICAN    WAR. 

Captain  John  Neff,  Winchester. 

He  was  commissioned  captain  in  the  United  States  army  in  1846,  during 
the" time  of  the  Mexican  war.  He  did  no  service  in  Mexico  but  was  stationed 
at  St.  Loui  ■-,  under  Col.  Enos  McKay,  as  assistant  quartermaster.  His  labors 
were  great  and  his  responsibilities  extensive.     At  one  time  his  colonel  wished 


420  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

transportation  for  $120,000  in  gold  and  silver,  chiefly  the  latter,  to  Fort 
Leavenworth.  The  steamboats  refused  to  carry  it  for  less  than  2  per  cent, 
upon  the  whole  amount.  The  colonel  would  not  submit  to  such  extortion  and 
directed  Captain  Neff  to  convey  the  funds  to  their  destination  overland,  and 
asked  him,  "What  escort  do  you  wish?"  "The  less,  the  better,"  was  his  reply. 
He  took  four  men  and  with  a  wagon  loaded  with  the  precious  treasure,  they 
drove  through  in  fourteen  days.  When  four  days  out  the  discovery  was  made 
that  their  guns  were  utterly  useless;  but  they  accomplished  the  journey  with- 
out mishap,  at  a  cost  of  about  $130,  thus  effecting  a  saving  to  the  government 
of  $2,279. 

It  would  seem  that  Captain  Neff's  duties  did  not  embrace  any  direct  con- 
nection with  the  ^Mexican  war,  but  the  time  of  his  service  was  during  its 
progress,  and  he  was  a  resident  of  Randolph  county  and  a  faithful  and  effi- 
cient officer ;  and  this  brief  account  of  his  labors  would  appear  to  be  not  out 
of  place  at  this  point  in  our  history. 

WAR  OF  SECESSION. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  article  that  very  few  of  the  residents 
of  Randolph  county  had  ever  seen  or  known  the  horrors  or  privations  and 
butcheries  of  war,  the  story  of  revolutionary  hardships,  of  Indian  treachery, 
and  Mexican  intrigue,  had  been  told  at  many  a  fire-side,  children  had  listened 
in  rapt  attention  to  the  stories  of  heroes  until  they  had  become,  indeed,  hero 
worshippers.  Little  did  they  think  in  those  boyhood  days  that  the  lessons  of 
patriotism  and  loyalty  being  so  instilled  would  be  called  forth  in  action  in 
their  manhood  by  such  a  great  war  as  the  Ci^'il  war.  They  knew  nothing 
whatever  of  war  excepting  what  they  had  read  and  heard,  even  the  play  at 
school  had  lost  its  militia  tendency,  no  longer  did  the  school  boys  organize  into 
companies  and  pla}^  at  even  Indian  wars,  no  longer  did  a  thought  of  a  raid 
against  man  in  battle  strife  claim  the  attention  of  the  father  or  mother  and  yet 
this  fearful  cloud  was  formed  that  was  to  burst  into  terrific  storm  and  claim 
as  its  victims  hundreds  and  even  thousands  of  Randolph  county  boys. 

The  spark  of  patriotism  was  kindled  into  a  flame  by  the  talk  of  seces- 
sion and  burst  into  a  veritable  furnas. 

Upon  the  news  of  the  fall  of  Ft.  Sumter  every  nook  and  corner  of  the 
county  ofi^ered  its  li\  ing  sacrifice  upon  the  altar  of  patriotism.  Mothers  gave 
willingly  their  first  born,  and  their  last  born,  that  the  country  might  live. 
She  and  her  daughters,  remained  at  home,  toiling  incessantly  to  maintain  that 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  421 

home  and  laboring  with  their  own  hands  to  make  garments  for  the  comfort 
of  loved  ones  on  the  battle  field. 

The  father  who  was  not  accompanied  by  his  son  to  the  front,  bade  his 
son  "God  speed"  and  returned  to  labor,  that  the  others  might  be  supported. 
Those  were  times  when  the  true  nature  of  man  came  to  the  front,  either 
in  response  to  loyalty  or  by  intrigue  with  those  who  were  disloyal.  None 
knew  until  that  crisis  what  his  country  was,  how  much  he  loved  it,  or  the 
sacrifice  he  was  willing  to  make  to  save  it.  It  was  only  necessary  to  ask  in 
the  name  of  patriotism  and  loyalty,  to  be  met  by  a  response  of  sincerity  and 
devotion.  Sedition  and  treason  were  to  be  put  down  and  the  loyal  people  of 
Randolph  county  realized  it  was  an  enormous  task  and  would  require  all 
that  could  be  gotten  in  any  form. 

Randolph  county  had  been  for  years  Republican  in  politics,  strongly  op- 
posed to  the  institution  of  slavery.  Abolition  societies  and  anti-slavery  so- 
cieties of  all  kinds  had  thrived  and  met  with  hearty  approval.  But  it  must 
not  be  understood  that  the  loyal  people  were  all  to  be  found  within  the  ranks 
of  the  Republican  party,  for  many,  many  other  people  of  other  political  faith 
offered  themselves  equally  as  willing  a  sacrifice  to  the  cause.  Among  those 
who  went  to  the  front,  political  lines  were  ignored  and  there  was  but  one 
common  thought  and  that  was  to  put  down  the  rebellion. 

The  one  great  blot  upon  the  history  of  the  county  in  that  great  period 
is  the  treachery  and  disloyalty  of  some  who  remained  at  home  and  whose 
actions  and  organization  have  been  spoken  of  otherwise  under  the  head  of  the 
Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle. 

It  is  not  known  how  many  men  and  boys  enlisted  from  this  county  but 
it  is  known  that  more  than  2,000  were  found  in  the  ranks,  many,  of  course, 
enlisted  in  other  counties  and  in  other  states,  and  it  is  impossible  to  know  who 
they  were.  The  only  source  of  information  is  the  report  of  Adjutant-Gen- 
eral Terrell  to  the  governor  of  Indiana,  shortly  after  the  close  of  the  war. 
General  Terrell  did,  no  doubt,  do  all  in  his  power,  with  the  material  at  his 
command,  to  make  a  complete  list  of  all  the  participants  but  the  task  was  so 
great,  the  data  so  inaccurate  and  the  records  so  incomplete  it  was  impossible 
for  him  to  get  all.  It  is  a  known  fact  that  out  of  the  208,367  names  of 
soldiers  enlisted  from  Indiana  in  the  war  of  rebellion  nothing  is  to  be  known 
of  almost  45,000  of  these  soldiers,  as  to  where  they  came  from,  and  of  that 
number  about  14,000  wholly  unaccounted  for.  It  is  unfortunate  that  the 
state  has  not  since  that  time  made  a  systematic  effort  to  gain  the  information 
for  record  of  these  thousands  of  men  who  were  as  loyal  and  patriotic  as 
those  whose  records  are  known.    No  doubt,  many  of  these  unknown  are  from 


422  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

Randolph  county  and  while  it  is  our  effort  to  give  the  names  and  due  credit 
of  each  and  ever}-  soldier,  we  wish  in  this  way  to  express  our  appreciation 
and  esteem  of  those  whose  names  we  have  been  unable  to  obtain.  As  we  have 
said  it  has  been  estimated  that  more  than  2,000  man  and  boys  joined  the  union 
arm)-  in  the  war  of  1861  from  this  county.  \\'^ork  shops  were  silenced,  mills 
were  stopped,  stores  were  closed,  farms  were  deserted,  many  and  many  a 
wife  with  the  daughter  maintained  the  home  and  cared  as  best  she  could  for 
what  was  entrusted  to  her  care. 

We  are  acquainted  with  one  particular  case,  which  is  no  doubt  greater 
in  number  than  the  usual  case  but  no  less  in  per  cent  than  hundreds  of  the 
others  which  will  show  the  response  to  the  call  to  arms.  Joab  McNeese,  a 
resident  of  Stoney  Creek  township,  near  Georgetown,  had  one  son,  twenty 
grandsons,  one  great  grandson,  and  the  husbands  of  ten  granddaughters  in 
the  Civil  war;  another  remarkable  thing  of  this  record  is  that  nineteen  of  the 
twent}'  grandsons  and  the  one  great  grandson  and  nine  of  the  ten  husbands 
of  the  granddaughters  enlisted  from  Stoney  Creek  township  and  Monroe 
township.  This  is  rather  a  remarkable  record  but  is  only  one  of  hundreds 
that  show  the  loyalty  of  Randolph  county  families. 

Randolph  county  had  representatives  during  the  progress  of  the  war 
everywhere  in  the  front.  At  the  opening  conflicts  of  Richmond  Mountain, 
Bull  Run  and  Ball's  Bluff,  with  Lion  at  ^A'ilson's  creek,  Alilligan  at  Lexing- 
ton, South  Mountain  and  Antietam,  Shiloh  and  Vicksburg,  New  Orleans, 
Chickamauga  and  Chattanooga;  with  Sherman  to  the  sea;  with  Sheridan  in 
the  Shenandoah,  with  Grant  to  Richmond,  and  in  fact,  everywhere  they  were 
to  be  found. 

The  prison-pens  were  honored  by  having  them  within  their  confines,  and 
many  Randolph  county  men  can  trace  broken  health  and  physical  debility 
to  the  prison-pens  of  Libby,  Danville,  Florence,  Savannah  and  Andersonville. 

"Tender  boys  who  had  never  slept  off  a  feather  bed  in  their  lives,  and 
who  had  lived  abundanth-  and  daintily  always,  went  cheerfully  to  the  field, 
wrapped  their  frames,  weary  with  long  marching,  contentedly  and  even  mer- 
rily, in  their  blankets,  and  lay  down  without  a  murmur  on  the  cold,  damp 
ground,  or  upon  the  rails  laid  in  the  mud  to  keep  their  bodies  from  actually 
sinking  in  the  mire,  after  a  supper  made  of  corn  shelled  from  the  cob  and 
hastily  parched  in  a  scanty  fire  kindled  upon  the  ground.  Hardships  and 
privations,  forced  marches  and  camping  without  food  or  water  in  the  woods 
and  trenches ;  fierce  and  sanguinary  battles,  wounds,  imprisonment  and  death 
— all  these  were  Ijorne  cheerfully,  as  though  it  were  a  summer  pastime,  or 


■  U         StH 


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.V 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  423 

accepted  meekly  as  a  sacrifice  needful  -to  be  made  for  the  defense  of  a  coun- 
tr}',  the  richest,  the  noblest  and  the  best  beneath  the  circuit  of  the  sun. 

Through  all  coming  time,  the  war  of  1861  in  the  United  States  will  be 
reckoned  to  have  been  a  conflict  waged  by  the  people,  and  carried  on  to  the 
very  end  by  their  indomitable  will  and  their  unconquerable  spirit;  by  their 
relentless  determination  that  traitors  should  be  made  odious  and  that  treason 
should  be  crushed. 

And  thus  it  came  to  pass,  that,  in  spite  of  political  generals,  and  com- 
manders ignorant  or  dissipated,  or  even  secretly  tainted  with  covert  sympathy 
for  treason  and  hostile  to  liberty,  the  spirit  of  the  common  soldiery  triumphed 
over  every  obstacle,  and  bore  the  country  straight  forward  to  assured  and 
abundant  victory  and  triumphant  success." 

The  news  of  the  firing  on  Ft.  Sumter  as  it  flashed  over  the.  land  thrilled 
the  people  of  Randolph  county  to  a  tension  impossible  to  imagine.  No  sooner 
had  the  news  arrived  than  companies  began  to  organize  and  get  ready  for  the 
inevitable  conflict.  Meetings  were  held  in  various  parts  of  the  county  and 
most  of  them  centered  in  and  around  AVinchester,  the  county-seat.  Com- 
mittees were  appointed  to  wait  upon  people,  to  solicit  necessary  provisions, 
especially  bedding,  and  clothing,  the  government  was  wholly  unprepared  for 
such  a  conflict  and  it  was  evident  that  those  who  went  to  the  front  must  be 
cared  for  by  those, who  remained  at  home.  At  Winchester  a  public  meeting 
was  immediately  called,  committees  were  appointed  to  solicit  clothing  and 
blankets,  the  country  was  divided  into  sections  and  men  placed  in  command 
of  each  section.  Mr.  Butterworth  and  J\Ir.  Kemp  were  appointed  to  solicit 
along  the  Greenville  pike  and  their  experiences  will  only  show  the  experience 
of  all  others  similarly  appointed. 

Messrs.  Kemp  and  Butterworth  started  on  Saturday  morning  with  a 
two-horse  spring  wagon  to  solicit;  every  one  donated  and  gave  so  liberally 
that  these  men  were  unable  to  cover  half  their  territory  because  it  was  im- 
possible to  carry  what  they  had  received  in  the  two-horse  wagon.  On  Sun- 
day a  monster  mass  meeting  was  held,  a  picture  of  which  is  shown  elsewhere ; 
a  flag  was  presented  to  the  first  company  raised  in  this  county;  this  was 
Company  "C"  of  the  8th,  three  months'  service,  Captain  Silas  Colgrove. 
The  picture  shows  the  flag  which  is  being  presented  to  this  company.  It 
was  presented  by  a  Miss  Bryce,  daughter  of  J.  G.  Bryce,  county  examiner. 
This  is  indeed  a  remarkable  picture  showing  the  intensity  of  the  feeling  of 
that  day.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  picture  was  taken  from  the  rear  of  the 
crowd.  At  that  time  an  exposure  of  a  minute  or  more  was  necessary  to  take 
a  picture  and  yet  no  movement  on  the  part  of  any  one  in  the  picture  can  be 


424  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

detected,  so  intense  was  their  interest  in  what  was  being  said,  for  they  did 
not  know  the  picture  was  being  taken.  ( In  this  picture  the  man  in  the  wagon 
is  James  S.  Cottom,  the  first  man  leaning  against  the  fence  is  Enos  L.  Wat- 
son, the  second  is  Henry  Kizer  and  the  heavier  gentleman  to  the  right  is 
Jerry  Smith.)  How  little  did  the  audience  appreciate  op.  that  memorable  day 
how  \often  a  scene  of  this  kind  was  to  take  place  in  the  next  four  years; 
how  little  did  the  mothers  know  of  t^e  sacrifice  they  would  be  called  upon 
to  make  in  that  memorable  conflict. 

On  the  13th  of  April,  1861,  Ft.  Sumter  was  evacuated  and  upon  the 
receipt  of  this  news,  Sunday  morning,  April  14th,  Governor  Morton  pro- 
ceeded to  arrange  for  troops  and  on  the  morning  of  April  15th  telegraphed 
President  Lincoln  as  follows  : 

Executive  Department, 

Indianapolis,  April  15,  1861. 
To  Abraham  Lincoln,  President  of  the  United  States  : 

On  behalf  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  I  tender  to  you,  for  the  defense  of 
the  Xation,  and  to  uphold  the  authority  of  the  Government,  ten  thousand  men. 

Oliver  P.  Morton, 

Governor  of  Indiana. 

The  same  day,  President  Lincoln  called  for  75,000  troops,  and  the  quota 
of  Indiana  was  set  at  4,683  officers  and  men,  to  serve  for  three  months. 

The  next  day,  April  16,  Governor  Morton  called  for  six  regiments. 

The  day  after  the  call,  500  men  were  in  camp.  By  the  19th  of  April, 
2,400  men  were  on  hand,  and  they  were  pouring  in  by  every  train,  and  in  less 
than  seven  days,  more  than  twelve  thousand  men  had  been  tendered — nearly 
three  times  the  number  called  for.  One  company  was  there  from  Randolph 
of  140  men,  April  18,  Captain  Colgrove. 

Orders  were  received  from  the  President,  April  20,  to  organize  six  regi- 
ments, and  the  work  began  the  same  day. 

One  company  from  Marion  county  was  partly  mustered  on  that  day,  and 
the  rest  of  the  sixty  companies  were  organized  as  follows: 

April  21 — Five  companies. 

April  -22 — Nineteen  companies  and  a  half. 

April  23 — Ten  companies,  and  eleven  companies  besides,  not  mustered 
into  the  six  first  regiments. 

April  24 — Fourteen  companies. 

April  25 — Eleven  companies. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  425 

Ami  also,  on  that  last  day,  April  25,  the  whole  six  regiments  were  com- 
pleted and  mustered  into  service. 

When  this  work  had  been  accomplished,  there  remained  in  camp  at  In- 
dianapolis twenty-nine  companies  besides,  and  sixty-eight  companies  had  been 
raised  and  tendered  that  had  not  come  forward.  Out  of  these.  Governor 
]\Iorton  determined  to  organize  several  state  one-year  regiments,  and  in- 
structed to  form  five  such  regiments. 

On  the  6th  of  ^iay.  the  legislature  passed  an  act  recjuiring  six  regiments 
of  state  troops. 

On  the  nth  of  May,  1861,  five  regiments  were  reported  as  complete — 
the  Twelfth,  Thirteenth,  Fourteenth,  Fifteenth,  Sixteenth,  and,  shortly  after- 
ward, the  Seventeenth  was  mustered  into  service. 

These  120  companies  forming  the  twelve  regiments  were  recruited  from 
dififerent  counties  to  wit : 

Allen,  four  companies ;  Bartholomew,  three  companies ;  Boone,  one  com- 
pany ;  Benton,  one  company ;  Clay,  one  company ;  Clinton,  one  company ;  Cass, 
_two  companies ;  Carrol,  one  company ;  Delaware,  one  company ;  Dearborn, 
five  companies ;  Daviess,  one  company ;  Decatur,  two  companies ;  Elkhart, 
one  company;  Floyd,  two  companies;  Franklin,  one  company;  Fountain,  one 
company;  Fayette,  one  company;  Grant,  one  company;  Howard,  two  com- 
panies; Henry,  two  companies;  Hamilton,  two  companies;  Hendricks,  one 
company ;  Hancock,  three  companies ;  Huntington,  one  company ;  Jefferson, 
five  companies ;  Jennings,  two  companies ;  Jackson,  one  company ;  Johnson, 
one  company ;  Jasper,  two  companies ;  Kosciusko,  two  companies ;  Knox,  two 
companies ;  La  Porte,  three  companies ;  Morgan,  one  company ;  Marion,  eight 
companies;  Madison,  one  company;  Montgomery,  four  companies;  Miami, 
one  company;  Martin,  one  company;  Monroe,  one  company;  Ohio,  one  com- 
pany; Owen,  two  companies;  Porter,  one  company;  Putnam,  four  companies; 
Parke,  one  company;  Rush,  one  company;  Randolph,  one  company  (146 
men) ;  Ripley,  two  companies;  Shelby,  three  companies;  St.  Joseph,  two  com- 
panies ;  .Tippecanoe,  four  companies ;  Tipton,  one  company ;  Union,  one  com- 
pany; Vigo,  three  companies;  Vanderburg,  one  company;  Vermillion,  one 
company;  Wayne,  one  company;  Wabash,  one  company;  Warren,  one  com- 
pany; Washington,  one  company. 

Seventeen  companies  were  formed  by  taking  the  men  for  each  from 
more  than  one  county.  Doubtless  many,  probably  all  the  counties  in  the  state 
not  named  above,  sent  volunteers  in  connection  with  other  counties.  Many 
of  them  were  represented  in  the  mixed  companies  above  specified.  The  forty 
extra  men  from  Randolph  were  sent  home. 


426  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Regiments  containing  Randolph  soldiers  are  the  following,  so.  far  as 
known : 

Eighth,  three  months;  Sixth,  three  years;  Seventh,  three  years;  Eighth, 
three  years ;  Ninth,  three  years ;  Eleventh,  three  years ;  Twelfth,  three  years ; 
Thirteenth,  three  years;  Sixteenth,  Seventeenth,  Nineteenth,  Twentieth,' 
Twenty-first  (First  heavy  artillery),  Twenty-seventh,  Twenty-eighth  (First 
cavalry).  Thirty-first,  Thirty-third,  Thirty-fourth,  Thirty-sixth,  Forty-sec- 
ond, Forty-seventh,  Fifty-fifth,  Fifty-seventh,  Sixty-ninth,  Seventy-first, 
Seventy-fifth,  Eighty- fourth.  Eighty-ninth,  Ninetieth,  Ninety-seventh,  Ninety- 
ninth,  One  Hundred  and  Fifth,  One  Hundred  and  Sixth,  One  Hundred  and 
Nii:ith,  One  Hundred  and  Seventeenth,  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  (Sev- 
enth cavalry),  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-first  (Ninth  cavalry),  One  Hun- 
dred and  Twenty-fourth,  One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth,  One  Hundred  and 
Thirtyfirst  (Thirteenth  cavalry),  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth,  One 
Hundred  and  Fortieth,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-seventh,  Fortieth  Ohio,  etc. 

This  list  may  be  even  now  incomplete,  since  it  is  true  that  many  are  put 
down  to  the  wrong  county,  as  Randolph  men  to  Wayne,  Jay  county  men  to 
Randolph,  etc.,  and  for  great  numbers  their  places  of  residence  were  left 
entirely  blank — a  defect  much  to  be  regretted,  indeed,,  but  which,  at  this  late 
day,  it  is  impossible  to  supply. 

Many  Randolph  soldiers  also  enlisted  in  regiments  from  other  states, 
or  in  the  regular  United  States  service.  For  instance,  a  large  number  joined 
the  Fortieth  Ohio  regiment,  of  which  Col.  Jonathan  Cranor  was  the  com- 
manding officer. 

Besides,  most  of  the  colored  volunteers  from  Randolph  (of  whom  there 
wejre  many)  joined  in  such  a  way  that  their  names  do  not  appear  on  the 
record  made  by  the  adjutant  general's  office  as  enlisting  from  Randolph,  or, 
indeed,  from  the  state  of  Indiana  at  all. 

Very  many,  also,  of  the  soldiers  now  residing  in  Randolph,  enlisted  from 
other  counties,  and  many,  too,  even  from  other  states,  which  fact  causes  the 
preparation  of  a  full  and  accurate  account  of  the  soldiers  of  and  in  Randolph 
to  be  a  task  doubly  and  trebly  difficult. 

As  we  have  said  heretofore.  Governor  Morton  and  all  the  people  saw 
with  the  volunteering  of  men  would  come  the  necessity  for  supplies.  The 
national  government  was  wholly  unprepared  for  such  an  emergency.  It  be- 
came necessary  for  Governor  Morton  to  organize  the  state  into  a  great  relief 
association.  He  called  to  his  assistance  men  of  prominence  and  ability  from 
all  the  loyal  parts  of  the  state  and  Randolph  county  was  honored  by  having 
one  of  its  citizens,  Asahel  Stone,  appointed  as  commissary  general.     Mr. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  427 

Stone  proved  himself  an  efficient  officer  and  was  one  of  the  best  supports  of 
Governor  Morton  in  this  great  movement.  The  soldiers  were  hurried  to  the 
front  without  much  thought  of  the  necessary  supplies,  especially  that  of 
clothing.  They  were  rushed  into  mountainous  country  of  Virginia  and  it 
soon  became  necessary  for  them  to  have  extra  clothing  to  protect  them  from 
the  inclemency  of  the  weather  of  that  portion  of  the  state. 

Governor  Morton  immediately  went  to  Washington  and  finding  the  gov- 
ernment wholly  unprepared,  telegraphed  to  Indianapolis  to  "urge  Major 
Montgomery,  United  States  Quartermaster,  to  get  overcoats  of  any  good  ma- 
terial and  not  wait  for  a  public  letting,  do  have  them  at  once,  the  men  are 
suffering  and  I  am  distressed,  perhaps  a  few  thovisand  can  be  forwarded  by 
Captain  Dickerson,  at  once,  from  Cincinnati."  This  was  August  20th,  1861, 
and  the  men  were  already,  as  we  have  said,  very  much  in  need  of  these  sup- 
plies. Montgomery  failed  to  follow  instructions.  Dickerson,  however,  sent 
4,000  overcoats  to  General  Rosecrans,  then  in  command  in  Western  Virginia. 
Transportation  was  poor  and  careless  and  the  overcoats  were  not  delivered. 
Later  in  the  year,  September  14th,  General  Asahel  Stone  was  ordered  to  give 
the  matter  his  personal  attention.  He  did  so  and  found  1,200  of  them  and 
forwarded  them  as  soon  as  possible  to  the  iron  brigade  under  the  command 
of  Brigadier-General  Reynolds. 

Morton  resumed  all  responsibility  for  the  pay  of  these  supplies  and 
through  the  state  purchasing  agent,  Robert  Dale  Owen,  purchased  29,000 
overcoats,  "regulation  price,"  $7.75,  but  it  was  necessary  to  pay  $9.25  for  a 
part  of  them.  Quartermaster  General  Meigs  refused  to  allow  Morton  more 
than  $7.75  to  which  Morton  replied  in  his  characteristic  way,  "if  the  United 
States  will  not  pay  for  them,  Indiana  will,  the  troops  must  not  suffer." 

October  16,  1861,  Governor  Morton  made  an  appeal,  "To  the  patriotic 
women  of  Indiana  for  additional  blankets,  socks,  gloves,  mittens,  shirts  and 
drawers"  and  asked  that  these  supplies  be  furnished  immediately,  which  ap- 
peal the  wives,  mothers  and  daughters  responded  to  with  a  lacrity  to  such  a 
degree  that  in  May,  1862,  the  state  Quartermaster  General,  J.  H.  Vauejen 
reported :  "This  proclamation  met  with  a  most  cordial  response  and  many 
thousands  of  dollars  worth  of  blankets,  socks,  gloves,  mittens,  shirts  and 
drawers  were  forwarded,  as  also,  sheets,  pillows,  pads,  bandages,  lint  and 
dressing  gowns,  for  hospital  use,  in  so  much  that  a  circular  was  issued  an- 
nouncing that  the  supply  was  enough."  It  was  through  the  energy  and 
patriotism  of  Governor  Morton  that  Indiana  was  the  first  to  organize  for  tem- 
porary relief  and  General  Stone  was  placed  at  the  head  of  this  department. 
The  duty  of  this  agency  was  "To  render  all  possible  relief  to  our  soldiers. 


.428  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,     IN'lJiANA. 

especially  to  the  sick  and  wounded,  whether  in  transit  or  in  the  hospital  or 
on  the  battlefield." 

It  was  a  well-known  fact  that  during  the  war  Indiana  relief  was  usually 
the  first  to  appear  and  when  it  did  appear  Indiana  soldiers  were  not  the  only 
ones  to  receive  succor  for  the  hearts  of  the  people  who  sent  it  and  the  spirit 
of  the  governor  who  guided  it  went  out  to  all  men,  regardless  of  the  state  they 
represented. 

The  state  sanitary  commissioner  was  also  established  in  February,  1862. 
This  organization  received  many  and  valuable  contributions  during  the  re- 
mainder of  the  Civil  war.  The  Free  Masons  alone  contributed  $10,000.00 
at  one  time  and  a  great  deal  more  at  subsec[uent  intervals.  A  fair  was  held 
in  the  fall  of  1863  which  netted  $40,000.00.  Boat  loads  of  supplies  were 
sent  out  to  the  front,  one  of  these  City  Bell,  under  the  control  of  General 
Stone,  reached  Vicksburg  July  4,  the  day  of  its  surrender.  The  recorded 
contributions  of  this  state  are  known  to  be  over  five  millions  of  dollars  and 
no  doubt  the  enormous  amount. of  which  no  record  was  ever  kept  or  could 
be  kept  reached  into  the  millions,  also,  every  possible  means  was  employed 
to  contribute  to  the  relief  and  comfort  of  those  directly  interested,  person- 
ally, in  the  "boys  in  blue". 

The  towns  at  all  railway  stations  were  organized  for  the  purpose  of 
feeding,  and  giving  comfort  to  all  soldiers  who  appear  in  their  midst.  At 
Winchester  and  Union  City  soldiers  were  transferred  from  one  railroad  to 
another.  It  was  the  pleasure  of  the  citizens  to  feed  them  while  there  and 
thousands  and  thousands  of  meals  have  thus  been  served  to  soldiers  entransit. 

RELIEF  FOR  FAMILIES  OF  VOLUNTEERS. 

A  great  majority  of  the  people  favored  public  relief  and  support  for  the 
families  of  all  volunteers  and  it  must  be  said  to  the  everlasting  credit  of  the 
county  that  no  soldier's  widow  or  orphan  was  allowed  to  be  in  need. 

In  June,  1861,  the  county  commissioners  instituted  a  movement  for  the 
"pro\-isions  for  the  support  of  the  families  of  volunteers"  and  made  the  fol- 
lowing entry  in  their  minutes  : 

The  following  appointments  of  agents  for  the  relief  of  the  families  of 
volunteers  in  the  present  war  was  passed  by  the  board,  to  wit: 

"Winchester,  Ind.,  June  12th,  1861. 
At  the  June  term  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners  the  following 
persons  were  appointed  agents  for  the  relief  of  the  families  of  the  soldiers  of 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  429 

Randolph  county  who  have  or  may  hereafter  volunteer  in  defense  of  our 
country.  The  duty  of  said  agents  will  be  to  inquire  into  and  administer  to 
the  wants'  of  such  families  and  make  report  to  this  board  at  its  next  regular 
term  to  commence  on  the  ist  Monday  in  September,  next,  when  an  allowance 
will  be  made  for  the  payment  of  expenses  so  incurred.  They  will  also  care- 
fully scrutinize  the  applicants  for  relief  in  order  to  guard  the  county  against 
imposition. 

White  River  township,  Thomas  Ward  and  Thomas  L.  Scott;  Wayne 
township,  H.  L.  Searl;  Jackson  township,  James  Simmons;  Ward  township, 
Robert  Murray;  Franklin  township,  J.  H.  Sanders;  Green  township,  Philip 
Barger;  Monroe  township,  Peter  S.  Miller;  Stoney  Creek  township,  Owen  O. 
Thompson;  Nettle  Creek  township,  Samuel  Burroughs;  West  River  town- 
ship, Stephen  Keever;  Washington  township,  David  Semans;  Greensfork 
township,  Gideon  Shaw. 

(Signed)     Hicks  K.  Wright, 
C.  F.  Alexander, 

Commissioners. 
Attest : 

George  O.  Jobes,  Auditor." 

It  will  be  seen  that  each  township  was  provided  with  an  agent  and  it 
may  be  said  that  these  agents  or  their  successors  were  kept  in  service  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  Others  who  have  served  as  agents  of  the  relief  fund 
were  William  Burress,  Monroe  township;  B.  F.  W.  Stewart,  Dr.  J.  N.  Con- 
verse and  David  Polly,  Wayne;  David  L.  Hiatt  and  John  Johnson,  of  Wash- 
ington ;  Thomas  W.  Kizer,  John  B.  Goodrich  and  Arthur  Quick,  of  White 
River;  Olney  Whipple,  Ward;  William  Freeman,  Nettle  Creek;  David  Kit- 
selman,  Elisha  T.  Bailey,  of  Franklin,  and  perhaps  others  whose  names  we 
have  been  unable  to  secure. 

Provisions  and  clothing  were  furnished  to  the  families  of  the^  volun- 
teers. For  this  purpose  in  the  year  ending  June  ist,  1862,  the  county  paid  out 
$i.937-99- 

For  the  year  ending  June  ist,  1863 $4,527.93 

For  the  year  ending  June  ist,  1864 _ — , —  8,590.23 

For  the  year  ending  June  ist,  1865 4,021.00 

For  the  year  ending  June  ist,  1866 20,320.00 

For  the  year  ending  June  ist,  1867 2,460.55 

For  the  year  ending  June  ist,  1868 1,271.40 

(28) 


430  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

For  the  year  ending  June  ist,  1869 438.00 

For  the  year  ending  June  ist,  1870 162.60 

For  the  year  ending  June  ist,  1871 15.00 

Making  a  total  of $43,744.10 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  heaviest  »relief  was  paid  in  1866.  The  funds 
of  the  county  during  that  year  were  very  low  and  in  the  opinion  of  the  com- 
missioners, it  became  necessary  to  make  a  new  rule  of  distribution.  Conse- 
quently, January  9th,  1866,  the  following  entry  was  made  and  observed  dur- 
ing the  remainder  of  the  time  for  which  bounty  was  paid : 

"It  is  ordered  by  the  board  that  the  disbursing  officers  of  the  Soldiers' 
Relief  Fund  for  the  various  townships,  be  instructed  or  notified  by  the  au- 
ditor to  curtail  their  disbursements  in  the  following. manners,  to  wit:  "Per- 
sons who  have  been  or  who  are  receiving  a  pension  in  any  amount  are  not 
to  receive  relief  from  the  relief  fund  of  said  county  and  all  others  to  receive 
only  fifty  per  cent,  or  one-half  of  what  they  have  been  receiving  heretofore, 
as  allowed  by  law.  The  provisions  of  this  order  to  be  complied  with  from 
this  date,  January  9th,  1866. 

C.  F.  Alexander, 
H.  K.  Wright, 
Nathan  Reed." 

There  is  no  doubt  of  the  sincerity  of  the  commissioners  in  the  above 
action  as  they  showed  themselves  at  all  times  to  be  willing  and  ready  and 
anxious  to  provide  for  the  relief  of  worthy  applicants.  It  is  only  natural  to 
presume  that  some  abuse  would  be  made  of  the  privilege  of  furnishing  pro- 
visions but  only  in  one  case  was  any  deduction  made  from  the  bill  of  any  one 
selling  to  families  receiving  aid  under  this  provision. 

The  adjutant  general's  report  as  to  relief  shows  that  Randolph  county 
paid  a  total  of  $94,447.53,  being  exceeded  by  only  eleven  counties  in  the 
state,  these  counties  were  Decatur,  Delaware,  Hamilton,  Jackson,  Laporte, 
Marion,  St.  Joseph,  Tippecanoe.  Vigo,  Wabash  and  Wayne. 

county  bounty. 

"Thursday,  July  24,  1862. 
"Pursuant  to  summons  issued  by  the  Auditor  in  conformity  with  law 
the  board  met  in  special  session  present  A.  McKew,  C.  F.  Alexander. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  43 1 

"The  board  having  been  convened  for  the  purpose  of  taking  such  action 
as  they  may  think  best  in  regard  to  offering  a  bounty  to  persons  who  may 
volunteer  in  the  United  States  army  and  also  to  take  such  action  as  they 
may  think  best  in  regard  to  providing  for  the  families  of  such  volunteers. 

"It  is  ordered  by  the  board  that  the  auditor  be  instructed  to  issue  an 
order  for  ten  dollars  to  each  person  who  may  volunteer  in  Randolph  county 
to  be  paid  to  such  volunteer  when  accepted  and  sworn  into  the  service  of 
the  United  States  Army  for  three  years  or  during  the  war.  (Commissioned 
officers  not  included. ) 

A.  McKew, 

C.  F.  Alexander." 

Evidently  through  discussion  of  the  public  the  court  was  convinced  that 
$16.00  was  not  as  much  as  the  county  could  afford  to  pay,  hence  on  Tues- 
day, July  29 : 

"At  a  special  session  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners  of  Ran- 
dolph county  begun  and  .held  in  AVinchester  in  July  29th,  1862,  there  was 
present  A.  McKew,  C.  F.  Alexander  and  A.  DeVoss. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  that  there  be  an  allowance  of  twenty  dollars  in 
addition  to  that  heretofore  appropriated  to  each  person  who  may  volunteer 
in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  one-half  to  be  paid  in  one  year  with  in- 
terest from  date  and  the  balance  from  two  years  with  interest  from  date. 
The  orders  to  be  issued  when  the  volunteers  has  been  (been)  accepted  and 
sworn  into  the  service,  and  the  auditor  is  hereby  authoried  to  issue  said 
orders  when  the  above  conditions  have  been  complied  with. 

A.  McKew, 

C.  F.  Alexander, 

A.  Devoss." 

This  order  remained  in  force  until  a  special  session  held  November  21, 
1863,  when  the  following  order  was  made: 

"It  is  ordered  by  the  board  that  the  county  pay  to  each  person  who 
has  or  who  may  hereafter  volunteer  in  the  United  States  Army  for  the  term 
of  three  years  or  during  the  war  the  sum  of  thirty  dollars  as  a  bounty  to 
be  paid  as  follows :  ten  dollars  in  cash,  ten  dollars  in  one  year  with  inter- 
est from  date  and  ten  dollars  in  two  years  from  date  with  interest,  said  in- 
terest to  cease  on  both  orders  as  soon  as  the  county  treasurer  advertises  that 
there  are  funds  on  hands  to  redeem  said  orders  and  provided  that  said  persons 
to  be  entitled  to  the  above  bounty  must  be  citizens  of  Randolph  county  at  the 


432  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

time  of  volunteering  and  provided  further  that  any  tax  that  may  be  due  the 
county  by  said  volunteer  shall  be  deducted  from  the  amount  of  said  bounty 
and  the  commissioned  officers  of  the  company  or  regiment  are  not  to  be 
entitled  to  the  said  bounty. 

"The  above  bounty  is  to  be  paid  only  to  those  who  volunteer  to  fill  the 
quoto  of  Randolph  county  in  the  call  of  the  President  for  three  hundred  thou- 
sand additional  volunteers  and  dated ^ — ,   1863.     The  orders 

to  be  issued  when  the  volunteer  is  mustered  in  the  service. 

C.  F.  Alexander, 
A.  Devoss, 
A.  McKew." 

This  order  remained  in  force  until  January  16,  1865,  w^hen  the  following 
order,  which  is  self-explanatory,  is  made : 

"It  was  ordered  by  the  board  that  there  be  a  county  bounty  of  forty 
dollars  paid  to  each  person  who  may  Volunteer  in  the  United  Sates  serv- 
ices under  the  call  of  December  19th,  1864,  provided  said  bounty  is  not  to 
be  paid  until  after  such  volunteer  shall  have  been  mustered  into  the  services 
and  credited  to  Randolph  county.  Twenty  dollars  of  said  bounty  to  be  paid 
in  cash  and  twenty  to  be  paid  in  one  year  from  date,  of  said  muster  in — 
With  interest  from  date  and  it  is  further  ordered  that  each  township  shall  be 
entitled  to  said  amount  of  forty  dollars  as  above  for  each  person  necessary 
to  fill  the  cjuoto  of  said  township  under  said  call. 

A.  McKew, 

C.  F.  Alexander, 

H.  K.  Wright." 

Under  these  various  orders  count}^  bounties  were  paid  for  the  year  end- 
ing June  1st,  1863,  $18,450.00;  for  the  year  ending  June  ist,  1864,  $8,700.00; 
for  the  year  ending  June  ist,  1865,  $7,420.00;  for  the  year  ending  June  ist, 
1866,  $950.00;  for  the  year  ending  June  ist,  1867,  $2,050;  for  the  year  end- 
ing June  1st,  1868,  $240.00;  for  the  year  ending  June  i,  1869,  $6o".oo;  for 
the  year  ending  June  ist,  1870,  $60.00;  totaling  $37,930.00.  No  bounty  was 
paid  after  that  time. 

The  largest  number  to  apply  for  bounty  at  one  time  was  when  the  forty- 
two  members  of  the  7th  Indiana  cavalry  applied  for  bounty  March  14,  1866. 
The  petition  was  "not  allowed  because  contrary  to  law." 

However,  December  7th,  that  year,  the  board  made  the  following  entry : 

"It   is  hereby  ordered  by  the  board   that  the   application   for  county 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  433 

bounty  of  persons  who  enlisted  in  July  and  August,  1863,  for  three  years 
or  during  the  war,  and  who  served  during  their  continuance  in  said  service 
as  enlisted  men,  in  the  Seventh  Ind.  vol.  cavalry,  and  who  were  credited 
on  the  quoto  of  said  Co.  be  allowed,  and  that  they  be  paid  the  sum  of  thirty 
dollars  each  under  and  according  to  the  provisions  of  an  order  of  this  board 
dated  November  21st,  1863." 

The  total  of  the  amounts  for  relief  of  volunteers  of  county  bounty, 
although  amounting  to  thousands  of  dollars,  is  a  mere  pittance  for  the  serv- 
ices rendered  by  these  noble  men,  who  gave  their  services  and  lives  for  the 
cause  of  the  union.  It  is  said  that  the  United  States  pays  more  bountiful  in 
pensions  than  any  other  nation  the  world  has  known.  This  is  a  mark  of 
honor,  distinction,  and  appreciation. 

"Such  struggles,  such  burdens  born,  such  sacrifices  made,  men,  money, 
means,  so  freely,  so  lavishly,  so  persistently  given — such  hardships,  perils, 
sufferings,  wounds  and  imprisonment  and  death  so  heroically  endured,  such 
fearful  things  undergone  through  four  long  bloody  years  over  the  face  of  a 
vast  continent.'' 

Each  and  every  citizen  of  the  county  will  always  be  interested  in  a  de- 
tailed account  of  the  heroes  of  Randolph  county  and  we  give  the  following 
most  of  which  is  taken  from  the  adjutant-general's  report  to  the  governor : 

ACCOUNT  OF  REGIMENTS. 

Eighth  Regiment  Infantry,  three  months — The  Eighth  Regiment  of  In- 
fantry of  Indiana  Volunteers  was  mustered  in  the  service  April  25,  1861, 
William  P.  Benton,  colonel.  The  muster-in  took  place  at  Indianapolis,  and 
the  muster-out  at  the  same  place,  August  6,  1861.  The  statistics  of  the  regi- 
ment are  as  follows : 

Companies,  10,  A  to  K  inclusive;  officers,  37;  men,  747;  total,  784;  died, 
7,  deserters,  15;  accounted  for,  784.- 

Each  company  consisted  of  seventy-four  men.  They  were  enlisted  as 
follows : 

Company  A,  April  21,  Wayne  county. 

Company  B,  April  23,  Grant  county. 

Company  C,  April  24,  Randolph  county. 

Company  D,  April  21,  Delaware  county 

Company  E,  April  22,  Madison  county. 

Company  F,  April  25,  Henry  county. 


434'  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Company  G,  April  22,  Wayne  county. 
Company  H,  April  25,  Wayne  county. 
Company  I,  April  21,  Hancock  county. 
Company  K,  April  23,  Wabash  county. 

The  regiment  was  made  up  of  three  from  Wayne,  one  from  Grant,  one 
from  Randolph,  one  from  Delaware,  one  from  Wabash,  one  from  Madison, 
one  from  Hancock  and  one  from  Henry. 

They  remained  in  camp  at  Indianapplis  until  June  19,  1861,  when, they 
were  ordered  to  Western  Virginia,  which  was  reached  by  rail  via  Cincinnati, 
Marietta  and  Parkersburg.  Remaining  at  Clarksburg  two  days,  the  regi- 
ment marched  thirty  miles  to  Buckhannon,  to  find  the  rebels,  who  had,  how- 
ever, moved  to  Rich  Mountain.  Thither  the  troops  marched  July  9,  and  lay 
in  camp  July  10  in  front  of  the  foe,  ascending  the  mountain  the  next  day; 
fought  the  battle  of  Rich  Mountain  July  11,  1861,  driving  the  rebels  from 
their  position  on  the  mountain,  and  sustaining  a  loss  of  three  killed  and 
seventeen  wounded. 

Going  into  camp  at  Beverly  for  two  weeks,  on  the  24th  of  July,  they  re- 
turned to  Indianapolis,  and  were  soon  afterwards  mustered  out  of  service, 
August  6,  1 86 1. 

The  troops  in  the  campaign  in  Western  A'irginia  performed  good  serv- 
ice. At  the  expiration  of  the  term.  May  Gen.  ]\IcClellan  addressed  Governor 
JMorton  as  follows. 

Headquarters  Army  of  Occupation, 
West  Virginia,  Camp  near  Beverly, 

July  21,  1861. 
Gov.  O.  P.  Morton,  Indianapolis,  Ind. : 

Governor — I  have  directed  the  three  months'  regiments  from  Indiana 
to  move  to  Indianapolis ;  there  to  be  mustered  out  and  re-organized  for  three 
years'  service. 

I  can  not  permit  them  to  return  to  you  without  again  expressing  my  high 
appreciation  of  the  distinguished  valor  and  endurance  of  the  Indiana  troops, 
and  my  hope  that  a  short  time  only  will  elapse  before  I  shall  have  the  pleas- 
ure of  knowing  that  they  are  again  ready  for  the  field. 
I  am,  very  respectfully, 
Your  obedient  servant, 

George  B.  AIcClellan, 

Major  General  United  States  Army 


■RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  435 

Brig.  Gen.  ]Morris  also  issued  an  address  to  his  brigade,  an  extract  from 
which  is  here  given  : 

"The  General  tenders  to  all  his  thanks  for  the  soldierly  bearing,  the 
cheerful  performance  of  every  duty  and  the  patient  endurance  of  the  priva- 
tions and  fatigues  of  campaign  life  which  all  have  so  constantly  exhibited. 
*  *  *  They  have  cheerfully  endured  the  fatigues  of  long  and  dreary 
marches  by  day  and  night,  through  rain  and  storm;  they  have  borne  the  ex- 
haustion of  hunger  for  the  sake  of  the  country.  Their  labor  and  sufferings 
were  not  in  vain.  The  foe  they  met  and  vanquished.  Your  friends  welcome 
you  with  pride  and  exultation.  Your  state  and  country  acknowledge  the 
value  of  your  labors." 

After  the  dissolution  of  the  regiment,  the  great  body  of  its  members  re- 
entered service  in  the  Eighth  Indiana  Infantry,  enlisted  for  three  years.  The 
officers  and  men  from  Randolph  county  belonging  to  the  Eighth  Indiana 
Three  Month's  Regiment  are  as  follows :  Lieutenant  Colonel,  Silas  Colgrove, 
mustered  out;  re-entered  service  as  Colonel  Twenty-seventh  regiment.. 
(Where  no  time  is  given  the  person  was  mustered  out  at  the  close  of  service.) 

Company  C,  Eighth,  three  months — Captain,  Silas  Colgrove,  promoted 
lieutenant  colonel  April  26,  1861,  Thomas  J.  Lee,  resigned;  first  lieuten- 
ant, E.  M.  Ives,  mustered  out,  term  expired;  second  lieutenant,  Allen  O. 
Xefif,  mustered  out,  time  expired ;  re-entered  service  as  sergeant  in  the  Eighth 
regiment,  three  years ;  promoted  second  lieutenant. 

Xon-commissioned  officers — Jonathan  B'.  Harrison,  first  sergeant;  Sam- 
uel Humphrey,  ]\Iichael  P  Voris,  Thomas  S.  Kennon,  sergeants;  John  Mc- 
Connell,  Benjamin  Shoemaker,  James  Addington,  Sylvanus  White,  corpora'ls; 
Jackson  Keller,  John  W.  Thomas,  musicians. 

Privates — Joseph  A.  Anderson,  John  R.  Anderson,  Ezra  Bond,  James  N. 
Bright,  William  Burris,  Harrison  Burris,  Jefferson  Bush,  Hiram  Bromagem, 
Nelson  Barnes,  Joseph  W.  Cox,  Edgar  Craig,  Justice  G.  Crowell,  Eli  Ed- 
wards, John  Edwards,  John  Frackler,  George  W.  Fisher,  Noah  Freck,  Pren- 
tice Garrett,  Laban  E.  Garner,  Thomas  W.  George,  Harrison  Hill,  Kennedy 
Hollingsworth,  John  C.  Hollowell,  T.  P.  Hollingsworth,  James  E.  Huston, 
Joseph  R.  Jackson,  John  Jones,  James  Jones.  James  E.  H.  Jones,  Samuel 
G.  Kearney,  Thomas  Kent,  Isaiah  W.  Kemp,  John  Kizer,  William  F.  Locke, 
John  D.  Lytle,  Jethro  Macy,  Charles  McGuire,  George  W.  McKinney, 
Thomas  B.  Alclntyre,  Nathan  B.  Maxwell,  Anthony  Mincer,  James  M. 
Moore,  Robert  H.  Morgan,  Uriah  Mock,  George  W.  McCormick,  George  W. 
Price,  Francis  M.  Puckett,  Lafayette  Pursley,  John  C.  Rush,  Reuben  S.  Scott, 


436  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Charles  Souke,  Edward  Stanton,  Charles  M.  Stine,  Jefferson  Stoner,  Samuel 
Strahan,  David  B.  Strahan,  James  M.  Thomas,  Henry  T.  Way,  Jesse  Way, 
Samuel  H.  Webb,  William  H.  Weaver,  Samuel  Williams,  William  H.  Will- 
iams, John  Yost. 

Company  G — Second  Lieutenant,  George  W.  H.  Riley,  promoted  cap- 
tain Company  C.  Captain  in  Eighth  Three  Years'  Infantry ;  also  lieutenant 
colonel,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  Indiana  regiment.  No  losses  or 
casualties  occurred  in  Company  C,  Every  man  came  back  safe  and  sound  as 
he  went  out,  leaving  his  country  better  for  the  peril  he  had  undergone  in  her 
behalf,  and  happy  in  the  experience  he  had  gained  in  the  brief  campaign 
spent  among  the  bluffs  and  mountains  of  Western  Virginia. 

SIXTH  INDIANA  INFANTRY   (THREE  YEARS). 

Was  mustered  in  at  Indianapolis,  September  20,  1861 ;  Colonel,  T.  T. 
Crittenden.  Mustered  out  at  Chattanooga,  September  22,  1864.  Officers,  46; 
men,  950;  recruits,  126;  died,  242;  deserters,  48;  unaccounted  for,  10;  total, 
1,118. 

The  Sixth  regiment  was  re-organized  from  the  Sixth  Three  Months' 
regiment  September  20,  1861.  Its  first  service  was  to  cross  to  Louisville, 
Ky.,  then  threatened  by  Buckner,  which  it  performed  the  very  day  of  its  or- 
ganization, being  the  first  body  of  troops  to  enter  Kentucky  from  a  northern 
state.  They  marched  to  Muldraugh's  Hill,  ^orty  miles  distant,  camping  near 
Elizabethtown.  The  Sixth  was  assigned  to  Rousseau's  brigade,  of  McCook's 
division,  and  marched  with  the  division  to  Munfordsville  and  Bowling  Green, 
and,  in  March,  1862,  to  Nashville;  March  29,  1862,  they  left  for  the  Ten- 
nessee river,  reaching  Shiloh  April  7  and  fighting  bravely  in  the  battle  of 
Shiloh,  April  8,  saving  a  battery  from  capture,  and  with  a  determined  charge 
aiding  to  turn  the  tide  of  victory.  The  regiment  was  in  the  siege  and  battle 
of  Corinth. 

They  then  marched  with  Buell's  army  through  Tuscumbia,  Huntsville, 
Florence  and  Stevenson  to  Nashville  and  to  Louisville,  arriving  October  2, 
1862.  Thence  they  returned  to  Tennessee,  marching  with  Rosecrans  upon 
Murfreesboro,  and  fighting  in  the  battle  of  Stone  River  December  31,  1862, 
January  i  and  2,  1863. 

The  regiment  campaigned  between  Murfreesboro  and  Chattanooga  dur- 
ing the  summer  of  1863.  It  was  at  Chickamauga,  September  19  and  20,  Col. 
Baldwin  being  killed  on  the  first  day.     It  skirmished  at  Brown's  Ferry, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  437 

October  27,  and  fought  at  Mission  Ridge  November  25.  They  marched  into 
east  Tennessee  and  remained  till  the  spring  of  1864. 

The  gallant  Sixth  returned  to  northern  Georgia  for  the  Atlanta  cam- 
paign, taking  part  at  Tunnel  Hill,  Rocky  Face  Ridge,  Resaca,  Buzzard  Roost, 
Dallas,  New  Hope,  AUatoona  Ridge,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Marietta  and  be- 
fore Atlanta. 

They  returned  to  Chattanooga  in  August  and  the  body  of  the  regiment 
was  mustered  out  September  22,  1864.  The  veterans  (few  in  number)  and 
the  recruits  were  transferred  to  the  Sixty-eighth  Indiana.  When  that  regi- 
ment was  mustered  out,  nineteen  of  the  old  Sixth  were  found  still  in  service, 
and  they  were  again  transferred  to  the  Forty- fourth,  and  were  mustered  out 
with  that  regiment  September  14,  1865. 

The  engagements  of  the  Sixth  were  as  follows.  Philippi,  Va.,  June  3, 
1861  (three  months'  service)  ;  Carrick's  Ford,  Va.,  July  12,  1861  (three 
months'  service)  ;  Shiloh,  Tenn.,  April  6,  7,  1862;  Corinth,  Miss.,  siege,  April 
II,  to  May  30,  1862;  Stone  River,  Tenn.,  December  31,  1862,  to  January  i, 
2,  1863;  Chickamauga,  Tenn.,  September  19,  20,  1863;  Brown's  Ferry,  Tenn., 
October  27,  1863;  Mission  Ridge,  Ga.,  November  25,  1863;  Tunnel  Hill,  Ga., 
May  7,  1864;  Rocky  Face  Ridge,  Ga.,  May  6,  1864;  Buzzard's  Roost,  Ga., 
May  8,  1864;  Resaca,  Ga.,  May  15,  1864;  New  Hope  Church,  Ga.,  May  25, 
1864;  Dallas,  Ga.,  May  27,  1864;  AUatoona  Ridge,  Ga.,  1864;  Kenesaw  Moun- 
tain, Ga.,  June  27,  1864;  Marietta,  Ga.,  July  3,  1864;  Atlanta,  Ga.,  July  21 
to  September  2,  1864. 

The  service  rendered  by  the  Sixth  was  honorable  and  faithful,  and  it 
was  nobly  and  cheerfully  performed. 

MEMBERS   FROM    RANDOLPH    COUNTY. 

Company  H,  Sixth  Indiana,  three  years — William  H.  Johnson,  wounded 
at  Chickamauga,  Tenn.,  September  20,  1853. 

Hiram  Phillips,  appointed  corporal,  mustered  out  September  22,  1864. 
James  Chandler,  died  October  i,  1863,  wounded  at  Chickamauga. 

SEVENTH   INDIANA  INFANTRY    (THREE  YEARS)  . 

Mustered  in  at  Indianapolis,  September  13,  1861 ;  Colonel,  Ebenezer  Du- 
mont.  Mustered  out  in  the  field  September  20,  1864.  Officers,  45 ;  men, 
1,001;  recruits,  207;  veterans,  46;  died,  212;  deserters,  26;  unaccounted  for, 
27;  total,  1,299. 


438  RANDOLPH    COUNTY. ,  INDIANA. 

The  Seventh  regiment  was  re-organized  for  three  years  September  13, 
1 86 1,  under  Col.  Dumont,  and  moved  immediately  to  Western  Virginia, 
joining  Gen.  Reynolds  at  Cheat  Mountain,  October  3,  1861 ;  it  was  in  the  bat- 
tle at  Greenbrier,  Va.,  and  shortly  afterward  marched  into  Shenandoah  Val- 
ley, camping  there  through  the  winter. 

The  regiment  fought  at  Winchester  Heights,  March  30,  1862,  and  at 
Port  Republic,  Va.,  June  9,  1862,  and  at  Front  Royal,  Va.,  June  12,  1862. 
Marching  under  Gen.  Shields  to  Fredericksburg  and  back  to  the  Shenandoah, 
it  was  assigned  to  Gen.  McDowell's  clivision.  They  were  with  Pope  in  the 
army  of  Virginia,  being  engaged  at  Slaughter  Mountain,  August  9,  1862, 
and  at  Second  Bull  Run,  August  30,  1862.  They  pursued  Lee  into  Maryland, 
and  fought  at  Antietam,  Md.,  September  17,  1862,  with  a  loss  of  two  killed 
and  eight  wounded.  At  Ashby's  Gap,  Va.,  their  loss  was  four  killed  and 
six  wounded.  It  took  part  in  the  great  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  under 
Burnside,  December  13,  1862.  They  were  at  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2  to 
5,  1863,  and  at  Gettysburg,  Penn.,  July  i  to  4,  1863,  losing  heavily  in  both 
battles.  The  regiment  was  engaged  at  Mine  Run,  Va.,  November  30,  1863. 
After  camping  at  Culpepper,  Vt.,  till  the  spring  of  1864,  they  moved  with 
Grant  in  the  fearful  campaign  of  that  awful  year  through  the  "great  and 
terrible  Wilderness"  and  most  of  the  sanguinary  battles  during  that  fearful 
summer.  They  fought  in  the  campaign  of  1864  in  front  of  Richmond,  as 
given  below : 

Wilderness,  May  5,  6,  1864;  Laurel  Hill,  May  7,  1864;  Spottsylvania, 
May  10,  1864;  Po  River,  May  10  to  12,  1864;  North  Anna,  May  25,  1864; 
Bethesda  Church,  May  30,  31,  1864;  Cold  Harbor,  June  3,  1864.  The  as- 
sault on  Petersburg  was  made  June  16,  1864,  and  the  Seventh  was  in  that 
fierce  but  unsuccessful  attack.  It  remained  in  the  siege  of  Petersburg  till 
August  18,  and  then  moved  to  cut  the  Weldon  railroad,  and  took  part  in 
the  fight  at  Yellow  House,  Va.,  August  19,  1864.     On  the  23d  of  September, 

1864,  the  Seventh  was  consolidated  with  the  Nineteenth,  under  the  name  of 
the  Nineteenth,  and  this  new  regiment  again  with  the  new  Twentieth  (made 
up  of  the  Fourteenth  and  Twentieth  united)  October  18,  1864. 

Its  members  were  mustered  out  with  the  Twentieth  Indiana,  July  12, 

1865,  returning  to  Indianapolis  for  payment  and  final  discharge.  Its  battles 
were  these : 

Greenbrier,  Va.,  October  3,  1861 ;  Winchester  Heights,  Va.,  March  23, 
1862;  Port  Republic,  Va.,  June  9,  1862;  Front  Royal,  Va.,  June  12,  1862; 
Slaughter  Mountain,  Va.,  August  9,  1862;  Second  Bull  Run,  \''a.,  August  30, 
1862;  Antietam.  Va..  September  17,  1862;  .\shby's  Gap,  Va.,  November  2, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  439 

1862;  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  December  13,  1862;  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May 
2  to  5,  1863;  Gettysburg,  Penn.,  July  i  to  4,  1863;  Mine  Run,  Va.,  November 
30,  1863;  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  6,  1864;  Laurel  Hill,  Va.,  May  8,  1864; 
Spottsylvania,  Va.,  May  lO,  12,  1864;  Po  River,  Va.,  May  8  to  10,  1864; 
North  Anna,  Va.,  May  25,  1864;  Bethesda  Church,  Va.,  May  30,  31,  June 
I,  1864;  Cold  Harbor,  Va.,  June  3,  1864;  assault  on  Petersburg,  Va.,  June 
16,  1864;  siege  of  Petersburg,  Va.,  June  17,  August  18,  1864;  Weldon  Rail- 
road, Va.,  August  18,  1864;  Yellow  House,  Va.,  August  19,  1864. 

A  formidable  list  of  battles  indeed  for  a  single  regiment !  Twenty-three 
engagements,  and  among  them  Second  Bull  Run,  Antietam,  Fredericksburg, 
Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg,  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  Cold  Harbor  and 
Petersburg.  The  blood  curdles  at  the  heart  only  to  think  of  so  fearful  an 
experience  of  three  such  long  years  of  hardship,  peril  and  bloodshed  as  was 
undergone  by  the  heroic  and  vmconquerable  Seventh  Indiana. 

The  men  in  the  Seventh  Indiana  (three  years)  from  Randolph  county 
are  as  follows : 

Company  B,  Seventh  Indiana  Infantr}- — John  M.  Bray,  discharged  Feb- 
ruary 9,  1862;  disability. 

Wesley  Bray,  transferred  to  Twentieth  regiment;  died. 

li  Gregory,  transferred  to  Twentieth  regiment;  captured;  died  in  Salis- 
bury, Prison,  November  22,  1864. 

EIGHTH  INDIANA  INFANTRY    (tHREE  YEARS). 

Clustered  in  at  Indianapolis,  September  5,  1861 ;  Colonel,  William  P. 
Benton.  Mustered  out  at  Savannah,  Ga.,  August  28,  1865.  Officers,  46; 
men,  1,000;  recruits,  177;  re-enlisted,  480;  unassigned  recruits,  17;  died, 
245;  deserted,  75;  unaccounted  for,  47;  total,  1,672. 

The  Eighth  Indiana  'regiment  of  infantry  left  Indianapolis.  September 
10,  1861,  arriving  at  St.  Louis  the  next  day.  Joining  Gen.  Fremont's  army 
shortly,  they  marched  to  Jefferson  City,  reaching  that  town  September  14, 
staying  there  a  week,  and  while  there  being  united  with  the  brigade  com- 
manded by  Col.  Jeff.  C.  Davis,  of  the  Twenty-second  Indiana  volunteers. 
September  22,  the  regiment  set  out  for  Springfield.  Reaching  that  place  in 
fourteen  days,  they  returned  to  Otterville  in  seven  days.  At  Warrensburg, 
Mo.,  they  aided  in  capturing  1,300  rebels,  December  17,  1861.  Returning  to 
Otterville,  the  regiment  encamped  till  January  24,  1862,  and  then  joined  Gen. 
Curtis  at  Springfield,  continuing  the  march  to  Cross  Timbers,  Ark.,  soon  after 
which  the  Eighth  participated  in  the  great  battle  of  Pea  Ridge,  Ark.,  March 


440  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

6,  7  and  8,  1862.  Remaining  at  Cross  Timbers  nearly  a  month,  the  regiment 
crossed  the  Ozark  Mountains,  marched  down  White  river  valley,  and  so  to 
Batesville,  Ark.  They  made  a  halt  for  two  months  at  Sulphur  Rock.  Helena 
on  the  Mississippi  was  reached  July  13,  1862.  This  march  was  a  severe 
journey,  provisions  being  very  scarce  and  hard  to  get.  Four  ears  of  corn 
and  a  little  meat  were  often  a  day's  rations.  On  this  march  the  battle  of 
Cotton  Plant  was  fought. 

In  August,  the  battle  of  Austin  took  place;  October  6,  1862,  they  were 
put  under  command  of  Gen.  Steele,  went  to  Sulphur  Hill,  near  St.  Louis, 
thence  to  fronton,  where  they  arrived  October  11.  The  regiment  was  kept 
on  the  march  to  and  fro  in  southeast  Missouri  till  March  5,  1863.  They 
were  then  sent  to  Milliken's  Bend,  where  they  were  assigned  to  Benton's 
Brigade,  in  Carr's  Division  of  the  Thirteenth  corps,  McClernand  command- 
ing. April  29,  1863,  the  regiment  crossed  the  Mississippi,  and  helped  to 
fight  the  battles  near  Port  Gibson,  losing  thirty-two;  they  were  at  Jackson 
May  14;  at  Champion  Hills  May  16;  at  Black  River  Bridge  May  17,  and  .in 
the  siege  of  Vicksburg  from  May  19  till  July  4. 

July  5,  the  regiment  went  again  to  Jackson.  The  place  was  captured 
and  the  troops  returned  to  Vicksburg,  July  24,  remaining  there  till  August 
20.  They  were  then  ordered  to  Carrollton,  near  New  Orleans,  by  steamer, 
as  also  across  the  country  through  the  Teche  region,  under  Gen.  Banks,  and 
thence  via  Berwick  City  over  the  waters  of  the  Gulf  to  Texas.  November 
17,  the  fort  on  Mustang  Island,  near  Aransas  Pass,  was  taken  by  the  Union 
troops,  and,  November  27,  Fort  Esperanza  was  captured. 

They  went  thence  to  Indianola,  and  there  re-enlisted  as  veterans,  January 
I,  1864,  417  out  of  517  being  mustered  into  the  new  organization.  Before 
this  time,  the  losses  by  death  in  the  regiment  were  as  follows:  Killed  in 
action,  48;  died  of  wounds,  32;  died  of  disease,  137;  total,  217.  Of  course, 
a  larger  number  still  had  been  discharged  for  disability,  while  yet  many 
recruits  had- joined  their  ranks. 

The  regiment  in  the  spring  received  a  furlough  and  reached  Indianapolis, 
April  22.  In  May,  they  returned  to  the  south,  went  to  Morganza  Bend, 
July  27,  and  defeated  the  confederates  at  Atchafalaya  July  28.  Soon  after- 
ward, this  veteran  regiment  was  transferred  from  the  extreme  South  to  the 
army  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard.  They  reached  Washington  City,  August  12, 
1864,  being  sent  immediately  to  Berry ville,  Va.,  and  joined  the  Nineteenth 
corps.  They  were  with  Sheridan  in  the  Shenandoah  valley  camping,  being 
present  in  the  battles  of  Opequan,  Fisher's  Hill  and  Cedar  Creek,  September 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  ,  44I 

19  and  22  and  October  19.  January  16.  1865,  the  regiment  left  for  Sa- 
vannah, Ga,,  by  way  of  Baltimore,  reaching  the  former  place  January  26, 
1865,  after  a  rail  and  steamer  trip  of  ten  days.  It  was  retained  on  duty  in 
Georgia  till  August,  1865. 

They  were  mustered  out  ( probabh'  at  Savannah)  August  28,  1865.  They 
arrived  at  Indianapolis,  September  17,  1865,  under  Col.  John  R.  Polk,  with 
fourteen    officers  and  245  men. 

Gov.  Alorton  addressed  the  returned  veterans  in  words  of  blended  wel- 
come and  farewell,  as  they  were  assembled  in  his  presence  in  the  capitol, 
and  that  heroic  band  of  faithful  comrades,  many  of  whom  had  gone  through 
fire  and  flood  together  and  traversed  a  continent  in  company,  gave  each  to 
each  the  parting  hand  and  sought  each  for  himself  his  home  and  family  and 
friends. 

The  travels  of  the  Eighth  were  a  marvel.  To  St.  Louis,  Jefferson, 
Springfield,  to  Cross  Timbers,  Pea  Ridge;  across  through  the  Arkansas 
swamps  to  Helena;  back  to  St.  Louis  again;  down  the  river  to  Vicksburg, 
thence  to  New  Orleans;  through  Louisiana  to  Texas,  home  on  a  furlough, 
and  to  Ne^v  C^rleans ;  thence  by  a  single  movement  to  the  eastern  slope  of  the 
Alleghanies  and  the  sea;  to  the  Shenandoah  and  to  Georgia,  and  at  last, 
"when  that  cruel  war  was  over,"  they  made  just  one  more  mo\'ement,  from 
the  waters  of  the  Gulf  to  the  lovely  valley  of  the  Ohio,  and  to  the  homes 
of  their  childhood  and  the  abodes  of  their  youth  and  manhood. 

The  engagements  in  which  the  Eighth  took  part  are  given  below  in  a 
connected  view : 

Warrensburg,  Mo.,  December  17,  1861 ;  Pea  Ridge,  Ark.,  March  6,  7, 
8.  1862;  Cotton  Plant,  Ark.,  July  7,  1862;  Austin,  Miss.,  August,  1862; 
Port  Gibson,  Miss.,  May  i,  1863;  Jackson,  Miss.,  May  14,  1863;  Champion 
Hills,  May  16,  1863;  Black  River  Bridge,  May  17,  1863;  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg, May  19  to  July  4,  1863;  siege  of  Jackson,  July  9  to  16,  1863;  Mus- 
tang Island,  Texas,  November  17,  1863;  Fort  Esperanza,  Texas,  November 
17,  1863;  Atchafalaya,  La.,  July  28,  1864;  Opequan,  Va.,  September  19, 
1864;  Fisher's  Hill,  Va.,  September  22,  1864;  Cedar  Creek,  Va.,  October  19, 
1864. 

The  officers  and  soldiers  from  Randolph  county  in  the  Eighth  Indiana 
infantry  (three  years),  are  as  follows: 

Regimental  officers — Assistant  Surgeon,  George  W.  Bruce,  resigned 
January  26,  1863. 

Company  G,  Eighth  Indiana — Captain,  George  W.  H.  Riley,  resigned 
March   4,    1863 ;   second   lieutenant,   Jesse   W.    Way,    promoted   first   lieu- 


442  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

tenant;  resigned  November  13,  1863;  Benaiah  C.  Hoyt,  First  sergeant,  re- 
duced to  Fifth  sergeant;  wounded  at  Pea  Ridge,  discharged  March  4,  1863, 
disability;  William  H.  Keller,  sergeant,  veteran,  promoted  second  lieuten- 
ant, promoted  first  lieutenant,  promoted  captain,  mustered  out  August  28, 
1865  (W.  H.  K.  is  from  Cambridge  City) ;  Michael  P.  Voris,  sergeant,  dis- 
charged Sepetmber  25,  1862;  Allen  O.  Neff,  sergeant,  promoted  second 
lieutenant:  wounded  at  Pea  Ridge,  promoted  first  lieutenant,  resigned  June 
18,  1863. 

Corporals — Charles  C.  Smith,  appointed  hospital  steward  April  i, 
1862;  Samuel  H.  Webb,  wounded  at  Pea  Ridge,  veteran;  died  October  22, 
1864,  of  wounds;  \A^illiam  Pogue,  veteran,  mustered  out  August  28,  1865; 
Jefferson  Bush,  discharged  March  12,  1863,  disability;  James  M.  Thomas, 
discharged  October  27,  1862,  disability;  Stanton  J.  Peele,  discharged  for  pro- 
motion as  second  lieutenant  in  the  Fifty-seventh  regiment. 

Musicians — William  Farra,  veteran,  mustered  out  August  28,  1865; 
Henry  C.  Voris,  wounded  at  Pea  Ridge,  veteran,  mustered  out  August  28, 
T865.' 

Privates  (mustered  out  with  regiment  August  28,  1865) — Michael  Doyle, 
veteran;  John  Farra,  veteran;  Isaac  Gillum,  veteran;  Elijah  Harlan,  veteran, 
ippointed  corporal.  Kenworthy  C.  Hollingsworth,  veteran,  appointed  cor- 
poral, captured  at  Cedar  Creek;  Nathaniel  Pugh,  veteran;  Edward  Stanton, 
veteran;  Sylvanus  White,  veteran;  William  W.  Smith,  veteran. 

George  Bartholomew,  mustered  out  Sept.  4,  1864;  Mansfield  W.  Ely, 
transferred  to  Mississippi  Marine  Brigade  March  12,  1863,  discharged; 
Henry  C.  Brandon,  died  May  5,  1863,  of  wounds  received  at  Port  Gibson, 
Miss.;  Samuel  Bumpas,  discharged  November  28,  1863;  Thomas  AV  Coffin, 
veteran,  mustered  out  June  7,  1865;  Joseph  S.  Duer,  appointed  corporal, 
wounded  at  Vicksburg,  mustered  out  September  4,  1864;  George  W.  Fisher, 
discharged  October  16,  1862,  disability;  John  Ford,  mustered  out  June  14, 
T865;  Grover  G.  Fowler,  discharged  for  wounds  at  Pea  Ridge,  Ark.;  John 
French,  died  at  Union  City,  Ind. ;  Thomas  Gillum,  record  indefinite ;  Ed- 
ward Fray,  discharged  December  23,  1862,  disability;  George  W.  Grimes, 
wounded  at  Pea  Ridge,  discharged  March  17,  1863,  disability;  Abner  Hln- 
shaw,  died  at  St.  Louis  January  7,  1863,  disease;  John  T.  Jenkins,  veteran, 
killed  at  Opecjuan,  Va.,  September  19,  1864;  Richard  E.  Jenkins,  died  at 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  April  16,  1863,  disease;  Benjamin  Jordan,  mustered  out 
September  4,  1864;  Wesley  Jordan,  mustered  out  September  4,  1864;  Lewis 
Mock,  veteran,  record  indefinite;  Isaac  C.  Moody,  died,  date  unknown; 
Charles  C.  B.  Mullen,  record  indefinite ;  Clark  Predmore,  mustered  out  Sep- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  443 

tember  4,  1864;  William  Pullman,  wounded  at  Pea  Ridge  and  Vicksburg, 
mustered  out  September  4,  1864;  Michael  Rariden,  died  at  Union  City,  Ind., 
December  20,  1863;  James  C.  Smith,  discharged  December  31,  1861,  dis- 
abihty;  James  T.  Smith,  wounded  at  Pea  Ridge,  mustered  out  September 
4,  1864;  George  W.  Starbuck,  record  indefinite;  William  Stine,  discharged 
January  8,  1863,  minority;  Isaac  C.  Sutton,  discharged  August  9,  1862,  dis- 
ability; Martin  R.  Thomas,  died  at  ^Vinchester,  Ind.,  August  10,  1862,  dis- 
ease ;  William  Tutor,  record  indefinite ;  Henry  T.  Warner,  died  at  St.  Loui.«, 
Mo.,  October  10,  1862,  disease;  Samuel  Wilson,  died  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  No- 
vember, 1861,  disease;  Charles  Wood,  died  at  Humansville,  Mo.,  Novem- 
ber 12,  1862,  disease;  Christian  H.  Wright,  discharged  May  17,  1862,  dis- 
ability. 

Recruits — William  H.  Ashville,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Alexander 
Jordan,  veteran,  captured  at  Cedar  Creek,  Va.,  October  19,  1864,  mustered 
out  September  22,  1865;  Charles  McGuire, -died  at  St.  Louis,  February  22, 
1863,  disease;  Anthony  Mincer,  died  June  7,  1863,  wounds  received  at 
Vicksburg;  John  W.  Page,  veteran,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Francis 
M-  Puckett,  veteran,  discharged  June  14,  1865;  Isaac  A.  Sharp,  discharged 
March  17,  1863,  disability;  Ezra  Smith,  discharged  December  31,  1862,  dis- 
ability; John  R.  Smith,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  May  31,  1864; 
Letaman  A.  White,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  May  31,  1864. 

NINTH   INDIANA   INFANTRY    (tHREE  .YEARS) 

Mustered  in  at  LaPorte,  Ind.,  September  5,  1861 ;  Colonel,  Robert  H. 
Milroy.  ^Mustered  out  in  Texas  September  28,  1865.  Officers,  47;  men, 
1,010;  recruits,  747;  veterans,  291;  died,  351;  deserted,  125;  unaccounted 
for,    18;  total  2,195. 

The  regiment  went  first  to  Western  Virginia,  encamping  on  Cheat 
Mountain  summit  for  winter  quarters,  participating  in  the  battle  of  Green- 
brier, October  3,  and  of  Alleghany,  December  13,  1861.  January  9,  1862, 
they  marched  to  Fetterman,  Va.,  remaining  till  February  19,  1862.  They 
were  then  sent  by  rail  to  Cincinnati  and  to  Nashville  by  steamer,  joining  Gen. 
Buell's  army.  March  29,  1862,  the  regiment  marched  to  Tennessee  river, 
taking  part  in  the  second  day's  fight  at  Shiloh,  April  7,  1862;  thence  to 
Corinth,  Miss.  They  marched  thence  to  Athens,  Ala.,  and  Franklin  and 
Murfreesboro,  Tenn.,  to  Nashville;  thence  to  Bowling  Green  and  back  to 
Nashville;  thence  by  Louisville  and  in  pursuit  of  Bragg  to  Perryville;  thence 
by  Danville  and  Crab  Orchard  to  the  Wildcat  Mountains  and  to  Nashville. 


444  KANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

In  these  marches,  the  Ninth  regiment  was  engaged  in  the  battles  of  Perry- 
ville,  Danville  and  Wildcat  Mountain.  They  afterward  marched  to  Mur- 
freesboro  and  were  at  Stone  River,  Tenn.,  marching  thence  over  the  Cum- 
berland Mountains  and  the  Tennessee  river  to  Chattanooga.  They  fought 
at  Chickamauga,  Lookout  Mountain  and  Mission  Ridge,  thence  across  the 
Cumberland  range  again  to  Bridgeport  and  to  Whiteside,  Tenn.  Here  the 
soldiers  of 'the  Ninth  re-enlisted  as  veterans,  December  12,  1863,  taking  vete- 
ran furlough,  and  left  Valparaiso,  Ind.,  for  the  front  February  21,  1864, 
passing  through  Indianapolis,  Louisville,  Nashville  and  Chattanooga  to  Cleve- 
land, Tenn.  The  regiment  went  through  the  entire  Atlantic  campaign,  dur- 
ing the  spring  and  summer  of  1864,  marching  through  Ringgold,  Dalton, 
Resaca,  Kingston,  Cassville,  around  Allatoona  Mountain,  to  Ackworth,  Big 
Shanty  and  Marietta  and  in  the  flank  movement  around  Atlanta;  through 
Jonesboro  and  Lovejoy,  and  back  to  Atlanta.  In  this  campaign  of  months  of 
solid  fighting,  the  soldiers  of  the  Ninth  fought  at  Taylor's  Ridge,  Buzzard's 
Roost,  Dalton,  Resaca,  Cassville,  Dallas,  New  Hope  Church,  Kenesaw,  Ma- 
rietta, Peach  Tree  Creek,  Atlanta,  Jonesboro  and  Lovejoy.  They  pursued 
Hood  to  Dalton,  marching  thence  to  Athens  and  to  Pulaski,  Tenn,  arriving 
November  i,  1864.  It  was  engaged  at  Columbia,  Tenn.,  at  Franklin  and  at 
Nashville,  and  chased  Hood's  flying  legions  to  Huntsville,  Ala.,  remaining 
there  from  January  6  to  March  13,  1865.  They  then  passed  into  East  Ten- 
nessee, beyond  Bull's  Gap,  and  back  to  Nashville,  reaching  it  May  25,  1865. 
It  was  sent  thence  to  New  Orleans  and  to  Texas,  remaining  as  part  of 
Sheridan's  Army  of  occupation  till  September,  1865,  when  it  was  mustered 
out  of  "service,  in  Texas,  and  the  soldiers  were  sent  to  their  respective  homes. 
The  battles  of  the  Ninth  Indiana  infantry  are  as  follows :  Greenbrier, 
V^a.,  October  3,  1861 ;  Alleghany,  Va.,  December  13,  1861 ;  Shiloh,  Tenn., 
April  7,  1862;  Corinth  (seige).  April  11,  to  May  30,  1862;  Perryville,  Ky., 
October  8,  1862;  Danville,  Ky.,  1862;  Wildcat  Mountain,  Ky.,  October  21, 
1862;  Stone  River,  Tenn.,  December  31,  1862,  January  i,  2,  1863;  Chicka- 
mauga, Tenn.,  September  19,  20,  1863;  Lookout  Mountain,  Ga.,  Novem- 
ber 24,  1863;  Mission  Ridge,  Ga.,  November  25,  1863;  Taylor's  Ridge,  Ga., 
]\Iay,  1864;  Buzzard's  Roost,  Ga.,  May  8,  1864;  Resaca,  Ga.,  May  15, 
1864;  Cassville,  Ga.,  May  19,  1864;  Dallas,  Ga.,  May  27,  1864;  New  Hope 
Church,  Ga.,  May  25,  1864;  Kenesaw  Mountain,  June  27,  1864;  Marietta, 
Ga.,  July  3,  1864;  Atlanta,  Ga.,  July  21,  September  2,  1864;  Jonesboro,  Ga., 
September  i,  1864;  Dalton,  Ga.,  August  15,  1864;  Lovejoy,  Ga.,  September 
2,  1864;  Columbia,  Tenn.,  November  26,  1864;  Franklin,  Tenn.,  Novem- 
ber 30,  1864;  Nashville,  Tenn.,  December  15,  16,  1864. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  445 

The  Ninth  regiment,  it  will  be  noticed,  did  their  full  share  of  fight- 
ing, being  engaged  in  twenty-six  battles,  to  say  nothing  of  skirmishes,  etc. 
Many  of  them  were  chief  among  the  engagements  of  the  war — Shiloh, 
Perryville,  Stone  River,  Chickmauga,  Lookout  Mountain,  Mission  Ridge, 
Resaca,  Kenesaw,  Franklin,  Nashville — ten  large  battles  make  a  strong  show- 
ing for  the  recoFd  of  the  Ninth  Indiana. 

The- members  of  the  Ninth  Indiana  (three  years)  from  Randolph  county 
are  as  follows : 

Company  A — Charles  Anderson,  mustered  out  June  20,  1865 ;  Francis 
M.  Singer,  assigned,  never  reported. 

Company  C — Samuel  Armstrong,  died  May  23,  1865;  Eli  Cadwallader, 
Job  Horner,  Jeremiah  Horn,  mustered  out  July  9,  1865. 

Substitutes — William  C.  Blizzard,  mustered  out  September  27,  1865 ; 
Eli  Burkett,  died  of  disease  December  18,  1864;  Silas  S.  Clark,  Peter  Fun- 
derburg,  mustered  out  September  28,  1865;  Thomas  K.  Karnes,  record  in- 
definite; James  McFetridge,  died  June  17,  1865,  disease. 

Company  G — Col.  N.  Steele,  mustered  out  June  20,  1865. 

Company  H^Wilson  Benning,  mustered  out  September  28,  1865;  Jona- 
than Edwards,  mustered  out  June  19,  1865;  Robert  Engle,  record  indefinite; 
Daniel  Fry,  mustered  out  August  13,  1865;  Henry  Garrett,  William  F.  Still- 
well,  mustered  out  June  19,  1865;  James  N.  Wright,  mustered  out  June  ig, 
1865;  Jacob  D.  Bales,  mustered  out  May  30,  1865;  Austin  F.  Conyer,  James 
P.  Ellis,  Philip  W.  Miller,  mustered  out  September  28,  1865;  James  Nicholas, 
died  January  15,  1865;  Aaron  Oren,  mustered  out  May  30,  1865  (the  last  six 
were  substitutes). 

Company  I — John  W.  Clark,  mustered  out  June  21,  1865  ;  Josiah  French, 
died  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  January  5,  1865,  disease. 

Company  K — David  Boocher,  mustered  out  September  28,  1865,  absent, 
sick;  Joseph  Devoss,  mustered  out  June  20,  1865;  David  A.  Green,  dis- 
charged May  25.  1865,  disability;  Joshua  Green,  mustered  out  May  23,  1865; 
John  A.  Green,  Elias  Phillips,  David  A.  Switzer,  mustered  out  June  20, 
1865;  John  W.  Switzer,  discharged  June  8,  1865,  disability;  Isaiah  Woodard, 
died  at  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  April  30,  1865 ;  Sylvester  Willey,  discharged  June 
8,  1865,  disability;  Darius  Orr,  mustered  out  May  20,  1865. 

ELEVENTH    INDIANA    INFANTRY,    THREE    YEARS. 

The  synopsis  of  the  record  of  the  Eleventh  regiment,  given  in  the  re- 
port of  the  state  adjutant  general,  stands  thus: 
Upper  Potomac  (three  months),  1861. 
(29) 


446  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIAN  \ 

Western  Kentucky  (three  years),  1861. 

Tennessee  and  Kentucky,   1862.  ' 

Siege  of  Corinth  and  pursuit  of  Bragg,  1862. 

Against  Vicksburg,  1863. 

Louisiana,  1863-64. 

Shenandoah  Valley,  1864.  •  j 

* 

STATISTICS,  ; 

Mustered  in  at  Indianapolis,  August  31,  1861,  Colonel  Lewis  Wallace. 

Mustered  out  at  Baltimore,  July  26,  1865. 

Officers,  49;  men,  1,010;  recruits,  963;  veterans,  296;  died,  245;  de- 
serted, 25;  unaccounted  for,  239;  total,  2,348. 

Veteranized  at  Madisonville,  La.,  February  i,  1864;  took  veteran  fur- 
lough by  steamer  from  New  Orleans  via  New  York,  and  thence  by  rail,  to 
Indianapolis,  arriving  February  21,  1864;  public  reception  by  Gov.  Morton 
■on  that  day;  reached  New  Orleans  in  return  May  8,  1864;  came  by  steamer 
to  Fortress  ^lonroe,  July  28,  1864.  Shenandoah  Valley,  July  28,  1864,  Jan- 
uary, 1865;  Baltimore,  Md.,  January  7,  July  26,  1865;  mustered  out  at 
Baltimore,  July  26,  1865;  public  reception  at  Indianapolis,  August  4,  1865. 
The  Eleventh  Regiment  marched  9,318  miles.  Battles  in  which  they  took 
part: 

Fort  Donelson,  Shiloh,  Corinth,  Port  Gibson,  Champion  Hills,  Black 
River  Bridge,  Vicksburg,  siege  of  Jackson,  Teche  County,  Lake  Tasse,  Perry- 
ville,  Opec[uan,  Fisher's  Hill,  Cedar  Creek,  New  Market. 

Members  of  the  Eleventh  Indiana  infantry  (three  years),  from  Randolph 
county : 

Company  I  (Eleventh  Indiana) — John  Day,  record  indefinite;  Richard 
Fay,  record  indefinite. 

TWELFTH  INDIANA  INFANTRY,   THREE  YEARS. 

Mustered  in  at  Indianapolis,  August  17,  1862,  Colonel  William  H.  Link. 
Mustered  out  at  Washington  City,  June  8,  1865. 

Officers,  41;  men,  907;  recruits,  384;  died,  193;  deserted,  8;  unaccounted 
for,  13;  total,  1,332. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  447 

SYNOPTICAL   RECORD. 

Upper  Potomac,  1861-62. 

Shenandoah  Valley,  1862. 

Against  Kirby  Smith  in  Kentucky,   1862. 

Pursuit  of  Bragg,  1862. 

West  Tennessee,  1862. 

Against  Vicksburg,   1862. 

Chattanooga  and  East  Tennessee,  1863. 

Against  Atlanta,   1864. 

Sherman  to  the  Sea,  1864. 

Through  the  Carolinas,  1865. 

BATTLES TWELFTH   REGIMENT. 

Richmond,  Ky.,  173  killed  and  wounded;  regiment  mostly  taken  pris- 
oners ;  Col.  Link  killed. 

Battles  of  the  Vicksburg  campaign,  Mission  Ridge,  Atlanta  Campaign, 
Griswoldsville,  Savannah.  Columbia  and  Bentonville. 

The  regiment  returned  to  Indianapolis  270  strong,  and  were  publicly 
received  by  Gov.  Morton,  June  14,  1865. 

The  recruits  and  drafted  men  were  transferred  to  the  Forty-eighth  and 
Fifty-ninth  regiments. -and  kept  in  service  another  month,  being  mustered  out 
July  15  and  17,  1865,  at  Louisville,  Ky. 

^len  belonging  to  the  Twelfth  Indiana  from  Randolph  county: 

Company  A — Joseph  Urick,  mustered  out  June  8,  1865  ;  Benjamin  Mann, 
mustered  out  June  8,  1865. 

THIRTEENTH    INDIANA    INFANTRY,    THREE    YEARS. 

Mustered  in  at  Indianapolis,  June  19,  1861 ;  Colonel  J.  C.  Sullivan. 

Mustered  out  at  Goldsboro,  N.  C,  September  5,  1865. 

Officers,  41:  men,  1,006;  recruits,  232;  veterans,  148;  died,  136;  de- 
serted, 103;  unaccounted  for,  25;  total,  1,427. 

The  Thirteenth  was  one  of  the  earliest  six  regiments  for  three  years 
from  Indiana,  viz. : 

Twelfth,  May  11,  1861 ;  Sixteenth,  May  11,  1861 ;  Fourteenth,  June 
7,  1861 ;  Seventeenth,  June  12,  1861 ;  Fifteenth,  June  14,  1861 ;  Thirteenth, 
June  19,  1 86 1. 


448  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

It  left  for  the  field  July  4,  1861,  reaching  McClellan's  forces  at  the 
base  of  Rich  Mountain,  July  10,  going  into  the  action  of  Rich  Mountain  the 
next  day,  with  eight  killed  and  nine  wounded.  September  12  and  13,  the 
battles  of  Cheat  Mountain  and  Elkwater  were  fought,  and  the  Thirteenth 
was  engaged  in  both. 

The  regiment  fought  at  Greenbriar  and  Alleghany,  and  at  Winchester 
Heights,  March  22.  1862,  losing  six  killed  and  thirty-three  wounded;  also  pur- 
suing Stonewall  Jackson  to  New  Market  and  Columbia  Bridge.  At  Sum- 
merville  their  loss  was  four  wounded  and  twenty-four  prisoners.  They 
marched  over  the  Blue  Ridge  to  McDowell,  and  were  sent  back  to  Shenan- 
doah Valley,  June  28,  1862 ;  they  were  sent  to  Harrison's  Landing  on  the 
James,  and  afterward  to  Fortress  Monroe  and  to  Sufifolk  on  the  Nansemond 
river.  There  they  stayed  nine  months,  engaging  in  numerous  operations. 
Among  them  were  reconnoissances  to  Blackwater,  October  3,  November  7, 
December  15;  battle  of  Deserted  Farm,  January  30,  1865. 

Repulse  of  Gen.  Longstreet  from  Suffolk,  April  10,  May  3,  1863;  tear- 
ing up  forty  miles  of  track  from  the  two  railroads  May  13  and  19,  1863.  They 
marched  400  miles  and  lost  two  killed,  nineteen  wounded  and  seven  prisoners. 

After  destroying  railroads  north  of  Richmond,  the  regiment  was  dis- 
patched to  Charleston  harbor,  reaching  Folly  Island,  August  3,  1863,  and 
taking  part  in  the  siege  of  Forts  Wagner  and  Gregg,  entering  the  first  into 
Fort  Wagner  in  the  assault  against  that  fort  September  7. 

The  regiment  veteranized  on  Folly  Island,  December,  1863,  and  the 
veterans  reached  Indianapolis  on  home  furlough  January  i,  1864. 

Returning  to  their  flag,  the  regiment  was  with  Gen.  Seymour  at  Jack- 
sonville in  Florida  until  April  17,  1864,  and  was  then  transferred  to  Gen. 
Butler's  army  in  front  of  Richmond,  arriving  at  Bermuda  Hundred,  May  5, 
1864. 

They  were  in  the  actions  of  Wathal  Junction,  May  7,  Chester  Station, 
May  16,  and  Foster's  Farm,  May  20,  losing  in  the  three  engagements  about 
two  hundred  men.  They  were  at  Cold  Harbor,  June  .3,  and  in  various  actions 
with  the  Potomac  Army  until  June  12,  and  then  returned  to  Bermuda 
Hundred,  aiding  in  the  assault  on  Petersburg,  June  16.  The  non-veterans 
left  the  regiment  June  19,  going  to  Indianapolis  to  be  mustered  out. 

The  regiment  was  at  the  fatal  charge  on  Petersburg  after  the  explosion 
of  the  mine  July  30,  1864,  as  also  at  Strawberry  Plains,  Chapin's  Bluff  and 
the  attack  on  the  rebel  works  before  Richmond,  October  10,  1864.  They 
were  ordered  to  New  York  to  assist  in  preserving  order  at  the  elections  in 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  449 

November,  and  returned  December  3  to  join  the  expedition  against  Fort 
Fisher. 

When  the  non-veterans  left,  the  regiment  was  formed  at  first  into  a 
battahon  of  five  companies,  but  was  afterward  made  a  full  regiment  by  adding 
five  companies  of  drafted  men. 

January  3,  1865,  the  regiment  sailed  against  Fort  Fisher,  assisting  to 
capture  that  stronghold,  as  also  Fort  Anderson  on  the  19th  of  February, 
1865.  They  were  a  part  of  the  forces  that  occupied  Wilmington,  February 
22,  and  after  some  weeks  marched  to  Raleigh,  arriving  April  14,  and  re- 
maining there  until  July  20,  1865.  Thence  they  went  to  Goldsboro,  and 
were  mustered  out  at  that  place  September  5,  starting  for  Indianapolis,  Sep- 
tember 7,  and  arriving  September  15,  1865,  with  twenty-nine  officers  and 
550  enlisted  men. 

Men  from  Randolph  county  in  the  Thirteenth : 

Company  E  (reorganized) — Hiram  W.  Seely,  appointed  corporal; 
mustered  out  September  5,  1865. 

Company  I  (reorganized) — Edward  Courtney,  record  indefinite. 

John  S.  Debolt,  mustered  out  August  19,  1865. 

Fidel  Higi,  mustered  out  September  5,  1865. 

Joseph  E.  Ruhel,  first  sergeant,  mustered  out  September  5,  1865.  John 
Thomas,  record  indefinite. 

SIXTEENTH    INDIANA,    THREE    YEARS. 

Regiment  mustered  in  at  Indianapolis,  August  19,  1861 ;  Colonel  T.  J. 
Lucas;  regiment  mustered  out  at  New  Orleans,  June  30,  1865. 

Officers,  42;  men,  921;  recruits,  523;  veterans,  none;  died,  271;  de- 
serted, 36;  unaccounted  for,  204;  total,  1,486. 

Upper  Potomac,  1861 ;  Shenandoah  Valley,  1862;  against  Kirby  Smith, 
1862;  Mississippi  Valley,  1862-63;  against  Vicksburg,  1863;  Louisiana,  1863; 
Red  River,  1864;  Louisiana,  1865. 

Mustered  out  at  New  Orleans,  June  30,  1865. 

Arrived  at  Indianapolis  with  365  officers  and  men  July  10,  1865.  Public 
reception  by  Gov.  Morton,  Gen.  Hovey  and  others. 

The  recruits  whose  terms  of  service  had  not  yet  expired  were  trans- 
ferred to  the  Thirteenth  cavalry,  the  Sixteenth  having  served  as  cavalry  for 
some  time  with  acceptance. 


450  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

With  the  Thirteenth  cavalry  the  recruits  were  mustered  out  in  October, 
1865. 

Members  from  Randolph  county :  Elliot  Robertson,  mustered  out  May 
15,  1865. 

SEVENTEENTH   INDIANA   INFANTRY,    THREE  YEARS. 

Regiment  mustered  in  at  Indianapolis,  June  12,  1861 ;  Colonel  Milo  S. 
Hascall;  regiment  mustered  out  at  Macon,  Ga.,  August  8,  1865. 

Officers,  49;  men,  1,014;  recruits,  940;  veterans,  288.;  died,  232;  de- 
serted, 161;  unaccounted  for,  82;  total,  2,311. 

Loss  in  killed  and  wounded,  238;  assisted  to  capture  more  than  five 
thousand  prisoners;  marched  more  than  four  thousand  miles;  captured  more 
than  six  thousand  stand  of  arms;  captured  seventy  pieces  of  artillery;  cap- 
tured eleven  stands  of  colors,  captured  more  than  three  thousand  horses  and 
mules. 

Regiment  mounted  during  February,  1863 ;  armed  with  spencer  rifles 
May  18,  1863. 

Regiment  re-enlisted  as  veterans  at  Pulaski,  Tenn.,  January  4,  1864. 

Regiment  arrived  at  Indianapolis  on  veteran  furlough  January  25,  1864. 

Regiment  purchased  horses  in  Indiana  for  remounting  and  returned 
mounted  to  Xashville,  and  to  Sherman's  army  before  Atlanta  ]\Iay  10,  1864. 

Regiment  engaged  in  skirmishes  in  the  Atlantic  campaign  and  many 
places — Pumpkin  Vine  Church,  Big  Shanty,  Belle  Plains  Road,  Kenesaw, 
Marietta,  Chattahoochie  River,  Stone  Mountain,  Flat  Rock,  New  Hope 
Church,  Rome,  Coosaville,  Leesburg,  and  Goshen. 

Remounted  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  December  24,  1864,  and  went  South 
again  to  Alabama.  It  fought  Roddy  and  Forrest  at  Ebenezer  Church,  Ga., 
April  I,  1865;  fought  also  at  Selma,  Ala.,  April  2,  capturing  four  pieces  of 
artillery  and  300  prisoners;  at  Macon,  Ga.,  also,  they  assisted  in  taking  3,000 
prisoners,  five  stands  of  colors,  sixty  pieces  of  artillery  and  3,000  small  arms. 
The  Seventeenth  was  an  exceedingly  energetic  regiment,  and  performed  effi- 
cient and  thorough  service,  which  helped  greatly  in  conquering  the  rebellion 
and  compelling  a  peace;  for  all  which  and  for  their  heroism,  and  for  their 
great  achievements  all  honor  to  the  gallant  Seventeenth  Indiana. 

Members  belonging  to  the  Seventeenth:  David  H.  Chase,  appointed 
Hospital  Steward;  mustered  out  June  — ,  1865. 


RANDOLPH     COUNTY,    INDIANA.  45 1 

NINETEENTH    INDIANA    INFANTRY,    THREE    YEARS. 

Solomon  Meredith,  Colonel;  regiment  mustered  in  at  Indianapolis,  July 
29,  1861;  mustered  out  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  July  12,  1865. 

Officers,  43;  men,  1,011;  recruits,  447;  veterans,  213;  died,  267;  de- 
serted (unknown) ;  unaccounted  for,  451 ;  total,  1,614. 

Note — A  larger  number  is  unaccounted  for  than  in  any  other  regiment. 

The  Nineteenth  had  not  nearly  so  large  a  field  of  operations  as  some 
others,  spending  its  whole  four  years  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  But 
what  it  lacked  in  extent  of  territory  was  made  up  in  severity  of  service.  In 
sickness,  in  loss  by  killed  and  wounded  and  prisoners  and  death  by  dis- 
ease, the  sufferings  and  hardships  of  the  old  Ninetenth  were  wonderful. 
Its  first  experience  of  battle  was  at  Lewinsville,  but  by  no  means  its  last. 
At  Gainesville  and  Manassas  Junction,  South  Mountain  and  Antietam,  and 
the  terribly  fatal  attack  on  Fredericksburg,  at  Gettysburg  and  the  fearful 
M'ilderness  campaign,  ever  in  the  post  of  danger  and  of  death,  the  brigade 
composed  in  part  of  the  Nineteenth,  long  before  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  had 
richly  earned  the  name  by  which  it  was  known  throughout  the  Potomac  Army 
— "The  Iron  Brigade." 

The  history  of  the  Nineteenth  Indiana  may  be  given  in  brief  as  fol- 
lows: 

Leaving  Indianapolis  August  5,  1861,  it  joined  forthwith  the  Potomac 
Army  August  9.  x^t  Lewinsville  they  were  engaged  with  a  slight  loss  ot 
three  killed  and  wounded,  and  three  prisoners.  They  were  in  the  engage- 
ment at  Falls  Church  September  28,  and  wintered  at  Fort  Craig,  on  Arlington 
Heights.  The  regiment  spent  the  spring  and  summer  until  August  in  recon- 
noissances  in  \'irginia,  marching  to  Fredericksburg,  to  the  Shenandoah  Val- 
ley, to  Warrenton,  to  Fredericksburg  again,  Spottsylvania  and  Cedar  Moun- 
tain. At  Gainesville,  their  loss  was  heavy — 187  killed  and  wounded,  ana 
thirty-three  missing. 

Maj.  Isaac  M.  May  fell  in  that  action.  They  were  engaged  at  Manas- 
sas Junction,  and  not  long  after  at  South  Mountain,  September  14,  1862,  with 
forty  killed  and  wounded,  and  again  in  the  world-renowned  conflict  of  An- 
tietam September  17,  1862,  with  fearful  hardships  and  heavy  loss,  their 
Lieutenant  Colonel,  Alois  O.  Bachman,  being  killed  on  that  awful  field  of 
blood  and  slaughter. 

October  6,  Col.  Meredith  was  promoted  Brigadier  General,  and  Lieut. 


452  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Col.  Samuel  J.  Williams  became  Colonel.  The  regiment  fought  in  the  at- 
tack on  Fredericksburg  December  13,  1862,  and  wintered  at  Belle  Plain. 

They  marched  to  Gettysburg,  arriving  on  the  morning  of  July  i,  1863. 
A  large  part  of  the  regiment  was  captured  in  that  battle,  and  the  poor  suffer- 
ers spent  weary  months  in  those  dens  of  unspeakable  horror,  the  rebel  prison- 
pens.  The  "Iron  Brigade"  opened  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  about  9  o'clock 
in  the  morning  of  July  i,  the  Nineteenth  being  the  regiment  first  engaged. 

In  the  campaign  of  the  Wilderness,  during  the  summer  of  1864,  the 
Nineteenth  was  conspicuous  in  the  sanguinary  contest  of  that  memorable 
period. 

During  the  winter  of  1864,  a  portion  of  the  remnant  of  the  Nineteenth 
re-erilisted  as  veterans.  Col.  Williams  was  killed  in  the  Wilderness,  and 
Lieut.  Col.  Lindley  took  his  place. 

The  old  regiments  had  become  so  reduced  that  a  consolidation  was  ef- 
fected in  the  fall  of  1864.  The  Fourteenth  and  Twentieth  were  united  as 
the  ne\\  Twentieth.  The  Seventh  and  the  Nineteenth  were  joined  as  the 
new  .  Nineteenth  September  23,  1864. 

The  two  new  regiments  were  again  consolidated  as  the  Twentieth,  Octo- 
ber 18,  1864,  with  Col.  \A'illiam  Orr  as  the  commanding  officer.  The  Twentieth 
was  mustered  out  at  Louisville  July  12,  1865. 

These  regiments  had  in  truth  undergone  a  hard,  severe,  laborious, 
deadly  service. 

Great  numbers  were  killed  and  wounded,  and  a  far  greater  number 
died  of  disease,  and  still  more  were  discharged  for  disability.  Four  regi- 
ments were  consolidated  into  one,  and  only  a  meager  few  remained  even  then 
to  recount  the  story  of  their  achievements.  Out  of  5.801  men  who  had  be- 
longed to  the  four  regiment,  there  were  present  at  the  final  muster-out  of 
the  Twentieth  Regiment  -barely  twenty-three  officers  and  390  men.  The  soul 
shudders  at  the  incalculable  sacrifice  of  health  and  life,  and  the  unspeakable 
burden  of  human  suffering  wrapped  up  in  the  bare  statement  of  statistics 
given  above — 5.801  men  reduced  to  410.  Alas!  alas!  how  little  knew  or 
cared  the  reckless  men  who  struck  the  fatal  blow  that  opened  the  mortal 
strife  what  a  bitter  fountain  of  poisonous,  deadly  waters  was  by  their  fratri- 
cidal hand  unsealed  to  pour  its  fatal  flood  widespread  over  the  horror- 
stricken  land! 

ENGAGEMENTS  OF  THE  NINETEENTH  INDIANA. 

Lewinsville.  A'a.,  September  11,  1861,  three  killed  and  wounded,  and 
three  prisoners. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  453 

Gainesville,  Va.,  August  26,  1862,  183  killed  and  wounded  and  three 
missing. 

Manassas  Junction,  Va.,  August  30,  1862,  slight  loss. 

South  Mountain,  Va.,  September  14,  1862,  forty  killed  and  wounded, 
and  seven  missing. 

Antietam,  Md.,  September  17,  1862,  lost  163  men. 

Fredericksburg,  Va.,  December  13,  1862. 

Gettysburg,  Penn.,  July  i,  1863,  loss  210. 

]\Iine  Run,  Va.,  November,  1863. 

Wilderness  to  Cold  Harbor,  May,  1874. 

Petersburg,  \'a.,  June,   1864,  casualties,  220. 

Weldon  Railroad,  Va.,  August  19  and  20,  1864. 

Members  of  the  Nineteenth  Indiana  credited  to  Randolph  county ; 
Company  C,  Nineteenth  Indiana  Infantry — Captain,  Robert  W.  Hamilton; 
resigned  October  23,  1863. 

First  Lieutenant,  Reuben  B.  Farra;  resigned  January  8,   1862. 

Second  Lieutenant,  William  M.  Campbell,  promoted  Captain  Company  I; 
resigned  October  15,  1862. 

Joseph  Cook,  First  Sergeant,  promoted  Second  Lieutenant;  First  Lieu- 
tenant, Captain,  died  February  27,  1863. 

Sergeants — Henry  Ammerman  (really  from  Jay  county),  promoted 
Second  Lieutenant;  resigned  May  8,  1862. 

Joel  A.  Newman,  promoted  Second  Lieutenant;  First  Lieutenant;  re- 
signed February  9,  1863. 

Joseph  T.  Ives,  wounded  at  South  Mountain,  promoted  Second  Lieu- 
tenant; First  Lieutenant;  resigned  February  9,  1863. 

William  W.  Macy,  wounded  at  South  Mountain;  promoted  First  Lieu- 
tenant; Captain  of  Company  I,  Twentieth  Regiment;  transferred  to  Com- 
pany A,  Twentieth  Regiment;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

Corporals — William  Williamson,  not  accounted  for. 

David  Garringer,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

William  Griffin,  not  accounted  for. 

Benjamin  F.  Macy,  not  accounted  for. 

George  Allman,  appointed  Sergeant;  died  October  11,  1862,  from  wounds 
received  at  Antietam,  September,  1862  (Pennville,  Jay  county). 

James  H.  Bowman,  discharged  March  2,  1864;  wounded. 

Luther  Moorman,  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

William  Kinnon,  not  accounted  for. 


454  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Musicians — Henry  Knight,  veteran,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 
James  W.  Crowell,  unaccounted  for. 

Wagoner — Michael  Seagraves,  veteran,  wounded  at  Laurel  Hill;  trans- 
ferred to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

Privates  (unaccounted  for) — William  Arnold,  John  W.  Baxter,  Antrim 
C.  Beeks,  Austin  F.  Conyer,  James  Davis,  Ira  Davis,  John  T.  Ellis,  Warren 
Elzroth,  Thomas  B.  English,  Jonathan  Gray,  James  H.  Hiatt,  Robert  Harris,. 
James  M.  Karnes,  Alva  C.  Kepler,  John  Kiser,  Josephus,  Lewallyn,  John 
Lyons,  William  Marshall,  William  Mager,  David  C.  McNees,  Nathan  Men- 
denhall,  William  H.  Mettler,  Frederick  Mills,  Newton  W.  Needham,  John 
Nixon,  Joseph  A.  Summers,  Valentine  Thompson,  Christian  S.  Van  Horn, 
William  Zimmerman. 

Eli  Abernathy,  died  October  5,  1861. 

Hiram  Blackledge,  wounded. 

Daniel  W.  Britton,  mustered  out  July  28,  1864. 

Reuben  Clark,  killed  at  Gettysburg  July  i,  1863. 

Lafayette  Deardorff,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment;  mustered  out 
July  12,  1865. 

William  Driver,  died  at  Philadelphia  September  5,  1863. 

Joab  Driver,  discharged  April  3,  1863. 

William  Fair,  mustered  out  July  28,  1864. 

Dr.  F.  Ford,  mustered  out. 

Isaac  N.  Frazee,  appointed  Sergeant  of  the  One  Hundredth,  Company 
H,  promoted  Second  Lieutenant;  First  Lieutenant;  Captain;  mustered  out 
with  regiment. 

John  F.  Flood,  veteran,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment;  mustered 
out  July  12,  1865. 

David  V.  Garringer,  veteran,  appointed  Corporal;  wounded  at  Laurel 
Hill;  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment;  mustered  out  June  19,  1865. 

James  W.  Grow,  wounded;  discharged  March  25,  1864. 

William  A.  Hamilton,  mustered  out  July  28,  1864. 

George  W.  Hester,  wounded  at  Cold  Harbor  and  Laurel  Hill;  mustered 
out  as  absent;  wounded  July  28,  1864. 

William  Hedgepeth,  discharged  February.  1863,  from  wounds  received 
at  Gainesville. 

Samuel  S.  Hill,  wounded ;  discharged  July,  1863. 

W^illiam  Hoover,  killed  at  Gettysburg  July  i,  1863. 

John  Hunt,  wounded;  transferred  to  V.  R.  C. 


RANDOLPH    (;iJl;.\'']'Y,    INIH.WA.  455 

Daniel  B.  Johnson,  died  November  3,  1861. 

William  H.  Kepler,  died  at  Washington  October  19,  1861. 

Enoch  Kelly,  died  at  Washington  January  8,  1863. 

Thomas  Kirby,  veteran,  wounded  at  South  Mountain;  transferred  to 
Twentieth  Regiment.  ^ 

Henry  Kirby,  veteran,  wounded  at  Petersburg;  transferred  to  Twentieth 
Regiment. 

Robert  W.  Linton,  wounded  at  Gainesville;  died  April  9,  1863. 

William  Marshall,  died  at  Indianapolis. 

Patrick  McMahan,  died  October  16,  1862;  wounds  received  at  Gaines- 
ville. 

George  Mcjennett,  wounded  at  South  Mountain. 

Samuel  A.  McNees,  died  September  23,  1862,  from  wounds  received 
at  Gainesville. 

Thomas  McKine,  transferred  to  V.  R.  C. 

George  L.  Moore,  wounded  at  Petersburg;  mustered  out  July  28,  1864. 

John  Q.  A.  Moffit,  died  at  Washington  November  21,  1861. 

William  Miller  died  September  7,  1862,  from  wounds  received  at  Gaines- 
ville, i 

William  E.  Murray,  mustered  out. 

John  Murry,  veteran,  wounded  at  Gettysburg;  captured  at  Yellow 
House;  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

Elihu  M.  Parker,  transferred  to  Twentieth,  reorganized;  appointed  Ser- 
geant Major  ;~mustered  out  as  supernumerary  October  19,  1864. 

Thomas  H.  Parker  died  September  20,  1862;  accidental  wound. 

Nelson  Pegg,  wounded  at  Wilderness;  mustered  out  July  28,  1864,  as 
Sergeant. 

Eleazar  Pursley,  wounded  at  South  Mountain. 

Isaac  P   Rathbun,  wounded  at  South  Mountain. 

George  M.  Rathbun,  dicharged  for  wounds. 

Andrew  J.  Reeves,  died  February  8,  1862. 

Eli  Rich,  discharged  May  3,  1864,  on  account  of  wounds. 

Benjamin  F  Semans,  veteran,  wounded  at  Spottsylvania ;  transferred  to 
Twentieth  Regiment. 

Joseph  Stack,  died  at  Washington  February  23,  1862. 

Clinton  D.  Smith,  Sergeant  Company  E,  Eighty-fourth ;  promoted  Sec- 
ond Lieutenant  Company  E;  honorably  discharged  April  2,  1864. 

James  H.  Stine,  wounded;  transferred  to  V.  R.  C. 


456  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Christopher  C.  Starbuck,  killed  at  Gettysburg  July  i,  1863. 

James  Stickley,  killed  at  Gettysburg  July  i,  1863. 

William  H.  Suter,  died  at  Washington  September  6,  1861. 

Cornelius  L.  Weaver,  wounded  at  Laurel  Hill;  transferred  to  Twentieth 
Regiment. 

Andrew  J.  Wood,  veteran,  wounded  at  North  Anna;  transferred  to 
Twentieth  Regiment. 

Levi  Yost,  veteran,  wounded  at  Spottsylvania ;  transferred  to  Twentieth 
Regiment. 

RECRUITS. 

Joseph  A.  Anderson,  transferred  to  Company  A,  Twentieth  Regiment, 
reorganized. 

John  R.  Anderson,  killed  at  Antietam  September  17,  1862. 

Thomas  E.  Barr,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment  July  28,  1864. 

Thomas  Barnfield,  appointed  Sergeant;  died  June  13,  1864. 

Alexander  Burk,  killed  at  Gettysburg  July  i,  1863. 

Isaac  Cherry,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

Jasper  Fry,  killed  at  Spottsylvania  May  12,  1864. 

Peter  L.  Foust,  killed  at  Gettysburg  July  i,  1863. 

Florin  V   Flood,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

Isaac  R.  Ford,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

Spotwood  T.  Frost,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

Joel  Green,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

William  R.  Green,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

James  H.  Ham,  killed  at  South  Mountain  September  14,  1862. 

William  H.  Harrison,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

James  H.  Hawkins,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

Peter  Hester,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

William  A.  Houren,  veteran,  wounded  October  17,  1864;  transferred 
to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

Rufus  King,  veteran,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

Anderson  P.  McNees,  killed  at  Laurel  Hill  May  9,  1864. 

Jacob  Miller,  killed  at  Antietam  September  17,  1862. 

Uriah  B.  Murray,  killed  at  Gainesville  September  7,  1862. 

Nathan  B.  Maxwell  (Jay  county),  died  at  Washington  December  12, 
1862. 

Thomas  R.  McGuire,  veteran,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

John  Miller,  wounded  at  Gettysburg  July  i,  1863;  transferred  to  Twen- 
tieth Regiment. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  457 

Elias  S.  Moore,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

Henry  Marshall,  veteran,  captured  at  Yellow  House;  transferred  to 
twentieth  Regiment. 

John  Mendenhall,  veteran;  wounded  August  5,  1864;  transferred  to 
Twentieth  Regiment. 

Edward  Packenham,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

John  A.  Pegg,  wounded  at  Gettysburg;  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regi- 
ment. 

David  F    Pursley,  veteran;  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

James  Reynard,  killed  at  Petersburg  June  30,  1864. 

George  W.  Rains,  veteran;  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

Milton  Rains,  wounded  at  the  Wilderness;  transferred  to  Twentieth 
Regiment. 

Charles  R.  Rider,  wounded  at  the  Wilderness;  transferred  to  Twentieth 
Regiment. 

Company  F — Recruits,  Lafayette  Pursley,  veteran;  wounded  at  Wilder- 
ness; transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

Patrick  Sullivan,  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

Company  K — Adam  Stonebraker,  discharged   1864;  disability. 

Unassigned  recruits — James  Castor,  record  indefinite. 

x\mos  Whiteneck,  record  not  definite. 

Martin  Phillips,  wounded  at  Wilderness  and  Cold  Harbor;  transferred 
to  Twentieth  Regiment. 

William  Phillips,  discharged  June  2,  1862;  disability. 

Hugh  M.  Strain,  Company  K,  recruit,  October  23,  1862 ;  wounded  at 
Wilderness;  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment;  mustered  out  July  12,  1865. 

John  Thomson,  Company  K,  recruit,  February  20,  1864;  wounded  at 
Wilderness;  transferred  to  Twentieth  Regiment;  mustered  out  July  12,  1865. 

TWENTIETH    INDIANA,    THREE    YEARS. 

We  put  the  original  Twentieth  and  the  reorganized  Twentieth  in  its 
various  forms  into  one  description. 

STATISTICS. 

Mustered  in  at  Indianapolis  July  22,  1861 ;  Colonel,  W.  L.  Brown; 
mustered  out  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  July  12,  1865. 

Officers,  42;  men,  1,009;  recruits,  410;  veterans,  282;  died,  228;  de- 
serted, 60;  unaccounted  for,  176;  total,  1,743. 


458  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  first  duty  performed  by  the  Twentieth  was  to  guard  the  Northern 
Central  railroad  in  Maryland.  September  24,  1861,  it  was  sent  to  Hat- 
teras  Inlet,  N.  C.  Remaining  there  till  November  9,  they  returned  to  For- 
tress Monroe.  Lying  in  camp  there  till  March,  1862,  the  Twentieth  moved 
to  Newport  News,  taking  part  in  the  conflict  between  the  steamers  Merri- 
mac,  Cumberland  and  Congress,  keeping  the  rebel  captors  from  taking  pos- 
session of  the  Congress  after  she  had  struck  her  colors.  May  10,  1862,  it 
assisted  in  capturing  Norfolk,  joining«-afterward  the  Potomac  Army  in  the 
Peninsula.  On  the  24th  of  June,  it  was  severely  engaged  at  the  "Orchards," 
with  a  loss  of  officers  and  men.  The  regiment  was  in  all  the  battles  of 
the  "Seven  Days"  except  Glendale,  or  Frazier's  Farm,  losing  heavily.  Form- 
ing part  of  the  flank  guard  of  the  Potomac  Army  across  the  Peninsula  to 
Yorktown,  they  were  sent  to  Alexandria,  to  the  Rappahannock  and  to  Manas- 
sas Plains,  taking  part  in  the  battle  there  August  29,  1862,  losing  Col.  Brown 
early  in  the  action.  September  i,  the  regiment  was  in  the  battle  of  Chan- 
tilly,  moving  thence  to  Arlington  Heights.  October  11,  they  undertook  to  in- 
tercept Stuart's  cavalry  raid,  but  were  too  late  by  ten  hours.  They  were  at 
Fredericksburg  December  13,  and  took  a  chief  part  at  Chancellorsville.  They 
captured  the  Twenty-third  Georgia,  stronger  in  numbers  than  themselves. 
They  n^ned  to  Gettysburg  in  time  for  the  second  day  of  that  great  battle, 
losing  there  the  officer  in  command,  the  gallant  Col.  Wheeler.  They  joined 
in  the  pursuit  of  Lee  to  Manassas  Gap,  and  were  ordered  to  New  York  City 
to  prevent  threatened  draft  riots  in  that  metropolis.  The  regiment  returned 
to  the  Potomac;  was  engaged  at  Locust  Grove  and  Mine  Run,  and  went  into 
winter  cjuarters.  Januar}-  i,  1864,  the  regiment  veteranized  and  the  veterans 
took  their  home  furlough. 

They  crossed  the  Rapidan  with  Grant's  army,  and  helped  fight  the 
battles  of  the  Wilderness,  Todd's  Tavern,  Po  River,  Spottsylvania,  Tollo- 
potanni  and  Cold  Harbor.  There  the  Fourteenth  and  the  Twentieth  were 
consolidated.  They  then  crossed  the  James  to  the  battles  of  Deep  Bottom 
and  Strawberry  Plains,  and  then  to  the  trenches  before  Petersburg,  under  fire 
every  day,  losing  many  men.  Here  Lieut.  Col.  George  W.  Mikel  lost  his 
life.  October  18,  1864,  the  consolidated  Nineteenth  was  united  with  the  new 
Twentieth,  taking  the  name  of  the  Twentieth,  and  the  commanding  officer, 
Col.  James  Orr,  from  the  Nineteenth.  The  new  regiment  lay  in  the  works 
before  Petersburg  until  spring,  except  in  the  advance  on  the  Weldon  railroad. 
It  took  part  at  Preble's  House  and  Hatcher's  Run,  and  in  all  the  engage- 
ments on  the  left  from  Hatcher's  Run  to  the  capture  of  Richmond.  The,  last 
engagement  by  the  regiment  with  the  enemy  was  at  Clover  Hill,  April  9,  1865. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  459 

The  regiment  shortly  moved  to  Washington,  and  thence  to  Louisville, 
Ky.,  June  14,  1865.  The  men  were  mustered  out  July  12,  1865,  numbering 
twenty-three  officers  and  390  men. 

The  following  are  the  engagements  of  the  Twentieth  Indiana  Infantry: 

Hatteras  Bank,  Merrimac  and  Congress,  Fair  Oaks,  Orchards,  Gaines' 
Mill,  Malvern  Hill,  Manassas  Plains,  Chantilly,  Fredericksburg,  Chancellors- 
Ville,  Gettysburg,  Manassas  Gap,  Locust  Grove,  Mine  Run,  Wilderness,  Todd's 
Tavern,  Po  River,  Spottsylvania,  Tollopotanni  and  Cold  Harbor;  assault  and 
siege  of  Petersburg,  Weldon  Railroad,  Prebble's  House,  Hatcher's  Run,  Clo- 
ver Hill. 

In  comparing  different  regiments,  it  would  be  difficult  to  tell  which  one 
■endured  the  hardest  lot  in  the  prosecution  of  the  great  Civil  war.  In  fact, 
■comparisons  are  needless.  The  history  of  the  whole  war  presents  a  wonder- 
ful and  perhaps  unprecedented  record.  The  wars  of  Napoleon,  or  of  Alexan- 
der the  Great,  of  the  Russian  Czar  Peter,  of  Frederick  the  Great,  of  Russia 
and  the  allies  in  the  Crimean  war,  of  the  Austrians  against  the  French,  or 
of  the  French  against  the  Prussians,  scarcely  rival  our  great  North  American 
war.  War  is  terrible  anywhere;  but  for  long  marches,  bravery  of  attack, 
heroism  of  endurance  and  perseverance  in  execution,  the  war  for  the  Union 
stands  high  in  the  annals  of  the  world. 

TWENTIETH   REGIMENT,    REORGANIZED. 

Regimental  Officers — Major,  Joseph  T.  Ives ;  mustered  out  as  Captain 
Company  A,  December  5,  1864. 

Company  A — Captain,  Joseph  T.  Ives,  mustered  out  December  5,  1864; 
William  AV.  Macy,  transferred  from  Company  I;  mustered  out  with  regi- 
ment. 

Men  in  the  Twentieth  Indiana  from  Randolph  county : 

Company  A — Joseph  A.  Anderson,  mustered  out  November  28,  1864; 
Thomas  E.  Barr,  mustered  out  June  26,  1865 ;  James  A.  Collett,  mustered 
out  March  11,  1865;  Isaac  Cherry,  mustered  out  April  25,  1865;  Lafayette 
Deardorff,  mustered  out  July  12,  1865;  John  F.  Flood,  mu.stered  out  July 
12,  1865;  Florin  V.  Flood,  mustered  out  June  13,  1865,  as  Corporal;  Isaac 
~R.  Ford,  mustered  out  May  31,  1865;  Spottswood  T.  Foster,  mustered  out 
July  12,  1865;  Joel  Green,  mustered  out  May  31,  1865;  William  R.  Green, 
mustered  out  July  12,  1865;  David  Garringer,  Corporal,  mustered  out  July 
12,  1865;  William  H.  Harrison,  mustered  out  July  22,  1865,  as  Corporal; 
James  H.   Hawkins,  mustered  out  June   5,   1865;   Peter  Hester,   mustered 


460  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

out  July  12,  1865;  William  Houren,  died  October  18,  1864,  of  wounds 
received  at  Petersburg;  Rufus  King,  Corporal,  mustered  out  as  First  Ser- 
geant July  12,  1865;  Thomas  Kirby,  First  Sergeant,  promoted  First  Lieu- 
tenant, mustered  out  with  regiment;  Henry  Knight,  mustered  out  July  12, 
1865;  Henry  Kirby,  mustered  out  July  12,  1865;  Thomas  R.  McGuire,  mus- 
tered out  July  12,  1865,  as  Corporal;  Elias  G.  Moore,  mustered  out  July 
12,  1865,  as  Corporal;  John  Miller,  mustered  out  April  25,  1865,  disability; 
Henry  Marshall,  died  at  Salisbury  Prison,  N.  C,  February  12,  1865;  John 
Mendenhall,  discharged,  disability;  John  Murray,  Sergeant,  captured  at  Yel- 
low house  August  19,  1864;  Edward  Packenham,  from  Nineteenth  Regi- 
ment; John  A.  Pegg,  mustered  out  February  i,  1865;  David  F.  Pursley,  mus- 
tered out  July  12,  1865;  Lafayette  Pursley,  mustered  out  July  12,  1865; 
George  W.  Rains,  mustered  out  July  12,  1865;  Milton  Rains,  mustered  out 
July  12,  1865;  Charles  O.  Rider,  wounded  at  Wilderness;  Benjamin  F. 
Semans,  mustered  out;  Michael  Seagraves,  mustered  out  July  12,  1865;  Pat- 
rick Sullivan,  record  indefinite;  Andrew  J.  Wood,  Sergeant,  transferred  to 
Veteran  Reserve  Corps  January  19,"  1865,  mustered  out  July  22,  1865 ;  Levi 
Yost;  William  Zimmerman,  mustered  out  October  29,  1864,  as  Sergeant. 

Company  C — Grear  N.  Williams,  veteran,  mustered  out  as  Corporal  July 
12,  1865. 

Company  E — Elijah  Bales,  mustered  out  with  regiment  July  12,  1865; 
John  Hank,  mustered  out  July  12,  1865;  Thomas  Harris,  mustered  out 
July  12,  1865;  James  Lamly,  mustered  out  July  12,  1865;  John  W.  Moore, 
promoted  Second  Lieutenant;  First  Lieutenant;  mustered  out  with  regiment; 
Martin  Phillips,  wounded  in  the  Wilderness,  discharged  May  22,  1865;  Will- 
iam Phillips,  record  indefinite;  Hugh  M.  Strain,  mustered  out  July  12,  1865; 
Thompson  Smelser,  mustered  out  July  12,  1865;  John  Thomson,  mustered 
out  July  12,  1865. 

Company  I — William  W.  Macy,  Captain,  transferred  to  Company  A, 
mustered  out  with  regiment. 

TWENTIETH    REORGANIZED CONSOLIDATED. 

First,  the  Fourteenth  and  Twentieth  were  united,  making  the  Twentieth. 
Then  the  Seventh  and  the  Nineteenth  were  consolidated,  making  the  new 
Nineteenth.  Lastly,  the  new  Nineteenth  and  the  new  Twentieth  were  united, 
making  a  new  regiment,  still  called  the  Twentieth,  under  Col.  William  Orr, 
formerly  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  Nineteenth,  the  final  consolidation  oc- 
curring October  18,  1864.     The  new  Twentieth  remained  in  the  works  near 


RANDOLPH    CUUWIY,    INDIANA.  461 

Petersburg  until  the  spring  of  1865,  except  that  they  were  sent  on  expedi- 
tions to  cut  the  railroad  communications  of  the  enemy.  Toward  the  Weldon 
railroad  it  advanced  to  Stoney  Creek,  engaged  in  the  actions  at  Preble's  House 
and  Hatcher's  Run.  Thence  to  the  fall  of  Richmond  it  was  in  the  advance  di- 
vision of  the  Second  Corps,  and  in  all  the  battles  till  the  surrender  of  Lee, 
the  last  being  that  at  Clover  Hill,  Va.,  April  9,  1865.  They  marched  to 
Washington  City,  moving  thence  to  Louisville,  arriving  June  21,  1865,  and 
being  mustered  out  July  12,  1865,  with  390  men  and  twenty-three  ofificers. 

Returning  to  Indianapolis  under  Col.  Albert  S.  Andrews  (Fourteenth 
Regimfent),  Gov.  Morton  gave  them  a  characteristic  public  welcome,  speeches 
being  made  also  by  Gen.  Hovey,  Dr.  Everts  and  Chaplain  WiUiam  C.  Porter, 
and  a  few  days  after,  they  were  discharged  for  their  homes. 

STATISTICS— TWENTIETH    REGIMENT,    REORGANIZED. 

Officers,  38;  men,  868;  recruits,  33;  died,  44;  unaccounted  for,  56; 
total,  939. 

TWENTY-FIRST   INFANTRY,    FIRST    HEAVY  ARTILLERY. 

Mustered  in  at  Indianapolis  July  24,  1861 — James  W.  McMillan,  Colonel; 
changed  to  heavy  artillery  February,  1863;  mustered  out  at  Baton  Kouge, 
La.,  January  13,  1866. 

Officers,  80;  men,  1,283;  recruits,  2,028;  veterans,  448;  died,  392;  de- 
serted, 228;  unaccounted  for,  200;  total,  3,839. 

The  following  are  the  movements  of  the  Twenty-first  Indiana : 

The  first  movement  was  to  Baltimore,  August  3,  1861,  remaining  till 
February  19,  1862. 

The  second  movement  was  with  Gen.  Butler  to  reduce  New  Orleans, 
March  4,  1862.  A  part  of  the  Twenty-first  were  the  first  to  touch  the  wharf 
at  New  Orleans,  May   i,   1862. 

The  third  movement  was  to  Baton  Rouge,  where  the  regiment  remained 
till  August,  being  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Baton  Rouge,  August  5,  1862, 
losing  126  men  in  three  and  a  half  hours. 

The  regiment  spent  the  time  from  September,  1862,  to  February,  1863, 
in  Louisiana  and  Texas,  scouring  the  country  and  fighting  rangers. 

The  regiment  was  mounted  in  February,    1863,   ^"d  onward;   and   in 
July  and  October,  1863,  two  companies,  L  and  M,  were  added.     Ten  com- 
panies were  at  Port  Hudson,  spending  forty-two  days  in  the  siege. 
(30) 


462  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Company  F  was  mostly  captured  at  Brashear  City  June  23.  In  the 
winter  of  1863-64,  a  large  number  re-enlisted  as  veterans.  They  were  fur- 
loughed  home,  and  a  magnificent  reception  was  tendered  them  at  Metropoli- 
tan Hall,  Indianapolis,  February  19,  1864.  Companies  G  and  H  were  up 
Red  river  with  Banks. 

■In  April,  1865,  six  battalions  assisted  in  the  investment  and  reduction 
of  Mobile,  with  Forts  Morgan  and  Gaines,  and  Spanish  Fort. 

After  the  war,  the  batteries  werg  stationed  at  various  places — Forts 
Morgan,   Pickens  and  Barrancas,  at  Baton  Rouge,   as   follows : 

Companies  B  and  C,  at  Fort  Morgan. 

Companies  H  and  K,  at  Fort  Gaines.. 

Companies  F  and  L,  at  Fort  Barrancas,  Fla. 

Companies  I  and  M,  at  Fort  Pickens. 

Companies  H,  E  and  G  were  at  Baton  Rouge. 

Company  D  was  at  Port  Hudson. 

In  November,  1865,  the  regiment  was  ordered,  to  rendezvous  at  Port 
Hudson.  December  24,  1865,  the  first  grand  parade  of  the  whole  regiment  of 
twelve  batteries  took  place;  and  January  10,  1866,  at  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  the 
men  were  mustered  out  of  service,  the  regiment  containing  some  nine  hun- 
dred and  thirty  men.  Two  hundred  and  forty  of  them  came  to  Indian- 
apolis for  discharge,  but  seven  hundred  preferred  to  remain  and  be  dis- 
charged in  Louisiana,  and  it  was  so  done. 

The  Twenty-first  traveled,  during  its  term  of  service,  more  than  fifteen 
thousand  miles,  and  was  remarkably  successful  as  to  preserving  the  health 
and  general  efficiency  of  its  members. 

The  only  men  known  to  be  connected  with  the  Twenty-first  from  Ran- 
dolph county  were  some  unassigned  recruits,  of  whom  not  much  informa- 
tion is  given — none  except  what  follows : 

William  J.  Bremer,  mustered  out  July  28,  1865 ;  George  Denney,  died  at 
New  Orleans  February  26,  1865;  Charles  H.  Freeman,  mustered  out  July  27, 
1865 ;  Harrison  Hull,  not  known;  John  C.  Leonard,  unaccounted  for;  Stephen 
C.  Lewis,  record  indefinite;  William  J.  McQuistan,  mustered  out  July  27, 
1865  ;  Jeremiah  Rawlings,  mustered  out  July  27,  1865  ;  Mannon  Street,  record 
indefinite ;  Sanford  A.  Stephens,  mustered  out  July  27,  1865 ;  Samuel  P. 
Strahan,  mustered  out  July  31,  1865,  as  Corporal. 

There  are  also  two  Randolph  men  in  Company  C,  viz.,  Jacob  Conkle, 
mustered  out  January  13,  1866;  AVilliam  A.  Crouch,  died  December  15,  1864. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA  463 

TWENTY-SEVENTH  INDIANA  INFANTRY,  THREE  YEARS. 

Mustered  into  service  at  Indianapolis  September  12,  1861 — Colonel, 
Silas  Colgrove;  mustered  out  at  Atlanta,  Ga.,  November  12,  1864. 

Officers,  40;  men,  912;  recruits,  116;  veterans,  154;  died,  275;  deserted, 
47;  unaccounted  for,  52;  total,  1,322. 

The  regiment  left  for  active  service  September  15,  1861,  only  three  days 
after  their  muster-in,  and  were  soon  transferred  to  Banks'  army  of  the 
Shenandoah  Valley.  During  the  winter,  they  were  encamped  near  Frederick 
City,  Md.,  in  huts  built  for  the  purpose. 

The  regiment  moved,  in  March,  1862,  into  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  join- 
ing in  the  pursuit  of  Jackson  after  the  battle  of  Winchester  Heights. 

They  were  engaged  at  Front  Royal  May  23,  1862,  retreating  toward 
Winchester,  and  fighting  in  the  fierce  battle  at  that  place  May  25.  Gordon's 
brigade,  to  which  the  Twenty-seventh  belonged,  was  assaulted  by  twenty- 
eight  rebel  regiments.  The  brigade  withstood  the  attack  for  three  and  a  half 
hours,  and  repulsed  it;  but  the  force  of  the  rebel  army  was  so  great  that  the 
Union  troops  were  finally  defeated.  The  regiment  crossed  the  Potomac  at 
Williamsport  May  26,  1862,  and,  not  long  afterward,  it  marched  back  into 
the  valley,  and  to  Culpepper  Court  House,  joining  Pope's  army,  of  Virginia. 
August  9,  the\'  were  engaged  at  Cedar  Mountain,  as  also  at  Antietam,  Sep- 
tember 17,  1862,  sustaining  a  heavy  loss.  After  Antietam,  they  picketed  the 
Potomac  from  Harper's  Ferry  to  Opequan  Creek,  and  lay,  during  the  winter, 
near  Fairfax  and  Stafford  Court  Houses.  In  the  spring,  the  regiment  crossed 
the  Rappahannock  and  fought  in  the  great  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  suffer- 
ing great  losses.  It  pursued  Lee  northward,  and  marched  with  the  Twelfth 
Corps  to  Gettysburg,  taking  a  prominent  part  in  that  great  contest,  and  join- 
ing the  pursuit  of  Lee  to  the  Potomac. 

In  September,  they  were  sent  to  the  west  with  the  Twelfth  Corps,  but 
joined  the  Twentieth,  and  were  stationed  a  Tullahoma,  Tenn.,  until  spring. 
Some  of  the  men  re-enlisted  January  24,  1864,  and  were  furloughed  home, 
coming  back  in  time  for  Sherman's  advance,  upon  Atlanta.  At  Resaca,  the 
regiment  defeated  the  Thirty-second  and  Thirty-eighth  Alabama,  taking  about 
one  hundred  prisoners,  including  the  Colonel  of  the  Thirty-eighth,  and  its 
battle-flag,  its  own  loss  being  sixty-eight  killed  and  wounded.  They  were  in 
the  whole  Atlanta  campaign. 

November  4,  1864,  the  non-veterans  were  mustered  out,  and  the  veterans 
and  recruits  were  put  into  the  Seventieth,  serving  with  that  regiment  through 


464  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Georgia  and  the  Carolinas,  and,  when  the  Seventieth  was  discharged,  the  men 
from  the  Twenty-seventh  were  attached  to  the  Thirty-third  till  the  muster- 
out  of  that  regiment  at  Louisville,  July  21,  1865. 

The  following  were  the  officers  in  the  Twenty-seventh  from  Indiana: 

Colonel,  Silas  Colgrove,  honorably  discharged  December  30,  1864,  time 
expired;  brevetted  Brigadier  General  of  Volunteers  August  7,  1864. 

Adjutant,  Theodore  F.  Colgrove,  promoted  Major,  mustered  out  No- 
vember 4,  1864;  re-entered  service  as  Captain  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-seventh  Regiment;  promoted  Lieutenant  Colonel. 

Assistant  Surgeon,  Willis  H.  Twiford;  promoted  Surgeon;  resigned 
July  16,  1864. 

Col.  Colgrove  was  the  first  Colonel  of  a  three-years  regiment  that  served 
through  his  term  to  the  time  of  muster-out.  There  were  nine  in  all  of  this 
kind,  to  wit :  Col.  Colgrove,  Twenty-seventh ;  Col.  Baker,  Twenty-eighth ; 
Col.  Coburn,  Thirty-third;  Col.  Ben  Harrison,  Seventieth;  Col.  A.  O.  Miller, 
Seventy-second;  Col.  Fred  Kneffler,  Seventy-ninth;  Col.  M.  C.  Hunter, 
Eighty-second;  Col.  Charles  Murray,  Eighty-ninth;  Col.  D.  C.  Thomas, 
Ninety-third. 

TWENTY-EIGHTH  INDIANA,    FIRST   CAVALRY. 

Did  service  in  detached  parts  in  Missouri,  Arkansas,  Louisiana,  West 
Virginia,  Virginia,  etc.,  doing  much  severe  work  and  takng  part  in  many 
battles. 

Mustered  in  as  follows : 

Eight  companies  (A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F,  G,  H)  at  Evansville,  August  20, 
1861 ;  Colonel,  Conrad  Baker. 

Companies  I  and  K  were  independent  companies. 

Company  I  was  organized  as  a  state  company,  for  one  year,  April  15, 
1861. 

Mustered  into  United  States  service  for  three  years,  July  4,  1861. 

Company  K  was  organized  at  Indianapolis  June  20,  1861,  and  afterward 
assigned  to  the  First  Cavalry. 

Companies  L  and  M  were  made  up  of  drafted  men,  who  served  only  nine 
months  from  November  i,  1862. 

The  only  member  from  Randolph  county  in  the  Twenty-eighth  A\-as  As- 
sistant Surgeon  George  W.  Bruce,  mustered  out  June  5,  1864. 

Officers,  51;  men,  988;  recruits,  301;  veterans,  5;  died,  131;  deserted, 
65;  unaccounted  for,  319;  total,  1,488. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  465 

The  members  of  the  regiment  were  discharged  at  various  times,  as  fol- 
lows : 

Companies  L  and  M  were  discharged  August,  1863. 

Company  K  was  mostly  mustered  out  June,  1864. 

Company  I  was  discharged  August,  1864. 

Body  of  regiment  was  discharged  September  6,  1865. 

Companies  A  and  B  (recruits),  discharged  June,  1865. 

Part  of  Company  K  (forty-three  recruits),  discharged  in  summer  of 
1865. 

THIRTY-FIRST  INDIANA  INFANTRY,  THREE  YEARS. 

William  G.  Smith,  Company  F,  promoted  Second  Lieutenant,  First  Lieu- 
tenant. (Put  down  as  private  from  Randolph  County;  as  Second  and  First 
Lieutenant  from  Bloomfield.) 

THIRTY-THIRD  INDIANA  INFANTRY. 

Company  G — Levi  J.  Linsey,  mustered  May  29,  1865. 

Organized  at  Indianapolis  September  19,  1861 ;  John  Coburn,  Colonel. 

Route  of  regiment — Louisville,  Camp  Dick  Robison,  Crab  Orchard, 
Camp  Wild  Cat,  London,  Crab  Orchard,  Lexington,  Cumberland  Ford,  Cum- 
berland Gap,  East  Tennessee,  Manchester,  Oak  Hill,  Ohio,  Danville,  Lexing- 
ton, Louisville,  Nashville,  Franklin,  Columbia,  Thompson's  Station,  Tulla- 
homa,  Shelbyville,  Murfreesboro,  Manchester,  Estill  Springs,  Cowan,  Tracy 
Station,  Christiana.  Re-enlisted,  450  veterans,  on  veteran  furlough — Buz- 
zard's Roost,  Atlanta  campaign,  with  Sherman  through  Georgia  and  the  Caro- 
linas,  Richmond  and  Washington  City,  reaching  that  place  May  21,  1865; 
Louisville,  mustered  out  July  21,  1865. 

Commanders — Cols.  John  Coburn  and  Henderson,  Maj.  Miller,  Col. 
Burton.  Consolidated  with  it  were  the  Twenty-seventh,  Seventieth  and 
Eighty-fifth;  on  the  rolls,  1,500  men.  The  Thirty-third  was  a  strong  regi- 
ment, kept  recruited  and  well  together. 

Officers,  43;  men,  948;  recruits,  886;  veterans,  449;  unassigned  recruits, 
492;  died  267;  deserted,  113;  unaccounted  for,  117;  total,  2,875. 

THIRTY-FOURTH  INDIANA  INFANTRY,  THREE  YEARS. 

Mustered  in  at  Anderson  September  16,  1861 ;  Asbury  Steele,  Colonel. 
Re-enlisted  as  veterans,  New  Iberia,  La.,  December  15,  1863. 


466  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Mustered  out  at  Brownsville,  Texas,  February  3,  1866. 

Arrived  at  Indianapolis  with  eighteen  officers  and  346  men  February  18, 
1866. 

Publicly  received  at  Soldiers'  Home  February  19,  1866. 

Welcoming  address  by  Gov.  Baker. 

Discharged  from  service  February  19,  1866. 

Officers,  42;  men,  969;  recruits,  357;  veterans,  438;  died,  236;  deserted, 
44;  unaccounted  for,  15;  total,  1,806.       * 

The  route  of  the  Thirty-fourth  Regiment  is  given  herewith : 

Jeffersonville,  New  Haven,  Camp  Wickliffe,  Green  River,  Ky.,  Eliza- 
bethtown,  Cairo,  111.,  New  Madrid,  Fort  Pillow,  Memphis,  White  River, 
Aberdeen,  Ark.,  Helena,  Yazoo  Pass,  Milliken's  Bend,  Port  Gibson,  Cham- 
pion Hills,  Vicksburg,  Jackson,  New  Orleans,  Brashear  City,  Leche  County, 
Carrion  Crow  Bayou,  La.,  New  Iberia,  Pass  Cavallo,  Texas,  New  Orleans, 
Indianapolis,  Home  Furlough,  New  Orleans,  Brazos  Santiago,  Texas,  Pal- 
metto Ranche,  Brazos  Island,  Brownsville,  Ringgold  Barracks,  Brownsville, 
Indianapolis. 

The  Thirty-fourth  Regiment  was  employed  in  difficult,  laborious  service 
of  many  kinds.  At  the  siege  of  New  Madrid,  Mo.,  they  helped  to  clear  a 
passage  through  a  forest  covered  with  water,  for  the  guns,  cutting  down  many 
trees  several  feet  under  the  surface  of  the  water. 

They  were  at  work  for  two  weeks  clearing  the  Yazoo  Pass  of  the  heavy 
timber  felled  by  the  rebels  into  the  stream.  They  helped  to  build  the  bridges- 
for  the  passage  of  Grant's  army  from  Milliken's  Bend  to  below  Vicksburg. 

They  were  everywhere  an  active,  hardy,  reliable  body  of  men,  a  faithful, 
energetic,  thoroughgoing  regiment.  The  number  of  re-enlisted  veterans  from 
this  regiment  was  greater  than  any  other  except  two,  viz.,  the  Thirty-third 
and  the  First  HeaAy  Artillery,  and  it  had  the  greatest  proportion  of  veterans 
of  any  regiment  in  the  field. 

The  following  are  the  men  from  Randolph  county  in  the  Thirty-fourth 
Indiana : 

Company  B — Benjamin  Fouch,  discharged  February  4,  1865;  Charles 
C.  Heck,  veteran,  died  at  Brazos  Santiago,  Texas,  January  17,  1865;  Nicholas 
Heifner,  veteran,  mustered  out  February  3,  1866;  Wesley  S.  Iliff,  mustered 
out  February  3,  1866,  as  Sergeant,  veteran;  William  S.  Reeves,  veteran,  mus- 
tered out  February  3,  1866. 

Company  D — Edwin  Parker,  mustered  out  February  3,  1866. 

Company  G — Robert  Johnson,  veteran,  left  service  December  28^  1865 

Company  I — William  B.  Evans,  died  at  New  Madrid,  Mo.,  May  25, 


RANDOLPH    COUN-TY,    INDIANA.  467 

1862,  accidental  wounds;  Nathaniel  H.  Gable,  veteran,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 3,  1866,  as  Sergeant. 

THIRTY-SIXTH    INDIANA   INFANTRY,    THREE   YEARS. 

Regiment  mustered  in  at  Ry:hmond,  September  i6,  1861 ;  Colonel,  Will- 
iam Grose. 

It  left  for  the  field  soon  after,  with  the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  to  Nashville, 
February,  1862;  to  Tennesse  rixer  and  battle  of  Shiloh,  March,  1862;  loss, 
nine  killed,  thirty-eight  wounded,  one  missing — total,  forty-eight;  siege  of 
Corinth  till  the  evacuation ;  eastward  to  Northern  Alabama,  and  back  to  Nash- 
ville and  to  Louisville;  pursued  Bragg  through  to  Kentucky;  returned  to 
Nashville;  battle  of  Stone  River — loss,  132;  camped  near  Murfreesboro  and 
at  Cripple  Creek ;  marched  against  Chattanooga ;  battle  of  Chickamauga,  loss, 
137;  re-enlisted  as  veterans  at  Tyner's  Station,  Tenn. ;  went  home  on  fur- 
lough February,  1864;  moved  in  the  Atlanta  campaign  with  Sherman.  Non- 
veterans  mustered  out  at  Indianapolis  August  13,  1864.  Pursued  Hood's 
army  north,  and  fought  at  Nashville,  and  chased  him  to  Huntsville,  Ala. ; 
was  joined  with  the  battalion  of  the  Thirtieth  Regiment  and  went  to  Texas 
in  July,  1865. 

Mustered  out  at  Victoria,  Texas,  November  25,  1865 ;  reached  Indian- 
apolis December  6,  1865,  with  twenty-two  officers  and  180  men. 

Public  reception,  December  7,  1865. 

Final  discharge  of  the  members  of  the  battalion. 

Members  of  the  Thirty-sixth  Indiana  from  Randolph : 

Assistant  Surgeon  Richard  Bosworth,  mustered  out  with  regiment;  had 
been  Surgeon-at-Large  for  the  State  of  Indiana,  appointed  in  1862. 

Captain  Company  E,  Samuel  G.  Kearney;  resigned  March  22,  1862. 

Second  Lieutenant,  James  R.  Jones;  resigned  December  2,  1862.  John 
Erwin,  mustered  out  with  the  regiment. 

Company  K — Second  Lieutenant,  John  S.  Way;  resigned  February  6, 
1862. 

It  may  be  that  some  of  the  men  in  the  Thirty-sixth  Regiment  were  from 
Randolph  county,  but  none  are  so  designated,  and  at  least  one  company  and 
.  many  of  the  recruits  have  no  residence  assigned. 


468  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1 

FORTY-SECOND  INDIANA  INFANTRY,   THREE  YEARS. 

Mustered  in  at  Evansville  October  9,  1861 ;  Colonel,  James  G.  Jones. 

Re-enlisted  as  veterans  (215)  January  i,  1864,  at  Chattanooga,  Tenn. 
Mustered  out  at  Louisville  July  21,  1865. 

Publicly  received  at  Indianapolis  July  2^,  1865. 

Addresses  by  Governor  Morton  andjGen.  Sherman. 

Officers,  43;  men,  976;  recruits,  929;  veterans,  215;  died,  254;  deserted, 
60;  unaccounted  for,  119;  total,  2,163;  killed,  86;  wounded,  443;  prisoners, 
100;  mustered  out,  846. 

Number  of  engagements,  twenty. 

Field  of  operation :  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Georgia,  South  Carolina, 
North  Carolina,  Virginia. 

Company  A — Andrew  J.  Fisher,  mustered  out  June  18,  1865. 

Company  B — Ellis  W.  Scott,  mustered  out  July  21,  1865 ;  James  A.  Stits- 
worth,  mustered  out  June  18,  1865;  William  Stoner,  died  at  Chattanooga 
April  I,  1865;  James  A.  Jarnagan,  mustered  out  July  21,  1865;  John  A.  Jud- 
dey,  mustered  July  21,  1865. 

Company  I — Antony  Reitenour,  mustered  out  July  21,  1865. 

FORTY-SEVENTH  INDIANA  INFANTRY,  THREE  YEARS. 

Regiment  mustered  in  at  Anderson  October  10,  1861,  James  R.  Slack, 
Colonel. 

Veteranized  at  New  Iberia,  La.,  December,  1863.  Number  of  veterans, 
409. 

Public  reception  on  home  furlough  at  Indianapolis  (Twenty-first  and 
Forty-seventh  Regiments)  in  Metropolitan  Hall,  February- 19,  1864. 

Mustered  out  at  Shreveport,  La.,  October  23,  1865. 

Publicly  received  at  Indianapolis  November  i,  1865 — thirty-two  officers, 
530  men.  Officers,  41 ;  men,  936;  recruits,  362;  veterans,  409;  died,  312;  de- 
serters, 62;  unaccounted  for,  20;  total,  1,748. 

Men  from  Randolph  county  in  Forty-seventh  Indiana : 

Company  B — Israel  I.  Rickerd,  died  at  New  Orleans,  La.,  September  14, 
1865. 

Company  C — James  Overly,  veteran,  mustered  out  October  23,  1865,  as 
Sergeant. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  469 

FIFTY-FOURTH  INDIANA,  ONE  YEAR  SERVICE. 

This  regiment  was  composed  chiefly  of  nine-months  drafted  men  and 
substitutes.  It  was  organized  in  October,  1862,  and  mustered  November  16, 
1862,  with  Fielding  Mansfield  as  Colonel.  It  was  mustered  out  of  service  at 
New  Orleans  December  8,  1863. 

Field  of  operations.  Against  Kirby  Smith,  Kentucky,  1862  (three 
months)  ;  Arkansas  Post  and  Vicksburg,  1863  J  Louisiana,  1863. 

The  Fifty-fourth  Regiment  (one  year  service)  moved  from  Indianapo- 
lis December  9,  1862,  about  three  weeks  after  its  muster-in,  to  Memphis, 
and  was  assigned  to  the  Thirteenth  Army  Corps.  December  20,  1862,  it  em- 
barked with  Gen.  Sherman's  army  for  Vicksburg,  and  reached  Yazoo  river 
December  26,  1862.  taking  part  in  the  engagements  at  Chickasaw  Bluffs,  los- 
ing 264  killed,  wounded  and  missing.  After  the  capture  of  Arkansas  Post, 
it  moved  to  Young  Point  and  Milliken's  Bend,  and,  being  assigned  to  Oster- 
haus'  division,  helped  to  lead  the  advance  against  Vicksburg.  They  were  at 
the  battle  of  Thompson's  Hill  (Port  Gibson) ;  were  placed  as  garrison  for 
Fort  Raymond ;  escorted  prisoners  to  Yazoo  river  and  to  Memphis ;  returned 
to  the  siege  of  Vicksburg;  advanced  to  Jackson,  and  helped  to  capture  that 
place. 

Soon  after,  they  were  taken  to  New  Orleans,  going  with  the  expedition 
up  Teche  river  to  Opelousas  and  Vermillionville.  They  were  mustered  out 
at  New  Orleans.  December  8,  1863,  and  returned  to  their  Northern  homes. 

A  considerable  number  of  Randolph  men  were  attached  to  this  regi- 
ment in  Company  I,  under  Capt.  Henry  Carter,  of  Winchester. 

Company  I — Captain,  Henry  Carter,  Winchester,  commissioned  Novem- 
ber I,  1862,  mustered  November  16,  1862;  wounded  at  Vicksburg,  and  re- 
signed February  13,  1863.  First  Lieutenant,  Samuel  P.  Strahan,  Winchester, 
commissioned  November  i,  1862,  mustered  November  16,  1862;  mustered 
out  with  regiment  December,  1863 ;  re-enlisted  as  private  in  Twenty-first 
Regiment  (First  Heavy  Artillery)  September  8,  1864;  mustered  out  as  Cor- 
poral July  31,  1865.  Second  Lieutenant,  William  P.  Becker,  Winchester, 
commissioned  November  i,  1862,  mustered  November  16,  1862,  resigned 
April  24,  1863. 

Men  belonging  to  Fifty-fourth  Indiana  (one  year)  : 

Company  I  (Mr.  Harshman  says  it  was  Company  G) — Company  mus- 
tered November  16,  1862.  Thomas  G.  Mullen,  Sergeant,  mustered  out  De- 
cember 8,   1863;  Newton  W.  Needham,  Sergeant,  left  service  January  21, 


470  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

1863;  Andrew  J.  Daly,  Corporal,  died  January  20,  1863,  of  wounds  at  Chick- 
asaw Bluffs;  William  C.  Heaston,  mustered  out  December  8,  1863;  Nathan 
Coats,  Corporal,  mustered  out  December  8,  1863;  Elisha  Lambert,  Corporal, 
mustered  out  December  8,  1863;  William  M.  Hughes,  Corporal,  died  October 
6,  1863;  Joseph  S.  Jellison,  Wagoner,  died  March  i,  1863;  George  S.  Barker, 
left  service  January  21,  1863;  George  W.  Boyer,  discharged  December  9, 
1862;  Lorenzo  Byram,  died  March  20,  1863;  Erastus  Carwin,  mustered  out 
December  8,  1863;  Gabriel  Coats,  killed  at  Chickasaw  December  28,  1862; 
Elisha  Conner,  discharged  December  6,  1862;  Elihu  Coats,  mustered  out  De- 
cember 8,  1863;  Peter  Coblentz,  died  May  26,  1863;  Harrison  W.  Dille,  mus- 
tered out  December  8,  1863;  Andrew  J.  Fisher,  mustered  out  December  8, 
1863;  John  Goodman,  died  July  15,  1863;  Samuel  P.  Heaston,  mustered  out 
December  8,  1863;  William  R.  HoUowell,  mustered  out  December  8,  1863; 
Joseph  G.  Hindsley,  mustered  out  December  8,  1863;  Manasseh  Johnson, 
mustered  out  December  8,  1863 ;  Wesley  Johnson,  mustered  out  December 
8,  1863 ;  absent,  wounded;  Robert  N.  Porter,  left  the  service  November,  1862; 
Vincent  Smith,  left  the  service  January  18,  1863;  Edward  Sizemore,  dis- 
charged July  20,  1863 ;  Daniel  Vardeman,  mustered  out  December  8,  1863, 
as  Corporal;  Walter  Vardeman,  mustered  out  December  8,  1863;  John 
Wright,  mustered  out  December  8,  1864;  Samuel  Witter,  mustered  out  De- 
cember 8,  1863;  William  Wickersham,  died  October  10,  1863;  David  War- 
ren, died  February  22,  1863;  Edward  J.  Harshman,  December  i,  1862,  mus- 
tered out  December  8,  1863;  William  Kizer,  October  25,  1862;  Albert  Coats, 
December  i,  1862,  mustered  out  December  8,  1863. 

The  officers  were  one  Colonel,  two  Lieutenant  Colonels,  two  Majors,  two 
Adjutants,  two  Quartermasters,  two  Surgeons,  four  Assistant  Surgeons,  ten 
Captains,  ten  First  Lieutenants,  ten  Second  Lieutenants — in  all,  forty-five. 
The  Colonel  was  Fielding  Mansfield,  Madison,  commissioned  Colonel  Octo- 
ber 29,  1862;  mustered  November  17,  1862;  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

Twenty-seven  of  the  forty-five  officers  continued  through  the  whole 
term  of  service,  being  mustered  out  with  the  regiment;  eleven  resigned,  one 
declined  and  four  died — tvvo  of  wounds  and  two  of  disease. 

Officers,  41;  men,  915;  recruits,  33;  died,  216;  deserters,  81;  not  ac- 
counted for,  358;  total,  989. 

The  Fifty-fourth  had  more  men  of  whom  no  account  is  given  than  any 
other  except  the  Nineteenth,  which  has  451  of  that  class. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  47I 

FIFTY-FIFTH   REGIMENT  INDIANA   INFANTRY    (tHREE   MONTHS). 

The  regiment  was  mustered  in  at  Indianapolis  June  i6,  1862,  John  R. 
Mahan,  Colonel.  Mustered  out  at  Indianapolis  at  the  expiration  of  the  term 
of  service.  Duties  performed,  guarded  prisoners  at  Camp  Morton,  and 
marched  into  Kentucky  to  assist  in  repelling  the  incursion  of  Kirby  Smith. 

Company  F — Reuben  B.  Farra,  Captain,  mustered  out  with  regiment; 
fames  Addington,  Second  Lieutenant,  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

Probably  a  large  number  of  Randolph  men  were  enlisted  in  Company  F 
of  the  Fifty-fifth  Regiment,  but  the  places  of  residence  are  not  given  and 
the  men  can  not  be  designated.  Officers,  36;  men,  603;  recruits,  19;  died,  4; 
no  deserters ;  unaccounted  for,  19 ;  total,  658.  The  men  in  Company  F,  per- 
haps from  Randolph  county,  are  as  follows  : 

John  J.  Adams,  William  Addington,  Harris  H.  Abbott,  Solomon  Bar- 
tholoruew,  Joseph  Biddle,  Isaac  Blansett,  John  W.  Boiling,  Joshua  Boyds, 
George  Bonnywell,  Franklin  Broy,  James  G.  Bush,  Harmon  B.  Boiling,  James 
M.  Clark,  Thomas  J.  Clcvenger,  Beda  B.  Cowgill,  Isaiah  Cowgill,  \A^illiam 
Cook,  Joseph  Coffin.  Price  Craig,  Samuel  B.  Crosier,  Dennis  Carter,  James 
Dailey,  James  H.  Dearmond,  Samuel  Dougherty,  Benjamin  Dowden,  Peter 
Dailey,  Andrew  Evans,  John  R.  Fisher,  John  Foust,  Adam  Fraze,  Peter  F. 
Funderburg,  John  Francisco,  John  Gordon,  Archy  M.  Gelly,  Mordecai  Har- 
ris, Thomas  F  Hammond,  Wilson  J.  Hiatt,  Clark  Hobbs,  George  Hufifman, 
Patrick  H.  Hutchens.  Luster^ Harris,  AVilliam  Hollowell,  Anderson  C.  Hop- 
kins, James  A.  Jarnagin,  James  M.  Karnes,  Thomas  Karnes,  Hiram  Kale, 
Slatis  Keene,  James  J.  Kerr,  Stephen  Kennedy,  Robert  Kennedy,  James  M. 
Kirk,  Asa  Little,  Corban  Little,  Milton  Miranda,  Robert  McCracken,  William 
G.  McGuire,  Jacob  Miller,  Luther  G.  Moorman,  Jacob  Mood,  John  W.  May, 
Jesse  Pegg,  Franklin  Pence,  Thomas  A.  Pirth,  William  S.  Price,  George  W. 
Price,  Mahlon  Ranier,  Granville  Rhodes,  James  H.  Rice,  Walter  Ruble,  Al- 
fred Runyan,  Henry  H.  Sumption,  Adolphus  C.  Shaffer,  Samuel  S.  Sherrard, 
Charles  Sheltmyre,  Thomas  Short,  Calvin  K.  Taylor,  Wilson  Thomas,  No- 
jand  Thomas,  Jeremiah  Vance,  Noali  Wirt,  Samuel  Winship,  John  Winship, 
FHjah  Wood. 

FIFTY-SEVENTH   INDIANA  INFANTRY    (tHREE  YEARS )  . 

Mustered  in  at  Richmond  November  18,  1861 ;  Colonel,  J.  W.  T.  Mc- 
MuIIen.    Re-enlisted  as  veterans  in  East  Tennessee  January  i,  1864.    Veteran 


472  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

furlough  March  and  April,  1864.  Mustered  out  at  Victoria,  Texas,  Decem- 
ber 14,  1865.  Reached  Indianapolis  January  i,  1866,  23  officers  and  168  men 
under  Col.  John  S.  McGraw.  Officers,  50;  men,  923;  recruits,  464;  veterans, 
215;  died,  267;  deserters,  54;  unaccounted  for,  24;  total,  1,652. 

The  Fifty-seventh  was  mustered  into  service  at  Richmond  November 
18,  1861.  Moving  to  Indianapolis  and  remaining  till  December  13,  it  re- 
ported to  Gen.  Buell  at  Louisville ;  thence  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  Bards- 
town  to  join  the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  Sixth  Division;  soon  it  was  moved  to 
Lebanon,  then  to  Munfordville  by  rail  and  to  Nashville  on  foot,  arriving  in 
March.  March  21,  the  Army  of  the  Ohio  set  out  from  Nashville  to  join  Gen. 
Grant.  The  regiment  arrived  only  on  the  afternoon  of  April  7,  the  second 
day  of  the  battle,  but  engaged  immediately,  losing  lightly.  It  remained 
through  the  siege  of  Corinth,  and  then  marched  into  North  Alabama,  and 
about  the  middle  of  July,  to  Central  Tennessee  again,  remaining  near  Tulla- 
homa  and  McMinnville  till  September  i.  Bragg's  attempt  on  Louisville 
aroused  fresh  activity,  our  troops  were  ahead  and  Bragg  fell  back  to  be  pur- 
sued through  Kentucky  and  defeated  at  Perryville.  The  Fifty-seventh  took 
part  in  all  this  work,  and  marched  again  to  Nashville.  Although  the  Fifty- 
seventh  had  been  in  a  few  battles,  yet  its  work  was  severe;  guarding  trains, 
foraging,  skirmishing,  kept  the  regiment  busy  and  produced  much  hardship. 

At  Stone  River  a  loss  was  suffered  of  seventy-five  out  of  250  engaged. 
Col.  Hines  and  Lieut.  Col.  Lennard  were  both  seriously  wounded.  Until  the 
spring  of  1863,  they  were  encamped  near  Murfreesboro,  scouting,  foraging, 
picketing,  skirmishing  and  drilling  severely  and  constantly.  Before  the  cap- 
ture of  Chattanooga  and  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  the  Fifty-seventh  was 
north  of  the  Tennessee,  but  when  the  rebels  left  the  town,  the  brigade  to 
which  they  belonged  took  possession,  and  the  regiment  was  selected  as  Pro- 
vost Guard.  They  were  relieved  in  time  to  take  a  prominent  part  at  Mission 
Ridge. 

After  Chickamauga,  the  Fifty-seventh  was  assigned  to  Sheridan's  Divi- 
sion and  continued  so  to  the  end.  That  division  went  into  East  Tennessee 
against  Longstreet  for' the  relief  of  Knoxville.  That  winter  campaign  among 
the  mountains  of  East  Tennessee  can  hardly  be  equaled  in  the  annals  of  the 
war.  The  army  went  stripped  of  baggage  into  the  fight  around  Chattanooga, 
and  marched  forthwith  from  the  pursuit  of  the  foe,  starting  on  their  perilous 
journey  of  hundreds  of  miles  with  no  preparation  and  scanty  supplies.  One 
mess  of  seven  in  one  of  the  regiments  had  nothing  to  cook  on  but  two  old 
canteens,  torn  open  and  flattened  out  as  a  sort  of  pan.  But  it  mattered  little, 
as  they  had  almost  nothing  to  cook.    They  had  to  depend  on  the  country  and 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  473 

a  poor  show  they  found  it.  Cattle  indeed  were  somewhat  plentiful,  and  the 
beef  supply  was  pretty  good;  but  breadstuffs  were  scarcely  attainable  at  all. 
In  some  cases,  wheat  bran  was  their  only  resource.  And  before  the  army 
returned  to  their  comrades  in  Northern  Alabama,  many  had  marched  their 
shoes  off  and  nearly  their  clothes  as  well.  But  they  had  done  what  they  had 
undertaken — cleared  out  Longstreet  and  relieved  Knoxville;  and  the  brave 
loyalists  of  that  mountain  country  and  the  "Union"  boys  felt  happy.  As  soon 
as  they  reached  the  main  body  of  the  army,  abundant  supplies  were  obtained. 

January  i,  1864,  the  regiment  veteranized  almost  to  a  man.  Their  vet- 
eran furlough  was  postponed  till  March,  and  from  that  they  returned  just  in 
time  for  Sherman's  advance  upon  Atlanta.  In  all  that  wonderous  campaign, 
the  Fifty-seventh  was  unwearied  in  their  exertions  to  push  the  rebels  to  their 
utmost.  At  Rocky  Race  Ridge,  Adairsville  and  New  Hope,  in  the  deadly 
struggles  around  Kenesaw,  this  regiment  wels  among  the  bravest,  and  lost 
many  officers  and  men. 

After  Atlanta,  the  Fifty-seventh  was  dispatched  northward  against  Hood 
and  made  a  part  of  Thomas'  heroic  army  at  Franklin  and  Nashville.  When 
Hood's  forces  had  been  dispersed,  this  regiment  camped  at  Huntsville  for  sev- 
eral months,  moving  to  Bull's  Gap,  in  East  Tennessee,  in  April,  1865.  After 
moving  to  Nashville  in  April  and  remaining  there  till  July,  they  were  trans- 
ferred to  Texas,  and,  on  the  14th  of  December,  1865,  were  mustered  out  of 
service  at  Victoria,  Texas,  reaching  Indianapolis  January  i,  1866,  with  23 
officers  and  168  men. 

Worthily  does  the  report  of  the  adjutant  general  pay  a  glowing  tribute 
of  praise  to  their  achievements  in  the  following  noble  words : 

"The  Fifty-seventh  has  seen  much  arduous  service;  its  losses  in  battle 
have  been  heavy  and  its  marches  have  been  especially  and  exceedingly  severe, 
having  crossed  the  entire  breadth  of  Kentucky  three  times  and  of  Tennessee 
six  times.  It  has  behaved  with  great  gallantry  on  every  occasion,  and  has 
achieved  an  enviable  record  and  an  honorable  fame." 

Its  officers  were  excellent  men  and  thorough  soldiers  and  the  regiment 
proved  itself  worthy  of  such  commanders.  Cols.  McMullen,  Hines,  Lennard 
and  Blanche  have  been  seldom  equaled  and  still  more  rarely  excelled. 

The  members  of  the  Fifty-seventh  Regiment  from  Randolph  county  are 
as  follows : 

Company  B — Daniel  F  Anthony,  discharged  April  4,  1862,  disability; 
Allen  L.  Chamness,  veteran,  mustered  9ut  December  14,  1865,  sergeant;  Will- 
iam Fogleman,  veteran,  mustered  out  December  14,  1865,  corporal;  Abra- 
ham L.  Manning,  veteran,  mustered  out  December  14,  1865,  corporal. 


474  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Company  C — John  Hartman,  corporal,  died  near  Union  City,  Ind., 
March  19,  1864,  buried  in  Union  City  cemetery;  Thomas  J.  Boram,  veteran, 
mustered  out  December  14,  1865;  Joseph  W.  Cox,  discharged  July  14,  1862; 
Sylvester  W.  Dunn,  discharged  July  5,  1862,  disability;  John  House,  died 
at  Louisville  January  13,  1862;  Albert  L.  Leavell,  killed  June  18,  1864,  at 
Kenesaw;  William  I.  Miller,  died  at  Nashville  April  17,  1862;  George  W. 
Markle,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  September  30,  1863;  John  W. 
Starbuck,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  in  the  spring  of  1863 ;  John 
Wintermote,  veteran,  mustered  out  December  14,  1865,  as  corporal;  George 
W.  Louder,  recruit,  mustered  out  December  16,  1865,  as  corporal. 

Company  D — First  Lieutenant,  Robert  H.  Morgan,  resigned  February 
28,  1863,  disability;  Charles  Shoemaker,  sergeant,  discharged  August  14, 
1862,    disability;  John  B.    Dravenstradt,   corporal,   discharged   January  28, 

1862,  disability;  William  Addington,  Spartanburg,  record  indefinite. 
Privates — Calvin  W   Arnold,  killed  at  Stone  River  December  31,  1862; 

Lewis  Carroll,  discharged  March  20,  1863,  disability;  Benjamin  Chenoweth, 
discharged  May  20,  1863,  wounds;  Isaac  W.  Elliott,  died  December  28,  1863, 
wounds;  AA^arren  Elzroth.  veteran,  killed  in  battle  November  30,  1864; 
Thornton  Freeman,  killed  at  Stone  River  December  31,  1862;  Marion  W. 
Farrens,  discharged  June  24,  1862,  disability;  William  D.  George,  veteran, 
mustered  out  December  14,  1865;  as  sergeant,  Robert  H.  Hart,  veteran; 
Jackson  Kelly,  discharged  June  23,.  1862,  disability;  Robert  M.  Mann-,  dis- 
charged February  25,  1863,  disability;  Reuben  T.  Manning,  veteran,  mustered 
out  December  14,  1865,  corporal;  Elias  E.  Manning,  veteran,  killed  at  Kene- 
saw June  23,  1864;  James  P.  Meek,  veteran,  mustered  out  December  14, 
1865;  Christian  Morgan,  record  indefinite;  John  C.  McCarty,  died  at  Chatta- 
nooga July- 7,  1864;  John  McKimm,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps 
April  22,  1864:  AA^illiam  H.  Neal,  mustered  out  December  14,  1865;  William 
H.  Powers,  veteran,  killed  at  Franklin  November  30,  1864;  Joseph  Redd, 
mustered  out  November  21,    1865;  Henry  Sauser,  discharged  January  28, 

1863,  disability;  Simon  B.  Sermons,  killed  at  Franklin  November  30,  1864; 
Lewis  S.  Thomas,  mustered  out  February  4,  1865;  William  G.  Waltman, 
record  indefinite. 

Recruits — Paul  S.  Hunt,  record  indefinite. 

Company  E — Levi  Thornburg,  promoted  second  lieutenant,  resigned 
November  8,  1862,  disability;  George  Slack,  second  lieutenant,  resigned 
April  20,  1862,  disability;  Elisha  Johnson,  ditto;  Marquis  D.  Starbuck, 
sergeant,  discharged  April  17,  1865,  disability;  Jesse  Davison,  corporal,  dis- 
charged May  17,  1862,  disability;  Joshua  W.  Starbuck,  corporal,  discharged 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  475 

August  i8,  1862,  disability;  Samuel  R.  Bevan,  corporal,  veteran,  mustered 
out  December  14,  1865 ;  Welcome  G.  Starbuck,  corporal,  discharged  August 
17,  1862,  disability;  Nathan  H.  Mendenhall,  musician,  discharged  April  27, 
1863,  disability. 

Privates — Thomas  H.  Bales,  mustered  out  February  i,  1865;  Amer  J. 
Bales,  died  at  Nashville  April  16,  1863;  Daniel  Bales,  veteran,  mustered  out 
December  14,  1865,  corporal;  James  H.  Collin,  discharged  October  10,  1862, 
disability;  Aaron  Cox,  died  at  Nashville  April  26,  1862;  Joseph  Gordon,  dis- 
charged February  28,  1865,  disabihty;  Eli  Hiatt,  died  at  Shiloh,  Tenn.,  May 
15,  1862:  Ira  Hanks,  killed  at  Franklin,  Tenn.,  November  30,  1864;  George 
W.  Jarrett,  veteran,  discharged  May  15,  1865,  disability;  EHsha  Johnson, 
veteran,  mustered  out  December  14,  1865,  as  first  sergeant;  Alexander  Jones, 
died  at  Corinth,  Miss.,  May  19,  1862;  Henry  D.  Kepler,  record  indefinite; 
John  W.  Knight,  veteran,  mustered  out  December  14,  1865,  as  sergeant; 
Jesse  H.  Knight,  discharged,  disability;  William  H.  Lasley,  died  at  Corinth, 
Miss.,  May  12,  1862;  Isaac  A.  Mills,  discharged  November  6,  1862,  disability; 
John  Morris,  veteran,  died  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  July  28,  1864;  William  Morris, 
died  at  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  December  7,  1863;  Alvin  M.  Owens,  discharged 
September  12,  1862,  disability;  Asahel  S.  Peacock,  died  on  board  steamer 
Empress  May  15,  1862;  Jona  Peacock,  died  at  Camp  Denison  May  15,  1862; 
Joseph  Quintle,  discharged  April  25,  1862,  disability;  James  Reeves,  dis- 
charged July  14,  1863,  disability;  Robert  F.  Robison,  killed  at  Kenesaw 
June  23,  1864:  John  Slack,  veteran,  mustered  out  December  14,  1865,  ser- 
geant ;  William  W.  Starbuck,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  May  14, 
1864:  John  Venneman,  discharged  November  16,  1861,  disability. 

Recruits,  Company  E — James  H.  Jones,  mustered  out  April  4,  1865; 
Calvin  Puckett,  veteran,  discharged  March  2,  1865,  disability;  Solomon  Ry- 
nard,  died  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  March  30,  1863;  Timothy  Rynard,  died  at 
Nashville,  Tenn.,  February,  1863. 

Company  I — John  D.  Lytle,  Winchester,  February  5,  1862,  veteran,  mus- 
tered out  June  19,  1865 ;  Rufus  K.  Deem,  discharged  July  13,  1862,  disability, 
wounds  in  action. 

Company  K — Stanton  K.  Peele,  second  lieutenant,  mustered  out,  date 
not  given. 

SIXTY-NINTH   REGIMENT  INDIANA   INFANTRY    (tHREE  YEARS). 

The  regiment  was  mustered  in  at  Richmond  August  19,  1862;  colonel, 
William  A.  Bickel.     Mustered  out  at  Mobile,  Ala.,  July  5,  1865.     Public  re- 


476  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

ception  at  Indianapolis  July  18,  1865,  with  16  officers  and  284  men.  Welcom- 
ing address  by  Governor  Morton.  Officers,  42 ;  men,  960 ;  recruits,  98 ;  died, 
326;  deserters,  61;  unaccounted  for,  21;  total,  1,100. 

The  Sixty-ninth  Regiment  was  hurried  into  the  field,  leaving  the  very 
next  day,  August  20,  for  Lexington  and  Richmond,  Ky.,  and  fought  in  the 
battle  there,  August  30,  1862,  with  a  heavy  loss  of  218  killed  and  wounded, 
being  finally  captured  in  a  body  and  paroled  on  the  field.  They  were  sent 
to  parole  camp  at  Indianapolis,  but  were  exchanged  in  a  few  weeks,  and, 
on  the  27th  of  November,  1862,  the  regiment  was  sent  to  Memphis  and  down 
the  river  with  Sherman  to  Vicksburg.  They  were  in  the  battle  and  repulse 
at  Chickasaw  Blui¥s,  behind  Vicksburg,  losing  slightly.  They  helped  to  cap- 
ture Arkansas  Post  and  camped  at  Young's  Point,  losing  over  100  men  by 
disease  at  that  deadly  spot. 

March  30,  1863,  the  Sixty-ninth  led  the  advance  against  Vicksburg. 
At  Richmond,  La.,  they  built  2,000  feet  of  bridging  in  three  days  and  the 
army  moved  across  the  peninsula  in  front  of  Vicksburg.  April  30,  the  ad- 
vance crossed  at  Hard  Times  Landing,  and  the  battle  of  Port  Gibson  was- 
fought  the  next  day,  the  Sixty-ninth  losing  seventy-one  in  killed  and  wounded. 
May  16  they  were  at  Champion  Hills  and  May  17  at  Black  River  Bridge;  in 
the  siege  of  Vicksburg  to  May  22,  and  at  Black  River  Bridge  during  the  rest 
of  the  siege.  The  Sixty-ninth  was  in  Osterhaus'  division,  which  uniformly 
led  the  advance  in  the  operations  east  of  the  Mississippi  before  Vicksburg 
was  invested. 

The  Sixty-ninth  was  in  the  siege  of  Jackson.  August  3  they  were  sent 
to  Port  Hudson  and  afterward  to  New  Orleans,  to  Berwick  City  and  the 
Teche  country,  returning  to  Algiers  and  embarking  in  November  for  Texas. 
Matagorda  Bay  was  reached  December  i,  1863.  The  regiment  sailed  for  In- 
dianola  February  13,  1864,  and  came  back  to  Matagorda  Island  March  13,. 
suffering  a  loss  of  two  officers  and  twenty  men  by  the  swamping  of  a  boat. 

They  left  Texas  for  New  Orleans  in  April,  and  marched  thence  to  Alex- 
andria, engaging  in  the  fight  at  that  place  and  joining  in  Banks'  retreat  to 
Alexandria.  They  encamped  at  Morganza  until  December,  1864,  making 
various  expeditions  from  that  place.  December  7,  1864,  it  was  sent  to  Mo- 
bile Bay,  and,  on  the  14th,  joined  the  Pascagoula  expedition  led  by  General 
Granger. 

January  22,  1865,  a  consolidation  was  effected  into  a  battalion  with  four 
companies,  with  Oron  Perry  for  commander.  January  31,  the  battalion  em- 
barked for  Barrancas,  Fla.,  and  thence,  March  14,  went  to  Pensacola.    March 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  477 

20,  they  moved  with  Steele's  expedition  through  to  Florida  and  Southern 
Alabama,  arriving  in  the  rear  of  Blakely  April  i,  1865.  The  Sixty-ninth 
fought  in  the  attack  on  Blakely,  Apnl  9,  and  were  sent  to  guard  prisoners 
from  Blakely  to  Ship  Island.  They  returned  to  Blakely  and  marched  to  Sel- 
ma.    May  3,  they  were  ordered  to  Mobile  for  Texas,  but  remained  at  Mobile. 

They  were  mustered  out  at  Mobile  July  5,  1865,  and,  with  16  officers 
and  284  men,  reached  Indianapolis,  and  after  a  public  reception  July  18, 
1865,  the  members  of  the  battalion  were  discharged  and  joyfully  dispersed 
to  their  homes. 

The  Sixty-ninth  left  its  dead  in  eleven  states,  and  its  services,  though  not 
so. prominent  as  were  those  of  some  others,  were  severe,  and,  in  many  cases, 
attended  with  great  hardships  and  suffering.  Its  death  list  was  very  large. 
Only  five  regiments  have  a  greater  one,  and  the  per  cent,  of  deaths  in  the 
Sixty-ninth  is  greater  than  that  in  any  other,  as  will  appear  by  the  following 
figures : 

Ninth  (three  years) — Deaths,  351;  men,  2,141;  16  1-3  per  cent. 

Twenty-sixth  (three  years) — Deaths,  336;  men,  1,997;  ^7  P^r  ^^^it. 

Thirtieth  (three  years) — Deaths,  365;  men,  1,408;  26  per  cent. 

Thirty-first  (three  years) — Deaths,  366;  men,  1,886,  I9j4  per  cent. 

Thirty-eighth  (three  years) — Deaths,  353;  men,  2,028;  17  1-3  per  cent. 

Sixty-ninth  (three  years) — Deaths,  332;  men,  1,100;  30  per  cent. 

Eighth  Cavalry  (Thirty-ninth) — Deaths,  239;  men,  2,415;  14  per  cent. 

First  Heavy  Artillery  (Twenty-first) — Deaths,  392;  men,  3,839;  10 
per  cent. 

Average  per  cent,  in  the  eight  regiments,  16%  per  cent. 

The  Sixty-ninth  is  three  times  as  high  as  that  of  the  lowest  of  the  eight 
regiments  (First  Heavy  Artillery),  4  per  cent,  more  than  the  highest  one 
besides,  and  almost  double  the  average  rate  of  the  eight  regiments. 

The  swamps  of  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  Texas,  Alabama  and  Florida  told 
fearfully  against  the  lives  of  the  poor  fellows  who  followed  the  flag  of  the 
Sixty-ninth  and  in  the  soil  of  eleven  once  hostile  (but  now,  let  us  hope,  recon- 
ciled and  friendly)  states,  these  much  enduring  men  have  been  laid  to  rest 
to  await  the  Archangel's  trump  at  the  resurrection  morn. 

Sixty-ninth-  Indiana  Infantry  (three  years) — Major,  George  H.  Bone- 
brake,  mustered  out  on  consolidation  January  4,  1865;  Assistant  Surgeon, 
David  Ferguson,  declined;  Jacob  S.  Monteith,  retained  in  new  organization 
and  mustered  out  with  battalion. 

Residuary  Battalion,  Company  B — William  M.  Reeves,  second  lieuten- 
ant, mustered  out  with  battalion. 

(31) 


478  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Company  C — Captain,  George  H.  Bonebrake,  promoted  major,  mustered 
out  January  4,  1865,  on  consolidation;  First  Lieutenant,  John  K.  Martin,  re- 
signed January  13,  1863;  Second  Lieutenant,  John  S.  Way,  promoted  first 
lieutenant,  resigned  March  19,  1863;  Charles  Stine,  first  sergeant,  discharged 
November  22,  1862,  wounds;  Charles  Bachfield,  sergeant,  promoted  second 
lieutenant,  resigned  December  19,  1863;  Robert  R.  Porter,  sergeant,  promoted 
first  lieutenant,  mustered  out  January  23,  1865,  as  first  sergeant;  John  Ed- 
wards, sergeant,  mustered  out  January  23,  1865 ;  Eli  Stakebake,  sergeant, 
mustered  out  January  23,  1865;  David  Hoback,  corporal,  discharged  June 
15,  1863,  wounds;  James  E.  Huston,  corporal,  promoted  second  lieutenant, 
first  lieutenant,  captain,  transferred  as  first  lieutenant  to  Company  C,  -bat- 
talion, Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  mustered  out  with  battalion;  David  Ward, 
corporal,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  March  26,  1864;  Albert  L. 
Butts,  Charles  N.  Monks,  James  M.  Seagraves,  Charles  W.  Steel,  Prentice 
Garrett,  corporals,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865 ;  William  E.  Jenkins,  Lewis 
Truax,  musicians,  mustered  out  June  5,  1865 ;  William  S.  Hugh,  wagoner, 
discharged  April  20,  1863. 

Privates — Nelson  Abbott,  discharged  January  20,  1863,  wounds;  David 
Abbott,  discharged,  disability;  Eli  Alman,  mustered  out  July  6,  1865;  Thomas 
Abbott,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865;  Jacob  Bales,  record  indefinite;  Frederick 
Bolander,  mustered  out  August  12,  1865 ;  William  Brewer,  died  at  Memphis 
December  2,  1862;  Benjamin  Brewer,  mustered  out  August  12,  1865;  Thomas 
Brewer,  mustered  out  August  12,  1865;  Jonathan  Brown,  died  at  Young's 
Point  March  11,  1863;  Thomas  J.  Calvin,  died  at  New  Orleans  September  12, 
1864;  Richard  J.  Corry,  killed  at  Port  Gibson,  Miss.,  May  i,  1863;  Jacob 
Camp,  record  indefinite;  James  G.  Dement,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865;  Isaac 
Day,  discharged  April  30,  1864,  disability;  Eli  Edwards,  died  near  Milliken's 
Bend,  La.,  January  6,  1863;  Nelson  Edwards,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865; 
Sylvanus  Foreman,  ditto;  James  M.  Flood,  discharged  January  18,  1865, 
disability;  Dayton  Favorite,  discharged  March,  1863,  disabihty;  Francis 
Flinn,  discharged  November  22,  1862,  wounds;  Charles  Fox,  record  indefi- 
nite; John  W.  Green,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865;  John  H.  Hueston,  dis- 
charged March  20,  1862,  wounds;  Benjamin  F.  Hill  died  at  New  Orleans, 
La.,  October  6,  1864;  James  W.  Hiatt,  discharged  April  20,  1863;  William 
H.  Hobbs,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865 ;  Clark  Hobbs,  mustered  out  August  23, 
1865;  George  W.  Hobbick,  discharged;  Abram  Heaston,  record  indefinitej 
Jasper  Hastings,  died  at  Milliken's  Bend,  La.,  April  10,  1863;  William  Hes- 
ter, discharged  November  20,  1862;  W.  H.  H.  Johnson,  died  at  Vicksburg 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  479 

August  II,  1863;  Frederick  M.  Lasley,  killed  at  Mobile,  Ala.,  May  25,  1865, 
in  an  arsenal  explosion ;  Mahlon  Lasley,  record  indefinite ;  Amos  Lasley,  rec- 
ord indefinite;  Joseph  B.  Lucas,  discharged  March  6,  1863 ;  Andrew  K.  Lewis, 
discharged  November  20,  1862;  Peter  Meacham,  died  at  Memphis  January 
I,  1863;  James  W.  Morrison,  killed  at  Richmond,  Ky.,  August  30,  1862; 
Orange  W.  Moorman,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865;  Henry  May,  killed  at 
Vicksburg,  May  22,  1863 ;  Harrison  Mucky,  Gilbert  Mucky,  Robert  W. 
Odell,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865 ;  David  W.  Porter,  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps,  mustered  out  June  22,  1864;  Benjamin  Ross,  discharged 
January,  1863;  Henry  F.  Ramsey,  discharged  January  30,  1863;  William  E. 
Robbins,  discharged  March  30,  1863;  Samuel  Ruble,  mustered  out  July  5, 
1865;  James  Ranch,  record  indefinite;  Robert  B.  Russell  died  September  10, 
1862,  wounded  at  Richmond,  Ky. ;  George  Steed,  discharged  March  28,  1866, 
disability;  Joseph  L.  Stein,  transferred  to  Company  J,  November  10,  1862; 
James  H.  Surface,  discharged  November  10,  1863,  wounds ;  Thomas  Sea- 
graves,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865;  William  Seagraves,  died  on  the  Mississippi 
river  January  3,  1863;  Alfred  M.  Scott,  Frederick  Scholtz,  Isaiah  Shiver, 
mustered  out  July  5,  1865;  Preston  Swain,  died  at  Milliken's  Bend,  La., 
March  11,  1863;  William  Taylor,  died  at  Memphis  December  10,  1862; 
Isaac  Thomson,  discharged  February  10,  1863;  disability;  Wesley 
Truax,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865 ;  Samuel  Thompson,  discharged 
January  9,  1863;  Martin  V.  Tucker,  discharged  November  22,  1862; 
August  Ulrich,  died  at  Arkansas  Post  January  13,  1863;  Perry  M.  West, 
discharged  July  23,  1863 ;  Daniel  B.  Williams,  discharged  April  30,  1863. 
disability;  Thomas  Webb,  killed  at  Richmond,  Ky.,  August  30,  1862;  Austin 
Wright,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865 ;  Uriah  Wright  died  on  hospital  boat  Feb- 
ruary, 1863;  Alexander  Wood,  William  R.  Wood,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865  ; 
Isaac  R.  Wood,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  December  4,  1863; 
J.  P.  Yarnell,  died  September  i,  1862,  wounds,  at  Richmond,  Ky. 

Recruits — Samuel  Bartholomew,  Henry  C.  Cox,  transferred  to  Forty- 
fourth  Regiment  July  i,  1865;  Calvin  S.  Engle,  record  indefinite;  Daniel  S. 
Hoggatt,  died  at  home ;  James  M.  Hoggatt,  died  at  Black  River  Bridge  July 
26,  1863;  Joshua  Jessup,  died  in  hospital  boat;  Harvey  E.  Meacham,  dis- 
charged March  6,  1863,  disability;  John  Nevil,  Thomas  D.  Smith,  John  C. 
Smith,  David  B.  Strahan,  transferred  to  the  Forty-fourth  Regiment  July 
I,  1865. 

Company  D — Captain,  John  Ross,  resigned  January  14,  1863;  First 
Lieutenant,  Samuel  J.  Miller,  promoted  captain,  resigned  November  20,  1863; 


480  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

Second  Lieutenant,  Jacob  A.  Jackson,  wounded  in  the  left  arm  at  the  battle 
of  Richmond,  Ky.,  August  30,  1862,  resigned  January  30,  1863. 

Residuary  Battalion,  Company  D — Captain,  Joseph  R.  Jackson,  mustered 
out  with  battalion;  Second  Lieutenant,  Nathan  B.  Coggeshall,  mustered  out 
with  battalion;  First  Sergeant,  John  R.  Adamson,  killed  at  Thomson's  Hill, 
Miss.,  May  i,  1863. 

Sergeants — John  MaCy,  promoted  first  lieutenant,  promoted  captain, 
transferred  as  first  lieutenant  to  Company  B,  battalion.  Sixty-ninth  Regiment; 
Joseph  L.  Deputy,  discharged  December  20,  1863,  wounds;  James  N.  Crop- 
per, promoted  second  lieutenant,  resigned  July  25,  1864;  George  W.  McCor- 
mick,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865,  as  private. 

Corporals — David  R.  Lamb,  discharged  August  i,  1863;  Simon  R. 
Adamson,  discharged  October  10,  1863;  William  Adamson,  mustered  out 
July  5,  1865;  John  R.  Allen,  discharged  February  14,  1865;  William  A. 
Wright,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  February  15,  1864;  Luna 
Wright,  discharged  March  15,  1862;  Richard  M.  Hunt,  discharged  April  10, 
1862;  William  J.  Cox,  mustered  out  as  private  July  5,  1865. 

Musicians — Caleb  B.  Fleming,  discharged  March  6,  1863;  Jason  H. 
Greenstreet,  discharged  February  14,  1865. 

Wagoner — John  Mills,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865. 

Privates — James  Adamson,  Jonathan  Beeson,  Thomas  W.  Botkin,  Cor- 
poral, John  W-  Botkin,  William  T.  Botkin,  as  Sergeant,  Bernard  Bradford- 
field,  Bela  N.  Botkin,  Corporal,  Moses  E.  Conyers,  Edward  T.  Cropper,  Cor- 
poral, Edwin  Cole,  George  E.  Fleming,  John  Frazer,  Henry  H.  Farmer, 
Thomas  W.  Gaddis,  John  W.  Hunt,  David  Hutchens,  William  M.  Hughes, 
Henry  Clay  Hunt,  Giles  P.  Hunt,  Bazil  P  Hunt,  Robert  Haxton,  Harry  E. 
Harris,  George  O.  Jobes,  John  T.  Johnson,  John  Kepler,  George  Keever, 
George  W.  Lloyd,  Albert  C.  Macy,  Elijah  Noftsker,  WiUiam  F.  Phillips, 
Rodolph  G.  Quickie,  Lewis  Smith,  Riley  J.  Salisberry,  Amb.  O.  Valanding- 
ham,  Goolope  Wright,  Jackson  Anderson,  died  December  9,  1863 ;  Oliver  At- 
kins, died  February  12,  1863;  Edward  B.  Butler,  discharged  January  2, 
1863;  Robert  B.  Butler,  discharged  June  20,  1863;  William  T.  Botkin,  died 
February  6,  1863;  Jeremiah  Ely,  discharged  June  9,  1863;  Matthew  C. 
Brooks,  discharged  January  2,  1863 ;  George  M.  Brooks,  discharged  April 
29,  1863;  Martin  V  Beard,  died  February  23,  1863;  Nicholas  Bennett,  trans- 
ferred to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  February  10,  1864;  Wilham  Chamness, 
transferred  to  the  Twenty-fourth  Regiment  July  5,  1865;  George  W.  Caty, 
'died  March  14,  1863;  Thomas  C.  Cox,  discharged  January  20,  1863;  Moses 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  48 1 

Caty.  discharged  August  6,  1863;  John  M.  Densmore,  discharged  January 
2,  1863;  William  S.  Densmore,  died  January  5,  1864;  Benjamin  F.  Edwards, 
discharged  August  26,  1863;  George  W.  Edwards,  discharged  January  2, 
1863;  Jacob  Edwards,  discharged  April  20,  1863;  Alonzo  H.  Good,  trans- 
■  f erred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  March  25,  1864;  Adonijah  Holings,  dis- 
charged May  22,  1863;  Asa  J.  Haynes,  died  January  4,  1863;  Evan  Hacket, 
transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  February  10,  1863;  Henry  C.  Hunt, 
discharged  March  6,  1863,  wounds;  Jonathan  S.  Jones,  discharged  April  20, 
1863;  Albert  Kitselman,  died  May  2,  1863,  wounds;  Benjamin  C.  Lamb,  mus- 
tered out  June  3,  1865;  Henry  Mayer,  died  March  26,  1863;  Sylvanus  Macy, 
discharged  June  19,  1863;  Alonzo  H.  Marshall,  transferred  to  Veteran  Re- 
serve Corps  December  25,  1863,  wovmds;  David  Niccum,  discharged  March 
6,  1863;  Peter  Niccum,  record  indefinite;  Daniel  B.  Orin,  died  May  25,  1863; 
William  H.  Peacock,  discharged  November  17,  1862,  wounds;  Columbus 
Quackenbush,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  February  15,  1864; 
Elias  G.  Quickie,  died  November  29,  1862;  Myron  Ross,  died  January  16, 
1863;  James  M.  Rupe,  died  April  2,  1863;  William  H.  Sheppard,  discharged 
February  10,  1863;  William  R.  Stephens,  mustered  out  May  25,  1865;  An- 
drew Snyder,  unaccounted  for;  James  M.  Stephens,  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps  February  10,  1864;  Andrew  J.  Stephens,  killed  at  Richmond. 
Ky.,  August  30,  1862;  John  S.  Sterling,  discharged  March  6,  1863;  Patrick 
H.  Sheppard,  discharged  January  10,  1865 ;  Lorenzo  Thornburg,  killed  at 
Richmond,  Ky.,  August  30,  1865 ;  Moses  P.  Veal,  killed  at  Thomson's  Hill, 
Miss.,  May  i,  1863;  Charles  Wilson,  died  January  16,  1863. 

Company  E — First  Lieutenant,  Cornelius  Longfellow,  promoted  cap- 
tain, resigned  March  23,  1863;  Second  Lieutenant,  Francis  French,  resigned 
March  27,  1863. 

Sergeants — Robert  E.  Daly,  died  at  Richmond,  Ky.,  October  10,  1862, 
wounds;  Christian  E.  Zimmerman,  mustered  out  October  4,  1863,  by  order 
of  War  Department;  Isaac  M.  Nichols,  promoted  second  lieutenant,  first  lieu- 
tenant, resigned  October  8,   1863;  James  W.  Sheppard,  mustered  out  July 

5,  1865. 

Corporals — ^Jesse  S.  Byrd,  died  May  12,  1863,  wounds  received  at  Port 
Gibson;  Thomas  Hollingsworth,  promoted  first  lieutenant,  discharged  May 
12,  1864,  as  sergeant,  disability;  William  Johnson,  discharged  April  3,  1863, 
as  sergeant,  disability;  William  F.  Locke,  discharged  April  29,  1863,  wounds; 
John  Hinshaw,  discharged  May  22,  1863,  disability;  Daniel  H.  Miller,  dis- 


482  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

charged  January  10,  1863,  disability;  John  Stanley,  musician,  record  indefi- 
nite; John  Kirkman,  wagoner,  discharged  March  7,  1863,  disability. 

Privates — Isaac  Ballinger,  discharged  June  24,  1863,  disability;  James 
M.  Bachelor,  record  indefinite ;  Madison  Beverlin,  died  at  Young's  Point,  La., 
April  3,  1863;  John  Bachelor,  discharged  October  2,  1863,  disability;  John 
Blair,  discharged  November  22,  1862,  wounds;  Abner  Bales,  died  at  Young's 
Point,  La.,  February  14,  1863,  disease;  Pleasant  W.  Bales,  mustered  out  July 
5,  1865;  Isaac  N.  Bales,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865;  William  W.  Beeks,  dis- 
charged April  I,  1863,  wounds;  Albin  Baldwin,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865; 
Jackson  Bishop,  died  April  i,  1863;  Joshua  Gate,  died  at  Memphis,  Tenn., 
March  15,  1863;  William  P.  Campbell,  discharged  November  22,  1862,  dis- 
ability; Joel  Cook,  died  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  July  12,  1863,  disability;  John 
H.  Clark,  died  October  2,  1862,  wounds;  Thomas  Cox,  died  at  Milliken's 
Bend,  La.,  June  28,  1863,  disability;  Orlister  R.  Caty,  died  day  of  discharge, 
May  22,  1864;  Nathan  B.  Coggeshall,  promoted  second  lieutenant,  transferred 
to  Company  D,  Battalion  Sixty-ninth,  mustered  out  with  battalion;  Allen 
Coggeshall,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865;  Thomas  H.  Cadwallader,  discharged 
March  i,  1863,  by  civil  authority;  Jacob  Clark,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865; 
William  L.  French,  discharged  November  22,  1862,  wounds;  Joseph  S.  Fra- 
zier,  died  in  hospital  at  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  January  i,  1863,  disease;  William 
Farmer,  discharged  March  7,  1863,  disability;  Ancil  B.  Freeman,  discharged 
March  20,  1863,  wounds ;  John  R.  Fisher,  discharged  April  7,  1862,  disabil- 
ity; David  G.  Freeman,  mustered  out  June  30,  1865;  William  L.  Freeman, 
mustered  out  July  5,  1865;  Timothy  Gray,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865;  Levi 
C.  Huff,  discharged  March  22,  1863,  disability;  Henry  Hill,  died  at  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  February  5,  1863;  Nathan  Harris,  record  indefinite;  Jesse  J.  Hodgin, 
mustered  out  July  5,  1865;  George  L.  Irwin,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865,  as 
corporal;  Isaac  W.  D.  R.  Johnson,  James  Jones,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865; 
William  Johnson,  discharged  April  3,  1863,  as  sergeant,  disability;  Jonas 
Johnson,  killed  at  Port  Gibson,  Miss.,  May  i,  1863;  David  M.  Kinsay,  dis- 
charged November  26,  1862,  disability;  John  W.  Kennedy,  discharged  Sep- 
temper  25,  1862,  by  civil  authority;  Demetrius  Kimbraugh,  mustered  out 
July  5,  1865;  John  R.  Longfellow,  record  indefinite;  Daniel  H.  Miller,  dis- 
charged January  10,  1863,  disability;  Hiram  Moreland,  discharged  Decem- 
ber I,  1862,  disability;  John  Morgan,  died  September  10,  1862,  wounds; 
Isaac  Mann,  drowned  in  Mississiippi  river  June  18,  1864;  David  Mann,  dis- 
charged March  i,  1863,  by  civil  authority;  Pierce  H.  Moody,  discharged 
April  8,  1863,  wounds;  Jacob  S.  Monteith,  promoted  assistant  surgeon,  re- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  483 

tained  in  new  organization  and  mustered  out  with  battalion ;  William  Mann, 
discharged  June  13,  1863,  disability;  Tarlton  Nichols,  discharged  April  13, 
1863,  wounds;  Curtis  L.  Neal,  died  in  rebel  prison,  Cahaba,  Ala.,  November, 
1863;  William  Odell,  missing  since  battle  of  Richmond,  Ky.,  August  30, 
1863;  William  H.  Pierce,  died  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  March  9,  1863;  disease; 
EU  Pearson,  discharged  April  18,  1862,  disability;  David  Pierce,  mustered 
out  July  5,  1865;  Joseph  Parmer,  killed  at  Richmond,  Ky.,  August  30,  1862; 
Levi  Piatt,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps;  William  Piatt,  died  at 
Milliken's  Bend,  La.,  June  9,  1863,  disease;  John  Pearsonett,  died  at  New  Or- 
leans, La.,  September  29,  1863,  disease;  Albert  R.  Quigley,  discharged  Au- 
gust 8,  1863,  wounds;  Henry  C.  Reynolds,  died  on  hospital  boat,  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  February  27,  1863;  George  F.  Rainer,  discharged  March  13,  1863, 
wounds;  George  W.  Roberts,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865,  as  sergeant;  Jasper 
Roberts,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865,  as  corporal;  Wilbur  F.  Reynolds,  Bar- 
zilla  Reynolds,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865 ;  James  C.  Smith,  died  January  7, 
1863,  wounds;  Wesley  B.  Stanley,  killed  at  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  May  22,  1863; 
Franklin  Slagle,  died  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  February  15,  1863,  disease;  Man- 
love  Stigall,  discharged  February  9,  1863;  Henry  Stigall,  discharged  Septem- 
ber, 1862,  by  civil  authority;  John  W.  Slagle,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865; 
William  Starbridge,  discharged  November  22,  1862,  disability;  William  Sti- 
gall, died  at  Milliken's  Bend,  La.,  March  31,  1863,  disease;  Daniel  Taylor, 
record  indefinite;  Jonathan  Thorp,  discharged  February  19,  1863,  disability; 
William  Thornburg,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865,  as  corporal;  Henry  Veal,  died 
at  Williamsburg,  Ind.,  September  20,  1863 ;  Jonathan  Weaver,  mustered  out 
July  5,  1865;  Jonathan  R.  Whitaker,  discharged  November  22,  1862,  wounds. 
Recruits — Squire  C.  Bowen,  John  W.  Chenoweth,  John  Carr,  Arthur 
B.  Farr,  James  Farr,  transferred  to  Twenty-fourth  Regiment  July  5,  1865; 
James  Gray,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865;  Oliver  C.  Gordon,  transferred  to 
Twenty-fourth  Regiment  July  5,  1865;  Benjamin  F.  Hutchens,  mustered  ojot 
July  5,  1865 ;  Isaiah  Kesat,  transferred  to  Twenty-fourth  Regiment  July  5, 
1865. 

Company  F — First  Lieutenant,  Joseph  R.  Jackson,  promoted  captain 
Company  E,  transferred  to  Company  D,  residuary  battalion,  mustered  out 
with  battalion;  Second  Lieutenant,  George  W.  Thomson,  resigned  January 
21,  1863. 

Sergeants — William  M.  Reeves,  promoted  second  lieutenant,  first  lieuten- 
ant, transferred  to  secopd  lieutenant  of  Company  B  in  Battalion  of  Sixty- 
ninth  Regiment,  mustered  out  with  battalion;  Solomon  J.  Harter,  killed  at 
Fort  Bradley,  Ala.,  April  6,  1865. 


484  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Corporals — Rinaldo  Castle,  mustered  out  July  5,  1865,  as  private;  Dan- 
iel W.  Shipley,  drowned  in  Alabama  river  April  22,  1865 ;  Albert  Murphy, 
mustered  out  July  5,  1865,  as  private;  Abner  Page,  discharged  November 
28,  1862;  Henry  W.  Murphy,  record  indefinite;  Harlin  P,  Castle,  musician, 
mustered  out  July  5,  1865. 

Privates — Francis  M.'Cammack,  as  corporal;  James  D.  Dull,  William 
F.  Engle,  Thomas  E.  Fulghum,  as  corporal;  Alexander  Gullett,  as  corporal; 
Allen  W.  Grave,  as  sergeant;  William  Hq^ywood,  John  W.  Jackson,  Hezekiah 
Jackson,  Lemuel  H.  Jackson,  William  Y.  Jackson,  Alexander  Moore,  David 
Murphy,  John  F.  Middleton,  as  sergeant;  Isaac  E.  Marshall,  William  A. 
Matchett,  Lewis  B.  O.  Neall,  Sydney  Potter,  Martin  V.  Pinney,  Henry  Wise; 
Dexter  P  Head,  transferred  to  Twenty-fourth  Regiment  July  i,  1865; 
Aaron  F.  Adams,  record  indefinite;  William  R.  Anderson,  died  January  12, 
1863;  John  Barnes,  discharged  February  6,  1863;  Nathan  C.  Beach,  trans- 
ferred to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  September  i,  1863,  wounds;  George  W. 
Busle,  discharged  from  wounds  at  Richmond,  Ky. ;  George  W.  Chenoweth, 
died  May  14,  1863,  wounds;  Philip  H.  Clear,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps,  April  4,  1864,  wounds;  John  W.  Clark,  discharged  May  15,  1863, 
disability;  Samuel  A.  Cooper,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  mus- 
tered out  June  30,  1865;  William  Clough,  killed  at  Thomson's  Hill,  Miss., 
May  I,  1863;  Ezekiel  Clough,  discharged  March  27,  1863;  Thomas  H. 
Downing,  died  May  14,  1863,  wounds;  John  Harness,  drowned  in  Alabama 
river  April  22,  1865;  John  M.  Hill,  discharged  April  3,  1863;  Matthew 
Jellison,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  April  4,  1864;  Joel  Lock, 
killed  at  Chickasaw  Bluff,  Miss.,  December  31,  1862;  Nelson  R.  Lowder,  died 
May  14,  1863,  wounds;  Jesse  L.  Lambert,  discharged  November  28,  1862; 
James  F.  Moore,  discharged  March  6,  1863;  Daniel  E.  Miller,  died  March 
6,  1863;  Levi  Matchett,  died  July  26,  1863;  Peter  E.  Matchett,  died  July 
13,  1863;  WilHam  Peden,  discharged  January  18,  1863;  Wilson  S.  Peden, 
died  March  14,  1863;  John  A.  Rubey,  discharged  June  10,  1863,  as  hospital 
steward;  John  C.  Rubey,  discharged  March  14,  1863;  Alonzo  R.  Scott, 
died  January  30,  1863;  Joel  Smith,  died  November  2,  1863;  George  Sutton, 
record  indefinite;  Benjamin  W.  Simmons,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps  March  6,  1864,  wounds;  Nathan  C.  Simmons,  discharged  April  6, 
1863;  James  P  Smith,  discharged  January  2,  1863;  Edwin  M.  Tansey,  dis- 
charged November  28.  1863 ;  Cornelius  A^an  Meigs,  discharged  April  23,  1863. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  485 

SEVENTY-FIRST   INDIANA    (siXTH    CAVALRY),    THREE   YEARS. 

Organized  August  i8,  1862;  mustered  out  September  15,  1865.  The 
colonel  at  first  was  Col.  R.  W.  Thompson.  Officers,  50;  men,  1,150;  recruits, 
548;  died,  260;  deserted,  105;  unaccounted  for,  72;  total,  1,748;  returned 
with  32  officers  and  631  men;  public  reception  at  Indianapolis;  welcoming 
speech  by  Gov.  Morton;  brief  remarks  by  Lieut.  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant;  mustered 
in  as  infantry;  changed  to  cavalry  by  order  under  date  of  February  22,  1864 
(probably). 

Members  from  Randolph  county — James  L.  Byke,  transferred  to  A.  N. 
W.  February  3,  1865. 

Company  C — First  Lieutenant,  Adam-  B.  Simmons ;  mustered  out  with 
battalion  at  close  of  service. 

SEVENTY-FIFTH  INDIANA  INFANTRY,  THREE  YEARS. 

Regiment  mustered  in  at  Wabash  August  19,  1862;  Colonel,  John  U. 
Pettit.  Regiment  mustered  out  at  Washington,  June  8,  1865 ;  public  recep- 
tion of  that  and  other  regiments  at  Indianapolis  in  the  Capitol  grounds  June 
14,  1865.  Officers,  42;  men,  1,076;  recruits,  100;  died,  227;  deserted,  30; 
unaccounted  for,  31;  mustered  out,  450;  total  number,  1,127. 

The  Seventy-fifth  Regiment  was  raised  in  the  Eleventh  congressional 
district,  and  its  place  of  rendezvous  was  Wabash.  The  men  were  mustered 
in  August  19,  and  August  21  the  regiment  moved  to  Louisville,  thence  to 
Lebanon  and  back  to  Louisville.  They  marched  to  Frankfort,  Scottsville  and 
Gallatin,  and  back  to  Cave  City  in  pursuit  of  Morgan.  Their  winter  camp 
was  near  Gallatin,  and  in  January,  1863,  they  moved  to  Murfreesboro,  re- 
maining until  June  24,  being  engaged  in  scouting  and  other  hard  service.  The 
Seventy-fifth  was  a  part  of  the  Second  Brigade,  Third  Division,  Fourteenth 
Army  Corps,  and  they  were  known  as  the  Indiana  Brigade,  all  three  regi- 
ments being  from  Indiana — Seventy-fifth,  Eighty-seventh  and  One  Hundred 
and  First. 

June  24,  1863,  the  regiment  set  out  for  Tullahoma,  fighting  the  battle  of 
Hover's  Gap  as  they  went.  This  regiment  entered  the  rebel  works  at  Tulla- 
homa first  about  July  i,  1863.  It  crossed  the  Tennessee  with  Rosecrans  and 
fought  at  Chickamauga  September  19  and  20,  1863,  the  loss  being  17  killed 
and  107  wounded. 

The  regiment  was  stationed  at  Chattanooga  for  several  months,  taking 
a  part  in  the  battle  of  Mission  Ridge,  losing  twenty-two  killed  and  wounded. 


486  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  winter  was  spent  in  and  near  Chattanooga,  and  early  in  the  spring  the 
regiment  moved  to  Ringgold  for  the  Atlanta  campaign.  April  27,  1864, 
Sherman  ordered  his  troops  to  concentrate  at  Chattanooga. 

We  quote  from  the  Adjutant  General's  report: 

"On  the  7th  of  May,  1864,  Thomas  occupied  Laurel  Hill.  On  the  12th, 
the  whole  army,  except  Howard's  Corps,  moved  through  Snake  Creek  Gap 
on  Resaca.  On  the  15th  the  battle  of  Resaca  was  fought,  and  the  same  night 
the  rebel  army  retreated  across  the  Qostenaula.  Near  Adairsville,  the  rear 
of  the  rebel  army  was  encountered,  and  a  sharp  fight  ensued.  On  the  28th, 
the  enemy  made  an  assault  at  Dallas,  but  met  with  a  bloody  repulse.  On  the 
27th  of  June  an  assault  was  made  upon  the  enemy's  position  on  Kenesaw 
without  success.  On  the  2d  of  July,  Kenesaw  was  abandoned  by  the  enemy. 
On  the  4th,.  Thomas  demonstrated  so  strongly  on  the  enemy's  communications 
as  to  cause  him  to  fall  gack  to  the  Chattahoochie  river  and  cross  that  river 
on  the  9th.  On  the  20th,  the  enemy  sallied  from  his  works  in  force,  and 
fought  the  battle  of  Peach  Tree  Creek.  On  the  22d,  a  general  battle  was 
fought  in  front  of  Atlanta,  the  rebels  being  defeated.  On  the  28th,  the  enemy 
made  another  assault  upon  our  besieging  lines,  but  were  driven  back  in  con- 
fusion. The  siege  of  Atlanta  vigorously  progressed  with  constant  skirmish- 
ing. On  the  25th  of  August,  the  bulk  of  Sherman's  army  moved  by  a  circuit 
around  Atlanta,  struck  its  southern  communications  near  Fairburn,  destroy- 
ing the  West  Point  railroad  and  the  Macon  railroad.  This  caused  the 
enemy  to  evacuate  Atlanta  on  the  2d  of  September.  On  the  4th  of  September 
the  army  moved  slowly  back  to  Atlanta,  and  rested  in  clean,  healthy  camps. 
Thus,  after  four  months'  catnpaign,  ended  one  of  the  greatest  achievements 
of  the  war." 

During  the  Atlanta  campaign  the  regiment  marched  and  fought  with  the 
Second  Brigade,  Third  Division,  Fourteenth  Army  Corps,  engaging  in  the 
battles  of  Dalton,  Resaca,  Dallas,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Peach  Tree  Creek  and 
Jonesboro.  The  regiment  had  for  a  brief  season  a  time  of  rest ;  but  soon  they 
moved  to  repel  Hood's  advance  on  Sherman's  rear.  The  regiment  marched 
in  pursuit  to  Gaylesville,  resting  a  short  time  on  the  Chattanooga  river.  Re- 
turning to  Atlanta,  the  Seventy-fifth  set  out  with  Sherman  on  his  famous 
"march  to  the  sea,"  and  went  the  whole  round  through  Georgia  and  the  Caro- 
linas,  to  Raleigh,  and  through  Virginia  to  Richmond  and  Washington.  And 
by  that  time  the  war  was  over. 

The  regiment  took  part  in  the  grand  review  before  President  Johnson, 
Gen.  Sherman  and  the  rest  of  the  magnates,  marching  in  solid  phalanx  twelve 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  487 

deep  for  hours,  "tramp,  tramp,  tramp,"  through  the  broad  avenues  of  the 
Capital  City. 

They  were  mustered  out  at  the  capital  June  8,  1865.  The  recruits  were 
transferred  to  the  Forty-second  Indiana,  and  served  with  that  regiment  until 
its  muster  out  at  Louisville  July  21,  1865. 

Company  F — Charles  S.  Butterworth,  mustered  out  June  8,  1865 ;  Sam- 
uel A.  Force,  mustered  out  June  8,  1865 ;  Nathan  B.  Hickman,  discharged 
February  28,  1863;  George  McCartney,  mustered  out  June  8,  1865. 

SEVENTY-SEVENTH  REGIMENT    (FOURTH  CAVALRY ). 

Colonel,  Isaac  P.  Gray;  resigned  February  11,  1863;  Assistant  Surgeon, 
William  Commons,  declined;  organized  August  22,  1862;  mustered  out  June 
29,  1865. 

Officers,  57;  men,  1,166;  recruits,  301;  deserters,  84;  died,  204;  unac- 
counted for,  54;  total,  1,524. 

Field  of  operation,  Kentucky,  Indiana,  Tennessee,  Georgia,  Alabama  and 
Mississippi. 

Battles  in  which  the  Seventy-seventh  took  part :  Madisonville,  Ky.,  Oc- 
tober 5,  1862 ;  Chickamauga,  Tenn.,  September  19  and  20,  1863 ;  Mossy  Creek, 
Tenn.,  January  12,  1864;  Newnan,  Ga.,  July  3,  1864;  Columbia,  Tenn.,  No- 
vember 26,  1864;  Fair  Garden,  Tenn.,  February  19,  1865;  Ebenezer  Church, 
La.,  April  r,  1865;  Selma,  Ala.,  April  2,  1865. 

EIGHTY-FOURTH   INDIANA,   THREE  YEARS. 

Regiment  mustered  in  at  Richmond  September  3,  1862;  Colonel,  Nelson 
Trussler;  mustered  out  at  Nashville  June  18,  1865;  reached  Indianapolis 
June  17,  1865;  was  publicly  received,  with  others,  June  26,  1865.  Addresses 
were  made  by  Gov.  Morton,  Gen.  Hovey,  Gen.  Wilder  and  others. 

Officers,  43;  men,  906;  recruits,  78;  died,  207;  deserted,  53;  unaccounted 
for,  9;  returned,  349;  total,  1,027. 

The  Eighty-fourth  Regiment  was  raised  in  the  Fifth  District,  and  mus- 
tered in  at  Richmond  September  3,  1862,  with  Nelson  Trussler,  colonel.  Its 
first  work  was  to  aid  in  the  defense  of  Cincinnati  from  the  legions  of  Kirby 
Smith.  Buell's  army  made  the  Confederate  hosts  to  fall  back,  and  the  regi- 
ment was  sent  to  Western  Virginia,  camping  at  Point  Pleasant,  Guyandotte, 
Catlettsburg  and  Cassville ;  at  the  latter  place  nearly  three  months.  February 
7,  1863,  the  Eighty-fourth  sailed  down  the  Ohio  to  Louisville,  and  thence  to 


488  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Nashville,  encamping  there  until  March  5.  Thence  they  moved'  to  Franklin, 
camping  again  until  the  3d  of  June.  Its  times  of  encampment  were  occupied 
with  scouting,  reconnoissances,  skirmishes,  and  the  like. 

June  3,  they  marched  to  Triune.  They  were  attacked  June  11,  but  with- 
out success,  by  the  rebels.  Thence  they  marched  through  Shelbyville  to  War- 
trace,  encamping  until  August  12,  and  thence  to  Tullahoma  and  to  Steven- 
son, Bridgeport,  and  Chattanooga,  arriving  September  13.  Camping  at  Ross- 
ville  until  the  i8th,  the  regiment  marched  to  the  front  and  were  posted  on 
the  left  of  the  army  of  the  Cumberland. 

The  Eighty-fourth  was  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga  both  days,  fighting 
bravely  and  losing  heavily.  Holding  the  key  to  Rosecrans'  retreat,  that  di- 
vision stood  stubbornly  and  saved  the  army.  The  regiment  was  on  picket 
duty  opposite  Lookout  Mountain  nine  days  and  nights  and  then  moved  to 
Moccasin  Point  and  then  to  Shell  Mound,  remaining  there  until  January  20, 
1864.  The  Eighty-fourth  was  transferred  to  the  Second  Brigade,  First 
Division, -Fourth  Army  Corps.  The  regiment  marched  tp  Cleveland,  reaching 
the  place  February  6 ;  thence  on  the  22d  to  Buzzard's  Roost,  fighting  there  on 
the  25th.  Returning  to  Cleveland,  they  stayed  until  the  3d  of  May,  1864. 
Sherman  was  now  ready  to  march  and  fight  his  stubborn  way  to  Atlanta, 
"the  gateway  of  the  South,"  and  the  Eighty-fourth  was  with  him  all  the  time, 
and  was  engaged  in  fifteen  battles  during  that  terrible  summer,  marching 
triumphantly  at  the  last  into  the  conquered  city  of  Atlanta.  After  this  cam- 
paign, the  Fourth  Corps  was  ordered  back  to  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee; 
and  it  marched  by  wa\'  of  Athens,  Pulaski  and  Franklin  to  Nashville, 
fighting  in  the  furious  battle  of  Franklin  on  the  way.  Reaching  Nashville 
December  i,  it  had  barely  time  for  a  short  respite  before  Thomas  burst 
forth  upon  Hood  with  resistless  power,  scattering  Hood's  army  to  the  winds. 
Our  troops  pursued  for  a  long  way,  and  returned  at  last. 

Encamping  at  Huntsville,  where  it  had  ended  its  pursuit  of  Hood,  the 
troops  remained  there  until  March  13,  moving  thence  to  Knoxville,  Straw- 
berry Plains,  Bull's  Gap  and  Shield's  Mills.  Remaining  awhile,  they  went 
back  once  more  to  Nashville  April  18,  1865.  June  14,  1865,  the  Eighty- 
fourth  was  mustered  out  at  Nashville,  the  recruits  being  assigned  to  the  Fifty- 
seventh  Indiana,  serving  in  that  regiment  until  its  muster  out  in  November, 
1865. 

Reaching  Indianapolis  June  17,  a  reception  was  held  June  26,  1865. 

Three  companies  belonging  to  the  Eighty-fourth  Regiment  were  formed 
chiefly  in  Randolph  county.     Company  A,  mostly   from  Farmland;  Com- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  489 

pany  E,  chiefly  from  Deerfield;  Company  H,  largely  from  Winchester.  A 
considerable  number  of  Company  K  also  belonged  to  Randolph. 

Foully  300  went  from  this  county  alone  in  the  Eighty-fourth  Regiment. 

General  ofificers  from  Randolph  county  are  as  follows :  Major,  Andrew 
J.  Nefif,  promoted  lieutenant  colonel,  colonel,  resigned  as  lieutenant  colonel 
October  17,  1864;  Adjutant,  Ebenezer  T.  Chaffee,  mustered  out;  Chaplain, 
Thomas  Addington,  resigned  March  15,  1864;  Assistant  Surgeon,  Robert  P 
Davis,  resigned  May  17,  1865. 

Company  A — Captain,  William  Burris,  on  detail  service  at  Soldiers' 
Home,  at  Indianapolis,  mustered  out  on  a  separate  roll;  First  Lieutenant, 
Henry  T.  Semans,  mustered  out  with  regiment;  Second  Lieutenant,  William 

A.  Burres,  honorably  discharged  October  3,  1864;  Sergeants,  Robert  P. 
Davis,  promoted  assistant  svirgeon,  resigned  May  17,  1865;  James  Filson,  died 
at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  June  7,  1865;  William  C.  Diggs,  died  at  Cassville,  Va., 
January  25,  1863;  John  W.  Macy,  promoted  to  second  lieutenant,  mustered 
out  June  14,  1865,  as  first  sergeant;  Corporals,  John  Addington,  died  at 
Lookout  Mountain  September  2,  1864,  of  wounds;  Samuel  Wright,  mustered 
out  June  14,  1865;  William  W.  Fowler,  discharged  January  3,  1865;  Thomas 

B.  Mclntyre,  discharged  January  13,  1863;  Nathan  Elwood,  mustered  out 
June  14,  1865,  as  sergeant;  David  Snyder,  died  at  Shell  Mound,  Tenn.,  No- 
vember 18,  1863;  Joseph  Life,  record  indefinite;  James  McProud,  mustered 
out  May  13,  1865;  Musicians,  William  J.  Davison,  discharged  December 
14,  1863,  loss  of  sight;  James  A.  Martin,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865; 
Wagoner,  Henry  Addington,  died  at  Nashville  October  7,  1863.  Privates, 
Thomas  Addington,  promoted  chaplain,  resigned  March  15,  1864;  William 
S.  Addington,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as  corporal;  Flavius  M.  Black, 
discharged  April  7,  1865,  for  wounds;  William  Bales,  record  indefinite;  Alex- 
ander C.  Black,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as  sergeant;  Josiah  M.  Brewer, 
transferred  to  Engineer  Corps  June  30,  1864;  George  M.  Bales,  mustered 
out  June  14,  1865 ;  Alfred  Clinard,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865  ;  W.  C.  Cham- 
bers, transferred  to  Engineer  Corps  June  3,  1864;  Seth  Conarroe,  mustered 
out  May  19,  1865;  Andrew  W.  Clevenger,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Silas 
Conarroe,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865 ;  Elias  Dull,  died  at  Ashland,  Ky., 
December  31,  1862;  Calvin  W.  Diggs,  prisoner  at  Andersonville,  mustered 
out  June  14,  1865;  Jonathan  F.  Denton,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Levi 
M.  Doty,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  William  B.  Denton,  mustered  out 
June  14,  1865;  John  Driver,  mustered  out  May  18,  1865;  John  W.  Dudley, 
mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Morgan  Driver,  discharged  May  15,  1865; 
William  J.   Fodrea,  mustered  out  June   16,    1865 ;  Thomas   O.   Flood,   dis- 


490  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

charged  August  20,  1863 ;  Thomas  Fancher,  transferred  to  V.  R.  C.  Decem- 
ber 17,  1863;  George  M.  French,  discharged  February  27,  1865;  David 
Ford,  discharged  February  18,  1865;  Thomas  J.  Fisher,  mustered  out  June 
14,  1865;  Samuel  Gantz,  died  at  Nashville,  December  29,  1864;.  William 
H.  Gordon,  mustered  out  July  4,  1865;  Thomas "C.  Grills,  record  indefinite; 
David  Garringer,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Nathan  Hiatt,  killed  at  Chicka- 
,  mauga  September  20,  1863;  Samuel  Huffman,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865, 
as  corporal;  Elwood  Harris,  died  July  20,  1864;  Michael  Hubbard,  died 
July  20,  1864;  John  Heffern,  died  at  Murfreesboro  July  20,  1863;  Moses 
Heron,  died  at  Nashville  September  5,  1863;  Charles  A.  C.  Howren,  record 
indefinite;  William  Jones,  record  indefinite;  James  W.  Johnson,  discharged 
December  3,  1863;  Benjamin  L.  Lewellen,  discharged  February  4,  1863; 
James  Leaver,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865 ;  George  Leaver,  mustered  out 
June  14,  1865,  as  corporal;  Abram  Life,  discharged  February  6,  1863,  of 
wounds;  Noah  Martin,  died  at  Chattanooga  October  14,  1863;  David  Mar- 
tin, mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  William  Mendenhall,  died  at  Chattanooga 
October  16,  1863,  of  wounds;  James  H.  McNees,  transferred  to  V.  R.  C. ; 
William  F.  Mullen,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Elijah  W.  Moore,  trans- 
ferred to  V.  R.  C.  April  10,  1864;  James  H.  B.  McNees,  transferred  to 
V.  R.  C,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Elza  B.  Mclntyre,  discharged  May  8, 
1865;  William  H.  Moore,  mustered  out  May  30,  1865;  John  L.  Merriwether, 
mustered  out  May  30,  1865;  Daniel  W.  McCamy,  died  at  Franklin,  Tenn., 
May  13,  1863;  Abraham  H.  Mesarvey,  transferred  to  Fifty-seventh  June  9, 
1865;  George  McGriff,  discharged  August  9,  1864;  Phineas  MOntgomei-y, 
mustered  out  June  i,  1865;  David  Miller,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  An- 
drew Miller,  died  at  Nashville  August  15,  1863;  Isaac  Noyer,  record  indefi- 
nite; Augustus  Pearskey,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Jeremiah  Painter, 
mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Martin  Pegg,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Al- 
fred Pickett,  died  at  Chattanooga  November  5,  1863-;  James  T.  Pursley,  trans- 
ferred to  Fifty-seventh  Regiment  June  9,  1865  ;  James  M.  Pursley,  discharged 
July  II,  1863;  Elijah  Pendergrass,  transferred  to  V.  R.  C.  November  25, 
1864;  Thomas  J.  Page,  died  at  Ashland,  Ky.,  December  31,  1862;  Wilson  C 
Roach,  killed  by  accident  April  9,  1865;  Francis  Sloan,  mustered  out  June 
14,  1865;  Thomas  J.  Semans,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as  corporal;  Will- 
iam M.  Shinn,  discharged  July  21,  1863;  Oliver  Sullivan,  discharged  De- 
cember 10,  1863;  William  H.  J.  Spencer,  killed  at  Chickamauga  September 
19,  1863;  Hiram  Townsend,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Solomon  Turn- 
paw,  transferred  to  V.  R.  C.  January  9,  1865 ;  Josiah  Woodard,  died  at  War- 
trace,   Tenn.,   August   11,    1863;  Julian  Woodard,   mustered  out  June   14, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  49 1 

1865 ;  Joseph  Wood,  killed  at  Chickamauga  September  20,  1863 ;  Valentine 
White,  died  at  Nashville  May  24,  1863;  Tipton  White,  discharged  May  9, 
1865.  Recruits — Marshal  McNees,  transferred  to  Fifty-seventh  June  9, 
1865;  Elza  McNees,  transferred  to  V.  R.  C.  August  3,  1864. 

Company  C — Second  Lieutenant,  Clinton  D.  Smith,  honorably  dis- 
charged April  26,  1864,  promoted  from  sergeant,  Company  E. 

Company  E — Captain,  Martin  B.  Miller,  promoted  major,  lieutenant 
colonel,  colonel,  mustered  out  as  lieutenant  colonel  with  regiment ;  First  Lieu- 
tenant, Joseph  E.  Ruhl,  discharged  by  order  of  war  department;  Second 
Lieutenant,  Henry  T.  Warren,  promoted  first  lieutenant,  transferred  to  United 
States  Veteran  Engineer  Corps  November  20,  1864;  Amos  Evans,  promoted 
second  lieutenant ;  mustered  out  as  first  sergeant  with  regiment. 

Company  E — Sergeants,  Joseph  S.  Fisher,  promoted  second  lieutenant, 
first  lieutenant,  captain,  mustered  out  with  regiment;  Grover  S.  Fowler,  mus- 
tered out  June  14,  1865,  as  private;  Oscar  D.  Needham,  mustered  out  June 
14,  1865;  William  Drew,  discharged  August  20,  1863;  Clinton  D.  Smith, 
promoted  second  lieutenant.  Company  C,  honorably  discharged  April  2,  1 864. 
Corporals — Eli  M.  Elsy,. transferred  to  Fifty-ninth  Regiment;  McKendrick 
C.  Smiley,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as  private;  Frank  M.  Flickenger, 
promoted  first  lieutenant,  killed  in  action  March  13,  1865;  Franklin  A.  Bur- 
ley,  record  indefinite;  James  E.  Kemp,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as  ser- 
geant; Benjamin  F.  Kemp,  promoted  first  lieutenant,  mustered  out  with  regi- 
ment; Amos  Evans,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,,  as  first  sergeant;  Morgan 
Mahoney,  mustered  out  May  31,  1865.  Musicians — John  Q.  Pierce,  dis- 
charged August  20,  1863;  David  Thomson,  discharged  May  14,  1863.  Wag- 
oner, Charles  Woodbury,  record  indefinite.  Privates — William  W.  Albright, 
died  February  6,  1864;  Elbert  Bragg,  missing  in  action  at  Chickamauga  Sep- 
tember 20,  1863;  Albert  Bragg,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as  corporal; 
Ephraim  D.  Baugh,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  William  F.  Bragg,  mustered 
out  June  14,  1865,  as  corporal;  Andrew  J.  Bragg,  died  May  27,  1864;  Henry 
Bragg,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Jacob  Brown,  discharged  February  17, 
1863 ;  John  W.  Burk,  killed  at  Chickamauga  September  20,  1863 ;  Isaac  Clapp, 
discharged  March  14,  1865;  Thomas  Croll,  died  December  8,  1863,  of 
wounds;  Benjamin  Doty,  killed  at  Love  joy,  September  2,  1864;  Henry  Dick, 
died  July  5,  1864,  of  wounds;  William  Dickerson,  transferred  to  Fifty-sev- 
enth Regiment;  John  D.  Frazier,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Allen  Fowler, 
transferred  to  Engineer  Corps  August  10,  1864;  Franklin  Fordyce,  mustered 
out  June  14,  1865,  as  corporal;  George  W.  Goucher,  mustered  out  June  14, 
1865,  as  wagoner;  Harvey  N.  Garland,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as  ser- 


492  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

geant;  Isaac  Gray,  transferred  to  Fifty-seventh  Regiment;  Henry  C.  Hutch- 
ens,  mustered  out  June  lo,  1865;  Thomas  Hodge,  mustered  out  June  14, 
1865,  as  corporal;  Daniel  B.  Harshman,  record  indefinite;  Garner  Harsh- 
man,  record  indefinite;  Alexander  Hutchens,  transferred  V.  R.  C.  July  9, 
1864;  Michael  Ingle,  record  indefinite;  John  M.  Jones,  record  indefinite; 
Benjamin  Jones,  mustered  out  May  19,  1865;  Henry  Kizer,  trans fererd  to 
Fifty-seventh  Regiment;  John  Louk,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Abraham 
Lady,  died  June  6,  1863;  Allen  Lovall,  record  indefinite;  Elisha  D.  Lollar,  dis- 
charged February  21,  1865;  John  T.  Miller,  died  January  5,  1864;  William 
McCoUum,  transferred  to  V.  R.  C.,  mustered  out  June  28,  1865;  George' 
Manes,  died  at  Catlettsburg,  Ky.,  November  28,  1862;  William  L,  Mock, 
discharged  February  8,  1865;  Edward  E.  Malott,  killed  at  Kenesaw,  June 
23,  1864;  William  Murray,  died  January  25,  1864;  Jacob  Murray,  discharged 
June  5,  1863;  Edward  Murray,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Archibald 
Marsh,  transferred  to  Engineer  Corps  August  10,  1864;  Clemard  Mahony, 
transferred  to  V  R.  C.  March  29,  1865;  Levi  Mock,  discharged  April  3, 
1863;  Joseph  B.  McCartney,  discharged  October  3,  1863;  Eli  E.  Mock,  record 
indefinite ;  Henry  Mock,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865 ;  John  Mock,  record  in- 
definite; James  B.  Mock,  transferred  to  V.  R.  C.  July  26,  1864;  Uriah  Mock, 
mustered  out  June  27,  1865;  James  McGill,  killed  at  Chickamauga,  Septem- 
ber 19,  1863;  Andrew  McCartney,  discharged  February  27,  1863;  Mark  T. 
Post,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  David  Pogue,  transferred  to  V.  R.  C. 
July  26,  1864;  George  W.  Poorman,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  William 
W.  Ritenour,  mustered  out  June  27,  1865,  as  sergeant;  George  Rinehart, 
discharged  May  7,  1863;  George  Swank,  discharged  May  19,  1865;  William 
Shanefelt,  record  indefinite;  Josiah  Shanefelt  died  July  5,  1864,  of  wounds; 
Henry  Stick,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865 ;  Joseph  Shull,  mustered  out  June 
14,  1865,  as  corporal;  Isaac  Shull,  killed  at  Chickamauga  September  20,  1863; 
Alitchell  Sanders,  transferred  to  V.  R.  C.  November  22,  1863;  Calvin  Street, 
record  indefinite;  Clinton  M.  Small,  discharged  February  18,  1865;  Harrison 
Snow,  record  indefinite;  Charles-  N.  Taylor,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as 
corporal;  Moses  Wall,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as  corporal;  John  Wall, 
mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Reuben  Whipple,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865, 
as  corporal;  Lewis  Whipple,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  John  B.  Warner, 
discharged;  James  Wickersham,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865.  Recruits — 
George  M.  Baugh,  record  indefinite;  Daniel  M.  Evans,  mustered  out  June  14, 
1865.     Company  F — Elam  Rich,  mustered  out  June  16,  1865. 

Company  H — Captain,  George  U.  Carter,  promoted  major,  lieutenant 
colonel,  mustered  out  with  regiment  as  major;  First  Lieutenant,  Andrew  J. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  493 

Neff,  promoted  major,  lievitenant  colonel,  colonel,  mustered  out  with  regiment 
as  lieutenant  colonel;  Second  Lieutenant,  William  H.  Focht,  promoted  first 
lieutenant,  promoted  captain,  mustered  out  with  regiment;  First  Sergeant, 
Massena  Engle,  promoted  first  lieutenant,  mustered  out  with  regiment;  Ser- 
geants, Clayborn  West,  died  April  lo,  1863;  Isaiah  W.  Kemp,  promoted  first 
lieutenant,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as  first  sergeant;  Ezra  Bond,  dis- 
charged May  5,  1863;  Luther  G.  Puckett,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Cor- 
porals, George  Woodbury,  died  at  Franklin,  Tenn.,  April  19,  1863;  Calvin  B. 
Edwards,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as  sergeant;  Henry  T.  Way,  died 
April  26,  1863,  sergeant;  Noah  W.  Lucas,  discharged  December  20,  1862; 
Thomas  J.  Gerrard,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865 ;  William  B.  Pierce,  dis- 
charged November  2,  1862;  William  Smith,  discharged  May  6,  1863;  William 
F.  Hiatt,  mustered  out  Jime  14,  1865,  as  sergeant.  Musician,  Squire  Walker, 
transferred  to  V.  R.  C,  mustered  out  June  30,  1865.  Wagoner,  Sampson 
Summers,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865.  Privates — Isaac  N.  Ambom,  dis- 
charged January  14,  1863;  James  Abernathy,  died  at  Nashville  July  12,  1863; 
James  H.  Butterworth,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as  corporal;  Manuel 
Baker,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  John  M.  Benson,  record  indefinite;  Zebe- 
dee  Buckels,  record  indefinite;  John  J.  Brown,  transferred  to  V.  R.  C,  mus- 
tered out  June  30,  1865;  Daniel  J.  Beck,  transferred  to  V.  R.  C,  mustered 
out  June  28,  1865 ;  Edwin  Burnsley,  died  at  Nashville  December  20,  1863 ; 
Nelson  Burnsley,  discharged  November  17,  1863;  Marcus  T.  Brown,  mus- 
tered June  14,  1865;  Charlton  S.  Brown,  mustered  June  14,  1865;  Dempsey 
Coats,  transferred  to  V  R.  C,  September  20,  1863;  Henry  Carver,  trans- 
ferred to  Fifty-seventh  Regiment;  John  A.  Clevenger,  mustered  June  14, 
1865;  Patterson  P.  Dodd,  died  at  Nashville  January  i,  1864;  James  W.  Dud- 
ley, discharged  March  4,  1863;  Ira  Davis,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Fred- 
erick A.  Engle,  discharged  June  i,  1864;  William  Emerson,  discharged  Janu- 
ary 14,  1863,  by  civil  authorities;  Nathan  Ellis  discharged  November  18, 
1863;  Henderson  Edwards,  discharged  May  13,  1863;  Charles  Emerson,  mus- 
tered out  June  14,  1865,  as  corporal;  William  F  Fitzpatrick,  mustered  out 
June  14,  1865;  Samuel  Fraze,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as  corporal;  Al- 
fred J.  Gaines,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as  corporal;  Elias  Gray,  dis- 
charged August  17,  1863;  Samuel  Ginger,  discharged  May  5,  1863;  Henry 
Godlieb,  discharged  February  17,  1863;  Benonia  Hill,  mustered  out  June  14, 
1865;  Harrison  M.  Hickman,  died  March  17,  1865,  sergeant;  Eli- Haworth, 
mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as  corporal;  Peter  Harshman,  died  in  Anderson- 
ville  Prison  September  12,  1864;  Jonathan  C.  Harris,  mustered  out  June  29, 
1865;  Edmond  M.  Ives,  promoted  captain  United  States  colored  troops; 
(32) 


494  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Gilford  Jarret,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865 ;  Xerxes  A.  Jones,  transferred  to 
V.  R.  C.  March  17,  1864;  Daniel  Jacobs,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Sam- 
uel Kegerries,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as  corporal;  Levi  Kames-,  trans- 
ferred to  V.  R.  C.  September  26,  1863;  Francis  W.  Kolp,  killed  at  Chicka- 
mauga  September  20,  1863 ;  Isaac  Little,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as  ser- 
geant; Thomas  Little,  discharged  April  22,  1863;  John  M.  Lowder,  mustered 
out  June  14,  1865 ;  Francis  M.  Loyd,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as  prisoner 
of  war;  James  Mace,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  John  S.  Morrison,  died 
at  Catlettsburg,  Ky.,  December  7,  1862;  Francis  Metz,  mustered  out  June  14, 
1865,  as  corporal;  James  S.  Mullen,  transferred  to  Mississippi  Marine  Bri- 
gade March  30,  1863;  John  McMillen,  transferred  to  V.  R.  C.  September  20, 
1863;  Henry  C.  Morgan,  discharged  July  27,  1863;  William  Milstead,  trans- 
ferred to  Engineer  Corps  July  29,  1864;  David  McConochy,  mustered  out 
June  14,  1865,  as  corporal;  Joseph  Nonamaker,  discharged  May  28,  1863; 
William  H.  Pierce,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Elias  Raines,  mustered  out 
June  14,  1865;  John  Q.  Reece,  discharged  February  13,  1863;  William  L. 
Steele,  promoted  second  lieutenant,  died  May  16,  1863,  at  Franklin,  Tenn. ; 
William  E.  Starbuck,  transferred  to  V.  R.  C,  mustered  out  June  30,  1865 ; 
George  W.  Smithson,  discharged  June  14,  1865 ;  Willis  Smith,  record  in- 
definite; George  Spera,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Daniel  Stickley,  mus- 
tered out  June  14,  1865;  Herman  Stolle,  discharged  May  15,  1863;  John  M. 
Turner,  discharged  July  6,  1863 ;  Isaac  T.  Thornburg,  discharged  June  20, 
1863;  Jona  Tutwiler,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Matthew  A.  Waters, 
transferred  to  V.  R.  C.  March  17,  1864;  William  R.  Way,  mustered  out 
June  14,  1865;  George  W.  Whitesell,  record  indefinite;  Nathan  Woodbury, 
discharged  August  22,  1865;  Jonathan  Wheeler,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865; 
Isaiah  P.  Watts,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  Henry  Yost,  transferred  to 
Fifty-seventh  Regiment. 

Company  I — Henry  Brown,  killed  at  Nashville  December  12,  1864; 
Peter  J.  Poiner,  died  at  Catlettsburg,  Ky.,  November  24,  1863. 

Company  K — George  W.  Evans,  corporal,  died  October  25,  1863;  Charles 
B.  Clove,  killed  at  Chickamauga  September  20,  1863;  Jacob  Creek,  mustered 
out  June  14,  1865;  Henry  C.  Davisson,  promoted  assistant  surgeon  Fifty- 
fourth  Regiment,  resigned  March  23,  1863;  Absalom  W.  Hunt,  record  indefi- 
nite; Thomas  B.  Jenkins,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865,  as  corporal;  Benja- 
min Kitsmiller,  died  December  11,  1864;  James  W.  Landon,  died  August  18, 
1863;  Lewis  C.  Landon,  record  indefinite;  John  McMullen,  mustered  out  June 
14,  1865;  Daniel  Phillabaum,  died  May  2,   1863;  William  H.  Phillabaum, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  495 

mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  John  W.  Thornburg,  mustered  out  June  14, 
1865,  as  sergeant;  Jacob  Van  Gordon,  died  August  15,  1864,  of  wounds. 

EIGHTY-NINTH   INDIANA  INFANTRY    (tHREE  YEARS )  . 

Company  E — Joseph  Gray,  killed  at  Yellow  Bayou,  La.,  May  18,  1864. 

Statistics — Mustered  in  at  Wabash  August  28,  1862;  Colonel,  Charles 
D.  Murray;  mustered  out  at  Mobile,  Ala.,  July  19,  1865. 

Officers,  45 ;  men,  949;  recruits,  124;  died,  244;  deserted,  25  ;  unaccounted 
for,  8;  total,  1,118. 

Casualties — Killed,  31;  wounded,  167;  missing  in  action,  4;  it  has 
marched  on  foot,  2,363  miles;  traveled  by  steamer,  7,112  miles;  by  rail, 
1,232  miles;  making  a  total  of  10,707  miles,  nearly  half  round  the  globe. 

NINETEENTH    REGIMENT    (FIFTH    CAVALRY),    THREE  YEARS. 

Regiment  mustered  in  at  Indianapolis  September  9,  1862;  Colonel,  Felix 
W.  Graham.    Regiment  mustered  out  at  Pulaski,  Tenn.,  June  16,  1865. 

Officers,  51;  men,  1,191;  recruits,  522;  died,  211;  deserted,  125;  unac- 
counted for,  99;  total,  1,764.  Battles,  22;  marched  by  land,  2,400  miles; 
passed  by  water,  1,000;  captured  prisoners,  640;  killed,  35;  died  from  wounds, 
13;  died  in  prisons,  115;  died  in  hospitals,  74;  wounded  in  action,  72;  cap- 
tured of  regiment,  514;  total  casualties,  829. 

The  Nineteenth  (Fifth  Cavalry)  Regiment  was  made  up  at  different 
times. 

Four  companies  were  mustered  in  August,  five  in  September  and  three 
in  October,  1862. 

The  companies  were  sent  to  different  places,  C  and  F  to  Carrollton,  Ky., 
and  I  to  Rising  Sun,  Ind. ;  the  others  to  the  counties  on  the  Ohio  river. 

A  and  G  were  stationed  at  Newburg,  B  at  Rockport,  D  and  L  at  Mauck- 
port,  E  and  H  at  Cannelton,  K  at  Mount  Vernon,  and  M  at  Evansville. 

The  whole  regiment  was  united  at  Glasgow,  Ky.,  in  March,  1863,  and 
were  kept  scouting  and  skirmishing  on  the  Cumberland  river.  The  regi- 
ment spent  much  of  its  time  in  Middle  and  Eastern  Tennessee  until  Febru- 
ary, 1864,  engaging  in  exceedingly  active,  laborious  and  dangerous  service, 
fighting  any  battles,  some  of  them  severe  and  fatal. 

July  4,  1863,  it  started  in  pursuit  of  the  rebel  Gen.  Morgan,  then  cross- 
ing the  Cumberland. 


496  RANDOLPH    COUNTY.    INDIANA. 

They  marched  to  Louisville,  and  were  sent  up  the  Ohio  on  steamers  to 
Portsmouth. 

July  19,  1863,  the  regiment  headed  Morgan's  forces  at  Buffington's 
Island,  and  fought  them  there,  scattering  the  rebels  in  every  direction,  killing 
and  capturing  many,  and  taking  also  five  pieces  of  artillery. 

They  returned  to  Louisville,  and  August  15  started  for  East  Tennessee, 
crossing  the  Cumberland  Mountains,  and  being  the  first  Federal  regiment  to 
enter  Knoxville. 

In  May,  1864,  they  crossed  the  mountains  to  Tunnel  Hill,  Ga.,  arriving 
May  12,  1864,  and  joining  Gen.  Stoneman.  On  the  "Stoneman  Raid,"  the 
Fifth  Cavalry,  after  bravely  holding  the  enemy  in  check  for  the  escape  of  the 
main  body,  were  surrendered  to  the  enemy  against  the  vigorous  protest  of 
Col.  Butler,  their  commander. 

These  poor  men  were  doomed  to  the  horrors  of  Andersonville  and  other 
prisons  only  less  abominable  and  deadly.  The  sad  tale  of  their  sufferings  may 
be  guessed  by  the  terrible  fact  that  115  of  their  number  died  in  prison. 

The  part  of  the  regiment  not  captured  remained  at  Atlanta  after  its  sur- 
render, performing  guard  duty  until  September  13,  1864,  and  they  were  then 
transferred  to  Kentucky,  being  at  the  time  serving  as  infantry. 

The  regiment  was  at  length  mounted  anew,  and  January  17,  1865,  was 
sent  from  Louisville  to  Pulaski,  Tenn.  Here  they  scouted,  captured  bush- 
whackers and  outlaws  until  June  16,  1865.  The  muster  out  then  took  place, 
and  they  were  welcomed  at  Indianapolis  June  21,  1865,  at  the  Capitol  grove. 

Companies  G,  L  and  M  were  transferred  to  the  Sixth  Cavalry,  and  were 
mustered  out  at  Murfreesboro,  Tenn.,  September  15,  1865. 

Men  from  Randolph  county  belonging  to  the  Eighty-fourth  Regiment — 
Assistant  Surgeon,  George  H.  Russell,  mustered  out  January  27,  1865. 

Company  B — Ephraim  B.  Thompson,  sergeant,  mustered  out  June  15, 
1865 ;  William  A.  Daly,  corporal,  promoted  second  lieutenant,  first  lieutenant, 
mustered  out  June  3,  1865,  as  first  sergeant. 

Privates — Nelson  Barnes,  Matthew  Comer,  Joseph  C.  Cranor,  John  Fen- 
nimore,  Jesse  C.  Harris,  John  Hiatt,  Levi  S.  Hunt,  Daniel  Myers,  Charles  G. 
Potter,  Jonathan  Quinn,  Elwood  F.  Scott,.  Thomas  M.  Wright. 

Recruits — John  M.  Cranor,  David  M.  Thom,  Robert  W.  Thomson. 

Thomas  N.  Barnes  died  in  Andersonville  Prison  August  15,  1864;  Phi- 
lander Blackledge,  mustered  out  May  13,  1865;  William  Brown,  died  at  In- 
dianapolis November  14,  1862;  David  Fudge,  transferred  to  V.  R.-C.  August 
17,  1863;  Elwood  Hall,  died  at  Indianapolis  November  29,  1862;  Jonathan 
H.  Harris,  died  at  Camp  Nelson,  Ky.,  January  21,  1863;  Abram  Hunt,  died 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  497 

at  home  February  20,  1864;  William  A.  Maines,  mustered  out  May  27,  1865. 

Company  C — Company  Quartermaster  Sergeant,  George  H.  Russell,  pro- 
moted assistant  surgeon;  Commissary  Sergeant,  Adam  B.  Simmons,  pro- 
moted first  lieutenant;  Captain,  Benjamin  Farley,  resigned  May  3,  1863;  Fin- 
ley  Pritchard,  corporal,  mustered  out  June  15,  1865,  as  private;  Isaac  T. 
Nash,  corporal,  discharged  April  14,  1863;  Abram  J.  Foist,  bugler,  trans- 
ferred to  V.  R.  C,  wounds,  mustered  out  June  29,  1865;  John  W.  Johnson, 
saddler,  killed  at  Blountsville,  Tenn.,  September  22,  1863;  Martin  V.  Sipe, 
wagoner,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865. 

Privates — Samuel  F  Biteman,  George  Elwell,  Noah  Ingle,  Norman  Mc- 
Farland,  James  Manes,  Charles  Norman,  John  B.  Sipe,  Isaac  Sipe,  sergeant; 
Edward  Simmons,  corporal;  Daniel  Brittain,  died  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  Oc- 
tober 8,  1864;  Samuel  Goslen,  died  April  8,  1865;  John  W.  Huston,  mus- 
tered out  June  15,  1865  ;  Smith  Hutchinson,  died  at  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  January 
I,  1864;  Samuel  E.  Smith,  died  at  Andersonville  Prison  August  11,  1864. 

NINETY-SEVENTH    REGIMENT. 

Company  K — Mordecai  Bayes,  discharged  January  15,  1863. 

Statistics — Mustered  in  at  Terre  Haute  September  20,  1862;  Colonel, 
Robert  F.  Catterson;  mustered  out  at  Washington  City  June  9,  1865. 

Officers,  41 ;  men,  859 ;  recruits,  26 ;  died,  230 ;  deserters,  33  ;  unaccounted 
for,  2;  total,  902;  killed,  46;  wounded,  146;  died  of  disease,  149;  died  of 
wounds,  35;  three  color-bearers  killed;  marches,  over  3,000  miles. 

Operations — With  Grant  in  Mississippi,  fall  of  1862;  Vicksburg  and 
Jackson  campaign,  summer  of  1863;  marched  from  Memphis  to  Chattanooga 
under  Sherman  October,  1863 ;  Chattanooga  and  Knoxville,  November  and 
December,  1863;  Atlanta  campaign,  summer  of  1864;  with  Sherman  to  the 
sea,  fall  of  1864;  from  Savannah  to  Washington  City,  spring  of  1865;  to  In- 
dianapolis; oration  in  State  House;  addresses  by  Gov.  Morton,  Gen.  Hovey; 
June  13,  1865,  home. 

NINETY-NINTH  INDIANA  INFANTRY,  THREE  YEARS. 

Regiment  mustered  in  at  South  Bend  October  21,  1862;  Colonel,  Alex- 
ander Fowler;  mustered  out  at  Washington  June  5,  1865. 

Officers,  41;  men,  859;  recruits,  84;  died,  178;  deserted,  32;  unaccounted 
for,  2;  men  at  close,  425;  total,  984;  marched  4,000  miles. 


498  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

The  Ninety-ninth  was  recruited  in  the  Ninth  Congressional  District,  in- 
cluding, however,  three  companies  from  the  Sixth  District  that  had  been 
raised  for  the  Ninety-sixth. 

In  November,  1862,  the  regiment  moved  to  Memphis,  and  November 
25,  on  the  Tallahatchie  campaign.  Returning,  they  were  stationed  on  the 
railroad  east  of  Memphis,  at  Lagrange. 

May  6,  1863,  the  regiment  moved  to  Memphis,  and  thence  down  the  Mis- 
sissippi to  the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  » 

July  4,  they  started  for  Jackson.  July  16,  that  town  was  evacuated  and 
Sherman's  army  took  possession.  After  lying  in  camp  at  Big  Black  River 
for  several  weeks,  the  movement  to  Chattanooga  was  begun.  The  Ninety- 
ninth  formed  a  part  of  the  column  that  struck  out  from  Memphis  and  marched 
across  Mississippi  and  Alabama  into  Georgia,  through  Corinth,  Florence  and 
Stevenson,  to  Chattanooga,  arriving  November  24.  The  battle  of  Mission 
Ridge  was  fought  the  next  day,  and  the  Ninety-ninth  was  engaged  therein. 

Chasing  Bragg  to  Graysville,  they  turned  eastward,  and  set  out  forth- 
with for  Knoxville,  to  drive  off  Longstreet  and  relieve  Burnside.  The  col- 
umn accomplished  their  difficult  march,  nearly  without  blankets,  and  greatly 
lacking  for  clothing  and  shoes,  without  regular  rations  and  cut  off  from 
supplies,  many  of  the  men  barefooted,  but  cheerful  in  their  destitute  condi- 
tion, they  pressed  resolutely  onward  to  find  Longstreet's  legions  fleeing  from 
their  approach,  and  bringing  abundant  rejoicing  to  the  hearts  of  the  troops 
shut  up  in  the  beleaguered  town  of  Knoxville.  The  regiment  returned,  reach- 
ing Scottsboro,  Ala.,  December  26,  having  made  a  desperate  march  of  more 
than  four  hundred  miles  since  driving  the  hosts  of  the  boastful  Bragg  from 
the  investment  of  Chattanooga. 

They  encamped  at  Scottsboro  until  February  14;  marched  into  East 
Tennessee  and  back  to  Scottsboro,  and  on  the  ist  of  May,  1864,  set  out  as  a 
part  of  Sherman's  grand  army  on  the  movement  to  Atlanta  and  the  sea. 

The  regiment  was  in  nearly  every  battle  through  the  entire  campaign. 

After  the  fall  of  Atlanta,  Hood's  army  was  pursued,  and  the  Ninety- 
ninth  had  a  march  out  and  back  of  200  miles.  With  the  Ninety-ninth  in 
Howard's  Corps  on  the  left,  Sherman's  victorious  force  swung  loose  from 
its  moorings  and  moved  boldly  forward  through  the  heart  of  Georgia,  finding 
supplies  as  they  marched.  On  a  track  sixty  miles  wide  that  conquering  army 
moved,  neither  stopped  nor  stayed  until  in  twenty-four  days  they  had  swept 
over  300  miles  of  travel  and  taken  Fort  McAllister,  entered  Savannah  in 
triumph  and  opened  communication  Avith  the  shipping  on  the  coast. 

December  15,  Savannah  was  occupied.    Shortly  the  legions  took  up  again 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  499 

their  line  of  march,  turning  the  head  of  their  advancing  column  northward 
to  capture  Richmond  and  Gen.  Lee,  and  end  the  war.  Columbia  was  reached 
February  17,  1865.  The  Twentieth  Corps  gladly  received  the  aid  of  the 
Niiiety-ninth  in  the  battle  of  Bentonville.  Thence  the  road  was  taken  to 
Goldsboro,  Raleigh,  Petersburg  and  Richmond.  The  brave  soldiers  who  had 
made  their  march  hundreds  of  miles  to  help  take  Richmond  were  balked  of 
their  purpose;  for  Richmond  had  been  already  taken,  and  Sherman's  legions 
could  only  enter  the  rebel  stronghold  as  a  concjuered  city.  Onward  to  the 
capital  they  pursued  their  unobstructed  way,  took  part  proudly  in  the  grand 
review  in  the  streets  of  Washington  and  were  mustered  out  June  5,  1865, 
and  going  by  rail  to  their  own  state  and  capital,  they  were  joyfully  received 
and  cordially  welcomed  "home  again."  The  Ninety-ninth  had  900  officers  and 
men,  and  425  at  mustering  out.  Though  they  performed  much  hard  service 
including  thousands  of  miles  of  weary  tramp,  tramp,  tramping  over  southern 
plains  and  valleys,  yet  health  and  strength,  and,  we  may  add,  good  hope  and 
cheer,  were  preserved  in  a  remarkable  degree. 

Company  H — Elliot  Budd,  discharged  February  i,  1863;  John  W. 
Baker,  mustered  out  June  5,  1865;  Joseph  Clark,  discharged  January  i, 
1863 ;  James  D.  Dooley,  mustered  out  June  5,  1865 ;  John  C.  Denny,  mus- 
tered out  June  5,  1865;  Adoniram  Doughty,  mustered  out  June  5,  1865; 
Burdine  Dodd,  mustered  out  June  5,  1865 ;  John  P.  Dodd,  mustered  out 
June  5,  1865;  Franklin  B.  Johnson,  mustered  out  June  5,  1865;  Henry  T. 
Lamb,  discharged  May  5,  1863 ;  Anderson  Lamb,  died  at  Memphis  Decem- 
ber 7,  1862;  Lewis  McDaniel,  discharged  March  13,  1865;  William  F.  Par- 
sons, discharged  November  12,  1862;  George  L.  Parsons,  discharged  Feb- 
ruary 20,  1863;  Green  M.  Parsons,  mustered  out  June  5,  1865;  David  Pen- 
nington, mustered  out  June  5,  1865 ;  John  B.  Rolston,  died  at  Memphis,  No- 
vember 26,  1862;  John  Robins,  transferred  to  Marine  Brigade,  April  13, 
1863;  Isah  M.  Shepherd,  died  at  East  Point,  Ga.,  September  6,  1864,  of 
wounds;  William  Wallton,  died  March  6,  1863;  Jesse  W.  Wynn,  mustered 
out  June  5,  1865. 

ONE   HUNDRED   AND   FIFTH    REGIMENT MINUTEMEN MORGAN'S    RAID. 

Late  on  the  evening  of  July  8,  1863,  word  came  to  Indianapolis  that 
Gen.  John  H.  Morgan  had  crossed  the  Ohio  near  Corydon,  Ind.  Gov.  Mor- 
ton issued  his  call  forthwith,  and  in  forty-eight  hours  65,000  men  had  an- 
swered the  call.  Thirteen  regiments  were  organized,  numbered  from  One 
Hundred  and  Second  to  One  Hundred  and  Fourteenth,  inclusive. 


^OO  RANDOLPH  '  COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Regiment  contained  two  companies  from 
Henry  and  two  from  Randolph ;  Union,  Putnam,  Hancock,  Clinton,  Madison 
and  Wayne  counties,  each  one  company.  Seven  of  the  companies  were  of 
the  legion. 

The  regiment  was  organized  July  12,  1863,  Kline  G.  Shryock,  colonel, 
containing  713  men.  They  left  instanter  for  Lawrenceburg.  After  march- 
ing around  for  several  days  in  pursuit  of  Morgan,  and  finding  that  he  had 
gone  eastward  through  Ohio  and  beyond,  their  reach,  they  returned  to  In- 
dianapolis in  just  six  days  after  they  had  quitted  it,  and  were  mustered  out 
July  18,  1865.  Men  from  Randolph  county  in  One  Hundred  and  Fifth 
Regiment : 

Company  D — Captain,  Jacob  A.  Jackson,  mustered  out  July  18,  1863; 
First  Lieutenant,  Alvin  M.  Owens,  mustered  out  July  18,  1863;  Second  Lieu- 
tenant, Joel  A.  Newman,  mustered  out  July  18,  1863.  Sergeants — ^James 
N.  Wright,  Levi  Thornburg,  W.  H.  Thornburg,  Isaac  A.  Mills,  John  Gor- 
don. Corporals — Jesse  W.  Bales,  Jacob  Bales,  Joseph  Thornburg,  John 
Hogland.  Privates — ^Joseph  Anderson,  William  Anderson,  John  Bakehorn, 
Joseph  T.  Ball,  Jonathan  M.  Bales,  Jacob  Coy,  William  H.  Calvin,  Stephen 
Cooper,  Samuel  Clements,  Joshua  H.  Chamness,  Charles  Crammer,  Edom  W. 
Davis,  Samuel  M.  Doherty,  Jonathan  Edwards,  Calvin  E.  Engle,  Hamilton 
Edwards,  George  W.  Edwards,  Elias  Engle,  Isaac  A.  Fisher,  Bartley  Frank- 
lin, Evan  Garrett,  Franklin  G.  Gordon,  Henry  Garrett,  William  Gordon, 
William  E.  Glover,  James  Gordon,  Joshua  Hodson,  Micajah  C.  Hodson, 
Nathan  Hockett,  John  Holton,  Samuel  A.  Harris,  Jonathan  Hockett,  Levi 
Johnson,  Jesse  Kennedy,  James  X.  Karnes,  Matthew  Karnes,  Alvah  C.  Kep- 
ler, John  B.  Longenecker,  Jacob  Lasley,  Solon  Lawrence,  Henry  C.  Lamb, 
James  Mound,  Stephen  Martin,  Solomon  B.  Mills,  James  Nichols,  Levi  Oren, 
Addison  M.  Pugh,  Jesse  Pegg,  Dow  Patterson,  Mahlon  G.  Rainier,  William 
A.  Rainier,  John  L.  Stakebake,  John  H.  Smith,  Francis  B.  Smith,  Benjamin 
Stine,  Oliver  B.  Stetson,  Robert  H.  Sears,  Milton  C.  Stakebrake,  David  H. 
Semans,  Isaac  Simcoke,  William  Stine,  Robert  W.  Thomson,  Samuel  M. 
Thornburg,  John  W.  A'^andegriff,  William  H.  Willis. 

Company  I — Captain,  John  A.  Hunt,  mustered  out  July  18,  1863;  First 
Lieutenant,  Benjamin  Peacock,  mustered  out  July  18,  1863;  Second  Lieu- 
tenant, John  D.  Jones,  mustered  out  July  18,  1863.  Sergeants — William  M. 
Botkin,  J.  C.  Bates,  Henry  H.  Brooks,  Samuel  F.  Botkin,  William  Faultner. 
Corporals — Allen  C.  Diggs,  ^Tilton  Cox,  Robert  C.  Miller,  M.  T.  Liny.  Musi- 
cians— Leander  Priest,  E.  A.  Cropper,  Sylvanus  Davisson.  Privates — William 
Atkins,  John  Adamson,  Noah  Abernathy,  Samuel  L.  Abernathy,  John  Aber- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  5OI 

nathy,  Amos  Baldwin,  Samuel  Conyers,  G.  W.  Crouch,  Alpheus  W.  Conyers, 
Daniel  Dearbin,  Elias  Davisson,  John  Faultner,  Lavoisy  Fry,  Alexander  Fea- 
gans,  A.  jC.  Gaddis,  Joseph  Gilmore,  I.  M.  Glynes,  Benjamin  R.  Glynes,  Benja- 
min H.  Grubbs,  Robert  H.  Grooms,  I.  J.  Hunt,  Fairfax  Hunt,  N.  J.  Hunt,  Mil- 
ton Hunt,  I.  H.  Hunt,  Lemuel  C.  Hunt,  Miles  H."  Hunt,  Martin  Hoover,  Dan- 
iel Heaston,  Ira  Hiatt,  William  H.  Justus,  Joshua  M.  Johnson,  Elihu  Knight, 
J.  C.  Kepler,  William  R.  Lee,  Walter  Murray,  William  Mosier,  Henry  H. 
Moore,  Matthias  Oxley,  Enos  Pickering,  Thomas  Peacock,  James  Quacken- 
bush,  T.  F.  Ross,  E.  P.  Ross,  James  Shearer,  E.  M.  Shearer,  Elihu  Star- 
buck,  William  Stevenson,  Thomas  Smithson,  Nathaniel  Spray,  George  W. 
Smith,  L.  D.  Veal,  A.  B.  Vauderburg,  Jeremiah  Willis. 

ONE   HUNDRED  AND  SIXTH   REGIMENT MINUTEMEN. 

This  regiment  was  organized  July  ii,  1863,  under  Col.  Isaac  P.  Gray. 
There  were  five  companies  from  Wayne,  two  from  Randolph  and  one  each 
from  Hancock,  Howard  and  Marion.  The  number  of  members  was  792. 
They  left  Indianapolis  for  Hamilton,  Ohio,  July  13;  went  to  Cincinnati, 
and  returned  to  Indianapolis,  being  discharged  July  18,  1865. 

Colonel,  Isaac  P.  Gray,  mustered  out  July  18,  1863;  Major,  Thomas 
M.  Browne,  mustered  out  July  18,  1863. 

Company  A — Captain,  Jonathan  Cranor,  mustered  out  July  18,  1863; 
First  Lieutenant,  B.  F.  Farley,  mustered  out  July  18,  1863;  Second  Lieuten- 
ant, George  W.  Branham,  mustered  out  July  18,  1863.  Sergeants — George 
W.  Branham,  promoted  second-  lieutenant;  B.  C.  Hoyt,  D.  H.  Reeder,  S. 
Lewis,  Benton  Polly.  Corporals — H.  Paxton,  J.  Kesler,  William  Archard, 
S.  Carter.  Privates — John  Arnold,  Joseph  Alexander,  Elihu  Addington,  G. 
Addington,  A.  Alhouse,  S.  Bohlinger,  William  Bailess,  J.  W.  Brice,  Joseph 
Bowers,  R.  H.  Bailey,  J.  S.  Bright,  E.  Bunch,  George  Bright,  Thomas  Bragg, 
Nathaniel  Barnum,  J.  W.  Burns,  RoUa  Bowden,  Joel  Bradford,  Charles 
Branham,  G.  W.  Cowgill,  Anthony  Cost,  Joseph  Coats,  Silas  Coats,  Lewis 
Coats,  D.  Coats,  S.  Chamberlain,  J.  D.  Clear,  J.  S.  Clear,  John  Cole,  An- 
drew Cole,  W.  Collins,  P.  Cook,  D.  Curtis,  W.  Davis,  E.  Engel,  N.  Engel, 
Joseph  Espey,  Gabriel  Fowler,  J.  S.  Flinn,  Joab  Friber,  Frank  Grabs,  Thomas 
Garrett,  J.  W.  Gray,  J.  Gray,  Edward  Gray,  Spencer  Hill,  James  H.  Hiatt, 
E.  Hiatt,  P.  Hiatt,  E.  Huffhine,  S.  Hoak,  D.  Harris,  Stephen  Hawkins, 
Charles  Hanna,  Frank  Johnson,  Smith  Kennon,  O.  F.  Lewallen,  H.  Lathing- 
ton,  H.  Little,  W.  Lamm,  J.  Lewis,  E.  McNees,  D.  McNees,  M.  McNees, 
E.  H.  Meuse,  John  Manuel,  J.  Murphy.  R.  B.  McKee,  John  Mauzy,  John 


502  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Mott,  P.  T.  Paris,  A.  W.  Peacock,  H.  Peacock,  George  Perkins,  O.  Peterson, 
C.  Peterson,  L.  M.  Reeves,  E.  Shaw,  B.  F.  W.  Stewart,  G.  Scott,  J.  Somer- 
ville,  W.  Somerville,  W.  K.  Smith,  J.  Saucer,  J.  W  Thompson,  Miles  Tucker, 
John  Vail,  Thomas  Welch,  B.  T.  Wilkerson,  S.  D.  Wharton,  Raiford  Wiggs, 
Levi  Wolf,  M.  West,  Levi  Wright,  William  Walls,  William  Worthington. 
Company  B — Captain,  George  W.  H.  Riley,  mustered  out  July  15,  1863; 
First  Lieutenant,  John  K.  Martin,  mustered  out  July  15,  1863;  Second  Lieu- 
tenant, Michael  P.  Voris,  mustered  out  July  15,  1863.  Sergeants — Asa  Teal, 
Harris  H.  Abbott,  Thomas  L.  Scott,  Thomas  L.  Addington,  Edmund  Engle. 
Corporals — Thomas  W.  Kizer,  E.  B.  West,  D.  S.  Ketselman,  Nathan  Fidler. 
Privates — Joel  Arny,  Martin  C.  Alexander,  John  Barnhart,  John  M.  Bas- 
comb,  Richard  Beatty,  Joseph  Blackburn,  Albert  Bowen,  S.  B.  Bradbury, 
William  A.  Brice,  James  N.  Bright,  W.  J.  Brewington,  F.  B.  Carter,  E.  D. 
Carter,  William  Chapman,  Gilbert  Coats,  James  Coats,  Nathan  Cook,  John 
Connor,  Patrick  Doyle,  W,  J.  Doxtater,  John  L.  Ennis,  William  H.  Ennis, 
James  Focht,  John  Fudge,  Robert  S.  Fisher,  James  H.  Fitzpatrick,  D.  Gar- 
rett, A.  PL  Harris,  A.  R.  Hiatt,  John  H.  Henderson,  John  Harris,  Stephen 
Harris,  Abram  Heaston,  W.  C.  Haworth,  Henry  Hiatt,  Alfred  Hall,  John 
C.  Hinshaw,  John  C.  Hallowell,  Charles  J.  Hutchens,  Patrick  Hutchens, 
Q.  E.  Hofifman,  John  H.  Ireland,  John  Johnson,  John  E.  Keys,  K.  Krantzer, 
W.  O.  King,  Nathaniel  Kemp,  William  Lukensdofifer,  Amos  Lucas,  L.  L. 
Murray,  Lemuel  Mettler,  Alfred  H.  Moon,  Oliver  Martin,  L.  J.  Monks, 
Daniel  Moore,  L.  Murray,  L  N.  Murray,  Walter  S.  Monks,  R.  T.  Monks, 
David  Miller,  Henry  O.  Nell,  James  L.  Nefif,  David  Neff,  Jacob  C.  Plunnett, 
John  M.  Puckett,  Thomas  W.  Pierce,  Samuel  H.  Pierce,  John  Q.  A.  Roberts, 
Lafayette  Shaw,  O.  W.  Scott,  Miles  Scott,  John  Stanley,  John  W.  Sowers 
E.  W.  Thornburg,  W.  W.  Thornburg,  Washington  W.  White,  Benaiah  C. 
White,  Andrew  White,  Andrew  J.  Winter,  Henry  Yonker. 

ONE  HUNDRED  AND  NINTH  REGIMENT MINUTEMEN. 

The  regiment  was  organized  July  10,  1863;  John  R.  Mahan,  Colonel; 
709  men;  La  Porte,  two  companies;  Hamilton  county  two;  Miami,  two; 
Coles  county,  two;  Henry  and  Randolph  counties,  one  each.  The  regiment 
went  by  rail  to  Hamilton  and  Cincinnati,  returned  to  Indianapolis,  and  were 
mustered  out  July  17,  1865. 

Company  K — Captain,  John  S.  Way,  mustered  out  July  17,  1863;  First 
Lieutenant,  John  Locke,  mustered  out  July  17,  1863;  Second  Lieutenant. 
William  Locke,  mustered  out  July   17,   1863.     Sergeants — Samuel  Ginger, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  5O3 

William  M.  Fisher,  Charles  F.  Locke,  Isaac  Rathbun,  Jesse  May.  Corporals 
— Joel  Ward,  George  Shepherd,  Caleb  Sanders,  Joseph  L.  Reece.  Privates — 
Abram  Andrews,  James  D.  Brown,  William  Bales,  William  Braden,  Lewis 
Bockoven,  Simeon  Bell,  Isaac  Clevinger,  James  A.  Collett,  William  Carpen- 
ter, William  Cowgill,  William  Emerson,  Edward  Flood,  E.  Frazier,  Thomas 
Faustnangh,  J.  N.  Gunkel,  Casey  Gunkel,  Aaron  Gunkel,  William  Hudson, 
John  E.  Henry  Frederick  Lock,  Joel  Lock,  George  P.  Lair,  Levi  McSky- 
hawk,  Elias  G.  Moore,  Alfred  Rathbun,  George  D.  Reece,  Sherrood  Reece, 
Daniel  Ratbun,  Joseph  F.  Robinson,  William  Skinner,  James  Sample,  James 
Towers,  Henry  Treheame,  William  Trusley,  Jeremiah  Vance,  Samuel  War- 
ner, Elisha  T.  Wood,  Elisha  B.  Wood,  Samuel  Williams,  Cornelius  White- 
neck,  Henry  Wargen,  Jacob  Wyrick,  Alexander  Wood. 

ONE  HUNDRED  AND  SEVENTEENTH  REGIMENT,  SIX  MONTHS. 

Mustered  in  at  Indianapolis  September  17,  1863;  Colonel,  Thomas  J. 
Brady. 

Mustered  out  and  discharged  February ,  1863. 

Officers,  39;  men,  958;  died,  95;  recruits,  15;  deserted,  13;  unaccounted 
for,  32;  total,  1,012. 

Positions  of  the  regiment — Nicholasville,  September  24,  1863 ;  Cum- 
berland Gap,  October  3,  1863;  Clinch  Mountain  Gap,  November  24,  1863; 
Knoxville,  December,  1863;  Strawberry  Plains,  December,  1863;  Cumber- 
land Gap,  January,  1864;  Indianapolis,  February  6,  1864. 

The  winter  campaign  in  East  Tennessee  was  very  severe,  marching  over 
mountains,  crossing  streams  without  shoes,  and  sometimes  on  quarter  rations. 

Members  from  Randolph : 

Quartermaster,  John  A.  Moorman,  mustered  out,  term  expired. 

SEVENTH     INDIANA     CAVALRY,    ONE     HUNDRED    AND     NINETEENTH    REGIMENT. 

(Note. — Much  of  the  annexed  statement  is  composed  from  material 
taken  from  a  history  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry  published  some  years  ago, 
partly  under  the  eye  of  Gen.  Thomas  M.  Browne.) 

This  regiment  was  recruited  by  order  of  the  adjutant  general  of  In- 
diana, dated  June  24,  1863,  one  company  being  accorded  to  each  congres- 
sional district,  and  thirty  days  granted  for  the  completion  of  the  work. 

Col.  J.  P.  C.  Shanks  was  appointed  commander  of  the  camp  of  ren- 


504  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

dezvoLis,  called  Camp  Shanks.  One  hundred  dollars  were  to  be  paid  to  each 
man — ^$25  in  advance. 

The  regimental  officers  were :  Colonel,  J.  P,  C.  Shanks,  of  Portland, 
Jay  county;  Lieutenant  Colonal,  Thomas  M.  Browne,  Winchester,  Randolph 
county;  Majors,  Christian  Beck,  Samuel  E.  W.  Simmons,  John  C.  Febles; 
Adjutant,  James  A.  Pice;  Chaplain,  James  Marquis;  Surgeon,  William 
Freeman. 

Companies-  were  recruited  as  follows : 

Company  A,  from  La  Porte  county,  Capt.  John  C.  Febles. 

Company  B.  Randolph  county;  Capt.  Thomas  M.  Browne. 

Company  C,  Dearborn,  Grant,  Marion  and  Ripley  counties,  Capt.  John 
W.  Senior. 

Company  D,  Capt.  Henry  F.  Wright. 

Company  E.  Jay  county,  Capt.  David  T.  Skinner. 

Company  F,  La  Porte  county,  Capt.  John  W.  Shoemaker. 

Company  G.  Vigo,  Delaware,  Franklin,  Marion,  Lake  and  Grant  coun- 
ties, Capt.  Walter  K.  Scott. 

Company  H.  Marion,  Grant  and  Tippecanoe  counties,  Capt.  John  M. 
Moore. 

Company  I,  Kosciusko  and  Marion  counties,  Capt.  James  H.  Carpenter. 

Company  K,  Marion  county,  Capt.  William  S.  Hubbard. 

Company  L,  Wabash  county,  Capt.  Benjamin  F.  Daily. 

Company  M,  Madison  county,  Capt.  Joel  H.  Elliot. 

The  regiment  was  mustered  in  at  Indianapolis  October  i,  1863,  and 
mustered  out  at  Austin,  Texas,  February  18,  1866. 

Officers,  51;  men,  1,151;  recruits,  127;  died,  243;  deserted,  169;  unac- 
counted for,  29;  total,  1,239. 

The  regiment  entered  Camp  Shanks,  at  Indianapolis,  and  remained  un- 
der drill  until  December  6,  1863.  At  first,  they  were  entirely  untrained 
and  their  experience  presents  some  ludicrous  adventures. 

At  their  first  parade,  for  instance,  when  the  order  was  given  to  "draw 
sabers,"  the  rattling  caused  by  the  movement  frightened  the  horses  out  of  all 
control,  and  they  scattered  and  fled  in  every  direction.  But  perse'jerantia 
vincit  omnia  (perseverance  conquers  all  things),  and  before  they  left  Indian- 
apolis, their  mounted  parade  was  a  scene  that  would  be,  even  for  a  veteran 
cavalier,  a  sight  to  behold. 

December  6,  1863,  the  Seventh  Cavalry  left  Indianapolis  for  Cairo,  111., 
moving  thence  to  Columbus,  Ky.    Their  first  camp  was  near  that  town,  and 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,     INr)IANA  505 

their  first  night  in  the  field  was  spent  in  a  pouring  rain,  which  flooded  the 
country  and  their  camping  ground  as  well. 

They  marched  to  Union  City,  Tenn. ;  arri.ved  December,  1863,  and  were 
there  assigned  to  the  First  Brigade,  Sixth  Division,  Sixteenth  Army  Corps 
— Brigade  Commander,  Col.  George  E.  Waring,  Jr.,  of  the  Fourth  Missouri 
Cavalry. 

The  regiments  in  the  brigade  were  the  Fourth  Missouri,  Col.  George  E. 
Waring,  Jr. ;  Second  New  Jersey,  Col.  Joseph  Karge ;  Seventh  Indiana,  Col. 
John  P.  C.  Shanks;  Sixth  Tennessee,  Col.  Hurst;  Nineteenth  Pennsylvania, 
Col.  Hess;  Second  Iowa,  four  companies,  Maj.  Frank  Moore;  battery,  Capt. 
Copperfair. 

The  regiments  marched  in  detachments  to  disperse  a  body  of  rebels  at 
Dresden. 

December  23,  1863,  Gen.  A.  J.  Smith  set  out  with  his  entire  force  for 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  sixty  miles  from  Union  City,  to  drive  away  Gen.  Forrest, 
remaining  till  January  i,  1864,  that  "terrible  New  Year's,"  when  the  ther- 
mometer changed,  in  Central  Indiana,  between  9  p.  m.  and  4  a.  m.,  from 
forty-five  above  to  twenty-six  below  zero,  a  change  of  seventy-one  degrees  in 
nine  hours,  or  a  fraction  less  than  eight  degrees  each  hour. 

The  regiment  was  on  its  return  to  Union  City.  The  weather  grew  in- 
tensely cold,  and  the  rain  changed  to  a  fierce  and  fearful  sleet.  Many  were 
badly  frozen,  and  some  died  from  the  exposure — among  others,  Alvah  Tucker, 
of  Company  B,  dying  at  St.  Louis  some  time  afterward.  Even  horses  per- 
ished by  the  cold  and  fell  dead  in  the  road. 

A  detachment  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry  had  been  left  at  Hichman,  Ky.,  and 
Lieut.  Col.  Browne  was  sent  there  to  take  command. 

January  7,  1864,  the  body  of  the  cavalry,  under  Gen.  Grierson,  set  out 
for  Colliersville,  in  Southwest  Tennessee,  to  join  an  expedition  into  Missis- 
sippi in  aid  of  Gen.  Sherman. 

Gen.  Grant  writes  to  Gen.  McPherson,  December  11,  1863: 
"I  will  start  a  cavalry  force  through  Mississippi  in  about  two  weeks,  to 
clean  out  the  state  entirely  of  all  rebels." 

He  writes  to  Gen.  Hallack,  December  23,  1863 : 

"I  am  engaged  in  collecting  a  large  cavalry  force  at  Savannah,  Tenn., 
to  co-operate  in  'cleaning  out  Forrest,'  to  push  on  also  into  East  Mississippi, 
and  destroy  the  Mobile  railroad." 

Still  again  he  writes  to  Gen.  Halleck,  January  15,  1864: 

"Sherman  is  to  move  to  Meridian  from  Vicksburg  with  20,000  men 
and  the  co-operating  cavalry  force  from  Corinth.     Banks  is  to  push  west- 


506  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

ward  from  the  river,  and,  by  these  combined  movements,  it  is  expected  to 
crush  the  rebel  power  in  the  South  in  the  region  of  the  Mississippi  river." 

Gen.  Smith  was  ordered  to  start  from  Memphis  by  February  i,  and  to 
move  straight  for  Meridian,  Miss.,  having  about  seven  thousand  cavalry. 

Gen.  Smith  remained  near  Memphis  till  February  9.  Marching  eastward, 
the  army  of  seven  thousand  men  concentrated  near  and  east  of  the  Talla- 
hatchie river  on  the  17th  of  February.  A  slight  engagement  was  had  at 
Okolona  February  18,  and  the  Union  forces  were  badly  defeated  February 
20,  retreating  to  Colliersville,  reaching  that  point  February  25,  and  arriving 
at  Camp  Grierson,  near  Memphis,  February  27. 

The  whole  movement  was  a  sad,  disgraceful  failure. 

On  the  day  when  Smith  commenced  his  ill-starred  retreat,  Gen.  Winslow, 
with  the  Union  forces,  was  at  Louisville,  Miss.,  only  forty-five  miles  distant. 

The  history  of  these  events  charges  that  the  generals  commanding  in 
that  and  the  succeeding  expedition  in  which  the  Seventh  took  part  were  en- 
tirely incompetent  and  inefficient,  especially  Gen.  Sturgis  in  the  expedition 
that  followed. 

The  whole  number  of  the  regiment  who  were  engaged  at  Okolona  was 
813,  and  the  loss  was  one-tenth  of  that  number — eleven  killed,  thirty  wounded, 
five  wounded  and  prisoners,  captured  unwounded,  thirty-six;  total,  eighty- 
two.    Loss  frorn  Randolph  county,  Lieut.  Francis  M.  Way,  wounded. 

The  regiment  afterward  engaged  as  part  of  a  force  of  8,000  men  under 
Gen.  Sturgis,  who  seems  to  have  been  unfit  for  his  station.  At  Brice's  Cross 
Roads,  Miss.  (Guntown),  a  severe  battle  took  place,  resulting  in  the  defeat 
of  the  Union  forces,  June  10,  1864,  and  Col.  Browne  was  wounded  in  the 
ankle. 

The  troops  seem  to  have  been,  in  these  expeditions,  brave  and  heroic, 
but  the  failure  would  appear  to  be  charged  upon  the  commanding  general. 

The  Seventh  Indiana,  Lieut.  Col.  Browne  commanding,  was  especially 
commended  for  heroic  conduct.  Gen.  Grierson  thus  recognizes  their  brave 
and  soldier-like  bearing : 

"Your  General  congratulates  you  upon  your  noble  conduct  during  the 
late  expedition,  fighting  against  overwhelming  numbers,  in  adverse  circum- 
stances, your  prompt  obedience  to  orders  and  unflinching  courage  command- 
ing the  admiration  of  all,  turned  even  defeat  almost  into  victory.  For  hours, 
on  foot,  you  repulsed  the  charges  of  the  enemy's  infantry;  and  again,  in  the 
saddle,  you  turned  his  assault  into  confusion.  Your  heroic  perseverance 
saved  hundreds  of  your  fellow-soldiers  from  capture.    You  have  been  faith- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  507 

ful  to  your  honorable  reputation,  and  have  fully  justified  the  esteem  of  your 
commander." 

Three  hundred  and  fifty  were  engaged,  with  a  loss  of  eight  killed,  six- 
teen wounded  and  seventeen  missing. 

During  the  month  of  July,  1864,  the  Seventh  Cavalry  was  sent  to  Vicks- 
burg,  and  thence  to  Port  Gibson  and  Grand  Gulf,  returning  to  Memphis  and 
to  White  Station,  July  24,  1864. 

Not  long  after  another  expedition,  toward  Holly  Springs  and  Oxford, 
was  undertaken.  During  the  progress.  Gen.  Forrest  dashed  into  Memphis, 
remaining,  however,  but  a  few  minutes.  Gen.  Smith  returned  to  Memphis 
with  the  army  about  August  29. 

About  September  22,  Gen.  Price,  with  14,000  rebels,  entered  Missouri 
from  Arkansas,  and  the  Union  cavalry,  including  500  men  of  the  Seventh 
Indiana,  under  Maj.  Simonson,  started  after  him,  marching  over  a  large  part 
of  Missouri  and  into  the  Indian  Territory.  This  pursuit  was  successful  in 
driving  Price  across  the  Arkansas  into  Indian  Territory;  and  the  Seventh 
returned,  part  to  St.  Louis  and  part  to  Louisville,  while  the  part  that  remained 
at  Memphis  did  good  service  in  that  region,  among  other  things  capturing 
Dick  Davis,  the  noted  guerrilla  chief,  and  the  terror  of  the  region. 

December  23,  1864,  Gen.  Grierson  started  for  Colliersville,  Tenn.,  on  his 
famous  "cavalry  ride"  through  Mississippi,  moving  with  great  rapidity  and 
destroying  vast  stores  collected  for  the  rebel  army  at  various  points,  as  also 
railroads,  factories,  etc. 

The  expedition  returned  to  Memphis  January  10,  1865. 

A  movement  was  made  into  Arkansas  January  20,  1865,  which  succeeded 
in  destroying  considerable  rebel  stores. 

Another  expedition  was  sent  from  Memphis   into  Arkansas  and  into 
'Louisiana,  but  what  for  no  one  but  the  projector  knows,  as  the  country  trav- 
ersed was  execrable  and  worthless,  and  had  never  been  and  never  could 
be  occupied  by  a  military  force. 

Upon  the  surrender  of  the  rebel  armies,  the  Seventh  Cavalry  expected 
to  be  disbanded,  but  it  was  sent  to  Texas,  being  carried  by  steamer  down 
the  Mississippi,  and  up  Red  river  to  Alexandria,  La.,  reaching  that  point 
June  23,  1865. 

Here  a  force  was  concentrating  of  3,000  cavalry,  to  be  sent  to  Houston 
under  command  of  Maj.  Gen.  Custer,  who  seems  to  have  been  a  pompous, 
vain  and  cruel  officer.  Only  twenty-five  years  of  age,  he  was  a  regular  army 
officer,  and  seemed  to  regard  private  soldiers  as  machines  to  be  used  for  his 
own  caprice. 


5o8  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA, 

Two  men  were  court-martialed  for  desertion,  and  sentenced  to  be  shot. 
One  suffered  the  fearful  penalty.  The  other  died  from  fright,  in  a  curious 
manner. 

Gen.  Custer  had  decided  to  save  the  life  of  one,  ordering  him,  instead, 
to  Dry  Tortugas  for  three  years,  telling  the  fact,  however,  only  to  his  Pro- 
vost Marshal.  This  officer,  at  the  moment  before  the  execution,  stepped  up 
to  the  commuted  man  to  lead  him  away.  Clapping  his  hand  roughly  upon  the 
prisoner,  the  poor  man,  thinking  himself  shot,  fainted  away,  and  died  shortly 
afterward  from  the  effects  of  the  fright. 

During  the  march  to  Texas,  Gen.  Custer  court-martialed  two  men  for 
killing  a  runty  calf,  worth  perhaps  $i,  and  inflicted  the  penalty  of  shaving 
their  heads,  giving  them  forty  lashes  and  marching  them  before  the  regiment 
on  dress  parade  in  this  condition. 

August  8,  1865,  the  troops  set  out  for  Texas,  and  the  march  was  dis- 
agreeable to  excess. 

An  account  written  by  Col.  Browne  shows  in  a  striking  light  the  hard- 
ships of  this  desert  march.    An  extract  or  two  may  be  given : 

"Monday,  August  14 — Weather  warm,  roads  dusty,  no  houses,  woods 
all  pine,  water  very  scarce  and  bad.  Pitched  my  tent  in  a  'yaller-jacket's 
nest,'  and  swore  blue  blazes. 

Thursday,  August  17 — Pines  and  deer,  bugs,  snakes  and  gallinippers 
inhabit  the  whole  face  of  the  earth. 

Friday,  August  18 — Marched  out  of  the  woods  into  the  woods  and 
through  the  woods,  and  camped  God  only  knows  where;  nobody  to  inquire 
of;  in  the  woods  all  day  and  in  the  woods  all  night." 

The  command  arrived  at  Hempstead,  Texas,  August  25,  1865,  after  a 
tedious,  weary  march  of  300  miles. 

Of  this  march,  Col.  Browne  writes : 

"During  all  this  time,  I  did  not  average  more  than  three  hours'  sleep 
each  night,  although  we  made  short  marches  each  day.  To  sleep  in  the 
day  time  was  impossible.  I  was  broken  out  as  thickly  as  ever  one  was  with 
the  measles,  from  the  bottom  of  my  feet  to  the  crown  of  my  head;  and,  dur- 
ing the  heat  of  the  day,  I  felt  as  though  I  were  pricked  by  a  million  of  pins, 
and  sprinkled  with  hot  ashes  on  the  bare  skin.  The  'itch'  is  not  a  circum- 
stance to  the  'heat.'  In  addition  to  this,  lie  down  when  you  will  in  these 
pine  woods,  and  you  are  alive  with  all  manner  of  bugs  and  creeping  things  in 
a  moment,  and  each  one  of  this  army  of  vermin  would  scratch,  bite,  sting 
and  gnaw  you  all  the  time.     Then,  though  there  was  abundance  of  pine  for- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  5O9 

est,  there  was  no  shade.  The  trees  stood  eighty  feet  high  without  a  Hmb, 
giving  about  as  much  shade  as  so  many  tall  gate-posts." 

At  Hempstead,  the  regiment  was  consolidated.  Gen.  Shanks  was  mus- 
tered out,  and  Col.  Browne  put  in  command  of  the  re-organized  regiment. 

October  30,  1865,  they  left  Hempstead  for  Austin,  the  State  capital,  ar- 
riving November  4,  1865.  Here  they  remained  till  the  muster-out,  which 
took  place  February  18,  1866. 

Proceeding  to  Galveston,  the  men  crossed  the  gulf  to  New  Orleans, 
thence  by  steamer  to  Cairo,  and  by  rail  to  Indianapolis.  A  public  reception 
and  dinner  were  had,  as  being  the  last  regiment  "come  home  from  the  wars." 
Gov;  Baker  and  Gen  Shanks  made  addresses,  and  Col.  Browne  responded; 
and  the  men  were  paid,  and  joyfully  sought  their  homes,  happy,  indeed,  that 
"the  cruel  war  was  over." 

Position  and  movements :  Camp  Shanks,  Indianapolis,  two  months ; 
Union  City,  Tenn.,  December  6-24,  1863;  reconnoissance  toward  Paris,  Tenn., 
December  14,  1863;  return  to  Union  City;  pursuit  of  Forrest,  December  24, 
1863,  and  onward;  battle  and  defeat  of  Okolona,  Miss.,  February  22,  1864; 
loss,  eleven  killed,  thirty-six  wounded,  thirty-seven  missing;  total,  eighty- 
four;  the  regiment  was  brave  and  heroic,  but  was  overpowered  by  numbers; 
second  movement  against  Forrest,  June;  1864;  battle  of  Guntown,  Miss., 
June  10,  1864;  the  battle  was  lost,  but  the  regiment  was  complimented  by 
the  general  for  its  valor;  pursuit  of  Price  in  Missouri,  November  and  De- 
cember, 1864;  Grierson's  expedition  into  Mississippi,  December  21,  January 
5,  1864,  1865;  camp  at  Vernon  taken  December  28,  1864;  large  quantity  of 
rebel  stores  destroyed;  sixteen  railroad  cars  loaded  with  pontons  for  Hood, 
and  4,000  new  carbines;  Alexandria,  La.,  June,  1865;  consolidated  into  six 
companies  July  21,  1865;  Col.  Shanks  mustered  out  for  disability  October  10, 
1865;  Lieut.  Col.  Browne  promoted  colonel  October  10,  1865;  mustered  out 
at  Austin,  Texas,  February  18,  1866. 

Members  from  Randolph  county  in  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  (Sev- 
enth Cavalry)  : 

Lieutenant  Colonel,  Thomas  M.  Browne,  promoted  colonel,  brevetted 
brigadier  general  March  13,  1865. 

Residuary  Battalion — Nathan  Garrett,  first  lieutenant  and  commissary; 
James  Marquis,  chaplain,  resigned  February  22,  1865,  disability. 

Company  B — Captain,  Thomas  M.  Browne,  promoted  lieutenant  colonel, 

colonel,  brevetted  brigadier  general;  mustered  out  February  18,  1866;  First 

Lieutenant,  George  W.  Branham,  promoted  captain,  discharged  January  2, 

1865;  Second  Lieutenant,  Sylvester  Lewis,  promoted  first  lieutenant,  captain, 

(33) 


SIO  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

mustered  out  as  supernumerary  on  consolidation;  Charles  A.  Dresser,  ser- 
geant, promoted  quartermaster  One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth  Regiment,  hon- 
orably discharged  August  25,  1864;  David  S.  Moist,  sergeant,  transferred  to 
Company  — ,  Seventh  Cavalry,  re-organized;  Cyrus  B.  Polly,  sergeant,  pro- 
moted second  lieutenant,  mustered  out  on  consolidation;  Jacob  Hartman, 
corporal,  mustered  out  September  6,  1865;  Cranberry  B.  Nickey,  corporal, 
died  at  Indianapolis  November  13,  1863;  Zachariah  Puckett,  corporal,  died 
at  Memphis  February  5,  1865;  Josepfh  W.  Ruby,  corporal,  mustered  out  Sep- 
tember 19,  1865 ;  George  D.  Huffman,  blacksmith,  captured  at  Okolona, 
Miss.,  February  22,  1864;  William  C.  Griffis,  quartermaster  sergeant,  trans- 
ferred to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized,  mustered  out  February 
18,  1866;  Elisha  B.  West,  sergeant,  transferred  to  Company  D,  re-organized, 
mustered  out  February  18,  1866,  as  commissary  sergeant;  William  R.  Schin- 
del,  sergeant,  transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized, 
mustered  out  February  18,  1866;  Edwin  M.  Tansey,  sergeant,  mustered  out 
September  16,  1865,  as  first  sergeant;  Robert  G.  Hunt,  corporal,  transferred 
to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry,  re-organized,  mustered  out  February  18, 
1866,  as  sergeant;  John  R.  Perkins,  corporal,  transferred  to  Company  D, 
Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized,  mustered  out  February  18,  1866;  Samuel 
Coddington,  corporal,  transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry  re-organ- 
ized, mustered  out  February  18,  1866;  Joseph  L.  Coffin,  corporal,  died  at  In- 
dianapoHs  November  12,  1863;  John  Leamington,  blacksmith,  transferred  to 
Company  D.  Seventh  Cavalry,  re-organized,  mustered  out  February  18,  1866; 
James  Bright,  wagoner,  transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry  re-or- 
ganized, mustered  out  February  18,  1866. 

Privates — Jeremiah  Armstrong,  transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh 
Cavalry,  re-organized,  mustered  out  February  18,  1866,  as  corporal;  Ed- 
mund L.  Anderson,  discharged  November,  1864;  Charles  L.  Branham,  trans- 
ferred to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry,  re-organized,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 18,  1866;  Justice  Bonnell,  discharged  May  26,  1865;  Orin  Barber,  died 
at  Memphis,  June  i,  1864;  Antony  S.  Cost,  transferred  to  Company  D,  Sev- 
enth Regiment,  re-organized,  mustered  out  February  18,  1866;  James  K. 
Clear,  transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry,  re-organized,  mustered 
out  February  18,  1866;  Alpheus  Conyer,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps,  mustered  out  November  17,  1865;  Edmund  D.  Cortes,  transferred  to 
Veteran  Reserve  Corps  October,  1864;  Sanford  Crist,  discharged  March  30, 
1864;  Daniel  Coats,  mustered  out  June  8,  1865;  Nelson  H.  Elliot,  transferred 
to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry,  re-organized ;  Eli  Frazier,  mustered  out 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  5II 

May  ,18,  1865;  Isaac  M.  Gray,  transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry, 
re-organized,  mustered  out  February  i8,  1866;  George  W.  Gray,  mustered 
out  October  11,  1865;  Edward  E.  Gray,  captured  at  Guntown,  Miss.,  June 
10,  1864;  Nathan  Garrett,  promoted  first  Heutenant,  Regimental  Commissary, 
and  Commissary  of  Battalion;  Hamilton  C.  Gullett,  mustered  out  May  17, 
1865;  Elias  Helffine,  died  at  Memphis  March  7,  1864;  Alfred  Hall,  died  at 
Memphis,  March  7,  1864;  Edward  D.  Hunt,  transferred  to  Company  D,  Sev- 
enth Cavalry,  re-organized,  mustered  out  February  18,  1866;  Andrew  Huff- 
man, transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized,  mustered  out 
February  18,  1866;  Vinson  Huston,  transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh 
Cavalry,  re-organized,  mustered  out  February  18,  1866;  Elijah  Hazelton, 
transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry,  re-organized,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 18,  1866;  John  C.  Henshaw,  transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cav- 
alry re-organized,  mustered  out  February  18,  1866;  Mordecai  M.  Harris, 
mustered  out  September  19,  1865,  as  sergeant;  Francis  M.  Johnson,  died  at 
White's  Station,  Tenn.,  August  3,  1864;  Stephen  Kennedy,  discharged  Au- 
gust 16,  1865 ;  John  E.  Keys,  discharged  March  6,  1865 ;  John  E.  Kelsy,  mus- 
tered out  September  19,  1865,  as  corporal;  Hiram  Lamb,  mustered  out  May 
24,  1865;  Erastus  Ludy,  mustered  out  May  31,  1865;  Thomas  Little,  trans- 
fered  to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 18,  1866;  Alexander  Little,  transferred  to  Company  D;  Urias  Lamb, 
transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 18,  1866;  William  Milles,  record  indefinite;  John  Murphy,  transferred 
to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized,  mustered  out  February  18, 
1866;  James  W.  Mattox,  died  at  Hickman,  Ky.,  February  6,  1864;  Patrick 
McGettigan,  transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized,  mus- 
tered out  February  18,  i866;'  George  W.  Monks,  transferred  to  Company  D, 
Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized,  mustered  out  February  14,  1866;  James  Moore, 
transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 18,  1866;  John  R.  Mauzy,  transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cav- 
alry re-organized,  mustered  out  February  18,  1866;  Harrison  C.  Nickey, 
transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 18,  1866;  Henry  S.  Peacock,  transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cav- 
alry re-organized;  Cass  M.  Peterson,  mustered  out  May  24,  1865;  Orvil  B. 
Peterson,  died  at  home  July  30,  1864;  Leander  Pugh,  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps,  mustered  out  November  17,  1865;  George  W.  Shreeve,  pro- 
moted second  lieutenant,  first  lieutenant,  transferred  to  Company  D,  Residu- 
ary Battalion,  mustered  out  February  18,  1863;  David  H.  Seamans,  trans- 
ferred to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  October,  1864;  Clement  S.  Strahan,  trans- 


512  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

ferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized,  mustered  out  February 
i8,  1866;  George  W.  Smith  (No.  i),  transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh 
Cavalry  re-organized,  died  at  Austin,  Texas,  February  2,  1865;  George  W. 
Smith  (No.  2),  transferred  to  Company  D.  Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized, 
mustered  out  February  18,  1866;  William  Stine,  transferred  to  Company  D, 
Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized,  mustered  out  February  18,  1866;  William 
Skinner,  discharged  June  14,  1864;  Benjamin  Thorp,  died  at  Memphis  April 
I,  1864;  Alvah  Tucker,  died  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Mo.,  May  30,  1864. 
( Elsewhere  he  is  said  to  have  died  on  the  march  on  the  cold  New  Year's — 
that  statement  is  from  a  history  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Regi- 
ment; this  is  from  the  adjutant  general's  report;  which  is  right  we  can  not 
tell.)  Luther  C.  Wilhamson,  died  at  Memphis,  April  18,  1865;  Elijah  T. 
Wood,  died  at  home  August  12,  1864;  John  T.  Williamson,  transferred  to 
Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized,  mustered  out  February  18,  1866; 
Christian  H.  Wright,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  October  20,  1864, 
as  sergeant ;  John  M.  Woodbury,  record  indefinite ;  Francis  M.  Way,  promoted 
first  lieutenant,  captain,  resigned  February  i,  1865. 

Recruits — John  B.  Hughes,  mustered  out  June  15,  1865;  D.  McMahan, 
transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 18,  1866;  Lewis  Reeves,  mustered  out  May  24,  1865;  Joseph  Shaffer, 
transferred  to  Company  D,  Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 18,  1866;  Elisha  B.  Wood,  transferred  to  Company  D.  Seventh  Cavalry 
re-organized,  mustered  out  February  18,  1866. 

Company  E — Harris  J.  Abbott,  commissary  sergeant,  mustered  out  as 
private  July  10,  1865. 

Company  H — Edward  Calkins,  second  lieutenant,  promoted  captain,  re- 
signed March  6,  1865,  disability. 

Company  K — John  B.  Mellott,  corporal,  discharged  June,  1865.  John  H. 
IMatchett,  corporal,  transferred  to  Company  E,  Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized, 
mustered  out  February  18,  1866;  John  W.  Baler,  transferred  to  Company  E, 
Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized,  mustered  out  February  18,  1866;  Calvin  P. 
Corbitt,  trans  ferred  ^to  Company  E,  Seventh  Cavalry  re-organized,  mustered 
out  February  18,  1866;  Winfield  Gunkel,  transferred  to  Company  E,  Seventh 
Cavalry  re-organized,  mustered  out  February  18,  1866;  Calvin  Harlan,  dis- 
charged January  i,  1864;  Richard  E.  Matchett,  mustered  out  September  19, 
1865,  as  corporal. 

A  considerable  number  of  the  members  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Nine- 
teenth were  on  board  the  ill-fated  steamer  Sultana,  which  was  destroyed,  with 
many  hundreds  of  released  prisoners  going  north,  who  had  been  allowed,  in 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  513 

violation  of  all  dictates  of  prudence,  to  crowd  themselves  upon  that  old  hulk 
in  their  eagerness  to  reach  their  Northern  homes.  (See  Sultana.)  We  should 
be  glad  to  give  a  list  of  these  men,  but  no  such  list  is  w^ithin  our  reacli. 

ONE  HUNDRED  AND  TWENTY-FIRST  REGIMENT,   NINTH  CAVALRY,  THREE  YEARS. 

Organized  March  i,  1864,  at  Indianapolis;  Colonel,  George  W.  Jackson. 

Mustered  out  at  Vicksburg,  August  28,  1865. 

Officers,  48;  men,  1,219;  recruits,  67;  died,  206;  deserted,  126;  unac- 
counted for,  20;  total,  1,334. 

The  regiment  left  Indianapolis  May  3,  1864,  for  Pulaski,  Tenn.,  and  was 
on  duty  there  till  November  23,  engaged  in  the  Forrest  and  Wheeler  cam- 
paigns of  the  time.  At  Sulphur  Branch  Trestle,  Ala.,  September  25,  1864, 
a  detachment  of  the  regiment  lost,  in  an  engagement  with  Forrest,  120  killed, 
wounded  and  missing. 

On  Hood's  approach,  the  regiment  fell  back  to  Nashville,  and  the  men 
were  mounted  and  sent  to  the  front.  At  Franklin,  it  suffered  a  loss  of  twenty- 
six  officers  and  men.  After  Hood's  retreat,  they  took  up  winter  quarters  at 
Gravelly  Springs,  Ala.,  from  January  6  to  February  6,  1865,  and,  at  the  lat- 
ter date,  proceeded  to  New  Orleans.  Turning  over  their  horses,  the  Ninth 
returned  to  Vicksburg  March  25.  Remaining  on  duty  there  to  May  5,  they 
were  remounted  and  employed  in  garrisoning  posts  in  the  interior  of  Missis- 
sippi. May  22,  1865,  the  regiment  came  again  to  Vicksburg,  to  be  mustered 
out ;  but  the  act  was  not  accomplished  till  August  28,  1865. 

They  arrived  at  Indianapolis  September  5,  1865.  A  public  reception  was 
held  for  that  and  other  returned  regiments  September  6,  i860. 

The  number  of  men  on  the  muster-out  was  386.  April  26,  1865,  fifty- 
five  were  lost  by  the  explosion  of  the  steamer  Sultana  on  her  homeward  pass- 
age up  the  Mississippi,  they  having  b'een  paroled  from  rebel  imprisonment. 
The  survivors  reached^  Indianapolis  in  May,  and  were  mustered  out  as  paroled 
prisoners  of  war. 

Officers  and  men  from  Randolph  county  in  the  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-first  (Ninth  Cavalry)  : 

Wilson  J.  Baker,  first  lieutenant  and  commissary,  mustered  out  with 
regiment. 

Company  C — Solomon  Bantz,  discharged  June  16,  1865;  Joseph  A.  El- 
lis, mustered  out  October  30,  1865;  John  M.  Engleheart,  died  at  Memphis 
May  9,  1865;  Samuel  A.  Harris,  mustered  out  August  28,  1865;  Jacob  A. 


514  KANIJOLPJI    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

Jackson,  promoted  to  second  lieutenant,  first  lieutenant,  mustered  out  with 
regiment;  James  Jones,  mustered  out  June  6,  1865;  Lorenzo  D.  Patterson, 
transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps;  Jonathan  W.  Stephens,  discharged 
June  13,  1865;  Lorenzo  D.  Veal,  died  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  March  8,  1865; 
Lawrence  G.  Wiggins,  mustered  out  August  28,  1865 ;  Sanford  Wine,  mus- 
tered out  August  28,  1865;  John  Wine,  mustered  out  August  28,  1865; 
William  G.  Hill,  recruit,  mustered  out  August  28,  1865 ;  Thomas  C.  Reynard, 
recruit,  mustered  out  July  igi  1865 ;  Alexander  S.  Starbuck,  recruit,  mus- 
tered out  August  28,  1865. 

Company  L — George  W.  Addington,  mustered  out  August  28,  1865,  ^•s 
sergeant;  William  J.  Collins,  mustered  out  July  10,  1865,  as  corporal. 

ONE  HUNDRED  AND  TWENTY-FOURTH  INDIANA,  THREE  YEARS. 

Officers,  41 ;  men,  917;  recruits,  79;  died,  149;  deserted,  2,7\  unaccounted 
for,  6;  total,  1,037;  mustered  out,  565. 

Mustered  in  at  Richmond  March  10,  1864,  Col.  Burgess. 

Mustered  out  at  Greensboro,  N.  C,  August  31,  1865 — thirty-three  offi- 
cers, 532  men. 

Louisville,  March  19,  1864. 

Nashville,  March  24,  1864. 

Athens,  Tenn.,  May,  1864. 

Buzzard's  Roost,  May  8,  1864. 
•   Atlanta  campaign.  May  to  September,  1864. 

Nashville,  November  9,  1864. 

Franklin  (battle),  November,  1864. 

Nashville  (battle),  December  15,  1864. 

Pursuit  of  Hood  December  and  January,  1865  and  1865. 

Newbern,  N.  C,  February  28,  1865. 

Goldsboro,  N.  C,  March  21,  1865, 

Greensboro    (mustered    out),    August    31,    1865 — thirty-three    officers, 
532  men. 

Reception  at  Indianapolis  September  10,  1865. 

The  time  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  was  "well  put  in." 
Atlanta,  Franklin,  Nashville,  Goldsboro,  Richmond. 

Officers  and  men  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment 
from  Randolph  county : 

Major — Henry  H.  Neff,  promoted  lieutenant  colonel,  resigned  May  24, 
1865. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  515 

Chaplain — Reuben  H.  Sparks,  resigned  May  2,  1865. 

Assistant  Surgeon — Stanley  W.  Edwins,  mustered  out  with  regiment 
August  31,  1865. 

Company  A — First  Lieutenant,  John  W.  Hannah,  promoted  captain, 
mustered  out  with  regiment  August  31,  1865.  Private,  Isaac  Clements,  mus- 
tered out  August  31,  1865. 

Company  B — Second  Lieutenant,  Jesse  May,  promoted  captain,  mus- 
tered out  with  regiment  August  31,  1865.  Privates — William  Bailey,  mus- 
tered out  August  31,  1865;  Samuel  Conner,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865; 
Isaiah  Cowgill,  mustered  out  July  3,  1865;  Joseph  Carver,  mustered  out  Au- 
gust 31,  1865;  William  J.  Clevenger,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  George 
E.  Clevenger,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  William  L.  Dudley,  died  at 
Knoxville,  Tenn.,  July  20,  1864;  Silas  W.  Dudley,  mustered  out  June  5, 
1865;  John  Ensminger,  died  at  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  May  31,  1864;  Thomas 
Fostnow,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Samuel  Lewallen,  mustered  out 
August  31,  1865,  as  corporal;  George  Lykens,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865; 
Jonathan  Mosier,  discharged  July  11,  1865;  Samuel  J.  Pugh,  mustered  out 
July  13,  ^865;  Felix  Ryan,  died  at  Knoxville  August  24,  1864;  Sherrod  W. 
Reece,  promoted  second  lieutenant;  second  lieutenant  in  Company  G,  One 
Hundred  and  Forty-seventh  Regiment;  first  lieutenant  in  Company  B,  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth;  mustered  out  as  second  lieutenant  August  31, 
1865;  William  B.  Thornburg,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865,  as  corporal; 
John  Woolford,  mustered  out  June  22,  1865. 

Company  F — Thomas  Blakely,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  William 
Bradshaw,  died  at  Nashville  April  28,  1864;  Simon  W.  Ross,  died  at  Bridge- 
port, Ala.,  July  2,  1864. 

Company  G — Captain,  Henry  H.  Neff,  promoted  major,  lieutenant  colo- 
nel, resigned  May  24,  1865;  First  Lieutenant,  Asa  Teal,  promoted  captain, 
mustered  out  with  regiment  August  31,  1865;  Second  Lieutenant,  Joseph  A. 
Bunch,  promoted  first  lieutenant,  mustered  out  with  regiment  August  31, 
1865.  Sergeants — William  M.  Fisher,  promoted  second  lieutenant,  mustered 
out  August  31,  1865;  James  M.  Hamilton,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865,  as 
first  sergeant;  James  McConnell,  mvistered  out  May  24,  1865;  James  Mehan, 
mustered  out  July  10,  1865;  Lewis  PhiUips,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865. 
Corporals' — Anderson  S.  Mincer,  discharged  November  29,  1864,  sergeant; 
Abram  Heaston,  mustered  out  June  3,  1865,  sergeant;  Caleb  Saunders,  mus- 
tered out  August  31,  1865,  as  sergeant;  Joseph  Mote,  mustered  out  August 
31,  1865,  as  sergeant;  George  W.  Grimes,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865, 
sergeant;  Samuel  Williams,  died  at  Newton,  Ind.,  October  12,  1864;  John 


5l6  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

P.  Smith,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  John  R.  Fisher,  mustered  out  July 
6,  1865.  Musicians — David  R.  McNees,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865; 
Jesse  Bobe,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865.  Privates — Francis  Abernathy,' 
mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Edward  Adams,  mustered  out  August  31, 
1865;  Theodore  C.  Burg,  mustered  out  June  17,  1865;  John  R.  Bales,  mus- 
tered out  August  31,  1865;  Charles  Barnes,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865; 
•George  W.  Boyer,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  William  Braden,  mustered 
out  August  31,  1865 ;  Lafayette  Brobst,  discharged  January  26,  1865,  wounds; 
John  D.  Brodrick,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Truman  A.  Brown,  mus- 
tered out  July  II,  1865;  Jonathan  F.  Bundy,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865, 
as  corporal;  John  Burk,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865,  as  corporal;  William 
J.  Brown,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865  ;  Benjamin  Coby,  died  at  Union  City, 
Ind.,  February  17,  1864;  John  W.  Cox,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Sam- 
uel D.  Cole,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865,  as  corporal;  Samuel  C.  Crain,  dis- 
charged May  8,  1865,  wounds;  Thomas  H.  Clark  mustered  out  August  31, 
1865,  as  corporal;  John  Conner,  died  at  Atlanta  October  4,  1864;  Alexander 
H.  Davis,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865  ;  George  R.  Driver,  died  at  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  December  22,  1864;  Thomas  J.  Edwards,  transferred  to  Veteran  Re- 
serve Corps,  mustered  out  August  25,  1865 ;  Benjamin  W.  Evans,  mustered 
out  August  31,  1865,  as  Hospital  Steward;  William  Faris,  mustered  out  Au- 
gust 31,  1865;  Enos  M.  Ford,  mustered  out  July  6,  1865;  Josiah  Frizzell, 
mustered  out  June  6,  1865;  George  M.  Goodman,  mustered  out  August  31, 
1865;  Thomas  A.  Gustin,  died  at  home  October  20,  1864;  Samuel  Gustin, 
mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Albert  J.  Harris,  mustered  out  August  31, 
1865,  as  corporal;  David  R.  Hickman,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Will- 
iam Huffman,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Milton  Huffman,  mustered 
out  August  31,  1865;  Daniel  Houser,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Martin 
Ingle,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  David  James,  mustered  out  August  31, 
1865;  George  Jones,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Jacob  S.  Jones,  mus- 
tered out  August  31,  1865;  David  Jarrett,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865,  as 
corporal;  William  Jarrett,  mustered  out  June  14,  1865;  John  J.  Kisler,  mus- 
tered out  August  31,  1865;  William  Kennon,  died  at  Union  City  February  i, 
1864;  Samuel  F.  Locke,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  John  Leahy,  not 
mustered  out;  William  Linkerdorfer,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  James 
M.  Moore,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  John  N.  Murray,  died  at  Chatta- 
nooga August  15,  1864;  Leander  S.  Murray,  died  at  Bridgeport,  Ala.,  April 
20,  1864;  John  McGuay,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  William  Miller,  mus- 
tered out  June  5,  1865;  Joseph  L.  Mofifitt,  died  at  Marietta,  Ga.,  August  10, 
1864;  Samuel  E.  Nickey,  discharged  August  23,  1864,  wounds;  Robert  Pain, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  517 

mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Newton  Peterson,  not  mustered  out;  Hugh 
V.  Poyner,  mustered  out  May  11,  1865;  William  A.  Ranier,  mustered  out 
August  31,  1865;  James  A.  Ramsey,  died  at  Nashville,  July  7,  1864;  Gran- 
ville Roads,  mustered  out  June  12,  1864;  Michael  Ryan,  not  mustered  out; 
Michael  Roman,  not  mustered  out;  Mahlon  J.  Rainer,  died  at  Newbern,  N.  C, 
March  22,  1865,  wounds;  James  D.  Reeves,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps,  mustered  out  August  25,  1865;  William  H.  Reed,  mustered  out  Au- 
gust 10,  1865;  Robert  W.  Routh,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Jeremiah 
Skiner,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  David  Smith,  mustered  out  May  30, 
1865;  John  W.  Stiles,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  John  Suter,  mustered 
out  August  31,  1865;  William  M.  Sutton,  mustered  out  as  corporal  August 
31,  1865;  Jaities  Swathwood,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Andrew  J. 
Skaggs,  died  at  Big  Shanty,  Ga.,  June  28,  1864,  wounds;  Benjamin  M.  Stines, 
mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Milton  C.  Stakebake,  mustered  out  July  10, 
1865;  Charles  Schneckengast,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Samuel  W. 
Thomson,  killed  at  Franklin,  Tenn.,  November  30,  1864;  Fletcher  Truax, 
mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Thomas  C.  Todd,  mustered  out  August  31, 
1865;  Martin  W.  Watts,  mustered  out  June  17,  1865;  John  B.  Warner,  dis- 
charged May  9,  1865,  as  corporal,  wounds;  Levi  Welch,  discharged  February 
9,  1865;  Thomas  J.  Way,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865. 

Company  H — Captain,  James  L.  Neff,  killed  at  battle  of  Wise's  Forks, 
N.  C,  March  10,  1865;  First  Lieutenant,  Thomas  S.  Kennon,  discharged 
December  20,  1864,  disability;  Second  Lieutenant,  Levi  Wolf,  resigned  June 
14,  1864.  Sergeants — Edmund  Engle,  promoted  to  second  lieutenant,  first 
lieutenant,  captain,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Peter  M.  Shultz,  pro- 
moted second  lieutenant,  mustered  out  as  sergeant  August  31,  1865;  John 
R.  Mote,  died  at  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  August  8,  1864;  James  M.  Gunckel,  mus- 
tered July  6,  1865;  Thomas  Adamson,  discharged  March  12,  1865,  as  hospital 
steward.  Corporals — John  Quincy  Adams  Roberts,  mustered  out  June  17, 
1765,  as  sergeant;  George  W.  Fisher,  mustered  out  June  16,  1865;  Robinson 
H.  Bailey,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Samuel  L.  Adams,  mustered  out 
August  31,  1865;  John  M.  Benson,  died  at  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  September  7, 
1864,  sergeant;  George  W.  Smithson,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865,  as  ser- 
geant; Rufus  G.  Mote,  mustered  out  May  30,  1865.  Musician — Isaiah  Ryan, 
from  Fortieth  Ohio.  Privates — Andrew  J.  Ballentyne,  discharged  July  10, 
1865;  Albert  Banta,  died  at  New  Albany,  Ind.,  December  13,  1864;  Jacob 
Barnes,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  James  Bartholomew,  mustered  out 
August  31,  1865,  as  musician;  Joseph  Bentley,  died  at  Louisville  March  25, 
1864;  William  Boltz,  mustered  August  31,  1865,  as  corporal;  Samuel  Bright, 


5l8  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

mustered  out  August  31,  1865,  as  corporal;  George  W.  Brown,  mustered  out 
August  31,  1865;  Jefferson  Bush,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865,  as  corporal; 
Elihu  Coats,  killed  near  Atlanta,  Ga.,  August  5,  1864;  George  Coates,  mus- 
tered out  May  30,  1865;  Gilbert  L.  Cox,  died  at  Altoona,  Ga.,  June  2.y,  1864; 
Olinthus  Cox,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865,  as  corporal;  Erastus  Corwin, 
mustered  out  June  16,  1865;  John  W.  Edwards,  transferred  to  Veteran  Re- 
serve Corps  November  20,  1864;  Martin  E.  Ferrell,  mustered  out  August  31, 
1865;  James  W.  Ferrell,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  John  C.  Ferrell, 
mustered  August  31,  1865;  Andrew  J.  Goodman,  died  at  Richmond,  Ind., 
March  21,  1864;  William  Goshorn,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Jacob 
F.  Groshaus,  promoted  second  lieutenant,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865,  as 
first  sergeant;  John  Grow,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865,  as  corporal;  Thomas 
D.  Guncle,  mustered  out  July  6,  1865 ;  George  M.  Haas,  mustered  out  August 
31,  1865;  Eli  J.  Harris,  died  near  Atlanta,  Ga.,  August  6,  1864;  John  H. 
Hart,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  James  T.  Hart,  mustered  out  May  30, 
1865;  Henry  Hobbick,  mustered  out  May  30,  1865,  as  corporal;  Thomas 
Horner,  mustered  out  July  6,  1865 ;  Amos  C.  Jessup,  mustered  out  July  10, 
1865;  William  P.  Jessup,  died  at  Chattanooga  April  27,  1864;  Robert  Kirk- 
ley,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  John  Kizer,  died  at  Marietta,  Ga.,  April 
28,  1864;  Leander  C.  Lasley,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Charles  C.  Law- 
rence, mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  John  Lyon,  record  indefinite;  Manuel 
D.  Miller,  died  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  April  3,  1864;  Andrew  H,  McNees,  mus- 
tered out  August  31,- 1865,  as  corporal;  James  Miranda,  mustered  out  August 
31,  1865;  George  N.  Perkins,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865,  as  corporal; 
Charles  H.  Pierce,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Henry  M.  Robinson,  dis- 
charged June  27,  1864;  Henry  Ross,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Ben- 
jamin F.  Sasser,  mustered  out  May  30,  1865;  John  C.  Sears,  record  indefi- 
nite; James  Shearer,  died  at  Kno'xvjlle,  Tenn.,  July  11,  1864;  Reuben  Shock- 
ney,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  George  C.  Terrell,  died  March  22,  1865, 
wounds;  Jesse  M.  Vanhart,  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  August  3, 
1864;  Isaac  B.  Vaughn,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Joseph  M.  Vaughn, 
mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  John  R.  Winship,  killed  at  Wise's  Forks 
March  10,  1865;  William  W.  Whiting,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  John 
A.  Zimmerman,  died  at  Indianapolis  September  5,  1864.  Recruits — Albert 
Coats,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865,  as  corporal;  John  Harris,  mustered  out 
August  31,  1865;  William  H.  Johnson,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  James 
McConaughey,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Milton  Meranda,  mustered  out 
August  31,  1865;  Francis  Parker,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Lawrence 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  5I9 

Powers,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Levi  Rhoads,  mustered  out  August 
31,  1865;  Christian  Richards,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865. 

Company  K — Thomas  H.  Barnes,  mustered  out  August  31,  1865;  Enos 
P.  Fulghum,  August  31,  1865. 

ONE  HUNDRED  AND  THIRTIETH  REGIMENT  INDIANA  INFANTRY   ( THREE  YEARS.) 

This  regiment  was  mustered  in  at  Kokomo  March  12,  1864;  Colonel, 
Charles  S.  Parrish.  Mustered  out  at  Charlotte,  N.  C,  December  2,  1865. 
Officers,  40;  men,  924;  recruits,  22;  died,  178;  deserted,  21 ;  unaccounted  for, 
9;  total,  986. 

Moved  to  Nashville  March  16,  1864.  Marched  through  to  Murfreesboro, 
Tullahoma,  Stevenson,  Chattanooga  and  Cleveland  to  Chaii'lestoh,  East  Ten- 
nessee, arriving  March  24,  1864.  Left  Charleston  for, the  front  May  3, 
1864.  Atlanta  campaign  May  9,  September  2,  1864.  Camped  at  Decatur, 
Ga.,  till  October  4,  1864.  Pursued  Hood  to  Gaylesville..  Moved  to  Nashville 
and  fought  at  Franklin  and  Nashville. 

Camped  at  Columbia,  Tenn.,  till  January  5,  1865.  Moved  to  Washington 
City  and  to  Fort  Fisher,  near  Wilmington,  N.  C.  Moved  to  Fort  Anderson, 
N.  C.  Moved  to  Morehead  City  and  Newbern  March  i,  1865.  Battle  of 
Wise's  Forks,  N.  C.  March  8,  1865. 

Entered  Goldsboro,  N.  C:,  March  21,  1865,  joining  with  Sherman's 
army. 

Marched  to  Smithfield  April  11,  1865.  News  of  Lee's  surrender  re- 
ceived April  12,  1865.  Marched  to  Raleigh  April  14,  1865.  Johnson's  sur- 
render April,  1865.  Moved  to  Greensboro  and  to  Charlotte.  Stationed  at 
Charlotte,  N.  C,  till  December  2,  1865.  Arrived  at  Indianapolis  December 
13,  1865,  with  27  officers  and  540  men.  Public  reception  in  the  State  House 
Grove.  Regiment  received  final  payment  and  discharged  and  went  home 
with  glad  hearts,  feeling  that  the  great  work  was  done. 

Officers — Quartermaster,  Charles  A.  Dresser,  appointed  adjutant  pro 
ttfm. ;  recommissioned  quartermaster,  honorably  discharged  August  24,  1865. 

Privates,  Company  B — Benjamin  Lockhart,  mustered  out  December  2, 

1865. 

Company  H — Samuel  B.  Wilson,  mustered  out  December  2,  1862,  as 
sergeant;  James  F.  Williams,  mustered  out  December  2,  1865. 

Company  I — Simon  Burris,  mustered  out  December  2,  1865;  Henry  H. 
Beach,  mustered  out  June  8,  1865;  John  W.  Campbell,  mustered  out  May  16, 
1865;  David  H.  Dutro,  mustered  out  December  2,  1865;  Benjamin  F.  Emer- 


520  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

son,  mustered  out  December  2,  1865;  Thomas  C.  HoUoway,  died  at  Chat- 
tanooga, Tenn.,  November  23,  1864;  Thomas  O'Neal,  died  at  Knoxville, 
Tenn.,  August  16,  1864;  Elisha  B.  Porter,  discharged  June  7,  1865;  David 
S.  Porter,  mustered  out  December  2,  1865,  as  corporal;  Joseph  W.  Smith, 
mustered  out  December  2,  1865,  as  corporal;  James  A.  Williams,  mustered 
out  August  30i  1865. 

ONE    HUNDRED    AND   THIRTY-FIRST    ISTDIANA,    THIRTEENTH    CAVALRY 

(three  years). 

Company  I^ — William  H.  Green,  mustered  out  November  18,  1865;  J.  W. 
Kitchel,  discharged  May  18,  1865;  James  M.  Parvis,  mustered  out  November 
18,  1865 ;  Francis  M.  Yager,  mustered  out  November  18,  1865. 

Statistics — Mustered  in  April  29,  1864,  Indianapolis,  Colonel,  G.  M.  S. 
Johnson.  Mustered  out  at  Indianapolis  in  August,  1864.  Officers,  50;  men, 
1,107;  recruits,  236;  died,  136;  deserters,  87;  unaccounted  for,  9;  total,  1,393. 

Movements — Left  Indianapolis  for  Nashville  as  infantry  April  30,  1864. 
Ordered  to  Huntsville  as  a  garrison  May  31,  1864,  scouting  and  skirmishing 
through  the  summer  .of  1864,  holding  the  post  against  the  whole  force  of 
Col.  Buford  October  i,  1864.  Companies  A,  C,  D,  F  and  I  went  to  Louis- 
ville to  draw  horses  and  equipments  for  the  whole  regiment.  Ordered  to 
Paducah;  left  Paducah  for  Louisville  and  Nashville  November  i,  1864.  Those 
companies  went  to  La  Vergne  and  fell  back  on  Murfreesboro,  having  two 
battles  and  twelve  skirmishes,  losing  sixty-seven  men.  The  other  companies 
took  part  at  Nashville  and  the  entire  regiment  united  immediately  afterward. 
Effecting  a  remounting,  the  regiment  was  assigned  to  the  Second  Brigade, 
Seventh  Division  Cavalry  Corps  of  the  Military  Division  of  the  Mississippi, 
Col.  Johnson  commanding  the  brigade.  Left  for  New  Orleans  February  11, 
1865;  disembarked  at  Vicksburg;  went  on  to  New  Orleans  March  6,  1865, 
and  to  Mobile  Bay;  raid  through  Alabama,  Georgia  and  Mississippi — 800 
miles — under  Gen.  Grierson,  to  Columbus,  Miss.  Went  to  Macon,  Miss., 
guarding  railroads  and  capturing  stores,  ammunition  and  ordnance.  Returned 
to  Columbus  and  to  Vicksburg.  Mustered  out  of  service  November  18,  1865. 
Reached  Indianapolis  November  25,  1865.  Dinner  at  the  Soldier's  Home 
and  reception  at  the  State  House  same  day.  Welcome  by  Gov.  Baker.  Re- 
sponse by  Gen.  Johnson. 

Regiment  at  the  disbandment  numbered  23  officers  and  633  men. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  521 

ONE  HUNDRED  AND  THIRTY-FOURTH   REGIMENT    (  lOO  UAYS). 

Call  issued  by  Gov.  ]\Iorton  April  21,,  1864.  One  Hundred  and  Thirty- 
second  to  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-ninth  Regiments  were  organized  under  the 
call.  The  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  was  mustered  in  at  Indianapolis 
May  25,  1864,  Colonel,  James  Gavin;  seven  companies  were  recruited  from 
the  Fourth  and  three  in  the  Fifth  District.  They  proceeded  immediately  to 
Tennessee  for  garrison  and  guard  duty. 

Statistics — Officers,  41 ;  men,  908;  recruits,  i ;  died,  19;  total,  950. 

The  IOC-day  regiments  did  a  useful,  though  not  a  conspicuous  service, 
enabling  the  trained  soldiers  to  be  sent  to  the  front  in  the  important  and  de- 
cisive campaign  of  1864  in  Virginia  and  Georgia  and  elsewhere. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  Regiment  was  mustered  in  May 
25,  1864,  and  mustered  out  in  August  of  the  same  year. 

The  officers  and  men  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  Regiment 
from  Randolph  county  were  as  follows : 

Company  F — Captain,  George  W.  H.  Riley,  promoted  lieutenant  colonel, 
mustered  out  with  the  regiment ;  First  Lieutenant,  William  M.  Cox,  promoted 
captain,  mustered  out  with  regiment;  Second  Lieutenant,  Joab  Driver,  pro- 
moted first  lieutenant,  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

Company  F — Hiram  Alshouse,  Milton  Anderson,  Matthew  Atkinson, 
John  Batchelor,  John  H.  Beary,  Sanford  Bowman,  Albert  H.  Bowen,  John 
F  Brice,  John  P.  Brewster,  William  L.  Burress,  WiUiam  H.  Caty,  Seth  D. 
Coats,  Elisha  Conner,  William  R.  Cox,  Abraham  Conner,  Edmond  A.  Crop- 
per, Henry  S.  Curry,  William  T.  Davis,  William  C.  Dye,  James  Edwards, 
James  S.  Engle,  William  W.  Ennis,  David  A.  Fisher,  Abijah  Frazier,  John 
W.  French,  Samuel  A.  French,  Albert  C.  Gaddis,  Francis  A.  Graham,  James 
B.  Gray,  Robert  E.  Grubbs,  John  Hollowell,  Henry  C.  Hiatt,  Wilson  Hiatt, 
John  E.  Hodson,  Charles  H.  Huffman,  John  B.  Hughes,  William  Jones, 
Thomas  W.  Jordan,  Alva  C.  Kepler,  Homer  Lewallen,  Joseph  W.  McCracken, 
Ellis  S.  McNees,  Joseph  McNees,  Charles  McGee,  Morgan  H.  Mills,  Oliver 
M.  Mills,  promoted  first  lieutenant;  John  E.  Neff,  William  H.  O'Neall,  Will- 
iam H.  Painter,  Christopher  Pasters,  Caleb  C.  Peacock,  William  E.  Peacock, 
George  W.  Porter,  William  Puckett,  Zachariah  T.  Puckett,  Erastus  H.  Read, 
Enoch  Scott,  Levi  Slusher,  John  T.  Smith,  Stover  Smith,  James  C.  Sommer- 
ville,  Alexander  S.  Starbuck,  James  C.  Steele,  Washington  L.  Strohm,  John 
W.  Study,  Henry  Tharpe,  Martin  V.  Tucker,  Leroy  Turner,  William  W. 
Vandegraff,  Arthur  Vanderburg,  De  Witt  C.  Weldy,  Beniah  N.  White,  John 


522  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Wideman,  Luther  M.  Williams,  Sylvester  M.  Williams,  Levi  F.  Wilmington, 
Benjamin  F.  Willmore,  Elias  Wright,  Henry  M.  Yunker. 

ONE   HUNDRED  AND  THIRTY-NINTH   REGIMENT    (  ICG  DAYS.) 

Company  I — Charles  D.  Lewis,  mustered  out  September  29,  1864. 

Regiment' mustered  in  at  Indianapolis  June  8,  1864;  Colonel,  George 
Humphrey.     Companies  raised  as  follows  : 

Elizaville,  Lawrenceburg,  Kendallville,  Knightstown,  Connersville,  New 
Castle,  Portland,  Vevay,  one  each;  one  from  New  Albany  and  Metamoras, 
and  one  from  Columbia,  New  Haven  and  New  Philadelphia. 

Statistics — Officers,  30;  men,  824;  recruits,  2;  died,  11;  deserted,  i; 
total,  856. 

They  were  stationed  somewhere,  guarding  railroads,  in  the  southern 
region,  remaining  in  service  more  than  100  days. 

ONE   HUNDRED   AND   FORTIETH   REGIMENT    (ONE  YEAR). 

Mustered  in  at  Indianapolis  October  24,  1864;  Colonel,  Thomas  J.  Brady. 
Mustered  out  at  Greensboro,  N.  C,  July  11,  1865.  Officers,  39;  men,  968; 
recruits,  48;  died,  102;  deserters,  50;  unaccounted  for,  7;  total,  1,055. 

Regiment  left  Indianapolis  November  25,  1864,  for  Nashville,  Tenn. ; 
thence  to  Murfreesboro,  being  stationed  in  Fort  Rosecrans.  In  a  skirmish 
south  of  Murfreesboro  one  was  wounded. 

Upon  Hood's  defeat,  it  marched  to  Columbia,  Tenn.,  December  28, 
1864;  embarked  in  steamers  on  the  Tennessee  for  Washington  .City,  January 
16,  1865 ;  moved  to  Alexandria  February  3,  1865.  Embarked  on  ocean  steam- 
er for  Fort  Fisher,  N.  C,  February  3,  1865.  took  part  in  severe  fighting  in 
the  siege  and  capture  of  Wilmington.  At  the  battle  of  Town  Creek  Bridge,  N. 
C,  February  20,  1865.  Entered  Wilmington,  N.  C,  February  23,  1865. 
Marched  to  Kingston,  N.  C,  March  6,  passing  over  a  distance  of  eighty-five 
miles,  largely  swamps,  in  five  days.  Set  out  for  Goldsboro,  N.  C,  March  19. 
Arrived  at  Raleigh,  N.  C,  April  14,  remaining  there  till  the  6th  of  May. 
Marched  to  Greensboro;  on  duty  there  till  July  11,  1865.  Mustered  out  of 
service  at  Greensboro,  July  11,  1865.  Arrived  at  Indianapolis  July  21.  Pub- 
lic reception  July  25.  Addresses  by  Gov.  Morton  and  Maj.  Gen.  Sherman. 
Regiment  paid  off  July  28,  1865,  and  discharged. 

The  members  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fortieth  Regiment  from  Ran- 
dolph county  are  as  follows  : 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  523 

Company  F — Second  Lieutenant,  Ezra  W.  Bond,  mustered  out  with 
regiment;  James  E.  Ashwell,  Samuel  P  Cotton,  musicians,  mustered  out 
July  II,  1865;  Ira  Adamson,  mustered  out  July  ii,  1865,  as  corporal;  George 
Byers,  Joel  F.  Bales,  mustered  out  July  11,  1865;  George  W.  Edwards,  mus- 
tered out'May  25,  1865;  Marion  W.  Farrens,  Henry  H.  Hurst,  Benjamin  F. 
Jordan,  mustered  out  July  11,  1865;  James  H.  Murray,  died  at  Murfree's- 
boro  January  i,  1865;  Albert  Pegg,  Thomas  J.  Puckett,  mustered  out  July 
II,  1865;  Walter  W.  Williams,  not  mustered  out. 

ONE  HUNDRED  AND  FORTY-SEVENTH  REGIMENT    (ONE  YEAR). 

The  One  Hundred  and  Forty-seventh  Regiment  was  composed  of  seven 
companies  from  the  Fifth  Congressional  District,  two  from  the  Eleventh  Dis- 
trict and  one  from  elsewhere.  Organized  March  13,  1865,  at  Indianapolis, 
Colonel,  Milton  Peden.  March  16,  1865,  the  regiment  left  for  Harper's 
Ferry,  Va.  They  marched  to  Charleston,  Va.,  and,  during  the  summer,  did 
guard  duty  at  various  places  in  that  vicinity.  It  was  mustered  out  August  4, 
1865,  arrived  at  Indianapolis  August  9,  1865,  with  32  officers  and  743  men, 
and  was  publicly  welcomed  in  .the  State  House  Grove,  with  addresses  by 
Lieut.  Gov.  Baker,  Gen.  Benjamin  Harrison  and  others. 

Statistics — Officers,  39;  men,  1,012;  recruits,  24;  re-enlisted  veterans,  3; 
died,  44;  deserted,  63;  total,  1,078.  Mustered  in  March  13,  1865;  mustered 
out  August  4,  1865. 

Members  from  Randolph  county  are  as  follows : 

Lieutenant  Colonel,  Theodore  F.  Colgrove;  Chaplain,  George  W.  Thom- 
son, honorably  discharged  June  17,  1865  ;  Assistant  Surgeon,  Samuel  C.  Wed- 
dington,  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

Company  A — Captain,  Theodore  F.  Colgrove,  promoted  lieutenant  colo- 
nel ;  First  Lieutenant,  Nelson  Pegg,  promoted  captain,  mustered  out  with  regi- 
ment; Second  Lieutenant,  Edmund  B.  Warren,  promoted  first  lieutenant,  dis- 
missed June  23,  1865. 

Privates — Henry  T.  Addington.  as  corporal ;  Adam  Almonrode,  Bartley 
Allen,  James  A.  Addington,  Nathan  Addington,  Friend  J.  S.  Bailey,  William 
L.  Burress,  William  Bailey,  James  W.  Butterworth,  Elisha  Cormer,  Nicholas 
Caywood,  as  corporal;  Stephen  Clevenger,  Abijah  Cox,  Squire  Davis,  Elijah 
S.-Davisson,  Francis  X.  Darby,  James  Edwards,  Axime  Elliott,  Samuel  Emry, 
William  W  Ennis,  John  S.  Ennis,  Franklin  Ford,  promoted  first  lieutenant, 
mustered  out  as  first  sergeant  with  regiment;  William  T.  Foust,  Martin  V 
Foust,  James  B.  Gray,  Richard  Goodman,  Edward  W.  Harris,  William  C. 


524  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Haworth,  Joy  Harris,  William  E.  Harris,  Jasper  N.  Hurst,  James  S.  Hultz, 
John  W.  Henderson,  John  O.  HoUowell,  as  corporal;  Henry  Ingle,  William 
Jones,  James  C.  Johnson,  William  Johnson,  Owen  Jones,  John  W.  Jones, 
John  Kirk,  Joseph  Kirk,  George  R.  Kennedy,  Henry  C.  Lamb,  as  corporal; 
Oliver  F.  Lewellan,  as  sergeant ;  Andrew  K.  Lewis,  Conrad  Listenfeltz,  Dan- 
iel Mendenhall,  George  Meranda,  Joseph  W.  McNees,  John  H.  McGuire,  as 
corporal;  Daniel  Miller,  Francis  Massey,  Lewis  Miller,  John  Mclntyre,  Israel 
Nunemaker,  David  Neff,  Louis  Neustiel,  William  H.  O'Niel,  William  E.  Pea- 
cock, William  H.  Painter,  as  corporal;  Joseph  W.  Robison,  James  Readman, 
George  A.  Rhody,  as  sergeant;  George  D.  S.  Reese,  promoted  second  lieu- 
tenant, promoted  first  lieutenant ;  Enoch  Scott,  Jacob  R.  Stuart,  Levi  Slusher, 
Zephaniah  Sylvys,  James  C.  Sommerville,  Benjamin  Sommers,  William  R. 
Tisor,  as  corporal,  Frank  L.  Turner,  William  C.  West,  Luther  L.  Williams, 
Joel  Wooten,  Sylvester  N.  Williams,  Samuel  A.  Winship,  Beniah  F.  White, 
William  H.  Winship,  Henry  M.  Yunker,  Albert  T.  Butler,  died  at  home 
March  16,  1865;  John  T.  Carson,  died  at  Indianapolis  March  7,  1865;  James 
E.  Daily,  mustered  out  August  14,  1865;  Benjamin  F.  Edwards,  mustered 
out  May  18,  1865;  Jesse  Harris,  mustered  out  May  31,  1865;  Myers  Silvers, 
mustered  out  October  31,  1865;  George  B.  Watson,  mustered  out  May  19, 
.1865. 

Company  B — Elijah  Ledbetter,  wagoner,  mustered  out  August  4,  1865; 
Isaac  M.  Jones,  Wesley  Jordan,  corporal,  mustered  out  August  4,  1865. 

Company  C — John  Fay,  record  indefinite ;  Daniel  J.  Niebel,  mustered  out 
August  4,  1865,  as  corporal. 

Company  F — Andrew  Younce,  corporal,  mustered  out  August  4,  1865, 
as  sergeant. 

Company  I — Captain,  Marcellus  B.  Dickey,  mustered  out  with  regiment; 
First  Lieutenant,  John  Bidlock,  mustered  out  with  regiment. 

Privates — John  W.  Allen,  Matthew  Arnold,  John  Q.  Adamson,  William 
F  Emory,  mustered  out  August  4,  1865;  Daniel  Elliott,  Christian  Greaf, 
mustered  out  August  4,  1865;  George  Girard,  mustered  out  July  11,  1865; 
Calvin  Hardin,  James  C.  Hartz,  mustered  out  August  4,  1865;  Daniel  Jones, 
mustered  out  May  15,  1865;  William  H.  Justice,  mustered  out  May  17,  1865; 
Robert  L.  Kirwood,  mustered  out  August  4,  1865;  James  C.  Knox,  mustered 
out  July  17,  1865;  Miles  O.  Long,  died  May  16,  1865;  Abraham  G.  Long, 
mustered  out  August  4,  1865;  Charles  D.  Lewis,  mustered  out  August  4, 
1865,  as  corporal;  George  Lamm,  Thomas  McGinnis,  Francis  Rodenberger, 
mustered  out  August  4,  1865;  Samuel  H.  Sturgeon  (really  Jay  county),  mus- 
tered out  August  4,  1865,  as  sergeant;  Henry  H.  Sweet,  died  April  2,  1865; 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  525 

John  Street,  mustered  out  August  4,  1864;  John  T.  Taylor,  died  June  i,  1865; 
Richard  H.  Spence,  Richard  Vallandigham,  Jacob  Weinck,  John  Wine,  mus- 
tered out  August  4,  1865;  Joseph  C.  Yager;  Francis  M.  Hill,  recruit,  mus- 
tered out  June  3,  1865 ;  John  L.  Young,  mustered  out  August  4,  1865.  Com- 
pany K — George  W.  May,  unaccounted  for. 

ONE   HUNDRED  AND   FIFTY-FOURTH   REGIMENT    (ONE  YEAr). 

Company  H — Alfred  Lenox,  second  lieutenant,  mustered  out  with  regi- 
ment. 

Company  K — Jason  L.  Downing,  mustered  out  August  4,  1865. 

Statistics  of  Regiment — Officers,  39;  men,  958;  recruits,  5;  died,  40; 
deserters,  84;  total,  982. 

Recruited  in  the  Eighth  Congressional  District.  Organized  April  20, 
1865 ;  Colonel,  Frank  Wilcox;  went  to  Parkersburg  April  28,  1865 ;  continued 
on  duty  in  Western  Virginia  till  August  4,  1865 ;  mustered  out  August  4, 
1865;  arrived  at  Indianapolis  August  7,  1865,  with  32  officers  and  734  men. 
Reception  at  the  Capitol  grounds. 

ONE   HUNDRED  AND   FIFTY-SIXTH   REGIMENT    (ONE  YEAR)  . 

Company  B — Benjamin  Bayless,  George  W.  Debolt,  Frank  Kukler,  mus- 
tered out  August  4,  1865;  John  R.  Whitacre,  mustered  out  August  4,  1865, 
as  sergeant. 

The  regiment  was  composed  of  five  companies — two  from  the  Seventh 
and  one  each  from  the  Fourth,  Fifth  and  Sixth  Districts.  Organized  April 
12,  1865;  Lieutenant  Colonel,  Charles  M.  Smith.  Served  in  Shenandoah 
Valley;  mustered  out  at  Winchester,  Va.,  August  4,  1865;  arrived  at  Indian- 
apolis August  7,  1865,  with  17  officers  and  380  men. 

TWENTIETH    BATTERY,   LIGHT  ARTILLERY. 

Thomas  E.  Stanley,  mustered  out  June  28,  1865. 

Men  from  Randolph  county  may  have  been  in  the  batteries,  but  most  of 
the  names  have  no  residence  attached,  and  hence  no  account  can  be  given  of 
such,  for  which  facts,  if  any  "Randolph  county  boys"  are  thereby  omitted,  we 
are  exceedingly  sorry,  but  how  to  help  the  matter  we  are  unable  to  tell. 


(34) 


526  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

FIRST    UNITED    STATES    VETERAN    VOLUNTEER    ENGINEERS. 

Company  B — William  Milstead,  from  Company  H,  Eighty-fourth  Regi- 
ment, mustered  out  June  26,  1865. 

Company  G — Allen  Fowler,  from  Company  E,  Eighty- fourth  Regiment, 
mustered  out  June  30,  1865. 

Company  G — Archibald  March,  from  Company  E,  Eighty-fourth  Regi- 
ment, mustered  out  June  30,  1865. 

Company  I — William  Chambers,  from  Company  A,  Eighty-fourth  Regi- 
ment, mustered  out  June  30,  1865. 

There  were  doubtless  others,  but  we  have  no  information  concerning 
them. 

RANDOLPH   BATTALION,   INDIANA  LEGION. 

Officers — Major,  D.  E.'  Shaw;  Adjutant,  James  R.  Jones;  Quartermas- 
ter, Benjamin  Peacock;  Assistant  Surgeon,  Samuel  G.  Stafford. 

The  companies  composing  the  regiment  were  as  follows : 

Buena  Vista  Home  Guards — Captain,  Zerah  Masters;  First  Lieutenant, 
Oliver  M.  Mills ;  Second  Lieutenant,  Joel  W.  Bussear. 

Randolph  Greys — Captain,  R.  B.  Farra;  First  Lieutenant,  W.  W.  Aker; 
Second  Lieutenant,  John  K.  Martin. 

Farmland  True  Blues — Captain,  George  McGriff ;  First  Lieutenant,  James 
H.  McNees;  Second  Lieutenant,  P.  A.  Stanley. 

West  River  Guards — Captain,  John  A.  Hunt;  First  Lieutenant,  Benjamin 
Peacock;  Second  Lieutenant,  Arthur  True;  Second  Lieutenant,  John  D. 
Jones. 

Liberty  Tigers — Captain,  Jacob  A.  Jackson;  First  Lieutenant,  Alvin  M. 
Owen ;  Second  Lieutenant,  Joel  A.  Newman. 

Maxville  Regulars — Captain,  Joab  Driver;  First  Lieutenant,  Thomas  B. 
Mclntyre;  Second  Lieutenant,  Luther  M.  Moorman. 

Morristown  Guards — Captain,  Jesse  May;  First  Lieutenant  Salathiel 
Ryan — Second  Lieutenant,  Jonathan  R.  Peoples. 

Union  City  Guards — Captain,  Isaac  P.  Gray;  Captain,  George  W. 
Thompson;  First  Lieutenant,  George  W.  Thompson;  First  Lieutenant,  John 
W.  Griffith;  Second  Lieutenant,  Raiford  Wiggs;  Second  Lieutenant,  Samuel 
L.  Carter. 

Morton  Rangers — Captain,  Robert  H.  Grooms;  First  Lieutenant,  George 
Spillers;  Second  Lieutenant,  Oliver  F.  Lewellyn. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  527 

Stone  Guards — Captain,  John  S.  Way;  First  Lieutenant,  John  K.  Mar- 
tin ;  Second  Lieutenant,  Edward  Engle. 

Fairview  Rangers — Captain,  Cyrus  B.  St.  John ;  First  Lieutenant,  James 
R.  Jones ;  Second  Lieutenant,  John  W.  Barger. 

Whether  these  companies  of  which  the  officers  are  given  above  performed 
any  duty  of  any  sort  we  are  unable  to  state. 

Many  of  the  officers  and  men  in  them  enHsted  in  active  service,  and  spent 
more  or  less  time  at  the  front  and  elsewhere  with  the  regiments  in  which  they 
enrolled  their  names. 

FORTIETH   OHIO. 

Since  several  persons  from  Randolph  joined  this  regiment,  we  give  a 
brief  sketch  thereof. 

Organized  at  Camp  Chase  in  September  and  November,  1861 ;  Colonel, 
Jonathan  Cranor.  All  of  Companies  E  and  G,  much  of  Company  I  and  parts 
of  F  and  K  are  said  to  have  enlisted  from  Darke  county,  Ohio.  The  follow- 
ing persons  were  from  Randolph  county,  Ind. : 

Company  B — Recruited  by  Capt.  Reeves,  promoted  major;  Lewis  Ad- 
dington;  W^illiam  Brown,  died  March  19,  1863,  at  Piketon,  Ky. ;  Martin  Cox, 
John  Ferrell,  Jabez  W.  Freestone,  veteran,  died  shortly  after  the  close  of  the 
war,  and  buried  at  Portland,  Jay  county,  Ind. ;  George  Hollowell,  William 
Ingle,  corporal,  killed  at  Kenesaw,  Ga.,  before  Atlanta;  James  Mendenhall, 
Joseph  O'Neall,  Lewis  Phillips,  Isaiah  Regan,  drum  major;  John  Spotts,  died 
in  Georgia ;  two  more,  also,  whose  names  were  not  obtained. 

RECAPITULATION. 

The  following  is  the  number  of  men  in  the  different  regiments  set  down 
to  Randolph  county : 

Eighth  Regiment  (three  months),  78;  Sixth  (three  years),  2;  Seventh 
(three  years),  3;  Eighth  (three  years),  69;  Ninth  (three  years),  37;  Eleventh 
(three  years),  2;  Twelfth  (three  years),  2;  Thirteenth  (three  years),  6;  Six- 
teenth (three  years),  i;  Nineteenth  (three  years),  148;  Twentieth  (three 
years),  47;  Twenty-first,  First  Heavy  Artillery,  13;  Twenty-seventh  (three 
years),  3;  Twenty-eighth,  First  Cavalry  (three  years),  i;  Thirty-first  (three 
years),  i;  Thirty-third  (three  years),  i;  Thirty-fourth  (three  years),  4; 
Thirty-sixth  (three  years),  4:  Forty-second  (three  years),  3;  Forty-seventh 
(three  years),  2;  Fifty-fourth  (one  year),  39;  Fifty-fifth  (three  months),  88; 
Fifty-seventh   (three  years),   76;  Sixty-ninth   (three  years),  369;   Seventy- 


528  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

first  (three  years),  2;  Seventy-fifth  (three  years),  4;  Seventy-seventh  (three 
years),  2;  Eighty- fourth  (three  years),  308;  Eighty-ninth  (three  years),  i; 
Ninetieth,  Fifth  Cavalry  (three  years),  48;  Ninety-seventh  (three  years),  i; 
Ninety-ninth  (three  years),  21 ;  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  (Morgan  raid),  143; 
One  Hundred  and  Sixth  (Morgan  raid),  203 ;  One  Hundred  and  Ninth  (Mor- 
gan raid),  56;  One  Hundred  and  Seventeenth  (six  months),  i ;  One  Hundred 
and  Nineteenth,  Seventh  Cavalry  (three  years),  94;  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-first,  Nineteenth  Cavalry  (three  years),  18;  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty- fourth  (three  years),  208;  One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth  (three  years), 
6;  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-first,  Twelfth  Cavalry  (three  years),  4;  One 
Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  (100  days),  90;  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-ninth 
(100  days),  I ;  One  Hundred  and  Fortieth  (one  year),  13;  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-seventh  (one  year),  127;  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-fourth  (one  year), 
2;  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-sixth  (one  year),  5;  Twentieth  Battery,  Light 
Artillery,  i ;  Fifth  Colored  United  States  Troops,  i ;  Eighth  Colored  United 
States  Troops,  i ;  Twenty-third  Colored  United  States  Troops,  3 ;  Twenty- 
eight  Colored  United  States  Troops,  3 ;  Forty-second  Colored  United  States 
Troops,  3;  Forty-fifth  Colored  United  States  Troops,  2;  other  colored  sol- 
diers, 14;  other  colored  soldiers,  Greenville  settlement,  Ohio,  14;  Fortieth, 
Ohio  (three  years),  12.  Total  credit  to  Randolph,  or  supposed  to  belong 
thereto,  2,373. 

This  list  is,  of  course,  partly  uncertain.  Most  of  the  persons  named  are 
known  to  have  belonged  to  Randolph,  but  some  have  been  put  down  as  prob- 
able citizens  of  the  county.  Doubtless  a  considerable  number  really  belonging 
to  the  county  have  been  credited  elsewhere,  while  in  some  cases  she  has  re- 
ceived credit  for  men  really  residents  of  other  counties.  We  have  done  our 
best  toward  an  accurate  statement  and  with  that  are  obliged  to  be  content. 

Of  course,  a  considerable  number,  amounting  to  many  thousands  through- 
out the  state,  and  doubtless  to  some  hundreds  in  the  county,  are  counted  over 
again,  the  names  of  some  occurring  several  times;  but  to  make  an  exact  ac- 
count of  such  would  hardly  be  practicable,  and  if  it  were  so  the  good  accom- 
plished would  not  be  worth  the  trouble. 

RE-ORGANIZATION   OF   REGIMENTS,   ASSIGNMENT   OF   RECRUITS,   ETC. 

Eighth  Regiment  Infantry  (three  months) — Re-organized  under  Col. 
William  P.  Benton,  and  mustered  into  service  for  three  years  September  5, 
1861. 

Sixth  Infantry   (three  years) — Non-veterans  mustered  out  September 


/ 
RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  529 

22,  1864;  the  veterans  and  recruits  were  transferred  to  the  Sixty-eighth  In- 
diana. Upon  the  muster-out  of  the  Sixty-eighth,  June  20,  1865,  nineteen 
men  of  the  old  Sixth  Infantry  were  not  entitled  to  discharge,  and  they  were 
again  transferred  to  the  Forty-fourth  Indiana  and  served  therein  till  finally 
mustered  out  therewith,  September  14,  1865. 

Seventh  Infantry  (three  years) — Non-veterans  mustered  out  September 
3,  1864;  veterans  transferred  to  the  Nineteenth  Regiment.  October  18,  1864, 
the  new  Nineteenth  and  the  new  Twentieth  were  consolidated,  the  new  regi- 
ment being  known  as  the  Twentieth.  The  new  Twentieth  was  mustered  out 
July  12,  1865. 

Twelfth  Regiment  (three  years) — Mustered  out  June  8,  1865;  those  not 
entitled  to  discharge  were  transferred  to  the  Forty-eighth  and  Fifty-ninth 
Regiments,  and  served  till  July  15  and  17  respectively. 

Thirteenth  Regiment — Consolidated  into  a  battalion  under  order  384 
from  Gen.  Butler,  dated  December  2,  1864;  five  companies  of  drafted  men 
and  substitvites,  assigned  in  the  spring  of  1865,  and  no  further  change  till 
mustered  out,  September  5,  1865. 

Sixteenth  Regiment  (three  years) — Changed  to  a  mounted  infantry 
regiment,  and,  on  the  muster-out,  June  30,  1865,  the  recruits  were  transferred 
to  the  Thirteenth  Cavalry;  discharged  November  18,  1865. 

Seventeenth  Regiment  (three  years) — Changed  to  a  moimted  infantry 
regiment  February  12,  1863,  and  mustered  out  August  8,  1865. 

Nineteenth  Regiment — Seventh  and  Nineteenth  consolidated  Septem- 
ber 3,  1864;  transferred  to  the  re-organized  Twentieth;  discharged  July  12, 
1865. 

Twentieth  Regiment — Fourteenth  and  Twentieth  consolidated  August 
I,  1864.  New  Nineteenth  and  Twentieth  united  October  18,  1864.  New 
Twentieth  mustered  out  July  12,  1865. 

Twenty-first  Regiment — Changed  to  a  heavy  artillery  organization  in 
February,  1863.  Two  companies  were  added  and  the  regiment  was  recruited 
to  the  maximum.^  The  regiment  was  called  the  First  Heavy  Artillery,  and 
served  as  such  till  mustered  out,  January  13,  1866. 

Twenty-seventh  Regiment — Non-veterans  mustered  out  at  Atlanta,  Ga., 
November  4,  1864;  the  other  transferred  to  the  Seventieth,  order  dated  Oc- 
tober 12,  1864.  Seventieth  mustered  out  June  8,.  1865;  those  not  entitled  to 
discharge  transferred  again  to  the  Thirty-third,  and  mustered  out  with  that 
regiment  July  21,  1865. 

Twenty-eighth  Regiment,  First  Cavalry — The  battalion  of  this  regiment 


530  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

serving  in  the  west  consolidated  into  two  companies,  September  24,  1864; 
mustered  out  June  24,  1865.  The  battaHon  in  the  east  consolidated  into  one 
company  June  23,  1864;  discharged  July,  1865. 

Thirty-sixth  Regiment — Non-veterans  mustered  out  under  order  of  Au- 
gust 13,  1864;  the  others  formed  into  one  company  and  transferred  July  12, 
1865,  to  the  residuary  battalion  of  the  Thirtieth,  as  Company  H;  mustered 
out  November  25,  1862. 

Sixty-ninth  Regiment — Consolidated  with  a  battalion  of  four  companies 
January  23,  1865;  mustered  out  July  5,  1865;  recruits  transferred  to  the 
Twenty-fourth  Regiment;  mustered  out  November  15,  1865. 

Seventy-first  Regiment,  Sixth  Cavalry — Changed  to  cavalry,  order 
dated  February  23,  1863;  two  companies  added  and  the  organization  com- 
pleted October  12,  1863.  Original  members  mustered  out  June  17,  1865; 
recruits  joined  with  those  of  the  Fifth 'Cavalry  June  25,  1865,  new  organiza- 
tion called  Sixth  Cavalry;  mustered  out  September  15,  1865. 

Seventy-fifth  Regiment — Mustered  out  June  5,  1865;  recruits  transferred 
to  the  Forty-second;  mustered  out  July  21,  1865. 

Eighty-fourth  Regiment — Mustered  out  and  the  recruits  attached  to  the 
Fifty-seventh  Regiment  as  Company  K;  mustered  out  December  14,  1865. 

Eighty-ninth  Regiment — Recruits  transferred  to  the  Twenty-sixth  July 
10,  1865;  mustered  out  January  15,  1866. 

Ninetieth  Regiment,  Fifth  Cavalry — Companies  G,  L  and  M  and  the 
recruits  transferred  to  the  re-organized  Sixth  Cavalry  June  23,  1865 ;  mus- 
tered out  September  15,  1865. 

Ninety-seventh  Regiment — Recruits  transferred  to  the  Forty-eighth; 
mustered  out  July  15,  1865. 

Ninety-ninth  Regiment — Recruits  transferred  to  the  Forty-eighth  and 
mustered  out  July  15,  1865. 

One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth,  Seventh  Cavalry — Consolidated  into  a 
battalion  of  six  companies  July  21,  1865;  mustered  out  February  iH,  i«b6. 

BATTLE  LIST. 

We  here  subjoin  a  list  of  the  engagements  in  which  regiments  contain- 
ing Randolph  soldiers  took  part : 

1861 — Rich  Mountain,  Va.,  July  11,  Eighth  (three  months),  Thirteenth 
(three  years)  ;  Lewinsville,  Va.,  September  11,  Nineteenth  Regiment;  Cheat 
Mountain,  Va.,  September  12,  13,  Thirteenth  (three  years) ;  Elk  Water,  Va., 
September  12  and  13,  Thirteenth  and  Seventeenth;  Greenbrier,  Va.,  October 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,-  INDIANA.  53I 

.3,  Seventh  (three  years).  Ninth  (three  years),  Thirteenth;  Chickaahominy, 
N.  C,  October  4,  Twentieth;  Ball's  Bluff,  Va.,  October  21,  22,  Sixteenth; 
x\lleghany,  Va.,  December  13,  Ninth,  Thirteenth. 

1862 — Pea  Ridge,  Ark.,  March  6  to  8,  Eighth  Infantry  (three  years) ; 
Island  No.  10,  Mississippi  River,  March  10,  April  7,  Thirty-fourth,  Forty- 
seventh;  Winchester,  Va.,  March  22,  2^,  Seventh  Infantry  (three  years), 
Thirteenth  Infantry;  Shiloh,  Tenn.,  April  6,  7,  Sixth  Infantry  (three  years), 
Ninth  Infantry  (three  years),  Fifty-seventh;  Corinth  (siege),  April  11,  May 
30,  Sixth  Infantry  (three  years).  Ninth  Infantry  (three  years),  Seventeenth, 
Thirty-first,  Thirty-sixth,  Fifty-seventh;  Summersville,  Va.,  May  7,  Thir- 
teenth Infantry;  Front  Royal,  Va.,  May  23,  Twenty-seventh  Regiment;  Win- 
chester, Va.,  May  25,  Twenty-seventh  Regiment;  Gaines'  Mill,  Va.,  June  27, 
Twentieth;  Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  June  i,  Twentieth  Regiment;  Port  Re- 
public, Va.,  June  9,  Seventh  Infantry  (three  years) ;  Front  Royal,  Va.,  June 
12,  Seventh  Infantry  (three  years)  ;  Orchards,  Va.,  June  25,  Twentieth  Regi- 
ment; Glendale,  Va.,  June  28,  Twentieth  Regiment;  Savage's  Station,  Va., 
June  29,  Twentieth  Regiment;  White  Oak  Swamp,  Va.,  June  30,  Twentieth 
Regiment;  Malvern  Hill,  Va.,  July  i.  Twentieth  Regiment;  Cotton  Plant, 
Ark.,  July  7,  Eighth  Infantry  (three  years) ;  Aberdeen,  Ark.,  July  9,  Thirty- 
fourth  Regiment;  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  August  5,  Twenty-first,  First  Heavy 
Artillery,  Regiment;  Cedar  Mountain,  Va.,  August  9,  Seventh  Infantry  (three 
years);  Austin,  Miss.,  August,  Eighth  Infantry  (three  years);  Gainesville, 
Va.,  August  28,  Nineteenth  Regiment;  Second  Bull  Run,  Va.,  August  28  to 
30,  Seventh  Infantry  (three  years)  ;  Muldraugh's  Hill,  Ky.,  August  28,  Sev- 
enty-first, Sixth  Cavalry;  Richmond,  Ky.,  August  30,  Twelfth  Infantry,  Six- 
teenth, Sixty-ninth  Regiment;  Chantilly,  Va.,  September  i.  Twentieth  Regi- 
ment; Des  Allemands,  La.,  September  8,  Twenty-first,  Heavy  Artillery,  Regi- 
ment; Munfordsville,  Ky.,  September  14  to  18,  Seventeenth  and  Eighty-ninth 
Regiments;  South  Mountain,  Va.,  September  14,  Nineteenth  Regiment;  An- 
tietam,  Md.,  September  17,  Nineteenth  Regiment;  Cornet  Bridge,  La.,  De- 
cember 21,  First  Heavy  Artillery  Regiment;  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  December 
II  to  13,  Seventh  Infantry  (three  years).  Nineteenth,  Twentieth;  Stone  River, 
Tenn.,  December  31,  1862,  January  i,  2,  1863,  Sixth  Infantry  (three  years). 
Ninth  Infantry  (three  years).  Thirty-first,  Fifty-seventh. 

1863 — Arkansas  Post,  Ark.,  January  11,  1863,  Sixteenth,  Sixty-ninth; 
Deserted  Farm,  Va.,  January  30,  Thirteenth  Infantry;  Fitzhugh's  Crossing, 
Va.,  April  29,  Nineteenth  Regiment;  Port  Gibson,  Miss.,  May,  1863,  Eighth 
Infantry   (three  years).  Sixteenth,  Thirty- fourth.  Sixty-ninth;  Chancellors- 


522        '  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

ville,  Va.,  May  2,  3,  Seventh  Infantry  (three  years)  Twentieth,  Twenty- 
seventh;  Champion  Hills,  Miss.,  May  16,  Eighth  Infantry  (three  years), 
Eleventh  Infantry  (three  years),  Twelfth  Infantry,  Thirty-fourth,  Forty- 
seventh,  Sixty-ninth;  Jackson,  Miss.,  May  14,  Eighth  Infantry  (three  years)^ 
Forty-seventh;  Black  River  Bridge,  Miss.,  May  17,  Eighth  Infantry  (three 
years).  Sixteenth,  Sixty-ninth;  Port  Hudson,  Miss.,  May  21,  July  8,  Twenty- 
iirSt,  First  Heavy  Artillery,  Regiment;  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  May  18  to 'July  4, 
Eighth  Infantry  (three  years).  Twelfth,  Sixteenth,  Thirty-fourth,  Forty-sev- 
enth, Sixty-ninth,  Ninety-ninth;  Triune,  Tenn.,  June  11,  Eighty-fourth  Regi- 
ment; Hoover's  Gap,  Tenn.,  June  24,  Seventeenth,  Seventy-fifth;  Gettysburg, 
Penn.,  July  i  to  3,  Seventh  Infantry  (three  years),  Nineteenth,  Twentieth, 
Twenty-Seventh;  Jackson,  Miss,  (second),  July  9  to  16,  Eighth  Infantry 
(three  years).  Twelfth  Infantiry,  Sixteenth,  Thirty-fourth;  Buffington  Island, 
Ohio  River,  July  19,  Ninetieth,  Fifth  Cavalry,  Regiment;  Lafourche  Crossing, 
La.,  July  21,  Twenty-first,  First  Heavy  Artillery;  Manassas  Gap,  Va.,  July 

23,  Twentieth  Regiment;  Fort  Wagner,  S.  C,  September  7,  Thirteenth  Regi- 
ment; Chickamauga,  Tenn.,  September  19,  20,  Sixth  Infantry  (three  years), 
Ninth  Infantry  (three  years).  Seventeenth,  Thirty-first,  Thirty-sixth,  Forty- 
secoiid.  Seventy-fifth,  Eighty-fourth  Regiments;  Zollicofifer,  Tenn.,  Septem- 
ber 20,  Ninetieth,,  Fifth  Cavalry,  Regiment;  Blountsville,Tefin.,  September 
22,  Nineteenth,  Fifth  Cavalry,  Regiment;  Thompson's  Cove,  Tenn.,  October 
3,  Seventeenth  Regiment;  Coosaville,  Ga.,  October,  Seventeenth  Regiment; 
Flat  Rock,  Ga.,  Seventeenth  Regiment;  Farmington,  Tenn.,  October  7, 
Seventeenth  Regiment;  Colliersville,  Tenn.,  October  11,  Sixteenth  Regi- 
ment; Henderson's  Mill,  Tenn.,  October  11,  Ninetieth,  Fifth  Cav- 
alry, Regiment;  Brown's  Ferry,  Tenn.,  October  27,  Sixth  Infantry  (three 
years) ;  Ashby's  Gap,  Va.,  November  2,  Seventh  Infantry  (three  years) ; 
Grand  Coteau,  La.,  November  3,  Forty-seventh  Regiment;  Locust  Grove,  Va., 
November,  Twentieth  Regiment;  Mustang  Island,  Texas,  November  17, 
Eighth  Infantry  (three  years) ;  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  November  17,  December  4, 
Seventy-first,  Sixth  Cavalry,  Regiment;  Lookout  Mountain,  Ga.,  November 

24,  Ninth  Infantry  (three  years)  Regiment;  Mission  Ridge,  Ga.,  November 

25,  Sixth  Infantry  (three  years).  Ninth  Infantry  (three  years),  Twelfth 
Infantry,  Fifty-seventh,  Seventy-fifth;  Graysville,  Va.,  November  27,  Ninety- 
seventh  Regiment;  Fort  Esperanza,  Texas,  November  27,  Eighth  Infantry 
(three  years)  ;  Walker's  Ford,  Tenn.,  December  3,  Ninetieth,  Fifth  Cavalry, 
Regiment. 

1864 — Strawberry  Plains,  Tenn.,  January  10,  Ninetieth  Regiment;  Mossy 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  533 

Creek,  Tenn.,  January  12,  Ninetieth,  Fifth  Cavalry,  Regiment;  Dandr-idge, 
Tenn.,  January  17,  Ninetieth,  Fifth  Cavalry,  Regiment;  Okolona,  Miss.,  Feb- 
ruary 22,  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth,  Seventh  Cavalry;  Egypt  Station, 
Miss.,  February,  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth,  Seventh  Cavalry;  Fort  Gaines, 
Ala.,  April  5  to  8,  Twenty-first,  First  Heavy  Artillery  Regiment;  Sabine  Cross 
Roads,  La.,  April  8,  Sixteenth,  Twenty-first,  First  Heavy  Artillery,  Regiment; 
Pleasant  Hill,  La.,  April  9,  Forty-seventh,  Eighty-ninth;  Suffolk  (defense), 
April  10,  May  13,  Thirteenth;  Taylor's  Ridge,  Ga.,  May,  Ninth  Regiment; 
Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  6,  Seventh,  Nineteenth,  Twentieth;  Tunnel  Hill, 
Ga.,  May  7,  Sixth,  Ninth;  Wathel  Junction,  Va.,  May  7,  Thirteenth  Regi- 
ment; Laurel  Hill,  Va.,  May  8,  Seventh,  Nineteenth;  Spottsylvania,  Va.,  May 
8  to  10,  Seventh,  Nineteenth,  Twentieth;  Rocky  Face  Ridge,  Ga.,  May  9, 
Fifty-seventh,  Eighty- fourth,  Ninety-ninth,  One  Hundred  and  Thir- 
tieth; Po  River,  Va.,  May  10  to  12,  Seventh,  Nineteenth,  Twentieth; 
Chester' Station,  Va.,  May  10,  Thirteenth;  Resaca,  Ga.,  May  15,  Sixth,  Ninth, 
Twelfth,  Forty-second,  Fifty-seventh,  Seventy-first  (Sixth  Cavalry);  Rome, 
Ga.,  May  17,  Seventeenth  Regiment;  Yellow  Bayou,  La.,  May  18,  Eighty- 
ninth  Regiment  Bayou  de  Glaize,  La.,  May  18,  Eighty-ninth;  Cassville,  Ga., 
May  19,  Ninth,  Seventy-first  (Sixth  Cavalry) ;  Foster's  Farm,  Va.,  May  20, 
Thirteenth  Regiment;  North  Anha,  Va.,  May  25,  Seventh,  Nineteenth,  Twen- 
tieth; New  Hope,  Ga.,  May  25,  Sixth,  Ninth,  Twelfth,  Seventeenth,  Twenty- 
seventh,  Fifty-seventh,  Ninety-seventh;  Dallas,  Ga.,  May  27,  Sixth,  Ninth, 
Twelfth,  Seventy-fifth,  Eighty-fourth,  Ninety-seventh,  Ninety-ninth;  Bethes- 
da  Church,  Va.,  May  30;  31,  Seventh;  Pumpkin  Vine  Church,  Ga.,  June,  Sev- 
enteenth Regiment;  Petersburg,  Va.,  June,  1864,  to  April  3,  1865,  Seventh, 
Thirteenth,  Nineteenth,  Twentieth;  Kingston,  Ga.,  June,  Eighty-fourth  Reg- 
iment; Cold  Harbor,  Va.,  June  3,  Seventh,  Thirteenth,  Nineteenth,  Twen- 
tieth; Guntown,  Miss.,  June  10,  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  (Seventh  Cav- 
alry) ;  Tupello,  Miss.,  June  14,  Eighty-ninth  Regiment;  Lost  Mountain,  Ga., 
June  17,  Seventy-first  (Sixth  Cavalry),  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth, 
One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth;  Big  Shanty,  Ga.,  June  14,  Seventh,  Ninety-sev- 
enth, Ninety-ninth;  Belle  Plain  Road,  Ga.,  June,  Seventeenth;  Kenesaw,  Ga., 
June  27,  Sixth,  Ninth,  Twelfth,  Seventeenth,  Twenty-seventh,  Thirty-first, 
Thirty-sixth,  Forty-second,  Fifty-seventh,  Seventy-first  (Sixth  Cavalry), 
Seventy-fifth,  Eighty- fourth.  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Thirtieth;  M'arietta,  Ga.,  July  3,  Sixth,  Ninth,  Seventeenth;  Chat- 
tahoochie,  Ga.,  July  7,  Seventeenth;  Decatur,  Ga.,  July  19,  Ninety-ninth, 
One    Hundred    and    Twenty-fourth,    One    Hundred  and  Thirtieth;   Peach 


534  RANDOLP?!    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

Tree  Creek,  Ga.,  July  20,  Ninth,  Twenty-seventh,  Forty-second,  Fifty-sev- 
enth, Seventy-fifth,  Eighty-fourth;  Atlanta,  Ga.,  July  21,  September  2, 
Sixth,  Ninth,  Twelfth,  Twentyrseventh,  Thirty-first,  Forty-second,  Fifty- 
seventh,  Seventy-fifth,  Eighty-fourth,  Ninety-seventh,  Ninety-ninth,  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty- fourth.  One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth;  Atchafalaya, 
La.,  July  28,  Eighth,  Forty-seventh;  Stone  Mountain,  Ga.,  July,  Seventeenth 
Regiment;  Hillsboro,  Ga.,  July  31,  Ninetieth  (Fifth  Cavalry);  Fort  Mor- 
gan, Ala.,  August  5,  Thirteenth,  Twenty-first  (First  Heavy  Artillery); 
Leesburg,  •  Va.,  August,  Seventh  Regiment;  La  Mavoo,  Miss.,  August 
18,  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  (Seventh  Cavalry) ;  Yellow  House,  Va., 
August  19,  Twenty-first,  Seventh;  Lovejoy's  Station,  Ga.,  September  2, 
Ninth,  Eighty-fourth,  Ninety-ninth;  Jonesboro,  Ga.,  September  i.  Ninth, 
Twelfth,  Fifty-seventh,  Seventy-fifth,  Eighty- fourth,  Ninety-Seventh,  Nine- 
ty-ninth, One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth;  Fort  Wagner,  S.  C,  September  7, 
Thirteenth;  Strawberry  Plains,  Va.,  September  15,  Thirteenth,  Twentieth; 
Deep  Bottom,  Va.,  September  18,  Thirteenth,  Twentieth;  Opequan,  Va., 
September  19,  Thirteenth,  Twentieth;  Fort  Gilmore,  Va.,  September  19, 
Thirteenth,  Twentieth;  Chapin's  Bluff,  Va.,  September  20,  Thirteenth, 
Twentieth;  Fisher's  Hill,  Va.,  September  20,  Eighth  Regiment;  New  Mar- 
ket, Va.,  September  23,  Eighth  Regiment;  Sulphur  Branch  Trestle,  Ala., 
September  25,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-first  (Ninth  Cavalry);  Pulaski, 
Tenn.,  September  27,  Seventy-first  (Sixth  Cavalry);  Huntsville,  Ala.,  Oc- 
tober I,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-first  (Thirteenth  Cavalry) ;  Goshen,  Ga., 
October,  Seventeenth;  Cedar  Creek,  Va.,  October  19,  Eighth,  Eleventh; 
Little  River,  Ga.,  October  26,  Ninety-seventh,  Ninety-ninth;  Carrion  Crow, 
La.,  November  3,  Thirty-fourth;  Griswoldsville,  Ga.,  November  23,  Twelfth; 
Columbia,  Tenn.,  November  26,  Ninth;  Franklin,  Tenn.,  November  30, 
Ninth,  Thirty-first,  Fifty-seventh,  Eighty- fourth.  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
first  (Ninth  Cavalry),  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-f ourth ;  Murfreesboro 
(defense),  Tenn.,  December  7,  One  Hundred  and  Fortieth;  Little  Ogeechee 
River,  Ga.,  December  8,  Ninty-seventh,  Ninety-ninth;  Nashville,  Tenn.,  De- 
cember 15,  16,  Ninth,  Thirty-first,  Fifty-seventh,  Seventy-first  (Sixth  Cav- 
alry), Eighty- fourth,  Eighty-ninth,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth,  One 
Hundred  and  Thirtieth,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-first  (Ninth  Cavalry); 
Fort  McAllister,  Ga.,  December  13,  Ninety-ninth;  Savannah  (siege),  Ga., 
December  10  to  21,  Twelfth,  Forty-second;  Wilkinson's  Pike,  Tenn.,  De- 
cember, One  Hundred  and  Thirty-first  (Thirteenth  Cavalry)  ;  Overall's 
Creek,  Tenn.,  December,   One  Hundred  and  Thirty-first   (Thirteenth  Cav- 


RANDOLPtI    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  535 

airy);  Vernon,   Miss.,   December  28,   One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth    (Sev- 
enth Cavalry). 

1865 — ^Fort  Fisher,  N.  C,  January  14,  Thirteenth,  One  Hundred  and 
Fortieth;  Fort  Anderson,  N.  C,  February  19,  Thirteenth,  One  Hundred 
and  Fortieth;  Town  Creek  Bridge,  N.  C,  February  20,  Thirteenth,  One 
Hundred  and  Fortieth;  Wise's  Forks,  N.  C,  March  10,  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty- foflrth,  One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth;  Averysboro,  N.  C,  March  16, 
Forty-second;  Bentonville,  N.  C,  March  19,  Twelfth,  Forty-second,  Sev- 
enty-fifth, Xinety-seventh;  Spanish  Fort,  Ala.,  March  27,  April  19,  Twen- 
ty-first (First  Hea\y  Artillery),  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-first  (Thriteenth 
Cavalry) ;  Ebenezer  Church,  Ala.,  April  i.  Seventeenth;  Mobile,  Ala.,  March 
2"]  to  April  I,  Twenty-first  (First  Heavy  Artillery),  Sixty-ninth,  Eighty- 
nineth.  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-first  (Thirteenth  Cavalry)  ;  Selma,  Ala., 
April  2,  Seventeenth;  Hatcher's  Run,  Va.,  April  2,  Twentieth;  Clover  Hill, 
\'a.,  April  9,  Twentieth;  Fort  Blakely,  Ala.,  April  9,  Sixty-ninth,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Thirty-first  (Thirteenth  Cavalry)  ;  Macon,  Ga.,  April  20,  Sev- 
enteenth; Palmetto  Ranch,  Texas,  May  13,  Thirty-fourth  Regiment,  last 
battle  of  the  war. 

REBEL    PRISONS PRISON    LIFE. 

Our  Randolph  soldiers,  sharing  abundantly  in  the  hardships,  perils 
and  sufferings  incident  to  a  cruel  and  terrible  war,  bore  also  their  full  pro- 
portion in  those  most  fearful  and  inexpressible  scenes,  the  horrors,  the  tor- 
tures, the  deaths  incident  to  rebel  prisons. 

The  principal  prisons  used  by  the  rebels  for  the  confinement  of  their 
captives  were  as  follows : 

Belle  Island,  near  Richmond,  Va.';  Libby  Prison,  Richmond,  Va. ;  to- 
bacco factories,  Richmond,  Va. ;  Danville,  Va. ;  Lynchburg,  Va. ;  Peters- 
burg, Va. ;  Charlotte,  N.  C. ;  Raleigh,  N.  C. ;  Salisbury,  N.  C. ;  Charleston, 
S.  C;  Columbia,  S.  C. ;  Florence,  S.  C,  11,000,  graves,  2,795;  Anderson- 
ville,  Ga. ;  Atlanta,  Ga. ;  Blackshear,  Ga.,  temporary  prison,  not  so  bad;  Ma- 
con, Ga. ;  Millen,  Ga. ;  Savannah,  Ga. ;  Chawba,  Ala.;  Tuscaloosa,  Ala.; 
Camp  Ford,  or  Tyler,  Texas;  Camp  Gross,  Texas;  Castle  Thunder,  Rich- 
mond; Pemberton  Prison,  Richmond;  Smith  Prison,  Richmond;  Jail-yard, 
Charleston;  Roper  Hospital,  Charleston;  workhouse,  Charleston. 

■  A  considerable  number  of  men  from  Randolph  county,  Ind.,  were  so 
unfortunate  as  to  be  captured  and  to  suffer  imprisonment.  Among  them 
were  W.   A.   W.   Daly,   Charles  Potter,   Barnes,   of  Washington  township; 


536  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Edward  Simmons,  Van  Sipe,  of  Jackson  township,  and  doubtless  many 
others.  Barnes  died  in  Andersonville.  Daly  spent  time  at  Andersonville, 
Millen,  Florence,  Savannah  and  Charleston — fourteen  months  in  all.  Some 
of  his  experience  is  given  under  the  head  of  reminiscences  in  another  part 
of  this  work.  We  avail  ourselves  of  a  statement  made  and  published  (Pris- 
on Report  by  Congressional  Committee,  1867-69)  concerning  Calvin  W. 
Diggs,  enlisted  from  Jay  county,  but  for  many  years  a  resident  of  Win- 
chester, Randolph  county,  condensing  it  to  suit  our  present  purpose. 

The  following  is  a  statement  of  Calvin  W.  Diggs,  then  of  College  Cor- 
ner, Jay  county,  Ind. : 

"I  was  a  private  of  Company  A.  Eighty-fourth  Indiana  Infantry,  and 
was  captured  at  Chickamauga  September  21,  1863.  Eor  six  days  I  was 
kept  on  the  battle  ground,  witnessing  meanwhile  ^the  terrible  sufferings  from 
fearful  wounds,  aggravated  by  exposure  and  neglect.  October  i,  we  were 
packed  into  cars  like  so  many  hogs  and  taken  to  Richmond — 900  miles.  Ar- 
riving in  Richmond  October  10,  we  were  searched,  our  money  taken, 
amounting,  in  case  of  the  300  men  on  the  floor  where  I  was,  to  thousands 
of  dollars.  We  were  put  into  Smith's  building,  and  lodged  (365  in  num- 
ber) in  the  lower  story,  mostly  under  ground  and  filthy  and 
damp.  Rations,  ten  ounces  bread  and  three  to  six  ounces  of 
meat,  not  enough  for  a  single  meal,  the  meat  being  generally 
tainted  and  sometimes  rotten,  and  the  box  containing  it  lined  with  skippers. 
The  officer  in  chai^ge  (Turner)  was  abusive  and  cruel,  and  the  prisoners 
did  not  dare  to  make  even  the  simplest  requests.  November  14,  1863,  we 
were  taken  to  Danville,  Va.,  and  confined  in  five  tobacco  factories.  The 
buildings  contained  about  2,500  prisoners.  Rations  at  Danville,  half  a  loaf 
of  dark  bread  of  very  inferior  quality.  What  it  was  made  of  we  could  not 
determine.  After  a  while,  corn-bread  was  substituted,  of  a  wretched  sort, 
meal  very  coarse  and  unsifted.  A  little  meat  also  was  given,  and  occasion- 
ally some  soup,  though  both  were  filthy  and  abominable.  The  weather  was 
very  cold,  winter  of  1863-64,  but  we  had  no  fire  and  very  little  clothing. 
We  lay  on  the  bare  floor  with  no  covering.  Our  Government  furnished 
clothing  to  some  extent  about  Christmas,  1863,  but  much  even  of  that  passed 
before  long  into  the  hands  of  the  rebels,  since  the  hunger  of  the  men  was 
so  very  great  that  very  many  exchanged  clothing  for  a  little  food  to  satisfy 
their  terrible  cravings.  April  15,  1864,  we  were  sent  to  Andersonville.  The 
prisoners  from  Belle  Island  had  preceded  us,  and  they  were  by  far  a  worse- 
looking:^  more  wretched  set  of  human  beings  than  ourselves.     The  'dead 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  537 

line'  was  made  by  nailing  slats  on  stakes  about  three  feet  high,  and  was 
about  fifteen  feet  from  the  stockade.  I  saw  two  shot  by  the  guards  for 
crossing  the  'dead  line.'  One  was  trying  to  get  some  better  water  by  reach- 
ing beyond  the  line;  the  other  went  beyond  the  line  on  purpose  and  begged 
the  guard  to  put  an  end  to  his  misery. 

There  was  a  bog  or  swamp  of  se^•eral  acres  on  both  sides  of  the  stream 
on  which  the  stockade  was  located.  No  arrangement  was  made  for  remov- 
ing filth  or  excrement,  and  the  prisoners  had  to  resort  to  this  swamp.  The 
stream  was  the  only  source  of  supply  for  water.  The  condition  of  the 
swamp  and  of  the  stream  may  be  imagined,  but  cannot  be  described.  There 
were  30,000  prisoners  in  the  stockade  at  one  time,  and  there  was  a  space  of 
not  more  than  three  feet  by  six  to  each  man.  There  was  almost  no  shelter, 
and  the  rainfall  was  fearful,  at  one  time  twenty  days  in  succession;  and  the 
ground  became  much  like  a  barnyard  in  the  winter.  Many  dug  holes  in 
the  ground  to  burrow  in,  but  the  rain  would  'drown'  them  out.  The  cloth- 
ing became  reduced  often  to  pants  and  blouse,  or  to  drawers  and  shirt,  and 
those  inconceivably  ragged,  filthy  and  loathsome.  Our  rations  at  first  were 
raw — one  to  one  and  a  half  pints  of  very  coarse,  unsifted  meal,  one  gill  of 
rotten,  bug  eaten  beans  or  peas,  or  sometimes  rice ;  sometimes  a'  little  meat 
and  occasionally  a  teaspoonful  of  salt.  The  cooking  had  to  be  done  with 
the  vile  water  of  the  execrable  stream  and  in  the  smoke  and  soot  of  a  pine 
knot  fire.  The  effect  of  this  wretched  feeding  was  scurvy  in  its  most  terri- 
ble forms,  mostly  showing  itself  in  pain  and  stiffness  of  limbs,  running  sores 
and  the  like.  In  my  own  case,  it  caused  contraction  of  limbs  (so  as  not 
to  be  able  to  walk  for  two  months),  severe  pain  and  spongy  and  bleeding 
gums  (every  tooth  in  my  head  being  perfectly  loose).  Men  would  lie  help- 
less, covered  with  foul  sores,  dying  and  insensible,  and  vile  vermin  crawl- 
ing in  and  out  of  these  fearful  ulcers.  Most  of  the  deaths  occurred  inside 
the  stockade;  few  were  taken  to  the  hospital.  The  deaths  inside  the  prison 
rose  to  fifty,  and  seventy-five  per  day.  A  pack  of  hounds  was  kept  to  recap- 
ture escaped  prisoners,  since  attempts  to  escape  were  numerous,  chiefly  by 
tunneling.  Tunnels  had  to  be  dug  from  four  to  twelve  rods,  still,  many 
were  made  and  a  considerable  number  of  men  got  out  of  the  stockade, 
though  most  of  them  were  retaken  and  returned  to  the  prison." 

Mr.  Diggs  very  seldom  spoke  of  his  prison  experience,  always  shrink- 
ing from  recalling  his  horrible  experiences  endured  there.  Mr.  Diggs  lived 
in  Winchester  until  his  death.  May  22,  1912. 


538  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

PRISON   EXPERIENCE ANDERSONVILLE. 

William  Warrell  and  his  brother,  Chester  Warrell,  enlisted  in  the  Fifty- 
thitd  Ohio  Regiment,  Company  K,  August  22,  1861.  They  were  living  in 
Union  City,  Ohio,  at  the  time.  They  were  taken  prisoners  by  the  confed- 
erates near  Atlanta,  July  22,  1864,  with  a  few  others  of  the  company.  They 
were  marched  to  Andersonville,  arriving  in  a  few  days,  and  cast  into  that 
den  of  horrors.  They  say  tongue  ^annot  describe  nor  the  mind  conceive 
the  fearful  suffering,  wretchedness  and  death  of  that  awful  place.  Great 
numbers  were  already  there,  probably  30,000,  and  the  mortality  was  terrible. 
Disease  and  death  in  their  most  horrid  forms,  struck  down,  day  and  night, 
month  after  month,  the  best  and  the  bravest  in  that  devoted  band.  The 
Warrells  stood  it  comparatively  well.  William  says  his  worst  time  was  at 
Savannah,  after  being  removed  from  Andersonville.  He  was  thought  to  be 
near  death,  and  he  heard  his  tent  mates  planning  how  they  would  divide  his 
clothes  among  fhem  when  he  was  dead.  He  did  not  let  them  know  he 
heard  them,  but  he  told  them  he  was  not  going  to  die,  and  he  did  not.  He 
got  better,  but  had  to  be  led,  half  carried  to  the  pump  to  wash,  etc.,  for 
many  days.  The  scenes  were  sickening.  The  bodies  were  all  buried 
naked,  the  clothes  being  saved  for  those  who  were  still  alive  to  wear.  The 
corpses  were  laid  in  tiers  by  the  gate,  and  when  the  dead  wagon  came  they 
were  piled  up  in  bulk  till  the  wagon  was  full.  Relays  of  men  were  kept  out- 
side on  parole  to  dig  graves  for  their  poor  comrades.  Warrell  thinks  they 
were  buried  in  separate  graves  each  man  by  himself.  (The  author  of  "An- 
dersonville" states  that  the  bodies  were  buried  in  trenches  four  feet  deep.) 
This  last  is  probably  the  truth.  They  were  taken  to  Millen,  perhaps  in 
October,  1864;  then  to  Savannah  and  again  to  Florida,  and  at  length  to 
Andersonville.  They  were  exchanged  at  last,  in  about  April,  1865,  5,000  of 
them  being  marched  through  Florida  to  Jacksonville  in  that  State,  and  there 
passed  into  the  Union  lines.  The  confederates  left  the  prisoners  about 
eight  miles  from  the  National  troops,  told  them  the  road  to  take  and  let 
them  go,  having  been  paroled  not  to  bear  arms  till  properly  exchanged. 

Much  has  been  said  of  the  wonderful  spring  that  opened  at  Andersonville. 
Warrell  saw  it  burst  out.  It  was  on  rising  ground  several  rods  away  from  any 
hollow  or  bottom.  The  ground  had  been  growing  moist  and  watery  for  some 
days,  and  it  was  decided  to  dig  to  see  what  they  could  find,  whereupon  the 
water  came  forth  abundantly.  A  barrel  was  set  down  for  a  spring  or  well, 
and  spouts  or  troughs  were  laid  for  the  water  to  run  off.     The  stream  was 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  539 

as  large  as  one's  arm,  furnishing  water  enough  for  the  whole  camp.  The 
water  was  pure  and  sweet  and  cold.  One  cannot  imagine  what  a  blessing 
was  that  wonderful  spring  to  those  woe-begone  men  shut  up  within  the  im- 
passable walls  af  that  crowded  stockade.  Before  that  time  the  water  was 
absolutely  unendurable,  taken  from  that  reservoir  of  unutterable  stench  and 
filth,  the  creek  and  the  swamp  through  which  it  ran  receiving,  as  it  did,  the 
offal  from  that  seething  mass  of  humanity,  without  the  possibility  of  cleans- 
ing or  purification.  But  to  picture  these  things  is  utterly  impossible.  Those 
who  would  see  it  attempted  must  read  "Andersonville,"  one  of  the  most 
fearfully  thrilling  books  ever  put  in  print. 

As  for  cooking,  Mr.  Warrell's  squad  had  a  kind  of  pan,  which  they 
had  made  of  a  plate  of  sheet-iron  some  one  had  managed  to  get  hold  of  as 
they  were  coming  in  the  cars  in  their  passage  to  Andersonville.  It  would 
hold  water  and  they  made  mush  in  it  and  what  not.  They  had  no  salt,  their 
bread  had  no  salt  and  none  was  furnished  that  he  ever  heard  of. 

Sometimes  fresh  beef  would  be  furnished,,  and  Warrell  says :  "I  al- 
ways ate  mine  raw,  because  I  thought  it  would  help  to  keep  the  scurvy  off 
that  so  many  suffered  and  died  with.  Their  mouths  would  swell  and  grow 
raw,  their  legs  and  feet  would  swell  twice  the  natural  size,  teeth  would  come 
loose  and  fall  out,  and  they  would  die  rotting  by  piece  meal." 

"I  have  seen,"  says  Mr.  Warrell,  "men  dying  with  scurvy,  naked,  ex- 
cept a  rag  tied  round  their  waist,  and  the  maggots  crawling  from  their 
flesh  as  they  lay.  Men  would  be  sick  with  the  diarrhoea,  so  sick  they  could 
not  go  away,  and  they  would  dig  a  hole  in  the  ground  near  them  and  use  it 
for  the  purposes  of  nature.  Many  such  holes  would  be  made  within  a 
short  distance,  and  the  result  may  be  imagined.  I  never  saw  any  one  killed 
at  the  'dead  line,'  but  have  seen  them  after  they  had  been  killed.  I  saw  a 
man  shot  by  the  guards  as  we  were  marching  to  Millen.  There  was  a  pile 
of  staves  as  we  passed  along,  and  a  man  grabbed  one  of  the  staves,  and  the 
guard  shot  him  and  he  fell  dead,  and  we  marched  on  and  I  never  knew  any 
more  about  him. 

No  utensils  of  any  kind  were  furnished  the  prisoners,  and  many  had 
none  at  all.  The  only  thing  we  had  was  the  pan,  one-half  a  foot  deep  and 
a  foot  square.  It  was  stolen  once,  but  we  got  it  again.  Those  who  had 
money  could  buy  of  the  guards,  corn-bread,  or  meal,  or  tobacco.  The  men 
would  trade  anything  they  had  for  corn-meal  or  bread.  Every  morning 
would  be  heard  the  cry  of  men  wishing  to  barter — 'who'll  trade  meal  for 
tobacco,'  etc.     At  first,  the  boys  used  to  cheat  the  rebels.     They  would  show 


S40  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

a  nice  pair  of  boots  perhaps,  and  make  the  rebel  throw  down  his  meal,  etc., 
first,  and  then  fling  a  pair  of  boots,  a  poor,  worthless  pair,  far  over  the 
stockade,  and  when  Johnnie  had  found  them  the  'Yankee  rogue'  would  be 
gone  and  could  not  be  discovered.  They  stopped  all  this  pretty  soon  by  re- 
fusing to  trade  unless  the  'Yank'  would  throw  his  'article'  first. 

The  supply  of  wood  was  one  stick  of  pine  cord  wood  to  twenty-five 
men,  divided  by  one  man  into  twenty-five  parts  (one  ax  was  supplied  to 
I  GO  men)  and  distributed  by  one  man  turning,  his  back  and  telling  who 
should  have  each  particular  pile.  Each  man  would  take  his  quota  of  wood 
and  cut  it  up  into  splinters  as  fine  as  shavings  or  matches,  and  with  these 
make  infinitesimal  fires  to  cook  their  mush.  This  splitting  of  their  wood 
and  making  and  watching  their  'teeny-weeny'  fires  would  take  hours  and 
hours  of  weary  time.  No  shelter  of.  any  kind  was  furnished.  We  had  a 
piece  of  blanket.  We  dug  a  hole  a  foot  or  two  deep,  fixed  up  a  bit  of  a 
pole  and  stretched  the  blanket  fragment  over  so  as  to  keep  the  dew  of?,  and 
then  slept  in  that  hole.  In  the  winter  we  would  keep  warm  in  the  night  by 
'trotting'  round,  among  the  sleeping  men  hour  after  hour,  and  then  we  would 
sleep  in  the  sunshine  in  the  daytime  when  it  was  hot.  My  shoes  were  stol- 
en and  I  had  none  the  whole  winter.  We  had  no  matches,  nor  flints,  n9r 
any  means  to  produce  fire.  We  had  to  depend  on  some  one  else.  Some- 
body would  have  fire,  and  we  would  kindle  ours  when  we  needed.  Once 
in  a  while  molasses  was  issued,  and  often  the  men  could  trade  it  off  for  meal 
or  bread." 

W.  A.   W.  DALY. 

"I  was  captured  near  Sunshine  Church,  Ga.,  during  Stoneman's  raid, 
1 20  miles  south  of  Atlanta.  The  expedition  set  out  for  the  purpose  of  re- 
leasing the  prisoners  at  Macon  and  Andersonville.  We  went  to  Macon, 
but  the  prisoners  had  been  moved.  Stoneman  attacked  Macon,  but  McCook 
failed  to  come  to  time,  and  we  fell  back.  The  rebel  advance  was  met  at 
10  o'clock  p.  m.  We  skirmished  until  next  day,  and  were  surrounded  and 
forced  to  surrender.  So  instead  of  releasing  the  prisoners  at  Anderson- 
ville, the  soldjers  were  scooped  into  that  awful  den  themselves.  I  entered 
that  'hell  above  ground'  August  2,  1864;  was  taken  to  Charleston  in  No- 
vember; to  Florence  in  December;  afterward  to  Wilmington,  and  at  length 
to  the  Union  lines  at  Goldsboro,  N.  C,  in  March,  1865,  for  parole. 

I  went  in  hungry;  never  had  a  full  meal;  could  have  eaten  any  day  at 
one  meal  my  whole  rations  for  an  entire  day,  i.  e.,  had  they  been  fit  for  a 
human  creature  to  eat,  which  they  were  not.     Our  bread  was  mostly  made 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  54I 

from  coarse  corn  meal  badly  baked,  and  wretched  stuff.  But  we  ate  it, 
and  I  came  out  alive. 

I  went  in  weighing  216  pounds,  ,but  in  seven  months,  when  paroled, 
my  weight  was  only  145  pounds.  I  had  remarkable  health  for  such  a  place, 
but  language  cannot  describe  such  a  den  of  horrors ! 

I  had,  when  captured,  a  suit  of  well  worn  army  clothes,  and  I  wore 
the  same  without  change,  with  no  soap,  until  I  was  nearer  naked  than  clad. 

The  brook  was  filth  itself.  I  had  no  vessel  to  wash  in.  There  was 
no  water  for  any  purpose  but  that  dreadful  stream,  thick  with  the  vileness  of 
35,000  living  and  dead  prisoners.  The  only  time  we  had  the  means  of 
washing  in  clean  water  was  in  a  heavy  rain  which  fell.  The  prisoners 
stripped,  and  stood  rubbing  each  others'  backs  and  limbs  as  the  rain 
poured  in  torrents  upon  them.  Soon  after  that  rain,  a  great  wonder  came 
to  pass  in  that  stockade.  A  spring  of  pure,  clean  water  came  gushing  forth 
in  the  midst  of  that  prison  pen,  and  ran  a  life-giving  stream,  enough  for 
those  famishing  people.  It  seemed  almost  like  the  stream  flowing  from  the 
'rock  in  the  wilderness.'  The  water  of  this  spring  sufficed  for  drinking  and 
cooking,  though  but  little  of  that  was  done,  in  sooth.  Men  were  in  line 
waiting  their  turn  at  that  heaven-sent  fountain  all  day  long.  Sometimes 
the  'waiting  line'  numbered  1,000  men.  Before  that  spring  burst  forth 
from  out  that  cursed  ground,  the  filthy  water  of  the  brook  was  all  that  any- 
body in  that  stockade  could  procure,  except  that  now  and  then  a  poor  fellow 
had  found  a  little  water  by  digging. 

One  day  a  poor  fellow  (among  scores  and  hundreds  of  others  like 
him),  bespoke  my  pity  who  had  got  fast  in  the  mire  of  the  brook,  and  I 
helped  him  out.  Great  numbers,  sick  and  helpless,  were  there  besides,  and 
I  worked  helping  the  poor  wretches  a  long  time,  until  at  last  I  had  to  quit 
to  save  myself. 

I  have  counted  as  many  as  seventy  corpses  lying  stiff  and  stark  at  the 
gate,  in  one  morning,  of  persons  who  had  died  in  one  dreadful  night;  and 
the  living  would  fight  for  the  privilege  of  carrying  a  comrade's  lifeless 
remains  forth  to  the  burial-ground  outside,  because  by  so  doing  one  got  the 
chance  to  bring  in  an  arm  load  of  wood  gathered  outside. 

Men  died  by  scores,  by  hundreds,  by  thousands,  within  those  awful 
walls,  yet  I  came  forth  alive;  I  still  survive  that  loathsome  dungeon. 

"During  that  awful  suffering,  the  great  body  of  those  men  stood  firm 
and  steadfast  in  their  loyalty,  resisting  every  attempt  to  seduce  them  from 
their  allegiance  to  their  native  land.  Many  times  we  were  marshaled  in 
(35) 


542  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

line  and  offered  freedom  and  abundance  by  joining  the  ranks  of  the  'men 
in  grey,'  but  very  few  yielded  even  to  such  offers. 

True  as  steeel,  those  heroic  men  continued  faithful  to  their  flag,  many 
of  them  even  unto  death.  And  those  who  lived  to  gain  their  freedom,  if 
able  for  duty,  rejoined  their  regiments  and  finished  their  terms  of  service 
on  the  tented  field." 

Mr.  Warrell  was  never  outside  the  stockade,  only  as  he  was  taken  out 
to  be  moved  to  some  other  prison. 

The  prisoners  named  by  William  Warrell  are  as  follows: 

William  Warrell,  Company  K,  Fifty-third  Ohio,  nine  months,  Union 
City;  Chester  Warrell,  Company  K,  Fifty-third  Ohio,  nine  months.  Union 
City;  Jeremiah  Torney,  Fortieth  Ohio,  eighteen  months.  Ward  township; 
Leven  B.  Moyer,  Fortieth  Ohio,  eighteen  months;  Stephen  Boast,  Fortieth 
Ohio,  eighteen  months;  Newton  Founts,  Fortieth  Ohio,  Kansas.  Others 
are  as   follows : 

W  A.  W.  Daly,  Ninetieth;  Charles  Potter,  Ninetieth;  Calvin  W. 
Diggs,  Eight-fourth;  John  Stick,  Alabama,  Fifty-fifth  Ohio,  Company  K; 
Barnes,  died.  Ninetieth;  James  Ryan,  Fifty-third  Ohio;  Noah  Ingle,  For- 
tieth (Cavalry),  died  in  six  weeks;  Peter  Shaffer,  Fortieth  Ohio;  John 
Cring,  now  of  Portland,  Jay  county,  Ind. ;  Daniel  Bond,  now  of  Science  Hill, 
Ky. 

Francis  M.  Way,  Captain  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth 
Regiment,  ex-postmaster  at  Winchester,  Ind.;  removed  to  Minnesota  in  the 
summer  of  1881,  but  retvirned  to  Winchester  in  a  few  months;  now  resides 
at  that  place. 

DEATH    OF    SOLDIERS,    RANDOLPH,    COUNTY. 

We  group  in  one  place  the  names  of  soldiers  who  died  while  belonging 
to  the  army,  so  far  as  information  is  to  be  found.  The  arrangement  is 
alphabetical  for  convenient  reference : 

Samuel  Armstrong,  Ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  May  23,  1865. 

George  Allman  (belongs  to  Jay  county).  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Com- 
pany C,  died  October  11,  1862,  of  wounds  received  at  Antietam,  Md. 

Eli  Abernathy,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  October  5, 
1861. 

John  R.  Anderson,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  killed  at  Antie- 
tam, Md.,  September  17,  1862. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA.  543 

Calvin  W.  Arnold,  Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  Company  D,  killed  at 
Stone  River,  Tenn.,  December  31,  1862. 

Jackson  Anderson,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  D,  died  December 
9,   1862. 

Oliver  Adkins,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  D,  died  February  12, 
1863. 

John  Addington,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  A,  died  at  Look- 
out Mountain,  Ga.,  of  wounds,  September  2,   1864. 

Henry  Addington,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  H,  died  at 
Nashville,  Tenn.,  October  7,  1863. 

William  W.  Albright,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  Feb- 
ruary 6,   1864. 

James  Abernathy,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  H,  died  at  Nash- 
ville, Tenn.,  July  12,  1863. 

Henry  C.  Brandon,  Eighth  Regiment,  Company  G  (three  years), 
wounded  at  Port  Gibson,  Miss.,  May  i,   1863;  died  May  5,   1863. 

Alexander  Burk,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  killed  at  Gettys- 
burg, Penn.,  July  i,  1863. 

Amer  J.  Bales,  Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  at  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  April   16,   1862. 

\Villiam  Brewer,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  December  2,   1862. 

Jonathan  Brown,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Young's 
Point,  La.,  March  11,   1863. 

Martin  V.  Beard,  Company  D,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  died  February  3, 

1863. 

William  T.  Botkin,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  D,  died  February 
12,  1863. 

Jesse  S.  Byrd,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  at  Port  Gibson, 
Miss.,  May  2,  1863. 

Madison  Beverlin,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  at  Young's 
Point,  La.,  April  3,  1863. 

Abner  Bales,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  at  Young's 
Point,  La.,  February  14,  1863,  of  disease. 

Jackson  Bishop,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  April  i,  1863. 

Elbert  Bragg,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  E,  missing  in  action, 
Chickamauga,  Tenn.,  September  20,  1863. 

Andrew  J.  Bragg,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  May  27, 
1864. 


'544  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Edwin  Burnsley,  Eighty- fourth  Regiment,  Company  H.  died  at  Nash- 
ville,  Tenn.,  December  20,   1863. 

Henry  Brown,  Eighty-fourth,  Company  I,  killed  at  Nashville,  Tenn., 
December  12,  1864. 

Thomas  N.  Barnes,  Ninetieth  Regiment,  Company  B,  died  in  Ander- 
sonville  Prison  August  15,  1864. 

William  Brown,  Ninetieth  Regiment,  Company  B,  died  at  Indianapolis, 
November  14,  1862. 

Daniel  Brittain,  Ninetieth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  October  8,  1864. 

Orin  Barber,  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  B, 
died  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  June  i,  1864. 

Albert  T.  Butler,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-seventh  Regiment,  Company 
A,  died  at  home,  March  16,  1865. 

James  Chandler,  Company  H,  Sixth  Regiment  (three  years),  died  Oc- 
tober I,  1863,  of  wounds  at  Chickamauga. 

Reuben  Clark,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  killed  at  Gettysburg, 
Penn.,  July  i,  1863. 

William  A.  Crouch,  Twenty-first  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  Decem- 
ber 5,   1864. 

Thomas  J.  Calvin,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  New 
Orleans,  La.,  September  12,  1864. 

Richard  J.  Corry,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Port  Gib- 
son, Miss.,  May  i,  1863. 

George  W.  Caty,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  D,  died  March  14, 
1863. 

Joshua  Cate,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  at  Memphis, 
Term.,  March  15,  1863. 

Joel  Cook,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  at  Jackson,  Miss., 
July  12,  1863,  disease. 

John  H.  Clark,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  October  2, 
1862,  wounds. 

Thomas  Cox,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  at  Milliken's 
Bend,  La-.,  June  28,  1863,  of  disease. 

Orlister-  R.  Caty,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  on  the  day 
of  his  discharge,  May  22,  1864. 

William  Clough,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  F,  killed  at  Port  Gib- 
son, Miss.,  May  i,  1863. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  545 

George  W.  Chenoweth,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  F,  died  May 
14,  1863. 

Thomas  Coril,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  of  wounds 
December  8,  1863. 

Charles  B.  Clove,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  K,  killed  at 
Chickaniauga,  Tenn.,  September  20,  1863. 

Joseph  L.  Cofifin,  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  E, 
died  at  Indianapolis,  November  12,   1863. 

Benjamin  Cobey,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- fourth  Regiment,  Com- 
pany G,  died  at  Union  City,  Ind.,  February  i,  1864. 

John  Conner,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- fourth  Regiment,  Company 
G,  died  at  Atlanta,  Ga.,  October  4,  1864. 

Elihu  Coates,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Company 
H,  killed  near  Atlanta,  Ga.,  August  5,  1864. 

Gilbert  L.  Cox,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Company 
H.  died  at  Altoona,  Ga.,  June  27,  1864. 

John  T.  Carson,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-seventh  Regiment,  Company 
A,  died  at  Indianapolis,  March  7,  1865. 

Willmore  Cook   (colored),  died  in  service. 

George  Denny,  Twenty-first  Regiment,  Company  F,  died  at  New  Or- 
leans, February  26,   1865. 

\\'illiam  G.  Densmore,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  D,  died  Janu- 
ary 25,  1864. 

Robert  E.  Daly,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  at  Richmond, 
Ky.,  of  wounds,  October  10,  1863. 

Thomas  H.  Downing,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  F,  d'ied  May 
14,  1863,  of  wounds. 

William  C.  Diggs,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  A,  died  at  Cass- 
ville,  Yz.,  January  25,  1863. 

Elias  Dull,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  A,  died  at  Ashland,  Ky., 
December  31,  1862. 

Benjamin  Doty,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  E,  killed  at  Love- 
joy  Station,  Ga.,  September  2,  1864. 

Henrv  Dick,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  of  wounds 
July  5,    1864. 

Patterson  P.  Dood,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  H,  died  at 
NaslivHIp.  Tenn.,  January  i,  1864. 


546  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

William  L.  Dudley,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Com- 
pany B.  died  at  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  July  20,  1864. 

George  R.  Driver,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Com- 
pany G,  died  at  Nashville,  Tenn,  December  22,  1864. 

Isaac  W.  Elliot,  F'itty-seventh  Regiment,  Company  D,  died  of  wounda 
December  28,  1863. 

Warren  Elzroth,  Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  Company  D,  killed  in  battle 
November  30,   1864. 

Eli  Edwards,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  near  Milliken's 
Bend,  January  6,  1863. 

George  W.  Evans,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  K,  died  October 
25,  1863. 

John  M.  Englehart,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-first  Regiment,  Com- 
pany C,  died  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  May  9,  1865. 

John  Ensminger,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Com- 
pany B,  died  at  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  May  31,  1864. 

John  French,  Eighth  Regiment  (three  years).  Company  G,  died  at 
Union  City,  Ind. 

Josiah  French,  Ninth  Regiment,  Company  I,  died  of  disease  at  Nash- 
ville, Tenn.,  January  5,  1865. 

Jasper  L.  Fry,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  killed  at  Spottsyl- 
vania,  Va.,  May  12,  1864. 

Peter  L.  Foust,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  killed  at  Gettys- 
burg, Penn.,  July  i,  1863. 

Thornton  Freeman,  F'ifty-seventh  Regiment,  Company  D,  killed  at 
Stone  River,  Tenn.,  December  31,  1862. 

Joseph  S.  Frazier,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  in  hospital 
at  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  January  i,  1863,  of  disease. 

Samuel  Gantz,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  A,  died  at  Nash- 
ville, Tenn.,  December  29,  1864. 

Joseph  Gray,  Eighty-ninth  Regim'ent,  Company  E,  killed  at  Yellow 
Cayou,  La.,  May  18,  1864. 

Andrew  J.  Goodman,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment, 
Company  H,  died  at  Richmond,  Ind.,  March  21,  1864. 

Abner  Hinshaw,  Eighth  Regiment  (three  years).  Company  G,  died  at 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  of  disease,  January  7,  1863. 

William  Hoover,  Nineteenth  Reg^iment,  Company  C,  killed  at  Gettys- 
burg, Penn.,  July  i,  1863. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  547 

James  H.  Hamm,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  killed  at  South 
Mountain,  September  14,  1862. 

William  A.  Howren,  Twentieth  Regiment,  Company  A,  died  of  wounds 
received  at  Petersburg,  October  18,  1864. 

Charles  C.  Heck,  Thirty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  B,  died  at  Brazos 
Santiago,  Texas,  January  17,  1865. 

John  Hartman,  Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  near  Unioff 
City,  Indiana.,  March  19,  1864,  buried  in  Union  City  Cemetery. 

John  House,  Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Lou'isville, 
Ky.,  January  13,  1862. 

Eli  Hiatt,  Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  at  Shiloh,  Tenn., 
May   15,    1862. 

Ira  Hanks,  Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  Company  E,  killed  at  Franklin, 
Tenn.,  November  30,   1864. 

Benjamin  F.  H'ill,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  New  Or- 
leans, La.,  October  6,  1864. 

Jasper  Hastings,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Milliken's 
Bend,  on  Mississippi  River,  April  10,  1863. 

Dan'iel  S.  Hoggatt,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  home. 

James  M.  Hoggatt,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Black 
River  Bridge,  Miss.,  July  26,   1863. 

Asa  J.  Haynes,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  D,  died  January  4, 
1863. 

Henry  Hill,  Sixty-ninth  Reg'iment,  Company  E,  died  af  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
February   5,    1863. 

John  Harness,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  F,  drowned  in  Ala- 
bama river,  April  22,  1865. 

Solomon  G.  Harter,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  F,  killed  at  Fort 
Blakely,  Ala.,  April  6,  1865. 

Edward  H.  Harlan,  S'ixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  F,  died  March  zj, 
1863. 

Nathan  Hiatt,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  A,  killed  at  Chick- 
amauga,  Tenn.,  September  20,   1863. 

Elwood  Harris,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  A,  died  July  20, 
1864. 

Michael  Hubbard,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  A,  died  July  20, 
1864. 

John  Hefifern,  Eighty-fourth  Reg'iment,  Company  A,  died  at  Mur- 
freesboro,  Tenn.,  July  20,  1863. 


548  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

Moses  Heron,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  A,  died  at  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  September  5,  1863. 

Peter  Harshman,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  H,  died  in  Ander- 
sonville  Prison,  Ga.,  September  12,  1864. 

Elwood  Hall,  Ninetieth  Regiment,  Company  B,  died  at  Indianapolis, 
November   14,   1862. 

Jonathan  H.  Harris,  Ninetieth  Regiment,  Company  B,  died  at  Camp 
Nelson,  Ky.,  January  21,  1863. 

Abram  Hunt,  Ninetieth  Regiment,  Company  B,  died  at  home  Febru- 
ary 20,  1864. 

Elias  Heffine,  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  B, 
died  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  March  7,   1864. 

Alfred  Hall,  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  B. 
died  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  March  7,   1864. 

Eli  J.  Harris,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Company 
H,  died  near  Atlanta,  Ga.,  August  6,   1864. 

Thomas  C.  Holloway,  One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth  Regiment,  Company 
I,  died  at  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  June  7,  1864. 

John  T.  Jenkins,  Eighth  Regiment  (three  years),  Company  G,  killed 
at  Opequan,  Va.,  September   19,   1864. 

Richard  E.  Jenkins,  Eighth  Regiment  (three  years).  Company  G,  died 
at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  of  disease,  April  16,  1863. 

Daniel  B.  Johnson,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  November 
5,   1861. 

Alexander  Jones,  Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  at  Corinth, 
Miss.,  May   19,    1862. 

AV.  H.  H.  Johnson,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  d'ied  at  Vicks- 
burg,  Miss.,  August  11,  1863. 

Joshua  Jessup,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  on  hospital 
boat. 

Jonas  Johnson,  killed  at  Port  Gibson,  Miss.,  May  i,  1863. 

John  W.  Johnson,  Ninetieth  Regiment,  Company  C,  killed  at  Blounts- 
ville,   Tenn.,   September  22,    1863. 

Francis  M.  Johnson,  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Com- 
pany B,  died  at  White's  Station,  Tenn.,  August  3,  1864. 

W.  P.  Jessup,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Company 
H,  died  at  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  April  27,  1864. 

William  H.  Kepler,  N'ineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Wash- 
ington City,  October  19,   1861,  of  disease. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  549 

Enoch  Kelly,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Washington 
City,  January  8,    1863. 

Francis  W.  Kolp,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  H,  killed'  at 
Chickamauga,  Tenn.,  September  20,  1863. 

Benjamin  Kitzmiller,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  K,  died  De- 
cember II,  1864,  of  disease. 

William  Kennon,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Com- 
pany G,  died  at  Union  City,  Ind.,  February  i,  1864,  of  wounds. 

John  Kizer,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  H, 
died  at  [Marietta,  Ga.,  April  28,  1864,  of  disease;  buried  in  Marietta  Na- 
tional Cemetery. 

Robert  W  Linton,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  wounded  at 
Gainesville,  \^a.,  d'ied  April  9,   1863. 

Albert  P.  Leavell,  Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  Company  C,  killed  at  Kene- 
saw  Alountain,  Ga.,  June  18;  1864. 

\\'illiam  H.  Lasley,  Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  at  Cor- 
inth, Aliss.,  ;\Iay  12,  1862,  of  disease. 

Frederick  AI.  Lasley,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  killed  at 
Mobile,  Ala.,  by  arsenal  explosion,  May  25,  1865. 

Nelson  R.  Lowder,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  F,  died  of 
wounds  Alay  14,  1863. 

Joel  Locke,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  F,  killed  at  Chickasaw 
Bluffs,  ;\Iiss.,   December  31,   1862. 

Elijah  Lambert,  Sixty-n'inth  Regiment,  Company  F,  killed  at  Thom- 
son's Hill,  Miss.,  May  i,  1863. 

James  W.  Landon,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  K,  diecf  August 
18,  1863,  of  disease. 

]\Iiles  O.  Long,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-seventh  Regiment,  Company 
L  died  May  16,  1865. 

Abraham  Lady,  E'ighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  June  6. 
1863. 

Charles  McGuire,  Eighth  Regiment  (three  years),  Company  G,  died 
of  disease  at  St.  Louis.  Mo.,  February  22,   1863. 

Anthony  Mincer,  Eighth  Regiment  (three  years),  Company  G,  died 
of  wounds  at  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  June  7,  1863. 

James  McFetridge,  Ninth  Reg'iment,  Company  C,  died  June  17,  1865, 
of  disease. 

William  Marshall,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Indian- 
apolis. 


550  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Samuel  A.  McNees,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  Septem- 
ber 23,  1862;  wounded  at  Gainesville,  Va. 

Patrick  McMahan,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  wounded  at 
Gainesville,  died  October  16,  1862. 

John  Q.  A.  Mofifitt,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Wash- 
ington C'ity,  November  21,  1861. 

William  Miller,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  from  wounds 
at  Gainesville,  Va.,   September  7,   1862. 

Anderson  P.  McNees,  Nineteenth  Reg*iment,  Company  C,  killed  at 
Laurel  Hill,  Va.,  May  9,  1864. 

Joab  Miller,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  killed  at  Antietam, 
Md.,  Septeber  7,  1862. 

Uriah  B.  Murray,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  killed  at  Gaines- 
ville, Va.,  September  7,  1862. 

Nathan  B.  Maxwell  (from  Jay  county).  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Com- 
pany C,  d'ied  at  Washington  City,  of  disease,  December  12,   1862. 

Henry  Marshall,  Twentieth  Regiment,  Company  A,  died  at  Salisbury 
Prison,  N.  C,  February  28,   1865. 

William  L.  Miller,  Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Nash- 
ville, Tenn.,  April  17,  1862. 

John  C.  McCarty,  Fifty-seventh  Reg*iment,  Company  D,  died  at  Chat- 
tanooga, Tenn.,  July  7,  1864. 

John  Morris,  Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  at  Louisville, 
Ky.,  July  28,   1864. 

William  Morris,  Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  at  Knox- 
ville,  Tenn.,  October  7,   1863. 

Peter  Meachum,  S'ixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  January  i,  1863. 

James  W.  Morrison,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  killed  at  Rich- 
mond, Ky.,  August  30,   1862. 

Henry  May,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  killed  at  Vicksburg, 
Miss.,  May  22,   1863, 

Henry  Mayer,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  D,  died  March  26, 
1863,  at  Memphis,  Tenn. 

John  Morgan,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  September  10, 
1862,  wounds. 

Isaac  Mann,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  drowned  in  Mississ- 
ipp'i  River,  June  18,  1864. 

Levi  Matchett,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  F,  died  March  6,  1863. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  55 1 

Peter  E.  Matchett,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  F,  died  July  13, 
1862. 

Daniel  E.  Miller,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  F,  died  March  6, 
1863,  of  disease. 

Noah  Martin,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  A,  died  at  Chatta- 
nooga, Tenn.,  October  14,  1863,  of  disease. 

William  Mendenhall,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  A,  d'ied  of 
wounds,  at  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  October  6,  1863. 

Daniel  W.  McCamy,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  A,  died  at 
Franklin,  Tenn.,  May  13,  1863,  of  disease. 

Andrew  Miller,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  A,  died  at  Nash- 
v'ille,  Tenn.,  August  15,  1863,  of  disease. 

John  T.  Miller,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  January 
5,   1864. 

George  Manes,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  at  Catletts- 
burg,  Ky.,  November  28,  1862. 

Edwin  E.  Malott,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  E,  killed  at  Kene- 
saw,  Ga.,  June  23,  1864. 

William  Murray,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  T,  died  January 
25,    1864. 

James  McGill,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  E,  killed  at  Chicka- 
mauga,  Tenn.,  September  19,   1865. 

John  S.  Morrison,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  H,  died  at  Cat- 
lettsburg,  Ky.,  December  7,   1862. 

John  N.  Murray,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Com- 
pany G,  died  at  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  August  15,  1864. 

Leander  S.  Murray,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Reg'iment,  Com- 
pany G,  died  at  Bridgeport,  Ala.,  April  20,  1864. 

Joseph  L.  Moffitt,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Com- 
pany G,  died  at  Marietta,  Ga.,  August  10,  1864. 

John  R.  Mote,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Company 
H,  died  at  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  August  8,  1864. 

Manuel  D.  Miller,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Com- 
pany H,  died  at  Louisville.  Ky.,  April  3,  1864. 

James  H.  Murray,  One  Hundred  and  Fortieth  Regiment,  Company  F, 
died  at  Murfreesboro,  Tenn.,  of  disease,  January  i,  1865,  buried  at  Nation- 
al cemetery  at  Murfreesboro. 

James  Nicholas,  Ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  January  15,  1865. 
of  disease. 


552  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Curt'is  L.  Neal,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  in  rebel  prison, 
Cahaba,  Ala.,  November,  1863.  ""  " 

James  L.   Neff,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- fourth  Regiment,  Captain 
Company  H,  killed  at  Wise's  Forks,  N.  C,  March  ■i(i,"i8^5. 

Daniel  B.  Oren,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  D,  died  May  25,  1863. 

William  Odell,  Sixty-ninth  Reg'iment,  Company  E,  missing  since  bat- 
tle of  Richmond,  Ky.,  August  30,  1862.         "  ... 

Thomas  H.  Parker,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Wash- 
ington City,  of  disease,   November  21,    1861. 

Asahel  S.  Peacock,  Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  Compafiy  E,  died  at  Camp 
Den'ison,  Ohio,  of  disease.  May  15,  1862.    '■ 

William  H.  Pierce,  Sixty-ninth  Regirtient,  Company  E,  died  at  Mem- 
phis, Tenn.,  of  disease.  May  9,  1863. 

Joseph    Parmer,    Sixty-ninth   Regiment,    Company   E,   killed  at  Rich- 
mond, Ky.,  August  30,  1862. 

W'illiam  Piatt,   Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  at  Milliken's 
Bend,  La.,  of  disease,  June  9,   1863. 

John  Pearsonett,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  at  New  Or- 
leans, La.,  of  disease,  September  29,  1863. 

Wilson  S.  Peden,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  F,  died  March  14, 
1863. 

Peter  J.  Poiner,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  I,  d'ied  at  Catletts- 
burg,  Ky.,  November  24,  1863. 

Daniel  Phillabaum,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  K,  died  May  2, 
1863,  of  disease. 

Alfred  Pickett,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  A,  died  at  Chatta- 
nooga, Tenn.,  November  5,  1863. 

Thomas  A.  Poage,  Eighty-fourth  Reg'iment,  Company  A,  died  at  Ash- 
land, Ky.,  December  31,   1862,  of  disease. 

Zachariah  Puckett,  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company 
B,  died  at  JMemphis,  Tenn.,  February  5,  1865. 

Orville  B.  Peterson,  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company 
B,  died  at  home  July  30,  1864. 

Elias  G.  Quickie,  Sixty-n'inth  Regiment,  Company  D,  died  November 
29,  1863. 

Michael  Rariden,   Eighth  Regiment    (three  years).   Company  G,   died 
at  L'nion  City,  Ind.,  December  20,   1863. 

Andrew  J.   Reeves,   Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,   died  at , 

February  8,  1862. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  5153 

James  Rynard,  Nineteenth  Reg'iment,  Company  C,  killed  at  Petersburg, 
\  a.,  June  30,  1864. 

Israel  P.  Rickard,  Forty-seventh  Regiment,  Company  B,  died  at  New 
Orleans,  September  14,  1865. 

Robert  F.  Robinson,  Fifty-seventh  .Regiment,  Company  E,  killed  at 
Kenesaw,  Ga.,  June  23,  1864. 

Robert  P.  Russell,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C.  died  at  Rich- 
mond, Ky.,  September  10,  1862,  of  wounds. 

Myron  Ross,  Sixty-n'inth  Regiment,  Company  D,  died  January  16, 
1863,  at  Memphis,  of  disease. 

James  M.  Rupe,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  D,  died  April  2,  1863. 

Henry  C.  Reynolds,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  on  hos- 
pital boat  at  Memphis,  February  27,  1863. 

Wilson  C.  Rouch,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  A,  killed  by 
accident  April  9,  1862. 

Felix  Ryan,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  B, 
died  at  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  August  24,  1864. 

Simon  W.  Ross,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Com- 
pany F,  died  at  Bridgeport,  Ala.,  July  2,  1864,  of  disease. 

James  A.  Ramsey,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Com- 
pany G,  died  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  July  7,  1864. 

Joseph  Stack,  N'ineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Washington 
City  February  23,  1862. 

Christopher  C.  Starbuck,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  killed  at 
Gettysburg,  Penn.,  July  i,  1863. 

James  Stickley,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  killed  at  Gettys- 
burg, Penn.,  July  i,  1863. 

William  H.  Sutter,  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Wash- 
'ington  City,  September  6,  1861. 

William  Stoner,  Forty-second  Regiment,  Company  B,  died  at  Chatta- 
nooga, Tenn.,  April  i,  1865. 

Simon  B.  Sermons,  Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  Company  D,  killed  at 
Franklin,  Tenn.,  November  30,  1864. 

William  Segraves,  Sixty-ninth  Reg'iment,  Company  C,  died  on  Missis- 
sippi river  January  3,  1863. 

Preston  Swain;,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Milliken's 
Bend,  La.,  March  11,  1863. 

Andrew  J.  Stephens,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  D,  killed  at  Rich- 
mond, Ky.,  August  30,  1862. 


554  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

James  C.  Smith,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  of  wounds 
January  7,  1863. 

Wesley  B.  Stanley,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  killed  at  Vicks- 
burg.  Miss.,  May  22,  1863. 

Franklin  Slagle,  Sixty-ninth  Reg'iment,  Company  E,  died  at  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  of  disease,  February  15,  1863. 

■    William  Stegall,  Sixty-ninth  Regimept,  Company  E,  died  at  Milliken's 
Bend,  La.,  of  disease,  March  31,  1863^ 

Alonzo  R.  Scott,  Sixty-n'inth  Regiment,  Company  F,  died  January  30, 
1863. 

Joel  Smith,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  F,  died  November  2,  1863, 
of  disease. 

Daniel  W.  Shipley,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  F,  drowned  in  Ala- 
bama river  April  22,  1865. 

David    Snyder,    Eighty-fourth   Regiment,    Company   A,    died!  at   Shell 
Mound,  Ga.,  November  18,  1863. 

William  H.  J.  Spencer,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  A,  killed  at 
Chickamauga,  Tenn.,  September  19,  1863. 

Josiah  Shanefelt,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  E,  d!ied  of  wounds 
July  5,  1864. 

Isaac  Shull,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  E,  killed  at  Chickamauga, 
Tenn.,  September  20,  1863. 

Wm.  L.  Steele,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  H,  promoted  Sec- 
ond Lieutenant,  died  at  Franklin,  Tenn.,  May  16,  1863. 

James  Shearer,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  ■  Regiment,  Company 
H,  died  at  Knox-v'ille,  Tenn.,  July  11,  1864. 

Henry  H.  Sweet,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-seventh  Regiment,  Company 
I,  died  at  Indianapolis  April  12,  1865. 

Martin  R.  Thomas,  Eighth  Regiment  (three  years).  Company  G,  died 
at  Winchester,  Ind.,  of  disease,  August  10,  1862. 

William  Taylor,  S'ixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  December  10,  1862. 

Lorenzo  Thornburg,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  D,  killed  at  Rich- 
mond, Ky.,  August  30,  1863. 

Benjamin  Throp,  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  B, 
died  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  April  i,  1864, 

Alvah  Tucker,  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Reg'iment,  Company  B, 
died  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Mo.,  May  30,  1864. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  555 

George  C.  Terrell,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Company 
H,  died  of  wounds  March  22,  1865. 

John  T.  Taylor,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-seventh  Regiment,  Company 
I,  died  June  i,  1865. 

August  Ulrich,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  at  Arkansas 
Post,  Ark.,  January  13,  1863. 

Jacob  Van  Gordon,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  K,  died  August 
15,  1864,  of  wounds. 

Moses  P.  Veal,  S'ixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  D,  killed  at  Thomson's 
Hill  (Port  Gibson),  Miss.,  May  i,  1863. 

Lorenzo  D.  Veal,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-first  Regiment,  Company 
C,  died  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  March  8,  1865. 

Henry  Veal,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  E,  died  at  Williamsburg, 
Ind.,  September  20,  1863. 

Henry  T.  Warner,  Eighth  Regiment,  Company  G,  died  at  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
of  disease,  October  10,  1862. 

Samuel  Wilson,  Eighth  Regiment,  Company  G,  died  at  Humansville,  Mo., 
of  disease,  November  — ,  1861. 

Samuel  H.  Webb,  Eighth  Regiment  (three  years).  Company  G,  died  at 
Ridgeville,  Ind.,  October  22,  1864,  of  wounds  rece!ived  at  Pea  Ridge,  Ark. 

Charles  Wood,  Eighth  Regiment,  Company  G,  died  at  Humansville,  Mo., 
of  disease,  November  12,  1862. 

Isaiah  Woodard,  Ninth  Regiment,  Company  K,  died  at  Knoxville,  Tenn., 
April  30,  1865. 

Thomas  Webb,  Sixty-n'inth  Regiment,  Company  C,  killed  at  Richmond, 
Ky.,  August  30,  1862. 

Uriah  Wright,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  C,  died  on  hospital  boat, 
February,  1863. 

Charles  Vickers,  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Company  F,  died  January  2, 
1863. 

Josiah  Woodard,  E'ighty- fourth  Regiment,  Company  A,  died  at  Wartrace, 
Tenn.,  August  11,  1863,  of  disease. 

Joseph  Wood,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  A,  killed  at  Chicka- 
mauga,  Tenn.,  September  20,  1863. 

Valentine  White,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  A,  died  at  Nash- 
ville, Tenn.,  May  24,  1863,  of  disease. 

Clayborn  West,  Eighty-fourth  Reg^iment,  Company  H,  died  April  10, 
1863. 


'556  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

George  Woodbury,  Eighty- fourth  Regiment,  Company  H,  died  at  Frank- 
lin, Tenn.,  April  19,  1863. 

Henry  T.  Way,  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  H,  died  April  26, 
1863,  sergeant. 

William  Walton,  Ninety-ninth  Reg*iment,  Company  H,  died  March  21, 
1863. 

Luther  C.  Williamson,  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Com- 
pany B,  died  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  April  18,  1865. 

Elijah  Wood,  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Regiment,  Company  B,  d'ied 
at  home  August  12,  1864. 

Samuel  Williams,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Company 
G,  died  at  Newton,  Ind.,  October  12,  1864. 

John  R.  Winship,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Company 
H,  killed  at  Wise's  Forks,  N.  C,  March  10,  1865. 

J.  P.  Yarnell,  Sixty-ninth  Reg'iment,  Company  C,  died  September  i, 
1862,  of  wounds,  at  Richmond,  Ky. 

John  A.  Zimmerman,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Regiment,  Com- 
pany H,  died  at  Indianapolis  September  5,  1864. 

SPANISH-AMERICAN  WAR. 

When  Lee  surrendered  at  Appomattox  it  was  the  hope  and  prayer  of  all 
American  citizens,  regardless  of"  former  beliefs,  and  opin'ions,  that  the  war, 
with  all  its  horrors  and  ravages  would  never  again  be  known  to  the  United 
States. 

Lessons  of  the  past  four  years  with  all  the  realities  of  the  war  were  such 
that  it  seemed  imposs'ible  that  again  we  should  be  called  upon  to  take  up  arms 
in  any  cause.  However,  this  was  not  to  be.  The  United  States,  indeed,  be- 
came its  brother's  keeper  and  lent  an  ear  to  the  call  for  relief  from  oppres- 
sion and  tyranny  in  Cuba. 

Again  the  fife  and  drum  were  taken  from  the  attic,  the  sword  from  its 
scabbard  and  the  musket  from  its  place  on  the  wall,  and  pressed  'into  service 
in  the  name  of  humanity  at  the  call  of  President  McKinley  in  1898. 

Indiana  was  found  much  better  prepared  to  respond  than  it  was  at 
the  beginning  of  the  Civil  war.  It  had  been  evident  for  a  long  while  that 
the  United  States  would  have  to  'intercede  for  the  oppressed  in  Cuba. 

April  23,  1898,  President  McKinley  called  for  125,000  volunteers  to 
serve  two  years  unless  sooner  discharged.     The  formal  declaration  oi  war 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  557 

against  Spain  was  passed  by  congress  and  approved  April  25th  at  6:15  on  the 
evening  of  that  day. 

Governor  Mount,  of  Indiana,  received  instructions  to  prov'ide  four  regi- 
ments of  infantry  and  two  batteries  of  light  artillery,  Indiana.  The  National 
Guard  was  ordered  to  report  at  once  to  General  McKee  at  the  fair  grounds 
at  Indianapolis.  The  response  to  the  call  of  Governor  Mount  was  as  enthu- 
siast'ic  as  was  the  call  of  Governor  Morton  in  1861,  indeed  the  entire  125,000 
called  for  by  the  president  could  have  been  secured  in  a  few  hours  in  Indiana 
alone.  The  companies  were  all  recruited  to  the  number  of  eighty-four  in  a 
few  minutes  time.  Excitement  ran  high  all  over  the  state.  In  nearly  all 
towns  public  meet'ings  were  held. 

Winchester,  the  home  of  Company  F,  was  no  exception  to  this  rule.  A 
meeting  was  called  and  held  in  the  court  room  and  short  addresses  were  made 
by  the  veterans  of  '61.  White-haired  men,  trembling  with  emotion,  gave 
words  of  counsel,  cheer  and  warning  to  the  boys  about  to  leave.  The  talk 
of  one  man,  Capt.  W.  A.  W.  Daly,  was  exceptionally  impress'ive.  The  audi- 
ence fully  appreciated  the  fact  that  the  words  of  this  man  were  spoken  by 
one  who  had  spent  years  in  the  service  of  his  country,  suffering  innumerable 
and  unspeakable  horrors  in  the  prison  pens  of  Andersonville.  What,  indeed, 
must  have  been  the  emotion  of  this  good  man  when  before  him  sat  in  the  com- 
pany, about  to  depart,  three  of  his  own  sons. 

The  company  marched  to  the  Big  Four  station  accompanied  by  the  en- 
tire population  of  the  city  and  surrounding  country  and  left  for  camp  at  In- 
dianapolis accompanied  by  the  best  wishes  and  prayers  of  all  those  left  be- 
hind. Company  F  was  the  only  company  enl'isted  in  this  war  from  Randolph 
county,  and  of  it  we  take  the  following  from  a  history  of  the  National  Guard 
of  Indiana : 

Company  F  is  the  second  military  organization  which  has  flourished  in 
Winchester.  On  August  28,  1883,  the  Winchester  Light  Guards  were  or- 
ganized and  mustered  into  state  service  October  15th  following.  The  com- 
pany served  through  but  one  term  of  enlistment  as  Company  I  of  the  Second 
Regiment.  The  officers  were  Captain  Enos  M.  Ford,  First  Lieutenant  Albert 
M.  Russell,  and  Second  Lieutenant  Benjamin  C.  Marsh. 

The  present  company  was  organized  September  22,  1896,  with  fifty-five 
members,  and  was  mustered  in  by  Major  W.  S.  Rich.  It  was  assigned  to  the 
second  regiment  as  Company  F.  and  such  it  has  been  since. 

There  was  not  a  man  with  any  military  experience  and  the  members  paid 
no  attention  to  the  preliminary  work,  but  at  once  took  up  the  school  of  the 
(36) 


SSS  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

soldier,  with  the  result  that  they  were  turned  down  on  their  first  inspection 
and  were  compelled  to  wait  six  months  before  they  could  secure  their  arms 
and  equipment. 

As  no  camp  of  instruction  was  held  during  the  summer  of  1897,  the 
company  decided  to  hold  one  of  'its  own  at  Lake  Pequanaha,  about  ten  miles 
from  Winchester.  A  requisition  was  made  for  tents  and  kitchen  utensils  and 
the  company  left  for  the  lake  on  the  second  Saturday  in  July.  When  the 
men  arrived  about  six  in  the  evening,  it  was  found  that  the  tents  and  supplies 
were  'in  Winchester,  and  it  was  necessary  to  send  a  detail  back  for  them. 
The  things  reached  the  camp  about  four  the  next  morning.  The  guard  mount 
was  ludicrous  in  the  extreme,  and  blank  cartridges  were  issued  to  the  guards 
and  bayonets  fixed.  Three  days  of  the  camp  were  sufficient,  and  the  company 
returned  home.  During  the  winter,  dances  and  minstrel  entertainments  were 
given,  while  football  games  and  indoor  gymnast'ics  were  frequent. 

At  midnight  on  April  25,  1898,  the  orders  to  report  in  Indianapolis  for 
muster  into  United  States  service  were  received,  and,  as  had  been  previously 
arranged,  two  rounds  were  fired  from  a  cannon  and  by  one  o'clock  the  drum 
corps  was  out.  Messengers  were  sent  into  the  country  and  Lieutenant  Jeri- 
cho received  recruits  as  fast  as  he  could  administer  the  oath  and  swore  in  the 
last  one  ten  minutes  before  the  train  left.  The  company  took  fifty  men  in 
uniform  and  thirty,  without,  and  the  one  thing  most  vividly  remembered  by 
the  members  was  the  first  d'inner  at  Camp  Mount,  which  was  followed  the 
next  day  by  a  chicken  dinner,  some  twenty-five  chickens  having  disappeared 
from  neighboring  hen  roosts  the  previous  night. 

The  second  regiment  of  Indiana  National  Guard  of  which  Company  F 
was  a  part  "was  the  second  regiment  to  be  mustered  'into  United  States  serv- 
ice, and  on  May  10  it  became  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-eighth  Regiment 
Indiana  Volunteers.  The  regiment  was  doomed  to  great  disappointment  so 
far  as  active  service  was  concerned,  for  it  did  not  get  beyond  camp  l*ife.  It 
moved  to  Chickamauga  on  May  16,  leaving  Indiana  in  the  evening  and  reach- 
ing Chattanooga  the  following  evening.  The  men  remained  in  the  cars  all 
night,  and  the  entire  day  following  was  consumed  in  moving  to  Lytle,  Georgia, 
a  distance  of  but  twelve  miles,  as  troops  were  pouring  into  the  park  from  all 
parts  of  the  country  and  there  was  but  one  railroad  from  Chattanooga  to 
Lytle.  About  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  train  reached  Lytle  and  the  regi- 
ment started  on  a  three-mile  march  for  camp.  It  was  dark  before  campmg 
place  was  reached,  and  the  men  bivouacked  for  the  night.  The  next  mornmg 
camp  was  established  and  the  reg*iment  was  brigaded  with  the  Second  Ohio 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  559 

and  the  First  West  Virginia,  the  brigade  which  was  commanded  by  General 
McKee. 

"Five  months  of  monotonous  routine  duty  followed,  which  was  not 
brightened  by  any  prospect  of  seeing  duty  in  Cuba  or  Porto  Rico.  The 
grounds  became  so  unsan'itary  that  a  portion  of  the  troops,  including  the  regi- 
ment, was  ordered  to  Camp  Poland,  near  Knoxville,  Tennessee,  and  camp  was 
broken  on  August  25  and  established  at  Camp  Poland  the  following  day. 
There  it  remained  until  September  12,  when  it  was  ordered  to  Indianapohs 
to  be  mustered  out.  The  regiment  reached  Camp  Mount  two  days  later,  and 
was  furloughed  for  thirty  days  from  September  17.  It  re-assembled  October 
17,  and  was  discharged  November  4." 

Compan)'  F  did  not  lose  any  men  in  the  serv'ice  but  has  lost  an  unusually 
large  number  since,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  following  sketch  of  the  company 
written  by  Rosecrans  Bosworth,  for  the  reunion  of  -the  company  held  in  Win- 
chester, October  9,  1913. 

The  following  sketch  of  Company  F,  Winchester,  Indiana,  was  written 
by  Rosecran  Bosworth  for  the  reunion  of  that  company : 

A  sketch  of  the  origin  and  history  of  Company  F,  158th  Ind.  Vol.  Inf., 
and  some  notes  of  the  reunion  held  Thursday,  October  9,  1913,  at  Winches- 
ter, Ind. 

In  1886  John  R.  Wright,  son  of  Chris.  Wright,  a  charter  member  of  the 
G.  A.  R.,  and  Mary  Wright,  a  charter  member  of  the  W.  R.  C,  became  a 
charter  member  of  the  camp  of  Sons  of  Veterans,  now  commonly  known  as 
"Old  44"  He  was  assigned  and  naturally  took  to  that  part  of  the  old  ritual 
"drilling  the  squad".  Along  about  that  time  several  of  our  citizens,  led  by 
William  Reinheimer  and  J.  W.  Macy,  bought  the  cannon,  which  is  now 
mounted  near  the  southwest  corner  of  the  court  house,  for  reunion,  salute  and 
political  use.  There  was  a  large  part  of  the  year  it  was  not  in  use  and  the  boys 
in  the  "drill  squad"  of  "Old  44"  got  to  talking  about  "working  it."  Mr.  Wright 
got  permission  of  the  committee  in  charge  and  organized  a  cannon  squad 
known  as  "L,ittle  44  Battery,"  which  became  so  proficient  that  it  was  taken 
to  St.  Joe,  Mo.,  in  1890,  and  won  first  prize  in  a  contest  there.  On  its  re- 
turn, enthusiasm  ran  high,  and,  urged  by  citizens  and  members  of  the  squad, 
Mr.  Wright  tried  to  get  a  commission  to  organize  a  battery  ,of  artillery  at 
Winchester.  He  was  informed  by  those  in  control  of  the  Indiana  Guard  that 
the,  artillery  branch  was  full,  but  that  they  would  be  glad  to  have  an  Infantry 
company  at  Winchester,  and  gave  him  the  necessary  papers,  and  in  1896  Com- 
pany F.  Second  Indiana  National  Guard  was  mustered  into  service.     J.  R. 


S6o  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

Wright,  captain,  Dr.  G.  C.  Markle,  first  lieutenant,  and  Walter  Daly,  second 
lieutenant,  all  "Old  44"  boys,  as  were  a  large  number  of  the  enlisted  men. 

As  I  did  not  join  Company  F  till  just  before  they  were  mustered  into  the 
United  States  service,  I  know  little  of  its  history,  but  will  try  to  get  it  later, 
but  the  resignation  of  Lieutenant  Markle,  late  in  '97,  and  the  resignation  of 
Captain  Wright  early  in  '98  together  with  other  conditions  had  left  the  com- 
pany not  in  the  best  of  conditions  when  the  Spanish  war  came  in  1898,  almost 
like  thunder  out  of  a  clear  sky.  As  soon  as  it  looked  like  war  the  company 
was  recruited  as  soon  as  possible  and  the  officers  who  later  went  into  United 
States  service  were  elected  and  on  March  loth  were  commissioned,  Walter 
H.  Daly,  captain;  Will  O.  Jericho,  first  lieutenant;  H.  G.  Conklin,  second  lieu- 
tenant, H.  A.  Smith,  first  sergeant;  H.  O.  Stace,  quartermaster  sergeant. 

On  April  29th  congress  passed  the  famous  resolution  of  intervention, 
which  amounted  to  the  sariie  as  a  declaration  of  war.  On  the  23d  the  call  for 
125,000  volunteers  was  issued.  On  the  night  of  April  25th  Captain  Daly  re- 
ceived order  to  remove  his  company  to  the  State  Fair  Ground,  near  Indian- 
apolis. To  tell  the  story  of  these  hours  needs  a  better  pen  than  mine,  the  boys 
have  told  me  of  it,  some  try  to  joke  about  it,  but  make  a  "sorry  out  of  it," 
but  the  moisture  usually  gathers  in  the  eye  when  it  is  mentioned ;  it  was  mighty 
serious.  "War  is  Hell"  and  no  earthly  power  could  tell  what  might  have  hap- 
pened to  "that  bunch  of  kids"  who  were  so  dear  to  those  they  were  leaving. 

Early  the  next  morning,  the  26th  of  April,  1898,  I  found  them  quartered 
in  the  agricultural  hall  at  the  State  Fair  Ground,  and  they  were  a  hungry 
bunch.  On  May  loth  we  were  mustered  into  the  158th  Indiana  Volunteer  In- 
fantry and  on  the  i6th  we  were  on  our  way  to  Camp  Thomas  in  Chickamauga 
Park,  near  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  where  we  arrived,  landing  at  Lytle  Station, 
Ga.,  on  the  i8th,  and  marched  two  and  one-half  miles  east  to  near  Jay's  Mill, 
which  is  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  reservation,  where  we  went  into  camp 
and  stayed  in  that  one  spot  till  August  25th,  when  we  broke  camp  and  were 
taken  to  Camp  Poland  near  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  arriving  there  the  next  day. 
We  stayed  there  until  September  12th  when  we  left  for  Indianapolis,  arriving 
there  the  14th.  On  the  17th  we  were  furloughed  for  thirty  days,  returned  in 
due  time  and  were  dischargd'on  November  4.  Then  we  scattered,  each  one 
going  to  his  own  home  as  fast  as  he  could. 

Oh,  the  stories,  volumes  of  them,  that  could  be  told  by,  and  on  each  one 
of  us,  and  it  would  be  mighty  interesting  reading  to  a  lot  of  people,  too.  The 
landing  in  Camp  Mount  hungry  and  the  several  things  that  were  done  to  get 
food.  How  the  mind  drifts  back  to  Ray  Klefeker,  to  the  blanketing,  the  run- 
ning the  guard  line,  and  Comrade  Wigmore  on  the  road  to  Chattanooga,  the 


.RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA.  561 

pretty  girls  at  Somerset,  Ky.,  the  march  to  camp  near  Jay's  Mill,  the  bath  in 
Chickamauga  creek,  the  pup  tents,  the  measles,  the  Midway  just  out  of  the 
park  east,  the  hospital,  the  drills — six  a  day,  two  on  Sunday.  Talk  about 
drilled  regiments,  if  there  was  a  better  outside  the  standing  army  of  Eiirope, 
I  would  like  to  see  it. 

The  guard  house,  well  we  had  everything  I  ever  heard  of,  in  army  life, 
but  the  hard  marching  and  fighting,  and  I  don't  know  of  one  in  Company  F 
but  would  far  rather  had  that,  than  have  had  the  dreary  heart  and  digestion, 
wiecking  time  and  the  food  we  had  at  Camp  Thomas,  but  then  we  had  the 
quartette  and  Charles  Daly  with  his  kodak  and  diary  and  his  helpful  way  with 
all  the  boys,  and  by  the  way,  he  is  the  one  that  ought  to  be  writing  this  "his- 
tory"; Lis  Daly,  Busic,  Kid  Burris,  Ep.  Ayres,  and  his  mules,  Austin,  Benson, 
whispering  Hubig,  Jackson,  Dotterer,  Kellar,  Munden,  Rogerson,  Sims,  Stan- 
ley, W'alrod,  Warrum  and  the  dog,  Wigmore,  Lewis,  Pierson  and  Wandering 
Brannon,  any  and  all  of  whom  could  be  depended  on  to  put  on  a  stunt  on 
short  notice  of  his  or  their  inimitable  specialty  and  an  absolute  guarantee  of  no 
two  alike  and  something  new  each  time.    This  helped  a  lot. 

So  many  things  spring  into  mind  but  I  do  not  dare  to  take  the  space. 
Then  came  the  rumor,  "we  are  going  home,"  how  I  would  remember  the  look 
of  joy  that  broke  over  their  faces  when  they  heard  it,  always  followed  by  a  look 
of  pain  perhaps  setting  down  with  face  in  hands  and  the  plaintive  cry,  "Oh, 
if  we  had  only  seen  some  service";  a  few  swore  that  they  would  never  go  to 
their  old  stamping  ground  until  they  had  seen  some  service,  and  some  didn't, 
some  joined  the  i6oth  and  i6ist  in  or  on  the  way  to  Cuba,  some  went  into 
the  regular  army  and  saw  service  in  the  Philippines,  China,  etc.  Jackson  and 
Burris  were  in  the  Chinese  Tientsin-Pekin  trouble  and  another  died  from  the 
effects  of  this  campaign,  etc.,  then  we  got  back  at  last  to  Indianapolis  and 
how  the  ladies  of  that  city  banqueted  us  and  our  personal  friends  met  us  and 
could  not  do  enough  for  us  and  the  furlough  and  the  wonderful  banquet  in 
Gordon  Rink,  then  the  empty  space  for  more  of  the  glory  of  mother,  wife  or 
sweetheart  and  home  for  the  rest. 

Well,  we  separated  and  no  concerted  action  had  been  taken  in  these  fif- 
teen years  to  keep  track  of  each  other  for  either  the  protection  of  our  interests 
or  the  pleasure  of  renewing  old  times.  While  getting  ready  for  Home  Coming 
Day  some  of  our  boys  thought,  why  wouldn't  it  be  a  good  time  for  Company 
F  to  come  home,  all  the  close-by  boys  were  called  together  and  a  temporary 
organization  formed  by  electing  Sergeant  Howard,  chairman;  Sergeant  Smith, 
secretary-treasurer ;  Lieutenant  Jericho,  chairman ;  reception  committee,  U.  G. 


562  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

Daly,  Stanley  and  Troy  Smith  on  time,  place  and  banquet  committee.  Bos- 
worth,  Ziegler  and  Charles  Daly  on  invitation  and  program.  We  all  went  to 
work  and  had  things  moving  nicely,  invitations  were  sent  to  each  member  of 
the  company  whose  address  could  be  had,  and  to  the  regimental,  battalion  and 
hospital  officers  for  a  reunion  to  be  held  the  afternoon  and  evening  before 
Kome  Coming  Day;  soon  answers  came  back  till  we  were  assured  of  near 
forty  coming.  They  began  drifting  in  some  days  before  the  day  set  till  there 
were  thirty  registered  whea  we  set  down  to  the  banquet.  To  me  this  reunion 
was  one  of  the  pleasantest  experiences  of  my  life.  In  the  afternoon  we  met  in- 
formally in  the  present  armory  offices  and  had  an  old-time  camp  talk.  It  was 
mighty  interesting  to  hear  Grant  Pierson  and  Charlie  Sims  tell  the  anecdotes 
of  camp  life  all  the  way  to  who  greased  the  'dummy  track.'  And  Lester  Bur- 
ris,  Sel.  Jackson  and  Ed  Lewis  telling  of  the  wonders  of  China,  the  Philip- 
pines and  all  over  the  world.  Then  came  the  banquet  in  the  Sons  of  Veterans 
Hall  at  7  p.  m.  Captain  Daly  presided  and  had  prepared  a  fine  program, 
which,  after  the  welcome  address  and  response,  the  latter  by  Comrade  Sims, 
as  he  only  can  do  it  and  the  reading  of  very  nice  and  interesting  letters  from 
Colonel  Harry  B.  Smith,  now  at  the  head  of  a  large  sheet  metal  company, 
at  Salisbury,  N.  C,  Major  H.  T.  Conde,  with  a  mercantile  company,  with 
headquarters  in  Peoria,  111.,  and  Sergeant  Major  Moorehead,  at  the  head  of 
the  law  department  of  the  Bobbs-Merrill  Company,  Indianapolis,  and  some  of 
our  Company  F  boys.  The  boys  then  took  charge,  and  oh,  the  time  they  did 
have,  I  couldn't  describe  it  if  I  would,  I  wouldn't  dare  if  I  could.  You  of 
Company  F  who  read  this  see  who  was  there  in  the  list  at  the  end  of  this 
article,  you  will  understand.  At  a  late  hour  we  settled  down  as  First  Sergeant 
Smith  began  to  call  the  roll  as  he  used  to  and  those  who  knew  told  of  those 
absent,  of  the  living,  what  they  were  doing,  and  where,  of  the  dead  (eighteen 
of  them)  all  they  could,  some  we  have  lost  track  of  and  want  to  hear  from 
them_  badly. 

Company  F  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  service  with  eighty-three 
officers  and  men;  in  June  Charles  Daly  came  back  to  Randolph  county  and 
enlisted  twenty-seven  more  who  were  mustered  in  June  22nd  making  no  of- 
ficers and  men.  Following  the  roll  call  came  the  business.  It  was  unani- 
mously carried  that  we  should  have  a  permanent  organization  to  be  known  as 
the  Company  F  158th  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry  Reunion  Association,  which 
should  meet  each  year  as  determined  by  previous  meeting,  that  we  should  have 
a  president  and  secretary-treasurer  by  election  and  that  he  should  appoint  a 
historian  and  three  of  an  executive  committee  of  five  of  which  the  president 
and  secretary  shall  be  members,  whose  duty  it  will  be  to  make  all  the  arrange- 


, RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  563 

ments  for  the  next  reunion.  All  officers  to  hold  office  one  year  or  until  their 
successors  are  selected.  The  election  results  as  follows :  Captain  Daly,  presi- 
dent, Fir^t  Sergeant  Smith,  secretary-treasurer,  President  Daly  appointed  the 
following:  Historian,  R.  J.  Bosworth;  Executive  Committee,  R.  J.  Bosworth, 
F.  W.  Howard  and  P.  H.  Stanley. 

As  this  was  a  meeting  to  perfect  a  permanent  organization  and  find  out 
what  the  comrades  wanted  in  the  future,  it  was  decided  that  nobody  outside 
of  the  regiment  would  be  invited,  but  it  was  the  almost  unanimous  wish  of 
those  present  that  the  wives  and  families  of  the  members  of  the  company  be 
invited  to  our  next  reunion  and  that  it  be  held  in  Winchester,  as  near  as  pos- 
sible to  thenext  Home  Coming  Day,  if  there  is  one  next  year,  if  not  the  execu- 
tive committee  to  fix  the  date.  It  was  carried  that  a  payment  of  50  cents  be 
asked  each  member  to  meet  the  expenses  that  will  have  to  be  met  in  perfect- 
ing and  keeping  up  our  organization,  especially  that  which  will  fall  on  our 
secretary,  who  will  have  his  hands  full  from  now  on  in  keeping  track  of  the 
boys  and  answering  letters  on  everything  pertaining  to  the  company  and  its 
members.    This  fee  should  be  sent  to  Secretary  Smith  as  soon  as  possible. 

The  following  is  the  roll  call  of  Company  F  as  given  by  Adjutant  Gen- 
eral Gore's  report.  There  is  a  *  before  the  name  of  each  one  who  registered 
at  the  reunion,  the  address  of  each  one  is  given  following  the  name,  if  dead 
the  facts  as  known  are  given,  if  no  data  is  given  the  address  is  not  knowrL 

*Captain  Daly,  Walter  H.,  deputy  warden,  Michigan  City,  Ind. ;  First 
Lieutenant  Jericho,  Will  O.,  Winchester,  Ind.;  Second  Lieutenant  Conklin, 
H.  G.,  died  at  Indianapolis,  Ind. ;  *First  Sergeant  Smith,  Harry  A.,  bank  teller, 
Winchester,  Ind. ;  Quartermaster  Sergeant  Stace,  Harry  O.,  Central  America; 
Quartermaster  Sergeant  Whitaker,  Clarence  ( i )  dead ;  *Duty  Sergeant  How- 
ard, Fred  W.,  manufacturer,  Winchester,  Ind. ;  *Duty  Sergeant  Daly,  U.  G., 
plasterer,  Winchester,  Ind. ;  Duty  Sergeant  Shockley,  H.  B.,  Lima  O.  (2) ; 
*Duty  Sergeant  Ziegler,  Walter  H.,  merchant  (3),  Winchester,  Ind..  Cor- 
poral Bourquin,  A.  C. ;  *Corporal  Cronenwett,  John  D.,  mail  carrier,  Winches- 
ter, Ind.;  Corporal  Engle,  Homer  W.,  died  at  Winchester;  Corporal  Semans, 
Henry  T.,  Jr.,  salesman,  Oklahoma  City,  Okla. ;  Corporal  Tooker,  Lert,  grain 
elevator,  Clinton,  Okla. ;  Corporal  J.  A.  Bales,  died  at  Winchester  (4)  ;  *Cor- 
poral  Bragg,  H.  H.,  general  manager  lumber  company  (4),  Minot,  N.  D.; 
Corporal  Dragoo,  William  S.,  (4)  Youngstown,  Ohio;  Corporal  Jaqua,  War- 
ren R.,  Winchester,  Ind.;  *  Corporal  Smith,  Troy,  salesman  (4),  Winchester, 
Ind.;  Corporal  Tolen,  George  R.  (4)-  policeman,  Shelbyville,  Ind..  Corporal 
Wandell,  Charles  H.  (4),  musician,  Wiley,  Albert  (5);  Musician,  Daly, 
Charles  B.,  expert  accountant,  Deming,  New  Mexico;  *  Artificer  Bosworth, 


564  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

R.  J.,  organizer,  Winchester,  Ind. ;  *Wagoner  Ayers,  Eppa  F.,  farmer,  Win- 
chester, Ind.;  Wagoner  Hurst,  Edward  (6)  dead;  Privates,  Austin,  J.  H., 
died  at  Winchester;  Benson,  Charles  N.,  635  Albany  street,  Dayton,  Ohio; 
Bond,  Samuel,  Brutus,  Michigan;  Brannen,  David  W.,  (6),  Richmond,  Ind.; 
*Brooks,  Arch,  farmer,  Winchester,  Ind..  *Brown,  Ora  G.,  farmer,  Winches- 
ter, Ind. ;  *Burris,  Clyde  W.,  mail  carrier.  Farmland,  Ind.;  *Burres,  Lester  C, 
regular  army.  Fort  McKinley,  Main;  Music,  Galen  D.,  30  N.  East  street,  Indi- 
anapolis, Ind. ;  Chenoweth,  Harry,  Traverse  City,  Mich. ;  Cunningham, Walter, 
614  Brightwood  ave.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.;  Clear,  William  J.;  Daly,  James  E., 
Long  Beach,  Cal. ;  Davis,  Charles  G.,  Wichita,  Kans.,  R.  R.  No.  9;  Day,  Otho, 
Winchester,  Ind.;  Dotterer,  Jacob  F.  (7),  died  at  Kokomo.  Downing,  Charles 
M.,  Modoc,  Ind. ;  Eckerle,  Frank  O.,  died  at  Lynn,  Ind. ;  Edwards,  Frank  O.; 
Edwards,  Harry  C,  1605  N.  12th  street,  Fayette,  Ind;  Flood,  Elisha,  dead; 
Getter,  Fred  W.,  died  at  Winchester,  Ind. ;  Gujthrie,  Harry  E.,  Cabin  16,  St. 

Louis  Terminal  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. ;  Gullett,  Harry  C.  Standard  Oil 

Co.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.;  Harker  Leamy  W.  C. C.  &  O.  R.  R.  Cincinnati, 

Ohio;  Hawkins,  Harry  L.,  608  N.-  Highland  avenue,  Indianapolis,  Ind..  Hiatt, 
Howard  E.,  43  Stat.  W.  street,  Richmond,  Ind.;  Hill,  Daniel  M. ;  *Hinshaw, 
Ste'phen  E.,  K.  of  P.  building,  Indianapolis,  Ind. ;  Holingsworth,  Frank;  Hood, 
Harry  G,  Shelbyville,  Ind.;  Hubig,  Henry,  1703  Northwestern  avenue  (8) 
Indianapolis  Ind.;  *Jackson,  Sylvester  C,  oil  man,  1917  Madison  avenue,  In- 
dianapolis, Ind. ;  Jones,  John  L.,  2121  S.  Madison  street,  Muncie,  Ind.;  Kellar, 
George  W.,  died  at  Indianapolis;  Kendall,  John  O.,  Modoc,  Ind..  Lennon, 
Frank,  Jr.,  Plymouth,  Ind.;  *Lewis  Edwin  J.,  Winchester,  Ind.;  Longfellow, 
Perry  A.,  35  S.  nth  street,  Richmond,  Ind.;  *Mann,  William  R.,  farmer,  R. 
R.  Crete,  Ind.;  Mendenhall,  Alva  C,  Winchester,  Ind.;  Miller,  Charles  R., 
Scott.sburg,  Ind.;  Mitchel,  Harry,  dead;  Monroe,  Asa;  Morrical,  Arthur,  Jef- 
fersonville,  Ind.;  Munden,  Charles.  McProud,  Wilbur  C,  Monmouth,  111.; 
Norris,  Francis  A. ;  Parker,  Robert  H.,  825  S.  Franklin  street,  Shelbyville, 
Ind. ;  Payne,  Harry,  barber,  Lawton,  Okla. ;  Pegg,  Harry,  127  E.  Court  street, 
Indianapolis,  Petro,  John  L.,  Muncie,  Ind. ;  Petor,  Samuel  L.,  died  at  Modoc, 
Ind.,  December  i,  1898;  Phelps,  Lawrence;  *Peirson,  Grant  U.,  laundry,  11 56 
W.  3rd  street,  Dayton,  Ohio;  *Platt,  Harvey  M.,  324  N.  i8th  street,  Rich- 
mond, Ind.;  Reath,  Theodore  P.,  dead;  Rhodes,  OUie,  died  in  Winchester. 
*Rinard,  Rollie  G.,  Parker,  Ind.;  Rogerson,  Frank,  dead;  Ross,  Charles  M. ; 
Ruby,  Edward  T.,  foreman  Atlas,  1646  Arrow  avenue,  Indianapolis,  Ind.; 
Sasser,  Walter  T.,  W.  8th  street,  Muncie,  Ind.;  *St.  Myer,  George,  Winches- 
ter, Ind.;  St.  -Myers,  James,  F.,  Maricopa,  Ariz. ;  *Sims,  Charles  A.  (9) 
farmer,  Elnora,  Ind. ;  Scott,  Hugh  J.,  Grassy  Lkke,  Alberta,  Canada.  *Shep- 


.RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  565 

ard,  Ozro  O.,  Union  City,  Indiana;  *Somerville,  Bruce  A.,  Farmland,  Ind. ; 
^Stanley,  Pleasant  H.,  contractor,  Winchester,  Ind.;  Staples,  John  M.,  439 
W.  Ohio  street,  Indianapolis,  Ind..  Taylor,  Marshall,  died  at  Indianapolis, 
Ind.;  Vestal,  Eugene  G.,  1507  W.  48th  street,  Los  Angeles,  Cal. ;  Walrod, 
Claire  R. ;  Warrum,  Mack,  sheriff,  Greenfield,  Ind. ;  Watkins,  John  P.,  died 
in  China;  *Wigmore,  Fred  W.,  Winchester,  Ind.;  *Williams,  Otis  W.,  con- 
tractor, Winchester,  Ind.;  Workman,  Charles  A.,  2613  W.  Walnut  street, 
Indianapolis,  Indiana. 

Recruits  were;  Burris,  Clyde  W.,  Farmland;  Chenoweth,  Henry,  Lynn; 
Cunningham,  Walter,  Winchester,  Ind.;  Clear,  William  J.,  Union  City;  Daly, 
James  E.,  Lynn;  Edwards,  Jesse,  Winchester;  Edwards,  Frank  O.,  Ridge- 
ville ;  Flood.  Elisha,  Farmland,  Ind. ;  Hollingsworth,  Frank,  Lynn.  Hinshaw, 
Stephen  E.  Rurla;  Hill,  Daniel  M.,  Winchester;  Jones,  John  L.,  Clark  P.  O. ; 
Lewis,  Edward  J.,  Winchester;  Mann,  William  R.,  Spartanburg;  St.  Myers, 
James  F.,  Lynn;  McProud,  Wilbur  C,  Farmland;  Norris,  Francis  A.,  Ridge- 
ville;  Payne,  Harry,  Winchester.  Petro,  John  L.,  Modoc  (10)  ;  Phelps,  Law- 
rence, Fountain  City;  Pierson,  Grant  U.,  Spartanburg;  Piatt,  Harry  M., 
L}'nn;  Rinard,  Kelly  G.,  Winchester;  Scott,  Hugh  J.,  Winchester;  Somer- 
ville,  Bruce  A.,  Farmland;  Shepard,  Ozroe,  Parker  City. 

(1)  Promoted  from  sergeant  July  25.  (2)  Transferred  to  hospital  corps  June  27. 
(3)  Promoted  from  corporal  July  7.  (4)  Promoted  from  private  July  7.  (S)  Trans- 
ferred to  band  June  14.  (6)  Appointed  August  20.  (7)  Discharged  August  13. 
(8)  Discharged  August  8.  (9)  Discharged  September  4.  (10)  Discharged  Au- 
gust Id 

The  company  served  through  the  war  with  Spain  and  on  the  reorganiza- 
tion of  the  guard  the  former  members  of  the  company  reorganized  it  and 
were  assigned  to  their  old  regiment  with  the  same  letter.  The  company  was 
mustered  in  June  13,  1900,  with  the  following  roster: 

Captain,  Will  O.  Jericho;  First  Lieutenant,  U.  G.  Daly;  Second  lieuten- 
ant, Morton  L.  Hunt. 

First  Sergeant — Curtis,  Will  F. 

Sergeants — Bourquin,  Alva  C. ;  Longfellow,  Perry  A..  Davis,  Charles  G. 

Corporals — Lewis,  Ed  J.;  Stout,  Clyde;  Getter,  Fred  W.,  and  Conyers, 
Tom  B. 

Musicians — Haggett,  Wilbur  and  Simmons,  Will  C. 

Privates — Benson,  Charles  N. ;  Bartholomew,  Charles  W. ;  Chenoweth, 
John  B. ;  Chenoweth,  Benjamin  H. ;  Cox,  Raymond  G. ;  Coffin,  Edward  M. ; 
Conyers,  Fred  I. ;  Cummins,  Fred ;  Daly,  George  W. ;  Darrah,  Joe  W. ;  Dar- 
rah,  William  H. ;  Diggs,  Raymond  M. ;  Edwards,  Clinton  B. ;  Ford,  Oscar  S. ; 


566  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Fisher,  William  E.  (deserted)  ;  Gray,  Oliver  B.;  Huffman,  Oliver  M.;  Huff- 
man, Alonzo  L. ;  Hageman,  Hamlen  M. ;  Harris,  Lewis  F. ;  Hunt,  Charles  F. ; 
Hickman,  Waldo  R. ;  Hiatt,  George  W. ;  Hinshaw,  Clark  C. ;  ilbinger.  Chris- 
tian; Jones,  George  A. ;  Longfellow,  Howard  F. ;  Myers,  Edward  B. ;  Mauzy, 
Nathan ;  Miller,  Alva  C. ;  Mincer,  William  F. ;  Murray,  Marcus  L. ;  May,  Al- 
bert; Pierce,  Gilvie;  Pike,  Thomas  A.;  Paver,  Frank  A.;  Ran,  Ora;  Shepard, 
John  J. ;  Simmons,  Everett  E. ;  Starbuck,  Wendell  G. ;  Summers,  Joseph  E. 
(deserted);  Stump,  Percy  G. ;  Williams,  Fred  C. 

Other  officers  of  the  company  have  been : 

Captains— John  R.  Wright,  Walter  H.  Daly  and  William  O.  Jericho. 

First  Lieutenants— Grant  C.  Markle,  Walter  Daly,  William  Jericho  and 
Ulysses  G.  Daly. 

Second  Lieutenants — Walter  Daly;  William  O.  Jericho;  Harry  G.  Conk- 
lin ;  W.  H.  Ziegler  and  Morton  L.  Hunt. 

Company  I  was  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  state  of  Indiana  at 
Union  City,  on  March  20,  1900,  and  was  designated  as  the  nineteenth  separate 
company,  until  the  regimental  organization  previous  to  the  annual  camp  of 
instruction,  when  the  company  was  assigned  to  the  Second  Battalion  of  the 
Second  Infantry,  and  given  the  letter  I. 

At  the  time  of  the  organization  and  muster-in  of  the  company  the  com- 
plement of  commissioned  officers  consisted  of  Captain  John  W.  Arthur,  First 
Lieutenant  James  R.  Griffis,  Second  Lieutenant  Don  P.  Shockney. 

Captain  John  W.  Arthur  resigned  April  21,  1900,  and  Captain  Edwin 
A.  Anderson  was  elected  to  succeed  him  April  23,  1900.  Captain  Edwin  A. 
Anderson  resigned  October  9,  1900,  and  First  Lieutenant  James  R.  Griffis 
was  commissioned  captain,  and  First  Sergeant  Edward  G.  Evans  was  elected 
First  Lieutenant,  October  15,  1900.  First  Lieutenant  Edward  G.  Evans  re- 
signed February  6,  1901,  and  Second  Lieutenant  Don  P.  Shockney  was 
elected  first  lieutenant,  February  11,  1901,  First  Sergeant  Charles  C.  Early 
being  elected  second  lieutenant,  February  11,  1901. 

Capt.  James  R.  Griffis  had  served  during  the  Spanish-American  war  as 
a  member  of  the  first  regiment  of  the  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry.  Captain 
Griffis  died  at  his  home  in  Cleveland  in  191 3. 

The  roll  of  the  company  in  1901  was :  Captain,  James  R.  Griffis ;  First 
Lieutenant,  Don  P.  Shockney;  Second  Lieutenant,  Charles  C.  Early;  First 
Sergeant,  Rosko  L.  Whisler;  Sergeants,  Daniel  P.  L.  Bupt,  Frank  Read, 
Charles  S.  Hoover;  Corporals,  Curtis  Coby,  Edward  J.  Kaucher,  Harry  J. 
Sutton  and  George  T.  Crawford;  Musicians,  Claude  R.  Bolen  and  Amos  Un- 
derwood; Privates,  William  F.  Bailey,  Leolon  Black;  William  E.  Bannon, 
Charles  A.  Brown,  George  W.  Cumrine,  Frank  E.  Dunn,  Oliver  S.  Dennison, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  567 

Troy  Doherty,  James  H.  Eib,  Jesse  Fowler,  John  VV.  Farabee,  George  J. 
Fowler,  Edward  L.  Fouts,  John  S.  Gerstner,  Archie  H.  Horine,  George  W. 
Henry,  Warren  S.  Hook,  John  Hinsky,  Herschel  Hormire,  Flarry  H.  John- 
son, Resh  Kemp,  George  W.  Kaucher,  Lonnie  E.  Koon,  Oren  G.  Lindley, 
Archie  J.  Lanter,  Herbert  Murray,  William  McKenzie,  Henry  Oyler,  Simeon 
E.  Puterbaugh,  John  O.  Puterbaugh,  James  H.  Snyder,  James  O.  Sharitz, 
Ernest  C.  Sutton,  Melvin  Straley,  John  M.  Tibbitts,  Russell  F.  Thompson,  Al- 
bert R.  Tritt,  Joseph  C.  Underwood,  James  Vicks,  George  B.  Wiggins,  Her- 
bert B.  Williams,  George  Welker. 

This  company  remained  in  existence  only  a  short  time,  being  mustered 
out . 

Company  F  of  Winchester  has  maintained  its  organization  and  is  at  this 
tin.e,  1914,  as  follows : 

Company  F,  2nd  Infantry,  Indiana  National  Guard,  Winchester,  Ind., 

May  I,  1914. 

NAME.  DATE  ENLISTED.  PREVIOUS  SERVICE. 

Ernst  E.  Chenoweth 6-26-01  to  11-14-04 

Pvt.  &  Q.  M.  Sgt. 
C.  O.  since  Nov.  17,  07 
C.  O.  7-11-13 

Ulysses  G.  Daly,  ist  Lt C.  O.  10-30-13 

Franklin  Fouse,  2nd  Lt 6  yrs.,  4  mo. 

Clyde  M.  Laisure,  i  Sgt 2-  1-12 

Mclntyre,  Frank  A.,  Q.  M.  Sgt 11-15-11 

Jones,  Cecil  O.,   Sgt 7-  1-13     6  yrs. 

Baird,  Chester  L,  Sgt i-  1-12 

Kenan,  Lute  Sgt i-  1-12 

Roosa,  Lester  R.,  Sgt 4-  4-12 

Wight,  James,  Sgt 4-18-12 

Hendrickson,  Elmer,  Corpl 5-30-12 

Darrah,  Fred  M.,  Corpl 7-13-13     3  yrs. 

White,  Hafry,  Corpl 11-  6-13     5  yrs. 

Snyder,  Collie,  Corpl S-15-13 

Kenan,  Earl  W.,  Corpl 1-20-14 

Davisson,  LeRoy  S.,  Corpl 4-10-13 

Laisure,  Wesley,  Corpl 7-  9-12     4  yrs. 

Alexander,  Leon,  Cook 4-18-12 

Baldwin,   Clififord,   Cook 7-20-13     8  yrs. 

Burres,  Clarence,  Musician 5-26-1 1 

Grooms,  Forest  R.,  Musician 7-  8-12 


568  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^  INDIANA. 

NAME.  DATE  ENLISTED.  PREVIOUS   SERVICE. 

Ennis,  John  G.,  Art ii-  6-13     6  yrs^  8  mo. 

Blansett,  Clyde,  Pvt. 7-11-12 

Baird,  Clarence  E.,  Pvt 5-12-13 

Bradburn,  Jesse  B.,  Pvt 7-  6-13 

Cox,  Leonard  B.,  Pvt 4-18-12 

Comer,  John,   Pvt , 4-IO-13 

Belong,  Albert  J.,  Pvt i-'  8-14     i  yr.,  3  mo. 

Davidson,  Raymond,  Pvt 5-29-14 

Engle,  Ray  D.,  Pvt 5-20-13  *  "" 

Grubbs,  Denver,  Pvt 5-25-1 1 

Graves,  Loren,  Pvt 7-12-12     3  yrs. 

Goff,  Benjamin  P.,  Pvt 2-12-14     i  yr.,  7  mo. 

Goff-,  Gilbert  B.,  Pvt 4-20-14 

Hiatt,  Lawrence  D.,  Pvt 5-20-13 

Inman,  Lee,  Pvt 4-18-13 

Jones,  Fred  L.,  Pvt 7-  6-13 

Keys,  Vernie,  Pvt 5-30-12 

Keys,  Joseph,  Pvt 5-16-13 

Kellar,  Bernard  E.,  Pvt 5-20-13 

Ludwick,  Thomas  E.,  Pvt 5-19-13 

Moore,  Fred  H.,  Pvt 2-21-12 

Meier,  Clifford  S.,  Pvt 4-10-13 

Oyler,  Orville,  L.,  Pvt 4-10-13 

Parker,  Onie  A.,  Pvt 5-  4-12 

Puckett,  Cecil  A.,  Pvt 3-29-13 

Puckett,  Erman  W.,  Pvt 6-19-13 

Roberts,  Paul  F.,  Pvt.___ 3-20-13 

Rupe,  Frank  B.,  Pvt 5-1713 

Slonaker,  Richard  L.,  Pvt 2-21-12 

Sterling,  John,  Pvt 5-17-13 

Shafer,  Thomas,  Pvt 7-30-13     2  yrs.,  6  mo. 

Thompson,  William  H.,  Pvt ,  7-20-13     i  yr.,  2  mo. 

Wolfe,  Leo  S.,  Pvt 2-23-12 

White,  Geo.  A.,  Pvt 1 4-19-14 

Hutchens,  Chester,  Pvt ^^ 5-20-14 

Company  F  has  the  distinction  of  being  one  of  the  oldest  companies  in 
continuous  service  in  the  state  of  Indiana.     Its  officers  have  been  men  .of 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  569 

ability  who  have  commanded  the  respect  and  confidence  of  tliose  under  its 
charge." 

soldiers'  monument. 

The  heroic  deeds  and  sacrifices  of  the  soldiers  of  Randolph  county  was 
to  be  commemorated  in  another  way  other  than  to  live  in  the  hearts  of  all 
loyal  people  of  the  county. 

It  remained  for  James  Moorman,  a  man  of  Quaker  faith  and  conscien- 
tiously opposed  to  the  settlement  of  disputes  by  war  to  start  a  fund  with 
which  to  build  a  monument  in  honor  of  the  union  soldiers. 

Mr.  Moorman  bequeathed  a  fund  of  $2,000.00  to  be  used  for  this  pur- 
pose, and  named  Capt.  J.  R.  Jackson,  J.  W.  Macy  and  Capt.  William  W. 
Macy  as  trustees  of  that  fund.  The  people  of  the  county  highly  appreciated 
this  gift  but  felt  that  something  more  than  a  $2,000.00  monument  should  be 
erected  and  to  this  end  a  petition  was  presented  to  the  county  commissioners 
March  9,  1889,  in  which  "the  undersigned  petitioners  citizens  and  voters  of 
Randolph  county,  Indiana,  respectfully  pray  your  honorable  body  to  appro- 
priate out  of  the  funds  of  said  Randolph  county  a  sum  of  money  which,  with 
the  two  thousand  dollars  devised  for  that  purpose  by  James  Moorman,  de- 
ceased, added,  will  be  sufficient  to  build  a  suitable  monument  in  commemora- 
tion of  the  services  and  patriotism  of  the  soldiers  who  fought  and  died  in 
defense  of  this  country  during  the  late  rebellion  and  in  defense  of  the  union 
of  the  states  and  the  rights  of  man,  pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  the  act  of 
the  general  assembly  of  the  state  of  Indiana  entitled  "An  Act  Empowering 
County  Commissioners  to  Appropriate  money  for  the  Erection  of  Soldiers' 
Monuments,"  Approved  April  11,  1885,  and  your  petitioners  will  ever  pray." 

This" petition  was  signed  by  "J.  W.  Macy  and  3,913  others." 

The  county  examined  the  petition  carefully  and  after  having  found  that 
the  majority  of  the  voters  of  the  county  were  3,756  and  that  the  petition-  had 
been  signed  by  3,914  voters  granted  the  prayer  of  said  petition  and  appro- 
priated the  sum  of  $25,000.00.  At  this  same  meeting  they  appointed  an  ad- 
visory committee  to  act  with  the  board  of  commissioners  and  the  trustees 
named  in  the  will  of  James  A.  Moorman,  deceased,  to  select  plans  and  a  place 
for  the  erection  of  the  monument  and  to  assist  in  the  contracting  and  con- 
structing of  the  work.  The  committee  thus  appointed  was  composed  of  A. 
O.  Marsh,  David  Fudge,  Edmund  Engle,  John  W.  Hill,  Dr.  Henry  Hunt, 
William  Kerr,  Alexander  A-  Knopp,  Lewis  N.  Cook,  William  A.  W.  Daly, 
Elza  Mclntire  and  T.  F   Moorman. 

The  cotmty  commissioners,  trustees  and  advisory  committee  met  in  Win- 


570  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Chester  on  Tuesday  the  7th  day  of  May,  in  a  special  session  and  considered 
and  inspected  designs  for  the  monument. 

On  the  2nd  day  of  their  deliberations  they  adopted  the  designs  shown  by 
A.  A.  McCain,  of  Indianapolis.  Mr.  McCain  was  paid  $100.00  for  the  de- 
signs and  specifications.  On  the  22nd  of  May  Isaac  Hogston  was  contracted 
with  to  make  an  excavation  twenty-eight  feet  square  and  eight  feet  deep  for 
the  foundation.  The  same  day  Luther  L.  Moorman  was  contracted  with  to 
put  in  the  foundation.  The  contract"  for  the  erection  of  the  monument  was 
let  to  A.  A.  McCain  on  the  i8th  day  of  July,  1889,  at  $23,000.00.  The  cor- 
ner stone  was  laid  August  15,  1889,  by  Charles  Travis,  department  com- 
mander of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  The  monument  was  to  have 
been  completed  October  ist,  1890,  but  was  delayed  by  changes  made  in  the 
design. 

The  original  design  called  for  a  bronze  statue  of  Mars  at  rest  ten  feet 
high  from  bottom  of  feet  to  crown  of  head  with  spear  and  eagle  but  this  was 
later  changed  to  the  American  color  bearer. 

"The  design  of  the  architect  was  to  build  a  monument  in  honor  of  the 
memory  of  the  union  soldier  that  would  be  military,  not  only  in  its  orna- 
mentation, but  in  the  character  of  its  architecture,  something  entirely  dif- 
ferent from  the  common  style  of  shaft  or  pyramid.  The  base  is  twenty-seven 
feet  square,  with  four  cannon  muzzles  on  each  front,  at  each  corner  of  the 
parapet  of  the  base  are  placed  four  bronze  figures  representing  each  of  the 
four  branches  of  the  service,  infantry,  cavalry,  artillery  and  navy;  these 
figures  are  six  feet  six  inches  in  height  and  are  natural  positions.  The  in- 
fantry man  at  the  northeast  corner,  stands  erect,  as  if  looking  for  the  enemy, 
his  gun  held  firmly,  and  ready  for  instant  use;  the  artillery  man,  at  the  south- 
\\est  corner  stands  erect  with  his  rammer  held  firmly  as  though  ready  for 
work.  The  sailor  at  the  southwest  corner  is  setting  on  a  capstan  in  a  very 
natural  position,  as  if  on  the  lookout  for  an  enemy.  The  cavalryman  stands 
on  the  southeast  corner,  his  right  hand  rests  on  an  unsheathed  sword,  and  he 
is  heavily  booted  and  spurred,  as  though  ready  to  mount  for  the  fray." 

On  the  southwest  and  north  sides  are  Grand^Army  badges,  below  which 
are  to  be  found  on  bronze  tablets  in  raised  letters  are  following  inscriptions : 

The  one  on  the  south  side  being: 

'"And  the  same  land  that  gave  them  birth,  has  caught  them  to  the  breast, 
And  we  will  pray  that  from  their  clay  full  many  a  raise  may  start, 
Of  true  men,  like  you  men,  to  act  as  brave  a  part." 


I  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  57I 

The  one  on  the  west  side  being : 

"In  the  God  of  battle  trust,  die  we  may — die  we  must,  but  O  where  can 
dust  to  dust  be  consigned  so  well 
As  where  heaven  its  dues  shall  shed,  on  the  martyred  patriots  bed 
And  the  rocks  shall  raise  their  heads  of  his  deeds  to  tell." 

The  one  on  the  north  side  being : 

"On  fame's  eternal  camping  ground  their  silent  tents  are  spread 
And  glory  guards  with  solemn  round  the  bivouac  of  the  dead." 

"On  the  east  front  of  that  portion  of  the  monument  set  apart  for  patrio- 
tic sentiment  on  the  die  thereof  there  shall  be  a  tablet  of  bronze,  on  size 
sufificient  to  properly  fill  such  space  upon  which  shall  be  the  following  inscrip- 
tion in  raised  letters,  said  inscription  to  be  in  the  order  as  given  herein,  to  wit : 

'JAMES  MOORMAN.' 

'A  member  of  the  society  of  friends  and  conscientiously  opposed  to  war 
but  recognized  the  great  value  of  the  services  of  the  union  soldier  to  our 
country  and  to  the  cause  of  human  liberty,  by  his  last  will  and  testament  con- 
tributed $2,000.00  to  the  erection  of  this  monument. 

In  commemoration  of  the  services  and  patriotism  of  the  soldier  who 
fought,  and  died,  during  the  late  rebellion,  in  defense  of  their  country,  the 
union  of  the  states,  and  the  rights  of  man,  the  board  of  commissioners  of  the 
county  of  Randolph  on  petition  of  a  majority  of  the  voters  of  said  county  had 
erected  this  monument. 

Erected  A.  D.  1889- 1890. 

John  R.  Philips, 
Adam  R.  Hiatt, 
William  C.  Diggs, 
A.  A.  McCain,  Designer.  Commissioners.'  " 

The  story  is  told  that  when  the  artist  was  seeking  a  model  for  the  ar- 
tilleryman that  he  discovered  a  man  who  afterward  posed.  This  man  was 
an  iron  worker  in  Chicago.  During  the  time  in  which  the  statue  was  being 
made  it  was  found  he  was  a  first  cousin  to  John  Brown,. the  hero  of  Osa- 
watomie. 

Above  these  G.  A.  R.  badges  encircling  the  tower  is  a  sheet  of  bronze 
six  feet  wide  and  twenty-four  feet  in  circumference,  covered  with  reliefs  of 


57-  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

scenes  in  a  soldier's  life,  while  engaged  in  battle,  the  whole  making  a  con- 
tinuous picture  where  infantry,  artillery  and  cavalry  are  all  engaged.  The 
monument  is  fifty-five  feet  high,  the  standard,  eighteen  feet,  which  makes 
the  height,  from  and  including  the  base,  seventy-three  feet. 

This  monument  is  not  surpassed  anywhere  in  originality  and  design  and 
durability  of  construction  and  it  will  stand  for  ages  to  commemorate  the 
glorious  deed  of  the  Heroic  sons  of  this  grand  county  who  went  forth  to  bat- 
tle and  to  die  that  this  nation  might  live. 

The  corner  stone  was  laid  the  15th  day  of  August,  1889.  Of  this  we 
quote  the  following  from  the  Winchester  Journal  of  August  21,  1889: 

"It  was  on  the  programme  for  the  G.  A.  R.  to  form  on  west  side,  the  S. 
of  V.  on  the  east  side,  and  the  W.  R.  C.  on  the  south  side  of  the  monument. 
But  by  some  oversight,  no  steps  had  been  taken  to  preserve  these  spaces  for 
them  and  when  the  procession  arrived  at  the  monument,  the  people  had 
crowded  up  so  solidly  that  all  semblance  of  order  was  lost,  and  compara- 
tively few  members  of  either  of  the  three  orders  participating  in  the  cere- 
monies secured  positions  to  either  see  or  hear  the  ceremonies  at  that  place. 
On  the  platform  were  Department  Commander,  C.  M.  Travis,  Senior  Vice- 
Commander,  P.  D.  Harris,  Junior  Vice-Commander,  D.  B.  Campbell;  Assist- 
ant Adjutant  General,  I.  N.  Walker;  Officer  of  the  day Arm- 
strong, I.  P.  Watts,  Chaplain,  representing  department  of  Indiana,  G.  A.  R., 
Luther  Puckett,  representing  the  army  in  marching  order,  including  a  chicken 
on  his  bayonet,  Will  Chapman,  representing  the  navy,  in  full  naval  uniform 
with  small  ship,  Guard  of  Honor,  representing  the  G.  A.  R.,  Capt.  J.  W.  New- 
ton, representing  the  Sons  of  Veterans,  Mrs.  Maggie  Ginger,  representing 
the  W.  R.  C. 

The  corner  stone  was  laid  by  Department  Commander  Travis,  assisted 
by  the  department  officers  above  named  in  accordance  with  the  ritual  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

As  the  flag  was  hoisted  on  the  staff  by  Comrade  J.  S.  Hiatt,  the  Miller 
Band  played  the  'Star  Spangled  Banner,'  rendering  the  'Red,  White  and 
Blue,'  while  the  stone  was  being  placed  in  position. 

The  Sons  of  Veterans  having  no  ritualistic  work,  Capt.  J.  W.  Newton 
responded  for  that  order  as  follows : 

The  Sons  of  Veterans,  deposit  within  the  receptacle  formed  in  the 
corner  stone  of  the  northeast  corner  of  this  foundation,  upon  which  are  to 
be  erected,  artistic  columns  in  commemoration  of  the  noble  deeds  of  the  fallen 
heroes,  a  roster  of  the  various  camps  of  this  county,  together  with  a  ritual 
of  our  tenets  and  teachings,  and  a  badge  of  our  membership. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  573 

if  this  depositation  shall  be  found  by  the  people  of  future  ages,  when  all 
animate  representation  of  the  loyal  soldier,  and  that  grand  order  of  the  Sons 
of  Veterans  shall  have  passed  away,  it  will  evidence  the  fact  that  in  the  time 
past  there  were  soldiers  loyal  and  true  and  there  existed  the  order  of  the 
Sons  of  Veterans. 

The  pages  of  history  will  teach  that  those  Sons  of  Veterans  were  all 
American  born  citizens,  and  that  the  Sons  of  Veterans  enjoyed  that  noble 
distinction  of  being  Sons  of  Veterans  by  birth  and  by  organization. 

As  the  veteran  soldier  and  sailor  marches  step  by  step  toward  the  final 
camping  ground,  where  he  will  hear  the  last  bugle  call,  let  him  be  assured, 
that  the  union  he  fought  to  preserve,  will,  by  the  Sons  of  Veterans,  be  fully 
maintained. 

As  the  soldier  and  sailor  preserved  our  flag  unsullied,  without  a  star 
obscured  so  will  the  Sons  of  Veterans  preserve  it  in  its  original  glory.' 

The  W.  R.  C.  having  no  ritualistic  work,  Mrs.  Maggie  Ginger,  speaking 
for  that  order,  said : 

In  behalf  of  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps  of  Randolph  county,  I  deposit 
this  ritual  and  badge.  The  department  of  Indiana  was  organized  September 
17,  1884,  and  has  a  membership  of  3,253.  May  heaven's  choicest  blessing  rest 
on  the  organization.' 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the-  articles  placed  in  and  sealed  up  in  the  tin 
box  placed  in  the  corner  stone : 

Names  of  all  union  soldiers  who  enlisted  from  this  county. 

Roster  of  each  Grand  Army  post  in  the  county. 

Roster  of  the  camps  of  the  Sons  of  Veterans. 

A  ritual  and  badge  each  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  S.  of  V.,  and  W.  R.  C. 

A  copy  of  the  last  issue  of  each  paper  published  in  the  county. 

Names  of  the  Grand  Officers,  Department  of  Indiana. 

Names  of  all  union  soldiers  residing  in  the  county  at  the  present  time. 

The  procession  then  reformed  and  marched  to  the  fair  grounds,  where 
the  following  gentlemen  were  elected  to  serve  as  officers  for  the  ensuing  year : 

Commander,  Edmund  Engle;  Vice-Commanders,  C.  B.  Edwards, 
White  River  township;  D.  M.  Thorn,  Washington;  J.  W.  Hill,  Greensfork; 
Elza  Mclntyre,  Stoney  Creek;  J.  W.  Hunt,  Nettle  Creek;  J.  C.  DeVoss, 
Green;  William  Conklin,  Ward.  E.  Clough,  Jackson;  R.  J.  Clark,  Wayne; 
George  W.  Worl,  Monroe;  William  M.  Hites,  Franklin. 

Winchester  was  selected  as  the  place  and  the  second  Wednesday  in 
August,   1890,  as  the  time  for  holding  the  next  annual  reunion  of  the  As- 
sociation." 
(37) 


574  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  change  in  the  design  and  other  unlocked  for  troubles  were  such 
that  the  monument  was  not  completed  until  April,  1892.  The  unveiling  cere- 
monies were  held  Thursday,  July  21,  1892,  with  the  following  program: 

"The  Little  44  Battery,  Jno.  R.  Wright,  commanding,  will  fire  44  rounds 
at  sunrise  from  the  mound  on  the  Fair  Grounds. 

ASSEMBLY    CALL    AT    TEN    o'CLOCK    A.    M. 

,  Exhibition  Drill Little  44  Battery 

Music Band 

Invocation  Chap.   I.   P.  Watts. 

Music Band 

Address N.  J.  McGuire,  Com.  Ind.  Div.  S.  V. 

Adjournment 

ASSEMBLY  CALL  AT   I  130  P.   M. 

Music Band 

Invocation Chap.  W.  O.  Pierce 

Chorus School  Children 

Address  of  Welcome Capt.  A.  O.  Marsh 

Music Band 

Unveiling  and  Dedicatory  ceremonies 

J.  B.  Cheadle,  Dept.  Com.  G.  A.  R.  and  staff 

Chorus School  children 

Address Gov.  Ira  J.  Chase 

i  Music Band 

Address Capt.  W.  R.  Myers 

Music Band 

Adjournment 

ASSEMBLY  CALL  AT   7  :45   P.    M. 

Music Band 

Invocation Chaplain 

Camp  Fire  Opening J.  B.  Black,  Indianapolis 

Addresses Hon.  Thos..  C.  Boyd,  Noblesville 

Recitation Minnie  Ryan 

Army  songs,  speeches  from  old  comrades." 

The  following  account  of  the  unveiling  is  taken  from  the  Winchester 
Journal  of  Wednesday  July  27,  1892 : 

"Last  Thursday  was  a  day  long  to  be  remembered  in  the  annals  of  this 


.RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  575 

county.  On  that  day  the  beautiful  monument  erected  to  the  memory  of  the 
men  who  went  from  this  county,  to  battle  for  the  rights  of  men  and  to  main- 
tain the  best  government  on  earth,  was  unveiled  and  formally  dedicated  with 
impressive  ceremonies.  The  governor  of  our  state  and  the  highest  officer  of 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  part  of  his  staff,  honored  the  people  of 
this  county  and  the  men  in  whose  memory  the  monument  was  erected  by  their 
presence  on  that  occasion. 

The  day  was  a  perfect  one,  the  rain  of  the  previous  evening  having 
laid  the  dust  and  relieved  the  immense  throng  of  people  from  all  discomfort 
from  that  source.  All  teams  and  vehicles  were  excluded  from  the  streets 
around  the  square,  hitching  places  having  been  arranged  for  elsewhere. 
This  may  have  worked  some  trouble  in  a  few  cases,  but  the  wisdom  of  it  was 
generally  acknowledged,  and  all  concede  that  it  was  the  proper  thing  to  do. 
People  began  coming  in  at  an  early  hour  and  the  trains  on  both  railroads 
were  crowded,  the  Big  Four  running  a  special  train  from  each  direction  to 
accommodate  its  patrons.  Little  Battle  44  had  fired  the  national  salute  from 
the  mound  in  the  fair  ground  at  an  early  hour,  returning  to  town  in  time 
to  open  the  programme  of  the  day's  exercise  with  an  exhibition  drill.  The 
boys  did  well  as  they  always  do,  and  surprised  their  large  audience  by  their 
proficiency,  and  were  heartily  applauded.  After  music  by  the  band  invo- 
cation by  Chaplain  I.  P.  Watts  and  a  song  by  the  school  children,  Newton 
J.  McGuire,  Commander  Indiana  Division,  S.  of  Vs.,  was  introduced  and 
delivered  a  very  patriotic  and  eloquent  address.  This  closed  the  forenoon 
exercises. 

Gov.  Chase  arrived  from  the  west  soon  after  noon.  He  was  met  by  the 
band  and  old  soldiers  and  escorted  to  the  Irvin  House  for  dinner.  The 
Governor  and  the  Department  Commander  and  his  staff  were  escorted  to 
the  east  side  of  the  public  square  by  the  G.  A.  R.  where  a  very  large  audi- 
ence was  waiting  for  them,  and  promptly  at  1 130,  several  martial  bands 
present,  furnished  some  soul-stirring  music  that  reminded  the  older  people 
in  the  audience  of  the  war,  after  which  Captain  A.  O.  Marsh  called  the 
assemblage  to  order.  Rev.  R.  D.  Spellman,  formerly  Chaplain  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  First  Indiana  Volunteers,  made  a  very  impressive  invocation. 
This  was  followed  by  the  little  girls  singing  the  hymn,  'America',  in  such 
an  impressive  manner  they  were  applauded.  Captain  Marsh  then  made  a 
brief  and  appropriate  address  in  which  he  gave  a  short  history  of  the  monu- 
ment and  stated  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  built.  It  is  representative  in 
every  respect.  It's  stones  were  laid  at  Gettysburg  and  Mission  Ridge, 
in  the  sacrifice  of  the  blood  of  so  many  patriotic  men,  and  they  are  cement- 


576  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

ed  with  the  tears  of  widows  and  orphans.  It  stands  a  memento  to  the  noblest 
cause  that  a  people  ever  fought  for — of  the  grandest  struggle  the  world  has 
ever  known.  In  conclusion  he  introduced  Department  Commander  J.  B. 
Cheadle,  and  requested  him  in  the  name  of  the  loyal  people  of  Randolph 
county,  and  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  of  Indiana,  to  dedicate  the 
monument. 

Commander  Cheadle  was  received  with  applause,  and  before  beginning 
the  formal  dedicatory  services  as  laid  down  in  the  ritual  of  the  Grand  Army, 
delivered  a  short  but  effective  address  appropriate  to  the  occasion.  In  behalf 
of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  of  Indiana,  he  congratulated  the  patri- 
otic people  of  Randolph  co'unty  for  erecting  a  monument  which  will  stand 
for  all  time  a  silent  but  enduring  memento  of  the  most  decisive  crisis  in 
the  history  of  the  world's  progress  and  to  the  de\'otion  and  self-sacrifice  tipon 
which  rests  constitutional  and  popular  government.  It  tells  a  story  of  a  people 
who  dropped  their  vocation  of  peace,  which  they  loved  and  subjected  them- 
selves to  the  harsh  discipline  of  the  camp  and  the  danger  of  battle  to  pre- 
serve free  government  and  peqDetuate  popular  institutions.  Other  ages  have 
built  monuments  in  honor  of  kings  or  events  of  interest  to  kingly  rule,  but 
those  like  the  present  are  the  first  to  be  raised  to  tell  the  story  of  the  devo- 
tion of  a  whole  people  to  a  government  of  a  people.  Mr.  Cheadle  spoke 
elociuently  of  the  men  for  whom  this  monument  stands,  and  urged  upon  those 
present  to  impress  upon  the  plastic  minds  of  the  young  the  great  value  of  the 
government  and  the  institutions  which  were  saved  with  the  victory  of  the 
union  cause.  We  need  to  teach  a  higher  Americanism.  Let  us  appreciate 
the  privileges  of  our  government  and  institutions,  to  the  end  that  the  govern- 
ment of  the  people,  for  the  people  and  by  the  people  shall  live. 

The  impressive  ceremonies  of  the  dedication  then  followed,  which  were 
performed  by  the  Department  Commander  with  Captain  W.  D.  Stone  as 
Senior  Vice  Commander;  O.  R.  Weaver,  Acting  Junior  Vice  Commander; 
Rev.  John  A.  Moorman,  Department  Chaplain,  and  Adjutant  General  Irvin 
Robbins;  Colonel  M.  B.  Miller,  Officer  of  the  Day;  I.  N.  Stratton,  Officer  of 
the  Guard;  O.  M.  Mills,  Wm.  Chapman,  Samuel  Fox,  Isaac  Sipe,  W.  P. 
Miller,  Shed  McLain;  Geo.  F.  Addlerman,  A.  J.  Woods,  N.  McFarland.  J.  W. 
Ginger,  Stephen  D.  Warwick  and  E.  W.  Bond,  Guards.  At  the  conclusion  of 
the  ritualistic  services,  O.  M.  Mills,  representing  the  infantry;  Isaac  Sipe, 
the  Cavalry:  Samuel  D.  Fox,  the  Artillery,  and  Wm.  Chapman,  the  Navy; 
took  their  places  on  the  monument,  each  at  the  statuary  of  that  branch  of  the 
service  he  represented.  Mrs.  Allie  Mills  took  her  place  at  the  bronze  tablet 
encircling  the  monument.     At  a  given  signal  the  flag  was  raised  on  the  flag 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  577 

staff,  at  the  southwest  corner  of  the  monument,  the  K.  of  P.  band  playing  the 
'Star  Spangled  Banner'  amrd  enthusiastic  cheering.  The  vast  audience  had 
risen  to  their  feet  and  faced  the  monument,  and  when  Adjutant  General 
Robbins  gave  the  signal,  Mrs.  Mills  pulled  the  cord,  which  unveiled  the 
bronze  encircling  the  monument,  and  the  representatives  of  the  branches  of 
the  service,  loosened  the  flags  that  covered  the  statutes.  The  little  girls  sang 
'The  Flag  of  the  Free',  and  thus  ended  the  formal  part  of  the  dedication. 
Captain  Marsh  then  introduced  Governor  Ira  J.  Chase.  The  Governor  was 
given  a  very  enthusiastic  welcome.  When  the  applause  had  subsided  the 
Governor  said  that,  'Three  generations  have  beheld  the  dedication  services. 
Thus  two  generations  are  educated  in  regard  to  the  issues  and  results  of 
the  war.  and  know  the  story  of  patriotism  and  devotion  which  that  epoch 
called  forth.  The  boys  and  girls  who  witness  this  service  will  tell  it  to  their 
children  when  they  are  older,  and  even  to  their  grandchildren,  so  that  four  or 
five  generations,  at  least,  will  know  the  story  as  handed  down  from  parent 
to  child.  Therefore,  four  or  five  generations,  at  least,  will  be  inspired  by  the 
story  of  patriotism,  and  when  these  have  passed  away  the  monument,  decade 
after  decade,  will  mutely  point  to  the  page  of  history  which  will  glow  for  all 
time  with  the  patriotism  of  the  men  and  the  sacrifice  of  the  women  of  the 
Civil  war  period.  Thus  these  monuments  are  better  to  preserve  the  govern- 
ment of  the  people  than  standing  armies.  As  it  is  a  source  of  boundless 
satisfaction  to  me  to  know  that  my  ancestors  fought  for  the  country  in  the 
Revolution  and  the  War  of  1812,  it  will  be  cause  for  congratulation  to  the 
Sons  and  Daughters  of  the  Veterans  from  Randolph  county  who  can  point 
to  that  monument  and  say,  with  elation,  'It  was  built  to  commemorate  the 
services  of  my  father'.  These  monuments  teach  that  it  is  the  greatest  thing 
in  the  world  to  be  an  American — that  to  have  a  citizen  who  served  his  country 
in  the  hour  of  danger,  and  in  peace,  to  have  been  true  to  the  highest  inter- 
ests of  the  nations,  is  comparably  better  than  to  wear  a  title  which  has  been 
inherited  and  to  be  a  burden  to  the  people.  Wars  in  the  old  world  have  made 
men  no  better  because  they  have  been  for  conquest,  but  the  greater  part 
of  the  men  who  fought  for  the  union  are  better  men,  better  citizens,  now 
than  they  would  have  been  without  such  service,  and  their  example  has  given 
a  new  birth  to  the  love  of  country.  The  temperance  women  have  their  motto, 
'For  God,  and  home,  and  country,'  better  for  God,  country,  home  for  there 
can  be  no  good  happy  home  in  a  wretched,  turbulent  and  impoverished 
country.  Thank  God,  the  work  of  the  war  of  1861  was  so  well  done  that  no 
one  here,  will  witness  another  war  in  this  land.     It  has  taught  the  lesson  of 


578  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

patriotism  and  the  equally  important  lesson  of  respect  for  and  obedience  to 
constituted  authority,  and  for  the  rights  of  all,  white  and  black."  He  passed 
on  to  pay  a  tribute  to  women  of  war  period,  and  noted  the  fact  that  large 
numbers  of  women  were  present  on  these  occasions.  'It  is  not,'  said  he,  'too 
much  to  say  that  the  spirit  of  patriotism  never  dies  in  the  heart  of  women, 
as  a  sentiment.  People  talk  of  the  fires  of  liberty  on  the  mountain  tops — 
better  burn  them  in  the  hearts  of  the  people.  I  ask  one  thing  of  you  who  are 
parents  and  teachers  and  that  is  to  grind  into  the  very  being  of  your  children 
what  the  war  for  the  union  was  fought  for;  that  that  monument  stands  be- 
cause the  men  and  women  of  1861  were  true  to  God,  country  and  duty,  and 
because  they  were  faithful;  that  starry  flag  is  tossed  by  the  bright  sun  this 
afternoon.' 

"When  the  Governor  told  of  the  elderly  lady  who  left  her  home  and  came 
twenty  miles  to  see  the  old  flag  of  the  Eighth  Indiana,  which  was  carried  by 
her  husband,  and  who  died  with  it  in  his  hands,  and  how  they  left  her  alone 
with  that,  there  were  very  few  dry  eyes  in  the  large  audience. 

"Captain  W.  R.  Myers  was  on  the  programme,  but  wrote  the  Committee 
that  he  was  advised  by  his  physician  and  dentist  not  to  attempt  public  speak- 
ing yet,  and  his  place  was  filled  by  Irvin  Robbins,  a  prominent  Democratic 
soldier,  of  Indianapolis.  Mr.  Robbins  had  a  very  short  notice  that  he  was 
expected  to  speak  but  he  gave  a  very  fine  address,  showing  what  the  Grand 
Army  had  done  in  securing  the  building  of  monument,  erecting  soldier's 
asylums  and  homies,  and  passage  of  pension  laws.  The  order  has  kept  alive 
the  spirit  of  patriotism  by  its  meetings  and  its  camp  fires,  and  he  appealed  to 
every  soldier  to  join  the  order." 

THE    CAMP    FIRE. 

"The  simple  announcement  that  there  would  be  a  camp  fire  held  in  the 
evening  kept  a  large  part  of  the  audience  in  town,  as  the  camp  fires  are 
justly  regarded  as  the  cream  of  all  soldier's  reunions  and  meetings.  The 
Committee  was  again  disappointed  by  the  failure  of  Judge  James  B.  Black 
and  Hon.  Thomas  Boyd,  who  were  advertised  to  be  present.  Governor 
Chase,  Commander  Cheadle  and  Commander  McGuire  were  prevailed  upon  to 
remain  and  make  short  speeches. 

"The  camp  fire  was  opened  by  music  by  the  band  and  prayer  by  Elder 
I.  P.  Watts;  Governor  Chase  was  introduced  and  after  expressing  his  re- 
grets at  the  absence  of  so  many  of  the  expected  speakers,  delivered  a  most 
pleasing  address,   pleading  eloquently   for  a  higher  type  of  Americanism, 


.RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  579 

and  drew  many  lessons  from  the  history  of  the  war  that  were  very  mterest- 
ing.  He  was  followed  by  Department  Commander  Cheadle,  who  like  the 
Governor,  was  a  private  soldier,  and  spoke  from  that  point.  He  gave  a 
graphic  history  of  the  battle  of  Richmond,  which  his  regiment  was  engaged 
in  before  they  had  drilled  or  was  instructed  in  the  manual  of  arms.  His  story 
of  the  young  English  boy  who  was  killed  in  the  battle  and  the  death  of  a 
widowed  mother,  of  a  broken  heart  over  that  only  son,  was  very  affecting, 
and  was  only  an  instance  of  thousands  of  the  tragic  incidents  growing  out 
of  the.  war. 

"N.  J.  McGuire  followed  in  behalf  of  the  Son's  of  Veterans  in  an  elo- 
quent speech,  earnestly  appealing  to  all  sons  of  men  who  fought  in  the  battles 
and  won  the  victories  of  the  great  war  to  unite  in  perpetuating  the  glorious 
deeds  of  their  fathers  and  preserving  the  government  and  principles  for 
which  they  fought. 

"Chairman  Marsh  then  announced  that  he  had  noticed  a  boy  on  the  streets 
that  was  wearing  a  bronze  button  and  wanted  him  to  'explain  how  he  came 
by  it,  and  called  upon  J.  L.  Lafollette  to  rise  and  explain.  Mr.  L.  re- 
sponded and  began  by  saying  he  was  not  surprised  that  Marsh  didn't  know 
he  was  in  the  army,  as  he  went  in  the  army  so  late  and  came  out  so  early  that 
one  of  his  best  and  most  intimate  friends  and  fellow-townsmen.  Col.  J. 
W.  Headington,  didn't  know  that  he  had  been  in  the  army  at  all,  until  he 
applied  for  admission  to  the  G.  A.  R.  He  made  an  eloquent  speech,  telling 
how  the  farmers  of  Jay  county  used  to  hitch  up  to  their  wagons  and  bring 
their  soldiers  to  Winchester,  that  then  being  their  nearest  railroad  station, 
to  the  trains,  on  their  way  to  the  seat  of  war.  For  that  reason  the  people 
of  his  county  felt  a  warm  interest  in  the  grand  monument  unveiled  today, 
and  more  than  three  hundred  of  them  were  present  to  witness  the  unveil- 
ing, despite  the  busy  time  with  the  farmers. 

"Mr.  Marsh  stated  that  he  had  his  eyes  on  a  man  in  the  audience  who 
was  so  lazy  that  Hood's  entire  army  couldn't  make  him  run  at  the  battle 
of  Franklin.  Of  course  the  audience  knew  by  the  description  that  he  meant 
Col.  M.  B.  Miller,  and  in  response  to  calls  that  gentleman  worked  his  way 
to  the  stand.  He  said  that  somebody  had  to  be  the  laziest  man  and  that 
it  might  as  well  be  him  as  anybody  else.  He  had  by  steady  adherence  to  his 
rules  acheived  the  reputation  and  he  wasn't  going  to  injure  his  reputation 
by  making  a  speech.  The  Col.  managed  to  get  some  fun  out  of  his  laziness 
and  created  a  great  deal  of  merriment,  both  at  Marsh's  and  his  own  expense, 
before  closing.  But  we  want  to  say  that  the  Col.  laid  everything  aside  and 
worked  early  and  late  to  secure  the  monument  and  deserves  credit  for  it. 


580  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

"We  failed  to  state  that  Miss  Minnie  Ryan  recited,  'I  am  the  Son  of  a 
Veteran'  in  good  style  and  I.  P.  Watts  sang,  'Marching  through  Georgia',  and 
both  were  heartily  applauded.  This  closed  the  regular  programme,  and  I. 
P.  Watts  responded  to  calls  with  one  of  his  usual  happy  talks.  Fremont 
Garrett  talked  for  the  Son's  of  Veterans,  Watts  sang,  'The  Battle  Hymn  of 
the  Republic',  Rev.  D.  S.  Davenport  pronounced  the  benediction  and  it  was 
nearly  half  past  ten  o'clock  when  the  camp  fire  was  extinguished,  and  yet 
the  large  audience  seemed  loath  to  disperse." 

To  every  citizen  of  the  county  is  due  a  portion  of  the  great  credit  in 
the  erection  of  this  monument  in  the  memory  of  Randolph  county  heroes, 
but  especial  mention  should  be  made  of  the  untiring  efforts  of  J.  W.  Macy 
and  Col.  Martin  Miller.  Mr.  Macy  engineered  the  circulation  of  the  petition 
and  it  was  largely  due  to  his  personal  influence  that  the  matter  was  pushed 
to  such  a  glorious  end.  This  monument  stands  today  one  of  the  finest  in  the 
state,  an  honor  to  one  of  the  most  loyal  counties  in  the  state. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


SCHOOLS. 


Just  as  surely  as  the  night  follows  the  day,  schools  followed  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  settlement  in  any  part  of  the  county. 

The  earlier  settlers  were  from  Virginia  and  the  Carolinas,  where  the 
benefit  of  school  had  long  since  been  established.  Education  was  deemed  a 
necessity  and  even  before  schools  of  the  crudest  kinds  were  established  the 
children  were  taught  in  the  cabin  home  by  the  father  or  mother  or  some  trav- 
eler. If  the  home  itself  did  not  have  any  one  capable  of  teaching  the  children 
some  mother  or  daughter  of  the  neighborhood  more  intelligent  than  the  others, 
would  gather  about  them  the  few  children  of  the  community  and  teach  them 
the  simple  arts  of  spelling,  reading  and  arithmetic.  Education  did  not  wait 
for  the  school  houses  any  more  than  did  religion  wait  for  the  church  but  its 
influences  were  established  just  the  same. 

The  mother  found  sufficient  time  from  her  numerous  cares  and  duties  to 
spend  a  short  time  in  the  enlightenment  of  her  family.  True,  she  was  limited 
perhaps,  to  the  Bible  or  some  rare  book,  but  this  served  sufficiently  to  accom- 
plish the  end  in  view. 

As  the  settlements  became  more  populated  schools  were  established  in 
buildings  prepared  for  them  or  in  some  private  home. 

Before  the  organization  of  the  state  all  education  was  conducted  from 
private  resources  and  indeed,  many  years  after  the  state  had  been  organized 
and  a  school  fund  ajnply  provided  for  the  receipts  were  so  little  that  the  "sub- 
scription schools"  were  practically  the  only  means  of  an  education. 

Often  times  the  teacher  knew  little  or  nothing  except  to  "keep  school," 
but  this  at  least  served  the  purpose  of  an  organization.  "The  first  teachers  in 
Indiana  were  mainly  from  Ireland,  or  Scotland  with  a  few  from  New  Eng- 
land and  occasionally  one  from  Virginia  or  Tennessee.  The  first  school  houses 
were  log  cabins  with  puncheon  floors  and  seats.  Generally  one  end  of  the 
house  was  taken  up  by  a  fireplace,  where  huge  logs  furnished  warmth  and 
smoke.  The  windows  were  small,  consisting  generally  of  four  or  six  panes 
of  glass  about  eight  by  ten  inches  in  size.  In  these  uncomfortable  houses 
school  was  taught  usually  three  or  four  months  in  the  year.    Text-books  were 


582  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

not  to  be  had  and  the  scholars  took  to  school  such  books  as  the  family  might 
have  brought  with  them  from  the  older  states.  The  New  Testament  was 
the  approved  book  used  for  teaching  reading.  The  course  consisted  of  read- 
ing, writing  and  arithmetic,  with  now  and  then  a  class  in  geography  and 
grammar.  The  teacher  was  always  provided  with  a  good  supply  of  switches, 
and  a  heavy  ferule  or  two,  with  which  he  pounded  learning  into  the  scholars. 
The  teacher  was  an  autocrat,  and  his  wocd  was  absolute  law,  both  to  parents 
and  children. 

All  studying  in  schools  was  accompanied  by  loud  vocal  noises  from  the 
scholars,  until  a  school  with  twenty-five  scholars  resembled  a  modern  po- 
litical meeting,  more  than  anything  else.  This  method  was  deemed  the  only 
one  by  which  students  could  be  made  to  think  for  themselves.  The  idea 
was  that  studying  and  thinking  amid  such  confusion  and  noise  best  iitted  the 
student  for  business  in  after  life.  This  custom  prevailed  in  most  of  the 
schools  until  long  after  Indiana  had  become  a  State  in  the  Union.  The 
method  of  recitations  followed  very  closely  that  of  studying,  and  most  of  the 
lessons  were  recited  in  a  monotonous,  sing-song  tone.  One  of  the  main  re- 
quirements of  a  teacher  was  the  ability  to  teach  penmanship.  In  those  days 
penmanship  was  a  very  laborious,  tedious,  and  painful  exercise.  It  was 
really  pen-printing.  The  scholar  was  compelled  to  write  very  slowly  and 
with  the  greatest  precision.  Spelling  was  another  of  the  specialties  in  those 
days.  Generally  the  classes  stood  around  the  room  and  "spelled  for  head." 
The  last  afternoon  of  each  week  was  usually  devoted  to  a  spelling-bee.  The 
school  would  divide  and  each  try  to  spell  the  other  down.  When  schools 
became  more  numerous,  and  within  easy  distance  of  each  other,  it  was  a 
common  thing  for  one  school  to  challenge  another  to  a  spelling  match,  which 
would  be  attended  by  as  many  of  the  adults  as  could  find  the  leisure.  These 
were  great  occasions  for  the  adults  as  well  as  for  the  children  of  the  whole 
country  side,  and  were  generally  followed  by  a  country  dance  or  some  other 
amusement  common  in  those  days."  The  above  is  taken  from  Smith's  His- 
tory of  Indiana. 

Nor  indeed  was  spelling  the  only  pleasure  and  lesson  taught  upon  these 
occasions  as  many  a  young  man  and  maiden  could  testify,  the  spelling  bee 
was  the  social  part  and  the  "longest  way  home  was  the  nearest  arid  best." 

The  masters  of  these  schools  ruled  them  with  an  iron  will.  No  teacher 
was  considered  as  fit  unless  he  could  give  promise  of  being  able  to  thrash  any 
boy  in  the  school.  Eggleston's  picture  of  primitive  school  life  in  his  "Hoosier 
School  Master"  is  not  very  greatly  over  drawn  and  many  a  patron  of  that 
time  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  pedagogy — "No  lickin',  no  larnin',  says  I". 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  583 

Pete  Jones'  were  common  throughout  the  country  but  were  soon  put  to  flight 
by  the  Hannah  Shockys  and  Bud  Means'. 

The  school  houses  were  crude  affairs,  buih  of  poles  with  greased  paper 
windows  on  one  side,  and  mammoth  fire  places  filling  "rooms  one  end"  punch- 
eon floors,  split  log  seats,  which  were  made  by  splitting  logs  and  boring  holes 
in  it  in  such  a  way  that  wooden  legs  were  put  in  it,  the  desk  was  a  crude  affair 
and  the  only  ornament  of  the  room  was  the  bunch  of  hickories  hung  above 
the  master's  chair. 

The  main  fire  place  was  fed  by  logs  pulled  into  the  house  by  the  bigger 
boys.  The  wood  to  maintain  the  fire  was  cut  in  the  nearby  forest  frequently 
by  the  boys  themselves  during  the  school  period.  It  is  easy  to  see  how  those 
near  the  fires  would  roast  and  the  pupils  farther  away  would  freeze  their  toes, 
but  woe  unto  the  boy  or  girl  who  allowed  such  a  thing  as  a  frozen  toe  to  in- 
terfere with  his  "books",  for  the  school-master  was  very  willing  and  seem- 
ingly eager  for  the  opportunity  to  display  his  ability  to  "lick". 

But  good  came  out  of  all  this,  simply  being  a  step  in  the  evolution  of  the 
greatest  system. that  has  ever  been  devised. 

School  had  made  but  little  progress  when  the  first  constitution  of  the 
State  was  adopted  in  1816  and  to  establish  the  great  system  that  we  now  have 
that  instrument  contained  the  following  article : 

"Knowledge  and  learning  generally  diffused  through  a  community,  be- 
ing essential  to  the  preservation  of  a  free  government,  and  spreading  the  op- 
portunities and  advantages  of  education  through  the  various  parts  of  the 
country  being  highly  conducive  to  this  end,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  General 
Assembly  to  provide  by  law,  for  the  improvement  of  such  lands  as  are,  or 
hereafter  may  be  granted  by  the  United  States,  to  this  State  for  the  use  of 
schools,  and  to  apply  any  funds  which  may  be  raised  from  such  lands  or  from 
any  other  quarter,  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  grand  object  for  which  they 
are  or  may  be  intended;  but  no  lands  granted  for  the  use  of  schools  or  semi- 
naries of  learning  shall  be  sold  by  the  authority  of  the  State  prior  to  the 
year  eighteen  hundred  and  twenty ;  and  the  moneys  which  may  be  raised  out 
of  the  sale  of  any  such  lands,  or  otherwise  obtained  for  the  purposes  afore- 
said, shall  be  and  remain  a  fund  for  the  exclusive  purposes  of  promoting 
the  interest  of  literature  and  the  sciences,  and  for  the  support  of  seminaries 
and  public  schools.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  General  Assembly,  as  soon  as 
circumstances  will  permit,  to  provide  by  law  for  a  general  system  of  educa- 
tion, ascending  in  a  regular  gradation  from  township  schools  to  a  State 
University,  wherein  a  tuition  shall  be  gratis  and  equally  open  to  all.     And 


584  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

for  the  promotion  of  such  sahitary  end,  the  money  which  shall  be  paid  as 
an  equivalent  by  persons  exempt  from  military  duty,  except  in  times  of 
war,  shall  be  exclusively,  and  in  equal  proportion,  applied  to  the  support  of 
county  seminaries;  and  all  fines  assessed  for  any  breach  of  the  penal  laws 
shall  be  applied  to  said  seminaries  in  the  counties  wherein  they  shall  be 
assessed." 

The  following  is  taken  from  Smitji's  History  of  Indiana : 
"Notwithstanding  this  am.ple  provision  in  the  constitution  the  cause  of 
education  advanced  very  slowly.  There  were  many  obstacles  in  the  way. 
The  settlements  were  small  and  widely  scattered:  there  were  no  funds  with 
which  to  erect  school  houses,  and  there  was  apathy  on  the  part  of  some, 
and  very  decided  hostility  on  the  part  of  others.  The  cause  of  education, 
however,  had  many  staunch  friends,  and  they  did  not  let  the  matter  rest,  but 
kept  up  the  agitation  from  year  to  year.  The  General  Assembly  of  1816 
made  provision  for  the  appointment  of  superintendents  of  school  sections, 
with  power  to  lease  the  school  lands  for  any  term  not  to  exceed  seven  years. 
Each  lessee  of  such  lands  was  required  to  set  out  annually  twenty-five  ap- 
ple and  twenty-five  peach  trees  until  one  hundred  of  each  had  been  planted. 
Between  the  years  18 t6  and  1820  several  academies,  seminaries^,  and  literary 
societies  were  incorporated.  In  182 1  John  Badollet,  David  Hart,  William 
W.  Martin,  James  Welsch,  Daniel  S.  Caswell,  Thomas  C.  Searle  and  John 
Todd  were  appointed  by  the  General  Assembly  a  commission,  to  draft  and 
report  to  the  next  legislature  a  bill  providing  for  a  general  system  of  edu- 
cation; and  they  were  instructed  to  guard  particularly  against  "any  distinc- 
tion between  the  rich  and  poor."  The  commission  set  about  their  work  con- 
scientiously, and  when  it  was  completed' submitted  it  to  Benjamin  Parke, 
who  had  been  at  one  time  a  delegate  to  Congress,  and  was  then  the  United 
State  Judge  for  Indiana.  The  bill  so  reported  was  enacted  into  a  law,  and 
became  the  first  general  law  on  the  subject  of  education  passed  by  the  In- 
diana General  Assembly.  It  was  passed  in  1824,  and  bore  the  title:  "An 
Act  to  incorporate  congressional  townships  and  providing  for  public  schools 
therein." 

,  After  providing  for  the  election  by  the  people  of  each  congressional 
township,  of  three  persons  to  act  as  school  trustees,  to  whom  the  control  of 
the  school  lands  and  schools  generally  was  to  be  given,  the  law  made  the 
following  provision  for  building  school  houses :  "Every  able-bodied  male 
person  of  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  and  upward  residing  within  the 
bounds  of  such  school  district,  shall  be  liable  to  work  one  day  in  each  week 
until  such  building  may  be  completed,  or  pay  the  sum  of  thirty-seven  and 


^RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  585 

one-half  cents  for  every  day  he  may  fail  to  work."  The  same  act  described 
a  school  house  as  follows :  "In  all  cases  such  school  house  shall  be  eight  feet 
between  the  floors,  and  at  least  one  foot  from  the  surface  of  the  ground  to 
the  first  floor,  and  be  furnished  in  a  manner  calculated  to  render  comfort- 
able the  teacher  and  pupils."  The  trustees  were  required  to  receive  lumber, 
nails,  glass,  or  other  necessary  materials  at  the  current  prices,  in  lieu  of 
work.  Xo  funds  were  provided  for  the  pay  of  teachers,  so  the  schools  were 
not  free,  but  they  were  made  open  to  all,  black  as  well  as  white.  It  was  not 
until  about  1830  that  colored  children  were  excluded  from  the  schools,  and 
then  the  exclusion  arose  from  a  prejudice  excited  by  the  slavery  agitation. 
Under  the  law  of  1824  the  Schools  were  kept  open  just  as  long  each  year  as 
the  patrons  could  or  would  pay  for  their  maintenance. 

At  nearly  every  succeeding  session  of  the  General  Assembly  some  law 
was  enacted  on  the  subject  of  education,  but  still  no  general  system  was 
adopted.  There  was  always  an  opposition  that  would  find  some  way  to  get 
the  laws  before  the  courts,  and  thus  hamper  the  attempts  to  establish  schools. 
Private  citizens  did  much  for  the  cause,  however,  and  public  meetings  of 
citizens  did  more,  but  little  could  be  accomplished  in  a  public  way.  School 
officers  had  no  fund  with  which  to  erect  houses,  or  to  pay  teachers.  They 
could  not  levy  a  tax,  except  by  special  permission  of  the  district,  and  even 
then  the  expenditure  was  limited  to  $50  by  the  act  of  1834.  The  friends 
of  public  schools  worked  on  and  hoped  on,  striving  to  overcome  every  ob- 
stacle and  put  down  all  opposition.  At  last  their  day  of  triumph  came,  but 
even  in  their  triumph  they  came  near  being  defeated,  and  their  noble  efforts 
were  for  some  years  neutralized  by  the  stupidity  of  a  supreme  court.  The 
friends  of  education  planned  and  worked  until  at  last  they  found  a  way  to 
providg^  for  one  of  the  most  magnificent  public  school  funds  in  the  Union. 
It  has  already  been  noted  that  the  General  Government  gave  to  the  State  the 
sixteenth  section  of  every  township,  for  school  purposes.  This  was  made 
the  beginning  of  the  grand  school  fund  to  be  built  up  by  the  State." 

The  three  "R's",  "Readin',  'Ritin',  and  'Rithmetic"  were  the  basis  of 
all  early  schools.  It  was  the  privilege  of  the  children  to  study  any  or  all  of 
these  subjects  as  long  as  they  desired. 

Spelling  was  the  fundamental  and  the  first -thing  taught  all  children. 
Xo  child  was  expected  to  read  until  he  was  able  to  spell  all  the  words  of 
Dillworth,  Webster's,  or  a  little  later,  McGuffy's.  It  made  no  difference 
whether  he  knew  the  meaning  of  any  of  the  words,  or  had  the  remotest  idea 
of  their  application,  he  must  spell  it,  any  how.  Spelling  was  frequently 
taught  by  having  the  children  sing  as  they  spelled  and  many  an  old  lady 


586  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

today  can  sing  "b-a  ba,  b-i,  bi,  b-o,  bic  a  bo".  To  be  a  good  reader  meant 
that  he  must  be  able  to  pronounce  rapidly  all  the  words  found  in  the  book 
being  read  which  was  frequently  "Life  of  Washington",  "Life  of  Frank- 
lin", the  Bible,  or  any  book  that  could  be  found  in  the  home. 

Poetry  was  always  read  in  a  sing-song  tone  with  special  attention  paid 
to  the  emphasis  and  inflection  at  the  end  of  each  line,  in  imitation  of  the  way 
in  which  hymns  were  "lined"  by  the  minister. 

Along  with  the  reading,  went  the  "speaking  a  piece"  on  Friday  after- 
noons, or  the  last  day  of  school,  being  a  great  occasion  for  each  and  every 
district. 

Arithmetic  was,  however,  considered  the  most  important  of  all  subjects 
because  of  its  being  regarded  as  the  most  practical.  The  fundamental  proc- 
esses were  taught  to  all  children,  many,  however,  never  advancing  beyond 
the  attainment  of  being  able  to  add,  subtract,  multiply  and  divide.  If  a 
pupil  shows  special  inclination  towards  mathematics  he  might  be  able  to  get 
to  the  single  rule  of  three  or  even  so  far  as  the  double  rule  of  three,  or  if 
he  was  extremely  ambitious  he  would  be  shown  into  the  mysteries  of 
"vulgar  fractions". 

The  clap-board  and  charcoal  in  time  gave  way  to  the  slate  and  pencil, 
which  was  considered  an  enormous  improvement.  The  single  slate  was 
later  supplanted  by  the  double  one,  thus  enabling  the  child  to  "do  the  sums" 
and  have  it  protected  from  erasure.  Black-boards  were  unknown  in  the 
early  schools.  The  first  of  these  to  be  used  were  made  by  painting  some 
smooth  surface  and  wall  black,  later  on  these  were  coated  with  a  prepared 
slating  which  in  a  few  days'  time  wore  "slick"  which  made  it  almost  impos- 
sible to  make  a  mark  or  to  see  it  after  it  was  made. 

Grammar  was  introduced  into  the  schools  many  years  after  the  other 
subjects.  No  one  was  expected  to  study  grammar  unless  they  expected  to 
be  a  Latin  or  Greek  student.  Many  of  the  early  pedagogues,  however,  were 
from  Ireland  and  Scotland  or  from  the  classic  halls  of  some  New  England 
college  and  were  Latin  and  Greek  students.  If  a  boy  could  be  induced  by 
these  men  to  study  grammar  they  had  high  hopes  of  later  making  a  teacher 
of  him. 

History  was  introduced  into  the  course  at  a  later  period  than  grammar. 
An  old  text  were  simply  tables  of  facts  and  dealt  little  or  nothing  with  great 
National  or  State  movements,  which  are  of  course  the  underlined  principals 
of  all  history. 

Geography  had  but  little  attention  given  to  it  in  the  early  schools  and 
when  it  was  studied  was  regarded  as  being  extremely  foolish  and  full  of 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  587 

statements  wholly  out  of  harmony  with  the  thoughts  of  the  back-woods  peo- 
ple of  the  time. 

Barnabus  C.  Hobbs,  a  very  distinguished  educator  of  Indiana,  and  one 
of  its  State  Superintendents  of  Public  Instruction,  who  was  really  a  great 
man,  in  speaking  of  the  early  teaching  of  geography  said : 

"I  can  well  remember  when  Morse's  geography  came  into  the  State.  It 
was  about  the  year  1825,  it  created  a  great  sensation.  It  was  a  period  in 
school  history,  before  this  but  few  had  a  clear  idea  of  the  earth's  rotundity, 
many  could  not  understand  the  subject  well  enough  to  reason  upon  it  and 
many  were  emphatic  and  persisted  in  repudiating  the  absurd  idea  that  the 
world  is  round  and  turns  over.  Debating  clubs  discussed  the  subject,  and 
to  the  opposition  it  was  perfectly  clear  that  if  the  world  turned  over  we 
would  all  fall  off,  and  the  water  in  the  ocean  would  be  spilled  out.  Morse's 
geography  cleared  away  the  fog  and  when  Comstock's  Philosophy,  with  its 
brief  out-lining  of  astronomy,  was  introduced  the  school  boy  could  under- 
stand the  subject  well." 

In  this  early  day  geography  was  very  much  opposed  because  of  the  rea- 
sons above  cited.  Men  would  put  a  bucket  of  water  on  a  stump  to  find  the 
water  there  the  next  morning  which  to  them  was  ample  proof  that  the  bucket 
had  not  been  standing  wrong  end  up  over  night.  They  further  argued  that 
if  the  world  turned  over  that  we  would  go  so  fast  that  no  one  could  stick 
to  it.  As  an  evidence  that  we  did  not  turn  they  would  cite  the  fact  that  the 
same  side  of  the  tree  was  always  north  and  never  in  any  other  position,  more 
than  that,  if  the  earth  was  round  the  Mississippi  river  would  have  to  flow 
up-hill  to  empty  its  water  into  the  Gulf  and  "any  fool  knew  that  water  would 
not  run  up-hill." 

The  feeling  became  so  great  that  in  some  communities  the  "heresy" 
was  preached  upon  from  the  pulpit,  many  an  early  minister  taking  the  view 
that  it  was  against  the  teaching  of  the  Bible,  for  indeed  did  the  Bible  not 
say  in  Isaiah :  "And  he  shall  set  an  ensign  for  the  nations  and  shall  as- 
semble the  outcasts  of  Israel  and  gather  together  the  dispersed  of  Judah 
from  four  corners  of  the  earth,"  in  Revelations  when  John  said :  "I  saw 
four  angels  standing  on  the  four  corners  of  the  earth,"  and  how  indeed 
could  the  earth  be  round  and  have  four  corners  ?  The  apple  was  a  physical 
proof  that  such  teachings  were  absurd  and  out  of  harmony  with  divine 
revelations,  therefore  the  earth  must  be  flat. 

The  last  of  the  common  school  subjects  to  be  added  to  the  curriculum 
was  physiology.  The  first  science  to  be  developed  by  man  was  astronomy  and 
the  nearest  object  he  could  study  in  that  was  the  moon,  thousands  of  miles 


5^8  UAiMUUi^PH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

away.  Later  his  attention  was  given  to  botany  and  physics,  studies  of  objects 
about  him.  It  seems  strange  that  his  last  subject  to  be  studied  and  investigated 
would  be  the  one  to  him  the  most  important  and  the  greatest  of  all  creations, — 
himself.  The  storm  of  opposition  that  arose  to  the  study  of  grammar,  history, 
or  geography,  was  mild,  indeed,  to  the  tempest  that  broke  forth  when  it  was 
suggested  that  physiology  be  taught  in  the  schools.  It  seems  almost  impossible 
that  people  should  ever  object  to  this  study,  but  they  did.  It  was  thought  that 
physiology  should  be  studied  alone  by  doctors  and  that  the  child  should  know 
nothing  about  his  "inards."  Many  people  looked  upon  it  as  unwise,  indiscreet 
and  even  immoral  to  study  the  composition  of  one's  own  temple.  But,  like  all 
other  objection  made  to  modern  thought,  the  objection  to  the  study  of  the 
human  body  had  to  give  way.  Later  the  study  of  physiology  and  anatomy- 
gave  way  largely  in  the  schools  to  the  study  of  hygiene  and  sanitation,  per- 
haps of  the  greatest  benefit  of  any  subject  now  taught  in  our  schools. 

As  has  been  before  noted,  the  writing  of  the  early  day  was  a  very  labor- 
ious task.  No  lead  pencils  were  to  be  had  and  the  writing  must  be  done  with 
the  pen.  No  teacher  could  get  along  without  a  sharp  knife,  which,  from  its 
size  and  purpose  to  which  it  was  put  was  known  as  the  pen  knife,  for  it  was 
with  this  knife  that  the  teacher  made  the  pens  for  the  children  to  use.  The 
child  would  perhaps  pick  up  a  goose  quill  or  turkey  feather  on  the  way  to 
school  and  from  it  the  teacher  would  form  the  pen  to  be  used  that  day.  The 
typical  master  of  that  period  is  ahva^-s  pictured  as  having  the  pen  stuck  behind 
'his  ear.  The  juice  of  the  poke  berry  served  as  ink  for  schools.  Commercial 
ink,  of  course,  could  be  purchased.  Ink  purchased  at  that  time  was  usually 
of  splendid  quality,  as  is  shown  by  the  early  records.  The  first  record  made  in 
this  county,  in  August,  1818,  is  as  clear  today  as  on  the  day  on  which  it  was 
made  (due,  of  course,  to  the  quality  of  the  ink  and  the  paper). 

It  has  long  since  been  said  that  "as  the  teacher  so  is  the  school."  This 
saying  is  largely  true,  but  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  schools  of  that  period  were 
crude  if  they  were  to  have  the  same  state  of  culture  as  the  teacher.  As  we 
have  said  before,  the  teachers  were  often  people  who  had  come  west  through 
the  spirit  of  adventure  and  were,  Micauber  like,  "waiting  for  something  to 
turn  up,"  and  in  the  meantime  teaching  school.  This  naturally  brought  people 
of  all  conditions. 

Judge  Banta,  in  his  early  "Schools  of  Indiana,"  printed  in  the  In- 
dianapolis Ncii's.  in  1892,  says :  "A  few  years  ago  I  had  occasion  to  look  into 
the  standing  and  qualifications  of  the  early  teachers  of  my  own  county,  and  in 
looking  over  my  notes  I  find  this  statement :    All  sorts  of  teachers  were  em- 


o 

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KANUOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  589 

ployed  in  Johnson  county;  there  was  the  'one-eyed  teacher,'  the  'one-legged 
teacher,'  the  'lame  teacher,'  the  'teacher  who  had  fits,'  the  'teacher  who  had 
been  educated  for  the  ministry  but,  owing  to  his  habits  of  hard  drink,  had 
turned  pedagogue,'  and  the  'teacher  who  got  drunk  on  Saturday  and  whipped 
the  entire  school  on  Monday.'  " 

A  paragraph  something  like  this  might  be  truthfully  written  of  every 
county  south  of  the  National  road  and  doubtless  every  one  north  of  it.  The 
lesson  this  paragraph  teaches  is  that  whenever  a  man  was  rendered  unfit  for 
making  his  living  any  other  way  he  took  to  teaching. 

Owen  Davis,  of  Spencer  county,  teacher,  took  to  the  fiddle.  He  taught 
what  was  known  as  a  "loud  school,"  and  while  his  school  roared  at  the  top 
of  their  voices,  the  gentle  pedagogue  drew  forth  his  fiddle  and  played  ''Old 
Zip  Coon,"'  "Devil's  Dream"  and  other  inspiring  profane  airs  with  all  the 
might  and  main  that  was  in  him. 

Thomas  Ayres,  a  Revolutionary  veteran,  who  taught  in  Switzerland 
county,  regularly  took  his  afternoon  nap  during  school  hours  while  his  pupils, 
says  the  historian,  were  supposed  to  be  preparing  their  lessons,  but  in  reality 
were  amusing  themselves  by  catching  flies. 

One  of  Orange  county  school  masters  was  an  old  sailor  who  had  wan- 
dered out  to  the  Indiana  woods,  and  under  his  encouragement  his  pupils  spent 
a  large  part  of  their  time,  it  is  said,  roasting  potatoes. 

What  is  true  of  the  school  of  which  Judge  Banta  speaks  was  true  of  all 
the  schools,  Randolph  county  being  no  exception. 

Laughable,  indeed,  were  some  of  the  attempts  at  school-keeping  in  those 
old-time  "wood  colleges."  In  many  cases,  "readin'  and  spellin'  "  were  the 
limits  of  what  the  school  master  dared  to  undertake.  And  the  books  and  the 
classes — they  were  wonderful  in  their  variety.  Whatever  a  pupil  brought, 
that  he  used ;  and  no  high-fangled  teacher  nor  nosing  school  committee  inter- 
fered to  "shtit  down"  on  the  pleasure  of  parents  or  of  pupils ;  but,  as  in  the 
days  of  Israel  of  old,  "every  one  did  that  which  was  right  in  his  own  eyes." 
It  might  chance,  indeed,  that  a  presuming  youth,  fresh  from  the  schools  of 
"Yankee  land,"  (though  such  an  event  was  almost  never  known),  would  ven- 
ture, with  his  armful  of  books,  to  enter  the  school  room  door,  thinking  that 
his  "Yankee  books"  would  surely  "pass  muster  out  west."  But  no;  the 
teacher  would  examine  briefly,  and  bluntly  say,  "Them  ar  books  ain't  no  use — 
take  'em  home  and  keep  'em  thar." 

One  of  the  prominent  men  of  the  county  gives  an  amusing  experience  in 
this  respect.  His  parents  had  just  come  to  the  West  from  "Old  Massachu- 
(38) 


590  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

setts."  The  boy,  perhaps  ten  or  twelve  years  old,  marched  proudly  to  the 
sylvan  temple  of  wisdom  with  his  armful  of  New  England  books — Colburn's 
mental  arithmetic  and  Adams'  new  arithmetic,  those  mathematical  gems  of 
olden  time;  Greenleaf's  grammar,  Goodrich's  reader  (perhaps),  Smith's  geo- 
graphy, etc.  The  teacher,  a  long,  lank,  gaunt,  ungainly  fellow,  rapped  on  the 
window.  The  children  suddenly  ceased  playing,  and  crying,  "It's  books!  it's 
books!"  ran  pell-mell  into  the  log  school  house.  School  began.  The  teacher 
came  along,  eyeing  askance  the  formidable  pile  of  books;  and  fingering  the 
one  that  lay  on  top — "Old  Zerah  Colburn,"  he  opened  the  volume,  and,  leafing 
it  over  a  while,  broke  out,  "Boy,  take  that  ar  book  home  and  tell  your  'pap'  to 
burn  it  up.  The  man  what  made  it  did  not  know  what  he  was  about  and 
couldn't  do  the  sums."  (The  work  has  no  answers.)  Taking  up  the  gram- 
mar, he  said,  "That  seems  like  it  mought  be  a  good  enough  book,  but  grammar 
ain't  teached  here,  and  you  kin  take  that  home,  too."  Next  came  Adams' 
new  arithmetic,  at  that  time  one  of  the  best  text  books  on  arithmetic  in  exist- 
ence. Turning  the  leaves  over  one  by  one,  he  drawled  out,  at  length,  "This 
is  some  better,  the  man  knows  how  to  do  about  half  his  sums.  But,  see  here; 
take  that  ar  book  home,  too,  and  tell  your  'pap'  to  send  Pike's  or  Talbot's 
'rethmetic.  Them's  the  kind  we  use."  And  so  with  the  rest.  He  made  a  clean 
sweep  of  the  books,  and  the  poor,  crest-fallen  boy,  chagrined  beyond  measure 
that  his  "Yankee  books"  had  thus  summarily  passed  under  utter  condemnation, 
went  home  at  night  (or  perhaps  at  noon)  and  made  report  to  his  astonished 
father  of  the  reception  which  had  been  accorded  to  the  books  he  had  so  proudly 
lugged  to  school  in  the  morning. 

We  are  told  of  one  early  teacher  in  Randolph  county  whose  greatest 
diversion  was  in  seeing  how  far  from  the  wall  he  could  stand  and  spit  through 
a  crack  in  it. 

Another,  whose  farm  adjoined  the  school  house,  punished  the  boys  (and 
they  did  not  have  to  do  much  to  be  punished)  by  sending  them  into  his  nearby 
clearing  and  compelling  them  to  pile  brush. 

Of  another  teacher  it  is  said  that  he  brought  yarn  to  school,  out  of 
which,  for  certain  minor  offences,  he  would  compel  the  grown-up  girls  to  knit 
his  socks. 

No  doubt  many  of  these  stories  told  are  exaggerated,  but  the  fact  re- 
mains that  the  teachers  as  weH*as  the  schools  were  very  crude  affairs,  but  the 
old  school'master  with  his  iron  will,  his  hickory  rods  and  "repressive  teaching," 
soon  gave  way  to  the  more  refined  spirit  brought  about  by  the  introduction  of 
lady  teachers  in  the  school,  but  with  all  that  many  a  man  owed  his  strength  of 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  591 

character  to  habits  formed  in  those  primitive  schools.  The  teacher  had  to 
have  but  little  qualifications  so  far  as  law  was  concerned  to  teach  school.  If 
he  were  able  to  satisfy  the  three  "good  district  fathers,"  whose  duty  it  was  to 
■'run  the  school,"  that  he  was  able  to  manage  the  big  boys,  he  was  almost  sure 
of  a  job.  Frequently  no  examinations  were  held  at  all  by  them,  and  if  any  at 
all  were  held  they  were  of  little,  if  any,  consequence. 

In  time  the  state  organized  the  school  systems  in  such  a  way  as  to  ascer- 
tain the  qualifications  of  applicants  to  teach.  The  township  trustees  con- 
ducted the  examination.  Mr.  Hobbs,  before  referred  to,  tells  this  amusing 
experience  of  his  first  examination  for  a  teacher's  certificate : 

"The  only  question  asked  me  at  my  first  examination  was,  'What  is  the 
product  of  25  cents  by  25  cents?"  We  had  then  no  teachers'  institutes,  normal 
schools,  nor  'best  methods'  by  which  nice  matters  were  determined  and  precise 
definitions  given.  We  were  not  as  exact  then  as  people  are  now.  We  had 
only  Pike's  arithmetic,  which  gave  the  sums  and  the  rules.  These  were  con- 
sidered enough  at  that  day.  How  could  I  tell  the  product  of  25  cents  by  25 
cents,  when  such  a  problem  could  not  be  found  in  the  book?  The  examiner 
thought  it  was  654  cents,  but  was  not  sure.  I  thought  just  as  he  did,  but  this 
looked  too  small  to  both  of  us.  We  discussed  its  merits  for  an  hour  or  more, 
when  he  decided  that  he  was  sure  I  was  qualified  to  teach  schools,  and  a  first- 
class  certificate  was  given  me.  How  others  fared,  I  can  not  tell.  I  only  know 
that  teachers  rarely  taught  twice  in  the  same  place," 

Later  on  the  state  provided  for  a  county  examiner,  whose  duty  it  was  to 
ascertain  the  qualifications  of  teachers.  Frequently  they  were  but  little  better 
for  this  purpose  than  the  trustees  had  been,  for  they  were  appointed  by  the 
county  commissioners,  who  had  a  habit  of  appointing  lawyers,  doctors,  and 
more  commonly  preachers.  As  to  the  character  of  these  examinations  the 
following  stories  will  speak  for  themselves  : 

When  James  S.  Ferris,  who  was  prominently  identified  with  the  early 
educational  interests  of  Randolph  county,  came  into  the  state  he  applied  for  a 
position  of  teacher  in  Henry  county.  The  county  examiner  was  a  "Pennsyl- 
vania Dutchman,"  noted  more  for  his  loyalty  to  Pennsylvania  than  for  his 
academic  training.  Mr.  Ferris,  like  all  other  applicants,  knew  of  this  loyalty 
and  immediately  proceeded  to  acquaint  himself  with  the  geography  and  his- 
tory of  Pennsylvania.  When  he  presented  himself  for  the  examination  the 
old  German  seemed  to  be  very  happy  to  meet  him,  and  upon  being  informed 
by  Mr.  Ferris  that  he  desired  to  take  an  examination  told  him  he  would  give 
him  an  oral  examination. ,  His  first  question  was :     "How  many  counties  are 


59^  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

there  in  the  great  commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania?"  Mr.  Ferris  was  "loaded" 
and,  as  luck  would  have  it.  knew  the  number  of  counties  in  Pennsylvania  and 
immediately  gave  the  examiner  the  required  number  and,  to  the  surprise  of 
Mr.  Ferris,  the  examiner  told  him,  "You  need  not  answer  any  more  questions, 
for  any  one  that  knows  that  much  about  the  great  commonwealth  of  Penn- 
sylvania can  teach  school  in  Henry  county."  Whereupon,  Mr.  Ferris  was 
issued  a  first-class  license. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  no  time  was  fixed  by  law  for  holding  these 
examinations,  but  the  examiner  could  hold  them  at  any  time  and  any  place, 
which  was  ustially  at  his  home  and  at  any  time  an  applicant  or  applicants  would 
present  themselves. 

Mr.  S.  M.  Cougill,  now  living  in  Randolph  county,  had  the  following 
amusing  experience  on  his  first  examination : 

Mr.  Cougill  lived  north  of  Parker  two  miles  and  rode  horseback  to 
Winchester  for  the  purpose  of  taking  an  examination.  When  he  arrived  he 
went  directly  to  the  home  of  the  examiner,  J.  G.  Bryce,  commonly  called 
"Daddy"  Bryce,  for  the  examination.  Mr.  Bryce  was  a  minister  and  was 
preparing  at  that  time,  it  being  Saturday  forenoon,  to  start  on  his  circuit. 
Being  in  a  hurry,  he  told  Mr.  Cougill  to  take  his  horse  to  the  livery  stable,  get 
his  dinner  and  return  at  his  earliest  convenience,  as  he  desired  to  start  on  his 
trip.  Mr.  Cougill  presumed  that  the  examination  would  be  a  very  difficult  one 
and  that  Mr.  Bryce  would  give  him  a  series  of  questions  to  answer  that  would 
take  the  remainder  of  the  afternoon.  Upon  presenting  himself,  however,  he 
was  given  the  problem  known  in  Stoddard's  arithmetic  as  the  fish  problem. 
I\Ir.  Cougill  was  a  student  at  Liber  College,  where  mental  arithmetic  was  one 
of  the  principal  things  taught,  and,  like  all  other  young  men  of  the  time,  knew 
Stoddard's  arithmetic  from  start  to  finish.  Mr.  Bryce  offered  him  paper  on 
which  to  solve  the' problem,  but  Mr.  Cougill  informed  him  that  he  was  used 
to  solving  prolilems  from  memory.  This,  no  doubt,  was  done  because  of  the 
fact  that  the  problem  and  its  solution  had  been  committed  to  memory  long 
before.  Mr.  Bryce  gave  the  problem  and  Mr.  Cougill  of  course  solved  it  very 
readily,  whereupon  Mr.  Bryce  commented  upon  his  ability  to  teach  school, 
and  being  in  a  hurry  to  get  on  his  circuit  wrote  Mr.  Cougill  a  first-class  license 
for  his  trouble. 

Scores  of  other  such  incidents  could  be  told  of  the  early  examinations  in 
Randolph  county,  which  was  no  exception  to  all  the  counties  of  the  state  at 
that  period. 

Concerning  these  same  things,  Mr.  Tucker,  in  his  history  of  Randolph 
county,  says : 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  593 

"Somewhere  in  this  vohime  may  be  found  a  racy  sketch  of  a  'woods 
school'  in  Randolph  county,  taught  by  no  less  a  personage  than  Hon.  N. 
Cadwallader,  late  senator  and  banker  of  Union  City,  Indiana,  said  school 
taught  by  our  worthy  fellow-citizen  in  the  year  of  grace  18.45,  only  thirty-five 
years  ago.  But  the  sketch  is  so  rich  that  it  will  bear  reproducing,  and  we  will 
tell  the  story  again,  partly  in  his  own  words : 

"  'I  taught  in  an  old  log  building  in  a  clearing.  It  had  once  boasted  a 
(clay  and  puncheon)  fire-place  and  a  stick  chimney;  but  the  house  at  that 
time  had  neither,  for  the  chimney  and  fire-place  were  wholly  gone,  and  the 
end  of  the  house  was  all  open.  The  books  were  anything  that  the  parents 
happened  to  have  at  hand  at  that  time — Bible,  Testament,  Marion,  Washing- 
ton, Franklin,  spelling  book,  Murray's  Sequel,  or  anything  else ;  and  each  one 
used  what  he  brought,  be 'it  what  it  might.  School  book  uniformity  was  not  in 
vogue  then  in  that  institution,  but  glorious  liberty  was  the  order  of  the  day. 
Of  course,  classification  was  out  of  the  question,  but  each  urchin  was  head 
(and  foot,  too,)  of  his  own  class.' 

"In  discipline,  Mr.  Cadawallader  was  unique.  One  day  he  had  four  un- 
dergoing, all  at  once,  on  the  puncheons,  the  solemn  penalty  of  violated  law. 
Two  were  standing  face  to  face,  with  a  stick  split  at  each  end,  and  one  end 
snapped  to  each  boy's  nose.  One  had  been  thrown  astride  of  a  naked  joist- 
pole  overhead,  while  a  fourth  was  stationed  with  his  hands  behind  his  back  and 
his  nose  plump  up  to  the  wall.  Was  not  all  that  a  sight  ?  The  state  can  never 
know  how  great  is  her  loss  in  not  having  appointed  Mr.  C.  state  school  super- 
intendent, for  that  original  bent  of  genius  would  have  wrought  wonders  ere 
this  in  the  line  of  methods  of  instruction,  of  architecture,  or  discipline,  of 
amusement.  At  any  rate,  such  was  'school-keeping'  thirty-five  years  ago  in 
our  beloved  Randolph,  full  thirty-one  years  after  its  first  settlenient." 

■COUNTY    SEMINARY. 

In  1824  a  law  was  passed  providing  for  higher  education  in  each  county. 
This  institution  of  learning  was  to  be  known  as  the  county  seminary.  About 
fifty  counties  in  the  state  took  advantage  of  this  law  and  established  county 
seminaries.    Randolph  was  one  of  these. 

These  schools  were  supported  by  private  tuition  fees,  and  the  scarcity 
of  money  at  that  time  kept  many  a  child  from  attending  who  might  otherwise 
have  done  so. 

We  have  been  unable  to  learn  when  the  county  seminary  was  established 


594  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

in  Randolph  county,  but  are  sure  it  was  before  May,  1827,  as  on  the  8th  day  of 
that  month  we  find  "Robinson  Mclntire  is  reappointed  trustee  of  the  county 
seminary  for  the  county  of  Randolph  for  and  during  the  term  of  three  years 
from  and  after  this  date."  Evidently  the  seminary  had  been  formed  before  that 
time,  but  this  comes  in  the  period  of  which  the  records  of  the  county  are  lost. 
We  find  many  items  of  interest  concerning  this  school.  Mr.  Tucker, .when 
writing  his  history  of  the  county,  gave  the  subject  no  little  attention,  and  has 
the  following  to  say  concerning  it : 

"At  a  called  meeting  of  the  trustees  of  the  county  seminary  of  Randolph 
county,  on  the  7th  day  of  May,  1839,  present,  Hiram  Mendenhall,  John  J. 
Peacock  and  Edmund  B.  Goodrich  : 

"Ordered,  That  Carey  S.  Goodrich  be  appointed  clerk  of  the  board. 

"Ordered,  That  E.  B.  Goodrich  be  appointed  treasurer,  and  that  he  call 
on  Zachariah  Puckett,  late  trustee  of  the  county  seminary,  for  all  books, 
notes,  bonds,  papers  and  moneys  in  his  hands  as  trustee  aforesaid;  and  that 
the  said  Edmund  B.  Goodrich  report  to  this  board  at  their  next  meeting. 

"The  board  hath  this  day  conditionally  purchased  of  David  Heaston  a 
lot  in  the  town  of  Winchester  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  county  seminary, 
the  aforesaid  purchase  subject  to.  the  supervision  of  the  county  commis- 
sioners." 

And  then  the  board  adjourned  until  Monday,  the  14th  inst. 

Hiram  Mendenhall,  Carey  S.  Goodrich  (clerk),  John  J.  Peacock,  Edmund 
B.  Goodrich,  Seminary  Building  Trustees. 

Board  met  May  14,  1839. 

Considered  that  the  fund  at  command  is  not  large  enough  to  warrant  the 
erection  of  a  county  seminary ;  therefore, 

"Ordered,  That  the  funds  be  loaned  so  as  to  be  due  May  i,  1840." 

Board  met  February  29,  1840,  and  voted  to  commence  the  erection  of  a 
county  seminary,  and  they  directed  George  W.  Goodrich  to  draft  a  plan  for  a 
building,  with  dimensions  as  follows  : 

Size,  35x45  feet ;  first  floor  at  least  three  feet  from  the  earth ;  first  story, 
twelve  feet  in  the  clear ;  second  story,  ten  feet  in  the  clear. 

Board  met  March  13,  1840,  and  ordered  the  house  to  be  only  one  story. 

Board  met  March  18,  1840,  and  directed  advertisements  for  bids  for 
building  the  seminary,  to  be  put  up  at  Winchester,  Windsor,  Spartanburg, 
Mendenhall's  Mill  and  Deerfield. 

House  to  be  finished  May  i,  1841,  and  to  be  built  of  brick. 

Board  met  April  10,  1840,  and  let  the  erection  of  the  building  to  George 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  595 

W.  Moore  for  $2,300,  that  being  the  lowest  bid,  and  ordered  that  $20  be  paid 
George  W.  Goodrich  for  draft  and  specifications. 

June  I,  1 84 1,  board  met  and  voted  to  borrow  from  the  surphis  revenue 
fund  $1,000,  under  a  law  then  lately  passed. 

June  10,  1841,  board  ordered  the  letting  of  two  jobs:  i.  Digging  well, 
erecting  pump,  building  privies  and  leveling  yard.  2.  Making  and  fixing 
forty-nine  desks  in  the  school  room.  Both  jobs  were  to  be  done  by  October  i, 
1 841. 

June  ID,  1841,  board  met,  opened  bids,  and  let  the  jobs  as  follows  :  First, 
to  George  W.  Goodrich,  for  $170;  second  job,  to  Ernest  Strome,  for  $124. 

December  18,  1841,  board  met  and  accepted,  with  some  slight  reserva- 
tions, the  seminary  and  ordered  the  contractor  to  be  paid  for  the  same  $2,200. 

January  i,  1842,  board  met  and  adopted  rules  for  the  care  of  the  school 
building  and  other  property  and  for  the  behavior  of  the  students. 

The  rules  adopted  were  cjuite  precise  and  somewhat  strict,  e.  g. : 

Section  i. — Be  it  ordained  that  any  person  or  persons  who  shall  break 
any  glass  or  shall  break  any  locks,  hinges,  or  latches,  or  break  or  lose  any 
keys,  or  any  of  the  sash,  cords,  or  pulleys,  or  springs,  or  shall  tear  any  of  the 
curtains  of  the  windows,  shall  be  fined  as  follows  : 

For  each  glass,  50  cents ;  for  each  lock  broken  or  key  lost,  $4 ;  for  each 
latch  or  hinge  broken,  50  cents ;  for  each  light  or  sash  broken,  50  cents ;  for 
each  pulley  cord  broken  or  torn  loose,  25  cents;  for  each  pulley  string  broken, 
37  cents ;  for  each  tearing  window  curtain,  37  cents ;  for  injuring  desk,  seats, 
etc.,  not  above  50  cents  for  the  first  offence,  to  be  doubled  for  any  subsequent 
offence;  for  scratching  the  wall,  etc.,  not  over  $3 ;  for  breaking  or  injuring  the 
gates  or  fences,  not  above  50  cents,  to  be  doubled  upon  repetition ;  for  injuring 
trees  or  shrubbery,  not  above  $1,  doubled  for  repetition. 

The  studies  allowed  were  orthography,  reading,  writing,  arithmetic,  Eng- 
lish grammar,  geography,  algebra,  geometry,  surveying,  philosophy  chemistry 
and  latin. 

March  term,  1842,  seminary  trustees'  report  to  the  board  of  county  com- 
missioners as  below : 

Receipts,  $3,145.02;  expenditures,  $2,857.82;  balance  on  hand,  $287.20. 

August  30,  1842,  board  ordered  payment  to  George  D.  Moore  $200,  for 
building  of  the  seminary. 

The  seminary  opened  in  the  spring  of  1842,  under  the  charge  of  Prof. 
James  S.  Ferris. 

Mr.  Ferris  was  an  acceptable  teacher,  and  the  school  grew  and  prospered 


596  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

under  his  instruction.    He  remained  several  years,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
Thomas  Spencer. 

Mr.  Spencer  continued  for  several  years,  and  his  successor  was  Prof. 
E.  P.  Cole,  who  retained  connection  for  three  or  four  years.  During  his  ad- 
ministration much  was  done  in  procuring  library,  apparatus,  etc.,  for  the  use 
of  the  school,  which,  however,  was  all  sold  back  to  him  in  liquidation  of  debts 
due  him  as  principal  of  the  seminary. 

The  school,  on  the  whole,  was  flourishing  and  prosperous,  and  did  ex- 
cellent service  in  furnishing  the  opportunity  of  higher  education  to  the  youth 
of  the  county  and  the  region. 

The  county  seminary  plan  would  seem,  indeed,  to  have  been  a  wise  pro- 
vision, and  might  well  have  been  continued.  Under  the  constitution  of  1851, 
however,  the  county  seminaries  were  closed,  the  property  sold,  and  the  avails 
applied  to  the  general  school  funds. 

During  their  existence  very  many  youths  were  aided  in  their  efforts  after 
knowledge.  Most  who  have  been  prominent  since  that  time,  who  were  then 
in  their  youth,  attended  the  seminary  more  or  less. 

Schools  were  kept  for  a  while  in  the  building  by  private  enterprise,  but 
it  was  finally  sold  by  the  trustees  and  employed  as  a  woolen  factory  by  the 
Carter  Brothers,  and  afterward  by  another  as  a  wagon  shop. 

The  instructions  given  in  that  institution  were  of  a  kind  of  which  those 
who  gave  them  had  no  heed  to  be  ashamed.  Modern  educators  appear  to 
imagine  that  before  them  was  nothing,  and  after  them  shall  be — what?  And 
echo  answers.  What?  Yet,  it  is  nevertheless  true  that  the  methods  practiced 
and  the  results  obtained  by  the  gentlemen  who  presided  over  the  labors  of  that 
seminary  in  those  early  years  were  good  enough  even  for  an  age  so  fastidious 
and  boastful  as  the  present. 

One  instance  must  be  given  to  show  that  the  teachers  in  the  Winchester 
Seminary  knew  how  to  perform  thorough  work,  and  to  make  the  pupils  do  the 
same. 

It  was  the  custom  in  that  school — and  not  by  any  means  a  bad  one,  either 
• — to  have  classes  examined  separately,  and  whenever  any  class  might  chance 
to  be  ready,  and  then  to  call  upon  a  teacher  of  the  region  to  conduct  the  ex- 
amination. An  arithmetic  class  was  ready,  and  a  neighboring  professor  was 
summoned  to  the  work  of  finding  out  how  much  that  particular  group  of 
youngsters  knew  about  "figures."    The  method  of  examination  was  this : 

The  subject  of  arithmetic,  as  found  in  "Rays'  Third  Part,"  was  divided 
into  topics.    Each  topic  was  presented  under  sub-heads,  adapted  to'  bring  out 


.RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  597 

fully  and  clearly  its  true  nature,  and  the  mutual  relation  of  each  to  all  the  rest. 
Slips  of  paper  were  prepared,  each  containing  the  matters  belonging  to  a 
distinct  topic.  The  class  was  numbered,  and  the  professor,  knowing  no  pupil 
in  the  class,  assigned  to  them  by  number  the  topics  simply  by  chance.  Each 
pupil  took  his  topic,  and,  with  no  opportunity  for  preparation  b)'  text-book  or 
otherwise,  going  to  the  board,  put  the  needful  work  thereupon,  and,  when  his 
time  came,  explained,  in  a  clear  and  connected  manner,  the  whole  subject  as- 
signed him  (or  her),  since  several  of  the  class  were  females.  No  questions 
were  asked;  none  were  needed.  The  examiner  merely  sat  and  listened.  In 
fact,  the  subjects  were  presented  so  clearly,  so  fully,  so  exhaustively,  that,  as 
the  professor  sat  gazing  on  their  work,  and  hearing  their  recitations  and  ex- 
planations, the  lines  of  Goldsmith,  adapted,  might  be  applied : 

And  still  he  gazed,  as  still  the  wonder  grew. 
How  that  bright  class  had  mastered  all  they  knew. 

He  had  witnessed  and  conducted  many  examinations  before,  as  he  has 
done  many  since,  and  some  that  were  by  no  means  poor  nor  unworthy ;  yet  he 
is,  in  candor,  obliged  to  declare,  that,  for  completeness,  for  thoroughness,  for 
clearness  and  uniformity  of  knowledge,  for  absence  of  failure,  for  lack  even  of 
hesitation  on  the  part  of  the  pupils  concerned,  for  excellence  in  general  and  in 
particular,  that  performance  stands  unrivaled  within  his  knowledge.  Some 
dozen  pupils  were  in  the  class,  but  not  a  poor  one  among  them  all.  Half- 
grown  boys  and  timid  girls  alike  stood  the  test,  and  went  through  their  work 
calmly,  smilingly  and  triumphant.  The  author  would  be  glad  to  record  the 
names  of  the  members  of  that  class  as  a  slight  token  of  admiration  for  their 
instructor  and  themselves,  as  he  feels  sure  that  a  group,  who,  in  boyhood  and 
youth,  could  pass  so  heroically  such  an  examination  as  that  to  which  they,  on 
that  eventful  day,  submitted  themselves,  could  not  fail,  in  the  coming  years, 
to  be  otherwise  than  men  and  women  of  mark  in  the  life  struggle  into  which 
they  were  so  soon  compelled  to  plunge.  But  the  examiner  knew  not  then 
whom  he  was  examining,  nor  does  he  to  this  day.  All  honor  to  the  faithful, 
earnest,  enthusiastic,  laborious,  successful  instructors  of  that  olden  time.  By 
the  great  teacher  it  was  said,  thousands  of  year  ago,  "By  their  fruits  ye 
shall  know  them,"  and  well  and  confidently  may  the  educators  of  "Auld  Lang 
Syne"  appeal  to  the  apparent,  unquestionable  results  of  their  laborious  energy 
in  triumphant  vindication  of  their  faithfulness,  and  of  their  wisdom  and  their 
practical  skill  as  well,  in  the  department  of  instruction." 


598  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

We  have  at  this  time  an  organization  in  the  city  of  Winchester  known  as 
the  "Old  Seminary  Girls,"  which  organization  is  inspired  by  the  many  happy 
associations  while  attending  this  school.  True,  they  were  among  the  last  to 
attend  this  famous  institution,  but;  nevertheless,  they  caught  the  spirit  of 
higher  learning  while  attending  there.  Xo  doubt  much  of  the  educational 
interests  to  be  found  among  the  citizenship  of  Winchester  today  is  due  largely 
to  the  influence  of  the  old  seminary. 

The  first  school  or  association  for  school  purposes,  so  far  as  we  know, 
was  formed  by  some  citizens  of  Winchester  and  the  immediate  vicinity, 
record  of  which  is  made  in  1827.  These  gentlemen,  whose  names  were: 
Thomas  Wright,  Jr.,  William  Wright,  Paul  W.  Way,  Abner  Overman,  David 
Heaston.  Caleb  Odle,  Thomas  Hanna  and  Jonathan  Hiatt,  Jehu  Robinson, 
David  Hayworth,  Aaron  Dolby,  John  Odle,  John  B.  Wright,  Jonathan  Hiatt, 
Sr.,  Albert  Banta,  James  Davis,  Jonathan  Edwards.  William  Edwards,  John 
Wright,  Jacob  Porson,  David  Wright  entered  into  the  following  agreement: 

"We,  the  undersigned,  citizens  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  and  of  Randolph 
county,  being  aware  of  the  importance  of  school  education,  do  mutually  cove- 
nant and  agree  to  and  with  each  other,  to  form  ourselves  into  a  society,  under 
the  name  of  the  Winchester' School  Association,  and  to  elect  out  of  our  body 
three  trustees  to  manage  the  business  of  the  society.    August  21,  1827." 

There  was  evidently  some  connection  between  this  school  association  and 
that  of  the  county  seminary,  as  Winchester,  then  a  mere  village,  could  not, 
under  any  condition,  support  two  schools.  Each  of  these  schools  were 
su]5ported  by  private  subscription  and  by  tuition  collected  from  those  attend- 
ing. While  we  presume  the  schools  were  conducted  as  one  school  we  have  been 
unable  to  find  any  authentic  relation  existing  between  them. 

The  county  seminary  was  intended  to  be  and  to  a  great  degree  became 
"The  College  of  the  Poor  Man."  It  was  the  intention  that  one  was  to  be 
established  in  each  county  of  the  state.  This  was  almost  realized,  as  seventy- 
three  really  were  established. 

No  one  can  estimate  the  good  done  by  these  institutions  and  no  doubt 
the  cause  of  free  education  in  later  years  was  made  possible  through  their  in 
fluence. 

Indiana  did  not  vote  upon  free  education  until  1848,  and  it  is  a  matter  of 
history  that  the  vote  was  heaviest  for  free  public  schools  in  the  communities 
where  the  seminaries  were  most  popular. 

Public  libraries  were  maintained  in  connection  with  the  seminaries,  and 
this,  indeed,  became  the  "disseminators  of  public  knowledge."     The  seminary 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIAJNA.  599 

was  democratic  in  its  organization  and  reached  out  to  every  one  who  had  a 
desire  for  higher  education.  Even  at  that  remote  period  no  one  could,  with 
truth,  claim  lack  of  opportunity  for  not  having  an  education. 

The  culture  about  this  institution  was  high  and  the  scholarship  of  the 
professors  good ;  the  morality  of  the  student  body  well  cared  for  and  pro- 
tected by  the  stability  and  honesty  of  those  connected  with  this  institution  o^" 
learning. 

They  were  the  direct  forerunners  of  the  present  high  schools  of  the 
country  and  have  always  been  looked  upon  by  all  the  educators  as  the  real 
"pioneers  of  learning." 

Prof.  Richard  Boone,  in  his  history  of  education  in  Indiana,  pays  this 
high  tribute  to  the  old  county  seminaries : 

"After  the  extremest  criticism  has  been  passed  upon  the  deficiencies  of 
the  means  of  general  public  education  during  the  period,  it  must  be  said  that 
more  efiicient  teaching,  more  generously  supported  considering  their  resources, 
(jr  more  generally  appreciated,  than  in  the  supplementary  institutions  that 
made  the  state  honorably  famous  just  prior  to  and  following  the  middle  of 
the  century.  On  a  frontier  not  yet  freed  from  the  swamp  and  thicket,  where 
there  was  little  wealth  and  less  leisure,  in  more  than  a  score  of  towns  and 
country  neighborhoods,  were  well-known  and  prosperous  centers  of  the  sever- 
est classical  and  disciplinary  culture.  No  compromise  was  made  with  the 
practical.  Their  training  was  altogether  'liberal'  and  general.  They  imitated 
the  older  East  in  the  curriculum,  and  rivaled  it  in  method  and  efficiency.  The 
really  classically  educated,  both  among  pupils  and  teachers,  were  relatively  far 
more  common  than  now." 

In  August,  1848,  by  vote  of  the  people  of  the  state,  free  public  schools 
were  established  in  the  State  of  Indiana  and  the  seminaries  soon  gave  way  to 
these  great  institutions.  It  is  interesting  to  know  that  in  the  election  where 
the  question  to  be  determined  was  "shall  we  maintain  free  public  schools?" 
Randolph  county's  vote  was  in  the  affirmative.  It  may  seem  strange  today 
that  the  vote  was  not  practically  unanimous,  but  it  carried  in  this  county  by 
only  about  6  per  cent.  The  heaviest  vote  for  it  was  in  and  around  the  com- 
munities whose  center  was  "The  Quaker  Church." 

UNION  LITERARY  INSTITUTE. 

The  influence  of  the  Quaker  belief  and  the  influence  of  the  Quaker  church 
as  exemplified  in  the  lives  of  its  members,  was  shown  in  as  marked  a  degree 
in  the  earlv  schools  as  it  was  in  the  church. 


6oO  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

These  great  and  good  people  believe  in  following  the  dictates  of  their 
own  conscience  and  obeying  the  faithful  injunctions  made  known  to  them  by 
the  "moving  of  the  spirit,"  not  only  in  private  life  but  in  public  life  as  well 
and  in  the  school  as  well  as  the  home  and  the  church.  All  honor  must  be  given 
to  these  men  and  women,  simple  in  faith,  who  had  the  courage  as  well  as  con- 
viction to  do  something  for  their  f ellowmen. 

In  the  cjuietude  of  their  home  deliberations  or  the  spiritual  environment 
of  their  week-day  meetings  came  a  con\'icting  desire  to  put  into  effect  what 
seemed  to  them  to  be  the  Will  of  God.  Under  such  environment  and  desire  to 
be  of  service  to  a  down  trodden  race  a  few  members  belonging  to  the  "New 
port  Meeting"  conceived  the  idea  of  endowing  an  institution  for  the  high  and 
noble  purpose  of  carrying  knowledge  and  learning  within  the  reach  of  those 
who  desire  it. 

With  this  end  in  view,  Nathan  Thomas,  William  Clemens,  David  Wilcuts, 
Eli  Hiatt,  Jacob  Hackett,  Henry  H.  Way,  John  Randle,  Daniel  Hill,  Thornton 
Alexander,  Albert  Smith,  William  Davidson,  John  H.  Bond  and  Charles 
Clemens  were  selected  by  the  donors  as  the  board  of  managers  of  the  new  in- 
stitution of  learning  to  be  established  in  the  Edgewater  colored  community  of 
Randolph  county. 

At  the  first  meeting,  9th  month  4,  1845,  o^  the  board,  William  Clemens 
was  elected  president,  and  Daniel  Hill,  secretary.  The  next  day  they  met 
again  and  resolved,  "That  this  institution  be  called  the  Union  Literary  In- 
stitute." 

They  immediately  proceeded  to  arrange  for  what  they  hoped  to  be  a  great 
school,  and  appointed  "Daniel  Hill,  John  Randle  and  Thornton  Alexander  a 
committee  to  superintend  the  building  of  a  hewed  log  house  thirty  feet  long, 
twenty  feet  wide  and  two  stories  high"  and  to  "finish  it  off  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  a  school." 

These  men  were  actuated  by  the  highest  of  motives  and  sincerity  and  lost 
no  time  or  opportunity  in  the  execution  of  the  trust  placed  upon  them. 

They  immediately  appointed  a  committee  to  prepare  a  constitution  for  the 
government  of  the  institution.  In  this  they  were  aided  by  Mr.  James  S. 
Ferris,  of  Winchester,  a  man  of  scholarly  attainment.  Mr..  Ferris  was  elected 
to  the  board  of  managers  in  1845.  In  April,  1846,  they  arranged  definitely 
for  the  organization  of  the  school.  "On  motion,  resolved  that  we  open  a 
manual  labor  school  on  the  i8th  of  next  month  and  that  Nathan  Thomas  and 
Thornton  Alexander  be  permitted  to  report  at  this  meeting  at  what  age  pupils 
shall  be  admitted  and  the  length  of  time  they  shall  be  required  to  labor  .each 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  6oi 

day."  After  retiring  a  short  time  the  committee  reported  that  students  be 
admitted  into  the  manual  labor  department  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  be  required 
to  labor  four  hours  per  day."  This  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  oldest,  if  not  the 
oldest,  vocational  schools  of  the  state. 

Every  effort  was  made  to  get  a  suitable  person  for  principal  of  the  school. 
It  depended  largely  upon  Oberlin  College,  and  in  June,  1846,  they  secured  the 
services  of  Ebenezer  Tucker,  a  graduate  of  that  institution,  "for  the  term  of 
eight  months  for  the  sum  of  two  hundred  dollars,  the  school  to  commence  on 
the  22d  of  June."  They  immediately  entered  into  an  agreement  with  Mr. 
Tucker  to  teach  the  school  and  agreed  to  furnish  a  team  to  assist  in  moving 
liim  from  his  residence  in  Ohio  to  the  institution.  Thus  it  was  that  Mr. 
Tucker  became  an  early  factor  in  the  education  of  Randolph  county.  Mr. 
Tucker's  influence  was  always  for  the  best  and  he  succeeded  in  building  up  an 
institvition  that  was  known  far  and  near,  as  one  of  the  very  best.  It  attracted 
attention,  not  only  throughout  this  county,  but  as  far  east  as  the  New  Eng- 
land states;  in  fact,  the  success  of  the  institution  was  due  more  to  Mr.  Tucker 
than  to  any  other  one  man.     We  shall  have  more  to  say  of  him  later  on. 

"At  a  general  meeting  of  the  contributors  to  the  Union  Literary  Institute, 
held  in  Friends  Meeting  at  Newport,  Wayne  county,  tenth  month,  first,  1846, 
a  report  of  the  proceedings  of  the  board  of  managers  the  past  year  was  read, 
accompanied  by  an  essay  of  a  constitution  for  the  government  of  the  institu- 
tion." 

The  earnestness  with  which  the  managers  considered  their  work  is  shown 
by  the  fact  that  the  constitution  was  discussed  all  that  day,  and,  desiring  to 
give  it  due  deliberation,  "adjourned  until  early  candle  lighting  tomorrow 
evening  to  re-discuss  the  matter."  The  meeting  assembled  according  to  ad- 
journment and  considered  and  adopted  their  constitution.  Their  high  ideals 
and  purposes  are  fittingly  set  forth  in  the  preamble,  which  is  as  follows : 

PREAjrBLE: 

"Whereas,  a  number  of  benevolent  men  and  women  have  given  lands  and 
contributed  money  and  goods  for  the  purpose  of  building  up  and  sustaining  a 
Manual  Labor  School.  Principly  for  the  benefit  of  that  class  of  the  popula- 
tion whom  the  laws  of  Indiana  at  present  preclude  from  all  participation  in 
the  benefits  of  our  public  school  system  and  further  for  the  purpose  of  placing 
the  blessings  of  an  education  in  the  higher  branches  of  science  within  the 
reach  of  all  who  have  not  the  means  and  facilities  for  the  acquisition  of 


602  RANDOLPH    COUNTY.    INDIANA. 

scientific  knowledge,  whicii  are  always  at  the  command  of  the  wealthy.  Now 
therefore  that  the  greatest  possible  good  may  be  derived  to  those  whom  the 
munificence  of  the  donors  was  designed  to  reach  and  bless.  To  secure  and 
employ  for  the  same  benevolent  end  all  gifts,  grants,  contributions,  devises 
and  donations  that  may  hereafter  from  time  to  time  be  made  in  furtherance 
of  this  laudable  and  christian  enterprise.  To  provide  for  the  due  and  proper 
application  of  the  same,  according  to  the  true  interest  and  design  of  the 
donors.  And  to  define  and  fix  some*  general  principles  for  the  good  govern- 
ment and  promotion  of  the  best  interests  of  such  school  and  collegiate  institu- 
tion as  may  grow  up  on  the  foundations.  We  do  ordain  and  establish  the  fol- 
lowing:" 

The  constitution  itself  is  rather  an  able  document  and  in  many  of  its 
articles  shows  the  true  motive  back  of  the  promoters  of  the  institution.  Arti- 
cle I  affirms  the  name  "Union  Literary  Institute."  Article  6  gives  a  ma- 
jority of  the  board  "power  to  make  rules  and  by-laws  for  their  own  govern- 
ment, and  that  of  the  school  in  all  matters  relating  to  discipline  and  manual 
labor.  Fixed  rates  of  labor,  board  and  tuition,  to  contract  for  necessary 
buildings,  to  employ  teachers,  tutors  and  professors,  to  provide  suitable  lib- 
raries, philosophical  and  chemical  apparatus."  Article  8,  9  and  10  are  worthy 
of  special  interest,  as  they  show  the  attitude  of  that  institution  toward  slavery 
and  religion. 

"Art.  8th.  There  never  shall  be  tolerated  or  allowed  in  the  Union  Liter- 
ary Institution,  its  government,  discipline  or  privileges  any  distinction  on  ac- 
count of  color,  rank  or  wealth. 

Art.  9th.  In  all  matters  relating  to  ecclesiastics  each  person  connected 
with  the  school,  either  as  teacher  or  pupil,  shall  be  left  to  his  or  her  denom- 
ination preference :  nor  shall  any  teacher  be  employed  or  other  instru- 
mentalities used,  to  favor  one  church  organization  sect  more  than  another; 
but  the  authority  of  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  and  the 
divinity  of  the  Christian  religion  shall  be  maintained  inviolate;  and  no  person 
known  to  hold  contrary  opinions  shall  be  admitted  to  any  official  station  in  the 
Institution. 

Art.  loth.  The  incompatibility  of  war  and  slavery  with  the  Christian 
religion  shall  be  a  leading  principle  in  the  Institution." 

After  their  constitution  was  adopted  they  immediately  planned  to  build 
a  boarding  house  in  connection  with  the  school  and  appointed  a  committee, 
which  presented  the  following  plan : 

"A  frame  house  with  two  wings,  each  fifty  feet  long,  one  twenty-six  and 
the  other  thirty  feet  long  and  two  stories  high." 


, RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  603 

This  building  was  completed  in  a  short  time  and  was  placed  under  the 
charge  of  the  superintendent  of  the  school. 

Naturally  rules  were  necessary  for  the  control  of  the  students  who  made 
their  homes  in  this  building.  We  are  informed  by  Mr.  Bass,  of  that  com- 
munity, that  the  second  story  had  the  sleeping  apartments  on  each  side  of  a 
long  hall  which  went  through  the  entire  building.  The  girls  occupied  the 
rooms  on  one  side  of  the  hall  and  the  boys'  rooms  on  the  other  side.  This 
made  the  matter  of  discipline  somewhat  of  a  difficult  one  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Tucker,  who  had  charge  of  this  building  for  a  great  many  years,  proved  them- 
selves equal  to  all  needs.  The  "code  of  by-laws"  for  the  regulation  of  the 
school  is  another  evidence  that  the  founders  of  this  institution  intended  it  to 
be  one  of  worth  and  force  and  one  which  the  student  body  must  respect. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  rules  laid  down : 

"No  student  shall  absent  himself,  unless  by  leave  from  the  principal  nor 
be  excused  from  any  lesson  or  any  school  exercise  except  by  the  principal.  No 
student  shall  at  any  time  or  place  use  any  intoxicating  liquor  as  a  beverage. 
No  member  of  the  institution  shall  play  at  cards,  checkers,  chess  or  any  similar 
game  of  chance  or  skill.  No  student  shall  burn  gun  powder  in  or  near  any 
of  the  institution  buildings  except  by  leave  of  the  principal  or  superintendent. 
Students  are  required  to  be  at  their  rooms  by  lo  o'clock  p.  m.  and  after  9  p.  m. 
to  avoid  everything  which  may  disturb  repose.  Students  shall  not  be  allowed, 
upon  pain  of  expulsion,  upon  any  pretense  to  visit  the  other  sex  at  their 
rooms  or  receive  them  at  their  own  except  by  special  permission  of  the  prin- 
cipal or  the  superintendent  in  cases  of  serious  illness.  Every  student 
upon  the  age  of  fourteen  years  shall,  unless  he  be  prevented  by  sickness  or 
shall  for  other  reasonable  cause  be  excused  by  the  superintendent,  perform 
manual  labor  under  the  direction  of  the  superintendent  four  hours  per  day. 
Every  student  shall,  unless  prevented  by  iH  health  or  other  reasonable  cause, 
rise  by  5  o'clock  a.  m.  Study  hours  shall  compromise  from  five  and  one-half 
o'clock  a.  m.  til  12  m.  and  from  i  p.  m.  to  5-^  p.  m.  and  from  seven  to  nine 
p.  m.,  allowing  one  hour  for  breakfast  and  provided  that  requisite  time  may 
be  taken  for  manual  labor  so  far  as  necessary  from  the  above  prescribed  hour 
of  study.  All  students  of  sufficient  age  and  advancement  shall  engage  in 
study  athis  room  (or  other  proper  place  by  permission  of  the  principal)  during 
the  hour  of  study  hours.  The  laws  of  the  Christian  morality  shall  be  binding 
on  every  member  of  the  institution  and  any  breach  of  them  shall  be  regarded 
a  violation  of  these  laws.  No  distinction  shall  be  allowed  on  account  of  com- 
plexion  and  especially  every  member  of  the  institution  shall  carefully  avoid 


604  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

unkind,  reproachful  or  approbrious  names  Or  languages.  Quiet  shall  be  ob- 
served on  the  first  day  of  the  week  by  carefully  avoiding  any  unnecessary  noise 
and  no  unnecessary  labor  shall  be  done  by  students  or  others  at  the  boarding 
establishment.  And  the  students  shall  (except  such  as  may  be  regularly  ex- 
cused) assemble  twice  in  the  day,  morning  and  evening,  in  company  with  the 
principal  or  superintendent  to  read  or  hear  read  portions  of  the  scripture.  The 
students  shall  be  required  to  furnish  bed  and  other  necessary  accommodations 
for  their  rooms;  to  keep  their  rooms  clean  and  decent,  to  mop  the  floors  at 
least  once  in  three  weeks,  to  take  it  by  turns  to  keep  the  hall,  alley  ana  stairs 
clean  and  to  take  care  that  all  the  rooms  be  arranged,  beds  made,  floors  swept, 
etc.,  by  the  first  breakfast  bell  so  that  the  hall,  alley  and  stairs  may  be  put  in 
proper  order  before  breakfast.  Smoking  tobacco  shall  not  be  allowed  in  any 
of  the  rooms  of  the  institution.  The  sexes  shall  refrain  from  spending  time 
with  each  other — provided  that  the  public  sitting  room  shall  be  free  for  such  as 
choose  to  occupy  it  on  first  day  (Sunday)  from  one  to  three  p.  m.  and  from 
half  past  six  to  half  past  seven  on  Thursday  evening.  Males  and  females 
may  walk  out  in  company  only  by  permission  of  the  principal  or  male  or 
female  superintendent.  Students  shall  not  spend  time  in  the  kitchen  except 
when  engaged  in  necessary  labor." 

The  attitude  of  the  institution  toward  slavery  is  manifested  on  all  occa- 
sions; in  1847,  ^t  a  meeting  in  the  Friends  Meeting  House  at  Newport, 
"Ebenezer  Tucker  was  invited  to  address  the  meeting  on  the  condition  of  peo- 
ple of  color,  which  he  did  in  an  able  and  interesting  manner." 

Lewis  Coffin,  a  great  leader  of  the  under-ground  railway,  was  at  that 
time  made  one  of  the  members  of  the  board  of  managers.  Mr.  Coffin  was  in- 
strumental in  making  the  community  about  this  institution  one  of  the  leading 
stations  on  the  under-ground  railway. 

In  1848  they  asked  for  a  charter  from  the  Legislature  of  the  State  and 
were  granted  it.  A  mistake  was  made  in  the  charter  by  calling  the  institution 
"The  University  Institution"  instead  of  "Union  Literary  Institute,"  and  the 
board  asked  the  Legislature  to  change  the  name  to  the  correct  one  and  it  was 
done  in  1849. 

The  institution  was  supported  from  the  income  of  the  land  which  had 
been  donated  and  from  donations  made  to  solicitors  or  agents  for  the  institu- 
tion. The  board  had  its  regularly  authorized  agents,  who  traveled  through 
the  entire  United  States  soliciting  aid  for  the  institution.  These  agents  made 
claim,  and  truthfully  so,  that  the  institution  was  primarily  in  the  interest  of  the 


I  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  605 

children  of  slaves  or  ex-slaves  and  was  maintained  as  a  philanthropic  institu- 
tion for  these  people  . 

Statements  as  to  the  financial  condition  were  published  annually  in  such 
papers  as  the  Pre-territorial  Sentinel,  Cincinnati  Weekly  Globe,  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  North  Star  and  now  and  then  a  Boston  paper. 

The  solicitors  received  ten  per  cent,  of  the  amount  collected  for  their 
services.  All  kinds  of  donations  were  acceptable  and  the  records  show  such 
donations  as  "one  day's  work,"  "one  horse  collar,"  "one  steel  trap,"  "five 
pounds  coffee,"  "6  pounds  sugar,"  "fifty  pounds  flour,"  "four  bushels 
wheat,"  and  in  fact  most  any  kind  of  articles  that  could  be  used  in  the  in- 
stitution. 

The  report  of  James  Moorman,  treasurer,  May  8th,  1850,  shows  the  re- 
ceipts from  October  5th,  1847,  to  May  8th,  1850,  $375.18;  disbursements, 
$375.22.  Receipts,  howe\'er,  sometimes  went  as  high  as  $600.00  for  four  or 
five  months.  The  highest  collections  were  during  the  year  1850,  and  to  show 
the  scope  of  territory  covered  we  shall  give  the  report  of  William  Beard, 
agent : 

"To  the  Board  of  Managers,  U.  L.  I. : 

"I  hereby  present  the  following  report  of  my  collections  and  services  as 
General  Agent  for  the  U.  L.  Institute  from  my  appointment  as  such  agent  up 
to  the  prst.  time. 

8th  mo.  24th,  1850 : 

Collections  made  before  going  to  Cincinnati $  57.00 

Collections  made  in  Cincinnati 95-00 

Collections  made  in  Philadelphia 841.00 

Collections   made   in   New   York    560.90 

Collections  made  in  Germantown 45-00 

Collections  made  in  Providence,  R.  I. 52.00 

Collections  made  in  Fall  River i5-00 

Collections  made  in  Nantucket 92.00 

Collections  in  New  Bedford '. 41.00 

Collections  made  in  Boston 70.00 

Collections  made  in  Salem ^ , 25.00 

Collections  made  in  Lynn 3i-50 

Collections  in  various  places  not  elsewhere  set  down 54- 50 

Total  in  cash $1,979.90 

~         (39) 


6o6  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

Collections  made  in  books  principally  at  wholesale  prices  towit : 

At  Cincinnati  _- $  40.00 

At  New  York  City 240.00 

At  Boston  (sent  by  ship  by  New  Orleans  and  not  arrived) 68.00 

At  Philadelphia  (inc.  $17.00  Belleville) 130.10 

At  Boston,  pair  globes i5-00 

At  New  York  i  box  axes 8.00 


$501.10 
1,979.90 


Total  in  cash  and  sundries • $2,481.00 

William  Beard  Agent  Cr. 

By  cash  sent  from  Cincinnati : $  85.06 

By  one  check  sent  by  N.  Thomas . 250.00 

By  one  check  sent  by  N.  Thomas 65.00 

By  one  check 150.00 

By  one  check 200.00 

By  one  note  on  S.  W.  Taylor,  Phila 75-00 

By  cash  on  freight  (of  books  etc  to  S.  W.  Taylor  on  acct.  of  L.  Coffin 

Cin 10.00 

By  one  check  Franklin  Bank  Cin.  Ohio 250.00 

By  one  check  Commercial  Bank  of  Pennsylvania 86.00 

By  cash  paid   for  expenses   in  serving  board   150.00 

By  ten  per  cent  charged  (aces  to  contract  of  Board)  for  collection 
of  $2400.00  the  percent  on  $81.00  being  omitted  on  account 
of  unsalable  books  240  dollars  one  hundred  dollars  of  which 

is  donated  to  the  Institution  Balance 140.00 

By  one  bill  bearing  interest  at  six  percent  amounting  to 508.90 


$1979.90 

The  books,  axes  and  globes  were  duly  forwarded,  those  from  Boston 
having  been  sent  by  ship  by  N.  Orleans  which  latter  are  expected  to  arrive 
about  the  first  of  tenth  month  next.  All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted  to 
the  Board  of  Managers  as  a  full  and  accurate  report  of  my  proceedings  col- 
lections &  disbursements  etc.,  as  agent. 

(Signed)     William  Beard,  Agent. 
Newport  8  mo.  24th  1850. 


^RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA.  607 

The  higher  ideals  of  the  board  and  their  anticipation  of  a  glorious  future 
for  the  school  is  shown  in  the  organization  of  what  they  called  a  "Professor- 
ship Fund."  By  this  fund  they  hoped  to  have  an  endowment  that  would,  in 
the  future,  support  "the  principle  teacher  of  the  Institute."  This  movement, 
however,  met,  with  little  encouragement  as  only  $250.00  was  donated  to  that 
fund. 

The  success  of  the  school  was  for  a  long  time  very  marked  as  many  as 
ninety  pupils  at  one  time  being  in  attendance.  As  we  have  said  before  the 
success  of  the  Institution  was  largely  due  to  the  individuality  of  Ebenezer 
Tucker.  The  school  lost  in  attendance  very  rapidly  upon  his  removal  in  1850 
and  regained  somewhat  of  its  former  prestige  upon  his  return  in  1873.  Prof. 
Tucker,  however,  was  never  able  to  put  the  school  upon  a  very  solid,  founda- 
tion after  his  return.  The  spirit  of  giving  had  given  way  to  the  spirit  of 
receiving.  The  old  records  show  the  time,  money  and  services  were  always 
donated  but  later  records  show  that  the  trustees,  managers  and  all  others 
who  performed  services  for  the  Institution  demanded  and  received  pay  for 
the  same. 

The  Institution  rapidly  deteriorated  and  it  soon  became  necessary  to 
support  the  school  partially  by  public  funds.  Politics  entered  into  the  control 
of  the  Institution.  The  Indiana  and  Ohio  members  became  antagonistic,  each 
trying  to  gain  control  of  the  Institution.  The  Indiana  side  finally  gained  con- 
trol. The  Ohio  contingency  brought  suit  to  gain  control  of  the  Institution. 
The  case  was  taken  to  Wayne  county  for  trial  which  resulted  in  the  Courts 
assuming  control  and  appointing  thirteen  Trustees  for  the  management  of  the 
Institution.  The  land  had  been  sold  and  the  proceeds  squandered.  The 
Board  of  Trustees  were  able  to  re-purchase  a  part  of  the  land  and  the  Institu- 
tion now  owns  one  hundred  ninety-three  acres. 

While  they  were  undergoing  this  it  became  necessary  to  build  a  new  barn, 
new  house,  new  fences  and  to  do  a  great  deal.  This  completely  exhausted  all 
resources  and  the  township  was  compelled  to  assume  control  of  the  school. 
This  they  did  by  maintaining  a  district  school  in  the  "seminary  building"  until 
1910.  That  year  the  trustee  found  that  they  had  nothing  to  maintain  the 
school  so  the  next  year,  191 1  they  had  enough  money  to  pay  a  portion  of  the 
expenses.  School,  however,  had  in  the  meantime,  been  abandoned  because 
only  eight  colored  pupils  remained  in  the  district. 

At  this  time,  1914,  the  trustees  of  the  Institution  transport  the  children 
of  this  school  to  the  Spartanburg  consolidated  school. 

What  will  be  done  with  this  one  time  noble  institution  is  entirely  prob- 


6o8  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

lematic  and  it  can  only  be  hoped  that  some  way  can  be  devised  by  which  the 
original  intent  of  the  founders  of  this  institution  will  be  carried  out. 

Through  the  leadership  of  Prof.  Tucker  the  school  did  a  world  of  good 
to  many  who  were  entirely  worthy  of  its  beneficience.  The  influence  of  the 
Institution  has  been  for  the  best  and  will  no  doubt  last  for  generations  to 
come. 

Prof.  Tucker  in  his  history  of  Randolph  county  has  the  following  to  say 
concerning  this  school : 

UNION  LITERARY  INSTITUTE. 

After  some  years  of  pioneer  school  work,  a  new  aid  to  education  arose  in 
the  county  in  the  shape  of  the  Union  Literary  Institute,  near  Spartanburg, 
and  literally  "in  the  woods."  There  was  the  green  stump  of  a  huge  oak,  four 
feet  through,  not  ten  feet  from  the  schoolroom  door ;  and  the  immense  tree 
trunk  lay  there,  prostrate,  just  as  it  fell,  with  its  huge  body  for  the  children 
to  run  on,  and  to  play  over  and  across.  And  the  boarding  house  stood  above 
several  green  stumps,  to  make  room  for  the  house. 

Prof.  Tucker,  its  first  principal,  and  his  goods,  had  been  brought  from 
Central  Ohio,  i6o  miles,  in  big  open  wagons,  by  two  teamsters  from  Wayne 
county,  Ind.,  who  went  clear  through  by  land  to  bring  the  young  professor, 
his  wife  and  their  infant  child,  and  his  few  household  goods,  all  lonely  and 
solitary,  into  the  Indiana  woods ;  and  to  that  hewed-log  schoolhouse  in  the 
forest,  and  to  the  boarding  house,  made  of  timbers  cut  and  hewed  wholly  from 
the  green  woods,  with  home-shaved  shingles  and  studding  split,  like  rails,  from 
a  tree,  with  rafters  and  sleepers  and  joists  all  hewed  from  logs,  made  ready 
with  the  broad-ax,  the  Hoosier  and  the  Buckeye  lads  and  lasses  began  to  come ; 
and,  as  years  rolled,  they  came  still  more  and  more,  and,  during  eight  years 
and  more,  nearly  five  hundred  persons  from  many  counties  and  several  states 
were  at  some  time  members  of  the  institute. 

And,  as  those  days  come  up  in  memory,  and  the  picture  of  those  old-time 
scenes  is  renewed,  the  question  presses.  Why  did  those  young  men  and  maidens 
flock  into  that  boarding  house,  working  for  their  daily  food,  and  living  almost 
literally  on  bread  and  water  at  that  ?  And  the  more  one  thinks,  the  more  the 
wonder  grows.  Why  did  they  come  ?  But  come  they  did,  and  for  eight  long, 
but  happy  and  fruitful  years,  did  the  work  of  that  school  go  on,  under  the 
shadow  of  the  wilderness,  till,  from  sheer  exhaustion,  the  professor  gave  up 
his  task,  and  pushed  still  farther  west  upon  the  untrodden  prairie,  feeling  that 
not  for  the  best  farm  in  the  west  would  he  repeat  the  labors  of  those  eight 


, RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  609 

years,  since  he  felt  literally  worn  out.  And  well  he  might  be.  For  months 
his  days  were  spent  thus :  One  recitation  at  home  before  breakfast ;  at  7 
a.  m.  algebra  and  geometry  before  school;  at  8  p.  m.,  school  began,  and 
classes  recited  solid,  without  intermission,  till  12  or  12  130;  school  i  p.  m.,  and 
recitations  solid  again  till  6  p.  m.,  sometimes  two  at  once;  and  then  at  home, 
through  the  evening,  till  9  p.  m.,  classes  in  his  own  room,  making  fully  twelve 
hours  of  solid  teaching  every  day.  This  labor  went  on  day  after  day  and 
night  after  night  for  months  and  months.  Not  seldom  would  two  classes 
come  forward  at  once  and  both  would  be  put  through  their  "paces"  at  the  same 
time.  It  was  once  said  of  him  by  a  friend  that  he  could  hear  three  classes 
explain  a  problem  in  algebra  and  read  the  newspaper  all  at  the  same  time. 
This,  of  course,  was  a  terrible  exaggeration,  but  the  labor  undergone  during 
some  of  those  years  in  that  forest  college  was  '"fearful."  These  lines  are 
written  today  not  in  the  least  by  way  of  boasting,  but  simply  to  gi\'e  the  present 
generation  some  faint  idea  of  the  way  in  which  were  laid,  in  days  gone  by,  the 
foundations  of  knowledge  and  wisdom  in  the  Randolph  woods.  But  the  j'ears 
filed  apace,  and  the  last  came,  and  the  farewell  word  was  spoken,  and  that  dear 
old  spot  was  left  to  the  care  of  other  men ;  and  those  pioneer  days  are  gone, 
and  cabins  and  hewed-log  buildings  are  used  as  schoolhouses  no  more.  And 
the  teacher  of  today  may  be  glad  that  it  is  so,  yet  he  may  beware  not  to 
despise  those  low  and  humble  beginnings,  for  truly,  unless  those  old  things  had 
been  in  those  years  long  ago  when  this  whole  region  was  a  wilderness,  the 
present  happy  and  better  times  could  never  have  come  to  pass.  The  change, 
indeed,  is  wondrous ;  from  a  rude  log  cabin,  with  rough  puncheon  floor  and 
split-pole  seats,  with  greased-paper  cracks  for  light,  puncheon  desks  against  the 
wall,  and  huge  fire-places,  with  heaps  of  wood  piled  on,  sled  length,  and  roar- 
ing in  full  blaze  on  the  hearth,  and  $7  a  month,  to  the  comforts  and  even 
luxuries  of  today,  with  the  princely  wages  that  now  prevail.  Forty  years  ago, 
it  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  a  teacher  to  go  to  his  school-room  by  sun-up, 
and  to  begin  to  teach,  even  at  that  early  hour,  those  who  were  already  in  vi-'ait- 
ing  to  take  up  the  labors  of  the  clay.  Eight  hours  were  the  regular  and  ex- 
pected time,  and  that  whole  time  had  to  be  spent,  and  not  seldom,  ten,  and  even 
twelve  hours  were  put  in  each  day  in  the  work  of  the  school-room. 

And  all  this  for  the  mere  pittance  that  now  would  hardly  suffice  to  pay  a 
boy  to  watch  a  gap  in  the  fence ! 

But  the  question  remains  still  unanswered — Why  did  those  students  in 
those  old  times  flock  to  that  hewed-log  schoolhouse  in  the  Indiana  woods  ? 

The  answer,   however,   is   easy.     A   fountain  of  knowledge  had   been 


6lO  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

opened  in  the  wilderness,  and  these  young  people  were  thirsting  after  wisdom, 
and  they  came  to  slake  that  burning  thirst. 

They  were  determined  to  rise,  and  they  pressed  eagerly  forward  to  sieze 
the  means  put  into  their  hands  for  that  purpose. 

Ah !  to  teach  in  those  by-gone  times  was  a  pleasure,  rather  than  a  burden. 

So  anxious,  so  eager,  so  earnest  were  they  all,  that  the  instructor  could 
wish  the  day  to  be  forty  hours  long,  that  he  might  have  time  enough  to  teach 
his  longing,  hungry  pupils  all  they  desired  to  learn. 

No  urging  heedless  dunces,  no  pushing,  no  forcing,  were  needed.  The 
eager  students,  hungry  for  knowledge,  had  to  he  held  back,  to  be  restrained, 
lest  they  should  study  themselves  to  death. 

One  feature  of  this  institution,  unique  for  those  times,  was  that  no  dis- 
tinction was  made  for  race  nor  'color  nor  sex.  Black  and  red  and  yellow  and 
white,  male  and  female,  have  from  the  very  beginning,  even  to  the  present 
hour,  been  welcomed  without  distinction  to  its  advantages. 

Established  by  the  munificence,  chiefly,  of  some  anti-slavery  friends,  and 
managed  by  a  board  chosen  from  several  religious  denominations,  and  of  both 
colors,  race. prejudice  and  class  favoritism  have  been  utterly  banished  from  its 
walls.  Even  the  distinction  of  sex,  on  which  is  founded,  throughout  the  land, 
so  widely  varying  systems  and  methods  of  training,  made  no  difference  here. 
Whatever  a  boy  had  to  do,  that  a  girl  had  to  do.  And  the  same  practice  the 
same  instructor  has  maintained  through  more  than  forty  years  of  his  life, 
spent  in  the  business  of  teaching.  His  motto  was  and  is,  "Give  to  each  and 
all  the  best  possible  chance,  and  let  each  make  the  most  and  highest  that  he 
can." 

And  times  have  changed,  also,  for  the  "nigger  college."  In  place  of  the 
hewed-log  house,  built  among  the  green  stumps,  now  stands  a  comfortable, 
sightly  brick  edifice,  that,  for  five  and  twenty  years,  has  opened  its  doors,  with 
no  warmer  nor  more  kindly  welcome,  indeed,  than  did  its  predecessor  in  pre- 
vious years,  yet  gladly  and  freely,  to  receive  the  youth  of  all  colors  and  con- 
ditions, both  from  near  and  from  far,  inviting  them,  without  prejudice  and 
without  distinction,  to  partake,  without  money  and  without  price,  of  all  the 
riches  of  knowledge  that  it  has  to  offer. 

Prof.  Tucker  left  the  institution  in  1854,  returning,  however,  in  1873 
and  remaining  till  1879.  After  being  under  the  management  of  various 
instructors — Messrs.  Parker,  Housh,  Bagby,  Smothers  and  others — the  school 
was  for  a  time  mostly  intermitted,  and  the  chief  part  of  the  landed  estate  sold, 
the  proceeds  being  vested  in  a  fund,  the  income  of  which  has  been  and  is  to 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA.  6l  I 

be  expended  in  maintaining  the  school.  Some  of  the  land  sold  has  come  back 
into  possession  of  the  institution,  and  they  own  at  the  present  time  forty 
acres,  with  the  schoolhouse,  teacher's  dwelling  and  a  farm  residence. 

The  Trustees  of  the  institution  originally  were  Daniel  Hill,  John  H. 
Bond,  John  Randle.  John  Clemens  and  Nathan  Thomas,  and  besides  these 
William  Beard,  William  Peacock,  Richard  Robbins,  William  H.  McKown, 
Reuben  Goens,  Ebenezer  Tucker,  Jesse  Okey. 

The  school  has  a  charter  from  the  State  of  Indiana,  vesting  the  property 
in  five  trustees.  The  constitution  of  the  company  provides  for  a  board  of 
thirteen  directors,  five  of  who  are  the  five  trustees,  and  eight  more  are  chosen 
by  the  donors  to  the  institution,  four  annually,  to  hold  for  two  years,  and  till 
their  successors  are  elected  and  qualified." 

Into  this  short  article  must  be  read,  between  the  lines,  the  influence  of 
that  truly  great  man,  Ebenezer  Tucker,  whose  modesty  prevented  him  from 
telling  the  entire  truth. 

"Rev.  Ebenezer  Tucker,  Congregationalist.  Union  City,  born  in  Cherry 
Valley,  N.  Y.,  in  1819,  attended  common  schools  and  Cherry  Valley  Academy, . 
1826-29;  Oneida  Institute,  Xew  York,  1836-40;  teaching  winters,  and  manual 
labor  summers;  Auburn  and  Oberlin  Theological  Seminaries,  1841-44,  gradu- 
ating at  Oberlin  in  1844:  married  Lois  Patchin,  North  Gage,  Oneida  county, 
New  York,  September  25,  1844;  Fredericktown,  Ohio,  1844;  pastor  Congre- 
gational church  eighteen  months,  1844-46;  principal  Union  Literary  Institute, 
near  Spartanburg,  Indiana,  1846-55  (school  mainly  for  colored  youth,  estab- 
lished largel}'  by  Anti-slavery  Friends);  farmer,  Nora,  Illinois,  1854-59; 
president  Liber  College,  Jay  county,  Indiana,  1859-68;  principal  Union  City 
one  year;  lamp  agency,  1869;  Xew  Orleans,  professor  in  Straight  University, 
1870;  Tougaloo  University,  Mississippi,  1871-72;  missionary,  Raymond, 
Mississippi,  1872-73;  Union  Literary  Institute,  Spartanburg,  Indiana,  1873- 
79;  Union  City,  1879.  He  began  teaching  April  5,  1835,  and  taught,  in  all, 
a  time  equal  to  forty-two  years  of  eight  months  each.  He  has  been  a  clergy- 
man since  1844,  preaching  mostly  without  compensation,  being  pastor  eighteen 
months  at  Fredericktown,  Ohio,  and  nine  years  at  Liber,  Indiana.  His  teach- 
ing has  been  laborious  and  exhausting,  but  not  without  power  for  good. 
About  four  thousand  youth  have  been  members  of  the  schools  under  his  charge, 
and  great  numbers  of  young  men  and  women  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  Mississippi, 
Louisiana,  New  York,  etc.,  ascribe  to  his  counsels  and  instructions  an  impulse 
toward  light  and  knowledge  which  has  urged  them  onward  to  grander  heights 
of  wisdom  and  usefulness.     He  has  had  six  children  ( four  living) ,  as  follows  : 


6l2  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Granville  Clarkson,  Caroline  Amelia,  Julius  Edson,  Laura  Frances,  Charles 
Finney,  Philo  Andrew.  G.  Clarkson,  farmer,  teacher,  soldier,  miller,  died 
1882;  Caroline  A.,  died,  Nora,  Illinois,  1858;  Julius  E.,  carpenter,  miller, 
cabinet-maker;  Laura  F.,  teacher,  milliner;  Charles  F.,  teacher;  Philo  A., 
telegrapher.  G.  C.  married  Mary  A.  Pomroy — Emma  Teagle;  Jtilius  E., 
married  Sarah  Ellen  Knight — widower ;  Charles  F.  married  Cinderella  Maria 
Campbell ;  Philo  A.  married  Janetta  Ckpp.  Ebenezer  Tucker's  parents  were 
both  of  New  England  descent,  his  father  having  been  born  in  Vermont.  His 
maternal  grand  parents  were  natives  of  Connecticut,  the  grandfather  having 
been  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War  at  Stonington,  Connecticut,  and  an 
early  and  active  pioneer  of  Cherry  Valley,  New  York.  His  father's  father 
was  born  in  Marlboro,  New  Hampshire,  about  1740,  and  his  father's  mother 
in  Roxbury,  near  Boston,  in  1747,  fifteen  and  eight  years  before  the  French 
and  Indian  War  respectively.  His  father  was  one  of  twins  who  were  the 
youngest  of  nineteen  children  by  one  marriage,  many  of  whom  were  born  in 
the  state  of  Vermont.  Being  married  at  sixteen,  the  mother  bore  nineteen 
children  by  one  husband,  and  lived  to  be  ninety-three  years  old,  dying  in 
Cherry  Valley,  New  York,  in  1840.  They  were  married  at  Roxbury,  Massa- 
chusetts; kept  house  several  years  in  Keene,  New  Hampshire;  moved  into 
Vei^mont,  hauling  their  goods  with  oxen,  and  the  married  couple  riding  on 
the  same  horse  two  hundred  miles  into  the  Green  Mountain  land.  In  about 
1 790,  they  set  out  for  what  was  then  called  New  Connecticut,  and  now  West- 
ern Reserve,  in  the  winter,  upon  a  sled,  with  two  horses,  the  group  consisting 
of  husband  and  wife  and  nine  children,  two  being  twins  a  year  old.  They 
crossed  the  Green  Mountains ;  the  snow  left  them,  and  they  left  the  sled  and 
kept  on  with  the  two  horses.  One  horse  died,  and  they  still  pressed  forward 
with  the  other.  They  pawned  their  things  as  they  went  on,  the  last  thing  dis- 
posed of  thus  being  the  woman's  shawl,  seventeen  miles  from  where  they 
finally  stopped.  They  quit  traveling,  because — because — well,  because  they 
could  get  no  farther,  ending  their  wearisome  journey  in  Montgomery  county, 
New  York,  removing  shortly  to  Otsego  county.  New  York,  about  fifty-five 
miles  west  of  Albany.  There  they  settled,  and  there  they  resided  till  they  left 
the  scenes  of  mortality,  the  husband  in  about  1822,  and  the  wife  in  1840,  at  the 
great  age  of  ninety-three.  Poor  and  destitute,  they  reached  that  hard  and 
rugged  region,  and  poor  for  forty  or  fifty  years  longer  they  continued  to  be, 
during  their  whole  sojourn  in  this  sublunary  sphere;  that  poverty  and  desti- 
tution made  deeper  and  more  desperate  by  the  sad  fact  that  twice  in  that 
country  their  house  was  burned  to  the  ground,  the  last  time  escaping  barely 


, RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  613 

in  their  night  clothes,  losing  everything  in  their  dwelling.  Thus  did  emigra- 
tion take  place,  and  thus  did  emigrants  live  in  those  olden  times  in  that  Eastern 
land.  Such  a  group  as  the  one  described — man,  wife,  nine  children,  one  poor, 
woe-begone  horse,  wandering,  strangers  in  a  strange  land — would  be  a  sight 
to  behold!  Yet  of  the  great  crowd  of  descendants  of  these  poor  emigrants, 
scattered  east  and  west,  Vermont,  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Michigan, 
Indiana,  Illinois,  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  Iowa,  Nebraska,  Kansas,  the  great 
body  have  always  been,  and  are  to  this  day,  upright,  thriving,  respectable,  in- 
dustrious, intelligent,  and  by  far  the  larger  portion  of  the  whole  number  God- 
fearing people.  The  tree  was  good,  and  the  fruit  has  been  good  for  many 
generations.  God  bless  and  prosper  the  poor,  but  hardy  and  virtuous,  emi- 
grant, and  let  all  the  people  say.  Amen !  Let  no  man  despise  the  poor  and  the 
lowly,  but  let  all  conspire  to  favor  and  to  encourage  the  humble  and  desolate, 
for  out  of  such  shall  come,  in  the  following  years,  through  successive  ages  and 
generations,  those  who  shall  become  the  strength  and  substance  of  the  nation, 
and  the  pride  and  glory  of  the  land !  The  region  of  New  York  to  which  they 
came  is  famous  in  the  annals  of  the  Eastern  land.  Cherry  Valley  was  settled 
in  1740,  one  hundred  and  forty-two  years  ago,  by  intelligent  and  pious  people 
from  Scotland.  The  winter  after  their  establishment  of  the  colony,  the  snow 
lay  in  immense  depth  for  months  upon  the  ground,  and  they  came  near  starva- 
tion. A  friendly  Indian  discovered  their  condition,  and  kept  them  alive  by 
successive  trips  to  the  settlements  on  the  Mohawk  river,  some  fifteen  miles 
distant,  traveling  upon  snow-shoes  and  carrying  provisions  upon  his  back  for 
their  sustenance,  persevering  in  his  friendly  work  till  the  return  of  spring 
enabled  them  to  obtain  their  own  supply.  In  the  Revolutionary  war,  the 
town  was  burned,  and  the  inhabitants  were  either  killed  or  carried  captive  to 
Carada.  One  person,  who  was  then  an  infant  in  his  mother's  arms,  became 
afteiward  the  distinguished  Judge  Alfred  E.  Campbell,  of  Cooperstown,  New 
York,  who  became  the  author  of  the  work  entitled  "Annals-of  Tryone  County," 
embracing  the  whole  of  New  York  west  of  Albany  county,  a  most  valuable 
and  interesting  treatise,  and  crowded  with  information  concerning  those  olden 
times.  Cherry  Valley  was  burned  near  the  same  time  with  the  massacre  of 
Wyoming,  in  Pennsylvania,  both  being  in  the  Susquehanna  valley,  the  former 
town  being  at  the  head  of  Cherry  Valley  creek,  one  of  the  sources  of  that  river, 
and  Cooperstown  being  the  residence  of  Judge  Fennimore  Cooper,  the  famous 
novelist,  who  immortalized  that  whole  region  by  the  productions  of  his  vigor- 
ous and  fertile  brain.  Some  of  the  families  of  the  original  settlers  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-two  years  ago  still  occupy  the  homesteads  of  their  ancestors. 


6 14  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  Campbell  family  in  particular  still  remain  where  their  progenitor  estab- 
lished his  home  in  1740,  after  crossing  the  stormy  ocean- wave  from  the  rocks 
and  mountains  of  his  native  Scotland.  One  of  his  sons  was  a  colonel  in  the 
Revolutionary  army.  General  Washington,  in  his  Presidential  tour  through 
New  York  and  New  England,  was  a  guest  at  the  Campbell  mansion,  and  one 
little  boy,  a  lad  of  some  ten  years,  who  saw  President  Washmgton  at  his 
father's  residence  at  that  early  time,  lived»to  be  more  than  ninety  years  old, 
and  had  the  honor,  in  General  Grant's  administration,  to  be  able  to  say  that 
he  had  seen  the  first  president  and  the  last.  Wheen  President  Grant  visited 
Troy,  in  the  state  of  New  York,  to  attend  the  funeral  ceremonies  of  General 
Wool,  Mr.  Campbell,  then  above  ninety  years  of  age,  made  a  journey  from 
his  home  to  Troy  on  purpose  to  have  it  say  that  he  had  seen  the  first  presi- 
dent and  the  last.  He  saw  and  was  glad,  and  in  a  short  time  he  lay  down  to 
take  his  last  earthly  sleep,  and  was  gathered  to  the  sepulchers  of  his  fathers. 
The  ancestral  graveyard  in  that  village  is,  indeed,  a  most  interesting  spot, 
containing,  as  it  does,  the  tombs  of  several  generations.  In  the  fall  of  1880,  a 
centennial  celebration  was  held,  attended  by  perhaps  twenty  thousand  people, 
and  addresses  were  delivered  by  Governor  Horatio  Seymour  and  other  dis- 
tinguished personages  of  the  state  and  region,  commemorating  the  capture  and 
burning  of  the  town  by  the  Indians  under  the  famous  Mohawk  chief,  Thay- 
andanega,  or  Brant,  and  the  cruel  Tory  partisan,  Col.  Walter  Butler,  who,  in 
merciless  ferocity,  exceeded  the  savages  themselves,  and  who  was  himself  shot 
and  tomahawked  on  the  banks  of  Oneida  creek  by  an  Indian,  who  cried,  in 
answer  to  Butler's  appeals  for  mercy  as  the  avenging  savage  took  his  scalp, 
"Remember  Sherry  Valley!  Remember  Sherry  Valley!"  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  an  early  Abolitionist,  joining  that  much  abused  and  maligned 
group  of  men  and  women  in  his  early  youth,  in  1835.  He  attended  the 
Oneida  Institute  at  Whitesboro  (near  Utica,  New  York),  the  first  collegiate 
school  in  the  United  States  which  opened  its  doors  to  colored  youth.  While 
there  and  at  Oberlin,  he  became  acquainted  with  many  of  the  young  men  of 
color  who  have  since  became  famous  in  the  country.  Among  them  were 
Alessrs.  Freeman,  Sidney,  Loguen,  Whitehorne,  Day,  Garnett,  Crunmell, 
Rogers,  Vashon,  Allen  and  others  not  now  recollected.  He  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1840  a  member,  of  which  class  was  Rev.  Highland  Garnett,  then 
and  ever  since — till  his  death  in  Liberia,  in  1882,  whither  he  had  gone  by 
presidential  appointment  as  consul  to  that  African  commonwealth — an  ener- 
getic, talented,  influential  and  greatly  successful  clergyman,  being,  from  his 
youth,  remarkable  for  his  oratorical  ability.     It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  Mr. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  615 

Garnett  was  the  first  colored  person  who  was  permitted  to  speak  in  the  United 
States  Hall  of  Representatives,  which  he  did,  to  a  crowded  assembly,  on  the 
I2th  of  February,  1865.  He  was  pastor  of  a  church  in  Washington  City  at 
the  time,  and  their  choir  also  officiated  upon  the  occasion.  The  spacious  hall 
was  crammed,  both  upon  the  floor  and  in  the  galleries,  and  the  vast  audience 
hung  spell-bound  upon  his  lips.  One  who  heard  the  memorable  discourse  con- 
cludes an  account  of  the  remarkable  scene  as  follows:  "It  is  needless  to  say 
more.  Men  who  went  to  the  house  to  hear  a  colored  man,  came  away  having 
heard  a  man  in  the  highest  and  fullest  sense.  ^Nlany  who  went  there  with  feel- 
ings simply  of  curiosity  came  away  wrapped  in  astonishment.  Not  only  a 
man,  but  a  great  representative  man,  had  spoken,  and  they  were  amazed.  In 
fact,  Mr.  Garnett  was  the  finest  colored  orator  in  the  land — far  superior,  not, 
indeed,  in  reasoning  power,  yet,  in  dignity  and  impressiveness  of  personal 
presence,  in  the  graces  of  finished  oratory,  and  in  the  grandeur  of  natural  and 
cultured  eloc[uence,  to  the  far-famed  Fred  Douglas,  for  so  many  years  a 
prominent  personage  before  the  American  public."  As  stated,  Ebenezer 
Tucker  graduated  in  1840  from  Oneida  Institute,  the  class  numbering  eleven, 
most  of  whom  are  still  living,  after  a  lapse  of  forty-two  years,  but  not  one  of 
whom  he  has  ever  seen  in  the  flesh  since  the  morning  after  the  commencement, 
when  that  band  of  earnest  young  men  took  the  parting  hand  and  separated  to 
their  life-work  for  Christ  and  for  the  welfare  of  the  human  race.  His  busi- 
ness has  been  chiefly  teaching,,  and,  during  the  larger  portion  of  the  more  than 
forty  years  spent  in  that  employment,  his  work  has  been  in  institutions  fully 
and  warmly  open  to  the  youth  who  have  been  guilty  of  the  heinous  crime  of ' 
possessing  a  "skin  not  colored  like  our  own;"'  fifteen  years  Principal  at  Union 
Literary  Institute;  nine  years  President  of  Liber  College;  and  nearly  four 
years  in  Straight  Uni\'ersity,  New  Orleans,  and  at  Tougaloo  University, 
.Mississippi,  bringing  him  thus  in  connection  with  some  thousands  of  young 
persons  of  color,  many  of  whom  have  since  become  prominent  among  their 
people  and  before  the  country.  And,  though  still  poor  in  purse,  he  feels  rich 
in  the  reward  of  the  esteem  and  affection  of  his  pupils  now  of  the  olden  time, 
and  the  conviction  that  his  hands  have  been  enabled  to  scatter  seed  upon  the 
furrows  of  the  great  world-field,  which  is  even  now  yielding,  and  shall,  in  the 
growing  future,  continue  still  more  largely  to  yield  an  abundant  harvest  for 
the  garner  of  eternal  life." 

The  above  article  was  written  by  a  close  friend  of  Mr.  Tucker  and  appears 
in  his  history  of  Randolph  county. 

Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Tucker,  April.  11,  1885,  ^^^-  I-  P-  Watts,  a  very 


6l6  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

intimate  friend  of  Mr.  Tucker,  wrote  the  following  concerning  him,  which 
no  doubt  reflects  the  universal  opinion  of  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him : 

"From  1844  to  the  day  of  his  death,  he  was  a  minister  of  the  gospel, 
preaching  most  of  that  time  for  very  little  compensation.  He  was  a  man  of 
great  will  power  and  untiring  energy  and  perseverance ;  a  man  of  strong  con- 
victions, and  radical  on  all  reform  questions;  a  man  who  never  councilled  ex- 
pediency or  trimmed  his  sails  to  catch  tjje  popular  breezes. 

''He  has  inherited  a  strong  and  vigorious  constitution  from  his  hardy 
ancestors,  and  was  temperate  in  all  things  (except  mental  labor). 

"He  never  acquired  much  property,  and  was  poor  in  this  worlds  goods, 
but  he  was  rich  in  having  a  contented  disposition  which  made  his  life  full  of 
sunshine  to  those  who  surrounded  him.  The  best  days  of  his  life  were  given 
to  the  education  and  elevation  of  the  then  despised  and  downtrodden  black 
man.  From  boyhood  he  had  been  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  equal  rights 
and  equality  of  all  men  before  the  law,  and  for  this  cause  he  went  to  Missis- 
sippi after  the  war,  and  right  in  the  hotbed  of  secession,  he  bore  the  persecu- 
tion and  sneers  of  his  own  race,  simply  that  he  might  aid  the  freedmen  in 
acquiring  knowledge,  and  no  question  of  dollars  and  cents  ever  drove  him 
from  this,  his  chosen  path  of  duty. 

"He  was  of  that  type  of  man  who  honored  God  by  serving  men  who 
are  the  salt  of  the  earth,  and  one  of  the  pillars  that  supports  the  cause  of  truth 
and  justice. 

"Socially  he  had  few  equals.  His  long  life  of  studious  habits  had  filled 
his  mind  with  a  wonderful  fund  of  general  knowledge  on  all  subjects,  and 
he  was  a  most  interesting  con\-ersationalist  to  those  who  sought  his  com- 
pany. Especially  to  the  young  he  was  like  a  new  book,  full  of  light  and 
knowledge,  mingled  often  with  wit  and  humor. 

"For  his  old  students,  many  of  whom  are  now  the  heads  of  families  in 
this  and  adjoining  counties,  he  always  cherished  the  warmest  feelings  of  love 
and  friendship,  and  to  many  of  them  he  seemed  more  a  father  than  friend. 
With  him  he  said  the  "old  friends  were  the  best  friends,  and  the  old  days 
were  the  best  days."  and  in  his  later  years  he  loved  to  talk  of  the  days  of  toil 
that  had  passed.  His  life  was  a  labor  of  love,  and  few  men  have  done  more 
for  the  cause  of  humanity,  for  so  little  pay,  as  Mr.  Tucker.  But  he  has  the 
reward  of  all  good  workers  in  the  fact  that  in  the  hearts  of  those  who  knew 
him  best,  the  memory  of  his  bright  example  will  leave  a  halo  of  blessed  light 
so  long  as  memory  lasts. 

"The  brightest  tribute  to  his  memory  which  loving  friends  can  give,  is 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  617 

the  testimony  of  his  christian  character.     He  was  emphatically  a  man  of  faith 
and  a  man  of  God. 

"While,  to  some,  he  appeared  to  be  grufif  and  austere  in  his  manners,  yet 
a  kinder,  more  tender  and  loving-hearted  man  never  lived.  "He  loved  right- 
eousness, and  he  hated  iniquity,"  but  he  had  that  charity  which  is  first  pure, 
then  peaceable  and  easy  to  be  entreated.  He  was  a  pure  man  in  his  thoughts 
and  in  his  conversation.  No  one  ever  heard  him  utter  a  vulgar  or  profane 
word,  or  indulge  in  idle  talk  or  foolish  jesting.  In  this  respect  his  life  is  a 
blessed  example  to  all  who  would  live  Godly  in  this  present  evil  world. 

"He  was  a  man  of  prayer,  and  such  pathos  and  eloquence  in  smiple 
prayer  as  he  possessed  is  seldom  the  gift  of  mortals.  There  were  no  vain 
repetitions,  no  stereotyped  phrases,  no  set  forms,  but  his  whole  soul  was  full 
of  fervent  sweet  prayers,  ready  to  gush  forth  at  all  times  in  loving  tenderness 
and  supplication,  and  his  words  fell  like  a  heavenly  benediction  on  the  heads 
of  those  who  heard. 

"As  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  his  prepared  sermons  were  models  of 
eloquence  logic  and  gospel  combined.  His  power  to  touch  the  heart  was  most 
felt  when  he  spoke  extemporaneously,  which  he  often  did  with  great  effect 
for  good.  He  was  a  man  who  lived  out  his  religion  in  his  daily  life.  He 
literally  walked  humbly,  he  dealt  justly  and  loved  mercy,  and  his  life  was  de- 
voted to  the  interest  of  the  poor,  for  he  had  walked  in  the  same  pathway  from 
boyhood. 

''He  never  was  rocked  in  the  cradle  of  luxury  or  sought  for  the  easy 
places.  He  was  literally  a  son  of  toil,  but  he  was  'strong  in  the  Lord,  and  in 
the  power  of  His  might.'  'He  fought  the  good  fight;  he  kept  the  faith  and 
henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  him  a  crown  of  righteousness  which  the  Right- 
eous Judge  shall  give.' 

"He  died  as  he  had  lived  at  peace  with  God  and  men.  He  rests  his  labors 
and  works  to  follow.  Let  us  thank  God,  who  hath  given  him  victory  our 
Lord,  Jesus  Christ.  I.  P.  Watts." 

Mr.  Tucker  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  at  Union  City  but  upon  the  death 
of  his  wife  in  1901  was  taken  to  Fountain  City  where  his  body  now  rests. 

RIDGEVILLE  COLLEGE. 

Another  institution  of  great  importance  which  the  county  has  had  was 
the  Ridgeville  College.     This  institution  was  located  at  Ridgeville  and  for 


6l8  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

many  years  gave  promise  of  becoming  one  of  the  principle  institutions  of  the 
state. 

In  their  catalogue  of  1896-1897  we  find  the  following  history : 

"About  the  year  1867,  Rev.  John  Collier  and  other  Free- Will  Baptist 
ministers,  together  with  a  few  enterprising  citizens  of  Ridgeville,  conceived 
the  idea  of  founding  a  college,  to  be  under  the  control  of  the  Free- Will  Baptist 
denomination.  The  erection  of  the  large  building  now  in  use  was  com- 
menced soon  after,  but  was  only  recently  completed. 

The  hope  of  the  founders  of  the  school  was  that  the  denomination  would 
recognize  the  institution  by  act  of  their  General  Conference,  and  properly 
equip  and  endow  it.  In  these  things  they  were  sorely  disappointed  from  the 
fact  that  the  denomination  already  had  more  schools  than  they  could  furnish 
with  the  means  necessary  for  aggressive  work.  From  the  first  the  college  was 
crippled  and  weak  from  the  lack  of  funds,  and,  in  spite  of  the  heroic  efforts 
of  Presidents  Collier  and  Bates,  the  actual  endowment  never  reached  $20,000. 
While  the  attendance  at  times  was  encouraging,  the  fact  became  raore  and 
more  apparent  thatthe  Institution  must  cease  to  exist,  or  pass  into  other  hands. 

In  August,  1 89 1,  a  correspondence  was  opened  between  the  Prudential 
committee  and  Rev.  E.  D.  Curtis,. D.  D.,  Superintendent  of  the  Congregational 
Home  Missions  in  Indiana.  The  object  in  view  was  the  transfer  of  the  coir 
lege  to  the  above  named  body.  At  the  request  of  Superintendent  Curtis,  Rev. 
C.  A.  Gleason,  of  Angola,  Indiana,  visited  Ridgeville  and  held  a  conference 
with  the  college  authorities,  the  result  of  which  was  a  call  for  a  joint  meeting 
of  the  trustees  of  the  school  and  representatives  of  the  Congregational 
churches,  to  be  held  at  Ridgeville,  September  13  and  14,  1891. 

After  a  careful  study  of  the  situation,  a  second  meeting  was  arranged 
for,  and  held  on  November  3rd  and  4th.  The  trustees  and  delegates  of  the 
Salem  Free- Will  Baptist  Quarterly  meeting  voted  in  favor  of  the  transfer, 
and  in  this  were  enthusiastically  supported  by  the  citizens  of  the  town  and 
vicinity.  From  the  first,  the  secretaries  of  the  Congregational  Education 
Society,  Rev.  J-  A.  Hamilton,  D.  D.,  and  Rev.  T.  Y.  Gardner,  heartily  favored 
the  enterprise  and  pledged  the  sympathy  and  aid  of  their  society. 

The  third  and  final  meeting  was  held  in  the  college  building,  January 
19  and  20,  1892,  when  the  entire  property,  valued  at  $40,000  was  transferred 
to  the  Congregational  churches  of  Indiana.  A  new  board  of  trustees  was 
elected,  with  Rev.  E.  D.  Curtis,  D.  D.,  President  and  Rev.  C.  A.  Gleason, 
Secretary. 

That  the  Congregational  churches  of  Indiana  are  in  sympathy  with  the 


.RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  619 

college  may  be  readily  inferred  from  the  following  resolutions  passed  by  the 

General  Assembly  at  Marion  in  May,  1895. 

"Resolved,  That  the  relation  of  this  school  to  this  association  requires 

thorough  work  and  exercising  the  highest  moral  and  Christian  influence,  and 

therefore  worthy  of  our  hearty  co-operation. 

"Resolved,  That  the  relation  of  this  school  to  this  association  requires 

of  us  that  we  all,  so  far  as  we  can,  exercise  our  influence  in  encouraging 

young  people  to  attend  the  college,  and  to  help  it  in  all  other  reasonable  ways. 

"F.  E.  Knopf, 
"J.  H.  Crum, 
"W.  A.  Bell,  Committee." 

Thus  we  see  the  college  passing  from  its  originators  to  that  of  new 
hands.  This  was,  in  a  way,  best  for  the  Institution,  yet  it  must  have  been 
disappointing  to  the  originators,  principally  to  that  of  its  first  president,  John 
Collier.  Mr.  Collier  was  one  of  those  self-sacrificing  men  who  labored  for 
the  benefits  of  his  fellow  men.  It  is  said  during  the  years  of  his  presidency 
of  this  college  that  he  thought  not  of  himself  but  of  others,  wholly.  It  is 
even  said  by  those  who  knew  him,  that  he  literally  starved  himself  in  order 
that  the  Institution  might  live  and  grow.  Such  spirit  of  sacrifice  and  devotion 
can  only  exist  in  the  heart  of  a  man  who  feels  the  burden  of  his  fellow  men. 

It  is  pathetic  that  the  efforts  of  this  great  man  were  seemingly  lost  in  the 
death  of  the  Institution. 

The  first  catalogue  of  the  Institution  was  issued  for  the  year  1871-1782. 
At  this  time  Prof.  S.  D.  Bates  became  president;  I.  D.  Atkinson,  assistant; 
William  Reed,  professor  mathematics ;  Mrs.  I.  D.  Atkinson  and  Warren  S. 
Montgomery  composing  the  faculty.  Elisha  B.  Wood  was  the  graduate  of 
that  year.  Benjamin  E.  Boyer,  a  senior;  Marcus  Bosworth  and  Tillman  A. 
Howell  sophomores;  the  freshman  class  was  composed  of  Benjamin  F.  Boltz, 
Benton  Webb,  Henry  Kitselman,  William  A.  Long  and  Russell  W.  Vaughn. 
The  "Ladies  Course"  had  as  its  students  Ruth  Bosworth,  Jennie  Higgins  and 
Ida  Marot.  The  "Practical  Course"  enumerated  as  its  students  James  J. 
Eagy,  David  Odle.  Asa  Orcutt  and  Eli  Wickersham.  The  Trustees  at  that 
time  were  H.  B.  Vaughn,  Lagrange;  Arthur  McKew,  Edbert  Payne  and 
WilHam  J.  Shoemaker,  of  Ridgeville;  E.  C.  Clough,  Jordon;  David  Pollt, 
Union  City,  and  Stephen  Straley,  Westchester.  That  year  they  enumerated 
one  hundred  thirty  students.  The  following  year  one  hundred  ^seventy  were 
enumerated. 


620  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

In  1875  Prof.  John  M.  Davis,  now  president  of  Rio  Grande  College, 
Yellow  Springs,  Ohio,  became  a  member  of  the  faculty. 

Elias  Boltz  became  professor  of  mathematics  in  1878.  President  Bates 
was  succeeded  in  1886  by  E.  O.  Dickerson,  A.  M.  B.  D.  In  1890  the  college 
was  reorganized  under  the  name  of  "Ridgeville  College  and  Indiana  Normal." 
Prof.  Dickerson  remained  as  its  president  and  J.  E.  Souers  became  principal 
of  the  normal  school,  with  P.  S.  Tracy  an  assistant. 

This  year  the  school  became  somewhat  pretentious  in  the  number  of 
courses  offered,  as  their  catalogue  of  that  year  advertised  a  College  of 
Music,  College  of  Oratory,  College  of  Business,  College  of  Shorthand,  Col- 
lege of  Typewriting,  College  of  Pen  Art  and  a  College  of  Telegraphy. 

In  1892,  as  we  have  seen  in  the  above  history,  the  school  was  put  under 
the  control  of  the  Congregationalists  of  Indiana,  with  Edward  D.  Curtis  as 
president  of  the  board.  Charles  A.  Gleason,  secretary,  William  Charles  Kruse, 
A.  M.,  became  the  acting  president.  Mr.  Kruse  remained  as  president  until 
1896,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Prof.  George  Hindley,  B.  D.  Prof.  Hindley 
was  a  very  strong  man,  but  the  lack  of  financial  support  and  the  limited  num- 
ber of  Congregationalists  from  which  to  draw  as  a  church  school,  and  the 
growth  of  other  educational  institutions  about  it  made  it  impossible  for  him  to 
build  up  the  college.  He  was  succeeded  in  1899  by  H.  C.  Garvin,  P.  H.  D., 
of  the  University  of  Munich.  Mr.  Garvin  battled  against  fate  for  two  years, 
when  he  married  Miss  Westrader,  a  member  of  the  faculty,  and  left  the  In- 
stitution May  30,  1901.  Mr.  Garvin  was  a  strong  professor  and  a  profound 
student,  but  was  unable  to  make  any  headway  whatever  with  the  institution. 
He  was  a  man  of  unusual  training,  but  cared  little  for  any  other  subject  than 
his  chosen  subject  of  philosophy.  It  is  said  he  cared  so  little  for  his  diplomas 
of  various  colleges  that  he  bound  books  with  them. 

It  is  an  unfortunate  thing  for  the  county  that  an  institution  like  Ridge- 
ville College  must  not  be  maintained.  The  influence  of  such  a  school  was 
broad  and  many  of  our  best  citizens  found  their  inspirations  for  higher  ideals 
and  training  within  the  halls  of  that  institution.  The  school,  as  such,  has  been 
lost,  but  the  school  as  an  influential  factor  of  society  will  live  in  generations 
to  come. 

These  are  the  only  educational  institutions  other  than  the  common  and 
high  schools  that  have  ever  gained  any  footing  in  this  county. 


5; 

c 
o 


5C 


.RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA  62 1 

NORMAL  SCHOOLS. 

A  few  years  ago  it  was  the  custom  to  have  summer  school  or  local 
normal  school  for  students  preparing  themselves  to  teach  or  for  the  teachers 
wishing  further  help  in  their  work.  It  was  the  custom  for  the  county  super- 
intendent, together  with  one  or  two  helpers,  to  conduct  such  a  summer  school 
or  normal  school  during  the  summer.  Mr.  Dan  Lesley  was  one  of  the  first 
to  undertake  this  movement,  conducting  a  six-weeks'  term  at  Winchester.  The 
next  year  the  school  was  conducted  at  Union  City  and  the  following  year  two 
schools  of  a  like  nature  were  held  in  Union  City,  one  in  Indiana  and  one  in 
Ohio.  Since  that  time  schools  were  held  in  Winchester  almost  each  year  until 
1896.  Many  teachers  attended  these  schools  simply  to  be  able  to  pass  an 
examination.  The  county  superintendent  was  at  the  head  of  the  school  and  it 
was  the  custom  at  the  close  of  the  term  to  hold  an  especial  examination  for 
teachers'  license.  It  is  easy  to  see  why  they  attended.  This  privilege  became 
so  badly  abused  over  the  entire  state  that  the  Legislature  passed  a  law  making 
it  impossible  for  a  county  superintendent  to  have  anything  whatever  to  do 
with  summer  normals.     This  sounded  the  death  knell  of  the  institution. 

Some  of  the  teachers  who  have  taken  part  as  instructors  in  the  summer 
schools  of  Winchester  are  Messrs.  Butler,  Ault,  Wood,  Caldwell,  Bowers  and 
Baker,  superintendent  of  the  Winchester  school,  Driver,  of  the  Winchester 
High  School,  Bosworth,  and  Branson,  of  Farmland,  Lesley,  Denney  and  Paris, 
county  superintendents,  and  many  others  who  were  teachers  in  these  schools. 

Much  good  was  no  doubt  accomplished  in  this  school,  but  it  was 
supplanted  by  the  larger  and  better  institutions  all  over  the  state. 

Another  factor  that  has  entered  into  the  schools  of  the  state  is  the 
Township  Institute.  These  institutes  were  originally  voluntary  associations 
on  the  part  of  the  teachers,  whereby  they  would  come  together  and  discuss 
questions  of  professional  interests  fo  them  and  their  schools.  It  is  said  thai 
Prof.  E.  P  Cole  was  an  enthusiastic  supporter  of  this  movement  and  many 
'such  meetings  were  held  by  him  and  his  teachers.  The  movement  grew 
throughout  the  entire  state  until  eventually  the  teachers  were  paid  for  at- 
tending the  institute,  the  Legislature  feeling  that  the  public  would  be  suffi- 
ciently benefited  to  justify  the  expense. 

In  1865  a  larger  institute,  the  County  Institute,  was  organized  by  the 
Legislature  of  the  state.     The  first  of  these  institutes  was  held  by  Pleasant 
Hiatt,  then  county  examiner  of  this  county.     These  institutes  have  continued 
(40) 


622  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

and  grown  in  influence  and  importance  until  now  they  are  looked  forward  to 
as  the  educational  institute  of  the  county. 

The  Randolph  County  Teachers'  Association  and  voluntary  association 
of  teachers  held  upon  Friday  and  Saturday  following  each  Thanksgiving,  was 
organized  in  1897  by  the  teachers  of  the  county.  This  association  has  been 
held  each  succeeding  year  and  is  attended  by  every  teacher  of  the  county, 
each  teacher  being  allowed  pay  for  attending  this  association. 

The  most  modern  and  progressive  movement  that  has  been  instituted  in 
the  schools  of  Indiana  has  been  that  of  the  consolidated  schools.  It  has  long 
since  been  observed  by  all  those  who  have  given  the  question  study,  that  the 
child  in  the  small  district  school  does  not  have  the  advantage  that  it  has  the 
right  to  demand  of  the  state.  The  small  number  of  pupils  in  the  school  does 
not  afford  the  social  intercourse  demanded  by  every  child  and  through  which 
culture  is  largely  attained.  The  few  pupils  found  in  each  class  removes  the 
element  of  contest  which  is  the  inspirator  and  invigorator  of  every  child.  Then, 
it  is  impossible  to  have  teachers  of  special  ability  in  special  subjects,  such  as 
music,  drawing,  manual  training,  cooking,  sewing,  which  today  is  regarded  as 
very  essential  to  the  life  of  every  child. 

As  to  the  consolidation  of  schools  in  this  county  the  following  article 
appeared  in  the  report  of  the  state  superintendent  of  public  instruction, 
1911-1912: 

CONSOLIDATION    OF    SCHOOLS  IN    RANDOLPH    COUNTY BY    SUPT.    L.    L.    DRIVER. 

It  is  not  the  intention  in  this  article  to  discuss  the  question  of  the  super- 
iority of  consolidated  schools  over  the  district  school,  as  that  question  has 
been  settled  by  comparison  in  scores  of  consolidated  schools  all  over  the  state. 
We  wish  to  show,  especially,  the  influence  of  these  schools  in  the  enrollment 
and  attendance  of  the  eighth  year  graduates.  Randolph  county,  like  all  others 
of  the  state,  for  years  depended  solely  upon  its  district  schools,  and  we  should 
not  in  any  degree  minimize  the  great  work  of  these  schools,  for  through  them 
alone  is  the  present  high  efficiency  made  possible. 

Consolidation  first  began  in  this  county  by  the  school  building  at  Losant- 
ville,  in  Nettle  Creek  township,  having  been  condemned  by  the  state  board  of 
health.  The  school  authorities  thought  it  wise  to  transport  two  small  district 
schools  to  this  place.  Although  this  brought  about  a  storm  of  opposition,  the 
experiment  was  tried  and  has  proved  a  great  success.  The  building  was  built 
in  1905  and  is  of  concrete,  costing  $14,000,  and  has  since  been  equipped  at  a 
cost  of  about  $300,  not  including  desks,  globes,  maps  and  library.  For  the 
first  time  in  the  history  of  the  county  schools  the  flush  system  of  closets  was 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  623 

installed  in  a  township  building.  A  high  school  was  established  with  a  three 
years'  course  of  six  months  each.  This  has  been  increased  to  a  four  years' 
course  of  seven  months  and  is  now  a  certified  school.  From  the  very  first  this 
school  has  been  a  success,  which  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  94  per  cent,  of  the 
eighth  year  graduates  have  entered  high  schools. 

The  school  corporation  of  Lynn  was  laid  down  and  the  township  took 
charge  of  its  school  and  built  a  six-room  building  at  a  cost  of  about  $24,000. 
At  the  dedication  of  this  building  Doctor  Hurty,  in  making  an  address,  spoke 
of  the  "large  and  commodious  building,  sanitary  in  every  part,  large  enough 
to  meet  the  needs  of  the  community  for  years."  The  people  of  the  commun- 
ity, realizing  the  advantages  of  such  a  school,  abandoned  two  of  the  district 
schools  and  it  became  the  duty  of  the  same  Doctor  Hurty  to  condemn  the 
building  because  of  its  lack  of  room  in  1909.  A  four-room  addition  was  built 
to  meet  the  growing  needs  of  this  school,  but  again  we  find  an  insufficiency  of 
room,  as  the  building  is  now  crowded  in  every  part.  Laboratories  for  physics, 
botany,  agriculture,  manual  training,  sewing  and  cooking  are  installed  and 
efficient  work  is  being  done  in  all  of  them.  From  a  school  requiring  six  teach- 
ers and  having  a  high  school  course  of  three  years  it  has  grown  to  a  school  re- 
quiring thirteen  teachers  and  is  commissioned.  The  enrollment  of  eighth  year 
graduates  has  increased  from  80  per  cent,  to  97  per  cent. 

In  1912  five  districts  in  the  north  part  of  this  same  township  petitioned 
the  trustees  to  abandon  the  district  schools  and  consolidate  them.  To  this  end 
a  $15,000  five-room  building  was  erected  in  1912.  This  school,  "Beech  Grove," 
is  accredited. 

In  1908  a  four-room  dilapidated,  unsanitary  fire-trap  of  a  school  house 
in  Greensfork  township  gave  way  to  a  modern  eight-room  building.  This 
building  is  not  only  sanitary  and  modern  in  every  particular,  but  is  an  archi- 
tectural beauty.  It  is  situated  in  a  maple  grove  near  the  center  of  the  town- 
ship and  accommodates  the  pupils  from  six  districts. 

The  high  school  maintained  here  has  grown  from  a  three  )  ears'  course 
of  six  months  to  a  four  years'  course  of  eight  months  and  was  commissioned 
in  191 1.  The  per  cent,  of  attendance  of  the  eighth  year  graduates  has  in- 
creased from  80  per  cent,  to  97  per  cent,  since  the  erection  of  this  building. 

In  1908  the  trustee  of  White  River  township  found  himself  facing  the 
problem  of  several  small  schools  and  poor  buildings  in  the  western  part  of  his 
township.  It  was  deemed  advisable  to  build  a  consolidated  school.  To  this 
end  a  four-room  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $14,000.  Many  people 
looked  upon  it  as  a  foolish  undertaking,  as  it  is  situated  entirely  remote  from 


624  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

any  town  or  village.  In  fact,  at  the  dedication  of  this  building,  known  as  the 
"Lincoln,"  prophets  were  heard  to  say  that  the  time  would  never  come  when 
the  building  would  be  half  filled.  This  school  began  with  an  enrollment  of 
forty-three.  Its  advantages  were  soon  seen  by  the  people  of  the  surrounding 
districts  and  the  following  year  three  heavily  populated  districts  petitioned  to 
be  abandoned  and  transported  to  this  school.  Many  others  from  surround- 
ing districts  also  seeing  its  advantages  transported  their  children,  at  their  own 
expense.  This  reduced  the  attendance  in  other  schools  until  three  went  down 
for  lack  of  attendance.  The  high  school  was  established  in  1910  and  was 
commissioned  in  1913.  The  experiment  was  so  successful  and  the  attendance 
so  large  that  the  building  soon  became  inadequate.  As  some  of  the  high 
school  children  were  transported  from  the  east  end  of  the  township  it  was 
thought  that  the  situation  might  be  relieved  by  building  another  large  building 
in  the  eastern  part  of  the  township.  This  was  done  in  1911.  but  so  great 
was  the  demand  and  need  of  more  room  in  the  "Lincoln,"  97  patrons  out  of 
loi  petitioned  the  trustee  and  advisory  board  to  double  the  capacity  of  the 
school  building.  This  was  done  in  the  summer  of  1912  and  instead  of  a  fail- 
ure, as  was  predicted  by  some,  we  find  it  an  eight-room  building  equipped  for 
botany,  agriculture,  manual  training,  sewing  and  cooking,  attended  by  237 
pupils. 

The  other  building  referred  to  in  the  above  paragraph  is  known  as  the 
"McKinley"  and  is  situated  one  mile  east  of  Winchester.  It  is  a  seven-room 
building,  costing  $28,000,  modern  in  every  particular  and  fully  equipped  for 
all  the  needs  of  a  modern  school.  Seven  schools  are  transported  to  this  build- 
ing. The  enrollment  for  the  current  year  is  176.  The  high  school  maintained 
here  is  commissioned. 

For  five  years  previous  to  the  establishment  of  the  township  high  schools 
in  this  township  the  enrollment  of  eighth  year  graduates  had  been  53  per  cent. 
Since  these  high  schools  have  been  started,  93  per  cent,  of  the  eighth  year 
graduates  are  enrolled  in  high  school. 

In  1909  Parker  abandoned  its  school  corporation  and  its  management 
was  assumed  by  Monroe  township.  A  new  building  was  necessary.  Four 
acres  of  ground  near  town  were  purchased  by  the  trustee  and  a  building  cost- 
ing $34,500  was  erected.  This  is  also  equipped  and  maintains  a  commissioned 
school  having  twelve  teachers.  The  children  in  the  western  half  of  the  town- 
ship are  transported  by  wagons  and  interurban  to  this  school.  This  building 
is  equipped  for  manual  training,  sewing,  cooking,  botany,  agriculture  and 
physics.  There  yet  remain  four  district  schools.  The  per  cent,  of  attendance 
of  eighth  year  graduates  has  increased  from  (^'j  per  cent,  to  90. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  625 

The  banner  year  for  school  house  construction  was  1910,  as  three  town- 
ships erected  buildings  that  year. 

Green  township  erected  a  six-room  $19,000  building  upon  a  three -acre 
school  lot  in  the  center  of  the  township.  This  is  the  first  township  in  the 
county  to  have  complete  consolidation  as  all  of  the  eight  schools  are  now 
abandoned  and  transported  to  the  central  school.  For  five  years  previous  to 
the  establishment  of  this  school  but  21  per  cent,  of  its  eighth  year  graduates 
enrolled  in  high  school.  This  low  per  cent,  is  perhaps  due  to  the  fact  that  no 
high  schools  were  near  this  township.  The  growth  of  this  school  has  been 
remarkable,  and  a  four  years'  commissioned  high  school  is  maintained.  The 
per  cent,  of  attendance  of  the  eighth  year  graduates  has  increased  from  21  to 
92  per  cent.,  every  member  of  the  class  of  1911  enrolled.  This  school  is  com- 
missioned. 

Jackson  township  is  another  that  built  in  the  year  1910.  Its  building 
was  erected  in  the  center  of  the  township  and,  like  the  others,  is  modern  in 
every  particular.  It  has  five  rooms  and  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $18,000.  Two 
rooms  were  occupied  the  first  year,  but  this  year,  19 12,  finds  every  nook  and 
corner  filled.  Every  indication  points  to  the  building  of  an  addition  in  the 
very  near  future.  Five  schools  are  centralized  at  this  place,  and  the  enroll- 
ment of  eighth  year  graduates  has  increased  from  31  to  95  per  cent.  In  1913- 
1914  the  Jackson  was  commissioned  and  was  the  fourth  largest  high  school 
in  the  county. 

Ward  township  had  a  high  school  at  Saratoga  previous  to  the  year 
1910,  but  Saratoga  is  in  the  extreme  corner  of  the  township,  which  made  the 
high  school  inaccessible  to  most  of  the  children  of  the  township.  Two  schools 
abandoned  for  lack  of  attendance,  together  with  three  abandoned  by  petition 
were  centralized  in  the  "Jefferson,"  near  Deerfield,  in  the  western  part  of  the 
township.  This  building  has  four  school  rooms  and  two  recitation  rooms  and 
was  built  at  a  cost  of  $17,000.  The  high  school  is  now  certified  and  is  grow- 
ing very  rapidly.  The  attendance  of  eighth  year  graduates  in  the  territory 
covered  by  this  school  has  increased  from  31  per  cent,  to  92  per  cent.  It  is 
only  a  question  of  a  short  time  until  this  building  must  be  increased. 

In  the  spring  of  191 1  the  board  of  health  condemned  the  joint  school 
building  between  Nettle  Creek  and  West  River  townships  at  Modoc,  and  the 
trustees  of  these  townships  built  a  five-room  building  at  a  cost  of  $18,000. 
During  the  summer  three  district  schools  petitioned  to  be  abandoned  and  con- 
solidated with  the  school  at  Modoc.  The  high  school,  which  had  been  a  two 
years'  course  of  seven  months,  was  put  upon  a  commissioned  basis  imme- 
diately, and  has  grown  from  an  attendance  of  15  to  40.    The  school  is  now 


626  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

certified,  and  the  per  cent,  of  enrollment  of  eighth  year  graduates  in  the  terri- 
tory covered  by  this  school  has  increased  from  68  per  cent,  to  96.  It  is  now 
equipped  for  botany,  agriculture,  manual  training,  sewing  and  cooking. 

At  the  same  time  in  which  the  Modoc  school  building  was  condemned 
another  building  in  West  River  township  at  Huntsville  was  also  condemned, 
but  the  board  of  health  realizing  that  a  township  would  be  burdened  by  build- 
ing two  buildings  during  the  same  year  extended  the  time  for  condemnation 
to  19 1 2.  In  the  summer  of  19 12  a  four-room  building  was  erected  at  Hunts- 
ville at  a  cost  of  $15,000.  This  school,  like  the  one  at  Modoc,  has  been  in- 
creased from  a  two  years'  course  of  seven  months  and  placed  upon  a  com- 
missioned basis.  Three  abandoned  schools  are  transported  to  this  school, 
leaving  only  two  district  schools  in  the  township.  The  eighth  year  enroll- 
ment has  increased  from  68  per  cent,  to  92  per  cent. 

In  the  spring  of  191 2  four  districts  in  the  central  part  of  Wayne  town- 
ship petitioned  to  be  abandoned  and  consolidated  in  a  central  school.  To  this 
end  five  acres  of  ground  were  purchased  and  a  contract  let  for  a  seven-room 
building  at  a  cost  of  $23,000.  The  Wayne  is  the  only  school  to  have  a  resi- 
dence for  the  use  of  the  school.  The  high  school  is  upon  a  commissioned 
basis  and  gives  every  evidence  of  being  as  successful  as  the  others  of  the 
county.  But  44  per  cent,  of  the  eighth  year  graduates  for  the  past  five  years 
have  entered  high  school. 

In  mentioning  the  number  of  rooms  in  each  of  the  buildings  named  above 
we  have  made  no  attempt  to  enumerate  such  rooms  as  might  be  termed  reci- 
tation, library,  laboratory,  rest  or  playroom.  Each  building  has  from  two  to 
six  of  such  rooms  which  are  as  valuable  in  their  place  as  the  rooms  mentioned 
in  the  description. 

These  buildings  have  been  built  according  to  the  rules  and  regulations  of 
the  state  board  of  health,  as  to  lighting,  heating  and  ventilating.  The  heating 
is  by  furnace  and  steam,  the  A'entilation  being  by  fans.  Automatic  regulation 
is  installed  in  most  of  these  buildings,  thus  insuring  a  constant  temperature! 
The  flush  system  of  toilets  is  made  possible  by  cess-pools  which  are  easily 
drained  and  which  have  proved  \'ery  satisfactory. 

The  cost  given  is  in  most  cases  the  contract  price  and  does  not  include 
any  improvements  or  equipment. 

In  some  cases  the  old  school  buildings  are  used  for  barns  and  in  others 
new  barns  are  built.  These  are  used  for  the  horses  of  the  hack  drivers  and 
of  children  who  furnish  their  own  transportation. 

These  barns  are  constructed  so  that  by  removing  a  temporary  stall  the 
school  hacks  may  be  stored  during  the  summer. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  627 

The  greatest  problem  in  consolidated  schools  is  the  transportation  of  the 
children.  This  can  be  best  done  only  by  the  best  men  as  drivers  with  the  best 
teams  to  be  had,  and  these  attached  to  the  best  hacks  possible.  Too  great  care 
cannot  be  taken  to  insure  the  best  service  in  this  line.  The  hack  routes  must 
be  as  short  as  possible  so  that  children  may  be  in  the  wagons  for  a  minimum 
period  only.  The  hacks  should  be  commodious,  warm  and  well  ventilated. 
To  this  end  the  trustees  of  this  county  are  purchasing  only  hacks  that  have 
glass  sides  and  ventilators.  They  should  be  heated  by  coal  stoves  and  thus 
eliminate  any  fumes. 

The  glass  sides  give  good  opportunity  for  ventilators  and  insure  plenty 
of  light,  both  of  which  are  not  only  essential  to  good  health  but  are  conducive 
of  good  deportment.  Hack  drivers  who  formerly  drove  the  hacks  with  cur- 
tained sides  report  that  the  discipline  in  the  modern  hacks  is  much  better.  This 
is  due  largely  to  the  fact  that  the  hacks  have  plenty  of  light  and  that  the 
children  can  see  over  the  country  as  they  pass  along.  This  is  also  an  insurance 
against  accidents  while  crossing  railroads. 

The  hacks  used  here  have  double  floors,  which  also  adds  much  to  the 
comfort  of  the  children. 

Good  roads  are  also  a  necessity  to  successful  transportation.  Since  these 
hacks  have  to  go  over  the  roads  at  all  times  of  the  winter  they  are  equipped 
with  wheels  having  two  and  a  quarter  inch  tires  to  prevent  any  unnecessary 
wear  upon  the  road.  Hack  routes,  like  mail  routes,  bring  about  good  roads, 
as  the  best  service  is  only  possible  under  the  most  favorable  conditions. 

Only  men  of  the  highest  moral  worth  should  be  employed  as  drivers.  As 
much  care  should  be  exercised  in  the  selection  of  a  hack  driver  who  has  charge 
of  the  children  to  and  from  school  as  in  the  teacher  who  has  charge  of  them 
while  in  school.  The  best  of  men  can  only  be  secured  when  the  position  pays 
the  price  demanded  by  a  first-class  man.  Bids  for  driving  a  hack  should  never 
be  taken  by  a  trustee,  as  this  brings  about  unsatisfactory  complications. 

The  rules  and  regulations  of  the  hack  sei-vice  should  be  a  part  of  the 
contract  into  which  the  hack  driver  enters  and  in  which  he  gives  bond  for  the 
successful  performance  of  the  work.  The  contract  here  shown  is  the  one 
used  in  this  county  and  attempts  to  reach  and  overcome  some  of  the  difficulties 
encountered  in  the  past. 

Each  hack  driver  is  required  to  make  a  daily  report  to  the  principal  of  the 
school.  This  not  only  secures  his  co-operation  but  the  children  in  this  way 
learn  of  their  responsibility  to  the  driver.  A  report  is  also  required  of  each 
driver  to  the  county  superintendent  so  that  official  may  be  made  acquainted 
with  prevailing  conditions. 


628  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

These  buildings  are  constructed  for  a  broader  purpose  than  merely  school 
buildings.  Many  of  them  have  become  the  centers  of  community  interests 
because  of  their  facilities  for  the  accommodation  of  public  gatherings.  Many 
of  the  townships  have  no  other  public  buildings  of  sufficient  size  to  accommo- 
date general  meetings  of  the  community.  Without  exception  these  buildings 
have  auditoriums  which  are  made  by  combining  two  to  four  rooms,  and  some- 
times the  corridor.  Folding  doors  of  unusual  height  are  used  for  this  pur- 
pose. These  auditoriums  vary  in  size,  depending  on  the  size  of  the  building, 
but  in  most  instances  will  seat  from  300  to  400  people.  These  facilities  have 
brought  about  many  entertainments  such  as  are  given  in  lecture  courses  of 
high  quality.  Commencem.ents,  township  institutes,  both  teachers'  and  farm- 
ers', political  meetings,  .Sunday  school  conventions,  farmers'  organizations, 
parents'  and  teachers'  meetings — in  fact,  all  meetings  found  in  any  high  grade 
community  are  being  held  in  these  buildings.  This  has  brought  about  a  closer 
relation  between  patrons,  children  and  the  schools,  and  this  alone  is  well  worth 
the  extra  cost  of  any  auditorium. 

These  schools  have  brought  about  a  higher  appreciation  of  school  work 
in  advance  of  the  eighth  grade.  Families  are  now  represented  in  the  high 
schools  of  the  townships  which  were  never  represented  before.  Children  no 
longer  are  discussing  the  question  of  stopping  at  the  eighth  grade,  because 
they  have  in  their  own  midst  an  institution  of  higher  learning.  We  know  of 
no  more  convincing  proof  of  the  above  influences  than  a  reference  to  the 
statistical  report  of  this  county.  In  1908-1909,  the  year  before  these  schools 
were  started  outside  the  towns,  this  county  had  371  eighth  grade  pupils  en- 
rolled, 191  high  school  pupils.  In  1911-1912,  by  a  strange  coincidence,  the 
report  shows  the  same  number  of  eighth  grade  pupils,  but  the  enrollment  in 
the  high  school  has  increased  from  191  to  417.  Seventy-one  per  cent,  of  the 
pupils  of  the  townships  of  the  county  are-  in  consolidated  schools. 

During  the  school. year  of  1913-14  the  increased  activity  was  more 
marked  than  ever  before. 

The  township  high  school  enrolled  during  that  year  539  pupils,  all  of 
whom  in  addition  to  the  regular  academic  work  had  the  advantage  of  sewing, 
cooking,  manual  training,  and  agriculture.  Seventy-three  per  cent,  of  all  the 
pupils  in  the  townships  were  in  graded  schools  and  94.7  per  cent,  of  the  eighth 
year  graduates  of  the  year  previous  were  in  high  school  during  that  year.  This 
is  a  phenomenal  record  when  one  considers  that  the  average  for  the  state  is  by 
far  less  than  one-half  that  amount. 

The  schools  of  Randolph  county  were  far  in  advance  of  what  is  known 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  629 

of  the  vocational  movement  in  schools.  This  movement  was  brought  about 
by  the  Legislature  of  1913  passing  the  "Vocational  Educational  Bill,"  where- 
by it  was  required  to  teach  agriculture,  sewing,  cooking  and  manual  training 
in  all  the  certified  high  schools  of  the  state.  This  Randolph  county  had  been 
doing  and  the  school  year  of  1913-14  found  all  its  consolidated  schools 
equipped  completely  for  all  the  vocational  subjects  mentioned. 

Randolph  county's  schools  today  stand  among  those  at  the  head  of  the 
great  educational  system  of  Indiana,  and  the  fight  for  better  schools  has  been 
a  difficult  one  and  has  been  met  by  the  opposition  of  those  who  are  not  in  the 
progressive  spirit  of  the  present  school  age  and  has  been  met  with  the  thread- 
bare statement  that  "the  old  schools  were  good  enough  for  me  and  my  father, 
therefore  they  are  good  enough  for  my  children."  In  spite  of  all  this  the 
growth  has  been  phenomenal  and  will  result  in  a  higher  citizenship,  an  asset 
beyond  value.  As  one  reflects  upon  the  schools  of  the  past  and  compares 
them  with  those  of  the  present,  with  all  their  advantages  the  question  arises, 
"What  great  things  are  in  store  for  the  children  of  the  next  generation?" 

The  county  schools  at  this  time  are  under  the  management  of  the  county 
board  of  education,  composed  of  G.  Walter  Hiatt,  White  River  township ; 
Henry  Nichols,  Washington  township;  George  O.  Wise,  Greensfork  town- 
ship; Clarkson  Puckett,  Stoney  Creek  township;  Robert  Lumpkin,  Nettle 
Creek  township;  Smith  Lee,  West  River  township;  Emanuel  Zimmerman, 
Green  township ;  Albert  Belong,  Ward  township ;  W.  P.  Noffsinger,  Jackson 
township;  G.  C.  Shultz,  Wayne  township;  Daniel  Grove,  Monroe  township; 
Albert  Zimm.erman,  Franklin  township,  trustees ;  Thomas  C.  Hinton,  president 
Ridgeville  school  board;  Samuel  Miller,  president  Farmland;  W.  J.  Purdy, 
president  Winchester,  and  Theodore  Shockney,  president  Union  City. 

At  the  present  time  White  River  township  has  two  consolidated  high 
schools,  the  McKinley,  one  mile  east  of  Winchester,  and  the  Lincoln,  four 
and  one-half  miles  west;  six  district  schools,  and  has  abandoned  sixteen  dis- 
trict schools.  Wayne  township  has  two  consolidated  schools,  the  West  Union 
and  the  Wayne;  has  four  district  schools  and  has  abandoned  seven  district 
schools.  Greensfork  township  has  two  consolidated  schools,  the  Witter  and 
Spartanburg;  has  four  district  schools,  and  has  abandoned  six  district 
schools.  Washington  township  has  four  consolidated  schools,  the  Lynn, 
Beech  Grove,  Bloomingsport  and  Carlos,  and  has  abandoned  eight  district 
schools.  West  River  has  one  consolidated  school,  the  Huntsville,  and  a  joint 
consolidated  school  with  Nettle  Creek  at  Modoc ;  has  two  district  schools  and 
has  abandoned  nine  district  schools.     Nettle  Creek  has  a  consolidated  school 


630  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

at  Losantville,  four  district  schools  and  has  abandoned  four  district  schools. 
Stoney  Creek  township  has  at  this  writing  no  consolidated  schools,  but  has  one 
two-room  graded  school  at  Windsor  and  six  district  schools;  however,  at  the 
present  time  a  majority  of  the  patrons  of  that  township  have  petitioned  the 
trustee  to  establish  a  consolidated  high  school ;  this,  however,  is  being  opposed 
by  a  certain  element  and  it  will  take  court  decision  to  determine  it.  We  fancy 
that  in  a  few  years  from  now  the  children  of  the  opponents  will  wonder  why 
their  parents  were  so  short  sighted.  Monroe  township  has  one  consolidated 
school,  the  Monroe ;  has  three  district  schools,  and  has  abandoned  five  district 
schools.  Green  township  has  but  one  school,  the  consolidated  high  school,  the 
Green,  in  the  center  of  the  town,ship;  they  have  abandoned  eight  district 
schools.  Franklin  township  has  one  consolidated  school;  has  three  district 
schools,  and  has  abandoned  three.  Ward  township  has  two  consolidated 
schools,  the  Saratoga  and  Jefferson ;  has  six  district  schools  and  has  abandoned 
five  district  schools.  Jackson  township  has  one  consolidated  school,  the  Jack- 
son ;  four  district  schools,  and  has  abandoned  six  district  schools. 

Were  we  to  offer  a  prophecy  concerning  the  school  situation  it  would  be 
that  in  fifteen  years  from  now  there  will  not  be  a  district  school  in  Randolph 
county. 

In  addition  to  the  township  school  excellent  schools  are  maintained  in 
Winchester,  Union  City,  Farmland  and  Ridgeville.  The  first  of  these  four 
towns  to  have  schools  was  Winchester. 

It  is  impossible  at  this  time  to  know  where  the  first  school  was  located, 
as  no  records  have  ever  been  kept  of  it.  No  doubt,  however,  it  was  a  private 
school  located  in  the  cabin  of  some  enterprising,  intelligent  citizen  who  taught 
a  subscription  school. 

The  first  school  house  of  which  we  have  record  was  "built  of  logs  with 
the  ends  projecting  at  the  corners."  This  descriiDtion  would  indicate  that  it 
was  built  of  poles  rather  than  of  hewn  logs,  but  be  that  as  it  may, 
it  was  built  some  time  prior  to  1830,  and  stood  upon  Broad  street 
(Washington)  and  East  street  just  north,  across  the  street,  from  the  present 
site  of  the  Friends  church.  Jacob  Henderson  was  teaching  school  in  this  log 
cabin  when  it  was  burned  down  in  1836.  Nothing  was  saved  from  the  build- 
ing, hence  the  pupils  lost  "all  the  books."  This  perhaps  was  not  a  very  heavy 
loss,  because  no  child  was  known  to  have  over  three  books,  seldom  two,  fre- 
quently only  One  and  occasionally  none. 

Mrs.  Smith,  daughter  of  Jacob  Elzroth,.  was  a  girl  eight  years  old 
when  they  moved  to  this  county  in  1833.  ^'^^s.  Smith  attended  school  in  this 
log  building  and  has  the  following  to  say  concerning  it : 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  63 1 

"The  house  was  buih  of  logs  and  stands  where  Dr.  Hunt's  office  now 
stands;  it  was  a  one-room  building,  not  very  large;  the  door  faced  the  east, 
and  windows  on  the  south  side  were  made  of  ten  small  glass  placed  side  by 
side  as  if  a  log  had  been  left  out  and  this  put  in  its  place ;  there  was  also  a 
window  on  the  west  side.  There  was  a  large  paddle  fastened  to  the  wall  by  a 
string  hung  near  the  door.  This  paddle  had  the  word  "out"  printed  on  one 
side  and  the  word  "in"  printed  on  the  other,  the  rule  being  that  when  the 
child  left  the  room  the  paddle  was  changed  so  that  the  word  "out"  would 
show  and  upon  their  return  the  paddle  would  be  turned.  We  would  get  full 
of  mischief  sometimes  and  fail  to  turn  the  paddle  and  in  that  way  two  or 
three  of  us  would  get  out  at  the  same  time  and  have  a  good  time.  The  seats 
were  made  of  big  slabs  with  pegs  in  them  and  reached  clear  across  the  room. 
Polly  Heaston  was  the  only  pupil  who  had  a  slate  and  Polly  received  a  great 
deal  of  attention  from  the  other  pupils  because  of  this.  The  slate  was  bor- 
rowed by  as  many  pupils  of  the  school  as  could  find  time  to  use  it.  The  only 
book  we  used  was  a  spelling  book  and  no  other  book  was  used  until  we  got  to 
the  upper  grades.  There  weren't  many  books  burned  when  the  house  burned 
because  there  weren't  many  there,  but  we  had  a  good  time  in  the  old  school. 
Aly  father  taught  one  term  because  he  did  not  want  to  see  the  children  go 
without  an  education ;  he  had  young  men  and  women  come  to  him  who  were 
almost  of  age,  who  didn't  know  their  a-b-c's." 

The  school  was  next  held  in  the  old  Methodist  church,  which  stood  on 
Main  street,  one  square  south  of  where  the  county  jail  now  stands.  The 
school  was  moved  from  this  site  to  the  old  seminary,  which  stood  on  West 
Franklin  street.  Later  on  a  brick  building,  which  is  still  standing,  was  built 
on  the  north  side  of  Will  street,  east  of  the  G.  R.  &  I.  railroad.  This  served 
as  a  building  for  public  schools,  for  a  number  of  years,  when  it  became  neces- 
sary to  build  another  building.  This  building  was  built  on  North  Main  street 
and  north  of  Third  street,  and  it  is  now  used  as  a  residence.  This  served  their 
purpose  until  the  year  1867,  when  the  schools,  having  become  better  or- 
ganized, and  the  needs  much  greater,  it  was  found  necessary  to  build  a  new 
building. 

The  town  (whose  schools  were  conducted  by  the  township),  was  for- 
tunate in  having  as  the  township  trustee  a  man  of  indomitable  courage  and 
determination  to  give  the  boys  and  girls  splendid  facilities  for  school.  This 
man  was  Thomas  W.  Kizer.  Mr.  Kizer,  in  spite  of  the  opposition  of  those 
opposed  to  higher  education,  persisted  in  carrying  out  his  plans  and  built  the 
"Central"  school  building,  which  was  finished  in   1867,  at  a  cost  of  about 


632  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

$22,000.00.  This  building  \^as  one  of  the  best-equipped  and  approved  struc- 
tures of  its  time.  Few  men  would  have  had  the  courage  to  build  such  a  build- 
ing, but,  thanks  to  Mr.  Kizer,  the  community  was  given  this  splendid  edifice. 
School  was  opened  in  this  building  on  March  9,  1868.  A  short  time  after  this 
Winchester  incorporated  for  school  purposes  and  the  building  becaine  the 
property  of  the  town. 

The  school  held  in  the  old  seminary  was  transferred  to  this  building  and 
Prof.  James  S.  Ferris  became  the  first  acting  superintendent  of  the  city.  Mr. 
Ferris  acted  as  superintendent  until  June,  1870. 

For  the  history  of  the  schools  from  this  time  until  1888  we  shall  copy  a 
history  compiled  at  that  time  by  Superintendent  C.  H.  Wood  and  printed  in 
the  Winchester  Journal.  Mr.  Wood,  however,  has  said  nothing  in  this  article 
concerning  the  erection  of  two  new  school  buildings,  commonly  known  as  the 
North  and  South  wards.  These  buildings  were  built  about  1879  and  were 
located,  one  on  Orange  street,  between  Main  and  Meridian,  and  the  other  on 
the  corner  of  East  and  Third  streets. 

The  earliest  records  found  in  the  superintendent's  office  show  that  in  the 
month  of  June,  1870,  John  Cooper  was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  schools 
and  that  he  entered  upon  his  duties  in  the  month  of  September  following.  The 
teachers  were  T.  S.  Gordon,  Daniel  Lesley,  Miss  L.  E.  Lamme,  A.  Wells,  E. 
Abshire  and  Mrs.  Emma  Thompson.  The  school  was  known  as  the  Winches- 
ter Graded  and  Normal  Schools,  and  the  board  of  trustees  consisted  of  T.  W. 
Kizer,  Joseph  Edger,  J.  W.  Diggs,  J.  B.  Routh,  Hon.  T.  Ward  and  General 
A.  Stone.  The  course  of  study  did  not  differ  materially  from  that  of  the  pres- 
ent day  except  in  the  order  in  which  the  subjects  in  the  high  school  succeeded 
each  other.  Trigonometry  then  appeared  in  the  tenth  grade,  and  the  graduat- 
ing class  studied  evidences  of  Christianity,  moral  philosophy  and  political 
economy. 

The  next  year  the  board  of  education  remained  the  same  except  that  Hon. 
E.  L.  Watson  was  substitute  for  Joseph  Edger.  The  new  teachers  were 
Thomas  Hiatt  and  Misses  L.  Erlougher  and  Mollie  Hutchens.  The  length  of 
the  school  was  nine  months.  There  was  an  increase  of  five  pupils  in  the  num- 
ber enrolled  and  an  increase  of  sixty  in  the  average  daily  attendance.  There 
were  thirty-two  cases  of  corporal  punishment. 

The  next  year  the  board  of  education  seems  to  have  consisted  of  J.  W. 
Diggs,  township  trustee,  and  T.  W.  Kizer,  director ;  the  other  three  members 
were  the  same  as  those  of  the  year  previous.  Lee  Ault  was  this  year  made 
principal  of  the  high  school  and  the  other  new  teachers  were  Misses  Libbie 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  633 

Fay,  Kate  Williamson,  Mary  Lamme  and  Elva  Witt.  Logic  was  added  to  the 
work  of  the  senior  class  and  some  other  subjects  dropped.  As  the  statistical 
reports  were  not  left  on  the  record  this  year  it  is  impossible  to  give  those  facts. 

The  next  year,  1873,  Lee  Ault  was  elected  superintendent,  with  J.  M. 
Hodson  as  principal  of  the  high  school,  and  the  other  new  teachers  were 
Misses  Rebecca  Weaver,  Jennie  McClure  and  Emma  Henderson.  The  board 
of  education  consisted  of  A.  J.  Stakebake,  president;  A.  R.  Hiatt,  secretary, 
and  T.  W.  Kizer,  treasurer.  The  course  of  study  remained  materially  un- 
changed, except  that  Natural  Theology  appeared  in  the  senior  year  in  the 
place  of  logic ;  surveying,  leveling  and  navigation  had  been  taught  for  several 
years  previous.  The  number  of  pupils  enrolled  was  540,  and  the  daily  at- 
tendance was  270,  just  50  per  cent,  of  the  number  enrolled,  you  will  observe. 
The  superintendent  was  paid  a  salary  of  $1,500  and  the  janitor  $235.  The 
average  per  diem  of  teachers  was  $2.37^/2- 

For  the  next  year,  1874-75,  James  Clenny  and  J.  W.  Polly  were  the  new 
teachers  added,  the  latter  being  the  principal  of  the  high  school.  At  the  close 
of  this  school  year,  among  the  names  of  pupils  promoted  from  the  first  to^  the 
second  grade,  we  happen  to  recognize  Mamie  Frankenstine,  Emma  Engle,  Lou 
Jaqua,  Linkie  Reinheimer,  Eddie  Ludy  and  Rosa  Bosworth.  We  give  the 
names  as  they  appear  upon  the  record,  and  ask  you,  dear  readers,  to  recognize 
them  if  you  can. 

From  the  second  to  the  third  room,  among  many  others,  we  recognize 
Stella  Way,  Rosa  Frankenstein,  Minnie  Evans  and  Eddie  Diggs.  Promoted 
from  the  third  to  the  fourth  room,  we  find  among  a  few  others,  Eddie  Riley, 
Annie  Tooker,  Leroy  Chapman  and  Gracie  Watt.  We  preserve  the  spelling 
of  the  record  scrupulously.  In  the  fourth  room  we  find  Willie  Edger.  Do 
you  recognize  the  staid  Deacon?  Percy  and  Jimmy  Goodrich,  and  Frank 
Kizer.  And  here  are  all  the  names  that  appear  in  the  fifth  room  as  having 
merited  promotion.  The  figures  following  the  names  indicate  their  average 
per  cent,  for  that  year  of  1874-75:  George  Neff,  87;  Charles  Yunker,  89; 
Allie  Pennington,  89 ;  Ina  Watts,  97 ;  Hortence  Robinson,  95 ;  Bell  McNeil, 
96;  Ida  Teal,  96;  Minnie  Wright,  90.  The  whole  number  enrolled  was  475, 
a  decrease  of  65  on  the  previous  year,  but  the  average  daily  attendance  was 
269,  thus  lacking  but  one  of  being  as  many  as  the  year  previous.  The  number 
of  cases  of  tardiness  this  year  was  762 ;  the  superintendent  was  paid  $1,500, 
and  the  average  pay  for  the  teachers  was  $442.50.  This  year  the  first  grad- 
uating exercises  of  the  high  school  were  held,  the  class  consisting  of  W.  E. 
Monks. 


634  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  next  year,  1875-76,  Alice  Kizer  was  added  to  the  list  of  teachers  and 
the  board  of  education  consisted  of  W.  E.  Murray,  F.  M.  Way  and  T.  W. 
Kizer.  The  number  enrolled  was  529  and  the  average  daily  attendance,  273. 
The  salary  of  the  superintendent  is  given  at  $1,500,  and  that  of  the  janitor, 
$230,  while  the  teachers  average  $442.50.  The  school  property  and  appara- 
tus was  valued  at  $22,500.  The  record  says  that  in  the  month  of  February 
the  school  was  seriously  injured  by  the  smallpox.  In  room  one,  among  those 
who  were  examined  and  promoted,  we!"  recognize  the  following  with  the  aver- 
age per  cent,  indicated  by  the  numbers  following  their  respective  names: 
Charles  Arbaugh,  90 ;  Philip  Kayser,  93 ;  Charles  Kelley,  93 ;  Ivie  Ginger,  98 ; 
Lee  Bosworth,  98 ;  Clara  Swain,  93 ;  Lillie  Swain,  88 ;  Eddie  Preston,  90.  In 
the  second  room  we  find  such  smart  boys  as  Omar  Tripp,  100;  Willie  Preston, 
100.  Also  Ida  Favorite,  95;  Gracie  Carver,  98;  May  Chenoweth,  96;  Willie 
Cheney,  95. 

The  next  school  year,  1876-77,  we  find  that  Miss  Flora  Steele  was  added 
to  the  list  of  teachers,  the  board  of  education  consisting  of  William  Moore, 
F.  M.  Way  and  J.  L.  Stakebake.  One  more  grade  was  added  to  the  school, 
and  it  was  taught  in  the  basement  of  the  Friends  church  by  Mary  Lamme. 
The  per  cents  made  by  the  different  pupils  this  year  and  the  names  of  those 
promoted  are  not  recorded.  The  salaries  of  the  superintendent  and  teachers 
remained  the  same,  but  the  board  economized  by  reducing  the  janitor's  salary 
five  dollars. 

Next  year,  1877-78,  the  teaching  force  was  as  follows:  E.  H.  Butler, 
superintendent;  H.  W.  Bowers,  principal  of  high  school;  Alice  Kizer,  Mary 
Lamme,  Clara  Crane,  Flora  Steele,  Rebecca  Marker  and  Emma  Henderson. 
For  the  eight  succeeding  years  E.  H.  Butler  remained  superintendent,  and  the 
following  persons,  in  addition  to  those  mentioned  above,  were  at  different 
times  employed  as  teachers  in  the  schools :  B.  F.  Marsh,  Jennie  Will,  Alice 
Nichols,  Kittie  Nichols,  A.  L.  Nichols,  Alice  Henderson,  Emma  Williamson, 
Cora  Frist,  Lizzie  Moon,  Rosa  Frankenstine,  Annie  Tibbott,  May  Wiseman, 
Ella  Bowen,  Annie  Tooker,  Lyda  Hadley,  Vina  Moorman,  Mary  Swain, 
Jennie  Penland,  C.  H.  Wood,  F.  S.  Caldwell,  Charlotte  Hill,  May  Chenoweth, 
Chloe  Lesley,  J.  T.  Day,  Emma  Engle,  S.  A.  Canada,  and  perhaps  some 
others.  During  the  nine  years  Mr.  Butler  held  the  position  of  superintendent, 
there  were  fifty-four  graduates  from  the  high  school,  the  enrollment  increased 
from  547  to  630,  and  the  number  of  teachers  from  seven  to  thirteen;  also  the 
north  and  south  ward  buildings  were  erected. 

Miss  Phillipine  Kerwer  was  employed  to  teach  German  in  all  the  grades 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  635 

during  the  year  1883-84.  In  1881,  W.  S.  Montgomery  was  employed  to  teach 
music.  He  held  this  position  two  years  when  he  was  succeeded  by  James 
McKeever.  After  teaching  a  fe\\  months  the  latter  gentleman  resigned  and 
the  following  year  Professor  Davis,  of  Union  City,  filled  this  position,  and 
he  in  turn  was  succeeded  the  next  year  by  Annie  Tibbott. 

In  June,  1886,  C.  H.  Wood  was  elected  superintendent,  and  immediately 
entered  upon  the  duties  of  the  office.  School  opened  September  20th  with 
the  following  teachers :  F.  S.  Caldwell,  Misses  Annie  Tibbott,  Elma  Brooks, 
Mrs.  Lizzie  Moon,  Misses  Rosa  Frankenstine,  Emma  Williamson,  Allie 
Henderson,  Lizzie  Nichols,  Mrs.  Mary  S.  Swain,  Misses  Toda  Frist,  Emma 
Engle,  May  Wiseman,  Myra  Ross.  Janitors :  Oscar  G.  Puckett,'  Archie 
Arbaugh  and  David  L.  Stine. 

For  the  past  two  years  the  high  school  has  been  under  the  principalship  of 
F.  S.  Caldwell,  who  has  rendered  faithful  and  efficient  service.  He  was 
recently  offered  the  superintendency  of  the  public  schools  of  Miles  City,  Mon- 
tana, at  a  salary  of  $1,500  per  year,  but  our  board  would  not  let  him  go,  as  it 
would  be  absolutely  impossible  to  fill  his  place. 

We  desire  to  say  to  the  young  people  of  Randolph  county 'who  may  be 
preparing  for  college,  or  the  duties  of  life,  that  no  pains  will  be  spared  to  give 
those  who  may  attend  this  school,  facilities  for  acquiring  a  sound  education 
surpassed  by  no  other  schools  of  this  grade  in  the  state.  The  enrollment  in 
this  department  of  the  school  last  year  reached  eighty-three,  an  increase  of  nine 
over  the  previous  year,  and  the  number  graduated  was  six.  It  is  very  gratify- 
ing to  know  that  there  is  a  commendable  interest  on  the  part  of  the  pupils  to 
complete  the  high  school  course  of  study.  The  studies  pursued  have  been 
selected  with  special  reference  to  the  wants  of  pupils  in  practical  life,  while  it 
does  not  ignore  those  who  desire  to  prepare  for  college.  The  State  University 
at  Bloomington  and  DePauw  University  at  Greencastle  admit  graduates  from 
the  regular  high  school  course  without  examination,  and  it  is  likely  that  any 
of  the  higher  institutions  of  the  state  would  do  the  same. 

Several  graduates  of  the  high  school  are  enrolled  in  various  institutions 
of  learning,  among  whom  we  might  mention:  John  R.  Commons,  senior, 
Oberlin;  John  J.  Wilmore,  senior,  Purdue;  Grant  C.  Markle,  sophomore, 
Wabash ;  Thomas  Ward,  Jr.  Preparatory,  Oberlin ;  R.  J.  and  L.  U.  Bosworth, 
sophomores,  Indiana ;  F.  G.  Keller,  freshman,  Indiana. 

The  board  this  year  very  wisely  determined  to  require  all  pupils  of  the 
tenth,  eleventh  and  twelfth  year  grades  to  take  Latin.  Satisfactory  results 
have  not  been  obtained  in  this  study  in  past  years,  for  the  reason  that  as  the 


636  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

course  has  heretofore  been  arranged,  pupils  who,  of  their  own  accord,  chose 
to  take  Latin  were  all  the  time  laboring  under  the  disadvantage  of  having  one 
more  study  than  their  less  ambitious  classmates.  Consequently  many  of  our 
graduates  who  have  gone  away  to  enter  the  various  higher  institutions  of 
learning  of  this  and  adjoining  states,  have  been  compelled  to  make  up  the 
Latin  which  should  have  been  given  them  in  their  high  school  course.  It  is 
gratifying  to  notice  an  increasing  interest  among  those  who  are  going  out 
from  the  Winchester  high  school  to  secure  the  benefits  of  a  college  education, 
hence  the  necessity  of  a  strong  course  in  Latin.  This  year  the  pupils  use 
"Smith's  Principia  Latina,"  part  one.  Next  year  they  will  be  able  to  take 
Caesar  and  perhaps  some  Virgil.  This  will  leave  one  more  year  for  Cicero 
or  some  other  authors. 

Some  of  the  higher  classes  last  year  having  shown  the  inability  of  the 
pupils  to  reason  logically,  or  to  obtain  mathematical  results  mentally,  the 
board,  at  the  beginning  of  the  second  term,  ordered  mental  arithmetic  taught 
daily  in  grades  six,  seven  and  eight.  The  beneficial  results  obtained  from  this 
partial  course  last  year  have  warranted  its  continuance  as  part  of  the  regular 
course  of  these  grades. 

Special  attention  was  paid  to  the  teaching  of  reading  last  year.  Stories 
adapted  to  the  capacities  of  the  pupils  of  the  different  grades,  were  selected 
by  the  teachers  or  the  pupils  of  the  higher  classes,  and  rewritten  in  words  of 
one  syllable.  These  were  then  printed  on  the  typewriter  by  the  janitors  and 
used  in  the  different  rooms  as  lessons  in  sight  reading.  The  results  obtained 
were  very  satisfactory  and  sight  reading  as  well  as  good  supplementary  read- 
ing of  all  kinds,  is  made  a  prominent  feature  of  this  year's  work. 

For  the  last  three  years  we  have  had  but  two  lessons  per  week  in  each 
grade  in  vocal  music,  but  it  is  this  year  ordered  by  the  board  that  instruction 
be  given  in  this  subject  in  all  the  grades  every  day,  that  all  pupils  be  required 
to  take  this  study  and  pass  the  examinations,  just  as  in  other  branches  of  the 
course.  Further,  the  per  cent,  obtained  in  the  examinations  in  music  will  be 
held  equal  in  value  to  that  obtained  in  any  of  the  other  studies,  in  determining 
the  standing  and  promotion  of  pupils,  and  no  pupil  will  be  excused  from 
taking  the  course  in  music  except  by  consent  of  the  board. 

Professor  Williams  is  a  teacher  of  more  than  fifteen  years'  experience 
in  this  and  adjoining  counties  of  Eastern  Indiana,  and  the  work  this  year  so 
far  has  been  very  satisfactory. 

The  teachers  hold  their  regular  meetings  every  Tuesday  afternoon  from 
four  to  five  p.  m.,  in  the  superintendent's  office,  for  study  and  consultation 


t-l 


1^ 
O 


KANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  637 

regarding  the  wants  of  the  school.  They  are  taking  the  "Indiana  Reading 
Circle  Work." 

My  predecessor  fought  heroically  for  nine  years  against  tardiness,  which 
evil  had  grown  to  terrible  proportions  before  he  took  charge  of  the  schools. 
This  evil  he  in  a  great  measure  subdued.  Our  greatest  difficulty  now  seems 
to  be  to  get  the  boys  and  girls  of  the  town  to  enroll.  With  an  enumeration 
last  year  of  one  thousand  and  thirty-three  and  an  enrollment  of  six  hundred 
and  thirty-seven,  we  surely  have  a  serious  state  of  affairs  staring  us  in  the 
face — an  enrollment  of  not  62  per  cent  of  the  young  people  of  school  age  who 
are  entitled  to  school  privileges ;  and  so  far  as  I  know  none  of  those  boys  and 
girls  were  receiving  any  instruction  except  such  as  the  streets  afford.  Parents, 
you  will  some  day  wake  up  with  alarm,  to  the  terrible  consequences  that  must 
ensue  to  your  sons  and  daughters  whom  you  have  raised  in  ignorance  de- 
spite the  great  Indiana  free  school  system.  Every  good  citizen,  every  one 
who  has  the  welfare  of  our  common  country  at  heart  should  urge  upon  care- 
less parents  their  obligations  in  this  regard,  not  only  to  their  own  children 
but  to  their  native  land. 

The  record  of  every  pupil  who  enters  these  schools  is  carefully  preserved 
in  the  superintendent's  office,  and  these  records  are  open  to  the  inspection  of 
visitors  at  all  times." 

Mr.  Wood  remained  as  superintendent  of  the  schools  until  the  year 
1891.  He  was  fresh  from  college  and  enthusiastic  in  his  work  and  under  his 
charge  the  schools  made  rapid  progress,  in  fact,  Mr.  Wood  made  such  a  record 
for  himself  and  school  that  he  was  offered  the  superintendency  of  the  New 
Harmony  schools,  among  the  oldest  and  best  schools  of  the  states  and  accepted 
that  position.  He  was  afterwards  city  superintendent  of  the  schools  at  Val- 
paraiso. During  Mr.  Wood's  administration  it  became  apparent  that  a  new 
building  must  be  built  to  accommodate  the  growing  needs  of  the  city.  A 
great  deal  of  strategy  and  diplomacy  had  to  be  used  to  accomplish  this  pur- 
pose and  Mr.  Wood's  skill  was  shown  in  handling  the  matter. 

The  school  board  at  that  time  was  composed  of  J.  T.  Chenoweth,  W.  W. 
Canada  and  A.  R.  Hiatt.  Mr.  Hiatt  was  very  much  opposed  to  the  building 
of  a  new  building  and  was  even  more  opposed  to  high  schools.  Fortunately 
for  the  new  project  a  crack  appeared  at  this  time  in  the  old  "Central"  build- 
ing. Immediately  the  report  was  circulated  that  the  building  was  unsafe  and 
that  it  had  been  condemned,  however,  it  was  never  condemned  except  as  Mr. 
Wood  puts  it  "by  the  members  of  some  sewing  society."  This  however,  was 
done  for  effect  and  Mr.  Hiatt  gave  his  consent  to  the  building  of  a  new  build- 
(41) 


638  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

mg  and  for  this  reason  the  building  is  known  yet  as  the  "East  Ward"  building. 
The  building  was  completed  and  used  for  school  beginning  in  the  fall  of  1891. 

Mr.  Woods  served  as  superintendent  in  this  building  one  year  only,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  F.  S.  Caldwell,  who  had  been  principal  of  the  high  school 
six  years  previous  to  that  time.  Mr.  Caldwell  who  was  one  of  the  most 
popular  teachers  the  school  has  ever  had,  was  equally  as  efficient  and  popular 
as  a  superintendent,  however,  Mr.  Caldwell  did  not  desire  to  make  school  work 
his  life  work  and  resigned  at  the  end  of  his  first  year  to  take  up  the  practice 
of  law,  at  which  he  has  been  equally  as  successful,  being  at  this  time  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Appellate  Court  of  the  State.  Mr.  Caldwell  was  followed  in  1892 
by  superintendent  H.  W.  Bowers,  who  remained  for  three  years,  at  which 
time  he  resigned  to  take  charge  of  the  Union  City  schools  which  position  he 
held  one  year.  He  was  then  elected  superintendent  at  Union  City  remaining 
five  years  in  that  position,  at  which  time  he  moved  to  Portland  to  take  charge 
of  the  schools  of  that  city. 

Mr.  Bowers  was  succeeded  in  1895  by  Mr.  O.  R.  Baker,  who  had  been 
principal  of  the  high  school  three  years  previous  to  that  time.  Mr.  Baker 
immediately  proceeded  to  put  the  schools  upon  an  entirely  different  plan  from 
what  they  had  been  heretofore.  The  second  story  of  the  high  school  build- 
ing was  remodeled,  an  assembly  room  was  made  and  class  rooms  arranged 
for  so  that  the  school  might  be  put  upon  the  departmental  plan.  Amos  C. 
Maple  was  selected  principal  with  A^ictor  Hedgepath  and  Esther  Conway 
as  assistants.  The  departmental  plan  was  at  that  time  a  new  one  in  the  school 
but  Mr.  Baker  was  far  sighted  enough  to  see  the  benefits  from  it  and  was 
fortunate  enough  to  have  good  support  both  of  the  faculty  and  the  people  to 
make  it  a  success. 

The  policy  of  the  Winchester  school  has  been  to  keep  a  teacher,  principal 
or  superintendent  so  long  as  they  desire,  provided  they  have  made  good. 
This  has  added  greatly  to  the  efficiency  of  the  school.  No  doubt  due  largely 
to  the  splendid  plan  which  was  really  inaugurated  by  Mr.  Baker. 

Mr.  Hedgepath  resigned  at  the  end  of  his  second  year  as  teacher  in 
mathematics  and  botany  and  was  succeeded  by  Lee  L.  Driver  who  succeeded 
Mr.  Maple  as  principal  of  the  high  school  two  years  later,  and  continued  as 
such  until  his  election  as  county  superintendent  in  1907.  Mr.  Driver  was 
followed  as  principal  of  the  high  school  by  C.  E.  McKinney  who  had  been  a 
teacher  of  Latin  in  the  high  school  during  the  school  years  of  1903-04  and 
1904-05. 

Other  teachers  of  the  high  school,  other  than  those  of  the  present  time, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  639 

have  been,  Emma  Engle,  Fuller  Combs,  W.  C.  Hunter,  Delmar  Owen,  Isabel 
Bush  and  W.  F  Regan. 

Winchester  is  the  only  corporation  in  Randolph  county  to  maintain  a 
free  kindergarten.  This  institution  has  been  under  the  management  of  Miss 
Flora  Steel  and  Miss  Belle  Edger  since  its  organization  and  has  proved  to  be 
one  of  the  most  popular  divisions  of  the  Winchester  schools.  The  kinder- 
garten has  had  the  loyal  support  of  the  patrons  of  the  school  and  is  looked 
upon  as  essential  in  the  life  of  the  child  as  any  other  division  of  the  work. 

The  east  ward  building,  which  was  built  in  1890,  was  destroyed  by  fire 
in  1898  during  the  school  year  of  1898-1899.  School  was  then  held  in  the 
old  Central  school  building,  the  high  school  being  located  in  the  third  story. 
The  next  year  the  new  building,  which  is  the  present  high  school  building,  was 
occupied  and  is  one  of  the  best  school  buildings  in  the  country. 

The  growth  of  the  city  made  necessary  the  building  of  a  new  grade 
building  which  was  done  in  1906.  This  building  is  located  in  the  southwest 
part  of  the  city  and  is  known  as  the  "Frances  E.  Willard."  This  is  a  splen- 
didly equipped  building  costing  twenty-seven  thousand  dollars  and  at  the 
present  time  the  vocational  work  of  all  the  schools  is  done  in  this  building. 
Upon  the  completion  of  the  new  building  the  south  ward  building  was  aband- 
oned and  the  building  sold. 

At  the  present  writing,  19 14,  the  North  ward  and  the  "Central"  buildings 
have  been  condemned  by  the  State  Board  of  Health  which  of  course  will 
necessitate  the  building  of  new  buildings  to  take  their  place. 

Winchester  has  an  enviable  reputation  as  to  the  number  of  its  graduates 
attending  college,  which  of  course  is  due  largely  to  the  influence  of  the 
teachers  with  whom  these  boys  and  girls  came  in  contact. 

UNION   CITY  SCHOOLS. 

Mr.  Ebenezer  Tucker  being  a  resident  of  Union  City  when  writing  his 
history  paid  especial  attention  to  the  schools  of  that  city  and  was  very  diligent 
in  his  research  concerning  it. 

Mr.  Tucker  has  given  especial  attention  to  Union  City  schools  and  covers 
a  period  up  to  1882. 

Mr.  Tucker  has  the  following  to  say  about  them : 

Union  City. — The  first  school  was  taught  by  Miss  Mary  Ensminger,  in 
the  fall  of  1853.  The  first  public  school  was  taught  by  George  W.  Brainard, 
i853"54-  Next,  was  a  school  by  J.  T.  Farson,  in  the  "Bee  Line  Boarding 
Car,"  standing  near  the  old  Presbyterian  church.   Next,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Osborn 


640  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

taught  in  the  Httle  brick  house  on  the  state  Hne,  north  of  Mr.  Dixon's.  Also, 
Miss  Anderson  in  a  house  lately  occupied  by  Mr.  E.  Bunch;  Columbia,  north 
of  Oak.  Pinneo  Case  taught  in  White's  Ware  House,  where  Branham's 
restaurant  now  is.  That  ware-house,  with  all  the  books,  etc.,  was  burned  in 
1857.  During  the  next  two  years  (.1857-59),  N.  Rowe  taught  in  a  building 
now  owned  by  N.  Moore,  on  Pearl  street,  and  Messrs.  Hitchcock  and  Dady, 
in  a  building  opposite  the  former  Eagle  office.  In  1858,  a  brick  public  school- 
house  was  erected,  the  east  part  of  the  present  main  building.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gray  taught  the  first  school  in  that  building,  and  after  them,  William  A. 
Wiley,  with  an  as.sistant.  In  the  winter  of  1860-61,  Wright  and  Russell 
opened  a  select  school  in  Paxson's  Hall,  and  Miss  Amanda  Parson  taught  a 
school  in  1861.  In  the  winter  of  1862-63,  Levi  Wright  and  wife  taught  the 
public  school.  Pupils  enrolled,  168;  compensation,  $2  and  $1.13  per  day. 
Mr.  Wright  continued  till  1864  (April).  The  statistics  of  the  last  term  are 
as  follows:  High  school,  L.  Wright,  $2;  Intermediate  school,  Simon  Hed- 
rick,  $1.50;  Primary  school,  Mrs.  Wright,  Si.  Enrollment,  201.  Teachers 
in  the  following  years :  1864,  Mr.  Frash  and  three  assistants;  1865,  William 
D.  Stone  and  three  assistants;  1866,  J.  S.  Leckbider  and  three  assistants; 
1867,  Elias  Loofbourrow  and  four  assistants;  1868,  Ebenezer  Tucker  and 
four  assistants;  1869-70,  Delia  Posey  and  four  assistants;  1871,  Ariston 
Dwinell  and  four  assistants;  1872-73,  W.  B.  Page  and  four  to  six  assistants; 
1874-78,  J.  C.  Eagle  and  seven  to  eleven  assistants;  1879,  G.  F.  Meade  and 
ten  assistants  (died  in  February,  1880)  ;  1880-81,  F.  Treudley  and  ten  assist- 
ants; 1881-82',  F.  Treudley  and  eleven  assistants. 

The  following  is  the  account  of  teachers  in  Union  City  schools  since 
1866: 

1866 — Principal,  J.  S.  Leckbider,  $4.50;  Ella  Fisher,  $2 ;  E.  E.  Anderson, 
$2;  Minnie  Swain,  $1. 

1 867 — Elias  Loofbourrow,  $3  ;  J  ennie  Baldwin,  $2  ;  Joanna  Knapp,  $2 ; 
Rebecca  Wharton,  $2 ;  Mattie  Wharry,  $2. 

1868 — Ebenezer  Tucker,  $5.75;  Mary  M.  Wright,  $3;  Miriam  Grist, 
$2 ;  Joanna  Knapp,  $2  ;  Jennie  Baldwin,  $2. 

1 871 — Principal,  Ariston  Dwinell.  We  have  no  account  of  his  sub- 
ordinates. 

1872 — Principal,  W.  B.  Page,  $5;  E.  P.  Connor,  $2.50;  Olive  William- 
son, $2.25 ;  Flora  Rush,  $2.25  ;  Alice  Parent,  $2. 

1873 — ^Principal,  W.  B.  Page,  $5 ;  M.  J.  Swayne,  Lizzie  D.  Starbuck, 
Ella  R.  Ferguson,  Lizzie  Williamson,  Jennie  D.  McClure,  Olive  Williamson, 
Mattie  B.  Powers,  $2.25  each. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  64 1 

1874 — Principal,  J.  C.  Eagle,  $i,ooo  a  year;  J.  V.  Stewart,  $4  a  day; 
Jennie  L.  French,  Sallie  E.  George,  Martha  A.  Wilson,  Emma  A.  Marshall, 
Alice  Kemp,  Ruth  Hutchfnson,  $2.50  each. 

1875 — -Principal,  J.  C.  Eagle,  $1,100  a  year;  Daniel  Lesley,  $4.75  a  day; 
Lizzie  Meredith,  H.  S.  Foster,  $2.50  each;  Cyrus  Woodbury,  Mrs.  Willson, 
$2-37 J^  each;  MoUie  Banks,  $2.25. 

1876 — Principal,  J.  C.  Eagle,  $1,100;  Charles  W.  Paris,  $4;  Lizzie 
Meredith,  H.  S.  Foster,  $2.50  each;  Cyrus  Woodbury,  Mollie  Banks,  Martha 
A.  Willson,  $2.25 ;  x\.  R.  Kemp,  Laura  Palmer,  Edith  Leslie,  Clara  S.  Crane, 
Nettie  ^^'iggs,  $1.75  each. 

1877 — Principal,  J-  C.  Eagle,  $1,100  per  year;  Lizzie  Meredith,  H.  S. 
Foster,  $2.50  each;  G.  Reynard,  M.  A.  Willson,  $2.12^^  each;  Joanna  Tor- 
rence,  Nettie  V.  Wiggs,  Susie  Bowersox,  Ella  Ferguson,  $2  each.  [Whether 
there  were  others  we  do  not  know.  J 

1878 — Principal,  J.  C.  Eagle,  $1,100  a  year;  Olive  Coffeen,  $3;  H.  S. 
Foster,  $2.50;  Ella  Ferguson,  M.  A.  Willson,  $2.i2j/4  each;  G.  Reynard, 
■  $2.25;  Mr.  Torrence,  Nettie  V  Wiggs,  $2;  Susan  Bowersox,  $1.75;  Ella  Dill, 
$1.50;  H.  R.  Knauer  (German  and  music),  30  cents  per  hour. 

1879 — Principal,  Giles  F.  Mead,  $1,000  a  year;  F.  Treudley,  $3;  M.  D. 
Ozias,  ?»I.  A.  Harlan,  $2.50;  J.  C.  Torrence,  $2.25;  Inez  Bartholomew,  Bell 
Dwinell,  Susie  Bowersox,  Ella  Ferguson,  M.  A.  Willson,  $2  each;  Ella  Dill, 
$1.50.  Professor  Mead  died  February,  1880,  and  Mr.  Treudley  took  the 
vacant  place. 

Teachers  for  1880-81  :  Frederick  Treudley,  superintendent,  $1,000  a 
year;  Mrs.  'Si.  A.  ]\Iead,  high  school,  $540;  M.  A.  Harlan,  teacher  of  No.  9 
and  teacher  of  music,  $720;  Mrs.  J.  M.  Knapp,  No.  8,  $450;  Miss  Aurie 
Hedrick,  No.  7.  $405;  Miss  May  Meredith,  No.  6,  $360;  Miss  Bell  Dwinell, 
No.  5,  $360;  Miss  Libbie  Reeves,  No.  4,  $360;  Miss  Ella  Dill,  No.  3,  $360; 
Miss  Ella  Ferguson,  No.  2.  $360:  Mrs.  M.  A.  Wilson,  No.  i,  $450. 

Enrollment  for  1880:  No.  i,  100;  No.  2,  84;  No.  3,  83;  No.  4,  67;  No. 
5,  56;  No.  6,  48;  No.  7,  46;  No.  8,  45;  No.  9,  37;  high  school,  36.  Total 
enrollment,  602  average  for  1880,  388;  highest  monthly  average,  446;  lowest 
monthly  average,  325. 

The  trustees  of  the  Union  City  schools  have  been  as  follows :  J.  N.  Con- 
verse, Nathan  Cadwallader,  J.  M.  Jaynes,  Edward  Starbuck,  Henry  Jackson, 
Tilghman  Tfitt,  David  Ferguson,  W.  A.  Wiley,  C.  S.  Hardy,  L.  D.  Lambert, 
O.  C.  Gordon,  Allen  Jaqua,  H.  H.  Yergin,  John  S.  Starbuck,  C  S  [f-iok, 
William  Harris. 


642  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

A  regular  course  of  study  has  been  established,  requiring  twelve  years 
for  its  completion.  Ninety-nine  hundredths  of  the  pupils  in  attendance  never 
go  through  the  prescribed  course,  but  drop  out  anywhere  between  No.  i  and 
the  third  high  school  year.  A  few,  however,  do  persist  in  the  arduous  chase 
after  their  diploma,  and  succeed  in  capturing  it  at  last.  The  graduates  are 
given  elsewhere. 

Some  efforts  are  now  being  made  to  obtain  a  library  for  the  high  school, 
but  the  attainment  of  that  desirable  end  is  yet  mainly  in  the  future.     A  good 
beginning,  however,  has  been  made,  and  some  valuable  volumes  have  been 
obtained.     A  praiseworthy  enterprise  has  been  inaugurated  here  and  else- 
where to  create  a  love  for  higher  and  purer  literature,  and  with  some  success. 
The  form  the  enterprise  has  taken  has  been  chiefly  the  celebration  of  the 
birthdays  of  certain  distinguished  poets,  as  Bryant,  Longfellow,  Whittier  and 
possibly  others,  by  reading  and  reciting  extracts  from  their  works,  writing 
essays  and  critiques,  etc.     The  effect,  both  in  this  city  and  elsewhere,  has  been 
very  good.     The  light  of  a  new  world  of  beauty  and  love  and  wisdom  has 
dawned  upon  the  minds  of  the  young,  and  they  are  surprised  to  discover  how 
vastly  superior  are  Thanatopsis,  Evangeline  and  the  sweet  and  soft  flow  of 
the  mild  and  gentle  "Quaker  Poet's"  verse  to  the  trashy  dime  novels,  or  even 
the  blood  and  thunder  stories  or  the  love  and  murder  tales  of  the  Ledger,  or 
the  Weekly,  or  the  Saturday  Night,  or  any  of  the  legion  of  sensational  sheets 
that  weekly  spawn  their  noxious  brood  upon  a  gaping  and  astonished  world. 
The  first  schoolhouse  in  Union  City  was  built  in  1858,  made  of  brick,  with 
two  stories  and  three  rooms.     The  first  addition  was  made  in  1868.  at  a  cost 
of  $5,500,  also  built  of  brick,  with  two  stories,  two  schoolrooms,  two  halls,  a 
pump-room  and  an  office.     A  second  addition  was  made  some  years  after- 
ward, of  wood,  with  two  stories  and  two  rooms.     Another  building  has  since 
been  put  up,  made  of  wood,  with  two  stories  and  four  rooms.     The  main 
school  building  as  now  existing  has  the  greatest  amount  of  school  room,  with 
the  smallest  space  of  hall,  entry  and  stairways,  and  withal,  the  most  ready  and 
convenient  of  access  that  we  have  ever  seen.     There  are  eight  large  school- 
rooms and  an  office,  with  only  one  stairway,  one  lower  entry  and  one  upper 
entry,  both  small.     There  are  no  halls  nor  passage  ways  properly  so  called. 
A  single  teacher  standing  at  the  top  of  the  stairs  can  oversee  almost  the  entire 
ingress  and  egress  of  the  pupils  of  all  the  rooms  through  the  entries  up  or 
down  the  stairway  and  through  the  outer  door  of  the  building.     The  course 
of  study  as  at  present  existing  may  be  stated  in  substance  thus : 

First  Year,  D  Primary — Reading,  charts,  primer  and  first  reader;  writ- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  643 

ing,  print  and  script  on  the  slate  and  board ;  spelling,  words  in  their  lessons ; 
numbers,  addition  and  subtraction,  amounts  not  to  exceed  forty.  Language 
and  oral  lessons. 

Second  Year,  C  Primary — Reading,  second  reader ;  spelling,  words  of  the 
lessons,  writing,  slates,  board  and  copy-books,  with  pencil ;  number,  funda- 
mental operations,  not  above  three  figures,  signs,  Roman  numerals  to  C; 
language,  short  sentences,  correct  common  errors,  kinds  of  sentences,  etc. 
Oral  lessons. 

Third  Year,  B  Primary — Reading,  third  reader ;  spelling,  words  in  the 
lessons;  writing,  penmanship  No.  i;  numbers,  up  to  $1,000,000,  subtraction, 
no  carrying,  multiplication  to  nines;  language,  review  verb,  subject,  predicate, 
make  sentences.     Oral  lessons. 

Fourth  Year,  A  Primary — Reading,  fourth  reader;  spelling,  McGuffey's 
speller  to  pages  50 ;  writing,  copy-book,  no.  3 ;  number,  written  arithmetic 
commenced;  geography,  eclectic  no.  i,  commenced.  Language  and  oral 
lessons. 

Fifth  Year,  B  Intermediate — Reading,  fifth  reader  begun ;  spelling, 
eclectic  speller  to  page  71 ;  writing,  No.  3  copy-book;  geography,  eclectic  No. 
I  continued;  arithmetic,  mental  and  written  continued.  Language  and  oral 
lessons;  no  text-books. 

Sixth  Year,  A  Intermediate — Reading,  fifth  reader  completed ;  spelling, 
eclectic  speller  to  page  91;  writing  copy-book  No.  4;  numbers,  mental  and 
written  arithmetic  -through  reduction;  geography,  primary  geography  com- 
pleted ;  language,  continued ;  no  text -book.     Oral  lessons. 

Seventh  Year,  C  Grammar — Reading,  sixth  reader;  spelling,  electic 
speller  completed ;  writing,  copy-book,  No.  5 ;  numbers,  mental  and  written, 
to  partial  payments;  geography,  eclectic  No.  2,  begun;  language,  grammar  (in 
text-book)  begun.     Oral  lessons. 

Eighth  Year  B  Grammar — Reading,  sixth  reader;  spelling,  selected 
lessons;  writing,  copy-book  No.  6;  numbers,  mental,  through  Ray's  Intellec- 
tual; written,  through  Ray's  Practical;  geography,  eclectic  No.  2,  completed; 
language,  grammar  continued.     Oral  lessons. 

Ninth  Year,  A  Grammar — Reading,  sixth  reader;  spelling,  selected 
lessons ;  writing,  copy-book  No.  7 ;  numbers,  higher  arithmetic  begun ;  history, 
begun;  geography,  physical,  Cornell's;  grammar,  false  syntax,  analysis,  pars- 
ing, composition.     Oral  lessons. 

High  School  Course — First  year,  grammar,  arithmetic,  physiology, 
botany,  algebra,  German  and  book-keeping  (elective). 


644  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Second  year,  algebra,  natural  philosophy,  rhetoric,  Latin,  begun.  Third 
year,  geometry,  Latin  completed,  chemistry,  United  States  History,  United 
States  Constitution.  Spelling,  definition,  composition,  declamation,  etc., 
through  the  course. 

Recapitulation — Primary  course,  four  years,  Nos.  i  to  4,  through  fourth 
reader;  intermediate,  two  years,  fifth  reader;  grammar,  three  years;  high 
school,  three  years;  total  course,  twelve  years. 

If  the  great  body  of  the  pupils  could  spend  twelve  years  in  the  pursuit  of 
those  courses,  one  might  suppose  they  would  thereby  gain  "oceans"  of  knowl- 
edge. As  it  is,  one  in  a  hundred  "gets  through,"  but  where  are  the  ninety 
and  nine?     And  conjecture  sadly  answers,  "I  know  not  where,  indeed." 

The  text-books  are  as  follows :  McGuffey's  reader  and  speller — new 
series;  arithmetic,  Ray's;  grammar,  Harvey's;  geography,  Eclectic;  geog- 
raph}',  physical,  Cornell's;  algebra,,  Loomis  &  Ray's;  history,  Ridpath's; 
botany.  Wood's ;  geometry,  Loomis' ;  physiology,  natural  philosophy,  chem- 
istry, Steeles ;  Latin,  Harkness' ;  Virgil  and  Caesar. 

The  following  are  the  graduates : 

1876 — Perry  Shank,  Webster  Lambert,  Preston  Woodbury,  Edna 
Thomas — four. 

1878 — Jessie  Rub}^  Winnie  Scott,  Flora  Hutchinson,  Ella  Dill,  Lizzie 
Wiggs.  Flora  Branham — six. 

1879 — Jennie  Reed,  Charles  Proctor — two. 

1880 — May  McNeal,  Neva  Harrison,  Aurie  Hedrick,  Libby  Reeves — 
four. 

1881 — Herbert  Mitchell,  Samuel  Bartholomew,  Alicia  Fowler,  Clara 
Hutchinson- — four. 

1882 — Nettie  B.  Jackson,  Clara  Kavanaugh,  Dora  A.  Clark,  Jennie 
Hanlin,  Anna  Deem,  Sarah  A.  Murray,  Susan  Stewart,  Maynard  B.  McFeely, 
Morton  H.  Lambert — nine.     Total,  twenty-nine. 

The  commencement  exercises.  May  18,  1882,  held  in  the  capacious 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  were  of  a  high  order.  The  graduation  essays 
and  orations  were  well  prepared  and  finely  delivered  in  the  presence  of  a 
crowded  and  deeply  interested  assembly,  the  music  was  splendid,  the  presenta- 
tion address  was  excellent  and  impressive,  and  the  \Ahole  performance  was 
such  as  to  reflect  great  credit  upon  all  concerned  in  any  way  therein. 

We  have  printed  the  above  in  full  because  Mr.  Tucker  was  a  man  of 
broad  school  experience  and  this  article  shows  what  he  considered  the  most 
advanced  conditions  of  his  time.  The  mention  of  the  library  for  the  high 
school  is  worthy  of  note. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  645 

Could  Mr.  Tucker  again  visit  Union  City  and  see  their  splendid  library 
his  heart  would  no  doubt  rejoice. 

His  idea  of  a  school  building  seems  to  be  that  it  should  be  constructed 
with  as  little  space  for  stair  ways  and  hall  ways  as  possible.  How  dififerent 
he  would  see  things. today  were  he  to  enter  the  present  high  school  building 
with  its  many  stairways,  broad  and  commodious  halls,  ornamented  by  pic- 
tures and  statuary,  ample  basement  room  and  gymnasium.  The  schools  of 
Union  City  like  those  of  other  cities  of  Indiana  have  made  wonderful  progress 
since  1880. 

Mr.  Treudley  remaining  in  the  schools  for  several  years  and  started 
them  upon  a  high  plane.  Mr.  Treudley  was  followed  by  James  R.  Hart,  who, 
in  turn  was  followed  by  Mrs.  Susan  G.  Patterson. 

]\Irs.  Patterson  has  been  a  very  successful  principal  and  under  her 
superintendency  the  schools  made  rapid  progress.  She  was  followed  in  1896 
by  H.  W   Bowers  who  had  been  principal  of  the  high  school  one  year. 

Mr.  Bowers,  through  his  interest  and  enthusiasm  in  the  school  was  re- 
tained for  five  years  as  superintendent,  when  he  was  followed  by  Linnaeus 
Hines. 

Mr.  Hines  during  his  five  years  as  superintendent,  put  the  high  school 
upon  an  entirely  different  basis  from  what  it  had  been  before — that  of  the  de- 
partmental plan.  yiv.  Hines  also  aroused  considerable  enthusiasm  in  athletics. 
He  was  especially  strong  in  school  management  and  took  quite  an  interest  in 
the  public  library.  It  is  largely  through  his  personal  influence  that  the  splendid 
Carnegie  library  of  Union  City  was  instituted.  Mr.  Hines  left  Union  City 
in  1906  to  take  charge  of  the  Crawfordsville  schools,  which  place  he  now 
occupies.  He  was  followed  in  that  year  by  Mr.  O.  H.  Blossom  who  was 
retained  for  three  years  being  followed  by  J.  W.  Stott. 

Mr.  Stott  kept  the  school  on  the  high  plane  and  increased  its  efficiency 
and  left  it  only  for  a  larger  field.     He  was  followed  in  191 1  by  John  P  King. 

It  was  through  the  influence  of  Mr.  King  that  the  high  school  again  took 
an  especial  step  in  advancement,  as  it  was  under  his  administration  that 
vocational  work  was  instituted.  Some  of  the  principals  of  the  high  school, 
other  than  the  already  mentioned,  have  been  D.  C.  Arthur,  Eleanor  Deem, 
Ethelbert  Woodburn,  James  Gray,  John  Stanley,  James  O.  Batchelor,  Carl 
H.  Mote,  W.  Morrison,  Clyde  Cleveland,  W.  O.  Love  and  W.  O.  Stockin- 
ger.  The  Union  City  schools,  like  the  others  of  the  county,  stand  very 
high  and  the  patrons  are  loyal  and  enthusiastic  in  their  support  and  great 
things  are  certainly  in  store  for  their  school. 


646  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

FARMLAND   SCHOOLS. 

When  the  present  school  building  of  Farmland  was  dedicated  Dec.  2,  1909, 
the  usual  dedicatory  exercises  were  held.  At  these  exercises  two  papers 
of  unusual  interest  were  read ;  one  written  by  J.  W.  Macy,  the  other  by  Omar 
Caswell. 

Mr.  Macy's  paper  gave  so  graphically  the  organization  and  development 
of  its  first  school  we  are  quite  sure  it  will  interest  all  the  readers  of  this  book. 
The  history  of  the  first  school  in  Farmland  is  practically  the  history  of  most 
"first  schools"  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Caswell's  paper  was  written  after  weeks  and  months  of  careful  in- 
vestigation and  study  and  may  be  taken  as  authentic  for  anything  he  may 
have  to  say. 

FIRST  public'  school. 
By  J.  W.  Macy. 

In  the  year  1855  the  town  of  Farmland  then  about  three  years  old,  had 
a  population  of  perhaps  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  which  about  three-fifths  were 
eligible  to  admission  to  public  schools  and  the  only  places  bearing  any 
semblance  to  school  houses  were  two  old  log  houses,  one  about  where  the 
late  Dennis  Thornburg's  residence  now  stands,  and  one  just  east  of  the  resi- 
dence of  the  late  Elias  F.  Halliday,  then  owned  and  occupied  by  Dr.  William 
Macy  and  they  both  together  would  not  afford  room  for  fifty  pupils,  and 
besides  were  unfurnished  even  with  seats.  The  necessity  for  immediate  pro- 
visions for  school  facilities  was  apparent  and  urgent.  There  was  then  on  the 
statute  books  of  our  state  a  law  authorizing  the  formation  of  school  associa- 
tions for  the  erection  of  school  houses,  and  authorizing  such  association  to 
receive  contributions  and  accept  subscriptions  and  take  and  hold  title  to  real 
estate  for  such  purpose  and  further  providing  that  such  associations  when 
so  organized  and  when  a  building  was  constructed  by  such  efforts,  to  employ 
teachers  and  draw  the  public  money  due  from  the  public  school  fund  to  sup- 
port schools,  pay  teachers,  etc.  In  that  year  a  few  of  the  citizens  of  the  new 
town  met,  organized  a  school  association,  pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  this 
law  and  purchased  the  tract  of  ground  on  the  west  side  of  town  upon  which 
the  old  school  house  stood.  The  deed  was  made  by  Dr.  AVilliam  Macy  and 
wife  Lucy  to  the  Farmland  School  Association  and  was  dated  December  21, 
1855.  The  records  of  this  association  unfortunately  have  been  destroyed  so 
that  we  can  not  know  certainly  how  it  was  organized,  the  amount  of  subscrip- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  647 

tions  and  donations,  or  the  names  of  the  subscribers  and  donors,  all  of  which 
would  be  interesting  to  us  now,  but  from  public  records  at  Winchester  it  seems 
reasonably  certain  that  the  trustees  of  the  association  were  Dr.  William  Macy, 
James  Pursley  and  David  Macy- 

The  foregoing  conclusions  are  reached  from  recorded  facts.  Thence- 
forth I  must  depend  entirely  on  my  memory.  In  the  early  spring  of  1856  the 
work  of  clearing  away  and  laying  the  foundation  for  the  new  seat  of  learning 
began.  I  remember  it  as  of  yesterday.  The  site  was  an  unbroken  forest. 
The  day  a  superb  spring  morning.  I  distinctly  remember  that  it  had  rained 
during  the  night,  and  the  branches  and  buds  of  the  underbrush  were  wet  and 
dripping.  The  morning  sun  came  up  gloriously  in  the  east,  and,  shining  on 
the  clinging  drops,  glistened  and  glittered  like  emeralds.  The  ground  was 
soft  and  yielding  and  we  began  the  work  of  grubbing  and  cutting  away  the 
timber  every  stroke  would  bring  down  a  shower  upon  our  heads,  which  made 
it  great  sport  for  us  boys.  I  also  remember  many  of  the  people  whoiwere 
there.  I  hope  after  the  lapse  of  nearly  fifty-four  years  the  omission  of  a 
name  will  not  be  charged  as  an  intentional  omission  of  deserved,  honorable 
mention,  but  that  it  may  be  laid  properly  to  defect  of  memory,  excusable  under 
the  circumstances.  I  remember  that  earnest,  dignified  Judge  Peter  S.  Miller 
was  there,  and  so  Avas  Dr.  William  Macy,  then  and  always  enthusiastic  and 
optimistic  on  all  educational  subjects.  David  Macy,  my  father,  energetic 
and  whole  hearted  in  the  enterprise  and  a  firm  believer  in  the  doctrine  that 
education  and  Christianity  are  inseparably  linked,  indissoluably  bound  and 
must  survive  or  perish  together.  And  James  Pursley,  a  practical  cool-headed 
man  who  realized  the  need  of  education  and  went  about  this  work  like  he  was 
building  a  barn.  Doctor  Ford,  fine  generous,  intelligent,  with  a  house  full 
of  girls  to  educate,  but  not  a  boy  among  them.  All  of  these  men  who  had 
boys  large  enough  to  handle  an  axe  or  a  grubbing  hoe  or  pull  one  end  of  a 
cross-cut  saw,  had  them  on  the  ground. 

The  whole  crowd  "waded"  into  the  clearing  with  such  vigor  that  before 
the  sun  was  half  way  down  the  western  horizon,  the  underbrush  was  grubbed, 
piled  and  burned,  the  trees  felled,  bodies  trimmed  and  branches  stacked  and 
burned,  blocks  sawed  to  put  the  sills  upon,  as  a  foundation  and  the  ground 
staked  off  for  laying  the  same.  And  as  the  work  approached  completion  I 
distinctly  recollect  that  my  father  and  Dr.  Macy  who  were  great  personal 
and  political  cronies,  but  on  theology  were  as  wide  apart  as  the  poles,  became 
engaged  in  an  argument  of  religion.  The  Doctor  was  a  materialist  or  at 
least  he  thought  he  was,  and  my  father,  a  most  devoted,  orthodox  Quaker. 


648  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  argument  became  heated  and  to  an  extent  personal  and  acrimonious,  so 
much  so,  that  Judge  Miller  put  an  end  to  the  debate  by  a  demand  for  the  pre- 
vious question,  on  the  subject  of  a  new  school  house.  Meanwhile  we  boys 
taking  advantage  of  the  lull  in  active  operations  selected  the  driest  point  and 
engaged  in  wrestling  and  jumping  matches  then  the  principal  athletics  for  the 
boys  in  the  spring  time.  From  this  beginning  and  from  that  time  on,  the 
work  was  prosecuted  with  more  or  less  vigor  and  to  an  extent  irregular 
and  spasmodic.  Nearly  every  carpenter  within  a  range  of  ten  miles  worked 
on  that  building  one  time  or  another.  If  a  carpenter  owed  a  merchant,  black- 
smith, shoemaker,  wagon  makers,  tanners,  or  what  not  of  the  town,  the  value 
of  a  day's  work  he  was  immediately  called  in  and  put  to  work.  But  it  meant 
something  to  build  a  house  in  those  days.  It  is  probable  that  when  we  began 
the  work  on  that  spring  morning  every  stick  of  timber  afterwards  put  into 
that  school  house  was  then  standing  green  in  the  woods ;  the  frame  timbers 
had  to  be  hewed  from  the  round  logs,  all  the  saw  timber,  boards,  shingles, 
weather  boarding,  had  to  be  cut  into  logs,  hauled  to  the  mill,  sawed,  then 
stacked  into  dry  kilns  and  dried,  even  for  the  doors  and  windows,  window 
sashes.  The  stone  for  the  lime  had  to  be  ground  and  burned  for  the  plaster- 
ing. A  man  in  those  days  couldn't  take  a  hand  saw  and  hatchet  and  put  up  a 
frame  house,  as  in  the  present  machine  made  age.  So,  notwithstanding  all 
the  energy,  enthusiasm  and  vim  put  into  it,  the  house  was  not  near  completed 
when  time  to  take  up  fall  school  arrived.  I  know  my  father  made  most  of 
the  desks,  having  turned  one  of  the  rooms  of  our  dwelling  into  a  work  shop 
for  that  purpose,  and  after  school  began  kept  making  and  putting  them  in  as 
he  could  find  time  to  do  so.  And  now,  I  imagine,  if  we  had  one  of  those 
desks  here,  it  might,  when  compared  with  the  beautiful  furniture  of  this  school 
room,  be  a  source  of  amusement,  but  to  me  that  old  school  house  and  those  old 
desks  were  sacrificial  offering  upon  the  altar  of  duty  to  family  and  country, 
by  rugged,  earnest.  God-fearing,  family  and  country  loving  men  and  patriots. 
Well  the  old,  or  rather  the  new,  school  house  was  completed  and  the  boys  and 
the  girls  came,  the  boys  clad  in  home  spun  jeans  and  flannel  and  shod  in 
cow  skin  boots,  the  girls  in  their  home  made  linsey  woolsey  frocks,  wearing 
substantial  calf  skin  shoes,  with  soles  half  inch  thick,  and  poke  bonnets,  I 
think  that  was  Avhat  they  called  them,  but  whatever  they  called  them,  my 
recollection  is,  they  partially  concealed  the  sweetest  rosey  faces  ever  worn  by 
girls  since  time  began.  And  when  these  girls  sailed  up  the  aisle  to  their  seats 
it  may  not  have  been  noiseless,  but  it  was  with  the  air  and  grace  of  queens, 
and  so  they  were  queens,  and  ever  shall  be  to  me.     And  what  a  host  of  these 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA,  649 

boys  and  girls  there  were!  They  came  from  the  families  of  Judge  Miller, 
Doctor  Ford,  Solomon  Robbins,  Jacob  Simmons,  the  four  Macy  families — 
Jonathan,  William,  David  and  Aaron — John  and  Elisha  Doty,  James  Pursley, 
Samuel,  John  and  Newton  McNees,  John  Mclntire,  George  Gray,  William 
Peterson,  Eli  Hiatt,  Thomas  Connor,  Francis  Wilkins,  Nicholas  Caywood, 
Dr.  James  M.  and  John  W.  Keener,  Beneville  Moyer  and  George  Ludwick 
and  doubtless  many  others,  which  I  can  not  thus  hurriedly  call  to  mind.  And 
they  came  through  the  mud,  oceans  of  mud,  think  of  it !  There  wasn't  a  side- 
walk in  the  town,  board,  gravel,  or  otherwise,  save  about  50  feet  of  bark  in 
front  of  Miller  &  Ford's  store,  and  when  the  worst  came  the  larger  ones  had 
to  carry  the  smaller  ones  from  their  homes  to  the  school  house. 

But  to  my  subject,  the  first  school  house.  It  was  used  for  everything 
under  the  sun,  for  school,  for  town  hall,  for  shows  (strictly  moral,  of  course), 
for  prayer  meetings,  revivals,  school  exhibitions,  to  hold  court  in  political 
rallies,  temperance  and  scientific  lectures,  war  meetings,  and  1  vividly  remem- 
ber one  hot  August  day  in  1862,  that  about  one  hundred  of  us  met  there  under 
the  lead  of  Captain  Burres  and  elected  officers  of  Company  "A"  of  the  Eighty- 
fifth  Indiana.  And  there  were  our  teachers,  Samuel  McKee,  Francis  Marion 
Way,  Major  Stine,  Captain  Peoples,  all  good  earnest  educators.  But  Farm- 
land's favorite  teacher  was  Mr.  Way.  He  was  the  idol  of  his  pupils.  In 
person,  tall,  straight  as  an  arrow,  broad  shouldered,  symetrical,  a  perfect 
athlete  in  build  and  in  fact.  In  the  school  room  he  was  an  earnest,  intelligent 
tutor,  exacting  from  pupils,  obedience  to  rules,  close  application  and  hard 
work,  giving  them  kindest  attention,  lucid  instructions  and  encouragement. 
He  rejoiced  in  their  successes  and  sympathized  in  their  failures.  On  the 
play  grounds  he  led  in  every  play  and  was  the  play  fellow  and  familiar  com- 
rade of  every  girl  and  boy.  He  was  most  anxious  to  be  with  you  today  but 
ill  health  and  the  infirmities  of  old  age  prevented  his  attendance. 

Not  only  was  it  the  scene  of  busy  hours  and  the  buzz  of  the  school  room, 
full  of  happy,  hopeful,  lazy,  caged  and  restless  boys  and  girls,  deep  in  gram- 
mar, arithmetic,  reading  and  writing,  but  its  walls  have  echoed  to  the 
declamations  of  embryo  orators  in  the  rendition  of  such  old  pieces  as  "Rienzis 
address  to  the  Romans"  Shakespeare's  dramatic  history  of  "The  quarrel  of 
Brutus  and  Cassius,"  the  "Maniac,"'  Patrick  Henry's  "Give  Me  Liberty  or  Give 
Me  Death,"  Webster's  "The  Union  One  and  Indivisible,"  "The  Border  Ruf- 
fian" and  it  resounded  to  the  philips  of  orators  against  the  crime  of  human 
slavery,  the  ignus  fatus  of  squatter  sovereignity  the  awful  crime  of  in- 
temperance, to  the  appeals  of  flush  faced  oratory  to  stand  by  the  old  flags  and 


05U  -RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

of  preachers  to  come  to  the  mourners'  bench  and  give  your  soul  to  God.  And 
at  its  north  door  afterwards  stood  we  young  male  gamin,  shivering  with  fear 
and  burning  with  desire,  waiting  for  the  girls,  and  dreading  the  mitten. 

I  have  briefly  outlined  the  building  of  the  first  public  school  house  in 
your  beautiful  town  and  it  should  end  the  task  assigned  me,  but  I  crave  one 
word  more.  I  loved  that  old  school  house  and  carried  its  picture,  archi- 
tectually  ugly  as  it  was,  in  mind  all  through  life,  not  because  I  had  had  some- 
thing to  do  with  its  building,  but  because  of  the  tender  memories  it  invokes, 
because  within  its  walls  and  upon  its  play  grounds,  I  passed  the  happiest  hours 
of  my  life,  because  of  the  friendships  there  begun,  lasting  through  all  the 
trials  and  vicissitudes  of  life  ending,  or  ended,  only  by  death.  Oh,  the  beauty, 
the  strength,  the  purity,  the  unselfishness,  may  I  say  the  immorality  of  the 
friendships  of  youth  and  finally  because  of  the  happ)'  hopeful  young  faces 
lastingly  impressed  on  my  memory,  faces  made  radiant  by  the  morning  sun- 
light of  life,  its  hopes,  its  aspirations,  its  expectations. 

CASWELL   ARTICLE. 

In  the  spring  of  1855  ]\Iary  Ellen  Macy  taught  the  first  school  in  Farm- 
land. The  school  house  was  a  log  cabin,  14x16  feet,  which  stood  across 
the  street  from  the  Christian  church  where  the  residence  of  the  late  Dennis 
Thornburg  now  stands.  The  salary  of  the  teacher,  of  this  school,  and  that 
of  the  next  one  was  paid  by  subscriptions  of  the  patrons.  The  second  school 
was  taught  during  the  winter  of  1855-1856  by  James  McNees.  He  had 
recently  married  Miss  Macy  and  they  lived  in  a  two-room  house  on  West 
William  street.     In  one  room  he  taught  school,  assisted  by  his  wife. 

On  December  31,  1855,  William  Macy  made  a  deed  to  the  Farmland 
school  association,  for  a  lot  on  the  angling  pike  on  the  west  side  of  Farmland. 
This  association  was  probably  organized  under  the  statutes  of  1843,  with 
Doctor  R.  Ford,  Peter  S.  Miller,  and  David  Macy  as  trustees.  On  this 
lot  was  erected  the  first  public  school  house  in  Farmland.  In  this  house 
Francis  IMarion  Way  taught  the  public  school,  during  the  winter  of  1856 
and  1857. 

During  the  summer  and  fall  of  1863  another  school  house  was  erected, 
on  the  east  side  of  Farmland,  where  the  Friends'  church  now  stands.  The 
deed  to  this  lot  was  made  by  David  Macy  to  the  trustee  of  Monroe  township, 
but  not  until  March  22,  1867. 

The  deed  for  the  ground,  on  which  the  first  brick  school  building  was 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  65 1 

erected,  was  made  by  Curtis  Thornburg  and  wife,  April  i8,  1868.  The 
building  was  three-story  without  basement  and  contained  five  rooms.  It  was 
erected  while  James  S.  Davis  was  the  township  trustee.  About  this  time 
there  was  an  advisory  board,  consisting  of  Elias  Halliday,  Captain  William 
Burris  and  Dennis  Thornburg.  Mr.  Lee  Ault  says,  'The  schools  had  not 
been  graded,  prior  to  1869.  The  present  building  was  erected  in  that  year 
and  was  not  ready  for  occupancy  when  the  schools  opened.  I  remember 
that  we  organized  the  different  grades  in  the  Methodist  church,  while  the 
workmen  were  cleaning  the  school  building,  putting  up  blinds,  etc' 

In  1876  the  Farmland  schools  were  taken  from  under  the  control  of 
the  township  trustee  and  put  in  charge  of  its  school  board.  The  town  did 
not  own  the  school  building,  but  paid  the  township  rent  for  its  use,  at  the 
rate  of  eight  dollars  per  month,  and  kept  the  building  in  repair.  The  town 
continued  to  pay  rent  until  this  territory  was  taken  into  the  corporation. 
In  October,  1888,  the  town  trustees  gave  notice  that  they  would  present 
a  petition  to  the  county  commissioners,  asking  for  the  annexation  of  lots, 
on  which  the  Friends'  church  stands  and  territory  owned  by  Monroe  town- 
ship. 

The  town  council  passed  an  ordinance,  at  the  regular  monthl}-  meeting  of 
the  board,  Monday  night.  May  5,  1890,  authorizing  the  issue  and  the  sale  of 
bonds  to  the  value  of  five  thousand  dollars  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  new 
school  building,  on  the  site  of  the  present  dilapidated  structure.  This  was  an 
addition  to  the  old  building. 

The  contract  was  let  to  David  Wasson  for  the  sum  of  three  thousand 
four  hundred  thirty-eight  dollars ;  not  including  heating  and  ventilating  and 
installing  of  closets.     These  were  let  to  George  H.  Hess  Co.,  $1,230.00. 

The  alumni  association  of  the  Farmland  High  School  was  organized  in 
1894.  Norman  Wood,  president.  Russell  Wilson,  vice-president;  Vinnie 
Eby,  secretary;  Earl  Wood,  treasurer.  Esther  McProud,  Grace  Collins, 
Carrie  Eby,  executive  committee. 

The  high  school  library  had  gained  good  proportions  by  1894. 

The  building  dedicated  December  2,  1902,  is  one  of  the  most  commo- 
dious and  best  equipped  school  buildings  to  be   found  in  eastern  Indiana. 

The  teachers  have  been  as  follows : 
1855   Mary  Ellen  Macy,  subscription  school;    1855-56  James   H.    McNees, 
subscription  school. 

The  pubHc  school  teachers  and  superintendents  have  been,  Marion  Way, 
56-57;  J.  B.  McProud,  57-58;  Marion  Way,  58-59-60;  James  H.  Stine,  60- 
61;  H.  A.  Schoolfield,  61-66;  R.  D.  Norveil,  66-67;  James  S.  Davis,  67-68; 


6S2  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Mollie  Watts,  68-69  >  Lee  Ault,  69-72.  Charles  W.  Paris,  72-73 ;  C.  S.  Atkin- 
son, 73-75;  William  Loy,  75-76;  C.  W.  Paris,  76-77;  Marcus  Bosworth,  yy- 
79;  Ira  M.  Branson,  79-80;  J.  V.  Stewart,  80-81;  J.  Hancock,  81-82;  U. 
B.  Huron,  82-84;  John  Hancock,  84-85;  C.  W.  Paris,  85-86.  H.  D.  Good, 
86-89;  U.  O.  Cox,  89-91;  O.  B.  Zell,  91-92;  J.  D.  White,  91-97;  G.  C. 
Powers,  97-1900;  J.  F.  Bobbit,  1900-02;  J.  O.  Batchelor,  1902-06;  Omar 
Caswell,  1906-11;  Harry  McKinsie,  1911-13.  E.  E.  Zimmerman,  1913-14. 

Mr.  Caswell  deserves  great  credit  for  the  work  done  in  compiling  the 
above  as  no  records  had  been  kept  of  a  great  deal  of  it. 

SCHOOLS  OF  RIDGEVILLE. 

The  early  schools  of  Ridgeville  had  practically  the  same  experience  as 
has  been  described  in  Mr.  Macy's  article  concerning  Farmland  schools. 

At  the  time  high  schools  were  being  organized  Ridgeville  was  fortunate 
to  have  its  college,  and  the  needs  of  the  community  were  supplied  by  it  rather 
than  having  a  high  school  organized;  however,  an  attempt  was  made  and  a 
high  school  started  but  this  merged  into  the  Ridgeville  college.  This  brought 
about  a  very  bitter  school  fight,  which  resulted  eventually  in  the  high  school 
being  organized  as  a  separate  institution. 

H.  W.  Bortner  was  its  superintendent  at  that  period.  He  was  succeeded 
by  M.  S.  Gragh  in  1900.  But  little  high  school  work  was  done  in  1900,  as 
that  was  the  year  the  "school  fight"  took  place;  however,  Mr.  Gragh  reor- 
ganized the  high  school  in  1902  and  put  it  upon  a  sound  basis. 

The  history  of  the  Ridgeville  high  school  was  virtually  a  history  of  Mr. 
Gragh's  work,  because  he  has  been  superintendent  since  that  period. 

J.  E.  McFarland  later  taught  the  eighth  grade  and  part  of  the  high  school 
work;  in  1905  Thurlow  Shugart  became  principal,  and  was  followed  by  John 
Shook  in  1906,  and  Mr.  J.  E.  McFarland,  who  had  been  in  the  grade  work 
of  the  eighth  grade,  was  chosen  principal  of  the  high  school,  which  position 
he  retained  until  1910.  Miss  Alice  Newman  was  elected  to  this  place;  in 
1912  Mr.  C.  C.  Bair  was  principal;  in  1913,  W.  S.  Fagley. 

The  first  class  graduated  from  the  high  school  was  in  1906. 

Under  the  efificient  management  of  Mr.  Gragh  and  his  teachers  the 
school  was  commissioned  January  7,  1909. 

The  Ridgeville  school  at  the  present  time  is  laboring  under  disadvantages 
of  equipment  and  assessed  valuation  sufficient  to  build  a  new  building  which  it 
requires.    No  doubt  this,  in  time,  will  be  done. 


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RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  653 

Other  teachers  in  the  high  school  of  Ridgeville  have  been :  Feme  Allen, 
Harold  Trimble,  Margaret  Hardin,  Marcia  King,  Alice  McFarland,  Bessie 
Rubey,  and  others  whose  names  can  not  be  learned  at  this  time. 

PRIVATE    SCHOOLS,    UNION    CITY,    IND. 

A  Catholic  school  has  been  maintained  for  many  years.  The  building 
contains  two  rooms,  the  upper  room  being  entered  by  an  outer  (covered) 
stairway.  The  school  is  conducted  by  two  female  teachers  and  a  music 
teacher.  It  is  wholly  free  to  the  pupils  through  the  income  of  a  fund  estab- 
lished for  that  purpose  by  Peter  Kuntz,  lumber  dealer,  a  public-spirited  citizen 
of  the  town  and  a  worthy  member  of  the  Catholic  church.  This  school  is 
well  patronized.  The  number  of  pupils  reaches  and  sometimes  surpasses  a 
hundred.  If  the  Catholic  friends  seem  disinclined  to  patronize  the  public 
schools,  which  are  supported  by  public  taxation  and  freely  open  to  the  whole 
community,  it  is  well,  at  least,  that  by  the  princely  munificence  of  one  large- 
hearted  citizen,  liberally  contributing  out^of  his  honorable  and  abundant  gains 
for  the  praiseworthy  object,  the  poorest  child  shall  have  equal  opportunity  at 
learning  with  the  richest  man  in  the  land ! 

The  schools,  like  all  other  institutions  in  the  land,  have  made  wonderful 
progress. 

The  child  of  today,  surrounded,  as  he  is,  by  the  modern  school's,  with 
every  convenience,  as  to  sanitation,  perfect  heat  and  ventilation,  with  walls 
ornamented  by  splendid  pictures,  copies  of  the  masterpieces  of  the  world, 
statuary  of  the  highest  class  greeting  him  in  the  corridors,  teachers  of  culture, 
graduates  of  normal  schools  and  colleges  to  teach  him,  books  in  plenty  upon 
all  subjects  which  he  may  wish  to  investigate,  laboratories  equipped  for  the 
sciences,  manual  training  and  sewing  rooms,  kitchens,  and,  in  fact,  with  all 
up-to-date  conveniences,  can  scarcely  appreciate  or  imagine  the  conditions 
under  which  his  grandfather  struggled  for  these  same  things  which  he  has 
handed  to  him. 

The  old  school,  with  its  meagre  equipment  and  lack  of  facilities,  how- 
ever, turned  out  men  and  women  capable  of  meeting  and  solving  the  problems 
of  their  time.  All  honor  is  due  them  and  can  be  paid  them  for  the  advance- 
ment which  they  made  under  such  adverse  circumstances.  They  have  made 
civilization  and  culture  of  today  a  possibility,  and  the  boys  and  girls  who 
today  avail  themselves  of  the  modern  school  is  only  doing  as  his  grandfather 
did — living  up  to  his  highest  opportunity. 
(42) 


6S4  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  hope  of  the  country  lies  in  its  schools,  and  no  citizenship  can  possibly 
attain  its  highest  degree  without  having  the  most  efficient  schools.  The  com- 
munity that  in  any  way  fails  to  offer  its  children  the  best  of  opportunities  is 
robbing  itself  of  the  possibility  of  the  highest  citizenship  of  the  future. 

Formerly  students  were  appointed  by  the  county  commissioners  to  attend 
Indiana  University,  Wabash  College  and  Purdue  University.  These  privi- 
leges were  not  extended  from  Wabash  College  for  very  many  years  and  was 
soon  withdrawn  from  Indiana  University,  but  is  still  continued  to  Purdue 
University. 

The  first  student  appointed  to  Indiana  College  was  Samuel  Hawkins, 
appointed  in  1834.  W.  D.  Wood  and  William  J.  Shoemaker  were  appointed 
in  1846.  Isaac  Jenkinson  and  John  W.  Jarnigan  were  appointed  in  1848. 
LaSalle  Bailey  and  Elisha  H.  A¥ood  in  1866.  There  seems  to  be  but  two 
more  appointees  to  Indiana  University, — Leander  U.  and  Rosecran  J.  Bos- 
worth  were  appointed  in  1886.  Albert  Price  was  appointed  to  Wabash  Col- 
lege in  January,  1847,  for  five  years.  Paris  P.  Thomas  was  also  appointed 
to  Wabash  in  1881,  they  being  the  only  appointees  of  the  county  to  that 
school.  Purdue  has  had  more  appointees  than  any  other  school;  they  are 
as  follows:  J.  J.  Wilmore,  1884;  Emerson  Lasley,  1885;  William  W.  Ken- 
non,  1891;  Edwin  G.  Chenoweth,  1891 ;  Harry  Piatt,  1897;  Don  Shockney, 
1897;  .Gerald  Johnson,  1903;  T.  F.  Moorman,  1904;  Clarence  W.  Driver, 
1905  and  1908;  Fred  S.  Boltz,  1905;  Merle  B.  Davis,  1909;  Oscar  Britt, 
1909;  Merle  B.  Davis  and  Glenn  Holmes,  1910;  Lawson  Thompson  and 
Seward  Wright,  191 1;  Edward  Davis,  1912;  Walter  Simmons,  1912;  Jesse 
Haynes  and  Chester  Macy,  1913,  with  Walter  C.  Simmons  and  Reed  Cleven- 
ger  alternate  students  of  1913.  * 

SCHOOL   OFFICIALS. 

The  management  of  schools  has  always  been  and  will  always  continue 

to  be  a  very  important  factor  in  the  development  of  the  schools.     The  fram- 

ers  of  the  Constitution  recognized  that  the  school  system  must  have  a  head  and 

that  it  must  also  have  in  each  county,  township  and  district  a  representative 

who  would  be  held  responsible  for  the  schools. 

Indiana  has  what  is  known  as  the  township  unit  of  schools,  or  the  schools 
of  the  township  are  under  the  management  of  one  man.  This  management, 
however,  was  not  given  to  the  township  trustee  until  1853.  Prior  to  that 
time  schools  were  under  the  control  of  the  "three  good  district  fathers,"  the 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  65 S 

picture  of  which  is  so  graphically  drawn  in  the  "Hoosier  School  Master." 
It  was  the  duty  of  these  men  to  build  the  school  house  and  provide  a  teacher. 

In  1845  they  were  given  the  power  of  examining  the  teachers.  It  soon 
became  evident  that  this  was  a  very  poor  plan,  and  as  early  as  1853  examiners 
were  appointed  for  the  county  instead  of  each  district.  From  1853  to  1861 
there  were  two  examiners  for  each  county. 

James  Brown  was  one  of  these  examiners  in  1853-54-57-58-59-60;  John 
W.  Cheney,  1853-60;  Colonel  Colgrove,  1855-56.  June  7th,  1861,  Pleasant 
Hiatt  was  appointed  for  three  years  and  was  again  appointed  in  1864  for 
three  years.  Mr.  Hiatt  served  during  the  war  period,  and  the  records  of  the 
county  superintendent's  office  show  that  he  had  his  difficulties.  Some  of  his 
teachers  were  considered  disloyal  to  the  Union  and  Mr.  Hiatt  did  not  hesi- 
tate a  moment  to  revoke  the  license  of  any  one  so  inclined.  Mr.  Hiatt's 
theory  was.  that  any  patriotic  man  does  not  lose  an  opportunity  to  show  his 
patriotism,  and  a  lack  of  showing  it  was  construed  by  Mr.  Hiatt  as  disloyalty. 

Mr.  Hiatt  was  succeeded  by  John  F.  Cooper  June  nth,  1864.  Mr. 
Cooper  was  elected  for  a  period  of  three  years,  but  removed  to  Wayne  county 
in  a  few  weeks  after  his  election  and  was  succeeded  by  J.  B.  Harrison  on 
October  24th,  1864.  Mr.  Harrison  was  elected  to  serve  until  the  first  Mon- 
day in  June,  1867.  For  some  reason  Mr.  Harrison  resigned.  Mr.  Pleasant 
Hiatt  was  again  elected  October  24,  1864,  to  serve  until  the  first  Monday  in 
June,  1867. 

For  some  reason  not  understood  by  the  writer,  the  commissioners,  on 
June  19,  1865,  "Appointed  Pleasant  Hiatt  school  examiner  for  Randolph 
county  for  the  term  of  three  years  from  this  date."  Mr.  Hiatt  served  until 
September  7th,  1866,  when  he  presented  the  following  to  the  county  com- 
missioners, through  the  county  auditor :  "To  the  Honorable  William  E. 
Murray,  auditor  of  Randolph  county.  Sir :  I  hereby  tender  my  resignation 
as  school  examiner  of  said  county — You  will  please  accept  the  same  to  the 
satisfaction  of  myself  and  all  parties  concerned.  Pleasant  Hiatt."  The 
commissioners  accepted  the  resignation  and  on  the  next  day  John  G.  Brice 
was  "appointed  school  examiner  to  fill  the  vacancy  in  the  unexpired  term 
of  Pleasant  Hiatt  who  had  resigned."     Mr.  .Brice  immediately  qualified. 

Mr.  Brice  was  reappointed  June  5,  -1868,  to  serve  a  period  of  three  years. 

The  first  evidence  of  a  contest  for  this  office  is  shown  in  the  June  election 
of  1871,  when  "the  petitions  of  J.  G.  Brice  and  A.  J.  Stakebake  and  the 
application  of  Prof,  John  Cooper  for  the  appointment  of  school  examiner 
were  presented 


656  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,  "INDIANA. 

"And  the  board  having  seen  and  inspected  said  papers  and  being  satis- 
fied with  the  matters  and  things  therein  contained  and  having  maturely  de- 
Hberated  thereon  hereby  appoint  Andrew  J.  Stakebake  school  examiner  for 
Randolph  county  for  the  term  of  three  years  and  until  his  successor  is  ap- 
pointed and  qualified." 

Mr.  Stakebake  was  the  last  to  hold  this  office  of  county  examiner.  It 
was  evident  that  the  office  of  the  county  examiner  was  not  far  reaching 
enough  in  its  powers  to  be  of  sufficient  service  to  meet  the  growing  needs  of 
the  schools.  The  examiner  merely  held  examinations  and  issued  licenses ;  he 
also  had  the  power  of  revocation  of  licenses.  He  had  no  supervision  of 
schools ;  his  office  contained  no  powers  of  superintendency,  which  left  the 
township  trustees  the  sole  directors  of  the  school  interests.  Even  the  power 
of  examination  was  very  much  abused  on  the  part  of  a  great  many  school 
examiners  and  applicants. 

Boone,  in  his  "History  of  Education  in  Indiana,"  says : 

"The  office  was  not  an  onerous  one,  and  was  rarely  filled  by  persons  ap- 
pointed for  their  fitness,  sometimes  by  teachers  or  ex-teachers,  generally  by 
professional  or  tradesmen,  often  in  a  perfunctory  way.  The  law  required 
only  that  they  should  'examine  such  persons  as  should  apply  for  that  purpose, 
and  certify  what  branches  they  were  qualified  to  teach.' 

"With  persons  of  different  degrees  of  attainrnent  and  experience,  each 
operating  independently  of  the  others,  there  was  no  possible  or  uniform 
standard  of  examination.  'He  who  was  most  lenient  and  superficial  was  most 
patronized.  A  teacher  failing  to  pass  with  one  examiner  frequently  applied 
to  another  and  received  license.'  In  no  respect  does  a  system  show  itself 
weaker  than  in  the  careless  or  indiscriminate  selection  of  teachers.  Good 
schools  mean  good  teachers.  This  requires  a  wise  and  critical  sifting  of  ap- 
plicants, in  which  sifting  most  laws  fail,  notably  the  earlier  ones." 

It  became  apparent  to  the  leaders  of  education  that  a  more  central  sys- 
tem was  necessary.  Various  state  superintendents  of  public  instruction  rec- 
ommended changes  in  these  laws,  but  it  was  not  until  1873  that  the  Legisla- 
ture heeded  this  recommendation  and  passed  what  is  known  as  the  "County 
Superintendent  Law.''  This  increased  the  efficiency  of  school  government 
perhaps  more  than  any  law  up  to  tha.t  time.  Doctor  Smart  says  of  it :  "The 
act  did  not  create  a  new  office,  ,as  many  have  supposed,  but  merely  enlarged 
the  powers  of  an  old  officer  and  changed  his  title.  The  county  examiner  was 
a  county  superintendent  in  fact.  The  county  superintendent  examines  and 
licenses  teachers ;  so  did  the  examiner.    The  superintendent  makes  certain  re- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  657 

ports  to  the  county  auditor  and  to  the  state  superintendent  of  pubHc  instruc- 
tion; so  did  the  examiner.  The  superintendent  visits  the  schools  of  the 
county;  so  did  the  examiner;  the  superintendent  holds  county  institutes;  so 
did  the  examiner.  The  truth  is  that  we  have  had  (December,  1876.  See 
Eighth  Biennial  Report,  p.  91),  county  superintendency  in  Indiana  for  more 
than  twenty-five  years,  the  chief  difference  between  the  present  and  the  former 
system  being  that  the  one  provides  for  an  efficient  supervision,  while  the  other 
did  not." 

Under  this  law  the  county  examiner  was  made  county  superintendent 
and  was  required  to  visit  schools,  look  after  their  organization,  personally 
direct  township  institutes ;  examine  official  reports  or  trustees  in  school  mat- 
ters— in  fact,  was  given  the  general  superintendence  of  the  schools.  Instead 
of  being  elected  by  the  county  commissioners,  as  the  county  examiners  had 
been,  he  was  elected  by  the  township  trustees,  who,  with  the  county  superin- 
tendent and  president  of  the  town  school  boards,  constitute  the  county  board 
of  education. 

The  county  superintendent  has  charge  of  all  the  schools  of  the  county 
except  those  of  towns  and  cities.  He  examines  all  teachers  and  becomes 
advisor  of  the  teachers  and  directs  the  school  work  of  his  county.  Pursuant 
to  this  act  the  trustees  met  in  June,  1873,  and  elected  Charles  W.  Paris, 
counts-  superintendent  of  schools  for  a  two-year  term  provided  for  by  law. 
Mr.  Paris  was  limited  to  thirty  days  per  year  for  visiting  schools,  certainly  a 
very  short  time  in  which  to  do  a  very  tremendous  work.  Mr.  Paris  was  suc- 
ceeded June  16,  1875,  by  Daniel  Lesley.  Mr..  Lesley  served  the  county  until 
1883,  ^nd  Mr.  H.  W.  Bowers  was  elected. 

IMr.  Bowers  served  two  terms  and  was  succeeded  in  1887  by  Mr.  J.  W. 
Denney.  Mr.  Denney  served  for  ten  years,  until  1897,  when  Mr.  Paris  was 
again  elected  for  two  years.  At  this  time  the  term,  of  office  was  made  four 
years  instead  of  two,  and  Mr.  Paris  was  re-elected  for  two  successive  terms, 
being  succeeded  in  1907  by  the  present  incumbent,  Lee  L.  Driver. 

The  following  are  the  men  who  have  served  as  trustees  of  the  various 
townships  of  the  county: 

White  River — Thomas  W.  Kizer,  1863-69;  John  W.  Diggs,  1870-76; 
S.  D.  Coats,  1876-80;  Ira  Tripp,  1880-84;  Ezra  S.  Kelley,  1 884-88  ,\  George 
W.  Browne,  1888-96;  Tyre  Puckett,  1896-1901 ;  F.  B.  Mullen,  1901-05;  W. 
J.  WilHams,  1905-09;  G.  Walter  Hiatt,  1909-15. 

Washington — David  T.  Hiatt,  1863-67;  Jonathan  Ozbun,   1868;  Henry 


6S8  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

D.  Nichols,  1869-72;  James  H.  Dean,  1872-76;  Ira  C.  Johnson,  1876-78; 
Joel  Mills,  1878-82;  A.  R.  Abshire,  1882-84;  Robert  Engle,  1884-88;  David 
M.  Thorn,  1888-96;  David  Isenbarger,  1896-1901 ;  S.  L.  Nichols,  1901-Aug- 
ust  23,  1904;  I.  G.  Johnson,  1905  ;  Marion  Morris,  1905-09;  Henry  C.  Nichols, 
1909-15. 

Greensfork — James  D.  Bowen,  1863;  Levi  Hill,  1864;  James  H.  Bowen, 
1865-66;  John  Harlan,  1866-67;  Francis  G.  Morgan,  1868-69;  John  W.  Hill, 
1870-74;  John- W.  Taylor,  1874-76 f  Isaac  M..  Nichols,  1876-80;  John  F. 
Middleton,  1880-84;  James  W.  Locke,  1884-86;  William  Horn,  1886-88; 
Samuel  G.  Hill,  1888-90;  John  W.  Taylor,  1891-95;  Norman  Anderson, 
1896-1901;  Charles  L.  Clements,  1901-05;  Oliver  Mote,  1905-09;  John 
Bunch,  1909-14;  George  O.  Wise,  1914-15. 

Monroe — Henry  Jacobs,  Robert  Cowgill,  1863;  Royston  Ford,  Henry 
Jacobs,  1864-65;  James  S.  Davis,  1866-70;  George  O.  Jobes.  1870-72;  James 
Daugherty,  1872-76;  Dennis  Thornburg,  1876-80;  Adam  Slonaker,  1880-84; 
Nathan  E.  Gray,  1884-88;  George  W.  Worl,  1888-95:  Henry  F  Wood, 
1896-1901  ;  Elmer  E.  Deal,  190T-05;  Cammilis  L.  Reed,  1905-09;  D.  W. 
Grove,  1909-15. 

Stoney  Creek — Henry  C.  Thornburg,  1863-76;  George  W.  Worl,  1876- 
80;  William  T.  Davis,  1880-82;  William  H.  Mendenhall,  1882-84;  William 
Holloway,  1884-86;  William  H.  Wright,  /[886-90;  Abraham  Clevenger, 
1891-95 ;  Thomas  E.  Dickson,  1896-1901 ;  William  B.  Parker,  190T-05 ;  Al- 
bert Oren,  1905-09;  Clarkson  L.  Puckett,  1909-15. 

Nettle  Creek — William  C.  Hendricks,  1863-65;  William  Lumpkin,  1866- 
74;  Hicks  K.  Wright,  1874-75;  Lemuel  Wiggins,  1875-78;  John  C.  Cleven- 
ger, 1878-82;  William  A.  Ross,  1882-84;  Hicks  K.  Wright,  1884-88;  John 
W.  Johnson,  1888-90;  John  T.  Burroughs,  1891-95;  William  A.  Ross,  1896- 
1901 ;  F.  M.  Thornburg,  1901-05;  James  N.  Johnson,  1905-09;  Robert 
Lumpkin,  1909-15. 

West  River— Rufus  K.  Mills,  1863-65;  William  S.  Hunt,  1866-72; 
John  Hornaday,  1872-78;  Levi  Johnson,  1880-84;  D-  O.  Christo- 
pher, 1884-88;  Alden  L.  Gaines.  1888-90;  Horace  M.  Keever,  1891-95; 
William  T.  Farquhar,  1896-1901 ;  Tillman  W.  Baldwin,  1901-05 ;  Julian  H. 
Sheppard,  1905-09;  Smith  Lee,  1909-15. 

Green — Anthony  W.  Jarnagin,  1863-68;  Silas  T.  Gordon,  1868- 
69;  James  McProud,  1872-74;  Joseph  C.  Devoss,  1874-78;  Luther  L. 
Moorman,  1878-82;  Emanuel  Zimmerman,  1882-84;  Anthony  W  Jarnagin, 
1884-86;  B.   F.  Gantz,  1886-88;  Daniel  B.  Nibarger,   1888-90;  William  H. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  659 

Harrison,  1891-95;  F.  M.  Gantz,  1896-1901;  James  Moore,  1901-05;  William 
D.  Jerles,    1905 109;  Emanuel  Zimmerman,    1909-15. 

Ward— Olney  Whipple,  1863-64;  D.  F.  Hawley,  1865-68;  Peter  Stick, 
1869;  Henry  W.  Fields,  1870-72;  Christian  Nickey,  1872-74;  W.  W.  Smith, 
1874-76;  Benjamin  Clevenger,  1876-80;  John  B.  Sipe,  1880-82;  Benjamin 
Hawthorn,  1882-84;  Davis  S.  Collins,  1884-88;  William  R.  Warren,  1888-90; 
A.  B.  Wall,  1891-95;  John  W  Owens,  1896-1901 ;  Sol  C.  Brown,  1901-05; 
Enos  Lollar,  1905-09;  Albert  T.  DeLong,  1909-15. 

Jackson — Joseph  Brown,  1863-65  (appointed),  1870-76;  Paul  Gettinger, 
1864-65;  Henry  Debolt,  1866-69;  RMf"s  G.  Hindsley,  1876-80;  Peter  Poor- 
man,  1880-82;  James  D.  Money,  1882-86;  William  King,  1886-88;  John  W. 
Hindsley,  1888-90;  Thomas  W.  Johnson,  1891-95;  William  King,  1896-1901 ; 
Thomas  W  Johnson,  1901-05;  Samuel  C.  Ricket,  1905-09;  William  P.  Noff- 
singer,  1909-15. 

Wayne — Robert  Murphy,  1863 ;  Alexander  Gullett,  1870-72 ;  Jacob  C. 
Macy,  1872-76;  John  M.  Turner,  1876-78;  Robert  B.  McKee,  1878-82; 
Simeon  H.  Dunn,  1882-84;  John  B.  Fortenbaugh,  1884-88;  Amandus  B. 
Schuyler,  1888-90;  James  J.  Eagy,  1891-95;  Ira  F.  LaFever,  1 896-1 901 ; 
John  Glunt,  1901-05;  H.  T.  Gist,  1905-09;  G.  Cal  Shultz,  1909-1*5. 

Franklin — Levi  W.  Mann,  1863  ;  E.  T.  Bailey,  1864-67;  Isaiah  C.  Milner, 
1868;  Cyrus  Blackaby,  1869;  John  W.  Seavey,  1870-78;  George  Addington. 
1878-80;  Isaac  N.  Stratton,  1880-82;  Milton  R.  Hiatt,  1882-84;  Lewis  N. 
Cook,  1884-88;  Granville  Baines,  1888-90;  Harry  Jack,  1891-95;  Waldo  R. 
Bolinger,  1896-1901 ;  E.  L.  Smithson,  1901-05;  B.  T.  Addington,  1905-09;, 
Albert  E.  Zimmerman,  1909-15. 

TEACHERS,     I913-I4.  -' 

White  River — i,  Blanche  Burk;  3,  Ethel  Mann.  4,  Florence  G.  Beck;  5, 
Helen  Schroeder;  18,  Lesta  Curry;  20,  Alice  Hoggatt;  21,  Anah  Fields.  Lin- 
coln :  Morton  Longnecker,  principal ;  Ada  Climer,  principal  high  school ;  Ethel 
Meeks,  assistant ;  Bessie  Rubey,  drawing-music ;  Max  Diggs,  assistant  8 ;  Del- 
phia  Zimmerman,  6-7;  NeUie  Mills,  4-5;  Alice  Funk,  2-3;  Lola  Franklin,  i. 
McKinley :  Ralph  Butcher,  principal ;  Bess  Stephenson,  principal  high  school ; 
Earl  Filar  assistant;  Bessie  Rubey,  drawing-music;  Minnie  Merchant,  assist- 
ant; Edna  Hiatt,  6-7.  Nelle  Abel,  4-5;  Fay  C.  Lesley,  2-3;  Lona  Winship,  i. 

Nettle  Creek — 2,  Ralph  Allen;  2,  Gorman  Howell  5,  Marie  Lumpkin; 
7,  Marguerite  Beeson.     Losantville :  O.  R.  Maxfield,  principal ;  Helen  Ken- 


66o  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

worthy,  principal  liigh  school;  Isabel  Chenoweth,  drawing-music-domestic 
science ;  Oscar  Wine,  assistant  7-8 ;  Loha  McCollum,  5-6 ;  Martha  E.  Gaines, 
3-4;  Molly  Vardaman,  1-2. 

Wayne — 2,  Paul  M.  Stiling;  3,  Nina  McNees;  4,  Carl  Chenoweth;  8, 
Ethel  Fowler.  West  Union :  James  Frazier,  Cordelia  Moffett.  Wayne : 
Gertrude  McArthur,  principal;  Gertrude  Fowler,  principal  high  school;  Hilda 
Mullen,  drawing-music;  Howard  Hill,  manual  training  7-8;  Edna  Hodgin, 
domestic  science,  6;  Ethelyn  Chenoweth,  4-5;  Lura  Thompson,  1-2-3. 

Washington — 8,  Archie  Addington  ;  9,  Ruth  Keys ;  1 1 ,  Hobert  Alexan- 
der. Bloomingsport :  C.  A.  Washier,  Mayme  Marshall.  Carlos :  Fred  Baxter, 
Emma  Riley.  Lynn :  Edith  J.  Winslow,  principal ;  Fred  P.  Ruby,  principal 
high  school;  Charles  C.  Mann,  assistant;  Frances  Lee  Nichols,  drawing; 
Esther  Jones,  music,  high  school,  6-7-8;  Elizabeth  Pegg,  domestic  science, 
6-7-8 ;  W.  E.  Wright,  manual  training,  6-7-8 ;  Mervyn  Humphreys,  6-7-8 ; 
Jesse  Marshal,  5 ;  Dora  Hill.  4 ;  Pearl  Alexander,  3 ;  Edna  Hill,  2 ;  Jennie 
Eckerle,  i.  Beech  Grove:  Charles  O.  Johnson,  principal;  Ellen  Nichols,  as- 
sistant; lona  Hawkins,  5-6;  Estella  Crew,  3-4;  Mildred  Crew,  1-2. 

Ward — I,  Bess  Gillum;  3,  Weldon  Huben;  6,  Hazel  Hawley;  8,  Iva 
Marsh;  9,  Hubert  Pingry;  11,  Earl  Sipe.  Saratoga:  C.  C.  Caston,  principal; 
Flora  Saupert,  assistant;  Ralph  Johnson,  principal  high  school;  David  Iliff, 
6-7-8;  Stella  Barnum,  3-4-5;  Alice  Taylor.  1-2.  Jefferson:  Joe  C.  Burgess, 
principal;  Russel  J.  Warren,  principal  high  school;  Celia  Bates,  assistant; 
Edward  Evans,  6-7-8;  Mary  Z.  Fisher,  3-4-5  ;  Edith  J.  Owen,  1-2. 

Jackson — 3,  Verl  Johnson;  7,  R.  R.  Kemp;  8,  Edna  Raines;  9,  W.  G. 
Nollan;  10,  Oren  Hurst.  Jackson:  Edith  Blaydes,  principal  high  school; 
Pearl  Alexander,  assistant ;  Gertrude  Netzley,  drawing-music ;  Orvah  L. 
Hindsley,  principal  manual  training,  8 ;  Hettie  Almonrode,  5-6-7 ;  Alta  Lind- 
ley,  3-4;  Bernice  Smith,  1-2. 

Stoney  Creek — i,  Violet  Hester;  4,  Cora  E.  Thornburg;  4,  Mamie  Purs- 
ley;  6.  Florence  Pearson;  7,  Leon  Strahan;  8,  Grace  Dudley.  Windsor: 
Garver  Wright,  Melva  Harris. 

Monroe — i,  Lulu  M.  Wood;  6,  Beryl  R.  Fast;  7,  Zella  Adams.  Monroe: 
V.  I.  Brown,  principal ;  George  Elliott,  principal  high  school ;  Nellie  J.  Staf- 
ford, assistant;  Lula  Clevenger,  assistant  8;  Frances  Hawk,  domestic  science; 
Carrie  Pierce,  drawing-music ;  Opal  Hammers,  7 ;  Georgia  Jenkins,  6 ;  Trixie 
Paul,  4-5;  Mae  Deal,  3-4;  Opal  Sumwalt,  2;  Lulu  L.  Skinner,  i. 

Green — T.  G.  Stewart,  principal ;  Harriet  Peterson,  principal  high  school ; 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  66l 

Frances  Guffigan,  assistant ;  Frank  Allen,  manual  training,  7-8 ;  Everett  God- 
win, 5-6;  Yrea  Baughn,  2-3-4;  Elsie  King,  i. 

Greensfork — i.  Glen  Chenoweth;  2,  Harold  Middleton;  3,  Willard  Jor- 
dan; 8,  Olive  V.  Hart,  \^'itter :  F.  M.  Potts,  Nellie  Mote.  Spartanburg:  Lota 
King,  principal;  John  M.  French,  principal  high  school;  Will  Moore,  assistant 
manual  training;  E.  M.  Bowen.  assistant;  Mary  Middleton,  drawing-music- 
domestic  science;  Lester  Clark,  7-8;  Russel  Yeatts,  5-6-7;  Maude  Bortner, 
•4-5;. Ruth  Wysong,  2-3;  Sadie  Horn,  i. 

Franklin — 2,  Tressie  Wasson;  3,  Dughan  Hinton ;  4,  Ray  B.  Wright;  5, 
Edith  Abshire. 

West  River — 3,  Fred  Wilson;  11,  Hazel  Gordon.  Modoc:  Vance  True- 
blood,  principal ;  Ina  Puckett,  principal  high  school ;  Isabel  Chenoweth,  draw- 
ing-music-domestic science ;  Arthur  Lumpkin,  assistant  7-8 ;  Lloyd  White- 
head, 5-6;  Mabel  Harris,  3-4;  Alice  Starbuck,  1-2. 

Huntsville — S.  H.  Hunt,  principal ;  Jessie  Covert,  principal  high  school ; 
Isabel  Chenoweth,  drawing-music-domestic  science;  Mary  Gwin,  assistant 
7-8;  Deon  Strahan,  4-5-6;  Ella  Kabel,   1-2-3. 

Farmland — E.  E.  Zimmerman,  superintendent;  Willard  E.  Uphaus,  prin- 
cipal; Harriette  McArthur,  assistant  principal;  Lois  Shigley,  supervisor,  music 
and  drawing;  Hazel  Snyder,  domestic  science;  C.  M.  Hall,  7-8,  manual 
training;  Leota  Larkins,  5-6;  Lottie  Grimes,  1-2, 

Union  City — High  School :  John  P.  King,  superintendent ;  W.  A.  Stock- 
inger,  principal  mathematics;  Lena  Brady,  English;  John  M.  Smith,  Latin. 
Amy  Winslow,  German  and  history;  Ralph  H.  Braden,  science;  Florence 
Carter,  music;  Grace  Gunckel,  drawing;  Mary  Stiling,  domestic  science;  W. 
C.  Mills,  bench  work.  Grades  :  Alton  Bromagen,  8 ;  Florence  Reynard,  7 ; 
Lizzie  Ruby,  6 ;  Zella  Richter,  5 ;  Rena  DeBolt,  4 ;  Helen  Harris,  3 :  Nina 
Gordon,  2;  yVnna  E.  Cleam,  i.  South  side  building:  Merle  S.  ^^'ard,  5-6-7; 
Ella  Reagan.  2-3;  Adeline  Smith,  1-2. 

Winchester-^Oscar  R.  Baker,  superintendent ;  Gertrude  Unthank,  super- 
visor of  music  and  drawing;  Edith  R.  Wiley,- supervisor  of  domestic  science 
and  art.  High  School :  C.  E.  McKinney,  principal  Latin ;  O.  G  Puckett, 
music  and  English;  Nettie  Betten,  German  and  English;  C.  E.  Prichard, 
science;  Gladys  Morris,  mathematics;  Mary  Mason,  history.  Grades,  High 
School  Building:  O.  G.  Puckett,  principal,  8;  Dale  H.  Evans,  8;  Hazel 
Rubey,  4a,  4b;  Ethel  Smith,  3a,  3b;  Emma  Hunt,  2a,  2b;  Edith  Ludy,  la,  ib; 
Frances  E.  Willard  Building:  John  Stine,  principal,  b-y ;  Clififord  Peacock, 
6-7 ;  Viola  Butts,  6-7 ;  Nellie  Cornelius,  6-7 ;  Minnie  Fisher,  4-5 ;  Grace  Poy- 


662  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

ner,  3a,  3b;  Bessie  Hiatt,  2a,  2b:  Pearl  Mace,  la,  ib.  North  Ward  Building: 
Icie  Simmons,  4a,  4b ;  Ada  DeVoss,  3a,  3b ;  Gertrude  Henderson,  2a,  2b ;  Lou 
Brooks,  I  a,  ib.  Central  Building:  Ilo  Lawhead,  5;  Flora  Steele,  kinder- 
garten; Belle  Edger,  kindergarten. 

Ridgeville — High  School :  Marcellus  S.  Grahg,  superintendent ;  Walter 
S.  Fagley,  mathematics  and  English ;  Marcia  King,  Latin  and  English ;  Bessie 
Ruby,  supervisor  of  music  and  drawing;  John  Hammons,  7-8;  Dale  Rupe, 
3-6;  Feme  Smith,  4-5 ;  Addie  Jervis,  2-3 ;  Delia  V.  Rankin,  i. 

Randolph  county  has  had,  for  the  most  part,  a  superior  grade  of  teachers, 
many  of  whom  have  worked  their  way  to  higher  positions  of  learning.  The 
life  of  a  teacher  is  only  a  little  over  three  and  one-half  years;  however,  there 
have  been  some  noted  exceptions  to  this  average.  The  most  striking  excep- 
tion to  this  is  Mr.  A.  H.  Ward,  of  Wayne  township,  who  taught  forty-two 
years,  thirty-six  of  which  were  in  his  home  township.  Mr.  Ward  was  of  this 
class  known  as  "a  young  old  man,"  who  always  kept  in  touch  with  the  most 
modern  thought  and  method  of  teaching. 

Superintendent  O.  R.  Baker,  of  the  Winchester  schools,  has  served  as 
superintendent  longer  than  any  other  man  of  the  county.  Mr.  Baker  came  to 
Winchester  in  1892  and  served  as  principal  of  the  high  school  three  years  and 
has  been  city  superintendent  continuously  since. 

The  excellence  of  the  Winchester  school  is  due  largely  to  the  progressive 
spirit  of  its  superintendent.  Mr.  Baker  has  a  record  equalled  by  few  men  in 
the  entire  state,  and  let  us  say  is  a  man  equalled  by  few  men  in  the  state. 

The  enumeration  of  the  school  children  of  Randolph  county  shows  and 
has  shown  for  many  years  a  gradual  decrease. 

Franklin  township  has  in  19 14,  188  pupils,  a  loss  of  60  in  ten  years. 

Green  township,  261 ;  a  loss  of  49. 

Greensfork  township,  483;  a  loss  of  122.. 

Jackson  township,  348;  a  loss  of  66. 

Monroe  township,  476;  a  loss  of  125. 

Nettle  Creek  township,  469;  a  gain  of  4.  (Nettle  Creek  township  has  a 
peculiar  record  as  to  school  enumeration;  in  the  last  forty  years' the  enumera- 
tion has  not  gone  below  465  nor  above  469.) 

Stoney  Creek  township,  257;  a  loss  of  44. 

Ward  township,  510;  a  loss  of  25. 

Washington  township,  637 ;  a  loss  of  87. 

Wayne  township,  421 ;  a  loss  of  84. 

West  River  township,  387;  a  loss  of  72. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  663 

White  River  township,  198;  a  loss  of  96. 
Farmland,  207;  a  loss  of  37. 
Ridgeville,  262;  a  gain  of  8. 
Union  City,  713;  a  loss  of  55. 
Winchester,  1,212;  a  gain  of  217. 

Pupils        Daily     Number  of 

Townships.                               Admitted.  Average.  Days. 

White  River 815                545  140 

Washington   726               470  140 

Greensfork 606               392  100 

Stoney  Creek 397               228  105 

Nettle  Creek 427               254  160 

West  River   574               264  83 

Green    328                181  120 

Ward 555               336  100 

Jackson  __ 406               239  145 

Wayne 712               623  140 

Monroe 294               237  120 

Franklin  241                126  120 

Winchester,  Town 591                445  160 

Ridgeville,  Town 180                112  160 

Farmland,  Town 190                126  160 

Hunts,   Town 80                 37  106 

Union  City,  Town ^ 922                628  180 

Totals 8044  5073       Av.   132 

AVERAGE  WAGES,    1880. 

Males.     Females. 

Green   $i-7S  $i-5o 

Franklin  1.88  1.53 

Ward    1.62  1.60 

Jackson 1.60  1.41 

Wayne 1.85  1.56 

Greensfork 2.14  1.74 

Washington   1.76  1.58 

West  River 1.87  


064 


KANDOJ.l'H    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


Males.  Females. 

Nettle  Creek  1.91  1.96 

Stoney  Creek 2.03  '        1.96 

Monroe 2.03  1.76 

White-River 1.76  1.58 

Farmland 3.50  2.00 

Ridgeville 2.60  2.00 

Winchester : 4.41  2.00 

Union  City 4.76  2.25 

1912-1913. 


Pupils  Daily  Number  of     Average  wages 

Townships.                       Admitted.  Average.  Days.  Males.     Females. 

Franklin 99  78  140  $3-i3  $2.40 

Green    193  161  150  4.18J4     3.05 

Greensfork 386  319  145  3.45  3.01 

Jackson 289  248  150  2.91  3. 11 

Monroe -. 399  351  146  5.29  2.95 

Nettle  Creek   307  255  140  3.12  2.85^4 

Stoney  Creek 209  163  140  2.69  2.57)4 

Ward   1 435  35^  i44  4-46  3-07 

Washington   643  502  146  3.87  2.89 

Wayne    305  275  140  2.80  2.96 

West   River   407  318  147  3.82  3.05 

White  River 646  509  140  4.02  3.17 

Farmland 218  195  160  4.19  2.64 

Ridgville 272  234  160  4.82  2.90 

Union  City 539  459  180  5.01  3.61 

Winchester 933  716  180  6.19  3,24 

A  comparison  on  receipts  and  expenditures  for  the  years  1880-81  and 
that  of  1912-13  show  the  vast  difference  in  the  cost  of  the  schools  at  that  time 
and  those  of  the  present  day;  however,  the  disbursements  for  1912-13  were 
more  than  normal  in  most  cases,  due  to  especial  expenditure  for  buildings  and 
equipments  which  many  of  these  townships  had  expended  during  this  year. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  665 
RECEIPTS  AND  EXPENDITURES,    1880,    1 88 1. 

Districts.                               Tuition.  Special  Revenue. 

R'c'pts.     Dis'm'ts.  Balance.  R'c'pts.  Dis'm'ts.  Balance. 

White   River $8,071       $5,031       $3,040  $2,879       $1,446  $i,433 

Washington 6,150         3,445         2,205  2,063          1.563  500 

Greensfork 4,829         2,700         2,129  1,583            687  896 

Stoney  Creek 3Jii          1,869         1,242  1,571          1,020  551 

Nettle  Creek 3,362         2,345          1,017  1,443            651  792 

West  River 3,322          1,576         1,746  1467            213  1,254 

Green 2,716         1,631          1,085  i>39i          1,009  3^2 

Ward    3,562         2,052          1,510  1,528            568  960 

Jackson 3,962         2,070         1,892  1,124            521  603 

Wayne    ___^ 4.923         2,565         2,358  4,270            577  3,693 

Monroe 6,842         2,080         4,762  2,938         2,938  o'erdr'n 

Franklin 1,841          1,381            460  i-i49            259  890 

Winchester .--  8,713         4,621         4,092  9,865          1,376  8,489 

Ridgeville 2,083         1,018         1,065  4^3            335  148 

Farmland i,437            960            477  668            393  275 

Huntsville 471             265            206  87              46  41 

Union   City 7,921         4,365         3,556  4.033         2,517  1,536 

Totals $73,316     $40,474     $32,842  $38,562     $16,119  $22,443 

The  tuition  fund  and  the  special  revenue  form  a  grand  total  of :     Re- 
ceipts, $111,878;  disbursements,  $56,593;  balance  on  hand,  $55,285. 

RECEIPTS  AND   DISBURSEMENTS,  I9I2-I9I3. 
TUITION. 

Districts.                         Receipts.             Disbursements.       Bal.  on  Hand. 

Franklin $     3,862.34             $  1,211.00             $  2,651.34 

Green   _       6,906.74  3,084.40  3,822.34 

Greensfork 13,048.95  7,102.25  5.946.70 

Jackson 7.759-8i  4,952-43  2,807.38 

Monroe 1 12,614.66  8,000.27  4,614.39 

Nettle  Creek 9,097.50  5,080.40  4,017.10 

Ston&y  Creek 6,959,46  3,500.75  3,458.71 


666  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Districts.                        Receipts.  Disbursements.  Bal.  on  Hand. 

Ward   12,727.91  7.964-07  4.763-84 

Washington 16,397.21  11,580.00  4,817.21 

Wayne   10,676.21  5.394-75  5.281.46 

West  River 12,329.06  6,093.93  6,235.13 

White  River   14,556.85  10,824.50  3,732-35 

Farmland   7,756.31  5,587.20  2,169.11 

Ridgeville 7,209.52  4,508.00  2,701.52 

Union   City 22,543.21  10,655.64  11,887.57 

Winchester 25,094.78  16,879.74  8,215.04 

Total $189,540.52  $112,419.33  $  77,121.19 

SPECIAL   REVENUE. 

Districts.                         Receipts.  Disbursements.  Bal.  on  Hand. 

Franklin   $     7,101.96  $     2,529.20  $     4,572.76 

Green   10,613.98  9,680.62  933.36 

Greensfork 15,452.09  7,684.49  7,767.60 

Jackson 9,662.04  8,639.35  1,022.69 

Monroe 13,014.29  8,914.30  4,099.99 

Nettle   Creek 10,034.62  6,728.02  3,306.60 

Stoney  Creek 5>95i.S6  4,277.41  1,674.15 

Ward    13,989.49  11,018.73  2,970.76 

Washington   26,294.53  23,125.13  3,169.40 

Wayne   26,425.72  25,791.04  634.68 

West  River 15,186.34        '  14,874.57  311.77 

White   River   _ —     33,411.88  32,724.77  687.11 

Farmland   5.277-90  5.159-45  "8.45 

Ridgeville 3,511.17  1,884.72  1,626.45 

Union   City   n, 795-44  7.475-48  4.319-96 

Winchester 19.625.10  13,614.37  6,010.73 

Total $227,348.11  $184,121.65  $  43,226.46 


CHAPTER  X. 

CHURCH  AND  DENOMINATION   HISTORY. 

When  John  the  Baptist,  clothed  in  a  raiment  of  camel's  hair,  and  a  leather 
girdle  about  his  loins,  and  subsisting  upon  locust  and  wild  honey,  appeared 
in  the  wilderness  of  Judaea,  admonishing  the  people  to  repent,  "For  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  is  at  hand,"  and  proclaiming  the  fulfillment  of  the  prophecy, 
saying :  "The  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness,  prepare  ye  the  way  of  the 
Lord,  make  his  paths  straight,"  he  was  heralding  an  institution  that  was  to 
revolutionize  society  and  become  the  civilizer  of  the  world. 

This  doctrine  was  to  go  into  all  parts  of  the  world  and  make  possible 
the  high  state  of  advancement  found  in  this  great  country  of  ours  today. 
As  the  disciples  of  Christ  carried  the  message  to  the  world,  so  the  pioneer 
father  and  mother  brought  the  message  to  their  own  families  and  estab- 
lished it  in  the  hearts  of  their  children,  while  yet  around  the  family  hearth. 

The  itinerant  preacher  followed  closely  the  footsteps  of  the  pioneer;  he 
also  came  into  the  v^'ilderness  proclaiming  with  fervor  and  enthusiasm  the 
doctrine  of  repentance.  Riding  to  the  cabin  door  and  calling  to  the  occu- 
pants, he  made  himself  known,  and  he  was  always  a  welcome  visitor  regard- 
less of  what  his  denomination  might  be.  His  comifig  was  a  welcome  visit 
from  the  outside  world  and  especial  attention  was  always  paid  him  as  a  guest. 
He  was  sure  to  have  the  best  the  household  could  afford  and  "yellow  legged 
chickens  were  sure  to  enter  the  ministry"  upon  his  coming.  As  soon  as  he 
expressed  a  desire  to  remain  over  night,  as  many  of  the  household  as  could  be 
spared  were  dispatched  over  the  surrounding  country  to  invite  the  neighbors 
to  attend  the  services  to  be  held  in  the  cabin  of  his  host  that  evening. 

Most  churches  were  represented  by  this  class  of  ministers  but  it  was 
particularly  a  strong  element  in  the  Methodist  church.  To  this  class  of  peo- 
ple Oliver  H.  Smith,  in  his  early  "Indiana  Trials  and  Sketches,"  pays  the  fol- 
lowing tribute : 

"I  should  be  false  to  the  history  of  early  Indiana  were  I  to  pass  by  in 
silence  the  itinerant  Methodist  preacher  who  contributed  so  much  to  the 
establishment  of  good  order,  quiet,  intelligence,  morality  and  religion  among 
the  first  settlers  and  without  intending  to  give  voice  to  others  I  venture  the 


668  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

remark  that  early  Indiana,  nay,  more,  Indiana  today,  owes  more  to  the  itiner- 
ant Methodist  preacher  than  to  all  other  religious  denominations  combined. 

Their  system  carried  other  churches  into  every  settlement,  and  where  two 
or  three  were  gathered  together,  there  was  a  Methodist  preacher  or  exhorter 
in  the  midst. 

They  were  at  the  bed-side  of  the  dying  man,  on  their  knees,  and  at  the 
grave  their  A^oices  were  heard  in  songs  of  praise. 

Other  denominations  waited  for  the  people  to  come  up  from  the  wilder- 
ness to  worship  while  the  itinerant  Methodist  preacher  mounted  his  horse 
and  sought  out  their  cabins  in  the  woods,  held  his  meetings  there,  carrying  the 
Gospel  and  leaving  the  Bible  and  the  Hymn  book  as  he  went." 

The  preaching  of  the  early  minister  was  always  zealous,  fervent  and 
full  of  spirit.  He  believed  in  a  future  full  of  happiness  or  torment  and 
despair.  He  dwelt  but  little  upon  happiness  but  preached  almost  incessantly 
of  the  eternal  torment  of  the  damned.  Fire  and  brirae-stone  were  frequently 
mentioned.  His  doctrine  usually  was  "Be'  good  for  fear  of  punishment," 
rather  than,  "Be  righteous  for  righteousness  sake." 

He  preached  upon  texts  taken  from  the  Bible.  The  events  of  the  day 
were  left  for  others  to  discuss. 

The  minister  was  at  that  time  one  of  the  greatest  factors  of  society  and 
his  method  of  preaching  was  in  conformity  to  his  environment.  He  preached 
fearlessly  the  truth,  as  the  light  from  above  revealed  the  truth  to  him.  He 
admonished  where  admonition  was  needed.  Position  or  policy  did  not  pro- 
tect the  guilty  from  the  needed  advice.  His  sermons  were  frequently  two 
or  three  hours  long,  depending  upon  the  fervor  and  the  zeal  with  which  he 
preached.  The  adult  portion  of  his  audience  never  complained  for  they  were, 
indeed,  glad  to  hear  the  word  of  God.  It  became  impressed  upon  the  minds 
of  the  members  of  the  church  that  a  two  or  three  hour  sermon  did  not  fit  the 
spiritual  needs  of  the  child  and  out  of  this  came  the  movement  for  the  Sab- 
bath school.  These  schools  were  established  in  almost  every  part  of  the 
county.     A  list  will  be  found  near  the  close  of  this  chapter. 

The  Sabbath  school  has  been  largely  built  up  by  the  persistent  efforts  of 
the  women  of  the  church  and  even  the  most  ardent  supporters  of  the  church 
and  church  doctrine  have  found  that  Sabbath  schools  do  not  interfere  with 
their  rights  and  are  a  great  help  in  bringing  up  their  children  in  the  "nurture 
and  admonition  of  the  Lord." 

It  is  true  we  still  have  a  ver}'  small  per  cent,  of  people  who  do  not  believe 
in  the  institution  of  the  Sabbath  school  but  the  per  cent,  is  getting  to  be  almost 
a  negligible  quantity. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  669 

The  first  Sunday  school  in  Indiana  was  organized  by  Rev.  Isaac  Reed, 
a  Presbyterian  missionary  in  New  Albany,  in.  1818.  Sunday  schools  are 
known  to  have  existed  in  Randolph  county  as  early  as  1838  and  no  doubt 
existed  much  sooner  than  that. 

The  first  church  service  to  be  held  in  the  county  was  held  in  the  cabin  of 
Ephraim  Bowen  in  181 5  and  Stephen  Williams,  local  preacher,  exhorted  at 
that  meeting.  The  first  sermon  was  also  preached  in  Mr.  Bowen's  cabin  by 
Rev.  Mr.  Holman,  of  Louisville,  Kentucky,  his  text  taken  from  Isaiah :  "Is 
there  no  balm  in  Gilead  ?  Is  there  no  physician  there  ?  Why  then  is  the  hurt 
of  the  daughter  of  my  people  not  recovered?"  James  C.  BOwen  who  was  at 
the  meeting  said  it  was  an  excellent  discourse  and  that  it  greatly  edified  the 
assembly. 

FRIENDS. 

Many  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  county  were  members  of  the  Friends 
or  Quaker  church.  They  had  emigrated  from  the  southland  because  of  their 
disgust  and  antagonism  for  the  institution  of  slavery.  They  believed  that 
men  were  created  equal  and  did  not  care  to  live  and  rear  their  families  sur- 
rounded by  the  institution  of  slavery.  These  Christian  people  had  been  sober, 
devout  worshippers  in  the  southland  and  they  brought  with  them,  deeply 
settled  in  their  inmost  souls,  the  love  of  God  and  man  and  their  hope  in  Christ 
and  their  sense  of  obligation  to  Him  and  their  fellowmen. 

Almost  the  very  first  thing  done  by  them  was  to  erect  a  church  of  the 
Lord  in  the  wilderness,  to  which  they  went  at  stated  times,  through  rain  and 
sunshine  and  winter's  cold,  along  forest  trails,  over  paths  dimly  traced  by 
blazed  trees,  on  horse  back  or  on  foot,  ever  mindful  of  the  command  of  their 
Lord  not  to  "forget  the  assembling  of  themselves  together." 

Their  week  day  meetings  were  usually  held  in  the  forenoon  of  the  fourth 
day  or  fifth  day  and  when  that  day  came,  the  head  of  the  household,  together 
with  his  entire  family  and  help,  regardless  of  the  condition  of  weather  or 
urgencies  and  necessities  of  work,  wended  their  way  to  church.  The  school 
house  was  generally  located  near  the  church  and  school  children  were  dis- 
missed from  school  to  attend  the  week  day  meeting.  This  custom  was  ad- 
hered to  in  some  parts  of  the  communities  of  this  county  as  late  as  1884. 
There  they  sat  in  communion  with  the  Lord  for  one  hour  responding  to  the 
spirit.  Frequently  the  hour  would  pass  with  not  a  word  having  been  said, 
and  when  the  time  for  dismissal  came  the  head  man  of  the  meeting  shook 
hands  and  "meeting  was  out." 

(43) 


670  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  churches  were  built  with  a  partition  running  crosswise  so  as  to 
forrn  two  rooms  of  one.  The  women  sat  on  one  side  and  the  men  on  the 
other.  The  seats  were  placed  in  galleries — raised  seats.  During  the  busi- 
ness meetings  the  openings  in  the  partitions  were  closed  and  the  men  and 
the  womens'  meetings  were  held  separately. 

When  a  young  man  and  woman  desired  to  get  married  they  appeared  in 
the  monthly  meeting  and  announced  their  intention  of  getting  married  by 
"giving  in,"  that  is,  they  gave  to  the* clerk  of  the  meeting  a  written  statement 
that  they  desired  to  get  married. 

Upon  receiprt-of  this  statement  the  men  appointed  a  committee  to  examine 
the  character  and  fitness  and  eligibility  of  the  young  man.  The  women  ap- 
pointed a  similar  committee  to  perform  a  similar  duty  for  the  young  woman. 
Among  other  things  the  committees  would  ascertain  would  be  whether  the 
couple  had  the  consent  of  the  parents  and  whether  either  had  promised  any- 
one else  in  marriage.  If  the  consent  of  the  parents  had  been  obtained  and 
the  committees  found  "favorable"  to  the  contracting  parties  their  report 
would  be  either  "clear"  or  "passed."  This  report  was  made  at  the  business 
meeting  of  the  monthly  meeting  succeeding  the  meeting  in  which  the  "giving 
in"  had  been  made. 

The  report  of  the  committees  being  favorable  the  young  couple  appeared 
at  the  next  fourth  day  or  fifth  day  meeting.  The  bridegroom  sat  with  his 
bride  in  the  woman's  meeting  and  waited  for  the  head  of  the  meeting  to  an- 
nounce when  the  ceremony  was  to  be  performed.  When  the  head  of  the 
meeting  announced  that  the  time  for  the  ceremony  had  arrived  the  couple 
would  arise,  join  hands  and  perform  the  ceremony  as  indicted  it  in  the  follow- 
ing copy  of  a  marriage  certificate  recorded  in  Wayne  county.  Many  of  the 
grandchildren  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bailey  now  reside  in  Randolph  county. 

HIRAM  BAILEY 

AND 

RACHEL  THOMAS. 
Marriage  Certificate,  1820. 
Recorded  in  the  first  Book  of  Marriage  Certificates,  page  165. 

JosiAH  H.  BissHAM,  Recorder. 

Whereas  Hiram  Bailey,  son  of  John  Bailey,  Clinton  county  and  state 
of  Ohio,  and  Rebecca  Bailey  his  wife  and  Rachel  Thomas,  daughter  of  Ed- 
ward Thomas  and  Mary  Thomas  his  wife,  of  the  county  of  Warren  and  state 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  67 1 

aforesaid  having  declared  their  intentions  of  marriage  with  each  other  before 
a  monthly  meeting  of  the  religious  society  of  Friends,  held  at  Miami  Missouri, 
according  to  the  good  order  used  among  them  and  having  the  consent  of  their 
parents,  their  said  proposal  of  marriage  was  allowed  by  said  meeting.  Now 
these  are  to  certify  to  whom  it  may  concern  that  for  their  full  accomplish- 
ment of  their  said  intentions  this  seventh  day  of  the  twelfth  month  in  the  year 
of  our  Lord,  One  Thousand  and  Eight  Hundred  and  Twenty — They,  the  said 
Hiram  Bailey  and  Rachel  Thomas  appeared  in  a  public  meeting  of  the  said 
people  held  at  Hopewell  meeting  house,  and  the  said  Hiram  Bailey  taking  the 
said  Rachel  Thomas  by  the  hand  did  openly  declare  that  he  took  her,  the  said 
Rachel  Thomas  to  be  his  wife,  promising  with  Divine  assistance  to  be  unto 
her  a  loving  and  faithful  husband  until  death  should  separate  them.  Then 
in  the  same  assembly  the  said  Rachel  Thomas  did  in  like  manner  declare  that 
she  took  him,  the  said  Hiram  Bailey  to  be  her  husband,  promising  with  Divine 
assistance  to  be  unto  him  a  loving  and  faithful  wife  until  death  should  separate 
them  or  words  to  that  effect  and  moreover  they  the  said  Hiram  Bailey  and 
Rachel  Thomas  (according  to  the  custom  of  marriage,  assuming  the  name  of 
her  husband),  did  as  a  further  conformation  thereof  then  and  there  set  their 
hands. 

Hiram  Bailey, 
Rachel  Bailey. 

And  we  whose  names  are  hereto  subscribed  being  present  at  the  solemn- 
ization of  said  marriage  and  subscription  have  as  witnesses  set  our  hands  the 
day  and  year  above  written. 

Elisha  Thomas,  James  Barnoff,  Abidan  Bailey,  Mary  Thomas,  Sarah 
Bailey,  Charles  Anthony,  Aquilla  Whitacre,  Moses  Rhodes,  Raneil  A.  Madi- 
son, J.  Hollingsworth,  Thomas  Cadwalader,  Abigail  Thomas,  Daniel  Mills, 
Esther  Hollingsworth,  Vashta  Cadwalader,  Edward  Thomas,  Francis  Ballard, 
Nicholas  Tucker,  Mary  Thomas,  Euare  Thomas,  Elizabeth  Bailey,  Joel  Lewis, 
Edward  Foots,  Jonah  Cadwalader,  Richard  Skinner,  Robert  Whitmore, 
Fanny  Miranda,  Uriah  Dean,  Precilla  Camver,  Ather  Piatt,  Sarah  Ballard, 
John  Mills,  Richard  Mather,  Dan  Jay,  Henry  Hollingsworth. 

Disputes  or  dififerences  among  the  members  of  the  church  were  settled 
by  the  meeting  and  very  seldom  resorted  to  the  courts. 

It  is  no  wonder  that  a  God-fearing  people,  such  as  these,  should  exert  such 
a  wholesome  influence  upon  the  early  history  of  the  county. 

The  Friends  were  the  first  denomination  in  the  county  to  organize  meet- 
ings and  build  churches.     Up  to  1820  they  had  six  distinct  communities,  i.  e.. 


672  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Arba,  Lynn,  (Old  Lynn),  Cherry  Grove,  Dunkirk,  Jericho  and  White  River. 
A  church  was  built  and  a  cemetery  established  in  each  of  these  communities 
and  is  maintained  until  this  time.  The  exact  year  of  the  establishment  of 
each  one  is  not  easy  to  state  at  the  present  time.  Each  one  of  them  grew  up, 
naturally,  as  it  were,  by  the  gathering  togeth.er  of  those  who  in  each  locality 
were  of  one  heart  and  one  mind  in  the  worship  of  God.  The  history  of  one 
is  substantially  the  history  of  all,  one  in  spirit,  in  faith,  in  love.  This  group 
of  Friend's  society  has  gone  on  hand  in  hand  and  heart  with  heart  in  its 
loving  service  of  the  Divine  Master. 

Arba,  the  oldest  of  these  meetings  was  formed  about  181 5,  in  the  com- 
munity of  what  is  known  as  Arba.  "They  built,  during  the  fall  of  that  year, 
a  pole  cabin  meeting  house  of  the  most  primitive  kind,  with  neither  fire  place 
or  chimney  which  served  both  as  school  house  and  church  for  some  years. 
After  a  considerable  time  a  new,  hewed-log  church  was  built  which  was 
occupied  for  some  thirty  years.  This  in  turn  gave  place  to  a  neat,  plain 
brick  structure,  which  now  opens  its  welcoming  doors  for  the  genei^al,  quiet, 
loving  Friends  to  assemble,  'in  the  spirit  and  wait  on  the  Lord  according  to 
his  appointment  for  the  sweet  and  refreshing  tokens  of  his  gracious  presence 
and  for  the  power  of  the  life  giving  spirit  to  work  in  their  souls  that  which 
is  well  pleasing  in  His  sight.'  " 

This  church  early  established  a  "First  Day  School"  (Sabbath  school) 
and  its  members  have  been  earnest  workers  in  the  cause  of  temperance  and  all 
other  religious  and  moral  movements. 

Among  the  early  members  were  Thomas  Parker,  Jesse  Overman, 
Ephraim  Overman,  Eli  Overman,  Jacob  Horn,  Thomas  Cadwallader,  Micajah 
^Morgan,  John  Thomas,  Clarkson  AVilcutts,  Aaron  Mills,  Wm.  Hill,  John 
Cammack,  Frederick  Fulghum  and  Francis  W.  Thomas. 

LYNN. 

The  Lynn  meeting  was  formed  very  early  in  the  history  of  the  county 
perhaps  as  early  as  181 8,  or  thereabouts  and  meeting  house  was  located  upon 
the  Beard  farm  one  and  one-half  miles  south  and  one-half  mile  east  of  the 
present  town  of  Lynn.  The  chief  members  were  Paul  Beard,  Sr.,  Jesse 
Johnson,  Francis  Frazier,  James  Frazier,  Travis  Adcock,  John  Moorman, 
Obadiah  Harris  and  others  not  now  known.  The  second  house  was  built 
about  1830. 

The  summer  of  1881  a  new  house  was  built  one-half  mile  west  and  a 
half-mile  north  of  the  old  chyrch.     It  was  located  one  mile  south  of  Lynn 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  6/3 

and  was  sometimes  called  South  Lynn.  Meeting  was  held  here  until  the  new 
church  was  built  in  Lynn  and  the  meeting  trasferred  to  that  point.  The  old 
building  was  removed  in  1910. 

JERICHO. 

Jericho  is  located  four  and  one-half  miles  southeast  of  Winchester  on 
the  township  line  dividing  Wayne  and  White  River  townships.  This  meeting 
was  established  about  1820.  They  built  a  log  cabin,  no  windows,  merely 
holes  for  light,  with  shutters.  The  seats  were  poles  with  legs,  the  women's 
side  had  a  big  fire  place  but  the  men's  side  had  a  hearth  in  the  middle  of  the 
room  with  a  hole  in  the  roof  above  to  let  the  smoke  and  heat  out.  They 
would  use  coals  from  the  fire  place,  bark,  etc.,  that  made  but  little  smoke. 

This  meeting  was  organized  by  Benoni  Hill,  Henry  Hill,  Amos  Peacock, 
Abram  Peacock,  Elijah  Cox,  William  Cox  and  their  wives.  There  was  no 
minister  for  fifteen  years.     The  first  preacher  was  John  Jones,  about  1835. 

The  first  church  was  built  about  one-fourth  mile  directly  west  of  the 
cemetery  on  the  Ed  Chenoweth  farm.  It  was  about  one-half  mile  directly 
northeast  from  the  location  of  the  present  church.  A  frame  house  was  built 
upon  the  present  location  about  1833.  This  house  stood  just  east  and  north 
of  the  present  brick  structure  which  was  built  about  1865.  This  building  was 
remodeled  in  1878. 

In  1843  3-  division  took  place  in  the  society  at  Jericho  a  large  company 
adhering  to  the  anti-slavery  Friends.  A  new  meeting  house  was  built  near 
Henry  Hills,  and  was  occupied  for  about  twenty  years.  The  Hills,  Peacocks 
and  others  were  prominent  in  this  separation  at  Jericho.  The  house  which 
was  built  was  known  as  the  "abolition  meeting  house"  and  was  vacated  about 
1865.  About  1847  3  dissension  began  to  arise  in  the  Friends  church  in  the 
east  over  the  question  of  "doctrine  and  practice"  that  is,  should  the  church 
adhere  to  the  old  forms  and  practice  or  should  they  adopt  more  modern 
methods.  This  movement  did  not  reach  the  west  until  about  1875  to  1878. 
In  1878  the  Richmond  yearly  meeting  decided  to  change  the  methods  of  pro- 
cedure and  modes  of  worship  from  those  which  had  been  prevalent  for  many 
years.  Some  of  the  Jericho  Friends  were  unwilling  to  yield  to  these  changes 
and  in  1877  set  up  a  meeting  for  themselves. 

The  two  divisions  occupied  the  same  church  for  some  time  but  the  dis- 
sension became  too  strong  and  it  became  necessary  to  separate  and  those  ad- 
hering to  the  old  methods  left  for  a  while  and  occupied  the  old  abolition 


674  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

meeting  house,  however,  in  a  short  time,  about  1878,  they  built  a  new  church 
across  the  road  from  the  old  church. 

The  two  meetings  have  continued  to  meet  separately  until  this  time.  The 
adherents  of  the  old  form  of  worship  are  but  few  in  number  having  dimin- 
ished to  about  twelve  members.  They  are  the  only  society  of  that  division 
in  the  county  at  this  time. 

With  the  division  of  the  church  came  school  difficulties  also,  as  it  had 
been  the  policy  of  the  church  to  have  the  school  in  close  connection  with  it. 
The  first  school  in  this  neighborhood  was  held  in  the  church.  The  first  public 
school  to  be  built  was  located  on  the  southeast  corner  of  the  cross  roads 
where  the  new  church  is  now  located  and  the  next  was  the  compromised 
school  one-half  mile  east. 

WHITE   RIVER. 

White  River  is  located  one  mile  northeast  of  Winchester  and  was  organ- 
ized about  1820.  The  chief  families, in  its  organization  were  Benjamin  Cox, 
John  Wright,  Jonathan  Hiatt,  Simon  Cox,  Thomas  Ward  and  Joseph  Moffett. 

The  second  building,  the  one  now  standing,  was  built  about  1840.  This 
church  is  one  of  the  most  prosperous  in  the  county  today. 

CHERRY  GROVE. 

Cherry  Grove  is  situated  about  two  and  one- half  miles  southwest  of 
Lynn  upon  a  beautiful  knoll. 

The  first  house  was  built  of  logs  and  -stood  just  south  of  the  present 
building  where  the  old  school  house  used  to  stand.  The  second  building  was 
frame  and  was  built  upon  the  present  site  in  1838.  That  building  was  burned 
in  1856  and  was  followed  by  the  present  one  which  was  built  in  1857. 

The  Cherry  Grove  monthly  meeting  was  established  in  1822. 

Cherry  Grove  had  but  one  minister  in  its  early  history. 

DUNKIRK. 

Dunkirk  is  located  three  and  one-half  miles  southwest  of  Winchester  on 
the  "Paul  Way  farm." 

The  first  meeting  house  was  erected  in  1822  and  was  built  of  logs  with 
puncheon  floor  and  earthen  fire-place  in  the  middle  of  the  floor  without  any 
chimney,  the  smoke  escaping  through  the  opening  in  middle  of  the  house. 

Among  those  who  helped  to  build  it  were  Jerry  Reynolds,  Isom  Puckett, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  675 

Jesse  Green,  Elijah  Jackson,  John  Wright,  Solomon  Reynard,  Solomon 
Wright. 

The  Friends  there  were  led  by  Isom  Puckett  for  thirty-six  years;  when 
he  died  in  1856  the  church  went  down. 

The  Dunkirk  society  body  went  with  the  anti-slavery  Friends  and  the 
meeting  went  down  before  that  body  dissolved  its  organization  and  meetings 
were  again  established  in  this  community  in  191 2  at  which  time  the  society 
purchased  the  nearby  school  house  and  converted  it  into  a  church.  The 
meeting  is  at  this  time  thriving  and  prosperous. 

NORWICH. 

This  church  was  located  about  a  mile  southeast  of  Spartanburg  and  was 
built  about  1825.  The  society  was  discontinued  about  1840,  or  perhaps 
sooner.  The  cemetery  remains  but  seldom  anyone  is  buried  there  at  this 
time. 

HARDSHAW. 

Hardshaw  was  located  in  Stoney  Creek  township  one-half  mile  north 
of  the  Neff  school  house.  It  was  sometimes  called  "Thornburg."  It  was 
established  before  1831  and  was  laid  down  about  1834. 

CABIN    CREEK. 

Cabin  Creek  was  commonly  known  as  Cedar  and  is  located  three  miles 
southwest  of  Farmland  and  was  established  in  1834.  In  1843  it  went  mostly 
anti-slavery  and  continued  as  such  until  that  society  disappeared  and  a  new 
meeting  called  Cedar  was  organized  at  the  same  place  in  i860.  The  present 
one  was  built  in  1881. 

POPLAR  RUN. 

Poplar  Run  is  located  five  and  one-half  miles  southwest  of  Farmland 
and  was  organized  in  1846  after  the  "separation."  The  leaders  were  Mark 
Diggs,  John  Diggs,  Henry  Moorman,  Eli  Townsman. 

The  first  building  was  built  of  logs,  the  second  a  frame  building  was 
built  in  1856.  In  1883  the  old  church  was  abandoned  and  a  new  one  built 
just  across  the  road  north  from  the  old  one.  This  church  was  remodeled 
only  a  few  years  ago  and  is  now  one  of  the  most  modern  of  the  county. 


676  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


BUENA  V'ISTA. 

Buena  Vista  is  located  one-half  mile  east  of  Unionsport  and  was  built 
about  1870  by  a  union  effort  of  all  classes  and  was  given  into  the  charge  of 
Friends.  There  was  no  society  in  connection  with  the  meeting  house  but 
Friends  from  abroad  made  appointments  for  a  time.  Their  meetings,  how- 
ever, were  discontinued  and  the  church  has  been  re-built  and  is  now  owned 
by  the  Christians.  The  Friends  church  formerly  stood  about  the  middle  of 
the  burying  ground.     It  was  built  by  Thomas  Gillum  in  1850. 

UNION. 

Union  is  located  about  three  miles  southeast  of  Windsor.  Rev.  John 
Smith,  United  Brethren  preacher,  came  into  the  neighborhood  where  John 
Thornburg  lived  about  1831.  Upon  his  preaching,  the  people  liked  his  doc- 
trine well  and  the  union  church  was  formed  b}'  Friends  and  Methodists. 
The  log  church  near  the  cemetery  was  built  about  1838. 

Divisions  in  the  church  arose  and  the  mieeting  house  was  sc^ld  and  another 
erected  farther  south.  This  church  stood  in  the  south  edge  of  the  old  ceme- 
tery. Another  was  built  there  in  1883.  Still  another  which  is  now  standing 
was  built  just  south  of  the  old  one  in  recent  years. 

FARMLAND. 

The  Farmland  meeting  was  established  in  1881.  Benjamin  Morris,  a 
minister,  was  authorized  by  the  Cedar  preparati-\'e  meeting  to  hold  meetings 
at  Farmland.  They  organized  with  about  thirty  members  and  held  their 
first  services  in  the  old  school  house. 

They  then  purchased  the  old  Christian  church  located  in  the  west  edge 
of  the  town  and  kept  that  building  until  about  1890.  This  building  was 
burned  and  the  present  structure  has  been  erected  only  a  few  years.  Other 
Friends  churches  in  the  county  affiliating  with  the  Friends  church  are  Bear 
Creek,  Franklin  township,  Mt.  Pleasant,  Martindale,  Bloomingsport  and  Rural 
in  Washington  township ;  Brown's  chapel,  Greensf ork,  and  Losantville. 

WINCHESTER. 

It  was  left  for  the  largest  town  in  the  county  to  be  among  the  last  to 
establish  the  Friends  church. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  677 

This  was  largely  through  the  influence  of  Elkanah  Beard  and  his  wife, 
both  prominent  ministers  among  the  Friends,  who  took  up  their  residence  in 
Winchester  in  1873. 

It  would  be  impossible  for  people  of  their  ability  and  energy  to  do 
anything  but  start  a  movement  toward  the  establishment  of  a  church.  This 
they  did  and  began  to  hold  services  in  the  city  hall.  The  mterest  grew 
rapidly  and  two  years  later  a  preparative  meeting  was  established  as  was 
also  a  monthly  and  quarterly  meeting.  A  church  was  erected  in  1876  which 
met  every  condition  of  the  meeting  for  a  number  of  years. 

The  Winchester  quarterly  meeting  comprises  the  counties  of  Randolph, 
Blackford^  Delaware  and  Jay  and  is  said  to  be  the  largest  quarterly  meet- 
ing in  the  world.  In  1901  a  new  church  was  erected  and  dedicated  to  the 
services  of  the  Master.  A  short  time  afterward  a  pipe  organ  was  installed 
in  this  church,  and  it  is  said  to  be  the  first  church  of  Friends  to  have  a  musical 
instrument  of  this  kind. 

The  Winchester  meeting  is  an  unusually  strong  one,  full  of  interest  and 
growing  rapidly.  This  is  due  in  a  measure  to  the  excellent  influence  for  a 
number  of  years  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elkanah  Beard.  Mr.  Beard  was  born  in 
Washington  township  in  1833,  the  son  of  William  Beard  and  a  grandson  of 
Dr.  Paul  Beard,  one  of  the  first  pioneers  of  that  part  of  the  county.  His  wife, 
Irena,  was  the  daughter  of  Silas  Johnson  and  the  granddaughter  of  Jesse 
Johnson,  another  pioneer  of  that  vicinity.  She  was  born  in  1835  and  they 
were  married  in  1852. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beard  lived  near  the  Lynn  Friends  meeting  house  until 
1873  when  they  moved  to  Winchester.  For  eight  years  they  regarded  Win- 
chester as  their  home  although  much  of  that  time  was  spent  away  from  home. 
They  spent  part  of  the  time  during  the  war  in  the  south,  doing  work  among 
the  freedmen.  They  had  charge  of  the  Friends  schools  in  Mississippi  and 
Louisiana.  Schools  being  located  at  Vicksburg  and  Jackson,  Mississippi, 
Levy,  Papaw  Island,  Lauderdale,  and  Youngspoint,  Louisiana.  They  came 
north  in  1869  and  went  to  India  as  missionaries.  They  spent  one  year  in 
the  city  of  Benares  on  the  Ganges,  and  one  year  at  Jabbalpoor,  in  Central 
India.  After  three  years'  service  in  India,  Mr.  Beard's  health  having  failed, 
they  returned  to  America.  Mrs.  Beard  was  also  an  .invalid  at  this  time. 
They  were  very  successful  as  missionaries  and  much  of  the  work  established 
by  them  has  today  grown  and  is  today  a  memorial  to  their  many  sacrifices. 
After  they  took  up  their  residence  in  Winchester  they  entered  other  fields  of 
missionary  work.     They  spent  a  few  years  among  the  Indians,  most  of  the 


678  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

time  among  the  Arapahoes  and  Cheyennes.  They  also  visited  and  carried  the 
Gospel  of  the  Master  among  the  Modocs,  Apaches  and  Camanches. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beard  after  their  many  years  of  service,  administering  to 
the  wants  of  others  and  carrying  the  message  of  peace  and  love  where  it  is 
most  needed,  again  moved  near  their  old  home  in  Lynn.  They  have  been 
very  thankful  to  be  considered  instrumental  in  God's  hands,  to  do  His  will 
wherever  called  and  the  spirit  of  faith  and  trust  has  guided  them  through 
many  a  trial  to  great  victory.  Mr.  Beard  died  in  1910  in  Lynn  and  his  wife 
still  survives,  peacefully  waiting  the  summons  to  come  up  higher  and  "enter 
into  the  joys  of  the  Lord." 

Ministers  of  the  church  have  been  Elkanah  Beard,  Henry  Merrill,  Abijah 
Wooten,  Simpson  Hinshaw,  Charles  E.  Hiatt,  Edward  Woodard,  William 
J.  Sayers,  George  C.  Levering  and  Frank  Cornell. 

CHRISTIAN    CHURCH. 

"New  Lights." 

The  Christian  church  has  been  a  great  factor  in  bringing  the  message 
to  many  people  early  in  the  history  of  the  county. 

Churches  of  this  denomination  began  to  be  established  in  the  various 
settlements  of  the  county.  One  of  the  first  and  perhaps  the  first  church  to  be 
built  was  at  "White  River,"'  two  miles  southwest  cf  Farmland.  This  class 
was  organized  in  1838  and  for  a  short  time  held  its  meetings  in  the  school 
house  located  near  the  present  site  of  the  church.  In  1839  a  log  church  was 
built.  This  gave  way  in  1850  to  a  brick  church  which  is  still  standing.  This 
church,  however,  was  remodeled  and  made  modern  but  a  short  time  ago. 

In  1854  a  part  of  the  membership  of  this  organization  formed  a  church 
at  Farmland  and  met  in  the  school  building  of  that  town.  They  built  a 
church  in  the  west  part  of  the  town  known  as  the  "West  Church"  in  1867 
and  worshipped  there  many  years.  They  now  occupy  a  modern  church  on 
North  Main  street.  This  edifice  was  erected  about  ten  years  ago.  The 
church  is  in  a  very  prosperous  condition.  The  next  church  of  this  denomina- 
tion was  built  in  Washington  township  at  Liberty.  This  was  built  as  early 
as  1838.     Their  first  preacher  was  Jesse  Brumfield. 

Internal  dissensions  created  trouble.  The  church  was  practically  broken 
down  but  was  revived  in  1866  and  is  today  a  very  prosperous  organization. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  679 


PLEASANT   HILL. 

This  church  was  established  some  time  before  1847.  Meetings  were 
held  at  a  Mr.  Constables.  A  frame  church  was  built  in  1850  and  the  present 
brick  house  in  1876.  The  church  is  located  in  the  northeast  corner  of  Jack- 
son township  and  is  in  a  thriving  condition. 

SHILOH. 

This  church  is  located  two  miles  north  of  Farmland.  Preaching  began 
in  that  neighborhood  about  1852.  Meetings  were  held  in  a  log  house  east  of 
where  the  present  building  now  stands.  The  first  house  was  built  in  i860 
and  was  made  of  brick.  In  1880  the  present  frame  building  was  built.  The 
church  is  not  very  strong  numerically,  having  lost  nearly  all  its  members  to 
surrounding  churches. 

PLEASANT    GROVE. 

This  church  is  situated  in  the  southwest  corner  of  Stoney  Creek  town- 
ship and  was  organized  February  20,  1858,  by  Elder  William  Terrell,  with 
nineteen  members  and  it  was  originally  organized  under  the  name  of  "Stoney 
Creek,"  but  in  1859  was  united  with  the  Pleasant  Grove  church,  and  assumed 
that  name.    The  church  has  been  a  prosperous  one. 

OLIVE   BRANCH. 

This  church  is  in  Franklin  township  and  was  organized  in  1858  by  Rev. 
Larkin  MuUin.  The  church  was  reorganized  in  1866  and  a  new  building 
erected  in  1870.  The  church  has  been  very  prosperous.  A  new  church  was 
erected  in  1913. 

WINDSOR. 

This  church  was  built  the  fall  of  1859,  under  the  direction  of  Rev. 
Larkin  Mullin  as  pastor.  The  church  stands  near  the  cemetery  and  school 
house.  The  membership  is  not  nearly  so  large  as  it  formerly  was  but  is  in  a 
thriving  condition. 

PLEASANT  GROVE. 

Pleasant  Grove,  in  Ward  township,  was  built  in  1877  as  a  union  church. 
The  Disciples,  Methodists  and  Christians  built  the  church  and  occupied  it 


68o  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

jointly  for  a  long  while.  The  Christian  organization  was  affected  in  1865. 
This  organization  now  has  use  of  the  church.  It  is  now  known  as  Good  Hope. 
Pleasant  Grove,  in  Stoney  Creek  township,  near  the  south  center  of  the 
township  northwest  of  Poplar  Run  Friends  church,  was  built  in  1846.  The 
original  organization  was  affected  south  of  where  the  church  now  stands, 
but  when  the  building  was  built  was  decided  to  put  it  where  it  is  now.  The 
church  has  always  been  strong  and  active  and  is  of  a  great  deal  of  import- 
ance today. 

HARRISVILLE. 

This  church  was  organized  in  1865  and  the  house  built  in  1866.  It 
started  with  a  membership  of  about  twenty-five  good,  earnest  Christian  people. 
The  church  has  prospered,  until  today  it  is  one  of  the  most  prosperous  of  that 
denomination  in  the  county. 

SHEDVILLE. 

This  church,  in  Green  township,  was  organized  in  1877  in  the  school 
house  south  of  Shedville.  They  numbered  about  thirty-two  at  their  organiza- 
tion. The  present  house,  which  they  occupy  east  of  Shedville,  was  built  in 
1880. 

WINCHESTER. 

The  Winchester  church  was  organized  in and  occupies  a  substantial 

edifice  on  the  corner  of  North  and  East  streets.  This  church  is  one  of  the 
most  prosperous  of  the  county  and  is  a  source  of  much  good  to  the  uphfting 
of  the  spiritual  life  of  Winchester. 

The  Christian  church  has  its  centers  in  different  parts  of  the  county 
that  are  in  a  prosperous  condition  and  doing  much  for  the  cause  of  the  church. 

There  is  Clear  Creek  church,  in  Ward  township ;  Carlos,  Buena  Vista,  in 
West  River  township ;  Mt.  Zion  and  Antioch,  in  Nettle  Creek  township. 

This  church  has  had  some  organizations  abandoned,  among  which  were 
Unionsport,  Pittsburg  and  Fairview. 

Among  prominent  ministers  of  the  Christian  churches  have  been  Rev. 
Thomas  Addington,  born  in  1829  in  Wayne  county.  Fie  moved  in  Randolph 
county  in  1834,  settling  near  Maxville.  In  185 1  he  married  Martha  Ann 
Hughes.  They  spent  most  of  their  life  on  a  farm  on  Bear  creek,  in  Franklin 
township.  Mr.  Addington  was  a  student  of  the  Union  Literary  Institute, 
and  Liber  College,  in  Jay  county,  and  was  ordained  a  minister  in  1858.  He 
was  one  of  the  most  powerful  preachers  of  that  denomination  in  eastern  In- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  68 1 

diana.  He  was  always  found  working  in  the  cause  of  right,  never  fearing  to 
extend  his  hand  in  the  name  of  mercy.  Mr.  Addington  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Civil  war  and  was  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  his  comrades.  He  is  the 
author  of  a  number  of  pleasant  articles  and  has  \\ritten  at  least  one  book, 
"Jim  Baker,"  a  story  of  a  slave  boy  who  was  a  classmate  of  his  in  Union 
Literary  Institute. 

Rev.  Larkin  MuUin,  father  of  the  Rev.  Franklin  Mullin,  now  living  in 
Farmland,  and  himself  a  prominent  minister  of  the  Christian  church,  was 
another  one  of  the  pioneer  ministers  who  did  a  great  work  among  the  early 
people  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Mullin  was  an  enthusiastic,  God-fearing  man,  and  never  lost  an 
opportunity  to  help  his  fellow-man  or  admonish  him  to  a  better  and  more 
upright  life. 

DISCIPLES   OF   CHRIST. 

The  Disciples  church,  which  is  sometimes  called  the  Christian,  and  to 
distinguish  from  the  other  branches  of  Christian,  Campbellites,  was  not  among 
the  very  first  to  appear  in  Randolph  county,  but  its  ministers  began  to  come 
about  1830. 

One  of  the  earliest  ministers  was  the  Rev.  Hosea  C.  Tillson,  of  Bethel, 
Wayne  county.  Mr.  Tillson  was  one  of  these  strong  men  who  believe  in 
carrying  the  Word  to  those  who  needed  it  and  were  willing  to  hear  it,  and 
served  as  a  traveling  minister  for  a  great  number  of  years.  Mr.  Tillson,  at 
one  time,  in  talking  of  his  experiences,  said  "The  outfit  of  the  pioneer  preacher 
was  a  large  supply  of  the  Love  of  God  shed  abroad  in  his  heart  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  a  pocket  Bible,  a  hymn  book,  a  horse,  a  pair  of  saddle-bags  and  a  large 
cape  overcoat  to  keep  warm  in  winter  and  to  shed  rain  in  summer,  tied  on 
behind  the  saddle  when  not  needed.  He  took  no  umbrella,  because  it  could 
not  be  used  riding  through  the  thick  woods." 

Mr.  T.  began  to  serve  in  the  ministry  in  1830.  He  preached  first  at 
Lebanon,  Warren  county,  Ohio,  traveling  to  Cincinnati  and  Kentucky,  cross- 
ing the  river  again  at  Aurora,  Dearborn  county,  Indiana,  and  going  thence  to 
Wayne  county,  preaching  and  also  working  at  his  trade  as  a  cooper. 

In  1830  he  first  preached  in  Randolph  county.  Of  this  experience  he 
said,  in  a  paper,  read  at  a  meeting  of  ministers  of  the  Disciples  church,  held  at 
Spartanburg  February  2,  1882:  "A  small  settlement  had  been  formed  on  the 
Little  Mississinewa,  four  miles  north  of  where  Union  City  now  is.  My  old 
school  teacher  and  other  friends  had  moved  up  there  into  the  woods.    James 


682  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Wickersham,  James  Skinner  and  Thomas  Wiley  were  among  them.  1 
preached  there  to  twenty  persons,  which  was  all  there  were  in  the  neighbor- 
hood.' Returning  home  through  Newburg  (Spartanburg),  he  left  an  ap- 
pointment to  preach  there,  in  June,  which  he  fulfilled.  Some  of  the  Friends 
had  moved  to  Fort  Wayne,  and  he  was  invited  to  visit  that  place,  which  he 
accomplished  in  August,  making  a  three  days'  horseback  ride  through  the 
wilderness,  and  thence  six  miles  down  the  river,  where  the  meeting  was  held 
in  a  cabin  on  the  banks  of  the  stream.  He  says :  "On  Sunday  morning 
large  canoes  came  sailing  on  the  river,  loaded  with  people,  and  landed  near, 
filling  the  cabin.  One  woman  asked  for  immersion.  Her  request  was  granted, 
which  was  supposed  to  be  the  first  baptism  in  the  waters  of  the  beautiful 
Maumee."  Returning,  scarce  of  money,  he  fed  on  blackberries  and  baited  his 
horse  on  the  wild  grass,  and,  at  other  times  he  ate  black  haws,  thinking  of 
John  the  Baptist  and  his  "locusts  and  wild  honey." 

He  continued  his  visits  to  the  settlement  north  of  Union  City  in  1837, 
accompanied  by  the  two  Harlans,  and,  in  1838,  began  to  baptize  into  the  faith 
of  Jesus.  The  settlement  had  increased  and  a  cabin  would  not  hold  the  people, 
and  the  men  made  a  booth  of  bushes  at  the  cabin  door,  with  fence  rails  for 
seats,  while  the  preachers'  horses  stood  tied  to  the  trees,  eating  corn  brought 
in  their  saddle  bags.  We  quote  again,  in  substance:  "The  first  week  in 
January,  1840,  the  meeting  was  held  in  Thomas  Wiley's  hewed-log  house 
before  his  large  log-heap  fire.  Brother  Wiley  cut  the  ice  a  foot  thick,  and. 
in  a  heavy  snow  storm,  we  baptized  James  Wickersham  and  his  wife  and 
some  others,  and,  at  night,  several  more  by  the  light  of  hickory  bark  torches, 
thus  getting  both  my  suits  of  clothes  wet,  but  Sister  Wiley  had  them  well 
dried  by  morning.  In  the  spring  of  1842  we  ordained  Thomas  Wiley  and 
Charles  Smith  elders  of  the  church  there  by  the  laying  on  of  hands."  In 
1840  he  was  called  by  Jonathan  Thomas  to  preach  at  his  new  saw-mill,  on 
Clear  creek,  east  of  Deerfield,  at  which  place  he  continued  to  preach  for 
three  years  with  much  success.  He  preached  also  at  Brook's  creek,  in  Jay 
county,  and  at  Petersburg  and  Walnut  Corner,  Randolph  county. 

South  Salem,  Springboro  (north  of  Lynn),  etc.,  were  begun  about  the 
same  time.  He  states :  "We  were  called  to  Joel  Howe's  cabin,  in  the  edge 
of  the  big  woods  west  of  Spartanburg,  in  the  summer  of  1839.  An  acre  was 
cleared,  a  loose  plank  floor  was  in  the  cabin,  but  the  cracks  were  not  stopped. 
A  large  sycamore  gum  stood  near,  with  a  hole  cut  in  one  side  for  a  smoke- 
house. The  first  two  meetings,  not  more  than  eight  persons  were  present,  but 
in  the  early  winter,  at  the  third  or  fourth  appointment,  the  house  was  so  full 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  683 

of  people  that  we  could  scarce  get  in.  They  had  come  from  the  settlements 
south  out  of  curiosity.  But  the  Lord  was  there  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit, 
and  tears  flowed  freely.  At  night,  we  preached  at  Davis'  schoolhouse,  south 
of  Spartanburg,  to  a  crowded  house." 

Shortly  afterward,  at  the  same  house,  and  at  Brother  Silas  Davis'  dwell- 
ing, two  meetings  were  held  at  the  same  hour  by  Brothers  Valentine  Harlan 
and  Tillson,  and  two  brethren,  John  Starling  and  Nathan  Hedgepeth,  were 
baptized  at  Davis'  spring.  "Soon  after  that,  Bethpage  meeting-house  was 
built  and  a  great  work  spread  through  all  that  region.  *  *  *  j  am  the 
last  one  of  the  pioneer  preachers  left  on  the  shores  of  time  in  these  parts,  and 
I  am  'only  waiting  till  the  shadows  are  a  little  longer  grown.'  "  Mr.  T.  bap- 
tized many  believers,  some  years  more  than  200.  He  says  in  his  paper :  "The 
old  horse  was  dead  long  ago.  The  old  saddle  was  torn  up  in  1843  (when 
I  was  out  with  Brother  Franklin),  but  here  is  the  old  saddle-bags  and  Father 
Harlan's  old  hymn-book,  like  the  one  I  had,  and  here  is  the  old  cape  over- 
coat; and  last,  and  best  of  all,  here  is  the  old  backwoods  preacher  in  good 
health  and  with  as  warm  a  heart  for  the  prosperity  of  Zion  as  he  had  fifty 
years  ago." 

Mr.  Tillson's  description  of  the  bluff  pioneers,  who  were  the  agents  in 
God's  hand  for  causing  the  beginning  of  the  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom  in  those 
wildernesses  is  very  quaint  and  striking : 

"Joel  Howe,  taking  his  little  sorrel  mare  with  rope-rein  bridle  and  sheep- 
skin saddle,  and  going  to  Bethel  (eight  miles)  one  Sunday  morning  dressed 
in  home-spun  clothes  of  flax  and  tow,  with  straw  hat  and  feet  all  bare,  was 
the  angel  of  mercy  appointed  to  be  the  herald  of  salvation  that  should  open 
the  gates  of  the  New  Jerusalem  to  that  infant  community.  James  Wicker- 
sham  and  James  Skinner,  two  poor  brethren  coming  down  to  Whitewater  to 
buy  breadstuff,  urged  me  to  come  up  on  the  Little  Mississinewa  and  break  to 
their  famishing  souls  the  bread  of  eternal  life.  Sister  Nancy  Leabo,  at  Wal- 
nut Corner,  whose  husband  died,  leaving  her  to  struggle  on  in  poverty  and 
want,  called  me  there  to  preach  his  funeral.  Jonathan  Thomas,  in  his  shanty 
built  of  rough  plank,  urged  me  to  come  and  speak  the  words  of  heavenly  con- 
solation to  himself  and  his  neighbors,  east  of  Deerfield.  The  meetings  there 
were  held,  first  in  a  Methodist  brother's  cabin,  then  at  the  saw-mill,  the  men 
seated  on  the  logs  in  the  mill-yard  like  pigeons  in  the  trees.  When  preaching 
on  Bear  creek,  northwest  of  Winchester,  Brother  James  Level  and  wife  came 
on  horseback  nine  miles  to  meeting  on  Sunday  morning,  returning  at  evening. 
Souls  were  'hungry  for  the  Word'  in  those  times  and  would  endure  hardships 


684  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

to  reach  the  spots  of  blessing,  where  stood  the  servants  of  Christ  to  feed  the 
eager,  waiting  crowds  with  the  bread  furnished  from  the  Master's  hand." 

The  experiences  of  Mr.  Tillson  were  the  experiences  of  all  pioneer 
preachers  and  a  church  established  by  such  sincere  men  could  not  help  but 
prove  of  lasting  good.  The  church  of  which  he  spoke.  New  Lisbon,  Jackson 
township,  was  formed  July  7,  1839,  and  has  continued  to  be  one  of  the  best 
churches  in  the  county. 

Spartanburg. — In  1838  a  church  was  organized  at  Spartanburg.  It 
was  brought  about  by  the  division  of  the  Christian  (New  Light)  church  of 
Bethel,  Wayne  county,  dividing  upon  the  doctrines  taught  by  Rev.  Campbell. 
The  majority  of  the  congregation  left  the  original  church  and  soon  organized 
the  Disciples  church  at  Spartanburg  where  they  built  a  log  meeting  house 
about  1840.  This  church  was  known  as  Bethpage  and  stood  south  of  Spar- 
tanburg. This  church  immediately  became  a  famous  place  for  debates  be- 
tween the  two  divisions  of  the  original  church.  The  membership  grew  very 
rapidly  and  became  sufficiently  large  to  justify  the  building  of  new  churches. 
One  was  built  at  Gilead,  southwest  of  Spartanburg,  three  miles,  in  1854  and 
the  other  at  Sugar  Grove  southeast  of  Spartanburg  which  was  used  for  meet- 
ing purposes  until  the  building  was  built  in  Spartanburg,  the  church  at  the 
latter  place  was  built  about  1868  and  is  still  occupied  by  the  congregation  of 
that  community.  It  has,  however,  been  remodeled  and  is  a  neat,  up-to-date 
church,  enjoying  all  the  prosperity  that  comes  to  an  organization  composed  of 
live,  wide-awake,  enthusiastic  members.  The  next  church  in  the  county  to 
be  built  was  at  White  River  Chapel  north  of  Snow  Hill.  The  church  was 
built  there  about  1856  but  the  membership  was  never  very  strong  and  the 
church  was  eventually  abandoned. 

Union  City — The  Union  City  church  was  organized  in  1858  by  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Wiley  with  twenty- four  members.  The  trustees  were  Simeon  Bran- 
ham,  Thomas  Wiley,  Isaac  Beal  and  J.  E.  Paxson.  The  Rev.  Thomas  Wiley 
was  the  first  elder  and  also  the  pastor.  It  was  largely  through  the  influence 
of  this  strong  man  that  the  church  was  put  upon  a  foundation  that  should 
make  it  one  of  the  strongest  institutions  of  the  country.  Mr.  Wiley  had  a 
good  field  in  which  to  work,  as  there  were  no  churches  in  Union  City  at  that 
time,  his  being  the  first.  The  building  was  begun  in  1853  but  was  not  com- 
pleted until  1858.  The  lots  upon  which  the  church  stands  were  donated  by 
Jere  Smith,  one  of  the  founders  of  the  city  and  one  of  the  ardent  adherents 
to  the  Disciples  Church. 

The  congregation  increased  very  rapidly  and  it  became  necessary  in 
about  twenty  years  to  build  a  new  building.    This  church  was  begun  in  1875 


KANDOLI'H    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  685 

but  was  not  dedicated  until  the  ist  of  March,  1878,  and  was  at  that  time  by 
far  the  finest  church  in  eastern  Indiana. 

The  growing  congregation  again  made  it  necessary  to  increase  the  ca- 
pacity of  the  church.  To  this  end  the  church  was  remodeled  in  1 901.  At 
^at  time  the  large  auditorium  was  made  larger  and  the  church  modernized  in 
every  particular.    A  pipe  organ  was  afterward  installed. 

The  church  was  again  remodeled  in  19 13  but  scarcely  had  been  com- 
pleted until  it  was  partially  destroyed  by  fire.  It  has,  during  the  summer  of 
1914,  been  rebuilt  and  stuccoed  and  is  again  placed  in  the  class  of  the  finest. 
The  church  today  is  one  of  the  most  prosperous  in  the  country,  regardless 
of  denomination,  and  has  perhaps  the  greatest  membership  of  any  Disciples 
church  in  the  county,  and  perhaps  the  greatest  of  any  church,  regardless  of 
denomination. 

Winchester. — The  church  at  Winchester  was  the  next  to  be  organized. 
Rev.  I.  P.  Watts,  one  of  the  pioneer  workers  of  the  Disciples  church  and  a 
man  to  whom  the  general  public  is  under  an  everlasting  obligation  for  his  de- 
voted life  to  it,  has  written,  "Story  of  a  Christian  Church.  ''  The  church  re- 
ferred to  is  the  Winchester  church  and  with  the  permission  of  Mr.  Watts  we 
here  reproduce  the  story. 

THE  STORY  OF  A   CHRISTIAN   CHURCH. 

"In  the  summer  of  1866,  I  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  Randolph 
Common  Pleas  court.  I  had  been  a  member  of  the  Christian  (Disciple) 
church  from  the  age  of  fifteen  years.  Had  been  reared  in  a  very  strong  in- 
fidel community  and  from  the  age  of  eighteen  to  twenty-one,  I  held  many  pub- 
lic debates  with  skeptics  and  infidels.  In  1862,  I  went  to  the  war  and  during 
all  that  time  kept  up  my  study  of  the  Bible  and  the  Bible  I  carried  through  the 
entire  war  is  still  on  my  desk.  When  admitted  to  the  bar,  I  found  a  very 
strong  infidel  sentiment  in  the  court-room  which  was  very  distasteful  to  me. 
One  day  in  June,  1866,  I  entered  into  a  hot  discussion  with  Moorman  Way 
which  attracted  the  attention  of  Judge  Jerre  Smith,  William  D.  Frazee  and 
Judge  J.  W.  Haynes.  After  it  was  over  Judge  Smith  came  to  me  and  patted 
me  on  the  shoulder  and  said,  'Young  man,  I  like  your  spirit.  What  church 
do  you  belong  to  ?'  I  said  the  Christian  or  Disciple  church.  He  said,  'Why 
that  is  the  church  I  belong  to.'  William  D.  Frazee  came  up  just  then  and 
said,  'Young  man,  you  did  well ;  what  church  do  you  belong  to-'  I  said  the 
Christian  or  Disciple  church,  and  he  said,  "Why,  that  is  the  church  I  belong 
to.'  And  I  said,  'Whv  haven't  you  a  Disciple  church  here.'  The  result  of 
(44) 


686  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

the  interview  was  that  Jerre  Smith  agreed  to  try  to  buy  the  old  Presbyterian 
church  on  Meridian  street  that  was  then  empty  and  without  a  congregation. 
In  a  few  days,  he  saw  Samuel  P.  Ludy,  the  trustee  of  said  church,  and  bought 
the  same  for  $400.  Smith,  Frazee  and  myself  had  a  new  roof  put  on  the 
church  and  a  bell  was  bought  and  on  the  26th  day  of  August,  1866,  the  Chris- 
tian church  was  organized  by  Butler  K.  Smith  and  George  W.  Thompson. 

The  charter  members  who  entered  into  that  organization  were  Jerre 
Smith,  Isaiah  P.  Watts,  William  D.  Frazee,  Joshua  C.  Moltbie,  Elizabeth 
Moltbie,  Elias  Clevenger,  Martha  M.  Watts  Clevenger,  Robert  R.  Williams, 
Vashti  Williams,  Sarpeta  C.  Williams,  Mary  Browne  (wife  of  Gen.  Tom 
Browne),  Beulah  Leake,  Malinda  Patty,  Sarah  Ireland,  Minerva  Shaw,  and 
Sarah  Irvin. 

At  this  organization  Jeremiah  Smith,  Isaiah  P.  Watts  and  William  D. 
Frazee  were  by  the  church  elected  elders.  Robert  R.  Williams  and  Joshua 
C.  Moltbie  were  chosen  as  deacons.  The  meeting  was  continued  for  over  a 
week  and  on  August  27,  Edmund  Engle  made  the  good  confession  and  was 
immersed  by  Elder  George  W.  Thompson.  The  church  continued  to  grow 
and  many  are  the  names  that  were  added  to  the  church  from  time  to  time. 
Of  the  original  number  at  the  organization,  all  have  passed  away  and  but  one 
is  now  a  member  of  this  church. 

Elder  Isaiah  P.  Watts  has  been  an  elder  ever  since  the  organization  and 
a  trustee  ever  since  1874.  December  28,  1874,  Jerre  Smith  died.  In  1870, 
William  D.  Frazee  had  moved  to  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  and  I.  P.  Watts  was 
the  only  teaching  elder  left. 

From  1866  to  1874,  we  had  employed  able  ministers  of  the  Gospel  to 
preach  for  us  as  often  as  we  could  pay  them.  Those  that  I  remember  were 
Butler  K.  Smith,  George  W.  Thompson,  Barnhill  Polley,  Hardin  Harrison, 
George  Campbell,  Henry  R.  Prichard,  Love  Jameson,  Prof.  R.  T.  Browne, 
Elder  James  Matheros,  Elder  Benjamin  Franklin,  Elder  Aaron  W.  Moore, 
Elder  William  D.  Moore,,  Elder  J.  O.  Beardsley,  Elder  Hugh  T.  Morrison, 
Elder  J.  W.  Ferrell,  Elder  Valentine  Thompson,  Elder  Elijah  Goodwin  and 
Elder  Thomas  Munnell.  June  4th,  1876,  the  new  church  was  dedicated. 
Elder  J.  C.  Tul'ly,  of  Union  City,  Indiana,  preached  the  dedicatory  sermon. 

The  history  of  the  new  church  building  is  as  follows:  In  1875,  Brother 
Jerre  Smith  having  taken  the  deed  to  the  old  church  in  his  own  name  and 
having  before  his  death  made  provision  in  his  will  that  the  Christian  church 
should  have  the  building  provided  they  pay  to  his  estate  the  sum  of  $400 
within  one  year  after  his  death,  it  became  necessary  for  the  church  to  raise 
that  amount  sometime  in  the  spring  of  1875.     Elder  I.  P.  Watts  met  Gen. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  687 

Tom  Browne  on  the  north  side  of  the  public  square  and  said  to  him :  'Tom, 
we  have  to  raise  money  and  pay  for  the  Jerre  Smith  church  soon  or  we  won't 
have  any  place  to  meet.  What  will  you  give  to  help  us  ?'  Tom  studied  a  mo- 
ment and  said :  'Watts,  I  won't  give  a  cent  to  buy  that  old  church.'  My  heart 
went  clear  down,  and  with  head  down,  I  started  home  when  a  short  distance 
away  Gen.  Browne  called  me  back  to  him  and  said :  'Watts,  while  I  won't 
give  a  cent  to  buy  the  old  church,  I'll  tell  you  what  I  will  do.  You  get  two 
men  to  go  down  and  appraise  the  old  church  and  I  will  give  all  they  say  it  is 
worth  to  build  a  new  one.'  I  grabbed  him  by  the  hand  and  said :.  'Tom^  you 
are  a  man  after  my  own  heart.  I  will  give  as  much  as  you  will.'  We  turned 
into  a  store  nearby  and  bought  a  small  blank  book  (which  I  have  yet)  and 
Gen.  Browne  wrote  on  the  first  page  thereof  a  subscription  contract  to  build 
a  new  church  as  follows :  'Thomas  M.  Browne,  Isaiah  P.  Watts  and  Edmund 
Engle,  trustees  of  the  Christian  church  of  Winchester,  Indiana,  propose  erect- 
ing in  behalf  of  and  for  the  use  of  said  church,  a  church  building  thirty-five 
by  sixty  feet;  the  said  building  to  be  of  brick,  with  stone  foundation,  slate 
roof,  a  spire,  and  a  neat  and  approved  style  of  architecture. 

'We,  the  undersigned,  undertake  and  promise  to  pay  said  trustees  for  the 
uses  and  purposes  aforesaid  the  sums  respectively  subscribed  by  us  and  set 
opposite  our  names  at  the  following  to  wit :  One-half  of  said  sum  when 
the  walls  of  said  building  are  erected,  and  the  residue  thereof  when  said 
building  is  completed.' 

subscribers'  names. 

I.  P.  Watts,  $500;  Edmund  Engle,  $500;  Thomas  M.  Browne,  $500; 
Cheney  &  Watson,  $500;  James  Moorman,  $100;  A.  Stone,  $300;  Thomas 
Ward,  $100;  Robert  B.  Morrow,  $100;  Neff  Teal  &  Co.,  $100. 

Those  that  subscribed  $50  were  Silas  Colgrove,  Judge  Felix  Sims,  T.  W. 
Kizer,  O.  Smith,  Hudson  &  Beeson,  William  D.  Kizer,  R.  A.  Leavell,  W.  A. 
W.  Daly,  James  Houser.  Lee  Ault.  John  Richardson,  Simon  Ramsey,  L.  M. 
Jones,  Gideon  Shaw.  Nearly  everybody  in  town  subscribed  from  twenty-five 
dollars  to  ten  dollars  on  the  new  church,  and  on  June  4,  1875,  when  dedicated 
about  $1,200  was  subscribed  besides  thirteen  shares  in  building  and  loan  asso- 
ciation which  was  carried  as  follows:  I.  P.  Watts,  five  shares;  Edmund 
Engle,  six  shares,  and  Mary  J.  Browne,  two  shares. 

At  the  dedication,  T.  M.  Browne  subscribed  $200;  Edmund  Engle,  $200; 
Isaac  Ingle,  $100;  E.  L.  Watson,  $50.  Those  who  gave  $25  each  at  dedica- 
tion were  Levina  Austin,  Elizabeth  Reinheimer,  Nathan  Reed,  Richard  Bos- 


688  KANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

worth,  Elizabeth  Goodrich,  J.  W.  Polly,  I.  P.  Watts,  Alex  Gullet,  E.  L.  An- 
derson, J.  T.  Shaw,  and  John  Engle. 

Those  who  gave  $io  each  were  Miss  Sada  Houser,  Lida  Watts,  Thomas 
M.  Browne,  Hugh  T.  Morrison,  George  W.  Thompson,  Edith  Leslie,  Thomas 
Hiatt,  Levina  Hiatt,  Edmund  Thomas,  William  Austin,  John  Heaston.  Those 
who  gave  $5  each  were  C.  G.  Bartholomew,  Hannah  M.  Diggs,  Ehihu  Mul- 
len, H.  T.  Morrison,  Sophia  Barker,  Mary  Houser,  Minerva  Shaw,  James 
Brown,  William  Miller,  Naum  Houser,  Richmond  Thornburg,  Pheobe  Har- 
vey, Sarah  Ireland,  Mrs.  J.  S.  Engle,  Mary  J.  Browne,  A.  C.  Beeson,  George 
Browne,  William  McConnochy,  Hugh  T.  Morrison,  Henry  V.  Polly,  Sister 
Beary,  William  A.  Thompson,  Mrs.  Jonathan  Houser,  Mrs.  Lida  Thomas, 
Strother  Brumfield,  Mrs.  Bennington,  Mrs.  E.  L.  Watson,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Jarni- 
gan,  James  Warren,  A.  W.  Jenkins,  Martin  C.  Alexander.  Mrs.  H.  T.  Se- 
mans,  Mrs.  W.  A.  Thompson,  Edmund  Thomas,  John  Helton,  Mrs.  Lee  Ault, 
Harrison  P.  Hunt,  Thomas  Brown,  Dr.  G.  W.  Bruce. 

A.  G.  Campfield,  who  was  then  building  the  court  house,  was  given  the 
contract  of  building.  Mr.  J.  C.  Johnson,  the  architect  of  the  court  house,  fur- 
nished Gen.  Browne  with  the  plan  and  specifications  without  charge.  Ed- 
mund Engle  and  I.  P.  Watts,  trustees,  superintended  the  work.  Engle  did 
most  in  superintending  the  building;  L  P.  Watts  did  about  all  the  soHciting 
and  collecting  after  the  first  day.  The  first  day  Gen.  Browne  and  L  P. 
Watts  got  $2,500  to  start  with.  The  cost  of  lot  and  building  was  something 
over  $7,000.  After  all  had  been  collected  that  was  possible,  L  P.  Watts 
deeded  120  acres  of  land  in  Missouri  to  Mr.  Campfield  and  $800  was  cred- 
ited on  the  church  debt  to  him. 

Until  the  dedication  of  the  new  church,  we  had  never  used  instrumental 
music  in  the  church,  as  a  large  majority  of  the  members  were  at  that  time 
opposed  to  instruments  in  church  worship.  I  had  bought  a  very  small  silver- 
toned  organ  for  the  Sunday  school  and  we  had  used  it  in  the  Sunday  school 
for  years  and  the  young  people  wanted  to  use  it  in  the  dedicatory  service. 
Elder  Felix  Sims  was  the  only  elder  that  had  objected  and  I  sent  the  girls 
of  the  church  to  him.  He  consented  they  might  use  it  on  that  one  day.  They 
did  and  it  was  used  ever  after. 

The  first  twelve  or  fourteen  years  of  the  church,  Elder  L  P-  Watts 
preached  for  the  church  except  when  the  elders  could  afford  to  hire  some  one 
to  come  and  preach  over  Sunday.  And  when  the  church  was  able  to  have  a 
minister  half  time.  Brother  Watts  preached  the  other  half  and  paid  more 
than  any  one  else  to  the  man  we  hired  and  he  did  this  willingly  without  any 
compensation  except  the  love  of  the  church  which  he  always  had  from  the 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  689 

time  the  church  was  organized.  It  had  a  Sunday  school  and  for  the  first  two 
years  it  was  held  at  2  :30  p.  m.  so  as  not  to  interfere  with  the  other  schools 
of  the  town.  Brother  I.  P.  Watts  was  the  fiirst  superintendent  and  filled  that 
office  for  seven  years  and  also  taught  a  class  of  twenty  young  girls  during 
that  time.  Many  of  them  became  members  of  the  church.  At  first  we  had 
no  music  but  our  voices.  Jerre  Smith  brought  his  flute  to  pitch  the  tunes  at 
Sunday  school.  Brother  Watts  saw  the  need  of  some  other  help  and  bought 
the  little  silver  toned  organ  which  we  carried  to  the  new  church.  ,  Brother 
Elder  Engle  was  the  next  superintendent  and  was  a  good  one  and  held  the 
place  for  many  years  after  we  got  into  the  new  church. 

From  the  very  first  the  church  has  been  in  the  front  rank  as  far  as  sound 
doctrine  and  ability  in  the  pulpit  was  considered.  When  able  we  procured 
the  ablest  men  in  the  state  to  preach  for  us.  Universalism  of  the  Bellou 
type  was  preached  and  infidelity  of  the  Ingersol  type  was  prevalent.  While 
in  the  old  church  Elder  George  W.  Thompson,  of  the  Christian  church,  held 
a  four  days'  debate  with  Guthrie,  of  the  Universalist  church.  It  was  held  in 
the  old  M.  E.  church  on  account  of  room.  It  was  a  victory  for  the  true 
faith.  Afterward  Elder  Butler  K.  Smith  of  the  Christian  church,  held  a  de- 
bate with  S.  P  Carlton,  the  champion  debater  for  the  Universalists.  It  con- 
tinued four  days  and  was  a  very  strong  debate,  but  Carlton  himself  admitted 
his  defeat.  And  many  of  his  followers  went  into  other  churches.  This  de- 
bate was  held  in  the  old  M.  E.  church.  The  great  Infidel  Underwood  came 
here  and  made  his  (as  he  thought)  unanswerable  lecture  against  Christianity. 
Brother  I.  P.  Watts  raised  $50  in  two  hours  and  sent  for  Professor  O.  A. 
Burgess,  of  Butler  college.  He  came  and  his  lecture  was  held  in  the  City 
Hall.,  It  was  crowded.  For  two  nights  he  went  to  the  M.  E.  church 
on  invitation  and  delivered  three  lectures  each  time,  nine  in  all.  The  town 
had  never  before  or  since  heard  better  or  more  eloquent  lectures  on  the  whole 
subject  of  dispute  by  infidels  and  Winchester  has  had  a  better  and  clearer 
spiritual  atmosphere  ever  since. 

It  was  a  number  of  years  after  the  new  church  was  dedicated  before 
the  church  was  able  to  employ  a  minister  full  time.  We  had  half  time 
preaching  by  hired  ministers  all  the  time  and  Brother  Watts  the  other  half. 
Among  these  I  recall  Elder  A.  H.  Moore,  Elder  Garey,  Elder  Vinson,  Elder 
John  Ellis.  During  the  time  Ellis  was  here  he  and  Brother  Watts  held  a 
meeting  for  four  weeks,  preaching  turn  about  each  night.  The  result  was 
forty-five  additions,  thirty  out  of  the  Sunday  school.     After  that  the  church 


690  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

had  Brother  Wise,  of  Indianapolis,  for  all  time,  Brother  Chatley  was  first  I 
believe.  Brother  Arch  Hall,  of  Butler,  Brother  Dailey,  Brother  A.  W.  Hall, 
Brother  C.  E.  Wells,  Brother  Hough,  Brother  Hammond,  Brother  James 
Floyd,  Brother  H.  C.  Patterson,  Brother  Vernon  and  Brother  Persinger. 
During  its  existence  the  church  has  had  over  a  thousand  members  and  today 
is  one  of  the  great  moral  and  spiritual  forces  in  Winchester  and  has  com- 
menced the  building  of  a  great  new  church. 

But,  however  great  it  becomes  in  the  future  it  will  never  have  a  more 
faithful  membership  than  it  had  in  its  beginning.  And  the  story  of  its  pioneers 
will  always  leave  a  sweet  halo  around  their  names.  As  the  last  of  these  saints 
of  the  long  ago,  I  have  written  this  story  that  though  dead  they  are  not 
forgotten." 

Since  the  above  article  was  written  the  church  has  been  served  by  two 
pastors,  George  W.  Schroeder  and  James  W.  Wilson. 

The  "great  new  church,"  spoken  of  by  Mr.  Watt6,  is  one  of  the  most . 
beautiful  edifices  to  be  found  in  eastern  Indiana  and  is  a  monument  to  the 
energetic  membership  composing  this  church.     It  was  erected  in  1912  and 
will  cost  when  completed,  approximately  $30,000.00. 

The  building  committee  having  it  in  charge  was  A.  L.  Nichols,  Albert 
King  and  H.  E.  McNees.  They  were  aided  by  the  membership  in  particular, 
the  public  in  general  in  the  construction  of  this  building  but  it  has  been  largely 
through  their  untiring  efforts  that  the  splendid  work  has  been  done.  The 
trustees  of  the  church  are  Anderson  Lesley,  A.  E.  Ludy  and  I.  P.  Watts;  the 
elders,  I.  P  Watts,  Isaac  Poyner,  A.  L.  Nichols,  T.  W.  Watts,  Frank  Roberts, 
James  L.  Chenoweth;  deacons,  Anderson  Lesley,  H.  E.  McNees,  Charles 
Tillson,  John  T.  Beeson,  Albert  King,  Ray  Lesley  and  N.  R.  Chenoweth. 

Other  churches  of  this  denomination  in  the  county  that  are  now  in  a 
prosperous  condition  are  located  in  South  Salem,  Ridgeville,  Parker,  and 
Lynn. 

SOUTH   SALEM. 

South  Salem  was  established  about  1843  ^"^^  fo'"  ^  while  was  very 
flourishing.  The  house  was  built  about  185 1.  The  membership  was  not  so 
large  as  formetly  but  the  church  is  in  a  thriving  condition  and  maintains  a 
splendid  Sabbath  school.  The  organization  at  Lynn  is  very  prosperous  and 
one  of  the  most  vigorous  churches  of  the  county.  They  have  a  very  large 
mernbership  which  has  made  it  necessary  to  remodel  the  church.  This  they 
are  doing  during  the  summer  of  1914.     The  church  is  being  enlarged  a  great 


KANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  69 1 

deal  and  modernized  and  will,  when  complete,  be  one  of  the  most  convenient 
churches  to  be  found  in  the  county. 

This  organization  was  started  many  years  ago  and  has  been  re-in  forced 
from  the  membership  of  some  adjacent  churches  which  were  abandoned. 

Their  ministers  have  been :  George  Waggner,  J.  M.  Land,  Roy  L. 
Brown,  J.  A.  Brown,  Mr.  Stibben,  W.  M.  Cunningham,  M.  O.  Jarvis,  H.  F. 
Rector,  J.  L.  Sharritt.  The  present  elders  are :  T.  M.  Nichols,  E.  E.  Ford, 
A.  R.  Hiatt,  J.  B.  Chenoweth  and  Fred  Horn.  The  present  trustees  are: 
Norman  Anderson,  Charles  Hiatt  and  Edd  Lipp. 

RIDGEVILLE. 

The  organization  in  Ridgeville  is  not  very  flourishing  numerically  but 
is  under  good  leadership  and  no  doubt  will  continue  to  survive.  The  church 
at  Parker  was  organized  under  the  leadership  of  Rev.  W.  D.  Stone  of  Union 
City  in  1886. 

Mr.  Stone  was  instrumental  in  the  organization  of  other  churches.  He 
was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1826  and  moved  to  Winchester  in  1839. 
Having  a  keen  desire  for  learning  he  attended  the  county  seminary  at  inter- 
vals from  1839  to  1847.  ^^  1847  he  enlisted  in  the  4th  Indiana  Volunteers 
as  a  private  for  services  in  the  Mexican  war  and  served  for  fourteen  months. 
He  has  lived  at  various  parts  of  the  county,  Harrisville,  Salem,  New  Lisbon, 
Spartanburg,  Winchester,  Parker  and  Union  City. 

He  enlisted  in  Company  "I"  of  the  17th  Ohio  Volunteers  in  the  war  of 
1 86 1,  for  three  months  and  then  re-enlisted  in  the  11 8th  Regiment  Ohio 
Volunteers  and  was  made  Captain  of  Company  "C." 

Mr.  Stone  was  an  active,  wide-awake  and  somewhat  eccentric  man,  but 
very  energetic  and  a  successful  educator  and  preacher.  He  was  idolized  by 
his  pupils  and  greatly  esteemed  and  appreciated  by  the  churches  of  which  he 
was  a  member.  His  motto  was  "Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  with 
all  thy  might."  Mr.  Stone  was  honored  by  being  elected  representative  to  the 
state  Legislature  in  the  year  1890  and  honored  the  state  by  his  service  there. 

On  his  becoming  a  citizen  of  Parker  his  religious  zeal  immediately  as- 
serted itself  and  he  proceeded  to  organize  a  church  at  that  place.  The  church 
prospered  under  his  guidance  and  is  today  a  memorial  to  his  excellent  services 
there.  Mr.  Stone  removed  to  Union  City,  where  he  passed  his  last  days 
among  those  with  whom  he  had  associated  for  years.  He  was  indeed  one  of 
nature's  noblemen  and  lived  a  life  such  that  any  community  might  be  proud 
to  own  him  as  one  of  her  sons. 


692  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


DUTCH   REFORM. 

This  church  is  located  at  Pittsburg  and  was  organized  about  1870.  This 
is  the  only  church  of  this  denomination  in  the  county.  It  is  a  prosperous 
church,  maintaining  a  good  Sunday  school  and  is  live  and  wide-awake  to  the 
best  interests  of  the  community. 

UNITED   BRETHREN. 

Numerically  speaking,  the  United  Brethren  of  this  county  is  represented 
by  seven  churches,  located  at  Zion,  Green  township;  Saratoga,  Ward  town- 
ship; Prospect,  Jackson  township;  White  River  Chapel,  White  River  town- 
ship; Lynn,  Washington;  Mt.  Pleasant,  Greens  fork;  and  Modoc,  Nettle 
Creek. 

These  churches  did  not  affect  any  organization  in  the  county  until  about 
1850,  when  a  church  was  started  at  Antioch,  in  the  edge  of  Losantville.  That 
house  ceased  to  be  used  about  1855.  For  twenty  years  they  worshiped  in  a 
small  house  west  of  Jordan  Hoisted. 

A  new  society  was  formed  in  Losantville  in  1875,  which  met  for  a  while 
in  a  public  hall  but  afterward  built  a  church  and  is  in  a  prosperous  condition. 
Zion,  one  mile  south  of  the  consolidated  school  house,  in  Green  township, 
was  started  about  i860.  Rev.  David  Gunkle  preached  there  a  number  of 
years  in  a  school  house.  The  meeting  house  was  built  in  1875.  The  organiza- 
tion started  with  about  twenty  members  and  is  today  one  of  the  strongest  of 
that  denomination  in  the  county.  The  church  has  recently  been  remodeled 
and  is  now  a  modern,  up-to-date  structure.  The  denomination  in  Jackson 
township  has  its  church  at  Prospect,  east  of  Pittsburg.  The  congregation 
is  not  large,  but  is  full  of  interest. 

White  River  chapel  was  formed  about  1865,  and  their  church  was  built 
in  1872.  For  several  years  they  held  their  meetings  in  the  old  Concord 
church,  but  each  society  concluded  it  was  best  to  have  a  house  to  itself  and 
two  houses  were  built. 

Mt.  Pleasant  (Pin  Hook)  is  located  in  Greensfork  township.  The  Dis- 
ciples first  used  the  school  house  in  this  neighborhood  and  preached  there  for 
a  while,  but  formed  no  organization.  As  early  as  1866  the  Friends  started  a 
mission  school,  which  proved  to  be  large  and  full  of  interest,  numbering 
from  sixty  to  one  hundred  and  twenty.  This  was  kept  up  for  three  years, 
when  a  preacher  of  the  United  Brethren  church  held  a  meeting  there  and 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  693 

formed  a  society  of  that  order.  At  first  they  held  their  meetings  in  the  school 
house,  but  later  built  a  church  near  the  school  house  by  remodeling  an  old 
house.    They  are  today  in  a  fairly  prosperous  state. 

Churches  at  Lynn  and  Modoc  are  not  very  large  but  are  able  to  make 
themselves  felt  in  the  community  where  they  are.  One  of  the  most,  if  not  the 
most,  prosperous  church  of  this  denomination  is-located  at  Saratoga. 

The  United  Brethren  church,  like  all  other  great  churches,  has  had  its 
internal  dissensions  and  conditions  which  have  resulted  in  division  of  the 
church.  This  deiiomination,  in  about  1894,  divided  upon  the  question  of 
secret  orders,  the  "Radicals"  believing  that  secret  orders  were  inimical  to 
the  best  interests  of  the  church.  The  "Liberals,"  believing  that  secret  orders 
should  be  permissible,  at  least,  and  should  be  left  to  the  discretion  of  the  in- 
dividual member.  The  dissension  reached  its  climax  when  a  suit  was  brought 
about  to  control  the  property  of  the  church.  This  resulted  in  the  courts  de- 
ciding in  favor  of  the  "Liberals,"  and  the  property  in  most  cases  was  given 
into  their  care.  The  matter  seems  to  be  amicably  adjusted  so  far  as  the 
churches  of  this  county  are  concerned,  and  but  very  little  is  heard  concerning 
the  old  difficulty. 

UNITED  BRETHREN    CHURCH,    SARATOGA,    INDIANA. 

The  history  of  the  United  Brethren  church  in  Saratoga  dates  from  its 
organization  in  "1871  in  the  school  house  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  A. 
Douglass  and  was  a  part  of  the  Auglaize  annual  conference.  The  charter 
members  were  Sarah  Lollar,  William  Fraze,  Nancy  Fraze,  Elisha  D.  Lollar, 
Mary  A.  Lollar,  Joseph  W.  Lollar  and  Sarepta  Lollar.  Two  years  later,  in 
1873,  under  the  pastorate  of  S.  T.  Mahan,  a  church  building  thirty-six  by 
fifty  feet  was  erected.  It  was  dedicated  in  July,  1873,  Rev.  Milton  Wright, 
of  Dayton,  Ohio,  officiating.  The  society  enjoyed  a  steady-  growth,  and  in 
1893,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  J.  I.  Kline,  the  church  was  rebuilt  and  en- 
larged to  accommodate  the  growing  congregation.  The  improvements  con- 
sisted of  a  Sunday  school  room,  vestibule  and  tower,  veneered  with  brick  and 
covered  with  slate.  By  the  Act  of  the  General  Conference  in  190 1  Saratoga 
was  made  a  part  of  White  River  Annual  Conference. 

In  1908,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  A.  C.  Wilmore,  the  church  was 
again  enlarged  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  increasing  Sunday  school  and  church 
membership.  This  extension  consisted  of  an  addition  fifteen  by  forty-seven 
feet  with  basement.  An  up-to-date  steam  heating  plant  was  installed.  This 
addition  provided  a  large  choir  loft,  primary  room  and  choir  vestibule. 


694  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  reopening  services  were  conducted  by  Bishop  H.  H.  Fout,  Dayton, 
Ohio.  The  church  membership  at  present  is  319.  J.  B.  Sarff  is  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  Sunday  school,  which  is  the  largest  in  the  history  of  the  church. 

Following  is  a  list  of  pastors  and  time:  S.  T.  Mahan,  1871-1873;  D.  J. 
Schenck,  1873-1875;  J.  W.  Nickodemus,  1875-1877;  W.  H.  Ogle,  1877-1879; 
Jacob  Cost,  1879-1881;  J.  C.  Montgomery,  1881-1882:  T.  M.  Harvey,  1882- 
1884;  R.  Moore,  1884-1886;  G.  H.  Bonnel,  1886-1887;  E.  M.  Counsellor, 
1887-1888;  W.  H.  Shepherd,  1888-1890;  J.  W.  Lower,  1890-1891;  R.  W. 
Wilgus,  1891-1892;  J.  I.  Kline,  1892-1894;  W.  L.  Waldo,  1894-1897;  Elias 
Counsellor,  1897-1899;  A.  Kissell,  1899-1901 ;  D.  W.  Zartman,  1901-1904; 
E.  H.  Pontius,  1904-1907;  M.  R.  Myer,  1907-1908;  A.  C.  Wilmore,  1908- 
1910;  W.  A.  Settle,  1910-1912;  G.  H.  Barker,  1912,  and  is  on  his  second 
year's. pastorate.  At  the  present  time  Rev.  Barker  and  the  trustees  are  mak- 
ing plans  for  a  new  parsonage,  with  all  modern  conveniences,  which  will  be 
built  this  summer. 

CONGREGATIONAL. 

Winchester — About  1870  a  church  of  this  order  was  formed  at  Win- 
chester, embracing  a  small  number  of  members.  Measures  were  taken  look- 
ing" for  permanent  occupancy  of  the  field,  and  subscription  was  raised  for  a 
meeting  house,  a  lot  purchased,  and  a  preacher  engaged.  The  movement, 
however,  seemed  not  to  succeed,  and,  though  the  organization  may  never  have 
been  formall)^  dissolved,  the  building  never  was  built. 

Occasionally  Rev.  L.  P.  Rose,  Congregational  Home  Missionary  agent 
for  the  state  of  Indiana,  would  conduct  religious  services  in  Winchester  dur- 
ing his  visits  to  that  place. 

Rev.  J.  G.  Brice,  clergyman  and  missionary,  resided  for  many  years  at 
Winchester,  preaching  and  lecturing  and  making  collections  for  missionary 
purposes  over  portions  of  Indiana  and  Ohio.  Members  of  this  church  have 
lived  in  various  parts  of  the  county,  but,  for  the  most  part,  have  united  with 
some  other  denomination.  The  Rev.  Brice  attempted  to  establish  a  church 
at  Buena  Vista  in  1846,  but  with  no  success.  The  only  church  of  that  de- 
nomination is  the  Ridgeville  Congregational  church. 

RIDGEVILLE  CONGREGATIONAL   CHURCH. 

This  church  was  organized  April  12,  1892,  by  an  ecclesiastical  council 
composed  of  Rev.  E.  D.  Curtis,  president,  Indianapolis,  Indiana;  Rev.  J.  W. 
Wilson,  scribe,  Indianapolis,  Indiana;  Rev.  J.  S.  Ainslee,  Fort  Wayne,  In- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  695 

diana;  Rev.  T.  R.  Quayle,  Marion,  Indiana;  VV.  F.  Brunner,  Indianapolis, 
Indiana. 

.  The  following  named  persons  became  members  of  the  church  at  its 
organization :  Prof.  C.  A.  Gleason,  Mrs.  C.  A.  Gleason,  Miss  B.  A.  Zelleny, 
Prof.  William  C.  Kruse,  Prof.  C.  W.  Macomber,  Miss  Rebecca  Horn,  Henry 
Kitselman,  Mrs.  Henry  Kitselman,  Miss  Nina  Kitselman,  Joseph  Lay,  Mrs. 
Joseph  Lay,  Mrs.  Gertrude  Sumption,  Nelson  B.  Hiatt,  Mrs.  Nelson  B.  Hiatt, 
Miss  Irma  Hiatt,  Samuel  C.  Lay,  Mrs.  Samuel  C.  Lay,  Miss  Minnie  Studa- 
baker,  John  McFarland,  Sr.,  Mrs.  John  McFarland,  Sr. 

About  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  Ridgeville  Congregational 
church,  the  Ridgeville  Colleg'e  was  taken  over  from  the  Baptist  denomination 
by  the  Congregationalists.  Rev.  C.  A.  Gleason  was  the  first  pastor  of  the 
church,  as  well  as  the  first  president  of  Ridgeville  College  under  Congrega- 
tional management. 

The  church  was  legally  incorporated  December  lo,  1900.  The  services 
of  the  church  were  held  in  the  chapel  hall  of  the  college  building  until  the 
present  church  building  was  erected  in  1903.  The  first  service  in  the  new 
building  was  held  on  January  31,  1904.  The  present  membership  of  the 
church  is  eighty-eight.  The  pastor  at  the  present  time  (1914)  is  Clifford  G. 
Thompson  A.  B.,  B.  D.  The  board  of  trustees  is  composed  of  J.  E.  Rickert, 
president ;  J.  E.  McFarland,  Ross  W.  Boswell ;  George  P.  Newton,  treasurer, 
and  D.  G.  Hiester,  clerk.  Congregationalism  is  not  strong  in  this  part  of  the 
state,  the  Ridgeville  church  being  the  only  one  of  that  denomination  ever 
organized  in  the  county. 

PRESBYTERIAN. 

Many  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  county  were  Presbyterians,  although 
there  were  enough  of  them  in  any  community  to  justify  the  organization  of  a 
church.  Meetings  were  frequently  held  in  the  residences  of  Presbyterians, 
but  that  was  as  far  as  the  movement  was  ever  carried  up  until  at  least  1835. 
The  early  Presbyterian  settlers  were  to  be  found  west  and  south  of  Winches- 
ter and  west  and  south  of  Union  City.  The  first  named  locality  was  in  and 
around  Sampletown,  just  east  of  where  the  Lincoln  school  building  now 
stands. 

The  pioneer  of  this  movement  was  Adam  McPherson.  Mr.  McPherson 
was  of  Scotch  extraction  and  was  very  devoted  to  the  Presbyterian  church. 
Mr.  McPherson  contemplated  the  building  of  a  church;  in  fact,  had  gone  so 
far  as  to  dedicate  a  portion  of  the  lot  as  a  cemetery.    Within  a  few  weeks  of 


696  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

the  time  of  which  he  expected  to  begin  the  church  death  came  to  him  sud- 
denly by  an  accident,  and  the  movement  was  dropped.  Others  of  the  same 
community  adhering  to  this  belief  were  Robison  Mclntyre,  Maxville;  Mr. 
Jenkins,  south  of  Sampletown,  and  Henry  D.  Huffman,  south  of  Sample- 
town.  There  was,  however,  as  we  stated  before,  no  church  erected  in  this 
community. 

The  community  southeast  of  Union  City,  near  Salem,  had  a  very  similar 
experience  about  1835.  A  New  School  Presbyterian  society  was  begun  in 
that  neighborhood.  They  held  services  in  the  school  house  and  in  private 
residences  for  some  time,  but  no  building  was  erected  and  but  little  came  of 
the  movement. 

Pleasant  Ridge. — Pleasant  Ridge  (two  miles  south  of  Buena  Vista) 
was  formed  November  28,  1842,  at  a  school  house  near  Mr.  Hogeland's,  one 
mile  north  of  Huntsville,  Indiana.  There  were  eighteen  members,  as  follows : 
Jacob  B.  Kepler  and  wife,  John  Starbuck  and  wife,  Cyrus  Starbuck  and  wife, 
John  Shearer  and  wife,  James  Shearer  and  wife,  John  Jenkins  and  wife, 
Isaac  Hogeland  and  wife,  Parker  Jewett  and  wife,  Joseph  C.  Kepler,  Patience 
Smith.  Jacob  B.  Kepler,  John  Shearer,  John  Jenkins  were  chosen  ruling 
elders.  Between  1842  and  1849,  inclusive,  twenty-six  members  were  received, 
making  a  total  of  forty-four  members.  The  church,  however,  did  not  con- 
tinue, but  about  1852  it  ceased  to  be  active,  and  has  become  wholly  extinct. 
A  log  meeting  house  (very  good  for  the  time)  was  built  by  the  church  at  the 
beginning  of  their  existence,  about  1842.  A  graveyard  also  was  established, 
the  first  burial  in  which  was  in  1842.  The  preachers  at  different  times  were 
Revs.  J.  G.  Brice,  E.  R.  Johnson,  I.  N.  Taylor,  Thomas  Spencer  and  Andrew 
Loose. 

This  church  has  long  since  gone  down  and  no  church  organization  of 
any  kind  is  to  be  found  in  that  community. 

Buena  Vista. — A  meeting-house  was  built  some  years  after  the  Pleasant 
Ridge  church  was  erected,  but  an  attempt  was  made  to  form  a  Congregational 
church  from  the  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  As  a  result  of  the 
effort,  all  failed,  and  the  meeting-house  at  Buena  Vista  has  been  for  many 
years  occupied  as  a  barn  by  Robert  Starbuck,  on  whose  land  it  is  situated. 

The  only  Presbyterian  chtirches  located  in  the  county  today  are  at  ^^'in- 
chester  and  Union  City. 

Winchester. — A  New  School  Presbyterian  church  was  formed  there 
about  1842  by  Rev.  J.  G.  Brice.  Some  of  the  chief  members  were  Samuel 
Ludy,  James  Brown,  Esq.,  and  Mr.  Morrison.     They  maintained  services 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  6g7 

for  twelve  or  fourteen  years,  and,  in  1853,  undertook  the  erection  of  a  meet- 
ing-house, under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  R.  Irwin,  which,  however,  they  could 
not  finish.  The  building  stood  across  the  street  from  the  present  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  Their  preachers  have  been  Revs.  Brice,  Spencer  and 
Loose.  About  1854  an  Old  School  Presbyterian  church  was  formed.  Some 
of  the  members  .were  Dr.  Craig,  Dr.  Ferguson  and  others.  There  were  some 
dozen  members  at  first,  and  after  a  time  the  number  had  increased  to  forty. 
Several  of  the  New  School  members  joined  also.  In  1857  the  new  organiza- 
tion bought  the  unfinished  house,  and,  completing  the  same,  used  it  for  pur- 
poses of  worship.  The  preachers  were  Messrs.  Holliday,  McCullock,  Chap- 
man and  Campbell.  This  organization  prospered  reasonably  for  some  years. 
About  1865  several  prominent  members  removed — Dr.  Ferguson,  to  Union 
City;  Judge  Brown,  to  Minnesota,  etc.,  and,  in  1868,  the  church  was  dis- 
solved by  direction  of  Presbytery,  and  their  meeting-house  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  Disciples  church.  This  building  now  stands  on  Main  streeet 
and  is  known  as  the  Alexander  meat  market. 

The  old  Scotch  theory,  that  once  a  Presbyterian  always  a  Presbyterian, 
had  been  thoroughly  drilled  into  the  hearts  and  minds  of  the  adherents  of  the 
above  church. 

It  remained  for  Mrs.  Clara  Commons  to  organize  a  Union  Sunday  school 
which  should  gather  together  the  adherents  of  various  denominations  not 
having  a  church,  and  in  Winchester  they  met  in  a  room  over  the  Farmers  and 
Merchants  Bank  and  organized  this  school,  with  George  Best  as  superin- 
tendent of  the  school.  It  was  very  prosperous  and  aroused  a  great  deal  of 
interest  among  the  people.  This  movement  led  into  a  broader  movement  of 
the  church.  Those  having  no  church  home,  led  by  the  Rev.  McCaslin,  held 
meetings  in  the  city  hall  for  quite  a  while. 

The  question  of  a  new  organization  began  to  be  talked.  The  possibility 
of  a  new  church  being  organized  whereby  the  local  members  would  have  a 
home  of  their  own  soon  crystalized  into  a  definite  movement.  In  October, 
1 88 1,  seventeen  adherents  to  the  Presbyterian  faith  in  and  about  Winchester 
petitioned  the  presbytery  of  Muncie,  then  in  session  at  Tipton,  Indiana,  to 
organize  a  church  in  Winchester.  These  petitioners  were  Carrie  M.  Bruce, 
Harriett  N.  Neff,  Clara  R.  Connors,  Mary  A.  Ludy,  Mary  A.  Cheney,  Lizzie 
A.  Goodrich,  Jane  G.  Edgar,  Mrs.  W.  S.  Montgomery,  Kittie  Nichols,  De- 
borah Miller,  W.  S.  Montgomery,  Mabel  Montgomery,  Flora  Wilmore, 
George  B.,  Best  and  Anna  Best,  who,  with  Henry  Miller  and  Paul  P.  Ludy, 
became  charter  members  of  the  church. 


698  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  presbytery  granted  the  petition  and  delegated  Rev.  David  S.  Mc- 
Caslin  and  Rev.  Andrew  Loose  and  an  elder  whose  name  is  not  mentioned  in 
the  minutes,  to  organize  the  church.  They  met  in  the  Methodist  church  in 
Winchester  in  December  of  that  year  and  listened  to  a  sermon  preached  by 
the  Rev.  McCaslin. 

It  was  thought  by  some  that  it  would  not  be  best  to  «rganize  another 
church  in  the  body  of  the  church  of  a  different  denomination.  Consequently 
the  meeting  adjourned  to  the  residence  of  John  Neff  and  organized  by 
electing  Samuel  P.  Ludy,  formerly  an  elder,  as  ruling  elder.  In  March,  1882,. 
John  Neff,  John  J.  Cheney  and  George  W.  Bruce  were  elected  as  the  trustees. 
The  meetings  were  held  in  Snedeker's  hall  until  1885,  when  they  moved  to  the 
Odd  Fellows  Hall,  where  they  remained  until  they  moved  across  the  street 
west  from  the  present  edifice.  From  the  first  the  society  was  very  enthusiastic 
and  enjoyed  a  constant  growth  of  membership.  It  was  soon  apparent  that  a 
new  church  must  be  erected  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  increasing  congregation. 
To  this  end  the  splendid  church  which  now  stands  was  built  at  a  cost  of 
thirty  thousand  dollars  in  the  year  1907.  The  church  at  this  time  is  one  of 
the  leading  churches  of  the  city  and  enjoys  the  distinction  of  having  the 
largest  class  of  men  in  Sunday  school  in  the  county.  This  class  is  under  the 
guidance  of  James  P.  Goodrich,  who  is  one  of  the  leading  supporters  of  the 
church. 

The  ministers  of  this  church  have  been  Rev.  McDonald,  from  Septem- 
ber, 1882,  to  March,  1883 ;  Rev.  C.  T.  White,  of  Portland,  to  February, 
1884;  W.  H.  Sands,  of  Union  City,  to  March,  1887;  J.  B.  Fowler,  to  March 
of  1895;  John  Wilson,  to  March  of  1900;  E.  E.  Plannette,  to  February, 
1902;  C.  I.  Truby,  to  May,  1909;  Robert  Little,  to  March,  1913;  the  present 
minister  being  Gustave.  Papperman.  The  present  board  of  trustees  consist  of 
John  Thomas,  John  R.  Engle,  P.  E.  Goodrich,  B.  F.  Hinshaw  and  Wilbur 
Hiatt. 

Union  City. — Was  first  organized  in  the  house  of  Martin  Cox,  Wash- 
ington township,  Darke  county,  Ohio,  by  Rev.  Isaac  Ogden,  presiding  mis- 
sionary, November  8,  1835,  with  six  members.  The  ministers  have  been 
Revs.  Gulick,  Ogden,  Meeks,  Campbell,  Drake,  Lower,  Eastman,  Coulter, 
Ziegler.  Mr.  Drake  was  pastor  seven  years,  and  received  into  the  church 
167  persons.  The  greatest  number  of  addition  in  any  one  year  (1851)  was 
thirty-eight.  The  church  was  changed  to  Union  City  in  1862.  The  first 
meeting-house  was  a  log  building  near  Martin  Cox's,  now  used  as  a  wood- 
house  at  Cox's  school  house.    The  next  house  was  what  is  now  the  German 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  699 

Reformed  (brick)  church  at  Hill  Grove,  Darke  county,  Ohio.  The  first 
services  in  Union  City  were  Held  at  the  Methodist  church.  The  greatest 
number  of  members  at  any  one  time  before  the  removal  to  Union  City  was 
fifty-seven.  Six  years  after  the  removal,  there  were  but  forty.  The  greatest 
number  at  one  time  was  127.  The  church  built  a  meeting-house  on  Union 
street,  south  of  Oak,  in  1863,  and  occupied  it  till  about  Christmas,  1879,  at 
which  time  they  dedicated  their  new,  tasteful  and  elegant  edifice  on  Howard, 
north  of  Oak;  cost,  $1,200. 

One  of  the  characteristics  of  the  Presbyterian  church  is  to  have  a  strong 
ministry.  Union  City  has  been  no  exception  to  this  rule,  and  the  present 
excellent  condition  of  the  church  is  due  in  a  great  measure  to  the  strength  of 
these  pastors.  Those  having  had  charge  of  the  church  are :  Messrs.  Coulter, 
Zeigler,  Adair,  Hott,  Gorby,  McDonald,  Elliott,  McDonald  (returned), 
George  T.  Gunter,  Charles  S.  Pier,  J.  H.  Miller,  Mr.  Zuck  and  Orvil  J. 
Hutchinson. 

THE  EVANGELICAL   CHURCH. 

The  Evangelical  Association  is  one  of  the  oldest  church  organizations 
in  the  United  States.  It  was  in  the  183 — 's  when  the  first  members  of  this 
church  settled  in  Winchester  and  vicinity.  As  they  were  many  years  without 
a  church  edifice,  they  assembled  in  their  homes  with  the  pastor  as  he  came 
from  time  to  time.  No  obstacles  seemed  too  great  to  surmount;  no  revival 
service  or  prayer  meeting  was  too  distant  to  attend.  Mr.  G.  G.  Keller,  an  old 
and  well-known  resident  of  Winchester,  an  early  member  of  the  church,  to 
whom  the  writer  of  this  sketch  is  much  indebted  for  an  interesting  account 
of  its  work,  told  how  great  numbers  traveled  for  miles  in  wagons,  sleds  or  on 
horseback  on  any  kind  of  roads  and  in  all  sorts  of  weather  to  attend  big 
camp  meetings  at  various  places  in  Wayne,  Jay  and  other  neighboring  coun- 
ties. 

The  number  of  adherents  to  this  denomination  gradually  increased  so 
that  they  were  able  to  construct  a  church  home  in  Winchester  in  the  year 
1864.  This  church  soon  became  the  property  of  the  Indiana  Conference  of 
the  Evangelical  Association  and  was  recognized  by  being  given  its  support 
and  regularly  appointed  ministers.  Although  this  church  is  not  now  existing, 
it  was  served,  together  with  the  Zion  Evangelical  church  four  miles  west  of 
Ridgeville  and  the  Greenville  Evangelical  church,  for  many  years  by  a  strong 
Christa'n  ministry. 

It  might  be  said  that  the  early  members  of  the  Evangelical  church  were 


700  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

mostly  German.  A  number  of  such  prominent  German  families  that  settled 
west  of  Ridgeville  in  what  was  then  known  as  Emmettsville,  began  the  work 
by  building  a  church  at  that  place  in  1879.  This  church,  although  a  country 
charge  with  only  an  average  membership,  has  had  a  prosperous  career,  having 
been  instrumental  in  sending  a  number  into  the  Christian  ministry  and  into 
other  useful  fields  of  labor.  By  the  year  1908  so  many  of  the  strong  sup- 
porters of  this  class  had  moved  to  Ridgeville  that  it  was  deemed  advisable  to 
organize  a  society  at  that  place.  So  the  members  residing  at  both  places 
united  their  means  and  purchased  the  Baptist  church  at  Ridgeville.  Since 
the  dedication  of  this  edifice,  in  February,  1908,  the  society  has  enjoyed  pros- 
perous years.  The  membership  increased  remarkably  from  the  outset.  The 
Sunday  school  has  been  particularly  strong  and  spirited. 

Such  is  a  brief  review  of  the  work  of  the  Evangelical  church  of  Ran- 
dolph county.  May  her  adherents,  although  few  in  comparison  with  those  of 
other  denominations  in  the  county,  be  loyal  to  her  in  all  things  so  that  she 
may  bear  a  Gospel  message  to  the  communities  in  which  she  is  located. 

THE   CHURCH   OF  THE  BRETHREN. 

Ever  since  the  decline  of  primitive  Christianity  in  the  early  age  of  the 
church,  God  has  had  a  people  Vho  protested  against  the  departures  from  the 
usages  of  the  apostolic  church.  The  Brethren  come  in  this  line  of  succession, 
and  the  movement  which  resulted  in  their  closer  organization  grew  out  of  the 
great  religious  awakening  which  occurred  in  Germany  during  the  closing 
years  of  the  seventeenth  century,  when  large  numbers,  becoming  dissatisfied 
with  the  lack  of  spirituality  in  the  State  church,  withdrew  from  its  commun- 
ion and  met  together  for  the  worship  of  God.  They  were  called  Separatists, 
and  among  them  were  to  be  found  such  men  as  Jacob  Philip  Spenner,  Her- 
man Francke,  Earnest  Christian  Hochman,  Alexander  Mack,  and  many  other 
earnest,  pious  men  whose  names  have  become  historical.  The  Separatists 
were  bitterly  persecuted  by  the  Reformed  and  Catholic  churches  and  were 
driven  from  place  to  place  until  finally  Count  Cassimir,  of  Witgenstein, 
opened  a  place  of  refuge  for  the  persecuted  brethren  in  his  province.  Here, 
in  the  village  of  Schwartzau,  Alexander  ^Nlack  and  others,  similarly  minded, 
met  together  to  read  and  study  God's  word,  and  as  a  result  of  their  study,  the 
church  was  organized,  taking  the  name  of  "Dunkers,"  with  Alexander  Mack 
as  its  first  minister.  This  was  in  1708.  The  name  was  given  them  by  their 
enemies,  who  called  them  "Dunkers"  because  of  their  mode  of  baptism.    The 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  7OI 

infant  church  increased  in  numbers  rapidly,  but  even  in  Witgenstein  their 
peace  was  soon  disturbed,  and  the  hand  of  persecution  was  laid  heavily  upon 
them.  In  171 8  Alexander  Mack  formed  the  acquaintance  of  William  Penn, 
who  was  at  that  time  very  much  interested  in  his  colony  in  the  new  world, 
and  invited  him  and  his  brethren  to  settle  in  Pennsylvania,  and  the  invitation 
was  gladly  accepted. 

In  1 7 19  they  commenced  to  emigrate  to  America,  and  in  less  than  ten 
years  the  entire  church  found  itself  quietly  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Ger- 
mantown  and  Philadelphia.  After  arriving  in  the  New  World  they  went  by 
the  name  of  "The  German  Baptist  Brethren"  until  the  year  1906,  when  they 
were  incorporated  under  the  name  of  "The  Church  of  the  Brethren." 

They,  today,  have  flourishing  congregations  in  most  of  the  states  of  the 
Union.  At  the  general  conference  held  at  Winona,  Indiana,  in  191 3,  forty 
states  were  represented  by  delegates,  or  letter  and  six  foreign  countries. 

The  local  organization  of  the  Church  of  the  Brethren,  known  as  the 
Union  City  congregation,  was  organized  in  185 1  with  seventy-two  members. 
The  territory  covered  by  the  organization  at  that  time  consisted  of  the  north- 
western part  of  Darke  county,  Ohio,  the  southwestern  part  of  Mercer  county, 
Ohio,  the  southeastern  part  of  Jay  county,  Indiana,  and  the  northeastern 
part  of  Randolph  county,  Indiana. 

The  first  meetings  of  this  organization  were  held  in  the  homes  of  its 
members  until  in  1870,  when  the  first  church  house  was  built,  one  and  one- 
half  miles  north  of  Union  City,  Indiana,  on  the  State  line,  on  the  Joel  Noff- 
singer  farm. 

In  1875  the  church  territory  was  divided  and  the  "Bear  Creek''  congre- 
gation was  organized  on  the  northwest  and  a  church  house  was  built  near 
Portland,  Indiana.  In  1891  the  territory  of  the  Union  City  congregation 
was  again  divided  and  the  "Pleasant  Valley"  congregation  was  organized  in 
the  northeastern  part  of  the  territory  and  another  church  house  was  built  near 
Lightsville,  Ohio.  Again,  in  1893,  a  third  division  was  made  and  the 
"Poplar  Grove"  congregation  was  organized  on  the  south  and  a  church  house 
erected  near  Hill  Grove,  Ohio. 

The  first  residing  elder  of  the  congregation  was  Thomas  B.  Wenrick, 
who  was  elected  to  fill  this  position  in  1865.  He  continued  in  this  ofiice  until 
his  death,  in  1884.  W.  K.  Simmons  was  soon  after  chosen  elder  and  served 
in  this  capacity  until  1912,  when  B.  F.  Sharp  was  selected  as  the  elder  and 
continues  as  such  at  the  present  time.  Michael  Deeter,  David  Flory  and 
(45) 


702  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Aaron  Simmons  were  the  first  trustees  of  the  church,  elected  in  1868.  The 
present  trustees  are  George  Netzley,  E.  M.  Scholl  and  John  D.  Hay. 

The  present  ministers  are  W.  K.  Simmons,  Ezra  Noffsinger,  W.  P. 
Noffsinger  and  Oliver  Royer.  The  latter  has  charge  of  the  church  in  Union 
City,  Ohio. 

The  position  of  the  Church  of  the  Brethren  on  church  doctrine  is  set  out 
very  briefly  as  follows : 

1.  They  believe  the  present  collection  of  the  books  and  epistles,  com- 
posing the  Nev^f  Testament  volume,  to  be  the  last  and  perfect  vi^ill  of  God, 
and  as  such,  they  believe  the  vi^hole  of  the  New  Testament  to  be  essential  to 
salvation. 

2.  They  hold  that  all  the  authors  of  the  New  Testament  books  and 
epistles  were  inspired,  and  that  it  is  exceedingly  dangerous  to  reject  any  one 
of  them  as  spurious  or  untrue  (Matt.  7:26,  27). 

3.  They  regard  repentance  as  a  complete  turning  away  from  every- 
thing sinful, — including  everything  vain  and  worldly, — and  turning  toward 
God,  setting  their  affections  on  things  above  (Col.  3:2). 

4.  They  baptize  by  trine  immersion  (28:19),  while  the  candidate  is 
kneeling,  employing  the  forward  posture  in  imitation  of  the  baptism  of  suf- 
fering. They  regard  this  baptism  as  for  the  remission  of  sins  amd  as  a  con- 
dition of  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  (Acts  2  138 ;  Matt.  3  :i6). 

5.  They  wash  one  another's  feet,  as  a  religious  rite,  regarding  Christ's 
example  and  teaching  as  being  too  plain  to  admit  of  their  doing  anything  less 
(John  13:4-15). 

6.  They  regard  the  Lord's  Supper  as  a  sacred  meal,  to  be  eaten  in  the 
evening  of  the  day,  in  imitation  of  the  Savior's  example  the  evening  before 
the  Jews'  Passover  feast  began  (John  13-1). 

7.  They  take  the  communion  of  the  bread  and  wine  in  connection  with 
the  Lord's  Supper,  as  they  believe  Jesus  instituted  it. 

8.  They  anoint  their  sick  with  oil,  upon  their  request,  as  a  condition 
upon  which  the  Lord  will  bless  the  sick  (James  5  :i4-i6). 

9.  They  teach  a  complete  separation  from  the  world. 

ID.  They  are  opposed  to  going  to  war,  and  hold  that  to  take  human 
life  is  wrong  and  adhere  strictly  to  the  principles  of  non-resistance  (5  :2i-22). 

1 1 .  They  are  opposed  to  going  to  law  with  one  another,  but  settle  their 
differences  in  the  assembly  of  the  church  by  arbitration. 

These  are  a  few  of  the  most  important  principles  as  advocated  by  the 
Church  of  the  Brethren.     They  are  gradually  getting  away  from  a  number 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  703 

of  customs  practiced  by  the  early  fathers  of  the  church,  and  are  getting  closer 
to  the  real  meaning  of  Christ's  teaching  while  here  upon  earth. 

Another  church  of  this  denomination  was  established  two  miles  north  of 
Saratoga  but  has  now  ceased  to  exist.  They  also  have  had  a  branch  two  miles 
west  of  \A'inchester,  but  no  church  organization  has  been  perfected  at  this 
place. 

BAPTIST. 

The  baptists  have  not  been  \ery  numerous  in  Randolph  county  although 
there  have  been  some  from  the  very  earliest  days  of  the  settlement  of  the 
county.  Curtis  Clenney,  of  Lynn;  W.  C.  Wilmore  and  John  James,  of 
Greensfork;  Thomas  Maulsby,  of  Nettle  creek;  Mr.  Cartwright,  of  Spartan- 
burg ;  Bela  Cropper,  West  River ;  Ezra  Stone,  Winchester.  James  Spray, 
Edward  Scott  and  others  have  been  prominent  Baptists  and  some  religious 
work  has  been  done  in  this  county  by  that  worthy  body  of  Christians. 

Messrs.  Wilmore  and  Cropper  were  enthusiastic  ministers  and  labored 
earnestly  for  the  promotiton  of  that  doctrine,  but  were  unable  to  receive 
any  very  great  degree  of  success.  There  have  been  churches  at  Little 
Creek  and  Losantville,  Nettle  Creek  township;  Winchester,  and  Middletown, 
in  Jackson  township.  The  churches  at  Losantville  and  Little  Creek  have 
been  greatly  disturbed  by  questions  of  "Means  and  Anti-Means." 

Huntsville. — The  Baptists  used  to  have  meetings  at  Bela  W.  Cropper's 
and  Samuel  Spray's,  not  far  from  Huntsville.  They  never  had  a  church  or  any 
society  in  that  neighborhood.  B.  W.  Cropper  was  a  preacher  and  did  re- 
ligious work  in  that  region;  but  no  church  was  ever  founded  there,  so  far 
as  we  have  been  able  to  learn. 

Losantville. — This  society  was  organized  many  years  ago,  and  had  a 
more  or  less  vigorous  and  successful  existence,  but  was  eventually  abandoned 
for  lack  of  membership. 

Providence. —  (Regular)  Rose  Hill,  Ohio  and  Middletown,  east  of  Sara- 
toga. 

This  society  was  formed  in  Ohio  about  1840,  and  began  to  hold  services 
near  Middletown  in  i860.  They  never  had  a  meeting-house.  Their  gather- 
ings have  been  held  chiefly  at  dwelling-houses.  Their  meetings  take  place  once 
a  month,  at  Middletown  and  Rose  Hill — every  third  meeting  at  the  former 
place,  at  Mr.  Hinkle's  on  Saturday,  and  at  the  Christian  church,  at  Middle- 
town,  on  Sunday.  The  first  members  at  Middletown  were  Richard  and 
Eliza  Straight,  Henry  and  Eliza  Ann  Hinkle,  Mahlon  and  Rachel  Peters, 


704  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Silas  and  Mary  Byrom,  John  Peters,  David  and  Eliza  Byrom,  Rachel  (wife 
of  George)  Debolt. 

The  preachers  have  been  Revs.  Mahlon  Peters,  John  McDaniels,  Sey- 
mour Craig,  John  Peters,  George  Cottrell  and  others.  Mr.  Cottrell  minis- 
tered to  the  church  for  more  than  fifteen  years  past. 

\\''inchester. — About  1840,  a  Baptist  church  was  organized  for  Winchester 
and  the  region.  The  meetings  were  held,  at  first,  at  John  Lykins',  five  miles 
south  of  Winchester;  afterward,  at  Winchester,  and  still  later,  at  Willis 
Wilmore's,  south  of  \A'inchester.  The  society  continued  for  a  considerable 
time,  but  the  members  died  or  moved  away,  and  the  church  finally  ceased. 
The  first  members  were  Bela  Cropper  and  wife.  James  Spra}',  Edwin  Poor 
and  wife,  George  Vandeburg  and  wife,  Ezra  Stone,  \A'illis  C.  W'ilmore 
and  wife,  Edward  Scott  and  wife.  Afterward,  Thomas  Loring  and  wife 
joined  the  society  and  probably  others  may  have  done  so.  The  church  never 
had  a  meeting-house.  At  Winchester  the  servicer  were  helrl  at  the  court- 
house ;  elsewhere,  at  private  dwellings.  The  society  never  ^rew  very  much. 
The  deacons  were  brethren  Stone  and  Cropper.  The  church  was  a  friendly 
band,  no  difficulty  ever  arising  to  mar  its  peace.  Prayer-meetings  VvCre 
held,  from  house  to  house,  with  sweet  seasons  of  Christian  love  and  high 
hope  and  foretaste  of  endless  bliss  in  the  mansions  above.  In  Winchester, 
they  assisted  in  maintaining  a  union  Sunday  school  for  several  years. 

Some  of  the  preachers  were  Revs.  Xathaniel  Case  and  James  Harvey. 
\\'illis  C.  \A'ilmore  was  for  nearly,  or  quite,  fifty  years  ( 1882)  a  preacher 
among  the  Baptists,  and  an  active  and  zealous  Christian  withal.  Ezra  Stone 
was  a  fine  Christian  gentleman  who  was  much  esteemed  and  greatly  beloved. 
Edward  Scott  lived  east  of  \A'inchester ;  his  wife  dying  November,  1880; 
eighty-four  years  old.    He  had  died  years  before  that  time. 

Spartanburg. — Hezekiah  Cartwright  was  a  Baptist  residmg  near  that 
town,  and  preaching  by  the  ministers  of  that  order,  took  place  at  his  bouse. 
W'e  have  heard  of  no  other  Baptists  in  that  region,  though  there  may  have 
been  such.  No  church  of  the  kind,  so  far  as  kno\\n,  was  ever  formed  in 
that  vicinity. 

West  River. — William  Smith  and  his  wife,  father  and  mother,  of  Hon. 
Jere  Smith,  were  Baptists  and  \Aere  members  and  regular  attendants  of 
the  Friends  church,  south  of  them,  in  W'ayne  county. 

Little  Creek. — The  only  church  of  this  denomination,  active  at  this 
time,  is  the  one  at  Little  Creek.  This  society  was  established  some  time  be- 
fore, 1843,  near  the  residence  of  one  of  its  chief  members,  Thomas  Maulsby. 
This  church  was  divided  upon  the  question  of  "Means  and  Anti-Means" 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA-  705 

which  as  we  understood  it  virtually  meant  Sunday  school  or  not  Sunday 
school.  The  church  remained  "Anti-Means"  and  does  not  support  a  Sun- 
day school  at  this  time.  The  membership  had  decreased  to  about  twenty-six, 
in  191 3,  when  another  division  occurred  in  the  church  over  the  question 
of  whether  musical  instruments  should  be  used  in  the  church.  The  mem- 
bership divided  equally,  thirteen  leaving  and  thirteen  remaining.  Meetings 
are  conducted  each  month  upon  the  fourth  Saturday  and  Sunday.  Rev. 
A'ergal  Eagen  is  the  minister.  The  trustees  being  Harvey  Grouse  and  M. 
V    Maulsby. 

Free-Will  Baptist  Church — Ridgeville  and  vicinity. — There  was  a  soci- 
ety at  Father  Mendenhall's,  on  the  river,  as  long  ago  as  i860,  or  earlier. 
They  began  to  hold  worship  at  Ridgeville  about  1868.  The  society  has  no 
meeting-houses  in  the  town,  the  college  chapel  being  occupied  for  meeting 
purposes.  At  Father  Mendenhall's  was  a  hewed  log  church,  which,  however, 
has  not  been  used  since  the  society  began  at  Ridgeville.  Some  of  the  mem- 
bers have  been  Robert  Sumption,  Fennel  Mendenhall,  John  Collier  (Rev.), 
Mahlon  Sumption,  William  Hollowell,  Egbert  Payne  (Rev),  Cunningham, 
John  Thurber,  Allen  Baker,  Dr.  Farquhar,  William  Reed  (Prof.).  Asa 
Pierce  ( Rev ) ,  and  their  wives.  The  church,  at  Ridgeville,  numbered  at 
first  thirt}'  to  eighty  members. 

This  church  was  conducted  in  connection  with  the  college,  which  de- 
nomination had  established  in  Ridgeville  in  1867.  They  were  unable  to 
make  a  success  of  the  school  and  after  having  disposed  of  it  to  the  Congre- 
gationalists,  in  1892,  found  it  necessary  to  abandon  their  church,  also,  and 
the  church  building  was  sold  to  the  German  Evangelical  church.  Some  of 
their  preachers  were  Messers.  Collier,  Atkinson,  Bates,  Davis,  Pierce,  Vaughn 
and  Harrison.  During  the  winter  of  1880-81  meetings  of  this  denomina- 
tion were  held  at  Stone  Station  and  about  forty  were  converted  and  a  church 
was  formed,  embracing  twenty-five  members,  i.  e. ;  Thomas  Clark  and  wife, 
Georfi:e  Snera  and  wife,  Da\'id  Reitenour  and  wife,  Mrs.  Ross  anrl  daugh- 
ter, and  two  sons,  Mrs.  Owens  and  family,  Samuel  Ross  and  wife  and 
James  Jefferson  and  wife.  They  met  in  the  Clark  school  house  with  Rev. 
Asa  Pierce  as  their  minister.  The  enterprise  was  abandoned  before  a  cnurch 
was  built. 

The  Protestant  Methodists  have  never  had  any  very  large  societies  in 
the  county.  About  1837  they  established  a  preaching  place,  near  Deerfield, 
but  were  never  able  to  affect  a  permanent  organization.  The  only  one  in 
the  county  at  this  time  is  at  Hopewell,  north  of  Farmland. 


706  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

The  society  was  organized  some  time  before  1845  by  Rev.  Jonathan 
Flood,  a  pioneer  of  his  denomination.  They  built  their  first  church  in 
1853,  which  stood  as  it  was  built  until  a  few  years  ago,  when  it  was  re- 
modeled and  made  modern  in  every  respect.  This  church  has  a  splendid 
Sunday  school,  in  connection  with  it,  and  while  it  is  the  only  one  of  this 
denomination  in  the  county  is  strong  enough  to  make  its  influence  felt. 

The  \^''esleyans  formerly  had  ^  church  at  Sparrow  Creek,  northeast  of 
Buena  Vista,  but  this  denomination  was  never  able  to  survive. 

CHURCH    OF    GOD. 

This  organization  first  sprung  up  in  recent  years  under  various  titles  of 
Holiness  Band  and  other  various  names.  There  are  two  churches  in  the 
county,  one  in  Jackson  township  and  the  other  the  center  of  Ward  town- 
ship, east  of  Deerfield. 

SPIRITUALISTS. 

Unionsport. — These  people  ha-\-e  held  meetings  at  times  at  ]Mr.  Lamb's 
and  at  Josiah  ]\Iendenhairs.  Some  years  ago  they  held  two  or  three  grove 
meetings  on  the  lands  of  John  Lewis,  near  Unionsport.  They  have  no  set- 
tled organization,  at  the  place,  but  several  persons  in  the  vicinity  are  in- 
clined to  that  faith  and  think  they  have  evidence  that  their  friends,  who 
died  yesiTS  ago,  have  appeared  to  them  in  material  form,  have  spoken  and  in 
other  ways  have  proven  their  actual  bodily  existence.  Spiritualism  has 
found  some  adherents  in  past  years,  in  Winchester,  but  at  present  the  num- 
ber is  quite  small  and  there  is  no  organization. 

HOLINESS    BAND. 

At  different  times,  in  the  history  of  the  county,  sects  have  arisen,  hav- 
ing as  a  special  doctrine,  "Holiness"  For  the  most  part  these  bands  have 
consisted  of  people  of  other  denominations  believing  in  two  states  of  Chris- 
tian experiences — the  lo\Aer  and  the  higher  estate.  The  first  is  commonly 
attained  at  conversion  and  the  second  is  an  advanced  state  brought  about 
by  special  blessing. 

The  principal  center  of  organized  bands  has  been  in  and  around  Farm- 
land. An  organization  of  this  character  has  been  in  existence  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  with  Hamilton  Pursley  as  its  leader.  The  membership  has  never 
been  large.  Their  meetings  consist,  for  the  most  part,  of  open  air  meetings, 
held  upon  the  streets  of  surrounding  towns. 


UANUOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  707 

METHODISTS. 

The  first  churches  to  be  held  in  the  limits  of  Randolph  county  were  held 
by  Methodists,  in  the  cabin  of  Ephraim  Bowen,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Holman,  of 
Louisville,  Kentucky.     This  was  probably  as  early  as  1814-15. 

The  first  meeting  held  was  in  181 5,  in  the  same  cabin,  and  was  addressed 
by  Stephen  Williams,  a  local  preacher. 

The  first  marriage  ceremony  performed  in  the  county  was  performed 
Febrtiary  2,  1819,  by  Rev.  John  Gibson,  a  Methodist  preacher. 

It  was  characteristic  of  the  Methodist  church  to  send  out  traveling  min- 
isters, or  missionaries,  to  the  farthest  frontier. 

They  had  a  plan  of  holding  meetings  peculiar  to  themselves,  for  the  lack 
of  room  or  proper  house  in  which  to  hold  meetings,  they  resorted  to  camp 
meetings,  or  grove  meetings,  as  they  were  sometimes  called.  These  camp 
meetings  were  held  in  various  parts  of  the  county,  some  of  which  grew  to 
gigantic  proportions.  People  would  take  their  families  and  attend  these 
meetings  for  a  week  or  two,  or  sometimes  a  month,  at  a  time.  They  were 
a  source  of  great  spiritual  awakening  and  reached  the  pioneer  in  a  way 
that  no  other  kind  .of  meeting  could  have  done.  People  met  for  spiritual 
up-lift,  sincere  in  their  purposes  and  enthusiastic  in  their  desires  to  better 
humanity.  Thousands  of  people,  at  times,  would  be  called  together  with 
this  purpose  in  view. 

Some  of  the  principal  places  of  these  meetings  have  been  Spartanburg, 
Greensfork  township;  wesl^  of  Fairview,  in  the  edge  of  Delaware  county; 
Mt.  Zion,  White  River  township;  Union  Chapel,  West  River  township; 
Ritenour's,  Ward  township;  Union  City  fair  grounds;  Winchester  fair 
grounds;  Arba,  Greensfork  township;  Windsor,  Stoney  Creek  township; 
Ridgeville;  Shiloh,  north  of  Farmland,  and  Chenoweth's  Grove,  near  Bar- 
tonia. 

People  would  go  for  miles  and  miles  to  attend  these  meetings ;  many 
no  doubt  for  curiosity,  but  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  was  there  in  power  and 
brought  many  a  haughty  blasphemer  to  the  foot  of  the  cross. 

Of  our  devoted  minister  and  his  camp  meeting  we  well  might  say : 

"Truth  from  his  lips  prevail'd  with  double  sway, 
And   fools  who  came  to  scoff  remain'd  to  pray." 

But  as  the  country  became  more  thickly  settled  and  churches  dotted 
the  country  here  and  there  the  needs  of  the  camp  meeting  became  less  and 


yo8  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

less,  degenerated  into  but  feeble  echoes  of  the  old  time  gatherings  of  the 
leafy  woods. 

"Mischief  is  there  in  abundance,  but  the  off-setting,  wrestling, .conquer- 
ing, converting,  new  creating  Holy  Ghost  power  is  all  too  seldom  seen  in 
modern  days." 

The  old  Methodist  church,  like  that  of  other  denominations,  has  given 
way  to  that  of  the  new.  The  old-<fashioned  "shouting  JNlethodists''  is  seen 
and  heard  but  seldom,  in  this  da}'.  The  minister  no  longer  "lines  his 
hymns"  with  the  command  of  "Sing  brother,  sing."  Ko  longer  does  the 
leader  "pitch  the  tune",  with  his  pitch  pipe.  The  music  of  today  may  have 
more  harmony  and  balance,  but  under  no  condition  can  it  exceed  the  old-time 
song,  with  its  fervor  and  spirit  of  devotion,  to  the  cause  of  establishing  the 
kingdom  of  the  Master. 

The  policy  of  the  Methodist  church,  in  sending  out  its  ministers  to  "hold 
meetings"  and  travel  from  place  to  place,  preaching  as  they  went,  to  those 
who  care  to  hear,  was  the  means  of  establishing  many  churches  throughout 
the  land.  "Wherever  civilization  was  found,  there  was  a  ]\Iethodist  preach- 
er, also,  proclaiming  the  word  of  God. 

Many  of  the  country  churches  have  been  abandoned,  owing  to  the  lack 
of  membership.  With  better  roads  and  transportatiton,  the  centers  became 
larger  and  larger  and  have  in  many  instances  been  established  in  towns. 
Among  the  places  in  the  county  so  abandoned  are :  Huntsville  school  house, 
where  a  class  existed  for  twenty  years  or  more ;  at  Lebanon,-  between  Hunts- 
ville and  Winchester,  on  the  Huntsville  pike;  Beech  Grove  school  house, 
just  west  of  \\'ood's  Station;  Mt.  Pleasant,  in  West  River  township,  on  the 
boundary  one  mile  north  of  the  Wayne  county  line.  A  log  church  was  built 
there  in  1838  and  a  new  building  erected  in  1865;  the  church  has  since  been 
abandoned.  This  is  the  church  home  of  Rev.  John  Grubb,  one  of  the  most 
forceful  pioneer  ministers  of  the  county. 

Pittsburg. — ^leetings  were  held  here  at  the  home  of  James  Porter  for  a 
great  many  years.  A  log  church  was  built  south  of  Pittsburg,  at  Walnut 
Corner,  and  a  frame  church  built  in  i860,  but  was  soon  abandoned. 

Pleasant  Grove. —  (Two  miles  north  of-  Spartanburg.)  This  church 
was  built  in  1847  ^^^^  abandoned  about  i860. 

Pleasant  Hill. — (One  and  three-fourth  miles  north  of  Farmland.)  The 
class  was  formed  in  1858;  the  building  built  in  i860  and  was  abandoned 
about  1875. 

Prospect. —  (East  of  Deerfield,  Ward  township.)  There  was  an  early 
preaching  place  near  this  house.     The  circuit-rider  used  to  make  Riley  Mar- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  7O9 

shall's,  who  was  the  grandfather  of  Gov.  Marshall,  one  of  his  points  away 
back  at  the  beginning  of  things.  Mr.  Marshall  came  about  1821,  and  the 
time  of  the  commencement  of  preaching  dates  back  nearly  to  that  day.  The 
meeting-house  was  built  about  1845.  It  has  been  used  until  within  a  few 
years,  and  this  neighborhood  has  been,  since  the  first  settlement,  an  im- 
portant point  to  the  Methodists.  But  the  house  had  become  so  out  of  re- 
pair that  it  was  scarcely  fit  for  use,  and,  Saratoga,  having  grown  up  as  an 
active  center  of  business,  the  new  church  was  built  there;  and  "Prospect 
meeting-house"  stands,  neglected  and  forsaken,  besides  the  ancient  ceme- 
tery, one  of  the  oldest  in  the  county,  "where  the  rude  forefathers  of  the 
hamlet  sleep,"  a  sad  memorial  of  the  melancholy  changes  that  come  over 
the  face  of  human  affairs  as  the  ages  roll.  The  cemetery  is  still  in  use, 
and  will  probably  continue  so. 

Ritenour's. —  (One  mile  west  of  Deerfield. )  A  class  was  formed  at 
this  joint,  probably  about  1820.  It  was  organized  by  Mr.  George  Ritenour, 
who  had  joined  the  Methodist  church  when  a  boy,  in  Virginia,  and  who 
settled  on  the  Mississinewa  before  1820.  Class  was  held  in  his  house  and 
other  houses  of  the  neighborhood  for  about  fifteen  years.  A  log  house 
was  built  in  1836;  this  house  was  abandoned  about  1838  and  remained 
standing  for  almost  fifty  years  afterwards.  Ritenour's  class,  cemetery  and 
church  were  the  first  of  the  Methodist  denomination  on  the  Mississinewa 
river.  This  was  at  one  time  a  great  place  for  camp  meetings.  This  was 
one  of  the  most  famous  churches  of  its  time,  and  hundreds  met  here 
"To  hear  the  sermon  delivered  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  to  the  eager, 
spell-bound  assemblers,  thronged  within  and  around  that  once  sacred  shrine. 
Scores  and  hundreds  of  fervent  worshippers  flocked,  for  miles  and  miles, 
through  the  grand  old  woods,  along  the  dim  blind  trails,  or  with  no  track  at 
all,  on  horseback  or  on  foot,  to  reach  the  sanctuary  and  join  in  the  shouts 
of  praise  and  the  sacred  hallelujahs  that  made  the  echoes  ring." 

Salem. —  fOne  mile  east  of  Modoc.)  This  church  was  built  in  1838 
and  went  down  about  1855.  This  church  was  organized  by  John  Grubb,  of 
whom  we  have  spoken  elsewhere.  The  class  of  this  church  moved  their  mem- 
bership to  Concord  meeting-house,  which  was  built  about  that  time,  and 
which  is  now  abandoned. 

Stuebenville. —  (In  the  center  of  Green  township.)  The  Methodists  built 
a  church  at  this  place  about  T8-15  ^"^  it  was  not  finished  and  was  never  dedi- 
cated to  religious  purposes. 

Vinegar  Hill  or  Mt.  Pleasant. — (Both  west  of  old  Snow  Hill.)  These 
were  at  one  time  missions  but  did  not  survive. 


710  RAIsTDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Unionsport. — This  church  was  built  about  1868  but  has  been  abandoned 
in  recent  years. 

There  have  been  no  doubt  other  places  where  Methodists  have  had  class- 
es, as  they  were  to  be  found  in  every  nook  and  corner. 

Spartanburg. — Methodist  preaching  began  in  Greens  fork  township  the 
earliest  in  the  county.  The  first  preaching  was  by  Rev.  William  Holman, 
of  Louisville,  Ky.,  at  the  house  of  Ephraim  Bowen,  probably  in  1815,  and 
a  meeting  for  worship  and  exhortation  was  held  at  the  same  place  by 
Stephen  Williams,  local  preacher,  not  very  far  from  the  same  time.  A  class 
was  formed  soon  after,  and  preaching  was  held  and  class  conducted  at 
Ephraim  Bowen's  and  at  Sc^uire  Bowen's  and  James  C.  Bowen's  for  thirty 
years  or  more.  About  1830  William  McKim  settled  at  Spartanburg,  and 
preachers  from  the  Ohio  Conference  established  meetings  at  Mr.  McKim's. 
Some  years  later,  about  1837,  a  meeting-house  was  built  at  Spartanburg,  on 
a  lot  given  for  the  purpose  by  Mr.  McKim,  who  laid  but  the  town.  This 
house  stood  until  1857,  when  a  new  church  was  erected  by  the  Methodists, 
which,  having  been  remodeled,  is  occupied  by  them  at  the  present  time. 

Some  of  the  early  preachers  were  Revs.  Holman,  Williams,  Lawrence, 
Beck,  Hull,  Bruce,  John  L.  Smith,  Richmond,  Bradbury,  Burns,  Swazy, 
Hollingsworth,  Cooper,  Wright,  Snblett.  Some  of  the  later  preachers  have 
been  Newton,  Thomas,  Curtiss,  Bicknell,  Cain.  Spartanburg  and  the  region 
used  to  be  famous  for  religious  acti\ity.  At  one  time  the  class  was  so  large 
that  the  house  would  be  filled  and  two  leaders  would  conduct  class  at  the  same 
time  on  opposite  sides  of  the  room.  Camp  meetings  were  held,  and  extensive 
revivals  took  place,  bringing  great  numbers  to  a  profession  of  Christ. 

Mt.  Zion. —  (Southeast  of  Winchester,  near  William  Kennedy's.) 
Preaching  began  in  this  vicinity  very  early,  when  only  paths  and  trails  traced 
their  winding  way  among  the  forest  trees.  Mr.  Kennedy  was  an  ardent 
Methodist,  and  the  preachers  soon  found  him  out,  and  his  cabin  was  the 
circuit-rider's  home  for  many  years.  His  wife  and  himself  used  to  go  on 
horseback  through  the  woods,  to  near  Richmond,  and  to  Ritenour's  church, 
between  Ridgeville  and  Deerfield,  in  those  ancient  days.  Probably  a  pole 
cabin  answered  the  purposes  of  worship,  after  having  met  in  the  dwellings 
of  brethren  Kennedy,  Lucus,  etc. 

A  log  church  was  built  in  about  1836,  which  answered  the  desired  end  . 
till  1868,  at  which  time  a  new  building  was  erected.     This  building  was  re- 
modeled into  a  neat  and  tasteful  edifice  in  1912. 

Some  of  the  pioneer  members  of  the  Methodist  class,  in  those  times, 
when  the  men  and  women  gathered  among  the   forests   for  worship,  and 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  Jll 

not  for  show,  were  as  follows:  William  Kennedy  and  wife,  John  M.  Lu- 
cas and  wife,  David  North  and  wife,  Tyndall  and  wife,  Pierce  HoUings- 
worth  and  wife  (local  preacher),  William  Hollingsworth  and  wife  (local 
preacher),  Stephen  Williams  and  wife  (local  preacher),  Nathan  Butts,  John 
R.  Philips,  Henry  Tisor.  The  earl}'  preachers  cannot  now  be  given.  Some 
of  the  later  ones  have  been  Revs.  Stout,  Cooper,  Jenkins,  Newman,  Newton, 
Thomas,  Butts,  Cain. 

Mt.  Zion  has  been  an  important  station  from  the  beginning.  Much  of 
the  time  a  Sunday  school  has  been  in  operation. 

Maxville. — One  of  the  oldest  churches  in  the  county  at  this  time  is 
at  Maxville,  six  miles  west  of  Winchester.  Meetings  were  held  at  John  Sum- 
wait's,  and  a  class  was  organized  about  1821  or  1822.  Several  other  preach- 
ing points  were  established  not  far  from  the  same  time — George  Rite- 
nour's,  on  the  Mississinewa;  William  Kennedy's  (Mt.  Zion,  southeast  of  Win- 
chester) etc.  'Sir.  Kennedy  belonged  first  to  the  class  at  Ritenour's  and  at- 
tended class  there,  he  and  his  wife  going  on  horseback  through  the  woods 
eight  miles  though  preaching  was  held  also  at  Kennedy's  cabin. 

Another  nucleus  of  Methodism  was  among  the  Hunts,  in  West  River, 
"Old  Billy  Hunt"  being  a  preacher  for  fifty  years  or  more.  Some  of  the 
early  preachers  were  Messrs.  Richard  Brandreth,  Wood,  John  S.  Smith, 
John  H.  Hull,  1837;  Ansel  Beach,  1838;  Francis  Carey,  William  Dickerson, 
Colbreth  Hall  (married  "Old  Billy  Hunt's"  daughter),  AVilliam  Hunt,  etc., 
etc.  Membership — There  were  but  few  members  of  the  class  at  Sumwalt's 
for  ten  or  fifteen  years — John  Sumwalt,  one  and  a  half  miles  south  of 
Maxville;  Godfrey  Sumwalt,  at  Sampletown  Cross  Roads;  Jacob  Sumwalt, 
who  lived  in  the  vicinity;  Walter  Ruble  and  his  wife;  Caleb  Odle,  Mrs.  Tarl- 
ton  Moorman  and  others. 

The  church  at  Maxville  was  first  built  in  1838,  near  the  mill,  a  frame. 
The  house  was  burned,  supposed  to  have  been  done  by  an  incendiary 
in  1847.  The  house,  just  now,  1914,  being  abandoned  was  built  about 
1856.  Early  members  at  Maxville,  besides  the  ones  named :  Robinson  Mc- 
Intyre,  who  had  been  a  Presbyterian,  but  who  became  an  active  Methodist; 
Henry  D.  Huffman,  also  a  Presbyterian,  but  an  efficient  worker;  Alexander 
Mclntyre,  John  Mclntyre,  Mrs.  Mclntyre  (widow  of  John  Mclntyre), 
Charles  Schultz  (local  preacher),  Stephen  Moorman,  Rudolph  Good,  David 
Addington,  Simeon  Brickley,  etc. 

A  beautiful  new  church  is  now  being  built  just  east  of  the  cemetery. 
Maxville  is  on  the  Farmland  circuit. 

Windsor. — About   1830    Rev.    Robert    Burns,     from     Wayne    county. 


712  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

came  to  the  region,  preaching  the  gospel.  He  established  a  class  at  Abram 
Clevenger's.  Members  ha\'e  been  (in  early  times),  besides  others,  Randolph 
Smullen  and  wife,  William  Moore  and  wife,  Bezaleel  Hunt  and  wife,  Jona- 
than Fryer  and  wife. 

Preaching  was  held  at  times  at  Fryer's,  and  at  Hunt's  also.  A  hewed- 
log  church  was  built  at  Windsor,  in  1839,  and  in  1859  a  frame,  which  stands 
yet,  but  has  been  remodeled.     WinSsor  is  on  the  Parker  circuit. 

New  Dayton. — There  was  preaching  as  early  as  i837,at  the  very  first 
settlement  of  the  region.  The  first  Sunday  school  in  the  region  was  or- 
ganized by  Rev.  J.  G.  Brice. 

The  meetings  were  held  at  a  school  house,  near  Isaiah  Milner's,  on  the 
present  pike  from  Olive  Branch  to  Stone  Station.  A  class  was  organized 
at  an  early  day  and  the  services  were  held  at  various  places — at  Mrs. 
Helms'  and  elsewhere.  It  has  been,  on  the  whole,  a  good,  substantial  class, 
dwindling  sometimes,  and  given  up  two  or  three  times,  by  the  conference; 
but  it  would  not  stay  "dropped",  and  still  struggled  on,  determined  to  live. 
In  1877,  a  tasteful  and  convenient  church  was  erected  near  the  cemetery, 
and  the  class  feel  well  repaid  for  the  conflict  they  have  endured  for  nearly 
eighty  years. 

Some  of  the  members  have  been  James  Addington  (exhorter)  and  wife, 
Isaiah  Milner  and  wife,  Simon  Lighty  (exhorter)  and  wife,  Eli  Hiatt  and 
wife,  Jesse  Addington  and  wife,  L.  W.  Sherman  and  wife,  Mrs.  Pardon 
Sherman,  Hannah  Rose,  etc. 

Some  of  the  former  preachers  are  Messrs.  Barrett,*  Lank,  Heustis, 
Harbour,  Bradshaw;  Brice  (Congregational),  Pierce,  Newton,  Spellman, 
Ockerman,  Elijah  Harbour,  etc.     New  Dayton  is  on  the  Deerfield  circuit. 

Deerfield. — The  class  was  formed  about  1837.  The  meetings  were  held 
at  first  in  a  log  school  house,  east  of  town,  then  at  Perry  Field's,  for  some, 
years,  then  in  a  log  school  house,  half  a  mile  south  of  Perry  Field's,  and  in 
other  places  also.  The  church  at  Deerfield  has  been  built  about  sixty-two 
years.  Some  of  the  early  members  were  Anthony  Ritenour,  Perry  Fields, 
Caleb  Odle,  AVilliam  Odle,  Ephraim  Collins  (exhorter),  William  B.  Fields 
(exhorter). 

Some  of  the  former  preachers  for  Ritenour's,  Prospect  and  Deerfield 
have  been  Revs.  Burns,  Bartlett,  Hall,  Bradshaw,  Bradbury,  Kent,  Camp- 
bell, Newton,  Herrick,  Ramsey,  Blake,  Kerwood,  Madden,  Harrison.  Some 
of  the  older  members  were  Fletcher  Barrett,  David  Harker,  John  Gar- 
win,  Perry  Fields,  Willis  Whipple,  Isaac  Thomson. 

Union   (Chapel). —  (West  of  Carlos.)     Preaching  began  in  this  neigh- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  713 

borhood  nearly  ninety-two  years  ago,  being  held  at  Christian  Edmonds'  and 
Thomas  Phillips',  who  came  in  1821.  Rev.  John  Strange,  famous  in  the 
history  of  pioneer  Methodism,  was  among  the  first  preachers.  Rev.  William 
Hunt  also  labored  in  this  region. 

There  was  first  a  log  church,  built  as  early  as  1830,  or  sooner.  A 
frame  church  was  erected  in  1862,  and  the  present  meeting-house  was  built 
in  1881. 

The  circuit  in  early  times  used  to  be  Huntsville,  Economy,  Union  Chapel, 
Bloomingsport,  Hopewell,  Spartanburg,  Mt.  Zion  and  INIt.  Pleasant  (old 
Snow  Hill),  which  shows  the  enormous  task  the  pioneer  minister  had  to 
perform.     Christian  Edmonds  donated  the  lot  for  the  church. 

The  inembers,  some  of  them,  were  Christian  Edmonds,  Isaiah 
Rogers,  Hugh  Botkins,  Peter  Botkins,  Jesse  Cox,  Joseph  Rogers,  Daniel 
Worth  and  others.  Some  of  the  preachers  have  been  Messrs.  Strange,  Beck, 
Fairchild,  Swank,  Ansel  Beach,  Moses  Hall,  Bruce,  Hull,  Smith,  Caney, 
Burns,  Hunt,  Lank  (senior  and  junior),  Farnsworth,  Kelso,  Medsker,  Mor- 
rison, Meek,  Mark,  Smith,  Barnes,  Spellman,  Strite,  Phillips,  Roberts. 
Bowen,  Canann,  Pierce,  Newton,  James,  Johnson,  Rammel,  Smith,  Ander- 
son, Kerwood,  Cain,  Harbor,  Huestis.    Union  is  on  the  A'lodoc  circuit. 

Fairview. — The  Methodists  began  to  hold  services  at  the  first  settlement 
of  the  region.  Rev.  Elijah  Harbour  moved  in  very  early,  and  he  was  a  local 
preacher,  and  did  much  toward  planting  religion  in  that  part  of  the  county. 
Preaching  was  held  at  Nathan  Godwin's,  near  Fairview;  at  Mr.  Pendry's,  in 
Delaware  county;  and  at  John  Booth's,  in  Jay  county.  A  log  church  was 
built  in  Fairview  about  1839,  and  a  frame  house  in  1849,  which  is  standing 
yet,  having  been  remodeled  in  1874. 

Some  of  the  early  members  were  Nathan  Godwin,  Bennet  King,  John 
King,  James  McProud,  John  Life,  Elijah  Harbour,  (Rev.)  Caleb  Manor 
(Jay  county),  John  Booth  (Jay  county),  William  Richardson,  with  their 
wives.  Some  of  the  preachers  were :  Messrs.  Harbour,  Ackerman,  Brad- 
bury, Brandshaw,  Bowers,  Leech,  Sales,  Smith,  Hall,  Bruce,  Barrett. 

Lynn. — The  Methodists  began  at  Hopewell,  in  Wayne  county,  very 
early  one  mile  south  of  Mr.  Curtis  Clenney's.  Mrs.  Shoemaker  (daughter  of 
Curtis  Clenney,  who  came  to  near  Lynn  about  181 5)  joined  the  Hopewell 
class  in  1831. 

In  1844  preaching  was  established  at  Mr.  John  Moody's,  southeast  of 
Lynn,  and  a  class  was  formed,  and  the  meetings  were  held  in  dwellings  for 
many  years.    About  1850,  or  possibly  sooner,  the  Methodists  had  preaching 


714  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

in  a  log-house  on  the  Freestone  farm.     The  Methodist  church  at  Lynn  was 
built  about  1855,  but  has  since  been  remodeled. 

Some  of  the  members  of  the  class  at  Mr.  Moody's  were  John  Peele  and 
wife,  John  Moody  and  wife,  Elijah  Benson  and  wife,  Elizabeth  Shoemaker, 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Benson.  Some  of  the  members  at  Lynn  were  Pierce  Hol- 
lingsworth  (local  preacher),  John  Peele  and  wife,  John  Clenny  and  wife. 

,Some  of  the  oldest  preachers;  Messrs.  Burns,  Cooper,  Stout,  Smith, 
Bradford,  Wright  and  many  others.  There  have  been  great  revivals  in  con- 
nection with  the  Lynn  work.  At  one  meeting  150  members  joined.  In  1861 
a  powerful  awakening  occurred,  the  meeting  lasting  a  month. 

It  was  not  very  long,  however,  until  the  work  of  the  church  declined 
very  rapidly  and  was  eventually  abandoned  as  a  preaching  point.  It  was 
afterward  put  into  a  mission  circuit.  The  work  finally  became  self-support- 
ing. It  was  not  very  long  after  this  until  again  the  interests  in  the  church 
became  so  weak  that  no  regular  meetings  were  held,  but  the  spirit  of  Metho- 
dism in  Lynn  was  not  dead.  The  class  in  recent  years  has  been  prosperous 
and  now  enjoys  a  very  progressive  career. 

Bartonia. — A  class  was  established  there  (at  Mr.  Bailey's)  about  1848, 
and  a  meeting-house  was  built  about  1850.  Edward  Barton  was  class  leader. 
Some  of  the  members  have  been  Edward  Barton,  James  Bailey,  William 
vShockney,  James  Jackson,  William  A.  T\'Iacy,  Ephraim  L.  Bowen,  Cheno- 
weth ;  William  Locke,  Manning,  Manning,  Spencer  and  their  wives. 

Some  of  the  early  preachers  have  been  Messrs.  Stout,  Hollingsworth, 
Wright,  Hull,  Black  and  others.  Mr.  Chenoweth,  during  his  lifetime,  pre- 
pared a  grove  upon  his  land  for  the  holding  of  meetings,  and  in  the  summer 
time  religious  services  were  often  held  there.  The  Bartonia  class  is  in  a  pros- 
perous condition,  being  one  of  the  strongest  country  churches  in  the  county. 

Huntsville. —  (Modoc  Circuit).  The  first  settler  of  Huntsville  was  Mr. 
William  Hunt,  who  came  there  some  time  previous  to  1825.  Mr.  Hunt  do- 
nated land  for  a  church  and  cemetery.  The  church  was  built  in  the  center  of 
what  is  now  known  as  the  "old  cemetery."  It  was  used  for  church  and  school 
purposes. 

Locust  Grove. —  (Formerly  called  Thomburg  Chapel,  Stoney  Creek  town- 
ship, north  of  Nefif.)  Preaching  began  in  the  neighborhood  in  1840,  by  Rev. 
William  Bradbury.  Meetings  were  held  at  Abram  Clevenger's  and  else- 
where— sometimes  in  the  woods,  again  in  an  old  store  building  put  up  by 
Jonathan  Clevenger,  then  in  an  old  leg  hou?e  on  the  western  part  of  Will:;i"i 
Hewitt's  farm,  etc.    The  church  was  built  in  1857,  and  it  is  standing  yet. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  715 

About  1850  and  onward  camp-meetings  were  held  yearly  for  several 
years,  and  great  power  was  manifested,  and  also  great  results  achieved 
through  the  divine  mercy.  Rev.  Morrison  was  one  of  those  on  the  work  in 
those  days.  The  meetings  were  orderly  and  impressive  and  convincing.  They 
were  continued  many  days.  People  moved  to  the  grounds  and  dwelt  in  the 
tents  erected  for  the  purpose  during  the  continuance  of  the  meeting,  and  gave 
up  their  souls  to  the  power  of  truth  and  to  the  enjoyment  of  religion.  Some 
of  the  early  preachers  were  Messrs.  Bradbury,  Leech,  Smith,  Stout,  Morrison, 
etc.  Among  the  first  members  were  Joseph  Hewitt  and  wife,  Randolph 
Smullen  and  wife,  George  A.  Carmian  and  wife,  etc. 

John  A.  Grubbs,  Isaiah  Rogers,  Kerwood  and  William  Howell  often 
came  and  exercised  their  gifts  of  exhortation  among  the  people.  The  church 
used  to  have  grand  and  gracious  seasons  in  former  days. 

Another  church  was  built  about  1850,  this  being  succeeded  by  another 
structure  about  1879.  This  has  been  very  much  improved  and  modified  in 
recent  years  until  it  is  now  a  thoroughly  modern  structure. 

The  class  at  Huntsville  was  not  very  large  because  of  the  nearness  of 
other  churches,  one  of  which  was  Pleasant  View,  one  and  one-half  miles 
north  and  the  other  Lebanon,  about  two  miles  northeast.  This  class  finally 
gave  way,  strengthening  the  class  at  Huntsville.  Some  of  the  leading  mem- 
bers have  been  John  A.  Hunt,  George  Howell,  Elizabeth  Hunt  and  sons,  Ed- 
ward Butler  and  wffe,  William  Butler  and  wife,  Ackerell  Lamb  and  wife, 
Joshua  Campbell  and  wife,  John  T.  Harris  and  wife.  Some  of  the  early 
preachers  were  Rhodes,  Wones,  Harvey,  Wolverton,  Bowen  and  Peck. 

The  class  is  a  very  prosperous  one,  being  the  largest  on  the  circuit. 

Rehobeth. —  (Farmland  Circuit).  (Four  miles  northwest  of  Farmland.) 
The  church  was  built  about  1853,  but  was  removed  and  the  present  one 
erected  in  1881.  Some  of  the  older  members  were  Abram  Hammer,  John 
Craig,  Alfred  McCamy,  Jacob  Windermaker,  John  Windermaker,  Joseph 
Hammer,  Jacob  Simmons,  George  Morris,  Stephen  Wiley,  Cooper  Morris, 
Richard  Horner,  George  Keever,  Adam  Keever,  John  Adams,  David  Morris 
and  others. 

Ridgeville. — The  Methodists  began  to  hold  services  about  1856,  first  at 
Mr.  Renbarger's,  then  at  a  school  house  in  Ridgeville,  as  also  on  the  Dilly 
farm,  two  miles  northwest  of  Ridgeville,  and  at  Robert  Collier's,  northeast 
of  the  town.  Class  was  held  and  services  were  established  eighty-five  or 
ninety  years  ago  at  Ritenour's,  as  elsewhere  related. 

Members  in  the  region  have  been :    George  E.  Thomson  and  wife,  Ben- 


7l6  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

jamin  Lewallyn  and  wife,  Abram  Renbarger  and  wife,  George  Ritenour 
and  wife,  William  Munden  and  wife,  Obadiah  Hall  and  wife,  James  Odle 
and  wife,  Caleb  Odle  and  wife,  Robert  Starbuck  and  wife,  William  J.  Shoe- 
maker and  wife,  Mr.  Wysong  and  wife,  Arthur  McKew  and  wife,  Hannah 
Ward,  Mrs.  Ann  Addington,  George  Gagner  and  wife. 

Some  of  the  early  preachers  have  been:  Messrs.  Sell,  Pierce,  Herrick, 
McDaniel,  Way  man,  Metz,  Harrison,  etc.  The  church  at  this  time  is  one  of 
the  most  active  and  vigorous  churches  in  the  county. 

Farmland. — A  class  was  formed  some  time  before  1866.  The  Christians 
were  more  numerous.  Both  meetings  were  held  in  the  school  house  at  first, 
but,  in  1868  or  1869,  the  Methodists  built  a  church,  and  gradually  increased 
in  numbers  and  influence  until  gaining  a  prominent  standing.  Among  the 
members  in  1866  were  John  S.  Mclntyre,  Samuel  Mclntyre,  William  R.  Oli- 
ver, Charles  Wall,  Mr.  Kelley  (preacher  returned  to  Virginia).  Some  of  the 
members  since  that  time  have  been  John  A.  Moorman,  (Rev.)  Elias  Holli- 
day,  John  H.  Denton,  Lewis  A.  Gable,  James  S.  Davis,  M.  W.  Diggs,  S.  C. 
Grimes,  K.  L.  Mull,  etc. 

Some  of  the  older  preachers  have  been  Moses  Marks,  W.  R.  Jordan, 
McMahan,  J.  H.  Peyton,  Roberts,  McKegg,  J.  W.  Lowry,  Jackson,  Spellman, 
A.  J.  Lewellen,  Charles  Bacon.  The  present  church  was  built  about  1897  and 
is  indicative  of  the  prosperous  condition  of  the  class. 

Parker.— The  first  Methodist  church  established  in  Parker  was  early 
in  the  fifties,  perhaps  in  1852.  Church  was  held  in  various  residences  of  the 
members,  and  ministers  held  meetings  occasionally  but  no  permanent  or- 
ganization was  affected  until  about  1870.  In  1872  they  built  a  church  and 
were  at. that  time  a  part  of  the  Windsor  conference.  The  building  has  been 
remodeled  twice;  the  latter  time  being  almost  completely  rebuilt,  and  the 
church  is  now  in  a  very  prosperous  condition.  Some  of  the  early  members 
of  the  church  were  James  Cecil,  Ezra  Cecil,  Ephraim  Cecil,  Peter  Deal,  John 
Morris,  J.  L.  Miller,  Henry  Knapp,  Messrs.  Daugherty  and  Friddle. 

Saratoga. — This  class  was  started  about  1881  and  was  made  up  of 
members  from  the  old  Prospect  and  some  off  the  east  part  of  the  Deerfield 
circuit.  The  church  was  built  that  year  and  was  one  of  the  most  up-to-date 
churches  of  the  entire  country.  It  has  been  very  prosperous  and  now  enjoys 
an  excellent  membership. 

Modoc- — With  the  organization  of  the  town  of  Modoc  naturally  came 
the  organization  of  the  church.  The  Methodists  were  very  strong  in  that 
community  and  proceeded  to  organize  the  church  about  1885.    The  member- 


Presbyterinn    Cluirch. 


Resiileiii-e   iif 
.Tiiliii    I.    .Tcilinsijii 


Residence  of  G.  PI  Lefigett. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  717 

ship  came  from  the  nearby  churches,  principally  Salem,  one  mile  east ;  a  few, 
however,  came  from  a  church  at  Losantville. 

Losantville. —  (Hagerstown  Circuit.)  This  church  was  organized  in  the 
old  town  of  Losantville,  but  moved  to  the  new  town  upon  the  organization  of 
New  Losantville.  The  class  has  prospered  since  its  organization  and  has, 
from  the  start,  been  one  of  the  leading  classes  of  the  Hagerstown  circuit. 

Grace  Chapel. —  (Barrax  Corner,  Nettle  Creek  township.)  The  last 
class  to  be  organized  in -the  county  was  Grace  chapel,  in  1895.  After  a  big 
revival  had  been  held  in  the  community  many  of  the  Methodists  decided  to 
organize '  a  class,  which  they  did  by  a  special  dispensation  from  the  con- 
ference and  procured  land  from  John  Lamb  and  built  a  very  neat  church. 
This  class  is  small,  but  what  is  lacks  in  numbers  is  made  up  in  interest. 

Winchester. — It  is  almost  impossible  to  state  with  any  degree  of  accur- 
acy when  Methodism  began  in  Winchester,  but  it  is  safe  to  presume  that 
their  meetings  were  held  here  very  soon  after  the  organization  of  the  town, 
1818.  Their  first  house  was  built  some  time  before  1839,  as  we  have  record 
of  a  temperance  meeting  having  been  held  January  i,  1839,  "at  the  Methodist 
meeting-house  in  the  town  of  Winchester,  Randolph  county,  Indiana."  This 
house  stood  on  Main  street,  almost  directly  east  of  where  the  Methodist 
church  now  stands.  They  received  deed  to  a  lot  on  Meridian  street  in  1853. 
The  trustees  at  that  time  were  W.  H.  Fitzgerald,  Jehiel  Hull,  John  H.  Cottom, 
William  Allen  and  William  Gorsuch.  A  small  brick  church  was  built  at  that 
time.  It  was  dedicated  with  appropriate  services  October  2,  1859.  Win- 
chester was  at  that  time  a  station  attached  to  the  Muncie  district,  later  on  it 
was  attached  to  the  Richmond  district  and  remains  there  until  this  time. 

For  many  years  IMethodist  meetings  were  held  in  the  court-house.  The 
itinerant  preacher  would  come  once  a  month  and  hold  a  two-days'  meeting. 
Revival  services  were  also  held  in  the  court-house.  The  first  quar-terly  meet- 
ing connected  with  Winchester  as  a  station  was  held  June  4,  1859.  ^^^  that 
time  S.  Lamb  was  the  presiding  elder  and  John  S.  Peyton,  pastor  of  the 
church.  This  small  church  became  inadequate  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
rapidly  growing  class,  and  it  became  necessary  to  build  a  new  one.    This  was 

done  ,  when  a  very  large  and  compiodious  church  was  erected.     This 

church  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1899,  at  which  time  the  church  now  standing 
was  built. 

The  Winchester  station  is  considered  one  of  the  most  desirable  stations 
in  the  conference,  and  has  been  fortunate  in  the  high  efficiency  of  the  pastors 
sent  to  it.  The  pastors  have  been  ^lessrs.  Peyton,  Mack,  Stout,  Rhodes,  C. 
(46) 


7l8  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

P.  Wright,  Walker,  Smith,  Mendenhall,  Miller,  Teague,  Kisler,  Tobey,  Pierce, 
Kemp,  Spellman,  Carlin,  Herrick,  Lewellan,  Walsh,  King,  Powell,  Norris, 
Preston  and  Morris. 

Union  City. — This  class  was  organized  by  Rev.  Colclazer,  of  the  Deer- 
field  circuit,  in  1852,  the  first  year  of  the  existence  of  the  town.  The  first 
class  was  composed  of  Henry  Debolt,  wife  and  sister,  R.  T.  Wheatley  and 
wife  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Livengood.  They  were  soon  joined  by  J.  T.  Farson, 
local  preacher,  and  wife,  and  S.  L.  Carter  and  wife.  Services  were  first  held 
at  the  home  of  Henry  Debolt.  This  was  at  that  time  called  the  "Bee  Line 
Boarding  Car."  It  afterward  became  Hawkins  warehouse,  then  Scanlin's 
hall,  then  White's  warehouse,  which  afterward  was  destroyed  by  fire.  This 
class  was  small  and  was  on  the  Deerfield  circuit  from  1852  to  1859. 

At  times  it  seemed  that  the  organization  would  be  compelled  to  disband, 
but  by  persistent  efifort  it  was  made  a  missionary  station  in  1859,  and  re- 
mained as  such  about  six  years.  They  built  their  first  church  of  brick  on 
Columbia  street,  north  of  Oak,  in  1858  and  1859.  They  remained  in  this 
house  ten  years,  when  a  new  church  was  erected  on  the  southwest  corner  of 
Oak  and  Plum  streets.  It  was  only  partially  completed  at  the  time,  the  con- 
gregation not  being  financially  able  to  continue  with  the  work.  The  class 
grew  in  strength  and  interest,  until  1886  the  house  was  completed  at  a  cost  of 
$18,000.00. 

The  occasion  of  the  dedication  upon  the  completion  of  the  church  was 
one  of  great  interest.  The  auditorium  was  crowded  to  its  limit.  One  person, 
in  speaking  of  the  exercises  that  day,  said :  "The  raising  of  the  funds  needed 
to  complete  the  payment  for  the  house  was  interesting  and  almost  dramatic." 

That  year,  1880,  was  an  important  one  in  the  history  of  the  church,  as 
the  Indiana  annual  conference  was  held  in  it  that  year.  This  conference  was 
comprised -of  some  four  hundred  members,  lay  and  clerical,  and  was  unus- 
ually well  attended.  The  spirit  of  the  entire  church  membership  of  all 
churches  of  Union  City  was  shown  in  the  excellent  manner  by  which  this 
great  throng  of  people  were  cared  for  during  the  session,  which  lasted  more 
than  one  week.  During  this  same  year  a  revival  of  unusual  interest  was  held. 
It  lasted  for  several  weeks,  and  scores  of  new  members  were  added  to  the 
class.  The  church  was  at  that  time  one  of  the  finest  in  this  part  of  the  state 
and  seemingly  was  commodious  and  modern  enough  to  accommodate  the 
class  for  years  and  years  to  come.  "The  old  must  give  way  to  the  new,"  in 
Methodist  churches  as  well  as  all  other  institutions.  The  Union  City  church 
was  no  exception,  and  in  19 12  the  present  massive  stone  structure  was  erected. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA.  719 

The  first  board  of  trustees  were :  S.  L.  Carter,  R.  T.  Wheatley,  Henry 
Debolt,  C.  Saxton  and  J.  T.  Farson.  The  ministers  have  been:  Colclazer, 
Newton,  Stout,  Blake,  Mendenhall,  Templin,  Rhodes,  Sparkes,  Greenman, 
Simpson,  Lynch,  Barnes  Vigus,  Mack,  Greenman  (returned). 

WINCHESTER    MISSION    CHURCH. 

Feeling  the  need  of  a  church  in  the  northeast  part  of  Winchester,  a  num- 
ber of  devoted  citizens  of  the  community  organized  a  Mission  church.  The 
prime  mover  of  this  organization  was  George  W.  Veal,  and  to  him  great 
credit  is  due  for  the  erection  of  a  neat  little  church  located  in  Beech  Grove. 

Ministers  of  various  denominations  preach  in  it,  and  a  very  successful 
Sunday  school  is  also  conducted  there. 

It  is  a  church  that  meets  the  needs  of  the  community  and  does  a  great 
deal  of  good. 

The  Sunday  school  was  organized  in  1853,  with  Rev.  J.  T.  Farson  super- 
intendent. There  were  twenty-five  pupils  at  that  time  and  the  sessions  were 
held  in  the  "Bee  Line  Boarding  Car." 

TRUE    WESLEYANS. 

This  denomination  arose  in  the  United  States,  chiefly  by  a  secessioa 
from  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  about  1842.  The  movement  sprang 
from  several  causes — opposition  to  slavery,  secret  societies  and  Episcopal 
power.  And  these  three  principles  were  declared  in  the  new  society,  Anti- 
Slavery,  Anti-Secretism,  Anti-Episcopacy.  The  movement  sprang  rapidly 
through  the  countr}'  and  became  for  a  time  strong  and  vigorous.  The  de- 
nomination began  in  this  region  at  Newport  (Fountain  City),  Wayne  county, 
Indiana,  in  1843,  in  the  form  of  a  quarterly  meeting  held  there  by  ministers 
and  lay  members  who  were  ready  for  the  movement.  As  a  result  of  that 
conference,  the  denomination  took  its  rise  in  Randolph  and  Wayne  counties, 
and  several  classes  were  formed.  In  Randolph  county,  at  Sparrow  Creek, 
at  White  Chapel,  in  West  River  township,  and  at  Clayton's,  five  miles  west 
of  Winchester.  In  fact,  most  of  the  veterans  of  that  anti-slavery  conflict  are 
no  longer  among  the  living.  Some  of  the  younger  soldiers  in  that  struggle 
still  answer  the  "rofl  call"  of  duty,  but,  as  to  the  elder  heroes  in  that  fierce 
contest,  their  arms  were  long  since  laid  aside ;  their  mortal  frames  rest  sweetly 
in  the  friendly  dust,  and  their  souls  have  gone  to  the  mansions  above.     Their 


720  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

work  is  done;  victory  is  gained,  slavery  is  fallen^"is  fallen,"  amid  the  happy 
shouts  of  an  emancipated  and  enfranchised  race. 

ST.  Mary's  church. 

The  Catholic  church,  at  Union  City,  was  begun  in  1854;  Rev.  Sheen,  oJ 
Sidney,  was  pastor  one  year.  Rev^  Hemsteger,  from  Piqua,  came  in  1855. 
Rev.  Clane  came  next  and  established  a  chapel  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Weis,  two 
miles  from  town.  Rev.  Hemsteger  came  again  and  stayed  four  years.  Rev. 
Shelhammer,  from  Greenville,  then  came,  remaining  until  1862.  Rev.  Mc- 
Mahon  was  next,  until  1865.  During  his  pastorship  a  church  was  built,  on 
Plum  street,  north  of  Oak  street,  frame,  and  about  1870  a  large  bell  was 
added.  Rev.  Lamour  was  pastor  from  1867  to  1870.  Rev.  Von  Schwedler, 
1870  to  1871.  Rev.  Noll,  1871  to  1875.  Rev.  Jeremiah  Quinlan  succeeded, 
who  was  pastor  until  1890,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  F.  A.  King.  The 
congregation  was  thriving  and  prosperous,  with  a  property  of  four  lots,  a 
church,  a  parsonage,  nunnery  and  a  schoolhouse;  as  also  a  cemetery,  out 
of  town,  two  miles  north  of  the  Salem  pike.  St.  Mary's  school  was  taught 
by  sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  and  was  attended  by  lOQ  pupils.  A  flourishing 
day  school  has  been  maintained  for  many  years,  by  the  Catholics  whiai  has 
been,  for  a  considerable  time,  free  to  all  comers,  through  the  munificence 
of  Peter  Kuntz,  lumber  dealer  in  Union  City,  and  a  member  of  the  Catho- 
lic congregation. 

The  congregation,  in  1890,  was  worshiping  in  a  substantial,  but  unpre- 
tentious and  wholly  inadequate  edifice,  and  Father  King's  first  thought  was 
to  provide  a  fairer  and  properly  commodious  house  of  worship  for  his 
people.  There  was  only  about  $1,200  in  the  church  treasury,  but  this  ap- 
parent lack  of  material  funds  did  not  deter  the  earnest  pastor,  ana  11  was 
not  long  until  his  efforts  towards  the  enlargement  of  his  parish  were 
rewarded  by  the  assurance  of  a  fund  sufficient  to  guarantee  the  comple- 
tion of  the  work  he  had  in  mind.  In  1891  the  corner-stone,  of  the  new 
church,  was  laid,  with  imposing  ceremonies,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Joseph  Brammer 
officiating.  On  February  12,  1895 — proud  day  for  St.  Mary's  parish — 
the  new  church,  splendid  and  complete,  was  dedicated  to  the  service  of 
God,  the  dedicatory  services  being  presided  over  by  Bishop  Chatard.  This 
new  church  cost  nearly  $25,000  and  so  well  had  its  finances  been  managed 
that  the  congregation  was  practically  out  of  debt.  The  church  is  \^■ell-finished 
and  stands  a  substantial  local  monument  to  the  zeal  of  good  Father  King 
and  the  earnestness  of  his  parishioners. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  72 1 

With  its  passing,  as  a  place  of  worship,  the  old  church  did  not  lose  its 
usefulness,  however,  as  it  is  now  constantly  occupied  as  a  place  of  meet- 
ing of  the  several  auxiliary  societies  of  St.  Mary's.  In  this  old  structure  are 
held  the  meetings  of  the  Catholic  benevolent  society,  of  the  Catholic  benevolent 
legion  and  of  the  Catholic  knights  of  St.  John.  Father  King  was  succeeded 
by  Fathers  Berne,  Durham  and  Baker. 

St.  Mary's  cemetery  is  a  beautiful  spot  of  consecrated  ground,  contain- 
ing five  acres  and  the  pride  of  the  parish  is  mainfested  in  keeping  it  in 
faultless  order. 

In  addition  to  the  duties  as  pastor  of  St.  Mary's,  Rev.  Baker  is  charged 
with  the  spiritual  directions  of  the  adjacent  mission,  at  Winchester.  This  is 
an  interesting  and  growing  mission,  full  of  promise.  The  church  building 
is  a  frame,  was  built  in  1882  by  Rev.  J.  H.  Quinlan  and  cost  $600. 

COLORED   CHURCHES. 

The  county  has  had  five  colored  churches  within  its  borders;  two  of 
which  are  now  active.     One  at  Union  City  and  one  north  of  Modoc. 

Of  the  three  that  have  been  abandoned,  one  was  located  in  the  colored 
settlement  near  the  Union  Literary  Institute;  the  second  at  Snow  Hill,  and 
the  third  north  of  Modoc.  The  colored  churches  have  never  had  very  large 
congregations  because  the  county  has  never  had  very  many  colored  people 
within  its  borders. 

There  are  no  doubt  some  churches  in  the  county  not  mentioned  in  the 
foregoing  article. 

Randolph  county  has  been  a  county  of  churches;  one  of  the  greatest 
branches  of  which  has  been  and  is  the  Sunday  school.  More  people  have 
been  brought  into  the  church  through  the  door  of  the  Sunday  school  than  by 
any  other  means.  This  recognized  truth  has  led  practically  all  churches  to 
pay  especial  attention  to  the  Sunday  school,  and  to  make  it  as  efficient  as 
possible. 

The  county  has  many  Sunday  schools,  as  follows : 

GREEN  TOWNSHIP. 

Hopewell;  denomination,  Methodist  Protestant;  superintendent,  George 
French;  address.  Farmland;  enrollment,  64;  Shedville,  Christian,  Julia  M. 
Duke,  Farmland,  48;  Emmettsville,  Evangelical,  John  E.  May,   Ridgeville, 


722  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

65;   Fairview,   Methodist   Episcopal,   N.   B.   Evans,   Ridgeville,    150;  Zion, 
United  Brethren,  Nettie  Wood,  Parker,  75. 

FRANKLIN  TOWNSHIP. 

Ridgeville,  Congregational,  J.  C.  Retter,  Ridgeville,  100;  Ridgeville, 
Evangelical,  L.  A.  Wilmore,  Ridgeville,  1 75 ;  Ridgeville,  Methodist  Episco- 
pal, Russel  Addington,  Ridgeville,  228;  Bear  Creek,  Friends,  George  E.  Ad- 
dington,  Farmland,  104;  Olive  Branch,  Christian,  Benjamin  Flood,  Farm- 
land, 100;  Ridgeville,  Disciples,  Mrs.  Agnes  Addington,  Ridgeville,  25. 

MONROE   TOWNSHIP. 

Parker,  Methodist  Episcopal,  C.  L.  Reed,  Parker,  225;  Farmland, 
Methodist  Episcopal,  S.  C.  Puckett,  Farmland,  150;  Shiloh,  Christian,  Mrs. 
D.  W.  Gilmore,  Farmland,  40;  Farmland,  Christian,  C.  F.  Yount,  Farmland, 
90;  Parker,  Friends,  Lyle  O.  Green,  Parker,  50;  Farmland,  Friends,  Russel 
Fodrea,  Farmland,  100;  Parker,  Church  of  Christ,  K.  R.  Vaught,  Parker, 
130;  Rehobeth,  Methodist  Episcopal,  Strander  Craig,  Farmland,  40. 

WARD  TOWNSHIP. 

Saratoga,  Methodist  Episcopal,  Warren  Crum,  Saratoga,  130;  Deerfield, 
Methodist  Episcopal,  Mrs.  John  Stick,  Ridgeville,  15,  175;  Clear  Creek, 
Christian,  Wilbur  Grow,  Winchester,  2,  150;  Good  Hope,  Christian,  Ollie 
Fraze,  Ridgeville,  14,  65 ;  Saratoga,  United  Brethren,  J.  B.  Sarff,  Saratoga, 

325- 

JACKSON  TOWNSHIP. 

New  Pittsburg,  Reform,  W.  A.  Rickert,  Union  City,  36,  no;  Lisbon, 
Church  of  Christ,  O.  L.  Hindsley,  Union  City,  35,  100;  Prospect,  United 
Brethren,  Mrs.  Allie  Spitler,  Salamonia,  i,  40;  Pleasant  Hill,  Christian,  Mrs. 
Minnie  Lindley,  Union  City,  35,  105 :  Church  of  the  Brethren,  Baptist,  Earl 
McFarland,  Union  Ci'ty,  35,  80. 

WAYNE   TOWNSHIP. 

Union  City,  Methodist  Episcopal,  Will  L.  Morgan,  Union  City,  225; 
Bartonia,  Methodist  Episcopal,  John  B.  Hart,  Union  City,  37,  64;  Jericho, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  723 

Friends,  Harry  Robinson,  Winchester,  lo,  150;  Harris ville,  Christian,  Charles 
Whitesell,  Union  City,  38,  84;  Union  City,  Church  of  Christ,  Fred  Roe, 
Union  City,  500;  South  Salem,  Church  of  Christ,  William  Sagebury,  Union 
City,  38,  85 ;  No.  4  School  House,  Union,  P.  N.  Woodbury,  Union  City,  75 ; 
Union  City,  Presbyterian,  Frank  T.  Parker,  Union  City,  125. 

WHITE   RIVKU    TOWNSHIP. 

Winchester,  Methodist  Episcopal,  V.  H.  Huston,  Winchester,  325 ;  Mt. 
Zion,  Methodist  Episcopal,  Marshall,  Lesley,  Winchester,  9,  60;  New  Day- 
ton, Methodist  Episcopal,  William  E.  Barr,  Winchester,  30;  Maxville,  Metho- 
dist Episcopal,  Bert  McGuire,  Winchester,  105 ;  Winchester,  Friends,  A.  M. 
Brown,  Winchester,  300;  White  River,  Friends,  Corman  Cox,  Winchester, 
109;  Green  School  House,  Friends,  Ira  O.  Potter,  Winchester,  5,  30;  Win- 
chester, Mission,  Harry  Jay,  Winchester,  70;  Winchester,  Christian,  Charles 
A.  Puckett,  Winchester,  181 ;  Sparrow  Creek,  Christian,  Elza  Reynard,  Win- 
chester, 80 ;  North  White  River,  Christian,  William  Higgins,  Winchester,  2, 
50;  Winchester,  Church  of  Christ,  Carl  Thompson,  Winchester,  250;  Win- 
chester, Church  of  Brethren,  Howard  Weimer,  Winchester,  30;  Winchester, 
Presbyterian,  F.  C.  Focht,  Winchester,  200;  White  River  Chapel,  United 
Brethren,  Frank  Thompson,  Winchester,  11,  80. 

STONEY   CREEK    TOWNSHIP. 

Poplar  Run,  Friends,  Mrs.  Sarah  Hawkins,  Farmland,  85;  Cedar 
Friends,  Mack  Wright,  Farmland,  n;  Pleasant  Grove,  Christian,  Mrs.  Lou 
Keener,  Parker  23,  45;  White  River,  Christian,  C.  W.  McNees,  Farmland, 
50;  Windsor,  Christian,  Earl  M.  Dunkin,  Parker,  50;  Union  Chapel,  Chris- 
tian, F.  V.  Brooks,  Parker  22,  35;  Windsor,  Methodist  Episcopal,  Walter 
Huston,  Parker,  22,  82. 

WASHINGTON  TOWNSHIP. 

Lynn,  Friends,  John  W.  Carter,  Lynn,  240;  Mt.  Pleasant,  Friends, 
Warren  Fudge,  Winchester,  9,  50;  Martindale,  Friends,  O.  W.  Albertson, 
Lynn,  31,  55;  Bloomingsport,  Friends,  James  L.  Newman,  Lynn,  70;  Rural, 
Friends,  H.  G.  Kelley,  Winchester,  8,  75;  Cherry  Grove,  Friends,  Calvin 
Johnson,  Lynn,  30;  New  Liberty,  Christian,  Ora  Johnson,  Lynn,  119;  Carlos 
Christian,  J.  A.  Miller,  Carlos,  80;  Lynn,  Methodist  Episcopal,   Carl  W. 


7^4  KAXDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Bowen,  Lynn,  120;  Lynn,  Church  of  Christ,  Fred  Chenoweth,  Lynn,  150; 
Lynn,  United  Brethren,  William  Hollingsworth,  Lynn,  18. 

GREENSFORK  TOWNSHIP. 

Spartanburg,  Methodist  Episcopal,  Robert  Morgan,  Crete,  34,  45; 
Spartanburg,  Church  of  Christ,  Ira  S.  Taylor,  Crete,  34,  go;  Arba,  Friends, 
A.  E.  Mercer,  Lynn,  33,  50;  Brdwn's  Chapel,  Friends,  Harvey  Thothpson, 
Lynn,  45 ;  Mt.  Pleasant,  United  Brethren,  Mrs.  Anna  Sleppy,  Lynn,  33,  50. 

WEST   RIVER  TOWNSHIP. 

Buena  Vista,  Christian,  Arthur  W.  Moore,  Modoc  28,  60;  Modoc, 
Methodist  Episcopal,  Mrs.  Pearl  Gillam,  Modoc,  100;  Huntsville,  Meth- 
odist Episcopal,  Oliver  Townsend,  Modoc,  135 ;  Union,  Methodist  Episcopal, 
Charles  E.  Bales,  Modoc,  27,  100. 

NETTLE  CREEK  TOWNSHIP. 

Mt.  Zion,  Christian,  A.  T.  Routh,  Loiantville,  65 ;  Antioch,  Christian, 
Denver  Medsker,  Losantville,  60;  Losantville,  Methodist  Episcopal,  C.  D. 
Arbogast,  Losantville,  100;  Grace  Chapel,  Methodist  Episcopal,  Mrs.  Zella 
Hunt,  Parker,  23^  40 ;  Losantville,  Modern  Friends,  Daniel  Wiggins,  Modoc 
30;  Modoc,  United  Brethren,  Gertie  Johnson,  Modoc,  100. 


SWI 


***»„ 


JK 

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Friends  Clmrcli. 


M.  E.  Cluirch. 


Clirisf  ian  Cliiircli. 


CHAPTER  XL 


CIVIC  AND  BENEVOLENT  SOCIETIES. 


The  essential  basis  of  fnost  secret  orders  is  to  bring  together  men  of 
every  sect  and  opinion  and  to  establish  friendship  among  those  who  might 
otherwise  remain  at  perpetual  distance.  These  organizations  give  their  mem- 
bership a  broader  idea  of,  and  a  greater  field  for,  practicing  the  principles  of 
charity,  benevolence,  love,  truth,  hope,  fidelity,  patriotism,  friendship,  etc. 

Many  of  them  have  also  incorporated  in  their  tenets  the  dispersal  of 
benefits  to  the  sick  and  distressed  and  to  the  relief  of  the  widow  and  orphan. 
These  institutions  have  thousands  of  members,  each  obligated  to  work  for  the 
betterment  of  society  and  the  elevation  of  their  fellowmen.  We  have  sought 
information  from  the  various  lodges  of  the  countjr,  but  in  many  cases  have 
received  no  response.  It  shall  be  our  endeavor  to  give  the  lodges  of  each  so- 
ciety in  the  order  of  their  institution,  and  should  any  lodge  .not  be  mentioned 
it  will  be  because  no  data  has  been  received  from  it. 

FREE  AND  ACCEPTED  MASONS. 

Masonic  lodges  are  located  in  Ridgeville,  Union  City,  Parker,  Farmland, 
Losantville,  Lynn  and  two  in  Union  City  and  Winchester,  Huntsville. 

Winchester  Lodge  No.  56,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons. — Organized 
January  26,  1844;  charter  dated  May  28,  1844.'  First  officers  were:  Edward 
Edgar,  worship  master;  Beattie  McClelland,  senior  warden;  Michael  Aker, 
junior  warden;  Jacob  Elzroth,  secretary;  John  Neff,  Sr.,  treasurer;  Charles 
Avery,  senior  deacon ;  Benjamin  G.  Cunningham,  junior  deacon.  Charter 
members  were:  Charles  Avery,  E.  Edgar,  Beattie  McClelland,  M.  Aker,  J. 
Neff,  J.  Elzroth,  B.  G.  Cunningham.  Present  officers  are :  John  Stine,  wor- 
shipful master;  Oscar  Puckett,  senior  warden;  Walter  Batchelor,  junior 
warden ;  Fermen  C.  Focht,  treasurer ;  Harry  B.  Wysong,  secretary ;  Charles 
Thomas,  senior  deacon;  Jesse  Mullen,  junior  deacon;  Joseph  Pilcher  and 
Leander  Mendenhall,  stewards ;  Will  Preston,  tyler.  Membership,  128.  Meet- 
ings held  on  the  first  Monday  evening  in  the  month. 

Randolph  Chapter  No.  35,  Royal  Arch  Masons. — Date  of  charter.  May 


726  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

22,  1856.  Petitioners  for  charter:  Beattie  McClelland,  Jacob  Eltzroth, 
Simeon  Lucas,  Israel  F.  Wirt,  George  W.  Monks,  Thomas  W^ard,  Alexander 
White,  Edward  Edgar,  John  Neff  and  others.  First  officers  (installed  by 
Francis  King,  grand  scribe  of  state)  :  Beattie  McClelland,  high  priest;  Jacob 
Elzroth,  king;  Simeon  Lucas,  scribe;  John  Ruth,  captain  of, host;  William 
Craign,  principal  sojourner;  Samuel  U.  Campbell,  royal  arch  captain;  Jere- 
miah T.  B.  Ruth,  first  veil ;  Thomas  Ward,  second  veil ;  John  Neff,  third  veil ; 
George  W.  Monks,  secretary;  Elias  Kizer,  treasurer;  Israel  F.  Wirt,  guard. 
Thomas  L.  Addington  was  the  last  survivor  of  the  original  petitioners,  he 
dying  in  the  spring  of  1914.  Present  officers:  Silas  A.  Canada,  high  priest; 
Oscar  G.  Puckett,  king;  Nelson  Oswald,  scribe;  Fermen  C.  Focht,  treasurer; 
Thomas  F.  Moorman,  secretary;  David  T.  Williamson,  captain  of  host;  Al- 
bert F.  Huddleston,  royal  arch  captain;  Benjamin  E.  Hinshaw,  principal  so- 
journer; John  Stine,  first  veil;  Clifton  M.  Kelley,  second  veil;  Benjamin  F. 
Marsh,  third  veil;  William  S.  Preston,  guard.  Number  of  members  in  the 
chapter  at  the  present  time  is  118. 

Union  City  Chapter  No.  94,  Royal  Arch  Masons. — Instituted  by  dis- 
pensation of  the  Grand  Chapter  of  Indiana  in  December,  1875.  It  was  fully 
organized,  under  charter,  in  the  following  year,  1876,  with  Thomas  Mitchel, 
high  priest;  John  Commons,  king,  and  Nathan  Cadwallader,  scribe.  Thomas 
Mitchel  was  continued  high  priest  until  1881,  when  \A'illiam  Commons  was 
elected  to  that  position.  This  chapter,  in  later  years,  surrendered  its  charter. 
The  charter  members  were Kelley,  Ray  R.  Butler,  John  M.  Mere- 
dith, Henry  DeSelm,  William  T.  Edwards,  John  H.  B.  White,  Samuel  E. 
Fraze,  Fred  Shaw,  James  S.  Blair,  Charles  D.  Wysong,  Charles  L.  Botkin, 
William  D.  Stuck,  Nelson  Oswald,  Fred  A.  Gray,  Elbert  N.  Canada,  Mans- 
ford  L.  Clark,  Raymond  McCain,  Forest  E.  McCain,  Simeon  P.  Clover, 
Isaac  W.  Small.  First  regular  officers,  instituted  by  Right  Eminent  Grand 
Commander  Vestal  W.  Woodard,  May  25,  1907 :  Thomas  F.  Moorman, 
eminent  commander;  Benjamin  E.  Hinshaw,  generalissimo;  Albert  O.  Marsh, 
captain  general;  Clifton  M.  Kelley,  prelate;  Dennis  Kelley,  treasurer;  Will 
E.  Beeson,  recorder;  Edgar  W  Rine,  senior  warden;  Benjamin  F.  Marsh, 
junior  warden;  John  H.  B.  White,  standard  bearer;  Ray  R.  Butler,  swora 
bearer;  Stephen  Clevenger,  warder;  Charles  Guthiel,  sentinel.  Officers,  19 14: 
Will  E.  Beeson,  eminent  commander ;  Stephen  Clevenger,  generalissimo ;  John 
C.  Leggett,  captain  general ;  Clifton  M.  Kelley,  prelate;  Thomas  F.  Moorman, 
treasurer;  Benjamin  E.  Hinshaw,  recorder;  Will  S.  Preston,  senior  warden; 
George  H.  Clark,  junior  warden ;  Levi  H.  Karnes,  standard  bearer ;  William 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  727 

H.  Williams,  sword  bearer;  Edgar  W.  Rine,  warder;  Samuel  E.  Fraze,  sen- 
tinel. 

Winchester  Chapter  No.  60,  Order  of  Eastern  Star. — Charter  dated 
April  15,  1886.  Petitioners  for  charter:  Ellen  Murray,  Margaret  Guthiel, 
Mary  A.  Romizer,  Ella  V.  Newton,  Lizzie  W.  Monks,  Hannah  V.  Cheno- 
weth,  E.  May  Chenoweth,  Sarah  M.  Marsh,  Elvira  A.  Moorman,  Clara  R. 
Butler,  Maggie  E.  Beeson,  Louisa  C.  Howard,  Margaret  Klink,  Rebecca  A. 
Winters,  Phoebe  J.  Heaston,  Mira  T.  Ross,  Edith  J.  Ross,  Armetia  Wells, 
Emma  Williamson,  Caroline  Flight,  C.  C.  Marsh,  May  A.  Hiatt.  First 
ofificers  of  the  chapter:  Albert  O.  Marsh,  worthy  patron;  matron,  Lizzie 
W.  Monks;  associate  matron,  Sarah  M.  Marsh.  Present  officers:  Lulu 
Thomas,  worthy  matron ;  Will  S.  Preston,  worthy  patron ;  Susan  Mills,  as- 
sociate matron;  Mamie  Davis,  secretary;  Catharine  Meier,  treasurer;  Etta 
Hawkins,  conductress ;  Lenore  King,  associate  conductress ;  Mattie  Watts, 
chaplain ;  Maud  Preston,  warder ;  Charles  Thomas,  sentinel ;  jNIayme  ^^'hite, 
marshall.  Membership  at  present,  107.  Mrs.  Anne  Robinson  was  elected 
and  served  one  term  (1912-13)  as  grand  matron  of  Indiana  jurisdiction. 
Order  Eastern  Star.  Mrs.  Maggie  E.  Beeson  served  as  grand  Adah  of  In- 
diana jurisdiction  in  1890-91. 

Winchester  Council,  No.  20,  Royal  and  Select  J^Iasters — Date  of 
Charter,  June  15,  1905.  Petitioners  for  the  charter:  W.  A.  W.  Daly,  T.  F. 
Moorman,  Charles  Guthiel,  John  W.  \lacy,  William  R.  Tisor,  Calvin  B.  Ed- 
wards, Leander  J.  Monks,  Albert  O.  Mar.sh,  Allen  R.  Hiatt,  Strother  Brum- 
field,  John  Richardson,  John  D.  Carter.  First  officers :  Thomas  F.  Moor- 
man, thrice  illustrious  master;  Allen  R.  Hiatt,  deputy  illustrious  master; 
Albert  O.  Marsh,  principal  conductor  of  work.  Present  officers :  Thomas 
F.  Moorman,  thrice  illustrious  master;  Silas  A.  Canada,  deputy  master; 
Will  H.  Brenner,  principal  conductor  of  work;  Fermen  C.  Focht,  treasurer; 
Clifton  M.  Kelley,  recorder;  William  S.  Preston,  captain  of  guard;  John 
Stine,  conductor  of  council;  William  H.  Williams,  steward;  Stephen 
Clevenger,  sentinel.  Membership  of  Council  is  104  at  present.  Hezekiah 
R.  Marlatt,  who  was  received  and  acknowledged  as  a  Select  Master  by  Win- 
chester Council  No.  20,  but  who  transferred  his  membership  to  Wayne  Coun- 
cil, No.  ID,  at  Richmond,  Indiana,  was  elected  Most  Illustrious  Grand  Master 
of  the  Jurisdiction  of  Indiana,  and  served  during  the  year  1884,  Anno  Dep. 
2884. 

Winchester  Commandery  No.  53. — Date  of  dispensation,  July  18,  1906, 
A.  O.  788.     Date  of  charter,  May  9,  1907,  A.  O.  789.     Membership  at  pres- 


728  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

ent,  50.  First  work  done  by  Muncie  Commandery  No.  18,  November  2, 
1906.  Second  work  done  by  Richmond  Commandery  No.  8,  November  28, 
1906.  Officers  under  dispensation :  Thomas  F.  Moorman,  eminent  com- 
mander; Benjamin  E.  Hinshaw,  generalissimo;  Albert  O.  Marsh,  captain 
general;  Benjamin  F.  Coddington,  senior  warden;  Hugh  J.  Norris,  prelate; 
James  Vernon,  treasurer;  Clifford  C.  Fisher,  recorder;  John  Richardson, 
warder;  Charles  Guthiel,  sentinel;  William  E.  Murray.  Petitioners  for 
charter:  Benjamin  F.  Coddington,  Benjamin  E.  Hinshaw,  Clifford  C. 
Fisher,  Charles  Guthiel,  Thomas  F.  Moorman,  Albert  O.  Marsh,  William  E. 
Murray,  Hugh  J.  Norris,  John  Richardson,  James  Vernon,  Clifton  M.  Kelley, 
Edgar  W.  Rine,  Benjamin  F.  Marsh,  Stephen  Clevenger,  Will  E.  Beeson, 

HUNTSVILLE. 

H'untsville  No.  367. — Institution  dated,  July  27,  1867.  Charter  dated. 
May  27,  1868.  First  officers  were:  H.  M.  Hunt,  worshipful  master;  J.  W. 
Hunt,  senior  warden;  A.  J.  Hawley,  junior  warden;  W.  P.  Harris,  secretary; 
W  M.  Botkin,  treasurer;  W  N.  Akens,  senior  deacon;  Wm.  Atkins,  junior 
deacon;  J.  AV.  Botkin,  t)-ler.  Charter  members  are:  H.  M.  Hunt,  J.  W. 
Hunt,  A.  j.  Hawley,  W  :\I.  Botkins,  W.  P.  Harris,  W.  N.  Atkens,  Wm. 
Atkins,  John  Hornaday,  R.  L.  Eikenbery,  John  Botkin,  R.  C.  Miller,  Jona- 
than Jones,  J.  M.  Johnson,  Elias  Keever,  John  R.  Lumpkins.  Present  officers 
are:  J.  A.  Mills,  worshipful  master;  Auda  Keever,  senior  warden;  Smith 
Lee,  junior  warden;  P.  W^.  Hardwick,  senior  deacon;  Brior  Harvey,  junior 
deacon;  Claude  Abel,  tyler.  33  members.  Meetings  Saturday  on  or  before 
full  moon. 

UNION  CITY. 

Turpen  Lodge  No.  401. — Charter  dated,  May  25,  1869.  First  officers 
were:  Wm.  H.  Anderson,  worshipful  master;  Win.  A.  Wiley,  senior  war- 
den ;  Wm.  B.  Hedgepath,  junior  warden ;  N.  Cadwallader,  treasurer ;  Wm.  H. 
Swain,  secretary.  Charter  members  are:  Wm.  H.  Anderson,  Wm.  H. 
Swain,  N.  Cadwallader,  A.  J.  S.  Bowers,  W.  B.  Hedgepath,  C.  S.  Evans, 
Raifford  Wiggs,  A.  L.  Knight,  Alexander  White.  Present  officers  are: 
Walter  D.  Anderson,  worshipful  master;  Bruce  F.  Beaty,  senior  warden; 
Perry  A.  White,  junior  warden;  Jas.  F.  Rubey,  treasurer;  Cyrus  M.  Thomp- 
son, secretary.  93  members.  Meetings  every  first  and  third  Tuesdays  of 
each  month. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  729 

PARKER. 

Parker  Lodge  No.  630,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons. — Institution  dated 
March  26,  1900.  Charter  dated,  May  22,  1900.  First  officers  were :  Levi 
H.  Karnes,  worshipful  master;  Wm.  G.  Moulton,  senior  warden;  Barclay- 
Smith,  junior  warden;  Albert  Canfield,  treasurer;  Andrew  C.  Dragoo,  secre- 
tary; Isaac  D.  Everingham,  senior  deacon;  Samuel  H.  Suplee,  junior  deacon; 
Martin  L.  Coyner,  tyler.  Charter  members  are :  David  T.  Williamson, 
Wm.  D.  Stuck,  John  M.  Good,  Wm.  H.  Coon,  Lawson  L.  Wilson,  Chas.  R. 
Daugherty,  Frank  Hyer,  Willard  F.  Cline,  Aaron  C.  Rogers.  Present 
officers  are:  Merl  A.  Hutson,  worshipful  master;  Wm.  H.  Moulton,  senior 
warden;  John  E.  Clevenger,  junior  warden;  Frank  Hyer,  treasurer;  S.  H. 
Karnes,  secretary;  R.  A.  Jellison,  senior  deacon;  W.  E.  Rooker,  junior  dea- 
con ;  M.  L.  Coyner,  tyler.  yj  members.  Meetings  held  2nd  and  4th  Friday 
evenings. 

SUMMERS    NO.    638. 

A  petition  was  presented  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons  asking  for  the  organization  of  a  new  Masonic  lodge  tmder  dispensa- 
tion. This  was  granted  May  29,  1901,  under  the  name  of  White  River  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons,  under  dispensation.  This  was  changed  December  25, 
190 1,  to  Summer's  Lodge  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  under  dispensation. 
A  charter  was  granted  May  28,  1902.  The  charter  members  (those  to  whom 
the  dispensation  was  granted)  were:  John  H.  Boltz,  James  P.  Goodrich, 
Jos.  L.  Shetterly,  Edward  S.  Goodrich,  Charles  W.  Eastman,  George  E. 
Leggett,  John  W.  Macy,  Sr.,  John  E.  Markle,  C.  W.  Moore,  C.  C.  Yunker 
and  George  W.  Robbins,  of  the  Winchester  No.  56,  except  John  "W  Macy, 
Sr„  and  George  W.  Robbins,  of  Farmland  308.  The  first  officers  were : 
John  H.  Boltz,  worshipful  master ;  James  P.  Goodrich,  senior  warden ;  Joseph 
L.  Shetterly,  junior  warden;  Edward  S.  Goodrich,  senior  deacon:  Charles  W 
Eastman,  junior  deacon;  George  E.  Leggett,  tyler;  John  W  IMacy,  secretary; 
John  E.  Markle,  treasurer.  Present  officers  are :  Wm.  P.  Van  Wylich, 
worshipful  master;  Henry  Ludy,  senior  warden;  Thomas  Jeffry,  junior 
warden;  Martin  Heltz,  senior  deacon;  John  D.  Summers,  junior  deacon; 
John  Flight,  tyler;  Samuel  D.  Fox,  secretary;  Thomas  J.  Ashton,  treasurer. 
The  present  membership  is  one  hundred  fifty. 


730  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


LYNN. 


Lynn  No.  223. — Institution  dated,  May  23,  1857.  Charter  dated,  May 
25,  1858.  First  officers  were:  J.  S.  Sellers,  worshipful  master;  R.  W. 
Hamilton,  senior  warden;  L.  C.  Harris,  junior  warden.  Charter  members: 
J.  S.  Sellars,  R.  W.  Hamilton,  L.  C.  Harris,  Israel  Lamm,  F.  G.  Morgan, 
Robert  Curtis,  John  Harris,  N-athan  Harris,  Mathew  Comer,  WilHam  M. 
Campbell,  John  Minsyre,  Benj.  H.  Flarris,  Obediah  Stillwell,  Joseph  Vanness, 
Ephriam  Thompson,  Thomas  C.  Woodard,  Jacob  A.  Hinshaw,  Isaac  M. 
Nichols,  Aaron  A.  Frazier,  Jesse  Jordon,  Joseph  T.  Mills,  M.  H.  Lawrence, 
J.  M.  Jones,  John  H.  Taylor,  Samuel  Humphrey,  Reuben  Manning,  John  G. 
Wagoner,  David  Hiatt,  Henry  Bonnel,  James  C.  Bowen.  Present  officers: 
Cyrus  C.  Wright,  worshipful  master;  Griff  E.  Thorn,  senior  warden;  Har- 
rison Hiatt,  junior  warden;  Henry  Hawkins,  treasurer;  Edwin  B.  Hopkins, 
secretary;  Thomas  P.  White,  senior  deacon;  George  Keever,  junior  deacon; 
Thomas  A.  Robeson,  tyler.  103  members.  Meetings,  Saturday  evening,  on 
or  before  full  moon. 

RIDGEVILLE. 

Doric,  No.  362. — Constitution,  dated  June,  1867.  Charter  dated.  May 
30,  1867.  Charter  members  are:  Thomas  Addington,  Elisha  Bailey,  Arthur 
McKew,  Charles  Jones,  Wm.  Champ,  Jacob  Myers,  Edwin  Myers,  Geo.  Add- 
ington, David  Williamson,  Joseph  Coons,  Wm.  J.  Shoemaker,  Wash  T.  Petti- 
john,  Wm.  M.  Fisher,  Cyrus  Blackaby.  First  officers  were :  Thomas  Add- 
ington, worshipful  master;  Elisha  Bailey,  senior  warden;  Arthur  McKew, 
junior  warden;  Wm.  Fisher,  treasurer;  Wm.  Shoemaker,  secretary;  J.  M. 
Coons,  senior  deacon.  Present  officers  are :  Chas.  Cadwallader,  worshipful 
master;  Bert  A.  Mattison,  junior  warden;  J.  Wilbur  Seigler,  secretary;  N. 
W.  Ferguson,  senior  warden ;  W.  R.  Bolinger,  treasurer ;  Jesse  M.  Wilhite, 
senior  deacon ;  J.  J.  Hurst,  junior  deacon ;  William  Thrash,  A.  J.  Wood, 
Stewards.  S.  S.  Clevenger,  tyler.  Thirty-four  members.  .  Meetings,  first 
and  third  Wednesday  of  each  month.  J.  W  Seigler  and  others  have  served 
on  Grand  Lodge  committees  various  years. 

Lodges  which  have  been  in  existence  and  surrendered  their  charter  hav- 
ing been  absorbed  by  other  lodges  are  :  Deerfield  No.  1 1 7,  instituted  May  30. 
185  T ;  Pittsburg  No.  387;  Olive  Branch  No.  426,  instituted  July  27,  1870. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  73 1 

LOSANTVILLE. 

Losantville  Lodge  No.  674. — Institution  dated,  1909.  Ciiarter  dated, 
May  25,  1910.  First  officers  were:  H.  C.  Keith,  worshipful  master;  F.  E. 
Keith,  junior  warden;  George  Reece,  senior  warden;  Walter  Oliphant,  senior 
deacon;  F.  H.  Thompson,  junior  deacon;  P.  L.  Holladay,  secretary;  L.  G. 
Wiggins,  treasurer ;  S.  V.  Templin,  tyler.  Charter  members  were :  H.  C. 
Keith,  F.  E.  Keith,  George  Reece,  Walter  Oliphant,  F.  H.  Thompson,  P.  L. 
Holladay,  L.  G.  Wiggins,  S.  V.  Templin.  Thirty  members.  Meetings  held 
Monday  evening  of  each  week.  Those  who  have  served  as  grand  officers 
are:  Dr.  H.  C.  Keith,  1910;  F  E.  McKinnen,  191 1 ;  F.  H.  Thompson,  1912; 
WiUiam  Hutchens,  1913. 

EASTERN  STAR. 

Eastern  Star. — This  Ladies  Auxiliary  of  the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons 
is  one  of  the  oldest  institutions  of  its  kind.  "Stars"  are  to  be  found  in  Union 
City,  Winchester  and  Farmland. 

Farmland  Chapter  No.  95,  Order  Eastern  Star. — Organized,  January 
27,  1890.  William  E.  Murray,  of  Winchester,  chapter  installing  officer  as- 
sisted by  the  Winchester  Chapter  held  at  Masonic  Hall.  The  hall  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1897,  with  part  of  furnishings;  rebuilt  in  1898.  Officers 
installed :  Charles  Paris,  worthy  patron ;  Julia  Gray,  worthy  matron ;  Sarah 
Lumpkins,  assistant  matron;  Alice  Paris,  secretary;  Jennie  Smith,  treasurer. 
Charter  members :  Eli  Hiatt,  Jennie  Hiatt,  S.  B.  Watson,  Abigail  Watson, 
W.  W.  Fowler,  Elizabeth  Fowler,  Fred  P.  Shaw,  Ella  Shaw,  Dr.  Calvin 
Smith,  Jennie  Smith,  J.  K.  P.  Gray,  Julia  Gray,  E.  V.  Graham,  Demarns 
Graham,  P.  O.  Hewitt,  Martha  Hewitt,  John  Lumpkins,  Sarah  Lumpkins, 
Ellis  McNees,  Mary  McNees,  Jethro  Macy,  Andy  McNees,  Rebekah  McNees, 
J.  H.  Thornburg,  Anna  Thornburg,  Joseph  Branson,  Matilda  Branson,  L.  M. 
Thornburg,  Elizabeth  Thornburg,  George  M'orl,  Ann  Worl,  George  Robbins, 
Anna  Ford,  James  Lumpkins,  Bertha  Bales,  Lou  Smith,  Emma  Hiatt,  L  V. 
D.  R.  Johnson,  Abigail  Johnson,  Charles  Paris,  Alice  Paris,  Dollie  Watson, 
Charles  Weiler,  making  forty-four  charter  members.  Officers  for  1914: 
Eli  Hiatt,  worthy  patron ;  Julia  Gray,  worthy  matron,  Julia  Dick,  assistant 
matron ;  Linda  Deselms,  treasurer :  Mary  E.  Driver,  secretary.  Number  of 
members  in  good  standing,  sixty-five.  Regular  meeting  nights,  the  first  and 
third  Monday  nights  in  each  month. 

Parker  Chapter  No.  329,  Order  Eastern  Star. — Charter  dated,  April  26, 


Ti'^i  RANIJULPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

1906.  Firbl  officers:  Flora  Condon,  worthy  matron;  Levi  H.  Karnes, 
worthy  patron ;  Sarah  A.  Karnes,  associate  worthy  matron ;  Sidney  F.  Karnes, 
secretary;  Sarah  J.  Wood,  treasurer.  Present  officers:  Orilla  Milburn, 
worthy  matron;  Sarah  A.  Skinner,  associate  worthy  matron;  Lloyd  C.  Keever, 
worthy  patron;  L.  H.  Karnes,  secretary;  W.  D.  Stuck,  treasurer.  Seventy- 
two  belonging  at  present.  Charter  members :  Levi  H.  Karnes,  Sarah  Karnes, 
Flora  Condon,  Lucetta  Williamson,  Iva  S.  Daniels,  Mary  A.  Karnes,  Emma 
Kover,  Martha  J.  Jones,  Lillian  Marriott,  Sarah  J.  Wood,  Nora  Mull,  Anna 
Rogers,  Ora  Clark,  Wm.  H.  Marriott,  Eugene  A.  Jones,  D.  T.  Williamson, 
Aaron  G.  Rogers,  George  Cox,  John  E.  Daniels,  Mary  E.  Wood,  William  E. 
Kover,  Nancy  Mott,  Eliza  J.  Stuck,  William  D.  Stuck  and  Hazel  Cox. 

The  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  has  subordinate  lodges  in  Win- 
chester, Union  City,  Farmland,  Parker,  Fairview,  Ridgeville,  Deerfield,  Sara- 
toga, Spartanburg,  Lynn,  Carlos,  Huntsville  and  Windsor. 

I.  o.  o.  F. 

Winchester  Lodge,  No.  121. — In  November,  1852,  a  petition  to  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  Indiana,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  was  signed  by 
Silas  Colgrove,  John  J.  Cheney,  Heman  L.  Searl,  David  Ferguson,  Calvin  D. 
Searl,  Cyrus  A.  Reed,  Thomas  L.  Scott  and  Benjamin  Ramsey,  asking  a 
charter  for  a  lodge  at  Winchester  of  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  A 
dispensation  was  granted  November  11,  1852,  and  a  charter  issued  by  Joseph 
L.  Silcox,  grand  master  and  Willis  W.  Wright,  grand  secretary.  The  charter 
was  signed  then  or  afterward  by  Schuyler  Colfax,  Solomon  Meredith,  Robert 
Dale  Owen,  Fabius  Finch,  P.  A.  Mackelman,  Theodore  P.  Hough,  etc.,  etc. 
The  lodge  was  organized  December  30,  1852,  in  the  second  story  over  the  drug 
store  of  H.  P.  Kizer,  by  brothers  from  Muncie,  viz. :  David  S.  Haines,  John 
C.  Helms,  Thomas  J.  Matthews,  Thomas  M.  Jameson,  William  Weilling, 
Edward  J.  Rasley.  The  Acting  Grand  Master  then  appointed  the  following 
officers  pro  tem. :  John  C.  Helms,  noble  grand;  John  I\I.  Jameson,  vice- 
grand  ;  Thomas  Matthews,  secretary ;  Job  Swain,  treasurer ;  Eli  J.  Jameson, 
warden ;  William  Brotherton,  conductor ;  Jacob  Colvert,  left  hand  supporter 
to  noble  grand ;  Josiah  P.  Williams,  right  hand  supporter  to  noble  grand ; 
Andrew  Wachtel,  left  hand  supporter  and  vice-grand;  William  L.  Matthews, 
right  hand  supporter  and  vice-grand;  William  J.  Ethell,  right  scene  supporter; 
J.  O.  B.  Tuttle,  left  scene  supporter.  The  first  officers  were  then  elected  and 
installed,  viz.:  Silas  Colgrove,  noble  grand;  Thomas  L.  Scott,  vice-grand; 
John  J.    Cheney,   secretary;   Harvey   Patty,   treasurer;   C.   D.    Searl,   Philip 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  ^3^ 

Barger,  T.  W.  Kizer,  trustees.  The  Winchester  Lodge,  being  the  first  in  the 
county,  became  a  kind  of  nucleus  for  the  surrounding  region.  Present  officers 
are :  Arnta  Oyler,  past  grand ;  Daniel  Heenan  Moore,  noble  grand ;  Clare 
Brawley,  vice-grand ;  Samuel  D.  Fox,  secretary ;  George  W.  Keller,  treasurer ; 
Elmer  A.  Thomas,  Vestal  L.  Haisley  and  G.  M.  Ulrick,  trustees;  Joseph  L. 
Shigley,  warden;  Marcus  Reynard,  conductor;  Robert  M.  Carson,  inside 
guard;  Carl  M.  Myers,  outside  guard;  Thomas  A.  Helms,  right  supporter 
noble  grand;  Charles  F.  Pierce,  left  supporter  noble  grand;  Percy  Whitten, 
right  supporter  vice-grand;  William  Deal,  left  supporter  vice-grand;  W.  O. 
Coats,  right  scene  supporter;  William  H.  Deal,  left  scene  supporter,  and  G. 
M.  Ulrick,  chaplain.  Number  of  members,  three  hundred  and  thirteen.  Meet 
each  Thursday  evening. 

Fairview  Lodge  No  134  was  instituted  August  17,  1853.  Their  prop- 
erty was  destroyed  by  fire  January  29,  1857.  First  officers  were:  H.  L. 
Searl,  noble  grand;  James  White,  vice-grand;  J.  N.  Converse,  recording 
secretary;  James  Armstrong,  past  secretary.  Present  officers,  E.  E.  Turner, 
noble  grand;  Dan  Bubt,  vice-grand;  Ira  Vernon,  recording  secretary;  Guy 
Linley,  past  secretary.  Number  of  members,  one  hundred  and  seventy-one. 
Meet  Wednesday  evening  of  each  week. 

Ridgeville  Lodge  No.  788,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. — Institu- 
tion dated  June  23,  1902.  Charter  dated.  May  22,  1902.  First  officers  were  : 
D.  G.  Heister,  noble  grand ;  H.  W.  Ames,  vice-grand ;  A.  Morrical,  recording 
secretary;  M.  Stebelton,  financial  secretary;  Lot  Pettijohn,  treasurer.  Charter 
members  are :  Daniel  G.  Heister,  N.  W.  Ferguson,  W.  L.  McCurley,  Chester 
Buhler,  O.  L.  Heister,  George  Lemaux,  Jr.,  A.  H.  Farquhar,  C.  E.  Barrett, 
Lot  Pettijohn,  C.  W.  Addington,  W.  E.  Allen,  Michael  Stebelton,  J.  A. 
Huston,  J.  L.  Wilmore,  C.  Mendenhall,  L.  A.  Wilmore,  Ward  Hollowell, 
Geo.  P.  Newton,  Geo.  R.  Mendenhall,  A.  Morrical,  J.  C.  Retter,  H.  W.  Ames. 
Present  officers  are :  Elmer  Bockoven,  noble  grand ;  George  Terrell,  vice- 
grand;  A.  Morrical,  recording  secretary;  W.  E.  Ward,  financial  secretary; 
John  E.  Rickert,  treasurer.  Number  of  members,  one  hundred  and  thirty. 
Meeting  every  Monday  evening. 

Parker  Lodge  No.  170,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.— Institution 
dated  November  i,  1855.  Charter  dated  July  18,  1855.  Charter  members 
were :  John  Chandler,  Henry  Adams,  W.  H.  Harrison,  John  Gangf ord  and 
G.  W.  Thornburg.  First  officers  were  :  Henry  Adams,  noble  grand ;  W.  H. 
Harrison,  vice-grand ;  Thomas  A.  Reece,  secretary ;  John  Chandler,  treasurer. 
Present  officers  are :     Pearl  Meeks,  noble  grand ;  Fred  Anderson,  vice-grand ; 

(47) 


734  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Albert  Oren,  secretary;  Clyde  Williams,  treasurer.     Number  of  members, 
ninety-three.     Meet  Tuesday  evening  of  each  week. 

Farmland  Lodge  No.  208,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. — Institu- 
tion dated  November  15,  1859.  Charter  dated  December  7,  1897;  first 
charter  destroyed  by  fire.  First  officers  unknown.  Charter  members  were: 
John  A.  Moorman,  Henry  Mclntire,  John  S.  Mclntire,  Henry  Tripp,  Nathan 
Thornburg,  George  S.  Spillers,  Charley  Baldwin,  T.  W.  Windowmaker. 
Henry  Adams  and  William  Barnes.  Present  officers  are:  C.  C.  Sunday, 
noble  grand ;  Lester  Ford,  vice-grand ;  C.  A.  Painter,  recording  secretary ;  A. 
J.  Pursley,  financial  secretary;  \\''  H.  Taylor,  treasurer.  Number  of  mem- 
bers, one  hundred  and  ninety-two.     Meet  Wednesday  night  of  each  week. 

Losantville  Lodge  Xo.  232.  — This  lodge  was  formed  May  18,  1864. 
Charter  members :  William  Hendricks,  James  Ralston,  Milo  Moore,  Joseph 
Crouse,  W.  A.  Snodgrass.     First  officers  the  same. 

Trenton  Lodge  No.  248. — Instituted  January  6,  1866.  No  report 
made. 

Spartanburg  Lodge  No.  287,  was  instituted  August  27,  1867,  by  E.  H. 
Berry,  grand  secretary.  Odd  Fellows  from  Winchester,  Union  City  and 
Whitewater  were  in  attendance  upon  the  occasion.  The  charter  members 
were  Adolphus  Barnes,  John  Harlan,  S.  G.  Hill,  John  Chenoweth,  Levi  Hill, 
Harvey  Piatt,  S.  S.  Humphreys,  James  D.  Bowen,  Wm.  M.  Campbell,  George 
M.  Marion.  Present  membership,  one  hundred  and  twenty-one.  A  hall 
was  built  in  1867,  at  a  cost  of  $650.  The  lodge  is  in  good  condition,  with 
property  worth  $2,500.  Its  orphan  fund  is  $500.  Some  years  ago  a  grand 
celebration  was  held  in  Anderson's  Grove,  east  of  town.  Among  other  speak- 
ers, B.  H.  Herrell,  from  Southern  Indiana,  addressed  the  assembly  upon  that 
interesting  occasion.  First  officers  were:  John  Harlan,  first  noble  grand. 
Present  officers  are :  Frank  Jessup,  noble  grand ;  Delbert  Martin,  vice-grand ; 
John  W  Crist,  recording  secretary;  Ira  S.  Taylor,  financial  secretary;  Roy 
Crist,  treasurer.  Number  of  members,  one  hundred  and  twenty-one.  Meet 
each  Saturday  evening. 

Deerfield  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Lodge  No.  293. — Institu- 
tion dated  Wednesday,  November  11,  1867.  Charter  dated  November  11, 
1867.  First  officers  were:  Uriah  Pierce,  noble  grand;  Lewis  A.  Heath, 
vice-grand;  William  O.  King,  secretary;  Olney  Whipple,  treasurer; 
Charles  N.  Taylor,  permanent  secretary;  Elijah  B.  Heath,  Thomas  L.  Adding- 
ton,  Thomas  N.  Pierce,  John  Barnhart  Ward,  trustees;  Thomas  L.  Adding- 
ton,  right  supporter  noble  grand;  Isaac  Harker,  left  supporter  noble  grand; 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  735 

W.  B.  Smiley,  right  supporter  vice-grand;  James  W.  Bragg,  left  supporter 
vice-grand;  Enos  Myers,  conductor;  Ben  Bodarrf,  inner  guard;  W.  G.  Smith, 
right  scene  supporter;  Thomas  N.  Pierce,  left  scene  supporter.  Charter 
members  are :  Uriah  Pierce,  Francis  E.  Massey,  Wm.  O.  King,  John  Barn- 
hart,  Lewis  A.  Heath,  John  W.  Hall,  W.  G.  Smith,  Benjamin  Bodarrf,  W.  B. 
Smiley,  E.  B.  Heath,  Thomas  N.  Pierce.  Present  officers  are :  John  Culy, 
noble  grand ;  James  Clark,  vice-grand ;  Bert  A.  Matheson,  secretary ;  John  H. 
Huber,  treasurer ;  Amos  Heston,  L.  M.  Fisher,  George  Bousman,  trustees ; 
Clyde  Barrett  Ward,  Fred  \^'aIl  Cloud,  Dan  Clapp,  inside  guardians ;  Russell 
Sampson,  outside  guardian;  Theodore  Barrett,  left  supporter  noble  grand; 
Chas.  Wall,  right  supporter  noble  grand;  David  Lewis,  right  supporter  vice- 
grand  ;  Charles  Reitenour,  left  supporter  vice-grand ;  George  Garringer,  left 
scene  supporter;  Clarence  Mullen,  right  scene  supporter;  Frank  Hummel, 
chaplain,  L.  M.  Fisher,  host.  One  hundred  and  five  members.  Meeting 
each  Saturday  evening. 

Note. — The  lodge  was  instituted  by  Deputy  Grand  Master  Thomas  W. 
Kiser  and  the  following  Brothers  from  Winchester  Lodge  No.  121,  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows :  W.  E.  Murray,  A.  Stone,  H.  H.  Neff,  Wm. 
Burrass,  D.  H.  Key,  W.  H.  Ward,  E.  Corwin  and  Arthur  Quick.  Brother 
Arthur  Quick  conferred  the  first,  second,  third,  fourth  and  fifth  degrees  on 
the  following  brothers :  Olney  Whipple,  Charles  N.  Taylor,  Thomas  L. 
Addington,  Enos  Myers,  Isaac  Harker,  and  James  W.  Bragg.  There  is  one 
of  our  charter  members,  John  W.  Hall,  that  is  still  an  Odd  Fellow  in  good 
standing  and  still  a  very  enthusiastic  worker. 

Lynn  I.  O.  O.  F.  Lodge,  No.  294. — Charter  dated  November  12,  1867. 
First  officers  were :  William  P.  Moon,  Sidney  Middleton,  Jonas  L.  P.  Frist. 
Charter  members :  William  P.  Moon,  Sidney  Middleton,  Abraham  Brower, 
Charles  F.  Powell,  Jonas  L.  P.  Frist.  Present  officers  are :  L.  C.  Farratt, 
noble  grand;  John  F.  Essex,  vice-grand;  O.  A.  Frazi'er,  secretary.  Ninety- 
five  members.     Meetings  every  Saturday  evening. 

Ridgeville  Lodge  No.  297. — Ridgeville  Lodge  was  instituted  December 
10,  1867,  by  authority  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Indiana,  by  Thomas  W.  Kizer, 
Grand  Master.  Charter  members :  W.  E.  Starbuck,  F.  M.  Way,  J.  R. 
Jones,  George  F  Miller,  James  Vankey,  M.  T.  Sumption.  Elective  officers 
of  the  lodge :  J.  R.  Jones,  noble  grand ;  W.  E.  Starbuck,  vice-grand ;  M.  R. 
Hiatt,  recording  secretary;  J.  L.  Collier,  permanent  secretary;  D.  S.  Kitsel- 
man,  treasurer;  M.  T.  Sumption,  D.  W.  Ward,  J.  L.  Collier,  trustees. 
The  charter  was  surrendered  in  1901  and  a  new  lodge  was  organized. 


736  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Ridgeville  Lodge  No.  788. — Institution  dated,  June  23,  1902.  Charter 
dated  May  22,  1902.  First  officers  were:  D.  G.  Heister,  noble  grand;  H. 
W.  Ames,  vice-grand;  A.  Morrical,  recording  secretary;  M.  Stebelton,  finan- 
cial secretary;  Lot  Pettijohn,  treasurer.  Charter  members  are:  Daniel  G. 
Heister,  N.  W.  Ferguson,  W.  L.  McCurley,  Chester  Buhler,  O.  L  Heister, 
George  Lemaux,  Jr.,  A.  H.  Farquhar,  C.  E.  Barrett,  Lot  Pettijohn,  C.  W. 
Addington,  W.  E.  Allen,  Michael  Stebelton,  J.  A.  Huston,  J.  L.  Wilmore, 

C.  Mendenhall,  L.  A.  Wilmore,  'V\^ard  Flollowell,  George  P.  Newton,  George 
R.  Mendenhall,  A.  Morrical,  J.  C.  Retter,  H.  W.  Ames.  Present  officers 
are :  Elmer  Bockoven,  noble  grand ;  George  Terrell,  vice-grand ;  A.  Mor- 
rical, recording  secretary ;  W.  E.  Ward,  financial  secretary ;  John  E.  Rickert, 
treasurer.  Number  of  members,  one  hundred  and  thirty.  Meeting,  every 
Monday  evening. 

Windsor  Lodge  No.  517. — Instituted  January  17,  1876,  by  Richard  Ber- 
ger,  of  Muncie  Lodge  No.  74,  under  a  dispensation  from  J.  B.  Kimball, 
most  worshipful  grand  master.     Charter  members :     John  Gable,  Matthew 

D.  Lynch,  Robert  Fisher,  Nelson  T.  Chenoweth,  Abraham  B.  Hammer,  Elijah 
J.  Pemberton,  William  K.  Wallace.  George  W.  Dickson  and  William  Bailey 
were  admitted  on  card.  Total  at  organization,  fourteen.  First  officers: 
Nelson  T.  Chenoweth,  noble  grand;  Elijah  J.  Pemberton,  vice-grand;  William 
Bailey,  secretary  ;  Matthew  D.  Lynch,  permanent  secretary ;  John  Gable,  treas- 
urer. Charter  granted  by  the  Right  Worthy  Grand  Lodge,  Independent  Or- 
der of  Odd  Fellows,  of  Indiana,  at  its  semi-annual  communication  of  1876. 
The  lodge  built  a  hall  the  first  sumnier,  which  was  dedicated  by  B.  F.  Foster, 
grand  secretary,  Independent  Order  Odd  Fellows,  of  Indiana,  September  8, 
1876. 

Present  officers  are :  Marion  Phillips,  noble  grand ;  Thomas  Gilbert, 
vice-grand ;  Thomas  W.  Chenoweth,  secretary ;  W.  E.  Brooks,  treasurer. 
Number  of  members,  sixty-one.    Meet  every  Saturday  evening. 

Carlos  not  reported. 

Saratoga  Lodge  No.  703,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. — Insti- 
tution dated  December  26,  1893.  Charter  dated  November  23,  1893.  Char- 
ter members  were  not  reported.  First  officers  were :  Lewis  Hawthorn, 
noble  grand;  Porter  A.  Daily,  vice-grand;  Thomas  W.  Johnson,  secretary; 
John  F.  Wa-rren,  treasurer.  Present  officers  are  :  F.  M.  Fayette,  noble  grand; 
William  A.  Johnson,  vice-grand ;  V.  E.  Harmon,  secretary ;  Pei"ry  W.  War- 
ren, treasurer.  Number  of  members,  one  hundred  and  fifty.  Meet  every 
Tuesday  evening. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  737 


ENCAMPMENTS. 


Encampments  of  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  are  located  in 
Winchester,  Union  City,  Saratoga,  Deerfield,  Ridgeville,  Farmland,  Lynn  and 
Spartanburg. 

White  River  Encampment  No.  50,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 
— Institution  dated  April  i,  1856.     Charter  dated  May  22,  1856. 

Charter  members  are :  David  Ferguson,  Asahel  Stone,  J.  P.  Way,  H.  H. 
Neff,  J.  W.  Cottom,  Silas  Colgrove  and  Thomas  W.  Kizer. 

Present  officers  are :  William  P.  Marlatt,  chancellor  prelate ;  D.  H. 
Moore,  senior  warden;  Ennis  Roosa,  high  priest;  Clare  Brawley,  junior 
warden;  Samuel  D.  Fox,  scribe;  George  W.  Kellar,  treasurer;  William  Deal, 
outside  sentinel ;  George  R.  Kennedy,  inside  sentinel ;  Joe  L.  Shigley,  guide ; 
T.  A.  Hehis,  first  warrior ;  W.  R.  Deihl,  second  warrior ;  Charles  Tillson, 
third  warrior;  William  L.  Hawkins,  fourth  warrior;  G.  M.  Ulrick,  first 
inside  guard;  Arnta  Oyler,  second  inside  guard;  John  C.  Meir,  William  L. 
Hawkins,  Ennis  Roosa,  trustees. 

First  officers  were :  David  Ferguson,  chancellor  prelate ;  J.  W.  Cottom, 
high  priest;  H.  H.  Neff,  senior  warden;  Asahel  Stone,  junior  warden;  J.  W. 
Way,  scribe ;  Thomas  W.  Kizer,  treasurer ;  Benjamin  Ramsey,  sentinel ;  John 
P.  Clough,  first  inside  guide ;  William  Burres,  second  inside  guide ;  Silas  Col- 
grove, first  warrior.  Number  of  members,  two  hundred  and  ninety-three. 
Meetings  every  first  and  third  Friday  each  month. 

Spartanburg  Encampment  No.  loi,  was  instituted  May  9,  1870,  by 
Patriarch  Ferguson,  of  Union  City,  assisted  by  patriarchs  from  Union  City 
and  Winchester.  Charter  members  were :  L.  A.  Custer,  J.  H.  Curtis,  J.  C. 
Ktiox,  J.  W.  Jackson,  A.  Barnes,  J.  W.  Locke,  Samuel  Witter.  The  first 
officers  were :  L.  A.  Custer,  chancellor  prelate ;  J.  H.  Curtis,  high  priest ;  A. 
Barnes,  senior  warden;  J.  C.  Knox,  junior  warden;  J.  W.  Locke,  secretary; 
S.  Witter,  treasurer. 

Ridgeville  Encampment  No.  272. — Institution  dated  March  7,  1900. 
Charter  dated  March  7,  1900.  Charter  members  are :  Daniel  G.  Heister, 
Abram  Morrical,  Joseph  Landwich,  Lewis  Barger,  N.  B.  Barger.  Present 
officers  are:  L.  C.  Barrett,  chancellor  prelate;  James  Clark,  high  priest;  C. 
E.  Burke,  senior  warden;  John  B.  Mitchell,  junior  warden;  A.  Morrical, 
scribe;  John  E.  Rickert,  treasurer.  First  officers  werej  Weldon  E.  Allen, 
chancellor  prelate;  Lewis  Barger,  high  priest;  Joseph  Landwich,  senior  war- 


73^  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

den;  C.  D.  Miller,  junior  warden;  A.  Morrical,  scribe;  Lot  Pettijohn,  treas- 
urer. Members,  thirty-eight.  Aleetings  every  second  and  fourth  Wednesdays. 

■  REBEKAH. 

The  Rebekah  lodges  are  located  in  Union  City,  Spartanburg,  Lynn,  Par- 
ker, Farmland,  Fairview,  Ridgeville,  Deerfield,  Saratoga,  Winchester  and 
Huntsville. 

Spartanburg — Olive  Branch  Lodge  No.  6. — Institution  dated  February 
19,  1869.  Charter  dated  February  12,  1869.  Charter  members  are:  S.  A. 
Custer,  Maggie  A.  Custer,  John  Harland,  E.  S.  Anderson,  Fannie  Anderson, 
A.  Bannes,  Martha  Harland,  E.  J.  Bannes,  Sarah  Whittier,  S.  S.  Humphrey, 
Samuel  Whittier,  Martha  Humphrey,  J.  H.  Curtis,  J.  C.  Knox,  Sarah  Whit- 
tier, Catherine  Knox,  Sarah  J.  Curtis.  First  officers  are:  Levi  Hill,  noble 
grand ;  Maggie  A.  Custer,  vice-grand.  Present  officers :  Georgie .  Bowen, 
noble  grand;  Ava  Jackson,  vice-grand.  Members,  thirty-seven.  Meetings 
Friday  evening  of  each  week. 

Union  City — Noami  Rebekah  Lodge  No.  12. — Institution  dated  March 
25,  1869.    Charter  dated  March  22,  1869. 

Charter  members  were :  Alf  Lennox,  ]\'Irs.  T.  A.  Lennox,  J.  T.  Sage, 
Mrs.  S.  V.  Sage,  A.  Hoke,  Mrs.  S.  Hoke,  J.  McFeely,  Mrs.  R.  McFeely,  S. 
W.  Sutton,  Mrs.  C.  Sutton,  J.  Haney,  Mrs.  S.  Haney,  W.  R.  Humphreys, 
Mrs.  J.  A.  Humphreys,  A.  McFeely,  Mrs.  S.  AIcFeely,  C.  F.  Pickett,  Mrs.  E. 
Pickett,  D.  S.  Rouse,  M.  C.  Page,  J.  Coats,  Mrs.  E.  H.  Coats,  J.  F.  Deem, 
Mrs.  T.  A.  Deem,  S.  Hill  Mrs.  E.  Hill,  J.  M.  Janes,  Mrs.  Janes,  David  Fer- 
guson, Mrs.  J.  Ferguson,  J.  N.  Converse,  Airs.  A.  E.  Converse,  W.  A.  C. 
Dixon,  ]\Irs.  ]Martha  Dixon,  D.  H.  Reeder. 

Winchester  Rebekah  Lodge  No.  loi. — Institution  dated  November  30, 
1875.     Charter  dated  April  8,  1873. 

Charter  members  Avere :  T.  W.  Kizer,  Susannah  Kizer,  W.  D.  Kizer, 
Louisa  Kizer,  W.  E.  ^vlurray,  Lizzie  ^Murray,  F.  M.  Way,  L.  P.  Way,  Jona- 
than Hiatt,  Louisa  Hiatt,  N.  H.  Ward.  Angeline  Ward,  J.  S.  Way,  Lorena  B. 
Way,  John  L.  Stakebake,  Mary  E.  Stakebake,  W.  H.  Reinheimer,  Mary 
Reinheimer,  J.  W.  Diggs,  Lizzie  Diggs,  E.  Corwin,  Louisa  Corwin,  F.  M. 
Curran,  W.  W.  Reed.  Members,  two  hundred  and  sixty-eight.  Meeti^igs 
every  Monday  night.     Lydia  P.  Way  was  grand  treasurer. 

Parker  Amicus-  Rebekah  Lodge  No.   iii. — Institution  dated  May  16, 
1874.     Charter  dated  February  16,  1874. 
Charter  members  were:     Oliver  Sutton,  Catherine  Sutton,  J.  A.  Jones, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  739 

Martha  Jones,  John  Morris,  EHzabeth  Morris,  Robert  Fisher,  Maria  Fisher, 
John  Gable,  Mary  Gable,  Peter  Deal,  Sarah  E.  Deal,  R.  M.  Friddle,  Adelade 
Friddle,  E.  W.  Riggs,  Sarah  Riggs,  Christian  Bond,  Celia  A.  Bond,  H.  C. 
Knapp,  Charles  Dotson  and  John  M.  Good. 

Present  officers  are :  Sarah  Free,  past  noble  grand ;  Mollie  Adams,  noble 
grand;  Lelia  Anderson,  vice  grand;  Audrey  Patterson,  secretary;  Mabel 
Rogers, .financial  secretary;  Orrilla  Milburn,  treasurer;  Leona  Jellison,  war- 
den ;  Elsie  Williams,  conductress ;  Orrilla  Wiles,  outside  guard ;  Bessie  Gruley, 
inside  guard ;  Myrtle  Thorn,  chaplain.  Nearly  one  hundred  members.  Meet- 
ings on  Thursday  evenings. 

Fairview — Friendship  Rebekah  Lodge  No.  178. — Institution  dated  May 
18,  1877,  and  became  defunct  April,  1898. 

Charter  members  were :  David  Boots,  S.  J.  Myers,  L.  Barger,  N.  B. 
Barger,  L.  M.  Evans,  J.  C.  Ward,  C.  A.  Reed,  Z.  W.  Manor,  W.  D.  Campbell, 
Phillip  Barger,  J.  P.  Hickman,  W.  M.  Hickman,  Susan  J.  Myers,  Nancy 
Boots,  O.  M.  Barger,  A.  B.  Barger,  Maggie  Ward,  Alice  J.  Campbell,  Sarah 
Read,  Mary  Manor,  R.  E.  Hickman.  Two  members  of  first  lodge  are  charter 
members  of  Liberty  No.  665,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  D.  Campbell. 

Fairview- — Liberty  No.  665. — Institution  dated  March  18,  1904.  Char- 
ter dated  March  3,  1904. 

Charter  members  are  :  W  D.  and  Alice  Campbell,  E.  M.  and  Elva  Hick- 
man, W.  L.  and  Harriett  Stilwell,  L.  C.  and  Etta  Gable,  C.  L.  and  Vora 
Manor,  J.  W.  and  Eva  Mauller,  F.  W.  and  Sarelda  Green,  C.  A.  and  Sue 
Shrack,  O.  C.  and  Eva  Friddle,  G.  S.  and  OUie  Starbuck,  J.  L.  and  Lola 
Ryan,  O.  B.  and  Sarah  Friddle,  J.  M.  Porter,  C.  W  Eager,  William  Cline, 
C.  E.  Stump,  Orville  Read,  Pearl  Green,  Carrie  Gates,  Anna  Campbell, 
Nettie  Wiseman,  Jennie  Godwin,  Mary  Coulson,  Edith  Dearraond,  Lolo  God- 
win, Goldie  French,  Lou  Stilwell,  Martha  Stilwell,  Alice  Gray,  Mary  C.  Star- 
buck  and  Emma  Gowdy. 

Present  officers  are :  Noble  grand,  Zina  Dull ;  vice  grand,  Edna  Stilwell ; 
secretary,  Flossie  Eager;  financial  secretary,  Harriett  Stilwell;  treasurer, 
Sarah  Friddle;  warden,  Ollie  Starbuck;  conductress,  Minnie  Eager;  inside 
guard,  Emma  Gowdy;  outside  guard,  Lola  Manor;  right  supporter  noble 
grand,  Jessie  Campbell ;  left  supporter  noble  grand,  Elva  Hickman ;  right  sup- 
porter vice  grand,  Edith  Dearmond ;  left  supporter  vice  grand,  Eva  Friddle ; 
chaplain,  Alice  Campbell.    Members,  forty.    Meetings  on  Monday  evening. 

Farmland. — Zeriah  Rebekah  No.  267.  Charter  dated  December  13, 
1886. 


740  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Charter  members:  Adam  Slonaker  and  wife,  Samuel  C.  Grimes  and 
wife,  A.  Canfield  and  wife,  H.  F.  Wood  and  wife,  H.  D.  Good  and  wife,  K. 
L.  Mull  and  wife,  H.  A.  Moorman  and  wife. 

First  officers  were :  H.  A.  Moorman,  noble  grand.  (The  old  records 
being  burned  when  the  building  burned,  dp  not  remember  any  more  of  them.) 

Present  officers  are:  Hattie  Mclntire,  noble  grand;  Callie  Cline,  vice- 
grand;  Hattie  Wright,  recording  secretary;  Martha  Birts,  financial  secretary, 
and  Flora  Taylor,  treasurer.  Members,  one  hundred  and  fifty-four.  Meet- 
ings held  Friday  night  of  each  week. 

Ridgeville  Rebekah  Lodge  No.  282,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows! 
— Charter  dated  June  17,  1887. 

Charter  members  were :  Joseph  T.  Day,  David  M.  Odle,  I.  W.  McCam- 
ish,  G.  D.  Williamson,  I.  C.  Ratter,  E.  E.  Hiatt,  J.  P.  Myers,  J.  T.  Long,  Mrs. 
Delia  Hiatt,  Mrs.  Sarah  Myers,  Miss  Allora  Myers,  Mrs.  Ella  Ward,  Mrs.  R. 
A.  Sumption,  Mrs.  N.  E.  Williamson. 

First  officers  were:  David  M.  Odle,  noble  grand;  Rebecca  Sumption, 
vice  grand;  Allora  Myers,  secretary;  Lida  Day,  treasurer. 

Present  officers  are :  Eva  Rickert,  noble  grand ;  Martha  Renbarger,  vice 
grand;  Hazel  Addington,  recording  secretary;  A.  Morrical,  financial  secre- 
tary; Lillie  Collins,  treasurer. 

Deerfield  Rebekah  Lodge  No.  287. — Institution  dated  February  21,  1888. 
Charter  dated  November  29,  1887. 

Charter  members  were :  William  J.  Losch,  J.  M.  Collett,  D.  S;  Collins, 
C.  E.  Barrett,  F.  C.  Walker,  Samuel  Waltz,  John  Purcell,  H.  P.  Garland, 
Dianah  Hodge,  Mary  Walker,  Emma  Losch  and  Sarah  Purcell. 

Present  officers  are :  Noble  grand,  Kate  Siper ;  vice  grand,  Rosetta 
Wall;  treasurer,  Maytie  Fisher;  secretary,  Daisy  Wall;  warden,  Olive  Nickey; 
conductress,  Maytie  Fisher;  inside  guard,  Sarah  Sampson;  outside  guard, 
Hattie  Walker ;  right  supporter  noble  grand,  Belle  Pierce ;  left  supporter  noble 
grand,  Gail  Barrett;  right  supporter  vice  grand,  Emma  Garringer;  left  sup- 
porter vice  grand.  Belle  Matteson;  chaplain,  Elizabeth  Lent.  Members,  sev- 
enty-six.    Meetings  ever}'  Tuesday  night. 

Saratoga  Rebekah  Lodge  No.  469. — Institution  dated  December  7,  1894. 
Charter  dated  November  9,  1894. 

Charter  members  are :  Lewis  Hawthorne,  J.  F.  Warren,  Malissa  War- 
ren, William  Stewart,  Ollie  Stewart,  William  Baird  and  Alice  Baird. 

First  officers  were :  Ollie  Stewart,  noble  grand ;  Alice  Baird,  vice  grand ; 
Flora  Willmore,  financial  secretary;  Delia  Hinkle,  secretary;  Malinda  Evans, 
treasurer. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  74I 

Present  officers  are  :  Cora  Pratt,  noble  grand ;  Catherine  Summers,  vice 
grand;  Sarah  Barber,  secretary;  Eva  Alexander,  treasurer.  Members,  fifty- 
five.    Meetings  every  Friday  night. 

Windsor  Rebekah  Lodge  No.  533. — Institution  dated  December  11, 
1896.    Charter  dated  December  4,  1896. 

Charter  members  are :  Nelson  T.  Chenoweth,  Laura  E.  Chenoweth,  J. 
T.  Patrick,  Mary  A.  Dickson,  F.  M.  Amburn,  Martha  A.  Leeka,  Margaret  J. 
Leeka,  Isaac  Thornburg,  Alice  Amburn,  Albert  Oren,  W  E.  Dudley,  Lucinda 
Fletcher,  Milo  Davisson,  Flora  Jones,  Thomas  E.  Dickson,  Allie  Davisson, 

E.  F.  Leeka,  W.  L.  Leeka,  Essie  L.  Leeka,  Nellie  Amburn,  G.  O.  Thompson, 
Hannie  Oren,  Libbie  Dudley.  INIyrtle  Thornburg  and  Olive  Clevenger.  Meet- 
ings every  Wednesday  night. 

KNIGHTS   OF   PYTHIAS. 

The  Knights  of  Pythias  lodges  are  located  in  Union  City,  Spartanburg, 
Lynn,  Modoc,  Windsor,  Parker,  Farmland,  Ridgeville  and  Winchester. 

Winchester  Lodge  No.  91. — Institution  dated  April  13,  1880.  Charter 
dated  January  27,  1881. 

First  officers  were :  Levi  W.  Study,  past  chancellor ;  Charles  L.  Lewis, 
chancellor  commander ;  Joseph  W  Thompson,  vice  chancellor :  George  E. 
Leggett,  prelate ;  Benjamin  F.  Boltz,  keeper  of  record  and  seal ;  Charles  E. 
Ferris,  master  of  finance ;  Joseph  A.  Thomas,  master  of  exchequer ;  William 
A.  O'Harra,  master  of  arms ;  George  W.  Hiatt,  inside  guard ;  Ellis  Kizer, 
outside  guard. 

Charter  members  were :    Charles  L.  Lewis,  Charles  E.  Ferris,  Benjamin 

F.  Boltz,  Gideon  Shaw,  jr.,  Ellis  Kizer,  George  E.  Leggett,  Joseph  W. 
Thompson,  John  H.  Gill,  Hiram  D.  Moorman,  Joseph  A.  Thomas,  George 
W.  Hiatt,  Joseph  S.  Kemp,  Levi  W.  Study,  William  A.  O'Harra,  Michael  E. 
Gafifey. 

Present  officers  are  :  Ross  Castle,  past  chancellor ;  William  G.  Batchelor, 
chancellor  commander;  Morton  Longnecker,  vice  chancellor;  George  Hiatt, 
prelate;  Carl  Winbigler,  master  of  aVms;  Harry  Pierce,  inside  guard;  Lora 
Keister,  outside  guard;  S.  D.  Fox,  keeper  of  records  and  seal;  Harry  A. 
Smith,  master  of  exchequer;  Charles  E.  Reed,  master  of  arms;  Lee  Taylor, 
Clyde  G.  Hiatt  and  Thomas  A.  Bailey,  trustees.  Members,  two  hundred  and 
ninety-four.  Meetings  each  Tuesday  evening.  James  E.  Watson  served  as 
grand  chancellor. 


74-  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Lynn  Lodge  No.  119. — Institution  dated  May  23,  1884.  Charter  dated 
August  22,  1884. 

Charter  members :  J.  S.  Blair,  J.  M.  Bowen,  N.  R.  Chenoweth,  J.  B. 
Chenoweth,  G.  H.  Fickel,  W.  M.  HaJliday,  J.  M.  Hamilton,  R.  N.  Harrison, 
E.  J.  Hinshaw,  William  Hirsch,  C.  M.  Kelley,  W.  A.  Nichols,  Ezra  Nye,  Lee 
Piatt,  W.  R.  Porter. 

Present  officers  are:  W.  L  Morton,  chancellor  commander;  R.  S.  Mar- 
tin, vice  chancellor;  Ben  Jarrett,  prelate;  J.  G.  Martin,  master  at  arms;  E.  B. 
Johnson,  inside  guard ;  E.  M.  Bowen,  outside  guard ;  A.  J.  Miller,  master  of 
work,  past  chancellor;  E.  J.  Hinshaw,  master  of  finance;  C.  W.  Bowen,  mas- 
ter of  exchequer;  H.  F  Longfellow,  keeper  of  records  and  seals;  S.  J.  Ken- 
nard,  janitor;  Bert  Isenbarger,  Ezra  Nye  and  S.  J.  Kennard,  trustees. 

Members,  one  hundred  and  sixty- four.  (Forty-three  past  chancellors 
still  enrolled.)     Meetings  every  Thursday  evening. 

Grand  Lodge  officers : 

Aria  M.  Brown  filled  the  chairs  in  Grand  Lodge  and  is  a  past  grand 
chancellor,  having  held  that  office  in  1909  and  1910.  He  is  now  supreme  rep- 
resentative. 

Union  B.  Hunt  was  made  a  Knight  of  Pythias  in  Lynn  Lodge.  He 
placed  his  membership  in  Modoc  Lodge  No.  229,  that  he  might  be  a  charter 
member  there.  Since  that  time  he  has  become  a  past  grand  chancellor,  a 
supreme  representative,  and  is  now  president  of  the  insurance  department  of 
the  order. 

Tom  Hutchens  has  served  in  Grand  Lodge  as  a  grand  tribunal  in  the 
judiciary  department. 

Bert  Isenbarger,  who  acted  as  chancellor  commander  at  the  dedication  of 
our  new  hall  in  1906,  is  now  district  deputy  and  conducted  the  district  meet- 
ing at  Liberty  this  year. 

Several  of  our  members  have  served  on  committees  in  Grand  Lodge. 

Farmland  Lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias,  No.  463. — Institution  dated  June 
20,  1898.    Charter  dated  October  5,  1898. 

Charter  members  are:  H.  D.  Good,  A.  Canfield,  M.  L.  Harris,  C.  C. 
Courtner,  N.  S.  Borror,  Fred  Shaw,  I.  M.  Branson,  C.  M.  Hall,  J.  W.  Diggs, 
G.  E.  Retter,  D.  H.  Curry,  J.  H.  Thornburg,  W.  B.  Meeks,  P.  M.  Bly,  E.  E 
Nelson,  D.  A.  Fisher,  R.  B.  Dick,  L.  M.  Kimmel,  T.  J.  Rupe,  Lon  Rouch, 
Frank  Sites,  Thomas  Clark,  F.  M.  Conyers,  G.  L.  Halliday,  J.  W.  Barnhart, 
A.  T.  King  and  Charles  Wagner. 

Present  officers  are:    John  Barkdull,  chancellor  commander;  W.  A.  Mit- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  743 

chell,  vice  commander;  Floris  Bond,  prelate;  Henry  James,  master  at  arms; 
C.  M.  Hall,  keeper  of  records  and  seal;  J.  S.  Woodring,  master  of  finance; 
G.  W.  Turner,  master  of  exchequer ;  R.  B.  Dick,  inside  guard ;  O.  A.  Fegans, 
outside  guard ;  R.  B.  Dick,  John  McGuire  and  C.  E.  Foster,  trustees.  Meets 
every  Friday  night. 

Parker  Lodge  No.  503,  Knights  of  Pythias. — Constitution  dated  June 
17,  1903.    Charter  dated  October  7,  1903. 

Present  officers  are:  L.  Blaine  McGuire,  chancellor  commander;  Harry 
H.  Oren,  vice  chancellor;  C.  Moulton,  prelate;  William  Homer  Moulton, 
master  of  work ;  John  E.  Clevenger,  keeper  of  records  and  seal ;  William  G. 
Moulton,  master  of  finance;  Merle  E.  Patrick,  master  of  exchequer;  Morris 
Thornburg,  master  at  arms ;  W.  B.  Driskill,  inside  guard ;  William  Hole,  out- 
side guard. 

Charter  members  are :  Charles  Smith,  George  W.  Batchelor,  Lewis  A. 
Botkin,  William  H.  Vaught,  Karl  R.  Vaught,  Albert  M.  Vaught,  George  A. 
Hutson,  William  H.  Williams,  E.  E.  Deal,  William  R.  Daugherty,  Ernest 
Dotson,  C.  S.  Hendricks,  J.  W.  Fry,  Isaac  T.  Karns,  Ernest  Milburn,  A. 
Bonham,  W.  G.  Mouhon,  S.  A.  Arbogast,  A.  B.  Vaught,  C.  F.  Halliday,  John 
M.  B.  Reeves,  W.  E.  Baker,  A.  G.  Rogers,  Asa  Rarick,  C.  Delma  Yates,  E.  D. 
Davis,  Carl  M.  Fry,  Sidney  F.  Karns,  A.  R.  Polhemus,  W.  A.  Frushour,  E. 
L.  Ashcraft,  Thomas  H.  Condon,  Joseph  P.  Doyle,  J.  E.  Clevenger. 

Windsor  Lodge  No.  542. — Institution  dated  April  20,  1909.  Charter 
dated  October  5,  1909. 

First  officers  were:  William  Hammers,  chancellor  commander;  Nelson 
Reece,  vice  chancellor;  Cany  Carmichael,  prelate;  S.  C.  Friddle,  master  of 
work ;  J.  H.  Kramer,  keeper  of  records  and  seal ;  Ralph  Friddle,  master  of 
finance;  J.  E.  Ballenger,  master  of  exchequer;  F.  L.  Remmel,  master  at 
arms ;  George  E.  Swingley,  inside  guard ;  J.  E.  Thornburg,  outside  guard ;  D. 
M.  Fetters,  T.  M.  Reece  and  J.  L.  Hewitt,  trustees. 

Present  officers  are :  J.  A.  White,  chancellor  commander,  Bert  Wright, 
vice  commander;  L.  O.  Dickson,  prelate;  J.  A.  Kramer,  master  of  work;  F. 
L.  Remmel,  keeper  of  records  and  seal;  S.  C.  Friddle,  master  of  finance;  J. 
E.  Ballinger,  master  of  exchequer;  Cary  Carmichael,  master  at  arms;  Lee 
Clevenger,  inside  guard;  Sam  Kegerreis,  outside  guard;  Cary  Carmichael, 
Sam  Kegerreis  and  T.  M.  Reece,  trustees.    Meetings  each  Tuesday  night. 

Ridgeville. — Bob  White  Lodge  No.  549.  Institution  dated  February  24, 
1910.    Charter  dated  February  24,  1910. 

Charter  members  are :     John  M.   Edgar,   Nelson  W.   Ferguson,  John 


744  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Banning,  William  Malott,  E.  E.  Myers,  R.  O.  Fraze,  J.  M.  Wilhite,  Jacob 
Zimmerman,  J.  H.  Shenk,  L.  M.  Addington,  Norman  Friend,  G.  M.  Wall,  F. 
R.  Thornburg,  R.  J.  Banning,  J.  D.  Barger,  Arlie  Wood,  Jack  Addington, 
J.  N.  Gantz,  Isaac  Heston,  Jacob  H.  Dull,  W.  F.  McCurdy,  R.  C.  Harlan,  Ar- 
thur J.  Lay,  A.  L.  Hollowell,  N.  R.  Wise,  A.  M.  Renbarger,  W.  E.  Smith, 
Clarence  Mullen,  John  F.  Warren,  P.  L.  Thrash,  Elby  Hall,  Amos  Heston, 
Lerten  Champ,  Adam  Heniser,  Earl  Heston,  A.  A.  Gantz,  Charles  Morehead, 
Joe  Landwich,  George  White,  William  B.  Hodge,  Thomas  C.  Hinton. 

Present  ofificers  are :  Jack  Addington,  chancellor  commander ;  W.  E. 
Smith,  vice-chancellor;  Myra  Kolp,  prelate;  Joe  Machett,  master  of  work; 
Ray  B.  Wright,  keeper  of  records  and  seal;  R.  C.  Harlan,  master  of  finance; 
J.  E.  McKew,  master  of  exchequer ;  Roe  Malott,  master  at  arms ;  El  Adding- 
ton, inside  guard;  C.  N.  Hotmire,  outside  guard;  E.  E.  Myers,  host-janitor; 
Adam  Heniser,  John  M.  Edgar  and  A.  M.  Renbarger,  trustees;  A.  A.  Gantz, 
representative.  Members,  ninety-three.  Meetings  held  Tuesday  evenings  at 
7:30. 

Spartanburg  Lodge  No.  552. — Institution  dated  June  29,  1910.  Charter 
dated  October  6,  19 10. 

First  officers  were :  I.  S.  Taylor,  chancellor  commander ;  John  Jessup, 
vice  chancellor;  Lester  Clark,  prelate;  O.  E.  Aukerman,  master  of  work;  Ed. 
Chenoweth,  keeper  of  records  and  seal;  T.  A.  Middleton,  master  of  finance; 
F.  B.  Catey,,  master  of  exchequer ;  Nee  Nuss,  master  at  arms ;  John  Wisner, 
inside  guard;  George  Miller,  outside  guard;  T.  B.  Anderson,  O.  E.  Auker- 
man, I.  S.  Taylor,  trustees. 

Present  officers  are :  Will  Morgan,  chancellor  commander ;  Russel  Yeats, 
vice  chancellor;  Ray  Jordon,  prelate;  I.  S.  Taylor,  master  of  work;  Ed. 
Chenoweth,  keeper  of  records  and  seals;  T.  A.  Middleton,  master  of  finance; 
F  B.  Catey,  master  of  exchequer;  Roy  Moore,  master  at  arms;  Clarence 
Riner,  inside  guard ;  Orla  Bowman,  outside  guard ;  W.  S.  Bowen,  I.  S.  Taylor 
and  Lester  Clark,  trustees.  Members,  seventy-five.  Meetings  on  Wednesday 
night. 

Pythian  Sisters  have  lodges  at  Winchester  and  Union  City. 

Union  City. — Justice  Temple  No.  27.  Institution  dated  Februar)'  3, 
1890.     Charter  dated  February  10,  1890. 

■  Charter  members  are:  Maggie  Adams,  Effie  Gist,  Hattie  Murray, 
Emma  Bradbury,  Lou  Turpen,  Ella  Briscoe,  Cora  Huesman,  Flora .  Pierce, 
Lea  Clark,  Anna  Clark,  Nelle  Branham,  M.  Joice  Nelson,  Retta  Harris,  Lucie 
Piatt,  Myra  Harless.  Mary  Schuyler,  Kate  Jones,  Ada  Anderson,  OUie  Barr, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  745 

Nora  Woodbury,  i\nna  Reynard,  Lou  Smith,  Tillie  Grabs,  Jennie  Clark, 
luka  Neglye,  Alattie  Kerr,  Carrie  Glunt,  Flo  Hanlin,  Jennie  Hanlin. 

First  officers  were:  Past  chief,  Mary  Schuyler;  M.  E.  C,  Ella  Briscoe; 
E.  S.,  Lou  Turpen;  E.  J.,  Jennie  Clark;  manager,  Effie  Gist;  M.  of  R.  and  C. 
M.,  Josie  Nelson;  M.  of  F.,  Cora  Huesman;  protector,  Lee  Clark;  guard,  Lou 
Smith. 

Present  officers  are :  Past  chief,  Edith  Harrison ;  M.  E.  C,  Mary  Mof- 
fatt;  E.  S.,  LaVenia  Ladd;  E.  J.,  Mamie  Keltner;  manager,  Rosa  Ladd;  M. 
of  R.  C,  INI.  Josie  Nelson;  M.  of  F.,  Georgie  Statts;  protector,  Sara  Leonard; 
guard,  Lizzie  Smith.  [Members,  twenty-six.  Meetings  second  and  fourth 
Tuesday  evenings. 

Those  who  have  served  as  grand  officers  are :  M.  Josie  Nelson,  grand 
junior,  1892;  grand  senior,  1893;  grand  chief,  1894;  supreme  representative, 
1896.  Elected  supreme  mistress  of  records  and  correspondence  in  1900  and 
still  filling  that  office.    Mabel  Keltner,  grand  manager,  1897. 

Winchester  Castle  No.  7. — Institution  dated  February  26,  1892.  Charter 
dated  February  26,  1892. 

First  officers  are :  P.  H.  Dean,  N.  C. ;  James  C.  Hiatt,  V.  H. ;  Albert 
Norton,  K.  of  E. ;  C.  W  Ward,  Esquire;  N.  W.  Strahan,  F.  G. ;  Thomas 
Ashton,  V.  C. ;  John  H.  Boltz,  S.  H. ;  T.  A.  Helms,  K.  of  E. ;  Jessie  Connor, 
W.  C. ;  Oren  Coats,  A.  G. ;  John  W.  Mosier,  H.  P. ;  Charles  Irvin,  M.  of  R. ; 
L  N.  Stout,  ensign;  A.  T.  Engle,  AV.  B. ;  trustees,  S.  D.  Coats,  three  years; 
John  E.  Markle,  two  years ;  D.  E.  Hoffman,  one  year. 

Charter  members :  W.  W.  Canada,  Otho  Day,  D.  S.  Martin,  Albert 
Norton,  William  E.  Shultz,  Jerry  Skiver,  D.  E.  Hoffman,  Jesse  Connor,  T. 
A.  Helms,  J.  M.  Moser,  John  F.  Adams,  G.  A.  Eslinger,  John  H.  Boltz, 
Nathan  U.  Strahan,  James  C.  Hiatt,  Jesse  Knight,  Isaac  W.  Bowen,  W.  R. 
Way,  Oren  Coats,  Fred  Guinther,  W.  A.  Albright,  John  E.  Markle,  S.  W. 
Roosa,  Benjamin  F.  Hill,  William  S.  Karns,  Thomas  Murray,  Oscar  W. 
Coats,  C.  E.  Stine,  Albert  Smith,  W.  S.  Albright,  W.  L.  Gwin,  Thomas 
Ashton,  John  D.  Summers,  Charles  Smith,  Daniel  E.  Diggs,  Al  Fletcher, 
Freemont  Garrett,  S.  D.  Coats,  A.  T.  Engle,  George  E.  Shettle,  Z.  D.  Davis, 
E.  E.  Felton,  Samertine  Irvin,  I.  N.  Stout,  Charles  F.  Best,  P.  H.  Dean, 
Arba  Rock,  G.  A.  Barnard,  By  Card,  Orlando  Coats,  Charles  Shaw,  Frank 
Botkin,  Francis  M.  Millstead,  David  T.  Williamson,  W.  C.  Hiatt,  C.  C.  Diggs, 
James  C.  Dodd,  Charles  Campbell,  C.  H.  Irvin,  C.  W.  Ward,  Lewis  M.  Mann, 
Ira  Thompson,  Wilson  Pierce,  William  R.  Rust,  William  H.  Bales,  John  A. 
Sacy,  George  H.  Ward,  Frank  McGee,  Charles  Davis,  J.  M.  Fletcher  and 
Ira  E.  Bailey. 


746  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Present  officers :  Hugh  Ritchey,  P.  C. ;  Thomas  M.  Watts,  H.  P. ;  W. 
H.  Bales,  M.  of  R.  and  C.  of  E. ;  W.  C.  Hiatt,  esquire;  S.  D.  Coats,  N.  C; 
S.  W.  Roosa,  S.  H. ;  Clyde  Engle,  W.  C. ;  Ira  E.  Bailey,  S.  G. ;  John  F.  Adams, 
V.  C;  John  D.  Smith,  V.  H.;  Russel  H.  Bales,  ensign;  Otho  Day,  F.  G.;  A. 
T.  Engle,  T.  A.  Helms  and  John  F.  Adams,  trustees.  Members,  thirty-four. 
Meetings  Tuesday  evening  of  each  week. 

Those  who  have  served  as  grand  officers  are :     W.  W.  Canada,  grand 
chief,  one  year;  W.  H.  Bales,  gfand  chief,  one  year;  E.  N.  Canada,  grand" 
S.  H.,  one  year. 

Lodges  of  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Eagle  are  established  in  Union 
City,  Bartonia,  Harrisville,  Windsor  and  Winchester. 

Windsor  Castle  No.  13. — Institution  dated  February  25,  1897.  Charter 
dated  May  10,  1897. 

Charter  members  were :  Clyde  Arment,  Ira  Patrick,  Sam  Drake,  P.  H. 
Drake,  J.  I.  Jefferson,  N.  T.  Davis,  A.  J.  Dickson,  Web  Kennedy,  William 
Dudley,  Sum  Swingley,  George  Will,  John  Dever,  Elmer  Gable,  J.  O.  Dudley, 
J.  M.  Thompson,  Ben  Turner,  Edrion  Dickson,  Roy  Amburn,  Cliffie  Amburn, 
C.  H.  Butler,  Ottis  Fletcher,  L.  E.  Dickson,  Marion  Cline,  John  Bailey,  Brant- 
Cline,  Joe  Gable,  Vern  Thornburg,  Will  Warner,  L.  O.  Dickson,  Jacob 
Aldstadt. 

Present  officers :  S.  E.  Thomson,  P.  C. ;  Watt  Hupp,  H.  P. ;  S.  S. 
Ballenger,  C.  of  Ex. ;  Ocle  Cecil,  N.  C. ;  F.  L.  Remmel,  M.  of  R. ;  Earl  Green- 
wait,  S.  H. ;  Verl  Leeka,  V  C. ;  J.  E.  Ballenger,  K.  of  Ex. ;  George  Remmel, 
S.  E.  Tompson,  J.  E.  Thornburg,  trustees.  Members,  twenty-five.  Meetings 
on  Thursday  night. 

Harrisville  Castle  No.  9,  K.  G.  E. — Institution  dated  April  14,  1894. 

First  officers  were:  G.  C.  Shultz,  past  chief;  William  Holdeman,  vice 
chief ;  John  Millett,  sir  herald ;  James  H.  Smith,  master  records ;  O.  J.  Rowe, 
keeper  exchequer;  J.  B.  Fortenbaugh,  noble  chief;  J.  K.  Owen,  high  priest; 
Fred  Ackles,  venerable  hermit ;  H.  J.  Wickersham,  clerk. 

Charter  members  are :  John  Arthurs,  J.  B.  Fortenbaugh,  George  Rob- 
inson, H.  J.  Wickersham,  George  Burkett,  D.  R.  Coats,  William  Holdeman, 
J.  W.  Clevenger,  D.  P.  Coddington,  James  H.  Smith,  Jesse  Baker,  Wes  Gil- 
bert, G.  C.  Shultz. 

Present  officers :  Roy  Cox,  P.  C. ;  Herbert  Engle,  V.  H. ;  Oliver  Welsh, 
S.  H. ;  Fred  Swank,  Enc. ;  V.  L.  Harlan,  N.  C. ;  Sol  Ingle,  M.  R. ;  Mont 
Burket,  W.  B. ;  Frank  Shelley,  I.  G. ;  Leanor  Cox,  V.  C. ;  William  Holdeman, 
C.  E. ;  Ennis  Norton,  W.  C. ;  William  Cantrell,  2d  G. ;  Charles  Higgins,  H.  P. ; 
J.  B.  Fortenbatigh,  K.  E. ;  Ray  Alexander,  esquire;  J.  E.  ConkHn,  Sol  Ingle 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  747 

and  George  Burkett,  trustees.    Members,  eighty.    Meetings  on  Tuesday  even- 
ings. 

ORDER    OF    EASTERN    STAR. 

Acacia  Chapter  No.  239,  located  at  Ridgeville.  Date  of  charter  was 
April  26,  1900. 

List  of  officers :  Worthy  matron,  Melissa  Studabaker ;  worthy  patron, 
Albert  Mann;  associate  matron,  Sarah  Myers;  conductress,  Mary  Mann; 
associate  conductress,  Mollie  Hawthorne ;  secretary,  Delia  Studabaker ;  treas- 
urer, Nora  Lemaux;,Adah,  Lilly  Shambaugh;  Ruth,  Lizzie  Gegner;  Esther, 
Rebecca  Wood ;  Martha,  Frances  Gullett ;  Electa,  Rose  Bolinger ;  warder, 
Anna  Cadwalader;  chaplain,  Lottie  Harshman. 

Present  officers:  Worthy  matron,  Sarah  Auker;  worthy  patron,  N.  W. 
Ferguson ;  associate  matron  ;  Alberta  Hiesler ;  conductress,  Anna  Cadwalader ; 
associate  conductress,  Mamie  Collett;  secretary,  Clara  Ferguson;  treasurer, 
Gertrude  Sumption :  Adah,  Tleety  Bolinger ;  Ruth,  Dolores  Wallace ;  Esther, 
Martha  Hiesler;  Martha,  Isadore  Lem.aux;  Electa,  Edna  Middleton;  chap- 
lain, Mary  Thrash;  warder,  Rosa  Bolinger;  sentinel,  William  Thrash;  or- 
ganist, Dollie  Zeigler. 

IMPROVED  ORDER  OF  RED  MEN,  I.  O.  0.  R. 

Mississinewa  Tribe  No.  62,  Union  City. — The  name  of  the  order  was 
originally  Independent  Order  of  Red  Men,  and  as  such  has  existed  for  many 
years.    The  lodge  in  Union  City  was  formed  January  22,  1879. 

The  members  at  the  first  were  the  following :  J.  S.  Bowers,  O.  A.  Baker, 
Stephen  Clevenger,  F  H.  Lewiston,  Henry  W.  Leisure,  W-  B.  Harlan,  J.  A. 
Green,  S.  M.  Wentworth,  H.  C.  Vening,  D.  J.  Wise,  W.  H.  Lawrence,  J.  C. 
Meier,  W.  Turpen,  C.  W.  Voorhees,  John  Lawrence,  Samuel  Curtner,  N.  W. 
Cooper,  F.  H.  Rodman,  Elmer  Hornbarger,  J.  W.  Sugart,  J.  A.  Hoover,  J. 
W.  Williams,  G.  W.  Purdue,  C.  W.  Huffman,  Joseph  Schronz,  William 
Reeves,  W.  A.  Orr,  G.  W.  Lawrence,  J.  L.  Heck,  J.  Hirsch,  A.  C.  Thorp,  W. 
S.  Murray,  J.  W.  Myers,  G.  W.  Burns,  J.  A.  Armstrong,  Charles  Covey, 
J.  Thomas,  B.  F.  Julian,  J.  P.  Standt. 

Winchester. ^Mohawk  Tribe  No.  72,  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men. 
Institution  dated  January  28,  1884.     Charter  dated  October  21,  1884. 

First  officers  were :  John  C.  Meier,  sachem ;  John  H.  Tremble,  senior 
sagamore;  E.  B.  Martin,  prophet;  John  Jackson,  junior  sagamore;  Link 
Hall,  chief  of  records ;  O.  F.  Lewellen,  keeper  of  wampum. 

Present  officers  are :    Grant  Pierce,  sachem ;  Sam  D.  White,  senior  saga- 


748  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

more;  Ulysses  G.  Daly,  junior  sagamore;  John  Ginthur,  prophet;  A.  L.  Bar- 
ker, first  sannap;  Charles  Wagner,  second  sannap;  Samuel  D.  Fox,  chief  of 
records;  John  C.  Meier,  keeper  of  wampum;  Frank  Adams,  Philip  Pahman 
and  Jesse  W.  Yost,  trustees ;  Otto  Myers,  first  warrior ;  Frank  Adams,  second 
warrior;  Clarence  Keener,  third  warrior;  Ory  Dodd,  fourth  warrior;  Fred 
Hobbick,  first  brave ;  Philip  Fahman,  second  brave ;  Otho  Day,  third  brave ; 
Fred  Darragh,  fourth  brave;  Henry  Bales,  guard  of  wigwam;  Ernest  Dodd, 
guard  of  forest.  Members,  two  hflndred  and  fifty-nine.  Meeting  each  Mon- 
day night. 

Parker.— Minnesota  Tribe  No.  228. — Institution  dated  September  25, 
1896.    Charter  dated  September  17,  1896. 

First  officers  were :  W.  T.  Davis,  prophet ;  W.  A.  Hammers,  sachem ; 
G.  T.  S.  Helm,  senior  sagamore;  John  Devers,  junior  sagamore;  S.  C.  Friddle, 
chief  of  records;  W.  S.  Helm,  keeper  of  wampum;  Thomas  Gilbert,  Reuben 
Brewer  and  P.  A.  Helm,  trustees. 

Present  officers  are :  George  Thornburg,  sachem ;  George  O.  Helm, 
senior  sagamore;  James  Richardson,  junior  sagamore;  L.  O.  Dickson,  pro- 
phet; O.  B.  Cline,  chief  of  records;  Ralph  Friddle,  keeper  of  wampum; 
Thomas  Gilbert,  W.  S.  Helm  and  F.  R.  A.  Helm,  trustees.  Members,  seventy- 
three.     ^Meetings  Wednesday  night  of  each  week. 

Carlos. — mini  Council  No.  332.  Institution  dated  July  12,  1902.  Char- 
ter dated  October  22,  1902. 

First  officers:  George  W.  Smith,  sachem;  John  Adams,  prophet;  J.  B. 
Engle,  senior  sagamore;  Ellis  Frame,  junior  sagamore;  J.  W.  Jackson,  chief 
of  records;  Arthur  Engle,  keeper  of  wampum. 

Present  officers  are :  J.  T.  Swindell,  sachem ;  Reed  Coggeshall,  senior 
sagamore;  Forest  Thomas,  junior  sagamore;  W.  A.  Ventress,  prophet;  Glen 
B.  Brown,  chief  of  records;  George  W.  H.  Smith,  keeper  of  wampum.  Mem- 
bers, fifty-six.     Meetings  each  Wednesday. 

Note. — Tribe  is  in  good  financial  condition  and  owns  its  hall. 

Pocohontas  lodges  are  found  in  Parker,  Farmland,  Winchester,  Union 
City,  Ridgeville,  Windsor,  Modoc  and  Lynn. 

Winchester. — Nokomis  Council  No.  6.  Council  instituted  September 
22,  1888.     Charter  dated  October  17,  1888. 

Charter  members :  John  C.  Mier  and  wife,  M.  V.  Tucker  and  wife,  J. 
M.  Thomas  and  wife,  Thomas  Lacy  and  wife,  Samuel  McAllister  and  wife, 
W.  A.  Lewis  and  wife,  Charles  W.  Holdeman  and  wife,  J.  W.  Trimble  and 
wife,  Lewis  Klamburg  and  wife,  Jesse  Conner  and  wife,  Frank  Kazer,  Elisha 
Martin  and  wife,  John  Helms  and  wife,  Charles  Favorite. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  749 

First  officers:  Mrs.  John  C.  Meir,  prophetess;  Mrs.  W.  W.  Canada, 
Pocahontas;  Mrs.  Will  Lewis,  Winona;  Mrs.  Jesse  Conner,  keeper  of  records; 
Mrs.  Samuel  McAllister,  keeper  of  wampum. 

Present  officers:  Mrs.  Roscoe  Dodd,  prophetess;  Mrs.  W.  O.  Hayes, 
Pocahontas;  Mrs.  Alonzo  Hinshaw,  Winona;  Alonzo  Hinshaw,  Powhaton; 
Mrs.  Susan  Haines,  keeper  of  records;  Mrs.  George  Shettel,  keeper  of  wam- 
pum; Miss  Grace  Jones,  collector  of  wampum.  Number  of  members,  sixty. 
Time  of  meeting,  Thursday  evening  of  each  week. 

Members  who  have  served  as  grand  officers :  Mrs.  Nannie  Diggs  has 
served  one  year  as  great  Minnehaha ;  one  year  as  great  Winona ;  one  year  as 
great  Pocahontas ;  one  year  as  great  prophetess ;  one  year  as  great  instructress, 
and  is  now  serving  a  three  years'  term  on  the  Orphan's  Board.  Mrs.  George 
Shettel  served  one  year  as  great  first  scout.  Mrs.  W.  S.  Hoke  served  one  year 
as  great  second  scout.    Mrs.  J.  M.  Thomas  served  one  year  as  great  trustee. 

MODERN   WOODMEN   OF  AMERICA,    WINCHESTER,   INDIANA. 

First  camp  organized  August  30,  1899,  under  name  of  Winchester  Camp 
No.  6950,  with  the  following  charter  members  named :     Prof.  O.  R.  Baker, 

A.  L.  Bales,  A.  L.  Barker,  James  H.  Cummins,  John  E.  Day,  A.  T.  Engle, 
Simon  Heiss,  J.  T.  Harrell,  E.  R.  Hiatt,  C.  L.  Hutchens,  T.  W.  Hutchens, 
Oscar  Jones,  George  Lantz,  G.  C.  Markle,  F.  B.  Mullin,  J.  O.  Murphy,  C.  C. 
Sloan. 

First  officers:     Consul,  O.  H.  Bamhill;  banker,  E.  N.  Canada;  clerk,  F. 

B.  Mullin;  escort,  John  E.  Day;  watchman,  O.  R.  Johnson;  managers,  N.  R. 
Chenoweth  and  others. 

Owing  to  friction  between  members  of  the  above  camp,  withdrawal  was 
taken  by  a  number  of  members,  and  Randolph  Camp  No.  7440  was  organized 
June  12,  1906,  with  the  following  named  charter  members :  Charles  R. 
Albright,  Oscar  L.  Britt,  Alphesus  Beard,  R.  J.  Bosworth,  Joshua  Britt, 
Fred  D.  Britt,  S.  C.  Catey,  William  S.  Circle,  John  Falls,  W.  H.  Fields,  R 
W.  Hartley,  W.  W.  Hodge,  Carry  Hevland,  Oscar  Jellison,  Charles  Lennon, 
G.  C.  Markle.  John  O.  Murphy,  E.  W.  Nolan,  G.  A.  Silvers  and  W.  Clyde 
Spence. 

First  officers  were :  Consul,  E.  W.  Nolan ;  past  consul,  Stace  Catey ; 
advisor,  John  O.  Murphy;  banker,  Oscar  S.  Jellison;  clerk,  George  W.  Kemp; 
escort,  Enos  W.  Nolan ;  watchman,  W.  S.  Circle ;  sentry,  John  Falls ;  physi- 
cian, G.  C.  Markle;  trustees,  E.  N.  Nolan,  Charles  Lennon  and  J.  C.  Britt. 

On  February  4,  1914,  a  consolidation  of  the  two  camps  above  named 
(48) 


75°  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

was  effected  under  charter  from  home  office  and  name  Winchester  Camp  No. 
7440  with  one  hundred  fourteen  charter  members.  The  officers  were  the 
same  as  are  holding  now,  as  follows :  Consul,  Grant  Straley ;  past  consul,  T. 
A.  Helms;  adviser,  I.  N.  Stout;  banker,  Albert  Rupe;  clerk,  C.  A.  lliff; 
escort,  John  Sterling;  watchman,  John  O.  Murphy;  sentry,  Percie  Whitton; 
physicians,  G.  C.  Markle  and  C.  M.  Kelley;  trustees,  H.  F.  Conyers,  A.  L. 
Barker  arid  Charles  Tillson. 

McKinley  Camp  No.  10357,  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  Farmland, 
Indiana.     Charter  dated  December  30,  1901. 

Charter  members :  Edward  Grooms,  Clyde  C.  Botkin,  Orson  S.  Tuttle, 
Thomas  C.  Long,  Edgar  T.  Botkin,  Orlie  L.  Huffman,  James  L.  Bashia, 
Frank  J.  Bly,  Warren  Shaffer,  Thomas  W.  Botkin,  Oscar  J.  Clark,  Samuel 
N.  Barker. 

Ridgeville  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  No.  8128.  Date  of  charter. 
May  15,  1900.     Present  membership,  40. 

Present  Officers — N.  W.  Ferguson,  venerable  consul;  W.  E.  Smith, 
adviser;  D.  H.  Reitenour,  clerk;  C.  Cadwalader,  banker;  Alfred  Singer, 
escort;  H.  C.  Caylor,  watchman;  Ralph  Reitenour,  sentry;  Russell  Adding- 
ton,  special  auditor. 

There  are  two  lodges  of  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose  at  Winchester  and 
Union  City. 

Randolph  Lodge  No.  827,  Loyal  Order  of  Moose. — Institution  dated 
March  16,  1913.    Charter  dated  June  16,  1913. 

First  officers :  R.  W.  Castle,  past  dictator ;  George  M.  Smith,  dictator ; 
R.  S.  Hiatt,  vice  dictator;  C.  L.  Baird,  prelate;  Rolland  Brooks,  sergeant  at 
arms ;  S.  A.  Barr,  C.  L.  Bates  and  A.  J.  Stonerock,  trustees ;  Joseph  Haviland, 
inner  guard ;  Marcus-  Murray,  outer  guard. 

Present  officers :  E.  P.  Denny,  dictator ;  Herbert  Butler,  vice  dictator ; 
Josiah  Lamb,  prelate;  D.  L.  Martin,  secretary;  Zora  Cox,  treasurer;  S.  A. 
Barr,  C.  L.  Bates  and  A.  J.  Stonerock,  trustees ;  R.  W.  Castle,  deputy  supreme 
dictator  (by  appointment)  ;  George  Shettle,  inner  guard;  Ed.  M.  Coffin,  outer 
guard;  J.  M.  Fletcher,  Jr.,  sergeant  at  arms. 

This  lodge  has  near  completion,  on  East  North  street,  a  club  room  and 
lodge  room,  which  will  cost  more  than  twenty  thousand  dollars  when  com- 
pleted and  furnished.    Meetings  ^^^ednesday  night  of  each  week. 

Two  City  Lodge  No.  1356,  Union  City. — Institution  dated  June  22,  1913. 
Charter  dated  January  6,  19 14. 

First  officers :  A.  I.  Bennett,  past  dictator ;  Ross  C.  Sutton,  dictator : 
W.  H.  Botkin,  vice  dictator;  C.  K.  Rife,  prelate;  George  Sizemore,  secretary; 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  75 1 

A.  P.  Gruber,  treasurer ;  R.  F.  Brown,  sergeant  at  arms ;  P.  H.  Hirsch,  C.  J. 
Lehman  and  John  F.  Caron,  trustees ;  Otto  E.  Enderman,  inner  guard ;  F.  M. 
Harshman,  outer  guard ;  Dr.  B.  K.  Snodgrass,  physician. 

Present  officers :  Ross  C.  Sutton,  past  dictator ;  L.  S.  Cougill,  dictator ; 
C.  K.  Rife,  vice  dictator;  Frank  E.  Dunn,  prelate;  Merle  S.  Ward,  secretary; 
A.  P.  Gruber,  treasurer;  H.  H.  Brown,  sergeant  at  arms;  Harry  Needham, 
inner  guard ;  A.  L.  Crawford,  outer  guard ;  G.  Benz,  John  F.  Caron  and  C.  J. 
Lehman,  trustees;  Dr.  B.  K.  Snodgrass,  physician;  Dr.  H.  W.  Detrick,  phy- 
sician. Members,  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight.  Meeting  each  Monday 
night. 

The  Owls  have  "nests"  in  Winchester  and  Union  City. 

Winchester  Nest  No.  1175,  Order  of  Owls. — Listitution  dated  Septem- 
ber 15,  1912.    Charter  dated  October  10,  1912. 

First  officers  were :  C.  F.  Pierce,  past  president ;  C.  L.  Summers,  presi- 
dent; C.  A.  Ilifif,  vice  president;  E.  M.  Coffin,  secretary;  Josiah  Lamm, 
treasurer;  C.  M.  Kelley,  John  Beals  and  A.  F.  Hickman,  trustees.  Charter 
members,  two  hundred  and  fifty. 

Present  officers  are :  C.  O.  Summers,  past  president ;  D.  H.  Moore, 
president;  J.  A.  Segraves,  vice  president;  E.  M.  Coffin,  secretary;  Josiah 
Lamm,  treasurer;  O.  G.  Puckett,  A.  F.  Hickman  and  Mont  Harris,  trustees. 

Union  City  Nest  No.  1819,  Order  of  Owls. — Organized  February  15, 
1913.  Meets  on  each  Tuesday  night  in  the  Independent  Order  Red  Men's  Hall. 
Officers :  Ira  Vernon,  president ;  Charles  Deloter,  vice  president ;  C.  E.  Horn, 
past  president ;  Ray  Hiatt,  secretary ;  A.  F.  Marsh,  treasurer. 

Winchester  Ben  Hur  Lodge  is  an  insurance  organization,  having  but  one 
lodge  in  the  county. 

UNDERGROUND  RAILROAD. 

[The  following  is  taken  from  Tucker's  History.] 

The  Underground  Railroad,  so-called,  was  put  into  operation  and  found 
many  helpers  and  sym.pathizers  throughout  the  county.  The  case  of  the 
Wilkerson  slave  girls,  in  the  year  1839,  was  a  most  remarkable  one,  arousing 
great  excitement  and  eliciting  much  sympathy  from  Anti-slavery  men,  and 
much  condemnation  by  pro-slavery  adherents  and  opponents  of  abolition. 
We  give  below  a  copy  of  the  complaint  filed  in  the  case.  Mr.  Springfield 
doubtless  thought  he  was  greatly  robbed  and  terribly  wronged  by  the  escape 
and  loss  of  those  two  girls,  valued  by  him  at  $1,200.  The  other  party,  on 
the  other  hand,  reckoned  themselves  to  be  doing  service  to  God  and  humanity 
by  aiding  these  poor  fugitives  in  their  attempt  to  escape  from  bondage. 


752  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

We  give  the  complaint  in  full  as  a  memento  of  the  condition  of  our  com- 
mon country  years  ago. 

Randolph  County,  Circuit  Court,  April  Term,  1839 — Trespass — Dam- 
ages Laid,  $1,200. 

State  of  Indiana,  Randolph  County,  ss. 

Thomas  Springfield,  Plaintiff,  vs.  Alexander  Williams,  Robert  Scott, 
Milly  Wilkerson,  Martin  Scott,  William  Wood,  Samuel  Green,  Willborn 
Wilkerson,  Matthew  Chavis,  Benjamin  Outland,  Defendants. 

Thomas  Springfield,  a  resident  citizen  of  the  State  of  Tennessee,  in  the 
United  States  of  America,  complains  of  the  defendants  named  aforesaid, 
being  in  custody,  etc.,  on  a  plea  of  trespass,  to-wit : 

That  the  plaintiff  was  heretofore,  to-wit,  on  the  26th  day  of  January, 
1839,  and  for  a  long  time  before  and  still  is,  the  true  and  lawful  owner  of 
two  negro  women — Susan  and  Margaret — of  great  value,  to-wit,  of  the  value 
of  $1,200,  and  duly  entitled  to  claim  property  and  service  in  the  said  negro 
women,  by  and  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  Tennessee.  And,  whereas,  the 
said  negro  women  had,  before  the  day  last  aforesaid,  escaped  from  the  plain- 
tiff to  whom  they  owed  service  as  aforesaid,  and  had  come  into  the  county  of 
Randolph  aforesaid,  without  the  consent  of  the  plaintiif.  And,  whereas,  the 
plaintiff  had  sent  to  the  county  of  Randolph  a  duly  qualified  agent,  with 
authority  to  arrest  said  negro  women,  and  take  them  back  to  the  State  of 
Tennessee  aforesaid,  yet  the  defendants,  well  knowing  the  premises,  and  that 
the  said  negro  women  were  the  property  of  the  said  plaintiff,  and  owed  to 
him  labor  and  service  under  the  law  of  Tennessee,  afterward,  to-wit,  on  the 
26th  day  of  January,  1839,  with  force  and  arms,  at  the  county  of  Randolph 
aforesaid,  did  unlawfully,  knowingly,  forcibly  and  wilfully  conceal  and  har- 
bor and  entice  away  said  negro  women,  and  did  then  and  there  forcibly,  un- 
lawfully, knowingly  and  wilfully,  after  due  notice  as  aforesaid,  that  they 
were  the  plaintiff's  property,  conceal,  command  and  assist  the  said  negro 
women  to  make  their  escape,  and  to  elude  the  lawful  pursuit  of  the  plaintiff 
for  the  said  negro  women.  By  means  whereof,  the  said  negro  women,  the 
property  of  the  said  plaintiff,  escaped  from  him,  the  said  plaintiff,  and  went 
to  parts  unknown,  and  have  become  wholly  lost  to  the  plaintiff;  and  other 
wrongs  then  and  there  did  to  the  plaintiff  serious  harm  and  damage,  contrary 
to  the  statute  and  against  the  peace  of  the  State,  and  to  the  damage  of  the 
plaintiff  of  $1,200,  and  therefore  he  asks,  etc. 

Elkins  &  Perry,  Attorneys  for  Plaintiff. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  753 

The  case  was  contested  for  a  time,  Moorman  Way  and  Samuel  W.  Par- 
ker being  the  attorneys  for  the  defendants.  The  case  was  never  brought  to 
final  trial,  however.  It  was  abandoned  at  last  by  the  plaintiff,  enraged,  no 
doubt,  by  the  determined  opposition  he  encountered  from  the  Abolitionists, 
and  convinced  of  the  uselessness  of  further  contest,  and  the  hopelessness  of 
any  attempt  either  to  recover  his  slaves  or  to  get  redress  for  loss  of  their  per- 
sons and  their  services.  Such  occurrences,  of  course,  greatly  provoked  slave- 
holders and  those  who  were  not  Abolitionists,  but  those  who  belonged  to 
that  despised  but  determined  band  felt  a  necessity  laid  upon  them  to  fight 
slavery  in  every  possible  manner  to  the  bitter  end.  They  felt  in  their  inmost 
souls  that  "man  is  worth  more  than  laws,"  and  that  the  liberty  of  an  op- 
pressed but  innocent  race  was  an  object  worthy  of  the  utmost  activity  and  de- 
termination. 

The  citizens  of  this  county  may  well  be  thankful  that  the  institution  of 
human  slavery,  which  made  such  occurrences  possible,  is  forever  numbered 
among  the  things  that  have  been  but  are  not. 

There  were  various  routes,  more  or  less  frequented,  extending  across  the 
county.  Knots  of  Anti-slavery  men  would  be  found  here  and  there,  even 
among  a  general  pro-slavery  population.  One  remarkable  group  was  to  be 
found  in  Jackson  township.  Rev.  Thomas  Wiley,  of  New  Lisbon,  Milton 
Beach  and  Mr.  Chandler,  near  Allensville,  and  perhaps  others  there,  were 
active  Abolitionists  in  the  midst  of  a  hostile  community.  Mr.  Wiley,  as  a 
bold  and  fearless  reformer,  denounced  slavery  and  the  black  laws,  and  de- 
clared he  would  never  obey  them.  The  Democrats,  to  test  his  sincerity, 
elected  him  to  office,  but  he  was  true  to  his  declarations  and  his  convictions, 
and  refused  to  qualify,  paying  the  penalty  instead  required  by  the  law.  Mr. 
Chandler  was  elected  to  some  other  office  by  the  Democrats  for  the  same 
reason,  but  he,  too,  refused. 

The  separation  among  the  Friends,  caused  for  a  time  much  sorrow  of 
heart,  and  much  alienation;  but  time  and  the  abolition  of  slavery  have 
brought  about  a  reconciliation,  and  most  of  those  who  had  belonged  to  Anti- 
slavery  Friends  went  back  to  the  body.  Some  of  them  were  Jehu  Hiatt,  Dr. 
Beverly,  Job  and  Joab  Thornburg,  Daniel  Hill,  William  Peacock,  John  A. 
Moorman,  Solomon  Wright,  Ebenezer  Tucker,  Martin  A.  Reeder  and  doubt- 
less several  others.  As  a  result,  the  great  body  of  the  people  of  Randolph 
county  became  imbued  with  Anti-slavery  sentiments.  Prominent  among  the 
movement,  in  Anti-slavery  in  Randolph  county  may  be  reckoned  the  estab- 
lishment, in  1846,  of  the  Union  Literary  Institute,  in  Greensfork  township. 


7S4  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

northeast  of  Spartanburg,  near  the  Ohio  line,  in  the  Green viHe  colored  set- 
tlement. An  account  of  the  school  may  be  found  in  the  chapter  on  Educa- 
tion. The  influence  of  the  institution  was  good  in  several  ways  in  the  eleva- 
tion as  to  intelligence  and  morality  of  the  people  of  color,  in  softening  down 
the  prejudice  against  color  (since  the  school  was  always  attended  by  some, 
and  often  by  many  whites),  in  standing  as  a  steady  and  faithful  protest 
against  the  foolish  and  cruel  policy  of  ostracising  any  class  of  citizens,  espe- 
cially on  account  of  color  or  race. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  Hiram  Mendenhall,  the  gentleman  who 
presented  the  famous  petition  to  Henry  Clay  at  Richmond,  Indiana,  on  the 
occasion  of  his  visit  to  that  place,  was  a  resident  of  Unionsport,  Randolph 
county. 

Another  movement  against  slavery  carried  on  in  this  region  was  the 
Free  Labor  Movement.  Most  Anti-slavery  Friends -held  it  wrong  to  use  the 
products  of  slave  labor;  and  they  set  on  foot  an  enterprise  to  encourage  free 
labor  cotton  and  sugar  to  establish  free  labor  gins  and  sugar  houses,  and 
agencies  to  buy  and  sell  free  labor  products. 

Several  stores  were  established  in  the  region,  and  it  is  an  interestipg 
reminiscence  that  at  the  sale  of  the  personal  estate  of  Moorman  Way,  Esc]., 
in  October,  1881,  a  considerable  quantity  of  goods  left  on  hand  from  his  old 
free  labor  store  was  offered. 

William  Steele  is  thought  by  some  to  have  been  the  founder  of  what  is 
called  the  Underground  Railroad.  He  was  a  Scotchman,  and  second  cousin 
to  W.  E.  Gladstone,  prime  minister  of  England.  He  was  born  at  Biggar,  on 
the  Clyde,  in  Scotland,  in  1809,  and  came  to  America  in  1818.  He  resided 
first  at  Winchester,  Virginia,  then  at  Barnesville,  Belmont  county,  Ohio,  ten 
years,  and  then  at  Woodfield,  Monroe  county,  Ohio,  thirty  years.  He  moved 
afterward  to  Kansas,  and  still  again  to  Oregon  in  1872.  Mr.  Steele  died  in 
1880,  in  Oregon.  He  was  a  pioneer  in  Anti-slavery  with  Benjamin  Lundy. 
Lundy  was  a  saddler  at  St.  Clairsville,  Ohio,  and  had  accumulated  several 
thousand  dollars  at  his  trade.  He  called  a  meeting  at  his  house  in  St.  Clairs  • 
ville  in  181 5,  and  five  or  six  persons  attended,  forming  at  that  time  what  they 
called,  the  Union  Humane  Society,  declaring  war  upon  slavery. 

It  is  a  wonderful  thing,  and  yet  supposed  to  be  a  fact,  that  no  slave  was 
ever  taken  from  the  hands  of  the  agents  of  the  Underground  Railroad.  Mr. 
Steele  lived  to  see  the  work  of  the  Underground  Railroad  accomplished,  and 
the  business  of  the  company  quietly  apd  honorably  brought  to  an  end  by  the 
war  of  the  rebellion  and  the  emancipation  proclamation,  through  which,  ac- 
cording to  the  word  of  Scripture,  a  nation  was  born  in  a  day. 


'  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  755 

RUNAWAYS. 

For  unknown  ages  slaves  have  run  away.  David  had  a  runaway  slave 
in  his  camp  before  he  was  made  King  of  Israel.  Onesimus  ran  away  from 
Philemon  in  Paul's  time^ — i.  e.,  some  say  so,  while  others  will  have  it  that 
Onesimus  was  Philemon's  brother  "according  to  the  flesh."  The  Seminoles 
in  Florida  were  mingled  with  runaways  from  Georgia. 

"Oppression  maketh  a  wise  man  mad;"  what,  then,  will  it  not  do  upon  a 
poor  woe-begone  slave?  Some  fifty  or  sixty  years  ago  people  in  the  Northern 
states  began  to  help  fugitive  slaves  to  escape  from  servitude.  Gradually  the 
work  grew  into  a  system,  as  shown  in  the  biography  of  William  Steele,  above 
written.  Stations  were  agreed  on,  routes  arranged,  signals  adopted,  con- 
ductors appointed  and  the  operation  of  the  affair  became  quite  regular  and 
business-like.  The  secrecy  with  which  the  work  was  carried  on  made  people 
call  it  the  Underground  Railroad.  On  some  routes  great  numbers  passed. 
Abolitionists,  of  course,  were  the  chief  actors,  though  others  and  even  pro- 
slavery  men  and  slaveholders  themselves  sometimes  assisted  more  or  less. 
Few  runaways  were  captured  and  very  few  Abolitionists  were  ever  convicted 
for  helping  slaves  off. 

We  give  a  few  incidents  below,  showing  somewhat  the  nature  of  the 
work.  A  colored  fugitive  was  staying  at  Daniel  Worth's,  in  West  River 
township.  One  day,  as  the  colored  man  was  in  the  house  fondling  the  baby, 
pursuers  came  after  him.  Daniel  was  near  the  door  outside,  and  talked  loud. 
Mrs.  Worth,  hearing  them,  said,  "^Vho  are  they?"  The  negro,  looking  out, 
knew  his  master,  and,  dropping  the  child,  "lit  out"  through  the  back  window 
for  the  "fallen  timber,"  a  half  mile  away.  They  saw  him  and  gave  chase,  but 
he  got  to  the  timber,  and  to  find  him  there  was  worse  than  to  find  a  needle  in  a 
hay  mow.  He  was  safe.  They  were  greatly  enraged,  and  offered  Daniel 
Worth  $ioo  if  he  would  bring  the  slave  in,  but  he  would  not.  They  threat- 
ened to  go  and  bring  men  and  clear  out  the  whole  fallen  timber,  and  asked 
Daniel  how  far  it  extended.  "So  many  miles  west,  and  I  never  heard  how 
far  into  Ohio,"  was  his  reply.  They  came  back  several  times,  but  never  got 
their  man. 

Alexander  Davis,  a  large,  stout  man,  came  from  Tennessee  on  horse- 
back. He  could  write,  and  wrote  passes  for  himself.  Pursuers  tracked  him 
to  Economy.  A  lad  overheard  their  plans  and  gave  the  alarm.  He  was  taken 
to  Daniels  Charles',  Greensiork,  then  to  Joseph  Thornburg's,  Cherry  Grove, 
then  to  Newport,  and  so  to  Canada.     On  the  way  from  Cherry  Grove  to 


756  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Newport  he  met  the  pursuers.  It  was  rather  dark.  He  knew  them,  but  they 
did  not  recognize  him.  After  awhile  he  left  Canada  for  New  York  City,  and 
sent  a  letter  saying  that  he  was  doing  well. 

An  interesting  young  man  from  Georgia  once  came  to  Economy.  He 
was  skillful,  being  a  repairer  of  engines.  Aaron  Worth  was  attending  school 
at  the  Union  Literary  Institute,  and  took  him  there,  and  he  was  forwarded  to 
Canada.     They  never  heard  from  him  again. 

Two  brothers,  Dawes,  traveling,^  stopped  at  Winchester,  having  two 
slaves.  They  were  tanners,  and  decided  to  locate  there.  They  contracted  for 
tanbark,  etc.,  but  were  advised  to  go  back  to  Kentucky  and  sell  their  slaves. 
They  concluded  to  do  so,  and  to  buy  hides  in  Cincinnati  as  they  returned. 
They  set  out  at  noon,  and  got  to  Newport  about  dark,  in  a  double  wagon. 
Dr.  H.  followed  them,  got  a  warrant  at  Newport,  twelve  men  pursued  and 
arrested  them  as  kidnappers,  and  brought  them  back  to  Newport  in  the  night. 
They  found  the  law  and  the  temper  of  the  people  were  such  that  conviction 
for  kidnapping  would  certainly  ensue,  and  they  were  persuaded  to  emancipate 
the  slaves.  The  point  was  this :  Owners  were  allowed  to  hold  their  slaves 
while  simply  passing  through,  but  their  contracting  in  view  of  settling  was 
interpreted  to  be  in  law  a  location;  location  made  the  slaves  free,  and  at- 
tempting to  take  them  away  was  kidnapping.  They  tried  to  prosecute  Levi 
Coffin  for  his  part  in  the  transaction,  but  they  did  not  succeed. 

Lewis  Talbert  ran  away  from  a  plantation  a  few  miles  from  the  Ohio 
river,  in  Kentucky,  and  came  to  the  Union  Literary  Institute.  After  at- 
tending school  for  some  months,  he  grew  so  uneasy  thinking  of  his  sisters  in 
slavery,  that  he  could  not  rest,  and  resolved  to  go  and  get  them  off  to  the  free 
states.  He  went,  stayed  one  day  and  two  nights  on  the  farm ;  did  not  see  his 
sisters,  but  left  them  word  that  he  had  been  there,  and  that  he  would  come 
again.  In  three  weeks  he  was  back  at  the  school.  After  awhile  he  went 
again,  got  his  sisters,  brought  them  to  the  Ohio,  but  for  some  reason  one 
sister  was  afraid  to  cross,  and  the  other  would  not  come  without  her;  so 
they  went  back,  and  he  crossed  into  Ohio  and  came  on  to  Newport  and  to  the 
institute  again.  Meanwhile,  he  had  told  others  how  to  run  away,  and  several 
had  left,  and  pursuit  was  made.  The  hunters  came  to  Richmond,  got  assist- 
ance, and  sixteen  men  came  in  the  night  on  horseback  to  Newport.  Lewis 
had  been  there,  but  had  left.  They  found  no  fugitives.  Three  men  started 
at  midnight  on  foot  to  come  to  the  institute  to  tell  Lewis  to  get  out  of  the 
way.  They  came  just  at  daylight,  and  asked,  "Is  Lewis  Talbert  here?" 
"No;  why?"  "Because  if  he  is  he  must  make  himself  scarce;  they  are  after 
him;  sixteen  men  came  into  Newport  last  night  and  will  be  right  up  here." 


LEVI    COFFIN.      "President" 
of   the   Unclergromicl    Railroad. 


"AUNT  KATIE"  COFFIN. 


Underground  Depot— ( Home  of  Levi  Coffin,  Newport,  Fountain  City,   ludiau.i). 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  757 

Lewis  had  "vamoosed"  already.  They  did  not  come  after  him,  nor  did  they 
find  him  anywhere  else.  Afterward  he  laid  his  plans  to  visit  Kentucky  again. 
A  confidant  unwittingly  revealed  them,  and  his  master's  son  came  to  Indian- 
apolis, seized  him,  had  him  adjudged  a  slave,  and  took  him  bound  to  Ken- 
tucky. He  said  afterward,  "That  was  just  where  I  wished  and  had  started 
to  go;  but  I  did  not  fancy  that  style."  His  friends  supposed  him  done  for; 
but  in  six  weeks  from  that  day  he  was  put  upon  the  train  at  Indianapolis,  his 
black  face  popped  in  at  the  door  of  the  institute.  "Why,  Lewis,  we  thought 
you  down  in  New  Orleans  by  this  time."  "Oh,  no;  I  was  never  born  to  be 
sold  down  the  river."  He  had  been  twice  sold,  and  the  trader  had  startec^ 
Tiis  gang  on  the  steamboat  down  the  river.  They  let  him  be  loose  on  the  boat. 
He  managed  to  get  a  chambermaid  to  cut  the  ropes  of  a  boat  behind  and  let 
him  down  into  the  river.  He  paddled  for  shore,  and  found  himself  in  south- 
ern Indiana,  with  only  shirt  and  pants.  He  was  taken  up  by  some  amateur 
hunters,  but  he  put  a  bold  face  on  it  and  said  he  was  a  free  negro  from  about 
Richmond,  and  showed  a  genuine  note  of  hand,  signed  by  Elijah  Coffin, 
president  of  the  State  Bank,  Richmond.  They  let  him  go.  He  afterward 
went  to  Canada  and  became  a  preacher. 

SLAVE  GIRLS CABIN   CREEK. 

Two  slave  girls  were  brought  into  the  Cabin  creek  colored  settlement. 
They  were  closely  tracked  to  the  house  where  they  were.  A  parley  was  held ; 
a  crowd  had  gathered;  the  girls  were  disguised  with  men's  clothes  and 
smuggled  through  the  crowd,  taken  to  John  Bond's,  then  to  Dunkirk,  Cherry 
Grove,  and  to  Newport,  at  Levi  Coffin's.  There  they  were  concealed  be- 
tween two  feather  beds.  The  pursuers  traced  them  there,  too,  but  they  were 
never  taken.    The  girls  were  sent  to  Canada.     ( See  fuller  account  elsewhere. ) 

A  gentleman  in  Richmond  had  his  house  so  fixed  that  slaves  could  be 
concealed  so  that,  though  his  dwelling  was  searched  over  and  over,  time  and 
again,  while  the  hunted  ones  were  there,  still  none  were  ever  found.  Even 
his  children  never  knew  until  years  afterward  of  that  place  of  concealment. 
Once  a  company  of  fugitives  were  traced  directly  to  his  house ;  the  house  was 
watched  outside  while  it  was  searched  inside,  and  was  watched  for  days  and 
nights,  but  no  discovery  was  made,  the  slaves  were  never  found,  and  got  safe 
oflF  at  last. 

EMSLEY  JONES'  ADVENTURE. 

One  dark  night  a  colored  man  came  to  Emsley  Jones',  an  Abolitionist 
near  Dunkirk,  and  told  him  that  a  runaway  wished  to  see  him.    He  went  out, 


758  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

and  the  negro  led  him  directly  to  a  couple  of  slaveholders.  "Where  are  those 
sla^•es?''  "I  cannot  tell,"  said  he.  One  of  them  struck  him  with  a  sharp 
knife  to  cut  his  throat,  but  only  hit  his  chin.  He  stepped  aside,  and  in  the 
dark  got  out  of  their  way ;  but  they  never  found  the  slaves. 

INCIDENTS  TOLD  BY  JOHN   H.   BOND. 

■'I  have  known  of  twenty-five  in  one  company.  They  came  partly  in  a 
wagon,  and  some  on  foot  from  Xewport,  and  were  sent  to  Jonesboro  or  to 
Camden.  I  took  one  company  of  ten  to  Jonesboro ;  we  had  to  camp  out  one 
night. 

"Seventeen  lodged  at  my  house  at  once.  The  man  who  took  them  on 
went  through  to  Jonesboro  in  one  day  and  night.  Pursuit  was  made.  Three 
of  us  rode  all  night,  and  got  to  them  at  Jonesboro  about  daylight.  The  gang 
was  dispersed  into  the  woods,  and  were  kept  there  three  weeks  before  they 
could  be  got  away.  The  pursuers  got  there  before  noon.  Three  men.  Jack 
Page  and  two  others,  were  the  hunters.  They  hunted  round  for  several  days, 
but  went  off  without  their  prey." 

Gangs  of  fugitives  used  to  come  to  the  institute.  At  one  time  fifteen 
came  in  one  company.  It  was  a  woman  and  her  ten  children,  a  son-in-law 
and  a  grandchild,  and  two  others.  The  woman  and  children  belonged  to  one 
man,  and  they  were  all  he  had.  She  was  asked,  "Were  you  not  used  well?" 
"Yes."  "Why  did  you  run  away?"  "^My  children  were  my  master's,  and 
the  mistress  and  the  white  children  wanted  us  to  be  sold,  and  we  thought  it 
time  to  quit." 

Fugitives  would  often  stop  and  attend  school  for  awhile  at  the  institute. 
At  one  time  there  were  ten  at  school  together. 

The  whole  subject  of  the  Underground  Railroad  is  a  remarkable  episode 
in  the  history  of  this  county.  ]\Iany  exciting  occurrences,  and  some  amusing 
ones  as  well,  took  place  in  the  progress  of  events.  At  Oberlin,  Ohio,  at  one 
t-ime,  some  slaves  were  convened  out  of  town  toward  the  lake  in  open  day- 
light, imder  a  load  of  hay.  One  black  man  was  once  painted  white,  and  rode 
off  to  a  place  of  security  in  that  disguise.  On  one  occasion,  a  decoy  wagon 
was  sent  out  in  advance  toward  Elyria  from  Oberlin  containing  some  free 
negroes,  residents  of  the  town,  some  of  them  dressed  as  if  they  were  women, 
know'ing  they  would  be  watched  and  followed,  as  they  Avere.  At  Elyria,  eight 
miles  away,  the  whole  group  was  arrested.  As  much  delay  as  possible  was 
made,  but  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  hours  after  the  arrest,  the  fact  was 
learned  that  this  party  was  a  "sell."     But  meanwhile  the  real  fugitives  had 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  759 

been  taken  away  by.  another  road  entirely  unknown  to  the  would-be  slave 
catchers,  and  got  safely  off  to  Canada. 

At  one  time  a  slave  woman  at  one  of  the  lake  ports,  who  had  been 
closely  pursued,  was  conveyed  across  the  lake  in  a  coffin  as  a  corpse,  being 
accompanied  by  several  friends  in  deep  mourning. 

The  pursuers  went  over  to  Canada  on  the  same  boat,  but  they  never 
learned  the  ruse  that  had  been  practiced  upon  them.  The  great  mass  of  events 
in  connection  with  this  movement  will,  of  coutse,  be  lost  in  oblivion.  A  few 
have  been  rescued  from  the  general  fate,  and  we  have  made  a  small  ad- 
dition to  the  number  for  the  perusal  of  future  generations. 

In  addition  to  the  excitement  and  separation  among  the  Friends  on  ac- 
count of  slavery,  the  Methodist  denomination  also  suffered  to  some  extent  by 
the  "True  Wesleyan"  movement.  For  a  considerable  time,  that  body  found 
many  adherents  in  this  region  of  the  state,  including  a  considerable  number 
in  Randolph  county.  Some  account  of  the  Wesleyans  may  be  found  in  the 
chapter  devoted  to  the  churches,  as  also  a  statement  concerning  the  Anti- 
slavery  Friends  in  the  same  chapter. 

Some  other  incidents  also  may  be  found  elsewhere  in  these  pages  among 
the  "reminiscences"  contained  in  this  volume. 

It  is  an  amusing  fact  that  many  persons  really  supposed  that  the  Under- 
ground Railroad  was  underground.  A  young  lady  from  New  Hampshire 
once  asked  the  writer  of  these  sketches  how  the  thing  was  managed  "under 
the  ground."  "What  do  you  mean?"  rejoined  he.  "Why,  the  Underground 
Railroad — how  did  they  get  to  it  and  from  it?"  said  she..  "Did  you  under- 
stand that  it  was  really  underground?"  "Yes,  of  course;  I  never  heard  it 
called  anything  else."  And  then  we  had  to  explain  to  that  young  lady,  who 
was  really  an  intelligent  girl,  why  the  Underground  Railroad  had  received 
that  curious  and  expressive  appellation,  at  which  explanation  the  lady  was 
greatly  surprised  in  her  turn. 

WILKERSOiSf   GIRLS SLAVE  CASE. 

In  1839  a  peculiar  case  was  entered  in  the  Randolph  circuit  court,  being 
a  charge  against  several  persons,  colored  and  others,  by  Thomas  Springfield, 
of  Tennessee,  for  concealing  his  two  female  slaves,  Susan  and  Margaret  Wil- 
kerson,  and  assisting  them  to  escape. 

The  affair  was  a  famous  one,  and  made  great  stir  at  the  time.  Two  girls 
by  the  name  of  Wilkerson  had  managed  to  escape  from  Tennessee,  and  had 
made  their  way  to  the  house  of  their  grafidfather  Wilkerson,  residing  in  the 


760  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

colored  settlement  on  Cabin  creek,  in  Randolph  county.  They  were  pursued 
and  overtaken  at  that  place.  A.  gang  of  some  seventeen  armed  men  on  horse- 
back, raised  in  the  vicinity  of  Huntsville,  had  gathered  and  gone  to  the  house 
where  the  girls  were.  Meanwhile,  the  old  lady  Wilkerson  had  armed  herself 
with  a  corn  knife,  and,  with  fierce  and  deadly  earnestness,  guarded  the  door, 
threatening  to  cut  down  whoever  attempted  to  enter.  She  also  put  her  little 
grandson  upon  a  horse,  with  a  horn,  with  orders  to  ride  for  life,  and  blow 
the  alarm  as  he  went,  which  he  did  jvith  a  will,  and  the  neighbors  came  to- 
gether as  if  running  to  a  house  on  fire.  In  the  confusion  the  girls  were  gotten 
out  of  the  back  window  into  the  woods,  and  so  they  escaped.  It  serves  to 
show  how  blunted  were  the  moral  perceptions  of  men.  on  this  subject  of 
hiunan  liberty  at  that  time,  that  the  slave  claimant  was  a  Methodist  clergy- 
man, artd  the  leader  of  the  troop  of  pursuing  horsemen  was  a  Baptist  preacher. 
They  doubtless,  like  Paul  of  old  in  his  Pharisaic  blindness,  thought  they  were 
doing  good  service  to  God  as  well  as  to  man ;  but  thank  heaven,  those  days  of 
darkness  are  past. 

The  indignant  declaration  of  brave  old  Massachusetts,  by  the  prophetic 
lips  of  the  gifted  Whittier,  has  become  sober  fact  throughout  •  the  entire 
national  jurisdiction: 

"No  slave  hunt  in  our  borders, 

No  bloodhound  on  our  strand ; 
No  fetters  in  the  Bay  State, 
No  slave  upon  our  land!" 

ANTI-SLAVERY  INCIDENTS JOHN    H.    BOND. 

"The  Underground  Railroad  through  Cabin  Creek  began  about  1831. 
The  first  fugitive  was  brought  by  Thomas  Frazier.  Thomas  rode  on  horse- 
back and  the  slave  walked.  Great  numbers  have  passed  here  first  and  last, 
probably  hundreds  of  them,  on  foot,  on  horseback,  and  in  wagons.  Seven- 
teen is  the  largest  number  that  ever  lodged  at  our  house  at  one  time.  They 
would  be  brought  from  Newport,  and  be  taken  from  here  to  Jonesboro,  or 
elsewhere.  I  took  one  company  of  ten  to  Jonesboro.  The  trip  consumed 
three  days,  and  we  had  to  camp  out  one  night.  We  knew  that  they  were  com- 
ing. Word  was  sent  from  farther  south  to  William  Beard,  in  Union  county, 
and  by  him  to  Levi  Coffin,  and  from  there  to  Cabin  Creek.  At  one  time  a 
company  that  had  been  sent  on  to  Michigan  were  pursued,  and  a  man  went 
all  the  way  from  Cabin  Creek  to  Michigan  on  horseback  to  give  warning.  ■  A 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  761 

man  was  once  caught  and  taken  back  to  Newport,  but  his  friends  there  man- 
aged to  rescue  him.'' 

"One  day  H.  H.  Way  (Uncle  Henry),  came  to  me  and  said,  'J^sse,  is 
thy  horse  in  thy  stable?'  'Yes.'  'Has  thee  a  saddle  and  bridle,  and  are  all  in 
good  condition  ?  Does  thee  need  them  for  a  few  days  ?'  'No,  not  especially.' 
'Well,  feed  him  properly,  and  if  thee  don't  find  him  in  the  stable  m  the  morn- 
ing, thee  need  not  be  uneasy.'  " 

The  horse  disappeared  that  night,  but  several  days  afterward  he  was 
there  again.  H.  H.  Way  had  been  tip  into  Michigan,  or  somewhere,  and  a 
troop  of  negroes  on  horseback  had  passed  through  the  town. 

One  morning,  on  passing  by  Levi  Coffin's,  many  people  were  standing  in 
the  street  around  his  door.  "What  is  the  matter?  Is  somebody  dead?" 
Henry  Way  came  out  of  the  house  and  said,  "Only  a  fresh  lot  of  negroes 
come  to  town." 

Henry  H.  Way  was  a  young  physician,  and  brought  a  lot  of  medicines 
along  to  Daniel  Dawson's,  whom  they  moved  to  Blue  river,  in  the  south  part 
of  the  state. 

Old  Newport  (and  Levi  Coffin  in  that  town)  was  the  head  center  for 
Underground  Railroad  work  for  this  whole  region.  He  removed  to  Cin- 
cinnati, and  until  the  end  of  slavery  was  prominent  in  Anti-slavery  labors, 
assisting  in  the  escape  of  thousands  of  fleeing  fugitives  from  bondage  to- 
ward the  North  Star.    Levi  and  his  worthy  wife  died  a  few  years  ago. 

GRAND    ARMY    OF   THE   REPUBLIC. 

The  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  posts  are  found  in  Union  City,  Lynn, 
Huntsville,  Farmland  and  Ridgeville. 

The  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  is  a  patriotic  organization  in  the  United 
States  composed  of  the  national  veterans  of  the  Civil  war.  It  was  organized 
in  Decatur,  Illinois,  April  6,  1866,  by  Dr.  B.  F.  Stevenson,  of  Springfield, 
formerly  surgeon  of  the  Fourteenth  Illinois  Infantry.  The  organization 
grew  very  rapidly,  and  in  a  short  time  posts  were  established  all  through 
Indiana.  It  will  be  noticed  they  are  named  after  soldiers  that  stood  in  high 
rank  with  their  comrades.  The  main  purposes  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public and  qualifications  of  its  members  are  given  in  the  sixth  rule  of  the 
organization,  which  is  as  follows  : 

"To  maintain  true  allegiance  to  the  United  States  of  America,  based  on  a 
paramount  respect  for,  and  fidelity  to,  its  constitution  and  laws,  to  discounte- 
nance whatever  tends  to  weaken  loyalty,  incite  to  insurrection,  treason,  all  re- 


762  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

bellion,  or  in  any  manner  impairs  the  efficiency  and  permanency  of  our  free 
Constitution;  and  to  encourage  the  spread  of  universal  liberty,  equal  rights 
and  justice  to  all  men.  Soldiers  and  sailors  of  the  United  States  army,  navy, 
or  the  relief  corps,  who  served  between  April  12,  1861,  and  April  9,  1865,  in 
the  war  for  the  suppression  of  the  Rebellion,  and  those  having  been  honor- 
ably discharged  therefrom  after  such  service,  and  of  such  state  regiments 
as  were  called  in  to  active  service  and  subject  to  the  orders  of  the  United 
States  general  officers,  between  the  dates  mentioned,  shall  be  eligible  to  mem- 
bership in  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  No  person  shall  be  eligible  to 
membership  who  has  at  any  time  bore  arms  against  the  United  States." 

Randolph  county  was  a  fruitful  field  for  such  an  organization,  as  it  has 
so  many  thousands  of  men  who  have  been  in  the  Civil  war.  For  a  great 
many  years  this  organization  took  charge  of  the  Memorial  services,  and  in 
that  manner  paid  tribute  to  their  fallen  comrades.  That  duty  and  respect, 
however,  has  been  left  to  their  sons  and  daughters,  who  have  an  organization 
of  their  own  which  will  be  spoken  of  later. 

The  posts,  as  found  in  Randolph  county  at  this  time,  are  as  follows : 

Union  City. — Sedgwick  Post  No.  38.  Institution  dated  October  29, 
1 88 1.    Charter  dated  October  29,  1881. 

Charter  members  were :  James  Patchell,  William  W.  Nevison,  Seth  M. 
Whitten,  Alexander  Swisher,  John  R.  Mawry,  William  M.  Reeves,  B.  W. 
Simmons,  E.  M.  Tansey,  F.  H.  Rodman,  R.  B.  Castle,  O.  C.  Gordon,  A. 
Eisenhour,  Thomas  Mitchell,  R.  C.  Dodds,  John  C.  Reed,  James  Doherty, 
William  Commons,  W.  B.  Harriman,  A.  B.  Cooper,  James  B.  Ross,  Charles 
Branham,  R.  J.  Clark,  J.  W.  Bolen,  R.  H.  Lester. 

First  officers  were :  James  Patchell,  commander ;  James  B.  Ross,  senior 
vice  commander;  W.  W.  Nevison,  junior  vice  commander;  Thomas  Mitchell, 
officer  of  the  day;  O.  C.  Gordon,  quartermaster;  William  Commons,  surgeon; 
J.  C.  Reed,  chaplain;  W.  M.  Reeves,  official  guard;  B.  W.  Simmons,  adjutant; 
S.  W.  Whitten,  sergeant  major;  Charles  Branham,  quartermaster  sergeant; 
Robert  Tester,  outer  guard;  Amos  Eisenhour,  inside  guard;  J.  J.  Norris.  L  G. 
Stahl  and  D.  S.  Moist,  trustees. 

Present  officers  are :  A.  J.  Flarris,  commander ;  T.  J.  McMullen,  senior 
vice  commander;  James  Shannon,  junior  commander;  John  W.  Hoke,  quar- 
termaster; Wm.  Harriman,  surgeon;  William  S.  Wasson,  chaplain;  Abijah 
Green,  officer  of  the  day;  D.  W..Bickle,  adjutant;  A.  H.  Swain,  sergeant 
major;  Hiram  McClure,  quartermaster  sergeant;  H.  A.  Harrison,  patriotic 
instructor;  Fliram  McClure.  Jacob  Ludy  and  Robert  Lester,  trustees.  Mem- 
bers, fifty-one.     Meeting  every  Tuesday  evening. 


EANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  763 

Windsor. — Nelson  Trusler  Post  No.  60.  Institution  dated  April  15, 
1882.    Charter  dated  April  17,  1882. 

First  officers :  A.  O.  Marsh,  commander ;  George  U.  Carter,  senior  vice 
commander;  H.  R.  Marlatt,  junior  vice  commander;  John  W.  Macy,  adjutant. 

Charter  members :  Albert  O.  Marsh,  William  W.  Macy,  John  E.  Mar- 
kle,  William  R.  Way,  Isaiah  P.  Watts,  Nathan  C.  Simmons,  John  W.  Macy, 
George  U.  Carter,  Jonathan  S.  Hiatt,  Clint  D.  Smith,  Amos  C.  Beeson, 
Dennis  Kelley,  Samuel  T.  Remmel,  John  W.  Henderson,  Calvin  W.  Diggs, 
William  H.  Reinheimer,  Seth  D.  Coats,  Edmund  Engle,  Samuel  R.  Fielder, 
Ralph  V.  Murray,  William  Linkinsdorfer,  F.  B.  Chapman,  Thomas  Y.  Way, 
Ezra  S.  Kelley,  George  W.  Ennis,  Richard  A.  Leavell,  Luther  G.  Puckett, 
Sylvester  G.  Puckett,  Jonathan  Davis. 

Present  officers  :  James  E.  Huston,  commander ;  Gilbert  Muckey,  senior 
vice  commander;  G.  R.  Kennedy,  junior  vice  commander;  N.  C.  Simmons, 
adjutant.    Number  of  members,  ninety-eight.    Meetings,  Tuesday  night. 

Those  who  have  served  as  grand  officers  are :  A.  O.  Marsh,  department 
commander  Indiana  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  (Our  records  do  not  show 
the- year.)    Isaiah  P.  Watts,  department  chaplain.  (He  can  not  tell  the  year.) 

Total  members  joining  post  as  members  from  time  of  organization  to 
present  time,  April  23,  1914,  365.  Committee  for  post,  N.  C.  Simmons,  W. 
P.  Marlatt  and  John  Flight. 

Farmland. — Moses  Heron  Post  No.  261.  Original  charter  dated  No- 
vember 21,  1883,  destroyed  by  fire,  reissued  December  3,  1897. 

Charter  members  were :  William  W.  Fowler,  William  J.  Fodrea,  Elza 
R.  Mclntire,  John  A.  Moorman,  James  M.  Pursley,  Silas  S.  Clark,  Clem  R. 
Strahan,  James  T.  Pursley,  William  H.  Harrison,  Joseph  J.  Ellis,  Luther  L. 
Moorman,  William  Bailey,  Michael  Hubbard,  Andrew  H.  McNees,  William 
J.  Davisson,  Henry  Studebaker,  James  H.  B.  McNess,  Marshall  McNess, 
Mordecai  Harris,  William  Burres,  Joab  Driver,  William  W.  Wilson,  Lindley 
Thomburg,  Hiram  Townsend. 

Present  officers  are :  Commander,  Curtis  B.  Small ;  senior  vice  com- 
mander, Lee  Jackson;  junior  vice  commander,  E.  Wright  Moore;  chaplain, 
William  J.  Clevenger;  quartermaster,  Henry  Deselms;  adjutant,  William  H. 
Harrison ;  officer  of  the  day,  Benjamin  F.  Sunday ;  officer  of  the  guard,  Will- 
iam T.  Davis.  Members,  eighteen.  Meetings  held  the  fourth  Saturday  each 
month. 

Lynn. — ^Joe  Cook  Post  No.  296.  Institution  dated  February  11,  1 884. 
Charter  dated  February  11,  1884. 

First  officers  were :     Post  commander,  B.   F.   Chenoweth ;  senior  vice 


764  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

commander,  Henry  Hawkins;  junior  vice  commander,  David  M.  Thorn; 
officer  of  the  day,  Henry  C.  Hiatt;  officer  of  the  guard,  David  M.  Kinsey; 
chaplain,  Peletiah  Bond;  surgeon,  Martin  Eckerle;  post  quartermaster  ser- 
geant, S.  C.  Bowen;  post  adjutant,  Jesse  H.  Hubbard. 

Present  officers  are :  Post  commander,  James  M.  Hamilton ;  senior  vice 
commander,  Griff  a  T.  Thorn;  junior  vice  commander,  William  Shell;  chap- 
lain, Tarleton  M.  Nichols ;  quartermaster,  Martin  Eckerle ;  officer  of  the  day, 
Ezra  Xye ;  officer  of  the  guard,  Hegry  Hawkins ;  surgeon,  Henry  M.  Benson ; 
post  adjutant,  George  M.  Bascom ;  quartermaster  sergeant,  S.  C.  Bowers ;  ser- 
geant major,  William  W.  Kinsey.  Members,  thirteen.  Meetings  first  and 
third  Monday  night  in  each  month. 

Ridgeville. — E.  T.  Wood  Post  No.  350.  Constitution  dated  May  15, 
1884.    Charter  dated  May  15,  1884. 

Charter  members  are :  A.  Wood,  James  B.  Hiller,  James  Woods,  James 
Mendenhall,  John  Harris,  John  W.  Malat,  Hugh  M.  Strain,  John  B.  War- 
ner, Charles  S.  Butterworth,  C.  C.  Wait,  Samuel  Ginger,  L.  Fred  Hooker, 
Meneshe  Johns,  George  L.  Ginger,  John  R.  Thompson,  Jesse  T.  Underwood, 
Mathew  Jellison,  James  Addington,  Ezra  Milligan,  Garland  D.  Williamson, 
George  W.  Hollowell,  David  C.  Edwards,  John  T.  Long,  Joseph  L.  Nichol- 
son, Samuel  B.  Crozier. 

Present  officers  are :  Commander,  Thomas  O.  Flood,  senior  vice  com- 
mander, Thomas  W.  Odle;  junior  vice  commander,  James  Karnes;  adjutant 
and  quartermaster,  Abram  Morrical;  chaplain,  D.  C.  Edwards;  surgeon, 
John  Harris;  officer  of  the  day,  Andrew  I.  Wood.  Members,  twenty.  Meet- 
ings held  Saturday  evenings. 

SONS  OF  VETERANS. 

Early  in  1886  Elmer  G.  Walker,  then  provisional  commander  for  the 
Sons  of  Veterans  of  Indiana,  the  order  not  having  yet  been  established  in 
this  state,  wrote  to  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  posts  of  the  city  of 
Winchester,  asking  them  to  organize  a  camp  of  Sons  of  Veterans  here.  A 
committee  was  appointed  and  in  a  short  time  had  a  charter  application  filled 
and  sent  in.  The  application  was  approved  and  returned,  and  on  July  7, 
1886,  Andrew  J.  Stakebake,  the  commander  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public post,  instituted  the  camp  and  sent  in  his  report.  On  the  21st  of  July 
the  camp  was  chartered  under  the  name  of  Sherman  Camp  No.  44,  Indiana 
Division  Sons  of  Veterans,  United  States  of  America.    In  1891  the  name  was 


JOHN    BOND, 
"Conductor    and    Station    Keeper" 
on    Cabin    Creels. 


Stairway  in   Old  Coffin  House,   Newport,   Indiana. 


WILLIAM   MANN, 
Kuised   a   Slave  Driver,   but  Be- 
came   a    "Conductor"    on    tlie 
Underground. 


Loor  in  Coffin  House,  Newport,  Indiana.  This 
DiKjr  Opened  Into  the  "Dun^'edu"  in  Which  Run- 
awM.v  Slaves  Were  Hidden. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  765 

changed  to  William  T.  Sherman  Camp,  the  name  originally  intended.     R.  J. 
Bosworth  and  Oscar  G.  Puckett  are  the  only  charter  members  left. 

The  membership  of  this  camp  is  about  one  hundred  fifty,  and  it  will  not 
be  long  until  this  camp  will  boast  a  membership  of  three  or  four  hundred  and 
every  descendant  of  a  Union  soldier,  Randolph  county  will  consider  it  an 
honor  to  be  a  member  of  it.  The  high  principles  of  this  organization,  the 
motive  which  it  has  for  its  work,  the  reason  it  has  for  its  existence,  makes  it 
an  organization  that  will  and  should  live  as  long  as  the  son  of  a  veteran  re- 
spects his  father  as  he  should. 

■'Old  44"  ranks  as  one  of  the  best  camps  in  the  state.  It  is  considered 
perhaps  the  best,  and  is  sent  for  far  and  near  to  exemplify  the  work  in  all  the 
degrees.  They  have  even  been  invited  to  other  states  upon  similar  missions, 
and  have  always  reflected  credit  not  only  upon  themselves  but  upon  the  entire 
body  of  the  state.  "Old  44"  is  the  only  Sons  of  Veterans  camp  in  the  county 
today,  and  its  membership  is  found  in  all  parts  of  the  county.  It  has  been  a , 
factor  in  unifying  public  opinion  and  public  sentiment  and  has  done  a  won- 
derful work  in  the  perpetuating  the  memory  of  those  who  fought  for  their 
country. 

]\Iembers  of  "Old  44"  are  recognized  high  in  the  councils  of  the  state, 
Sons  of  Veterans,  and  some  of  its  members  have  been  distinguished  as  great 
officers. 

John  D.  Miller,  Division  Commander  of  1909-1910.  R.  J.  Bosworth, 
Division  Adjutant  1890-1891  and  Division  Secretary  1907-11.  J.  M.  Brown, 
Division  Adjutant  from  1891-1892,  and  William  Bishop,  Division  Quarter- 
master 1890-1892.  The  Sons  of  Veterans  together  with  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic  and  Woman's  Relief  Corps  occupy  the  third  story  and  west  half 
of  the  second  story  of  the  Old  Central  Building.  These  rooms  have  been 
elegantly  furnished  and  meet  the  needs  of  the  occupants  nicely.  All  honor 
to  an  organization  whose  membership  honor  the  work  of  their  father. 

woman's  relief  corps. 

One  of  the  greatest  and  most  worthy  of  all  institutions  which  have  been 
organized  for  the  betterment  of  society  is  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps. 
Formerly  the  membership  was  limited  to  the  mothers,  wives,  sisters  or  daugh- 
ters or  Union  soldiers,  but  at  this  time,  any  desirable  woman  may  become  a 
member.  This  organization  has  done  a  wonderful  work  and  has  been  a 
source  of  inspiration  to  all  other  organizations.  No  society  labors  more  for 
the  amelioration  of  mankind  than  this  devoted  patriotic  band  of  women. 
(49) 


766  RAXDDLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

ORDER   EASTERN    STAR. 

Winchester  Chapter  No.  60,  Order  Eastern  Star.  Charter  dated  April 
15,  1886. 

First  officers :  Lizzie  Monks,  worthy  matron ;  A.  O.  Marsh,  worthy- 
patron;  Sarah  ]\I.  Marsh,  associate  matron;  Emma  WilHamson,  conductress; 
John  W.  Newton,  secretary;  Ellen  Murray,  treasurer;  Myra  Ross,  Adah; 
Ataggie  Beeson,  Ruth;  Clara  Butler,  Esther;  Elvira  Moorman,  Martha; 
Louisa  Howard,  Electa;  Miss  Edith* Ross;  warder;  John  Howard,  sentinel; 
E.  H.  Butler,  chaplain;  Myra  Ross,  organist. 

Present  officers :  Lula  Thomas,  worthy  matron ;  Will  S.  Preston,  worthy 
patron. 

Sedgwick  Corps  No.  13,  Woman's  Relief  Corps.  Charter  dated  April 
9,  1885. 

Charter  members :  Belle  Law,  Ella  Jackson,  Amanda  Chamberlain, 
Henrietta  Bidlack,  Mary  Lester,  Laura  R.  Lytle,  Maggie  A.  Snider,  Sarah 
Wetz,  Eliza  Castle,  Lou  Green,  Mary  Williams,  Mary  J.  Julian,  Laura  Har- 
ris, ^lary  J.  Hitzman,  Kate  Moist  and  Ann  J.  Clark. 

First  officers ;  President,  Thanie  Thompson ;  senior  vice,  Ruth  Hoke ; 
junior  vice,  Mary  ?\Iessick;  chaplain,  Elizabeth  Lester;  secretary,  Mary 
Swain;  treasurer,  Desta  Teegarden;  conductress,  Mary  Anderson;  assistant 
conductress,  Susan  AA'asson ;  guard,  Alice  Woodbury ;  assistant  guard.  Mat- 
tie  Cox:  patriotic  instructor,  Eliza  Castle;  press  corps.  Emma  Ribbett;  color 
bearers — first,  Rena  Campbell ;  second,  Elmira  Mote ;  third,  ^lary  Emmons ; 
fourth,  Sarah  Wetz.    Fifty-six  members  at  present. 

E.  T.  Wood's  Woman's  Relief  Corps  No.  35,  Ridgeville,  Indiana. 
Charter  dated  April  25,  1886. 

Charter  members :  Lizzie  Gegner,  Esther  Farquhar,  Delilah  Menden- 
hall,  Ellen  Hall,  Elizabeth  Sample,  Sarah  Underwood,.  Sarah  Milliken,  Susan 
Hitees,  Sarah  J.  Ryan,  Mary  E.  Butterworth,  Emma  Stratton,  Anna  Nan- 
steil,  Zerah  Malott,  Henrietta  McLain,  Mattie  Kitselman,  Martha  Boswell, 
Mary  Graham,  Merrilla  Lemaux,  Isadora  M.  Lemaux,  Rebekah  Cunningham. 

Present  officers':  President,  Isa  Lemaux;  senior  vice,  Jane  Blackaby; 
junior  vice,  ollie  Jellison;  secretary,  Nida  Walker;  treasurer,  Malissa  Ward; 
chaplain,  Jennie  Stick;  conductress,  Jane  Maranda;  guard,  Delilah  Menden- 
hall.    Thirty-four  members  at  present. 

Nelson  Trusler  Woman's  Relief  Corps  No.  46.     Charter  dated  1887. 
Charter  members :     Ellen  ^Murray,  Maggie  Ginger,  Ellen  Puckett,  Rebecca 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  767 

Huston,  Lydia  P.  Way,  Mattie  Cronenwett,  Mary  Cranor,  Frank  Thomas, 
Ruth  Neff,  Mary  Cook,  Barbara  Ryan,  Jennie  Marsh,  Mary  Wright,  Ivie 
Ginger,  Emma  Hall,  Malinda  Inman,  Louie  Jaqua,  Kate  Lewis,  Fannie 
Remmel,  Cynthia  Thornburg,  Mary  Reinheimer,  Lizzie  Williamson. 

Present  officers:  President,  Hannah  Marlatt;  secretary,  Ida  Coleman; 
treasurer,  Mary  E.  Best ;  patriotic  instructor,  Anna  Kennedy ;  press  corre- 
spondent, Mattie  Wattts.     One  hundred  and  eleven  members  at  present. 

Frank  Jones  Woman's  Relief  Corps  No.  ii6,  Huntsville.  Instituted  by 
Maggie  Beeson  May  lo,  1890,  with  thirteen  charter  members,  i.  e.,  Phoebe 
Sterling,  president ;  Lizzie  Warwick,  Fannie  Stevenson,  Helen  Hiatt,  Dora 
Botkin,  Mildred  Bly,  Mary  AluUen,  A^ictoria  Edwards,  Lucinda  Cox,  Josie 
Gwinn,  Amy  Keppler,  Mollie  Mullen. 

The  corps  at  jiresent  has  fifteen  members,  with  officers  as  follows :  Lulu 
Barker,  president:  Lucy  Gaddis.  senior  \'ice:  Ellen  Strahan,  junior  vice: 
Victoria  Edwards,  chaplain :  Dora  Driskill,  treasurer ;  Sallie  Adamson,  con- 
ductress; Cora  Mann,  guard:  Amy  Sheppard,  assistant  conductress;  Lizzie 
Havnes,  assistant  guard :  Willa  O.  Gordon,  musician :  Ida  Gordon,  secretary. 

SONS  OF  LIBERTY. 

The  Sons  of  Liberty,  or  otherwise  known  as  the  Knights  of  the  Golden 
Circle  had  more  of  a  footing  and  a  larger  membership  in  Randolph  county 
than  would  seem  possible.  There  were  no  less  than  five  circles  to  be  found 
within  our  borders.  The  object  of  this  lodge  seems  to  have  been  to  arouse 
sympathy  for  the  southern  cause  and  if  possible  to  overthrow  the  State 
go\ermT!ent,  at  that  time,  under  the  leadership  of  Governor  Oliver  P.  Morton. 
Military  drill  was  a  part  of  the  business  of  their  regular  meetings.  As  the 
war  progressed  they  became  bolder  and  bolder  in  their  attitude  against  the 
government  and  finally  planned  to  capture  the  State  arsenal,  and  release  the 
southern  prisoners  held  in  Camp  Morton,  at  Indianapolis. 

Governor  Morton  found  the  problem  a  very  difficult  one  to  handle  and 
appreciated  thoroughly  all  information  and  help  that  could  be  had  from  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  state.  It  remained  for  a  citizen  of  Randolph  county  to  assist 
very  materially  in  this  way.  It  was  largely  through  the  work  of  a  resident 
of  this  county  that  the  treasonable  doings  of  these  circles  were  discovered. 
This  gentleman  made  what  he  called  a  "confession,"  which  was  sworn  to  be- 
fore a  Justice  of  the  Peace.  This  information  was  conveyed  to  General 
Carrington,  at  Indianapolis,  and  was  in  turn  taken  to  Governor  Morton  who 
appreciated  the  services  beyond  measure.     In. this  confession  he  says:     "I, 


768  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

the  undersigned,  believing  it  to  be  my  duty  as  a  good  citizen  to  make  known 
the  acts  and  designs  of  a  secret  organization  now  in  existence  throughout  the 
country,  known  as  the  K.  G.  C.'s  or  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle,  make  the 
following  statement: 

For  some  time  past  I  have  been  an  active  member  of  said  order  and  have 
participated  with  them  in  all  or  most  of  their  meetings  in  this  township  and 
in  other  lodges.  I  have  taken  three  degrees  and  have  considered  myself  fully 
a  member  of  standing  in  said  organization  and  know  the  intentions  and 
motives  of  said  order.  I  also  am  accfuainted  with  the  members  that  meet 
from  time  to  time  at  the  secret  meetings  and  give  only  the  names  of  those  I 
have  seen  in  the  lodge  taking  part  as  active  members  of  said  lodge  and  known 
to  me  as  good  and  true  K.  G.  C.'s. 

I  will  also  give  the  names  of  others  I  have  never  seen  in  the  lodge  but 
know  them  to  be  K.  G.  C.'s  of  good  standing,  they  answering  all  the  signs 
of  the  order.  When  first  received  as  members  the  oath  is  administered  to 
them  separately  before  the  applicant  is  allowed  to  know  anything  about  the 
order  the  substance  of  which  is  opposition  to  the  administration,  abolishion- 
ism,  emancipation,  confiscation,  arbitrary  arrest,  conscription,  etc.,  in  fact, 
opposition  to  the  government  in  all  things. 

There  is  a  military  organization  in  each  township  in  each  county  in  the 
state  all  the  members  are  to  be  secretly  armed  and  stand  ready  for  all  orders 
from  their  officers.  There  is  in  the  center  of  the  State  of  Indiana  a  grand 
lodge  called  the  grand  star  which  is  made  up  by  delegates  from  each  state  in 
the  Union;  all  subordinate  lodges  report  through  their  representative  to  the 
Grand  Star  Lodge.  My  understanding  is  that  the  K.  G.  C.'s  are  the  same 
thing  North  and  South;  the  management  of  the  organization  and  the  signs 
are  identically  the  same.  I  believe  I  could  pass  through  the  southern  con- 
federacy by  using  the  signs  of  our  Northern  lodges. 

The  members  of  the  township  lodges  are  subject  to  the  order  of  the 
captain  who  is  the  highest  officer  in  the  township.  Their  arms  are  contracted 
for  and  ordered  from  Indianapolis  and  sent  secretly  to  each  lodge  by  I.  Beck 
&  Brother.  Each  member  has  to  contribute  for  said  purpose.  To  give  warn- 
ing of  danger  a  gun  is  fired  four  times  counting  fifty  between  each  firing. 
For  the  purpose  of  knowing  the  friends  of  the  K.  G.  C.'s — If  a  circle  is  drawn 
on  a  house  with  chalk  and  a  line  drawn  straight  through  the  center  it  is  evi- 
dence that  the  occupant  is  a  K.  G.  C. 

The  military  signs  are  the  same  as  they  have  in  the  Southern  army. 
Their  meetings  are  held  in  secret  places  and  well  guarded  to  prevent  any 
approach  while  drilling  or  doing  any  business  in  the  lodge.     Their  object  is 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA.  769 

to  Oppose  everything  the  administration  may  do  towards  putting  down  the 
rebellion;  oppose  all  war  measures  whatever,  such  as  preventing  enlistments, 
encouraging  descriptions,  etc.  Delegates  are  sent  from  the  Grand  Star  to  the 
army  for  the  purpose  of  introducing  the  order  of  the  K.  G.  C.'s  among  the 
soldiers.  I  know  several  women  in  Randolph  county  who  are  members  of 
the  order,  the  wives  of  officers  of  different  lodges.  The  promulgations  of 
treason  against  the  government  is  the  business  of  every  member. 

I  have  heard  leading  men  say  at  their  meetings  that  Jeff  Davis  had 
violated  no  rights  that  they  claim  in  this  government;  that  Jeff  Davis  was  a 
better  man  than  Lincoln  and  that  John  Morgan  was  a  good  man.  None  but 
the  leading  members  of  the  order  understand  the  true  meaning  and  intentions 
of  the  K.-  G.  C.'s.  The  penalty  for  violating  the  oath  is  having  the  body  cut 
into  four  quarters  and  cast  out  at  the  north,  east,  south  and  west  gates.  I 
have  been  expelled  from  the  order,  the  only  charges  against  me  being  the 
crime  of  volunteering  as  a  soldier  in  the  army  which  is  expressly  forbidden 
by  the  order.  I  have  been  threatened  with  death  by  members  of  the  order  for 
breaking  the  laws  and  refusing  any  longer  to  act  as  a  member  of  said  order. 

The  members  generally  understand  that  there  are  officers  in  the  army 
that  are  members  of  the  order  but  I  don't  know  any  myself.  Our  captain 
told  me  that  some  of  the  militia,  or  guards,  in  Ohio  were  K.  G.  C.'s,  who  are 
there  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  the  order  in  their  designs.  The  members 
generalh-  declare  that  if  they  are  drafted  and  have  to  go  into  the  army  if  they 
should  be  in  a  battle  they  would  use  their  guns  against  the  Federal  soldiers, 
or  in  any  way  to  aid  the  rebels. 

I  have  been  ofifered  the  command  of  one  hundred  men  to  aid  in  bringing 
Vanlandingham  back  in  case  he  was  elected  governor  of  Ohio.  I  was  called 
on  to  act  as  drill  master  for  the  company  of  this  township  on  Sunday  which 
met  in  an  out  of  the  \\-ay  woods  in  said  township  but  did  not  go  which  I  sup- 
pose is  charged  against  me  in  the  lodge. 

The  last  election  was  secretly  managed  by  the  I-C.  G.  C.'s.  They  all 
denied  having  any  candidates.  But  a  convention  was  held  and  the  nomina- 
tion made  and  the  ticket  distributed  with  orders  how  to  vote;  this  was  done 
at  the  lodge  meetings  previous  to  the  election.  Each  one  was  to  hold  back 
until  the  afternoon,  as  it  was  supposed  the  Union  party  would  ha\'e  two  or 
more  candidates — by  this  means  they  were  to  carry  the  election.  The  State 
is  divided  into  four  military  districts,  each  district  has  a  general  commander. 

I  understand  from  the  officers  that Milligan  commands  this  district. 

The  members  of  each  township  compose  a  company,  each  company  is  divided 
into  squads;  a  chief  is' appointed  by  the  captain  to  head  each  squad.     If  a 


770  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

general  war  takes  place  the  squads  act  separately — the  guerrilla  mode  of  war- 
fare will  be  adopted.     *     *     * 

I  am  satisfied  that  many  of  the  above  named  men  are  ignorant  of  the  true 
meaning  and  intentions  of  the  K.  G.  C.'s  and  believe  they  would  leave  the 
order  if  they  were  not  deceived  by  the  officers  and  leading  men.  I  have  had 
many  opportunities,  perhaps  more  than  others,  to  ascertain  these  facts.  I 
have  paid  strict  attention  to  the  matter  and  I"  am  now  fully  satisfied  the 
whole  order  was  and  is  now  kept  up  as  a  treasonable  organization  and  their 
aim  is  to  rule  this  government  or  destroy  it,  therefore,  I  have  voluntarily 
made  this  statement.  I  claim  to  be  a  Douglas  Democrat  but  my  democracy 
has  ever  taught  me  to  be  always  on  the  side  of  my  country,  willing  to  aid  in 
putting  down  conspiracies  instead  of  sustaining  them. 

State  of  Indiana,  Randolph  county,  ss : 

I  affirm  that  the  foregoing  statement  is  .true  in  substance,  that  it  was  my 
voluntary  act  done  by  my  dictation. 

Stibscribed  and  affirmed  to  before  me  this  25th  day  of  November,  1863. 

(Seal)  Justice  of  the  Peace." 

This  organization  had  its  signs,  grips  and  pass  words  and  at  one  time 
bade  fair  to  be  strong  enough  to  accomplish  their  purpose.  This  organization 
became  so  strong  throughout  the  state  and  so  bold  during  the  summer  of  1863 
that  General  John  ^lorgan  of  Kentucky  was  encouraged  to  invade  the  state 
with  his  force,  in  the  belief  that  there  would  be  a  general  uprising.  In  1864 
they  matured  a  plan  for  a  general  uprising  in  the  city  of  Indianapolis.  On 
the  1 6th  of  August  the  plan  was  discovered  and  the  infantry  stationed  at 
Camp  Morton  searched  the  "invading  post  at  Indianapolis."  It  is  said  that 
three  hundred  revolvers  were  taken  from  passengers  on  one  train :  hundreds 
of  revolvers  were  thrown  into  Pogue's  Run,  which  has  given  the  search  the 
name  of  "Battle  of  Pogue's  Run."  It  is  known  that  at  least  thirty  thousand 
guns  and  re\-ol\ers  were  invoiced  and  it  is  fairly  thought  that  at  least  sixty 
thousand  revolvers  and  six  thousand  muskets  had  been  distributed. 

That  this  disloyal  organization  was  in  correspondence  with  the  leaders 
of  the  Confederacy  has  been  fully  established.     The  statement  made,  as  here 
published,   is  no   doubt  a  true  one,   as   these   same  things  were   afterward  ' 
proven  in  trials  in  various  parts  of  the  state. 

The  other  Randolph  county  citizen  who  had  direct  connection  with  this 
affair  was  R.  H.  Morgan,  Greensfork  to\^'nship,  who  gave  the  following 
reminiscence : 

'"I  was  taken  to  Grand  Gulf,  May  13th;  stayed  there  until  June  5th. 
Governor  Morton  came  with  his  hospital  boat  and  took  us  to  Evansville.     I 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  771 

was  in  the  City  Hospital  until  July  3d,  then  at  Indianapolis  until  July  7th. 
I  was  then  furloughed  home  for  thirty  days ;  went  back  for  eight  or  ten  days 
and  was  furloughed  again,  and  so  on  until  November.  I  was  then  detailed  to 
the  provost  marshal's  office,  at  Indianapolis,  and  continued  there  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  June  30,  18(13.  I  helped  arrest  Milligan,  i-ii-rscy,  ].](j\ilcs, 
Dodd  and  Heffron.  and  to  capture  the  re\(jl\ers,  ammunition  and  powder 
sent  to  Indianapolis  in  the  conspiracy  by  the  Sons  of  Liberty.  We  took 
thirty-four  boxes  of  revolvers  and  fixed  ammunition  in  the  old  book-bindery 
of  the  Sentinel  office.  The  boxes  were  three  feet  by  one  foot  by  fourteen 
inches.  The  revolvers  were  seven  shooters.  The  boxes  were  marked  Sun- 
day school  books,  on  the  outside.  The  plot  was  discovered  by  the  detectives 
of  General  Carrington.  We  took  also  one  hundred  and  four  kegs  of  powder, 
in  zinc-covered  boxes.  They  had  been  sent  on  to  Terre  Haute,  but  were 
found  there  and  brought  back  to  Indianapolis  and  I  helped  to  put  them  into 
the  magazine. 

Dodd  escaped;  Heffron  turned  state's  evidence,  and  Milligan,  Horsey 
and  Bowles  were  tried  by  military  commission  and  sentenced  to  be  hung, 
but  at  the  last  moment  were  reprieved  by  President  Johnson  and  their  sentence 
was  at  length  revoked  by  the  United  States  court  on  the  ground  that  a  mili- 
tary commission  had  not  the  right  to  try  them  outside  of  the  military  lines. 

Comrade  Long  and  myself  broke  in  the  book-case  containing  the  books 
for  the  ritual,  etc.,  for  the  Golden  Circle,  in  Heffron's  office,  and  there  were 
three  or  four  bushels  of  them,  and  we  turned  them  over  to  the  provost 
marshal.  There  was  also  a  plot  at  the  same  time  (by  the  secret  lodges  of 
the  Sons  of  Liberty)  to  capture  the  government,  release  the  rebel  prisoners 
in  Camp  McTtrni  and  turn  the  state  in  fax'or  of  the  rel)el  cause;  but  the 
whole  conspiracy,  extending  by  kindred  lodges  far  and  wide  throughout  the 
West,  was  found  out  in  time  and  checkmated.  These  revolvers,  etc.,  were 
brought  to  the  state  under  a  false  pretence  of  lieing  Sunday  school  1)(;  .ks, 
and  they  were  to  be  distributed  to  the  members  of  the  Golden  Circle  through 
the  state,  arrangements  ha\'ing  been  perfecti-d  for  the  purpose." 

TEMPERANCE. 

GENERAL^ UNION     CITY SONS TEMPLARS PORTER     LODGES S.      S.     \'.     AND 

E.  L. REMINISCENCES GENERAL. 

The  cause  of  abstinence  from  intoxicating  lic|uors  early  found  advocates 
in  Randolph  county.     The  Friends  had  for  many  years  been  taking  strong 


"JJZ  RANDOLPH     COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

and  comparatively  high  ground  against  the  common  use  of  strong  drink,  as 
had  also  the  Methodists  of  the  earlier  days,  not,  perhaps,  strictly  identical 
with,  yet  much  similar  to,  the  more  modern  distinctive  movement.  This 
movement  \\-as  in  fact  a  gradual  one,  growing  by  progressive  steps,  and 
through  various  efforts  during  the  lapse  of  many  years,  taking  at  length  the. 
shape  of  die  American  Temperance  Society,  which  was  formed  at  Boston, 
Massachusetts,  in  about  1826,  on  the  principal  of  total  abstinence  from  ardent 
spirits  as  a  beverage. 

That  movement  spread  rapidly  and  extensi\'ely  through  the  settled  por- 
tions of  the  country,  and  in  ten  years  had  become  a  general  success  insomuch 
that  the  habits  of  drinking  and  offering  ardent  spirits  their  use  in  harvest  and 
at  raisings,  etc.,  as  also  their  sale  in  the  general  stores  and  groceries  of  the 
country  had,  in  very  extensive  regions,  mostly  or  entirely  ceased.  During 
several  years  before  1836,  most  of  the  active  temperance  workers  became  con- 
vinced that  the  enterprise  could  not  be  permanentl}-  successful  unless  all  intoxi- 
cating drinks  were  abandoned.  The  pledge  against  all  such  liquors  gradually 
superseded  the  old  pledge;  and,  in  1836,  the  American  Temperance  Associa- 
tion changed  its  ground  accordingh',  framing  its  pledge  substantially  as  fol- 
lows :  The  undersigned,  believing  that  the  use  of  intoxicating  drinks  as  a 
beverage  is  not  necessary,  but  rather  injurious,  and  that  while  their  moderate 
use  is  continued  the  evils  of  drunkenness  can  never  be  prevented,  do  hereby 
mutually  pledge  ourselves  to  each  other  that  we  will  neither  use  nor  traffic 
in  the  same  nor  furnish  them  to  others ;  and  that  in  all  suitable  ways  we  will 
discourage  such  use  and  traffic  in  the  community. 

This  ground  tlius  taken  in  1836.  seventy-eight  }ears  ago,  has  been  in  sub- 
stance the  basis  and  foundation  of  all  temperance  action  since  that  time.  Dur- 
ing years  past  the  forms  of  opposition  to  the  use  of  intoxicating  drinks 
as  a  beverage,  and  to  the  traffic  in  the  same,  have  been  legion ;  the  principle  in 
all,  however,  being  substantially  identical. 

The  detailed  history  of  temperance  work  in  Randolph  countv  during 
those  early  times  is  supposed  to  be  not  now  accessible.  The  first  temperance 
nieetina;  of  which  we  ha\e  an  account  was  held  at  the  court-hou'^e  in  Win- 
chester about  1830,  under  the  auspices  of  the  original  National  Association, 
with  the  pledge  against  distilled  liquors.  Temperance  societies  were  formed 
extensively  throughout  the  county,  and  the  religious  element  for  the  most  part 
became  convinced  of  the  correctness  of  the  principles  of  the  movement,  and 
the  necessit}'  of  the  work  proposed.  Among  those  who  were  actively  engaged 
were  ^Moorman  Way,  Paul  \A',  Way,  John  Way,  Henry  Huffman,  Thomas 
Fisher.  Isom  Puckett,  William  Harris.  J-  E.  Beverly,  '\\.  A.  Reeder,  James 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  -J"]}, 

Clayton,  the  Dunkirk  Friends  in  general,  and  many  others  whose  names  can- 
not now  be  given. 

J.  E.  Beverly,  then  a  young  man  under  age,  was,  for  a  considerable  time, 
Secretary  of  the  County  Society,  and  Isom  Puckett  was  at  one  time  its  presi- 
dent.- The  movement  flourished  for  several  years  and  most  good  people  were 
indoctrinated  with  its  principles.  Moorman  Way  at  one  time  walked  eight 
miles  to  attend  a  temperance  meeting  held  by  a  Presbyterian  clergyman  who 
was  an  acti\e  and  talented  advocate  of  the  cause. 

A  strong  temperance  society  was  organized  in  Winchester,  January  i, 
1839  at  the  Methodist  meeting-house  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  an  associa- 
tion for  the  suppression  of  the  unnecessary  use  oflicjuor.  The  meeting  was 
called  to  order  by  Benjamin  Cox,  one  of  the  first  county  commissioners,  and 
was  addressed  by  Carey  S.  Goodrich,  Wm.  Hunt  and  John  H.  Hull.  At  this 
meeting  a  constitution  was  adopted  and  was  signed  by  one  hundred  thirty- 
seven  citizens.  A  committee,  composed  of  George  W.  Goodrich,  Moorman 
Way  and  James  Clayton  was  appointed  to  draft  the  constitution.  The  reso- 
lutions passed  at  that  time  shows  the  sincerity  of  these  people  in  their  purpose. 

They  resolved  to  look  on  the  cause  of  temperance  as  a  common  cause 
of  every  sincere  lover  of  his  country,  his  race  and  his  God.  They  resolved 
that  they  would  by  all  lawful  and  honorable  means  endeavor  to  prevent  the 
licensing  of  houses  for  the  retailing  of  liquors.  They  further  resolved  that 
"we  consider  the  license  law  as  totally  erroneous  in  theory  and  highly  destruc- 
tive of  our  dearest  interests  and  that  we  look  upon  it  as  a  relic  of  barbarous 
days,  entirely  unworthy  the  sanction  of  an  enlighted  legislative  body  and  that 
its  beneficial  effects  are  light,  trivial  when  compared  with  the  injurious  re- 
sults." An  interesting  historical  fact  is  noticed  in  one  of  their  resolutions 
when  they  "Resolved,  that  we  deprecate  the  trai^c  of  ardent  spirits  and  especi- 
ally in  taverns  as  fraught  with  evils  more  direful  than  even  groceries." 

Edmund  B.  Goodrich  was  elected  president  and  David  Haworth,  vice- 
president  ;  Henry  W.  Way,  secretary ;  and  Solomon  Reynard  and  John 
Wright,  directors.  An  investigating  committee  was  appointed  which  con- 
sisted of  Moorman  Way,  George  W.  Goodrich,  Henry  D.  Huffman,  James 
Clayton,  Carey  S.  Goodrich,  John  Way,  John  R.  Davis,  Thomas  M.  Davis, 
Wm.  Hunt,  John  H.  Hull.  This  committee  met  at  the  Goodrich  Brothers  & 
Company  storehouse  on  the  7th  day  of  December,  1839.  David  Haworth, 
John  Wright  and  Solomon  Reynard  being  present.  That  this  society  did 
good  work  is  recognized  at  its  next  meeting,  one  year  later,  when  they  re- 
solved, "That  the  operations  of  the  temperance  society  for  the  last  twelve 
months  has  demonstrated  the  efficiency  of  temperance  societies  as  a  means  for 


774  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

the  accomplishment  of  the  end  in  view,  to-wit :  The  arresting  of  the  ravage 
ing  of  intemperance  and  that  we  have  increased  confidence  in  the  goodness 
and  in  the  uhimate  success  of  the  cause." 

That  this  society  was  in  earnest  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  in  July  of 
1840,  charges  were  preferred  against  Silas  Colgrove  for  violating  the  pledge 
of  the  society.  The  committee  consisting  of  John  Wright,  John  Way,  IMoor- 
man  Way,  James  \'\^  Moore  and  E.  \Y  Goodrich  was  appointed.  Upon 
investigation  it  was  found  that  Mr.  Colgrove  was  guilty  and  he  was  expelled 
from  the  society,  accordingly.  This  led  to  a  great  deal  of  public  discussion 
and  on  the  loth  of  December  of  that  year,  1840,  a  public  debate  was  held  to 
discuss  the  question  of  temperance  societies.  Arnold  Buffam  was  for  and 
Colonel  Jeremiah  Smith  against  tem.perance  societies.  The  earnestness  of 
the  debate  was  shown  by  the  minutes,  "After  a  debate  of  six  hours  there  was  a 
call  made  for  additional  signers  whereupon  thirty-five  members  were  added." 
At  this  time  a  distillery  was  being  erected  in  the  town  of  Winchester  and  the 
society  took  it  upon  themselves  to  fight  its  construction  with  all  its  power. 
This  society  went  so  far  as  to  pledge  themselves  to  refrain  Irom  dealing 
with  individuals  engaged  in  manufacturing  liquors  because  they  believed  such 
to  be  an  encouragement  of  them  in  their  practice,  to  a  certain  extent.  The 
enthusiasm  ran  high  and  in  February,  1841,  Mr.  James  Ferris  gave  an  address 
of  such  great  strength  that  he  was  asked  to  furnish  it  for  publication,  that  it 
might  be  scattered  over  the  entire  country. 

In  1842  a  special  committee  consisting  of  John  T.  Beverly,  Adam  Mc- 
Pherson  and  Edmund  B.  Goodrich  was  appointed  to  draft  resolutions  for  the 
good  of  the  order.  It  was  decided  to  organize  a  county  wide  Total  Abstin- 
ence Society-  This  society  held  its  meetings  in  AVinchester  on  June  14,  1844. 
at  which  time  by-laws  and  constitutions  were  signed  b}-  three  hundred  and 
fifty-nine  people.  W'e  do  not  know  how  long  this  society  continued  as  the 
last  minutes  found  are  dated  September,  1845,  and  indicate  a  verv  flourishing 
condition  of  the  society. 

Soon  after  1840,  the  movement  was  revived  in  the  form  of  W^ashing- 
tonianism.  One  Mr.  Porter,  from  Cincinnati,  held  meetings  at  AA'inchester 
for  that  cause,  and,  perhaps,  organized  societies  here,  and  the  movement  ex- 
tended as  before  throughout  the  county-at-large  and  continued  to  prevail  for 
several  years,  with  much  enthusiasm.  Up  to  this  time  the  various  temperance 
societies  had  been  open  and  free  to  all ;  but,  as  the  Washingtonian  movement 
began  to  show  symptoms  of  decline,  the  temperance  work  took  new  shape  in 
the  form  of  secret  associations  of  various  kinds.  Perhaps  the  earliest,  at 
least  one  of  the  earliest,  was  the  Sons  of  Temperance.     It  began  in  New  York 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  775 

City,  but  spread  rapidly  westward,  and  was  soon  planted  in  Randolph  county, 
in  1844.  Others  were  Good  Templars,  Daughters  of  Temperance,  Temples 
of  Honor,  etc. 

These  associations  have  done  an  extensive  work,  continuing  for  many 
years,  in  some  cases  even  down  to  the  present  time. 

In  some  respects  the  work  done  by  these  various  societies  was  more  re- 
stricted than  the  former  movements,  chiefly  from  two  causes.  First,  many 
ardent  temperance  workers  were  in  conviction  opposed  to  secret  societies,  and 
could  not,  in  consequence,  affiliate  with  their  work;  and  such,  while  deeply 
sympathizing  with  the  object  to  be  attained,  and  unwilling  to  throw  anything 
in  the  way,  yet  felt  obliged  to  stand  aloof  from  active  participation.  The 
second  reason  was  that  the  various  secret  orders  required  the  payment  of 
money  as  a  pre-requisite  of  membership,  and  as  a  condition  of  continued  con- 
nection. 

In  the  summer  of  1854,  a  Fourth  of  July  temperance  celebration  was 
held  at  Winchester.  Great  preparation  had  been  made  and  great  display  was 
indulged  in.  All  the  temperance  orders  then  in  vogue  were  present,  and 
marched  in  procession  in  regalia.  An  immense  crowd  was  in  attendance  and 
great  enthusiasm  was  apparent.  Just  before  that,  an  event  of  notable  impor- 
tance in  temperance  had  taken  place  in  Winchester.  A  notorious  saloon- 
keeper had  defied  the  whole  power  of  public  sentiment  and  kept  brazenly  on 
with  his  mischievous  work.  He  had  been  appealed  to  in  every  way,-  and 
especially  by  the  ladies  of  the  village,  to  cease  his  work  and  close  his  saloon. 
He  refused.  A  citizen  of  the  towm,  once  honored  and  prominent,  who  had 
at  one  time  been  county  sheriff,  having  become  a  hard  drinker,  was  lying  sick 
from-  a  debauch  and  prostrated  with  delirium  tremens.  He  finally  died  with 
this  awful  disease,  and  \vhile  his  lifeless  corpse  was  lyang  stark  and  stiff  at  his 
wretched  home,  the  ladies  of  Winchester  gathered  at  the  domicile  of  his 
afflicted  widow,  and,  placing  her  at  their  head,  formed  a  large  and  imposing 
procession  and  marched  in  a  body  to  the  grog  shop  where  this  man  had  bought 
much  of  his  liquor,  and  sternly  demanded  of  the  keeper  that  he  destroy  his 
liquors  and  quit  the  business  of  dram  selling.  He  refused  and  the}-  proceeded 
to  smash  in  his  licjuor  barrels  and  spilled  the  whole  in  the  street.  Great  ex- 
citement throughout  the  region  was  the  consequence.  The  grog  seller  sued 
the  women,  but  owing  to  the  fact  that  all  their  w-ives  were  engaged  in  the  on- 
slaught, none  of  the  attorneys  of  Winchester  would  engage  for  the  plaintiff, 
and  he  was  obliged  to  get  legal  assistance  from  Greenville,  Ohio,  and  else- 
where. The  final  issue  of  the  case  is  not  now  remembered.  The  case  was 
strongly  commented  on  and  the  spirit  of  the  courageous  ladies  highly  praised 


Tjb  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

by  the  gifted  orator  of  the  day,  Matthew  R.  Hull,  Esq.,  who,  to  an  enthusiastic 
and  eloquent  delivery,  added  a  most  sarcastic  and  fiery  manner,  and  his  in- 
vectives against  the  heirlous  traffic  and  all  its  participators  were  bitter  and 
terrible. 

For  many  years  one  of  the  most  active  and  indefatigable  workers  in  the 
various  departments  has  been  Miss  Amanda  M.  Way,  who  has  in  later  years 
gained  even  a  national  reputation. 

E.  B.  Reynolds  Esq.,  has  also,  among  perhaps  others,  become  famous 
through  the  country  as  an  energetic  and  successful  temperance  orator  and  lec- 
turer, ha\'ing  within  the  last  year  or  two  been  engaged  in  the  work  in  Kansas 
of  bringing  the  temperance  sentiments  of  that  state  to  the  point  of  adopting 
the  prohibitory  amendment  in  the  constitution  of  that  state. 

Within  a  few  years  past,  several  new  phases  of  the  temperance  work 
have  made  their  appearance.  About  1870,  an  organization  intended  to  em- 
brace all  existing  societies  was  formed,  called  the  Temperance  Alliance,  which, 
for  a  time,  did  efftcient  work  in  educating  the  people  in  the  principles  of  total 
abstinence. 

About  February,  1874,  the  Women's  Crusade  broke  out  at  Union  City, 
and  for  a  brief  season  swept  everything  before  it.  Almost  all  the  Christian 
women  of  the  place  were  engaged  in  the  work.  It  grew  up  without  previous 
notice  or  preparation,  and  the  movement  seemed  to  be  the  spontaneous  out- 
burst of  an  overwhelming  sense  of  the  terrible  power  and  curse  of  the  drink- 
ing habit,  and  the  fearful  evils  of  the  liquor  traffic.  The  crusade  first  took 
shape  at  Washington  Court  House,  a  village  in  southern  central  Ohio,  and 
was  taken  up  rapidly  throughout  the  state.  A  gentleman  known  as  the 
"Ohio  Broad  Ax,"  held  some  meetings  at  Union  City  and  told  how  they  were 
doing  in  Ohio. 

At  one  of  these  meetings,  on  Friday,  a  committee  of  ladies  was  appointed 
to  decide  upon  a  course  of  action.  The  committee  was  Mme.  Commons, 
Galloway,  Croner  and  McFeely.  On  Saturday,  the  committee,  three  of  them, 
met  at  l\ir.  Commons'  office.  Mrs.  Commons  was  made  president,  Mrs. 
Galloway,  vice-president,  and  Mrs.  Croner,  secretary.  A  kind  of  constitu- 
tion was  drawn  up,  coupled  with  a  general  pledge  "to  do  what  they  could." 
A  meeting  was  held  on  Monday  night  and  seventy-five  ladies  signed  that 
pledge.  The  next  day  at  i  o'clock,  another  meeting  was  held  at  the  Presby;> 
terian  church.  One  hundred  and  fifty  or  more  ladies  were  present.  Religi- 
ous exercises  were  had,  but  no  definite  plan  of  action  had  been  decided  on. 
Suddenly  one  lady  said,  "Let  us  go  to  Cain's  saloon."     Others  also  said,  "Let 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  777 

US  go."  The  proposition  was  voted  with  a  rush.  A  procession  of  about  two 
hundred  ladies  was  formed,  two  and  two,  and  down  they  went,  arm  in  arm, 
to  Cain's  saloon. 

The  news  spread  over  town  Hke  wild-fire  and  the  citizens  came  crowding 
down,  fearful  of  the  treatment  their  wives  might  receive  from  the  saloon 
men  and  the  roughs,  who  were  also  there  in   great  numbers.     The  ladies 
entered,  their  leaders  pushing  up  to  the  counter  and  commencing  a  talk  with 
Cain.     He  brandished  an  article  written  by  some  clergyman  or -other  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  crusade  in  other  quarters,  telling  "women  to  keep  at  home,"  and 
mind  their  own  business,  etc.,  and  demanded  them  to  "read  that"  and  learn 
their  duty.     Meanwhile  Cain,  expecting  prayer  by  the  ladies,  seemed  desirous 
of  having  the  matter  over  as  speedily  as  possible,  and  asked  the  ladies  if  they 
wished  to  have  prayers.     No  plan  to  that  effect  had  been  made,  but  the  "spirit 
of  the  time"  was  on  them,  and  Mrs.  Commons,  who  was  one  of  the  leaders, 
replied  that  if  he  would  keep  the  crowd  still,  they  would.    He  said  they  should 
be  still,  and  Mrs.  Enos  Turpen  engaged  in  prayer,  after  singing.     The  whole 
thing  was  spontaneous;  no  plan  whatever  had  been  arranged  and  they  did 
simply  what  the  Spirit  led  them  to  do.     Mrs.  Turpen  made  a  most  moving 
prayer.     Her  soul  was  all  on  fire,  and  she  evidently  spake  as  the  Spirit  gave 
her  utterance.     Some  who  were  there  said,  "she  prayed  like  an  angel,"  and 
that  "such  another  prayer  was  never  heard  from  human  lips."     At  one  point 
the  roughs  seemed  about  to  break  loose.     Mrs.  Commons  glanced  at  Mr.  Cain 
and  he  hushed  them  with  his  fist.     After  prayer,  he  insisted  that  his  article 
should  be  read,  and  Mrs.  Commons,   standing  behind  the  counter,   in  the 
midst  of  that  strangely  mingled  crowd — Christian  ladies,  their  husbands  and 
friends,  the  saloon  keepers  and  the  roughs,  read  the  article.    He  boasted  of  its 
doctrine,  written  by  a  clergyman  and  admonished  the  ladies  to  go  home  and 
be  quiet  and  let  his  business  alone.     Some  said,  "Let  us  go  home."     Mrs. 
Commons  said,  "No,  I  want  to  talk"  and  said  to  Mr.  Cain,  "Will  you  keep 
them  still?"     "Yes,  I  will."     Mrs.  Commons  went  on  to  make  her  speech, 
taking  the  article  as  the  basis.     She  said  afterward  that  she  felt  as  though 
"the  power"  rested  en  her,  and  she  spoke  simply  as  she  was  moved  upon. 
The  crowd  was  restrained  from  doing  the  ladies  harm,  and  they  went  home. 
The  next  day  the.  work  was  renewed  and  so  it  continued  for  some  two  weeks, 
and,  for  the  time,  every  saloon  but  one  was  closed.     The  movement  could 
not,  in  the  nature  of  things,  be  kept  up  indefinitely,  and  the  saloons  after  a 
time,  opened  again  to  resume  their  work  of  making  drunkards  for  money. 
A  legal  movement  was  also  commenced  against  the  saloon  keepers,  which, 


TJ^  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

however,  resulted  in  failure  from  the  well  known  fact  that  to  obtain  evidence 
against  saloon  keepers  is  generally  utterly  impossible.  At  Cain's  saloon,  Mrs. 
Commons  spoke  about  twenty  minutes,  and  the  house  was  as  .still  as  death. 
She  seemed  wonderfully  helped,  and  spoke  freely  and  with  great  apparent 
effect.  The  saloon  keeper  seemed  like  a  caged  lion.  When  Mrs.  Commons 
closed  her  speech,  she  said,  "Now  I  am  ready  to  go" ;  and  the  ladies  marched 
away  as  solemnly  as  though  it  were  a  funeral.  The  marshal  on  the  Ohio 
side,  though  a  drinking  man,  declared,  "No  one  shall  harm  you,"  and  he  went 
with  them  for  protection  as  they  v\ient  their  way  round  to  every  saloon  on  the 
Ohio  side;  and  then  they  went  back  to  the  church  and  found  the  house  filled 
with  gentlemen.  The  next  day  they  visited  every  saloon  on  the  Indiana  side. 
One  was  so  frightened  that  he  put  up  iron  bars  to  his  windows.  He  agreed 
to  close  out.  Another  sent  a  letter  to  the  committee  offering  to  ship  the  liquor 
back  to  the  wholesale  house  and  quit  the  business.  Four  places  were  closed 
on  the  Indiana  side. 

The  Ohio  side  was  visited  again  and  for  some  time  every  liquor  shop 
but  one  was  shut  up.  There  had  been  twenty  saloons  and  for  some  weeks 
all  were  closed  except  one.  Suits  were  also  brought  against  several  liquor 
sells.  One  offered  to  close  up  if  they  would  drop  the  suit,  but  the  Alliance 
would  not  do  it.  Cain  was  shut  up  by  a  legal  process  for  awhile,  but  after  a 
time  he  began  again. 

The  x\lliance  held  meetings  e\'ery  day  until  October,  in  the  Presbyterian 
church  and  after  that  once  a  week.  The  suits  that  had  been  begun  at  Green- 
ville proved  a  costly  failure,  since  in  a  liquor  loving  community  evidence 
against  rum  sellers  can  scarcely  be  obtained. 

The  next  year  (1875),  the  ladies  of  Indiana  met  at  Indianapolis  and 
formed  the  Women's  Christian  Temperance  Union,  and  auxiliary  unions  were 
formed  in  Randolph  county;  and,  among  other  places,  at  Union  Citv,  which 
were  more  or  less  effective  in  sustaining  the  temperance  spirit  and  prosecuting 
temperance  work.  In  November,  1875,  a  National  Union  was  organized  at 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  the  Indiana  Union  was  made  auxiliary  thereto. 

MURPHY   MOVEMENT. 

Francis  Murphy  began  his  \vork  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  late  in  the 
fall  of  1876.  Great  success  attended  his  labors.  Many  temperance  converts 
were  made  and  the  movement  spread  extensively  east  and  west.  Among 
others  the  Timmony  brothers  joined  the  Murphy  movement  and  began  to 
hold  meetings  from  place  to  place.     In  process  of  time,  they  came  to  Gallon, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  779 

Ohio.  Meanwhile,  the  Temperance  Alliance  work  was  going  on  at  Union  City 
and  elsewhere  in  Randolph  county,  but  there  was  no  knowledge  in  detail  of 
the  Murphy  movement. 

A  great  religious  revival  was  in  progress  in  Union  City  among  the  Meth- 
odists under  the  leadership  of  Rev.  Mr.  Vigus,  their  pastor.  But  an  anxiety 
arose  to  become  acquainted  with  the  Murphy  movement,  and,  if  practicable, 
to  introduce  it  there.  A  meeting  was  called  at  the  Methodist  church  for 
consultation.  At  this  meeting,  Mr-s.  Commons  made  a  statement  of  what 
little  knowledge  she  had  gained  from  the  papers  of  the  time  and  her  nephew, 
Mr.  Dodge,  who  had  been  in  the  work  in  Eastern  Ohio,  was  visiting  at  her 
home,  and,  being  present  at  the  meeting,  was  called  up,  and  he  told  what  he 
knew.  He  stated,  among  other  things,  that  the  work  was  carried  on  mostly 
by  the  reformed  men  themselves.  A  committee  was  appointed  and  another 
meeting  was  held  in  a' few  days.  The  committee,  however,  had  prepared 'no 
report.  The  Timmony  brothers  were  at  this  time  at  Gallon,  Ohio.  The  com- 
mittee was  discharged  and  another  one  was  appointed  to  confer  with  the 
Timmony  boys,  and  arrange  lor  them  to  come  to  Union  City,  if  possible.  The 
committee  did  so,  and  they  agreed  to  come  four  nights.  The  people  flocked 
to  the  meetings  and  joined  in  great  numbers  and  it  was  clear  that  they  ought 
to  stay  longer.  But  money  was  required  to  pay  the  rent  of  the  hall  as  well 
as  to  pay  the  lecturers.  At  first  a  collection  was  taken  each  night,  but  that 
did  not  seem  likely  to  be  sufficient,  and,  among  other  things,  a  plan  was 
arranged  by  which  an  individual  gentleman  or  firm  became  responsible  for  the 
hall  rent  one  night  apiece.  Thus  the  meetings  were  continued  eleven  nights. 
As  the  result,  about  two  thousand  names  were  obtained  and  for  a  time  drink- 
ing liquor  in  Union  City  was  mostly  at  an  end. 

A  reading  room  and  rooms  for  amusement  and  recreation  were  hired 
and  fitted  up  and  the  movement  went  on  quite  enthusiastically  for  a  time. 
The  ladies  helped  the  enterprise  much  in  every  possible  way.  Among  other 
things,  they  held  a  strawberry  festival  to  raise  funds  for  the  Murphy  club, 
which  netted  one  hundred  and  sixty  dollars.  But  the  movement  flagged  in 
interest  and  zeal,  and  is  now  entirely  extinct.  Many  went  out  and  held  meet- 
ings throughout  the  surrounding  country  and  formed  auxiliary  clubs,  thus 
bringing  many  into  the  work. 

The  enterprise  was  soon  after  set  on  foot  at  Winchester  and  with  great 
apparent  effect  though  the  results  seem  not  to  have  been  permanent.  Among 
the  gentlemen  who  were  more  or  less  prominent  at  Union  City  in  furnishing 
funds  for  the  movement,  were  Messrs.  Caldwallader,  Starbuck,  Worthington, 
Pierce,  Anderson,  Reeder  &  Bowersox,  Turpen  and  others. 


780  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

As  already  stated,  the  Women's  Temperance  Union  was  subsequently- 
formed  and  continues  to  the  present  time.  During  many  years,  the  temper- 
ance sentiment  has  been  very  strong,  so  much  so  as  mostly  to  prevent  the 
existence  of  licensed  saloons.  At  Union  City,  at  Ridgeville,  at  Farmland, 
at  Fairview,  at  Spartanburg,  at  Lynn,  at  Arba,  sometimes  at  Winchester, 
liquor  saloons  have  for  the  most  part  been  prevented.  The  history  of  the 
movement  in  this  respect  would  furnish  much  interesting  and  instructive 
material,  yet  the  demon  of  drink  is  like  that  other  demon  of  mischief,  thrust- 
ing himself  into  every  company,  and  everywhere  seeking  whom  he  may 
devour;  and  many  are  cast  down  by  his  power.  One  agency  for  temperance 
employed  for  a  time  with  good  effect  at  Union  City  and  perhaps  elsewhere, 
was  the  holding  of  Sunday  afternoon  street  meetings.  Many  were  held  with 
large  attendance  and  it  is  hoped  with  good  results.  The  speeches  at  those 
meetings  were  good  and  often  eloquent,  and  doubtless  many  listened  to  tem- 
perance truth  from  the  sidewalk  and  the  street  corner  who  would  not  trouble 
themselves  to  attend  a  meeting  held  indoors. 

The  religious  denominations  have  been  mostly  active  in  the  temperance 
work  from  the  beginning,  as  also  many  who  were  outside  the  churches.  In 
fact,  good  and  philanthropic  men  and  women  of  all  shades  of  belief  in  other 
respects  have  made  common  cause  of  the  temperance  work,  and  have  marched 
shoulder  to  shoulder  in  the  grand  war  against  the  legions  of  king  alcohol. 

E.specially  have  the  members  of  the  Legislature  from  Randolph  dis- 
tinguished themselves  in  that  body  in  undertaking  to  enact  measures  for  the 
suppression  of  the  drink  traffic. 

Hon.  M.  A.  Reeder  introduced  a  bill  for  the  entire  suppression  of  the 
traffic.  Hon.  Nathan  Butts  was  chairman  of  the  temperance  committee  in 
that  Legislature  which  passed  the  so-called  Baxter  bill.  That  bill  was  the 
result  of  the  joint  labors  of  Messrs.  Butts  and  Baxter,  aided  by  the  sugges- 
tions and  advice  of  many  other  active  and  judicious  friends  of  temperance, 
both  in  the  Legislature  and  out  of  it.  The  perfected  bill  was  presented  by 
Mr.  Butts  as  chairman  of  the  committee.  The  only  speech  in  its  fa\'or  in  the 
House  was  made  by  him,  and  it  passed  both  branches  of  the  Legislature, 
was  signed  by  Governor  Hendricks  on  his  sick  bed,  -with  great  interest  ex- 
pressed by  him  in  its  behalf,  and  became  a  law,  only  to  be  killed  shortly  after- 
ward by  an  adverse  decision  of  the  Indiana  supreme  court. 

One  outgrowth  of  the  woman's  crusade  in  Union  City  was  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association. 

After  the  saloons  had  been  closed  by  the  crusade,  the  ladies  sent  to  In- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  78  I 

dianapolis  for  Dr.  Munhall  to  come  to  Union  City  and  organize  a  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association.  He  did  so,  and  the  following  autumn  the 
as>ociation  established  itself  in  a  pleasant  location  with  a  reading  room 
and  library.  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  has  been  in  operation 
with  more  or  less  activity  ever  since. 

For  a  time  the  Youn«"  Men's  Christian  Association  and  the  Women's 
Christian  Temperance  Union  occupied  the  same  rooms,  holding  frequent 
meetings,  and  carrying  forward  their  respective  enterprises  with  energy  and 
success.      . 

The  Murphy  movement  took  hold  at  Winchester  with  a  rush,  and 
seemed  for  a  short  time  to  sweep  everything  into  its  current;  but  the  enter- 
prise soon  declined,  and  for  a  long  time  it  has  shown  little  or  no  activity.  In 
Farmland  and  Ridgeville  a  longer  life  was  attained,  the  latter  place  con- 
tinuing to  work  in  this  respect  even  to  the  present.  The  Women's  Christian 
Temperance  Union  is  organized  by  townships.  The  County  Union  has  a 
president,  with  a  \'ice-president  in  each  township. 

In  1880  there  was  formed  at  Indianapolis  an  organization  called  the 
Grand  Council.  It  was  composed  of  delegates  from  the  various  temperance 
societies  and  orders  in  the  state,  such  as  Christian  Temperance  Unions,  Good 
Templars,  Temples  of  Honor,  Blue  Ribbons,  Red  Ribbons,  Sons  of  Tem- 
perance, Knights  Templar,  etc.  The  chief  work  of  the  winter  was  the  cir- 
culation of  petitions  to  the  Legislature  asking  for  a  prohibitory  amendment 
to  the  state  constitution  forbidding  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  intoxicating 
drinks  as  a  beverage,  and  also  for  a  law  to  prevent,  so  far  as  possible,  the 
evils  of  the  liquor  traffic. 

INDEPENDENT    TEMPERANCE    MOVEMENT. 

The  Murphy  movement,  after  some  years  of  acti\-ity,  seemed  to  lag 
and  die.  During  the  winter  of  1879-80  a  new  movement  sprang  up  which 
has  been  in  operation  with  greater  or  less  degree  of  activity  ever  since. 
Meetings  were  sustained  several  times  a  week  during  the  greater  part  of 
1880,  interspersed  occasionally  with  concerts  for  amusement,  instruction  and 
pecuniary  profit.  At  first  the  association  fitted  up  a  hall  in  the  third  story  of 
a  brick  building  east  of  the  Branham  House.  The  location,  howe\er,  was 
difficult  of  access,  and  considerably  uncomfortable,  especially  in  hot  weather. 
During  the  summer  of  1880  the  association  succeeded  in  raising  mone\'  and 
labor  enough  to  erect  a  tabernacle  on  a  vacant  lot,  south  side  of  Oak  street, 
east  of  the  Bowers  building. 
(50) 


782  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

.  The  tabernacle  was  opened  in  July,-  1880,  by  a  series  of  temperance 
meetings,  which  were  largely  attended.  Addresses,  lectures  and  a  temper- 
ance Sunday  school  were  kept  up  in  the  tabernacle  until  the  weather  be- 
came too  cold,  the  school  being  under  the  charge  of  Miss  Dwi'nell. 

REMINISCENCES. 

As  an  indication  of  the  public  sentiment  in  many  parts  of  Randolph 
county,  as  a  specimen  of  the  tactics  sometimes  employed,  we  append  the  fol- 
lowing from  Fairview,  in  Green  township,  as  related  by  Philip  Barger,  Esq. : 
"There  has  been  a  strong  temperance  work  in  this  region  for  many 
years,  Washingtonians,  Sons,  Good  Templars,  etc.  The  people  generally  are 
strongly  opposed  to  liquor  selling.  Not  much  of  it  has  ever  been  done  here. 
Samuel  Caylor  once  kept  hotel  and  sold  liquor.  Several  persons  have  tried 
to  carry  on  the  business  at  Fairview,  but  they  have  been  shut  up  or  driven 
out  in  some  way.  Some  years  ago  William  Clemens  set  up  a  liquor  shop  at 
Fairview.  The  fruits  soon  began  to  appear — noisy  and  drunken  men,  etc. 
I  was  justice,  and  I  issued  warrants  to  about  a  dozen  drunken  men  who  I 
knew  got  liquor  there,  and  had  Prosecutor  Cheney  come  from  Winchester. 
The  men  came  and  were  examined  separately,  but  we  could  get  nothing  from 
them.  They  had  left  a  jug  of  liquor  near  when  they  came,  and  when  they 
got  to  it  again  the}'  swung  the  jug  defiantly  and  drank  in  triumph.  Some  one 
or  two  with  the  prosecutor  and  constable  had  stayed  to  dinner,  and  saw  and 
heard  their  defiance. 

Mr.  Cheney  was  greatly  mortified  at  our  failure,  and  angry  at  their 
triumph,  and  he  cried,  'Is  any  one  here  willing  to  swear  out  a  warrant  against 
that  man  for  keeping  a  nuisance?'  'I  will,'  said  one.  It  was  done  instanter, 
and  the  constable  posted  off  forthwith  to  serve  the  warrant.  But  the  bird  had 
flown.  The  magistrate's  summons  to  those  customersof  his  had  frightened 
him,  and  he  put  out  on  the  double  quick  without  waiting  to  see  the  upshot; 
and  he  never  came  back  to  answer  for  a  nuisance.  Another  man  tried  it. 
Twelve  complaints  were  made,  and  three  indictments  were  found.  One  was 
sustained,  and  he  was  fined  and  sent  to  jail  in  default  of  payment.  He  bailed 
himself  out  for  $100,  which  he  furnished,  and  went  and  got  drunk  and  died 
of  delirium  tremens.  So  liquor  sellers  have  found  a  hard  road  to  travel  in 
Fairview." 

It  is  now  almost  seventy-five  years  since  the  first  petition  for  a  saloon 
license  was  presented  to  the  county  commissioners.  This  petition  was  pre- 
sented by  residents  of  Green  township  and  signed  by  enough  citizens  of  that 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  783 

township  to  induce  the  commissioners  to  grant  it;  however,  in  less  than  a 
year  the  saloon  keeper  was  fined  for  violation  of  the  law.  This  has  been  the 
record  of  all  these  years — violation  after  violation  on  the  part  of  those  who 
handle  intoxicants. 

The  history  of  the  drink  traffic  in  Randolph  county  is  full  of  exciting 
incidents.  Its  course  has  been  "evil,"  only  evil,  and  that  continually,"  fighting, 
fighting,  ever  fighting  for  its  devilish  power  over  the  bodies  and  the  souls  of 
men,  like  its  old  father,  Satan,  going  about  like  a  roaring  lion  seeking  some 
human  prey  to  devour.  The  commissioners  of  Randolph  county  have  mostly 
refused  to  grant  license  to  liquor  sellers.  It  is  said,  indeed,  that  the  circuit 
court  has  rendered  a  decision  that  in  certain  circumstances  the  law  requires 
license  to  be  given.  Still,  to  their  honor  be  it  said,  the  commissioners  persist 
in  their  refusal,  thus  throwing  the  fearful  responsibility  of  the  unseemly  and 
mischievous  act,  if  it  must  be  done,  upon  the  court  itself. 

The  history  of  the  liquor  traffic,  and  of  the  struggles  against  it  in  Ran- 
dolph county  during  the  years  that  are  past,  and  the  various  success  attending 
them  at  different  times,  if  it  could  be  written,  would  be  full  of  thrilling  inter- 
est. The  incidents  at  Union  City  and  elsewhere  in  this  behalf  have  been  very 
exciting  and  somewhat  dramatic. 

PORTER  LODGES. 

About  1879  °^  1880  a  genteman  by  the  name  of  Porter,  who  was  a 
reformed  inebriate,  held  many  meetings  and  formed  several  "Porter  Lodges" 
in  Randolph  county,  chiefly  in  the  western  part.  His  influence  seemed  to  be 
great  for  the  time,  and  many  were  brought  to  espouse  the  cause  of  total 
abstinence  through  his  efforts. 

GOOD  TEMPLARS. 

The  Good  Templars  was  another'  society  that  originated  in  New  York 
City  about  1854.  This  order  was  introduced  into  Randolph  county  by  the 
creation  of  Winchester  Lodge  No.  3,  April  15,  1854,  D.  W  C.  F  Hatch. 
During  the  same  year  lodges  were  established  at  Union  City,  Farmland, 
Windsor,  Ridgeville,  Lynn,  Huntsville,  Maxville  and  Spartanburg.  The 
work  spread  rapidly  in  the  state,  fifty  lodges  being  organized  in  less  than  a 
year.  The  Grand  Lodge  of  the  state  was  organized  at  Winchester  January 
17,  1855.     At  this  convention  forty-three  lodges  were  represented,  compris- 


784  RANDOLPH    COUXTY,    IXDIAJSTA. 

ing  nearly  three  thousand  members.    F.  G.  Hall  was  elected  G.  W.  C.  T.,  and 
Gen.  Asahel  Stone,  G.  W.  S. 

Lodges  were  instituted  at  Bloomingsport,  Buena  Vista,  Deerfield,  J\ior- 
ristown,  Fairview,  Harrisville  and  Jericho.  These  societies  continued  in 
operation  many  years,  sowing  good  seed,  spreading  the  knowledge  and  the 
practice  of  total  abstinence,  reclaiming  the  inebriate  and  saving  the  3^oung 
from  the  terrible  habit  of  drink.  Since  the  passage  of  the  Xicholson  bill 
Randolph  county  has  been  for  the  most  part  dry.  At  first  Winchester  was 
dry  in  all  the  wards,  excepting  one,  and  this  was  overcome  by  remonstrance 
several  years  ago.  Under  the  County  Option  law  Randolph  county  voted 
and  went  "dry"  by  a  very  large  majority. 

Later  on  the  township  and  ward  unit  was  substituted,  and  under  that 
law  one  ward  of  Union  City  was  "wet."  Union  City,  Ohio,  however,  was 
dry,  and  this  led  to  a  great  deal  of  difficulty  in  that  city.  Ohio  went  wet  so 
far  as  Union  City  is  concerned,  and  the  Indiana  side  then  went  dry. 

The  people  of  this  county  have  always  stood  against  the  pernicious  in- 
fluence of  intemperance  and  will  continue  to  stand  against  it.  The  early 
principles  of  temperance  have  been  inculcated  deep  in  the  minds  of  the  better 
class  of  people,  so  much  so,  that  this  county  will  always  be  found  on  the  side 
of  humanity — which  means  against  the  liquor  traffic. 

The  Sons  of  Temperance  was.  an  order  instituted  in  Xew  York  Citv 
in  1849.  The  object  was  to  solidify  and  perpetuate  the  results  of  the  Wash- 
ingtonian  society  referred  to  heretofore. 

The  Lodge  of  Sons  was  organized  in  Randolph  county  as  early  as  1846, 
at  least  the  county  commissioners  rented  "The  Sons  of  Temperance  room  in 
the  second  story  of  the  court  house"  that  year.  The  order  was  verv  flour- 
ishing. 

In  1854  a  grand  Fourth  of  July  celebration  for  temperance  in  Randolph 
county  was  held  at  Winchester,  embracing  the  Sons,  the  Good  Templars  and 
other  temperance  societies.  The  occasion  attracted  an  immense  crowd  and 
the  exercises  were  very  impressive,  and  doubtless  much  good  was  accom- 
plished. The  fight  at  this  time  between  the  liquor  and  the  temperance  ele- 
ments was  exceedingly  bitter. 

The  remonstrance  referred  to  in  the  ^^'inchester  Temperance  Associa- 
tion was  filed  with  the  county  commissioners  March  4.  1S40.  and  again  in 
1843  another  great  remi_.nstrance,  signed  Ijy  three  hundred  and  fifty-nine 
citizens,  was  filed. 

In  the  annual  spring  election  held  the  first  ^londay  in  April,    1847.  a 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  785 

vote  was  taken  upon  the  question  of  "license  or  no  license."     It  is  interesting 
to  know  the  results,  which  are  referred  to  as  follows : 

"State  of  Indiana,  Randolph  County,  ss. 

"I,  Nathan  Garrett,  auditor  of  said  county,  do  hereby  certify  that  it  has 
been  made  known  to  me  by  the  filing  of  the  necessa^ry  certificates  required  by 
law  by  the  proper  officers  of  the  spring  annual  election  held  in  the  following 
to\vnships  on  the  first  Monday  in  x\pril,  A.  D.  1847,  that  a  majority  of  all 
the  votes  cast  at  such  spring  annual  election  were  cast  against  license  in  the 
following  townships,  to-wit :  White  River  township,  Ward  township,  Mon- 
roe township,  Stoney  Creek  township,  West  River  township  and  Washington, 
all  lieing  townships  in  said  county  of  Randolph  aforesaid. 

"Given  under  my  hand  this  7th  day  of  June,  A.  D.  1847. 

Signed  "Nathan  Garrett,  A.  R.  C." 

Thus  a  greater  part  of  Randolph  county  went  "dry"  in  the  early  part  of 
its  history. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

AGRICULTURE. 

From  time  immemorial  the  work  of  man  has  been  to  wrest  from  the  soil 
the  means  of  sustenance.  Jt  is  true  he  may  have  depended  more  upon  the 
chase  for  his  food  than  upon  the  products  of  the  soil  but  nevertheless  tilling 
the  land  was  in  a  way  a  necessity. 

Primitive  man  raised  his  crops  by  making  holes  in  the  ground  with  a 
bone  or  a  stone  or  a  sharp  stick  and  dropping  the  seeds  into  them.  He  culti- 
vated it  by  merely  scratching  the  soil  a  little.  Thanks  to  the  composition  of 
the  primitive  soil  he  was  able  to  raise  a  little  grain  but  as  he  advanced  in 
civilization  and  his  needs  became  greater  it  became  necessary  to  expand  his 
process  of  farming.  The  soil  must  be  cleared  of  trees.  This  he  did  by 
girdling  them  and  then  farming  between  the  stumps. 

Our  first  settlers  were  attracted  to  this  country  by  the  fertility  and  ideal 
topography  of  the  land,  as  well  as  by  its  cheapness.  They  threaded  their: 
way  among  the  giant  forest  trees  to  the  spot  of  their  choice  in  this  new 
country  and  did  not  need  implements  other  than  the  simple  ones  they  had  at 
hand.  Often  the  plow  share  was  the  only  piece  of  iron  in  their  implements. 
The  remainder  of  the  plow  was  made  from  tough  oak  as  well  as  was  the 
harrow,  in  which  both  timber  and  teeth  were  made  of  wood.  Our  ancestors 
pinned  their  implements  together  with  hickory  pins,  the  holes  for  which  were 
often  made  by  burning,  as  often  they  had  no  auger.  Fortunate,  indeed,  was 
the  man  who  could  boast  so  useful  a  tool  as  an  auger.  Nor  was  his  fortune 
unto  himself  alone,  for  in  that  time  of  generosity  such  a  useful  instrument 
would  be  loaned  from  neighbor  to  neighbor  until  frequently  it  was  difficult  to 
tell  where  it  might  be  found.  A  sledge  was  made  from  timbers  split  from  the 
"crook"  of  a  tree.  Pitch  forks  were  made  from  the  branches  and  the  wooden 
rake  was  the  only  kind  to  be  found.  Even  before  wooden  harrows  were 
made  the  same  purpose  was  accomplished  by  brushing  the  ground,  that  is,  a 
small  tree  or  a  big  bush,  would  be  cut  and  dragged  over  the  freshly  cut  ground. 

After  the  ground  was  prepared  and  the  seed  sown  it  was  necessary  to 
keep  constant  watch  that  the  growing  seeds  were  not  destroyed  by  crows  or 
blackbirds.     They  were  numerous  and  ready  to  dig  up  the  seeds  and  tear  out 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  787 

the  tender  sprouts  that  they  would  soon  destroy  an  entire  field.  The  squirrels 
were  almost  as  bad  and  many  a  boy  and  girl  has  found  it  necessary  to  guard 
the  corn  field  from  the  invasion  of  these  pests.  Lucky  indeed,  was  the  boy 
whose  father  could  afford  to  allow  him  to  shoot  the  sc[uirrels,  but  even  with- 
out the  use  of  the  gun,  boys  had  great  sport  in  throwing  stones  and  clods  at 
the  little  robbers.  Pounding  old  dish  pans  or  kettles  and  yelling  was  the 
favorite  ^^■ay  of  scaring  the  crows.  Another  way  was  to  stuff  an  old  garment 
to  make  it  have  the  appearance  of  a  human  figure  and  hang  it  near  the  place 
to  be  guarded.  But  Mr.  Crow  was  too  wise  a  bird  to  be  fooled  for  any  length 
of  time  by  a  device  of  that  kind.  Such  a  device  was  used  so  r.iuch  that  ij^ 
became  known  as  a  "scare  crow." 

Wheat  was  cut  with  a  sickle  and  tied  in  bundles  and  placed  in  shocks  for 
a  few  weeks.  It  was  then  either  hauled  to  the  barn  or  put  in  ricks,  "to  go 
through  a  sweat,''  after  which  it  was  ready  to  be  threshed.  The  sickle  was 
followed  by  the  cradle  which  was  an  implement  like  a  scythe  with  the  addition 
of  long  wooden  fingers  upon  which  the  grain  would  fall.  These  fingers  were 
curved  which  gave  the  implement  somewhat  the  form  of  a  cradle.  In  this 
way  the  grain  would  be  cut  and  left  in  "wind  rows"  after  which  it  would  be 
raked  into  bunches  with  wooden  rakes  and  then  tied  into  bundles. 

Following  the  cradle  came  machinery  pulled  by  horses.  This  machine 
was  known  as  the  "reaper"  which  would  cut  the  grain,  allowing  it  to  fall 
onto  fingers  which  would  be  held  in  position  by  the  driver  and  released 
when  sufficient  grain  to  make  a  sheath  was  gathered.  This  necessitated  the 
grain  being  bound  before  the  reaper  could  pass  that  way  again.  It  was  con- 
sidered almost  a  disgrace  to  be  "caught  by  the  reaper,"  that  is  not  being  able 
to  bind  from  one  station  to  the  next  before  the  reaper  would  again  come 
around.  Usually  the  field  was  divided  into  four  stations  which  meant  that 
four  binders  could  bind  wheat  or  tie  it  into  sheaves  as  rapidly  as  one  team 
could  cut  it.  From  the  hand  rake  they  went  to  the  self-rake,  from  that  to 
to  the  harvester  and  from  that  to  the  self-binder.  The  first  self-binder  used 
in  Randolph  county  was  sold  by  George  W.  Robbins,  who  lived  in  Farmland. 
It  was  a  "Buckeye  Wire  Binder,"  that  is,  the  binder  would  bind  by  wire  in- 
stead of  twine.  It  was  sold  to  William  Wright  of  Stoney  Creek  township. 
There  was  much  prejudice  and  feeling  against  the  machine  and  it  was  thought 
necessary  to  watch  it  while  not  in  use  to  keep  it  from  being  destroyed.  The 
binder  wire  gave  way  to  the  twine  binder  which  has  reached  perfection. 

The  process  of  threshing  was  a  very  laborious  and  irksome  task  in  the 
pioneer  days.     This  was  usually  done  in  the  winter  time  when  the  weather 


788  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

was  bad  and  the  "men-folks"  could  not  work  out  of  doors.  The  threshing 
floor  which  was  usually  a  bare  place  on  the  ground  was  circular  in  form,  if 
cattle  were  intended  to  be  used  for  tramping.  The  wheat  would  be  scattered 
over  this  floor  and  oxen  driven  over  it  to  remove  the  seed  from  the  heads. 
While  the  oxen  were  being  driven  men  would  turn  the  wheat  with  wooden 
forks  and  in  this  way  the  cattle  would  be  coming  in  contact  with  the  un- 
threshed  wheat.  Another  means  to  separate  the  wheat  from  the  heads  was 
to  beat  the  wheat  with  a  flail.  The  flail  was  made  by  fastening  a  piece  of 
wood  to  a  stout  handle  by  means  of  a  raw-hide  or  thong.  This  gave  the 
piece  of  wood  i^lenty  of  play  which  permitted  it  to  be  swung  in  all  directions. 
The  wheat  would  be  placed  upon  the  floor  and  beaten  with  a  flail  until  the 
wheat  and  chaff  were  separated  from  the  straw.  When  it  was  once  "tramped 
or  flailed  out"  the  seed  and  chaff  would  be  placed  in  a  blanket  and  tossed  into 
the  air,  at  a  time  when  the  wind  was  sufficiently  strong  to  "blow  away  the 
chaff  and  not  remove  the  wheat.  If  there  was  no  wind  and  the  necessities 
of  threshing  were  urgent  enough  an  artificial  breeze  would  be  made  by  fan- 
ning ^^■ith  a  sheet  or  some  other  device. 

Machines  became  a  necessity  and  the  inventive  genius  proceeded  to  make 
a  machine  to  do  the  work  of  tramping  or  flailing.  The  first  machine  was  a 
"chaff  piler."  This  machine  separated  the  wheat  and  chaff  from  the  straw 
and  left  it  in  the  same  condition  as  was  left  in  the  tramping  or  flailing,  after 
which  the  wheat  would  be  separated  as  before.  However,  it  was  not  long 
until  the  machine  was  made  better  and  an  artificial  fan  was  placed  in  the 
machine  so  as  to  separate  the  wheat  from  the  straw  and  chaff.  This  was  a 
wonderful  improvement  over  the  old  method  and  made  threshing  rather  a 
short  piece  of  work.  The  unpleasantness  of  this  machine  was  the  fact  that 
the  man  "working  at  the  tail  end  of  the  machine"  had  to  stand  in  the  immense 
amount  of  dust,  that  would  come  from  the  machine  during  the  threshing. 
This  led  to  the  "stacker"  which  was  an  additional  machine  placed  behind  the 
threshing  machine  to  carry  the  straw  to  a  greater  distance  from  the  dust. 
This  stacker  also  moved  in  a  semi-circle,  which  relieved  the  stacker  from 
forking  the  straw  over  the  rick.  Later  an  adjustment  known  as  the  "blower"' 
has  been  made  which  with  the  elevator  to  elevate  the  threshed  wheat  into  a 
wagon  instead  of  running  into  a  half  bushel,  has  made  threshing  a  com- 
paratively easy  task.  But  the  farmer  has  no  more  work  to  do  than  his  good 
wife,  who  must  prepare  the  meals  for  twenty  or  thirty  hungry  men.  Form- 
erly men  of  the  neighborhood  would  exchange  work  with  each  other  and  go 
from  house  to  house,  eating  wherever  the  machine  might  be  at  meal  time. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  789 

This  meant  that  a  man  worked  in  the  threshing  for  several  days,  which  often 
would  co\'er  a  period  of  a  week.  At  the  present  time  farmers"  unions  are 
organized.  Set  rules  are  made  and  men  go  home  to  their  meals,  especially 
supper.  This  relie\-es  the  house  wife  of  the  irksome  duties  which  formerly 
attended  threshing. 

All  other  farm  processes  have  undergone  as  radical  a  change  as  have 
the  ones  of  which  we  have  already  spoken.  The  single  shovel  plow  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  double  shovel:  it  by  the  walking,  one  row,  cultivator;  it  by  the 
riding,  one  row  cultivator,  until  today,  the  farmer  plows  with  the  two  row 
riding  cultivator.  The  check  row  planter  and  the  drill  have  superseded  the 
single  shovel  plow,  the  corn  dropped  by  hand  and  covered  with  a  hoe ;  the  bar- 
share  is  kept  today  as  a  relic  while  the  grandson  of  the  man  who  used  it 
plows  the  same  field  with  a  "gang."  The  spring  tooth  and  disc  harrows  have 
supplanted  the  brush  and  the  single  "A."  The  seven  foot  ball-bearing  mow- 
ing machine,  "without  side  draft,"  chuckles  at  the  scythe  while  the  hay 
loader  relieves  the  rake  of  its  duties. 

No  longer  does  the  house  wife  do  her  work  with  the  primitive  methods 
but  she  also  is  as  much  up-to-date  as  her  husband.  The  work  of  the  little 
wheel,  reel,  winding  blades,  warping  bars,  rattling,  pounding  loom  and  the 
hand  needle  is  done  in  the  factory  and  not  the  direct  result  of  her  toil.  All 
this  has  become  necessary  because,  \\ith  the  increase  in  population,  society  has 
demanded  greater  efficiency  on  the  part  of  the  producer — the  men  and  women 
on  the  farm,  who  feed  and  clothe  and  shelter  society.  This  is  only  possible 
when  the  producers  can  meet  these  demands  with  the  most  modern  and 
•efificient  appliances.  Modern  farming  is  as  much  better  than  the  pioneer 
farming  as  is  the  machine  of  today  better  than  the  machine  of  that  time. 
More  intelligence  is  required  than  was  required  at  that  time,  for  since  then 
we  have  robbed  the  soil  until  in  many  cases  it  is  almost  impoverished.  Man 
can  not  take  continually  from  the  soil  and  not  exhaust  its  resources  unless  he 
returns  an  equivalent  of  that  which  he  takes.  This  has  been  and  is  the  great 
problem  of  farming  today,  and  to  solve  problems  of  this  kind  the  state  has 
provided  schools  and  colleges  for  the  especial  training  of  men  and  women 
along  the  lines  of  more  efficient  farming.  These  schools  have,  directly  through 
their  teaching,  and  directly  through  their  extensive  departments,  and  the 
public  press,  aroused  all  intelligent  people  to  the  growing  needs  and  demands 
of  today. 

Through  the  Extension  Department  of  the  State  Agricultural  College  at 
Purdue,  farmers'  institutes  have  been  organized  in  townships  and  counties  all 


790  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

over  the  state.  This  has  brought  men  and  women  into  direct  contact  with 
men  and  women  of  advanced  opinion  until  the  farmer  of  today  looks  to 
Purdue  University  as  a  source  of  intelligent  training  and  advice.  The  Voca- 
tional Educational  bill,  passed  by  the  state  Legislature  of  1913,  makes  it 
possible  for  each  county  to  have  a  county  agent  who  is  an  expert  in  agricul- 
tural matters  and  who  advises  along  agricultural  lines.  This  county  is,  at 
this  time,  fortunate  in  having  a  man  as  its  first  county  agent,  Mr.  Charles  A. 
Mahan,  who  was  born  and  raised  dn  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  State  Agri- 
cultural College  of  Kentucky.  He  spent  three  and  one-half  years  as  a  soil 
expert  in  the  Philippines.  This  training  makes  it  possible  for  him  to  advise 
with  profit  upon  questions  of  interest  to  the  farmer. 

The  stock  of  the  farm  has  been  improved  as  much  as  have  •  been  the 
agricultural  products.  As  we  have  said,  the  old  methods  have  given  way  to 
the  new.  This  is  not  true  of  methods  alone.  The  quality  and  character  of 
seed  planted,  or  sown  has  been  improved  as  much  by  modern  methods  and 
applications  of  modern  thought,  as  have  the  implements  with  which  they  are 
cultivated. 

Randolph  county  being,  strictly  speaking,  an  agricultural  county,  has 
kept  in  line  with  these  most  advanced  methods.  The  "elm  peeler"  and  the 
"razor  back"  are  no  longer  to  be  found,  but  in  their  stead  ha\'e  come  the 
thoroughbred  Poland-China,  Berkshire,  Chesterwhite,  Duroc  and  other  pure 
breeds.  The  "pennyro3fal,  that  could  jump  a  ten-rail  fence  and  not  half  try," 
has  been  supplanted  by  the  Jersey,  Holstein,  Durham,  Hereford  and  other 
first-class  breeds.  In  pioneer  days  cattle  were  not  selected  for  any  special 
purpose  other  than  those  of  the  immediate  needs  of  the  family.  Today  the 
stock  raiser  studies  his  problem  and  specializes  towards  the  best  accomplish- 
ments of  his  needs  with  his  stock  as  well  as  with  anything  else  he  owns.  The 
dairyman  selects  a  dairy  breed,  and  the  feeder  selects  his  stock  with  that  in 
view.     Randolph  county  has,  as  a  whole,  excellently  improved  live  stock. 

One  of  the  first  things  done  after  a  settler  had  began  to  clear  his  land 
was  to  set  out  an  orchard  of  fruit  trees,  consisting  of  apple,  cherrv,  plum  and 
peach  trees.  The  first  orchard  is  thought  to  have  been  planted  by  Henry  H. 
Way,  near  Sampletown,  west  of  Winchester,  perhaps  before  1820.  Many 
orchards  were  early  started,  very  few  of  them,  however,  being  grafted  or 
budded  fruit.  This  process  has  been  developed  since  our  pioneer  days.  An 
interesting  story  is  told  of  an  eccentric  character  who  traveled  through  the 
Mississippi  valley  years  and  years  ago,  planting  apple  seeds  wherever  he  went, 
and  in  this  way  starting  many  orchards.     This  character  was  known  as 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  79 1 

"Johnny  Apple-seed."  These  orchards  contained  trees  of  the  best  varieties, 
and,  strange  to  say,  much  better  than  have  since  been  propigated.  In  this 
chraate  no  longer  do  we  enjoy  the  old-fashioned  "bellflower,"  "wine  sap," 
"rambo,"  "vanderburg  pippin"  or  even  the  little  June  and  "stripy,"  nor  does 
the  "grind  stone"  rest  until  March  in  the  apple  hole.  The  loss  of  the  fruit 
trees  is  one  of  the  most  serious  with  which  the  farmer  of  today  has  had  to 
contend.  The  trees  are  attacked  by  insects  of  such  a  destructive  nature  that 
it  seems  as  if  our  orchards  will  be  entirely  exterminated  if  intelligent  and 
heroic  treatment  is  not  given. 

Another  means  of  raising  the  standard  of  farming  has  been  the  agricul- 
tural society,  or  county  fair.  These  county  fairs  were  organized  as  early  as 
1852. 

At  a  meeting  held  at  the  court-house  in  AA'inchester  April  f/,  1852,  after 
an  address  by  D.  P  Holloway,  of  Richmond,  Indiana,  an  agricultural  society 
was  formed,  and  officers  appointed  as  follows :  President,  Asahel  Stone ; 
vice-president,  David  Lasley ;  treasurer,  Uriah  Ball ;  secretary,  John  Lasley ; 
directors,  George  W  Daly,  Washington;  James  Clayton,  White  River;  Elza 
Lank,  West  River;  James  C.  Bo\\-en,  Greensfork;  Daniel  Hill,  Wayne; 
James  Simmons,  Jackson ;  Joab  Ward,  Franklin ;  Philip  Barger,  Green ;  J.  B. 
Somerville,  T.  W.  Reece,  R.  N.  Butler. 

The  first  fair  was  held  October  14  and  15,  1852.  The  ground  was  one 
acre,  a  beautiful  grove  northwest  of  the  town,  near  Judge  Colgrove's  former 
residence.  It  was  fenced  as  follows :  The  boards  were  placed  lengthwise, 
edge  to  edge,  the  fence  being  seven  feet  high,  and  it  was  held  up  by  two 
upright  posts  at  each  end,  and  at  the  middle  also,  with  the  boards  between 
the  posts,  and  the  posts  fastened  together  by  hickory  withes  near  the  top.  The 
cost  of  preparing  the  ground  was  $30.  The  display  was  good,  with  a  fine 
show  of  horses,  cattle,  jacks,  jennets,  swine,  etc.  The  surplus  receipts  were 
$150.  The  number  of  members  was  200.  Fair  was  held  September  29  and 
30  and  October  i,  1853.  The  weather  was  bad,  but  the  show  was  good.  Hon. 
Samuel  W.  Parker  delivered  an  address.  Nathan  Hinshaw  presented 
proof  of  having  raised  four  acres  of  corn,  producing  at  the  rate  of  146  6-7 
bushels  per  acre,  and  Thomas  W.  Reece  four  acres  at  the  rate  of  115  bushels 
per  acre.  Receipts,  $615.02;  outlays — premiums,  $184.25;  expenses,  $203; 
total  outlay,  $387.25 ;  surplus,  $227.77.  This  fair  was  held  near  Mr.  Pom- 
roy's,  northeast  of  town.  The  officers  of  the  society  were :  President,  W.  A. 
Peelle;  secretary,  John  B.  Goodrich;  treasurer,  George  W.  Monks;  delegate 
to  state  board,  Asahel  Stone. 


792  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

1854 — Officers:  President,  Thomas  W.  Reece;  secretary,  John  W.  Cot- 
lom;  treasurer,  George  W.  Monks.    Fair,  October  12,  13,  14,  1854. 

The  association  rented  ground  (seven  acres)  south  of  town  for  ten 
years,  and  inclosed  it  with  an  oak  fence  eight  feet  high.  The  weather  was 
bad,  the  wheat  and  corn  crops  had  been  Hght  and  poor ;  but  the  display  of 
animals  was  better  than  before,  and  the  exhibit  of  fruit  was  fine.  Daniel  Hill 
showed  a  harrow  and  roller  combineid,  which  was  considered  a  great  im- 
provement, and  Carter  Brothers  exhibited  buggies  and  carriages  of  very  fine 
construction.  One  of  them,  a  rockaway,  was  sold  to  Asahel  Stone,  Esq.,  and 
he  has  had  it  in  use  for  more  than  thirty  years.  ' 

•  1855 — President,  N.  Kemp;  vice-president,  Asahel  Stone;  secretary,  J. 
W.  Cottom;  treasurer,  G.  W.  Monks.  Fair,  September  2'j,  28  and  29,  1855; 
large  crowd;  good  display. 

1856 — Attendance  small;  display  only  moderate.  There  were  some 
good  horses,  cattle  and  swine.  President,  T.  W.  Reece;  treasurer,  N.  Kempj 
secretary,  J.  ^V.  Cottom. 

1857— Receipts,  $712.73;  expenditures,  $578.11;  surplus,  $134.62;  so- 
ciety prospering:  land  leased;  buildings  erected  and  paid  for.  The  grain 
crop  was  good.  A  field  of  corn  of  five  acres  yielded  134^^  bushejs  to  the  acre. 
Fruit  was  fine,  and  the  cattle,  etc.,  good. 

1858 — The  fair  was  held  October  13,  14  and  15,  1858.  The  weather 
was  rainy,  but  the  crowd -was  large.-  As  one  result,  the  association  got  out  of 
debt,  with  a  surplus  of  several  hundred  dollars  on  hand.  Among  other  fine 
exhibitions  were  a  beautiful  Durham  cow,  by  David  Heaston ;  a  splendid  bull, 
by  H.  K.  Wright;  a  superior  cow,  by  William  D.  Frazee,  giving  five  gallons 
in  the  morning  and  four  gallon^  at  night,  without  extra  feed,  and  upon  poor 
pasture ;  one  yearling  by  the  same,  which  had  never  eaten  an  ear  of  corn,  and 
was  estimated  to  weigh  i,ooa  to ^1,100  pounds.  Exhibitors  of  sheep  were 
Brotherton  &  Reed,  Picket,  Puckett  and  Hartman.  Swine  were  shown  by 
Thomas  Robison,  J-  L.  Shaw  and  H.  D.  Hufifman-.  Fruits,  dairy,  honey,  etc., 
by  William  Doty.  Carriages  and  buggies  by  Carter  &  Craig.  Premiums  paid 
that  year,  amount,  $500.  President,  James  Clayton:  treasurer,  Nathaniel 
Kemp;  secretary,  N.  P.  Heaston;  assistant  secretary,  W.  D.  Frazee;  one 
director  ffom  each  township.  The  records  have  been  destroyed  mostly  up  to 
1868. 

1863 — J.  A.  Moorman  and  Nathaniel  Kemp. were  delegates  to  the  meet- 
ings of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture.  1868 — Thomas  W.  Kizer  was  dele- 
gate to  the  same.    A  new  association  was  formed  February  20,  1867. 


*  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  793 

Article  I.  Object,  to  encourage  agriculture.  Article  II.  Name,  Ran- 
doljjh  County  Agricultural,  Horticultural  and  Mechanical  Association.  Arti- 
cle III.  Stock,  $5,000;  shares,  $25.  Article  V.  Officers:  President,  vice- 
president,  secretary,  treasurer,  executive  committee  of  seven  stockholders. 
Article  VI.  Officers  elected  for  one  year.  Article  VII.  Stock  may  be  in- 
creased to  $10,000. 

There  seems  to  have  been  another  association  formed  in  1871,  and  by 
this  association  a  tract  of  ground  was  purchased  of  L.  L.  Heaston,  consisting 
of  twenty-two  acres,  occupying  a  part  of  the  old  fort  of  the  Mound-Builders, 
and  containing  the,  great  mound  in  the  center  of  the  ancient  inclosure.  The 
officers  were :  President,  Pharez  Hiatt ;  vice-president,  William  Robinson ; 
treasurer,  William  Moore;  secretary,  Edmund  Engle;  executive  committee, 
Joshua  M.  Johnson,  Davidson  Cheesman,  Nathaniel  P.  Heaston,  Moses  Las- 
ley,  James  Barnes,  Nathan  Fidler,  Walter  Scott  Monks;  superintendent,  Asa 
Teal.  The  fair  for  1871  was  held  September  24  to  27;  3,000  were  present 
the  second  day;  tickets  sold  in  all,  5,625;  receipts,  $2,277.87;  expenditures, 
$2,277.87. 

1872 — Crops  poor;  wheat  averaged  eight  bushels,  badly  damaged;  price, 
$1  to  $1.40;  corn,  forty  to  forty-five  bushels  per  acre;  price,  25  cents;  swine, 
good  throughout  the  county,  many  weighing  300  to  400  pounds  at  twelve 
months;  there  was  much  fruit;  fair  held  September  24  to  27;  second  day 
3,000  were  present;  entries  for  1871,  779:  for  1872,  ,888;  receipts  for  1872, 
$1,480.35;  expenditures,  $1,480.35;  debt  of  association,  $1,000. 

1873 — Officers:  President,  Asahel  Stone;  vice-president,  Joshua  M. 
Johnson ;  treasurer,  William  Moore ;  secretary,  Edmund  Engle ;  executive 
committee,  Asa  Teal,  Pharez  Hiatt,  Xelson  Pegg,  Nathan  Fidler,  Davidson 
Cheesman,  James  Barnes,  Thomas  W.  Kizer;  fair  held  September  23  to  26, 
1873;  5,000  present  the  first  day;  receipts,  $2,719.82  ;  expenditures,  $2,689.90; 
surplus,  $29.92. 

1874 — Officers :  President,  Thomas  W  Kizer ;  vice-president,  George 
Addington ;  treasurer,  James  H.  Bowen ;  secretary,  John  L.  Stakebake ;  exe- 
cutive committee,  Jesse  Connor,  William  Snyder,  George  W.  Hamilton,  An- 
drew Adams,  William  O.  King,  Moses  Lasley,  Lewis  L.  Heaston;  fair  held 
September  14  to  18,  1874;  tickets  sold,  5,176. 

1875 — Officers:  President,  Joshua  M.  Johnson;  vice-president,  Richard 
Bo'sworth;  secretary,  D.  E.  Hoffman';  treasurer,  John  Brooks;  executive  com- 
mittee, T.  Tharp,  Nelson  Pegg,  John  S.  Mclntyre,  Asa  Teal,  Andrew  Adams, 
William  O.  King,  Marcus  D.  Starbuck;  fair  held  September  13  to  17,  1875; 


794  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

attendance  good;   display   fair.     Crops-  had  been  badly  damaged  by  rain. 
Farmers  are  attending  largely  to  draining  their  grounds. 

1876 — The  fair  for  1876  was  the  best  ever  held  here,  up  to  that  time. 
Total  entries,  800;  horses,  124;  cattle,  38;  hogs,  40;  poultry  becoming  an 
important  entry ;  they  are  largely  dealt  in  throughout  the  county ;  twenty  tons 
were  shipped  by  one  firm  in  twenty  days ;  the  crops  were  fair  to  good. 

1877 — Fair  held  September  18  to  21;  horse  entries,  93 — 18  for  speed; 
sheep  and  hogs,  a  fine  display ;  poultry,  a  large  show  and  a  grand  success ;  re- 
ceipts, $2,032.20;  grains  good;  potd!loes  splendid;  fruits  good  though  qiian- 
tity  small,  owing  to  overgrowth  the  previous  year. 

1878 — Officers:  President,  John  Brooks;  vice-president,  Nelson  Fegg; 
secretary,  George  S.  Fisher ;  treasurer,  Thomas  W.  Kizer;  executive  commit- 
tee, Isom  Sedgwick,  George  Hamilton,  William  Snyder,  Aaron  Harris,  L.  L. 
Heaston,  George  Addington;  fair  held  September  17  to  20;  weather  good; 
entries,  1,500 — more  than  ever  before;  attendance,  third  day,  5,000  people. 
Fruit  was  nearly  a  failure,  because  of  a  killing  frost  May  13.  The  wheat 
crop  was  the  best  ever  raised.  Corn  crop  was  good,  but  hogs  sold  largely  for 
$2.25.  '' 

1879 — Fair  held  September  16  to  19;  show  of  fruits  excellent — the  best 
ever  made  at  this  fair;  1,300  entries;  4,700  tickets  sold,  a  reasonable  success, 
though  display  and  attendance  not  so  great  as  at  some  previous  fairs ;  balance 
of  receipts,  $400 ;  entries  of  fruit  alone,  343. 

1 881 — Officers:  President,  Thomas  W.  Kizer;  vice-president,  William 
Ruble ;  treasurer,  William  Moore ;  secretary,  A.  R.  Hiatt ;  executive  commit- 
tee, I.  J.  Farquhar,  John  Frazier,  I.  B.  Branson,  J.  K.  Martin,  Nelson  Pegg, 
E.  R.  Mclntyre,  Thomas  Tharp. 

RANDOLPH    FAIR WINCHESTER/  1881. 

The  fair  for  1881  was  held  at  the  usual  time  and  place,  and  would  prob- 
ably have  been  a  substantial  success  but  for  the  week  of  rain,  which  threw  a 
wet  blanket  over  its  affairs  and  of  course  greatly  checked  attendance  upon  its 
exhibition,  and,  moreover,  seriously  interfered  with  the  amount  of  its  receipts. 

The  officers  for  1881-82  are:  John  R.  Frazier,  president;  William  O. 
King,  vice-president;  A.  R.  Hiatt,  treasurer;  D.  E.  Hoffman,  secretary; 
Messrs.  Carter,  Murray,  Heaston,  Kizer,  Sheeley,  Farquhar  and  Branson, 
directors. 

The  county  fair  began  to  deteriorate  in  1882.  Farmers  no  longer  felt 
that  it  was  profitable  to  display  their  stock  and  produce,  as  practically  all  the 


*  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  795 

attention  was  paid  to  race  horses  and  some  forms  of  entertainment.  The  as^ 
sociation  struggled  along  until  1890,  when  it  was  decided  to  hold  no  more 
fairs.  But  they  were  again  revived  in  1895,  but  the  character  of  the  exhibits 
and  of  the  fair  in  general  was  so  notoriously  bad  that  the  edition  of  the 
Farmland  Enterprise,  Mr.  W.  C.  West,  in  referring  to  it,  spoke  of  it  as  the 
"grafter's  reunion."  The  fair  consisted  mostly  of  shows  of  bad  character 
and  gambling  devices. 

The  enterprise  was  again,  abandoned  for  a  few  years  and  another  attempt 
was  made  in  1905,  but  the  failure  was  as  great  as  heretofore. 

Since  that  time  no  attempt  has  been  made  to  hold  a  county  fair. 

One  of  the  best  exhibits  ever  held  in  the  county  was  held  in  Winchester 
in  the  fall  of  1913,  known  as  the  "Home  Coming."  This  meeting  was  at- 
tended by  thousands  of  people  all  over  the  county.  The  exhibits  of  stock, 
horticulture,  agriculture  and  art  were  exceedingly  fine  and  much  good  was 
done  by  the  meeting. 

Fairs  have  been  held  at  two  other  places  in  the  county  with  a  great  deal 
of  success.  The  Union  City  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  Association  was 
created  January  10,  1870. 

UNION  AGRICULTURAL  AND  MECHANICAL  ASSOCIATION,  UNION   CITY,  INDIANA. 

The  record  of  the  first  meeting  does  not  appear,  but  the  officers  elected 
for  the  second  year  (chosen  in  November,  1870),  were:  J.  N.  Converse, 
president;  J.  M.  Janes,  vice-president;  E.  Starbuck,  treasurer;  W.  C.  John- 
son, secretary.  The  first  president  is  not  known ;  the  others  were  as  follows  : 
vice-president,  J.  M.  Janes;  secretary,  C.  J.  Van  Andy;  treasurer,  Edward 
Starbuck. 

The  directors,  chosen  November,  1870,  were:  L.  Arnold,  J.  S.  Johnson, 
J.  McFeely,  John  Griffis,  J.  D.  Smith,  H.  Debolt,  James  Woodbury..  L.  D. 
Lambert  was  secretary  for  many  years ;  E.  Starbuck  was  treasurer  until  his 
•death,  and  Henry  Stockdale  succeeded  him.  The  society  was  accommodated 
with  suitable  and  commodious  grounds  for  their  annual  fairs  by  a  generous 
act  of  Dr.  Joel  N.  Converse,  securing  to  their  use  a  tract  of  land  containing 
forty  acres  by  a  free  lease  for  the  term  of  twenty  years  from  April  i,  1870. 
The  original  capital  stock  was  $2,000,  in  $10  shares.  The  stock  was  some 
years  afterward  enlarged  to  the  limit  of  $10,000.  All  the  old  stock  and  213 
shares  of  the  new  stock  has  been  taken.  The  territory  embraced  by  the  as- 
sociation is  Randolph  and  Jay  counties,  Indiana,  and  Darke  county,  Ohio, 
and  the  Constitution  provides  that,  the  directors  shall  be  chosen  from  the  two 


796  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

states  in  proportion  to  the  stock  held  in  each,  with  not  less  than  three,  how- 
ever, in  either  state  at  any  election.  Betting,  gambling,  traffic  in  intoxicating 
drink,  and  all  immoral  shows  are  expressly  prohibtted.  The  fairs  held  at 
Union  City  grounds  have  been  mostly  free  to  all  the  world. 

The  following  is  taken  from  "Tucker's  Histors" : 

"The  first  fair  was  held  in  the  fall  of  1870,  and  was  a  reasonable  success ; 
and  a  fair  has  been  held  each  year  since  that  time.  The  interest  has  varied 
from  season  to  season,  yet  the  stockholders  and  managers  have  felt  satisfied 
that  the  enterprise  that  they  have  in  hand  is  a  good  and  praiseworthy  one, 
and  that  a  healthful  effect  has  been  produced  upon  the  community  through 
their  means.  The  presidents  have  been  Messrs.  Converse,  Janes,  Branham, 
Smith,  Reeder  and  Parent,  and  possibly  others.  The  vice-presidents  have 
been  Messrs.  Janes,  Elston,  Smith,  Reeder,  ^lorris  and  Jaqua,  and  perhaps 
others.  The  managers  have  been  ^Messrs.  Johnson,  Arnold,  Woodbury, 
Griffis,  J.  D.  Smith,  McFeely.  Debolt,  Turner.  Parent,  Trine.  Buckingham, 
W'iggs,  Stockdale,  ^lills,  Trine,  Grants,  ^Morton.  Hamilton,  Shockney,  Kun- 
kle.  Hall,  and  perhaps  others." 

This  fair  had  to  compete  with  AA'inchester  on  the  west,  Portland  on  the 
north  and  Greenville  on  the  east,  and  was  not  a  financial  success.  They  battled 
against  odds  until  early  in  the  '80' s  when  the  stockholders  decided  to  discon- 
tinue the  enterprise.  It  is  said  the  meetings  were  well  attended  and  that  the 
interest  was  good.  It  is  said  the  crowd  on  one  day  in  1881  numbered  at  least 
eight  thousand  people.  But  the  count\"  fair  degenerated  into  amusements  and 
horse  racing  and  lost  the  respect  of  the  people  from  whom  its  support  must 
come. 

PATRONS   OF    HUSBANDRY. 

In  1872  the  farmers  of  the  count)'  held  meetings  throughout  the  region 
to  discuss  the  merits  of  that  order  lately  established  in  the  coimty. 

In  ilarch.  1873,  Round  Top  Grange.  Xo.  85.  was  established.  Before 
the  middle  of  1874  twenty-seven  granges  were  organized  in  Randolph  countv, 
with  from  900  to  1,100  members.  The  Randolph  County  Coimcil  of  Patrons 
of  Husbandry  was  organized  Xovember  8.  1873.  with  Xathan  Fidler  as  presi- 
dent, and  B.  F.  Willmore  as  secretary.  The  object  of  the  council  was  to  im- 
part instruction  as  to  the  inner  work  of  the  order,  and  for  general  super\'ision 
over  its  affairs.  June  24.  1875.  Henley  James,  master  of  the  state  grange, 
met  a  company  of  masters,  past  masters  and  matrons  at  Winchester  and 
organized  Randolph  Pomona  Grange,  Xo.  2.  installing  I.  J.  Farquhar.  mas- 
ter: Tsom  Sedgwick,  secretan,-:  William  Ruble,  treasurer;  the  wor:<  of  or- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA;  797 

ganizing,  however,  being  completed  August  31,  1875.  In  1876  the  statistics, 
of  the  order  were  as  follows :  First  grange  instituted  March,  1873 ;  twenty- 
seven  granges  established;  three  disbanded;  four  consolidated;  lodges  in 
operation,  twenty — aggregating  several  hundred  members. 

Since  1876  the  growth  has  not  been  apparent.  In  fact,  for  some  reason, 
all  of  the  granges  have  ceased  active  operations. 

The  objects  of  the  order  were  "the  increase  of  acquaintance  and  sociali- 
bility  among  farmers  and  their  families,  growth  in  intelligence  as  to  business 
and  the  farming  interests  of  the  country,  consultation  as  to  the  best  means  of 
sustaining  the  prices  of  farmers'  products  and  lowering  the  cost  of  farmers' 
supplies,  and,  in  general,  the  promotion  of  the  welfare,  prosperity  and  success 
of  the  farming  population  of  the  country,  home  life  training,  beautifying  and 
ennobling  farm  life,  sweetening,  refining  and  purifying  the  minds  of  the 
community  at  large."  • 

— (SjuquB^JBdg  jo  ^Mu  sajiui  omj;) — 932;  -ojsj  'aSuBJQ  aAOjg  ;ui3sb3u 
This  grange  was  organized  June  28,  1873,  by  Thomas  W.  Reece,  with  twenty 
male  members  and  ten  females.  The  officers  were  as  follows  :  James  Rubey, 
master;  C.  F.  Alexander,  overseer;  James  Macy,  lecturer;  Levi  Snyder, 
steward ;  J.  W.  Jackson,  assistant  steward ;  Emsley  Jackson,  treasurer ;  J.  F. 
Middleton,  secretary;  Alfred  Rubey,  gatekeeper;  Jennie  Jackson,  Ceres; 
Mrs.  Hannah  Wise,  Pomona;  Carrie  Rubey,  assistant  lady  steward. 

The  grange  had  a  neat  and  convenient  hall,  which  was  dedicated  by  a 
picnic  June  27,  1874,  as  also  with  addresses  by  Henley  James,  master  of 'the 
State  Grange,  and  by  Messrs.  Willmore  and  Fidler,  of  Randolph  county.  A 
large  and  interested  crowd  was  present.  Other  granges  were :  Sugar  Creek, 
organized  July  31,  1873;  New  Dayton,  organized  1873;  Pleasant  Grove,  or- 
ganized 1873;  Pleasant  Mound,  South  Salem;  Jackson,  Jackson  township; 
Parker,  Monroe  township ;  Green  township. 

For  many  years  the  movement  seems  to  have  been  from  the  country  to 
the  town,  and  rnuch  study  is  being  displayed  m  how  to  prevent  this  njove- 
ment.  What  the  solution  of  the  problem  will  be  no  one  knows,  but  it  is  cer- 
tainly to  be  hoped  the  question  will  be  solved  and  that  speedily. 

Randolph  county  ranks  high  in  its  products  of  agriculture,  being  one  of 
the  leading  counties  of  the  state. 

The  statistics  for  1910  show  there  were  20,652  acres  of  wheat,  yielding 
an  average  of  14.99  bushels  per  acre;  67,015  acres  corn,  yielding  37.8  bushels 
per  acre;  29,637  acres  oats,  yielding  31,82  bushels  per  acre,  ranking  tenth  in 
the  .state  in  acreage;  807  acres  of  rye,  with  a  yield  of  11,832  bushels;  346 
acres  potatoes,  yielding  21,192  bushels;  883  acres  tobacco,  yielding  609,946 
(50 


79^  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

pounds,  ranking  ninth  in  acreage  and  ninth  in  product;  71  acres  tomatoes, 
yielding  250  tons;  1 1,260  acres  timothy,  yielding  I2,'382  tons;  96  acres  alfalfa, 
yielding  159  tons;  20,549  acres  clover,  yielding  22,770  tons  of  hay  and  4,436 
bushels  of  seed,  ranking  .eighth  in  the  state  in  acreage  and  eighth  in  yield; 
1,703  horses  sold  during  1910  for  $207,661.00,  leaving  on  hand  9,527,  worth 
$930,596.00;  112  mules  sold  for  $11,890.00,  leaving  263  on  hand,  worth 
$30,160.00;  6,846  cows,  valued  at  $226,843.00,  produced  2,700,456  gallons 
of  milk  and  714,080  pounds  butter,  ranking  eighth  in  the  state  in  number  of 
cows;  15,933  head  of  cattle  on  han*  worth  $412,906.00;  5,341  head  sold  for 
$188,589.00,  ranking  eighth  in  state  on  number  of  cattle;  539  cattle  died  of 
disease,  being  the  highest  number. of  any  county  in  the  state;  54,410  hogs  sold 
for  $783,827.00,  leaving  on  hand  39,853  head,  worth  $323,472.00  ;■  1,343  died 
of  disease  and  were  valued  at  $12,268.00.  We  ranked  ninth  in  the  state  as 
to  number  of  hogs  on  hand  and  eighth  as  to  number  sold;  9,166  head  of  sheep 
on  hand,  worth  $43,592.00;  5,272  sold  for  $26,761.00,  443  died  of  disease; 
wool  clip,  47,540  pounds,  worth  $9,997.00.  All  kinds  of  poultry. sold,  8,795 
dozen,  for  $45,334.00;  15,315  laying  hens,  valued  at  $7,200.00, -eggs  produced 
1,262,354  dozen,  valued  at  $237,816,  ranking  second  in  the  state  in  number 
of  laying  hens  and  fifth  as  to  the  amount  of  their  products. 

Of  Randolph  county  the  Department  of  Statistics  said  the  following: 
"The  county  is  known  for  its  splendid  farms,  improved  roads,  magnificent 
school  buildings,  having  perhaps  the  best  of  any  county  in  the  state,  and  its 
intelligent  and  progressive  citizenship." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

TRASPORTATION RAILROAD  BUILDING  AND  FREIGHTING. 

• 

Transportation  has  been  one  of  the  greatest  as  well  as  one  of  most  dif- 
ficult problems  that  has  ever  confronted  a  people  in  a  new  country.  At  first 
the  travel  was  by  foot  or  horse  and  only  paths  or  trails  were  used  for  their 
purposes.  Paths  were  blazed  through  the  forest,  trailing  in  and  around  hills, 
so  as  to  make  the  best  possible  footing,  paying  little  or  no  attention  to 
distance.  The  few  articles  of  commerce,  that  were  imported  into  the  country, 
were  brought  by  horses  or  carried  upon  the  shoulders  of  men,  hence  the  few 
trails  were  sufficient  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  people.  Wagons  and  carts 
were  used  but  little  as  it  was  impossible  to  get  them  through  the  country. 
The  paths  gave  way  to  the  trails,  and  the  trails  became  public  highways. 
These  highways  were  merely  places  cut  through  the  forest,  with  stumps  being 
left  where  they  stood,  no  attention  whatever  being  paid  to  straightening  or 
grading  the  road.    All  that  was  necessary  was  to  have  some  way  to  go. 

There  were  two  general  places  of  trade;  one  at  New  Orleans,  the  other 
Cincinnati.  The  New  Orleans  trade  was  carried  to  the  Mississinewa,  on 
horses,  and  there  loaded  into  flat  boats  and  flpted  down  the  Mississinewa 
river  in  the  spring  freshet. 

Joab  Ward  was  a  flat  boat  builder  of  that  region.  He  commenced  build-. 
ing  boats  as  early  as  1835  and  did  a  thriving  business  for  a  great  many  years. 
The  Mississinewa  had  been  declared  a  navigable  river  and  was  kept  some- 
what free  from  snags  by  the  road  supervisor,  whose  duty  it  was  to  work  the 
men  of  his  district  upon  the  river.  The  men  who  lived  within  two  miles  of 
the  river  were  presumed  to  work  at  least  two  or  three  days  per  year  to  keep 
the  river-bed  clear. 

Hidgeville  and  Deerfield  were  considered  the  headwaters  of  navigation, 
so  Mr.  Ward  took  to  building  boats  and  selling  them  to  people  to  take 
their  produce  down  the  river.  He  would  build  a  boat  forty  feet  long  by  ten 
feet  wide,  at  sixty-two  and  one  half  cents  a  foot,  that  is  twenty-five  dollars 
for  the  boat,  all  ready  for  floating.  He  would  cut  the  timber  green  from  the 
woods,  have  two  heavy  side  pieces  sloped  rounding  upward  at  both  ends, 
cut  a  gain  in  the  lower  edge  to  receive  the  end  of  the.  plank,  which  formed  the 
bottom,  pin  the  bottom  plank  to  the  side  and  middle  beam,  fasten  on  some 


8O0  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

piece  of  plank  at  the  top  of  the  gunwale,  so  as  to  increase  the  depth  of  the 
boat,  making  it  perhaps  two  feet,  stop  up  the  cracks  and  she  was  ready 
to  receive  her  load  and  to  float  her  along  her  downward  way. .  This  flat  boat- 
ing could  be  done  only  in  times  of  flood.  It  is  said  that  Mr.  Ward  built  as 
high  as  thirty-seven  boats  in  one  year.  He  used  to  hire  hands  to  work  for 
him  and  boafd  therh  at  tv^relve  and  one-half  cents  a  meal.  Mr.  Edwards 
Edger  was  one  of  the  men  who  used  to  buy  produce  and  take  it  to  New 
Orleans  on  boats  built  by  Mr.  Ward. 

Mr.  Edger  had  been  a  boatman  all  his  life  and  knew  exactly  how  tO-  load 
a  boat  so  as  to  "jump  the  dam."  His  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Searle,  did  not 
understand  this  art  and  hence  the  boat  which  he  attempted  to  take  down 
the  river  was  capsized  while  jumping  the  McKinney  dam  at  Fairview.  It 
is  said  that  Mr.  Searle  lost  something  like  two  thousand  dollars  worth  of 
produce  at  that  time.  Many  years  afterwards,  when  the  abutments  were 
being  placed  at  the  Fairview  ridge,  the  workmen  found  a  part  of  the  old 
boat  which  Mr.  Searle  had  lost,  perhaps  in  the  year  1839.,  But -as  trans- 
portation became  better  for  wagons,  the  flatboat  business  became  poor  and 
finally  disappeared.  The  state  had  opened  up  many  highways  and  had  im- 
proved them  so  that  \yagons  could  be  drawn  to  Piqua  and  Hamilton,  Ohio, 
and  carry  large  loads.  The  merchants  of  Randolph  county  would  employ 
teamsters  to  haul  loads  of  all  kinds  of  produce  to  either  Piqua  or  Hamilton 
and  from  there  to  Cincinnati.  Upon  their'  return  they  would  bring  a  load 
of  merchandise  which  was  to  be  sold  or  traded  for  other  produce.  One  of 
the  early  merchants,  Mr.  Cottom,  kept  a  man,  a  Mr.  Ashton,  constantly 
in  his  employ,  hauling  produce^  to  Hamilton  and  returning  with  a  cargo 
which  Mr.  Cottom  would  purchase  at  Philadelphia,  bring  overlaiid  to  Pitts- 
burg, and  then  down  the  Ohio  to  Cincinnati,  where  they  would  be  gotten 
by  Mr.  Ashton  and  brought  to  Winchester. 

Travel  at  that  time  was  very  difficult  and  Mr.  Ashton  was  •  weeks  in 
making  some  of  his  trips.  This  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  when  we  think  of 
the  character  of  the  roads,  over  which  he  had  to  travel,  especially  in  the 
spring  of  the  year.  So  deep  was  the  mud  that  it  often  required  four  or 
six  horses  to  pull  a  load  of  only  a  few  hundred  pounds.  At  times  it  be- 
came necessary  to  build  log  strings  of  causeway  or  corduroy  roads  so  that 
the  roads  would  be  passable  at  all.  It  is  said  that  sometimes  logs  as 
much  as  two  feet  in  diameter  vyould  have  to  be  put  in  these  places.  Poles 
would  then  have  to  be  put  between  the  logs,  at  the  .top,  and  the  whole  covered 
with  dirt.  The  dirt  would,  of-  course,  wash  ofif  leaving  the  very  rough 
road  over  which  the  horses  and  wagons  must  travel.    But  this  was  by  far  bet- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  8oi 

ter  than  the  mud  and  looked  upon  as  a  splendid  road  at  that  time.  Even 
the  streets  of  Winchester  were  at  times  almost  impassable.  Mr.  Cottom 
tells  the  story  that  while  he  was  in  business,  a,  man  came  through  Winchester 
with  a  hour-horse  team,  pulling  a  few  plows.  These  had  been  made  in  Dela- 
ware, Ohio,  and  the  freighter  was  carrying  them  to  Anderson.  On  the  south 
side  of.  the  court-house  the  raud  was  so  deep  that  the  horses  could  not  pull 
the  light  load  along ;  the  man  became  angry  and  in  his  fit  of  anger  sold  the 
plows  to  Mr.  Cottom. 

Small  streams  were  bridged  and  eventually  the  larger  streams  received 
a  similar  attention.  The  corduroy  road,  however,  suggested  an  improvement 
that  is  known  as  plank  road.  Plank  roads  were  built  in  a  great  many  places 
over  the  state  but  never  in  Randolph  county.  Road  improvement  was  a 
very  serious  one,  not  only  for  the  county  and  townships,  but  for  the  state 
as  well.  The  state  realized  that  if  the  people  were  to  be  happy  and  pro- 
gressive they  must  have  means  of  transportation.  As  early  as  1820 
great  thoroughfares  were  provided  for  all  over  the  state.  Randolph  county 
was  fortunate  in  being  the  center  of  a  number  of  these  roads,  as  the  state 
provided  for  a  3  per  cent  state  road  fund  to  be  used  in  their  construction. 

There  were  at  least  five  of  these  state  roads  starting  from  Winchester. 
The  first  was  the  "Winchester  and  Greenville  road",  the  next  was  the  "Win- 
chester and  Indianapolis  road."  This  road  was  to  start  at  the  Ohio  line,  come 
by  way  of  the  Greenville  road  to  Winchester,  then  by  the  road  that  is 
known  as  the  Winchester  and  Windsor  pike,  then  the  nearest  and  best  way 
to  Indianapolis. 

John  Foster,  who  lived  near  Bartonia,  was  to  be  the  commissioner.  The 
"Lawrenceburg  and  Winchester  road"  was  to  lead  from  Lawrenceburg  to 
Brookville,  to  Connersville,  to  Centerville,  and  thence  to  Winchester.  This 
road  was  not  to  be  over  sixty  feet  wide  and  was  never  built  as  a  state  road. 
It  is  what  is  now  known  as  the  Bloomingsport  pike.  The  next  road  was  the 
"Winchester  and  Portland  road."  This  road  led  through  Deerfield'  and  was 
surveyed  as  far  as  Berne  by  the  Hon.  Jere  Smith.  Another  road  was  the 
"Winchester  and  Newcastle  road."  This  was  to  start  at  Winchester  and  go 
in  a  southwesterly  direction  until  it  struck  the  Jacksonburg  road  in  West 
River  township.  This  is  now  known  as  ±he  "Bundy  pike."  The  Green- 
ville road  was  used  more  than  any  other  for  freighting  as  it  led  directly 
to  Piqua,  Ohio.  However,  the  first  road,  petitioned  for  in  the  county,  the 
road  now  known  as  the  Lynn  pike,  was  used  a  great  deal,  as  it  led  to 
Hamilton,  Ohio. 


802  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

The  above  mentioned  roads  received  more  attention  in  the  early  history 
of  the  country  than  any  other  roads  because  of  the  fact  that  they  were 
great  routes  of  freighting  from  Winchester.  There  were,  however,  some  other 
important  freight  routes  through  the  county.  One  was  the  angling  road  from 
Union  City  to  Deerfield  and  Ridgeville,  and  one  from  Greenville,  Ohio,  to 
Marion.  These  roads  were  used  more  by  settlers  or  emigrants  ihan  by 
freighters ;  they  also  became  the  early  postal  routes  of  the  county,  especially 
the  Winchester,  Richmond  and  Ft.  ^ayne  road.  It  was  not  only  necessary 
to  haul  the  freight  by  wagon  from  Winchester  to  other  places  but  it  was 
also  necessary  to  drive  all  the  live  stock  to  Cincinnali  or  Piqua,  Ohio,  for  sale. 
Great  flocks  of  turkeys  would  be  driven,  as  well  as  great  droves  of 
hogs  and  cattle.  This  necessitated  good  roads  just  as  much  as  the  freight- 
ers needed  them. 

Many  interesting  stories  are  told  of  the  early  freighters  driving  their 
herds  to  Cincirmati.  Regular  stopping  places  were  provided  for  along  the 
wa}',  at  which  they  would  stop  to  water  and  feed  the  stock.  It  sometimes 
took  as  much  as  from  three  to  four  weeks  to  take  a  drove  of  hogs  from 
Winchester  to  Cincinnati.  One  would  think,  at  first  thought,  that  turkeys 
would  be  exceedingly  difficult  to  drive,  but  this  was  not  true.  It  is  said 
they  were  easier  controlled  than  any  other  kind  of  live  stock  driven  in 
herds.     Geese  were  also  driven  the  same  way. 

\\'ith  such  great  inconveniences  as  these  it  is  no  wonder  that  people 
heralded  with  great  joy  the  news  that  steam  roads  were  to  be  built  in  this 
county.  Great  stories  had  been  told  of  these  wonderful  iron  horses,  running 
on  iron  rails,  and  many  a  settler  became  a  "Doubting  Thomas",  when  told 
of  the  wonderful  ■  news. 

Hon.  O.  H.  Smith,  in  his  Early  Indiana  Trials  and  Sketches,  tells  the 
following  amusing  experience  he  had  in  the  campaign  of  1862.  Mr.  Smith 
\v^s  a  candidate  for  Congress  and  had  as  an  opponent  the  Hon.  John  Test, 
one  of  the  strongest  men  of  his  day.  He  was  a  fine  lawyer,  a  good  speaker 
and  had  been  in  Congress  three  full  terms.  Mr.  Smith  found  him  a  very 
worth}'  adversary,  and  says : 

"The  contest  on  my  part  looked,  at  first,  almost  hopeless.  Stump  speak- 
ing was  just  coming  in  fashion.  The  people  met  our  appointments  by 
thousands.  The  judge  had  his  high  character  to  aid  him,  and  I  brought  to 
my  aid  a  strong  voice,,  reaching  to  the  very  extremes  of  the  largest  crowds. 
The  judge  went  for  the  graduation  of  the  public  lands,  and  I  went  for 
home  gifts  to  actual  settlers.  ^ly  position  was  the  rnost  acceptable  to  the 
masses.     We  met  in  Allenville,  Switzerland  county,  on  one  occasion.     The 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  So 


O 


whole  country  was  there.  The  judge  was  speaking  and  for  the  first  time 
introduced,  the  new  subject  of  railroads.  He  avowed  himself  in  favor  of 
them,  and  said  he  had  voted  for  the  Buffalo  and  New  Orleans  road,  and  then, 
rising  to  the  top  of  his  voice,  'I  tell  you,  fellow-citizens,  that  in  England  they 
run  cars  thirty  miles  an  hour,  and  they  will  be  run  at  a  higher  speed  in 
America.'  This  was  enough,  the  crowd  set  up  a  loud  laugh  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  judge.  An  old  fellow  standing  by  me,  bawled  out,  'You  are 
CTazy,  or  do  you  think  we  are  fools,  a  man  could  not  live  a  moment  at 
that  speed.'  The  day  was  mine,  the  judge  had  ruined  his  prospects  by 
telling  such  an  improbable  story  at  that  day." 

The  Indianapolis  and  Bellefontaine  railroad  was  the  first  to  be  built  in 
this  county  and  was  the  second  road  to  enter  Indianapolis.  The  State 
Legislature  passed  a  bill  granting  a  charter  to  the  Indianapolis  and  Belle- 
fontaine railroad  company  permitting  them  to  pass  through  this  state.  The 
original  bill  directed  the  road  to  be  built  directly  east  from  Muhcie  to  Union 
City.  This  would  have  established  the  road  one  and  one-half  miles  north 
of  Washington  street  in  Winchester.  The  secret  of  it  was,  some  parties  had 
taken  an  option  on  land  one  and  one-half  miles  north  of  Winchester  and  had 
secretly  engineered  the  scheme  to  build  the  road  there,  knowing  that  the 
•county-seat  would  eventually  be  established  at  that  point  on  the  railroad.  The 
scheme  was  discovered  at  th6  very  last  moment,  by  some  citizens  of  Winches- 
ter, and  the  bill  was  amended  so  as  to  compel  the  Railroad  Company  to 
build  the  road  through  Winchester.  A  reference  to  the  map  of  the  county 
will  show  that  the  course  of  the  road  was  changed  southeast  at  the  west  line 
of  White  River  township.  It  was  begun  in  1848  but  was  not  finished  until 
1853.  Stock  was  subscribed  for  all  over  the  state,  many  subscribers  giving 
land  instead  of  money. 

It  became  the  duty  of  the  commissioners  to  have  such  land  assessed  or 
appraised,  and  in  September  of  1848  the  board  appointed  Silas  Colgrove  to 
appraise  the  land  subscribed  as  stock  in  the  Indianapolis  &  Bellefontaine  Rail- 
road Company.  It  is  very  evident  that  bad  feeling  existed  between  the  county 
commissioners  and  the  railroad  company.  In  November,  1850,  the  board  was 
called  in  special  session  to  consider  the  question  of  holding  a  special  election 
in  the  county.  The  entry  of  that  meeting  is  self  explanatory  and  is  as  fol- 
lows: 

"And  the  board  being  called  upon  by  the  directors  of  the  Indianapolis  & 
Bellefontaine  Railroad  Company  to  call  an  election  of  the  people  of  this 
county  for  or  against  the  county  commissioners  taking  not  exceeding 
$12,000.00  stock  in  said  railroad  company,  and  after  hearing  the  arguments 


804  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

of  counsel  for  and  against  calling  said  election  the  board  refused  to  call 
said  election."  It  would  seem  that  the  directors  of  the  company  attempted 
to  force  the  commissioners  into  taking  stock  and  the  commissioners  justly 
relieved  themselves  of  that  responsibility. 

Stock  holders  of  the  company  became  impatient  and  did  not  think  they 
should  pay  tax  upon  the  stock  for  which  they  had  subscribed.  This  led  U> 
the  following  action  being  taken  by  the  commissioners,  June  lo,  1852  : 

"Ordered  by  the  board  that  th^auditor  in  making  of  the  duplicate  01  the 
taxes  for  the  year  1852  strike  out  the  stock  of  the  Indianapolis  &  Bellefon- 
taine  Railroad  Company  charged  against  individual  tax  payers  and  that  he 
enter  the  stock  of  said  company  as  certified  by  the  secretary  and  treasurer 
of  said  company  in  the  aggregate  against  the  president  and  directors  of 
said  company  on  the  duplicate." 

The  commissioners  did  not  lose  any  opportunities  to  assess  them 
^•herever  possible.  This  is  shown  by  assessing  them  to  help  pay  for  the 
bridge,  just  south  of  Farmland,  in  1853.  The  road  was  completed  about 
1852  and  much  jo}-  was  expressed  all  over  the  country  at  its  completion. 

The  road  ran  a  free  excursion  from  Union  City  to  Indianapolis  and 
hundreds  of  citizens  availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity  of  taking  a  free 
ride,  at  the  same  time  visiting  for  the  first  time  the  capital  of  their  state. 
The  excursion  started  about  midnight  and  people  went  for  miies  to  meet- 
the  train.  Xo  stations  were  established  and  the  trains  were  stopped  any- 
where upon  being  flagged.  This  was  true  of  the  road  for  a  great  many 
years.  .-Vll  one  had  to  do  to  stop  the  train  was  to  flag  it  in  the  daytime 
with  any  kind  of  a  flag,  or  wave  a  light  at  night. 

The  story  is  told  that  a  little  after  daylight  a  woman  came  running  out 
on  the  track  waving  her  apron;  the  engineer  stopped  the  train  and  the 
woman  said  to  the  conductor,  "John  wants  to  go  but  he  hasn't  yet  finished  his 
breakfast,  just  wait  on  him  a  few  minutes  and  he  will  be  ready."  We  don't 
know  what  the  conductor  said  but  John  took  the  trip  just  the  same. 

No  coaches  were  on  this  train,  simply  flat  cars  were  used  and  boards 
place  across  the  top  of  the  side-boards  for  seats.  Some  of  the  cars  had 
branches  of  trees  put  over  them  to  provide  a  shade. 

This  v.as  a  wonderful  'experience  in  the  history  of  the  county  as  well  as 
the  experience  of  the  people  who  made  the  first  trip.    ' 

For  many  years  a  regular  schedule  was  almost  impossible ;  a  train  would 
come  "about"  on  time,  usually  the  "about"  ended  by  the  train  being  about 
two  or  three  hours  late.  The  engines  were  all  wood  burners. ,  The  wood  was 
cut  by  men  and  hauled  a^ong  the  right-of-way  and  corded  in  long  ricks,  near 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  805 

the  track,  when  the  engine  neared  this  fuel  the  train  would  be  stopped  and 
the  trainmen  would  load  the  tender  with  wood.  Thousands  and  thousands 
of  cords  of  wood  have  been  sold  in  this  county  to  the  railroad  company.     ' 

Great  stories  are  told' of  th'e  dishonesty  of  the  people  cording  this  wood. 
It  is  said  that  one  stump  east  of  Farmland  was  regularly  corded  and  measured 
in  the  body  of  the  wood  for  something  like  five  years  before  the  company 
found  it  out.  The  engines  threw  sparks  and  set  fire  to  a  great  many  piles  of 
wood,  and  the  company  gave  free  passages  to  many  people  who  fought 
fire  for  them. 

The  writer  of  this  article  knows  one  man  and  woman  who  had  a  life 
time  pass  from  Farmland  to  Indianapolis  because  of  the  great  amount  of 
fuel  they  had  saved  the  road  by  putting  out  fire. 

While  the  work  was  progressing-  rapidly  upon  the  Indianapolis  &  Belle- 
fontaine  Railroad,  the  Dayton  &  Union  Railroad  was  also  being  built.  It 
was  the  intention  to  make  Union  City  the  conjunction  of  the  two  roads,  and 
by  pushing  the  work  to  the  utmost  the  track  layers  of  the  Dayton  &  Union 
entered  Union  City,  Christmas  Day,  December  25,  1852.  It  is  said  that  on 
that  day  the  rails  extended  about  one  foot  upon  Indiana  soil.  The  Indian- 
apolis &  Bellefontaine  road  was  also  nearly  completed  to  Union  City  and  in 
a  few  days  after  this  Dayton  &  Union  was  completed;  the  two  tracks 
were  joined.  And  on  January  24,  1853,  the  first  through  passenger  train 
went  from  Dayton,  by  way  of  Union  City,  to  Indianapolis. 

R.  A.  Wilson  was  the  first  station  agent  for  the  two  roads.  He  also 
was  agent  for  the  Pan-Handle. 

The  Cincinnati  &  Ft.  Wayne  Railroad  Company  was  organized  in 
1853  and  the  survey  made  through  the  county  that  year. 

In  June  the  board  of  commissioners  rented  a  room  in  the  court-house  to 
this  company  to  be  used  as  an  office.  The  original  survey  of  the  road  con- 
templated its  being  built  along  Meridian  street.  This  would  take  it  on  the 
west  side  of  the  court-house. 

In  September  of  1853  Moorman  Way  and  others  filed  a  remonstrance 
against  the  board  of  county  commissioners  granting  the  right-of-way  to  Meri- 
dian street  in  the  town  of  Winchester  to  the  Cincinnati  &  Ft.  Wayne  Railroad 
Company,  to  construct  a  railroad,  thereon,  through  said  town  of  Winches- 
ter. This  led  to  quite  a  discussion  but  eventually  the  railroad  company  agreed 
to  go  one  square  west,  and  the-  curve  ju?t  south  of  Winchester  from  Meri- 
dian street  one  square  west,  and  the  curve  in  the  north  part  of  town  where  the 
track  is  taken  one  scjuare  east  to  Meridian  street  is  due  to  the  compromise 
between  the  commissioners  and  railroad  company  at  that  time.     This  rail- 


8o6  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

road  afterwards  became  a  part  of  the  Pennsylvania  system  and  is  now 
known  as  the  Grand  Rapids  &  Indiana  Railroad. 

The  story  is  told  that  when  this  company  was  organize;d  old  William 
Parry  went  to  New  York  to  consult  with  Jay  Cook  in  the  matter.  The 
office  boy  of  Cook  informed  him  (Cook)  that  an  old  Quaker  wished  to 
see  him.  Mr.  Cook,  anticipating  some  fun,  told  the  boy  to  show  him  in.  Mr. 
Parry  introduced  himself  and  said  that  he  understood  that  Mr.  Cook  knew 
how  to  build  a  railroad  without  nftney,  meaning  of  course,  by  the  issuing 
or  bonds.  Mr.  Cook  became  interested  in  the  enterprise,  through  the  sin- 
cerity of  Mr.  Parry,  and  eventually  the  company  was  organized  and  the  pro- 
ject commenced.  Mr.  Parry  became  first  president  of  the  road,  and  the  writer 
of  this  article  remembers  of  one  time  being  on  a  Grand  Rapids  train  that 
stopped  near  the  home  of  Mr.  Parry  and  waited  until  he  walked  '  from  his 
home  to  the  train. 

This  railroad  company  met  with  some  very  severe  reverses  and  was  un- 
able to  provide  funds  for  the  completion  of  the  road  and  as  was  customary 
by  railroad  companies  of  that  period  asked  the  public  to  contribute  toward 
its  construction ;  to  this  end  the  commissioners  were  asked  to  donate  money, 
and  on  the  9th  of  December,  1865,  made  the  following  entry : 

"Donation  to  Cincinnati  &  Ft.  Wayne  Railroad  Company. 

It  is  hereby  ordered  by  the  board  of  commissioners  that  the  sum  of  Five 
Thousand  ($5,000.00)  Dollars,  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby  donated  to  the 
Cincinnati  &  Ft.  Wayne  Railroad  Company  to  assist  in  constructing  said 
road.  Said  sum  to  be  due  and  payable  when  the  freight  and  passenger  cars 
run  through  the  county  of  Randolph." 

This,  however,  did  not  satisfy  the  railroad  company.  It  felt  that  the 
county  should  contribute  much  more  than  that  to  the  road. 

Many  people  of  the  county  felt  that  it  was  not  right  to  donate  it  out  of 
the  public  county  funds  as  the  people  in  parts  of  the  cpunty,  not  traversed 
by  the  road,  would  receive  little  or  no  benefit. 

Sufficient  sentiment  was  created  in  this  matter,  that  on  the  22nd  day 
of  October,  1869,  Thomas  Ward  and  one  hundred  tMtnt)-nine  other  free- 
holders of  White  River  township  petitioned  the  county  commissioners  to 
call  a  special  election  of  the  voters  of  that  township  to  pass  judgment  upon  the 
question  of  making  an  appropriation  of  $31,513.20  to  aid  in  the  construction  ' 
of  the-  Cincinnati,  Richmond  &  Ft.  Wayne  Railroad  in  and  through  said 
township.  (From  $31,000.00  by  taking  stock  in  said  company  to  that 
amount. ) 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  807 

The  commissioners  were  satisfied  that  the  petition  had  been  properly 
signed  by  the  requisite  numbers  of  free-holders  and  ordered-  an  election 
to  be  held  December  7,   1869. 

A  similiar  petition  was  received  from  A.  McKew  and  forty-nine  others, 
asking   for   an   election   to   be   held   in   Franklin   township   to   appropriate 

$8,144.30. 

John  F.  Hunt  and  thirty  others  filed  a  similar  petition  from  Washing- 
ton township,  asking  for  an  appropriation  of  $14,596.90.  The  total  ap- 
propriations would  be  $54,000.00. 

The  election  was  held  as  ordered  with  the  following  results : 

White  River  Toiwiship — Winchester  precinct,  479  for  the  appropriation, 
248  against.  Maxville  precinct,  9  for  the  appropriation,  5i  against;  making 
a  majority  of   179  for  the  appropriation. 

Washington  To-wnship — Liberty  precinct,  40  for  the  appropriation,  131 
against;  Lynn  precinct,  63  for  the.  appropriation,  70  against;  making  a 
majority  of  98  against  the  appropriation. 

Franklin  Township — 204  votes  for  the  appropriation  and  68  against  it; 
making  a  majority  of  136  for  the  appropriation. 

Hoping  that  the  sentiment  in  Washington  township  would  be  changed, 
another  petition  signed  by  James  Barnes  and  forty-two  other  citizens  and 
free-holders  of  Washington  township,  was  presented  the  last  of  December, 
1869.  This  petition  was  passed  upon  by  the  commissioners  the  ■14th  day 
of  January,  1870.  This  petition  called  for  an  appropriation  of  $13,700.00. 
The  commissioners  acted  favorably  upon  it  and  an  election  was  held  in 
Washington  township  on  Tuesday  the  ist  day  of  March,  1870.  The 
results  of  the  election  were : 

Lynn  precinct,  80  for  the  appropriation  and  59  against ;  Liberty  precinct, 
41  for  the_ appropriation  and  164  against;  making  a  majority  of  102  in  the 
township  against  the  appropriation. 

In  June,  1870,  the  commissioners  made,  a  "levy  of  taxes  for  appropria- 
tion to  aid  in  the  construction  of  the  Cincinnati,  Richmond  &  Ft.  Wayne 
Railroad,  to  be  levied  on  the  taxable  property  of  White  river  and  Frank- 
lin townships  represent  one  percentum  of  the  valuation  of  taxable  pro- 
perty of  said  townships." 

July  25,  1871,  at  a  special  session  of  the  board  the  following  oraer 
was .  made : 

"The  board  having  under  consideration  the  matter  pertaining  to  the 
proper  dispensation  of  the  amount  heretofore  collected  in  White  River  and 
Franklin  townships  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  in  the  construction  of  the 


8o8  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Cincinnati,  Richmond  &  Ft.  Wayne  Railroad,  through  said  townships,  by 
taking  stock  in  said  road  as  authorized  by  a  vote  of  the  qualified  voters  of 
said  townships,  at  elections  held  therein  on  the  7th  day  of  December,  1869' — 
said  board  make  the  following  order,  towit : 

"It  is  ordered  by  the  board  that  the  sum  of  seven  thousand  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  ($7,250.00)  dollars  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby  appropriated 
out  of  the.  funds  heretofore  raised  for  that  purpose  in  White  River  town- 
ship, and  also  the  sum  of  one  ftiousand  ($1,000.00)  dollars  in  Franklin 
township  is  hereby  appropriated  making. in  all  the  sum  of  eight  thousand  two 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars  for  the  purpose  of  taking  stock  in  the  Cincinnati, 
Richmond  &  Ft.  Wayne  Railroad — said  amount  to  be  applied  to  aid  in  the 
construction  of  said  railroad,  through  said  townships,  provided  however, 
that  the  said  sum  of  seven  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  and  one 
thousand  dollars,  hereby  so  appropriated  shall  not  be  paid  until  certificate 
of  stock  in  said  railroad  company  shall  have  been  made  and  issued  for  the 
full  amount  of  said  sums,  respectively,  and  deposited  with  the  treasurer  of  said 
county  of  Randilph  to  the  credit  and  for  the  use  of  said  townships.of  White 
River  and  Franklin.  When  said  provisions  shall  have  been  fulfy  complied 
with  the  auditor  of  said  county  is  hereby  authorized  and  directed  to  draw  his 
warrants  on  the  county  treasurer  in  favor  of  the  treasurer  of  said  railroad 
company  for  said  above  named  sums,  amounting  in  all  to  eight  thousand 
two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  ($8,250.00). 

Thomas  Clevenger, 
H.  K.  Wright, 
Elihu  Cammack." 

This  in  a  measure  relieved  the  county,  of  having  to  pay  the  $5,000.00 
formerly  donated,  hence  on  Monday,  March  3,  1873,  the  board  rescinded 
the  former  order  as  follows : 

"Ordered  by  the  board  that  the  order  made  by  the  board  of  commission- 
ers, December  9,  1865,  donating  five  thousand  ($5,000.00)  dollars  to  the 
Cincinnati  &  Ft.  Wayne  Railroad  Company,  to  assist  in  constructing  said 
road.  Being  made  without  authority  of  law.  Be  hereby  rescinded  annulled 
and  expunged  from  said  record.'' 

The  commissioners  attempted  to  refund  $8,023.07,  with  interest,  to 
those  assessed  in  White  River  and  Franklin  townships  to  pay  the  taxes 
voted  for  Decem.ber  7,  1869,  claiming  that  the  said  tax  'was  "vitiated  it  by 
the  efficiency  in  the  auditors  notice  of 'said  election."  But  the  end  of  the 
trouljle  ^^'as  not  yet. 


*  ,      RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  809 

On  the  8th  of  December,  1873,  the  commissioners  were  confronted  with 
a  new  dilemma.  It  was  shown  them  that  at  their  June  term,  1870,  they  had 
"pretended  and  attempted  to , levy  a  tax  of  $1.00  on  each  $100.00  of  taxable 
property  of  the  taxpayers,  of  White  River  township,  and  that  in  June,  1871, 
they  had  attempted  to  levy  a  tax  of  eighty-five  cents  on  the  $100.00.  That  these 
levies  were  placed  upon  the  duplicate  and  delivered  to  the  treasurer  for 
collection  and  that  the  tax  payers  had  paid  the  treasurer  the  tax  upon  the 
duplicate  of  1870  and  1871,  under  protest,  the  sum  of  $12,823.59."  That 
the  commissioners  had  paid  $7,250.00  of  this  money  to  the  Cincinnati,  Rich- 
mond &  Ft.  Wayne  Railroad  Company  and  that  afterwards  on  the  8th  of 
March,  1872,  James  J.  Clayton,  for  himself  and  other  taxpayers  of  White 
River  township,  had  instituted  suit  against  James  H.  Bowen,  then  treasurer 
of  said  county,  to  enjoin  the  collection  of  railroad  tax  and  that  the  treasurer 
"was  by  said  court  enjoined  on  account  of  illegalities  of  said  tax  from  col- 
lecting this  tax." 

The  commissioners  were  asked  to  refund  "pro  rata  to  the  tax  payers 
who  paid  said  railroad  tax"  all  of  said  tax  in  the  hands  of  bimon  Ramsey, 
the  treasurer,  the  sum  being  $5,573.59.  The  commissioners  ordered  that  this 
sum  of  money  be  refunded  as  asked  for  and  attempted  to  do  so  December  9th 
v^'hen  it  was : 

"Ordered  by  the  board  that  the  order  of  the  board  of  commissioners, 
St,: tember . 9th,  1873,  refunding  $8,023.07  of  railroad  tax  collected  to  aid 
the  construction  of  the  Cincinnati,  Richmond  &  Ft.  Wayne  Railroad  and  re- 
maining in  the  hands  of  the  county  treasurer,  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  re- 
scinded on  account  of  its  defectiveness,  and  said  money  refunded  in  ac- 
cordance with  orders  No.  96  and  97,  on  commissioner's  record  No.  5, 
December  9th,  and  loth,  A.  D.,  1873." 

This  order  was,  itself,  defective  and  on  the  following  day  an  effective 
order  was, made  as  follows:  (This  order  was  complied  with  by  the  county 
treasurer. ) 

"Ordered  by  the  board  that  two  thousand  four  hundred  and  forty-nine 
dollars  and  forty-eight  cents  ($2,449.48)  of  railroad  tax,  collected  off  of 
the  tax  payers  of  Franklin  township,  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  the  C. 
R.  &  Ft.  W.  Railroad,  and  remaining  in  the  hands  of  the  county  treasurer, 
be  and  the  same  is  hereby  refunded  'back'  to  all  parties  paying  said  rail- 
road tax,  in  the  same  manner  as  set  forth  in  order  No.  96,  commissioner's 
record  No.  5,  (see  p.  65),  refunding  White  river  township  railroad  tax: 
That  is  to  say :  That  there  shall  be  refunded  and  paid  to  each  and  all  tax- 
payers of  -Franklin  township,  who  paid  any  of  such  railiroad  tax  an  equal 


8lO  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  ' 

rate  per  cent  on  the  amount  of  such  tax  that  each  taxpayer  paid  into  the 
county  treasury,  so  that  when  each  taxpayer  entitled  thereto  shall  have  re- 
ceived his  eqral  per  cent  on-  the  amount  he  shall  have  paid,-  that  said  sum 
of  $2,449.48  shall  be  exhausted:  And  the  auditor  is  hereby  ordered  and 
directed  on  demand  of  any  such  taxpayer  under  this  order,  and  in  all  other 
respects  to  carry  out  and  comply  with  this  order." 

For  many  years  no  trains  were  run  on  first  day,  because  of  the  con- 
scientious scruples  which  the  president;  Mr.  Parry,  had  upon  that  matter. 
It  was  originally  intended  to  take  %ie  road  directly  north  to  Portland,  which 
would  have  been  through  Deerfield.  It  is  said  that  through  the  obstinacy 
of  one  or  two  men  the  road  was  changed  to  the  present  location.  Had 
it  not  have  been  for  the  short-sightedness  of  these  people  Deerfield  would 
no  doubt  today  be  as  large  or  larger  than  the  near  by  town,  Ridgeville. 

PAN-HANDLE  RAILROAD. 

The  third  road  to  be  built  in  the  county  was  the  division  of  the  Pan- 
Handle  road,  east  of  Union  City.  This  road  was  first  built  from  Columbus 
to  Union  City  and  was  completed  about  1866.  At  that  time  Union  City  was 
a  terminus  of  this  road.  The  western  division  or  Union  City  to  Logans- 
port  was  built  sometime  later.  The  two  roads  have  since  been  consolidated 
and  are  under  the  Pennsylvania  system,  one  of  the  greatest  railroad  systems 
of  the  world. 

This  incorporation  controls  a  great  portion  of  the  entire  mileage  of 
roads  of  the  United  States.  This  branch  of  the  road  is  one  of  the  principal 
trunk  lines  between  Pittsburg  and  Chicago. 

In  1911-12-13  the  tracks  were  doubled  and  it  is  now  one  of  the  finest 
road  beds  of"  the  world. 

The  Indiana,  Bloomington  &  Western  Railroad  Company  was  organized 
in  1880  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  railroad  from  Indianaipolis  to  Spring- 
field, Ohio.  In  1881  they  asked  subsidies  of  the  townships  in  Randolph 
county  to  which  they  proposed  to  construct  their  railway. 

Of  Nettle  Creek  township  they  asked  $10,000.00;  West  River, 
$12,000.00;  Washington,  $16,600.00,  and  Greensfork,  $18,400.00. 

On  the  23rd  of  April,  1881,  the  commissioner  met  in  special  session  to 
receiv£  petition  from  citizens  of  these  four  townships.  At  that  meeting 
they  found  the  petition  of  West  River  and  Greensfork  townships  defective 
on  account  of  not  being  signed  by  the  legally  required  number  of  free- 
holders.    The  petitions  of  Nettle  Creek  and  Washingtoin  were  held  good. 


*  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  8ll 

They  adjourned  until  the  25th  of  April  when  at  a  special  session  they  found 
the  petitions  valid  and  appointed  election  inspectors  at  an  election,  which 
they  ordered  to  be  held  on  the  28th  day  of  May. 

The  election  was  a  hotly  contested  one  and  many  a  quarrel  and  dispute 
arose  over  the  matter  of  the  proposed  road.  The  people  of  Spartanburg 
were  told  that  if  the  subsidy  was  not  voted  for  favorably  m  Greensfork 
township,  the  road  would  not  pass'  through  that  town.  The 'people  think- 
ing that  the  road  would  come  anyhow  used  their  efforts  against  voting 
for  the  tax  and  defeated  it  very  decisively.  To  their  sorrow  they  learned 
in  a  short  time  that  the  threat  of  the  officials  of  the  road  was  true  and 
they  were  destined  to  be  -off  the  railroad  for  all  times  to  come. 

When  the  ballots  were  counted  the  following  was  found  to  be  the  re- 
sult : 

Blank 


Names  of  Precincts 

For  the 

tax 

Against  the  tax 

B 

Losantville 

114 

108 

I 

"  _  Bloomingsport 

7 

no 

I 

Rural 

5 

129 

I 

Lynn 

48 

79 

4 

Spartanburg 

21 

219 

3 

Arba 

80 

Huntsville 

III 

147 

4 

Total  306  872  13 

It  will  be  observed  that  Nettle  Creek  township  was  the  only  one  to  vote 
in  favor  of  the  tax. 

Ordered  that  a  tax  of  one  per  cent  be  levied  on  valuation  of  the  real 
"  and  personal  property  of  Nettle  Creek  township,  for  the  construction  of  the 
Indiana,  Bloomington  &  Western  Railroad,  through  said  township. 

The  road  was  completed  in  due  time  but  to  do  so  it  required  that^the 
ties  be  laid  on  brush  or  any  material  that  could  be  thrown  in  some  of  the 
swamps  near  Modoc.  In  fact  the  first  train  attempting  to  go  over  the  road 
was  wrecked  by  the  engine  literally  falling  off  the,  track.  The  train,  how- 
ever, passed  over  in  time  to  enable  the  company  to  claim  the  subsidy  which 
had  been  voted. 

This  road  is  now  known  as  the  Springfield  division  of  the  Big  Four. 


8l2  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 


LAKE  ERIE. 

There  has  been  attempts  made  to  build  roads  in  this  county  that  were 
not  successful.  One  was  the  Lake  Erie  ,&  Lauisville  Railroad,  which  was 
organized  under  the  laws  of  this  state  and  proposed  to  cross  this  county  on 
the  line  from  Cambridge  City  to  Union  City.  This  road  would  cross  Wash- 
ington township  and  Wayne  township  diagonally,  passing  near  Bloomings- 
port  in  the  first  and  South  Salem  in  the  latter.  Much  work  was  done  upon 
this  road  in  the  way  of  constructing  the  road  bed  and  laying  the  ties  upon 
which  to  place  the  rails.  The  old  rails  can  yet  be  distinguished  very  clearly 
just  at  the  north  edge,  of  Bloomingsport. 

This  road  was  sometimes  called  the  "Calico"  road.  In  order  to  help  in 
its  constructioh,  Isaac  P.  Gray  and  many  others,  of  Wayne  township,  pe- 
titioned the  county  commissioners  to  call  an  election  in  Wayne  township 
to  vote  upon  the  question  of  giving  a  subsidy  of  $8,000^00  from  that  town- 
ship to  aid  in  building  this  road.  The  road  was  to  be  completed  by  the  first 
day  of  August,  1871. 

Nathan  W.  Johnson  and  a  great  many  others  filed  a  similar  petition  from 
Washington  township.  The  commissioners  found  the  petition  correct  and 
ordered  an  election  to  be  held  on  Monday,  the  18th  day  of  July,  1870,  at  the 
polls  of  the  several  voting  places  of  these  two  townships. 

The  result  was  as  follows : 

Liberty  precinct,  Washington  township,  33  votes  and  91  votes  against 
the  appropriation. 

Lynn  precinct,  64  votes   for  and   12  votes  against  the  appropriation. 

Wayne  township,  at  Salem,  3  votes  for  and  944  were  cast  against  the 
railroad  appropriation. 

y-Vt  Union  City,  263  votes  were  cast  for  and  109  votes  cast  against  the 
railroad  appropriation. 

The  returning  board,  from  Washington  township,  made  the  following 
report : 

Liberty  precinct,  thirty-three  (33)  votes  were  cast  for  the  railroad  ap- 
propriation and' ninety-one  (91)  were  cast  against  the  railroad  appropriation. 
'  Lynn  precinpt,  thirty-three  (33)  votes  were  cast  for  the  railroad  ap- 
propriation and  twelve  (12)  votes  were  cast  against  the  railroad  appropria- 
tion. 

At  the  Liberty  precinct,  ninety-one  of  the  ballots  that  were  cast  had 
written  thereon  the  words,  'against  the  appropriation:' 

"At  Lynn  precinct  twenty-five  of  the  ballots  that  were  cast  had  written 
thereon  the  words  'against  the  appropriation/  also  three  ballots  that  were 
cast  at  said  election  at  Lynn  having 'thereon  the  woris  'against  the  railroad 
appropriation'  were  variously  marked  by  writing  and  scribbling  thereon  in 


.RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  813 


!fi-t 


letters  and  characters  other  than  the  names  of  the  persons  voting  the  same." 
From  the  above  it  would  seem  that  elections  had  been  very  hotly  con- 
tested.   The  canvassing  board  reported  the  election  having  carried  in  Wayne 
township  and  in  Washington  township  they  said : 

"Whereby  it  appears  and  is  hereby  certified,  that,  at  said  election  in 
Washington  township  the  whole  number  of  votes  cast,  was  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty-three  votes,  ninety-seven  votes  for  said  railroad  appropria- 
ation,  thirty-one  votes  against  said  appropriation  and  one  hundred  thirty- 
five  votes  informal." 

The  results  of  this  election  stopped  the  building  of  this  road  and  the  en- 
terprise was  never  pushed  further.  It  has  been  a  very  unfortunate  thing, 
indeed,  that  this  is  true  because  the  road  would  have  been  of  a  great  value 
to  the  country  through  which  it  would 'have- passed. 

BLUFFTON   &   UNION. 

Another  contemplated  road  was  the  Bluffton  &  Union.  This  road  was 
first  contemplated  about  1855,  when  a  railroad  was  contemplated  from 
Union  to  Portland  in  Jay  county.  A  great  deal  of  the  grading  was  done 
and  some  rails  were  said  to  have  been  laid  but  the  project  fell  through  at 
that  stage.  About  1866  it  was  revived,  new  stock  was  obtained,  considerable 
more  work  was  done  and  it  was  said  that  the  road  would  be  opened  for 
travel  in  a  short  time. 

The  matter  failed  again,  however,  remained  dormant  until  1882.  During 
the  early  part-  of  that  year  the  company  was  organized  as  the  Bluffton  & 
Union  Railroad  Company  and  asked  for  a  subsidy  from  Wayne  township 
and  Jackson  township,  $22,500.00  from  the  former  and  $5,600  from  the 
latter.  The  commissioners  honored  the  petition  and  ordered  an  election  held 
on  the  24th  day  of  July,  1882,  for  Wayne  township  and  June  27,  1882,  for 
Jackson  township.  It  was  thought  by  the  voters  that  it  would  be  sure  to 
carry  in  Wayne  tOAvnship  and  that  this  might  have  a  wholesome  effect  upon 
the  voters  of  Jackson.     The  result  would  indicate  their  judgment  very  good. 


[ackson  Township 

For  tax 

Against  tax 

Blank 

Total 

1st  Ward  U.  C. 

pre. 

215 

4 

2 

221 

2nd  Ward  U.C. 

pre. 

270 

7 

5 

282 

3rd  Ward  U.  C. 

pre. 

-     179 

44 

323 

Harrisville 

4 

100 

104 

Bartonia 

2 

59 

61 

Jackson 

113 

47 

160 

(52.) 

- 

8t4  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

From  the  above  it  will  be  seen  that  a  great  majority  of  both  town- 
ships favored  it.  It  is  also  the  significant. fact  that  in  Wayne  township  the 
two  country  precincts  were  almost  unanimous  in  their  opposition.  The  vote 
being  only  six  in  favor  of  the  appropriation  and  one  hundred  fifty-nine 
against. 

Elections  were  being  held  at  the  same  time  in  Jay  county  and  the  op- 
position was  so  great  that  the  vote  did  not  carry.  Hence  the  project  was 
given  up  and  a  new  board  was  devifed.  It  was  then  decided  to  build  a  road 
from  Union  City  by  way  of  Camden,  Antioch,  Boundary  City  and  New 
Pittsburg  to  Bluffton.  This  would  have  it  pass  through  Franklin  town- 
ship and  to  this  end  Henry  C.  Kitselman  and  fifty  others  petitioned  the 
commissioner  on  the  17th  day  of  July,  1882,  to  hold  an  election  in  Frank- 
lin township,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  if  the  voters  would  donate 
$12,000.00  to  the  proposed  road. 

The  election  was  ^held  on  Tuesday,  August  17,  1882,  and  resulted  as 
follows : 

For  tax  Against  Blank         Total 

Ridgeville  219  74  i 

Walnut  Corner  6  ill  Q 

Making  a  total  of  225   for  and   185  against  the  appropriation. 
This  like  the  others,  however,  was  a  failure  and  nothing  more  was  done 
towards  the  building  of  the  road. 

CHICAGOj   UNION  CITY  &   CINCINNATI.       . 

In  the  early  part  of  1891  the  Chicago,  Union  City  and  Cincinnati  Rail- 
road Company  was  organized,  the  purpose  of  which  was  to  build  a  road  on 
the  pld  right-of-way  out  of  Union  City.  Again  a  subsidy  was  asked  for 
and' an  election  held  in  Wayne  township  and  Jackson  township,  July  7,  1891, 
which  resulted  as  follows : 

Blank 


For  tax 

Against 

Union  City  Pre. 

A. 

132 

41 

Union  City  Pre. 

B. 

106 

42 

Union  City  Pre. 

C. 

87 

34 

Union  City  Pre. 

D. 

121 

41 

Bartonia 

4 

107 

Harrisville 

4 

131 

■  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  .  815 

From  which  it  will  be  noticed  as  before  that  the  city  favored  the  subsidy 
while  a  majority  of  the  voters  of  the  country  were  radically  opposed  to  it. 

At  Pittsburg,  Jackson  township,  78  were  for,  55  opposed.  At  Thurs- 
den  10  were  for,  116  opposed. 

This  made  the  result  in  Wayne  township  454  for  and  399  opposed.  Jack- 
son township  88  for  and  171  opposed,  riiaking  a  total  of  542  for  ana  570  op- 
posed in  the  two  townships.  This  was  the  last  of  the  Chicago,  Union  City 
and  Cincinnati  Railroad  Company. 

UNION    CITY    AND    HUNTINGTON., 

This  project,  however,  could  come  to  life  oftener  than  the  proverbial 
cat  for  in  the  latter  part  of  1895  the  Union  City  and  Huntington  Railroad 
Company  was  organized  with  the  same  old  view  in  mind.  They  asked  for  a 
subsidy  in  Wayne  township  and  on  April  14,  1896,  the  election  was  held  with 
the  following  result : 

Blank. 


For  Tax. 

Against. 

Precinct  A 

126 

48- 

Precinct  B 

141 

48 

Precinct  C 

121 

49 

Precinct  D 

108 

45 

Bartonia 

7 

129 

Harrisville 

2 

141 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  results  were  very  similar  to  those  of  former 
elections.  This,  so  far  as  we  are  able  to  ascertain,  has  been  the  end  of  build- 
ing railroad  out  of  Union  City  northwest. 

CINCINNATI,  RICHMOND  AND  MUNCIE. 

r 

The  only  remaining  steam  road  to  be  built  in  the  county  was  the  Cincin- 
nati, Richmond  and  Muncie  Railroad  which  passes  through  Losantville.  This 
road  is  sometimes  called  the  "Crooked  Road  to  Muncie,"  and  any  one  having 
ridden  over  it  will  readily  see  the  application  of  the  name.  It  was  built  in 
1900,  but  was  not  a  financial  success  and  went  into  the  hands  of  a  re- 
ceiver February  13,  1908,  at  which  time  James  P  Goodrich,  of  Winchester, 
was  appointed  receiver. 

Mr.  Goodrich  was  able  in  less  than  four  years  to  put  the  road  upon  a 
sound  financial  basis  and  satisfy  the  United  States  federal  authorities  that  he 


8l6  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

had  performed  his  duty  well.    The  road  was  sold  to  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio 
Railroad  Company  of  Indiana. 

When  one  stands  near  a  railroad  today  and  sees  the  monster  engines  go 
past  at  the  rate  of  sixty,  seventy  or  eighty  miles  an  hour  pulling  passenger 
trains  having  from  five  to  fourteen  coaches;  and  freight  trains  from  fifty  to 
one  hundred  coaches,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  imagine  the  condition  when 
the  roads  were  first  built. 

Trains  of  fifty  loaded  cars  travel  today  at  a  high  rate  of  speed  where 
trains  forty  or  fifty  years  ago  used  to  "stick"  with  but  few  small  cars. 

No  one  factor  has  made  rapid  transit  possible  more  than  the  air-brake. 
Formerly  when  a  train  was  to  be  stopped,  the  engineer  blew  one  long  blast 
on  the  whistle,  and  the  brakeman  would  run  over  the  train  or  through  the 
cars  to  the  hand  brakes  and  stop  the  train  "by  hand."  This  took  quite  a  dis- 
tance to  stop  a  train  with  any  speed.  Today  a  train  going  seventy  miles  per 
hour  will  come  to  a. stop  in  much  less  time  than  a  train  one-fourth  its  length 
would  fifty  years  ago  with  a  hand  brake. 

No  factor  has  done  more  for  the  advancement  of  commercial  intei^ests 
than  steam  power,  but  a  new  power  has  come  into  existence.  This  great 
force,  known  to  the  world  as  electricity,  is  understood  only  through  its  effects. 

Three  electric  lines  have  been  planned  to  cross-  Randolph  county ;  two 
of  them  not  having  been  built.  One  of  these  was  to  be  built  from  Richmond 
to  Portland,  passing  through  Lynn,  Winchester  and  Ridgeville ;  the  other  was 
to  be  built  from  Richmond  to  Portland  passing  through  Arba,  Spartanburg, 
Union  City  and  Xew  Pittsburg.  The  other,  built  from  Union  City  to  ?,'Ii-.n- 
cie,  passing  through  Union  City,  Winchester,  Farmland  and  Parker,  of  this 

county  was  built  in  '—,  and  is  now  a  part  of  the  Indiana  Union 

Traction  System.     This  road  was  heralded  with  as  much  joy  as  were  the  - 
steam  roads  when  they  were  built. 

Rapid  transportation  trains  every  hour  of  the  day,  convenient  express 
and  freight  service  have  popularized  the  electric  railroad,  and  they  are  looked 
upon  as  being  as  indispensible  as  steam  roads. 


CHAPTER.  XIV. 


BENCH    AND    BAR. 


The  memory  of  the  Hfe  and  work  of  a  lawyer  to  a  great  degree  passes 
away  with  his  generation;  our  great  judges  are  soon  forgotten,  and  their 
names  and  work  are  preserved  only  in  the  pages  of  dry  and  musty  reports 
of  v.hich  the  average  man  knows,  and  cares  nothing.  The  very  nature  of 
the  work  of  the  lawyer  and  the  jurist  insures  its  speedy  oblivion  in  the  midst 
of  the  more  spectacular  achievements  of  the  soldier,  the  executive,  the  in- 
ventor, the  author  and  the  statesman.  Sow  many  of  the  citizens  of  our 
county  caiL  name  a  half  dozen  of  the  early  judges  and  lawyers  who  were 
prominent  in  our  county  history?  And 'yet  they  were  men  famous  in  their 
day,  looked  upon  with  Something  akin  to  awe  by  the  rough  makers  of  our 
pioneer  civilization. 

This  chapter  is  written  with  a  desire  to  do  some  measure  of  justice  to 
the  men  who  made  the  early  legal  history  of  the  county  and  whose  inem,ories 
are  rapidly  fading,  even  among  the  members  of  the  profession,  and  to  pre- 
serve in  a  permanent  form  something  of  the  work  of  our  modern  bench 
and  bar  which  is  equally  as  sure  of  oblivion  in  the  near  future.  That  this 
desire  will  be  satisfactorily  fulfilled  is  not  even  hoped,  but  we  trust  that  we 
may  be  able  to  set  forth  in  this  chapter  some  information  that  will  make  ' 
it  of  value  to  both  the  legal  profession  and  the  public  generally. 

Indiana  became  a  state  in  1816,  and  Randolph  county  was  formed  dur- 
ing the  legislature  of  181 7-18 18,  held  at  Corydon.  It  was  carved  out  of 
Wayne  county,  which  had  been  formed  in  1810,  and  its  boundaries  were  de- 
scribed as  beginning  at  the  intersection  of  the  Ohio  state  line  with  the  line 
■dividing  townships  16  and  17,  thence  westward  to  the  old  boundary,  thence 
westward  with  the  center  line  of  the  i8th  township  to  the  Indiana  boundary, 
thence  northward  on  the  Indiana  bouncfary  to  the  Ohio  line  and  thence 
south  to  the  beginning,  thus  including  all  the  territory  north  of  Wayne 
county  and  east  and  south  of  the  twelve-mile  boundary.  It  was  afterward 
changed  for  judicial  purposes  and  contained  at  one  time,  the  area  now  occu- 
pied by  the  counties  of  Delaware,  Grant,  Jay,  Adams,  Blackford,  Wells  and 
Allen,  and  an  indefinite  area,  in  which  no  county  had  then  been  organized, 


8l8  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

SO  that  it  is  quite  possible  that  at  one  time  the  courts  of  Randolph  county  had 
jurisdiction  as  far  north  as  the  present  southern  boundiary  of  Michigan. 
Wirichester  was  the  county-seat  from  the  first,  being  laid  out  in  1818,  be- 
fore either  Indianapolis  or  Fort  Wayne  was  established.  The  first  court 
house  was  18x24  feet,. two  stories  high,  and  of  hewn  logs  and  the  jail  was  a 
similar  structure,  to  which  entrance  was  gained  by  a  ladder.  The, Hon. 
O.  H.  Smith,  in  his  "Early  Indiana  Trials,"  gives  an  interesting  description 
of  the  typical  court  room  of  that  day.  "The  building,"  he  says,  "generally 
contained  two  rooms, — ^the  court  roofti  being  the  largest, — -at  one  end  of 
which  there  was  a  platform  elevated  some  three  feet  high,  for  the  judges, 
with  a  long  bench  to  seat  them.  These  benches  were  very  substantial  in 
general,  sufficient  to  sustain  the  most  weighty  judges.  The  bar  had  its 
benches  near  the  table  of  the  clerk,  and  the  crowd  was  kept  back  by  a  long 
pole  fastened  with  withes  at  the  ends." 

The  state  wels  divided  into  judicial  circuits,  each  composed  of  a  num- 
ber of  counties,  and  each  presided  over  by  the  circuit,  or  as  he  was  then 
called,  the  president  judge.  These  judges  moved  about  from  one  county  to 
another  in  their  circuits,  holding  court  at  the  various  county-seats,  and  Ran- 
dolph was  in  the  third  judicial  circuit.  The  president  judges  were  appointed 
by  the  legislature  and  were  invariably  men  well  versed  with  the  law,  but  the 
most  interesting  feature  of  our  early  judicial  organization  was  the  system 
of  associate  judges.  Two  associate  judges  were  elected  in  each  county  by 
the  people,  and  no  legal  knowledge  was  required  of  them;  they  sat  with  the 
president  judge  and  each  of  them  had  equal  power  with  him,  a  power  which 
they  often  exercised  in  overruling  his  decision.  The  associates  often  carried 
on  the  business  of  the  court  in  the.  absence  of  the  president  judge,"  the  rec- 
ords often  showing  that  after  important  cases  had  been  disposed  of  he  left 
the  bench  and  they  proceeded  to  the  end  of  the  term,  ruling  on  pleadings, 
the  -meaning  of  which  they  had  not  the  slightest  idea.  The  average  lawyer 
of  those  days  was  a  man  learned  not  only  in  the  substance  of  the  law,  but 
also  in  its  highly  technical  language,  and  the  associates  were  often  compelled 
to  appeal  to  them  to  learn  the  meaning  of  terms  used  in  the  arguments  and 
pleadings.  Many  of  our  early  lawyers  were  men  educated  in  eastern  uni- 
versities, who  brought  with  them  much  of  culture  and  refinement  entirely 
foreign  to  our  rude  frontiersmen;  they  were  looked  upon  as  professional 
men  indeed,  invariably  being  the  leaders  of  social  and  intellectual  life  of  the 
community.  The  country  was  largely  virgin  forest  and  the  population  hardy 
and  rough,  and  generally  reckless.    This  latter  characteristic  is  amply  illus^ 


.RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  »  819 

trated  by  the  pages  of  the  early  court  order  books,  on  which  a  great  amount 
of  space  is  devoted  to  indictments  for  affray,  riot,  and  assault  and  battery 

The  members  of  our  present  bar  may  find  it  hard  to  picture  in  their 
minds  the  practice  of  law  under  such  conditions.  The  lawyers  often  trav- 
eled about  the  circuit  with  the  president  judge,  riding  horseback  through  the 
forests,  fording  streams  and  putting  up  at  rough  country  taverns,  and  in 
spite  of  the  scholastic  atmosphere  which  surrounded  the  practice  of  law,  it 
was  not  a  sedentary  pursuit  by  any  means  and  its  followers  were  apt  to 
become  physically  hardy  and  vigorous  like  the  people  among  whom  they 
lived. 

Mr.  Smith  gives  an  interesting  picture  of  the  early  court  days. 
"The  'crowds'  at  that  day  thought  the  holding  of  a  court  a  great  afifair.  The 
people  came  hundreds  of  miles  to  see  the  judges,  and  hear  the  lawyers 
'plead'  as  they  called  it.  On  one  occasion  there  came  to  be  tried  before  the 
jury  an  indictment  for  an  assault  and  battery  against  a  man  for  pulling  the 
nos€  of  another  who  had  insulted  him.  The  court  room  was  filled  to  suffo- 
cation. The  two  associate  judges  were  on  the  bench.  The  evidence  had 
been  heard  and  public  expectation  was  on  tip-toe.  All  was  silent  as  death, 
when  my  young  friend,  then  'squire',  afterward  Judge  Charles  H.  Test,  rose 
and  addressed  the  court :  'If  the  court  please.'  He  was  here  interrupted  by 
Judge  Winchell  from  the  bench :  'Yes,  we  do  please ;  go  to  the  bottom  of  the 
case,  young  man.  The  people  have  come  in  to  hear  the  lawyers  plead.'  The 
young  squire,  encouraged  by  the  kind  response  of  the  judge,  proceeded  to 
address  the  jury  some  three  hours  in  excited  eloquence  upon  the  great  provo- 
cation his  client  had  received  to  induce  his  docile  nature  to  bound  over  all 
legal  barriers, and  take  the  prosecutor  by  the  nose.  All  eyes  were  upon  him, 
and  as  he  closed,  Judge  Winchell  roared  out,  'Capital ;  I  did  not  think  it  was 
in  him!'  The  jury  returned  a  verdict  of  not  guilty  amid  the  rapturous  ap- 
plause of  the  audience.  Court  adjourned,  and  the  people  returned  home  to 
tell  their  children  that  they  had  heard  the  lawyers  'plead.'  " 

It  may  be  noted  that  until  the  constitution  of  185 1  the  common  law  of 
England  was  largely  the  law  of  our  state,  and  that  the  library  of  the  aver- 
age"backwoods"  lawyer  consisted  generally  of  a  work  on  common  law 
pleading,  the  few  Indiana  statutes  then  in  force  and  the  volumes  of  Black- 
ford's reports,  all  of  which  were  easily  carried  from  place  to  place. 

Randolph  county  was  a  part  of  the  third  judicial  district  until   1830, 

'when  it  was  made  a  part  of  the  sixth  circuit,  it  was  changed  to  the  eleventh 

district  in  1838,  and  it  now  constitutes  the  twenty-fifth  judicial  circuit.     All 

the  probate  business  of  the  county  was  transacted  by  the  associate  judges 


820  ,  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

of  the  circuit  court  until  1829,  when  the  legislature  created  probate  courts. 
In  1 83 1  a  separate  probate  court  was  established  for  each  county,  presided 
over  by  a  single  judge,  and  this  situation  continued  until  1852,  when  the 
court  was  abolished  by  the  legislature.  No  separate  court  of  chancery  ever 
sat  in  Randolph  county,  and  no  circuit  court  has  always  exercised  chancery 
jurisdiction.  The  English  chancery  forms  were  universally  used  until  1852, 
when  distinctions  between  law  and  equity  were  abolished,  and  since  which 
time  there  has  been  no  distinct  chancery  side  of  our  circuit  courts.  In  1852 
the  same  legislature  which  abolished  the  probate  courts  created  a  court  of 
common  pleas  for  each  county  in  the  state,  presided  over  by  a  separate 
judge,  and  Randolph  county  had  a  common  pleas  court  until  it  was  abolished 
in  1873.  The  common  pleas  court  had  jurisdiction  of  all  matters  formerly 
taken  charge  of  by  the  probate  courts,  and.  in  addition  could  try  all  cases 
except  for  libel,  slander,  breach  of  marriage  contract,  action  on  official  bond, 
actions  involving  title  to  real  estate  and  actions  involving  more  than  $1,000, 
the  circuit  court  having  exclusi\'e  jurisdiction  of  all  such  excepted  actions. 

Except  in  certain  classes  of  cases,  specifically  designated  by  statute, 
which  are  tried  before  justices  of  the  peace,  mayors  of  cities,  and  county 
commissioners,  all  legal  practice  in  Randolph  county  is  now  confined  to  the 
circuit  court. 

The  first  court  held  in  Randolph  county  was  on  October  12,  1818,  at 
the  house  of  William  Way,  before  William  Edwards  and  John  Wright,  asso- 
ciate judges.  The  first  action  of  the  court  was  to  admit  James  Rariden  to 
the  bar  and  appoint  him  prosecuting  attorney.  A  grand  jury  was  empanelled, 
retired  and  returned  to  report  no  indictments;  the  grand  jury  was  discharged 
and  court  adjourned.  Chai-les  Conway  was  clerk  of  the  court,  and  sessions 
were  held  at  his  house  until  the  court  house  was  built.  Court  sat  but  once 
in  1818  and  twice  in  1819,  and  at  the  September  term,  1819,  John  Watts, 
the  president  judge  of  the  circuit,  presided.  That  our  sturdy  pioneers  were 
not  slow  in  airing  their  domestic  difficulties  in  court  is  evidenced  by  the  fact ' 
that  a  bill  for  divorce  was  filed  at  the  June  term,  1820;  the  bill  was  evidently 
defective,  however,  as  it  was  dismissed  on  a  demurrer  filed  by  prosecutor 
Rariden,  who  received  an  allowance  of  $10.00  for  his  services.  The  prose- 
cutor was  allowed  $12.00  per  term,  and  the  associate  judges  $2.00  a  day, 
for  their  services  at  this  time.  In  October,  1820,  court  met  at  the  court 
house  for  the  first  time,  and  in  October,  1821,  the  Hon.  Miles  C.  Eggleston, 
of  whom  O.  H.  Smith  has  written  many  interesting  anecdotes,  sat  as  presi- 
dent judge.  The  first  indictment  returned,  was  in  October,  1820,  and  was, 
as  might  be  expected,  for  an  affray,  and  in  April,  1822,  six  indictments  for 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  82 1 

assault  and  battery  were  returned.  The  records  show  that  an  indictment 
was  returned  against  Henry  Smith  and  Jesse  Gray  for  murder,  and  this  case 
gtood  on  the  docket  until  February,  1825,  when  it  was  nolle  prossed. 

At  this  time  the  business  of  the  court  consisted  largely  of  actions  on  the 
case,  civil  and  criminal  trespass,  assault  and  battery,  riot  and  affray,  and 
the  charlcery  side  of  the  court  was  occupied  by  actions  concerning  real  estate 
where  publication  of  notice  to  non-residents  was  ordered.  It  is  interestmg 
that  all  publications  went  to  the  Richmond  Weekly  Intelligencer,  there  being 
po  newspaper  in  Randolph  county.  Fort  Wayne,  then  a  village  of  two  hun- 
dred inhabitants,  was  in  Randolph  county  at  that  time  and  one  Alexander 
Ewing  was  licensed  in  this  court  to  keep  a  tavern  in  Fort  Wayne.  At  the 
February  term,  1825,  Oliver  H.  Smith  (the  author  of  "Early  Indiana 
Trials"),  produced  his  commission  and  was  sworn  in  as  prosecuting  attor- 
ney of  the  third  judicial  district.  Charles  H.  Test,  who  afterward  became 
judge,  was  sworn  in  as  prosecutor  in  August,  1827. 

At  the  February  term,  1832,  with  judge  Charles  H.  Test  presiding,  and 
William  Edwards  and  John  Wright  still  serving  as  associates,  rules  of  court 
were  adopted,  some  of  which  are  so  interesting  as  to  require  mention  here. 

Rule  2  provides  that  it  shall  be  "the  duty  of  the  bailiff  to  take  the  petit 
jury  to  their  place  of  retirement,  there  to  keep  them  without  meat  or  drink, 
water  excepted." 

By  rule  3  the  bailiff  is  charged  with  the  duty  of  keeping  "the  most  pro- 
found silence  amongst  -the  bystanders"  and  "to  prevent  all  persons  not-  hav- 
ing business  from  coming  within  the  bar." 

Rule  y.  "The  members-  of  the  bar  shall  be  once  called  aloud  by  the 
sheriff  at  the  door  of  the  court  house  immediately  after  the  opening  of  the 
court  and  before  the  minutes  of  the  preceding  day  are  read  and  signed." 

Rule  9.  "If  one  attorney  shall  interrupt  another  in  the  examination  of 
a  witness  by  asking  a  question  or  in  any  other  manner  except  by  rising  in 
his  place  and  regularly  objecting  to  the  court  he  will  be  punished." 

These  remarkable  rules  further  provide  that  if  any  attorney  wander 
from  the  point  in  argument  he  will  be  stopped;  that  on  the  calling  of  the 
•docket  attorneys  shall  be  given  precedence  according  to  the  dates  of  their 
licenses ;  that  no  bill  of  exceptions  containing  any  part  of  the  evidence  in  a 
cause  will  ever  be  signed  unless  the  party  excepting  will  reduce  the  evidence 
to  writing  before. the  witness  retire  from  the  bar  or  the  bill  is  agreed  to  by  the 
opposing  counsel;  that  "not  more  than  two  counsel  will  be  allowed  to  argue 
a  cause  to  the  jury  on  each  side,  nor  in  civil  cases  will  common  law  authori- 


822  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

ties  be  read  to  the  jury  by  the  counsel  unless  by  the  special  permission  of  the 
court  first  obtained." 

Members  of  the  profession. will  find  a  peculiar  interest  in  these  rules, 
and  it  may  be  that  the  administration  of  justice  would  be  facilitated,  and 
greater  respect  for  our  courts  imbued  in  our  people,  were  some  of  them 
in  force  today.  Reference  to  the  order  books  demonstrates  that  these  rules 
were,  at  least  at  times,  rigidly  enforced. 

Indictments  for  betting,  gaming,  retailing  liquors  without  license,  as- 
sault and  battery,  malicious  mischiCT  and  vending  foreign  merchandise,  bills 
for  divorce  and  specific  performance  of  law  contracts  on  the  chancery  side 
of  the  court,  and  actions  for  debt  and  on  the  case  on  trespass  of  various 
kinds,  constituted  the  chief  business  of  the  court  for  many  A'ears,  and  at  the 
September  term,  1840,  there  were  no  less  than  forty  .criminal  cases  on  the 
docket.  Court  business  had  increased  until  in  1839  the  April  term  lasted 
from  April  22nd  until  May  3rd.  The  murder  trial  of  James  Holland  occu- 
pied the  time  of  the  court  from  May  i6th  to  the  21st  in  1838,  and  the 
"pleading"  of  the  lawyers,  lasting  two  days,  must  have  given  rare  enter- 
tainment to  our  citizens.  The  action  of  ejectment,  or  as  it  was  then  known, 
"ejectione  firmae,"  held  no  small  place  on  our  early  dockets,  quite  a  differ- 
ent action  from  the  modern  action  of  that  name,  and  is  well  illustrative  of 
the  subtleties  and  complexities  of  common  law  pleading,  with  which  our 
early  lawyers  were  necessarily  familiar.  Following  is  a  typical  case:  John 
Doe,  ex  demise  John  Morrison  vs.  Richard  Roe;  September  term,  1844. 
Mr.  Doe  in  his  complaint  sets  out  that  on  August  21st  John  Morrison  leased 
certain  real  estate  to  him  for  ten  years ;  that  he,  Doe,  entered  upon  the  real 
estate  and  then  on  the  very  day  the  defendant  Richard  Roe,  who  happened 
to  be  strolling  that  way,  entered  also  and  put  off  poor  Doe,  "with  force  and 
arms."  Attached  to  this  complaint  against  Roe  is  a  note  as  follows:  "Mr. 
Joseph  Merryfield :  I  am  informed  that  you  are  in  possession  of  or  claim 
title  to  the  premises  in  the  foregoing  declaration  of  ejectment,  and  I  being 
sued  in  this  action  as  casual  ejector  only  and  having  no  claim  whatever  to 
the  same,  advise  you  to  appear  on  the  ist  day  of  the  next  term  of  the  Ran- 
dolph Circuit  Court  to  cause  yourself  to  be  made  defendant  in  my  stead ; 
otherwise  I  shall  suffer  default  and  you  will  be  turned  out  of  possession. 
Your  loving  cousin,  Richard  Roe."  Mr.  Merryfield,  being  served  with  this 
notice  by  the  sheriff,  hastens  into  court  and  applies  to  tlie  -court  for  permis- 
sion to  be  made  defendant  in  this  case,  thus  proving  that,  unlike  his  loving 
-cousin  Roe,  he  is  somewhat  interested  in  the  result.  The  court  thereupon 
allows  Mr.  Merryfield  to  enter  as  a  defendant,  upon  condition  that  he  plead 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  823 

by  simply  making  a  denial  of  the  complaint,  and  that  at  the  trial  he  shall 
confess  that  John  Morrison  went  on  the  land  in  question  and  there  executed 
a  lease  for  ten  years  to  John  Doe  and  that  the  mischievous  Roe  thereupon 
pushed  Doe  off  and  took  possession  himself.  Mr.  Merryfield  will  do  all  these 
things  and  get  himself  substituted  for  Roe  as  defendant  at  the  trial  and  the 
action  will  proceed  with  the  question  solely  one  of  title  between  Morrison 
and  Merryfield.  It  is  then  apparent  that  the  controversy  has  been  there  all 
the  time,  that  Morrison  has  claimed  title  to  a  farm  which  Merryfield  thinks 
belongs  to  him..  Morrison,  in  order  to  try.  his  claim,  sues  the  other  in  eject- 
ment; but  the  common  law  action  of  ejectment  is  one  for  possession  of  real 
estate,  has  had  a  peculiar  history,  and  must  be  carefully  handled,  so  these 
two' men,  aided  by  their  diligent  attorneys,  go  through  the  form  of  confess- 
ing that  John  Doe  has  a  lease  from  Morrison  and  that  Roe  has  dispossessed 
him.  By  the  process  shown  above,  the  battle  between  the  straw  men  is 
gradually  narrowed  down  until  at  the  trial  poor  Doe  and  Roe  are  entirely 
neglected  and  the  two  real  parties  proceed  to  try  their  claims  to  the  land. 

The  action  of  ejectment  was  a  once  common  one,  and  the  order  books 
furnish  plenty  of  examples  like  the  above,  but  the  new  laws  in  1852  abolished 
all  legal  fictions  and  retired  Doe  and  Roe  to  oblivion. 

The  following  interesting  item  appears  among  the  minutes  of  the  court 
made  on  May  2nd,  1840:  "Robert  Way  is  allowed  75  cents  for  hauling 
two  loads  of  saw  dust  to  put  on  the  court  house  floor  during  the  present  term 
of  court." 

On  August  14,  1844,  Adam  Fey,  a  German,  filed  in  court  a  declaration 
of  his  intention  to  become -a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and  on  September 
5th,  following  he  was  placed  on  trial  for  the  murder  of  Heltz,  his  son-in- 
law.  Martin  M.  Ray,  William  Ray,  Silas  Colgrove  and  Beattie  McClel- 
land were  assigned  by  the  court  to  defend  him,  and  John  Davis  was  prose- 
cutor; the  trial  lasted  six  days,  Fey  was  convicted  and  sentenced  to  be 
hanged,  and  his  attorneys  were  allowed  $20.00  each  for  their  six  days'  work. 
Fey's  sentence  was  afterward  commuted  to  life  imprisonment  and  he  com- 
mitted suicide  in  prison. 

The  new  rules  of  court,  -adapted  in  1846,  provided  that  each  applicant 
for  license  to  practice  law  must  furnish  a  certificate  of  good  moral  character 
and  that  "he  has  read  law  diligently  under  the  direction  and  tuition  of  some 
reputable  practising  attorney  at  least  one  year."  Unfortunately,  our  present 
constitution  prevents  any  such  qualification  as  the  latter. 

A  condition  which  the  modern  lawyer  may  find  it  difficult  to  appreciate 
is  illustrated  by  the  following  entry,  made  at  the  spring  term,  1851 :    "Or- 


624  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

clfered  by  the  court  that  the  clerk  keep  the  copy  of  Blackford's  Reports  fur- 
nished by  the  state  for  the  use  of  this  court,  safely  in  his  office  during  the 
vacations  of  this  court,  to  be  kept  safely  locked  up." 

The  first  sessions  of  the  probate  court  presided  over  by  John  Wright 
and  William  Edwards,  associate  judges  of  the  circuit  court,  were  held  at  the 
houses  of  Paul  Way  and  Charles  Conway,  and  the  first  business  transacted 
was  the  binding  of  Anthony  A\'ay,  a  minor  son  of  Huldy  Way,  by  his 
guardian,  Jonathan  Ozborn,  to  Thomas  Frazier,  "to  learn  the  art  ofiabor 
or  husbandry,''  until  he  should  aftive  at  his  majority. 

The  associate  judges  of  the  circuit  court  carried  on  the  probate  business 
oi"  the  county  until  1831,  when  the  legislature  gave  it  a  separate  probate 
court.  James  T.  Listen  was  its  first  judge,  serving  from  1831  to  1833,  then 
Zachariah  Puckett,  i'833-i8.34;  Smith  Elkins,  1834-1836;  Edmund  B.  Good- 
rich, 1836-18J2:  Beattie  McClelland,  1842-1849,  and  George  Debolt  from 
1849  until  the  court  was  abolished  by  the  legislature,  in  1852.. 

The  president  judges,  or  zs  they  were  afterward  known  and  are  now 
known,  the  circuit  judges,  in  the  order  of  their  service  in  the  Randolph 
Circuit  Court  are  as  follows:  John  Watts,  1818-1821 ;  Miles  C.  Eggleston, 
1821-1830:  Charles  H.  Test;  1830-1836;  Samuel  Bigger,  1836-1839;  David 
Kilgore,  1839-1846;  Jeremiah  Smith,  1846-1852;  Joseph  Anthony,  1852- 
1855:  Jeremiah  Smith,  1855-1858:  Jehu  T.  Elliott,  1858-1864:  Silas  Col- 
grove,  1864-1870;  Jacob  'SI.  Haynes,  1870-1873:  John  J.  Cheney,  1873; 
Silas  Colgrove,  1874-1879;  Leander  J.  Monks,  1879-1894;  Garland  D.  Will- 
iamson (by  appointment),  from  October  to  close  of  year  1894;  Albert  O. 
Marsh.  1894-1902:  John  W.  Macy,  1902-1908;  James  S.  Engle,  1908-1914. 

John  Watts,  the  first  president  judge  of  this  circuit,  was  a  Baptist 
preacher,  characterized  by  O.  H.  Smith  as  a  man  of  strong,  clear  mind, 
friendly  to  all,  and  always  courteous  to  Ihe  bar. 

Miles  C.  Eggleston,  the  next  Judge,  presided  over  the  third  judicial  cir- 
cuit, which  extended  from  the  county  of  Jefferson  on  the  south  to  the  state 
of  Michigan  on  the  north,  some  200  miles,  and  from  the  Ohio  line  on  the 
east  to  White  river  on  the  west  near  where  Indianapolis  is  now  located. 
Judge  Eggleston  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  popular  of  the  early  In- 
diana jurists,  and  many  interesting  stories  of  him  are  told  by  Mr.  Smith. 
He  was  an  able,  fearless  and  honest  judge,  especially  kind  and  courteous 
to  young  members  of  the  bar,  and  his  figure  stands  out  prominently  among 
the  heroes  of  the  "Early  Indiana  Trials."  • 

Charles  H.  Test  followed  Judge  Eggleston  on  the  bench,  when  he  was 
not  yet  thirty,  years  of  age.    He  ranked  among  the  ablest  of  his  profession 


,RANDOLI*H    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  825 

and  practiced  law  a  number  of  years  after  his  retirement  from  the  bench. 
Judge  Test  lived  on  his  farm  near  Centerville,  and  was  very  fond  of  hunt- 
ing and  fishing  and  all  .outdoor  amusements.  He  became  a  member  of  the 
state  legislature,  secretary  of  state,  and  later,  when  he  removed  to  Indian- 
apolis, judge  of  the  criminal  court  of  Marion  county. 

Samuel  Bigger,  the  next  circuit  judge,  came  from  Rushville.  He  was 
a  solid,  honest,  fearless  man,  and  after  leaving  the  bench,  served  as  governor 
of  the  state.  Judge  Bigger  is  described  as  a  man  over  six  feet  high,  with 
a  fine  face  and  comrnanding  appearance,  and  an  orator  in  great  favor  with 
the  people,  always  closing  his  speeches  with  an  eulogy  of  General  Harrison. 

David  Kilgore  followed  Judge  Bigger.  Kilgore  was  popularly  known 
as  the  "Delaware  Chief",  was  highly  successful  as  a  practising  lawyer  and 
was  a  power  as  a  stump  speaker.  He  arfterward  served  many  years  in 
cong'ress.  "'        ■, 

Jeremiah  Smith  was  one  of  the  early  settlers'  of  Randolph  county  and 
the  proprietor  of  the  town  of  Union  City>  He  was  an  energetic  and  vigor- 
oiis  lawyer  and  a  competent  judge,  and  acquired  prominence  in  railroad 
building  and  management,  becoming  'president  of  the  Cincinnati,  Union  and 
Ft.  Wayne,  and  the  Evansville,  Indianapolis  &  Cleveland  Railroad  Com- 
panies. Joseph  Anthony,  of  Delaware  county,  was  judge  between  the  'two 
terms  of  Judge  Smith.  John  T.  Elliott,  of  New  Castle,  followed  Judge 
Smith.  He  was  a  sound  and  able  lawyer  and  afterward  became  judge  of  the 
supreme  court.     His' opinions  rank  among  the  best  of  the  Indiana  judges. 

Silas  Colgrove,  a  brigadier  general  of  the  Civil  war,  was  appointed  in 
186-!.  by  Governor  Morton  to  fill  out  the  unexpired  term  of  Judge  Elliott, 
who  had  been  elected  to  the  supreme  bench.  He  was  elected  judge  m  the 
same  year  and  served  until  1871,  and  was  again  elected  in  1873,  serving 
another  term  of  "six  years.  Judge  Colgrove's  forte  as  a  lawyer  was  his 
knowledge  of  men  and  his  natural  powers  to  command.  He  was  clear- 
headed, fair  and  impartial,  and  while  not  profound  in  "book  law,"  he  was 
a  man  of  excellent  judgment,  strong  common  sense  and  rarely  made  mis- 
takes. He  came  to  Winchester  frOm  Steuben  county.  New  York,  in  1837 
and  resided  here  until  shortly  before  his  death,  when  he  returned  east. 

Jdhn  J.  Cheney,  a  former  partner  of  Judge  Colgrove,  and  of  Thomas 
M.  Browne,  was  serving  as  common  pleas  judge  in  1873  when  the  legisla- 
ture abolished  that  court,  and  was  thereupon  appointed  judge  of  the  twenty- 
fifth  judicial  circuit  by  Governor  Hendricks.  He  served  until  the,  next  regular 
election,  when  he  refused  to  be  a  candidate  again.  Judge  Cheney  came  to 
Winchester  in  1852  from  Greene  county,  Ohio. 


826  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

He  was  more  than  forty  years  at  the  bar  and  was  the  highest  and  best '' 
type  of  "all-round"  lawyer, — clear  concise  and  brief  in  his  pleadings,  he  had 
utter  contempt  for  the  redundancies  and  superfluous  allegations  which  char- 
acterize the  work  of  so  many  lawyers;  he  managed  the  trial  of  cases  well, 
and  although  he  was  no  orator,  he  was  very  effective  with  juries,  impress- 
ing them  invariably  with  his  sincerity  and  seriousness.  He  maintained  his 
high  reputation  on  the  bench.  Judge  Cheney  was  a  man  of  high  sense  ot 
honor  and  strict  integrity,  fond  gi  home  and  family  above  all  else;  he  had 
a  strong  sense  of  humor,  and  was  loved  and  honored  by  all  who  knew  him 
well.    He  died  at  Winchester  in  1903. 

Jacob  M.  Haynes,  of  Portland,  served  as  common  pleas  judge  of  Ran- 
dolph and  Jay  counties  from  1856  to  i860,  of  Jay,  Randolph,  Blackford  and 
Delaware  from  i860  to  1870,  ajid  in  the  latter  year  was  elected  judge  of 
the  circuit  composed  of  Jay,  Randolph,  Blackfprd  and  Wayne  counties. 
Judge  Haynes  had  a  record  of  twenty-one  continuous  years'  on  the  bench 
and  was  a  man  of  sterling  qualities.  He  was  said  to  be  absolutely  fair  and 
impartial  on  the  bench.  Leander  J.  Monks  occupied  the  bench  of  the  Ran- 
dolph Circuit  Court  continuously  from  1878  to  1894.  He  was  elected  in 
1894  as  a  supreme  judge  of  the  state  and  served  as  such  until  19 12.  He 
was -among  the  ablest  of  Indiana  jurists,  and  his  opinions,  brief  and  pointed, 
are  highly  regarded.  He  has  helped  make  much  of  the  legal  history  of  Ran- 
dolph county  and  of  Indiana.  Although  still  a  resident  of  Winchester,  Judge 
Alonks  is  now  practising  law  in  Indianapolis.  A  complete  sketch  of  him  is 
given  elsewhere. 

Garland  D.  Williamson,  now  of  Ridgeville,  served  as  judge  by  appoint- 
ment of  Governor  }\Iatth(;ws  from  October  to  December,  1894.  ( Mr.  Will- 
iams was  a  nati\'e  of  Pennsylvania,  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war,  and  is  now. 
serving  as  postmaster  at  Ridgeville  by  appointment  of  President  \Vilson. ) 
Albert  O.  Marsh,  the  regularly  elected  judge,  took  office  at  the  beginning  of 
1895.  Mr.  Marsh  had  served  as  a  captain  in  the  Civil  war  with  distinction,  had 
been  prosecuting  ?ttorney  and  a  prominent  figure  in  politics,  and  proved'  to  be 
an  able  judge.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  character  and  a  successful  lawyer.  He 
served  as  judge  until  1902,  when  he  was  appointed  United  States  pension 
agent  for  Indiana.  He  died  at  Winchester  in  1912.  Judge  Marsh  was  vig- 
orous and  forceful  at  the  bar  and  on  the  bench;  of  commanding  figure  and 
impressive  demeanor,  and  although  not  always  understood,  was  always  sin- 
cere and  earnest,  a  conscientious  and  fearless  lawyer  and  judge.  He  was  an 
enthusiastic  worker  in  politics,  an  eloquent  speaker,  and  had  an  enviable 
record  as  a  soldier. 


.RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  .     827 

In  1902  Governor  Durbin  appointed  John  W.  Macy,  at  the  time  a  prac- 
tising attorney  of  Winchester,  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of  Judge  Marsh 
who  had  been  appointed  pension  agent  for  the  state  of  Indiana,  and  at  the 
fall  election  following,  Judge  Macy  was  elected  without  opposition.  His 
term  expiring  at  the  end  of  1908,  he  re-entered  the  law  firm  ,of  Macy, 
Nichols  and  Bales,  but  was  soon  compelled  to  retire  from  the  practice  by  ill 
health,  and  died  in  August,  1912.  He  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  an 
enthusiastic  Republican,  and  a  man  of  indomitable  energy  with  but  small  am- 
bition for  himself.  He  was  a  successful  lawyer  and  business  man,  with  an 
almost. superhuman  capacity  for  hard  work,  and  served  the  county  well  as 
judge. 

Judge  Macy  was  succeeded  by  James  S.  Engle,  another  Winchester  at- 
torney. Judge  Engle  had  long  been  in  the  active  practice  of  law  and  had 
met  with  marked  success.  His  legal  ability  was  of  a  high  order,  he  was 
energetic  and  vigorous  in  his  conduct  of  cases  and  was  successful  before 
juries,  and  as  a  judge  he  has  proven  .tireless  and  efficient,  rapidly  dispatch- 
ing the  business  of  the  court  as  it  came  before,  him.  His  term  expires  with 
the  present  year  (1914). 

Of  the  various  probate  -judges  who  have  been  mentioned  above.  Smith 
Elkins,  Edmund  B.   Goodrich,  Zachariah  Puckett,   Beattie  McClelland  and 
George  Debolt  were  perhaps  the  most  prominent.     Elkins  was  admitted  to 
practise  in  the  Randolph  Circuit  Court  in  1833  and  long  enjoyed  a  lucrative  . 
practise  at  this  bar.     He  served  as  probate  judge  from  1834  to  1836. 

Edmund  B.  Goodrich  came  to  Randloph  county  from  Virginia  in  183 1, 
his  father  having  been  a  judge  in  that  state.  He  served  as  probate  judge 
from  1836  to  1842. 

Beattie  McClelland  was  born  and  educated  in  Ireland  and  brought  with 
him  to  the  study  and  practice  of  law  much  of  his  native  Irish  wit.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  here  in  1839,  was  probate  judge  from  1842  to  1849  and 
practised  at  this  bar  until  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  war,  when  he  moved  to 
Columbus,  Indiana.  He  was  long  in  partnership  with  Moorman  Way,  was  one 
of  the  most  prominent  of  Randolph  county  attorneys,  and  was  afterward 
elected   and  served  as  circuit  judge  in  Bartholomew  county. 

George  Debolt  was  the  last  probate  judge  of  this  county,  serving  from 
1849  to  1852. 

The  common  pleas  court  was  of  barely  twenty  years'  duration.  Its 
first  judge,  Nathan  B.  Hawkins,  of  Jay  county,  who  had  been  admitted  to 
practise  at  this  bar  in  1841,  died  in  the  year  of  his  election,  1853.     James 


828  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Brown,  his  successor,  was  licensed  to  practise  in  Randolph  county  in  1846 
and  was  on  the  common  pleas  bench  from  1853  to  1854. 

William  A.  Peelle,  the  next  judge,  came  to  Winchester  in  1846  and 
became^  prosecuting  attorney  in  1848.  He  was  on  the  bench  from  1854  to 
i860  and  was  twice  afterward  elected,  secretary  of  state.  He  removed  to 
Centerville,  Wayne  county,  in  1864,  and  practiced  law  there  until  the  county- 
seat  was  changed  to  Richmond,  after  which  he  lived  in  that  city..  He  also 
served  as  judge  of  the  criminal  court  of  Wayne  county,  and  was  a  member 
of  the  legislature. 

Jacob  M.  Haynes,  of  whom  we  have  written  above,  followed  Judge 
Peelle  and  served  as  common  pleas  judge  until  the  court  was  abolished  in 

In  mentioning  the  early  lawyers  who  practised  at  this  bar,  it  should  be 
borne  in  mind  that  few  of  them  lived  in  Randolph  county;  they  came,  gen- 
erally on  horseback,  with  other  lawyers,  and  often  riding  with  the  circuit 
judge,  were  formally  admitted  to  practise,  and  when  their  business  was  com- 
pleted rode  away  to  their  homes  or  to  other  "court  towns"  in  the  circuit 
where  they  had  business. 

Alonzo  L.  Nichols  has  practiced  law  with  marked  success  since  1889, 
.excepting  a  four  years'  term  as  clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court,  to  which  office  he 
was  elected  in  1892.  He  has  been  active  in  church  work  and  in  all  move- 
ments for  moral  and  civic  reform. 

John  W.  Newton  has  won  distinction  as  a  trial  lawyer,  having  been 
connected  either  on  behalf  of  the  prosecution  or  defense  in  many  of  the 
most  important  criminal  cases  tried  in  this  county  during  the  last  twenty- 
five  years.  '-* 

Thomas  W.  Hutchens  was  formerly  engaged  in  the  teaching  profession, 
but  has  practiced  law  in  Winchester  since  1893.  He  has  served  fotir  years 
as  deputy  prosecuting  attorney  and  has  been  twice  elected  mayor  of  \Vin- 
chest-er. 

Wesley  O.  Smith  is  a  graduate  of  the  Central  Normal  College  and  has 
been  in  the  practice  of  law  since  1886. 

Silas  A.  Canada  has  long  been  prominent  in  legal  and  business  circles. 
He  has  served  as  prosecuting  attorney  and  has  represented  the  counts  in  two 
terms  in  the  state  legislature.  He  has  often  been  called  upon  to  act  as  special 
judge. 

Cla'rkson  L.  Hutchens,  former  prosecuting  attorney,  is  now  in  the  Civil 
Service  of  the  state.    He  was  for  a  term  postmaster  of  Winchester. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  .  829 

The  first  lawyer  admitted  was  James  Rariden,  on  October  12,  1818,  and 
the  following  is  the  record  of  admissions  as  shown  by  the  order  books: 

John  A.  Daley,  1819;  James  Gilmore,  Isaac  M.  Johnson,  1820;  Bethuel 
F.  Morris,  Cyrus  Finch,  1821;  Charles  W.  Ewing,  1822;  Martin  M.  Ray, 
William  Steele,  Lot  Bloomfield,  1823;  Josiah  F.  Polke,  1824;  Oliver  H. 
Smith,  1825;  Amos  Lane,  i82(5;  Charles  H.  Test,  1827;  Septimus  Smith, 
Richard  Winchell,  1828;  Foster  P.  Wright,  John  D.  Vaughn,  John  S.  New- 
man, and  Caleb  B.  Smith,  1829;  James  Perry,  Hiram  Bell,  Gustavus  A, 
Everts  and  Samuel  Bigger,  1830;  Samuel  C.  Sample,  Jonathan  A.  Liston, 
183 1 ;  William  J.  Brown,  Henry  Cooper,  Abner  Haynes,  Samuel  W.  Parker 
David  Kilgore  and  David  H.  Colerick,,  1832;  Thomas  C.  Anthony,  Smith 
Elkins,  Isaac  N.  Jones  and  Zachariah  Puckett,  1833;  Cyrus  Dempsey,  An- 
drew. Kennedy,  1834;  William  Elliott,  WilHam  G.  Renner,  1835;  Joseph 
Anthony,  Beattie  McClelland,  John  Brownlee,  1836;  Jeremiah  Smith,  James 
S.  Sullivan,  1837;  James  W.  Borden,  1838;  Hugh  T.  Reid,  Morrison  Roulon, 
Jehu  T.  Elliott,  Richard  Winchell,  Moses  Jenkinson,  Moorman  Way,  Jacob 
B.  Julian,  E.  A.  McMahon,  Silas  Colgrove,  John  M.  Wallace,  1839;  Andrew 
J.  Harlan,  James  Hannah,  Thomas  D.  Walpole,  Nathan  B.  Hawkins,  Walter 
March,  Edmund  Johnson,  John  Charles,  J.  S.  Buckles',  1841 ;  John  Davis, 
John  Marshall,  James  A.  Fay,  Reuben  A.  Riley,  George  Beard,  John  D. 
•  Stewart,  John  Collett,  James  H.  Swain,  I.  H.  Cook,  T.  J.  Sample,  Ariel  K. 
Eaton,  1842;  Nimrod  H.  Johnson,  William  Dailey,  1843;  Seth  Smith,  Rob- 
ert N.  Williams,  Fielding  R.  Merryfield,  Robert  W.  Cooper,  William  Ray, 
1844;  Samuel  T.  Orr,  Matthew  S.  Ward,  Miles  Hunt,  William  Brady,  Carey 
S.  Goodrich,  1845;  Enoch  Justice,  Joseph  W.  HoUiday,  James  Brown,  1846; 
William  A.  Peelle,  1848;  Thomas  M.  Browne,  1849;  William  A.  Boyd, 
Warren  H.  Withers,  Elijah  B.  Martindale  and  William  Moorman,  18517 
Zeba  Brown,  Howell  D.  Thompson,  Benjamin  Hubbard,  William  Garver, 
John  J.  Cheney,  1852;  Enos  L.  Watson,  1856;  Alex.  Wood,  1855;  Martin 
B.  Miller,  185$;  Daniel  M.  Bradbury  (about)  1865;  Isaiah  P.  Watts,  Erie! 
Colgrove,  1866;  Leander  J.  Monks,  1867;  Isaac  P.  Gray,  L.  D.  Lambert, 
John  Enos  Neff,  Matthew  T.  Allen,  1868;  Albert.O.  Marsh,  1869;  William 
A.  Thompson,  1871 ;  James  S.  Engle,  Levi  W.  Study,  1872 ;  David  T.  Tay- 
lor, William  W.' Canada,  Alexander  C.  Black,  1874;  Andrew  J.  Stakebake, 

N.  C.   Simmons,  Walker,   N.   O.   Ross,   1875 ;   Nathan  Woodbury, 

James  B.  Ross,  William  E.  Monks,  Benjamin  F.  Graves,  Pierre  Gray,  T. 
W.  Hajipton,  Samuel  R.  Bell,  Theodore  Shockney,  1876;  Seth  M.  Whitten, 
Joseph  W.  Thompson,  Jeremiah  T.  Pence,  Alonzo  H.  Patty,  John  W.  New- 
ton. Charles  Lewis,  Ephraim  C.  Hiatt,  John  C.  Hunt,  Bayard  S.  Gray,  David 
(S3) 


.830  '  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Wasson,  Lewis  G.  Devoss,  Silas  A.  Canada,  Charles  Clevenger,  1877;  Cyrus 
Woodbury,  Osqar  A.  Baker,  Luther  A.  Granor,  Michael  C.  Gaffney,  1878; 
Garland  D.  Williamson,  John  A.  Maorman,  John  W.  Macy  and  Alex.  Vor- 
his,  1880;  Charles  C.  Yunker,  Benjamin  F.  Marsh,  1881;  Alva  Parson, 
Daniel  Lesley,  Jesse  Canaday,  1882;  James  N.  Shockney,  John  M.  Morris, 
and  Samuel  H.  Brown,  1883;  Luther  N.  Norton,  James  G.  Nichols  and 
•Thoffias  F.  Bragg,  1884;  James  E.  Watson,  George  C.  Shultz,  Reuben  B. 
Johnson,  Edwin  S.  Jaqua,  Emerson  McGriff  and  Thomas  F.  Moorman, 
1885;  James  H.  Jeffreys,  James  F.  Goodrich,  Joseph  Day,  1886;  Stephen 
J.  Hickman,  Samuel  Ginger,  Charles  T.  Pickett,  Archibald  Arbaugh,  Daniel 
C.  Braden,  1888;  Joseph  H.  Sell,  Alonzo  L.  Nichols,  1889;  John  R.  Wright, 
William  S.  Diggs,  Leander  A.  Canada,  and  Frederick  S.  Caldwell,  1896;  Os- 
car A.  White,  John  A.  Shockney,  Thomas  M.  Pierce,  Archibald  F.  Marsh, 
Thomas  W.  Hutchens,  Union  B.  Hunt,  Alonzo  L.  Bales,  1891 ;  Isaac.  L. 
Poyner,  Miles  Coble,  Charles  W.  Bolen  and  Elmer  E.  Botkin,  1892 ;  Charles 
L.  Watson,  Jesse  B.  McKinney,  John  R.  Engle,  1893 ;  Walter  G.  Parry, 
Erastus  E.  LoUar,  Silas  S.  Clark,  and  Crate  D.  Bowen,  1894;  Levi  H. 
Karns,  Alvah  C.  Hindsley,  James  B.  Hiller,  1895 ;  Clyde  M.  Watts,  Edward 
M.  Semans,  1896;  George  W.  Holland,  1897;  J.  Oscar  Clark,  1898;  Charles 
A.  Carter,  Elbert  N.  Canada,  Charles  E.  Jackson,  1899;  William  D.  Remrael, 
James  R.  Griflfis,  1900;  L.  Volney  W^illiams,  Ernst  E.  Chenoweth,  1902; 
Herbert  L  Watts,  Carl  Thompson,  1903;  Carl  R.  Tisor,  Albert  H.  Adding- 
ton,  1904;  Samuel  B.  Templin,  1905;  Lewis  E.  Worster,  1907;  Charles  B. 
C.  Daly,  Moses  E.  Wolf,  John  W.  Macy,  Jr.,  and  Bert  E.  Woodbury,  1909; 
Don  C.  Ward,  Charles  I.  Williamson,  Frank  Thompson,  G.  Walter  Hiatt, 
Ernest  M.  Dunn,  Alonzo  E.  Farquhar,  1910;  Walter  E.  Baker,  1911 ; 
Horace  Sloan,  1912;  Charles  W.  Bradrick,  1913;  Thomas  A.  Helms,  Enos 
R.  Hiatt,  Louie  Shreeve,  Carl  Myers,  1914. 

The  above  list  is  necessarily  incomplete  in  places,  because  of  the  failure 
of  clerks  to  index  admissions  to  the  bar;  where  the  index  does  not  indicate 
admissions  to  the  bar  as  such,  the  only  manner  of  ascertaining  *the  members 
is  by  going  through  each  order  book,  page  by  page — an  endless  and  perhaps 
profitless  task,  and  a  method  which  of  itself  makes  many  omissions  possi- 
ble. The  dates  of  the  admission  of  the  following  members  of  the  bar  have 
not  been  acertaihed:  W.  P.  Debolt,  Alexander  Gullett,  Fremont  Garrett, 
F.  A.  Hay,  Ed.  M.  Ives,  Allen  Jaqua,  F.  S.  McFarland,  C.  T.  Pickett,  E.  B. 
Wood,  and  J.  H.  Williamson,  and  doubtless  as  many  more  have  been  omitted 
entirely.  « 

Our  first  prosecuting  attorney  was  James  Rariden,  appointed  by  the 


*  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  83 1 

court  on  October  12,  1818,  and  after  him  were  appointed  Bethuel  F.  Morris, 
1821;  James  Gilmore,  1822;  Lot  Bloomfield,  1823;  Cyrus  Finch,  1824; 
Oliver  H.  Smith,  1825;  Amos  Lane,  1826;  Charles  H.  Test,  1827;  Martin 
M.  Ray,  1829;  James  Perry,  1830;  William  J.  Brown,  1832;  Samuel  Bigger, 
1832;  Caleb  B.  Smith,  1832;  William  J.  Brown,  1833;  Samuel  W.  Parker, 
1837;  Andrew  Kennedy,  1839;  Jehu  T.  Elliott,  1839;  John  Brownlee,  1839; 
Jeremiah  Smith,  1839;  John  M.  Wallace,  1842;  John  Davis,  1844;  Joseph 
S.  Buckles,  1846.  ,_ 

After  this,  the  prosecuting  attorneys  were  elected,  and  they  are  as  fol- 
lows :  William  A.  Peelle,  Thomas  M.  Browne,  William  Garber,  James  N. 
Templer,  Thomas  M.  Browne,  Daniel  M.  Bradbury,  E.  B.  Reynolds,  Alexander 
Gullett,  Albert  O.  Marsh,  Josiah  E.  Mellette,  Chauncey  Medsker,  Silas  A. 
Canada,  James  B.  Ross,  Benjamin  F.  Marsh,  James  B.  Ross,  Clarkson  L. 
Hutchens,  Alonzo  L.  Bales,  Charles  L.  Watson,  Wesley  O.  Smith,  Carl 
Thompson,  Ernst  E.  Chenoweth,  Bert  E.  Woodbury. 

The  prosecuting  attorneys  for  the  common  pleas  court  were:  William 
Moorman,  John  J.  Cheney,  Enos  L.  Watson,  Thomas  J.  Hosford,  Josiah 
E.  Mellette  and  John  J.  Hawkins. 

Since  we  have  spoken  above  of  the  associate  judges,  who  presided  with 
the  president  judge  over  the  circuit  courts  in  the  various  counties  during  the 
early  days,  it  may  be  of  interest  to  note  who  they  were.  John  Wright  and 
William  Edwards  sat  from  1818  to  1823,  when  John  Sample  replaced 
Wright.  Wright  was,  however,  soon  re-elected,  as  in  1830  he  and  Edwards 
were  presiding  with  Judge  Test;  in  1833  the  associates  were  John  Wright 
and  William  Peacock  and  they  served  continuously  until  1839,  when  Daniel 
B.  Miller  and  Littleberry  Diggs  were  elected.  In  1846  John  Mock  replaced 
Diggs,  and  in  1847  Daniel  B.  Miller  was  replaced  by  Peter  S.  Miller.  In 
1852  the  picturesque,  but  otherwise  useless  associates  were  done  away  with 
by  the  new  constitution  and  we  hear  of  them  no  more.  Ebenezer  Tucker, 
in  his  history  of  Randolph  county,  intimates  that  in  addition  to  the  above, 
Stephen  C.  Stephens  and  John  T.  McKinney  were  associates;  an  error,  as 
they  were  supreme  justices  of  the  state. 

We  have  attempted  thus  far  to  give  a  list  of  attorneys  who  have  prac- 
tised, and  are  practising  at  the  bar  in  Randolph  county,  and  have  touched 
briefly  upon  the  judges  of  our  courts.  In  now  looking  at  the  list  of  attorneys 
we  shall  select  a  few  who  have  attained  more  or  less  prominence,  and  will 
ask  our  readers  to  bear  in  mind  the  fact  that  we  shall  not  dwell  at  any 
length  upon  those  whom  we  understand  will  have  more  complete  sketches 
elsewhere  in  this  work.     Their  great  number  makes  it  impossible,  and  the 


832  RANDOT.PH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

fact  that  many  who  never  intend  to  practise  law,  or  at  least  never  do  prac- 
tise, take  advantage,  of  our  constitutional  requirements  (or  rather  lack  of 
requirements)  to  gain  admission  to  the  bar,  makes  it  undesirable,  that  we 
should  mention  each  of  them. 

James  Rariden,  long  one  of  the  most  prominent  figures  at  the  bar,  was 
one  of  the  strong  men  of  the  state  in  its  early  history.  He  came  from  Cen- 
terville  and  was  the  leader,  of  the  Wayne  bar,  was  seven  years  in  the  state 
legislature,  four  years  in  congress  a3|jl  a  member  of  the  constitutional- con- 
vention of  1850.  He  located  in'  Wayne  county  in  1817  and  died  there  in 
1856.  Rariden  was  large,  physically  and  intellectually,  a  strong  character 
in  his  profession  and  in  public  life  generally.  Prominent  in  all  literature 
of  the  early  Indiana  bar,  he  appears  in  Smith's  "Early  Trials"  as  an  exceed- 
ingly interesting  figure,  for  years  the  circuit  companion  of  the  author,  who 
says :  "We  rode  through  the  wilderness  together,  ate  together,  -slept  to- 
gether and  were  just  as  near  one  man  as  two  men  could  be." 

Bethuel  F.  Morris  practiced  at  his  bar  in  the  '20's  and  '3o"s,  was  prose- 
cuting attorney  in  1821-1822,  and  afterward  served  as  judge  of  the  Rush 
Circuit  Court.  About  Cyrus  Finch,  of  Centerville,  who  was  admitted  here  in 
1 82 1,  Mr.  Smith  tells  the  following  story,  which  serves  the  double  purpose 
of  illustrating  the  judicial  capacity,  of  the  associates  and  the  ready  wit  of 
Mr.  Finch :  "We  had  a  little  pass  before  the  associate  judges  of  Wayne 
county.  The  case  was  an  assumpsit;  I  was  for  the  defendant  and  Mr.  Finch 
for  plaintiiT.  He  proved  that  my  client  had  promised  by  parol  to  pay  a , 
debt  another  person  owed  his  client.  The  evidence  closed;  I  thought  I  had 
him  and  took  up  the  statute  and  read  to  the  associate  judges — 'No  action 
shall  be  brought  to  charge  any  person  upon  any  promise'to- answer -for  the 
debt,  default  or  miscarriage  of  another,  unless  the  promise  is  in  writing, 
signed  by  the  party  to  be  charged.'  This  I  supposed  settled  the  case,  but  not 
so.  Mr.  Finch — 'Hand  me  that  book,  li  the  court  please,  that  law  is  void 
under  the  constitution  of  the  United  States  which  reads,  'No  state  shall  pass 
any  law  impairing  the  obligation  of  contracts.'  "  I  saw  I  was  ^one.  The 
Court :  'The  constitution  of  the.  United  States  must  prevail ;  judgment  for 
the  plaintiff.'  "  It  would  seem  that  Finch's  good  fortune  lay  in  the  absence 
of  the  president  judge. 

Charles  W.  Ewing  became  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  brilliant  lawyers 
at  the  Fort  Wayne  bar  and  afterward  a  circuit  judge;  Lot  Bloomfield  is 
mentioned  as  one  of  the  distinguished  lawyers  of  the  state  in  his  day.  Mar- 
tin M.  Ray,  who  was  admitted,  with  Bloomfield,  in  1823  and  afterward 
became  prosecutor,  was  evidently  a  poor  writer,  a  fact  of  which  Mr.  Smith 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  833 

did  not  hesitate  to  take  advantage.  The  latter  tells  of  an  indictment  drawn 
by  Ray  against  one  Henson  for  obstructing  a  highway  with  trees  and  logs, 
the  words  being  so  ill  written  as  to  look  like  "hen's  and  hogs."  Mr.  Smith, 
for  Henson,  moved  to  quash  the  indictment  on  the  ground  that  there  was 
no  statute  against  hens  and  hogs  running  at  large,  and  the  judge  (associate) 
declared  the  words  to  be  "hens  and  hogs,"  quashed  the  indictment  and  ad- 
monished the  prosecutor  to  write  a  legible  hand  thereafter,  and  "cross  his 
t's  and  dot  his  i's  and  not  be  bothering  the  court  with  such  questions." 

Of  Oliver  H.  Smith  we  have  already  written  so  much  that  further  men- 
tion seems  superfluous.  He  was  a  strong  lawyer,  and  a  self-made  man  who 
rode  away  from  his  home  in  New  Jersey  when  a  boy  with  no  money,  ran  a 
coal  barge  from  Pittsburg  to  Louisville  and  thence  into  Indiana  in  1817, 
settling  at  ConnersVille.  He  was  licensed  to  practice  law  in  1820  and  made 
his  first  appearance  at  the  Randolph  county  bar  in  1825.  He  was  made 
prosecuting  attorney  of  the  third  district  in  1824,  at  a  time  when  the  south- 
ern court  was  held  at  Vevay  and  the  northern  at  Fort  Wayne,  and  rode  the 
circuit  with  Judge  Eggleston  for  the  next  two  years,  attending  court  in  each 
county  twice  a  year.  While  he  was  never  a  resident  of  Randolph  county, 
and  probably  never  practised  in.  our  courts  to  any  extent  outside  of  the  two 
years  when  he  was  prosecutor,  yet  his  "Early  Trials"  has  given  us  so  much 
of  our  legal  history  that  he  must  take  a  prominent  place  in  any  considera-' 
tion  of  the  bar  of  this  county.  He  tells  how,  in  1825,  in  company  with 
Judge  Eggleston  and  James  Rariden,  he  rode  into  Winchester  en  route  to 
Fort  Wayne,  and  put  up  at.  Paul  W.  Way's  tavern,  and  how  the  next  night 
their  ponies  all  ran  off  and  left  them  as  they  were  encamped  on  the  Wabash. 
The  party  trudged  through  the  woods  to  Townsend's  Prairie,  procured  new 
ponies  there  and  rode  on  to  Fort  Wayne,  then  a  town  of  two  hundred  popula- 
tion. Returning  after  court  adjourned  they  found  their  captured  ponies 
waiting  for  them  at  Winchester  and  proceeded  on  to  Centerville  in  time  for 
the  opening  of  court  there. 

Oliver  H.  Smith  had  few  equals  in  the  state  as  a  lawyer,  and  the  bar  of 
the  state  can  never  repay  the  debt  it  owes  him  for  the  wealth  of  legal  remin- 
iscence he  has  left  it.  He  became  a  congressman  and  afterward  United 
States  senator  and  spent  his  later  years  in  the  practice  of  law  at  Indianapo- 
lis, where  he  was  regarded  as  the  head  of  the  state  Bar.  He  was  a  man  great 
in  stature,  "full  of  energy,  ready  for  any  contest,  strong  in  argument  and 
laconic  in  style;  an  untiring  student,  grasping  the  main  points  of  his  cases 
and  driving  his  business  through  with  a  powerful  hand." 


834  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

Amos  Lane  was  widely  known  as  a  lawyer  and  politician,  became 
speaker  of  the  state  house  of  representatives  and  then  a  congressman;  John 
S.  Newman  was  a  fine  practical  lawyer,  clear-headed,  of  strong,  vigorous  in- 
tellect, and  was  for  thirty  years  one  of  the  foremost  lawyers  in  the  state. 
He  was  noted  as  a  skilful  pleader,  was  -an  honest  and  conscientious  lawyer, 
and  gave  dignity  to  the  profession  wherever  he  practiced.  He  came  into 
Wayne  county  in  1807  and  lived  at  Centerville  and  Richmond  until  i860 
when  he  ceased  the  practice  of  law,  removed  to  Indianapolis  and  became 
president  of  the  Merchants 'National  Bank.    He  died  in  1882. 

Caleb  B.  Smith  who  was  admitted  to  this  bar  in  1829  with  Newman, 
was  from  Connersville.  He  studied  law  under  Oliver  H.  Smith  at  Conners- 
ville  and  rose  to  rapid  distinction  as  a  lawyer.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
legislature,,  speaker  of  the  house,  twice  elected  to  congress,  and  a  member 
of  Lincoln's  cabinet.  .  At  his  death  in  1865  he  was  the  foremost  Republican 
orator  in  the  nation. 

James  Perry,  of  Liberty,  was  a  fine  lawyer  and  debator;  while  not  of 
the  sort  to  impress  a  jury  and  secure  a  verdict  in  a  bad  case,  he  seldom  failed 
to  succeed  when  his  cause  was  just,  and  ranked  high  as  a  commercial  and 
chancery  lawyer. 

Samuel  C.  Sample  was  admitted  to  the  bar  here  in  183 1  and  later  became 
a  circuit  judge  in  Laporte  county. 

William  J.  Brown  practised  at  this  bar  in  the  '30's  afterward  becoming 
a  member  of  congress  and  assistant  postmaster  general.  He  was  the  father 
of  the  late  Rear  Admiral  Brown,  of  Indianapolis.  Henry  Cooper,  of  Fort 
Wayne,  is  described  as  a  man  possessed  of  immense  legal  knowledge  which 
he  was  unable  to  apply  in  his  practice.  Samuel  W.  Parker  was  a  graduate 
of  Miami  University,  licensed  at  Connersville  and  first  practised  in  Ran- 
dolph county  in  1832.  He  stood  among  the  first  lawyers  of  his  age  in  the 
state  and  was  a  great  public  speaker,  serving  two  terms  in  congress.  David 
H.  Colerick,  of  Fort  Wayne,  first  came  to  this  county  to  practise  in  1832, 
and  in  1834  Andrew  Kennedy,  of  Delaware  county,  who  learned  his  law 
under  Samuel  W.  Parker  and  rose  to  considerable  prominence  and  success 
as  a  lawyer,  was  admitted  here.  James  W.  Borden  became  a  circuit  judge 
in  De  Kalb  county  some  years  after  he  practised  at  this  bar. 

Up  to  the  year  1839  there  were  but  two  resident  attorneys  of  Win- 
chester— Zachariah  Puckett  and  Jeremiah  Smith.  But  in  1839  two  Win- 
chester men  were  admitted  whose  names  have  ever  since  been  familiar  to 
residents  of  this  county :  Moorman  Way  and  Silas  Colgrove.  We  have  al- 
ready written  about  the  latter.     Moorman  Way  was  brought  to  this  county 


.RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  835 

in  1816  and  in  1838  he  became  a  student  of  law  under  James  Perry,  of  Lib- 
erty, qualifying  himself  so  rapidly  that  he  passed  his  examination  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  the  following  year.  From  that  time  he  practised  at  this 
bar  continuously  until  the  year  of  his  death,  1881.  He  was  a  lawyer  of  the 
old  school,  quick  and.  resourceful  and  well-grounded  in  the  elementary 
principles  of  law.  He  stood  as  the  head  of  the  Randolph  county  bar  for 
nearly  forty  years  and  participated  in  nearly  every  case  of  importance  tried 
during  that  time.  He  contested  every  point  in  a  case  from  beginning  to 
end,  never  admitted  anything  against  his  client,  rarely  overlooked  a  mistake 
of  his  adversary  and  never  gave  up  until  there  was  no  other  course  open  to 
him.  Before  a  jury  he  was  effective  because  he  understood  "men  and  knew 
how  to  apply  his  logic  to  their  understanding.  Remarkable  powers  9f  sar- 
casm and  invective  took  the  place  of  oratory  and  he  never  failed  to  make  a 
mean  action  look  meaner  to  the  jury.  He  will  be  long  remembered  for  his 
eccentricity,  and  he  who  searches  the  files  of  the  circuit  court  will  find  abun- 
dant evidence  of  the  high  character  and  stupendous  aniount  of  his  legal 
labors. 

James  Hanna,  who  was  admitted  to  practice  here  in  1841,  was  after- 
ward a  supreme  court  judge,  while  Thomas  D.  Walpole,  who  came  in  the 
same  year,  was  a  distinguished  lawyer  at  Indianapolis;  Walter  March  and 
J.  S.  Buckles,  of  Delaware  county,  were  both  admitted  here  in  that  year; 
March  was  later  a  member  of  the  commission  which  revised  the  statutes  in 
1852  pursuant  to  the  new  constitution.  John  Davis,  later  judge  at  Ander- 
son, and  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  of  the  state,  was  admitted  here  in  1842, 
and  Reuben  A.  Riley,  who  was  licensed  in  the  same  year,  was  the  father  of 
the  poet,  James  Whitcomb  Riley. 

In  1845  Carey  S.  Goodrich,  a  brother  of  Judge  Edmund  B.  Goodrich, 
became  a  member  of  the  bar  and  practiced  extensively  for  many  years. 

Nimrod  H.  Johnson,  who  practiced  here  in  1843,  was  the  father  of 
Henry  U.  Johnson,  of  Richmond,  and  Robert  Underwood  Johnson,  edtior  of 
the  Century  Magazine. 

Thomas  M.  Browne  came  to  Spartanburg  from  Ohio  in  1830,  removed 
to  Winchester  in  1848  and  studiedlaw  with  William  A.  Peelle,  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  and  began  practising  at  once,  becoming  prosecuting  attorney  in 
1850  and  serving  four  terms.  He  was  in  the  state  senate  in  1863,  then  re- 
cruited and  became  lieutenant  colonel  of  the  7th  Indiana'  Cavalry,  and  saw 
active  military  service,  coming  out  in  1866  with  the  rank  of  brigadier-general 
by  hrevet.  He  was  United  States  attorney  for  the  district  of  Indiana  from 
1869  to  1872,  was  the  Republican  candidate  for  governor  in  1872  and  was 


836  .  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

defeated  by  Thomas  A.  Hendricks.  He  practiced  law  in  Indianapolis  for  a 
time,  then  served  in  congress  fourteen  years,  during^  which  time  he  was  a 
recognized  leader  of  the  Republican  party.  He  died  at  Winchester  in  1891. 
He  was  a  fine  lawyer,  profound  in  his  knowledge  of  law,  a  tireless  worker  in 
the  preparation  and  trial  of  his  cases,  peerless  as  an  adypeate,  and.  yet,  unlike 
many  oratorical  lawyers,  a  keen  student  of  law.  As  a  jury  lawyer,  Thomas 
M.  Browne  had  no  superior,  at  least  in  Indiana,  and  that  in  a  day  when  he 
encountered  such  men  as  Daniel  Vorhees.  Benjamin  Harrison  and  Thomas  A. 
Hendricks.  His  mind  was  luminous,  brilliant,  his  power  of  speech  marvel- 
ous, his  voice  peculiarly  penetrating  and  musical,  and  his  diction  beautiful. 
Some  of  his  addresses  to  juries  have  been  classed  by  prominent  authori- 
ties as  among  the  greatest  efforts  of  the  nation's  lawyers.  Judge  Elijah 
B.  Martindale,  of  New  Ca.stle,  practised  at  this  bar  in  185 1. 

Martin  B.  Miller,  of  Winchester,  was  admitted  in  J 859.  Mr.  Miller 
practised  for  a  time  with  Jeremiah  Smith  and  then  entered  the  army,  being 
mustered^  out  in  1865  with  the  rank  of  brevet  colonel.  After  the  war  he 
was  in  partnership  with  L.  J.  Monks,  Alexander  Gullet,  John  Enos  Nefif  and 
Emerson  McGriff.  In  his  profession  he  was  slow  and  cautious,  but  charac- 
terized by  equanimity  of  temper  and  disposition  and  sound  judgments,  and 
was  a  successful  lawyer  for  inany  years.    . 

Isaac  P.  Gray,  of  Union  City,  practised  law  from  his  admission  in  1868 
until  he  was  elected  governor  of  the  state.  He  was  twice  lieutenant  gov- 
ernor, and  was  governor  from  1885  to  1889,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 
in  1895  ^Yas  United  States  Minister  to  Mexico. 

John  Enos  Neff  entered  the  practise  of  law  as  a  student  under  Thomas 
M.  Browne  in  1868,  and  in  1874  and  1876  was  elected  secretary  of  state. 
After  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office  he  returned  to  Winchester  and 
practised  with  Martin  B.  Miller,  but  died  within  a  short  time,  while  yet  a 
young  man,  with  a  bright  future  before  him. 

Matthew  T.  Allen,  who  also  entered  the  practice  here  in  1868,  after- 
ward removed  to  California,  where  he  became  a  judge — of  what  court  the 
writer  is  unable  to  learn.    He  died  recently  in  Los  Angeles. 

William  A.  Thompson  began  the  practise  of  law  in  Winchester  in  1871 
and  was  in  partnership  with  Albert  O.  Marsh  and  wi^h  his  brother  Joseph 
W.  Thompson  until  1890,  when  he  removed  to  Muncie.  He  is  a  tireless 
worker,  a  keen  analyst  of  legal' propositions,  and  it  is  common  kjnowledge 
among  the  profes'sion  that  he  searches  laboriously  into  every  branch  of  his 
eases  and  rarely  leaves  an  authority  uncited  on  any  point.  He  is  now  en- 
gaged in  active  practise  in  Muncie  as  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Thomp- 


'  , RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  .  837 

son  and  Sprague.  Joseph  W.  Thompson  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Win- 
chester in. 1 8 76  and  was  in  practice  here  and  at  Shelby ville  for  a  number 
of  years  thereafter,  joining  the  firm  of  Thompson,  Marsh  &  Thompson  in 
1889.  He  continued  in  this  firm  after  the  removal  of  his  brother  and 
finally  after  the  election  of  Judge  Marsh  to  the  circuit  bench.  He  has  de- 
voted a  great  amount  of  time  and  labor  to  the  alphabetical  arrangement  of 
cases  decided  by  the  higher  courts,  is  the  author  of  "Thompson's  Citations," 
and  the  numerous  supplements  thereto  and  is  now  engaged  in  legal  work 
for  the  government  in  Washington,  D.  C. 

Levi  W,  Study  entered  the  profession  of  law  at  Winchester  in  1872  and 
was  in  partnership  with  James  S.  Engle  from  1874  to  4880.  He  had  a  keen, 
analytical  mind,  well  adapted  to  the  study  and  practice  of  law  and  could 
have  been  a  highly  successful  lawyer.    He  died  in  1886. 

William  Wesley  Canada  was  in  the  active  practice  of  law  in  Winches- 
ter from  1874  to  1897,  when  he  was  appointed  by  President  McKinley  as 
consul  at  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico,  a  position  which  he  still  holds  and  in  which  he 
has  recently  distinguished  himself  in  our  troubles  with  Mexico. 

Andrew  Stakebake,  of  Winchester,  was  a  prominent  Randolph  county 
attorney  for  a  number  of  years,  being  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1875.  He  died 
in  1897. 

In  1876  Samuel  R.  Bell,  of  Union  City,  entered  the  practice  of  law, 
and  was  in  active  practice  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  1914.  Mr.  Bell  was  a 
good  business  lawyer  and  always  enjoyed  a  large  practice.  He  was  a  man 
of  unimpeachable  honor,  and  while  making  no  pretension  to  ability  as  a  trial 
lawyer,  yet  he  attended  well  to  a  large  amount  of  legal  business  and  was 
successful  in  his  practice. 

Alex.  Voris  is  another  member  of  the  bar  whose  death  has  been  recent. 

The  modern  lawyer,  as  we  know  him,  is  so  widely  separated  from  the 
early  lawyer,  as  we  have  tried  here  to  portray  him,  that  we  can  scarcely 
imagine  a  connecting  link  between  the  two ;  and  indeed  there  is  none  outside 
the  records  of  the  court  and  such  history  as  this.  But  up  to  a  very  few  years 
ago  Randolph  county  had  in  Enos  L.  Watson  a  lawyer  who  seemed  and  was 
the  last  link  in  the  chain  connecting  the  past  with  the  present;  he  began  the 
practice  here  in  1856,  in  the  days  of  David  Kilgore,  Jere  Smith  and  Jehu 
T.  Elliott,  when  the  new  constitution  was  still  new,  and  the  old  lawyers  of 
the  bar  were  perplexed  and  worried  because  their  old  forms  of  pleading 
were  gone  and  John  Doe  and  Richard  Roe  were  stricken  down  by  the  legis- 
lative attack.  He  practiced  with  Judge  Peelle- until  1861,  with  Judge  Cheney 
to  1871,  with  Judge  Monks  to  1875,  with  Judge  Engle  to  1883,  and  after- 


838  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

wards  at  dififerent  times  with  his  son  James  E.  Watson,  John  W.  Macy,  James 
P.  Goodrich,  Silas  A,  Canada  and  Union  B.  Hunt. 

In  the  memorial,  of  Mr.  Watson  which  is  spread  upon  the  order  book$ 
of  the  court,  the  practice  of  law  in  Indiana  is  divided  into  two  epochs:  the 
first,  of  which  we  have  already  written,  was  characterized  by  hardy,  ener- 
getic lawyers,  adventurous  and  generally  well  educated  who  came  from  the 
east  in  the  infancy  of  our  state,  and  rode  the  circuits  on  horseback,  taking 
such  cases  as  chance  assigned  them,  going  into  trial  pell  mell  without  prepa- 
ration and  depending  on  ready  wit  and  resource  and  a  knowledge  of  ele- 
mentary principles  to  carry  them  through;  the  second  was  characterized  by 
the  advent  of  young  men  who  were  born  here  or  came  in  their  youth  with 
their  parents,  grew  up  in  log  cabins,  worked  on  farms,  attended  the  district 
schools,  read  law  in  the  summer  and  of  nights  and  mornings  and  taught 
school  in  the  winter.  To  the  latter  class  Mr.  Watson  belonged  and  yet  he 
knew  and  practised  with  many  of  the  representatives  of  the  older  school. 
He  is  remembered  by  most  of  us  as  an  old  man,  but  as  an  old  man  full"  of 
memories  of  his  youth.  For  fifty  years  his  figure,  tall,  angular  and  raw- 
boned,  was  a  familiar  one  in  the  court  room  and  on  the  streets  of  Winches- 
ter; in  his  prime  he  held  first  rank  at  the  bar  and  for  the  ten  years  prior  to 
his  death  he  was  its  Nestor.  He  had  a  natural  vein  of  humor  which  was 
doubtless  developed  in  his  student  days  under  his  preceptors,  Moorman  Way 
and  Beaftie  McClelland.  He  was  well  grounded  in  the  first  principles  of 
law,  and  had  a  keen  analytical  brain,  and  was  a  successful  jury  advocate  and 
trial  lawyer.  His  mind  was  a  veritable  store-house  of  informations  and  he 
had  a  wealth  of  anecdote  always  at  his  command;  his  sense  of  humor  was 
so  perfect  that  no  matter  how  far  he  lost  himself  in  indignation,  bitter  sar-  - 
casm  and  invective,  he  invariably  saw  something  of  the  ridiculous  in  the 
situation  and  ended  with  a  witticism  that  put  everybody  in  a  good  humor 
again  and  took  the  sting  from  his  sarcasm.  His  figure,  his  mind,  his  lan- 
guage, all  were  quaint  and  picturesque;  simplicity  was  the  key  to  his  char- 
acter, and  Enos  L.  Watson  was  one  of  the  most  lovable  men  that  ever  fol- 
lowed the  law.    He  died  at  Winchester  in  1909. 

Emerson  McGriff  practised  at  this  bar  for  about  ten  years  subsequent 
to  1885,  and  then  removed  to  Portland,  where  he  is  now  engaged  in  an  ac- 
tive and  successful  practice;  Daniel  M.  Bradbury  and  E.  B.  Reynolds  both 
practiced  at  this  bar  and  each  served  as  prosecuting  attorney  for  a  term.  Mr. 
Bradbury  is  now  a  resident  of  Indianapolis  and  Mr.  Reynolds  of  Hagers- 
town. 

James  E.  Watson,  son  of  Enos  L.  Watson,  commenced  the  study  of  law 


RANDOLPH    county;,    INDIANA.  839 

with  his  father  and  Judge  Engle  in  1885,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  here  in  the 
same  year,  and  at  once  took  his  place  in  the  front  rank  of  the  lawyers  of  the 
county.  His  mind  is  keen  and  analytical,  well  adapted  to  the  law,  his  mem- 
ory a  storehouse  of  facts,  and  his  wonderful  gift  of  oratory  makes  him  one 
of  the  most  successful  jury  lawyers  in  the  state.  He  practiced  here  until 
1893  when  he  moved  to  Rushville,  afterward  serving  in  congress  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  He  has  long  been  a  national  figure  in  politics  and  on  the  lec- 
ture platform,  and  is  now  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  at  Rushville.  His 
brother,  Charles  L.  Watson,  was  also  a  member  of  the  bar  of  this  county, 
practising  with  success  for  a  number  of  years,  during  two  of  which  he  was 
prosecuting  attorney.    He  is  now  living  in  Oklahoma. 

Clyde  M.  Watts  and  Carl  Tisor  are  other  young  men  who  succeeded 
remarkably  in  the  few  years  they  were  members  of  the  local  bar.  Mr.  Watts 
is  now  a  resident  of  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  and  is  prosecuting  attorney  of 
Laramie  county,  and  Mr.  Tisor  is  also  following  his  profession  in  the  west, 
as  prosecuting  attorney  of  Custer  county,  Montana.  Herbert  I.  Watts,  a 
brother  of  Clyde  M.,  is  a  member  of  the  bar,  but  has  not  attempted  to  prac- 
tice, having  held  for  many  years  the  responsible  position  of  court  reporter. 

James  P.  Goodrich  practised  at  this  bar  with  great  success  until  a  few 
years  ago,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Monks,  Goodrich  and  Rob- 
bins,  in  Indianapolis,  his  partners  being  Judge  L.  J.  Monks,  and  John  F. 
Robbins,  of  Richmond.  Mr.  Goodrich  as  a  lawyer  was  noted  for  his  energy 
and  ability  to  transact  a  large  amount  of  business  in  a  very  short  time.  He 
is  one  of  the  leading  business  lawyers  of  the  state  and  has  achieved  national 
prominence  in  politics,  being  at  this  time  the  Republican  national  committee- 
man for  Indiana.  Union  B.  Hunt  practiced  at  the  Randolph  county  bar 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  was  a  highly  successful  lawyer.  He  is  now  en- 
gaged in  business  in  Indianapolis,  although,  like  Mr.  Goodrich,  he  maintains 
his  residence  in  Winchester. 

Frederick  S.'  Caldwell,  who  was  admitted  to  practice  at  this  bar  in  1890, 
was  for  a  long  time  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Engle,  Caldwell  and  Parry,  and 
one  of  the  foremost  lawyers  of  eastern  Indiana.  He  was  appointed  in  191 3 
by  Governor  Ralston  a  judge  of  the  appellate  court,  is  now  serving  in  that 
capacity  and  is  the  nominee  of  the  Democratic  party  for  that  office  for  the 
fall  election  this  year.  Mr.  Caldwell  is  a  deep  and  careful  student  of  law, 
methodical  in  his  analysis  of  legal  propositions,  calm  and  self-possessed  in 
the  tria.!  of  causes,  and  effective  before  the  jury. 

Complete  sketches  of  the  resident  members  of  the  bar  who  are  now  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  or  on  the  bench,  will  appear  elsewhere  in  this  work. 


840'  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

SO  we  need  only  give  them  brief  mention  here.  In  Winchester  there  are  the 
following  firms  and  attorneys:  Focht  and  Hutchens,  composed  of  Fermen 
C.  Focht  and  Thomas  W.  Hutchens;  Benjamin  F.  Marsh,  Edwin  S.  Jaqua, 
Walter  G.  Parry,  Thompson  and  Thompson,  composed  of  Carl  and  Frank 
Thompson;  Wesley  O.  Smith,  Jesse  W.  Canaday,'  Reverdy  Puckett,  Canada 
and  Chenoweth,  composed  of  Silas  A.  Canada  and  Ernst  E.  Chenoweth; 
Macy,  Nichols  and  Bales,  composed  of  John  W.  Macy,  Jr.,  Alonzo  L.  Nich- 
ols and  Alonzo  L.  Bales;  John  ^^.  Newton,  George  H.  Ward. 

In  Union  City:  Shockney  Brothers,  composed  of  Theodore  and  John 
A.  Shockney;  Dunn  and  Woodbury,  composed  of  Ernest  Dunn  and  Bert 
E.  Woodbury;  John  W.  Williams,  William  Fowler  and  L.  L.  Taylor. 

Ridgeville:   James  B.  Hiller,  Nelson  W.  Ferguson. 

Lynn:   Samuel  M.  Westlake. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

IHli    PHYSICIANS   OF   RANDOLPH    COUNTY. 

(By  Oscar  G.  Puckett,  Esq.) 

Apology — The  Pioneer  Physician,  His  Environment — PfevaiHng  Dis- 
eases, Their  Treatment — Calomel,  etc. — Fever  "freatment — Fees — Pioneer 
Ideas  and  Beliefs^General  Discussion  of  Superstitipns — Conjuring  to  Cure 
Disease — Indian  Doctors — -Sketches  of  Pioneer  Physicians — Randolph 
County  Practitioners  Yet  Living — Randolph  County  Dentists. 

It  was  with  some  misgivings  that  I  consented  to  write  this  chapter  be- 
cause so  much  time,  research  and  care  is  required  that  I  hesitated.  However, 
I  have  made  the  attempt  and  will  try  to  produce  a  chapter  that  will  contain 
historical  facts,  a  few  reminiscences  of  interest,  as  well  as  a  picture  of  the 
conditions  of  early  medical  practice  in  this  county.  I  am  conscious  of  my 
unfitness,  and  that  I  shall  probably  make  some  mistakes  and  many  omissions. 
I  make  no  claim  to  perfection.  I  desire  to  acknowledge  ray  indebtedness  and 
proffer  my  thanks  to  the  many  busy  physicians  of  the  county  who  have  ren- 
dered me  so  much  valuable  aid,  and  without  whose  help  this  chapter  would 
have  been  impossible.  I  am  also  indebted  to  Dr.  G.  W.  H.  Kemper's  "A 
Medical  History  of  the  State  of  Indiana"  for  many  of  the  facts  herein  con- 
tained. Many  of  the  sketches  incorporated  herein  are  adapted  from  Professor 
f  Tucker's  "A  History  of  Randolph  County,"  without  which  I  would  have  been 
helpless  in  many  instances.  In  a  special  way,  I  am  indebted  to  Drs.  F.  A. 
Chenoweth  and  Charles  L.  Botkin,  whose  interest  and  assistance  have  been 
invaluable  in  securing  much  of  the  data  of  the  Randolph  County  Medical 
Society.  Neither  must  I  neglect  to  mention  Miss  Lou  Way,  of  Winchester, 
within  whose  memory  is  stored  many  facts  concerning  the  early  physicians, 
and  who  has  furnished  me  so  much  interesting  data. 

THE   PIONEER   PHYSICIAN. 

Dr.  George  McCoy,  writing  of  the  pioneer  physician  of  Indiana,  has 
the  following  to  say  of  him :  "It  cannot  be  said  that  our  early  doctors  were 
all  men  of  eminent  scientific  skill  or  training.     Few  of  them  held  diplomas 


842  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

from  medical  colleges,  for  seventy  or  eighty  years  ago  medical  colleges  were 
not  as  thick  in  the  land  as  they  are  now.  The  pioneer  doctors  learned  all 
they  knew  by  reading,  observation  and  instruction  under  established  practi^ 
tioners  and  by  their  own  after-experience.  Men  of  fair  education  and  good 
common  sense  in  a  few  years  gained  good  reputations  as  successful  and  safe 
physicians.  They  learned  and  were  guided  by  actual  practice  more  than  by 
theory  or  the  formulas  laid  down  in  the  few  books  they  were  able  to  procure. 
Each  doctor  carried  his  own  remedial  agents — a  small  drug  store-^in  a  pair 
of  saddle-bags  of  huge  dimensioij|^,  and  he  dosed  out  with  a  liberal  hand. 
They  rode  on  horseback  to  visit  their  patients,  day  or  night,  far  or  near, 
through  the  dense  woods  and  over  slashy  paths  and  rough  corduroy  roads, 
fording  or  swimming  streams,  and  enduring  innumerable  hardships,  which 
the  physicians  of  the  present  day  would  not  dare  encounter." 

During  the  years  of  the  early  settlement  of  Randolph  county  the  numer- 
ous rivers  and  creeks  were  fouled  and  obstructed  by  fallen  timbers,  drifts  and 
other  accumulations  of  vegetable  debris.  The  water  from  freshets  and  over- 
flows stood  reeking  and  stagnant  on  the  lowlands  and  in  the  sloughs  and 
bayous,  and  gave  out  their  noxious  exhalations  for  miles  and  miles  around, 
while  thick  forests  and  tangled  undergrowth,  in  rich  and  rank  profusion, 
almost  equaled  the  famed  valley  of  the  Amazon.  The  air  was  laden  with  the 
pestilential  miasma,  particularly  in  the  autumn  season,  when  biliary  and 
malarial  diseases  were  rife.  Whole  settlements  were  at  times  stricken  down 
and  were  almost  helpless. 

The  doctors  found  the  ague,  in  many  instances,  more  than  a  match  for 
their  skill.  It  was  of  the  real  shaking,  quaking  variety,  the  chill  lasting  not 
infrequently  three  or  four  hours,  to  be  followed  by  raging  fever  and  intense 
and  insatiable  thirst.  So  malignant  was  this  type  of  fever  that  as  many  as 
three  or  four  deaths  of  adults  ha^e  occurred  in  one  family  in  less  than 
forty-eight  hours.  Peruvian  bark  and  calomel  would  temporarily  check  the 
fever,  but -cold  weather  seemed  to  be  the  only  thing  that  would  stop  this 
dreadful  scourge,  and  even  this  failed  in  some  instances,  and  the  poor  invalid 
either  wore  himself  out  or  else  wore  out  the  disease.  (What  a  blessii^ 
would  have  been  a  little  of  our  knowledge  of  the  relation  of  the  mosquito  to 
the  prevalence  of  malaria  and  of  crude  oil  to  the  larvae  of  the  little  pest.)  In 
the  early  settlement  the  "regulars,"  in  the  treatment  of  fever,  relied  mainly 
upon  one  remedy — calomel.  It  was,  indeed,  extraordinary  upon  the  part  of 
the  physician  to  treat  any  form  of  disease  without  the  generous  use  of  a  large 
dose  of  calomel.     One  old  physician  has  remarked  that  not  to  salivate  a 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  843 

patient  seemed  to  be  regarded  as  allowing  him  or  her  to  go  to  the  grave 
without  a  saving  effort. 

Another  idea,  held -by  the  pioneer  physicians  of  Randolph  county  in 
common  with  all  physicians  of  the  time,  was  that  a  patient  "sick  of  fever" 
must  also  be  bled  freely  before  an  internal  remedy  was  administered.  The 
lancet  held  sway  alongside  of  calomel.  If,  in  raising  a  log  cabin,  a  man  was 
thrown  from  his  "corner"  and  badly  bruised,  the  practice  was  to  bleed  him 
copiously  on  the  spot  as  the  first  step  toward  his  recovery.  In  conversation 
with  some  of  our  old  physicians  who  practiced  in  the  "fifties,"  they,  without 
exception,  still  claim  that  phlebotomy  was  the  correct  procedure,  and  that 
our  present-day  doctors  would  not  lose  so  many  cases  of  pneumonia  if  it  was 
practiced. 

There  were,  no  doubt,  many  things  to  criticise  in  the  methods  of  the 
pioneer  physicians,  yet  we  must  all  acknowledge  that  they  stood  out  as  shining 
lights  in  their  day  and, generation,  the  equals,  if  not  the  superiors,  of  their 
contemporaries  in  all  the  other  walks  of  life.  They  did  their  duty  as  citizens, 
and  as  physicians  they  were  always  found  doing  their  b€st  "according  to  their 
lights."  The  physicians  of  Randolph  county  have  succeeded  to  a  noble 
heritage ;  may  they  prove  worthy  of  their  great  responsibility.  Will  Carleton. 
has  paid  the  old-time  doctor  a  beautiful  as  well  as  a  deserved  tribute,  when 
he  says : 

"This  undecorated  soldier,  of  a  hard,  unequal  strife, 

Fought  in  many  stubborn  battles  with  the  foes  that  sought  his  life. 

In  the  night-time,  or  in  the  day-time,  he  would  rally  brave  and  well. 

Though  the  summer  lark  were  fifing,  or  the  frozen  lances  fell ; 

Knowing  if  he  won  the  battles  they  would  praise  their  Maker's  name. 

Knowing  if  he  lost  the  battles  then  the  doctor  was  to  blame. 

'Twas  the  brave  old  virtuous  doctor, 

'Twas  the  good  old  faulty  doctor, 

'Twas  the  faithful  country  doctor — fighting  stoutly  all  the  same." 

Our  old-time  doctor,  even  at  a  time  when  all  men  drank  alcoholic  liquors 
and  really  thought  they  were  benefited  thereby,  knew  the  harm  of  it  all.  In 
a  paper  before  a  congregation  of  physicians,  one  of  them  was  discussing 
tincture  of  arnica  as  an  applicant  in  contusions.  He  was  of  the  opinion  that 
'  it  was  the  whisky  and  not  the  arnica  which  was  entitled  to  whatever  credit 
which  was  due  in  these  cases.  This  led  him  to  make  the  following  observa- 
tion: "Whisky  is  sometimes  good  as  a  medicine  if  properly  used.  I  have 
never,  and  never  will,  so  use  it  as  to  turn  a  sick  man  into  a  drunkard." 


844  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA.  , 

About  1824  medical  books  were  very  scarce  in  Indiana.  The  first  work 
on  materia  medica  was  probably  brought  into  this  county  by  a  Doctor  Long- 
shore. The  physician  who  could  afford  one  work  on  each  branch  of,  the 
profession  was  'considered  well  off.  The  book  stores  in  Cincinnati,  at  this 
time,  could  not  furnish  a  work  of  each  branch.  The  work  on  materia 
medica  was  purchased  of  a  young  physician  who  had  lately  arrived  from 
Philadelphia,  and  who  was  obliging  enough  to  sell  the  same  to  Doctor  Long- 
shore.   It  was  Murray's  work,  with  notes  by  Chapman.  * 

In  1843  Dr.  Charles  Parry,  of  Indianapolis,  read  a  paper  on  the  treat- 
ment of  congestive  fever  with  quinine,  before  the  Academy  of  Medicine  at 
Philadelphia.  After  this,  quinine  seems  to  have  grown  in  favor  with  physi- 
cians. It  is  said  that  this  drug  was  given  until,  in  many  cases,  a  quinine 
habit  was  formed,  and  children  sometimes  cried  for  it. 

Dr.  Cornett,  in  some  of  his  writings,  narrates  some  very  interesting 
reminiscences^  among  which  is  the  following:  "In  surgery  as  well  as  medi- 
cine, there  has  been  an  advance  within  my  remembrance.  I  knew  a  surgeon 
half  a  century  ago  who  made  it  a  rule  to  trephine  in  every  case  of  fracture  of 
the  skull,  whether  there  was  depression  of  the  bone  or  not.  He  boasted  that 
he  had  bone  buttons  enough,  bored  from  the  skulls  of  his  patients,  to  furnish 
a  full  set  for  a  double-breasted  coat."  This  same  doctor  tells  us  further: 
"For  a  number  of  years  I  was  the  only  physician  in  the  county  in  which  I 
was  then  practicing;  I  had  to  travel  all  over  it  on  horseback  by  day  and  by 
night,  without  regard  to  weather  or  remuneration  for  services.  Occasionally 
I  found  myself  lost  in  the  woods  at  night,  and  would  have  to  tie  up  my 
horse  and  make  my  bed  on  the  ground  until  morning."  This  unselfish  spirit 
and  devotion  to  duty  was, typical  of  the  early  doctors  everywh^e. 

I  am  herewith  copying  verbatim  an  old  physician's  account  of  fever 
treatment :  "When  cailled  during  the  fever  and  wild  delirium,  we  seated  the 
patient  on  the  side  of  the  bed  and  held  him  there,  by  the  aid  of  assistants  if 
necessary,  opened  a  vein  in  his  arm  by  making  as  large  an  orifice  as  practica- 
ble, and  allowed  the  blood  to  flow  until  his  pulse  became  soft  and  less  re- 
sisting, or  until  syncope  supervened.  We  relied  more  on  the  effect  produced 
than  the  amount  of  blood  extracted,  our  first  object  being  to  produce  a 
decided  impression  upon  the  heart's  action.  Our  patient,  being  in  a  sitting 
posture,  and  the  blood  escaping  from  a  free  opening,  it  did  not  require  a  great' 
length  of  time  to  produce  the  desired  effect.  Often  within  ten  to  twenty 
minutes  after  faintness  or  sickness  occurred  the  subject  of  this  mode  of 
treatment  would  become  bathed  in  a  copious  perspiration,  and  the  violent 


,  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  845 

fever  and  delirium  existing  a  short  time  before  would  have  entirely  passed 
aw^ay.  Now,  if  the  indications  seemed  to  require  it,  we  directed  an  emetic 
to  be  given,  usually  composed  of  tartarized  antimony  and  ipecac  combined, 
or  wine  of  antimony.  After  free  emesis  and  the  sickness  had  subsided,  if 
thought  necessary,  we  gave  a  brisk  cathartic,  usually  containing  more  or  less 
calomel.  After  the  primae  viae  had  been  well  cleared,  it  was  our  practice  to 
give  opium  in  such  doses  as  the  case  required,  in  order  to  allay  all  irritability 
of  the  stomach  and  bowels.  We  directed  the  usual  febrifuges  to  be  given  if 
the  fever  should  return,  and  these  were  given  in  such  doses  as  required  to 
arrest  or  mitigate  it.  We  used  no  manner  of  temporizing  treatment,  but 
aimed  our  agents  directly  at  the  exterminating  of  diseases.  Opium,  ipecac, 
tartarized  antimony,  nitrate  of  potassa,  spirits  mindereri,  and  spirits  of  niter, 
with  other  means  too  numerous  to  mention,  were  all  freqttently  brought  into 
requisition. 

"Under  the  above  manner  of  treating  a  case  of  remittent  fever,  it  was 
no  uncommon  thing,  on  our  second  visit,  to  find  our  patient  sitting  up,  feeling 
'pretty  well,  except  a  little  weak,'  and  within  a  few  days  able  to  return  to  his 
ordinary  avocations.  When  we  met  with  more  protracted  cases,,  we  had 
recourse  to  the  Peruvian  bark,  gentian,  columbo,  and  most  of  the  ordinary 
tonics  of  the  present  time,  excepting  quinia,  which  was  riot  then  in  use.  For 
some  time  after  quinia  was  introduced  the  price  was  such  that  Hoosiers 
could  not  afiford  to  use  it.  The  first  I  used  cost  at  the  rate  of  thirty  dollars 
per  ounce.  -  I  may  state  that  tartar  emetic  was  a  favorite  remedy  in  all  the 
active  or  acute  forms  of  disease. 

"We  seldom  lost  patients  from  acute  diseases.  It  would  have  detracted 
from  the  standing  of  a  medical  man  should  it  have  been  known  that  he  lost 
a  patient  from  inflammation.  He  might  lose  a  patient  from  sheer  debility 
and  be  excusable,  but  not  from  acute  disease,  provided  he  saw  the  case  in  an 
early  stage  of  the  attack." 

FEES. 

Many  of  the  physicians  of  Randolph  county  who  have  labored  so  long 
and  so  faithfully  may  have-  gained  honors,  and  grateful  remembrance,  but 
very  few  of  them  have  accumulated  wealth;  none  have  made  more  than  a 
living,  with  but  few  exceptions,  and  their  fortunes  amounting  to  but  a  few 
thousand  dollars,  were  the  results  of  careful  economizing,  fortunate  invest- 
ments, and. small  families.  It  seems  that  the  healing  art,  though  an  honorable 
profession,  is  not  a  lucrative  one,  especially  in  small  towns  or  the  country. 


846  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Prior- to  1820  charges  were  as  follows  over  the  state  generally:  A -visit 
in  town,  $1.50,  medicines  additional;  extracting  teeth,  25  cents;  cathartic 
pills,  20  cents  per  dozen;  one  dose  calomel,  i  ounce  paregoric  and  vial,  62j4_ 
cents;  one  dose  of  calomel  and  one  dose  tartar  emetic,  50  cents;  mercurial 
pills,  jYz  cents  each;  accouchment  cases,  natural,  $5.00;  bleeding,  50  cents; 
one  dose  of  jalap,  25  cents ;  pectoral  powders,  25  cents  each.  In  1820  there 
seems  to  have  been  a  decrease  in  the  prices  of  drugs,  and  the  doctor  very  con- 
siderably reduced  his  charges  in  proportion.  Also  I  note  that  a  visit  in  town 
fell. to  $1.00. 

In  1848  I  find  the  following  fees  customary:  Visit  in  town,  $1.00; 
with  unusual  detention,  $2.00;  prescriptions,  with  letters  of  advice,  $5.00  to 
$10.00;  consultations,  $3.00  to  $5.00;  night  visits,  double;  vaccination,  50 
cents  to  $1.00;  venesection,  50  cents;  simple  medicines,  per  dose,  25  cents; 
mixtures,  25  cents  per  fluid  ounce;  blisters,  from  25  to  50  cents;  aecouch- 
ments,  $5.00  to  $10.00.  The  following  charges,  dated  1857,  are  taken  from 
bills  of  a  Randolph  county  physician:  Accouchment,  $3.00  to  $10.00;  frac- 
ture of  an  arm,  $10.00;  setting  broken  leg,  $15,000;  bleeding,  25  cents;  letter 
of  advice,  with  prescription,  $6.50;  vaccination,  25  cents;  two  dozen  powders, 
kind  not  stated,  30  cents;  one  dose  of  calomel,  one  ounce  paregoric,  with  bot- 
tle, 50  cents ;  six  mercurial  pills,  30  cents ;  one  blister,  25  cents. 

PIONEER    IDEAS    AND    BELIEFS. 

There  was  another  state  of  thinking,  due  to  several  causes  which  affected 
our  pioneer  doctor,  often  causing  him  amusement,  but  more  often  vexation 
and  disgust,  and  that  was  the  superstitions  entertained  by  most  of  the  early 
settlers.  These  ideas  dealt  with  almost  every  phase  of  life,  from  the  most 
trivial  to  the  most  serious.  If  one  left  the  house  and  forgot  something  for 
which  he  must  return,  he  must  set  down  before  leaving  again,  or  when 
leaving,  pass  out  through  a  different  door ;  rocking  an  empty  chair  was  a 
serious  offense,  and  was  likely  to  cause  death  in  the  family;  putting  one 
corner  of  an  ax  bit  down  upon  something  and  spinning  it  presaged  bad  luck; 
if  in  sweeping,  two  straws  were  dropped  from  the  broom  and  by  some  means 
became  crossed,  a  serious  calamity  was  due  to  arrive  in  a  year  or  less ;  in  fact, 
one  could  scarcely  do  anything  without  its  being  an  omen  of  some  significance 
or  other.  Since  these  things  entered  so  largely  into  the  lives  of  our  fore- 
fathers, and  since,  as  far  as  I  am  aware,  these  things  have  not  received  treat- 
ment at  the  hands  of  the  historian,  I  propose  to  discuss  superstitions  in  gen- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  847 

eral,  and  then  give  some  attention  to  those  having  to  do  with  our  physician-  - 
friends  in  particular.  _ 

The  derivation  of  the  word  superstition  is  somewhat  enlightening  as  to 
its  meaning.  It  comes  from  superstitio,  which  is  itself  a  compound,  being 
composed  of  super,  above,  or  over,  and  stare,  to  stand ;  the  word  thus  literally 
means  to  stand  over,  whence  we  have  excessive  religious  belief,  possibly  a 
standing  over  a  thing  in  amazement  or  awe.  The  word  is  loosely  used  to  in- 
clude all  false  faith  or  belief,  its  distinguishing  characteristic  being  its 
irrational  estimate  of  something  imperfectly  understood.  We  might  ailso 
further  say  that  the  answer  to  the  question  of  truth  or  falsity  varies  with 
time  and  place,  hence  it  follows  that  the  accepted  belief  of  one  time  or  people 
may  be  superstition  to  another.  Most  of  the  popular  superstitions  oi  the 
present  are  survivals  of  earlier  science  or  religion.  At  a  time  when  there 
existed  no  system  of  recorded  observations  of  natural  phenomena  conclusions 
were  of  necessity  drawn  from  external  characteristics,  and  objects  and  events 
were  supposed  to  exercise  influences  corresponding  to  the  impression  pro- 
duced ^upoii  the  sense  or  imagination.  This  manner  of  interpretation  is  re- 
sponsible for  a  great  mass  of  superstitions,  especially  those  having  to  do  with 
the  treatment  of  disease.  It  is  a  characteristic  of  popular  credulity  that  such 
notions,  once  prevalent,  do  not  yield  to  contrary  experience.  If  observation 
shows  the  principle  to  be  inaccurate,  reasons  are  always  at  hand  to  explain 
the  error ;  hence  the  power  of  the  ancestral  habit,  which  we  find  arbitrary  and 
which  we  call  superstitious.  With  all  pioneer  peoples,  such  beliefs  have  an 
immense  efifect  on  action;  the  daily  method  of  nutrition,  attire,  the  hunt, 
agriculture,  are  determined  by  an  infinity  of  regulations  which  are  religiously 
handed  down  from  generation  to  generation.  In  some  cases  it  is  possible  to 
discover  the  principle  of  expediency  which  gave  birth  to  the  requirement; 
thus,  the  discovery  of  the  ill  efifect  marriages  between  near  relatives,  and  of 
in  and  in  breeding  of  stock,  causes  to  be  established  a  religious  necessity, 
limiting  the  relations  of  the  sexes  according  to  certain  rules,  sometimes  very 
complicated  and  ingenious,  of  which  our  present  customs  and  laws  are  but  the 
survival.  But  in  multitudes  of  other  cases  no  good  reason  can  be  offered  for 
demands  and  abstentions  which  originally  depend  on  inferences  which  it  is 
impossible  to  reconstruct. 

A  considerable  number  of  superstitions  are  connected  with  the  heavenly 
bodies.  From  very  remote  times  the  observation  of  the  stars  and  their  move- 
ments has  been  considered  important,  but  it  has  been  with  the  night  especially, 
that  ancient  religious  ceremonies  are  associated.     The  most  distinctive  dif- 


848  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

ference  between  the  nights  were  found  by  alterations  in  the  growth  of  the 
moon  crescent;  according  to  universal  processes  of  thought,  it  was  supposed 
that  the  time  when  the  moon  increases  arid  becomes  dominant,  the  principle 
of  growth  must  prevail,  and  on  the  other  hand,  that  her  wane  must  be  a  season 
of  general  decay.  Hence,  it  has  been  everywhere  inferred  that  all  operations 
designed  to  promote  increase  ought  to  be  performed  at  the  time  of  the  new 
moon.  That  then  potatoes  should  be  planted,  hair  cut,  etc.  But  if  it  is 
desired  to  cause  shrinking,  the  worl»must  be  done  when  the  moon  is  at  the 
full  so  sa)'  the  maxims  of  traditional  agriculture,  and  at  this  time  should  be 
cut,  alders,  spruce,  and  other  undergrowth,  because  the  roots  will  in  this  case 
wither  without  sprouting. 

•Not  less  important  in  popular  usage  is  the  part  played  by  the  course  of 
the  sun.  As  he  moves  in  a  particular  direction,  so  it  has  been  thought  that  in 
order  to  produce  beneficial  results,  mankind  should,  proceed  in  a  correspond- 
ing manner ;  in  worship  it  was  thought  necessary  to  adopt  a  processional 
movement  in  the 'sunwise  direction.  Even  in  the  Ordinary  movements  of 
daily  life  this  order  was  followed  and  traces  of  it  survive  to  the  present  day. 
Thus,  in  order  to  make  good  bread  or  butter,  it  is  essential  that  the  motion 
should  be  in  the  same  uniform  direction,  for  reversal  of  the  direction  in 
which  the  kneading,  stirring  or  churning  is  performed  will  undo  the  work  ac- 
corftplished,  and  make  failure  sure.  From  household  maxims  still  preserved, 
it  appears  that  the  hand  must  be  moved  in  a  sunw-ise  circuit.  As  the  route 
taken  by  the  sun  is  holy,  so  the  opposite  path  will  be  evil,  and  has  been 
adopted  in  practices  of  witchcraft  and  magic,  and  in  the  old  Roman  worship, 
the  gods  below  were  adored  with  this  reverse  circuit. 

Among  periods  of  human  life,  the  terror  which  attaches  to  death  has 
made  it  -the  center  of  a  vast  body  of  superstitious  habits.  A  great  number  of 
actions  and  experiences  are  still  popularly  regarded  as  signs  of  approaching 
departure.  The  principle  on  which  the  phenomena  are  interpreted  is  that  of 
association  of  ideas.  Thus,  ringing  in  the  ears  is  a  sure  sign  of  death,  be- 
cause the  church  has  usually  rung  a  "death-bell"  over  the  departed ;  carrying 
a  spade  through,  the  house  has  like  significance,  because  a  spade  is  used  to  dig 
graves ;  a  blue  flame  in  the  candle  is  ominous,  for  the  lowering  of  the  light 
forecasts  the  decline  of  life;  a  flower  blooniing  out  of  season  foreshows  a 
decease;  the  unusually  precocious  child  will  never  attain  adulthood;  and  so 
on  indefinitely.  In  like  manner,  the  unusual  also  is  a  fruitful  source  of  super- 
stition ;  if  every  child  was  born  with  a  caul  (that  is,  a  membrane  encom- 
passing the  head)  it  is  doubtful  if  this  would  have  been  taken  as  an  especial 
sign  of  good  luck. 


.RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  849 

A  considerable  number  of  superstitions  relate  to  the  times  of  the  year, 
and  revert  to  the  practices  of  old  religion.  Thus,  Hallowe'en  is  attended  with 
observances  which  seem  to  have  been  dependent  on  its  original  character  as  a 
feast  of  the  dead,  when  departed  spirits  were  invited  to  partake  in  the  fruits 
..of  the  harvest;  and  were  conceived  as  present  at  the  sacrifice  and  merry- 
making. On  this  night  it  is  usual  to  perform  divinations,  now  reduced^  to 
mere  jests,  in  which  an  unmarried  person  is  expected  to  discover  his  or  her 
companion  for  life.  These  practices  must  be  regarded  as  the  remainder  of 
serious  necromancy,  in  which  the  returning  spirits  were  asked  to  reveal  the 
future. 

While  the  majority  of  superstitions  are  remains  of  antiquity,  their  in- 
ventions have  not  altogether  ceased  in  historical  times.  Of  this  we  have 
examples  in  the  prejudice  against  the  number  thirteen,  and  in  objection  to 
Friday  as  unlucky,  since  in  Christian  thought  the  day  of  the  Crucifixion  and 
the  number  involving  the  addition  of  Judas  were  of  necessity  regarded  as  ill- 
omened.  The  superstition  of  the  evil  eye,  that  is,  the  belief  that  certain 
persons  have  the  power  to  injure  by  a  look,  is  still  widespread  in  Eastern 
countries,  where  the.  belief  yet  lingers  that  the  demoniac  is  divinely  inspired. 
Mature  worship  lingers  in  such  superstitions  as  those  connected  with  the 
moon,  the  belief  in  its  mysterious  power  to  work  good  or  ill,  as  seeing  the 
new  moon  over  the  right  shoulder  being  an  omen  of  good  luck,  its  influence 
on  the  weather,  etc.  The  belief  in  ghosts  reflects  ancestor  worship.  The 
common  notion  about  good  luck  brought  by  a  horseshoe  has  been  traced  back 
to  phallicism.  Some  of  the  most  common  of  those  things  forming  a  basis 
for  superstitious  divination  are  as  follows :  Appearances  in  the  air ;  fowls 
picking  up  grains  of  wheat;  anagrams  of  person's  names;  man's  features; 
use  of  numbers;  by  dice;  by  the  heavenly  bodies;  by  winds  the  Bible;  by 
herbs ;  by  playing  cards ;  by  mirrors ;  by  dropping  melted  wax  into  water ;  by 
writings  of  paper;  by  the  hand;  by  certain  lucky  or  unlucky  words;  by  the 
entrails  of  animals;  by  the  navel  of  an  infant;  by  the  finger  nails;  and  so  on 
ad  infinihim. 

It  should  be  said,  before  taking  up  the  discussion  of  those  having  to  do 
with  healing,  that  there  were  a  number  of  "schools"  or  methods  of  bringing 
about  the  same  results,  e.  g.,  there  were  a  number  of  methods  of  removing 
wairts.  One  was  by  taking  a  part  of  the  leaf  fat  surroimding,  what  might  be 
called  the  eye  of  the  left  kidney  of  a  hog,  melting  or  rendering  it  by  heating 
it  just  as  hot  as  possible  without  scorching.  This  was  to  be  applied  to  the 
base  of  the  wart  just  where  it  came  into  contact  with  the  healthy  skin.    Two 


8S0  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^,    INDIANA. 

applications  were  sufficient  to  remove  any  wart,  but  I  am  informed  that  you 
must,  if  treating  one,  go  as  if  you  intended  to  make  the  third  application, 
when  you  will  find  the  wart  gone.  Another  method  is  to  pick  the  wart  until 
.it  bleeds  a  little,  then  take  a  grain  of  corn  and  rub  it  until  some  of  the- blood 
adheres  to  it,  then  throw  it  into  the  well.  The  wart  will  disappear  as  soon  as 
the  grain  decays.  Still,  another  method  is  by  making  use  of  the  three  great- 
est names,  viz. :  God,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost.  To  treat  a  wart  by  this 
method  you  should  take  your  patient  to  the  top  of  a  hill  at  sunrise,  and  just 
as  the  edge  of  the  sun  appears  abov^he  horizon,  you  must  moisten  the- little 
finger  of  your  left  hand  and  rub  around  the  wart  three  times  and  repeat : 

"In  the  name  of  the  three  highest  names, 

That   of   the   Father,   the   Son,   and   Holy   Ghost, 

Just  so  sure  as  the  blessed  Mary 

Will  ne'er  again  bring  forth  a  child. 

Just  that  sure  thou  shalt  disappear 

•Never  again  to  bother  this  soul." 

The  reader  will  probably  notice  that  this  is  "blank  verse"  and  a  little 
irregular,  but  I  am  assured  that  it  never  fails  to  bring  results,  if  nothing 
more  than  to  see  a  sunrise.  This  latter  method  might  be  called  the  "Eclectic" 
method-  of  conjuration,  for  it  doesn't  hesitate  to  borrow  from  the  others  as 
well  as  furnish  some  original  methods  of  its  own.  The  three  greatest  names, 
sunrise,  sunset,  the  north,  south  Zenith,  nadir,  magic  squares,  anagrams, 
the  livers  of  bats,  teeth  of  bats,  the  abdominal  segments  of  the  wasp  are  some 
of  the  agents  used  to  bring  about  charms. 

Measuring  is  another  very  common  treatment  for  disease,  especially 
"flesh  decay"  or  "undergrowth."  The  patient  is  usually  laid  down  upon  a 
board  and  the  length  of  the  body  is  accurately  marked.  The  length  is  then 
"measured"  by  the  thumbs  of  the  "operator"  in  the  same  way  that  a.  distance 
might  be  "stepped  off,"  except  that  the  unit  is  the  width  of  the  thumbs. 
During  the  process  certain  formulae  are  repeated,  which  I  will  not  give  for 
fear  of  securing  the  enmity  of  the  undertakers.  It  might  be  further  said  that 
it  is  astonishing  how  many  people  patronize  this  sort  of  thing. 

Controlling  bleeding  of  the  nose  Or  bleeding  from  cuts  is  another  class 
of  treatments  receiving  special  attention  at  the  hands  of  the  conjurer.  One 
way  of  stopping  the  flow  is  by  placing  the  right  hand  on  the  back  of  the  head 
in  the  occipital  region,  the  left  over  the  lambdoidal  suture  so  that  it  extends 
from  the  base  to  the  points  of  the  fingers,  then  calling  upon  the  three  greatest 


I  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  85 1 

names  and  declaring  that  the  blood  shall  cease  just  so  sure  as  that  the  blessed 
Mary  shall  never"  again  become  a  mother.  Another  method  is  by  reading  or 
repeating  Ezekiel  16:6.  I  have  heard  some  wonderful  stories  of  the  stopping 
of  blood  by  this  method,  the  conjurer  being  in  some  cases  some  distance 
away.    It  reminds  one  of  Christ's  miracle  of  healing  the  nobleman's  son. 

It  is  possible  by  conjuration  to  control  the  sex,  either  in  children  or  the 
lower  animals.  Also  in  case  of  litters,  as  of  kittens,  pups  or  pigs  to  control 
the  number  as  well  as  the  sex.  These  results  are  brought  about  through  the 
three  greatest  iiames,  together  with  certain  rigmaroles.  All  this  must  be  per- 
formed at  sunset,  facing  the  west,  and  before  the  mid-period  of  gestation. 
To  insure  the  baby's  never  having  colic,  give  it  a  meat-rind  as  soon  as  possible 
after  birth.  In  most  cases  this  had  better  not  be  done  in  the  presence  of  the 
attending  physician.  It  is  also  recommended  by  most  conjurers  to  take  the 
newly-born  babe  up  by  the  heels,  as  this  will  probably  free  it  from  many  ills 
to  which  flesh  is  heir. 

This  list  might  be  extended  to  fill  a  volume  as  large  as  this  and  still  not 
have  exhausted  the  subject.  Since  beginning  to  investigate  along  these  lines, 
I  have  unearthed  an  aistonishing  amount  of  beliefs,  superstitions,  magic  and 
witchcraft,  all  having  to  do  with  the  supernatural.  There  are  plenty  of  people 
in  Randolph  county  today  who  believe  in  witches.  Within  the  last  year  a 
woman  in  this  county  heated  a  horseshoe  and  dropped  it  into  her  churn  be- 
cause her  butter  was  bewitched,  and  she  hoped  to  scald  the  witch  by  so  doing. 
There  are  a  number  of  people  of  my  acquaintance  and  of  yours,  my  reader, 
who  will  risk  a  conjurer  sooner  than  the  best  schooled  doctor  in  the  state. 
The  desire  of  the  fledgling  to  fly  is  proof  of  its  ability  to  fly.  Man's  desire 
for  immortality  is  a  proof  of  the  immortality  of  his  soul.  I  wonder  if  all  this 
superstition  isn't  a  manifestation  of  the  same  thing? 

Under  this  head  I  must  not  neglect  to  mention  Indian  doctors.  An 
Indian  medicine-man,  Buck-on-ga-helas,  was  largely  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  the  healing  arts  in  Fort  Wayne  in  i§04.  He  was  chief  medicine-man  and 
surgeon  to  Little  Turtle,  the  great  Miami  chieftain.  He  acquired  a  great 
reputation  in  the  cure  of  bites  of  poisonous  snakes,  but  more  particularly  from 
poisoned  arrows  then  used  among  the  Indians.  His  practice  was  not  con- 
fined to  the  Indians,  but  was  quite  extensive  among  the  white  settlers.  There 
isn't  much  doubt  but  that  this  medicine-man  had  a  few  patients  in  and  around 
what  is  now  Ridgeville.  There  is  some  slight  reason  to  believe  that  another 
medicine-man  called  Ma-te-a  [who]  practiced  his  art  in  this  county. 

These  Indian  doctors  were  sharp,,  shrewd  Indians,  well  acquainted  with 
all  the  medicinal  qualities  of  herbs,  especially  as  applied  to  the  treatment  of 


852  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

snake  bites,  poisoned  arrows,'  and  the  diseases  incidental  to  savage  life.  By 
far  the  greater  part  of  their  practice  consisted  of  incantations  and  juggleries. 
The  doctor  M'ould  usually  dress  himself  in  the  most  grotesque  manner,  with 
face  painted  to  inspire  fright,  then  with  a  great  -  variety  of  contortions  of 
the  body  approach  his  patient.  He  would  breathe  on  him,  blow  in  his  face, 
squirt  medicine  into  his  mouth  and  nose;  rattle  beans  or  pebbles  in  a  dry 
gourd'  over  him,  at  the  same  time  keeping  up  the  most  horrid  gesticulations 
and  noises  to  frighten,  away  the  di^ase.  After  thus  making  his  professional 
visit,  he  would  retire  to  await  the  result  of  his  effort.  Doctor  Kemper,  in  his  ' 
Medical  History  of  Indiana,  .tells  us  that  the  Indian  doctor  would  compound 
his  potion  and  then  drink  it  himself  in  order  to  cure  his  patient.  If  our 
present-day  doctors  practiced' this,  wotild  it  have  any  effect  on  the  taste  of  the- 
potion?  Longfellow,  in  a  few  of  the  closing  lines  of  Hiawatha's  Lamenta- 
tion, has  set  out  the  rules  of  practice  of  the  Indian  when  he  tells  us : 

"Then  the  medicine-man,  the  Nudas, 

The  magicians,  the  Wabenos, 

And  the  Jossakeeds,  the  prophets, 

Came  to  visit  Hiawatha; 

Built  a  Sacred  Lodge  beside  him. 

To  appease  him,  to  console  him, 

Walked  in  silent,  grave  procession, 

Bearing  each  a  pouch  of  healing, 

Skin  of  beaver,  lynx,  or  otter, 

Filled  with  magic  roots  and  simples, 

Filled  with  very  potent  medicines. 

Then  a  magic  drink  they  gave  him. 
Made  of  Nahana — wusk,  the  spearmint, 
And  Wabeno — wusk,  the  yarrow. 
Roots  of  power,  and  herbs  of  healing; 
Beat  their  drums,  and  shook  their  rattles ; 
Chanted  singly  and  in  chorus. 
Mystic  songs.     *     *     * 

Then  they  shook  their  medicine-pouches 
O'er  the  head  of  Hiawatha, 
Danced  their  medicine-dance  around  him ; 
And,  upstarting  wild  and  haggard. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  853 

Like  a  man  from  dreams  awakened, 
He  was  healed  of  all  his  madness. 
As  the  clouds  are  swept  from  heaven, 
Straightway  from  his  brain  departed 
All  his  moody  melancholy; 
As  the  ice  is  swept  from  rivers. 

Forth  then  issued  Hiawatha, 

Wandered  eastward,  wandered  westward, 

Teaching  men  the  use  of  simples. 

And  the  antidotes  for  poisons, 

And  the  cure  of  all  diseases. 

Thus  was  first  made  known  to  mortals 

All  the  mystery  of  Medanim, 

All  the  sacred  art  of  healing." 

SOME  PIONEER  PHYSICIANS. 

I  feel  justified  in  giving  herewith  a  few  sketches  of  the  lives  of  some  of 
our  pioneer  physicians.  I  think  this  is  advisable  for  several  reasons:  (i) 
These  men  lived  in  times  which  "tried  men's  souls."  (2)  That  they  should 
be  remembered  for  what  they  were  as  well  as  what  they  tried  to  do,  for  the 
record  of  the  physicians  of  Randolph  county  has  been  a  creditable  one;  few 
moral  delinquencies  have  existed.  They  have  been  observant  and  industrious. 
Our  death  rate  has  not  been  excessive  even  in  the  face  of  serious  epidemics, 
which,  in  the  past,  have  stolen  upon  us  like  thieves  in  the  night. 

Paul  Beard,  Sr.,  Lynn. — Professor  Tucker's  History  of  Randolph  County 
tells  us  that  this  man  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1 779 ;  came  to  this  county 
and  settled  below  Lynn,  near  Lynn  meeting-house,  in  the  spring  of  181 7. 
He  married  Hannah  Pearson  in  1813.  To  this  union  was  born  nine  children. 
Paul  Beard  was  a  physician;  belonged  to  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  died  in 
1857,  aged  seventy-seven  years.  His  wife,  Hannah,  died  in  185 1,  aged  more 
than  seventy-two  years. 

His  character  is  summed  up  by  saying  that  he  was  a  noted  man  in  pio- 
neer days,  both  as  a  physician  and  as  a  citizen,  being  upright,  respected  and 
trustworthy,  and  skillful  in  his  profession. 

Jehu  Hiatt,  Winchester.— The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Gray- 
son county,  Virginia,  near  the  Goodspur  Crossing  of  Blue  Ridge  on  the 
New  river,  one  of  the  souixes  of  the  Kanawha,  in  1802.    He  was  brought  to 


854  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Clinton  county^  Ohio,  in  1814,  and  to  where  Richmond  now  stands  in  1815, 
before  Richmond  was  laid  out.  He  attended  the  first  sale  of  lots  there  in 
181 6.  Richmond,  in  1815,  was  a  corn-field.  Robert  Morrison  had  a  little 
store  in  the  neighborhood.  He  went  to  KnightstcJwn  in  1830,  and  moved  to 
Winchester  in  1833,  where  he  resided  till  his  death,  which  occurred  about 
1891. 

He  was  raised  on  a  farm ;  worked  at  tanning  and  at  shoemaking,-  and 
finally  read  medicine  with  his  brother-in-law,  John  Thomas,  near  Middle- 
boro,  Wayne  county,  Indiana.  Hd*practiced  first  at  Knightstown,  and  then 
at  Winchester.  He  was  raised  a  Friend,  became  a  Hicksite,  and  some  time 
before  his  death  he  announced  that  he  was  not  a  follower  of  any  creed,  but 
a  "simple  seeker  after  truth."  He  was  one  of  the  early  Abolitionists  when 
that  "hated  sect"  was  "everywhere  spoken  against."  Dr.  Hiatt,  though  for 
many  j^ears  a  widower,  his  wife  having  died  in  1865,  seemed  cheerful  and 
contented. '  A  few  years  before  his  death  he  built,  at  his  own  expense,  a  small 
meeting-house  on  his  place  a  short  distance  east  of  town.  This  was  open  to 
any  sect,  creed  or  party  for  "meeting  without  cost.  He  was  called  away  by 
that  grim  tyrant,  which  he  welcomed  as  a  kind  messenger  sent  to  translate 
him  from  this  imperfect  to  that  all-perfect,  celestial  home  above  where  the 
supreme  architect  of  the  universe  presides. 

John  E,   Beverly,  Wirichester,  was  born  in  Marlboro  District,   South 

^Carolina,  September  17,   181 6.     During  the  autumn  of  this  same  year  his 

father  started  to  the  great  Northwest,  settling  in  Wayne  county,  where  they 

lived  until  1828,  when  they  came  to  Randolph  county,  settling  seven  miles 

west  of  Winchester,  somewhat  south  of  Maxville. 

In  the  fall  of  1843  he  began  the  study  of  medicine  in  the  office  of  Dr. 
Woody.  During  the  winter  of  ,1846-47  he  attended  lectures  at  the  Ohio 
Medical  College.  He  began  to  practice  upon  his  return  with  Dr.  Woody, 
but  shortly  afterward  the  partnership  dissolved.  Dr.  Beverly  continuing 
alone.  In  1857  he  removed  to  Fairhaven,  but  returned  to  Winchester  in  1859. 
In  1866  he  moved  to  Richmond,  returning  to  Winchester  in  1874,  since  wHictf 
time  Winchester  continued  to  be  his  residence  till  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
1888.^ 

Nelson  T.  Chenoweth,  Windsor,  was  bom  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  in 
1837.  He  served  four  years  in  the  Union  army  in  the  Sixty-ninth  Ohio 
Company  E.  He  was  feared  on  his  father's  farm ;  became  a  school  teacher ; 
studied  medicine  with  his  brother.  Dr.  John  T.  Chenoweth,  then  practicing  in 
Williamsburg,  Wayne  county;  in  1867  he  graduated  from  the  Eclectic  Medi- 
cal Institute  in  Cincinnati.    Upon  his  return  from  schools  he  formed  a  part- 


.    ^-     ^  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj   INDIANA.  855 

nership  with  Dr.  J.  W.  Botkin,  at  Union,sport,  this  partnership  lasting  but  one 
year.  In  1868  he  moved  to  Windsor,  where  he  practiced  till  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1909  . 

James  Ruby,  Union  City. — Doctor  Ruby  was  born  in  1807,  in  Ken- 
tucky; came  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  when  a  small  boy.  He  was  twice 
married — ^first  to  Martha  Myers,  and  second  to  Hannah'  J.  Hamilton — ^the 
latter  in  1847.  He  studied  medicine  with  his  brother-in-law  and  began  prac- 
tice at  twenty;  moved  to  Hollandsburg,  Ohio,  in  1850,  and  to  Union  City  in 
1867,  where  he  lived  and  practiced  until  his  death  in  1876.    • 

William  J.  Shoemaker,  Ridgeville. — Dr.  Shoemaker  first  saw  the  light 
of  day  in  Richmond,  Virginia,  in  1820.  His  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  war 
of  1812.  In  1837  the  family  came  to  Randolph  county,  settling  not  far  from 
Ridgeville.  William  J.  worked  for  his  father  in  the  woods  until  he  was 
twenty^two  years  of  age.  In  1841  he  entered  Winchester  Seminary,  under 
Professor  Ferris;  he  taught  school;  became  Professor  Ferris'  assistant;  at- 
tended the  State  -  University  at  Bloomington;  studied  medicine  with  his 
brother  at  Hanover,  Ohio ;  practiced  several  years  in  northeastern  Ohio ;  re- 
turned to  Ridgeiville  in  1853,  o"^  thousand  dollars  in  debt;  in  1858  he  moved 
to  Kansas;  during  the  winter  of  1859-60  he  was  a  clerk  in  the  Legislature 
that  framed  the  free  constitution  for  Kansas;  in  i860  he  returned  to  Ridge- 
ville, where  he  resided  till  his  death  in  1898. 

John  L.  Reeves,  Union  City. — Dr.  Reeves  was  born  in  Darke  county, 
Ohio,  in  1827.  He  came  with  his  parents  to  Randolph  county  in  1832, 
settling  in  Jackson  township,  near  New  Lisbon.  He  stayed  with  his  father 
till  he  was  of  age.  However,  he  began  to  read  medicine  before  that  important 
period,  reading  under  the  direction  of  Doctors  Downing  and  Miller.  He 
began  to  practice  in  1854,  at  Pittsburg,  Randolph  county.  In  1856  he  located 
at  Lancaster,  Jay  county,  Indiana.  In  1861  he  enlisted  in  the  army,  joining 
the  Fortieth  Ohio,  as  lieutenant  of  Company  F.  He  was  promoted  to  captain 
and  again  to  major.  He  attended  the  Eclectic  Medical  College  of  Cincinnati 
in  1866,  after  which  he  resumed  hi&  practice  at  Union  City,  Indiana,  where 
be  continued  to  practice  till  his  death. 

Dr.  David  Ferguson,  Union  City,  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  1813;  graduated  from  Jefferson  Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  in 
1837;- began  practice  in  Butler  county,  Ohio,  in  the  same  year;  seems  to  have 
gone  to  Clark  county,  Ohio,  in  1838,  where  he  practiced  about  eleven  years; 
he  came  to  Winchester,  Indiana,  in  1849;  immediately  after  the  war  he  settled 
in  Union  City.  He  was  active  in  the  Presbyterian  church  and  also  an  active 
worker  in  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.     He  died  in  1884. 


856  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Dr.  John  Heines,  Arba,  was  born  in  Maryland  in  1827;  graduated  from 

the  University  of  Maryland,  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  in  1846. 

,,He  first  practiced  in  Carroll  county,  Maryland,  leaving  there  in  1864,  and 

coming  to  Arba,  this  county,  where  he  lived  and  practiced  till  his  death  in 

1893.  V.V 

John  W.  Botkin,  Unionsport, — Doctor  Botkin  was  born  in  Randolph 
county,  Indiana,"  two  miles  northwest  of  the  present  town  of  Carlos  City,  In- 
diana, September  i,  1819.  His  .parents,  Hugh  Botkin  and  Rachel  (Keener) 
Botkin,  came  from  Tennessee  and  entered  land,  the  first  to  be  entered  in 
what  is  now  West  River  township,  in  September,  181 7.  The  last  of  the 
Potawatamie  Indians  (a  band  of  four  hundred)  to  leave  the  confines  of  the 
county,  had  their  camp  near  his  father's  entry,  and  did  not  inove  westward 
until  he  was  about  three  years  of  age. 

His  father  had  a  large  family,  and  he,  as  well  as  his  brothers,  did  not 
wear  trousers  until  he  was  ten  years  old,  the  long  buskskin  shirt  being  the 
fashion  for  boys  of  that  age.  His  early  education  was  received  from  the 
district  schools  and  private  teachers.  He  studied  and  practiced  as  was  the 
custom  of  all  young  doctors  in  that  day,  with  a  Doctor  Delaney,  who  lived 
in  the  southern  part  of  Delaware  county.  He  was'  associated  with  Doctor 
Delaney  for  three  years,  after  which  he  began  practice  for  himself  in  West 
River  township,  near  Huntsville,  in  1840,  he  being  then  twenty-one  years  of 
age.  Here  he  practiced  for  sixty  years,  (except  from  1878  to  1885,  when 
he  practiced  in  Winchester).  This  much  is  true  of  him  that  is  not  true  of  any 
other  physician  in  the  county,  and  probably  never  will  be  again,  he  was  born 
and  practiced  medicine  continuously  in  the  county  for  sixty  years.  The  only 
other  predecessor  he  had  in  the  practice  of  medicine  ifi  this  township  was 
Dr.  Ellihue  Hunt,  who  came  from  Kentucky.  Dr.  John  M'cChristy,  about 
1850,  practiced  for  a  few  years  here  and  moved  away. 

Doctor  Botkin  endured  all  the  privations  that  came  to  the  early  pioneer. 
His  practice  was  extensive,  covered  a  large  territory,  because  doctors  were 
few,  and  no  means  of  travel  except  by  horseback.  For  many  weary  years,  he 
had  to  prepare  his  own  medicines,  from  the  roots,  leaves,  berries  and  barks  of 
the  various  plants  and  trees  that  were  indigenous  to  his  community.  It  was 
many  years  after  he  began  to  practice  before  he  could  buy  in  the  market  the 
various  tinctures  and  extracts  that  he  had  been  forced  to  manufacture  for 
himself,  and  these  could  he  had  only  by  going  to  Cincinnati  and  returning  on 
horseback.  He  brought  frOm  Cincinnati  the  first  ounce  of  quinine  ever 
brought  to  the  county,  paying  seven  dollars  and  fifty  cents  for  the  same.     He 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  .  857 

was  coiiteniporaiieou§  with  Doctor  Taylor,  a  pioneer  physician  in  northern 
Wayne  county,  and  they  were  of  mutual  help  to  each  other  in  their  consulta- 
tions. 

Later  in  life  he  attended  medical  school  at  Cincinnati.  He  was  a  great 
student  of  his  subject,  as  well  as  of  men.  His  frank,  open  expression,  his 
inborn  integrity  and  honesty,  in  dealing  with  patrons,  led  all  who  knew  him 
well  to  trust  him.  This  drew  to  him  a  large  business  that  extended  over 
many  years. 

A  younger  brother.  Dr.- Jonathan  Botkin,  practiced  with  him  for  two 
years,  dying  in  1856.  Dr.  N.  T.  Chenoweth,  long  a  physician  at  Windsor, 
began  his  practice  with  Doctor  Botkin,  as  did  Dr.  A.  H.  Farquhar,  who  prac- 
ticed at  Ridgeville,  this  county.  His  son,  Dr.  T.  W.  Botkin,  of  Farmland, 
and  his  grandson.  Dr.  B.  S.  Hunt,  of  Winchester,  have  each  been  associated 
with  him  in  practice!  He  had  three  other  grandsons  who  entered  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine.  Dr.  Charles  Botkin,  now  of  Farmland ;  Dr.  Clyde  Botkin 
and  Dr.  Morton  L.  Hunt,  the  latter  two  now  deceased.  He  established  Dr. 
John  T.  Chenoweth  in  practice  at  Huntsville  in  i860.  He  was  a  kindly  man 
and  very  religious,  his.'faith  never  being  on  display,  he  preferring  to  live  it. 
He  was  married  to  Mar)'  Peacock,  of  this  county.  To  them  were  born  five 
children.    He  died  in  January,  1901. 

Doctor  Teal,  whose  given'  name  I  am  unable  to  give,  was  another  early 
physician  of  Randolph  county.  He  married  Miss  Lizzie  White,  who  after- 
wards became  Mrs.  Leander  J.  Monks,  in  1857.  He  was  in  the  drug  business 
as  well  as  practicing  medicine.  They  lived  in  the  Monks  house  on  Franklin 
street.  He  probably  came  from  Dayton  or  somewhere  in  that  vicinity.  He 
died  during  the  war. 

Dr.  James  Listen,  to  say  the  least,  was  one  of  Randolph  county's  earliest 
physicians,  coming  here  about  1820.  He  married  Rachel  Way,  the  youngest 
sister  of  Miss  Lou  Way's  father.  After  practicing  here  for  a  short  time  he 
went  to  Peru,  Indiana,  and  built  the  first  cabin  there.  In  1849  he  went  with 
a  large  company  overland  to  California  in  the  capacity  of  physician.  .  After 
several  years  he  returned  to  his  family,  which  he  left  near  Peru  on  a  farm. 
Some  time  after  this  he  moved  to  Bunker  Hill,  Indiana,  where  he  died  in  the 
early  seventies. 

Dr.  Cook  resided  and  practiced  in  Winchester  during  the  cholera  epi- 
demic in  1849.  During  the  epidemic  he  was  called  to  Lynn  on  a  mission 
of  mercy,  probably,  and  while  there  was  himself  stricken  with  the  terrible 
scourge  and  died  in  three  days.  He  left  a  sweetheart,  Miss  Amanda  Way, 
to  whom  he  was  to  have  been  married  in  three  weeks. 


8S8  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Dr.  George  Edgerly  was  in  partnership  with  Doctor  Ferguson  in  the 
practice  of  medicine  in  Winchester  in  1849.  He  remained  but  a  short  time, 
when  he  moved  to  Mtincie,  Indiana.  I  have  been  unable  to  find  any  further 
trace  of  him. 

Henry  Way. — Probably  one  of  the  first  physicians  to  settle  on  Ran- 
dolph county  soil  was  Dr.  Henry  Way.  He  was. bom  in  Beauty  Spot,  South 
Carolina,  on  the  Big  Peedee  river,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury. He  probably  came  to  this  wrinity  about  1816,  settling  near  Maxville. 
He  belonged  to  the  "First  Families"  of  the  South  and  was  educated  as  such. 
He  was  thoroughly  disgusted  with  the  institution  of  slavery  which  fact  is 
probably  responsible  for  his  leaving  the  Southland  to  come  to  a  new  country. 
He  was  active  in  the  affairs  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  as  such,  was 
actively  engaged  with  Levi  Cofifin  in  the  underground  railroad.  He  became 
so  offensive  to  the  South  that  a  price  oi  five  hundred  dollars  was  put  upon 
his  head,  dead  or  alive,  whereupon  he  is  said  to  have  gone  to  Cincinnati,  dis- 
carded his  Quaker  garb  and  beaver  for  a  suit  like  the  dandies  of  the  times 
wore.  He  then  rnade  a  tour  of  the  South,  going  as  far  south  as  Mississippi, 
ostensibly  visiting  the  plantations  for  some  purpose  or  other,  but  really  to 
incite  the  slaves  to  attempt  an  escape.  It  is  said  that  he  would  make  known 
his  purpose  to  some  slave  who  would  circulate  the  report  over  the  plantation. 
The  Doctor  would  then  steal  out  of  the  mansion-house  in  the  dead  of  night 
and  meet  the  negroes  in  some  lonely  spot  and  try  to  teach  them  how  to  pro- 
ceed in  order  to  successfully  escape.  He  is  said  to  have  caused  several  hun- 
dred negroes  to  escape  at  this  time.  When  he  had  returned,  he  gave  a  full 
account  of  his  doings  to  the  Cincinnati  papers.  When  the  southern  planters 
found  out  how  they  had  been  hoaxed,  their  feelings  were  certainly  not  sweet- 
ened toward  the  North.  Doctor  Way  was  many  years  in  advance  of  his 
time  in  his  ideas  of  disease.  One  of  his  insistences  was  that  consumption 
was  contagious,  and  his  instructions  concerning  the  care  and  isolation  of  cases 
of  this  dread  disease  would  remind  one  of  those  of  a  physician  of  today. 
Some  time  after  the  war  he  emigrated  to  Illinois,  when  he  died  about  1880. 

Dr.  Robert  Woody  came  to  Randolph  county  from  Newport,  now  Foun- 
tain City,  in  the  early  30's.  He  read  medicine  with  Dr.  Henry  Way,  after 
which  he  began  to  practice  in  Winchester,  occupying  the  house  now  the 
residence  of  Judge  L.  J.  Monks  on  Franklin  street.  Being  a  student  of  Doc- 
tor Way's  he  very  naturally  held  many  of  his  views  on  the  political  questions 
of  the  day  as  well  as  on  disease.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a  very  successful 
practitioner  and  stood  high  in  the  esteem  of  his  fellow  men.  About  the  close 
of  the  war,  he  moved  to  Eaton,  Ohio,  where  he  died  in  1867. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj   INDIANA.  859 

Jacob  Bellville. — Another  of  Randolph-  county's  early  physicians  was 
Doctor  Jacob  Bellville.  He  was  born  in  New  Castle,  Delaware,  about  181 1. 
The  family  seem  to  have  moved  to  near  Dayton,  Ohio,  upon  the  representa- 
tion of  an  elder  member  of  the  family  the  Rev.  Jacob  Bellville,  the  uncle 
of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  It  was  the  doctor's  original  intention  to  follow 
the  avocation  of  a  farmer,  but  he  received  an  injury  to  his  chest  which  made 
manual  labor  impossible,  so  he  read  medicine.  In  1852,  he  came  to  Win- 
chester, bought  out  the  property  and  good"  will  of  Doctor  Woody,  moved  into 
his  home  (now  the  Monks  homestead)  and  began  to  practice.  After  two 
years,  he  returned  to  Dayton,  Ohio,  where  he  successfully  practiced  until  his 
death,  January  26,  1881. 

Dr.  George  W.  Bruce,  Winchester,  Avas  born  at  Eaton,  Ohio,  January 
17,  1822.  Here  he  lived  until  he  began  the  study  of  medicine.  He  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession  a:t  Huntington,  Indiana;  frpm  there  ue  moved 
to  New  Paris,  Ohio,  and  in  1852  or  1853,  located  in  Winchester  where  he 
resided  continuously,  except  for  a  brief  period  prior  to  i860,  when  he  lived 
on  a  farm  near  Deerfield. 

Doctor  Bruce  rendered  distinguished  and  honorable  service  to  his 
country  in  the  war  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union.  He  was  first  appointed 
assistant  slirgeon  of  the  Eighth  Indiana  Infantry,  which  position  he  held 
until  January,  1863.  He  was  then  appointed  to  the  same  position  in  the 
First  Indiana  Cavalry,  and  served  with  that  regiment  until  the  expiration 
of  his  term  of  service.  He  was  then  appointed  surgeon  of  the  One  Hundred 
Forty-second  Infantry,  which  position  he  held  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

Doctor  Bruce  practiced  his  profession  continuously  after  his  return  from 
the  army  until  about  1885,  when  his  interest  in  mining  proi>erties  in  Missouri, 
claimed  his  personal  attention.  That  he  might  properly  care  for  these  inter- 
ests, he  gave  up  the  general  practice  of  his  profession.  It  has  been  said  of 
Doctor  Bruce  that  he  never  refused  to  respond  to  the  call  of  distress  because 
of  the  poverty  of  the  sufferer,  or  from  fear  of  not  receiving  compensation 
for  his 'services.     He  died  April  17,  1896. 

Dr.  C.  S.  Evans,  Union  City,  was  born  in  Chester  county,  Pennsylvania, 
in-1832;  came  to  Richmond,  Indiana,  in  1837,  and  to  Spartanburg,  Indiana, 
in  1852;  to  HoUandsburg,  Ohio,  in  1857;  ^"^^  *°  Union  City  in  1868.  He 
read  medicine  with  Doctor  Lawrence,  at  Spartanburg,  in  1852-55;  practiced 
at  HoUandsburg,  Ohio  in  1857-68,  graduating  from  the  Medical  College  of 
Ohio,  at  Cincinnati  in  1863. 

He  joined  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-sixth  Ohio  Regiment  as  assistant 


86o  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

surgeon  in  the  summer  of  1863 ;  had  charge  of  the  Cincinnati  barracks,  and 
then  of  a  post  hospital  at  Paris,  Kentucky; -rejoined  the  regiment  in  Mary- 
land and  then  left  the  service,  his  time  having  expired  and  something  over. 
He  died  in  1913. 

Dr.  Joel  N.  Converse,  Union  City,  was  born  December  13,  1820,  in 
Madison  county,  Ohio.  He  read  medicine  and  practiced  from  1841  to  1S52,; 
graduating  in  1846,  from  Starling  Medical  College,  Columbus,  Ohio.  He 
settled  at  Union  City,  in  1852,  at  the  commencement  of  the  town  and  resided 
there  until  the  autumn  of  i88o,'when  he  sold  his  residence  and  removed  to 
Chicago,  where  he  died  in  1892. 

Dr.  Robert  H.  Morgan,  Spartanburg,  was  born  in  Wayne  county  in 
1827;  attended  school  in  various  public  and  private  institutions;  read  medicine 
at  Marion,  Ohio,  with  Doctor  Lomax,  1850-51.  He  volunteered  in  1861  in 
the  Eighth  Indiana  (three  months),  Company  D,  Capt.  Silas  Coigrove.  At 
the  expiration  of  this  enlistment,  he  re-enlisted  in  the  Fifty-seventh  Indiana; 
was  corhmissioned  First  Lieutenant  of  Company  D.  He  was  discharged  for 
disability  in  May,  1864.  He  probably  began  to  practice  in  Marion^  Ohio; 
from  there  he  went  to  Nora,  Illinois,  and  probably  began  to  practice  in  and 
around  Spartanburg  about  1859,  continuing  there  after  the  war  till  his  death 
in  1884. 

Dr.  Elisha  T.  Bailey,  Ridgeville. — Another  one  of  the  pioneer  physicians 
of  Randolph  county  was  Elisha  T.  Bailey.  He  was  born  in  Clinton  county, 
Ohio  in  1821 ;  moved  to  Warren  county,  Ohio,  in  1824;  to  Wayne  county, 
Indiana,  in  1829;  to  Green  township,  Randolph  county,  in  1847;  and' to 
Ridgeville  in  1850.  He  read  medicine  with  Stanton  Judkins,  of  Newport 
(Fountain  City),  Indiana,  in  1843-47;  began  to  practice  in  1847.  He  at- 
tended lectures  at  Miami  Medical  College  in  1853-54.  He  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Ridgeville,  haying  settled  there  before  there  was  any  town,  and 
resided  there  until  his  death  in  1890. 

Dr.  H.  H.  Yergin,  Union  City,  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  in 
1839,  and  came  to  Union  City  in  1867.  He  graduated  from  the  scientific 
course  at  college,  Delaware,  Ohio,  and  at  the  Cleveland  Medical  College, 
Ohio,  in  1864,  pursuing  the  post-graduate  course  in  the  same  school  in  1866. 
He  is  a  member  of  several  medical  societies  including  the  American  Medical 
Association.  He  was  employed  by  the  "Bee  Line"'  and  the  "Pan-Handle" 
railroads  as  surgeon  for  accident  among -their  employees. 

Dr.  Sylvania  Remmel,  Winchester,  was  born  in  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  in 
1818;  her  parents  settled  in. White  River  township,   Randolph  county,   in 


RANDOLPH    COtJNTY,    INDIANA.  86l 

1819.  She  began  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  Benjamin  Puckett,  an  elder 
brother  in  1858-61.  She  began  to  practice  in  Winchester  in  1861.  About 
1862  her  family  moved  to  Illinois,  where  she  continued  to  practice.  In  1874, 
upon  the  death  of  her  husband,  she  returned  to  Winchester,  continuing  her 
practice  till  her  death  in  1907.  i 

Dr.  John  E.  Markle,  Winchester,  was  born  in  Ithaca,  New  York,  De- 
cember 2,  1838.  In  1854,  he  came  with  his  parents  to  a  village  now  known 
as  Markleville,  where,  in  1859,  he  began  the  study  of  medicine,  with  a  Doc- 
tor Cook:  In  i86q,  he  attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  the  Ohio  Medical 
College,  Cincinnati.  He  began  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Fishersburg, 
Madison  county,  Indiana,  in  1861.  When  the  dark  cloud  of  war  burst, 
young  Markle  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  E,  Thirty-fourth  Regiment 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  For  bravery  displayed  at  various  times,,  in 
some  of  the  most  trying  and  dangerous  circumstances,  he  was  promoted  until 
he  attained  the  captaincy  of  Company  K. 

On  the  15th  of  October,  1865,  he  was  commissioned  assistant  surgeon 
of  his  regiment  which  position  he  held  until  1866,  when  he  was  mustered  out 
of  the  service.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  resumed  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession at  Portland,  Jay  county,  Indiana.  In  the  winter  of  1867-68,  he  at- 
tended a  second  series  of  lectures  at  the  Ohio  Medical  College,  graduating 
therefrom  in  1868.  He  continued  to  practice  at  Portland,  until  1873,  when 
he  removed  to  Hagerstown,  Indiana,  and  in  the  following  year  to  Winchester, 
where  he  has  since  pursued  his  vocation.  During  the  winters  of  1878-79,  he 
attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  Bellevue  Hospital,  New  York,  graduating 
therefrom  in  the  spring  of  1879. 

He  was  pension  examiner  of  this  county  under  the  Garfield  and  Arthur 
administrations,  and  also  under  General  Harrison's  administration.  He  was 
the  first  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Health  of  this  county,  serving  as  such 
two  years.  He  was  nominated  and  elected  clerk  of  the  circuit  court,  serving 
from  September,  1897,  to  January,  1902,  serving  the  same  number  of  days 
as  clerk  that  he  did  in  the  serviceof  his  country.  He  laid  down  life's  burdens 
March  20,  1903.  Doctor  Markle  was  a  useful  and  valuable  man  to  society, 
and  a  large  concourse  of  people  assembled  at  his  funeral  to  express  their 
appreciation  of  this  patriot,  this  man  of  science,  this  •  kind-hearted  physician 
and  surgeon. 

In  1866,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  EmiLy  Victoria  Johnson, 
•which  union  was  productive  of  two  children,  Minnie,  who  died  in  infancy 
antl'Dr.  Grant  C.  Markle,  who  was  a.ss0ciated  with  his, father  in  practice  at 
the  time  of  his  deiath. 

(55) 


862  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Dr.  William  G.  Smith,  Winchester,  was  born  near  New  Carlisle,.  Ohio, 
in  1837.  He  received  a  good  common  school  education  in  youth,  read  medi- 
cine under  Dr.  John  Crowley  and  graduated-  from  the  Ohio  Medical  College 
in  1.869.  He  began  to  practice  at  Fairview,  Randolph  county,  in  1863.  From 
there  he  moved  to  Deerfield,  where  he  practiced  for  five  years.  He  then 
came  to  Winchester.  He  attended  Bellevue  College,  New  York  City,  from 
which  he  graduated  in- 1880.  In  October,  1874,  Doctor  Smith  and  Dr.  J.  E. 
Markle  formed  a  partnership  for  me  practice  of  medicine  under  the  firm 
name  of  Smith  and  Markle.  They  continued  in  partnership  until  June,  1882. 
There  was  no  time  during  these  years  that  the  firm  did  not  enjoy  a  large  and 
lucrative  practice. 

.;  After  the  dissolution  of  this  partnership  Doctor  Smith  continued  to 
practice  alone  until  December,  1891,  when  he  associated  himself  with  Dr. 
Charles  McNaull,  a  graduate  of  Bellevue  College,  which  partnership  con- 
tinued to  exist  until  the  day  of  his  death. 

Doctor  Smith  was  recognized  by  his  contemporary  physicians  as  a  splen- 
did diagnostician.  He  had  the  faculty  of  telling  what  ailments  the  patient 
had.  His  knowledge  of  anatomy  was  extensive  and  accurate,  also  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  physiology  of  the  various  organs ;  this  is  probably  largely 
responsible  for  his  phenomenal  success  as  a  general  practitioner.  He  early 
associated. himself  with  a  society  .of  doctors  styled  the  "Medicar Society  of 
the  Muncie  District"  in  which  he  was  an  enthusiastic  worker  and  supporter. 
He  was  also  one  of  the  fourteen  original  members  of  the  "Randolph  County 
Medical  Society,"  organized  in  1876.  Doctor  Smith's  name  is  held  in  venera- 
tion by  many  of  the  county's  present  day  physicians  because  of  the  kindly  word 
of  advice,  the  valuable  aid  given  in  time  of  need.  In  consultation,  he  was 
always  kind  and  courteous  to  the  physicians  present,  always  disposed  to  look 
hopefully  to  the  recovery  of  the  patient. 

In  June,  1866,  he  was  married  to  Julia  Lucas.  To  them  came  three  chil- 
dren, George,  Bessie,  and  Harold,  all  of  whom  are  at  present  living.  Doctor 
Smith  gave  up  the  cares  of  this  life  in  August,  1892. 

Dr.  John  T.  Chenoweth,  Winchester,  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio, 
November  19,  1833.  He  was  a  descendant'of  John  Chenoweth  who  settled  in 
Maryland,  in  1716.  He  attended  the  district  schools  and'was  a  pupil  of 
Enos  L.  Watson  in  the  early  50's.  He  fitted  hitiiself  for  teaching,  and  taught 
in  the  district  schools.  When  a  young  man  he  learned  the  trade  of  brick 
mason.  He  was  a  contracting  builder  for  a  few  years  and  most  of  the  build- 
ings that  he  erected  are  in  a  good  state  of  preservation  yet.  January  4, 
1857,  he  was  married  to  Hannah  V.  Miller.     To  this  union  we.re  born  five 


I  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  863 

children:  Forrest  A.,  Herschal  V.,  Arthur,  Ethel  May,  Martha  M.  He 
studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Lansdown  of  Greenville,  Ohio,  and  attended  the 
Eclectic  Medical  Institute  during  the  fall  and  winter  of  1859-60.  In  Majrch, 
iSflO,  he  located  at  Huntsville,  Indiana,  where  he  practiced  his  profession  till 
1865.  During  the  first  part  of  the  Civil  war  he  treated  the  families  of 
soldiers  without  charge.  While  living  at  Huntsville,  he  with  the  help  of 
others  assisted  in  ferreting  out  the  designs  of  the  Knights  of  the  Golden 
Circle.  It  was  through  his  counsel  that  a  Randolph  county  citizen  went  to 
Terre  Haute  and  joined  the  Knights.  After  receiving  all  the  grips,  pass 
words,  and  instructions,  this  citizen  visited  the  meetings  at  various  places 
where  he  came  into  possession  of  all  the  plans  of  the  order  to  aid  the  Con- 
federacy. These  plans  were  communicated  to  Governor  Morton,  who  dele- 
gated this  citizen  to  get  evidence  against  these  Knights. 

In  November,  1865,  Doctor  Chenoweth  located  at  Williamsburg,  Wayne 
county,  Indiana,  where  he  continued  in  the  active  practice  of  his  chosen  pro- 
fession till  the  fall  of  1874.  During  the  fall  and  winter  of  1874-75  he  at- 
tended the  Medical  College  of  Ohio,  at  Cincinnati.  He  received  his  diploma 
from  that  institution  in  March,  1875.  April,  7,  1875,  he  moved  to  Win- 
chester, Indiana  and  was  in  very  active  practice  till  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  April  19,  1903.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons  and  Knights  of  Honor.  He  was 
true  to  all  trusts  thrust  upon  him.  His  hatred  for  all  trickery  and  hypocrisy 
was  marked.  He  was  a  lover  of  truth,  honor  and  justice.  Many  young 
physicians  would  go  to  him  for  advice  and  were  always  repaid  for  their  going. 
He  was  always  ready  to  help  the  weak.  During  his  first  few  years  of  practice 
he  would  go  to  see  his  patients  on  horseback,  because  of  the  bad  roads.  He 
was  a  lover  of  good  horses  and  always  had  his  barn  full  of  horses  that  would 
take  him  to  his  patients  without  loss  of  time.  His  presence  in  the  sick  room 
was  a  tonic  and  the  patient  would  always  bless  him,  although  some  never 
paid  him. 

Dr.  Lewis  N.  Davis,  Farmland,  was  born  in  Clark  county,  Ohio,  in 
1849.  His  parents  came  to  Randolph  county,  in  1851.  In  i8s9'-they  emi- 
grated to  Saline  county,  Missouri,  consequently  the  boyhood  of  Doctor  Davis 
was  spent  in  Randolph  and  Saline  counties.  He  received  a  common  and 
high  school  education.  In  1870  he  began  the  study  of  medicine  with  his 
brother,  R.  P.  Davis,  then  of  Redkey,  Indiana.  In  September,  he  entered 
Miami  Medical  College  of  Cincinnati, .  Ohio,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1873.     After   graduation,  he  remained   with  his  brother   in   Redkey  until 


864  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

August  of  the  same  year,  when  he  moved  to  Farmland,  where  he  remained 
till  his  death  in  October,  1912. 

In  May,  1882,  he  supplemented  his  college  education  by  a  clinical  course 
in  Cincinnati,  at  the  Good  Samaritan  Hospital,  and  in  1889,  took  a  course 
in  the  Polyclinic  of  New  York  City.  He  has  contributed  to  the  literature 
of  his  profession,  giving  to  the  world  the  results  of  his  own  practice  and 
observation.  He  is  a  charter  rnember  of  the  Randolph  County  Medical 
Society,  organized  in  1876;  of  the  "Delaware  District  Medical  Society;  also 
he  was  a  member  of  the  American  Medical  Society.  To  these  societies,  he 
has  contributed  many  able  papers;  also  to  the  leading  medical  periodicals  of 
the  United  States,  some  of  which  have  been  translated  into  German.  His 
scholarly  attainments  and  professional  ability  were  universally  recognized. 

Dr.  Richard  Bosworth,  Winchester,  was  born  in  Gallia  county,  Ohio,  in 
1832.  In  1836,  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Jay ,  county,  Indiana.  Doctor 
Bosworth  received  a  good  education  in  the  Liberal  Arts,  attending  the  public 
schools,  the  Jay  county  seminary,  and  Liber  College.  Taught  school  in  the 
winter  of  1849-50.  Began  to  study,  medicine  in  1854;  continued  to  1857, 
pursuing  his  studies  a  part  of  the  time  in  the  University  of  Michigan  at  Ann 
Arbor.  Because  of  lack  of  means,  he  was  obliged  to  leave  the  university 
before  completing  the  prescribed  course  and  begin  practice.  Accordingly 
he  located  at  Pleasant  Mills,  Adams  county,  in  1857.  He  soon  left  this 
place  and  settled  in  Deerfield,  where  he  practiced  until  the  war.  In  the  mean- 
time, he  had  found  opportunity  to  attend  another  course  of  lectures  at  the 
University  of  Michigan,  but  again  he  abandoned  his  studies  and  entered  the 
Union  army.  In  August:  1862,  Doctor  Bosworth  was  appointed  surgeon-at- 
large  for  the  state  of  Indiana.  At  New  Orleans  and  other  places,  his  duty 
consisted  of  inspecting  hospitals,  which  duty  he  discharged  until  the  follow- 
ing spring,  when,  by  reason  of  a  severe  attack  of  bronchitis,  he  obtained 
leave  of  absence  and  returned  home.  After  remaining  at  home  for  six 
weeks,  the  Doctor  re-entered  the  service,  becoming  assistant  surgeon  of  the 
Thirty-sixth  Indiana,  which  position  he  held  until  the  expiration  of  the  regi- 
ment's period  of  service. 

Doctor  Bosworth,  after  his  discharge,  returned  to  Randolph  county, 
and  shortly,  for  the  third  time  entered  the  University  of  Michigan,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  March,  1865.  He  was  again  appointed  surgeon-at-- 
large  by  Governor  Morton,  and  for  some  time  thereafter  was  busily  engaged 
in  the  discharge  of  his  official  duties.  At  the  close  of  the  war  Doctor  Bos- 
worth returned  to  Winchester,  iiandolph  county  and  was  soon  engaged  in  a 


.RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  865 

lucrative  practice.  In  1867,  he  was  appointed  examining  surgeon  for  pen- 
sions, which  position  he  held  for  fifteen  year's,  resigning  in  1882. 

Becaiise  of  bad  health,  due  to  overwork.  Doctor  Bosworth,  in.  1880,  re- 
tired temporarily  from  practice,  going  to  the  Pacific  slope.  Subsequently 
he  spent  one  winter  in  Florida,  from  which  state  he  returned  much  improved 
in  health  to  resume  his  practice. 

In  1864,  Doctor  vBosworth  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  A.  Hale.  To 
this  union  were  born  three  children :  Rosecrans  J.,  Leander  U.  and  Flora 
M.  all  of  whom  are  still  living.  Doctor  Bosworth  is  an  enthusiastic  Mason, 
having  taken  all  the  degrees  of  the  York  Rite.  At  eighty-two  years  of  age, 
the  Doctor  is  hale  and  hearty,  except  for  crippled  legs  which  he  received  in 
an  accident,  in  which  his  buggy  was  upset  and  he  himself  was  dragged  for 
some  distance  over  the  hard  turnpike.  The  Doctor  has  been  a  liberal  con- 
tributor to  the  churches  of  Winchester,  and  no  proper  help  to  worthy  enter- 
prise, charitable  or  otherwise  has  he  withheld. 

Dr.  Isaac  N.  Trent,  Muncie,  a  former  practitioner  in  Randolph  county, 
was  born  in  1854,  in  Carroll  county,  Indiana.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm 
till  he  had  almost  reached  man's  estate,  when  he  began  to  work  at  the 
carpenter's  trade.  He  attended  the  common  schools  until  about  seventeen 
years  of  age,  when  he  entered  the  Battle  Ground  Collegiate  Institute,  at 
Battle  Ground,  Indiana.  After  two  years  work  here,  he  taught  school  in 
Carroll  county  for  seven  years.  He  began  the  study  of  medicine  in  the  office 
of  Dr.  W.  N.  Gates  in  Carroll.  In  1879  he  attended  one  course  of  lectures 
at  the  Ohio  Medical  College,  and  in  1880,  one  course  at  the  Kentucky  School 
of  Medicine  at  Louisville,  graduating  in  188 1.  He  began  practice  at  Losant- 
ville,  Randolph  county,  forming  a  partnership  with  Dr.  H.  P.  Franks.  In 
1886,  while  still  maintaining  his  partnership  with  Doctor  Franks,  he  went  to 
New  York  City  and  spent  a  year  in  the  hospitals-  and  graduated  from  the 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  of  that  city  in  1887;  he  then  returned  to 
his  partner  at  Losantville  and  remained  till- 1888.  He  then  went  to  Columbus, 
Ohio,  for  a  year;  and  in  1889,  settled  in  Muncie,  Indiana,  where  he  resides 
and  practices  at  the  present  time. 

Dr.  Hamilton  P.  Franks,  Losantville,  was  born  in  Hardin  county,  Ohio, 
in  1849.  Doctor  Franks  was  reared  on  a  farm,  received  a  common  school 
education  in  his  county  and  attended  a  school  of  dentistry  at  Newark,  Ohio. 
He  practiced  his  profession  at  Thornville,  Ohio,  for  five  years.  Afterward  he 
entered  Ohio  Medica,l  College  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  then  he  entered  the  Ken- 
tucky school  of  Medicine  at  Louisville,  from  here  he  went  to  the  Indiana 


866  RANDOLPH    COUN^y^    INDIAN^. 

Medical  College  of  Indianapolis.  In  1887-88  he,  attended  the  medical  de- 
partment of  the  University  of  New  York,'  at  New  York  City,  graduating 
therefrom.  In  1874,  Dr.  Franks  moved  to  Losantville,  Randolph  county, 
and  has  practiced  there  ever  since. 

Dr.  Alonzo  H.  Good,  Selma,  also  a  former  practitioner  of  Randolph 
county,  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  1843.  He  received  a  com- 
mon school  education  and  entered  the  Union  army  in  1862,  enlisting  in  Com- 
pany D,  Sixty-ninth  Indiana  volunteer  infantry.  He  was  wounded  and 
taken  prisoner  in  the  first  engagement,  was  paroled  on  the  field  of  battle, 
sent  to  Paoli  camp  at  Richmond,  Indiana,  where  he  remained  until  exchanged. 
He  afterwards  contracted  measles  which  caused  the  loss  of  his  voice  and  he 
was  offered  a  discharge  which  he  refused.  In  consequence  he  was  traiis- 
f erred  to  the  sanitary  department.  He  was  afterward  offered  a  commission 
by  Governor  Morton  as  major  in  the  .Nineteenth  Indiana  Cavalry,  which  he 
declined,  because  he  did  riot  believe  his  physical  condition  fit  to  go  into  active 
duty.  In  1864,  he  was  transferred  to  the  Ninety-fourth  Company  Volun- 
teer Relief  Corps,  in  which  corps  he  served  till  the  expiration  of  his  term  of 
service,  being  mustered  out  as  first  sergeant  of  the  Twentieth.  Company  Sec- 
ond Battalion,  Volunteer  Relief  Corps. 

Prior  to  his  enlistment.  Doctor  Good  began  the  study  of  medicine;  in 
addition  to  this  he  was  kept  much  of  the  time  in  the  medical  department  of 
the  army.  Upon  his  return  to  Wayne  county,  he  began  to  study  with  Drs. 
P.  H.  Jamison  of  Indianapolis  and  J.  B.  Clark  oi  Economy^  Indiana.  In 
1867,  he  began  to  practice  in  Bloomingsport,  Randolph  county,  Indiana, 
continuing  for  fourteen  years.  In  1880  or  1881  he  moved  to  Selma,  where 
he  still  continues  to  practice  his  profession  honored  of  all  men. 

Dr.  J.  H.  Fahnestock  was  bom  in  Miami  county,  Ohio,  February  14, 
1842.  Moved  with  his  parents  to  a  farm  near  Versailles,  Ohio,  and  later 
to  near  Union  City,  Indiana.  He  obtained  his  education  from  the  common 
schools  of  Ohio.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  began  to  read  medicine,  in  the 
meantime  working  on  his  father's  farm.  In  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  Union 
army,  serving  almost  three  years.  .  Doctor  Fahnestock  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Eclectic  Medical  School  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  also  from  the  Southern 
Medical  Institute  of  Memphis,  Tennessee.  In  1877,  ^^  began  to  practice, 
locating  near  Union  City.  Some  time  later,  he  moved  to  Union  City,  where 
he  enjoyed  a  long  and  very  successful  practice  of  his  profession.  At  present 
he  is  located  in  Fostoria,  Ohio. 

In  1867,  he  was  married  to  Margaret  J.  Benson,  to  which  imion  was 
born  six  children  all  of  whom  are  living. 


*  .,  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  867 

Dr.  George  W.  Thompson,  son  of  Samuel  and  Edith  Thompson,  was 
born  in  German  township,  Darke  county,  Ohio,  April  11,  183 1.  He  moved 
into  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  and  in  1849^  was  mar- 
ried to  Elizabeth  Wiley.  As  a  young  man,  Doctor  Thompson  began  the 
study  of  medicine  under  Dr.  Charles  Austin  and  later  practiced  with  him. 

When  the  Civil  war  broke  out  in  1861,  Doctor  Thompson,  answering 
his  country's  call,  gave  up  his  practice  and  enlisted  in  Company  B,  Sixty- 
ninth  Indiana  as  Second  Lieutenant  and  at  the  expiration  of  his  enlistment 
in  this  regiment  he  served  in  the  One  Hundred  Forty-seventh  Ohio  as  chap- 
lain, returning  to  his  practice  at  the  close  of  the  conflict. 

Doctor. Thompson  graduated  from  the  Eclectic  Medical  Institute  of  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  in  1878,  and  was  active  in  the  practice  of  medicine  until  his 
death,  August  13,  1904.  He  was -a  member  of  Sedgewick  Post  No.  38, 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  also  an  active  member  of  the  Masonic 
order. 

Dr.  Joseph  J.  Evans,  Winchester,  was  born  in  Wrightstown,  Belmont 
county,  Ohio,  September  17,  1839.  His  father  moved  to  Bremen,  Fairfield 
county,  Ohio,  in  1840,  when  he  was  about  one  year  old.  In  this  old  town 
Doctor  Evans  lived,  attended  its  common  schools  until  he  was  about  seven- 
teen years  Old.  He  attended  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University  at  Delaware, 
Ohio,  in  the  years  of  1857,  1858  and  1859.  He  read  medicine  in  his  father's 
office  up  until  1862  and  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  the  fall  of 
1862,  in  Straitsville,  Perry  county,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  September, 
1867,  when  he  moved  from  there  to  Winchester,  where  he  has  resided  since 
that  time  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine. 

Dr.  Martin  Conner,  Parker  City,  was  born  in  Maryland,  February  8, 
1827.  While  he-was  very  young  his  parents  moved  to  New  Castle,  Indiana, 
then  they  seem  to  have  moved  farther  west.  He  began  to  read  medicine  with 
his  brother  William  Conner,  who  was  practicing  at  Windsor,  Indiana.  Will- 
iam was  himself  a  student  of  Doctor  West  at  Hagerstown,  Indiana.  Dr. 
Martin  Conner  began  to  practice  in  1854.  In  February  of  1855,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Susan  R.  Peoples,  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  they  moved  to  Parker, 
Indiana,  where  Doctor  Conner  practiced  till  his  death  in  1876.  To  this 
union  were  born  six  children,  four  of  whom  are  yet  living  together  with  his 
wife,  wJio  is  hale  and  hearty,  doing  her  own  work,  keeping  house  for  a  son, 
she  being  in  her  eighty-third  year. 

Dr.  Conner  did  not  enlist  in  the  army  during  the  Civil  war,  but  re- 
mained at  home  where  his  helping  hand  was  always  extended  in  helpfulness 
to  the  families  of  those  who  were  at  the  front.     The  Conner  home  was  open 


868  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

at  all  times  to  the  distressed  families  of  Union  soldiers,  and  the  hand  of  heal- 
ing, was  laid  on  without  money  and  without  price.  Doctor  Conner  died  of 
that  dread  disease  consumption,  brought  on  by  over-exposure  in  the  practice 
of  his  profession.  He  was  prominent  in  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
and  Methodist  circles.  He  was  laid  in  his  narrow  cell  in  Rehobeth  grave- 
yard in  Randolph  county. 

The  following  list  purports  to  be  a  complete  roster  of  physicians  yet 
living,  with  those  professional  items  concerning  each,  which  are  important 
as  history.  In  some  instances  th^  items  are  meagre,  particularly  in  regard 
to -professional  training.  It  was  impossible  to  see  all  of  them  and  it  proved 
to  be  equally  impossible  to  secure  answers  to  letters  of  inquiry^  so.it  was  neces- 
sary to  give  just  what  could  be  gleaned  from  the  records  in  the  clerk's  office, 
which  in  some  instances'  was  scant  enough. 

-  Abel,  O.  E.,  born  in  i860,  in  Jay  county,  Indiana;  school  of  practice  is 
Regular;  practiced  some  years  in  Winchester;  now  at  Trenton,  Randolph 
county. 

Barnard,  P.  C,  born  in  1868,  in  Henry  county,  Indiana;  graduated  from 
Central  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  in  1901 ;  school  of  practice  is 
Regular;  practiced  at  Oakville,  Indiana,  ten  years,  Hamilton,  Indiana,  two 
years,  at  present  at  Parker  City. 

Beauchamp,  H.  W.,  born  in  1873,  i"  Shelby  county,  Indiana;  school  of 
practice  in  Physio-medical ;  was  located  at  Arba,  Randolph  county ;  present 
place  of  practice,  Scranton,  Pennsylvania. 

Beck,  Isaac  E.,  born  in  1863,  in  Jay  county,  Indiana;  school  of  practice 
is  Physio-Medical;  was  located  at  New  Pittsburg;  present  location  unknown. 

Berry,  N.  D.,  born  in  1854,  in  Darke  county,  Ohio ;  school  of  practice 
is  Regular;  formerly  practiced  in  Spartanburg,  but  now  of  Muncie,  Indiana. 

Bosworth,  Richard,  born  in  Gallia  county,  Ohio,  in  1832;  graduated 
from  University  of  Michigan  Medical  School  in  1865 ;  school  of  practice  is 
Regular;  practiced  at  Pleasant  Mills,  Indiana,  Deerfield,  Indiana;  now  of 
Winchester,  Indiana,  and  has  retired.  —_ 

Botkin,  Thomas  W.,  born  in  1844,  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana;  school 
of  practice  is  Eclectic;  began  in  Unionsport,  Randolph  county-,  but  now  of 
Farmland,  Indiana,  and  has  retired. 

Botkin,  Charles  L,,  born  in  1878,  at  Unionsport,  Indiana;  graduated 
from  Medical  College  of  Indiana  in  1904;  school  of  practice  Regular;  prac- 
ticed .at  Winchester  and  is  at  present  at  Farmland. 

Blossom,  J.  C,  born  in  1872,  at  Decatur,  Indiana;  graduated  from  the 
Kentucky  School  of  Medicine,  Louisville,  Kentucky,  in  1900;  school  of  prac- 


*  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  869 

tice  Regular,;  began  practice  at  Mooreland,  Indiana;  at  present  located  at 
Losantville,  Indiana. 

Brenner,  Ivan  E.,  born  in  1886,  at  Mt.  Ayr,  Indiana;  graduated  from 
Indiana  University  School  of  Medicine,  in  1913 ;  school  of  practice  is  Regular; 
is  located  at  Winchester,  Indiana. 

Cherioweth,  Forrest  A.,  born  in  1858,  in  D^rke  county,  Ohio;  graduated 
from  the  Medical  College  of  Ohio,  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1886;  school  of 
practice  is  Regular;  located  at  Winchester  and  has  practiced  there  continu- 
ously from  1886. 

Clapper,  David,  born  in  1850,  in  H,enry  county,  Indiana;  school  of 
practice  is  Homeopathic;  practiced  at  Losantville;  present  location,  Moore- 
land, Henry  county,  Indiana. 

Chapman,  John  A.,  born  in  East  Dubuque,  Illinois,  1872;  graduate  of 
Des  Moines  School  of  Osteopathy  in  1904  and  is  practicing  in  Union  City 
at  present  time. 

Cox,  Cyrus  R.,  born  in  1853,  near  Winchester,  Indiana;  graduated  from 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  of  Indiana,  in  1878;  school  of  practice 
is  Regular:  began  practice  at  Winchester,  but  now  of  Lynn,  Indiana,  where 
he  has  been  since  1882. 

Cromer,  L.  G.,  born  in  1859,  at  Cedar  Blufifs,  Alabama;  graduated  from 
Medical  College  of  Ohio,  in  1890;  school  of  practice  Regular;  began  to  prac- 
tice in  Hillgrove,  Ohio;  has  been  in  Union  City  since  1965. 

Cromer,  Mary  O.,  born  in  1868,  at  Lewisburg,  Preble  county,  Ohio; 
graduated  from  the  Miami  Medical  School,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1904;  school 
of  practice  is  Regular ;  began  practice  in  Union  City,  where  she  still  continues 

Current,  Orpheus  E.,  born  in  1872,  in  Redkey,  Jay  county,  Indiana; 
graduated  from  Medical  College  of  Indiana,  in  1897;  school  of  practice  is 
Regular;  located  in  Farmland,  Indiana,  where  he  still  practices. 

Cory,  Henry  W.,  born  in  1867,  in  Wabash  county,  Indiana;  school  of 
practice  Homeopathic;  practiced  short  time  in  Parker  City;  present  location 
unknown. 

Darnell,  Terrence  E.,  born  in  1879,  at  Vandalia,  Illinois;  school  of  prac- 
tice Regular;  was  located  in  Carlos  City,  Indiana;  present  location  unknown. 

Davis,  George  H.,  born  in  1875,  in  Darke  county,  Ohio;  graduated  from 
the  Indiana  University  School  of  Medicine^  in  1909;  school  of  practice  is 
Regular;  located  in  Spartanburg,  Indiana,  till  1912;  since  then  in  Union  City, 
Indiana. 

Deitrick,  Herbert  W.,  born  in  1887,  at  Belief ontaine,  Ohio;  graduated 


870  RANDOtPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

from  Eclectic  Medical  College,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1910;  is  located  in  Union 
City;  school  of  practice  is  Eclectic. 

Drumm,  Howard;  born  in  1875,  ^t  Muncie,  Indiana;  school  of  practice 
is  Regular ;  was  located  in  Parker  City ;  present  whereabouts  unknown ; 
graduated  from  Indiana  Medical  School  of  Purdue,  in  1907. 

Evans,  Joseph  J.,  born  in  1829,  in  Belmont  county,  Ohio;  attended 
lectures  at  the  Starling  Medical  College,  Columbus,  Ohio ;  began  to  practice 
in  1862,  at  Straitsville,  Ohio;  in  1867  he  moved  to  Winchester,  where  he 
is  at  present  residing,  but  is  not  no%  actively  practicing. 

Fisher,  M.  L.,  born  in  1843,  ^^  Clark  county,  Ohio;  school  of  practice 
Physio-medical;  practiced  in  Winchester,  but  some  years  ago  moved  to 
Montana. 

Franks,  Hamilton  P.,  was  born  in  1849,  i"  Hardin  county,  Ohio;  gradu- 
ated from  Indiana  Medical  College  and  University  of  New  York;  school  of 
practice  Regular;  began  practice  in  Losantville,  where  he  still  resides. 

Frederick,  George  W.,  born  in  1861,  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana; 
graduated  from  Ohio  Medical  College  1885;  school  of  practice  Regular; 
began  practice  in  Ridgeville,  but  left  there  a  few  years  ago  and  went  to 
K'okomo,  Indiana. 

Freeman,  Benjamin  F.,  was  born  in  1876,  in  New  Palestine,  Indiana; 
graduated  from  the  Medical  College  of  Indiana;  school  of  practice  Regular; 
began  practice  in  Ridgeville,  Indiana,  where  he  practiced  till  a  few  years  ago, 
when  he  moved  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  but  is  now  located  at  New  Pales- 
tine, Indiana. 

Gardener,  Emma  G.,  bom  in  i860,  in  Eaton,  Ohio ;  graduated  from  the 
Kirksville  School  of  Osteopathy;  practiced  in  Winchester  for  about  four 
years,  when  she  married  ex-sheriff  George  Bright,  after  which  she  gave  up 
her  practice.       -f! 

Griffis,  Vierl  C,  born  in  1883,  in  White  Water,  Indiana;  graduated 
from  Indiana  Medical  College  of  Indiana,  1907;  located  at  Spartanburg; 
school  of  practice  Regular. 

Gustin,  Francis  M.,  born  in  1854,  at  Middletown,  Indiana ;  graduated 
from  Herring  Medical  College,  Chicago  Homeopathic  and  is  practicing  at 
Union  City,  Indiana. 

Hanna,  Raymond  W.,  was  born  in  1888,  at  Waveland,  Indiana;  gradu- 
ated from  the  Kirksville  School  of  Osteopathy,  and  is  practicing  in  Win- 
chester. 

Hastings,  A.  H.,  was  born  in  1843,  in  Henry  county,  Indiana;  school 
of  practice  is  Homeopathic;  practiced  some  years  in  Winchester;  moved  to 
Muncie,  where  he  is  practicing  at  present. 


'•■  i  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  8yi 

Heiner,  Edgar  K.,  was  born  in  i860,  at  Hemstead,  Maryland;  school 
of  practice  Regular ;  practiced  at  Ridgeville  a  short  time,  when  he  emigrated 
to  Worthington  Indiana. 

Heller,  Oscar,  was  born  in  1871,  in  Hancock  county,  Indiana;  school  of 
practice  Regular;  practiced  in  Ridjteville  short  time,  when  he  left  for  Green- 
field, Indiana. 

Hinshaw,  O.  W.,  was  born  in  1875,  in  Snow  Hill,  Randolph  county, 
Indiana;  school  of  practice  Regular;  is  located  at  Lynn,  Indiana. 

Hinshaw,  Wm.  H.,  born  in  1858,  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana;  school 
of  practice  Physio-medical;  practiced  at  Bartonia,  Randolph  county,  but  has 
left  and  present  location  unknown. 

Huddleston,  Albert  F.,  was  born  in  1859,  east  of  Liberty,  Union  county, 
Indiana;  graduated  from  the  Pulte  Homeopathic  School  of  Medicine  in  1881 ; 
came  to  Winchester,  where  he  has  since  resided  and  practiced  his  profession. 

Hunt,  Bader  S.,  was  born  in  1869,  near  Unionsport,  Randolph  county, 
Indiana;  graduated  from  Rush  Medical  School  in  1894;  school  of  practice  is 
Regular;  his  whole  professional  career  has  been  spent  in  Winchester,  Indiana. 

Innis,  Robert  E.,  was  bom  in  i860,  in  Tipton  county,  Indiana;  school 
of  practice  is  Eclectic;  practiced  in  Parker,  but  moved  to  another  location 
which  is  unknown.  ~ 

Johnson,  Ed.  W.,  was  born  in  1857,  in  Union  City,  Indiana;  graduated 
in  1884  from  Ohio  Medical  College ;  practiced  in  Union  City ;  now  in  Canada. 

Johnson,  Harvey  B.,  was  born  in  1852,  at  Somerset,  New  York;  gradu- 
ated from  Medical  Department  Wooster  University,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in 
1881;  school  of  practice  is  Regular;  has  practiced  in  Dustan  Falls,  Ohio,  six 
years.  Homer,  Illinois,  seven  years,  Sheridan,  Michigan,  eight  years,  and 
Ridgeville,  Indiana,  where  he  is  now  located  about  twelve  years. 

Kelley,  Clifton  M.,  was  born  in  1855,  at  Lynn,  Indiana;  graduated  from 
the  Medical  College  of  Ohio,  1891;  school  of  practice  is  Regular;  has  prac- 
ticed at  Palestine,  Ohio,  for  three  years,  Deerfield,  Indiana,  two  years,  and  in 
Winchester  up  to  the  present. 

Kendal,  Margaret  A.,  was  born  in  1834,  in  Illinois;  school  of  practice 
is  Physio-medical ;  practices  in  Modoc,  Indiana. 

Keith,  Freeman  E.,  was  born  in  1872,  in  Havelock,  New  Brunswick, 
Canada ;  graduated  from'  University  of  Indianapolis ;  school  of  practice  is 
Regular;  has  practiced  in  Richmond,  Indiana,  two  years,  Toledo,  Ohio,  one 
year.  New  Brunswick,  Canada  six  years  and  in  Modoc,  Indiana  to  the  present. 

Kienzle,  Fred  W.,  was  born  in  1872,  at  Madison,  Indiana;  graduated 
from  the  Medical  College  of  Indiana  in  1902;  school  of  practice  is  Regular; 


872  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

has  practiced  at  Greensfork,  Indiana,  from  1902-1912,  Carlos  City  1912  to 
March,  19 13,  and  at  Lynn  to  the  present  time. 

Kramer,  Joseph  A.,  was  born  in  1876,  at  Lithapolis,  Ohio;  graduated 
from  Louisville  Medical  College  in  1908,  and  is  since  located  at  Parker  City, 
Indiana.    School  of  practice  is  Regular. 

Lambert,  Thomas  J.,  was  born  in  Randolph  county  in  1869;  graduated 
from  Jener  Medical  College,  Chicago,  1906;  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat  spec- 
ialist; practiced  in  Chicago  until  January,  1914,  when  he  located  in  Union 
City.  ♦ 

Lee,  John  M.,  was  born  in  1883,  at  Rushville,  Indiana;  graduated  from 
the  Miami  Medical  College,  1906;  school  of  practice  is  Regular;  has  prac- 
ticed in  Denver,  Colorado,  to  1908;  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  to  1909;  Win- 
chester, Indiana,  to  191 1,  and   when  last  heard  of  was  in  Denver,  Colorado. 

Lemmon,  Brandt  E.,  was  bom  in  1883,  at  Corydon,  Indiana;  graduated 
from  Louisville  School  of  Medicine,  1908;  began  practice  at  Saratoga; 
present  whereabouts  unknown.- 

Little,  Benjamin  F.,  was  born  in  1854,  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania; 
school  of  practice  is  Homeopathic;  was  located  in  Parker  City;  present  loca- 
tion -unknown. 

McWhinney,  B.  P.,  was  born  in  1868,  at  Campbellstown,  Ohio;  school 
of  practice  is  Eclectic ;  was  located  in  Union  City,  Indiana,  but  now  is  prac- 
ticing in  Indianapolis,  Indiana. 

McFarland,  Norman,  was  born  in  1843,  in  Darke  county,  Ohio;  school 
of  practice  is  Eclectic;  is  located  in  New  Pittsburg,  Indiana. 

McFarland,  Omer  G.,  was  born  in  1883,  i*"  J^y  county,  Indiana;  school 
of  practice  is  Regular;  was  located  at  Losantville,  Indiana,  but  has  since 
moved,  and  present  location  is  unknown. 

McCormack,  William  D.,  was  born  in  1859,  at  Cadiz,  Indiana;  grad- 
uated from  Physio-Medical  School  of  Indianapolis;  has  practiced  at  Sulphur 
Springs,  Indiana,  from  1886-1888;  Richmond,  Indiana,  1888-1890;  Fal- 
mouth, 1 890- 1 895;  Modoc,  Indiana,  1895  to  probably  1908;  present  location 
unknown. 

Markle,  Grant  C,  was  born  in  1869,  at  Portland,  Indiana;  graduated 
from  medical  department  of  University  of  Louisville  in  1892 ;  has  practiced 
continuously  in  Winchester  since  then. 

Martin,  Charles  E.,  was  born  in  1886,  in  Jay  county,  Indiana;  grad- 
uated from  Miami  Medical  College,  Cincinnati;  school  of  practice  is  Regu- 
lar; has  practiced  in  Farmland,  but  at  present  is  located  in  Carlos  City,  In- 
diana. 


.RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  8/3 

Milligan,  C.  E.,  was  born  in  1862,  at  Portland,  Indiana;  graduated 
from  the  Physio-Medical  College  of  Indiana  at  Indianapolis  in  1890,  and 
has  practiced  in  Winchester  continuously  since  graduation. 

Morgan,  Thomas  W.,  was  born  in  1859,  at  Nova,  Illinois;  graduated 
from  Wesleyan  College  of  Cleveland,  Ohio;  school  of  practice  is  Regular; 
after  graduation,  settled  in  Spartanburg,  where  he  is  at  present  practicing. 

Morony,  J.  H.,  was  born  in  1856,  in  Logan  county,  Ohio;  graduated 
from  the  Starling  Medical  College  in  1885;  school  of  practice  is  Regular; 
has  practiced  in  Carlos  City  nine  years ;  Lynn,  Indiana,  eight  years ;  Alexan- 
dria, Indiana,  one  year,  and  Winchester  since. 

Mulliken,  Clarence  W.-,  was  born  in  1881,  at  Ninevah,  Indiana;  grad- 
uated from  medical  department  of  Indiana  University  in  1908;  school  of 
practice  is  Regular;  practiced  in  Tuba,  Arizona,  1909  to  1912;  Valentine, 
Arizona,  1912  to  1913;  Adams,  Indiana,  1908  to  1909;  at  present  is  located 
in  Ridgeville,  Indiana. 

Nixon,  Jesse  E.,  wras  born  in  1874,  at  Portland,  Indiana;  graduated 
from  Indiana  Medical  College  in  1905;  school  of  practice  is  Regular;  has 
practiced  at  New  Mt.  Pleasant,  1905 ;  soon  located  in  Ridgeville,  and  has 
since  gone  to  Portland,  Indiana. 

Nixon,  John,  was  born  in  1859,  at  New  Mt.  Pleasant,  Indiana;  grad- 
uated from  Ohio  Medical  College  in  1882;  schoolof  practice  is  Regular; 
since  which  time  he  has  practiced  in  Farmland,  Indiana. 

Nixon,  John  S.,  was  born  in  1887,  in  Farmland,  Indiana;  graduated 
from  medical  department  of  Indiana  University  in  1912;' school  of  practice 
is  Regular;  house  physician  St.  Luke's  Hospital,  New  York  City,  then  in 
partnership  with  father  in  Farmland. 

Noiif singer,  Henry,  was  born  in  Randolph  county  in  i860;  began  prac- 
tice at  Rossburg,  1884;  moved  to  Union  City,  where  he  still  practices. 

Proctor,  J.  A.,  was  born  in  1829,  in  Butler  county,  Ohio ;  graduated  from 
the  St.  Louis  College  of  Medicine  in  1850;  school  of  practice  is  Regular; 
began  at  Oxford,  Ohio,  then  moved  to  Fairfield,  Indiana,  and  finally  to  Union 
City,  in  1877,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  drug  business. 

Reese.  George  B.  M,,  was  born  in  1869,  in  Cralion  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania; school  of  practice  is  Regular;  at  last  accounts  was  at  Losantville, 
Randolph  county. 

Reid,  Robert  W.,  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1886;  graduated  from 
Ohio  Miami  Medical  College  of  Cincinnati  University  in  1912;  school  of 
practice  is  Regular ;  located  in  Union  City,  Indiana,  in  191 4. 

Rine,  Edgar  W.,  was  born  in  1859,  at  Detart,  West  Virginia;  graduated 


874  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

from  Starling  Medical  College,  Columbus,  Ohio,  in  1885;  school  is  Regular; 
practiced  in  Longbottom,  Ohio,  seventeen  years;  at  present  in  Winchester; 
where  he  has  practiced  fifteen  years. 

Reynard,  E.  G.,  was  born  in  i860,  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana;  grad- 
uated from  Medical  College  of  Ohio  in  1884;  school  of  practice  is  Regulaf ; 
practiced  in  Lightsviile,  Ohio,  until  about  1890,  when  he  located  in  Union 
City,  where  he  is  now  practicing. 

Reynard,  Granville,  was  born  In  1857  in  Cerro  Gordo,  Randolph  county, 
Indiana ;  graduated  from  the  Ohio  Medical  College  and  did  post-graduate  in 
New  York  in  1881 ;  school  of  practice  is  Regular;  has  practiced  at  Castine, ' 
Ohio,  1881-1884,  then  located  in  Union  City,  where  he  still  resides  and  prac- 
tices. 

Riegal,  Harrison  C.,  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  in  1878;  grad- 
uated from  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  Chicago,  in  1905 ;  school 
of  practice  is  Regular;  practiced  in  Spartanburg,  Randolph  county;  has  re- 
moved, and  whereabouts  unknown. 

Robinson,  John  S.,  was  born  in  1885,  at  Salem,  Indiana ;  graduated  from 
Indiana  University  School  of  Medicine  in  19 12 ;  school  of  practice  is  Regular, 
practicing  at  present  in  Winchester. 

Rogers,  Aaron  G.,  was  born  in  1849,  ^t  Rogersville,  Indiana;  graduated 
from  Miami -Medical  College  in  1880;  school  of  practice  is  Regular;  prac- 
ticed one  year  at  Terre  Haute,  Indiana,  then  came  to  Parker  City,  where  he 
continues  to  practice. 

Root,  William  \V.,  was  bom  in  1868,  at  Niagara  Falls,  New  York; 
graduated  from  the  Rush  Medical  College  in  1904;  school  of  practice  is 
P.egular;  began  practice  in  Parker,  after  considerable  experience  as  teacher 
of  science  in  various  high  schools  and  colleges.  He  was  in  the  employ  of 
Parke,  Davis  &  Company,  wholesale  druggists,  at  Detroit,  Michigan,  but  now 
in  Philadelphia. 

Ruby,  Fred  McK.,  was  born  in  1881  at  Union  City,  Indiana;  graduated 
from  department  of  medicine  and  surgery.  University  of  Michigan,  in  1903 ; 
specializes  on  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat;  school  of  practice  is  Regular;  is 
located  in  Union  City. 

Ruby,  Samuel  B.,  was  born  in  1855,  in  Hollandsburg,  Ohio;  school  of 
practice  is  Regular;  his  whole  professional  career  has  been  spent  in  Union 
City. 

Schenk,  George  H.,  was  born  in  1875,  at  Salamonie,  Jay  county,  In- 
diana; graduated  from  Eclectic  Medical  College,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1902; 
located  in  Ridgeville,  where  he  yet  practices. 


iRANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  875 

Shaddy,  Elmer  D.,  was  born  in  1873,  at  Bennington,  Indiana;  grad- 
uated from  the  Kentucky  School  of  Medicine  in  1 901;  school  of  practice  is 
Regular;  practiced  at  Westchester  1901-1904,  and  located  at  Saratoga,  where 
he  now  practices. 

Silvers,  James  M.,  was  born  in  1873,  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana; 
school  of  practice  is  Regular ;  was,  for  a  time,  located'  in  Ridgeville ;  present 
whereabouts  unknown. 

Simmons,  William  D.,  was  born  in  1864,  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana; 
school  of  practice  is  Eclectic;  practiced  some  time  in  Union  City,  Indiana, 
but  now  of  Bloomington,  Indiana. 

Snodgrass,  Benjamin,  was  born  in  1859,  in  Clark  county,  Ohio;  grad- 
uated from 'Marion  Medical  School;  school  of  practice  is  Physio-Medical; 
practices  in  Union  City,  Indiana. 

Smith,  Isaac  M.,  was  born  in  1855,  in  Hancock  county,,  Indiana ;  school 
of  practice  is  Eclectic;  practiced  in  Parker,  but  is  now  loated  in  Muncie, 
Indiana. 

Spitler,  Chester  A.,  was  born  in  1879,  at  Brookville,  Ohio;  graduated 
from  Indiana  Medical  College  in  1907;  school  of  practice  is  Regular;  began 
practice  in  Saratoga,  Indiana,  where  he  is  at  present. 

Spitler,  Charles  E.,  was  born  in  1873,  at  Vorhees,  Ohio;  graduated  from 
St.  Louis  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  in  1891 ;  is  Regular,  and  located 
in  Saratoga,  Indiana. 

Vanderburg,  J.  M.,  born  in  Randolph  county;  school  of  practice  is 
Eclectic;  practiced  in  Parker  City,  but  now  is  in  Albany,  Delaware  county. 

Walker,  William  H.,  was  born  in  Switzerland  county,  Indiana,  in  1867; 
was  graduated  from  Louisville  College  of  Medicine;  school  of  practice  is 
Regular;  practiced  a  few  years  in  Winchester,  then  moved  to  Portland,  In- 
diana, where  he  is  at  present  located. 

Wallace,  John  M.,  was  born  in  1878,  in  Richland,  Ohio;  graduated  from 
Indiana  Medical  College  in  1903;  school  of  practice  is  Regular;  has  prac- 
ticed at  Franklin,  Indiana,  four  years,  then  moved  to  Rtdgeville,  Indiana, 
where  he  is  at  present. 

Welbourn,  E.  L.,  was  born  in  1843,  in  Marion  county,  Ohio;  graduated 
from  Eclectic  College  of  Pennsylvania  at  Philadelphia  in  1866;  located  in 
Union  City  in  1866,  and  resides  there  at  present.-  Since  1870  he  has  been 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  proprietary  medicines. 

Wiggins,  D.  S.,  was  born  in  1874,  at  Losantville,  Indiana;  graduated 
from  Indiana  Medical  College;  school  of  practice  is  Regular;  practiced  in 
Losantville,  later  moved  to  New  Castle,  Indiana,  where  he  is  now  practicing. 


876  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Wright,  Carl  H.,  was  born  in  1878,  in  Henry  county,  Indiana;  school  of 
practice  is  Regujar;  practiced  some  time  in  Parker;  present  location  is  un-r 
known. 

Young,  Frank,  was  born  in  1866,  at  Somerville,  Ohio;  gradua,ted,from 
Eclectic  Medical  Institute  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  practiced  a  short  time  at 
Union  City,  then  moved  to  Dunkirk,  and  from  there  to  Bradford  Junction, 
Ohio.  ' . 

Zeller,  B.  F.,  was  bom  in  184%  in  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania;  graduated 
from  Ohio  Medical  College  in  1885 ;  school  of  practice  is  Regular ;  has  prac- 
ticed in  Champaign  county^  Ohio ;  Beamsyille,  Ohio ;  Crab  Orchard,  Ken- 
tucky; in  Texas,  and  has  been  in  Union  City  for  twelve  years. 

Zeller,  F.  Arthur,  was  born  in  1871,  in  Darke  county,  Ohio;  graduated 
from  Ohio  Medical  College  in  1898;  school  of  practice  is  Regular;  was  in 
United  States  army  as  a  surgeon  immediately  after  graduation;  now  located 
in  Union  City,  Indiana. 

^Zeller,  Ward  C,  was  born  in  1874,  in  Darke  county,  Ohio;  graduated 
from  Ohio  Medical  University  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  in  1897;  school  of  prac- 
tice is  Regular;  began  practice  at  St.  Paris,  Ohio;  has  been  in  Union  City 
for  last  five  or  six  years ;  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat  specialist. 

Summary:  There  are  at  present  (August,  191 4)  in  Randolph  county 
sixty-one  active  practicing  physicians.  Of  this  number  forty-six  are  Regu- 
lars, five  are  Eclectic,  four  are  Physio-Medicals,  four  are  Homeopathists,  and 
two  are  Osteopathists,  regularly  licensed. 

The  dentists  practicing  at  present  in  Randolph  county  number  but  four- 
teen. ^Each  one  is  a  graduate  from  some  recognized  school  of  dentistry  and 
is  regularly  licensed.  The  date  following  the  name  is  the  date  of  the  last 
license  issued  to  the  practitioner ,^  and  does  not  necessarily  mean  the  beginning 
of. that  individual's  practice. 

Atkinson,  Woodruff  G.,  1901,  located  at  Union  City. 
. :      Beals,  John  H.,  1907,  located  at  Winchester. 
-:;:      Eastman,  Blaine,  1913,  located  at  Winchester. 

Edwards,  W.  Theodore,  1903,  located  at  Winchester. 

Gray,  Benjamin  F.,  1904,  not  practicing  regularly  in  the  county. 

Gray,  Charfes  F.,  1905,  not  practicing  regularly  in  the  county. 

Hamilton,  Robert  A.,  1911,  located  at  Modoc. 

Hendricks,  C.  S.,  1902,  located  at  Parker  City. 

Keffer,  ClaTence  C,  191 4,  located  at  Union  City. 

LeFever,  Mrs.  L.  M.,  1899,  located  at.  Union  City. 

McKinnon,  Frank  E.,  1900,  located  at  Losantville.  ; 


:  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  '  'i']'] 

Pretlow,  Joseph  J.,  1899,  located  at  Winchester. 

Smith,  Arthur  D.,  1902,  practices  in  Texas,  but  resides  in  county. 

Smith,  S.  D.,  1901,  located  at  Union  Gity. 

Smith,  Milo  V.,  19O2,  not  practicing  regularly  in  Randolph  county. 

Study,  Carl  A.,  1904,  located  in  Winchester.    ,' 

Stone,. Thomas  F.,  1908,  located  in  Ridgeville. 

Wampler,  George  S.,  1909,  located  in  Union  City. 

Wright,  Cyrus  C,  1909,  located  in  Lynn. 

THE  RANDOLPH   COUNTY  MEDICAL  SOCIETY. 

The  Randolph  County  Medical  Society  was  probably  the  offspring  of  at 
least  two  small,  societies — The  Union  Gity  Medical  Society  and  The  Win- 
chester Medical  Association.  These  societies  were  organized  about  1857, 
and  kept  up  their  meetings  with  more  or  less  regularity  until  about  1876,  when 
they  were  reorganized  under  the  plan  of  the  American  Medical  Association. 
At  first  none  but  "regulars"  were  admitted,  but  now  "every  legally  regis- 
tered physician  residing  and  practicing  in  Randolph  county,  who  is  of  good 
moral  and  professional  standing,  and  who  does  not  support  or  practice,  or 
claim  to  practice,  any  exclusive  system  of  medicine,  shall  be  eligible  for 
membership." 

At  its  organization  the  following  officers  were  elected :  J.  G.  Beverly,, 
president;  J.  Heiner,  vice-president;  L.  M.  Jones,  secretary. 

The  following  physicians  were  charter  members :  J.  E.  Bennett,  Hill- 
grove,  Ohio;  William  Commons,  Union  Gity,  Indiana;  J.  T.  Chenoweth, 
Winchester,  Indiana;  N.  T.  Chenoweth,  Windsor,  Indiana;  L.  N.  Davis, 
Farmland,  Indiana;  R.  P.  Davis,  Redkey,  Indiana,  Jay  county;  C.  S.  Evans, 
Union  Gity,  Indiana :  J.  J.  Evans,  Winchester,  Indiana ;  David  Ferguson, 
Union  Gity,  Indiana;  A.  H.  Good,  Bloomingsport,  Indiana;  H.  Harrison,; 
Union  City,  Indiana ;  R.  H.  Harrison,  Winchester,  Indiana ;  John  E.  Markle,. 
Winchester,  Indiana;  W.  G.  Smith,  Winchester,  Indiana. 

The  following  have .  since  become  affiliated  with  the  society :  A.  H. 
Farquhar,  Losantville,  in  1876;  John  Heiner,  Arba,  in  1876;  J.  E.  Beverly,. 
Winchester,  in  1876;  R.  T.  Maltbie,  Farmland,  in  1877;  G.  S.  Evans,  Sara- 
toga in  1878;  R.  Ford,  Saratoga,  in  1878;  R.  Hamilton,  Lynn,  in  1878;  H. 
H.  Yergan,  Union  City,  in  1878;  W.  J.  -Shoemaker,  Ridgeville,  in  1878;  J. 
S.  Blair,  Lynn,  in  1879;  J-  S.  Berry,  Spartanburg,  in  1S79;  A.  G.  Rogers, 
Parker,  in  1880;  I.  N.  Hollinger,  Harrisville,  in- 1880;  J.  M.  Keener^  Farm- 
land, in  1880;  C.  Smith,  Farmland,  in  1880;  John  Nixon,  Farmland,  in  1882; 
(56) 


878  *        RANDOLPH    COUNTY/  INDIANA, 

J.  N.  Trent,  Losantville,  in  .1883;  J.  L.  Contrie,  Deerfield,  in  1884;  Joseph 
Meek,  Arba,  in  1885;  G.  Reynard,  Union  City,  in  1885;  H.  C.  Hunt,  Tren- 
ton, in  1885;  F.  A.  Chenoweth,  Winchester,  in  1886;  H.  P.  Franks,  Losant- 
ville, in  1886;  C.  M.  Kelley,  Winchester,  in  1887;  J.  H.  Morony,  Carlos  City, 
in  1887';  D.  M.  Carter,  Modoc,  in  1887;  W.  K.  Marquis,  Bartonia,  in  1888; 
G.  W.  Frederick,  Ridgeville,  in  1888;  C.  C.  Mills,  Losantville,  m  1888;  Oscar 
E.  Able,  Winchester,  in  1889;  E.  G.  Reynard,  Union  City,  in  1890;  Frank  G. 
Keller,  Spartanburg,  in  1891;  Chiles  McNaul,  Winchester,  in  1891 ;  G.  C. 
Markle,  Winchester,  in  1893;  B.  S.  Hunt,  Winchester,  in  1894;  C.  R.  Cox, 
Lynn,  in  1895;  Alonzo  Coffin,  Carlos  City,  in  1896;  L.  G.  Cromer,  Union 
City,  in  1897;  O.  E.  Current,  Farmland,  in  1897;  ^-  S.  Wigginis,  Losantville, 
in  1898;  Charles  Spitler,  Saratoga,  in  1898;  A.  H.  Hattery,  Parker,  in  1899; 
E.  W.  Rine,  Winchester,  in  1900;  O.  W.  Hinshaw,  Lynn,  in  1902;  D.  F. 
Trenary,  Modoc,  in  1903;  Elmer  D.  Shaddy,  Saratoga,  in  1904;  D.  W. 
McCormick,  in  1903;  Charles  L.  Botkin,  Farmland,  in  1905;  William  W. 
Root,  Parker  City,  in  1905;  J.  E.  Nixon,  Ridgeville,  in  1905;  F.  Ruby, 
Union  City,  in  1906;  Charles  E.  Milligan,  Winchester,  in  1906;  F.  E.  Kieth, 
Modoc,  1907;  S.  B.  Ruby,  Union  City,  in  1907;  Clyde  E.  Botkin?  Parker 
City,  inj907;  David  C.  Roney,  Ridgeville,  in  1910;  Morton  L.  Hunt,  Win- 
chester, in  191 1 ;  Thomas  Morgan,  Spartanburg,  1911 ;  Howard  Drumm, 
Parker  City,  in  1911 ;  F.  Arthur  Zeller,  Union  City,  in  1912;  H.  W.  Deitrick, 
Union  City,  in  1913;  C.  E.  Martin,  Carlos  City,  in  1913;  Joseph  A.  Kramer, 
Windsor,  in  1914;  J.  S.  Robinson,  Winchester,  in  1914;  P.  C.  Barnard,  Par- 
ker City,  in-  1914;  George  H.  Davis,  Union  City,  in  1914;  Fred  Kienzle, 
Lynn,  in  1914;  Ivan  E.  Brenner,  Winchester,  in  1914;  J.  M.  Wallace, 
Ridgeville,  in  1914;  J.  C.  Blossom,  Losantville,  in  1914. 

The  following  doctors  have  been  honored  with  the  presidency  of  the 
society  since  its  inception:  J.  C.  Beverly,  in  1876;  J.  E.  Markle,  in  1877,; 
D.  Ferguson,  in  1878;  Williams  Commons,  in  1879;  John  Heiner,  in  1880; 
L.  N.  Davis,  in  1881;  W.  G.  Smith,  in  1882;  J.  J.  Evans,  in  1883;  N.  T. 
Chenoweth,  in  1884  and  1885;  L  N.  Trent,  in  1886;  A.  H.  Farquhar,  in 
1887;  J.  S.  Blair,  in  188S;  A.  G.  Rogers,  in  1889-;  C.  M.  Kelley,  in  1890; 
C.  S.  Evans,  in  1891 ;  H.  P.  Franks,  in  1892;  C.  C.  Mills,  in  1893  and  1894; 
J.  H.  Morony,  in  1895;  L.  N.  Davis,  in  1896  and  1897;  B.  S.  Hunt,  in  1898; 
Alonzo  Coffin,  in  1899;  O.  E.  Current,  in  1900;  A.  G.  Rogers,  in  1901;  F. 
A.  Chenoweth,  in  1902;  L.  G.  Cromer,  in  1903;  G.  Reynard,  in  1904;  A.  G. 
Rogers,  in  1905;  G.  C.  Markle,  in  1906;  E.  G.  Reynard,  in  1907;  William 
W.  Root,  in  1908;  F.  McK.  Ruby,  in  1909;  J.  E.  Nixon,  in  1910;  Charles  E. 
Milligan,  in  191 1;  O.  E.  Current,  in  1912:  J.  H.  Morony,'  in  1913  and  1914. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  879 

There  have  been  five  doctors .  elected  president  of  the  society  for  the 
second  time,  viz::  N.  T.  Chenoweth,  in  1884-1885;  C.  C.  Mills,  1893-1894; 
L.  N.  Davis,  i896-i897;A.  G.  Rogers,  1889  and  in  1905;  and  J.  H.  Morony, 
1913-1914. 

In  each  case  the  honor  was  conferred  in  recognition  of  distinguished 
service  to  the  organization. 

PURPOSES  OF  THE  SOCIETY. 

In  the  constitution  of  the  society,  I  find  the  following :  "The  purposes 
of  this  society  shall  be  to  bring  into  one  organization  the  physicians  of 
Randolph  county,  so  that  by  frequent  meetings  and  full  and  frank  inter- 
change of  views,  they  may  secure  such  intelligent  unity  and  harmony  in 
every  phase  of  their  labor  as  will  elevate  and  make  efTective  the  opinions 
of  the  profession  in  all  scientific,. legislative,  public  health,  material  and  social 
afifairs,  to  the  end  that  the  profession  may  receive  that  respect  and  support 
within  its  own  ranks  and  from  the  community  to  which  its  honorable  history 
and  great  achievements  entitle  it ;  and  with  other  county  societies  to  form  the 
Indiana  State  Medical  Association,  and  through  it,  with  other  state  associa- 
tions, to  form  and  maintain  the  American  Medical  Association." 

"In  all  proper  ways  the  public  shall  be  taught  that  business  methods  and 
prompt  collections  are  essential  to  the  equipment  of  the  modern  physician  and 
surgeon,  and  that  it  (the  public)  suffers  even  more  than  the  profession  when 
this  is  not  recognized. 

"This  society  shall  endeavor  to  educate  its  members  to  the  belief  that  the 
physician  should  be  a  leader  in  his  community,  in  character,  in  learning,  in 
dignified  and  manly  bearing,  and  in  courteous  and  open  treatment  of  his 
brother  physicians,  to  the  end  that  the  profession  may  occupy  that  place  in  its 
own  and  the  public  estimation  to  which  it  is  entitled." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

NEWSPAPERS  OF   THE 'COUNTY. 

(By  J.  L.  Smith.) 

JOURNAL. 

The  newspaper  press  was  an  early  arrival  in  pioneer  days.  Wherever 
was  found  a  nucleus  of  two  hundred  or  three  hundred  people,  some  courage- 
ous spirit  founded  a  newspaper.  These  early  disseminators  of  thought  were 
meagre  in  the  amount  of  local  information,  but  gave  extended  accounts  of 
the  political  doings  at  Washington,  and  letters  from  over  the  water  from 
"the  latest  ship."  Politicians  were  the  most  frequent  contributors  of  letters 
«nd  their  versatility  was  something  at  which  to  marvel.  Display  advertising 
was  almost  unknown,  as  the  notices  of  .merchants  were  set  in  two  or  three 
inches,  single  column  and  usually  in  smaller  type  than  that  of  the  other  read- 
ing matter. 

The  fifst  newspaper  published  in  Winchester  and  also  in  the-  county  of 
Randolph  was  owned  by  Henry  H.  Neff,  in  1843,  and  it  was  called  The  Win- 
chester Patriot.  It  advocated  the  policies  of  the  Whig  party  and  was  con- 
tinued for  a  period  of  nine  years  under  Mr.  Nefif's  management.  As  evi- 
dence of  the. enterprise  of  the  editor,  there  is  extant  at  the  present  time  an 
extra  issue,  announcing  the  declaration  of  war  against  Mexico  in  1846  and 
containing  President  Polk's  message  on  that  question.  This  supplement  is 
the  only  remnant  left  of  The  Patriot  as  Mr.  Nef?  lost  nine  volumes  of  his 
paper  in  a  small  fire  at  his  home,  but  which  did  little  harm  to  the  rest  of  his 
personal  property.  .J 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  the  paper  became  an 
advocate  of  the  principles  of  that  organization  and  the  name  was  soon  there- 
after changed  to  The  Winchester  Journal:  From  this  time  up  to  1870  the 
paper  was  owned  by  various  publishers  and  likewise  employed  numerous 
editors.  Among  the  number  were  Clint  D.  Smith,  J.  C.  Beverly,  Edward 
Walkup,  Lon  G.  Dines  and  B.  F.  Diggs.  Mrs.  I.  P.  Watts,  who  was  a  sister 
of  the  latter,  learned  to  set  type  in  the  Journal  office  in  the  days  of.  the  war 
when  printers  became  very  scarce.  Glancing  through  the  files  of  the  paper 
one  finds  many  incidents  of  rare  interest.  The  paper  was  a  strong  supporter 
of  John  C.  Fremont  in- 1856.     In  that  year  we  notice  a  call  for  a  Republican 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  88l 

ptimary  ekction.  There  is  also  announced  a  call  for  a  woinan's  sufferage 
convention  and  the  ladies  are  urged  to  attend  and  not  to  fear  the  charge  that 
the  organization  "means,  to  abet  the  slavery  cause."  We  note  also  a  call  for 
the  meeting  of  the  Randolph  County  Teacher's  Association  at  "Arbey." 

This  paper  was  a  seven  column  quarto,  all  home  print,  and  was  given 
over  very  largely  to  politics.  Prior  to  the  war  and  throughout  that  period, 
the  first  page  usually  contained  a  speech  from  some  leader  in  Congress.  The 
second  page  was  given  over  to  editorial  discussion  and  often  the  whole  seven 
columns  were  taken  up  in  this  way.  The  third  page  contained  Congressional 
news,  usually  about, two  weeks  later  than  the  occurrence  of  the  events  in 
Washington.     The  fourth  page  was  devoted  to  agriculture. 

In  about  1870  Amos  C.  Beeson  bought  the  Journal  and  was  associated 
with  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Marsh.  In  1872,  John  M.  Hodson  bought  Mr. 
Marsh's  interest  and  the  Journal  was  continued  in  the  name  of  Beeson  and 
Hodson  until  1881  when  Mr.  Beeson  became  sole  proprietor.  .He  continued 
as  owner  and  publisher  of  the  paper  from  that  date  up  to  his  death  in  1903. 
In  the  later  years  of  his  control  his  sons,  Will  C.  and  Charles,  were  associated 
with  him  in  the  conduct  of  the  paper.  Under  their  management  the  paper 
has  established  a  constantly  increasing  and  substantial  growth.  Its  prime 
purpose  has  been  to  give  all  the  news  possible  in  clean,  concise,  but  brief 
statements  of  fact.  While  it  has  always  been  Republican  in  politics  it  has 
not  been  radical  or  harsh  in  its  treatment  of  party  questions.  At  the  present 
time  the  paper  is  owned  by  the  Beeson  brothers  and  there  is  no  'better  equipped 
plant  in  eastern  Indiana.  The  management  has  just  installed  a  fine  new 
Interstate  typesetting  machine,  one  of  the  very  best  on  the  market.  In  its  job 
department  all  the  latest  and  best  machinery  has  been  installed  to  take  care  of 
their  trade. 

HERALD. 

In  1873  the  Winchester  Gazette  was  launched  by  James  Williamson,  but 
it  had  a  brief  existence,  and  in  1876  the  plant  was  purchased  by  Rev.  J.  G. 
Brice  and  the  present  Winchester  Herald  was  founded  by  that  gentleman 
and  his  four  sons,  James,  William,  Norman  and  John,  as  an  independent 
paper,  with  Democratic  proclivities.  It  was  issued  from  the  third  story  of 
the  Canada  Block  on  the  west  si'de  of  the  public  ^square.  A  year  or  so  later 
Enos  L.  Watson  purchased  a  half  interest,  James  Brice  retaining  the  other 
half  and  the  political  complexion  of  the  paper  wa§;  changed  to  that  of  Repub- 
lican.    About  a  year  later  Mr.  Watson  became  sole  proprietor  and  removed 


882  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

the  office  to  the  third  story  of  the  Knecht  building  on  the  south  side  of  the 
square.  A  year  later  still  a  half  interest  was  sold  to  Lee  Ault  and  it  was 
conducted  under  this  ihanagement  for  a  few  months,  when  a  third  interest 
was  sold  to  *R.  A".  Leave!!",  but  the  latter  soon' retired,  selling  his  interest 
back.  Again  in  a  few  months  Mr.  Watson  became  sole  proprietor  and  later 
an  interest  was  sold  to  Charles  Harrison.  The  paper  was  edited  by  Thomas 
Harrison,  brother  of  Charles,  and  this  management  lasted  a  year,  when  Mr. 
Watson  again  became  owner.  A  few  months  later  a  half  interest  was  sold 
to  John  Commons,  of  Union  City,  wlio  moved  to  Winchester  to  take  charge 
of  the  paper.  A  few  months  after  his  management  began,  he  bought  Mr. 
Watson's  interest  and  conducted  it  for  several  years.  Rev.  L  P.  Watts  then 
bought  the  paper  for  his  son-in-law,  Emerson  Addington.  A  year  or  so 
later  Mr.  Addington  sold  a  half  interest  to  Rev.  W.  O.  Pierce,  a  well-known 
Methodist  minister.  Within  the  next  year  Mr.  Addington  retired  and  Rev. 
Pierce  became  sole  owner.  Within  a  few  months  Reverend  Pierce  sold  a 
half  interest  to  Seward  S.  Watson.  This  management  lasted  for  two  years 
until  Reverend  Pierce  sold  His  interest  to  C.  C.  Peelle.  The  paper  was  pub^ 
lished  by  this  firm  for  four  years  when  Mr.  Peele  retired  and  Charles  L. 
Watson  had  a  half  interest  for  something  more  than  a  year.  The  latter  sold 
his  interest  to  UniOn  B.  Hunt,  former  secretary  of  State,  who  had  editorial 
charge  of  the  paper  for  the  next  two  years.  He  sold  it  back  to  Charles  L. 
Watson  in  1893.  ^I""-  Charles  Watson  again  sold  his  interest  to  C.  C.  Peelle. 
Mr.  Peelle  was  in  the  office  four  years  longer  when  he  sold  to  his  partner,  Mr. 
Watson,  who  has  had  full  coritrol  for  the  last  ten  years. 

'    In  1907,  Mr.  Watson  became  postmaster  at  Winchester  and  the  paper 
has  been  turned  oyer  to  the  management  of  his  son,  John  E.  Watson. 

Two  or  three  times  the  Herald  has  conducted  a  daily  newspaper,  pub- 
lishing the  same  for  a  year  or  two,  but  because  of  lack  of  support,  the  enter- 
prise has  failed. 

DEMOCRAT. 

At  intervals  during  the  period  of  the  Civil  war  the  Democrats  estab- 
lished papers  in  Winchester  but  the  period  of  their  existence  was  limited. 
It  was  not  until  1885  that  a  permanent  organ  of  the  party  was  founded  by 
J.  R.  Polk.  The  same  year  The  Ridgeville  Banner  was  bought,  consolidated- 
with  the  Democrat  and  a  stock  company  operated  it.  Later  the  paper  was 
sold  to  Joseph  Gorrell  who  successfully  edited  it  for  several  years.  It  was 
then  purchased  by.  Lew  G.  Ellingham,  present  Secretary  of  the  State  of  Indi- 
ana, who  conducted  the  paper  here  until  the  autumn  of  18^94  when  he  re- 


.RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  883 

moved  the  plant  to  Decatur,  Indiana,  and  established  the  Decatur  Democrat 
of  which  he  is  the  present  owner.  The  same  fall  another  Democratic  paper 
was  started  here  by  the  Fawcett  brothers,  and  after  three  or  four  months  the 
paper  passed  to  the  management  of  Garland  D.  Williamson,  who  was  editor 
and  proprietor  until  October,  i,  1895,  when  J.  L.  Smith,  of  Vermilion  county, 
purchased  the  outfit  and  at  once  installed  new  machinery  throughout,  enlarg- 
ing it  from  the  five  column  quarto,  four  pages  home  print,  to  a  six  column 
quarto,  all  home  print.  Mr.  Smith  conducted  the  paper  until  March,  1897, 
when  he  sold  it  to  Esta  N.  Arnold  and  A.  R.  Abshire.  Within  the  next 
twelve  months  the  paper  underwent  several  changes  of  management  and  in 
1899  it  was  sold  to  Mr.  A.  C.  Hindsley  who  is  at  present  time  recording  clerk 
in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State  of  Indiana.  Mr.  Hindsley  successfully 
conducted  the  paper  from  that  time  until  April,  191 1,  when  he  sold  it  to  C. 
K.  Rockwell  of  West  Alexandria,  Ohio,  and  he  in  turn  sold  it  in  July,  19 11,  to 
D.  W.  Callahan,  present  owner  and  editor. 

Mr.  'Callahan  has  built  up  the  paper  very  materially  both  in  its  mechanical 
and  editorial  departments.  Practically  renewing  all  of  the  plant  and  more 
fully  equipping  it  for  all  class  of  printing,  installing  a  typesetting  machine 
the  present  year,  1914.  Mr.  Callahan  is  a  very  proficient  printer  and  in  conse- 
quence has  built  up  a  fine  job  department. 

The  paper  is  a  loyal  supporter  of  Democratic  principles,  not  only  during 
campaign  years,  but  the  whole  year  round,  often  taking  the  initiative  as  an 
exponent  of  genuine  Democracy,  consequently  it  has  a  loyal  Democratic 
host  of  supporteirs  who  swear  by  its  interpretation  of  political  policies. 

In  1881,  William  P.  Needham  established  a  newspaper  in  Winchester 
which  he  called  The  Pkantasmagorian.  The  chief  aim  of  its  proprietor 
seemed  to  be  to  discuss  ethical,  literary  and  philosophical  themes,  emphasizing 
in  particular  freedom  in  religious  belief.  Later  the  editor  compiled  a  volume 
of  essays  from  the  newspaper  which  he  called  "Phantasmagorian  Theology 
and  Other  Papers."  Later  still  the  name  of  the  paper. was  changed  to  Th,e 
Winchester  RepuUiccm  and  conducted  as  such  for  a  number  of  years,  Mr. 
Needham  also  serving  as  city  clerk  during  this  period.  His  death  occurring 
in  1899,  t^^  paper  passed  into  the  hands  of  Joseph  and  Lewis  Day  and  was 
called  the  Winchester  Press,  hni  it  suspended  within  the  year  and -the  plant 
was  sold  and  moved  elsewhere. 

DAILY. 

The  latest  entrance  into  the  field  of  journalism  was  the  Winchester 
Daily  iVew.s,, started  May  15,  1914,  by  Mr.  Arthur  K.  Remmel,  who  is  both' 


884  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INBIANA. 

editor  ^^d  proprietor.  Tbe  paper  is  purely  ,in,dep«adent.  The  paramount 
putjpose  is  to  give  ail  the  news  of  interest  to  the  coiBmunity.  Mr.  Remrael 
although  a  young  man  has  had  extensive  experience  in  newspaper  work,  ha^f- 
ing  been  employed  in  the ,  Winchester  Herald  about  ten  years,  served  as  re- 
porter on  the  Peoria,  Illinois  Journal  for  four  years-  where  toe  was  associated 
with  H.  M..  Pindell.  Mr.  Remmel  secured  his  position  on  the  Peoria  paper 
through  the  good  oiKces  of  Charles  Fitch,  the  noted  newspaper  humorist.    ' 

The  News  is  a  sev^n  column  folio  and  it  has  already  made  quite  a  good 
impression  in  the  community.  .  It'Ss  lihe  earnest  desii:e  of  the  citizens;  that 
the  paper  shall  succeed..  A  daily  paper  is  an  enterprise  that  the  town  can 
well  afford  to  sustain  and  encourage. 

'  *  ■  ■  UNION   CITY. 

At  Union  City,  on  the  Indiana  side  of  the  line,  in  the  fifties  and  sixties, 
eight  or  ten  newspapers  were  started  and  flourished  for  a  short  time,  the 
only  one  of  that  period  surviving  being  The  Union  City  Eagle  which  was 
founded  by  L.  G.  Dines  in  1863.  The  earliest  paper  of  which  we  have  a 
record  published  in  that  city  was  The  Union  Train  founded  in  1853  by  a 
Mr.  Putnam.  A  little  later  than  this  The  Crystal  Fountain  was  started  and 
conducted  by  a  Mr.  Jones  and  about  the  same  time  The  Chip  Basket  was 
started  by  W.  D.  Stone.  These  efforts  were  only  ephemeral  and  only  their 
names  were  saved  from  oblivion. 

The  Union  City  Eagle  had  about  the  usual  experiences  of  other  early 
newspapers  namely,  that  of  undergoing  frequent  editorial  control.  Among 
those  who  served  as  editors  and  managers  may  be  named  L.  G.  Dines,  W.  S. 
Dines,  B.  F.  Diggs,  B.  H.  Bonebrake  and  Bentley  Masslich,  the  latter  con- 
ditcting  the  paper  from  1866  to  1885.  It  was  then  sold  to  W.  S.  Ensign. 
Mr.  Ensign  sold  the  paper  to  L.  M.  Davis  who  published  it  for  a  few  years 
and  it  was  then  purchased  by  James  W.  Stanley.  Under  his  control  the  plant 
was  very  materially  improved;  a  high  grade  Mergenthaler  typesetting  ma- 
chine was  installed.  On  account  of  business  reverses,  Mr.  Stanley  was  com- 
pelled to  turn  the  plant  over  to  his  father  and  brother  and  the  latter  leased 
it  to  Don  C.  Ward.  Mr.  Ward  is  making  The  Eagle  a  first-class  paper  in 
every  particular.  He  is  publishing  an  eight-page  daily  which  takes,  all -the 
important  local  and  neighborhood  news  together  with  state  and  national 
events,  furnished  by  the  Associated  Press.  In  politics  the  paper  is  an  inde- 
pendeiitiRepublican.but  the  editor  is  disposed  to  give  all  parties  a  fair  hearing. 
This  is  done  by  letters,  interviews  and  clippings  from  the  partisan  press.     Mr. 


iRANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  885 

Ward  is  credited  with  being  a  good  newspaper  man  whose  first  desire  is  to 
build  up  his  community  and  protect  its  interests. 

In  1872  Tfe  Independent  was  started  by  W.  R.  Hedgepath.  The  paper 
was  a  supporter  of  Horace  Greeley  for  the  Presidency  that  year  and  after  the 
autumn  election  of  1872  it  suspended. 

In  1 871  The  Union  City  Times  was  founded  by  John  Commons,  Repub- 
lican in  politics  and  conducted  by  that  gentleman  for  five  years.  It  was  then 
sold  to  George  Patchell,  present  owner  and  publisher,  who  has  successfully 
•conducted  the  paper  during  this  whole  period.  In  1895,  Mr.  Patchell  began 
the  publication  of  a  daily  newspaper  which'also  achieved  success  increasing  in 
patronage  and  influence  up  to  the  present  time.  Both  daily  and  weekly 
papers  have  been  regularly  issued  since  that  time.  Mr.  Patchell's  plant  is  well 
equipped  with  all  the  modern  conveniences  conducive  to  best  results  in  the 
art  preservative,  which  of  course,  includes  the  standard  Mergenthaler  type- 
setting machine. 

The  Plain  Dealer  was  founded  as  a  Democratic  organ  by  Stephen  M. 
Wentworth  in  1877.  Mr.  Wentworth  had  acquired  some  considerable  knowl- 
edge in  the  offices  of  the  Cincinnati  Enquirer  and  The  PhiladelpUa  Enquirer 
arid  The  New  Era  at  New  Orleans.  This  paper  was  for  a  number  of  years 
the  only  Democratic  paper  in  the  county. 

Our  best  information  is  that  after  several  years,  at  least  six,  the  paper 
was  sold  and  the  plant  consolidated  with  another  local  publication.  At  least 
when  it  sold  the  Democrats  no  longer  had  an  organ. 

Other  towns  in  Randolph  county  which  support  local  papers  are  Farm- 
land, Lynn,  Parker,  Ridgeville  and  Saratoga. 

The  Farmland  Enterprise  was  established  in  1888  by  Clint  W.  West, 
whq  conducted  the  paper  for  many  years  until  he  became  postmaster  of  Farm- 
land in  1903,  when  the  paper  was  sold  to  I.  C.  Penery,  present  owner  and 
publisher.  The  Enterprise  is  an  eight-page  weekly,  Republican  in  political 
views.  It  is  a  good  advertising  medium  and  is  well  supported  by  the  business 
men  of  Farmland.  The  office  is  well  equipped  with  modern  machinery  in- 
cluding an  up-to-date  typesetting  machine. 

The  Ridgeville  News  was  established  March,  1889.  ^il^^  most  other 
local  papers  it  has  undergone  many  changes  of  editorial  management  but 
for  the  last  fifteen  years  has  been  owned  by  James  W.  Stanley.  It  is  an 
independent  newspaper  with  Republican  propensities.  The  paper  is  well 
supported  by  the  business  men  and  the  reading  public.     It  also  has  a  well 


<S86  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

equipped  job  plant  which  successfully  takes  care  of  the  needs  of  the  sur- 
rounding country. 

The  Lynn  Herald  was  founded  in  1898.  It  has  always  been  Republican 
in  politics  but  is  never  offensively  partisan  and  touches  but  lightly  upon  poli- 
tics except  when  campaigns  are  on.  The  paper  has  Been  owned  for  riiany 
-years  by  Mr.  Frank  Wright,  who  is  the  present  Republican  nominee  for  the 
State  Legislature  from  Randolph  county.  The  Herald  is  well  patronized 
by  the  business  men  and  Mr.  Wright  has  made  it  quite  a  successful  venture. 
;i  -  The  Parker  Review  was  estabftshed  in  1899..  It  is  independent  in  poli- 
tics, is  the  usual  size,  a  six-colufan,  eight-page  paper.  The  present  owner 
and  proprietor  is  Mr.  E.  L.  Ashcraft,  who  is  an  all  around  newspaper  man 
and  lives  up  to  the  best  ideals  set  before  the  craftsman  in  this  art. 

At  Saratoga  a  newspaper  was  established  a  few  years  ago,  called  The 
-Independent,  which  has  had  a  precarious  existence.  It  has  had  a  half  a  dozen 
editors  but  none  have  been  able  to  make  it  a  successful  venture.  At  the 
present  time  it  is  owned  by  Jartles  Stanley  of  Ridgeville  and  the  type  is  set 
and  the  paper  printed  at  The  News  office  in  that  town.  Its  field  is  so  limited 
that  its  circulation:  is  necessarily  quite  small.  \ 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

BANKS    AND    BANKING. 

(By  J.  L.  Smith.) 

Few  counties  in  Indiana,  if  any,  have  more  superior  banking  facilities 
than  has  Randolph  county.  Within  the  borders  of  the  county,  at  present, 
there  are  fourteen  well  established  banks  and  two  successful. trust  companies. 
Three  banks  operate  under  the  national  charters  and  eleven  are  state  banks. 
The  aggregate  deposits  of  these  institutions  would  total  more  than  $3,275,000. 

Banks  are  located  in  nine  out  of  twelve  townships  of  the  county,  so  it 
may  "be  seen  that  the  population  may  be  readily  accommodated  in  financial 
needs  and  safe  depositories. 

The  first  bank  in  Randolph  county  was  established  in  1857  by  James 
Moorman,  Mark  Diggs  and  Moorman  Way.  It  was  called  the  Moorman, 
'  Diggs  &  Company's  bank.  After  a  few  years,  Mr.  Moorman  bought  out 
the  partners'  interests  and  conducted  it  alone  as  a  private  bank  for  many 
years.  In  1878  a  stock  company  was  formed  and  The  Farmers  and  Mer- 
chants Bank  was  incorporated  under  the  state  laws,  with  a  capital  of  $80,000.' 
A  new  charter  was  secured  in  1898  and  the  capital  stock  was  reduced  to 
$50,000.  It  is  still  operating  under  the  charter  then  issued.  Its  officers  are 
William  D.  Kizer,  president  who  has  served  for  seventeen  years;  B.  F. 
Marsh,  vice-president;  Philip  Kabel,  cashier;  D.  M.  Simmons,  assistant 
cashier.  The  capital  stock  is  $50,000;  the  surplus  and  undivided  profits, 
$13,500;  the  resources,  $384,000. 

The  Randolph  County  Bank  was  established  February  4,  1865,  as  a 
national  bank,  the  first  of  the  kind  in  Randolph  county.  Its  capital  stock 
was  $60,000.  It  was  successfully  conducted  for  many  years,  until  October 
I,  1876,  when  its  national  charter  was  surrendered  and  a  state  bank  was 
organized  with  a  capital  stock  of  $100,000.  In  1898  this  bank  was  re- 
organized and  its  capital  stock  reduced  to  $60,000  which  is  the  amount  of 
capital  still  maintained.  Its  officers  are  Seth  D.  Coats,  president;  T.  L. 
Ward,  vice-president;  Charles  E..  Ferris,  cashier.  Its  surplus  and  undivided 
-profits  are  $18,000-;  resources,  $381,000.  Mr.  Coats  has  been  president  for 
a  period  of  twenty-four  years  and  Mr.  Ferris  cashier  for  twenty-eight 
y€ars. 

The  Atlas  State  Bank  of  Union  City  was  established  in  1896.     It  has 
had  a  successful  career  and  has  been  a  marked  benefit  to  the  community.     Its 


888  RANDOLPH    COUNTY.  .SIDIANA. 

present  officers  are  C.  C.  Fisher,  president;^.  C.  Scbemmel,  vice-president; 
B.  F.  Beatty,  cashier.  Its  capital  stock  is  $52,000 ;  surplus  and  undivided 
profits,  $6,000;  resources,  $375,000. 

The  Commercial  National  Bank,  formerly  the  Commercial  Bank  of 
Union  City,  was  reorganized  in  1897.  Its  officers  are  George  M.  Edger, 
president;  C.  S.  Hook,  vice-president;  J.  F.  Ruby,  cashier;  E.  A.  Frank, 
assistant  cashier.  Its  capital  stock  is  $50,000 ;  surplus  and  undivided  profits, 
$110,000;  resources,  $375,000.  -t 

In  1880  there  were  four  banks  transacting  business  in  Randolph  county, 
namely,  Farmers  and  Merchants  Bank  and  The  Randolph  County  Bank, 
both  of  Winchester,  and  The  Citizens  Bank  and  The  Commercial  Bank, 
located  in  Union  City.  Among  the  officers  and  stockholders  it  is  noted  are 
the  names  of  many  of  the  representative  citizens.  Connected  with  the  Farm- 
ers arid  Merchants  Bank  were  such  men  as  Nathan  Reed,  James  Moorman, 
Simon  Ramsey,  Thomas  F.  Moorman,  Joseph  R.  Jackson,  Albert  O.  "Marsh, 
Amos  C.  Beeson,  R.  S.  Fisher  and  John  Hiatt. 

Connected  with  The  Randolph  County  Bank  at  that  time  were  Gen. ' 
Asahel  Stone,  Dennis  Kelley,  Thomas  Ward,  Adam  Hirsch,  John  E.  Neff,  L. 
W  Study,  John  E.  Campbell,  Seth  D.  Coats  and  John  Hiatt.  Connected 
with  The  Citizens  Bank  of  Union  City  were  ex-Governpr  Isaac  P.  Gray, 
Nathan  Cadwallader,  Ephraim  H.  Bowen,  Oliver  H.  Smith,  Wm.  H.  Ander- 
son, William  K.  Smith  and  Charles  C.  Smith.  With  the  Commercial  Bank 
of  Union  City  were  Charles  Heady,  James  F.  Rubey,  Henry  B.  Grahs^  Rob- 
ert S.  Fisher,  James  Moorman,  William  Anderson  and  John  S.  Johnson. 

These  earlier  banks  have  undergone  various  changes.  Some  sur- 
rendering .heir  nationl  .charters  for  state  charters  or  vice-versa  as  the:  case 
might  be. 

Ten  of  the  banks  and  the  two  trust  companies  were  all  established  with- 
in the  first  ten  years  of  the  present  century. 

The  Citizens  Banking  Company  of  Lynn  was  established  in  1900. 
Its  present  officers  are  S.  C' Bowen,  .president ;  W.  R.  Halliday,  vice-presi- 
dent; Daniel  Hecker,  cashier;  O.  J.  Pierson,  assistant  cashier.  Its- paid  up 
capital  stock  is  $30,000;  surplus  arid  undivided  profits,  $13,000;  resources, 
$200,000. 

The  Ridgeville  State  Bank  was  established  in  1901.  Its  officers  are 
N.  T.  Sumption,  president;  John  H.  Huber,  vice-president;. John  E.  Rickert, 
cashier;  W.  E.  Ward,  assistant  cashier;  capital  .stock,  $25,000;  surplus  and 
undivided  profits,  $9,000;  resources,  $195,000. 

The  First  National  Bank  of  Farmland  was  established  in   1902.     Its 


i  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  889 

officers  are  L.  W.  Green,  president ;  P.  M.  Blythe,  vice-president ;  J.  G.  Blythe, 
cashier.  Its  capital  stock  is  $25,000;  its  surplus  and  undivided  profits, 
$5,500.     Its  resources,  $100,000. 

The  Farmers  Bank  of  Losantville  w£is  established  in  1902.  Its  officers 
are  D.  W.  Kinsey,  president;  J.  R.  Gilmore,  vice-president;  F.  H.  Thompson, 
cashier.  Its  capital  stock  is  $10,000;  -its  surplus  and  undivided  profits, 
$1,000;  resources,  $70,000. 

The  Parker  Banking  Company  was  established  in  1903.  Its  officers  are 
L.  A.  Botkin,  president;  George  O.  Thompson,  vice-president;  Charles  F. 
Halliday,  ca.shier;  S.  C.  Dragoo,  assistant  cashier.  Its  capital  stock  is 
$25,000;  surplus  and  undivided  profits,  $8,000;  resources,  $119,000. 

The  Saratoga  State  Bank  was  established  in  1903.  Its  officers  are 
Cyrus  Bousman,  president:  C.  E.  Spitler,  vice-president;  E.  A.  Farquhar, 
cashier;  B.  W.  Aiken,  assistant  cashier.  Its  capital  stock  is  $25,000;  sur- 
plus and  undivided  profits,  $3,000;  resources,  $80,000. 

The  Citizens  Banking  Company,  of  Modoc,  was  established  in  1903. 
Its  officers  are  John  Christopher,  president ;  Emmet  B.  Harris,  cashier ;  Sylvia 
L.  Hunt,  assistant  cashier.  Its  capital  stock  is  $10,000;  surplus  and  undi- 
vided profits,  $1,000;  resources,  $99,000. 

The  First  National  Bank  of  Ridgeville  was  established  in  1906.  Its 
officers  are  George  M.  Edger,  president;  C.  Orr,  vice-president;  John  M. 
Edger,  cashier;  Frank  Harker,  assistant  cashier.  Its  capital  stock,  $25,000; 
surplus  and  undivided  profits,  $1,000;  resources,  $100,000. 

The  Farmland  State  Bank  was  established  in  1907.     Its  officers  are, 
S.  M.  Cougill,  president;  E.  S.  Jaqu^,  vice-president;  I.  M.  Branson,  cashier; 
G.  W.  Turner,  assistant  cashier.     Its  capital  stock  is  $32,000;  surplus  and 
-'undivided  profits,  $5,000;  resources,  $175,000. 

The  Greensfork  Township  Bank  was  established  in  1900.     Its  officers- 
are,  C.  E.  Chenoweth,  president ;  S.  C.  Bowen,  vice-president ;  O.  E.  Auker- 
man,  cashier;  E.  Chenoweth,  assistant  cashier.     Its  capitar stock  is  $12,000; 
resources,  $52,000. 

The  Peoples  Loan  and  Trust  Company,  of  Winchester,  was  organized 
in  1901.  Its  officers  are  James  P.  Goodrich,  president;  John  I.  Johnson, 
vice-president -and  J.  E.  Hinshaw,  secretary  and  treasurer.  Its  capital  stock 
is  $30,000;  surplus  and  undivided  profits,  $21,000;  resources,  $388,000. 

The  Union  Loan  and  Trust  Company,  of  Union  City,  was  organized  in 
1909.  Its  officers  are  J.  M.  Turner,  president ;  J.  D.  Money,  vice-president ; 
P.  I.  Turner,  secretary  and  treasurer.  Its  capital  stock  is  $35,000;  undivided 
profits,  $12,000;  resources,  $165,000. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


HISTORY  OF  EACH  TOWNSHIP. 


White  River. — ^This  is  by  far  the  largest  township  in  the  county  and'  the 
third  largest  in  the  state.  It  is  from  ten  to  eleven  miles  long.aild  seven  miles 
wide,  embracing  seventy- four  sections,  as  follows:  Township  19  north, 
range  13  east,  sections  i,  2,  3,  4,  5.  Township  20  north,  range  13  east,  sec- 
tions I  to  4,  9  to  16,  20  to  29  and  32  to  36,  inclusive.  Township  19  north, 
range  14  east,  sections  i  to  6,  iiiclusive.  Township  20  north,  range  14  east, 
sections  i  to  36,  inclusive. 

The  township  is  located  directly  upon  White  river,  being  divided  by  that 
stream  into  two  somewhat  unequal  portions,  the  smaller  part  being  on  the 
north  side,  which  is  drained  almost  wholly  into  the  Mississinewa  by  Hickory, 
Mud  and  Bear  creeks.  The  south  side  lies  wholly  in  the  White  River  valley, 
being  drained  by  the  upper  course  of  White  river  itself,  and  by  Salt,  Sugar, 
Sparrow,  Eight-Mile  and  Cabin  cr^gks,  only  a  small  portion  in  the  southwest 
corner  lying  on  the  latter  stream.  This  region  was  in  the  beginning  a  favorite 
with  emigrants,  and  large  numbers  crowded  into  it  from  the  time  of  its 
original  settlement. 

It  is  said  to  have  been  first  reached,  not  by  crossing  from  Wayne  county 
nor  by  the  exploration  from  the  settlements  previously  made  in  the  southern- 
part  of  Randolph  county,  but  thus :  A  party  of  men  from  South  Carolina 
struck  into -the  White  River  valley  near  its  mouth,  and  threaded  its  entire 
extent  in  its  utter  wilderness  state  through  what  is  now  ten  flourishing  coun- 
ties^Knox,  Daviess,  Greene,  Owen,  Morgan,  Marion,  Hamilton,  Madisoii, 
Delaware  and  Randolph.  They  rode  through  the  dense  woods,  camping  out 
and  picketing  their  horses  at  night  and  spending  several  weeks  in  the  trip. 
What  they  lived  on  we  cannot  tell ;  they  subsisted  on  something,  however,  for 
most  of  them  were  still  in  the  land  of  the  living  full  fifty  years  after  that 
adventurous  journey.  For  some  reasons  they  were  not  satisfied  till  they 
arrived  in  Randolph  county,  a  few  miles  west  of  Winchester.  The  whole 
valley  of  White  river  was  then  in  possession  of  the  Indians.  Not  a  white 
man  had  ever  dwelt  anywhere  throughout  its  whole  vast  extent.  The  French 
had  planted  themselves  about  Vincennes,  and  that  settlement  spread  from  the 
Wabash  across  to  the  White  river ;  but  above  the  French  colony  all  was  wil- 
derness. 


I  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^  .  INDIANA.  89.I 

This  party  located  lands  for,  settlement,  and  finally  in  the  fall  of  i&iO 
(some  of  them  remaining),  returned  to  South  Carolina  to  make  arrange- 
ments to  bring  a  large  company  of  emigrants  from  that  distant  country.  And; 
they  came — a  colony  of  about  thirty  persons,  with  their  wagons  and  theii, 
goods,  from  South  Carolina,  across  the  Appalachian  mountains,  through  Ten- 
nessee, Kentucky,  Ohio,  into  Indiana,  during  the  severe  winter  of  1816-17,. 
meeting  the  snow  on  the  summits  of  the  Cumberland  range,  and  keeping  com- 
pany therewith  the  whole  way  onward,  arriving  at  White  river  in  March, 
1817,  with  the  snow  a  foot  deep,  which  left  not  before  the  April  following. 

And  now  just  stop  and  take  in  that  traveling  scene :  First,  a  trip  from 
South  Carolina  to  the  lower  course  of  White  river  in  Southwestern  Indiana., 
Second,  a  horseback  jaunt  through  the  entire  White  river  wilderness  to  its 
sources  in  Randolph  county,  and  a  tarry  in  the  woods  ot  that  region.  Third, 
a  return  trip  also  on  horseback  through  the  sparse  settlements  of  Ohio,  Ken-, 
tucky,  Tennessee  and  North  Carolina  to  the  Palmetto  state.  Fourth,  a  wagon 
journey  from  that  southern  land  over  mountain  and  stream,  over  horrible 
roads,  through  the  cold  and  snow  of  that  extreme  winter,  to  plant  themselves 
at  last  in  the  wilderness,  fifteen  miles  from  any  other  settlers. 

When  they  came,  indeed  there  were  some  cabins  for  some  of  them,  as 
well  as  for  one  of  the  men  who  tarried  in  the  wilderness,  and  who,  being  a 
believer  in  the  Bible  in  general,  and  in  that  declaration  in  particular  that  "It 
is  not  good  for  melh  to  be  alone,"  had  gone  down  among  the  settlers  of 
Wayne  county,  in  the  White  Water  valley,  and  had  found  a  virgin  after  his 
own  heart,  to  whom  he  had  been  joined  in  the  bonds  of  holy  wedlock;  and 
together  they  returned  to  his  chosen  home,  and  there  for  more  than  forty  days 
that  loved  and  loving  couple  dwelt  in  the  desolate  forest  alone.  Years  after- 
ward that  bride  used  to  relate  how  for  six  weeks  of  that  first  sojourn  she  saw 
no  white  face  besides  that  of  her  husband.  But  the  company  came,  and  they, 
too,  -went  to  work,  and  it  was  not  long  till  not  one  alone,  but  several  dwellings 
were  to  be  seen  nestling  among  the  trees. 

The  party  who  traversed  on  horseback  the  long  and  desolate  valley  of  the 
White  river  were  Paul  W.  Way,  Henry.  H.  Way,  William  Way,  Robert  Way 
(a  lad  of  sixteeen,  and  nephew  of  the  rest,  and  son  of  John  Way),  and 
William  Diggs,  Jr. ;  and  Paul  Way,  in  the  fall  of  1816,  returned,  as  has  been 
stated,  and  conducted  a  company  from  that  country  to  this.  That  group  of 
emigrants  was  as  follows:  Paul  Way's  family,  seven  in  all;  John  Way's 
family,  seven  in  all;  Armsbee  I^iggs  and  wife,  John  Moorman  and  family, 
six  in  all ;  George  Wilson  and  family,  five  in  all ;  making  a  company  of  twenty- 
seven  persons,  belonging  to  five  families.    Moorman  and  Wilson  stopped  on 


892  .        RANDOLPH    COUNTY,;  INDIANA. 

Greensfork  (Wilson  probably  in  Wayne  county),  and  the  rest  came  on. 
Meanwhile,  William  Diggs  had  married,  and,  as  already  stated,  wag  keeping* 
house  on  White  river.  Henry  Way  married  in  the  sa.me  way,  about  the  same 
time,  so  that  when  the  whole  colony  there  united,  they  amounted  to  nearly 
twenty-five  persons,  all  Ways  and  Diggses.  Soon  after  others  of  the  connec- 
tion and  their  acquaintances  came  from  South  Carolina,  among  others  the 
father  of  William  Diggs^  Jr.,  William  Diggs,  Sr. 

At  nearly  the  same  time,  say  iff  181 7,  families  of  the  Wrights  came,  and 
also  some  of  the  Haworths,  and  by  the  summer  of  1818  a  large  company  of 
Wrights  and  others  were  present,  insomuch  that  at  the  first  election  of  county 
officers  (held  August,  1818),  three  had  the  name  of  Wright — John  Wright, 
judge;  David  Wright,  sheriff,  and  Solomon  Wright,  coroner.  This  John 
Wright  in  partictilar  seems  to  have  been  an  estimable  man,  since  he  was  re- 
tained as  judge  by  successive  elections  for  twenty-eight  years — 1818  to  1846 
— an  event  probably  without  a  parallel  in  the  history  of  the  county. 

David  Wright,  Solomon  Wright  and  Thomas  Wright  were  sheriffs  from 
1818  to  1827.  Another  John  Wright  was  commissioner  from  1820  to  1822. 
Two  of  the  grand  jury  were  Isaac  Wright  and  William  Wright.  Two  of  the 
first  petit  jury  were  Solomon  Wright  and  Abram  Wright.  Thus  in  one  year 
after  they  began  to  come,  seven  Wrights  were  holding  official  positions  in  the 
newly  formed  county..  The  Ways  also  were  prominent.  Paul  W.  Way  was 
appointed  couhty  agent,  at  that  time  a  very  important  and  responsible  position. 
Four  Ways  were  on  the  first  juries  in  18 18 — John  Way,  William  Way,  Sr., 
William  Way,  Jr.,  and  Paul  W.  Way.  In  August,  1818,  there  were,  accord- 
ing to  Hon.  Jere  Smith's  statement,  fifty  or  sixty  families  on  White  river  and' 
Salt  and  Sugar  creeks,  all  of  whom  are  supposed,  to  have  been  in  the  present 
bounds  of  White  River  township. 

We  give  some  dates  that  are  accessible : 

181 7— Simon  Cox,  east  of  Winchester;  Benjamin  Cox,  east  of  Winches- 
ter ;  William  Kennedy,  near  Mount  Zion  church ;  Solomon  Reynard,  on  Eight- 
Mile  creek;  John  Wright  (Hominy),  west  of  Winchester.     1818 — Absalom 

Grey,  east  of  Winchester.    18 19 — ^John  Coats,  east  of  Winchester; 

Lasley,  south  of  Winchester;  David  Lasley,  south  of  Winchester;  Peter  Las- 
ley,  south  of  Winchester;  Robinson  Mclntyre,  near  Ma'xville;  Zachariah 
Puckett,  near  Dunkirk;  Joseph  Puckett,  near  Dunkirk.  1820 — Henry  D. 
Huffman,  west  of  Winchester;  Tarlton  Moorman,  west  of  Winchester;  Al- 
bert Macy,  west  of  Winchester;  Thomas  Puckett,  near  Dunkirk;  Isom. Puck- 
ett, near  Dunkirk.  1821 — James  Driver,  west  of  Winchester;  Morgan  Mills, 
west  of  Winchester.     1822 — Stephen  Clayton,  west  of  Winchester;  James 


.RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  893 

Clayton,  west  of  Winchester ;  John'  Robison,  east  of  Winchester ;  W.  Robison,, 
east  of  Winchester;  Mary  Reeder,  near  Winchester;  Martin  A.  Reeder,  near 
Winchester.  Of  course  there  were  other  prominent  families,  among  whom 
were  the  Wysongs,  the  Elzroths,  the  Edwardses  and  the  Starbucks,  besides 
others  too  numerous  to  mention,  and  very  many  of  whom  are  to  the  writer 
utterly  unknown. 

ENTRIES. 

Note. — W.  N.  W.  18,  20,  14,  means  west  half  of  the  northwest  quarter 
of  Section  i8.  Township  20,  Range  14,  etc. 

There  are  in  the  township  about  forty-seven  thousand  three  hundred  and 
sixty  acres. 

The  early  entries  were  as  follows:  Shubel  Ellis,  N.  E.  18,  20,  14,  No- 
vember 30,  1814;  George  W.  Kennon,  S.  E.  26,  20,  13,  September  10,  1815; 
William  Way,  Jr.,  W.  N.  W.  23,  20,  13,  February  7,  1816;  John  Clark,  S.  E. 

13,  20,  13,  March  8,  1816;  William  Way,  N.  E.  22,  20,  13,  June  5',  1816; 
Henry  Way,  N.  W.  22,  20,  13,  June  5,  1816;  William  Diggs,  Jr.,  N.  W.  24, 
20.  13,  September  27,  1816;  William  Havvorth,  S.  W.  17,  20,  14,  October  19, 
i8u6;  Henry  H.  Way,  N.  E.  27,  20,  13,  October  29,  1816;  Tarlton  Moor- 
man, S.  W.  13,  20,  13,  October  29,  181 6;  James  Wright,  N.  E.  17,  20,  24, 
December  4,  1816;  Solomon  Wright,  N.  W.  17,  20,  14,  December  4,  1816; 
Antipas  Thomas,  S.  E.  17,  20,  14,  December  4,  1816;  John  Wright,  N.  E. 
20,  20,  14,  December  4,  1816;  David  Wright,  N.  W.  20,  20,  14,  December  4, 
1816;  Jesse  Green,  N.  W.  27,  20,  13,  December  5,  1816;  John  Ballinger,  S.  E. 
2'],  20,  13,  December  5,  1816;  Thomas  Gillum,  S.  W.  27,  20,  13,  December  5,, 
1816;  William  Haworth,  S.  W.  24,  20,  13,  December  7,  1816;  John  Moore, 
S.  E.  18^  20,  14,  December  7,  181 6;  John  Wright,  N.  W.  24,  20,  13,  January 
10,  1817;  Joseph  Wright,  W.  S.  E.  24,  20,  13,  January  10,  1817;  John  Sam- 
ple, N.  J4,  N.  J/2,  fractional  3,  20,  13,  January  16,  1817;  Charles  Conway,, 
N.  E.  29,  20,  13,  May  6,  1817;  John  Wright,  N.  E.  21,  20,  13,  May  8,  1817;. 
D.  Petty,  N.  E.  22,  20,  13,  May  8,  1817;  Meshach  Lewallyn,  N.  W.  32,  20,, 

14,  June  I,  1817;  Isaac  Barker,  S.  E.  23,  20,  14,  June  4,  1817;  Jesse  Ballin- 
ger, S.  E.  34,  20,  13,  June  4,  1817;  Armsbee  Diggs,  S.  W.  18,  20,  14,  June 
26,  1817;  Jeremiah  Meeks,  E.  S.  E.  22,  20,  14,  June  30,  1817;  Caleb  Wicker- 
sham,  S.  E.  29,  20,  14,  July  I,  1817;  Charles  Conway,  S.  E.  20,  20,  14,  July  i,. 
i8f7^;  Jacob  Miller;  N.  W.  28;  20,  14;  July  31,  1817;  John  Dodsar,  S.  W.  15,. 
20,  14,  July  31,  1817;  William  Way,  Jr.,  W.  S.  E.  22,  20,  14,  x\ugust  11,, 
i8k'7;  H.  H:  Way,  S.  W.  22,  20,  24,  August  11,  18I7;  John  Smith,  N.  W. 
2"],  20,  14,  September  I,  1817;  Benjamin  Cox,  S.  E.  15,  20,  14,  September  11,. 

(57) 


§94  ■-:  RANDOLPH    COUNTV,    INDIANA. 

1817;  John  Cox,  S.  W.  14,  20,  14,  September  11,  1817;  William  Hockett. 
N.  E.  32,  20,  14,- September  12,  1817;  David  Stout,  S.  W.  20,  20,  14,  Septem- 
ber 15,  1817;  Jonathan  Hiatt,  N.  E.  21,  20,  14,  September  17,  1817;  Christo- 
pher Hiatt,  S.  E.  19,  20,  14,  September  17  1817;. Jonathan  Edwards,  N:  W. 
29,  20,  14,  September  29,  181 7;  James  Springer,  N.  W.  34,  20,  13,  October 

4,  1817;  Isaac  Everett,  S.  W.  21,  20,  14,  October  23,  1817;  Amos  Hodgson, 

5.  W.  3;^,  20,,  14,  November  5,  181 7;  Isaac  Wright,  N.  W.  14,  20,  14,  Novem- 
Ber  15,  181 7;  Daniel  Hodson,  N.  ]^  14,  20,  14,  November  19,  181 7;  Joshua 
Cox,  Jr.,  N.  E.  15,  20,  14,  November  19,  1817;  James  Moorman,  S.  W."  23, 
20,  13,  November  21,  1817;  Jesse  Moorman,  N.  W.  19,  20,  14,  November 

■21,  1817;  Jeriemiah  Moffatt,  N.  W.  22,  20,  14,  December  i,  1817;  Thomas 
Garrard,  S.  E.  23,  20,  14,  December  6,  1817;  Zachariah  Hiatt,  W.  S,  W.  22, 
20,  14,  January  8,  1818;  Zachariah  Hiatt,  E.  N.  E.  27,  20,  14,  January  8, 
1818;  Christian  Shell,  S,  E.  21,  20,  14,  January  19,  1818;  Rene  Julian,  N.  W. 
26,  20,.  14,  January  19,  1818;  William  Kennedy,  W.  N.  W.  2,  19,  14,  Febru- 
ary 6,  1818;  BenjamJn  Cox,  N.  E.  35,  20,  14,  February  6,  1818;  Benjamin 
Cox,  S.  W.  25,  20,  14,  February  6,  1818;  Albert  Banta,  E.  N.  E.  23,  20,^  13, 
February  7,  1818;  Valentine  Wysbng,  E.  S..W.  35,  20,  14,  February  25, 
1818;  Valentine  Wysong,  E.  S.  E.  32,  20,  14,  February  25,  1818;  ThonTas 
Leonard,  W.  S.  W.  28,  20,  14,  March  6,  1818;  Jesse  Brown,  N.  E.  25,  20,  14, 
March  23,  1818;  Jesse  Brown,  W.  S.  E.  3,  19,  14,  March  23,  1818;  Richard 
Mendenhall,  S.  E.  24,  20,  14,  March  24,  1818;  Jeremiah  Rinard,  N.  E.  3,  19, 

13,  March  24,  1818;  Nathan  Mendenhall,  N.  W.  13,  20,  14,  March  24,  1818; 
Nicholas  Longworth,  S.  W.  29,  20,  14,  April  7,*i8i8;  Nicholas  Longworth, 
N.  W.  30,  20,  14,  April  7,  1818;  Nicholas  Longworth,  S.  E.  35,  20,  14,  April 
7,  1818;  William  Diggs,  W.  N.  E.  23,  20,  13,  April  15,  1818; 
Samuel  Charles,  N.  W.  15,  20,  14,  April  15,  1818;  Nicholas  Long-, 
worth,  N.  E.  33,  20,  14,  April  20,  1818;  Albert  Banta,  E.  S.  W.  3,  19,  14, 
April  21,  1818;  Joseph  Moffatt,  S.  E.  10,  20,  14,  April  23,  1818;  Henry  Mon- 
ford,  N.  E.  3,  19,  14,  April  27,  1818;  W.  Brooks,  E.  S.  E.  30,  20,  14,  May  25, 
1818;  Nicholas  Longworth,  W.  S.  E.  i,  19:,  14,  June  15,  1817;  Nicholas  Long- 
worth,  N.  33,  20,  14,  June  21,  1818;  John  Elzroth,  N. 'J4  6,  19,  14,  July  2, 
1818;  John  Elzroth,  S.  E.  33,  20,  14,  July  13,  1818;  John  Irvin,  N.  E.  5,  i^, 

14,  July  15,  1818;  Nicholas  Longworth,  E.  S.  E.  5,  19,  14,  July  30,  1818; 
Nicholas  Longworth,  N.  E.  19,  20,  14,  July  30,  1818;  Nicholas  Longworth, 
S.  W.  19,  20,  14,  July  30,  1818;  Nicholas  Longworth,  N,  E.  31,  20,  14, 
August  5,  1818;  Paul  W.  Way,  W,  N.  W.  26,  20,  13,  August  7,  1818;  Daniel 
Puckett,  N.  W.  25,  20,  .13,  October  26,  1818 ;  Thomas  Puckett,  N.  E.  26,  20, 
13,  October  26,  1818;  James  Marquis,  S,  E.  9,  19,  14,  November  27,  1818; 


;  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  895 

John  Haworth,  S.  W.  26,  20,  13,  December  7,  1818;  David  Fairfield, ,  S.  E. 
14,  20,  13,  January  12,  1819;  Joseph  Puckett,  S.  W.  34,  20,  13,  January  18, 
1819;  Joseph  Smith,  W.  N.,  E.  13,  20,  13,  March  i,  1819;  Zachariah  Puckett, 
N.  3,  19,  13,  April  7,  1819;  Tarlton  Moorman,  S.  W.  25,  20,  13,  April  15, 
1819;  Jesse  Moorman,  N.  E.  35,  20  13,  April  15,  1819;  Joseph  Crew,  N.  W. 
36,  20,  13,  April  15,  1819;  Robison  Mclntyre,  E.  N.  W.  23,  20,  13,  August 
13,  1819;  Thomas  Garrett,  S.  E.  6,  19,  14,  December  4,  1819;,  Moses  Hiatt, 
E.  S.  W.  22,  20,  14,  January  28,  1820;  Jesse  Green  , fractional  28,  20,  13, 
February  5,  1820;  John  Way,  E.  N.  W.  18,  20,  14,  March  31,  1820;  Godfrey 
Snmwalt,  sections  21  and  28,  20,  13,  September  16,  1820;  W.  and  P.  Larch, 
sections  33,  20,  13,  September  8,  1820;  Isom  Puckett,  W.  N.  E.  34,  20,  13, 
N.ovember  20,  1820;  Eli  Hiatt,  N.  Yt,  33,  20,  13,  November  11,  1821;  Jesse 
Moorman,  N.  E.  21,  20,  13,  November's,  1822;  James  Clayton,  E.  N.  W, 
21,  20,  13,  April  2,  1823;  Stephen  Clayton,  E.  N.  E.  20,  20,  13,  April  2, 
1823 ;  Robinson  Mclntyre,  E.  N.  W.  20,20,  13,  April  2,  1823;  Morgan  Mills, 
■  W.  N,  W.  20,  20,  13,  August  14,  1823;  Jesse  Mardick,  E.  N.  E.  9,  20,  14, 
August  22,  1823;  Stephen  Huffman,  W.  N.  E.  20,  20,  13,  October  25,  ,1823; 
Benjamin  Puckett,  N.  E.  S.  W.  35,  20,  13,  June  18,  1824;  William  Hawkins, 
S-  /^  33,  20,  13,  December  23,  1824;  Uriah  Moorman,  E.  N.  E.  4,  19,  13, 
Alay  2,  1825;  John  Irvin,  N.  W.  5,  19,  14,  January  28,  1826;  James  Wright, 
W.  S.  W.  36,  20,  13,  February  24,  1826;  Jonathan  Johnson,  S.  W.  N.  E.  36, 
20,  13,  March  28,  1826;  James  S.  Cloud,  E.  N.  E.  36,  20,  13,  October  17, 
1826;  Jesse  Tomlinson,  E.-  N.  E.  3,  19,  14,  October  17,  1826;  Joseph  Hick- 
man, N.  W.  N.  W.  I,  19,  14,  December  15,  1826  John  Coats,  W.  Yi  N.  E. 
23,  20,  14,  April  22,  1827;  Littleberry  Diggs,  S.  >4  N.  ^  fractional-3,  20,  13, 
May  24,  1829;  James  Clayton,  W.  N.  W.  21,  20,  13,  August  26,  1829. 

TOWNS. 

Maxville. — Location,  section  20,  township  20,  range  13,  on  White  river; 
Robison  Mclntyre  and  Robert  Cox,  proprietors ;  twenty-six  lots;  streets, 
north  and  south,  Rairoad  avenue.  East ;  east  and  west,  Main.  Recorded  May 
,28,  1850.  [Note.— The  town  was  established  many  years  before  that  date, 
about  1832.] 

■  The  town  was  laid  out  in  about  1832  by  Robison  Mclntyre.  The  town 
plat  seems  not  to  have  been  recorded  till  May  28,  1850.  The  commencement 
of  business  and  the  establishment  of  the  town,  however  dates  back  to  1832. 
Solomon  Seamans  built  the  first  house,  and  kept  the  first  store;  he  also  had  a 
hotel  and  was  a  physician.  For  a  time  a  large  amount  of  business  was  done. 
Maxville  became  the  center  of  a  brisk  and  thriving  trade:     There  have  been 


896  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

at  one  time  places  of  business  as  follows:  Two" smith  shops,  one  grist-mill, 
three  stores,  two  physicians,  one  saw-mill,  one  church,  one  school  house,  two 
limekilns,  one  lodge,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  one  lodge,  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  one  postoffice.  It  might  in  time  have  be- 
come an  important  town,  if  the  old  order  of  things  had  continued,  but  the 
Bellefontaine  railroad  was  built  and  missed  the  town  about  two  miles. 

New  Dayton. — It  is  a  hamlet;  not  incorporated.  It  is  not  laid  out  as  a 
town,  but  is  simply  a  little  hamlet  with  a  name.  There  has  been  a  store  for 
twenty-five  years,  and  a  smith  shop  for  thirtyysix  years.  There  is  a  church  and 
a  graveyard.  The  meeting-house  was  built  in  1877.  It  belongs  to  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  denomination. 

Sampletown. — Was  on.  White  river,  two  miles  east  of  Maxville.  Judge 
Sample  entered  land  there  January  16,  1817,  and  laid  out  Sampletown  very 
early,  but  it  never  flourished.  In  May,  1820,  a  road  was  laid  from  Sample's, 
mill  to  Huntsville,  and  another,  in  1825,  from  Sample's  mill  to  Lewallyn's 
mill  (Ridgeville). 

Vernon. — There  seems  to  have  been,  at  some  time  away  back  in  the 
"beginning  of  things,"  a  town  by  the  name  of  Vernon.  One  of  the  roads  laid 
out  by  the  commissioners  is  said  to  end  at  the  principal  street  of  the  town  of 
Vernon.  No  one  now  seems  to  know  the  location  of  that"  ancient  site.  Prob- 
ably it  is  identical  with  what  is  popularly  known  as  "Sampletown,"  on  the 
Windsor  road,  west  of  Winchester.  A  town' was  begun  there,  but  it  did  not 
flourish  and  soon  died  away.  The  name  which  lived  in  the  popular  memory 
is  Sampletown,  from  Mr.  Sample,  who  settled  there  very  early,  as  soon,  as 
1820,  or  sooner.  He  built  a  mill  on  White  river;  his  gon  established  a  tan- 
yard  and  laid  out  a  town,  and  the  locality  is  called  Sampletown  to  this  day, 
yet  the  real  name  may  have  been  (and  probably  was)  Vernon. 

Winchester. — Is  in  White  River  township,  but  its  history  is  given  in 
another  part  of  this  work. 

BIOGRAPHY. 

Thomas  Addington,  Sr.,  was  born  in  1778;  married  Tamar  Smith  in 
1807  (who  was  born  in  1786).  He  died  in  1839,  aged  sixty-one  years,  and 
she  died  in  1845,  aged  fifty-nine  years.  They  moved  to  W^y^^  county,  In- 
diana, in  1807,  three  years  before  Wayne  was  a  county,  and  nine  years  before 
Indiana  was  a  state.  There  were  then  only  three  counties  in  Indiana  terri- 
tory, viz.,  Knox,-  Clark  and  DearborU'  They  came  to  Randolph  county,  In- 
diana (Sparrow  creek),  in  1834.  He  and  his  wife  rode  horseback  from 
North  Carolina  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  1807;  they  had  during  their 
lives  thirteen  children^, 


;  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  897 

Rev.  R.  Brandriff,  Piqua,  Ohio,  was  born  about  1800;  he  became,  a 
preacher  very  young,  and,  in  1822,  was  appointed  to  the  Greenville  circuit  by 
the  annual  conference,  in  session  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  September,  1822 ;  his 
colleague  was  Moses  Crume,  arid  the  presiding  elder  was  Alexander  Cum- 
mins, and  the  circuit  belonged  to  the  Miami  district.  In  1822  the  Greenville 
circuit  included  all  of  Preble  and  Darke  counties,  Ohio,  all  of  Randolph  and 
part  of  Wayne  county,  Indiana. 

Mr.  Brandriff  states  the  matter  thus :  "We  traveled  from  Chenoweth's, 
in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  to  a  brother  Canada's  (William  Kennedy's),  a  few 
miles  from  Winchester,  from  there  to  Winchester.  Winchester  was  then 
right  in  the  woods,  a  very  new  place.  My  recollection  is  that  there  were  two 
streets  running  at  right  angles,  and  on  the  northwest  corner,  was  a  log  house, 
at  which  I  preached.  I  think  the  name  of  the  man  was  Odle,  at  any  rate  he 
was  father-in-law  of  George  Ritenour,  at  whose  house  we  preached  on  the 
Mississinewa,  near  Deerfield.  From  this  place  I  went  to  Sumwalt's,  on  White 
river.  The  good  people  had  blazed  the  trees  from  Ritenour's  to  Sumwalt's, 
and  I  followed  them  as  my  road.  From  this  place  I  went  to  Hunt's,  and  from 
Hunt's  I  followed  an  Indian  trail  to  the  East  fork  of  White  river,  as  there 
were  no  roads  in  that  direction.  When  I  arrived  at  Whitewater,  I  found  a 
farm  and  a  kind  family  who  entertained  me.  I  made  their  acquaintance,  ob- 
tained permission  to  preach  in  their  house,  formed  a  class  and  had  it  as  a 
regular  preaching  place.  The  family  was  one  by  the  name  of  Williams. 
Insco  Williams,  the  painter  and  proprietor  of  the  Bible  Panorama,  which  was 
so  celebrated  many  years  ago,  and  which  was  burned  at  Philadelphia,  was  a 
son  of  this  family,  and  so  also  was  Doctor  Williams,  now  of  Kansas.  From 
here  we  went  to  Wiggins',  or  New  Garden,  or  iMewport,  as  since  called. 
From  there  we  went  to  New  Paris,  and  preached  in  the  house  of  John  Cot- 
tom,  who  has  since  been  a  resident  of  Winchester.  I  will  only  add  here  that 
I  am  the  first  Methodist  who  ever  preached  in  Richmond,  Indiana.  It  was  in 
the  summer  of  1822;  some  brother  on  the  Oxford  circuit,  which  I  was  then 
traveling,  made  the  arrangements.  They  had  heard  of  the  boy  preacher,  and 
desired  that  I  should  visit  them.  A  friend  entertained  me.  I  preached  in  a 
small  school  house,  and  was  astonished  at  the  interest  the  good  Quaker  took 
in  me." 

Simeon  Brickley,  Maxville,  was  born  in  1822,  in  Preble  county,  Ohio; 
came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1843;  married  Eliza  Ellen  Mclntyre; 
had  four  children,  including  two  married  daughters.  Mr.  Brickley  was  a 
farmer,  a  Methodist  and  a  Republican ;  he  was  also  a  lime-burner,  owning  a 


898  V  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Splendid  lime  quarry  on  the  banks  of  and  on  the  bed  of  White  river;  he  burned 
as  many  as  eighteen  to  twenty  kilns  in  a  single  year,  from  600  to  800  bushels 
in  a  kiln.  The  other  kilns  in  the  neighborhood  were  smaller.  There  were 
three  sets  of  kilns — Brickley,  Mclntyre,  McNees. 

Stephen  Clayton,  born  in  1788,  in  Maryland;  married  Mary  Chiven's; 
came  to  White  River  about  1822,  entered  120  acres  of  land  west  of  the 
"Boundary;"  he  had  eight  children;  seven  grew  up.  He  died  in  1834,  and 
his  wife  in  1859. 

James  Clayton  (brother  of  Stephen),  born  in  Maryland  in  perhaps  1798; 
came  to  Randolph  county  in  1822;  married  Abigail  Way  (sister  of  Paul  W.  _ 
Way)  ;  they  had  no  children;  he  lived  many  years  on  his  farm  west  of  Win- 
chester, afterward  moving  to  Winchester,  to  Middleboro,  and  finally  to  New- 
port, where  he  died  some  years  ago.    His  wife  died  at  Winchester,  in  January, " 
1880,  while  on  a  visit  there. 

Thomas  Clevenger,  White  River,  was  the  son  of  Jonathan  and  Sarah 
^^Clevenger,  of  Warren  county,  Ohio,  both  of  whom  died  in  1870;  he  was  the 
-  third  of  ten  children  and  was  born  in  1816,  in  Warren  county,  Ohio,  and 
moved  to  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  in  1829;  married  Mary  A.  Clarion,  in 
1839;  moved  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  one  mile  from  Arba,  in  184*5,  3-nd 
to  White  River  township,  five  miles  east  of  Winchester,  in  1863,  where  he 
resided  for  years. 

THE   COATSES. 

John  Coats,  the  first  of  the  name  in  Randolph,  was  the  son  of  William 
Coats,  one  of  the  three  brothers  emigrants  from  Scotland,  above  named. 
William  Coats  was  the  son  of  Philip  Coats,  of  Scotland,  and  a  sister  of  Will- 
iam Coats  was  the  mother  of  Rev.  John  Coats,  of  Coatsville.  William  Coats  . 
had  a  large  family,  at  least  seven  of  whom  came  to  the  northwest  from  Caro- 
lina, as  follows:    John  Coats,  William  Coats,  Joseph  Coats,  Hepsy  (Wright), 

.Rhoda  (Wrench),  Hetty  (Harrison), ^ —  (Beanblossom).    John  Coats 

was  born  in  Carolina  in  1786;  married  Sally  Wright,,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Wright,  in  1807  (she  was  born  in  1789)  ;  they  came  to  Ohio  soon  afterward, 
and,  in  1 819  moved  upon  White  river,  Randolph  county,  Indiana.  John  Coats 
and  Thomas  Wright,  his  father-in-law,  lived  for  awhile  near  Covington, 
Ohio,  upon  what  are  now  the  famous  and  valuable  stone  quarries  at  that 
place.  While  residing  in  that  region  the  Indians  were  troublesome.  There 
was  a  fort  not  far  off,  and  they  moved  into  it  for  safety,  the  mother  leading 
one  child  by  the  hand  and  carrying  the  other  at  her  breast. 

At  one  time  Mrs.  Thomas  Wright  and  her  daughter.  Mrs.  John  Coats. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  899 

were  emptying  meal  into  a  barrel.  An  old  Indian  came  into  the  house.  He 
said  nothing,  coming  in  unobserved,  till  he  reached  the  middle  of  the  room. 
Sis  hunting  knife  had  slipped  around  in  front,  and,  as  he  undertook  to  move 
it  back  upon  his  hip,  they  thought  he  was  going  to  kill  them.  The  children 
were  lying  on  the  bed,  and  the  v^^omen  forgetting  all  about  them,  ran  wildly 
past  the  Indian  out  of  the  house.  Recollecting  the  children,  they  rushed  back, 
and,  seizing  them,  ran  with  the  whole  group,  five  in  all,  to  the  shelter  of  the 
fort.  Mr.  Wright  coming  home  in  the  evening  found  them  there,  and  was 
much  surprised  at  the  fact.    The  Indian  was  peaceable  and  intended  no  harm. 

These  families  came  to  Dadke  county,  perhaps  in  1809,  and  lived  there 
during  the  war  of  1811-13,  undergoing  the  manifold  hardships  and  dangers 
of  that- perilous  time.  Messrs.  Coats  and  Wright  removed,  in  1819,  to  Ran- 
dolph county,  Indiana,  and,  in  process  of  years,  their  descendants  became  very 
numerous  in  that  whole  region,  as  well  as  elsewhere.  John  and  Sally  Coats 
were  the  parents  of  fourteen  children;  seven  were  born  before  their  emigra- 
tion to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  seven  afterward. 

John  Coats  entered  eighty  acres  of  land  three  miles  east  of  Winchester; 
he  was  a  farmer. and  a  chair-maker.  At  one  time  he  held  the  office  of  justice 
of  the  peace,  and  his  jurisdiction  extended  at  first  to  Fort  Wayne,  and  pos- 
sibly, to  the  northern  limit  of  the  state.  Mr.  Coats  was  county  commissioner 
during  several  years.  In  religious  connections  he  was  a  Friend;  in  politics, 
in  ojden  time,  a  Whig,  and  in  later  years,  a  Republican.  His  death  occurred 
in  1878,  he  being  ninety  years  old;  his  wife  had  preceded  him  three  years,  her 
death  taking  place  in  1875,  and  her  age  being  eighty-six  years.  Twelve  of 
their  children  grew  up  and  were  married  and  had  families.  All  the  sons  and 
all  the  sons-in-law  but  one  were  Republicans.  A  reunion  of  the  connection 
was  held  in  the  sixties  at  the  family  homestead,  at  which  about  300  descend- 
ants of  John  Coats  were  present.  Several  other  like  gatherings  have  since 
taken  place,  with  the  attendance  of  hundreds  of  children,  grandchildren,  etc 

A.t  a  reunion  held  near  Harrisville,  in  the  summer  of  1882,  at  the  request 
of  Rev.  John  Coats,  of  Coatsville,  nearly  two  hundred  of  the  connection  were 
present.  William  and  Joseph  Coats,  brothers  of  John  Coats,  Sr.,  did  not 
reside  in  Randolph  county.  These  reunions  are  annual  afifairs  and  are  at- 
tended by  hundreds. 

Benjamin  Cox,  White  River  township,  born  in  North  Carolina  about 
1785,  moved  to  Ohio  in  1806,  and  to  White  River,  east  of  Winchester,  in 
the  fall  of  181 7;  he  married  Ann  Rhoads  and  had  eight  children — William, 
John,  Ruth,  Ann,  Patience,  Lydia,  Mary,  Benjamin.  He  entered  land  on 
White  river  and  lived  there  till  he  died  (in  about  1852),  sixty-seven  years 


900  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

of  age;  he  was  a  recorded  minister  among  Friends;  his  work  was  acceptable 
and  useful;  his  wife  died  in  her  sixty-  third  year;  while  her  husband  was 
absent  on  a  religious  mission  in  North  Carolina  (he  was  gone  about  three 
months).  Mr.  Cox  also  taught  school,  having  taught  the  first  school  in 
the  settlement,  about  1820  probably. 

Littleberry  Diggs,  White  River  township,  was  born  in  South  Carolina 
in  1893;  he  was  the  son  of  William  Diggs,  Sr.,  and  a  brother  of  William 
Diggs,  Jr.,  called  "Old  Billy  Diggs."  L.  Diggs  married  Lydia  Way,  in 
South  Carolina  in  181 1.  He  emigrated  to  Randolph  county  in  181 7;  his 
wife  died  in  1827,  and  he  married  Hannah  Mendenhall,  March  11,  1841, 
dying  himself  in  1846.  He  had  eleven  children,  eight  by  his  first  wife 
and  three  by  his  second;  his  second  wife  lived  a  widow  forty-six  years, 
residing  with  Isaiah  P.  Watts,  her  son-in-law,  in  Winchester,  and  died 
'September  20,  1892. 

Henry  Edwards,  White  River  township,  was  born  in  Guilford  county. 
North  Carolina,  March  2,  1795;  married  Polly  Hamilton,  October  18,  181 5; 
came  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  the  fall  of  1821,  and  to  Randolph  county 
in  the  spring  of  183 1 ;  died  at  the  residence  of  his  son,  Hamilton  Edwards, 
November  6,  1881,  aged  eighty-six  years;  six  months  and  two  days.  He 
had  been  married  sixty-six  years,  and  had  resided  on  his  homestead  fifty 
years ;  he  was  the  father  of  eleven  children.  He  was,  in  early  life,  a  Whig, 
and  later  an  Anti-slavery  man,  and  still  later  a  Republican;  in  religion,  a 
Friend,  and  in  occupation  a  farmer. 

Mr.  Edwards  was  buried  in  the  Friends'  cemetery,  at  White  River  meet- 
ing-house, in  the  presence  of  a  large  and  sympathizing  assembly.  The  dis- 
course was  delivered  by  Rev.  Nathan  Butts  from  the  text,  "When  a  few 
years  are  gone  I  shall  go  whence  I  shall  not  return." — ^Job.  xvi,  22. 

Jacob  Fisher,  White  River  township,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  181 1; 
came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1826;  married  Delila  Ruble,  in  1837; 
had  a  large  family  of  children;  resided  on  White  river,  some  miles  west  of 
Winchester,  and  died  some  fifty  years  ago. 

John  Fisher,  White  River  township,  came  froni  Pennsylvania  to  Ohio, 
and  from  Ohio  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1824,;  he  had  fifteen  chil- 
dren; twelve  lived  at  home  at  one  time,  a  rather  lively,  wide-awake  family, 
one  would  think.  Mr.  Fisher  has  been  dead  more  than  seventy-five  years; 
he  was  a  Methodist;  his  children  have  mostly  moved  away  to  the  West;  he 
lived  in  White  River  township  near  White  river. 

Absalom  Gray,  White  River  township,  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1796; 
came  to  White  River  in   1818;  married  Margery  Cox    (sister  of   Simon 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  9OI 

Cox),  and  afterward,  Mary  Pickett;  he  had  fourteen  children,  eleven 
grown,  eleven  married.  A.  Gray  entered  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Randolph 
county;  moved  to  Iowa  in  1845,  ^^'^  died  there  in  1875.  He  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation;  in  religion,  a  Friend;  in  politics,  a  Whig,  an  Abolitionist 
and  a  Republican. 

Simon  Gray,  White  River  township  (son  of  A.  Gray),  born  in  1826  in 
White  River;  married  Nancy  Smith,  in  1846;  has  had  four  children.  He 
is  a  farmer,  and  a  thriving  business  man;  his  residence  was  burned  down 
a  few  years  ago,  but  he  has  built  another  fine  dwelling.  S.  Gray  is  an  en- 
terprising and  influential  member  of  religious  society  and  of  the  commun- 
ity; he  is  a  Friend. 

Stephen  Harris,  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1 787 ;  married  Hannah  Mace 
(who  was  born  in  1784);  came  to  Randolph  county,  in  1831,  and  settled 
east  of  Winchester  two  miles.  He  bought  land  of  Samuel  Cox,  160  acres 
for  $223,  entirely  unimproved.  He  resided  there  nearly  all  the  rest  of  his 
life,  but  died  at  Cherry  Grove  at  the  house  of  his  son,  William  Harris,  with 
whom  he  had  made  his  home  for  a  time.  His  death  occurred  in  1857,  in 
his  seventieth  year;  his  wife  died  near  Farmland  in  1864,  aged  eighty  years 
and  three  months.     She,  too,  was  residing  with  her  son  William. 

Mr.  Harris  was  a  farmer,  steady,  sober-minded,  thoughtful,  industrious, 
upright;  he  was  an  Abolitionist  and  Ant'i-slavery  Friend,  and  altogether  a 
worthy  citizen  and  a  valuable  member  of  society;  he  had  five  children — 
Benjamin,  William,  David,  Henry,  Stephen.  They  were  all  Friends  and 
all  Abolitionists,  and  all  lived  to  be  grown  and  married;  they  were  every 
one  born  in  North  Carolina,  and  came  with  their  father  to  Randolph  coun- 
ty- 

When  Stephen  Harris  came,  in  1S31,  some  of  the  settlers  were  as  fol- 
lows: Benjamin  Cox,  Joshua  Cox,  Isaiah  Cox,  Simon  Cox;  Thomas  Ward, 
an  old  man,  grandfather  of  the  present  Thomas  Ward;  Joseph  Moffitt,  son- 
in-law  of  Thomas  Ward;  Thomas  Pierce,  brother  of  Burgett  Pierce,  still 
living  near  Deerfield;  John  Cox;  John  Coats,  an  old  man,  father  of  Joseph 
Coats,  late  of  Union  City,  Ind. ;  William  Coffin,  an  old  man ;  Joel  Ward, 
brother  of  Joab  Ward;  Zachariah  Hiatt,  Jonathan  Hiatt.  These  all  lived 
east  of  Winchester.  John  Walker  and  Harrison  Rawson  had  been  old 
settlers,  but  they  went  with  the  Mormons. 

Jonathan  Hiatt,  father  of  George  Hiatt,  was  born  in  North  Carolina 
about  1 770 ;  married  Rachel  Williams  in  North  Carolina ;  moved  to  Virginia 
before  1805;  came  to  Champaign  county,  Ohio,  in  1810,  with  eight  children, 


902  '         RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

and, to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1818,  with  ten  children,  and  two  were 
,born  in  Randolph,  making  twelve  in  all. 

He  was  a  farmer,  and  he  settled  near  White  River  meeting-house,  east 
of  Winchester,  in  March,  1818,  entering  half  a  section  of  land;  he  died  in 
1836,  sixty-six  years  old,  and  his  wife  in  1871,  aged  eighty-one  years,  in 
Wabash  county ;  he  was  a  Friend,  a  Whig  and  a  strong  anti-slavery  man ;  an 
active  temperance  man,  a  good  scholar  and  an  estimable  citizen,  with  good 
reputation  and  highly  respected.     ^ 

Henry  D.  Huffman,  White  'River,  was  born  in  1803  in  Virginia;  came  to 
Ohio  and  to  Randolph  county  in  1820;  he  married  Eliza  A.  McNees,  in  1831, 
and 'Mary  J.  West  in  186^;  he  had  thirteen  children;  was  a  farmer  and 
teacher,  and  entered  160  acres  of  land  just  east  of  the  Twelve*Mile  boundary; 
he  was  prominent  as  a  teacher  in  that  early  time,  having  had  many  of  the 
children  of  the  pioneers  under  his  tuition.  At  one  of  the  Old  Settlers'  re- 
unions, held  at  Winchester  some  years  ago,  when  he  was  about  seventy  years 
old,  a  class  was  formed  by  him  from  among  the  members  of  the  association, 
-his  old  "school  boys,"  and  had  a  "spelling  bout,"  which  excited  much  interest 
and  considerable  merriment.  Mr.  Huffman  died  iii  1876,  in  his  seventy- third 
year. 

Barnabas  Hunt,  White  River,  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1798; 
came  to  Ohio  in  1804.  While  there  his  father  had  his  property  taken  because 
he  would  not  join  the  army  in  181 2.  They  came  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana, 
in  1816.  Barnabas  married  Hannah  Lewis,  daughter  of  Evan  LewiSj  in 
1817;  his  wife  was  born  in  1802;  they  moved  to  Farmland  (three  miles  south 
of  it)  in  1.847.  He  had  three  children.  By  occupation,  he  was  a  farmer;  as 
to  religion,  a  Friend ;  in  politics,  a  Whig,  an  anti-slavery  rpan  and  a  Republi- 
can. He  died  in  1874,  being  seventy-five  years,  two  months  and  twenty  days 
old. 

George  Johnson,  born  in  Virginia  in  1818;  came  to  Randolph  county  in 
1833;  married  Charlotte  Cook,  1845;  no  children;  moved  to  Winchester  in 
1873 ;  farmer;  Democrat;  and  a  member  of  the  town  council  two  years. 

Endsley  Jones,  White  River,  born  in  North  Carolina  in  181  o;  came  to 
Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  1816,  and  to  Dunkirk,  Randolph  county,  in  1831; 
rtiarried  Lydia  Wright,  daughter  of  (Hominy)  John  Wright  and  sister  of 
Solomon  Wright  (Cabin  creek)  in  1837;  has  had  four  children;  bought  forty 
acres  of  second-hand  land;  was  brought  up  a  Friend,  but  joined  the  "New 
Lights;"  was  an  Abolitionist;  was  an  active  stockholder  in  the  Underground 
Railroad ;  once  had  a  narrow  escape  from  being  murdered  by  a  slave-holder  in 
search  of  slaves. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  ,90,3 

Mrs.  Endsley  Jones — Lydia  (Wright)  Jones — was  the  daughter  of  John 
(Hominy)  Wright,  the  youngest  but  one  of  fifteen  children.  Her  father 
brought  eight  children  with  him  to  this  county;  four  had  come  before,  two 
married  and  two  unmarried.  Lydia  was  born  October  5,  1817,  three  weeks 
after  her  father  got  here,  September,  1817.  Her  father  was  born  in.  1775,  and 
died  in  1851,  aged  seventy-six  years.  Her  mother  was  born  in  1777,  and 
died  in  1867,  ninety  years  old,  being  strong  in  mind  and  memory  as  long  as 
she  lived. 

Nathaniel  Kemp,  born  in  Frederick  county,  Maryland,  in  1813;  came 
to  Montgomery  county,  Ohio  (near  Germantown,  Ohio),  in  1824;  married 
Margaret  Byles,  in  1835;  came  to  White  River,  Randolph  county  (Kemp 
place),  in  1841 ;  bought  200  acres;  has  owned  690  acres,  but  it  is  now  dis- 
tributed among  the  children  or  otherwise  disposed  of. 

In  his  prosperity  he  was  energetic  for  the  public  good,  and  Randolph 
county  will  long  have  reason  to  remember  Mr.  Kemp  as  an  enterprising,  pub- 
licrspirited  citizen ;  he  was  a  Whig,  and  a  Republican. 

Isaiah  W.  Kemp,  White  River,  was  born  in  1839  in  Montgomery  county, 
Ohio;  came  to  Randolph  county  in  1841 ;  married  Molly  Wysong,  and  after- 
ward Ellen  Hippenhe.imer,  in  1875.  Mr.  Kemp  enlisted  in  Company  H, 
Eighty- fourth  Regiment;  was  appointed  first  sergeant,  promoted  first  lieu- 
tenant and  mustered  out  first  sergeant  with  the  regiment.  Mr.  Kemp  was  an 
active,  thorough-going  farmer  and  business  man,  and  stood  high  among  his 
fellow-citizens. 

William  Kennedy,  White  River,  was  born  about  1797,  and  married 
Nancy  Tharpe  in  1814;  they  had  no  children  of  their  own,  but  raised,  partly 
or  wholly,  fourteen  children;  they  came  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  1816, 
and  to  Randolph  in  the  spring  of  181 7. 

Reminiscences — Nancy  Tharpe  Kennedy.  "My  husband  Xvent  to  Cin- 
cinnati to  enter  land  (160  acres),  and  I  had  to  stay  here  in  the  woods,  all 
alone,  miles  and  miles  away  from  any  white  people,  being  only  a  girl  of  seven- 
teen years.  My  husband  was  an  orphan  boy,  but  God  kept  his  promise.  The 
Indians  were  very  thick  in  the  vicinity.  They  were  constantly  passing  to  and 
fro.  The  principal  trail  was  three-fourths  of  a  mile  south  of  us.  I  used  to 
.  be  afraid,  for  I  was  just  a  girl  of  seventeen  years  old,  and  they  were  painted 
all  up  like  fury.  They  were  very  kind,  however,  and  we  were  kind  to  them. 
We  would  give  them  bread  and  meat,  and  they  would  be  satisfied.  One  day 
one  of  the  Indians  asked  my  husband,  'What  is  your  name?'  'Kennedy.' 
'Well,  Kennedy,  no  Indian  ever  kill  you- — you  kind  to  Indian.'  I  have  seen 
great  numbers  of  Indians.     Sometimes  squaws  would  ride  along  on  their 


904  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

nice  ponies.  Squaws  would  never  walk.  I  have  known  twenty  or  thirty 
Indians  to  pass  at  one  time.  There  was  one  Indian  who  often  stayed  with 
us;  he  was  very  kind  and  civil.  I  never  saw  an  Indian  drunk  in  my  life. 
Some  of  the  Indians  were  white  and  fair. 

"Charles  Conway  and  John  Wright  lived  near  Winchester,  though  the 
town  was  not  then  laid  out." 

Elisha  Martin,  White  River,  was  born  in  181 2,  in  Butler  county,  Ohio; 
■  married  Susan  Kelly  in  Cincintftti,  in  1831 ;  came  to  Randolph  county  in 
1832;  settled  first  on  Salt  creek,  and  in  two  years  moved  southwest  of  Win- 
/:hester.    They  had  nineteen  children. 

John  Martin,  father  of  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Reeder,  Winchester,  was  born  in 
Allegheny  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1 773 ;  he  came  to  Warren  county,  Ohio, 
before  1794;  was  a  soldier  in  the  United  States  army  in  the  Western  Indian 
wars,  being  with  St.  Clair  and  General  Wayne  in  1794  and  1795,  and  with 
General  Harrison  at  Tippecanoe  and  the  Thames,  in  181 1  and  1813,  and  with 
Colonel  Croghan,  at  Fort  Stephenson;  he  came  to  -Randolph  county  in  1822, 
settling  one  and  a  half  miles  southwest  of  Winchester  on  White  river;  he 
was  a  great-hunter,  a  regular  pioneer,  and  when  settlements  became  too  thick 
he  left  and  went  to  Missouri  (1833)  ;  he  died  in  1839. 

Robison  Mclntyre,  White  River,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  in 
1786.  He  removed  to  Butler  county,  Ohio,  in  1807,  and  came  to  Randolph 
county  in  1819.  In  181 3  he  married  Mary  Taylor,  who  was  born  in  1787. 
They  had  eight  children,  seven  grown  and  married.  He  came  to  Maxville  in 
1825,  and  laid  out  the  town  in  1832,  which,  however,  was  recorded  in  1850. 
He  was  raised  a  Presbyterian,  but  in  the  West  he  joined  the  Methodists.  He 
was  an  active  and  prominent  man  in  the  community.  He  died  in  1871,  in  his 
eighty-sixth  year,  and  lies  buried  in  the  Maxville  cemetery.  His  wife  died  in 
1854,  aged  seventy-two  years. 

Hiram  Mendenhall,  Unionsport,  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1801,  moved 
to  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  in  1806,  and  to  Randolph  county  in  1837.  He  mar- 
ried Martha  Hale  in  1820,  and  they  had  ten  children.  He  went  to  California 
in  1850  and  died  June  30,  1852,  while  on  the  way  home  from  the  Golden 
Land  beneath  the  setting  sun.  He  was  a  millwright  and  a  miller.  He  built 
two  mills  and  his  brother,  Nathan  Mendenhall,  built  one  also,  where  one  of 
Hiram's  mills  had  burnt  down.  The  whole  family  were  ingenious  and  seemed 
to  be  machinists  by  n'ature.  Hiram  Mendenhall  always  had  two  shops,  a 
v/ood  shop  and  a  smith  shop,  and  did  his  own  repairing.  He  was  led  away 
by  speculative  notions  at  one  time  and  was  persuaded  to  start  a  "community" 
at  Unionsport,  between  1842  and  1846.     Eight  or  ten  families  joined  in.  the 


'       "  KANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  9O5 

movement.  It  continued  only  two  or  three  years,  ending  disastrously  to  the 
parties  engaged,  especially  to  Hiram  Mendenhall,  who  bore  much,  perhaps 
most  of  the  expeiise  of  the  experiment.  He  was  a  strong  and  earnest  Aboli- 
tionist, being  the  one  who  was  selected  to  present  the  famous  petition  to 
Henry  Clay  at  Richmond,  Indiana,  asking  him  to  emancipate  his  slaves.  The 
design  had  been  to  make  the  request  in  a  quiet,  unobtrusive  manner;  but, 
when  asked  when  he  would  receive  the  petition,  Mr.  Clay  told  them  to  present 
it  in  public.  They  did  so  and  he  employed  the  occasion  to  make  what  seemed 
to  the  anti-slavery  men  present  a  cruel  and  causeless  attack  upon  Mr.  Menden- 
hall and  the  opinions  he  represented,  though,  doubtless,  the  pro-slavery  parti- 
sans regarded  Mr.  Clay's  address  to  Mr.  Mendenhall  as  only  a  richly  merited 
and  well  executed  castigation  for  what  they  called  his  ill-timed  impertinence. 
But  years  have  fled  and  joined  the  ages  before  the  flood  and  Henry  Clay  and 
Mr.  Mendenhall  were  summoned  on  the  self-same  day  by  the  Judge  of  the 
living  and  the  dead,  before  His  dread  tribunal,  to  give  an  account  of  their 
stewardship  and  now  there  is  at  length,  after  so  long  a  time,  "no  slave-hunt  in 
our  borders,  no  slave  upon  our  land."  The  Abolitionists  and  Mr.  Mendenhall 
as  their  spokesman  were  extensively  condemned  for  their  supposed  impudence 
in  making  their  presentation  in  public;  whereas  that  was  Mr.  Clay's  own 
work  and  intended,  doubtless,  to  enable  him  to  make  a  more  severe  attack 
upon  Mr.  Mendenhall  and  the  Abolitionists  in  general.  Hiram  Mendenhall 
was  at  one  time  an  extensive  landowner,  being  possessed  of  more  than  one 
thousand  acres  of  real  estate  in  Randolph  county.  The  unfortunate,  though 
brief,  socialistic  experiment  greatly  weakened  his  financial  ability  and  he  went 
to  the  land  of  gold  to  renew  his  waning  fortunes,  but  death  claimed  him  for 
its  own  and  what  availed  gold,  or  houses,  or  lands  ?  Afar  from  the  spot  of 
his  nativity  and  the  home  of  his  manhood,  on  board  ship  in  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  Hiram  Mendenhall  took  the  last  look  upon  the  scenes  of  earth  and 
plunged  alone  into  the  great  unseen!  His  wife  long  survived  him,  dying, 
still  a  widow,  August  5,  1880,  aged  seventy-nine  years  one  month  and  twenty- 
four  days,  having  outlived  her  unfortunate  husband  more  than  twenty-two 
years."  Henry  Clay  and  Hiram  Mendenhall  died  on  the  same  day,  June  30, 
1852,.  the  one  at  his  home  at  Ashland,  Kentucky,  the  other  among  strangers 
on  board  a  homeward  bound  ship  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  falling  a  victim  to 
the  dreadful  cholera  on  his  journey  to  his  home  and  his  friends.  It  pleased 
the  haughty  politician,  in  the  day  of  his  power,  to  browbeat  the  despised 
Abolitionist  in  the  time  when  the  name  was  a  by-word  and  a  reproach;  but 
the  stern  logic  of  fact  has  vindicated  the  obscure  petitioner  and  removed  the 
obloquy  from  his  name  and  proved  that,  though  negro  property  had  been 


906  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

sanctioned  and  sanctified  by  two  hundred  years  o£  legislation,  yet  it  could  not 
stand  tK^  test  of  reason  and  truth  and  was  obliged  to  succumb  to  fate.  As 
has  been  stated,  he  died  of  cholera  on  board  a  steamer  on  his  homeward  voy- 
age in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  near  Key  West,  on  the  coast  of  Florida.  He  died 
June  30,  1852,  said  to  be  the- same  day  on  which  Henry  Clay .  expired.  A 
son  who  was  with  him  on  the  ship  at  his  deaith  survived. 

Moi-gan  Mills,  'VVIiite  River,  born  in  Ohio  in  1794,  married  Rebecca 
Di'iver,  sister  of  Jacob  and  James  Driyei:,-in  1812,  They  emigrated  to  White 
River  in  1821,  two"  year^  after  Mr.  Sample  came  here.  Mr.  Mills"  settled  at 
first  neai-'  Sampletown,  but,  as  soon  as  the  lancis  across  the  boundary  were  put 
into  market,  Mr.  Mills,  with  hundreds  of  others,  crossed  the  boundary  into 
the  new  purchase  in  1823.  He  had  twelve  children,  eight  grown.  He  was  a 
farmer  and  belonged  to  the  Christian  (New  Light)  church  sixty-four  years. 
Falling  from  the  platform  of  a  railroad  train  at  Farmland  and  bursting  his 
skull  in  the  fall,  he  died  of  the  injury  six  weeks  afterward.  His  death  took 
place  April  3,  1878,  aged  eighty-four  years  four  months  and  five  days.  His 
wife,  Rebecca  Mills,  died  in  1872,  aged  seventy-seven  years  seven  months  . 
and  sixteen  days. 

The  Pucketts,  White  River.     There  were  eight  brothers  of  the  Puckett 
family  and  seven  of  them  were  Quaker  preachers,  all  except  Joseph.     Their  - 
names  were  as  follows :  Joseph,  Isom,  Thomas,  Zachary,  Daniel,  Benjamin, 
Richard  and  James. 

The  five  first  mentioned  emigrated  to  Indiana,  the  first  four  coming  in 
Randolph  county  and  Daniel  settling  in  Wayne  county.  They  are  all  dead 
many  years  ago.  Joseph  and  Isom  came  in  1819  and  Thomas  and  Zachary 
in  1820. 

Joseph  Puckett  was  born  in  1784,  in  North  Carolina.  He  married  Mary 
Garrett.  They  came  to  Clinton  county,  Ohio,,  in  1817,^  and,  two  years  after- 
ward, to  Randolph  county.  He  entered  land  after  they  came.  An  interest- 
ing incident  occurred  in  connection  with  the  entry  of  his  land  showing  that 
officials  are  friendly  and  accommodating  in  some  eases,  at  any  rate.  He 
went  on  foot  to  Cincinnati  and  when  he  got  there,  he  found  that  the  quarter- 
section  of  his  choice  overran  so  much  that  he  lacked  ten  or  fifteen  dollars  of 
having  money  enough  to  make  the  entry.  There  he  was,  a  poor  stranger, 
on  foot,  alone  in  Cincinnati,  knowing  not  a  single  person  in  that  city,  and 
utterly  at  a  loss  what  to  do.  The  clerk  who  was  doing  business .  in  the 
receiver's  oflice,  learning  his  dilemma,. ,  said  to  him,  "You  need  not  go  back 
without  ypur  land;  I  will  lend  you  the  money  myself,"  and  he  did,  and.  Mr.- 
Puckett  got  the  certificate  for  his  lanci  and  went  on  his  homeward  way  rejoir- 


RANDOLPH    county;  INDIANA.  907 

ing.  Of  course  he  sent  the  money  in  payment  of  the  loan  as  soon  as  he  could 
raise  it,  which,  however,  was  not  a  very  easy  task.  Mr.  Puckett  had  ten 
thildren,  eight  boys  and  two  girls.  All  of  them  lived  to  be  grown  and  mar- 
ried: The  children  were  these:  Tyre  T.,  Welcome  G.,  Benjamin,  Micajah, 
Sylvania,  Levi,  Francis,  Joseph,  Phebe  Ann  and  Thomas. 

The  Pucketts  were  all  Friends  and  those  that  lived  to  the  ^time  of  the 
"Separation"  went  with  the  Anti-slavery  Friends.  They  were  originally 
Whigs  and  became  Republicans.  The  Pucketts  came  first  to  Ohio  but  pre- 
ferred Congress  title  to  military  title  and  came  on  to  Randolph.  They  settled 
near  Dunkirk,  entering  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  apiece,  paying  each  eighty 
dollars  down. 

Isom  Puckett  was  one  of  ten  children.  His  mother's  father  was  Daniel 
Taylor,  who  died  when  one  hundred  and  five  years  old.  The  names  of  the 
family  to  which  Isom  Puckett  belonged  were  these:  Richard,  Benjamin, 
Isom,  Betty,  Anna,  Zachariah,  Thomas,  Joseph  and  James.  The  Puckett 
brothers,  four  of  whom  settled  in  Randolph  county,  all  entered  land  in  White 
River. 

Joseph  Puckett,  Sr.,  brother  of  Isom  and  Daniel  Puckett,  died  in  1836, 
and  his  wife  in  1846.  He  was  a  Friend,  anti-slavery,  and  in  early  times  a 
Whig.  His  son  Benjamin  was  a  physician  of  the  Botanic  school  and  achieved 
a  good  reputation  as  a  practitioner,  being,  for  many  years  a  leading  physician 
in  Winchester. 

Joseph  Puckett,  Jr.,  Winchester,  was  born  in  1825  -in  Randolph  county, 
being  the  son  of  Joseph  Puckett,  Sr.  Pie  married  Eliza  Ann  Muckey  in 
1 85 1.  Mr.  Puckett  was  a  farmer's  son  and  was  brought  up  on  the  farm. 
He  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  following- that  business  for  several  years. 
He  afterward  became  a  merchant  and  still  later  was  appointed  United  States 
revenue  officer,  holding  the  position  four  years.  He  adopted  the  fruit-grow- 
ing business  and  practiced  it  for  ten  years,  after  which  he  was  appointed 
cashier  of  the  National  Bank  at  Winchester  and  served  in  that  capacity  for 
five  years,  leaving  it  in  1878.  When  young,  he  was  an  Abolitionist  and  since 
the  rise  of  the  Republican  party  belonged  to  that  organization. 

James  Pursley,  White  River,  was  born  in  1807  in  Virginia  and  came  to 
Indiana  (Randolph  county)  in  183 1.  He  was  twice  married.  His  first 
wife  was  the  mother  of  seventeen  children;  his  second  of  five.  Twelve  of 
the  children  lived  to  be  married.     He  died  many  years  ago. 

Jesse  Pursley,  White  River,  born  in  1775,  in  Virginia,  was  in  the  war 
of"i8i2;  came  to,  Indiana  about  1830;  resided  in  Union  and  Franklin  counties 
several  years;  came  to  Randolph  county  in  1833.     He  was  twice  married. 


yOB  KANDOLPH   COUNTYj   INDIANA. 

His  first  wife  was  Winny  Yardley  and,  the  second  was  Nancy  May,  the  latter 
dying  in  1877,  seventy-six  years  old.  He  had  fourteen  children  by  his  first 
wife  and  ten  by  the  second.     Fourteen  lived  to  be  married. 

Jesse  Reynard,  White  River,  son  of  Solomon  Reynard,  was  born  in 
1819,  in  Randolph  county;  married  Anna  Diggs,  daughter  of  William  Diggs 
of  White  River  and  also  a  native  of  Randolph  county  in  1842  and  had  seven 
children.  He  was  an  Abolitionist  and  a  farmer,  a  Wesleyan  and  a  Repub- 
lican. He  owned  two  hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  land  and  resided  east  of 
Buena  Vista.     He  was  an  intelligeftt,  substantial  citizen. 

Solomon  Reynard,  White  River,  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1788; 
came  to  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  with  his  parents  in  1805;  married  Rachel 
Green  in  181 6,  who  was  born  in  1799;  emigrated  to  Randolph  county,  Indi- 
ana in  181 7;  settled  on  Eight-Mile  creek,  four  miles  west  of  Winchester. 
He  had  ten  children  and  died  in  1861  about  seventy-three  years  old.  He 
was  an  Abolitionist  and  a  Republican. 

William  Robinson,  White  River,  born  in  Washington  county,  Indiana, 
in  1 81 6;  Randolph  county,  1822;  married  Mariam  Hill,  daughter  of  Benoni 
Hill  in  1838  and  afterward  Ruth  (Test)  Bundrant;  ten  children,  none  mar- 
ried but  two.     He  resided  four  miles  east  of  Winchester ;  farmer,  Friend. 

Walter  Ruble,  White  River,  was  born  in  Tennessee  in  1790;  moved  to 
Clinton  county,  Ohio,  in  1802;  married  Sarah  Wright  in  Clinton  county  in 
181 1  and  was  married  twice  afterward.     He  had  eleven  children. 

Durant  Smith,  White  River,  was  born  in  Jones  county.  North  Carolina, 
in  1802;  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Stokes  county,  North  Carolina,  in  1808; 
married  Elizabeth  Keyes  in  1825,  who  was  born  in  1806.  Th^y  fame  to 
Randolph  county  in  1829  and  settled  at  first  on  the  farni  where  he  continued 
to  live  until  his  death  (fifty-one  years).  His  wife  died  in  the  fall  of  1879. 
They  had  been  married  fifty-four  years.  Their  family  consisted  of  twelve 
children. 

John  Starbuck,  White  River.  His  parents  resided  in  Surry  county, 
North  Carolina,  and  he  was  born  there.  They  came  to  Virginia  in  1823  and 
to  Randolph  county  in  183 1.  He  married  Beulah  Garrett;  had  nine  children, 
and  died  in  1850.  His  widow  is  living,  with  her  son.  Welcome  Starbuck, 
east  of  Buena  Vista. 

Leroy  Starbuck,  White  River,  son  of  John  Starbuck  and  brother  of 
Walter  and  Welcome  Starbuck,  was  born  in  181 7,  in  Stokes  county.  North 
Carolina,  moved  to  Virginia  in  1823  and  to  Randolph  county  in  183 1 ;  mar- 
ried Mary  Johnson  in  1847,  ^"^  has  one  child  born  in  1850.  He  was  a  Re- 
publican; a  farmer,  owned  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  east  of  Buena 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY^   INDIANA.  909 

Vista  in  White  River  township.     He  used  to  belong  to  the  Wesleyans,  but 
latei"  to  the  Christians. 

Randolph  Turner,  White  River,  was  born  in  Virginia  about  1788;  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Heaston,  daughter  of  Abram  Heaston  and  sister  of  David 
Heaston;  moved  to  Tennessee  in  181 8;  kept  a  hotel  at  the  foot  of  Cumberland 
mountains  ori  the  west  side  near  Crab  Orchard;  went  to  Alabama  in  1826  and 
died  in  1828.  In  Alabama  he  was  a  farmer.  They  had  seven  children,  three 
of  whom  came  to  Randolph  county.  Mrs.  Turner,  widow  of  Randolph 
Turner,  came  to  Indiana  in  1833  with  her  father,  Abram  Heaston,  bringing 
three  children.  She  lived  with  her  father  till  he  died  and  then  with  her  son, 
William  Turner,  until  she  died  in  1861,  being  at  the  time  sixty-five  years  old. 

Paul  Way's  family,  seven  in  number ;  John  Way's  family,  seven  in  num- 
ber; Armsbee  Diggs  and  wife;  John  Moorman  and  family,  six  in  number; 
and  George  Wilson  and  family,  numbering  five — a  company  of  twenty-seven 
persons  in  all,  came  to  Indiana  in  1817.  The  Ways  started  from  South 
Carolina  in  the  fall  of  181 6  and  the  company  arrived  in  White  River  March, 
1817,  snow  ten  inches  deep.  [Note — John  Moorman  and  George  Wilson 
stopped  on  Greensfork,  southwest  of  Lynn.]  Snow  fell  on  them  at  the  top 
of  the  Blue  Ridge  and  there  was  snow  all  the  v^ay  to  White  River,  melting 
off  in  April.  They  crossed  the  Ohio  on  the  ice  at  the  foot  of  Main  street, 
Cincinnati.  They  came  by  Richmond,  Newport,  Williamsburg,  Cherry 
Grove  (Brocks  and  Frazier  lived  near  Cherry  Grove)  ;  from, Cherry  Grove 
the  route  was  through  the  woods  with  no  track  for  fifteen  miles.  John  Way; 
father  of  Jesse  Way,  stretched  a  tent  and  the  family  lived  in  it  all  summer, 

William  Way,  Sr.,  White  River,  born  in  1756,  came  to  Randolph  county, 
in  the  spring  of  1817.  He  had  ten  children.  He  settled  below  Winchester. 
He  was  a  Friend,  a  Whig  and  died  in  1839.  Several  of  his  children  were 
somewhat  noted.  Paul  W.  Way,  county  agent,  surveyor,  hotel-keeper,  etc., 
died  in  Winchester;  John  Way,  blacksmith,  died  in  Winchester;  Henry  H. 
Way,  physician,  died  in  Illinois;  Matthew  Way  died  in  Carolina;  Hannah, 
wife  of  Tarlton  Moorman,  mother  of  twelve  children,  died  in  Carolina  in 
1877;  Abigail,  wife  of  James  Clayton,  died  at  Winchester  in  1880,  eighty- 
three  years  old ;  Lydia,  wife  of  WilHam  Diggs,  died  many  years  ago ;  Mary, 
mother  of  Dr.  Beverly,  of  Winchester. 

John  Way,  father  of  Jesse  Way,  Winchester,  blacksmith,  was  born  in 
North  Carolina;  married  Patience  Green  in  North  Carolina  and  they  came 
to  Randolph  county  on  White  river  in  the  spring  of  181 7.  They  had  seven 
children. 

(58) 


910  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

John  Way  was  a  blacksmith  in  South  Carolina;  a  farmer  from  1817  to 
1830  and  a  blacksmith  from  1830  to  the  end  of  his  life.  He  entered  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  five  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Winchester  and  lived 
there  till  1830,  then  moved  to  Winchester  and  died  there  in  1856,  his  wife 
dying  also  in  1858.     He  was  a  Friend,  Whig,  Abolitionist,  "Republican. 

Paul  W.  Way  came  to  White  River  in  181 6.  He  was  a  famous  man, 
active  and  prominent.  He  was  county  agent,  county  surveyor,  many  years, 
etc.,  etc.  He  surveyed  the  town  jjlat  of  Winchester,  laid  out  the  state  and 
county  roads,  etc.  He  was  justice  of  the  peace,  farmer,  hotel-keeper  in  Win- 
chester, etc.  Many  an  old  lawyer  and  judge  remembers  the  times  at  Paul 
Way's  tavern.  Paul  Way  died  in  1856,  age,  seventy-one  years.  He  was 
a'  Whig,  an  active,  enterprising  citizen,  and  greatly  esteemed  among  his  fel- 
fow-townsmen  and  by  the  public  at  large.    He  had  four  children. 

William  Way,  Jr.,  brother  of  H.  H.  Way,  emigrated  to  Randolph  county 
in  1817;  moved  to  Newport  (Fountain  City),  Indiana,  and  many  years  after- 
ward to  Wisconsin.  He  was  twice  married;  had  several  children  and  died 
in  Wisconsin  at  a  ripe  old  age.  He  was  a  Friend,  a  Whig,  an  Abolitionist,  an 
anti-slavery  Friend  and  a  Republican.  He  was  throughout  his  life  a  farmer 
and  possessed  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens. 

Jacob' A.  White,  White  River,  was  born  in  1793,  in  Rockingham  county, 
Virginia.  He  came  to  Preble  county,  Ohio,  marrying  there  Mary  Neff,  sister 
of  Heni-y  H.  and  John  Neff.  Mr.  White  emigrated  to..  Randolph  county 
about  1822.  He  had  ten  children,  all  of  whom  were  grown.  He  died  in 
November,  1848,  having  been  taken  in  a  buggy,  a  few  days  before  his  death, 
to  the  polls  to  cast  his  vote  for  General  Taylor  and  being  in  the  fifty-fifth  year 
of  his  age. 

David  Wysong,  White  River,  was  the-  son  of  Valentine  Wysong.  He 
was  born  in  Virginia  in  1799  and  came  with  his  father  to  Randolph  county 
in  1817  or  1818.  He  married  Eliza  Irvin,  daughter  of  John  Irvin.  They 
had  twelve  children. 

Abigail  (Way),  wife  of  James  Clayton,  lived  for  many  years  west  of 
Winchester,  some  years  in  Winchester,  also  at  Newport  (Fountain  City), 
Indiana.  Her  husband,  James  Clayton,  died  at  Newport.  Mrs.  Clayton  was 
a  woman  of  high  intelligence,  sterling  integrity  and  firm  devotion  to  prin- 
ciples. She  had  no  children,  though  she  had  been  married  more  than  fifty 
years. 

John  Conner,  Winchester,  was  born  near  Atlanta,  Georgia,  in  1801. 
He  came  to  Cincinnati  in  1814,  and  learned  the  tinner's  trade,  marrying  in 
Greene  county,  Ohio  and  moving  to  Randolph  county,  in  1831;  kept  store 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  9II 

awhile  wiUi  his  brother,  William  Conner.  John  Conner  rented  forty  acres 
of  land  near  Lynn;  moved  to  Winchester  in  1835  and  to  Portland  in  1840, 
living  near  the  latter  place  on  a  farm  south  of  the  -Big  Salamonie  river  and 
in  1857  returned  to  Winchester.  He  began  in  1835  to  carry  the  United 
States  mail  from  Winchester  to  Fort  Wayne  and  continued  that  employment 
till  1861.  Enlisting  in  the  army  in  the  fall  of  1861,  he  died  near  Atlanta, 
Georgia,  in  1863,  in  sight  of  the  place  at  which  he  was  born.  Mr.  Conner 
had  three  children;  his  wife  dying  in  1874  by, a  collision  with  a  railroad  train 
at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  Mr.  Conner  was  an  old-time  Democrat  but 
he  became  a  Republican  in  i860.  His  Hfe  was  one  of  great  and  peculiar 
hardship,  transporting  the  mail  over  the  northern  route,  mostly  on  horseback, 
through  mud  and  frost,  fording  and  swimming  creeks  at  times  in  the  earlier 
period,  sleeping  in  the  woods  one  night  each  trip  between  Winchester  and 
Fort  Wayne.  For  a  few  years  he  carried  loads  of  silver  for  the  entries  of 
land  at  the  Fort  Wayne  Land  Office.  In  some  cases,  thousarfds  of  dollars 
were  taken  at  one  trip.  Edward  Edger,  then  postmaster  of  Deerfield,  "stated 
that  at  one.  trip  in  about  1837,  Mr.  Conner  had  two  thousand  dolars  (in 
silver)  stowed  away  in  his  mail  bag." 

Hannah  (Mendenhall)  Diggs,  Winchester.  Her  great-grandfather's 
name  was  Mordecai  Mendenhall,  living  in  North  Carolina.  The  whole  con- 
nection were  millers  and  millwrights  and  he  among  the  rest.  '  Her  grand- 
father, Stephen  Mendenhall,  was  born  about  1750  and  raised  thirteen  chil- 
dren to  be  grown  and  married.  He  came  to  Richmond  about  18 14;  moved 
to  Clinton  county,, Ohio,  soon  afterward  and  died  there  about  1822.  Her 
father  was  Nathan  Mendenhall.  He  was  born  in  North  Carolina  (Randolph 
or  Guilford  county)  in  1773;  came  to  Highland  county,  Ohio,  in  1806;  moved 
to  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  and  remained  in  that  county  till  1837;  came  in  that 
year  -to  Randolph  county  and  settled  near  Unionsport.  He  was  married  in 
North  Carolina  to  Ann  Harlan,  who  was  born  in  1772.  They  had  nine  chil- 
dren. 

Hannah  (Mendenhall)  Diggs  was  born  in  181 1;  married  Littleberry 
Diggs  in  1841  and  has  had  three  children.  Her  mother's  name  was  Harlan, 
who  was  the  daughter  of  Enoch  and  Edith  Harlan,  North  Carolinians.  His 
father  was  William  Harlan,  son  of  Ezekiel  Harlan,  son  of  George  Harlan, 
son  of  James  Harlan.  Enoch  Harlan  had  ten  children,  born  between  1770 
and  1792.  Rebecca  (Harlan)  Hampton,  daughter  of  Enoch  Harlaii  and 
aunt  of  Hannah  Mendenhall. 

Nathan  Harlan,  son  of  Enoch  Harlan,  was  born  January  10,  1770,  and 
died  about  1840,  seventy  years  old. 


912  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

The  ether  children  of  Enoch  Harlan  were:  William,  born  October  6, 
1771,  died  1844,  aged  sevent}'-three  years';  Anii,  born  October  19,  1773, 
mother  of  Hannah  Mendenhall,  died  1857,  aged  eighty-four  years ;.  Nathan- 
iel, born  October  9,  1775,  died  1824,  aged  forty-nine  years;  Jonathan, 
September  7,  1777,  died  1846,  iaged  sixty-nine  years;  David,  born  January  2, 
1780,  died  1 87 1,  aged  ninety-one  years;  Solomon,  born  February  13,  1782, 
died  1869,  aged  eighty-seven  years;  Hannah,  born  March  20,'  1784,  died 
1842,  aged  fifty-eight  years;  Enoci,  born  February  26,  1786,  died  1866, 
aged  eighty  years;  John,  born  May  9,  1790,  died  1876,  aged  eighty-six  yeai-s; 
Rebecca,  born  August  3,  1792,  living  in  Iowa,  aged  eighty-nine  years.   [1882.] 

A  truly  remarkable  family  for  their  age,  nine  of  the  number  ranging 
from  sixty-nine  to  ninety-one  years,  and  averaging  eighty-one  years. 

Solomon  Harlan,  a  son  of  Enoch  Harlan,  and  uncle  of  Hannah  Meii- 
denhall,  born  February  13,  1782,  had  children  as  follows:  Rebecca  Ann, 
John  M.,  Dp,vid  Faris,  William  Foster,  Rachel  Fallis,  Jonathan,  Solomon 
Haynes  and  Jane  Faris. 

Emily  Jane  Harris,  Winchester,  wife  of  Dr.  J.  M.  Harris,  died  at  Win- 
chester January  15,  1881,  aged  fifty-two  years;  she  was  bom  in  1829,  being 
the  daughter  of  David  and  Jane  Hampton.  David  Hampton  came  from 
Ohio  (Warren  county)  to  Randolph  county  in  1818.  They  had  eleven 
children,  eight  sons  and  three  daughters.  Emily  Jane  was  one  of  the  students 
at  the  first  opening  of  Earlham  College,  near  Richmond,  Indiana. 

Abram  Heaston,  near  Winchester,  was  born  in  Germany  about  1755; 
came  tp  America  and  to  Virginia  before  he  was  grown;  married  Matilda 
Short;  emigrated  to  Randolph  county  in  1833,  settling  fliree  miles  south  of 
Winchester,  and  purchasing  land.  He  was  jiearly  seventy  years  old  when  he 
came  to  the  west,  and  died  in  about  a  year  (about  1834) ;  his  wife  died  in 
Virginia ;  he  had  seven  children.  Five  of  them  came  to  Randolph  county,  viz., 
Evelina,  David,  Samuel,  Elizabeth  and  Virginia;  he  was  a  farmer  and  a 
tanner,  and  followed  the  business  of  a  tanner  till  he  came  to  this  county ;  he 
was  a  Presbyterian  and  a  Democrat.  Abram  Heaston  was  the  maternal 
grandfather  of  William  Turner,  formerly  residing  near  Salem,  now  near 
Camden,  Jay  county,  Indiana. 

Anna  Maria  Baker  (Butterworth,  Moore),  Winchester,  was  born  in 
Baltimore,  Maryland,  in  181 3;  in  1832  she  married  James  Butterworth,. 
who  was  an  Englishman,  having  been  born  in  that  country  in  1810;  he  was  a 
mechanic,  and  removed  from  Baltimore,  successively  to  Pittsburg,  Dayton, 
Richmond,  and  finally,  in  1836,  to  Winchester;  they  had  four  children,  who 
all  lived  in  Randolph  county,  three  of  the  four  being  residents  of  Winchester. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  9I3 

Mr.  Butterworth  was  killed  in  1845  by  the  bursting  of  a  cannon.  It  had 
been  used  by  one  of  the  parties  in  the  campaign  of  1844,  and  had  Been  taken 
arid  spiked  and  hid  by  the  other  party  in  a  straw  stack;  and,  upon  being 
fqimd  several  months  afterward,  in  the  efiforts  by  Mr.  Butterworth  to 
"unspike"  the  gun,  it  exploded,  and  Mr.  Butterworth  lost  his  life.  His  widow 
married  Mr.  James  Moore  soon  after,  in  1846,  with  whom  she  lived  till  his 
.death,  in  1875;  she  then  resided  in  Winchester  with  her  son-in-law,  W.  W. 
Canada,  Esq.,  who  married  her  youngest  daughter,  Carrie  E.  Moore. 

Harvey  Patty,  late  .of  Winchester,  was  boirn  in  Ohio ;  came  to  Randolph 
county  in  1835;  married,  first,  Mq^tha  Jane  Armfield, 'and  then  Malinda 
Mauisby;  he  had  five  children;  his  first  wife  died  in  1848,  and  he  died  in 
1856.  He  kept  store  in  Huntsville;  afterward  he  moved  to  Winchester  and 
kept  the  Franklin  House  hotel;  he  finally  went  to  Economy,  and,  while  he 
was  preparing  to  go  to  Kansas,  he  fell  sick  at  Economy,  and  died  there  in 
1856.  He  was  an  early  Abolitionist;  had  been  a  Whig,  was  a  strong  tem- 
perance advocate,  and  every  way  an  estimable  and  excellent  man. 

Ernestus  Putman,  father  of  Mrs.  Edward  Edger,  was  a  resident  of 
V^irginia,  working  at  Harper's  Ferry,  Virginia,  during  the  war  of  1812,  and 
came  to  New  Madison,  Darke  county,   Ohio,   from  Washington   City,   in 
.  1 819 ;  he  was  the  father  of  ten  children. 

Mary  (Martin)  Reeder,  Winchester,  was  born  in  1798,  April  16,  in 
Hamilton  county,  Ohio;  she  was  married,  in  Warren  county,  Ohio, 
in  181 5,  to  David  Reeder,  who  died  in  1821;  she  came  to  Randolph  county 
in  1822.  Mrs.  Reeder  resided  in  Winchester  over  sixty  years.  Every  house 
now  standing  in  Winchester  had  been  built  sipce  she  came  to  the  town.  She 
lived  all  that  time  on  the  same  lot,  on  South  Main  street,  on  the  same  premises 
with  her  son,  Martin  A.  Reeder.  The  building  east  of  Riley  Hiatt's  hard- 
ware store  was  (part  of  it)  , built  about  the  same  time  that  Mrs.  Reeder 
settled  in  the  town. 

Peter  Reinheimer,  Winchester,  was  born  in  Schiiylkill  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, in  1S15;  came  to  Fairfield  county,  Ohio,  in  1837,  and  tb  German- 
town,  Indiana,  in  1838,  and  to  New  Paris,  Ohio,  in  the  same  year;  took  a 
horseback  trip  to  Philadelphia  in  November,  1839;  returned  to  Centerville, 
Indiana,  in  March,  1840;  married  Elizabeth  Irwin  in  1841;  went  to  New 
Paris.  Ohio,  in  1840,  and  moved  to  Winchester,  Indiana,  in  1865. 

Nathan  T.  Butts  was  born  on  the  25th  day  of  July,  1838,  in  Randolph 
county,  Indiana.  His  parents,  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  Butts,  came  to  Indiana 
frona  Ohio  in  1834.  Mr.  Butts  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  of  Indiana  in- 
1872  and  was  an  earnest  worker  in  the^cause  of  temperance.    The  "Baxter 


914  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.. 

Liquor  Law"  was  prepared  by  Mr.  Butts  and  Mr.  Baxter,  representative 
irom  Wayne  county ;  the  local  option  clause  in  this  law  was  the  work  of  Mr. 
Baxter,  himself,  hence  it  took  the  name  of  Baxter,  rather  than  Butts.  It 
was  sometimes  known  as  the  "Baxter-Butts  Bill."  Mr.  Butts  was  chairman 
of  the  Committee  on  Temperance  and  made  the  most  effective  speech  of  any 
in  favor  of  his  temperance  bill,  and  it  was  due  to  him,  more  than  anyone  else, 
that  the  bill  became  a  law. 

James  Clayton,  born  in  Kent  county,  Maryland,  August  8,  1819,  was  the 
son  of  Stephen  and  Mary  Clayton,  who  located  in  Randolph  county  in  1820. 
The  former  died  iii  1834,  the  latter  in  1858. 

William  H.  Demory,  a  colored  man,  was  the  son  of  John  and  Sarah 
Derhory,  was  born  in  Guilford  county.  North  Carolina,  July  4,  1826.  His 
father  and  mother  were  slaves.  His  mother  obtained  her  freedom  from  her 
master  when  she  was  eighteen  years  of  age.  His  father  remained  in  slavery 
until  1826,  when  he  ran  away  and  came  to  this  state  and  county.  His  escape 
was  fraught  with  many  exciting  incidents;  at  one  time  he  was  captured  but 
succeeded  again  in  regaining  his  freedom.  Mr.  Demory  paid  a  great  deal  of 
attention  to  horticulture.  He  had  a  good  education,  having  been  educated  in 
Oberlin  College,  Ohio. 

David  Heastori,  son  of  John  and  Mary  Heaston,  was  born  in  Virginia 
February  3,  1792.  His  parents  moved  to  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  when 
he  was  nine  years  of  age  and  entered  the  land  now  occupied  by  the  National 
Soldiers'  Home,  near  Dayton. 

Amos  Hall  was  born  in  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  September  4,  1839.  ^'^• 
Hall  was  identified  with  the  county  as  the  superintendent  of  the  infirmary, 
an  account  of  which'  is  given  elsewhere. 

Elias  Kizer  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1800,  and  came  to  Randolph  county 
in  1821,  locating  near  the  present  site  of  Stone  Station.  In  1831  he  removed 
to  his  farm,  north  of  Winchester,  where  he  remained  until  his  death,  in  1867. 
In  1824  he  married  Margery  Ward,  to  whom  were  born  three  sons,  Thomas 
W.,  Henry  and  Caleb.  Mr.  Kizer  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  the 
county,  and  for  more  than  forty-five  years  was  prominently  identified  with  its 
development  and  improvement.  He  took  the  contract  for  carrying  United 
States  mail  between  Winchester  and  Fort  Wayne;  sometimes  he  made  the, 
trip  himself,  but  more  often  he  hired  someone  to  do  it  for  him.  Mr.  Kizer 
kept  a  hotel  in  Winchester  for  a  number  of  years.  He  served  the  county  as 
commissioner  and  was  a  "Jackson  Democrat." 

Thomas  W.  Kizer  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  November 
24,  1824-    He  is  the  eldest  son  of  Elias  Kizer,  who  resided  east  of  Stone 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  915 

Station,  in  Ward  township,  and  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  this  county  in 
its  pioneer  period  and  later  history.  In  1831  the  family  removed  to  the 
farm  north  of  Winchester,  now  owned  by  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Here 
the  latter  passed  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth,  attending  the  school  in 
the  winter,  and  working  on  the  farm  during  the  remainder  of  the  yean 
When  a  young  man,  he  became  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  Jesse  Way,  at  Win- 
chester, and  at  a  later  date  embarked  in  the  retail  grocery  trade  for  himself. 
Two  years  later  he  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  which  he  continued  for 
three  years,  resuming  the  grocery  business  at  the  end  of  that  time.  Subse- 
quently he  became  a  farmer  and  grain  dealer,  following  this  enterprise  until 
1878.  He  is  a  competent  business  man,  and  by  a  life  of  energy  and  activity 
has  acquired  a  comfortable  fortune. 

At  various  times  in  his  life,  Mr.  Kizer  has  been  called  to  occupy  public 
positions  of  honor  and  trust.  Toward  the  close  of  President  Fillmore's  ad- 
ministration, he  was  appointed  postmaster  at  Winchester,  but  was  displaced 
by  Pierce,  the  successor  of  Fillmore.  In  business  he  is  prompt,  energetic 
and  honorable,  and  has  won  many  friends,  among  whom  he  is  highly  es- 
teemed. He  was  one  of  the  first  members  initiated  into  Winchester  Lodge 
No.  121,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  has  been  for  years  a  prom- 
inent Odd  Fellow. 

Although  not  himself  a  church  member,  he  has  contributed  liberally  to 
the  support  of  churches  in  the  community,  while  his  private  and  public  life  has 
been  moral  and  upright.  He  has  been  married — ^first,  to  Miss  Susannah 
Way,  daughter  of  Jesse  Way,  Esq.,  on  the  4th  of  January,  1846.  Ten 
children  came  to  bless  this  union,  six  of  whom  are  now  living.  His  wife  died 
January  15,  1874,  and  on  the  4th  of  January,  1876,  he  wedded  Miss  Ann 
Rebecca  Weaver.  Within  five  years,  however,  he  was  again  called  to  mourn 
the  death  of  a  devoted  and  loving  wife.  She  fell  a  victim  of  consumption  on 
the  i2th  of  January,  1881.  On  the  22d  of  December,  1881,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  at  Lawrence,  Kansas,  with  Mrs.  Alice  M.  Allen.  Mr.  Kizer 
was  closely  identified  with  the  management  of  Fountain  Park  cemetery.  No 
man  could  have  been  more  devoted  to  the  interest  of  any  organization  than 
he  was  in  Fountain  Park.  Mr.  Kizer  was  a  very  popular  man,  known  per- 
haps as  well  as  any  man  in  the  county,  and  his  burial  was  attended  by  the 
largest  number  of  people  ever  assembled  for  a  similar  purpose  in  Fountain 
Park. 

David  Lasley  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  April  i,  x8oo.  He  was  the 
oldest  of  a  family  of  eleven  children.  They  moved  to  Montgomery  county, 
Ohio,  in  1814  and  to  Randolph  county  in  1819  and  purchased  the  farrti 


9l6  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

south  of  Winchester,  wliere  he  lived  tintil  his  death.  He  was  father  of 
Daniel  Lasley,  county  superintendent  of  public  schools,  for  six  years.  He 
married  Hannah  Parker  in  the  fall  of  1827. 

Other  prominent  early  citizens  were  George  Hiatt,  ElwoodHiatt,  Job 
Hinshaw,  Edmund  Hinshaw,  Eli  Haworth,  John  W.  Jarnigah,  Joshua  M. 
,  Johnson,  Peter  Lasley,  Jacob  Lasley,  Philip  Lykins,  William  Monks,  Tarl- 
ton  Moorman,  Stephen  Moorman,  Robinson  Mclntyre,  Henry  T.  Mclntyre, 
Joseph  Monks,  Thomas  McGuire,  ^yre  T.  Puckett,  Calvin  Puckett,  Nathan 
Puckett,  John  Pickett,  John  Richardson,  William  Ruble,  Nathan  Reynard, 
Walter  Starbuck,  William  Starbuck,  Charles  Summers,  Andrew  Smith,  Simp- 
son Scott,  John  Tisor,  John  Van  Pelt,  Edward  Wright,  David  Wysong, 
Harvey  Wysong,  and  scores  of  others  whose  names  we  have  not  been  able 
to  learn. 

i    ,  DESCRIPTION. 

■  'I..  ■  ,  .        ,  - 

Washington  township  contains  about  forty-four  squares  miles,  being 
eight  miles  north  and  south' and  five  and  a  half  miles  east  and  west,.  The 
southern  part  lies  upon  Greensfork  and  its  two  main  branches  and  various 
smaller  ones,  and  the  north  part  upon  the  headwaters  of  White  river  and 
Salt,  Sugar,  Sparrow  and  Eight  Mile  '■  creeks.  The  valley  of  Greensfork 
is  a  fine  body  of  land,  excellent  and  fruitful  from  the  very  first  opening  of  the 
country;  and,  by  the  industry  and  thrift  of  the  early  settlers  and  the  activity 
of  their  successors,  that  region  has  become  the  very  garden  of  Randolph 
county.  In  fact,  the  whole  townhsip  is  a  flourishing  and  prosperous  region. 
The  settlement  of  Washington  was  next  after  that  of  Greensfork.  The  first 
occupation  of  Greensfork  was  during  1814.  It  is  not  certainly  known  that 
any  settlers  came  into  W^ashington  township  in  18 14,  though  two  entries  of 
160  acres  each,  both  made  by  the  same  person,  were  made  in  1814,  one  in 
May  and  the  other  in  October.  Seven  entries  were  made  in  1815  by  five 
persons,  in  the  order  named :  Curtis  Clenney;  Obadiah  Harris,  John  Ozbun, 
Paul  Beard  and  George  Frazier.  Whether  these  came  first,  and,  if  so,  which 
one,  is  not  now  known. 

The  names  of  the  principal  pioneers  of  Washington  township  will  ap- 
pear in  the  following  list  of  entries,  made  up  to  August,,  1827,  though,  of 
course,  this  does  not  determine  the  dates  of  settlement,  nor  the  actual  settlers, 
as  they  may  have  been  here  either  before  or  after  the  entry,  or  not  at  all. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  how  often  certain  names  occur  in  the  census  of  1880 
in  Washington  tawnship;  e.  g.,  there  are  103  Johnsons,  98  Hinshaws,  33 
Hodsons,  30  Lykinses,  27.Hutch)enses,  '20  Kellys„:i7  Jones  (including  chil- 


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RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  917 

'dren).  In  Greens  fork  there  are  49  Bowens,  and  others  still  occur  with  great 
frequency.  Other  names,  moreover,  that  were  very  frequent  in  pioneer  days, 
have  nearly  disappeared. 

WASHINGTON  ENTRIES. 

Travis  Adeock,  N.  W.  14,  18,  14,  May  14,  1814;  Travis  Adcock,  S.  E. 
10,  18,  14,  October  19,  1814;  Curtis  Clenney,  S.  W.  11,  18,  14,  January  7, 
1815;  Obadiah  Harris,  S.  W.  ro,  18,  14,  May  8,  181 5;  John  Ozbun,  S.  E.  8, 
18,  14,  June  I,  1815;  Paul  Beard,  N.  E.  10,  18,  14,  August  9,  1815;  Paul 
Beard,  N..W.  11,  18,  14,  August  9,  1815;  Ob&diah  Harris,  N.  E.  15,  18,  14, 
October  4,  1815;  George  Frazier,  N.  W.  9,  18,  14,  October  17,  1815;  John 
Johnson,  S.  W.  9,  18,  14,  March  2,  1816;  Isaac  Cook,  S.  E.  9,  18,  14,  October 
8,  1816;  Seth  Cook,  N.  VV.  15,  18,  14,  October  8,  1816;  Nathan  Thornburg, 
S.  W.  33,  19,  14,  October  25,  1816;  Hezekiah  Hockett,  N.  E.  7,  18,  14, 
October  25,  1816;  Hezekiah  Hockett,  S.  E.  7,  18,  14,  October  25,  1816; 
Joseph  Hockett,  N.  E.  4,  18,  14,  October  26,  1816;  William' Reece,  N.  E. 
32,  19,  14,  November  4,  1816;  John  Pegg,  S.  W.  17,  18,  14,  November  7, 
1816;  Eleazar  Smith,  N.  E.  18,  18,  14,  November  7,  1816;  Jesse  Johnson, 
S.  W.  2,  18,  14,  November  28,  1816;  Isaac  Hutchens,  S.  E.  15,  18,  14, 
December  7,  181 6;  Barnett  Frost,  N.  E.  9,  18,  14,  December  21,  1816; 
Enoch  Pilsher,  S.  W.,27,  19,  14,  January  9,  181 7;  John  Baxter,  W.  >4  N.  W. 
3^4,  19,  14,  January  9,  1817;  William  Conner,  N.  E.  33,  19,  14,  January  11, 
1817;  Isaac  Hockett,  S.  W.  4,  18,  14,  February  8,  1817;  Stephen  Hockett, 
S.  E.  5,  18,  14,  February  8,  1817;  Stephen  Hockett,  N.  E.  8,  18,  14,  Febru- 
ary 8,  1817;  William  Milner,  S.  W.  14,  18,  14,  May  8,  1817;  Susannah 
Woodman,  N.  W.  15,  18,  14,  July  7,  1817;  Mordecai  Mendenhall,  N;  >4  17, 
18,  14,  August  II,  1817;  Joseph  Gess,  W.  I/2  S.  E.  29,  19,  14,  August  11, 
1817;  William  Hockett,  S.  W.  5,  18,  14,  September  12,  1817";  Moses  Mar- 
tindale,  S.  W.  13,  18,  13,  September  15,  1817;  James  Barnes,  S.  E.  12,  18, 
13,  September  15,  1817;  A.  and  E.  Hunt,  W.  J^  S.  W.  34,  19,  14,  October  2, 
1817;  Henry  Hodgson,  E.  J4  S.  E.  6,  18,  14,  November  3,  1817;  Andrew 
Lykins,  section  7,  19,  14,  December  6,  1817;  Andrew  Lykins,  S.  E.  12,  19, 

13,  December  6,  1817;  Andrew  Lykins,  N.  E.  13,  19,  13,  December  6,  1817; 
Morgan  McQuany,  N.  W.  18,  18,  14,  January  6,  1818;  Nathan  Case,  S.  W. 
7,  18,  14,  January  6,  1818;  Samuel . Smith,  N.  W.  7,  18,  14,  February  10, 
1818;  Caleb  Reece,  W.  J4  N.  W.  33,  19  14,  February  14,   1,818;  Albert- 
Banta,  N.  E.  15,  19,  14,  March  20,  1818;  Albert  Banta,  E.  J^,  N.'  E..  10,  19, 

14,  March  20,  1818;  Thomas  Hester,  N.  W.  8,  18',  14,  March  25,  181 8; 
Stephen  Milton,  S.  E.  27,  19,  14,  April  2,  1818;  Nicholas  Longworth,  N.  W. 


9l8  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

•14,  19,  14,  April  4,  1818;  Zimri  Lewis,  S.  E.  18,  18,  14,  April  17,  1818; 
William  Lewis,  S.  W.  18,  18,  14,  April  17,  1818;  Jonathan  Haskins,  E.  ^ 
N.  W.  32,  19,  14,  April  24,  1818;  Henry  Wysong,  W.  Yo.  S.  E.  10,  19,  14, 
April  27,  1818;  Thomas  Frazier,  N.  W.  10,  18,  14,  April  29,  1818;  Joseph 
Rogers,  S.  W.  12,  18,  13,  June  4^  1818;  Reuben  Norcross,  N.  W.  13,  18,  13, 
June  8,  1818;  Isaiah  Rogers,  N.  W.  12,  18,  13,  June  20,  1818;  James  Lykins, 
N.  W.  18,  19,  14,  July  9,  1818;  Daniel  Osborn,  E.  Y^  S.  W.  8,  18,  14,  July 
12,  1818;  Mass  Brooks,  S.  W.  1%  19,  14,  July  15,  1818;  David  Hammer, 
S.  E.  14,  18,  14,  July  22,  1818;  John  Fowen,  E.  J^  N.  W.  5,  18,  14,  July  27, 
i8i8j  Joseph  Hockett,  N.  E.  4,  18,  14,  July  29,  1818;  Isaac-  Pearson,  W.  >4 
S.  E.  33,  19,  14,  August  14,  1818;  Edward  Thornburg,  W.  J4  N.'  W.  5,  18, 
14,  September  10,  1818;  Jonathan  Willis,  S.  E.  32,  19,  14,  February  12, 
1819;  James  Abshire,  E.  Y'^  S.  E.  33,  19,  14,  June  30,  1819;  Thomas  Phil- 
lips, N,  E.  12,  18,  13,  July  21,  1819;  Joseph  Thornburg,  S.  W.  32,  19, 
14,  August  12,  1819;  Edward  Thornburg,  N.  E.  6,  18,  14,  August  12,  1819; 
Edward  Thornburg,  N.  E.  5,  18,  14,  August  13,  1819;  William  Johnson,  E." 
Y2.  N.  E.  88,  19,  14,  September  11,  1821 ;  Isaac  Beeson,  E.  3^  S.  W.  6,  18,  14, 
November  5,  1821;  Enoch  Nichols,  S.  E.  17,  18,  14,  December  27,  1822; 
Andrew  Hill,  W.  >2  N.  W.  30,  19,  14,  November  10,  1826;  James  Abshire, 
E.  Y2  S.  E.  29,  19,  14,  January  13,  1827;  James  Abshire,  W.  J^  S.  W.  28,  19, 
14,  January  23,  1827;  Daniel  Osborn,  W.  J4  S.  W.  8,  18,  14,  August  22, 
1827. 

Washington  township  contains  28,260  acres  of  land,  more  than  10,000 
of  which  had  been  taken  up  within  five  years  of  the  first  settlement. 

The  preponderating  religious  element  at  the  first  settlement  of  the  town- 
ship was  Quaker.  A  large  body  of  the  pioneers  belonged  to  the  Friends,  and, 
in  a  short  time,  two  meetings  were  established,  viz.,  Lynn  and  Cherry  Grove,, 
which  have  been  maintained  in  a  vigorous  and  prosperous  existence  to  the 
present  time.  Other  societies,  ^  also,  found  early  footing  in  that  region. 
Methodist  "circuit  riders"  threaded  the  whole  country,  proclaiming  redemp- 
tion through  a  crucified  and  risen  Savior.  A  Presbyterian  church  existed  in 
1846,  and  for  some  years  before  and  after  that  time,  called  Liberty  church. 
Other  churches  have  been  formed  and  maintained  vvith  a  more  or  less  vigorous 
growth  for  many  years  past  at  Bloomingsport  and  Carlos  and  Pleasant  Hill. 

TOWNS. 

Bloomingsport. — This  town  is  the  second  oldest  in  the  county,  having 
been  laid  out  in  1829.  Though  so  old,  its  growth  was  never  rapid;  still,  con- 
siderable business  has  been  done  at  the  place.    The  proprietor  of  the  town 


RANDOLPH-  COUNTY,   INDIANA.  919 

was  Nathan  Hockett.  Alfred  Blizzard  built  the  first  house.  Mr.  Beeson 
kept  the  first  store.  Dr.  Paul  Beard  was  the  first  physician  in  the  region. 
There  was  no  physician  in  Bloomingsport  for  many  years.  Dr.  Gideon 
Frazier  lived  in  the  village  a  long  while  ago.  Other  physicians  have  been  Dfs. 
Gore,  Strattan,  Kemper,  Good,  Coggeshall,  etc.  Merchants  have  been  Messrs. 
_  Beeson,  Comfort,  Ballard,  Budd,  Hyatt,  Wright,  Coggeshall,  Hockett,  etc. 
There  have  been  a  potter's  shop,  a  wheelwright's  shop,  a  saw-mill  and  a  grist- 
mill, There  have  been  two  churches — Methodist  and  United  Brethren.  The 
latter  has  been  abandoned. 

Bloomingsport,  like  most  of  the  interior  towns  in  the  county,  is  much 
decayed,  and  its  business  has  greatly  decreased.  It  is  finely  located  in  the 
midst  of  an  excellent  country,  and  many  active  and  enterprising  farmers 
reside  in  the  region. 

Lynn. — The  town  was  laid  out  by  Daniel  Freestone  in  1847  and  later  in 
1850  was  replatted  by  Philip  Brown.  It  is  located  about  one-half  mile  frorn. 
the  Grand  Rapids  and  Indiana  railroad  and  is  today  one  of  the  progressive 
towns  of  the  county.  When  the  railroad  was  built  a  half  a  mile  to  the  west 
another  town. was  built  up  near  the  depot  which  for  a  time  interfered  some- 
what with  the  growth  of  the  town,  proper,  but  of  late  years  the  old  town  has 
become  a  fixture  and  today  it  is  in  a  flourishing  condition.  It  has  all  kinds  of 
business  represented  there  and  supports  a  bank  as  well.  It  is  situated  in  a 
very  rich  fertile  district  and  is  supported  by  a  progressive  class  of  people 
and  contains  many  beautiful  homes  and  churches.  The  high  school  at  Lynn 
is  not  only  a  credit  to  the  town  but  to  the  county  as  well.  It  has  a  population 
of  1,200. 

Rural. — Location,  Sections  9  and  16,  on  the  Richmond  &  Grand  Rapids 
railroad  between  Winchester  and  Lynn.  The  towa  was  started  about  1870, 
on  the  completion  of  the  railroad  from  Richmond.  Rural  has  one  church 
andstore  and  elevator  conducted  by  Ernest  Study.  There  is  no  pike,  and  not 
even  a  cross-road,  but  only  an  ordinary  public  road  crossing  the  railroad. 
The  village  is  so  healthy  that  no  physician  can  live  there.  The  distance  to 
the  nearest  graveyard  is  four  and  a  half  miles. 

Snow  Hill. — There  is  a  locality  called  Snow  Hill  about  three  miles  north 
of  Lynn,  on  the  pike  toward  Winchester  at  the  crossing  of  an  east  and  west 
road.  There  used  to  be  a  store  at  that  point  but  there  never  was  any  town. 
The  store  has  been  long  discontinued. 

Hawkin's  Station. — On  Grand  Rapids  railroad,  not  incorporated  in  sec- 
tions 16  and  21,  one  mile  south  of  Rural  and  three  miles  north  of  Lynn;  there 
is  a  switch  and  a  station  and  a  cattle-pen  from  which  to  load  stock,  but  no 


920  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

Other  sign,  of  a  town.  It  is  sometimes  called  Snow  Hill  Station  because  its 
location  is  the  nearest  railroad  point  to  (old)  Snow  Hill  and  one  iftile  west 
of  the  point  that  formerly  went  by  that  name. 

Springboro. — Curtis  Beals,  proprietor.  Location,  southeast  corner  of 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  29,  township  19,  range  14,  between  Bloom- 
ingsport  and  Winchester,  northwest  of  Lynn  four  miles  (supposed  to  be 
Joseph- Gess)  ;  twenty-eight  lots;  recorded  February  15,  1834;  town  extinct. 

West  Lynn. — On  the  railrSkd,  west  of  Lynn.  Benjamin  Hunt,  pro- 
prietor; seventy-four  lots.  The  town  was  laid  out  in  1873  by  Benjamin 
Hunt  on  the  Richmond  railroad,  half  a  mile  west  of  Old  Lynn.  There  is  but 
little  growth  at  the  new  station,  the  business,  of  which  there  is  considerable, 
clinging  with  much  tenacity  to  the  old  town.  » 

BIOGRAPHY. 

James  Abshire  was  born  August  i,  1777;  canie  to  the  West  early;  was 
in  the  Indian  wars,  being  once  three  days  without  food  except  black-havi^; 
settled  in  Randolph  county,  northwest  of  Cherry  Grove  meeting-house  in 
abovit  1 82 1,  and  resided  there  till  his  death  in  1868,  a  very  aged  man,  ninety- 
one  years  old.  He  had  a  large  family  some  of  whom  and  among  them  two  of 
his  sons,  Isaac  and  Berry,  are  still  living  in  the  same  neighborhood.      [1882.] 

James  Abshire  was  in  pioneer  days  a  famous  hunter  and  in  later  life  he, 
delighted  greatly  in  recounting  his  adventures  with  the  wild  creatures  of  the 
forest.  Once  in  hunting  near  a  pond,  he  heard  some  animal  rustling  among 
the  bushes.  Watching  for  the  creature,  as  he  sat  there  rifle  in  hand,  out 
peered  the  head  of  the  beast,  when  lo!  it  was  a  bear.  A  bullet  from  the 
trusty  weapon  suddenly  put  an  end  to  the  life  of  the  savage  monster  and 
added  one  more  trophy  to  those  already  gained  by  the  veteran  hunter.  His 
acquaintance  with  the  woods  was  thorough  and  extensive  and  he  knew  the 
haunts  of  every  herd  of'  hogs  in  the  region  and  wheii  a  settler  wished  to  find 
his  porkers  all  he  had  to  do  was  to  go  and  ask  old  Father  Abshire  and  the 
locality  would  be  pointed  out  at  once,  or  the  stalwart  hunter  would  set  out 
as  a  guide  to  the  identical  spot  where  that  particular  herd  had  its  habitat  and 
its  lodging-place. 

Mr.  Abshire  spent  his  youth  among  the  Blue  Ridge  mountains  in  Vir- 
ginia. At  the  age  of  twenty-three  he  married  Elizabeth  Overholtz.  Soon 
aftervyard  he  emigrated  to  Preble  county,  Ohio,  his  goods  being  brought 
through  the  forests  in  a  one-horse  wagon.  October  8,  1812,  he  enlisted  in 
the  United  States  army  under  Capt.  Richard  Sloan,  Sixth  Regiment,  Fifth 
Brigade,  First  Division  Ohio  militia.     They  "were  stationed  on  the  frontiei 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  92  [ 

at  Fort  Nesbitt,  in  the  vicinity  of  Eaton,  Preble  county.  He  served  till  April 
8,  1 81 3.  Once,  while  on  a  scout,  he  was  lost  arid  lived  on  nothing  but  black- 
Kaws  for  three  days. 

In  the  winter  of  1821,  he  moved  with  his  family  to  Randolph  county, 
settling  one  mile  northwest  of  Lynn  on  the  west  side  of  Mud  creek  where 
stood  a  dwelling  having  neither  floor,  windows  nor  doors.  Arriving  in  the 
night,  during  a  severe  snow-storm,  they ,  built  huge  fires  and .  camped  out. 
The  next  day  the  house  was  made  habitable  and  they  took  possession  of  their 
domicile.  In  the  spring  they  made  their  clearing  and  before  long  set  out  an 
orchard  which  is  living  yet,  In  1828  he  moved  to  the  farm  upon  Which  his 
residence  continued  till  his  death,  in  1868,  at  the  ripe  age  of  ninety-one  years. 
His  children  were  eight — Aaron,  Nancy,  Mary,  Chloe,  Isaac,  Abner,  Eliza- 
beth, James  B. 

Travis  Adcock,  south  of  Lynn,  east  of  the  Johnson  schoolhouse  entered 
the  first  piece  of  land  in  that  region  in  May,  1814,  shortly  after  Thomas, 
Earker  came  into  the  woods  west  of  Arba;  but  when  Adcock  moved  to  that 
wilderness  we  do  not  know.  He  may  have  come  the  first  on  Greens  fork. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  jurymen  (in  1818).  He  had  his  name  changed,  for 
some  reason,  from  Adcock  to  Emery. , 

James  Barnes  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  181 7;  came  to 
Randolph  county  in  1841 ;  married  Harriet  Mullen  in  1838;  has  had  eleven 
children.  His  father  was  John  Barnes,  who  came  to  Wayne  county  near 
Randolph  line  in  the  spring  of  1817. 

William  Barnes  was  born  in  181 5,  in  North  Carolina.  He  came  to 
Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  181 7.  He  married  Sarah  Hogston  in  1834  and 
moved  to  Randolph  county  in  1837,  first  to  Greensfork  township  and  then  to 
Washington  township.  They  had  six  children  living.  He  was  a  farmer,  a 
Methodist  and  a  Democrat. 

Joseph  Baxter  was  born  in  1787  in  Pennsylvania;  came  to  Ohio  and  in 
1824  to  Randolph  county,  near  Rural.  He  married  Sarah  Pegg  in  1829. 
They  had  six  children.  Joseph  Baxter,  Sr.,  died  in  1863,  seventy-six  years 
old.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics.  Mrs.  Baxter's  father,  John  Pegg, 
entered  land  in  Randolph  county,  November  7,  1816,  and  probably  moved 
here  about  that  time.  The  entries  do  not  always,  however,  determine  the 
time  of  settlement.  The  entry  was  made  sometimes  months,  possibly  years 
before,  and  sometimes  not  till  months  or  even  years  after  the  settlement ; 
and  not  seldom  it  was  the  case  that  the  person  who  made  the  entry  never 
effected  a  settlement  at  all. 

Paul  Beard,  Jr.,  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1812,  and  came  to  Ran- 


922  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

dolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1817.  He  was  the  son  of  Dr.  Paul  Beard  who  emi- 
grated to  this  county  at  that  time  and  entered  land  near  Lynn  meeting-house. 
Paul  Beard,  Jr.,  married  Mary  Cox  in  1833.  They  had  nine  children. 
Their  names  are  Levi,  Ezra,  Ann,  Asa,  Eunice,  Louisa,  Lindley,  Ruth,  Henry. 
Lindley  joined  the  Sixtieth  Indiana  Regiment  in  his  eighteenth  year.  Mr,. 
Beard  was  an  elder  in  the  Society  of  Friends  and  a  Republican.  His  wife 
was  also  an  elder.  They  resided  on  the  farm  entered  by  Paul  Beard,  Sr., 
near  Lynn  meeting-house  for  Fri|nds. 

Benjamin  Bond  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1797;  came  to  Wayne 
county,  in  181 1 ;  niarried  Ellen  Goldsmith  in  1827;  she  taught  the  first  school 
in  Milton,  Wayne  county,  Indiana.  They  have  had  nine  children,  all  sons ; 
six  lived  to  be  grown  and  all  the  six  were  soldiers  in  the  Union  army  in  the 
war  of  1861.  Samson  was  in  a  Minnesota  regiment  and  was  discharged  for 
disability.  Hezekiah  was  in  the  First  Minnesota  and  died  in  Salisbury  prison.. 
Benjamin  was  in  the  Eighth  Indiana  and  in  the  Third  Cavalry ;  died  in  five 
months  in  the  service.  Pelatiah  was  a  member  of  the  Eighth  Indiana  (three 
months) ,  and  in  the  Forty-first  Indiana ;  served  three  years  and  one  month. 
Daniel  was  in  the  First  Minnesota  and  served  in  the  Eastern  army ;  was  cap- 
tured at  Petersburg  in  1864  and  spent  many  sad  and  weary  months  in  various 
prisons — Libby,  Andersonville,  etc. — escaping  at  last  from  the  guard  upon  a 
march  from  one  prison  to  another;  he  served  four  years  in  all.  Edward,  in 
the  First  Minnesota  Heayj'  Artillery,  served  nine  months. 

Daniel  Bond,  brother  of  Pelatiah,  was  an  enterprising  and  successful 
teacher.  He  taught  three  years  at  Spartanburg,  several  years  in  Westfield, 
Hamilton  county,  besides  other  places. 

Benjamin  Bond  came  to  Randolph  county  in  1834;  entered  forty  acres 
of  land  on  Sparrow  creek;  moved  afterward  to  Washington  township  in 
1837,  and  to  Minnesota  in  1854,  returning  to  his  old  farm  in  Randolph  county 
in  1857. 

We  here  give  reminiscences  of  Curtis  Clenney,  read  at  Old  Settlers' 
meeting,  June,  1868: 

"I  was  born  in  Orange  county.  North  Carolina,  in  1783,  and  am  now 
more  than  eighty-five  years  old.  I  was  shifted  from  place  to  place  when  1 
was  a  child  and  got  no  learning.  I  determined  to  leave  Carolina  and  came 
to  Elkhorn,  in  Ohio,  near  Westville,  six  miles  from  Richmond,  Indiana,  in 
1803.  In  18 12  I  volunteered '  in  the  United  States  army.  We  set  out  for 
Detroit  but  the  march  wa-s  countermanded  between  Dayton  and  Piqua  and  we 
were  ordered  back  to  the  fi^ontier.  Our  regiment  was  stationed  at  White- 
head, two  miles  above  Williamsburg,  Wayne  county,  Indiana.     We~  had  to 


RANDDtPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  923 

scout  all  the  time  but  were  in  no  battle.  I  was  up  Greensfork  to  the  Beard 
settlement.  A  deer-lick  was  found  on  Paul  Beard's  land  and  I  have  often 
shot  deer  there.  I  was  a  soldier  three  months  and  twenty  days  and  was 
honorably  discharged.  I  bought  my  land  February  13,  181 7,  before  Ran- 
dolph was  a  county." 

[Note. — The  tract  book  gives  Curtis  Clenney's  entry  as  being  January 
17,  1815;  two  years  before  he  dates  the  transaction  himself  and  before  Itidi- 
ana  became  a  state.  One  would  suppose  Mr.  Clenijey  would  be  correct. 
Perhaps  he  is,  but  the  figures  are  as  here  stated.] 

"The  first  year  I  packed  my  meat  thirty  miles  on  my  back.  '  Breadstuff 
was  scarce  enough.  Salt  was  $4.00  a  bushel  and  wet  at  that.  I  could  tell 
many  hardships  but  I  forbear.  Most  of  the  pioneers  are  gone.  Ten  years 
may  perhaps  see  the  last  aged  head  laid  low  in  death  and  behold  the  last 
pioneer  pass  on  to  his  reward.  May  God  prepare  us  for  His  glorious  rest! 
Amen!" 

[Mr.  Clenney  himself  was  summoned  home  not  very  long  after  this  was 
written  by  his  trembling  hand.] 

Mr.  Clenney  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1783;  came  to  Westville, 
Ohio,  in  1803;  entered  the  United  States  army  in  181 2;  served  three  months 
and  twenty  days  and  was  honorably  discharged ;  entered  his  land  southeast  of 
Lynn,  January  17,  1815,  and  moved  to  it  soon  afterward.  Twelve  children 
werie  born  to  them,  ten  of  whom  grew  to  manhood.  He  remained  among 
men,  indeed,  to  a  ripe  old  age,  even  to  fourscore  years  and  ten.  Mr.  Clenney 
was  a  Baptist,  belonging  to  the  Concord  church  of  that  faith  in  Wayne  county. 

W.  A.  W.  Daly,  ex-sheriff  of  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  was  born  in 
1833,  in  Preble  county,  Ohio;  came  to  Randolph  county  in  1843 >  joined  Com- 
pany B,  Ninetieth  Indiana  Regiment  (Fifth  Indiana  Cavalry),  enlisting  Aug- 
ust 25,  1862 ;  was  captured  July  31,  1864,  released  March,  1865,  and  mustered 
out  in  June,  1865.  He  married  Mary  Hinshaw  in  r857;  has  had  nine  chil- 
dren. He  held  the  office  of  sheriff  of  Randolph  county  ior  four  years  (1874- 
78),  discharging  the  duties  of  his  position  with  honor  to  himself  and  to  the 
satisfaction  .of  the  community. 

James  Frazier  came  from  North  Carolina  to  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  in 
181 1  and  to  Randolph  county  in  1817,  settling  one  mile  east  of  Lynn.  He 
entered  160  acres  of  land  at  Cincinnati.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was 
Susanna  Stanley.  She  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1767  and  he  in  1772. 
He  died  in  1822,  about  five  years  after  coming  here.  They  had  ten  children, 
all  of  whom  were  born  before  Mr.  Frazier  came  to  Randolph  and  seven  of 
whom  came  with  their  father  to  the  county. 


924  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

Jacob  A.  Hinshaw  came  with  his  mother,  Phebe  Hinshaw,  to  Washing- 
ton, south  of  Lynn  in  1832.  She  entered  land  where  Jacob  A.  Hinshaw 
lived.  J.  A.  Hinshaw  married  Peninnah  Scott  in  1845  ^^^  had  eleven  chil- 
dren.    He  was  raised  a  Friend  but  afterward  joined  the  Methodists. 

Joshua  M.  Johnson  was  born  in  1831,  in  Randolph  county;  married 
Amanda  Pegg,  daughter  of  Reuben  Pegg  and  had  thirteen  children.  Hfe  is  a 
blacksmith  and  a  farmer.  He  was  postmaster  twenty-seven  yea,rs. ,  Two  of 
his  brothers  are  New-Light  preachers — George  and  Isaac. 

Mrs.  Gray,  of  Buena  Vista,  nas  been  the  mother  of  seventeen  children 
by  two  marriages. 

Ruth  (Moody)  Johnson  was  the  wife  of  William  Johnson,  of  Johnson's 
Station.  She  was  a  recorded  minister  among  Friends  after  about  1858. 
She  traveled  through  Ohio  and  Iowa  and  elsewhere  as  a  preacher.  In  1862 
she  pursued  her  work  of  faith  and  patience  throughout  seventeen  counties  in 
Iowa,  mostly  among  Friends  and  she  was  ever3rwhere  received  with  kindness 
and  in  Christian  love. 

Isaac  Moody  was  born  in  Grayson  county,  Virginia,  in  1790;  came  to 
Ohio  in  1814;  married  Mary  Heaston,  from  Pennsylvania,  in  1823;  emi- 
grated to  Randolph  county  in  the  same  year  and  settled  near  Lynn,  east  of 
James  Frazier's.  He  had  only  two  children  and  was  a  "Body  Friend."  He 
was  in  early  times  a  Whig  and  in  later  years  a  Republican.  He  lived  a  farmer 
and  died  in  1865. 

Samuel  Moody  was  the  father  of  Isaac  Moody  and  the  grandfather  of 
Ruth  (Moody)  Johnson.  He  was  born  about  1760,  in  Pennsylvania  (or 
Virginia).  His  father  came  from  Ireland.  Samuel  Moody  came  to  Ohio 
in  1 814  and  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1821,  near  Lynn.  His  first 
wife  was  Jane  Cox  and  his  second  wife  was  Jane  Cadwallader.  He  liad  four 
children;  was  a  Friend  and  a  farmer.  He  died  in  Ohio  in  1825,  about  sixty- 
five  years  old. 

John  Moorman  was  born  in  Richmond  county.  North  Carolina,  March 
23,  1760;  married  Rebecca  Diggs  about  1783  and  came  to  Randolph  county, 
in  1816.     They  had  ten  children. 

John  Moorman,  Jr.,  son  of  John  Moorman,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Carolina 
in  1807  and  was  brought  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  by  his  father,  in  1816. 
He  married  Agatha  Butler  and  they  had  two  children.  He  died  in  1866, 
aged  fifty-nine' years  and  she  died  in  1875,  ^t  the  age  of  sixty-two  years. 

Henry  D.  Nichols,  Lynn,  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  in  1832,  in 
Greensfork  township;  married  Elizabeth  Gray  in  1854;  had  eleven  children. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  925 

He  moved  to  Lynn  in  1864  and  lived  there  mostly  ever  since  as  farmer, 
carpenter,  merchant,  clerk,  boarding-house  keeper,  hotel  keeper,  etc. 

Thomas  Phillips  came  in  1821,  being  bom  in  about  1790;  he  died  in 
1872,  about  eighty-two  years  old;  he  was  an  intelligent  and  enterprising 
citizen,  an  enthusiastic  Republican,  an  ardent  Methodist  and  a  friend  of  every 
good  work. 

Isaiah  Rogers,  Bloomingsport,  was  an  early  settler,  coming  from  New 
Jersey  to  Randolph  county  in  1821  or  1822. 

The  ThornburgsTof  Washington. — The  Thornburgs  have  been  and  still 
are  numerous  in  Randolph  county.  A  strong  branch  of  the  family  settled  in 
Stoney  Creek  township  and  another  in  Washington.  Those  who  resided  in 
the  latter  township  in  pioneer  times  were  Nathan,  Edward  and  Isaac.  Nathan 
had  four  children — Isaac,  Jesse,  Nathan  and  Ann.  The  Thornburgs  there 
were  all  Friends  and  went  with  the  anti-slavery  branch  in  the  "Separation" 
of  1843. 

William  Engle,  a  farmer  and  dealer  in  real  estate,  was  born  in  Burling- 
ton county,  New  Jersey,  December  13,  181 1.  He  is  the  son  of  Isaac  and 
Sarah  (Price)  Engle,  and  is  the  ninth  of  a  family  of  eleven  children.  His. 
father  was  the  son  of  Robert  and  Jane  Engle  and  was  born  in  New  Jersey, 
March  15,  1773.  His  mother  was  the  daughter  of  Thotrjas  and  Hannah 
Price  and  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  March  17,  1774.  His  parents  moved  to 
Warren  county,  Ohio,  in  the  year  1825,  where  they  remained  until  their 
deaths. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Engle  were  the  parents  of  twelve  children:  Isaac,  born 
December  11,  1834;  Wesley  H.,  April  21,  1836;  Robert,  September  21,  1837; 
EHas,  December  9,  1838;  Calvin  S.,  September  9,  1844;  James  S.,  September 
13,  1846;  Daniel  H.,  May  11,  1849;  Albert,  May  26,  1851 ;  Price,  October  5, 
1852;  Josiah,  born  October  30,  1854;  William,  born  December  13,  1841,  was 
wounded  at  the  battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing  and  died  in  the  hospital  at  St. 
Louis,  May  2,  1862.  Samuel  R.,  was  born  March  22,  1843,  and  died  June 
26,  1845. 

Moses  Lasley  was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  April  i,  1810. 
He  is  the  son  of  Peter  Lasley,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania;  his  mother, 
Christina  (Carnes)  Lasley,  was  a  native  of  Maryland.  Mr.  Lasley,  with  his 
parents,  settled  in  this,  coupty  in,  1819.  He  was  married  March  28,  1833,  to 
Margaret  Johnson  who  was  born  in  Virginia  August  12,  1812. ;  her  father, 
Henry,  and  mother,  Agnes  (Umphres)  Johnson,  were  natives  of  Virginia. 
They  hav^e  had  born  to  them  four  children. 
(59) 


926  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  '   '  ' 

Othef  prominent  men  of  the  early  period  oi  Washington  township  were : 
Isaac  N.  Bales,  James  Barnes,  W.  R..Coggeshall,  William  Engle,  Silas  Hin- 
shaw,  John  Hinshaw,  Jonathan  O.  Lane,  Moses  Lasley,  Benjamin  Miller, 
John  Miller,  Joel  Mills,  Henry  Oyler,  Jabez  Ozbun,  John  Price,  James  Price, 
Abraham  Sheely,  Benjamin  Smith,  Obadiah  Stilwell  and  many  others. 

Greensfork  Township. — Greens  fork  is  bounded  north  by  Wayne  and 
White  River,  east  by  Ohio,  south  by  Wayne  county  and  west  by  Washington. 
It  was  first  settled  in  April,  1814,  and,  with  White  River,  first  ciPeated  in 
1 81 8.  Its  size  as  it  now  exists  *s  about  forty-seven  sections,  seven  miles 
north  and  south  and  six  and  a  half  miles  'from  east  to  west,  besides  the 
^'pocket."  It  includes  the  head-waters  of  Nolan's  and  Green's  'Forks,  of 
Greenville  creek,  and  a  little  of  the  head  of  Dismal  creek.  The  land  was 
originally  heavily  timbered,  but  iarms  now  cover  it  everywhere,  only  forest 
enough  i)eing  left  for  farm  use, 

The  first  settler  was  Thomas  W.  Parker,  April,  1814,  on  fractional  sec- 
tion 32,  town  16.  Other  settlers  in  1814,  so  far  as  now  known,  were:  John 
W.  Thomas,  summer  of  1814,  entered  land  July  21,  1814;  Clarkson  Willcutts,. 
Ephraim  Bowen,  .Ephraim  Overman,  James  Cammack,  Eli  Overman,  Jesse 
Small,  John  Peelle,  Obadiah  Small,  John  Small  had  the  Thomas  Hough  place 
north  of  Spartanburg,  1815.,  John  Cammack,  near  Arba,  came  in  1816. 
John  James  settled  between  1816  and  1818.  Reuben  Clark  settled  near  the 
toll-gate,  north  of  Arba,  in  1819.  John  Mann  moved  to  near  Gilead  in  1820; 
Thornton  Alexander  (colored),  northeast  of  Spartanburg,  1822.  David 
Semans,  Windsor  Wiggs,  Sr.,  William  Locke  purchased  the  Dan  Comer 
place  north  of  Spartanburg  in  1828.  Stephen  Barnes,  various  places,  1830; 
F.  G.  Morgan,  Thomas  Middleton",  Joseph  Shaw,  Abner  Cadwallader,'  Thomas 
Cadwallader,  John  Randle,  Harrison  Anderson,  J.  W.  Clark,  W.  Taylor, 
west  of,  Spartanburg,  1836.  In  1828  there  were  near  Spartanburg  as  fol- 
lows :  David  Bowles,  Willson  Anderson  place ;  George  Bowles,  widow 
Moore  place ;  Henry  Bailey,  on  the  McKim  iplace ;  Stanton  Bailey,  Moorman 
farm;  Cornelius  Overman,  Crist  farm;  William  Osborn,  Ben  Elliot  farm; 
•Philip  Hockett  had  lived  on  the  Sam  Middleton  place;  Richard  Corbett,  on 
his  old  place;  widow  Small,  Hough  place;  James  Jaekson's  place  had  been 
settled;  William  Arnold,  Frederick  Fulghum.  The  above  account  is  as  full 
as  it  can  now  be  made,  but  of  course  there  were  many  more. 

The  "Quaker  Trace'!  was  cut  through  in  1817. 

The  entries  of  land,  as  given  in  the  records,  are  chiefly  as  follows,  up  to 
1829  inclusive:  Clarkson  Wilcutts,  S.  E.  28,  16,  i  W.,  January  19,  1814; 
James  Cammack,  east  half  section  — ,  16,  i  W.,  323.16,  January  22,  1814; 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  927 

Ephraim  Bowen,  N.  E.  28,  16,  i  W.,  160,  April  13,  1814;  John  Thomas,  N. 
W.  33,  16,  I  W.,  156.58  July  21,  1814;  Thomas  W.  Parker,  32,  16,  i  (frac- 
tion), 156.88,  Augusfi'6,  1814;  Ephraim  Overman,  N.  W.  27,  16,  i,  159.50, 
1814;  Eli  Overman,  S.  E.  33,  16,  i,  i5'6.58,  December  13,  1814;  Natjaan 
Overman,  S-  W.  27,  16,  i,  159.50,  September  13,  1815;  Samuel  Mann,  Sec- 
tion 29,  16,  I,  349.28,  June  28,  1816;  David  Kenworthy,  S.  E.  2,  18,  14 
east,  160,  November  2,  1816;  James  Frazier,  N.  E.  2,  18,  14  east,  160, 
November  23,  1816;  Ephraim  Overman,  N.  W.  14,  16,  i,  159.90,  November 
29,  1816;  Absalom  Thomas,  S.  E.  27,  16,  i,  159.50,  January  21,  1817;  Henry 
Bailey,  S.  W.  34,  i6,  i,  161.50,  August  14,  181 7;  Obadiah  Small,  east  half 

10,  16,  I,  77.26,  September  17,  1817;  Rice  Price,  Section  18,  16,  i,  380.88, 
Noveinber  14,  1S17;  Pleasant  \yinton,  S.  W.  11,  16,  i,  158.76,  November  15, 
1817;  Gabriel  Odell,  east  half  36,  16,  i,  79.91,  November  26,  i8i7;John 
Foster,  N.  E.  36,  17,  i,  160.50,  December  i,  1817;  John  Small,  west  half 
S.  W.  35,  17,  I,  79.87,  January  9,  1818;  William  Yates,  north  half  9,  16,  x, 
117.36,  January  19,  1818;  Ephraim  Bowen,  west  half  N.  W.  2,  16,  i,  79.68, 
February  7,  1818;  Peter  Mills,  80,  February  14,  1818;  Peter  Mills,  80,  Febru- 
ary 14,  1818;  Jesse  Johnson,  west  half  S.  W.  11,  18,  14,  E.,  80,  April  29,  1818; 
Andrew  Archart,  west  half  S.  W.  36,  16,  i,  80,  June  26,  1818;  Joshua 
Eagerly,  S.  E.  3,  16,  i,  158.90,  February  11,  1819;  Peter  Crumrine,  N.  E.  i, 
16,  I,  158.40,  May  26,  1819;  Ambrose  Osborn,  east  half  N.  E.  34,  16,  i, 
.80.76,  June  II,  1820;  Collier  Simpson  (colored),  west  half  S.  E.  36,  17,  i, 
80.24,  September  18,  1820;  Isaac  Elliot,  west  half  N.  E.  23,  80.24,  October 
iT,  1820;  Stanton  Bailey,  west  half  S.  W.  14,  16,  i,  80,  October  24,  1820; 
William  Jessup,  east  half  N.  W.  35,  7'9.97, .  April  20,  1 82 1 ;  Harry  Harris, 
west  half  N.  E.  34,  16,  i,  80.76,  August  30,  1821;  John  Schooly,  west  half 
S.  W.  23,  16,  I,  80.24,  September  21,  1821 ;  Elisha  Harlan,  west  half  S.  E. 
35,  16,  I,  78.92,  September  27,  1821;  William  McKim,  N.  E.  15,  16,  i,  160, 
November  4,  1821;  Jacob  Horn,  west  half  S.  W.  35,  16,  i,  78.92,  November 
5,  1821;  Robert  Thomson,  east  half  S.  W.  22,  16,  i,  80.68,  November  14, 
1821 ;  John  Fellows,  N.  W.  23,  16,  i,  160.48,  December  15,  182 1 ;  Thornton 
Alexander,  Sr.  (colored),  east  half  N.  W.  16,  i,  79.60,  August  23,  1822; 
Fred  Fulghum,  east  half  N.  W.  26,  16,  i,  78.68,  January  19,  1823;  Stanton 
Bailey,  west  ha,lf  N.  E.  14,  16,  i,  80,  May  12,  1823;  Dorsey  Ryan,  S.  E.  S.  E. 
26,  16,  I,  39.12,  August  21,  1823;  William  Odell,  east  half  N.  E.  36,  16,  i, 
78.92,  August  2,  1824;  Jesse  Bright,  west  half  S.  E.  35,  17,  i,  79.88.  January 
20,  1826;  Joseph  Gray,  N.  W.  N.  W.  25,  16,  i,  40.04,  February  19,  1826;  Jeff 
L.  Summers,  N.  W.  N.  E.  33,  80,  April  12,  1826;  Jacob  Rogers,  N.  E.  N.  W. 

11,  16,  I,  39.72,  May  2.'],  1826;  Jesse  Bright,  S.  E.  S.  W.  35,  17,  i,  40,  June 


928  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

2,  1826;  John  Loyd,  west  half  S.  W.  33,  17,  i,  320,  June  10,  1826;  Daniel 
Shoemaker,  east  half  S.  11,  18,  14  E.,  80,  July  4,  1826;  Andrew  Walker, 
S.  W.  S.  W.  24,  16,  I,  40.36,  July  19,  1826;  Andrew  Walker,  east  half  S.  W. 
24,  16,  I,  80.36,  July  19,  1826;  John  Peele,  east  half  N.  E.  2,  16,  i,  79.68, 
December  21,  1826;  Wm.  N.  Jackson,  west  half  N.  E.  2,  16,  i,  79.68,  Decem- 
ber 21,  1826;.  Joseph  Horn,  west  half  S.  W.  22,  16,  i,  80.68,  January  17, 
1827;  E.  Overman,  west  half  N.  E.  22,  16,  i,  80.68,  June  28,  1827;  Levi 
Horner,  east  half  N.  W.  34,  16,  i,  80.76,  October  22,  1827;  S.  H.  Middleton, 
west  half  N.  E.  11,  16,  i,  79.40,  April  10,  1828;  Joel  Parker,  west  half  S.  W. 
26,  16,  I,  78.24,  October  22,  1828;  Elias  Colman,  west  half  S.  E.  22,  16,  i, 
80.68,  October  22,  1828;  Ziba  Marine,  east  half  S.  E:  14,  18,  14  E.,  80 
November  21,  1828;  Clarkson  Willcutts,  S.  E.  7,  18,  15  E:,  81.24,  December 
5,  1828;  M.  Rhodes,  west  half  N.  W.  13,  18,  14  E.,  80,  January  27,  1829; 
R.  Fulghum,  east  half  N.  W.  22,  16,  i,  80.68,  February  20,  1829;  William 
Hill,  west  half  S.  W.  7,  18,  15  E.,  80,  April  8,  1829;  P.  Denige,  east  half 
southeast  21,  16,  i,  80.48,  April  8,  1830;  M.  Nichols,  west  half  N.  W.  22, 
16,  I,  80.68,  June  I,  1829;  M.  Fulghum,  east  half  N.  E.  27,  16,  i,  79.74, 
October  15,'  1829;  Thomas  Parker,  Jr.,  east  half  N.  E.  22,  16,  i,  80.68, 
October  26,  1829. 

Many  of  the  sections  are  fractional,  since  the  old  boundary  intersects 
the  townships  in  angular  direction  from  north  to  south,  and  fractions  are 
formed  on  both  sides  of  the  boundary  line.  The  surveys  both  west  and  east 
from  the  meridians  each  way  are  made  to  the  boundary.  There  are  about 
forty-seven  square  miles  and  about  thirty  thousand  acres  in  the  whole  town- 
ship. The  entries  in  succeeding  years  were  more  rapid,  since,  by  1840,  nearly 
the  whole  county  had  been  taken  up. 

Greensfork  is  occupied  by  a  population  largely  noted  for  industry  and 
thrift,  for  quiet,  -peaceable  habits  and  general  morality  and  good  order.  For 
many  years  no  intoxicating  drinks  have  been  sold  openly  within  its  limits. 
Its  schools  maintain  a  high  grade  of  excellence  and  it  has  an  unusual  pro- 
porton  of  churches  and  church  members.  There  are  at  least  seven  churches 
in  the  township,  occupied  by  the  various  denominations.  The  churches  are 
Friends,  at  Arba  and  Brown ;  Methodist  Episcopal,  at  Spartanburg ;  Disciples, 
at  Spartanburg  and  Gilead ;  United  Brethren,  at  Pinhook  and  in  the  west  part 
of  the  township.  Two  of  the  schools  of  Greensfork  are  of  a  superior  grade ' 
— the  township  school  at  Spartanburg  and  the  Union  Literary  Institute  at 
Edgewood  in  the  east  part  of  the  township.  Greensfork  was  entered  between 
1814  and  1839,  inclusive.  First  settlement  was  made  in  Greensfork;  first 
entry  occurred  in  WajTie. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  929 

TOWNS. 

Arba. — Henry  Cammack,  proprietor;  recorded  October  30,  1855;  four- 
teen lots.  The  town  must  have  been  greatly  enlarged  since  its  first  platting, 
since  the  dwellings  extend  a  long  distance  on  both  sides  of  the  pike  running 
through  the  place,  there  being  probably  thirty  or  forty  residences  within  the 
limits  of  the  village.  It  is  in  the  southern  part  o'f  the  township.  William 
Fulghum  had  the  first  store.  Noah  Turner  had  the  first  smith  shop;  Isaac 
Parker  had  a  wagon  shop ;  William  Parker  had  a  harness  shop  after  awhile. 
Friends'  meeting-house  (a  pole  cabin)  was  built  in  181 5,  about  forty  years 
before  the  town  began.  The  first  grist-mill  was  established  by  Parker  & 
Wright.  They  owned  a  saw-mill  also.  The  first  meeting-house  in  the  county 
was  at  Arba — -built  by  Friends.  The  first  school  was  taught  in  that  house  by 
Eli  Overman.  The  earliest  settlement  in  the  county  was  in  the  region  around 
this  town  and  a  splendid  region  it  is,  truly.  The  country  is  rich,  the  farmers 
are  wealthy.  The  dwellings  are  neat  and  many  of  them  elegant;  the  society 
is  good  and  the  general  tone  of  morals  and  manners  is  of  a  high  character. 
The  place  has  always  been  noted,  in  fact,  for  its  strict  standard  of  temperance 
and  sobriety.  The  region  was  settled  largely  by  Methodists  and  Friends; 
and  their  teachings  and  practice  have  maintained  a  superior  standard  of  in- 
telligence, morality  and  thrift. 

Newburg  (Spartanburg) — William  McKim,  proprietor;  location,  sec- 
tion 10,  township  16,  range  i,  on  the  "Quaker  Trace,"  Moorman  Way,  county 
surveyor;  twenty  lots.  Streets:  North  and  south,  Main  street,  four  poles 
wide;  east  and  west,  street  three  poles  wide.  Plat  made  1832;  recorded 
February  18,  1833. 

Spartanburg  (includes  the  above) — William  McKim,  proprietor;  fifty- 
five  lots.  Streets :  North  and  south,  Mill,  Main,  Sycamore ;  east  and  west. 
First,  Second;  recorded  October  28,  1834. 

McKim's  First  Addition. — William  McKim,  proprietor;  seven  lots;  re- 
corded November  17,  1848..  The  town  is  located  on  section  10,  on  the  old 
"Quaker  Trace,"  four  miles  north  of  Arba  and  three  and  nine-tenths  miles 
south  of  Bartonia,  on  the  Arba  pike.  It  was  laid  out  in  1832  by  William 
McKim.  Of  course,  £verything  was  new,  and  the  whole  country  was  "in  the 
wpods."  Most  of  the  houses  were  cabins  and  all  was  rough  and  primitive. 
Spartanburg  has  grown  from  a  "huddle,"  with  a  few  log  cabins  among  the 
beech  trees  to  a  thriving  country  village  in  the  midst  of  a  beautiful,  fertile 
and  highly  improved  region.  The  town  stands  on  a  fine  rising  ground,  over- 
looking a  splendid  country.     The  school  building  is  a  two-story  brick,  suit- 


93°  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

able  for.  a  township  high  school,  with  ten  fine  schoolrooms,  two  recitation 
rooms,  etc.  Two  Sunday  schools  are  in  operation  and  regular  religious 
services  in  each  of  the  churches.  An  Odd  Fellows  lodge  and  a  Knights  of 
Pythias  lodge  are  in  the  village.  A  large  trade  is  carried  on  in  hogs,  grain, 
flaxseed,  wagons,  reapers,  plows,  etc.  No  saloon  has  existed  in  the  place  ^f or 
years. 

.  Altogether,  Spartanburg  is  a  fine  little  town.  When  first  laid  out,  the 
name  of  the  place  was  Newburg  but  for  some  reason  it  was  changied  to 
Spartanburg.  It  is  one  of  the  few  interior  villages  in  Randolph  which  is 
having  a  vigorous  and  solid  growth.  There  is  one  hotel,  two  churches,  a 
graded  school,  one  smith  shop,  one  wagon  shop,  three  stores  and  bank  and  a 
brisk  business  is  maintained. 

BIOGRAPHY. 

Such  biographies  as  belong  to  Greens  fork  and  are  not  arranged  under 
other  heads  are  given  below  in  alphabetical  order: 

Nathan  Arnold  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1 783 ;  married  Elizabeth 
Horn,  daughter  of  Jeremiah  Horn,  in  North  Carolina,  in  1804,  and  died  in 
the  same  state  in  1826. 

Elizabeth  Arnold,  widow  of  Nathan  Arnold,  was  born  in  North  Carolina 
in  1785;  came  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  1827,  and  afterward  to  Ran- 
dolph. She  had  eleven  children.  Seven  came  with  their  mother.  She  died 
October  28,  1851,  aged  sixty-six  years.  Mrs.  Arnold  belonged  to  the  Friends. 

Stephen  Barnes  was  born  in  Johnson  county.  North  Carolina,' in  1793, 
and  his  wife,  Cidna,  in  1790.  They  had  seven  children,  all  born  in  Carolina, 
their  names  being  Rebecca,  Abington,  Maria,  Samuel  Allison,  Sarah,  Henry, 
Adolphus.  -  All  are  dead.  The  family  left  North  Carolina  in  1828  and  came 
to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  two  and  a  half  mil6s  south  of  Bloomingsport,  and 
in  1830,  into  Randolph  county.  In  1833  they  settled  at  Spartanburg.  Here 
Mrs.  Barnes  died  in  1854  and  her  husband  in  1864. 

Ephraim  Bowen,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Chester  county,  Pennsylvania,  October 
22,  1769;  emigrated  to  Mason  county,  Kentucky;  married  Hannah  Hall  in 
that  state;  came  to  Greene  county,  Ohio,  in  1795,  seven  years  before  Ohio 
became  a  member  of  the  Union.'  and  arrived  at  Randolph  county,  October  22, 
1814,  the  day  he  was  forty-five  years  old.  He  was  the  fourth  settler  in  the 
wilds  of  Randolph.  He  brought  six  children  with  him  and  two  were  born 
afterward,  making  eight  in  all.  The  children  were  Nancy.  James  C,  Jane, 
Squire,  Rebecca,  Hannah,  born  before  coming  to  Randolph;  and  Rachel  and 
Ephraim  L.,  born  in  this  county.     Nancy,  born  in   1799,  married  Robert 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  93 1 

Thomson;  had  six  children;  James  C,  born  in  1801,  fourteen  children;  Jane, 
1803,  married  Joshua  Small,  several  children;  Squire,  1805,  thirteen  children; 
Rebecca,  1807,  fourteen  children,  married  .David  Semans;  Hannah  married 
James  Harrison,  five  children ;  Rachel  married  William  Davis,  several  chil- 
dren; Ephraim  L.,  twice  married — Ruth  Dwiggins,  Anna  Jane  Corbett,  eight 
children. 

Ephraim  Bov/en  entered  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  28,  township 
16,  range  i.  He  was  perhaps  the  first  justice  in  Greensfork.  He  died  in 
1858,  at  eighty-nine  and  his  wife  in  1849. 

James  C.  Bowen,  Greensfork,  son  of  Ephraim  Bowen,  was  born  in 
Greene  county,  Ohio,  in  1801,  and  came  to  Randolph  county,  in  1814,  being 
thirteen  years  old.  He  grew  up  in  the  woods  and  married  Elizabeth  Jeffrey 
in  1829.     They  have  had  fourteen  children. 

James  C.  Bowen's  wife  died  in  1879,  sixty-eight  years  old.  He  was 
justice  of  the  peace  nine  years.  He  was  Methodist  in  religion  and  a  Demo- 
crat in  politics.  He  lived  within  half  a  mile  of  the  spot  where  his  father 
settled  in  the  forest. 

Many  curious  things  are  told  by  Mr.  Bowen,  Mr.  Parker  and  other 
pioneers,  many  of  which  have  been  already  given  and  many  more  might  be 
related.  In  the  pole  cabin  meeting-house  at  Arba  there  was  no  place  made 
for  fire.  They  would  burn  wood  into  coals  in  a  heap  outside  the  cabin  and 
then  carry  a  mass  of  coals  into  the  house  upon  a  kind  of  hand-barrow,  partly 
covered  with  dirt.  Thomas  Parker  used  to  care  for  the  house  and  burn  the 
wood  into  coals  and  when  Friends  had  come  to  meeting,  they  would  help 
carry  the  "fire-place"  inside  the  house,  laden  with  a  mass  of  living  fire. 

In  early  times,  there  was  a  distillery  above  Arba,  south  of  William 
Horn's.  It  was  owned  by  Elihu  Cammack's  uncle,  Amos  (Cammack). 
Considerable  whisky  was  drank  at  gatherings  and  as  a  natural  result  many 
got  "groggy"  by  its  use. 

In  the  pigeon  roosts,  one  locality  of  which  was  near  Spartanburg,  the 
trees  were  loaded  with  nests,  built  of  sticks,  somewhat  like  baskets  swung 
to  a  limb,  the  inside  being  beautifully  lined  with  soft  and  tender  moss. 

Pigeons  would  live  on  mast  and  hogs  also  would  keep  fat  nearly  the 
year  round,  during  the  fall  and  winter  upon  the  mast  and  in  the  summer  upon 
wild  pea  vines  which  grew  two  or  threS  feet  high,  and  as  thick  as  thick  clover. 
Hogs  would  run  in  the  woods  and  grow  wild.  The  old  ones  would  be 
marked  and  then  the  whole  drove  running  with  these  old  ones  would  be 
claimed  by  the  same  owner.  But  where  none  in  a  herd  were  marked  the 
herd  belonged  to  nobody  and  any  person  might  kill  such.     They  would  fatten 


932  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

themselves  wholly  without  corn  and  entirely  upon  oak,  hickory  and  beech 
mast. 

Thomas  Cadwallader  was  born  in  1795  and  came  to  Greensfork  town- 
ship, Randolph  county,  about  1830,  in  company  with  his  brother  Abner, 
settling  in  the  woods.  Abner  died  many  years  ago  but  Thomas  lived  on,  a 
steady,  quiet,  humble,  thankful  life  for  fifty-two  years,  upon  his  little  farm 
where  first  he  pitched  his  tent  under  the  "shadow  of  the  beeches."  He  was 
all  his  life  a  mernber  of  the  Society  of  Friends  belongiiig  at  Arba.  He  de- 
parted this  life  at  his  residence  near  Arba,  Sunday,  April  23,  1882,  in  his 
eighty-seventh  year.  The  funeral  services  were  held  at  the  Arba  Friends' 
meeting-house  on  Tuesday  following  his  "death.  ''  They  were  in  the  simple 
and  impressive  style  common  among  the  Quakers.  His  aged  companion  sur- 
vived him.  They  had  been  married  nearly  or  quite  sixty-five  years.  He  was 
born  during  the  second  term  of  Washington's  administration  arid  was  old 
enough  to  vote  for  James.  Monroe  at  his  first  election.  His  biirth  occurred  the 
same  year  with  Wayne's  treaty  with  the  Indians  at  Fort  Greeriville,  Ohio, 
1795,  so  that  his  life  measures  the  whole  interval  since  the  po^yer  of  the 
savage  tribes  over  the  great  Western  valley  was  broken  by  the  master  hand 
of  Gen.  Anthony  Wayne. 

Mr.  Cadwallader  lived  all  that  long  earthly  life  in  the  fear  and  love  of 
God  and  his  happy  spirit  rests,  doubtless  in  the  heavenly  mansions.  His 
brother  Abner,  father  of  Hon.  Nathan  Cadwallader,  of  Winchester,  came  as 
stated  above  with  his  brother  Thomas,  but  did  not  very  long  survive,  dyine 
in  middle  life. 

John  Cammack,  Arba,  was  born  in  South  Carolina ;  moved  to  Randolph 
county,  in  the  fall  of  1816,  one-half  mile  west  of  Arba.  He  died  in  1832, 
having  had  twelve  children;  seven  were  boys  and  five  were  girls. 

William  Mitchell  Campbell,  stock-buyer  and  farmer,  was  born  in  Haniil-, 
ton  county,  Ohio,  in  1818;  married  Mary  Ann  Rude  in  1840;  removed  to 
Middleboro,  Indiana,  in  1844;  to  Hamilton  county,  Ohio,  in  1848;  returned 
to  Middleboro,  Indiana,  in  1849  '>  changed  his  residence  to  Randolph  county, 
one  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Lynn,  in  1850;  moved  to  Winchester  in  1856;  to 
Greensfork  township  in  i860;  and  to  Spartanburg  in  1863.  He  has  had  six 
children.  He  was  sheriff  of  Randolph  county  three  terms.  Mr.  Campbell 
volunteered  July  13,  1861,  in  the  Nineteenth  Indiana  Infantry,  Company  C, 
being  commissioned  Second  Lieutenant  and  receiving  afterward  promotion 
as  Captain  of  Company  I. 

William  T.  Qhenoweth,  born  in  Maryland  in  1802,  came  to  Ohiain  1838, 
and  to  Greensfork,  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1840;  married  Keturah  B. 


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RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  933 

Murray  in  1825;  had  twelve  children — ten  boys  and  two  girls.  He  was  a 
steady,  thoughtful  man,  quiet,  reliable,  discreet,  economical;  enterprising  and 
successful.  In  politics  he  was  a  Whig  and  a  Republican.  He  was  not  a 
church -member,  but  inclined  to  the  Baptists.  Mr.  Chenqweth  died  in  1876,' 
seventy-four  years  old. 

James  W.  Clark,  Spartanburg,  was  born  at  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  in 
1828.  His  father  died  in  1835  and  his  mother  returned  in  1836  to  the  home 
of  her  father,  Hezekiah  Cartwright  at  Spartanburg.  He  lived  on  the  Frank 
Morgan  place.  Mrs.  Clark  went  upon  the  Hough  place.  J.  W.  Clark  was 
then  eight  years  old.  The  village  was  then  very  sinall.  Where  the  Disciple 
church  stands  was  at  that  time  a  buttonwood  pond,  the  size  of  a  town  lot. 
He  was  married  in  1854,  to  Mary  E.  Moore,  daughter  of  Elymas  Moofe. 

Reuben  Clark  came  from  Pasquotank  county,  North  Carolina,  to  Frank- 
lin county,  Indiana,  in  1807,  nine  weeks  and  three  days  on  the  road,  coming 
two  hundred  miles  to  the  mountains.  Route,  Ward's  Gap,  Poplar  Camp, 
Furnace,  New  River,  Abingdon,  Wythe  Court  House,  Crab  Orchard, 
Nicholasville,  Lexington,  Nelson's  Tavern,  General  Gaines'  plantation,  twenty 
miles  from  the  Ohio,  crossing  at  North  Bend,  near  General  Harrison's  home. 
Two  families  came,  besides  two  young  men  and  an  ~old  soldier — fifteen  in  all. . 
The  men  walked  all  the  way,  except  three  miles.  They  had  two  one-horse 
carts.  Mr.  Clark  had  nine  children.  He  moved  to  Randolph  county  in  1819, 
north  of  Arba,  near  the  toll-gate. 

Frederic  Fulghum,  Arba,  born  in  North  Carolina,  in  1 799 ;  married  Piety 
Parker,  sister  of  Thomas  Parker;  came  to  Arba  in  182 1 ;  had  nine  children; 
died  in  1879,  aged  seventy-nine  years  ten  months  and  twenty  days.  He  was 
a  Friend,  a  Whig  and  a  Republican;  he  left  South  Carolina  on  account  of 
slavery,  having  had  an  estate  of  slaves  left  him  by  his  uncle,  Frederic  Bunn; 
but  he  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  estate,  and  never  even  went  to  see 
about  it. 

Orpha  Griffin  (widow  of  William  Griffin)  came  to  Randolph  county, 
Indiana,  in  1830;  married  Job  Elliot  in  1836;  had  four  children,  and  died  in 
St.  Joseph  county,  Michigan,  about  i860. 

Aaron  Hill  (son  of  William  Hill)  was  born  in  18 10;  came  to  Randolph 
county  in  1823;  married  Piety  Arnold  in  1832;  his  first  wife  died  in  1853, 
his  second  wife  was  Rachel  Horner  (in  1859),  and  she  died  in  1880.  Mr. 
Hill  moved  to  Wayne  county,  a  short  distance  south  of  Arba.  He  had  a 
saw-mill,  run  by  water-power,  and  he  bored  a  hole  and  fixed  a  box  so  that 
when  the  box  would  get  full  the  wheel  would  go  a  little,  and  that  would  start 
a  hominy  pounder,  and  thus  the  pounder  would  go,  by  starts,  all  night. 


934  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

When  his  father  came  to  Richmond,  in  1816,  there  was  only  one  frame  house 
in  the  place.  Mr.  Aaron  Hill  said :  "The  first  school  I  ever  attended  was  in 
a  hewed-log  cabin,  at  Richmond.  On  the  north,  and  also  on  the  east  side,  a 
log  was  left  out  and  the  opening  was  closed  with  greased  paper.  My  father 
lived  one  year  on  the  county  line  east  of  the  toll-gate," which  stands  south  of 
Arba,  and  after  that  west  of  Arba.  Of  our  family  of  nine  children,  two 
only  were  born  in  Randolph.  I  was  thirteen  years  old  when  my  father  be- 
came a  pioneer  in  thiscounty."  He  stated  further:  "Deer  used  to  go  in 
droves,  ten  or  fifteen,  or  even  more  in  a  drove.  They  were  more  abundant 
than  sheep.  They  had  paths  leading  to  ponds  for  water,  and  in  these  haunts 
the^poor  creatures  were  often  shot  by  the  remorseless  hunter.  Possums,  por- 
cupines, ground  hogs,  turkeys,  pheasants  and  what  not  were  all  over  the 
woods.  Pheasants  would  make  the  forests  fairly  shake  with  the  strange 
noises  made  by  their  "drumming"  on  the  logs.  My  father  had  one  ox  and 
one  horse,  and  worked  them  together  as  a  team.  They  were  very  stout, 
pulling  through  the  swamp  and  sometimes  breaking  a  stay  chain.  The  ox 
alone  would  pull  equal  to  two  horses,  plowing  roots  'like  the  nation.'  He 
would  plow  corn  and  eat  both  rows  as  he  went,  unless  he  was  muzzled." 

William  Hunt,  Arba  (son  of  Barnabas  Hunt),  was  born  in  1822,  in 
Wayne  county,  Indiana:  married  Eda  Fulghum,  daughter  of  Frederic  Fulg- 
hum,  in  1843;  came  to  Randolph  county  in  1844,  and  had  eight  children; 
was  a  farmer  and  a  Friend;  was  a  Whig,  and  a  Republican;  was  an  Anti- 
slavery  man,  but  remained  with  the  "body." 

William  M.  Locke,  Spartanburg,  was  born  in  1805,  in  North  Carolina; 
married  Wealthy  Middleton  in  1827,  and  afterward  Sarah  Middleton,  sisters 
of  Thomas  and  Samuel  Middleton-;  two  children;  Randolph  county,  1828, 
living  first  on  Daniel  Comer's  place;  went  back  to  North  Carolina  until  1831 ; 
then  to  Spartanburg  1831  to  1836. 

John 'Mann,  Spartanburg,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1805;  came  to 
Ohio  when  a  boy,  and  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1820.  He  entered 
120  acres  of  land  lying  southwest  of  Spartanburg,  near  Gilead  meeting- 
house, walking  to  Cincinnati  for  the  purpose.  He  was  married  in  1836,  by 
James  C.  Bowen,  justice  of  the  peace,  and  had  ten  children.  One  son,  Isaac, 
was  drowned  in  the  service  during  the  war  of  the  rebellion. 

Samuel  H.  Middleton  was  the  son  of  Benedict  Middleton,  who  was 
born  in  Virginia  about  1867;  was  a  farmer;  moved  afterward  to  North 
Carolina;  had  a  family  of  eight  or  ten  children,  and  died  in  1840  in  Carolina, 
aged  seventy-three  years. 

Seven  of  his  children  came  to  Indiana  in  early  times;  five  of  them  to 


RANDOLPH   COUNTYj   INDIANA.  935 

Randolph  county,  viz.,  Samuel  H.  Mid.dleton,  Thomas  Middleton,  Hannah 
(wife  of  William  Locke),  Anna  (wife  of  John  Tharpe),  Ailsey  (wife  of 
Endsley  Moore).  The  wife  of  Benedict  Middleton  was  a  Baptist,  and  died 
in  Carolina  in  1808,  seventy-three  years  of  age. 

Samuel  H.  Middleton  was  born  in  1794,  in  Virginia.  He  went  with 
his  father  to  North  Carolina  in  1798,  and"  came  to  Richmond,  Indiana, 
Christmas  Day,  1826.  They  brought,  six  children,  two  having  died  in  Caro- 
lina, coming  in  a  two-horse  wagon,  and  were  five  weeks  on  the  road.  His 
brother,  Thomas  Middleton,  came  with  him  part  of  the  way,  and  finished  the 
journey  by  steamer  down  the  Ohio  to  Cincinnati.  The  Middletons  were  of 
English  descent.  The  Tharpes  were  of  Scotch  descent.  The  father  of  Jere- 
miah Tharpe's  wife  was  a  Quaker  and  a  slave-holder.  Near  the  time  of  the 
Revolution,  that  society  became  convinced  that  slave-holding  was  a  sin,  and 
they  passed  a  resolution  that  their  members  should  free  their  slaves  or  be 
disowned.  -  Francis  Clark,  father  of  Mrs.  Tharpe  above,  freed  all  his  slaves, 
twenty-one  in  number. 

,  Jeremiah  Tharpe,  father  of  Mrs.  Samuel  H.  Middleton,  died  in  Caro- 
lina in  1808,  having  had  eight  children,  as  follows:  Eli,  Jonathan,  John, 
Jeremiah,  Nancy  (Kennedy),  Ursula  (Wheeler),  Christiana  (Middleton), 
Mildred  (Thornburg).  The  children  all  became  grown,  and  all  -were  mar- 
ried. They  all  came  to  Indiana  during  the  time  from  about  1812  to  1830, 
several  of  them  settling  in  Randolph  county. 

Thomas  Middleton  was  born  in  Guilford  county.  North  Carolina,  in 
1799;  he  married  Margaret.  Webb  in  1825;  he  came  to  Whitewater,  Indiana, 
in  1826,  and  to  Randolph  county  in  1830.  The  company  from  Carolina  con- 
sisted of  four  families,  and  they  werfe  forty-two  days  on  their  journey.  The 
families  were  those  of  Mordecai  Hiatt,  Eli  Kersey,  Thomas  Middleton  and 
Samuel  H.  Middleton. 

Isaac  Mann  came  from  Pennsylvania,  and  settled  very  early  (perhaps 
in  1816)  on  the  Harrison  Anderson  farm  below  Spartanburg.  He  had  seven 
children,  and  died  in  1847,  ^^  old  man. 

Malachi  Nichols,  WasTiington  township;  born  North  Carolina,  1804; 
came  to  Randolph  county  in  1816  (near  Arba) ;  married  Sarah  Mann,  1825; 
had  ten  children;  died  of  cholera,  1849. 

Ephraim  Overman  was  the  fifth  settler  in  Greensfork  township,  and  in 
Randolph  county  as  well.  He  came  in  the  fall  of  18 14  from  Randolph 
county,  North  Carolina,  and  was  the  next  settler  after  Ephraim  Bowen.  He 
came,  probably  in  November,  1814,  and  he  lived  in  a  "camp"  for  some  time 
in  the  fall  of  181 5.  He  had  five  children,  all  boys — Jesse,  Eli,  Ephraim.  Silas 
and  Reuben. 


936  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

His  brother,  Nathan  Overman,  had  ten  children,  seven  sons  and  three 
daughters.  Their  names  were  Joseph,  Reuben,  Cornelius,  Abner,  Isaac, 
Jason,  Zebulon,  Mabel,  Mary,  Rebecca. 

Jesse  Parker,  late  of  Bethel,  Wayne  county,  is  the  son  of  Thomas  and 
Aiuia  Parker,  and  was  bom  in  Rockingham  county.  North  Carolina,  near 
South  Carolina  line,  in  1807.  He  came  with  his  parents  to  Arba,  Randolph 
county,  in  April,  1814,  that  family  being  the  first  white  settlers  in  Randolph 
county,  though  land  had  been  ent^ed  in  the  county  in  1812,  some  fifteen 
months  before  his  settlement. 

He  married  Phebe  Puckett,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Puckett,  in  1826,  and 
they  had  seven  children.  Jesse  Parker's  parents  died  some  years  after  their 
arrival  in  Indiana,  his  mother  in  1823;  she  was  the  second  or  third  person 
buried  in  the  Arba  graveyard. 

Jesse  Parker  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1766;  came  to  Randolph 
county,  Indiana,  early;  had  seven  children — ^Thomas,  Joel,  Piety,  Eda  and 
Jesse  and  two  others.  He  died  9th,  24th,  1843,  aged  seventy-six  years  eleven 
months  and  two  days. 

Squire  Bowen,  a  pioneer  of  Randolph  county,  son  of  Ephraim  and 
Hannah  Bowen,  bom  in  Greene  county,  Ohio,  April  10,  1805 ;  he  was  the 
fourth  of  eleven  children,  five  of  whom  are  still  living  (1882) ;  he  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Randolph  county  October  22,  1814,  and  settled  two  and 
one-half  miles  from  Spartanburg,  where  his  father  entered  a  quarter  section 
of  land.  Squire  lived  upon  this  farm  for  fifty-three  years ;  here  he  spent  the 
greater  and  best  portion  of  his  life.  His  inother  died  in  1844,  and  his  father 
followed  in  1858.  After  the  death  of  his  mother,  the  care  of  the  father  fell 
to  the  lot  of  Squire. 

The  boyhood  of  Squire  was  similar  to  that  of  the  sons  of  most  pioneers. 
At  the  time  Squire's  father  settled  in  this  county,  there  were  only  eleven 
white  people  living  in  the  territory  of  which  the  county  was  subsequently 
formed.  Having  no  neighbors  but  the  uncivilized  Indians,  they  were  thrown 
upon  their  own  resources  to  dear  a  homestead  from  the  unbroken  forest 
All  of  the  products  of  the  farm  that  were  not  used  for  home  consumpticm 
were  marketed  at  Fort  Wajme,  a  distance  of  about  ninety  miles.  The  only 
means  of  conveyance  was  by  wagon  drawn  by  oxen.  They  were  compelled 
to  cut  their  own  road  through  the  dense  wilderness.  It  required  from  six- 
teen to  twenty  days  to  make  the  trip  and  return.  AJl  of  this  work  fell  prin- 
cipally to  the  lot  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Notwithstanding  the  almost  entire  absence  of  schools,  Mr.  Bowen,  by 
dint  of  his  own  eflForts,  with  the  assistance  of  a  very  brief  attendance  at 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  937 

school  in  Greene  county,  Ohio,  and  at  Arba,  this  county,  in  the  old  log  pioneer 
school  house,  used  as  a  Friends  meeting-house,  he  obtained  a  fair  common 
school  education. 

He  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Dwiggins,  of  Wayne  county,  August  13, 
1829. 

James  Dwiggins  Bowen,  son  of  Squire  and  Elizabeth  Bowexi,  was  born 
in  Greensfork  township,  Randolph  county,  December  23,  1832 ;  he  was 
raised  on  the  farm  entered  by  his  grandfather,  Ephraim  Bowen;  in  1814,  of 
which  he  became  owner  and  proprietor;  his  farm  consists  of  200  acres,  of 
which  140  acres  are  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  His  boyhood  was  quiet 
and  uneventful,  spending  the  greater  part  of  his  time  in  cultivating  the  farm ; 
his  education  was  limited  to  the  common  district  schools,  with  the  exception 
of  one  term  at  a  commercial  school  at  Indianapolis  in  1855.  He  was  enrolling 
oificer  of  his  township  during  the  war,  an  appointment  from  the  government ; 
he  made  three  trips  to  the  front  to  look  after  the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers 
from  his  district.  He  was  married  to  Mary  E.  Chenoweth,  daughter  of  John 
B.  and  Sarah  B.  Chenoweth,  of  Carroll  county,  Maryland,  September  13, 
1855.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bowen  had  a  family  of  nine  children,  three  boys  and 
six  girls. 

Ephraim  L.  Bowen  is.  a  native  of  Randolph  county,  Indiana;  he  was 
born  at  the  family  *  homestead  in  Greensfork  township  on  the  20th  of 
March,  1819;  his  father,  Ephraim  Bowen,  was  one  of  the  first  white  men 
who  located  in  Randolph  county,  and  bore  a  prominent  and  active  part  in 
its  development  and  improvement.  He  remained  at  home  assisting  hjs  father 
until  twenty  years  of  age,  and  was  then  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ruth 
Dwiggins,  a  native  of  Wayne  county,  Indiana.  He  then  began  farming  for 
himself  in  Greensfork  township. 

Within  twenty  years  after  his  marriage,  death  bereaved  him  of  the 
companionship  of-  the  wife,  whose  love  had  stimulated  his  youthful  labors  in 
the  felling  of  the  forest  and  the  "making"  of  a  farm ;  whose  words  of  cheer 
had  revived  his  drooping  spirits  at  the  end  of  days  of  weary  toil,  and  whose 
careful  economy  had  materially  promoted  his  teniporal  success.  She  died  on 
August. 5,  1858.  Eight  children  had  been  born  to  them,  two  of  whom  pre- 
ceded their  mother  to  the  grave.  Six  survived  her,  viz.,  James  H.,  Elizabeth 
A.,  Hannah  L.,  Mary  E.,  Jennie  and  Squire  C,  all  of  whom  grew  to  matur- 
ity and  were  married.  James  H.  died  September  12,  1874;  Mary  E.  died 
May  12,  1876,  and  Jennie  died  July  i,  1877.  M^"-  Bowen  was  a  second  time 
united  in  the  bonds  of  matrimony,  choosing  for  his  companion  Mrs.  Anna 
J.  Corbett,  daughter  of  John  and  Mildred  Thornburg.    She  was  born  Decem- 


938  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

ber  16,   1827,  in  North  Carolina,  and  came  to  Randolph  county  with  her 
parents  when  a  child. 

Charles  Crist  is  a  resident  of  Greensfork  township.  He  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania  in  1801 ;  his  father  moved  to  Maryland  in  18 14,  and  he  lived 
there  till  he  was  grown.  He  married  Mary  Flatters  in  Maryland  in  1831. 
She  was' born  in  1809.  They  moved  from  thence  to  Marion  county,  Ohio,  in 
1 831;  thence  to  Hancock  county,  Ohio,  in  1834,  and  to  Darke  county,  Ohio, 
in  1847,  ^"d  finally  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1854. 

Hugh  Card,  farmer,  was  born  in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  March  12,  1820, 
is  the  son  of  Lot  and  Ann  (Vance)  Gard,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
Mr.  Gard  became  a  resident  of  this  state  when  quite  young,  remaining  until 
i860,  when  he  returned  to  his  native  state.  The  event  of  his  marriage  took 
place  February  11,  1862,  to^  Sarah  -Dunn,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania 
September  12,  1830.  Her  parents,  Joseph  and  Debra  (Evans)  Dunn,  were 
natives  of  Pennsylvania,  the  former  born  September  30,  1792,  and  the  latter 
March  2,  1795. 

John  C.  Ruby,  farmer,  postoffice  Spartanburg,  son  of  Samuel  F.  and 
Jane  Ruby.  They  were  married  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  September  15,  1836. 
Father  was  bom  in  Kentucky  April  27,  1812;  came  with  his  parents  to  Union 
county,  Indiana.  Afterward  studied  medicine  with  his  brother,  James,  at 
Bethel,  Wayne  county,  Indiana;  and  became  a  very  successful  physician. 

■  Other  prominent  pioneers  of  Greensfork  township  were  -Joseph  Shaw, 
John  H.  Taylor,  Luther  Tillson,  James  Armstrong,  Archibald  Armstrong, 
Frederic  Fulghum,  Heniy  Hawkins,  Adarii  R.  Hiatt,  Samuel  G.  Hill,  Henry 
W.  Horn,  Emsley  Jackson,  John  W.  Jackson,  James  M.  Jackson,  John  W. 
Jackson,  Robert  Jordan,  Samuel  Kessler,  Samuel  L.  Jennings,  Joseph  Shaw, 
Levi  J.  Linzey,  George  W.  Mann,  James  St.  Myers,  Reuben  Randall,  James 
B.  Rubey,  William  Sasser,  William  Slick,  Joseph  H.  Thorp,  P.  M.  B. 
Thompson. 

West  River  Township.-^-Its  boundaries  at  present  are  as  follows :  North 
by  White  river  and  Stoney  creek,  east  by  Washington,  south  by  Wayne 
county,  west  by-TSTettle  creek  and  Stoney  creek. 

West  River  township  was  laid  ofif  in  May,  1831,  then  comprising  all 
west  of  Huntsville  and  eight  miles  north  and  south,  taking  the  whole  south- 
western portion  of  the  county,  and  by  several  changes  became  what  it  now  is* 
Its  extent  is  forty  square  miles,  eight  miles  north  and  south,  and  five  miles 
cast  and  weit.  The  t3v/nship  takes  irr  West  River  valle/  ( so  far  as  it  li ;;  in 
Randolph  county),  as  also  the  headwaters  of  Martindale   creek,   running 


RANDOLP-H    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  939 

southward  into  White  Water  and  of  Cabin  creek,  flowing  northward  into 
White  river. 

The  region  is  rich  and  beautiful,  the  surface  is  rolHng  and  the  scenery- 
picturesque;  the  country  is  capable  of  a  high  cultivation,  tl  was  settled  as 
early  as  1816,  and  perhaps  even  sooner  than  that..  Hugh  Botkin  entered  the 
township  in  1816,  settling  southeast  of  Hunts ville.  When  he  came  he  found 
already  here  several  settlers,  the  exact  date  of  whose  arrival,  however,  is 
not  known.  Among  them  were  these:  Mr.  Odle,  one  mile  south  of  Bot- 
kin's;  Joshua  Wright,  one-half  mile  south  of  Botkin's;  Jesse  Cox;  Jonah' 
Heaton,  three  miles  northwest  of  Huntsville.  Seven  entries  had  been  made 
in  181 5,  and  three  were  made  in  1816.  Mr.  Botkin  effected  his  entry  of  land 
September  29,  1817,  and  before  his  had  been  sixteen  entries.  Joshua  Wright 
(probably  with  his  brother  James)  purchased  his  tract  nine  days  before,  and 
Jesse  Cox  seventeen  days  after  Mr.  Botkin.  The  other  names  (except  Jonah 
Heaton's),  do  not  appear  at  all  as  patentees.  They  were  either  "squatters" 
or  lived  on  land  entered  by  some  one  else.  Jonah  Heaton  "entered"  in  1819. 
William  M.  Botkin  said  that  in  181 7  there  came  to  the  region  several  settlers, 
viz.,  Joshua  Ballinger,  Samuel  Jackson,  Valentine  Gibson,  William  Gibson, 
Joseph  HoUingsworth  (bought  out  Mr.  Odle),  William  Peacock  (afterward 
associate  judge).  Most  of  these  names  stand  among  the  list  of  entries,  some 
of  them;  however,  not  till  the  lapse  of  several  years.  William  Smith  came 
upon  West  river  somewhere  west  of  Botkin's,  near  the  "boundary,"  August, 
181 7,  and  Jeremiah  Smith  said  that  the  following  were  in  the  neighborhood 
when  his  father  moved  into  the  comity. 

William  Blount  and  his  two  sons-in-law,  John  Proctor,  Evan  Shoe- 
maker, John  Jordan,  Arny  Hall,  Thomas  Brown,  John  Gwynn,  James  Mal- 
com,  Samuel  Sales,  David  Jones,  Isaac  Barnes,  came  in  181 8,  as  did  also 
John  E.  Hodges,  William  Hunt  and  Frederick  Zimmerman.  Few  of,  them 
appear  as  patentees.  Evan  Shoemaker  lived  on  the  tract  east  of  the  "bound- 
ary," and  -just  across  from  the  Mount  Pleasant  Methodist  meeting-house. 
Mr.  Zimmerman  bought  out  the  Blount  place,  and  resided  there  till  he  died, 
and  his  daughter  Anna  (widow  of  John  Retz)  occupied  it  until  her  death. 
All  of  these  except  two  were  located  on  Sections  7,  8,  17  and  18,  township  18, 
range  13,  in  West  River  Valley.  Those  near  Hugh  Botkin's  were  farther 
east.  William  Blount  made  the  first  entry  in  the  township,  in  section  8,  now 
the  Retz  homestead  farm,  April  10,  18 15.  Hodge  and  Barnes  made  their 
entry  in  July,  1815.  They  did  not  move  to  their  land  till  1818.  Mr.  Smith 
stated  that  they  came  out  from  Pennsylvania  and  made  their  purchases,  and 
returned  to  the  east,  coming  back  to  settle  in  1818.     Moses  Martindale  was 


940  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

unquestionably  a  very  early  settler,  among  the  first,  if  not  the  very  first,  in 
the  region.  He  made  his  first  entry  September  2,  1817,  the  extreme  south- 
eastern comer  of  what  is  now  West  River  township.  In  two  weeks'  time  he 
took  up  another  tract,  E.  J4  S.  W.  }i  n,  18,  13,  on  the  headwaters  of  the 
stream  which  gained  the  name  (doubtless  from  him  as  the  first  settler  upon 
its  banks)  of  Martindale  creek.  These  entries  of  Martindale's  were  south 
and  southeast  of  Botkin's,  and  near  the  other  settlers  in  that  vicinity.  Of 
course,  others  also  had  found  thair  way  into  the  wild  woods,  but  we  have  not 
been  able  to  trace  them. 

Thfe  Congressional  townships,  with  the  sections,  have  already  been 
named.  The  number  of  acres  in  West  River  township  is  about  twenty-iSve 
thousand  six  hundred. 

The  entries  by  years  have  been  as  below:  181 5,  seven  entries,  1,230.68 
acres;  1816,  three  entries,  400  acres;  1817,  twelve  entries,  1,831.98  acres; 
1818,  nine  entries,  1,440  acres;  1819,  eight  entries,  826.44  acres;  1820,  no 
entries;  1821,  one  entry,  80  acres;  1822,  four  entrieS,  322.96  acres;  1823, 
one  entry,  159.37  acres;  1825,  no  entry;  1825,  three  entries,  228.^  acres; 
1826,  one  entry,  80  acres;  1827,  one  entry,  80  acres;  1828,  four  entries, 
405.20  acres;  1829,  four  entries,  331.88;  total  entries,  58;  total  acres,  7,- 
417.48;  being  an  average  of  128  acres  per  entry.  The  amount  as  above  com- 
prises about  one-fourth  of  the  land  in  the  township. 

The  "new  boundar)^"  passes  through  the  western  part  of  the  township 
in  an  angular  direction,  yet  the  sections  are  not  fractional,  since  the  survey  is 
reckoned  from  the  second  meridian.  The  meridian  and  the  base  line  were 
located  and  the  range  lines  estimated,  and  then  the  land  east  of  the  ''new 
boundary"  was  surveyed  first,  and,  in  process  of  time,  that  west  of  the 
twelve-mile  strip  was  surveyed  also. 

FERST  THINGS. 

We  have  been  able  to  trace  but  few  "first  things"  for  West  River  town- 
ship. The  beginning  and  progress  of  religious  work  may  be  seen  in  the  de- 
tailed statement  for  the  churches. 

The  mills  were  mostly  in  other  portions  of  the  coimty,  and  West  river 
was  not  much  of  a  mill  stream  near  its  upper  course,  and  these  settlers  went 
chiefly  down  into  Wayne  county  to  find  raiUing  facilities  already  in  operation. 
William  Smith  is  said  to  have  started  a  mill  of  some  kind,  but  whether  by 
horse  or  water  power  we  cannot  state.  He  was  a  blacksmith  as  well  as  a 
farmer,  and  one  of  the  earliest  things  he  did  was  to  put  up  a  shop  in  which 
to  work  at  his  trade.    These  smith  shops  were  scattered  over  the  county  at 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj   INDIANA.  94I 

various  points,  though  we  can  name  but  few.  Richard  Robbins  had  one 
farther  north  in  Stoney  creek;  James  Frazier  and  his  son  Francis  after  him 
worked  as  a  smith  east  of  Lynn.  The  Fraziers  were  of  a  superior  sort,  being 
bell-makers  as  well  as  smiths. 

Several  families  of  Hunts  came  into  that  locality  from  Kentucky — 
shrewd,  energetic,  upright  people,  who  have  left  their  mark,  .and  many  of 
their  posterity  also  in  this  region.  Most  or  all  of  them  were  Methodists, 
and  one  at  least  was  a  preacher.  Rev.  William' Hunt,  or  "Old  Billy  Hunt," 
as  he  was  familiarly  called,  for  many  years  until  his  death  long  ago.  Coming 
from  Kentucky  as  they  did,  and  belonging  to  the  well-to-do  classes,  it  was 
but  natural  that  they  should  oppose  the  Abolitionists,  which  most  of  them 
did  with  a  hearty  good  will  for  years  during  the  early  days  of  that  struggle. 
The  logic  of  events,  however,  is  its  own  teacher,  and  most  of  their  descend- 
ants of  the  present-day  are,  like  the  mass  of  Randolph  citizens,  stalwart 
Republicans. 

West  River  township,  as  also  Nettle  Creek,  was  in  1824  the  scene  of  a 
most  terrific  tornado,  which  tore  and  twisted  the  giant  forest  trees  for  miles 
into  inextricable  confusion.  This  immense  mass  of  timber  lay  for  a  decade 
or  less  upon  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  presented  a  literally  impassable 
barrier.  The  fallen  timber  furnished  in  fact  abundant  opportunities  for  con- 
cealment, and  in  some  cases  fugitive  slaves  hid  themselves  in  its  coverts 
from  their  pursuers.  In  one  instance,  a  man-hunter,  baffled  of  his  prey  by 
this  impregnable  refuge,  asked  one  of  the  old  Abolitionists  how  far  the  fallen 
timber  reached.  The  strudy  pioneer,  determined  to  keep  the  truth  on 
his  side  and  to  mystify  his  questioner,  replied :  "Four  or  five  miles  west,  and 
how  far  into  Ohio  I  never  heard."  The  fact  hidden  beneath  this  verbiage 
was  that  the  fallen  timber  extended  perhaps  a  mile  east,  and  to  the  Ohio  line 
was  fifteen  or  twenty  miles.  But  the  slave-catcher  never  got  any  runaways 
out  from  that  awful  tangled,  twisted,  piled-up  mass  of  tree  trunks  and  brush 
and  fresh-grown  shrubs,  all  heaped  into  one  vast  untraceable  labyrinth. 

This  same  gang  of  man-hunters  (for  there  were  several)  threatened  to 
come  and  clean  out  that  terrible  place.  "Do,"  was  the  reply;  "we  wish  you 
would ;  it  ought  to  be  away,  but  none  here  has  ever  had  the  courage  to  begin 
the  work.''  The  villains  swore  awhile  and  cursed  the  Abolitionists  and  then 
they  let  the  fallen  timber  stay  where  it  was,  as  other  people  before  them  had 
done.  The  jungle  is  said  moreover  to  have  been  employed  also  as  a  den  for 
a  gang  of  robbers  and  counterfeiters,  whose  operations  caused  much  trouble, 
some  arrests  and  several  trials  in  the  attempt  to  rout  the  pestilent  gang  from 
the  county. 
(60) 


942  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

One  party  is  stated  to  have  been  in  so  desperate  a  pinch  upon  trial  for 
passing  counterfeit  money,  that,  on  asking  to  let  him  see  the  bill  a  moment, 
it  was  handed  to  him,  when  lo,  quick  as  a  flash,  he  swallowed  the  bank  note, 
and  the  case  against  him  had  to  be  dropped,  for  the  evidence  had  gone  down 
his  throat.  Upon  the  court  record  the  name  of  this  very  man  appears  coupled 
with  a  criminal  charge,  and  upon  that  entry  Mr.  Smith  makes  substantially 
this  comment :  "Here  is  the  first  appearance  of  this  name  in  the  court  records 
of  Randolph,  but  not  by  any  means  the  last,  for  it  adorns  (or  otherwise) 
these  pages  off  and  on  for  at  least  twenty-five  years  to  come." 

Some  old  men  tell  tales,,  not  needful  to  repeat  at  length,  of  charges  and 
arrests  and  attempts  at  jescue,  of  prominent  names  coupled  with  rumors  of 
forgery  and  counterfeiting,  of  surmises  against  residents  of  the  region  for 
the  concealment  of  the  haunts  and  the  implements  of  crime  among  the  secret 
coverts  afforded  by  the  fallen  timber. 

PIGEON   ROOST.  ' 

The  same  region  was  remarkable  also,  moreover,  as  having  furnished 
the  place  for  an  enormous  pigeon  roost  located  in  the  woods  not  very  far 
from  Huntsville  during  several  years.  Season  after  season  would  gather 
at  the  same  spot  countless  millions  of  those  feathered  and  winged  travelers. 
Subjected  as  they  were  to  ceaseless  attacks  by  men  and  boys,  and  losing  hun- 
dreds and  thousands  of  their  niunber  every  year,  after  some  time  had  elapsed, 
the  annual  gatherings  seemed  gradually  to  decrease  in  amount,  and  finally 
the  famous  pigeon  roost  became  entirely  deserted.  The  merciless  cruelty  of 
the  featherless  and  wingless  bipeds,  who  would  tramp  for  miles  through  the 
woods  to  reach  this  helpless  mass  of  fluttering  and  roaring  life  to  make  their 
causeless  and  deadly  attacks  upon  these  unsuspecting  and  bewildered  victims 
was  fearful,  Mention  may  be  found,  slightly  more  at  length  possibly,  in  the 
reminiscences,  of  both  the  matters  briefly  touched  upon  above.  The  pigeon 
roost  has  been  forsaken  probably  for  full  eighty  years,  and  the  fallen  timber 
has  been  cleared  away  by  natural  decay,  by  human  toil  and  by  fire,  that  terrible 
destroyer  of  the  works  both  of  nature  and  of  man,  for  nearly  as  long  a  time; 
and  now  no  visible  token,  no  trace  is  left  to  tell  of  the  unspeakable  havoc 
which  on  that  sultry  July  afternoon  in  the  summer  of  1 824  Avas  made  by  that 
rumbling,  crashing,  thundering  tempest  as  during  those  hours  of  mortal 
terror  it  lay  in  most  terrific  power,  whirling  and  tearing  and  twisting  those 
giant  tree  trunks  as  though  they  had  been  but  chaff  and  stubble  beneath  its 
might.  Nothing  is  left,  in  fact,  except  the  memory  of  the  terrible  storm  in 
the  minds  of  a  very  few  elderly  persons  and  a  name — Fallen  Timber — a  post- 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  943 

office  at  a  lone  farmhouse  miles  away  from  even  the  pretense  or  semblance 
of  a  town  was  once  located  there.  It  ought  to  be  said,  perhaps,  tliat  this  post- 
office  finds  it  habitat  not  in  West  River,  but  in  Nettle  Creek  township,  which 
lies  adjoining  the  former  on  the  west. 

FIRST   SCHOOL. 

Ira  Swain,  whose  father  came  in  1815  to  Wayne  county  near  Randolph 
-line,  says  that  the  first  school  in  that  neighborhood  was  held  in  a  little  cabin, 
14x18  feet,  probably  in  1816  or  1817.  The  floor  was  puncheons  and  so  was 
the  door,  and  the  benches  were  split  poles  with  legs  put  in  with  an  auger  hole. 
The  older  pupils  got  wood  enough  at  noon.  That  could  be  done  without  much 
trouble,  though  it  took  a  large  quantity  of  wood.  But  the  trees  were  close 
at  hand,  and  all  that  was  needed  was  to  take  care  that  in  felling  they  did  not 
hit  the  house  nor  the  children. 

TANNERY. 

Hugh  Botkin  was  a  tanner,  and  he  had  a  tanyard  in  operation  only  a 
short  time  after  making  a  settlement  in  the  county ;  and  some  of  the  old 
troughs  that  were  made  and  put  into  the  earth  remained  more  than  eighty 
yearSj  firm,  sound  and  solid, 

TOWNS. 

Buena  Vista. — Proprietors,  William  Gillam,  John  Heaston,  Benjamin 
Peacock;  twenty-five  lots,  two  streets — Washington,  east  and  west;  Main, 
north  and  south.  Recorded  July  i,  185 1.  The  first  store  was  built  in  1854; 
Benjamin  Peacock  set  up  a  hotel;  Ezekiel  Kirk  and  Benjamin  Heaston  were 
original  residents;  Dr.  Keen  lived  there  awhile,  as  also  did  Dr.  Blumenbach. 
There  has  been  a  Presbyterian  church,  but  it  has  gone  down,  and  the  house 
has  been  used  as  a  barn  for  many  years. 

As  late  as  1880  there  were  two  stores,  one  saw-mill,  one  smith  shop, 
one  tile  factory,  one  wagon  shop,  one  church,  a  postoffice,  all  of  which  have 
disappeared.  It  is  six  miles  from  Winchester,  three  and  one-half  miles  from 
Huntsville,  eight  miles  from  Farmland.  The  name  of  the  postoffice  was 
Cerro  Gordo.  The  country  around  Buena  Vista  is  very  good.  Residents 
near  Buena  Vista  are  John  Jenkins,  Leroy  Starbuck,  Welcome  Starbuck, 
Walter  Starbuck,  Jesse  Rynard,  Tyre  Puckett,  William  Demory,  etc.   [1882.] 

The  region  is  well  settled,  and  filled  with  thriving  and  prosperous  farm- 
ers. Unionsport  is  quite  near  Buena  Vista,  only  two  miles  distant.  A  meeting- 
house connected  with  a  burying  ground  is  about  half  a  mile  west  of  the  town 
on  the  pike  between  the  two  villages.    The  church  was  built  by  a  union  effort. 


944  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

and  was  given  into  the  care  of  the  Friends,  who  occupied  it  for  a  time,  but 
their  occupancy  ceased.    It  was  rebuilt  by  the  Christians. 

Huntsville. — Twenty-eight  lots.  Miles, and  William  Hunt,  proprietors. 
Location,  Sections  27  and  28,  19,  13,  near  the  head  of  Cabin  creek.  Re- 
corded March  6,  1834.  Keener's  Addition — Stephen  Keener,  proprietor; 
eight  lots,  four  outlots.  Recorded  December  29,  1848.  Hunt's  Addition — 
Twenty-nine'  lots,  Bezal  Hunt,  proprietor.  Recorded  August  23,  1850.  Will- 
iam J.  Shearer,  surveyor.  ' 

James  Pugh  had  a  tanyard  in  1834;  Miles  Hunt  kept  store;  Parker 
Jewett  had  a  smith  shop.  Huntsville  stands  in  a  fine  and  fruitful  region  far 
enough  from  other  and  larger  towns  to  have  some  room  to  flourish.  It  be- 
came quite  a  thriving  country  .village,  but  lack  of  a  railroad  has  doomed  it  to 
decay.     - v  -  .  ; 

Swiain's  Hill  Postofifice,  five  miles  from  Losantville;  three  miles  ftom 
Huntsville ;  near  the  twelve  mile  boundary  at  Ira  Swain's. 

Swain's  Hill  was  simply  a  postoffice.  Mr.  Swain  w^as  a  prominent  settler 
and  an  influential  partisan,  and  desired  a  postoffice  to  be  located  in  the  vicin- 
ity for  the  convenience  of  his  neighbors  and  himself ;  and  his  dwelling  being 
on  a  sightly  and  beautiful  hill,  the  name  of  Swain's  Hill  was  conferred  on- the 
■  office,  and  Ira  Swain  himself  was  made  postmaster.  It  has  long  since  been 
discontinued. 

Unionsport. — Location  in  White  River  and  West  River  townships,  two 
miles  west  of  Buena  Vista;  Hiram  Mendenhall,  proprietor;  thirty-two  lots; 
S.  D.  Woodworth,  surveyor.  Recorded  March  30,  1837.  It  was  located  in 
the  center  of  the  proposed  Union  township.  The  town  seems  to  have  been 
well  supplied  with  streets.  Bloomingsport,  six  miles ;  Maxville,  three  and 
one-half  miles ;  Huntsville,  three  miles ;  Winchester,  seven  miles ;  Lynn,  nine 
miles;  Buena  Vista,  two  miles. 

John  O.  Wattles  lectured  in  this  region  some  seventy-five  years  ago,  and 
induced  a  company  to  form  a  community  in  about  1840.  It  went  on  for  a 
short  time,  but  before  long  "winked  out,"  and  many  citizens  lost  heavily  by  the 
socialistic  experience.  A  woolen  factory  was  established  in  1856.  The  mill 
was  burned  and  another  built  in  its  place  in  1866.  -  It  was  owned  later  by 
Amos  Mendenhall.    A  grist-mill  once  stood  where  the  factory  was  located. 

The  village  is  beautifully  situated  on  rolling  ground,  the  houses  are 
bright,  neat  and  tasteful,  and  altogether  the  town  presents  a  delightful  and 
cheerful  aspect. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  945 


BIOGRAPHIES. 


Hugh  Botkiri,  born  Virginia  1775;  Tennessee,  1786;  married  Rachel 
Keener  1801 ;  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  1815;  Randolph  county  1816;  thir- 
teen children,  seven  boys  and  six  girls.  All  thirteen  lived  to  be  grown,  and 
all  but  one  were  married.  He  died  in  1836  and  his  wife  in  1837.  He  was  a 
farmer  and  a  tanner,  as  also  an  active  Methodist,  and  a  prominent  and 
respected  citizen.  He  lost  his  dwelling  by  fire,  and  did  not  succeed  in 
amassing  a  fortune,  but  his  children  rank  among  the  thriving  and  substantial 
citizens  of  the  region. 

William  M.  Botkin,  son  of  Hugh  Botkin,  born  in  Randolph  county 
1823,*  married  Martha  A.  Hiatt  in  1849,  and  Dosha  Butler  in  1868;  ten 
children.  He  was  an  enterprising,  wide-awake,  prosperous  farmer  and  busi- 
ness man,  and  was  county  commissioner  one  term  (three  years).  He  was  an 
active  Methodist,  a  thorough  Republican,  and  an  earnest  temperance  man, 
and  an  honor  to  the  commtmity  in  which  he  dwelt,  having  been  a  resident  of 
the  neighborhood  during  his  whole  life. 

William  Chamness  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1793,  and  carne  to 
Randolph  county  in  i8t6,  settling  west  of  Bloomingsport  on  a  farm  owned 
by  Elijah  Bales,  where  old  Billy  Rish  once  lived,  the  land'  having  been  entered 
by  Benjamin  Jones.  He  married  Charity  Moore,  and  afterward  Margaret 
Hinshaw.  He  had  eleven  children,  ten  of  them  coming  to  bt  grown  and 
married. 

John  Charles  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  1828.  He  is  the 
son  of  Daniel  Charles,  who  came  from  North  Carolina  to  Wayne  county  in 
1812,  having  been  born  in  1799.  John  Charles  came  to  Randolph  county 
in  1845.  H^  married  Eunice  Swain  in  the  same  year,  and  Nancy  Clark  in 
1862.  He  had  six  children;  he  carried  on  a  drug  store  in  Economy  during 
several  years.  He  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  for  White  River  town- 
ship,-but  the  burden  of  labor  or  of  honor  proved  too  great,  and  he  resigned 
the' position  before  his  time  was  half  out.  He  was  township  trustee  three 
years.    He  was  an  elder  among  the  Friends ;  was  an  old  Abolitionist. 

William  Cox,  bom  in  1773  in  South  Carolina,  came  to  Stillwater,  Ohio, 
early,  and  to  Randolph  county  in  1823,  and  settled  in  West  River.  He  died  in 
1857,  3.gtd  eighty- four  years.  He  had  been  married  three  times.  The  names 
of  his  wives  were  Elizabeth  Thomas,'  Nancy  Mills  and  Laura  Owens. 

Daniel  Cropper,  son  of  Bela  W.  Cropper,  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1825 ; 
went  to  Warren  county,  Ohio,  in  1828,  and  moved  to  Randolph  county,  In- 
diana, in   1833.     He  married  Elizabeth  Thornburg  in  1849,  ^^^  had  five 


946-  RANDOLPH   COUNTY/ INDIANA. 

children.  He  resided  in  Huntsville,  and  was  a  farmer  and  hotel  keeper.  His 
father  entered  i6o  acres  of  land,  and  after  paying  for  that,  and  paying  also 
the  man  who  moved  them  from  Ohio  to  Randolph  county,  he  had  just.  $25 
left.  A  rich  man- he  was,  farm  all  paid  for  and  money  to  spend.  His  father 
was  a  worthy  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  a  preacher  among  them. 

Daniel   Hunnicutt  was  born   in   1770  in  Virginia,   and  married  Jane, 
Walthal,  who  was  born  there  in  1780.     They  moved  to  Fayette  county,  In- 
diana, in  1827,  and  to  Randolph  couMy  in  1832.     They  had  seven  children, 
all  of  whom  were  born  in  Virginia.     Mr.  Hunnicutt  was  a  farmer^  and  be- 
longed to  the  Friends.    He  died  many  years  ago. 

John  T.  Hunnicutt,  born  1816,  near  Petersburg,  Virginia;  Fayette 
county,  Indiana,  1827;  Wayne 'county,  1828;  West  River,  1832;  married 
Jane  T.  Charles,  1851,  and  Deborah  (Hollingsworth)  Arnett,  1872;  five  chil- 
dren. ■ 

Peyton  Johnson  was  born  in  i8og  in  Campbell  county,  Kentucky;  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  T.  Butler ;  came  to  Randolph  county  in  1834 ;  had  five  children, 
all  grown  and.  all  married. 

Robert  Lumpkin  Was  born  in  1756;  married  Elizabeth  Forrest  in  1785, 
who  was  born  in  1766;  moved  to  Tennessee,  then  to  Randolph  county,  1831. 
He  was  a  wagoner  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  He  had  twelve  children,  and 
raised  eleven  of, the  twelve.  He  died 'in  1842,  eighty-six  years  old,  and  his 
wife  died  in  1846,  eighty  years  old. 

Albert  Macy  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1 774 ;  married  Nancy  Hall ; 
came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1819,  and  settled  near  Huntsville. 
They  had  eight  children,  seven  of  them  having  been  born  in  North  Carolina, 
and  one  in  Randolph  county.  His  daughter  Phebe  was  the  wife  of  Ira  Swain, 
of  Swain's  Plill,  West  River  township.     Mr.  MaCy  died  many  years  ago. 

William  Macy  was  born  in  1786  in  Guilford  county.  North  Carolina; 
came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  i82'i ;  married  Hannah  Hinshaw.in 
1809,  and  died  after  1867;  had  fifteen  children,  seven  in  North  Carolina  and 
eight  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  allof  them  born  between  1809  and  1836. 
Six  of  his  daughters  married  Hadleys  (two  families).  William  Macy  moved 
to  Morgan  county,  Indiana,  about  i860. ,  He  was  a  Friend,  active,  prominent 
and  trustworthy. 

Rufus  K.  Mills  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  1823.  He  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  McPherson  in  1844,  and  came  to  Randolph  county  in  1857. 
They  had  three  children.  He  was  township  trustee  five  years  and  assessor' 
several  years.    He  was  one  of  the  old-line  Abolitionists  and  early  Wesleyans. 

Anna   (Zimmerman)   Retz  is  the  daughter  of  Frederick  Zimmerman, 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  947 

and  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1821.  She  married  John 
Retz  in  1837.  They  had  thirteen  children.  Her  husband,  John  Retz,  died 
in  1876,  being  sixty-six  years  old,  and  having  been  born  in  18 10.  She  re- 
sided on  what  was  her  father's  farm,  on  which  he  settled  in  1818.  One  of 
her  sons  was  killed  when  coon  hunting  by  the  falling  of  a  tree.  She  was  an 
Episcopal  Methodist,  as  also  was  her  husband.  He  was  a  farmer  and  a 
worthy  citizen. 

Robert  Starbuck,  Buena  Vista,  is  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  having 
been  born  in  Stokes  county  in  that  state  in  1814.  He  came  to  Virginia  in 
1823,  and  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1833,  settling  near  Buena  Vista. 
He  married  late  in  life,  being  fifty-six  years  old  at  the  time.  His  wife  was 
Lucy  Ann  (Green)  Gillani.  They  had  one  child.  He  was  a  farmer,. merchant, 
trader,  hotel  keeper,  etc. 

Ira  Swain,  Swain's  Hill,  youngest  son  of  Elihu  Swain,  was  born  in 
Tennessee  in  1809;  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  181 5,  near  Randolph  line;  mar- 
ried Lydia  Macy;  came  early  to  Randolph  county;  had  several  children;  was 
a  farmer  and  an  active  business  man.  He  was  treasurer  of  Randolph  county 
during  one  term. 

"'  Thomas  Worth  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  came  to  Randolph 
county  in  1812.  He  was  born  in  1802,  and  married  Sarah  Macy,  and  after- 
ward Nancy  (Macy)  Marshall.  He  had  ten  children — Theodore,  Eliza, 
Aaron,  Mary,  Lucinda,  Anna,  David,  Emily  and  two  others.  David  was  a 
member  of  the  Sixty-ninth  Indiana,  and  died  in  the  service.  Aaron  has  long 
been  an  active  and  efficient  preacher  in  the  Wesleyan  church.  Thomas  Worth 
was  a  hearty  supporter  of  the  Wesleyans  and  an  old-fashioned  Abolitionist 
and  an  out  and  out  Republican. 

Frederick  Zimmerman  was  born  in  Tennessee.  He  moved  first  to  Penn- 
'  sylvania,  on  the  Susquehanna  river,  and  then  to  Ohio,  and  after  that  to  West 
River,  Randolph  county.  The  removal  last  mentioned  was  made  in  181 8. 
He  bought  out  William  Blount's  160  acres,  and  resided  in  the  same  place  till 
his  death  in  1835.  He  had  married  in  Tennessee  Catherine  Bowerman,  and 
his  widow  survived  him  twenty-one  years,  dying  in  1856.-  They  had  four- 
teen children.    He  was  a  Methodist  and  a  Democrat. 

Jeremiah  Bly,  farmer,  postoffice,  Trenton.  This .  vvorthy  citizen  was 
born  May  13,  1829,  in  Germany;  he  came  to  Ohio  in  1845,  and  after  making 
several  changes  in  his  location,  he  finally  settled  here  in  the  fall  of  1848. 

William  Miller  Botkin,  a  farmer  and  son  of  Hugh  and  Rachel  K.  Bot- 
kin,  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  July  7,  1823.  He  was  the 
eleventh  of  a  family  of  thirteen  children.    His  father  was  born  in  Pendleton 


948  RANDOLPH   COUNTYj   INDIANA. 

county,  Virginia,  November  17,  1774,  and  his  mother  in  Knox  county,  Ten- 
nessee, February  25,  1786.  They  were  married  in- Knox  county,  Tennessee, 
in  the  year  1801,  and  removed  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  1815,  and  to 
Randolph  county  in  1817.  His  father  entered  120  acres  of  land,  and  con- 
tinued to  live  on  the  farm  until  his  death;  his  father  died  February  2"],  1836, 
and  his  mother  January  24,  1857. 

He  was  first  united  in  marriage  to  Martha  A.  Hiatt,  daughter  of  Louis 
and  Charity  Hiatt,  of  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  December  20,  1849. 
I         After  his  marriage,  he  settled  3h  his  father's  homestead,  which  he  had 
commenced  to  purchase  from  the  heirs;  he  continued  the  purchase  of  shares 
until  the  entire  estate  came  into  his  possession. 

Williard  Haynes,  farmer,  was  born  in  Herkifhei-  county,  NeW  York, 
February  ii,  1823.  He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  this  county, 
which,  in  1835,  were  in  their  pioneer  state.  He  was  married  May  21,  1846,  to 
Delilah  Wright,  who  was  a  native  of  Clinton  county,  and  born  there  Decem- 
ber 3,  1822.  Stephen  Haynes,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
born  in  Dutchess  county.  New  York,  January  12,  1800,  aild  after  making 
some  changes,  settled  in  this  county  in  the  year  1834;  his  wife  and  m  rather 
of  Williard,  was  originally'  Laura  Gaines,  a-  native  of  Vermont,  and  born 
there  about  the  year  1804;  deceased  March  25,  1875,  in  this  county.  The. 
father  of  Mrs.  Haynes  (Empson  Wright),  was  originally  frojn  Virginia, 
where  he  was  born  November  15,  1797.  He  came  to  this  county  about  the 
year  1824;  deceased  November  28,  1853,  on  the  land  which  he  entered.  His 
wife  was  originally  Rachel  Rubel,  born  February  i,  1801,  in  Tennessee  (now 
deceased).  The  worthy  wife  of  Mr.  Haynes  was  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Christian  church,  and  he  was  a  Republican,  and  one  of  the  substantial  farmers 
of  the  neighborhood  in  whicli  he  resided.  Seven  children  have  blessed  this 
union-^Laura  E.,  born  March  5,  1847;  Sarah  E.,  October  23,  1849;  Louisa 
M.,  December  22,  1851;  William  H.,  April  23,  1855;  Lucy  A.,  October  3, 
1857;  Stephen  C,  October  13,  1859,  and  Harrison  W.,  February  22,  1862. 

Levi  Johnson,  merchant,  Trentoii.  He  was. born  February  6,  1831,  in 
this  county.  Mr.  Johnson  has  been  married  twice ;  the  first  time  to  Maria 
Blake,  November  21,  1857;  she  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  born  there  in 
the  year  1840;  she  deceased  September  15,  1858.  The  second  time  he  was 
marri^  to  Bettie  Butler,  November  21,  1861 ;  she  was  born  in  Campbell, 
county,  Virginia,  June  17,  1842.  They  have  one  child— Lillie  T.,  who  was 
born  November  13,  1862.  He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  followed  farming  and  teaching  music  for  twenty-five  years;  he 
also  taught  in  the  common  schools  in  early  life;  was  for  eleven  years  engaged 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  949 

in  the  mercantile  business.  He  was  elected  to  the  office  of  township  trustee 
of  West  River  township  in  April,  1880.  His  father,  Jonathan  Johnson,  was 
originally  from  Virginia,  where  he  was  born  in  1803,  and  deceased  in  West 
Virginia  in  the  year  1862. 

Other  prominent  pioneers  of  West  River  township  were  John  B.  Mills, 
William  Adamson,  Milton  H.  Beeson,  A.  Botkin,  Henry  H.  Brooks,  Isaac 
Farquhar,  Jonah  L.  Catley,  Milton  Coffin,  Daniel  Cropper,  Allen  S.  Cropper, 
Elisha  Cox,  Jesse  G.  Haines,  William  B.  Harris,  Willard  Haines,  Alpheus 
Hoofland,  Martin  Hoover,  Johtt  Jenkins,  Joshua  G.  Jones,  George  Keever, 
Ephraim  Lee,  John  B.  Mills,  Oliver  H..  Millspaugh,  John  Moyer,  David  F. 
Pursley,  Joshua  J.  Sheppard,  Rev.  Daniel  Worth,  John  Moyer;  Oliver  H. 
Millspaugh  and  George  Moore. 

Franklin  township  is  located  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county,  being 
the  smallest  in  extent  of  territory,  as  also  the  latest  in  formation.  The  town- 
ship embraces  twenty-four  square  miles,  being  six  miles  long  by  four  miles 
wide.  Franklin  township  lies  in  the  valley  of  the  Mississinewa  river,  on  both 
sides  of  that  stream,  the  river  dividing  it  into  two  unequal  parts.  As  to  sur- 
face, the  township  is  mostly  rolling,  though  in  some  portions  inclined  to  be 
level. 

The  streams  of  water  in  the  township  are  the  Mississinewa,  in  the  north 
part,  flowing  westward ;  Day's  creek,  entering  the  Mississinewa  on  the  north, 
■and  Bear  creek  on  the  south.  Day's  creek  comes  from  Jay  county,  and  Bear 
creek  from  White  River  township.  Mississinewa  river  is  in  this  portion  of 
its  course  a  large  and  important  streani,  serving  a  good  purpose  for  water 
power.  Bear  creek  is  of  considerable  size,  an^in  early  times  was  utilized  to 
some  extent. 

Like  the  rest  of  the  county,  this  part  of  l^andolph  was  covered  with  a 
heavy  growth  of  deciduous  timber  of  many  kinds,  among  which  oak,  sugar 
maple  and  walnut  were  prominent.  Many^gf  fhe  early  pioneers  made  great 
quantities  of  sugar  from  their  maple  orchards  in  those  original  days,  and 
though  some  things  may  have  been  scarce,  "sweetening"  was  not.  Deer, 
bears,  wolves,  etc.,  were  plentiful,  as  were  also  turkeys,  squirrels  and  all  the 
animals  of  various  kinds  common  to  the  climate,  and  region,  and  hunters 
found  the  Mississinewa  valley  a  very  paradise  for  t-hem.  One  of  the  first 
settlers  killed  six  deer  and  wounded  a  seventh  before  ordinary  breakfast  time. 

The  first  settlement  in  Franklin  was  made  in  181 7  by  Meshach  Lewallyn, 
an  elderly  man  with  a  large  family.  The  great  body  of  the  township  re- 
mained a  wilderness  for  many  years  afterward.     A  few  settlers,  however. 


950  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

made  a  location  upon  the  river  in  the  neighborhood,  Mr.  Lewallyn  as  just 
stated;  in  1817,  and  Joab  Ward  in  1819, 

Mr.  Lewallyn,  about  1819,  built  a  mill  on  the  river,  which  has  been  3. 
noted  point  ever  since  that  day.  The  Mississinewa  was  in  time  of  flood 
navigable  for  flat-boats  to  Lewallyn's  mill,-  and  not  much  above.  <^;; 

This  place  became  the  nearest  point  of  connection  between  the  settle- 
ments in  Wayne  county  and  the  Wabash  yalley,  and  for  many  years  produce 
in  large  quantities  was  brought  tHipugh  the  wilderness  to  Lewallyn's  mill, 
and  Joab  Ward  built  boats  and  sold  them  to  the  produce  owners  to  float  it 
down  the  river  into  the  Wabash  valley.  Many  curious  and  some  dangerous 
adventures  occurred  in  connection  with  that  old-time  navigation  down,  the 
booming  Mississinewa  during  the  spring  flood  upon  the  stream. 

The  Indians  were  yet  residents  of  the  region,  and  some  tragic  occur^ 
rences  took  place  near  Ridgeville.  Reming  was  shot  and  wounded  near  Joab 
Ward's,  and  killed  at  Meshach  Lewallyn's,  though  not  by  him  nor  any  of  his 
family.  Shadrach  Lewallyn,  one  of  Meshach's  sons,  shot  and  killed  an  In- 
dian, and  the  natives  were  greatly  enraged  and  made  threats  of  vengeance. 
They  were,  however,  quieted  by  the  pacific  efforts  of  Meshach  Lewallyn,  as 
also  of  David  Connor,  the  Indian  trader,  who,  though  a  rough  and  wild  man 
himself,  had  yet  a  great  influence  over  the  savage  red  men  of  the  forest;  and 
he  often  employed  it  in  the  interest  of  peace  and  order,  insomuch  that  he  was, 
in  solemn  state,  and  with  imposing  ceremony,  according  to  their  custom  in 
such  matters,  installed  a  chieftain  among  the  Miamis. 

Joab  Ward,  who  came  to  Ridgeville  in  1819,  bought,  land  on  credit  of 
Mr.  Lewallyn;  and  for  ten  years  those  pioneers  were  literally  in  the  woods; 
cut  off  from  their  fellow-countrymen,  and  dwelling  far  amidst  the  mighty 
forests.  The  next  settlers  after  the  Lewallyns  and  the  Wards,  were,  so  far  as 
now  known,  James  Addington  and  David-  Hammer,  who  entered,  and,  it  is 
to  be  presumed,  settled  upon  section  10,  about  two  miles  west  of  Ridgeville 
and  on  the  river. 

We  are  unable  to  follow  the  course  of  settlement  further  with  any  cer- 
tainty. About  1830.  the  current  of  emigration -began  to  set  with  a  slight  force 
in  that  direction,  which  grew  still  stronger  in  1832  and  1833,  and  from  that 
time  and  onward  till  1838  the  township  came  to  be  filled  with  occupants,  at 
least  the  land  was  by  that  time  almost  wholly  entered.  Not  much  needs  to  be 
said  as  to  early  efforts  in  the  line  of  education  and  religion..  The  usual 
"w;oods  schools"  in  the  greased-paper  log  cabin  were  established  in  these 
forest  nooks  also. 

As  to  religion,  noble  souls  and  pious  hearts  found  a  dwelling  place  in 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  95 1 

those  outposts,  and  the  Gospel  Shepherd  sought  out  the  stray  sheep  in  the 
wilderness,  giving  to  them  the  needed  care  and  comfort.  And  what  was  thtts 
sown  has  proved  to  be  good  seed  cast  into  a  fruitful  soil,  which  has  in  these 
latter  years,  brought  forth  thirty,  sixty  and  a  hundredfold. 

TOWNS. 

Carlisle. — Location  on  Mississinewa  river,  section  12,  21,  13,  directly 
opposite  the  old  town  of  Ridgeville,  Edward  McKew,  proprietor;  D.  W. 
McNeal,  surveyor;  twenty-eight  lots;  recorded  October  18,  1836,  Ridge- 
ville (first  plat)  was  recorded  September  21,  1837.  Carlisle  was  south  of  the 
river,  and  Ridgeville  was  (and  is)  north  of  it.  Both  the  towns  were  still 
born.  Sixteen  years  after  1836  no  town' was  atjgither  place,  and  the  plat  had 
relapsed  into  ordinary  farm  land.  Ridgeville  was  laid  out  again,  however,  in 
about  1853,  and  this  time  the  town  began  to  grow.  Yet  it  did  not  do  much 
for  a  long  time,  not,  in  fact,  till  the  Pan-Handle  track  was  completed  through 
its  limits.  But  Carlisle  never  so  much  as  "peeped."  We  have  never  heard 
that  it  ever  had  even  so  much  as  a  beginning. 

Ridgeville.— Location,  section  12,  town  21,  range  14,  north  side  of 
Mississihewa  river,  William  and  John  Addington,  proprietors;  Jere  Smith, 
surveyor;  sixteen  lots;  street  east  and  west,  Main  street;  recorded  September 
21,  1837.  Ridgeville  (new  town),  Arthur  McKew  and  Joab  Ward,  proprie- 
tors; 128  lots;  streets,  north  and  south,  Race,  Walnut;  east  and  west,  Water, 
■  Main,  First,  Second,  Third.  Location,  section  12,  north  of  Mississinewa 
river,  at  what  is  now  the  crossing  of  the  Pan-Handle  and  Grand  Rapids 
railroads.  Recorded  January  5,  1853.  Thus  it  is  seen  that  Ridgeville  was 
laid  out  twice,  and  has  had  nine  additions  at  various  times.  It  was  platted  by 
William  and  John  Addington  in  1837.  There  had  been  a  mill  built  by 
Meshach  Lewallyn  and  a  flat-boat  factory,  carried  on  by  Joab  Ward  for 
years,  but  not  even  the  semblance  of  a  town  had  come  into  being.  And  even 
after  the  village  was  located  by  Mr.  Addington  (who  was  the  proprietor  of 
the  mill  after  Lewallyn),  no  growth  took  place.  Only  three  or  four  houses 
were  erected,  and  the  town  seemed  still-born.  For  sixteen  years  no  business 
of  importance  was  transacted  in  the  place,  and  the  lots  had  been  remanded  to 
their  original  farm  state. 

Some  of  the  men  who  were,  or  had  been,  residents  up  to  1852,  were 
Meshach  Lewallyn,  miller;  Joab  Ward,  farmer  and  boat-builder;  William 
Addington,  Jerry  Barker,  Legraves  and  Jenkins.  Jenkins  had  a  store  in  1837. 
Jerry  Barker  built  a  hewed-log  house  soon  after.  Lewallyn's  mill  was  built 
about  1820,  and  in  1836  was  owned  by  William  Addington.    At  first,  it  was 


952  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA, 

only  a.  corn-cracker,  and  was  afterward  changed  into  a  flour-mill,  with  a 
hand-bolt  (water  mill).  The  stones  were  home-made.  Joab  Ward  and 
Arthur  McKew  re-laid  the  town  in  1853,  calling  it  Newtown.  It  stood  on 
the  Deerfield  state  road,  as  also  at  the  crossing  of  the  Pan  Handle  (P.  C.  & 
St.  L.)  and  the  "Shoo-Fly"  (Richmond  &  G.  R.)  railroads,  and  on  the 
Mississinewa  river,  at  the  head  of  .flat-boat  navigation.  A  fine  bridge  spans 
the  Mississinewa  south  of  the  town.  The  country  is  good  and  the  lands  are 
fertile.  During  the  summer  of  i|88o  the  people  of  the  town  and  region 
began  to  build  pikes  from  Ridgeville  into  the  surrounding  country.  . 

In  1853  the  Union  &.  Logansport  railroad  was  projected,  and  there- was 
large  activity  at  Ridgeville.  In  1853-54  there  were  thirty  carpenters  at  work 
in  the  town  at  once.  Railroad  work,  however,  soon  ceased.  The  Logans- 
port  road  was  not  made  until  1867,  and  the  "Shoo-Fly"  in  1872. 

The  railroad  ceased  in  1857,  and  the  town  lagged.  Mr.  Sumption's 
hotel  prospered,  and  the  stores,  also,  but  up  to  1866  there  were  no  more  than  ; 
one  hundred  people,  perhaps  not  so  many.  From  the  completion  of  the  Pan- 
Handle  railroad,  the  growth  of  the  town  has  been  constant.  The  foundation 
of  Ridgeville  College  was  laid  in  1867,  the  instruction  began  in  I-868',  and  the 
college  building  was  inclosed  and  occupied  in  1869.  '  * 

The  Mississinewa  river  passes  near  the  town  on  the  south  side.  For. 
many  years  this  place  was  the  point  whence  flat-boats  were  sent  down  the 
stream,  laden  with  flour,  bacon;  apples,  etc.  Joab  Ward  built  great  numbers 
of  these  in  the  earlier  days.  '  That  business,  however,  stopped  long  ago. 

Ridgeville  is  now  a  prosperous  and  thriving  town,  and  an  important 
and  growing  center  of  business  and  trade.  In  the  vicinity  is  a  great  rocfe 
crusher 'and  htmdreds  of  carloads  of  crushed  rock  are  shipped  annually. 
Ridgeville  has  a  broom  factory  second  to  none  in  the  United  States,  one  bank 
and  several  good  business  houses.  A  fine  state  of  moral  sentiment  exists, 
and  temperance  and  good  order  largely  prevail.  Salo.£>ns  foi^  the  most 
part,  have  been  suppressed,  and  wherever  the  public  feeling  and  principle  are 
strong  enough  to  prevent  their  existence,  good  morals  are  sure  to  be  in  the 
ascendant. 

Joseph  Lay  Company,  Ridgeville. — The  Joseph  Lay  Company,  manufac- 
turers of  brooms,  was  organized  by  Joseph  Lay  and  Samuel  C.  Lay,  in  Ridge- 
ville in  1886,  and  was  maintained  as  a  mutual  company  until  1901  when  it 
was  incorporated  under  the  state  laws.  The  company  at  that  time  consisted  of 
Joseph  Lay,  Samuel  C.  Lay  and  L.  P.  Sims.  They  organized  with  a  capital 
stock  of  $100,000.00. 

Their  output  per  year  is  about  70,000  dozen  brooms.     They  employ  one 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  953 

hundred  men,  fifty  of  whom  are  employed  in  Ridgeville  and  expend  $60,000.00 
per  year  for  labor,  alone.  This  company  makes  a  specialty  of  factory  brooms, 
which  are  brooms  of  miusual  weight.  This  company  is  the  largest  manu- 
facturer of  heavy  brooms  in  the  United  States  and  uses  on  an  average,  per 
year,  of  70  tons  of  bamboo,  50  of  rattan  and  360  tons  of  broom  corn.  They 
are  importers  of  rattan  and  split  ha;mbo6  direct  from  China  and  are  the  great- 
est consumers  of  this  product  of  any  other  institution  in  the  United  States. 
360  tons  of  broom  corn  per  year  would  represent  the  growth  of  more  than 
a  thousand  acres. 

The  presnt  officers  of  this  company  that  have  done  so  much  for  the 
business  interests  of  Ridgeville  are  Samuel  C.  Lav,  president  and  treasurer; 
Lester  P.  Suns,  vice-president;  Harry  J.  Lay,  secretary.  This,  company  also 
has  a  plant  at  Mattoon,  Illinois.  They  manufacture  house  brooms  especiall)'^ 
at  that  place.    Mr.  Arthur  J.  Lay  is  the  manager  of  that  plant. 

Another  important  commercial  enterprise  of  Randolph  county  is  the 
A.  &  C.  Stone  &  Lime  Company,  Ridgeville,  Indiana.  This  company  was 
organized  in  about  1903,  by  John  Armsfield  and  C.  C.  Cartwright,  of  Port- 
land. Mr.  Will  Nichols  was  superintendent  for  a  number  of  years.  They 
purchased  thirty-eight  acres  of  land  east  of  Ridgeville  and  immediately  began 
to  crush  stone  for  ballast,  railroads  and  building  of  public  highways. 

The  company  has  been  very  successful  and  has  grown  to  enormous  pro- 
,  portions.  Running  constantly  at  this  time  three  large  crushers  with  an  out- 
put of  from  160,000  to  175,000  tons  of  stone  annually.  It  requires  over 
3,000  cars  to  ship  the  material  while  hundreds  of  loads  are  hauled  by  wagons. 
The  capital  stock  of  this  company  is  $250,000.00.  This  is  represented  by  two 
plants,  one  at  Ridgeville  and  one  at  Greencastle.  This  would  make  the  Ridge- 
ville plant  valued  at  a'pproxirnately  $125,000.00.  This  institution  has  been 
of  great  benefit  to  the  people  of  Randolph  ccainty  as  it  has  been  the  means  of 
-making  better  roads  possible.  The  company  as  organized  at  the  present  time 
has  the  following  officers :  A.  B.  Meyer,  president  and.general  manager ;  C.  C. 
Cartwright,  vice-president ;  Ed  Mgyer  and  William  C.  Cartwright,^  secretary 
and  treasurer ;  John  Collett,  local  manager. 

BIOGRAPHIES. 

Jesse  Addington  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  1814,  and  his 
wife,  Margaret  Sullivan,  in  North  Carolina  in  181 5.  She  came  to  Washing- 
ton, Indiana,  in  1828,  and  moved  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  1831.  They 
were  married  in  1834,  and  moved  to  what  is  now  Franklin  township  in  the 
same  year.  They  settled  on  Bear  creek,  "in  the  woods,"- three  and  a  half 
miles  from  Ridgeville. 


954  RANDOLPH   COUNTYj   INDIANA. 

Joseph  Edger,  Ridgeville,  was  born  in  1822  in  Harrison  county,  Ken- 
tucky, carne  to  Darke  county,  Ohio,  in  1824,  his  father  died  there,  and  he 
was  brought  up  by  his  uncle, .  Edward  Edger.  In  1837  he  accompanied  this 
uncle  to  Deerfield,  Randolph  county,  which  town  having  been  laid  out  a  few 
years  before  that  date  had  not  yet  began  to  grow.  - 

Since  that  primeval  period,  there  have  been  as  merchants,  among  others, 
Beales'  branch  store,  in  a  log  cabin;  H.  L.  Searl,  B..  W.  Hawkins,  Fitzpatrick 
&  Edger,  Putnam  &  Avery,  etc. 

Joseph  Edger  married  AliSte  Kinnear  in  1846,  and  has  had  six  children. 
He  has  lived  at  Deerfield,  Winchester  and  Ridgeville;  went  to  New  Orleans 
and  Texas,  hunting  a  home,  but  came  back  to  Ridgeville. 

George  Huffman  came  to  Randolph  county,  two  miles  west  of  Win- 
chester, in  1 81 8;  moved  to  Franklin  township,  on  Bear  creek,  in  1838,  and 
died  in  1863,  having  had  ten  children.  ■ 

Arthur  McKew  was  the  son  of  Edward  McKew,  who  moved  to  Ridge- 
ville, Indiana,  in  1831,  from  Fayette  county,  Indiana,  and  previously  from 
Cincinnati.  He  was  born  August  14,  1819,  above  Cincinnati,  in  Ohio,  and 
was  taken  to  Fayette  county,  Indiana,  in  1819,  and  Ridgeville  in  1831.  He 
married  Margery  Ward,  daughter  of  Joab  Ward,  and  sister  of  Hon.  Thornas 
Ward,  of  Winchester,  Indiana,  in  1844.  They  had  six  children.  He  farmed 
in  Jay  county  four  years,  but  returned  to  Ridgeville.  He  was  county  com- 
missioner of  Randolph  county  two  terms,  and  president  of  Wmchester  Na- 
tional Bank  for  sixteen  months.  He  was  a  Methodist.  Arthur  McKew  died 
in  January,  1882,  highly  respected  and  greatly  lamented;  he  was  in  his  sixty- 
third  year. 

Jeremiah  L.  Mock,  son  of  Daniel  Mock,  of  Ward  township,  was  born  ifl 
181 5i  in  Ohio;  came  to  Randolph  in  1828;  married  Matilda  Pierce  in  1834, 
who  was  the  daughter  of  Buckett  Pierce  and  born  in  1817,  and  died  in  1873. 
Mr.  Mock  had  ten  children  and  resided  in  Franklin  township,  northeast  of 
Ridgeville  for  twenty-eight  or  thirty  years,  being  a  member  of  the  Democratic 
party  and  in  vocation  a  farmer. 

Pardon  Sherman  was  born  in  1801,  in  Greene  county,  New  York.  He 
married  Mary  D.  Parke  in  1826;  they  came  to  White  river,  Randolph  county, 
in  1835,  and  to  Franklin  township  in  1837.  He  entered  eighty  acres.  They 
had  six  children.  Mr.  Sherman  was  one  of  fourteen  children,  eight  boys  and 
six  girls,  all  grown,  only  eight  of  whom,  however,  were  married.  His,  wife 
died  in  January,  1882,  and  her  husband  ended  his  life  among  mortal  men 
in  about  a  month  afterward. 

Francis  and  James  Stevens  came  in  1830  from  Monroe  county,  Ohio. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  gcjg 

to  Franklin  township,  west  of  Ridgeville.  Francis  during  his  Hfe  had  nine 
children  and  James  had  seven  children.  They  each  entered ' eighty  acres; 
they  were  both  farmers. 

Andrew  and  Alexander  Stevens  came  in  1835.  Andrew  had  eight  chil- 
dren. Alexander  had  twelve  children.  Andrew  has  been  dead  many  years. 
Alexander  has  been  dead  fifty  years.  James  Stevens  has  three  sons  living  in 
Jay  county.  Andrew  Stevens  had  three  sons — Garvin',  Jacob  and  Francis. 
Alexander  Stevens  had  two  sons,  Joseph  and  Elijah.  The  Stevenses  have 
always  been  active  farmers  and  Democrats  from  olden  time. 

Robert  H.  Sumption,  Ridgeville,  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  in 
1817;  moved  to  Deerfield,  Indiana,  in  1835,  arid  graduated  at  Greencastle, 
Indiana,  in  1845,  teaching  school  more  or  less  during  his  time  of  study.  He 
married  Berilla  Ward  in  1845  and  moved  to  St.  Joseph  county,  Michigan', 
teaching  and  farming  till  1854.  They  returned  to  Ridgeville  in  that  year 
and  he  kept  hotel  in  that  place  till  1872.     They  had  three  children. 

Joab  Ward,  Ridgeville,  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  December  14,  1790; 
came  to  Ross  county,  Ohio,  about  1800  and  to  Champaign  county,  Ohio,  on 
King's  creek  between  181 3  and  1819;  married  Amy  Grave  in  1813 ;  moved  to 
near  Ridgeville  April  7,  1819;  changed  his  residence  for  a  short  time  to  a 
farm  east  of  Winchester  for  fear  of  the  Indians,  but  returned  soon  afterward 
to  his  forrher  abode  near  Ridgeville  and  never  moved  elsewhere  from  that 
time  till  his  death.  He  bought  of  Meshach  Lewallyn  a  small  tract  of  land, 
reckoned  to  be  fifty  acres,  at  $3.00  per  acre.  The  land  was  situated  south 
of  the  river  near  the  present  water  tank.  Mr.  Ward  built  a  house,  scutching 
down  the  logs  and  making  a  stick  chimney  and  a  clapboard  roof.  In  about 
1838,.  he  put  in  new  sills,  raised  the  building  to  a  story  and  a  half,  ^pebble 
dashed  and  shingled  it,  making,  also,  'two  brick  chimneys  and  it  is  a  good 
house  to  this  day,  still  occupied  as  a  residence,  after  standing  ninety  years. 
A  fine  spring  was  near,  which  in  those  times  was  reckoned  a  very  great  ad- 
vantage.    He  had  fifteen  children,  one  still-born  and  twelve  grew  up. 

Joab  Ward  had  been  a  trader  in  Ohio  but  he  had  "broken  up,"  and 
plunged  into  the  Western  woods,  going  to  the  bounds  of  civilization,  Ridge- 
ville then  being  the  extreme  outskirt  and  corner  of  white  settlement.  His 
health  was  poor  and  his  prospects  were  not  bright.  Without  means,  without 
health,  with  a  growing  family,  he  still  lived  in  hope  and  did  his  best,  looking 
and  wishing  for  better  times.  He  first  settled  in  a  camp,  cleared  some  land, 
made  sugar,  killed  deer,  etc.  He  was  a  great  hunter,  having  killed  more  than 
once  two  deer  with  the  same  shot.  At  one  time  he  killed  six  deer  and  crippled 
the  seventh  in  one  morning  before  ordinary  breakfast  time,     He  used  to 


956  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

hunt  deer  by  driving  sharpened  stakes  into  the  ground  with  points  upward  at 
the  places  where  the  deer  would  jump  into  the  field,  often  crippling  them  thus. 
Several  times  four  were  killed  by  him  in  a  single  day.  He  died  November 
7,  1874,  having  lived  there  nearly  fifty-six  years  and  being  eighty-four  years 
old.  He  was  a  Whig  and  a  Republican.  His  wife  was  a  very  religious 
woman,  though  she  was  deprived  by  long  distance  from  meetings  of  religious 
societies;  she  died  in  1864.     Both  are  buried  at  White  River  burying  ground. 

Mr.  Ward  was  employed  ^r  many  years  in  building  flat  boats  for  sale 
to  persons  who  wished  to  transport  merchandise  during  the  season  of  floods 
down  the  Mississinewa  to  the  Wabash  valley  for  traffic  with  the  Indians  and 
the  early  settlers  in  that  region.  He  was  for  nearly  sixty  years  a  prominent 
citizen  of  that  portion  of  the  county,  the  township  receiving  from  him  the 
name  it  still  bears.  Mr.  Ward  was  greatly  respected  and  highly  esteemed, 
though  quiet  and  unassuming  and  not  inclined  to  press  into  active  public  life. 

Benjamin  Addington  was  born  in  Wa3me  county,  Indiana,  June  28,  1824. 
His  father,  Joseph,  Vas  a  native  of  South  Carolina  and  his  mother,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Ceilie  Townsend,  was  born  in  North  Carolina.  They 
came  to  Randolph  county  in  the  spring  of  1834.  The  father  died  in  1837  and 
the  mother  in  1853.  His  grandfather  Townsend  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war.  Mr.  Addington  w^  married  in  1850  to  Rebecca  Harrald,  who 
died  March  4,  1876.     They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children. 

Elisha  T.  Bailey,  physician,  was  born  in  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  Septem- 
ber 19,  1821.  -His  father,  Hiram  Bailey,  was  born  in  Sussex  county,  Vir- 
ginia, in  1796,  and  his  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Rachel  Thomas,  was 
born  in  Warren  county,  Ohio,  in  1802.  The  parents  removed  to  Wayne 
county,  Indiana,  in  1830,  where  thej  remained  until  death.  The  mother  died 
in  1868  and  the  father  in  1872.  Elisha,  their, son,  attended  the  common 
school  and  worked  on  the  farm  until  twenty-two  years  of  age,  and  then  be- 
gan the  study  of  medicine  under  Dr.  Stanton  Judkins,  brother  of  Professor 
Judkins,  of  Cincinnati.  In  1846,  he  was  examined  by  the  Wayne  county 
Medical  Board  and  licensed  to  practice  medicine.  In  1847,  he  lofcated  at 
Emmettsville,  Randolph  county  and  practiced  four  years,  then  attended  the 
Miami  Medical  College  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  graduating  in  that  institution. 
In  1854  he  located  at  Ridgeville,  where  he  continued  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession. He  was  appointed  postmaster  at  Emmettsville  in  1848,  and  at 
Ridgeville  in.  1862.  He  also  served  as  township  trustee  four  years.  In  1845, 
he  was  married  to  Julia  A.  Morgan,  a  native  of  Randolph  county,  who  died 
in  November  17,  1854.  On  the  27th  of  September,  1856,  he  married  Paulina 
Mack.     Her  father,  Jei-emiah  L.  Mack,  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  her  mother. 


RANDOLPH   COtTNTY,   INDIANA.  957 

Matilda  (Pierce)  Mack,  a  native  of  Randolph  county.    The  second  marriage 
was  blessed  by  four  children. 

Abraham  Roe,  farmer,  was  born  in  Ohio  April  lo,  1819.  'His  father, 
Ezekiel,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  his  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Elizabeth  Funk,  a  native  of  the  same  state.  His  father  died  June  20,  i860, 
and  his  mother  in  1863,  both  in  Randolph  county.  Mr.  Roe  came  to  this 
county  at  a  time  when  Indians  and  wild  game  abounded.  He  killed,  accord- 
ing to  his  own  testimony,  almost  one  thousand  deer,  the  largest  part  of  this 
number  having  been  killed  in  this  county,  and  his  father  was  also  a  successful 
marksman.  Mr.  Roe  Was  married,  February  28,  1844,  to  Hannah  Ren- 
barger,  a  native  of  Randolph  county.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren, only  one  of  whom,  Elizabeth,  now  survives.  She  is  the  wife  of  L.  L. 
Williams.  Mrs.  Roe  is  the  daughter  of  Abraham  and  Rachael  (Luellen) 
Renbarger,  the  former-a.  native  of  Kentucky  and  the  latter  of  Ohio.  Mr.  Roe 
always  followed' the  occupation  of  farming. 

Mrs.  Angeline  Whipple,  housekeeper,  Ridgeville,  was  born  in  Randolph 
county,  Indiana.  Her  father,  Reuben  Whipple,  was  born  in  Delaware 
■  county,  Ohio,  in  January,  1834.  Her  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Mary 
Orcutt,  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,.  October  18,  1838.  Mrs.  Whipple 
was  married  on  the  4th  of  May,  1876,  to  Newton  McK'ew,  a  native  of  Ran- 
dolph county,  and  son  of  Arthur  McKew.  Her  husband  was  born  July  13, 
1854  and  died  July  6,  1 879.     They  had  two  children. 

Other  prominent  pioneers  of  Franklin  township  were:  Benjamin  Add- 
ington,  Elisha  T.  Bailey,  Joseph  Butterworth,  John  M.  Coon,  Christopher  C. 
Hiatt,  William  N.  Janes,  Isaiah  C.  Milner,  Alexander  Wood,  John  E.  Smith- 
son,  Isaac  N.  Straton,  George  W.  Wesler  and  Robert  H.  Sumption. 

Ward  Township. — As  at  present  constituted,  it  embraces  township  21 
north,  range  14  east  of  the  second  principal  meridian,  comprising  a  full  town- 
ship of  thirty-six  sections,  equal  to  23,040  acres.  It  lies  wholly  in  the  Missis- 
.  sinewa  valley.  That  river  passes  through  the  township  in  a  direction  nearly 
west  and.'  toward  the  north  side  of  the  township,  the  larger  portion  being 
south  of  the  river.  Massey's  Hickory  and  Mud  creeks  from  the  south  and 
Goshen  creek  from  the  north,  flow  through  the  township  to  the  Mississirifewa. 
It  is  one  of  the  northern  tier  in  the  county,  extending  on  the  north  to  the  Jay 
couhy  line.  The  surface  is  level  or  moderately  rolling.  Near  the  river  the 
land  is  somewhat  hilly;  farther  toward  the  head  of  the  streams,  it  becomes 
between  the  two  rivers. 

rather  level,  though  less  inclined'  to  be  marshy  than  if  nearer  the  "divide" 
'(61) 


95^  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

Originally,  like  the  county  in  general,  the  earth  was  covered  with  a  thick 
and  heavy  forest  of  many  kinds  of  trees,  the  weight  and  burden  of  which 
sixty  years  of' wearisome  labor,  performed  by  two  or  three  generations  of 
hardy  yeomanry,  have  scarcely  been  able  to  remove.  Indeed,  much  still  re- 
mains, greatly  more  in  fact,  than  the  farm^needs.  To  get  rid  of  the  timber 
has,  in  days  gone  by,  been  a  fearful  task ;  a  task,  too,  till  within  a  few  years, 
well-night  useless,  except  that  it  was  taken  out  of  the  way.  The  labor  of 
clearing  the  -ground  and  of  f encir%  the  fields,  is  greater  by  far  than  would 
readily  be  supposed,  and  the  amount  of  work  of  that  kind  that  the  farmers  of 
Randolph  county  have  accomplished  since  first  the  white  man's  ax  became  a 
factor  in  the  hum.an  problem  in  this  region,  is  past  all  belief.  The  ringing 
ax,  the  crashing  branches,  the  thundering  trunk,  the  resounding  maul,  the 
cracking  of  the  teamster's  whip,  all  the  various  noises  of  a  woodman's  life, 
have  for  ages  past  been  the  music  of  the  clearing. 

EARLY  HISTORY. 

A  few  settlers  found  their  way  upon  the  Mississinewa  very  early  in  the 
history  of  the  county.  When,  in  August,  1818,  the  first  election  was  held 
in  the  then  new  county  of  Randolph,  several  families  resided  in  the  Missis- 
sinewa  valley  and  most  of  them  east  of  Deerfield.  Just  who  were  there  at 
that  early  tim.e  cannot  now  with  certainty  be  determined.  The  first  entry 
in  the  Mississinewa  valley  and  in  Ward  township  as  well,  appears  to  have 
been  near  the  river  and  not  far  from  the  east  side  of  the  township.  It  com- 
prised a  whole  section,  section  13,  township  21,  range  14,  and  was  entered  by 
James  Strain.  We  have  not  met  his  name  in  any  account  of  the  primitive 
settlement  of  the  valley. 

The  next  entry  was  by  Daniel  Richardson.  The  land  lay  directly  north 
of  Strain's  section,  and  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  June  10,  181 7,  or  three 
weeks  after-  Richardson's  (entry,  eight  other  entries  were  made,  all  quarter 
sections  but  one,  one  thousand  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  all.  The 
parties  were  James  Wilson,  Benjamin  l^ewallyn,  David  Kite,  Daniel  Kite, 
James  and  John  Jacobs,  Joel  Canady,  James  Reed.  These  tracts. all  lay  in 
sections  7,  8,  9  and  10.  These  lands  extended  from  Burkett  Pierce's  on  the 
west,  to  one  and  one-half  miles  east  of  Deerfield,  three  miles  in  length,  but 
did  not  include  the  town  itself.  With  Meshach  Lewallyn's  and  James  Strain's, 
the  whole  extent  of  the  river  for  seven  miles  had  been  taken  up,  except  one 
and  three-fourths  miles  in  two  "gaps."  In  the  course  of  three  years  or  by 
October,  1820,  most  of  the  rest  of  the  land  on  and  near  the  river  and  several 
tracts  along  Mud  and  Hickory  and  Goshen  creeks  had  been  purchased. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  959 

Martin  Boots  and  Henry  Kizer  had  located  on  Mud  creek,  the  latter  far 
lip  near  Stone  Station.  James  and  Tense  Massey,  Allen  Wall  and  others, 
had  settled  on  the  river  east  of  Deerfield.  Robert  Taylor  was  on  the  creek 
which  conies  from  the  north  to  the  Mississinewa,  at  the  Ritenour  church. 
Samuel  Cain,  Jeremiah  Lindsay,  Jacob  Weaver  and  William  Jackson  had 
entered  land  on  Hickory  creek,  south  of  Deerfield.  James  Jacobs  had  entered 
the  Ritenour  land.  Joseph .  Hinshaw  entered  the  land  embracing  the  west 
part  of  Deerfield,  June  23,  18 17.  The  east  part  was  in  section  16  and  there- 
fore school  land. 

But  though  the  Mississinewa  valley  was  nearly  all  occupied  within  three 
or  four  years,  or  by  the  close  of  1820,  yet  the  growth  of  the  region  was  ex- 
ceedingly slow.  The  valley  was  isolated.  The  settlers  could  scarcely  get  out 
in  any  direction.  They  were  away  from  any  great  route  of  travel.  One  of 
the  chief  western  thoroughfares  passed  through  Winchester  and  connected 
the  central  portion  and  the  White  river  valley  with  the  world  at  large.  But 
not  so  with  the  Mississinewa.  The  regions  north  did  not  open  till  1835  to 
1837,  a,nd  then  only  was  the  whole  county  occupied  and  the  world  "swallowed 
them  Up"  with  settlements  on  every  side.  Deerfield  sprang  up  and  for  many 
years  became  an  important  trade  center.  The  swamps  between  Winchester 
and  Deerfield  stood  almost  as  an  impassable  barrier  until  a  late  period.  As 
late  as  1859,  there  was  a  "corduroy  bridge"  on  that  northern  road,  one  and 
one-fourth  miles  long.  Imagine  the  road  then,  thirty  or  forty  years  before 
that  time.  But  the  forests  have  been  cleared  and  the  swamps  drained  and 
the  northern  "pike"  has  been  built  and  Ward  township  has  gained  full  con- 
nection with  the  rest  of  the  world. 

Through  the  whole  county  and  in  Ward  township  as  well,  religion  found 
early  and  effective  entrance.  As  soon,  perhaps,  as  1823  or  1824,  may  be 
even  before  that,  the  "circuit  riders"  had  ridden  through  swamps  and  crossed 
those  creeks  and  found  and  fed  those  sheep  in  the  wilderness.  Meetings 
were  had  at  Riley  Marshall's,  Allen  Wall's  and  elsewhere  east  of  Deerfield, 
and  at  some  friendly  dwelling  west,  perhaps  at  Mr.  Ritenour's.  But  very 
early  Ritenour's  meeting-house  was  built  and  that  graveyard  established, 
and  not  long  afterward  the  old  Prospect  meeting-house  was  erected  and  that 
second  cemetery  also  dedicated  to  the  memory  of  the  dead  ones  dear.  Two 
generations  have  come  and  gone  and  those  now  ancient  meeting-houses  have 
completed  their  work  and  fulfilled  their  mission.  How  many,  many  times 
have  their  sacred  walls  echoed  the  sound  of  the  Gospel  message  as  it  fell  upon 
the  eager  ears  of  the  scores  or  even  hundreds  of  anxious  listeners  gathered 
from  their  simple  forest  homes  to  take  part  in  the  holy  service  and  fped  their 


960  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

longing  souls  with  heavenly  manna.  Still,  schools  were  foiuid  even  there. 
The  log  cabin,  the  huge  stick  drimney,  the  greased  paper  lights,  the  split 
pole  seats,  the  puncheon  floors,  the  slab  writing  desks  against  the  wall,  were 
prepared  by  these  forest  dwellers  and  not  a  few  who  have  since  "made  their 
mark"  among  men  had  their  "start"  in  the  wooden  schoolhouses  of  Ward 
township.  Hon.  Thomas  Ward,  Hon.  Enos  L.  Watson,  Thomas  Kizer, 
Esq.,  Col.  Martin  B.  Miller,  Isaac  Jenkinson  and  more  besides,  emerged  from 
those  dim  forest  shades,  into  the  bri^ter  sunshine  of  the  county-seat  or  else- 
where. Mr.  Ward  says  that  he  never  attended'  any  school  in  his  life  except 
those  taught  in  a  greased  paper  log  cabin. 

Ward  Entries — James  Strain,  Section  13,  21,  14,  i8i6.;  Daniel  Richard- 
son, S.  W.  12,  21,  14,  1817;  James  Willson,  N.  W.  10,  21,  14,  1817;  James 
Willson,  W.  S.  W.  ID,  21,  14,  1817;  Benjamin  Lewallyn,  S.  E.  7,  21,  14, 
1817;  David  Kite,  N.  E.  8,  21,  14,  1817;  Daniel  Kite,  S.  E.  8,  21'',  14,  1817; 
James  and  John  Jacobs,  S.  W.  8,  21,  14,  1817;  Joel  Canady,  N.  E.  9,  2i>  14, 
1817;  James  Reed;  Jacob  Graves,  S.  W.  7,  21,  14,  1817;  James  Reed,  S.  W. 
9,  21,  14,  1817;  David  Connor,  N.  W.  9,  21,  14,  1817;  Joseph  Hinshaw,  N.  E. 
17,  26,  14,  1817;  James  Jacobs,  N.  E.  18,  21,  14,  1817;  John  S.  Reed,  E.  N. 
W.  17,  21,  14,  1817;  James  Massey,  W.  S.  W.,  11,  21,  14,  1818;  Tence 
Massey,  E.  S.  E.  10,  21,  14,  1818;  Robert  Taylor,  N.  W.  8,  21,  14,  1818; 
Richard  Beeson,  N.  E.  21,  21,  14,  1818;  Samuel  Cain,  E.  S.  W.  21,  21,  14, 
1818;  James  Massey,  N.  W.  24,  21,  14,  1818;  Joseph  Cravens,.  E.  N.  E.  14, 
21,  14,  1819;  William.  Jackson,  S.  E.  21,  21,  14,  1819;  Eli  Blount,  W.  S.  E. 
12,  21,  14,  1819;  John  Halt,  E.  N.  W.  28,  21,  14,  1819;  Jeremiah  Lindsey, 
W.  S.  W.  28,  21,  14,  1819;  Jacob  Weaver,  N.  E.  28,  21,  14,  1819;  Martin 
Boots,  E.  N.  E.  20,  21,  14,  1820;  Henry  Kizer,  N.  W.  29,  21,  14,  1820; 
Henry  Kizer,  N.  E.  31,  21.  14,  1820;  Henry  Kizer,  E.  S.  E.  30,  21,  14,  1822; 
William  Simmons,  N.  E.  S.  E.  12,  21,  14,  1826:  Samuel  Helm,  N.  W.  S.  E., 
24,  21,  14,  1826;  Samuel  Hodges,  S.  E.  S.  W.  5,  21,  14,  1826;  James  G.  Birney, 
E.  S.  E.  29,  21,  14,  1826:  John  Baugh,  S.  E.  S.  E.  12,  21,  14,  1826;  Israel 
Taylor,  N.  E.  N.  W.  14,  21,  14,  1828;  Burkett  Pierce,  E.  X.  E.  7,  21,  14,  1832; 
Daniel  B.  Miller,  E.  N.  E.-,  2^,  21,  14,  1831;  Perry  Fields  (part  of)  16,  21, 
14,  1834;  Andrew  Key,  N.  E.  S.  E.  14,  21,  14,  1836. 

Ward  township  was  entered  mostly  between  1836  and  1838  inclusive, 
during  which  time  an  immense  amotmt  of  land  was  purchased  in  Randolph 
county  of  the  United  States  and  great  numbers  of  families  took  up  their 
abode  within  its  limits.  Among  the  chief  settlers  on  the  Mississinewa  may 
be  named  Burkett  Pierce,  Joab  Ward,  Elias  Kizer,  Daniel  B.  Miller,  William 
Simmons,  Messrs.  Ritenour,  Parsons,  Cain  and  others  not  now  in  memory. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  961 

Mr.  Parsons  built  the  first  mill  on  the  Mississinewa  after  Lewallyn's  at  Ridge- 
ville.  That  mill  stood  some  years ;  was  washed  away  and  Mr.  Ritenour  built 
another  one  hundred  yards  lower  down. 

Joab  Ward's  house  was  the  scene  of  the  encounter  of  the  Indians  with 
Ward  and  Kizer  and  the  shooting  of  Fleming  in  the  bushes  by  Jesse  and  John 
Gray  was  near  by.  David  Connor's  trading  house  was  above  Deerfield  and 
the  Mississinewa  valley  witnessed  many  early  trials  and  perils  springing  from 
the  whisky  so  freely  dealt  by  the  traders  of  those  times  to  those  poor  natives 
of  the  forest  wilds.  But  those  were  days  of  ignorance.  The  children  of 
many  of  the  whisky-sellers  of  pioneer  times  are  among  the  most  sturdy  advo- 
cates of  total  abstinence  of  the  present  day.  Let  our  motto~  be,  "Out  of  the 
darkness,  into  the  light."  Rather  than  widely  parade  in  unseemly  promin- 
ence any  of  the  evil  traits  in  the  characters  of  the  ancestral  dwellers,  it  were 
better  to  follow  the  primal  example  of  filial  affection,  and,  like  the  children 
of  Noah  of  old,  taking  a  garment  upon  the  shoulders  of  two  with  mingled 
feelings  of  reverence  and  sorrow  lovingly  to  shield  the  unsightly  failings 
from  public  gaze  and  in  the  full  noontide  radiance  of  this  latter  day,  walk 
ever  forward  toward  the  light,  onward  and  upward,  ever  into  the  light,  honor- 
ing our  fathers  for  their  heroism,  copying  filially  their  virtues,  shunning  their 
failings,  that  our  pathway  may  be  like  "the  path  of  the  just,  shining  more 
and  more  unto  the  perfect  day." 

ROADS. 

Three  old  routes  of  travel  passed  through  Ward  township — from  Win- 
chester to  Ridgeville ;  from  Winchester  to  Portland  via  Deerfield,  and  from 
Greenville  northwest  through  Deerfield,  Ridgeville  and  Fairview. 

The  smooth  and  gravelly  surface,  the  solid  highway,  is  widely  in  con- 
trast to  the  "corduroy"  that  used  to  stretch  its  rough  and  weary  length  for 
miles  and  miles  at  intervals  toward  the  northern  regions — northward,  con- 
stantly northward,  farther  and'  still  farther,  across  swamps,  through  jungles, 
over  creeks  and  rivers,  through  bottomless  morasses,  into  the  gloomy,  over- 
shadowing forests,  those  rude  paths,  those  primitive  roads — they  could  not 
be  called  highways — would  unroll  their  endless  extent.  And  now  these  awful 
"corduroys,"  which  used  to  jerk  and  shake  and  pound  and  rattle,  with  their 
endless  "pounce"  and  "bounce,"  by  sunlight  and  starlight,  in  rain  or  in  shine, 
come  winter  come  summer,  do  that  fearful  work  no  more  forever !    - 

TOWNS. 

Deerfield. — Location,  sections  i6  and  17,  21,  14,  south  side  of  Missis- 
sinewa river.     The  village  was  laid  out  in  1833  by  Messrs.  Curtis  &  Butler 


962  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

and  surveyed  by  D.  W.  McNeil,  of  Portland.  The  town  is  located  north  of 
Winchester  on  the  state  road  laid  out  from  Greenville  west,  and  running 
.by  Fairview  into  Delaware  county.  A  pike  connects  the  place  with  Win- 
chester. The  "Pan  Handle"  (P.  C.  &  St.  L.)  railroad  is  within,  about  a  mile 
south  of  the  town.  In  1837,  four  log  cabins  constituted, the  sum  total  of  that 
embryo  town.  In  one  of  them,  Henry  Taylor  played  at  keeping  hotel  and  also 
sold  whisky.  In  another,  Henry  Sweet  worked  as  a  blacksmith.  Jonathan 
Thomas  lived  near  and  was  a  farmer.  William  Anderson  was  also  a  resident 
but  what  was  his  occupation  is  to  us  utterly  unknown.  Edward  Edger  came 
there  to  show  the  dwellers  in  those  woods  what  could  be  accomplished  in  the 
business  of  a  merchant,  bringing  with  him  a  magnificent  stock  of  goods,  the 
value  of  which  could  not  have  been  less  than  $200.  After  a  time,  a  second  store 
was  opened  by  John  Jenkinson.  A  somewhat  amusing  instance  of  apparent 
larceny  occurred  in  connection  with  Mr.  Jenkinson's  stock  of  goods.  Some 
ribbons  were  missing  and  in  these  days  the  absence  of  a  few  rolls  of  ribbons 
would  be  readily  discovered.  The  lost  treasure  was  looked  for  high  and  low 
and  were  given  over  at  last  as  having  been  stolen.  They  had  been  stolen  in 
fact,  but  iiot  by  felonious  biped  burglars.  They  were  found  weeks  after- 
w^ard  in  a  mouse  hole  in  one  of  the  logs  of  the  wall.  George  Ritenour  owned 
a  mill  one  mile  below  Deerfield  very  early,  as  he  was  one  among  the  very 
first  settlers  in  the  region.  The  village  grew  at  one  time  to  be  of  consider- 
able size  and  was  in  early  days  the  center  of  a  large  and  'prosperous  trade,  the 
best  time  in  that  respect  being  from  1845  to  1855.^  Much  grain  and  stock 
changed  hands  there;  many  goods  were  sold;  a  woolen  factory,  a  grist-mill, 
etc.,  were  built  and  altogether,  that  town  became  a  lively  place. 

But  the  era  of  railroads  in  this  region  began  and  drew  the  current  of 
business  elsewhere.  Especially  since  the  Union  &  Logansport  and  the  R.  & 
G.  R.  R.'s  have  been  made  has  the  town  rapidly  declined.  At  one  time  a 
grist-mill  had  a  great  run  of  business,  people  coming  from  Wabash,  Center- 
ville,  Greenville,  etc.  There  were  other  mills,  but  the  Deerfield  mill  had  a 
great  reputation  and  drew  much  custom  from  an  extensive  region. '  At  one 
time  Deerfield  was  the  only  postoffice  between  Winchester  and  Fort  Wa)me. 

Randolph. — Location,  on  Pan  Handle  railroad,  eleven  miles  west  of 
Union  City,  one  mile  south  of  (old)  Deerfield,  three  miles  east  of  Ridgeville. 
Recorded  May,  1867;  seventy- four  lots,  44x125  feet.  The  growth  of  the 
place  has  been  slow,  and  it  is  yet  quite  small,  being  too  near  Ridgeville  (a 
point  where  two  important  railroads  cross  each  other)  for  extensive  trade. 
Some  business,  however,  is  done  and  considerable  grain  and„ stock  are  handled. 

Saratoga. — Location,  section  25,  21,  14,  on  Pan  Handle  railroad,  fiftj^- 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  963 

two  lots;  J.  C.  Albright,  proprietor.  Recorded  August  lo,  1875.  The  town 
was  begun  under  the  name  of  Warren  Station,  about  1867,  when  the  Pan- 
Handle  railroad  was  built,  though  the  plat  seems  not  to  have  been  recorded 
till  1875.  It  grew  up  immediately  upon  the  completion  of  the  Union  & 
Logansport  railroad  and  has  become  the  center  of  some  trade.  In  1880, 
there  were  three  stores.  It  now  has  one  bank,  one  posto'ffice,  one  hotel,  one 
schoolhouse,  two  churches — United  Brethren,  frame,  1870;  Methodist  Epis- 
copal, brick,  1877,  also  all  merchandise  is  handled  here;  one  cemetery.  The 
town  has  some  growth  and  does  a  fair  business.  It  is  seven  miles  from 
Union  City,  four  miles  from  Randolph  and  five  miles  from  Deerfield. 

Stone  Station  (Clark  Post  Office) — Small  unincorporated  town  and 
station  on  Richmond  &  Grand  Rapids  railroad  on  sections  30  and  31,  21,  14, 
four  miles  from  Winchester  and  four  miles  from  Ridgeville.  It  is  not  a  laid 
out  town  but  a  small  station  on  the  Richmond  &  Fort  Wayne  railroad,  started 
about  the  time  of  the  completion  of  that  road,  1870.  The  place  is  small  with 
but  little  business.  A  fearful  casualty  occurred  at  the  place  in  March,  1882. 
The  boiler  of  a  steam  saw-mill  exploded,  killing  several  persons  outright  and 
wounding  others. 

BIOGRAPHY. 

Benjamin  Clevenger  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  181 6  and  came  to  Ran- 
dolph county,  Indiana,  about  1850;  married  first  in  Pennsylvania  but  lost  his 
wife  there  and  was  married  again  in  Randolph  county,  in  185 1.  His  second 
wife  was  Sarah  Ann  Smiley,  who  was  born  in  1838  and  whose  parents  moved 
to  Randolph  county  the  same  year.  Mr.  Clevenger  moved  to  Pennsylvania 
after  living  awhile  here,  but  he  returned  again  and  took  up  his  permanent 
abode  two  miles  east  of  Deerfield  on  the  Greenville  state  road.  He  had  only 
three  children.  He  was  a  thriving  farmer,  owning  about  one  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  land;  a, Democrat  in  politics  and  township  trustee  during  two 
terms,  1876-80. 

William  Doty  was  born  in  Maryland.  He  came  to  Butler  county,  Ohio, 
and  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  the  latter  removal  having  been  made  in 
1828.  He  was  the  father  of  eleven  children.  Mr.  Doty  was  a  farmer, 
residing  just  across  the  Mississinewa  river  from  Deerfield. 

Samuel  Emery. — Among  the  quaint  personages  of  the  pioneer  times  of 
Randolph  county,  Samuel  Emery  was  conspicuous.  We  regret  that  no  de- 
tailed history  of  him  has  been  obtained.  He  was  an  early  settler,  among  the 
first  and  he  died  a  very  old  man,  yet  no  one  has  been  found  who  can  give  a 
definite  history  of  his  life.     Andrew  Aker  in  his  "reminiscences,"  furnishes 


964  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

a  hint  from  which  to  draw  a  picture  of  the  odd,  quaint,  sturdy,  hrave,  honest 
backwoodsman.  He  says,  in  substance :  "There  cjipe  to  my  store  in  Win- 
chester a  strange,  uncouth-looking  fellow  with  a  byndle  of  skins  on  his  back. 
His  pants  were  buckskin  and  ripped  up  to  the  knee ;  the  rim  of  his  straw  hat 
was  half  torn  off,  his  shoes  were  ragged  and  tied  up  with  hickory  bark  and 
everything  else  in  proportion.  He  wished  to  'trade  out'  his  roll  of  buckskins. 
He  got  several  articles;  we  reckoned  up  and  found  the  account  nearly  even. 
He  then  said,  'I  wish  to  get  some  ^jther  things— powder,  lead  and  flints ;  will 
3''ou  trust  me?'  I  asked  Charles  Conway.  'Oh,  Sam  Emery  is  all  right;  he 
is  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  out  on  the  Mississinewa.'  So  I  'trusted'  him, 
and  he  paid  promptly.  He  traded  much  with  me  afterward,  dealing  always 
fairly  like  the  honorable  man  that  he  was."  Samuel  Emery  lost  some  money 
and  was  considerably  worried,  for  "money  was  money"  in. those  times;  be- 
sides, no  one  likes  to  lose  a  thing  by  having  it  stolen  at  any  time. 

Edward  Edger,  then  at  Deerfield,  thinking  perhaps  he  could  guess  where 
the  money  had  gone,  since  "boys  will  be  boys,"  and  sometimes  think  they 
need  more  than  their  "pap"  thinks  they  do,  advised  Mr.  Emery  to  a  certain 
course  which  he  followed  faithfully.  He  took  the  Bible  and  read  a  certain 
chapter  five  nights  in  succession  and  told  his  family  that  he  was  doing  it  to 
find  out  who  took  his  money  and  that  the  one  who  had  taken  it  would  die  on 
the  fifth  night.  The  last  night  as  the  old  man  took  down  the  Bible  for  the 
fifth  time  and  began  to  read,  one  of  the  boys_  sang  out,  "Stop,  dad;  you  might 
have  a  death  in  your  own  family!"  He  stopped  and  made  no  more  inquiry 
for  his  money. 

Perry  Fields  lived  east  of  Deerfield  on  the  old  state  road.  He  was  born 
in  North  Carolina  in  1802.  His  father  moved  to' Tennessee  in  1804.  Perry 
Fields  married  Millie  Bragg  in  1826,  and  in  1833  they  emigrated  to  Randolph 
county,  settling  in  Ward  township.  He  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
in  the  school  section  and  soon  after,  forty  acres  more.  He  kept  on  buy- 
ing at  various  times  until  he  owned  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres.  They 
had  five  children.  Mr.  Fields  was  a  Methodist  and  a  Democrat.  Mrs.  Fields 
died  very  suddenly  in  the  early  winter  of  1880.  She  was  found  in  the  morn- 
ing, just  before  breakfast,  sitting  in  her  chair  dead.  She  had  been  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  church  for  nearly  sixty  years ;  in  fact,  ever  since  she  was  a 
young  girl.      [Perry  Fields  died  August,  1882,  aged  eighty  years.] 

Jesse  Gray  was  born  September  9,  1789,  at  Newberry,  South  Carolina. 
His  mother  was  a  native  of  Ireland  and  his  father,  having  been  born  in  Mary- 
land, fought  through  the  war  of  the  Revolution  and  emigrated  to  Wayne 
county,  Indiana,  in  1810.     Jesse  Gray  married  Sarah  Stone  in  1808  and  in 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  965 

181 1,  in  company  with  a  brother-in-law,  they  set  out  for  Indiana,  the  wives, 
children  and  niovables  "being  brought  upon  horses  equipped  with  pack-sad- 
dles." They  did  not  sleep  under  a  roof  upon  the  route,  but,  finding  some 
relatives  in  Knox  county;  Kentucky,  they  stopped  there,  doing  this  the  more 
willingly  since  the  Indians  north  of  the  Ohio  river  were  hostile ;  the  war  with 
England  was  at  hand,  and  the  Indians  mostly  sided  with  the  British.  At  the 
first  call  for  volunteers,  Jesse  Gray  answered  the  call  and  joined  the  first 
company  from  that  region.  They  were  placed  under  General  Harrison's 
command  at  Cincinnati  and  served  in  northwestern  Ohio.  Returning  from 
the  war  at,  its  close,  he  found  a  wife  overjoyed  to  see  her  husband  once  more, 
no  word  from  him  having  reached  her  ears  during  his  absence.  They  next 
moved  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  soon  afterward  to  Butler  county,  Ohio, 
'  and  in  1820,  according  to  his  memory,  they  emigrated  to  the'banks  of  the 
Mississinewa  river,  in  Randolph  county,  where  he  spent  the  time  upon  which 
in  his  old  age  he  looked  back  as  his  happiest  years.  His  life  was,  however, 
by  no  means  quiet,  but  full  rather  of  adventure  and  romance.  Deer-hunting, 
bear-killing,  Indian-shooting  and  such  like  were  but  the  events  of  his  every- 
day career.  He  roamed  the  forests  far  and  wide,  Wayne,  Randolph  and  Jay 
counties,  and  we  know  not  how  much  larger  a  scope  of  country,  were  the 
scenes  of  his  wild  pranks  and  his  narrow  escapes.  Northern  Randolph  is 
full  of  verbal  reminiscences  of  the  old  hunter,  but  accurate  details  are  never- 
.theless  not  easily  obtained.  When  Fleming,  the  Indian,  was  killed  at 
Lewallyn's  by  Jesse  Gray  and  Smith,  the  mulatto  whom  Fleming  had 
Avounded,  Gray  was  living  on  Mud  creek  near  EHas  Kizer's.  On  account  of 
the  trouble  arising  from  that  homicide,  he  left  the  county  and  the  state  ancT 
resided  for  several  years  near  Hill  Grove,  Ohio.  Mr.  Clapp,  resident  near 
Deerfield,  saw  him  at  Bridge's  Mill,  below  Greenville  in  1826.  Tyre  Puckett 
says  that  Jesse  Gray  was.  indicted  for  the  killing  of  Fleming  and  that  his 
father,  Joseph  Puckett,  was  one  of  the  grand  jury  that  found  the  indictment. 
William  Warren  says  he  was  at  Jesse  Gray's  house  in  1832  and  that  he  resided 
then  near  Hill  Grove,  Darke  county,  Ohio.  A  lady  resident  near  Deerfield 
says  that  her  sister  lived  on  old  Jesse  Gray's  place  five  years,  from  about 
1845  to  1849,  ^i^d  *^l''^t  '^^^  north  of  the  Loblolly,  near  the  line  of  Adams 
and  Wells  counties ;  that  he  was  then  a  very  old  man  with  a  number  of  great- 
grandchildren, and  great-great-grandchildren.  Judge  Wharry,  of  Greenville, 
an  old  man  and  an  almost  life-long  resident  of  that  town,  says  that  Jesse  Gray, 
as  early  as  1824,  had  killed  the  Indian  Fleming,  had  fled  from  Randolph  on 
account  of  it  and  was  living  near  Hill  Grove.  He  had  a  good  farm  there 
of  one  hundred  acres,  but  was  a  famous  hunter.     Judge  Wharry  says  he  has 


966  RANDOLPH   county;,   INDIANA. 

bought  great  quantities  of  furs  and  deerskins  from  Jesse  Gray  while  he_  dwelt 
at  Hill  Grove  and  also  that  Mr.  Gray  must  have  moved  away  to.  the  "Loblolly" 
about  1840.  Darke  county  history  mentions  Jesse  Gray  as  settling  probably 
the  first  in  Jackson  township,  a  mile  or  two  from  tJnion  City,  Ohio,  and  not 
far  from  Hill  Grove.  After  residing  for  many  years  north  of  the  Loblolly, 
he  is  said  to  have  removed  to  Jay  county,  in  the  region  of  Camden,  and  to 
have  died  there  some  years  ago.  His  father,  John  Gray,  is  thought  to  have 
lived  and  died  one  mile  north  of  Dfeerfield,  having  had  eleven  children.  Jesse 
Gray  himself  was  twice  married  and  had  a  large  family.  His  brother, 
Plezekiah,  went  to  Texas  and  died  there.  £| 

Henry  Kizer  was  born  in- Botetourt  county,  Virginia,  in  1776;  came  to 
Ross  county,  Ohio,  and  then  to  Randolph  county,  in  1821.  He  had  entered 
land  in  1820;  east  of  Stone  Station,  in  Ward  township.  His  wife  was  born 
in  1770,  being  six  years  older  than  her  husband.  He  died  August  12,  1823, 
and  his  wife  died  the  next  day,  August  13,  1823,  both  in  middle  life.  They 
were  earnest  Methodists.  Thomas  W.  Kizer,  in  speaking  of  his  grandmother, 
when  looking  at- the  old  family  Bible,  feelingly  remarked:  "There  is  not  a 
word  in  this  old  book  that  grandmother  has  not  read  over  and  over."  They 
had  four  children,  all  sons — Elias,  Henry,  Adam,.  William. 

Daniel  Mock  was  born  in  Rowan  county,  North  Carolina,  in  1784^  com- 
ing afterwardto  Greene  county,  Ohio;  he  was  in  the  war  of  1812,  receiving 
afterward  a  pension  as  a  soldier.  He  became  a  settler  in  Ward  township  in 
1824,  fixing  his  location  on  Clear  creek.  Mr.  Mock  had  ten  children,  eight 
of  whom  were  married. 

John  Mock,  the  son  of  Daniel  Mock,*  settled  east  of  Deerfield,  on  Clear 
creek,  being  born  in  181 1  and  coming  there  with  his  father  from  Ohio  in 
1824.  John  Mock  married  Elizabeth  Cain,  and  also  Miss  Watson,  a  sister 
of  Hon.  E.  L.  Watson,  of  Winchester,  Indiana.  Mr.  Mock  had  a  large 
family ;  was  a  farmer  and  a  merchant  of  Deerfield  and  a  prominent  citizen  in 
Randolph  county. 

Amos  Orcutt  was  born  in  1825,'  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  coming  with  his 
father  to  Randolph  county,  in  1838.  He  married  in  1848,  Phoebe  Ann  Sutton 
and  had  six  children.  He  resided  twd  and  a  half  miles  'northwest  of  Deer- 
field. 

Burkett  Pierce  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1793.     His  father  and  mother 
were  Samuel  and  Delilah  Pierce  and  they  moved  to  Ross  county,  Ohio,  in 
1800,  ten  miles  from  Chillicothe.  Afr.  Pierce  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Ward, 
daughter  of  Joab  Ward  and  sister  of  Thomas  Ward  in  1815,  she  having  been  ' 
born  in  1797.     They  moved  to  near  Deerfield,  Randolph  county  in  1819  or 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA.  967 

1820,  and  Mr.  Pierce  resided  in  the  same  vicinity  until  his  death.  His  wife 
departed  this  Hfe  in  1859,  aged  about  sixty-two  years.  Their  children  have 
been  seyen  in  number,  to-wit:  Matilda,  born  in  18 16,  married  Jeremiah  L. 
Mock,  had  eight  children  and  died  in  1876;  Uriah,  born  in  18 18,  married 
Martha  A.  Mock,  had  six  children  and  died  in  1 878 ;  Delila,  died  an  infant ; 
James  married  Mercy  Whipple,  had  thirtefen  children,  three  pairs  of  twins; 
Joel  married  Sarah  Collins  and  Julia  Sherman,  the  last  having  one  child ; 
Nancy,  1828  (W.  C.  King),  no  children;  Sarah,  1832. 

John  B.  Sipe  is  the  son  of  Samuel  Sipe,  of  Ward  township.  He  joined 
Company  C,  Ninetieth  Indiana  Regiment  (Fifth  Cavalry),  August  8,  1862, 
.  and  served  nearly  three  years,-  receiving  his  discharge  after  the  close  of  the 
war,  June  30,  1865.  Two  of  his  brothers  were  in  the  same  company,  viz., 
Isaac  and  Martin  (Van  Buren).  The  latter  was  prisoner  of  war  at  Rich- 
mond, Belle  Isle  and  Andersoiiville  for  many  months,  but  was  at  length  set 
free  and  joined  his  regiment.  They  were  all  mustered  out  together.  He 
resided  on  the  old  homestead.  The  voters  of  Ward  township  chose  him  as 
their  trustee  in  the  spring  of  1880. 

John  H.  Sipe  was  a  farmer  of  Ward  township.  He  was  born  in  Bed- 
ford county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1802;  married  Mary  Brubaker  in  1824,  came 
to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1842;  has  had  nine  children.  In  the  early 
time  of  his  settlement  here,  he  engaged  extensively  in  teaming  and  made  much 
money  in  that  way.  John  Thomas  and  Perry  Fields  had  had  a  saw-mill  near 
Mr.  Sipe's,  where  the  state  road  crosses  Clear  creek,  east  of  Deerfield.  Mr. 
Sipe  rebuilt  the  mill  and  kept  it  in  operation  till  the  spring  of  1880. 

Samuel  Sipe  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1798;  married  Barbara  Bru- 
baker in  1823  and  came  to  Ward  township,  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in 
1847.  They  had  ten  children.  He  entered  no  land,  as  he  came  to  the  county 
too  late  for  that.  He  owned,  however,  two  hundred  and  forty  acres;  was 
a  thriving,  prosperous  farmer,  a  prominent  and  energetic  citizen  and  was  a 
member  of  the  Democratic  party  in  politics.  He  died  in  1875,  being  about 
seventy-seven  years  old  and  was  buried  in  Deerfield  cemetery,  near  the  old 
chapel  west  of  the  town.  His  wife  survived  her  husband.  She  died  October 
8,  1882. 

Temple  Smith  was  born  in  1806,  in  Adair  county,  Kentucky;  went  to 
Highland  county,  Ohio,  in  181 1,  and  came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in 
1819.  He  resided  thirty-six  years  west  of  Bloomingsport — six  years  at 
Bueha  Vista,  two  years  at  Farmland  and  fifteen  years  east  of  Stone  Station, 
Ward  township.  He  married  Priscilla  Crossley'in  1827  (born  in  1809). 
They  had  twelve  children.     His  wife  died  in  January,  1882. 


968  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

Allen  Wall  was  among  the  very  first  residents  of  the  Mississinewa  valley, 
above  Deerfield.  He  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  tibout  1779.  His  wife's 
maiden  name  was  Sarah  Beechy  and  they  had  ten  children,  all  grown  and 
married.  Mr.  Wall  entered  forty  acres  about  two  miles  east  of  Deerfield, 
north  of  the  Mississinewa,  settling  in  the  region  about  1817-18.  Samuel 
Emery  lived  not  very  far  away,  "though  he  came  years  later.  Mr.  Wall  died 
in  1835,  aged  about  fifty-six.  His  wife  died  in  1841.  Nearly  the  only 
settlers  east  of  Deerfield  in  1819  were  the  Masseys  and  the  Jacksons.  Robert, 
James  and  Tense  Massey  were  there  some  time  before.  James,  at  least,  was 
in  the  county  and  on  the  Mississinewa  in  the  summer  of  i8i8.-  James  and 
Tense  Massey  appear  to  have  made  their  first  entry  in  sections  10  and  11, 
January  26,  1818,  and  William  Jackson  in  section  21,  October  2,  1819.  Mr. 
Wall  was  a  farmer  and  he  and  his  people  were  Methodists.  It  is  likely  that 
he  was  a  Democrat,  as  most  (though,  indeed,  not  all)  of  the  dwellers  in  that 
region  were  and  are  of  that  political  faith. 

John  R.  Warren  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  18 13;  came  to  Wayne 
county,  Indiana,  in  1821,  and  married  Ann  Newton  in  1834;  moved  to  Ward 
township,  Randolph  county,  in  1836;  entered  160  acres  of  land  and  shortly 
afterward  160  more.  He  owned  at  one  time  980  acres  and  had  it  all  under 
fence.  His  first  wife  died  in  April,  1878,  and  his  second  wife. in  October, 
1S79.     He  has  had  ten  children. 

Jason  Whipple,  Deerfield,  was  born  in  1804,  in  Rhode  Island;  came  to 
Delaware  county,  Ohio,  in  1817;  married  Eliza  H.  Bass  in  Rhode  Island  in 
1824;  moved  to  Jay  county,  Indiana,  near  and  north  of  Liber  in  1836,  and 
to  Deerfield,  Randolph  county,  in  1847.  He  had  thirteen  children.  They 
reside  in  Randolph,  Jay  and  Adams  counties,  Indiana,  in  Missouri,  Minnesota 
and  still  elsewhere.  He  has  been  a  farmer,  a  mechanic  and  a  miller.,  Mr. 
Whipple  built  a  steam  grist-mill"  at  Deerfield  in  1855.  It  was  afterward 
owned  by  his  son,  Willis  Whipple.     He  was  twice  married. 

Thomas  L.  Addington,  farmer,  P  O.  Randolph,  was  a  native  of,  Wayne 
county,  Indiana,  and  was  born  January  26,  1829.  His  father,  James  Add- 
ington, was  a  native  of  South  Carolina  and  came  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana, 
in  1806.  About  the  year  1809,  he  married  Miss  Nancy  Lewallyn,  by  whom 
he  had  thirteen  children:  John  L.  (deceased),  William  (killed  by- lightning 
in  1852),  Benjamin  G.,  Rachel,  Thomas  L.  (our  subject),  Isaac  and  Mary. 
The  elder  Addington  died  in  Kansas  in  i860,  while  there  visiting  friends. 
His  father-in-law,  Meshach  Lewallyn,  came  to  this  county  about  the'  year 
18 t8',  and  erected  the  first  mill  on  the  Mississinewa  river.  He  came  with  his 
parents  to  this  county  in  1832  and  settled  in  the  woods;  he  attended  school 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,    INDIANA.  969 

in  a  log  cabin  witli  slab  seats,  greased  paper  windows  and  a  board,  supported 
on  pins  in  the  wall,  for  a  writing-desk.  He  was  married  in  September,  1852, 
to  Miss  Marybeth  Woodard,  by  whom  he  had  two  children — Melissa  anc 
William.  Mrs.  Addington  died  in  1854  and  in  1857  ^^  married  Miss  Nancy 
Pierce,  daughter  of  Burkett  Pierce.  By  her  he  had  four  children :  Mary- 
beth (deceased),  Elizabeth,  Els  worth  and  Anthony. 

David  Almonrode  (deceased)  was  born  in  Rockbridge  county,  Virginia, 
November  16,  1814,  and  was  a  son  of  George  and  Margaret  Almonrode;  he 
came  to  this  county  with  his  widowed  mother  about  the  year  1836;  he  was 
first  married,  June  7,  1838,  to  Miss  Esther -Bousman,  daughter  of  Adam 
Bousman,  an  early  settler  of  this  county.     They  had  six  children. 

Other  men  prominent  in  the  early  history  of  Ward  township  were : 
William  O.  King,  Elisha  L.  Lollar^  William  Montgomery,  Thomas  G.  Mullen, 
Uriah  Pierce,  David  Pogue,  Doctor  John  Purcell,  Jesse  Riddlebarger,  James 
A.  Sipe  (a  Mexican  soldier),  John  Smiley,  Walter  Smiley,  William  Stick, 
John  R.  Warren  and  Alexander  Vorhis.  Mr.  Vorhis  was  located  near  Deer- 
"  field  until  about  1890  at  which  time  he  moved  to  Winchester. 

Mr.  Vorhis  by  his  personal  characteristics  won  many  friends  and  enjoyed 
the  confidence  of  the  public.  In  1863  he  married  Hettie  M.  Drew,  Shelby 
county.  New  York. 

Wayne  Township. — Wayne  township  was  created  in  1838.  It  lies  on 
the  east  side  of  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  with  Jackson  township  north, 
Darke  county  east.  Greens  fork  township  on  the  south  and  White  River  town- 
ship at  the  west.  The  township  is  about  eight  miles  north  and  south  and  five 
miles  east  and  west,  containing  about  forty  sections,  It  lies  on  both  sides  of 
the  old  (Wayne's)  boundary,  embracing  most  of  township  17  and  the  south 
part  of  township  18  north,  range  i  west  and  the  north  part  of  township  19, 
and  all  of  township  20,  range  15  east.  It  is  located  upon  Greenville  and 
Dismal  creeks  and  also  on  White  river  and  Little  Mississinewa  river.  The 
surface  is  mostly  level  and  some  of  it  quite  low,  though  probably  its  entire 
extent  is  tillable  by  proper  drainage.  Greenville  creek  is  in  the  southeast, 
Dismal  in  the  central  east,  Little  Mississinewa  in  the  center  and  northeast  and 
White  rivet  in  the  west.  The  western  part  was  first  settled  in  1818  and 
onward.  The  first  settlers  were  at  Jericho.  Amos  Peacock,  Benoni  Hill, 
Hiram  Hill  and  Abram  Peacock  were  perhaps  the  first.  They  came  in  1818. 
Joshua  Foster  came  very  early  in  1 819  or  1820.  Robert  Murphy,  three  and 
a  half  miles  south  of  Union  City,  came  in  1834.  Settlers  in  that  region  and 
soon  after  were  James  Griffis,  in  1833;  Smith  Masterson.  William  Kennon 
lived  on  the  State  road  in  1832.     He  was  the  father  of  Smith  Kennon,  north- 


970  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

west  of  Bartonia.  John  Dixon  lived  one  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Murphy. 
Mr.  Green  lived  on  the  state  road.  The  first  important  mill  in  Wayne  town- 
.'^hip  was  Cox's,  on  White  river,  about  five  miles  east  of  Winchester,-  built  in 
1825.  It  was  sold  to  Joseph  and  Benjamin  Pickett  before  a  long  time  and 
bought  afterward  (1853)  by  William  Pickett  and  run  till  1864;  stood  idle 
through  five  dry  years  and  was  pulled  down  in  1870.  The  first  school  prob- 
ably was  in  Jericho  settlement,  among  the  Friends  in  1822  or  1823.  Matiam 
Hill  taught  the  school  in  Friends^  meeting-house,  with  twenty  or  tvventy-five 
pupils.pupils.  Friends'  meeting  was  established  about  1821  at  Jericho.  The  first 
school  near  Robert  Murphy's  he  said  was  about  1838.  Several  settlers  came 
in  that  year  and  the  neighbors  built  a  little  log  cabin  schoolhouse  with  no  win- 
dows, but  a  log  cut  out  for  light.  The  first  meeting-house  in  his  region  was  at 
.  South  Salem.  They  used  to  go  to  Coletown,  Ohio,  at  first  where  was  a 
Cgngregational  church.  The  members  of  the  Friends'  meeting  were  Benoni 
Plill,  Amos  Peacock,  Henry  Hill,  Abram  Peacock,  Elijah  Cox,  William  Cox. 
There  was  no  preacher  in  the  meeting  for  a  long  time.  The  first  one  in  the 
bounds  of  the  meeting  was  John  Jones.  It  was  a  quaint  but  afifecting  sight 
to  witness  those  faithful  souls  gathering  in  that  humble  woods  cabin  and 
sitting  in  utter  quiet,  without  a  word  of  prayer  or  exhortation  or  song,  wait- 
ing in  stillness 'oh  the  Lord  for  the  power  of  His  purifying  spirit  in  their 
hearts,  meeting  thus  week  by  week,  month  by  month,  year  by  year,  without 
weariness  and  without  failing,  humbly  and  in  love  both  with  God  and  with' 
men. 

Different  settlers  came  at  various  times.  Some  of  those  who  are  now 
prominent  came  later.  James  Grififis  moved  to  the  Grifiis  farm  in  about  1838 ; 
Norton,  near  Bartonia;  Graves,  old  town  of  Randolph;  Bailey,  who  kept  a 
store  and  tavern  just  east  of  Randolph  in  1846,  and  for  years  uerore  and 
after  came  very  early.  The  father  of  Thomas  S.  Kennon,  northwest  of 
Bartonia,  came  in  1830.  Mr.  Shockney,  father  of  Samuel  Shockney,  west 
o,f  Bartonia,  emigrated  from  Maryland  in  1840.  Williamson,  on  tlie  State 
Line  pike,  south  of  Union  City,  settled  there  in  about  1838.  Elihu  Cammack, 
on  the  S{:ate  road,  east  of  Bartonia,  settled  there  in  1846,  but  was  born  near 
Arba  in  18 17.  William  Pickett  settled  in  White  River  township  in  1828 
and  in  Wayne  township  at  the  Cox  Mill  property  in  1853.  The  Pollys  and 
the  Masons  came  in  early.  George  Thomas,  son  of  Benjamin  Thomas,  near 
Newport,  Indiana,  settled  in  Randolph  county  (Jericho),  in  1835,  and  his 
wife  in  Wayne  township  in  1818.  William  A.  Macy,  north  of  Elihu  Cam- 
mack,  dkme  there  in  1852.  John  Hartman,  northwest  of  William  A.  Macy. 
settled  there  in  1848.     Gullett,  west  of  Robert  Murphy's,  came  to  that-place 


•     RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA,  97I 

about  1836.  Poor  settled  near  the  Griffis  farm.  Joshua  Foster  came  to  the 
same  neighborhood  early — 1820  or  sooner;  Sheets,  north  of  Union,  in  1830. 

The  "Bee  Line,"  the  original  Indianapolis  &  Bellefontaine  road,  was  the 
second  road  in  the  state,  built  in  1851-53.  The  "Pan  Handle"  was  begun 
about  the  same  time,  and  constructed  to  Union  City  from  Columbus  soon 
after,  but  completed  to  Logansport  about  1867.  These  roads  are  now  parts 
respectively  of  two  immense  railroad  corporations,  holding  each  thousands  of 
miles  of  track  and  millions  of  dollars'  worth  of  fixtures  and  apparatus. 

,At  first,  emigrants  in  great  numbers  passed  westward  and  in  a  few  years 
vast  droves  of  cattle  came  East  on  the  same  route.  Many  persons  kept  hotel 
and  pasture  and  feed  stations  for  people  and  for  droves.  Immense  crowds 
of  cattle  used  to  go  East  along  this  route  during  twenty  or  thirty  years — in 
fact,  until  the  Bellefontaine  railroad  stopped  the  business,  in  1853 — seven  or 
eight  hundred  fat  cattle  would  be  in  a  single  drove.  The  road  would  be 
tracked  in  straight,  deep  hollows,  as  if  logs  had  been  "plumped"  down  length- 
wise and  taken  up,  leaving  a  huge  mark  across  the  road. 

In  Wayne  township,  James  Griffis  kept  one  of  the  chief  stations  for 
droves  for  many  years.  William  Robison,  whose  father  lived  not  far  east 
of  Winchester,  said  his  father  kept  a  tavern  and  also  fed  cattle  more  or  less. 
The  charges  seem  to  have  been  low  enough,  compared  with  these  times. 
The  price  for  man  and  horse  (supper,  lodging  and  breakfast  for  both)  was 
thirty-seven  and  a  half  cents.  He  says  also  that  the  boys  had  often  to  sleep 
in  the  barn  on  the  hay-mow  to  make  room  for  the  travelers  in  the  house.- 
The  business  of  feeding  droves  seems  to  have  been  lucrative.  At  least,  the 
men  who  followed  it  appear  generally  to  have  become  wealthy,  principally, 
perhaps,  for  two  reasons — first,  they  had  of  course  large  tracts  of  land  for 
pasture;  second,  the  feeding  gave  them  a  home  market  for  all  the  corn  and 
hay  they  could  raise.  The  business  of  keeping  tavern  was  indeed  important 
in  those  early  days.  When  all  the  travel  from  east  to  west  went  through 
"by  land."  great  means  of  accommodation  would  be  needed;  and,  as  it  is 
always,  a  public  demand  created  a  general  supply,  and  on  all  the  chief  roads 
and  in  every  town,  one  of  the  chief  occupations  used  to  be  to  keep  travelers. 

Entries  Of  land  were  made  in  Wayne  township  by  the  records  as  fol- 
lows: Jeremiah  Moffitt,  N.  W.  18,  20,  15,  160  acres,  December  t,  18 12; 
William  Chenoweth,  S.  E.  24,  17,  i,  160  acres,  Septernber  24,  1817;  William 
Chenoweth,  S.  E.  25,  17,  i,  160  acres,  September  24,  181 7;  Abram  Cheno- 
weth, N.  E.  26,  17,  I,  157.83  acres,  September  24,  1817;  Abram  Chenoweth, 
N.  W.  26,  17,  I,  157.83  acres,  September  24,  1817;  Abram  Chenoweth,  S.  W. 
26,  17,  I,  127.83  acres,  September  24,  1817;  Jeremiah  Cox,  section  19,  20,  15, 


972  RANDOLPH   COUNTy,   INDIANA 

640  acres,  February  6,  1818;  Abram  Peacock,  N.  E.  30,  20,  15,  i6e  acreSy 
April  15,  1818;  Henry  Hill,  E.  S.  E.  30,  20,  15,  80  acres,  April  15,  1818; 
Amos  Peacock,  E.  N.  E.  31,  20,  15,  80  acres,  April  15,  1818; 
Benoni  Hill,  E.  S.  E.  31.  20,  15,  80  acres,  April  15,  1818;  Jeremiah  Cox,  S.  E. 
18,  20,  15,  1,60  acres.  May  295  1818;  Christopher  Baker,  W.  S.  E.  20,  20,  15, 
80  acres,  May  17,  1818:  Joshua  Cox,  W.  N.  W.  30,  20,  15,  80  acres,  Decem- 
ber 10,  1822;  Amy  Cox,  W.  N.  E.  29,  20,  15,  80  acres,  September  24,  1824; 
Jefiferson  L.  Summers,  N.  W.  N.  K  33,  17,  i,  39.64  acres,  April  12,  1826; 
Solomon  Cox,  E.  N.  E.  29,  20,  15,  80  acres.  May  16,  1826;  Joshua  Bucking- 
ham, E.  N.  E.  6,  19,  15,  79.60  acreSj  August  11,  1826.  The  rest  of  the  town- 
ship, i.  e.,  th  great  body  of  the  land  therein,  lay  vacant  for  several  years, 
being  entered  chieiiy  from  1834  to  1838. 

•  •  The  first  entry  in  the  county  seems  to  have  been  made  within  the  present 
bounds  of  Wayne  township.  The  location  is  about  a  mile  west  of  Harrisville, 
on  the  White  river.  How  the  man  who  made  the  entry  got  away  in  there,  so 
far  from  any  settlement,  and  why  he  entered  that. particular  quarter-section, 
would  be  interesting  at  this  day  to  know,  but  probably  the  facts  will  be  for- 
ever hidden  in  the  tomb  of  the  forgotten  past.  This  entry  was  made  more 
than  a  year  before  the  first  settlement,  which  took  place  in  April,  18 14,  and 
some  fifteen  miles  southeast,  on  Nolan's  fork. 

The  next  entry  was  made  by  the  Chenoweths,  directly  east  of  Bartonia, 
on  Greenville  creek,  being  section  26,  17,  i,  a  part  of  which  is  still  owned  and 
occupied  by  the  widow  of  Abram  Chenoweth,  who  died  a  few  years  ago! 
Abram  Chenoweth,  the  father  of  the  Abram  of  later  days,  entered  three 
quarter-sections  in  section  26  on  both  sides  of  Greenville  creek,  in  1817.  Dur- 
ing the  winter  following  (February  6,  1818),  Jeremiah  Cox,  of  Wayne 
county,  who  had  been  employed  in  milling  for  years  in  that  region,  came  up 
to  White  river,  a  mile  or  two  above  Harrisville,  and  entered  a  whole  section 
— section  19,  20,  15 — on  both  sides  of  the  river,  with  a  view  of  erecting  mills 
after  awhile  in  that  new  county— a  purpose  which  he  accomplished  about 
1825.  The  same  year,  April  15,  1818,  Abram  arid  Amos  Peacock  and  Henry 
and  Benoni  Hill  made  entries  and  effected  a  settlement  shortly  after,  in  18 18. 
They  are  supposed  to  have  been  the  first  actual  settlers  in  Wayne  township. 

The  growth  of  this  region  was  but  slow.  After  the  Chenoweth  entries 
and  the  Jericho  colony,  but  little  was  done  till  many  years  later.  The  Cheno- 
weth land  was  not  settled  till  more  than  twenty  years  later  (1840).  Thfe 
Coxes,  the  Peacocks  and  Hills  came  in  from  Wayne  county  and  the  south, 
but  the  next  considerable  movement  entered  the  territory  south  of  Union 
City,  breaking  across  the  line  from  Ohio  and  the.  East. 


KANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  973 

The  Chenoweth  who  entered  the  land  so  early  in  Wayne  township 
(September  24,  181 7),  Hved  near  Spring  Hill,  Darke  county,  Ohio.  He  was 
the  grandfather  of  Abram  Chenoweth.  The  first  Chenoweth  who  resided 
on  the  land  was  Abram  Chenoweth,  cousin  of  the  one  spoken  of  just  above. 
He  made  the  settlement  about  1840. 

By  the  end  of  1826  only  eighteen  entries  had  been  made,  and  that  by 
fourteen  persons.  These  entries  comprised  about  thirty-one  hundred  acres. 
Nearly  all,  or  2,650  acres,  were  taken  up  in  a  few  months,  almost  at  first, 
from  September  24,  1817,  to  May  29,  1818,  by  the  settlement  of  Friends. 
They  lived  there,  nearly  in  seclusion,  -for  many  years,  having  communication 
with  the  White  River  settlers  toward  the  west,  but  not  much  any  other  way, 
except,  indeed,  to  go  to  the  Whitewater  mills  for  grinding,  and  the  White- 
water yearly  meeting  for  religious  purposes. 

The  first  religious  meeting  in  Wayne  township  was  probably  that  of  the 
Friends,  at  Jericho,  and  the  first  school  the  one  in  their  meeting-house. 

There  are  not  many  churches  in  this  township.  There  are,  outside  of 
Union  City,  only  four — Methodist,  at  Bartonia;  Friends',  at  Jericho;  Christ- 
ian, at  Harrisville;  and  Disciples,  at  Salem.  The  Friends  began  their  society 
about  1820;  the  church  at  Bartonia  was  built  about  1850;  the  one  at  Harris- 
ville, about  i860;  and  the  one  at  Salem,  perhaps  about  1855. 

TOWNS. 

The  towns  in  Wayne  township  are,  or  have  been,  Bartonia,  Harrisville, 
Randolph,  Salem  and  Union  City.    We  describe  them  in  order : 

Bartonia. — Edward  Barton,  proprietor;  A.  D.  Way,  surveyor;  location, 
junction  of  Spartanburg  and  Arba  pike  with  Greenville  state  road ;  twenty- 
seven  lots;  recorded  October  i,  1849;  streets,  none  named  in  the  plat.  Dis- 
tances :  Spartanburg,  four  miles ;  Union  City,  seven  and  one-third  miles ; 
Winchester,  eight  miles;  Harrisville,  six  miles;  Saratoga,  four  and  three- 
fourths  miles;  Arba,  seven  and  four-fifths  miles.  The  town  is  located  at  the 
point  where  the  Richmond  pike  running  northward  reaches  the  Greenville  & 
Winchester  road,  and  stands  upon  section  26,  17',  i.  At  one  time  there  were 
two  stores,  a  smith  shop,  a  cabinet  shop,  a  turning  shop,  a  postofifice,  a  meet- 
ing-house and  two  physicians.    But  little  is  left  at  present. 

Bartonia  is  one  of  the  polling  places  of  Wayne  township,  the  other  two 
being  Union  City  and  Harrisville.  Bartonia  is  half  a  mile  east  of  the  site  of 
the  old  town  of  Randolph,  which,  however,  has  been  extinct  for  sixty-five 
years  or  more. ,  The  country  around  is  rolling  and  fertile,  and  the  residents 
are  thriftv  and  prosperous,  and  some  possess  a  comfortable  fortune. 
(62) 


974  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

Harrisville. — Location,  in  Wayne  township,  upon  sections  17,  18,  town 
20,  range  15  ;  on  the  Bee  Line  (Big  Four)  railroad,^ four  miles  west  of  Union. 
City,  and  seven  miles  east  of  Winchester ;  recorded  June  17,  1854;  Job  Harris, 
proprietor;  E.  L.  Watson,  surveyor.  The  town  arose  with. the  Belief ontaine 
railroad.  The  business  of  the  town  was  but  little  at  first,  and  the  improve- 
ment of  the  village  has  since  been  slow.  There  is  but  one  public  road,  and 
that  running  north  and  south  across  the  railroad  track.  The  town  is  too  near 
Union  City  to"  command  much  busmess.  The  antecedents  and  commence- 
ment of  the  place  are  as  follows:  In  1841,  and  about  ten  years  before  the 
birth  of  the  town,  two  small  cabins  stood  upon  the  site  where  now  appears 
the  hamlet  of  Harrisville.  One  was  occupied  by  Michael  Ingle,  father  of 
Philip  Ingle.  Mr.  Ingle  died  of  cholera  some  years  afterward  on  the  Missis- 
sippi. The  other  settler  was  William  Dickinson,  who  lived  near  where  the 
church  now  stands.  About  1851  Jdb  Harris  undertook  to  open  a  small  store. 
He  shortly  afterward  laid  out  the  town.  Before  long  William  Locke  set  up 
a  blacksmith  shop,  and  William  Benson  built  a  saw-mill.  Mahlon  Fous  fol- 
lowed, making  pimips,  and  sometimes  tried  his  hand  at  repairing  wagons. 
Dr.  Dreer  undertook  to  practice  medicine,  and  Mr.  Bone  made  and  mended 
shoes.  Job  Harris  kept  a  postofifice.  Here  we  have-  the  picture  of  the  town 
in  its  earlier  years,  and  truth  compels  us  to  state  that  the  business  of  the 
ambitious  little  "ville"  is  not  greatly  more  extensive  at  the  present  day.  Its 
citizens  seem  to  have  been  attached  to  the  place.  Philip  Ingle  resided  Here 
from  the  first.  Mahlon  Fous  and  William  Locke  also.  The  Bee  Line  rail- 
road passes  through  the  place  and  furnishes  to  the  vicinity  the  convenience 
of  a  daily  mail. 

Randolph  (old). — ^One  mile  west  of  Bartonia,  on  Greenville  state  road. 
Randolph  was  probably  the  first  town  laid  out  iri  Wayne  tovsraship,  but  the 
business  was  never  considerable.  In  1846  there  were  two  stores  and  one  hotel, 
but  probably  nothing  else.  The  hotel  was  kept  by  Bailey,  and  the  stores  were 
by  Bailey  and  Mcintosh.  The  town  did  not  prosper,  and  was  wholly  extinct 
by  1852.  At  one  time  James  Polly  kept  hotel  in  the  town.  It  is  a  curious 
reminiscence  of  that  old  dead  town  that  one  of  its  lots  was  sold  for  taxes, 
and  was  bid  off  for  a  dollar  or  so, by  an  old  colored  man  named  William 
Lewis,  and  he  undertook  to  make  it  a  residence,  hauling  logs  there  to  build  a 
house.  The  owner  of  the  farm  which  included  the  town  forbid  him  entering 
upon  the  lot,  and  he  never  made  good  his  title  to  the  premises.  What  a  man 
with  plenty  of  money  could  have  done,  cannot  nowbe  told,  but  the  colored 
man  had  to  succumb  and  lose  his  dollar  and  the  labor  in  hauling,  the  logs  to 
boot. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  975 

Salem. — Location  southwest  of  Union  City,  east  of  "Old  Boundary." 
Nine  lots ;  plat  recorded  December  25,  1849.  David  Polly,  proprietor.  Salem 
is  located  on  the  road  running  east  from  Jericho,  three  miles  from  the  latter 
place.  Mcintosh  &  Polly  had  a  store  there  in  1847.  The  town  began  about 
1850.  A  postofiEice  was  established  about  1852  by  the  name  of  Balaka.  The 
town  was  begun  mostly  in  the  woods,  and  did  some  business  for  a  time,  but 
it  has  had  the  common  fate  of  small  towns  near,  but  not  on,  a  railroad.  Silas 
Gist  had  a  cabinet  shop.  J.  Locke  had  a  smith  shop..  The  persons  who  have 
sold  goods  there  have  been  D.  Polly,  Mcintosh,  Wiggs  &  Polly,  Joseph  Shaw, 
Elijah  Frazier,  Hardin  Law,  Downing  &  Harkrider,  Alfred  Dixon,  Montgar. 
The  blacksmiths  have  been  J.  Locke,  Joshua  Harlan,  Amos  Coughren, 
Thompson,  William  Anderson  and  others.  Cabinet  shops :  Silas  Gist,  John 
T.  Adams,  Springer,  Harlan,  etc.  Wagon  shop,  Harlan.  There  has  been  a 
Disciples'  church  sixty  years  or  more,  which  has  lately  been  remodeled. 
Among  the  settlers  in  the  region  have  been  Benjamin  Dixon,  Silas  Dixon, 
Samuel  Downing,  Robert  Murphy,  William  Woodbury,  1839;  Nathan  P. 
Woodbury,  1839;  Edwin  R.  Woodbury,  1839;  Peter  Hoover,  Ezekiel  Gul- 
lett,  Samuel  GuUett,  David  Polly,  1840';  Barnahill  Polly,  1840. 

-Hayesville. — Is  a  little  suburb  of  Union  City,  Indiana,  located  about  a 
mile  southwest  of  that  town,  at  the  junction  of  the  south  pike  leading  to 
Winchester  and  the  pike,  extending  from  the  south  line  of  the  county  north- 
ward to  Union  City. 

James  Alexander,  a  prominent  farmer  of  Wayne  township,  was  born  in 
Warren  county,  Ohio,  January  8,  1818,  being  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Sarah 
Alexander,  who  removed  from  the  county  of  their  nativity  to  Preble  county, 
Ohio,  in  1823,  and  not  very  long  afterward  to  Warren  county,  in  the  same 
state.  Daniel  Alexander  was  a  farmer,  and  James  grew  up  a  farmer's  son, 
sharing  from  boyhood  the  labors  and  hardships  of  those  rough  and  rugged 
days.  His  marriage  occurred  September  2,  1840,  vyith  Miss  Julia  A.,  daugh- 
ter of  Jacob  Alexander.  Eight  children  have  been  born  to  them,  and  six  of 
the  eight  survive,  viz.,  Milton  H.,  Mary  J.,  Sarah  E.,  Hugh  T.,  Henry  J.  and 
James  B.  Mr.  Alexander  is  not  an  early  pioneer  of  Randolph  county,  emi- 
grating thither  not  till  185 1. 

Branson  Anderson,  born  in  1814  in  North  Carolina;  he  came  to  Ran- 
dolph county,  Indiana,  in  1833;  he  entered  forty  acres  adjoining  John  Hart- 
man's  old  place  on  the  west.  Mr.  Anderson  married  Hester  Green  in  1842, 
and  they  had  ten  children. 

John  Anderson,  born  in  1785  in  Maryland,  went  to  North  Carolina  when 
young;  married  Priscilla  Sexton  about  1802;  came  to  Richmond,  Indiana, 


976  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

1829;  came  to  Randolph  county  in  1833;  settled  north  of  Greenville  creek, 
near  Abram  Chenoweth's  (Jacob  Macy  farm)*,  entering  forty  acres  of  land 
there.  He  had  twelve  children,  all  grown,  and  ten  married  before  he  died. 
His  children  were  eight  boys  and  four  girls.  He  died  in  1850,  arid  his  wife  in 
1863,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years ;  she  was  buried  in  Hoover's  grave- 
yard.   Mr.  Anderson  was  a  Democrat. 

Henry  Burket  was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of 
Isaac  and  Catharine  Bui-ket,  the  fdfrmer  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  the 
latter  of  Ohio  Mr.  Burket  was  raised  on  a  farm,  receiving  only  a  common 
education.  In  1854  he  married  Miss  Jane  Hulse,  by  whom  he  had  five  chil- 
dren, three  of  whom  are  yet  living.  His  wife  died  on  April  12,  1870,  and  on 
the  17th  of  the  following  September  he  married  Mrs.  Rachel  A.  Grim,  by 
whom  he  had  three  children. 

Elihu  Cammack,  son  of  John  Cammack,  born  in  Arba  in  181 7;  married 
Rebecca  Wiggs  in  1837.  Lived  near  Arba  on  the  old  farm  till  he  moved  to 
his  home  on  the  state  road,  east  of  Bartonia,  in  1846,  in  the  green  woods. 

Abram  I.  Chenoweth,  the  first  of  the  Chenoweth  family  of  whom  we 
have  any  record,  came  from  England  to  America  in  1720.  They  were  two 
brothers,  named  Arthur  and  Richard  Chenoweth,  who  settled  in  Berkeley 
county,  Virginia,  and  each  married  and  had  several  children.  Arthur  had 
several  sons  named  James,  John,  Abraham,  "William  Thomas,  Arthur  and 
Richard  The  fifth  son,  Thomas  Chenoweth,  married  Mary  Pricket,  who 
bore  him  twelve  children,  namely,  Martha,  Sarah,  Mary,  John,  Thomas, 
Arthur,  Richard,  William  Elijah,  Ann,  Hannah  and  Abraham.  This  young- 
est son,  Abraham  Chenoweth,  married  Rebecca  Herr,  May  i,  1790.  They 
had  fourteen  children,  whose  names  were  Martha,  William,  Jacob,  Ann,  John, 
Susannah,  Mary,  Noah,  Sarah,  Hannah,  Abraham,  Rebecca,  Joel  and  Gideon. 
Their  third  son,  John  Chenoweth,  rnarried  Mary  Barger  April  13,  1820,  and 
by  her  had  six  children, .namely,  William,  Jacob  B.,  Abraham  J.,  John  B., 
Susan  and  Rebecca.  John  Chenoweth,  the  father,  died  on  the  26th  day  of 
January,  185 1,  and  of  the  children,  William  died  February  20,  1837,  and 
John  B.  died  August  7,  1853.    The  mother  died  October  12,  1876. 

Of  the  last  above-named  children,  Abraham  J.  Chenoweth  is  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  and  was  born  in  Pike  county,  Ohio,  on  the  9th  of  July,  1826. 
When  quite  young,  his  parents  removed  to  Darke  county,  Ohio,  and  settled  in 
Washington  township.  Here  he  grew  up,  surrounded  by  the  privations  of  a 
frontier  life,  and  accustomed  to  the  labor  and  toil  of  the  backwoods.  He  was 
educated  in  the  primitive  schools  of  that  day,  and  acquired  the  rudiments  of 
an  education.     On  the  25th  day  of  August,  1848,  he  was  married  to  Miss 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  977 

Celia  Harris,  a  native  of  Campbell  county,  Virginia,  and  the  daughter  of 
Benjamin  and  Susan  Harris,  who  were  among  the  pioneers  of  this  county. 
From  this  marriage  have  sprung  eight  children. 

In  November,  1848,  Mr.  Chehoweth  came  to  this  county  and  settled  on 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  26,  in  Wayne  township.  Of  this  land,  he 
had  received  from  his  father  eighty, acres,  and  by  purchase  from  his  brother, 
Jacob,  he  had  acquired  the  other  eighty.  The  land  was  wholly  unimproved.. 
In  fact,  Mr.  Chenoweth  cut  away  the  underbrush  and  trees  to  make  an  open- 
ing for  his  log  cabin,  into  which  he  removed  and  began  the  work  of  life.  As 
a  farmer  he  was  eminently  successful.  To  the  original  homestead  he  added 
other  lands,  until  at  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  the  owner  of  576  acres. 

Mr.  Chenoweth  united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  when  he 
was  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  for  thirty-eight  years  he  was  a  consistent  and 
influential  members  thereof,  having  been  a  class  leader  thirteen  years.  He 
was  exact  in  all  his  business  transactions,,  cordial  with  his  acquaintances,  a 
kind-hearted  and  generous  man.  He  died  of  typhoid  fever  November  9, 
1878,  and  his  mortal  remains  were  followed  to  their  final  earthly  resting  place 
in  Union  City  cemetery  by  a  large  and  sjmipathizing  company  of  sorrowing 
relatives  and  friends. 

Samuel  Downing,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Chester  county,  South  Carolina, 
April  6,  1805 ;  his  laarents  were  John  and  Margaret.  The  father  died  in  1870, 
aged  ninety-three  years,  and  the  mother  about  1866,  also  very  old.  Dr. 
Downing  was  one  of  eight  children.  His  father  caiAe  from  South  Carolina 
to  Bourbon  county,  Kentucky,  in  181 3,  to  New  Paris,  Preble  county,  Ohio, 
in  1815,  and  to  Darke  county,  Ohio,  in  1817,  which  latter  point  became  his 
permanent  residence,  Sam,uel  Downing  being  then  twelve  years  old.  In  1828 
he  began  the  study  of  medicine,  prjvately  for  the  most  part,  in  which  labor- 
ious but  greatly  useful  profession  he  finally  achieved  an  honorable  success.  In 
1829  he  married  Elizabeth  Baird,  and  to  them  were  born  ten  children,  seven 
of  whom,  as  also  his  wife,  survived  him.  They  removed  to  the  wilds  of 
Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1837,  settling  four  miles  southwest  of  "what  is 
now  Union  City,  Indiana,  near  what  afterward  became  South  Salem,  upon  a 
tract  of  land  containing  215  acres.  At  first  he  was  largely  a  farmer,  but,  as 
the  county  became  more  thickly  settled,  his  medical  duties  chiefly  absorbed  his 
time  and  strength,  for  in  those  backwoods  regions,  to  ride  on  horseback  day 
and  night,  winter  and  summer,  was  no  '^child's  play,"  but  the  business  rather 
of  a  robust,  stalwart  man.  February  5,  1843,  he  was  baptized  into  the 
.Christian  faith  by  Rev;  Elihu  Harlan,  to  which  profession  he  held  fast  with 
greater  or  less  steadfastness  to  the  end  of  his  days.    In  1859  he  made  an  ex- 


978  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

tended  tour  into  Missouri  and  through  the  farther  West  in  search  of  a  new 
location,  and  in  1864  he  removed  to  northern  Michigan  as  a  pioneer  into 
those  regions.  After  a  residence  of  some  five  years  in  that  state,  he  returned 
in  1870  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  died  after  a  stay  of  eight  months 
there,  July  7,  1871,  at  the  house  of  his  son,  James  L.  Downing,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-six  years  three  months  and  one  day. 

Francis  Frazier,  bell-maker,  was  born  in  1802  in  North  Carolina;  came 
to  McCowan's  creek,  Ohio,  in  181 »;  came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  one 
mile  east  of  I^ynn,  in  181 7.  His  father  was  James  Frazier,  also  a  bell-maker; 
married  Lucinda  Clay  water  in  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  in  1823,  and  they  had 
eleven  children. 

Paul  Giftinger  was  born  in  Baltimore  county,  Maryland,  January  25, 
1820,  being  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary  E.  Gittinger,  who  emigrated  to  Darke 
county,  Ohio,  in  the  autumn  of  1833,  and  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in 
1838.  They  settled  in  the  dense,  nearly  unbroken  forests  of  Jackson  town- 
ship among  the  deer,  turkeys  and  wolves,  locating  in  the  northeastern  portion 
o.f  the  township  and  of  the  county.  Paul  Gittinger  was  nearly  grown  when 
he  came  to  Randolph  county,  and  having  enjoyed  some  opportunity  of  early 
education,  had  engaged  soon  afterward  in  the  business  of  teaching  school, 
and  continued  in  that  employment  (during  the  winter  season)  for  twenty 
years.  The  school  houses  at  the  time  in  that  new  half-settled  region  were 
rude  enough,  made  of  round  logs,  with  puncheon  floor,  clapboard  door,  stick 
chimney,  dirt  fire-place  and  hearth  and  clapboard  roof  held  to  its  place  by 
weight-poles.  The  furniture  consisted  of  split  saplings^for  seats  and  punch- 
eon writing  desk,  supported  by  pins  driven  into  auger  holes  bored  in  the  logs 
forming  the  walls  of  the  house.  Mr.  Gittinger  lived  to  see  these  rustic  cabins 
replaced-by  comfortable  and  tasteful  edifices.  Substantially  and  even  elegantly 
built,  and  supplied  with  convenient  and  often  beautiful  furniture.  He  did 
much  toward  accomplishing  this  pleasing  change,  serving  as  a  trustee  for 
Jackson  township  during  several  years,  besides  his  efficient  and  successful 
labors  in  the  school  room.  His  marriage  took  place  November  13,  1844,  the 
maiden  name  of  his  wife  having  been  Miss  Berilla  Gist,  whose  parents  were 
natives  of  Kentucky,  removing  to  Darke  county,  Ohio,  in  the  early  time.  Mr. 
Gittinger  had  six  children. 

James  Griffis  was  born  in  Virginia  about  1797.  His  parents  brought 
him,  when  but  a  child,  to  Ross  county,  Ohio,  settling  in  the  Scioto  valley,  not 
farm  from  the  year  1800,  when  even  that  region  was  well-nigh  buried  in  the 
deep  woods.  They  both  died  when  he  was- young;  and  as  a  lone  orphan  boy, 
poor  and  destitute,  he  was  obliged  to  struggle  up  to  manhood  as  he  could. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  979 

The  means  of  education  were  but  scanty,  and  he  got  but  little,  and  that  little 
"by  the  hardest."  In  youth,  he  worked  mostly  on  the  farm.  In  early  man- 
hood, however,  he  practiced  flat-boating  and  rafting,  tai<ing  boat  loads  of 
pork  and  flour  and  corn,  etc.,  down  the  Scioto  river  to  the  Ohio  and  down 
that  river  to  the  mouth,  and  so  along  the  Mississippi  to  the  points  for  market 
along  its  banks,  and  frequently  to  New  Orleans  itself.  He  was  engaged  also 
at  times  in  taking  droves  of  cattle  from  Ohio  across  the  Alleghany  moun- 
tains to  the  New  York,  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore  markets.  Thus  he  passed 
his  life  till  about  thirty-five  years  old,  still  remaining,  notwithstanding  all  his 
hard  toil,  comparatively  a  poor  man,  realizing,  by  all  this  hard  and  rough 
traveling  through  the  land  and  along  the  water-courses,  not  very,  much  more 
than  a  livelihood.  In  1832  he  emigrated  from  the  valley  of  the  Scioto  to  the 
banks  of  Greenville  creek  in  Randolph  county  (the  old  Williamson  farm, 
just  west  of  the  Ohio  line),  in  the  unbroken  forests  of  Wayne  township. 
After  residing  a  few  years  at  the  place  of  his  first  settlement,  he  removed  to 
the  tract  of  land  which  continued  to  be  his  residence  to  the  end  of  his  life, 
the  beautiful  knoll  where,  years  afterward,  stood  as  a  wayniark  for  the  weary 
traveler,  -and  where  stands,' till  this  day  the  substantial  and  comfortable  dwell- 
ing erected  by  him  many  years  ago. 

John  V.  L.  Harlan  is  a  native  of  the  county.  He  is  a  son  of  Joshua  a"nd 
Lucinda  Harlan,  and  was  born  on  the  26th  day  of  December,  1848.  He  was 
educated  in  the  common  district  schools,  and  taught  school  one  term.  He 
learned  the  blacksmith  trade  and  worked  at  it.  for  some  time,  On  January 
27,  1872,  he  married  Lucy  A.  Hartman,  daughter  of  John  Hartman,  whose 
biography  is  given  in  this  work.  They  have  had  five  children,  two  of  whom 
are  dead.  Mr.  Harlan  is  now  engaged  in  farming,  living  on  his  own  farm, 
five  miles  southwest  of  Union  City.  He  and  his  wife  are  both  members  of  the 
Christian  church. 

Solomon  Hartman  is  the  son  of  John  Hartman,  Wayne  township.  He 
v/as  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  in  1855;  came  with  his  father  to  Randolph 
county  in  1848;  attended  Buckeye  Seminary  Union  Literary  Institute,  at 
(jiettysburg,  Pennsylvania.  He  taught  school  before  he  was  seventeen,  and 
has  taught  twenty-five  winters.  He  married  Sarah  Ann  Williamson  in  1858, 
and-'they  have  eight  children.  He  was  a  prosperous  and  successful  farmer, 
taking  delight  in  caring  for  all  his  afifairs  in  a  neat  and  thorough  manner. 
Though  considered  slightly  eccentric  by  some,  and  being  withal  a  man  inde- 
pendent in  opinion,  a  most  energetic  supporter  of  all  good  things. 

Henry  Hill  was  born  in  1790  in  North  Carolina.  Coming  to  Wayne 
county,  Indiana,  in  181 7,  he  changed  his  residence  to  Randolph  county  in 


980  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

1818,  entering  eighty  acres  in  Wayne  township,  Jericho  settlement,  and  re- 
siding there  till  his  death  in  1874,  fifty-six  years.  Mr.  Hill  was  three  times 
married^ — to  Achsah  Peacock  in  18 14,  who  was  born  in  1793  and  died  in 
1830;  to  Achsah  Thomas  in  1831,  who  died  in  1835,  and  the  third  time  in 
1837  to  Avis  Woodard,  who  died  in  1877.  Mr.  Hill  had  ten  children,  all 
grown  and  all  married. 

Benoni  Hill  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  came  to  Jericho,  Wayne  town- 
ship, Randolph  county,  in  1818.  Had  ten  children,  seven  of  whom  grew  up, 
and  died  about  1870.  His  wife's  rifeiiden  name  was  Polly  Boswell,  and  she 
died  about  i860.  Mr.  Hill  was  a  Friend,  an  Abolitionist,  an  Anti-slavery 
Friend,  a  Republican,  and  altogether  an  excellent  Christian  man  and  citizen, 
having  been  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers  of  Wayne  township. 

Mathew  Hill  was  the  son  of  Benoni  Hill  (deceased),  having  been  bom  in 
1814  in  North  Carolina.  He  came  with  his  father,  at  the  age  of  four  years, 
to  Randolph  county  in  1818.  In  1837  he  married  Fanny  EHggs,  and  they  had 
seven  children.  Mr.  Hill  entered  eighty  acres  and  was  a  thriving  and  suc- 
cessful farmer.  He  was  an  Anti-slavery  Friend.  Mr.  Hill,  like  the  great  body 
of  the  society  of  which  he  has  been  a  life-long  member,  an  earnest,  faithful, 
steadfast  adherent  of  Christian  principles,  and  a  quiet,  humble,  unassuming 
but  useful  and  esteemed  member  of  the  community. 

William  Kennon,  born  in  Ireland,  came  to  America  when  fourteen  years 
old';  lived  for  a  time  in  Guernsey  county,  Ohio,  and  came  to  Randolph  comity, 
Indiana,  in  1830.  He  settled  on  the  Downing  place,  south  from  the  toll-gate 
south  of  Union  City.  He  married  Eleanor  Smith,  and  had  four  children. 
He  owned  210  acres  of  land,  was  a  Democrat,  was  justice  of  the  peace  for 
four  years,  and  was  highly  esteemed  for  integrity  and  intelligence.  He  died 
many  years  ago,  as  did  also  his  wife,  but  the  date  of  their  death  caimot  now 
be  exactly  told. 

William  A.  Macy  was  born  in  Guilford  county.  North  Carolina,  Novem- 
ber 6,  1809,  being  a  son  of  Obed  and  Mary  ( Armfield)  Macy,  who  were  both 
natives  of  North  Carolina.  His  education  was  very  limited,  the  "Old  North 
State"  being  more  famous  for  "pitch  tar,  turpentine  and  lumber"  than  for 
"school  keeping"  or  "book  larnin."  He  married  Miss  Jemima  Rogers,  July 
4,  1833,  and  they  had  five  children.  Both  his  wives  (see  below)  have  been 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  his  present  wife  and  himself 
still  remain  such.  He  has  owned  200  acres  of  land  but  now  retains  but  ninety 
acres,  having  given;  no  to  his  children.  In  1852  he  went  on  a  visit  to  his 
native  state,  and  upon  his  return  therefrom  brought  with  him  his  aged  mother, 
who-  spent  the  remainder  of  her  days  in  Randolph  county.     Mr.  Macy  emir 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  pSi 

grated  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  the  year  of  his  marriage,  1833.  He 
resided  at  Spartanburg  three  years,  on  the  Rogers  place,  east  of  Spartanburg, 
five  years,  on  a  farm  west  of  Granger  Hall  eleven  years,  and  about  twenty- 
eight  years  upon  his  farm  north  of  Greenville  creek,  near  Abraham  Cheao- 
weth's.  His  wife  died  May  24,  1879,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Arba  cemetery. 
In  1881  he  married  again  to  Mrs.  Morgan,  widow  of  Frank  G.  Morgan,  late 
of  Spartanburg.      [1882.] 

Dr.  William  K.  Marquis  was  a  son  of  William  and  Polly  Marquis,  and 
was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  on  the  9th  day  of  April,  1832.  His  parents 
were  natives  of  Hardy  county,  Virginia,  and  the  mother  is  yet  living  at  the 
age  of  eighty-seven  years.  He  was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools,  and  read  medicine  with  Dr.  Enos  Williams,  of 
Darke  county,  beginning  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  1868.  In  1853  he 
married  Miss  Mary  Bennett,  by  whom  he  had  nine  children.  She  died  in 
"October,  1875,  and  in  March,  1877,  he  married  Miss  Fannie  Coats,  by  whom 
he  had  two  children.    He  was  a  minister  of  the  German  Baptist  church. 

Richard  Mason  (father  of  the  "Mason's")  was  born  in  North  Carolina 
in  about  1795;  came  to  Clinton  county,  Ohio,,  when  a  boy,  perhaps  in  180*5, 
married  Sarah  Jackson  in  Ohio,  moved  thence  to.  Wayne  county,  Indiana,,  and 
to  Kosciusko  county,  Indiana,  to  the  latter  in  1834.  He  had  ten  children,  and 
died  in  1844  i"  the  last  named  county,  his  wife  dying  in  Randolph  county, 
Indiana,  in  1850.  His  children  all  grew  up  and  were  married,  and  eight  still 
survive.  They  are  as  follows :  Thomas,  ten  children,  resides  at  Union  City, 
Indiana;  Elizabeth  (Mason),  seven  children,  is  dead;  Delila  (Harper),  four_ 
children,  lives  in  Iowa;  Louisa  (Drake),  seven  children,  is  dead;  William  has 
seven  children,  resides  in  Union;  Sarah  (Gunter),  one  child,  Kosciusko 
county;  Salina  (Frazier-Milnor),  nine  children,  Iowa;  Elihu,  several  children, 
resides  in  Ohio;  Mary  (Conkling),  four  children,  Wayne  township;  Jemima 
(Duncan),  three  children,  Iowa.  Six  of  them  have  been  residents  of  Ran- 
dolph county,  Thomas,  William,  Salina,  Elihu,  Mary  and  Jemima;  and 
Thomas,  William  and  Mary  live  here  still. 

Amos  Peacock  and  Abram  Peacock  came  together  from  Carolina  in  the 
fall  of  1818.  Four  families  were  in  company — Amos  Peacock,  Abram  Pea- 
-cock,  Henry  Hill  and  Benoni  Hill.  The  three  last  named  settled  m  j  encno 
in  1818.  Amos  Peacock  raised  one  crop  in  Wayne  county,  and  came  on  in 
the  fall  of  1 8 19.  Amos  Peacock  raised  nine  children^ — Aairon,  Jonah,  Will- 
iam, Elijah  and  Elisha  (twins),  Matilda,  Abram,  Anna  and  Abigail. 

William  Peacock  was  born  in  Wayne  county, -Indiana',  October  10,  1818, 
and  "came  to -Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1819,  and  lived  in  Jericho.-     He 


982  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

married  Mary  Thomas,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Thdmas,  near  Newport,  In- 
diana, in  1840.  They  had  three  children.  He  was  iii  early  times  an  original 
Anti-slavery  Friend,  and  a  sincere  and  thorough  Abolitionist;  he  was  for  a 
number  of  years  a  trustee  of  the  Union  Literary  Institute,  a  manual  labor 
institution  established  in  1845,  by  his  father-in-law,  Benjamin  Thomas,  and 
others,  for  the  education  of  colored  and  other  indigent  youth;  he  was  greatly 
esteemed  for  his  thorough  integritj%  and  his  sincere,  quiet,  solid,  unobtrusive 
piety.  After  the  dissoliition  of  the  society  of  Anti-slavery  Friends,  he  re- 
joined the  "Body  Friends,"  but  afterward,  with  a  few  others,  withdrew  from 
them,  forming  a  new  "Meeting,"  claiming  to  adhere  to  the  methods  and 
usages  of  the  early  and  original  Friends.  They  are  almost  alone,  the  great 
mass  of  Friends  having  "progressed"  greatly  from  the  standards  of  action  of 
fifty  years  ago.  The  "new  method"  Friends  maintain,  however,  that  they  are 
in  harmony  not  indeed  with  the  measures  of  fifty  years  past,  but  with  the 
principles  and  spirit  of  George  Fox  and  William  Penn,  and  the  Quakers  of 
"long,  long  ago." 

Elijah  H.  Peacock  is  a  twin-brother  of  Elisha  Peacock,  and  they  were 
bom  in'Randolph  county,  Indiana,  January  28,  1820.  They  are  sons  of  Amos 
and  Hannah  Peacock.  Elijah  received  an  education' under  the  auspices  of  the 
Friends  church,  and  for  several  years  followed  the  carpenter  trade.  On 
NovembCT  15,  1853  he  married  Miss  Agnes  Brown,  a  native  of  Cheltenham, 
England,  and  they  ha^c  seven  children.  Mr.  Peacock  is  now  a  farmer,  living 
on  his  own  farm  of  118  acres  in  the  southwest  part  of  Wayne  township,  and 
is  the  last  of  the  "Old  Guard." 

William  Pickett,  was  bom  in  Orange  County,  N.  C,  1802.  In  1818,  he 
went  to  Chatham  county  in  the  same  state  (on  Haw  river),  to  take  care  of  his 
grandfather.  He  died  in  1821,  and  William  Pickett,  after  staying  imtil  the 
fall  of  1822,  emigrated  to  Richmond,  Ind.  He  was  married  in  1826,  and 
moved  to  Randolph  county,  five  miles  east  of  Winchester,  in  1828.  His 
first  wife's  name  was  Sarah  Ann  White,  bom  in  1805.  Mr.  Pickett  bought 
eighty  acres  in  the  green  woods,  of  Benjamin  Cox  (nephew  of  Jeremiah 
Cc>x,  the  famous  miller).  Benjamin  Cox  was  a  Quaker  minister  and  cousin 
to  Mr.  Pickett,  since  Jeremiah  Cox's  wife  was  the  sister  of  Mr.  Pickett's 
father.  Benjamin  Cox  was  the  son  of  John  Cox,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers 
on  White  river,  east  of  Winchester,  who  fixed  his  residence  two  miles  east 
of  that  place.    Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pickett  were  the  parents  of  twelve  children. 

John  Pickett  was  bom  in  Orange  county,  N.  C,  August  4,  1808;  he 
emigrated  to  Randolph  county,  Ind.,  with  his  father  in  1829.  Returning  to 
North  Carolina,  he  married  Mary  Pike,  September  r6,  1830,  and,  with  his 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  983 

new-found  wife,  wended  his  cheerful  way  back  to  the  Northwest,  reaching 
his  father's  cabin  December  24,  1830.  Choosing  a  home  for  himself  and  wife 
in  "Jericho  Woods,"  he  dwelt  on  the  self-same  spot  for  more  than  fifty 
years,  rearing  there  a  family  of  ten  children. 

Benjamin  Pike  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1825 ;  came  with  his  father 
to  Randolph  county  in  1 83 1 ;  married  Rachel  Cox  and  has  three  children. 
He  has  been  a  farnier  and  huckster.  He'^  is  a  Friend,  Abolitionist  and  Repub- 
lican. His  health  is  poor,  but  he  manages  to  be  engaged  in  his  occupation 
much  of  the  time.  Mr.  Pike  is  a  bluff  and  plain-spoken,  but  honest  and  up- 
right citizen  and  is  endeavoring  quietly  but  earnestly  to  accomplish  a  comfort- 
able subsistence  for  himself  and  those  placed  under  his  care.     [1882.]  , 

Other  prominent  citizens  in  Wayne  township  were :  Jacob  Conklin,  Wil- 
liam Conklin,  Rev.  David  S.  Davenport,  Benjamin  Dickson,  Silas  Dickson, 
Benjamin  F.  Graves,  John  V.  Harlan,  John  Hartman,  Christopher  Hollinger, 
Peter  Hoover,  Andrew  Hutton,  Josiah  Kaylor,  John  Kunkle,  Thomas  Mason, 
Andrew  McConnell,  Jonathan  T.  Mikesell,  D.  T.  Morris,  Nelson  Murphy, 
Robert  Murphy,  Henry  Ohler,  John  Pike,  John  Price,  OUeti  Sasser,  John 
Sheets,  William.  Shelly,  William  Shockney,  Samuel  H.  Shockney,  Peter  M. 
Shultz,  William  Smith,  George  Thomas,  Elihu  Thompson,  Thomas  Welsh, 
Jacob  Whitesell,  James  Woodbury,  Edwin  R.  Woodbury,  William  Turner. 

Stoney  Creek  Township. — Stoney  Creek  includes  parts  of  townships  19 
and  20,  range  12  east,  as  also  some  sections  in  range  13,  embracing  in  all 
twenty-nine  and  one-half  sections;  five  miles  north  and  south  except  section 
7,  near  the  southeast  corner  and  five  and  one-half  miles  east  and  west,  and 
containing  about  sixteen  thousand  nine  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  It  takes 
the  lower,  course  of  Little  White  river,  of  Stoney  creek  and  of  Cabin  creek 
and  a  part  of  the  valley  of  White  river.  Totals  as  follows:  182 1,  three 
entries,  240  acres;  1822,  nine  entries,  841.63  acres;  1823,  five  entries,  399.46 
acres;  1824,  one  entry,  80  acres;  1825,  two  entries,  160  acres;  1826,  three 
entries,  240  acres;  1827,  two  entries,  160  acres;  1828,  five  entries,  400  acres; 
1829,' fourteen  entries.  1,168.64  acres.     Total,  44  entries,  3,769.63  acres. 

Of  these,  thirty-nine  entries  were  of  80  acres,  two  for  160  acres,  one  for 
128.64  acres,  one  for  118.86  acres,  one  for  41.63  acres,  one  for  40.20  acres. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  entries  were  made  mostly  by  men  of  only 
moderate  means.  The  township  lies  chiefly  on  Stoney  and  Cabin  creeks  and 
White  river,  containing  a  fine  body  of  land  and  being  well  settled  with  sub- 
stantial improvements.  The  surface  is  level  or  rolling,  heavily  timbered  at 
first,  but  now  mostly  cleared.  The  streams  are  permanent,  affording  abund- 
ant water  and  considerable  power  for  machinery,  especially  upon  Cabin  and 


984-  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

Stoney  creeks.  The  mill  upon  Stoney  creeks  iiag?ir  Windsor  is  thought  to 
have  been  the  fifth  mill  in  the  county.  ■■^■■.y 

The  place  and  the  time  of  the  first  settlement  in  the  township  cannot  now 
be  determined  with  absolute  certainty.  It  has  been  claimed  that  John  Thorn- 
burg,  near  Windsor,  was  the  first  settler  and  that  the  time  was  1823.  Both 
of  these  would  seem  to  be  errors.  John  Thornburg  did  not  come  before 
about  1825  and  when  he  came  he  found  a  considerable  number  of  settlers 
already  in  the  county.  His  son,  Armfield  Thornburg,  who  was  a  lad  several 
years  old  when  his  father  came  to  the  county,  states  as  follows :  When  my 
father  came  to  Randolph  county  and  settled  near  Windsor  in  1825,  the  fol- 
lowing settlers  were  already  on  hand :  John  Castine  and  Solomon  Hobaugh, 
his  son-in-law  and  John  Coons,  all  of  whom  came  in  1822 ;  David  Vestal,  who 
had  been  elected  Squire,  Joseph  Rooks  and  Abraham  Clevenger,  all  of  whom 
came  in  1823;  John  Conner  in  1824,  George  W.  Smithson  in  1825. 

Probably,  either  David  Vestal  or  Isaac  Branson  was  the  first  actual  bona 
fide  settler  and  Branson  moved  away  soon,  first  to  Nettle  creek  and  not  very 
long  afterward  to  Delaware  county  and  David  Vestal  spld  out  after  several 
years  to  John  Thornburg  and  moved  away  to  White  Lick,  below  Indianapolis, 
in  1 83 1,  and  died  there  The  Thornburgs,  Job,  Joab  and  John,  all  came  in 
1825,  who  are  living  yet  where  they  settled.  Others  came  soon  after,  among 
whom  were .  Randolph  SmuUen  and  William  Moore  in  1826,  and  perhaps 
others. 

Some  of  the  persons  named  as  early  settlers  were  only  "squatters,"  and 
moved  on  into  the  woods  before  the  advancing  wave  of  settlement.  Lemuel 
Vestal  came  in  1825  and  with  him  John  Demory,  a  freeman  of  color  from 
Carolina,  of- whom  mention  is.made  elsewhere;  Vestal  undertook  to  build  a 
mill  near  Windsor  as  told  in  another  place.  Others  may  be  mentioned  as 
foliows:  John  Hines  and  Paul  Reagan  in  1826;  Wesley  Terreir  in  1827: 
yVmos  Smith  and  Benjamin  Garretson  in  1828;  Solomon  Wright  in  1829, 
John  Bond  and  Andrew  G.  Dye  in  1831.  Still  others  had  already  or  did 
soon  come,  to-wit:  John  Holloway,  William  Holloway,  Jonathan  Finzer, 
John  Clevenger,  Jonathan  Clevenger,  John  Diggs,  Jacob  McNees  and  Isaac 
Amburn. 

Stoney  Creek  was  settled  largely  at  first  by  the  Society  of  Friends  and 
to  this  day  a  very  strong  body  of  that  people  remain  within  its-  limits.  Cedar 
and  Poplar  Run  meetings  are  both  in  Stoney  Creek,  and  very  many  of  the 
honored  pioneers  of  that  section  worshiped  in  these  sanctuaries  and  now  lie 
awaiting  the  "Archangel's  trump"  in  the  humble  inclosure  of  the  dead  which 
is  near  those  sacred  places  of  humble  waiting  upon  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 


RANDOLPH   CdU3S^Ty,   INDIANA.  985 

In  life  they  spent  their  years  in  quiet  industry  and  patient  and  sincere  obedi- 
ence to  the  guidance  of  the  voice  within;  now  for  those  earnest,  steadfast 
souls,  faith  has  been  changed  to  sight  and  struggling  prayer  to  triumphant 
praise  The  first  school  in  the  township  was  taught  in  1826  by  Moses  Hod- 
son,  then  a  young  man.  his  home  being  in  Delaware  county,  four  or  five  miles 
from  Windsor.  The  schoolhouse  stood  bet^yeen  Joab  and  John  Thornburg's: 
There  were  perhaps  twenty  pupils.  Armfield  Thornburg,  that  tells  the  story, 
was  one  of  them. 

Solomon  Wright  tells  some  queer  tales  "out  of  school"  concerning'  the 
pupils  and  the  teachers  of  "auld  lang  syne,"  one  in  particular,  how  the  girls 
on  the  last  day  of  school  tore  down  the  dirt  back-wall  of  the  stick  chimney 
belonging  to  the  cabin  schoolhouse  and  scattered  the  clay  all  over  the 
puncheon  floor. 

Like  other  new  and  pioneer  regions,  Stoney  creek  has  its  traditions  of 
odd  and  queer  things  taking  place  amid  the  mighty  shadow  of  the  giant  forest. 
Of  one  early  settler  it  is  related  that  he  had  a  family  of  fourteen  children 
and  that  another  settler,  a  neighbor,  going  in  early  one  morning  found  on  the 
hearth  a  huge  kettle  of  corn  meal  mush,  and  that  while  he  sat  there  the 
youngsters  crawled  out  from  the  straw  upon  the  cabin  floor  one  by  one,  and, 
taking  each  a  pewter  plate,  went  singly  to  the  smoking  mush  for  a  bountiful 
share  and  partook  joyfully  of  a  hearty  breakfast.  But  what  difference  does 
it  make?  These  tales  told  of  early  tirnes  are,  many  of  them,  fabrications 
and  more  are  greatly  "stretched"  from  the  original  fact.  But  even  if  true  as 
told,  who  cares?  It  is  to  be  feared  that,  if  their  effeminate  descendants  were 
thrown  into  the  same  hard  and  rough  condition,  they  would  do  even  not  so 
well  as  that;  that  they  would  have  neither  roof  over  their  shiftless  heads, 
straw  to  crawl  out  of  nor  a  ketfle  of  mush  to.  eat  from,  pewter  plate  to  handle 
it  on,  nor  spoon  with  which  to  carry  it  to  their  mouths. 

TOWNS. 

There  have  been  only  two  towns  within  the  bounds  of  Stoney  Creek 
township  and  one  of  these  has  long  been  extinct.  The  two  are  Windsor  and 
Georgetown,  the  latter  "winked  out"  long  years  ago. 

Windsor. — Location,  section  29,  town  20,  range  12,  on  Winchester  & 
Muncie  pike  at  the  Delaware  county  line.  The  town  was  laid  out  by  Joseph 
Thornburg  in  1832,  during  what  may  aptly  be  termed  the  "era  of  town- 
platting."  since  many  of  the  villages  in  Randolph  were  projected  not  far 
from  that  date  Windsor  seems  to  have  been  aspiring  and  to  have  had  high 
prospects  as  well,  for  only  five  years  after  the  record  of  the  first  survey  of 


986  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

forty  lots,  twenty  more  (half  the  original  number)  were  annexed  to  the  grow- 
ing town  by  Smith  &  Dye,  thus  affording  fresh  room  to  spread  beyond  the 
original  limit.  And  it  is  undoubtedly  true  that,  had  the  old  order  of  busi- 
ness continued  to  prevail,  Windsor  might  today  have  been  an  important  and 
prosperous  inland  town.  But  the.  sad  fact,  sad  for  Windsor  and  its  ambitious 
denizens  can  neither  be  ignored  nor  changed,  so  the  fates  declared  and  who 
can  successfully  rebel  against  fate?  If  there  had  been  power  in  the  begin- 
.  ning  of  railroad  construction,  to  he-ve  drawn  the  Bee  Line  route  south  of  the 
river  instead  of  locating  it  on  the  north  side  through  the  unknown  wilderness, 
then,  indeed,  might  Windsor  have  come  to  be,  not,  indeed,  like  its  illustrious 
namesake  in  a  foreign  island  kingdom,  a  palatial  residence  for  Her  Majesty, 
the  English  Queen,  but  a  wide-awake,  bustling,  prosperous  commercial  and 
manufacturing  center,  known  and  noted  throughout  the  county  and  the  region. 
But  men  cannot  lose  what  they  never  had,  so  Windsor  has  not  lost  the 
greatness  which  she  never  possessed.  And  her  people,  instead  of  mourning 
over  fancied  unrealized  laossibilities,  may  be  sincerely  thankful  that  life, 
health  and  substantial  comfort  and  the  means  of  solid  happiness  they  still 
possess  equally  with  the  people  of  the  proudest  metropolis  on  the  footstool. 

The  first  business  in  Windsor  was  a  shoe  shop  by  Isiah  Templin  and  a 
small  store  by  a  man  from  Richmond,  name  forgotten.  Soon  was  set  up  a 
smith  shop  by  Andrew  Knapp.  The  mill  by  John  Thornburg  was  built  in 
1827.  There  was  no  other  on  White  river  but  Judge  Sample's  and  Cox's 
mill,  east  of  Winchester.  The  first  wagon  shop  was  by  William  Ludworth. 
Windsor  at  one  time  had  a  large  business,  having  three  good  stores  and  a 
grocery  and  other  things  to  match.  The  activity  of  the  place' began  some 
years  before  the  town  was  recorded  It  proved  its  right  to  be  by  its  actual 
being.     Business  is  like  beauty — it  is  its  own  excuse  foi'  being. 

Present  business:  There  is  a  goodly  number  of  houses  and  business 
rooms,  and  were  the  place  to  fill  up  to  its  capacity  of  furnishing  facilities  for 
\york,  it  would  even  now  be  an  active,  busy  town.  But  the  real  business  is 
now  small  enough.  There  are  two  smith  shops,  two  dry  goods  stores,  one 
wagon  shop,  one  physician,  two  churches  (Methodist  and  Christian),  one 
schoolhouse,  a  lodge  of  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

Georgetown.— -There  were  never  more  than  six  houses  in  Georgetown. 
The  village  is  now  wholly  extinct.  Several  of  the  old  lots  are  owned  and 
built  on  separately,  but  there  is  no  town.  Dr.  Keener  resided  there  as  a 
physician,  as  also  Dr.  Marine.  How  there  should  have  been  any  town  at  all, 
or  the  hope  or  prospect  of.  any,  is  a  mystery,  since  Macksville  was  within  a 
mile  or  even  less  than  that.     The  record  of  the  plat  of  the  latter  appears  not 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  987 

to  have  been  made  until  1850,  but  the  town  itself  was  established  many  years 
before — ^as  far  back  as  about  1830. 

When  these  towns — Macksville,  Georgetown  and  Windsor — stood  on 
the  great  thoroughfare  between  the  east  and  the  west,  where  scores,  or  even 
hundreds  of  travelers ;  where  hundreds  and  sometimes  thousands,  of  animals, 
in  immense  droves  and  herds  passed  daily ;  where  thronging  emigrants  were 
constantly  pressing  eagerly  westward,  westward,  always  westward,  there 
seemed  a  prospect  that  all  three,  especially  the  former  and  the  latter,  might 
find  room  and  business  for  a  substantial  or  even  a  vigorous  growth ;  but  when 
the  rail  track  was  laid  and  the  steam  whistle  set  up  its  roar  and  the  engine 
began  to  roll,  a  woe  was  pronounced  upon  all  towns,  no*  matter  how  ambitious 
or  aspiring,  which  lay  away  from  the  path  of  the  "iron  horse." 

Neff'is  located  on  section  10,  township  19,  range  12,  two  miles  west  of 
I?leasant  View  and  five  miles  north  of  Losantville,  It  has  entirely  disappeared. 

BIOGRAPHY. 

Isaac  Amburn  was  the  son  of  Samuel  Amburn;  he  was  born  in  Carolina 
in  1789,  and  he  married  Rebecca  Hodgson,  who  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1795. 
They  came  to  Ohio  in  1816  and  to  Randolph  county  in  1829.  They  were  the 
parents  of  ten  children,  all  of  whom  have  been  married  and  had  families. 
They  are  as  given  herewith :  Mary,  five  children ;  Elizabeth,  eleven  children ; 
Samuel,  ten  children;  Catharine,  ten  children;  Jacob  eight  children;  Hester, 
one  child;  Hannah,  nine  children;  Rebecca,  seven  children;  Cynthia,  six 
children ;  Rachel,  six  children.  Isaac  Amburn  resided  with  his  son  Samuel 
till  his  death,  September  23,  1881,  he  being  ninety-two  years  old. 

Samuel  Amburn,  Jr.,  was  born  in  1818,  in  Ohio;  came  to  Randolph 
county  in  1829;  married  Maria  Smith  in  1840;  had  ten  children;  was  a 
prominent  and  successful  man  of  business  and  an  active  and  influential  citizen. 
When  he  moved  to  the  county,  William  Moore,  John  Holloway,  William 
Holloway,  Joab  Thornburg,  Amos  Smith  were  already  here.  William  Dixon 
and  Jethro  Hiatt  came  when  Mr.  Amburn's  people  came  in  1829.  He  had  to 
go  three  miles  to  school  when  he  was  a  lad  and  thought  it  no  hardship,  often 
having  to  "wade  the  flats"  knee  deep.  Wading  the  water  in  coon  hunting, 
etc.,  through  the  woods  was  nothing  but  fun. 

Joseph  Bond,  son  of  Samuel  Bond,  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1779; 
married  Rachel  Herold,  born  in  1781,  in  1802;  came  to  Wayne  county,  Indi- 
ana in  181 1  and  to  Randolph  county,  mouth  of  Cabin  creek,  in  1839.  They 
had  twelve  children,  eleven  grown,  ten  married.  He  died  in  1840  and  his 
wife  in  1842.     They  were  farmers  and  Friends.    He  was  a  steady,  mild-tem- 


988  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

pered,  genial,  christian  man,  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him  and  his  record  is  on 
high.  His  father,  Samuel  Bond,  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1753  and 
his  mother,  Elizabeth  Beals  Bond,  in  1755. 

Zimri  Bond,  brother  of  John  H.  Bond,  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indi- 
ana, moved  to  Randolph  county  and  afterward  to  Kansas,  the  latter  move- 
ment being  made  in  1872.  He  died  in  Kansas  in'1877,  having  had  five  chil- 
dren. He  had  a  fine  farm  on  Cabin  creek  but  he  went  to  stock  buying,  etc., 
and  failing  in  business,  lost  his  firm  and  like  hundreds  of  others,  moved  on 
farther  west  to  the  region  of  cheap  lands.  He  was  an  Anti-slavery  Friend,  an 
i^bolitionist,  an  underground  railroad  operator  and  a  Republican.  His  family 
returned  to  Randolph  county  to  the  region  of  their  former  home. 

John  Diggs  was  the  brother  of 'Mark  Diggs,  who  is  also  dead,  and  of 
William  Diggs,  who  is  still  living.  He  was  born  in  Carolina,  August  8, 
1802.  He  came  from  Carolina  to  Randolph  county  upon  White  river  in 
1821,  and  settled  on  Stoney  creek  in  1827.  He  had  five  children  and-  died 
January  22,  1863,  aged  sixty  years  five  months  and  fourteen  days.  His  wife, 
Catharine  Diggs,  died  October  29,  1867,  aged  sixty-three  years  six  months 
and  thirteen  days.  He  was  a  prominent  and  respected  member  among  the 
Friends,  and  was  buried  in  Poplar  Run  cemetery,  as  is  also  his  wife,  who 
survived  her  husband  more  than  four  years.  He  was  a  Whig,  an  Aboli- 
tionist and  a  Republican,  but  he  remained  with  the  "body  of  Friends"'  at  the 
"separation,"  not  deeming  the  alleged  reasons  for  dividing  the  "bjody" 
sufficient  to  justify  the  course  pursued  by  the  Anti-slavery  Friends. 

Joseph  Hewitt,  born  of  Irish  parents,  came  to  Ross  county,  Ohio,  in 
1808;  married  Sally  Putnam  in  1831;  came  to  Randolph  county  in  1841, 
and  had  ten  children,  all  grown  and  married. 

Hosea  Lamb  was  born .  in  North  Carolina,  and  came  to  Richmond 
before  it  was  laid  out  as  a  town ;  cleared  the  ten  acres  on  which  Richmond 
was  first  built,  and  entered  i6d  acres  in  Nettle  Creek,  but  settled  in  Stoney 
Creek.  He  had  nine  children;  was  a  farmer  and  a  Friend,  and  died  in 
1855.  His  wife  died  in  1877,  being  a  very  old  woman,  and  having  lived  a 
widow  twenty-tw-o  years. 

Restore  Lamb,  son  of  Hosea  Lamb,  died  in  1878,.  aged  about  sixty 
years.  His  brother,  Isaac,  was  accidentally  shot  aiid  killed  while  duck- 
hunting.  A  gun  was  handed  to  him,  muzzle  foremost.  It  was  dropped  and 
the  gun  went  off.    He  was  shot  in  the  breast,  causing  his  instant  death. 

Joab  McNees  was  born  in  1781 ;  lived  in  Tennessee;  came  to  Randolph 
county,  settling  in  Stoney  Creek,  near  Georgetown,  in  1829,  and  married 
Sarah  McColIom  in  1803.     They  had  sixteen  children,  twelve  grown  and 


*  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  989 

ten  married.  He  moved  eleveq  to  Randolph  county.  Mr.  McNees  died  in 
1833,  a'ged  fifty-two  years.  His  wife  was  born  in  1783,  and  died  in  1870, 
aged  eighty-seven  years.  She  lived  a  widow  thirty-seven  years.  A  rather 
rema,rkal)le  hf& — thirty  years  a  wife,  the  mother  of  .sixteen  children,  and 
thirty-seven  years  a  widow! 

Henry  Moore  was  born  in  Wilmington,  Delaware,. in  1^04.  He  came 
to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  18 16;  married  Mary  Wright  in  1831  (who 
was  born  in  1808),  and  settled  in  Randolph  county  in  1838,  buying  160 
acres  of  land  in  Stoney  Creek  township.  He  was  a  farmer,  a  Friend,  a 
Whig,  an  Abolitionist  and  a  Republican.  He  was  the  father  of  five  children, 
and  died  in  1879,  leaving  a  widow  to  mourn  his  loss,  as  also  several  children. 

George  Moore  was  the  brother  of  Henry  Moore,  being  born  in  1806, 
and  he  emigrated  from  Delaware,  on  the  eastern  seaboard,  to  Randolph 
county  in  1839,  marrying  Mary  Hialt  in  the  same  year.  They  had  five 
children.  ; 

Ira  E.  Smithson  is  a  native  of  "Old  Virginia,"  the  proud  "Old  Domin- 
ion," the  haughty  "Mother  of  Presidents."  He  was  born  there  in  1800. 
But  he  left  his  native  soil  and  emigrated  to  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  that  old- 
time  half-way  house  to  weary  emigrants,  that  stopping-place  for  thousands, 
whence  again,  a  fresh  start  being  taken,  pushing  their  onward  way  toward 
the  setting  sun,  a  final  halt  would  at  length  be  called  in  the  fruitful  Hoosier 
land.  And  from  Clinton  county,  once  more  resuming  the  impatient  line  of 
march,  they  stopped  not,  they  stayed  not,  till  they  had  found  their  old-time 
friends  in  the  woods  of  Randolph.  In  1839  this  latter  trip  was  accomplished, 
and  this  was  the  last  march;  for  hither  he  had  come  to  stay.  And  stay  he 
did. 

Joab  Thornburg  was  born  in  1795  in  North  Carolina;  came  to  Ohio  in 
1 811;  married  Elizabeth  Hollo  way  in  North  Carolina  on  Christmas  Day, 
1817;  came  to  Stoney  Creek,  Randolph  county,  in  1825,  entered  eighty  acres 
of  land.  They  had  nine  children.  He  was  a  farmer  and  a  Friend;  was  a 
Whig  and  an  Abolitionist.  There  is  something  venerable  in  an  ancient 
homestead,  hallowed  by  the  loves,  the  joys,  the  sorrows,  the  dear,  the  sad, 
the  holy  remembrances  of  ahnost  sixty  years  of  family  life.  Those  who 
spend  their  lives  in  changing  from  place  to  place,  having  never  a  home, 
but  only  a  temporary  abode,  occupying,  in  their  whole  lives  upon  earth,  not 
a  foot  of  land  which  they  could  call  their  own,  know  little  of  the  real  sub- 
stance of  home  life.  They  live,  indeed;  their  children  grow  up  to  full 
stature ;  but  their  residence  is  only  half  a  home.  He  surely  has  abundant 
(63) 


990  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

cause  for  rejoicing  whose  lot  is  cast  where  he  can  dwell  from  youth  to  old 
age,  in  a  dear  and  blessed  spot,  to  which  sweet  and  precious  memory'  clings 
with  a  close  and  perpetual  tie.  Let  it  be  the  ambition  of  every  family  to 
acquire  that  excellent  earthly  blessing,  the  ownership  of  a  permanent  home. 

William  Armfield  Thomburg,  Windsor,  was  bom  in  North  Carolina  in 
1816,  and  came  to  Randolph  county  in  1825;  married  Maria  Qevinger  in 
1835,  and  had  twelve  children — ^ten  grown  and  married.  He  was  Wought 
up  a  Friend,  but  belonged  mostly  Jo  the  Methodists  or  United  Brethren.  In 
political  faith  he  was  a  Whig.  His  business  was  largely  farming.  He  sold 
goods  twelve  years,  and  kept  a  hotel  at  Windsor  and  at  Williamsburg; 
operated  a  mill  south  of  Windsor. 

:  David  Vestal  was  bom  in  North  Carolina,  coming  to  Randolph  county 
perhaps  in  1823;  settled  on  Stoney  creek,  two  and  a  half  miles  south  of 
Windsor:  was  chosen  justice  of  the  peace  very  soon  after;  sold  out  to  John 
Thomburg  about  1830  or  1831,  and  left  the  county  in  the  latter  year,  mov- 
ing to  White  Lick,  below^  Indianapolis,  at  which  place  he  is  understood  to 
have  died.  They  had  five  children  at  the  time  of  removal.  He  was  kind, 
genial  and  obliging,  and  his  wife  was  an  excellent  woman.  While  he  resided 
in  the  county  he  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  thai  region. 

William  Terrill,  farmer  and  minister,  was  born  July  13,  1829,  in  Stoney 
Creek  township,  this  county.  He  was  married  the  first  time  to  Rebecca 
Thomburg,  November  22,  1849 ;  two  children  blessed  this  union— Lucinda 
J.  and  John  W.  Mr.  Terrill  was  united  in  marriage  the  second  time  to 
Mary  A.  Thomburg,  March  27,  1856;  she  was  bom  December  12,  1838. 
Mr.  Terrill  was  educated  in  the  old  log  school  house  of  pioneer  days,  and 
for  a  number  of  years  engaged  in  farmings  He  was  a  devoted  minister  of 
the  Christian  church  for  years  and  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  building  up 
the  denomination  of  his  choice.  Mr.  Terrill  is  perhaps  the  oldest  minister 
in  Randolph  county  up  to  this  time,  1914. 

Job  Thomburg.  This  venerable  pioneer  of  Randolph  county  was  the 
son  of  Isaac  and  Rebecca  (Hodgen)  Thomburg,  and  was  bom  in  Guilford 
county,  North  Carolina,  September  29,  1801.  He  was  the  fifth  of  a  family 
of  twelve  children;  his  father  was  bom  in  Pennsylvania,  July  4,  1773,  and 
mother  in  the  same  state  July  24,  1773.  They  moved  from  Pennsylvania  to 
North  Carolina,  where  they  were  married,  and  remained  until  the  year  1811, 
when  they  moved  to  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  where  they  remained  until  1827, 
when  they  came  to  this  coiuity  and  remained  until  their  deaths;  his  mother 
died  July  24,  1832,  and  his  father  June  28,  1862.  Job  lived  with  his  parents 
on  the  farm  until  he  was  twenty-five  years  of  age,  when  he,  with  his  brother. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  99I 

removed  to  Indiana,'  and  settled  in  Randolph  county.  After  living  with  his 
brother  for  about  one  year,  he  returned  to  Ohio,  and  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Lydia  Smith,  daughter  of  James  and  Atlantic  Smith,  April  17,  1826. 
He  and  his  wife  returned  to  Indiana  the  following  October,  when  he  entered 
eighty  acres  of  the  farm  upon  which  he  now  resides.  He  has  spent  the  best 
portion  of  his  life  in  clearing  a  farm  from  the  unbroken  forest.  No  one 
but  those  who  have  had  the  experience  fully  realize  the  amount  of-  toil  and 
hardship  connected  with  the  development  of  this  country.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  has  accomplished  more  of  this  kind  of  work  than  most  men  of 
this  age;  he  early  learned  the  lesson  which  insures  success  to  every  young 
man- — industry  and  frugality.  These  qualities  being  leading  motives  in  his 
life,  he  rapidly  accumulated  property.  He  is  the  father  of  ten  children,  as 
follows:  Atlantic,  born  January  18,  1826;  Abijah,  born  February  8,  1828, 
deceased  January  3,  1848;  Jonathan  J.,  born  April  2,  1830;  Thomas,  born 
May  7,  1832,  deceased  October  28,  1846;  James,  born  March  27,  1834;  Ann, 
born  September  19,  1836;  Edward  R.,  born  December  4,  1838,  deceased 
September  13,  1867;  Tilnias,  born  November  27,  1840;  Isaac  D.,  born 
October  28,  1842;  Rebecca,  born  September  3,  1845.  He  and  his  wife  were 
raised  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  ever  remained  faithful  to 
their  ado]>ted  church.  Mr.  Thornburg  served  this  county  as  juror  more  or 
less  fpr  thirty  years. 

Jonathan  J.  Thornburg,  who  is  a  native  of  this  county  and  son  of  Job  and 
Lydia  Thornburg  wa.s  born  April  2,  1830.  He  is  the  third  of  a  family  of 
ten  children,  seven  of  whom  are  living. 

Some  of  the  other  pioneers  of  Stoney  Creek  township  were  William 
liuitt,  Francis  M.  Amburn,  Philip  K.  Dick,  John  E.  Heickes,  Enos  A. 
Leeka,  Jacob-  Mills,  John  M.  Moore,  John  Ozbun,  Isaac  J.  Smith,  Abraham 
Symons,  Joshua  Swingley,  Jonathan  J.  Thornburg,  Thomas  Wallace,  Will- 
iam Wright,- John  D.  Wright,  Samuel  Huff  and  Isaac  J.  Smith. 

Nettle  Creek  Township. — It  embraces  thirty-one  and  one-half  sections, 
being  seven  miles  long,  north  to  south,  and  four  and  a  half  miles  wide  east 
to  west.  It  lies  wholly  west  of  the  twelve-mile  boundary,  and  the  land  was 
surveyed  about  1820  or  1821.  Settlement  began  later,  of  course,  there  than 
itr  did  east  of  the  boundaries.  The  township  lies  chiefly  in  the  valley  of  the 
Little  White  river,  and  covers  a  fine  scope  of  country.  Much  of  it  is  gently 
rolling,  presenting  pleasant  landscapes.  The  soil  is  well -adapted  to  all  kinds 
of  farming,  and  fine  crops  are  produced.  Being  settled  later,  improvements 
are  not  so  much  advanced  as  they  are  farther  east,  yet  there  are  many  fine 
farms,  with  good  buildings,  etc. 


992  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

The  earliest  settler  of  whom  we  have  heard  is  William  ShuUabarger, 
who  came  in  1820,  settling  south  of  Losantville.  He  was  killed  by  the  falling 
of  a  tree.  The  next  settler  was  John  Burroughs,  1822,  and  also  his  brother, 
Thomas  Burroughs,  1822.  The  following  came  soon  afterward:  Solomon 
Sparks,  Mahlon  Bronson,  Isaac  Branson,  John  Massey,  Ichabod  Tharpe, 
Phineas  Macy,  Mason  Powell,  Enoch  Sayles,  Jacob  Tharpe,  Henry  Mossby 
and  perhaps  others. 

Samuel  Burroughs,  son  of  John  Burroughs,  was  the  first  child  born  in 
Nettle  Creek  township.  May  20,  1823.  The  settlers  in  this  region  had  pecul- 
iarly severe  hardships  in  the  early  time.  Some  of  them  were  very  poor,  and 
all  of  them  were  greatly  "put  to  it"  to  make  their  way.  One  pioneer  in  this 
township,  when  he  first  moved  to  the  county,  had  one  old  horse  only,  and 
the  horse  died  in  a  few  days,  which  left  them  in  a  bad  condition.  The  mail 
cut  his  knee  with  his  frow  while  splitting  clapboards  for  his  cabin,  and  was 
laid  helpless  on  the  puncheon  floor  for  six  weeks.  His  wife  and  her  brother 
improved  the  season  by  making  several  barrels  of  sugar,  which  stood  them  in 
good  stead  to  give  in  exchange  for  corn  during  the  summer. 

In  a  scope  of  two,  miles  square  there  were  owned  but  two  wagons.  One 
day  six  horses  were  hitched  to  one  of  these  wagoiis  to  go  to  mill.  Twelve 
bushels  were  loaded  in,  and  off  the  teams  started.  The  horses  would  not 
pull  together,  got  fast  in  a  big  mud-hole,  and  stopped.  Six  men  unhitched 
each  a  horse,  took  each  a  sack  -of  wheat  and  away  to  the  mill,  leaving  the 
wagon  to  get  out  of  the  mud  when  it  got  a  "good  j-eady."  Thus  did  the 
hardy  pioneers  of  Nettle  Creek  bravely  push  their  way,  and  some  of  them 
still  survive  to  look  back  upon  those  rough  and  troublesome  times  and  those 
awkward  ways.  Isaac  Branson  was  in  Nettle  Creek  in  1824,  in  the  time  of 
the  "Falling  Timber,"  since  one  settler  relates  that  her  sister  at  that  time 
was  at  Isaac  Branson's,  and  that  Mr.  Branson's  horse  was  hemmed  up  in  the 
stable,  but  not  hurt. 

Nettle  Creek  ■  township  is  a  fine  rolling  country,  well  adapted  to  all 
kinds  of  farming.  There  is  but  one  town,  Losantville,  or,  as  it  was  called  at 
first.  Hunt's  Cross  Roads.  Nettle  Creek  is  Republican  in  politics  by  a  moderate 
majority,  when  state  and  national  lines  are  drawn.  As  to  religion,  Metho- 
dists, Disciples,  Friends,  Christians,  United  Brethren,  Baptists,  etc.,  are  rep- 
resented. The  first  sermon  in  the  region  was  preached  at  Thomas  Bur- 
roughs', by  Rev.  Bowen,  a  Methodist.  The  people  generally  went  to  West 
River.  Thomas  Burroughs  died  in  1825,  and  his  funeral  was  preached  in 
his  cabin  by  Henry  Mossburg.  The  Baptist  meeting-house  on  the  county 
line  was  built  in  1825.     A  Methodist  meeting-house  was  built  not  twenty 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  993 

irods  away,  in  1840.     The  first  school  house  was  built  in  1833.     School  was 
taught  in  it  in  1833-34  by  Mr.  Evans. 

In  early  times,  like  many  primitive  communities,  some  roughness  of 
manners  and  actions  prevailed,  but  latterly  the  community  has  become  fully 
t*he  equal  of  the  rest  of  the  county  in  those  things  that  tend  to  enlighten  and 
elevate  and  refine  the  feelings  and  sentiments  of  the  community.  In  religious 
things  there  is  considerable  variety  of  opinions  and  practice.  In  an  early 
day,  the  Baptists  established  a  large  influence  in  that  part  of  the  county,  and 
they  have  maintained  to  this  day  a  larger  following  in  that  township  than 
elsewhere  in  Randolph.  In  fact,  the  Baptist  element,  which  holds  in  the 
country-at-large  a  strong,  prominent  and  controlling  position,  has,  for  some 
reason,  found  in  Randolph  county  but  a  meager  support ;  and,  outside  of  , 
Nettle  Creek,  that  branch  of  the  Christian  body  has  found  but  few  adherents. 

LAND  ENTRIES. 

.S.  W.  IS,  18,  12,  Octobet  31,  1822,  John  Burroughs;  S.  W.  S.  W.  3, 
18,  12,  November  3,  1822,  Jesse  A.  Jenny;  S.  W.  N.  W.  12,  19,  12,  Novem- 
ber 25-,  1822,  Robert  Scott;  S.  W.  12,  19,  12,  November  25,  1822,  Tarlton 
Moorman;  W.  N.  W.  13,  19,-12,  November  25,  1822,  Mark  Diggs;  E.  N.  E. 
14,  19,  12,  November  25,  1822,  Mark  Diggs;  W.  S.  W.  13,  18,  12,  Novem- 
ber 26,  1822,  Robert  Kennedy  ;-E.  N.  E.  15,  18,  12,  February  24,  1823, 
Jesse  Moore;  W.  N.  W.  15,  18,  12,  September  30,  1823,  Jesse  Routh;  E.  S. 
E.  15,  18,  12,  December  15,  1823,  James  Massey;  W.  N.  W.  15,  19,  12, 
February  2,  1824,  Joseph  Brooks;  W.  N.  E.  15,  18,  12,  March  26,  1826, 
Isaac  Branson;  E.  S.  E.  5,  18,  12,  August  10,  1831,  Jesse  Sisk.  Nettle 
Creek  was  entered  between  1821  and  1838,  inclusive. 

It  is  seen  by  the  statement  just  given  that  the  settlement  of  the  town- 
ship was  very  sparse  before  1830.  In  fact,  the  west  part  of  the  county  in 
general  had  but  few  occupants  before  that  date.  A  small  number  had  made 
a  beginning  upon  White  river  and  Cabin  creek,  but  not  many  were  even  there, 
and  away  from  those  streams  the  cabins  and  the  clearings  were  truly  "few 
and  far  between." 

TOWNS. 

Fallen  Timber  Post  Office. — No  town  (perhaps)  Section  35,  two  miles 
northeast  of  Losantville.  The  name  has  been  given  from  the  fact  that 
years  ago  a  terrible  tornado  prostrated  miles  and  miles  of  timber,  falling,  as 
it  did,  in  a  dense,  heaped-up,  impenetrable  mass,  and  lying  for  many  years 
upon  the  surface  of  the  earth,  an  utter  barrier  to  passage  or  communication 
across  or  among  its  overthrown  tree-trunks.     That  mass  of  prostrate  tree- 


994  RANDOLPH   COUNTYj   INDIANA. 

trunks,  entangled  for  years  with  shrubs  and  new-grown  saplings,  has  for 
two  generations  disappeared  from  sight,  and  a  single  name,  as  above,  is  its 
only  existing  memorial. 

Flemingsburg. — Location,  four  miles  north  of  Losantville ;  five  miles 
northwest  of  Huntsville;  one  mile  southwest  of  Pleasant  View.  This  town 
seems  to  have  been  among  the  oldest  in  the  county,  but  whether  it  ever 
existed  except  on  paper,  or  whether  any  business  was  ever, done  there,  we  are 
unable  to  say.  It  is  utterly  extinc^  and  even  the  name  seems  to  be  wholly 
lost.  It  is  to  be  presumed  that  at  least  a  log  cabin,  store  and  a  blacksmith 
shop  were  there,  but  we  have  obtained  not  the  slightest  outside  information. 

Losantville. — Location,  sections  3,  4,  9  and  10,  township  18,  range  12 
east;  twenty-eight  lots;  Howard  Hunt,  proprietor;  recorded  February  22, 
1 851;  streets,  north  and  south,  Cambridge;  east  and  west.  Main.  Losant- 
ville (at  first  called  Hunt's  Cross  Roads)  was  laid  out  in  185 1  by  Howard 
Hunt.  Its  "antiquities"  are  as  follows:  Mr.  Denny  had  a  log-cabin  store; 
Bright  Cisk  resided  there  in  1834,  and  had  a  grocery  in  1842,  and  perhaps 
sooner  than  that.  Howard  Hunt  had  a  grocery  and  a  hotel  in  1850.  Ah 
interesting  story  is  told  of  the  origin  of  the  name  of  Losantville.  Two  of 
the  Hunt  brothers  lived  at  Huntsville.  One  had  originated  Flemingsburg 
and  the  other  Hunt's  Cross  Roads. 

-The  latter  was  chided  for  naming  his  town  such  a  common  name,  on 
which  he  changed  the  name  to  Losantville,  it  being  the  old  name  of  the 
town  of  Cincinnati.  Losantville  is  the  only  town  of  this  name  in  the  United 
States. 

Pleasant  View. — Location,  in  Nettle  Creek  and  Stoney  Creek  townships. 
No  plat  recorded  as  far  as  known;  laid  out  in  1854.  Being  situated  in  two 
townships  and  four  sections,  its  location  is  more  extensive  than  its  business. 
There  has  been  a  small  amount  of  business  from  the  beginning  of  the  town. 
Mr.  Davidson  had  a  saw-mill;  William  Kennedy  had  a  store;  Hiram  Diggs 
also  had  a  store;  Mr.  Carey  had  a  smith  shop  in  1856;  Solomon  Hanscom 
started  a  furniture  store,  as  also  an  undertaker's  shop,  in.  1855.  Nothing 
remains  but  a  store  and  a  residence.  The  merchants  in  Pleasant  View  have 
been  Messrs.  Kennedy,  Diggs,  Wright,.  East,  McNees,  Kelly,  Moore,  Bates, 
Lumpkin  &  Brother,  Ross  &  Hanscom,  Macy  (whose  store  was  blown  up 
with  powder),  Jessup,  Hanscom,  Jessup  &  Carter,  E.  Carter  &  Son,  G. 
Wright  White. 

The  physician,  was  Dr.  Frank,  in  1870.  The  smith  shops  have 
been  run  by  Messrs.  Johnson,  Carey,  Bowers,  Snuth  and  Robison.     Wagon 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  .995 

shops,  J.  W.  Paschal,  Lamb-&  Williams.     Sawmill,  Mr.  Davison  and  others. 
Cabinet  and  undertaker's  shop,  Mr.  Hanscom. 

BIOGRAPHY. 

Jonathan  Canady  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1821;  came  to  Wayne 
county,  Indiana,  in  1826,  and  to  Randolph  county  in  1840.  He  married 
Susan  Moore  and  had  fourteen  children;  twelve  of  them  grown;  eightJ 
have  taught  school,  two  are  attorneys,  and  one  is  a  justice  of  the  peace. 
They  are  an  active  and  intelligent  family  and  are  Republicans. 

Martin  L.  Canady  was  born  in  Randolph  county  in  1848;  married 
Sophronia  E.  Noll  in  1869,  and  they  have  three  children.  He  was  a  teacher, 
having  taught  school  thirteen  winters.  He  taught  the  first  school  that  ever 
was  held  in  Losantville  (in  1878),  for  it  seems  that  ambitious  little  town 
never  till  1878  rose  to  the  dignity  of  possessing  a  school.  Mr.  Canady  was 
elected  magistrate  of  Nettle  Creek  township  in  the  spring  of  1879,  against  a 
candidate  who  had  held  office  for  twenty-five  years,  and  had  never  before 
been  beaten.  Mr.  Canady  was  the  census  enumerator  for  1880  in  the  census 
district  in  which  he  resides. 

Walter  Canady  came  from  North  Carolina  to  Randolph  county  in 
1829,  and  lived  and  died  there.  He  had  a  wife  and  five  children.  He  was 
a  farmer  of  Nettle  Creek  township,  entering  land  there  when  he  came  to  the 
county. 

John  Clevenger,  father  of  William  Clevenger,  near  Neff,  was  born  in 
Virginia  in  1780;  came  to  Ohio  in  1803;  married  Maria  Stuthard  in  1799 
(born  1780);  came  to  Randolph  county  in  1828;  entered  120  acres.  -He 
had  fourteen  children ;  twelve  lived  to  be  grown  and  married  and  have  large 
families,  the  whole  twelve  having  108  children,  or  an  average  of  exactly 
nine  each.  He  died  in  1872,  aged  ninety-two  years  and  nine  months.  ,His 
wife  died  in  1846,  being  sixty-six  years  old. 

Jonathan  Clevenger  came  the  same  fall.  The  two  families  had  ar- 
ranged to  meet  on  the  way,  and  come  the  rest  of  the  distance  together.  The 
plan  failed  in  some  way,  and  the  families  did  not  meet,  and  each  one  found 
his  way  alone.  Mr.  Clevenger  was  a  sturdy  Democrat.  He  voted  for  Jack- 
son in  1828.  He  was  an  active  member  of  the  Christian  (New  Light) 
church,  and  a  worthy  and  exemplary  citizen. 

Jacob  Crouse  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1799;  married  Hannah 
Johnson  in  1824;  emigrated  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1832,  settling 
one  mill  west  of  Losantville.  They  had  seven  children.  His  wife  was  a 
Baptist.     He  was  not  himself  a  member   of  any   religious   body,   and   in 


996  .  RANDOLPH    c6uN'I;Y,   INDIANA. 

politics  lived  and  died  a  Democrat  of  the  Jacksonian  stamp  and  style.  He 
entered  eighty  acres  of  land,  and  he  resided  on  the  tract  till  his  death  in 
1873,  forty-one  years.     His  wife  lived  only  till  1864. 

Mark  Diggs  was  born  in  North  Carolina  1799,  and  was  the  son  of 
William  Diggs,  the  elder,  whose  son  William  came  to  White  River  in  1816. 
Mark  Diggs  came  to  White  River,.  Randolph  county,  in  1821;  married 
Susannah  Way,  daughter  of  Matthew  Way,  who  was  brother  of  Paul  and 
Henry  Way,  and  who  died  in  Caiftlina  in  1826.  They  had  one  child  which 
died  in  infancy.  Mark  Diggs  settled  iii  1827  on  the  farm  where  his  widow 
now  lives,  near  Pleasant  View.  He  was  a  Friend,  belonging  to  the  body; 
in  'politics,  a  Whig  arid  a  Republicati.  He  was  an  elder  in  the  Friends 
Society,  greatly  respected  and  altogether  a  solid  riiember.  He  owned  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  in  1878,  600  acres  of  land.    At  first  he  entered  246  acres. 

William  Hendricks  came  early  to  the  county,  and  was  justice  of  the 
peace  twelve  years.  He  married  one  hundred  couples  during  his  term  of 
office.  He  was  also  township  trustee  ten  years,  and  was  never  defeated  as  a 
candidate  for  office  till  1879,  at  which  time  he  ran  for  magistrate,  and  was 
beaten  by  M.  L.  Canady. 

-  Miles  Hunt  was  born  in  Kentucky  September  10,  1808.  He  came 
early  to  this  county  in  1824,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  was  a  resident  of 
Randolph  county  until  his  death.  He  was  identified  with  the  interests  of  the 
county  for  more  than  half  a  century,  representing  the  county  at  one  time  in 
the  state  Legislature  when  comparatively  a  young  man.  Mr.  Hunt  raised  a 
large  family,  now  grown  men  and  women,  who  are  now  among  the  useful 
and  worthy  citizens  of  their  native  commonwealth.  He  was  a  life-long 
Democrat,  being  one  of  the  ffew  who  have  clung  to  that  political,  faith  in  the 
face  of  the  overwhelming  adverse  majorities  for  many  years  in  this  Repub- 
lican county.  Since  the  tiriie  of  the  Murphy  revival  he  was  an  active  and 
enthusiastic  temperance  worker. 

John  Snodgrass  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1763;  moved  to  Tennessee  in 
1803,  to  Ohio  in  181 1,  to  Henry  county,  Indiana,  in  1813,  and  to  Randolph 
county,  Indiana,  in  1830.  He  had  eight  children.  -His  wife  was  Rhoda 
Mays,  and  he  was  married  in  Virginia  long  before  he  began  his  wanderings 
to  find  a  suitable  home.  He  was  an  old  man  when  he  came  to  Randolph, 
sixty-seven  years  of  age,  but  his  stay  was  but  short  among  his  children  and 
friends.  He  died  in  1834,  and  his  wife  eleven  years  after  her  husband,  in 
1845.  His  residence  was  about  a  mile  north  of  Losantville.  He  was  a 
farmer  and  a  Democrat.  Think  of  the  life  of  this  sturdy  pioneer.  Forty 
years  among  the  rugged  mountains  of  Virginia,  eight  years  amid  the  forests 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  097 

of  Tennessee,  two  years  in  Ohio  through  the  Indian  war  of  1811-13,  seven- 
teen years  buried  in  the"  woods  of  Henry  county,  Indiana,  and  when  within 
three  years  of  his  allotted  threescore  and  ten  pluriging  yet  once  more,  and 
for  the  last  time,  into  the  heart  of  the  deep,  unbroken  forests  of  Randolph 
county,  and  lying  down  at  length  after  so  many  tedious  and  wearisome  years, 
beneath  the  oaks  and  the  beeches,  to  die  and  be  forever  a;t  rest,  while  his 
friends  and  his- comrades,  gathering  around  his  rhortal  remains,  sadly  but 
hopefully  say,  "Life's  fitful  fever  over,  he  sleeps  well." 

Isaac  R.  Maulsby,-  farmer,  post  office  Losantville,  was  born  in  this 
county  November  6,  1840;  his  father,  Thomas  Maulsby,  was  born  in  Ten- 
nessee January, 5,  1805;  his  mother,  Mary  (Key)  Maulsby,  was  a  native  of 
Virginia.  Mr.  Maulsby  was  married  September  27,  1865,  to  Miss  Mannie 
Cory,  who  was  born  and  raised  in  Henry  county,  Indiana.  Their  union 
was  blessed  with  four  children: — Phila  C,  born  May  14,  1867;  Amy  V.,  born 
December  2.9,  1869;  Gilbert  O.,  born  August  30,  1873;  Stephen  C,  born 
July  13,  1877.  Mr.  Maulsby  owned  a  fine  farm  of  20b  acres;  was  a  licentiate 
minister  in  the  Baptist  church,  and  was  ever  willing  and  ready  to  aid  in  any 
enterprise  that  tended  to  elevate  and  enlighten  his  fellow-man. 

Other  pioneers  of  Nettle  Creek  township  have  been  William  Hewett, 
John  C.  Clevenger,  Isaac  Crouse,  William  Clevenger,  Wilkerson  Gray,  Solo- 
mon Hanscorn,  Hamilton  Snodgrass,  Hicks  K.  Wright,  William  Burroughs, 
Charles  H.  Barrax,  Jonathan  J.  Jones,  William  Oakerson,  Burril  Perkins, 
Isaac  Routh,  Charles  H.  Smothers,  John  T.  Vardeman  and  Isaac  Woods. 

Jackson  Township. — It  includes  the  north  of  township  18  north,  range 
I  west,  and  the  south  half  of  township  19  north,  range  i  west,  both  town- 
ships being  fractional,  in  the  northeastern  corner  of  the  county,  in  the  valley 
of  the  Mississinewa.  The  waters  of  the  township  are  the  Mississinewa, 
"Little  Mississinewa  and  some  snlaller  streams. 

The  old  or  Wayne's  boundary  divides  the  township  into  two  parts 
somewhat  cornerwise,  entering  near  the  northeast  corner  and  passing  out  at 
the  south  side,  crossing  the  township  line  about  two  and  one-half  rniles  west 
of  the  east  line  of  the  township,  county  and  state.  The  P.,  C,  C.  &  St.  L. 
(Pan  Handle)  railroad  crosses  the  southwest  corner  of  the  township.  It 
was  erected  as^a  township  in  1833.'  It  contains  about  thirty  sections,  being 
six  miles  north  and  south  and  five  miles  from  east  to  west.  The  Mississinewa 
flows  from  east  to  west,  as  also  the  Little  Mississinewa  northward  to  the 
Big  Mississinewa.  The  land  is  rather  level  and  somewhat  low.  It  was  at 
first  considerably  wet,  much  of  the  surface  standing  in  the  water  a  great  part 
of  the  time.     Clearing  and  ditching,  however,  have  dried  out  the  land  pretty 


yy8  RANDOLPH   COUNTYj   INDIANA. 

well,  and  the  country  is  now  good  for  farming,  the  low  lands  being  the  best. 
Originally  the  country  was  heavily  timbered.  Most  of  the  farms  are  now 
well  cleared,  though  some  are  still  rather  new. 

The  first  entry  was  made  by  John  Abercrombie  in  October,  1816,  on  the 
river  south  of  Pittsburg.  The  actual  settlement  began  hardly  as  early.  It 
has  been  difficult  to  trace  the  history  of  things  to  the  first  beginning.  The 
earliest  settlers  seem  to  have  left  no  trace  behind,  and  but  a. slender  memory 
of  them  remains  among  the  residints'of  the  present  day.  The  bona  fide 
occupation  of  the  township  seems  to  have  taken  place  about  1829,  perhaps 
somewhat  earlier.  A  few  seem  to  have  spent  some  time  there  before  that 
date.  Thomas  Shalor,  a  roving  fellow,  occupied  the  James  Porter  place 
perhaps  in  1826,  leaving  the  neighborhood  about  1829.  He  is  the  same  one 
mentioned  by  McKew  and  Hawkins  as  living  in  Jay  county,  in  the  region  of 
Camden.  Philip  Storms  is  thought  by  some  to  have  been  the  earliest  resi- 
dent. One  man  states  that  Philip  Storms  was  annoyed  and  injured  by 
having  men  enter  his  selected  location  from  under  him,  and  that  he  became 
"fighting  mad"  on  account  of  it,  which  is  not  much  wonder,  if  the  aggression 
were  known  and  intended  as  such,  since  the  act  would  be  both  a  flagrant 
violation  of  "squatter"  law,  and  a  serious  breach  of  natural  justice  and  of 
the  golden  rule.  Mr.  Storms  resided  in  the  region  for  some  time,  as,  several 
years  later,  he  was  appointed  by  the  county  commissioners  to  be  road  super- 
visor of  his  district.    ■ 

Some  men  by  the  name  of  Brockus,  wild,  rough  men,  who  had,  however, 
estimable  wives,  were  early  settlers,  their  residence  being  across  the  Missis- 
sinewa,  directly  north  of  Handschey's  first  mill.  They  left  before  a  very 
long  time,  but  the  clearing  said  to  have  been  made  by  them  was  still  to  be 
seen  many  years  afterward,  and  perhaps  is  there  even  to  the  present  day. 

An  old  man  by  the  name  of  Ishmael  Bunch  lived  on  the  land  entered  by. 
John  Jones,  near  Dolphus  Warren's.  Jesse  Gray  was  a  famous  pioneer  and 
hunter,  noted  throtigh  all  this  region,  and  for  many  years,  though  his  precise 
location  on  the  Mississinewa  at  his  first  coming  (about  1820)  is  not  pointed 
out.  He  entered  land  in  18.33  '^^  ^^^  Mississinewa,  directly  north  of  AUens- 
ville,  though  he  must  have  lived  somewhere  in  the  region  for  ten  or  twelve 
years,  and,  about  the  time  of  the  killing-  of  Fleming,  he  moved  from  the 
county  to  the  vicinity  of  Hill  Grove,  Darke  county,  Ohio,  and  still  again  in 
later  years  to  Adams  county,  Indiana.  A  settler  by  the  name  of  Jacobs 
settled  very  early  (in  1828)  directly  north  of  Allensville,  on  the  north  side 
of  the  Mississinewa.  He  was  an  old  man  in  1848,  and  died  some  year."* 
later,  about  1852. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  999 

The  entries  began  quite  early,  the  first  two  having  been  made  in  1816, 
the  next  two  in  1819  and  the  fifth  in  1826.  John  Abercrombie,  on  both  sides 
of  the  Mississinewa  river,  directly  south  of  Pittsburg,  1816;  John  Laverty, 
1 81 6,  on  the  creek,  about  a  mile  nearly  north  of  New  Middletown;  John  C. 
Dunham,  1819,  two  separate  quarter  sections  lying  on  both  sides  of  the 
Mississinewa,  two  and  one-half  miles  southeast  of  New  Pittsburg;  Abra- 
ham Royer,  one  and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  New  Lisbon,  between  the 
Little  Mississinewa  and  the  Ohio  line.  Whether  these  purchasers  settled 
their  land  seems  doubtful.  Their  names  have  not  been  heard  among  those  of 
early  pioneers  of  the  region. 

The  fourth  entry  in  the  township  was  by  Abram  Royer,  August  10, 
1826,  being  Iknd  now  owned  by  J.  Noffsinger.  He  probably  did  hot  occupy 
it,  as  we  have  never  heard  his  name  mentioned  as  a  settler.  The  fifth  entry 
was  by  John  Jones,  August  27,  1830,  southwest  of  Dolphus  Warren's.  The 
next  entry  was  by  James  Simmons,  a  little  west  of  the  second  entry.  Sim- 
mons married  and  settled  in  1834. 

The  first  settlers  were  inclined  rather  to  hunt  than  to  clear,  but  some 
moved  away  and  others  came  in,  and  solid  and  permanent  improvement 
began.  Many,  perhaps  most,  of  the  first  comers  were  poor,  some  without 
even  money  to  purchase  land.  Mr.  Porter  (James)  said  that  he  entered 
120  acres,  forty  acres  at  a  time,  walking  mostly  to  Cincinnati  and  back, 
making  each  separate  entry.  ' 

The  first  school  in  Mr.  Porter's  neighborhood  was  taught  by  George 
Porter's  wife  about  1836.  The  people  used  to  go  to  meeting  to  the  Prospect 
rheeting-house  neighborhood.  The  first  meeting  Mr.  Porter's  folks  attended 
was  at  Riley  Marshall's,  near  Prospect.  Marshall's  was  the  preaching  place, 
and  it  was  held  on  a  week  day.  Mrs.  Porter  used  to  take  her  baby  and  walk 
to  meeting — ^three  miles.  The  first  school  near  Allensville  was  taught  by 
Mrs.  Beach  at  home.  There  may  have  been  seven  or  eight  pupils — a  mere 
handful. 

The  first  sermon  was  preached  at  Mr.  Beach's  by  a  Baptist  preacher. 
The  first  mill  was  a  corn  cracker.  Jacob  Johnson  built  one  afterward,  which 
he  said  cost  him  $1.50.  The  stones  were  common  gray  heads  dressed  down. 
It  would  grind  five  or  six  bushels  in  twenty- four  hours  by  running  day  and 
night.  Mr.. Skinner  afterward  built  a  pretty  good  mill  for  wheat  and  corn. 
Mr.  Hinchy  also  built  one  with  a  saw-mill. 

The  first  organized  religious  society  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  Dis- 
ciples church.  New  Lisbon,  in  1839,  and  the  first  church  erected  to  have  been 
by  them  near  New  Lisbon  in  1841.    Many  of  the  early  settlers  were  church- 


lOOO  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

going  people.  Smith,  Wiley,  Reeves,  Mangus, ,  Wickersham,  Debolt,  etc., 
were  Disciples.    Beach,  Chandler  and  others  near  Allensville  were  Baptists. 

It  would  seem  from  the  above  that  in  Jackson  township  up  to  April  12, 
1837,  not  quite  four  sections  or  about  one  thousand  one  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  land  had  been  entered,  by  about  thirty-one  persons,  no  entry  being 
above  160  acres,  and  nearly  all  eighties  or  forties.  The  great  rush  of  settle- 
ment came  in  1837  and  1838.  The  entries  iii  Jackson  township  were  made 
by  men  of  very  moderate  pecuhi*y  ability.  Economy  and  thrift  have:,  how- 
ever, become  the  means  of  furnishing  to  many  in  the  township  cortifbrtable 
and  even  luxurious  homes,  and  a  considerable  number  have  acquired  Wealth. 
The  body  of  the  population  remain,  however,  even  as  of  old,  and,  from  the 
beginning,  industrious,  sturdy,  simple-hearted,  independent  farmers  of  mod- 
erate means  and  frugal  habits. 

The  Portland  &  Union  railroad,  projected  many  years  ago,  was  graded 
through  Jackson  township,  and  New  Pittsburg  was  laid  out  for  a  center  of 
trade,  but  the  railroad  was  not  completed ;  the  track  was  never  rhade,  and 
the  road  is  simply  a  useless  bank  of  earth,  and  Jackson  township  and  New 
Pittsburg  as  well  is  out  in  the  cold. 

Jackson  is  the  extreme  northeast  township  of  the  county,  and  its 
boundaries  are  as  follows :  On  the  north  by  Ja!y  county,  on  the  east  by 
Ohio,  on  the  south  by  Wayne  township,  on  the  wgst  by  Ward  township. 
Politically,  Jackson  township  is  overwhelmingly  Democratic.  Originally  it 
is  said  to  have  been  almost  wholly  so,  insomuch  that  a  story  is  told  that  at 
one  time  one  Whig  voted  alone  in  Jackson  township.  This  can  hardly  be 
true,  yet  the  time  has  been  when  the  non-Democratic  voters  in  Jackson  town- 
ship were  "mity  skase"  indeed. 

Allensville. — Situated  on  the  Union  and  North  Salem  pike,  a  little  south 
of  the  Mississinewa  river;  recorded  November  13,  1847.  The  town  is 
extinct.  Jonathan  Lambert  first  built  a  log  cabin  and  put  in  a  store  there  in 
about  1844  or  1845.  The  town  was  platted  shortly  afterward,  and  Lam- 
bert's store  remained  till  perhaps  1856,  and  a  Mr.  Bowen  succeeded  him. 
Some  of  the  early  settlers  in  the  neighborhood  were  Trowbridge  Allen, 
Ziba  Davis,  Cortlandt  Lambert,  Mr.  Hoover,  father  of^Isaac  Hoover,  Abra- 
ham and  Jeremiah  Lambert,  etc. 

Allensville  was  never  much  of  a  town.  The  "Quaker  trace"  passed 
through  Jackson  township,  past  Mount  Holly,  Castle  postofi&ce,  near  Allens- 
ville, crossing  Mississinewa  at  the  old  ford,  about  eighty  rods  east  of  the 
turnpike  bridge.  The  Salem-  and  Union  pike  passes  through  the  town. 
Nothing  has  been  there  for  many  years  except  the  old  mill. 


^  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  lOOI 

As  to  the  towns  of  Jackson,  not  much  can  be  said.  Most  of  them  are 
extinct  or  greatly  dwindled.  AUensville  (Sockum)  was  never  "any  great 
shakes,"  and,  what  life  it  had  "winked  out."  New  Lisbon  had  a  brave  start, 
and  might  have  done  well,  but  Union  City  "cut  ofif  its  wind"  and  it  had  to 
succumb. 

Almost  all  the  towns  in  this  region  were  originally  christened  as  "New" 
something  or  other — ^New  Lisbon,  New  Pittsburg,  "New  Middletown.  They 
were  indeed  new  then,  but  they  are  new  ho  longer,  and  the  affix  "new"  is 
mostly  omitted,  and  their  memory  is  retained  simply  as  Middletown.  Lisbon 
and  Pittsburg. 

Mt.  Holly  seems  to  have  been  ahead,  as  to  time,  of  all  the  towns  in 
that  region.  Their  dates  are  as  follows:  Mount  Holly,  1846;  AUensville, 
1847;  New  Lisbon,  1848;  New  Middletown,  185 1;  New  Pittsburg,  1856. 
Thus  the  town  with  the  'fragrant  name  had  seven  years  the  start  of  its 
earliest  rival,  and  "Sockum"  was  so  distant  that  she  need  have  had  no  fear 
of  her  far-away  neighbor.  But  old  settlers  insist  upon  it  that  Mount  Holly 
never  had  anything  but  one  blacksmith  shop.  If  so,  so  be  it.  It  was  saved 
the  slow,  tedious  process  of  dying  by  inches  or  perishing  by  dull,  stupid 
decay.  Its  proprietor  had  more  exalted  ideas  of  future  greatness  for  his 
new  town,  since  he  made  three  cross  streets,  while  most  of  the  embryo  cities 
at  their  first  laying  out,  were  fully  contented  with  one,  and  several  had  no 
"cross  streets"  at  all.  But  all  in  vain ;  survey  and  recorcl  were-  alike  for 
naught. 

New  Lisbon  is  three  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Union  City.  It  had  a 
fine  start,  and  but  for  the  railroad  would  doubtless  have  made  a  crieditable 
showing  for  business,  but  the  fates  decreed  otherwise  and  New  Lisbon  has 
buildings  still  standing,  enough  to,  make  quite  a -town,  and  the  dwellings  are 
all  inhabited,  but  the  only  semblance  of  business  is  a  smith  shop  and  the 
crowds  on  the  Sabbath  attending  at  the  meeting-house. 

New  Pittsburg  is  on.  the  route  of  a  railroad  projected  and  graded  some 
twenty-five  years  ago  from  Union  City  to  Portland,  and  at  the  line  of  Ran- 
dolph and  Jay  counties.  The  town  is  on  section  6,  near  the  northwest  corner 
of  Jackson  township  and  about  one  mile  north  of  the  Mississinewa  river. 
The  railroad  failed  and  New  Pittsburg  has  dragged  along  trying  to  prosper, 
but  not  able  to  do  so.  It  was  set  on  foot  in  1854  (recorded  in  1856)  by 
William  McFarland.  At  one  time,  say  about  1864,  considerable  life  was 
shown.  There  were  then  two  stores,^  two  smith  shops,  a  wagon  shop  and 
some  other  things.  The  business  has  mostly  left  the  place  and  the  town  is 
greatly  decayed. 


1002  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

Ezekiel  Clough,  farmer,  was  born  in  New  Hampshire  in  1802,  emi- 
grated to  Mill  Creek,  Ohio,  not.  far  from  Cincinnati,  in  1818.  His  father 
died  soon  afterward,  leaving  the  care  of  the  family  to  Ezekiel,  then  about 
eighteen  years  old.  They  "rented"  for  several  years  and  then  engaged  in 
making  brick  in  Cincinnati,  by  which  he  got  his  start.  He  married  Anna 
Huddart  and  in  .1836  the  couple  moved  to  the  "wilds  of  Jay,"  entering  six 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land.  In  1862,  he  changed  his '  residence  from 
Jay  to  Randolph.  Mr.  Clough  had  nine  children — ^William,  Nancy,  Ezekiel, 
Hannah',  George,  Jane,  John  (and  two  more).  William  was  killed  in  the 
army  at  Port  Gibson,  Mississippi,  May,  1863..  In  those  early  days,  accommo- 
dations were  poor  and  times  were  hard.  The  people  used  even  to  grate 
corn-meal  for  mush  and  hoe-cake  and  buckwheat  meal  for  hatter  cakes ;  and 
if  the  settlers  wished  to  have  grain  ground  at  the  mill,  they  had  to  send  it  to 
Covingtori,  six  miles  beyond  Greenville,  or  even  to  Dayton  sometimes;  often 
half  of  the  grist  was  given  to  pay  for  grinding  and  for  hauling  it  to  mill  and 
back.  Mr.  Clough  was -better  off  from  the  start  than  many  of  his  brother 
settlers,  and  hence  was  spared  some  of  the  trials  of  poor  pioneer  life.  He 
was  from  the  first  an  exemplary  member  .of  the  Free-Will  Baptist  church, 
and  spent  much  time  and  means  in  building  up  the  interests  of  education  and 
religion.  He  was  one  of  the  chief  founders  of  Ridgeville  College,  "being 
understood  to  have  given  to  it  at  the  beginning  ten  thousand  dollars  and 
also  much  more  'since  that-  time. 

Jacob  Corl  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1805,  married  Elizabeth  Stufft 
in  1825,  came  to  Richlarid  county,  Ohio,  in  1835,  and  to  Randolph  county, 
Indiana,  in  1838,  settling  in  Jackson  township,  south  of  New  Pittsbin-g. 
He  had  three  children.  He  bought  eighty  acres  at  first  and  afterward  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  formerly  belonged  to  the  Episcopal  Methodists 
and  later  to  the  German  Reformed  church. 

Andrew  Debolt,  blacksmith,  came  to  Jackson  township  early  in  183 1. 
He  died,  seventy-eight  years  old. 

Henry  Debolt  was  born  in  181 7  in  Butler  county,  Ohio;  married  Ann 
Mikesell  in  1844;  had. eleven  children,  seven  living,  four  married;  came  to 
Randolph  county  in  1844.  Mr.  Debolt  was  a  farmer;  was  justice  of  the 
peace  seventeen  years ;  township  trustee  four  years ;  a  Disciple  and  a  Demo- 
crat and  a  highly  respected  and  trustworthy  citizen. 

George  Debolt  (father  of  the  above),  Jackson  township,  was  born' in 
1794  in  Hamilton  county,  Ohio;  resided  in  Butler  and  Preble  counties,  Ohio; 
came  to  Randolph  county,  Jackson  township,  in  1844;  married  Rachel  Claw- 
son;  had  eight  children,  six  living.     He  died, in  1853,  his  wife  in  1861.     Mr. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  t003 

Debolt  was  colonel  in  Butler  county,  Ohio;  was  justice  of  the  peace  in  Jackr 
son  township  four  years  and  probate  judge  one  term.  He  owned  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  land,  having  entered  one  hundred  and  forty  acres. 
He  was  a  Democrat  and  an  active,  intelligent  and  trustworthy  citizen. 

A  few  families  were  near  that  plaice,  a  few  near  New  Lisbon  and  Mi. 
Holly  and  a  Mr.  Porter  lived  ^outh  of  Pittsburg.  The  first  school  in  the 
township  was  taught  by  Mrs.  Beach  in  her  own  house.  The  first  sermon 
.was  at  the  same  place.     For  other  items  see  account  of  Jackson  township. 

The  following  is  an  account  of  the  ancestry  of  Jacob  Gittinger,  late  of 
Jackson, township,  Randolph  county,  Indiana: 

Jacob  Gittinger,  grandfather  of  the  one  mentioned  above,  was  born  in 
Switzerland  about  1760,  or  sooner;  was  married  in  that  country  and  soon 
afterward  emigrated  to  America,  settling  in  Baltimore  county,  Maryland.' 
He  was  a  soldier  for  a  time  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  In  politics,  he  was 
a  Jeffersonian  Republican  and  afterward  a  Jacksonian  Democrat  and  in 
religious  connection  a  Lutheran.  He  had  four  sons  and  six  daughters,  all 
but  one  of  whom  grew  up  and  were  married.  They  all  settled  in  Mary- 
land, but  their  descendants  are  now  widely  scattered.  As.  to  occupation,  Mr. 
Gittinger  was  a  blacksmith  and  a  farmer  and  also  a  hotel-keeper  on  the  pike 
between  Hanover  and  Baltimore.  He  died  about  1846  in  Baltimore  county, 
Maryland-,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years  or  more. 

Jacob  Gittinger  (son  of  the  above  and  father  of  the  present  Jacob 
Gittinger)  was  born  in  Maryland  in  1786.  He  married,  in  Maryland,  Mary 
Deal,  in  1807  or  1808,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  nine  sons 
and  three  daughters.  All  of  them  became  grown  except  the  youngest  son 
who  died  at  seven  years  old.  Mr.  Gittinger  was  a  wagon-maker  and  a  black- 
smith and  farmer.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  belonged  to  the 
Mehodists  for  many  years,  continuing  in  that  connection  to  the  close  of  his 
life.  He  moved  to  Ohio  in  1835,  tarrying  awhile  in  Darke  county  and 
settling  in  Randolph  county  in  1838,  in  Jackson  township,  not  far  from  the 
Ohio  line.  He  died  about  1870,  eighty-four  years  old,  and  his  wife  in  i860, 
aged  seventy-two  years.  The  whole  family  removed  to  Randolph  county 
except  one  son,  though  not  many  are  left  in  the  region  at  the  present  time. 
The  aged  couple  lie  side  by  side  in  the  burying  ground  at  Raper  chapel  in 
Darke  county,  Ohio.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  being  an  ensign 
in  the  Lighthorse  Guards. 

Jacob  Gittinger  (the  third),  was  born  in  Baltimore  county,  Maryland, 
in  18 1 7.  He  came  with  his  father  to  Ohio  in  1835  and  to  Randolph  county 
in  1838,  the  latter. removal  being  when  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age. 


IOO<^  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  .INDIANA. 

The  Harshmans  (four  brothers),  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob  and  Reuben 
Harshman^  were  born  in  Rockingham  county,  Virginia,  and  were  brought  by 
their  father,  James  Harshman,  to  Preble  county,  Ohio,  in  1807.  Abraham 
and  Jacob  Harshman  emigrated  to  Randolph  county  in  1832.  Reuben  came 
in  1834  and  Isaac  about  i837_or  1838.  They  settled  near  and  north  of  Sara- 
toga and  Middletown.  Abraham  Harshman  was  twice  married  and  bad  ten 
children. 

John  Skinner,  son  of,  James  Skinner  and  uncle  of  Dr.  Reeves,  built  thg 
first  mill  in  the  region.  It  stood  mi  the  Little  Mississinewa,  a  little  north  of 
New  Lisbon,  being  a  log-cabin  structnre,  and  it  was  at  firs,t  simply  a  corn- 
cracker,  but  was  afterward  changed  to  a  wheat-mill,  a  hand-bdlt  being  added. 
The  mill  answered  well  its  purpose,  standing  and  running  for  twenty ,  or 
twenty-five  years. 

Three  brothers  of  James  Skinner  were  with  Jackson  at  New  Orleans 
during  the  war  of  1812,  and  two  of  those  brothers  were  buried  in  that  distant 
Southern  clime.  James  himself  volunteered  also,  but  for  some  reason,  not 
now  known,  he  was  sent  home  again. 

James  Simmons,  in  1831,  entered  a  tract  occupied  by  George  Vance  and 
lived  with  Mr.  Vance  in  the  cabin  .built  by  Mr.  Vance  till  Mr.  Simmons  got 
married  in  1834,  to  Avaline  Hawkins,  daughter  of  Mr.  Hawkins,  pioneer 
of  Jay  county,  Indiana.  Mr.  Simmons  was  an  active,  intelligent,  enterpris- 
ing, genial-  man,  an  ardent  Whig  and  a  straight-out  Republican  and  was 
highly  esteemed  by  his  fellow-citizens. 

Eli  Byrum  was  born  in  North  Caroling  in  1816  and  died  in  Randolph 
county,  Indiana,  in  February,  1877.  His  father,  William  Byrum,  was  a 
farmer  and  blacksmith  and  a  man  of  fine  intellect.  He  was  a  prominent  and 
leading  citizen  of  his  county  and  was  three  tiqies  elected  as  its  representative 
in  the  Legislature  of  North  Carolina.  In  1838  or  1839  he  came  North,  locat- 
ing in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  and  about  a  year  later  came  to  Randolph  county, 
Indiana.  Eli,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  accompanied  his  father  in  his  re- 
movals, and,  at  the  time  of  the  removal  to  Randolph  county, -purchased  eighty 
acres  adjoining  his  father's  farm  in  partnership  with  his  brother  Robert.  'At 
the  age  of  twenty-nine  years,  in  1845,  ^^  was  united  in  marriage  with  Rachel 
Newton,'  daughter  of  Henry  and  Mary  Newton,  whp  resided  at  that  time 
near  Richmond,  Indiana.  In  November,  1846,  his  wife  died,  leaving  a 
daughter,  who  died  a  few  months  later.  On  the  25th  of  July,  1.848,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Lucinda  Fields,  daughter  of  Lansford  and  Nancy  Fields,  who 
came  frqtti  Tennessee  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1833.  By  this  second 
union  Mr.  Byruni  and  wife  were  the  parents  of  thirteen  children. 


RANDOLPPI   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  lOOg 

Stephen  Hindsley  was  borft  in  North  Carolina  August  20,  1818.  Mr. 
Hindsley  after  making  several  changes,  finally  selected  Jackson  township  as 
a  desirable  place  to  locate  and  made  his  final  settlement  February  10,  1848. 
He  married  Miss  Ann  M.  McConnell,  March  7,  1841,  a  native  of  Piqua^ 
Ohio,  born  June  10,  1820.  Ten  children  Slessed  this  union.  Mr.  Hindsley 
and  his  daughters  are  worthy  members  of  the  Disciples  church.  Mr.  Hinds- 
ley is  a  social  gentleman  and  a  Democrat  of  the  old  school.  His  father, 
John  Hindsley,  was  a  native  of  Maryland,  born  January  17,  1767.  He 
united  in  matrimony  with  Miss  Hannah  Stotie  March  8,  1807;  she  was  born 
March  8,  1788,  in  North  Carolina.  In  the  year  1823,  Mr.  John  Hindsley 
and  family  settled  in  Granger  county,  Tennessee;  thence  in  Darke  county, 
Ohio.  He  deceased  August  16,  1847,  ^^'^  his  estimable  wife  September  6, 
1866. 

Squire  Hinkle  was  born  July  10,  1853,  in  Jackson  township,  Randolph 
county.  He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  this  county;  he  is  the 
owner  of  a  fine  farm  and  a  pleasant  home;  he  is  a  great  lover  of  music,  and 
is  naturally  a  musician.  He  was  married  April  11,  1875,  to  Henrietta  Sim- 
mons, also  a  native  of  Randolph  county,  born  December  25,  1853.  They 
have  three  children. 

Other  pioneers  of  .  Jackson  township  are  Reuben  Harshman,  Henry 
Handschy,  Henry  Hinkle,  Leander  Harshman,  Minus  Berkheim,  Jacob 
Howard,  John  B.  Lyons,  John  Mangas,  Absolom  Mangas,  Henry  Rickert, 
George  Rickert,  Noah  S.  Smith,  Ephraim  Spittler,  D.  Warren,  John  M. 
Wimer. 

Green  township  is  in  the  northwestern  corner  of  the  county,  being  the 
westernmost  of  the  northern  tier  of  townships — Jackson,  Ward,  Franklin 
and  Green.  It  lies,  like  the  others  mentioned,  in  the  valley  of  the  Missis- 
sinewa  river  and  on  both  sides  of  that  stream,  the  larger  half  of  the  township 
being  on  the  south  side. 

Two  principal  creeks  flow  northward,  Elkhorn  and  Mud  creeks,  and  one 
south.westward,  Dinner  creek  from  Jay  county.  The  township  is  narrower 
than  the  other  three  northern  townships  by  a  mile  and  a  half,  that  width  being 
taken  to  form  a  part  of  Monroe,  located  directly  south  of  Green  and  north  of 
Stoney  creek.  The  region,  though  lying  away  from  the  prior  settlements 
established  in  the  county  and  neglected  almost  till  the  last,  has  proved  to  be 
good  and  fertile  and  the  citizens  of  that  part  of  the  county  are  proud  of  their 
loeation,- thinking  it  in  natural  advantages  not  a  whit  behind  the  other  town- 
ships of  old  Randolph. 
(64) 


I006  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

The  surface  of  the  region  is  for  the  most  part  moderately  rolling,  though 
some  portions  are  tolerably  level.  The  country  was  originally  burdened  with 
a  heavy  growth  of  timber,  a  large  amount  of  which  still  remains.  The  settle- 
ment of  Green  township,  as  already  stated,  wais  not  till  long  after  the  first 
occupation  of  the  region.  One  might  have  supposed  that,  since  the  upper 
portions  of  the  valley  were  taken  up  between  1816  and  1820,  that  pioneers 
would  have  passed  down  the  river  and  planted  their  stakes  along  its  lower 
course.  No  so.  The  first  entry*in  the  bounds  of  Green  township  was  made 
August  18,  1832,  sixteen  years  kfter  the  first  entry  in  the  upper  valley,  and 
by  the  close  of  1835  only  fifteen  quarter  sections  had  been  purchased  of  the 
United  States,  or  about  one-eighth  of  the  whole.  Biat,  during  the  years 
1836,  1837  ^"d  1838,  the  rush  for  entries  was  great  and  by  the  close  of  the 
latter  year  all  the  land  in  the  county  except  the  school  sections  and  scattering 
pieces  here  and  thefe  that  had  escaped  the  notice  of  the  general  public,  had 
passed  into  the  hands  of  private  owners,  though  not  very  much  was  yet  occu- 
pied by  bona  fide  settlers. 

By  examination  it  appears  that  every  one  of  the  forty-two  entries  prior 
to  1836,  except  one,  was  upon  Mississinewa  river  or  near  that  stream  or  upon 
Elkhorn.  Nearly  the  whole  of  the  river  across  the  entire  township  had  been 
entered  and  most  of  Elkhorn  for  two  miles  up  that  stream.  The  solitary 
outside  entry  had  been  made  in  section  20,  21,  12,  near  Delaware  line,  some 
three  miles  south  of  the  river. 

A  large  part  of  these  entries  had  been  made  in  advance  of  settlement  in 
Monroe  township.  Only  eight  entries  of  four  hundred  and  forty  acres  had 
been  made  as  stated  in  the  history  of  Monroe  township  up  to  June,  1835, 
while  forty-four  entries  to  two  thousand  five  hundred  and  sixty  acres  had 
been  effected  in  Green  township.  It  is  true,  indeed,  that  the  whole  northern 
tier  of  townships  and  Wayne  as  well  had  remained  mostly  unoccupied  up-  to 
1834,  or  thirty  years  after  the  first  emigration  to  the  county.  But  the  time 
had  then  come  for  the  rush  of  entry  and  emigration  and  in  three  years  from 
1835  nearly  every  acre  of  available  land  had  been  purchased.  How  much 
had  been  settled  up  to  the  close  of  1838  we  are  not  able  to  state. 

SETTLEMENT. 

The  first  actual  settlers  in  Green  township  are  supposed  to  have  been 
Alexander  Garringer  and  Martin  Boots,  opposite  Fairview.  They  entered 
their  land  in  August  and  October,  ,1832,  and  were  living  there  in  Margh, 
1833,  and  probably  in  1832..  When  the  Greens  and  Browns  came  from 
Tennessee  in  March,  1833,  Garringer  and  Boots  were  the  only  families  in  the 


,  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IOO7 

township.  In  the  spring  of  1833  a  company  from  Tennessee  settled  not  far 
from  Steubenville  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  which  colony  made  a  brave  be- 
ginning for  that  township  of  at  least  nine  and  perhaps  more  families  in  one 
group. 

Philip  Berger,  who  came  in  1838,  said:  "In  1880,  the  country  was  all 
woods.  A  few  settlers  were  scattered  here  and  there  but  they  had  only 
cabins  with  small  clearings  like  deep. caves  sunk  far  below  the  tops  of  the 
thick,  almost  unbroken  forest.  These  little  clearings'  made  hardly  a  per- 
ceptible break  in  the  vast,  untrodden  wilderness."  When  he  came  he  says 
the  residents  were  as  follows :  Alexander  Garringer  and  Martin  Boots, 
across  the  river  from  Fairview ;  Mr.  Porter  on  the  present  site  of  Fairview ; 
Naselrod  had  been  on  Thomas  Hubbard's  place;  Alexander  Stevens  had 
settled  in  the  east  part  about  1830,  perhaps  the  first  in  the  township;  John 
Bone  lived  below  Fairview.  Anthony  Wayne  McKinney  came  in  1837  and 
his  son,  John  B.  McKinney,  lives  now  opposite  Fairview  in  a  splendid  and 
costly  mansion,  being  the  owner  of  fourteen  or  fifteen  hundred  acres  of  land 
and  of  great  herds  of  cattle  and  stock;  Nathan  Godwin  came  in  1837  and 
his  son,  Thomas  Godwin,  resides  in  Fairview;  John  Garringer  came  in  1836 
and  resided  where  Baldwin  now  lives ;  Martin  Smith  bought  out  Garringer  in 
the  fall  of  1836. 

The  first  mail  route  was  from  Deerfield  to  Granville,  Delaware  county, 
once  in  two  weeks,  out  and  back  on  horseback  in  1843.  The  first  mill  was 
built  by  Anthony  McKinney  on  the  river  below  Fairview  where  Woolver- 
ton's  mill  now  is.  He  had  first  a  saw-mill,  then  a  corn  cracker,  afterward  a 
grist  mill.  He  built  the  dam  in' 1838.  The  saw  mill  began  work  in  1839, 
the  corn  mill  in  the  fall  and  the  wheat  mill  in  1 841  or  1842.  The  first  school 
was  in  the  winter  of  1&37  in  a  little  round  log  cabin  near  Fairview  on  the 
river  bank.  The  first  meeting  was  held  in  that  same  log  cabin.  The  first 
church  was  built  of  logs  for  the  Methodists  about  1839  in  Fairview.  About 
1844,  a  quarterly  meeting  was  held  at  Thomas  Hubbard's.  Their  house- had 
just  been  built  and  had  ho  floor  and  the  sleepers  served  very  well  for  seats. 
Methodist  meetings  used  to  be  held  at  Nathan  Godwin's.  Christian  (New 
Light)  meetings  were  held  at  Martin  Smith's.  The  schoolhouse  now  stand- 
ing is  the  third;  the  first  was  log,  the  second  frame,  the  third  brick.  The 
first  brick  house  was  either  Samuel  Caylor's  or  William  Ore's.  The  first 
brick  kiln  was  a  small  one  of  thirty  or  forty  thousand  for  chimneys,  burnt 
by  Thomas  Hubbard.  Samuel  Caylor  burnt  his  own  brick.  The  first  reap- 
ers in  the  township  were  J.  B.  McKinney's  and  Philip  Berger's.  Mr.  Berger's 
started  first.    They  were  the  Kirby  reapers  and  the  time  was  1855  or  1856. 


IOo8  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

The  first  threshing  machine  was  run  by  Philip  Stover  of  Delaware  county. 
It  was  a  falling  beater  and  chafif-piler.  He  threshed  first  for  old  Elijah 
Harbour  and  then  for  Philip  Berger. 

The  first  justice  was  John  Garringer  in  1838. '  People  say  that  he  kept 
his  docket  on  slips  of  paper  and  stuck  them  in  cracks  in  the  logs  of  his  cabin 
and  that  nobody  but  himself  could  read  them.  The  first  burial  in  Fairview 
graveyard  was  that  of  an  old  lady,  Mrs.  Shirley,  mother-in-law  of  Reuben 
Eppart.  Mr.  Godwin  laid  off  the  glaveyard.  Thomas  Powell  was  buried  in 
what  is  now  J.  B.  McKinney's  pasture  before  1838.  The  spot  is  unknown. 
The  first  wheat  in  the  settlement  was  raised  by  Thomas  Hubbard,  three  acres, 
producing  sixty  bushels.  Flat-boats  and  pirogues  used  to  float  down  the 
river  with  apples,  pork,  flour  and  what  not.  One  spring  five  boats  came 
down  loaded  with  charcoal.  They  were,  stove  in  and  the  coal  was  lost. 
One  broke  in  pieces  going  over  McKinney^s  dam.  Mr.  Hubbard  set  out  an 
orchard  in  1840,  getting  the  trees  of  Joab  Ward,  at  Ridgeville.^  There  were 
one  hundred  and  twenty  trees  and  he  gave  nine  dollars  a  hundred,  bringing 
them  down  the  river  in  a  canoe.  The  brick  kiln  of  Thomas  Hubbard  was 
the  first.  William  Ore,  Samuel  Caylor  and  J.  B.  McKinney  each  burned  his 
own  bricks  for  his  house.  There  are  no  brick  factories  in  the  township, 
neither  are  there  any  tile  factories,  though  much  ditching  has  been  done. 
However,  there  are  no  long  company  ditches  made  under  authority  of  law. 
No  pikes  had  been  made  in  Green  township,  strange  as  the  fact  may-  seem, 
till  the  summer  of  1880.  The  people  there  made  a  beginning  upon  the  east 
and  west  road  leading  from  Ridgeville  to  Fairview,  an  old  thoroughfare  laid 
out  some  fifty  or  more  years  ago. 

There  are  no  railroads  through  the  township.  Three  roads  run  near, 
but  none  touch  its  soil.  Fairview,  the  chief  town,  is  but  a  short  distance 
from  several  railroad  points,  but  is  itself  cut  off  from  all.  Several  bridges 
have  been  erected  in  Green  township,  one  iron  bridge  at  Fairview,  one  bridge 
north  of  Steubenville,  one  south  of  Emroettsville  and  perhaps  others,  all 
across  the  Mississinewa  river.  Although  the  settlement  of  this  region  was 
so  late  that  much  of  the  forest  still  remains  standing,  yet  many  of  the  resi- 
dents have  acquired  comfortable  fortunes  and  substantial  and  even  elegant 
homes.  In  Green  township  may  be  found,  in  fact,  perhaps  the  most  costly 
dwelling  in  Randolph  county,  that  of  John  B.  McKinney,  Esq.,  opposite  Fair- 
view,  of  a  peculiar  style,  unique  but  elegant  and  very  expensive,  said  to  con- 
tain forty  rooms.  The  people  of  Green  township  are  mostly  moral,  upright, 
industrious,  frugal  and  thriving  in  their  dispositions,  character  and  habits.'" 

Other  pioneers  of  Green  township  were  John  Bone,  Silas  S.  Clark,  Ezra 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IOO9 

Conn,  Jacob  Daugherty,  Aaron  Harris,  Amos  Ludwick,  Clark  Reed,  George 
Sites,  Asaph  B.  Webb. 

TOWNS. 

Berlin. — Location,  on  south  side  of  Mississinewa  river,  section  4,  town 
21,  range  12,  opposite  Fairview.  B.  Mann,  proprietor;  Moorman  Way,  sur- 
veyor; recorded  December  13,  1833.  '  Town  extinct.  "Died  horning."  It 
seems  that  the  proprietors  of  Fairview  and  Berlin  played  at  "cross  purposes," 
and  Fairview  won  for  the  time.  Berlin  had,  in  truth,  two  years  the  start 
and  still  she  "lost." 

Emmettsville. — Was  laid  out  some  years  ago  but  no '  record  has  been 
made  of  the  plat.  It  is  located  a  little  north  of  Mississinewa  river  upon  the 
Deerfield  and  Fairview  state  road  leading  from  Greenville,  Ohio,  northwest- 
ward. The  town  is  now  extinct.  The  German  Evangelical  church  alone 
remains. 

Fairview. — The  town  was  laid  out  in- 1838  by  Thomas  Hubbard,  Samuet 
Boots.  Nathan  Godwin  and  Daniel  Culver.  It  is  located  on  section  4,  town 
21,  range  12,  near  the  northwest  corner  of  the  township  and  of  Randolph 
county  as  well,  ■  on  the  Deerfield  &  Ridgeville  road,  which  extends  northwest 
past  Emmettsville  and  Fairview  into  -Delaware  county.  The  ground  on 
which  it  is  built  is  finely  rolling,  unusually  so  for  Randolph  county.  The 
business  of  the  town  began  about  as  follows :  Alex  Garritiger  had  a  little 
store  at  his  cabin  south  of  the  river  and  he  moved  the  goods  over  to  the  site 
of  the  town  and  "set  up"  in  1839.  Mr.  Garringec  also  started  a  smith  shop. 
He  had  had  a  shop  over  at  his  farm  but  he  changed  locations.  He  was  not  a 
smith  himself  but  maintained  a  shop,  hiring  his  workmen.  Mr.  Harris  was 
the  first  physician  in  1842.  He  was  also  the  first  postmaster.  Mail  was 
carried  once  in  two  weeks  on  horseback  from  Deerfield  to  Greenville,  Dela- 
ware county.  A  little  cabin  was  used  for  a  schoolhouse  in  1837-38,  standing 
near  the  river  bridge  on  the  north  bank.  A  log  church  was  built  about  1839. 
The  town  grew  gradually  and  not  very  slowly  and  it  came  to  be  quite  a 
stirring  place.  There  were  at  one  time  (1845  to  1850)  three  or  four  thriv- 
ing stores,  two  smith  shops,  three  hotels  and  considerable  other  business  of 
various  kinds.  The  years  during  the  war  witnessed  the  greatest  activity  in 
goods.  There  were  heavy  stock  trading  and  much  other  business.  Fitz- 
patrick  &  Wilson  drove  and  fed  stock  largely.  Bridges:  There  are  three 
large  bridges  hear  Fairview,  all  of- them  over  the  Mississinewa.  One  is 
directly  at  Fairview,  crossing  over  the  river  to  the  residence  of  J.  B.  Mc- 
Kinney,  Esq.,  and  constructed  of  irOn.  One  wooden  bridge  near,  Samuel 
Caylor's.     One  wooden  bridge  near  Evans'. 


lOIO  RANDOLPH   COUlSTTYj  INDIANA. 

RockingJiam.-T^The. village  was  laid  out  in  1833  by  William  R.  Merine 
and  recorded  in  1836.  The  town  had  so  slight  a  growth  and  so  early  a 
death,  few  have  ever  so  much  as  heard  of  it  or  had  the  least  idea  of  its  loca- 
tion. John  Ford,  however,  who  nioved  to  the  county  in  1839,  residing  on 
Elkhorn  in  Green  township,  said  that  a  good  store  was  kept.  So  that  Rock- 
ingham lived  its  brief  life  not  in  vain  and  spent  all  its  days  in  accomplishing 
good  to  the  surrounding  region. 

Steubenville.^Israel  Wirt,  Jonathan  Green,  proprietors.  It  was  laid 
out  by  Israel  Wirt  and  Jonathan  Green  in  1840.  It  stands  upon  sections  13 
and  14,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Mississinewa  river,,  though  not  very  near  to 
that  stream.  There'were  once  a  tanyard,  a  store,  kept  by  Israel  Wirt,  a  smith 
.  shop  by  Julian  and  four  or  five  houses.  A  cemetery  lies  near  the  place  which 
is  still  in  use  and  in  resaonable  repair.  The  town  never  did  much  business, 
nor  was  it  ever  prosperous  and  it  has  been  entirely  dead  for  years.  The 
Green  consolidated  school  stands  upon  the  site  of  Steubenville. 

Philip  Barger  was  born  in  Fayette  county,  Ohio  in  181 5,  His  parents 
were  Virginians  who  left  that  state  on  account  of  slavery.  His  father  died 
when  Ph'ilip  was  young.  Mr.  Barger  came  to  look  at  the  country  in  1846,  and 
entered  land  in  the  fall  of  that  year  (one  hundred  and  forty-five  acres).  He 
married  Elizabeth  Strong  October  4,  1838,  in  Delaware  county,  Indiana, 
came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  to  live  and  settle  October  24,  1838.  They 
have  had  seven  children. .  His  wife  died  August  7,  1877.  He  was  by  occu- 
pation a  farmer  and  has  also  held  several  public  trusts.  He  was  township 
assessor,  justice  of  the  peace  four  years,  county  commissioner  two  terms. 
He  was  one  of  the  board  that  built  the  new  court-house  and  satisfied  that  it 
did  right. 

Monroe  Township. — For  years  the  settlements  seemed  to  find  White 
river  an  impassable  barrier.  For  half  a  generation  after  settlers  had  begun 
to  pour  into  the  southern  half  of  the  White  river  valley,  scarce  a  solitary 
pioneer  had  ventured  across  the  stream  into  that  uncouth  wilderness.  In 
fact  the  first  entry  within  the  bounds  of  Monroe  township  was  not  made 
until  seventeen  years  had  passed  away  after  the  first  entry  in  the  valley  of 
White  river.  The  entries,  even  at  that  time,  throughout  that  region,  were 
few  and  scant  enough  as  given  below :  Monroe  was  mostly  taken  between 
1835  and  1838  inclusive,  chiefly  during  the  years  1836  and  1837.  Two 
entries,  forty  acres  each  (as  above),  were  made  in  1833,  three  in  1834  and 
three  in  1835  to.  June  17.  Eight  entries,  embracing  four  hundred  and  forty, 
acres — five  forties  and  three  eighties — comprise  all  the  entries  up  to  June 
17,  1835,  throughout  the  entire  extent  of  Monroe  township.     It  may  be'  inter- 


RANDOLPH   COUNTYj   INDIANA.  lOII 

estirig  to  know  where  these  eight  pioneer  entries  were :  John  Rody,  one 
mile  south  of  Morristown,  forty  acres ;  Jeremiah  B.  Reed,  on  West  Branch  of 
Elkhdrn,  five  miles  northwest  of  Farmland,  forty,  acres;  Philip  Baughn,  on 
same  branch  of  Elkhorn,  one  and  a  half  miles  below  Reed's,  eighty  acres; 
Morgan  Mills,  one-half  mile  north  of  Morristown,  forty  acres;  Bernard 
Kerr,  on  Elkhorn,  right  below  Reed's,  eighty  acres;  Joseph  Smith,  at  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  on  West  Branch  of  Elkhorn,  above.  Reed's,  forty 
acres;  Henry  Rash,  just  south  of  Morristown,  forty  acres;  Abraham  Garst, 
one  mile  southwest  of  Farmland,  and  one  and  a  half  miles  northeast  of  the 
mouth  of  Cabin  creek,  eighty  acres.  Three  of  them  were  near  Morristown 
— one  north  and  two  south  of  it.  Four  were  above  the  West  Branch  of 
Elkhorn  to  its  junction  with  the  East  Branch.  One  was  southwest  of  Farm- 
land. About  that  time  it  would  seem  that  several  had  come  in,  perhaps 
selecting  their  claims  and  settling  previous  to  making  entries  of  their  land. 
From  one  who  came  in  in  1835,  we  obtain  the  following  statement  of  settlers 
living  in  the  region  in  1835  '>  Jeremiah  B.  Reed,  near  Rehobeth  meeting- 
house; James  Harvey,  north  of  Rehobeth;  Mr.  Carr,  north  of  Rehobeth,  on 
the  Isaac  Thornburg  place;  Samuel  Smith,  on  the  Adams  farm,  north  of 
Rehobeth;  Philip  Booker,  across  from  Abram  Hammer's;  Isaac  Garringer, 
on  the  State  road,  north  and  south;  Jonathan  Flood,  in  1836,  near  Hopewell 
church,  a  Protestant  Methodist  minister;  John  F.  Wood,  William  Wood,  in 
northwest  corner  of  township;  Moses  Marks,  north  of  Parker;  John  Baughn, 
in  the  edge  of  Delaware  county,  who  was  married  twice,  and  has  had  twenty- 
six  children — seventeen  by  his  first, wife  and  nine  by  the  second;  John  B. 
Mills,  north  of  Shiloh;  Andrew  Cortner,  west  of  Shiloh.  Other  settlers  on 
Elkhorn,  northwest  of  Farmland,  were :  Messrs.  Hammer,  Booker,  Adams, 
Garringer,  McCarney,  Peter  Hester,  etc.,  etc.  Eli  Hiatt  came  in  and  settled 
one-half  mile  south  of  Farmland  in  1836.  Isaac  Garringer  "planted  his 
stakes"  on  Elkhorn,  three  miles  northwest  of  Farrnland,  about  the  same 
time.  Peter  Hester  came  on  Bush  creek  in  1830,  perhaps  the  first  on  Bush 
creek.  Mr.  Bowers  bought  out  Mr.  Hester  soon  after.  In  fact.  Green 
township  was  settled  before  Monroe,  640  acres  being  settled  in  1832,  in  six 
entries;  thirteen  entries  made  in  1833  comprising  920  acres;  seven  entries 
made  in  1834,  including  600  acres;  and  eight  entries  in  1835,  covering  some 
400  acres — or  thirty-four  entries  in  all  with  about  2,560  acres;  or,,  in  both 
townships,  forty-two  entries  with  3,000  acres.  And  of  the  whole  number, 
only  five  contained  160  acres  and  they  were  all  in  Green  township;  twenty- 
two  were  forty  acres  each  and  fifteen  were  eighty  acres  each. 

The  township,  like  much  of  the  county,  is  level,  or  moderately  rolling, 


10 1 Z  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

comprising  a  fine  body  of  land,  which,  though  late  in  settlement  from  diffi- 
culty of  access,  has  richly  rewarded  its  hardy  and  enterprising  settlers.  The 
surface  was  originally  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  timber  of  the  kinds 
common  in  the  region,  much  of  which  still  remains,  to  furnish  in  these  latter 
days  of  increased  demand  and  improved  market  facilities,  a  rich  source  of 
wealth  to  the  present  owners  of  the  farms  located  in  the  township. 

The  first  school  in  the  southwest  part  of  Monroe  is  mentioned  in  the 
account  of  Thomas  Wallace.  lit  the  northwest  part  of  the  township,  on 
Campbell  creek,  Jacob  Jones  came  in  1838,  three  miles  north  of  Parker.  At 
that  time  James  and  William  Wood  and  George  Burkett  had  already  settled 
in  the  same  region,  coming  in  1836.  jThe  first  school  in  that  region  was  in 
Delaware  county,  in  1839,  one  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Mr.  Jones'.  The 
first  school  in  that  neighborhood  in  Randolph  was  taught  by  old  Mr.  Flood,  a 
brother  to  Rev.  Jonathan  Flood. 

The  first  meeting-house  in  the  neighborhood  Was  in  Delaware  county, 
built  in  1841 ;  but  there  was  a  log  house  used  for  meetings  before  that  and  the 
first  Sabbath  school  was  held  in  the  log  house,  Jacob  Tones  being  superin- 
tendent then  and  also  after  the  new  house  was  built.  ~ 

MORRISTOWN,    PARKER   POSTOFFICE. 

Location,  sections  16  and  17,  20,  12,  in  the  western  part  of  Monroe 
township,  near  Delaware  county  line,  on  the  Bee  Line  railroad.  William  E. 
Harris,  Joseph  Lewis,  Allen.  W.  Lewis,  proprietors.  T.  C.  Puckett,  sur- 
veyor. Recorded  November  15,  1851.  Eighty  lots.  Morristown  (John; 
Jones'  Addition)— John  Jones,  proprietor.  Eight  lots.  Recorded  April  2, 
1857'.  Location,  upon  the  . Bee-Line  railroad,  west  of  Farmland.  Morris- 
town  seems  to  have  been  laid  out  some  months  before  Farmland  was,  Novem- 
ber 15,  1851,  and  Farmland  July  28,  1852. 

The  first  store  in  Morristown  was  ovyned  by  Andrew  Devoss  and  Milton 
Harris.  The  first  smith  shop  was  by  Joseph  Thornburg.  The  first  shoe- 
maker was  Peter  Deal,  in  1854.  The  first  cabinet  shop  was  opened  by 
William  Fleming  in  1854.  The  first  saw-mill  was  by  W.  W.  Jones  in  1853 
or  1854.  The  merchants  have  been  Devoss  &  Harris,  Thomas  Aker  & 
Harvey  Harris,  Thomas  Lewis,  Brown  &  Meeks,  James  Russell,  Lake 
Andrews,  Joshua  Rector,  Thomas  Johnson,  Thornburg  &  Gunkel,  Dotson, 
Devoss.  Dotson  &  Devoss,  Daugherty,  Daugherty  &  Scott,  Scott,  Brown, 
Dotson,  N.  C.  Simmons,  J.  H.  Byrd,  Davis,  Cline.  Drug  stores — Edward 
Reece  and  Noah  Basley,  during  the  war.  The  first  physician  was  Martin 
Connor,  in  1854 


T 


1     HI 


■-^— ■^g^h.^ 


:\Iiiiii-ije  Tiiwiishi]! 
Public  Scljool. 
r.irkcv   t  ity. 


New  M.  E. 
Churcli, 
Parker  City. 


Three  Parki-r  City  Sn.iii-^liut 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  Id 3 

-  Parker  is  a  small  but  somewhat  energetic  place,  injured  somewhat  by 
being  so  close  to  Farmland  on  the  east  and  Selma  on  the  west.  However, 
it  holds  a  share  of  the  business.  There  are  three  religious  societies — Meth- 
odist, Christian  and  Friends.  Parker  is  a  live,  progressive  town,  being  sup- 
ported mainly  by  agricultural  interests.  Parker  has  all  kinds  of  business  welj 
represented,  good  homes,  churches  and  schools.  ' 

Farmland. — Location,  sections  13,  20,  12,  and  sections  18,  20,  13,  on 
Bee  Line  railroad,  west  of  Winchester,  one  mile  north  of  White  river,  in 
Monroe  township.  Recorded  July  28,  1852.  Henry  D.  Huffman,  William 
Macy,'  proprietors.  One  hundred  and  fifty-two  lots.  Streets — Mulberry, 
Main,  Plum,  north  and  south;  William,  Railroad,  Henry,  east  and  west. 
Peter  S.  Miller's  Addition— ^Ten  lots.  Peter  S.  Miller,  proprietor.  Re- 
corded October  29,  1870.  Macy  &  Groom's  Addition — David  Macy,  Robert 
H.  Grooms,  proprietors.  Grooms,  five  lots,  south;  Macy,  eight  lots,  east. 
Location,  south  and  east  of  Farmland.  Recorded  January  24,  1862.  The 
first  store  was  owned  by  Jonathan  and  Aaron  Macy,  standing  where  Stanley's 
store  now  is.  Wesley  Keener  built  a  house  and  sold  it  to  Miller  &  Ford, 
who  kept  a  store  in  it  for  many  years.  J.  Macy  &  Sons  had  a  tin  shop  in 
1855.  Another  tin  shop  was  started  in  1851  by  Ludwick.  Jonathan  Macy 
started  also  a  smith  shop,  hiring  hands  to  run  it.  The  first  hotel  was  in 
1858,  by  Price  Thomas,  but  it  soon  ran  through.  Jonathan  Macy  sold  his 
dwelling  house  for  a  hotel.  Macy  sold  his  store  to  Joel  Thornburg,  who, 
for  a  time,  carried  on  a  large  business.  Stanley  &  Robbins  took  the  place 
next.  Stanley  bought  out  Robbins.  The  first  grain-buyers  were  Miller  & 
Ford  and  Macy  &  .Sons.  The  latter  quit,  but  Miller  &  Ford  kept  on.  Stan- 
ley Robbins  also  undertook  the  business.  Before  the  war,  Thornburg  & 
Burris  bought  grain  for  three  or  four  years  and  quit.  James  S.  Davis  began 
in  about  1871.  Jonathan  Macy  began  a  hardware  store  in  1867,  continuing 
four  years.  Mr.  Barker  set  up  a  harness  shop  about  1870.  George  Watson 
has  owned  a  grocery  in  Farmland  for  fifty  years.  The  first  physician  was 
Doctor  Keener  in  1850. . 

Farmland  was  organized  as  a  town  in  1867,  with  five  wards.  Farm- 
land is  one  of  the  most  progressive  towns  in  the  county.  It  has  three  churches 
and  splendid  schools.  It  is  a  splendid  business  point  and  is  thoroughly  up- 
to-date  in  every  respect. 

Until  the  commencement  of  the  Bee  Line  railroad  little  improvement 
had  been  made  north  of  White  river  excepting  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  Mississinewa  river  and  the  route  of  travel  had  been  south  of  White 


IOi4  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

river  on  the  state  road  and  but  little  improvement  had  been  made  north  of 
it;  the  railroad  opened  up  the  south  part  of  Monroe  township,    'j. 

Three  towns  were  established  on  this  road,  two  of  which,"  Morristown 
and  Farmland,  have  already  been  discussed.  The  third  one  was  Royston. , 
I  ;■  Royston  existed  only  as  a  matter  of  record,  no  lots  were  ever  sold  or 
houses  built.  The  success  of  Farmand,  one  mile  west,  was  the  doom  of 
Royston.  Just  why  this  is  true  is  difficult  to  understand  as  Royston  was 
surveyed  and  established  one  year^  before  Farmland,  and  seemingly,  on  a 
better  site  for  a  town. 

BIOGRAPHY. 

William  Broderick  was  born  in  Hamilton  county,  Ohio,  in  1809,  came 
to  Randolph  county  in  1853,  married  Mary  Dtigan  in  1836  arid  resided -two 
miles  north  of.  Farmland. 

Elias  F.  Halliday  was  born  in  1824.     He  came  to  Wayne  county,  Indi- 
ana in  1832  and  to  Randolph  county  in  185 1,  residing  near  Farmland.     He 
was  a  merchant  from  185 1  to  1861 ;  county  treasurer  from  1861-1865  and 
county  commissioner   from   1876-1882.     Mr.   Halliday  was   identified  with, 
most  of  the  business  enterprises  of  Farmland  and  Monroe  township. 

Abram  Hammer  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  181 7,  moved  to  Lioking 
county,  Ohio,  in  1828  and  to  Randolph  county  in  1838;  married  Nancy  Har- 
bour, daughter  of  Rev.  Elijah  Harbour,  a  pioneer  of  Greensfork  township,  in 

1839-    ■ 

Eli  Hiatt  was  born  near  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  in  1801   and  moved  near 

Cherry  Grove,  Randolph  county,  in  1825 ;  he  moved  south  of  Farmland  in 
1837,  afterward  removing  to  Franklin  township.  Mn  Harbour  died  in  the 
fall  of  1880,  age  seventy-nine  years. 

William  Macy,  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1802,  married  Lucy  Diggs  in 
i829rat  which  time  he  moved  to  Randolph  county.  Mr.- Macy  was  the  father 
of  Capt.  William  W.  Macy,  one  time  sheriff  of  Randolph  county.  Joseph 
Macy,  born  in  North  Carolina,  in  1808,  and  came  to  Randolph  county  in 
I  1820  and  married  Sarah  Hobson.  David  Macy,  born  on  Lost  creek, 
Tennessee,  in  181 6,  married  Priscilla  LeuUen  in  1836  and  moved  to  Farm- 
land in  i860.  (See  biography  of  J.  W.  Macy.)  Aaron  Macy,  born  in 
Henry  county,  1829,.  and  moved  to  Farmland  in  1852.  Jethro  Macy,  born 
in  Henry  county  1825,  moved  to  Randolph  county  in  18^4. 

\  Mathew  W.  Diggs,  born  June  20,  1840,  was  the  son  of  Armsbee 
Diggs,  who  settled  in  this  county  in  1817.  Mr!  Diggs  moved  to  Farmland  in 
1865  and  engaged  in  the  harness  and  saddlery  business.  Mr.  Diggs  is  one 
of  the  most  respected  citizens  of  Farmland  and  one  of  its  oldest. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  IOI5 

Judge  Peter  S.  Miller,  born  in  Farmersburg,  Pennsylvania,  February  6, 
1 808,  and  located  in  Randolph  county  in  1839.  Mr..  Miller  is  a  miller  by 
trade  and  at  one  time  owned  and  operated  the  "Bond  Mill."  Mr.  Miller  was 
elected  justice  of  the  peace,  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office  he  was 
elected  judge  of  the  Probate  Court,  which  position  he  held  four  years.  He 
then  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in  Farmland  and  served  -as  post- 
master and  agent  of  the  "Bee  Line"  railroad.  He  afterward  purchased  a 
half  interest  in  a  drug  store  and  later  took  into  partnership  Mr.  L.  A.  Gable, 
a  son-in-law.  Mr.  Miller  was  a  live,  wide-awake,  enthusiastic  citizen,  very 
much  in  favor  of  public  improvements  and  was  instrumental  in  establishing 
the  "Indianapolis  &  Belief ontaine  railroad." 

John  A.  Moorman,  born  August  19,  1820,  Richmond  county.  North 
Carolina.  He  was  brought  to  Randolph  county  in  April,  1822.  Mr.  Moor- 
man was  a  man  of  unusual  ability  and  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  all  who  knew 
him.  He  was  elected  representative  to  the  State  Legislature  in  i860  and 
proved  to  be  of  splendid  assistance  to  Governor  Morton.  He  served  in  the 
Civil  war  as  First  Lieutenant  and  Quartermaster  of  the  One  Hundred  and 
Seventeenth  Indiana.  He  was  again  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  1876  and 
was  one  of  those  who  voted  favorably  for  the  bill  to  erect  the  present  State 
House. 

Joseph  Meeks,  born  December  29,  1834,  in  Virginia,  and  moved  to  Ran- 
dolph county  in  1837.  Mr.  Meeks  was  a  stock  buyer  and  no  doubt  bought 
and  shipped  more  stock  than  any  other  man  in  Randolph  county. 

Reuben  C.  Shaw  was  born  March  14,  1826,  in  Boston.  Mr.  Shaw 
moved  to  Randolph  county  in  1855,  after  having  crossed  the  plains  to  Cali- 
fornia in  1849.  Ml"-  Shaw  has  written  a  splendid  description  of  those  times 
and  an  interesting  story  of  his  life..  Mr.  Shaw  was  a  very  successful'  man, 
being  what  we  sometimes  call  a  "long  headed  Yankee." 

Charles  H.  Stanley,  born  in  Wayne  county,  June  22,  1826,  was  en- 
gaged in  milling,  grain  and  mercantile  business  in  Farmland  for  many  years. 

William  H,  Sumwalt,  born  October  4,  18 17,  in  Baltimore,  moved  to 
Randolph  county  in  1825. 

Isaac  Thbrnburg,  born  in  Ohio,  came  to  this  county  in  1833. 

Samuel  Wright,  borti  September  29,  1832.  Mr.  Wright  began  work  as 
a  carpenter  when  nineteen  years  of  age  and  continued  to  work  at  that  during 
his  life,  except  when  engaged  in  the  Civil  war.  Mr.  Wright  has  the  dis- 
tinction of  being  one  of  the  most  successful  carpenters  and  builders  of  his 
time. 

James  E.  Wood  was  born  in  Virginia  and  moved  to  Randolph  county 
in,  1836,  and  settled  three  miles  north  of  Parker. 


IOl6  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INBIANA. 

Adam  Slonaker  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1824;  moved  first  to  Ohio,  then 
to  Randolph  county  in  1855.  Mr.  Slonaker  served  this  township  as  trustee 
and  county  commissioner,  both  with  equal  credit. 

Other  pioneers  of  Monroe  township  were  Capt.  Wm.  Burres,  Robert 
Cougill,  John  L,  Flood,  Isaac  Garringer,  Adam  Keever,  George  Keever, 
Thomas  McGuire,  James  Pursley,  Barcjay  Smith,  Robert  L.  Sommersville, 
William  Reed,  Moses  Marks,  Joseph  W.  Branson,  Samuel  Botkin,  Columbus 
W.  Lewis,  John  H.  Jones,  Hfenderson  Hinchnian,  Moses  Marks,  Cyrus 
Moore  and  John  R.  Scott  and  many  others. 

UN-ION    CITY. 

In  the  spring  of  1849  ^^^  ground  on  which  this  enterprising  town  has 
since  been  built  was  owned  by  a  settler  by  the  name  of  Augustus  Loveland. 
There  was  on  the  tract  scarcely  a  sign  of  alteration  or  improvement  by 
human  hands.  Mr.  Loveland,  its  owner,  had  a  little  opening  and  a  cabin 
house  and  a  log  stable. 

The  Messrs.  Smith  (Jeremiah  and  Oliver  H.),  having  succeeded  in 
establishing  the  Bellefontaine  railroad  upon  its  present  route,  conceived  the 
idea  of  building  up  a  town  at  the  state  line.  Accordingly,  the  Loveland  tract 
was  purchased  by  Jeremiah  .Smith  in  May,  1849,  and  steps  were  immediately 
taken  for  the  survey  and  platting  of  a  town  site.  The  growth  of  the  place 
was  rendered  more  certain  by  the  fact  that  the  railroad  from  Bellefontaine  to 
Indianapolis  was  built  by  two  companies,  and  in  those  days  goods  had  always 
to  be  trans-shipped  at  the  termination  of  each  road.  About  the  same  time, 
moreover,  measures  were  taken  which  were  effectual  to  change  the  route  of 
the  road  which  had  been  projected,  and  upon  which  much  work  had  already 
been  done  from  Greenville  to  Winchester,  so  that  the  junction  with  the  Belle- 
fontaine route  should  be  at  the  state  line,  thus  securing  at  oncethree  important 
outlets  to  the  embryo  town — east,  west  and  south — even  before  the  new  city 
had  begun  to  be,  except  in  the  brain  of  those  who  had  sO  shrewdly  planned 
and  inanaged  the  whole  affair.  And  besides,  a  road  was  planned  and  built 
from  Columbus  to  Union  City,  thus  making  four  roads  to  start  the  town 
with,  which,  m  those  times,  was  an  immense  advantage. 

The  town  was  surveyed  and  platted  some  time  between  May  arid  Decem- 
ber, 1849,  ^s  the  land  was  purchased  in  May  and  the  plat  was  recorded  in 
December  of  that  year..  The  lots  were  offered  some  time  in  the  winter  or 
spring  of  1850,  and,  among  other  purchasers,  David  Teeter  became  the 
owner  of  a  lot  in  the  projected  town.  At  the  time  of  that  purchase  (Febru- 
ary, 1850),  no  buildings  were  on  the  original  site  of  Union  City  but  the  cabin, 
and  the  stable  of  Augustus  Loveland,  as  above  described. 


First   M.   K.   Climvl]. 


RANPOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA.  IOI7 

There  was  a  house  north  of  Division  street,  between  Howard  and  Col- 
umbia, not  far  from  where  old  Mr.  Carter  used  to  live.  It  was  occupied  by 
a  Mr.  Ricard.  The  eighty-acre  tract  was  owned  by  a  Mr.  Crumrine,  and 
Ricard  rented  it.  Samuel  Carter  bought  the  land  afterward  of  Mr.  Crum- 
rine. On  the  lot  purchased  by  him,  David  Teeter  proceeded,  shortly  after- 
ward (say  March  or  April,  1850),  to  erect  a  dwelling.  That  edifice  was 
at  the  southeast  corner  of  Oak  and  Howard,  and  has  long  been  known  as  the 
Star  House.  It  was  the  first  building  erected  in  Union  City.  Mr.  Teeter 
did  not  live  to  finish  it.  .  He  had  been  feeble  in  health  for  some  time,  and  he 
grew  worse,  and  died  in  May,  1850.  The  house  was  sold  to  Benjamin  Hawk- 
ins and  he  finished  it.  Mr.  Montgar  lived  in  it  a  while;  "No  other  house  was 
built  in  1850.  The  second  house  was  put  up  for  Henry  Debolt.  It  was  a 
frame,  and  was  built  by  John  Teeter  in  the  spring  of  185 1,  and  it  stood  near 
the  present  site  of  the  opera  house. 

The  third  was  a  one-story  frame  building.  Daniel  Weimar  took  the 
contract,  and  John  Teeter  and  Hezekiah  Fowler  built  it  for  John  Frazier  and 
Jack  Downing,  intending  it  for  a  saloon.  They  used  it  for  a  year,  perhaps, 
and  quit.  Those  twb  houses  were  the  ■  only  ones  •  built  in  1 85 1 ;  but  in  the 
spring  of  1852,  things  began  to  open  out  pretty  lively.  Four  railroad  tracks 
weer  rapidly  concentrating  upon  that  point  in  the  woods  on  the  Ohio  line, 
all  of  which  were  soon  completed  to  Union  City,  but  the  western  end  of  the 
fourth  (Union  City  to  Logansport)  had  to  wait  for  several  years. 

The  people,  in  the  spring  of  185^,  seemed  to  begin  to  realize  the  situation, 
and  many  appeared  determined  to  become  masters  of  it,  if  possible.  And  so, 
early  in  1852,  settlers  began  to  arrive.  As  already  stated,  there  were  just 
three  dwellirg-housts — the  eriginal  Lopelancl  log  mansion,  the  Star  House 
(unfinished),  and  the  house  built  for  Henry  Debolt.  But  by  July,  1852,  sev- 
eral houses  had  been  erected  and  several  residents  were  on  the  ground.     • 

Alfred  Lenox,  one  of  the  earliest  residents,  said  that  when  he  came, 
Jiily  2,  1852,  the  residents  on  bothsides  of  the  line,  but  mostly  in  Ohio,  were 
Messrs.  J.  D.  Carter,  Montgar,  Dr.  John  Diehl,  W.  A.  C.  Dixon,  Jacob  Liven- 
good,  John  Hayes,  Schultz  Hayes,  Henry  Debolt, Miller,  John 

Teeter,  Seth  Hoke,  John  K'oons.  J.  J.  Turpen  came  the  same  day — ^July  2, 
1852. 

The  first  saloon  was  kept  in  the  building  on  Pearl  street. 

The  demon  of  liquor  proved  itself  worthy  of  its  ancient  name  on  its 
first  introduction  into  the  town,  created  a  great  row,  and  caused  the  discharge 
of  seventeen  railroad  hands  soon  after  that  grog  shop  was  opened.     That  sa- 


IOl8  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

loori  and  another,  by  means  of  some  pretty  energetic  measures,  were  obliged 
to  "dry  up." 

Abram  Hoke,  R.  B.  McKee,  Dr.  J.  N.  Converse,  Benjamin  Hawkins, 
Mr.  Searl,  Enos  Turpen,  Simeon  Branham,  William  Anderson,  Samuel  L. 
Carter,  R.  A.  Willson  and  doubtless  many  others,  came  in  1852  or  early  in 

1853. 

Business  first  began  near  the  point  where  the  Deerfield  and  Greenville 
wagon  road  crosses  the  Dayton  9nd  Union  railroad.  J.  J.  Turpen  was  weather- 
boarding  there  a  building  for  a  store  in  July,  1852.  He  set  up  the  store,  of 
which  he  had  charge,  the  goods  belonging  to  Mr.  Ward,  contractor  on  the 
Piqua  road,  in  August,  1852,  the  first  on  this  ground.  John  D.  Carter  had 
built  a  saw-mill  and  cut  the  first  log  about  April  i,  1852.  Alfred  Lenox  had 
the  first  grocery,  October  to  December,  1852,  near  the  Deerfield  Crossing.  He 
had  a  fine  run  of  business,  but  his  partner  left,  and,  having  no  spare  time  him- 
self (Lenox  was  working  hands  on  the  Dayton  and  Union  railroad),  he  sold 
the  goods  to  a  Greenville  firm  in  December,  1852. 

At  this  date,  Messrs.  Turpen,  Lenox,  Hayes,  Livengood,  Johnson,  Win- 
termote  and  some  others  had  dwellings  near  the  Deerfield  Crossing. 

Mr.  Livengood  had  built  a  boarding  house,  perhaps  the  first  on  that 
ground,  just  opposite  the  store  building  above  mentioned  and  east  of  the  Deer- 
field road,  and  was  boarding  scores  of  hands  who  were  working  on  the  rail- 
roads. 

Quite  a  village  had  grown  up  befween  the  months  of  September  and 
December,  1852,  near  the  Deerfield  Crossing,  as  though  business  might  per- 
haps take  hold  at  that  place.  But  it  did  not  do  so.  That  point  proved  to  be 
away  from  trade,  and  business  left  that  spot  and  wandered  westward.  A 
strong  effort  was  made  to  establish  things  in  Ohio,  near  the  mill,  brewery 
and  foundry.  Mr.  Carter  had  built  a  saw-mill.  David  Fruits  put  up  an  im- 
mense four-Story  frame,  intended  for  an  opera  house,  hotel  and  what  not, 
but  he  soon  "got  through  his  pile,"  and  his.great  frame  stood  there  for  a  time, 
projecting  far  into  the  upper  air,  and  nicknamed  the  "deadening"  by  the  neigh- 
bors, until  at  lengtn  somebody  bought  it,  took  one  story  from  the  top  and 
finished  the  rest  for  use  [Orr  House].  Before  long  a  grist-mill,  a  brewery,  a 
foundry,  etc.,  were  erected,  a  store  or  two  was  started,  and  heroic  efforts  were 
made  to  hold  the  town  in  the  Buckeye  state.  But  all  would  not  do.  General 
business  could  not  be  made  to  "stick"  over  there,  but  it  insisted  on  fleeing 
across  the  line  and  building  its  cozy  nest  in  the  balmy  Hoosier  state. 

In  fact,  the  original  intention  of  the  projectors  was  that  the  town  should 
be  in  Hoosierdom,  and  their  plans  could  not  be  readily  thwarted.    Besides,  to 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IOI9 

make  assurance  doubly  sure,  Mr.  Smith  purchased  forty  acres  of  land  directly 
on  the  state  line,  on  the  Ohio  side,  and  held  it  vacant,  refusing  to  sell  to  any- 
body any  of  that  tract,  thus  utterly  preventing'the  Ohio  side  from  building  up 
to  the  business  of  the  Indiana  side.  And  that  gap  between  the  two  corpora- 
tions continued  for  about  twenty  years,  until  the  supremacy  of  Union  City, 
Indiana,  was  supposed  to  be.  so  firmly  established  as  to  need  to  fear  no  rival- 
ship. 

About  January,  1853,  Courtney  Hayes  started  a  grocery  across  the  track 
from  the  old  Orr  Building  (Ohio).  There  were  several  residences  in  In- 
diana, and  a  hotel  or  two  had  been  started  but  no  other  business  had  yet  begun 
there.  In  February,  1853,  Benjamin  Hawkins  built  a  frame  house  on  the 
Indiana  side  and  put  in  a  stock  of  dry  goods,  and  Jesse  Paxson  became  his 
clerk. 

The  plat  was  corrected  and  enlarged,  the  plan  being  radically  changed, 
^  the  angle  of  the  streets  being  made  different,  the  lots  smaller  and  more  numer- 
ous, etc.  The  new  plan  and  plat  were  recorded  February  6,  1854,  more  than 
four  years  after  the  first  -was  made.  In  the  new  plat  there  were  483  lots.  The 
streets  are  mostly  not  "square  with  the  world,"  but  run  at  a  considerable  angle, 
the  northward  streets  veering  toward  the  west.  The  north  and  south  streets 
(beginning  with  state  line)  were  as  follows :  State  Line,  Union,  Columbia, 
Howard,  Plum,  Walnut,  High  (and  Broadway,  east  of  the  Branham  House, 
from  Pearl  to  Chestnut,  across  the  depot).  The  east  and  west  streets, -begin- 
ning at  the  north,  were  Division  (directly  east  and  west).  Hickory,  Oak. 
Pearl,  Smith,  Chestnut.  Smith  street  is  on  the  railroad,  and  Chestnut  is  south 
of  the  railroad.  The  streets  are  eighty  feet  wide,  except  Smith  and  Broad- 
way, which  are  100  feet  and  Division  and  State  Line,  which  are  much  nar- 
rower than  eighty  feet.  The  alleys  in  the  original  plat  are  thirty  feet  wide. 
Large  additions  have  been  made  from  time  to  time  (about  eighteen  or  more,  in 
all)  in  Indiana,  till  the  entire  town  in  that  state  covers  nearly  a  mile  square — 
perhaps  rather  more  than  that. 

About  1853  Mr.  Searl  built  a  building  east  of  the  Branham  House  for  a 
grain  warehouse.  The  grain  business  rose,  almost  at  a  bound,  to  immense 
proportions.  Hundreds  of  wagon,  loads  have  been  in  waiting  at  once,  and  the 
'  grain  men  had  to  work  day  and  night  to  keep  up  with  the  business.  Grain 
was  hauled  from  Recovery,  from  New  Corydon,  and  from  within  six  miles  of 
Richmond.  The  second  warehouse  was  built  by  James  White,  but  it  was 
burned  in  1857,  before  it  had  stood  a  year. 

In  1855,  three  years  after  Union  City  began,  there  were  six  dry  goods 
stores^ — Messrs.  Lenox,  Turpen,  McFarlan,  White,  Hawkins  and  one  other. 


I020  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

John  D.  Carter  and  Montgar,  in  1854,  had  a  store  on  the  Ofiio  side,  and  a  large 
trade. 

There  were  in  early  times  some  saloons  in  Union  City  (Indiana  side),  but 
Alfred -Lenox  routed  one,  and  Simeon  Branham  another,  probably  in  1855. 
This  (Indiana)  side  of  the  town  has  never  taken  kindly  to  saloons,  and,  for  the 
most  part,  has  kept  them  out.  Union  City,  Ohio,  however,  is  sufficiently  in- 
fested with  the  nuisance.  ■ 

'     FIB^   THINGS. 

The  first  house  erected  was  the  Star  House,  by  Mr.  Teeter,  in  1850.  The 
first  hotel  was  the  Forest  House,  built  July  2,  1852.  The  first  store  was  that 
of  J.  J.  Turpen  (Ohio  side,  Deerfield  Crossing),  August,  1852.  The  first 
grocery  was  by  Alfred  Lenox  (Deerfield  Crossing),  October  to  December, 
1852.  The  first  store,  Indiana  side,  was  by  B.  Hawkins,  February,  1853.  The  , 
first  grain  house  was  by  Hawkins  &  Searl,  February,  1853.  The  first  railroad 
agent  was  R.  A.  Willson,  opening  the  first  set  of  railroad  books  in  Union  City.  , 
He  managed  all  three  of  the  roads  for  some  tiriie.  The  Bee  Line  was  two  roads 
for  awhile.  The  first  cars  from  this  place  were  loaded  with  grain  by  Hawkins 
&  Searl,  on  both  roads.  J.  E.  Paxson  set  up  the  first  boot  and  shoe  store  in 
1856.  William  Anderson  set  up  the  first  blacksmith  shop  in  August,  1852, 
and  his  shop  is  running  yet  ( 1881 ) .  The  first  hardware  store  was  by  Dukemi- 
neer  &  Maloy.  The  first  stove  store  man  was  a  Mr.  Smith  (or  Evans).  The 
first  millinery  establishment  was  by  Mrs.  Bennett.  The  first  drug- store  be- 
longed to  Simmons  &  Hill,  1854  or  1855.  The  first  livery  stable  was  by  Alfred 
Lenox,  in  1855:  The  first  book  store  was  set  U]5  by  Espy  &  Steele.  The  first 
bank  was  the  First  National  Bank,  Edward  Starbuck,  president,  1865!  Kuntz 
&  Willson  began  their  lumber  yard  in  1867.  Kirschbaum  &  Company  began 
their  store  in  1865.  W.  K.  Smith  began  the  shoe  business  in  1859..  J.  D. 
Smith  set  up  his  jewelry  store  in  1865.  The  first  public  school  was  taught  in 
the  winter  of  1853-54,  by  George  W.  Brainard.  The  first  church  organization 
was  the  Methodist  Episcopal,  in  1852.  There  were  four  members,  two  on 
probation.  The  first  preaching  .place  was  Henry  Debolt's  house.  The  first 
Sunday  school  was  in  1853;  superintendent,  Rev.  J.  T.  Farson;  attendance, 
twenty-five;  place,  old  Bee- Line  boarding  car.  The  two  first  brick  edifices  are 
thought  to  have  been  Branham's  Hotel,  1855,  and  the  building  on  the  south- 
west corner  of  Columbia  and  Pearl — erected  .by  I.  P.  Gray.  The  first  saw- 
mill was  built  by  John  D.  Carter  in  1852.  The  first  grist-mill  belonged  to 
Hobbs  (Ohio  side),  began  in  1857.  McMillan  built  a  warehouse  (Ohio 
side),  and  then  it  was  changed  into  a  mill  by  Hobbs  about  1857.     The  first 


Traction   Gateway   Be- 
tween  Indiana  and 
Oliio    Union  City 


One  of  tiie  JIany  Tobacco  Deliveries  Made  by  the  Grow- 
ers Living  Within  a  Few  Miles  of  Union  City. 


I  Rieridian  Street, 
r^ooking  South, 
Winchester. 


Wnshington  Street,  Lodging  En.ft. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  I02I 

public  school  house  was  built  in  1858.  The  first  church  was  the  Disciples 
church  built  in  1853-58.  The  first  child  born  was  Henry  Debolt's,  dead.  The 
first  magistrate  was  Esquire  Evans.  The  first  attorney  was  William  P.  De- 
bolt.    The  first  physician  was  Dr.  Diehl,  or  perhaps,  Dr.  Twiford,  1852. 

OFFICIAL    HISTORY. 

Union  City,  Indiana,  was  organized  as  a  town,  but  no  record  can  be 
found  before  1863.  The  minutes  for  1863  speak  of  ordinances  passed  in 
April,  1855.  From  that  time  to  the  city  charter  the  officers  were  as  follows: 
Presidents  of  the  board  of  trustees,  Messrs.  Weddington,  Lambert,  Maloy, 
White,  Hill,  Cowdery,  Swain,  Cranor,  Jaqua  and  Harris.  The  trustees  have 
been  Messrs.  Maloy,  Grabs,  Simmons,  William  Branham,  Weddington,  Hake, 
Lambert,  Koons,  Gregory,  Hill,  White,  Coats,  Wiggs,  Heitzman,  Cowdery, 
Humphrey,  W.  K.  Smith,  Willson,  Frey,  Cranor,  Gist,  J.  Dye  Smith,-  Mathes, 
Jaqua,  Knapp,  Johnson,  Ewen,  Kerr,  Ladd,  Harris  and  Frank.  Clerks  of 
the  board,  Messrs.  Reeder,  Swain,  Gregory,  Beall,  Smith,  Lambert,  Wiley, 
Johnson  and  Converse.  Treasurers,  Messrs.  Cadwallader,  Polly,  Coats,  An- 
derson and  Johnson.  Marshals,  Messrs.  Sutton,  Harkrader,  Murphy,  Nickey, 
Mason  and  Headington. 

Union  City  maintained  its  organization  as  a  town  until  1875,  when  it 
was  chartered  as  a  city,  being  one  of  the  first  in  eastern  Indiana  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  state  law  granting  city  charters 'to  towns  of  its  size. 

: Mayors  of  Union  City,  Indiana  (it  is  impopssible  to  give  dates  because 
of  the  variations  in  the  terms  of  the  mayors)  :  Lorenzo  D.  Lambert,  elected 
in  1875 ;  James  B.  Ross,  Theodore  Shockney,  I.  G.  Stall,  Charles  H.  Cadwal- 
lader, Frank  H.  Bowen,  Samuel  R.  Bell,  Wilfield  S.  Murray,  Thomas  Jones, 
Samuel  R.  Bell,  Clarence  S.  Pierce,  G.  A.  Rosenbush,  Charles  S.  Hardy, 
Charles  I.  Williamson,  William  Harris  and  Charles  D.  Reitenour. 

Councilmen,  since  the  city  corporation  was  created,  have  been  Messrs. 
Coddington,  Pierce,  Koons,  Stall,  Harris,  Frank,  Doty,  Wetz,  Reeder,  Bower- 
sox,  Castle,  Rubey,  Witham,  John  D.  Smith,  Jones,  Vestal,  Ladd,  Nivison, 
Masslich,  Frey.  The  following  form  the  present  council:  Milo  F.  Oliver, 
George  Hueber,  William  Keagy,  Henry  G.  Rosenbush  and  Fred  Schmidt. 

Union  City  is  today  a  thorough  progressive  city  and  all  lines  of  business 
are  well  represented,  and  it  is  noted  for  its  fine  homes,  churches,  schoolhouses 
and  public  buildings.  The  city  and  vicinity  support  three  substantial  banks 
that  would  be  a  credit  to  a  much  larger  city  than  Union  City,  and  the  same 
can  be  said  of  the  general  stores,  for  jt  is  very  uncommon  for  people  that  do 
(65) 


I022  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

shopping' to'  any  extent' to  leave  iUhioH  City  to  do  same.  The  city  -has  ari  ex- 
cellent equipfneiit  of  stores;  such  as  grocery,  drug,  harness,  dry  goods,  cloth- 
ing, millinery;  boot,  shoe,  etc.,  and  said  business  is  conducted  by  a  live  and 
energetic  class  of  business  men.         ■    - 

Union  City  has  been  noted  for  years  for  its  manufacturing  interests, 
principally  in  the  "Go"  Hiie:  "This  branelfOf  the  industry  is"  represented,  first, 
by  thelloss  Carriage  Manufacttiising  Company.  "This  company  was  established 
in  1866  by  George  W.  Ross,  aild'was  operated  by  Ross  &  Horney.  They  were 
succeeded  by  Ross  &  Hardy,  who,  in  turifi,' were  succeeded  by  Ross  &  Ander- 
son. The  company"  was  incorporated  as' a"  stock  company,'  with  a  capital'  stock 
of  $24,000.00,  in  1899,  and  employs  at  this  time  an  average  of  twenty-five 
men  per  day.  It  has  a  yearly  output  of  fifteen  hundred  vehicles,  not  including 
a  great  afnount  of  repairing,  repainting ;  in  fact,  all  kinds  of  repair  work. 
This  has  been  a!  very  valuable  industry  for  Union  City,  and  has  been  one  of 
the  institutions  that  has  given  the' city  a  standing  as  a  manufacturing  city. 

The  Union  City  Carriage  Manufacturing  Company  was  organized  in 
1881,  with  a  capital  stock' of  $100,000.00.  It  is  a  mammoth  cohGem,' employ- 
ing one  hundred  and  twenty-five  men,  and  has  a  yearlyotitptrt:  of  five  thousand 
buggies  and  carriages.  They'have' a  "brOad' territory  for  their  output  and  the 
excellence  of  their  product  makes  them  a  leading  factor  in  the  buggy  trade  of 
Indiana,  Ohio 'and  Illinois.        "      "'"         ■^  ■ 

The  latest  brgarii'zation  of  Union  City  is  the  Union  City  Body  Com- 
pany, which  has  recently  "been  organized,  with  a  capital  Stock  of'  $75,000.00. 
This  concern  employs  eighty-five  fflen  a:nd  has  a  yearly  outputof  2,500  bodies. 
They  manufacture,  principally,  "auto  bodies,  wi'th"  metal  panels.  The  tremen- 
dous demand  for  automobiles  has  made  this  one  of  the  most  valuable  com- 
panies in  eastern  Indiana,  artd  itscapital'stock  rates  very- high 'in  the  market. 
Thev  sell  to  manufacture  only  and  cover  the  middle  west  as  their'  territory. 

f>',    ;,:,i  .-  •  UNION  CITY  WATER  WORKS. 

Union  City  was  one  of  the  first  cities  of  the  state  to  own  and  operate  its 
own  water  system.  The  excellence  of  the  system  and  the  financial  benefit  that 
it  has  been  to  the  city  certainly  speak  well  for  the  policy  and  management  of 
thfe  people  who  have  had  it  in  control.  The  first  well' for- this  company  was 
sunk  in  the  south  part  of  the  city  to- a  depth  of  something  like. twenty-three 
feet.  The  bottoni  of  the' well  is  at  a  vein  of  gravel  something  like  fifteen  feet 
deep,  below  which  is  a  Stratum- Of  a  hard  pan  from  six  to  eight  feet  deep. 
From  that  there  alternates  layers  of  clay  and  quicksand  to  atf  unknown 
depth.     The  capacity  of  this  well  was  about  180,000  gallons  per  day,  which 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IO23 

amount  was  at  various  times  taken  from  it.  The  second  well  was  a  surface 
well  thirty-nine  feet  deep  and  thirty  feet  in  dia.meter,  built  in  1883.  The  third 
well  was  driHed  as  a  ga^  well,  but  no  gas  being  obtained  the  well  was  plugged 
and  used  as  a  water  well,  coming  from  a  depth  of  235  feet,  and  is  eight  inches 
in  diameter.  Date  unknown.  The  fourth  and  fifth  wells  were  drilled  by 
Charles  Guthiel,  of,  Winchester,  in  1900,  and  are  three  hundred  feet  deep, 
diameter  ten  inches.  Sixth  well,  drilled  in  July,  19 14,  is  221  feet  deep, 
and  ten  inches  in  diameter.  The  water  from  these  wells  is  analyzed  every  six 
months  by  the  state  board  pi  health.  The  following  is  the  analysis  made  May 
23,  1914:  Odor,  none;  color,,  16;  turbidity,  slight;  sediment,  much;  free 
ammonia,  .0020,;  albuminoid  ammonia,  .0020;  nitrates,  .0030;  nitrites,  .0001 ; 
chlorine,  .6;  hardness,  34.8;  iron,  .01;  colon  bacilli,  none.  After  giving  the 
above  anaylsis.  State  Chemist  Barnard  added  the  following  sentence,  "This  is 
good  water." 

Mains. — The  first  mains,  laid  in  1873,  were  of  pine  logs,  with  iron  and 
coated  with  pitch.  Sizes,  fen  inches,  eight  inches,  six  inches  and  four  inches. 
Of  this  kind  there  were  four  and  three-fourths  miles  laid.  Some  of  this  main 
is  still  in  use.  The  plant  has  been  extended  so  that  at  present  there  is  about 
nineteen  miles  of  .mains. 

Service.— There  .are  one  hundred  and  seven  fire  hydrants.  Consumer 
service  is -partly  by  meter  and  partly  by  "flat  rate."  There  are  900  meters  in 
use  and  about  400  use  the  water  by  "flat  rate."    Total  services,  1,300. 

Equipment. — The  first  building  was  forty  feet  square,  and  a  Dean  pump 
of  Indianapolis  was  installed.  ..  Its  capacity  was  900  gallons  per  minute.  The 
city,  as  well  as  the  installers,  became  embroiled  in  a  law  suit  over  the  use  of  a 
patent  governor.  The  city  lost  its  suit  and  a  judgment  for  $5,000.00  was  re- 
turned by  the  courts  againstit.  .This  plant  had  two  water  tube  boilers  which 
furnished  the  power.  These  were  in  use  aboyt  twenty  years.  In  1893  the' 
boilers  were  replaced  by  two  new  return  tubular  boilers,  and  the  pumping 
force  was  increased  by  the  addition  of  a  Duplex  Pa,ttern  pump,  whose  capacity 
was  1,500  gallons  per  minute.  It  -was  so  arranged  that  the  old  Dean  and  the 
new  pump  were  used  in  d,uplicate.  In  1898,  because  of  not  being  able  to  get 
the  water  from, the  wells  in  sufficient  quantity,  an  air  system  was  installed. 

In  1913  the  old  building  was  torn  down  and  the  plant  rebuilt.  Two  new 
return  tubular  boilers  of  100  horse  power  each,  a  new  Cross  compound  con- 
densing pump,  with  a  capacity  of  900  gallons  per  minute,  were  installed.  The 
old  Dean  was  discarded  and  the  Duplex  pump  was  rebuilt  and  is  used  in  dupli- 
cate.   At  this  time  an  air  compressor  of  the  Cross  compound  type  was  also 


1024  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

installed.  The  capacity  of  the  plant  at  this  time  is  2,400  gallons  per  minute. 
The  total  cost  of  rebuilding  was  $i5,poo.oo. 

It  miglit  be  said  further  that  the  new  plant  has  been  inspected  by  experts 
and  pronounced  a  model.  The  total  equipment  was  appraised  or  inventoried, 
the  plant  at  a  total  of  $1 15,000.00,  which  does  not  include  the  Ohio  side  mains. 
There  is  included  in  the  plant  a  reservoir  for  fire  reserve.  It  was  built  in 
1908,  is  60x80  feet,  and  has  a  capacity  of  360,000  gallons.  It  is  entirely  cov- 
ered and  is  thoroughly  sanitary.  % 

Financial  Statement. — When  the  plant  was  first  operated  and  for  some 
few  years,  it  was  necessary  for  the  council  to  vote  money  from  the  general  fund 
to  the  water  works  fund.  Then,  upon  the  extension  of  the  plant,  it  furnishes  a 
very  substantial  revenue  to  the  city.  At  the  present  time  the  surplus  is  being 
used  to  extend  the  plant.  Last  year  the  revenue  reached  almost  $10,000.00, 
and  the  operating  expenses  were  about  $5,000.00.  When  it  is  remembered 
that  the  city  pays  no  charges  for  fire  hydrants  or  aijything  of  the  kind,  this  is 
a  splendid  showing. 

E.  S.  Pettus,  the  first  superintendent,  did  much  to  make  the  plant  a  suc- 
cess, and  the  work  he  began  is  being  carried  forward  successfully  by  the 
present  superintendent,  Charles  F.  Smith. 

Nathan  Cadwallader  was  born  in  Warren  county,  Ohio,  in  1826.  His 
father  moved  to  Greensfork,  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1833.  He  was  an 
active,  thriving  man,  but  he  died  in  1840.  Nathan  was  the  only  boy,  and  but 
fourteen  years  old.  He  "gc^uged  along"  after  a  "fashion,"  borrowed  a  horse 
sometimes,  etc.  He  did  most  of  the  work  that  was  done,  though  his  sisters 
helped  what  they  could  in  loading,  cleanihg  gfain,  etc.  They  cleared  grain  by 
"flapping"  it  on  a  sheet,  and  had  to  haul  everything  on  a  sled.  A  wagon  was 
a  luxury  not  to  be  thought  of.  Two  brothers,  Thomas  and  Abner  (his  father), 
came  together,  and  settled  west  of  Arba.  Mr.  Cadwallader  attended' school  at 
Winchester  Seminary,  under  Professor  Cole,  twelve  weeks.  To  show  the 
primitive  simplicity  of  those  times,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  state  that  when 
Professor  Cole  advised  his  aspiring  country  lads  to  invest  in  a  box  of  blacking 
and  a  brush  and  to  try  their  qualities,  Nathan  obediently  procured  the  articles, 
but  was  utterly  at  a  non  plus,  because  he  had  no  knowledge  of  the  modus 
operandi,  never  having  seen  an  application  of  the  stuff.  He  taught  school  four 
terms;  was  clerk  for  Needham,  Mauzy  &  Company;  bought  out/  Mauzy  and 
sold  goods  at  Spartanburg ;  bought  out  Needham  and  sold  at  Newport  three  or 
four  years;  was  partner  with  Raiford  Wiggs  at  Union  City;  went  to  Cincin- 
nati, in  the  firm  of  Gray,  Cadwallader  &  Wiggs,  as  wholesale  grocers;  re- 
turned to  Union  City,  and,  with  Col.  I.  P.  Gray,  established  the  Citizens  Bank 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IO25 

1^1865.  This  was  reorganized  (same  name),  under  Indiana  la\y,  in  1873, 
la^fl  he  was  made  president.  Mr.  Cadwallader  was  state  senator  in  1876  and 
1880.  He  has  been  twice  married,  first  to  Elizabeth  Celinda  Mauzy,  then  to 
Sarah  Griffis  (1854).  He  has  three  children.  Mr.  Cadwallader  is  now  a 
resident  of  Winchester  and  a  highly  respected  citizen. 

Rev.  .Thomas  Colclazer  was  born  in  Washington  City  in  1811,  and  came 
to  Coshocton  county,  Ohio,  in  1827.  In  183&  he  married  Hannah  Johnson. 
From  his  early  boyhood  till. he  threw  down  his  hammer  and  took  up  the  Gospel 
tftenpet,  he  was  a  blacksmith.  He  was  converted  to  Christ  at  a  camp-meeting 
(^^owdy's  fork,  in  the  north  part  of  Coshocton  county,  Ohio,  in  1829,  under 
t^^preaching  of  the  sainted  Bigelow.     Shortly  afterward,  in  1830,  he.  was 


Iremsed  as  an  exhorter;  in  1840,  as  a  preacher,  and. in  1851  he  began  to  "ride 
circuit,"  his  first  work  of  this  kind  being  at  Deerfield  and  vicinity  in  1851 
and  1852.  It  thus  came  to  pass  that  he  was  the  earliest  preacher  at  Union 
City,  when  it  first  began  to  be.  His  fields  of  labor  in  later  years  were  Mid- 
dletown,  Henry  county;  Perkinsville,  below  Anderson;  Bethlehem,  sixteen 
miles  east  of  Indianapolis;  Alexandria,  Philadelphia  (west  of  Greenfield)  and 
elsewhere.    He  died  suddenly,  in  1865,  at  Union  City. 

John  Fisher  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1792,  near  the  old  "Guilford 
Battle  Ground."  He  left  that  state  in  1816  oa  horseback,  and  rode  alone  (ex- 
cept two  days'  journey)  all  the  way  to  Lebanon,  Ohio;  and  (after  five  or  six 
days  spent  in  visiting  friends  there)  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  having  been 
fifteen  days  on  the  road — a  pretty  quick  trip  compared  with  the  speed  often 
made  by  families  and  groups  coming  through  on  a  "moving"  expedition.  He 
entered  160  acres  in  the  winter  of  1816-17,  worked  about,  put  up  a  cabin,  was 
married  to  Jane  Starbuck  September  16,  1819,  by  Adam  Boyd,  the  only  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  in  Wayne  county  at  that  time.  There  were  no  justices  in 
New  Garden  township  till  1822  or  1823.-  Mr.  Fisher  and  his  wife  began  to 
keep  "cabin"  October  7,  1819;  and  they  lived  on  that  farm  till  January,  1866, 
more  than  forty-six  years.  They  came  to  Union  City  in  1866.  John  Fisher 
was  an  orphan  boy  at  six  years  old.  His  father  died  in  December,  and  his 
mother  in  September,  1798.  He  was  raised  by  an  elder  brother.  His  father 
had  ten  children,  who  all  lived  to  be  grown  and  have  families.  Jane  Starbuck 
(his  wffe)  was  born  in  1803  in  Guilford  county,  North  Carolina.  She  came 
with  her  father,  Edward  Starbuck,  to  Wayne  county  in  181 7;  John  Fisher 
died  at  the  residence  of  his  son-in-law,  Charles  W.  Pierce,  in  Union  City,  In- 
diana, February  8,  1881,  in  his  eighty-ninth  year. 

E.  J.  Harshman,  Union  City,  Ohio,  is  a  native  of  Randolph  county,  In- 
diana; he  was  borri  in  J-ackson  township,  in  1842,  the  son  of  Reuben  Harsh- 


I026  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

man,  an  early  settler,  and  one  of  nine  children.  He  grew  up  a  farmer's  son, 
attending  only  the  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  In  1862  he  joined  the  Fifty- 
fouJ-th  Indiana  Regiment  at  Indianapolis,  and  after  the  end  of  his  term  of 
service  he  was  mustered  out  December,  1863.  Hfe  marriied  Sally  French  in 
1871,  and  they  had  three  children. 

Other  citizens,  who  are  not  jnentioned,  and  who  were  factors  in  the 
making  of  Union  Citywere  Edmund  L;  Anderson,  Charles- W.  Pierce,  William 
Anderson,  blacksmith;  William  H.  Andersonj lumber ;  Adolphus  Barnes,  iner- 
chaht;  A.  J.  S.  Bowers,  merchant;  John  Butdhef,  grocer;  Robert-  J;  Qatk, 
banker;  Jefferson  Gist;  blafcksmith;  George  Grabs,  tailor;  William  Harris, 
manufacturer;  Abram  Hoke,  carpenter;  Seth  Hoke,  jeweler;  Stephen  H. 
Ladd,  grocer;  Robert  B.  McKee,'  merchant;  Jesse  Patxon,  merchant;  Enos  H. 
Turpen,  grocer ;  William  A.  Wiley,  miller ;  William  T.  Worthirigton.  - 

It  woiild'be  impossible,  in  a  book  of  this  tind,  to  give  anjthing  like  an 
accurate  description  Of  therridny  numerous  business  enterprises  carried  on  in' 
the  hustling  city  of  Union  City. 

The  Witham  Boweh  Lumber  Company,  Peter  Koontz  Lumber  Company, 
FraiikE.  Rohr  Lumber  Company,  Knapp  Supply  Company,  Pierce  Elevators, 
Kirschbaum  Clothing  Company,  arid  many  other  enterprises  would  deserve 
more  mention  than  space  would  allow  here. 

Union  City  has  maintained  a  constant  growth  and  a  wholesome  business 
atmosphere,  and  will  no  doubt  continue  to  hold  a  position  of  first  importance 
with  the  business  cities  of  the  state.  - 

COUNTY-SEAT,    WINCHESTER. 

The  legislative  enactment  creating  Randolph  county  was  approved  by 
Governor  Jennings  January  io,  1818.  This,'among  other  things,  provided  for 
five  commissioners  to  "establish  the  seat  of  justice"  in  Randolph  county  and 
this  further  provided  that  these  co'minissioners  might  receive  donations  of 
land,  the  proceeds  of  which  were  to  be  used  for  public  affairs.  These  locating 
commissioners  met  in  August,  181 8,  and  fixed  the  county-seat  at  Winchester. 

They  received  as  donations  to  the  county  land  as  follows :  Charles  Con- 
way, sixty  acres;  John  Wright,  fifty  acres;  David  Wright,  ten  acres;  David 
Stout,  eighteen  acres ;  Daniel  Petty,  twenty  acres ;  making  one  hundred  fifty- 
eight  acres  from  five  men.  This  land  was  all'  located  in  sections  20  and  21, 
township  20  north,  range  14  east,  being  the  present  site  of  the  city  of  Win- 
chester.   Winchester  was  the  first  town  established  in  the  county. 

The  commissioners  held  their  first  two  meetings  in  the  cabin  of  Benjamin 
Cox,  east  of  where  the  Friends  church  at  White  River  now  stands.     Their 


*  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^  INDIANA.  102/ 

third  meeting,  held  December  6,  1818,  was  "a.  special  meeting  of  the  board  of 
commissioners  in  .the  town  of  Winchester  for  the  purpose  of  the  lettir^g  to  the 
.lowest  bidder  the  building  of  a  court  house,  jail  and  stray  pen, ;in : said  tqwH*" 
From  thisjt  ig.  evident,  that  Winchester  assuiped.  the  name  almost  as  soon  as 
the  county  was  organized..:  .^  3..      :       ;.       ._■.     .-,.    ji -«  1;:, 

u  ;.[:Mtich.of  the;following  account  of  Winchester  has  been  taken  substan- 
tially from  "Manuscripts"  by  Honorable  Jere  Smith,  who  came  ta  Randolph 
CQuntyjin  Augusts  Ii8i7,-.and'resided,therein  for  more  than  fifty  years  until  his 
death].        \  -.       .  :       .    .  -.  ;        _,  -.  :       c  ,    ,    ,^    ,,  ; 

._  Lots  were  laid  out  in  the  fall  and  winter  of  1818.  The  first  sale  of  lots 
took  place, February,  18JL9...  The  whole- plat  was  an  unbroken  forest,  a  primi- 
tive wilderness,  heavily  timbered,  with  a  thick  undergrowth.  It  was  riec^ssary 
to  put  the  court  house  on  blocks  eighteen  inches  high  to  keep. -.the>  (building 
above  water.  A  large  oak,  three  feet.- .'through,  stood  for  years  on-  inlot  No.  9, 
east  front'.  It  was. cut  down  in  1825  or  .1826,  and  the  stump  was  standng- thei-e 
in  state  when  Judge  Smith  built  the  Franklin  Hqusc;  in  1839.  The  comrais- 
isoners,  Messrs;- Cox,- Overman  and,  James,  and  Paul  W.  Way,  agent,  had 
agreed  upon  the  plan  of  tJae  town.  -.Overman  and  -Way  were  both  surveyors-, 
backwoods  fashion.  Charles  Connor,  who  was  -also,  a  "half  surveyor,"  , had  a 
little  stiff -armed  compass,  four-inch 'face,  and  an  old  two-pole  chain,, tied;, witfi 
-leather  and  tow  strings.  Paul  Way  did  the  Surveying.  As  the  commissioners 
were  looking  over  the  ground  to  locate  .the  public  squjare,  Charles  Conway  told 
Judge  Smith  that  Old  EH  Overman  stuck  down  the  Jacob-staff,  saying, /'Here 
shall  be  the  northeast  corner  of  the  public  square,"  and  there, it  was.i  and  ther.e 
it  is,  and  is  to  be,  unless, ■indeed,:as  seems;not  very  unlikely  in  these  latter  days, 
some  city  "engineer"  shall  take  it  into  his  overgrown- head  to  plant  ne^^  cornets 
and  turn  town,  streets  and  all ''awry."  ;  ;        ,,.  ■; 

The  first  house  built  was  a  round  log  cabin,  one-story  high,  "scutched 
down"  after  it  was  raised,  and  before:the  rafters,  were  put  up.  -  It  had  a  clap- 
board roof  and  a  clay  and  stick  chimney.  Mr;  Smith  says,  "Ldo  not  know, 
who  built  the  house,  but  .Martin  Comer  owned  it  and  lived  in  it  a  long  time. 
It  stood -on  inlot  No.  9,  north  front,  and  wasrbuilt  in  the  early  spring  of  1819. 
The  second  house  was  put  up  by  Thomas  Wright,  father-in-law  of  John  Coats, 
in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1819.  In  the  summer,  and  fall  of  1819,  James 
McCool,  a  blind  man,  put  up  upon  inlot  No.  i,-.west  front,  a  good,  two-story 
hewed-log  house.  When  I  first  came  to  Winchester  =(1819),  it  was  the.hotel 
of  the  town,  kept  by  the  blind  man,.  McCool.  When  next  I  came,  James  Old- 
ham, hatter, ■  kept' tavern  in  it,-,  and  a -hatter's  shop-back  of  it.  Old  Esquire 
Odle  owned  it  afterward  and  built  a  little  frame  store  at  the  north, end  and  a 


I028  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

frame  shed  back-  for  bedroonjs  and  he  ran  it  as  a  hotel,  store  and  residence 
for  sonje  years.  

In  the  winter  of  1819-20,  James  Oldham,  the  hatter,  built  a  good  hewed- 
log  house,  story  and  a  half,  on  inlot  No.  11,  southeast  square ;  and  in  the  spring 
of  1820,  Alvin  C.  Graves  built  a  round-log  cabin  on  lot  No.  14,  in  the  south- 
east square. 

The  hewed-log  court-house  and  the  Banta  jail  wer§  built  in  1819-20.  In 
that  year  (1820),  Judge  John  Sample  built  the  first  frame  house,  a  small  oner 
story  building,  on  lot  No.  3,  east  front.  He  set  it  on  the  west  line  of  the  lot, 
some  distance  south  of  the  northwest  corner  of  the  lot.  It  would  seem  from 
this  account  that  there  were  (1820)  seven  buildings  in  Winchester  (if  the 
Judge  has  mentioned  them  all).  ,      . 

Mr.  Smith  goes  on,  "The  next- frame  house  was  in  1&24-25,  by  David 
Haworth.  It  was  on  inlot  No.  10,  northeast  square,  where  Jacob  Elzroth 
lived  so  long  and  where  he  died. 

Andrew  Aker,  in  1826  or  1827,  built  a  frame  house  on  inlot  No.  8^.  north 
front,  two  stories,  with  a  one-story  store-room  at  the  west  end. 

In  1826-27,  Abner  Overman  built  a  frame  house  on  the  northeast  corner 
of  lot  No.  2,  east  front.  He  sold  it  to  John  Way  in  the  fall  of  1829,  who 
moved  into  it  and  started  a  blacksmith  shop  and  lived  there  the  rest  of.  his- 
days.  In  1823,  Mrs.  Mary  Reeder  bought  inlot  No.  2,  west  front,  built  a 
cabin  and  lived  there  some  years.  She  then  traded  it  off  to  Nathaniel  Coffin 
for^nlot  No.  12,  southeast  square.  She  (Mrs.  Mary  Reeder)  was  the  "oldest 
inhabitant"  of  Winchester,  in  1881,  being  at  that  time  fifty-nkie  years  old.  She 
was  in  the  town  seven  years  before  I  was,  and  ten  years  before  Jesse  Way. 
There  were,  I  presume,  other  cabins  and  shanties  put  up  in  the  town  during 
this  decade  but  I  cannot  now  call  them  to  mind. 

Winchester  would  seem  to  have  had  an  exceedingly  slow  growth,  re- 
markaby  so,  considering  it  was  the  seat  of  justice  of  a  county  containing  at 
the  start  200  voters  and  increasing  its  population  with  considerable  rapidity ; 
considering,  moreover,  that  for  ten  years  not  another  town  was  evien  attempted 
within  its  limits. 

Judge  Smith  appears  to  think  that  the  dozen  or  so  houses  which  he 
describes  were  nearly  or  quite  all  that  had  been  built  up  to  1830.  And  in- 
formation from  several  sources  indicates  that  not  more  than  a  dozen  farnilies 
were  residents  of  the  toAvnat  the  lapse  of  twelve  years  after  the  town  had  been 
platted.  One  jail  and  two  court-houses  had  been  .built.  Court  after  court 
had  been  held ;  jurors  had  heard  cases  in  the  court-house  and  determined  their 
verdicts  seated  upon  the  stumps  .and  logs  outside ;  lawyers  and  judges  and 


Woodbury  Glass  Factory,  Winchester 


Tile   Factory. 


Tliree  (Jliiiijiscs  of  Jlill's  I^.-ikc  ;iiiil  IMcuic- 
(iroimils.  Tlie  Ciirs  of  tlie  I.  I'.  'I'.  Syslcni 
St<J|J  Witliii]  u  Few  Feet  of  llie  I'.irk  I'lii- 
tr;iiicp. 


RANDOLPH  rOUNTY,   INDIANA.  IO29 

clients  had  threaded  and  waded  and  swam  their  way  through  the  primal  woods 
to  -that  frontier  town ;  but  almost  no  town  was  there.  But  'in  those  halcyon 
days  small  need  was  there  of  towns,  people  lived  at  home  and  made  well-nigh 
everything  they  used,  and  had  little  occasion  to  buy  anything  which  they  could 
not  make.  The  larger  portion  of  the  settlers  had  come  from  the  Carolinas, 
where  towns  were  "few  and  far  .between,"  and  what  more  need  was  here  of 
such  -things  ? 

It  will  be  seen  that  up  to  1830,  Winchester  as  a  town  was  not. much  of  a 
success.  The  business  of  the  place  was  small,,  the  buildings  were  few  and 
poor,  the  roads  leading  to  it  were  new  and  bad,  the  people  needed  but  little 
trade,  and  all  went  thoroughly  on  the  slow  order.  The  court  sat  and  did 
whatever  there  was  for  them ;  Charles  Conway,  as  clerk  and  recorder,  had  all 
the  county  writing  to  do,  which  was  not  as  much  for  the  whole  eleven  years 
as  has  been  since  recorded  in  a  single  year.  County  offices  were  at  a  discount 
then.  The  sheriff  could  not,  have  done  much,  though  he  was  collector  and 
sheriff  both,.. as  the  county  tax  for  1829  amounted  to  a  stun  less  than  $900. 
jurymen  came  and  returned  without  any  bills  to  find  or  cases  to  try,  and  were 
paid  the  magnificent  sum  of  fifty  cents  per  day  [  and  the  associate  judges  main- 
tained their  dignity  and  satisfied  their  desires  for  food  and  lodging  to  the  tune 
of  two  dollars  per  day. 

Winchester  was  a  town  in  the  woods  but  for  a  long  time  there  was  de- 
cidedly more  woods  than  town. 

FIRST  THINGS  IN  WINCHESTER. 

The  first  hatter's  shop  in  Winchester  (and  probably  in  the  county)  was 
by  Jarties  Oldham,  in  the  building  erected  by  James  McCool  for  a  hotel.  Mr. 
Oldham  kept  a  hatter's  shop  and  hotel.  The  first  hotel  was  in  the  same  build- 
mg,  by  James  McCool,  in  18 19,  where  the  Peoples  Loan  and  Trust  building 
now  stands.  The  first  store  was  owned  by  Esquire  Odle.  It  was  not  much  of  a 
store.  The  old  house  was  burned  in  1879.  The  first  frame  house  (and  prob- 
ably first  in  the  county)  was  built  by  John  Sample,  in  1820,  upon  Lot  No.  3, 
East  Front.  There  are  doubtless  more  costly  and  splendid  frame  dwellings 
in  Randolph  county  in  1914  than  that  was,  but  not  one  today  which  gave  more 
solid  comfort  to  the  occupant  than  that  same  frame  house,  the  first  in  Ran- 
dolph county.  John  Way  set  up  his  smith  shqp  in  1829.  There  had  probably 
..been,  some  other,  but  the  fact  is  novv  beyond  recall.  Jesse  Way  began  his  store 
in  1832  or  1833.  Mary  Reeder  came  to  Winchester  in  1823,  residing  upon 
Lot  No.  2,  West  Front,  and  removing  afterward  to  Inlot  No.  12,  southeast 
square.     The  court-house  and  jail  were  built  in  1819  and  1826,  the  one  by 


I03Q  •  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

"--*.'■-  -  -•     ■    -fX    '<i  >.;,i  ;  ;     !\  ',.  -•:.■. 

Abner  Overman,  and  the  other  by  Albert  Banta.  The  public  square  was 
cleared  of  the  forest  trees  by  the  )laborious  process  of  "chopping- and  burning. 
The  work  was  performed  in  -1819  or  1820  by  Daii^id  Lesley  ,.t'hien  aiyoung'Man,. 
just  come  to  the  county,  father  of  Daniel' Lesley,)  former  sckoolisupfiriMendent 
of  Randolph  county.  The  second  court  house  (brick)  was  contractediio;  1826 
ahd  ready  for  occupancy  in  1828.  The  first  schoolhouse  .was  built:  of  logs,, 
with  the  ends  projecting  at  the  corners.  It  stood  on  groundiioccupied  by  the 
office  of  Dr.  B.  S.  Hunt.  Moorman  Way  had  the  first  cabinet  shop  SErom  after 
the  establishment  of  the  town.  :M%Qritiah  ^V^ay  had : a. carding;  roachimeivery 
early,  run  by  horse-power  (sometimes  by  ox-power).  Daniel  Petty  also;  had  a 
carding  -machine,  east  of  town  -on-Salt  creek.  It  was  driven  !by-horsfi-po,wer, 
too.  The  first  grist-mill  in  the  county  is  thought  by  some  to  .have  been:  built  >by 
William  Wright,  at  the  mouth  of  Salt  creek,  near  Winchester...  He, 'had 
"gray-heads"  for  mill  stones,  and  his  .wheat:^bolt  was  operated.-;hy  hand,  each 
customer  bolting  his  own  grist.  The  first  justice  of..the.peace  may  have  been 
Esquire  Odle,  or  John  Wright — perhaps  both  at  once  in  the  township.,  Thonaas 
Hanna  began  selling  goods,  perhaps  in  1824.  His  store  was  in  a  house  at  the 
west  end  of  Thomas  Ward's  building.  He  continued  in  business  four,  years, 
and  was  bought  out  by  Andrew  Aker  in  18281  The  first. steam  grist-mill  (and 
the  first  in  the  county)  was  erected  about  1835,  byElias  Kizer  andi  Daniel; 
Ha  worth.  That  engine  of  theirs  was  the  first  steam-po.wer  in  the  county,  and 
in  those  days  it  was  a  sight  to  behold. :  Probably  the  first  wagon  shop  in  Win- 
chester, and  in  the  county,  was  carried  on  by  Thomas  Butterworth,  beginriing, 
perhaps,  in  1836.  Mr.  Butterwarth  had  also  a  saw-mill,  a  carding  machine 
and  a  grist-mill.  The  first  religious  denomination  in  Winchester  was  perhaps 
the  Methodists.  The  first  drug  store  was  conducted  by  Dr.  Woody,  amd'  was 
followed  by  "Rush '&  Kizer,- in  1849.  The  first  hardware  store  was- kept  by- 
Mr.  Briimer.  AmOng  the-  early  attorneys  may  be  named  Zachariah  Puckett, 
Jeremiah  Smith,  Moorman  Way  and  Silas  Colgrove.  The  county  seminary 
was  opened  for  school  March,  1842,  under  the  instruction  of  Professor  Ferris, 
then  a  young  but  active  and  enthusiastic  t-eacher,  famous-' for  his -success  in 
that  line,  but  how  sleeping  lowbeneath  the  "clods  of  the  valley."  Winches- 
ter was  incorporated  as  a  town  in  1838,  thirty-eight  voters  favoring  the  meas- 
ures, and  none  oppdsing  it.  '■-^'        •  ■  >:  ■ 

The  citizens  of  Winchester  were  for  the  most  part  genial,  reliable  men, 
but  slow  to  make  investments'  for  the  betterment  of  the  town. '  The  growth  of 
Winchester  was  exceedingly  slow  until  about  1845,  when  the.  prospects  of 
railroads  began  to  enthuse  the  people  and  attracted  prospective  purchasers  of 
property.    Business  began  to  improve  and  new  houses  were  built,  streets: were 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA.  IO3I 

-  '-  :  i       I  ■  V 

made  better  and  the  entire  attitude  of  its  citizenship  became  more  progressive. 
In  1853  the  "Biee  Line"  railroad  was  built,  Which  gave  new  interest  and  life. 

The  town  gradually  grew  in  size  and  importance,  aftd  has  'at  all  times 
been  the  leading  town  and  city  of  the  county.  Having,  in  1910,  a,  population 
of  4,266.*  It' was  incorporated  as  a  town  in  1838  by  popular  Vote,  thirty- 
eight  votes  being-  ca:st  in  favor  and  none  against.  It  was  divided  into  five 
wards, 'vizi:  First  ward,  northeast  square,  Elias  Kizer,  trustee;' second' ward, 
north  front  and  -northwest  square,  Nathan  Garrett ;  third  vfard,  west  front 
and- southwest  square,  Jererriiah  Smith;  fourth  ward,  south  front  and  south- 
east square,  John  D.  Stewart ;  fifth  ward,  east  front,  Jesse  Way. 

-  In  1848  a  special  bill  was  passed  by  the  Legislature  authorizing  and  pro- 
viding for  a  new  organization  in  the  town  of  Winchester.  The  local  records, 
however,  are  not  obtainable.  September  5,  1875,  Thomas  Ward;  William  D. 
Frazee  and  Thomas  M.  Browne,  "the  inspectors  elected  by  the  citizens  of 
Winchester,"  appeared  before  the  board  of  county  commissioners  and  filed 
their  certificate  of  an,  election  held  in  the  town  of  Winchester.  The  commis- 
sioners made  the  following  entry :  "From  which  return  and  papers  it  appears 
to  the  satisfaction  of  the  board  that  there  were  sixty-five  votes  cast  at  said 
election  .and  that  sixty-one  of  said  ballots  had  'yes'  thereon  and  three  of  said 
ballots  had  'rio'  thereon  and  that  one  of  said  ballots  wais  blank,  and  the  board 
being  satisfied  of  the  legality  of  said  election,  order  and  declare  that  the  said 
town  has  been  incorporated  by  the  name  of  Winchester."  The  first  record  in 
the  city  clerk's  office  is  under  the  date  of  October  6,  1855.  The  trustees 
elected  were  Silas  Colgrove,  James  Browne,  William  W.  Smith,  Simeon  H. 
Lucas,  Martin  A.  Reeder ;  John  Neff ,  clerk  and  treasurer ;  Benjamin  Ramsey, 
assessor  and  marshal ;  James  Browne,  president  of  the  board. 

March  27,  1893,  an  election  was  held  for  the  purpose  of  determining 
whether  the  town  of  Winchester  should  be  incorporated  as  a' city,  under  the 
general  laws  of  the  state  of  Indiana,  and  a  majority  of  the  ballots  were  in 
favor  of  incorporating. 

On  April  I  St  the  town  council  divided  the  new  city  of  Winchester  into 
three  wards  and  ordered  an  election  to  be  held  in  each,  whereupon  the  fol- 
lowing were  elected:  W.S.  Diggs,  mayor;  WilHam  P.  Needham-,  city- clerk; 
John  Coffin,  city  marshal;  Union  B.  Hunt,  William  Y.  Puckett,  councilmen  of 
the  first  ward ;  Levi  Slagle  and  Marshall  F.  Bailey,  councilmen  of  the  second 
ward ;  Omar  Ri  Tripp  and  Stephen  Clevenger,  councilmen  of  the'  third  ward ; 
S.  D.  Coats,  treasurer.  Councilmen  met  and  organized  and  elected :  J.  E. 
Hinshaw,  street  commissioner;  Charles  C.  Yunker,  civil  engineer;  Dr.  F.  A. 
Chenoweth,  member  of  the' board  of  health;  Jesse  Canada,  city  attorney. 


1032  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Mr.  Diggs  served  as  mayor  until  September  10,  1898,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  T.  W.  Hutchens.  Mr.  Hutchens  was  succeeded  by  Fermen  C. 
Focht,  in  September,  1904,  and  he  by  ^^^alter  S.  Parry,  September,  1906,  fol- 
lowed by  Carl  Thompson,  the  first  Monday  in  Januay,  1910,  who  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  present  incumbent,  H.  E.  McXees,  January  i,  1914. 

Mr.  Needham  served  as  clerk  until  September  10,  1898,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  Samuel  D.  Fox,  who  still  holds  the  office.  Mr.  Coats  continued 
as  treasurer  until  the  office  was  transferred  by  law  to  the  county  treasurer. 

The  city  has  been  districted  into  wards  in  different  manners  during  its 
history,  at  some  times  having  six  councilmen,  two  from  each  ward,  and  others 
ha^'ing  five,  one  from  each  ward  and  two  at-large. 

The  councilmen  from  the  first  ward  have  been :  William  D.  Chapman, 
\\^illiam  Y.  Puckett,  Perry  Lea\'ell,  Harvey  E.  McXees,  Jacob  E.  Hinshaw, 
Link  Reinheimer,  James  M.  Browne,  Clyde  G.  Hiatt  and  Bella  N.  Botkin. 
Those  having  lived  in  the  second  ward  are :  Marshall  F.  Bailey,  Levi 
Slagle,  Samuel  T.  Remmel,  Louis  Payne,  Charles  E.  Magee,  Robert  B. 
Puckett,  James  M.  Seagra\'es,  Zachariah  T.  Romizer,  Albert  Xorton,  Austin 
Burk,  deceased  April  16,  191 3,  Edgar  Bailey  and  Henry  Abel.  Those  having 
lived  in  the  third  ward  are :  Omar  Tripp,  Stephen  Clevenger,  William 
Lenkensdorfer,  Hiram  D.  Moorman,  J.  H.  Kinkead,  Bader  S.  Hunt,  Orin  H. 
Barnhill,  ^^^illiam  Horn,  \\'.  U.  Davis,  Russel  Coats. 

Report  of  treasurer  shows  a  balance  of  $29,519.02,  August  5,  1914. 

PRESENT    BUSINESS. 

^^'inchester  at  the  present  time  has  an  excellent  equipment  of  stores,  such 
as  groceries,  drugs,  harness,  mercantile,  millinery,  tailoring,  boots  and  shoes, 
etc.,  but  a  few  that  ha\-e  begun  in  a  small  way  and  attained  large  proportions 
deserve  special  mention.  C.  W.  ]Moore  &  Son,  merchants.  J\L  L.  Mills  & 
Company,  merchants,  \\".  E.  Miller  Company,  merchants,  comprise  three  of 
the  best  equipped  general  stores  to  be  found  in  eastern  Indiana.'  The  last  two 
firms  occupy  their  own  building  and  ha\'e  grown  from  smill  establishments  to 
mammoth  ones.  The  W.  E.  Miller  Company  was  at  first  \X.  E.  ]\Iiller, 
proprietor,  who  came  from  Ridgeville  in  1880  and  by  strict  application  to 
busfness  and  catering  to  the  tastes  of  the  best  class  of  customers  became  one 
of  the  leading  stores  in  eastern  Indiana.  Mr.  ]\Iiller  organized  the  W.  E. 
Miller  Company,  and  has  in  a  large  measure  retired  from  the  active  manage- 
ment of  the  affairs  of  the  store. 

The  C.  V.  Graft  Alilling  Company,  successors  to  Gordon  Smith,  has  im- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  IO33 

proved  machinery  and  equipment  of  its  mill  until  it  is  the  largest  to  be 
found  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

The  Goodrich  Brothers  Hay  &  Grain  Company,  with  a  capital  stock  of 
$100,000,  was  incorporated  in  1898  and  at  this  time  owns  eleven  elevators  and 
hay  barns  in  Indiana,  located  at  Winchester,  Gaston,  Farmland,  Durbin, 
Snow  Hill,  Westfield,  Jolietville,  Gadsden,  Chesterfield,  Maiden  and  Boone 
Grove.  This  represents  a  valuation  of  $225,000.00.  The  plant  at  Winchester 
has  a  purifying  plant  capable  of  purifying  1,500  bushels  per  hour  and  a  dryer 
with  a  capacity  of  500  bushels  per  hour.  The  ccst  of  this  plant  alone  was 
$100,000.00.  In  1913  this  firm  shipped  968,802  bushels  of  grain,  which  with 
their  other  business  represented  a  value  of  $1,000,000.00.  They  expect  in 
1914  to  handle  1,250,000  bushels  of  grain. .  Their  plant  has  a  storage  capacity 
of  225,000  bushels.  In  1913  they  shipped  800  cars  at  a  cost  of  over  $25,000.00. 
This  company  is  composed  of  J.  B.  Goodrich,  president ;  W.  W.  Goodrich, 
vice-president,  P  E.  Goodrich,  secretary-treasurer,  J.  P  Goodrich  and  E.  S. 
Goodrich.  This  company  is  the  third  largest  to  be  found  in  the  state  of 
Indiana. 

Another  institution  Avorthy  of  special  mention  is  the  Woodbury  Glass 
Company.  It  is  one  of  the  largest  institutions  of  its  kind  in  eastern  Indiana 
and  the  only  Company  of  this  kind  doing  business  in  Randolph  county.  This 
company  was  incorporated  in  1893  as  "The  Woodbury  Glass  Company," 
located  at  Parker.  The  capital  stock  at  that  time  was  $10,000.00.  The 
directors  were:  President,  J.  T.  Wilcox;  secretary,  George  Gadbury;  superin- 
tendent, John  D.  Carter.  This  company  was  only  fairly  successful  and  not 
being  able  to  meet  its  obligations  promptly,  stock  was  sold  to  Charles  Dotson, 
J.  W.  Thompson  and  Albert  Canfield,  of  Winchester.  The  new  firm  inter- 
ested George  E.  Leggett,  who  was  induced  to  take  stock.  Mr.  Leggett  was 
made  secretary  of  the  company  in  October,  1893,  and  in  January,  1894,  was 
elected  president,  which  position  he  has  continued  to  hold  until  the  present 
time.  Mr.  Leggett  also  served  as  treasurer  for  a  number  of  years,  but  the 
duties  of  the  president  became  too  heavy  and  he  was  relieved  from  the  duties 
of  treasurer.  This  company  purchased  the  Davis  glass  plant  in  Winchester 
in  the  spring  of  1904.  The  factory  at  Parker  was  moved  to  Winchester  and 
the  company  reorganized  with  a  capital  stock  of  $275,000.00;  $200,000.00 
common  stock  and  $75,000.00  preferred  stock.  The  changes  in  the  bottle 
business  made  it  necessary  for  this  company  to  add  to  its  bottle  factory  a 
factory  for  the  manufacturing  of  skeleton  cases  and  special  packages.  At  this 
time  they  have  one  of  the  best  equipped  factories  to  be  found  in  the  country. 
This  factory  has  a  capacity  of  6,000  boxes  daily.     These  two  enterprises 


1034  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

jointly  give  employment  to  600  men.  This  factory  has  been  the  greatest 
factor  in  the  business  life  of  Winchester.  One  can  readily  see  the  importance 
of  this  when  it  is  known  that  this  company  expends  for  labor  over  $300,000.00 
per  year.  During  the  past  year  their  output  was  230,000,  gross  of  bottles, 
representing  a  value  of  approximately  $520,000.00.  During  1913,  591  full 
cars  of  Avare  and  2,873  local  orders,  or  lots  less  than  a  car  load,  were  shipped. 
This  factory,  togethei-  with  the  Goodrich  Brothers  Hay  &  Grain  Association, 
and  other  enterprises  have  made  the  Winchester  freight  office  on  the  Big 
Four  railway,  the  best  paying  office  between  Bellefontaine  and  Indianapolis. 
The  officers  of  this  company  at  present  are :  George  E.  Leggett,  president ; 
W.  E.  Miller,  vice-president;  L.  M.  Kimmel,  secretary;  J.  C.  Leggett,  treas- 
urer; M.  L.  Somers,  superintendent. 

Some  of  the  important  factories  that  have  existed  in  AVinchester  and  are 
now  removed  are :  W^inchester  Wagon  Works,  Gardiner  &  Horan  Carriage 
Works,  Knecht  &  Thomas  Pump  Works,  A.  G.  Canfield  Mills;  Charles  Guthiel 
Tannery;  Winchester  Manufacturing  Company,  organized  October  31,  1881, 
capital  stock,  $25,000.00;  John  D.  Carter  Woolen  Mills;  W.  V.  R.  Tooker 
Windmill  Factory  and  Winchester  Handle  Factory. 

FIRE    DEPARTMENT. 

The  Winchester  fire  department  is  a  "volunteer"  department,  more 
properly  speaking,  is  part  public  and  part  volunteer.  This  company  is  housed 
in  the  City  Building  which  was  built  in  1902,  on  the  south  side  of  Franklin 
street  between  Meridian  and  West  streets.  The  company  was  organized  upon 
the  completion  of  this  building  with  David  Martin  chief  and  Will  Kizer  assist- 
ant. Mr.  Martin  served  for  more  than  one  year  as  chief  and  was  a  very 
efficient  officer.  He  was  succeeded  by  Guy  Way,  whose  work  has  been  so 
satisfactory  he  has  been  kept  in  constant  service  to  the  present  time.  Mr. 
Kizer  served  as  assistant  until  1907  when  he  was  succeeded  by  E.  P.  Fulghum 
who  still  occupies  that  position.  The  employed  fireman  at  present  is  Will 
Draher.  The  city  keeps  these  three  men  employed.  In  addition  to  the 
services  of  these  three  on  duty  there  are  ten  volunteer  firemen  whose  duty  it 
is  to  attend  all  fires  when  notified.  A  fire  bell  is  the  only  necessary  notification 
as  they  "drop  everything  and  go."  The  volunteer  men  at  present  are: 
John  W.  Guenther,  C.  L.  Summers,  Walter  Baker,  C.  O.  Summers,  C.  H. 
Lennon,  Kora  Davis.  Orville  Ashton;  Max  Romizer,  W.^S.  Daly  and  Troy 
Lasley. 

The  equipment  of  the  service  is  first-class  in  every  particular,  and  con- 
sists of  hose  wagon,  one  reel,  2,200  feet  of  hose  and  six  nozzles,  one  one-horse 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IO35 

ladder  wagon,  four  chemical  cans  and  one  Pyrene  filler,  a  special  apparatus  to 
be  used  in  case  of  gasoline  explosion.  The  department  has  three  well-trained 
horses  in  addition  to  the-above.  The  average  time  required  to  leave  the  de- 
pa'rtment  after  a  call  has  been  sent  in  is  thirty-one  seconds,  which  certainly 
speaks  well  for  the  efficiency  of  the  fire  chief  and  his  helpers.  The  city  is 
equipped  with  sixty-seven  fire  plugs  situated  in  various  parts  of  the  city. 
During  the  year  191 3  twenty-nine  calls  were  answered. 

Winchester  has  no  enterprise  of  greater  value  to  it  than  its  fire  depart- 
ment. The  members  of  this  company  belong  to  the  Eastern  Indiana  Volun- 
teer Association.  Messrs.  C.  O.  Summers  and  John  W.  Guenther,  of  the 
Winchester  company  have  served  as  president  of  this  association.  The  com- 
panies of  the  county  belonging  to  this  association  are,  Winchester,  Woodbury, 
Union  City,  Farmland,  and  Parker.  Winchester  entertained  this  association 
in  their  annual  meeting  of  191 1. 

CITIZENS  WATER  &  LIGHT  COMPANY,  WINCHESTER. 

This  company  was  organized  in  1899  with  a  capital  stock  of  $50,000.00, 
for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  water  and  light  to  Winchester  and  the  citizens  of 
Winchester.  This  company  was  maintained  as  such  until  September,  19 12, 
when  it  was  reorganized  with  a  capital  stock  of  $400,000.00,  under  the  name 
of  the  Citizens  Heat,  Light  &  Power  Company.  The  purpose  of  this  com- 
pany is  to  furnish  water  and  light  to  Winchester  and  its  citizens,  but  has,  since 
its  organization,  constructed  lines  to  furnish  light  to  Farmland,  Lynn,  Ridge- 
ville  and  Saratoga.  Since  the  reorganization  of  the  company  the  plant  has 
been  completely  renewed.  The  gas  and  steam  engines  have  been  displaced  by 
two  Diessel  oil  engines  known  as  the  Internal  Combustion  Oil  Engine.  These 
are  of  225  horse  power  each,  sufficient  to  furnish  any  strain  that  might  be  put 
upon  them  with  a  plant  of  this  size.  The  water  pressure  is  maintained  at 
forty-five  pounds  except  in  case  of  fire  when  a  pressure  of  seventy-five  pounds 
is  maintained.  The  water  is  furnished  from  deep  wells  drilled  into  limestone 
or  gravel.  This  water  is  analyzed  by  the  state  department  at  various  times  of 
the  year  and  has  always  been  found  to  be  chemically  pure.  The  directors  of 
this  company  at  the  present  time  are :  J.  T.  Moorman,  president ;  C.  W. 
Moorman,  vice-president;  E.  S.  Goodrich,  secretary-treasurer;  George  E. 
Leggett,  W.  E.  Miller  and  E.  F.  Kitselman. 

Gen.  Browne  Winchester,  member  of  Congress  from  the  Sixth  District, 
was  born  at  New  Paris,  Preble  county,  Ohio,  April  19,  1829.  His  father, 
John  A.  Browne,  was  a  native  of  Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania ;  his  mother, 
Hannah  (Mauzy)  Browne,  of  Bourbon  county,  Kentucky.     His  mother  died 


1036  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

in  1843,  which  calamity  broke  up  the  family  circle.  His  father  apprenticed 
young  Thomas  M.  to  Mr.  Ralph  M.  Pomeroy,  a  merchant  of  Spartanburg, 
Randolph  county,  Indiana,  soon  after  which  he  removed  to  Grant  county, 
Kentucky,  where  he  died  in  1865.  Influenced  by  the  excellent  character  of  his 
employer,  Thomas  M.  rapidly  gained  a  knowledge  of  business  and  formed 
correct  habits.  His  opportunities  for  gaining  a  liberal  education  were  very 
meager,  being  confined  to  a  few  weeks  each  year  in  the  common  schools  of 
Spartanburg  and  one  term  in  the  county  seminary  at  Winchester.  In- 1848, 
he  began  the  study  of  law  with  Hon.  William  A.  Peelle,  of  Winchester,  and  in 
1849  passed  an  examination  in  open  court  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in 
the  inferior  courts  of  the  state;  two  years  later  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Indiana.  On  March  18,  1849,  ^^  married  Miss 
Mary  J.  Austin,  of  New  Paris,  Ohio.  In  1850,  when  but  twenty  years  of  age, 
he  was  elected  prosecuting  attorney  for  Randolph  county  and  after  the  adop- 
tion of  the  present  constitution,  he  was  three  times  elected  prosecuting  attorney 
for  the  13th  Judicial  District,  discharging  the  duties  of  that  ofhce  with  marked 
ability  and  success  until  1861.  In  August  of  that  year,  he  made  one  of  the 
most  powerful  speeches  of  his  life  on  the  "Crisis  of  the  Country,"  in  which 
many  of  his  enthusiastic  declarations  seem  now  to  have  been  prophetic.  He 
was  elected  Chief  Clerk  of  the  State  Senate  at  its  session  in  1861,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1862  he  entered  the  United  .States  service  as  aide-de-camp  on  the 
staff  of  Gen.  Thomas  J.  Wood,  and  served  with  that  officer  until  after  the 
battle  of  Shiloh.  During  the  siege  of  Corinth,  he  was  stricken  with  disease 
and  returned  home  and  only  recovered  after  several  months  of  great  suffering. 
In  October,  1862,  he  was  elected  senator  for  Randolph  county  and  took  a  lead- 
ing part  in  the  debates  of  the  stormy  session  of  1863,  ranking  as  an  able 
Republican  leader.  At  the  close  of  the  session,  he  resigned  the  senatorship 
and  assisted  in  recruiting  the  Seventh  Indiana  Cavalry  (119th  Regiment 
Volunteers),  and  was  commissioned  captain  of  Company  B,  but  before  leav- 
ing the  state  for  active  service  was  promoted  to  lieutenant-colonel  of  the 
regiment.  He  was  soon  promoted  to  the  colonelcy  of  his  regiment,  and  re- 
ceived the  rank  of  brigadier-general  by  brevet  "for  gallant  and  meritorious 
conduct"  from  the  hand  of  President  Lincoln.  In  October,  1864,  on  account 
of  his  well-known  legal  attainments,  he  was  chosen  president  of  a  military  com- 
mission to  convene  at  Memphis,  for  the  trial  of  such  causes  as  might  arise  in 
that  department.  The  most  important  case  that  came  before  this  tribunal  was 
the  trial  of  the  famous  guerrilla,  Dick  Davis.  This  trial  lasted  thirty-five 
days  and  ended  in  the  comiction  and  execution  of  the  culprit.  In  January, 
1865,  General  Browne  again  took  the  field,  and  remained  in  active  service  until 


RANDOLPH   COUNTYj   INDIANA.  IO37 

the  final  close  of  the  war  and  the  mustering  out  of  his  regiment.  During  the 
winter  of  1865-66,  he  was  in  command  of  the  troops  at  Sherman,  in  the  de- 
partment of  Northern  Texas,  where  his  wise  yet  firm  administration  won 
golden  opinions  from  men  of  all  parties  and  he  left  behind  him  upon  his  return 
home  many  warm  friends  in  that  part  of  the  "Lone  Star  State." 

After  he  was  mustered  out  of  service,  he  resumed  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession at  Winchester,  Indiana,  but  was  shortly  after  appointed  by  the  Presi- 
dent, United  States  District  Attorney  for  the  District  of  Indiana,  the  duties 
of  which  office  he  discharged  with  distinguished  ability  and  success  until  his 
resignation  in  1872.  In  1872,  the  Republican  party  nominated  General  Browne 
for  governor  of  Indiana.  His  popularity  with  his  party  being  demonstrated 
by  his  distancing  such  distinguished  competitors  as  Godlove  S.  Orth  and 
Gen.  Benjamin  Harrison.  It  was  indeed  a  proud  triumph  for  the  lonely 
orphan  who  had  been  left  among  strangers  without  money  or  friends  at  the 
age  of  thirteen,  when  that  great  convention  called  him  to  the  front  and  placed 
in  his  hands  the  battle-scarred  banner  of  union  and  liberty. 

He  made  a  most  gallant  campaign,  but  was  defeated  by  Hon.  Thomas  A._ 
Hendricks,  who  carried  the  state  by  a  very  small  majority.  After  the  cam- 
paign of  1872,  he  formed  a  co-partnership  with  Hon.  Jonathan  W.  Gordon  and 
Judge  Robert  N.  Lamb,  of  Indianapolis,  under  the  style  of  Gordon,  Browne 
&  Lamb.  They  commanded  an  immense  business  continuing  until  1876,  when 
General  Browne  was  elected  to  Congress  by  a  majority  of  over  fifteen  hundred, 
in  the  then  Fifth  Indiana  District,  defeating  that  veteran  Democrat,  Hon. 
William  S.  Holman,  who  had  served  six  terms,  and  carried  his  district  at  the 
preceding  election  by  more  than  twenty-five  hundred  majority.  General 
Browne  was  re-elected  in  1878,  maintaining  his  majority  over  the  same 
gentleman  and  was  again  re-elect6d  in  1886,  carrying  the  Sixth  District  by 
about  ten  thousand  majority.  Upon  entering  Congress,  he  at  once  took  rank 
as  an  able  and  discreet  member. 

John  H.  Cottom  was  born  June  4,  1788,  at  Snow  Hill,  Maryland.  His 
father  moved  to  Kentucky  when  he  was  a  lad  of  eight  or  ten  years.  John  H. 
Cottom  married  in  Kentucky,  and  moved  to  New  Paris,  Ohio,  in  1812.  They 
had  four  children,  viz. :  David  J.,  Thomas  F.,  John  W.,  and  James  Samuel. 
John  H.  Cottom  came  to  Winchester  in  1843.  He  moved  to  Illinois  with 
his  son  David,  in  1856.  He  returned  to  Ohio  and  died  near  Cincinnati,  at 
the  home  of  his  son,  John  Wesley,  in  1875,  aged  eighty-seven  years.  David 
and  John  W.,  sons  of  John  H.  Cottom,  came  "to  Winchester  in  1843,  and 
entered  into  partnership  as  merchants.  From  1843  to  1856  they  did  an  im- 
(66) 


1038  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

mense  amount  of  business — more  than  e\-er  had  been  done  before  that  time, 
and  some  think  their  business  A\as  greater  than  that  of  any  mercantile  firm 
even  since  that  time.  They  were  enterprising  men,  enthsiastic  in  business  and 
wide-awake  in  whatever  they  undertook  and  were  respected  and  useful  mem- 
bers of  society. 

John  D.  Carter  was  born  March  17,  1829,  in  Delaware  county,  Indiana. 
His  father,  Edmund  D.  Carter,  emigrated  from  Maryland  to  Indiana  at  a 
very  early  date.  He  removed  with  his  family  to  Ohio  in  1829,  soon  after  the 
birth  of  his  son  and  in  1832,  removed  to  Madison  county,  Indiana.  In  1835 
he  again  located  in  Delaware  county,  returning  to  Madison  county  a  few  years 
later.  In  1838,  he  came  to  Randolph  county,  locating  in  Stoney  creek  town- 
ship, and  removed  to  Winchester  in  1840. 

Armsbee  Diggs  was  among  the  earliest  pioneers  of  Randolph  county,  and 
for  many  years  one  of  its  most  active,  and  reliable  citizens.  He  came  here  in 
the  prime  of  a  vigorous  manhood  and  for  more  than  a  half  century  was 
identified  with  the  development  of  the  county,  bearing  his  full  share  in  pioneer 
hardships  and  contributing  liberally  to  the  encouragement  of  public  improve- 
ment inaugurated  in  later  yeai^s.  He  was  born  in  1795,  in  Anson  county.  North 
Carolina.  About  the  year  1816,  he  married  Mary  Way,  and  in  the  winter  of 
1816-17,  started  with  his  young  wife  for  the  wilds  of  Indiana,  reaching  Ran- 
doph  county  in  February,  181 7,  and  locating  on  the  banks  of  White  River. 
Here  he  addressed  himself  to  the  task  of  clearing  and  improving  a  farm,  and 
although  he  was  a  successful  and  energetic  farmer,  he  was  an  enthusiastic 
hunter  and  fond  of  the  chase.  In  December,  18 17,  his  eldest  son,  Henry, 
was  born.  The  latter  was  one  of  the  first  white  children  bom  on  \^'^hite  river 
in  this  county,  his  only  seniors  being  Fanny,  daughter  of  William  Diggs,  and 
Lydia  Wright.  In  the  years  that  ensued,  eleven  other  children  were  added  to 
the  family  of  Mr.  Diggs.  Mr.  Diggs  entered  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
seventy-nine  acres  from  which  he  developed  his  farm.  For  the  purpose  of 
purchasing  this  tract  he  went  on  horseback  to  the  land  office  at  Cincinnati,  with 
just  enough  money  to  pay  for  a  quarter  section;  but  upon  his  arrival  he  learned 
that  the  tract  "overran,"  and  it  would  be  necessary  for  him  to  purchase  the 
entire  amount.  He  did  not  possess  the  requisite  amount  of  money  and  had 
it  not  been  for  the  kindness  of  a  young  man  in  the  land  office,  he  would  have 
been  compelled  to  return  without  a  title  to  the  land  on  which  he  had  erected 
his  cabin  and  where  his  family  then  resided.  About  the  year  1850,  he  erected 
a  saw  mill  and  grist  mill  on  AA'hite  river,  and  for  ten  years  or  more  was  en- 
gaged in  this  enterprise,  from  which  he  derived  a  fair  profit.  He  died  in 
March,  1872,  having  lived  to  see  the  pioneer  settlement  develop  into  a  populous 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IO39 

and  wealthy  county.     His  wife  did  not  long  survive  the  husband  with  whom 
she  came  to  these  wilds,  as  she  died  in  October  of  the  same  year. 

Henry  H.  Neff  was  a  prominent  citizen  and  active  business  man  of  Win- 
chester and  one  of  the  most  energetic  workers  in  its  public  enterprise?.  He 
was  born  Jtme  5,  181 5,  near  Eaton,  Preble  county,  Ohio.  His  father,  John 
Neff,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  descendant  of  German  an- 
cestors. His  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Susanna  Gray,  was  a  native 
of  Virginia.  Henry  remained  at  home  until  seventeen  years  of  age,  acquiring 
at  the  common  schools  a  good  English  education.  In  the  fall  of  1832,  he  went 
to  Eaton,  in  company  with  his  brother  John,  to  learn  the  printer's  trade,  under 
the  instruction  of  Dr.  F.  A.  Gunningham  and  John  Vanausdal,  Esq.,  remain- 
ing until  the  spring  of  1834.  He  was  subsequently  employed  in  the  office  of 
the  Herald  at  Liberty,  Union  county,  Indiana.  While  at  the  latter  place,  his 
health  failed  and  he  was  taken  home  by  his  father  to  Winchester,  Indiana. 
He  remained  at  home  until  his  health  was  restored  and  in  July,  1836,  accepted 
an  engagement  with  Thomas  Tigar,  editor  of  the  Fort  Wayne  (Indiana) 
Sentinel,  remaining  in  his  employ  for  eighteen  months.  In  1838,  he  returned 
to  Winchester,  Indiana,  and  engaged  in  the  retail  grocery  trade.  In  the  fol- 
lowing year,  he  embarked  in  the  drug  trade  with  Dr.  Robert  Woody,  at  Win- 
chester, and  continued  in  this  business  for  four  years.  On  October  22,  1843, 
he  issued  the  first  number  of  the  Winchester  Patriot,  the  first  newspaper  ever 
published  in  Randolph  county.  He  was  elected  representative  from  this 
county  in  the  State  Legislature  in  1847.  At  the  expiration  of  his  official  term, 
however,  he  pvirchased  the  paper  from  its  new  proprietors  and  resumed  its 
management.  In  1850,  he  received  the  appointment  of  deputy  United  States 
marshal,  to  take  the  census  of  Randolph  county.  In  1852,  he  was  elected 
clerk  of  the  Circuit  Gourt  for  Randolph  county,  and  at  that  time  made  a  final 
sale  of  the  Patriot  office.  In  1856,  by  the  unanimous  voice  of  the  convention, 
he  was  again  the  candidate  for  this  office  and  was  elected  by  a  majority  of 
nine  hundred.  He  was  urged  by  Governor  Morton  to  assist  in  raising  a  regi- 
ment for  the  United  States  service  for  the  suppression  of  the  rebellion.  He 
entered  enthusiastically  into  this  work  and  was  commissioned  Captain  of 
Company  G,  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Indiana  Regiment.  The 
organization  of  the  regiment  was  completed  at  Indianapolis  and  Captain  Neff 
was  promoted  to  the  office  of  major.  The  regiment  was  assigned  to  the 
Twenty-third  Army  Corps,  under  General  Schofield,  leaving  Indianapolis  in 
March,  1864,  and  proceeding  to  Nashville.  They  were  engaged  in  the  battle 
of  Wise's  Fork,  near  Kingston,  North  Carolina,  from  the  8th  to  the  loth  of 
March,  1865.     At  this  battle,  Colonel  Neff  was  bereaved  of  his  son.  Captain 


I040  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

J.  L.  Neff,  who  fell  in  the  conflict,  pierced  by  an  enemy's  bullet.  He  was  con- 
veyed to  his  home  by  his  father  and  interred  in  the  cemetery  at  Winchester, 
amid  the  tears  and  sympathy  of  the  community  among  whom  he  had  been 
reared  and  who  knew  him  as  a  noble  young  man.  His  father  had  been  com- 
rnissioned  Lieutenant-Colonel  and  after  the  funeral  of  the  son,  returned  to 
perform  his  duty  as  a  soldier.  Mr.  Neff  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  and 
was  later  chosen  president  of  the  Winchester  Wagon  Works  Company.  Win- 
chester has  had  but  few  men  of  such  great  public  spirit. 

Martin  A.  Reeder  was  born  in  1819,  in  Warren  county,  Ohio,  and  came 
to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1822,  with  his  grandfather,  John  Martin. 
He  was  associated  with  the  county  in  its  pioneer  period  and  kept  pace  with 
its  progress,  at  the  same  time  rising  to  prominence  as  a  citizen.  He  was  called 
upon  to  fill  various  local  offices  in  early  times,  as  well  as  in  recent  years,  and 
in  all  capacities  proved  himself  capable,  efficient  and  trustworthy.  He  served 
as  county  assessor  two  terms,  as  county  appraiser  two  terms,  as  township 
assessor  two  terms  and  three  terms  as  township  trustee.  In  1875,  he  was 
elected  by  the  Republicans  as  the  representative  from  this  county  in  the  State 
Legislature,  and  in  this  capacity  rendered  valuable  service.  Among  the  bills 
introduced  by  him  were  the  charter  under  which  Union  City  now  exists ;  the 
act  prohibiting  the  sale  of  ammunition  to  minors ;  the  exemption  of  the  prop- 
erty of  widows;  the  bill  for  the  suppression  of  the  liquor  traffic,  and  the  punish- 
ment of  intoxication;  and  a  bill  providing  for  local  option.  In  his  early  life 
he  formed  ideas  antagonistic  to  the  institution  of  slavery,  and  in  his  maturer 
years  became  one  of  the  prominent  Abolitionists  of  this  community,  co-operat- 
ing with  Daniel  Worth,  Dr.  Hiram  P.  Bennett,  Paul  W  Way,  and  others  in 
this  region  who  engineered  and  operated  the  '"Underground  Railroad,"  and 
other  agencies  of  a  similar  character  and  spent  both  time  and  money  in  the  fur- 
therance of  these  and  other  benevolent  enterprises.  He  was  married,  in  1843, 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  Favorite,  daughter  of  Henry  Favorite,  of  Maryland. 

Asahel,  son  of  Ezra  Stone,  was  born  June  29,  181 7,  near  Marietta,  Wash- 
ington county,  Ohio,  removing  with  his  parents  to  Aurora,  Indiana,  in  1818, 
and  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1822.  On  the  23d  of  September,  1837,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lydia  B.  Preston,  at  Finneytown,  near  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio.  In  1839,  however,  he  came  to  Winchester  and  until  the  outbreak 
of  the  late  rebellion,  was  engaged  at  the  carpenter  trade.  On  the  29th  of  May, 
1861,  he  was  appointed  by  Governor  Morton  as  commissary  general  for  the 
State  of  Indiana,  and,  on  the  15th  of  October,  1862,  was  appointed  quarter- 
master-general.    In  his  official  capacity  he  proved  himself  a  superior  man. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IO4I 

In  the  work  of  looking  after  the  interests  of  the  soldiers,  securing  and  for- 
warding supplies,  providing  sanitary  stores,  nurses  and  medical  attention  for 
the  sick  and  wounded,  and  in  the  discharge  of  all  the  varied  and  arduous  duties 
of  his  position,  he  was  zealous,  patriotic  and  self-sacrificing.  He  rendered 
valuable  service  to  the  cause  and  great  reliance  was  placed  in  his  judgment 
and  discretion  by  Governor  Morton,  who  frequently  commended  him  in  his 
annual  messages  to  the  Legislature.  His  field  of  labor  was  varied  and  ex- 
tensive, requiring  executive  ability  of  a  high  order  which  he  developed  in  a 
marked  degree.  In  his  message  of  January  6,  1865,  Governor  Morton  said : 
"The  report  of  the  quartermaster  and  commissary  general  is  herewith  laid 
before  you,  and  your  attention  is  especially  called  to  its  contents.  The  ad- 
ministration of  this  department  by  General  Stone  has  been  highly  successful 
and  satisfactory."  After  the  close  of  the  war,  he  returned  to  the  farm  in 
Randolph  county,  and  for  a  while  was  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  In 
1865,  however,  he  became  identified  with  the  banking  interests  of  Winchester, 
an  account  of  which  is  given  elsewhere.  In  1847,  when  only  thirty  years  old, 
he  was  nominated  by  the  Whig  party  of  this  county  for  the  Indiana  House  of 
Representatives  and  elected  in  the  fall  of  that  year.  In  1848,  he  was  nominated 
as  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  and  was  only  defeated  by  four 
votes.  In  i860  he  was  elected  to  the  Indiana  Senate.  The  war  and  his  con- 
nection with  it  here  interrupted  his  public  life,  but  after  the  restoration  of 
peace  he  again  became  the  standard-bearer  of  his  party  at  the  earnest  solicita- 
tion of  friends,  and,  in  1867,  was  again  elected  as  the  representative  from 
this  county  in  the  General  Assembly  of  Indiana.  In  November,  1881,  he 
was  elected  secretary,  treasurer  and  general  managerof  the  Winchester  Wagon 
Works.  In  the  spring  of  t88o,  he  purchased  and  donated  to  the  town  of  Win- 
chester forty  acres  of  land  for  a  public  cemetery.  He  purchased  the  ground  at 
a  cost  of  $4,000,  and  had  it  surveyed  and  platted  at  an  additional  expense  of 
$300,  and  on  the  ist  day  of  March,  1880,  secured  it  to  its  purpose  by  a  deed, 
signed  by  himself  and  his  worthy  wife,  conveying  the  premises  in  trust  forever 
to  a  Board  of  Control,  to  be  used  for  the  purpose  designated.  On  the  3d  day 
of  July,  1880,  a  pubhc  dedication  was  held,  at  which  very  appropriate  cere- 
monies were  held,  and  addresses  delivered  by  prominent  citizens  of  Winchester 
and  others  from  abroad,  and  the  park  named  "Fountain  Park  Cemetery." 

Mr.  Thomas  Ward  was  reared  in  a  pioneer  settlement  and  his  early  life 
was  passed  like  that  of  all  boys  who  have'  been  similarly  situated.  His  advan- 
tages were  limited,  but  his  father's  house  was  the  resort  of  travelers,  many  of 
whom  were  very  intelligent  men  and  took  pleasure  in  imparting  a  portion  of 


I042  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

their  knowledge  to  the  boy,  who  always  evinced  an  inquiring  disposition  and 
learned  readily.  At  an  early  age,  he  began  trading  with  his  neighbors  and 
nearly  all  his  transactions  redounded  to  his  success,  so  that,  when  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  he  had  accumulated  six  hundred  acres  of  land.  His  first  earn- 
ings were  made  by  "deadening"  timber  for  new  purchasers.  He  would  take 
the  contract  for  "deadening"  the  timber  on  these  lands  and  after  sub-letting  it, 
usually  had  a  profit  left  for  hir^elf.  He  never  retrograded  in  his  financial 
standing;  the  property  which  he  had  accumulated  during  the  years  of  his 
minority  stimulated  him  to  greater  achievements,  and  in  the  years  which  fol- 
lowed he  found  his  prospects  brightening  and  his  prosperity  increasing.  In 
1840,  he  was  married,  and  in  1841  removed  to  a  tract  of  land  near  Ridgeville, 
from  which  he  developed  a  good  farm.  This  farm  was  cleared  and  improved 
by  himself,  and  after  cultivating  it  for  four  years,  he  removed  to  Winchester 
and  embarked  in  mercantile  pursuits  at  this  point.  He  was  thus  engaged 
until  1870,  carrying  a  general  stock  for  a  part  of  the  time,  and  later  in  the 
hardware  trade  exclusively,  while  at  another  time  he  was  the  proprietor  of  a 
harness  shop.  He  was  one  of  the  first  friends  of  the  Cincinnati,  Richmond  & 
Fort  Wayne  railroad,  and  was  one  of  the  Board  of  Directors.  He  had  in- 
vested $35,000  in  stock,  but  it  was  found  that  the  company  would  be  unable 
to  complete  the  road  to  Fort  Wayne.  Upon  this  discovery,  the  directors  sold 
the  road  to  another  company  and  by  the  change  he  lost  all  he  had  invested, 
except  about  $3,100.  In  1865,  he  became  one  of  the  company  who  organized 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Winchester,  and  served  as  its  president  until  1868. 
In  1864,  he  was  elected  to  the  Indiana  Senate  and  at  once  arose  to  a  position  of 
prominence  and  honor,  serving  on  important  committees.  He  voted  for  the 
ratification  of  the  Thirteentfi  and  Fourteenth  Amendments  to  the  Constitution 
of  the  United  States  and  introduced  a  bill  to  admit  the  testimony  of  colored 
witnesses  in  cases  where  white  litigants  were  involved.  He  also  introduced  a 
bill  to  make  the  sale  of  liquor  a  penal  offense  and  served  as  chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Corporations.  The  bill  to  compel  railroad  corporations  to 
furnish  transportation  and  equalize  freights  was  also  introdviced  by  him.  He 
served  his  constituency  well  and  retired  from  his  official  position  with  the  good 
will  of  all  good  people.  By  his  industry  and  good  management,  Mr.  M^ard 
accumulated  a  fortune  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  wealthiest  citizens  of 
Winchester.  Yet  his  ample  fortune  did  not  change  his  kindly  nature  and 
among  those  who  knew  him  best  he  was  esteemed  as  a  kind  and  amiable  friend. 
He  was  married  four  times:  first,  in  1840,  to  Sarah  Ellen  Tharp,  who 
died  in  i'852.     He  was  married  to  Jane  Swayne,  of  Richmond,  Indiana,  in 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IO43 

1854.  She  died  in  1865,  leaving  three  children.  His  third  wife  was  Susan 
Lykins,  who  died  in  1873,  leaving  two  children.  In  April,  1876,  he  wds 
united  in  marriage  with  Laurinda,  daughter  of  Isaiah  Osborn,  Esq.  By  this 
union,  they  were  the  parents  of  one  child. 

Other  citizens  who  were  factors  in  the  making  of  Winchester  and  who 
are  not  mentioned  in  sketches  of  this  book  are  :  Jesse  J.  Bates,  miller ;  Edward 
Bates,  miller;  James  S.  Cottom,  business;  Levi  D.  Carter,  woolen  factory; 

A.  G.  Campfield,  contractor;  Patrick  H.  Dean,  photographer;  W^m.  Fitz- 
maurice,  machinist ;  David  Fudge,  furniture  dealer ;  Charles  Gutheil,  tanner ; 
Michael  Gaffy,  John  H.  Gill,  manufacturers ;  Jonathan  S.  Hiatt,  hotel  keeper ; 
Calvin  Irvin,  jeweler;  Thomas  Klinck,  Jr.,  wagon  maker;  John  K.  Martin, 
brick  and  tile  manufacturer;  Elisha, Martin,  brick  manufacturer;  John  Neff, 
grocer;  Phineas  Pomeroy,  surveyor;  Alfred  Rossman,  saddler;  Washington 

B.  Snedaker,  photographer;  John  L.  Stakebake,  manufacturer;  Ira  Tripp, 
merchant;  Richmond  Thornburg,  tailor;  Charles  W.  Woolverton,  boot  and 
shoe  dealer;  John  Dye  Smith,  merchant. 


n 


4 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


WILLIAM  D.  KIZER. 

One  of  the  most  conspicuous  figures  in  the  recent  history  of  Randolph 
county  is  William  D.  Kizer,  who  has  long  been  actively  identified  with  the 
business  and  industrial  interests  of  Winchester  and  vicinity,  widely  known 
as  one  of  the  leading  bankers  and  financiers  of  this  section  of  Indiana. 
Equally  noted  as  a  citizen  whose  useful  career  has  conferred  credit  upon  the 
community  and  whose  marked  abilities  and  stirring  qualities  have  won  for 
him  much  more  than  local  repute,  he  holds  today  distinctive  precedence  as 
one  of  the  most  progressive  and  successful  men  that  ever  inaugurated  and 
carried  to  satisfactory  termination  large  and  important  undertakings  in  this 
locality.  Strong  mental  powers,  keen  discernment,  invincible  courage  and  a 
determined  purpose  that  hesitate  at  no  opposition  have  entered  into  his  com- 
position so  as  to  render  him  a  dominant  factor  in  the  business  world  and  a 
leader  of  men  in  notable  enterprises.  He  is  essentially  a  man  of  affairs — sound 
of  judgment  and  far-seeing  in  what  he  undertakes,  and  every  enterprise  to 
which  he  has  addressed  himself  has  resulted  in  liberal  financial  returns. 

Mr.  Kizer  was  born  March  7,  1847,  on  a  farm  one  mile  north  of  Win- 
chester, Indiana.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  W.  and  Susanna  (Way)  Kizer. 
The  father  was  born  in  Ward  township,  Randolph  county,  and  the  mother 
was  a  native  of  Winchester.  Elias  Kizer,  the  paternal  grandfather,  came 
from  Botetourt  county,  Virginia,  in  the  year  1821,  reaching  his  destination 
in  Ward  township  on  May  6th,  traveling  the  entire  distance  by  wagon.  He 
was  thus  among  the  very  earliest  settlers  in  Randolph  county,  when  it  was 
still  the  home  of  Indians  and  wild  beasts.  He  settled  in  the  dense  woods, 
built  a  log  cabin  and  began  clearing  the  land,  of  which  he  made  an  excellent 
farm  in  due  course  of  time,  and  he  became  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  the 
community  in  its  early  history.  He  remained  on  his  farm,  which  is  now  the 
site  of  Stone  Station,  until  1832,  when  he  moved  to  White  River  township, 
locating  just  north  of  Winchester,  and  on  this  farm  he  spent  most  of  his  long- 
and  useful  life,  dying  at  his  home,  located  at  the  north  edge  of  town,  now  in- 
cluded in  the  city  limits,  in  March,  1867.    He  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven 


1046  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

years,  having  been  born  in  the  year  1800.  His  wife,  who  was  known  in  her 
maidenhood  as  Margery  Ward,  survived  two  years,  dying  in  1869.  EHas 
Kizer,  besides  having  engaged  in  farming,  also  operated  a  mill,  kept  a  hotel, 
and  for  five  years  was  superintendent  of  the  poor  asylum.  He  was  a  Re- 
publican in  politics  and  his  wife  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends, 
but  subsequently  became  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church. 

Thomas  W.  Kizer  devoted  his  life  successfully  to  general  farming  and 
stock  raising  in  his  native  county  and  was  a  highly  respected  citizen.  About 
1848  he  moved  from  his  farm  into  Winchester,  where  he  established  the 
family  home,  but  continued  to  operate  his  farm.  His  death  occurred  Novem- 
ber 28,  1901,  at  an  advanced  age.  His  wife  preceded  him  to  the  grave  over  a 
quarter  of  a  century,  dying  January  15,  1874.  Their  graves  are  in  Fountain 
Park  cemetery,  Winchester.  To  Thomas  W.  Kizer  credit  should  be  given 
for  the  making  of  Fountain  Park  cemetery,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  burial 
grounds  in  the  state.  When  he  began  his  work  it  was  a  barren  field,  but 
through  his  untiring  efforts  was  transformed  into  a  cemetery,  that  for  beauty 
of  landscape  architecture,  is  not  surpassed. 

William  D.  Kizer  was  about  a  year  old  when  his  parents  removed  from 
the  farm  to  Winchester,  and  here  he  was  reared  to  manhood  and  educated  in 
the  common  schools.  He  assisted  his  father  with  the  work  on  the  farm  during 
the  summer  months  when  he  became  of  proper  age.  He  started  in  life  for 
himself  when  nineteen  years  old  and  he  worked  at  various  jobs  about  Win- 
chester. In  1 866. he  invested  as  a  partner  in  a  house  moving  outfit  in  which 
he  made  a  little  money,  and  in  the  spring  of  1868  he  engaged  with  Sol  Yunker 
to  sell  nursery  stock  from  Rochester,  Xew  York,  nurseries,  in  southwestern 
Missouri.  He  followed  this  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  employer  for 
three  and  one-half  years.  In  the  fall  of  1870  he  rented  the  old  home  farm 
from  his  father  and  sowed  a  crop  of  wheat  that  fall.  At  the  urgent  request 
of  ^Ir.  Yunker  he  went  to  ^lissouri  and  helped  with  the  spring  sale  and  de- 
livery of  his  nursery  stock.  Upon  his  return  to  Winchester,  Mr.  Kizer  was 
offered  a  clerkship  in  the  county  treasurer's  office  which  he  accepted,  but  a 
little  later  he  went  into  the  county  auditor's  office  as  a  deputy,  and  his  farm- 
ing enterprise  was  given  up  and  his  growing  crop  relinquished  to  his 
father.  He  served  as  deputy  auditor  three  and  one-half  years.  He  was  elect- 
ed county  auditor  in  the  fall  of  1874,  in  the  last  October  election  held  in  the 
state.  He  took  office  Xovember  ist,  of  that  year,  serving  four  years  with 
much  credit  and  satisfaction  to  all  concerned.  He  then  engaged  in  the  se- 
questered tax  investigation  business  for  two  years.  In  1882  he  purchased  the 
business  of  C.  W    Diggs  for  the  collection  of  officers'  foreign  fees,  and  he 


KANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IO47 

followed  this  with  gratifying  results  until  1906,  in  the  meantime  frequently 
traveling  over  every  county  in  Indiana.  Upon  the  organization  of  the  Farm- 
ers and  Merchants  Bank  of  Winchester  in  1898  he  was  elected  president  which 
position  he  has  held  continuously  to  the  present  time,  the  pronounced  success 
of  this  safe,  sound  and  popular  institution  being  due  for  the  most  part  to  his 
able  management  and  wise  foresight  and  his  personal  popularity  throughout 
the  county.  Upon  the  death  of  Frank  E.  Vestal,  September  30,  1909,  who 
was  cashier  of  this  bank,  our  subject  became  actively  connected  with  the 
every-day  business  of  the  bank.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  rriost  capable 
and  successful  bankers  of  the  county,  pnjoying  the  entire  confidence  of  the 
public.  He  is  a  deep  student  of  financial  questions  and  modern  banking 
methods  and  keeps  fully  abreast  of  the  times  in  all  that  pertains  to  his  busi- 
ness. Since  1908  he  has  been  interested  in  farming  lands  and  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  in  Randolph  county.  In  1904  he  built  the  Kizer  busi- 
ness block  on  Main  street,  Winchester,  which  is  one  of  the  most  substantial, 
attractive  and  importaht  blocks  in  the  business  portion  of  the  city,  a  part  of 
which  is  occupied  by  the  post  office.  He  was  one  of  the  promoters  and  or- 
ganizers of  the  Peoples  Loan  &  Trust  Company,  of  Winchester.  He  is  also 
a  stockholder  in  the  Randolph  County  Bank,  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Farmland,  and  the  National  City  Bank  of  Indianapolis,  formerly  the  Columbia 
National  Bank.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  stockholders  in  the  Conti- 
nental National  Bank  of  Indianapolis,  and  was  one  of  the  promoters  and  or- 
ganizers of  the  Citizens  Water  and  Light  Company,  of  which  he  was  one  of 
the  first  directors  and  continued  a  director  until  he  sold  his  stock.  He  has 
become  one  of  the  financially  strong  citizens  of  the  county  and  is  deserv- 
ing of  a  great  deal  of  credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished  through  his  own 
individual  efforts,  often  in  the  face  of  obstacles.  He  has  a  beautiful  and  mod- 
ernly  appointed  home  on  North  Main  street,  Winchester,  the  presiding  spirit 
of  which  was  a  lady  of  culture  and  refinement,  known  in  her  maidenhood  as 
Louisa  C.  Dana,  whom  Mr.  Kizer  led  to  the  hymeneal  altar  on  October  24, 
1872,  and  who  proved  to  be  a  most  efficient  helpmeet,  whose  sympathy  and 
encouragement  was  in  no  small  degree  a  potent  factor  in  her  husband's  large 
success  in  the  .business  world.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Marcus  Dana,  a 
prominent  physician  of  Fostoria,  Ohio.  She  was  called  to  her  eternal  rest 
on  February  17,  1910..  Two  children  who  died  in  infancy  were  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Kizer. 

Politically,  Mr.  Kizer  is  a  Republican  and  has  long  been  more  or  less 
active  in  party  affairs,  in  fact,  a  local  leader  in  public  matters.     Fraternally, 


1048  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

he  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  the  Encampment. 
He  is  a  straightforward,  broad-minded,  genteel  gentleman  whom  it  is  a 
pleasure  to  know  and  he  has  no  trouble  in  winning  and  retaining  friends. 


JUDGE  JOHN  WINCHESTER  MACY. 

Tn  the  death  of  the  late  Judge  John  Winchester  Macy,  Randolph  county 
lost  one  of  its  most  remarkable  men,  a  man  who,  although  denied  educational 
advantages  in  youth,  yet  by  close  application,  studious  habits  and  industry 
became  more  than  a  local  leader  in  public  affairs  and  a  writer  of  fluency  and 
perfect  language;  exhibiting  a  mind  that  for  retentiveness,  accuracy  and  vol- 
ume was  but  Httle  less  than  marvelous.  Beginning  life  as  a  laborer,  and  amid 
humble  conditions,  his  successful  public  career  is  an  inspiration,  tending  as 
it  does  to  prove  the  opportunities  that  await  those  who  persevere.  Many 
of  the  high  public  positions  he  filled  were  unsought  by  him,  coming  as  they 
did  as  a  recognition  of  his  integrity,  ability,  untiring  industry  and  loyalty 
to  friends.  Not  only  did  he  leave  an  honored  public  and  professional  career 
as  a  legacy  to  his  family,  but  his  record  as  a  soldier  during  the  Civil  war,  is 
a  precious  heritage.  The  love  for  him  of  his  comrades  in  arms  proves  that 
he  had  the  mettle  of  which  true  warriors  are  made — warriors  who  fight  for 
right  and  principle,  not  gain  or  glory.  No  less  than  his  public  and  military 
record  is  his  private  and  domestic  life,  for  he  was  devoted  to  his  family  and 
friends,  and  in  this  respect  leaves  a  memory  that  will  not  be  forgotten. 

Judge  Macy  was  born  in  Henry  county,  Indiana,  June  12,  1843.  He 
was  a  son  of  David  and  Priscilla  (Lewellen)  Macy,  the  father  a  native  of 
Tennessee  and  the  mother  of  Virginia.  During  the  early  boyhood  of  Judge 
Macy  the  family  resided  for  a  time  in  Howard  county,  Indiana,  and  unto  his 
latest  years  he  carried  in  his  memory  a  vivid  picture  of  the  primitive  condi- 
tions and  hardships  of  social  and  industrial  life  in  central  Indiana  at  that 
early  period.  In  1854,  with  his  parents,  he  removed  to  Randolph  county,  lo- 
cating in  the  vicinity  of  Farmland.  Here  he  grew  to  manhood,  and  nothing 
which  concerned  the  prosperity  of  that  neighborhood  or  the  welfare  of  its 
people  ever  ceased  to  be  of  interest  to  him.  Although  a  man  of  marked  char- 
acteristics and  strongly  marked  individuality,  he  had  perhaps  no  trait  of  char- 
acter more  marked  than  his' undying  love  for  the  friends  and  scenes  of  his 
youth  and  early  manhood. 

On  August  2,  1862,  Mr.  Macy  proved  his  courage  and  patriotism  by  en- 
listing in  Company  A,  Eighty-fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which  he 


•RANDOLPH   COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


1049 


served  faithfully  and  gallantly  until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  was  adjutant 
and  acting  lieutenant  during  a  portion  of  his  service.  These  years  as  a  soldier 
may  be  said  to  have  been  the  beginning  of  his  active  life  and  for  almost  fifty 
years  that  life  was  one  of  aggressive,  cheerful,  unremitting  industry.  For 
awhile  he  worked  as  a  wagon  maker  and  afterward  engaged  in  business  at 
Farmland  as  a  tinner.  He  became  deputy  clerk  in  1867,  and  served  in  that 
capacity  under  John  B.  Goodrich  and  also  under  Taylor  Semans.  In  1876 
Mr.  Macy  was  elected  clerk  of  the  Randolph  Circuit  Court  and  served  in  that 
capacity  for  four  years.  In  1884,  he  was  elected  joint  senator  for  the  sena- 
torial district  then  consisting  of  Randolph,  Delaware  and  Henry  counties  and 
served  with  usefulness  and  distinction  in  the  turbulent  sessions  of  1885  and 
1887.  At  the  close  of  his  term  as  clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court,  Mr.  Macy  en- 
gaged actively  in  business,  and  in  the  practice  of  law.  Early  in  the  year  1902 
he  was  appointed  by  Governor  Durbin  judge  of  the  Randolph  Circuit  Court, 
vice-Judge  Albert  O.  Marsh,  who  resigned  that  position  to  become  United 
States  pension  agent  for  Indiana.  Our  subject  was  elected  judge  at  the  regu- 
lar election  in  November,  1902,  and  served  continually  in  that  capacity  for 
almost  seven  years  in  a  manner  that  reflected  much  credit  upon  his  ability,  his 
profound  knowledge  of  jurisprudence  and  his  fidelity  to  public  duty.  He  held 
his  first  session  on  January  15,  1902,  and  closed  his  term  as  regular  judge 
on  November  16,  1908.  At  the  close  of  this  service  he  entered  with  unabated 
interest  into  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  continued  with  his  usual  large 
success  and  popularity  until  failing  health  compelled  him  to  desist,  though 
death  alone  ended  his  interest  in  the  affairs  of  those  who  had  been  associates 
and  friends  for  years. 

In  December,  1871,  Judge  Macy  was  married  to  Sarah  Edger,  a  woman 
of  fine  mind  and  rare  gentleness  and  christian  character.  This  union  was 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  six  children,  namely:  Ralph,  James  and  Edward  who 
preceded  their  father  to  the  Silent  Land;  Shields  S.,  who  lives  in  Oklahoma; 
Kate,  who  is  the  wife  of  John  D.  Miller  of  Winchester,  and  John  W.,  Jr., 
an  attorney  of  Winchester,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in  this  vol- 
ume.   Mrs.  Macy  also  survives. 

For  four  or  five  years  immediately  following  their  marriage  Judge  Macy 
and  wife  lived  in  Kentucky,  where  the  Judge  was  engaged  in  lumbering  and 
merchandising,  but  from  that  time  until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  August 
26,  19 1 2,  when  nearly  seventy  years  of  age,  he  had  lived  in  Winchester, 
Indiana. 

Judge  Macy  lived  a  life  of  unusual  service.   He  possessed  marked  talents 


1050  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.. 

and  extraordinary  force  of  character.  His  ability  as  a  business  man  and  law- 
yer, his  success  as  a  jurist  and  his  popularity  as  a  trial  judge  are  well  known 
to  the  readers  of  this  book.  He  was  a  most  gifted  and  charming  conversa-' 
tionalist,  and  was  personally  acquainted  with  almost  everyone  in  Randolph 
county  and  had  besides  a  wide  range  of  acquaintances  everywhere.  No  esti- 
mate of  the  man  which  fails  to  note  his  capacity  to  make  and  keep  friends 
can  do  him  justice.  Open-handed,  open-minded,  delighting  always,  in  being 
of  service  to  others,  he  had  almost  unerring  intuitions  in  immediately  grasp- 
ing the  wants,  needs  and  capabilities  of  those  with  whom  his  active  life 
brought  him  in  contact.  He  was  a  man  of  great  natural  strength  of  affection, 
and  his  love  for  the  living,  like  his  grief  for  the  dead,  was  not  demonstrative 
or  selfish,  but  warm,  constant  and  undying.  He  will  long  be  missed  in  many 
spheres  of  action  and  by  many  friends  everywhere,  but  no  where  so  much  as 
by  those  who  knew  and  loved  him  best. 

A  monument  in  Fountain  Park  cemetery,   erected  to  the  memory  of 
Judge  Macy,  bears  this  inscription: 

"Soldier  of  the  Civil  War, 

Able  Jurist, 

Friend  of  Man." 


JOHN  W.  MACY,  JR. 


John  W.  Macy,  Jr.,  is  the  youngest  living  son  of  Judge  John  W.  Macy 
and  Sarah  Edger  Macy.  He  was  born  in  Winchester  on  the  twenty-fifth  day 
of  July,  1886,  and  with  the  exception  of  five  years  spent  in  college,  has  re- 
sided all  of  his  life  in  the  city  of  his  birth.  He  attended  the  public  schools 
of  Winchester,  completing  the  high  school  course  in  1904.  He  then  entered 
Wabash  College  at  Crawfordsville,  and  graduated  there  in  1908  with  the 
Degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  He  there  became  a  member  of  the  Phi  Gamma 
Delta  Fraternity  and  was  elected,  in  his  senior  year,  to  membership  in  Phi 
Beta  Kappa,  an  honorary  fraternity,  the  requirements  of  which  are  based 
upon  scholarship.  In  the  following  year  he  entered  the  law  department  of 
Columbia  University,  at  New  York  City,  but  was  unable  to  return  after  his 
first  year,  on  account  of  the  failing  health  of  his  father.  He  worked  for  the 
law  firm  of  Macy,  Nichols  &  Bales,  for  a  time,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
practice  of  law  in  1909.    In  1910,  he  became  a  member  of  this  firm  in  place 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA-  IO5I 

of  his  father,  whose  continued  illness  forced  his  retirement  from  the  active 
practice  of  his  profession  with  this  partnership. 

He  has  been  successful  from  the  first  and  has  endeavored  to  fulfil,  by 
close  application  and  studious  habits,  the  expectations  entertained  of  him  by 
his  friends  and  clients.  Whatever  measure  of-  success  has  been  his,  he  at- 
tributes to  the  inspiration  of  his  father's  career,  which  he  has  constantly  kept 
before  him. 

Mr.  Macy  was  married  on  July  3,  1912,  at  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  to  Miss 

Helen  Kelly,  daughter  of  William  H.  and  Beatrice   (Deitcher)   Kelly.    He 

and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  Mr.   Macy  is  a 

member  of,  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  Sons  of  Veterans.     His  home  is  at 

408- South  Meridian  street. 


SAMUEL  S.  BANTA. 


Samuel  S.  Banta,  A.  B.,  D.  C,  graduated  with  honors  from  York  Col- 
lege, York,  Nebraska,  June  9,  1909,  and  from  the  Universal  Chiropractic 
College  at  Davenport,  Iowa,  June  30,  191 1,  and  is  conducting  a  successful 
practice  in  Winchester,  making  a  specialty  of  disease  of  the  spine.  In  this 
special  line  of  work  he  ranks  with  the  finest  and  most  noted  experts  of  the 
west.  His  treatment  of  cases,  considered  hopeless  or  incurable,  approaches 
the  miraculous. 

Dr.  Banta  was  born  at  Oquawka,  Illinois,  and  is  the  son  of  John  C.  and 
Elizabeth  (Anderson)  Banta.  He  is  one  of  three  children,  Norman  Banta, 
a  brother  died  several  years  ago  and  left  a  widow  and  one  child.  He  lived  at 
Great  Falls,  Montana,  and  was  a  road  master  for  the  Great  Northern.  Bertha 
married  Charles  Sebur,  a  farmer  of  Oquawka,  Illinois,  and  has  two  children. 

The  ancestors  of  Dr.  Banta  came  from  Holland  to  this  country  in  1858 
and  settled  in  New  Amsterdam.  These  were  on  his  father's  side.  His  mother 
is  of  Irish  descent,  her  father  being  a  Missourian.  She,  however,  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania  and  went  to  Missouri  when  a  child.  She  still  survives.  Dr. 
Banta's  father  died  in  York,  Nebraska,  March  11,  1901.  The  doctor  is  a 
member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  and  of  the  United  Brethren  church,  and'  in  both 
lodge  and  church  work  is  an  earnest  participant.  Not  only  as  a  physician  does 
he  take  high  rank,  but  as  a  citizen,  all  things  pertaining  to  the  advancement 
of  Winchester  and  Randolph  county  receiving  his  heartiest  indorsement  and 
support.  He  is  one  of  those  well-balanced  and  progressive  men  who  believe  in 
the  development  of  whatever  enterprise  they  are  associated  with. 


1U5.^  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

JAMES  S.  ENGLE. 

For  a  long  lapse  of  years  James  S.  Engle,  of  Winchester  has  stood  in 
the  front  rank  of  the  Randolph  county  bar,  and  for  the  past  five  years  has 
been  a  judge  of  the  25th  judicial  circuit  court,  being  still  incumbent  of  the 
office,  and  as  judge  he  has  more  than  met  the  expectations  of  his  friends  and 
the  public,  and  has  so  discharged  the  duties  of  the  office  as  to  receive  the 
hearty  approval  and  warm  commendation  of  the  bar,  without  regard  to  party. 
He  brought  to  the  bench  a  dignity  becoming  the  high  position,  and  in  the  line 
of  duty,  is  industrious,  careful  and  singularly  painstaking,  which  combined 
with  his  sterling  honesty  and  fearlessness  of  purpose,  makes  him  one  of  the 
most  popular  and  efficient  men  ever  called  to  preside  over  the  courts  of  this 
district.  It  is  but  just  to  say  and  greatly  to  his  credit,  that  no  political  preju- 
dice, bias  or  zeal  is  ever  allowed  to  deflect  his  mind  from  its  honest  con- 
victions, and  while  discharging  his  official  functions,  personal  ties  and  friend- 
ships, as  well  as  his  own  interests  and  opinions  are  lost  sight  of  in  his  con- 
scientious efforts  to  render  equal  and  exact  justice  to  those  whose  affairs  are 
adjudicated  in  his  court.  His  opinions  and  decisions  attest  his  eminent  fit- 
ness for  judicial  positions,  being  always  lucid,  unstrained  and  vigorous,  his 
statements  full  and  comprehensive,  and  his  analysis  and  interpretations  of 
the  law,  conspicuous  and  complete. 

Judge  Engle  was  born  in  Washington  township,  Randolph  county, 
Indiana,  September  13,  1846.  He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Letitia  (Cabe) 
Engle.  The  father  came  from  New  Jersey  in  1825,  and  located  in  Warren 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming  until  1840,  when  he  came 
to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  purchased  two  hundred  and  forty  acres 
of  wild  land  in  Washington  township,  which  he  cleared,  developed  and  added 
to  until  he  became  owner  of  four  hundred  acres  and  was  one  of  the  leading 
agriculturists  of  that  township  at  the  time  of  his  death,  December  i,  1884. 
He  was  a  man  of  sterling  attributes  of  head  and  heart  and  influential  in  his 
community,  highly  esteemed  for  his  industry  and  honesty.  His  family  con- 
sisted of  twelve  children,  named  as  follows :  Isaac,  who  established  his 
home  in  Wells  county,  Indiana;  Wesley  H.  remained  in  Randolph  county; 
as  did  Robert;  Elias  C.  moved  to  Jefflerson  county,  Kansas;  William,  who 
was  a  soldier  in  Company  F,  Thirty-seventh  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  died, 
from  a  gun  shot  wound,  at  Pittsburg  Landing;  Samuel  is  deceased;  Calvin 
S.  remained  on  the  homestead;  James  S.,  of  this  review;  Daniel  H.  remained 
in  Randolph  coimty;  Albert  H.,  also  stayed  on  the  home  farm;  Price  removed 
to  what  is  now  eastern  Oklahoma  in  an  enrly  day ;  Josiah  B.  was  the  youngest. 
This  remarkable  family  of  sons  were  given  every  advantage  of  education 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IO53 

and  early  training  possible  by  their  pioneer  parents.  The  death  of  the  mother 
occurred,  on  the  homestead,  April  6,  1900,  many  years  after  her  husband  had 
passed  to  the  .Silent  Land.  He  had  perhaps  the  finest  farm,  and  was  the  first 
to  do  any  ditching  in  the  county.  He  was  a  loyal  Republican  and  was  town- 
ship trustee,  when,  by  law,  there  were  three  on  the  board,  and  also  held  the 
same  office,  when  the  board  was  constituted  of  only  one.  He  was  a  worthy 
member  of  the  United  Brethern  church,  and  a  true  Christian  gentlemaiL 

Judge  Engle  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  where  he  assisted  witli 
the  general  work  during  the  crop  seasons  when  he  became  of  proper  age, 
and  in  the  winter  time  he  attended  the  district  schools,  of  which  was  supple- 
mented by  attending  the  schools  of  his  nearest  town,  then  he  attended  Harts- 
ville  University  for  nearly  three  years.  In  the  meantime  he  taught  school  and 
sold  books  to  keep  himself  supplied  with  funds,  and  in  1871  he  began  the 
study  of  law  with  Cheney  &  Watson,  reading. with  them  until  the  firm  dis- 
solved, early  in  1872  he  then  studied  with  Watson  &  Monks  until  the  latter 
part  of  T872  when  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  at  once  formed  a  partner- 
ship for  practice  with  J.  E.  Neff,  now  deceased,  which  partnership  continued 
until  Mr.  Neff  was  elected  secretary  of  state,  when  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  Levi  W.  Study,  also  now  deceased,  which  lasted  until  1880,  and  then 
joined  his  old  preceptor,  E.  L.  Watson,  who  died  a  number  of  years  ago.  He 
remained  with  Mr.  Watson  until  1885,  when  their  partnership  was  dissolved 
and  Mr.  Engle  engaged  in  practice  alone.  In  all  these  years  he  met  with  a 
large  measure  of  success,  building  up  an  extensive  and  lucrative  clientage,  be- 
ing one  of  the  best  known  and  most  popular  lawyers  in  the  county. 

Politically,  Judge  Engle  has  been  an  active  Republican  since  reaching  Kis 
majority.  He  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  in  1874,  filling  the  office  ac- 
ceptably for  four  years.  In  1885  he  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature, 
where  he  made  his  presence  felt  for  the  good  of  both  his  county  and  the  state. 
For  a  time  he  utterly  ignored  public  office,  his  extensive  practice  requiring 
his  entire  attention.  In  1891  he  formed  a  law  partnership  with  W.  G.  Parry, 
as  Engle  &  Parry,  which  continued  for  some  time,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Engle,  Caldwell  &  Parry;  F  S.  Caldwell  becoming  a  member  of  the  firm. 
This  continued  until  November  16,  1908  when  our  subject  became  a  judge 
of  the  circuit  court.  He  came  to  the  bench  well  qualified  for  its  exacting 
duties  and  responsibilities  and  from  the  beginning  his  judicial  career  was  char- 
acterized by  such  a  profound  knowlege  of  the  law  and  an  earnest  and  con- 
scientious desire  to  apply  it  impartially  that  he  was  not  long  in  gaining  the 
respect  and  confidence  of  the  attorneys  and  litigants  and  earning  for  himself 
(67) 


I054  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

ah  honorable  reputation  among  the  leading  jurists  of  northern  Indiana. 
From  the  first  his  labors  were  very  ardous  and  many  important  cases  were 
tried  in  his  court,  large  interests  being  involved.  So  far  as  known  his  rulings 
in  all  cases  have  been  satisfactory  to  all  concerned,  fair  and  impartial,  and 
his  decisions  so  in  accord  with  the  principles  of  law  and  practice  that  every- 
body interested  has  been  throughly  satisfied  with  his  course. 

The  Judge  is  one  of  the  hojiored  veterans  of  the  Civil  war,  having 
■enlisted  in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  Indiana  Volunteer 
Infantry,  serving  the  time  of  his  enlistment,  one  hundred  days,  with  credit  and 
fidelity  to  the  Union,  and  was  honorably  discharged.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Encampment,  also  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men. 

Judge  Engle  was  married  September  2^,  1875,  in  \\'^inchester  to  Alice 
Monks,  whowas  born  in  Randolph  county,  August  27,  1856  and  here  she 
grew  to  womanhood  and  received  a  good  education.  She  is  a  lady  of  talent 
and  culture,  long  a  favorite  with  a  wide  circle  of  friends  from  the  best  families 
of  the  city  and  county.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  W.  and  Mary  (Hobbick) 
Monks,  both  natives  of  Randolph  county,  each  representing  sterling  pioneer 
families,  and  are  both  now  deceased.  Mrs.  Engle  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  which  the  Judge  is  an  active  worker  and  liberal 
supporter.  He  has  long  been  a  member  of  this  denomination,  and  is  on  the 
official  board  of  the  church  in  Winchester,  having  filled  this  position  for 
over  twenty-five  years.  He  has  also  been  a  Sunday  school  teacher  for  many 
years. 

Judge  Engle  is  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm,  well  improved,  highly  culti- 
vated and  very  productive,  which  lies  in  W^ajne  township,  this  county,  and 
he  has  a  commodious  and  modernly  appointed  home  on  South  Main  street 
in  the  best  residence  section  of  the  city,  and  this  cozy  home  is  known  to  the 
many  friends  of  himself  and  wife  as  a  place  of  old-time  hospitality  and 
good  cheer. 


CHARLES  F.  PIERCE. 


Perhaps  no  man  in  Randolph  county  has  the  artistic  temperament  to 
a  more  marked  degree  than  Charles  F.  Pierce,  a  photographer  of  Winchester 
whose  fame  has  gone  throughout  the  country.  Although  Nature,  of  course, 
implanted  the  esthetic  attribute  in  him,  yet  it  had  to  be  cultivated,  developed, 
and  Mr.  Pierce  has  worked  most  assiduously  and  ardently  in  order  to  ad- 
vance himself  along  his  chosen  field  of  endeavor,  and,  judging  from  his  past 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  IO55 

praiseworthy  attainments  it  is  proper  to  predict  for  him  still  greater  things 
in  the  future. 

Mr.  Pierce  was  born  March  14,  1863,  on  a  farm  three  miles  east  of 
Winchester.  He  is  a  son  of  Joab  W.  and  Elizabeth  (Summers)  Pierce,  one 
of  our  excellent  pioneer  families,  a  complete  sketch  of  whom  appears  else- 
where in  this  volume.  Suffice  it  to  add  here  that  the  Pierces  have  always 
been  known  as  public-spirited,  high-minded  and  exemplary  citizens. 

Charles  F.  Pierce  was  reared  on  the  farm  and  there  did  the  usual  chores 
assigned  to  farm  boys,  until  he  was  about  seventeen  years  of  age.  He  re- 
ceived his  primary  education  in  the  country  district  schools.  In  the  year  1881 
he  went  with  his  parents  to  Florida  where  he  remained  four  and  one-half 
years,  returning  to  Winchester,  Indiana,  in  1886,  and  worked  on  a  farm  and 
at  various  occupations.  In  the  fall  of  1886  he  began  the  study  of  photo- 
graphy with  E.  R.  Hiatt,  of  Winchester,  and,  having  a  natural  aptitude  in 
this  line,  he  made  rapid  progress,  and  was  prepared  to  open  a  studio  of  his 
own,  which  he  did  at  Saratoga,  this  county,  and  met  with  success  from  the 
first. 

On  December  3,  1887  Mr.  Pierce  married  Mrs.  Dora  Almonrode,  a 
daughter  of  Josiah  and  Margaret  (Cox)  Almonrode,  of  Saratoga,  where 
her  family  was  highly  respected  and  where  Mrs.  Pierce  grew  to  womanhood 
and  was  educated.  The  union  of  our  subject  and  wife  resulted  in  the  birth 
of  two  children ;  Benjamin  Harrison,  of  Winchester,  and  Goldie,  now  the 
wife  of  Chauncey  Waters,  of  Farmland. 

In  January.  1888,  Mr.  Pierce,  seeking  a  wider  field  for  the  exercise 
of  his  talents,  removed  to  Winchester  and  opened  a  studio.  His  reputation 
as  a  fine  photographer  had  preceded  him  and  he  soon  built  up  a  large  and 
ever-grow'ng  business,  and  here  he  has  remained  to  the  present  time,  with 
the  exception  of  several  winters  spent  in  Florida,  where  he  did  special  pho- 
tographic work.  He  has  one  of  the  neatest  and  most  up-to-date  studios 
in  the  state  and  is  a  very  busy  man.  He  has  kept  fully  abreast  of  modern 
photographic  art  and  is  quick  to  adopt  new  designs  in  his  work.  He  is  re- 
garded by  all  who  are  familiar  with  his  work  as  an  artist  of  very  pronounced 
ability  and  has  a  wide  reputation.  He  has  done  special  work  for  "Collier's 
Weekly"  and  other  leading  magazines  of  the  East. 

Politically,  Mr.  Pierce  was  formerly  a  Republican,  but  since  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Progressive  party  has  allied  himself  with  it.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  State  Photographers  Association  and  the  National  Photo- 
graphers Association.  Fraternally  he  belongs  to  the  Knights -of  Pythias, 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Owls. 


1056  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

Mr.  Pierce  keeps  a  supply  of  cameras  and  art  supplies  of  all  kinds  and 
also  maintains  a  picture  framing  department.  His  studio  is  located  at  209 
South  Main  street.  Here  his  many  customers,  some  of  whom  come  from 
remote  towns,  always  receive  prompt  and  courteous  treatment. 


WILLIAM  L.  HAWKINS. 

Inheriting  the  thrifty  and  frugal  habits  of  a  sturdy  pioneer  father  who, 
before  the  days  of  railroads  left  his  native  hills  in.  the  old  Tar  state  under 
Southern  skies  and  threaded  the  wilderness  to  the  land  of  the  Hoosiers  to 
seek  his  fortune  in  the  new  country,  it  is  little  wonder  that  William  L.  Haw- 
kins, erstwhile  farmer  and  merchant,  but  for  a  score  of  years  past  successful 
real  estate  dealer  in  Winchester  has  won  a  definite  goal  in  life,  and  won  his 
spurs  en  the  field  of  the  industrial  strife.  The  people  of  Randolph  county  have 
known  him  for  many  years,  and  they  extend  to  him  every  good  wish,  for 
his  dealings  with  his  fellow  men  have  ever  been  honorable  and  they  repose 
in  him  the  most  implicit  confidence. 

Mr.  Hawkins  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  July  29,  1854. 
He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Agatha  (Teagle)  Hawkins,  whose  family  con- 
sisted of  ten  children,  seven  daughters  and  three  sons. 

William  Hawkins,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in 
North  Carolina  in  1808  and  his  death  occurred  in  1879.  He  spent  his  boy- 
hood in  his  native  state,  and  when  twenty-two  years  old,  in  1830,  he  made 
the  long  overland  journey  from  his  native  state  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  on 
horseback,  carrying  an  old  flint-lock  rifle  which  is  now  in  the  possession 
of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  William  Hawkin's  mother  died  when  he  was 
six  weeks  old,  and  his  father,  John  Hawkins,  bound  him  out  to  a  distiller 
of  peach  brandy  and  apple-jack,  and  he  remained  with  the  distiller  until 
reaching  his  majority,  then  received  for  his  services  five  dollars,  a  jeans  suit 
of  clothes,  horse,  bridle  and  saddle.  He  then  worked  a  year  for  fifty  dol- 
lars. He  married  after  coming  to  Wayne  county,  where  he  lived  about  a 
year,  and  then  removed  to  Randolph  county  becoming  well  situated  through 
his  industry  and  close  application.  His  father  and  brothers  all  remained  in 
North  Carolina  and  he  lost  track  of  them  upon  the  outbreak  of  the  war  of  the 
Rebellion.  His  wife,  our  subject's  mother,  was'  born  in  1809,  in  Virginia, 
and  she  died  in  1897.  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-eight  years. 

William  L.  Hawkins,  of  this  sketch,  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm 
in  Randolph  county  and  he  received  his  early  education  in  an  old  log  school 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IO57 

house  in  his  neighborhood,  in  fact  was  located  on  the  farm  he  now  owns. 
Two  of  his  neighbors  and  his  own  family,  contributed  thirty-one  children 
to  the  school.  He  remained  on  the  home  place  until  he  was  twenty-one 
years  of  age.  For  the  past  twenty  years  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  real 
estate  business  in  Winchester,  and  he  has  built  up  a  large  and  lucrative  busi- 
ness. Perhaps  no  man  in  Randolph  county  is  a  better  judge  of  real  estate 
values,  both  city  and  farm,  than  he.  He  has  dealt  promptly,  courteously  and 
honestly  with  his  fellow  men  and  he  therefore  has  the  good  will  and  respect 
of  all.     He  has  been  very  successful  in  a  business  way. 

Politically,  Mr.  Hawkins  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  En- 
campment.   He  attends  the  Friends  church. 

Mr.  Hawkins  was  married  May  4,  1883  to  Etta  Moore,  a  daughter  of 
James  Moore,  a  farmer  of  Randolph  county.  She  is  one  of  two  children, 
having  a  sister,  Minnie  E. 

Four  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hawkins,  named  as 
follows:  Minnie,  born  in  1885,  married  Harry  IHff,  who  is  in  the  employ 
of  the  National  Cash  Register  Company,  of  Dayton,  Ohio,  and  they  have  one 
child,  Henrietta;  Winnie  died  in  infancy;  Lionel  M.,  born  May  2,  1888,  is 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  East  Arkansas  Lumber  Company;  he  lives 
at  Paragould,  Arkansas,  and  married  Willie  Walters,  of  Springville,  Tennes- 
see; they  have  one  child,  William  Moore.  Charles  J.,  the  youngest  child 
of  our  subject,  was  born  November  3,  1891,  and  is  now  working  in  Chicago 
for  Carson,  Pine,  Scott  &  Company. 


WILLIAM  H.  BALES. 


Since  coming  to  Randolph  county  three-quarters  of  a  century  ago 
the  Bales  family  has  witnessed  wide-sweeping  and  very  important  changes 
in  this  locality,  in  many  of  which  they  have  taken  a  conspicuous  part.  But 
change  is  constant  and  general,  generations  rise  and  pass  unmarked  away, 
and  it  is  the  duty  of  posterity  as  well  as  a  present  gratification  to  place  upon 
the  printed  page  a  true  record  of  the  lives  of  those  who  have  preceded  us  on 
the  stage  of  action  and  left  to  their  descendants  the  memory  of  their  struggles 
and  achievements.  The  history  of  this  honored  family  is  a  part  of  an  indis- 
soluble chain,  which  links  the  annals  of  the  past  to  those  of  the  latter-day 
progress  and  prosperity  and  the  history  of  Randolph  county  would  be  incom- 
plete without  due  reference  to  them,  the  various  members  of  the  family  hav- 


1058  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

ing  lived  useful  and  successful  lives,  among  the  best  known  of  the  present 
generation  being  William  H.  Bales,  long  a  leading  business  man  of  Winches- 
ter. Like  his  father  before  him,  generous  and  big-hearted,  kindly  in  dis- 
position, he  has  never  lacked  for  friends,  and  many  of  them  will  pursue  his 
life  record,  as  written  here,  with  deep  interest  although  brief  and  fragmentary. 

William  H.  Bales  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  September  11,  1857. 
He  is  a  son  of  Isaac  X.  and  Martha  J.  (Piatt)  Bales,  and  is  one  of  a  family 
of  three  children,  the  eldest,  Mary  E.,  dying  in  infancy;  and  the  youngest. 
Magnolia  M.  married  W  O.  Bales,  a  farmer  living  south  of  Winchester, 
and  they  have  two  children,  Stella  M.  and  Burley  N. 

Isaac  X.  Bales  was  born  also  in  this  county,  and  here  he  grew  to  man- 
hood, received  his  education  in  the  old-time  schools  and  devoted  his  life  to 
general  farming.  He  lived  on-  a  farm  adjoining  the  land  which  our  sub- 
ject's paternal  grandfather  took  up  from  the  government,  cleared  and  de- 
veloped. Isaac  X.  Bales  was  a  soldier  in  the  Sixty-ninth  Indiana  Volun- 
teer Infantry  for  three  years,  seeing  much  hard  service  and  proving  to  be 
a  gallant  soldier  for  the  Union.  He  was  in  the  last  charge  of  the  war,  which 
took  place  at  Mobile,  Alabama.  He  was  in  the  battles  at  Richmond,  Ken- 
tucky, in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg  and  was  with  General  Banks  on  the  Red 
River  Expedition,  and  other  general  actions.  He  enlisted  August  5,  1862, 
and  was  honorably  discharged  in  July  1865.  He  was  never  wounded  but 
bullets  pierced  his  hat  and  clothing. 

William  H.  Bales  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  there  work- 
ed hard  when  a  boy.  He  received  a  common  school  education.  At  the  age 
of  thirty-seven  he  moved  to  Winchester  where  he  has  conducted  a  paint 
and  wall  paper  store  during  the  past  ten  years,  building  up  a  large  and  rapidly 
growing  business  and  carrying  at  all  times  a  large  and  carefully  selected 
stock  of  modern  paints  and  wall  paper.  His  store  is  one  of  the  best  of  its 
kind  in  this  section  of  the  state  and  would  do  credit  to  a  city  much  larger 
than  Winchester.  His  prices  are  always  right,  and,  dealing  uniformly 
with  his  hundreds  of  customers  in  an  honest  and  courteous  manner,  he  has 
become  one  of  our  most  popular  and  substantial  business  men. 

Mr.  Bales  was  first  married  on  February  9,  1878,  to  Mary  A.  Fisher, 
whose  death  occurred  ^larch  5,  1905.  To  this  union  three  children  were  born, 
namely:  Xewton  A.,  who  died  in  early  life;  Charles  E.  C,  a  farmer,  lives 
at  IMuncie;  he  married  Pearl  Powell  and  they  have  two  children;  Russell 
H.  is  bookeeper  for  the  \\'estern  Drop  Forge  Company  of  Marion;  he  has 
remained  single.  William  H.  Bales  was  married  again,  espousing  on  Octo- 
ber 29,  1908,  ]\Iinnie  Burnside,  of  Albany,  Indiana,  a  daughter  of  James 
F.  Burnside,  and  she  is  one  of  a  family  of  eight  children,  an  equal  number 


KANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I059 

of  sons  and  daughters.     To  this  second  union  one  child  has  been  born, 
Esther,  the  date  of  whose  birth  was  October  3,  1910. 

PoHtically  Mr.  Bales  is  a  Progressive.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Christian  church  for  a  period  of  thirty-eight  years,  and  is  faithful  in  his 
support  of  the  same.  Fraternally  he  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  the  Golden 
Eagle,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Sons  of  Veterans. 


HOSEA  F.  HOBBICK. 


One  of  the  enterprising  and  successful  business  men  of  Winchester, 
Randolph  county,  is  Hosea  F.  Hobbick,  who  conducts  one  of  the  largest 
and  best  equipped  hardware  and  tinware  stores  in  the  county,  his  large  and 
successful  business  having  been  built  up  through  his  own  thrift,  persever- 
ance and  honest  dealings,  for  he  began  life  in  a  business  way  at  the  bottom 
of  the  ladder  and  worked  up  gradually,  often  in  the  face  of  obstacles  which 
he  has  removed  one  by  one,  obstacles  which  would  have  discouraged  others 
of  less  sterling  mettle,  so  he  is  eminently  deserving  of  the  position  he  has 
won  in  the  industrial  world  and  of  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  is  univer- 
sally held. 

Mr.  Hobbick  was  born  in  Winchester,  Indiana,  May  21,  1859,  and  here 
he  has  been  content  to  spend  his  life,  being  reared  and  educated  here.  He  is 
a  son  of  David  and  Sarah  (Shaw)  Hobbick,  the  mother  having  come  to  this 
county  from  Caddington,  Ohio,  being  a  daughter  of  Aaron  Shaw,  a  mer- 
chant of  that  i>lace.  Our  subject  is  one  of  three  children,  he  being  the  eldest; 
the  others  are  Emma,  who  married  Edward  Ginn,  a  carriage  painter,  of 
Winchester,  has  one  child,  Hubert ;  Grant  died  when  eighteen  years  of  age. 

David  Hobbick,  the  father,  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  and  here  he 
grew  to  manhood  and  received  his  education  in  the  old-time  schools  of  his 
community.  When  a  young  man  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  machinist,  in 
which  he  became  quite  expert.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject 
was  a  native  of  Germany,  where  he  spent  his  early  life  and  was  married. 
Soon  after  this  event  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States. 

Hosea  F.  Hobbick  was  apprenticed  to  the  tinner's  trade  when  a  boy, 
which  he  mastered  in  due  course  of  time,  learning  its  every  phase,  and  be- 
coming one  of  the  most  skilful  in  this  vocation  in  this  section  of  the  state. 
As  he  prospered  he  saved  his  money  and  finally  opened  a  hardware  store  in 
his  native  city  on  a  small  scale.  This  has  continued  to  grow  with  advancing 
years,  until  now,  after  twenty  years,  our  subject's  store  is  one  of  the  largest, 


I060  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

most  modern  and  best  managed  in  Winchester,  and  he  enjoys  an  extensive 
and  rapidly  growing  trade  which  extends  over  a  wide  territory.  He  handles 
all  kinds  of  hardware  and  tinware,  always  carrying  a  large,  up-to-date  and 
well-selected  stock,  and,  according  to  his  many  customers,  his  prices  are 
always  right,  and  he  has  dealt  with  his  thousands  of  customers  in  a  uni- 
formly honest  and  courteous  manner,  so  that  he  has  won  and  retained  their 
good  will  and  esteeem.  He  is  deserving  of  a  great  deal  of  credit  for  what 
he  has  accomplished  in  a  business  way. 

Mr.  Hobbick  was  married  June  22,  1887,  to  Mary  Mclntire,  of  Win- 
chester, where  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated.  She  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  Mclntire,  a  well-known  carpenter  and  contractor,  whose  family 
consists  of  four  children,  namely:  Mary,  wife  of  our  subject;  Albert,  who 
is  employed  at  the  National  Cash  Register  Company  in  Dayton,  Ohio ;  James 
is  employed  at  Kechman's  Wire  Works  in  Muncie;  and  Ulysses.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hobbick  five  children  have  been  born,  namely:  Chester,  born  in 
1888,  is  with  his  father  in  the  store;  he  married  Gertrude  Wilcox,  and  they 
have  one  child,  Mary  Virginia;  Eola  died  when  six  years  old;  Helen  died  in 
infancy;  Robert  died  when  seven  years  years  old;  Clifford  was  born  Au- 
gust 5,  1900.  Mrs.  Hobbick  is  a  Quaker  in  her  religious  belief.  Fraternally, 
our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  politically  he  is  a 
Progressive. 

David  Hobbick,  father  of  our  subject,  was  a  gallant  soldier  for  the 
Union  during  the  Civil  war,  having  enhsted  in  the  Sixty-ninth  Indiana  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  in  which  he  served  most  faithfully  for  a  period  of  three 
years,  during  which  he  was  in  many  of  the  great  battles.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  January,  1883.  His  widow  survives  at  this  writing,  being  now 
seventy-four  years  old. 


DENNIS  KELLEY. 


Ceaselessly  to  and  fro  flies  the  deft  shuttle  which  weaves  the  web  of 
human  destiny,  and  into  the  vast  mosaic  fabric  enter  the  individuality,  the 
effort,  the  accomplishment  of  each  man,  be  his  station  that  most  lowly  or  one 
of  majesty,  pomp  and  power.  Within  the  textile  folds  may  be  traced  the 
line  of  each  individuality,  be  it  the  one  that  lends  the  beautiful  sheen  of 
honest  worth  and  honest  endeavor,  or  one  that,  dark  and  zigzag,  finds  its  way 
through  warp  and  woof,  marring  the  composite  beauty  by  its  blackened 
threads,  ever  in  evidence  of  the  shadowed  and  unprolific  life.     Into  the  great 


/;"% 


RANDOLPI-I    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IO61 

aggregate  each  individuality  is  merged,  and  yet  the  essence  of  each  is  never 
lost,  be  the  angle  of  its  influence  v^ride-spreading  and  grateful,  or  narrow  and 
baneful.  In  his  efforts  he  who  essays  biographical  memoirs  finds  much  of 
profit  and  much  of  alluring  fascination  when  he  would  follow  out,  in  even 
a  cursory  way,  the  tracings  of  a  life  history,  seeking  to  find  the  keynote  of 
each  respective  personality.  These  efforts  and  their  resulting  transmission 
cannot  fail  of  value  in  an  objective  way,  for  in  each  case  may  the  lesson  of 
life  he  conned,  line  after  line,  precept  after  precept.  One  could  not  contem- 
plate the  life  record  of  the  late  Dennis  Kelley,  for  many  years  one  of  the  lead- 
ing business  men  and  public-spirited  citizens  of  Winchester,  Randolph  county, 
without  gaining  therefrom  many  helpful  hints  and  forming  at  the  same  time 
a  very  high  opinion  of  the  man,  for  his  benevolent  and  charitable  work,  ex- 
tending over  a  period  of  many  years,  resulting  in  much  good  and  stamping 
him  as  a  whole-souled  and  genuine  lover  of  his  kind,  would  alone  excite  the 
admiration  and  reverence  of  all,  especially  of  the  contemplative  turn  of  mind, 
for  his  gifts  and  his  deeds  for  the  general  betterment  of  his  fellow-men 
came  not  from  a  desire  to  win  the  plaudits  of  the  public  or"  for  any  ulterior 
motive,  but  merely  out  of  an  altruistic  nature  and  a  spirit  of  profound  human 
sympathy. 

Mr.  Kelley  was  born  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  October  9,  1844,  and  with  his 
parents  he  moved  to  Montezuma,  Ohio,  in  i860,  being  then  sixteen  years  of 
age.  He  received  a  somewhat  meager  common  school  education,  which  was 
greatly  supplemented  in  after  years  by  much  home  reading  and  by  actual  con- 
tact with  the  business  world.  Although  but  a  boy  when  the  Civil  war  came 
on  he  proved  his  courage  by  enlisting  in  August,  1862,  in  Company  C,  One 
Hundred  and  Eighteenth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  most 
faithfully  and  gallantly  until  the  close  of  the  war,  participating  in  all  of  the 
battles  of  the  famous  Atlanta  campaign,  a  series  of  the  most  strenuous  hand- 
to-hand  battles  recorded  in  history.  He  was  seriously  wounded  at  the  battle 
of  Resaca,  Georgia,  May  14,  1864.  After  being  honorably  discharged  he  re- 
turned home  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  with  his  father,  Dennis 
Kelley,  Sr.,  and  soon  mastered  the  ins  and  outs  of  the  business. 

In  the  year  1867  Mr.  Kelley  was  united  in  marriage  with  Margaret 
Houser.  In  February,  1872  they  removed  to  Winchester,  Indiana,  where 
they  established  the  permanent  home  of  the  family,  and  embarked  in  the 
mercantile  business.  On  January  i,  1881  he  disposed  of  his  mercantile 
interests  and  accepted  the  cashiership  of  the  Randolph  County  Bank,  which 
position  he  filled  with  eminent  satisfaction  to  both  the  stockholders   and 


1062  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

patrons  for  a  period  of  five  years  when  he  again  engaged  in  business  for 
himself.  In  1886  he  built  the  Kelley  block,  one  of  Winchester's  most  sub- 
stantial and  attractive  mercantile  structures,  on  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
public  square,  and  here  he  conducted  a  prosperous  business  until  1905  whea 
he  was  compelled  to  retire  on  account  of  declining  health. 

As  a  merchant  he  became  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Randolph, 
county,  but  his  talents  and  energy  were  not  all  devoted  to  money-making; 
he  found  time  to  improve  society  hy  mingling  with  his  fellow  men  in  religious 
and  fraternal  circles ;  his  devotion  thereto  was  noted  and  in  a  financial  way 
none  were  more  generous  than  he.  As  a  member  and  official  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  he  was  punctual  in  attendance  and  participated  in  all 
its  efforts  to  better  mankind.  His  love  for  his  comrades  was  exemplified 
by  his  becoming  a  charter  member  of  the  Grand  Army. of  the  Republic;  not 
only  was  he  a  paying  member  thereof,  but  by  his  presence  at  all  its  public 
appearances  gave  proof  of  his  loyalty  to  its  teachings.  He  was  an  active 
member  of  Winchester  Lodge,  No.  56,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons.  His 
high  regard  for  that  organization  led  him  to  become  a  member  of  its  higher 
branches,  the  Council,  Chapter,  Knights  Templar  and  thirty-second  degree. 
In  these  he  was  honored  by  selection  to  many  of  the  exacting  offices,  all  of 
which  he  filled  with  his  usual  fidelity. 

As  a  member  for  several  years  of  the  board  of  control  of  the  Fountain 
Park  cemetery  he  exhibited  a  devotion  to  civic  duty  that  is  worthy  of 
emulation. 

However  with  all  the  praise  he  merits  for  his  loyalty  to  his  country 
during  the  great-  war  of  the  states,  his  honorable  career  as  a  merchant,  his 
fidelity  to  duty  in  all  the  positions  creditably  filled  by  him  in  civic,  church 
and  fraternal  societies,  his  dominant  trait  and  the  one  for  which  his  mem- 
ory should  long  be  revered,  was  his  devotion  to  his  family.  He  was  a  hus- 
band and  father  in  the  most  complete  sense  of  those  words.  His  devotion 
to  and  his  pride  in  his  family  and  home  was  a  marked  characteristic.  His 
home  was  his  castle  and  there  the  guest  was  always  welcome,  like  the  way- 
worn traveler  to  the  tent  of  the  Arab.  His  happiness  consisted  of  making 
others  happy.  He  was  passionately  fond  of  music,  and  took  pride  in  giving 
his  children  every  opportunity  to  perfect  themselves  in  that  art,  with  a  result 
that  they  are  among  our  most  accomplished  musicians.  Xor  was  this  filial 
devotion  selfish,  as  he  was  advisor  and  benefactor  to  many  whom  the  grim 
Reaper  and  misfortune  had  deprived  of  various  kindred  that  comprise  the 
home.  His  family  consisted  of  Charles  A.  Kelley,  of  Searc}',  Arkansas; 
Dennis  H.,  of  Vv'hitefish,  Alontana;  Asahel  Stone,  Grace  ]\I.,   Frances  E., 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  I063 

and  Ruth  M.,  of  Winchester,  Indiana.  They  all  survive  together  with  the 
mother. 

Dennis  Kelley  was  summoned  to  his  eternal  rest  on  April  9,  191 1,  after 
a  short  illness,  at  the  attractive  family  residence  on  South  Meridian  street, 
Winchester. 

We  quote  these  paragraphs  from  a  lengthy  article  which  appeared  in 
Winchester's  leading  newspaper,  at  the  time  of  his  death : 

"Mr.  Kelley  was  one  of  the  leading  and  most  highly  respected  citizens 
of  this  city,  and  as  a  merchant  he  had  more  than  a  county-wide  acquaintance, 
all  of  whom  will  sincerely  mourn  his  death  and  sympathize  with  his  family 
in  their  affliction. 

His  life  was  spent  in  a  period  that  tested  the  man,  and  in  no  detail  did 
he  shirk  or  prove  that  he  was  not  a  manly  man.  It  was  given  to  him  to 
participate  in  the  struggle  that  saved  this  country;  as  a  business  man,  to 
transform  crude  methods  into  a  system;  to  elevate  society  from  uncouthness 
to  culture.  In  the  period  in  which  these  transformations  were  made,  he 
was  a  leader,  a  leader  that  will  be  missed  and  mourned  by  the  community." 


ALBERT  F.  SALA. 


One  of  Winchester's  enterprising  business  men  is  Albert  F.  Sala,  a  well- 
known  and  successful  druggist,  who  won  a  wide  circle  of  friends  in  Ran- 
dolph county  since  taking  up  his  residence  here  as  a  result  of  his  industry, 
public  spirit  and  genial  manners,  and  he  has  the  good  will  of  all  who  know 
him.  He  has  succeeded  because  he  has  worked  persistently  along  legitimate 
lines  of  endeavor,  never  letting  the  grass  grow  under  his  feet  and  never 
waiting  for  some  freak  of  Fate  to  cast  fcrtune  in  his  way ;  for  he  knew  at 
the  outset  that  he  who  would  win  in  this  world  of  fierce  competition  must  be 
a  man  of  indomitable  energy,  courage  and  self-reliance.  Many  of  these  at- 
tributes which  have  won  for  him  a  place  in  the  world's  affairs  have  de- 
scended from  his  sterling  ancestors,  whose  records  show  them  to  have  been 
people  worth  while. 

Mr.  Sala  was  born  at  Liberty  Mills,  Wabash  county,  Indiana,  January 
9,  1863.  He  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Ruanna  (Hay)  Sala,  the  mother  having 
been  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Sarah  Hay,  both  long  since  deceased. 

The  Sala  family  is  of  Italian  origin  and  very  old.  They  were  exiled 
from  Italy  when  Pope  Clement  III  was  in  power.  From  that  country  they 
went  to  Germany  and  took  up  their  abode.     Daniel  Sala,  father  of  our  sub- 


1064  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

ject,  was  a  cooper  by  trade  and  he  was  born  in  Ohio,  from  which  state  he 
came  to  Indiana,  locating  in  Wabash  county,  where  he  established  a  good 
home  through  his  industry. 

The  origin  of  the  Sala  family  in  America  is  traced  back  to  the  six- 
teenth century,  when  three  brothers  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  one  lo- 
cating in  Pennsylvania,  one  in  Massachusetts  and  one  in  North  Carolina, 
and  from  them  the  present  members  of  the  family  are  descended.  The 
record  shows  that  from  that  remote  day  to  this  the  family  have  made  good, 
honorable,  thrifty  citizens,  many  of  them  prominent  in  their  respective  com- 
munities. The  Salas  of  the  fourth  generation  were  close  to  the  branch  in 
which  we  find  the  kinship  of  the  great  George  Augustus  Sala,  of  England. 

The  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  of  German  ancestry  and 
her  family  lived  in  Maryland  before  coming  to  the  Middle  West.  Mrs. 
Ruanna  Sala's  mother  died  when  the  former  was  only  sixteen  years  old, 
leaving  eleven  children  for  her  to  rear,  but  she  did  remarkably  well. 

Five  children  were  born  to  Daniel  Sala  and  wife,  namely:  The  first 
died  in  infancy,  as  did  also  the  second;  David  died  in  youth;  Albert  F.,  of 
this  sketch ;  Charles  A.,  who  is  employed  by  the  Rumely  Engine  Company, 
lives  in  Chicago  and  is  single. 

Albert  F.  Sala  received  a  good  education  in  the  public  schools  of  North 
Manchester,  from  which  he  was  graduated.  When  a  boy  he  turned  his  at- 
tention to  the  drug  business,  which  he  has  made  his  life  work,  having  thus 
been  engaged  since  1883  with  the  exception  of  five  years,  when  he  taught  in 
the  high  school  at  North  Manchester,  Wabash  county.  He  taught  for  the 
purpose  of  obtaining  funds  to  finish  his  education.  He  worked  in  a  drug 
store  for  a  number  of  years  in  North  Manchester,  where  he  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  the  drug  business.  *He  came  to  Winchester  some  ten  years 
ago,  where  he  has  owned  and  conducted  one  of  the  most  modern,  extensive 
and  popular  drug  stores  in  the  county,  enjoying  a  large  and  ever-growing 
trade.  He  carries  an  extensive  and  well-selected  stock  of  standard  drugs, 
patent  medicines,  drug  sundries;  in  fact,  everything  to  be  found  in  an  up- 
to-date  drug  store  in  a  progressive,  modem  city,  and  by  his  honest  and 
courteous  dealings  with  his  many  customers  he  has  won  the  confidence  and 
good  will  of  all  who  know  him. 

Mr.  Sala  was  married  March  20,  1883,  to  Clara  W.  McFann,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Asa  B.  McFann,  whose  family  consisted  of  twelve  children.  They 
lived  in  North  Manchester,  Indiana,  where  Mrs.  Sala  grew  to  womanhood 
and  received  her  education. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  I065 

Two  children  were  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  namely :  Irma  died 
when  three  years  old;  Douglas  A.  died  when  eight  years  old. 

Politically,  Mr.  Sala  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  attends  the 
Presbyterian  church.  He  is  one  of  the  most  widely  known  druggists  in 
northern  Indiana  and  ranks  high  among  his  professional  brethren  in  the 
state.  In  March,  1902,  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  Indiana  Board  of 
Pharmacy,  which  position  he  held  until  May  i,  191 1,  discharging  his  duties 
in  a  manner  that  reflected  much  credit  upon  himself  and  to  the  eminent  satis- 
faction of  all  concerned.  In  August,  1907,  he  was  elected  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  National  Board  of  Pharmacy,  which  high  position  he  is 
holding  with  his  usual  fidelity,  ability  and  general  satisfaction.  Personally, 
he  is  an  obliging,  broad-minded,  intelligent  and  courteous  gentleman  whom 
it  is  a  pleasure  to  meet. 


JOHN  WILLIAM  CARTER. 

Each  man  who  strives  to  fulfill  his  part  in  connection  with  human  life 
and  human  activities  is  deserving  of  recognition,  whatever  may  be  his  field  of 
endeavor,  and  it  is  the  function  of  works  of  this  nature  to  prepare  for  future 
generations  an  authentic  record  concerning  those  represented  in  its  pages,  and 
the  value  of  such  publications  is  certain  to  be  cumulative  for  all  time  to 
come,  showing  forth  the  individual  and  specific  accomplishments  of  which 
generic  history  is  ever  engendered.  The  record  of  John  William  Carter, 
one  of  the  enterprising  citizens  of  Lynn,  Randolph  county  is  worthy  of  per- 
petuation on  the  pages  of  history  as  we  will  readily  discern  by  a  study  of 
the  same  in  the  following  paragraphs. 

Mr.  Carter  was  born  in  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  March  17,  1857.  He  is  a 
son  of  Elihu  and  Esther  B.  (Mendenhall)  Carter.  The  father  was  born  in 
Clinton  county,  Ohio,  March  9,  1833.  He  was  a  son  of  John  and  Hannah 
(Milliken)  Carter.  John  Carter  was  also  born  in  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  early 
in  the  nineteenth  century,  and  he  devoted  his  entire  life  to  farming,  and  his 
death  occurred  in  1878.  He  was  a  Quaker.  Elihu  Carter  grew  to  manhood 
in  his  native  county  and  he  had  good  educational  advantages  for  that  early 
period.  He  worked  on  a  farm  in  his  boyhood  days.  In  1867  he  moved  to 
Miami  county,  Indiana,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  until  1873  when  he 
moved  to  Stoney  Creek  township,  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming.  He  was  a  local  minister  in  the  Friends  church,  preaching 
either  at  home  or  at  a  neighboring  church.     He  remained  in  that  neighbor- 


I066  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

hood  until  1883  when  he  moved  to  Henry  county  Indiana,  where  he  con- 
tinued farming  and  preaching  until  his  death,  March  8,  1908.  He  was  a 
successful  farmer  and  a  good  and  useful  man,  a  minister  of  the  gospel  of  no 
mean  ability  and  did  a  great  amount  of  good  in  this  manner.  He  and  Esther 
B.  Mendenhall  were  married  either  in  1855  or  1856.  She  was  bom  in 
Wayne  county,  Indiana,  about  1835  and  died  in  1863.  Their  children  num- 
bered four,  and  were  named  as  follows :  John  William,  subject  of  this 
sketch;  Suda  is  the  wife  of  J.  L.  Hewitt,  of  Stoney  Creek  township,  this 
county;  Hannah  B.  is  the  wife  of  Albert  Oren,  of  Parker,  Indiana;  Rufus 
M.  is  deceased. 

John  W.  Carter  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  where  he  worked 
when  a  boy  and  he  received  a  common  school  education.  He  began  farming 
for  himself  when  a  young  man  and  continued  in  this  line  of  endeavor  until 
1903,  getting  a  good  start  in  life.  He  then  moved  to  the  town  of  Lynn, 
and  was  appointed  rural  mail  carrier  of  route  No.  30.  This  position  he  held 
for  a  period  of  seven  years  to  the  eminent  satisfaction  of  the  people  and  the 
department,  retiring  in  19 10.  He  now  devotes  his  attention  to  the  manage- 
ment of  his  finely  improved  and  productive  farm  southwest  of  Lynn.  How- 
ever, he  maintains  an  office  in  Lynn,  being  engaged  in  the  real  estate  and 
automobile  btisiness  in  partnership  with  Frank  E.  Wright,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Wright  &  Carter.  They  have  built  up  a  large  and  lucrative  busi- 
ness which  is  rapidly  growing. 

Politically,  Mr.  Carter  is  a  Republican,  and  religiously,  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Friends  church. 

Mr.  Carter  was  married  September  21,  1877,  to  Caroline  E.  Mills,  a 
daughter  of  Joel  and  Cynthia  (Beard)  Mills.  She  was  born  October  27, 
1856,  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  here  she  grew  to  womanhood  and 
received  a  common  school  education.  She  was  the  oldest  of  a  family  of 
six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carter  three  children  were  bom,  namely :  Rev.  Fred 
E.,  born  August  22,  1878,  now  has  charge  of  the  Jonesboro  Friends  church; 
Luther  E.,  born  October  i,  1882,  is  proprietor  of  a  general  store  in  Geneva, 
Indiana;  Maude,  born  February  16,  1885,  married  Wayne  Smock,  who  is 
farming  in  Washington  township,  this  county.  These  children  grew  to  ma- 
turity in  Randolph  county  and  were  given  excellent  educational  advantages. 

On  May  9.  19 13,  the  wife  and  mother  was  called  to  her  eternal  rest. 
She  was  a  woman  of  beautiful  Christian  character  and  fortitude,  and  hev 
Hfe  of  fifty-six  years,  six  months  and  twelve  days  was  fraught  with  much 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  IO67 

good  to  those  who  came  in  contact  with  her.  Besides  her  husband  and 
three  children  there  survive  five  grandchildren,  a  mother,  three  brothers 
and  two  sisters. 


BENJAMIN  F.  DENLINGER. 

In  looking  over  the  life  records  of  the  citizens  of  Randolph  county  one 
is  struck  by  the  immense  number  who  have  come  from  Darke  county,  Ohio, 
and  have  cast  their  lots  among  the  Hoosiers.  That  county  has,  beyond  ques- 
tion, furnished  more  settlers  to  Randolph  than  any  other  in  the  Union. 
These  people  have,  in  nearly  every  instance,  proven  to  be  industrious,  public 
■spirited  and  of  honorable  impulses  and  therefore  we  owe  much  to  this  sterling 
band  of  Buckeyes,  of  which  Benjamin  F.  Denlinger,  proprietor  of  the  Union 
City  Hardware  Company,  of  Union  City,  is  one  deserving  of  special  mention 
in  the  pages  of  this  history. 

Mr.  Denlinger  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  August  15,  1865.  He 
is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary  (Barr)  Denlinger,  who  spent  their  lives  on  a 
farm  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  the  father's  death  occurring  in  1904,  and  the 
mother  died  in  1902.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children: 
Mary  Lovina,  who  married  W.  W.  Parent,  lives  in  Paulding  county,  Ohio; 
Anna  married  Robert  Rich,  and  they  reside  in  Union  City,  on  the  Ohio  side ; 
John  B.  lives  in  Jackson  township;  and  Benjamin  F.,  of  this  sketch.  Benja- 
min Barr,  the  maternal  grandfather,  was  a  native  of  Lancaster  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  his  death  occurred  there  many  years  ago.  Jacob  Den- 
linger was  a  native  of  the  above  named  county  also  and  there  he  resided 
until  about  1850,  when  he  removed  to  Darke  County,  Ohio,  and  bought 
timbered  land,  which  he  cleared  and  made  into  a  farm.  He  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Darke  county.  He  was  a  scion  of  an  old  Pennsylvania  German 
family. 

'  Benjamin  F.  Denlinger  was  educated  at  Hill  Grove,  Ohio,  but  he  is  what 
might  properly  be  called  a  self-made  man,  for  he  left  school  when  only  six- 
teen years  of  age  and  began  life  for  himself.  For  many  years  he  followed 
farming  and  threshing  grain.  He  is  still  owner  of  a  valuable  and  well-im- 
proved farm  of  ninety-four  acres  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  where  he  carried 
on  general  farming  and  stock  raising  until  1908,  when  he  moved  to  Union 
City,  Indiana,  and  bought  the  business  of  the  Union  City  Hardware  Com- 
pany, which  he  has  since  conducted  fnost  successfully,  enjoying  a  large  and 
rapidly,  growing  busintess  which  extends  over  a  wide  territory.     He.  keeps  a 


I068  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

large  and  carefully  selected  stock  of  general  hardware  and  farming  imple- 
ments, and  his  store  would  be  a  creBit  to  a  town  much  larger  than  Union 
City.  By  his  uniform  courtesy  and  honest  dealings  with  his  hundreds  of 
customers  they  invariably  remain  his  friends.  In  five  years  he  has  suc- 
ceeded in  building  up  a  mercantile  business  second  to  none  in  Randolph 
county  and  adjoining  country.  He  is  a  man  of  great  energy,  wise  fore- 
sight and  progressive  ideas. 

Politically,  Mr.  Denlinger  is  a  Republican.  He  was  township  trustee  of 
Washington  township,  Darke  county,  Ohio,  for  one  term.  Fraternally,  he 
belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  a  member  of  Camp 
Eagle,  Junior  Order  United  American  Mechanics,  Union  Council,  No.  30. 

Mr.  Denlinger  was  married  December  18,  1887,  to  Ella  L.  Anspaugh, 
who  was  born  in  Fairfield  county,  Ohio,  January  5,  1862.  She  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Daniel  Anspaugh,  who  is  deceased,  as  is  also  his  wife. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Denlinger  have  been  born  the  following  children : 
Earl  F.,  born  April  18,  1889,  married  Louise  Sutton,  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
H.  Sutton,  on  Easter  Sunday,  1910,  and  to  this  union  one  child  has  been 
born,  Erma  Louise,  whose  birth  occurred  October  28,  1912;  Mary  ]\Iargaret, 
born  ;\Iay  2,  1898,  is  now  attending  school  and  making  an  excellent  record; 
she  is  a  talented  musician  and  every  advantage  will  be  given  her  along  this 
line.  The  son  was  also  given  excellent  educational  advantages,  and  is  a 
young  business  man  of  much  promise. 


JOSEPH  C.  HIRSH. 

In  the  death  of  the  late  Joseph  C.  Hirsh  the  city  of  Winchester  lost  one 
of  its  most  energetic  men  of  affairs,  who,  through  a  long  lapse  of  years, 
was  prominent  in  the  various  circles  in  which  he  moved  and  whose  potent 
influence  for  good  will  continue  to  pervade  the  lives  of  those  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact  for  many  years  to  come.  He  was  one  of  the  sterling, 
thrifty  citizens  of  Randolph  county  who  came  from  the  great  German 
empire  and  did  so  much  for  the  general  upbuilding  of  this  locality.  He 
began  life  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder  and  gradually  ascended  the  same  to 
the  topmost  rung  unaided  and  without  anyone  having  paved  the  way  for  him, 
but  he  was  ambitious,  honest  and  possessed  untiring  energy  so  he  became 
a  leading  business  man  and  citizen  in  the  county-seat  and  when  he  passed  to 
his  eternal  rest  his  loss  was  keenly  felt  by  the  entire  community. 

Mr.  Hirsh  was  born  in  Germany  in  the  year  1836,  and  he  emigrated 


f 


i4^^>c^«-^  ^  y^.<A^d^ 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  ,  IO69 

from  the  Fatherland  when  a  lad  with  his  parents,  who  settled  in  Syracuse, 
New  York,  subsequently  removing  to  Dayton,  Ohio,  where  young  Hirsh 
learned  to  be  a  pharmacist  after  having  received  a  good  common  school  edu- 
cation. From  there  the  family  moved  to  Cincinnati,  and  finally  our  subject 
came  to  Winchester,  Indiana,  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  conducting 
one  of  the  largest  and  most  up-to-date  drug  stores  in  this  section  of  the  state. 
He  was- in  this  line  of  business  for  a  period  of  forty  years,  and  was  regarded 
as  an  excellent  business  man.  His  courtesy,  honesty  and  obliging  disposi- 
tion won  him  thousands  of  customers  and  friends  wherever  he  was  known. 
He  remained  in  the  drug  business  up  to  his  death,  February  17,  1909. 

Mr.  Hirsh  was  twice  married,  first,  in  Dayton,  where  his  wife  died 
without  issue.  His  second  wife  was  Anna  D.  Thomas,  who  had  been  previously 
married  to  John  Durst.  The  date  of  our  subject's  last  marriage  was  March 
10,  1897.  Mrs.  Hirsh  is  a  daughter  of  John  C.  Thomas  and  wife,  of  Darke 
county,  Ohio,  and  is  one  of  five  children,  namely:  Catherine,  a  widow,  lives 
in  Darke  county  and  has  two  children;  Charles,  who  is  farming  in  Darke 
county,  has  been  married  twice  and  has  six  children;  Sophia  is  deceased; 
Anna  Dorothy,  widow  of  Mr.  Hirsh,  and  Mary  M. 

Mrs.  Anna  D.  Flirsh  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  New  York 
and  Dayton.  She  conducted  an  extensive  dressmaking  establishment  in 
Dayton  for  some  time,  enjoying  a  large  patronage  among  the  best  class  of 
people.  She  is  a  lady  of  many  commendable  attributes  and  her  modernly 
appointed  and  beautiful  home  in  the  heart  of  the  city  of  Winchester  is  often 
the  gathering  place  for  her  many  friends  who  find  here  true  hospitality  of  an 
old-time  flavor  and  never-failing  good  cheer. 

Mr.  Hirsh  was  noted  for  his  probity  of  character,  his  word  being  re- 
garded as  good,  if  not  better  than  the  bond  of  most  men,  and  his  rare  fore- 
sight and  sound  judgment  was  admired  by  all  who  knew  him,  as  well  as  his 
exemplary  character. 


EDWIN  S.  JAOUA. 

Prominently  connected  with  the  business  and  legal  history  of  Randolph 
county,  the  career  of  Edwin  S.  Jaqua,  of  Winchester,  is  eminently  worthy  of 
permanent  record.  Great  fortunes  have  been  accumulated  by  others  through 
various  methods,  but  few  lives  in  this  section  of  Indiana  furnish  a  better 
example  of  the  wise  application  of  sound  business  principles  and  safe  con- 
servatism as  does  his.  The  story  of  his  success  is  not  long  nor  does  it  con- 
(68) 


lOJO  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

tain  any  exciting  chapters,  but  in  it  lies  a  valuable  secret  of  the  prosperity 
which  it  records.  His  business,  public  and  private  life  are  replete  with 
interest  and  incentive,  no  matter  how  lacking  in  dramatic  incident;  the 
record  of  an  industrious  life  whose  every  action  has  been  actuated  by  a 
laudable  ambition  and  controlled  by  proper  ideas,  consistent  with  itself  and 
its  possibilities  in  every  particular.  In  fact,  it  would  be  hard  to  find  a  better 
example  of  what  may  be  accomplished  by  duty  fully  performed  or  what 
obstacles  may  be  surmounted  thrt)ugh  energy  and  tact  than  that  afforded  by 
the  life  history  of  this  progressive  man  of  affairs. 

;\Ir.  Jaqua  was  born  at  Xew  Madison,  Darke  county,  Ohio,  May  8, 
1853.  He  is  a  son  of  Charles  and  Mary  (Putman)  Jaqua.  The  father  was 
born,  reared  and  educated  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  studied  medicine  and  was 
a  practicing  physician  in  his  earlier  life  in  his  native  state,  but  he  subse- 
quently removed  to  Indiana,  located  in  Randolph  county  and  thereupon  gave 
up  his  profession  and  established  himself  as  a  land  surveyor.  His  death 
occurred  in  1903.  The  mother  of  our  subject  died  many  years  ago.  Judson 
Jaqua,  the  paternal  grandfather,  was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Darke 
county,  Ohio.  He  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  from  which  state  he  re- 
moved to  Pennsylvania  when  a  boy,  making  the  long  journey  by  wagon  and 
on  flat  boats  on  the  rivers.  He  devoted  his  life  to  farming,  and  died  in  the 
early  nineties  at  an  advanced  age.  The  father  and  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject were  Republicans  in  politics. 

Edwin  S.  Jaqua  was  a  child  when  he  removed  with  his  parents  from 
Ohio  to  Winchester,  Indiana,  and  here  he  grew  to  manhood  and  received 
his  education  in  the  public  schools,  which  has  been  greatly  supplemented  in 
later  years  by  profound  home  study  and  wide  miscellaneous  reading  and  by 
contact  with  the  business  world.  He  commenced  learning  telegraphy  when 
a  boy  of  thirteen,  and  worked  at  the  same  for  three  years,  then  went  to 
Iowa  and  secured  employment  as  book-keeper  in  a  bank,  which  marked  the 
beginning  of  his  successful  banking  career.  This  was  in  the  city  of  Bur- 
lington, and  he  remained  in  the  same  position  there  about  five  years,  then 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  for  about  four  years  in  that  state.  Bv 
this  time  he  had  a  good  start  in  business  and  he  returned  to  Winchester, 
Indiana,  and  began  reading  law  with  Thompson  &  Marsh,  the  latter  an 
ex-judge,  and  in  the  year  1890  he  entered  into  partnership  with  B.  F.  Marsh 
and  they  continued  together  until  1910.  enjoying  a  large  and  lucrative  prac- 
tice and  becoming  widely  known  as  leading  attorneys  of  Randolph  county, 
figuring  conspicuously  in  the  important  trials   in   the  local   courts.      As  a 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IO7I 

result  of  the  death  of  John  W.  Clayton,  father  of  Mrs.  Jaqua,  our  subject 
was  obliged  to  devote  the  major  portion  of  his  time  to  lookijig  after  the 
property  interests  of  his  own  and  those  left  by  Mr.  Clayton,  which  con- 
sisted of  about  eight  hundred  acres  of  farming  land  and  the  Farmland  State 
Bank.  Mr.  Jaqua  became  vice-president  of  this  institution,  which  position 
he  still  holds;  in  fact,  he  had  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  same  in 
1887.  He  was  a  stockholder  in  this  bank  from  the  first  and  for  many  years 
was  a  director,  and  has  been  its  attorney  since  its  organization;  in  fact,  its 
large  and  ever-increasing  success  has  been  due  very  largely  to  his  wise  coun- 
sel and  able  management.  Mr.  Jac[ua  also  assisted  in  organizing  the  Sara- 
toga State  Bank,  at  Saratoga,  Randolph  county,  in  1907,  has  been  its  at- 
torney ever  since,  also  a  stockholder  and  director.  He  and  his  wife  are 
heavy  stockholders  in  the  Farmers  &  Merchants  Bank  of  Winchester.  He  is 
also  owner  of  many  other  valuable  properties  of  different  kinds,  all  of  which 
have  been  obtained  by  good  management,  wise  foresight  and  honest  deal- 
ings. He  is  thus  deserving  of  a  great  deal  of  credit  for  what  he  has  accom- 
plished alone  and  in  the  face  of  obstacles  that  would  have  discouraged  many 
a  man  of  less  courage  and  fortitude.  He  has  a  commodious,  attractive  and 
modernly  appointed  brick  home  in  Winchester,  which  is  the  frequent  gather- 
ing place  for  the  many  friends  of  the  family.  He  erected  this  fine  residence 
in  1907. 

Mr.  Jaqua  was  married  in  May,  189 1,  to  Lulu  B.  Clayton,  who  was 
born  in  Randolph  county  in  1870.  She  received  a  good  education  and  is  a 
lady  of  culture  and  refinement.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  W.  Clayton, 
mentioned  above,  whose  death  occurred  in  1910.  He  was  one  of  the  leading 
citizens  and  most  influential  financiers  in  the  county  for  many  years.  He 
was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Farmland  State  Bank  and  was  its  first  presi- 
dent, continuing  in  that  position  for  a  period  of  twenty-one  years  in  a  man- 
ner that  reflected  much  credit  upon  himself  and  to  the  eminent  satisfaction 
of  the  stockholders  and  patrons  of  this  sound  and  popular  institution.  He 
resigned  from  the  presidency  two  years  prior  to  his  death  on  account  of  the 
infirmities  of  old  age.  He  was  also  a  stockholder  in  other  banks.  He  was 
one  of  the  substantial  men  of  this  section  of  the  state.  He  accumulated  a 
handsome  competency  during  the  Civil  war  buying  and  shipping  cattle,  hogs 
and  sheep.  He  was  the  owner  of  large  landed  interests.  The  death  of  his 
wife  occurred  in  1909.     Mrs.  Jaqua  was  their  only  child. 

The  union  of  Edwin  S.  Jaqua  and  wife  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of 
the  following  children:     John  C,  born  June  9,  1892,  was  graduated  from 


1072  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

the  Winchester  high  school  in  191 1,  and  is  now  a  student  in  Cornell  Uni- 
versity; George  W.,  born  February  22,  1896,  was  graduated  from  the  Win- 
chester high  school  with  the  class  of  1913 ;  Mary  was  born  in  1903 ;  and  Ruth 
was  born  November  26,  191 1. 

Politically,  Mr.  Jaqua  is  a  Republican.  Personally  he  is  a  man  whose 
word  is  regarded  as  good  as  a  bond,  and  he  is  public  spirited,  obliging,  a 
courteous,  high-minded  gentleman  in  all  the  relations  of  life,  yet  plain  and 
unassuming. 


GEORGE  McDowell  bascom. 

Among  those  who  know  George  McDowell  Bascom  best  he  bears  a 
reputation  of  a  man  who  exercises  sound  judgment  and  who  has  pronounced 
views  and  has  always  kept  himself  well  informed  upon  all  matters  pertain- 
ing to  the  public  weal  or  woe  and  always  exercises  the  duties  of  citizenship 
in  a  conscientious  manner.  He  formerly  engaged  in  farming  in  Randolph 
county  and  has  held  several  offices  of  trust  in  the  same,  including  that 
of  deputy  sheriff  and  postmaster  at  Lynn,  but  is  now  living  retired,  spending 
his  autumn  years  in  c]uiet.  He  is  one  of  our  honored  veterans  of  the  great 
Civil  War  and  is  a  descendant  of  a  sterling  old  family. 

Mr.  Bascom  was  born  at  Richmond,  Indiana,  December  3,  1846.  He  is 
a  son  of  Erastus  K.  and  Sarah  J.  (Steltler)  Bascom.  The  father  of  our 
subject  was  born  August  13,  1825,  in  Darke  county,  Ohio.  He  was  the  son 
of  Linus  and  ;\Irs.  Jane  (Gray)  Bascom.  He  was  a  lawyer  at  Bluffton, 
Indiana.  In  1850  he  was  elected  delegate,  from  Wells  and  Adams  counties, 
to  assist  in  revising  the  state  constitution.  During  one  session  of  the  legis- 
lature he  was  assistant  clerk,  later  was  prosecuting  attorney  of  Wells  county. 
He  married  Jane  Stettler  August  14,  1845.  She  was  a  native  of  Richmond, 
Indiana.  His  death  occurred  at  Bluflfton  October  23,  1852.  Linus  Bascom 
was  born  April  4,  1785,  in  Western,  Massachusetts.  From  1812  to  181 5  he 
lived  in  Montgomery  county,  Indiana.  He  went  to  Darke  county,  Ohio, 
as  a  trader  in  1816,  and  in  1818  helped  organize  that  county,  and  was  first 
clerk  of  the  court  there,  was  also  prominent  in  the  Presbyterian  church.  He 
•married  Mrs.  Jane  (Devor)  Gray  April  10,  181 7,  at  Greenville,  and  there 
his  death  occurred  July  16,  1861.  She  died  September  17,  1829.  Moses 
Bascom,  father  of  Linus  Bascom,  was  born  in  \A'estern,  Massachusetts,  April 
5,  1745  and  he  lived  there  until  1790  when  he  moved  to  Brimfield  and  then 
Milton,  Vermont.  He  died  at  Stillwater,  New  York,  March  31,  1812. 
He  married  Eunice  Reed  May  4,   1769,  and  her  death  occurred  at  Milton. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  IO73 

Vermont.  Lieut.  Samuel  Bascom,  Jr.,  father  of  Moses  Bascom,  was  born 
at  Northampton,  Massachusetts,  June  13,  1723.  He  purchased  one  hundred 
and  ten  acres  at  Western,  Massachusetts,  and  was  farmer,  tanner  and  currier, 
and  there  his  death  occurred  September  11,  1779.  Samuel  Bascom  was  born 
at  Northampton,  January  27,  1692,  was  an  etxensive  farmer  on  the  Connec- 
ticut river.  He  died  November  22,  1765.  He  married  Experience  Parsons 
May  10,  1722.  She  was  born  in  Northampton  and  died  November  20,  1740, 
at  the  age  of  fifty-seven  years.  Thomas  Bascom,  the  third,  father  of  Samuel 
Bascom,  mentioned  above,  was  born  in  Northampton,  in  1668  and  there 
his  death  occurred  February  3,  1714.  He  married  Hannah  Catlin,  whose 
death  occurred  January,  1747.  They  became  the  parents  of  eleven  children. 
Thomas  Bascom,  Jr.,  father  of  Thomas  Bascom,  the  third,  was  born  at 
Windsor,  Connecticut,  February  20,  either  1641  or  1642.  He  married  Mary 
Newell,  and  his  death  occurred  September  11,  1689.  Thomas  Bascom,  the 
first,  was  the  emigrant,  coming  to  America  in  1634  and  settling  at  Dorches- 
ter, Massachusetts,  removing  in  1639  to  Windsor,  Connecticut,  later  to 
Northampton,  Massachusetts.  In  1666,  he  was  elected  town  constable  of 
Northampton,  was  made  a  freeman  in  May,  1670,  and  took  the  oath  of  al- 
legiance February  8,  1678.  His  death  occurred  there  May  9,  1682.  His 
wife,  Avis  Bascom,  died  February  3,  1676.  He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers 
in  Northampton.  The  family  is  of  French  origin  and  in  earlier  times  held 
high  positions  under  the  French  government. 

George  M.  Bascom,  our  subject,  received  a  common  school  education, 
and  he  lived  with  his  grandfather  Stettler  during  his  boyhood,  the  grand- 
father having  conducted  a  hotel  where  Fowler's  restaurant  is  now  located 
in  Lynn.  On  August  21,  1863  Mr.  Bascom  enlisted  in  Company  K,  Seventh 
Indiana  Cavalry  under  Col.  J.  P.  C.  Shanks.  He  saw  service  along  the 
Mississippi  and  in  Texas,  taking  part  in  a  number  of  engagements.  He 
was  with  the  troops  that  pursued  General  Price  in  Missouri.  He  fought 
guerillas  almost  constantly,  much  of  the  time  along  the  Missouri  Pacific 
Railway,  and  he  did  considerable  service  in  Tennessee  and  Mississippi.  He 
was  honorably  discharged  February  28,  1866,  after  which  he  returned  to 
Lynn,  Indiana,  and  started  to  school.  Learning  the  painter's  trade  he  fol- 
lowed that  for  a  number  of  years,  then  worked  in  a  general  store.  He  was 
appointed  deputy  sherifif  in  1884  and  served  two  years,  and  was  appointed 
to  the  same  office  in  1890,  serving  until  1894,  giving  eminent  satisfaction 
as  a  public  servant.  He  then  moved  to  a  farm  in  Washington  township  which 
he  operated  six  years,  was  then  appointed  postmaster  at  Lynn  and  held  that 
position  for  four  years,  discharging  his  duties  in  a  manner  that  reflected  much 


I074  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

credit  upon  himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  people  and  the  department. 
Since  then  he  has  lived  in  retirement.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  and 
in  religious  matters  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  He  belongs  to 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  to  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public.    He  is  a  member  of  the  township  advisory  board. 

Mr.  Bascom  was  married  April  4,  1868  to  Arminda  J.  Price,  who  was 
born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  July  22,  1851.  To  this  union  six  children 
were  born,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy;  the  others  were  named  as  fol- 
lows: Charles  E.,  who  lives  in  Topeka,  Kansas,  is  passenger  agent  for 
the  Rock  Island  Railroad  Company;  Oliver  M.  is  at  home;  Herbert  F.,  who 
lives  in  Wichita,  Kansas,  is  city  agent  for  the  Frisco  Railroad;  James 
E.,  of  Lynn,  this  county,  is  a  rural  mail  carrier.  The  wife  and  mother  passed 
away  February  22,  1904.  Mr.  Bascom  was  again  married  on  April  25, 
1906,  to  Clara  B.  Woods,  who  was  born  near  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 


HENRY  TAYLOR  ADDINGTON. 

Among  the  successful  farmers  and  stock  men  of  Randolph  county  is 
Henry  Taylor  Addington.  Having  grown  up  on  a  farm  and  handled  stock 
all  his  life,  he  is  familiar  with  that  class  of  husbandry.  It  requires  some- 
thing more  than  carefulness  to  select  the  best  animals  in  any  herd  or  drove 
and  to  rear  them  in  such  a  manner  that  the  best  points  will  be  brought  out 
and  emphasized,  and  it  requires  a  still  greater  talent  to  be  a  successful  breeder. 
As  the  best  stock  brings  the  best  price,  the  best  farmers  make  it  an  object 
to  raise  the  higher  grades,  knowing  that  the  market  will  be  the  better  for  a 
given  effort  and  outlay.  These  important  points  and  others  equally  vital 
are  borne  in  mind  by  Mr.  Addington  who  has  long  been  known  as  one 
of  our  most  enterprising  breeders  of  horses  and  hogs,  the  Norman  and  Po- 
land-China breeds  being  his  specialty.  He  has  done  much  towards  improv- 
ing the  breeds  of  these  particular  brands  of  livestock  in  this  section  of  the 
state  and  his  name  has  been  carried  to  many  remote  localities  through  his 
fine  stock,  for  he  has  been  a  close  observer  and  a  wide  reader,  in  order  that 
he  might  adopt  the  best  and  most  advanced  methods  in  this,  this  chosen  ave- 
nue of  endeavor. 

Mr.  Addington  was  born  February  3,  1863,  in  White  River  township, 
eight  miles  west  of  Winchester.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Sophia  (Bol- 
linger) Addington.  The  father  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  was  reared 
and  educated  and  when  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  he  enlisted  for  service 
in  the  Union  Army  and  died  while  at  the  front,  leaving  a  widow  and  four 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  I075 

children,  Henry  Taylor  of  this  review  being  the  youngest.  The  others 
are:  Anna,  who  married  Benjamin  T.  Harris,  lives  in  Missouri;  Hannah 
married  William  Herron,  and  they  live  near  Farmland;  Ella  is  the  wife  of 
Albert  Colliers,  of  Muncie,  Indiana.  The  mother  of  these  children  passed 
away  in  1871  when  our  subject  was  eight  years  old. 

Henry  T.  Addington  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  White  River  township, 
near  where  he  was  born,  and  when  of  proper  age  he  attended  the  public 
schools  in  this  district.  When  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  went  to 
Audrain  county,  Missouri,  but  after  working  on  a  farm  three  months  he  re- 
turned to  Randolph  county,  which  he  believed  to  be  a  more  satisfactory- 
place  to  live  and  here  he  has  since  remained.  He  at  once  resumed  farm 
work  and  here  he  was  married  on  November  i,  1885  to  Christine  Green, 
daughter  of  Levi  and  Elizabeth  (Bowers)  Green,  a  well-known  family  of 
White  River  -  township.  She  is  a  sister  of  Levi  W.  Green,  a  sketch  of 
whom  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Mrs.  Addington  grew  to  womanhood 
in  this  county  and  received  a  good  education  in  the  public  schools.  One 
daughter  has  been  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  whom  they  named  Clara 
May,  now  the  wife  of  Milton  Rineard,  who  is  farming  on  our  subject's  land 
in  White  River  township. 

Mr.  Addington  began  farming  for  himself  after  his  marriage  and  has 
continued  in  this  vocation,  together  with  stock  raising  in  the  same  vicinity 
ever  since,  each  year  finding  him  further  advanced  than  the  preceding,  as  a 
result  of  his  excellent  management  and  persistency.  He  is  owner  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  well-improved  and  valuable  land  which  is 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  For  many  years  he  has  been  a  breeder  o£ 
Poland-China  hogs  and  is  an  extensive  feeder,  being  regarded  as  one  of  the 
most  successful  stock  men  in  Randolph  county,  a  leading  breeder  and  gen- 
eral farmer.  He  has  also  for  a  number  of  years  been  a  successful  breeder 
of  Norman  horses,  which,  owing  to  their  superior  qualities  have  always 
brought  the  highest  prices  and  there  is  a  great  demand  for  them.  He  was 
formerly  an  extensive  exhibitor  at  various  fairs  and  stock  shows  and  always 
was  a  prize  winner.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  a  business  way,  has  a 
beautiful  home,  large  and  substantial  outbuildings  and  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Farmland.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Good- 
rich Brothers  Grain  Company. 

Politically  Mr.  Addington  is  a  Republican,  but  has  never  been  active 
in  public  affairs  or  a  seeker  of  office.  He  and  his  wife  are  affiliated  with  and 
are  liberal  supporters  of  the  Methodist  church  at  Maxville.  They  are  pleasant 
people  and  leaders  in  the  community,  in  the  circles,  in  which  they  move. 


1076  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

WILLIAM  E.  MILLER. 

The  student  interested  in  the  history  of  Randolph  county  does  not  have 
to  carry  his  investigations  far  into  its  annals  before  learning  that  William 
E.  Miller  has  long  been  an  active  and  leading  representative  of  its  business 
interests  and  that  his  labors  have  proven  a  potent  force  in  keeping  this  county 
abreast  of  her  sister  counties  of  the  great  Hoosier  commonwealth.  During 
a. period  of  forty-two  years  he. has  carried  on  a  mercantile  business  in  this 
county,  the  major  portion  of  which  has  been  spent  in  Winchester  where  he  is 
now  the  head  of  one  of  the  largest  stores  in  this  section  of  the  state,  and 
while  he  has  prospered  in  this,  he  has  also  found  ample  opportunity  to  assist 
in  the  material,  civic  and  moral  development  of  the  county,  and  his  co-opera- 
tion has  been  of  value  for  the  general  good.  He  is  one  of  the  honored 
veterans  of  the  Union  army  who,  when  the  tocsin  of  war  sounded  in  the 
nation's  greatest  crisis,  uncomplainingly  went  forth  to  defend  with  his  life, 
if  need  be,  the  honor  of  the  old  flag.  His  career  in  every  respect  has  been 
one  of  commendation  and  is  well  worth  study  and  emulation  by  the  young 
man  just  starting  on  his  life  work. 

Mr.  Miller  was  born  June  2,  1846  in  Germantown,  Montgomery  county, 
Ohio.  He  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Nancy  (Troup)  Miller,  both  of  whom 
were  born  in  the  vicinity  of  Germantown  where  they  grew  up  and  were  mar- 
ried. Daniel  Miller,  the  paternal  grandfather,  came  from  Lancaster  county, 
Pennsylvania  with  his  family  in  an  early  day  and  settled  at  Germantown  and 
there  engaged  in  the  tailoring  business,  spending  the  remainder  of  his  life 
there.     There  his  son  Samuel  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade. 

William  E.  Miller  was  educated  in  the  public  schools.  Leaving  school 
when  thirteen  years  of  age,  he  began  working  in  a  bakery,  and  when  his 
employer  enlisted  in  the  army  he  went  to  Dayton,  Ohio  and  worked  in  a 
bakery  there,  returning  to  Germantown  at  the  age  of  fifteen  and  purchased 
the  bakery  which  had  been  formerly  operated  by  his  first  employer.  Young 
Miller  had  only  eighteen  dollars  to  pay  down  on  his  property,  going  in  debt 
for  the  balance.  He  operated  the  bakery  about  a  year  and  had  it  all  paid 
for  when  the  oven  fell  in  and  thf  party  owning  the  building  would  not  recon- 
struct it,  so  Mr.  Miller  quit  the  bakery  business  and  began  clerking  in  a 
grocery  store.  Thus  we  see  how  a  seemingly  minor  accident  changed  com- 
pletely a  business  career  for  he  remained  a  merchant  instead  of  a  baker.  In 
1864,  he  became  a  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store,  but  remained  there  only  a,  short 
time  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and  Eighty-fourth  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry  in  which  he  served  faithfully  until  in  September,  1865. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IO77 

After  being  honorably  discharged  from  the  army  he  attended  Commercial 
College  at  Dayton  for  three  months,  after  which  he  resumed  clerking  in 
Germantown  in  the  dry  goods  store.  In  1867  he  went  to  Dayton  and  clerked 
in  the  large  dry  goods  store  of  A.  B.  Darst,  eventually  becoming  the  general 
buyer  for  that  store  and  made  frequent  trips  to  New  York  City.  Having 
mastered  the  various  ins  and  outs  of  the  dry  goods  business,  in  the  fall  of 
1871,  Mr.  Miller  went  to  Ridgeville,  Randolph  county,  Indiana  as  manager 
of  the  firm  of  W.  E.  Miller  &  Company,  a  branch  of  the  Dayton  store,  and 
he  remained  in  Ridgeville  nine  years,  building  up  a  large  business.  In  1872 
Henry  T.  Kitselman,  of  that  town  became  owner  of  one-half  of  the  business, 
the  firm  name  then  becoming  Miller  &  Kitselman,  which  partnership  con- 
tinued successfully  until  1880,  when  Mr.  Miller  sold  his  interest  to  Kitselman, 
Seeney  &  Company,  who  continued  the  business.  In  the  fall  of  1880  Mr. 
Miller  came  to  Winchester  and  began  business  alone  handling  dry  goods, 
clothing  and  carpets,  being  successful  from  the  first,  his  trade  increasing  with 
advancing  years  through  his  persistency,  able  management  and  uniform  hon- 
esty and  courtesy  to  his  customers.  In  1898  he  organized  the  stock  company 
under  the  firm  name  of  The  W.  E.  Miller  Company,  of  which  he  became 
president. 

When  he  opened  his  store  at  Ridgeville  in  1871,  Mr.  Miller  introduced 
the  one  price  business  for  this  part  of  the  state,  a  system  now  in  use  in  all 
first-class  stores  over  the  country.  The  wonderful  growth  of  hi^  business 
he  attributes  to  his  plan  of  fair  dealing  to  one  and  all  alike. 

It  was  in  the  year  1883  that  Mr.  Miller  built  his  present  substantial  busi- 
ness block,  and  in  1898  when  he  organized  the  stock  company  the  building 
was  remodeled,  being  greatly  enlarged,  having  now  a  sixty-one  foot  front- 
age and  being  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  deep,  with  three  stories  and  a  base- 
ment, all  occupied  by  The  W.  E.  Miller  Company,  one  of  the  largest  depart- 
ment stores  outside  of  the  large  cities  in  the  state  and  an  extensive  and  lucra- 
tive business  is  carried  on  with  the  city  and  surrounding  country.  The  store 
is  modern  in  all  its  appointments,  with  electric  elevators,  cash  carriers,  etc. 
Everything  is  under  a  superb  system  and  a  very  large  and  well-selected  stock 
of  goods,  commonly  found  in  all  up-to-date  department  stores,  is  carried  at 
all  seasons.  The  store  is  a  favorite  gathering  place  for  the  country  people 
when  in  the  county-seat  and  everyone  is  here  made  to  feel  at  home  and  ac- 
corded uniform  courtesy  and  fairness. 

Mr.  Miller  is  deserving  of  a  great  deal  of  credit  for  what  he  has  accom- 
plished alone  and  in  the  face  of  obstacles  that  would  have  discouraged  men 


1078  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

of  less  sterling  fiber.  From  the  humblest  beginning  he  has  forged  to  the 
front  and  is  one  of  the  substantial  and  influential  citizens  of  one  of  the  lead- 
ing counties  of  the  state.  He  is  a  heavy  stockholder  in  the  Randolph  County- 
Bank,  the  Farmers  and  Merchants  Bank  and  the  Loan  and  Trust  Company. 
He  is  a  director  in  the  Citizens  Water  &  Light  Company,  of  which  he  was  a 
promoter,  and  he  is  a  stockholder  of  the  Eastern  Indiana  Telephone  Com- 
pany. He  is  vice-president  of  the  Woodbury  Glass  Company.  He  also  has 
valuable  and  extensive  farming  interests  in  Randolph  county,  owning  in  all 
over  six  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  fine  agricultural  land  under  a  high  state 
of  improvement  and  cultivation. 

Mr.  Miller  was  married  in  October,  1871  to  Mary  Mosier,  of  Dayton, 
Ohio,  where  she  was  reared  and  educated.  To  this  union  one  son  and  two 
daughters  have  been  born,  namely :  Vora,  now  the  wife  of  Thomas  L.  Ward, 
assistant  cashier  of  the  Randolph  County  Bank ;  Olive,  now  the  wife  of  John 
P.  Clark  with  The  W.  E.  Miller  Company,  and  John  D.  Miller  who  is  associ- 
ated with  his  father  in  the  store.  These  children  were  all  given  excellent 
educational  advantages  and  are  all  highly  respected  by  a  wide  circle  of  friends. 

William  E.  Miller  has  been  a  staunch  Republican  since  attaining  his 
majority,  but  has  never  been  active  in  public  affairs  other  than  to  encourage 
such  movements  as  made  for  the  general  progress  of  his  city  and  county. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order  and  also  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  Nelson  Trusler  Post.  His  family  belong  to  the  Presbyterian 
church,  he  being  a  liberal  supporter  of  the  same  and  of  all  benevolent  work. 


LEVI  W.  GREEN. 


The  true  measure  of  individual  success  is  determined  by  what  one  has 
accomplished,  and,  as  taken  in  contradistinction  to  the  old  adage  that  a 
prophet  is  not  without  honor  save  in  his  own  country,  there  is  particular 
interest  attached  to  the  career  of  Levi  W.  Green,  since  he  is  a  native  son  of 
Randolph  county,  where  his  entire  life  has  been  passed;  and  he  has  so  di- 
rected his  efforts  and  ability  as  to  gain  recognition  as  one  of  the  representa- 
tive citizens  of  the  locality,  being  one  of  our  leading  agriculturists,  stock 
men  and  bankers,  and  a  worthy  scion  of  a  sterling  pioneer  family. 

Mr.  Green  was  born  February  6,  1861,  on  a  farm  six  miles  west  of 
Winchester  in  White  River  township,  Randolph  county.  He  is  a  son  of 
Levi  and  Elizabeth  (Bowers)  Green,  both  now  deceased  and  sleeping  the 
sleep  of  the  just  in  Maxville  cemetery. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IO79 

Levi  W.  Green  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  in  his  native  community 
and  there  assisted  with  the  general  work  during  the  crop  seasons  when  he 
became  of  proper  age,  and  he  received  his  early  education  in  the  district 
schools  there.  He  began  life  for  himself  as  a  teacher,  which  vocation  he 
followed  several  years  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  county  during 
which  time  his  services  were  in  great  demand.  Between  terms  he  worked 
on  the  home  farm,  remaining  under  his  parental  roof  tree  until  his  marriage, 
December  7,  1897  to  Ida  Main,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Mag'dalena 
(Collinsworth)  Main,  a  highly  esteemed  family  of  Henry  county.  The 
father  is  deceased,  having  spent  his  life  successfully  engaged  in  general  farm- 
ing.    His  widow  survives. 

Three  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Green,  namely:  Ruth, 
Mary  and  Joseph  R. 

Levi  W.  Green  has  remained  a  resident  on  the  old  homestead  where  he 
has  continue  farming.  He  and  his  brother,  John  E.  Green,  are  now  owners 
of  over,  five  hundred  acres  of  valuable,  well-improved  and  productive  land, 
and  they  carry  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising  on  an  extensive  scale, 
raising  large  numbers  of  thoroughbred  shorthorn  cattle  for  breeding  pur- 
poses, for  which  there  is  a  great  demand  at  fancy  prices,  these  superior 
cattle  being  purchased  in  all  parts  of  the  country.  They  have  been  fre- 
quently exhibited  at  county  and  state  fairs,  and  have  always  taken  premiums. 
The  herd  at  this  writing  consists  of  seventy-eight  head.  Mr.  Green  is  the 
largest  breeder  of  shorthorn  cattle  in  the  county.  He  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful in  a  financial  way  and  is  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  the  county. 
He  is  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Farmland,  which  position  he 
has  filled  since  the  death  of  F.  L.  Shaw  in  1905.  He  was  one  of  the  organ- 
izers of  this  sound  and  popular  institution  and  its  pronounced  success  has 
been  due  for  the  most  part  to  his  able  and  conscientious  management.  He 
is  also  a  stockholder  and  one  of  the  promoters  of  the  Parker  Banking  Com- 
pany. •  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Goodrich  Grain  &  Elevator  Company. 
He  was  one  of  the  promoters  of  the  Farmland  Telephone  Company  and  is  a 
heavy  stockholder  in  the  same. 

Politically,  Mr.  Green  is  a  Republican  and  while  he  has  always  been 
deeply  interested  in  public  matters  he  has  never  sought  to  become  a'  politician, 
never  asking  or  holding  ofifice,  having  no  ambition  whatever  in  this  direction, 
preferring  to  devote  his  attention  exclusively  to  his  large  personal  interests. 

Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  at  Farm- 
land.    He  was  reared  in  the  Methodist  faith,  and  the  elegant  new  church 


I080  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

edifice  now  under  course  of  construction  at  Maxville  was  made  possible  by 
the  handsome  donations  of  himself  and  brother.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
building  committee,  and  is  treasurer  of  the  same.  The  church  will  probably 
cost  when  completed  seven  thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Green  is  a  member  of  the 
National  Shorthorn  Breeders  Association,  in  which  he  is  a  stockholder.  He 
is  active  and  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  the  same  and  attends  its  meetings. 
He  has  been  a  member  for  the  past  twelve  years.  He  is  a  man  of  large 
affairs,  keen  foresight,  sound  judgment,  never  failing  honesty  and  courtesy, 
and  is  foremost  in  advocating  all  that  pertains  to  the  general  good  of  the 
community  honored  by  his  residence. 


ELIAS  F.  LEWELLEN. 


One  of  the  progressive  agriculturists  and  stock  raisers  of  Randolph 
county  and  a  citizen  who  tries  to  do  his  just  part  in  the  general  upbuilding 
of  his  community  is  Elias  F.  Lewellen,  a  man  of  broad  mind  and  clear  com- 
prehension, a -straightforward,  right-thinking  gentleman,  who  tries  to  set  a 
\v0rth3r  example  and  lead  a  helpful,  industrious  and  well-regulated  life, 
quietly  and  effectively  overcoming  such  obstacles  as  may  attempt  to  thwart 
his  purposes,  and  he  has  not  only  won  material  success  but  the  esteem  of 
his  neighbors  and  friends  also. 

Mr.  Lewellen  was  born  November  16,  1865,  on  a  farm  in  Monroe 
township,  Randolph  county.  He  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  F.  and  Harriet 
( McLain)  Lewellen,  natives  of  Indiana  and  Ohio,  respectively.  Harriet 
McLain  was  brought  by  her  parents  to  Grant  county,  Indiana,  when  she  was 
a  young  girl  and  there  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  received  her  education 
in  the  public  schools,  and  there  she  and  Mr.  Lewellen  were  married.  Grand- 
father William  McLain  was  a  wood  worker  by  trade  and  when  the  family 
located  in  Grant  county  they  found  a  very  sparsely  settled  wilderness,  which 
was  still  the  home  of  Indians  and  the  haunt  of  wild  beasts.  Grandfather 
brought  with  him  a  grindstone  with  which  to  grind  his  tools,  and  the  In- 
dians often  came  to  his  shop  to  have  their  tomahawks  ground,  and  the 
mother  of  our  subject  would  turn  the  crank  to  the  grindstone  for  the  red 
men,  and  in  time  she  came  to  be  a  favorite  with  them.  Her  father  was  a 
manufacturer  of  wooden  bowls  and  these  he  peddled  over  the  country  from 
his  wagon.     He  became  quite  a  prominent  citizen  of  Grant  county. 

Benjamin  F.  Lewellen  grew  up  in  his  native  locality  and  received  a 
meager  education  in  the  old-time  country  schools.     He  was  a  farmer  and 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  IO81 

laborer,  and  about  the  year  i860  he  came  to  Randolph  county,  and  here  he 
engaged  in  general  farming  and  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  early  in  the 
year  1867,  when  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  only  fifteen  months  old,  leav- 
ing a  widow  and  five  children,  his  youngest  child  having  preceded  him  to  the 
grave  in  infancy.  The  family  was  left  in  destitute  circumstances,  except 
for  the  widow's  pension,  Mr.  Lewellen  having  been  a  soldier  in  the  Union 
army  during  the  Civil  war,  a  member  of  Company  A,  Eighty-fourth  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  gallantly  for  nearly  three  years, 
when  he  was  discharged  for  disability  which  was  the  result  of  exposure 
while  in  the  service.  The  widow  and  children  had  a  hard  struggle,  but  she 
heroically  set  to  work  to  feed  and  clothe  her  little  ones  and  reared  them  in 
comparative  comfort  and  respectability.  She  ma'de  brooms  and  did  any- 
thing that  would  bring  in  an  honest  dollar,  and  she  deserves  a  great  deal  of 
credit  for  what  she  accomplished.  She  is  still  living,  making  her  home  in 
Farmland,  beloved  by  all  for  her  piety  and  hospitality. 

Elias  F.  Lewellen  attended  the  public  schools  when  he  became  of  proper 
age  and  worked  during  the  summer  months.  He  was  an  enthusiastic  pupil 
and  made  rapid  progress,  and  was  eventually  given  a  teacher's  certificate. 
He  at  first  worked  at  whatever  he  could  get  to  do,  later  earned  nine  dollars 
per  month  regularly,  saved  his  money  and  lived  a  frugal  life.  When  he 
was  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  land,  a  part  of  his 
present  finely  improved  and  productive  farm  of  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  acres.  He  went  in  debt  for  the  major  part  of  his  first  forty,  the  first  pay- 
ment due  being  five  hundred  dollars,  the  rest  standing  as  an  obligation.  He 
managed  well,  worked  hard  and  was  economical  and  prospered  with  ad- 
vancing years,  becoming  one  of  the  substantial  and  enterprising  farmers 
and  stock  men  of  his  community.  His  place  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion and,  having  laid  by  a  competency  for  his  declining  years  he  has  given 
up  the  harder  work  of  the  farm  and  is  taking  life  easier  than  formerly.  He 
has  a  pleasant  home  and  good  outbuildings,  and  ovv'ns  a  modern,  standard- 
make  automobile.  He  has  remained  constantly  on  the  place  where  he  now 
lives  since  his  marriage,  which  farm  is  located  four  and  one-half  miles  west 
of  Winchester.  He  has  devoted  considerable  attention  to  raising  and  feed- 
ing live  stock.  On  May  13,  1895,  he  opened  a  general  merchandise  store 
near  his  home  and  has  carried  a  large  and  well-selected  stock  of  nearh'  every- 
thing needed  by  the  farmer,  and  has  operated  the  store  successfully  to  the 
present  time,  enjoying  a  large  trade  with  the  surrounding  country,  many  of 
his  customers  coming  from  nearby  towns  to  avail  themselves  of  his  bargains 


I082  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

and  reasonable  prices,  and  an  automobile  bearing  customers  is  to  be  seen 
almost  any  time  in  front  of  his  large  and  substantial  store  building. 

Mr.  Lewellen  was  married  September  29,  1888,  to  Mary  A.  Harper,  a 
daughter  of  Enos  and  Eunicy  Harper,  a  highly-esteemed  family  of  Randolph 
county,  formerly  of  Ohio.  Mrs.  Lewellen  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  and  is  a  lady  of  many  commendable  characteristics.  To  our  subject 
and  wife  four  children  have  been  born,  namely:  Lawrence  F.  is  at  home; 
Clarence  F.  is  married  and  is  living  on  his  father's  farm;  Ralph  M.  is  a  high 
school  student;  and  Maude  O.  is  at  home. 

Politically,  Mr.  Lewellen  is  a  Republican  and  has  long  been  active  in 
public  matters,  but  never  an  office  seeker,  although  often  urged  to  accept 
public  office.     He  and  his  family  are  Christian  Scientists. 


JOHN  E.  CHEESMAN. 


When  farming  can  be  carried  on  in  the  manner  in  which  John  E.  Chees- 
man,  of  near  Winchester,  Randolph  county,  does  it  and  one  meets  with  the 
success  with  which  he  has  met  and  is  meeting,  it  is  a  decided  pleasure;  but, 
unfortunately,  not  all  of  us  have  been  blessed  by  nature  with  as  much  clear 
foresight  and  sound  judgment  in  tilling  the  soil,  neither  have  we  all  such 
well  situated  and  productive  farms.  He  is  a  man  who  would  have,  no  doubt, 
succeeded  in  any  community,  for  his  thinking  powers,  coupled  with  his  per- 
sistent energy  would  soon  surmount  the  obstacles  found  any  place.  At  the 
same  time  he  has  been  laboring  for  his  individual  advancement,  he  has  not 
neglected  his  duties  as  a  citizen  and  neighbor. 

Mr.  Cheesman  was  born  April  25,  1857,  i"  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  near 
the  city  of  Richmond.  He  is  a  son  of  Davidson  and  Ann  (Taylor)  Chees- 
man. Both  parents  were  born  in  Wayne  county,  from  which  they  removed  to 
Randolph  county  on  February  5,  1867,  locating  in  White  River  township, 
about  five  miles  southwest  of  Winchester,  engaging  in  farming  which  they 
always  followed,  becoming  large  land  owners.  The  father  was  very  success- 
ful in  a  business  way  and  became  one  of  the  influential  men  of  his  community. 
He  was  originally  a  Democrat,  but  later  in  life  voted  the  Prohibition  ticket. 
He  is  still  living,  having  arrived  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-seven  years, 
his  birth  having  occurred  on  December  18,  1836.  His  wife  also  attained  a  ripe 
old  age,  passing  to  her  eternal  rest  on  January  i,  1908.  To  these  parents 
nine  children  were  born,  six  of  whom  are  still  living,  namely:  John  E.,  of 
this  review;  Minnie,  now  the  wife  of  Clarkson  Puckett,  of  Randolph  county; 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IO83 

Cora  B.,  wife  of  George  Davis,  of  Richmond,  Indiana;  Taylor  D.  lives  in 
White  River  township;  Edward  K.  has  remained  on  the  home  farm;  Suda  is 
the  wife  of  John  L.  Botkin,  of  near  Farmland,  this  county;  Mattie  Jane  died 
in  infancy;  Nancy  A.  and  Clara  Belle,  both  deceased. 

John  E.  Cheesman  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  he  worked  there 
when  a  boy.  He  received  a  common  school  education,  remaining  with  his 
parents  until  his  marriage  on  February  i,  18^9,  to  Mary  C.  Clayton,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  A.  and  Elizabeth  (Ludwick)  Clayton,  of  Randolph  county. 
The  father  spent  his  entire  life  on  the  same  farm,  being  born  and  having 
died  there,  the  latter  event  occurring  on  February  14,  1900.  His  widow 
still  lives  on  the  old  home  place. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  five  children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters, 
have  been  born,  namely :  Clayton  E.,  who  married  Ila  Wilson  and  is  living  in 
Anderson,  Indiana;  Flora  B.  is  now  Mrs.  Oliver  C.  Miller,  of  Delaware 
county,  this  state;  Garry  E.  is  at  home;  Lola  E.  is  the  wife  of  Horace  D. 
Hurst,  of  White  River  township;  Hugh  H.  is  at  home. 

After  his  marriage  the  subject  of  this  sketch  located  on  a  farm  just  west 
of  the  old  home  place  where  he  lived  until  1901,  when  he  purchased  the 
Captain  Pegg  home  and  removed  thereto,  and  here  he  still  resides,  five  miles 
southeast  of  Winchester.  His  place  consists  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres 
of  finely  improved  and  valuable  land,  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion. He  also  has  a  farm  of  ninety  acres  one  mile  east.  Here  he  carries  on 
general  farming  and  stock  raising  on  an  extensive  scale,  making  a  specialty 
of  raising  potato*,  hogs  and  fine  cattle.  He  has  a  good  group  of  buildings 
on  his  place. 

Mr.  Cheesman  has  always  been  a  Republican  in  politics  and  has  been 
active  and  influential  in  the  affairs  of  the  same.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Republican  County  Central  Committee  frequently  and  always  discharged 
his  duties  in  a  manner  that  reflected  much  credit  upon  his  ability  and  to  the 
eminent  satisfaction  of  all  members  of  the  party  in  this  locality.  He  has  also 
been  a  frequent  delegate  to  county  and  state  conventions.  In  1906  he  was 
a  candidate  for  county  commissioner,  but  met  with  defeat.  Nothing  daunted 
he  again  made  the  race  in  1908  and  was  elected,  and  assumed  office  January 
I,  1910,  serving  until  January  i,  1913,  in  a  manner  highly  satisfactory  to 
his  constituents,  doing  much  for  the  general  good  of  the  county.  He  was 
again  a  candidate  in  1912  by  unanimous  consent,  but  was  defeated  in  the 
landslide  of  that  fall.  Among  the  commendable  things  that  took  place  dur- 
ing his  incumbency  should  be  mentioned  the  improved  road  system  which 


1084  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

was  extended  more  miles  than  during  any  other  three  years  of  the  history 
of  the  cotinty.   He  is  a  hearty  advocate  of  public  improvements. 

Mr.  Cheesman  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  the  Encampment  and  his  wi  fe  belongs  to  the  Rebekah  lodge.  He  is  a 
man  of  pronounced  views  and  broad  intelligence,  being  well-read  and  a  think- 
ing man,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  country's  best  citizens. 


BEXJAMIX  F.  MARSH. 

A  man  who  has  stamped  the  impress  of  his  strong  personality  upon 
the  minds  of  the  people  of  Randolph  county  in  a  manner  as  to  render  him 
one  of  the  conspicuous  characters  of  the  locality  is  Benjamin  F.  Marsh, 
lawyer  and  business  man  of  \\'inchester.  Faithfulness  to  duty  and  a  strict 
adherence  to  a  fixed  purpose,  which  invariably  do  more  toward  the  advance- 
ment of  one's  interests  in  any  field  of  endeavor  than  vast  wealth  or  advan- 
tageous circumstances,  have  been  dominating  factors  in  his  life,  which  has 
indeed  been  most  replete  with  honor  and  success  worthily  attained,  and  he 
has  long  since  become  an  important  factor  in  the  affairs  of  this  section  of 
the  state,  standing  in  the  foremost  rank  of  the  legal  profession  and  among 
the  substantial  men  of  affairs  in  a  business  way.  Few  citizens  of  Randolph 
county  are  better  known,  none  occupy  a  more  conspicuous  place  in  the  con- 
fidence of  the  public,  and  it  is  a  compliment  worthily  bestowed  to  class  him 
with  the  representative  men  of  his  day  and  generation  in  the  city  of  his 
residence,  having  done  much  for  the  general  development  of  his  native 
locality. 

Mr.  Marsh  was  born  in  Hancock  count}-,  Indiana,  October  15,  1853. 
He  is  a  son  of  William  and  ^Martha  Ann  (Chappel)  Marsh,  natives  of  Ohio 
and  \'^irginia,  respectively.  They  both  came  to  Hancock  county.  Indiana 
as  young  people  and  there  met  and  married,  and  in  that  county  they  spent 
the  rest  of  their  lives  successfully  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  The 
death  of  the  father  occurred  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion 
in  1861,  the  mother  surviving  until  August  5.  1868.  when  she  passed  away 
in  Boone  county.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  named  as  follows : 
Thomas  L..  v.ho  became  a  tile  manufacturer,  having  a  plant  located  on  the 
old  home  fami:  William  P.  who  established  himself  on  a  farm  in  Randolph 
county.  Indiana:  died  January  26,  1914:  Margaret  E..  who  married 
A.  C.  Beeson.  who  became  connected  with  The  IViiichesfer  Journal  manv 
years  ago;  she  died  October  8,  1913:  EHas  J.,  twin  of  Margaret  E..  was  for 


■^  :"-S' 


'J 


-.^^--r^-A. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I085 

some  time -postmaster  at  Portland,  Indiana,  and  engaged  in  journalism  there. 
He  died  December  26,  1913.  Benjamin  F.,  subject  of  this  sketch.  The 
parents  were  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends  and  in  politics  the  father 
was  a  Republican.  They  were  known  to  their  neighbors  as  people  of  thrift 
and  uns^^■erving  honesty. 

Benjamin  F.  Marsh  was  eight  years  old  when  his  father  died  and  yet  a 
young  boy  when  he  lost  his  mother.  Being  thrown  upon  his  own  resources 
at  that  tender  age  was  at  the  time  quite  a  hardship,  but  it  fostered  in  him  cour- 
age, self-reliance  and  fortitude  which  made  for  success  in  after  years.  He  was 
ambitious  to  obtain  an  education  despite  being  handicapped,  but  he  studied 
hard  at  home  and  in  the  local  schools,  studying  one  year  at  Knightstown,  and 
he  began  life  for  himself  when  only  sixteen  years  of  age  by  teaching,  and 
working  on  the  farm  in  summer.  In  the  spring  of  1871  he  came  to  Win- 
chester for  the  purpose  of  attending  school  and  remained  over  two  years,  and 
in  1874  went  to  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  and  took  a  literary  course  in  the  State 
University,  after  which  he  returned  to  Randolph  county  and  taught  school 
four  years  at  Lynn,  then  taught  two  years  in  Winchester.  He  was  fast  be- 
coming one  of  the  county's  ablest  educators,  but  he  had  long  fostered  an  am- 
bition to  enter  the  legal  profession  and  during  his  years  of  teaching  he 
studied  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Randolph  county  bar  April  30,  1881, 
and  at  once  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Winchester.  He  formed 
a  partnership  with  S.  A.  Canada,  succeeding  W.  W.  Canada,  a  brother  and 
former  partner  of  S.  A.  Canada.  Mr.  Marsh  devoted  himself  assiduously  to 
his  profession  and  was  successful  from  the  start,  soon  ranking  among  the 
leading  attorneys  of  the  county  and  figuring  conspicuously  in  the  local  courts. 
He  remained  a  profound  student  and  has  kept  fully  abreast  of  the  times  in 
all  that  pertains  to  his  profession,  and  he  is  a  forceful  and  not  infrequently 
eloquent  speaker,  having  great  weight  with  juries  and  equally  impressing  the 
bench.  Being  an  ardent  Republican  and  taking  a  leading  interest  in  party 
affairs  he  was  elected  prosecuting  attorney  of  Randolph  county  in  1890  and 
filled  the  office  until  1892  in  a  manner  that  reflected  much  credit  upon  him- 
self and  to  the  eminent  satisfaction  of  his  constituents.  For  a  number  of  years 
Mr.  Marsh  was  associated  with  E.  S.  Jaqua  in  the  practice  of  law. 

At  present  Mr.  Marsh  has  formed  a  partnership  with  Charles  W.  Brad- 
ford, a  graduate  of  the  law  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan  of 
1913.  He  is  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  Farmers  and  Merchants 
Bank  of  Winchester.  He  has  completed  an  abstract  of  the  county  after  years 
of  painstaking  work,  and  his  set  of  books  in  this  connection  is  most  com- 
(69) 


I086  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

prehensive  and  thorough,  embracing  all  city  and  township  properties.  He 
also  conducts  quite  an  extensive  loan  business  on  real  estate  and  securities. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Marsh  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason.  He  also  be- 
longs to  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Friends  church,  and  for  many  years  he  was  Sunday  school  superintendent  and 
he  and  his  family  have  long  been  active  in  church  and  Sunday  school  work. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  official  board  of  the  church.  He  has  a  commodi- 
ous home  on  South  INIain  streel  and  a  well  equipped  office  in  the  Peoples 
Loan  &  Trust  Company  building,  where  he  has  maintained  his  office  since 
he  first  began  practicing  law.  He  was  for  a  number  of  years  a  partner  of 
the  late  Judge  John  J.  Cheney,  which  partnership  continued  until  the  Judge's 
death. 

Mr.  Marsh  was  married  in  A\'^inchester  on  October  4,  1883,  to  Carrie  E. 
Kizer,  a  lady  of  education  and  refinement  and  long  a  favorite  with  the  best 
social  circles  of  Winchester.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Henry  P.  Kizer,  long  a 
well-known  citizen  of  Randolph  county. 

Mr.  Marsh  is  a  congenial  and  companionable  gentleman  and  liked  by  all 
classes. 


HARVEY  E.  McNEES. 


The  prosperity  and  substantial  welfare  of  a  town  or  commimity  are  in  a 
large  measure  due  to  the  enterprise  and  wise  foresight  of  its  business  men 
and  public  officials.  It  is  progressive,  wide-awake  men  of  affairs  that  make 
the  real  history  of  a  community,  and  their  influence  in  shaping  and  directing 
its  varied  interests  is  difficult  to  estimate.  Harvey  E.  McNees,  for  a  number 
of  years  one  of  the  leading  real  estate  dealers  of  Randolph  county,  and  for 
some  time  an  official  in  the  city  of  Winchester,  is  one  of  the  enterprising 
spirits  to  whom  is  due  the  recent  substantial  development  of  our  thriving 
county-seat,  whose  interests  he  seems  to  have  ever  had  at  heart.  W^ith  a  mind 
capable  of  planning  he  combines  a  will  strong  enough  to  execute  his  well- 
formulated  purposes,  and  his  great  energy,  keen  discrimination  and  persever- 
ance have  resulted  in  material  success. 

^h.  ]vIcXees  was  born  on  December  10,  1862,  on  a  farm  in  Stoney  Creek 
township,  Randolph  county.  He  is  a  son  of  John  B.  and  Sarah  (Hiatt)  Mc- 
Nees. The  father  was  born  near  Knoxville,  Tennessee,  and  the  mother  was 
bom  near  Lynn,  Randolph  county.  Grandfather  Jdhn  ^L  McXees  came  with 
his  family  to  Randolph  county  in  1830,  thus  being-  among  the  pioneer  set- 
tlers.   He  entered  land  in  the  woods  in  Stoney  Creek  township,  there  built  his 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  I087 

cabin  home  and  cleared  and  developed  a  good  farm.  like  other  first  set- 
tlers, the  journey  from  Tennessee  was  made  by  wagon  over  rough  roads  or 
trails  and  unbridged  streams.  Here  John  B.  McNees  and  Sarah  Hiatt  grew 
to  maturity  and  were  married  and  here  they  devoted  their  active  lives  to 
agricultural  pursuits.  To  them  eight  children  were  born,  an  equal  number 
of  sons  and  daughters,  namely:  Ellis  L.,  who  was  a  soldier  during  the  Civil 
War,  lives  at  Farmland,  this  county;  Mary,  who  was  the  wife  of  David 
Stanton,  is  deceased;  as  is  also  Mr.  Stanton,  but  her  second  husband,  Jacob 
Kraft,  is  living;  Calvin  W.  lives  on  the  old  home  place  in  Stoney  Creek  town- 
ship; Mahala  A.  is  deceased;  she  was  the  wife  of  Julian  Symons;  Sabina  J, 
is  the  wife  of  Morris  L.  Ross,  of  Muncie,  Indiana;  Martha  E.,  now  deceased, 
was  the  wife  of  David  L.  Clevenger;  Harvey  E.,  subject  of  this  sketch; 
Jesse  E.,  of  Stoney  Creek  township,  is  a  blacksmith  by  trade. 

The  death  of  the  father  of  the  above  named  children  occurred  in  1906, 
the  mother  surviving  until  February  i,  191 1.  They  were  both  members  of  the 
Christian  church,  and  politically  Mr.  McNees  was  a  Republican,  but  never 
sought  to  be  a  public  man. 

Harvey  E.  McNees  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  received  his  edu- 
cation at  Farmland,  assisting  with  the  farm  work  during  the  crop  seasons, 
He  began  life  for  himself  by  teaching  which  he  followed  six  years,  including 
one  year  in  the  graded  schools  of  Farmland.  On  August  20,  1889,  he  moved 
to  Winchester  and  became  deputy  county  treasurer  under  Isaac  V.  D.  R. 
Johnson,  for  two  years,  also  served  one  term  of  two  years  under  George 
W.  Veal,  giving  eminent  satisfaction  to  all  concerned.  He  then  engaged  in 
the  real  estate  business  in  Winchester,  building  up  a  very  satisfactory  busi- 
ness which  he  followed  until  the  fall  of  1896,  when  he  was  elected  county 
treasurer.  He  did  not  assume  office  until  January  i,  1898,  serving  one  term 
of  two  years  with  his  usual  fidelity.  He  also  served  one  term 
of  three  years  as  a  member  of  the  city  council  during  which  time  he  did  much 
toward  the  upbuilding  of  the  city.  Pie  was  also  a  member  of  the  school  board 
for  one  term.  In  November,  1913,  Mr.  McNees  was  elected  to  the  office  of 
mayor  of  Winchester  for  a  term  of  four  years.  For  some  time  he  has  de- 
voted his  attention  exclusively  to  his  large  and  rapidly  growing  real  estate 
business,  dealing  largely  in  farm  lands. 

Mr.  McNees  was  married  on  January  i,  1888,  to  Martha  A.  Johnson, 
daughter  of  Joshua  M.  and  Amanda  C.  (Pegg)  Johnson,  a  prominent  family 
of  this  county,  where  Mrs.  McNees  grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated. 
To  our  subject  and  wife  two  daughters  and  one  son  have  been  born,  namely : 
France  U.,  Nina  E.  and  Joshua  M.  are  all  at  home.   They  were  all  graduated 


lOcSS 


RANDOLPfl    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


from  the  Winchester  high  school,  and  are  all  accomplished  and  popular  with 
the  young  people  of  the  city. 

Mr.  McNees  has  always  been  active  in  Republican  politics.  He  has  been 
a  member  of  the  County  Central  Committee  and  is  now  its  treasurer.  He 
has  been  a  frequent  delegate  to  county,  district  and  state  conventions.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Encampment  and 
the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Christian 
church  and  are  active  in  church  and  Sunday  school  work. 

Air.  McNee's  office  is  in  the  city  building  on  West  Franklin  street,  and 
the  pleasant  family  residence  is  333  South  Main  street,  which  is  a  frequent 
gathering  place  for  the  many  friends  of  the  family. 


CHARLIE  FAVORITE. 


One  of  the  most  progressive  business  men  of  Winchester,  Randolph 
county  and  one  of  its  most  worthy  and  esteemed  native  sons  is  Charlie  Fa- 
vorite, well-known  business  man  and  manufacturer,  one  of  the  men  who  has 
done  so  much  for  the  general  progress  of  the  city  and  county  during  the  past 
decade,  for,  while  laboring  for  the  advancement  of  his  own  interests  he  has 
sought  to  foster  such  movements  as  would  make  for  the  general  good.  He 
has  been  content  to  spend  his  life  in  his  own  home  city,  believing  that  suc- 
cess awaited  him  here,  as  well  as  in  any  other  city,  for  he  always  had  greai 
faith  in  the  future  of  Winchester. 

]Mr.  Favorite  was  born  in  this  city  and  county  on  October  i,  i860.  He 
is  a  son  of  Andrew  J.  and  Rebecca  (Smith)  Favorite.  The  father  was  a 
native  of  Alaryland  and  the  mother  was  born  in  Flamilton  county,  Indiana. 
Andrew  J.  Favorite  spent  his  boyhood  in  the  East  and  was  educated  there, 
coming  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  when  about  nineteen  years  of  age,  and 
here  he  located  the  permanent  home  of  the  family,  and  soon  had  a  good  start 
as  a  contractor  and  was  a  successful  and  influential  citizen  for  many  years, 
honored  b}-  all.  His  death  occurred  on  June  8,  1913,  his  wife  having  pre- 
ceded him  to  the  grave  on  July  16,  1898,  and  both  are  buried  in  Fountain 
Park  cemetery,  Winchester.  Politically,  the  elder  Favorite  was  a  Democrat, 
and  took  considerable  interest  in  party  affairs.  He  was  elected  the  first  mar- 
shal of  Winchester,  but  declined  to  serve;  however,  he  was  later  elected  city 
councilman  and  served  with  much  credit  for  a  number  of  years.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  German  Lutheran  church,  and  hi.s.  wife  beloiiged  to  the 
Society  of  Friends.   He  held  membership  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  I089 

Fellows,  and  when  he  died  was  the  oldest  Odd  Fellow  in  years  of  member- 
ship in  Randolph  county.  He  and  his  good  wife  lived  to  celebrate  their 
golden  wedding  anniversary  in  1905,  and  they  were  spared  to  see  three  more 
years  before  his  life  companion  was  called  to  her  eternal  rest.  They  were 
the  parents  of  three  children,  Charlie,  of  this  sketch  being  the  oldest  living, 
an  older  sister  having  died  in  infancy;  Ida  B.  is  the  wife  of  Jacob  P.  Fisher, 
of  Indianapolis. 

Charlie  Favorite  grew  to  manhood  in  Winchester  and  was  educated 
here.  After  leaving  school  he  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade,  serving  his  full 
time  as  apprentice,  then  learned  the  carriage  making  business;  He  became  an 
exceptionally  skilled  workman  in  both  lines.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was 
employed  by  various  firms.  Later  he  engaged  in  the  business  with  William 
Chapman,  under  the  firm  name  of  Chapman  &  Favorite,  which  partnership 
continued  for  two  years,  when  he  left  Mr.  Chapman  and  engaged  in  business 
for  "himself — general  blacksmithing  and  carriage  repairing.  Later  he  added 
the  manufacture  of  buggies,  and  subsequently  a  school  car,  which  he  himself 
designed,  built  and  patented.  It  was  a  pronounced  success,  and  soon  achieved 
much  more  than  a  state  reputation,  which  is  still  rapidly  growing  and  is  in 
great  demand,  these  cars  being  sold  in  large  numbers  in  Michigan,  Ohio  and 
as  far  west  as  Washington.  His  factory,  small  at  first,  has  been  added  to 
until  it  has  reached  large  proportions,  many  men  being  employed  and  a  large 
amount  of  up-to-date  machinery  and  equipment  being  installed.  It  is  easily 
one  of  the  leading  manufacturing  industries  of  this  section  of  the  state  and 
has  done  much  to  carry  the  name  of  Winchester  abroad  in  the  business  world. 
These  cars  are  rapidly  growing  in  demand  everywhere  by  township  boards 
owing  to  their  superiority,  giving  the  greatest  amount  of  comfort  to  the 
pupils. 

Politically,  Mr.  Favorite  is  a  Democrat,  and  while  deeply  interested  in 
public  matters,  is  not  a  seeker  after  political  office.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Business  Men's  Association  of  his  home  city.  Fraternally  he  belongs  to  the 
Masonic  Order,  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men,  also  the  Haymakers,  an 
auxiliary  of  the  latter.  He  has  been  honored  by  being  national  representa- 
tive of  this  order.   He  is  also  a  member  of  Pocahontas  Order. 

Mr.  Favorite's  factory  is  on  East  Pearl  street,  and  the  warerooms  are 
on  East  street  and  the  railroad,  where  much  of  the  finishing  is  done. 

Personally,  Mr.  Favorite  is  a  pleasant  gentleman  to  meet,  a  good  mixer, 
genial,  courteous  and  a  man  of  exemplary  habits,  whose  every  relation  with 
his  fellow-men  is  beyond  any  idle  cavil. 


logo  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

JONATHAN  G.  JOHNSON. 

To  his  own  efforts  is  the  success  of  Jonathan  G.  Johnson  attributable, 
for  he  started  out  upon  his  hfe  work  practically  without  capital  or  aid  from 
anyone,  but  being  ambitious  and  industrious  he  forged  ahead  and  is  today 
owner  of  a  good  farm  near  the  city  of  Winchester.  This  too,  is  the  visible 
evidence  of  his  prosperity  and  industry,  for  when  it  came  into  his  possession 
it  was  only  partly  improved  and  not  nearly  so  productive  as  it  is  at  this 
writing.  Such  a  man  deserves  the  high  regard  in  which  he  is  held  by  his 
neighbors. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  born  in  White  River  township,  Randolph  county,  and 
here  he  has  been  contented  to  remain.  He  is  a  son  of  Joshua  M.  and  Amanda 
C.  (Pegg)  Johnson  and  a  brother  of  John  I.  Johnson  whose  sketch  appears 
in  another  part  of  this  book. 

Our  subject  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  there  he  assisted  with 
the  general  work  when  a  boy,  attending  in  the  meantime  the  district 
schools.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until  his  marriage  which  took  place 
June  II,  1894  to  Elma  Allen,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  G.  and  Phoebe  J. 
(Dennis)  Allen,  an  old  family  of  Randolph  county,  both  her  parents  being 
now  deceased.     Here  she  grew  up  and  was  educated. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  three  daughters  have  been  born,  namely: 
Thelma,  born  September  21,  1897;  Irene,  born  October  29,  1898;  Marjorie, 
born  May  13,  1910. 

For  about  five  years  after  his  marriage  I\Ir.  Johnson  continued  farming, 
thereby  getting  a  good  start  in  life,  for  he  worked  hard  and  managed  well. 
In  the  fall  of  1899  he  moved  to  ]\Iodoc,  Randolph  county,  and  engaged  in 
the  dry  goods  business  which  he  continued  for  a  period  of  seven  years,  dur- 
ing which  he  enjoyed  a  large  trade  with  the  surrounding  country.  He  car- 
ried a  good  stock  and  his  honesty  and  courtesy  with  e\eryone  won  him  many 
customers.  In  the  fall  of  1906  he  went  to  Corpus  Christi,  Xueces  county, 
Texas  and  engaged  in  the  real  etsate  business,  handling  both  farm  lands  and 
city  property,  in  which  he  was  very  successful  and  was  a  very  extensive 
dealer,  building  up  a  large  and  lucrative  business.  He  remained  in  Texas 
until  J\Iay,  1909,  when  he  returned  to  Randolph  county  and  purchased  a  farm 
of  J.  W.  Jarnagin,  a  fine  farm  one  mile  south  of  \A'inchester,  containing  one 
hundred  and  one-half  acres,  constituting  one  of  the  most  desirable  and  pro- 
ductive farms  in  Randolph  county.  It  has  changed  hands  only  six  times 
since  it  was  entered  from  the  government,  all  of  those  transfer 
deeds  now  being  in  the  hands  of  ]\lr.  Johnson.     Jonathan  Edwards  entered 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA.  iOQl 

the  land  from  the  government.  The  present  owner  has  added  many  modern 
improvements  and  brought  it  up  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  On  it  stand 
an  attractive  and  pleasant  residence  and  numerous  convenient  outbuildings. 
In  connection  with  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  Mr.  Johnson  is  also 
engaged  successfully  in  buying  and  selling  Randolph  county  farms,  and  has 
made  many  important  deals  in  local  property  since  his  return  from  Texas. 
One  of  the  finest  apple  orchards  in  the  county  is  on  the  farm  he  now  owns 
and  where  he  now  lives. 

Politically,  Mr.  Johnson  is  a  Republican  and  since  reaching  manhood 
he  has  been  actively  interested  in  public  affairs  but  he  has  never  been  an  office 
seeker.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 
His  wife  belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  church  as  do  also  the  children,  and 
while  not  a  member,  Mr.  Johnson  attends  and  supports  this  church.  The 
family  moves  in  the  best  circles  in  the  county-seat  and  vicinity. 


BENJAMIN  E.  HINSHAW. 

One  of  the  worthy  citizens  of  Winchester,  Randolph  county,  who  has 
proven  that  he  can  make  a  living  at  many  different  things,  doing  well  what- 
ever he  turns  his  attention  to  is  Benjamin  E.  Hinshaw.  It  has  been  this 
readiness  and  ability  of  the  American  citizen  to  turn  from  one  occupation  to 
another  that  has  brought  this  nation  to  the  forefront  of  the  world's  busi- 
ness. He  is  at  present  a  railway  mail  clerk  between  Indianapolis  and  St. 
Louis,  on  the  Big  Four. 

Mr.  Hinshaw  was  born  April  2,  1864,  in  White  River  township,  this 
county,  two  miles  north  of  Winchester,  a  son  of  Edmund  and  Irene  (Hiatt) 
Hinshaw,  and  a  brother  of  Seth  Hinshaw,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere 
in  this  work. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  was  edu- 
cated in  the  district  schools.  His  early  education  has  been  augmented  by  a 
broad  and  liberal  course  of  reading  of  the  world's  best  authors  in  various 
branches  of  literature,  and  he  has  from  time  to  time  collected  books  until  he 
now  has  a  valuable  library  of  several  hundred  choice  volumes.  When  nine- 
teen years  of  age  he  went  to  Vermilion  and  Champaign  counties,  Illinois,  and 
engaged  in  farm  work,  studying  during  the  winter  months.  He  obtained  a 
teacher's  certificate  and  engaged  successfully  in  teaching  in  these  two  counties 
for  a  period  of  five  years.  In  January,  1886,  he  went  to  Colorado  and  proved 
up  on  a  government  claim,  remaining  there  one  year.    He  then  returned  to 


1092  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Vermilion  county,  Illinois,  where  he  found  employment  with  J.  G.  Hull  & 
Company,  as  shipping  clerk,  in  their  wholesale  hardware  store,  however, 
he  had  been  with  them  but  a  short  time  when  he  was  appointed  to  the  rail- 
way mail  service,  and  was  given  a  run  between  Chicago  and  Burlington, 
Iowa.  Later  he  was  transferred  to  the  Chicago  &  Eastern  Illinois  Railroad, 
running  between  Chicago  and  Evansville,  Indiana,  which  run  he  retained  for 
a  period  of  ten  years,  then  in  1903  was  transferred  to  the  Big  Four  lines 
between  Cleveland  and  St.  Louis,  which  position  he  still  retains.  Since  that 
time  he  has  made  his  home  in  Winchester.  He  has  given  the  utmost  satis- 
faction to  the  department,  being  alert  and  conscientious.  He  is  also  inter- 
ested in  the  general  insurance  business  with  his  brother  Seth.  However,  he 
does  not  do  any  active  work  in  this  line,  giving  all  his  time  to  the  railway 
mail  service. 

Mr.  Hinshaw  was  married  on  October  5,  1905,  to  Mary  Stakebake,  a 
daughter  of  Andrew  J.  and  Ann  E.  (Jaqua)  Stakebake.  The  father  was  for 
many  years  a  prominent  attorney,  and  was  also  for  a  number  of  years  a 
member  of  the  state  legislature.  He  is  now  deceased,  but  his  widow  survives, 
making  her  home  with  our  subject.  The  union  of  Benjamin  E.  Hinshaw  and 
wife  has  been  without  issue. 

Mr.  Hinshaw  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  having  taken  all  the 
degrees  up  to  and  including  the  thirty-second.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 
He  has  been  active  in  Masonic  work.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican.  He  and 
his  wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  of  which  he  is  one  of  the 
trustees.  Mrs.  Hinshaw  is  active  in  church  and  Sunday  school  work  and 
prominent  in  the  social  life  of  the  community. 


GEORGE  E.  LEGGETT. 

In  touching  upon  the  life  history  of  George  E.  Leggett,  one  of  Win- 
chester's most  substantial  and  widely-known  men  of  affairs,  the  writer  aims 
to  avoid  fulsome  encomium  and  extravagant  praise;  yet  he  desires  to  hold 
up  for  consideration  those  facts  which  have  shown  the  distinction  of  a  true, 
useful  and  honorable  life — a  life  characterized  by  perseverance,  energy,  keen 
discernment  and  well-defined  purpose.  To  do  this  will  be  but  to  reiterate  the 
dictum  pronounced  upon  the  man  by  the  people  who  have  known  him  so  long 
and  well,  for  Mr.  Leggett  presents,  in  his  career  of  many  and  varied  lines  of 
business,  an  interesting  study  of  the  manner  in  which  adherence  to  principles 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  IO93 

and  sturdy  endeavor  may  win  worthy  distinction  in  pursuits  diverse  and  en- 
nobling. Throughout  an  active  and  interesting,  strenuous  and  eminently  suc- 
cessful career,  duty  has  ever  been  his  motive  of  action,  and  usefulness  to  his 
fellow  men  not  by  any  means  a  secondary  consideration.  Standing  today 
among  the  most  intelligent,  enterprising,  progressive  and  alert  of  his  con- 
temporaries, he  has  performed  well  his  part  in  life,  and  it  is  a  compliment 
worthily  bestowed  to  say  that  Randolph  county  is  honored  by  his  citizenship, 
for  he  has  achieved  definite  success  through  his  own  efforts  and  is  thoroughly 
deserving  of  the  proud  American  title  of  self-made  man,  the  term  being  one 
that,  in  its  better  sense,  cannot  but  appeal  to  the  loyal  admiration  of  all  who 
are  appreciative  of  our  national  institutions  and  the  privileges  affoi-ded  for 
individual  accomplishment;  and  it  is  a  privilege  ever  gratifying,  in  this  day 
and  age,  to  meet  a  man  who  has  the  courage  to  face  the  battle  of  life  with 
a  strong  heart  and  steady  hand  and  to  win  in  the  stern  conflict  by  bringing 
to  bear  only  those  forces  with  which  nature  has  equipped  him,  self-reliance, 
fortitude,  courage,  self-respect  and  integrity. 

Mr.  Leggett  was  born  January  13,  1858,  in  Alliance,  Ohio.  He  is  a  son 
of  John  D.  and  Rachael  (McAfee)  Leggett,  both  natives  of  Harrison  county, 
Ohio.  The  father  spent  his  life  engaged  in  the  ministry  of  the  Methodist 
church  and  was  a  prominent  and  successful  man  in  the  same. 

George  E.  Leggett  was  reared  at  various  places  in  the  Buckeye  state,  for 
his  father  being  a  minister,  was  assigned  to  different  charges.  His  early  edu- 
cation was  in  the  public  schools  of  the  several  towns  where  he  lived  when  a 
boy.  When  seventeen  years  old  he  entered  Mount  Union  college  at  Alliance, 
where  he  studied  two  years,  then  left  school  to  enter  business.  He  came  to 
Winchester,  Indiana,  when  nineteen  years  old,  purchasing  a  working  interest 
with  Bales  Brothers  &  Company  in  the  grain  and  milling  business,  which  he 
learned  thoroughly,  mastering  every  process  from  the  time  the  grain  was 
brought  into  the  mill  until  it  went  out  again  in  the  form  of  flour.  He  re- 
mained with  this  company  for  a  period  of  seven  years,  then  went  with  the 
Barnard  &  Lees  Manufacturing  Company,  of  Moline,  Illinois,  manufactur- 
ers of  milling  machinery.  He  traveled  for  this  concern  for  a  period  of  six 
years  as  expert  miller,  during  which  he  did  much  to  increase  the  prestige  of 
his  company  in  the  territory  to  which  he  had  been  assigned.  In  1889  he 
became  deputy  county  clerk  of  Randolph  county,  under  John  R.  Engle.  In 
1893  he  became  connected  with  the  Woodbury  Glass  Company,  then  operat- 
ing at  Parker,  this  county,  as  an  expert  accountant,  and  has  remained  with 
the  company  ever  since.  On  July  16,  1894,  he  was  made  president  and  treas- 
urer of  the  company,  having  held  the  position  of  president  continuously  to 


1094  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

the  present  time,  his  able  management  being  principally  responsible  for  the 
steady  growth  of  the  same.  The  plant  of  the  company  was  moved  from 
Parker  to  Winchester  in  1904,  where  it  has  since  been  located,  and  in  19 10 
they  purchased  the  Indiana  Bottle  Company  of  Shirley,  Indiana,  which  is 
now  a  part  of  this  concern.  They  manufacture  a  high-grade  line  of  all  kinds 
of  bottles,  boxes,  reshipping  cases  and  paper  products,  which,  owing  to  their 
superior  quality  and  workmanship,  find  a  very  ready  market  over  a  vast 
territory.  They  have  large,  modern  and  well  equipped  plants  at  both  Win- 
chester and  Shirley  and  employ  eight  hundred  and  fifty  skilled  artisans. 

Mr.  Leggett  has  a  number  of  other  important  business  interests.  He  is 
a  director  in  the  Peoples  Loan  &  Trust  Company,  the  Farmers  and  Mer- 
chants Bank  and  the  Citizens  Heat,  Light  and  Power  Company,  having 
done  much  through  his  wise  counsel  toward  the  large  success  of  each.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Winchester  Public  Library  Board,  in  which  he  is  greatly 
interested.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Hoosier  Realty  Company,  the  Con- 
sumers Coal  Company  and  various  other  enterprises.  He  has  by  his  sound 
judgment,  enterprise  and  perseverance  accumulated  a  handsome  competency, 
and  is  the  owner  of  valuable  property,  his  residence  being  among  the  best 
and  most  attractive  in  Winchester  and  here  the  many  friends  of  the  family 
find  true  hospitality  and  good  cheer. 

Mr.  Leggett  was  married  first,  on  September  29,  1880,  to  Dora  A.  Ross, 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Stanford)  Ross.  The  father  was  a  promi- 
nent citizen  and  at  one  time  was  sheriff  of  Randolph  county.  To  this  union 
three  children  were  born,  namely:  John  C,  who  is  at  this  writing,  treasurer 
of  the  Woodbury  Glass  Company;  ]\Iartha  V.,  who  married  George  H.  Clark, 
also  connected  with  the  Woodbury  Glass  Company,  and  Donald,  who  died 
when  two  years  old.  The  wife  and  mother  was  called  to  her  eternal  rest  May 
26,  1906,  and  in  1907  our  subject  was  again  married,  his  last  wife  being 
Mrs.  E.  C.  Sammons,  formerly  Eva  Cottingham,  of  Indianapolis. 

In  1913  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leggett  made  a  tour  of  Europe,  embracing  Eng- 
land, Belgium,  Germany,  Switzerland,  Italy  and  France,  being  abroad  about 
three  months.  Mr.  Leggett  has  traveled  extensively  and,  being  by  nature  a 
keen  observer,  has  profited  much  by  what  he  has  seen. 

Politically,  he  has  always  been  a  stanch  Republican  and  active  in  public 
and  political  matters.  He  is  a  progressive  citizen  along  all  lines  and  has  done 
much  for  the  general  good  of  his  city  and  county.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  thirty- 
second  degree  Mason,  a  Shriner,  and  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 
He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  jMethodist  Episcopal  church  and  lib- 
erally support  the  same.    He  is  a  trustee  in  the  local  church. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IO95 

JOHN  STANLEY  ROBISON,  M.  D. 

The  medical  profession  of  Randolph  county  has  an  able  exponent  in 
Dr.  John  Stanley  Robison,  of  Winchester,  who,  although  young  in  years, 
has  firmly  established  himself  in  his  vocation  and  won  the  confidence  and  es- 
teem of  the  people  and  his  professional  brethren  in  this  section  of  the  state, 
for  he  evidently  is  the  possessor  of  the  natural  endowments  necessary  to  the 
makeup  of  the  twentieth  century  medical  man,  and  he  has  also  had  the  neces- 
sary training,  having  been  a  close  student  and  an  indefatigable  worker,  a 
good  mixer,  sympathetic  and  genial  in  his  deportment,  and  of  exemplary 
personal  habits.  He  deems  it  a  privilege  to  be  able  to  bring  surcease  for 
humanity's  multiform  ills.  He  has  also  shown  a  public  spirit  that  is  com- 
mendable, ever  willing  to  do  his  full  share  in  the  development  of  his  city  and 
county,  and  so  ordering  his  course  as  to  keep  at  all  times  untarnished  the 
bright  escutcheon  of  an  honored  family  name. 

Dr.  Robinson  was  born  June  12,  1885,  on  a  farm  near  New  Philadelphia, 
Indiana.  He  is  a  son  of  George  William  and  Mary  E.  (Morris)  Robison, 
both  parents  natives  of  Washington  county,  Indiana,  where  they  grew  to 
maturity,  were  educated  and  married.  George  W.  Robinson  is  a  large  land 
owner  and  extensive  general  farmer.  He  and  his  wife  have  two  sons  and 
one  daughter  living,  and  one  son  and  one  daughter  dead,  namely:  Mabel  E., 
now  the  wife  of  Dr.  James  McCullough,  of  Casey,  Illinois;  Dr.  John  S.,  of 
this  review,  and  Jesse  A.,  who  is  a  student  at  the  University  of  Indiana  at 
Bloomington. 

Dr.  John  S.  Robison  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  where  he  assisted 
with  the  general  work  when  of  proper  age.  During  the  winter  months  he  at- 
tended the  district  schools  when  a  boy,  later  was  a  student  at  the  Normal 
College  at  Marion,  Indiana,  for  a  period  of  three  years,  graduating  from  the 
scientic  course  with  the  class  of  1907,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science. 
During  that  period  he  taught  two  terms  in  the  district  schools  of  his  section 
of  the  state,  and  after  his  graduation  from  the  Marion  Normal  he  became 
principal  of  New  Philadelphia  high  school  for  one  year.  He  gave  great  prom- 
ise as  a  teacher,  but  realizing  that  his  true  bent  lay  along  another  line  he 
abandoned  the  school  room  and  in  the  fall  of  1908  he  entered  the  Indiana 
University  School  of  Medicine  at  Indianapolis,  where  he  made  an  excellent 
record,  and  from  which  institution  he  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine,  June  19,  1912.  Having  succeeded  in  the  competitive 
examination  for  appointment  as  interne  at  the  Indianapolis  City  Hospital,  he 
began  his  service  there  a  week  before  his  graduation,  and  he  remained  at 


1096  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

the  hospital  one  year,  giving  eminent  satisfaction  to.  all  concerned.  In  July, 
1913,  he  located  in  Winchester  for  the  practice  of  his  profession  and  was 
successful  from  the  first  and  is  enjoying  a  rapidly  growing  practice. 

On  October  29,  19 13,  Dr.  Robison  was  united  in  marriage  with  Harriet 
Foster,  a  daughter  of  Albert  and  Mary  (Sponsler)  Foster,  of  Lowell,  In- 
diana. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Randolph  County  Medical  Society,  the  Indiana 
State  Medical  Association,  and  the  American  Medical  Association.  While  in 
college  he  was  a  member  of  the  Phi  Beta  Pi  society.  Politically,  he  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  is  a  careful  student  of  public  issues.  Religiously  he  belongs  to 
the  Presbyterian  church,  the  faith  of  his  parents.  His  office  is  at  1 11^  South 
Main  street. 


CHARLES  E.  MILLIGAN,  M.  D.       - 

The  writer  of  biography,  dealing  in  the  personal  history  of  men  en- 
gaged in  the  various  affairs  of  everyday  life,  occasionally  finds  a  subject 
whose  record  commands  exceptional  interest  and  admiration  and  especially  is 
this  true  when  he  has  achieved  more  than  ordinary  success  or  made  his  in- 
fluence felt  as  a  benefactor  of  his  kind  or  a  leader  of  thought.  Dr.  Charles 
E.  Milligan,  of  Winchester,  is  eminently  of  that  class  who  earn  the  indis- 
putable right  to  rank  in  the  van  of  the  army  of  progressive  men,  and  by  rea- 
son of  long  and  strenuous  efforts  devoted  to  the  good  of  his  fellows,  to  the 
alleviation  of  their  physical  sufferings,  he  occupies  a  position  of  wide  in- 
fluence and  has  made  a  name  which  will  long  live  in  the  hearts  and  affections 
of  the  people  of  Randolph  county.  For  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century,  or 
through  the  period  that  marked  the  recent  great  development  in  this  locality 
in  a  material  way,  he  has  been  practicing  medicine  here  and  his  name  has 
become  a  household  word  throughout  the  county. 

Dr.  Milligan  was  born  June  21,  1862,  in  Jay  county,  Indiana,  near  Port- 
land, on  a  farm.  He  is  a  son  of  William  B.  and  Harriet  L.  (Morehous) 
Milligan.  The  father  was  born  in  Highland  county,  Ohio,  and  the  mother  was 
a  native  of  the  state  of  New  York.  William  B.  Milligan  came  west  with  his 
parents  in  1837  and  settled  in  Jay  county,  Indiana.  There  his  father,  Wilson 
Milligan,  began  life  in  typical  pioneer  fashion,  erecting  his  cabin  in  the  woods, 
cleared  the  virgin  land  and  developed  a  good  farm  through  his  industry.  A 
pa'rt  of  the  homestead  became  the  property  of  his  son  William  B.,  who  pur- 
chased more  land  adjoining  and  there  devoted  his  active  life  to  agricultural 
piirsuits,  dying  there  on  July  6,  1912.    Like  his  father  before  him  he  was  a 


J^^NDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  IO97 

hard  working,  honest,  hospitable  man,  well  liked  throughout  the  community. 
Politically,  he  was  a  Republican  in  early  life,  later  a  Prohibitionist,  and  was 
always  interested  in  public  matters  on  which  he  kept  well  informed,  but  he 
was  never  an  office  seeker,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  was  frequently 
urged  to  become  a  candidate  for  various  offices.  The  Morehous  family  came 
west  when  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  about  two  years  of  age,  settling 
also  in  Jay  county,  where  the  parents  of  the  Doctor  grew  to  maturity,  were 
educated  and  married.  Like  the  Milligans  the  Morehous  family  were  promi- 
nent people  in  that  locality.  The  mother  died  on  the  old  home  place  on  Jan- 
uary 14,  1914.  She  was  a  faithful  member  of  the  United  Brethren  church, 
as  was  also  her  husband.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  'sons,  all  of  whom 
are  living  at  this  writing,  Charles  E.  having  been  the  third  in  order  of  birth. 

Doctor  Milligan  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  where  he  did  his  share 
of  the  work,  and  during  the  winter  attended  the  district  schools,  later  was  a 
student  at  Valparaiso  Normal  school,  then  took  a  course  in  the  Nelson  Busi- 
ness College,  of  Cincinnati.  He  began  life  for  himself  by  teaching  in  the 
rural  schools  of  Jay  county  for  a  period  of  eight  years,  during  which  he  be- 
came one  of  the  leading  teachers  of  that  county  his  services  being  in  great 
demand.  But  finally  tiring  of  the  school  room  and  believing  that  his  most 
serious  vocation  lay  in  another  direction,  he  entered  the  Physio-Medical  Col- 
lege, of  Indianapolis,  in  the  fall  of  1888,  from  which  institution  he  was  grad- 
uated in  March,  1890.  The  following  month  he  came  to  Winchester  and 
successfully  engaged  in  the  general  practice,  taking  his  place  in  the  front  rank 
of  the  leading  medical  men  of  this  section  of  the  state,  and,  having  remained 
opened  an  office  and  here  he  has  remained  continuously  to  the  present  time, 
a  close  student,  he  has  kept  fully  abreast  of  the  times  in  everything  that  per- 
tains to  his  profession.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Randolph  County  Medical 
Society,  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  As- 
sociation. 

Politically,  the  Doctor  has  always  been  a  Republican  and  has  been  more 
or  less  active  and  interested  in  public  matters.  In  1901  he  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  City  Board  of  Education  and  is  now  serving  his  twelfth  consecu- 
tive year,  and  he  has  done  much  toward  bettering  local  educational  condi- 
tions. On  October  2,  191 1,  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Ex- 
amining Surgeons  of  the  United  States  Pension  Department  without  any  so- 
licitation on  his  part, -and  he  is  now  president  of  the  board,  the  duties  of 
which  responsible  position  he  is  discharging  in  a  manner  that  reflects  much 
credit  upon  himself  and  to  the  eminent  satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  He  has 
various  business  interests  other  than  his  profession. 


1098  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

Dr.  Milligan  was  married  September  3,  1895,  to  Winnifred  Hinshaw, 
a  daughter  of  Elijah  and  Rebecca  (Lawrence)  Hinshaw,  a  prominent  Ran- 
dolph county  family.  This  union  has  been  without  issue.  The  Doctor  and 
wife  are  members  of  the  Friends  church,  he  being  a  member  of  the  board 
of  trustees  and  treasurer  of  the  same.  Both  are  active  in  church  and  Sunday 
school  work. 


GEORGE  CALVIN  SHULTZ. 

One  of  Randolph  county's  substantial  and  representative  citizens  is 
George  Calvin  Shultz,  of  Union  City,  who  has  won  prominence  in  an  exacting 
profession — teaching.  He  is  essentially  a  self-made  man,  and  as  such  ranks 
with  the  most  enterprising  and  progressive  of  his  contemporaries.  He  has, 
from  early  life,  steadily  pursued  the  honorable  course  which  in  due  time 
brought  success  and  prestige  among  his  fellow  men. 

Mr.  Shultz  was  born  in  Greensfork  township,  Randolph  county,  Decem- 
ber 2,  1861.  He  is  a  son  of  Milton  Shultz,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky, 
August  16,  1833.  He  married  Julia  A.  Moore,  who  was  born  in  Guilford 
county.  North  Carolina  in  1826,  and  whose  death  occurred  in  1901.  The 
father  moved  with  his  parents  to  Ohio  and  later  to  Indiana,  where  he  grew 
to  manhood,  and  in  1862  he  enlisted  in  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Captain  Neff  and  Colonel 
Orr,  and  for  meritorious  conduct  he  rose  from  private  to  lieutenant,  and  took 
part  in  a  number  of  important  engagements,  including  those  incident  to  the 
memorable  siege  of  Atlanta,  Franklin  and  Nashville,  and  many  others,  but 
he  was  never  wounded,  and  he  received  an  honorable  discharge  at  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term  of  enlistment.  After  returning  home  he  purchased  a  farm 
in  Wayne  township  and,  farming  successfully,  also  followed  the  carpenter's 
trade,  and  is  now  living  in  Union  City.  The  grandfather,  G.  \V.  Shultz,  was  a 
native  of  Kentucky,  where  he  spent  his  earlier  years  and  was  married,  finally 
moving  with  his  family  to  Ohio,  locating  in  Highland  cotmty,  and  devoted 
his  life  to  farming.  His  wife,  Martha  A.  Hawkins,  in  her  maidenhood,  was, 
like  her  husband,  a  native  of  Kentucky.  Both  died  in  Boone  county,  Indiana, 
where  they  moved  from  Ohio  late  in  life. 

George  C.  Shultz  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  was  educated  in 
the  common  schools  of  Wayne  township,  Randolph  county,  later  attending 
the  Central  Normal  school  of  Indiana,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1882.  He  began  life  for  himself  as  a  teacher,  and  studied  law 
at  the  same  time,  with  the  firm  of  ^^'atson  &  Engle.    He  was  admitted  to  the 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IO99 

bar  in  1883,  later  he  went  to  Kansas  and  was  admitted  to  practice  there  in 
both  the  state  and  district  courts,  and  practiced  there  before  the  district 
court  and  the  United  States  land  office.  Returning  to  Indiana  he  spent  twen- 
ty-six years  engaged  in  teaching.  He  kept  well  abreast  of  the  times  in  all 
that  pertained  to  his  vocation  and  was  one  of  the  most  popular  educators 
in  this  section  of  the  state  for  that  long  period,  during  which  he  did  much 
for  a  better  educational  system.  His  services  were  in  great  demand  and  he 
was  regarded  as  both  an  entertainer  and  instructor. 

In  1908  he  was  elected  township  trustee  and  is  still  incumbent  of  this 
office,  discharging  the  duties  of  the  same  in  an  eminently  satisfactory  man- 
ner. He  is  deserving  of  a  great  deal  of  credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished 
in  the  face  of  obstacles  and  without  assistance.  In  order  to  get  a  start  he 
worked  out  as  a  farm  hand  for  fourteen  dollars  per  month,  and  he  paid  his 
way  through  school  by  working  at  whatever  he  could  get  to  do  to  earn  an 
honest  dollar.  He  was  at  one  time  a  candidate  for  state  senator,  and  carried 
Randolph  county  against  eight  opposing  candidates,  this  undoubtedly  proving 
his  popularity  here  and  showing  that  the  people  reposed  the  utmost  confidence 
in  his  ability  and  honesty.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican  and  has  long  been 
active  and  influential  in  the  ranks.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Eagle,  in  which  he  is  promi- 
nent and  active,  being  grand  chief  of  the  order  in  the  state  of  Indiana. 

Mr.  Shultz  was  married  September  5,  1885,  to  Annie  Laurie  Peacock, 
who  was  born  October  7,  1866,  near  Winchester,  Indiana,  where  she  grew 
to  womanhood  and  received  her  education.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Amos  and 
Rachael  Peacock,  the  father  having  died  December  18,  1878.  The  mother, 
who  was  born  September  i,  1837,  is  still  living.  Amos  Peacock  was  a  son 
of  John  and  Rebecca  Peacock,  pioneers  of  Randolph  county,  locating  here 
when  the  cotintry  was  practically  a  wilderness.  The  maternal  grandparents 
came  from  Guilford  county.  North  Carolina,  in  1818  and  settled  one  mile 
east  of  Spartanburg,  Indiana,  in  the  wild  forest.  There  the  grandfather 
died  a  few  years  later,  and  his  wife  reared  their  seven  children.  The  family 
came  here  in  a  small  wagon,  drawn  by  a  blind  horse,  the  grandmother  and 
some  of  the  children  walking  the  major  portion  of  the  way,  and  upon  their 
arrival  the  grandfather  erected  a  log  cabin  for  his  family. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shultz  one  child  has  been  born,  Warren  Darst  Shultz, 
whose  birth  occurred  in  White  River  township,  Randolph  county,  July  i, 
1886.  He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Wayne  township,  and  was 
graduated  from  the  Muncie  Business  College,  and  he  also  attended  the  Mun- 


IIUO  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

cie  Normal  school.  In  1913  he  married  Nellie  I.  Roe,  a  daughter  of  Fred  and 
Nettie  Roe.  He  resides  at  Union  City.  Young  Shultz  taught  school  suc- 
cessfully for  five  years  prior  to  his  marriage,  and  he  is  now  employed  in  the 
mail  carrier  service  at  Union  City. 


CHARLES  W.  TRITT. 


Clearly  defined  purpose  and  consecutive  effort  in  the  affairs  of  life  will 
invariably  result  in  the  attainment  of  a  large  measure  of  success ;  but  in  fol- 
lowing out  the  career  of  one  who  gained  success  by  his  own  efforts  there 
comes  into  view  the  intrinsic  individuality  which  made  such  accomplishment 
possible,  and  thus  there  is  gained  an  object  incentive  and  inspiration,  while 
at  the  same  time  there  is  enkindled  a  feeling  of  respect  and  admiration.  In 
connection  with  industrial  interests,  the  reputation  of  the  late  Charles  W. 
Tritt  was  pronounced  in  the  business  circles  of  Union  City  and  Randolph 
county  for  a  long  lapse  of  years.  In  studying  the  lives  and  characters  of 
prominent  men  in  any  walk  of  life  we  are  naturally  led  to  inquire  into  the 
secret  of  their  success  and  the  motives  that  prompted  their  actions.  Success 
is  oftener  a  matter  of  experience  and  sound  judgment  and  thorough 
preparation  for  a  life-work  than  it  is  of  genius,  however  bright.  When  we 
trace  the  careers  of  those  whom  the  world  acknowledges  as  successful,  and 
those  who  stand  highest  in  public  esteem,  we  find  that  in  almost  every  case 
they  are  those  who  have  risen  gradually  by  their  own  efforts,  their  diligence 
and  perseverance.  These  qualities  were  undoubtedly  possessed  in  a  large 
measure  by  the  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this  memoir.  Although  his 
life  was  a  busy  one,  his  every-day  affairs  making  heavy  demands  upon  his 
time,  he  never  shrank  from  his  duties  as  a  citizen  and  his  obligations  to  his 
friends  and  the  general  public.  Always  self-possessed,  never  demonstrative, 
his  life  was,  nevertheless,  a  persistent  plea,  more  by  precept  and  example 
than  by  public  action  or  written  or  spoken  word,  for  the  purity  and  grandeur 
of  right  principles  and  the  beauty  and  elevation  of  wholesome  character.  He 
had  the  greatest  sympathy  for  his  fellow  men  and  was  ever  willing  to  aid 
and  encourage  those  who  were  struggling  to  aid  themselves  against  adverse 
fate,  yet  in  this  as  in  everything  else,  he  maintained  an  admirable  dignity 
and  was  entirely  unassuming.  To  him  home  life  was  a  sacred  trust,  frieiidship 
was  inviolable  and  nothing  could  swerve  him  from  the  path  of  rectitude  and 
honor. 

?ilr.  Tritt  was  born  November  3,-  1852,  in  Fairfield,-  Greene  county,  Ohio, 


{q  u/  (fL^j^ 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  HOI 

and  was  a  son  of  Tilghman  Tritt  and  wife,  natives  of  Frederick,  Maryland. 
When  he  was  four  years  old  his  parents  removed  to  Union  City,  Indiana, 
and  here  he  grew  to  manhood,  and  here  he  attended  the  public  schools  until 
he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  finishing  his  school  work  at  Hillsboro,  Indiana. 
He  also  attended  White  Water  College,  at  White  Water,  Ohio,  a  select  college. 
He  began  his  work  in  the  school  of  experience,  as  clerk  in  a  grocery  store  in 
Union  City,  owned  by  Reeves  &  Robbins,  and  continued  in  their  employ  for 
about  two  years,   when  he  bought  his  employers   out  and   conducted   the 
grocery  business  successfully  for  about  twelve  years,  being  one  of  the  most 
enterprising  of  our  local  merchants.    In  the  year  1881,  with  the  assistance 
of  James  Starbuck  and  Pierre  Gray,  eldest  son  of  ex-Governor  Gray,  he 
organized  the  Union  City  Carriage  Company,  and  for  a  period  of  thirty-two 
years  remained  at  the  head  of  this  company,  his  wise  foresight, '  sound  judg- 
ment and  close  application  making  it  a  pronounced  success,  and  one  of  the 
leading  manufacturing  plants   in  northeastern  Indiana.    The  capital   stock 
was  originally  thirty  thousand  dollars.    Its  growth  was  remarkable  and  its 
present  plant  consists  of  five  large  brick  factory  buildings,  which  are  equipped 
with  every  modern  device   for  the  rapid  manufacture   of   high-grade   car- 
riages which  have  gained  a  very  wide  reputation,  and  this  great  institution 
will  long  stand  as  a  monument  to  his  name.   In  a  few  years  the  business  grew 
to  very  large  proportions  and  an  extensive  and  constantly  growing  trade  is 
now  carried  on  over  a  vast  territory.    Mr.  Tritt  was  its  general  manager  up 
until  twelve  years  ago,  when  he  retired  from  that  position  and  was  made 
president  of  the  company.    Only  skilled  artisans  were  employed,  and  owing 
to  the  superior  workmanship  and  quality  of  the  products  of  this  concern  they 
have  ever  found  a  ready  market,  the  demand  being  often  greater  than  could 
be  readily  met.    When  Mr.  Tritt  retired  from  the  buggy  building  business 
four  years  ago,  he  entered  the  automobile  business  with  the  firm  name  of 
J.  W.  Shreeve  &  Company,  and  early  in  191 3  this  company  dissolved  partner- 
ship and  a  new  company  was  organized,  which  is  now  known  as  the  J. 
Thornburg  Garage  Company,  of  which  firm  our  subject  was  actively  engaged 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death.   He  was  until  shortly  before  his  death  the  head 
of  the  Tritt  Electric  Company,  which  his  able  management  made  successful. 
He  was  also  a  heavy  stockholder  in  the  Commercial  National  Bank  of  Union 
City.   He  was  very  successful  in  a  business  way,  having  started  with  nothing 
and  forged  his  way  to  a  position  of  wealth  and  influence  through  his  individ- 
ual efforts  and  honorable  dealings  with  his  fellow  men,  and  he  was  deserving 
of  a  great  deal  of  credit  for  it  all.   In  June,  191 1,  he  retired  from  active  life, 
(70) 


1 102  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

spending  the  rest  of  his  days  looking  after  his  large  farming  and  other  busi- 
ness interests.  His  farm  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  was  kept  well  improved,  re- 
taining its  original  fertility,  and  the  dwelling  thereon  remodeled  and  equipped 
with  all  modern  conveniences,  such  as  electric  lights,  furnace,  hot  and  cold 
water,  in  fact,  everything  equal  to  a  home  in  the  city.  It  is  perhaps  the  finest 
country  home  in  that  county. 

The  happy  and  harmonious  domestic  life  of  Charles  W.  Tritt  began  on 
November  7,  1880,  when  he  led  to  the  hymeneal  altar  a  lady  of  exemplary 
characteristics,  known  in  her  maidenhood  as  Elizabeth  A.  Reeves,  a  repre- 
sentative of  a  sterling  and  honored  old  family.  She  was  born  in  Lancaster, 
Jay  county,  Indiana,  June  30,  1858,  but  she  was  reared  and  educated  in  Union 
City,  Randolph  county,  whither  she  removed  with  her  parents  when  a  child, 
and  here  the  major  portion  of  her  life  has  been  spent.  The  union  of  our 
subject  and  wife  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  five  children,  namely:  Russell 
J.,  whose  birth  occurred  November  11,  1882,  was  educated  in  the  Union  City 
high  school  and  the  Muncie  Business  College;  he  married  Nina  Turpen,  a 
daughter  of  Charles  Turpen,  and  to  them  one  child  has  been  born,  John  Tur- 
pen Tritt,  whose  birth  occurred  July  12,  191 1;  Raymond  C,  second  child  of 
our  subject,  died  at  the  age  of  five  years;  Inez  Alberta  married  W.  Mort 
Martin,  of  Indianapolis,  and  they  had  one  child,  Elizabeth  Jean  Martin,  born 
September  20,  191 1;  the  death  of  Mrs.  Martin  occurred  December  28,  1912; 
Nellie  E.,  fourth  child  of  our  subject,  was  born  July  15,  1890,  educated  in 
the  Union  City  high  school  and  Eureka  College  in  Illinois;  Frank  Tilghman 
Tritt,  born  August  31,  1896,  was  educated  in  the  Union  City  high  school. 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  A.  Tritt  is  a  daughter  of  the  late  Dr.  J.  L.  Reeves,  who 
was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  September  14,  1827.  He  was  a  son  of  James 
and  Rachael  Reeves.  In  1882  Doctor  Reeves  came  with  his  parents  to  Ran- 
dolph county,  the  family  locating  in  the  woods  in  Jackson  township,  four 
and  one-half  miles  north  of  Union  City,  near  where  later  was  built  the  vil- 
lage of  New  Lisbon.  The  elder  Reeves  built  a  log  cabin,  being  the  fourth 
voter  to  build  a  cabin  in  that  precinct.  He  entered  land  from  the  government 
which  he  cleared  and  developed  into  a  good  farm,  becoming  an  influential  man 
in  that  community.  John  L.  Reeves  was  reared  pretty  much  the  same  as 
other  pioneer  lads,  working  on  the  farm  in  summer  and  during  the  brief 
term  of  school  in  the  wintertime  he  studied  at  the  neighborhood  school  house. 
He  spent  part  of  his  time  with  his  grandfather  in  Delaware  county.  When 
but  thirteen  years  old  he  walked  through  the  great  woods  from  his  father's 
to  his  grandfather's  home,  returning  in  like  manner.  He  remained  at  home 
until  he  reached  his  majority,  when  but  a  boy  he  began  reading  medicine. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  IIO3 

sending  to  New  York  for  a  few  books  which  he  studied' eagerly.  In  the  fall  of 
185 1  he  began  plastering  which  he  followed  three  years,  receiving  eight  dol- 
lars per  month  for  same.  With  this  he  bought  books  and  studied  medicine  at 
night  and  also  read  under  Dr.  Noah  Simmons  of  New  Lisbon.  He  farmed 
for  awhile,  but  this  induced  bleeding  at  the  lungs  and  necessitated  his  aban- 
doning tilling  the  soil.  In  1849  he  was  married  to  Angelina  Milligan,  who 
died  in  1854.  In  that  year  he  began  practicing  his  profession  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Pittsburg,  northwest  of  Lisbon,  continuing  there  successfully  untd 
1856,  when  he  located  at  Lancaster  or  Salamonia,  Jay  county,  where  he  built 
up  a  fine  practice  and  was  actively  engaged  until  the  commencement  of  the 
war  between  the  states.  When  Sumter's  signal  gun  heralded  the  great  con- 
flict Doctor  Reeves  at  once  organized  a  company  of  state  guards  at  Lan- 
caster which  was  offered  to  the  government  at  Indianapolis,  and  the  com- 
pany was  distributed  throughout  various  regiments.  Doctor  Reeves  entered 
the  service  as  lieutenant  of  Company  F,  Fortieth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  was  first  sent  to  Camp  Chase,  Columbus,  Ohio;  later  the  regiment 
was  sent  to  eastern  Kentucky  and  became  a  part  of  the  army  of  the  Cum- 
berland. The  Doctor  was  then  made  captain  of  his  company  and  served  un- 
der Gen.  James  A.  Garfield  at  Pound  Gap,  and  was  in  all  skirmishes  and 
marches  in  which  his  regiment  participated,  serving  his  country  most  faith- 
fully and  gallantly  for  a  period  of  three  years  and  four  Ynonths.  At  the 
great  battle  of  Chickamauga,  September  20,  1863,  he  was  wounded  in  the 
left  ankle  which  lamed  him  for  many  years.  He  was  also  stunned  by  a  shell 
and  his  comrades  supposed  him  to  be  dead.  He  recovered  from  the  shock 
in  due  time  but  was  disabled  for  three  months.  He  came  near  being  cap- 
tured the  same  day,  but  was  spared  the  horrors  of  Andersonville.  His  com- 
pany was  then  placed  to  guard  the  crossing  at  Shell  Mound,  Tennessee,  and 
Captain  Reeves  remained  with  his  men,  lying  on  a  brush  pile  until  the  follow- 
ing spring  instead  of  going  to  a  hospital.  At  that  place  the  company  veteran-, 
ized  on  January  i,  1864,  and  in  March  of  that  year  Captain  Reeves  was  pro- 
moted to  major  and  served  with  that  rank  most  gallantly  until  mustered  out 
of  the  army  and  honorably  discharged  on  December  10,  1864.  In  the  mean- 
time his  company  had  gone  into  the  Atlanta  campaign  after  General  Hood. 
At  the  bloody  battle  of  Franklin,  Tennessee,  the  Major's  regiment  was  con- 
solidated with  the  Fifty-first  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  Major  Reeves 
was  offered  the  commission  of  colonel  of  the  same,  but  as  he  had  been  in  ac- 
tive service  for  over  three  years  and  his  health  was  somewhat  shattered  he 
declined  the  honor,  resigned  his  commission  as  major  and  returned  home. 
For  a  short  time  he  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  at  Union  City.  In  1866 
he  entered  the  Eclectic  Medical  College  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1867.   He  resumed  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Union  City. 


II04  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

He  enjoyed  a  large  and  lucrative  practice  until  1882  when  an  old  trouble, 
which  arose  while  in  the  army,  returned  and  he  was  compelled  to  give  up 
active  practice,  although  he  continued  to  practice  to  some  extent  until  within 
a  few  years  of  his  death,  and  up  to  the  last  he  dictated  prescriptions  and  gave 
advice  to  friends  who  sought  his  services.  In  1890  he  purchased  a  drug  store 
in  the  Ross  Opera  building  which  he  utilized  for  office  and  business  rooms. 

Doctor  Reeves'  first  marriage  resulted  in  the  birth  of  two  children, 
James  S.  Reeves,  now  deceasec^  for  a  number  of  years  a  well-known  busi- 
ness man  and  postmaster  at  Union  City;  and  Emmeretta,  who  lived  in  Mis- 
souri with  her  grandmother,  Mrs.  Margaret  Milligan,  both  of  whom  were 
driven  out  by  the  Confederates  in  1861,  and  both  died  seven  years  later  at  the 
home  of  John  Milligan  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  from  exposure  and  nervous 
prostration  caused  by  their  expulsion.  The  second  marriage  of  Doctor  Reeves 
was  to  Esther  McFarland,  of  Pittsburg,  Indiana,  and  to  this  union  four 
children  were  born,  three  of  whom  survive,  namely :  Mrs.  Elizabeth  A.  Tritt, 
wife  of  our  subject;  J.  C.  Reeves,  and  W.  R.  Reeves,  of  Union  City. 

Doctor  Reeves  was  a  man  of  remarkable  energy  and  strong  intellect, 
which  he  retained  until  the  autumn  of  a  busy  and  useful  life,  gaining  for 
himself  unaided  and  alone  an  honorable  position  among  his  fellow  men.  Few 
have  tried  harder  to  mount  the  weary  steps  of  success  than  did  this  noble 
gentleman,  and  few  succeeded  better  in  Randolph  county  during  the  genera- 
tion that  is  past.  As  a  physician  he  was  exceptionally  successful.  For  years 
he  kept. a  barn  full  of  good  horses  and  he  rode  day  and  night,  administering 
to  the  sick  for  miles  in  every  direction.  He  was  always  held  in  highest  re- 
gard by  those  in  his  profession  and  out  of  it,  all  having  the  greatest  respect 
for  his  ability  and  integrity,  yet  withal  he  was  extremely  modest,  leaving 
praise  and  commendation  to  others.  He  believed  the  world  to  be  a  place  of 
usefulness  where  each  should  do  his  part  and  do  it  well  without  ostentation 
or  display.  He  was  kind  to  every  one,  simple  in  habits,  strong  in  will  and 
character.  He  was  an  active  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and 
was  president  of  his  company  which  met  in  annual  reunion,  which  were 
among  the  happiest  days  during  the  latter  part  of  his  life.  He  was  also  a 
worthy  member  of  the  Christian  church,  and  belonged  to  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  in  Union  City,  and  he  practiced  the  doctrine  of  both 
church  and  fraternal  order  in  his  daily  life.  He  was  a  loving  husband,  kind 
father  and  helpful  neighbor,  a  splendid  citizen  and  loyal  friend,  and  he  will 
long  continue  to  be  missed  by  all  whose  lives  he  touched  in  the  long,  trying 
earthly  journey.  This  splendid  man  was  called  to  his  eternal  rest  on  Wednes- 
day, April  7,   1913,  and  was  buried  in  the  Lisbon  cemetery,  the  beautiful 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  IIO5 

"God's  acre,"  as  known  to  the  old  Saxons  the  places  where  they  laid  their 
dead  away  until  the  resurrection.  In  the  interest  of  this  cemetery  and  in 
other  local  things  he  had  labored  arduously,  hence  the  community  owes  him  a 
debt  of  gratitude  which  it  can  only  repay  by  reverencing  his  memory. 

Charles  W.  Tritt  was  for  many  years  a  leader  in  local  matters  pertain- 
ing to  the  general  good  of  Union  City  and  community,  and  while  he  was  a 
loyal  Republican,  he  never  sought  political  office,  desiring  to  devote  his  at- 
tention to  his  large  business  affairs  and  to  his  home.  Religiously  he  was  a 
devout  member  of  the  Christian  church,  belonging  to  the  official  board  of  the 
same.  Fraternally,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  and  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  a  charter  member  of  the  local  lodge  of  the  latter. 

On  February  21,  19 14,  Mr.  Tritt  was  summoned  to  close  his  eyes  on 
earthly  scenes,  in  his  sixty-second  year,  his  death  being  sudden  and  unex- 
pected, although  he  had  been  in  failing  health  for  more  than  a  year.  His 
funeral  was  one  of  the  largest  ever  known  in  Union  City,  people  of  all  walks 
of  life  delighting  to  do  him  honor,  which  proved  the  genuine  worth  of  the 
man.  We  quote  a  few  lines  from  the  eloquent  and  apprc>priate  eulogy  pro- 
nounced upon  him  by  Rev.  C.  W.  Buchanan.  "Whatever  work  Mr.  Tritt  un- 
dertook he  always  saw  victory.  He  stood  above  the  mountain  peaks  of  fail- 
ure among  the  successful  men  of  his  generation.  He  had  a  vision  of  God's 
kingdom  and  the  harvest  field  that  is  waving  with  the  ripened  grain.  He  was 
convinced  that  the  liquor  traffic  was  opposed  to  God  and  His  laws  and  he 
gave  not  only  his  money,  but  his  time  to  fighting  this  great  menace.  He  was 
not  only  a  man  of  vision — steadfast  in  his  ways,  a  man  of  courage  and 
strength,  but  he  was  more,  he  had  a  heart  of  sympathy;  he  could  not  bear 
to  see  an}'  person  suffer — to  the  poor  he  was  always  kind.  He  gave  not  only 
to  his  church,  but  to  every  worthy  cause,  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion, the  Temperance  Missions  and  all  kinds  of  benevolent  work.  He  tried  to 
be  a  man  in  every  way." 

The  following  tribute,  an  estimate  of  the  life  of  Charles  W.  Tritt,  ap- 
peared in  The  Union  City  Eagle,  and  is  well  worth  preserving  in  this  his- 
tory: 

"Again  our  city  is  in  the  shadow  of  a  cloud  of  grief.  Today  there  are  be- 
ing enacted  the  final  scenes  in  the  life  of  one  whose  career  has  meant  much 
to  the  city's  growth.  We  are  carried  back  to  another  scene  of  many  years 
ago  when  a  young  man,  the  offspring  of  hardy,  honest,  hard-working  parents, 
started  out  to  make  his  way  in  the  world  and  solve  life's  stubborn  problem. 
He  had  no  capital  behind  him  except  his  own  strong  body  and  robust  manli- 
ness, his  own  clear  and  vigorous  mind,  unwearied  energy  and  worthy  ambi- 


II06  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

tion  to  do  something  worth  while  in  the  world.  We  see  him  as  a  clerk, 
courteous,  attentive,  efficient.  We  see  him  as  a  partner  with  a  pride  of  per- 
sonal interest  and  ownership.  He  prospered;  he  succeeded.  People  liked  him, 
applauded  him,  patronized  him,  encouraged  him.  He  was  climbing  the  weary 
ladder  round  by  round.  Then  we  see  him  with  others  organizing  an  industry 
which  came  to  be  the  greatest  in  the  city.  For  more  than  thirty  years  he 
was  the  master  mind,  the  moving  spirit  of  that  industry.  Others  came  and 
went,  reorganizations  were  had  and  had  again,  but  he  remained  throughout 
it  all,  with  his  hand  on  the  wheel.  Until  two  years  ago  he  continued  in  this 
capacity,  then  retired.  The  Union  City  Carriage  Factory  is  his  memorial. 
He  needs  no  other. 

Such  in  brief  is  an  account  of  the  business  career  of  Charles  W.  Tritt. 
And  it  is  an  enviable  one.  Fie  succeeded.  Alany  others  who  started  with  him 
failed  and  their  names  are  forgotten.  Such  things  do  not  happen  without 
cause.  Why  did  this  boy  who  started  without  a  dollar  of  capital  in  money, 
achieve  success?  The  reasons  may  be  many  but  a  few  will  suffice.  He  was 
the  embodiment  of  industry.  He  worked  unceasingly.  He  remained  on  the 
job.  In  the  early  years  of  the  Union  City  Carriage  works  he  labored  day  and 
aight  for  its  welfare  and  he  relaxed  his  effort  only  when  he  severed  his 
connection  with  it.  During  its  first  ten  years  its  future  was  decidedly  uncer- 
:ain.  The  bulk  of  the  supervision  fell  to  him.  By  his  efforts  a  trade  was  cre- 
created,  a  demand  for  its  output.  He  traveled  over  the  country  seeking  cus- 
tomers and  built  up  by  degrees  a  patronage  which  now  embraces  three  great 
states  and  even  reaches  beyond  their  limits.  His  whole  mind  and  energy  was 
directed  to  the  accomplishment  of  this  task.  It  is  said  that  'every  life  is  a 
lesson.'  To  the  discouraged  and  despairing  the  life  of  this  man  is  a  hope  and 
inspiration,  an  exemplification  of  the  maxim  that  'The  gods  sell  everything 
tor  labor.'  He  was  a  man  of  vision,  of  wide  knowledge  of  human  affairs,  of 
keen,  cultivated  insight  into  human  nature.  His  mind  reached  out  beyond 
the  present.  He  saw  a  glimpse  of  that  which  lay  beyond  the  mysterious  cur- 
tain of  the  future  and  applied  this  knowledge  to  the  present.  While  conserva- 
tive in  business,  yet  he  anticipated  the  needs  of  the  business  in  which  he  was 
engaged.  He  recognized  the  fact  that  the  people  wanted  a  vehicle  of  medium 
price,  and  he  set  out  to  have  just  that  kind  of  vehicle  made,  and  made  in 
large  quantities.  He  did  things  on  a  large  scale,  believed  in  a  volume  of 
business.  Not  only  in  business  was  he  far-seeing,  but  in  everything  else  as 
well. 

Charles  W.  Tritt  was  a  natural  organizer  and  leader.  He  was  in  control 
of  everything  in  which  he  was  engaged.    From  the  time  he  went  into  the 


■RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  1 107 

carriage  company  until  the  time  he  went  out  he  held  a  controlling  hand. 
His  cool,  forceful,  executive  mind  placed  him  in  the  fore  rank  and  kept  him 
there.  He  was  a  strong  character,  firm,  resolved,  determined,  and  all  who 
came  in  contact  with  him  recognized  at  once  his  force  of  will  and  strength 
of  character.  Early  and  forced  economy  gave  him  a  most  distinct  and  sharp 
idea  of  values.  To  him  economy  in  everything  was  a  virtue.  He  believed  that 
'a  penny  saved  is  a  penny  earned.'  His  thrift  was  largely  due  to  this  be- 
lief. Yet  he  was  by  no  means  parsimonious,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  was 
generous  and  charitable.  The  full  extent  of  his  charity  will  never  be  known. 
He  did  not  want  it  known.  He  did  not  care  for  praises  from  the  housetops. 
Although  he  was  possessed  of  a  large  annual  income  he  gave  more  than  a 
tenth  of  it  to  the  cause  of  the  church  and  charity.  For  several  years  he  and 
his  brother,  the  late,  E.  C.  Tritt,  gave  on  an  average  of  eight  hundred  dollars 
a  year,  to  the  cause  of  charity  in  this  city.  The  books  of  one  shoe  dealer 
show  where  they  purchased  and  paid  for  two  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  shoes 
a  year.  Clothing  merchants  and  grocery  keepers  will  give  the  same  testi- 
mony. All  this  went  to  help  the  needy.  He  started  many  in  life,  helped  many 
along  the  way  of  life,  and  many  will  'rise  up  and  call  him  blessed.'  Deeply 
impressed  with  the  truth  of  his  convictions,  he  supported  them  with  an  ear- 
nestness born  of  sincerity,  with  a  fulness  of  information  due  to  his  habit  of 
industry,  and  with  a  power  that  sprung  from  large  natural  ability  disciplined 
by  severe  training.  He  was  simple  in  his  manner,  frugal  in  his  habits.  When 
he  spoke  he  hit  the  mark,  used  no  additional  words,  sought  for  no  decoration. 
He  said  what  he  thought,  in  plain,  strong,  terse,  effective  words,  then  listened. 
To  him  life  was  a  practical  problem  and  he  treated  it  in  a  practical  way.  He 
knew,  likewise,  that  death  must  come,  and  he  had  prepared  foj-  it,  as  he  had 
prepared  for  everything  else.  For  many  years  he  had  not  been  a  well  man. 
T  am  likely  to  go  any  time,'  he  would  remark.  Only  within  the  last  week 
he  remarked,  'I  have  my  vault  in  the  cemetery  completed,  and  I'm  ready  for 
the  end.'  He  dealt  with  the  problem  of  death  just  as  he  dealt  with  those  of 
life,  in  that  cool,  serene  and  calculating  manner.  He  met  the  'king  of  ter- 
rors' like  a  warrior  faces  his  foe — grandly,  bravely,  fearlessly,  with  the  sweet- 
est assuring  hope  that  'joy  cometh  in  the  morning'  and  that  all  will  be  well  on 
the  morrow. 

Charles  W.  Tritt  was  a  good  citizen,  a  lover  of  law  and  order,  a  patri- 
otic man  who  wanted  the  best  for  the  state,  city  and  county.  He  looked  upon 
the  liquor  traffic  as  an  outlaw  and  he  fought  it  bitterly  and  uncompromisingly 
with  money  and  with  influence  until  his  death.  Whatever  he  considered 
wrong  he  opposed;  whatever  he  considered  right  he  supported.    He  took 


II08  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

great  pride  in  his  home  city.  He  was  in  favor  of  growth,  progress  and  im- 
provement in  every  way.  When  the  city  needed  money  recently  to  complete 
certain  improvements  he  gladly  advanced  a  large  amount  in  order  that  the 
improvements  might  be  carried  on.  His  heart  was  in  every  good  and  patri- 
otic cause.  His  unbounded  affection  for  his  family  was  another  of  his  strik- 
ing characteristics.  When  released  from  business  cares  and  duties  he  could 
be  found  at  home  with  wife  and  children.  Social  pleasures  had  no  charms  for 
him.  Lodges  received  but  little  of* his  time.  He  loved  his  home  and  dear 
ones,  and  there  he  preferred  to  be,  providing  liberally  for  their  comfort,  en- 
joying their  companionship.  He  was  deeply  interested  in  the  work  of  the 
church.  For  many  years  he  was  the  leader  of  the  board  of  trustees  and  had 
a  leading  part  in  the  rebuilding  of  the  Christian  church.  The  church  leaned 
heavily  upon  him  and  he  remained  true  to  the  cause  until  the  end. 

And  so  a  strong,  good,  helpful  man  has  gone  from  our  midst,  nof  in  the 
morning  of  active  life,  not  in  'the  sere  and  yellow  leaf,'  but  in  the  meridian 
of  his  usefulness  and  power.  The  solemnity  of  this  hour,  of  his  funeral,  the 
crowded  church,  these  emblems  of  mourning,  these  heaps  of  fragrant  flowers, 
these  idle  hands  and  saddened  faces,  all  unite  in  expressions  of  heart-felt 
sorrow.  A  good  man,  a  faithful  servant  has  gone  from  us,  one  who  will  De 
missed  by  many.  But  his  name  will  be  revered,  his  memory  cherished,  his 
good  works  treasured  by  those  whose  lives  he  touched  and  helped  and  bright- 
ened while  traveling  along  life's  weary  pathway.  His  life-work  is  left,  his 
monurnent  erected,  not  only  in  stone,  but  in  the  memory  of  those  who  knew 
him,  in  the  influence  which  he  wielded,  in  the  molded,  rounded,  useful  life 
which  passes  not  away." 


ISAIAH  P.  WATTS. 


Examples  that  impress  force  of  character  on  all  who  study  them  are 
worthy  of  record,  and  the  mission  of  a  great  soul  in  this  world  is  one  that  is 
calculated  to  inspire  a  multitude  of  others  to  better  and  grander  things;  so 
its  subsequent  influence  cannot  be  measured  in  metes  and  bounds,  for  it 
affects  the  lives  of  those  with  whom  it  comes  into  contact,  broadening  and 
enriching  them  for  all  time  to  come.  By  a  few  general  observations  may 
be  conveyed  some  idea  of  the  noble  character  and  useful  career  of  Isaiah  P. 
Watts,  who  for  a  long  lapse  of  years  has  been  one  of  the  best  known  and 
most  influential  ministers  of  the  gospel  and  politicians  of  Winchester,  Ran- 
dolph county,  and  he  is  not  unknown  to  the  state  and  nation,  for  united  in 


I.  p.  WATTS. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj   INDIANA.  HOQ 

his  nature  are  so  many  elements  of  a  solid,  practical  and  helpful  nature  that 
they  have  brought  him  into  prominent  notice;  and,  not  content  to  hide  his 
talents  amid  life's  sequestered  ways,  by  the  force  of  an  indomitable  will  and 
a  laudable  ambition,  has  forged  to  the  front.  His  life  has  been  one  of  hard 
study  and  unselfish  industry,  whose  laborious  professional  duties  in  the 
various  relations  in  which  he  has  been  placed,  has  led  to  a  high  position  in 
the  esteem  of  the  public,  which  gives  evidence  that  the  qualities  which  he 
possesses  afford  the  means  of  distinction  under  a  system  of  government  in 
which  places  of  honor  and  usefulness  are  open  to  all  who  may  be  found 
worthy  of  them. 

Mr.  Watts  was  born  in  Richland  county,  Ohio,  June  15,  1840.  He  is  a 
son  of  Samuel  Watts,  who  at  one  time  was  a  prosperous  merchant,  but  both 
misfortune  and  ill  health  overtaking  him  he  turned  to  the  wilds  of  Indiana 
in  the  hope  of  regaining  both  health  and  fortune.  It  was  in  the  year  1847 
that  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Wells  county,  locating  on  a  farm  between 
the  towns  of  Bluffton  and  Camden,  and  there  our  subject  spent  his  boyhood 
years,  amid  the  hardships  and  privations  incident  to  pioneer  life.  Although 
only  seven  years  old  when  he  was  brought  to  Indiana  he  had  attended  school 
in  Ohio,  but  was  denied  the  privilege  of  continuing  the  same  in  the  "woods 
of  the  new  locality  where  the  family  had  settled.  It  was  not  until  1850  that 
he  had  the  opportunity  of  attending  school  in  this  state.  That  was  at  the 
village  of  Rifesburg,  eight  miles  distant  from  the  home  place.  While  at- 
tending school  there  he  lived  with  Henry  Elston,  doing  farm  work  for  his 
board.  At  the  age  of  twelve  he  worked  on  the  railroad  in  winter  in  order 
to  obtain  funds  to  pay  his  way  in  school,  and  while  living  with  Mr.  Elston 
he  made  such  rapid  progress  in  his  studies  that  when  seventeen  years  of  age, 
having  saved  a  little  money,  he  entered  Liber  College,  where  he  studied  five 
terms,  his  school  life  terminating  in  i860,  just  prior  to  the  breaking  out  of 
the  great  war  of  the  Rebellion.  In  1862  he  enlisted  in  Company  H,  Eighty- 
fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  While  in  the  arrny  he  served  much  of 
the  time  on  detached  duty,  and  during  the  winter  of  1862-63,  he  was  chief  clerk 
of  the  general  hospital  at  Ashland,  Kentucky.  In  June,  1863,  he  was  taken 
ill,  and  sent  to  the  hospital  at  Murfreesboro,  Tennessee,  and  during  his  con- 
valescence was  transferred  to  Chattanooga,  that  .state.  There  he  was  as- 
signed to  duty  as  chief  clerk  of  the  general  hospital,  and  afterwards  as 
clerk  in  the  office  of  the  medical  director  at  Chattanooga.  In  January, 
1864,  he  was  appointed  counsel  of  administration  to  take  charge  of  the  ef- 
fects of  deceased  soldiers  and  forward  them  to  their  proper  destination.     In 


mo  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

-March  of  the  latter  year  he  came  home  on  furlough  of  thirty  days,  rejoin- 
ing his  regiment  in  April  at  Blue  Springs,  Tennessee,  and  continuing  with 
it  until  the  close  of  the  war,  participating  in  the  meantime  in  the  battles  of 
Buzzard's  Roost,  Tunnel  Hill,  Rocky  Face  Ridge,  Dalton,  Resaca,  Kingston, 
Pumpkin  Vine  Creek,  Pine  Mountain,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Neal  Bow 
Church,  Culp's  Farm,  Peach  Tree  Creek,  the  many  sanguinary  conflicts  in 
front  of  Atlanta,  Shoal's  Creek,  Lovejoy  Station,  Franklin  and  Nashville, 
in  all  of  which  he  proved  to  be  a  gallant  and  courageous  soldier  for  the 
Stars  and  Stripes.  He  was  honorably  discharged  and  mustered  out  on  June 
14,  1865,  and  soon  thereafter  returned  to  \\'inchester  and  engaged  in  the 
trade  of  silversmith,  meanwhile  devoting  his  spare  time  to  the  study  of  the 
law,  and  was  later  a  student  in  the  office  of  Cheney  &  Watson.  He  made 
rapid  progress  as  a  law  student  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1866,  from 
which  time  until  1870  he  was  the  partner  of  E.  B.  Reynolds,  and  in  1873 
effected  a  co-partnership  in  the  practice  with  A.  O.  ^iarsh,  which  was  con- 
tinued until  the  following  year.  After  1874  he  practiced  alone,  and  in  1876 
was  the  Republican  candidate  for  secretary  of  state.  That  canvass  was  one 
of  the  most  exciting  in  the  history  of  the  state.  The  state  went  Democratic 
with  a  majority  of  about  five  thousand,  and  Mr.  Watts  went  down  in  the 
general  landslide.  In  1880  he  was  nominated  by  his  party  for  the  office  of 
clerk  of  the  Randolph  circuit  court  and  he  was  accordingly  elected  in  the 
autumn  of  that  year.  He  assumed  his  duties  in  that  office  in  August,  1881, 
and  discharged  the  same  with  commendable  fidelity  until  1885. 

For  a  number  of  years  he  acted  as  pension  agent  in  Winchester  and 
had  the  satisfaction  of  aiding  many  a  comrade  and  many  a  widow  and 
orphan  to  secure  the  aid  awarded  by  a  grateful  country.  In  addition  to  his 
official  duties,  Mr.  Watts  for  some  time  had  personal  charge  of  the  Christ- 
ian church  of  Winchester.  Although  he  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  suc- 
cessful and  learned  lawyers  of  Randolph  county  and  had  built  up  a  lucrative 
practice,  he  readily  gave  this  up  and  devoted  his  attention  to  the  ministry 
of  the  gospel,  believing  that  thereby  he  could  accomplish  more  good  for  his 
fellow  men,  and  he  ranks  high  in  the  ministry  of  the  denomination  men- 
tioned above,  with  which  he  identified  himself  in  early  life.  He  is  an  earnest. 
forceful  and  at  times  truly  eloquent  speaker,  ever  active  and  zealous  in  the 
work  of  the  church,  self-sacrificing  in  his  de\'otion  to  the  same.  He  was 
for  a  period  of  three  years  pastor  of  the  Christan  church  at  Alexandria  be- 
sides preaching  at  various  other  points.  He  became  interested  in  the  sudden 
material  growth  of  the  town  of  Alexandria   in   1892,  and  he   was  elected 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  IIII 

president  of  the  Phillips  Land  &  Gas  Company,  in  which  he  was  a  heavy 
stockholder  and  his  able  management  and  honest  dealings  resulted  in  great 
success  for  this  company.  He  was  a  most  potent  factor  in  securing  for  the 
town  of  Alexandria  factories  and  enterprising  citizens,  and  it  eventually  be- 
came one  of  the  most  flourishing  centers  in  the  gas  belt  of  Indiana,  and  the 
town  owes  him  a  debt  of  gratitude  that  it  can  never  pay.  The  daily  affairs 
of  JNlr.  Watts  have  ever  been  governed  by  a  high  sense  of  honor  and  right, 
and  he  has  therefore  always  had  the  confideUce  and  good  will  of  all  who 
knew  him.  He  has  ever  proved  himself  a  faithful  and  efficient  servant  of 
the  people,  prompt  and  courteous  in  the  transaction  of  his  duties,  ever  keep- 
ing the  best  interests  of  the  general  public  foremost.  In  the  year  1903  he 
was  elected  representative  from  Randolph  county  to  the  legislature  and 
served  one  term  to  the  eminent  satisfaction  of  his  constituents.  On  January 
I,  1906  he  was  appointed  door-keeper  of  the  United  States  Senate  and  was 
in  Washington  four  years  as  a  result  of  this  appointment,  and  he  proved  to" 
be  a  popular  and  faithful  man  for  that  post.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  and  was  departmental  chaplain  for  that  organization 
when  the  great  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  monument  was  dedicated  in  Indian- 
apolis. \A'hile  a  member  of  the  legislature  he  introduced  the  bill  providing 
for  the  imposing  monument  of  Indiana's  famous  war  governor,  Oliver  P 
Alorton,  which  now  graces  Capitol  Square,  Indianapolis.  Mr.  Watts  was  a 
candidate  for  Congress  from,  the  Eighth  Congressional  district  in  1910,  but 
was  defeated;  and  in  1912  he  was  nominated  for  the  same  office  without 
opposition,  and  made  an  excellent  campaign,  but  went  down  in  the  general 
Republican  defeat  of  that  year,  Randolph  county  going  Democratic  for  the 
first  time  in  fifty  years.  He  is  a  pension  attorney  and  is  still  practicing  law 
with  a  wide  clientele,  maintaining  an  office  in  the  Kizer  building.  North 
Main  street,  Winchester,  and  he  also  keeps  up  his  ministry,  devoting  about 
one-half  of  his  time  to  the  affairs  of  the  Christian  church,  and  is  at  this 
writing,  pastor  of  a  congregation  in  Indianapolis.  He  is  indeed  a  tireless 
worker  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord.  Although  past  his  seventy-third  year 
he  is  in  full  possession  of  his  faculties,  hale  and  active  as  a  result  of  his 
wholesome  life  and  right  thinking. 

The  domestic  life  of  Mr.  Watts  began  in  August,  1861  when  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Ann  Eliza  Diggs,  who  proved  to  be  a  most  excellent 
helpmeet  in  every  respect,  genial,  wise  in  counsel,  charitable  and  high- 
minded,  and,  like  her  distinguished  husband  has  won  her  way  into  the 
affection  of  a  very  wide  circle  of  friends.     Her  father,  LittleberrA'  Diggs, 


1 1 12  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

long  since  deceased,  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  Randolph  county,  and 
here  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated.  The  union  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Watts  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  five  children,  named  as  follows : 
Inez  became  the  wife  of  E.  F.  Tibbott,  who  was  private  secretary  to  Presi- 
dent Benjamin  Harrison;  Grace  A.  married  E.  H.  Addington,  son  of  Rev. 
Thomas  Addington,  a  well-known  citizen  of  Randolph  county  for  many 
years ;  William  A.  died  in  infancy ;  Thomas  M.  is  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business  and  Shelley  D.,  the  youngest  is  at  Middletown,  Ohio,  where  he  is 
manager  of  the  Social  Service  Bureau. 

Personally  Mr.  Watts  is  a  pleasant  gentleman  to  meet,  a  type  of  the  true 
Christian,  an  obliging  and  chivalrous  gentleman  of  the  old  school. 


ALBERT  L.  BOOTS. 


The  large  success  that  has  attended  the  efforts  of  Albert  L.  Boots,  one 
of  Parker's  wide-awake  and  progressive  business  men,  who  is  conducting 
one  of  the  largest  hardware  stores  in  P.andolph  county,  has  been  well  de- 
served, for  he  has  worked  earnestly,  persistently  and  honestly,  not  depending 
upon  others  or  stooping  to  any  paltry  tricks,  so  common  in  present-day  com- 
mercialism. As  a  result  of  his  fair  dealing  with  his  fellow  men,  his  uniform 
courtesy  to  his  hundreds  of  regular  customers  and  his  acknowledged  public 
spirit,  Mr.  Boots  enjoys  the  confidence  and  good  will  of  all  who  know  him 
and  is  deserving  to  rank  among  our  leading  citizens. 

Mr.  Boots  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  April  14,  1862.  He  is  a  son 
of  Morgan  and  Elizabeth  J.  (Manor)  Boots,  and  is  one  of  a  family  of  three 
children,  he  being  the  eldest,  the  other  two  are  Rosel  E.,  who  was  a  farmer 
in  Monroe  township,  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-one  years,  and  Lillie,  who  mar- 
ried Frank  E.  Keefer,  a  farmer  of  Monroe  township,  has  the  following  chil- 
dren :  One  having  died  in  infancy,  the  living  are  Bessie,  Lloyd,  Inez,  Albert 
and  Harold. 

Morgan  Boots,  mentioned  in  the  preceding  paragraph,  was  born  in  Ohio, 
near  the  city  of  Xenia.  He  left  that  state  when  a  boy,  coming  to  Indiana, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  until  his  death  which  occurred  in  the  prime  of 
life.  Martin  Boots,  the  grandfather,  was  born  in  Virginia,  from  which  state 
he  came  to  Ohio  when  eleven  years  old,  there  grew  to  manhood  and  followed 
fanning  until  fifty  years  of  age,  when- he  moved  to  Indiana,  locating  near 
Fairview,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  The  death  of  the 
grandmother  occurred  at  the  unusual  age  of  ninety-six  years.   The  maternal 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  III3 

grandparents  of  our  subject  came  from  West  Virginia,  having  resided  in 
Berkley  county,  from  which  they  removed  to  Indiana  when  our  subject's 
mother  was  a  child. 

Albert  L.  Boots  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  received 
his  education  in  the  common  schools.  On  June  lo,  1883,  he  married  Emma 
Manor,  daughter  of  David  Manor,  and  she  was  one  of  a  large  family— six- 
teen children,  eleven  of  whom  grew  to  maturity.  Mr.  Manor  was  a  farmer 
and  merchant  in  Jay  county. 

Mr.  Boots  now  owns  the  splendid  farm  near  Redkey,  which  was  for- 
merly the  property  of  his  father-in-law.  On  August  5,  1912,  Mr.  Boots  and 
George  Murphy  bought  out  E.  E.  Deal's  hardware  store  in  Parker  City, 
which  they  are  now  conducting  most  successfully,  enjoying  a  large  and  rap- 
idly growing  trade.  It  is  one  of  the  largest  hardware,  implement  and  general 
supply  concerns  in  Randolph  county.  They  carry  a  large,  up-to-date  and 
carefully  selected  stock  of  everything  in  the  hardware  and  implement  line 
used  by  the  farmer,  and  their  prices  are  always  right,  according  to  their 
customers. 

Politically,  Mr.  Boots  is  a  Prohibitionist.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Lodge  No.  134,  at  Fairview.  He  attends 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  contributes  liberally  to  the  support  of 
same. 


THEODORE  H.  SHOCKNEY. 

Human  life  is  made  up  of  two  elements,  power  and  form,  and  the  pro- 
portion must  be  invariably  kept  if  we  would  have  it  sweet  and  sound.  Each 
of  these  elements  in  excess  makes  a  mischief  as  hurtful  as  would  be  its  de- 
ficiency. Everything  turns  to  excess;  every  good  quality  is  noxious  if  un- 
mixed, and  to  carry  the  danger  to  the  edge  of  ruin  Nature  causes  each  man's 
peculiarity  to  superabound.  One  speaking  from  the  standpoint  of  a  farmer 
would  adduce  the  learned  professions  as  examples  of  the  treachery.  They 
are  Nature's  victims  of  expression.  You  study  the  artist,  the  orator  or  the 
man  of  inventive  genius  and  find  their  lives  no  more  excellent  than  that  of 
merchants,  farmers  or  manufacturers.  Many  men  get  but  glimpses  of  the 
delights  found  in  Nature  in  its  various  elements  and  moods,  but  there  is 
always  ample  opportunity  to  enjoy  fife  in  its  varied  phases,  whatever  the 
profession.  It  depends  upon  the  individual.  The  late  Theodore  H.  Shockney, 
for  many  years  a  prominent  citizen  of  Randolph  county,  was  one  who  took 
a  delight  in  existence.    It  was  because  he  was  in  touch  with  the  springs  of 


1 1 14  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

life.  He  did  not  permit  material  things  to  supplant  his  better  nature.  His 
life  was  filled  with  good  deeds  and  kindly  thoughts,  and  all  who  knew  him 
entertained  for  him  the  highest  regard,  by  reason  of  his  upright,  honorable 
career,  his  public  spirit  and  his  genial  disposition.  From  his  career  many  use- 
ful lessons  may  be  gleaned  by  the  }'OUth  standing  at  the  parting  of  the  ways, 
for  he  was  a  man  who  believed  in  the  old  adage,  "Lose  no  time  in  getting  off 
the  wrong  road  as  soon  as  you  discover  that  you  are  traveling  it."  He  was 
an  advocate  of  progress  in  all  phases  of  life,  progress  at  any  sacrifice. 

Mr.  Shockney  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  January  3,  1868.  He  was 
a  son  of  Samuel  and  Sarah  (Butts)  Shockney,  and  was  one  of  seven  chil- 
dren, namely :  Alisa  married  Charles  Burkett,  a  farmer  living  now  in  Michi- 
gan, and  they  have  one  child,  Frank;  Thomas  is  farming  in  Darke  county, 
Ohio,  and  he  married  Lillie  Wallace,  who  has  borne  him  eight  children; 
Valeria,  who  lives  in  Winchester,  married  Riley  Hofifman,  a  stone  cutter,  and 
they  have  two  children;  Harry  of  Union  City,  is  a  merchant,  and  he  mar- 
ried Minnie  Henning;  Pearl,  who  is  connected  with  the  city  government  of 
Chicago,  married  Ada  Colton  and  they  have  two  children;  Grover,  who  is 
farming  in  Randolph  county,  married  Bertha  Way,  and  they  have  one  child, 
and  Theodore  H.,  of  this  memoir. 

Samuel  Shockney,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  ^Maryland,  where 
he  grew  up  and  was  educated.  When  a  young  man  he  came  to  Randolph 
county.  The  Butts  family  came  from  Shelby  county,  Ohio,  the  mother  of 
our  subject  having  been  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  Butts,  who  lived 
on  a  farm,  and  had  a  family  of  three  children,  Sarah,  Xathan  T.  and  Thomas. 

Theodore  H.  Shockney  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Randolph 
county  and  later  studied  in  Lebanon,  Ohio.  He  devoted  his  life  to  farming, 
dealing  in  live  stock  and  teaching  school,  making  a  pronounced  success  of  all 
three,  for  he  was  a  man  who  applied  himself  closely  to  whatever  claimed  his 
attention  and  he  dealt  honestly  with  his  fellow  men. 

Mr.  Shockney  was  married  April  4,  1888,  to  Hattie  Kennon,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Thomas  S.  Kennon,  a  farmer  of  Randolph  county,  who  also  was  a 
noted  auctioneer.  His  death  occurred  in  1902.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Shock- 
ney was  known  in  her  maidenhood  as  Hannah  Perkins,  a  native  of  Randolph 
county.  These  parents  had  five  children,  two  sons  and  three  daughters,  of 
whom  Hattie,  who  married  Mr.  Shockney  is  the  oldest ;  William  is  deceased ; 
Minnie,  who  lives  in  this  count}^  is  the  wife  of  Marion  Ohler  who  was  a 
farmer,  and  she  has  two  children ;  Orla,  who  lives  in  Winchester,  engaged  in 
the  stock  and  bond  business,  married  Margaret  Carver  and  they  have  three 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  III5 

children;  Lillian,  who  lives  in  Randolph  county,  is  the  wife  of  Lucas  Macy, 
a  hardware  merchant  of  Spartanburg. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Shockney  was  born  in  Ireland,  from 
which  country  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  early  life  and  settled  in 
Randolph  county,  Indiana,  where  he  engaged  in  farming.  Mrs.  Shockney's 
mother  was  born  in  this  county  and  here  she  was  reared  and  educated,  her 
people  being  among  the  early  settlers  here. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shockney  the  following  children  were  born:  Ray- 
mond K.,  born  August  lo,  1889,  is  a  teacher,  and  he  lives  at  home  with  his 
mother;  Ada  Lee,  born  September  26,  1891,  is  also  at  home — she  has  been 
a  student  of  domestic  science;  Mary  Frances,  born  January  31,  1894,  has 
also  been  a  student  of  domestic  science,  and  both  she  and  her  sister  were 
graduated  from  the  high  school. 

Politically,  Mr.  Shockney  was  a  Democrat,  and  while  he  took  an  abiding 
interest  in  public  affairs,  he  was  not  a  seeker  after  political  leadership.  He 
was  an  attendant  of  the  Methodist  church. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Shockney  occurred  on  June  30,  1908.  He  was  sadly 
missed  by  his  host  of  warm  friends  throughout  the  locality. 


HARRY  E.  MAGEE. 


Harry  E.  Magee  was  born  in  Winchester  July  11,  1869,  and  after  taking 
the  regular  common  school  course  entered  business  in  his  native  town  as  a 
hardware  merchant.  In  this  line  of  trade  Mr.  Magee  has  been  one  of  the 
eminently  successful  men  of  his  town  and  county.  He  has  always  kept  abreast 
of  the  times,  and  anything  to  be  had  in  his  line  in  the  larger  cities  has  ever 
been  accessible  to  the  citizens  of  Winchester  in  Mr.  Magee's  store.  There 
are  few  larger  stocks  of  hardware  to  be  found  anywhere  in  the  county,  and 
none  of  better  selection. 

He  is  an  only  son  of  Charles  E.  and  Sarah  (Edgar)  Magee  and  inherits 
much  of  the  sagacity  and  enterprise  of  the  Buckeye  blood  from  his  father, 
who  was  born  May  6,  1846,  in  Zanesville,  Ohio.  His  mother  was  born  in 
Winchester  September  4,  1847.  Both  are  still  living.  Mr.  Magee  was  mar- 
ried October  3,  1900,  to  Sarah  Kitura  Wright,  a  daughter  of  Hicks  Wright, 
a  stock  dealer.  His  father  and  grandfather  were  both  in  the  Civil  war. 
Charles  E.  Magee,  the  subject's  father,  served  in  Company  F,  One  Hundred 
and  Thirty-fourth  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  later  in  the 
Eleventh  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry  until  the  close  of  the  war. 


IIl6  RANDOLPH   COUNTYj   INDIANA. 

Mrs.  Magee  has  one  sister,  Ida,  who  married  John  Christopher,  a  banker  and 
farmer  of  Modoc.   They  have  one  child,  Jean,  seventeen  years  of  age. 

Besides  his  hardvi^are  business,  which  he  has  conducted  for  twenty-six 
years,  Harry  E.  Magee  for  two  years  had  charge  of  the  Indiana  Glass  Works 
at  Dunkirk,  Indiana.  At  the  expiration  of  two  years  he  returned  to  his  calling 
of  a  hardware  merchant.  He  is  a  Progressive  in  politics,  and  his  choice  of  re- 
ligious denominations  is  the  Methodist.  In  the  enterprises  of  politics  and  the 
business  interests  of  the  town,  Mr.  Magee  is  an  ardent  participant,  and  the 
reputation  of  the  municipality  and  county  is  due  in  a  large  measure  to  his  ef- 
forts to,  enhance  it. 


WILLIAM  P.  MARLATT. 

It  will  always  be  a  mark  of  distinction  to  have  served  the  Union  during 
the  great  Civil  war  between  the  states.  The  old  soldier  will  receive  attention 
no  matter  where  he  goes  if  he  will  but  make  himself  known,  and  when  he 
passes  away,  as  so  many  of  them  are  now  doing,  statistics  showing  that  some- 
where in  this  country  every  fifteen  minutes  one  of  the  veterans  is  gathered  to 
his  father,  friends  will  pay  him  suitable  eulogy  for  the  sacrifices  he  made  a 
half  century  ago  on  the  sanguinary  fields  of  battle  in  the  Southland,  or  in  the 
no  less  dreaded  prison  or  fever  camp  or  hospital.  And  ever  afterward  his 
descendants  will  revere  his  memory  and  take  pride  in  recounting  his  services 
for  his  country  in  its  hour  of  peril.  One  of  the  most  eligible  citizens  for 
specific  mention  in  a  history  of  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  is  William  P. 
Marlatt,  for  many  years  a  well-known  business  man,  now  living  retired  in 
the  city  of  Winchester,  partly  because  he  is  one  of  the  old  soldiers  who  went 
forth  in  that  great  crisis  in  the  sixties  to  assist  in  saving  the  union  of  states, 
and  partly  because  he  has  been  one  of  our  honorable  and  public-spirited  citizens 
for  a  number  of  decades,  a  plain,  unassuming  gentleman  who  has  sought  to  do 
his  duty  in  all  the  relations  of  life  as  he  has  seen  and  understood  the  right. 

Mr.  Marlatt  was  born  in  Brockville,  Franklin  county,  Indiana,  March 
27,  1845.  Ke  is  a  son  of  James  and  Mary  (Goodwin)  Marlatt.  The  father 
was  born  in  ^Martinsburg  in  what  is  now  West  Virginia,  and  the  mother  was 
born  in  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  near  Miamisburg.  The  Marlatt  family 
came  to  Brookville,  Indiana,  probably  about  1830,  and  there  the  father  of 
our  subject  followed  the  carpenter's  trade  which  he  had  learned  when  a 
young  man,  also  followed  bridge  building,  which  was  quite  a  business  in 
those  days  of  wooden,  covered  bridges.  He  was  a  skilled  and  energetic 
workman,  giving  satisfaction  in  all  his  work.     He  spent  the  remainder  of  his 


MRS.  W.  P.   MARLATT. 


W.  I'.  J[AI!LAT1\ 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  [II7 

active  life  at  Brookville.  In  that  town  his  son,  WiUiam  P.,  of  this  review, 
spent  his  boyhood  years,  and  there  attended  the  public  schools.  When  the 
Civil  war  was  in  progress  he  enlisted  for  service  in  1863  in  Company  B,  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  for  three  years. 
His  regiment  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  and  saw  hard 
service  under  Sherman  in  the  Atlanta  campaign,  also  in  the  Nashville  cam- 
paign under  Thomas.  Later  our  subject  was  with  the  eastern  army,  find- 
ing himself  with  the  troops  in  North  Carolina  at  the  close  of  the  war.  How- 
ever about  that  time,  and  during  the  Grand  Review  at  the  national  capital 
he  was  confined  in  a  hospital  in  Washington  city.  He  was  honorably  dis- 
charged from  the  service  on  June  14,  1865  after  a  very  faithful  service  dur- 
ing which  he  was  never  wounded  or  taken  prisoner.  He  was  sent  to  his  home 
in  Brookville,  this  state,  where,  after  regaining  his  health,  he  began  working 
in  the  paper  mills,  also  worked  with  his  father  at  the  carpenter's  trade.  In 
May,  1868  he  joined  his  brother,  H.  R.  Marlatt,  who  was  engaged  in  the 
stove  and  tinnery  business  in  Winchester,  our  subject  becoming  an  apprentice 
and  learned  ,the  trade,  which  he  followed  for  three  years  or  more  when  he 
went  to  Columbus,  Indiana,  but  remained  there  only  a  short  time  when  he 
went  to  Indianapolis  and  worked  for  Johnson  Brothers  whose  variety  of 
work  extended  his  knowledge  of  the  trade,  and  he  became  an  expert  work- 
man, giving  eminent  satisfaction. 

On  September  11,  1873,  he  was  married  to  Hannah  Moorman,  daughter 
of  Thomas  and  Eunice  (Diggs)  Moorman.  Both  the  Moorman  and  Diggs 
families  were  pioneers  of  Randolph  covmty,  and  here  Mrs.  Marlatt  grew  to 
womanhood  and  received  a  common  school  education.  To  our  subject  and 
wife  two  children  have  been  born,  namely :  Dr.  Clarence  L.,  a  successful 
physician  of  Indianapolis;  and  Bertha  who  married  first  I.  L.  Macy  and 
after  his  death  married  second,  Daniel  Heaton,  of  Winchester. 

For  a  short  time  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Marlatt  continued  in  partner- 
ship with  his  brother  in  the  stove  and  tinner's  business  in  Winchester,  and 
finally  he  purchased  his  brother's  interest  and  conducted  the  establishment 
with  ever-growing  success  until  the  spring  of  1880,  when  he  moved  to  Indi- 
anapolis where  he  engaged  in  the  same  line  of  business  for  a  number  of  years 
with  gratifying  results.  In  1885  he  was  appointed  a  letter  carrier  in  Indi- 
anapolis and  was  in  the  service  for  nine  and  one-half  years,  giving  eminent 
satisfaction  to  the  department,  when  he  resigned  and  returned  to  Winchester 
in  1895,  oil  account  of  the  death  of  his  wife's  mother,  Icciving  Mrs.  Marlatt's 
father  to  be  taken  care  of,  he  being  a  verv  aged  citizen,  who  lived  to  be  ninety- 
(71) 


II  l8  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

one  years  old.  For  a  time  our  subject  was  engaged  in  the  hardware  busi- 
ness and  later  in  the  lumber  business.  He  accumulated  a  nice  competency 
through  his  long  years  of  good  management  and  honest  dealings  with  his 
fellow  men.  He  retired  from  active  life  in  1906  and  is  spending  his  declin- 
ing years  quietly  at  his  pleasant  home  at  133  East  North  .street,  the  old 
Moorman  homestead,  which  stands  in  the  midst  of  spacious  and  beautiful 
grounds. 

Mr.  Marlatt  has  always  been  a  Democrat  and  interested  in  the  affairs 
of  his  party  but  was  never  active  or  an  office  seeker.  He  was  never  a  biased 
partisan,  always  according  his  neighbor  the  same  freedom  of  opinion  which 
he  claimed  for  himself.  In  191 1  he  was  appointed  deputy  state  oil  inspector 
for  the  counties  of  Randolph  and  Delaware,  in  fact,  he  is  still  incumbent  of 
this  office,  and  has  discharged  the  duties  of  the  same  with  satisfaction  to  all 
concerned.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Nelson  Trusler  Post,  Grand  Ami}'-  of 
Ihe  Republic  at  Winchester,  and  he  has  filled  all  the  offices  in  the  same.  He 
has  been  a  delegate  to  state  encampments.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  has  passed  all  the  chairs  in  the 
subordinate  and  Encampment  of  Winchester  Lodge,  No.  121;  he  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  order,  and  has  tried  to  live  up  to  its  sublime  precepts 
in  all  the  relations  of  life. 


JOHN  I.  JOHNSON. 

The  name  of  John  I.  Johnson,  of  Winchester,  is  one  of  the  best  known 
in  Randolph  county,  for  here  his  life  of  fifty-six  years  has  been  spent  and 
he  has  long  been  prominent  in  public  affairs.  In  his  earlier  life  he  followed 
blacksmithing,  but  eventually  turned  his  attention  to  politics  and  served  in 
the  county  offices  in  a  mannner  that  has  ever  since  made  him  a  well-liked 
citizen.  As  vice-president  and  one  of  the  promoters  of  the  Peoples  Loan 
and  Trust  Company,  he  has  shown  himself  to  be  one  of  our  leading  business 
men.  He  has  ever  had  the  good  of  his  locality  at  heart  and  has  done  much 
to  promote  its  general  upbuilding. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  born  December  23,  1857  in  Buena  Vista,  Randolph 
county.  He  is  a  son  of  Joshua  M.  and  Amanda  C.  (Pegg)  Johnson,  both 
natives  of  this  county  also,  and  representatives  of  old  pioneer  families,  the 
Johnsons  coming  from  North  Carolina. 

Joshua  M.  Johnson  was  born  September  13,  1831.  He  was  a  son  of 
John  and  Phebe  Johnson.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he  began  life  for 
himself,  by  going  to  Williamsburg,  Indiana,  and  beginning  the  blacksmith's 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I IIQ 

trade,  serving  his  apprenticeship  under  Nathan  Bond,  after  which  he  set  up  a 
httie  shop  of  his  own  at  Buena  Vista,  this  state.  What  time  he  was  not  busy- 
in  the  shop  he  was  chopping  wood  and  burning  charcoal  from  wood.  By  his 
industry  and  straight  bearing  he  enjoye.d  the  full  confidence  of  the  whole 
community.  On  September  30,  1855,  he  married  Amanda  C.  Pegg,  to  which 
union  thirteen  children  were  born,  all  growing  to  manhood  and  womanhood 
except  one  which  died  in  infancy,  and  all  married  except  one ;  Alwilda  John- 
son Lewis  died  September  12,  1883,  leaving  two  children;  Mary  Earl  John- 
son Mills  died  February  25,  1885.  With  his  kind  and  generous  heart  no  one 
was  ever  turned  from  Mr.  Johnson's  door  hungry.  Sometimes  in  his  shop 
he  worked  from  four  to  six  hands  who  shared  in  his  home  life.  He  was  true 
to  his  convictions  of  right,  and  would  hold  to  what  he  thought  was  right. 
After  years  of  toil  and  hard  work  he  left  the  shop  and  took  to  the  farm,  buy- 
ing land  adjoining  the  place  of  his  beginning  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana, 
where  he  had  removed  from  his  native  state  in  early  life,  and  he  became  a 
large  land  owner  here.  He  was  a  Republican.  While  he  was  not  identified 
with  any  church  he  was  one  of  the  prime  movers  of  the  introduction  of 
Christianity,  donating  the  ground  on  which  the  church  stands  at  Buena  Vista, 
and  the  beautiful  cemetery  is  adjoining  it  because  of  his  untiring  efforts  when 
the  church  was  organized,  in  which  there  was  a  general  awakening.  There 
were  none  more  interested  than  he.  and  none  did  more  than  he  in  local  church 
matters  during  his  lifetime.  He  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  principles  of 
Christianity  and  delighted  to  see  it  practically  carried  out.  His  death  oc- 
curred on  April  23,  1901,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years,  seven  months  and 
ten  days,  leaving  a  widow,  five  sons,  five  daughters,  eighteen  grand  children, 
three  brothers,  three  half-brothers,  three  half-sisters,  step-mother  and  a  large 
number  of  relatives  and  friends.  During  the  last  forty  or  more  years  of 
his  life  he  was  a  member  of  the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons.  Mrs.  Amanda 
C.  Johnson,  now  advanced  in  years,  is  still  living  on  the  old  homestead  in 
West  River  township. 

John  T.  Johnson  grew  up  in  his  native  community  on  the  home  farm,  and 
obtained  his  education  in  the  country  district  schools.  When  a  young  man 
he  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  under  his  father  and  followed  that  for  a 
period  of  fourteen  years,  becoming  a  very  skilled  workman  and  was  thus 
kept  busy,  many  of  his  patrons  coming  from  remote  parts  of  the  county.  He 
maintained  his  shop  in  Buena  Vista. 

On  November  18,  1880  he  married  Agnes  Mills,  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
and  Nancy  (Miller)  Mills.     The  father  was  born  in  Ohio  and  the  mother 


i  120  KANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

in  northern  Ireland,  from  which  place  she  emigrated  to  America  when  a 
young  girl.  Her  father  became  a  farmer  in  West  River  township.  Both 
parents  are  now  deceased. 

Only  one  child  has  been  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  Gerald  M.,  whose 
death  occurred  on  February  8,  1907. 

In  1898  Mr.  Johnson  moved  to  Winchester  and  entered  the  county  treas- 
surer's  office  as  deputy,  serving  fqur  years.  In  1901  he  was  elected  county 
treasurer,  serving  one  term,  with  much  credit.  After  his  term  of  office  had 
expired  he  continued  to  serve  as  deputy  in  the  same  offi.ce  for  five  years  more, 
and  since  that  time  has  assisted  materially  in  the  business  of  that  office.  He 
has  always  been  an  active  Republican,  and  he  has  been  a  frequent  member 
of  the  County  Central  Committee.  As  stated  above  he  is  vice-president 
of  the  Peoples  Loan  &  Trust  Company,  one  of  the  popular  and  solid  financial 
concerns  of  Winchester.  He  owns  a  valuable  farm  two  miles  west  of  the 
county-seat,  which  receives  some  of  his  attention,  however  for  a  number  of 
years  he  has  lived  practically  retired. 


EMORY  L.  ASHCRAFT. 

Among  the  enterprising,  wide-awake  and  public-spirited  newspaper  men 
of  Randolph  county,  who  is  a  potent  factor  in  molding  local  public  opinion 
is  Emory  L.  Ashcraft,  editor  and  publisher  of  The  Review,  of  Parker.  He 
has  worked  hard  to  advance  himself  in  his  chosen  calling  for  which  he  evi- 
dently has  considerable  natural  talent,  else  he  would  not  have  succeeded  at 
all,  for  anyone  who  knows  anything  about  the  publishing  business  knows  that 
it  takes  something  else  besides  hard  and  persistent  work  to  win  in  this  un- 
certain, precarious  field. 

Mr.  Ashcraft  was  born  at  Fort  Recovery,  Ohio,  October  18,  1872.  He 
is  a  son  of  Emanuel  and  Susan  (Campbell)  Ashcraft,  whose  family  con- 
sisted of  five  children,  namety:  Emory  L.,  of  this  sketch;  Jesse,  who  is  farm- 
ing near  Tippecanoe  City,  Ohio,  married  Lulu  Sutton  and  they  have  one 
child,  Myrtle ;  Belle  who  lives  at  Fort  Recovery,  married  Burl  Graves,  and 
they  have  one  child,  Madge;  William  F.,  who  is  employed  at  the  Marion 
Glass  Works,  married  Effie  McKibben  and  they  have  three  children ;  Harvey 
is  a  barber  at  Fort  Recovery.  The  father  of  the  above  named  children  was 
born  in  Jay  county,  Indiana,  and  is  still  living.  His  father  was  a  farmer 
and  was  a  native  of  Muskingum  county,  Ohio.  The  paternal  great  grand- 
father of  our  subject  was  a  native  of  Virginia.    Both  he  and  the  paternal 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  1 121 

grandfather  of  our  subject  entered  their  farms  from  the  government  and  were 
typical  pioneers.  The  great-grandfather  was  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  war. 
The  mother  of  Emory  L.  Ashcraft  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  Her  father 
came  from  Vermont,  and  his  family  consisted  of  six  children.  He  lived  on  a 
farm  near  Fort  Recovery. 

Emory  L.  Ashcraft  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of 
Fort  Recovery,  and  was  graduated  from  the  high  school  there.  When  a  boy 
he  learned  the  printer's  trade  in  the  office  of  The  Fort  Recovery  Journal, 
where  he  worked  three  years,  after  which,  in  1896,  he  came  to  Redkey, 
Indiana,  where  he  was  foreman  of  The  Times,  three  and  one-half  years, 
then,  in  1899,  he  came  to  Parker  and  established  The  Review,  which  was 
successful  from  the  first,  and  it  now  ranks  with  leading  country  newspapers 
of  this  part  of  the  state,  being  all  that  could  be  desired  from  a  mechanical 
standpoint,  and  its  columns  teem  with  the  latest  and  best  news  and  much 
advertising  matter.    Its  circulation  is  rapidly  increasing. 

Mr.  Ashcraft  was  married  October  27,  1893,  to  Bertha  Hall,  of  Redkey, 
a  daughter  of  Amos  and  Elizabeth  Hall,  a  highly  respected  family,  now  liv- 
ing retired.  She  is  one  of  five  children.  Mrs.  Ashcraft  grew  to  womanhood 
and  was  educated  and  graduated  from  the  schools  of  that  city. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  two  children  have  been  born,- namely :  Myron, 
born  April  6,  1895,  was  graduated  from  the  Selma  high  school,  class  of  1913, 
and  specialized  in  the  manual  training  department  of  the  University  of  Chi- 
cago ,and  Martah,  born  September  10,  1902.  This  family  are  members  of 
the  Christian  church. 


JOHN  L.  DE  VOSS. 

The  dental  profession  of  Randolph  county  suffered  materially  on  the 
22nd  day  of  January,  1909,  for  on  that  day  occurred  the  death  of  Dr.  John 
L.  De  Voss,  one  of  the  most  able  and  promising  of  the  men  in  the  dental 
profession  of  the  county,  also  one  of  the  most  public-spirited  of  her  citizens, 
and  one  of  the  youngest.  Just  a  few  months  over  his  thirty-third  year  of  life, 
the  uncompromising  hand  of  death  came  at  a  time  when  he  was  in  the  prime 
of  life,  when  the  laurels  of  success  and  reward  for  untiring  perseverance  had 
begun  to  be  realities  to  him.  Such  are  the  unaccountable  vagaries  of  life,  that 
the  young  and  gifted  should  be  destroyed,  while  others,  whose  presence  on 
earth  is  of  no  consequence  to  themselves  or  fellows,  should  be  allowed  to  live 
the  full  three  score  and  ten.  As  a  dentist.  Doctor  De  Voss  was  a  success.  Of 
a  decided  mechanical  turn  of  mind,  combined  with  an  artistic  temperament. 


1 122  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

it  is  not  to  be  wondered  that  he  found  success  awaiting  him.  Added  to  this 
natural  bent  was  his  industry  and  persistency,  being  willing  to  put  forth  any 
effort  in  order  to  learn  a  little  more  of  this,  one  of  the  world's  most  im- 
portant and  useful  professions.  Then,  too,  he  was  a  gentleman  of  integrity 
and  uniform  courtesy,  which  won  for  him  a  wide  circle  of  friends  in  the 
county  which  he  called  home. 

John  L.  De  Voss  was  born  near  Fairview,  Indiana,  on  October  4,  1875, 
and  was  the  son  of  Joseph  C.  and  Cynthia  Armillia  (Read)  De  Voss. 
Joseph  C.  De  Voss  was  born  October  7,  1837,  in  Hillsboro,  Highland  county, 
Ohio,  and  died  in  Winchester,  December  24,  1908,  when  at  the  age  of 
seventy-one  years.  Mrs.  De  Voss  died  January  18,  1914,  at  the  age  of  sixty 
years.  Mr.  De  Voss  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war,  being  a  member  of  Com- 
pany K,  Ninth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  served  for  nine  months,  and 
during  that  time  participated  in  the  battles  of  Franklin  and  Nashville,  Ten- 
nessee. Mr.  De  Voss  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was  Julia  Campbell, 
and  four  children,  namely:  Milton,  David  A.,  Daniel  and  Cora,  were  born 
to  the  union.  With  the  exception  of  David,  all  the  children  are  deceased. 
His  second  marriage  was  to  Cynthia  Armillia  Read,  and  two  sons — John  L. 
and  Cyrus  Read — were  born  to  them.  Fraternally,  Mr.  De  Voss  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  Order,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  In  religious  matters,  he  clung  to  the  faith  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Our  subject  spent  his  youthful  days  on  the  farm,  and  from  there  at- 
tended the  district  schools.  Afterward  he  attended  the  high  schools  at  both 
Albany  and  Tipton,  Indiana.  Thinking  of  a  business  career  he  entered  the 
Muncie  Business  College,  but  gave  that  up  and  decided  to  take  up  dentistry. 
Accordingly  he  matriculated  in  the  Central  Dental  College  of  Indianapolis, 
and  graduated  from  that  institution  with  high  honors  with  his  class  in  April 
of  the  }-ear  1901.  He  located  soon  after  his  graduation  in  the  town  of  Win- 
chester, this  county,  and  conducted  a  very  lucrative  practice  here  for  a  period 
of  eight  years,  until  the  sickness  that  so  untimely  called  him  to  his  Maker. 

Mr.  De  Voss  was  married  to  Mary  Stout  in  Winchester  on  April  26, 
1900,  and  two  children  were  born  to  them,  namely :  John  Roger,  born  No- 
vember 18,  1904,  and  Francis  Armillia,  born  June  5,  1908.  Since  her  hus- 
band's death,  Mrs.  De  Voss  has  owned  and  conducted  a  first-class  ladies' 
furnishing  emporium  and  is  making  a  decided  success  of  her  venture.  Mrs. 
De  Voss'  mother  was  a  native  of  Illinois  and  died  when  our  subject's  wife 
was  twelve  years  of  age. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY.    INDIANA.  112: 


Fraternally,  Mr.  De  Voss  was  a  loyal  member  of  the  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Sons  of  Veterans,  and  the  Randolph 
Club.    Politically,  he  was  a  Republican. 


CYRUS  B.  COURTNEY. 


Success  has  come  to  Cyrus  B.  Courtney,  well  known  real  estate  and  loan 
man  of  Winchester,  Indiana,  because  he  has  worked  for  it  along  well-tried 
and  legitimate  channels,  has  forged  ahead  despite  obstacles  and  depended 
upon  himself  rather  than  someone  else  to  do  his  planning  and  likewise  the 
execution.  He  is  a  man  of  public  spirit  and  while  laboring  for  his  own 
advancement,  does  not  neglect  his  duty  to  his  county  and  his  neighbors,  and 
he  may  always  be  depended  upon  to  assist  in  the  furtherance  of  all  move- 
ments calculated  to  be  of  general  benefit  to  Winchester  and  Randolph  county. 

Mr.  Courtney  was  born  August  20,  1853  ^^  Switzerland  county,  Indi- 
ana. He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Mahala  (Pretzman)  Courtney.  The  father 
was  born  December  3,  1814  in  Harrison  county,  Kentucky,  and  he  came  to 
Switzerland  county  when  twenty  years  old.  The  mother  was  born  on  March 
25,  1820,  in  Switzerland  county.  William  Courtney  was  a  prosperous  farmer. 
He  moved  to  Randolph  county  in  1872  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Greensfork 
township,^  which  farm  is  now  owned  by  his  son,  Cyrus  B.,  of  this  sketch. 
The  death  of  the  father  occurred  on  June  14,  1897,  his  widow  surviving 
until  May  2,  1912.  Robert  Courtney,  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject. 
came  from  New  York  state  with  his  family  to  Harrison  county.  Kentucky, 
as  a  young  married  man,  and  later  moved  to  Switzerland  county,  Indiana. 
The  Pretzmans,  the  maternal  side  of  our  subject's  family  came  from  New 
Jersey  with  the  early  pioneers.  The  father  of  our  subject  helped  build  the 
first  railroad  in  Indiana,  having  had  a  contract  to  build  six  miles  of  the 
grading.  He  was  always  a  man  active  in  public  affairs.  In  the  early  days 
it  was  his  custom  to  frequently  take  produce  down  the  Ohio  river  and  the 
Mississippi  river  to  New  Orleans  on  flat  bbats.  This  he  followed  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  with  gratifying  results. 

Cyrus  B.  Courtney  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  he  assisted  with 

.  the  general  work  there  when  a  boy.    He  received  a  common  school  education. 

He  continued  farming  until  1891  when  he  moved  to  Winchester  and  engaged 

in  the  real  estate  and  loan  business,  handling  both  farm  and  town  properties, 

having  an  excellent  knowledge  of  both,  and  he  has  built  up  a  large  and  ever- 


1 124  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

growing  business  through  his  foresight,  and  honest  and  courteous  dealings  with 
his  fellow  men.     He  also  owns  the  old  home  farm  which  he  supervises. 

Mr.  Courtney  was  married  on  June  i6,  1901  to  Eva  Roberts,  daughter 
of  George  and  Osia  (Stutson)  Roberts,  of  Williamsburg,  Indiana.  The 
father  was  born  in  the  last  named  city  and  always  lived  there,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  three  years  service  in  the  Civil  war,  as  a  member  of  the  Sixty-ninth 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.     Both  her  parents  are  now  deceased. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  one  son  has  been  born,  George  William 
Courtney. 

Politically,  Mr.  Courtney  is  a  Republican,  but  he  has  never  sought  to  be 
a  public  man.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
having  joined  in  1890,  Spartanburg  Lodge,  also  belongs  to  the  Encampment. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  is  active  in 
church  work. 


HON.  LEANDER  J.  MONKS. 

Indiana  has  been  especially  honored  in  the  character  and  career  of  her 
public  and  professional  men.  In  every  county  there  have  been  found  indi- 
viduals born  to  leadership  in  the  various  vocations  and  professions,  men  who 
have  dominated  not  alone  by  superior  intelligence  and  natural  endowment, 
but  by  innate  force  of  character  which  has  minimized  discourag^ients  and 
dared  great  undertakings.  It  is  always  profitable  to  study  such  lives,  weigh 
their  motives  and  hold  up  their  achievements  as  incentives  to  greater  activity 
and  higher  excellence .  on  the  part  of  others  just  entering  upon  their  first 
struggles  with  the  world.  Standing  out  distinctly  as  one  of  the  central 
figures  of  the  judiciary  of  Indiana  is  the  name  of  Hon.  Leander  J.  Monks, 
whose  home  is  in  Winchester  but  who  maintains  an  office  in  Indianapolis. 
As  a  lawyer  he  has  won  a  reputation  for  distinguished  service  second  to  none 
of  his  contemporaries,  and  as  a  jurist  of  the  highest  type  and  a  man  of  sub- 
limated integrity  and  honor,  for  many  years  judge  of  the  circuit  and  supreme 
courts,  he  has  made  a  deep  impress  upon  the  history  of  this  state  of  which 
he  is  one  of  her  distinguished  and  honored  native  sons.  He  is  a  worthy  and 
conspicuous  member  of  a  striking  group  of  public  men  whose  influence  in 
civic  and  social  life  as  well  as  in  professional  circles  of  the  state  has  been  of 
a  most  beneficent  order.  Wearing  the  judicial  ermine  with  becoming  dignity 
and  bringing  to  every  case  submitted  to  him  a  clearness  of  perception  and 
ready  power  of  analysis  characteristic  of  the  learned  and  unbiased  jurist,  his 
name  and  work  for  years  have  been  allied  with  the  legal  institutions,  public 


^^Z^^v^^o/iA^  fX((h^ 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  II25 

enterprises  and  political  interests  of  the  state  in  such  a  way  as  to  earn  him 
recognition  as  one  of  the  most  influential  citizens  in  a  state  noted  for  the  high 
order  of  its  talent.  A  high  purpose  and  unconquerable  will,  vigorous  mental 
powers,  diligent  study  and  devotion  to  duty  are  some  of  the  means  by  which 
he  has  made  himself  eminently  useful,  and  every  ambitious  youth  who  fights 
the  battle  of  life  with  the  prospect  of  ultimate  success  may  peruse  with  profit 
the  biography  herewith  presented. 

Judge  Monks  was  born  in  Winchester,  Indiana,  July  lo,  1843,  ^"^^  is  the 
eldest  son  of  George  W.  and  Mary  A.  (Irvin)  Monks.  George  W.  Monks 
was  born  near  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  April  25,  1814.  In  1820  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana  where  the  future  home  of  the  family 
was  established,  this  locality  being  at  that  time  a  very  sparsely  settled  wilder- 
ness and  here  the  grandparents  of  the  future  jurist  endured  the  usual  priva- 
tions and  hardships  incident  to  pioneer  life  on  the  frontier,  but  they  were 
courageous  and  industrious  and  in  due  course  of  time  were  comfortably  estab- 
lished. Amid  such  a  primitive  environment  George  W.  Monks  grew  to 
manhood  and  received  such  educational  advantages  as  were  possible  in  those 
early  times.  In  1839,  while  still  almost  a  boy,  he  was  nominated  by  the 
Whig  party  as  a  candidate  for  clerk  of  Randolph  county  and  elected  by  a 
large  majority.  He  filled  the  office  so  satisfactorily  that  he  was  re-elected 
in  1846  and  served  until  1853.  In  1854  the  Republican  party  was  organized 
in  this  county  by  the  coalition  of  the  Anti-slavery  and  Free  Soil  parties,  and 
Mr.  Monks  was  the  first  Republican  nominee  from  Randolph  county  for  a 
legislative  office.  He  was  elected  and  took  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  session 
of  1854-55.  He  had  studied  law,  and,  after  his  admission  to  the  bar,  he  was 
associated  in  the  practice  for  a  short  time  with  Carey  S.  Goodrich,  subse- 
quently entering  into  partnership  with  Judge  James  Brown,  with  whom  he 
continued  successfully  until  his  death.  He  was  industrious  and  energetic. 
He  was  charitably  inclined  and  materially  assisted  many  in  need  of  help,  for, 
after  providing  well  for  his  family,  he  had  no  inclination  to  hoard  his  large 
income,  and  many  lives  were  made  brighter  and  better  through  his  assistance 
and  encouragement.  He  was  a  man  of  exemplary  character  and  in  every  way 
merits  the  universal  esteem  which  was  so  long  accorded  him.  He  did  a 
great  deal  toward  the  upbuilding  of  the  county  in  its  earlier  history. 

George  W.  Monks  united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  1843, 
and  remained  faithful  to  its  principles  the  rest  of  his  life,  carrying  his  religion 
into  his  every-day  affairs.  He  donated  to  the  grounds  in  Winchester  upon 
which  is  located  the  present  church  building  of  this  denomination,  and  also 


I  I  26  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

the  parsonage  lot.  He  joined  the  Masonic  order  at-  Winchester  in  1845. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture  for  a  number  of  years 
and  was  active  in  the  work  of  the  same. 

George  W.  Monks  was  twice  married,  first  to  Belinda  A.  Hulett.  To 
this  union  one  child  was  born,  Charles  N.  Monks,  a  well  known  citizen  of 
Randolph  county.  His  second  marriage  was  to  Mary  A.  Irvin  and  of  this 
marriage  there  are  living  three  children,  namely :  Judge  Leander  J.,  sub- 
ject of  this  review;  Minerva  B.,  of  ^lankato,  Minnesota;  and  J.  Irvin,  of 
Bonners  Ferry,  Idaho.  After  the  death  of  his  second  wife  in  1864,  George 
W.  Monks  purchased  land  in  Minnesota,  intending  to  remove  to  that  state 
with  his  children,  but  soon  thereafter  illness  overtook  him  and  he  died  April 
4,  1865,  thus  closing  the  career  of  one  of  the  most  active,  useful  and  honor- 
able citizens  known  in  Randolph  county  in  its  pioneer  period. 

Leander  J.  Monks  grew  to  manhood  in  Winchester  in  which  city  he  ac- 
quired a  good  common  school  education,  and  in  1861  entered  the  State  Uni- 
versity at  Bloomington,  Indiana,  where  he  remained  during  three  school, 
years,  leaving  the  university  in  his  junior  year.  For  some  time  he  had 
been  studying  law  and  was  adm.itted  to  the  bar  in  1865.  He  rose  steadily  in 
his  profession  from  the  first,  and  while  yet  a  young  man  was  called  upon  to 
fill  responsible  and  honorable  public  positions.  In  1870  he  was  chosen  chair- 
man of  the  Republican  Central  Committee  of  Randolph  county,  and  in  1872 
was  again  called  to  the  same  position.  In  1874  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Republican  State  Central  Committee  and  re-elected  in  1876,  was  also  a 
member  of  the  Executive  Committee.  In  1878  he  was  the  Republican  candi- 
date for  judge  of  the  Twenty-fifth  Judicial  Circuit,  composed  of  the  counties 
of  Randolph  and  Delaware,  and  in  view  of  his  candidacy  for  this  office,  de- 
clined the  position  as  a  member  of  the  State  Central  Committee.  Some- 
thing of  his  popularity  in  this  district  will  be  gained  from  the  fact  that  he  was 
elected  judge  without  opposition.  In  1884  he  was  again  nominated  for  the 
office  of  circuit  judge  in  the  same  district,  and  a  third  time  elected  to  the  same 
office  in  1890,  Randolph  county  alone  then  constituting  the  district.  His 
long  retention  in  this  office  is  sufficient  evidence  of  the  confidence  and  trust 
reposed  in  him  by  his  constituents  and  of  his  fairness  and  ability  in  dis- 
charging the  duties  devolving  upon  him.  His  decisions  were  alwavs  char- 
acterized by  uniform  fairness  and  showing  a  profound  knowledge  of  juris- 
prudence in  all  its  ramifications.  He  was  prompt  and  energetic  in  the 
dispatch  of  the  business  of  this  court  and  won  the  hearty  commendation  of  all 
concerned.     In   1894  he  was  a  candidate   for  judge  of  the  supreme  court 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  II27 

from  the  Fouith  District  and  was  elected  in  Xovember  by  a  plurality 
of  over  forty-six  thousand.  His  term  of  office  on  the  supreme  bench  expired 
January  7,  1913,  having  been  commissioned  January  7,  1895,  and  re-elected 
in  1900  and  1906,  thus  serving  eighteen  years  as  supreme  judge,  his  long 
career  on  the  nisi  prius  bench  having  been  in  every  way  successful,  fully 
meeting  the  expectations  of  the  people  of  Indiana,  for  he  came  to  the  supreme 
bench  exceptionally  well  qualified  for  its  exacting  duties  and  responsibilities 
and  from  the  beginning  of  his  judicial  career  his  decisions  were  characterized 
by  a  profound  insight  into  the  law  and  an  earnest  and  conscientious  desire  to 
to  apply  it  impartially ;  so  he  was  not  long  in  gaining  the  confidence  of  the  at- 
torneys and  litigants  and  earning  for  himself  a  reputation  among  the  leading 
jurists  of  the  state. 

In  the  practice  of  his  profession  Judge  Monks  has  been  associated  with 
several  gentlemen  who  have  distinguished  themselves  at  the  Randolph  county 
bar.  First,  in  1865,  he  was  associated  with  Col.  M.  B.  Miller,  which  partner- 
ship was  discontinued  in  1866,  but  re-established  the  following  year  and  con- 
tinued until  1 87 1.  In  November  of  that  year  he  entered  into  partnership  with 
Hon.  E.  L.  Watson,  with  whom  he  practiced  until  July,  1875.  He  then 
formed  partnership  relations  with  W.  A.  Thompson,  which  continued  until 
he  retired  from  practice  in  October,  1878,  when  he  entered  upon  his  illustri- 
ous judicial  career.  The  day  after  leaving  the  bench,  January,  1913,  he 
opened  offices  in  the  Knights  of  Pythias  building,  Indianapolis,  for  the  prac- 
tice of  law,  forming  a  partnership  with  James  P.  Goodrich  and  John  F.  Rob- 
bins  and  H.  C.  Starr  under  the  firm  name  of  Monks,  Robbins,  Starr  &  Good- 
rich, and  this  is  one  of  the  busiest  and  best  known  legal  firms  in  the  state 
capital. 

As  already  indicated  Judge  Monks  is  a  Republican,  and  as  such  has 
been  active  in  public  and  political  affairs  and  an  influential  force  in  his  party, 
not  only  in  local  matters,  but  in  the  larger  and  more  important  theater  of 
state  and  national  politics.  He  comes  of  a  Republican  ancestry,  but  he  does 
not  attribute  to  this  fact  his  strict  adherence  to  the  principles  which  he  sup- 
ports, but  rather  to  history,  also  to  reflection,  judgment  and  conscience,  all 
of  which  have  combined  to  make  him  not  only  an  able  and  judicious  coun- 
selor, but  a  molder  of  public  opinion  and  leader  of  men,  in  what  concerns 
the  best  interests  of  the  body  politic.  While  loyal  to  his  party  to  promote 
its  success,  he  believes  that  a  man  can  be  an  earnest  and  active  politician  and 
ye^be  strictly  honest  in  his  methods  and  above  reproach  in  all  that  he  does 
to  advance  the  interest  of  his  cause.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Indiana  State  Bar 
Association,  and  was  elected  by  that  body  as  a  member  of  the  committee  on 


1 128  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

judicial  procedure,  to  serve  during  the  year  1882.  He  became  a  member  of 
the  Sigma  Chi  fraternity,  when  in  college.  He  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  has  not  departed  from  the  same. 

The  domestic  life  of  Judge  Monks  began  on  August  2,  1865,  when  he 
led  to  the  hymeneal  altar  a  lady  of  culture  and  refinement,  known  in  her 
maidenhood  as  Lizzie  W.  White,  daughter  of  Alexander  and  Margaret  B. 
(Smith)  White,  a  sterling  pioneer  family  of  Randolph  county  where  Mrs. 
Monks  grew  to  womanhood  and  received  a  good  education.  She  was  called 
to  her  eternal  rest  on  April  18,  1908,  after  a  mutually  happy,  helpful  and 
harmonious  married  life  of  nearly  forty-three  years.  She  was  always  a 
favorite  with  a  wide  circle  of  friends  and  influential  in  the  best  circles  of 
Winchester  and  wherever  she  was  known.  The  union  of  the  Judge  and  wife 
was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  four  children,  named  as  follows :  Margaret  mar- 
ried Thomas  J.  Kizer,  and  they  live  in  Indianapolis;  Mary  D.  married  Dr. 
Milo  V  Smith,  of  Winchester;  Alice  and  Agnes,  twins,  the  former  married 
George  L.  Davis,  of  Kokomo,  Indiana;  Agnes  married  William  R.  Hunter, 
and  they  reside  in  Indianapolis.  The  children  are  the  possessors  of  many 
praiseworthy  attributes  of  head  and  heart,  reflecting  the  wholesome  home 
atmosphere  in  which  they  were  reared. 

Judge  Monks  is  a  member  of  Winchester  lodge  No.  56,  of  the  Masonic 
order,  Scottish  Rite,  thirty-second  degree.  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows and  Encampment,  at  Winchester.  Also  of  Columbia  and  Marion  clubs 
of  Indianapolis. 

Personally  Judge  Monks  is  entirely  unassuming,  a  plain,  genial  and  uni- 
formly courteous  gentleman  who  makes  and  retains  friends  without  effort, 
inspiring  the  utmost  confidence  and  respect  in  all  with  whom  he  comes  into 
contact. 


WALTER  G.  PARRY. 


The  biographies  of  successful  men  are  instructive  as  guides  and  incen- 
tives to  those  whose  careers  are  yet  to  be  achieved.  The  examples  they 
furnish  of  patient  purpose  and  consecutive  endeavor  strongly  illustrate  what 
is  in  the  power  of  each  to  accomplish,  if  he  is  willing  to  press  forward  in 
the  face  -of  all  opposition,  refusing  to  be  downed  by  untoward  circumstances, 
thus  making  stepping-stones  of  what  some  would  find  to  be  insurmountable 
stumbling  blocks.  The  gentleman  whose  life  history  is  herewith,  we  hope, 
accurately  and  succinctly  set  forth,  is  a  conspicuous  example  of  one  who4ias 


KANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  '  II29 

lived  to  good  purpose  and  achieved  a  definite  degree  of  success  in  the  special 
sphere  to  which  his  talents  and  energies  have  been  directed. 

Walter  G.  Parry,  one  of  the  leading  attorneys  of  Winchester  and  Ran- 
dolph county,  was  born  in  Richmond,  Indiana,  March  30,  1873.  He  is  a 
son  of  George  and  Anna  (Larsh)  Parry,  both  natives  of  Wayne  county, 
Indiana.  The  Parry  family  came  from  Pennsylvania,  and  the  Larsh  family 
from  New  Jersey,  both  being  pioneer  settlers  of  Wayne  county,  Indiana. 
George  Parry  learned  the  plasterer's  trade  in  early  life,  which  he  followed 
for  some  time,  but  devoted  the  major  portion  of  his  life  to  farming.  The 
family  came  tp  Randolph  county  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago  and  settled 
on  a  farm  near  Lynn,  where  our  subject  lived  until  he  was  seventeen  years  of 
age,  then  removed  to  the  city  of  Winchester  where  he  became  connected  with 
the  offices  of  the  Grand  Rapids  &  Indiana  Railroad,  with  which  he  remained 
for  three  years  in  various  capacities,  at  different  points  along  the  line. 

On  October  18,  1891  Mr.  Parry  married  Hattie  Belle  Monks,  a  daughter 
of  Richard  and  Margaret  (Fraze)  Monks,  of  Winchester.  To  this  union 
two  sons  were  born,  Robert  L.,  and  James  R.  The  elder  is  associated  with 
his  father;  the  younger  is  attending  school. 

Mr.  Parry  received  the  equivalent  of  a  high  school  education  in  his  youth 
and  this  has  been  materially  added  to  through  close  application  at  home  and 
by  actual  contact  with  the  world.  Deciding  that  his  true  bent  lay  along  legal 
lines  he  entered  the  law  office  of  J.  S.  Engle,  now  judge  of  the  courts.  This 
was  in  1892  and  our  subject  made  rapid  progress,  completing  the  course  in 
shorter  time  than  usual,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1894.  He  then 
formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Engle  which  continued  with  much  success 
until  September,  1899,  when  F.  S.  Caldwell  became  a  member  of  the  firm,  the 
new  firm  continuing  with  growing  business  until  1908  when  Mr.  Engle  was 
elected  to  the  judgeship.  Then  the  firm  of  Caldwell  &  Parry  was  formed 
which  continued  with  satisfactory  results  until  September  i,  191 3  when  Mr. 
Caldwell  became  a  judge  of  the  appellate  court  of  the  state  of  Indiana.  Since 
that  time  Mr.  Parry  has  carried  on  his  practice  alone,  practicing  in  all  the 
state  and  federal  courts.  He  has  been  very  successful  with  all  kinds  of  cases, 
is  careful,  painstaking,  persistent  and  vigilant  and  always  has  the  interest  of 
his  client  at  heart.  He  keeps  fully  abreast  of  the  times  in  all  matters  of  juris- 
prudence and  late  decisions  and  statutes. 

Politically,  he  is  a  Republican  and  has  been  active  and  influential  in 
pubhc  matters.  He  has  three  times  been  secretary  of  the  Republican  County 
Central  Committee,  and  in  the  fall  of  1906  was  elected  mayor  of  the  city  of 


II30  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

Winchester,  and  he  served  one  term,  being  the  first  mayor  under  the  new 
codification,  serving  three  years  and  four  months,  during  which  time  much 
was  done  for  the  permanent  material  and  moral  good  of  the  town.  He  has 
proven  himself  to  be  a  conscientious,  honorable  and  faithful  public  servant. 
He  has  always  actively  participated  in  local,  district  and  state  politics,  and  has 
been  a  frequent  delegate  to  county,  district  and_ state  conventions.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  he  and  his  family  affiliate  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Randolph  club  and  an 
earnest  advocate  of  good,  healthy  athletics,  and  a  thoroughly  public-spirited 
gentleman. 

The  first  brick  street  paving  in  Winchester  was  done  durirrg  Mr.  Parry's 
administration  as  mayor,  and  was  brought  about  largely  through  his  influence. 


WILLIAM  Y.  PUCKETT. 

This  well-known  citizen  is  another  of  the  old  soldiers  who  went  out 
to  fight  their  country's  -battles  a  half  century  ago.  What  a  splendid  sight 
it  is  at  the  present  day  to  see  a  company  of  these  honored  veterans  go  by  on 
Decoration  Day  or  the  Fourth  of  July,  in  their  blue  uniforms  and  their  bat- 
tered flags  flying.  But  they  will  all  be  gone  in  a  few  more  years,  and  noth- 
ing will  be  left  but  a  memory.  That  memory  should  be  something  more  than 
a  sound.  Their  deeds  should  be  perpetuated  in  song  and  story,  in  monument 
and  perpetual  commemoration,  so  that  future  generations  may  draw  inspira- 
tion from  their  patriotism  and  gallantry. 

William  Y.  Puckett,  of  Winchester,  Randolph  county,  has  had  an  emin- 
ently successful,  active  and  useful  business  career.  He  has  played  his  part 
well  in  the  general  development  of  his  town  and  county,  and  as  a  result  of  his 
public  spirit,  his  genial  address  and  obliging  nature  he  enjoys  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  all  who  know  him,  having  a  wide  acquaintance  throughout  the 
locality  of  which  this  volume  treats.  He  was  born  in  Winchester,  Indiana, 
February  23,  1843.  He  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  and  Sarah  (McNees)  Puckett. 
The  father  came  with  his  parents,  Joseph  and  Mary  Puckett,  when  a  small 
boy.  from  their  home  in  Pennsylvania,  having  made  the  long  overland  journey 
in  wagons  when  most  of  the  states  comprising  the  Middle  West  were  only 
sparsely  settled.  This  family  located  on  a  farm  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana, 
near  the  town  of  Buena  Vista.  The  father  was  a  physician,  was  very  popular 
among  the  pioneers,  practicing  in  Winchester  for  a  period  of  thirty-six  years, 
being  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  successful  physicians  in  this  part  of 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  II3I 

the  state  in  his  day  and  generation.  Politically,  he  was  a  Republican  and  was 
active  in  the  affairs  of  his  party.  His  death  occurred  on  September  i8,  1871, 
his  wife  having  preceded  him  to  the  grave  twenty-three  years,  dying  on  July 
23,  1849,  when  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  six  years  old.  He  was  one  of 
six  children  the  others  being  Luther  G.,  of  Winchester;  Jehu  N.,  deceased; 
Hardy  H.,  deceased;  Sarah  and  Mrs.  Adolph  Rocheleau,  both  of  Winchester. 

William  Y.  Puckett  was  reared  in  Winchester  and  here  he  has  been  con- 
tent to  spend  his  life.  He  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  and 
m  the  old  Winchester  Academy.  He  has  engaged  in  various  pursuits.  In 
later  years  he  became  a  general  contractor,  especially  of  sewer  and  street  con- 
struction. He  built  practically  all  of  the  sewerage  system  of  Winchester. 
He  has  been  very  successful  in  a  business  way,  having  managed  well  and  dealt 
fairly  with  his  fellow-men.  He  owns  a  finely  improved  and  producti\e  farm 
of  sixty-one  acres,  four  and  one-half  miles  southwest  of  Winchester  which 
he  superintends. 

Mr.  Puckett  has  been  twice  married,  first,  on  February  23,  1872  to 
Belinda  Monks,  daughter  of  Scott  and  Crestilla  Monks,  an  old  family .  of 
Randolph  county.  To  this  union  two  children  were  born — Benjamin  and 
£dward,  both  now  deceased.  The  death  of  the  wife  and  mother  occurred 
on  August  II,  1883.  On  September  19,  1885  Mr.  Puckett  married  Sarah 
Green,  daughter  of  William  and  Tenie  (Bowers)  Green,  a  highly  respected 
family  of  this  county.  To  this  second  union  one  daughter  was  born,  Bernice 
E.,  who  is  at  home  with  her  parents ;  she  was  graduated  from  the  Winchester 
high  school,  class  of  1912. 

Mr.  Puckett  has  always  been  a  loyal  Republican  and  has  been  active  in 
public  matters  since  reaching  manhood.  He  has  a  most  praiseworthy  record 
as  a  member  of  the  city  council  of  Winchester  for  the  past  twenty-five  years 
during  which  time  he  has  done  as  much  as  any  other  man  for  the  general  up- 
building of  the  city  and  the  protection  of  its  interests.  He  was  instrumental 
in  securing  the  fine  sewerage  system,  good  water  works  for  the  city  and  in 
securing  the  paving  of  all  the  principal  streets  with  brick. 

Mr.  Puckett  was  the  last  president  of  the  town  board  of  Winchester, 
before  it  became  an  incorporated  city. 

During  the  Civil  war  he  enlisted  in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry  for  three  months,  at  the  expiration 
of  which  he  enlisted  in  Company  K,  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-fourth 
regiment  for  one  year,  in  which  he  served  most  faithfully,  until  the  close  of 
the  war,  in  the  army  of  the  Cumberland  and  the  East,  participating  in  many 


1 132  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

hotly  contested  engagements,  but  he  was  never  wounded  or  taken  prisoner. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Nelson  Trusler  Post  No.  60,  Grand  Army  of  the 
RepubHc.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men.  He 
owns  an  attractive  and  well-furnished  home  at  332  South  Main  street,  Win- 
chester, of  which  city  he  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  substantial  citizens. 


SQUIRE  COLUMBUS  BOWEX. 

Success  is  only  achieved  by  the  exercise  of  certain  distinguishing  quali- 
ties and  it  cannot  be  retained  without  effort.  Those  by  whom  great  epoch 
changes  have  been  made  in  the  political  and  industrial  world  began  early  in 
life  to  prepare  themselves  for  their  peculiar  duties  and  responsibilities,  and 
it  was  only  by  the  most  persevering  and  continuous  efforts  that  they  suc- 
ceeded in  rising  superior  to  the  obstacles  in  their  way  and  reaching  the 
goal  of  their  ambition.  Such  lives  are  an  inspiration  to  others  who  are  less 
courageous.  Judging  from  the  record  of  Squire  Columbus  Bowen,  of  Ran- 
dolph county,  he  carefully  laid  the  foundation  in  the  beginning  of  his  career 
for  large  future  success,  much  of  which  he  has  achieved,  as  a  glance  at  his 
life  history  will  indicate. 

Mr.  Bowen  was  born  in  1848  in  Randolph  county.  Indiana,  and  is  the 
youngest  son  of  Ephraim  L.  and  Ruth  (Dwiggins)  Bowen.  The  father  was 
born  in  Greensfork  township,  this  county,  March  20,  1819.  His  parents 
were  Ephraim  and  Hannah  (Hale)  Bowen.  Ephraim,  Sr..  was  born  in 
Lancaster  county,  Pennsyhania,  in  August,  1759,  and  his  wife  was  born  in 
Maryland  in  1777;  they  each  came  to  Ohio  when  }'oung  and  were  married 
there.  They  were  the  first  white  couple  to  settle  in  Randolph  countv.  Indiana, 
having  come  here  on  October  22,  18 14.  They  founded  a  vast  stretch  of 
woods  where  the  axe  had  done  but  little  execution  and  wild  game  of  all 
kinds  was  plentiful.  To  the  senior  Ephraim  Bowen  and  wife  the  following 
children  were  born,  namely:  Catherine,  John.  Xancy,  James  C,  Squire, 
Rebecca,  Hannah,  Rachael  and  Ephraim  L.  Thus  for  an  entire  century 
the  Bowens  have  been  well-known  citizens  of  this  localit}'  which  they  have 
helped  develop. 

Ephraim  L.  Bowen  grew  up  on  the  home  farm  where  he  remained  until 
nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he  married  Ruth  Dwiggins,  who  was  bom  in 
Wayne  count}%  Indiana,  in  1818,  and  was  the  youngest  of  a  familv  of  seven 
children,  namely:  Jane,  Lydia,  Ann,  Sarah,  Mary,  Elizabeth  and  Ruth,  all 
girls.  ^Ir.  Boweri  and  wife  settled  on  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  that  his  father  had  given  him.    Here  he  prospered  as  a  general  farmer 


MRS.  SQT^IRE  C.  BOWEN. 


SQUIUE  C.  BOWEX. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj   INDIANA.  II33 

and  added  to  his  original  farm  until  he  had  three  hundred  and  eighty-five 
acres.  About  1890  he  bought  a  ten-acre  tract  on  which  stood  a  fine  residence 
in  which  he  spent,  the  rest  of  his  life,  retiring  from  active  farming  in  1895, 
and  dying  June  20,  1901.  He  was  twice  married,  and  to  his  first  union  eight 
children  were  born,  named  as  follows :  James,  William  and  John  are  all 
deceased;  Squire  C,  subject  of  this  sketch;  Elizabeth  married  John  C.  Wise; 
Hannah  married  Henry  Wise ;  Elmira  married  James  Peele  and  Jane  mar- 
ried John  W.  Jackson.  After  a  married  life  of  twenty  years  the  mother  of 
the  above  named  children  died,  August  5,  1858.  Just  prior  to  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Civil  war  in  the  early  sixties,  Mr.  Bowen  married  Mrs. 
Anna  J.  Corbett,  widow  of  Alfred  T.  Corbett  and  daughter  of  John  and 
Mildred  (Tharp)  Thompson.  She  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  December 
16,  1827,  and  came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  with  her  parents  when  a 
child.  To  this  second  union  four  children  were  born,  all  of  whom  are  de- 
ceased, namely:  Julian  M.  died  in  1885,  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years; 
Rosa  died  in  1914;  Lula  died  in  1887,  and  Clarence  E.,  whose  death  occurred 
in  1892.    The  mother  of  these  children  passed  away  in  1899. 

Throughout  his  life  Ephraim  L.  Bowen  took  a  lively  interest  in  public 
improvements,  and  contributed  largely  to  the  enterprises  having  for  their 
object  the  ultimate  benefit  of  the  county.  He  never  felt  political  ambition, 
but  yet  consented  to  serve  his  fellow  citizens  as  trustee  three  terms  and  as 
assessor  two  terms.  He  was  a  Republican,  was  a  pronounced  anti-slavery 
advocate  in  earlier  years,  and  became  one  of  the  first  adherents  of  the  Re- 
publican party  upon  its  organization.  He  was  a  worker  for  temperance  and 
in  his  daily  life  fully  exemplified  the  principles  he  held.  As  a  member  of  the 
Christian  cliurch  he  led  a  consistent  life,  and  as  a  worthy  citizen  none  stood 
higher  than  he  in  the  community  in  which  he  lived.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  was  identified  with  Bethel  lodge,  No.  250.  He 
helped  all  his  children  to  a  good  start  in  the  world  and  he  was  proud  of  his 
many  grandchildren  and  great-grandchildren. 

Squire  C.  Brown  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  in  Greensfork 
township  and  received  a  common  school  education.  He  has  devoted  his 
active  life  to  general  farming  and  stock  raising  and  has  been  exceptionally 
successful.  He  is  now  owner  of  two  valuable  and  well  improved  farms  of 
two  hundred  and  seventy-five  acres  and  desirable  property  in  Spartanburg. 
He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Greensfork  Township  Bank  and  the  Lynn  Banking 
Company.  Ele  has  been  very  successful  in  his  life  work  and  is  one  of  the 
substantial  and  progressive  citizens  of  his  locality. 
(72) 


1 134  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

Politically,  Mr.  Bowen  is  a  Republican,  but  has  never  been  especially- 
active  in  public  affairs.     Religiously,  he  belongs  to  the  Christian  church. 

Mr.  Bowen  was  married  on  March  7,  1885,  to  Philena  Ross,  who  was 
born  in  Greensfork  township,  this  county,  March  18,  1854.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  Timothy  and  Susannah  Ross.  The  father  was  born  in  1819  in  Virginia 
where  he  spent  his  early  years,  finally  coming  to  Indiana  and  locating  in 
Randolph  county  where  his  death  occurred  in  1865.  His  wife  was  born  in 
Greensfork  township,  this  county,  February  12,  1826,  and  died  September 
9,  1895.  Mrs.  Bowen  grew  to  womanhood  in  her  native  community  and  re- 
ceived a  common  school  education. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  three  children  were  born,  named  as  follows : 
Florence  Ruth,  born  January  14,  1886,  and  married  Lester  Taylor.  They  are 
the  parents  of  two  children,  Mervyn  Bowen  Taylor  and  Squire  Lesle}'  Tay- 
lor; Harry  E.,  was  born  December  21,  1889  and  died  November  9,  1907, 
age  17  years,  10  months,  18  days,  and  Wanda  E.,  was  born  April  26,  1892 
and  -died  January  28,  1893,  age  9  months,  2  days. 


GEORGE  W.  BROWNE. 


In  the  course  of  a  long,  industrious  and  interesting  life,  George  W. 
Browne,  now  living  in  retirement  in  his  attractive  and  modernly  appointed 
home  in  Winchester,  Randolph  county,  has  learned  many  valuable  lessons  and 
has  been  of  great  help  to  those  with  whom  he  has  come  into  contact.  The  rea- 
son he  has  been  able  to  give  up  the  active  duties  of  life  at  an  earlier  age  than 
many  men  is  because  he  has  always  been  persistent  and  energetic,  at  the  same 
time  using  his  thinking  powers.  He  has  kept  abreast  of  the  times  in  all  that 
pertained  to  his  chosen  line  of  endeavor — agriculture  and  stock  raising — and 
he  is  one  of  our  most  substantial  and  large  land  owners.  During  his  resi- 
dence here  of  thirty-five  years  he  has  done  much  for  the  general  upbuilding  of 
White  River  township  and  has  so  ordered  his  life  as  to  gain  and  retain  the 
good  will  and  esteem  of  all. 

Mr.  Browne  hails  from  the  "dark  and  bloody  ground"  country,  his 
ancestors  having  been  excellent  Kentucky  stock,  and  his  birth  occurred  in 
Bourbon  county,  that  state,  February  4,  1849.  He  is  a  son  of  John  A.  and 
Ellen  (Whaley)  Browne.  When  our  subject  was  about  three  years  old  the 
family  moved  from  Bourbon  county  to  Grant  county,  Kentucky,  where  he 
grew  to  manhood,  assisting  his  father  with  the  general  work  on  his  farm 
there.    In  the  meantime  he  attended  the  country  schools. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  II35 

Mr.  Browne  was  married  in  Grant  county,  Kentucky,  on  December  21, 
1869,  to  Emma  Burroughs,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Elizabeth  (Edmond- 
son)  Burroughs,  and  in  the  fall  of  1878  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Ran- 
dolph county,  Indiana,  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  White  River  township,  and 
here  he  soon  became  a  leading  farmer  and  stock  man,  developing  one  of  the 
choice  farms  of  the  township.  His  land  now  consists  of  four  hundred  and 
eighty  acres,  all  in  White  River  township.  It  is  well  improved  in  every  re- 
spect, fertile,  and  on  it  stand  substantial  and  convenient  buildings.  For  many 
years  he  was  one  of  the  largest  stock  feeders  of  the  community.  In  1907  he 
left  the  farm  and  moved  to  Winchester  where  he  owns  a  fine  residence  at 
524  South  Meridian  street.  He  has  earned  his  splendid  estate  through  his 
own  efforts,  the  exercise  of  sound  judgment,  proper  principles  and  industry, 
and  has  the  name  of  having  always  dealt  honestly  with  his  fellow  men. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Browne  nine  children  have  been  born,  namely:  John 
W.  is  married  and  is  farming  in  White  River  township;  Thomas  G.  is  alsa 
f arming  in  this  township;  Charles  N.  is  married  and  living  in  Winchester; 
Minnie  and  Mary  are  at  home ;  Frank  M.  is  married  and  is  farming  in  White 
River  township;  Sarah  is  at  home;  Eva  is  now  the  wife  of  Robert  Jackson, 
a  farmer  of  this  township;  Bonnie  is  at  home. 

Politically,  Mr.  Browne  has  always  been  a  Republican,  but  he  has  never 
sought  or  held  public  office.  He  is  a  brother  of  General  Thomas  Browne, 
who,  for  several  terms,  represented  this  district  in  Congress  and  was  for 
many  years  one  of  the  leading  men  of  this  section  of  Indiana. 


EDGAR  L.  MONKS. 


Deeds  are  thoughts  crystallized,  and  according  to  their  brilliancy  do  we 
judge  the  worth  of  a  man  to  the  country  which  produced  him,  and  in  his 
works  we  expect  to  find  the  true  index  to  his  character.  The  study  of  the 
life  of  the  American  representative  never  fails  to  offer  much  of  pleasing 
interest  and  valuable  instruction,  developing  a  mastering  of  expedients  which 
have  brought  about  most  wonderful  results.  Edgar  L.  Monks,  well-known 
groceryman  in  Winchester  for  many  years,  now  engaged  in  the  loan,  real 
estate  and  instirance  business  here,  is  a  worthy  representative  of  that  type  of 
American  character  and  of  that  progressive  spirit  which  promotes  public 
good  in  advancing  individual  prosperity  and  conserving  popular  interests. 
Members  of  the  Monks  family  have  long  been  prominently  identified  with 
the  affairs  of  Randolph  county,  and  while  their  endeavors  along  material  lines 


1 136  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

have  brought  them  success  they  also  advanced  the  general  welfare"  by  ac- 
celerating industrial  activity. 

Mr.  Monks  was  born  December  15,  1868  in  White  River  township,  Ran- 
dalph  county.  He  is  a  son  of  Charles  N.  and  Evoline  (Reed)  Monks,  both 
parents  born  in  the  same  township  and  county,  mentioned  above,  each  repre- 
senting sterling  old  pioneer  families,  and  here  they  grew  to  maturity,  re- 
ceived such  educational  advantages  as  the  early-day  schools  afforded,  and 
here  they  were  married,  and  here  they  spent  their  lives  successfully  engaged 
-in  general  agricultural  pursuits.  The  death  of  Charles  N.  Monks  occurred 
on  February  12,  1900.  His  widow  is  still  living  on  the  old  home  farm  in 
Washington  township.  Besides  our  subject  they  were  the  parents  of  one 
other  child,  Nathan  R.  who  is  operating  the  home  farm. 

Edgar  L.  Monks  grew  to  manhood  on  the  farm  and  assisted  his  father 
with  the  general  work  during  crop  seasons,  and  during  the  winter  months  he 
attended  the  district  schools,  later  the  Valparaiso  State  Normal.  He  began 
life  for  himself  by  teaching  in  the  district  schools  of  the  county,  which  he 
continued  with  great  success  for  a  period  of  ten  years,  his  services  being  in 
much  demand.  Finally  tiring  of  the  school  room  he  turned  his  attention  to 
the  grocery  business  in  Winchester  for  a  period  of  five  years,  during  which 
he  enjoyed  an  excellent  trade  as  a  result  of  his  fair  and  courteous  dealings 
with  his  many  customers,  and  he  always  carried  a  good  line  of  fancy  and 
staple  groceries.  In  1906  he  discontinued  the  grocery  business  and  engaged 
in  the  loan,  real  estate  and  insurance  business  in  Winchester,  with  ofifices  in 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  building,  and  he  has  built  up  a  large  and  growing 
business. 

Mr.  Monks  was  married  three  times,  first,  on  June  30,  1894,  to  May  Chap- 
man, daughter  of  William  and  Ellen  (Kizer)  Chapman,  of  Winchester.  To 
this  union  one  son  was  born.  Reed  C,  now  a  high  school  student.  The  wife 
and  mother  died  April  13,  1899.  On  January  15,  1906  Mr.' Monks  married 
Sarah  F.  Bales,  daughter  of  William  D.  and  Rebecca  (Jackson)  Bales,  of 
Randolph  county.  She  survived  but  a  few  months,  her  death  occurring  on 
July  9,  1906.  Our  subject's  last  marriage  took  place  on  October  29,  1909, 
when  he  espoused  Sarah  J.  Heaston,  daughter  of  Abram  and  Margaret 
(Mclntire)  Heaston,  both  old  pioneers  families. 

Mr.  Monks  owns  a  good  farm  in  \\'^ashington  township  to  which  he  gives 
considerable  attention  in  addition  to  his  other  business. 

Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  also  belongs 
to  the  Sons  of  Veterans,  by  virtue  of  the  fact  that  his  father  was  a  gallant 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  11.37 

soldier  for  a  period  of  three  years  in  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil  war, 
a  member  of  Company  C,  Sixty-ninth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  Our  sub- 
ject is  a  Republican  and  he  has  long  been  active  in  the  affairs  of  his  party, 
but  never  an  office  seeker. 


THOMAS  F.  MOORMAN. 

The  name  of  Thomas  F.  Moorman,  banker,  agriculturist  and  all-around 
man  of  affairs  needs  no  introduction  to  the  readers  of  this  volume,  he  having 
for  a  number  of  decades  been  one  of  the  leading  financiers  in  this  section  of 
Indiana,  one  of  this  county's  most  deserving  and  representative  native  sons 
and  one  who  has  done  much  toward  the  later-day  progress  of  the  city  of 
Winchester.  Mr.  Moorman's  extensive  business  interests  are  the  legitimate 
fruitage  of  consecutive  effort,  directed  and  controlled  by  good  judgment  and 
correct  moral  principles.  He  has  forged  his  way  to  the  front  over  obstacles 
that  would  have  thwarted  men  of  less  heroic  mettle,  gradually  extending  the 
limits  of  his  intellectual  horizon  until  he  is  not  only  one  of  the  leading  busi- 
ness men  of  his  county  but  also  one  of  the  most  symmetrically  developed 
mentally,  having  always  been  a  student  and  kept  fully  abreast  of  the  times,  and 
one  of  the  most  influential  in  civic  and  social  circles.  Taken  as  a  whole  his 
career  presents  a  series  of  continued  successes  rarely  equalled  in  this  local- 
ity. In  the  most  liberal  acceptation  of  the  phrase,  he  is  the  architect  of  his 
own  fortune,  although  springing  from  a  family  of  noted  bankers,  yet  he 
preferred  carving  out  his  own  career  with  as  little  assistance  as  possible, 
and  his  entire  business  record  has  been  such  as  to  entitle  him  to  the  high 
esteem  in  which  he  is  universally  held. 

Mr.  Moorman  was  born  in  Stoney  Creek  township,  Randolph  county, 
Indiana,  May  28,  1852.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  Moorman,  who  was  born 
in  North  Carolina,  March  13,  1815,  and  in  1821  he  was  brought  by  his 
parents  to  Randolph  county.  Indiana,  who  settled  four  miles  west  of  the 
present  city  of  Winchester,  and  were  thus  among  the  earliest  pioneers  of 
this  county.  They  found  here  a  wilderness,  indeed,  where  the  ring  of  the 
axe  had  yet  been  but  little  heard,  for  their  neighbors  were  few  and  far  be- 
tween. Amid  such  an  environment  Thomas  Moorman  grew  to  manhood, 
knowing  the  meaning  of  hard  work  on  the  farm  and  he  was  denied  the 
liberal  education  which  he  so  much  desired.  In  1838  he  entered  land  in 
Stoney  Creek  township,  where  he  was  engaged  successfully  in  farming  until 


1 138  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

1865,  when  he  removed  to  Winchester  and  became  connected  with  the 
Winchester  Bank,  which  connection  he  retained  until  1878,  when  he  be- 
came vice-president  of  the  Farmers  and  Merchants  Bank,  with  which  he 
remained  until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  December  23,  1905. 

On  April  19,  1838,  Thomas  Moorman  married  Eunice  Diggs,  who 
was  born  on  a  farm  two  miles  west  of  Winchester,  April  19,  1821..  She  was 
a  daughter  of  William  Diggs,  who  was  an  early  settler  of  this  county.  Her 
death  occurred  December  9,  1892.  *  She  was  a  woman  of  beautiful  Christian 
faith  and  fortitude.  Seven  children  were  born  to  Thomas  and  Eunice 
Moorman,  namely:  Thomas  P.,  subject  of  this  sketch;  Tarlton  W.,  born 
April  II,  1839,  died  September  22,  i860;  Agnes,  born  April  30,  1842,  died 
October  13,  i860;  William  D.,  born  August  25,  1844,  died  December  26, 
1848;  Hannah  married  William  P.  Marlatt,  who  became  an  employee  of  the 
government  at  Indianapolis;  she  was  born  April  30,  1848;  Hiram  D.,  born 
March  7,  1855 ;  William  A.,  born  January  5,  i860,  became  a  banker  at  Port- 
land, Indiana. 

Thomas  F.  Moorman,  of  this  review,  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native 
county  and  received  his  early  education  in  the  schools  of  Winchester,  which 
he  attended  until  eighteen  years  of  age;  he  then  went  to  Richmond,  Indiana, 
for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  a  more  extended  education,  but  was  compelled 
by  illness  to  abandon  the  plan,  and  consequently  he  returned  home  to  labor 
upon  the  farm,  and  he  continued  general  farming  until  1872,  when  he  lo- 
cated in  Winchester,  assuming  a  position  in  the  Winchester  Bank.  Upon 
the  organization  of  the  Farmers  and  Merchants  Bank,  in  1878,  he  was 
elected  cashier,  which  responsible  position  he  held  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
stockholders  and  patrons  of  the  bank  until  the  expiration  of  its  charter,  in 
1898,  or  a  period  of  twenty  years.  During  that  time  he  did  much  to  in- 
crease' the  prestige  and  substantial  growth  of  the  institution,  rendering  it 
one  of  the  sound  and  safe  banks  of  this  section  of  the  state,  and  to  his  good 
management  and  financial  experience  belongs  the  credit  of  taking  the  bank 
successfully  through  the  panics  of  1882  and  1893.  He  has  also  long  been 
interested  in  a  bank  at  Union  City,  Randolph  county,  and  in  one  in  Port- 
land, Indiana,  and  he  is  still  a  director  in  the  Farmers  and  Merchants 
Bank,  of  which  he  declined  to  continue  as  cashier  when  the  bank  was  re- 
organized in  1898.  Aside  from  the  banking  business,  he  is  also  interested 
in  agriculture,  owning  three  large,  productive  and  well-improved  farms  in 
Randolph  county,  and  has  considerable  valuable  city  property.  At  one  time 
he  owned  farming  land  of  more  than  one  thousand  acres.     His  three  farms, 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  1 1 39 

which  lie  in  White  River  and  Washington  townships,  contain  over  five  hun- 
dred acres.  Since  1908  his  large  agricultural  interests  have  occupied  his 
time  and  attention  almost  exclusively,  and  he  has  carried  on  general  farm- 
ing and  stock  raising  on  an 'extensive  scale.  In  1893  he  erected  the  magni- 
ficent and  substantial  block  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the  public  square  in 
Winchester,  which  is  still  one  of  the  best  commercial  blocks  in  the  city,  and 
he  has'  a  beautiful  home  at  414  South  Main  street  He  also  erected  the 
Masonic,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Red  Men's  blocks. 

Mr.  Moorman  was  married  December  4,  1877,  to  Elvira  A.  Hiatt,  a 
lady  of  many  estimable  characteristics.  She  is  a  daughter  of  A.  R.  and 
Mary  A.  (Clark)  Hiatt,  the  former  for  many  years  one  of  the  highly  re- 
spected and  influential  merchants  of  Randolph  county,  where  Mrs.  Moor- 
man grew  to  womanhood  and  received  her  education.  Allen  R.  Hiatt  was 
born  February  20,  1829,  and  died  October  22,  1910.  Mary  A.  (Clark) 
Hiatt  was  born  November  8,  1829,  and  died  April  29,  191 2.  Mrs.  Moor- 
man was  born  near  Winchester,  September  21,  1851.  To  our  subject  and 
wife  three  children  have  been  born,  all  of  whom  graduated  from  the  Win- 
chester high  school,  namely:  Walter  H.,  born  March  4,  1879,  married 
Otho  F.  Farlow,  and  his  death  occurred  September  2,j,  1907;  Herbert  R., 
born  December  28,  1883,  married  Nellie  Butler,  and  he  is  an  electric  engi- 
neer in  the  employ  of  the  New  York  Telephone  Company,  stationed  at 
Buffalo,  New  York;  Lester  F.,  born  November  2,  1887,  married  Horace 
^Marshall ;  he  is  a  rising  young  lawyer  of  Indianapolis. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  F.  Moorman  are  leading  members  of  the  Society 
of  Friends,  of  which  he  became,  years  ago,  treasurer  of  the  quarterly  meet- 
ing, and  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  yearly  meeting,  and  has  been  a  member 
of  the  board  of  trustees  for  over  thirty  years.  Politically,  he  is  an  ardent 
Republican  and  has  been  deeply  interested  in  public  matters,  and  he  served 
two  terms  in  the  city  council.  He  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason,  and  has 
filled  all  the  chairs  in  the  lodges,  and  for  two  years  was  worthy  patron  of  the 
Eastern  Star.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows and  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  To  show  the  undoubted  confidence  the 
philanthropist,  James  Moorman,  had  in  him,  it  may  be  well  to  state  that  he 
was  appointed  administrator  of  the  philanthropist's  estate,  which  was  valued 
at  over  a  half  million  dollars,  and  was  also  elected  by  the  testator  as  one 
of  the  trustees  of  the  Orphans'  Home,  which  is  located  just  west  of  Win- 
chester. He  is  a  plain,  unostentatious  gentleman,  charitable,  broad-minded, 
genial  and  neighborly. 


II40  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

HENRY  WISE. 

Although  born  under  alien  skies  and  taught  to  revere  a  flag  other  than 
the  Stars  and  Stripes,  nevertheless  Henry  Wise,  one  of  the  venerable  agri- 
culturists and  public-spirited  citizens  of  Randolph  county,  loved  his  adopted 
country  so  well  that  he  risked  his  •  health,  business  chances,  even  life 
itself,  in  our  great  war  between  the  states  that  the  national  union  njight  not 
be  disrupted;  and  this  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  when  we  learn  that  he  comes 
of  a  sterling  race  that  produced  the  redoubtable  Iron  Chancellor,  universally 
regarded  as  one  of  the  greatest  statesmen  of  the  world,  past  or  present,  in  other 
words,  he  came  of  a  race  of  fighters  in  periods  of  war,  when  the  fabled  Mars 
strides  menacingly  up  and  down  the  welkin.  But  men  who  have  such  stick-to- 
itive  qualities  that  they  seldom  give  up  any  undertaking  until  the  coveted  goal 
is  reached  cannot  be  other  than  helpful  and  successful  wherever  they  deign  to 
cast  their  lots ;  therefore,  the  German  people  have  been  of  great  assistance  to 
us  in  forwarding  our  civilization,  in  clearing  the  wilderness  from  the  various 
states  of  the  Union,  in  conquering  our  enemies  and  building  solidly  the  foun- 
dations of  our  various  institutions. 

Mr.  Wise  was  born  May  5,  1838,  at  Oppenrod,  Germany,  and  is  a  son  of 
Melchiar  and  Elizabeth  (Fellig)  Wise,  both  natives  of  the  Fatherland,  where 
they  grew  to  maturity,  were  educated  and  married  and  there  spent  their 
lives  engaged  in  farming.  There  also  Henry  Wise  grew  to  manhood  and  at- 
tended school,  and  when  about  sixteen  years  of  age  he  emigrated  to  the 
United  States,  reaching  our  shores  on  February  11,  1854.  He  came  to  the 
central  states  and  found  work  in  a  foundry  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he 
remained  six  months,  then  took  up  carpentering  at  Greenville,  that  state, 
for  a  year  and  one-half,  after  which  he  farmed  six  months,  then  came  to 
Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  here  worked  on  a  farm  and  attended  school. 
At  the  age  of  twenty  years  he  rented  a  farm,  but  met  with  bad  luck  and  be- 
gan working  by  the  month  again  and  continued  going  to  school,  but  he 
has  engaged  contiijuously  in  general  farming  and  stock  raising  ever  since 
with  the  exception  of  the  war  period.  However,  he  is  now  living  practically 
retired. 

Mr.  Wise  enlisted  August  19,  1862,  in  Company  F,  Sixty-ninth  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  saw  much  hard  service,  but  proved  to  be  an  ex- 
cellent soldier.  He  was  in  the  battle  at  Richmond,  Kentucky,  Chickasaw 
Bayou,  Siege  of  Vicksburg  and  the  battles  incident  to  the  same,  was  on  a 
campaign  through  Arkansas,  then  fought  at  Carthage,  afterwards  was  sent 
to  Texas  and  was  in  the  Red  River  expedition,  then  fought  at  Natchez,  was 


HANXAII   L.   WISE 


HENRY  WISE. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  1141 

in  the  Mobile  campaign,  also  that  of  Pensacola,  Florida.  It  was  his  regi- 
ment that  opened  the  famous  Vicksburg  campaign  under  General  Grant.  He 
relates  very  vividly  the  awful  scenes  of  that  siege.  He  was  honorably  dis- 
charged at  Mobile,  Alabama,  July  5,  1865.  He  was  never  wounded  or  cap- 
tured, but  sustained  an  injury  to  his  left  shoulder  by  a  fall.  After  returning 
home  he  resumed  farming  and  was  successful  with  advancing  years,  and  at  one 
time  owned  three  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  and  large  herds  of  good 
stock.  Old  age  coming  on,  he  being  now  seventy-five  years  old,  he  discon- 
tinued active  farming  and  has  lived  practically  retired  for  the  past  ten  years, 
now  owning  but  ninety  acres  of  land,  which  is  all  he  cares  to  manage.  He  ' 
has  a  good  home  and  well  improved  farm  and  is  very  comfortably  fixed  in  his 
declining  years  as  a  result  of  his  good  management  and  hard  work  of  for- 
mer days.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican  and  was  the  first  member  of  the 
Greensfork  township  advisory  board.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
church. 

Mr.  Wise  was  married  August  18,  1862,  to  Hannah  L.  Bowen,  who  was 
born  in  Greensfork  township,  Randolph  county.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Eph- 
raim  L.  Bowen  and  wife,  who  live  on  the  farm  in  this  township  which  was 
entered  from  the  government  by  his  grandfather,  and  here  Mrs.  Wise  grew 
to  womanhood  and  had  the  usual  educational  advantages  of  the  early  days 
here.  To  our  subject  and  wife  the  following  children  have  been  born :  Elnora, 
wife  of  Michael  Lahey;  John  married  Dora  Moore;  Elizabeth  is  the  wife 
of  John  Hart;  Hattie  is  the  wife  of  Uriah  Dowlar;  'Ulrie  married  Minnie 
Powder;  Florence,  deceased.  The  Wise  family  belongs  to  the  agricultural 
class  and  are  each  substantial  citizens  and  owners  of  well-improved  homes. 


NATHAN  U.   STRAHAN. 

It  is  a  good  sign  when  a  county  like  Randolph  can  boast  of  so  many  of 
her  enterprising  agriculturists,  business  men  and  public  officials  who  are 
native  sons,  for  it  indicates  that  here  are  to  be  found  all  the  opportunities 
necessary  to  insure  success  in  the  material  affairs  of  life  and  that  her  native 
sons,  unlike  so  many  from  various  sections,  have  found  it  to  their  advan- 
tage to  remain  at  home.  .They  have  been  wise  in  doing  this  for  nature  has 
offered  the  husbandman  unusual  advantages  here  and  seldom  fails  to  reward 
the  honest  worker  with  gratifying  results,  and  when  the  tillers  of  the  soil  are 
prosperous,  all  lines  of  business  flourish,  consequently  not  only  the  farmers 
succeed  in  the  locality  of  which  this  volume  treats,  but  also  the  merchants 


1 142  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

millers,  lumbermen,  stock  dealers,  and  others,  and  the  county  ranks  well  with 
the  thriving  sections  of  this  or  any  other  state. 

One  of  our  well-known,  successful  and  useful  native  sons  is  Nathan  U. 
Strahan,  ex-sheriff  of  the  county,  who  was  born  on  January  4,  1864  in 
Nettle  Creek  township.  He  is  a  son  of  Samuel  R.  and  Martha  (Hunt) 
Strahan,  both  parents  natives  of  Fleming  county,  Kentucky,  where  they  grew 
to  maturity,  received  such  educations  as  the  early  day  schools  afforded  and 
there  were  married,  and  continued  to  reside  until  in  the  early  fifties  they  left 
the  "dark  and  bloody  ground  country"  and  removed  with  their  three  children 
to  West  River  township,  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  but  soon  afterward 
moved  to  Nettle  Creek  township.  There  they  became  well  established 
through  their  industry,  working  hard  and  enduring  not  a  few  privations  and 
hardships,  like  most  early  settlers  in  any  country,  but  they  succeeded  never- 
theless. There  Samuel  R.  Strahan  engaged  successfully  in  general  farming 
and  stock  raising.  His  family  consisted  of  eleven  children,  five  of  whom  are 
living,  namely:  Russell  P.,  of  Muncie,  Indiana;  Basil  H.  lives  at  Parker„ 
Randolph  county;  Dr.  Charles  S.  lives  at  Galesburg,  Kansas;  Nathan  U.,  of 
this  review;  Hattie  M.,  who  married  W.  French  lives  in  Indianapolis.  The 
mother  of  these  children  passed  away  in  March,  1896,  the  father  surviving 
until  in  February,  1900. 

Nathan  U.  Strahan  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  in  Nettle  Creek 
township,  being  sixteen  years  of  age  in  1879  when  he  removed  with  the 
family  to  White  River  township,  this  county.  He  received  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  his  locality.  He  remained  on  the  home  place  until  his 
marriage  on  April  2,  1888  to  Mary  E.  Wolfe,  a  daughter  of  John  I.  and 
Malinda  (Pegg)  Wolfe,  a  substantial  Ramdolph  county  family,  and  here 
Mrs.  Strahan  grew  to  womanhood  and  received  her  education.  To  our  sub- 
ject and  wife  four  children  have  been  born,  namely :  Ethel,  Orla,  Verna  and 
Esther,  all  at  home. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Strahan  engaged  in  farming  a  year  and  was  then 
appointed  sexton  of  Fountain  Park  Cemetery,  which  position  he  held  three 
years  with  satisfaction  to  all  concerned.  He  then  went  to  Indianapolis  in 
1892  and  worked  for  a  railroad  company  one  year,  after  which  he  returned 
to  White  River  township,  his  native  county  and  resumed  farming,  finding  the 
country  more  to  his  taste  than  the  hurry  and  worry  of  the  state  capital.  He 
continued  general  farming  and  stock  raising  with  a  large  measure  of  success, 
attending  his  efforts  until  19 10  when  he  was  elected  sheriff  of  Randolph^ 
county.     He  served  two  years  in  this  important  office  in  a  manner  that  re- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  H4j 

fleeted  much  credit  upon  himself  and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  con- 
stituents. Leaving  the  farm  he  removed  to  Winchester  where  he  still  re- 
sides. He  was  at  one  time  assistant  assessor  of  White  River  township,  prov- 
ing to  be  a  most  faithful  and  conscientious  public  official.  Since  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term  of  office  as  sheriff  in  January,  1913  he  has  devoted  his  atten- 
tion to  overseeing  his  finely  improved  and  productive  farm  of  over  two  hun- 
dred acres  in  White  River  township,  two  miles  northwest  of  Winchester. 
Politically  he  has  always  been  a  loyal  Republican,  taking  an  active  part  in 
public  affairs.  He  has  frequently  served  as  a  member  of  the  Republican 
county  committee.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the  Improved  Order  of 
Red  Men,  having  beena  member  of  the  same  for  twenty-three  years.  He  has 
also  been  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Eagle  for  a  period  of 
twenty-one  years,  and  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  for  twelve 
years. 

Mr.  Strahan  is  a  progressive  citizen  and  favors  public  improvements  of 
all  kinds,  good  roads,  schools,  etc. 


JOHN  C.  HENNING. 

Randolph  county  has  been  fortunate  in  the  character  of  her  public  offi- 
cials, as  a  rule,  the  strongest  men  of  the  county  being  elected.  This  is  due  to 
the  fact  that  all  her  citizens  are  public-spirited  and  are  willing  to  do  what- 
ever they  can  to  further  the  best  interests  of  the  county,  not  caring  to  leave 
the  affairs  of  the  same  to  idlers  and  ne'er-do-wells,  so  the  best  citizens  are 
accustomed  to  seek  the  county  offices;  another  thing,  the  voters  of  the  county 
refuse  to  endorse  the  candidacy  of  anyone  who  is  not  a  strong-minded, 
clean-living  man,  one  whom  they  know  they  can  trust  to  look  after  the  best 
interests  of  the  locality. 

John  C.  Henning,  the  present  sheriff  of  Randolph  county,  is  one  of  the 
able  and  popular  county  officials  at  this  writing,  and  although  he  has  been 
incumbent  of  the  office  less  than  a  year,  he  has  shown  himself  to  be  emi- 
nently fitted  for  the  same  and  is  popular  with  his  constituents  and  all  con- 
cerned. He  was  born  September  13,  1861,  in  Darke  county,  Ohio.  He  is  a 
son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Finfock)  Henning.  The  father  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania  and  the  mother  in  Miami  county,  Ohio.  John  Henning  de- 
voted his  life  to  general  farming.  He  left  the  Keystone  state  and  came  to 
Darke  county,  Ohio,  in  1834  with  his  parents,  being  then  six  years  old,  his 


1 144  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

birth  having  occurred  on  May  9,  1828.  He  died  June  23,  191 2.  His  wife 
was  born  in  1837,  and  died  in  March,  1904. 

John  C.  Henning  grew  to  manhood  on  his  father's  farm  and  there  as- 
sisted with  the  general  work  when  a  boy.  He  received  a  practical  education 
in  the  district  schools.  He  was  married  on  December  20,  1883,  to  Mary  C. 
Stump,  a  daughter  of  Adam  and  Catherine  (Cole)  Stump,  of  Darke  county, 
Ohio.  To  this  union  three  sons  have  been  born,  also  an  equal  number  of 
daughters,  named  as  follows :  "Bessie  P.,  now  the  wife  of  Newton  Wilkin- 
son, deputy  sheriff  of  Winchester;  Charles  G.,  of  Hartford  City;  Edith  and 
Flora  are  both  deceased;  John  Raymond  is  telegraph  operator  at  Millgrove, 
Indiana;  James  W.  is  at  home. 

John  C.  Henning  left  Darke  county,  Ohio,  in  1884,  where  he  had  been 
successfully  engaged  in  farming  since  a  young  man,  at  that  time  selling  his 
farm  and  removing  to  Union  City,  Indiana,  where  he  was  on  the  police 
force  from  1906  to  1909,  when  he  was  elected  marshal  of  that  place,  serving 
three  years,  giving  the  people  there  eminent  satisfaction  in  both  positions. 
In  the  fall  of  1912  he  was  elected  sheriff  of  Randolph  county  and  took 
office  January  i,  1913.  He  has  so  far  proven  an  alert,  able  and  conscientious 
officer.     At  that  time  he  moved  to  the  sheriff's  residence  in  Winchester. 

Politically,  Mr.  Henning  is  a  loyal  Democrat  and  active  in  the  affairs 
of  the  party.  He  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  Democrat  elected 
sheriff  of  this  county  since  the  year  1854.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and- Knights  of  the  Golden  Eagle. 


BADER  S.  HUNT,  M.  D. 

The  life  of  the  scholarly  or  professional  man  seldom  exhibits  any  of 
those  striking  incidents  that  seize  upon  public  feeling  and  attract  attention 
to  himself.  His  character  is  generally  made  up  of  the  aggregate  qualities 
and  qualifications  he  may  possess,  as  these  may  be  elicited  by  the  exercise  of 
the  duties  of  his  vocation  or  the  particular  profession  to  which  he  belongs. 
But  when  such  a  man  has  so  impressed  his  individuality  upon  his  fellow 
men  as  to  gain  their  confidence  and  through  that  confidence  rises  to  high  and 
important  standing  he  is  deserving  of  a  great  deal  of  credit.  Dr.  Bader  S. 
Hunt,  of  Winchester,  is  one  of  the  scholarly  men  of  Randolph  county,  who, 
not  content  to  hide  his  talents  amid  life's  sequestered  ways,  has,  by  the  force 
of  will  and  a  laudable  ambition,  forged  to  the  front  in  a  responsible  and 
exacting  calling  and  earned  an  honorable  reputation  in  one  of  the  most  im- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  II45 

portant  branches  of  human  service.  His  Hfe  has  been  one  of  hard  study  and 
research  from  his  youth  and  since  maturity  of  laborious  professional  duty; 
and  the  high  standing  which  he  has  attained  is  evidence  that  he  possesses 
the  qualities  that  afford  the  means  of  distinction  under  a  system  of  govern- 
ment in  which  places  of  honor  and  usefulness  are  open  to  all  who  may  be 
found  worthy  of  them. 

Doctor  Hunt  was  born  December  13,  1868,  near  Union  Port,  Randolph 
county,  Indiana.  He  is  a  son  of  Giles  P.  and  Elmira  (Botkin)  Hunt.  His 
parents  were  born  in  this  county  and  here  grew  to  maturity,  were  educated 
in  the  early-day  schools  and  were  married  here.  The  mother  is  a  daughter 
of  Dr.  J.  W.  Botkin,  also  a  native  of  Randolph  county,  born  in  1819,  and 
was  thus  a  pioneer  child,  and  here  he  practiced  medicine  for  a  period  of 
sixty  years,  a  fine  type  of  the  old  school  doctor.  His  death  occurred  at  the 
age  of  eighty-two  years.  He  was  one  of  the  first  white  children  born  in  this 
locality.  His  daughter,  Elmira,  was  born  September  5,  1847,  ^^^  she  is 
now  living  in  Winchester.  Giles  P.  Hunt  was  born  January  12,  1843,  ^"d 
his  death  occurred  October  30,  1905.  He  was  a  successful  farmer.  Politi- 
cally, he  was  a  Republican.  Pie  was  a  member  of  Company  D,  Sixty-ninth 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  enlisting  in  1861  under  Capt.  John  Ross,  and 
he  served  three  years  in  a  faithful  and  praiseworthy  manner. 

To  Giles  P.  Hunt  and  wife  six  children  were  born,  namely :  Dr.  Bader 
S.,  of  this  sketch ;  Mary  is  the  eldest  daughter ;  Morton  is  deceased ;  Emma  is 
living  at  home;  James  is  deceased;  the  youngest  child  died  in  infancy,  un- 
named. 

Dr.  Bader  S.  Hunt  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  received 
his  early  education  in  the  common  schools,  and  was  graduated  from  the 
Winchester  high  school  in  1889.  He  then  entered  Rush  Medical  College 
in  Chicago,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1894,  and  in  1902  he  took  a 
post-graduate  course  in  the  Chicago  Polyclinic  Institute.  In  1894  he  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Winchester  and  has  remained  here  to  the 
present  time,  enjoying  a  liberal  patronage  from  the  first,  and  he  has  long 
since  taken  his  place  in  the  front  rank  of  leading  medical  men  of  this  section 
of  the  state.  He  practiced  alone  until  1910,  when  his  brother,  Dr.  Morton 
Hunt,  joined  him,  but  his  death  occurred  two  years  later,  and  since  then  our 
subject  has  remained  alone.  He  has  ever  been  a  deep  student  of  all  that 
pertains  to  the  medical  profession  and  is  well  abreast  of  the  times. 

Doctor  Plunt  was  married  October  30,  1894,  to  Winifred  Thomas,  who 
was  born  in  Randolph  county,   September   i,    1870,   and  here  she  grew  to 


1 146  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

womanhood  and  was  educated.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  W.  and  Eliza 
(Aker)  Thomas.  Her  Grandfather  Thomas  came  from  Missouri,  and 
Grandfather  Aker  was  a  native  of  Virginia.  He  located  in  Randolph  county 
in  pioneer  days  and  opened  the  first  store  in  this  locality,  it  being  the  only 
one  between  the  cities  of  Richmond  and  Fort  Wayne.  Mrs.  Hunt,  after 
graduating  from  the  Winchester  high  school  in  1889,  entered  the  Conserva- 
tory of  Music  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  subsequently  took  a  special  course  in 
vocal  music,  also  the  violin,  in  Indianapolis.  She  is  a  talented  musician,  and 
a  lady  of  refinement  and  many  estimable  attributes,  a  favorite  in  the  best 
social  circles  of  the  county. 

The  union  of  the  Doctor  and  wife  has  been  graced  by  the  birth  of  two 
children:  Frances  E.,  born  Februar}'^  5,  1905,  is  attending  school;  and  Mary 
^Martha,  born  June  14,  1909. 

Politically,  Doctor  Hunt  is  a  Republican  and  has  long  been  active  in  the 
ranks  and  influential ;  in  fact,  is  a  local  leader  in  the  party.  He  is  at  present 
ably  and  faithfully  serving  as  state  senator  from  Randolph  and  Jay  counties, 
and  is  making  his  influence  felt  for  the  general  good  of  this  locality,  being 
regarded  by  his  colleagues  as  an  able,  far-seeing  and  conscientious  public 
servant,  and  his  course  so  far  has  been  entirely  satisfactory  to  his  consti- 
tuents. From  1902  to  1906  he  served  Randolph  county  as  health  officer  in 
a  most  faithful  manner.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  city  council  for  the 
past  eight  years,  during  which  he  has  done  much  for  the  general  upbuilding 
of  the  city  of  Winchester. 

Doctor  Hunt  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Randolph  Club :  he  holds  mem- 
bership in  the  Randolph  County  IMedical  Society,  the  Indiana  Medical  So- 
ciety and  the  American  Medical  Association.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  Blue  Lodge  No.  638,  and  is  past  master  of  the  same;  he  also 
belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

Doctor  Hunt  has  not  only  kept  in  close  touch  with  the  trend  of  current 
medical  thought  but  is  also  a  close  student  of  all  social,  political  and  scien- 
tific subjects,  being  broad-minded,  full  of  spirit  and  a  leader  in  the  matters 
relating  to  the  advancement  of  the  community  honored  by  his  citizenship 
and  the  welfare  of  his  fellow  men.  He  is  a  man  of  decided  convictions  on 
all  public  questions,  maintains  his  stand  with  resolute  firmness  and  has  made 
his  influence  felt  in  formulating  and  directing  political  policies,  as  well  as  in 
the  various  official  trusts  with  which  he  has  from  time  to  time  been  honored. 
He  is  a  plain  and  unassuming  gentleman,  yet  possessing  that  innate  dignit)' 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  II47 

which  stamps  the  true  man  of  modern  affairs,  genial,  obliging  and  never- 
failing  courtesy,  and,  the  genuineness  of  his  public  spirit  being  unquestioned, 
he  is  popular  with  all  classes. 


JOHN  EDWIN  LACEY. 

It  makes  a  great  difference  in  one's  life  whether  he  earns  his  property  by 
severe  toil  or  by  easy  methods,  or  has  it  becjueathed  to  him  by  some  indus- 
trious kinsman,  for  our  personal  habits  are  determined  in  no  small  measure 
by  the  manner  in  which  we  become  the  possessor  of  material  things.  People 
of  all  occupations  should  be  thrifty  enough  to  take  care  of  what  they  have,  no 
matter  how  they  obtained  it,  for  they  have  others  to  consider — children  who 
have  the  right  to  demand  of  their  parents  that  they  save  the  property  left  to 
them  by  ancestors.  Such  is  a  family  inheritance,  which  no  member  has  the 
right  to  dissipate.  One  of  the  thrifty  families  of  Randolph  county  who  have 
been  careful  both  as  to  how  they  secured  their  property  and  its  retention  are 
the  Laceys,  of  whom  John  Edwin  Lacey,  well  known  real  estate  dealer  of  the 
town  of  Lynn,  is  a  worthy  representative. 

Mr.  Lacey  was  born  January  3,  1862  in  White  River  township,  this 
county.  He  is  a  son  of  John  A.  and  Mary  S.  (Butterworth)  Lacey.  The 
father  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  May  2,  1839.  John  A.  Lacey 
received  very  little  schooling.  When  a  young  man  he  learned  the  painter's 
trade,  and,  being  by  nature  an  excellent  penman  he  taught  penmanship  in 
White  River  township,  also  Greensf ork  and  Washington  townships  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  He  owned  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Greensfork  township  which 
he  farmed.  His  death  occurred  on  July  30,  1913.  He  married  Mary  S.  But- 
terworth. She  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  here  grew  to  wo- 
manhood and  received  a  meager  education  in  the  early-day  schools.  Her  death 
occurred  April  i,  1890.  She  was  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  families 
of  this  county,  and  both  the  Butterworths  and  Laceys  have  been  known  in  this 
section  of  the  state  for  a  number  of  generations. 

John  E.  Lacey  grew  to  manhood  on  the  farm  in  his  native  community  and 
received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  locality.  After  working 
on  the  farm  some  time  he  learned  the  painter's  trade  and  worked  as  a  painter 
and  contractor  for  a  number  of  years  in  Lynn.  In  1903  he  opened  an  insur- 
ance office  here,  also  began  dealing  in  the  real  estate  business,  conducting  both 
with  much  success  until  191 1  when  he  sold  out  the  insurance  end  of  his  busi- 
ness and  has  since  devoted  his  attention  exclusively  to  real  estate,  and  he  is  a 


1 148  RANDOLPH   COUNTYj   INDIANA. 

very  busy  man  in  this  connection.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  judges  of 
property  both  city  and  farm,  to  be  found  in  Randolph  county,  and,  dealing 
honestly  and  promptly  with  his  fellow  men,  has  won  their  good  will  and  con- 
fidence. 

Politically,  he  is  a  Progressive  and  religiously  he  belongs  to  the  Christian 

church. 

Mr.  Lacey  was  married  July  7,  1888  to  Nora  Dell  Carter,  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  W.  and  Lydia  Carter.  "  She  was  born  October  22,  1 871,  in  this  county 
and  here  grew  to  womanhood  and  received  a  common  school  education. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  one  child  has  been  born,  Lena  E.  Lacey,  widow 
of  Charles  E.  Cloud. 


CALVIN  S.  ENGLE. 


Realizing,  with  Lowell,  at  the  outset  of  his  career  that,  "New  occasions 
teach  new  duties,  time  making  ancient  good  uncouth,  and  we  must  up  and 
onward,"  Calvin  S.  Engle,  one  of  Randolph  county's  old  and  honored  citizens, 
sought  to  keep  fully  abreast  of  the  times  in  all  that  pertained  to  his  special 
field  of  endeavor,  and  so  he  has  prospered;  and  no  doubt  much  of  his  ma- 
terial success  has  been  due  to  the  fact  that  he  has  been  an  advocate  of  pro- 
gress in  all  lines,  material,  civic  and  moral,  playing  well  his  part  as  a  citizen 
in  this  locality  for  more  than  a  half  century  during  which  he  has  noted  vast 
changes  in  every  way.  He  represents  one  of  our  worthy  pioneer  families, 
the  name  Engle  having  been  familiar  throughout  this  county  since  pioneer 
times. 

Mr.  Engle  was  born  September  9,  1844,  on  a  farm  in  Washiiigton  town- 
ship, Randolph  county,  and  he  now  owns  the  farm  on  which  he  was  born. 
He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Letitia  (Cabe)  Engle,  and  a  brother  of  Judge 
James  S.  Engle,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  in  another  part  of  this  work. 

Our  subject  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  he  attended  the  country 
schools.  On  December  8,  1863  he  left  school,  and  enlisted  in  Company  C, 
Second  Regiment,  Indiana  Cavalry,  in  which  he  served  nineteen  months, 
lacking  nine  days.  The  regiment  was  in  the  army  of  the  Tennessee  and  was 
with  Sherman  in  the  Atlanta  campaign,  and  on  May  9,  1864,  he  was  captured 
while  in  advance  of  Sherman's  army  at  Varnell  Station,  Georgia.  Our  sub- 
ject was  taken  to  Andersonville  prison  and  tasted  the  horrors  of  that  place 
for  four  months,  when  he  was  transferred  to  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 
where  he  was  a  prisoner  for  a  month,  then  sent  to  Florence,  that  state,  foi 
four  months,  later  to  Wilmington,   North   Carolina,  and  there  paroled   on 


"^^^^     N"^?S?^ 


^  cy^t^-yp^  S '  ^^-^^^^/tx 


KANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1X49 

February  28,  1865.  He  with  other  Union  soldiers  came  north  to  Columbus, 
Ohio,  where  Mr.  Engle  was  furloughed,  after  which  he  came  back  to  Ran- 
dolph county.  He  was  so  emaciated  by  his  long  irpprisonment  that  his  home 
folks  hardly  knew  hi'm,  and  his  recovery  was  very  slow.  He  was  not  able 
to  return  to  his  regiment  until  the  war  was  over.  His  furlough  was  extended 
from  time  to  time,  and  he  was  finally  mustered  out  July  31,  1865,  when  his 
regiment  returned  to  Indianapolis,  aftef  it  had  seen  much  hard  service  in 
many  important  campaigns. 

For  a  year  after  the  war  Mr.  Engle  remained  on  the  home  farm,  and  in 
the  spring  of  1866  he  went  to  Rice  county,  Minnesota  and  bought  a  farm 
where  he  soon  had  a  good  foothold  and  there  he  remained  for  a  period  of 
seventeen  years. 

He  was  married  on  December  12,  1867  to  Ellen  Greeley,  a  distant  rela- 
tive of  Horace  Greeley,  the  famous  editor  and  politician.  She  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  and  Sarah  Jane  (Rand)  Greeley.  To  our  subject  and  wife  six 
children  were  born,  namely :  Sarah  Letitia  died  when  one  and  one-half  years 
of  age;  Lillian  married  Omar  Van  Landingham,  a  farmer  of  White  River 
tow  nship ;  Ella  died  when  seven  years  old ;  Price  died  when  five  years  of  age ; 
Alice  who  married  J.  O.  Batchelor  of  Winchester,  is  also  deceased;  Jennie  is 
the  wife  of  Samuel  Staudt,  of  Darke  county,  Ohio. 

Mr.  Engle  returned  from  the  North  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana  in 
1883  and  rented  his  father's  farm,  the  old  homestead  for  one  year,  and  a  year 
later  he  returned  to  the  old  place  where  he  was  born.  After  the  death  of  the 
father  he  bought  the  interests  of  some  of  the  heirs  and  he  still  owns  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  the  old  homestead,  including  the  old  buildings  there. 
Here  he  continued  to  reside  and  carry  on  general  farming  successfully  until 
he  removed  to  Winchester  in  the  fall  of  1898,  having  been  elected  county 
auditor,  and  he  assumed  office  on  November  17th  of  that  year.  He  served 
in  this  capacity  four  years  and  during  a  term  extension  until  January  ist. 
He  has  always  been  a  ReiDublican  and  always  more  or  less  active  in  party 
affairs.  After  his  term  of  office  expired  he  remained  in  Winchester.  He 
owns  besides  the  old  home  place  seventy-six  acres  in  White  River  township, 
all  good  and  well-improved  land.  The  last  mentioned  land  lies  southeast  of 
the  county-seat.     He  lives  retired  but  looks  after  his  farms  in  a  general  way. 

Mr.  Engle's  first  wife  died  on  August  20,  1908,  and  on  September  7, 

191 1   he  married  Mrs.   Martha  E.  Johnson,  daughter  of  Philip  and  Mary 

(Owens)   Snoderly.     She  was  born  on  a  farm,  near  Gordon,  Darke  county, 

Ohio.     At  the  time  of  her  marriage  she  lived  in  Miamisburg,  Ohio.     Mrs. 

(73) 


1 150  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

Engle's  father  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  the  mother  was  a  native 
of  Tennessee. 

Several  years  ago  Mr.  Engle  published  his  experiences  in  Andersonville 
in  a  series  of  well-written  and  interesting  articles  which  ran  several  weeks  in 
the  Winchester  Journal.  Other  Southern  prisons  were  also  included  and  they 
attracted  widespread  attention. 

V  Mrs.  Engle's  first  husband  was  Jacob  H.  Johnson,  who  was  also  a  soldier 
in  the  Federal  army,  serving  three"  years  as  a  member  of  the  Thirteenth  -Ohio 
Cavalry  under  the  famous  Phil  Sheridan.  Mr.  Engle  is  a  member  of  the 
Nelson  Trusler  Post,  No.  60,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He  was  formerly 
a  member  of  the  Jake  Jackson  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  he 
filled  all  the  chairs  of  the  same  before  coming  to  Winchester.  At  one  time 
he  belonged  to  Williamsburg  Post,  of  this  organization.  Fraternally,  he 
belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Rebekahs.  He  holds  membership  with  Carlos  City  Lodge, 
No.  643,  in  Carlos  City  and  has  passed  through  all  the  chairs  of  the  same 
He  and  his  wife  belong  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  in  which  he  was 
for  many  years  a  member  of  the  board  of  stewards,  and  he  has  always 
fceen  active  in  church  and  Sundav  school  work. 


SETH  D.  COATS. 


In  placing  the  name  of  Seth  D.  Coats,  for  more  than  twenty-four  years 
president  of  the  Randolph  County  Bank,  in  the  front  rank  of  Winchester's 
business  men,  simple  justice  is  done  to  a  biographical  fact,  universally  rec- 
©gnized  throughout  the  section  of  Indiana  of  which  this  history  treats  by 
those  at  all  familiar  with  his  history,  for  he  is  not  only  one  of  our  most  in- 
fluential financiers  but  is  a  potent  factor  in  public  affairs.  A  man  of  rare 
soundness  of  judgment,  wise  discretion  and  business  ability  of  a  high  order, 
he  has  managed  with  tactful  success  important  enterprises  and  has  so  im- 
pressed his  individuality  upon  the  community  as  to  gain  recognition  among 
the  leading  citizens  and  public-spirited  men  of  affairs.  What  of  the  man  and 
what  of  his  work?  This  is  the  dual  query  which  represents  the  interrogation 
at  least  nominally  entertained  whenever  that  discriminating  factor,  the  pub- 
fic,  would  pronoimce  on  the  true  worth  of  the  individual.  The  career  of 
Seth  D.  Coats  indicates  the  clear-cut,  sane  and  distinct  character,  and  in 
reviewing  the  same  from  an  unbiased  and  unprejudiced  standpoint,  interpre- 
tation follows  fact  in  a  straight  line  of  derivation.  In  this  publication  it  is 
consistent  that  such  a  reView  be  entered,  and  that  without  the  adulation  of 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  II5I 

ornate  phrases.  The  city  of  Winchester  naturally  takes  pride  in  the  work 
performed  by  Mr.  Coats,  who  has  stamped  the  mark  of  definite  accomplish- 
ment on  the  highest  plane  of  industrial  activity,  and  consistently  demands 
that  he  be  given  due  relative  precedence  in  a  work  which  has  to  do  with  those 
who  have  lived  and  labored  to  good  purpose  in  the  county  of  Randolph,  and 
thence  permeated  the  great  industrial  and  civic  life  of  the  commonwealth  of 
Indiana,  in  which  he  stands  well  to  the  forefront  in  representative  citizen- 
ship. His  history  and  that  of  the  later  day  progress  of  Winchester  and  vicin- 
ity is  so  indissolubly  interwoven  that  they  are  pretty  much  one  and  the  same, 
for  he  has  taken  a  leading  part  in  the  general  upbuilding  of  the  locality  for 
the  past  two  decades,  and  no  man  stands  higher  in  jDublic  esteem. 

Mr.  Coats  was  born  in  White  River  township,  Randolph  county,  Febru- 
ary 20,  1847.  Hejs  a  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Moflfet)  Coats.  This  is  one 
of  the  sterling  pioneer  families  of  Randolph  county  and  has  been  well  and 
favorably  known  here  for  several  generations.  They  are  of  Scotch  descent 
and  possess  the  characteristic  thrift,  integrity  and  perseverance  of  that  noble 
race  of  people.  Three  brothers,  Robert,  James  and  William,  belonging  to 
the  "House  of  Coats"  and  the  family  of  the  thread-makers  of  Paisley,  Scot- 
land, emigrated  to  North  Carolina  in  the  old  Colonial  period,  prior  to  the 
Revolutionary  war.  These  three  brothers  established  homes  in  North  Caro- 
lina and  there  spent  the  rest  of  their  lives.  John  Coats,  the  first  of  the  name 
in  Randolph  county,  was  the  son  of  William  Coats,  one  of  the  three  brothers 
who  came  from  Scotland.  William  Coats  was  the  son  of  Philip  Coats,  of 
Scotland,  and  a  sister  of  William  Coats  was  the  mother  of  Rev.  John  Coats, 
of  Coatsville.  Of  the  large  family  born  to  William  Coats  and  wife  it  is 
known  definitely  that  seven  of  them  left  their  native  state  in  the  far  south- 
land and  came  to  the  northwest;  they  were  John,  William,  Joseph,  Mrs. 
Hepsy  Wright,  Mrs.  Rhoda  Wrench,  Mrs.  Hattie  Harrison,  and  Mrs.  Bean- 
blossom.  John  Coats  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  January  20,  1788,  and 
his  death  occurred  September  19,  1878,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety  years; 
he  married  Sally  Wright  in  1807;  she  was  born  September  20,  1789,  and 
died  July  11,  1875,  also  at  an  advanced  age.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
Wright.  John  Coats  and  wife  came  to  Ohio  soon  after  their  marriage,  and 
in  1819  moved,  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  locating  on  White  river,  and 
were  thus  among  the  earliest  settlers  here,  the  county  still  being  a  wilderness, 
with  settlers  few  and  far  between.  John  Coats  and  Thomas  Wright,  his 
father-in-law,  lived  for  a  while  near  Covington,  Ohio,  upon  what  was  later 
destined  to  be  famous  stone  quarries. 


11^2  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

William  Coats,  father  of  Seth  D.,  of  this  sketch,  was  a  son  of  John  and 
Sarah  (Wright)  Coats,  and  his  birth  occurred  near  Covington,  Ohio,  May 
28,  1817.  He  devoted  his  hfe  successfully  to  general  farming  and  stock 
raising  and  was  a  substantial  citizen,  well  liked  throughout  his  community, 
and  he  did  much  for  the  early-day  progress  of  White  River  township. 

Seth  D.  Coats  grew  up  on  the  horiie  farm  in  his  native  township,  and 
there  he  assisted  with  the  general  work  until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age, 
and  he  received  his  early  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  neighbor- 
hood, which  has  been  greatly  supplemented  in  later  life  by  contact  with  the 
business  world  and  by  extensive  home  reading  and  study.  He  proved  his 
courage  and  patriotism  when  but  seventeen  years  of  age  by  enlisting  for 
service  in  the  Federal  army  during  the  war  between  the  states.  He  became 
a  member  of  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  Indiana  Volun- 
teer Infantry  on  May  11,  1864,  and  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland, in  which  he  proved  to  be  a  faithful  and  brave  soldier,  and  he  was 
honorably  discharged  and  mustered  out  in  Indianapolis  the  following  Sep- 
tember, having  enlisted  in  the  one-hundred-day  service.  After  leaving  the 
farm,  in  1866,  he  engaged  in  section  work  on  the  Grand  Rapids  &  Indiana 
railroad,  also  worked  in  this  capacity  on  other  roads  for  four  years.  He  was 
then  elected  trustee  of  his  native  township,  in  which  oilice  he  served  four 
years  in  a  most  faithful  and  creditable  manner,  and  during  this  time  was 
also  in  the  boot  and  shoe  business.  He  built  up  a  good  trade  with  the  sur- 
rounding country  and  had  by  this  time  gotten  a  good  start.  Then  he  turned 
his  attention  to  banking,  which  has  remained  his  chief  vocation  to  the 
present  time.  He  secured  employment  in  the  Randolph  County  Bank  of 
Winchester,  as  assistant  cashier.  On  March  5,  1891,  he  was  elected  presi- 
dent of  this  institution,  which  position  he  has  held  to  the  present  time,  dis- 
charging the  responsible  duties  of  the  same  in  a  manner  that  has  reflected 
much  credit  upon  himself  and  to  the  eminent  satisfaction  of  the  stockholders 
and  patrons  of  the  bank;  in  fact,  his  personal  popularity,  his  able  manage- 
ment and  wise  foresight  have  been  responsible  for  the  steady  and  substantial 
growth  of  this  strong  and  solid  institution.  Before  his  election  to  the  presi- 
dency he  had  served  some  time  as  cashier,  and  in  all  his  positions  his  con- 
nection with  the  bank  covers  a  period  of  thirty-four  years. 

Mr.  Coats  has  manifested  an  abiding  interest  in  the  public  affairs  of  his 
town  and  county.'  In  the  autumn  of  1902  he  was  elected  to  the  state  senate 
from  the  joint  district  of  Randolph  and  Jay  counties,  and  during  the  sessions 
of  the  legislature  of  1903  and  1905  he  made  his  influence  felt  for  the  gen- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1 1 53 

eral  good  of  his  locality  and  the  entire  state,  winning  the  hearty  commenda- 
tion of  his  constituents.  He  served  on  many  of  the  most-  important  com- 
mittees, and  was  chairman  of  banks,  trusts  and  savings  associations  during 
both  sessions.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  county  council  board  since 
1908,  and  is  president  of  the  board.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  has 
been  loyal  in  his  support  of  the  party.  He  belongs  to  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  and,  fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  Tribe  of  Ben-Hur  and  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Eagle.  He  holds 
membership  with  the  Randolph  Club.  He  was  reared  in  the  Friends  faith, 
and  his  wife  and  family  belong  to  the  Presbyterian  church. 

Mr.  Coats  was  married  in  Winchester,  November  4,  1865,  to  Lucinda 
Skiver,  who  was  born  in  Randolph  county  February  18,  1850,  and  here  she 
grew  to  womanhood  and  received  her  education.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Adam  and  Margaret  (Shaw)  Skiver,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Ohio,  respect- 
ively. The  father  was  born  in  1805  and  the  mother  in  181 2,  near  the  city 
of  Bellefontaine.  Mrs.  Coats  is  a  lady  of  many  estimable  characteristic* 
which  have  won  and  retained  for  her  hosts  of  warm  personal  friends. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Coats  have  been  born  three  children,  named  as  fol- 
lows: Oren  married  Dora  Heaston,  who  died  in  1908,  leaving  two  chil- 
dren; he  died  in  Winchester  in  August,  1913;  William  Oscar,  the  second 
son  of  our  subject,  is  engaged  in  farming  in  White  River  township ;  the 
daughter,  Lydia  Leona,  married  Charles  E.  Reed,  a  druggist  of  Winchester. 
These  children  were  all  given  excellent  educational  advantages  and  are  all 
well  located  in  life  and  highly  respected  throughout  their  native  county. 

Mr.  Coats  is  deserving  of  a  great  deal  of  credit  for  what  he  has  ac- 
complished, for  he  started  out  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder,  which  he  has 
mounted  unaided  and  has  through  entirely  honorable  methods  become  one 
of  the  leading  business  men  of  this  section  of  the  state  and  at  the  same  time 
enjoys- the  confidence  and  respect  of  all  classes. 


ERNST  E.  CHEXOWETH. 

One  of  the  best  known  and  most  successful  of  the  younger  members  of 
the  Randolph  county  bar  is  Ernst  E.  Chenoweth,  of  Winchester,  formerly 
one  of  the  most  prominent  educators.  He  has  always  been  an  assiduous 
student  and  is  therefore  a  man  of  scholarly  attainments  and  gifted  by  nature 
for  a  professional  career,  so  we  do  not  hesitate  to  predict  for  him  a  future 
replete  with  large  success  and  usefulness. 


1 1 54  RANDOLPH   COUNTYj   INDIANA. 

Mr.  Chenoweth  was  born  November  12,  1874,  at  Hollandsburg,  Darke 
county,  Ohio.  He  is  a  son  of  John  M.  and  Lydia  A.  (Bowen)  Chenoweth. 
The  father  was  born  in  Maryland  and  the  mother  in  Randolph  county,  In- 
diana, and  here  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  received  her  education.  Her 
parents  were  well-known  in  the  early  history  of  the  county.  John  M. 
Chenoweth  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  state  and  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools.  He  came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1862,  remaining 
about  two  years,  then  returned  to  the  East  for  a  short  time,  but  came  back 
to  Randolph  county.  In  1863  he  enlisted  in  Company  H,  Sixty-ninth  In- 
diana Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  faithfully  until  the  close  of 
the  war,  pai'ticipating  in  the  many  battles- of  the  regiment,  but  was  never 
wounded  or  taken  prisoner.  After  being  honorably  discharged  from  the 
service  he  returned  to  Indiana,  and  he  and  Lydia  Bowen  were  married  on 
January  14,  1867,  and  began  housekeeping  on  eighty  acres  of  land  lying  in 
the  very  southeastern  corner  of  Randolph  county.  Soon  afterwards  they 
removed  to  Richmond,  Indiana,  and  remained  there  two  years,  moving  from 
■  Richmond  to  Hollandsburg  in  1873,  and  in  1877  returned  to  the  farm  in 
Randolph  county,  where  they  continued  to  reside  until  1909,  in  which  year 
they  went  back  to  Hollandsburg,  Ohio,  where  they  still  reside.  The  father 
was  a  tinner  by  trade,  which  he  followed  while  a  resident  of  Richmond  and 
Hollandsburg,  but  after  returning  to  the  farm,  in  1877,  he  engaged  exclusively 
in  general  agricultural  pursuits  until  1909,  when  he  retired  from  active  life 
and  moved  to  town. 

To  John  M.  Chenoweth  and  wife  five  sons  and  two  daughters  were 
born,  namely:  Cora  V.  is  the  wife  of  Alvin  I.  Hiatt,  of  Lynn,  Indiana; 
Everett  M.  lives  at  home;  Sarah  E.,  who  married  Lewis  Mikesell,  is  de- 
ceased; John  B.  resides  at  Lynn;  Ernst  E.,  of  this  sketch;  Chester  C.  lives 
in  Wayne  county,  Indiana;  Squire  G.  is  operating  the  old  homestead.  The 
father  of  these  children  has  always  been  a  loyal  Republican,  and  actively  in- 
terested in  public  matters.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public post  at  Spartanburg.  He  and  his  wife  belong  to  the  Christian  church. 
Ernst  E.  Chenoweth  was  reared  on  the  home  farm,  where  he  did  his 
share  of  the  general  work  during  the  crop  seasons,  and  during  the  winter 
attended  the  public  schools  in  his  neighborhood.  He  was  graduated  from 
the  Hollandsburg  high  school  in  1894,  after  which  he  attended  Lebanon  Uni- 
versity, at  Lebanon,  Ohio,  for  a  year,  then  was  a  student  at  the  Normal 
School  at  Danville,  Indiana,  completing  the  scientific  course  and  was  grad- 
uated from  that  institution  with  the  class  of  1896.     He  then  attended  the 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1 155 

Indiana  State  Normal  at  Terre  Haute  for  one  year.  Thus  exceptionally 
well  equipped  for  the  serious  work  of  life  he  began  teaching  in  1896;  how- 
ever, this  was  before  entering  the  State  Normal,  and  after  leaving  that  in- 
stitution he  continued  teaching  for  a  period  of  seven  years  in  the  district 
schools  of  Randolph  county,  during  which  his  services  were  in  great  de- 
mand. But  finally  tiring  of  the  school  room  and  believing  that  his  true  bent 
was  in  another  direction,  he  began  studying  law  in  the  summer  of  1900  in 
the  ofifice  of  S.  A.  Canada,  of  Winchester,  and  taught  in  the  winter,  com- 
pleting his  law  course,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  summer  of  1903. 
He  was  admitted  to  practice  by  the  supreme  court  in  1906.  He  gave  up 
teaching  permanently  in  the  spring  of  1905,  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
law  with  S.  A.  Canada,  under  the  firm  name  of  Canada  &  Chenoweth,  and 
they  still  continue,  being  successful  from  the  first,  and  this  is  now  recognized 
as  one  of  the  etrongest  law  firms  in  Randolph  county  and  one  of  the  busiest. 

Mr.  Chenoweth  is  a  member  of  the  county  and  state  bar  associations. 
In  the  fall  of  1910  he  was  elected  prosecuting  attorney  of  Randolph  county, 
serving  one  term  in  a  manner  that  reflected  much  credit  upon  himself  and  to 
the  eminent  satisfaction  of  his  constituents,  doing  as  much  in  those  two 
years  for  the  enforcement  of  law  and  order  as  had  any  other  man.  He  was 
elected  justice  of  the  peace  in  1905,  and  served  a  term  of  five  years,  giving 
satisfaction  to  all  concerned,  his  decisions  being  noted  for  their  uniform  fair- 
ness and  clear  insight  into  the  basic  laws  of  jurisprudence  and  the  statutes 
of  the  state  of  Indiana,  and  his  decisions  were  never  revoked  at  the  hands 
of  a  higher  tribunal.  Politically,  he  is  a  staunch  Republican,  and  acti\e  and 
influential  in  local  public  affairs.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Republican 
County  Central  Committee. 

Mr.  Chenoweth  was  married  August  2,  1902,  to  Cora  B.  Stapelton,  a 
daughter  of  Samuel  J.  Stapelton,  of  Darke  county,  Ohio.  To  this  union 
two  children  have  been  born,  Cecil  E.,  whose  birth  occurred  May  22,  1903 ; 
and  Dale  M.,  born  June  22,  191 1. 

Mr.  Chenoweth  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  including  the 
Chapter  and  Council.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias ;  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  including  the  Encampment;  the  Improved 
Order  of  Red  Men,  including  the  Haymakers ;  he  also  belongs  to  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen,  and  the  Sons  of  Veterans.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Christian  church  and  are  active  in  church  and  Sunday  school  work.  His 
office  is  in  the  Red  Men's  Building,  and  his  home  on  East  Franklin  street. 


1 1 56  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

FOREST  A.  CHENOWETH,  M:  D. 

Among  the  prominent  and  successful  medical  men  of  Randolph  county 
who  are  deserving  of  conspicuous  mention  in  a  work  of  the  province  assigned 
to  the  one  in  hand  is  Dr.  Forest  A.  Chenoweth,  of  Winchester,  for  his  career 
has  been  in  every  way  an  honorable  one  and  though  strenuous  there  is  nothing 
in  it  savoring  in  the  slightest  degree  of  disrepute,  his  relations  with  his  fel- 
lowmen  having  ever  been  above  reproach.  Although  bis  father  was  a  phy- 
sician of  note  and  he  was  reared  in  a  comfortable  environment  our  subject  is 
entitled  to  the  proud  American  title  of  self-made  man,  being  for  the  most 
part  the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes,  for  he  realized  at  the  outset  that  he 
could  not  win  on  the  reputation  of 'his  father  or  the  assistance  of  anyone,  but 
must  work  diligently  and  persistently  in  order  to  advance  himself;  so  he  may 
feel  a  sense  of  pride  in  his  achievements  and  the  honorable  position  which  he 
has  attained  among  the  enterprising  and  successful  citizens  of  the  locality  in 
which  the  busy  years  oi  his  active  life  have  been  spent.  He  comes  of  a  dis- 
tinguished old  family. 

Doctor  Chenoweth  was  born  February  26,  1858,  in  Darke  county,  Ohio. 
He  is  a  son  of  John  T.  and  Hannah  V  (Miller)  Chenoweth,  both  natives  of 
Darke  county,  Ohio,  where  they  grew  to  maturity,  were  educated  and  mar- 
ried, where  they  resided  until  i860,  when  they  moved  to  Huntsville,  Ran- 
dolph county,  Indiana,  moving  on  in  1863,  to  Williamsburg,  Wayne  county, 
this  state,  and  in  1875  located  in  W^inchester,  where  they  made  their  home 
until  in  April,  1903,  when  the  father  died.  The  mother  still  survives.  The 
Chenoweths  are  an  old  family,  the  first  of  the  name  having  emigrated  to 
America  in  1716  and  settled  in  Maryland,  near  what  is  now  the  great  city  of 
Baltimore.  There  were  three  of  them,  John  and  his  two  sons,  Arthur  and 
Richard.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  descended  direct  from  the  son,  Arthur. 
From  Baltimore  this  branch  of  the  family  settled  in  Virginia,  Thomas,  son 
of  Arthur,  having  located  in  Berkley  county,  that  state,  and  in  the  year  1750 
he  braved  the  wilds  across  the  Blue  Ridge  mountains,  locating  at  Maysville, 
Kentucky,  moving  on  with  his  family  in  1788  to  what  is  now  Franklin 
county,  Ohio.  John,  son  of  Thomas,  married  Betsy  Foster,  September  6, 
1807,  and  they  settled  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  in  1818.  They  reared  a  family 
of  twelve  children,  and  their  descendants  located  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois, 
Iowa  and  Kansas.  The  family  is  of  French  origin  and  some  were  among  the 
Huguenot  refugees  who  fled  to  England  and  thence  to  Switzerland,  from 
which  country  they  crossed  the  great  Atlantic  to  the  new  world  about  1716. 
Doctor  Chenoweth,  of  this  review,  is  a  descendant  of  John  and  Betsy  Cheno- 


UANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1 157 

weth,  who  located  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  in  1818.  Many  of  the  male  mem- 
bers of  the  family  have  been  well  known  as  successful  lawyers,  physicians, 
educators  and  ministers,  as  well  as  bankers  and  commercial  men. 

John  T.  Chenoweth,  father  of  our  subject,  was  a  physician  of  more  than 
ordinary  ability.  He  practiced  his  profession  from  i860  until  his  death, 
and  ht  had  a  record  of  having  lost  but  two  diptheria  patients  during  all  those 
years,  one  case  after  he  had  practiced  twenty  years  and  another  after  an 'ex- 
perience of  forty  years,  a  record  probably  never  experienced  by  any  other 
physician,  especially  in  those  early  days  when  anti-toxine  and  the  modern 
methods  of  treating  that  dreaded  disease  were  unknown.  He  was  a  man  of 
strong  character  and  pronounced  convictions,  a  leader  of  his  professional 
brethren  and  an  influential  man  in  the  community. 

Dr.  Forest  A.  Chenoweth  lived  in  Williamsburg,  Wayne  county,  until 
fte  was  twelve  years  of  age.  He  attended  the  public  schools,  and  after  com- 
ing to  Winchester  he  took  the  high  school  course.  He  began  life  for  himself 
as  a  teacher,  following  that  profession  in  Washington  township  during  the 
winter  of  1876-7  and  taught  in  the  winter  of  1881-2  in  the  Round  Top  dis- 
trict in  White  River  township,  reading  medicine  under  his  father  the  mean- 
while. In  the  winter  of  1880-1  he  attended  the  Ohio  Medical  College  at  Cin- 
cinnati, and  also  the  winter  of  1882-3.  He  located  at  Deerfiield,  Randolph 
county  in  1883  for  the  practice  of  his  profession,  but  remained  there  only 
a  short  time,  for  we  find  him  in  Winchester  in  August  of  that  year,  where  he 
practiced  until  August,  1884,  when  he  went  to  a  cattle  ranch  in  Kansas, 
roughing  it  for  a  year,  then  returned  to  Winchester,  but  soon  took  up  his 
studies  again  in  the  Ohio  Medical '  College  at  Cincinnati,  from  which  institu- 
tion he  was  graduated  in  1886.  Thus  well  equipped  for  his  chosen  vocation 
he  located  in  Winchester,  where  he  has  since  been  successfully  engaged  in  the 
general  practice  of  his  profession,  taking  his  place  in  the  front  rank  of  the 
medical  .men  of  this  section  of  the  Hoosier  state,  building  up  a  large  and 
lucrative  practice.  He  has  remained  a  close  student  of  all  that  pertains  to  his 
work  and  has  kept  well  abreast  of  the  times.  He  took  a  post-graduate  course 
in  the  Post-Graduate  Hospital  in  New  York  in  1898.  During  the  early  part 
of  his  career  he  specialized  in  diseases  of  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat,  but 
in  recent  years  he  has  done  a  general  practice. 

Doctor  Chenoweth  was  married  June  8,  1887,  to  Anna  Railsback,  a 
daughter  of  Edward  and  Mary  (Adams)  Railsback,  a  prominent  family  of 
Oxford.  The  mother  is  a  descendant  of  the  famous  Adams  family  of  Massa- 
chusetts.  The  union  of  the  Doctor  and  wife  has  been  without  issue. 

Doctor  Chenoweth  is  a  member  of  the  Randolph  County  Medical  So- 


1 158  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

city,  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion. He  has  been  president  of  the  first  named.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican, 
and  is  actively  interested  in  local  public  affairs.  He  has  been  health  officer  of 
both  Winchester  and  Randolph  county.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  Order,  and  has  taken  the  degrees  up  to  the  thirty-second.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  His  wife  belongs  to  the  Presbyterian 
church.   They  are  prominent  in  the  best  social  circles  of  Winchester. 


HENRY  D.  GOOD. 


By  words  and  by  actions  the  personality  reveals  its  quality,  its  force,  its 
direction  of  purpose.  The  invisible  spirit  embodies  itself  in  signs  of  service 
and  in  language.  Words  also  are  deeds,  and  actions  are  symbols  of  the  inner 
being  which  we  cannot  see,  nor  touch,  nor  weigh.  Hence  the  value  of  a 
biography,  which  writes  out  a  life  by  telling  a  story  of  what  one  has  said 
and  done.  But  since  speech  is  forgotten  and  actions  fade  away  in  the  clouds 
of  a  distant  past,  we  hasten  to  record  the  happenings  in  the  lives  of  men 
who  do  things  well  and  set  forth  the  observations  on  the  momentous  trans- 
formations from  the  old  to  the  new  by  present-day  witnesses.  With  such 
values  of  biography  in  mind,  we  here  write  briefly  the  salient  features  in  the 
career  of  Henry  D.  Good,  formerly  a  well-known  educator  and  later  a  pro- 
gressive business  man  who  is  now  the  able  and  popular  treasurer  of  Ran- 
dolph county. 

yir.  Good  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  December  22,  1853. 
He  is  a  son  of  Rudolph  and  Sarah  (Moore)  Good.  The  father  was  bom 
January  21,  1825,  in  York  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  the  mother  was  born 
September  11,  1828,  in  Perry  county,  Pennsylvania.  Rudolph  Good  was 
left  an  orphan  in  early  life.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  state  and 
came  west  in  1848,  locating  in  \\'^ayne  county,  Indiana.  The  Aloore  family 
located  in  that  county  in  the  year  1848.  In  that  county  the  parents  of  our 
subject  were  married  in  1850,  and  to  them  nine  children  were  born,  namely: 
John  'SI.  is  a  millwright  and  resides  at  Parker,  Randolph  county:  Elizabeth 
is  the  Avife  of  Joseph  Ellis,  of  Albany,  Delaware  county,  Indiana;  Henry 
D..  of  this  sketch;  Mariah  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  L.  Painter,  a  retired  farmer 
of  Farmland;  Jacob  ^^^  is  deceased;  Alice  is  deceased;  Milton  is  deceased; 
Charles  A.  is  a  contractor  and  lives  in  Arkansas ;  Edith  ^lay  married  Josiah 
Mills  and  they  live  at  Maxville,  Indiana. 

The   father  of  the  abo\e  named  children   was  a  miller,   and   in    1869 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  1 1 59 

he  moved  to  Macon  county,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  about  eighteen 
months,  then  returned  to  Randolph  county  and  engaged  in  farming  near 
Parker,  later  moving  to  the  village  of  Maxville,  this  county,  where  he  bought 
a  mill,  which  he  operated  from  1873  to  i8go,  doing  a  large  business  with  the 
surrounding  country.  He  then  retired  from  that  line  of  endeavor  and  now 
he  is  making  his  home  with  his  son,  Henry  D.  His  wife  died  December  25, 
1900.  In  early  life  Rudolph  Good  was  a  Whig,  then  a  Republican  after  that 
party  was  organized,  in  the  middle  of  the  fifties.  He  and  his  family  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  church.  He  is  now  advanced  in  years  and  is  an 
interesting  talker  on  the  pioneer  times. 

Henry  D.  Good  lived  with  the  home  folks  in  the  various  localities  to 
which  they  moved,  and  he  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools.  His 
parents  gave  their  children  the  best  advantages  in  schooling  possible.  Henry 
D.  attended  high  school  at  Farmland  for  a  while  and  was  a  diligent  student 
at  home.  He  began  life  for  himself  by  teaching  school  in  1874,  in  the  district, 
schools  of  Randolph  county,  which  he  continued  until  1888,  when  he  was 
chosen  principal  of  the  Farmland  high  school,  a  position  he  filled  with  much 
credit  for  a  period  of  four  years.  Later  he  taught  four  years  in  the  Windsor 
graded  schools,  teaching  in  all  twenty-two  years,  during  which  time  his 
services  were  in  great  demand  and  he  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
thorough  and  progressive  educators  of  the  county.  In  1895  he  became  deputy 
county  treasurer  under  Joseph  C.  DeVoss,  serving  two  years  and  four 
months.  He  then  began  in  the  grocery  business  in  Farmland,  which  he 
continued  for  two  years,  retiring  from  the  same  in  1902,  after  building  up  a 
large  and  remunerative  business.  He  then  organized  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Farmland  and  became  its  cashier,  in  which  capacity  he  served  until 
January  i,  1913,  with  eminent  satisfaction  to  the  directors  and  stockholders, 
when  he  resigned  to  become  county  treasurer,  to  which  office  he  had  been 
elected  in  the  fall  of  1912.     However,  he  still  retains  his  banking  interests. 

Mr.  Good  was  married  August  18,  1881,  to  Ida  B.  Branson,  a  daughter 
of  Joseph  B.  and  Catherine  (Miller)  Branson,  of  Randolph  county.  The 
father  was  born  in  North  Carolina  and  the  mother  was  a  native  of  Penn- 
.sylvania.     The  union  of  our  subject  and  wife  has  been  without  issue. 

Politically,  Mr.  Good  has  been  a  Republican  ever  since  he  reached  his 
majority,  having  been  active  and  influential  in  the  ranks.  He  was  trustee  of 
the  Farmland  town  schools  for  a  period  of  tweh'e  years  following  his  career 
as  a  teacher.  He  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  Republican  County  Central 
Committee  at  various  times  and  has  been  a  frequent  delegate  to  count^',  dis- 


Il6o  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

trict  and  state  conventions.  He  served  as  a  member  of  the  Farmland  town 
council  and  was  clerk  of  that  body  for  six  years.  He  has  filled  all  positions 
of  trust  with  rare  fidelity  and  satisfaction,  giving  his  best  attention  to  the 
public  interests.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  the  Encampment  and  Rebekahs,  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias.  He  and  his  wife  belong  to  the  Methodist  church,  and  have  al- 
ways been  active  in  church  and  Sunday  school  work. 
Mr.  Good  still  retains  his  home  in  Farmland. 


J.  VINING  TAYLOR. 

A  man  of  naturally  sound  judgment  and  shrewd  perception,  gallant  and 
thoughtful  in  his  relations  with  those  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact, 
characteristics  of  the  typical  and  well-bred  Southerner,  is  J.  Vining  Taylor, 
well  known  official  of  The  National  Hay  Association  of  Winchester,  Ran- 
dolph county.  He  has  so  ordered  his  career  as  to  be  eminently  eligible  to 
representation  in  a  work  of  the  province  of  the  one  in  hand.  He  has  risen 
through  his  exemplary  personal  habits,  his  fidelity  to  duty,  his  industry,  his 
desire  to  deal  fairly  and  promptly  with  his  fellow  men,  and  his  name  stands 
high  in  business  circles  with  which  he  has  come  into  relationship.  His 
domestic  and  social  relationships  have  ever  been  of  the  most  pleasant  char- 
acter, and  the  fact  that  his  surroundings  are  such  as  to  make  life  enjoyable 
is  due  solely  to  his  individual  merits,  his  affable  and  courteous  treatment  of 
others  and  his  strict  adherence  to  justice  in  all  his  dealings. 

Mr.  Taylor  was  born  in  Richmond,  Virginia,  July  i8,  1877.  He  is  a 
son  of  Theodore  F.  and  Florence  I.  (Goddin)  Taylor.  The  father  was  a 
native  of  Lockport,  New  York.  The  mother  was  a  daughter  of  John  M. 
Goddin,  a  Southern  planter,  of  Henrico  county,  Virginia.  These  parents 
are  now  making  their  home  in  Washington,  D.  C.  Theodore  F.  Taylor  was 
one  of  the  substantial  and  influential  citizens  in  Henrico  county,  Virginia, 
and  for  many  years  was  treasurer  of  that  county.  For  some  time  he  was 
engaged  in  the  wholesale  commission  business  in  the  city  of  Richmond.  He 
is  now  a  public  accountant  and  auditor  for  W  D.  Moses  &  Company,  of 
Washington  City. 

J.  Vining  Taylor  was  reared  in  Richmond  and  educated  in  the  public 
schools.  But  he  left  school  when  twelve  years  of  age  and  went  to  work  for 
the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  Railroad  Company  as  messenger  boy  in  his  native 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  Ilbl 

city.  He  remained  there  with  that  company  for  a  period  of  ten  years,  during 
which  period  he  worlied  up  "to  the  position  of  chief  clerk  of  the  local  freight 
department,  ihe  road  changed  presidents,  G.  W.  Stevens  being  elected 
president  in  1898,  at  which  time  the  main  offices  of  the  company  were  moved 
to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  Mr.  Taylor  was  transferred  to  the  latter  city  as 
chief  clerk  in  the  freight  claim  department,  in  which  he  remained  eighteen 
months,  giving  his  usual  high  grade  service.  His  eyes  failing,  he  obtained 
leave  of  absence  for  six  months  and  came  to  Winchester,  Indiana.  Here  his 
health  improved  and  he  was  induced  to  remain,  and  he  became  connected 
with  the  Goodrich  Brothers  Hay  &  Grain  Company,  with  whom  he  remained 
for  a  period  of  nine  years  in  the  capacity  of  book-keeper  and  cashier.  He 
also  found  time  to  perform  the  duties  of  assistant  secretary  of  The  National 
Hay  Association,  of  which  he  was  elected  secretary  and  treasurer  on  July 
29,  1909.  Soon  afterward  he  severed  his  connection  with  the  Goodrich 
Brothers  and  devoted  his  time  to  his  new  duties  with  the  National  Hay  As- 
sociation, which  responsible  position  he  still  holds  in  a  manner  that  reflects 
much  credit  upon  himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  employers.  It  is  the 
largest  association  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  becoming  international  by  includ- 
ing Canada  in  its  operations.  The  association  is  composed  of  nearly  one 
thousand  members,  representing  the  hay,  straw  and  grain  interests  in  nearly 
every  state  in  the  Union  and  Canada. 

On  July  I,  1912,  Mr.  Taylor  engaged  in  business  with  his  brother-in- 
law,  John  C.  Bates,  in  the  gents'  furnishing  business  in  Winchester.  He  is 
also  a  stockholder  in  the  Goodrich  Brothers  Hay  &  Grain  Company,  also  has 
other  business  interests  there. 

Mr.  Taylor  was  married  in  Winchester  on  August  10,  1899,  to  Eliza- 
beth A.  Johnson,  daughter  of  Thomas  H.  and  Viola  E.  (Jobes)  Johnson,  a 
prominent  and  influential  family  of  Winchester,  where  Mrs.  Taylor  grew  to 
womanhood  and  was  educated.  To  our  subject  and  wife  one  daughter  has 
been  born,  Maurine  Viola  Taylor. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Taylor  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order  and  the 
Knights  of  Pvthias  and  Sons  of  Veterans;  he  also  belongs  to  the  Illinois 
Commercial  Men's  Association,  Travelers'  Protective  Association,  the  Win- 
chester Business  Men's  Association  and  the  Randolph  Club,  having  been  sec- 
retary of  the  last  named  for  about  four  years.  He  and  his  wife  belong  to 
the  Presbyterian  church,  in  which  he  is  a  deacon,  and  they  are  both  active  in 
church  and  Sunday  school  work,  and  prominent  in  the  social  life  of  the  city. 
Politically,  he  is  a  Republican  and  is  well  informed  on  current  issues. 


I  1 62  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

WERT  McAllister. 

When  one  farms  with  the  care  and  discretion,  the  persistence  and  the 
application  which  has  characterized  Wert  McAllister,  one  of  the  leading, 
farmers  and  stockmen  of  White  River  township,  Randolph  county,  one  is 
bound  to  succeed  in  any  community  much  less  in  that  of  our  own,  which 
has  been  so  signally  favored  by  mother  Nature;  for  he  is  a  man  who  has 
used  his  mind  as  well  as  his  muscle,  ever  keeping  up  with  the  advance  of  the 
science  of  husbandry.  At  the  same  time  he  has  tried  to  be  a  good  citizen 
in  the  broadest  sense  of  the  term,  always  advocating  measures  that  were 
calculated  to  make  for  the  general  uplift  of  the  county  whose  interests  he 
has  ever  had  so  much  at  heart. 

Mr.  McAllister  was  born  June  7,  1867,  in  Perry  township,  Delaware 
county,  Indiana.  He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Sarah  A.  (Hiatt)  McAllister. 
The  father  was  also  a  native  of  Delaware  county,  Indiana,  and  spent  his 
boyhood  in  the  same  township  in  which  our  subject  was  reared.  The  moth- 
er was  a  native  of  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  her  birth  having  occurred 
near  the  city  of  Dayton.  Her  parents  came  to  Delaware  county  when  she 
was  but  six  years  of  age,  and  the  parents  of  our  subject  were  married  in 
Delaware  county,  and  there  they  spent  the  active  years  of  their  lives  on  a 
farm,  on  which  the  father  died  on  November  3,  1890.  The  mother  is  still 
living,  at  an  advanced  age,  making  her  home  in  the  town  of  Windsor. 

Twelve  children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity,  and  married,  were 
born  to  Joseph  McAllister  and  wife,  namely:  Emily  A.,  now  the  wife  of 
John  Hawk,  of  Stoney  Creek  township,  Randolph  county;  Marcus  A.,  of  West 
River  township;  Francis  and  Franklin,  twins;  the  former  lives  in  Delaware 
county,  this  state,  and  the  latter  in  Union  township,  this  county;  Ella  is  the 
wife  of  Lynn  Thornburg,  of  Stoney  Creek  township;  Henry  is  deceased; 
Wert,  of  this  review;  Lillie  Belle,  now  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Sumner 
Swingley;  Cora,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Thomas  Reese;  Nora  is  the 
wife  of  Edward  Gable,  of  White  River  township;  Edward  lives  in  Liberty 
township,  Delaware  county;  Alma  is  the  wife  of  George  Dill,  also  of  Lib- 
erty township,  Delaware  county. 

In  1877  Joseph  McAllister  and  wife  moved  from  Perry  township, 
Delaware  county,  to  Stoney  Creek  township,  Randolph  county,  where  the 
family  home  has  since  remained.  The  father  was  a  Democrat  politically, 
but  was  never  an  office  seeker. 

Wert  McAllister  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  worked  there  when 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  II63 

growing  to  manhood.  He  received  his  education  in  the  district  schools 
of  his  community  remaining  at  home  until  his  marriage,  which  took  place 
on  June  4,  1892,  when  he  espoused  Eva  McGuire,  a  daughter  of  John  H. 
and  Sarah  A.  (Pursley)  McGuire.  The  death  of  the  mother  occurred  on 
October  4,  1900,  but  the  father  is  living,  making  his  home  in  the  town  of 
Farmland,  Randolph  county.  He  was  formerly  an  extensive  farmer  and 
stock  man.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  and  at  one  time  was  elected  county 
commissioner.     He  is  also  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  have  been  born  one  son  and  one  daughter, 
Chase,  born  November  3,  1894;  and  Letha  May,  born  July  5,  1899.  The 
son  was  graduated  from  the  Lincoln  high  school  in  19 10,  and  the  daughter 
is  at  present  a  student  in  the  high  school,  and  when  she  entered  the  high 
school  from  the  eighth  grade  she  had  the  highest  grades  of  any  pupil  in 
the  county.  Mrs.  McAllister  received  a  good  education  herself  and  taught 
school  for  one  year. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  McAllister  first  settled  in  Perry  township,  Del- 
aware county,  Indiana,  where  he  farmed  two  years,  then  moved  to  Max- 
ville,  Randolph  county,  and  was  superintendent  of  the  cemetery  for  three 
years.  He  then  moved  to  a  farm  of  his  father-in-law  in  Monroe  town- 
ship where  he  farmed  for  two  years.  He  then  moved  to  the  farm  of  John 
Clayton,  in  White  River  township,  and  operated  that  for  four  years,  then 
moved  to  a  two  hundred  acre  farm,  also  belonging  to  John  Clayton,  in 
White  River  township  where  he  farmed  four  years.  He  then  purchased 
eighty-eight  acres  in  Monroe  township,  which  he  continued  to  own  and  man- 
age for  four  years,  then  he  rented  his  farm  and  moved  to  another  of  John 
Clayton's  farms  in  White  River  township,  of  two  hundred  acres,  and  ex- 
panded his  farming  operations.  He  sold  his  own  farm  in  19 12  and  pur- 
chased his  present  farm  of  one  hundred  and  ten  acres  in  White  River  town- 
ship, four  miles  west  of  Winchester  on  the  Muncie  road,  known  as  the  old 
Sample  farm.  He  is  bringing  his  place  up  to  an  excellent  state  of  improve- 
ment and  cultivation  and  he  raises  an  excellent  grade  of  live  stock  and  is 
one  of  the  most  successful  general  farmers  in  the  township. 

Politically  Mr.  McAllister  is  a  Democrat,  but  he  has  never  been  an 
office  seeker.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
of  Farmland.  His  wife  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which 
the  family  are  regular  attendants  and  liberal  supporters. 


1164  kANMXJLl'II    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


THEODORE  SHOCKNEY. 


The  biography  of  such  a  man  as  Theodore  Shockney,  attorney  and  poli- 
tician of  state-wide  reputation,  may  well  serve  for  an  example  and  inspira- 
tion to  the  youth  who  seriously  meditates  life,  yet  hesitates  to  lay  the  founda- 
tion for  the  stern  realities  of  life  which  await  him.  He  began  his  career  un- 
der somewhat  discouraging  conditions,  but  with  a  persistence  as  rare  as  il 
was  admirable,  adhered  to  his  purpose  and  in  due  time  achieved  notable 
success.  The  crude,  inhospitable  environment  of  his  youth,  however,  was  not 
without  its  compensation.  The  usual  and  persistent  effort  required  to  obtain 
liberal  qualifications  for  professional  results,  in  spite  of  adverse  surround- 
ings, develops  and  strengthens  the  mind  as  labor  hardens  and  renders  flexible 
the  muscles.  Not  satisfied  with  existing  conditions  he  determined  to  rise 
above  them,  and  to  this  end  he  lost  sight  of  every  other  consideration  or 
made  it  subordinate  to  the  object  in  view.  Every  step  in  his  progress  has 
been  due  to  matured  plans  and  well-defined  purposes.  By  his  courage  and 
energy,  he  has  climbed  steadily  and  persistently  and  stood  firmly  upon  each 
round  of  the  ladder  of  success.  When  beginning  the  study  of  law,  he  determin- 
ed, regardless  of  obstacles,  to  master  the  principles  and  rise  above  mediocrity, 
instead  of  being  satisfied  with  a  mere  superficial  knowledge,  such  as  so  many 
professional  men  tmder  similar  circumstances  are  content  to  acquire.  So 
whatever  success  he  has  achieved  in  his  notable  and  useful  career  has  been 
the  result  of  careful  preparation  as  much  as  to  innate  ability,  a  high  sense  of 
justice,  candor  as  a  counselor,  religious  regard  for  the  truth  and  courteous 
demeanor  and  gentlemanly  conduct  in  all  relations  with  his  fellow  men.  As 
a  practitioner  or  public  official  no  charge  of  suspicion  of  any  wrong  doing 
ever  tarnished  his  name  or  marred  his  record,  his  personal  honor  having  never 
been  compromised  and  his  private  life  wholesome  and  exemplary,  indeed 
his  sterling  worth  has  made  him  a  power  for  good  among  all  with  whom  he 
has  come  into  contact,  and  he  deserves  to  rank  among  the  notable  men  of 
his  generation  in  this  section  of  Indiana. 

Theodore  Shockney,  one  of  the  best-known  and  most  influential  citizens 
of  Union  City,  was  born  September  16,  1852,  in  Wayne  township,  Randolph 
county.  He  is  a  son  of  William  P.  and  Jane  C.  (Frazier)  Shockney.  The 
father  was  born  in  Maryland,  October  4,  1823,  and  there  he  spent  his  boy- 
hood days  and  attended  the  common  schools.  When  thirteen  years  old  he 
came  west  with  his  father,  in  1836,  the  family  locating  on  a  farm  within  four 
miles  of  Union  City,  Indiana.    He  studied  medicine  and  practiced  here  and 


O 
C 


Q 
K 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  Il6; 


3 


ill  Tijilon  county,  ranking  among  the  successful  physicians  of  the  old  school 
in  the  pioneer  days  of  this  locality.  He  removed  to  Tipton  in  1856,  and  there 
contintied  practice  until  his  death,  September  23,  1863.  His  wife  was  born 
in  North  Carolina,  April  23,  1826,  and  there  spent  her  childhood,  moving 
with  her  parents,  James  and  Nancy  (Dillon)  Frazier,  to  Randolph  county, 
Indiana,  about  the  same  time  that  the  Shockneys  came  here.  Her  death  oc- 
curred October  i,  1862.  She  had  received  a  good  education  for  those  early 
days,  and  Dr.  William  P  Shockney  was  exceptionally  well  educated,  having 
taken  courses  in  literature  and  mathematics,  and  graduated  in  medicine  from 
a  medical  college  in  Baltimore,  Maryland.  In  his  younger  days  he  taught 
school  for  some  time.  To  these  parents  five  children  were  born,  namely  :  John 
A.  a  well-known  attorney,  who  many  years  ago  formed  a  partnership  with 
our  subject  in  Union  City;  Theodore  of  this  sketch  was  the  second  in  order  of 
birth;  James  N.  became  state  agent  for  the  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company, 
and  located  at  Marshalltown,  Iowa;  Charles  H.  studied  law  and  began  prac- 
ticing his  profession  at  Dunkirk,  Indiana;  Mary  J.,  who  married  Levi  Cox,  a 
farmer  of  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  is  now  deceased.  The  paternal  grand- 
father of  the  above  named  children  was  John  Shockney,  a  native  of  Maryland, 
who  fought  in  the  war  of  1812.  Patrick  Shockney,  the  great-grandfather, 
was  a  native  of  Ireland,  from  which  country  he  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  in  colonial  days,  and  he  was  subsec[uently  a  soldier  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War. 

Theodore  Shockney  spent  his  boyhood  on  the  farm.  At  ten  years  of  age 
he  was  left  an  orphan,  and  he  remained  on  the  farm  until  he  was  sixteen 
years  of  age,  working  for  his  board  and  clothes.  He  attended  district  school 
for  a  brief  time  each  winter,  but,  being  ambitious  to  acquire  an  education  he 
studied  assiduously  at  home,  as  a  result  he  was  enabled  to  begin  teaching  when 
but  sixteen  years  old,  and  secured  a  district  school,  and  he  continued  teach- 
ing for  a  period  of  nine  years,  giving  eminent  satisfaction  despite  his  youth. 
During  vacations  he  attended  school  at  Winchester  and  Union  City  and  spent 
three  years  in  the  old  college  at  Ridgeville.  He  early  decided  upon  a  legal 
career,  and  with  that  end  in  view  the  last  six  years  of  his  teaching  were 
spent  in  reading  law,  during  spare  moments,  under  Governor  Isaac  P.  Gray. 
In  1877  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Stanton  J.  Peelle  at  Indianapolis,  re- 
maining a  year  and  completing  his  course,  his  preceptor  being  at  that  time 
a  member  of  Congress.  Mr.  Shockney  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1878,  upon 
recommendation  of  Judge  L.  J.  Monks,  and  soon  began  active  practice  in 
(74) 


Ilbb  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

Union  City,  remaining  here  ever  since.  He  was  successful  from  the  first  and 
has  enjoyed  a  large  and  lucrative  practice.  He  soon  took  his  position  m  the 
front  ranks  of  his  professional  brethren  and  long  since  has  become  one  of 
the  noted  legal  lights  of  Indiana.  He  has  long  been  in  partnership  with  his 
brother  John  A.,  under  the  firm  name  of  Shockney  Brothers.  He  has  re- 
mained a  close  student  of  everything  that  pertains  to  his  profession  and  has 
kept  fully  abreast  of  the  times.  He  is  an  alert,  painstaking,  earnest  and 
learned  advocate  and  is  a  forceful  and  earnest  pleader  before  a  jury,  his 
candor,  logic,  courtesy  and  eloquence  equally  impressing  the  bench. 

Mr.  Shockney  has  always  taken  an  abiding  interest  in  public  affairs  and 
has  long  been  an  influential  leader  in  Randolph  county.    He  was  elected 
mayor  of  Union  City  in  1880,  and  before  his  term  expired  he  was  the  nomi- 
nee of  the  Republican  p&rty  for  representative  to  the  state  legislature,  and 
was  duly  elected.   In  1888  he  was  nominated  and  elected  joint  senator  of  the 
counties  of  Delaware  and  Randolph,  and  made  an  enviable  record  in  the 
state  senate,  in  the  face  of  an  overwhelmingly  Democratic  majority.   The  Re- 
publicans of  Indiana  nominated  him  in  1892  for  lieutenant-governor,  and  al- 
though he  made  a  brilliant  race,  went  down  in  his  first  defeat  with  the  rest 
of  the  ticket.    He  has  been  a  member  of  nearly  every  state  convention  since 
he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  was  a  member  of  the  state  executive 
committee  until  nominated,  and  without  his  solicitation.    He  has  also  been 
usually  a  participant  in  each  campaign  in  Randolph  county,  making  stirring 
speeches  in  almost  every  neighborhood.    During  the  Ohio  campaign  in  1893, 
Mr.  Shockney  was  extended  a  pressing  invitation  from  the  state  committee 
to  assist  in  that  state,  but  important  business  affairs  kept  him  at  home.    His 
canvass  of  Indiana  in  1892,  while  a  candidate  for  lieutenant-governor,  wid- 
ened an  already  extensive  acquaintance  with  the  foremost  men  of  the  state, 
and  acquaintance  with  him  means  friendship,  and  this  has  continued  to  the 
present  time  until  today  he  is  an  intimate  friend  of  most  of  the  leading  poli- 
ticians and  attorneys  of  Indiana.    As  a  public  servant,  his  record  was  highly 
commendable  in  every  respect,  and  his  interest  in  behalf  of  this  locality,  while 
in  the  legislature,  both  as  representative  and  senator,  met  the  hearty  approval 
of  his  constituents. 

Mr.  Shockney  was  married  September  23,  1876,  to  a  lady  of  culture  and 
refinement,  Emma  Alice  Keever,  who  was  born  in  Illinois,  July  19,  1858. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  John  and  Abigail  (Kramer)  Keever,  the  progenitors 
of  both  having  been  Hollanders,  from  which  country  they  emigrated  to 
America  and  located  in  Warren  county,  Ohio,  in  an  early  day.  Mrs.  Shock- 
ney was  six  years  old  when  her  parents  brought  her  to  Randolph  county. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  I167 

Indiana,  where  she  grew  to  womanhood,  and  she  received  her  education  in 
the  Union  City  high  school. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shockney  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  four 
children,  two  of  whom  are  deceased,  namely:  Blanche,  born  May  i6,  1878, 
was  graduated  from  the  local  high  school,  later  taking  a  two  years'  course 
in  the  University  of  Ohio  at  Delaware,  then  was  graduated  from  Miami 
Commercial  College  at  Dayton,  Ohio;  she  was  also  graduated  from  the  State 
Normal  at  Terre  Haute,  Indiana;  owing  to  failing  health  she  made  an  ex- 
tensive trip  to  Europe  in  hopes  of  recuperating  the  same,  but  she  was  called 
to  her  eternal  rest  on  April  19,  1912;  she  was  a  young  lady  of  brilliant  mind 
and  of  much  promise.  Don  P.,  our  subject's  second  child,  was  born  March 
28,  1880,  was  graduated  from  the  Union  City  high  school,  later  was  gradu- 
ated from  Miami  Commercial  College  at  Dayton,  Ohio,  then  spent  two  years 
in  the  University  of  Indiana  at  Bloomington;  he  is  now  manager  of  West 
Dale  plantation  in  Louisiana,  and  is  regarded  as  a  young  man  of  much  busi- 
ness ability.  Ava  Marie,  the  third  of  Mr.  Shockney's  children,  was  born 
July  16,  1885,  was  in  the  graduating  class  of  the  Union  City  high  school, 
where  she  was  making  an  excellent  record,  when  summoned  from  her  studies 
by  death  on  September  19,  1905 ;  Mary  Lucille,  born  September  29,  1895, 
was  graduated  from  the  local  high  school  with  a  fine  record,  and  is  at  this 
writing  at  home  with  her  father.  The  Shockney  residence  is  one  of  the  mod- 
ernly  appointed  and  attractive  homes  in  this  part  of  the  county,  and  has  long 
been  known  as  a  place  of  hospitality  to  the  many  friends  of  the  family.  But 
death  invaded  the  same,  casting  over  it  a  dark  pall  which  even  time  cannot 
dispel,  the  wife  and  mother  being  called  to  her  reward  in  the  silent  land 
on  March  26,  1913.  She  was  a  great  home  woman,  an  ideal  mother  and  wife, 
and  the  wholesome  atmosphere  in  which  she  reared  her  children,  is  clearly 
reflected  in  all  their  lives.  She  was  a  wuman  of  beautiful  attributes  of  head 
and  heart,  kind,  neighborly,  genial  and  of  uniform  pleasing  presence,  and, 
also  possessing  rare  intelligence.  She  did  much  toward  the  large  success  of 
her  husband,  encouraging,  counseling  and  sympathizing  with  him,  which  in- 
duced him  to  put  forth  his  best  efforts.  She  was  greatly  beloved  by  a  wide 
circle  of  friends  who  will  long  lament  her  untimely  departure.  She  was  a 
devout  member  of  the  Christian  church,  in, which  Mr.  Shockney  also  holds 
membership.  Politically,  he  is  now  inclined  to  the  progresssive  movement. 
Personally  he  is  a  gentleman  whom  it  is  a  pleasure  to  know,  companionable, 
high-minded,  plain  and  unassuming,  who  eminently  deserves  the  confidence 
and  esteem  that  is  universallv  accorded  him. 


Il68  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 


CLIFF  G.  BALES. 


Randolph  county  was  especially  fortunate  in  the  character  of  licr  pio- 
neers, who,  save  in  rare  instances,  possessed  the  pluck,  fortitude  and  courage 
of  the  true  Anglo-Saxon — that  race  which  appears  to  delight  in  difficulties, 
because  thereby  opportunities  are  afforded  to  conquer  them.  The  founders 
of  this  country  were  brave,  strong-armed,  far-seeing,  God-fearing,  law- 
abiding  citizens,  patriotic  and  true  to  their  native  or  adopted  land,  and  con- 
scientious in  the  discharge  of  their  every  duty  toward  their  fellow  men.  From 
such  a  people  sprang  Cliff  G.  Bales,  a  successful  young  real  estate,  loan  and 
insurance  man  of  the  town  of  Farmland,  Randolph  county ;  for  we  note  the 
fact  that  his  great  grandfather  braved  the  wilds  in  this  locality  in  pioneer  days 
and  established  the  family  home  in  the  face  of  obstacles  that  would  no  doubt 
have  appalled  us  of  the  present  generation,  and  he  and  the  rest  of  the  Baleses 
have  ever  shown  themselves  to  be  public-spirited,  honorable  minded,  helpful 
people  in  all  relations  of  life. 

Mr.  Bales  was  bom  on  his  grandfather's  old  farm  in  Washington  town- 
ship, Randolph  county,  October  25,  1880.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  S.  and  Louie 
C.  (Stout)  Bales,  whose  family  consisted  of  three  children,  namely:  Clifif  G., 
of  this  sketch;  Mabel,  born  February  7,  1891,  resides  with  her  parents  in 
•Traverse  City;  Charlotte,  born  December  16,  1895,  is  also  a  member  of  the 
home  circle.  Henry  S.  Bales,  the  father,  was  also  born  on  the  old  Bales  home- 
stead in  Washington  township,  this  county,  this  having  been  also  the  birth- 
place of  our  subject's  grandfather.  The  founder  of  the  Bales  family  in  this 
county  emigrated  from  England  with  the  famous  historical  character,  William 
Penn.  ^Ir.  Bales  first  settled  in  Xorth  Carolina,  later  came  to  Ohio,  and  from 
there  to  Indiana,  locating  in  Randolph  county  when  white  settlers  were  indeed 
few  and  the  wilderness  was  the  home  of  Indians  and  wild  beasts.  This  fam- 
ily has  done  much  for  the  general  upbuilding  of  the  county  in  many  ways. 
They  ha^•e,  most  of  them,  followed  general  farming  for  a  livelihood,  and  have 
been  known  for  their  thrift,  honesty  and  neighborliness.  The  mother  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  came  from  Ohio  where  she  was  born.  The  father  spent 
his  life  engaged  in  farming  in  his  native  county. 

Cliff  G.  Bales  grew  up  on  the  home  farm,  and  he  had  the  advantages  of 
a  good  education,  having  attended  the  local  public  schools,  later  graduating 
from  the  \\'inchester  high  school  and  the  Indianapolis  Business  College. 

On  June  3,  1895  he  married  Colona  Owens,  daughter  of  William  X. 
Owens,  a  successful  farmer  in  Randolph  county.  !Mrs.  Bales  is  one  of  four 
children,  and  she  grew  to  womanhood  in  her  native  community  and  received  a 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  II69 

good  education  in  the  public  schools.  She  is  the  eldest  of  the  family,  the  other 
children  being  named  Pearl,  wife  of  Ernest  Fetters,  a  farmer  of  Randolph 
county,  and  they  have  two  children ;  Robert,  a  mechanical  engineer,  was  grad- 
uated from  Purdue  University,  and  now  a  member  of  the  faculty  of  that  col- 
lege; he  married  Edith  Hormell;  Anna,  the  youngest  child,  was  born  Febru- 
ary 17,  1893. 

Mr.  Bales  after  leaving  school  was  for  some  time  assistant  cashier  of  the 
Farmland  State  Bank,  in  fact  held  that  responsible  position  for  a  period  of 
nine  years,  discharging  his  duties  in  a  manner  that  reflected  much  credit  upon 
himself  and  to  the  eminent  satisfaction  of  the  stockholders  and  patrons.  Since 
severing  his  connection  with  the  above  named  institution  he  has  been  engaged 
in  the  real  estate,  loan  and  insurance  business  in  which  he  was  successful  from 
the  start  and  now  has  a  large,  lucrative  and  rapidly  growing  business. 

Politically,  he  is  a  Progressive.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  he  attends  the  Christian  church.  Owing 
to  his  natural  ability,  his  honesty,  and  courtesy,  he  has  an  especially  bright 
future  as  a  business  man. 


JESSE  L.  HOPPES. 


The  office  of  biography  is  not  to  give  voice  to  a  man's  modest  estimate 
of  himself  and  his  accomplishments,  but  rather  to  leave  upon  the  record  the 
\erdict  establishing  his  character  by  the  consensus  of  opinion  on  the  part  of 
his  neighbors  and  fellow  citizens.  The  life  of  Jesse  L.  Hoppes,  who,  al- 
though yet  young  in  years,  is  one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  Farmland, 
Randolph  county,  where  he  owns  and  conducts  a  well  appointed  and  modern 
drug  store,  has  been  such  as  to  elicit  just  praise  from  those  who  know  him 
best,  owing  to  the  fact  he  has  always  been  loyal  to  the  trusts  reposed  in  him 
and  has  been  upright  in  his  dealings  with  his  fellow-men,  at  the  same  time 
lending  his  support  to  the  advancement  of  any  cause  looking  to  the  welfare  of 
the  community  at  large. 

Mr.  Hoppes  was  born  in  Jay  county,  Indiana,  January  22,  1881.  He  is 
a  son  of  Sylvester  and  Emaline  (Daugherty)  Hoppes,  whose  family  consisted 
of  five  children,  namely :  James  P.,  a  farmer  near  Redkey,  Indiana,  married 
Molly  Jenkins,  of  the  same  neighborhood,  and  they  have  one  child,  Mabel; 
Johp  O.,  of  Traverse  City,  Michigan,  is  employed  at  the  asylum  there ;  he 
married  Ida  Cates,  of  Wayne  City ;  Anna  Belle,  who  lives  near  Redkey,  mar- 
ried Neil  Carter,  a  farmer,  and  they  have  one  child,  Lucy  Belle;  William  O., 


liyO  UANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

a  druggist  at  Redkey,  married  Delia  Meanda,  which  union  has  been  without 
issue ;  Jesse  L.,  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  the  youngest. 

Sylvester  Hoppes  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  when  a  youth  he  moved  with 
the  family  from  Fayette  county,  that  state  to  near  Redkey,  Jay  county,  Indi- 
ana, where  our  subject's  Grandfather  Hoppes  settled  in  pioneer  days,  and 
there  his  son  Sylvester  grew  to  manhood  and  took  up  farming  which  he  al- 
ways followed.  The  Hoppes  family  is  of  German  descent.  The  parents  of 
the  mother  of  our  subject  moved  from  Ohio  to  the  vicinity  of  Redkey  when 
she  was  a  child,  and  there  established  their  permanent  home.  It  was  in  that 
vicinity  that  the  parents  of  our  subject  were  married  and  began  housekeeping; 
they  are  both  still  living. 

Jesse  L.  Hoppes  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  received 
excellent  educational  advantages,  having  passed  through  the  public  schools  at 
Redkey,  then  the  Marion  Normal  and  subsequently  Purdue  University  at 
Lafayette,  Indiana,  where  he  made  an  excellent  record  and  from  which  he 
was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1908.  He  took  a  course  in  pharmacy  and 
received  his  degree  in  the  same. 

Mr.  Hoppes  was  married  September  20,  1905  to  Florence  Bell  Swhier,  a 
daughter  of  G.  W.  Swhier,  a  retired  farmer,  whose  family  consists  of  eight 
children,  all  surviving  at  this  writing.  To  our  subject  and  wife  one  child  has 
been  born,  Marjorie  May,  whose  birth  occurred  on  October  22,  1909.  ^Mrs. 
Hoppes  is  also  well  educated,  having  been  graduated  from  the  Purdue  Uni- 
versity. 

I\Ir.  Hoppes  went  to  Marion,  Indiana,  as  a  drug  clerk,  and  he  later  came 
to  Farmland  where  he  clerked  a  year  in  a  drug  store,  then  bought  a  fourth 
interest  in  the  Bly  Botkin  Drug  Company,  whereupon  he  assumed  manage- 
ment of  the  same.  A  year  later  he  purchased  the  entire  business,  which  he  has 
conducted  to  the  present  time  with  great  success,  enjoying  one  of  the  largest 
trades  of  any  drug  store  in  the  county,  and  carrying  an  extensive  and  carefully 
selected  stock  of  drugs  and  drug  sundries.  His  store  is  neat  and  well  kept, 
one  of  the  best  in  every  way  in  this  locality,  in  fact,  would  be  a  credit  to  a 
city  much  larger  than  Farmland.  Mr.  Hoppes  understands  every  phase  of  the 
business  and  honesty,  carefulness  and  promptness  as  well  as  unfailing  courtesy 
are  his  watchwords. 

Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  fraternally,  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  the  Masonic  order.  He  attends  the  Christian  church. .  His 
maternal  grandfather  Daugherty  was  a  minister  in  the  Methodist  church. 

Personally,  [Mr.  Hoppes  is  a  gentleman  of  pleasing  address  who  makes 
and  retains  friends  easily. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I  (7I 

CARL  W.  WATSON. 

The  prestige  which  attaches  to  Carl  W.  Watson  of  Farmland  is  that 
which  comes  of  a  line  of  succession  in  business.  Mr.  Watson  is  the  leading 
baker  and  grocer  of  Farmland,  and  the  enterprise  with  which  he  is  associated 
extends  back  to  the  days  of  the  Civil  war.  He  is  one  of  those  men  who  come 
into  the  possession  of  an  established  business  with  genius  sufficient  to  sustain 
and  develop  its  reputation.  In  this  way  many  of  the  largest  enterprises  of  the 
nation  have  been  built  up.  The  Watson  bakery  was  started  in  an  unpreten- 
tious way  in  1868,  and  by  close  attention  to  detail  and  grasp  of  conditions  the 
business  has  been  brought  up  through  three  generations  to  its  present  ample 
proportions.  Mr.  Watson  is  one  of  the  leading  and  influential  citizens  of  Ran- 
dolph county  and  his  bakery  and  grocery  trade  are  of  the  largest  and  most 
flourishing  in  the  state.  It  is  to  such  thoughtful  and  energetic  men  as  he  that 
Farmland  and  Randolph  county  owe  their  reputation  for  wealth  and  progress. 

Farmland  is  Mr.  Watson's  native  town.  He  was  born  there  April  11, 
1887,  and  is  the  son  of  George  B.  and  Abigail  (Miller)  Watson.  He  had  one 
brother  and  three  sisters.  One  of  the  latter,  Dolly,  lives  in  Hartford  City  and 
is  the  wife  of  J.  P.  Cronin,  cashier  of  the  Citizens  Bank.  The  father  of 
Carl  W.  Watson  was  born  near  Pic]ua,  O.,  January  25,  1838.  His  grandfather 
moved  to  Indiana,  near  Ft.  Wayne  when  his  father  was  an  infant,  and  a  few 
years  later  went  to  Randolph  City.  From  there  he  moved  to  Farmland  and 
was  postmaster  of  that  town  thirteen  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time 
he  went  into  the  bakery  business,  and  the  name  of  Watson  has  been  over  the 
door  ever  since. 

July  12,  1901,  the  subject  of  this  review,  Carl  W.  Watson,  was  married  to 
Bertha  Smithson,  a  daughter  of  Michael  Smithson,  a  prominent  and  prosper- 
ous farmer  near  Ridgeville.  They  have  one  child,  Marjorie,  who  was  born 
October  26,  1907,  and  is  being  educated  in  the  local  schools.  At  the  age  of 
fifteen  Mr.  Watson  entered  upon  the  business  career  that  he  has  since  pursued 
so  successfully.  For  two  years  he  did  work  in  a  restaurant  preliminary  to 
taking  partnership  with  his  father,  and  in  1893  they  bought  the  place  where  the 
bakery  and  grocery  is  now  established.  The  entrance  of  the  son  into  the  firm 
infused  new  life  into  it,  and  from  that  time  the  trade  has  grown  with  aston- 
ishing rapidity.  The  firm  has  all  modern  appliances  and  its  trade  extends 
throughout  the  surrounding  country.  Few  bakeries  in  the  state,  and  none  in 
the  county,  carry  a  larger  and  fresher  stock.  Mr.  Watson  is  a  member  of  the 
Friends  Church  and  is  a  hearty  participant  in  all  its  undertakings. 

A  notable  fact  in  the  commercial  history  of  Farmland  is  that  Peter  S. 


II 72  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

Miller,  the  father  of  Mr.  Watson's  mother,  was  the  first  dry  goods  merchant 
of  the  town.  He  conducted  the  store  he  started  for  thirty  years  and  was  later  in 
the  drug  business  ten  years.  So  both  branches  of  the  family  have  been  closely 
identified  with  the  mercantile  interests  of  the  town  from  their  incipiency.  Mr. 
Miller  lived  to  be  sixty-eight  years  of  age  and  was  one  of  ten  children.  The 
father  of  Mr.  Watson,  it  may  be  noticed,  was  the  first  city  marshal  of  Farm- 
land and  was  for  a  number  of  years  a  member  of  the  town  council.  He 
served  through  the  Civil  war  in  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-seventh 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.    He  has  been  a  Mason  since  1866. 

Farmland  is  one  of  the  enterprising  and  socially  distinguished  towns  of 
the  state,  and  among  its  leaders  in  social,  religious  and  business  circles  is  Carl 
W.  Watson.  Farmland  is  the  better  by  his  residence  there,  and  will  ever  bear 
the  marks  of  his  enterprise,  energy  and  devotion.  Its  interests  are  his  inter- 
ests, and  in  the  unfolding  of  his  powers  the  town  has  been  the  greatest  bene- 
ficiary. In  the  fullest  sense  Mr.  Watson  is  a  public-spirited  citizen,  and  his 
influence  is  felt  wherever  he  is  known. 


THOMAS  H.  CLARK. 


It  has  always  been  the  fruitful  soil  from  which  have  sprung  the  moral 
bone  and  sinew  of  the  country,  and  the  majority  of  our  nation's  leading  men, 
great  warriors,  renowned  statesmen  and  distinguished  men  of  letters  were 
born  on  the  farm  and  were  indebted  largely  to  its  early  influence  for  the  dis- 
tinction which  they  attained ;  indeed,  it  seems  that  the  best  citizens  of  all  our 
states,  whether  noted  in  any  special  line  of  endeavor  or  not,  were  tillers  of  the 
soil,  and  the  same  rule  holds  good  today  as  in  the  past.  From  the  farm 
eame  the  Clarks,  one  of  the  honored  and  representative  families  of  Randolph 
county. 

Thomas  H.  Clark,  substantial  farmer,  public  servant  and  man  of  affairs, 
was  born  August  26,  1846,  on  a  farm  in  Warren  county,  Ohio,  and  he  is  a 
son  of  Thomas  and  Susannah  (Cox)  Clark,  and  was  one  of  nine  children, 
he  being  the  only  son,  and  was  fourth  in  order  of  birth.  His  sisters  are,  Ann 
Eliza,  married  B.  V.  M.  Brouse,  a  farmer  of  Ward  township,  and  died  at  the 
age  of  fifty-one  years,  leaving  seven  children:  Mary  Jane  is  the  widow  of 
William  Valentine,  who  was  a  farmer  near  Springfield,  Ohio,  and  she  has 
seven  children;  Emmeline  married  Cyrus  Sackett,  now  deceased;  she  lives 
near  Winchester  and  has  five  children,  two  having  died  in  early  life;  Sarah 
Elizabeth  is  the  widow  of  Thomas  Seagraves,  who  was  a  farmer,  and  she 


MRS.  THOS.  H.  CLARK. 


THOS.  H.  CLARK. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  1 1 73 

had  five  children;  Arabella,  deceased,  married  Henry  Hobbick,  a  farmer  in 
Kansas,  and  three  sons  were  born  to  them;  Martha,  of  Muncie,  Indiana,  is 
the  widow  of  Colvin  JVlann,  who  was  a  farmer,  and  five  children  were  born 
to  them;  Margaret,  widow  of  Robert  Reynolds,  lives  at  Winchester,  by  whom 
she  had  four  children;  she  later  married  Daniel  Keys  and  to  them  four  chil- 
dren were  born :  Hannah,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Robert  McCracken, 
also  deceased ;  he  was  a  farmer  and  merchant  of  Green  township,  and  to 
them  three  children  were  born. 

Thomas  Clark,  father  of  our  subject,  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Warren 
county,  Ohio.  About  1840  he  came  to  Indiana  and  took  up  a  homestead, 
then  returned  to  Ohio,  where  he  remained  seven  years,  then  came  back  to 
Indiana  and  established  his  future  home,  and  here  his  death  occurred  in  1888 
at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years.  His  farm  has  remained  in  the  family,  our 
subject  now  occupying  the  same.  He  was  a  successful  farmer  and  a  good 
and  useful  man.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  Jacob  Clark, 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  he  came  to  Indiana  about  1844  and  took  up  a 
farm  in  Ward  township,  Randolph  county.  He  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade, 
which  he  followed  in  connection  with  farming.  His  death  occurred  in  Ohio 
about  1880  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject had  a  premonition  of  his  death  six  months  before  the  final  summons  came, 
and  m.ade  his  arrangements  accordingly.  Our  subject's  maternal  grand- 
mother, Mary  Cox,  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey  and  grandfather  Cox  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Mexican  war.  The  Clarks  originally  came  from  Ireland, 
where  the  remote  ancestors,  of  whom  but  little  is  known,  made  their  homes 
for  a  number  of  generations.  Some  of  the  family  emigrated  to  America 
in  the  old  Colonial  days  and  settled  in  Pennsylvania,  where  we  first  hear  of 
Thomas  Clark,  father  of  Jacob  Clark,  mentioned  above.  Jacob  Clark  first 
moved  to  Maryland  from  his  native  state,  thence  to  Ohio,  where  he  remained 
some  time  before  coming  on  to  Indiana.  His  wife,  Patience  Snyder,  whom 
he  married  in  Pennsylvania,  died  within  a  few  years  after  the  family  arrived 
in  Randolph  county,  and  a  short  time  afterwards  Mr.  Clark  returned  to  his 
old  home  in  Warren  county,  Ohio,  and  there  spent  the  rest  of  his  life. 

Thomas  H.  Clark,  of  this  review,  grew  to  manhood  on  the  old  home  farm 
in  Ward  township,  this  county,  and  there  worked  when  a  boy  during  crop 
seasons,  and  he  received  a  good  practical  education  in  the  local  schools.  He 
was  a  mere  boy  when  the  war  between  the  states  began,  but  he  proved  his 
courage  by  enlisting  in  Company  G,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Indi- 
ana Volunteer  Infantry,  December  25,  1863,  and  he  proved  to  be  a  faithful 


1 1 74  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

and  gallant  soldier,  serving  until  honorably  discharged  August  jt,  1865. 
He  was  with  the  Army  of  the  Ohio  most  of  the  time  and  took  part  in  a 
number  of  engagements,  including  the  many  battles  and  skirmishes  of  the 
memorable  Atlanta  campaign  under  General  Sherman,  fought  at  Franklin 
and  Nashville  under  General  Thomas,  also  in  numerous  minor  engagements, 
passing  through  all  without  receiving  any_serious  injury.  In  the  battle  of 
Atlanta  he  was  struck  between  the  shoulders  by  a  spent  ball,  and,  at  another 
time,  a  bullet  struck  his  cartridge  box,  saving  his  life  thereby.  After  the 
war  he  returned  home  and  purchased  a  farm  in  White  River  township,  Ran- 
dolph county,  where  he  resided  two  years,  and  in  1868  purchased  a  part  of 
a  valuable  farm  in  section  30,  Ward  township,  later  adding  to  the  same  until 
he  owned  two  hundred  and  fifty-three  acres  of  very  productive  land,  his 
finely  improved  and  well  kept  farm  lying  about  five  miles  from  Winchester. 
On  it  stands  a  commodious  dwelling  and  substantial  outbuildings  and  here  he 
carries  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising  on  an  extensive  scale,  ranking 
with  the  leading  agriculturists  of  the  county.  Through  his  thrift  and  in- 
dustry he  has  accumulated  a  handsome  competency  and  is  a  stockholder  and 
director  in  the  State  Bank  at  Ridgeville.  He  has  alwa3'^s  been  a  lover  of  good 
livestock  and  has  devoted  considerable  attention  to  raising  the  same.  He 
formerly  also  owned  an  interest  in  an  establishment  for  the  manufacture  of 
drain  tile.  He  is  one  of  our  worthiest  and  most  conspicuous  examples  of  a 
self-made  man.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican  and  has  long  been  active  and 
influential  in  local  party  affairs.  He  was  one  of  the  commissioners  of  Ran- 
dolph county  for  six  years,  filling  the  ofifice  in  a  manner  entirely  creditable 
to  himself  and  to  all  concerned.  He  is  president  of  the  Orphans'  Home 
Board,  and  has  done  much  for  the  promotion  of  this  commendable  work. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  belongs  to  and  liberally  supports  the  Christian 
church.    He  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

Mr.  Clark  has  been  three  times  married,  first,  to  Barbara  Hobbick,  in 
1866.  She  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  but  came  with  her  family  to  Ran- 
dolph county,  locating  in  Ward  township,  when  but  a  child.  Her  death  oc- 
curred March  25,  1873,  leaving  two  children,  Ida  A.,  born  August  15,  1867, 
married  Edward  Mickey,  who  died  July,  1913,  at  Saratoga,  and  to  them  two 
children  were  born,  Ivan  and  Paul;  Elmer  E.,  born  October  12,  1872,  mar- 
ried Gertrude  Thomas,  and  is  a  farmer  of  Randolph  county;  to  them  seven 
children  have  been  born.  Mr.  Clark's  second  marriage  occurred  in  1875, 
when  he  espoused  Mrs.  Jane  Reitenour,  daughter  of  James  Hale  of  Randolph 


KANJJOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  1 1 75 

county,  and  to  this  union  two  children  were  born,  Clarissa  S.,  who  married 
Ora  Collins,  a  farmer  of  Ward  township,  and  to  them  seven  children  have 
been  born;  and  James  T.,  who  married  Estey  Michael,  is  farming  in  Ward 
township.  The  second  wife  of  our  subject  died  in  1898.  By  her  previous 
marriage  she  had  one  child,  William  H.  Reitenour.  On  December  24,  1898, 
our  subject  married  his  last  wife,  Emma  Keener,  daughter  of  a  farmer  of 
White  River  township.  Her  parents  were  both  deceased  at  the  time  of  her 
marriage. 

Mr.  Clark  is  a  gentleman  in  whom  the  utmost  confidence  is  reposed  by 
all  who  know  him  owing  to  his  long  life  of  honest  dealings  with  the  people 
of  Randolph  county,  and  he  is  liked  by  all  classes. 


GEORGE  P.  KENNEDY.  , 

We  should  indeed  be  proud  of  the  fact  that  there  is  no  limit  in  this 
country  to  which  natural  ability,  industry  and  honesty  may  not  aspire.  One 
born  in  the  most  unpromising  surroundings  and  reared  in  the  most  adverse 
environments  may  nevertheless  break  from  his  fetters  and  rise  to  the  highest 
station  in  the  land,  and  the  qualities  do  not  have  to  be  of  transcendent  char- 
acter to  enable  him  to  accomplish  this  result.  It  is  more  the  way  he  does  it 
and  his  skill  in  grasping  the  opportunities  presented  than  to  any  remarkable 
qualities  presented  by  him.  Accordingly  it  is  found  that  very  often  in  this 
country  the  chief  executive  of  the  nation  or  state  and  other  high  public  offi- 
cials possess  no  greater  ability  than  thousands  of  others.  They  have  simply 
taken  better  advantage  of  their  opportunities  than  their  fellows.  And  this 
truth  runs  through  every  occupation.  The  business  man  rises  above  his 
competitors  merely  by  taking  advantage  of  conditions  which  others  overlook 
or  fail  to  grasp.  One  of  the  thrifty  and  successful  business  men  of  Randolph 
county  is  George  P.  Kennedy,  well-known  hardware  dealer  of  Union  City. 

Mr.  Kennedy  was  born  January  4,  1868,  in  the  above  named  city  and 
county  and  here  he  has  been  content  to  spend  his  life.  He  is  a  son  of  Patrick 
G.  and  Catherine  (Wiese)  Kennedy.  The  father  was  born  in  Ireland  in 
1838  and  there  grew  to  manhood  and  was  educated,  remaining  in  the  Emer- 
ald Isle  until  1855,  when  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States.  He  located  in 
Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  here  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  successfully 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in  Union  City,  where  his  death  occurred  in 
1875.  His  wife  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1841,  and  her  death  occurred  in  1877. 
She  grew  to  womanhood  in  her  native  state  and  received  a  good  education, 


1 1  76  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

and  she  came  to  Randolph  county  when  young,  where  she  met  and  married 
Mr.  Kennedy,  who  was  at  that  time  engaged  as  a  book-keeper,  but  later  en  - 
tered  the  mercantile  field. 

Four  children  were  born  to  Patrick  G.  Kennedy  and  wife,  namely : 
Airs.  Alary  AI.  Connelly,  Mrs.  Gertrude  R.  Coulter,  George  P.,  and  Mrs 
A'largaret  M.  Blootmah. 

George  P.  Kennedy  received  his  education  in  the  parochial  schools  of 
Union  City,  then  learned  telegraplfy,  and  when  only  sixteen  years  of  age  he 
commenced  work  as  telegrapher  for  the  old  "B"  line,  with  which  he  re- 
mained twelve  years,  the  last  seven  of  which  were  spent  as  train  dispatcher 
on  the  same  railroad.  Pie  ga\'e  the  company  eminent  satisfaction,  being 
regarded  as  one  of  their  most  efficient  and  trustworthy  employees.  The  road 
is  now  known  as  the  Big  Four.  Finally,  tiring  of  the  exacting  work  of  dis- 
patcher, he  left  the  seisdce  of  the  road  and  began  in  the  hardware  business  in 
Union  City,  in  partnership  with  P.  J.  Wiese,  under  the  firm  name  of  J.  P. 
^^'iese  &  Company,  which  partnership  continued  satisfactorily  until  the  death 
of  Air.  Wiese,  in  1901,  after  which  his  widow,  Mrs.  Angle  Wiese,  continued 
the  business  until  1913,  when  she  sold  out  to  Mr.  Kennedy,  but  the  firm  is 
still  known  as  the  Wiese  Hardware  Company.  This  is  one  of  the  largest 
and  best  known  stores  of  its  kind  in  Randolph  county,  and  a  complete  stock 
of  general  hardware,  stoves,  paints,  oils,  pumps;  in  fact,  everything  used  in 
a  thriving  farming  community  like  this.  Mr.  Kennedy  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful as  a  hardware  man,  building  up  an  extensive  and  ever-growing  trade, 
which  now  extends  over  a  vast  territory. 

Mr.  Kennedy  was  married  October  22,  1889,  to  Catherine  Alaloney, 
who  was  born  in  Shelby  county,  Ohio,  December  10,  1869.  She  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Margaret  (Enright)  Alaloney,  natives  of  Ireland,  from 
which  country  they  emigrated  to  the  United  States  when  young  and  estab- 
lished their  home  in  Shelby  county,  Ohio.  Mrs.  Kennedy  received  a  good 
education  in  the  common  schools. 

Four  children  have  been  born  to  Air.  and  Mrs.  Kennedy,  namely :  An- 
drew Jerome,  born  July  30,  1890,  died  May  5,  1894;  Charles  B.,  born  July 
31,  1895,  graduated  from  the  Union  City  high  school  and  is  now  attending 
St.  Alary's  College  at  Dayton,  Ohio;  Marcella,  born  September  11,  1898,  is 
attending  high  school;  Catherine,  born  January  12,  1901,  is  attending  grade 
school. 

Politically,  Mr.  Kennedy  is  a  Democrat;  fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the 
Knights  of  Columbus  in  Union  City,  and  to  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 


UANDOJ.C'II    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  -1  J  77 

Order  of  Elks  at  Greenville.  He  belongs  to  St.  Mary's  Catholic  church  in 
Union  City.  He  is  secretary  of  the  local  school  board  and  is  a  member  of 
the  library  board.  He  is  one  of  the  influential  men  of  the  town  and  has  done 
much  for  the  general  good  of  the  same. 


HENRY  C.  HULL. 


The  able  and  popular  superintendent  of  the  Randolph  County  Lifirm- 
ary,  Henry  C.  Hull,  has  been  distinctively  the  architect  of  his  own  for- 
tunes, has  been  true  and  loyal  in  all  the  relations  of  life  and  stands  as  a 
type  of  that  sterling  manhood  which  ever  commands  respect  and  honor.  He 
is  a  man  who  would  have  won  his  way  in  any  locality  fate  might  have  placed 
him,  for  he  has  sound  judgment,  coupled  with  great  energy  and  business 
tact,  together  with  upright  principles,  all  of  which  make  for  success  wherever 
they  are  rightly  and  persistently  applied.  By  reason  of  these  principles  he 
has  won  and  retained  a  wide  circle  of  friends  throughout  this,  his  native 
county. 

Mr.  Hall  was  born  on  November  i6,  1857,  in  White  River  township, 
Randolph  county,  and  here  he  has  spent  his  life.  He  is  a  son  of  Joseph 
and  Lucy  (Haynes)  Hull.  The  father  was  born  in  New  Jersey  and  the 
mother  in  the  state  of  New  York,  and  both, came  to  Randolph  county  as 
children  with  their  parents,  who  came  as  early  pioneers,  making  the  long 
journey  from  the  East  in  wagons  across  the  rugged  Alleghanies.  All  was 
woods  here  and  game  was  abundant.  Grandfather  Johile  Hull  settled  on 
land  about  two  miles  south  of  Winchester  and  there  built  his  log  cabin  home 
in  the  heav}'  timber,  and  began  clearing  and  developing  his  land.  Grand- 
father Stephen  Haynes  settled  with  his  family  near  wb.at  is  now  Huntsville 
in  West  River  township,  and  there  cleared  and  developed  a  farm.  They 
were  both  carpenters  and  worked  considerably  at  their  trade.  They  became 
large  land  owners  and  were  prominent  men  in  the  early  affairs  of  the  county. 

Joseph  Hull  also  engaged  successfully  in  farming  in  this  vicinity.  He 
was  also  a  brick  maker  and  a  builder.  Many  of  the  substantial  brick  houses 
over  the  country  were  built  by  him  and  still  stand  as  monuments  of  his  skill 
and  honesty  as  a  builder.  Many  of  them  are  in  Winchester.  His  family 
consisted  of  four  sons  and  four  daughters,  all  now  deceased  but  three,  name- 
ly: Laura,  wife  of  George  Mace  of  Hancock  county;  James  F.,  who  is 
farming  in  W'hite  River  township;  and  Henry  C,  of  this  review.  The  death 
of  Joseph  Hull  occurred  on  June  i,  1905,  his  wife  having  preceded  him  to 


1 1 78  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

the  grave  eighteen  years,  dying  February  14,  1887,  in  Tangerine,  Florida. 
The  father  died  in  Winchester. 

Henry  C.  Hull  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  where  he  worked  hard 
when  a  boy.  He  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools,  however 
his  education  was  limited  to  about  three  months  each  winter  for  only  a  few 
years.  But  he  has  read  extensively  in  later  years  and  is  a  well  informed 
man. 

Mr,  Hull  was  married  August  27,  1885,  to  Minnie  Lock,  a  daughter 
of  William  F.  and  Mary  (Robbins)  Lock,  of  Randolph  county.  The  father 
was  born  in  New  Jersey  and  the  mother  was  a  native  of  Kentucky.  They 
came  to  Randolph  county  as  young  people.  Our  subject  and  wife  have  one 
daughter,  Mabel  C.  Hull,  who  has  been  well  educated  in  the  Winchester 
schools. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Hull  located  on  a  farm,  two  and  one-half  miles 
northwest  of  Winchester  where  he  farmed  for  two  years.  He  then  moved 
to  his  father's  old  home  farm  two  miles  south  of  Winchester,  where  he  re- 
mained three  years,  then  moved  to  a  farm  near  Mt.  Zion,  where  he  spent 
three  years,  and  from  there  movect  to  his  own  small  farm  one  mile  south 
of  Winchester,  adjoining  the  home  farm.  Here  he  lived  twelve  years.  On 
September  i,  1905,  he  moved  to  the  County  Infirmary  home  and  took  charge 
of  the  farm  and  property  as  superintendent.  This  fine  farm  of  over  three 
hundred  acres  he  has  managed  in  a  most  commendable  manner,  keeping  it 
well-improved  and  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  all  interested,  agree 
that  he  is  one  of  the  most  skilful  and  conscientious  men  who  has  ever  been 
in  charge  of  the  county  farm.  He  carries  on  general  farming  and  keeps 
large  herds  of  cattle  and  hogs,  feeding  large  numbers  of  a  good  grade  of 
livestock  annually.  The  soil  was  formerly  thin,  but  is  now  rich  and  pro- 
ductive. Nearly  everything  that  is  consumed  at  the  institute  is  raised  on 
the  farm.  He  has  made  this  one  of  the  model  farms  of  the  county.  He 
not  only  conducts  the  farm  here  most  successfully  and  satisfactorily,  but  he 
and  his  estimable  wife  iook  well  to  the  comfort  and  welfare  of  more  than 
fifty  inmates  of  the  institution.  All  buildings  are  kept  in  perfect  order,  san- 
itary, neat  and  comfortable. 

Politically  Mr.  Hull  has  always  been  a  Republican,  and  has  long  been 
active  in  local  party  affairs,  however,  he  has  never  been  an  office  seeker  and 
never  held  office.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order  and 
seems  to  carry  its  sublime  precepts  into  his  every-day  relations  with  his  fel- 
low-men. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  II 79' 

ALBERT  R.  ABSHIRE. 

There  could  be  no  more  comprehensive  history  written  of  a  city  or  coun- 
ty or  even  of  a  state  and  its  people  than  that  which  deals  with  the  life  work 
of  those  who,  by  their  own  endeavor  and  indomitable  energy,  have  placed 
themselves  where  they  well  deserve  the  title  of  "prominent  and  progressive." 
In  this  sketch  will  be  found  the  name  of  a  gentleman  who  has  outstripped  the 
less  active  and  ambitious  plodders  on  the  highway  of  life,  one  who  has  been 
consistent  in  his  life  work  and  never  permitted  the  "grass  to  grow  under  his 
feet,"  one  who,  while  advancing  his  own  interests  has  not  neglected  his  full 
duties  to  the  general  public,  at  the  same  time  upholding  an  honored  family 
name. 

Albert  R.  Abshire,  of  Winchester,  Randolph  county,  was  born  in 
Washington  township,  this. county,  March  12,  1850,  seven  miles  south  of 
W'inchester,  where  he  lived  for  a  period  of  fifty-five  years,  and  which  val- 
uable farm  he  yet  owns,  this  place  having  been  in  the  Abshire  family  about 
ninety  years,  and  from  the  early  pioneer  days  to  the  present  this  family  has 
been  one  of  the  best  known  in  this  locality,  its  various  members  having  done 
much  toward  the  general  development  of  the  same.  He  is  a  son  of  Isaac 
and  Sarah  (Ballard)  Abshire,  who  spent  their  lives  successfully  engaged 
in  general  agricultural  pursuits  and  who  were  well-known  and  highly  re- 
spected in  their  community.  The  death  of  the  father  occurred  on  June  12, 
1900,  having  been  preceded  to  the  grave  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  by  his 
wife,  her  death  occurring  on  January  18,  1874.  They  are  both  buried  in 
Liberty  Cemetery,  Washington  township. 

Albert  R.  Abshire  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  where  he  worked 
when  a  boy.  He  received  his  education  in  the  district  schools,  also  went  to 
school  two  years  in  Winchester.  He  began  life  for  himself  as  a  teacher, 
which  profession  he  followed  for  a  period  of  fourteen  years  with  much  suc- 
cess, his  services  being  in  great  demand.  In  1882  he  was  elected  trustee  of 
Washington  township,  which  office  he  held  for  two  years,  then  turned  his 
attention  to  farming  on  the  old  home  place  in  Washington  township  where 
he  continued  general  farming  and  stock  raising  with  gratifying  results  until 
the  spring  of  IQ05,  when  he  moved  with  his  family  to  Winchester  and  here 
he  still  resides.  He  owns  a  highly  improved  and  productive  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty-five  acres.  He  is  a  heavy  stockholder  in  the  Citizens 
Banking  Company,  of  Lynn,  Indiana,  and  was  for  many  years  a  director  in 
the  same. 

Politically  he  is  a  Republican  and  has  always  been  a  loyal  party  sup- 


Il8o  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

porter  and  always  greatly  interested  in  public  matters  and  active  in  all  mat- 
ters having  as  their  object  the  general  upbuilding  of  his  city  and  county. 

Mr.  Abshire  was  married  on  February  6,  1889,  to  Alberta  Arnold, 
daughter  of  C.  A.  M.  and  Susan  (Carlton)  Arnold,  of  Meigs  county,  Ohio. 
To  this  union  four  daughters  and  one  son  have  been  born,  namely :  Arnold 
T.,  born  May  23,  1905,  died  in  infancy;  Edith  B.,  born  June  15,  1890,  was 
graduated  from  the  Winchester  high  school,  is  proficient  in  music  and  is 
teaching  that  art  in  her  commranity,  is  also  teaching  one  of  the  district 
schools;  Elma  Susan,  born  September  10,  1892,  also  a  graduate  of  the  high 
school  in  Winchester,  is  a  student  of  art  and  the  violin,  and  she  also  is  gifted 
with  the  artistic  temperament;  Esther  Lucile,  bcrn  October  3,  1894,  was 
graduated  from  the  Winchester  high  school,  is  also  a  teacher  and  musician 
of  marked  ability;  Helen  Ruth,  born  August  31,  1899,  is  a  student  in  the 
public  schools,  and  is  also  a  gifted  musician.  They  are  all  young  ladies  of 
culture,  refinement  and  much  promise.  The  family  attends  the  Methodist 
church  and  Sunday  school,  and  they  are  prominent  in  the  best  social  life  of 
the  city. 


JESSE  F.  BIRD. 


In  looking  over  the  list  of  eligibles  for  this  history  and  studying  the 
data  for  the  same  the  biographer  finds  that  many  of  our  enterprismg  citizens 
have  come  from  the  Carolinas.  Those  old  states,  while  yet  able  to  sustain  a 
vast  population  are  pretty  well  worn,  the  soil  not  having  been  properly  man- 
aged and  has  therefore  become  thin,  so  many  of  the  thriftier  of  the  citizens 
of  that  section  of  Dixie  land  have  desired  newer  countries  where  the  soil  was 
richer  and  therefore  opportunities  greater,  so  large  numbers  have  been  com- 
ing to  Randolph  and  other  counties  in  the  Hoosier  state  since  the  close  of  the 
Civil  war.     Among  them  was  the  Bird  family. 

Jesse  F.  Bird,  farmer  and  stock  raiser  of  Washington  township,  was 
born  in  Randolph  county,  North  Carolina,  January  28,  185 1,  the  scion  of  an 
old  Southern  family,  many  of  whose  praiseworthy  traits  of  head  and  heart 
he  seems  to  have  inherited.  He  is  a  son  of  James  and  Caroline  (Macon) 
Bird.  James  Bird  was  born  September  30,  1811,  in  the  same  county  and  state 
as  was  our  subject  and  there  he  grew  to  manhood,  received  a  meager  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools,  married  Caroline  Macon,  who  was  born  October 
7,  1815,  and  there  established  the  family  home,  where  he  remained  until  the 
fall  of  1867,  when  he  made  the  long  overland  journey  with  his  family  to  Ran- 
dolph county,  Indiana,  locating  in  Washington  township,  walking  from  Rich- 


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RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I181 

mond,  this  state.  After  li\'ing  here  three  years  he  went  back  to  North  Caro- 
Hna.  Politically,  he  was  a  Republican,  and  in  religions  matters  was  a  member 
of  the  Christian  church.  His  death  occurred  on  May  20,  1888,  and  his  wife 
died  February  28,  1895.  He  and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  eleven  children, 
five  of  whom  are  deceased;  those  living  are  Hartwell,  Mrs.  Rebecca  Brown 
and  Zimri,  all  residents  of  North  Carolina;  Gideon  lives  in  Winchester,  In- 
diana; Eli  li\'es  near  Castleton,  and  Jesse  F..  of  this  sketch. 

Jesse  F.  Bird  received  practically  no  schooling,  for  he  was  a  boy  when 
the  war  between  the  states  was  in  progress  and  schools  as  well  as  most  every- 
thing else  was  neglected  in  his  section  of  the  country.  He  was  sixteen  years 
old  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Indiana,  and  soon  afterward  began 
working  out  by  the  day  on  various  farms.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  went' 
to  Missouri  and  stayed  a  year.  After  working  as  a  farm  hand  for  seven 
years  he  rented  seventy-five  acres  which  he  farmed  nearly  five  years,  then 
purchased  eighty  acres,  which  is  now  a  part  of  his  home  farm.  He  worked 
hard,  managed  well  and  therefore  prospered  with  the  advancing  years.  His 
original  purchase  had  no  buildings,  but  he  improved  it  properly  and  added 
to  it  until  he  now  owns  one  of  the  choice  farms  of  Washington  township, 
consisting  of  two  hundred  and  thirty-four  acres,  all  well  tiled  and  well 
drained.  He  has  a  large  up-to-date  home,  good  barns,  fences  of  the  latest 
model,  steel  and  concrete  posts.  He  raises  a  general  breed  of  livestock  and 
feeds  large  numbers  of  hogs  for  the  market. 

Politically,  Mr.  Bird  is  a  Progressive.  He  belongs  to  the  Christian 
church  in  which  he  is  an  elder  and  trustee  and  was  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday  school  for  a  great  many  years,  in  fact,  is  one  of  the  pillars  in  the 
local  church.  For  many  years  he  was  president  of  the  Washington  Town- 
ship Sunday  School  Union  and  was  one  of  its  organizers.  He  is  a  trustee  of 
New  Liberty  cemetery.  He  has  served  as  road  supervisor  and  was  elected 
a  member  of  the  advisory  board,  but  refused  to  serve. 

During  the  war  a  Confederate  camp  was  located  a  mile  or  two  from  the 
home  of  James  Bird.  A  brother  of  our  subject  refused  to  enlist  and  in 
retaliation,  the  Confederates  held  our  subject's  parents  in  their  camp  as 
prisoners  for  sevetal  weeks,  leaving  six  children  at  home  alone. 

Mr.  Bird  was  married  February  15,  1877  to  Aletha  J.  Willis,  who  was 
born  in  Washington  township,  this  county,  September  22,  1853,  and  here 
she  grew  to  womanhood  and  received  her  education.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Sarah  (York)  Willis.  Her  father  was  born  in  1825  in  this 
county,  his  parents  having  been  among  the  earliest  settlers  here.     Joseph 

(75) 


Il82  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

Willis  was  an  invalid  from  his  twenty-first  year.  His  death  occurred  Septem- 
ber 14,  1866.  Sarah  York  was  born  in  Guilford  county,  North  Carolina, 
July  7,  1823,  and  came  to  this  county  in  early  life  where  her  death  occurred 
April  24,  1898. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bird  two  children  were  born,  namely:  Walter  F., 
born  May  30,  1881,  died  October  17,  1886;  Clara  May,  born  September  20, 
1887,  married  Walter  A.  Johnson,  and  they  live  on  the  old  home  farm. 
They  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Aletha  Jane,  born  November  5,  1913,  in 
Detroit,  Michigan. 


GRANT  C.  MARKLE,  M.  D. 

The  name  Markle  has  been  a  household  word  to  the  people  of  Ran- 
dolph county  for  the  past  forty  years,  and  during  that  period  no  name  in 
the  list  of  medical  men  in  this  section  of  the  Hoosier  state  has  stood  out  any 
more  prominentl)^  for  Dr.  Grant  C.  Markle,  of  this  review,  and  his  worthy 
father  before  him,  Dr.  John  E.  Markle,.  have  been  prominent  physicians  and 
surgeons  of  the  county  during  that  period,  the  former  during  the  latter  part 
and  the  latter  during  the  first  part  of  the  period  designated.  They  have 
brought  health,  and  therefore  happiness  to  the  people  of  this  locality  and 
have  won  the  lasting  gratitude  of  all.  The  elder  Markle  has  passed  on  to 
a  higher  plane  of  endeavor,  but  his  mantle  seems  to  have  fallen  on  his  son 
who  is  carrying  on  the  commendable  work  of  bringing  surcease  for  the  mul- 
tiform ills  to  which  humanity  is  heir,  and  he  is  in  every  respect  proving  him- 
self to  be  a  worthy  son  of  a  worthy  sire. 

Dr.  Grant  C.  Markle,  of  Winchester,  was  born  in  Portland,  Indiana, 
October  31,  1868,  and  is  a  son  of  Dr.  John  E.  and  Emily  V.  (Johnson) 
Markle.  Owing  to  the  prominence  of  the  father  his  biography  will  be  given 
at  some  length  before  proceeding  with  the  life  history  of  the  son. 

Dr.  John  E.  Markle  was  born  at  Ithaca,  New  York,  December  2,  1838, 
his  father,  Jacob  Markle,  having  been  a  merchant  at  that  place,  and  who 
subsequently  moved  with  his  family  to  Candor,  Tioga  county,  New  York, 
in  1841,  where  he  lived  until  1853,  in  which  year  he  came  to  Madison  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  locating  at  a  village  which  was  later  named  Markleville.  He 
was  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  at  this  point  until  his  death  in  1864. 
His  son,  John  E.,  received  an  excellent  education  in  the  Academy  at  Can- 
dor, New  York  and  the  University  at  Meadville,  Pennsylvania.  In  1859 
he  began  the  study  of  medicine,  and  a  year  later  found  him  pursuing  his 
studies  at  the  Ohio  Medical  College,  Cincinnati,  Ohio.     In  the  spring  of 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA  I183 

1861  he  began  practicing  at  Fishersburg,  Indiana.  But  his  practice  was  in- 
terrupted by  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war,  and  on  August  4th  of  that 
year  he  enhsted  in  Company  E.  Thirty-fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry. 
While  in  camp  at  Anderson  he  was  detailed  for  duty  in  the  hospital  depart- 
ment, and  he  did  not  return  to  his  company  until  in  November,  1862,  at 
Helena,  Arkansas.  On  January  4,  1863,  he  was  appointed  second  lieuten- 
ant and  was  detailed  as  commander  of  a  squad  to  assist  in  carrying  out  one 
of  Gen'eral  Grant's  plans  in  the  Mississippi  campaign.  For  valuable  ser- 
vice he  was  made  first  lieutenant  April  4,  1863.  He  had  charge  of  his  com- 
pany at  the  battle  of  Magnoha  Hills,  Mississippi  and  for  bravery  displayed 
in  the  capture  of  a  rebel  battery,  he  was  given  a  captain's  commission.  As 
captain  of  Company  K,  he  participated  in  thirty-two  engagements,  winning 
an  enviable  record  for  bravery  and  daring  courage.  He  was  in  the  battle 
of  Palo  Alto,  Texas,  one  of  the  last  of  the  war.  Here  he  performed  one  of 
his  most  courageous  feats  by  rescuing  the  regimental  colors  from  the  enemy 
into  whose  hands  they  had  fallen.  On  October  15,  1865,  he  was  commis- 
sioned assistant  surgeon  of  his  regiment,  serving  in  that  capacity  until  Feb- 
ruary 19,  1866,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged  and  mustered  out  of  the 
service.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  the  only  one  among  forty  appli- 
cants who  passed  a  successful  examination  for  admission  into  the  regular 
army.     He  was  never  wounded  or  taken  prisoner. 

After  his  mihtary  career  had  ended,  Dr.  John  E.  Markle  located  at 
Portland,  Jay  county,  Indiana,  in  March,  1866,  and  there  began  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession.  He  later  attended  a  course  of  lectures  in  the  Ohio 
Medical  College  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  spring  of  1868.  He 
continued  to  practice  at  Portland  until  1873  when  he  removed  to  Hagers- 
town,  Indiana,  and  on  November  2,  1874,  located  at  Winchester,  where  he 
remained  successfully  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  until  his 
death  which  occurred  on  March  20,  1903.  He  was  secretary  of  the  Jay 
County  Medical  Association  and  in  1866  was  president  of  the  same.  In 
1876  he  suggested  a  similar  organization  for  Randolph  county  and  was  the 
principal  organizer  of  the  same,  was  president  for  one  year.  In  the  winter 
of  1878-9  he -attended  the  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  College,  of  New  York 
City,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  spring  of  1879.  Later  in  that 
year  he  assisted  in  organizing  the  Delaware  District  Medical  Society,  and 
was  elected  vice-president,  and  president  in  1880.  Fie  was  a  member  of 
the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Association, 
and  he  contributed  numerous  valuable  papers  to  the  medical  journals  of  the 


1 184  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

country.  At  the  organization  of  the  Randolph  County  Board  of  Health 
he  was  elected  secretary,  and  \vas  by  virtue  of  the  same,  health  officer  of 
the  county.  He  was  apixsinted  United  States  pension  examiner  July  i, 
1882,  serving  four  years,  and  was  later  re-appointed.  He  was  a  Republi- 
can and  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows.  He  was  noble  grand  of  the  latter  lodge,  and  reached  the  master's 
degree  in  the  former,  being  a  Scottish  Rite,  a  Knights  Templar  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Chapter.  He  was  also  past  grand  of  the  Odd  Fellows  and  was 
representative  to  the  grand  lodge  of  Indiana  in  1870.  He  was  a  great  physi- 
cian of  the  old  school  and  enjoyed  a  very  large  and  lucrative  practice  and 
was  one  of  the  best  known  doctors  of  his  day  in  northern  Indiana.  ■  He  was 
elected  clerk  of  his  county  in  1896,  serving  four  years. 

Dr.   John  E.   Markle  was  married   September    19,    1866  to  Emily    V 
Johnson,  daughter  of  Jephtha  Johnson,  of  Wayne  county,  this  state,  and  she 
is  still  living,  making  her  home  with  her  son.  Dr.  Grant  C.  Markle.     The 
only  other  child  of  these  parents  was  Minnie,  who  died  in  infancy. 

Dr.  Grant  C.  Markle  was  reared  in  the  atmosphere  of  a  physician's 
home  and  attended  the  public  schools,  graduating  from  the  Winchester  high 
school  in  1886.  He  then  entered  Wabash  College,  Crawfordsville,  In- 
diana, from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1890  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Science.  Deciding  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  his  father  in  a  professional 
way  he  began  studying  medicine  under  him  at  his  office  in  \Vinchester,  sub- 
sequently entering  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  Louisville, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  in 
1892.  He  at  once  began  practice  with  his  father  in  Winchester  and  has  re- 
mained in  the  general  practice  to  the  present  time.  He  was  not  long  in 
rising  to  distinction  in  his  profession.  He  has  always  kept  well  abreast 
of  the  progress  of  the  science,  is  an  enthusiast  in  his  practice,  and  tireless  in 
his  performance  of  duty.  During  the  past  5'ear  he  has  been  compelled  to 
give  up  much  of  his  practice  in  view  of  the  fact  that  on  January  29,  1913, 
he  was  struck  by  a  locomotive  at  a  street  crossing  in  Winchester  and  ser- 
iously injured,  while  making  a  professional  call.  Fie  remained  in  partner- 
ship with  his  father  for  five  years,  then  practiced  by  himself.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  coimty,  state  and  national  medical  societies.  Fraternally  he  be- 
longs to  the  ^lasonic  Order  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  Politically  he  is  a 
staunch  Republican  and  has  been  active  in  public  matters  since  attaining  his 
majority.  Pie  was  county  health  commissioner  for  several  years,  and  is  a 
progressive  citizen  in  every  respect.     He  has  also  been  city  health  officer. 

Dr.  ^larkle  was  married  December  30.  1897  to  Bessie  Smith,  a  daugh- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  II85 

ter  OT  Dr.  W.  G.  and  Julia  (Lucas)  Smith,  a  prominent  ^^'inchester  family. 
Here  Mrs.  Markle  grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated.  She  is  a  lady 
of  culture  and  pleasant  address.  The  union  of  the  Doctor  and  wife  has  been 
without  issue. 


SIMON  RAMSEY. 


The  most  elaborate  history  is  perforce  a  merciless  abridgement,  the  his- 
torian being  obliged  to  select  his  facts  and  materials  from  manifold  details 
and  to  marshal  them  in  concise  and  logical  order.  This  applies  to  specific 
as  well  as  generic  history,  and  in  the  former  catagory  is  included  the  inter- 
esting and  important  department  of  biography.  In  every  life  of  honor  and 
usefulness  there  is  no  dearth  of  interesting  situations  and  incidents,  and 
yet  ii]  summing  up  the  career  of  men  like  Simon  Ramsey,  a  venerable  and 
highly  respected  citizen  living  just  south  of  the  city  of  Winchester  the  writer 
must  touch  only  on  the  more  salient  facts,  giving  the  keynote  of  the  char- 
acter and  eliminating  all  that  is  superfluous  to  the  continuity  of  tlie  nar- 
I'ative.  The  gentleman  whose  name  appears  above  has  led  an  active  and 
useful  life,  devoid  of  the  spectacular  or  exciting,  and  the  more  prominent 
features  have  been  so  identified  with  the  useful  and  practical  that  it  is  to 
them  almost  entirely  that  the  writer  refers  in  the  following  paragraphs. 

Mr.  Ramsey  was  born  February  22,  1834  in  Lebanon,  Warren  county, 
Ohio.  He  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  and  Jennette  (Moore)  Ramsey.  The  fath- 
er was  born  in  Berks  county,  Pennsylvania  and  the  mother  was  born  in  Scot- 
land. When  the  Moore  family  first  emigrated  to  America  they  settled  in 
New  York,  later  crossing  the  Alleghany  mountains  to  Pittsburg,  Pennsyl- 
vania, then  took  flat  boats  in  which  they  descended  the  Ohio  river,  first  set- 
tling in  woods  of  what  is  now  Lawrenceburg.  The  Ramseys  came  west  in 
the  early  years  of  the  nineteenth  century  and  settled  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
The  parents  of  our  subject  were  married  in  1827  and  later  established  their 
home  in  Warren  county,  Ohio.  The  grandparents,  Arthur  and  Agnes 
(Fleming)  Moore  located  in  the  vicinity  of  the  above  named  city  and  Mr. 
Moore  engaged  in  the  foundry  business  in  Cincinnati,  also  the  machine  busi- 
ness. After  their  marriage  the  parents  of  our  subject  m.oved  to  Lebanon, 
Warren  county,  where  the  father  engaged  at  the  shoemaker's  trade,  later 
he  moved  to  Cincinnati,  and  in  185 1  the  family  moved  to  Spartanburg,  Ran- 
dolph county,  where  the  father  continued  working  at  his  trade  and  also  en- 
gaged some  in  farming,  purchasing  some  land.     Benjamin  Ramsey  was  born 


Il86  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

April  I,  1805,  and  his  death  occurred  in  1866  in  Fletcher,  Miami  county, 
Ohio  where  he  had  lived  for  several  years.  He  had  married  a  second  time. 
Jennette  Moore,  mother  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Scotland  in  1799,  and 
her  death  occurred  in  October,  1858. 

Five  children  were  born  to  Benjamin  Ramsey  and  wife,  two  of  whom 
died  in  infancy;  Agnes,  who  married  John  W.  Love,  is  deceased;  Hester, 
who  was  the  wife  of  John  T.  Chenoweth,  is  also  deceased;  Simon,  of  this 
review,  is  the  only  one  of  his  immediate  family  now  living.  He  has  a  half 
sister,  Clara  Belle,  now  Mrs.  Fentors,  who  lives  in  Miami  county,  Ohio. 

Simon  Ramsey  was  reared  in  Lebanon  and  Cincinnati,  Ohio  until  he 
was  seventeen  years  of  age  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Randolph 
county,  Indiana.  He  attended  the  public  schools  in  Cincinnati,  and  he  also 
went  to  the  Spartanburg,  Indiana,  schools  for  a  time.  About  1853  the  fam- 
ily moved  to  Winchester  where  the  father  worked  at  his  trade.  As  a  young 
man  our  subject  worked  at  various  things.  On  February  6,  i860  he  mar- 
ried Eliza  Ellen  Lister,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Sarah  (Ellis)  Lister.  To 
our  subject  and  wife  two  sons  were  born,  namely:  Charles  Amos,  who  is 
married  and  living  in  Muncie;  Nathan  W.  is  married  and  lives  with  his  par- 
ents on  the  home  farm. 

For  a  number  of  years  both  before  and  after  his  marriage  Simon  Ram- 
sey was  a  deputy  in  the  various  county  offices.  In  September,  1873  he  was 
elected  treasurer  of  Randolph  county  and  served  one  term  of  two  years. 
After  leaving  this  office  he  lived  in  Winchester  for  some  years  and  in  1878 
he  moved  with  his  family  to  his  farm  one  and  one-half  miles  south  of  this 
city  and  here  he  has  resided  continuously  to  the  present  time.  He  has  a 
valuable  and  well-kept  farm  on  which  he  has  carried  on  general  farming  and 
stock  raising  and  on  which  stands  a  comfortable  home.  The  active  work  of 
the  farm  is  now  done  by  the  son,  the  elder  Ramsey  taking  life  easy  in  his 
old  age,  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  former  years  of  labor. 

Politically  he  has  always  been  a  Republican  and  active  and  influential 
in  local  party  affairs.  His  first  presidential  vote  was  cast  for  John  C.  Fre- 
mont in  1856.  He  has  done  much  to  encourage  better  methods  of  farming 
in  this  locality  and  was  for  some  time  president  of  the  Randolph  County 
Agricultural  Society.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order  and  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  having  joined  both  lodges  in  the  year  1856, 
and  has  been  in  continuous  good  standing  in  each,  thus  for  a  period  of  over 
half  a  century.     His  wife  and  family  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  I187 

GEORGE  A.  EASTMAN. 

Among  the  most  commendable  attributes  of  human  character  is  faith- 
fulness to  duty.  No  one  contemplates  for  even  a  moment  the  life  record  of 
George  A.  Eastman,  the  genial,  efficient  and  popular  agent  of  the  Big  Four 
Railroad  Company  at  Winchester,  without  noting  his  marked  fidelity  to 
duty.  That  has  been  the  main  reason  of  his  success  in  railroad  work,  for, 
everyone  knows  that  lack  of  interest  in  one's  tasks  is  not  conducive  to  re- 
ward. There  is  never  a  serious  blot  on  his  record  of  many  decades  in  the 
railroad  service,  neither  is  there,  so  far  as  known  to  the  public,  a  stain  on  his 
private  record,  so  we  are  glad  to  give  him  mention  in  this  work. 

Mr.  Eastman  was  born  in  Union  City,  on  the  Ohio  side,  February  19, 
1867.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  O.  and  Harriet  J.  (Livingood)  Eastman.  The 
father  was  born  in  New  Hampshire  and  the  mother  in  Darke  county,  Ohio. 
The  elder  Eastman  came  to  Cleveland,  Ohio  in  March,  1861  after  spending 
his  boyhood  in  New  England,  and  engaged  in  railroad  construction  work, 
later  coming  to  what  is  now  Union  City,  and  engaged  in  the  construction 
of  the  Bellefontaine  &  Indianapolis  Railroad,  now  the  Big  Four,  and  while 
living  at  Union  City  he  and  Harriet  J.  Livingood  were  married.  Her  fath- 
er, Jacob  Livingood,  had  moved  to  that  place  from  Darke  county,  Ohio,  and 
built  the  first  house  in  the  new  town.  He  was  a  great  Abolitionist  and  was 
active  in  the  workings  of  the  "underground  railroad."  Henry  O.  Eastman 
became  roadmaster  of  the  Bellefontaine  &  Indianapolis  road,  and  during  its 
subsequent  changes,  until  he  was  incapaciated  for  work  and  retired.  He  is 
still  living  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years.  His  aged  wife  is  also 
living.     They  are  each  of  good  sturdy  New  England  stock. 

To  Henry  O.  Eastman  and  wife  six  sons  and  one  daughter  were  born, 
namely :  Major  Nelson  is  engaged  in  electrical  work  at  Cambridge,  Massa- 
chusetts; Sherman  met  an  accidental  death  by  an  electric  car  in  Anderson, 
Indiana,  in  1896;  George  A.,  subject  of  this  sketch;  Charles  A.,  of  Chicago, 
where  he  is  engaged  in  structural  work;  Ruby  G.  is  secretary  and  treasurer 
of  the  National  Carpet  Sweeper  Association,  of  Marion,  Indiana;  Chester  L. 
is  a  farmer  in  Darke  county,  Ohio;  Dora  L.  is  at  home. 

George  A.  Eastman  was  reared  in  Union  City  and  there  attended  school 
until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age,  when,  much  to  the  regret  of  his  parents  he 
decided  to  leave  school  and  seek  employment,  which  he  found  in  the  Superin- 
tendent's office  of  the  Big  Four  at  Union  City,  where  he  learned  telegraphy, 
remaining  there  one  year,  when  he  went  to  various  points  on  the  line,  for  a 
time  as  operator,  and  in  1885  as  telegrapher,  remaining  with  the  Big  Four 


Il88  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

in  that  capacity  until  March  8,  1888.  He  acted  also  as  extra  agent,  and 
was  operator  at  various  towns  on  the  line  during  this  period.  On  the  last 
named  date  he  went  to  Ansonia,  Ohio,  as  agent,  where  he  remained  until 
January  i,  1898,  then  was  appointed  agent  at  Winchester,  Indiana,  and  here 
he  has  remained  to  the  present  time,  giving  his  company  eminent  satisfaction 
in  every  respect,  just  as  he  did  in  all  his  previous  positions. 

Mr.  Eastman  was  married  February  19,  1889  to  Laura  Winbigler,  a 
daughter  of  Uriah  and  Sarah  W  (Johnson)  Winbigler,  of  Ansonia,  Ohio. 
This  union  has  been  without  issue. 


WILLIAM  T.   ROSZELL. 

The  public  eye  is  being  turned  more  and  more  every  day  toward  those 
thinning  ranks  of  the  "blue  and  the  gray."  At  the  rate  of  eleven  thousand 
a  year  they  are  departing  from  this  life,  leaving  imperishable  records  of  their 
heroism  and  fortitude.  The  hardships  of  blistering  marches,  the  death  har- 
vest of  the  battlefield  and  the  hot,  restless  fever  camps,  the  filth-laden  prisons, 
cannot  be  appreciated  in  their  horror  by  ones  who  have  not  experienced  them, 
k)ut  the  brave  boys  who  survived  that  awful  struggle  remember,  and  it  is 
the  universal  desire  among  them  that  the  fair  country  of  the  United  States 
shall  never  feel  the  touch  of  the  war  demon  again,  nor  shall  their  children 
know  the  terror  and  agony  of  service  such  as  that,  where  brothers  fought 
brothers,  and  civilization  was  forgotten  in  the  lust  of  combat.  William  T. 
Roszell  is  the  proud  possessor  of  war  record  which  is  without  superior  in 
point  of  service  and  actual  fighting.  Some  men  went  through  the  war  without 
a  smell  of  gunpowder,  so  to  speak,  and  they  are  generally  the  loudest  in 
their  praises  of  themselves,  but  others,  including  our  subject,  were  fated  to 
be  at  the  critical  points  at  the  crucial  time,  and  suffered  wounds  and  hard- 
ships. 

William  T.  Roszell  was  born  in  Greensburg,  Decatur  county,  Indiana, 
on  December  3,  1843,  ^^'^  was  the  son  of  John  F.  and  Perlina  (SuUinger) 
Roszell,  being  one  of  the  following  children,  namely:  Samuel,  who  died  en 
route  to  California  in  the  gold  rush  of  1849;  Elsie,  Nancy,  Mary,  Elvira  B.. 
Mahala,  James  M.,  Terrell  and  Emma,  all  deceased;  and  Laura,  of  Georgia. 
Both  of  our  subject's  parents  were  from  the  state  of  Kentucky,  where  the 
father  followed  the  trade  of  the  blacksmith.  They  came  overland  to  the 
fair  Hoosier  state  in  a  very  early  day,  settling  in  Greensburg,  where  the 
father  and  his  brother  did  the  first  blacksmithing  ever  "done  in  the  town. 


W.  T.  ROSZELL. 


,  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I189 

Our  subject's  grandfather  was  a  farmer  of  Indiana,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
ninety-five  years.  The  Roszells  trace  their  ancestry  to  an  old  Hugenot 
family. 

On  September,  26,  1872  William  Roszell  was  married  to  Hannah  C. 
Hiatt,  a  daughter  of  Amos  Hiatt,  a  citizen  of  Randolph  county,  a  farmer 
who  entered  land,  which  he  lived  upon,  from  the  government.  Mrs.  Roszell 
was  one  of  twelve  children,  the  father  being  twice  married.  The  children 
by  the  first  wife  were:  Louisa,  deceased,  Lucinda  E.,  Samuel  M.,  and 
Malissa,  both  dead;  John  W.,  died  while  in  the  army;  and  the  children  by 
the  second  wife  were:  Mrs.  Roszell;  James  C,  of  Winchester;  Charles  O., 
a  Minnesota  farmer;  Mary  E.,  deceased;  Allen  R.,  in  charge  of  Orphan's 
Home;  Rosa  Almeda,  of  Albany,  Indiana;  and  Ella,  who  is  deceased. 

Two  children  have  been  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  and  they  are : 
Oolie  Myrtle,  married  Arthur  Dean,  a  Randolph  county  farmer,  and  they 
have  seven  children;  Hattie,  Bertha,  Vernal,  Charles,  John  F.,  Flora  May, 
and  Walter  A. ;  and  the  second  child  is  Orpha  May,  married  Austin  Barnes, 
and  has  one  child,  Martha  Catherine.     They  reside  on  the  Roszell  homestead. 

Mrs.  Roszell's  father  was  from  the  state  of  North  Carolina,  near 
Raleigh,  being  of  Welsh  descent.  He  came  to  Winchester  about  1829,  at 
the  age  of  18,  having  been  born  April  20,  1811.  He  followed  the  trade  of 
a  blacksmith  and  farmer.  He  was  reared  a  Quaker  and  his  wife  a  Metho- 
dist. Religiously  our  subject's  father  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  and  politically  belonged  to  the  Republican  party. 

William  Roszell,  our  subject,  when  but  eighteen  years  of  age,  on  August 
8,  1862,  enlisted  in  Company  E,  Seventh  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  Captain 
Clayton  commanding.  He  was  discharged  June  i,  1865,  at  Chester  Hospi- 
tal, Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Roszell's  first  engagement  was  at  Thoroughfare  Gap 
on  August  27,  1862.  Two  days  later  he  fought  in  the  second  battle  of  Bull 
Run,  and  in  this  conflict  performed  a  brave  act,  that  of  rescuing  the  colors 
from  the  enemy  from  a  fallen  color  bearer.  On  September  14,  1862  he  par- 
ticipated in  the  battle  of  South  Mountain.  On  the  17th  he  fought  at  Antie- 
tam,  in  October  at  Shepardstown,  and  on  November  2nd,  at  Uniontown, 
Virginia.  At  this  latter  place  he  was  wounded  in  the  arm  by  an  exploding 
shell  which  killed  two  and  wounded  eleven  others.  December  23rd  found 
Mr.  Roszell  at  Fredericksburg.  On  May  3,  1863  he  engaged  at  the  san- 
guinary clash  at  Chancellorsville.  Mr.  .Roszell  was  in  action  during  the 
greatest  battle  of  the  war,  the  four  days  at  Gettysburg.  In  December,  '63, 
he  was  at  Mine  Run.  He  fought  during  the  famous  battle  of  the  Wilderness 
from  May  5th  to  7th,  '64,  and  at  Spottsylvania,  May  12th,  the  same  year,  and 


1 190  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

on  May  23d,  was  at  North  Anna.  Later  he  engaged  at  Coal  Harbor,  and 
in  the  battles  around  Petersburg.  At  Petersburg  he  was  shot  through  the 
leg  by  a  Minie  ball.  When  Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee  surrendered  at  Appomattox, 
to  Grant,  Mr.  Roszell  was  there.  After  his  discharge  from  the  army,  he 
returned  to  private  life  as  a  farmer,  and  has  continued  ever  since,  although 
he  has  forsaken  active  work. 


JESSE  W.  JACKSON. 


White  River  township,  Randolph  county,  has  an  able  exponent  in  twen- 
tieth century  farming  in  Jesse  W.  Jackson,  whose  excellent  farm,  three  miles 
west  of  the  city  of  Winchester,  is  being  rapidly  brought  to  a  state  of  per- 
fection. Our  subject  has  not  long  resided  in  this  vicinity,  but  he  has  been 
here  long  enough  to  prove  that  he  is  a  persistent  and  intelligent  worker  and 
a  good  citizen  in  every  respect. 

Mr.  Jackson  was  born  on  October  27,  1870,  on  a  farm  in  Stony  Creek 
township,  this  county.  He  is  a  son  of  Isom  and  Susan  J.  (Moore)  Jackson, 
a  highly  respected  old  couple  of  this  locality.  A  complete  sketch  of  them 
appears  in  another  part  of  this  work.  These  parents  are  still  living  in  Stony 
Creek  township. 

Jesse  W.  Jackson  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  in  his  native 
township  and  county,  and  he  attended  the  country  district  schools,  and 
helped  with  the  general  farm  work.  He  remained  with  his  parents  on  the 
home  farm  until  he  was  married,  September  5,  1891,  having  selected  for 
his  life-companion  Millie  B.  Pursley,  a  daughter  of  James  M.  and  Mary  E. 
(Addington)  Pursley,  a  well-known  family  of  Randolph  county. 

Four  children  have  been  born  to  the  union  of  our  subject  and  wife, 
named  in  order  of  birth  as  follows:  Nerval  W.,  born  February  9,  1894; 
Rolland  W.,  born  April  22,  1898;  Miltie  O.,  born  May  6,  1900;  Edith  Olive, 
born  August  19,  1903. 

Our  subject  first  settled  on  a  farm  two  and  one-half  miles  southeast 
of  Farmland,  where  he  carried  on  general  farming  for  a  period  of  twenty 
years  with  ever  increasing  success.  In  the  spring  of  1912  he  removed  to 
his  present  place  three  miles  west  of  the  county-seat  and  here  he  is  meeting 
with  his  usual  success  as  a  general  agriculturist  and  stock  raiser,  ranking 
with  the  best  in  White  River  township.  This  move  was  made  because  he 
wanted  a  larger  farm  as  his  boys  had  grown  to  young  manhood  and  he  want- 
ed to  give  them  an  opportunity  at  home,  to  teach  them  farming  by  his  own 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  II9I 

methods.  He  devotes  much  attention  to  stock  raismg  and  feeding,  being 
regarded  as  one  of  the  best  hog  raisers  in  Randolph  county,  and  a  goodly 
share  of  his  annual  income  is  derived  in  this  manner.  In  both  breeding 
and  feeding  he  has  been  very  successful. 

Mr.  Jackson  has  always  been  a  Republican  in  politics  and  he  has  long 
been  active  and  deeply  interested  in  public  affairs,  however  has  never  been 
an  oifice  seeker,  not  caring  to  neglect  his  farming.  Pie  and  his  family  are 
members  of  the  Friends  church  and  are  active  supporters  of  the  church  and 
Sunday  school.  They  stand  well  in  this  community  as  they  did  in  their 
old  one. 


SAMUEL  B.  RUBY,  M.  D. 

The  early  pioneers,  having  blazed  the  path  of  civilization  to  the  section 
of  Indiana  of  which  Randolph  county  is  a  part,  finished  their  labors,  and 
many  of  them  have  passed  from  the  scene,  leaving  the  country  to  the  posses- 
sion of  their  descendants  and  to  others  who  came  at  a  later  period  and  budd- 
ed on  the  foundation  which  they  laid  so  broad  and  deep.  The  Ruby  fam- 
ily is  of  this  class,  and  its  members  have  played  no  inconspicuous  part  in  the 
affairs  of  this  locality,  a  very  creditable  representative  of  the  present  genera- 
tion being  Dr.  Samuel  B.  Ruby,  of  Union  City,  very  ably  carrying  forward 
the  commendable  work  of  ministering  to  the  ills  of  our  people,  with  that 
skill,  sympathy  and  honesty  that  characterized  his  well  remembered  father, 
who  was  one  of  the  leading  early-day  physicians  of  northeastern  Indiana. 

Dr.  Ruby,  of  this  review,  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  January  15, 
1855.  He  is  a  son  of  Dr.  James  Ruby,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky,  in  the 
year  1807,  and  there  he  grew  to  manhood  and  received  his  early  education. 
He  came  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana  in  1828,  and  commenced  the  practice  of 
medicine,  which  he  continued  to  follow  with  great  success  the  rest  of  his 
life,  dying  in  Union  City  in  December,  1876.  During  his  years  of  practice 
he  spent  a  portion  of  his  time  in  Ohio,  and  in  1867  he  located  in  Union  City, 
Indiana  where  the  last  years  of  his  life  were  spent  and  where  he  enjoyed  a 
large  and  lucrative  practice.  He  was  a  man  of  exceptional  ability  and  broad- 
minded  in  his  views.  He  was  a  loyal  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  and 
was  charitably  inclined,  always  ready  to  minister  to  the  poor  and  help  those 
in  need.  He  never  neglected  any  one  giving  the  poor  the  same  care  he 
gave  the  rich,  although  he  knew  he  would  never  receive  pecuniary 
reward.     He  married  Hannah  Hamilton,  who  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1827. 


1192  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

She  was  a  worthy  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  and  her  death  occurred 
in  1894.  Eleven  children  were  born  to  this  union;  those  living  are  J.  F., 
Dr.  Samuel  B.,  Mrs.  Ella  Bohn  resides  at  Dayton,  Ohio;  A.  B.  lives  at  Mo- 
berly,  Missouri;  Lizzie  B.  lives  at  Union  City,  and  is  a  teacher  in  the  public 
schools  there.  Two  of  our  subject's  uncles  were  also  practicing  physicians 
and  surgeons.     They  were  brothers  of  Dr.  James  Ruby. 

Dr.  Samuel  B.  Ruby  received  his  primary  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  community  and  Unibn  City.  He  attended  the  medical  college 
at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  made  an  excellent  record  and  from  which  he 
was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1876.  The  same  year  he  began  practice  in 
Union  City  and  has  continued  here  to  the  present  time,  his  name  becoming 
a  household  word  all  over  the  county  during  these  thirty-seven  years  of  suc- 
cessful practice.  He  has  remained  a  profound  student  of  whatever  per- 
tains to  his  science  and  has  from  the  first  stood  in  the  front  rank  of  local 
medical  men.  When  a  young  man,  before  entering  upon  his  more  serious 
life  work,  he  engaged  in  different  pursuits,  saved  his  money  and  paid  in  part 
his  own  way  through  college,  the  ambition,  independence  and  persistency  he 
displayed  then,  remaining  dominant  factors  in  his  every-day  life,  resulting, 
as  one  might  naturally  surmise,  in  ultimate  success  of  a  high  order.  Being 
the  third  child  in  a  family  of  ten  children,  he  was  compelled  to  assist  in  rear- 
ing the  younger. 

Politically  Dr.  Ruby  is  independent.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
church,  and  fraternally  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Randolph  County  Medical  Society  and  the  Indiana  State  Medical  As- 
sociation. 

Dr.  Ruby  was  married  September  5,  1878  to  Delia  Haise,  who  was  born 
in  Illinois,  January  16,  1858.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Dr.  John  Haise,  a  prac- 
ticing physician  in  Ohio  in  the  early  days,  dying  in  that  state  when  his  daugh- 
ter, Delia,  was  very  young. 

To  Dr.  Ruby  and  wife  these  children  were  born :  Dr.  Fred  M.,  born 
September  19,  1881,  married  Estrelin  Butcher;  he  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Union  City,  later  attended  high  school  at  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan, 
then  entered  the  University  of  Michigan,  from  which  he  obtained  a  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  Arts,  also  a  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  from  that  insti- 
tution, making  an  excellent  record  in  the  same.  He  has  been  practicing  medi- 
cine since  1908,  making  a  specialty  of  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat  and  has 
been  very  successful,  enjoying  a  large  practice  at  Union  City.  Clem  G. 
Ruby,  our  subject's  second  son,  was  born  August  17,   1884.     He  has  re- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1 193 

mained  single,  and  is  engaged  in  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  work 
at  Canton,  Ohio.  Florence,  only  daughter  of  our  subject,  was  born  Decem- 
ber 25,  1885,  received  a  degree  of  Bachelor  of 'Arts  from'the  University  of 
Michigan,  and  is  engaged  in  teaching  in  Indianapolis ;  she  is  unmarried. 
James,  the  youngest  of  the  children,  was  born  January  7,  1887. 


CLARENCE   S.   PIERCE. 

The  biographies  of  the  representative  men  of  a  county  bring  to  light 
many  hidden  treasures  of  mind,  character  and  courage,  well  calculated  to 
arouse  the  pride  of  their  family  and  of  the  community,  and  it  is  a  source  of 
regret  that  people  are  not  more  familiar  with  the  personal  history  of  such 
men  in  the  ranks  of  whom  may  be  found  tillers  of  the  soil,  mechanics,  teach- 
ers, professional  and  business  men  of  various  lines.  Clarence  S.  Pierce 
is  one  of  the  creditable  representative  business  men  of  Union  City,  Randolph 
county  and  as  such  has  made  his  influence  felt  in  this  locality  and  earned  a 
name  for  enterprise,  integrity  and  honor. 

Mr.  Pierce  who  is  engaged  in  the  grain  business,  was  born  in  Wayne 
township,  Randolph  county,  December  9,  1870.  He  is  a  son  of  Charles  W. 
and  Emma  (Haddock)  Pierce.  The  father  was  born  in  the  state  of  New 
York,  January  12,  1835.  He  received  a  limited  education,  and  when  a 
young  man  came  to  Randolph  county,  and  engaged  in  farming,  also  fol- 
lowed other  pursuits.  About  thirty  years  ago  he  went  into  the  grain  bus- 
iness in  Union  City  and  this  has  since  claimed  his  attention,  the  Pierce  Ele- 
vator Company  which  he  established  and  built  up  being  one  of  the  best  known 
of  its  kind  in  this  section  of  the  state,  and  for  many  years  its  operations  have 
covered  a  wide  territory.  The  company  deals  in  grains,  seeds,  hay,  fertili- 
zer and  coal.  Although  now  advanced  in  years  the  elder  Pierce  is  still  suc- 
cessfully attending  to  business  and  is  hale  and  hearty  as  a  result  of  careful 
living  and  right  thinking.  He  has  been  influential  in  the  affairs  of  the  com- 
munity and  has  always  been  highly  esteemed  for  his  industry,  public-spirit- 
edness  and  honesty.  Plis  wife,  who  was  a  native  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  died 
in  1873.  To  these  parents  eight  children  were  born,  but  only  these  three 
survive:  Mary  C,  Frank  W.  and  Clarence  S.,  of  this  sketch. 

Clarence  S.  Pierce  grew  up  in  his  native  community,  and  he  received 
a  common  school  education,  graduating  from  the  high  school  at  Union  City 
in  1887,  soon  afterward  entering  DePauw  University  in  which  he  spent  two 


1. 194  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

years,  then  returned  to  Union  City,  later  taking  a  commercial  course  m  Day- 
ton, Ohio.  Thus  exceptionally  well  equipped  for  life's  serious  duties,  he 
entered  the  business  world  with  his  father  in  the  elevator  at  Union  City 
and  has  remained  with  the  same  ever  since,  its  rapidly  increasing  success  and 
prestige  being  due  in  no  small  measure  to  his  industry  and  sound  counsel. 
The  Pierce  Elevator  Company  is  a  corporation,  with  a  capital  stock  of  eighty 
thousand  dollars,  and  is  well  equipped  in  every  respect  to  render  prompt  and 
high  grade  service  and  a  very  large  annual  business  is  carried  on.  Clarence 
S.  Pierce  is  president  of  the  company;  C.  C.  Fisher  is  vice-president;  C.  L. 
Northlane  is  secretary  and  treasurer. 

Mr.  Pierce  was  married  March  27,  1894  to  Bertha  Smith,  who  was 
born  in  Union  City,  Ohio,  October  27,  1873.  Mrs.  Pierce  received  an  ex- 
cellent education  in  Oxford,  Ohio,  in  the  public  schools  and  college.  She  is 
a  lady  of  many  estimable  characteristics  and  is  popular  with  the  best  circles 
wherever  she  is  known. 

Two  children  have  blessed  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pierce,  namely: 
Charles  Stuart,  born  February  6.  1895,  is  at  this  writing  a  student  in  the 
University  of  Michigan;  Mary  Alameda,  born  July  27,  1897,  is  attending 
high  school. 

Politically,  Mr.  Pierce  has  followed  the  example  of  his  father  and  sup- 
ports the  Democratic  party  in  which  he  is  active  and  influential.  In  1898 
he  was  elected  mayor  of  Union  City,  serving  until  1902  in  a  very  faithful 
and  creditable  manner,  doing  much  for  the  general  upbuilding  of  the  town. 
In  the  campaign  of  191 2  he  made  the  race  for  representative  to  the  state 
legislature  and  was  duly  elected.  He  has  made  his  influence  felt  among  his 
colleagues  for  the  good  of  his  county  and  won  the  hearty  commendation  of 
his  constituents.  He  served  for  a  period  of  four  years  on  the  Union  City 
school  board.  Fraternally  he  belongs  to  the  Masonic  Order,  Modem  Wood- 
men of  America,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  Religiously  he  is  a  member  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church,  and  is  a  trustee  in  the  local  congregation. 

Broad-minded,  progressive  in  his  ideas,  a  thinker  and  close  observer, 
Mr.  Pierce  keeps  fully  abreast  of  the  times  and  in  touch  with  current  thought 
and  discharges  the  dtities  of  citizenship  in  a  tnanner  becoming  an  enterprising 
American  of  honorable  impulses.  He  stands  high  in  the  esteem  of  those 
with  whom  he  mingles,  makes  and  retains  friends  easily,  and  is  a  genial, 
courteous,  straightforward  and  companionable  gentleman  whom  it  is  a  pleas- 
ure to  know. 


RANDOLPH    CQUNTY,   INDIANA.  II95 

LINCOLN  S.  C.  REINHEIMER. 

Improvement  and  progress  may  well  be  said  to  form  the  keynote  of  the 
character  of  Lincoln  Sherman  Chase  Reinheimer,  formerly  a  well-known 
merchant  of  Winchester  and  for  a  number  of  years  past  a  dealer  in  real  estate, 
and  he  has  not  only  been  interested  in  the  work  of  advancement  in  individual 
affairs  but  his  influence  is  felt  in  upbuilding  the  community  where  he  has  al- 
ways resided.  He  has  been  a  \'ery  industrious  man  all  his  life,  striving  to 
keep  abreast  of  the  times  in  every  respect,  and  as  a  result  every  mile-post  of 
the  years  he  has  passed  has  found  him  farther  ad\'anced,  more  prosperous, 
more  sedate  and  with  a  broader  view  of  life  in  all  its  immensity,  and  with  a 
larger  number  of  friends  than  the  preceding. 

Mr.  Reinheimer  was  born  in  Winchester,  Indiana,  February  25,  1866. 
He  is  a  son  of  Peter  and  Elizabeth  (Irwin)  Reinheimer.  The  father  was  a 
native  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  and  the  mother  was  born  in  North  Carolina. 
They  came  west  with  their  families  when  each  were  young  in  years,  both  the 
Reinheimers  and  Irwins  locating  near  New  Paris,  Preble  county,  Ohio,  and 
there  the  parents  of  our  subject  grew  to  maturity,  received  common  school 
educations  and  were  married.  Remaining  in  the  Buckeye  state  until  Decem- 
ber, 1865  the  family  removed  to  Winchester,  Indiana,  and  here  Peter  Rein- 
heimer became  landlord  of  the  Franklin  House,  which  he  continued  to  con- 
duct in  a  successful  manner  and  one  that  was  highly  satisfactory  to  the  travel- 
ing public  for  a  period  of  twenty  years,  his  hostelry  becoming  one  of  the 
best  known  and  most  popular  in  this  section  of  the  state.  In  fact,  he  spent 
the  rest  of  his  life  here  engaged  in  the  hotel  business,  dying  in  June,  1885, 
his  widow  surviving  two  years,  joining  him  in  the  Silent  Land,  mentioned 
by  the  old  German  poet,  in  May,  1887.  They  were  hard-working,  hos- 
pitable and  honest  people,  whom  everybody  respected. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  and  reared  in  the  Franklin  Hotel 
here  and  when  a  boy  he  assisted  his  parents  in  operating  the  same,  attending 
the  city  schools  during  the  winter  months.  When  but  a  boy  he  became  a 
grocer's  delivery  wagon  driver,  and  he  clerked  for  about  six  years,  giving 
satisfactory  service,  and  in  the  meantime,  being  ambitious  and  quick- 
minded  he  learned  every  phase  of  the  grocery  business,  and  finally  opened 
a  store  of  this  nature  himself  and  was  highly  successful  from  the  start,  fol- 
lowing the  grocery  business  for  a  period  of  twenty  years,  during  which  time 
he  enjoyed  a  large  and  lucrative  trade  with  the  city  and  county  as  a  result 
of  his  good  management  and  courteous  and  honest  treatment  of  his  patrons. 
Accumulating  a  competency  and  tiring  of  the  close  confinement  of  his  store, 


1 196  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Mr.  Reinheimer  retired  from  the  active  affairs  of  life  in  June,  191 1,  since 
which  time  he  has  not  been  actively  engaged  in  anything;  however,  he  has 
handled  some  real  estate. 

Mr.  Reinheimer  was  married  on  March  16,  1892  to  E.  Olive  Bales, 
daughter  of  Joseph  L.  and  Malinda  (Thornburg)  Bales,  a  highly  respected 
Randolph  county  family.  Here  Mrs.  Reinheimer  grew  to  womanhood  and 
received  a  common  school  education. 

To  the  union  of  our  subject  and  wife  one  daughter,  Helen,  has  been 
born.  She  is  a  graduate  of  the  Winchester  high  school,  and  is  now  a  stu- 
dent at  Hanover  College,  where  she  is  making  a  splendid  record. 

Politically  Mr.  Reinheimer  has  always  been  a  Republican,  and  has  been 
more  or  less  active  in  the  ranks  of  the  same,  active  in  public  matters  as  per- 
taining to  the  general  welfare  of  Winchester  and  Randolph  county.  He  is 
now  serving  as  a  member  of  the  city  council  and  is  doing  much  for  the  per- 
manent good  of  the  town,  being  an  ardent  advocate  of  civic  improvements. 
He  is  president  of  the  Randolph  Club,  an  organization  of  business  and  pro- 
fessional men,  where  party  lines  are  not  drawn,  all  working  for  the  good  of 
Winchester  and  Mr.  Reinheimer  has  been  very  largely  responsible  for  the 
large  success  of  this  praiseworthy  club.  He  is  a  member  of  Winchester 
Lodge,  No.  91,  Knights  of  Pythias.  The  family  affiliate  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  The  Reinheimer  residence,  a  cozy  well-furnished  one, 
is  located  at  303  South  Main  street,  in  one  of  the  most  desirable  sections  of 
the  city,  and  it  is  known  to  the  many  friends  of  the  family  as  a  place  of  hos- 
pitality. 


ALONZO  L.  BALES. 


Alonzo  L.  Bales,  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Nichols,  Goodrich  &  Bales, 
one  of  the  best  known  legal  firms  of  Winchester,  was  born  September  25, 
1864  in  West  River  township,  Randolph  county,  on  the  Wayne  county  line, 
on  a-  farm.  He  is  a  son  of  William  D.  and  Rebecca  A.  (Jackson)  Bales. 
The  father  was  born  in  Dalton,  Wayne  county,  and  the  mother  in  West 
River  township,  Randolph  county.  Jacob  Bales,  the  great  grandfather,  came 
to  Indiana  from  near  Knoxville,  Tennessee,  in  the  year  1816  when  the  state 
was  in  its  infancy  and  settlers  were  few  and  the  land  covered  by  practically  a 
wilderness  throughout.  He  settled  with  his  family  about  two  miles  south- 
west of  what  is  now  the  village  of  Economy,  Wayne  county,  when  that  sec- 
tion was  the  home  of  the  red  man  and  man)'  varieties  of  wild  beasts.  There 
this  courageous  pioneer  erected  a  log  cabin  and  began  life  as  a  true  frontiers 


RANDOLPH*   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  II97 

man,  developing  a  good  farm  through  hard,  persistent  work.  His  son,  John 
Bales,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  grew  up  in  that  section,  worked  at  the 
carpenter's  trade,  and  remained  there  until  1862  when  he  moved  to  Randolph 
county  and  settled  on  the  land  where  our  subject  was  born.  He  succeeded 
here  as  a  farmer  and  his  death  occurred  in  1884,  at  an  advanced  age,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  1807.  His  son,  William  D.  Bales,  father  of  the  gentle- 
man whose  name  initiates  this  sketch,  devoted  his  life  successfully  to  general 
agricultural  and  stock  raising  pursuits,  becoming  one  of  the  leading  men  of 
his  community.  His  family  consisted  of  five  children,  namely:  Alonzo  L., 
of  this  sketch;  Oliver  H.  died  in  infancy;  Sarah  E.  is  deceased;  Alary  J.  is 
deceased;  Charles  E.  is  engaged  in  farming  in  West  River  township.  The 
father  is  still  living  on  the  homestead,  but  the  mother  passed  away  on  July 
10,  1913.  She  was  a  woman  of  fine  Christian  fortitude  and  charitable 
impulse. 

Alonzo  L.  Bales  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  where  he  worked 
when  a  boy,  attending  the  district  schools  during  the  winter  months,  and 
for  a  time  the  Winchester  high  school.  He  then  taught  successfully  in  the 
district  schools  of  his  native  county  for  two  consecutive  winters,  beginning 
in  the  fall  of  1884.  During  this  period  he  read  law  with  A.  O.  Marsh  and 
J.  W.  Thompson  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  189 1.  He  moved  to  Win- 
chester in  September,  1895  and  began  practicing  in  partnership  in  December 
of  that  year  with  William  S.  Diggs  under  the  firm  name  of  Diggs  &  Bales 
which  continued  with  ever  increasing  prestige  until  1900  when  Mr.  Bales 
formed  a  partnership  with  John  W.  Macy  and  J.  P.  Goodrich,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Macy,  Goodrich  &  Bales  which  lasted  until  Mr.  Macy  went  on 
the  bench  in  1902,  when  A.  L.  Nichols  came  into  the  firm  as  Nichols,  Good- 
rich &  Bales,  and  thus  the  firm  stands  at  this  writing.  Judge  Macy  came 
back  to  the  fi.rm  upon  leaving  the  bench  and  after  his  death  in  19 12  his  son, 
John  W.  Macy,  Jr.,  succeeded  him  as  a  member  of  the  firm. 

Mr.  Bales  practices  in  the  state  and  federal  courts  and  is  known  to  be  a 
painstaking,  alert,  well-grounded  and  competent  lawyer  in  every  line  of  legal 
science.  He  is  an  earnest  and  forceful  pleader  and  is  one  of  the  most  con- 
spicuous figures  in  the  trial  of  important  cases  in  the  local  courts.  His  suc- 
cess has  been  pronounced  from  the  start  and  his  practice  and  influence  have 
steadily  grown  with  advancing  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  county  and 
.  state  bar  associations.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican  and  has  been  active 
in  the  ranks.  He  was  elected  prosecuting  attorney  of  Randolph  county  in 
the  fall  of  1898  and  served  one  term  in  a  manner  that  reflected  much  credit 

(76) 


1 198  RANDOLPH    COUNTY;   INDIANA. 

upon  himself  and  to  the  eminent  satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  He  served  as 
a  member  of  the  Republican  County  Central  Committee  for  a  number  of 
years  and  did  much  for  the  success  of  the  party  in  Randolph  county. 

Mr.  Bales  was  married,  first,  on  September  i,  1892  to  Martha  E.  Foutz, 
a  daughter  of  Henry  and  ?ilary  Jane  (Boyd)  Foutz,  of  Randolph  county. 
To  this  union  four  children  were  born,  namely:  Ralph  W.,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred August  7,  1893;  William  H.,  born  December  9,  1895;  Mary  R.,  born 
June  21,  1898;  Ruth  A.,  born  February  28,  1901.  Fhe  wife  and  mother  was 
called  to  her  eternal  rest  on  April  24,  1901.  Mr.  Bales'  second  marriage 
took  place  on  Jime  21,  1905  when  he  espoused  Emma  G.  Engle,  daughter  of 
Edmund  and  Gertrude  (Bishop)  Engle,  of  Winchester,  and  to  this  union 
one  child  has  been  born,  John  E.,  whose  birth  occurred  January  29,  1908. 

Prior  to  her  marriage,  Mrs.  Bales,  for  a  term  of  seven  years  successfully 
taught  history  and  English  in  the  Winchester  high  school.  She  was  a  student 
at  Butler  College,  Indianapolis,  for  two  years.  For  man}-  years  she  has  taken 
an  active  part  in  all  branches  of  church  work. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Bales  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Eagle  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America. 

He  owns  a  valuable  and  well-improved  farm  in  West  Ri\er  township  and 
a  commodious  home  on  South  Main  street.  He  is  a  member  of  the  ]Meth- 
odist  Episcopal  church  as  are  also  his  children.  Mrs.  Bales  belongs  to  the 
Main  Street  Christian  church.  All  are  active  in  church  and  Sunday  school 
work.  He  is  a  teacher  in  the  men's  Bible  class,  which  was  organized  under 
the  state  Sunday  school  organization  as  the  A.  L.  Bales  Bible  class.  He  is  a 
man  of  broad  influence  and  usefulness,  both  in  his  profession  and  public  life, 
and  is  regarded  by  all  as  a  liberal,  broad-minded,  public-spirited  citizen. 


DON  C.  WARD. 


The  life  of  Don  C.  Ward,  the  broad-minded  and  progressive  editor  of 
The  Union  City  Eagle,  has  been  such  as  to  bear  aloft  the  high  standard 
which  was  maintained  by  his  father,  ^vho  was  for  a  long  lapse  of  years  one 
of  the  leading  educators  of  Randolph  county,  and  whose  life  was  signdlly 
noble,  upright  and  useful,  one  over  which  falls  no  shadow  of  wrong  in  word, 
thought  or  deed.  Such  was  the  type  of  men  who  laid  the  foundation  and 
aided  in  the  development  of  this  locality,  and  to  their  memories  will  ever 
be  paid  a  tribute  of  reverence  and  gratitude  by  those  who  have  profited  by 
their  well-directed  endeavors  and  appreciated  the  lesson  of  their  lives. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  1 199 

Mr.  Ward  was  born  October  26,  1883  in  West  Union,  Randolph  county. 
He  is  a  son  of  A.  H.  and  Ella  (Scott)  Ward.  The  father  was  born  in  Mary- 
land Jtily  3,  1848,  was  reared  in  Pennsylvania  and  educated  in  the  district 
schools  and  Chambersburg  Academy,  also  attended  a  normal  college  in 
Pennsylvania.  He  began  teaching  when  a  young  man  and  followed  this 
line  of  endeavor  for  a  period  of  forty-four  years,  thirty-six  of  which  he 
taught  in  the  schools  of  Wayne  township,  Randolph  county,  one  year  in 
Marshall  county,  Indiana,  one  year  in  Miami  county,  Ohio,  and  six  years  in 
Pennsylvania.  He  was  a  man  of  progressive  ideas  and  was  very  popular 
and  influential  as  an  educator.  His  services  were  always  in  great  demand. 
His  death  occurred  April  4,  1912.  The  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  born  near  Winchester,  Indiana  (July  21,  18 — )  and  here  she  grew  to 
womanhood  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  Winchester  high 
school  She  was  a  teacher  for  several  years,  and  is  now  living  in  Union 
City. 

To  A.  H.  Ward  and  wife  four  children  were  born,  three  of  whom  are 
still  living,  namely :  Don  C,  of  this  sketch ;  Mabel  E.  is  teaching  in  Marion, 
Indiana;  Merle  S.  is  teaching  in  Union  City;  Clyde  E.  is  deceased. 

Don  C.  Ward  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  West 
Union  and  in  the  Union  City  high  school,  graduating  from  the  high  school 
at  the  age  of  fourteen,  being  the  youngest  graduate  ever  known  in  that  city. 
He  then  spent  two  years  in  the  Eastern  Indiana  Normal  University  at  Mun- 
cie,  after  which  he  taught  school  seven  years,  five  of  them  in  Union  City 
and  two  in  W'ayne  township.  He  gave  great  satisfaction  as  an  instructor 
and  proved  himself  to  be  a  worthy  son  of  a  worthy  sire  as  an  educator,  but 
finally  deciding  that  some  other  line  of  endeavor  would  suit  him  better,  he 
began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Shockney  Brothers,  of  Union  City, 
also  took  two  correspondence  courses  in  law,  one  from  the  American  School 
of  Law  in  Chicago,  and  one  from  the  Lincoln  and  Jefferson  school  at  Ham- 
mond, Indiana.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Randolph  county  in  due 
course  of  time,  and  began  practice  He  was  successful  from  the  first  and 
soon  had  a  good  business.  In  19 10  he  became  assistant  city  attorney  of 
Union  City.  Believing  that  journalism  held  still  greater  attractions  for  him 
he  became  connected  with  The  Eagle  Publishing  Company  of  Union  City, 
on  June  i,  191 2,  and  since  that  time  has  been  editor  and  manager  of  The 
Union  City  Eagle.  He  has  already  made  it  a  moulder  of  local  public  opin- 
ion, a  valuable  news  and  advertising  medium,  and  its  circulation  has  rapidly 
increased.  He  has  brightened  its  appearance  from  a  mechanical  standpoint, 
and  placed  it  on  a  paying  basis. 


I200  RANDOLPH   COUXTY,   INDIANA. 

Mr.  Ward  has  remained  unmarried.  Politically  he  is  a  Democrat  and 
has  been  active  in  public  afifairs.  He  made  the  race  for  representative  from 
Randolph  county,  also  for  prosecuting  attorney.  His  services  are  in  great 
demand  as  a  public  speaker,  as  he  is  an  orator  of  no  mean  ability.  He  is  an 
excellent  campaign  manager,  and  was  township  chairman  during  the  only 
two  campaigns  when  a  complete  Democratic  ticket  was  ever  elected  in  Union 
City.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  and  fraternally  belongs  to 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Knights  of  Pythias,  Loyal  Order 
of  Moose,  and  the  Order  of  Owls.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Joint  Fraternal 
Memorial  Board  in  Union  City.  He  is  musically  inclined  and  gifted  as  a 
musician,  and  has  been  a  member  and  manager  of  the  Union  City  Concert 
Band  ever  since  its  organization.  It  is  composed  of  twenty-five  pieces,  and 
is  one  of  the  best  and  most  popular  bands  in  the  county. 


CYRUS  CLYDE  WRIGHT,  D.  D.  S. 

x\n  able  young  exponent  of  the  science  of  dentistry  as  we  know  it  in 
this  progressive  twentieth  century  is  found  in  the  person  of  Dr.  Cyrus  Clyde 
Wright,  of  Lynn,  Randolph  county.  He  seems  to  have  all  the  natural  at- 
tributes of  head  and  heart  for  the  successful  performing  of  his  chosen  vo- 
cation, and  the  pronounced  success  he  has  already  attained  would  bear  out 
'  this  statement,  and  to  him  the  future  years  hold  much  of  promise.  He  had 
the  tact  to  see  when  but  a  boy  that  his  true  bent  was  in  this  direction,  but  he 
did  not  depend  on  Xature  to  do  it  all  for  him,  but  set  about  diligently  to 
advance  himself  in  the  science  and  he  has  been  a  close  student  of  the  same 
and  proposes  to  keep  fully  abreast  of  the  profession  in  all  its  future  changes 
and  improvements. 

Dr.  Wright  was  born  in  Steuben  county,  Indiana,  May  2,  1882.  He  is 
a  son  of  ilonroe  F.  and  Caroline  (Parr)  Wright.  The  father  was  born 
October  2,  1858,  and  is  a  son  of  Elbridge  and  Martha  (Cochran)  Wright. 
Elbridge  Wright  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  of  a  sterling  old  Xew  England 
family.  He  came  to  Indiana  in  an  early  day  and  entered  a  farm  in  Ran- 
dolph county,  which  is  still  in  possession  of  the  family.  Here  he  spent  the 
rest  of  his  life,  dying  in  1879.  He  was  a  successful  farmer  and  became 
owner  of  about  three  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land.  Martha  Cochran 
was  a  native  of  the  state  of  Xew  York.     Her  death  occurred  in  1892. 

Monroe  F.  Wright,  mentioned  above,  grew  up  on  the  old  homestead  and 
there  he  worked  when  a  bo}-,  attending  the  rural  schools  in  the  winter  months. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  I20I 

He  has  devoted  his  entire  Hfe  to  fargning  and  has  met  with  success  all  along 
the  line.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  and  in  religious  matters  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  church.  He  and  Caroline  Parr  were  married  in  1878. 
She  was  born  near  New  Philadelphia,  Ohio,  May  12,  1856,  and  she  came 
with  her  parents  to  Steuben  county,  Indiana  in  1862. 

Dr.  Wright  grew  up  on  the  home  farm  and  made  himself  generally  use- 
ful about  the  place  when  a  boy.  He  received  a  common  school  education. 
He  began  life  for  himself  by  working  in  a  cement  factory  which  he  con- 
tinued for  five  years.  He  was  economical  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  had 
enough  money  to  take  up  his  more  serious  life  work.  The  above  named  fac- 
tory was  at  Stroh,  Indiana.  After  severing  his  connection* with  the  same  he 
entered  the  Indiana  Dental  College  at  Indianapolis,  where  he  made  an  ex- 
cellent record  and  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1907.  He  located  at 
Ft.  Wayne  for  the  practice  of  his  profession,  but  remained  there  only  five 
months,  when  he  moved  to  Angola,  Indiana  and  was  .there  a  year,  then  came 
to  Lynn,  where  he  has  continued  successfully  to  the  present  time,  and  now 
enjoys  a  large  and  ever-growing  patronage. 

Politically,  Mr.  Wright  is  a  Republican,  and  fraternally  he  belongs  to 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Masonic  Order,  and  is  now 
worshipful  master  of  the  local  lodge  of  the  latter.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Royal  Arch  Masons  of  Winchester.  Religiously,  he  belongs  to  the  Christian 
church. 

Dr.  Wright  was  married  November  16,  1910  to  Maud  Skelley,  who 
was  born  at  Stroh,  Indiana  and  there  grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated. 
The  date  of  her  birth  is  December  19,  1882.  To  this  union  one  child  has 
been  born,  Caroline  L.  Wright. 


AUSTIN  H.  BURKE. 

A  man  of  marked  individuality,  Austin  H.  Burke,  well-known  cement 
contractor  and  builder  of  V\'^inchester  is  a  typical  representative  of  that  large 
and  enterprising  class  of  business  men  to  whom  Randolph  county  owes  much 
of  its  prosperity  and  development,  and  his  record  shows  him  to  have  been 
faithful  in  the  performance  of  his  duty  in  the  community  to  his  neighbors  and 
to  himself.  He  is  the  scion  of  a  sterling  old  family  of  West  Virginia,  noted 
for  their  industry,  integrity,  hospitality  and  public-spiritedness. 

Mr.  Burke  was  born  September  3,  1877  in  Randolph  county.  West  Vir- 
ginia.    He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Martha  (Ferguson)   Burke.     The  father 


[202  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

engaged  all  his  life  in  general  agriculftiral  pursuits  and  spent  his  active  life 
in  West  Virginia,  but  after  the  death  of  his  wife  in  1892  he  came  with  his 
family  to  Winchester,  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  here  again  engaged  in 
farming  which  he  followed  with  his  usual  success  for  a  period  of  seven  years 
when  he  retired. 

Austin  H.  Burke  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  in  West  Virginia  and 
there  worked  hard  when  a  boy,  and  during  the  winter  months  he  attended 
the  public  schools  in  his  community.  After  coming  to  Indiana  he  worked 
on  his  father's  farm  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he  engaged 
in  the  cement  contracting  business.  Being  apt  to  learn  and  a  young  man  of 
ambition,  he  soon  had  mastered  the  ins  and  outs  of  the  business  and  had  a 
good  start  in  the  same,  and  he  has  remained  in  this  business  continuously 
ever  since.  He  started  with  little  capital,  but  he  was  a  boy  of  good  character 
and  he  had  all  the  credit  necessary,  and  he  succeeded  from  the  first,  his  busi- 
ness continuing  to  grow  with  the  )'ears  until  it  has  now  assumed  large  pro- 
portions and  he  is  known,  favorably  and  well  all  over  this  section  of  the  state, 
where  many  fine  buildings,- business,  public  and  private,  stand  as  monuments 
to  his  skill  and  honesty  as  a  builder.  He  does  all  kinds  of  cement  work, 
from  the  plain  substantial  to  the  ornamental  and  fantastic  in  building.  He 
also  handles  all  kinds  of  building  material  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  Ran- 
dolph county's  most  reliable  contractors.  His  business  extends  far  beyond 
the  confines  of  this  county  and  he  is  a  very  busy  man  at  all  seasons. 

Mr.  Burke  was  married  on  July  13,  1902,  to  Ella  M.  Summers,  daugh- 
ter of  David  and  Elmira  (Rough)  Summers,  an  excellent  Randolph  county 
famil}'.  Here  Mrs.  Burke  grew  to  womanhood  and  received  a  good  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools.  The  union  of  our  subject  and  wife  has  resulted  in 
the  birth  of  one  son  and  one  daughter,  namely ;     Charles  and  Lettie. 

Mr.  Burke  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Red  Men,  and 
politically,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  long  been  interested  and  active  in 
public  matters.  He  is  a  member  of  the  city  council  of  Winchester  and  has 
done  a  great  deal  toward  the  general  upbuilding  of  the  town,  being  an  ar- 
dent advocate  of  substantial  public  improvements,  and  everything  that  looks 
to  the  betterment  of  public  conditions. 

Mr.  Burke's  place  of  business  is  located  at  233  West  Washington 
street,  where  he  is  well  situated  and  where  he  always  carries  an  excellent 
stock  of  building  material. 

Personally,  he  is  a  genial,  companionable,  trustworthy  gentleman  whom 
evervbody  respects  and  trusts. 


KANTDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  1203 

CHARLES  F.  YOUNT. 

One  of  the  substantial  and  influential  business  men  of  Farmland  is 
Charles  F.  Yount,  hardware  merchant.  Mr.  Yount  was  born  in  Darke 
county,  Ohio,  June  15,  1879,  and  is  the  son  of  Eli  and  Rebecca  (Martindale) 
Yount.  He  was  educated  in  the  local  schools  till  16  years  of  age  and  then 
attended  for  two  terms  the  Versailles  high  school.  After  that,  he  taught 
school  two  years  and  was  four  and  a  half  years  in  his  brother's  hardware 
store  at  Portland.  He  went  on  the  road  for  the  Home  Pride  Range  Com- 
pany and  was  subsequently  superintendent  of  its  factory  for  two  years.  Then 
he  went  to  Farmland  and  bought  a  half  interest  in  a  hardware  store.  In 
1907,  at  the  end  of  three  years,  he  bought  out  his  partner,  which  gave  him 
the  sole  ownership  of  the  leading  hardware  store  in  Farmland.  The  meas- 
urement of  floor  space  is  7,200  feet. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  Mr.  Yount's  career,  from  his  earliest  school 
days,  has  been  one  of  continual  advancement.  Tt  will  be  noticed  that  there 
has  been  no  deviation,  no  waste  of  time  on  side  issues.  The  schooling  was 
ample  and  the  foundation  of  the  business  career  of  the  character  that  made 
the  achievement  of  success  easy  and  certain.  His  principle  of  business 
seems  to  be  extensive  sales  on  small  profits.  Nobody  goes  away  from  Farm- 
land to  the  larger  towns  to  buy  hardware,  but  the  circuit  of  country  is  large 
which  goes  to  Farmland  for  its  supplies  in  this  line  of  goods.  Mr.  Yount's 
store  has  the  full  variety  of  equipment  to  be  found  in  the  leading  hardware 
establishments  of  Indianapolis,  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  Cleveland  and  Cincin- 
nati. It  is  a  big  city  store  in  not  a  very  large  town,  and  has  wonderfully 
enhanced  the  reputation  of  Farmland.  It  is  said  that  there  isn't  a  home  iiT 
Randolph  county  has  hasn't  an  article  of  Yount's  hardware  in  it.  Certainly 
no  name  is  better  known  in  the  county  than  Mr.  Yount's  and  he  bases  his 
reputation  on  the  fair  and  comprehensive  way  in  which  he  conducts  his 
^business. 

Mr.  Yount  was  married  Oct.  4,  1900,  to  Mina  Christian,  a  daughter 
of  Henry  Christian,  a  farmer  near  Versailles,  Ohio.  Two  children  haye 
been  born  to  them — Howard,  August  21,  1901,  and  Martelle  Jeanette,  May 
30,  1907.  The  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Montgomery 
county,  Ohio,  in  1840,  and  still  lives  on  the  homestead.  His  grandfather 
and  grandmother  were  both  Germans  and  came  from  ]-'ennsyIvania.  The 
father  of  Mr.  Yount's  mother  was  l)orn  in  Montgomery  county  and  reared 
a  family  of  fifteen  children,  the  youngest  of  which  was  the  subject's  mother. 

Mr.  Yount  had  eleven  brothers  and  sisters,  named  as  follows:  John; 


I204  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Frederick  died  at  the  age  of  33  and  left  a  widow.  He  lived  in  Darke  county, 
Ohio,  and  was  a  farmer.  \\'illiam  D.,  who  has  a  hardware  store  at  Port- 
land, Ind.,  married  Mary  Wilson,  of  Darke  county,  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren. Elizabeth,  who  lives  near  Portland,  married  ^^alliam  Stocker,  a  farmer, 
and  has  had  five  children,  four  of  whom  are  living.  Anna,  of  Greenville, 
Ohio,  married  John  A.  Martin,  a  tobacco  merchant.  Four  children  have 
been  born*  to  them.  Lula,  born  April  i,  1873,  lives  on  the  old  homestead, 
as  does  also  Emma,  who  was  born  November  14,  1877.  Ora  and  Cora,  de- 
ceased, were  twins;  Walter,  a  farmer  of  Darke  county,  married  Devona 
Gottschall,  and  to  them  one  child,  Thelma,  has  been  born.  Ohmer,  with  his 
wife  and  one  child,  live  in  Farmland  and  is  employed  in  our  subject's  store. 

In  religious  circles,  IMr.  Yount  is  quite  active  and  prominent,  and  is 
one  of  the  faithful  who  hold  fast  the  belief  that  the  church  still  has  its  grip 
on  the  world  and  is  the  hope  of  it.  It  is  through  such  men  that  the  faith  of 
the  fathers  is  preserved  to  us  and  the  church  made  a  vital  power  in  the  ac- 
tivities of  modern  life.  He  affiliates  with  the  Christian  church  and  partici- 
pates in  all  its  charitable  enterprises.  Farmland  is  the  richer  in  many  ways 
for  the  citizenship  of  Charles  F.  Yount. 


GEORGE  W.  ROBBIXS. 


The  every-day  life,  with  its  cares,  necessities  and  duties,  affords  ample 
opportunities  for  acquiring  experience  of  the  best  kind  and  its  most  beaten 
paths  provide  a  true  worker  with  abundant  scope  for  effort  and  improvement. 
•This  fact  was  recognized  early  in  life  by  George  W.  Robbins,  one  of  the  en- 
terprising and  representative  citizens  of  ^^'inchester,  who  seized  the  small 
opportunities  which  he  encountered  on  the  rugged  hill  that  leads  to  life's 
loft}-  summit  where  lies  the  ultimate  goal  of  success,  never  attained  by  the 
weak,  inactive  and  ambitionless,  Mr.  Robbins  has  carried  on  special  lines  of 
endeavor  with  that  energy,  discretion  and  perseverance  which  are  sure  to 
find  their  natural  sequence  in  definite  success,  and  in  such  a  man  there  is 
particular  satisfaction  in  offering  in  his  life  history  justification  for  the 
compilation  of  works  of  this  character. 

Air.  Robbins  was  born  August  21,  1847,  ^^  Ithaca,  Darke  county,  Ohio. 
He  is  a  son  of  Solomon  and  Mary  (Shepherd)  Robbins.  The  father  was 
born  in  ^Slontgomen,'  county,  Ohio,  and  was  a  son  of  Richard  Robbins,  who 
came  to  that  locality  in  the  year  1804  from  Randolph  county,  North  Caro- 
lina.   The  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  bom  November  7.  181 1, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  I205 

and  the  mother  was  born  in  Westmoreland  county,  Pennsylvania,  April  15, 
1813,  and  she  came  with  her  parents,  Dennis  Shepherd  and  wife,  to  Ithaca, 
Darke  county,  Ohio,  in  1821.  Both  Grandfather  Robbins  and  Grandfather 
Shepherd  settled  in  the  woods  and  began  life  in  Darke  county  as  true  pio- 
neers. They  came  by  wagon  overland,  thence  by  steamboat  down  the  Ohio 
river.  The  Shepherd  family  started  by  boat  on  the  Monongahela  ri\'er  from 
their  old  home  in  Pennsylvania,  and  while  enroute  they  were  caught  in  an  ice 
gorge,  the  boat  wrecked  and  they  lost  all  their  belongings.  They  were  de- 
tained in  their  journey  to  Ohio  about  three  years,  during  which  time  they 
made  money  enough  to  come  on  to  their  destination.  Grandfather  Dennis 
Shepherd  acquired  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  is  still  in 
the  family  and  has  never  been  sold  or  mortgaged.  His  death  occurred  at  the 
advanced  age  of  ninety-two  years,  and  his  wife  at  the  age  of  ninety-five  years. 
They  were  a  remarkable  old  couple.  Their  family  consisted  of  ten  sons  and 
one  daughter,  Mary,  who  was  the  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Mr. 
Shepherd  became  one  of  the  prosperous  farmers  of  Darke  county.  He  was  a 
"hickory  Quaker."  In  addition  to  farming  he  kept  a  tavern,  where  many  a 
weary  traveler  found  rest.  In  frontier  days  the  Robbins  family  settled  in 
Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  and  in  1808  Grandfather  Robbins  went  to  Darke 
county,  that  state,  and  entered  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  Twin 
creek,  but  the  Indians  were  so  annoying  that  he  returned  to  Montgomery 
county,  where  he  had  first  settled,  and  there  he  remained  until  after  the  war 
of  1812,  and  in  181 3  returned  to  his  land  in  Darke  county.  He  gave  twenty 
acres  of  his  land  to  a  friend  that  he  might  have  a  neighbor.  Here  Solomon 
Robbins  and  Mary  Shepherd  were  married  in  1835.  During  the  war  of  1812 
Grandfather  Richard  Robbins  was  a  regimental  drummer.  The  parents  of 
our  subject  lived  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  until  1853,  when,  tfiey  moved  to 
Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  settled  on  a  farm  of  forty  acres  about  twelve 
miles  northwest  of  Winchester.  Early  in  life  the  father  learned  the  black- 
smith's trade,  which  he  worked  at  before  leaving  Ohio.  He  brought  his 
family  from  Darke  to  Randolph  county  in  a  one-horse  wagon.  He  paid 
three  hundred  dollars  for  his  forty  acres  here,  the  money  being  in  silver  half- 
dollars — six  hundred  of  them.  This  sum  he  had  saved  from  his  blacksmith- 
ing  back  in  Darke  county.  He  continued  his  trade  in  Randolph  county  in 
connection  with  farming,  and  in  1855  left  the  farm  and  moved  to  Farmland 
and  opened  a  blacksmith  shop  in  partnership  with  Jonathan  Macy,  grand- 
father of  the  late  Judge  Macy,  of  Winchester.  In  1859  Solomon  Robbins 
moved  to  a  farm  four  miles  north  of  Farmland,  where  he  remained  until 
1867,  farming  and  blacksmithing.     In  1867  he  moved  to  a  farm  one  mile 


I206  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

east  of  Farmland,  where  he  lived  until  his  death,  July  12,  1877.  His  widow 
sui-vived  until  December  16,  1895,  dying  at  Redkey,  Indiana,  at  the  home  of 
her  daughter,  Mrs.  Thomas  Gray.  Politically,  Solomon  Robbins  was  a  Re- 
publican, and  he  was  a  man  of  influence  in  his  community,  and  was  one  of  our 
best  farmers  in  his  day  and  generation  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  skillful 
blacksmiths  of  that  period.  His  family  consisted  of  eight  children,  two 
dying  in  infanc}',  three  sons  and  tljree  daughters  living  to  maturity,  namely : 
Rosanna,  who  married  John  Elwood,  died  in  Grundy  county,  Missouri; 
William  S.  lives  in  Chico,  California;  Ruth  V  married  Thomas  Gray,  of 
Redkey,  Indiana;  George  W.,  of  this  sketch;  Elizabeth  S.  is  the  wife  of 
William  Collins,  of  Chico,  California;  Enos  R.,  of  Indianapolis. 

George  W.  Robbins  was  reared  on  the  various  farms  owned  by  his  father 
and  in  Farmland,  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools.  He  began  learning 
the  blacksmith's  trade  under  his  father  in  1864.  He  worked  with  James 
Rice  in  Greenville,  Ohio,  one  year,  then  returned  to  Farmland  and  finished 
leahiing  the  trade  with  his  brother.  In  1868  he  opened  a  shop  of  his  own 
in  Farmland,  which  he  operated  until  1869,  when  he  added  the  implement 
business  to  his  blacksmithing,  and  was  soon  doing  a  large  business. 

^Ir.  Robbins  discontinued  the  blacksmithing  business  in  1873,  but  con- 
tinued the  implement  business  until  1889  with  ever  increasing  success.  On 
March  i,  1890,  he  moved  to  Winchester  and  has  since  resided  here.  He 
has  engaged  in  the  live  stock  business.  He  has  traveled  extensively  for 
Altman-Miller  &  Company,  The  Buckeye  Reaper  Company,  of  Aki'on,  Ohio. 
In  1 89 1  he  resigned  his  position  with  the  Buckeye  Reaper  Company  and 
became  general  agent  for  Indiana  for  the  Ohio  Rake  Company,  of  Dayton, 
which  position  he  still  holds.  In  1900  this  company  sent  him  to  Europe  in 
the  interest  of  the  firm  and  again,  in  1901,  he  went  to  Europe  for  the  com- 
pany, traveling  in  England,  France,  Germany,  Switzerland,  Wales,  Scotlafid, 
Ireland,  Holland,  Denmark,  Austria  and  Italy,  firmly  establishing  the  com- 
pany's business  in  all  those  countries.  He  has  given  eminent  satisfaction  to 
the  above-named  firms,  being  regarded  as  among  their  most  efficient,  reliable 
and  trust\\orthy  employees.  He  has  had  other  business  interests.  He  owns  a 
splendid  farm  in  Randolph  county,  and  has  ^'aluable  land  in  other  counties. 
He  and  his  wife  have  traveled  extensively  in  the  United  States,  especially  to 
the  Pacific  Coast.  California,  Yellow  Stone  Park  and  most  places  of  interest, 
and,  both  being  keen  observers  and  excellent  conversationalists  it  is  pleasant 
to  spend  a  few  hours  in  their  commodious  and  attractive  home  on  South 
Main  street,  listening  to  their  instructive  discourse  on  their  travels. 

;Mr.  Robbins  was  married  November  19,  1871,  to  Henrietta  Shaw,  who 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1 207 

was  born  September  13,  1852.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Aaron  Shaw,  who  was 
born  in  Delaware  county,  Ohio,  June  28,  181 6.  Her  mother  was  Betsey  Ann 
Jenkins,  born  August  4,  1816,  in  Jefferson  county,  Virginia.  To  our  subject 
and  wife  only  one  child  was  born,  Lola,  whose  birth  occurred  September  20, 
1872.  She  married  on  December  26,  1895,  John  C.  Kelch,  of  Mt.  Carmel, 
Illinois.  He  is  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  there,  and  is  also  an  extensive 
farmer.    They  had  two  children,  one  died  in  infancy,  and  Henrietta. 

Politically,  Mr.  Robbins  has  always  been  a  Republican  and  more  or 
less  active  in  public  matters.  In  1892  he  was  a  candidate  for  sheriff  of  Ran- 
dolph county  but  was-  defeated  by  a  small  majority.  In  the  fall  of  1904  he 
was  elected  treasurer  of  this  county,  but  he  did  not  take  office  until  July  i, 
1906.  He  served  one  term  of  two  years  in  a  manner  entirely  satisfactory  to 
his  constituents.  He  was  not  a  candidate  for  re-election.  But  Harry  Jack, 
who  had  been  elected  to  succeed  him,  died  and  Mr.  Robbins  continued  in  the 
office  until  a  successor  was  elected,  in  the  fall  of  1909,  thus  serving  three 
years  in  all.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Robbins  is  a  Mason,  also  belongs  to  the  Im- 
proved Order  of  Red  Men,  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He 
and  his  wife  are  regular  attendants  and  supporters  of  the  Presbyterian 
church. 

The  mother  of  Mrs.  Robbins  died  in  Farmland,  Indiana,  January  23, 
1879,  and  Aaron  Shaw,  father  of  Mrs.  Robbins,  died  in  Hopkins,  Missouri, 
June  8,  1892.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  namely :  Fremont 
died  when  about  twenty  years  of  age ;  he  was  the  only  son,  the  five  daughters 
being  Sarah,  now  the  widow  of  David  Hobbick,  of  Winchester;  Mrs.  Christ- 
ian AVilliamson,  of  Youngstown,  Ohio,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased ; 
Caroline,  v/ho  married  Edward  Ritter,  a  captain  in  the  Civil  war,  is  deceased, 
as  is  also  her  husband;  Mary,  who  married  James  Zachary,  of  Des  Moines, 
Iowa,  is  living,  but  he  is  deceased;  Henrietta  S.,  wife  of  Mr.  Robbins,  of  this 
sketch. 


JAMES  M.  BROWNE. 

As  a  painter  and  decorator  James  M.  Browne,  of  Winchester,  stands 
in  the  front  rank  in  Randolph  and  adjoining  .counties.  This  position  was 
not  attained  by  him  without  persistent  and  long  continued  effort.  Of  course 
he  had  natural  ability  in  that  line  but  everyone  knows  that  no  matter  how 
much  IMother  Nature  may  help  us  we  must  apply  ourselves  dili-g-ently  if  we 
would  meet  with  more  than  mediocre  success  in  any  line  of  human  endeavor. 
This  was  clearlv  understood  by  Mr.  Browne  at  the  outset,  consequently  he 


I208  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

left  no  stone  unturned  whereby  he  might  ascend  the  ladder  to  the  coveted 
goal. 

Mr.  Browne  was  born  in  Ridgeville,  Randolph  county,  October  23,  1868. 
He  is  a  son  of  George  W.  and  Sarah  (Sims)  Browne.  The  father  was 
born  in  this  county  also,  being  a  representative  of  one  of  our  well-known 
old  families;  but  the  mother's  birth  occurred  in  Parkersburg,  West  Virginia. 
George  W.  Browne  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native, community  and  was  ed- 
ucated in  the  common  schools  of  his  day,  and  when  a  young  man  he  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade  which  he  made  his  principal  life  work,  becoming  quite 
a  skilled  workman.  He  was  active  in  Republican  politics  and  at  one  time 
was  trustee  of  White  River  township.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war, 
a  member  of  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Indiana  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  sei-ving  gallantly  for  three  years,  part  of  the  time  with 
Shermap  and  took  part  in  the  sanguinary  Atlanta  campaign.  He  was  never 
wounded  or  taken  prisoner.  His  death  occurred  on  June  6,  1906,  his  wife 
having  preceded  him  to  the  grave  on  March  20,  1875.  Mr.  Browne  was  a 
member  of  the  Nelson  Trusler  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He  be- 
longed to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  filling  all  the  chairs  in  the 
local  lodge,  was  also  a  member  of  the  Encampment.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Christian  church.  Soon  after  the  birth  of  our  subject,  the  elder  Browne 
moved  to  Winchester  with  his  family  where  he  worked  at  his  trade. 

James  M.  Browne  was  reared  in  Winchester  and  was  educated  in  the 
local  schools.  When  a  young  man  he  learned  the  painters'  and  decorators' 
trade  and  has  followed  this  to  the  present  time,  having  become  widely  known 
throughout  this  section  of  the  state  for  his  skill,  conscientious  and  high-grade 
work  and  his  promptness  in  turning  out  jobs,  consequently  his  services  have 
long  been  in  great  demand.  Since  1893  he  has  been  a  contract  painter  and 
decorator.  He  maintains  a  well  and  carefully  stocked  store,  carrying  all 
kinds  of  paints,  oils,  wall  paper  of  all  grades,  glass  and  decorative  goods, 
also  has  a  picture 'department  and  picture  framing.  His  store  is  regarded  by 
all  of  his  many  customers  as  one  of  the  finest  and  best  appointed  stores  of  its 
kind  in  this  part  of  the  state,  in  fact,  it  would  do  credit  to  cities  much  larger 
than  Winchester.  He  has  built  up  a  large  and  ever  growing  trade  through 
his  foresight,  industry,  honesty,  and  courteous  dealings  with  his  fellow  men. 

Mr.  Browne  was  for  four  years  a  member  of  the  city  council,  a  member- 
at-large  since  1909.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican  and  has  always  remained 
faithful  to  its  precepts,  and  is  always  active  in  local  public  affairs,  having 
done  much  to  encourage  the  general  upbuilding  of  his  town  and  county.  He 
is  a  man  whose  counsel  in  public  matters  is  always  regarded  as  valuable  and 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  I20g 

reliable.  He  belongs  to  the  Business  Men's  Association.  Fraternally  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  the  Modern 
Woodmen,  also  Camp  of  the  Old  Forty-four  Sons  of  Veterans. 

Mr.  Browne  was  married  August  12,  1892  to  Dollie  Cranor,  a  daughter 
of  Joseph  C.  and  Mary  (Hunt)  Cranor.  The  father  is  deceased,  but  the 
mother  is  living  at  Richmond,  Indiana.  To  our  subject  and  wife  five  chil- 
dren have  been  born,  namely:  Mary,  born  November  2,  1893;  Doris,  born 
July  20,  1895 ;  Reva,  born  August  3,  1896;  Joe  Donald,  born  June  i,  1898  ;  and 
Juanita,  born  February  14,  1904.     They  are  all  at  home. 

Mr.  Browne  and  family    are    members    of    the    Methodist    Episcopal 
church,  of  which  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  official  board  since  1907,  and 
is  financial  secretary  of  the  board.     His  place  of  business  is  at  iii  West 
Franklin  street. 


ARLA  M.  BROWN. 


There  is  always  satisfaction  in  writing,  even  briefly,  of  men  of  the 
type  of  Aria  M.  Brown,  secretary  of  the  National  Poland-China  Record 
Company  and  an  extensive  stock  raiser,  breeder  and  farmer,  of  Winchester, 
and  one  of  the  valued  citizens  of  Randolph  county;  for  it  is  a  record  of 
triumph  after  hard  climbing  up  the  steps  of  life,  often  in  the^  face  of  ob- 
stacles and  with  little  or  no  encouragement.  It  shows,  in  a  word,  what  one 
may  accomplish  with  the  attributes  of  grit,  perseverance  and  honorable  im- 
pulses, when  rightly  directed.  There  is  always  a  satisfaction,  gained  no  other 
way,  to  the  individual,  who  feels  that  his  struggles  have  brought  success, 
even  if  delayed. 

Mr.  Brown  was  born  on  January  24,  1872,  in  Washington  township, 
Randolph  county.  He  is  a  son  of  Edward  I.  and  Melsena  J.  (Hinshaw) 
Brown.  The  father  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  and  the  mother  in 
Randolph  county,  Indiana,  both  representing  prominent  pioneer  families. 
The  father  is  still  engaged  in  farming  in  Washington  township,  where  he  is 
highly  esteemed.     The  mother  was  called  to  her  eternal  rest  on  July  7,  1892. 

Aria  M.  Brown  was  reared  on  the  farm  where  he  worked  when  grow- 
ing to  manhood,  and  he  received  his  early  education  in  the  district  schools 
and  the  Normal  School  at  Danville,  after  which  he  began  life  for  himself  by 
teaching  three  years  in  the  district  schools  of  Randolph  county.  He  was 
then  deputy  county  treasurer  under  M.  H.  Rubey  for  some  time,  and  deputy 
county  auditor  for  over  four  years  under  Calvin  S.  Engle,  giving  very  satis- 
factory service  under  both.     In  1903  he  became  secretary  of  the  National 


12 lO  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Poland-China  Record  Company,  with  offices  in  Winchester.  Prior  to  that 
he  was  secretary  of  the  Ohio  Poland-China  Record  Company  at  Dayton, 
Ohio,  for  a  period  of  two  years,  then  that  association  consolidated  with  the 
Poland-China  Record  Company  of  Indianapolis,  becoming  the  National  Po- 
land-China Record  Company,  with  international  scope,  including  all  the 
states  of  the  Union,  Canada,  Argentine  Republic  and  other  countries.  The 
general  offices  have  been  in  Winchester  since  1903.  Mr.  Brown  has  given 
eminent  satisfaction  as  secretary,  afid  although  he  is  a  very  busy  man  he  has 
found  time  to  look  after  his  farm,  being  extensivel}^  interested  in  general 
farming,  feeding  and  breeding  live  stock,  and  he  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
county  s  leading  agriculturists  and  stock  men.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  various 
banks  and  other  interests  and  by  his  industry  and  good  management  has  be- 
come one  of  our  substantial  citizens. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Brown  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order  and  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  being  grand  chancellor  of  the  latter  in  1910  and  a  rep- 
resentative to  the  supreme  lodge  of  the  world  in  191 1,  which  is  a  term  lasting 
four  years.     Politically,  he  is  a  Republican  and  is  active  in  public  affairs. 

Mr.  Brown  was  married  on  February  11,  1892,  to  Eva  E.  Price,  a 
daughter  of  James  and  Lydia  (W^oofter)  Price,  a  highly  respected  family  of 
Randolph  county. 

Four  children  have  been  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  namely:  Floj'^d 
H.  is  a  student  of  osteopathy  at  the  Sill  school  at  Kirksville,  Missouri; 
Norville  E.,  Mary  M.  and  Mabel  are  attending  high  school. 

Mr.  Brown  and  family  are  members  of  the  Friends  church,  and  he  is 
superintendent  of  the  Sabbath  school  and  has  long  been  active  in  church 
and  Sundav  school  work. 


SETH  HINSHAW. 


As  a  twentieth  century  business  man  Seth  Hinshaw  is  deserving  to  rank 
among  the  forefront  of  this  class  in  Winchester.  He  is  one  of  the  well- 
known  and  successful  general  contractors  of  the  county  and  is  at  present 
doing  a  general  insurance  business.  He  has  always  looked  to  the  good  of 
Randolph  county  and  did  what  he  could  toward  its  development  in  every 
way,  and  here  he  has  been;  content  to  spend  his  life,  having  lived  to  note  many 
momentous  changes  in  the  county  and  its  towns,  and  it  might  be  well  to  add 
here  that  he  and  his  family  have  by  no  means  been  idle  spectators  of  all  this 
change. 

Mr.  Hinshaw  was  born  May  30,  1853,  in  White  River  township,  Ran- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1211 

dolph  county.  He  is  a  son  of  Edmund  and  Irena  (Hiatt)  Hinshaw.  The 
father  was  born  in  Guilford  county,  North  Carolina,  and  the  mother  was 
born  in  Virginia.  The  Hinshaws  came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  as 
early  as  1833  and  were  therefore  among  the  early  settlers,  and  from  that 
day  to  this  the  name  has  been  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  the  county.  The 
paternal  grandfather,  Benjamin  Hinshaw,  came  with  his  family  to  Wayne 
county,  this  state,  and  his  son,  Edmund,  father  of  our  subject,  came  to  Ran- 
dolph county,  where  he  became  a  leading  farmer  and  land  owner.  His 
death  occurred  on  December  14,  1883,  and  his  wife  died  February  7,  1870. 
Their  family  consisted  of  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  namely:  Seth, 
subject  of  this  review;  Mary,  who  is  the  wife  of  Cornelius  Rouch,  of  Jay 
county,  Indiana;  Edmund  is  deceased;  Anna  has  remained  single;  Benjamin 
E.,  who  lives  in  Winchester,  and  Rachel  A.,  who  died  February  25,  1870. 
By  a  former  marriage,  Edmund,  Sr.,  had  three  sons  and  one  daughter :  Ab- 
ner  and  William  were  both  soldiers  in  the  Civil  war  and  died  during  the  ser- 
vice; Jesse  died  in  Winchester  August  5,  1898;  Phoebe  is  the  wife  of  James 
E.  Huston,  a  Civil  war  veteran.  The  father  of  the  above  named  children 
was  a  Democrat  in  the  early  part  of  his  life,  but  later  became  a  Republican. 
He  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Friends  church.  He  was  a  man  of 
sterling  integrity  and  prompt  in  all  his  business  obligations,  and  he  instilled 
this  principle  into  the  family. 

Seth  Hinshaw  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  he  attended  the  com- 
mon schools,  remaining  wath  his  parents  on  the  farm  until  he  was  married 
on  December  13,  1877,  to  Mary  Owens,  a  daughter  of  Peter  and  Rachel 
(Davis)  Owens,  of  Randolph  county.  This  union  resulted  in  the  birth  of 
two  children,  namely:  Bessie,  who  married  Wilbur  Grow,  of  Ward  town- 
ship, Logan  married  Bonnie  James  and  lives  on  his  father's  farm  in  Ward 
township. 

After  his  marriage,  our  subject  farmed  successfully  in  W^ard  township 
until  1906,  when  he  moved  to  Winchester  and  here  he  has  been  engaged  in 
contracting  road  work  and  bridge  building  in  this  county  and  has  built  up 
an  extensive  business.  His  work  gives  satisfaction  always,  for  it  is  hon- 
estly and  skillfully  done.  He  also  conducts  an  insurance  and  loan  office  and 
has  built  up  a  large  and  growing  business  in  this  line. 

Politically,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  has  long  been  actively  interested  in 
public  matters,  and  for  a  number  of  years  has  been  on  the  drainage  commis- 
sion of  Randolph  county,  an  office  appointed  by  the  court.  Fie  is  a  member 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  he  and  his  family  belong  to 


I2I2  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

the  Christian  church,  of  which  he  is  a  trustee.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
Ridgeville  State  bank.  He  is  one  of  the  county's  substantial,  broad,  liberal 
and  energetic  business  men.  His  office  is  at  120^  West  Washington  street, 
and  his  residence  at  551  North  Main  street. 


JOSEPH  WATTS. 

The  career  of  Joseph  Watts,  of  Winchester,  Randolph  county,  has  been 
a  varied  and  interesting  one.  Faithfulness  to  duty,  public-spirit,  and  perse- 
verance have  been  some  of  his  most  noted  characteristics  all  his  life.  He 
vi^as  formerly  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  but  for  a  period  of  over 
thirty  years  has  been  in  the  railway  mail  service.  He  is  one  of  our  honored 
veterans  of  the  great  Civil  war  and 'a  man  highly  esteemed  by  his  wide  ac- 
quaintance. He  first  came  to  Winchester  nearly  half  a  century  ago,  and 
his  conversation,  relating  to  the  many  changes  during  that  period,  is  very 
interesting.  He  was  much  impressed  with  the  future  possibilities  of  the 
place  upon  his  first  arrival  and  has  been  deeply  interested  in  its  general 
development  ever  since,  although  living  away  from  here  part  of  the  time. 

Mr.  Watts  was  born  November  18,  1843  in  Richland  county,  Ohio.  He 
is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Martha  Ann  (Paxson)  Watts,  and  a  brother  of 
Isaiah  P.  Watts,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  in  another  part  of  this  volume, 
in  which  an  account  of  the  family  history  will  also  be  found.  Suffice  it  to 
say  here  that  this  is  a  sterling  old  family  of  the  Buckeye  state,  and  that  in 
1847  they  left  their  ancestral  halls  in  Richland  county  and  removed  to  Wells 
county,  Indiana,  and  established  their  home  there  since  which  time  the 
Watts  have  remained  in  the  Hoosier  state. 

Joseph  W^atts  was  reared  in  Wells  county  and  attended  the  public 
schools.  He  proved  his  patriotism  and  courage  during  the  Civil  war  by 
enlisting  on  September  25,  1861  in  Company  A,  Forty-seventh  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  but  after  four  months'  service  was  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, and  after  recovering  his  health,  he  again  enlisted  in  Company  E,  One 
Hundred  and  Thirty-seventh  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry  for  one  hundred 
days  which  he  served,  and  on  October  19,  1864  enlisted  a  third  time,  select- 
ing Company  E,  Seventh  Regiment,  Indiana  Cavalry,  in  which  he  served 
his  term  of  enlistment  of  one  year.  He  showed  a  mo,st  admirable  desire  and 
unflagging  determination  to  serve  his  country  in  its  greatest  hour  of  need. 
He  has  testimonials  relative  to  his  faithful  and  gallant  service  from  his  com- 
manding officers. 


JOSEPI-I  WATTS. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  12 1 3 

After  his  career  in  the  army,  Mr.  Watts  returned  to  his  home  in  Wells 
county,  Indiana  where  he  remained  until  1867  when  he  came  to  Win- 
chester, Randolph  county  and  worked  in  a  saw-mill,  returning  to  Wells 
county  two  yeara  later,  where,  on  October  10,  1869  he  married  Matilda  A. 
Irey,  a  daughter  of  Jonah  Irey,  of  Jay  county,  Indiana,  and  to  this  union  five 
children  were  born,  namely:  Clyde  M.,  of  Cheyenne,  Wyoming;  Herbert  I.. 
lives  in  Winchester;  Fred  J.  died  July  31,  1904;  Floy  W.  is  now  the  wife  of 
O.  O.  Fraze.  of  Union  City,  Indiana ;  Chester  B.  is  in  the  Naval  Observatory 
at  Washington,  D.  C. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Watts  settled  at  Fiat,  Jay  county,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1871  when  he  moved  to  Winchester.  In  the  spring  of  1872  he 
went  to  Rice  county,  Kansas  and  entered  a  homestead,  where  he  remained 
until  1877  when  he  returned  to  Winchester.  In  December  of  that  year,  he 
was  appointed  in  the  railway  mail  service,  and  with  the  exception  of  three 
years,  has  thus  been  continuously  engaged  to  the  present  time,  his  long-con- 
tinued service  of  over  three  decades  being,  it  would  seem,  sufficient  criterion 
of  his  high-grade  service  and  fidelity  to  duty. 

Mr.  Watts  has  always  been  loyal  in  his  support  of  the  Republican  party. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Nelson  Trusler  Post,  No.  60,  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic. 

He  has  been  twice  married,  first  to  Matilda  A.  Irey,  whose  death  oc- 
curred on  August  22,  1900,  On  September  4,  1901  he  married  Martha  J. 
Hiatt,  daughter  of  Alvin  M.  and- Rebecca  (Jackson)  Owens,  of  Hartford, 
formerly  of  Winchester. 

Mr.  \\'atts  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church  and  his  wife  belongs 
to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  is  active  in  church  work,  she  being 
president  of  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society. 


BENJAMIN  F.  GREEN. 


In  all  that  constitutes  true  manhood  and  good  citizenship,  Benjamin  F. 
Green,  farmer  of  Randolph  county,  is  one  of  our  conspicuous  examples  and 
none  stands  higher  than  he  in  the  confidence  of  the  community.  His  career 
has  been  characterized  by  duty  faithfully  done  and  by  industry,  and  wisely- 
directed  efforts  he  is  receiving  his  just  share  of  this  world's  goods,  besides 
earning  a  reputation,  like  the  rest  of  the  Green  family,  that  has  never  been 
clouded  by  the  commission  of  a  single  unworthy  act  as  far  as  his  neighbors 
and  those  who  have  been  closely  associated  with  him  have  discovered.  He  is 
{77) 


12 14  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

known  to  be  a  man  of  good  judgment  and  pronounced  views  and  while  keep- 
ing himself  informed  upon  current  events  and  taking  a  lively  interest  in  all 
public  affairs  of  his  township  and  county,  he  has  never  expressed  so  much 
as  the  faintest  desire  to  exchange  the  quiet  and  contented  life  of  the  farm  for 
the  distractions  and  cares  which  usually  come  to  the  man  \\'ho  fills  official 
positions  and  aspires  to  some  exalted  station  among  his  fellow  men.  He  is 
to  be  commended  in  this  attitude,  for  such  as  he  constitute  our  best  citizens. 

Mr.  Green  was  born  July  29,  1863,  on  a  farm  about  three  miles  south- 
west of  Winchester,  in  White  River  township.  He  is  a  son  of  William  S. 
and  Christina  (Bowers)  Green.  Grandfather  Jesse  Green  came  with  his 
family  overland  in  wagons  from  North  Carolina  as  early  as  1818,  and  en- 
tered one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  the  woods  of  Randolph  county, 
Indiana,  having  for  neighbors  Indians  and  many  kindreds  of  the  wild.  He 
located  not  far  from  where  our  subject  now  lives,  there  erected  a  log  cabin 
and  began  clearing  the  dense  woods  that  surrounded  it  and  in  a  few  years  he 
had  a  good  farm  imder  cultivation  and  became  one  of  the  influential  citizens 
in  the  early  days  of  the  county.  The  elder  Green  and  family  was  one  of 
seven  families  that  came  to  this  vicinity  about  the  same  time.  The  white 
children  played  with  the  children  of  the  red  men,  and  Mr.  Green  often  traded 
corn  to  the  Indians  for  venison.  He  lived  to  an  advanced  age,  and  his  good 
wife  died  when  nearly  one  hundred  and  two  years  old.  This  sterling  old 
couple  sleeps  the  peaceful  sleep  of  the  just  in  the  quiet  Dunkirk  cemetery. 

William  S.  Green,  father  of  our  subject,  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home- 
stead, where  he  worked  hard  when  a  boy,  sharing  the  hardships  incident  to 
such  an  environment.  He  never  had  any  school  advantages  and  never 
learned  to  read  or  write  or  count  money,  but  nevertheless  this  somewhat 
remarkable  man  became  very  successful  and  left  a  large  estate,  comprising 
some  four  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  besides  other  properties.  He 
learned  much  about  woodcraft,  hunting  and  the  habits  of  the  denizens  of 
earth,  water  and  air  from  his  Indian  playmates  when  a  child.  He  was  a  man 
of  rugged  physique  and  unswerving  honesty,  and  he  did  what  he  could  to- 
ward the  early  development  of  his  community.  His  death  occurred  May  12, 
1887,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years.  His  wife,  a  woman  of  kind  heart  and 
helpful  impulses,  preceded  him  to  the  grave  in  187 1.  They  were  buried  in 
Maxville  cemetery.  To  them  fourteen  children  were  born.  The  father  mar- 
ried a  second  time,  his  last  wife  being  Sylvania  Hiatt,  by  whom  two  children 
were  born.  Of  the  first  family  only  four  are  now  living,  namely:  Sarah, 
who  married  William  Y.  Puckett,  resides  in  Winchester;  Alva  C,  farmer  of 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I215 

White  River  townshiiD,  this  county,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  on  another 
page  of  this  work;  Benjamin  F.,  of  this  review;  and  George,  who  Hves  in 
White  River  township. 

Benjamin  F.  Green  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  worked 
there  when  growing  up,  and  he  obtained  his  education  in  the  district  schools 
of  his  neighborhood.     He  remained  under  his  parental  roof-tree  until  1884. 

Mr.  Green  has  been  three  times  married,  first,  on  July  12,  1884,  to 
Mattie  Williams,  a  daughter  of  Joshua  and  Sarah  Williams,  and  to  this 
union  three  children  were  born,  all  of  whom  died  in  early  childhood,  and  the 
wife  and  mother  died  September  21,  1894,  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-eight 
years.  The  children  were  named  Archie,  born  in  May,  1885,  died  May  11, 
1892;  Julia,  born  September,  1888,  died  September  21,  1890;  and  an  infant 
died  unnamed,  December  26,  1893.  Mr.  Green's  second  marriage  was  on 
October  22,  1896,  to  Lillie  Kaj^ser,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Rachel  Kayser, 
of  Randolph  county.  This  union  was  without  issue.  The  second  wife  died 
December  23,  1902.  Mr.  Green's  last  marriage  took  place  June  20,  1903, 
when  he  espoused  Ida  Morrical,  a  daughter  of  Floyd  and  Nancy  Ellen 
(Brown)  Morrical,  of  Winchester,  both  parents  being  now  deceased.  Two 
children  have  been  born  to  this  last  union,  namely :  Everett  C,  born  March 
14,  1906;  and  Mary  F.,  born  January  17,  191 1. 

Mr.  Green  has  lived  on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides  since  he  left 
home,  forty  acres  of  land  and  two  thousand  dollars  being  his  marriage  por- 
tion from  his  father.  He  has  a  well-improved  place,  and  carries  on  general 
farming  and  stock  raising.  He  has  a  pleasant  home.  He  does  not  farm  on 
as  extensive  a  scale  as  some  of  his  neighbors  but  does  his  work  well  and 
makes  a  good  living. 

Politically,  Mr.  Green  is  a  Republican.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  was  reared  in  the  Quaker  faith, 
from  which  he  has  never  departed.  He  is  giving  his  children  proper  educa- 
tional advantages. 


DANIEL  WALTER  CALLAHAN. 

Perhaps  no  agency  in  all  the  world  has  done  so  much  for  public  progress 
as  the  press,  and  an  enterprising,  well-edited  journal  is  a  most  important 
factor  in  promoting  the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  any  community.  It  adds 
to  the  intelligence  of  any  people  through  its  transmission  of  foreign  and 
domestic  news  and  through  its  discussion  of  the  leading  questions  and  issues 
of  the  day,  and  more  than  that,  it  makes  the  town  or  city  which  it  represents 


I2l6  kANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

known  outside  of  the  immediate  locality,  as  it  is  sent  each  day  or  week  into 
other  districts,  carrying  with  it  an  account  of  the  events  transpiring  in  its 
home  locality,  the  advancement  and  progress  there  being  made,  and  the  ad- 
vantages which  it  offers  to  its  residents  along  moral,  educational,  social  and 
commercial  lines.  Randolph  county  is  certainly  indebted  to  its  wide-awake 
journals  in  no  sm^ll  degree,  and  one  of  the  men  who  are  doing  a  commend- 
able work  in  the  local  newspaper  field  is  Daniel  Walter  Callahan,  editor  and 
publisher  of  The  Winchester  De-yAocrat.  He  has  long  been  connected  with 
newspaper  work  in  various  localities,  however,  only  recently  in  this.  But 
his  power  as  a  writer  and  editor,  as  well  as  a  business  man  is  largely  ack- 
nowledged among  contemporary  journalists  and  the  public  in  general. 

Mr.  Callahan  was  born  October  5,  1872,  in  Urbana,  Ohio.  He  is  a  son 
of  Daniel  and  Catherine  (Flynn)  Callahan.  The  father  was  born  in  Ire- 
land and  the  mother  in  the  state  of  New  York.  Daniel  Callahan  spent  his 
boyhood  in  the  Emerald  Isle  and  was  educated  there,  emigrating  to  America 
when  a  young  man,  locating  in  Ohio,  where  the  Flynn  family  had  also  lo- 
cated, coming  from  the  East,  and  there  the  parents  of  our  subject  were  mar- 
ried and  settled  on  a  farm  near  Urbana.  There  the  death  of  the  father  oc- 
curred when  Daniel  W.,  of  this  sketch,  was  eight  years  old.  The  mother 
died  October  4,  1913,  at  her  home  in  Urbana. 

Daniel  W.  Callahan  was  reared  in  Urbana  and  there  received  a  common 
school  education.  As  a  lad  he  began  learning  the  printer's  trade  in  the  office 
of  The  Champaign  County  Democrat,  at  Urbana.  He  continued  the  same  in 
various  places  in  Ohio  and  in  the  year  1894  he  purchased  The  Jeffersonville 
Citi::cn,  in  Fayette  county,  that  state,  which  he  conducted  success  fuUv  for  a 
period  of  seven  years.  He  subsequently  published  a  paper  in  West  Alexan- 
dria, Preble  county,  Ohio,  for  five  years,  and  one  at  New  Vienna,  Clinton 
county,  that  stale,  for  some  time  prior  to  coming  to  Winchester,  Indiana,  in 
July,  191 1.  Here  he  purchased  The  Democrat,  which  he  has  since  published, 
proving  himself  to  be  an  able  and  aggressive  editor,  fearless  in  his  advocacy 
of  the  right  and  in  his  condemnation  of  the  wrong.  He  has  made  this  one 
of  the  very  best  weekly  newspapers  in  Indiana,  has  greatly  improved  its 
mechanical  appearance,  made  it  a  modern  news  dispenser  and  its  learned  and 
timely  editorials  moulders  of  local  public  opinion.  It  has  increased  greatly  in 
subscription  and  much  advertising  matter  is  finding  its  way  into  its  pages. 

Mr.  Callahan  is  a  Democrat  of  pronounced  principles.  For  a  time  dur- 
ing the  administration  of  Governor  Harmon,  of  Ohio,  he  was  superintendent 
of  the  printing  plant  at  the  Ohio  .Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Home  at  Xenia,  the 
duties  of  which  he  discharged  most  acceptably  to  all  concerned. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  12]  7 

A'lr.  Callahan  was  married  August  i8,  1898,  to  Leota  Core,  daughter 
of  Dr.  W.  D.  Core,  a  prominent  family  of  London,  Madison  county,  Ohio. 
This  union  has  been  without  issue. 


ROBERT  H.  LUMPKIN. 

One  of  the  owners  of  extensive  farming  interests  in  Nettle  Creek 
township,  Randolph  county,  is  the  gentleman  whose  name  initiates  this 
sketch.  His  valuable  property  has  been  acquired,  for  the  most  part,  through 
-his  own  efforts,  his  persistency  of  purpose  and  his  determination,  and  the 
prosperity  which  is  the  legitimate  reward  of  all  earnest  efforts  is  today  his. 
Mr.  Lumpkin  is  easily  the  peer  of  any  of  his  fellows  in  the  qualities  that 
constitute  correct  manhood  and  good  citizenship.  He  is  one  of  the  highly 
esteemed  and  useful  men  of  this  section  of  the  county,  and  eminently  en- 
titled to  special  mention. 

Robert  H.  Lumpkin  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  July  2,  1865, 
and  is  the  eldest  son  of  Rufus  and  Rachel  (Jordan)  Lumpkin.  Robert  Lump- 
kin, his  great  grandfather,  was  born  in  Virginia,  from  which  state  he  moved 
to  Tennessee  in  1799.  with  his  wife,  who  was  Elizabeth  Forrest,  prior  to  her 
marriage.  The  Lumpkins  were  of  Scotch  descent,  and  the  Forrests  of  Welsh 
extraction.  James  L.  Lumpkin,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
1 79 1  in  Virginia,  and  he  moved  to  Tennessee  with  his  parents.  In  1818  the 
family  removed  to  Indiana  and  settled  near  Economy,  Wayne  county,  later 
moved  to  Dalton  township.  His  death  occurred  in  1870.  He  married 
Sarah  Thornburg,  who  was  of  Irish  descent.  Her  death  occurred  in  1875 
in  Dalton  township,  Wayne  county.  Rufus  Lumpkin,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  April  15,  1835,  and  died  August  2, 
1907.  His  wife,  who  was  also  a  native  of  the  vicinity  in  which  he  first 
saw  the  light  of  day,  was  born  March  16,  1842,  and  died  April  3,  1909. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  John  W.  and  Catherine  (Davis)  Jordan,  natives  of 
Ireland.  Rufus  Lumpkin  remained  on  the  farm  of  his  father  until  he 
r«ached  his  majority.  He  received  such  educational  advantages  as  the  early- 
day  schools  afforded.  When  twentj'-one  years  old  he  went  to  Iowa,  where 
he  entered  eighty  acres  of  land,  which  he  improved  and  on  which  he  lived 
three  years,  then  sold  out  and  returned  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  where  he 
was  married  in  1858.  .Six  sons  and  three  daughters  were  born  to  our  sub- 
ject's parents,  namely:  Mary  C,  wife  of  Nelson  Weaver,  of  Wayne  county; 
America  J.,  wife  of  Wallace  Cheesman,  of  Wayne  county;  Robert  H.,  of 


12 18  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA. 

this  sketch;  Florence  M.,  wife  of  Frank  Waltz,  of  Hagerstown,  Indiana; 
Charles  died  in  infancy;  John  C.  lives  in  Wayne  county;  Orin  died  when 
young ;  James  and  William  F..  are  on  the  old  home  farm.  After  his  marriage 
Rufus  Lumpkin  located  in  Wayne  county,  where  he  owned  a  farm  of  seventy 
acres,  selling  the  same  nine  years  later  and  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  nearby.  After  remaining  there  three  years  he  purchased  the  old  Lump- 
kin homestead  of  four  hundred  acres,  on  which  he  and  his  good  wife  spent 
the  rest  of  their  lives,  engaged  successfully  in  general  farming  and  stock 
raising  on  an  extensive  scale,  and  were  among  the  most  influential  and 
highly  respected  people  of  the  township.  Mr.  Lumpkin  was  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  church,  while  his  wife  belonged  to  the  Methodist  church.  Politically, 
he  was  a  Republican. 

Robert  H.  Lumpkin,  of  this  review,  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and 
received  a  good  practical  education  in  the  common  schools.  He  remained 
with  his  parents  until  his  marriage,  December  20,  188S,  to  Nora  Maulsby,  a 
daughter  of  Martin  V.  and  Sarah  M.  (Bookout)  Maulsby.  She  was  born 
in  Randolph  county,  October  18,  1870,  and  her  father  was  also  a  native  of 
this  county.  Her  mother  was  born  in  Henry  county,  Indiana.  The  parents 
of  both  were  born  in  Tennessee.  Mrs.  Lumpkin  grew  to  womanhood  in  her 
native  community  and  received  a  common  school  education. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  three  children  were  born,  namely:  Arthur  W., 
born  January  2,  1893;  Marie,  born  August  11,  1894;  and  Marguerite,  born 
.April  3,  1907,  all  at  home.  The  two  eldest  are  teaching  school  in  this  county 
with  much  success. 

In  June,  1889,  Mr.  Lumpkin  purchased  the  beautiful  homestead  of  the 
grandfather  of  his  wife,  consisting  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-nine  acres,  and 
on  this  he  still  lives,  having  greatly  improved  the  place.  Later  he  purchased 
seventy-two  acres,  and  now  owns  two  hundred  and  thirty-one  acres  of  .as 
fine  farming  land  as  can  be  found  in  the  county,  and  here  he  carries  on  gen- 
eral farming  and  stock  raising  on  an  extensive  scale.  He  has  a  commodious 
home  in  the  midst  of  attractive  surroundings,  and  has  many  substantial  out- 
buildings and  such  modern  farming  implements  as  his  needs  require. 

i\Ir.  Lumpkin  is  one  of  the  representative  men  of  Nettle  Creek  town- 
ship and  is  highly  respected  by  all  who  know  him.  The  fact  that  he  has  been 
appointed  guardian  of  several  valuable  estates  indicates  the  implicit  confi- 
dence which  is  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow  citizens.  He  was  elected  trustee 
of  his  township  in  1908  to  serve  six  years,  and  is  giving  eminent  satisfaction 
in  the  same.  He  is  a  loyal  Republican,  a  faithful  Mason,  and  his  wife  is  a 
worthy  Baptist. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  12 19 

DR.  WILLIAM  ANDREW  MEREDITH,  D.  V.  S. 

The  science  of  veterinary  surgery  has  an  able  exponent  in  Randolph 
county  in  the  person  of  Dr.  William  Andrew  Meredith,  of  Lynn,  a  man  whose 
services  are  in  great  demand  over  the  county,  partly  because  he  has  estab- 
lished a  solid  reputation  for  skill  in  his  chosen  profession  and  partly  because 
he  is  a  genial  and  well-liked  gentleman  that  makes  and  retains  friends  easily. 

Dr.  Meredith  was  born  in  Williamsburg,  Indiana,  March  26,  1871. 
He  is  a  son  of  John  W.  and  Malissa  C.  (Cox)  Meredith.  The  father  was 
born  near  Williamsburg,  January  31,  18 — ,  and  is  a  son  of  Andrew  and  Mary 
Meredith.  Andrew  Meredith  was  a  native  of  South  Carolina  and  a  pioneer 
of  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  making  the  long  overland  journey  from  the  far 
South  when  traveling  was  a  hazardous  undertaking  for  many  reasons,  such 
as  bad  roads,  unbridged  streams  and  few  settlers,  to  say  nothing  of  lurking 
Indians  and  white  highwaymen,  who  frequently  waylaid  those  who  pushed' 
to  the  frontiers  of  civilization.  He  began  life  in  the  woods  in  Wayne  county 
and  worked  hard  to  get  a  start  in  the  new  country. 

John  W.  Meredith,  the  father,  grew  up  amid  pioneer  environment  and 
he  worked  hard  when  a  boy  on  the  home  farm.  He  received  a  meager 
schooling  in  the  earty-day  schools.  He  has  devoted  his  life  to  active  farming 
and  stock  raising  and  is  at  this  writing  still  living  in  the  town  of  Williams- 
burg. His  wife  passed  away  April  31,  1913,  at  an  advanced  age.  Politically, 
John  W.  Meredith  is  a  Democrat,  and  religiously  a  Quaker.  He  has  served 
as  trustee  of  his  township.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Masonic  Order, 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Encampment,  being  promin- 
ent in  each  and  holding  high  offices  in  all  three. 

Doctor  Meredith  grew  to  manhood  on  his  father's  farm,  where  he  made 
himself  useful  during  the  crop  seasons,  and  he  received  a  common  school 
education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  locality.  When  a  young  man  he  decided 
to  take  up  veterinary  surgery  and  with  that  end  in  view  he  entered  the 
Toronto  College  of  Veterinary  Surgery  at  Toronto,  Canada,  and  there  made 
a  splendid  record,  graduating  with  the  class  of  1894.  He  began  the  practice 
of  his  profession  at  Williamsburg,  Indiana,  where  he  remained  two  years, 
being  successful  from  the  start,  then  moved  to  Lynn,  Randolph  county, 
where  he  has  remained  to  the  present  time,  enjoying  an  ever-increasing  and 
lucrative  practice,  which  extends  throughout  this  locality,  and  he  has  met 
with  a  high  degree  of  success  in  all  his  practice.  He  has  remained  a  deep 
student  and  has  kept  well  abreast  of  the  times  in  all  that  pertains  to  his  work. 

Politically,  Doctor  Meredith  is  a  Republican,  and  fraternally,  he  belongs 


I220  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

to  the  Masonic  Order,  having  held  all  office^  in  the  local  lodge  except  that  of 
Worshipful  Master.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  being 
Past  Chancellor  of  the  lodge  at  Lynn.  In  religious  matters,  he  belongs  to 
the  Christian  church. 

Doctor  Meredith  was  married  on  April  6,  1898,  to  Cynthia  A.  Newton, 
of  Lynn,  and  to  this  union  one  child  was  born,  Margaret.  The  wife  and 
mother  passed  to  her  rest  on  October  10,  1904.  The  Doctor  was  again  mar- 
ried on  September  10,  19 12,  to  Mfs.  Daisy  Mills,  of  Farmland. 


WILLL4M  H.  ROBY. 


In  nearly  every  community  are  to  be  found  individuals  who,  by  innate 
abihty  and  sheer  force  of  character,  rise  above  their  fellowmen  and  win  for 
themselves  conspicuous  places  in  public  esteem.  .Such  a  one  is  the  well- 
known  manufacturer  of  fertilizer,  William  H.  Roby,  of  Winchester,  Ran- 
dolph county,  a  man  who  has  been  identified  with  the  material  growth  and 
development  of  this  locality  for  many  years,  wielding  a  potent  influence  in 
business  circles,  while  his  career  as  a  progressive  man  of  affairs  has  been, 
synonymous  with  all  that  is  honorable. 

Mr.  Roby  was  born  May  23,  1857  in  Huntington  county,  Indiana.  He 
is  a  son  of  Jacob  H.  and  Sarah  (Griffith)  Roby.  The  father  was  born  in 
Ohio  and  the  mother  was  a  native  of  Virginia.  Both  removed  from  their 
respective  communities  with  their  parents  in  earl)^  pioneer  days  and  spent 
their  earlier  years  in  Indiana.  Jacob  H.  Roby  engaged  in  farm  work  when 
young,  later  learning  the  plasterer's  trade  which  he  followed  until  his  death 
in  Huntington  county. 

William  H.  Roby  lived  in  Hartford  City,  this  state  until  he  was  twelve 
years  of  age,  at  which  time  his  mother  died  and  he  was  thrown  on  his  own 
resources,  consequently,  his  education  in  the  public  schools  was  meager;  but 
this  has  been  made  up  in  after  years  by  miscellaneous  home  reading  and  by 
actual  contact  with  the  business  world.  He  first  learned  the  plasterer's  trade, 
but  about  the  time  he  became  a  skilled  workman  his  eyes  became  so  badly 
affected  that  he  abandoned  fhis  field  and  learned  to  be  a  millwright,  which 
trade  he  followed  for  a  number  of  years,  also  followed  railroad  bridge  build- 
ing until  the  year  1900,  doing  an  extensive  business,  and  becoming  known  as 
one  of  the  best  men  in  this  line  of  endeavor  in  this  section  of  the  Middle 
West.     During  that  period  he  made  his  home  at  Mt.  Carmel,  Illinois.     He 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I22I 

was  an  extensive  builder  of  mill  properties.  In  May,  1904,  he  came  to  Win- 
chester, Indiana.  In  December,  1907,  he  located  two  miles  west  of  this  city 
■on  a  farm  and  became  engaged  in  the  farm  fertilizer  business,  which  was  a 
success  from  the  start  and  it  has  now  grown  to  very  large  proportions,  there 
being  a  great  demand  for  his  product,  owing  to  its  superior  quality  and  it  is 
shipped  to  remote  parts  of  the  country.  He  has  a  substantial,  modernly 
•equipped  and  well  managed  plant,  with  a  capacity  of  five  hundred  tons  per 
year.  It  is  the  only  plant  of  its  kind  in  Randolph  county  and  is  one  of 
sixty-six  such  plants  in  the  state.  A  large  number  of  men  are  employed 
here. 

Mr.  Roby's  attention  is  divided  between  the  factory  and  his  fine  farm 
of  two  hundred  and  ten  acres,  which,  owing  to  his  close  proximity  to  the 
count}'-seat  and  its  exceptionally  well-improved  condition,  is  one  of  the  most 
valuable  farms  of  the  county.  On  it  is  to  be  found  an  attractive  dwelling 
and  substantial  and  convenient  outbuildings.  Here  general  farming  and 
stock  raising  are  carried  on  extensively,  particular  attention  being  paid  to 
raising  and  feeding  a  fine  breed  of  English  York  hogs,  the  finest  on  the 
.market,  as  well  as  in  J^andolph  county,  and  they  are  greatly  admired  by  all 
who  see  them.  He  also  breeds  for  breeding  purposes,  and  ships  his  hogs  all 
over  the  country,  always  obtaining  high  prices.  His  cattle  are  of  the  finest 
Durham  breed  and,  like  his  hogs,  find  a  very  ready  market  at  fancy  prices. 
Mr.  Roby  is  a  great  corn  grower.  His  home  is  modern  in  all  its  appoint- 
ments, like  a  city  home. 

Mr.  Roby  was  married  on  September  11,  1882  to  Maggie  N.  Fischer, 
a  daughter  of  Adam  and  Catherine  Fischer.  The  parents  were  born,  reared 
and  educated  in  Germany  and  married  there,  finally  emigrating  to  America 
and  settling  at  Mt.  Carmel,  Illinois,  where  Mrs.  Roby  was  born. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  three  sons  have  been  born,  namely:  Harry  B., 
Roscoe  D.,  and  Adrian  J.,  all  at  home  and  assisting  their  father  in  business. 
Pearl  H.  is  an  adopted  daughter. 

Politically,  Mr.  Roby  is  independent  and  he  is  always  encouraging  public 
improvements  of  all  kinds.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Improved 
Order  of  Red  Men  and  the  Tribe  of  Ben-Hur. 

Mr.  Roby  was  one  of  the  promoters  of  the  Farmers  Telephone  Com- 
pany and  is  one  of  the  largest  stockholders  of  the  same.  He  is  much  devoted 
to  his  home  and  family  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  our  worthiest  citizens  in 
every  respect. 


1222  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 


G.  WILLIAM  MILLS. 


One  of  the  progressive  farmers  and,  stock  raisers  of  Randolph  county 
is  G.  William  Mills,  at  present  county  commissioner  and  a  scion  of  one  of 
our  sterling  old  families.  He  is  a  man  who  has  always  known  how  to  ap- 
preciate the  true  dignity  of  labor  and  to  place  a  correct  estimate  upon  the 
value  of  money  and  he  has  worked  hard  for  what  he  now  possesses.  Never- 
theless, he  is  liberal  in  his  benefactions  and  stands  ever  ready  to  support 
with  his  influence  and  means  all  measures  for  the  material  and  moral  wel- 
fare of  the  community  in  which  he  has  so  long  resided. 

Mr.  Mills  was  born  in  Washington  township,  Randolph  county,  March 
24,  1859.  He  is  a  son  of  Joel  and  Cynthia  (Beard)  Mills.  Joel  Mills  was 
born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  January  6,  1833.  He  was  a  son  of  Aaron 
and  Rebecca  (Small)  Mills.  He  grew  up  on  the  farm  in  his  native  county 
and  received  a  fairly  good  education  in  the  common  schools.  When  sixteen 
years  old  he  begain  learning  the  carpenter's  trade,  receiving  thirty-seven  and 
one-half  cents  per  day  for  his  labor,  and  he  spent  practically  his  entire  life  in 
the  contracting  business,  covering  almost  the  entire  county  of  Randolph  and 
much  of  Wayne  county,  and  was  known  as  a  skilled  and  honest  workman. 
Politically,  he  was  a  Republican  and  was  trustee  of  Washington  township  for 
two  terms,  was  also  county  commissioner  for  one  term,  filling  both  offices 
exceptionally  well.  In  1895  he  retired  to  the  farm  he  had  acquired,  his  health 
having  induced  him  to  give  up  the  more  exacting  business  of  contracting, 
and  his  death  occurred  on  April  7,  1898.  He  and  Cynthia  Beard  were  mar- 
ried November  10,  1855.  She  was  born  May  19,  1840,  and  was  therefore 
but  fifteen  years  old  when  she  married.  She  was  a  daughter  of  William  and 
Lydia  (Cox)  Beard.  William  Beard  was  born  in  North  Carolina  about  18 12 
and  he  came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  August  9,  181 5,  with  his  parents, 
who  were  thus  among  the  earliest  settlers  here.  His  parents  were  Paul  and 
Hannah  Beard.  William  Beard  devoted  his  life  to  farming  and  died  in  1857, 
his  wife  preceding  him  to  the  grave  in  1847.  Both  these  families  were  very 
active  and  useful  in  the  Friends  church.  Doctor  Cox,  grandfather  of  Mrs. 
Mills,  was  a  minister  in  that  church.  Mrs.  Mills  is  still  livirig  and  is  an  ack- 
nowledged minister  in  the  Friends  church.  Six  children  were  born  to  Toel 
Mills  and  wife,  namely :  Caroline  E. ;  G.  William  (our  subject) ;  Dr.  Cassius 
C,  born  September  24,  1861,  is  practicing  medicine  at  Muncie;  Martin 
Luther,  born  April  24,  1864,  is  a  merchant  at  Winchester;  Rose  Alma,  born 
December  31,  1867,  is  the  wife  of  William  Edwards,  a  farmer  of  Washing- 
ton township,  this  county;  Eva  Nora,  born  February  22,  1874,  is  at  home. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  I223 

G.  William  Mills  worked  on  the  farm  in  his  boyhood  and  received  a 
common  school  education.  In  1880  he  branched  out  for  himself  and  farmed 
with  success  until  1900,  when  he  moved  to  Lynn.  In  1905  he  was  elected 
county  commissioner  on  the  Republican  ticket,  and  he  made  such  a  com- 
mendable record  that  he  was  re-elected  in  1908  and  is  now  serving  his  second 
term  to  the  eminent  satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  He  still  manages  a  farm 
of  several  hundred  acres,  where  general  farming  and  stock  raising  are  car- 
ried on  extensively.    He  is  a  worthy  rhember  of  the  Friends  church. 

Mr.  Mills  was  married  March  27,  1880,  to  Mary  E.  Meredith,  who  was 
born  in  Highland  county,  Ohio,  April  10,  1859.  To  this  union  one  child  has 
been  born,  Cynthia  May,  now  the  wife  of  Frank  M.  Johnson,  a  farmer  of 
Washington  township.  They  have  two  children,  viz. :  Joel  Mills  Johnson 
and  Helen  M.  Johnson. 


ADAM  R.  HIATT. 


One  would  find  it  necessary  to  search  long  and  far  to  find  a  farm  kept 
in  better  condition  or  managed  under  more  up-to-date  methods  than  that  of 
Adam  R.  Hiatt,  a  progressive  and  honored  citizen  of  Washington  township, 
Randolph  county,  for  he  has  not  only  worked  hard  and  persistent  in  keeping 
everything  in  its  proper  place,  but  has  been  a  student  of  local  conditions  and 
has  widely  read  much  literature  as  pertains  to  advanced  methods  of  hus- 
bandry, so  that  he  has  been  enabled  to  reap  just  rewards  for  his  pains  and 
labors  from  year  to  year,  and,  owing  to  the  superb  system  of  his  operations, 
he.accomplishes  more  at  a  less  expenditure  af  labor  than  do  most  men.  When 
he  first  began  his  career  he  learned  that  "haste  makes  waste"'  very  fre- 
quently, and  while  he  has  endeavored  to  do  everything  with  dispatch  and 
neatness,  he  has  always  realized  that  there  are  times  when  rushing  methods 
are  not  the  best,  when  patience  must  be  exercised.  Himself  a  pioneer,  he  is  a 
scion  of  one  of  the  early-day  Hoosier  families,  members  of  which  have 
sought  to  do  their  full  duty  in  the  affairs  of  the  communities  where  they  have 
dispersed. 

Mr.  Hiatt  was  born  January  9,  1837,  on  a  farm  near  Bethel,  Wayne 
county,  Indiana.  He  is  a  son  of  Enos  and  Nancy  (Miller)  Hiatt.  The 
father  was  born  August  28,  1805,  in  Guilford  county,  North  Carolina,  and 
from  there  the  family  removed  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  1810,  and  set- 
tled on  a  farm  when  that  locality  was  practically  a  wilderness  and  they  en- 
dured the  usual  hardships  and  privations  incident  to  pioneer  life.     The  Mil- 


1224  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

ler  family  originally  lived  near  Versailles,  Woodford  county,  Kentucky,  being 
among  the  earliest  families  in  the  "dark  and  bloody  ground"  country.  Grand- 
mother Miller  often  told  interesting  stories  of  the  Indians,  who  were  numer- 
ous in  that  country  when  she  was  a  girl.  Once  they  made  an  attack  on  the 
Miller  cabin  and  her  mother  was  seized  by  an  Indian  who  raised  his  toma- 
hawk to  brain  her,  when  she  wrenched  loose,  seized  an  axe  and  killed  the  red 
man.  His  tribesmen  later  retaliated  by  killing  her  husband  the  first  time  they 
ran  onto  him  in  the  woods.  Elevai  children  were  born  to  Enos  Hiatt  and 
wife,  namely:  William,  Adam  R.  (subject  of  this  sketch),  Rachel,  Sallie, 
Elizabeth,  Cornelius,  Harrison  T.,  Jabez,  Martha  A.,  Mary  C,  and  George  V. 

Adam  R.  Hiatt  grew  up  amid  pioneer  environments  and  he  was  com- 
pelled to  work  hard  on  the  home  farm  when  a  boy.  The  advantages  for  an 
education  in  those  days  were  very  limited  and  he  received  little  more  than  the 
knowledge  of  how  to  read  and  write,  but  in  after  life  he  has  become  a  well 
informed  man  by  wide  home  reading  and  contact  with  the  world.  Early  in 
his  youth  he  took  up  farming  for  a  livelihood  and  this  he  has  continued  to 
the  present  time  with  ever-increasing  success,  remaining  many  years  in 
Wayne  county,  finally  removing  to  Randolph  county  and  locating  in  Wash- 
ington township,  where  he  now  owns  a  large,  well-improved  and  productive 
farm,  on  which  stands  a  substantial  and  convenient  set  of  buildings  and  where 
an  excellent  grade  of  livestock  may  always  be  found,  everything  about  his 
place  denoting  good  management  and  thrift.  He  has  worked  hard  and  in  his 
earlier  years  was  a  man  of  exceptional  physical  strength,  and  although  he  is 
now  seventy-seven  years  of  age  he  is  still  hale  and  hearty,  as  a  result,  very 
largel}'  of  his  clean  personal  habits  and  methods  of  high  thinking-. 

Mr.  Hiatt  was  married  May  27,  1855,  at  Bethel,  Indiana,  to  Lucinda 
Wolf,  who  was  born  July  5,  1837,  on  a  farm  near  Bethel,  Wayne  county, 
where  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  received  a  meagre  education  in  the  old- 
time  rural  schools.  She  has  proved  to  be  a  faithful  and  genial  helpmeet, 
and  has  borne  her  husband  seven  children,  named  as  follows :  Mary  P.,  who 
married  John  D.  Flatter;  Cassius  F.,  who  married  Cora  Fulghum;  Alvin  I., 
who  married  Cora  V.  Chenoweth ;  Elmer  P  is  deceased ;  Harrison,  who  mar- 
ried Grace  Anderson,  who  is  deceased;  Carrie  C,  who  married  Elmer  E. 
Chenoweth;  Ida  Maud,  who  married  Frank  Chamness.  These  children  were 
all  given  proper  educational  advantages  and  are  all  well  situated  in  life  and 
well  liked  wherever  they  are  known.  Two  of  the  sons  conduct  a  large  hard- 
ware and  furniture  store  in  the  town  of  Lynn,  Indiana. 

Mr.  Hiatt  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Christian  church,  from  which 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  1225 

.he  has  never  departed,  and  has  been  an  elder  inihe  church  of  this  denomina- 
tion for  over  tv^^enty-five  years,  and  he  and  his  family  are  faithful  in  their 
support  of  the  church.  Politically,  he  is  a  Progressive.  Pie  is  a  man  of 
public  spirit  and  has  done  much  for  the  general  upbuilding  of  his  town- 
ship and  county.  Pie  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  commissioners  of 
Randolph  county  from  1885  to  1890,  was  justice  of  the  peace  four  years,  and 
was  assessor  four  years.  As  a  public  servant  he  proved  most  faithful  and 
efficient,  winning  the  hearty  approval  of  all  concerned,  irrespective  of  party 
alignment.  Fraternally,  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons  since  boyhood  and  his  every-day  life  would  indicate  that  he  has 
made  an  effort  to  live  up  to  its  sublime  precepts.  He  is  a  man  of  progressive 
ideas,  ready  to  adopt  new  methods  of  agriculture  when  he  sees  they  are  prac- 
tical. He  was  one  of  the  first  to  purchase  the  self-binder  in  this  locality, 
also  among  the  first  to  secure  other  improved  farming  machinery.  Mr.  Hiatt 
was  one  of  the  first  men  of  Randolph  county  to  advocate  the  building  of 
macadamized  roads  and  to  help  build  the  first  one.  His  home  is  known  as  a 
place  of  old-time  hospitality,  and,  as  a  result  of  his  numerous  estimable  char- 
acteristics he  is  held  in  highest  esteem  by  a  very  wide  circle  of  acquaintances 
and  friends. 


CFIARLES  F.  HALLIDAY. 

If  there  is  one  thing  which  distinguishes  the  American  business  man 
from  those  of  any  other  country  it  is  the  faculty  with  which  any  and  all  occu- 
pations are  readily  taken  up  by  him  and  made  successful.  In  the  older 
countries  it  was  customary  for  the  son  to  follow  the  father's  pursuit.  It  is  in 
such  countries  as  the  United  States  that  full  swing  can  be  given  to  the  ener- 
gies of  the  individual.  A  man  may  choose  any  business  or  profession  he 
desires,  and  he  is  limited  only  by  competition.  He  must  meet  the  skill  of 
others  and  give  as  good  service  as  they  or  he  will  not  get  the  position,  or 
business,  as  the  case  may  be.  Such  adaptation  to  any  work  or  business  is 
well  shown  in  the  career  of  Charles  F.  Halliday,  one  of  the  substantial  and 
influential  men  of  affairs  of  Randolph  county,  a  banker  of  Parker. 

Mr.  Halliday  was  born  in  Randolph  county  January  11,  1862.  He  is  a 
son  of  Elias  F.  and  M.  Jane  (Ringo)  Halliday,  whose  family  consisted  of 
five  sons  and  one  daughter,  namely:  William  R.,  a  druggist  at  Lynn,  In- 
diana, m;arried  Ella  F.  Stafford,  and  they  have  three  daughters,  Olive  G., 
Ada  FT  and  Bernda;  Waldo  M.,  who  lives  at  Long  Beach,  California,  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Neal,  of  Randolph  county,  and  they  have  one  son,  Herbert 


1226  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

Garfield;  Flora  R.,  of  Farmland,  married  Philip  M.  Bly,  a  banker,  and  they 
have  two  children;  J.  Garver,  a  banker  of  Farmland,  married  Minnie  Ed- 
wai-ds,  and  they  have  one  child,  Geraldine;  Charles  F.,  of  this  sketch;  George 
Lincoln,  of  Indianapolis,  is  state  agent  for  the  Ohio  Cultivator  Coinpany;  he 
married  Laurel  M.  McKenzie,  of  Eellevue,  Ohio,  and  they  have  one  child, 
Justine. 

Charles  F.  Halliday  grew  to_^  manhood  in  his  native  county,  and  in 
Farmland  he  received  a  good  education  in  the  public  schools,  later  attending 
a  commercial  college  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  from  which  he  was  graduated.  His 
father  was  a  farmer  and  he  remained  with  him  on  the  home  place  until  he 
was  twenty-three  years  old,  then  worked  in  a  claim  ofifice  for  two  years,  then 
was  employed  in  the  State  Bank  at  Farmland  for  seven  years,  after  which  he 
was  employed  by  the  Ohio  Cultivator  Company,  of  Bellevue,  Ohio,  for  a 
period  of  five  years.  In  all  three  positions  he  gave  eminent  satisfaction,  win- 
ning the  confidence  and  trust  of  his  employers  and  showing  himself  eminently 
capable  in  every  way.  Upon  invitation  he  came  to  Parker,  Randolph  county, 
after  leaving  the  Ohio  concern  mentioned  above,  and  organized  the  now 
popular  and  well-known  Parker  Banking  Company  in  December,  1899,  with 
a  capital  stock  of  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  his  wise  counsel  and  able  assist- 
ance made  it  a  pronounced  success  from  the  first  and  its  growth  has  been 
rapid  and  constant.  On  March  15,  1913,  this  sound  and  safe  institution  was 
re-organized  as  a  state  bank,  with  a  capital  stock  of  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars,  but  retaining  its  former  name.  Mr.  Flalliday  has  been  cashier  of 
this  institution  since  it  was  first  organized,  and  his  service  of  fifteen  years 
in  this  connecton  has  been  eminently  satisfactory  to  the  patrons  and  stock- 
holders of  the  bank.  For  a  number  of  years  he  has  been  a  director  of  the 
Parker  Telephone  Company,  and  did  much  to  make  it  a  pronounced  success. 

Politically,  Mr.  Halliday  is  a  Republican,  but  he  has  never  been  specially 
active  in  political  matters.  His  father  was  county  commissioner  tor  a  period 
of  six  years,  and  was  incumbent  of  that  ofifice  when  the  court-house  and  jail 
were  built.  He  did  much  for  the  general  good  of  the  county.  He  also  served 
as  treasurer  of  Randolph  county  for  four  years,  during  the  Civil  war  period, 
from  1861  to  1865. 

Charles  F.  Halliday  was  married  to  Sarah  L.  Jones,  of  Delaware  county, 
a  daughter  of  William  W.  and  Rebecca  Jones,  who  spent  their  lives  engaged 
in  farming.  Their  family  consisted  of  five  children.  Mrs.  Halliday  grew  to 
womanhood  in  her  native  community  and  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools.     She  is  purely  a  home  woman,  devoted  to  her  family. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  122/ 

The  union  of  our  subject  and  wife  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  three 
children,  namely:  Rebecca  Jane,  born  June  19,  1894,  was  educated  in  the 
local  schools  and  DePauw  University,  and  is  employed  under  her  father  in 
the  bank  at  Parker;  Adah  Florence,  born  May  24,  1900;  Helen  Elizabeth, 
born  September  6,  191 1. 

Mr.  Halliday  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  and  his  famih^  attend  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church. 


THOMAS  CLARENCE  LOVE. 

One  of  the  native  young  men  of  Randolph  county  who  has  been  wise  in 
deciding  to  spend  his  life  in  his  own  locality  is  Thomas  Clarence  Love,  now 
engaged  in  the  feed  business  in  the  town  of  Lynn.  He  seems  to  be  the  pos- 
sessor of  those  characteristics  that  make  a  definite  degree  of  success  wherever 
found,  for  he  is  not  only  industrious,  believing  in  keeping  his  shoulder  to  the 
wheel,  but  is  broad-minded  and  honorable,  knowing  that  while  one  may  beat 
his  fellow  men  successfully  for  a  time,  in  the  end  it  does  not  pay  and  he  is 
sure  to  be  found  out,  thus  ruining  his  reputation  among  his  acquaintances 
which  prevents  to  a  large  extent  the  successful  carrying  on  of  any  large 
business,  especially  in  a  small  town  where  everybody  knows  intimately  every- 
body else. 

Mr.  Love  was  born  in  Greens  fork  township,  I^andolph  county,  October 
8,  1886.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  A.  Love,  who  was  born  in  i860,  and  is  a  son 
of  Lindsey  and  Mary  Love.  Thomas  A.  Love  received  a  fairly  good  educa- 
tion and  he  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  worked  there  until  his 
marriage,  in  1881,  when  he  espoused  Clara  Moody,  who  died  in  1886,  after 
which  he  went  to  Kansas  and  engaged  in  farming  until  1896,  when  he  left 
the  Sunflower  state  and  returned  to  Randolph  county  and  resumed  farming, 
which  he  continued  with  success  tmtil  his  death,  in  1907.  Politically,  he  was 
a  Republican,  but  was  never  an  office  seeker,  preferring  to  lead  a  quiet  life  on 
his  farm.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Friends  church,  and  fraternally  he 
belonged  to  the  Knights  of- Pythias. 

The  mother  of  Thomas  C.  Love  died  when  he  was  two  weeks  old,  and 
he  was  reared  by  his  grandparents,  the  Moodys.  He  worked  on  the  farm  of 
Grandfather  Moody  when  a  boy  during  the  summer  months  and  in  the 
winter  time  attended  the  common  schools  of  Lynn,  graduating  from  the 
grade  schools  in  1904,  after  which  he  continued  to  work  on  his  grandfather's 
farm  until  19 13,  when  he  left  the  farm  and  took  up  well  drilling  until  August 


1228  RANIjOLPH    county,   INDIANA. 

2 1  St  of  that  year,  when  he  purchased  the  feed  exchange  in  Lynn,  which  he  is 
now  successfully  conducting,  and  is  building  up  a  large  and  lucrative  trade. 
He  handles  all  kinds  of  feed,  and  has  a  modern  grist  mill,  where  he  grinds- 
feed  in  any  manner  desired.  He  handles  the  following  brands  of  flour,  both 
in  wholesale  and  retail  lots :  "Gold  Medal,"  "Richmond  Fancy,"  "Carpen- 
ter," and  "I-Am-Boss."  He  handles  all  kinds  of  coal  and  has  quite  a 
large  trade  in  coal  as  well  as  feed  and  flour.  He  keeps  at  all  times  oats,, 
grasses,  salt  and  stock  foods.     He  also  has  an  automobile  agency. 

Politically,  Mr.  Love  is  a  Progressive,  and  religiously,  he  belongs  to  the 
Friends  church. 

Mr.  Love  was  married  December  25,  1907,  to  Edna  May  Chenoweth, 
who  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  December  20,  1889.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Benjamin  F.  and  Hannah  Chenoweth,  a  well-known  family  of  this  county. 
She  grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated  in  her  native  community. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  two  children  have  been  born,  namely:  Alice 
E.,  born  February  12,  1909;  and  Tdris  L.,  born  May  8,  191 1. 


STEPHEN  CLEVEXGER. 

During  the  sixty-six  years  that  Stephen  Clevenger  has  passed  in  Ran- 
dolph county  momentous  changes  have  taken  place,  and  in  these  he  has  not 
by  any  means  been  an  idle  spectator,  but  has  done  much  as  an  enterprising 
business  man  and  public-spirited  citizen  to  encourage  the  general  progress  of 
the  same.  He  is  the  scion  of  a  worthy  old  pioneer  famil}-,  the  name 
Clevenger  having  been  a  familiar  one  throughout  this  localit}-  since  the  early 
forties  and  it  has  always  stood  for  industry  and  good  character.  After  a 
long  and  successful  career  as  a  business  man  and  farmer  our  subject  is  now 
living  in  honorable  retirement  in  his  pleasant  home  in  Winchester.  He  is 
one  of  our  honored  veterans  of  the  Civil  war  and  one  of  our  worthiest  nati\'e 
sons. 

^Ir.  Clevenger  was  born  on  October  27,  1847,  in  Greensfork  township,. 
Randolph  county.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  ]^Iary  Ann  (Clanin) 
Clevenger.  These  parents  were  both  natives  of  Ohio,  the  father  of  Warren 
county,  and  they  grew  to  maturity  and  were  married  in  their  native  state; 
shortly  after  their  marriage  they  removed  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  ia 
1844,  and  here  established  the  permanent  home  of  the  famih-  on  the  farm, 
which  they  developed  by  hard  work.  In  this  county  they  spent  the  rest  of 
their  lives,  the  father  dying  on  December  i,  1889,  and  the  mother  joined  him 


STEPHEN  <-lea'ex(;ei:. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1229 

in  the  spirit-land  on  August  3,  ^892.  They  had,  however  moved  in  1863  to 
a  farm  four  miles  east  of  Winchester  in  White  River  township.  Thomas 
Clevenger  became  one  of  the  largest  land  owners  and  most  prosperous  farm- 
ers in  this  vicinity.  His  family  consisted  of  ten  children,  eight  of  whom 
grew  to  maturity. 

Stephen  Clevenger  grew  up  on  the  home  farm  where  he  did  the  usual 
chores  assigned  to  a  boy.  He  was  educated  in  the  district  schools.  When 
only  seventeen  years  of  age  he  proved  his  courage  by  enlisting  in  Company 
A,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-seventh  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry  in  which  he 
served  very  faithfully  until  the  close  of  the  war  in  the  famous  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  also  served  in  the  Shenandoah  valley.  He  bore  the  hard  service 
he  saw  without  a  murmur  and  was  honorably  discharged  on  August  15,  1865. 
After  the  war  he  returned  home  and  continued  farming  in  White  River  town- 
ship until  1 88 1  when  he  moved  to  Winchester  and  engaged  in  the  coal  and 
building  material  business.  Through  the  exercise  of  good  judgment,  indus- 
try and  honest  dealings  he  prospered  and  continued  in  this  business  for  a 
period  of  thirty  years,  during  which  period  he  ranked  among  the  leading 
business  men  of  the  county-seat.  Accumulating  a  competency  he  retired 
from  active  life  in  191 1,  however  he  supervises  his  fine  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  in  W^hite  River  township.  It  is  well  improved  and  on  it 
stands  an  excellent  group  of  buildings,  and  here  general  farming  and  stock 
raising  are  carried  on  extensively. 

Mr.  Clevenger  has  been  twice  married,  first,  on  September  23,  1873 
to  Julia  A.  Jobes,  daughter  of  Dr.  George  O.  and  Evaline  Jobes.  The  father 
was  a  prominent  physician  of  Farmland  for  many  years,  later  in  life  moving 
to  Indianapolis  where  he  engaged  in  the  drug  business,  and  where  his  death 
occurred  a  few  years  ago.  The  death  of  Mrs.  Clevenger  occurred  on  May 
8,  1883,  and  on  November  10,  1893  our  subject  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mrs.  Sarah  Ellen  Gebhard,  a  daughter  of  Simon  P.  Hewett,  of  Miamisburg, 
Ohio,  of  an  early  pioneer  family  of  that  state.  To  this  second  union  one 
son  was  born,  Thomas  Reed  Clevenger,  whose  birth  occurred  on  August  13, 
1894.     He  was  graduated  from  the  Winchester  high  school. 

Politically,  Mr.  Clevenger  is  a  Republican  and  has  long  been  very  active 
in  public  matters.  He  served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council  for  twelve 
consecutive  years  and  many  of  the  important  public  improvements  were  con- 
summated during  that  period.  He  has  also  served  as  a  member  of  the  Re- 
publican County  Central  Committee  at  various  times.  He  is  a  member  of 
Nelson  Trusler  Post,  No.  60,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He  was  a 
(78) 


1230  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,  -INDIANA. 

delegate  to  the  state  encampment  in  1913.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order,  and  all  intermediate  degrees  up  to  the  thirty-second  degree.  He  is  a 
charter  member  of  Winchester  Commandery,  Nor  53,  in  which  he  has  filled 
all  the  chairs.  He  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the 
Encampment  and  has  filled  all  the  chairs  in  the  same.  He  has  represented 
this  lodge  to  the  Grand  Lodge  and  also  the  Encampment  to  the  Grand 
Encampment.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the 
Improved  Order  of  Red  Men.  He  is  one  of  the  most  popular  lodge  men  m 
the  county,  and  this  speaks  much  for  his  standing  and  character  as  a  citizen 
and  neighbor. 


THOMAS  H.  CONDON. 


One  of  the  men  who  has  stamped  the  impress  of  his  strong  individuality 
upon  the  minds  of  the  people  of  Randolph  county  is  Thomas  H.  Condon,  , 
well  known  grain  and  coal  dealer  of  Parker.  He  has  so  ordered  his  career 
since  taking  up  his  abode  in  our  midst  that  he  has  become  one  of  the  con- 
spicuous characters  of  this  locality.  Faithfulness  to  duty  and  a  strict  adher- 
ence to  a  fixed  purpose,  which  always  do  more  to  advance  a  man's  interests 
than  wealth  or  advantageous  circumstances,  have  been  dominating  factors  in 
his  life,  which  has  been  replete  with  honor  and  success  worthily  attained. 
He  is  a  scion  of  a  sterling  old  Irish  family,  and  many  of  the  strong  charac- 
teristics of  his  progenitors  have  been  revealed  in  him,  and  he  has  been  most 
vigilant  in  keeping  unsmirched  the  good  name  of  the  Condons,  who  have  al- 
ways been  noted  for  their  unswerving  honesty,  their  readiness  to  assist  in  all 
worthy  enterprises  for  the  good  of  their  neighbors  and  the  community  in 
general  in  which  they  resided. 

Mr.  Condon,  of  this  review,  was  born  in  Springfield,  Massachusetts, 
May  26,  1856.  He  is  a  son  of  David  and  Margaret  (Hayes)  Condon,  and  is 
one  of  eleven  children,  being  the  eldest;  the  others  were  named  Dennis,  who 
lives  in  Chicago  and  is  on  the  police  force  there;  John,  who  is  engaged  in 
merchandising  at  Momence,  Illinois,  married  Margaret  McGraw,  and  they 
have  seven  children;  Katherine  married  Richard  Dwyer,  who  had  charge  of 
a  power  house  in  connection  with  the  street  railways  of  Chicago,  was  killed 
by  a  live  wire,  leaving  a  widow  and  five  children;  James,  who  was  in  the 
employ  of  the  United  States  Express  Company,  died  in  Chicago  some  time 
ago,  leaving  a  widow ;  Johanna  married  William  McGraw,  a  farmer  of  Ben- 
ton county,  Indiana,  and  they  have  three  children;  Mary  married  James  E. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I23I 

Garvin,  a  teacher  b}^  profession,  but  now  employed  in  the  Chicago  postoffice ; 
EHzabeth,  wife  of  Johii  Garrity,  a  merchant  of  Chicago  for  some  time,  has 
three  children;  Margaret  married  J.  C.  Eman,  and  they  live  in  Los  Angeles, 
California;  Michael  lives  in  Chicago;  David,  a  merchant  of  Des  Moines, 
Iowa,  married  Sadie  Stack. 

David  Condon,  father  of  the  above  named  children,  was  born  in  County 
Limerick,  Ireland,  and  when  only  thirteen  years  old  he  emigrated  to  the  • 
United  States,  the  voyage  requiring  three  months,  in  an  old-fashioned  sailing 
vessel.  He  found  employment  in  a  woolen  mill  in  Webster,  New  York.  He 
subsequently  went  to  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  and  there  he  met  and  mar- 
ried Margaret  Hayes  and  established  the  family  home  there.  She  was  born 
in  the  same  locality  in  Ireland  from  which  he  came,  and  had  emigrated  to 
America  in  "her  girlhood.  The  father  eventually  nioved  his  family  to  Illi- 
nois, and  in  1868,  when  his  children  were  still  small,  he  removed  to  Benton 
county,  Indiana,  and  bought  a  farm,  spending  the  rest  of  his  life  engaged  in 
farming.  His  death  occurred  in  1900,  his  widow  surviving  until  1910.  They 
were  an  honest,  kind,  hard-working  couple  who  did  all  in  their  power  to 
give  their  large  family  an  education  and  get  them  properly  started  in  life, 
and  they  are  now  well  situated  and  highly  respected  wherever  they  reside. 

Thomas  H.  Condon  was  married  December  16,  1886,  to  Florence  A. 
Mott,  a  daughter  of  a  farmer  of  White  county,  Indiana,  and  one  of  three 
children.  To  this  union  two  children  were  born,  Cecil  died  at  Fowler,  In- 
diana, when  eight  years  of  age;  Ray  I.,  born  June  14,  1891,  graduated  from 
the  high  school  at  Parker,  later  studied  at  Purdue  University,  is  now  asso- 
ciated with  his  father  in  the  grain  and  coal  business ;  he  married  Helen  Arbo- 
gast,  of  Parker. 

Thomas  H.  Condon  farmed  on  the  home  place  until  he  was  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  then  took  a  position  with  the  Buckeye  Harvesting  Machine 
Company,  with  which  he  remained  for  a  period  of  seven  years,  giving  his 
employers  eminent  satisfaction,  proving  to  be  one  of  their  most  trusted  and 
faithful  employees.  He  then  came  to  Parker  and  went  into  the  gas  and  oil 
business,  and  here  he  developed  the  Parker  City  oil  field  and  thereby  inci- 
dentally did  much  for  the  general  upbuilding  of  Parker  and  vicinity.  He 
then  went  to  Goldfield,  Nevada,  where  he  engaged  in  mining  for  a  period  of 
four  years  with  gratifying  results.  He  was  prominently  identified  with  the 
interests  of  Goldfield  during  the  strike  of  the  mining  district  there  in  1906-7. 
He  then  returned  to  Parker  and  has  since  been  successfully  engaged  in  the 
grain  and  coal  business,  building  up  a  large  and  ever-growing  trade  which 


1232  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

extends  over  a  wide  territory.  He  is  also  still  engaged  in  the  oil  business. 
By  his  close  application,  wise  foresight,  sound  judgment  and  ability  to  grasp 
large  opportunities  readily  he  has  accumulated  a  handsome  competency,  be- 
coming one  of  the  substantial  men  of  the  county.  He  owns  a  modern  and 
commodious  home  at  Parker. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Condon  is  a  member  of  the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  the  Im- 
proved Order  of  Red  Men.  He  is  a  faithful  member  and  liberal  supporter 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  has 
been  active  and  influential  in  local  political  and  public  affairs.  For  a  period 
of  ten  years  he  was  president  of  the  city  council  of  Parker,  djaring  which  he 
did  much  for  the  general  upbuilding  of  the  city.  He  helped  to  organize  the 
first  fire  department  here;  in  fact,  no  man  has  done  so  much  toward  the  ma- 
terial growth  of  Parker  as  he.  He  has  also  been  prominent  in  educational 
affairs,  and  appointed  the  school  boards  for  years  while  a  member  of  the 
council.  He  studied  law  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  Winchester  bar  for 
the  past  fifteen  years.  Personally,  he  is  a  pleasant  gentleman  to  meet,  court- 
eous, high-minded,  genial  and  a  man  who  at  once  impresses  you  as  being  of 
superior  attributes. 


JOHN  T.  BURROWS. 


It  is  an  unquestionable  fact  that  biographies  of  enterprising  men,  espe- 
cially of  good  men,  are  instructive  as  guides  and  incentives  to  others.  The 
examples  they  furnish  of  patient  purpose  and  steadfast  endeavor  and  integ- 
rity cannot  help  but  influence  others  who  are  thrown  in  their  company.  Some 
men  seem  to  belong  to  no  exclusive  class ;  apparently  insurmountable  obstacles 
have  in  many  instances  awakened  their  dormant  faculties  and  served  as  a 
stimulus  to  carry  them  to  ultimate  renown.  The  instances  of  success  in  the 
face  of  adverse  circumstances  and  unkind  fate  would  seem  to  justify  the 
conclusion  that  self-reliance  with  so  much  as  a  half  chance  can  accomplish 
any  reasonable  object. 

One  of  the  enterprising  citizens  of  Nettle  Creek  township,  Randolph 
county,  who  has  overcome  the  obstacles  that  led  to  the  successful  goals  which 
he  coveted  when  starting  out  in  life,  is  John  T.  Burrows,  the  present  popular 
postmaster  at  the  village  of  Losantville.  He  was  born  December  9,  1852,  in 
Nettle  Creek  township,  this  county,  and  is  a  son  of  Franklin  and  Anna 
(Medesker)  Burrows,  both  natives  of  this  township  also.  The  paternal 
grandparents  were  born  in  Virginia,  and  the  maternal  grandparents  were 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I233 

natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  they  came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  the 
early  days  of  the  nineteenth  century.  The  paternal  great-grandparents  were 
Scotch-Irish,  and  the  maternal  great-grandparents  were  of  German  blood. 
Franklin  Burrows  was  brought  up  on  the  home  farm  and  he  continued  gen- 
eral farming  all  his  life.  His  death  occurred  September  ii,  1910.  The 
death  of  the  mother  of  our  subject  occurred  in  1885.  Six  children  were  born 
to  these  parents,  three  of  whom  died  in  infancy;  one  sister,  Catherine  B.,  who 
married  a  Mr.  Hunt,  died  in  1886,  and  another  sister,  Mrs.  Amanda  Wiggins, 
lived  at  Losantville  until  her  death  in  1914. 

John  T.  Burrows  grew  up  on  the  home  farm  and  there  he  worked  in 
summer,  and  attended  the  common  schools  in  winter.  He  remained  on  the 
farm  until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  then  ran  a  huckster  wagon  for  Daniel 
Wiggins,  beginning  in  1874,  after  which  he  worked  on  Mr.  Wiggins'  farm 
until  1876,  in  which  year  his  employer  sold  out  to  Lemuel  Wiggins,  for  whom 
he  farmed  a  year,  then  clerked  for  him  in  his  store  until  1885,  when  he  com- 
menced dealing  in  agricultural  implements,  especially  reapers  and  mowers, 
and  again  engaged  in  farming.  In  1890  he  was  elected  township  trustee  for 
a  term  of  five  years.  He  was  appointed  postmaster  at  Losantville  during 
President  McKinley's  administration,  having  been  recommended  for  the  place 
by  C.  L.  Henry,  at  that  time  Congressman  from  the  Eighth  district  of  Indi- 
ana. Mr.  Burrows  has  continued  in  office  to  the  present  time,  holding  the 
same  over  sixteen  years.  As  a  public  servant  his  record  has  been  marked  by 
fidelity  and  honesty,  courtesy  and  carefulness  and  he  has  ever  given  the 
utmost  satisfaction  to  all  concerned.  He  owns  a  good  farm  in  Randolph 
county,  consisting  of  over  two  hundred  acres  of  fine  land. 

Mr.  Burrows  was  married  March  17,  1877,  to  Emma  J.  Wiggins,  who 
was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  Nettle  Creek  township,  this  county.  The 
date  of  her  birth  is  November  26,  1862.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Lemuel  and 
Mary  Wiggins.  To  this  union  four  children  have  been  born,  namely :  Nellie 
E.,  the  eldest,  is  still  at  home;  Boyden  O.  is  married  to  Bertha  Burroughs, 
and  is  living  on  the  farm  belonging  to  our  subject,  and  he  has  four  sons,  Ivan, 
Norrice.  Sharon  and  Clois.  Delia  O.,  third  child  of  our  subject,  married 
Cal.  C.  Lamb,  of  New  Castle,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Bernice  J.  The 
youngest  of  our  subject's  children,  Franklin  Chase,  is  at  home  with  his 
parents. 

Mrs.  Burrows  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  stands 
high  in  the  congregation.  Politically,  Mr.  Burrows  is  a  loyal  Republican  and 
is  active  and  influential  in  the  ranks  and  is  a  man  well  informed  on  present 
day  public  matters. 


1234  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

FRED  RETTER. 

As  one  reviews  the  history  of  Randolph  county  and  looks  into  the  past 
to  see  what  people  were  prominent  in  its  early  development,  it  will  be  found 
that  for  the  past  three-quarters  of  a  century  the  Germans  have  been  closely 
connected  with  the  progress  and  general  advancement  of  this  secton  of  the 
Hoosier  state.  Wild  was  the  region  into  which  they  came.  Its  forests  stood 
in  their  primeval  strength,  the  swampy  land  was  still  undrained,  and  the  In- 
dians still  roamed  through  the  dense  woods,  seeking  deer,  bear  and  lesser 
game  which  were  in  abundance.  The  Retter  family,  while  not  so  early  as 
some,  yet  figured  in  the  latter-day  development  of  this  section  of  the  state, 
and  Fred  Retter,  a  farmer  of  Washington  township,  although  born  in  the 
Fatherland,  has  spent  his  active  life  within  our  borders,  ever  manifesting  the 
characteristic  thrift  of  the  emigrant  from  the  great  empire  of  northern 
Europe. 

Mr.  Retter  was  born  in  Wittenburg,  Germany,  on  December  9,  1846. 
He  is  a  son  of  Fred  and  Eliza  (Kasper)  Retter.  The  father  was  born  in  the 
same  city  and  country  as  our  subject  and  there  he  grew  to  manhood,  learned 
the  shoemaker's  trade,  married  and  resided  until  1852,  when  he  brought  his 
family  across  the  Atlantic  to  the  United  States,  our  subject  being  then  six 
years  old.  The  family  located  near  Eaton,  Ohio,  where  the  father  worked  at 
his  trade  a  short,  time,  then  removed  to  Eldorado,  that  state,  but  remained 
there  only  a  short  while,  when  he  moved  to  New  Hope,  Ohio,  then  to  Jay 
county,  Indiana,  where  he  purchased  ten  acres  of  land,  which  he  cleared  and 
on  which  he  built  a  house.  In  a  short  time  he  sold  out,  removed  to  Randolph 
county,  and  purchased  one  hundred  and  two  acres  near  the  village  of  Ridge- 
ville,  and  there  lived  until  his  death. 

Fred  Retter,  of  this  sketch,  assisted  his  father  with  the  hard  work  of 
establishing  a  new  home  in  a  strange  land,  and  he  received  a  limited  educa- 
tion at  a  subscription  school,  taught  in  a  log  school  house  near  the  home  farm. 
He  remained  with  his  parents  until  he  was  seventeen  years  old,  then  began 
working  on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  which  was  then  being  built  in  this 
locality.  He  then  worked  on  a  farm  and  with  a  threshing  machine  for  si.x 
months ;  then  hired  out  by  the  month  for  seven  years ;  then  rented  one  hun- 
dred acres  of  land,  which  he  eventually  purchased  and  which  he  now  owns. 
He  worked  hard,  managed  well  and  .^aved  his  earnings,  and  added  to  his 
original  purchase  until  he  was  the  owner  of  valuable,  productive  and  well- 
cultivated  land  of  ten  hundred  and  fifty  acres;  he  has  deeded  to  his 
children  all  but  five  hundred  and  fifty-eight  acres.     It  is  well  drained  and 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I235 

Otherwise  well  improved  and  he  has  a  substantial  dwelling  and  good  outbuild- 
■  ings.  He  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising  on  an  extensive  scale 
and  is  one  of  the  best  and  foremost  farmers  in  the  county.  He  annually 
markets  large  numbers  of  livestock. 

Mr.  Retter  takes  an  abiding  interest  in  local  public  affairs,  and  politically 
he  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Retter  was  married  to  Mary  Smith,  to  which  union  two  children 
were  born,  Laura,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  Grant  Wright,  and  James,  who  is 
farming  in  Washington  township,  this  county.  After  the  death  of  his  first 
wife,  Mr.  Retter  married  Sarah  Jane  Stegall,  and  to  this  union  six  children 
have  been  born,  namely :  Otis  and  Otho,  who  are  assisting  in  operating  our 
subject's  large  farm;  Louisa  married  Alden  Miller;  William  married  Louisa 
Gessey;  Roxanna  is  the  wife  of  Guy  Marker;  Arnold  married  Edith  Hin- 
shaw. 


JOHN  L.  DOWNING. 

There  is  always  valuable  lessons  to  be  gained  in  pursuing  the  life  his- 
tories of  such  men  as  the  late  John  L.  Downing,  one  of  Randolph  county's 
well-known  and  highly-respected  citizens  of  a  past  generation,  whose  life 
forcibly  illustrated  what  energy,  integrity  and  a  fixed  purpose  can  accomplish 
when  animated  by  noble  aims  and  correct  ideals.  During  the  years  of  his 
residence  in  this  locality  he  held  the  unequivocal  confidence  of  those  with 
whom  he  came  into  contact,  for  he  was  a  man  whom  to  know  was  to  trust  and 
admire  owing  to  his  many  commendable  attributes  of  head  and  heart.  When 
the  "reaper  whose  name  is  death"  gathered  him  in  his  sheaves  while  in  the 
fulness  of  his  strength  and  prime  of  life,  his  loss  to  the  community  was 
keenly  felt. 

Mr.  Downing  was  born  November  29,  1862,  in  Randolph  county.  He 
was  a  son  of  Dennis  and  Emiline  (Lenington)  Downing.  The  father  was 
born  in  Henry  county,  Indiana,  and  soon  after  his  marriage  moved  to  Ran- 
dolph county,  where  he  died  when  our  subject  was  a  small  boy.  The  mother 
was  also  a  native  of  Henry  county.  Her  death  occurred  in  August,  1891. 
Dennis  Downing  devoted  his  life  to  farming, ,  and  politically  he  was  a  Re- 
publican. His  family  consisted  of  four  children,  namely:  Frank  is  living; 
Marv  and  Jennie  A.  are  both  deceased,  and  John  L.,  of  this  memoir. 

John  L.  Downing  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  received 
his  education  in  the  common  schools.  On  March  17,  1887,  he  married 
Maggie  C.  Gettle,  who  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  June  25,  1870,  and  she 


1236  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

is  a  daughter  of  John  N.  and  Caroline  (Maurer)  Gettle.  She  was  reared  in 
her  native  community  and  was  educated  in  the  pubHc  schools.  Her  father 
was  born  in  Germany,  from  which  country  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States 
when  a  boy,  first  locating  near  Winchester,  Ohio.  He  came  on  to  White 
River  township,  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  fifty-eight  years  ago,  being 
among  the  early  settlers  here,  and,  being  a  man  of  thrift  he  soon  had  a  good 
home  established.  He  was  born  September  2,  1822,  and  his  death  occurred 
June  6,  1897.  The  m;other  of  Mfs.  Downing  was  born  in  France,  October 
30,  1833,  and  when  fourteen  years  of  age  she  emigrated  to  the  United  States, 
being  forty-one  days  on  the  Atlantic  ocean;  her  death  occurred  June  12,  1912. 

To  John  L.  Downing  and  wife  thirteen  children  were  born,  ten  of  whom 
are  living  at  this  writing,  namely:  John  N.  is  living;  Lena  Eleanora  is  de- 
ceased; Dora  and  Ethel  are  both  livings  Jennie  is  deceased;  Mary  and  Mag- 
dalene are  both  living;  Frank  is  deceased;  Alta,  Agnes,  Ardis,  Adolph  and 
Margaret  are  all  living. 

John  L.  Downing  devoted  his  life  successfully  to  general  farming  and 
stock  raising.  However,  the  last  eight  years  he  was  in  failing  health  and  did 
little  active  work,  keeping  his  farm  rented.  His  place  consisted  of  ninety-four 
and  three-fourths  acres,  which  is  productive  and  well  improved,  including  a 
good  dwelling  and  numerous  outbuildings.  Here  the  widow  and  children 
still  reside  but  the  land  is  still  rented. 

Politically,  Mr.  Downing  was  a  Republican,  and  was  a  member  of  the  ■ 
Methodist  church.     He  was  called  to  his  eternal  rest  on  October  15,  1913. 
He  was  an  honest,  upright  man  and  liked  by  all  who  knew  him.     He  bore  his 
long  sufferings  patiently  and  with  rare  Christian  courage. 


DAVID  E.  PURSLEY. 


It  is  known  to.  all  professional  men  and  tradesmen  that  one  of  the  chief 
essentials  of  success  in  life  is  thorough  preparation.  Realizing  this  at  the  out- 
set of  his  career  David  E.  Pursley,  of  Winchester,  Randolph  county,  bent 
every  possible  effort  in  the  direction  of  his  chosen  profession,  with  the  result 
that  he  has  become,  while  yet  a  young  man,  one  of  the  most  expert  and  best 
known  embalmers  in  this  section  of  the  state.  He  has  energy,  persistence,  and 
at  the  same  time  fortitude.  These  qualities,  coupled  with  good  personal  hab- 
its, have  rendered  him  popular  with  the  people  of  this  locality. 

Mr.  Pursley  was  born  May  2,  1887,  near  Unionsport,  Randolph  county, 
Indiana.   He  is  a  son  of  James  M.  and  Mary  E.  (Addington)  Pursley,  both 


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RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1237 

natives  of  this  county,  where  they  grew  to  maturity,  were  educated  and  mar- 
ried, and  established  themselves  on  a  farm.  The  death  of  the  father  oc- 
curred on  November  24,  1912,  but  the  mother  survives.  To  them  were  born 
two  sons  and  four  daughters,  namely :  Nora  B.  is  the  wife  of  Andrew  Jack- 
son; Myrtle  R.  is  the  wife  of  Orla  Amburn,  of  Winchester;  NeUie  is  the  wife 
of  Jesse  W.  Jackson,  of  Randolph  county;  Mattie  is  the  wife  of  J.  C.  Jack- 
son, also  of  this  county;  Ernest  is  married  and  lives  on  the  old  home  farm, 
and  David  E.,  of  this  review. 

Our  subject  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  he  attended  the  common 
schools  in  his  district.  When  but  a  boy  he  decided  to  enter  the  embalming 
field,  and  in  order  to  properly  equip  himself  he  went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and 
spent  some  time  in  the  Cincinnati  School  of  Embalming,  and  later  attended 
Barnes'  School  of  Anatomy,  Sanitary  Science  and  Embalming,  of  Chicago, 
then  was  a  student  at  the  Askin  Training  School  for  Embalming  in  Indianap- 
olis. He  made  a  splendid  record  in  each  of  these  and  has  a  diploma  from  all 
three. 

In  the  year  1907,  Mr.  Pursley  became  connected  with  C.  L.  Thornburg 
at  Farmland,  an  undertaker,  and  there  he  remained  a  year,  then  went  to  Ma- 
rion, Indiana,  with  C.  M.  Showley,  completing  his  term  in  practice  before 
entering  in  business  for  himself.  In  1909  he  came  to  Winchester  and  was 
associated  with  S.  E.  Fraze,  until  December,  1910,  when  he  purchased  the 
business  of  Mr.  Fraze,  and  has  since  conducted  the  same  with  ever  growing 
success,  until  he  is  today  one  of  the  busiest  and  best-known  embalmers  in 
Randolph  county.  Prompt  and  high-grade  service  are  his  watchwofds,  and 
his  fair  and  courteous  treatment  of  his  patrons  have  won  him  the  good  will 
of  all.  He  has  an  able  assistant  in  the  business  in  the  person  of  his  wife, 
a  lady  of  talent  and  enterprise.  They  have  a  neat  and  well-equipped  place  of 
business  at  130  North  Main  street,  and  all  kinds  of  funeral  equipment, 
caskets,  cases,  etc.,  are  carried. 

Mr.  Pursley  was  married  on  January  19,  1907,  to  Opal  Fodrea,  daugh- 
ter of  Albert  and  Mary  E.  (Dick)  Fodrea,  of  Randolph  county.  The  death 
of  the  father  occurred  on  May  13,  1907.    The  mother  survives. 

Mr.  Pursley  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Improved  Order  of  Red 
Men,  also  other  organizations.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican.  He  and  his 
wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pursley  two  sons  have  been  born,  Robert  D.  and 
Roger  V. 


a 


1238  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA. 

SEWARD  S.  WATSON. 

Journalism  is  a  profession  that  has  never  been  overcrowded — perhaps  the 
only  one — and  we  do  not  have  to  go  far  for  an  explanation.  The  journalist 
is  born,  the  dame  as  the  poet,  although,  of  course,  not  so  favored  of  the 
gods,  except  in  rare  instances.  The  average  newspaper  man  or  publisher 
seems  little  different,  if  any,  from  the  average  man  in  any  other  walk  of  life, 
and  yet  there  is  a  difference.  Few  men  are  gifted  with  the  peculiar  attri- 
butes that  go  to  make  up  the  successful  editor  or  publisher,  and  unless  Mother 
Nature  has  stamped  her  inscrutable  approval  on  one  he  might  as  well  never 
begin.  Training  and  experience  count  for  a  great  deal,  it  is  true,  but  they 
count  for  nothing  unless  the  capacity  is  there  to  begin  with.  Seward  S.  Wat- 
son, well-known  editor  and  publisher  of  The  Winchester  Herald,  is  a  typical 
newspajDer  man,  both  by  nature  and  training,  and  he  has  therefore  succeeded 
at  his  chosen  vocation. 

Mr.  Watson  was  born  in  Winchester,  Randolph  county,  January  29, 
1857.  He  is  a  son  of  Enos  L.  and  Mary  (Judd)  Watson,  a  prominent  pio- 
neer family  of  this  locality. 

Mr.  Watson  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  city  and  here  received  a 
public  school  education,  which  has  been  greatly  supplemented  in  later  years 
by  wide  home  reading  and  study  and  by  actual  contact  with  the  world.  As  a 
lad  he  learned  the  printer's  trade.  Desiring  to  forge  to  the  front  in  the  field 
of  journalism  he  assiduously  applied  himself  to  learning  the  ins  and  outs  of 
every  ■  department,  and  he  has  filled  every  position  in  a  country  newspaper 
office,  from  "devil"  to  managing  editor.  In  due  course  of  time  he  became 
part  owner  of  the  paper  mentioned  above,  and  for  a  period  of  twenty-six 
years  was  associated  with  different  individuals  in  its  publication.  In  1901 
he  became  so'e  owner  of  The  Herald,  and  has  since  conducted  the  same  alone, 
making  it  one  of  the  brightest,  newiest  and  most  influential  papers  of  its  type 
in  the  state.  It  is  up-to-date  in  every  respect  in  its  mechanical  appearance 
and  method  of  handling  news,  and  it  has  become  a  valuable  advertising  med- 
ium. It  has  a  wide  and  constantly  growing  circulation  and  has  ever  beeij  a 
most  potent  factor  in  the  molding  of  local  public  opinion,  especially  as  an 
organ  of  the  Republican  party,  Mr.  Watson  having  always  been  a  staunch  de- 
fender of  its  principles. 

>[r.  Watson  is  the  present  efficient  and  popular  postmaster  of  the  city 
of  Winchester,  having  been  appointed  to  this  position  in  February,  1907,  by 
President  Roosevelt.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  four  vears  he  was 
again  appointed  to  the  office  by  President  Taft  for  another  term  of  four 


'  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I239 

years.  He  is  discharging  the  duties  of  the  office  in  a  manner  that  has  re- 
flected much  credit  upon  himself  and  to  the  eminent  satisfaction  of  the  people 
and  the  department. 

Mr.  Watson  was  married  in  November,  1880,  to  Nancy  E.  Deardoff,  a 
daughter  of  Lafayette  and  Nancy  (Rush)  Deardoff,  and  to  this  union  six 
children  have  been  born,  namely :  Edith  D.  is  the  eldest ;  Mary  Alice  is  now 
the  wife  of  Charles  R.  Anderson,  of  Dodge  City,  Kansas;  Amelia  B.  W., 
Margaret  Jane,  John  Enos  and  Ralph  Engle.  John  Enos  has  had  charge  of 
The  Herald  since  the  appointment  of  his  father  to  the  postmastership. 

]\Jr.  Watson  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  the  Improved  Order  of 
Red  ;\Ien,  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

Enos  L.  Watson,  father  of  our  subject,  died  in  Winchester  in  Decem- 
ber, 1910.  His  widow  survives  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-three  years. 
Our  stibject  is  a  brother  of  ETon.  James  E.  W'atson,  of  Rushville,  Indiana,  one 
of  Indiana's  leading  politicians  of  the  present  generation. 


WILLIAM  A.  ROSS. 


The  name  of  William  A.  Ross,  the  present  popular  postmaster  at  Modoc, 
needs  no  introduction  to  the  people  of  Nettle  Creek  township,  of  which  he  is 
the  oldest  native  born  citizen  and  where  his  entire  life  has  been  spent.  He 
has  lived  to  see  and  take  part  in  the  great  transformation  of  this  township 
from  the  wilderness  epoch  to  the  present  time  when  it  ranks  with  the  leading 
agricultural  sections  of  the  great  Hoosier  commonwealth.  He  talks  most 
interestingly  of  the  early  da\'s  here  and  his  mind  is  a  storehouse  for  valuable 
historical  facts.  His  life  has  been  such  that  he  has  kept  unsullied  the  good 
name  of  this  worth}'  old  famil)^  and  he  is  highly  respected  by  all  who  know 
him. 

Mr.  Ross  was  born  three  miles  northwest  of  Modoc,  in  Nettle  Creek 
township,  Randolph  county,  September  17,  1848.  Lie  is  a  son  of  Thomas 
F.  and  Eunice  ( Brown )  Ross.  The  mother  was  born  and  reared  in  Wayne 
county,  Indiana.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  his  father 
brought  him  to  this  locality  in  a  very  early  day  and  here  he  grew  to  manhood. 
The  family  located  near  the  present  town  of  liuntsville.  Thomas  Ross 
worked  hard  assisting  his  father  develop  the  home  farm  from  the  wilderness, 
and  he  spent  his  life  successfulh'  engaged  in  general  farming,  and  at  his 
death  October  11,  1882,  he  owned  two  hundred  and  ten  acres  in  Nettle  Creek 
township.     He  was  one  of  ten  children,  six  sons  and  four  daughters,  all  now 


1240  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

deceased,  with  the  exception  of  Wesley  D.,  of  Dunkirk,  Indiana;  and  Elijah 
P.,  of  Greenville,  Ohio.  The  death  of  Mrs.  Eunice  Ross  occurred  Decem- 
ber 4,  1909. 

William  A.  Ross  was  reared  on  the  home  farm-  and  received  his  educa- 
tion, in  the  rural  schools.  He  has  been  a  farmer  the  major  portion  of  his  life 
and  has  been  successful  in  his  work.  Besides  the  common  schools  he  at- 
tended high  school  at  Bluntsvillc,  India;ia,  also  at  Indianapolis  and  -the 
Normal  school  at  Winchester.  Thus  Avell  qualified  for  life's  serious  duties, 
he  began  teaching  in  1869  and  he  followed  teaching  and  farming  for  a  period 
of  twenty- one  years,  during  which  time  his  services  were  in  great  demand  and 
he  ranked  among  the  county's  most  popular  educators.  Thus  by  farming  in 
the  summer  and  teaching  in  the  winter  time  he  was  a  very  busy  man  in  his 
earlier  career.  In  1882  he  was  elected  township  trustee  for  one  term  of  two 
years  and  in  1894  was  elected  to  the  same  office  for  a  term  of  six  years. 
On  November  24,  1906,  he  was  appointed  postmaster  at  Modoc  under  Presi- 
dent Roosevelt,  which  office  he  still  holds.  He  has  been  township  assessor 
and  land  appraiser  at  different  times.  As  a  public  servant  he  has  discharged 
every  duty  assigned  him  in  a  manner  that  has  reflected  much  credit  on  him- 
self and  to  the  eminent  satisfaction  of  all  concerned,  being  always  very  faith- 
ful in  the  trusts  reposed  in  him. 

Mr.  Ross  has  been  very  successful  in  a  business  way  and  he  now  owns 
considerable  valuable  city  property  in  Modoc,  including  the  post  office  build- 
ing, which  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  village. 

In  1872  Mr.  Ross  was  married  to  America  Howell,  who  died  in  1876, 
leaving  one  child,  Francis  Omer  Ross,  who  is  now  in  the  wholesale  business 
in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  On  December  2,  1882,  our  subject  married  Rhoda  I. 
Lamb,  of  Randolph  county,  and  a  daughter  of  Restore  and  Mary  Lamb,  who 
established  themselves  on  a  farm  here  in  an  early  day,  but  are  now  living  in 
Kansas  with  their  youngest  son.  Mrs.  Ross  was  one  of  three  children.  To 
Mr.  Ross  and  his  second  wife  four  children  were  born,  namely :  Mrs.  Ethel 
Jordan,  who  lives  two  miles  southwest  of  Modoc,  has  four  children,  Wilbur, 
Flava,  Graydon  and  Crystal;  Mrs.  Mary  Bessie  Swain,  of  Modoc,  has  three 
children,  Galen,  Ruth  and  Albert;  Willis  A.,  in  the  wholesale  business,  lives 
in  Cleveland,  Ohio;  Mrs.  Nettie  Victoria  Plutchens,  of  Losantville,  has  one 
son,  Charles.  The  second  wife  of  William  A.  Ross  died  January  23,  igio, 
and  for  some  time  he  has  been  making  his  home  with  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
Swain. 

Politically.  Mr.  Ross  is  a  Republican  and  has  long  been  active  in  ih: 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA.  I24I 

ranks.  He  is  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren  church.  Fraternally  he 
holds  membership  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows.  He  is  secretary  of  both  the  local  lodges.  He  is  also  secre- 
tary of  the  Modoc  Natural  Gas  &  Oil  Company,  of  .which  he  is  a  large  stock- 
holder. Personally  Mr.  Ross  is  a  pleasant  gentleman  to  meet,  enjoys  ex- 
ceptionally fine  health  for  one  of  his  years,  and  does  not  appear  to  be  over 
fifty  years  of  age.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Modoc  and  Nettle 
Creek  township. 


ERNEST  MILTON  DUNN. 

There  is  no  positive  rule  for  achieving  success,  and  yet  in  the  life  of  the 
successful  man  there  is  always  lessons  which  might  well  be  followed.  The 
man  who  gains  prosperity  is  he  who  can  see  and  utilize  the  opportunity  that 
comes  in  his  path,  so  he  who  succeeds  in  a  professional  career  must  have  the 
tact  and  courage  to  grasp  opportunities  in  an  instant  when  they  arise  and 
know  how  to  make  the  most  of  them.  He  must  also  be  willing  to  work  per- 
sistently and  remain  a  deep  student  throughout  his  career,  for  there  is  so 
much  to  learn  in  any  line  that  one  must  forever  keep  at  it,  be  a  fearless  and 
independent  thinker  and  have  the  courage  of  one's  convictions.  Such  briefly 
describes  Ernest  Milton  Dunn,  a  successful  young  lawyer  of  Union  City, 
Randolph  county. 

Mr.  Dunn  was  born  November  lo,  1878,  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana. 
He  is  a  son  of  William  H.  and  Delilah  (Dailey)  Dunn.  The  father  is  a 
retired  farmer  living  in  Union  City.  The  mother  is  a  daughter  of  Charles 
Dailey.  John  S.  Dunn,  the  paternal  grandfather,  was  among  the  well- 
known  pioneers  of  Randolph  county  and  here  he  lived  and  died.  He  mar- 
ried Elsie  Sweet,  who  died  many  years  ago.  The  Dunns  have  been  among 
the  prominent  and  influential  families  in  this  locality  for  several  generations 
and  have  played  well  their  parts  in  the  general  development  of  Randolph 
county. 

Ernest  M.  Dunn  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm,  where  he  assisted 
with  the  general  work  when  he  became  of  proper  age,  and  during  the  winter 
months  he  attended  the  district  schools.  Early  in  life  he  began  the  study  of 
law  and  he  completed  his  law  course  in  the  University  of  \^alparaiso,  where 
he  made  a  good  record,  and  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  during  the  May  term 
of  court,  1909,  and  soon  thereafter  formed  a  partnership  with  Bert  E.  Wood- 
bury at  Union  City,  under  the  firm  name  of  Dunn  &  Woodbury,  which  con- 


1242  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

tinues  at  this  writing.  Their  business  is  rapidly  increasing  and  it  is  one  of 
the  best  and  most  successful  firms  of  the  younger  attorneys  of  the  county. 
Mr.  Dunn  deserves  a  great  deal  of  credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished  in  a 
professional  way,  for  he  is  purely  a  self-made  man,  starting  at  the  bottom 
of  the  ladder  and  forging  ahead  without  assistance.  He  taught  school  for 
five  years  and  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  for  six  years  and  in  that  man- 
ner acquired  the  means  whereby  he  Q,ould  educate  himself  in  the  law.  He  is 
a  persistent  and  -earnest  worker,  making  all  other  interests  subservient  to 
those  of  his  clients,  who  are  rapidly  increasing,  in  view  of  his  ability  as  an 
attorney  and  his  high  standing  as  a  citizen.  He  is  at  this  writing  deputy 
prosecuting  attorney  of  Randolph  county  and  is  discharging  his  duties  in  a 
highly  acceptable  manner  to  all  concerned.  Politically  he  is  a  Progressive, 
and  in  religious  matters  he  belongs  to  the  Christian  church.  He  is  secretary 
of  the  Federal  Club,  of  Union  City. 

Mr.  Dunn  was  married  on  January  31,  19 14,  to, Miss  Doris  L.  Robinson 
of  Indianapolis,  a  daughter  of  John  Robinson.  Mrs.  Dunn  is  a  graduate  of 
the  elocution  department  of  the  University  of  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  and  was 
a  successful  high  school  teacher  for  a  period  of  nine  years  at  Bremen  and 
Woodville,  Ohio. 


ELIHU  S.  GILLAM. 

Conspicuous  among  the  representative  business  men  and  public-spirited 
citizens  of  Randolph  county  is  the  well-known  gentleman  whose  name  forms 
the  caption  of  this  article.  Mr.  Gillam  has  made  his  influence  felt  for  the 
good  of  his  community  at  Modoc,  being  a  man  of  sterling  worth,  the  latter 
part  of  whose  busy,  useful  and  honorable  life  has  been  closely  interwoven 
with  the  history  of  the  locality  in  which  he  resides,  and  his  efforts  have 
always  been  for  the  material  advancement  of  the  same,  since  removing  here 
several  years  ago,  as  well  as  for  the  social  and  moral  welfare  of  his  fellow- 
men;  and  the  well  regulated  life  he  has  led  has  gained  for  him  the  respect  and 
admiration  of  all  with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact — thus  for  many  reasons 
he  is  eminently  entitled  to  representation  in  a  biographical  work  of  the 
scope  intended  in  the  present  volume. 

Elihu  S.  Gillam,  who  conducts  an  extensive  mercantile  establishment  ai 
the  town  of  Modoc,  was  born  in  Fayette  county,  Indiana,  August  13,  1852. 
He  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  and  Mary  (Case)  Gillam,  whose  family  consisted 
of  eight  children,  namely :  Henry,  who  died  during  the  Civil  war,  while  a 
soldier  for  the  Union;  Kate,  who  has  been  twice  married,  both  husbands  being 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  I243 

now  deceased,  had  five  children  by  the  first  marriage,  which  was  to  Joseph 
Beaver,  her  last  marriage  being  to  S.  Murray,  and  she  is  now  living  in  Colo- 
rado; Fannie,  who  lives  at  Anderson,  Indiana,  is  the  wife  of  John  Vardaman, 
a  mason  by  trade,  and  they  have  two  children;  Elihu  S.,  of  this  review,  was 
fourth  in  order  of  birth;  Charles  Alvin,  who  was  engaged  in  farming  in  the 
\\'est,  died  some  time  ago,  lea\-ing  a  widow  and  four  children;  John  Frank- 
lin, a  carpenter  by  trade,  of  Anderson,  this  state,  has  been  twice  married, 
first,  to  Naomi  Price,  and  lastly  to  Lena  Hale,  and  he  and  his  last  wife  have 
two  children;  Mary,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Charles  A.  Morrison,  who 
IDreceded  her  to  the  grave,  leaving  no  children;  the  eighth  child  died  in 
infancy. 

The  father,  Benjamin  Gillam,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  where  he  spent 
his  boyhood,  finally  coming  to  Fayette  county,  Indiana,  where  he  remained 
some  time,  finally  removing  to  Randolph  county,  in  the  fall  of  1868,  and  here 
he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  which  was  brief,  his  death  occurring  in  1869,  at 
the  age  of  fifty-six  years.  He  devoted  his  life  to  farming,  and  after  his 
death  his  widow  remained  on  the  home  place  until  her  death  in  1887  at  the 
age  of  sixty-eight  years. 

Elihu  S.  Gillam  was  reared  on  the  farm  and  assisted  with  the  general 
work  about  the  place  when  growing  up,  and  he  received  his  education  in  the 
common  schools.  He  has  been  twice  married,  first,  to  Rachael  J.  Howell,  a 
daughter  of  Levi  Howell,  a  farmer  of  Nettle  Creek  township,  Randolph 
county,  and  to  this  first  union  two  children  were  born,  namely :  Maud,  who 
lives  at  Alexandria,  Indiana,  is  the  wife  of  Bert  Jones,  a  minister  of  Ihe 
Methodist  church,  and  they  have  two  children,  Keith,  born  in  November, 
1906;  and  Robert,  born  in  August,  1909.  Edna,  second  daughter  of  our  sub- 
ject, married  Morris  Lee,  a  farmer  of  West  River  township,  where  his  family 
have  long  been  among  the  leading  agriculturists.  The  second  wife  of  Elihu 
S.  Gillam  was  Pearl  Holly,  who  had  been  previously  married,  and  who  has 
a  son  thirteen  years  old  by  that  marriage.  Her  maiden  name  was  Ballard, 
her  family  being  from  Henry  county,  Indiana.  Mr.  Gillam's  first  wife  died 
on  April  28,  1906,  and  his  second  marriage  took  place  in  September,  191 1. 

Mr.  Gillam  began  life  for  himself  by  farming.  He  also  learned  the 
carpenter's  trade  and  devoted  many  years  to  this  work  and  to  contracting  and 
building,  with  pronounced  success,  being  known  as  a  skilled  workman  and 
reliable  builder.  In  1907  he  began  operating  a  general  store  at  Modoc  with 
Hunt  &  Jones,  subsequently  buying  out  Mr.  Hunt,  and  they  have  since  con- 
ducted the  business  alone  under  the  firm  name  of  Jones  and  Gillam,  their 
trade  gradually  increasing,  and  he  now  ranks  with  the  leading  merchants  of 


1244  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

the  county,  his  large  and  well-selected  stock  of  goods  being  a  credit  to  the 
town,  in  fact,  would  not  be  out  of  place  in  cities  of  much  larger  population. 
He  enjoys  an  extensive  country  trade,  his  neatly  kept  and  comfortable  store 
being  a  favorite  stopping  place  for  the  families  of  farmers  when  in  Modoc, 
for  they  know  that  here  they  will  receive  honest  and  courteous  treatment. 

Politically,  Mr.  Gillam  is  a  Republican  and  religiously  he  attends  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


CHARLES  EUGENE  BOWEN. 

Few  men  of  a  past  generation  in  Randolph  county  were  held  in  higher 
esteem  than  the  late  Charles  Eugene  Bowen,  who,  now  that  life's  fitful  fever 
is  over,  is  sleeping  serenely  "in  the  windowless  palace  of  rest."  His  memory 
will  long  be  revered  by  the  vast  host  of  people  who  knew  him  and  admired 
him,  for  he  was  a  man  in  whom  all  took  a  delight,  owing  to  his  sterling  hon- 
esty, his  charitable  nature  and  his  readiness  to  help  in  the  furtherance  of  any 
movement  looking  to  the  general  upbuilding  of  the  community.  He  was  a 
scion  of  one  of  our  sterling  pioneer  families  to  whom  we  owe  so  much,  for 
his  grandfather  came  here  when  this  country  was  a  veritable  wilderness,  and, 
working  long  and  hard,  redeemed,  with  others,  the  fertile  fields  and  the  fine 
farms  which  we  of  today  enjoy  and  which  are  now  so  valuable.  We  can 
never  say  too  much  regarding  these  brave  and  courageous  pioneers,  who  lit- 
erally took  their  own  lives  in  their  hands  and,  not  counting  the  cost,  cast 
their  lots  in  the  new  country,  away  from  the  pleasant  hearthstones  of  their 
childhood  and  the  advantages  of  civilization.  Both  our  subject  and  his 
father  helped  complete  the  work  begun  by  the  frontiersmen  here  a  century 
ago,  and  to  all  much  credit  is  due. 

Mr.  Bowen  was  born  at  Spartanburg,  Greensfork  township,  this  coun- 
ty, December  6,  1858.  He  was  a  son  of  James  D.  and  Mary  E.  (Chenoweth) 
Bowen.  James  Dwiggins  Bowen  was  a  son  of  Squire  and  Elizabeth  (Dwig- 
gins)  Bowen,  and  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1832,  and  died 
August  20,  1899,  in  his  sixty-seventh  year.  The  scene  of  his  birth  and  death 
was  his  farm  in  Greensfork  township,  which  was  entered  in  1814  by  the 
first  Bowen  who  came  to  this  section  of  Indiana.  On  September  13,  1855, 
James  D.  Bowen  married  Mary  E.  Chenoweth  of  Carroll  county,  IVIaryland, 
and  to  them  three  sons  and  six  daughters  were  born.  He  united  with  the 
Methodist  church  in  1859  and  remained  a  faithful  member  of  the  same  until 
his  death.  During  the  Civil  war  he  was  appointed  enrolling  officer  for  his 
township,  during  which  time  he  was  actively  engaged  in  looking  after  the 
sick  and  wounded  soldiers  of  his  district,  besides  aiding  their  families.    He 


CHAS.   E.   BOWEN    (DECEASED), 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1245 

was  always  very  attentive  to  the  welfare  of  his  neighbors  and  friends,  and 
was  honest  and  courteous  to  all,  carrying  his  religion  into  his  every-day  life. 
March  31,  1866,  he  joined  the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  Bethel  Lodge  No. 
250,  and  later  became  a  Master  Mason.  He  also  belonged  to  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  when  a  young  man.  Fie  passed  all  the  chairs  in  the 
order  and  was  Past  Grand.  He  was  said  to  be  a  man  absolutely  without 
enemies,  having  lived  so  exemplary  a  life.  His  wife,  Mary  Etta  Bowen,  was 
a  daughter  of  John  Baxter  Chenoweth  and  Sarah  (Murray)  Chenoweth.  She 
was  born  in  Baltimore  county,  Maryland,  in  1836,  and  died  August  3,  1902. 
She  united  with  the  Methodist  church  early  in  life  and  remained  a  constant 
member  until  the  end.  She  bore  her  sufferings  with  rare  fortitude  and  en- 
joyed the  friendship  of  all  who  knew  her  well. 

Charles  E.  Bowen  grew  to  manhood  on  the  old  homestead  in  his  native 
community  and  he  received  a  common  school  education,  later  spending  one 
year  in  the  Valparaiso  Normal.  Early  in  life,  he  took  up  merchandising  and 
for  over  twenty  years  he  conducted  general  stores  at  Crete,  Carlos  City  and 
Spartanburg,  building  up  a  large  and  lucrative  business  with  the  surround- 
ing countiry,  owing  to  his  honesty  and  thrift.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he 
owned  the  farm  which  his  grandfather  settled  in  1814,  a  century  ago.  This 
place  has  never  been  out  of  the  possession  of  the  family  and  is  now  owned 
by  our  subject's  widow  and  children.  It  has  been  well  cultivated  and  kept 
highly  improved  so  that  it  has  not  lost  its  original  strength  of  soil,  the 
Bowens  having  always  been  noted  as  skilful  agriculturists. 

Mr.  Bowen  was  married  on  the  anniversary  of  his  birth,  December  6, 
1890,  to  Josie  Nelson,  who  was  born  in  Virginia  in  May,  1871.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  William  and  Elizabeth  (Nossette)  Nelson.  The  father  was  born 
in  Virginia  and  died  January  18,  1875.  The  mother  was  also  a  native  of 
Virginia  and  her  death  occurred  March  16,  1874.  To  our  subject  and  wife 
two  children  were  born,  namely:  Ephraim  M.,  born  in  1891,  was  graduated 
from  the  Spartanburg  high  school  in  1907,  then  spent  one  term  at  the  State 
Normal  at  Terre  Haute,  then  a  year  in  Earlham  College,  Richmond,  Indiana, 
specializing  in  history ;  he  is  now  teaching  history  in  the  Spartanburg  high 
school  with  much  success.  John  M.,  second  child  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
1897  ^^d  is  now  attending  the  Lynn  high  school. 

Charles  E.  Bowen  was  a  faithful  member  of  the  Christian  church.  He 
was  entering  upon  his  second  year  as  county  commissioner  and  had  fulfilled 
Ms  duties  in  such  a  manner  in  this  important  office  as  to  be  honored  with  the 
nomination  to  succeed  himself  for  a  second  term.    He  had  all  the  qualities 

(79) 


1246  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj   INDIANA. 

which  combine  to  make  a  worthy  citizen,  a  neighborly  gentleman,  a  true 
friend  and  devoted  husband,  a  gentle  and  indulgent  father. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Bowen  occurred  suddenly  and  without  warning  on 
June  10,  1910,  at  the  age  of  fifty-one  years,  six  months  and  four  days.  His 
fellow  commissioners,  William  Mills  and  John  E.  Cheesman,  and  Mack 
tohue,  county  auditor,  passed  the  following  resolutions  of  respect  on  his 
death,  at  Winchester,  Indiana,  June  13,  1910: 

"It  is  with  profound  sorrow-  that  the  board  of  commissioners  of  Ran- 
dolph county.  State  of  Indiana,  record  the  loss  of  one  of  its  members — 
Charles  E.  Bowen,  commissioner  of  the  eastern  district,  who  passed  away 
at  his  home  in  Greens  fork  township  last  Friday,  in  the  prime  of  his  useful- 
ness as  a  servant  of  the  people  of  this  county,  as  a  member  of  this  board. 
During  his  year  and  almost  a  half  as  such  official  we  found  him  to  be  a  con- 
scientious, careful,  punctual,  efficient  and  honest  official  and  as  such  we 
learned  to  admire  him,  as  a  man  and  companion  we  learned  to  love  him. 

Quiet,  modest,  unassuming,  but  never  shirking,  ever  ready  to  bear  his 
portion  of  the  responsibilities  and  burdens  of  this  board,  we  feel  that  it  is  no 
fulsome  praise,  but  his  just  merits,  when  we  record  that  in  his  death  the  peo- 
ple of  Randolph  county  have  lost  the  service  and  counsel  of  a  faithful  serv- 
ant, one  who  always  did  his  duty  as  he  saw  it,  and  always  for  the  greatest 
good  for  the  greatest  number.  We  feel  that  we  can  speak  no  greater  eulogy 
to  him  than  to  recommend  to  his  successor  and  to  all  other  public  officials  the 
emulation  of  his  official  life. 

While  we  sorrow  in  our  personal  loss  of  the  benefit  of  his  counsel  and 
companionship,  we  realize  that  the  public  has  lost  a  faithful  servant,  but  the 
greatest  loss  is  to  those  he  loved  best,  his  wife  and  sons,  and  to  them  we  ex- 
press our  sympathy  and  with  it  the  assurance  that  to  us,  as  well  as  to  them, 
his  clean,  upright  life  will  be  an  inspiration. 

Be  it  therefore  Resolved,  That  the  auditor  of  the  county  be  authorized 
to  spread  this  memento  of  record,  in  the  proceedings  of  this  day's  business 
and  that  he  furnish  the  family  with  a  careful  copy  thereof." 


ALONZO  MERRILL  ANDERSON. 

History  and  biography  for  the  most  part  record  the  lives  of  those  only 
who  have  attained  military,  political  or  literary  distinction  or  who  in  any 
other  career  have  passed  through  extraordinary  vicissitudes  of  fortune.  But 
the  names  of  men  who  have  distinguished  themselves  in  their  day  and  genera- 
tion for  the  possession  of  those  qualities  of  character  which  mainly  con- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  1247 

tribute  to  the  success  of  private  life  and  to  the  public  stability — of  men  who, 
without  brilliant  talents,  have  been  exemplary  in  all  their  personal  and  social 
relations,  and  enjoyed  the  esteem,  respect  and  confidence  of  those  around 
them — ought  not  to  be  allowed  to  perish ;  for  all  are  benefited  by  the  delinea- 
tion of  those  traits  of  character  which  find  scope  and  exercise  in  the  common 
walks  of  life.  Among  the  individuals  of  this  class  of  a  past  generation  in 
Randolph  county  was  the  late  Alonzo  Merrill  Anderson,  for  many  years  a 
well-known  agriculturist  and  business  man  in  Lynn  and  vicinity.  He  had  the 
interests  of  his  locality  at  heart  and  sought  to  promote  the  same  whenever 
possible.  His  life  history  was  distinguished  by  the  most  substantial  qualities 
of  character  and  exhibited  a  long  and. virtuous  career  of  private  industry, 
performed  with  moderation  and  crowned  with  success,  and  his  memory  will 
long  be  revered  by  the  people  of  this  locality. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  born  February  20,  1859,  in  Bethel,  Wayne  county, 
Indiana.  He  was  a  son  of  Wilson  and  Ann  (Ellis)  Anderson,  an  excellent 
old  family,  a  complete  sketch  of  which  appears  on  another  page  of  this  work, 
hence  will  not  be  repeated  here. 

Alonzo  Anderson  received  a  common  school  education  and  at  an  early 
age  began  buying  and  selling  live  stock.  He  lived  on  the  home  farm  two 
years  after  starting  out  for  himself,  on  the  farm  east  of  Spartanburg,  then 
lived  eight  years  on  a  farm  west  of  that  town,  and  fed  large  numbers  of 
live  stock  for  the  market  and  at  the  same  time  superintended  the  general 
work  of  the  farm.  Then  lived  one  year  in  Spartanburg,  after  which  he 
moved  to  a  farm  east  of  Lynn,  where  he  lived  five  years,  after  which  he 
moved  to  Lynn  and  spent  two  years  there,  then  lived  in  Mooreland  two  years, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  grain  and  elevator  business.  In  191 1  he  moved 
back  to  Lynn.  All  the  while  he  had  been  engaged  in  the  stock  business,  and, 
being  a  hustler  and  an  exceptionally  good  judge  of  live  stock  of  all  kinds,  he 
was  very  successful;  in  fact,  he  made  everything  pay  that  he  turned  his  at- 
tention to,  for  he  was  a  man  of  keen  discernment  and  good  management, 
and,  being  honest  in  all  his  transactions,  he  had  the  confidence  of  the  people. 
His  health  finally  failed  in  191 1,  and  he  was  summoned  to  his  eternal  rest  on 
April  18,  1913. 

Politically,  Mr.  Anderson  was  a  Republican,  but  was  not  ambitious  to 
become  a  political  leader.  On  August  i,  1891,  he  married  Mary  Welsh, 
who  was  born  in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  July  16,  1872.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Ellen  (Cavanaugh)  Welsh.  They  came  to  Randolph  county  about 
1875  and  settled  in  Greensfork  township.    John  Welsh  was  born  in  Ireland 


1248  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA 

in  1841  and  he  emigrated  to  America  in  1858.  He  devoted  his  life  success- 
fully to  farming,  dying  in  1890.  His  wife,  Ellen  Cavanaugh,  was  also  a 
native  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  born  in  1842.  Her  death  occurred  in  1894.  They 
were  industrious,  honest  and  highly-respected  people. 

Two  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson,  namely :  Ursulla 
M.,  who  married  G.  S.  Bowen,  lives  in  Fountain  City,  Indiana;  and  Theresa, 
who  is  at  home. 


ALBERT  E.  FUDGE. 


It  is  always  a  delight  to  look  over  such  a  farm  as  that  owned  by  Albert 
E.  Fudge,  which  lies  just  outside  the  corporate  limits  of  the  city  of  Win- 
chester and  which  may  well  be  described  as  one  of  the  show  farms  of  Ran- 
dolph county.  Such  a  place  would  be  the  envy  of  many  a  city  man  who  has 
tired  long  ago,  of  the  grind,  the  dust  and  the  heat,  the  endless  strife  that 
shrivel  the  soul  and  bend  the  body.  Indeed,  many  a  man  who  now  is  weary 
of  the  toil  and  bondage  of  the  metropolis,  which  he  eagerly  entered  when  a 
youth,  fresh  from  the  farm — not  being  able  to  see  clearly  what  awaited  him 
in  the  oncoming  years — would  be  delighted  to  be.  able  to  leave  it  all  and  es- 
tablish himself  on  this  fine  farm,  with  all  its  picturesqueness,  comfort  and 
freedom.  Mr.  Fudge  has  been  wise  enough  to  stay  away  from  the  city  and 
build  up  a  splendid  home  like  this  where  he  can  spend  his  life  satisfactorily. 

He  was  born  November  5,  1863,  on  a  farm,  five  miles  south  of  Winches- 
ter, Indiana.  He  is  a  son  of  Francis  M.  and  3ilargaret  (Hall)  Fudge.  The 
father  was  born  in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  while  the  mother  is  a  native  of 
Randolph  county,  Indiana.  The  elder  Fudge  was  a  farmer;  and  his  death  oc- 
curred on  September  3,  1888,  his  wife  having  preceded  him  to  the  grave  in 
March,  1864. 

Albert  E.  Fudge  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  he  received  his  education  in  the 
district  schools,  doing  general  farm  work  during  the  summer  time,  however, 
his  months  of  school  were  few  and  far  between.  He  remained  with  his 
father  until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age  when  he  began  working  out  at  farm 
work  by  the  month  which  he  followed  until  his  marriage  on  October  10, 
1888,  to  Geneva  Diggs,  a  daughter  of  Jesse  and  Juha  (Hobbick)  Diggs,  of 
Randolph  county.  One  child  was  born  to  this  union,  Edna,  now  the  wife  of 
Claude  Wilson,  of  Winchester.  The  wife  and  mother  passed  away  on  August 
26,  1893,  and  Mr.  Fudge  married  for  a  second  wife,  Louise  Hormel,  on  Jan- 
uary 21,  1896.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Jarvis  Hormel,  of  Wayne  county,  In- 
diana.   Both  parents  of  Mrs.  Fudge  died  when  she  was  quite  young.    Two 


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ALBERT  E.  FUDGE. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1 249 

sons  have  been  born  to  this  last  union,  namely :  Frank  C,  born  November  6, 
1896,  and  Walter  H.,  born  July  3,  1900. 

After  his  first  marriage  Mr.  Fudge  rented  the  home  farm,  which  lies 
one  and  one-half  miles  northeast  of  Winchester,  which  his  father  had  bought 
and  had  moved  to  some  years  previously.  The  place  consists  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  valuable  and  productive  land.  Here  Mr.  Fudge,  of  this 
review,  has  resided  continuously  to  the  present  time.  He  has  managed  well 
and  has  prospered  with  advancing  years,  adding  to  the  original  place,  until 
he  now  has  two  hundred  and  eighty-two  acres,  all  in  one  body,  and  extend- 
ing to  the  corporate  limits  of  the  city  of  Winchester.  It  is  well-improved  in 
every  respect,  and  on  it  stands  an  excellent  set  of  buildings.  General  farming 
is  carried  on,  together  with  stock  raising,  on  an  extensive  scale.  Mr.  Fudge 
feeds  stock  and  buys  and  ships  in  large  numbers,  handling  both  hogs  and 
cattle.   He  ships  to  the  Indianapolis  market,  also  Cleveland. 

Politically,  Mr.  Fudge  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  been  actively  interested  in 
public  affairs  for  many  years,  but  has  never  been  an  office  seeker.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Winchester  Lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  and  his  family  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Fudge  has  been  exceptionally  successful  as  a  business  man  and  his 
place  shows  thrift.  He  has  one  of  the  most  attractive  modern  residences  in 
the  township.  He  has  an  automobile  and,  in  fact,  every  modern  comfort  and 
convenience.  He  keeps  his  fine  farm  up  to  the  highest  point  of  productive- 
ness, making  a  careful  study  of  soils,  crop  rotation,  fertilizers  and  every- 
thing necessary  to  success. 


EMMETT  B.  HARRIS. 


It  is  no  very  rare  thing  for  a  poor  boy  in  our  country  to  become  a 
prosperous  man  and  occupy  a  commanding  position  in  the  business  world, 
but  many  who  have  fought  their  way  from  poverty  to  wealth,  from  obscurity 
to  prominence,  retain  some  marks  and  scars  of  the  conflict.  They  are  apt  to 
be  narrow  and  grasping,  even  if  not  sordid  and  unscrupulous.  Emmett  B. 
Harris,  the  able  and  popular  cashier  of  The  Citizens  Banking  Company,  of 
Modoc,  Randolph  county,  although  he  did  not  come  up  from  the  ranks  of  the 
poverty  stricken  and  has  not  reached  the  affluence  of  the  rich,  yet  he  has 
worke(i  his  \\'ay  from  a  modest  beginning  to  a  comfortable  station  in  the 
world  of  affairs,  being  an  instance  of  a  man  who  has  achieved  success  without 
paying  the  price  at  which  it  is  so  often  bought.  His  success  has  not  removed 
him  further  from  his  fellow  men,  but  has  brought  him  into  nearer  and  more 


1250  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

intimate  relations  with  them,  and,  although  he  has  led  a  busy  life,  he  has  yet 
found  time  to  devote  to  those  interests  which  develop  the  intellectual  and 
moral  nature  of  man,  living  not  to  himself  alone,  but  showing  a  desire  all  the 
while  to  aid  his  fellow  men. 

Mr.  Harris  was  born  July  12,  1876,  in  Farmland,  Randolph  county.  He 
is  a  son  of  David  T.  and  Mary  V.  (Botkin)  Harris.  The  father  was  born 
in  Hagerstown,  Indiana,  and  was  a  son  of  John  G.  Harris,  a  native  of  Lynch- 
burg, Virginia,  from  which  place  he  emigrated  to  Indiana  in  pioneer  times 
and  spent  the  rest  of  his  life  engaged  in  farming  near  Hagerstown,  and  there 
also  the  father  of  our  subject  engaged  in  farming.  The  mother  of  our  sub- 
ject was  born  on  the  old  Botkin  homestead,  which  has  come  down  through 
three  generations  from  the  great-grandfather,  who  was  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  in  this  part  of  the  state,  and  from  that  early  day  to  the  present  the 
Botkins  have  been  influential  citizens  in  Randolph  county,  where  Mrs.  Harris 
grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated  in  the  early  schools.  She  is  still  liv- 
ing, being  now  sixty  years  of  age.  The  death  of  David  T.  Harris  occurred 
November  27,  T908.  To  these  parents  four  children  were  bom,  two  sons 
and  two  daughters,  namely:  Emmett  B.,  of  this  sketch;  Chester  R.,  who  is 
employed  by  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company  in  New  York  City,  mar- 
ried Mabelle  Skeele,  and  they  have  one  child,  Franklin;  Jennie  G.  married 
C.  A.  Davis  of  the  Western  Electric  Company,  of  East  Orange,  New  Jersey, 
and  they  have  one  daughter,  Mabel  Marie;  Mabel  N.,  who  was  graduated 
from  a  high  school,  and  is  a  successful  teacher  in  Modoc,  was  born  Septem- 
ber 20,  1889. 

Emmett  B.  Harris  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  locality  and  he  re- 
ceived a  good  practical  education  in  the  local  schools,  later  was  graduated 
from  a  commercial  college,  after  which  he  worked  for  some  time  as  book- 
keeper for  the  Strawboard  Company  at  Yorktown,  Indiana.  He  gave  emi- 
nent satisfaction  in  this  position,  and  since  1904  he  has  been  cashier  of  The 
Citizens  Banking  Company,  of  Modoc,  Indiana,  and  has  done  much  to  increase 
the  prestige  and  high  standing  of  this  solid  and  popular  institution.  It  was 
established  in  March,  1903,  with  a  capital  of  ten  thousand  dollars  and  has 
made  a  gratifying  growth  ever  since,  doing  a  general  banking  business  in  a 
safe  and  conservative  way,  thereby  gaining  the  confidence  of  the  people. 
Their  surplus  and  undivided  profits  have  now  grown  to  over  ten  thousand 
dollars.  Its  president  is  John  Christopher,  of  whom  a  sketch  appears  on  an- 
other page  of  this  work.  The  directors  are  W.  T.  Farquhar,  H.  A.  Gaddis, 
B.  C.  Mendenhall,  Arthur  R.  Moore,  M.  V.  Maulsby,  J.  C.  Cropper  and  John 
Christopher. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA.  I25I 

Mr.  Harris  was  married  July  14,  1907,  to  Inez  Porterfield,  of  Richmond, 
Indiana,  a  daughter  of  M.  C.  Porterfield,  a  well-known  citizen  of  that  city, 
where  Mrs.  Harris  was  born,  reared  and  educated.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harris 
one  child  has  been  born.  Freeman,  whose  birth  occurred  July  25,  1909. 

Mr.  Harris  is  Independent  politically,  but  has  never  been  active  as  an 
office  seeker,  but  has  been  town  treasurer  of  Modoc  for  some  time.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows.     He  attends  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


ISAIAH  VV.  KEMP. 


As  the  day  with  its  morning  of  hope  and  promise,  its  noontide  of 
activity  and  accomplishment,  its  evening  of  completed  and  successful  efforts, 
ending  in  the  grateful  rest  and  quiet  of  the  night,  so  was  the  life  of  the  late 
Isaiah  W.  Kemp.  His  career  was  a  long,  useful  and  busy  one,  fraught  with 
much  good  to  himself,  his  family  and  to  humanity,  and  his  memory  will  long 
be  revered  by  those  who  had  occasion  to  come  into  contact  with  him  on  life's 
highway.  His  activities  in  a  material  way  added  to  his  individual  prosperity 
and  to  the  locality  of  his  residence.  Devoting  the  major  part  of  his  time  and 
attention  to  the  development  of  his  general  agricultural  interests  in  Randolph 
county,  he  never  allowed  the  pursuit  of  wealth  to  warp  his  kindly  nature,  but 
preserved  his  faculties  and  the  warmth  of  his  heart  for  the  broadening  and 
helpful  influence  of  human  life,  being  to  the  end  a  kindly,  genial  friend  and 
gentleman  whom  it  was  a  pleasure  to  meet. 

Mr.  Kemp  was  born  on  January  i,  1840,  at  Dayton,  Ohio.  He  was  a 
son  of  Nathaniel  and  Margaret  (Boyer)  Kemp,  whose  family  consisted  of 
eight  children,  five  of  whom  survive  at  this  writing.  The  father  was  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania  where  his  earlier  years  were  spent  and  from  which 
state  he  removed  to  Ohio,  thence  to  Indiana,  his  son,  Isaiah  W.,  being  four 
years  old  when  the  family  settled  in  the  Hoosier  state.  They  located  in 
Randolph  county  where  a  good  farm  was  developed  through  hard  work  and 
good  management  and  here  the  father  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  and  the  son, 
our  subject,  also  devoted  his  active  life  to  general  farming  and  stock  raising 
with  much  success,  eventually  becoming  one  of  the  leading  farmers  in  the 
community,  having  remained  in  the  same  vicinity  where  he  had  spent  his 
boyhood  and  received  his  education.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a 
native  of  Maryland,  and  was  a  good  woman  and  faithful  helpmeet. 

Isaiah  W.  Kemp  was  twice  married,  first,  to  Mary  J.  Wysong,  of  Ran- 


1252  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

dolph  county.  Her  death  occurred  in  1874,  and  Mr.  Kemp  subsequently 
married  Mary  E.  Hippenhimer,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Hippenhimer,  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania.  His  wife  was  born  in  Maryland.-  The  date  of  our  sub- 
ject's second  marriage  was  January  5,  1876.  To  this  union  three  sons  were 
born,  namely :  Harry,  who  is  farming  on  the  old  homestead,  married  Ethel 
Peacock,  and  they  have  one  child,  Ronald,  born  February  23,  1908;  Troy  W., 
a  machinist  in  Muncie,  Indiana,  married  Mary  E.  Thornburg,  and  they  have 
two  children,  Edith,  born  May  23,  P905,  and  Alice,  born  September  23,  1908; 
George  married  Florence  Kratzer,  June  22,  1913. 

The  death  of  Isaiah  W.  Kemp  occurred  on  April  8,  1909,  having  nearly 
attained  his  three-score  and  ten. 

Mr.  Kemp  was  a  gallant  soldier  in  the  Civil  war,  serving  four  years  in 
all,  three  of  which  were  in  the  Eighty-fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry. 
He  was  a  l^epublipan  in  politics. 


AEVA  C.  GREEN. 


It  is  proper  that  the  descendants  of  the  old  settlers,  those  who  cleared  the 
land  of  its  primitive  woods,  should  see  that  the  doings  of  the  earlier  years  are 
fittingly  remembered  and  recorded.  It  was  said  by  one  of  the  greatest  his- 
torians that  those  who  take  no  interest  in  the  deeds  of  their  ancestors  are  not 
likely  to  do  anything  worthy  to  be  remembered  by  their  descendants.  Alva 
C.  Green,  successful  farmer  of  Randolph  county,  is  a  scion  of  two  of  the 
earliest  families  of  this  locality,  many  of  whose  worthy  characteristics  he 
seems  to  have  inherited,  for  he  believes  in  keeping  busy  and  in  doing  what  he 
can  in  furthering  the  interests  of  his  community,  at  the  same  time  so  guard- 
ing his  conduct  as  to  merit  the  confidence  and  respect  of  his  neighbors  and 
friend^.   He  was  formerly  a  famous  livestock  breeder  and  raiser. 

Mr.  Green  was  born  March  3,  1857,  on  a  farm  in  White  River  township, 
four  miles  southwest  of  Winchester.  He  is  a  son  of  William  S.  and  Christi- 
na (Bowers)  Green.  The  father  was  born  in  Ohio  and  he  came  with  his  par- 
ents, Jesse  Green  and  wife,  in  1818  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  locating  in 
the  woods  which  were  still  the  haunts  of  Indians  and  wild  beasts  and  here 
the  family  erected  a  log  cabin,  began  clearing  and  developing  a  farm,  experi- 
encing the  hardships  and  privations  incident  to  a  life  on  the  frontier.  The 
Bowers  family  came  in  18 19  and  settled  in  the  same  vicinity,  having  made  the 
long  overland  journey  in  wagons  from  their  former  home  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  here  William  S.  Green  and  Christina  Bowers  grew  up  and  were  married. 


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RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I253 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  one  of  the  first  school  teachers  in  this  locality. 
The  father  became  a  large  land  owner  and  was  one  of  the  leading  farmers 
of  the  community.  These  early  settlers  were  all  Quakers  or  Friends  and  they 
founded  the  old  Dunkirk  church.  The  New  Dunkirk  church  stands  on  a  cor- 
ner of  Mr.  Green's  farm  on  land  donated  by  him  for  that  purpose.  Our  sub- 
ject's paternal  grandparents,  Jesse  Green  and  wife,  reared  a  family  of  eleven 
children,  all.  of  whom  grew  to  maturity.  These  parents  reached  very  ad- 
vanced ages,  Jesse  Green  dying  a  few  years  prior  to  his  wife,  who  reached 
the  age  of  one  hundred  and  two  years.  A  remarkable  fact  is  that  although 
they  reared  a  large  family  they  never  had  a  doctor  to  enter  their  home.  They 
were  an  exceptionally  robust  family.  William  S.  Green,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, became  a  successful  farmer  in  his  community  and  was  a  man  of  in- 
dustry, honesty  and  influence.  His  death  occurred  May  i,  1887,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-five  years,  his  wife  having  preceded  him  to  the  grave  February  i, 
1 87 1.  They  were  buried  in  Macksville  cemetery.  They,  too,  had  a  large  fam- 
ily— fourteen  children,  only  four  of  whom,  three  sons  and  a  daughter,  are 
living  at  this  writing,  namely:  Sarah  Jane,  now  Mrs.  W.  Y.  Puckett,  of 
Winchester;  Alva  C,  subject  of  this  sketch;  Benjamin  F.,  of  Winchester, 
and  George  W.,  of  White  River  township. 

Alva  C.  Green  was  reared  on  the  home  farm,  where  he  worked  when  a 
boy,  and  he  received  his  education  in  the  country  district  schools.  He  re- 
mained with  his  father  until  his  marriage  on  January  13,  1876,  to  Louticia 
Wright,  daughter  of  William  and  Catherine  (Davidson)  Wright,  of  Ran- 
dolph county.  The  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  ^^'ar  and  he  died  Soon. 
after  the  war,  his  wife  dying  in  1867,  leaving  five  small  orphan  children,  all 
of  whom  are  now  deceased  except  Mrs.  Green  and  Mrs.  Dora  E.  Pursley  of 
Farmland. 

To  Alva  C.  Green  and  wife  have  been  born  three  sons  and  one  daughter, 
namely:  William  T.  is  married  and  lives  in  Winchester;  Dora  E.  is  the  wife 
of  Carl  Hufifman,  of  White  River  township;  Clyde  E.  lives  in  Winchester, 
and  Ollie  B.,  who  lives  at  home,  is  attending  high  school. 

Since  his  marriage  Mr.  Green  has  lived  on,.his  present  farm,  which  ad- 
joins the  old  home  farm  four  miles  southwest  of  Winchester.  He  has  a  well- 
improved  and  productive  place  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  where  he 
carries  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was 
a  breeder  of  fine  stock,  Dutch  belted  registered  cattle,  owning  the  first  herd  in 
Randolph  county;  also  bred  the  Essex  and  Suffolk  hogs.  He  exhibited  at  all 
state  fairs  and  at  the  Columbian  Exposition  in  Chicago,  in  1893,  where  he 
took  twelve  premiums.  He  exhibited  at  state  fairs  from  Kansas  to  New  York 


1254  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

and  was  always  a  premium  taker.  He  has  two  quilts  and  a  flag  made  from 
premium  ribbons  taken  at  various  fairs.  He  raised  these  animals  for  breed- 
ing purposes,  and  shipped  to  all  the  states  in  the  Union  and  to  Cuba  and  sev- 
eral South  American  countries.  He  won  world-wide  renown  through  his  ex- 
ceptionally fine  livestock  which  were  greatly  admired  by  all  who  saw  them, 
and  which  he  sold  at  fancy  prices,  no  small  portion  of  his  substantial  fortune 
having  been  made  in  this  manner.  He  is  one  of  the  best  judges  of  all  kinds 
of  live  stock  that  could  be  found  in  the  state  of  Indiana  today.  He  was  for 
many  years  a  member  of  the  American  Dutch  Breeders'  Association,  the 
American  Essex  Breeders'  Association  and  was  president  of  the  latter  for  a 
period  of  four  years,  discharging  the  important  duties  of  the  same  in  a  man- 
ner that  reflected  much  credit  upon  himself  and  to  the  eminent  satisfaction 
of  all  concerned,  doing  much  to  increase  the  prestige  and  good  work  of  the 
association  during  that  period.  He  is  also  a  poultry  fancier  and  a  raiser  of 
White  Wyandotte  chickens  and  Buff  turkeys,  and  is  an  extensive  shipper  of 
eggs  for  hatching  purposes  to  all  parts  of  the  country,  including  every  state 
and  Canada.  He  is  still  a  large  producer  in  the  poultry  business,  but  has  not 
been  actively  engaged  in  the  livestock  business  for  several  years. 

Mr.  Green  has  been  a  Republican  in  politics  all  his  mature  years,  but  has 
never  been  active  in  public  matters.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Encampment,  a  charter  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  also  a  charter  member  of  the  Tribe  of 
Ben-Hur.  He  and  his  family  belong  to  the  Friends  church,  in  which  he  and 
his  wife  are  active  workers  and  overseers.  They  stand  high  in  the  best  cir- 
cles in  the  community  and  are  pleasant,  neighborly  and  obliging  and  number 
their  friends  by  the  scores. 


HERBERT  M.  KABEL. 


Herbert  M.  Kabel,  of  Winchester,  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  Septem- 
ber 2^,  1880,  and  is  the  son  of  Frederick  and  Mary  Florence  (Mercer) 
Kabel.  He  was  educated  at  Normal  School  at  Muncie  and  at  the  Central 
Normal  College.  He  thereupon  adopted  the  profession  of  teacher,  for  which 
he  had  patiently  and  thoroughly  equipped  himself.  This  profession  he  fol- 
lowed for  thirteen  years  and  made  a  reputation  in  educational  circles  to  be 
envied  by  even  the  most  successful.  To  large  natural  capacity  he  added  the 
most  careful  and  efficient  training,  and  thus  became  in  the  highest  sense 
of  the  word  a  scientific  instructor.  It  is  to  the  ability  and  labor  of  such 
teachers  as  Mr.  Kabel  that  the  schools  of  Indiana  owe  their  enviable  reputa- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY^   INDIANA.  I255 

tion.  He  mastered  the  principles  and  details  of  his  profession,  and  his 
achievements  in  the  mental  training  of  his  pupils  is  evidence  of  his  mastery. 

The  present  occupation  of  Mr.  Kabel  is  that  of  cabinet  maker,  which  he 
pursues  quite  as  ardently  and  successfully  as  he  did  that  of  instructor.  In 
this  line  he  is  an  extensive  manufacturer  and  is  one  of  the  most  reliable  and 
enterprising  in  the  state.  Mr.  Kabel  has  five  sisters  and  had  one  brother, 
who  died  in  his  youth.  Mary  Florence,  of  Wayne  county  is  the  wife  of  Clyde 
Miller,  a  farmer.  They  have  one  child.  A  former  husband  was  Bruce 
Keever,  also  a  farmer,  and  one  child  was  the  result  of  this  union.  Iva  B., 
of  Randolph  county,  married  Percy  G.  Stump,  a  farmer,  and  has  two  chil- 
dren. Philip  Ray,  the  only  brother,  died  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  Clara  mar- 
ried Henry  Johnson,  now  dead,  and  of  this  marriage  there  was  no  issue. 
Ella  and  Elfie  are  single. 

Mr.  Kabel's  ancestry  is  historic,  and  reaches  back  to  association  with 
the  great  Napoleon.  That  is  something  worth  remembering,  for  surely  no 
other  man  ever  so  revolutionized  the  world  and  created  consternation  in  the 
hearts  of  kings  as  did  Napoleon.  The  father  of  Mr.  Kabel  was  a  Randolph 
county  farmer.  His  grandfather  was  from  Frankfort,  Germany.  He  was 
a  tailor  for  a  number  of  years,  then  joined  the  French  army  and  came  to  the 
United  States  from  France.  His  great  grandfather  furnished  foodstuffs 
for  the  army  of  Napoleon.  That  was  something  of  a  regular  occupation 
for  the  men  who  engaged  in  it,  for  Napoleon  was  always  recruiting  his  ranks. 
Mr.  Kabel  had  the  distinction  of  seeing  the  Corsican  in  his  amicable  and 
also  his  frowning  moods,  and  his  reminiscences  of  the  world's  greatest 
strategist  had  the  lively  interest  of  recitals  by  an  eyewitness.  The  mother 
of  Herbert  M.  Kabel  was  born  in  Randolph  county  and  survives  at  the  age 
of  fifty-four.  His  father  is  living  at  the  age  of  sixty.  His  grandmother 
came  to  Indiana  from  Ohio  and  was  ninety-six  at  the  time  of  her  death. 

September  4,  1901,  Mr.  Kabel  married  Alma  Gwin  of  Randolph  county. 
She  is  one  of  three  children  and  her  mother  still  survives.  Roger  Flarold, 
born  July  10,  1902,  and  Virginia  Florence,  born  September  7,  1908,  are 
the  children  of  Mr.  and  IMrs.  Kabel,  and  two  sprightlier,  healthier  and  happier 
young  Hoosiers  would  be  difficult  to  find.  Each  is  a  reigning  sensation  in 
the  home,  and  neither  father  nor  mother  plays  a  favorite.  They  look  upon 
the  children  as  the  sunbeams  of  the  household  and  cultivate  their  association 
as  an  inspiration  to  love  and  cheerfulness.  Ronald,  the  youngest  child,  died 
in  infancy. 

In  the  matter  of  church  affiliation,  Mr.  Kabel  is  a  Methodist  and  in 


1256  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

politics  a  Republican.  He  takes  a  broad  and  profound  view  of  politics  antl 
indorses  the  policy  of  his  party  for  what  he  esteems  its  achievements  for  half 
a  century  in  the  promotion  of  popular  government.  He  has  the  distinction 
of  being  the  first  man  in  Indiana  to  receive  a  certificate  for  manual  training. 
And  now  when  manual  instruction  has  become  so  popular  and  familiar,  this 
is  quite  a  remarkable  distinction. 


VOLNEY  H.  HUSTON. 


Few  present  day  business  men  of  Winchester  are  better  known  or  more 
highly  esteemed  than  Volney  H.  Huston,  for  he  seems  to  be  the  possessor  of 
that  peculiar  combination  of  attributes  which  results  in  the  attainment  of 
much  that  is  worth  while  in  this  world.  He  has  ever  aimed  to  be  progressive 
in  what  he  does,  is  always  in  sympathy  with  enterprises  having  for  their  ob- 
ject the  common  good,  and  his  influence  is  invariably  exerted  on  the  right 
side  of  every  moral  issue.  Like  all  men  of  positive  character  and  independ- 
ence of  mind,  he  is  outspoken  in  what  he  considers  right,  and  his  convictions 
are  such  that  those  who  have  come  into  close  contact  with  him  know  well  his 
position  on  all  questions.  His  private  life  has  always  been  exemplary,  and  his 
genial  and  obliging  nature  makes  him  popular  with  all  classes. 

Mr.  Huston  was  born  May  2,  1857,  in  White  River  township,  Randolph 
county,  on  a  farm,  two  and  one-half  miles  southwest  of  Winchester.  He  is 
a  son  of  David  M.  and  Rebecca  (Miller)  Huston.  The  father  was  born  in 
Preble  county,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  about  1840,  when  he  was 
seventeen  years  old,  when  he  came  with  his  father,  John  Huston,  and  the 
rest  of  the  family  to  Randolph  county  and  settled  in  the  woods  on  the  farm 
where  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born.  There  they  erected  a  log  cabin, 
cleared  and  developed  a  farm  like  the  rest  of  the  pioneers.  David  M.  Huston 
devoted  his  life  to  general  farming  iii  this  county  and  became  an  influential 
man' in  his  neighborhood.  He  left  the  farm  in  1874  and  moved  to  Winchester, 
where  he  engaged  in  small  fruit  growing  and  gardening,  later  establishing  the 
first  coal  and  wood  yard  in  Winchester,  which  he  operated  for  several  years 
and  was  succeeded  by  Stephen  Clevenger.  He  spent  the  rest  of  his  life  in  re- 
tirement. Politically,  he  was  a  Republican  and  was  active  in  public  affairs  as 
affecting  the  community  in  which  he  lived.  He  and  his  wife  were  members 
of  the  United  Brethren  church.  His  death  occurred  January  31,  1896,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-three  years,  his  widow  surviving  until  April,  1901.  They 
were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  of  whom  \''olney  H.  is  next  to  the  young- 
est.  One  of  the  children  is  deceased. 


V.  H.  IIT'STOX. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  i-'S? 

Volney  H.  Huston  was  reared  on  the  farm  until  he  was  seventeen  years 
old,  and  he  received  his  early  education  in  the  district  schools.  At  the  age 
mentioned  above  he  moved  with  the  family  to  Winchester  and  here  attended 
high  school,  and  assisted  his  father  meanwhile  in  gardening  and  fruit  grow- 
ing. In  the  fall  of  1878  he  went  to  Moultrie  county,  Illinois,  where  he  taught 
school,  but  boarded  just  across  the  line  in  Piatt  county  with  his  sister,  and 
received  his  mail  in  Douglass  county.  He  taught  one  term,  during  which 
he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Joe  Cannon,  formerly  Congressman  from  that 
state,  who  was  at  that  time  a  budding  politician.  Returning  to  Randolph 
county,  Mr.  Huston  taught  in  the  district  schools  for  seven  years,  all  in 
\A'hite  Ri\-er  township  but  one  when  he  taught  in  Green  township.  He  gave 
splendid  satisfaction  as  a  teacher,  being  popular  with  both  pupils  and  patrons. 
On  March  18,  1886,  the  evening  of  the  last  day  of  his  last  school,  Mr.  Huston 
married  Kathryn  Miller,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Nancy  (Troup)  Miller, 
a  highly  respected  family  of  Germantown,  Montgomery  coilnty,  Ohio,  where 
she  was  reared  and  educated.   This  union  has  been  without  issue. 

April  I,  1886,  a  few  days  after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Huston  began  clerking 
in  the  store  of  W.  E.  Miller  in  Winchester.  As  a  salesman  he  remained  for 
three  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  Mr.  Miller's  bookkeeper  resigned  and 
Mr.  Huston  was  promoted  to  that  position  which  he  filled  with  much  credit 
for  a  period  of  twenty  years.  When  the  W.  E.  Miller  Company  was  incorpo- 
rated our  subject  became  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  company  and  sec- 
retary of  the  corporation,  which  position  he  still  holds.  As  the  business  grew 
he  became  head  bookkeeper  with  assistants.  In  October,  1908,  on  account  of 
trouble  with  his  eyes,  he  gave  up  office  work  and  became  head  of  the  carpet 
department,  succeeding  John  A.  Barnes,  who  died  after  eighteen  years  of 
service  there.  Mr.  Huston  still  has  charge  of  this  department  and  does  the 
buying  and  also  has  general  supervision  of  the  office.  He  has  done  much 
toward  making  this  one  of  the  leading  department  stores  of  Indiana  outside 
of  the  larger  cities,  and  it  would  be  a  credit  to  cities  much  larger  than  Win 
Chester.  It  is  up-to-date  in  every  respect  and  an  enormous  annual  business  is 
carried  on  with  the  surrounding  country. 

March  25,  1889,  Mr.  Huston  assisted  in  organizing  the  Winchester 
Home  and  Savings  Association,  and  became  a  member  of  the  board  of  di- 
rectors, and  has  served  as  president  of  the  board  for  fifteen  consecutive  years. 
His  wise  counsel  has  been  responsible  for  the  large  success  of  this  concern  in 
no  small  degree.  It  is  a  solid  institution  and  is  thriving.  One  remarkable 
feature  of  the  record  of  the  company  is  that  it  has  never  foreclosed  a  mort- 
gage given  to  secure  a  loan.   Mr.  Huston  also  took  an  active  part  in  organiz- 


X258  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

ing  the  Eastern  Indiana  Telephone  Company,  and  assisted  in  building  the 
first  independent  toll  line  in  the  county,  connecting  all  the  towns  in  the  coun- 
ty with  the  county-seat.  He  was  a  member  of  the  first  board  of  directors  and 
served  one  year  as  secretary  of  the  same.  Owing  to  the  rapid  increase  of  the 
telephone  business  he  was  compelled  to  resign  as  secretary  because  of  lack  of 
time  to  give  it  proper  attention  together  with  his  other  numerous  duties.  He 
continued  a  member  of  the  board  for  a  few  years  and  was  a  member  of 
the  building  committee  which  constructed  lines  through  Randolph  and  all  toll 
lines  beyond  the  county  limits.  In  a  few  years  he  resigned  from  the  board  on 
account  of  the  growing  business  to  which  he  did  not  have  time  to  give  proper 
attention.  He  has  other  business  interests  in  Winchester  and  elsewhere,  and 
has  been  very  successful  in  a  financial  way. 

Politically,  Mr.  Huston  is  a  Republican  and  has  long  been  active  in  pub- 
lic affairs.  He  has  frequently  been  urged  to  accept  public  office,  but  has  de- 
clined. Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  for  many 
years  was  active  in  its  affairs.  He  was  a  member  of  the  building  committee 
which  constructed  the  magnificent  new  home  of  this  lodge  in  Winchester.  He 
and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which  he  is 
a  member  of  the  official  board  and  is  at  this  writing  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday  school.  He  has  a  beautiful  home  on  South  Main  street  and  he  and 
Mrs.  Huston  are  popular  in  the  best  social  circles  of  the  city. 


FERNANDIS  B.  MULLIN. 

One  of  the  most  extensive  and  reputable  lumber  dealers  of  the  state 
is  Fernandis  B.  Mullin,  of  Winchester.  Most  of  the  mature  life  of  Mr, 
Mullin  has  been  devoted  to  the  lumber  business,  and  it  would  be  hard  to 
find  one  more  expert  in  its  details  than  he.  For  the  last  nine  years  he  has 
been  manager  for  the  Greer-Wilkinson  Lumber  Company,  one  of  the  big 
concerns  of  the  country.  Mr.  Mullin  knows  the  lumber  traffic  from  the  in- 
vasion of  the  forest  to  the  disposition  of  the  finished  product.  There  is  "no 
process  through  which  the  tree  goes  that  he  is  not  thoroughly  familiar  with. 
This  intimate  knowledge  enables  him  to  figure  with  the  greatest  accuracy 
and  to  close  contracts  with  a  surety  and  rapidity  that  are  quite  surprising. 
The  reputation  of  a  community,  it  is  said,  rests  chiefly  with  its  leading  citi- 
zens, and  Mr.  Mullin  is  one  of  those  who  have  made  Winchester  famous 
among  the  towns  of  the  state. 

F.  B.  Mullin  was  born  in  Winchester,  December  9,  1856,  and  is  the  son 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1 259 

of  Elihu  Mullin  and  Mahala  (Edwards)  Mullin.  He  is  one  of  seven  chil- 
dren. Lewis  Mullin,  a  brother,  of  V/ashington,  married  Flo  Canfield,  and  is 
by  occupation  an  architect.  They  have  one  child.  Calvin,  also  of  Washing- 
ton, married  Hattie  Canfield,  a  sister  of  Flo,  and  is  a  farmer.  They  have 
three  children  living.  Minnie,  of  Chadburn,  North  Carolina,  married  W.  H. 
Hunt,  a  farmer,  and  has  a  family  of  eight  children.  George,  of  Muncie, 
who  is  a  builder  by  occupation,  married  Flora  Wysong,  and  has  two  boys. 
May,  the  wife  of  Ed.  Heaston,  of  Randolph  county,  a  farmer,  has  three  boys 
and  one  girl  living,  and  one  died  in  infancy.  Mary  died  in  infancy.  Mr. 
Mullin's  father,  of  Irish  stock,  went  originally  to  Wayne  county  and  was 
for  thirty  years  a  carpenter  and  builder  in  Winchester.  He  died  at  the  age 
of  sixty-eight  from  a  fall  off  the  roof  of  a  building  he  was  erecting.  His 
wife,  a  native  of  Randolph  county,  sruvives,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine. 

Mr.  Mullin  was  married  December  31,  1882,  to  Adella  B.  Naftzger,  of 
Ohio,  a  daughter  of  Ephraim  Naftzger,  a  miller.  Two  girls  and  one  boy 
were  the  fruit  of  this  union.  Grace,  the  eldest,  was  born  in  Minnesota, 
January  4,  1885,  and  married  John  Bishop,  agent  of  the  Big  Four  at  Win- 
chester. She  taught  school  five  years  with  success.  Cecil,  who  was  born  in 
Minnesota,  February  17,  1887,  died  at  the  age  of  two  years. 

Vera  K.,  the  youngest,  was  born  August  31,  1891,  in  Winchester,  and 
has  a  national  reputation  as  a  platform  entertainer.  She  has  made  a  feature 
of  vocalism  and  is  directed  by  the  Central  Lyceum  Bureau.  Nothing  is  more 
difficult  in  the  realm  of  art  than  voice  culture.  Its  secrets  are  harder  to 
acquire  and  master  than  those  involved  in  the  vibration  of  musical  instru- 
ments. There  is  that  in  the  cultivation  of  the  vocal  cords  which  taxes  the 
genius  of  the  most  intellectual  speakers  and  singers,  and  probably  no  one 
has  ever  confessed  to  a  complete  understanding  of  their  mysteries.  Sarah 
Bernhardt  and  Nazimova,  among  dramatic  artists,  and  Mary  Garden  and 
Tetrazzini,  among  lyric  artists,  are  considered  the  greatest  living  exponents 
of  vocal  culture.  And  certainly  no  instrumentalists  rank  above  them.  Vera 
Mullin  is  one  of  the  younger  aspirants  in  the  supreme  art  of  vocalization  and 
has  not  yet  attained  the  maturity  of  her  powers.  She  has  range  and  timbre, 
the  essential  qualities  of  great  voices,  and  has  that  extraordinary  faculty 
of  cultivation  that  makes  control  seem  perfect.  Miss  Mullin  belongs 
to  the  higher  order  of  artists  who  have  that  rarest  of  combinations,  genius 
and  cultivation.  Her  reputation  grows  from  season  to  season,  and  in  the 
list  of  Lyceum  Bureau  entertainers  she  ranks  with  the  top  notchers.  She  is 
an  ardent  devotee  of  her  art  and  claims  that  no  great  achievement  comes 
easily.     Besides  her  remarkable  attainments  in  voice  culture.  Miss  Mullin  is 


I  260  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

eminent  as  a  whistling  soloist,  rivaling  in  this  peculiar  department  of  art  the 
renowned  Alice  Shaw.  She  is  one  of  the  most  constantly  employed  and 
highest  priced  artists  under  lyceum  direction. 

Fernandis  B.  Mullin  has  been  trustee  and  is  a  member  of  Masonit 
lodge  No.  56,  and  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  No.  121,  both  of 
Winchester.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  attends  the  Metho- 
dist church.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Republican  party. 


CHARLES  D.  WYSONG. 

It  is  a  great  privilege  to  be  able  to  spend  our  lives  on  the  old  home  place. 
'■'The  roof  that  heard  our  earliest  cry,"  in  the  language  of  the  poet  Tennyson, 
has  a  charm  and  fascination  for  us  which  we  can  not  find  elsewhere,  and  no 
matter  where  on  earth  our  restless  footsteps  may  wander  we  ever  long  to  be 
back  under  the  old  roof -tree  of  our  parents.  However,  this  is  not  always  the 
privilege  of  man.  For  many  reasons,  often  through  necessity,  we  leave  our 
childhood  home  and  seek  our  fortune  in  other  countries,  and  seldom  revisit 
the  hearthstone  around  which  we  played  as  a  child.  So  those  who,  like 
Charles  D.  Wysong,  one  of  Randolph  county's  most  successful  and  extensive 
farmers,  are  fortunate  enough  to  spend,  if  not  all,  the  major  portion  of  their 
lives  at  their  birthplace,  are  to  be  envied,  and,  no  doubt,  being  a  fair-minded 
man,  he  fully  appreciated  the  privilege  and  he  has  labored  hard  to  keep  the 
old  place  well  tilled  and  well  improved,  so  that  it  has  retained,  rather  than 
lost,  its  original  strength  of  soil,  and  the  home  has  been  carefully  looked  after 
and  tastily  kept. 

Mr.  Wysong  was  born  May  27,  1875,  on  a  farm  three  miles  south  of 
Winchester,  where  he  now  lives.  He  is  a  scion  of  one  of  our  worthiest  and 
most  prominent  pioneer  families,  being  a  son  of  Harvey  and  Mary  (Sum- 
mers) Wysong.  The  mother  died  when  our  subject  was  only  five  days  old 
and  he  was  reared  by  relatives,  being  taken  by  an  uncle  when  fifteen  months 
old.  He  grew  up,  therefore,  in  the  home  of  John  D.  Summers  and  wife,  re- 
maining with  them  until  he  was  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  assisting  yiv. 
Summers  on  his  garden  farm,  his  uncle  having  been  a  gardener.  During  that 
period  our  subject  attended  the  Winchester  public  schools.  The  death  of  his 
father  occurred  on  September  6,  1893,  and,  he  being  the  only  heir  to  the 
homestead  and  his  father's  entire  estate,  moved  to  the  home  farm,  which  con- 
sisted of  three  hundred  and  ninety  acres.  He  went  to  work  with  a  will  and 
prospered  with  the  advaftcing  years,  adding  to  his  original  holding  until  he  is 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I261 

now  owner  of  five  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  one  tract,  and  also  one 
hundred  and  forty  acres  in  West  River  township.  His  land  ranks  with  the 
best  in  Randolph  county,  and  he  has  placed  it  under  modern  improvements 
and  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  It  is  nearly  all  tillable.  It  is  all  well  fenced 
and  well  drained.  He  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising  on  an  ex- 
tensive scale,  and  was  formerly  one  of  our  best  known  fancy  stock  breeders, 
but  has  abandoned  that  department.  He  is  one  of  the  most  substantial  farm- 
ers of  his  township  and  one  of  the  best  posted  on  farming  and  livestock. 

Mr.  Wysong  was  married  October  12,  1898,  to  Margaret  T.  Anderson, 
a  daughter  of  Edmund  L.  and  Lydia  (Paxson)  Anderson,  who  lived  at 
Union  City,  Indiana,  'at  the  time  of  our  subject's  marriage.  They  are  now 
residents  of  Anderson,  this  state.  Four  children  have  been  born  to  our  subject 
and  wife,  namely:  Mary  Lydia,  born  December  17,  1900;  John  Harvey,  born 
August. 1 2,  1902;! James  Edmund,  born  February  21,  1907;  Robert  Anderson, 
born  June  21,  1909. 

Politically,  Mr.  Wysong  is  a  Democrat  and  he  has  always  given  his  sup- 
port to  such  measures. as  make  for  the  public  weal.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
Order,  including  the  Blue  Lodge,  No.  638,  Chapter  No.  35,  Council  No.  20, 
Comraandery,  also  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  No.  91.  Mrs.  Wysong 
is  a  member  of  the  Eastern  Star.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Main  Street  Church  of  Christ.  The  family  is  prominent  in  the  social  life  of 
the  community,  and  the  picturesque  Wysong  home  is  frequently  the  gathering 
place  for  their  many  friends,  the  best  people  of  the  county. 


JOHN  FLETCHER  MIDDLETON. 

Specific  mention  is  made  within  these  pages  of  many  of  the  worthy 
citizens  who  have  honored  Randolph  county  with  their  residence,  citizens 
who  have  figured  in  the  growth  and  development  of  this  favored  section  of 
the  Hoosier  state,  and  whose  interests  are  or  have  been  identified  with  its 
every  phase  of  progress,  each  contributing  in  his  sphere  of  activity  to  the 
well  being  of  the  community  which  he  selected  for  the  arena  of  his  life 
labors  and  to  the  advancement  of  its  normal  and  legitimate  growth.  Among 
this  worthy  number  none  have  been  more  influential  in  Greensfork  town- 
ship, at  least,  than  John  Fletcher  Middleton,  who,  now  that  he  has  passed 
his  three  score  and  ten  mile-post  and  has  accumulated  a  comfortable  com- 
petency  through   a   long  life   of   close   application   to   general    farming,    is 

(80) 


1262  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

living  in  retirement  in  the  hamlet  of  Spartanburg.  Practically  all  of  his 
busy  and  useful  life  has  been  spent  in  this  locality  where  he  has  seen  and 
taken  part  in  many  great  changes,  he  being  one  of  our  venerable  native 
sons  and  one  who  has  come  down  to  us  from  the  pioneer  epoch.  There  is  add- 
ed interest  in  his  record  in  that  he  is  a  veteran  of  the  Union  army. 

Mr.  Middleton  was  born  in  the  township  and  county  named  in  the  pre- 
ceding paragraph,  November  26,  1842.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  A.  and 
Sarah  (Borders)  Middleton,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Guilford 
county,  North  Carolina,  November  5,  1799,  and  the  latter  in  Greenbrier 
county.  Thomas  A.  Middleton  was  a  son  of  Benedict  and  Hannah  (Har- 
rison) Middleton.  Benedict  Middleton  was  born  in  Westmoreland  county, 
Virginia,  but  most  of  his  life  was  spent  in  Guilford  county.  North  Caro- 
lina where  his  death  occurred,  and  there  his  wife  also  died.  In  1827  Thomas 
A.  Middleton  and  his  brother,  Samuel,  came  from  North  Caro- 
lina to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  making  the  long  overland  journey  in  a 
wagon.  Thomas  A.  Middleton  first  married  Margaret  Webb,  in  1825,  and 
to  this  union  four  children  were  born,  namely:  Minerva,  Calvin,  Caroline 
and  Sidney.  In  1830  he  settled  in  Greens  fork  township,  entering  from  the 
government  eighty  acres  which  our  subject  now  owns,  and  here  he  cleared 
and  developed  a  farm  and  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  November  14, 
1883.  Politically,  he  was  a  Republican,  and  religiously  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  church,  i'n  which  he  was  a  trustee.  His  wife  died  in  1836.  Two 
years  later  he  married  Sarah  Borders,  and  to  this  union  three  children  were 
born,  namely;  Wesley,  deceased;  Sarah  A.,  who  married  Thomas  Reagan; 
and  John  F.,  of  this  sketch.  The  father  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life 
on  the  eighty  acres  mentioned  above.  The  death  of  Mrs.  Sarah  Middleton 
occurred  December  28,  1862,  at  the  advanced  age  of  fifty-eight  years. 
';  John  F.  Middleton  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  he  received  his 
education  in  the  common  schools,  and  in  the  Industrial  Academy  in  Wayne 
county  which  he  attended  three  terms.  On  August  18,  1862  he  enhsted  in 
Company  F,  Sixty-ninth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  saw  much  active 
and  hard  service  in  the  south.  He  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Richmond, 
Kentucky,  where  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  after  three  days  was  paroled 
and  sent  to  Camp  Wayne,  at  Richmond,  Indiana,  where  he  remained  for 
two  months.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  was  exchanged  and  sent 
to  the  department  of  the  Cumberland  under  General  Grant.  He  was  in  the 
battle  of  Chickasaw  Blufif,  where  he  was  stunned  by  a  shell.  He  was  also 
in  the  engagement  at  Arkansas  Post,  then  went  into  winter  quarters  at 
Young's  Point.     During  the  campaign  of  1863  he  took  part  in  numerous 


*  RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  I263 

battles,  including  Grand  Gulf,  Port  Gibson,  Champion  Hill,  the  siege  of 
\^icksburg  and  others.  He  was  transferred  to  the  Gulf  department  in  the 
fall  of  1863,  and  spent  the  following  winter  at  Indianola,  Texas.  From 
there  he  was  sent  to  assist  Banks  in  the  Red  River  expedition,  and  with  a 
marine  corps  detailed  to  guard  the  river  between  New  Orleans  and  Vicks- 
burg  until  November  i,  1864,  then  he  was  sent  to  Mobile  Bay,  in  the  vicinity 
of  which  he  spent  the  following  winter.  From  there  he  was  sent  to  Florida, 
thence  to  the  siege  of  Fort  Blakely  in  Alabama,  after  which  he  returned 
to  Mobile,  where  he  spent  the  summer.  Mr.  Middleton  was  a  crackshot 
and  served  as  a  sharpshooter  in  a  faithful  manner.  At  the  battle  of  Chicka- 
saw Bluff  he  was  disabled,  his  gun  broken  and  his  blanket  cut  from  his 
shoulders,  and  his  comrades  on  either  side  killed,  but  he  remained  on  the 
field.    He  was  honorably  discharged  and  mustered  out  of  service  July  5,  1865. 

He  returned  home  immediately  after  his  discharge  from  the  army  and 
settled  on  the  old  homestead,  and,  with  the  exception  of  one  year  he  farm- 
ed thereon  with  much  success  until  191 1  when  he  retired  and  is  now  living 
quietly  in  his  cozy  home  in  Spartanburg.  When  his  father  retired  from 
active  life  he  purchased  the  home  place,  and  he  added  to  it  as  he  prospered 
until  he  became  owner  of  a  valuable  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
which  he  keeps  highly  improved. 

Politically,  Mr.  Middleton  is  a  Republican.  In  1880  he  was  elected 
trustee  of  his  township  and  served  two  terms  satisfactorily.  He  subsequent- 
ly served  five  years  as  township  assessor,  and  also  two  years  as  county  asses- 
sor, giving  eminent  satisfaction  to  all  concerned.  He  also  served  three 
terms  as  member  of  the  county  council,  a  period  of  twelve  years.  He  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  for  a  period  of 
forty-five  years,  and  has  passed  all  the  ■  chairs.  He  was  one  of  the  first 
members  initiated  in  the  local  lodge.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  En- 
campment in  which  he  has  held  a  number  of  officers.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  a  charter  member,  in  fact,  of  the  post  at 
Spartanburg,  and  has  filled  all  the  offices  in  the  same.  He  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Christian  church  and  have  long  been  active  in  the  work 
of  the  same.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  he  was  a  strong  man,  prior  to  the 
war,  and  that  he  contracted  an  ailment  which  has  ever  since  left  him  some- 
what disabled,  he  is  remembered  by  the  government  with  a  substantial 
monthly  pension.  He  comes  of  a  fighting  stock,  and  it  might  not  be  amiss 
to  mention  here  that  his  maternal  grandfather,  Christopher  Borders,  who 
was  a  native  of  Germany,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  fighting 


1264  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

on  the  side  of  the  Colonists,  and  two  of  his  sons  served  in  the  War  of  1812. 
His  wife  was  known  in  her  maidenhood  as  Sarah  Blizzard. 

Mr.  Middleton  was  married  August  20,  1865,  to  Serena .  Alexander, 
who  was  born  in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  April  21,  1847,  near  the  city  of  New 
Paris.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Clement  F.  and  Rebecca  (Parks)  Alexander, 
the  former  born  in  Ohio,  May  2,  1817,  and  the  latter  in  Indiana,  December 
18,  1 8 16.  They  moved  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana  in  1849,  locating  near 
Spartanburg,  where  he  became  a  successful  farmer;  at  one  time  owning  two 
hundred  and  seventy-five  acres  of  land.  The  latter  part  of  his  life  was  spent 
in  retirement  in  Spartanburg,  dying  in  October,  1892.  His  widow  survived 
until  October  19,  1900.  She  was  a  daughter  of  George  and  Catherine  (Reed) 
Parks.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  in  early  life  emigrated  to 
North  Carolina  and  from  there  to  Indiana  and  lived  to  a  very  old  age.  Her 
brother,  James  Parks,  lived  to  the  great  age  of  one  hundred  and  one  and  one- 
half  years  and  was  an  active  man  until  the  very  end  of  his  life.  Mrs.  Alex- 
ander was  reared  in  the  earliest  days  of  Indiana  and  was  one  of  the  pioneer 
women  of  the  state  and  in  her  early  life  passed  through  the  struggles  and 
hardships  of  the  backwoods  days  of  Indiana.  She  and  Mr.Alexander  were 
married  September  10,  1840,  and  to  them  six  daughters,  all  of  whom  grew 
to  womanhood,  were  born,  namely :  Mary,  born  in  1842,  married  A.  M. 
Rubey;  Martha  J.,  born  October  29,  1843,  married  John  Kelly;  Nancy  A., 
born  April  25,  1845,  married  Pat  Trammel;  Serena  who  is  the  wife  of  our 
subject;  Sarah  J.,  born  June  11,  1850;  Lizzie,  born  May  7,  1855,  married 
Ambrose  Rubey.  Mrs.  ICelley  and  Mrs.  Trammel  died  many  years  ago. 
From  the  date  of  their  marriage,  the  parents  of  the  above  named  children, 
resided  near  New  Paris,  Preble  county,  Ohio,  until  1848  when  they  moved 
to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  to  the  farm  near  Spartanburg  where  they  lived 
until  1890  when  they  located  in  Spartanburg,  there  they  lived  until  the  death 
of  Mr.  Alexander,  October  27th,  two  years  after  his  retirement.  Then  for 
about  two  years  his  widow  lived  in  Lynn  then  came  back  to  the  old  home- 
stead where  she  remained  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Ambrose  Rubey  and  her 
daughter,  Julietta,  until  death.  She  joined  the  Christian  church  in  her  earlier 
years  and  with  her  husband  remained  faithful  to  its  precepts  until  the  end  of 
life.  Her  field  of  labor  was  her  home  where  she  exemplified  all  the  sweet 
Christian  graces  for  which  she  was  noted,  being  always  active  in  her  labors 
of  love  and  tenderness,  never  sparing  herself  when  she  could  do  something 
to  assist  her  family.     She  was  a  model  housewife  as  well  as  mother,  and  her 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1 265 

home  was  a  typical  house  of  the  olden  days  when  hospitality  was  the  crown- 
ing virtue  of  the  Christian  home.  Her  fifty-two  years  of  married  life  were 
passed  in  harmony,  no  discord  ever  marring  the  joy  of  their  long  union. 
After  she  became  a  widow  her  life  and  love  were  devoted  to  her  children. 
She  was  patient  in  all  her  sufferings  and  when  the  time  came  for  her  to  cease 
from  earthly  labors  she  was  fully  prepared  for  the  change,  and  left  behind  her 
an  example  worthy  of  emulation.  Clement  F.  Alexander  was  county  com- 
missioner for  six  years,  was  a  notary  public  for  two  terms,  was  an  elder, 
deacon  and  trustee  in  the  Christian  church  and  was  a  good  and  useful  man. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  F.  Middleton  were  born  two  children,  namely : 
Ida  May,  who  married  Ephraim  Anderson,  was  born  May  i8,  1866,  and  they 
live  in  Hagerstown,  Indiana.  By  this  marriage  two  children  have  been  born, 
Effie  R.,  born  August  15,  1886,  and  Earnest,  born  April  10,  1891 ;  Thomas 
A.,  born  February  14,  1871,  married  Elnora  Hunt,  who  died  October  23, 
1893,  leaving  one  child,  Frances  Edna,  who  died  November  29,  191 1.  Mr. 
Middleton's  second  marriage  occurred  March  30,  1895,  with  Miss  Emma 
Goudy-  They  have  four  children:  Harold,  born  March  12,  1886;  Maurine, 
born  March  21,  1898;  and  Albert  and  Alma,  twins,  born  December  22,  1900. 
He  is  operating  the  home  farm,  since  the  retirement  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  and  is  one  of  the  progressive  and  up-to-date  farmers.  Socially,  he 
and  his  Avife  stand  in  the  front  rank. 

Mr.  Middleton  is  a  pleasant  gentleman  to  all  whom  he  meets,  his  word 
is  that  of  a  man  of  a  high  sense  of  honor  and  he  is  worthy  in  every  respect  of 
the  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens. 


CURTIS  K.  WRIGHT. 


By  a  life  consistent  in  motive  and  action  and  because  of  his  many  fine 
personal  qualities,  Curtis  K.  Wright  of  Union  City,  Randolph  county,  has 
earned  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  people  of  this  locality,  and  in  his 
home,  which  is  the  center  of  a  large  social  circle,  there  is  always  in  evidence 
a  spirit  of  generosity.  He  was  in  his  earlier  years  engaged  in  various  pur- 
suits, but  the  latter  years  have  found  him  one  of  the  leading  undertakers  of 
this  section  of  the  state.  He  has  been  content  to  maintain  his  home  here 
most  of  his  life,  where  he  has  not  only  attained  a  high  degree  of  success  in 
his  business  ventures  but  also  established  a  reputation  for  uprightness  in  all 
the  relations  of  life. 


1266  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

Mr.  Wright  was  born  in  Wayne  township,  Randolph  county,  December 
4,  1850.  He  is  a  son  of  William  Wright,  a  contractor,  and  during  the  last 
year  of  his  business  life  he  was  engaged  in  the  furniture  business  in  Union 
City.  His  death  occurred  in  1909  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  He 
married  Margaret  Jane  Kerlinger,  who  was  born  in  Maryland,  and  her  death 
occurred  in  March,  1905,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  These  parents 
were  members  of  the  Disciple  chu/ch  and  were  loyal  to  its  teachings.  John 
Wright,  the  paternal  grandfather,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  In  early 
life  he  followed  farming,  later  conducting  a  hotel.  His  death  occurred  in 
Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  1874,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  His  wife 
was  Elizabeth  Stewart.  She  was  a  Disciple  and  she  died  in  the  early  eighties. 
The  maternal  great-grandfather  was  James  Stewart,  who  was  born  in  north- 
ern Ireland,  from  which  country  he  came  to  America  when  a  young  man  and 
settled  in  Pennsylvania.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  known  in  her 
maidenhood  as  Margaret  Jane  Kerlinger,  and  was  of  German  ancestry;  she 
was  but  three  years  old  when  her  parents  both  died,  and  she  was  brought  up 
in  the  home  of  an  uncle  who  lived  in  Baltimore,  Maryland.  When  she  was 
about  eighteen  years  old  she  came  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  where  she  met 
William  Wright  and  they  were  afterwards  married. 

Curtis  K.  Wright  was  educated  in  the  common  and.  high  schools,  gradu- 
ating from  the  latter  at  Union  City  in  1868.  When  a  boy  he  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade,  at  which  he  worked  until  he  went  into  the  grocery 
business  as  a  clerk  with  B.  F.  Stewart,  continuing  in  the  same  ten  years, 
enjoying  a  good  trade  and  then  returned  to  carpentering.  In  1883  he  went 
to  Muncie,  Indiana,  and  engaged  in  the  furniture  and  undertaking  business, 
which  he  continued  there  with  very  gratifying  results  for  a  period  of  nine 
years,  then  sold  out  and  removed  to  Union  City  and  again  followed  the 
grocery  business  for  two  years,  then  formed  a  "company,  under  the  lirm 
name  of  Wright  &  Snell,  in  the  undertaking  business,  which  they  conducted 
four  years,  then  our  subject  resumed  carpentering  for  eighteen  months,  then 
bought  out  the  undertaking  firm  of  J.  M.  Campbell,  changing  the  name  to  C. 
K.  Wright  &  Worth,  and  for  a  period  of  sixteen  years  they  continued  doing  a 
large  business  in  Union  City,  Mr;  Worth  selling  his  interest  in  191 1  to 
Gerald  S.  Van  Dyke,  and  the  firm  is  now  Wright  &  Van  Dyke.  They  are 
modernly  equipped  in  every  respect  for  their  work  and  have  well-kept  parlors, 
and  high  grade  and  prompt  service  is  their  aim.  This  is  one  of  the  most 
popular  and  best  firms  of  its  kind  in  this  section  of  the  state. 


i^  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1267' 

Politically,  Mr.  Wright  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men  and 
Rebekahs. 

Mr.  Wright  was  married  March  23,  1871,  to  Sarah  M.  Polly,  who  was 
boin  in  South  Salem,  Indiana,  January  9,  1849.  She  is  a  daughter  of  David 
Polly,  who  died  several  years  ago.  His  wife,  Anna  Spencer,  is  also  deceased. 
Mr.  Wright  has  one  brother,  John  T.  Wright,  a  merchant  in  Kansas  City, 
Kansas,  and  a  sister,  Mrs.  Katherine  O.  Headington,  died  in  Toledo,  Ohio,  in 
1904. 

Mr.  Wright  was  graduated  July  i,  1901,  from  the  Indiana  State  Board 
of  Embalmers.  He  took  a  post-graduate  course  October  17,  1900,  at  the 
Chicago  CJollege  of  Embalming;  also  received  diploma  from  Clark's  School 
of  Embalming  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  March  24,  1899,  also  received  diplomas 
signed  by  Auguste  Renouard  March  18,  1897,  at  the  Renouard  Training  School 
of  Embalming,  also  a  diploma  from  the  Indianapolis  School  of  Embalming, 
in  May,  1892.  Pie  is  thus  exceptionally  well  c[ualified  for  tlie  successful 
carrying  on  of  his  chosen  business.  He  is  a  close  student  and  is  constantly 
on  the  research  for  improved  methods  in  this  field. 

To  Curtis  K.  Wright  and  wife  one  child  has  been  born:  Harry  H.,  born 
January  26,  1873,  in  Union  City  and  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Muncie, 
finishing  in  the  high  school  in  Union  City;  he  married  Emily  Grooms,  who 
was  born  in  Flint,  Michigan,  in  1881,  and  was  graduated  from  the  high  school 
there;  three  sons  have  been  born  to  them,  namely,  Curtis  G.,  was  born  in, 
Pontiac,  Michigan,  July  5,  1903;  Frederick,  born  in  Flint,  Michigan,  April 
5,  1906;  William  J.,  born  April  5,  191 1,  at  Orellia,  Ontario,  Canada.  Harry 
H.  Wright  had  full  charge  of  the  painting  department  of  the  Standard 
Vehicle  Company,  of  Pontiac,  Michigan,  from  1902  to  1906,  and  in  1907  he 
had  charge  of  the  body  department  there,  where  automobiles  are  finished, 
and  one  hundred  men  under  his  direction.  From  1907  to  1909  he  had 
charge  of  the  Buick  painting  department,  and  from  1909  to  191 3  he  had  full 
charge  of  the  painting  department  for  the  Tudhope  Carriage  and  Automobile 
factory  at  Orellia,  Ontario,  Canada.  He  is  regarded  as  being  one  of  the 
best  in  his  line  of  business  and  is  known  in  every  important  factory  of  auto- 
mobiles and  vehicles  in  the  Union  and  Canada  and  his  services  are  in  great 
demand.  He  has  a  method  of  preparing  paints  which  is  superior  to  any  yet 
devised  and  it  is  known  only  to  himself  and  many  factories  are  offering  him 
handsome  sums  for  it,  but  he  prefers  to  keep  the  same  under  his  own  control. 


1268  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

ELMER  E.  FRANKLIN. 

Elmer  E.  Franklin,  is  one  of  Randolph  county's  prosperous  farmers  who 
has  become  so  by  close  application  and  the  exercise  of  sound  judgment, 
rather  than  by  inheritance  and  Jay  depending  upon  others  to  do  what  he 
deemed  best  for  him  to  do  with  his -own  hands  and  brain.  While  each  suc- 
ceeding year  has  found  him  further  advanced  in  a  business  way  it  also  has 
found  him  a  better  and  more  public-spirited  citizen,  for  he  takes  an  abiding 
interest  in  the  general  progress  of  Winchester  and  Randolph  county. 

Mr.  Franklin  was  born  December  6,  1862,  on  a  farm  two  and  one-half 
miles  south  of  Sulphur  Springs,  Henry  county,  Indiana.  He  is  a  son  of  John 
M.  and  Elizabeth  (Denny)  Franklin,  both  parents  having  been  natives  of 
Henry  county,  this  state.  They  grew  to  maturity  there,  were  educated  and 
married,  and  there  the  father  became  a  well-known  miller,  and  also  farmed 
some.  It  was  in  1868  that  the  family  removed  to  Richland  county,  Illinois, 
where  the  father  followed  his  trade  of  miller,  with  the  exception  of  the  first 
year,  which  he  devoted  to  farming.  The  family  remained  in  the  Prairie  state 
for  about  fifteen  years,  when  they  returned  to  Indiana,  locating  at  Newcastle, 
Henry  county,  in  which  city  John  M.  Franklin  soon  devoted  himself  to  mill- 
ing, and  there  the  family  continued  to  reside.  The  death  of  his  wife  occurred 
in  the  spring  of  1882.  He  then  removed  to  Montpelier,  Blackford  county, 
Indiana,  where  he  continued  his  trade  for  three  years,  then  followed  it  two 
years  in  Pennville.  We  next  find  him  in  Yorktown,  Delaware  county,  where 
he  built  a  mill,  then  in  partnership  with  a  Mr.  Maloney,  continuing  to  engage 
in  the  nlilling  business  there  until  his  death  in  July,  1906. 

Elmer  E.  Franklin  left  home  when  ten  years  old  and  came  to  Randolph 
county,  making  his  home  with  his  half-brother,  William  H.  Snyder.  During 
his  boyhood  he  attended  the  public  schools  in  the  various  localities,  where  the 
family  lived.  After  coming  to  this  county  he  attended  school  during  the 
winters,  for  two  or  three  years.  During  this  time  he  was  employed  at  farm 
work,  continuing  thus  until  he  was  married,  July  29,  1887,  to  Ada  Ruble, 
daughter  of  Walter  and  Catherine  (Harmon)  Ruble,  of  this  county.  Mr. 
Ruble  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  but  his  wife  was  a  native  of 
Ohio.  To  our  subject  and  wife  was  born  one  daughter,  Lola,  a  graduate  of 
the  Winchester  high  school  with  the  class  of  1909;  she  also  attended  the 
State  Normal  at  Terre  Haute,  completing  the  training  course  preparatory  to 
teaching;  however,  desiring  to  further  equip  herself  she  then  went  to  the 
Valparaiso  University  for  five  months.  She  has  since  been  a  successful 
teacher  in  the  primary  grade  at  the  Lincoln  school  in  White  River  township. 
She  attended  the  summer  school  at  Winona,  Indiana,  in  1913. 


O 


CO 

W 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I269 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Franklin  settled  on  the  Steven  Moorman  farm, 
just  south  of  where  he  now  lives,  remaining  there  four  years,  during  whith 
time  he  got  a  good  start;  then  he  moved  to  a  farm  near  Maxville  cemetery, 
where  he  lived  for  four  years.  In  1895  the  family  moved  to  their  present 
fine  farm,  four  miles  west  of  Winchester,  on  the  Muncie  road,  the  place  con- 
sisting of  sixty  acres.  On  it  stands  one  of  the  most  modern  country  homes 
in  the  county.  It  is  equipped  with  electric  lights,  telephone,  etc.,  and  an  in- 
terurban  line  is  at  the  door,  a  stop  being  just  in  front  of  the  house.  Mr. 
Franklin  has  always  followed  farming,  with  the  exception  of  two  years,  be- 
ing engaged  in  the  farm  implement  business  in  1909  and  1910,  in  Winchester. 
He  returned  to  the  farm  in  191 1,  preferring  the  country  life  to  that  of  town, 
although  he  was  making  a  success  as  a  merchant.  At  present  he  is  not  as 
active  as  formerly,  gradually  retiring  from  active  life.  His  farm  is  well  im- 
proved and  he  keeps  a  good  grade  of  livestock. 

Mr.  Franklin  has  always  been  a  Republican  and  he  says  he  always  will 
be,  and  he  has  been  deeply  interested  in  public  matters.  He  takes  an  especial 
interest  in  educational  affairs.  He  is  a  well  read  man,  familiar  with  the 
world's  best  literature  in  all  branches,  having  a  large  and  well  selected  li- 
brary, where  he  spends  a  great  deal  of  time.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Encampment  and  his  wife  and  daugh- 
ter belong  to  the  Rebeccas ;  the  two  latter  also  are  members  of  the  Economics 
Club,  an  organization  of  White  River  township  for  the  study  of- economic 
questions.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and 
are  prominent  in  the  social  life  of  the  community. 


JOHN  HAWKINS. 

Standing  for  upright  manhood  and  progressive  citizenship,  John  Hawk- 
ins, long  one  of  Randolph  county's  active  agriculturists  has  been  an  influential 
factor  not  only  in  the  material  welfare  of  his  community  but  also  the  moral 
welfare  of  the  same.  He  is  one  of  the  gallant  "boys  in  blue,"  having  fought 
for  his  country's  honor  in  its  hours  of  direst  need  in  the  great  rebellion  of  the 
sixties.  He  comes  of  an  old  and  highly  esteemed  Hoosier  family,,  the 
genealogy  of  which  is  traceable  to  the  earliest  period  in  the  history  of  this 
section  of  the  Middle  West,  the  Hawkinses  having  braved  the  Avilds  of  the 
same  a  decade  before  the  commonwealth  was  organized,  for  it  was  over  a 
century  ago  that  our  subject's  grandfather  established  his  log  cabin  home  in 
the  wilderness  here,  amid  wild  beasts  and  scarcely  less  wild  men,  this  country 
still  being  the  undisputed  domain  of  the  Indians. 


1270  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

John  Hawkins  was  born  near  Richmond,  Indiana,  September  18,  1836, 
and  is  thus  jDast  seventy-seven  years  of  age.  He  is  a  son  of  Nathan  and 
Sarah  Hawkins.  Nathan  Hawkins  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana, 
April  15,  1808,  and  was  a  son  of  John  and  Lydia  (Comer)  Hawkins,  who 
emigrated  to  Indiana  in  1806.  John  Hawkins  entered  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land  in  Wayne  county,  and  began  the  development  of  a  farm. 
He  also  engaged  in  the  saw  mill  business,  and  there  he  prospered  and  was  a 
prominent  man  among  the  first  settlers.  His  death  occurred  in  1859,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-two  years.  He  at  one  time  owned  a  large  tract  of  land  which 
he  divided  up  among  his  children.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  was  an  Abolitionist,  afterwards  a  Whig  and  later  a  Republican.  His 
children  were  Tamar,  Sarah,  Nathan  and  John. 

Nathan  Hawkins  was  reared  in  the  usual  manner  of  pioneer  farmer  lads 
and  like  his  father  followed  agricultural  pursuits  in  connection  with  the 
operation  of  a  saw  mill.  He  was  successful  in  a  business  way,  and  the  last 
years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  retirement  in  the  city  of  Richmond,  where  his 
death  occurred  July  14,  1890.  He  was  married  in  1829  to  Sarah  Wright, 
who  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  this  state,  in  181 1,  and  was  a  daughter  of 
Elijah  and  Susanna  (Hoover)  Wright,  natives  of  North  Carolina.  The 
familjf  numbered  ten  children,  named  as  follows :  William  established  his 
home  on  a  farm  in  Illinois;  Eliza,  who  married  Daniel  Comer,  is  deceased; 
Lydia  married  C.  Terpening,  of  Arkansas;  John,  of  this  review,  was  next 
in  order  of  birth ;  Henry  became  a  leading  citizen  of  Lynn,  this  county ;  Eli 
is  deceased ;  Jennie  married  J.  Burgoyne ;  Allen  remained  in  Randolph  county ; 
Charles  is  deceased;  George  became  a  citizen  of  Richmond,  Indiana.  The 
mother  of  the  above  named  children  died  October  10,  1867,  and  in  1873, 
Nathan  Hawkins  married  Minnie  Long,  by  whom  he  had  two  children.  Belle, 
who  married  O.  Quigg,  of  Lynn,  Indiana;  and  Omer,  of  Richmond.  The 
second  wife  died  in  1884.  Nathan  Hawkins  became  owner  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  of  land  in  this  county  and  other  valuable  property.  Politically, 
he  was  a  Republican  and  he  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 

John  Hawkins  grew  up  in  his  native  community  on  his  father's  farm, 
and  he  received  a  meager  education  in  the  old-time  schools.  He  enlisted  in 
January,  1862  in.  Company  I,  Fifty-seventh  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  in 
which  he  saw  much  hard  service  and  proved  to  be  a  faithful  defender  of  the 
Union.  He  fought  in  the  great  battles  of  Shiloh,  Stone  River,  Missionary 
Ridge  and  Chattanooga.  In  the  last  named  battle  he  was  wounded  in  the 
right  arm  and  side  and  in  the  left  breast  by  bullets  and  on  top  of  the  left  foot 
by  a  shell.     He  was  in  the  hospital  two  months,  and  was  honorably  dis- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  12/1 

charged  from  the  service  in  September,  1864.  He  returned  home  and  took 
up  general  farming  and  stock  raising  in  which  he  was  very  successful  and 
which  he  followed  until  he  retired  from  active  life  in  1901.  He  lived  many 
years  in  Darke  county,  Ohio  where  he  still  owns  a  fine  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  and  he  also  owns  forty  acres  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana. 

Mr.  Hawkins  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic.  Religiously,  he  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
He  has  filled  all  the  offices  in  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

Mr.  Hawkins  was  married  in  January,  1865,  to  Martha  Jessup,  whose 
death  occurred  May  3,  19 13.  She  was  a  woman  of  beautiful  Christian 
character  and  proved  to  be  a  most  faithful  helpmeet.  Five  children  were 
born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  named  as  follows :  William  H.,  of  Bradford, 
Ohio ;  Sarah  B.  is  at  home ;  Charles  N.  lives  on  the  home  farm ;  John  E.  lives 
at  Ashtabula,  Ohio;  and  Oliver  N.  who  lives  in  Lynn,  this  county. 


ALVAH  C.  HINDSLEY. 


Among  the  pioneer  families  of  Randolph  county,  who,  by  act  and  deed 
have  made  for  themselves  a  prominent  place  in  the  county's  history  is  the 
Hindsley  family.  While  not  among  the  earliest  settlers  of  this  section,  this 
family  located  in  Jackson  township  in  the  early  eighteen  forties.  They  are 
of  North  Carolina  stock,  migrating  from  that  state  in  the  early  part  of  the 
last  century,  and  settling  at  New  Madison,  Darke  county,  Ohio,  where  many 
of  them  now  reside.  Some  twenty  years  later  several  members  of  the 
family  located  in  Jackson  township,  this  county  where  they  have  since  lived, 
and  are  well  and  favorably  known. 

Alvah  C.  Hindsley,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  son  of  Rufus  and  Malinda 
Hindsley,  was  born  in  Jackson  township,  Randolph  county,  December  24, 
1872,  and  is  the  oldest  of  a  family  of  seven  children.  After  acquiring  the 
usual  common  school  education,  he  took  up  the  vocation  of  teaching.  While 
following  that  vocation,  he  added  to  his  educational  training  by  taking  a 
course  of  study  in  the  Central  Normal  College,  at  Danville,  Indiana,  where 
he  also  began  the  study  of  law.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Randolph  county 
bar  in  1893,  when  but  twenty-one  years  of  age.  After  teaching. school  for 
several  years  he  retired,  to  take  up  the  practice  of  law,  which  profession  he 
followed  for  a  short  period. 

In  1898  Mr.  Hindsley  purchased  The  Winchester  Democrat,  at  Win- 
chester, Indiana  and  most  successfully  published  that  paper  for  nearly  thirteen 


12/2  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

years.  By  his  tireless  energy  and  aggressive  policies,  he  made  it  not  only  a 
political  organ  of  power  and  influence,  but  a  newspaper  second  to  none  in  the 
county.  He  was  for  years  a  member  of  the  Indiana  Democratic  Editorial 
Association,  and  at  the  time  of  his  retirement  from  newspaper  work,  was 
treasurer  of  that  association. 

Air.  Hindsley  is  by  nature,  aggressively  inclined  in  his  political  affilia- 
tions, and  by  reason  of  such  has  bgen  often  called  by  his  party  into  positions 
of  leadership.  In  1896  and  again  in  1898,  he  was  the  candidate  of  his  party 
for  prosecuting  attorney  of  the  Twent\-fifth  Judicial  Circuit.  In  1904  he 
was  nominated  for  joint  representative  for  the  counties  of  Randolph,  Jay  and 
Blackford,  but  his  party  being  then  hopelessly  in  the  minorit}-,  was  defeated 
as  a  matter  of  course.  From  1900  to  1904  he  was  secretary  of  the  Randolph 
County  Democratic  Central  Committee,  and  in  1904  was  made  chairman, 
which  position  he  continued  to  hold  for  a  period  of  eight  years. 

In  December,  19 10,  Air.  Hindsley  was  tendered  the  position  of  second 
assistant  Secretary-  of  State  of  the  state  of  Indiana  and  accepted  the  appoint- 
ment, which  position  he  yet  holds.  In  April,  191 1.  he  sold  his  newspaper  and 
soon  thereafter,  with  his  family,  moved  from  A\'inchester  to  Indianapolis, 
where  they  now  reside. 

Air.  Hindsley  was  married  in  November,  1898  to  Gracie  Simmons,  and 
they  have  one  child,  Forrest  Hindsle}-.  a  boy  now  past  ten  }-ears  of  age. 

Air.  Hindsley  has  pro^-en  to  be  a  most  faithful  and  trustworthv  public 
ser\'ant,  uniformly  courteous  and  affable  and  is  popular  with  all  with  ^^-hom 
he  comes  in  contact. 


DANIEL  E.  HOFFMAN. 


The  fifty-five  years  which  Daniel  E.  Hoffman,  widely  known  marble 
worker  of  Winchester,  has  spent  in  Randolph  county  have  brought  to  him 
not  only  proper  financial  rewards,  but  also  the  esteem  of  a  very  wide  ec- 
quaintance.  During  that  long  period  he  has  seen  wonderful  changes  take 
place  here  and  has  not  been  by  any  means  an  idle  spectator,  doing  a  good 
citizen's  part  in  it  all,  for  he  was  impressed  from  the  first  with  the  future  pos- 
sibilities of  the  cit)'  and  county  and  has  manifested  a  heart-felt  interest  in 
them.  He  has  led  a  life  that  might  well  be  studied  by  the  young  man  just 
starting  on  his  career,  for  it  has  resulted  in  a  comfortable  living  for  himself 
and  family,  gained  entirely  by  honorable  means  and  in  a  way  that  has  won 
and  retained  a  host  of  friends  and  given  offense  to  few. 

Mr.  Hoffman  was  born  in  Lebanon  county,  Pennsylyania,  November  2 


D.  E.  HOFFMAN. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I273 

1838,  and  is  a  son  of  John  S.  and  Kate  (Iba)  Hoffman.  The  father  died 
when  our  subject  was  ten  years  of  age,  and  the  latter  was  reared  for  the  most 
part  by  strangers.  After  attending  school  until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age 
he  began  learning  his  trade  of  marble  cutting  at  Lebanon,  but  later  moved 
to  Philadelphia  and  thence  to  Baltimore,  finally  to  Buffalo,  New  York.  By 
the  tirne  he  was  twenty  years  old  he  was  a  most  skilful  workman.  He  came 
to  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  in  1857,  passing  through  Winchester,  with  which 
town  he  was  so  favorably  impressed  he  returned  a  year  later  and  established 
his  permanent  home,  thus  having  lived  here  since  1858.  He  had  but  a  little 
over  one  hundred  dollars  when  he  began  business  here,  and  soon  after  his 
arrival  bought  out  his  only  business  competitor  in  town,  and  in  due  course  of 
time  was  doing  an  extensive  and  rapidly  growing  business,  maintaining  one 
of  the  finest,  best  equipped  and  largest  yards  in  eastern  Indiana  and  enjoying 
a  reputation  for  high-grade  work  second  to  none.  He  manufactures  marble, 
granite  and  all  kinds  of  stone  for  structural  purposes,  or  chisels  them  into  ob- 
jects of  beauty  for  monuments  and  ornamental  purposes  in  general.  He  has 
managed  to  keep  out  all  competition,  his  being  the  only  establishment  of  its 
kind  in  this  section  of  the  state,  and  by  close  application,  strict  attention,  high- 
class  workmanship  and  honest  dealings,  Mr.  Hoffman  has  long  enjoyed  a 
prosperous  business,  amassing  a  handsome  competency  for  his  old  age,  and 
owns  besides  his  valuable  plant  a  splendid  farm  and  attractive  residence.  All 
of  this  he  has  purchased  with  the  proceeds  of  his  own  hands  since  coming 
to  Winchester. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Hoffman  has  manifested  an  abiding  interest  in  the 
agricultural  and  horticultural  development  of  Randolph  county.  For  several 
years  he  served  as  secretary  of  the  Agricultural  Society  of  this  county,  and 
he  has  attended  several  meetings  of  the  State  Horticultural  Society,  as  a  dele- 
gate. He  was  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  society  for  several 
years,  and  one  of  its  vice-presidents.  He  is  an  enthusiastic  horticulturist,  and 
has  done  as  much  perhaps,  as  any  one  in  Randolph  county  to  encourage  im- 
provement in  orchards  and  awaken  an  interest  in  modern  methods  of  this 
vocation. 

Although  active  in  the  affairs  of  the  Republican  party  he  has  preferred 
to  devote  his  attention  to  his  individual  affairs  rather  than  seek  political 
preferment,  however,  he  served  as  marshall  of  Winchester  many  years  ago, 
to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  constituents. 

Mr.  Hoffman  was  married  in  Winchester,  December  4,  1862,  to  Angle 
Carter,  who  was  born  in  Randolph  county  in  1843,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Ed- 
mund and  Polly  (Diltz)  Carter,  a  sterling  pioneer  family  of  this  county. 


1274  RANDOLPH    COUNTY^    INDIANA. 

Five  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoffman,  named  as  fol- 
lows:  Riley,  formerly  of  Union  City,  is  now  connected  with  his  father  in 
the  marble  works  at  Winchester;  Dora  N.,  Katie  and  Abbie  are  all  deceased; 
Nellie  married  Grant  Clevenger  and  they  live  in  Muncie,  Indiana. 

Mr.  Hoffman  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Eagle  and  the 
Improved  Order  of  Red  Men,  and  he  has  filled  all'  the  chairs  in  both  orders. 
He  is  a  man  of  wonderful  information  on  a  wide  range  of  topics  and  is  a 
lover  of  good  books,  having  a  large  collection  of  the  best  in  his  library.  He 
is  one  of  the  best  authorities  on  fruit  growing  in  the  county,  and  he  is  one  of 
our  most  extensive  fruit  growers,  his  orchards  being  among  the  largest  and 
most  carefully  selected  varieties  in  the  state.  He  is  not  only  an  enthusiastic 
horticulturist,  but  also  a  lover  of  fine  livestock,  a  number  of  good  horses  and 
large  herds  of  cattle  and  hogs  being  found  on  his  fine  farm  at  all  seasons.  It 
would  be  hard  to  find  a  better  judge  of  livestock.  His  residence  on  South 
Meridian  street  is  one  of  the  interesting  places  in  Winchester,  the  commodi- 
ous, rambling,  picturesque  house  bfeing  surrounded  by  a  broad,  shady,  well- 
kept  lawn,  on  which  shrubbery,  flowers  and  fruits  grow  in  abundance.  And 
in  the  grounds  a  fountain  plays  around  which  many  varieties  of  birds  gather, 
which  are  carefully  guarded. 

Personally,  Mr.  Hoffman  is  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school  and  a  pleas- 
ant man  to  meet,  plain,  unassuming,  obliging  and  courteous,  a  Nature  lover, 
something  of  a  naturalist,  a  strong-minded,  clean-living  high-thinking  man, 
whose  example  is  worthy  of  emulation. 


F   MARION  HARTER. 


This  gentleman  is  another  of  the  old  soldiers  whom  it  is  a  delight  to 
honor.  They  are  getting  fewer  and  fewer  in  number  and  their  march  is  not 
as  quick  and  full  of  meaning  and  fire  as  it  was  fifty  years  ago  when  they  were 
fighting  for  the  perpetuity  of  the  Union.  But  it  thrills  one  to  see  them  in 
their  old  uniforms,  with  their  tattered  flags  flying  and  their  forms  bent  as 
they  hobble  along  on  their  canes  at  reunions  or  on  Memorial  day  or  the  Fourth 
of -July.  And  how  interesting  it  is  to  hear  them  tell  the  story  of  the  dread- 
ful hardships  they  endured  in  the  hospitals  or  on  the  harassing  marches,  or  in 
the  battles  and  skirmishes,  or  in  the  prison  hells  of  the  Southern  Confederacy. 
But  their  time  is  short  now,  so  all  persons  should  join  in  honoring  them  for 
the  sacrifices  they  made  when  they  were  young  and  full  of  the  love  of  life, 
but  which  was  offered  free  and  gladly  on  the  altar  of  their  country. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I275 

F.  Marion  Harter,  for  many  years  one  of  the  successfvil  agriculturists 
of  Randolph  county,  who  is  spending  his  old  age  in  cjuiet  retirement  in  his 
cozy  home  in  Winchester,  was  born  in  Union  county,  Indiana,  near  College 
Corner,  Ohio,  on  jNIay  20,  1833.  He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Catherine 
(Adams)  Harter,  The  father  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  the  mother  was 
a  native  of  Butler  county,  Ohio.  They  grew  up  in  their  respective  com- 
munities and  received  meager  educations  in  the  old-time  schools.  The  father 
came  to  Ohio  when  a  boy  and  there  married  and  he  and  his  wife  came  to 
Union  county,  Indiana  with  the  early  pioneers  and  traded  a  horse,  saddle  and 
bridle  for  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  the  woods.  They  were 
coui"ageous  and  set  to  work  with  determination,  clearing  the  land  and  erected 
thereon  a  log  cabin.  Their  possessions  increased  with  the  years  and  they 
had  a  good  home  and  farm  there.  In  this  log  cabin  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  born,  and,  being  a  pioneer  child,  he  found  plenty  of  hard  work  to  do 
when  growing  up.  He  received  only  a  meager  schooling,  attending  schools 
in  his  neighborhood  for  only  three  months  a  year  for  a  fe\\-  years.  The 
parents  spent  the  rest  of  their  lives  on  this  farm,  the  mother  dying  in  1837 
when  our  subject  was  four  years  old.  The  father  survived  some  twenty-six 
years,  dying  in  1863. 

F.  Marion  Harter  was  married  on  September  3,  1857  to  Mary  Ellen 
Murphy,  daughter  of  Eli  J.  and  Mary  (Booth)  Murphy,  both  natives  of 
Hamilton,  Butler  county,  Ohio,  and  there  also  occurred  the  birth  of  Mrs. 
Harter.     She  received  the  usual  common  school  training. 

On  August  13,  1862  Mr.  Harter  enlisted  in  Company  H,  Eighty-third 
Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry  and  served  very  faithfully  until  August  12,  1865. 
He  was  never  at  home  from  the  day  of  his  enlistment  until  he  was  mustered 
out  of  the  service.  He  was  in  the  army  in  the  Southwest  and  fought  in 
twenty  different  battles,  including  the  last  battle  of  the  war,  some  of  which 
were  among  the  most  important  of  the  war.  He  was  under  General  Grant 
at  the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  At  Carion  Crow,  Louisiana,  September  3.  1863, 
he  was  taken  prisoner  and  confined  in  a  prison  camp  on  Red  J:^iver  at  Alex- 
andria not  far  from  New  Orleans.  He  was  confined  for  six  months  and  then 
exchanged  and  rejoined  his  regiment  at  Pensacola,  Florida.  With  all  his 
active  service  he  was  never  wounded.  His  regiment  traveled  by  rail  over  six 
hundred  miles,  by  steamboat  over  seven  thousand  miles  and  marched  o^'er 
eighteen  hundred  miles  before  its  mustering  out  at  Galveston,  Texas,  on  Aug- 
ust 12,  1865.     Mr.  Harter  immediately  returned  home  and  rejoined  his  family 


1276  UANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDJANA. 

in  Oxford,  Ohio,  to  which  place  his  wife  and  two  children  had  removed,  and 
soon  thereafter  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Greensfork  township,  Ran- 
dolph county,  Indiana,  and  here  engaged  in  farming  until  1878  when  he 
moved  to  White  River  township,  near  Winchester,  and  continued  farming 
with  his  usual  success,  also  was  engineer  at  the  pumping  station  of  the  Big 
Four  Railroad  until  1888.  He  continued  general  farming  and  stock  raising 
until  1904,  when,  having  accumulated  a  sufficient  competency  to  insure  his 
declining  years  from  want,  he  retired  from  the  active  duties  of  life  and  moved 
to  Winchester  where  he  has  since  resided. 

Four  sons  have  been  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  also  four  daughters, 
named  as  follows:  Joseph  P.,  of  Oklahoma;  Sarah  C,  deceased;  Franklin, 
deceased;  Mary  is  at  home;  Emma  is  deceased;  Catherine  who  married 
Lawrence  Myers,  lives  in  Texas;  Howard  lives  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana; 
Edward  is  deceased. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Harter  voted  the  Republican  ticket,  but  in  1896  he 
turned  Democrat  and  has  since  been  loyal  in  the  support  of  that  party.  He 
has  always  been  active  in  public  matters.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Nelson 
Trusler  Fost,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  at  Winchester.  He  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  since  1856.  He  and  his 
family  affiliate  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  is  now  eighty-one 
years  of  age,  but  is  as  well  preserved  as  many  men  ten  or  fifteen  years  younger, 
having  been  a  ipan  of  good  habits  all  his  life.  He  is  widely  known  in  Ran- 
dolph county  and  highly  respected. 


HARRY  E.  BARRETT. 


One  of  the  best  known  business  men  of  the  younger  generation  in  Union 
City,  Randolph  county  is  Harry  E.  Barrett,  druggist  ancl  banker,  a  man  who 
is  deserving  of  the  large  success  that  he  has.  achieved  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
his  life  has  been  above  all  idle  cavil,  both  from  a  business  and  social  view- 
point. He  is  a  man  of  persistent  inckistry,  sound  judgment  and  wise  fore- 
sight and  would  have  no  doubt  made  a  success  wherever  he  might  have  de- 
sired to  have  cast  his  lot.  He  is  a  man  of  proper  public  spirit  and  has  done 
much  for  the  general  upbuilding  of  the  city  of  his  residence,  being  a  leader  in 
all  movements  calculated  to  result  in  the  general  good. 

Mr.  Barrett  hails  from  the  great  Prairie  state,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Hillsborough,  Illinois,  December  28,   1875.     He  is  a  son  of  Charles  E. 


'aMi:/:t 


i/ 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj   INDIANA.  1277 

liarrett,  who  was  born  in  1848.  He  spent  his  early  life  in  farming  and  is 
now  living  retired  in  Union  City,  having  accumulated  a  handsome  competency 
for  his  old  age.  He  married  Elmaretta  S.  Sipe,  who  was  born  in  1847. 
The  paternal  great  grandfather,  Elisha  Barrett,  was  a  pioneer  farmer  and  a 
neighborhood  preacher,  going  about  among  the  frontiersmen  doing  such 
good  as  he  could  without  thought  of  compensation.  The  maternal  great 
grandfather  was  Henry  Sipe,  whose  wife  was  Jane  Nickey.  The  maternal 
grandparents  were  Alfred  J.  and  Nancy  Sipe. 

Two  children  were  born  to  Charles  E.  Barrett  and  wife,  namely :  Harry 
E.,  of  this  sketch;  and  Pearl,  who  married  Robert  Hill,  at  Saratoga,  Indiana, 
and  he  is  interested  with  his  father  in  business. 

Harry  E.  Barrett  was  educated  in  the  high  school  at  Ridgeville,  Ran- 
dolph county,  Indiana,  the  family  having  moved  from  Illinois  to  this  locality 
when  he  was  young.  After  graduating  from  the  high  school  he  attended 
the  Ridgeville  College  for  three  years,  making  a  special  study  of  languages 
and  literature,  also  mathematics.  .After  leaving  college  he  entered  the  Atlas 
Bank  of  Union  City  as  assistant  cashier,  and  he  has  virtually  spent  his  active 
life  in  the  banking  business,  becoming  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  m- 
fluential  financiers  in  this  section  of  the  county.  On  January  i,  1913  he  pur- 
chased the  drug  store  of  G.  Adolph  Rosenbush,  who  met  his  death  in  an  auto- 
mobile accident.  Since  taking  over  the  drug  store,  he  has  devoted  the  major 
part  of  his  attention  to  the  same  with  the  result  that  the  business  doubled  the 
first  six  months,  and  he  is  enjoying  a  very  large  trade.  He  has  a  neatly  kept 
and  well  stocked  store  that  would  be  a  credit  to  any  city  much  larger  than 
Union  City.  However,  he  still  owns  stock  in  the  Atlas  Bank  and  is  director 
in  the  Permanent  Savings  &  Loan  Association  of  Union  City,  being  treasurer 
of  the  same,  and  is  also  treasurer  of  the  Federal  Club,  of  which  he  is  a  mem- 
ber. He  also  belongs  to  the  Hoosier  Club,  of  Union  City.  Fraternally, 
he  is  a  Mason  and  also  holds  membership  with  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks.  Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat.  He  owns  a  fine  and  valuable 
farm  in  Wayne  township. 

Mr.  Barrett  was  married  December  12,  1900  to  Myrtle  S.  Skiver,  who 
was  born  in  Winchester,  Indiana,  February  28,  1878.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
David  S.  Skiver,  an  extensive  farmer,  who  makes  a  specialty  of  feeding 
cattle. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  one  child  has  been  born,  Richard  A.  Barrett, 
whose  birth  occurred  September  6,  1906. 

(81) 


1278  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

OZZIE  O.  FRAZE. 

The  essential  conditions  of  human  life  are  ever  the  same;  the  sur- 
roundings of  individuals  differ  but  slightly,  and  when  one  man  passes  another 
on  the  highway  of  life  to  reach  the  goal  of  prosperity  before  others  who  per- 
haps started  out  in  their  careers  before  him,  it  is  because  he  has  the  power 
to  use  advantages  which  probabl}-  encompass  the  whole  human  race.  One 
of  the  leading  business  men  of  Union  City,  Randolph  count}',  who  seems  to 
have  had  the  sagacity  to  see  readily  and  grasp  instantly  opportunities  that 
led  to  success  is  Ozzie  O.  Fraze,  widely  known  embalmer  and  funeral 
director,  he  having  been  engaged  in  this  line  of  endeavor  for  a  number  of 
years. 

Mr.  Fraze  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  October  20,  1874.  He  is  a 
son  of  W.  H.  and  Etta  (Fields)  Fraze,  for  many  years  residents  of  this 
county,  later  moving  to  Van  Buren  county,  Michigan,  where  the  father  was 
engaged  in  general  agricultural  pursuits.  His  death  occurred  in  1899.  The 
mother  is  now  living  in  Benton  Harbor,  Michigan.  The  paternal  grand- 
father, John  Fraze,  was  also  a  farmer  all  his  life.  He  died  at  an  advanced 
age  in  1908.  His  widow,  known  in  her  maidenhood  as  Nancy  Lasley,  is 
now  past  eight-six  years  old. 

Ozzie  O.  Fraze  was  reared  on  the  farm  and  educated  at  Benton  Harbor, 
Michigan.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Benton  Harbor  College  with  the 
class  of  1896.  He  took  up  the  study  of  embalming  and  received  his  Indi- 
ana license  in  1908  and  his  Ohio  license  in  191 1.  He  began  life  as  a  farmer, 
which  he  continued  until  he  was  was  twenty-one  years  old,  and  after  leaving 
the  farm  he  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  until  1902,  when  he  moved  to  Win- 
chester, Indiana,  and  entered  the  employ  of  S.  E.  Fraze  in  the  undertaking 
business,  remaining  with  him  until  1909,  when  our  subject  moved  to  Lynn 
and  established  an  undertaking  business  on  his  own  account,  conducting  the 
same  successfully  until  19 10,  when  he  sold  out  and  removed  to  Union  City 
and  bought  out  the  business  of  D.  W.  BickeU  undertaker,  and  in  July,  191 1, 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  uncle,  S.  E.  Fraze,  under  the  firm  name  of 
S.  E.  &  O.  O.  Fraze,  and  this  is  one  of  the  best  and  busiest  firms  of  funeral 
directors  in  Randolph  county,  enjoying  a  lucrative  and  rapidly  increasing 
business.  They  are  well  equipped  in  every  respect  and  maintain  a  neat  and 
modernly  appointed  office  and  parlors.  They  understand  every  phase  of  the 
embalming  and  undertaking  business.  S.  E.  Fraze  has  been  in  the  under- 
taking business  about  twenty-five  years. 

Ozzie  O.  Fraze  was  married  June  8,  1904,  to  Floy  W^atts.  a  daughter 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  12/9 

of  Joseph  Watts,  of  Winchester,  Indiana.  He  is  in  the  postal  mail  service. 
Mrs.  Fraze  grew  to  womanhood  at  Winchester  and  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  there.  To  our  subject  and  wife  one  child  has  been  born, 
Harry  Watts  Fraze,  Vihose  birth  occurred  in  Winchester,  March  i6,  1909. 
The  wife  and  mother  was  born  in  that  city  April  14,  1880. 

Politically,  Mr.  Fraze  is  a  Republican,  and  religiously  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Christian  church.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  Order,  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Owls. 


BERT  E.  WOODBURY. 


While  yet  a  young  man  Bert  E.  Woodbury,  of  the  firm  of  Dunn  & 
Woodbury,  well  known  attorneys  of  Union  City,  has  shown  how  energy, 
persistency  and  lofty  aims  win  a  definite  degree  of  success  early  in  one's 
career,  and,  judging  from  what  he  has  already  accomplished  and  from 
his  evident  innate  abilit}^  we  predict  for  him  a  future  replete  with  much 
larger  things  and  fully  gratified  ambition.  He  seems  to  have  inherited  many 
of  the  attributes  that  win  from  his  worthy  progenitors,  he  being  a  scion  of 
an  excellent  pioneer  family  of  Randolph  county.  He  is  the  present  able  and 
popular  prosecuting  attorney  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Woodbury  was  born  in  Wayne  township,  Randolph  county,  Indiana, 
December  19,  1881,  and  is  a  fine  example  of  the  self-educated  and  self-made 
man.  Early  in  life  he  worked  on  a  farm  and  taught  school  one  term  in 
the  country,  and  four  terms  in  Union  City,  and  by  hard  work,  economy  and 
self-denial  he  acquired  means  whereby  he  was  enabled  to  get  the  professional 
education  which  he  so  ardently  desired  when  a  boy,  and  thus  is  deserving 
of  much  credit  for  making  himself  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  of  Randolph 
county  while  still  quite  young.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  his  native  community  and  in  1907  attended  the  Indiana  Nor- 
mal School  at  Muncie,  Indiana,  and  in  1908  commenced  the  study  of  law 
with  Shockney  Brothers.  He  took  a  three  years'  correspondence  course 
in  law,  and  was  graduated  from  that  school  in  19 10.  He  had  been  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1909,  and  began  practicing  his  profession  in  19 10  in  Union 
City,  he  and  Ernest  M.  Dunn,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work, 
formed  a  partnership  on  August  i,  1911,  under  the  firm  name  of  Dunn  & 
Woodbury  which  still  continues,  having  been  very  successful  from  the  first, 
and  these  bright,  determined  young  men  are  rapidly  forging  to  the  front  rank 
of  Randolph  county  lawyers,  enjoying  a  lucrative  and  constantly  growing 


I280  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

practice.  Mr.  Woodbury  is  a  safe  and  earnest  attorney  as  well  as  a  forceful, 
logical  speaker. 

Mr.  Woodbury  is  a  loyal  Democrat  and  active  in  the  ranks  of  his  party. 
He  was  elected  prosecuting  attorney  of  the  twenty-fifth  judicial  circuit,  which 
comprises  Randolph  county,  in  the  fall  of  1912.  He  won  in  the  face  of  a  large 
Republican  majority,  and  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  only  Democratic 
prosecuting  attorney  ever  elected  in  Randolph  county..  This  indicates  that  he 
is  a  man  of  exceptionally  high  standing  among  his  constitvients  who  place 
much  faith  in  his  ability  and  integrity.  He  is  discharging  the  duties  of  this 
important  office,  with  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Dunn,  in  a  highly  creditable  man- 
ner and  is  winning  just  praise  from  all  classes.  He  is  not  only  profoundly 
versed  in  the  basic  principles  of  law  and  the  statutes  of  Indiana  but  is  stickler 
for  rigid  law  enforcement. 

He  was  married  February  29,  1908  to  Ethyl  Belle  Ward,  who  was  born 
in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  December  26.  1885.  She  is  a  young  lady  of  edu- 
cation and  affable  disposition  which  makes  her  a  favorite  with  her  many 
friends.    They  have  one  child,  James  Eugene  Woodbury,  born  May  23,  1914. 


JOSEPH  M.  SNODGRASS. 

One  of  Randolph  county's  most  scientific  and  progressive  agriculturists, 
dairymen  and  stock  raisers  is  Joseph  M.  Snodgrass  whose  fine  farm  lies  near 
the  city  of  Winchester.  He  is  a  man  deserving  much  credit  for  what  he  has 
accomplished  in  a  business  way,  having  started  in  life  under  none  too  favor- 
able auspices,  and  he  has  gained  a  position  of  comparative  ease  and  promin- 
ence in  his  community  through  his  own  unaided  efforts,  by  hard  work,  good 
management  and  sound  common  sense  which  always  brings  tangible  results 
when  properly  exercised.  Because  of  his  industry,  honesty  of  purpose  and 
his  public-spirit,  coupled  with  his  loyalty  to  all  movements  looking  to  the 
good  of  the  locality  where  he  lives,  he  is  highly  respected  b}'-  all  who  know 
him. 

Mr.  Snodgrass  was  born  in  Clinton  county,  Indiana,  on  a  farm.  He 
is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Anna  (Coffman)  Snodgrass.  The  father  was  born 
in  Bartholomew  county,  Indiana  and  the  mother  was  a  native  of  Tennessee. 
She  died  when  our  subject  was  three  years  old,  and  the  following  year  the 
father  passed  away,  so  Joseph  M.  was  brought  up  by  an  aunt  until  he  was 
twelve  years  of  age  when  he  began  the  battle  of  life  for  himself.  He  man- 
aged to  get  some  education  in  the  country  schools,  which  has  been  greatly 


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RANDOLPH    COUNTYj    INDIANA.  I281 

supplemented  in  after,  life  by  wide  and  miscellaneous  home  reading  and  study. 
He  worked  as  a  farm  hand  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  old,  when  he  was 
married,  November  ii,  1886  to  Josephine  Holmes,  a  daughter  of  John  W. 
and  Rosanna  (Calanbaugh)  Holmes,  of  Franklin  county,  .Indiana.  To  this 
union  two  sons  and  three  daughters  have  been  born,  namely:  Mary,  Verne, 
Waldo,  Carrie  and  May  who  are  all  at  home. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Snodgrass  engaged  in  farming  in  Clinton 
county,  Indiana  for  a  period  of  eighteen  years,  then  engaged  in  the  nursery 
business  in  Clinton  county  for  a  period  of  ten  years,  building  up  a  large  and 
remunerative  business.  Meanwhile  he  gave  his  closest  attention  to  the  study 
of  horticulture.  While  farming  he  experimented  raising  sugar  beets  and 
enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  man  in  Indiana  to  make  a  successful 
demonstration  of  the  practicability  of  the  sugar  beet.  These  experiments 
were  under  the  instructions  of  the  agricultural  department  of  Purdue  Uni- 
versity. Mr.  Snodgrass  also  experimented  along  horticultural  lines  while 
in  the  nursery  business,  especially  in  small  fruits,  berries  and  potatoes.  His 
home  and  grounds  near  Kirklin,  Indiana,  were  a  delight  to  visitors,  and 
were  regarded  as  constituting  the  most  beautiful  country  home  in  the  state. 
It  was  visited  by  large  numbers  of  people  because  of  its  combined  natural 
and  artificial  beauty,  the  tastily  kept  grounds,  artistically  appointed  resi- 
dence and  the  panorama  of  the  surrounding  landscape  being  truly  inspiring. 
While  in  the  nursery  business  he  also  made  a  specialty  of  the  hardy  catalpa 
tree,  and  grew  them  by  the  millions,  shipping  them  all  over  the  United 
States.  He  carried  a  full  and  finely  assorted  line  of  all  kinds  of  nursery 
stock,  and  became  one  of  the  most  widely  known  men  in  this  line  of  en- 
deavor in  the  state. 

In  March,  1910,  Mr.  Snodgrass  left  Clinton  county  and  bought  a  farm 
in  Green  township,  Randolph  county,  where  he  lived  one  year,  sold  out  and 
purchased  his  present  valuable  farm  two  miles  south  of  Winchester.  It 
consists  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-six  acres  of  well  located  and  productive 
land,  and  it  is  Mr.  Snodgrass'  ambition  to  make  this  one  of  the  model  farms 
of  this  section  of  the  state,  and,  judging  from  its  present  well-kept  and 
attractive  appearance  and  his  past  record  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  he  will 
succeed.  It  is  his  aim  to  specialize  in  dairy  products.  He  has  at  this  writing 
a  fine  herd  of  Jersey  cows,  one  of  the  few  registered  herds  in  Randolph 
county.  General  farming  will  also  claim  much  of  his  attention.  He  has 
long  been  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  influential  and  learned  contributors  to 
the  agricultural  and  horticultural  press  of  Indiana.  His  papers  are  always 
of  high  class  workmanship  from  a  literary  standpoint  and  what  he  says 


128^  KAXDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

on  any  subject  is  regarded  as  authority  and  his  articles  have  been  watched 
for  and  eagerly  read  for  years.  He  was  formerly  a  member  of  the  -Indiana 
Horticultural  Society,  and  is  a  regular  correspondent  of  the  Farmer's  Guide, 
published  at  Huntington,  Indiana,  recognized  as  being  one  of  the  best  agri- 
cultural papers  in  the  country. 

Politically,  ]\Ir.  Snodgrass  is  a  Prohibitionist  and  has  long  been  active 
in  the  affairs  of  the  party,  and  while  a  resident  of  Clinton  county  he  \\as  a 
candidate  for  county  offices.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  also 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Randolph 
County  Corn  Growers'  Association,  and  is  secretary  of  the  County  Farmers' 
Institute  and  is  doing  much  to  arouse  general  interest  in  better  methods  of 
agriculture  in  this  county.  Religiously  he  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of 
God.  His  wife  and  members  of  his  family  are  affiliated  with  the  Missionary 
Baptist  church. 


JOHN  H.  LEE. 

An  illustration  of  skill  as  a  farmer  as  well  as  of  the  ability  to  concen- 
trate efforts  along  some  special  line  until  success  is  achieved  in  that  under- 
taking is  found  in  the  case  of  John  H.  Lee,  one  of  the  progressive  citizens  of 
Randolph  county,  who  is  not  only  a  successful  tiller  of  the  soil  as  the  term  is 
usually  understood  but  has  proven  himself  to  be  a  standard  authority  on  live- 
stock, giving  special  attention  to  that  department  of  his  work  from  which  no 
small  part  of  his  annual  income  is  derived.  He  has  spent  most  of  his  life  in 
this  locality,  well  knowing  that  no  better  place  could  be  found  in  this  or  any 
other  state  for  general  agricultural  purposes,  not  only  on  account  of  good  soil, 
but  proper  climatic  conditions,  easy  access  to  large  market  centers  and  other 
minor  reasons. 

]\Ir.  Lee  was  born  in  West  River  township,  Randolph  county,  April  3, 
1859,  on  a  farm.  He  is  a  son  of  Ephraim  and  Elizabeth  Jane  (Ledbetter) 
Lee,  both  natives  of  ^^'ayne  county,  Indiana,  where  they  grew  to  maturity, 
were  educated  and  married  and  from  which  locality  they  eventually  moved 
to  Randolph  county,  locating  on  a  farm  in  West  River  township  in  the  latter 
fifties,  and  here  the  father  prospered,  becoming  one  of  the  extensive  land 
owners  of  this  township. 

John  Lee,  the  great  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of  England 
where  he  spent  his  early  life,  finally  emigrating  to  the  United  States,  being 
shipwrecked  when  crossing  the  Atlantic,  he  and  only  two  others  escaping  with 
their  lives.     He  established  a  home  in  the  east,  and  his  son,  Samuel  Lee, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY^   INDIANA.  I283 

grandfather  of  our  subject,  finally  settled  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  and  there 
his  death  occurred  when  his  son  Ephraim  Lee,  father  of  the  gentleman 
whose  name  initiates  this  review,  was  only  four  years  of  age-  Politically, 
Ephraim  Lee  was  a  Republican  and  was  for  many  years  active  in  public 
matters,  but  was  never  an  office  seeker.  He  and  his  family  were  members 
of  the  Friends  church.  His  death  occurred  in  1906,  his  wife  having  pre- 
ceded him  to  the  grave  in  August,  1899.  They  were  the  parents  of  nine 
children,  namely :  Riley  is  a  retired  farmer  of  Modoc ;  Phoebe  is  deceased ; 
Edward  is  a  farmer  of  West  River  township;  Minus  lives  in  Muncie;  Ar- 
minta  is  deceased;  John  PL,  of  this  review;  Ruth  is  the  wife  of  John  Jones, 
of  Modoc;  Samuel  is  a  carpenter  and  lives  at  Modoc;  Liverna  is  the  wife  of 
Jacob  Ross,  a  farmer  and  they  live  in  Iowa. 

John  H.  Lee  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  he  attended  the  rural 
schools  in  his  district,  and  he  remained  with  his  parents  until  his  marriage 
on  November  28,  1880,  to  Ellen  Keever.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Solomon 
and  Mary  (Earner)  Keever,  of  Randolph  county,  the  father  now  deceased, 
but  the  mother  is  living  in  Modoc.  Mrs.  Lee  grew  to  womanhood  in  her 
native  community  and  received  a  common  school  education.  To  our  sub- 
ject and  wife  one  son  has  been  born,  Boyden,  whose  marriage  took  place 
March  22,  1902,  when  he  espoused  Emma  Miller,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and 
Margaret  (Roadcapp)  Miller,  of  White  River  township,  and  they  have  two 
children,  Lura  and  Willard  Woodrow. 

When  John  H.  Lee  was  first  married  he  began  farming  for  himself 
on  a  farm  near  Modoc.  In  the  fall  of  1891  he  moved  to  Wells  county, 
Indiana,  where  he  lived  five  years  engaged  successfully  in  general  farm- 
ing, but  in  the  fall  of  1896  he  returned  to  Randolph  county  and  settled  in 
White  River  township.  In  the  fall  of  1903  he  moved  to  his  present  farm 
four  miles  southwest  of  Winchester,  which  place  consists  of  eighty  acres, 
well  improved  and  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  on  which  stands 
one  of  the  most  attractive  and  modern  rural  homes  in  the  county.  He  also 
has  substantial  and  convenient  outbuildings,  and  he  devotes  much  of  his 
attention  to  stock  raising  and  feeding  for  the  markets.  Mrs.  Lee  is  a  lady 
of  decided  artistic  temperament,  a  lover  of  nature,  especially  flowers,  and 
the  spacious,  shady  and  well-kept  lawn  bears  evidence  of  her  taste  and 
work  as  a  floriculturist. 

Politically,  Mr.  Lee  is  a  Democrat,  having  been  loyal  to  the  principles 
of  this  party  since  1892,  and  has  been  an  active  party  man.  He  has  been 
precinct  committeeman  several  years,  but  he  has  never  been  an  office  seeker. 


1284  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  German  Baptist  church  and  are 
active  church  workers,  and  influential  in  the  various  affairs  of  the  com- 
munity whether  religious,  educational,  civic  or  material. 


ALLEN  R.  HIATT. 


One  of  the  notable  institutions  of  Randolph  county  is  the  James  Aloor- 
man  Orphans'  Home,  situated  two  ,miles  west  of  Winchester  in  the  midst 
of  a  beautiful  tract  of  174  acres.  The  institution  was  endowed  by  James 
Moorman  October  8.  1888.  and  is  in  charge  of  Allen  R.  Hiatt,  of  Win- 
chester. No  better  choice,  it  seems,  could  have  been  made  of  a  superintend- 
ent, for  under  the  fostering  care  of  Mr.  and  yirs.  Hiatt  the  home  has  become 
everything  that  such  a  home  should  be.  The  children  are  healthy  and  happy, 
and  that  is  the  best  evidence  of  the  ability  and  devotion  of  the  superintend- 
ent and  his  wife.  The  little  orphans  imder  their  charge  are  treated  as  care- 
fully and  tenderly  as  they  ever  treated  their  own  children.  The  home  has 
become  famous  throughout  the  state,  and  that  which  has  given  it  its  reputa- 
tion is  the  character  of  the  children  taken  from  it.  The  labors  of  Mr.  and 
^Irs.  Hiatt  here  proceed  equally  from  the  head  and  heart,  and  that  is  why 
they  are  so  eminently  successful. 

Allen  R.  Hiatt,  the  son  of  Amos  and  Martha  (Robertson)  Hiatt,  was 
born  in  Randolph  county,  April  30,  i860,  and  is  therefore  fifty-four  years 
of  age,  just  in  the  prime  of  his  mature  manhood.  He  is  one  of  a  family  of 
seven  children,  the  names  of  whom  are  Hannah  C,  the  wife  of  William  T. 
Roszell,  a  Randolph  county  farmer;  James  C,  a  builder  of  ^^^inchester,  who 
married  Lizzie  Ferman;  Charles,  a  Minnesota  farmer,  who  married  Mary 
Cox;  Rosa  Elmeda,  the  wife  of  Nelson  Culbertson,  of  Albany;  Mary  Ehza- 
beth,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eight  years :  our  subject,  Allen  R. ;  and  Ella,  who 
died  at  thirty-seven.  The  latter  was'the  wife  of  James  Reitnour  and  left  three 
children. 

The  ancestors  of  the  Hiatt  family  in  Indiana  were  the  Van  Hiatts  *of 
^^'ales.  Four  brothers  came  together  to  this  country  and  from  these  the 
present  family  sprang.  In  the  course  of  time  the  Van  was  dropped,  the 
name  assuming  the  simple  form  of  Hiatt.  The  name  is  now  quite  common 
in  the  nomenclature  of  American  cognomens.  Amos  Hiatt,  the  father  of 
the  subject  of  this  review,  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Guilford  county,  North 
Carolina,  and  has  been  a  farmer  all  his  life.  He  was  married  twice,  and 
by  his  first  wife,  nee  Bales,  he  had  five  children — John  Wesley,  who  died  in 
the  army;  Samuel  IMartin.  Louisa,  Melissa  and  Evaline. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I285 

February  lo,  1883,  Allen  R.  Hiatt  was  married  to  Emma  E.  Trueblood, 
daughter  of  Jonathc^n  Trueblood,  a  farmer  of  Blackford  county.  Six  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them,  only  two  of  whom  are  living.  The  eldest,  Edith 
May,  married  Ottis  Hoskinson,  an  Adams  county  farmer,  and  has  one  child, 
Helen  Louise,  born  May  16,  1913;  the  son,  Lawrence  Douglas,  born  ni 
October,  1892,  is  with  his  father  on  the  farm.  The  other  children  died  in 
infancy. 

Mr.  Hiatt  took  up  the  business  of  farming  equipped  with  a  liberal  educa- 
tion of  the  local  schools,  and  this  he  has  enlarged  by  application  in  various 
branches  of  information.  Anything  pertaining  to  the  advancement  or  more 
scientific  treatment  of  his  business  he  is  especially  interested  in.  It  is  by 
adopting  the  methods  of  such  advanced  farmers  as  Mr.  Hiatt  that  farming 
has  been  brought  up  to  its  present  great  productive  capacity.  He  believes 
in  the  application  of  scientific  methods,  making  of  farming  a  more  intel- 
lectual occupation.  To  him  it  is  something  of  an  ideal,  presenting  equal 
advantages  for  both  mental  and  physical  culture.  Mr.  Hiatt  is  a  member 
of  the  Christian  church  and  is  a  Progressive  in  politics.  And  in  both  church 
and  political  matters  he  takes  a  deep  interest.  All  beneficent  and  charitable 
enterprises  of  the  church  receive  his  hearty  approval  and  assistance.  He 
is  not  one  of  those  confirmed  pessimists  who  believe  that  the  church  has  lost 
its  spirituality  and  has  declined  into  a  mere  practical  and  material  organiza- 
tion, but  that  it  has  all  the  vigor  of  its  palmy  days  and  is  growing  in  poten- 
tiality. The  Progressive  movement,  Mr.  Hiatt  considers  essential  to  the 
development  of  political  and  social  conditions. 


OLIVER  PERRY  MOTE. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  initiates  this  paragraph  is  one  of  the  worthy 
native  sons  of  Randolph  county  and  we  are  glad  to  give  our  readers  a  brief 
outline  of  his  life  record,  for  he  is  deemed  eminently  worthy  of  representa- 
tion along  with  the  industrious  citizens  of  the  locality  embraced  by  this  work, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  he  belongs  to  the  energetic  class  that  has  contributed 
to  the  later-day  progress  .of  this  favored  section  of  the  great  Hoosier  com- 
monwealth. He  enjoys  the  respect  of  all  who  know  him  for  he  has  led  an 
honorable  life,  and  he  is  known  to  be  a  man  of  practical  intelligence  and 
mature  judgment. 

Oliver  Perry  Mote  was  born  in  Wayne  township,   Randolph  county, 


1286  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

June  I,  i860.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Emilia  (Mikesell)  Mote.  The 
father  was  born  near  New  Madison,  Ohio,  June  7,  1816.  He  was  a  son  of 
Jonathan  and  Alary  Mote.  Jonathan  Mote  was  born  in  Georgia  in  January, 
1788,  and  in  18 10  he  emigrated  north  to  Ohio,  and  entered  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land,  which  he  cleared  and  farmed  until  i860  when  he  sought 
another  new  country,  removing  to  the  state  of  Iowa  where  he  bought  six 
hundred  acres-  of  land,  which  he  farmed  on  an  extensive  scale  until  his  death 
in  1873.  His  wife  died  in  earty  life  in  1835.  Henry  Mote,  our  subject's 
father,  grew  to  manhood  amid  pioneer  conditions  and  assisted  his  father 
with  the  work  on  the  farm.  Owing  to  the  newness  of  the  locality  where 
he  lived  when  a  boy  he  had  little  opportunity  to  obtain  an  education.  In 
1856  he  moved  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana  and  located  in  Wayne  township, 
where  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  seventy-six  acres,,  which  he  cleared 
and  farmed  practically  until  his  death  on  November  28,  1878.  Politically, 
he  was  a  Republican,  and  he  was  justice  of  the  peace  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  was  an  influential  man  in  his  neighborhood  and  was  respected  by  all  who 
knew  him.  Fraternally,  he  belonged  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows. He  and  Emilia  Mikesell  were  married  in  1836.  She  was  born 
February  14,  1818,  near  New  Madison,  Ohio,  and  her  death  occurred  July  3, 
191 1,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-three  years.  To  the  parents  of  our  sub- 
ject thirteen  children  were  born. 

Oliver  P.  Alote  grew  up  on  the  home  farm  and  received  a  common 
school  education.  In  1878  he  began  farming  for  himself  on  the  home  place. 
In  1892  he  moved  near  the  village  of  Crete.  In  1902  he  purchased  seventy- 
five  acres  there  which  he  has  since  farmed,  making  a  specialty  of  tobacco 
raising. 

Politically,  Mr.  Alote  is  a  Progressive.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  religiously  he  belongs  to  the  Christian 
church.  He  was  township  trustee  from  1904  to  1908,  filhng  this  office  to 
the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned. 

Mr.  Mote  was  married  September  29,  1883  to  Emma  A.  Thomas,  who 
was  born  October  16,  1864  on  the  farm  where  she  now  lives.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  Henry  and  Alary  A.  Thomas. 

Nine  children,  one  of  whom  is  deceased,  have  been  born  to  Air.  and  Mrs. 
Alote,  named  as  follows:  Carl  H.  lives  in  Indianapolis;  Grace  L.  is  the  wife 
of  Roy  H.  Starbuck,  of  Winchester;  Cleo  is  at  home;  Alary  is  the  wife  of 
O.  L.  Spahr,  of  Portland ;  Nellie  is  teaching  school  in  Greensf ork  township ; 
Rufus,  Donald  and  Ray  Dean  are  all  at  home. 


UANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  ijSj 

JOHN  WILLIAM  CRIST. 

It  is  the  custom  with  many  farmers,  even  in  this  day  of  known  advan- 
tage of  putting  all  corn  and  hay  raised  on  a  farm  into  stock,  to  sell  the  grain 
which  they  raise  and  only  deal  to  a  limited  extent  in  livestock.  Time  has 
shown  that  this  course  is  unwise,  and  those  farmers  who  still  stick  to  that 
obsolete  custom  are  the  losers.  It  is  found  that  the  best  results  are  obtained 
from  making  the  sale  of  live  stock  the  first  consideration,  and  it  is  not  neces- 
sary to  point  out  that  most  of  the  successful  farmers  have  adopted  long  ago 
this  practice.  Aside  from  the  improvement  of  the  farm  and  perhaps  the  deal  - 
ings  in  farms,  it  is  probably  the  fact  that  the  great  majority  of  the  wealthiest 
farmers  have  obtained  the  major  portion  of  their  wealth  in  the  judicious 
handling  of  live  stock. 

One  of  the  successful  farmers  and  stock  raisers  of  Randolph  county  is 
John  William  Crist,  who  was  born  near  Spartanburg,  Indiana,  February  2, 
1868.  He  is  a  son- of  Sanford  and  Mary  A.  (Corbett)  Crist.  The  father 
was  born  in  Hancock  county,  Ohio,  November  17,  1842,  and  was  a  son  of 
Charles  and  Mary  (Flatter)  Crist.  Mary  A.  Corbett  was  born  near  Spartan- 
burg, October  9,  1849.  Charles  Crist  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1809, 
where  he  lived  until  he  came  to  Ohio  and  from  that  state  he  removed  to  Ran- 
dolph county,  Indiana  in  1856,  locating  near  Spartanburg,  where  he  bought 
seventy  acres  of  land,  which  he  operated  until  his  death  in  1889.  Politically, 
he  was  a  Democrat,  and  in  religious  matters  was  a  Universalist.  Sanford 
Crist  grew  up  on  the  home  farm  and  received  his  education  in  the  rural 
schools.  He  devoted  most  of  his  active  life  to  farming,  retiring  in  1909  and 
moved  to  Spartanburg  where  his  death  occurred  in  June,  1913.  He  was  a 
veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  having  enlisted  in  August,  1863,  in  Company  B, 
Seventh  Indiana  Cavalry,  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Regiment.  He  did 
guard  duty  at  Indianapolis,  where,  six  months  later  he  took  typhoid  fever 
and  was  discharged.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
belonged  to  the  Masons  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  His 
widow  is  still  living,  making  her  home  with  their  son,  John  W.  Crist,  of 
this  sketch,  their  only  child. 

John  W.  Crist  grew  up  on  the  home  farm  and  received  a  common  school 
education.  He  has  remained  on  the  home  place  and  has  followed  farming 
and  stock  raising  all  his  life.  Being  the  only  child  he  inherited  the  home- 
stead of  seventy-five  acres  which  he  has  kept  well  improved  and  well  culti- 
vated. The  farm  is  all  tillable  and  it  has  a  good  set  of  buildings.  He  makes 
a  specialty  of  raising  Poland-China  hogs. 


1288  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Mr.  Crist  was  married  May  19,  1888  to  Pearl  Hill,  and  to  them  four 
children  have  been  born,  namely :  Fae  is  the  wife  of  Wendell  Middleton,  of 
Spartanburg;  Roy  is  at  home;  Thomas  died  December  29,  191 1  at  the  age 
of  twelve  years ;  Russell  is  at  home. 

Politically,  Mr.  Crist  is  a  Democrat.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  Order, 
the  Knights  of  Pythias,  also  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the 
Encampment,  having  passed  all  the  chairs  in  both  local  lodges,  and  is  now 
secretary  of  the  Odd  Fellows  and  recorder  of  the  Encampment.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Indiana.  Religiously,  he  belongs  to  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


WILLIAM  H.  MOTE. 


The  people  who  constitute  the  bone  and  sinew  of  this  country  are  cer- 
tainly not  those  who  are  unsettled  and  unstable;  who  change  from  one  occu- 
pation to  another;  who  take  no  interest  in  public  affairs,  never  assist  in 
establishing  schools,  churches  and  in  encouraging  the  enforcement  of  laws. 
The  backbone  of  this  countr}'  is  made  up  of  the  families  who  have  made 
their  homes;  who  are  alive  to  the  best  interests  of  the  community  in  which 
they  reside;  who  are  so  honest  that  it  is  no  trouble  for  their  neighbors  to 
know  it;  who  attend  to  their  own  business  and  are  too  busy  to  attend  to 
that  of  others;  who  work  on  steadily  from  day  to  day,  taking  the  sunshine 
with  the  storm  and  who  rear  a  family  to  a  comfortable  home  and  an  honest 
life.  Such  people  are  always  welcome  in  any  community.  They  are  wealth 
producers.  Randolph  county  has  been  blessed  with  a  goodly  number  of  such, 
among  whom  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

William  H.  Mote,  the  present  popular  and  efficient  postmaster  at  Union 
City  was  born  June  7,  1869,  in  Wayne  township,  Randolph  county.  He  is  a 
son  of  Rufus  G.  and  Elmira  (Turner)  Mote.  The  father  was  bom  in 
Darke  county,  Ohio,  and  is  still  living.  The  mother  was  born  near  Win- 
chester, Indiana,  and  is  also  still  living.  Rufus  G.  ]\Iote  was  a  soldier  in 
Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantr^^ 
under  Captain  Nefif,  having  enlisted  in  1863,  from  Randolph  county,  serv- 
ing until  the  close  of  the  war  in  a  most  creditable  manner.  He  was  with 
Sherman  in  the  Atlanta  compaign  and  was  with  Thomas  at  Nashville.  He 
thus  took  part  in  many  important  battles  and  campaigns.  He  has  devoted 
his  active  life  to  general  farming  but  is  now  living  retired  in  Union  City. 


W.  H.  ilOTl-: 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA,  I289 

His  family  consisted  of  only  two  children,  William  H.,  of  this  sketch,  and 
Olive  v.,  now  deceased. 

William  H.  Mote  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  where  he 
worked  hard  when  a  boy  and  received  a  good  education  in  the  common 
schools,  later  was  graduated  from  the  Eastern  Indiana  Normal  at  Portland, 
also  was  graduated  from  Valparaiso  College.  He  was  clerk  in  the  county 
treasurer's  office  under  Turner  and  Harland  Ruby.  He  then  returned  to 
the  farm  and  successfully  engaged  in  tilling  the  soil  in  this  county  until  1899. 
in  which  year  he  organized  a  business  at  Bartonia,  now  known  as  the  Farm 
Supply  Company,  dealing  in  farm  implements,  hardware  and  a  number  of 
things  used  by  all  farmers.  He  got  a  very  good  start,  but  discontinued 
the  business  there  in  1901,  and  moved  the  same  to  Union  City.  Mr.  Mote 
was  at  that  time  head  of  the  concern  and  his  energy,  sound  judgment  and 
honest  dealings  made  it  a  pronounced  success  and  it  has  steadily  grown  to 
the  present  time.     He  is  now  a  stockholder  in  the  same. 

]\Ir.  Mote  has  ever  taken  an  abiding  interest  in  public  affairs.  He  served 
four  years  in  the  common  council  of  Union  City  to  which  he  was  elected 
in  1906,  his  term  expiring  in  19 10,  and  during  that  period  he  did  much  for 
the  permanent  good  of  the  city.  He  is  a  loyal  Republican  and  has  been 
influential  in  local  political  affairs  for  some  time.  He  was  appointed  post- 
jnaster  at  Union  City  February  16,  191 1,  under  President  Taft.  His  term 
expires  in  February,  191 5.  He  is  discharging  the  duties  of  the  same  in  a 
highly  acceptable  manner  to  the  people  and  the  administration.  He  owns  a 
pleasant  home  in  Union  City.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  the 
Golden  Eagle  at  Bartonia,  also  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order  at  Union 
City.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church  and  is  chairman  of  the  official 
board  of  the  same. 

Mr.  Mote  was  married  October  12,  1892,  to  Florence  E.  Woodbury, 
who  was  born  south  of  Union  City  in  Randolph  county,  June  18,  1874.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  Samuel  C.  and  Alice  (Galloway)  Woodbury,  the  father  a 
native  of  Indiana  and  the  mother  of  Ohio.  Mrs.  Mote  received  a  common 
school  education,  was  also  graduated  from  the  high  school  at  Union  City 
(on  the  Ohio  side).     She  taught  one  term  of  school  before  her  marriage. 

Two  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mote,  namely :  Harriet 
A.,  born  September  8,  1893,  is  now  a  student  in  Northwestern  University; 
she  is  a  talented  musician  and  is  studying  both  vocal  and  instrumental  music. 
Seibert  W.,  the  son,  was  born  July  i,  1898,  and  is  now  attending  high  school 
in  Union  City. 


1290  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

ALBERT  C.  HINSHAW. 

It  is  a  good  sign  when  so  many  of  the  residents  of  a  county  are  found  ■ 
to  have  been  born  within  her  borders.  It  indicates  that  they  have  found 
right  at  home  all  the  opportunities  necessary  for  the  gratification  of  their 
ambitions  in  a  business,  political  and  social  way,  and  it  also  indicates  stability. 
One  is  reminded  that  "A  rolling  stone  gathers  no  moss."  That  young  man 
is  evidently  the  wisest  who,  when  conditions  will  permit,  remains  in  his  na- 
tive locality  and  addresses  himself  to  the  improvement  of  conditions  he  finds 
there  and  to  his  personal  advancement  along  such  lines  as  he  may  choose, 
selecting  those  things  for  which  he  is  best  fitted  by  nature.  One  such  is  Al- 
bert C.  Hinshaw,  the  present  able  superintendent  of  Fountain  Park  cemetery, 
at  Winchester,  Randolph  county. 

Mr.  Hinshaw  was  born  at  Lynn,  Randolph  county,  October  28,  1873.  He 
is  a  son  of  Rev.  Simpson  S.  and  Rachael  (Peek)  Hinshaw.  The  father  was 
born  near  Lynn,  this  county,  but  the  mother  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina, 
from  which  state  she  came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  with  her  parents 
when  about  three  years  old.  The  father  was  an  earnest  minister  in  the 
Friends  church  and  served  various  charges  in  Randolph  county  with  much 
satisfaction  to  his  congregations,  and  was  pastor  of  the  Winchester  church 
of  this  denomination  for  about  seven  years.  His  death  occurred  June  26, 
1901,  in  Winchester,  in  which  city  his  widow  still  resides.  To  these  parents 
three  daughters  and  two  sons  were  born  who  are  still  living  and  three  chil- 
dren died  in  infancy,  namely :  Millie  A.,  formerly  Mrs.  Grant  Ward,  of 
Muncie,  Indiana,- married  second  to  John  Best;  Albert  C,  of  this  review; 
Myrtle,  now  Mrs.  Charles  Albright,  of  Winchester;  Lillie  is  the  wife  of 
Porter  Chenoweth,  of  Lynn,  Indiana;  and  Dr.  H.  E.,  of  Richmond,  this  state. 

Albert  C.  Hinshaw  was  nine  years  old  when  he  came  with  his  parents 
to  ^Vinchester  and  here  he  has  remained  to  the  present  time.  He  received  a 
public  school  education.  He  began  life  for  himself  as  clerk  which  occupation 
he  followed  several  years.  On  November  21,  1893,  he  married  Mary 
Weaver,  who  was  born  September  16,  1873.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Caroline  (Henizer)  Weaver,  of  Winchester,  both  parents  still  living  here. 

Three  children  havebeen  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  namely:  Merle 
R.,  Thelma  C,  and  Ralph  C,  all  at  home  with  their  parents. 

Mr.  Hinshaw  learned  the  painter's  trade,  becoming  quite  an  expert  and 
for  a  period  of  ten  years  he  was  in  the  employ  as  painter  of  Knecht  and 
Thomas,  pump  manufacturers,  then  became  a  house  painter  with  the  firm  of 
Coats  &  Kem,  of  Winchester,  with  whom  he  remained  for  several  years. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  1 29 1 

giving  eminent  satisfaction  as  he  had  his  former  employers.  For  awhile  he 
was  in  business  for  himself,  then,  in  1912  he  was  elected  superintendent  of 
Fountain  Park  cemetery  at  Winchester  and  has  since  devoted  his  attention 
to  this  with  fidelity  and  energy  which  have  proven  him  to  be  a  good  man  for 
the  position.  This  cemetery  is  one  of  the  most  artistically  platted  and  beau- 
tifully kept  of  all  the  cemeteries  in  the  Middle  West,  and  Mr.  Hinshaw  has 
a  just  pride  in  the  tasty  appearance  of  his  charge. 

Politically,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  while  interested  in  public  matters  is 
not  especially  active.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men, 
and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of 
the  Friends  church  and  are  active  in  church  and  Sunday  school  work. 


UNION  B.  HUNT. 


No  one  perhaps  in  Randolph  county  is  more  widely  known  than  Union  B. 
Hunt,  who  was  born  in  Nettle  Creek  township,  September  2,  1864.  He  is  a 
son  of  Joshua  P.  and  Rachel  Howell  Hunt.  Having  been  born  during  the 
Civil  war  and  his  father  being  a  loyal  supporter  of  the  Federal  Government, 
he  was  christened  "Union".  His  paternal  grandfather,  John  Hunt,  was  a 
native  of  Kentucky  and  was  colonel  of  a  regiment  in  the  war  of  1812. 

The  greater  part  of  the  life  of  Mr.  Hunt  has  been  spent  in  Randolph 
county,  the  early  years  of  his  boyhood  having  been  spent  in  Vermilion 
county,  Illinois.  During  his  boyhood  days,  he  worked  on  a  farm,  later  clerked 
in  a  store  and  engaged  in  other  occupations.  He  studied  law  in  the  office  of 
Watson  and  Watson  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  1889,  forming  a  part- 
nership with  John  R.  Wright  under  the  firm  name  of  Wright  and  Hunt.  This 
partnership  continued  for  a  number  of  years,  when  a  new  partnership  was 
formed  with  C.  L.  and  T.  W.  Hirtchens  under  the  firm  name  of  Hutchens, 
Hunt  and  Hutchens,  the  latter  partnership  continuing  up  to  1898,  when  he  was 
nominated  by  the  Republican  party  for  secretary  of  state  of  Indiana,  to 
which  position  he  was  elected  and  re-elected  in  1900.  In  1892  he  engaged  in 
the  newspaper  business,  buying  a  half  interest  in  the  Winchester  Herald,  one 
of  the  leading  Republican  newspapers  in  the  state,  assuming  practically  the 
entire  editorial  charge  of  the  paper  and  continued  in  that  work  for  about  four 
years,  in  the  meantime  keeping  in  close  touch  with  his  law  practice.  At  the 
expiration  of  his  term  as  secretary  of  state,  Mr.  Hunt  returned  to  Winches- 
ter and  re-engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  with  Hon.  Enos  L.  Watson  under 
the  firm  name  of  Watson  and  Hunt.    This  partnership  continued  until  1903, 


1292  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

when  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  Indiana  Railroad  Commission  and 
was  by  his  colleagues  elected  chairman  of  that  Commission,  which  position 
he  filled  until  December  i,  1908,  when  he  resigned  to  accept  the  presidency 
of  the  Supreme  Lodge  Knights  of  Pythias  Insurance  Department,  which  po- 
sition he  now  holds.  This  position  is  one  of  importance  in  the  business  world, 
as  the  institution  of  which  he  is  president  has  a  membership  of  71,000,  repre- 
senting one  hundred  million  dollars  ®f  insurance,  the  society  having  assets  of 
more  than  six  million  dollars. 

Mr.  Hunt  has  occupied  many  prominent  positions  in  the  Order  of 
Knights  of  Pythias,  having  served  in  various  grand  lodge  offices  in  Indiana, 
first  being  appointed  Grand  Instructor,  following  which  he  was  elected  Grand 
Vice  Chancellor  and  elected  Grand  Chancellor  in  1897.  He  was  chosen  as 
Supreme  Representative  in  1901  and  continued  as  such  representative  for  ten 
years. 

While  Mr.  Hunt  does  not  at  this  time  take  an  active  part  in  politics,  he 
is  a  Republican  and  was  for  many  years  active  and  influential  in  the  work  of 
that  party,  having  made  speeches  in  every  county  in  the  state  except  one  and 
has  spoken  several  times  in  a  number  of  counties ;  not  only  has  he  addressed 
audiences  in  behalf  of  the  political  party  he  represents,  but  since  he  became 
identified  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  he  has  spoken  before  the  grand  lodges 
in  every  state  in  the  Union  and  in  many  of  the  Canadian  provinces  in  behalf 
of  fraternal  organizations  and  especially  in  behalf  of  the  Insurance  Depart- 
ment of  which  he  is  the  president. 

On  November  i,  1891,  he  married  Mary  M.  Hinshaw,  who  was  the 
daughter  of  Absalom  and  Eliza  Hinshaw.  To  them  was  born  one  child, 
Ethel,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  K.  R.  Davis,  of  Indianapolis. 


JAMES   M.    HAMILTON. 

One  of  the  best-known  and  highly  respected  citizens  of  Randolph  county 
is  James  M.  Hamilton,  who,  for  over  three  continuous  decades  has  been 
employed  as  railway  mail  clerk,  his  long  retention  being  a  criterion  of  his 
faithful  and  able  service.  He  is  a  scion  of  one  of  our  best  old  families,  but 
he  has  attained  his  present  high  standing  among  his  fellow-men  almost  solely 
through  the  impelling  force  of  his  personality.  He  possesses  not  only  those 
powers  which  render  men  efficient  in  the  material  affairs  of  life,  but  also  the 
gentler  traits  that  mark  genial  and  correct  social  intercourse.     In  his  daily 


fcd 

> 


o 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,   INDIANA.  I293 

affairs  he  manifests  a  generous  regard  for  his  fellows,  actuated  by  principles 
of  altruism  and  honesty  and  no  man  in  the  county  commands  and  merits 
more  fully  the  good  will  of  the  people. 

Mr.  Hamilton  was  born  at  Waterloo,  Fayette  county,  Indiana,  Sep- 
tember 2,  1845,  and  is  the  third  son  of  Captain  Robert  Washington  Hamil- 
ton and  Malinda  (Matthews)  Hamilton.  Captain  Hamilton  was  a  prom- 
inent man  in  his  day  and  generation,  one  of  the  leading  physicians  and 
surgeons  of  this  section  of  the  state.  He  was  born  in  Montgomery  county. 
West  Virginia,  March  4,  1818.  He  was  a  son  of  J.  S.  and  Eliza  (, Courtney) 
Hamilton,  and  the  third  of  a  family  of  twelve  children.  His  father  was  born 
in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  November  5,  1792,  and  his  mother  in  Castle  Daw- 
son, Ireland,  in  1796.  When  twelve  years  of  age,  she  came  with  her  parents 
to  America,  the  family  locating  in  Montgomery  county,  in  what  was  then 
Virginia,  and  there  she  grew  to  womanhood,  met  and  married  Mr.  Hamilton, 
and  in  that  locality  they  resided  until  1832  when  they  came  west  to  Fayette 
county,  Indiana,  where  they  bought  a  farm  on  which  they  spent  the  rest  of 
their  lives,  his  death  occurring  in  1879,  she  having  preceded  him  to  the  grave 
in  1875. 

Robert  W.  Hamilton  was  fourteen  years  old  when  he  accompanied  his 
parents  to  the  Hoosier  state  and  here  he  grew  to  manhood,  helping  his  father 
clear  and  develop  the  homestead,  remaining  there  until  he  was  eighteen 
years  of  age.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his 
native  state  and  in  Fayette  county,  this  state.  In  1837  he  went  to  Rich- 
mond, Coles  county,  Illinois,  and  began  life  for  himself  by  engaging  in  the 
grocery  business  which  he  conducted  but  a  short  time.  While  there  he 
married,  February  13,  1839,  Mrs.  Malinda  Matthews,  nee  Lowell.  Soon 
thereafter  they  came  to  Waterloo,  Fayette  county,  Indiana,  and  there  located, 
Four  years  later  they  removed  to  Hillsboro,  Wayne  county,  Indiana;  his 
wife's  death  occurring  in  Richmond  on  August  15,  1854.  He  subsequently 
married  Mrs.  Sarah  (Stetler)  Bascom,  and  they  located  in  Lynn,  Randolph 
county,  1855,  and  here  Captain  Hamilton  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine until  his  death,  August  3,  1891.  He  was  a  successful  and  popular  gen- 
eral family  doctor,  one  of  the  leaders  of  his  profession  in  his  day  and  genera- 
tion in  this  section  of  the  state.  His  second  wife  had  preceded  him  to  the  grave 
on  May  i,  1881,  and  on  May  4,  1882,  he  married  Mrs.  Eliza  Laison.  As 
before  intimated,  his  union  with  his  first  wife  resulted  in  the  birth  of  three 
(82) 


1294  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

sons,  viz.:  James  Alexander,  died  in  infancy;  Wm.  A.,  was  a  graduate  of 
Ann  Arbor.  He  was  rapidly  becoming  a  popular  physician  at  Lynn,  but  died 
on  October  13,  1874.  He  was  also  a  soldier  in  Company  C,  Xineteenth 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  ser\ing  three  full  years  in  the  army  of  the  Po- 
tomac; James  M.,  subject. 

Dr.  Robert  ^^^  Hamilton  began  the  study  of  medicine  when  seventeen 
years  of  age  at  Brownsville,  Indiana,  and  he  completed  his  studies  at  Water- 
loo.    He  began  practice  at  Hillsboro,  in  1848,  and  from  that  time  until  the 
end  of  his  life,  a  period  of  forty-three  years,  he  enjoyed  an  ever  growing 
and  lucrative  practice,  with  the  exception  of  a  year  and  a  half  spent  in  the 
army  during  the  Civil  war.     He  had  the  remarkable  record  of  never  losing 
a  case  of  diphtheria  or  scarlet  fever.     In  July,  1861,  he  enlisted  as  a  recruit 
in  Company   C,    Xineteenth   Indiana  A^olunteer   Infantry,   and   was   chosen 
captain  of  the   same,  being  the  first  commissioned  officer   from   Randolph 
county  in  the  three  years'  ser^ice.     Hon.  W.  E.  Murray  was  the  first  man 
enlisted  in  the  company.     The  doctor  proved  to  be  a  gallant  and  efficient 
soldier  for  the  Union,  but  after  eighteen  months  he  was  compelled  to  resign 
on  account  of  ill  health,  receiving  a  paralytic  stroke  in  September,  1861,  from 
which  he  never  fully  recovered.     In  addition  to  his  duties  of  commanding 
officer  he  was  registered  as  acting  surgeon,  and  rendered  a  great  deal  of 
splendid  service  in  that  capacit).    After  resigning  from  the  army  he  returned 
home  and  resumed  practice.     He  also  successfully  engaged  in  the  real  estate 
and  mercantile  business  and  was  a  very  busy  man.     He  accumulated  a  hand- 
some competency  by  his  ability  and  industry.     He  was  first  a  ^Vhig,  then  a 
Republican  and  was  active  in  public  matters.     Fraternally,  he  belonged  to  the 
Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  ^Masons,  and  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century 
was  honored  by  the  position  of  worshipful  master.     He  was  a  public-spirited 
man  and  assisted  in  every  way  possible  in  the  general  improvement  of  his 
county  and  was  one  of  the  most  influential  and  popular  men  in  this  locality. 
James  ^l.  Hamilton  was  ten  years  of  age  when,  in  1855,  he  came  with 
his  parents  to  Lynn,  Randolph  county,  and  here  he  has  since  made  his  home, 
his  residence  of  fifty-eight  years  bringing  to  him  ever  greater  esteem  from 
his  contemporaries.     During  that  period  he  has  seen  great  changes  and  has 
aided  in  many  of  them  for  the  permanent  improvement  of  the  town  and 
county.     Since  1882  he  has  been  connected  with  the  railway  mail  service. 
He  received  a  common  school  education  in  the  rural  schools  and  in  the  city 
of  ^^^inchester.     ^^'hen  a  boy  he  learned  the  printer's  trade  in  the  office  of 
The  Randolph  County  Journal  and  followed  the  same  until  July  15.   1861, 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  I295 

when,  although  but  sixteen  3'ears  of  age,  he  proved  his  courage  by  enhsting 
in  Company  C,  Nineteenth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  but  was  rejected 
owing  to  his  youth.  Nothing  daunted,  however,  he  went  to  the  front"  as  an 
officer's  servant  where  he  remained  nineteen  months  and  was  in  the  battle 
of  Lewisville.  Virginia,  September  11,  1861.  Returning  home  he  went  to 
Vicksburg,  Mississippi  with  the  state  sanitary  committee,  to  look  after  the 
sick  and  wounded  soldiers  of  Indiana.  November  3,  1863,  he  again  enlisted, 
this  time  becoming  a  private  in  Company  G,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Captain  Asa  Teal,  and  served 
the  union  faithfully  until  the  close  of  the  struggle,  seeing  much  hard  service, 
including  the  battles  of  Dalton,  Resaca,  Altoona,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Chat- 
tanooga, Peach  Tree  Creek,  Atlanta,  Columbia,  Franklin,  Goldsboro  and 
Wise's  Fork,  North  Carolina.  He  received  a  furlough,  at  Raleigh,  North 
Carolina,  August  31,  1865,  and  started  home.  On  going  to  Indianapolis  to 
to  be  mustered  out  he  was  again  called  to  Greensboro,  North  Carolina.  He 
still  has  in  his  possession  his  description  roll  and  marks  thereon  made  by  his 
captain,  which  contain  the  following :  Sergeant  James  M.  Hamilton  took 
an  active  part  in  the  Georgia  campaign  from  Dalton  to  Jonesboro,  was  in  the 
battles  of  Franklin  and  Nashville,  and  took,  a  very  conspicuous  part  in  the 
battle  of  Wise's  Fork,  North  Carolina,  March  8,  9,  and  10,  1865.  He  pos- 
sesses all  the  qualities  of  a  good  soldier.  He  also  has  a  furlough  pass  in  his 
possession,  given  May  3,  until  June  3,  1865.  He  was  at  the  organization  of 
the  regiment,  was  commissioned  orderly  sergeant  and  held  the  commission 
all  through  his  term  of  service. 

After  his  military  career,  Mr.  Hamilton  worked  at  the  printer's  trade 
at  Union  City,  Indiana,  and  read  medicine  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Jayne,  until 
December,  1866,  when  he  came  to  Lynn,  Randolph  county,  and  engaged  in 
reading  medicine  with  his  father.  Although  he  vyould  doubtless  have  made 
a  successful  and  prominent  physician,  he  finally  abandoned  the  study  of 
medicine  and  worked  at  various  employments  until  November,  1884,  when 
he  took  charge  of  The  Decatur  Eagle,  at  Decatur,  Indiana,  and  continued 
as  forefnan  of  that  paper  until  1876.  He  was  then  variously  employed  until 
1882,  when  he  was  given  a  position  in  the  railway  mail  service,  through  the 
recommendation  of  General  Thomas  M.  Browne,  by  Postmaster  General 
Maynard,  under  President  Arthur,  on  the  Indiana  Bloomington  and  West- 
ern railroad,  now  a  branch  of  the  Big  Four.  He  has  always  been  on  this 
line  and  has  been  promoted  from  the  probationary  degree  to  the  highest 
post  in  this  branch  of  the  service,  in  consequence  has  long  received  the  high- 


1296  RANDOLPH   COUNTYj   INDIANA. 

est  salary.  His  continued  retention  in  this  service  is  evidence  of  his  faith- 
fulness to  duty  and  promptness. 

Air.  Hamilton  was  married  in  Union  City,  Indiana,  November  11,  1866, 
to  Catherine  X.  Ennis,  vi^ho  was  born  in  Winchester,  May  25,  1842,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  James  C.  and  Isabel  (Page)  Ennis.  To  this  union  four  chil- 
dren were  born,  namely :  Malinda  I.,  who  was  married  to  Charles  L.  Heich- 
ert,  November  30,  1893;  Alpheus  O.,  Robert  C,  and  Edward  G.  These 
children  were  given  good  educati(Mial  advantages  and  are  well  situated  in 
life. 

Politically,  ]\Ir.  Hamilton  raised  the  first  pole  and  hoisted  the  first  flag, 
bearing  the  names  of  Fremont  and  Dayton,  in  Randolph  county,  in  1856. 
He  has  ever  been  active  and  influential  in  public  affairs.  He  served  as  presi- 
dent of  the  town  board  of  Lynn  one  term,  and  took  the  census  of  Washing- 
ton township  in  1880.  He  was  an  active  member  of  the  Independent  Order 
of  Good  Templars,  and  led  in  the  Murphy  temperance  movement  in  1876, 
the  organization  numbering  over  three  hundred  members  at  Lynn.  He  be- 
came a  member  of  Lynn  Lodge,  Xo.  223,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  in 
Xovember,  1867,  and  ser\ed  two  years  as  worshipful  ma.ster.  Also  member 
of  Randolph  Chapter  X'o.  35,  and  Council  X'o.  20,  at  Winchester,  Indiana. 
He  joined  Lynn  Lodge  X'o.  294,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  at  its 
organization  in  Xovember,  1887,  and  served  one  year  as  noble  grand  of  that 
lodge.  He  was  a  member  of  the  original  organization  of  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic,  and  served  three  years  as  post  commander  of  Joe  Cook 
Post,  X'o.  296.  He  was  a  charter  member  of  Lynn  Lodge,  Xo.  119,  Knights 
of  Pythias,  at  its  organization  in  1884,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Captain 
R.  W.  Hamilton  Camp,  X"o.  292,  Sons  of  Veterans.  He  has  been  an  active 
and  faithful  member  of  all  these  organizations.  He  and  his  wife  belong  to 
the  Methodist  church. 

Besides  his  valuable  home  property,  INIr.  Hamilton  is  owner  of  eighty 
acres  of  well  improved  and  productive  farming  land  in  Randolph  county. 
From  1870  to  1872,  inclusive,  he  was  engaged  in  the  flouring  mill,  saw  mill 
and  planing  mill  business,  and  in  1876,  in  connection  with  J.  L.  P.  Frist  he 
established  a  tile  factory,  which  they  operated  for  two  years.  He  has  been 
very  successful  in  a  business  way  and  is  one  of  the  substantial  and  public- 
spirited  men  of  Lynn.  He  is  kind,  neighborly  and  charitably  inclined.  He 
enjoys  the  unqualified  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  who  know  him  as  a  result 
of  his  exemplary  life,  and  in  every  way  he  merits  the  high  regard  in  which 
he  is  universallv  held. 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  1 297 

FRANK  B.  PORTER. 

This  biographical  memoir  has  to  do  with  a  character  of  unusual  force, 
for  Frank  B.  Porter,  whose  life  chapter  has  been  closed  by  the  fate  that 
awaits  us  all,  was  for  a  number  of  years  one  of  the  popular  and  successful 
business  men  of  Parker,  Randolph  county.  While  he  carried  on  a  special 
line  of  business  in  such  a  manner  as  to  gain  a  comfortable  competency  for 
himself,  he  also  belonged  to  that  class  of  representative  citizens  who  pro- 
mote the  public  welfare  while  advancing  individual  success.  There  were  in 
him  sterling  traits  which  commanded  uniform  confidence  and  regard,  and 
his  memory  is  today  honored  by  all  who  knew  him  and  is  enshrined  in  the 
hearts  of  his  many  friends. 

Frank  B.  Porter,  well-known  druggist,  was  born  in  Decatur,  Indiana, 
December  7,  1879.  He  was  a  son  of  John  R.  and  Sarah  I.  (Davis)  Porter, 
whose  family  consisted  of  seven  children,  namely :  Frank  B.,  subject  of  this 
sketch;  Curtis  died  in  infancy;  Velma  married  H.  H.  McGill,  a  machinist, 
and  they  live  in  Ohio ;  Gertrude  died  in  infancy ;  Chalmer  O. ;  Leah  Viola ; 
Thurman  E.,  born  February  7,  1888,  on  the  homestead  where  all  the  chil- 
dren were  born;  he  was  educated  in  the  local  schools  and  the  high  school, 
after  which  he  taught  school  for  two  years,  then  entered  the  drug  business 
in  which  he  has  remained. 

Frank  B.  Porter  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  worked  there 
when  a  boy,  and  received  a  good  public  school  education.  He  and  Thur- 
man E.  took  the  prescribed  drug  course  and  became  registered  pharmacists. 
Our  subject  taught  school  very  acceptably  for  three  years,  then  turned  his 
attention  to  the  drug  business  which  he  followed  the  -rest  of  his  life.  He 
and  his  brother  Thurman  E.  worked  in  the  same  drug  store  for  a  period  of 
four  years.  In  1906  Frank  B.  came  to  the  town  of  Parker  and  purchased 
a  drug  store  in  partnership  with  M.  T.  Atwood,  which  continued  for  one 
year,  when  Mr.  Porter  bought  his  partner  out.  Then  Thurman  E.  Porter 
purchased  a  half  interest  on  January  i,  19 10,  and  the  brothers  enjoyed  a 
large  and  rapidly  growing  trade  with  the  town  and  surrounding  country, 
carrying  a  large  and  carefully  selected  stock  of  drugs  and  drug  sundries — 
everything  to  be  found  in  an  up-to-date  drug  store,  and,  being  honest  and 
courteous  in  their  treatment  of  their  hundreds  of  customers,  enjoyed  the 
confidence  and  good  will  of  every  one.  Their  store  was  always  a  credit  to 
the  community  and  would  have,  in  fact,  been  a  credit  to  a  much  larger  place. 
Thurman  E.  Porter  still  runs  the  business  in  the  interest  of  himself  and  our 
subject's  widow,  who  was  known  in  her  maidenhood  as  Lillian  D.  Blacka- 


1298  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

more  and  to  whom  he  was  married  on  July  20,  1905.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Air.  and  Airs.  D.  D.  Blackamore. 

Frank  B.  Porter  was  married  first  on  December  25,  1899,  to  Miis  Flora 
Frazier,  of  Decatur,  Indiana.  One  child  was  born  to  them,  Leah.  Airs.  Porter 
died  January,  1902. 

Thurman  E.  Porter  married  Lettie  Gates,  a  daughter  of  John  Gates,  the 
prominent  stock  buyer  of  this  ^locality.  Airs.  Porter  being  one  of  four 
children. 

Frank  B.  Porter  was  a  .member  of  the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  Politically, 
he  was  a  Democrat.  Thurman  E.  Porter  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  the  Alasonic  Order,  being  master  of  the  Lodge  No.  2,  Free  and 
Accepted  Alasons. 

The  death  of  Frank  B.  Porter  occurred  on  June  11,  1912,  caused  by  a 
runaway  accident,  and  his  untimely  taking  off  was  deeply  deplored  by  the 
entire  community  where  he  was  very  popular  and  greatly  beloved  by  all 
classes. 


SIAION  B.  KECKLER. 


Lumbering  has  been  one  of  the  chief  industries  of  the  section  of  the 
Middle  \A'est  with  which  this  history  deals  for  many  decades  and  the  vast  for- 
ests found  here  by  the  pioneers  have  furnished  lumber  for  many  states,  em- 
ployment for  thousands  of  men  and  made  a  vast  number  of  people  wealthy. 
It  has  always  been-  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  desirable  lines  of  business, 
yet  not  everyone  has  succeeded  who  has  essayed  this  precarious  field  of 
endeavor.  Alany  things  are  necessary  to  insure  success,  not  the  least  of 
which  is  perseverance,  courage,  keen  foresight  and  indomitable  industry. 
These  and  other  necessary  characteristics  seem  to  be  possessed  by  Simon 
B.  Keckler,  proprietor  of  the  most  extensive  lumber  yard  in  Randolph 
county,  his  place  of  business  and  residence  being  at  the  town  of  Parker. 

Air.  Keckler  was  born  in  Fairfield  county,  Ohio,  Alay  29,  i860.  He  is 
a  son  of  John  and  Julia  Ann  (Dunaway)  Keckler,  and  is  one  of  a  family 
of  eight  children,  five  sons  and  three  daughters,  namely:  Ephraim  who  died 
at  the  age  of  forty-three  years,  married  Fannie  AlcCarthy;  he  was  a  com- 
mercial traveler,  and  his  family  consisted  of  four  children;  Elizabeth,  of 
AA'eaver  Station,  Ohio,  married  David  Dull,  and  they  have  two  children, 
both  grown  and  married ;  Alarie  A.  is  the  wife  of  W.  H.  Scofield,  of  Eaton, 
Ohio,  whose  union  has  been  without  issue;  Simon  B.,  of  this  review;  Will- 


RANDOLPH    COUNTYj   INDIANA.  1 299 

iam  H.,  who  died  in  1906,  was  a  lumber  dealer,  married  Mary  E.  Lambert- 
son  and  they  had  one  child;  John  W.,  of  Yorkshire,  Ohio,  married  Emma 
Hall,  of  Pickaway  county,  that  state,  and  they  have  one  child,  Cyril  C. ; 
Emma  who  married  Wills  E.  Ayers,  a  school  teacher  and  farmer,  died  some 
time  ago  and  left  nine  children;  James  D.,  a  farmer  of  Angola,  Indiana, 
married  Nora  Rupel,  and  they  have  three  children. 

John  Keckler,  father  of  the  above  named  children,  was  born  July  11, 
1826,  near  Bremen,  .Ohio,  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade  in  his  earlier  years, 
but  devoted  most  of  his  life  to  farming.  He  moved  to  Darke  county,  Ohio, 
in  1861,  buying  a  farm  near  Greenville,  on  which  he  spent  the  rest  of  his 
life.  His  death  occurred  August  i,  1897.  His  wife  was  a  native  of  Fay- 
ette county,  Pennsylvania,  born  there  January  i,  1828,  and  she  was  brought 
to  Ohio  when  an  infant  by  her  parents  who  settled  in  Fairfield  county.  She 
was  nine  years  old  when  her  parents  moved  to  Wells  county,  Indiana,  where 
they  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  all  timber,  so  heavy 
that  the  father  was  compelled  to  clear  a  place  before  he  could  erect  his  log 
cabin.  By  hard  work  he  cleared  his  land  and  established  a  good  home  there. 
Our  subject's  mother  was  twice  married.  First  to  George  Reynolds,  and 
after  his  death  married  on  May  26,  1859  to  John  Keckler,  our  subject's 
father.  Her  death  occurred  June  15,  1900,  at  the  age  of  nearly  seventy- 
three  years. 

James  Keckler,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  and 
he  lived  in  Fairfield  county,  Ohio.  Jacob  Keckler,  the  great  grandfather, 
was  a  Revolutionary  soldier  under  George  Washington.  The  Dunaways, 
the  mother's  people,  were  of  English  descent  and  lived  in  Pennsylvania  be- 
fore coming  to  Ohio.  The  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  left  an 
orphan  when  four  years  old. 

Simon  B.  Keckler  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  there  he  worked 
when  a  boy.  He  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools.  On  March 
21,  i88'2,  he  married  Susanna  May  Mote,  a  daughter  of  Elias  Mote,  a 
farmer  of  Ansonia,  Ohio.  To  our  subject  and  wife  three  sons  were  born, 
-namely:  Cleo  Earl,  who  married  Alargaret  Vineyard,  of  Eaton,  Indiana,  on 
August  24,  1 9 10,  is  with  his  father  in  the  lumber  business,  and  owns  a  fine 
home  opposite  their  yards  in  Parker;  William  Gale,  born  December  2,  1886, 
is  connected  with  a  house  furnishing  store  in  St.  Paul,  Minnesota;  Paul  E., 
born  October  20,  1895,  is  also  with  his  father  in  the  lumber  business.  He 
is  a  graduate  of  the  Parker  High  School  with  the  class  of  1914. 

Simon  B.  Keckler  came  to  Parker,  Indiana,  in  October,  1904,  and  pur- 
chased the  lumber  yard  here  of  A.  Fletcher,  which  he  has  conducted  to  the 


1300  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

.present  time  with  great  and  ever  increasing  success,  carrying  one  of  the 
largest,  most  complete  and  carefully  selected  stocks  of  lumber  at  all  seasons 
to  be  found  in  this  section  of  the  state,  and  he  does  a  very  extensive  busi- 
ness over  a  large  territory.  He  has  a  fine  home  in  Parker  and  is  one  of  the 
town's  most  substantial  and  popular  citizens. 

I  Mr.  Keckler  is  a  Democrat  politically,  and  he  belongs  to  the  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows.    He  attends  the  Methodist  church. 


FRANK  E.   WRIGHT. 


One  of  the  enterprising  young  publicists  of  northeastern  Indiana  who 
is  deserving  of  commendation  for  what  he  is  accomplishing  in  his  special 
sphere  of  endeavor  is  Frank  E.  Wright,  of  The  Lynn  Herald.  He  has  made 
good  in  the  field  of  journalism  because  he  has  worked  hard  and  persistently 
and  because  he  has  not  permitted  the  usual  obstacles  that  beset  the  lives  of  all 
who  enter  on  the  thorny  path  of  the  "wielder  of  the  quill"  to  down  him. 

Mr.  Wright  was  born  in  Lynn,  Indiana,  November  19,  1877.  He  is  a 
son  of  H.  T.  and  Mary  E.  Wright,  the  father  born  in  Bethel,  Indiana,  in 
1853,,  and  the  mother  born  in  Arba,  Indiana,  in  1854.  He  was  reared  on 
the  old  home  farm  and  was  graduated  from  the  Lynn  common  schools, 
leading  his  class,  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years.  He  subsequently  attended 
Lynn  high  school  and  then  took  a  two  years'  Normal  course,  expecting  to 
teach,  but  after  securing  his  license  changed  his  plans  and  attended  the 
Cincinnati  Mohler  Barber  College  and  after  graduating  opened  up  a  barber 
shop  in  his  home  town,  enjoying  an  extensive  trade  for  four  years.  Not 
seeing  an  advancement  and  a  chance  for  intellectual  growth  in  the  business 
he  sold  out  in  the  spring  of  1902  and  purchased  a  one-half  interest  in  The 
Lynn  Heraid,  which  had  been  started  in  1898  by  S.  H.  Light  &  Son.  In 
the  short  time  of  ten  months  Mr.  Wright  mastered  the  business  sufficiently 
to  warrant  his  purchasing  the  entire  business,  becoming  sole  proprietor,  pub- 
lisher and  editor,  on  March  i,  1903. 

The  paper  which  had  had  a  hard  struggle  to  live  underwent  decided 
changes,  becoming  a  strong  factor  in  the 'community  and  county.  The  sub- 
scription list  soon  quadrupled  itself,  and  the  plant  became  a  lucrative  busi- 
ness, enabling  the  proprietor  to  bring  to  Lynn  the  first  slug  type  casting  ma- 
chine ever  brought  into  Randolph  county,  the  first  cylinder  press  ever  run  in 
Lynn,  and  also  to  purchase  a  substantial  business  home  for  the  plant  and 
one  of  the  best  residences  on  South  Garfield  street  of  his  home  town. 


fi;ank  k.  wkkjiit. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  I3OI 

Mr.  Wright  was  married  January  14,  1903,  to  Lillian  L.  Fudge,  who 
passed  away  in  the  year  19 10,  leaving  two  little  sons,  one  of  which  was  less 
than  a  week  old  at  the  time  of  his  mother's  death. 

Mr.  Wright  was  again  married  on  May  16,  19 12,  his  last  wife  being 
known  in  her  maidenhood  as  Mabel  R.  Riddlebarger,  an  accomplished 
musician  and  talented  school  teacher  of  Ridgeville,  Indiana.  She  has  done 
much  to  aid  in  the  success  of  the  newspaper  work  of  her  husband,  besides 
becoming  a  mother  to  the  two  little  sons,  J.  Harold  and  Donald  Lee. 

Mr.  Wright  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Friends  church,  and  politi- 
cally, is  a  loyal  Republican,  which  party  has  honored  him  on  various  oc- 
casions as  a  delegate  to  Congressional  conventions  and  a  place  on  local 
tickets. 

Mr.  Wright  has  done  considerable  work  on  the  lecture  platform,  receiv- 
ing especially  high  press  comment  on  his  lecture,  "Anchored  to  a  Dead-head." 
As  a  speaker  he  is  forceful,  earnest  and  at  times  truly  eloquent  and  never 
fails  to  both  instruct  and  entertain  his  audience. 


CLIFFORD  C.  FISHER. 

Among  the  progressive  and  prominent  business  men  of  Randolph 
county  is  Clifford  C.  Fisher,  of  Union  City,  formerly  cashier  and  now 
president  of  the  Atlas  State  Bank,  and  is  also  engaged  in  the  fire  insurance 
business  and  is  one  of  the  best  known  men  in  this  field  of  endeavor  in  this 
section  of  the  state.  The  qualities  of  keen  discrimination,  sound  judgment 
and  executive  ability  enter  very  largely  into  his  makeup  and  have  been  con- 
tributing elements  to  the  material  success  which  has  come  to  him. 

Mr.  Fisher  was  born  in  the  city  and  county  named  in  the  preceding' 
paragraph,  on  October  21,  1874.  He  is  a  son  of  Robert  S.  Fisher,  who 
was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  1835.  He  was  a  banker  during  his 
business  life,  was  cashier  of  the  Commercial  Bank,  of  Union  City,  and  was 
the  organizer  of  that  bank,  which  was  first  known  as  the  First  National 
Bank,  later  being  changed  to  the  Commercial  Bank.  He  was  a  well  known 
financier  and  successful  business  man.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1880,  he  owned  quite  a  little  real  estate.  He  married  Rosalie  A. 
Cottom,  who  was  born  in  Williamsburg,  Indiana,  and  she  is  still  living, 
making  her  home  in  Union  City,  being  now  advanced  in  years.  Our  subject 
"has  a  half-sister,  Mrs.  Cora  F.  McMaster,  who  is  making  her  home  in 
Chicago. 


130^  KAXDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

Clifford  C.  Fisher  was  educated  in  the  pubHc  schools  of  Union  City, 
later  finishing  his  schooling  at  the  Northwestern  University  at  Evanston, 
Illinois.  He  first  commenced  his  business  career  in  1906  as  cashier  of  the 
Atlas  State  Bank,  of  Union  City,  which  position  he  held  for  two  years. 
Upon  se\'ering  his  connection  with  the  bank  in  1908  he  engaged  in  the  fire 
insurance  business  which  he  still  continues  with  ever  increasing  success, 
having  now  the  largest  agency  in  ^he  county  by  far.  However,  he  is  still 
connected  with  the  Atlas  State  Bank,  being  president,  and  a  director  and 
stockholder  in  the  same.  He  also  owns  an  interest  in  the  Pierce  elevator, 
besides  other  outside  investments,  including  the  Randolph  County  Bank 
of  W^inchester  and  the  Peoples  Bank  of  Portland.  He  is  also  owner  of  two 
well-improved  and  valuable  farms  in  Ohio,  containing  in  all  four  hundred 
and  seventeen  acres.  On  these  places  general  farming  and  stock  raising 
are  carried  on  extensively,  a  specialty  being  made  of  raising  and  feeding 
cattle  in  large  numbers.  At  this  writing  there  are  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
two  head  of  principally  high-grade  cattle,  man}'  being  registered  thorough- 
breds. ]\Ir.  Fisher  has  spent  much  time  and  money  during  the  past  year 
building  up-to-date  and  adequate  stock  barns  and  sheds,  his  barns  being  of 
large  dimensions,  and  he  has  also  built  convenient  shelters  for  his  hogs 
and  other  livestock.  He  is  an  excellent  judge  of  all  kinds  of  stock,  espe- 
cially cattle.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  a  business  way  through  the 
exercise  of  sound  judgment,  persistent  industry,  honorable  dealings  and  a 
close  adherence  to  the  Golden  Rule. 

Politically,  IMr.  Fisher  is  a  Republican,  but  he  has  never  made  any 
efforts  to  become  a  leader  in  jDolitical  affairs,  preferring  to  devote  his  at- 
tention exclusively  to  his  large  business  interests.  Religiously,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  a  liberal  supporter  of  the 
same. 

^Ir.  Fisher  was  married  November  19,  1896,  to  Ada  L.  Lewis,  who  was 
born  in  Union  City,  Indiana,  July  20,  1876.  She  is  daughter  of  Oliver  L. 
and  Jessie  F.  Lewis,  a  highly  esteemed  family  of  Union  City,  for  many 
years,  but  the  mother  died  in  191 1,  and  the  father  is  now  living  at  Spring- 
field, ^lissouri,  and  is  a  conductor  on  the  Frisco  railroad.  Airs.  Fisher 
grew  to  womanhood  in  Union  City  and  here  she  received  her  education, 
being  a  graduate  of  the  local  high  school.  To  the  union  of  our  subject  and 
wife  two  children  have  been  born,  namely:  Alice  L.,  born  September  27, 
1906;  and  Robert  L.,  born  April  16.  1910. 

~Slv.  and  Air?.  Fisher  have  a  pleasant  home  in  Union  Citv  which  is 
the  mecca  for  their  many  friends  who  always  find  there  genuine  hospitality 
and  good  cheer. 


KANnOI-PH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  T3O3 

GEORGE'  VANPELT. 

The  beginning  of  the  career  of  the  late  George  VanPelt,  for  many 
years  one  of  the  progressive  farmers  of  Monroe  township,  Randolph  county, 
was  characterized  by  hard  work  and  conscientious  endeavor,  and  he  owed 
his  rise  to  no  train  of  fortunate  circumstances  or  fortuitous  incidents.  It 
was  the  reward  of  application  of  mental  qualifications  of  a  high  order  to 
the  affairs  of  business,  the  combining  with  keen,  mental  activity  that  en- 
abled him  to  grasp  the  opportunities  that  presented  themselves.  This  he 
did  with  success  and,  what  is  more  important,  with  honor.  His  integrity 
was  ever  unassailable,  his  honor  unimpeachable,  and  he  stood  high  with 
all  who  knew  him. 

George  VanPelt  was  born  in  Highland  county,  Ohio,  December  7, 
1864.  He  was  a  son  of  John  and  Millicent  (Morris)  VanPelt.  The  great 
grandfather  removed  from  Virginia  to  Belmont  county,  Ohio,  where  he 
engaged  in  farming  and  lived  and  died.  The  grandparents  grew  to  matur- 
ity in  Belmont  county  and  remained  there  some  time  after  their  marriage, 
then  moved  to  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  and  remained  there  until  1868,  when 
they  emigrated  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  locating  near  Farmland,  where 
the  elder  VanPelt  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  acres. 
He  had  owned  two  farms  in  Ohio  aggregating  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres. 
John  VanPelt  remained  on  his  farm  in  this  county  until  1880  at  which  time 
he  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  acres  near  the  city  of  AVin- 
chester,  later  purchasing  forty  acres  more.  He  was  very  successful  in  a 
business  way,  and  his  dealings  were  always  characterized  by  honesty  and  a 
high  sense  of  justice.  His  death  occurred  in  1884,  his  wife  surviving  sev- 
eral years. 

Our  subject  was  one  of  four  children,  all  boys,  namely :  William  A., 
who  is  farming  in  Monroe  township,  married  Elizabeth  A.  Wood,  and  they 
have  one  daughter  living,  Mabel,  and  Carrie,  who  married  C.  L.  Shaffer,  died 
April  14,  1914;  David  is  fai-ming  near  Winchester,  is  married  and  has  two 
sons;  George,  subject  of  this  memoir;  James  died  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years. 

George  VanPelt  was  three  years  old  when  brought  by  his  parents  to 
Randolph  county.  He  grew  up  on  the  farm  and  received  a  common  school- 
education.  On  July  16,1887,  he  married  Mary  C.  Kaugher,  a  daughter  of 
Jacob  and  Catherine  (Oswalt)  Kaugher.  Mr.  Kaugher  had  been  a  promi- 
nent farmer  in  Stark  county,  Ohio,  finally  moving  to  Randolph  county,  In- 
diana, where  he  continued  the  same  business.  His  family  consisted  of  five 
children,  namely:  John,  Sherman,  Joseph,  Angeline  and  Mary  C.  The 
mother  died  in  1881,  after  which  the  father  removed  to  Winchester. 


1304  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

To  George  VanPelt  and  wife  eight  children  were  born,  namely :  Charles 
who  died  in  infancy;  James  Orley,  born  November  10,  1889,  is  operating 
the  home  farm  with  his  brother  John,  who  was  born  April  20,  1893;  Cressie, 
born  August  23,  1891,  is  at  home;  Hazel  died  in  infancy;  Ruby,  born  March 
I,  1897;  Harry,  born  May  2,  1899;  Ira,  born  May  14,  1902. 

After  George  VanPelt's  marriage  he  moved  to  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
acres  in  Monroe  township  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  this  fine  land 
being  a  legacy  of  his  father.  He  placed  the  farm  under  an  excellent  state 
of  improvement,  erecting,  at  considerable  expense,  a  convenient  and  com- 
fortable dwelling. 

Politically,  Mr.  VanPelt  was  a  Republican  and  took  an  abiding  interest 
in  public  affairs.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows. He  was  summoned  to  close  his  eyes  on  earthly  scenes  on  December 
I,  19 10,  and  the  community  felt  a  distinct  loss,  for  he  was  a  good  and 
useful  man. 


IRA  C.   PENERY. 


In  requires  a  peculiar  combination  of  attributes  to  become  a  successful 
newspaper  man.  It  is  by  no  means  everyone  who  can  win  his  spurs  in  this 
precarious  field,  no  matter  how  much  courage  and  perseverance  one  may 
have.  True,  these  are  characteristics  which  are  indispensible,  but  there 
must  also  be  others  of  more  importance,  such  as  the  indefinable  "nose  for 
news,"  the  ability  to  discriminate  clearly  and  quickly  between  local  and  gen- 
eral news,  or  what  is  and  what  is  not  news  of  any  kind,  the  tact  to  under^ 
stand  the  proper  treatment  of  news  when  it  is  obtained,  the  knowledge  of 
how  to  make  a  newspaper  that  will  be  pleasing  to  all  classes  of  readers. 
These  things  seem  to  be  clearK'-  understood  by  Ira  C.  Penery,  editor  and 
publisher  of  The  Randolph  County  Enterprise  of  Farmland,  and  The  Losant- 
ville  Independent  of  Losantville.  Although  a -young  man  he  stands  in  the 
front  rank  of  journalists  in  this  section  of  the  Hoosier  state  and  his  paper  is 
among  the  best  of  its  type  in  the  state. 

Mr.  Penery  was  born  in  Monroe  township,  Randolph  county,  May  i, 
1880.  He  is  a  son  of  Hamilton  L.  and  Sylvera  B.  (Shaw)  Penery,  whose 
family  consisted  of  five  children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely: 
Nellie  G.,  who  lives  near  Farmland,  is  the  wife  of  Samuel  G.  Goddard,  a 
farmer,  and  they  have  two  children,  Jewell  and  Samuel  Allen;  Ira  C.,  of  this 
sketch;  Ervin  R.,  a  farnner  living  near  Farmland,  married  Minnie  Dull, 
and  thev  have  two  children,  Lester  and  Mabel ;  Emory,  a  marble-worker  of 


I.  C.  PENERY. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I305 

Knoxville,  Tennessee,  married  Mamie  Presley  and  they  have  one  child, 
Carl;   Cora  B.,   of  Newark,   Ohio,   married  Guy   M.   Taylor,   a  machinist. 

Hamilton  L.  Penery  is  a  native  of  Virginia,  where  he  grew  to  manhood 
and  was  educated  and  from  which  state  he  emigrated  to  Indiana,  when 
a  young  man,  locating  in  Randolph  county  where  he  has  continued  to  reside 
to  the  present  time.  He  operated  a  saw  mill,  becoming  one  of  the  best 
known  men  in  that  line  of  business  in  the  county,  remaining  in  the  same  up 
to  1897,  since  which  time  he  has  owned  and  operated  a  good  farm  in  the 
vicinity  of  Farmland,  where  he  still  lives,  carrying  on  general  farming 
and  stock  raising. 

Our  subject's  mother,  Sylvera  B.  Shaw,  is  the  daughter  of  Reuben  C. 
and  Rebecca  P.  (Smith)  Shaw.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts, 
son  of  David  E.  Shaw,  who  was  born  in  Maine  in  1801,  to  which  state 
Reuben  C.  Shaw  was  taken  when  six  years  old,  by  his  parents  where  he 
spent  eight  years.  He  received  part  of  his  education  in  Boston,  and  when 
a  boy  took  a  position  as  salesman  in  a  china  and  glassware  house  in  that 
city.  Later  he  began  working  at  the  carpenter's  trade  which  he  followed 
about  three  years.  Then  he  crossed  the  continent  overland  with  the  "forty- 
niners"  to  the  gold  fields  of  California  where  he  mined  for  a  time,  return- 
ing to  Boston  in  185 1,  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  resumed  his 
trade.  He  came  to  Ross  county,  Ohio,  in  1852,  where  he  remained  until 
1 86 1,  when  he  moved  to  Farmland,  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  here 
establ-ished  his  permanent  home,  purchasing  a  farm,  and  became  one  of  the 
successful  agriculturists  of  the  county,  dividing  most  of  his  large  farm 
among  his  children  in  1890.  He  and  Rebecca  P.  Smith  were  married  in 
May,  1847.  She  was  also  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  To  this  union  five 
children  were  born,  namely :  Walter  C,  who  became  a  carpenter  and  estab- 
lished his  home  in  Tennessee ;  Mrs.  Sylvera  B.  Penery,  mother  of  our  sub- 
ject; Josephine  W.,  who  married  Oliver  H.  Warren;  Frank  L.  and  Fred 
P.,  both  became  prominent  citizens  of  Monroe  township,  Randolph  county. 
Besides  farming  Reuben  C.  Shav/  became  prominently  identified  with 
numerous  business  enterprises,  such  as  an  extensive  poultry  business  which 
was  started  in  1873  and  continued  for  many  years;  also  he  assisted  in 
organizing  the  bank  at  Farmland  in  1887,  of  which  he  was  made  vice- 
president  and  director.  He  filled  the  office  of  drainage  commissioner  for 
over  three  years.  He  was  always  a  Republican,  and  he  was  active  in  the 
field  of  archaeological  research,  securing  a  valuable  collection  of  historic  relics, 
Indian  curios,  etc.,  regarded  as  one  of  the  largest  and  most  valuable  of  its 


1300  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

kind  in  the  Middle  West  He  also  gave  much  attention  to  taxidermy,  in 
which  he  was  exceptionally  skilful. 

Ira  C.  Penery,  of  this  sketch,  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm 
and  he  received  a  common  school  education  and  in  the  Tri-State  Normal 
at  Angola.  He  farmed  for  some  time  when  starting  out  in  life  for  him- 
self, but  determined  to  enter  the  newspaper  field,  so  he  purchased  The  Ran- 
dolph County  Enterprise  in  1905,  which  he  has  since  conducted  most  suc- 
cessfully, building  up  its  circulation* and  rendering  it  a  valuable  advertising 
medium.  Its  mechanical  appearance  is  all  that  could  be  desired  and  its 
columns  teem  with  the  latest  and  best  news.  Its  editorials  are  convincing 
and  it  wields  a  potent  influence  in  this  locality. 

Politically,  Mr.  Penery  is  a  Republican  and  loyal  in  his  support  of  the 
party.     He  attends  the  Friends  church. 


AMOS  F.  MEEKS. 


It  is  a  pleasure  to  anyone,  whether  a  farmer  or  not,  to  look  over  a  well 
improved  and  finely  kept  landed  estate  like  that  of  Amos  F.  Meeks,  of  Mon- 
roe township,  Randolph  county,  for  he  is  a  man  who  believes  in  keeping 
abreast  of  the  times,  in  adopting,  so  far  as  practicable,  the  most  approved 
twentieth  century  methods  in  general  farming  and  stock  raising.  As  a  re- 
sult of  his  long  years  of  husbandry  here  he  has  about  solved  the  question 
of  scientific  farming  as  we  know  and  understand  it  today.  He  has  always 
stood  for  progressiveness,  not  only  in  material  things,  but  political,  educa- 
tional and  moral  matters,  being  always  an  advocate  of  wholesome  living 
both  in  private  and  public  life,  and  while  laboring  for  his  individual  ad- 
vancement he  has  never  been  found  neglectful  of  his  duties  to  his  neighbors 
and  the  general  public. 

Mr.  Meeks  was  born  in  Delaware  county,  Indiana,  December  9,  1856. 
He  is  a  son  of  Amos  and  Levina  (Thomas)  Meeks,  and  is  one  of  a  large 
family  of  seventeen  children,  only  four  of  whom  survive  at  this  writing, 
namely :  Jacob,  who  is  farming  near  Parker ;  Matilda  married  Henry  Wright, 
a  farmer  of  near  Paris,.  Illinois,  and  they  have  ten  children;  Isadore  mar- 
ried John  C.  Huffman,  a  farmer  of  Delaware  county,  Indiana,  and  they  have 
two  sons;  Amos  F.,  of  this  sketch. 

Amos  Meeks,  father  of  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  sketch, 
was  born  in  Virginia  where  he  grew  to  manhood  and  received  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  the  early  days.     His  father  lived  and  died  in  the  Old  Do- 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 30/ 

minion.  Amos  Meeks  and  Levina  Thomas  were  married  in  Virginia,  she 
being  from  an  old  family  of  that  state  also,  and  there  she  spent  her  girl- 
hood and  received  a  similar  education  to  that  of  her  husband.  He  was  a 
great  student  in  his  early  life  and  prepared  himself  for  a  teacher  which  pro- 
fession he  followed  successfully  for  a  number  of  years.  He  finally  brought 
his  wife  to  Delaware  county,  Indiana,  and  later  moved  just  across  the  line 
to  Randolph  county  where  his  son,  Amos  F.,  now  resides,  his  farm  lying 
partly  in  each  county,  and  here  he  became  a  substantial  general  farmer  and 
stock  raiser  and  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  in  1877.  O^^''  suljject  who 
has  always  followed  farming,  has  kept  the  home  place  well  improved  and 
well  tilled  and  is  carrying  on  general  agricultural  pursuits  and  stock  raising 
successfully.  He  grew  to  manhood  on  the  farm  and  received  a  common 
school  education. 

Mr.  Meeks  was  married  June  10,  1880,  to  Flora  Minton,  a  lady  of 
many  commendable  attributes  of  head  and  heart,  who  has  been  of  great 
assistance  to  her  husband  in  his  life  work,  for  she  possesses  rare  business 
judgment  and  is  talented  along  many  lines,  highly  educated  and  keeps  fully 
abreast  of  the  times  in  all  current  matters.  She  is  a  wide  reader  of  the  world's 
best  literature  and  -is  an  excellent  conversationalist.  She  often  appears  at 
public  functions,  and  is  a  lecturer  for  Purdue,  doing  farmer's  institute  work,_ 
and  has  spoken  at  DePauw  University  and  before  other  learned  bodies,  her 
addresses  always  being  entertaining  and  instructive,  forcefully  and  grace- 
fully delivered,  and  her  themes  always  vital  and  timely.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  Harley  C.  Minton,  a  popular  commercial  traveler,  and  whose  family 
consisted  of  but  two  daughters,  Mrs.  Flora  Meeks,  and  Mrs.  C.  H.  Mason, 
of  Columbus,  Ohio. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meeks  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  one 
child.  Flora  Ethel  Meeks,  born  May  21,  1891.  She  is  a  young  lady  of  cul- 
ture, refinement  and  pleasing  personality,  a  favorite  with  the  best  social 
circles  wherever  she  is  known.  She  was  graduated  from  the  Winchester 
High  School,  also  DePauw  University,  Greencastle,  Indiana,  having  made 
brilliant  records  in  both  for  scholarship.  She  is  at  this  writing  teaching 
mathematics  and  English  in  Lincoln  school.  West  Winchester,  and  is  giv- 
ing eminent  satisfaction.  Mrs.  Meeks  was  reared  in  her  native  community 
and  received  excellent  educational  advantages,  and  she  taught  for  a  period 
of  fifteen  years  in  the  schools  of  Randolph  and  Delaware  counties  with  much 
success.  She  is  now  engaged  in  Purdue  extension  work — agricultural.  Her 
great  grandfather  was  a  captain  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  in  the  cavalry 
service  and  was  a  gallant  fighter  for  the  liberty  of  the  colonists.     He  was  a 


1308  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

minister  in  the  Methodist  church  and  under  his  ministry  the  iate  Bishop  Mc- 
Cabe  was  converted.  Two  uncles  of  Mrs.  Meeks  were  soldiers  in  the  Civil 
war. 

Mr.  Meeks  is  a  Republican,  but  has  never  been  especially  active  in  pub- 
lic affairs.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church,  and 
stand  high  in  the  local  congregation. 


NORMAN  ANDERSON. 


Among  the  men  of  sterling  attributes  of  character  who  have  impressed 
their  personality  upon .  the  community  of  their  residence  and  have  bprhe 
their  full  share  in  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  the  locality,  mention 
must  not  be  omitted  of  Norman  Anderson,  successful  grain  and  flour  dealer 
of  Lynn,  and  formerly  one  of  Randolph  county's  enterprising  agricul- 
turists. He  is  not  only  industrious  but  a  man  of  upright  principles,  and 
aids  in  the  advancement  of  his  town  and  county  in  every  way  possible. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  born  at  Bethel,  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  November 
25,  1857.  He  is  a  son  of  Wilson  and  Ann  (Ellis)  Anderson.  The  father 
was  also  born  in  Wayne  county,  January  13,  1836.  He  was  a  son  of  Jona- 
than and  Catherine  (Hiatt)  Anderson.  Jonathan  Anderson  was  born  in 
Kentucky  in  1796  and  there  he  spent  his  boyhood,  removing  to  Indiana  when 
only  seventeen  years  of  age  and  entering  a  large  tract  of  land  from  the 
government  in  Wayne  county,  which  he  cleared  and  developed  and  there 
spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  in  1868.  His  wife  died  in  1865.  They  were 
a  fine  old  pioneer  couple,  hard  working  and  hospitable.  Wilson  Anderson 
was  brought  up  on  the  old  homestead,  and  in  i860  he  moved  to  Greensfork 
township,  Randolph  county  where  he  lived  and  farmed  until  1874,  when  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  eighteen  acres.  As  he  prospered  he  added  to  his 
original  holdings  until  he  owned  a  fine  farm  of  nearly  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres.  He  carried  on  general  farming  on  an  extensive  scale  and  also 
dealt  extensively  in  live  stock.  He  was  one  of  the  leading  farmers  and  stock 
men  of  his  township  for  a  number  of  years  and  was  also  influential  in 
public  matters.  He  was  county  commissioner  for  two  terms  from  1878  to 
1884,  and  was  also  at  one  time  township  assessor.  He  gave  eminent  satis- 
faction in  each  office.  He  was  a  loyal  Republican  until  1884  when  he  turned 
Prohibitionist  and  did  much  thereafter  for  the  cause  of  temperance.  Wilson 
Anderson  and  Ann  Ellis  were  married  January  10,  1857.  She  was  born  in 
Wayne  county,  Indiana,  October  4,  1840,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Peter  M. 
and  Lucinda  (White)  Ellis,  who  were  pioneer  settlers  of  Wayne  county. 
The  death  of  Mrs.  Ann  Anderson  occurred  November  i,  1898. 


O'l^i^v^  6^^     /'i.^n , -; [e^i^^-^^y^ 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I3O9 

Norman  Anderson  grew  up  on  the"  home  farm  and  he  received  his  ed- 
ucation in  the  common  schools  and  then  spent  one  term  in  the  Valparaiso 
Normal.  He  worked  on  the  home  farm  until  1887  when  he  went  to  the 
village  of  Crete  where  he  engaged  in  the  grain  business  until  1901,  when 
he  pui-chased  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  seventy  acres  in  Greensfork  town- 
ship and  there  carried  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising  successfully 
until  1907  when  he  moved  to  Lynn  where  he  resumed  the  grain  business 
which  he  has  continued  to  the  present  time,  in  partnership  with  his  son-in- 
law,  O.  M.  Downard.  They  oijerate  a  large  elevator  and  mill,  the  capacity 
of  the  former  being  ten  thousand  bushels,  and  the  rnill  has  a  capacity  of  six 
thousand  bushels.  They  have  built  up  a  large,  rapidly-growing  and  lucra- 
tive business.  All  grain  except  wheat  is  shipped.  They  handle  the  famous 
brand  of  "Bob  White"  flour,  which  is  a  great  seller  owing  to  its  superior 
quality.  They  turn  out  sixty  barrels  daily  and  find  a  very  ready  market  for 
the  same.     It  is  shipped  all  over  the  country. 

Politically,  Mr.  Anderson  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Christian  church,  and  fraternally  he  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  of  which  he  is  past  grand;  and  also  belongs  to  the  Encarnp- 
ment  of  which  he  is  past  chief  patriarch. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  married  October  4,  1879,  to  Belle  Chenoweth.  She 
was  born  in  Randolph  county,  September  19,  1858,  and  here  she  grew  to 
womanhood  and  received  her  education.  She  is  a  daughter  of  E.  M.  and 
Ruth  (Bowen)  Chenoweth.  To  our  subject  and  wife  five  children  have 
been  born,  namely:  Ethel  "is  the  wife  of  O.  M.  Downard;  Noral  is  on  the  • 
home  farm;  Nione  is  the  wife  of  Harry  Johnson;  Denzil  M.  is  engaged  in 
the  shoe  business  in  Lynh;  Ruth  is  at  home. 

Mr.  Anderson  is  at  this  writing  a  member  of  the  town  council,  and 
was  township  trustee  of  Greensfork  township  for  a  period  of  five  years. 


DENZIL  MERLE  ANDERSON. 

One  must  not  expect  to  succeed  in  the  mercantile  business  in  a 
short  time,  neither  do  rewards  come  in  this  field  of  endeavor  to  the  in- 
dolent and  careless,  but  to  those  who  plan  well  and  are  honest  and 
persistent  in  the  execution  of  their  tasks  neither  can  lai-ge  returns  be 
expected  with  no  -reverses.  It  takes  years,  as  a  rule,  to  do  big  things 
in  any  line,  and  one  cannot  build  Up  an  extensive  and  lucrative  business 
in  a  few  months.     Realizing  that  it  meant  hard  and  consecutive  endea- 

(83) 


13  lO  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

vor  to  become  a  successful  shoe  dealer,,  Denzil  Merle  Anderson,  of 
Lynn,  Randolph  county,  has  sought  to  utiHze  every  moment  and  every 
opportunity  in  his  chosen  vocation  and  is  therefore  succeeding  admirably 
and  ranks  among  our  most  progressive  young  business  men,  and,  judg- 
ing from  his  splendid  success  so  early,  one  must  necessarily  predict  for 
him  a  bright  future  in  the  world  of  industry. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  boi'n  at  Crete,  Randolph  county,  October  18, 
1892.  He  is  a  son  of  Norman  *and  Belle  (Chenoweth)  Anderson,  a 
sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Denzil  M-  Anderson  received  a  common  school  education  and  spent 
one  year  in  the  Valparaiso  Normal,  after  which  he  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  E.  M.  Clark  in  the  shoe  business  in  Lynn,  January  15, 
1911.  He  bought  his  partner  out  and  has  since  been  conducting  the 
store  alone,  enjoying  a  constantly  growing  and  extensive  business.  He 
has  the  only  exclusive  shoe  store  in  Lynn,  and  carries  a  large  and  up-to- 
date  stock  of  footwear  at  all  seasons;  in  fact,  his  store  would  be  a  credit 
to  towns  larger  than  Lynn.  He  draws  his  many  customers  from  all 
over  this  section  of  the  county,  many  coming  from  remote  parts  of 
the  same,  for  they  know  that  here  they  will  receive  fair  and  courteous  treat- 
ment. 

Pohtically,  Mr.  Anderson  is  a  Progressive,  and  in  religious  matters 
is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  married  December  31,  1910,  to  Marie  Hopkins, 
who  was  partly  reared  and  educated  at  Lynn,,  and  is  a  daughter  of  a 
highly  respected  family  here.  She  was  born  at  Portland,  Indiana,  Octo- 
ber 8,  1891.     She  is  a  young  lady  of  many  charming  characteristics. 


NELSON  B.  HIATT. 


It  can  not  be  other  than  interesting  to  note  in  the  series  of  personal 
sketches  appearing  in  this  memorial  and ;  biographical  history  and  varying 
conditions  that  have  compassed  those  whose  careers  are  outlined,  and  the 
effort  has  been  made  in  each  case  to  throw  well-focused  light  onto  the  indi- 
viduality and  to  bring  into  proper  perspective  the  scheme  of  each  character 
under  consideration.  Each  man  who  strives  to  fulfill  his  part  in  connection 
with  human  life  and  human  activities  is  deserving  of  recognition,  whatever 
may  be  or  have  been  the  field  of  his  endeavor,  and  it  is  the  function  of  works 
of  this  nature  to  perpetuate  for  future  generations  an  authentic  record  con- 
cerning those  represented  in  its  pages,  and  the  value  of  such  publication  is 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  I3II 

certain  to  be  cumulative  for  all  time  to  come,  showing  forth  the  individual 
and  specific  accomplishments  of  which  generic  history  is  ever  engendered. 

One  of  the  citizens  of  a  past  generation  in  Randolph  county  who  is 
eminently  deserving  of  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  pages  of  the  present  work 
was  the  late  Nelson  B.  Hiatt,  for  more  than  three  decades  a  well  known  and 
successful  merchant  and  business  man  of  Ridgeville,  and  a  citizen  of  honor 
and  public-spirit  who  was  highly  esteemed  by  a  vast  acquaintance.  He  was 
born  in  Jay  county,  Indiana,  July  19,  1848,  and  was  a  son  of  Jonathan  and 
Ruth  Hiatt,  whose  family  consisted  of  fifteen  children.  The  mother  of  our 
subject  died  when  he  was  seven  years  old  and  the  father  married  a  second 
time,  but  the  last  union  was  without  issue.  Of  the  large  family  only  one 
son  and  two  daughters  survive,  namely:  Lavina,  wife  of  Hamilton  Heller, 
of  Pennville,  Jay  county;  he  is  a  retired  farmer;  twelve  children  were  born 
to  them:  Ruth  Anna  married  Charles  Briggs,  a  farmer  in  Jay  county,  and 
they  have  four  children;  Jasper  C,  of  Indianapolis,  is  a  widower  and  has 
four  children. 

Jonathan  Hiatt,  mentioned  above,  devoted  his  life  to  farming.  He  was 
a  native  of  North  Carolina  from  which  state  he  came  to  Jay  county,  Indiana, 
when  a  young  man  and  there  located  on  a  farm.  His  death  occurred  at  the 
age  of  seventy-two  years. 

Nelson  B.  Hiatt  grew  up  on  the  home  farm  in  Jay  county  and  there  as- 
sisted with  the  general  work  when  a  boy.  He  received  his  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  that  community,  also  passing  through  Ridgeville  college. 
When  but  a  boy  he  determined  upon  a  career  as  merchant  and  he  began  in 
that  field  of  endeavor  at  Pennville,  in  his  native  county,  where  he  remained 
four  years,  then  moved  to  Ridgeville,  and  there  continued  to  operate  a  gen- 
eral store  for  a  period  of  thirty-four  years,  or  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 
He  enjoyed  a  large  and  lucrative  business  with  the  town  and  surrounding 
country,  always  carrying  a  wejl-selected  stock  of  goods  which  he  sold  at 
reasonable  prices,  and  his  honesty  and  courtesy  won  him  the  good  will  and 
friendship  of  his  hundreds  of  customers. 

Mr.  Hiatt  was  married  June  28,  1875,  to  Rebecca  Janney,  a  daughter  of 
Mahlon  and  Frances  S.  (Taylor)  Janney,  whose  family  consisted  of  eleven 
children,  five  of  whom  survive.     Mr.  Janney  devoted  his  life  to  farming. 

One  daughter  was  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  Irma  Frances,  who 
married  John  McFarland,  of  Ridgeville,  who  was  a  teacher  for  sixteen 
years,  and  who  at  this  writing  is  in  charge  of  the  store  left  by  our  subject. 
He  has  three  children,  Frances  E.,  born  in  1902;  Portia,  born  in  1905,  and 
Joseph  Howard,  born  October,  1907.    Our  subject  and  wife  also  reared  and 


I3I2  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

educated  Lillian  Smithson,  daughter  of  Michael  and  Lavina  Smithson.  She 
was  born  in  1886.  Her  parents  died  when  she  was  three  and  one-half  years 
of  age  and  she  was  taken  by  subject  and  wife.  She  taught  school  up  to  the 
time  of  her  marriage  to  Frank  Mitchell,  manager  of  the  Ridgeville  Tele- 
phone Co. 

Mr.  Hiaitt  was  a  charter  member  of  the  Congregational  church  at 
Ridgeville.  Politically,  he  was  a  I^rohibitionist,  and  was  active  in  temperance 
work.  He  was  city  treasurer  of  Ridgeville  four  years,  discharging  the  duties 
of  the  offite  in  a  highly  acceptable  manner.  He  was  one  of  the  leading  busi- 
ness men  in  this  section  of  Randolph  county.  He  was  vicfe-president  of  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Ridgeville,  which  position  he  held  from  the  time  of 
its  chartfer  until  his  death.  He  was  perhaps  at  that  time  the  oldest  business 
man  in  Ridgeville.  He  had  a  large,  commodious  home  where  his  widow 
still  lives.  She  holds  a  large  share  of  the  stock  in  the  above  named  Bank 
and  is  a  woman  of  no  mean  business  ability  and  has  mariy  winning  charac- 
teristics which  have  made  her  popular  with  a  wide  circle  of  friends. 

Nelson  B.  Hiatt  was  summoned  to  his  eternal  rest  on  January  27,  1912, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years. 


AARON  G.  ROGERS,  M.  D. 

The  name  of  Rogers  carries  a  burden  of  sentiment  to  the  reader  of 
United  States  history.  It  is  a  name  that  is  distinctly  American.  Dr.  Aaron 
G.  Rogers,  one  of  the  most  prominent  physicians  of  Randolph  county,  is 
descended  from  a  family  which  played  its  part  well  in  the  shaping  of  the 
first  United  States ;  a  family  which  has  literally  been  in  the  vortex  of  human 
events  and  activities;  and  which  has  been  represented  in  nearly  every 
place  where  human  passions  have  clashed,  or  civil  and  moral  questions  have 
been  settled  in  "ithe  court  of  blood."  In  the  dubious  years  at  the  close  of 
the  eighteenth  century  there  were  Rogers,  of  the  same  family  of  our  subject, 
who  performed  their  duty  heroically  and  faithfully;  in  1812.  in  the  '6o's, 
and  in  the  intervening  years  when  smaller  strifes  and  Indian  wars 
troubled  the  land,  our  subject's  people  have  won  their  spurs  in  every  sense 
of  the  word.  Dr.  Rogers,  of  this  sketch,  has  not  had  the  opportunity  for 
military  glory,  but  in  a  profession  that  requires  the  stamina  and  nerve  of 
the  battlefield  he  has  been  a  commander;  his  work  has  been  characterized 
by  that  conscientious  devotion  to  duty,  that  disregard  for  self  in  the  interest 
of  others,  which  mai-k  one  as  a  man  among  men.  It  is  for  such  men  as 
Dr.  Rogers  that  biography  is  intended,  and  so  in  this  volume  of  Randolph 


A.  G.  ROGERS,  M.  D. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I313 

county,  it  is  highly  appropriate  that  he  should  be  given  conspicuous  men- 
tion, for  it  is  to  such  as  he  that  future  generations  point  to  in  extolling  the 
generations  and  years  of  the  past. 

Aaron  G.  Rogers  was  born  in  Henry  county,  Indiana,  on  August  i8, 
1849,  ^nd  was  the  son  of  Thornton  and  Eliza  (Luellen)  Rogers.  Thornton 
Rogers  was  born  in  the  state  of  Virginia,  and  came  overland  to  Henry 
county,  Indiana,  when  just  a  youth,  with  the  intention  of  farming  in  the 
"new  country,"  a  task  worthy  of  his  fibre.  Not  only  did  he  work  in  the 
interests  of  agriculture,  but  also  served  his  brethren  as  a  minister  of  the 
gospel,  preaching  in  the  Christian  church  of  his  community.  He  lived  to 
reach  the  age  of  seventy-four  years,  his  death  being  the  result  of  an  injury 
and  not  from  any  bodily  weakness. 

Thornton  Rogers  was  twice  married,  first  to  Sarah  Massy,  and  to  this 
union  were  born  the  following  children :  John,  deceased,  a  farmer  and 
survived  by  a  widow  and  two  children;  James,  deceased,  who  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Civil  war,  and  is  survived  by  a  widow;  Malinda,  deceased;  and 
Elizabeth,  who  is  also  deceased.  Thornton  Roger's  second  wife  was  the 
mother  of  eight  children,  and  they  were :  David,  deceased,  who  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil  war,  and  who  is  survived  by  a  widow 
and  three  children;  Aaron  G.,  our  subject;  Abigail,  who  jnarried  S.  G. 
Hays,  now  a  widow,  living  on  the  old  homestead;  French,  died  at  the  age 
of  two  years;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Amos  Leeka,  a  Randolph  county  farmer, 
and  the  mother  of  two  children,  one  of  whom  is  dead;  Amelia  Jane,  de- 
ceased, was  the  wife  of  Christian  Richardson,  a  stock  man,  and  is  survived 
by  two  children ;  Benjamin  died  at  the  age  of  ten  years ;  Priscilla  Sarah, 
deceased,  married  George  Hodson,  and  was  the  mother  of  three  children. 

Our  subject's  grandfather,  Aaron  G.  Rogers,  was  a  farmer,  and  the 
father  of  six  children,  five  boys  and  one  girl.  He  was  a  native  of  Virginia, 
and  died  in  Missouri  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years.  Besides  his  farming 
activities  he  preached  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  His  military 
record  is  interesting  and  notable.  In  1794,  when  General  "Mad  Anthony" 
Wayne,  the  hero  of  Stony  Point,  New  York,  was  sent  into  Ohio  to  quell 
the  hostile  Indian  tribes  there,  Aaron  Rogers  was  a  soldier  in  the  small  army 
of  rangers  and  riflemen.  He  braved  the  hardships  along  with  the  rest  of 
that  courageous  company,  and  wielded  his  flintlock  as  effectively  as  any. 
Again,  in  1812,  he  saw  hard  service  under  command  of  William  Henry 
Harrison,  after  "Old  Hickory"  had  made  his  name  famous  at  Tippecanoe. 
The  campaign  against  hostile  Indians  was  practicallly  ended  for  an  interval 
by  the  defeat  of  the  Shawnees  at  the  above  mentioned  place,  and  conse- 


1314  KANDOLI'H  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

quently  Aaron  Roger's  service  was,  for  the  most  part,  directed  against  the 
British,  who  were  then  in  the  process  of  being  "Hcked"  the  second  time.  The 
mihtary  career  of  Aaron  Rogers  was  replete  with  interesting  events  and  it 
is  our  regret  that  more  space  cannot  be  afforded  for  a  complete  account  of 
them.  His  life  was  inspiring,  as  was  the  life  of  Joseph  Rogers,  our  sub- 
ject's great-grandfather,  whom  we  narrate  of  in  the  following  paragraph. 

Joseph  Rogers  was  probably  a  native  of  Virginia,  as  the  Old  Dominion 
was;  acording  to  historical  account,  the  home  of  the  Rogers  family,  from  the 
time  of  their  voyage  from  the  shores  of  the  mother-country,  Wales.  Joseph 
Rogers  was  one  of  the  first  patriots  who  rallied  to  the  flag  when  the  Revo- 
lutionary war  was  declared.  On  that  historic  date  of  June  17,  1775,  when 
the  British  troops  around  the  town  of  Charleston,  Massachusetts,  stormed 
the  Americans,  fortified  on  Bunker  Hill,  Joseph  Rogers  was  one  of  the  noble 
hundreds  who  time  after  time  drove  the  "red  coats"  back,  and  fought  stub- 
bornly until  lack  of  ammunition  lost  the  patriots  the  redoubt  at  the  summit. 
He  suffered  a  bullet  wound  in  this  engagement,  but  was  not  incapacitated  for 
further  service  in  the  colonial  army.  John  Rogers,  Joseph's  brother,  was 
also  a  soldier  in  the  American  army.  On  September  11,  1777,  at  the  battle 
of  Brandywine,  or  Chad's  Ford,  Pennsylvania,  he  was  killed  by  an  English 
bullet.     Joseph  Rogers  died  after  the  war  in  Virginia. 

Our  subject's  grandmother  on  his  mother's  side  was  Abigail  Jones, 
and  she  was  born  in  Virginia.  She  married  a  Virginia  farmer  and  then  they 
came  to  the  Hoosier  state,  where  she  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years. 
Our  subject's  family,  both  paternal  and  maternal,  are  of  Welsh  descent. 

Dr.  Aaron  G.  Rogers  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Middle- 
town,  Henry  county,  Indiana,  and  also  graduated  from  the  high  school  there. 
Having  a  strong  ambition  to  enter  into  the  profession  of  medicine,  he 
matriculated  at  the  Miami  Medical  College  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1879, 
and  in  1881  was  graduated  with  high  honors  from  that  institution.  In  1896-7 
he  took  a  second  course  in  the  same  school.  For  one  year  he  practiced  suc- 
cessfully in  Farmland,  this  county,  then  located  at  Parker  in  1880,  and  here 
he  has  practiced  ever  since,  with  the  exception  of  three  years  spent  in 
Terre  Haute,  Indiana.  In  the  practice  of  his  profession,  Dr.  Rogers  has 
always  kept  abreast  of  the  times,  and  no  physician  of  the  county  stands 
higher  in  the  faith  and  confidence  of  the  people.  He  is  a  doctor  living  in 
the  age  of  antitoxins  and  serums,  and  despite  the  opposition  to  the  use  of 
specifics  from  certain  quarters,  has  unbounded  faith  and  dependence  in  their 
use.  Perhaps  no  profession  is  open  and  possesses  so  much  fraud  and  mis- 
representation as  that  of  medicine.     For  such  defamations  of  a  trade  that 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I315 

is  almost  sacred,  Dr.  Rogers  is  a  merciless  antagonist,  and  he  employs  every 
resource  at  his  command  to  thwart  the  operation  of  deceit.  For  the  medical 
"quack"  he  is  a  stumbling  block,  and  for  the  so-called  "specialists"  he  is  an 
avowed  enemy.  Dr.  Rogers  was  the  first  doctor  in  Randolph  county  to 
administer  the  diphtheria  antitoxin,  which  is  now  universally  used  by  the 
doctors  of  the  country. 

On  February  15,  1879,  Dr.  Rogers  was  married  to  Mary  E.  Carter,  a 
daughter  of  William  B.  Carter,  a  merchant  of  Farmland,  this  county,  but 
now  deceased.  Dr.  Rogers  suffered  the  misfortune  of  losing  his  wife  by  death 
in  1889,  leaving  one  daughter,  Sylvia  May,  who  was  born  November  22, 
1882,  who  now  lives  with  her  father. 

In  religious  matters.  Dr.  Rogers  attends  the  Friends  church.  His 
mother-in-law  was  a  preacher  in  this  denomination.  Fraternally,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  takes 
a  great  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  party.  At  one  time  Dr.  Rogers  served 
well  as  a  member  of  the  county  board  of  charity. 


DAVID  HUBER. 


In  the  communities  where  David  Huber  has  spent  his  life  he  has  main- 
tained a  very  high  place  in  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  neighbors,  being 
regarded  as  a  representative  citizen  in  every  relation  of  life,  discharging 
every  duty  devolving  upon  him  with  commendable  fidelity  and  proving  him- 
self worthy  the  respect  with  which  he  is  treated  by  all  who  know  him.  He  is 
an  excellent  example  of  the  progressive  modern  farmer  and  his  place  is  one 
of  the  best  kept  and  best  improved  jn  the  neighborhood  of  Deerfield. 

Mr.  Huber  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  July  20,  1863.  He  is  a 
son  of  John  H.  and  Catherine  (Coleman)  Huber,  whose  family  consisted 
of  three  children,  namely :  Jacob  who  was  a  school  teacher  for  twenty  years 
is  now  farming  near  Randolph  Station,  this  county,  married  Annetta  Som- 
ers  and  they  have  two  children,  Celia  and  Dolly;  Sarah  married  N.  W. 
Fields,  of  Deerfield,  and'they  have  two  children,  John  and  Weldon;  David, 
of  this  sketch  is  the  youngest  of  the  trio. 

John  H.  Huber,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  review,  was  born  in  Nurem- 
berg, Germany,  in  1835,  and  there  he  spent  his  early  boyhood,  emigrating 
to  the  United  States  in  1846,  first  locating  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  then  removed 
to  Indiana.  He  located  in  Ward  township,  Randolph  county  in  1879  and 
located  on  a  farm  where  he  still  resides.     He  has  worked  hard  and  managed 


1316  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

well  and  good  has  come  to  him  by  his  efforts  in  the  New  World.  He  has 
been  twice  married,  first,  in  1858,  to  Catherine  Coleman,  with  whom  he 
lived  happily  for  a  period  of  thirty-eight  years.  She  was  born  on  October 
3,  1838,  in  Darke  county,  Ohio.  Her  death  occurred  on  November  2,  1896. 
In  1900  Mr.  Huber  married  Annetta  Beisel,  nee  Ganger.  He  is  owner  of  a 
fine  farm  of  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres,  and  is  a  stockholder  and  di- 
rector in  the  State  Bank  of  Ridgeville,  and  was  vice-president  of  the  same 
for  a  number  of  years.  His  father^  was  a  brewer  in  Germany  where  he  spent 
his  life. 

David  Huber  grew  to  manhood  on  the  farm  and  assisted  his  father  with 
the  general  work  about  the  place  when  a  boy.  He  received  a  good  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools.  On  November  25,  1893,  he  married  Lou  Brown, 
a  daughter  of  W.  S.  Brown,  a  well-known  carpenter  and  builder,  who  mar- 
ried Evaline  Simmons.  Mrs.  Huber  was  reared  to  womanhood  in  her  na- 
tive community  and  received  a  common  school  education.  Her  parents  for- 
merly lived  in  Jackson  township. 

The  following  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huber:  John 
Weldon,  born  October  19,  1894,  is  a  successful  teacher  in  Ward  township, 
although  but  nineteen  years  of  age;  William  Renney,  born  January  21,  1896, 
is  studying  for  a  teacher's  career;  Ara,  born  January  22,  1898,  is  also  pre- 
paring to,be  a  teacher;  Owna,  born  May  30,  1901 ;  Mamie,  born  April  18, 
1905 ;  Downa,  born  April  5,  1907. 

Mr.  Huber  has  been  very  successful  as  a  general  farmer  and  stock  raiser 
and  has  followed  these  pursuits  since  boyhood.  He  is  now  owner  of  a  fine 
and  productive  farm  of  one  hundred  and  ninety  acres  and  has  a  good  dwell- 
ing and  outbuildings.  Politically,  he  is  independent,  and  he  attends  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church. 


MICHAEL  LAHEY. 

Diversified  farming  is  essential  to  profitable  production  and  maintenance 
of  soil  fertility,  but  it  is  necessary  to  specialize  on  something  to  secure  a 
superior  standard  of  excellence.  A  well  diversified  farm  will  have  the  cus- 
tomary crops  that  are  grown  in  the  locality,  together  with  the  usual  farm 
animals,  and  some  one  crop  or  some  one  animal  should  be  singled  out  as  a 
specialty.  The  farmer  may  take  good  care  of  all  his  crops  and  animals  and 
conduct  his  business  at  a  profit,  but  he  will  find  an  added  enjoyment  and  an 
increased  profit  by  giving  special  attention  to  some  one  crop  or  special  kind 
of  live  stock.     Suppose  a  farmer's  specialty  is  corn.     If  he  does  his  duty  by 


w 

M 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  ^2)'^7 

his  pet  crop  he  will  raise  some  of  the  best,  if  not  the  best,  corn  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. He  will  not  only  have  greater  profits  in  the  ordinary  use  of  the 
crop,  but  the  demand  for  his  seed  corn  will  enable  him  to  dispose  of  a  large 
amount  of  it  at  better  than  the  average  price  for  seed  corn.  The  necessity 
of  using  only  the  best  seed  is  yearly  becoming  more  appreciated  and  the  man 
who  has  the  reputation  for  growing  the  best  corn  is  the  one  that  seed  buyers 
will  hunt  out.     The  reputation  is  the  reward  for  building  up  a  specialty. 

One  of  the  leading  farmers  of  Randolph  county  is  Michael  Lahey  who 
has  from  time  to  time  specialized  in  various  things  and  has  made  general 
farming  and  stock  raising  not  only  profitable  but  pleasant.  He  was  born 
September  9,  1857,  i'^  New  York  City,  and  is  a  son  of  Martin  and  Hennora 
Lahey,  both  natives  of  Ireland  where  they  were  reared,  educated  and  married 
and  from  which  country  they  emigrated  to  America  shortly  before  our  sub- 
ject was  born.  He  was  small  when  his  -parents  died  and  thus  grew  up  an 
orphan.  He  was  one  of  five  children,  only  two  of  whom  are  now  living, 
himself  and  James  A.  Lahey. 

Michael  Lahey  remained  in  New  York  City  until  he  was  about  eleven 
years  of  age,  then  came  west  to  Greenville,  Ohio,  later  locating  in  Union  City, 
Indiana,  growing  to  manhood  at  the  home  of  William  Macy,  a  farmer  just 
south  of  Union  City.  He  worked  on  the  farm  during  the  crop  seasons  and 
received  a  limited  education  in  the  common  schools. 

Mr.  Lahey  was  married  December  25,  1880,  to  Elnora  Wise,  who  was 
born  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  November  22,  1861,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  Henry  and  Hannah  (Bowen)  Wise.  The  father  was  born  .in  Germany, 
May  5,  1838,  and  is  now  living  in  Spartanburg,  Randolph  county,  where  he 
has  long  made  his  home,  haying  emigrated  to  this  country  when  a  young 
man.  His  wife  was  born  in  this  county,  January  2y,  1843,  ^^^d  she  is  still 
living.  Mr.  Wise  has  been  successfully  engaged  in  farming  all  his  life,  but 
is  now  living  retired.  His  family  consisted  of  seven  children,  only  four  of 
whom  survive,  namely:  Elnora,  wife  of  Mr.  Lahey  of  this  sketch  is -the 
eldest ;  John  O.  is  deceased ;  Elizabeth  A.  is  living ;  Hattie  R.  and  Ulrich  are 
also  living;  Florence  and  Rosa  are  both  deceased.  Mrs.  Lahey  grew  to 
womanhood  on  the  home  farm  and  she  received  a  common  school  educa- 
tion. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  seven  children  have  been  born,  all  except  one 
still  living,  namely:  Leona,  born  September  21,  1881,  married  Orlie  Cole- 
man and  they  live  in  Richmond,  Indiana;  Charles  W.,  born  January  28, 
1884,  married  Grace  Paris,  and  they  live  east  of  Winchester,  Indiana; 
Florence  E.,  born  December  25,   1886,  married  Harry  Oxley  and  they  are 


j^lS  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

living  south  of  Farmland,  this  county;  Iva  Viola,  born  October  9,  1889, 
married  Alva  ^.lurrell,  and  they  are  living  in  White  River  township,  this 
county;  Hannah  Elverna,  born  February  25,  1893,  married  Elmer  Hiatt  of 
Monroe  township,  Randolph  county,  she  died  February  25,  1914;  James 
Henry,  born  i  larch  2,  1896;  Harold  M.,  born  April  11,  1903,  is  the  youngest. 

:\Ir.  Lahey  has  devoted  his  life  to  general  farming  and  he  has  lived  on 
his  present  fine  farm  for  a  period  of  fourteen  years.  It  consists  of  one 
hundred  and  forty  acres,  all  tillable  but  about  twenty  acres.  It  is  fairly 
well  tiled  and  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  has  made  many  up- 
to-date  improvements,  such  as  remodeling  his  dwelling,  in  which  he  has  in- 
stalled a  furnace  and  other  modern  appliances.  In  connection  with  general 
agricultural  pursuits  he-raises  a  general  breed  of  cows  and  horses  and  Duroc 
hogs. 

Politically,  ^Ir.  Lahey  is  a  Prohibitionist,  and  religiously  is  a  member 
of  the  ]\Iethodist  Episcopal  church  in  which  he  is  a  trustee.  His  wife's 
father,  Henry  Wise,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war,  seeing  three  years  of 
hard  service,  having  enlisted  at  Richmond,  Indiana,  August  19,  1862,  in 
Company  F,  Sixty-ninth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Col.  Oster- 
house  and  he  proved  to  be  a  gallant  defender  of  his  adopted  country's  flag. 


JOHN  E.  RICKERT. 

In  these  days  of  large  commercial  transactions,  when  credits  cut 
a  large  factor  in  the  daily  round  of  business,  the  province  of  the  banker  is 
very  wide  and  very  important.  The  excellence  of  the  banks  of  the  present 
as  compared  with  those  of  the  past  gives  to  all  classes  of  business  men  first- 
class  security  for  their  deposits,  assistance  when  they  are  in  need  of  ready 
money  to  facilitate  business  matters  in  various  ways,  and  a  means  of  ex- 
changing credits  that  could  be  accomnlished  in  safety  no  other  way.  In  a 
large  measure  the  success  at  the  present  time  of  all  branches  of  business  is 
largely  the  result  of  present  banking  methods.  It  is  quite  common  for  the 
stockholders  of  the  banks  to  be  business  men  of  prominence  in  the  com- 
munity— farmers,  merchants,  manufacturers  and  professional  men — all  of 
whom  are  known  to  the  depositors  and  their  standing  well  established.  This 
gives  stability  to  the  bank  and  confidence  to  the  community.  Such  is  the 
confidence  in  the  State  Bank  of  Ridgeville,  Randolph  county,  of  which  John 
E.  Rickert  is  the  popular  and  able  cashier,  in  fact,  is  the  maker  of  it,  and  one 
of  the  substantial  and  influential  men  of  the  locality  of  which  this  history 
deals. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  LNDIANA.  I3I9 

Mr.  Rickert  was  born  in  Jackson  township,  Randolph  county,  February 
19,  1878.  He  is  a  son  of  George  and  Jane  (Stuck)  Rickert,  whose  family 
consists  of  three  children,  our  subject,  and  William  A.,  who  lives  on  the 
home  farm,  married  Daisy  Kemp,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  B.  F.  Kemp,  and  they 
have  four  children,  Noel,  Cecil,  Mary  and  Elizabeth.  Mary  Rickert  mar- 
ried Andrew  P.  Linn,  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  and  to  them  three  children 
have  been  born,  namely :  Charles,  Carrie  and  Helen,  all  married  except 
the  last  named. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  of  German  descent,  and  he  seems  to  have 
inherited  the  characteristic  thrift  and  industry  of  his  progenitors.  His  fa- 
ther was  a  native  of  Indiana,  who  devoted  his  life  to  agricultural  pursuits, 
became  the  owner  of  a  valuable  farm  in  Randolph  county,  and  here  he  spent 
the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  in  1905  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  The  pater- 
nal grandparents  of  our  subject  were  both  born  in  Germany,  from  which 
country  they  emigrated  to  the  United  States  when  young.  Grandfather 
Stuck  was  an  able  minister  in  the  German  Reformed  church.  The  mother  of 
our  subject  is  living,  hale  and  hearty  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years. 

John  E.  Rickert  grew  to  manhood  on  his  father's  farm  where  he  worked 
until  reaching  his  majority.  He  received  meanwhile  his  early  education  in 
the  common  schools,  and  in  the  State  Normal  at  Terra  Haute,  which  in 
after  life  has  been  greatly  supplemented  by  actual  contact  with  the  business 
world  and  by  wide  and  miscellaneous  home  reading.  He  began  life  for  him- 
self by  teaching  school  in  Jackson  township  for  a  period  of  five  years,  and 
one  year  in  the  graded  schools  of  Saratoga.  Although  he  gave  eminent 
satisfaction  as  a  teacher  and  was  fast  taking  his  place  in  the  front  rank  of 
educators  in  Randolph  county,  he  resigned  his  position  at  Saratoga  and  en- 
tered a  business  career,  accepting  a  position  as  assistant  cashier  of  the  Ridge- 
ville  State  Bank,  in  February,  1902,  which  position  he  held  until  in  May, 
1906,  since  which  time  he  has  been  cashier,  discharging  his  duties  in  a  man- 
ner that  reflects  much  credit  upon  himself  and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of 
the  stockholders  and  patrons  of  the  bank.  His  personal  popularity,  his  able 
counsel  and  wise  foresight  have  been  the  principal  factors  in  the  upbuilding 
of  this  popular  and  ever-growing  institution,  which  ranks  among  the  sound 
and  safe  banks  of  this  section  of  the  state.  He  is  by  nature  a  financier,  and 
he  has  kept  well  abreast  of  the  times  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  bank- 
ing business. 

Mr.  Rickert  was  married  June  16,  1899  to  Eva  L.  Hill,  a  daughter  of 
William  Hill,  an  artisan  of  Randolph  county,  and  here  she  grew  to  woman- 


1320  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

hood  and  was  educated.  She  is  a  lady  of  culture  and  many  admirable  char- 
acteristics which  have  won  her  a  host  of  warm  friends. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  two  children  have  been  born,  namely:  Wayne, 
born  October  3,  1900;  and  Dale,  whose  birth  occurred  February  5,  1904. 
They  are  both  very  bright  lads  and  promising;  the  elder  is  a  pupil  of  the 
Ridgeville  High  School  at  the  early  age  of  thirteen  years. 

Politically,  ]Mr.  Rickert  is  a  Democrat.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the 
local  school  board  for  the  past  twdve  years  during  which  he  has  done  much 
to  strengthen  the  Ridgeville  school  system,  in  fact,  no  man  has  done  more 
for  the  general  upbuilding  of  this  city  than  he,  for  he  has  ever  had  its  inter- 
ests at  heart  since  locating  here.  The  town  owes  him  a  debt  of  gratitude 
which  it  can  not  repay.  He  is  a  member  of  the  building  committee  for  the 
erection  of  the  new  hall  of  the  local  lodge  of  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, of  which  he  is  a  member.  He  and  his  family  belong  to  the  Congrega- 
tional church  and  are  faithful  in  the  work  and  support  of  the  same. 


JOHN  COLUMBUS  BUNXH. 

Success  in  agriculture  does  not  come  to  the  indolent  or  careless, 
but  to  those  who  plan  well  and  are  persistent  in  the  execution  of  their 
tasks;  neither  can  large  returns  be  expected  in  a  short  time,  it  takes 
years  to  do  big  things  in  any  line,  and  one  cannot  develop  a  modem 
farm  in  a  few  months.  Realizing  that  it  meant  hard  and  consecutive 
endeavor  to  become  successful  as  a  husbandman,  John  Columbus 
Bunch,  of  Greensfprk  township,  Randolph  county,  sought  to  utilize  every 
moment  and  every  opportunity  in  his  chosen  vocation  of  farming  and  has 
therefore  succeeded. 

Mr.  Bunch  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  resides  at  this  writing, 
Januar}^  17.  1868.  He  is  a  son  of  Richard  G.  and  Mary  J.  (Bowen) 
Bunch.  The  father  was  bom  February  6,  1831,  near  Whitewater,  Wayne 
county.  Indiana,  and  was  a  son  of  Richard  and  Ann  (Pierson)  Bunch. 
Richard  Bunch.  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  where  he  spent  his 
boyhood,  but  in  a  very  early  day  emigrated  overland  to  Indiana  and  set- 
tled in  Wayne  county,  where  he  developed  a  farm  from  the  forest.  There 
his  son,  Richard  G.  Bunch,  grew  up  amid  pioneer  environment  and 
worked  hard  on  the  farm  when  a  boy,  receiving  a  meager  education  the 
meanwhile  in  the  rural  schools,  and  there  he  remained  until  1854,  when 
he  came  to  Randolph  coimty  and    purchased    the    forty-    acres,    where   the 


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RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 32  I 

present  Bunch  home  stands.  He  subsequently  added  to  his  original  pur- 
chase until  he  became  owner  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  this 
county,  besides  land  in  Ohio.  He  devoted  his  entire  life  to  farming 
and  wds  successful.  His  death  occurred  May  15,  1900.  He  ran  a  sorg- 
hum molasses  mill  for  about  forty  years  and  his  products  were  eagerly 
sought  after  owing  to  their  superior  quality.  He  was  one  of  the  first 
to  engage  in  that  line  of  business  in  this  locality.  Politically  he  was 
a  Republican,  and  religiously  belonged  to  the  Methodist  church,  and  was 
licensed  to  exhort  in  the  same.  He  was  an  active  worker  in  the  church. 
He  belonged  to  the  Masonic  order.  He  and  Mary  J.  Bowen  were  mar- 
ried May  13,  1852.  She  was  born  September  15,  1830,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  Squire  Bowen  and  wife,  a  well-known  pioneer  family  of  this 
county,  mention  of  whom  is  made  elsewhere  in  these  pages.  Seven 
children  were  born  to  Richard  G.  Bunch  and  wife,  four  of  whom  are 
still  living,  namely:  Angeline  M.  is  the  wife  of  W.  T.  Hart,  a  farmer  of 
Greensfork  township ;  Florence  A.  is  the  wife  of  Foster  A.  Tillson,  a  farmer 
of  Wayne  county,  Indiana;  Nancy  C.  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  Donahue, 
a  farmer  of  Greensfork  township,  this  county,  and  John  C,  of  this  review. 
The  death  of  Mrs.  Mary  J.  Bunch  occurred  August  15,  1905. 

John  C.  Bunch  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  where  he  worked 
hard  when  a  boy,  and  he  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools, 
with  four  terms  in  the  Danville  Normal  School.  He  began  farming  when  a 
young  man  and  this  has  continued  to  be  his  vocation  until  the  present  time. 
He  has  prospered  through  close  applicatibn  and  good  management  until  he 
is  now  owner  of  two  hundred  acres  in  Randolph  county  and  twelve  acres 
in  Ohib.  He  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising  on  an  extensive 
scale,  feeding  large  numbers  of  various  kinds  of  stock  for  the  market.  He 
has  kept  his  land  well  improved  and  well  cultivated  and  he  has  a  pleasant  home 
and  good  outbtiildings  for  his  stock,  grains  and  machinery. 

Politically,  Mr.  Bunch  is  a  Republican  and  he  was  elected  township 
trustee  in  1908  and  is  still  incumbent  of  this  office,  the  duties  of  which  he 
is  discharging  satisfactorily.  Religiously  hcbelongs  to  the  Methodist  church. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  which  he  is 
past  grand,  also  belongs  to  the  Encampment,  of  which  he  is  past  chief  pa- 
triarch.   He  is  a  member  of  the  National  Horse  Thief  Dfetective  Association. 

Mr.  Bunch  was  married,  first,  to  Anna  Dempsey,  November  18,  1892. 
She  was  born  in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  and  her  death  occurred  in  November, 
1895.  On  January  16,  1904,  he  Inarried  his  second  wife,  Delia  J.  Kinsey, 
a  daughter  of  William  Kinsey  and  wife,  a  highly  respected  family  of  this 


I32J  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

county,  a  complete  sketch  of  whom  appears  on  another  page  of  this  volume. 
Mrs.  Bunch  grew  to  womanhood  in  Randolph  county  and  received  a  common 
school  education. 

Mr.  Bunch  is  the  father  of  three  children,  named  as  follows :  Mary  A., 
born  Attgust,  1895,  died  November  3,  1903;  John  K.,  born  November  17, 
tgo8;  and  Bernice  C,  born  June  25,  1910. 


FRANK  L.  SHAW. 


One  of  the  best  known  poultry  dealers  in'  the  section  of  the  Hoosier 
state  of  .which  this  volume  treats  is  Frank  L.  Shaw,  also  a  successful  farmer 
in  Monroe  township,  a  man  who  would  doubtless  have  succeeded  in  any  line 
of  endeavor,  for  he  is  a  persistent  and  careful  worker  and  exercises  sound 
judgment,  and  at  the  same  time  deals  honestly  with  his  fellowmen,  so  that  he 
enjoys  their  confidence  and  good  will.  He  is  a  man  of  proper  ideas  regard- 
ing citizenship  and  is  helpful  in  all  movements  that  have  for  their  object  the 
betterment  of  his  township  and  county  in  any  way. 

]\Ir.  Shaw  was  born  in  Kossuth  county,  Iowa,  July  26,  1858.  He  is  a 
son  of  Reuben  and  Rebecca  (Smith)  Shaw,  and  is  one  of  a  family  of  five 
children,  namely:  Walter  C,  a  bookkeeper,  of  Harriman,  Tennessee;  Silvery 
married  Hamilton  Penery,  died  and  left  five  children;  Josephine, . who  mar- 
ried Oliver  H.  Warren,  a  farmer  of  Monroe  township,  has  four  children; 
Frank  L,,  of  this  sketch.;  Fred  C,  who  died  at  the  age  of  forty-six  years, 
married  Ella  Friar,  who  lives  on  the  old  home  place,  and  is  the  mother  of 
six  children. 

Reuben  Shaw,  the  father,  wa?  ^orn  and  brought  up  in  Boston,  Massa- 
chusetts. He  was  a  builder  by  trade,  and  he  went  to  California  in  the  gold 
fever  days  of  1849,  later  returning  to  Boston  and  in  a  short  time  moved 
to  Ohio  where  he  lived  six  years,  then  went  to  Iowa  and  lived  there  five 
years,  after  which  he  brought  his  family  to  Indiana  and  spent  his  last  days 
here,  dying  on  the  old  homestead  in  Randolph  county,  February  21,  1903, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  His  wife  was  born  at  Cape  Cod,  Massa- 
chusetts, August  27,  1824,  married  Mr.  Shaw  in  Boston  and  followed  his 
fortunes  through  Ohio,  Iowa  and  Indiana,  proving  to  be  a  most  faithful 
helpmeet.  Her  death  occurred  January  24,  1904,  on  the  home  place  in  this 
township.    She  was  one  of  a  family  of  five  children,  two  girls  and  three  boys. 

Frank  L.  Shaw  grew  up  on  the  farm  and  worked  with  his  father  with  the 
crops.  He  received  a  good  common  school  education.  He  began  farming 
for  himself  early  in  life  and  has  continued  this  vocation  to  the  present  time 


RANDOLPH   COIJNTY,  INDIANA.  1 323 

with  more  than  ordinary  success,  and  now  runs  a  valuable  and  well-kept 
place  in  Monroe  township.  He  has  devoted  a  great  deal  of  attention  to  the 
poultry  business,  every  phase  of  which  he  seems  to  have  mastered  when  a 
young  man,  for  his  extensive  buying  and  shipping  of  poultry  for  a  period 
of  thirty-three  years  has  been  uniformly  successful  and  he  has  accumulated 
a  comfortable  competency  in  this  manner,  his  operations  covering  a  wide 
territory  and  he  has  a  wide  reputation  as  a  well  posted,  active  and  uniformly 
honest  and  considerate  dealer  in  this  line. 

Mr.  Shaw  was  married  September  20,  1880  to  Emma  V.  Macy,  daugh- 
ter of  William  P.  Macy,  a  farmer  in  Monroe  township,  whose  family  con- 
sisted of  nine  children,  and  here  she  grew  up  and  was  educated. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  four  children  have  been  born,  namely :  Delia, 
the  eldest  daughter,  married  Albert  Courtner,  a  farmer  in  Monroe  township, 
and  they  have  ten  children  having  lost  two ;  Mabel  married  Charles  Daugherty, 
a  farmer  and  merchant  of  Farmland,  and  they  have  four  children,  two  sons 
and  two  daughters ;  William,  who  is  operating  his  father's  fine  farm  in  Mon- 
roe township,  married  Olive  Watson,  and  they  have  two  children,  Thelma, 
born  February  21,  1909;  and  Marion,  born  June  22,  1910;  Ada  died  at  the 
age  of  five  years. 

Politically,  Mr.  Shaw  is  a  Republican,  and  he  attends  the  Friends  church. 


JAMES  A.  LAMB. 


Nothing  is  more  important  to  a  nation  than  to  have  its  people  well  fed, 
and  especially  is  this  true  of  a  nation  like  ours,  which  must  depend  on  the 
wisdom,  patriotism  and  good  judgment  of  its  people  for  the  administration 
of  its  government  and  its  perpetuity.  We  of  the  cities  should  be  most  in- 
tensely interested  in  the  best  methods  of  production,  because  these  things 
determine  the  volume  of  food  which  we  will  have  to  eat,  and  eating  ever 
remains  the  primal  necessity  of  man,  with  the  field  as  the  great  source  of 
supply.  The  brown  stone  palaces,  the  sky-scrapers,  the  great  white  thorough- 
fares of  our  cities  cannot  feed  the  mass  of  humanity  struggling  within  their 
confines.  These  must  look  back  to  the  land  for  sustenance.  Those  who  eat 
should  be  more  deeply  concerned  about  better  methods  of  farming  than 
those  who  produce  crops  merely  for  the  money  that  comes  from  their  sale. 
One  of  the  citizens  of  West  River  township,  Randolph  county,  who 
seems  to  clearly  understand  the  relation  of  farming  with  other  industries  is 
James  A.  Lamb,  who  was  born  in  Washington  township,  this  county,  July 
25,  1853.     He  is  a  son  of  William  A.  and  Jane  E.  (Harris)  Lamb,  and  he 


1324  RANDOLPH  COUNTYj  INDIANA. 

was  one  of  seven  children^  six  sons  and  one  daughter,  all  now  deceased  but 
James  A.,  of  this  sketch,  who  was  the  youngest;  the  other  children  were 
named  William  P.,  Benjamin  C,  Henry  C,  Anna  E.,  Jerry  E.  and  Levi  O. 
The  father  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  from  which  state  he  removed  with 
his  family  to  Indiana  and  settled  in  West  River  township,  later  removing  to 
Washington  township,  Randolph  county.  He  devoted  his  life  to  farming, 
and  his  death  occurred  April  28,  1868,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Campbell  county,  Virginia,  and  her  death 
occurred  November  22,  1901,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-seven  years,  on 
the  old  homestead  in  Washington  township. 

James  A.  Larhb  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  received  a 
corhmon  school  education.  He  has  been  twice  married,  first  to  Josephine 
White,  March  i,  1891.  Her  death  occurred  October  13,  1893,  leaving  a  son, 
Fred,  who  is  now  living  in  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  and  is  connected  with  the 
Bowser  Oil  Company.  Our  subject's  second  marriage  was  to  Sarah  Cox,  a 
daughter  of  Joseph  Cox,  whose  family  consisted  of  thirteeri  children,  ten 
of  whom  survive.  One  child  has  been  born  to  this  secoiid  union.  Ream 
Elizabeth,  born  April  26,  1897.  The  date  of  the  son's  birth,  metitioned 
above,  was  December  30,  1892.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Winchester 
high  school. 

Mr.  Lamb  has  devoted  his  life  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  he  is  now 
owner  of  a  valuable  farm  of  one  hundred  acres  on  which  stands  a  fine  resi- 
dence and  large  outbuildings.  He  manages  well  and  has  a  very  gratifying 
inconife  frohi  year  to  year.  Politically,  he  is  a  Progressive,  and  religiously, 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church. 


AUGUSTUS  CLELAND  WILMORE,   D.   D. 

That  life  is  the  most  useful  and  desirable  that  results  in  the  greatest 
good  to  the  greatest  number,  and,  whatever  may  be  the  aspirations  of  men, 
yet  in  some  measure  each  can  win  success  and  make  life  a  blessing  to  his 
fellow  men.  It  is  not  necessary  for  one  to  occupy  eminent  secular  positions 
to  do  so,  fot-  in  the  field  of  righteous  activity  there  is  great  gbod  to  be  accom- 
plished and  many  opportunities  for  the  exercise  of  talents  and  influence,  that 
will  touch  the  lives  of  those  with  whom  we  come  in  contact,  making  thiem 
better  and  brighter.  In  the  list  of  Randolph  county's  useful,  successful  and 
honored  citizeris,  Rev.  Augustus  Cleland  Wilmore,  of  Winchester,  has  long 
occupied  a  prominent  jilace,  in  whose  irecord  there  is  naught  that  is  not  com- 
mendable, and  his  career  forcibly  illustrates  what  a  life  of  energy  can  accom- 


1 


/ 


^    yhc^oo^x-xry^^. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 32 5 

plish  when  plans  are  wisely  laid  and  actions  are  governed  by  right  prin- 
ciples, noble  aims,  and  high  ideals;  for  his  actions  have  ever  been  the  result 
of  careful  and  conscientious  thought,  and  when  once  convinced  that  he  is 
right,  no  suggestion  of  policy  or  personal  profit  can  swerve  hiin  from  the 
course  he  has  decided  upon.  Thus  doing  his  full  duty  in  all  the  relations  of 
life,  his  worthy  career  is  rounding  out  in  beautiful  simplicity.  It  is  always 
a  delight  of  the  biographer  to  revert  to  the  life  of  such  a  man,  one  who,  has 
spent  his  active  years  in  the  service  of  his  fellow  men,  who,  unselfishly,  has 
sought  to  minister  to  those  in  need  of  spiritual  and  mental  guidance  or 
physical  succor,  who,  unmindful  of  the  praise  or  blame  of  his  fellow  men, 
goes  forward  from  day  to  day  in  the  performance  of  his  humble  duty,  con- 
tent to  know  that  he  is  honestly  following  the  dictates  of  his  own  con- 
science and  meekly  walking  in  the  footsteps  of  the  lowly  Nazarene,  finding 
joy  enough  in  doing  the  Master's  will.  Such  a  man  is  the  noted  divine  and 
educator  whose  name  graces  the  caption  of  this  review,  who  for  a  number 
of  decades  has  performed  a  grand  work  among  the  people  whom  he  has 
elected  to  serve,  training  plastic  minds  of  the  oncoming  generation,  engen- 
dering in  them  a  desire  to  walk  only  in  the  light  of  the  highest  spiritual  ideals, 
burying  the  friends  Avho  pass  over  the  mystic  river,  marrying  the  young,  be- 
ginning life's  more  serious  paths,  and  in  many  ways  assisting  in  ameliorating 
the  condition  of  humanity.  His  character  from  his  youth  up,  according  to 
those  who  know  him  best,  has  been  unblemished  by  even  the  shadow  of 
wrong,  so  that  this  section  of  the  state  regards  him  as  one  of  its  most  valued 
citizens. 

Augustus  Cleland  VVilmore  was  born  in  Jackson,  Jackson  county,  Ohio, 
June  2,  1849.  He  is  a  scion  of  sterling  old  English  stock  on  his  paternal  side 
and  of  Scotch-Irish  on  his  maternal  side.  The  earliest  ancestor  of  record  was 
our  subject's  great-great-grandfather,  Daniel  Wilmore,  who  emigrated  from 
England  to  America  in  1725,  and  located  in  Virginia,  where  he  entered  from 
the  government  four  hundred  acres  of  land,  in  Goochland  county,  on  Septem- 
ber 2'j,  1729.  At  that  time  he  was  a  resident  of  New  Kent  county,  Virginia. 
His  son,  John  Wilmore,  our  subject's  great-grandfather,  according  to  the 
records  in  the  War  Department  at  Washington,  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
war  as  a  private  in  Captain  Van  Swearingen's  Company,  Colonel  Daniel  Mor- 
gan's Rifle  Regiment,  which  was  organized  about  June,  1777.  His  name  ap- 
pears on  the  pay-rolls  of  the  company  from  July,  1777,  to  March,  1778,  inclu- 
sive. He  was  one  of  the  five  hundred  sharp-shooters  of  Morgan's  regiment,  that 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  Saratoga  on  October  7,  1777,  and  was  present  at 
(84) 


1326  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

Burgoyne's  surrender.  On  the  maternal  side  our  subject  is  also  descended 
from  a  Revolutionary  hero,  his  great-great-grandfather,  William  Jones,  hav- 
ing taken  part  in  the  war  for  Independence  as  a  private  soldier  in  Williams' 
Regiment,  Maryland  Troops. 

John  Wilmore,  mentioned  above,  married  Mary  Clayton,  also  a  native  of 
Virginia.  Their  son,  William  Wilmore,  our  subject's  grandfather,  was  born 
in  King  and  Queen  county,  that  state,  in  1774,  and  in  1795  he  moved  to 
Amherst  county,  Virginia.  In  1823  he  came  to  .Gallia  county,  Ohio,  later 
located  in  Jackson  county,  that  state,  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life 
engaged  in  farming,  dying  in  1856.  In  June  1798,  he  married  Nancy  Har- 
rison and  to  them  three  children  were  born,  named  as  follows :  John  Har- 
rison, Willis  Clayton,  and  James.  His  wife  dying  in  1803  he  married  in 
September,  1805,  Susanna  Gresham,  and  to  this  union  the  following  chil- 
dren were  born :  Hezekiah,  Mary  Anne,  Rosaline,  Elizabeth,  Thomas,  Re- 
becca, William  Rodney,  Robert,  Nancy,  Levi  (father  of  our  subject),  and 
Stephen  Noah.  His  last  wife  died  in  Jackson  county,  Ohio,  in  1862,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-one  years. 

Levi  Wilmore  was  born  in  Gallia  county,  Ohio,  July  13,  1824.  In  in- 
fancy he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Jackson  county,  Ohio,  where  he  grew 
to  manhood  and  was  educated  in  the  old-time  schools.  He  devoted  his  life 
to  school  teaching  and  agricultural  pursuits.  In  September,  1849,  he  moved 
to  Jay  county,  Indiana,  and  in  August,  i860,  went  on  to  Huntington  county, 
this  state,  where  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  days,  dying  September  13, 
1877.  He  was  a  courageous,  honest,  hospitable  and  industrious  man,  who 
^yon  the  highest  respect  of  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  married  April  6, 
1848,  to  Nancy  J.  Golden,  daughter  of  James  Golden  and  Anne  Adair 
Golden,  the  latter  being  the  daughter  of  James  Cleland  Adair  and  Belinda 
Jones  Adair,  and  the  granddaughter  of  Sir  William  Adair  and  Lady  Esther 
Smilie  Adair,  and  great-granddaughter  of  Sir  James  Adair  and  Lady  Anne 
Qeland  Adair,  the  last  named  being  the  daughter  of  Lord  Cleland,  a  Scotch 
nobleman.  Sir  \A'illiam  Adair  and  family  emigrated  from  Ireland  to  America 
in  1798.  Nancy  Golden  Wilmore  was  a  native  of  Fayette  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, the  date  of  her  birth  being  December  15,  1830.  To  these  parents  the 
following  children  were  born:  Augustus  Cleland,  of  this  review;  Mary 
Anne,  born  May  2,  1851,  is  deceased;  John  Elmer,  born  June  25,  1853,  hves 
in  Eaton  county,  Michigan;  Lavina  Elizabeth,  born  March  7,  1856;  Sarah 
Susanna,  born  September  5,  1858;  Oscar  Shepherd,  born  January  4,  1861 ; 
Emma  Amanda,  born  September  25,  1863,  are  all  four  deceased;  Florence 
Ellen,  born  September   16,   1866,  lives  in  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana;  Lawrence 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY^  INDIANA.  1327 

Eugene,  born  April  22,  1869,  is  deceased,  and  Frank  Edson,  born  December 
10,  1871,  lives  in  Fort  Wayne.  The  mother  of  the  above  named  children, 
a  woman  of  beautiful  Christian  character,  passed  to  her  eternal  rest  on 
February  4,  1890.  She  was  a  faithful  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  The  father,  Levi  Wilmore,  was  a  worthy  member  of  the  Baptist 
church,  and  politically  he  was  a  life-long  Democrat. 

Doctor  Wilmore,  of  this  sketch,  was  an  infant  when  his  parents  brought 
him  to  Jay  county,  Indiana,  from  Ohio.  At  the  age  of  eleven  years  he  moved 
with  his  parents  to  Huntington  county,  Indiana.  He  attended  the  common 
schools  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  then  entered  the  academy  at  War- 
ren, Indiana,  where  he  spent  two  years.  He  was  an  ardent  student  and  made 
rapid  progress,  and  when  eighteen  years  of  age  he  began  teaching  school  in 
Huntington  county,  teaching  five  months  each  year  and  taking  a  college  course 
the  balance  of  the  year,  continuing  thus  for  three  years,  during  which  time  he 
attended  DePauw  Uni\ersity,  Liber  and  Ridgeville  Colleges,  making  excellent 
records  in  all  these,  and  lacking  but  one  year  of  graduation.  He  continued 
teaching  until  1877,  a  total  of  ten  years,  eight  of  which  were  spent  in  Hunt- 
ington county,  the  other  tv/o  in  Wabash  county.  He  taught  both  common 
and  high  school  studies.  He  gave  eminent  satisfaction  as  a  teacher,  being  a 
man  of  progressive  ideas  and  painstaking  in  his  work. 

Turning  his  attention  to  the  ministry  he  took  a  four-years'  theological 
course  in  the  White  River  Conference  Institute,  where  he  was  regarded  as  a 
brilliant  pupil  by  the  faculty  and  student  body.  He  became  a  teacher  in  that  in- 
stitution, which  position  he  has  continued  to  hold  for  a  period  of  thirty-one 
years,  filling  the  chair  of  Systematic  Theology  during  the  past  twenty-five 
years.  His  long  retention  in  this  important  position  is  sufficient  evidence 
that  he  has  ably  and  conscientiously  discharged  his  duties,  in  fact,  he  has 
won  a  wide' reputation  as  one  of  the  leading  instructors  in  theology  in  the 
state.  He  has  kept  fully  abreast  of  the  times,  having  remained  a  student 
all  his  life.  In  his  youth  he  accepted  labor  as  the  motive  duty  and  destiny 
of  man  and  never  has  been  known  timidly  to  shrink  from  its  mandate  or  in- 
junction. Labor  to  him  has  always  been  a  joy  and  pleasure,  and  his  purpose 
to  excel  in  the  noble  field  of  endeavor  to  which  his  talents  have  been  so 
largely  devoted  soon  became  the  predominant  incentive  of  his  life.  That 
he  has  risen  to  a  high  and  honored  position  among  the  educators  of  his  day 
has  been  due  to  his  determination  to  succeed,  and  in  the  broadest  and  best 
sense  of  the  term  he  is  the  architect  of  his  own  fortune  and  eminently  worthy 
to  wear  the  proud  American  title  of  "A  self-made  man."  Having  descended 
from  English  Puritians  on  the  paternal  side,  and  from  Scotch-Irish  Puri- 


1^28  KANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

tans  on  the  maternal  side,  his  heredity  and  early  training  was  of  a  high  order 
leading  to  excellent  habits  and  exalted  ideals.  Following  the  historic  exam- 
ple of  the  Wilmore  ancestors  back  to  the  great-grandfather,  he  never  used 
liquor,  tobacco,  nor  vile  language. 

Doctor  Wilmore  was  converted  at  the  age  of  eleven  years  arid  united 
with  the  church  two  years  later.    He  entered  White  River  Conference,  Church 
of  the  United  Brethren  in  Christ,  August  17,  1877,  and  was  ordained  August 
22,  1880.     His  work  as  pastor  began  in  1877  at  Montpelier,  Indiana,  where 
he  remained  three  years,  and  something  of  his  success  in  that  charge  will 
be  gained  from  the  fact  that  during  that  time  he  built  two  churches  and  re- 
ceived three  hundred  and  forty-three  members  into  the  church.     He  also  did 
a  great  work  in  building  up  the  churches  in  his  other  charges.     His  subse- 
quent appointments  are  as  follows :     In  1880,  Wabash  charge,  where  he  or- 
ganized Wabash  church,  serving  one  year  as  pastor.     In  1881,  First  church 
at  Indianapolis,  two  years,  where  he'  increased  the  membership  three-fold 
and  erected  a  church;  1883,  Blue  River  circuit;  1884,  Hartsville,  two  years, 
preaching  in  the  chapel  at  Hartsville  College;  in  1886,  he  was  elected  presid- 
ing elder  and  appointed  to  the  Indianapolis  district,  serving  two  years.     In 
1888,   he  was  appointed  presiding  elder  of  the  Marion  district  which  he 
served  two  years.     In  1890  he  was  appointed  to  the  First  church  in  Ander- 
son, and  there  he  organized  the  church  and  erected  a  new  church  edifice; 
he  was  appointed  presiding  elder  of  the  Marion  district  in  1892,  serving  two 
years;  in  1894  he  was  appointed  to  the  Noblesville  charge,  where  he  erected 
a  church  building;  in  1896  he  was  appointed  to  the  charge  at  Montpelier 
which  he  served  three  years  and  erected  one  church;  in  1899  he  was  elected 
presiding   elder   and   appointed   to   the   Indianapolis   district,    serving   three 
years.     In   1902  he  again  entered  the  pastorate  and   served  the   following 
charges:     Markleville,  two  years;  1904,  New  Castle;  1905,  St. -Paul,  where 
,he  erected  a  church;  J906,  Cowan,  where  he  completed  the  erection  of  a 
church;   1907,  Hagerstown;   1908,   Saratoga,  two  years,  where  he  built  an 
extension  to  the  church;  19 10,  Collett,  two  years;  19 12,  Selma,  two  years. 
Thus  he  has  served  a  total  period  of  thirty-seven  years  as  an  active  itiner- 
ant minister  and  now  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  the  oldest  active  itin- 
erant in  the  White  River  Conference.    During  his  pastorate  he  has  preached 
five  thousand  and  two  hundred   sermons  and   received  into  the   church   a 
grand  total  of   fourteen  hundred  members  and  superintended  the  erection 
of  eight  churches.     His  annual  reports  to  Conference  all  show  an  increase 
in  membership  and  full  collections  of  assessments.     He  was  also  a   dele- 
gate  to  five  quadrennial   General   Conferences,   which  convened   in   session 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 329 

the  years  of  1889,  1893,  1897,  I9f>i.  and  1905,  in  all  of  which  "he  took  a 
prominent  part  and  made  his  influence  felt  for  the  general  good.  He  is  a 
trustee  of  the  Indiana  Central  University  of  Indianapolis.  He  is  the  Regis- 
trar of  White  River  Conference  and  is  serving  his  twenty-eighth  year  on 
the  Conference  Finance  Committee.  He  served  eight  years  as  Conference 
Secretary  and  also  served  four  years  as  trustee  of  the  United  Brethren 
Publishing  House  at  Dayton,  Ohio.  In  1900,  he  received  the  honorary 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  from  Harriman  University,  in  Tennessee. 

As  a  pulpit  orator,  Doctor  Wilmore  has  few  peers  in  the  state,  being 
a  forcible,  earnest,  instructive,  and  at  times  a  truly  eloquent  speaker,  never 
failing  to  command  the  attention  of  his  audience  and,  being  a  profound 
scholar  and  deeply  versed  in  the  Bible  his  arguments  always  carry  the 
weight  of  conviction  to  his  hearers. 

As  a  writer  and  author,  Doctor  Wilmore  possesses  unusual  qualifica- 
tions. He  wields  a  facile  and  forceful  pen  and  his  articles  are  clear  and 
convincing.  He  writes  extensively  for  the  newspapers  and  other  periodi- 
cals. He  is  the  author  of  the  "Constitution  of  the  Preacher's  Aid  Society" 
and  the  "History  of  White  River  Conference." 

The  domestic  life  of  Doctor  Wilmore  began  on  August  14,  1870,  when 
he  led  to  the  hymeneal  altar  Julia  A.  Trammel.  She  was  a  faithful  help- 
meet for  a  period  of  twenty  years,  and  on  May  14,  1890,  she  was  called  to 
her  reward  in  the  Silent  Land.  This  union  was  without  issue.  On  March 
9,  1892,  our  subject  was  married  to  Minnie  Alice  Rice,  of  Anderson,  In- 
diana. She  was  born  in  Marion  county,  near  Indianapolis,  November  8, 
1870,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Archibald  Carrolton  Rice,  a  native  of 
Maryland.  She  removed  with  her  parents  to  Madison  county,  Indiana,  in 
1889,  and  in  1908  she  removed  with  her  husband  to  Randolph  county,  In- 
diana, she  and  our  subject  having  lived  in  Winchester  since  1910.  She  is 
a  descendant  of  the  noted  Lamar  family.  William  Lamar,  her  greatgrand- 
father, was  an  ensign  and  first  lieutenant  in  Capt.  John  C.  Jones'  Company, 
Seventh  Maryland  Regiment,  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  Mrs.  Wilmore  is 
a  charter  member  and  is  Registrar  of  the  Winchester  Chapter  of  the  Daugh- 
ters of  the  American  Revolution.  She  is  active  in  church  work,  a  lady 
of  education  and  refinement,  and  a  favorite  with  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

Politically,  Doctor  Wilmore  has  been  a  life-long  Republican.  Fra- 
ternally, he  is  a  member  of  the  Orders  of  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons.  He  owns  a  fine  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  Washington 
township,  seventy  acres  of  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  the  bal- 
ance being  woodland.     He  also  is  the  owner  of  valuable  real  estate  in  the 


133,0  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

cities  of  Winchester  and  Anderson,  Indiana,  all  of  which  he  has  accumulated 
I)y  thrift  and  business  foresight. 

Personally,  Doctor  Wilmore  is  one  of  the  most  affable  and  companion- 
aljle  of  men,  possessing  to  a  marked  degree  the  qualities  that  win  and  retain 
strong  friendships,  and  his  high  standing  as  a  citizen  with  the  best  interests 
of  his  fellow  rnen  at  heart  gives  him  influence  such  as  few  in  this  section 
of  the  state  can  exercise,.  A  gentleman  of  commanding  and  pleasing  pres- 
ence, of  calm  and  dignified  deitieanor,  with  the  manners  of  the  genteel 
gentleman,  he  moves  among  his  fellows  as  one  born  to  leadership,  and  yet 
he  is  easily  approached,  plain  and  unassuming  in  his  relations  with  the 
world,  and  a  man  who  makes  every  other  consideration  subordinate  to  duty, 
regardless  of  consequences,  and  who  lives  in  harmony  with  his  highest 
ideals  of  manhood  and  citizenship. 


WILLIAM  A.  WILMORE. 

One  of  the  leading  citizens  and  representative  business  men  of  Sara- 
toga and  that  section  of  Randolph  county  is  William  A.  Wilmore,  who  is 
extensively  engaged  in  the  general  mercantile  business.  His  has  been  an 
active  and  useful  life,  but  the  limited  space  at  the  disposal  of  the  biog' 
rapher  forbids  more  than  a  casual  mention  of  the  leading  events  of  his  ca- 
reer, which  will  suffice  to  show  what  earnest  endeavor  and  honesty  of  pur- 
pose rightly  applied  and  persistently  followed  will  lead  to — ultimate  success. 
He  has  ever  manifested  an  abiding  interest  in  the  upbuilding  of  his  com- 
munity in  every  way,  and,  having  lead  an  exemplary  life,  he  enjoys  the  ut- 
most respect  and  the  universal  good  will  of  all  who  know  him. 

Mr.  Wilmore  was  born  in  Adams  county,  Indiana,  May  10,  1864.  He 
is  a  son  of  Addison  G.  and  Lienor  (Adamson)  Wilmore,  and  was  one  of 
five  children,  namely:  Elsa  married  Adam  Kabel,  a  merchant  and  farmer 
of  Weatherford,  Oklahoma;  Sarah  E.  married  John  L.  Edwards,  a  farmer 
of  Randolph  county,  and  they  have  three  children;  John  A.,  a  farmer  of 
Van  Wert  county,  Ohio,  married  Retta  Snyder,  and  they  have  four  children; 
Ella  died  when  eighteen  years  of  age;  William  A.,  of  this  sketch,  is  the 
youngest  of  the  family. 

Addison  G.  Wilmore,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Virginia, 
from  which  state  he  came  to  Indiana  in  young  manhood  and  here  established 
the  future  home  of  the  family,  engaging  in  general  farming,  owning  a  val- 
uable farm  of  four  hundred  acres  in  Adams  county.     He  was  one  of  the 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 33  I 

hardy  band  that  crossed  the  trackless  plains  of  the  west  to  California  in  the 
gold  fever  days  of  1849,  being  accompanied  by  two  brothers.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  October,  1863. 

William  A.  Wilmore  was  reared  by  his  grandmother,  Nancy  Adam- 
son,  in  Randolph  county,  and  he  received  his  early  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools,  later  studied  at  the  State  Normal  School  and  also  at  the  East- 
man Business  College,  of  Poughkeepsie,  New  York,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  1888,  having  made  an  excellent  record  there.  He  began  life 
for  himself  by  teaching,  which  he  continued  successfully  for  two  years, 
then,  deciding  that  his  true  bent  lay  along  business  lines,  he  launched  into 
the  mercantile  field,  in  which  he  has  been  a  pronounced  success,  having  con- 
ducted a  general  store  at  Saratoga  for  a  period  of  twenty-five  years  with  an 
ever-increasing  patronage.  He  carries  at  all  seasons  a  large  and  carefully 
selected  stock  of  goods,  which  he  sells  at  prices  that  are  always  right,  ac- 
cording to  his  many  customers,  whom  he  treats  with  such  uniform  courtesy 
and  honesty  that  they  have  remained  his  friends  from  the  first.  His  trade 
covers  a  wide  territory  and  he  has  laid  by  a  comfortable  competence  for  his 
declining  years,  being  now  one  of  the  substantial  and  influential  citizens  of 
this  part  of  the  county.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  and  the  United  Brethren  church,  and  politically,  he  is  a  Democrat 
and  is  influential  in  public  matters. 

Mr.  Wilmore  has  been  three  times  married,  first,  to  Flora  L.  Mitchem, 
a  teacher,  who  was  born  in  southern  Indiana,  and  to  this  union  one  child 
was  born,  Mabel,  whose  birth  occurred  February  22,  1895.  After  six  years 
of  married  life  his  wife  died.  Mabel  Wilmore  married  Otis  E.  Love  on 
July  20,  1913.  Our  subject's  second  wife  was  Caroline  Stockum,  a  native 
of  Coshocton,  Ohio,  and  to  this  union  one  daughter  was  born,  Ruth  S., 
whose  birth  occurred  September  18,  1899.  She  is  preparing  herself  for  a 
teacher.  Mr.  Wilmore's  last  wife  was  Ella  Remmel,  a  native  of  Illinois, 
who  was  brought  to  Winchester,  Indiana,  when  three  years  old,  in  1874,  by 
her  parents.  She  and  Mr.  Wilmore  were  married  June  11,  1905.  She  is 
a  daughter  of  Samuel  T.  Remmel,  who  is  still  living  in  Winchester.  He 
is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war.  having  served  gallantly  in  the  Seventy-first 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  His  father  was  a  member  of  the  same  com- 
pany and  regiment.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Wilmore  died  in  1873.  Our 
subject's  last  wife  was  graduated  from  the  Winchester  high  school  in  1890, 
and  later  was  a  student  in  the  Indiana  State  Normal,  also  the  National 
Normal  at  Lebanon,  Ohio.  She  also  studied  at  the  University  of  Indiana. 
She  is  exceptionally  well  educated,  is  a  lady  of  culture  and  a  splendid  con- 


133^  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

versationalist.  She  was  a  highly  successful  teacher  for  ten  years  in  the  Win- 
chester public  schools,  also  taught  in  a  district  school  one  year.  She  is  a 
member  of  the  United  Brethren  church. 


THOMAS  WILDEY  MORGAN,  M.  D. 

The  men  most  influential  in  promoting  the  advancement  of  society  and 
in  giving  character  to  the  times  in  which  they  live  are  two  classes — ^the  men 
of  study  and  the  men  of  action.  Whether  we  are  more  indebted  for  the  im- 
provement of  the  age  to  the  one  class  or  the  other  is  a  question  of  honest 
difference  of  opinion;  neither  can  be  spared  and  both  should  be  encouraged 
to  occupy  their  several  spheres  of  labor  and  influence.  In  the  following  para- 
graphs are  briefly  outlined  the  leading  facts  and  characteristics  in  the  career 
of  a  gentleman  who  combines  in  his  makeup  the  elements  of  the  scholar 
and  the  energy  of  the  public-spirited  man  of  affairs.  Devoted  to  the  noble 
and  humane  work  of  alleviating  the  multiform  ills  to  which  human  flesh  is 
heir,  Dr.  Thomas  Wildey  Morgan,  of  Spartanburg,  Randolph  county,  has  long 
been  doing  a  commendable  work  in  the  locality  of  which  this  history  treats 
and  in  every  respect  richly  deserves  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  is  held. 

Dr.  Morgan,  who  is  indeed  a  worthy  son  of  a  worthy  sire,  his  father  hav- 
ing been  a  prominent  physician  in  the  pioneer  day  until  his  death  in  1884,  was 
born  in  northern  Illinois,  January  3,  1859.  He  is  a  son  of  Dr.  Robert  H.  and 
Rebecca  (Small)  Morgan,  who  were  pioneers  and  prominent  people  of  their 
day. 

Dr.  Thomas  \\'.  Morgan  received  excellent  educational  advantages. 
After  attending  the  common  schools  he  was  a  student  in  the  normals  of  Val- 
paraiso, Indiana;  Lebanon,  Ohio;  Danville,  Indiana,  and  Mitchell,  Indiana. 
Thus  exceptionally  well  equipped  for  a  teacher's  profession  he  began  teach- 
ing and  taught  in  the  high  school  at  Spartanburg  for  five  years,  having  taught 
four  years  previously  in  country  schools.  He  was  regarded  as  one  of  the 
able  educators  of  the  county  and  his  services  were  in  great  demand,  but 
he  decided  that  his  true  bent  lay  along  another  line  and  he  began  studying 
medicine  while  teaching,  reading  under  his  father,  then  attended  the  Indiana 
Medical  College,  at  Indianapolis,  for  one  year,  later  entered  the  Ohio  College 
of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  now  known  as  the  Western  Reserve,  where  he 
made  an  excellent  record,  and  from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the 
class  of  1893.  Soon  thereafter  he  began  practicing  his  profession  at  Spar- 
tanburg, where  he  has  remained  to  the  present  time  and  has  built  up  a  large 


T.  W.  MORGAN. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 333 

and  lucrative  patronage,  which  is  constantly  growing,  and  has  taken  his 
place  in  the  front  rank  of  his  professional  brethren  in  a  community  long 
noted  for  the  high  order  of  its  medical  talent.  He  has  remained  a  close 
student  and  has  kept  fully  abreast  of  the  times  in  all  that  pertains  to  his 
science. 

Dr.  Morgan  is  a  Progressive  in  his  political  affiliations,  and  has  taken 
more  or  less  interest  in  local  public  affairs.  He  was  a  member  of  the  town- 
ship advisory  board  at  the  time  the  high  school  was  built  and  was  an  ardent 
advocate  of  the  same.  He  is  a  Universalist  in  his  religious  belief..  Frater- 
nally he  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  which  he  is 
past  grand.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Encampment  of  which  he  is  past  chief 
patriarch.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Randolph  County  Medical  Society  and  the 
American  Medical  Association. 

Dr.  Morgan  was  married  December  31,1 889,  to  Sarah  L.  Horn,  who  was 
born  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  December,  1858,  and  here  she  grew  to 
womanhood  and  was  educated.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Silas  and  Charlotte 
(Knox)  Horn,  an  excellent  old  family  of  this  locality.  Three  children,  one 
of  whom  died  in  infancy,  were  born  to  the  Doctor  and  wife;  the  two  sur- 
viving are  Rexford  H.  and  Lucile,  both  of  whom  are  attending  school  at  this 
writing. 


JESSE  E.  McCOLLUM. 

One  of  the  most  active,  thorough-going  and  enterprising  farmers  of 
Nettle  Creek  township,  Randolph  county,  is  Jesse  E.  McCollum,  whose  suc- 
cess lies  very  largely  in  the  fact  that  he  has  always  advocated  doing  well 
whatever  task  presented  itself  and  in  not  permitting  the  numerous  paltry 
obstacles  met  in  the  pathway  of  everyone  to  annoy  or  thwart  him.  He  be- 
lieves in  pushing  ahead,  employing  twentieth  century  ideas  and  methods  in 
all  phases  of  agriculturgil  work  and  in  dealing  with  his  neighbors  and  ac- 
quaintances in  a  manner  that  will  inspire  confidence.  He  does  not  want  a 
man's  dollar  if  thereby  he  makes,  an  enemy.  Such'  men  are  always  good 
citizens,  good  neighbors  and  good  friends  and  are  indispensable  to  any  com- 
munity. 

Mr.  McCollum  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  October  20,  1856. 
He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Diana  (Gillaspie)  McCollum.  He  comes  of 
an  exceptionally  long-lived  race.  His  paternal  great-grandparents  were  na- 
tives of  Scotland.  Mr.  McCollum's  death  occurred  at  the  age  of  ninety 
years,  and  that  of  his  wife  at  the  age  of  ninety-four  years.     Our  subject's 


1334  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^  INJJlAJSJA. 

father  and  mother  were  both  natives  of  North  Carolina,  where  they  grew 
up  and  were  married  in  1847.  ^^  the  fall  of  1852  they  came  to  Wayne 
county,  Indiana,  where  they  lived  on  a  farm  a  year.  William  McCollum 
was  a  blacksmith  by  trade  and  in  1854  opened  up  a  shop  at  Dalton,  later  one 
at  Cross  Roads,  east  of  Dalton,  and  it  was  there  that  our  subject  was  born. 
In  1858  the  family  moved  to  Franklin,  Indiana,  where  the  father  continued 
blacksmithing  until  1862,  when  he  moved  to  Losantville,  Randolph  county, 
where  he  continued  blacksmithing*  until  June  i6th  of  that  year,  when  he 
enlisted  in- Company  E,  Eighty-fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which 
he  served  three  years,  being  mustered  out  June  16,  1865.  While  shoeing  a 
mule  during  the  service  his  spine  was  injured,  from  which  he  still  suffers. 
In  1874  the  family  moved  to  Hagerstown,  where  the  father  secured  the  con- 
tract for  carrying  the  mail  for  two  years,  then  moved  back  to  Losantville, 
where  he  still  retained  property  and  there  went  into  the  grocery  business, 
remaining  in  the  same  until  November,  1884,  when  he  was  burned  out.  He 
had  a  small  amount  of  insurance  on  his  store,  which  he  invested  in  ten  acres, 
which  he  sold  and  bought  six  acres  adjoining  his  son's  property.  In  1896 
his  wife  died  and  he  sold  his  land  and  went  to  live  with  his  son,  where  he 
still  lives.  His  family  consisted  of  five  children,  namely:  Sarah  Ann, 
Andrew  Warren,  Celia  Francis,  Phoebe  Jane  and  Jesse  E.,  all  now  de- 
ceased but  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Jesse  E.  McCollum  received  a  common  school  education  and  remained 
with  his  parents  until  he  was  of  age.  While  at  Hagerstown  he  learned  the 
carriage  maker's  trade,  at  which  he  worked  until  1887,  then  bought  forty 
acres  in  Nettle  Creek  township,  later  selling  same  and  bought  sixty  acres 
adjoining;  twenty  acres  of  the  latter  was  in  timber;  this  he  subsequently 
cleared.  On  this  sixty  acres  was  a  four-room  cottage  and  a  small  barn. 
He  paid  forty  dollars  an  acre  for  this  land.  He  has  improved  it  in  every 
way,  drains,  ditches,  tiling,  good  fences,  and  has  built  a  modern  home,  barn, 
cribs,  granaries,  hog  houses,  etc.  He  has  two  driven  wells,  and  today  his 
property  is  well  worth  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per  acre.  He  carries 
on  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  making  a  specialty  of  raising  pure- 
bred Duroc- Jersey  hogs  for  the  market  and  has  quite  a  reputation  for  his 
fine  stock,  and  his  hogs  find  a  very  ready  sale  owing  to  their  superior 
quality.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  in  religious  matters  is  a  Metho- 
dist. 

I\Ir.  McCollum  was  married  on  January  i,  1889,  to  Sarah  Catherine 
Routh,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mary  Routh,  the  mother  a  native  of  Ran- 
dolph county,  Air.  Routh  having  been  among  the  early  settlers  here.  They 
spent  their  lives  on  a  farm  and  are  now  both  deceased. 


kANIJOLPH   COUNTYj  INDIANA.  1335 

Two  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCollum,  Lona  Cleo, 
whose  birth  occurred  May  20,  1892,  is  teaching  school  in  Losantsville  and 
is  making  her  home  with  her  parents;  Frank  Lincoln,  born  on  February  12,- 
1 90 1,  is  attending  school  and  works  on  the  home  farm  in  summer. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCollum  have  accumulated  sufficient  means  through 
their  former  industry  to  be  enabled  now  to  take  life  easy,  and  they  take 
pleasure  in  ministering  to_  our  subject's  father's  every  want;  he  is  now 
ninety-three  years  old  and  is  one  of  our  grand  old  men,  beloved  by  all  who 
know  him. 


EDWARD  A.  EVANS. 


Success  is  achieved  only  by  the  exercise  of  certain  distinguishing  qual- 
ities and  it  can  not  be  retained  without  effort.  Those  by  whom  great  epoch 
changes  ha^e  been  made  in  any  field  of  endeavor  began  early  in  life  to  pre- 
pare themselves  for  their  chosen  arena  of  activity,  and  it  was  only  by  the 
most  strenuous  and  persistent  application  that  they  were  enabled  to  sur- 
mount the  usual  obstacles  on  life's  highway  and  attain  the  heights  aspired 
to  by  many  but  reached  by  few.  Such  lives  are  always  an  inspiration  to 
others  who  are  less  courageous  and  prone  to  permit  discouraging  situations 
thwart  them  in  their  attempts  to  reach  the  goal  of  their  ambitions.  One 
of  the  men  of  Randolph  county  who  has  forged  ahead  despite  obstacles 
and  is  accomplishing  good  both  for  himself  and  others  is  Edward  A.  Evans, 
popular  school  teacher,  at  this  writing  in  charge  of  the  Deerfield  schools. 

Mr.  Evans  was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  near  Arlington, 
May  26,  1878.  He  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Amanda  (Beachler)  Evans, 
whose  family  consisted  of  four  children,  namely :  Edward  A.,  of  this  re- 
view, is  the  eldest;  Ward,  a  merchant  at  Deerfield  Station,  this  county,  and 
who  formerly  engaged  in  farming  in  Ward  township,  married  Goldie  Jelle- 
son,  and  they  have  two  children;  Emma,  of  Ridgeville,  Randolph  county, 
married  Warren  Crumb,  who  is  engaged  in  merchandising;  Albert,  who 
was  born  in  1897,  lives  at  home  in  Saratoga,  this  county.  Samuel  Evans, 
the  father,  was  born  in  the  famous  Shenandoah  Valley,  Virginia,  where  he 
spent  his  earlier  years  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools.  He  came 
to  Ohio  October  15,  1866,  and  engaged  in  farming  in  Montgomery  county 
a  number  of  years,  finally  coming  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  where  he 
continued  farming  successfully  until  some  time  ago,  when  he  retired  from 
active  life,  and  is  now  living  c[uietly  in  his  pleasant  home  in  Saratoga.  Dur- 
ing the  Civil  war  he  cast  his  fortunes  with  the  Confederacy  and  served  gal- 


T336  RANDOLPH   COUXTY,  INDIANA. 

lanth'  as  a  soldier  under  Gen.  Jubal  Early,  seeing  much  hard  service.  His 
father  was  also  a  native  of  Virginia  and  his  death  occurred  in  1862.  The 
Beachlers  were  a  Pennsylvania  family,  but  the  mother  of  our  subject  was 
born  in  Ohio. 

Edward  A.  Evans  was  young  in  years  when  he  accompanied  his  par- 
ents from  Ohio  to  Randolph  count}-,  Indiana,  and  here  he  grew  to  manhood 
on  the  home  farm,  where  he  worked  when  not  a  student  in  the  common 
schools.  Later  he  attended  the  Normal  at  Ridgeville,  also  the  State  Nor- 
mal schools  at  Danville  and  Terre  Haute.  When  but  a  boy  he  decided  upon 
d,  teacher's  career  and  thus  well  qualified  himself  for  same.  He  began 
teaching  in  Ward  township,  Randolph  county,  in  1900,  and  has  been  teach- 
ing in  the  grades  in  this  county  ever  since  and  is  now  one  of  our  best 
known  and  and  most  successful  educators,  his  services  being  in  great  de- 
mand. Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, and  he  attends  the  ISIethodist  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Evans  married  on  July  19,  1913,  Mrs.  Delia  Gault,  a  daughter  of 
William  Jennings,  a  farmer  of  Randolph  county,  where  ]Mrs.  Evans  groy 
to  womanhood  and  was  educated.  She  first  married  Milton  Gault,  by  which 
union  one  child  was  born,  Delbert  Gault,  a  very  promising  youth. 


CHRISTOPHER  EBY  CHENOWETH. 

Longfellow,  one  of  America's  wisest  men,  said,  '"The  talent  of  suc- 
cess is  nothing  more  than  doing  what  you  can  do  well  and  doing  well  what- 
ever you  do,  without  any  thought  of  fame."  Illustrative  of  this  sentiment 
has  been  the  life  of  Christopher  Eby  Chenoweth,  formerly  a  grain  dealer, 
but  nc«v  an  enterprising  merchant  of  Spartanburg,  Randolph  count^^  It  is 
evident  that  he  has  done  well  whatever  he  has  turned  his  attention  to  and 
therefore  success  has  attended  his  efforts  all  through  his  career. 

Mr.  Chenoweth  was  born  in  Greensfork  township,  this  county,  De- 
cember 23,  1854.  He  is  a  son  of  William  Coltunbus  Chenoweth  and  Haimah 
(Bowen)  Chenoweth.  The  father  was  born  in  Carroll  count}',  IMar^'land, 
April  II,  1829,  and  was  a  son  of  William  and  Ketura  (Murray)  Chenoweth. 
The  birth  of  \\'illiam  Chenoweth  occurred  in  October,  1802,  also  in  Car- 
roll county.  Maryland.  There  he  grew  up  and  engaged  in  farming  tmtil  the 
fall  of  1838  when  he  removed  to  Darke  county,  Ohio,  and  in  1840  came  on 
to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  located  in  Greensfork  township,  where 
he  bought  land.     He  had  previously  been  in  the  county  and  had  entered 


CHRIS.   E.   CHENOWETH. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I337 

about  three  hundred  and  fifteen  acres  of  land.  Here  he  spent  the  remain- 
der of  his  life  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock  raising  on  an  extensive 
scale.  Pplitically  he  was  first  a  Whig  then  a  I^epublican.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  the  autumn  of  1876.  His  wife  was  born  in  1806,  in  Carroll  county, 
Maryland,  where  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  there  married.  Her  death 
occurred  in  1893  ^^  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-seven  years. 

William  C.  Chenoweth,  father  of  our  subject,  grew  up  on  the  farm  and 
he  received  such  educational  advantages  as  the  schools  of  those  early  days 
offered.  He  has  devoted  his  life  to  farming  and  stock  raising,  but  retired 
from  active  work  in  1895.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  fraternally  a 
]\Iason,  and  religiously  a  member  of  the  Christian  church.  He  and  Hannah 
Bowen  were  married  in  December,  1849.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Squire 
Bowen  aand  her  death  occurred  in  January,  1855.  In  1856  Mr.  Chenoweth 
married  Mary  Jane  Safer,  whose  death  occurred  in  September,  1903.  To  his 
second  union  the  following  children  were  born:  Julia  is  the  wife  of  J.  I. 
Thomas,  of  Lynn;  Emma  is  the  wife  of  Fred  Horn,  of  Washington  town- 
ship; Sadie  is  the  wife  of  Elmer  Hodgins,  of  Wayne  county;  Laura  is  the 
wife  of  Charles  Skinner,  of  Modoc,  Indiana;  Bertha  is  the  wife  of  Prof. 
Charles  Mann,  of  Lynn. 

To  the  first  marriage  of  William  C.  Chenoweth  were  born  besides  the 
immediate  subject  of  this  sketch,  William  Henry  and  James  B.,  both  of  whom 
live  in  Lynn,  this  county,  and  Hannah,  whose  death  occurred  January  6,  1855. 

Christopher  E.  Chenoweth  was  but  two  weeks  old  when  his  mother  died 
and  his  grandparents  took  him  to  raise.  He  received  a  common  school  edu- 
cation and  spent  two  summers  in  the  Valparaiso  Normal  School.  He  then 
took  charge  of  the  books  and  clerked  for  John  Hill,  a  merchant  of  Spartan- 
burg, with  whom  he  remained  eight  years,  giving  his  employer  eminent 
satisfaction,  in  the  meantime  learning  the  ins  and  outs  of  the  mercantile 
business  which  stood  him  well  in  hand  later  in  life.  After  leaving  the  store  of 
Mr.  Hill,  our  subject,  in  company  with  N.  Anderson,  built  an  elevator  at 
Crete  and  was  in  the  grain  business  there  four  years,  meeting  with  a  large 
measure  of  success.  He  gave  up  this  line  of  endeavor  on  account  of  fail- 
ing health  and  worked  at  carpentering  for  two  years,  his  health  being  re- 
stored the  meantime.  In  1893  he  opened  a  general  store  in  Spartanburg, 
which  he  has  continued  to  conduct  to  the  present  time  with  ever  increasing 
success,  enjoying  a  large  trade  with  the  surrounding  country,  and  always 
carrying  a  large  and  carefully  selected  stock  of  goods,  and  his  honest  and 
courteous  dealings  with  his  hundreds  of  customers  has  won  their  confidence 
and  good  will. 


133^  RANDOLPH   COUXTY,  IXDIAXA. 

Politically  Mr.  Chenoweth  is  a  Republican  and  religiously  is  a  Methodist. 
In  19 1  o  he  was  appointed  county  commissioner  to  fill  out  a  term  of  office 
vacated  by  Charles  C.  Bowen,  and  in  the  autumn  of  that  year  he  was  elected 
to  this  office,  the  duties  of  which  he  discharged  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  con- 
cerned. 

^Ir.  Chenoweth  was  married  in  September,  1883,  to  Margaret  Buckley, 
who  was  born  in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  December  25,  1861.  She  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Cornelius  and  Sarah  Buckley.  Five  children  have  been  bom  to  our 
subject  and  wife,  namely:  S}lvia  died  when  seven  and  one-half  j^ears  old: 
Edwin,  born  August  5,  1885,  is  in  the  store  with  his  father;  Leo,  bom  Juh" 
28.  1889,  is  also  in  his  father's  store;  Glen,  born  x\ugust  8,  1894,  is  teaching 
school  in  Greensfork  township,  this  county;  Gail,  born  September  2,  1897.  is 
attending  school  at  this  writing. 


willia:^!  L.  CHEXOWETH. 

Xo  state  in  the  Union  can  boast  of  a  more  heroic  band  of  pioneers 
than  Indiana.  In  their  courage,  intelligence,  capacity  and  loyalty,  to  the 
right  they  had  no  superiors.  [Most  of  them  came  from  that  portion  of  the 
original  Colonial  states  lying  on  a  parallel  with  her,  and  in  their  daring  and 
heroism  they  were  equal  to  the  ^Missouri  and  California  argonauts.  Their 
pri\ations,  hardships  and  earnest  labors  have  resulted  in  establishing  one 
of  the  foremost  commonwealths  in  America,  and  one  which  stiU  has  great 
possibilities  before  it.  ^Members  of  this  worthy  band  were  the  Chenoweths, 
\\'illiam  L.  Chenoweth,  agriculturist  of  ^^'ayne  township,  Randolph  count}', 
being  one  of  the  best  known  of  the  present  generation. 

Mr.  Chenoweth  was  born  in  Greensfork  tow'nship,  Randolph  count}'. 
April  26,  1867.  He  is  a  son  of  John  T.  Chenoweth,  who  was  bom  in  1S26 
in  ;Mar}"land,  where  he  spent  his  boyhood  and  was  educated,  and  from  which 
state  he  removed  to  Randolph  count}',  Indiana,  with  his  parents  in  1840, 
and  here  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life  engaged  in  farming.  He  was  three 
times  married,  first,  to  Rhoda  Parker,  in  1847,  ^^^  they  had  one  son,  Sam- 
uel J.,  of  ^lartinsville,  Indiana;  second,  to  Hester  Ramsey,  in  1852,  and 
they  had  one  daughter,  Clara,  now  deceased;  and  third,  to  Emily  S.  Law- 
rence, in  1859.  He  was  the  father  of  eleven  children.  He  was  a  Republi- 
can and  a  Methodist.  He  was  one  of  the  most  successful  men  of  affairs  in 
his  locality  and  w'as  highly  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  assessor- 
of  both  Greensfork  and  \^'ay^e  townships,  and  also  sened  three  vears  as 


RA^FDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1339 

commissioner  of  Randolph  county.  Three  of  his  brothers  were  soldiers  in 
the  Union  army,  Benjamin  F.,  who  served  in  the  Fifty-seventh  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  had  a  finger  shot  off,  and  was  discharged  June  22, 
1863;  George  W.,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Fifth-ninth  Indiana  Volunteer 
Infantry,  was  taken  prisoner,  but  released  on  parole  at  Richmond,  Ken- 
tucky, August  20,  1862;  he  was  wounded  at  Thompson's  Hill,  near  Grand 
Gulf,  Mississippi,  May  i,  1863,  and  died  May  14,  1863,  of  his  wounds; 
Joshua  B.  joined  the  Eighty-fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  as  a  recruit. 

The  Chenoweth  family  held  a  large  and  interesting  reunion  August  26, 
1882,  at  the  old  homestead,  near  Arba,  Randolph  county,  Indiana.  The 
family  are  numerous  and  widespread,  and  wherever  they  have  dispersed 
they  are  known  as  enterprising,  honest  and  capable  people.  The  mother  of 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  Emily  S.  Lawrence  before  her  marriage.  She 
was  born  near  Columbus,  Ohio,  in  1832,  and  she  is  still  living,  making  her 
home  with  her  daughter  in  Winchester,  being  now  eighty-two  years  old. 
Three  of  her  sons  and  one  daughter  are  living,  namely:  William  L.,  of  this 
sketch;  John  F.,  of  Nebraska;  Edwin  G.,  of  Blue  Island,  Illinois;  Mrs. 
Nora  Rowe,  of  Winchester.  William  Chenoweth,  our  subject's  paternal 
grandfather,  was  born  in  Maryland,  and  he  died  in  1876,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-four  years,  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  where  he  had  lived  and 
farmed  since  1840.  He  entered  land  from  the  government  here,  which  he 
improved  and  established  the  future  home  of  the  family.  Here  he  endured 
the  usual  privations  and  hardships  of  those  who  first  braved  the  frontier, 
was  accustomed  to  the  toils  and  labors  of  the  backwoods.  His  wife  was 
Keturah  Murray,  and  she  died  on  the  old  homestead  here  in  June,  1893. 
They  were  buried  in  Arba  cemetery.  They  were  worthy  Christian  people. 
Abram  I.  Chenoweth,  the  first  known  of  this  family,  emigrated  from  Eng- 
land to  America  in  1720. 

William  L.  Chenoweth  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  common  schools,  and  he  began  life  for  himself 
when  only  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  has  followed  general  farming  ever 
since.  He  first  rented  his  father's  farm,  and  in  1895  purchased  the  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  acres,  which  he  now  owns  and  which  he 
has  kept  in  splendid  shape  and  on  which  he  is  making  a  good  living.  Politi- 
cally, he  is  a  Republican,  and  he  belongs,  to  the  Society  of  Friends.  He  was 
road  supervisor  one  term. 

Mr.  Chenoweth  was  married  February  23,  1891,  to  Lilly  A.  Cox,  who 
was  born  in  White  River  township,  Randolph  county,  April  17,  1869,  and 
here  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools.     She 


T340  RANDOLPH  COUNTY.  INDIANA. 

is  a  daughter  of  William  M.  Cox,  a  fanner  and  also  a  minister  in  the 
Friends  church,  and'did  a  great  dea;l  of  good,  holding  meetings  at  different 
places.  His  death  occurred  in  1901.  The  mother  is  still  living  in  White 
River  to\vnship.     She  was  known  in  her  maidenhood  as  Mary  Woodard. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  L.  Chenoweth  these  children  have  been  bom : 
Ethelyn  M.,  born  January  7,  1892,  was  educated  in  the  Winchester  high 
school  and  two  years  in  DePauw  University,  and  is  now  teaching  in  Wayne 
township;  Carl  W.,  born  Octobet  4,  1894,  was  educated  in  the  Winchester 
high  school  and  attended  Purdue  University  at  Lafayette  two  years;  he  is 
also  teaching  in  Wayne  township;  Esther  M.,  bom  February  2,  1897,  is 
attending  school  in  her  home  community. 


JAMES  C.  KNOX. 

The  life  history  of  James  C.  Knox,  farmer,  painter,  stone  mason,  one  of 
Randolph  county's  honored  pioneer  citizens,  would  indicate  that  he  is  the 
possessor  of  sterling  qualities  that  cannot  help  winning  in  any  vocation,  if 
back  of  them  is  an  indomitable  courage,  as  seems  to  have  been  the  case  in 
this  instance,  and  he  has  labored  to  goodly  ends,  ever  keeping  the  interests 
of  his  neighbors  and  the  locality  in  general  before  him  while  working  to  ad- 
vance himself;  therefore,  he  has  played  well  his  role  in  the  local  drama  of  civ- 
ilization. He  is  one  of  the  gallant  veterans  of  the  Union  army,  having 
gladly  sacrificed  much,  like  many  legions  of  brave  comrades,  "in  order  that 
the  nation  might  live."  Thus  many  reasons  might  be  advanced  why  Mr. 
Knox  is  jHistly  entitled  to  mention  in  the  history  of  this,  one  of  the  most 
thriving  of  the  counties  of  the  commonwealth  of  Indiana. 

^ir.  Knox  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Pitt  county.  North  Carolina,  ]\Iay  7, 
1833,  and  he  is  therefore  nearing  his  eighty-first  birthday,  but  is  exceptionally 
strong  foj-  one  so  advanced  in  years.  He  is  a  son  of  Hosea  and  Clementine 
(Evans)  Knox.  Hosea  Knox  was  born  in  Pitt  county.  North  Carolina,  also, 
and  there  he  grew  to  manhood  and  married  Clementine  Evans,  also  a  native 
of  that  section  of  Dixie  land,  and  there  they  established  their  home,  but 
emigrated  overland  about  1838  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  here  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  land  on  which  he  farmed  nearly  until  his  death.  On 
this  place  James  C.  Knox  grew  to  'manhood,  he  having  been  five  years  old 
when  brought  here  by  his  parents.  He  helped  reclaim  the  virgin  soil  from 
the  wild  state  in  which  most  of  the  land  hereabout  was  at  that  early  day, 
some  seventy  years  ago,  and  he  recei\'ed  a  meager  education  in  the  old- 
time  schools.     When  the  Civil  war  began  he  enlisted  in  Company  I,  Sixty- 


MRS.  CATHERINE  KNOX. 


JAMES  (.'.  KXOX. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  v  I34I 

ninth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  but  a  spell  of  fever  prevented  his  being 
sworn  in  and  upon  his  recovery  he  found  that  the  company  was  full  and  he 
was  sworn  in  .as  a  member  of  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-seventh 
Volunteer  Infantry.  This  Indiana  regiment,  as  a  whole,  did  garrison  and 
guard  duty  and  helped  repel  Morgan's  raid.  While  in  the  service  he  was 
again  attacked  by  fever  and  spent  some  time  in  a  hospital.  He  was  honorably 
discharged  July  17,  1865. 

After  his  return  from  the  army  Mr.  Knox  took  up  farming,  later  house 
painting  which  he  followed  for  a  period  of  twenty-two  years,  was  for  a  long 
time  a  contractor  in  brick  mason  work  and  also  did  stone  masonry,  and  he 
made  a  success  of  all  three  vocations  and  finally  retired  practically  from 
active  life  some  ten  years  ago.  From  early  manhood  Mr.  Khox  was  a  teacher 
of  vocal  music,  which  he  followed  a  great  many  years,  and  was  very  suc- 
cessful  in   his   work. 

Politically  he  is  Independent,  and  is  also  liberal  in  his  religious  views. 
He  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  which  he  has  been 
past  grand,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Encampment,  and  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic. 

Mr.  Knox  was  married  on  February  15,  1855,  to  Catherine  Armstrong, 
a  native  of  Ireland,  born  June  8,  1835,  and  she  is  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Margaret  (Valentine)  Armstrong.  She  was  four  years  old  when  she  was 
brought  by  her  parents  to  the  United  States  in  1839.  The  family  first  set- 
tled in  Pennsylvania,  where  they  remained  until  1850  when  they  came  on  to 
Randolph  county,  located  on  a  farm  and  here  the  parents  spent  the  rest  of 
their  lives.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Knox  only  one  child  was  born,  Columbus  C. 
Knox,  who  died  when  five  years  of  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Knox  are  among  our 
best  known  and  most  highly  esteemed  pioneer  citizens,  for  they  are  honest, 
neighborly  and  hospitable. 


AUGUSTUS  R.  BUTLER. 

One  of  the  most  enterprising  of  the  present  generation  of  farmers  of 
Randolph  county  is  Augustus  R.  Butler,  of  West  River  township.  He  has 
believed  from  the  outset  of  his  career  that  "The  wisdom  of  yesterday  is 
sometimes  the  folly  of  today,"  and  that  while  the  methods  pf  our  grand- 
fathers in  tilling  the  soil  were  all  right  in  their  day,  yet  in  the  twentieth 
century  we  are  compelled  to  adopt  new  methods  and  farm  along  different 
lines,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  conditions  of  climate,  soil,  grains;  in  fact, 

(85) 


1342  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^  INDIANA. 

many  things  have  changed  since  the  days  of  the  first .  settlers.  Mr.  Butler 
has  been  a  close  observer  of  modem  methods  and  is  a  student  at  all  times 
of  whatever  pertains  to  his  chosen  life  work,  and  he  has  therefore  met  with, 
encouraging  success  all  along-  the  line,  and,  judging  from  his  past  record, 
he  will  undoubtedly  yet  achieve  much  in  future  years,  taking  his  place  among 
the  leading  agriculturists  in  a  county  noted  for  its  fine  farms  and  adroit 
husbandmen. 

Mr.  Butler  was  born  on  the  did  homestead  in  the  above  named  town- 
ship and  county,  August  3,  1852,  and  he  has  had  the  privilege  of  spending 
his  life  "under  the  roof  that  heard  his  earliest  cry."  He  is  a  son  of  William 
and  Thirza  (Rosser)  Butler,  and  was  one  of  four  children,  namely:  John 
W.  died  when  eighteen  years  old;  Elizabeth,  widow  of  Levi  Johnson,  is 
living  with  our  subject;  Docia  C.  is  the  widow  of  William  M.  Botkin,  is  now 
sixty-eight  years  old,  and  is  the  mother  of  three  children;  Augustus  R., 
of  this  sketch,  is  the  youngest  of  the  family.  The  father  was  born  in  Camp- 
bell county,  Virginia,  where  he  spent  his  earlier  years,  and  removed  with 
his  family  to  West  River  township,  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1847,  and 
here  he  established  himself  on  a  farm  and  became  an  influential  citizen,  and 
here  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  d5ang  in  1885.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
was  a  native  of  Virginia.  Her  father  was  Capt.  John  Rosser,  and  her 
brother,  Thomas  L.  Rosser,  was  a  general  in  the  Confederate  army.  The 
death  of  the  mother  of  our  subject  occurred  in  December,  1898. 

Augustus  -R.  Butler  grew  up  on  the  home  farm  and  he  received  his 
education  in  the  rural  district  schools.  He  was  married  on  December  3, 
1874,  to  Flora  C.  Hunt,  a  daughter  of  William  S.  Hunt,  of  West  River 
township,  where  Mrs.  Butler  grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated.  She 
was  one  of  twelve  children. 

Two  children  have  been  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  Cecil  A.,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  thirty  years,  left  a  widow,  Mrs.  Lelah  (Bedford)  Butler; 
Docia  E.  married  John  C.  Hardwick,  and  they  have  two  children,  Ruby 
]\Iarie  and  Ralph  Butler. 

Air.  Butler  has  devoted  his  life  to  general  farming  and  stock  raising 
on  the  old  home  place,  which  consists  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and 
which  is  one  of  the  most  productive  farms  in  the  township  and  which  he 
has  kept  well  improved  and  well  cultivated,  and  he  has  also  kept  the  build- 
ings in  good  repair.  He  keeps  an  excellent  grade  of  live  stock  and  is  one  of 
our  most  energetic  farmers. 

Politically,  ]\Ir.  Butler  is  a  Republican,  and  in  religious  matters  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  church. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I343 

HEZEKIAH  FOWLER. 

The  Fowlers  have  borne  splendid  reputations  in  both  Randolph  county, 
Indiana,  and  Darke  county,  Ohio,  being  well  and  favorably  known  in  each, 
for  they  have  not  only  been  industrious  and  honorable  in  their  every-day 
lives  but  have  been  public-spirited  and  have  done  what  they  could  in  fur- 
thering the  interests  of  their  respective  communities.  One  of  the  best  known 
members  of  the  family  is  Hezekiah  Fowler,  a  farmer  of  Wayne  township. 

Mr.  Fowler  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  June  lo,  1853.  He  is  a 
son  of  Hanson  Fowler,  who  was  also  born  in  Darke  county,  December  14, 
1823,  and  there  he  grew  to  manhood,  received  his  education  and  taught  sev- 
eral terms  of  school  in  the  pioneer  days  of  that  county,  in  the  days  when 
the  teachers  "boarded  around"  with  the  patrons  of  the  school.  He  was 
quite  a  hunter  and  killed  many  a  deer.  He  eventually  moved  to  Jackson 
township,  Randolph  county,  and  was  trustee  of  the  township  for  several 
terms.  He  is  still  living  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety  years.  He  has  a 
good  memory  and  talks  most  interestingly  of  the  early  days.  He  married 
Sarah  Livengood,  of  Pennsylvania  Dutch  ancestry;  her  death  occurred  in 
1859.  His  father,  Hezekiah  Fowler,  was  a  native  of  Maryland,  from 
which  state  he  moved  to  Darke  county,  Ohio,  among  the  first  settlers  and 
there  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  his  death  resulting  from  an  injury  received 
by  falling  from  a  building.  He  was  sixty-four  years  old.  He  entered  land 
from  the  government,  a  part  of  his  land  now  being  within  the  city  limits  of 
Union  City.  The  origin  of  the  name  Fowler  is  traced  back  to  the  days  of 
the  old  Norman  kings  when  they  guarded  jealously  their  deer  in  their  pri- 
vate game  preserves,  and  those  appointed  to  watch  their  game  were  known 
as  fowlers,  hence  the  surname  Fowler,  Fugelere  in  the  Anglo-Saxon  and 
Vogeler  in  German,  vogel  being  the  German  for  bird.  The  surname  has 
been  variously  spelled  Fowlere,  Foweler,  Fowilar,  Fowlar,  Fowieler  and 
Fowiler.  Fowler  has  been  the  common  orthography  since  about  the  middle 
of  the  seventeenth  century.  The  first  of  the  name  of  whom  there  is  any 
authentic  record  is  Sir  Richard  Fowelere  or  le  Fowlere  of  Foxley.  He 
accompanied  Richard  Coeur  de  Leon  to  the  Holy  Land  on  one  of  the  cru- 
sades. Henry  Fowlere,  of  Foxley,  was  in  the  retinue  of  Henry  V,  at  Agin- 
court,  and  his  son  William  married  the  daughter  of  the  "clerk  of  the 
Green  Cloth,"  of  one  of  the  English  kings.  Edward  Fowlere,  who  was 
gentleman  of  the  bed  chamber  to  Edward  VI,  entertained  Queen  Katherine 
of  Aragon  at  his  castle.  The  wife  of  Roger  Fowlere  was  Cecelia,  sister  of 
Rowland  Reed,  chaplain  to  Henry  VIII,  who  performed  the  marriage  cere- 


1344  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

mony  between  the  king  and  Anne  Boleyn.  William  Fowler,  of  the  Willshire 
family,  who  is  sometimes  called  Sir  William,  although  there  seems  to  be  no 
authority  for  the  title,  was  one  of  the  poets  of  the  court  of  James  VI  of 
Scotland,  before  his  accession  to  the  throne  of  England  as  James  I.  He  be- 
came private  secretary  and  "master  of  requests"  to  the  Queen.  When 
Prince  Henry  was  baptized,  the  pageants  exhibited  were  by  the  king  com- 
mitted to  the  Lord  of  Findores,  and  to  "Mr.  William  Fowler,"  and  a  de- 
scription of  "these  rare  shows  *and  singlar  inventions"  was  published. 
William's  sister,  Susanna,  married  Sir  John  Drummond,  gentleman  usher 
of  Black  Rod.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  celebrated  poet  Drummond. 
William  Fowler,  one  colonist,  had  the  honor  of  being  designated  "Mr.,"  a 
great  mark  of  distinction  in  olden  days,  and  he  was  also  one  of  the  church  at 
New  Haven  in  1637  and  the  first  magistrate  of  the  town.  Phillip  of 
Ipswich,  Massachusetts,  1634,  is  another  early  settler,  and  Henry  Fowler 
was  a  Rhode  Island  pioneer.  A  scion  of  the  Fowler  family  whose  muscle 
brought  him  fame  which  has  lasted  to  this  day,  was  Sergeant  Jonathan 
Fowler,  of  Connecticut.  He  was  a  giant  in  size,  seven  feet  tall,  and  won- 
derful are  the  stories  told  of  his  contests  with  the  beasts  of  the  forests, 
and  with  wrestlers  from  different  parts  of  the  country  who  tested  his 
strength  and  always  to  their  discomfiture.  His  fame  was  spread  abroad, 
and  so  pleased  was  George  II,  that  one  of  his  subjects  had  performed  such 
remarkable  feats  of  valor  that  he  had  a  painting  made  of  him  in  the  act  of 
killing  a- bear.  This  painting,  the  skin  of  the  animal  ana  the  pine  knot  with 
which  the  beast  was  slain,  are  said  to  be  preserved  in  the  British  museum. 
Whether  this  is  fact  or  fiction,  stories  of  Jonathan  Fowler's  wonderful 
achievements  are  still  told  in  the  Connecticut  valley.  His  son,  Israel,  in- 
herited his  great  strength.  Once,  when  on  picket  guard  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  Israel  Fowler  was  surprised  by  two  British  soldiers.  He 
grasped  them  about  the  waist,  one  in  each  hand,  and  carried  them  to  Gen- 
eral Putnam's  headquarters.  "They  scratched  and  bit  and  pulled  my  hair 
but  they  had  to  come,"  he  remarked. 

One  branch  of  the  Fowler  family  settled  in  Virginia,  and  for  military 
service  in  the  war  for  independence,  William  Fowler  received  a  grant  of 
forty  thousand  acres  of  land  in  the  Old  Dominion.  The  blazon  of  the  arms 
is  asure  on  a  chevron  between  three  lions,  passant  quadrant  or  as  many 
crosses,  formes  sable ;  crest,  an  owl  argent  ducella  gorged.  This  is  the  coat 
armor  of  Phillip  of  Ipswich,  Colonist,  and  may  indicate  that  he  was  a  de- 
scent of  the  Crusader  who  was  with  Coeur  de  Leon,  for  these  were  the 
arms  granted  him.    As  Sir  Richard's  vigilance  at  the  siege  of  Acre  defeated 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1345 

nocturnal  attempts  of  the  infidels,  the  owl  seemed  a  most  appropriate  cog- 
nizance. "Sapiens  qid  vigilat"  is  the  motto  used  by  one  branch  of  the  fam- 
ily, and  an  appropriate  one  for  this  coat-of-arms. 

Hezekiah  Fowler,  the  immediate  subject  of  this  sketch,  grew  to  man- 
hood in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  and  there  received  a  common  school  education, 
also  attended  the  Normal  at  Ada,  Hardin  county,  that  state,  two  terms, 
and  he  began  life  for  himself  at  a  teacher,  which  he  followed  seven  years  in 
the  district  schools  of  his  native  county,  farming  in  the  summer  months  in  the 
meantime.  He  remained  on  the  home  farm  until  he  was  married,  then  com- 
menced farming  for  himself,  although  as  a  teacher  he  had  been  most  suc- 
cessful, but  finally  tired  of  the  confinement  of  the  school  room.  He  rented 
land  for  seven  years  after  his  marriage,  and  in  1890  bought  the  farm  of 
eighty-five  acres  where  he  now  resides  in  Wayne  township,  Randolph  county, 
Indiana,  and  is  successfully  engaged  in  general  farming,  keeping  a  good 
grade  of  live  stock  and  his  land  well  cultivated.  Politically,  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, and  is  a  member  of  the  advisory  board  of  his  township.  He  belongs 
to  the  National  Horse  Thief  Detective  Association. 

Mr.  Fowler  was  married  on  September  20,  1883,  to  Margaret  Jennie 
Wilson,  who  was  born  in  Warren  county,  Ohio,  February  14,  1861.  She  is 
a  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Davis)  Wilson,  farmers  of  Greene  county, 
Ohio,  during  the  generation  that  is  past,  the  death  of  Mr.  Wilson  having 
occurred  September  18,  1904,  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Fowler  surviving  until 
January  29,  1905.  Mrs.  Fowler  was  educated  in  the  district  schools  of 
Greene  and  Montgomery  counties,  Ohio,  and  finished  at  the  Normal  at 
Lebanon,  that  state.     She  taught  school  two  terms. 

The  following  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fowler :  Mar- 
garet Gertrude,  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  September  24,  1884,  was  edu- 
cated in  the  common  schools  and  graduated  at  the  high  school  in  Union 
City,  later  from  the  Normal  State  College,  at  Oxford,  Ohio,  in  1908,  re- 
ceived subsequently  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  from  Miami  University, 
Oxford,  Ohio,  in  1912,  having  made  an  excellent  record  in  all  the  above 
named  institutions.  She  has  taught  three  terms  of  school,  and  since  her 
graduation  has  taught  two  years  in  Hartwell  school,  fifth  grade,  taught  one 
year  in  Wayne  township.  Central  school,  the  first  term  of  school  in  the  new 
building  in  1912.  She  taught  mathematics  and  botany.  Mary  Mildred, 
second  daughter  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana, 
October  26,  1888,  was  educated  in  the  district  schools,  and  was  graduated 
from  the  high  school  at  Union  City.  She  taught  three  terms  of  school,  and 
at  this  writing  is  in  her  last  year  in  Miami  University,  Oxford,  Ohio,  spec- 


1346  BANDOLPH  COUNTY^  INDIANA. 

ializing  in  the  liberal  arts.  Ethel  May,  third  of  our  subject's  children,  was 
born  in  Randolph  county  May  18,  1892,  was  educated  in  the  horne  schools 
and  was  graduated  from  the  high  school  at  Union  City  in  191 1;  she  then 
took  a  normal  course  in  Earlham  College,  Richmond,  Indiana,  and  also- 
studied  at  the  Angola  Tri-State  College  of  Indiana.  She  has  taught  two 
years  in  the  schools  of  Wayne  township.  Opal  Agnes,  youngest  of  our 
subject's  children,  was  born  in  Randolph  county  May  7,  1902,  and  is  in  her 
seventh  grade  in  school.  These  children  were  given  every  advantage  possi- 
ble, and,  being  good  students  and  talented,"  have  become  highly  educated  and 
cuhured  and  are  popular  with  a  wide  circle  of  friends  of  the  best  class  of 
people  in  the  county. 


THOMAS  C.  PEACOCE. 

Fame  may  look  to  the  clash  of  resounding  arms  for  its  heroes;  his- 
tory's pages  may  be  filled  with  the  record  of  the  deeds  of  the  so-called  great 
who  have  deluged  the  world  with  blood,  destroyed  kingdoms,  created  dynas- 
ties and  left  their  names  as  plague  spots  upon  civilization's  escutcheon;  the 
poet  may  embalm  in  deathless  song  the  short  and  simple  annals  of  the  poor ; 
but  there  have  been  comparatively  few  to  sound  the  praise  of  the  brave  and 
sturdy  pioneer  who,  among  the  truly  great  and  noble  is  certainly  among 
the  deserving  of  at  least  a  little  space  on  the  category  of  the  immortals. 
To  him  more  than  to  any  other  is  civilization  indebted  for  the  brightest 
jewel  in  its  diadem,  for  it  was  he  that  blazed  the  way  and  acted  as  van- 
guard for  the  mighty  army  of  progress  that  within  the  past  three-quarters 
of  a  century  has  conquered  Indiana's  wilderness  and  transformed  it  into 
one  of  the  best  and  most  enlightened  of  the  commonwealths  of  America's 
domain. 

The  Peacocks  are  a  pioneer  family,  and  the  name  has  stood  for  progress 
in  Randolph  county  for  many  decades,  one  of  the  well  known  members 
being  Thomas  C.  Peacock,  a  farmer  of  Wayne  township.  He  was  born  in 
this  township  and  county  April  13,  1851.  He  is  a  son  of  William  Pea- 
cock, who  was  bo,rn  October  10,  1818,  and  spent  his  life  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, and  died  January  3,  1907.  He  married  Mary  Thomas,  who  was  born 
August  22,  1817,  and  died  March  8,  1903.  They  were  born  in  Wayne 
county,  and  both  represented  frontier  families.  Here  they  grew  to  matur- 
ity, received  such  educational  advantages  as  the  old-time  schools  afiforded, 
and  were  married  in  1840,  and  at  once  took  up  their  abode  in  Randolph 
county,  locating  in  the  wilderness.     Mr.  Peacock  followed  teaming  for  sev- 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1347 

eral  years  in  his  earlier  life,  hauling  produce  to  Cincinnati  and  bringing 
goods  back  with  him,  thus  being  away  from  home  a  great  deal,  and  in  the 
nights  that  he  was  absent  the  young  wife  would  barricade  the  door  of  her 
lonely  cabin  as  best  she  could  against  the  wolves  and  other  wild  beasts. 
The  paternal  grandfather,  Amos  Peacock,  was  born  in  1787.  He  married 
Hannah  Hill,  who  was  born  in  1793,  both  being  natives  of  Randolph  county, 
North  Carolina.  Owing  to  the  large  number  of  early  settlers  from  that 
county  to  this  section  of  Indiana,  Randolph  county,  this  state  was  named 
for  the  one  in  the  old  Tar  state  of  the  same  name.  Amos  Peacock  was 
one  of  these  early  emigrants,  making  the  long  journey  from  the  far  south- 
land here  in  1831,  finding  here  only  a  vast  wilderness,  with  no  clearings. 
Elijah  Peacock,  a  twin  brother  of  Elisha  Peacock,  is  the  younger  of  nine 
children  and  the  only  survivor.  He  owns  and  occupies  the  old  homestead, 
where  he  was  born,  and  which  has  been  in  the  family  since  1818.  Elijah 
Peacock  was  born  January  28,  183 1.  He  married  Agnes  S.  Brown,  who 
was  born  in  Cheltman,  England,  January  16,  1837.  Seven  children  were 
born  to. them,  six  of  whom  are  living.  The  death  of  the  mother  occurred 
April  I,  191 1.  The  children  are:  Amos  H.,  born  September  i,  1854; 
Frances  Eleanor,  born  October  28,  1857;  Charlton  Alva,  born  December 
15,  1862;  Joseph  C,  born  October  20,  1864;  Charlotte  Eudora,  born  De- 
cember 12,  1868;  Corella  Belle,  born  February  i,  1872;  Lilla  Alta,  born 
February  14,  1876.  Charlotte  Eudora  married  Lilburn  Stanley,  and  her 
death  occurred  in  1902.  She  had  no  children.  The  father  of  Amos  Pea- 
cock was  Abram  Peacock.  He  was  twice  married,  his  second  wife  being 
Anna  Joy. 

Thomas  C.  Peacock  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  locality  and  received 
a  common  school  education.  He  has  always  followed  farming,  and  at  the 
age  of  twenty-one  began  life  for  himself.  His  noble  wife  has  been  of  great 
assistance  to  him.  They  have  reared  and  educated  their  children  in  good 
shape,  and  have  a  fine  farm  of  one  hundred  acres,  which,  with  the  exception 
of  a  small  competence  from  their  parents,  our  subject  and  wife  have  made 
themselves.  They  have  a  comfortable  home  and  are  highly  respected  in 
the  community.  Politically,  our  subject  is  Independent,  and  he  is  a  Quaker 
in  his  religious  faith. 

Thomas  C.  Peacock  was  married  October  19,  1872,  to  Martha  Alice 
Shultz,  who  was  born  in  Spartanburg,  Indiana,  August  16,  1854.  She  was 
reared  and  educated  in  Randolph  county,  where  her  people  have  long  been 
well  and  favorably  known.  A  record  of  the  Shultz  family  is  found  on  an- 
other page  of  this  volume. 


I34<^  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peacock  the  following  children  have  been  born: 
Harry,  born  September  i8,  1873,  married  Sarah  Alice  Brumfield  in  1897; 
he  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  his  township  and  was  graduated 
from  the  Winchester  high  school,  later  taking  a  business  course  at  Rich- 
mond, Indiana;  he  had  five  children,  Pauline  died  at  the  age  of  four  years; 
Frances  W.,  Ruth  Olive,  Ralph  C.  and  Virgil  Eugene.  Indianola,  the 
second  child  of  our  subject,  was  born  June  14,  1875,  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  and  graduated  fpom  the  Winchester  high  school,  also  went 
nearly  three  years  to  the  State  Normal  at  Terre  Haute,  when  her  health 
failed  and  she  was  obliged  to  give  up  her  work,  but  later  she  taught  school 
three  years  in  Jackson  and  Wayne  townships;  on  November  16,  1898,  she 
married  J.  W.  Harris,  and  in  November,  1907,  they  removed  to  Kings 
county,  California,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  contracting  business,  and  is 
also  township  judge;  they  have  no  children.  Ethel  Peacock,  bom  Septem- 
ber 6,  1880,  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  the  Harrisville  high 
school;  she  married  Harry  G.  Kemp,  May  3,  1906,  and  they  have  one  child, 
Ronald  C,  who  was  born  February  23,  1908.  Elsie  Peacock,  bom  July  17, 
1883,  was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  and  then  attended  Deaconess 
Hospital  in  Indianapolis  for  three  years,  preparing  to  be  a  trained  nurse,  and 
was  graduated  in  1909;  she  is  single  and  is  making  her  home  in  Indi9.napo- 
lis.  Bernice  May  Peacock,  born  May  21,  1892,  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  and  the  Winchester  high  school,  but  was  compelled  to  give  up  school- 
ing on  account  of  failing  health;  she  married  James  Blaine  Clark  June  26, 
1912. 


JOHN  D.  MARKER. 

The  veterans  of  the  great  Union  army  that  saved  the  nation  from  dis- 
ruiDtion  during  its  darkest  period  should  be  justly  proud  of  what  they  have 
done  for  succeeding  generations,  having  left  an  inheritance  of  which  we 
should  be  very  grateful;  indeed,  we  owe  them  a  debt  of  gratitude  which  we 
can  never  repay.  Now  that  "the  sunset  of  life"  is  upon  them,  and  the  "grand 
army  of  the  republic"  is  continually  marching  across  the  "great  divide"  to 
join  the  phantom  army  in  the  Silent  Land,  let  us  of  the  aftermath  accord  them 
every  courtesy  and  honor,  and  prove  our  gratitude  for  what  they  have 
achieved  while  we  have  the  opportunity.  One  of  this  worthy  number  is 
John  D.  Marker,  of  Randolph  county,  a  farmer  and  gardener  of  Spartan- 
burg. 

Mr.  Marker  was  born  in  Preble  count}^  Ohio,  on  a  farm.  May  14,  1843. 


JOHN  D.  MARKER. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 349 

He  is  a  son  of  Paul  and  Isabelle  (West)  Marker.  The  father  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania  in  1804  and  when  a  boy  he  came  with  his  parerrts  to  Ohio,  the 
father,  Lewis  Marker,  entering  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Darke 
county.  The  elder  Marker  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  Paul  Marker 
devoted  his  active  life  to  farming  and  gunsmithing,  having  had  a  natural 
mechanical  gift  which  he  developed  until  he  was  quite  a  skilled  workman. 
His  death  occurred  in  1897. 

John  D.  Marker  spent  his  early  life  in  Ohio  and  there  received  a  fairly 
good  education  in  the  common  schools.  He  proved  his  patriotism  by  enlist- 
ing in  the  Federal  army  shortly  after  the  commencement  of  the  great  war  of 
the  Rebellion  as  a  member  of  Company  C,  Thirteenth  Ohio  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, which  he  joined  in  May,  1861.  He  was  sent  at  once  to  the -front  and 
was  in  several  minor  engagements  in  Virginia,  later  fighting  at  Perryville, 
Kentucky,  and  in  the  great  battles  of  Shiloh,  Stone  River,  Chickamauga  and 
Missionary  Ridge,  also  those  in  the  Atlanta  campaign  under  Sherman.  He 
then  went  with  the  army  to  Nashville,  Tennessee,  under  Thomas  and  helped 
repulse  Hood.  After  serving  for  some  time  in  eastern  Tennessee  he  was 
sent  to  Texas,  and  was  mustered  out  of  the  service  and  honorably  discharged 
on  December  5,  1865.  He  veteranized  at  Chattanooga  in  1863.  He  was 
wounded  at  Shiloh  when  a  Minie  ball  struck  him  on  the  right  cheek,  coming 
out  near  the  neck.  He  was  also  wounded  at  Stone  River,  a  bullet  striking 
him  'in  the  left  leg,  and  the  same  kind  of  a  missile  struck  him  in  the  left 
shoulder  at  Chickamauga.  The  last  wound  has  given  him  more  or  less  trou- 
ble ever  since. 

After  his  career  as  a  soldier,  which  was  a  most  faithful  and  gallant  one, 
Mr.  Marker  returned  home.  He  spent  one  year  in  school,  then  took  up  the 
lightning  rod  business  which  he  followed  for  five  years.  For  many  years  he 
has  followed  gardening  in  the  summer  and  selling  trees  in  the  winter.  He 
has  been  very  successful  and  owns  three  farms  east  of  Spartanburg,  one  of 
forty  acres,  another  of  eighty  acres  and  a  third  of  three  acres.  His  land  is 
well-improved,  properly  fertilized  and  very  productive. 

Politically  Mr.  Marker  is  a  Democrat,  and  in  religious  matters  is  a 
member,  of  the  Christian  church.  He  belongs  to  the  local  post  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic  in  which  he  has  held  all  the  offices. 

Mr.  Marker  was  married  in  1869  to  Martha  Nail,  a  native  of  Shelby- 
ville,  Indiana,  and  to  this  union  one  child  was  born,  a  daughter,  June  Marker, 
who  married  a  Mr.  Blackman  and  they  live  in  Oklahoma.  The  wife  and 
mother  passed  to  her  rest  in  1873,  after  four  years  of  married  life,  she  be- 
ing then  a  young  woman.    Our  subject  was  again  married  in  1897  to  Sarah  J. 


1350  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

Moore,  who  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  in  July,  1840.  By  a  previous 
marriage  to  Wm.  Moore,  Mrs.  Marker  became  the  mother  of  two  children, 
viz. :  John,  deceased,  and  Dora  Moore,  who  married  J.  O.  Wise,  he  being 
now  deceased. 


JOHN  BURROUGHS. 

The  early  pioneers  of  Randolph  county,  having  blazed  the  path  of 
civilization  to  this  part  of  the  state,  finished  their  labors  and  passed  from 
the  scene,  leaving  the  country  in  possession  of  their  descendants  and  to 
others  who  came  at  a  later  period  and  builded  on  the  foundation  which  they 
laid  so  broad  and  deep.  Among  the  former  class  was  the  well-remembered 
farmer  and  influential  citizen  whose  name  forms  the  caption  of  this  bio- 
graphical memoir  and  also  his  worthy  father  before  him.  The  name  of 
John  Burroughs  ever  stood  for  industry  in  connection  with  general  farming 
and  for  good  conduct  in  all  the  relations  of  life,  and  is  deserving  of  a  place 
in  the  history  of  the  locality  where  he  so  long  lived  and  for  the  general 
upbuilding  of  which  he  always  did  what  he  could. 

Mr.  Burroughs  was  born  in  Nettle  Creek  township,  Randolph  county, 
in  1838.  He  was  a  son  of  John  and  Martha  (Chambers)  Burroughs.  The 
father  was  born  on  February  9,  1793,  in  Virginia.  The  mother  was  born 
on  May  8,  1799,  in  North  Carolina.  They  left  their  homes  in  Dixieland  in 
a  very  early  day  and  came  to  Indiana,  locating  in  Randolph  county  in  the 
early  thirties,  and  here  they  spent  the  rest  of  their  lives  on  a  farm.  They 
were  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity  except 
one,  John,  of  this  memoir,  being  next  to  the  youngest. 

John  Burroughs  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  he  worked  hard 
when  a  boy.  He  received  his  education  in  the  rural  schools  of  those  early 
days.  He  remained  on  the  home  farm  until  his  father's  death,  then  bought 
a  farm  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  later  removing  to  the  state  of  Kansas, 
where  he  remained  two  years,  then  came  back  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana, 
where  he  bought  eighty  acres,  later  buying  forty  acres  more,  and  this  land 
he  farmed  successfully  as  long  as  he  was  physically  able,  but  finally  his 
health  failed,  but  he  remained  on  the  farm  until  the  fall  of  1909,  when  he 
bought  a  home  in  Losantville,  this  county,  and  removed  thereto,  but  lived 
only  a  short  time  thereafter,  his  death  occurring  December  14,  1909. 

Politically,  Mr.  Burroughs  was  a  Republican,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  served  his  township  as  supervisor  in  a  very  able  manner. 

Mr.  Burroughs  was  married  on  March  25,  1858,  to  Sarah  J.  Pollard,  a 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I35I 

daughter  of  Stephen  and  Rachel  (Jordan)  Pollard.  The  father  was  a 
native  of  Kentucky,  but  the  mother  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana. 
The  parents  of  both  were  early  pioneer  farmers.  Mr.  Pollard  farmed  all 
his  life.  He  and  his  wife  are  both  deceased.  Their  family  consisted  of 
twelve  children,  five  sons  and  seven  daughters,  Mrs.  Burroughs  and  her 
youngest  sister  are  the  only  two  living  at  this  writing. 

Two  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burroughs,  namely:  Lilie 
B.,  born  on  October  9,  1861,  died  on  October  21,  1880.  She  married  J.  N. 
Johnson,  who  is  now  residing  on  the"  farm  of  our  subject's  widow.  One 
daughter  was  born,  November  25,  1878,  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson,  whom 
they  named  Bessie  May;  she  married  Dr.  F.  E.  McKinnon,  a  dentist  of 
Losantville,  and  they  have  two  children,  Ruth  and  Maurice.  The  second 
child  of  our  subject  and  wife,  Jesse  P.  Burroughs,  was  born  August  9,  1867, 
and  he  died  August  22^  1892.  He  married  Alice  Hunt  and  to  them  one 
child  was  born,  Cornelius  Carl,  whose  birth  occurred  July  6,  1886;  he  mar- 
ried Hazel  I.  Burroughs  (no  relation),  and  to  them  two  children  have  been 
born.  Gladys  Irene  and  Altie. 

Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Burroughs  lives  alone.  She  still  owns  the  excellent  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  which  her  late  husband  brought  up  to 
such  a  high  state  of  improvement  and  cultivation.  She  is  an  active  worker 
in  the  Methodist  church,  of  which  she  has  long  been  a  member.  She  is  a 
well  preserved  woman,  appearing  much  younger  than  her  years,  is  cheerful 
and  kindly  and  therefore  has  a  host  of  warm  friends.  She  is  charitably  in- 
clined and  sympathizes  in  a  substantial  manner  with  the  needy  and  dis- 
tressed. 


JOHN  R.  PRICE. 


Although  no  section  of  the  great  Hoosier  state  is  richer  in  opportuni- 
ties or  offers  greater  advantages  to  its  citizens  than  does  Randolph  county, 
success  is  not  here  to  be  obtained  through  desire  alone,  but  is  to  be  persist- 
ently worked  for,  there  being  various  obstacles  to  be  overcome  just  as  in 
every  country,  so  the  idler  knows  nothing  of  the  rich  rewards  that  come  to 
the  toilers  in  the  locality  of  which  this  history  deals.  John  R.  Price,  farmer 
of  the  vicinity  of  Union  City,  is  evidently  entitled  to  rank  with  that  class 
of  hard-working  citizens  who  prefer  to  follow  the  old  maxim  of  "go  it 
alone,"  rather  than  depend  upon  others  to  contribute  to  his  support  and 
progress.  Having  spent  his  entire  life  in  this  county,  it  is  evident  that  he 
has  preferred  to  remain  at  home  rather  than  seek  some  mythical  "better 


^ss^ 


RANDOLPH   CaUNTY,  INDIANA. 


country,"  and  here  he  has  not  only  reaped  the  fruitage  of  a  well-directed 
energy,  but  has  so  ordered  his  course  in  all  the  relations  of  life  as  to  com- 
mand the  respect  of  all  his  neighbors  and  acquaintances. 

Mr.  Price  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  January  3,  1869. 
He  is  a  son  of  John  Price,  who  was  born  January  5,  1826.  The  latter  was 
a  son  of  Solomon  and  Barbara  Price,  who  located  in  Darke  county,  Ohio, 
in  1834,  and  from  there  came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1837.  They 
were  the  parents  of  fourteen  childuen,  seven  of  whom  are  now  living.  The 
elder  Price  was  treasurer  of  the  Union  City  and  White  River  Turnpike 
Company,  of  which  he  was  a  heavy  stockholder.  He  was  a  good  business 
man,  was  highly  respected  by  all  who  knew  him  and  was  one  of  the  in- 
fluential men  of  his  day  in  this  locality.  His  wife  was  a  daughter  of  John 
Dixon. 

The  subject  of- this  sketch  has  three  brothers  and  three  sisters,  namely: 
Mrs.  Barbara  Burk,  Mrs.  Martha  Harrison,  and  Mrs.  Sadie  Wilson ;  Samuel 
H.,  Robert  L.,  and  George  E.  Robert  L.  Price  was  born  in  Wayne  town- 
ship, Randolph  county,  December  25,  1859,  and  here  he  grew  to  manhood 
and  received  a  common  school  education.  He  has  been  twice  married,  his 
first  wife,  Aseneth  E.  Erazier,  died  in  1879,  leaving  one  son,  Charles  Lor- 
ing  Price,  who  has  remained  single,  and  is  now  living  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
Robert  L.  Price  was  married  in  January,  1886,  to  Constance  May  Euott,  of 
French  ancestry.  When  eighteen  years  old  Robert  L.  Price  left  home  and 
began  life  for  himself.  He  spent  twenty  years  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  He 
has  traveled  all  through  the  southern  and  western  states.  He  took  his  fam- 
ily to  California  and  there  spent  about  a  year.  He  has  seen  a  large  portion 
of  the  United  States  and  a  great  deal  of  Canada.  He  is  a  farmer,  owner 
of  a  good  farm  of  a  little  over  one  hundred  and  forty-six  acres.  He  has 
two  children  by  his  second  marriage,  namely :  Walter  Robert,  who  mar- 
ried Edna  Poffenbarger,  residing  in  Muncie,  Indiana;  and  Oliver  Harold, 
who  is  single  and  living  at  home. 

John  Price,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Maryland,  and  he  was 
eight  years  old  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Indiana.  When  but  a 
boy  he  began  buying  unimproved  land,  which  he  would  clear  and  trade  for 
more  land,  and  at  his  death  he  had  accumulated  six  hundred  and  forty  acres 
of  valuable  land,  all  improved  and  under  cultivation.  He  not  only  farmed 
on  an  extensive  scale  but  also  dealt  in  livestock  of  all  kinds  and  became 
very  prosperous.  IJis  death  occurred  in  1898.  His  wife,  known  in  her 
maidenhood  as  Sarah  Dixon,  died  June  20,  1897. 

John  R.  Price,,  our  subject,  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I353 

received  his  education  in  the  pubHc  schools  of  his  locaHty.  When  a  young 
man  he  took  up  farming  for  a  Hvehhood  and  this  has  continued  to  be  his 
vocation.  He  has  been  very  successful,  having  worked  hard  and  managed 
well.  He  was  twenty  years  old  when  he  began  life  for  himself  by  operating 
one  of  his  father's  farms,  which  he  continued  to  do  until  his  father's  death, 
whereupon  he  purchased  the  immediate  interest  of  the  estate,  and  has  now  a 
fine  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  which  he  has  placed  under  a  high 
state  of  improvement  and  cultivation  and  on  which  he  carries  on  general 
farming  and  stock  raising  on  an  extensive  scale.  He  has  an  attractive  resi- 
dence and  good  outbuildings. 

Mr,  Price  was  married  on  October  2,  1887,  to  Nellie  E.  Jeffers,  who 
was  born  in  Danville,  Hendricks  county,  Indiana,  September  12,  1868,  the 
daughter  of  E.  Jeffers,  who  died  when  Mrs.  Price  was  sixteen  years  old. 
To  the  union  of  our  subject  and  wife  the  following  children  have  been  born: 
Clarence  E.,  born  July  4,  1888,  married  Ada  Moore,  daughter  of  Henan 
Moore,  of  Winchester,  and  they  have  one  child,  Ronald  Dolphin  Price,  born 
March  i,  1912;  Lottie  Blanche  married  Daniel  Clark,  and  to  them  two  chil- 
dren were  born,  Bertha  May,  born  in  1910,  and  Lorin,  born  March  25, 
1912;  Bertha  Irene,  who  is  a  graduate  of  Harrisville  high  school  of  the  class 
of  1912,  married  Murrell  Rowe,  a  son  of  Frank  Rowe;  Opal  Marie,  born 
March  25,  1898;  and  Anna  Ethel,  born  August  3,  1900.  Leander  J.  Price 
married  Ethel  Welch,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Welch,  and  they  have  one  child, 
John  J.,  born  February  2,  1913. 

Politically,  Mr.  Pric^  is  a  Republican.  He  belongs  to  the  Christian 
church.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  advisory  board  of  his  township  for 
the  past  eight  years,  and  his  long  retention  would  indicate  satisfactory  serv- 
ice on  his  part.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows. 


CLYDE  E.  SHULTZ. 


Among  the  younger  generation  of  farmers  of  Wayne  township,  Ran- 
dolph county,  who  is  deserving  of  the  large  degree  of  success  which  has 
come  to  him  is  Clyde  E.  Shultz.  He  finds  himself  the  owner  of  a  valuable 
farm  at  an  age  when  most  tillers  of  the  soil  are  just  getting  well  started,  and 
he  is  doubly  entitled  to  congratulations  when  we  learn  that  he  has  ac- 
quired his  own  property.  Judging  from  his  splendid  success  so  early  it  is 
reasonable  to  predict  a  time  when  he  will  stand  in  the  forefront  of  the  agri- 
culturists of  the  locality  of  which  this  history  deals. 


1354  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

Mr.  Shultz  was  born  near  Harrisville,  Randolph  county,  November  lo, 
1883.  He  is  a  son  of  Charles  F.  Shultz,  of  Wayne  township,  a  well  known- 
farmer,  who  was  born  in  Spartanburg,  Indiana,  in  1858,  and  whose  death 
occurred  October  24,  1909.  He  was  a  man  of  thrift,  public  spirit  and  ex- 
cellent character  and  popular  in  his  community.  The  mother  of  our  sub- 
ject was  known  in  her  maidenhood  as  Orabell  Kayler,  who  was  born  in 
Preble  county,  Ohio,  in  1861,  and  her  death  occurred  November  20,  1895. 
Peter  M.  Shultz,  the  paternal  grandfather,  was  born  in  Highland  county, 
Kentucky,  August  16,  1833.  He  came  to  Randolph  county  many  years  ago 
'  and  is  at  present  living  in  lUnion  City,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty  years. 
He  has  devoted  principally  all  his  life  to  general  farming.  He  is  a  man  of 
fine  character  and  worthy  of  the  high  regard  in  which  he  is  held  by  all  who 
know  him.  His  wife,  Julia  Ann  Moore,  was  born  in  Guilford  county.  North 
Carolina,  from  which  state  she  came  with  her  parents  when  a  child  to  Ran- 
dolph county,  Indiana,  the  long  journey  being  made  in  a  one-horse  wagon. 
The  family  settled  one  mile  east  of  what  is  now  the  village  of  Spartanburg, 
and  there  developed  a  good  farm  from  the  wilderness.  The  death  of  Mrs. 
Peter  M.  Shultz  occurred  in  September,  1902.  George  W.  Shultz,  the 
paternal  great-grandfather,  lived  in  Boone  county,  Indiana,  and  was  a  well 
known  pioneer  citizen  there.     His  wife  was  Martha  Alice  Shultz. 

Clyde  E.  Shultz  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  in  this  county 
and  there  he  assisted  with  the  general  work, .and  he  received  his  education 
in  the  common  schools  of  Wayne  township,  and  at  the  tender  age  of  six- 
teen years  he  began  life  for  himself,  farming,  and  he  has  continued  this  line 
of  endeavor  to  the  present  time  with  ever-increasing  success  until  he  is  now 
the  owner  of  a  valuable  and  well-improved  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
eight  acres  in  Wayne  township,  which  is  well  cultivated  and  well  stocked. 
He  has  a  good  dwelling  and  outbuildings  and  is  carrying  on  the  various 
departments  of  his  work  like  an  old-timer,  each  year  finding  him  further 
advanced  than  the  preceding. 

Mr.  Shultz  is  also  engaged  in  operating  a  saw  mill  and  devotes  the 
greater  portion  of  his  time  to  this  business.  The  mill  has  a  capacity  of 
about  eight  thousand  feet  per  day. 

Mr.  Shultz  was  married  February  27,  1902,  to  Blanche  D.  Forten- 
baugh,  who  was  born  in  Harrisville.  Indiana,  and  here  she  grew  to  woman- 
hood and  received  a  common  school  education.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John 
B.  and  Naoma  Fortenbaugh,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  on  another  page  of 
this  volume. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  the  following  children  have  been  born:    Mary 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I355 

Agnes,  born  November  15,  1907;  Ethel  Adene,  born  May  15,  1910;  Leah 
Alice,  born  March  7,  191 3;  Fred  Calvin  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Shnltz  is  a  Republican  in  politics.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic Order,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  Knights  of  the 
Golden  E^gle. 


CURTIS  M.  SHIERLING. 

In  the  life  history  of  Curtis  M.  Shierling,  farmer,  of  Randolph  county, 
the  gentleman  whose  name  forms  the  caption  of  this  article,  we  find 
evidence  of  peculiar  characteristics  that  always  make  for  achievement, 
persistency,  coupled  with  fortitude  and  honorable  traits,  and  as  a  result 
of  such  a  life,  he  stands  today  one  of  the  representative  citizens  of  his 
township,  well-known  and  highly  respected  by  all. 

Mr.  Shierling  was  born  in  AVard  township,  Randolph  county,  No- 
vember 7,  1865,  and  he  has  been  content  to  spend  his  life  in  his  native 
locality.  He  is  a  son  of  Philip  and  Emeline  (Ford)  Shierling,  whose 
family  consisted  of  four  children,  namely:  Francis,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  thirty-four  years,  married  Dora  Nickey,  and  to  them  two  children 
were  born,  Rosco  and  Almira;  he  was  engaged  in  general  farming  in 
this  county;  Curtis  M.,  our  subject,  was  second  in  order  of  birth;  Ida 
has  been  twice  married,  first  to  Marion  Nickey,  then  to  Richard  Milo 
Fraze,  a  farmer  of  Ward  township,  and  she  has  five  sons  and  one 
daughter;  Perl,  who  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Ward  township,  married 
Stella  Harshman,  and  to  them  three  children  have  been  born. 

The  father  of  the  above  named  children  was  born  in  the  state  of 
Ohio,  and  the  paternal  grandfather  was  a  native  of  Germany,  born  in 
Baden-Baden.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Ohio  and  there 
she  and  Mr.  Shierling  grew  to  maturity,  were  educated  in  the  public 
schools  and  were  married  and  from  there  they  finally  moved  to  Indiana 
and  established  the  future  home  of  the  family  in  Randolph  county. 

Curtis  M.  Shierling  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  in  this 
county  and  there  he  assisted  with  the  general  work  during  the  crop 
seasons  and  he  received  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Saratoga  and 
the  high  school  at  Winchester.  He  began  life  for  himself  as  a  general 
farmer  and  this  he  has  continued  successfully  to  the  present  time,  being 
now  owner  of  a  finely  improved  and  valuable  farm,  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-eight  acres,  on  which  is  always  to  be  seen  an  excellent  grade  of 
livestock  and  a  good  set  of  buildings. 


I35'>  RANDOLPH   COUNTYj   INDIANA. 

Mr.  Shierling-  was  married  April  20,  1887,  to  Sally  Florence  Crum,  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Catherine  (Brenaman)  Crum,  both  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia. They  came  to  Randolph  county  in  1883,  locating  near  Stone 
Station  in  Ward  township,  and  later  moved  to  Saratoga,  where  he  died. 
He  followed  farming  through  life.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  living 
children,  namely :  Martha  Angeline :  Frances  Elizabeth ;  J.  L. ;  Mary  Ella ; 
and  Sally  Florence,  our  subject's  wife. 

To  Mr.  and  Airs.  Shierling*  three  children  have  been  born,  namely: 
Roy,  born  November  15,  1888,  lives  in  Bloomington,  Indiana,  where  he 
is  attending  the  State  University,  preparing  to  become  a  teacher,  he 
taught  two  years  in  the  Saratoga  High  School;  Marjorie,  born  May 
21,  1896;  Reva,  born  December  8,  1906. 

Politically  Mr.  Shierling  is  a  Republican  and  fraternally  he  belongs 
to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  attends  the  United 
Brethren  church. 


JOHN  WESLEY  STARBUCK. 

Alany  of  the  choice  farms  of  Randolph  county  were  made  wholly  by  the 
owners  thereof,  not  a  cent  having  been  inherited.  It  is  also  true  that  many  of 
the  best  farms  were  almost  wholly  inherited  from  the  parents  of  the  present 
holders.  It  would  seem  at  first  glance  that  the  latter  owners  were  the  ones 
to  be  congratulated,  but  this  is  not  always  the  case,  for  very  often  in  their 
youth  they  did  not  receive  the  proper  training  as  to  thrift  and  industry  that 
would  enable  them  to  save  and  manage  their  large  inheritance.  On  the  con- 
trary it  may  be  set  down  as  an  unqualified  truth  that  the  man  who  by  hard 
knocks  made  all  his  property,  beginning  as  a  poor  boy,  learned  at  the  same 
time  how  to  take  care  of  it.  To  know  how  to  save  money,  as  well  as  to  know 
how  to  make  it,  is  of  the  greatest  importance,  in  the  rearing  of  a  boy.  Such 
training  was  received  by  John  Wesley  Starbuck,  farmer,  of  Washington 
township.  He  was  thrown  on  his  own  resources  when  of  tender  age  and  has 
had  to  "hoe  his  own  row"  through  life,  but  he  has  succeeded  nicely. 

Mr.  Starbuck  was  born  in  White  River  township,  this  county,  April  2, 
1855.  He  is  a  son  of  Cyrus  and  Elizabeth  (Jones)  Starbuck.  The  father 
was  born  in  South  Carolina,  Alarch  16,  1807.  The  mother  was  a  daughter 
of  Alichael  and  Xancy  Jones  and  was  born  near  Winchester,  Indiana,  where 
she  was  reared.  The  father  left  the  sunny  South  when  a  young  man  and  lo- 
cated in  Randolph  county,  this  state,  and  here  he  met  and  married  our  sub- 
ject's mother  and  they  established  their  home  on  a  farm  in  White  River 
township. 


MRS.  JOHN  W.  STARBUCK. 


JOHN  W.  STAEBUCK. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY^  INDIANA.  1357 

John  W.  Starbuck  had  very  Httle  opportunity  to  attend  school.  When 
only  nine  years  old  he  left  home  to  work  for  his  uncles,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  then  began  life  for  himself, 
engaging  in  farming  which  he  has  continued  to  the  present  time  with  suc- 
cess, being  now  owner  of  a  valuable  and  well-kept  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  in  Washington  township.  It  is  all  under  cultivation.  He 
has  a  good  grade  of  livestock  and  on  his  place  is  to  be  seen  a  comfortable 
home  and  convenient  outbuildings.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  shorthorn  cattle 
and  Duroc-Jersey  hogs. 

Air.  Starbuck  was  married  August  2,  1879,  to  Sarah  E.  Jackson,  who 
was  born  in  White  River  township,  Randolph  county,  October  3,  1862,  and 
there  she  was  reared  and  received  a  common  school  education.  To  our 
subject  and  wife  four  children  have  been  born,  namely:  Robert  died  iit  in- 
fancy; Elizabeth  AI.,  born  February  22,  1880,  is  the  wife  of  W.  Longenecker; 
Hattie  is  the  wife  of  Clarence  Engle;  Roy  H.,  born  September  6,  1888,  mar- 
ried Gra:ce  Mote  of  Greensfork  township,  and  is  working  the  home  farm  with 
his  father. 

Politically,  Air.  Starbuck  is  a  Republican,  and  he  belongs  to  the  Friends 
church,  and  is  also  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  and  progressive  citizens 
of  the  county. 


ALDEN  J.   EDWARDS. 

The  farms  of  the  United  States  produce  an  annual  farm  value  greater 
than  any  other  agricultural  country  on  the  globe.  The  American  farm 
is  the  largest,  it  is  true,  but  the  final  test  of  a  successful  producer 
is  net  receipts  per  farmer,  and  that  is  in  favor  of  the  American  plow- 
man. In  this  class  must  consistently  be  mentioned  the  name  of  Alden 
J.  Edwards,  one  of  the  most  painstaking  and  therefore,  most  success- 
ful farmers  of  West  River  township,  Randolph  county,  a  man,  now  just 
in  the  prime  of  middle  life,  but  who  has  already  accomplished  more  than 
many  of  our  farmers  of  much  more  extensive  experience. 

Mr.  Edwards  was  born  in  the  above  named  township  and  county, 
April  5,  1870.  He  is  a  son  of  G.  W.  and  Victoria  (Harris)  Edwards, 
a  well  known  family  of  this  locality,  which  is  given  a  separate  sketch  else- 
where in  this  volume.  Our  subject  has  one  brother  and  one  sister,  the 
former,  William  Edwards,  operates  his  father's  farm;  the  latter,  Ida,  is 
the  wife  of  Cliff  Gordon,  of  West  River  township. 
(86). 


1358  RANDOIPH   COUNTY,  INDiANA. 

Mr.  Edwards  of  this  review  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  where  he 
worked  hard  when  a  boy,  and  he  received  his  early  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools.  He  began  farming  when  a  young  man  arid  this  has  con- 
tinued to  be  his  chief  life  work,  and  he  has  made  a  success  as  a  general 
farmer  and  stock  raiser,  keeping  his  land  well  improved  and  well  tilled. 
He  raises  a  good  grade  of  livestock  and  has  a  comfortable  home.  His 
farm  is  comprised  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-two  acres  and  is  well  lo- 
cated, fc 

Mr.  Edwards  was  married  December  20,  1893,  to  Carrie  Adamson, 
a  native  of  West  River  township,  where  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools.  She  is  a  daughter  of  William  L. 
Adamson,  a  well  known  farmer  of  West  River  township,  who  was  born 
in  this  community,  February  5,  1837,  a  son  of  one  of  our  oldest  set- 
tlers, Abraham  and  Nancy  (Botkin)  Adamson.  William  L.  Adamson 
married  Mary  Stanley  in  1867,  a  daughter  of  James  Stanley,  a  farmer  and 
merchant  of  Wayne  county,  and  to  these  parents  four  children  were 
born,  namely:  Willie  Edgar,  deceased;  Carrie,  wife  of  Mr.  Edwards,  of 
this  sketch;  Orrie  B.,  a  farmer  of  West  River  township;  India  M., 
wife  of  Charles  Bales,  of  West  River  township.  The  father,  William  L. 
Adamson,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War  for  three  years  and  saw  a 
great  deal  of  hard  service  in  the  far  South.  He  is  engaged  in  farming 
in  this  township,  owning  a  valuable  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
four  acres.  A  complete  sketch  of  him  appears  on  another  page  of  this 
volume. 

To  Alden  J.  Edwards  and  wife  one  child  has  been  born,  Garver 
Hobart,  born  July  27,  1896. 

Politically  Mr.  Edwards  is  a  Republican,  and  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


ALEN  B.  SLUSHER. 


Alen  B.  Slusher  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  January  31,  185 1. 
and  is  the  son  of  George  and  Sarah  (Hogston)  Slusher.  November  29, 
1873,  he  was  married  to  Sarah  Wright,  daughter  of  Isaac  Wright,  of 
White  River  township,  and  to  them  have  been  born  seven  children,  six 
boys  and  one  girl.  George  died  in  infancy  as  did  also  Joseph;  John 
lives  at  Muncie  and  conducts  a  garage,  his  wife  was  Jessie  Brubaker; 
they  have  no  children.  Will,  of  Montpelier,  married  Cora  Martin  and  has 
two  children,  Kenneth  and  Lela.     Francis,  of  Traverse  City,  Michigan,  is 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  1 359 

successful  as  a  beekeeper,  his  wife  was  Blanche  North,  and  they  have 
one  child,  Donald.     Ambrose  died  at  the  age  of  three  years. 

The  youngest  of  Mr.  Slushers  children,  Ethel  Maria,  was  born 
October  10,  1897,  and  has  begun  a  musical  career  that  promises  to  be 
of  remarkable  brilliancy.  Already  she  has  a  grasp  of  the  most  difficult 
compositions  that  indicates  a  profound  and  subtle  genius  at  maturity. 
It  is  from  such  precocious  people  as  Miss  Slusher  that  the  text  books 
are  written.  She  seems  to  grasp  the  range  of  music  intuitively.  Com- 
positions embracing  melody  and  form  and  the  intricacies  of  phrasing, 
including  motives,  phrases,  sections,  periods  and  the  larger  divisions 
of  subjects  and  episodes,  are  executed  by  her  with  the  utmost  ease  and 
facility.  And  in  harmony  and  tone  coloring  her  execution  is  quite  as 
facile  as  in  phrasing.  Miss  Slusher  should  be  one  of  the  greatest  vir- 
tuosos known  in  this  county  and  doubtless  will  be.  She  has  the  fac- 
ulties that  have  made  such  artists  as  Bertha  Frielhng,  Fannie  Zeisler, 
Katherine  Goodson,  Mathilde  Verne  and  Helen  Hopekirk  famous.  And 
she  has  the  advantage  of  beginning  at  a  time  when  the  flexibility  of 
muscle  and  mind  is  in  its  early  stages  of  development.  Miss  Slusher 
is  just  such  a  prodigy  as  Joe  Hoffman  was  in  his  boyhood  days.  Her  in- 
tellect predominates.  Her  felicitous  rendition  of  the  nocturnes  and 
dance  themes  of  Chopin,  the  sonatas  of  Beethoven,  the  operas  of  Mo- 
zart and  Donizetti  and  the  rhapsodies  of  Liszt  give  one  an  idea  of  the 
scope  of  her  powers.  Even  at  so  young  an  age  they  embrace  the  most 
difficult  and  beautiful  in  musical  composition. 

Six  of  the  brothers  and  sisters  of  Alen  B.  Slusher  are  dead.  Their 
names  were  William,  Polly,  Eliza,  Anderson,  Martha  and  Sarah.  Those 
Hving  are  Leon,  of  Blackford  county,  a  farmer;  Amanda,  wife  of  Joseph 
Wiest,  of  Peru,  Indiana,  a  brick  mason,  and  Henry  of  Randolph  county, 
a  farmer,  who  married  Beulah  Hoffman.  The  father  and  mother  of 
Mr.  Slusher  came  from  Virginia  to  Indiana  when  this  part  of  the  country 
was  a  wilderness.  Mrs.  Slusher's  father  was  a  Virginian,  but  came 
here  from  Pennsylvania.  He  was  married  twice,  and  Mrs.  Slusher  has 
seven  half-brothers  and  sisters  living. 

The  subject  of  this  review  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church, 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  is  a  Democrat  in  politics. 
And  he  is  true  to  his  educational  training  and  religious  and  political 
affihations.  Any  movement  pertaining  to  education,  religion  or  politics 
excites  his  sincere  interest.  He  is  one  of  the  men  well  up  in  the  leader- 
ship of  his  party  that  have  made  Indiana  a  Democratic  State. 


1360  KAN'DOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

WILLIAM  ALBERT  HERNLEY. 

A  painstaking  twentieth  century  farmer  of  Greensfork  township,  Ran- 
dolph county,  is  William  Albert  Hernley,  a  native  of  this  locality,  which  may 
account  for  his  ability  to  demonstrate  to  all  spectators  his  skill  in  husbandry. 
He  was  reared  upon  the  farm  and  from  his  earliest  years  the  sight  of  herds 
of  cattle,  sheep,  horses  and  other  domestic  animals  was  a  daily  occurrence. 
Youthful  experiences  are  the  most  stringent,  and  accordingly  the  lessons  thus 
taught  of  general  farming  from  ififancy  found  a  secure  lodgment  in  his  un- 
derstanding. No  young  man  could  halve  better  equipment  for  the  duties  of 
the  farm  than  he  received.  There  were  not  only  the  sleek  herds  and  the 
beautiful  fields  of  growing  grain  but  also  the  sound  judgment  and  able 
training  of  his  father,  so  it  is  no  wonder  that  he  has  made  a  success  of  his 
chosen  vocation  and  that  the  future  promises  still  larger  emoluments  for  the 
care  and  toil  he  is  expending. 

Mr.  Hernley 'was  born  near  the  village  of  Farmland,  Randolph  county, 
July  22,  1881.  He  is  a  son  of  Amos  H.  and  Mary  C.  (Griffis)  Hernley,  a 
well  known  family  of  West  River  township,  a  complete  sketch  of  whom  ap- 
pears on  another  page  of  this  volume,  to  which  the  reader  is  respectfully 
referred. 

William  A.  Hernley  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and,  being  a 
sturdy  lad  and  having  a  natural  bent  toward  husbandry,  he  did  full  share 
of  the  work  about  the  place  when  growing  to  manhood,  finding  time  the 
meanwhile  to  receive  a  practical  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his 
neighborhood.  He  remained  on  the  homestead  until  the  year  1901,  when  on 
June  19th  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  the  J.  D.  Bowen  farm,  which  he 
operated  three  years,  during  which  he  got  a  good  start,  then  purchased  eighty 
acres  two  and  one-half  miles  west  of  Spartanburg,  to  which  he  removed  in 
xA.ugust,  1906,  then  purchased  forty  acres  adjoining  on  the  west,  which  he 
owned  two  months,  then  bought  six  acres  east  and  owned  that  two  months. 
His  next  purchase  was  fifty  acres  east  of  the  village  cf  Crete,  in  August,  191 1, 
which  he  owned  two  years,  then  sold  out  and  purchased  his  present  place  of 
fifteen  acres.  He  recently  purchased  thirty-seven  acres  east  of  his  present 
place  and  now  owns  a  total  of  120  acres.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  rais- 
ing tobacco  and  has  a  large  shed  in  which  to  properly  care  for  the  same. 
This  was  erected  in  1909.  He  has  eight  acres  in  tobacco  which  nets  him  a 
good  annual  income.  He  also  makes  a  specialty  of  raising  Duroc- Jersey 
and  Poland-China  hogs.  He  has  kept  all  the  land  that  he  has  owned  well 
improved,  and  has  done  a  great  deal  of  ditching.     His  cozy  cottage  which 


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RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 36 1 

Stands  on  the  main  road  was  built  in  1910.     Politically  he  votes  indepen- 
dently, and  in  religious  matters  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church. 

Mr.  Hernley  was  married  November  16,  1900,  to  Garcie  M.  Martin,  who 
was  born  in  Randolph  county,  and  here  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  received 
her  education.  To  this  union  three  children  have  been  born,  namely :  Emma 
Opal,  Oria  Kenneth,  and  Olva. 


CURTIS  M.  SPERA. 


It  is  noticeable  in  all  communities  that  some  men  talk  a  great  deal 
while  others  have  little  to  say.  Curtis  M.  Spera,  farmer,  of  Randolph 
county,  is  able  to  express  himself  clearly  and  forcefully  when  it  is 
necessary  to  talk,  and  is  also  well  qualified  to  carry  into  execution  his 
thoughts,  and  he  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  strong  factors  in  a  com- 
munity where  there  are  many  men  of  sound  sense  and  ripe  judgment. 
He  has  devoted  his  life  to  farming  and  has  met  with  encouraging  suc- 
cess all  along  the  line  as  a  result  of  his  ability  to  see  quickly  what  was 
needed  and  to  do  the  right  thing  at  the  right  time.  He  believes  in  adopt- 
ing the  latest  and  most  approved  methods  in  farming, 'believing  it  just 
as  nece;ssary  as  in  any  other  line  of  business. 

Mr.  Spera  was  born  in  Portage  county,  Indiana,  April  21,  1857. 
He  is  a  son  of  George  and  Elizabeth  (Shook)  Spera,  and  was  one  of  a 
family  of  four  children,  namely:  Frank  is  deceased;  Wilson,  who  is  a 
carpenter  and  builder  of  Winchester,  married  Ella  Brouse,  and  they  have 
five  children;  Martha,  who  married  B.  F.  Boltz,  employed  at  the  novelty 
works,  in  Winchester,  has  five  children;  Curtis  M.,  of  this  sketch. 

George  Spera,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  where 
he  spent  his  earlier  years,  and  from  which  state  he  removed  with  his 
father  to  Ohio  in  an  early  day,  and  in  1859  he  came  to  Indiana  where  he 
established  his  future  home.  During  the  Civil  War  he  served  gallantly 
for  the  Union,  in  the  Eighty-fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  re- 
maining at  the  front  three  years.  He  saw  much  hard  service  and  was 
once  wounded.  After  the  war  he  returned  to  Indiana  and  resumed  farm- 
ing. Both  the  Speras  arid  Shooks  are  of  German  descent.  The  mother's 
family  also  removed  from  Pennsylvania  to  Ohio  and  later  to  Indiana. 
The  death  of  the  father  occurred  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-seven 
years. 

Curtis  M.  Spera  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  re- 


J  362  RA^^DOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

ceived  his  education  in  the  common  schools.  He  began  farming  early  in 
life  and  this  has  continued  to  be  his  vocation.  He  is  now  owner  of 
a  finely  improved  and  productive  farm  of  one  hundred  acres  on  which 
he  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising.  He  has  a  good  home 
and  convenient  outbuildings. 

Mr.  Spera  was  married  May  23,  1878,  to  Samantha  Mullen,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Thomas  Mullen,  who  died  in  July,  1911.  He  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation  and  spent  the  latter  'years  of  his  life  in  Winchester.  He  was 
twice  married  and  had  four  children  by  his  first  wife ;  his  union  with  his 
second  wife  resulted  in  the  .birth  of  eight  children,  an  equal  number  of 
sons  and  daughters. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spera  three  children  have  been  born,  namely: 
Frank,  born  March  3,  1879,  died  October  13,  1898;  Blanch  married  Reed 
DeVoss,  a  farmer  near  Fairview,  Indiana,  and  they  have  two  sons,  Paul, 
born  October  g,  1901,  and  Joseph,  born  October  3I,^I907.  Gladys,  the 
youngest  child  of  our  subject  and  wife,  married  Carl  Warren,  a  farmer 
near  Saratoga,  this  county;  their  union  has  been  without  issue. 

Mr.  Spera  attends  the  Christian  church.  Politically  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican. 


JOHX  C.  RUBEY. 

John  C,  Rubey,  of  Scotch  descent,  was  born  December  14,  1843,  i^^  Ran- 
dolph county,  the  son  of  Dr.  Samuel  and  Jane  (McNulty)  Rubey,  who  are 
natives- of  Ohio.  After  serving  through  the  war  in  the  Union  army,  Mr. 
Rubey  took  up  farming  for  his  life  work  and  has  heroically  stuck  to  it  un- 
remittingly ever  since.  His  achievements  in  the  pursuits  of  agriculture  are 
evidences  of  what  a  man  can  do  in  that  line  who  gives  his  mind  and  time 
to  them.  He  is  a  veteran  and  typical  farmer,  and  for  intelligent  or  scientific 
cultivation  of  the  land,  stands  second  to  no  one  of  similar  calling  in  his 
county.  He  is  one  of  those  exceptional  men  who  dignify  a  profession  by 
adopting  and  pursuing  it.  The  occupation  of  farming  in  Randolph  county 
has  been  very  greatly  advanced  by  the  fidelity  and  intelligence  with  which 
Mr.  Rubey  has  followed  it.  His  idea  is  that  a  man  should  give  his  time  and 
talent  to  his  profession,  and  acting  upon  this  conviction  he  has  demonstrated 
the  value  of  it  by  the  success  he  has  achieved. 

Mr.  Rubey  is  one  of  seven  children.     His  brothers  and  sister  were  as  fol- 
lows:     Celestina,  of  Lvnn,  Ind.,  married  Mareellus  Brown,  a  farmer.     Thev 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA..  T  363 

have  three  children.  William  died  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  and  James,  who 
farmed  in  Nebraska,  is  also  dead.  Joseph,  of  Winchester,  married  three 
times,  has  two  children  and  is  a  retired  farmer.  Ambrose,  of  Spartanburg,  is 
also  a  retired  farmer  with  two  children.  Daniel,  of  Kansas,  is  a  farmer  and 
has  a  wife  and  two  children. 

Mr.  Rubey  was  married  in  1866  to  Mary  Jane  Jackson,  daughter  of 
James  M.  Jackson.  One  child,  Arabell,  was  born  to  them,  who  married  I.  R. 
Thomas,  a  farmer  of  Spartanburg,  and  has  two  children.  The  second  wife 
of  Mr.  Rubey  was  .Flora  jMcClure,  whom  he  married  in  1901,  she  dying  in 
1903.  April  25,  1909,  he  married  Mrs.  M.  H.  Rubey,  nee  Houghtby;  she 
having  at  the  time  five  boys  and  one  girl.  The- eldest  child.  Hazel,  was  born 
February  10,  1887;  James,  a  civil  en'gineer  in  Duluth,  was  born  September  2, 
1889;  the  date  of  Harold's  birth,  a  graduate  of  Wabash  College,  was  July 
23,  1891,  and  that  of  Reed,  December  16,  1893;  John,  of  Duluth,  with  the 
Mesaba  Railroad,  was  born  July  30,  1895,  and  Charles,  March  31,  1897. 

Mr.  Rubey  attends  the  Methodist  church  and  is  a  Progressive  in  politics. 
He  beheves  in  the  old  religion  of  John  and  Charles  Wesley  but  in  new  meth- 
ods of  political  procedure.  In  the  Civil  War,  he  served  in  the  Sixty-ninth 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry  for  one  year  and  in  the  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was 
at  Vicksburg,  Black  River  Bridge,  Thompson's  Hill,  Mobile  and  Blakely. 

The  father  of  John  C.  Rubey  was  a  practicing  physician  in  Randolph 
county  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  December  30,  1857,  aged  forty-five  years. 
He  came  to  this  state  from  Harrison  county,  Kentucky,  when  a  boy.  The 
parents  of  the  mother  of  Mr.  Rubey  came  to  Indiana  from  Pennsylvania 
when  she  was  a  child  and  settled  on  the  site  where  the  village  of  Hill  Grove, 
in  .Darke  county,  Ohio,  was  afterward  built.  They  were  pioneers  and  dealt 
with  the  Indians.  Her  grandfather  was  a  blacksmith  with  Gen.  Wayne  when 
he  went  through  this  section.  Mr.  Rubey's  ancestry  on  his  father's  side  was 
Scotch.  Two  of  his  uncles  were  physicians.  His  mother  died  February  5, 
1893,  aged  seventy-five  years. 

The  occupations  successively  of  soldier  and  farmer  have  the  elements 
in  them  that  immortalize  men.  When  armies  were  needed  for  the  defense 
of  the  republic  and  constitutional  government,  Mr.  Rubey  voluntarily  went  to 
the  front  and  stayed  there  till  the  last  shot  was  fired.  That  is  a  great  record. 
The  supreme  crisis  in  popular  government  was  at  the  time  of  our  Civil  war, 
and  the  men  who  responded  to  the  call  for  the  defense  of  the  constitution 
have  a  more  brilliant  fame  than  the  soldiers  of  any  other  nation  or  time.    As 


1364  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

a  soldier,  Mr.  Rubey  participated  in  the  heroic  action  that  preserved  consti- 
tutional liberty,  and  in  his  vocation  of  farmer  his  labor  is  a  part  of  the  great 
productive  energy  that  feeds  the  nation  he  risked  his  life  to  save. 


JAMES  BUCHANAN  JORDAN. 

Fewf  of  the  present  day  farmers  of  Randolph  county  had  better  equip- 
ment f Of  their  vocations  than  James  B.  Jordan  received,  for  he  had  a  natural 
liking  for  general  husbandry  to  begin  with  and  this  was  carefully  developed 
by  his  father,  one  of  the  successful  early-day  tillers  of  the  soil  here.  In  ad- 
dition to  all  this  he  received  a  good  practiced  education  in  the  common  schools 
and  in  every  way  fitted  for  his  future  successful  life  upon  the  farm. 

Mr.  Jordan  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  October  21,  1856. 
He  is  a  son  of  the  late  Jesse  Jordan,  who  was  born  in  Wayne  county.  North 
Carolina,  September  21,  1814.  The  latter  was  a  son  of  Stephen  and  Sallie 
(Farmer)  Jordan,  and  was  one  of  the  old  families  of  the  Tar  state.  Jesse 
Jordan  left  his  native  community  in  Dixie  land  when  a  young  man  and  came 
to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  where  he  bought  land  which  he  cleared  and 
farmed  the  rest  of  his  life.  He  was  one  of  our  early  settlers  and  never  left 
the  farm.  He  prospered  in  the  new  country  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 
owned  a  valuable  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres.  He  died  February 
20,  1 87 1.  Politically  he  was  a  Democrat,  and  he  belonged  to  the  Baptist 
church.  On  July  16,  1845,  he  married  Peninah  Horn,  who  was  born  July  i, 
1822.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Miriam  (Wood)  Horn.  Her 
death  occurred  March  i,  1898.  Se^en  children  were  born  to  these  parents, 
named  as  follows:  Sarah  Elizabeth,  born  May  11,  1846;  Isaac  F.,  Novem- 
ber 3,  1847,  died  May  23,  1913;  Marcella  C,  October  31,  1851,  died  January 
26,  igoo;  Texanna  B.,  November  25,  1854,  died  February  27,  1898;  James 
B.,  subject  of  this  sketch;  Dollie  P.,  February  26,  1859;  Miriam,  October  16, 
1862,  died  August  26,  1870. 

Jesse,  the  father,  having  died  when  our  subject  was  fourteen  years  of 
age,  James  B.  Jordan  grew  up  on  the  homestead  and  worked  there  when  a 
boy  in  the  summertime,  attending  the  neighboring  schools  in  the  winter 
months,  gaining  an  education  by  his  own  efforts.  He  began  farming  when  a 
young  man  and  this  has  continued  to  be  his  life  work.  He  has  always  made 
a  comfortable  living  and  is  now  owner  of  about  eighty  acres  of  productive 
land,  which  he  has  cleared,  ditched  and  developed  into  one  of  the  choice 
farms  of  his  neighborhood.  Here  he  carries  on  general  farming  and  raises 
considerable  livestock  for  the  market  from  year  to  year. 


JAMES  B.  JORDAN. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 365 

Politically  Mr.  Jordan  is  a  Democrat  but  he  has  neyer  been  very  active 
in  political  affairs.    He  is  a  member  of  the  Friends  church. 

Mr.  Jordan  was  married  to  Ida  M.  Bowen,  December  20,  1884.  She 
was  born  in  July,  i860,  and  is  a  daughter  of  James  D.  and  Mary  E.  (Cheno- 
weth)  Bowen,  an  old  family  of  this  locality,  and  here  she  grew  to  womanhood 
and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools. 

Six  children  have  been  born  to  our-  subject  and  wife,  named  as  follows : 
Jessie  B.  is  the  wife  of  E.  H.  Coffin  and  they  live  in  Henry  county,  Indiana; 
James  H.  is  farming  in  Greensfork  township,  this  county;  Gerald  R.  is  at 
home;  Henry  W.  is  teaching  school  in  Greensfork  township;  Sol  B,  is  at 
home;  Ralph  M.  is  attending  school  at  this  writing.     - 


FREDERIC  KABEL. 


Our  attention  has  frequently  been  called  of  late  to  the  alarming 
decrease  of  farm  products  in  the  United  States  while  its  population  is 
steadily  increasing.  We  are  told  that  our  most  priceless  treasure,  the  fer- 
tility of  our  soil,  has  been  so  dissipated  by  slipshod  methods  in  tilling 
it  that  we  are  now  face  to  face  with  the  necessity  of  increasing  its' 
power  to  produce  or  else  go  hungry  in  the  near  future.  We  who  would 
eat  must  get  in  tot^ch  with  the  things  of  earth  once  more  as  consumers 
if  not  as  producers.  One  of  the  energetic  farmers  who  seems  to  clearly 
understand  present  day  conditions  is  Frederic  Kabel,  of  West  River 
township,  Randolph  county,  a  man  who  has  devoted  his  life  to  a  study  of 
general  farming  in  all  its  phases  and  who  is  therefore  an  authority  on  the 
same. 

Mr.  Kabel  was  born  in  White  River  township,  this  county,  July 
15,  1853.  He  is  a  son  of  Philip  and  Mary  (Getz)  Kabel,  and  was  one 
of  ten  children,  namely:  Peter  and  Philip  are  both  deceased;  Mary 
Adam  and  John  are  all  living;  Lizzie  and  Barbara  are  both  deceased; 
Frederic,  of  this  review;  Nicholas  is  living;  Charley  died  in  youth.  The 
parents  of  these  children  were  both  born  in  Germany,  but  they  came 
to  the  United  States  when  young  and  were  married  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
The  father  was  a  wool  carder  by  profession.  He  moved  with  his  family 
to  Richmond,  Indiana,  then  to  Hagerstown,  finally  to  White  River 
township,  Randolph  coimty,  where  his  death  occurred  in  March,  1898,  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years;  his  wife  died  on  the  homestead 
on  February  10,  1902. 

Frederic  Kabel  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  educated  in  the 


1366  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

district  schools.  He  was  married  December  21,  1879,  to  Florence  Mercer, 
a  daughter  of  John  Mercer,  a  cooper  by  trade,  who  lived  in  West  River 
township,  and  whose  familj'  consisted  of  ten  children,  eight  daughters  and 
two  sons. 

Seven  children  have  been  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  namely: 
Herbert,  who  lives  in  Winchester,  taught  school  for  a  period  of  fourteen 
years,  married  Alma  Gwin  and  they  have  two  children;  Florence,  who 
is  living  near  Fountain  City,  has  been  twice  married,  first  to  Bruce 
Keever,  by  whom  she  had  one  child,  Dallas  K. ;  her  second  marriage  was 
to  Clyde  Miller,  and  to  this  union  one  child  was  born,  Olive.  Iva 
married  Percy  Stump,-  a  farmer  of  White  River  township,  and  they  have 
two  sons,  Corwin  and  Virgil;  Ray  died  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years; 
Clara  is  the  widow  of  Henry  Johnson,  who  was  a  farmer  near  Lynn; 
Ella,  who  was  for  four  years  primary  teacher  at  Huntsville,  was  born 
February  17,  1892;  Elfie,  the  youngest,  was  born  February  12,  1899. 
These  children  were  given  excellent  educational  advantages.  Ella  was 
educated  at  the  State  University,  at  Bloomington,  Herbert  in  the  Normal, 
at  Danville,  and  Clara  in  Marion. 

Mr.  Kabel  has  devoted  his  life  to  general  farming  and  stock  raising 
and  has  lived  on  his  present  finely  improved  and  valuable  farm  for 
thirty-three  years.  His  place  consists  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres 
and  on  it  stand  a  good  group  of  buildings,  everything  denoting  ex- 
cellent taste. 

Politically,  Mr.  Kabel  is  a  Democrat,  and  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  church. 


PLINY  C.  BARNARD,  M.  D. 

Proper  intellectual  discipHne,  through  professional  knowledge  and 
the  possession  and  utilization  of  the  qualities  and  attributes  essential 
to  success,  has  made  Dr.  Pliny  C.  Barnard,  of  Parker,  Randolph  county, 
eminent  in  his  chosen  calling,  and  for  many  years  he  has  stood  among  the 
-scholai'ly,  enterprising  and  successful  physicians  and  surgeons  in  a  com- 
munity long  distinguished  for  the  high  order  of  its  medical  talent.  Since 
coming  here  he  has  shown  himself  to  be  a  high-minded,  obliging,  honor- 
able and  courteous  gentleman  who  has  the  best  interests  of  his  town 
and  county  at  heart  and  he  has  won  the  good  will  and  confidence  of  the 
people  throughout  the  locality  of  which  this  history  treats. 

Dr.  Barnard  was  born  July  12,  1868,  in  Henry  county,  Indiana.  He 
is  a  son  of  Sylvester  and  Lavina  (Myer)  Barnard,  and  is  one  of  a  family 


RANDOLPH   COUNTYj  INDIANA.  I367 

of  six  children,  namely :  Edna,  who  died  at  the  age  of  forty-five  years, 
was  the  wife  of  John  Meckel,  an  architect,  and  she  left  four  children; 
Hon.  William  O.,  a  lawyer  of  New  Castle,  Indiana,  was  elected  to  Congress 
in  1908  and  has  a  brilliant  reputation  as  a  politician;  he  married  Mary 
Ballinger,  of  Spiceland,  and  they  have  four  children;  he  was  judge  of 
the  circuit  court  for  six  years  and  was  prosecuting  attorney  for  six  years ; 
Isaac  M.,  who  is  farming  in  Rush  county,  married  Emma  Williams,  and 
to  them  three  children  were  born,  one  of  whom  is  deceased;  Jacob  N., 
a  banker  at  Daleville,  Delaware  county,  married  Carrie  Nipp,  and 
they  have  adopted  two  children;  Lawrence  Carl,  a  merchant  of  Win- 
field,  Kansas,  married  Myrtle  Nichols,  of  Middletown,  Indiana,  and 
they  have  two  children;  Dr.  Pliny  C,  of  this  review.  The  father  of  the 
above  named  children  spent  his  active  life  engaged  in  general  farming 
and  stock  raising,  in  Fayette  and  Henry  counties.  He  died  January 
27,  1914,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years.  He  grew  up  amid  pioneer 
conditions  and  talked  most  interestingly  of  early-day  conditions.  His 
father  came  from  North  Carolina  through  the  wilderness  roads  to  Indi- 
ana in  the  year  1818  when  the  state  was  in  its  infancy  and  little  im- 
proved. The  Doctor's  maternal  grandparents  were  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania from  which  state  they  came  to  Indiana  also  in  pioneer  times. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  died  in  1908  at  an  advanced  age. 

Dr.  Barnard  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  received 
his  early  education  in  the  public  schools,  later  attending  the  Normals 
at  Spiceland  and  Terre  Haute.  In  1897  he  entered  the  Central  College 
of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  at  Indianapolis  where  he  made  a  splendid 
record  and  from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1901.  He  be- 
gan practicing  at  Oakville,  Delaware  county,  Indiafia,  where  he  re- 
mained ten  years,  enjoying  a  large  practice,  then  practiced  two  years 
at  Hamilton,  and  has  since  been  located  at  Parker,  Randolph  county, 
where  he  has  built  up  a  large  and  constantly  growing  practice. 

Dr.  Barnard  was  married  April  5,  1901,  to  Agatha  Leslie,  of  Tipton 
county,  Indiana,  where  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  S.  Parker  Leslie  and  wife,  and  to  this  union  three 
children  have  been  born,  namely :  Harry  Leslie,  who  died  when  nine 
months  old;  Mary  L.,  born  May  9,  1907,  and  Edna  Lucille,  born  January 
1,  1910. 

Dr.  Barnard  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Improved 
Order  of  Red  Men,  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  Poli- 
tically he  is  a  Republican. 


1368  RANDOLPH  COUNTY^  INDIANA. 

ORVILLE  E.  AUKERMAN. 

Many  families  throughout  the  United  States  during  the  past  few 
decades  have  gone  to  much  trouble  and  expense  to  collect  their  records 
back  to  the  first  settlement  of  their  ancestral  emigrant,  thus  laying  the 
foundation  of  a  permanent  family  tree  in  this  country  for  the  benefit  and 
pleasure  of  all  descendants.  There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  importance 
of  this  step.  One  of  these  days,  in  the  entailment  of  estates,  such  a 
record  'syill  be  invaluable  to  descendants.  It  will  be  found  that  those 
who  do  not  have  such  a  record  will  not  be  able  to  prove  their  right  to 
inherit  valuable  property.  The  saving  of  such  a  record  is  simply  a  mat- 
ter of  self-preservation  for  the  descendants.  The  Aukerman  family,  rep- 
resented by  Orville  E.,  cashier  of  the  Greensfork  Township  Bank,  of 
Spartanburg,  Randolph  county,  has  preserved  a' fair  record,  good  enough, 
no  doubt,  to  make  the  claim  certain  in  case  of  a  misunderstanding  over 
an  estate,  and  this  sketch  will,  to  a  certain  extent,  prove  this  claim. 

Mr.  Aukerman  was  born  in  German  township,  Darke  count)',  Ohio, 
September  19,  1874.  He  is  a  son  of  James  K.  and  Jennie  (Cloyd)  Au- 
kerman. The  father  was  born  in  the  same  locality  as  was  our  subject, 
on  Ma)'-  5,  1844.  He  is  a  son  of  Lewis  and  Elizabeth  (Brower)  Au- 
kerman. Lewis  Aukerman  was  born  in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  September 
24,  1802,  and  was  of  German  descent.  He  grew  up  in  his  native  state 
and  devoted  his  active  life  to  agricultural  pursuits.  His  death  occurred 
on  October  16,  1854.  His  wife  was  also  of  German  descent,  and  was  born 
in  Virginia,  March  22,  1812,  and  died  February  17,  1895.  They  be- 
came the  parents  of  thirteen  children.  James  K.  Aukerman  grew  up  on 
his  father's  farm  ,in  the  old  Buckeye  state  and  he  received  the  usual 
educational  advantages  of  those  early  days  in  the  rural  districts.  He 
turned  his  attention  to  farming  when  a  young  man  and  has  followed 
this  vocation  all  his  life  with  the  exception  of  a  few  years  when  he  oper- 
ated a  threshing  machine.  He  now  owns  a  sixty-acre  farm  in  German 
township,  Darke  county,  Ohio.  Politically  he  is  a  Democrat  and  in 
religious  matters  a  Universalist.  He  and  Jennie  Cloyd  were  married 
in  December,  1873.  She  was  born  December  28,  1854,  in  the  township 
and  county  where  she  and  her  husband  now  reside.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  Allen  and  Catherine  (LesHe)  Cloyd.  To  the  parents  of  our  subject 
five  children  were  born,  all  living. 

Orville  E.  Aukerman  grew  up  on  the  home  farm  in  Ohio  and  he  re- 
ceived a  good  practical  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  com- 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I369 

niunity,  which  has  been  greatly  supplemented  in  later  years  by  wide 
reading  and  actual  contact  with  the  business  world.  He  spent  one  year 
in  the  Ohio  Normal  at  Ada,  Ohio,  and  two  years  at  the  National  Nor- 
mal at  Lebanon,  Ohio.  He  began  life  for  himself  by  teaching,  which 
he  followed  with  much  success  for  a  period  of  eight  years  in  Darke 
county,  Ohio,  and  was  fast  winning  a  reputation  as  one  of  the  leading 
educators  of  that  county,  but  believing  that  a  business  career  was  more 
to  his  liking  he  abandoned  the  school  room  and  took  up  the  grain  busi- 
ness in  Lewisburg,  Ohio,  which  he  followed  one  year,  then  came  to 
Crete,  Indiana,  and  continued  in  the  same  line  of  endeavor  for  five  years, 
building  up  the  jmeanwhile  a  lucrative  bu'siness.  Returning  to  Ohio  he 
located  at  New  Madison  and  in  1910  came  back  to  Randolph  county, 
Indiana,  this  time  taking  tip  his  residence  at  Spartanburg,  and  assisted 
in  organizing  the  Greensfork  Township  Bank,  and  was  elected  cashier  of 
the  same,  which  position  he  has  continued  to  hold  to  the  present  time 
in  a  manner  that  has  reflected  much  credit  on  his  ability  and  to  the 
eminent  satisfaction  of  the  stockholders  and  patrons  of  the  bank. 

Politically,  Mr.  Aukerman  is  a  Democrat  and  religiously  he  is  a  Uni- 
versalist.  Fraternally  he  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  in  which 
lodge  he  has  held  high  office  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Indiana  Grand 
Lodge  of  this  order.     He  also  belongs  to  the  Masonic  order. 

Mr.  Aukerman  was  married  September  3,  1902,  to  Ora  Pickens,  who 
was  born  in  German  township,  Darke  county,  Ohio,  and  there  grew  to 
womanhood  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools.  Three  children 
have  been  born  to  this  union,  namely:  James  R.,  born  May  12,  1906; 
Ralph  O.,  born  January  1,  1910,  and  Myron  O.,  born  July  21,  1911. 


RALPH  V.  MURRAY. 


Washington  township  has  among  its  citizens  some  of  the  leading 
farmers  of  Randolph  county.  The  Murray  family,  of  which  Ralph  V., 
is  a  most  creditable  representative,  has  been,  it  would  seem,  especially 
favored  by  Ceres,  supposed  to  Ije,  according  to  the  ancient  mythologies, 
the  goddess  of  husbandry,  having  charge  of  crops,  especially  grains,  for 
the  Murrays  have  for  many  decades  been  known  among  the  most  suc- 
cessful agriculturists  of  the  locality  of  which  this  history  treats. 

Ralph  V.  Murray  was  born  December  4,  1841,  in  Henry  county, 
Indiana.    He  is  a  son  of  Cornelius  B.  and  Lucinda  (Burroughs)  Murray, 


137"  RA^^DOLPH   COUXTY^  INDIANA. 

who  were  of  Irish  and  German  descent.  The  birth  of  the  father  oc- 
curred in  1812,  in  Ohio,  from  which  state  he  removed  with  his  parents 
when  a  lad,  to  Indiana.  They  were  ^^'illiam  and  ^Martha  Murray,  who 
settled  on  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Henry  county,  and 
there  spent  the  rest  of  their  lives.  Cornelius  Murray,  great-grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Dublin,  Ireland,  and  when  a  young  man  he 
emigrated  to  the  United  States  and  fought  in  our  Revolutionary  War, 
being  about  twenty-seven  years  of  age  when  he  enlisted.  After  the 
close  of  the  struggle,  he  married  Elizabeth  McFadden,  and  they  settled 
in  Xew  Jersey,  later  removing  to  Butler  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  which 
state  William  ^Murray,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born.  The  lat- 
ter married  Mary  Boal  in  1804  and  to  them  ten  children  were  born. 
Leaving  the  Keystone  state  they  removed  to  Butler  county,  Ohio,  in 
1813,  where  they  remained  until  1834,  when  the}'  came  to  "Wayne  county. 
Indiana,  and  for  six  years  \\'illiam  Murray  was  keeper  of  the  county 
infirmary  there.  He  subsequently  removed  with  his  family  to  a  farm 
in  Henry  county,  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  days,  dying  when  about 
eighty  years  of  age.  Cornelius  B:  ^lurrav,  father  of  our  subject,  came 
to  Indiana  in  1833  and  was  one  of  the  early  school  teachers  in  Wayne, 
Delaware  and  Henry  counties,  dying  when  about  eighty-two  years  of 
age. 

Ralph  V  ^Murray  received  a  common  school  education  and  he  re- 
mained on  the  home  farm  until  in  August,  1861,  when  he  proved  his 
patriotism  by  enlisting  in  Company  D,  Thirty-sixth  Indiana  Volunteer 
Infantry,  in  which  he  saw  much  hard  service  and  fought  in  a  number 
of  the  leading  battles,  including  Pittsburg  Landing,  Corinth  and  Chick- 
amauga,  being  wounded  in  the  latter,  and  for  two  months  he  was  con- 
fined in  the  hospital,  and  it  was  nine  months  before  he  could  rejoin  his 
company.  He  was  discharged  November  1,  1864,  having  proved  a  most 
gallant  defender  of  the  Union.  Returning  to  his  home  community  he  op- 
erated his  father's  farm  for  some  time,  then  worked  in  a  woolen  factory 
for  six  months.  He  first  settled  on  a  place  south  of  Farmland,  where 
he  remained  two  years,  then  spent  a  Aear  in  ^^'ayne  county.  He  after- 
wards operated  the  -homestead  and  finally  purchased  one  hundred  and 
four  acres  where  he  still  resides  in  Washington  township.  He  has 
brought  his  place  up  to  a  high  state  of  improvement  and  cultivation  and 
carries  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising  successfully.  He  keeps 
a  good  grade  of  livestock  and  he  has  a  pleasant  home  and  good  out- 
buildings and  many  kinds  of  modern  farming  implements.     He  owns  a 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I371 

threshing  machine,  in  fact  has  been  engaged  in  threshing  for  a  period 
of  over  thirty-five  years  and  is  one  of  the  best  knowm  men  in  this  line 
of  business  in  the  county.  He  also  ov^ns  a  clover  huUing  outfit  and 
has  threshed  and  hulled  all  over  this  section  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Murray  was  married  March  8,  1866,  to  Frances  J.  Boyden,  a 
daughter  of  Orville  and  Bethia  (Miller)  Boyden.  Her  father  was  a 
minister  in  the  Methodist  church  and  his  death  occurred  at  Angola,  In- 
diana, in  1865.  His  widow  survived  him  ten  years,  dying  in  Muncie. 
They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Frances  J.,  wife  of  Mr. 
Murray;  Dr.  Wilbur  J.,  of  Muncie,  and  Linnie,  who  married  Charles 
Linn.  The  brothers  and  sisters  of  Mr.  Murray  are  John,  an  engineer  of 
New  Castle,  who  died  October  20,  1904,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years; 
William  H.,  ex-auditor  of  Delaware  county;  Martha  E.,  who  died  March 
21,  1914,  married  John  Beeson,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y. ;  Orilla  married  L. 
Gerome  Wiggins,  of  Randolph  county;  Oren,  deceased,  who  married 
a  daughter  of  Nathan  Stutsman;  Marcus  L.,  a  rural  mail  carrier  in 
Farmland,  who  married  a  daughter  of  Mahlon  Beeson;  Julia  A.,  de- 
ceased, married  Samuel  Beeson  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y. ;  Dr.  Albert  P.,  of  Al- 
bany, deceased,  married  daughter  of  Samuel  Orr,  and  Charles  C,  a  black- 
smith. The  mother  was  called  to  her  rest  in  1871,  after  which  the  father 
established  his  home  in  Hagerstown,  Indiana. 

Eight  children  have  been  born  to  Ralph  V.  Murray  and  wife,  namely: 
Nora  was  born  July  26,  1869,  and  was  united  in  marriage  with  Oliver 
Lambert,  December  30,  1886.  who  died  December  16,  1891.  Two  chil- 
dren were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lambert,  Henry  Harrison  and  Mary 
Frances.  On  July  30,  1894,  she  was  again  married  to  S.  A.  Phillips  and  three 
children  have  been  born.  Naomi  M.,  Esther  M.  and  Lydia  E. :  Boyden,  who 
was  born  December  26,  1872,  was  united  in  marriage  to  Effie  L.  Adding- 
ton.  April  4,  1896,  and  she  died  April  28,  1897  He  was  again  married  to 
Cora  Thornburg,  nee  Jackson,  April  23,  1914;  Hubert  A.,  born  February 
6,  1875,  married  Julia  A.  Addington  September  26,  1896,  and  to  this  union 
three  children  were  born,  Pauline  A.,  Albert  R.,  and  Glen  C.  She  died 
July  17,  1905;  Gilbert  M.,  who  was  born  November  12,  1877,  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Opal  E.  Holliday,  January  31,  1900,  and  they  have 
three  children,  Clarence  R.,  Mary  D.,  and  Oma  E. ;  Gusta  I.,  who  was 
born  August  24,  1879,  was  married  to  W  A.  Stanton,  April  4,  1896,  and 
to  this  union  four  children  were  born,  Minnie,  Lucile,  Charles  V.  and 
Helen  M.  Gusta  I.  died  November  17,  1911;  Maudie  V.,  who  was  born 
April  26,  1886,  died  July  30,  1886;  two  children  died  in  infancy. 


1372  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

Mrs.  Murray  died  October  7,  1913.  She  was  a  member  of  the 
Christian  church;  he  is  a  Progressive  in  politics.  In  1881  he  was  elected 
sheriff  of  Randolph  county  and  served  one  term  with  much  satisfaction 
to  all  concerned.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows and  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 


JOHN  M.  TURNER. 

This  brief  biography  has  to  do  with  a  character  of  unusual  force  and 
eminence,  for  John-M.  Turner  has  been  for  a  long  lapse  of  years  one  of  the 
leading  agriculturists  and  prominent  citizens  of  Wayne  township,  Randolph 
county,  having  grown  up  in  this  locality  amid  pioneer  environment,  and 
here  he  has  been  content  to  spend  his  life  and  assist  in  every  way  possible  in 
bringing  about  the  transformation  of  the  country  from  the  wild  condition 
found  by  the  early  settlers  to  its  later  day  progress  and  improvement,  and 
all  who  know  him  well  will  readily  agree  that  his  more  than  three-score 
and  ten  years  have  not  been  spent  in  vain. 

Mr.  Turner  was  born  near  Winchester,  Randolph  county,  September  14, 
1840.  He  is  a  son  of  William  Turner,  a  native  of  Virginia,  from  which 
state  he  came  to  Randolph  county  when  a  young  man  and  bought  a  farm  and 
became  one  of  the  prosperous  general  farmers  and  stock  raisers  of  his  com- 
munity. He  also  dealt  quite  heavily  in  real  estate.  He  built  many  business 
blocks  and  residences  in  Union  City,  and  here  he  erected  the  first  opera  house 
at  the  corner  of  Oak  and  Howard  streets.  He  was  an  influential  man  in  the 
city  and  township  in  his  day  and  generation  and  did  much  for  the  general 
upbuilding  of  the  same.  Politically  he  was  a  Republican  and  in  religious 
matters  belonged  to  the  Christian  church. 

John  M.  Turner  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  there  worked 
when  a  boy.  He  attended  the  common  schools  in  his  neighborhood.  He  re- 
mained with  his  parents  on  the  farm  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
then  began  working  on  the  home  farm  with  an  interest  in  the  crops,  remain- 
ing there  until  1861  when  he  proved  his  patriotism  and  courage  by  enlisting 
for  service  in  the  Federal  army,  Company  H,  Eighty-fourth  Indiana  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  in  which  he  served  one  year,  then  returned  home  and  resumed 
farming  on  the  home  place,  with  an  interest  in  the  crops  there,  and  he  also 
looked  after  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  his  own,  on  which, 
after  his  marriage,  he  made  a  home  for  himself  and  wife.  He  has  continued 
general  agricultural  and  stock  raising  pursuits  and  by  his  good  management, 
thrift  and  persistency  he  has  become  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  his  town- 


50 


'Z 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY^  INDIANA.  1373 

ship  and  the  owner  of  about  seven  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  which  he 
has  placed  under  modern  improvements  and  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  farm- 
ing on  a  very  extensive  scale.  He  is  a  heavy  stockholder  in  the  Union  Loan 
&  Trust  Company  of  Union  City  and  is  a  director  in  the  same.  He  was 
elected  president  of  this  company  May  i,  1913,  and  is  discharging  the  im- 
portant-duties of  the  same  in  a  manner  that  reflects  much  credit  upon  him- 
self and  to  the  eminent  satisfaction  of  the  stockholders  and  all  concerned 
and  is  making  a  great  success.  He  is  deserving  of  a  great  deal  of  credit  for 
what  he  has  accomplished,  having  begun  at  the  bottom  of  the  industrial  lad- 
der and  worked  his  way  upward  without  assistance,  making  his  fortune  him- 
self and  by  honorable  methods.  He  is  a  man  of  progressive  ideas,  rare  busi- 
ness acumen  and  sound  judgment.  He  is  charitably  inclined  and  has  been 
of  great  assistance  to  many  poor  people  of  his  community,  helping  young 
men  to  get  properly  started  in  business,  but  being  conservative  no  one  ever 
hears  him  tell  of  such  deeds. 

Mr.  Turner  was  married,  first,  in  June,  1864,  to  Mary  Jane  Hartman, 
who  was  born  in  Wayne  township,  Randolph  county,  January  13,  1844.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  John  Hartman,  whose  death  occurred  many  years  ago.  To 
our  subject  and  his  first  wife  the  following  children  were  born:  Efifiie  B. 
first  married  a  Mr.  Armacost,  later  John  M.  Shockney;  Loftus  Orville  mar- 
ried MoUie  Smith;  Minnie  Alta  married  and  died  some  time  ago;  Margaret 
1-ene  married  Ernest  Thornburg.  The  mother  of  the  above  named  children 
pas  ied  to  her  eternal  rest  March  9,  1879.  Mr.  Turner  married  Nancy  Eve- 
line Hinshaw  in  1881.  She  w-as  born  August  25,  1856.  ■  She  is  a  daughter 
of  Silas  Hinshaw,  long  since  deceased.  To  our  subject  and  his  last  wife 
these  children  have  been  born:  Mary  Jane  married  Stanley  Bortner;  John, 
W.  married  Garnett  Watson;  Ada  Garfield;  Goldie  and  Silas  Lester  are  at 
home,  also  Walter  McKinley,  the  youngest  of  the  children. 

Mr.  Turner  has  always  been  an  ardent  Republican,  and  has  been  more 
or  less  active  in  party  affairs.  In  the  election  of  1912  he  was  committeeman 
of  Bartonia,  a  precinct  which  remained  loyal  to  the  "grand  old  party,"  stand- 
ing forty-one  to  fourteen  for  Taft.  Mr.  Turner  has  been  township  trustee 
for  two  years.  He  was  elected  county  treasurer  of  Randolph  county  in  1887, 
serving  one  term.  As  a  public  servant  he  has  ever  been  most  faithful  and 
given  satisfaction  to  his  constituents.  He  is  a  quiet,  unpretentious  gentle- 
man, kind  and  generous  to  the  poor  and  needy,  not  forgetting  the  time  when 
he  was  one  of  their  number  himself,  and  he  has  every  sympathy  for  the 
worthy  of  that  class. 

(87) 


1374  RAN-DOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

THOMAS  W.  GADDIS. 

Human  life  is  made  up  of  two  elements,  power  and  form,  and  the  pro- 
portion must  be  invariably  kept,  if  we  would  have  it  sweet  and  sound.  Each 
of  these  elements  in  excess  makes  a  mischief  as  hurtful  as  would  be  its 
deficiency.  Everything  turns  to  excess;  every  good  quality  is  noxious  if  un- 
mixed, and  to  carry  the  danger  to  the  edge  of  ruin  Nature  causes  each  man's 
peculiarity  to  superabound.  One  peaking  from  the  standpoint  of  a  farmer 
would  adduce  the  learned  professions  as  good  examples  of  this  treachery. 
They  are  Nature's  victims  of  expression.  You  study  the  artist,  the  orator, 
statesman  and  inventor  to  find  their  lives  no  more  excellent  than  that  of 
mechanics  or  farmers.  While  the  farmer  stands-  at  the  head  of  art  as  found 
in  Nature,  the  others  get  but  glimpses  of  the  delight  of  nature  in  its  various 
elements  and  moods.  Thomas  W.  Gaddis,  now  living  in  retirement  m 
Huntsville,  West  River  township,  Randolph  county,  is  a  man  who  has 
ever  taken  a  delight  in  nature  and  existence,  because  he  has  ever  been  m 
touch  with  the  springs  of  life,  having  spent  his  days  on  the  farm. 

Mr.  Gaddis  was  born  in  the  above  named  township  and  county,  July  i6, 
1841.  He  is  a  son  of  Elisha  P.  and  Lydia  (Macy)  Gaddis,  whose  family 
consisted  of  eleven  children.  The  father  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and 
there  spent  his  younger  days,  later  moving  to  Ohio,  where  he  lived  until 
he  was  twenty-eight  years  old,  then  moved  to  Indiana  where  he  married 
and  here  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  West  River  township  and  was 
eighty-six  years  old  at  the  time  of  her  death.  She  was  among  the  earliest 
white  children  born  in  this  locality.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject was  a  native  of  Scotland,  from  which  country  he  emigrated  to  Virgmra 
in  a  very  early  day. 

Thomas  W.  Gaddis  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  educated  in  the 
rural  schools.  On  December  10,  1865  he  married  Lucy  A.  Harris,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Patrick  Harris,  a  farmer  of  West  River  township,  whose  family 
consisted  of  six  children,  and  here  Mrs.  Gaddis  grew  to  womanhood  and 
was  educated  in  the  country  schools. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  eight  children  have  been  born,  namely:  Ella 
May,  married  Sam  Johnson,  a  farmer  in  Iowa  and  they  have  five  children; 
Elisha  P.,  who  is  farming  near  Griswold,  Iowa,  married  Mamie  Camp- 
bell, and  they  have  five  sons  and  one  daughter;  Lena  is  the  wife  of  Charles 
Harvey,  a  farmer  near  K'okomo,  Indiana,  and  they  have  three  children; 
Levi  L.,  who  is  farming  in  West  River  township,  married  Gertrude  Howell, 


RANDOLPH  COUNTYj  INDIANA.  1375 

and  they  have  ten  children;  SaHna  married  W.  Z.  Sheppard.  a  farmer  of 
West  River  township,  and  they  have  four  children;  Thomas  G.,  of  Winches- 
ter, married  Blanche  Botkin,  and. they  have  four  children;  Lydia  L.,  who 
married  Roy  Shreeves,  is  farming  in  Randolph  county,  and  they  ha-\'e  two 
children;  James  B.,  residing  with  subject,  married  Cecil  Coulter,  and  they 
have  two  children;  Elsie  died  in  infancy;  Celia  also  died  in  infancy. 

Thomas  W.  Gaddis  has  spent  his  life  engaged  in  general  farming  and 
has  met  with  encouraging  success  all  along  the  line.  He  went  to  Iowa  in 
1869  where  he  resided  twenty-five  years,  and  during  that  period  most  of  his 
family  was  born.  He  now  owns  a  valuable  and  highly  productive  farm  of 
forty  acres  near  Huntsville,  and  has  a  good  home  and  is  well  fixed  in  every 
respect, 

Mr.  Gaddis  is  one  of  our  honored  veterans,  having  enlisted  for  ser- 
vice against  the  hosts  of  treason  in  1862  in  the  famous  Sixty-ninth  Indi- 
ana Volunteer  Infantry,  serving  faithfully  as  a  private  in  Company  D,  taking 
part  at  the  battles  of  Richmond,  Kentucky;  Champion  Hill,  Mississippi, 
where  he  was  captured,  and  was  a  prisoner  for  some  time  until  he  was  ex- 
changed. He  fought  in  all  the  principal  battles  of  the  West,  and  was  honor- 
ably discharged  and  mustered  out  on  July  5,   1865,  at  Mobile,  Alabama. 

Politically,  Mr.  Gaddis  is  a  Republican  and  he  has  always  been  inter- 
ested in  the  upbuilding  of  his  community.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  is  known  as  a  good  and  useful  man. 


OSCAR  E.  ABEL,  M.  D. 

It  is  not  always  easy  to  discover  and  define  the  hidden  forces  that 
move  a  life  of  ceaseless  activity  and  large  professional  success;  little 
more  can  be  done  than  to  note  their  manifestations  in  the  career  of 
the  individual  under  consideration.  In  view  of  this  fact  the  life  of  the 
successful  and  popular  physician  whose  name  appears  above  affords 
an  excellent  example  of  well  defined  purpose  with  the  ability  to  make  that 
purpose  subserve  not  only  his  own  ends  but  the  good  of  his  fellow-men 
as  well.  Dr.  Abel, has  long  held  distinctive  prestige  in  a  calling  which 
requires  for  its  basis  sound  mentality  and  intellectual  discipline  of  a 
high  order,  supplemented  by  rigid  professional  training  and  thorough 
mastery  of  technical  knowledge  with  the  skill  to  apply  the  same,  with- 
out which  one  cannot  hope  to  rise  above  mediocrity  in  ministering  to 
human  ills.     In  his  chosen  field  of  endeavor  Dr.  Abel   has  achieved  .  sue- 


I37t>  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

cess  such  as  is  not  attained  by  all  and  his  present  eminent  standing 
among  the  progressive  medical  men  of  this  section  of  Indiana  is  duly  rec- 
ognized and  appreciated  throughout  Randolph  county. 

Dr.  Abel  was  born  in  Jay  county,  Indiana,  April  16,  1860.  He  is  a 
son  of  George  W.  and  Esther  (Reed)  Abel.  The  father  was  born  in 
Clark  county,  Ohio,  in  1820,  and  his  death  occurred  in  1865,  in  Union 
City,  Indiana.  The  paternal  grandfather  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Jay 
county,  locating  in  the  woods  there  in  1838,  and  he  built  the  first  brick 
house  in  that  county.  The  Doctor's  father  was  postmaster  at  the  town  of 
Salamonia,  in  1852,  and  there  he  conducted  a  general  store  which  he, 
sold  out  in  1864  and  removed  to  Union  City,  Randolph  county,  where 
he  bought  a  store  which  he  conducted  until  his  death,  which  occurred  at 
the  early  age  of  forty-five  years.  Grandfather  Abel  was  born  in  Virginia  and 
there  grew  to  manhood  and  married  Elizabeth  Franklin,  also  a  native 
of  the  Old  Dominion.  Her  father  was  a  slave  holder.  Grandfather  Abel 
was  an  Abolitionist  of  pronounced  views.  The  Doctor's  mother  was 
born  in  Westmoreland  county,  Pennsylvania,  from  which  county  her 
family  removed  to  Indiana,  in  1840,  when  she  was  thirteen  years  of 
age.  She  is  still  living  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years.  Seven 
children  were  born  to  George  W  Abel  and  wife,  namely:  Mary  died  in 
infancy;  William  H.  died  when  twenty-three  years  of  age;  Loretta  mar- 
ried J.  W.  Miller,  a  farmer  of  Bloomington,  Indiana,  and  they  have 
six  children;  Martha  married  D.  G.  Heister,  of  the  Ridgeville  Tile  Works, 
and  they  have  four  children;  Josephine  married  Henry  E.  Castor,  a 
farmer  of  Portland,  Indiana,  and  they  have  four  children;  Dr.  Oscar  E., 
of  this  sketch;  Albert  Reed,  an  attorney  of  .Sioux  City,  Iowa,  served  as 
judge  in  Kingsbury  county.  South  Dakota. 

Dr.  Abel  grew  to  manhood  in  Jay  county  and  there  attended  the 
common  schools.  He  began  life  for  himself  by  teaching  which  he  fol- 
lowed four  years,  then  attended  the  Ridgeville  College  four  years,  also 
studied  at  Valparaiso  one  term,  later  studied  two  years  at  the  University 
of  ^Michigan,  leaving  that  institution  in  1884,  then  entered  the  Indiana 
Medical  College,  at  Indianapolis,  from  which  he  was  graduated.  He  be- 
gan the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Bryant,  Jay  ccninty,  where  he  re- 
mained four  years,  being  successful  from  the  first,  then  removed  to 
Winchester,  Randolph  county,  and  practiced  there  five  vears  with  ever- 
increasing  success.  He  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  at  Huntsville 
since  1895  and  has  a  large  and  lucrative  practice  throughout  this  part  of 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 377 

the  county.  He  has  remained  a  close  student  of  all  that  pertains  to 
his  profession  and  has  kept  fully  abreast  of  the  times. 

Dr,  Abel  was  married  May  14,  188^,  to  Ada  G.  Miller,  of  Port- 
land, Indiana,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Whipple)  Miller,  an 
excellent  family  of  that  place.  Mrs.  Abel  was  one  of  four  children,  two 
sons  and  two  daughters.  She  was  reared  in  her  native  county  and 
received  a  good  education,  and  has  proven  to  be  a  faithful  helpmeet 
in  every  respect. 

To  Dr.  Abel  and  wife  six  children  have  been  born,  an  equal  num- 
ber of  sons  and  daughters,  namely:  Claude  M.,  who  is  farming  in  this 
county,  married  Nettie  Hartzell  and  they  have  one  child,  Elizabeth, 
born  July  7,  1913;  E.  Reed,  who  is  farming  in  West  River  township, 
married  Lucille  Haynes,  and  they  have  one  child,  Paul,  born  December 
22,  1912;  George,  born  November  29,  1890,  was  graduated  from  the 
AA^inchester  High  School,  is  now  attending  Purdue  University;  Ruth, 
born  September  9,  1895;  Esther,  born  August  15,  1898;  Doris,  born 
August  19,  1902,  are  all  three  at  home. 

Dr.  Abel  is  a  Progressive  in  politics,  a  member  of  the  M.  E.  church 
over  twenty  years  and  at  one  time  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
Red  Cross  Lodge  No.  88,  and  now  a  member  of  the  Modoc  Lodge,  also 
a  Mason.    He  served  as  secretary  of  the  Randolph  county  medical  society. 


JOSEPH  E.   FREIDLINE. 

Farming  is  the  biggest  business  in  the  world,  and  constructive  work 
that  will  permanently  benefit  agriculture  must  be  planned  on  a  big,  broad, 
comprehensive  basis.  Co-operating  with  the  farmer  as  an  individual  is  not 
sufficient  a.nd  will  not  reach  the  heart  of  the  problem.  The  heavy  and  more 
important  work  can  be  done  only  through  organization.  There  must  be  a 
partnership  between  industries  and  each  line  of  organized  industry  within 
its  own  orbit.  Many  changes  have  been  brought  about  during  the  career  of 
Joseph  E.  Freidline,  one  of  the  honored  retired  farmers  of  West  River  town- 
ship, Randolph  county,  but  he  has  been  a  man  who  was  quick  to  see  chang- 
ing conditions  and  has  not  been  slow  to  adapt  himself  to  the  vicissitudes  of 
time,  therefore,  has  succeeded  admirably  at  his  chosen  life  work. 

Mr.  Freidline  was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  January  29, 
1849.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Nei¥)  Freidline,  and  was  one  of 
family  of  ten  children,  seven  of  whom  survive,  six  sons  and  one  daughter. 


]378  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

John  Freidline,  father  of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and 
there  grew  to  manhood,  and  after  a  service  of  five  years  in  the  regular 
United  States  army  he  came  to  Ohio,  where  he  joined  his  father's  family, 
who  had  moved  to  the  Buckeye  state  the  meanwhile.  He  devoted  his  life 
successfully  to  general  farming  and  his  death  occurred  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
six  years.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  her  death 
occurred  at  the  old  homestead  in  1908,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty  years. 
The  paternal  grandparents  who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  were  of  Ger- 
man descent. 

Joseph  E.  Freidline  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  he  worked  hard 
when  a  boy,  receiving  his  education  in  the  rural  district  schools  during 
the  brief  winter  months  between  crop  seasons.  Toward  the  close  of  the 
Civil  war,  he  enlisted  in  February,  1865,  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty- 
seventh  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Col.  Pedon,  in  Company  E,  with 
Capt.  Dillon  Hiatt.  He  was  at  this  time  only  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  he 
regretted  that  he  was  not  old  enough  to  serve  throughout  the  war.  He  was 
mustered  in  at  Richmond,  Indiana,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Harper's  Ferry, 
Virginia,  the  following  August  4th,  having  seen  active  service  in  the  army 
of  the  Potomac. 

yir.  Freidline  was  married  March  25,  1871,  to  Sarah  Rust,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Jacob  and  Mavy  Rust,  of  Monroe  township,  and  whose  family  con- 
sisted of  three  sons  and  two  daughters;  the  parents  are  both  deceased. 

Three  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Freidline,  namely: 
Minor  J.,  bom  January  28,  1872,  lives  in  Wisconsin,  and  is  superintendent 
of  the  Brook  Hill  dairy  farm;  he  married  Edna  Aldstadt,  of  Muncie,  Indi- 
ana, and  they  have  three  sons.  Max  Rudolph,  Joseph  Warren  and  Ralph. 
Bertha,  married  John  Stoneman,  and  she  died  at  the  age  of  thirty  years, 
leaving  five  children,  Leland,  Hovey,  Geneva,  Chelsea  and  Hubert.  Myrtle, 
third  child  of  our  subject,  is  the  wife  of  Edwin  Dickson,  a  minister  in  the 
Methodist  church,  at  present  in  charge  of  the  church  at  Etna  Green,  Indi- 
ana; they  became  the  parents  of  three  children,  Hubert  Devoe,  Georgia  and 
Margaret. 

Mr.  Freidline  has  devoted  his  life  to  general  farming  and  stock  raising 
and  has  been  very  successful  all  along  the  line,  so  that  he  is  now  enabled  to 
retire  from  active  work  and  is  taking  life  easy  in  the  midst  of  comfortable 
surroundings.  He  owns  a  valuable  and  attractive  farm  of  ninety-three  acres 
in  West  River  township,  and  he  has  a  commodious  home,  and  everything  de- 
notes thrift  and  good  management  thereabout.     Politically,  he  is  a  Progres- 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  .  1 379 

sivc,  and  lie  and  liis  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church  and  are  well 
thought  of  throughout  the  community  for  they  are  neighborly,  hospitable 
and  honest  in  all  their  relations  with  other  people. 


JULIAN  SHEPPARD. 


Farming  in  the  United  States  compares  favorably  with  other  lines  of  en- 
deavor from  the  standpoint  of  success.  It  is  said  that  ninety  per  cent,  of  the 
merchants  fail  and  sixty  per  cent,  of  the  manufacturers,  but  there  are  very 
few  farmers  that  make  an  assignment.  It  is  true  no  great  riches  are  acquired 
by  the  individual  farmer,  but  at  the  big  feat  of  making  both  ends  meet  the 
record  of  the  farmer  is  good,  and  they  seem  to  have  fewer  skeletons  in  their 
closets  than  those  who  toUow  any  other  industry.  One  of  the  most  pains- 
taking and  intelligent  farmers  of  West  River  township,  Randolph  county 
who  has  succeeded  all  along  the  line  in  his  chosen  life  work  is  Julian  Shep- 
pard. 

Mr.  Sheppard  was  born  in  the  above  named  township  and  county,  April 
9,  1853.  He  is  a  son  of  Joshua  J.  and  Martha  J.  (Paschall)  Sheppard,  and 
is  one  of  a  family  of  seven  children,  only  two  of  whom  survive  at  this 
writing,  a  brother,  Marcellus  C,  lives  on  a  farm  near  Julian's.  The  latter 
grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  community  and  received  his  education  in  the 
common  schools.  He  has  been  twice  married,  first  to  Mary  E.  Rogers,  a  na- 
tive of  Washington  township  Randolph  county.  To  this  union  three  chil- 
dren were  born,  namely;  William  Z.,  a  farmer  near  Huntsville,  Indiana, 
married  Salina  Gaddis,  and  they  have  four  children;  Arley  G.,  who  works 
our  subject's  farm,  married  Anna  Bogue,  and  they  have  one  child,  Ruth; 
Emma  Gertrude  is  the  wife  of  Fred  Whitehead,  a  farmer,  and  they  have 
one  child,  Helen.  The  wife  and  mother  was  born  in  1854  and  her  death 
occurred  in  1894.  Our  subject's  second  wife  was  Mrs.  Amy  Keppler,  who 
was  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Parrent)  Bowers.  This  latter 
union  was  without  issue. 

Mrs.  Sheppard's  first  marriage  was  with  John  Keppler  who  was  born 
May  31,  1838,  and  was  a  native  of  Wittenburg,  Germany.  He  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Civil  war,  having  come  to  America  a  short  time  before  and  enlisted 
in  Company  D,  Sixty-ninth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  serving  all  through 
the  war.  After  the  war,  he  followed  farming  through  life.  They  were  the 
parents  of  four  children;  Sarah  Elizabeth  married  Walter  Bowers,  and  they 
have  two  children,  Harry  and  Everett;  Margery  Ann;  Margaret  Ann  mar- 


1380  .  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^  INDIANA. 

ried  Ernest  Hunt  and  have  three  children,  NelHe,  John  Richard  and  Leal 
Russell;  Locia  May  married  George  Rowe  and  they  have  two  children, 
Harold  Keppler  and  Doris  Amy.  Mr.  Keppler  died  July  20,  1892.  Mrs. 
Sheppard's  children  were  educated  in  the  local  schools,  in  which  they  made 
good  records. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Virginia,  from  which  state  the 
family  eventually  removed  to  Indiana  and  established  their  future  home. 
One  of  his  sons,  Marcellus  C,  mentioned  above,  lives  on  the  old  home 
place.  The  death'  of  Joshua  J.  Sheppard  occurred  in  1904,  after  a  useful 
and  industrious  life.  His  wife  preceded  him  to  the  grave  in  1902.  The 
Paschall  family  came  to  Indiana  from  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  and  were  high- 
ly respected. 

Julian  Sheppard  has  devoted  his  life  to  general  farming  and  stock 
raising  with  very  gratifying  results,  and  he  is  now  owner  of  a  valuable  and 
well-tilled  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  West  River  township, 
where  he  has  a  substantial  group  of  buildings  and  in  every  way  well  pre- 
pared to  spend  his  declining  years  in  comfort.  Politically,  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican.    He  was  trustee  of  West  River  township  for  a  period  of  four  years. 


B.  V.  M.  BROUSE. 


The  world  owes  much  to  the  plain,  courageous  and  hardy  old  pioneers, 
and  this  is  as  it  should  be,  for  they  are  deserving  of  every  consideration; 
they  have  done  so  much  for  us  of  this  generation  that  we  can  not  begin  to 
repay  them,  even  in  gratitude;  in  fact,  we  often  lose  sight  of  the  great  sac- 
rifices they  made  for  us,  their  descendants,  and  of  the  hardships  they  en- 
dured that  the  bounds  of  civilization  might  be  placed  farther  westward  and 
outward.  They  had  a  hard  time,  and  no  mistake,  combating  the  root-inter- 
laced soil,  the  quick-growing  underbrush  and  weeds ;  combating  the  wild  folk 
of  the  woods  and  the  air,  that  sought  to  destroy  their  crops,  domestic  ani- 
mals and  sometimes  even  themselves;  combating  the  skulking,  treacherous 
red  men  who  claimed  the  domain  on  which  the  pale  face  settled.  It  is  doubt- 
ful if  we  of  today,  many  of  us  at  least,  would  be  willing  to  brave  the  wilds 
as  did  our  progenitors,  and  wrest  from  a  resisting  nature  and  blood-thirsty 
race  the  fair  realms  now  to  be  seen  dotted  with  happy  homes,  thriving  cities, 
comfortable  school  houses  and  church  spires  pointing  skyward. 

B.  V.  M.  Brouse,  a  substantial  farmer  and  influential  citizen  of  Ran- 
dolph county,  himself  a  product  of  the  pioneer  period,  is  a  scion  of  sterling 


MR.  AND  MRS.  B.  V.  M.  BROUSE. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 38 1 

pioneer  ancestry.  He  was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  November  30, 
1838.  He  is  a  son  of  John  A.  and  Mary  M.  (Bright)  Brouse,  whose  family 
consisted  of  ten- children,  four  sons  and  six  daughters,  namely:  Mary  M., 
who  died  in  1896,  was  the  wife  of  James  H.  Xickey,  a  farmer,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  seven  children;  B.  V.  M.,  of  this  sketch  was  second  in  order  of 
birth;  Hansel  Peter,  deceased;  Elizabeth  Esther  is  the  wife  of  William  D. 
Anderson,  a  retired  farmer  near  Urbana,  Illinois ;  Sarah  Catherine  died  in  in- 
fancy in  July,  1848;  Priscella  H.  died  in  1888  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years' 
John  Daniel  died  in  1858  at  the  age  of  twelve  years;  Amanda  A.  Virginia 
died  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years;  Salena  Amazetta  is  the  wife  of  Robert  Jack- 
son, of  Ward  township,  and  they  have  two  children;  Laura  Almeda,  wife  of 
J.  C.  Michael,  of  Winchester,  has  two  children. 

John  A.  Brouse,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Stark  county,  Ohio, 
in  1812,  and  his  death  occurred  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1872,  whither 
he  had  removed  in  1845.  He  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  which  he  followed 
in  Ohic-  until  he  came  to  Indiana.  Here  he  bought  a  farm  which  claimed  his 
close  attention  the  rest  of  his  life,  together  with  saw  milling,  he  having  es- 
tablished a  saw  mill  here.  He  also  did  some  coopering.  He  was  a  success- 
ful man  financially  and  highly  respected  in  his  community.  The  mother  of 
our  subject  and  her  parents  came  from  Virginia  in  the  early  thirties  and  lo- 
cated in  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  coming  to  Randolph  county  in  1845. 
Grandfather  Bright  was  a  teacher  by  profession,  while  Grandfather  Brouse 
was  a  potter  by  trade. 

B.  V.  M.  Brouse  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  worked 
hard  when  a  boy  assisting  to  develop  the  place  from  the  virgin  soil  and  es- 
tablish a  comfortable  home  in  the  new  country.  He  was  educated  in  an  old 
log  school  house,  but  most  of  his  information  in  a  general  way  has  since 
been  gained  through  contact  with  the  world  and  by  wide  home  reading. 
Early  in  life  he  took  up  farming  for  a  livelihood  and  this  has  continued  to 
be  his  chief  life  work.  He  is  now  owner  of  a  valuable  and  well  improved 
farm  of  eighty  acres  where  he  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising, 
and  he  has  a  pleasant  home  and  a  good  set  of  outbuildings. 

Mr.  Brouse  was  married  November  30,,  1859,  to  Ann  Eliza  Clark,  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  Clark,  who  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  these  pages. 
The  Clarks  have  long  been  a  prominent  family  in  Randolph  county,  and  here 
Mrs.  Brouse  grew  to  womanhood  and  received  her  education.  To  our  sub- 
ject and  wife  eight  children  have  been  born,  named  as  follows :  Anna  Ella 
Frances  is  the  wife  of  Wilson  Sperry,  a  carpenter  of  Winchester,  and  they 
are  the  parents  of  five  children,  one  of  their  sons  having  been  in  the  navy 


1382  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

twelve  years ;  Mary  Elizabeth,  who  is  an  invalid,  is  at  home  with  her  parents ; 
John  T.,  who  is  employed  by  the  National  Cash  Register  Company  in  Dayton, 
Ohio,  married  Maude  Brouse,  and  they  have  five  children ;  Clara  Cecilia  mar- 
ried William  Redmond,  of  Dayton,  Ohio;  Laura  Amelia,  who  died  in  1903,"" 
married  William  Reitenour,  a  farmer,  and  to  them  five  children  were  born; 
Sarah  Catherine  died  in  infancy;  Peter  L.,  a  farmer  in  Ward  township,  mar- 
ried Callie  Shafer,  and  eight  children  have  been  born  to  them;  Susie  mar- 
ried Jacob  Hollowell,  and  to  thern  one  child  was  born,  Opal,  who  married 
John  W.  Shierling,  a  farmer. 

In  1882,  Mr.  Brouse  was  nominated  for  trustee  of  Ward  township  but 
was  defeated  by  a  small  number  of  votes.  Mr.  Brouse  was  the  organizer 
of  the  American  Society  of  Equity  in  Randolph  county.  He  is  president 
of  the  Reitenour  Cemetery  Association  and  was  the  originator  of  the  move- 
ment in  1902.  He  was  behind  the  successful  movement  to  build  the  Chris- 
tion  church  at  Clear  Creek,  and  was  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  same, 
also  a  trustee.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Christian  church  since  1880. 
He  has  been  writing  for  The  Winchester  Journal  for  fifty  years,  and  for 
The  Winchester  Democrat  ever  since  it  was  established,  also  for  the  Herald  of 
the  Gospel  of  Liberty  of  Dayton,  Ohio,  and  is  a  popular  writer.  In  1912 
the  first  reunion  of  the  Brouse  family  was  held  at  Glen  Miller  Park.  Mr. 
Brouse  was  elected  the  historian  and  authorized  to  write  and  publish  the 
family  history,  which  he  has  done,  in  a  most  creditable  way,  furnishing  a 
work  that  has  given  general  satisfaction. 


ALBERT  KING. 


The  record  of  a  life  well  spent,  of  triumphs  over  ob.stacles,  of  per- 
severance under  difficulties  and  steady  advancement  from  a  modest  be- 
ginning to  a  place  of  distinction  in  the  world  of  affairs,  when  imprinted 
on  the  pages  of  a  history,  present  to  the  youth  of  a  rising  generation 
a  worthy  example.  Such  a  life  is  that  of  the  gentleman  whose  name 
appears  at  the  head  of  this  review,  well-known  coal  dealer  of  the  city  of 
Winchester  and  ex-sherifif  of  Randolph  county,  and  the  able  and  con- 
scientious manner  in  which  he  has  ever  looked  after  the  interests  of  this, 
his  native  locality  has  called  forth  much  praise  for  Mr.  King  from  his 
fellow  citizens. 

Albert  King  was  born  August  2j,  1865,  in  ^vlaxvilie,  Randolph 
county,    Indiana.     He    is    a    son    of    Bennett    and    Jane     (Davis)     King. 


KANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 383 

The  father  was  born  in  Chester  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  the  mother 
was  a  native  of  Randolph  county,  Indiana.  They  grew  up  in  their  re- 
spective localities  and  received  such  educational  advantages  as  the  early 
school  afforded.  When  a  young  man  Bennett  King  came  to  Randolph 
county,  this  state,  about  1855,  believing  that  better  opportunities  existed 
in  the  newer  country  than  in  the  old  Keystone  state,  and,  being  im- 
pressed favorably  with  the  Hoosierdom  he  decided  to  cast  his  lot  per- 
manently here.  When  a  young  man  he  learned  the  miller's  trade,  which 
he  followed  with  much  success  for  a  number  of  years,  then  turned  his 
attention  to  general  agricultural  pursuits  with  gratifying  results,  be- 
coming, in  due  course  of  time,  owner  of  one  of  the  best  farms  in  Ran- 
dolph county,  and  he  is  still  living  on  the  farm,  which  lies  in  Stoney 
Creek  township,  and  which  is  well  improved  and  well  kept.  His  wife  is 
also  still  living  and  they  are  both  highly  respected  in  this  county,  where 
they  are  well  known.  They  are  the  parents  of  three  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  Albert,  of  this  sketch,  is  the  oldest.  The  others  are  Emma, 
who  married  Fred  Dick,  and  they  live  in  Stoney  Creek  township,  this 
county;  Harvey  lives  in  Delaware  county,  Indiana;  Rose  is  with  her 
parents  on  the  home  farm,  and  Taylor,  who  has  also  remained  in  Stoney 
Creek  township,  is  engaged  in  farming. 

Albert  King  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  in  his  native  community 
and  when  a  boy  he  did  his  full  share  of  the  work  there.  During  the  win- 
ter months  he  attended  the  district  schools.  He  Was  married  on  August 
30,  1890,  to  Ada  Thorn,  daughter  of  David  and  Lucy  (Keever)  Thorn,  of 
Randolph  county,  a  highly  respected  old  family  here.  The  father  is 
now  deceased  but  the  mother  is  residing  at  the  town  of  Lynn,  this 
county.  Here  Mrs.  King  grew  to  womanhood  and  received  a  practical 
public  school  education. 

The  union  of  our  subject  and  wife  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of 
three  children,  namely:  Walter,  an  office  man  with  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  Company,  at  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  and  is  regarded  by  his 
superiors  as  a  most  efficient  and  trustworthy  employee;  Marie,  who  was 
a  member  of  the  graduating  class  of  the  AVindsor  High  School,  in  1913, 
is  at  home  with  her  parents;  Byron,  who  is  also  with  his  parents,  is  as- 
sisting his  father  in  business. 

Following  his  marriage  Albert  King  engaged  in  general  farming 
in  AVhite  River  River  township,  this  county,  and,  being  a  hard  worker, 
and  a  good  manager  he  soon  had  a  good  start.  He  continued  thus 
until   1897  when  he  became  deputy  sheriff  of  Randolph  county,  under 


1384  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

Thomas  J.  Overman,  which  position  he  held  for  a  period  of  four  years 
in  an  'eminently  satisfactory  manner,  learning  thoroughly  every  phase 
of  the  work  of  the  sheriff's  office.  AVe  next  find  him  engaged  in  the 
restaurant  business  in  Winchester  where  he  remained  three  years,  his 
place  becoming  popular  with  the  public  during  that  period.  In  the  fall 
of  1906  he  was  elected  sheriff  of  his  county,  and  assumed  his  official 
duties  the  following  January,  serving  four  years,  in  a  manner  that  re- 
flected m-uch  credit  upon  himself*  and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his 
constitutents,  proving  to  be  one  of  the  best  officials  the  county  has  ever 
had.  After  his  term  of  office  had  expired,  Mr.  King  returned  to  his 
farm,  in  White  River  township,  where  he  continued  with  his  usual  suc- 
cess until  the  fall  of  1911,  when  he  began  in  the  coal  business,  in  Win- 
chester, where  he  has  since  remained,  building  up  a  large  and  constantly 
growing  business  as  a  result  of  his  energy,  foresight  and  honest  and  cour- 
teous dealings  with  his  many  patrons.  He  carries  a  large  and  well 
selected  lot  of  coal,  all  kinds  and  grades,  in  fact,  and  all  kinds  of  building 
material,  drain  tile,  sewer  piping,  lime,  cement  and  plaster. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  King  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  Poli- 
tically he  is  a  Republican  and  has  long  been  active  in  the  ranks  of  his 
party,  in  fact,  active  and  influential  in  general  public  matters.  He  has 
served  frequently  as  a  member  of  the  Republican  county  committee.  He 
and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Church  of  Christ  and  he  is  a  deacon 
in  the  same. 

Mr.  King's  business  office  is  at  244  West  North  street,  and  his  pleas- 
ant home  is  at  446  South  Main  street,  in  one  of  the  best  residence  sec- 
tions in  the  city. 


JOHN  CHRISTOPHER. 


The  true  western  spirit  of  progress  and  enterprise  is  strikingly  exem- 
plified in  the  lives  of  such  men  as  John  Christopher,  one  of  Randolph 
county's  honored  native  sons,  whose  energetic  nature  and  laudable  ambition 
have  enabled  him  to  conquer  many  adverse  circumstances  and  advance  stead- 
ily until  he  is  today  one  of  the  financially  strong  men  of  his  community,  in- 
fluential banker  and  leading  agriculturist.  He  has  met  and  overcome  ob- 
stacles that  would  have  discouraged  men  of  less  courage  and  fortitude  and 
earned  for  himself  not  only  a  handsome  competency  but  also  a  prominent 
place  among  the  enterprising  men  of  this  section  of  the  great  Hoosier  com- 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 385 

monwealth.  Such  a  man  is  a  credit  to  any  community  and  his  life  forcibly 
illustrates  what  energy  and  consecutive  effort  can  accomplish  when  directed 
and  controlled  by  correct  principles  and  high  moral  resolves,  and  no  man 
is  worthier  of  conspicuous  mention  in  a  volume  of  the  province  of  the  one 
in  hand. 

Air.  Christopher  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  in  section  32,  West 
River  township,  Randolph  county,  January  20,  1866.  He  is  a  son  of  Ad- 
dison G.  and  Sarah  A.  (Lamb)  Christopher,  a  highly  esteemed  old  family 
of  this  locality.  Addison  G.  Christopher  was  born  in  Claiborne  county,  Tenn- 
essee, November  28,  1829,  and  was  a  son  of  Garrett  and  Elizabeth  (Walls) 
Christopher,  the  former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  latter  of  North 
Carolina,  where  they  were  married  and  where  they  lived  several  years,  then 
removed  to  Tennessee.  To  them  three  children  were  born,  J.  M.,  Addison 
G.,  and  Minza.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject  died  in  1833  and  was 
buried  in  Tennessee.  The  mother  removed  with  her  children  in  1835  to 
Wayne  county,  Indiana,  and  bound  them  out.  The  following  year  she  mar- 
ried Isaac  Fisher,  who  later  moved  to  Iowa  and  located  on  a  farm,  and  to 
them  were  born  William,  who  became  a  farmer ;  Susan,  who  married  Elwood 
Tiffany,  of  Chicago;  Mary,  married  Jacob  Wittenmire,  of  Iowa,  and  Han- 
nah, who  married  Simeon  Wittenmire,  of  Iowa.  Mr.  Fisher  died  in  1S73, 
and  his  widow  later  went  to  Kansas  to  live  with  her  son,  and  there  her 
death  occurred  July  31,  1890.  Addison  G.  Christopher  remained  fourteen 
years  with  Albert  Macy,  or  until  he  had  attained  his  majority,  having  been 
bound  out  to  Mr.  Macy  after  his  father's  death.  He  then  clerked  in  Hunts- 
ville,  Indiana,  three  years,  and  while  there  he  married,  in  185 1,  Sarah  A. 
Lamb,  who  was  a  daughter  of  David  and  Delilah  (Butler)  Lamb,  who  came 
to  Indiana  from  Campbell  county,  Virginia,  their  marriage  having  occurred 
in  the  latter  state  December  6,  1827.  Mrs.  Christopher  was  three  years  old 
when  the  family  located  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  but  the  following  year 
they  came  on  to  Randolph  county,  where  the  father  died  August  26,  1838, 
and  the  mother  passed  away  a  few  days  later,  September  2d.  They  had 
three  children:  Elizabeth  H.,  who  married  Allison  Andrew,  a  farmer  of 
Randolph  county;  Charles  B.,  who  became  a  harness  maker,  and  located  in 
Iowa,  and  Sarah  A.,  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  For  about  three 
years  after  his  marriage  Addison  G.  Christopher  continued  clerking,  then 
moved  to  a  farm  which  he  operated  until  1855,  then  embarked  in  merchan- 
dising in  Huntsville,  selling  out  a  year  and  a  half  later,  and  in  the  fall  of 
1856,  purchased  a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  West 
River  township,  Randolph  county,  one  of  the  best  improved  and  most  de- 


1386  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

sirable  farms  in  the  county.  He  has  been  a  very  successful  business  man 
and  laid  by  an  ample  competency,  and  he  gave  his  children  forty  acres  of 
land  each,  of  whom  there  were  eight  in  number,  four  of  whom  are  deceased, 
namely :  Charles  M.,  a  lumber  man  of  New  Castle,  Indiana,  died  at  the  age 
of  fifty-seven  years,  leaving  a  widow  and  one  child;  David  O.,  a  merchant 
at  Greenville,  Ohio,  married  Ida  Eikenbery,  and  they  have  one  child,  Zer- 
lina  Ella  died  in  youth;  Ida  O.  also  died  young;  Elmer  E..  a  carpenter  and 
builder,  of  Richmond,  Indiana,  married  Mary  L.  Brown,  and  they  have  three 
children;  Edwin  R.  died  when  three  years  old;  Celia  E.,  who  married 
Oliver  Botkin,  a  farmer,  and  they  had  eight  children,  one  of  whom  is  de- 
ceased; John,  of  this  sketch  is  the  youngest. 

The  death  of  Mrs.  Addison  G.  Christopher  occurred  February  11,  1904, 
when  well  advanced  in  years.  Mr.  Christopher  is  an  industrious,  public- 
spirited,  honorable  and  useful  man,  and  he  is  now  spending  his  old  age  quiet- 
ly, surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  of  life  as  a  result  of  his  earlier  years  of 
industry  and  good  management. 

John  Christopher  was  reared  to  manhood  in  the  usual  manner  of  farm- 
ers' boys  in  his  day,  aiding  in  the  labors  of  the  field  during  the  summer 
months  and  attending  the  district  schools  in  the  wintertime,  his  early  edu- 
cation later  being  greatly  supplemented  by  wide  home  reading  and  by  con- 
tact with  the  business  world.  He  began  life  for  himself  as  a  teacher,  which 
he  continued  successfully  for  five  years,  then  turned  his  attention  to  farming 
for  two  years,  next  we  find  him  launching  out  in  the  mercantile  life,  and  in 
1892  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother,  Elmer  E.  Christopher,  at 
Modoc,  and  they  soon  built  up  a  large  trade  as  general  merchants,  and, 
dealing  uniformly  in  an  honest  and  courteous  manner  with  their  customers 
they  became  the  leading  merchants  of  this  part  of  the  county.  Mr.  Chris- 
topher has  proven  himself  to  be  a  man  of  exceptional  business  ability  and 
foresight  and  he  has  acquired  considerable  valuable  property.  He  is  also 
heavily  interested  in  the  Citizens  Banking  Company  of  Modoc,  of  which  he 
has  been  president  for  the  past  eight  years,  the  pronounced  success  of  the 
same  having  been  due  for  the  most  part  to  his  able  management  and  popu- 
larity as  a  man  and  citizen,  the  people  of  this  community  reposing  the  utmost 
confidence  in  both  his  ability  and  integrity. 

Mr.  Christopher  was  married  in  Nettle  Creek  township,  July  19,  1890, 
to  Ida  E.  Wright,  who  was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  that  township,  and 
is  a  daughter  of  Hicks  K.  Wright,  a  prosperous  farmer  and  stock  man,  now 
living  in  Winchester.     Mrs.   Christopher  is  one  of  five  children.     To  our 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  13^7 

subject  and  wife  one  child  has  been  born,  Jean  W.,  whose  birth  occurred 
October  28,  1897. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Christopher  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
and  the  Masons.  He  and  his  family  attend  the  Methodist  church,  and  poli- 
tically he  is  a  Republican,  but  while  he  takes  an  abiding  interest  in  public 
affairs,  always  ready  to  assist  any  movement  looking  to  the  general  good 
of  his  community,  he  prefers  to  devote  his  attention  exclusively  to  his  large 
business  interests  and  his  home,  rather  than  be  an  office  holder  or  a  poli- 
tical leader. 


JOHN  CHARLES  BRICKLEY. 

During  the  past  decade  or  two  an  irresistible  force  has  been  working  for 
the  improvement  of  general  farming  conditions,  the  agricultural  colleges, 
the  farmers'  institutes,  farm  publications  and  manufacturers.  All  have  fore- 
seen all  along  the  need  of  labor-saving  equipment,  also  understood  the  ne-  , 
cessity  of  so  constructing  outbuildings  that  livestock  could  have  comfort, 
and  the  buildings  be  kept  in  sanitary  condition,  also  how  the  largest  results 
from  the  minimum  amount  of  labor.  Necessity  has  proven  to  be  the  mother 
of  invention  in  respect  to  the  husbandman  and  stock  man  as  well  as  in  other 
fields  of  human  endeavor.  The  architect  has  given  his  thought  to  conven- 
ient, economical  and  sanitary  construction  and  ventilation  and  the  manu- 
facturer has  produced  the  needed  equipment,  while  the  progressive  farmer 
has  adopted  them.  So,  gradually  a  great  change  is  being  brought  about. 
The  labor  of  the  architects,  the  manufacturers  and  teachers  has  been  far- 
reaching  and  much  good  is  being  accomplished. 

One  of  the  farmers  of  Randolph  county  who  has  proven  to  be  wide- 
awake and  ready  to  adopt  new  methods  and  modes  of  agriculture  is  John 
Charles  Brickley,  who  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  in  White  River  town- 
ship, this  county,  April  25,  1856,  on  land  which  his  grandfather,  John 
Brickley  entered  from  the  government  in  the  days  of  the  first  settlers  here, 
and  from  that  early  time  to  the  present  the  members  of  this  family  have 
been  noted  for  their  skill  as  farmers.  Our  subject  is  a  son  of  Simeon  and 
Eliza  Ellen  (Mclntire)  Brickley,^  both  natives  of-  this  county,  born  in  White 
River  township,  and  here  they  grew  to  maturity,  were  married  and  spent 
their  lives  successfully  engaged  in  farming,  and  here  the  father  died  Janu- 
ary 19,  1913,  and  is  buried  in  Maxville  cemetery.  His  family  consisted  of 
four  children,  namely:  Thursa  died  in  infancy;  Angeline,  married  R.  C. 
Addington,   a  farmer  of  Randolph  county;   Louisa  married  Ira  Branson, 


1388  RA>JDOLPH  COUNTYj  INDIANA. 

banker,  of  Farmland,  and  they  have  three  children:  John  Charles, 'of  this 
sketch.  R.  C.  Addington  and  wife,  Angeline,  reared  an  adopted  daughter, 
Mamie  Porter. 

John  C.  Brickley  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  place  and  there  did  his 
full  share  of  the  general  work  when  a  boy.  He  attended  the  rural  schools 
in  his  native  community  and  received  a  very  practical  education.  He  began 
farming  when  young  and  this  has  continued  to  occupy  his  entire  attention.  He 
owns  eighty  acres  which  he  has  well  improved  and  on  which  he  makes 
a  good  living  as  a  general  farmer, and  stock  raiser. 

On  December  25,  1887,  Mr.  Brickley  was  married  to  Belle  Bower,  a 
daughter  of  Joseph  Bower,  of  Ohio,  whose  family  consisted  of  thjee  .chil- 
dren. Mrs.  Brickley  received  a  common  school  education.  To  our  sub- 
ject and  wife  one  child  has  been  born,  Joseph,  whose  birth  occurred  May 
18,  1890.  He  was  educated  in  Farmland  and  was  graduated  firom  the  high 
school  there. 

Mr.  Brickley  is  a  Progressive  politically,  however,  still  is  inclined  to 
Republicanism,  but  of  the  old-time  brand.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  he  attends  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church. 


ELI  WRIGHT  KEYS. 


The  old-fashioned  notion  that  hard  work,  patient  industry  and  far- 
sightedness make  for  success  in  the  various  avenues  of  life,  does  not  seem  to 
be  accepted  so  universally  in  our  day.  The  spread  of  pessimism  engendered 
by  many  phases  of  our  complex  life  is  in  a  great  measure  responsible  for 
lack  of  faith  in  the  old  idea.  However,  if  we  observe  conditions  closely,  we 
will  find  that  the  intelligent  individual  who  leads  a  practical  and  industrious 
life,  will  reach  a  point  of  success  commensurate  with  his  efforts.  The  life 
of  .Eli  Wright  Keys,  one  of  the  leading  agriculturists  and  stock  men  of  Ran- 
dolph county,  will  afford  us  an  instance  of  this,  for  he  is  an  advocate  of  per- 
sistency, honesty  and  the  adoption  of  modern  methods  in  his  vocation,  the 
economy  of  labor,  and  he  therefore  gets  the  largest  results  possible  from  the 
minimum  amount  of  labor  and  expense.  It  is  a  delight  to  look  over  his 
well-cared-for  acres,  his  sleek,  well-bred  livestock,  and  to  visit  his  modernly 
appointed  home;  for  he  believes  in  having  system  about  everything  he  does, 
and  this  is  perhaps  very  largely  due  to  his  large  success  in  his  chosen  field  of 
endeavor. 

Mr.  Keys  was  born  October  22,   1855,  on  a  farm,  three  and  one-half 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I389 

miles  east  of  Winchester,  where  he  now  lives.  He  is  the  oldest  of  seven 
children,  five  sons  and  two  daughters,  born  to  Joseph  and  Betsie  (Coats) 
Keys,  one  of  our  best  known  and  most  influential  pioneer  families,  who  spent 
their  lives  engaged  successfully  in  general  farming.  The  death  of  Joseph 
Keys  occurred  February  i8,  1906,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years,  ten  months 
and  fifteen  days.  His  wife  preceded  him  to  the  grave  on  May  8,  1901,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-seven  years,  eleven  months  and  twenty-two  days.  They  were  a 
fine  old  couple  and  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  them. 

Eli  W.  Keys  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  was  educated  in  the  old 
log  school  house  which  stood  near  his  father's  farm.  He  remained  at  home, 
assisting  with  the  general  farm  work,  until  his  marriage,  which  took  place 
October  22,  1881,  when  he  espoused  Martha  J.  Davis,  a  daughter  of  Benja- 
min and  Margaret  (Chambness)  Davis,  a  highly  respected  family  of  Ran- 
dolph county,  both  the  Davis  -and  Chambness  families,  like  that  of  our  sub- 
ject, having  been  prominent  early  settlers  here.  Benjamin  Davis  engaged  in 
farming  near  the  town  of  Lynn,  and  William  Chambness,  father  of  Margaret 
Chambness,  was  one  of  the  pioneer  millwrights  of  this  locality.  The  death 
of  Benjamin  Davis  occurred  October  30,  1905,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty 
years,  and  his  wife  died  April  24,  1869,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-four  years. 
They  are  buried  in  Cherry  Grove  cemtery,  while  Mr.  Keys'  parents  lie  in 
Jericho  cemetery. 

Two  children  have  been  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  namely :  Artie  V., 
is  married  to  Minnie  Hodgin  and  is  operating  one  of  his  father's  farms  in 
White  River  township ;  Ira  J.  is  married  to  Hazel  Ross  and  lives  at  home,  as- 
sisting his  father  in  the  management  of  the  home  place. 

Eli  W.  Keys  first  began  farming  on  the  place  where  his  oldest  son  now 
lives,  and  there  he  remained  until  April  25,  1907,  when  he  removed  to  the  old 
home  farm  the  year  following  his  father's  death,  and  here  he  has  lived  ever 
since,  three  and  one-half  miles  east  of  Winchester.  He  has  always  been  a 
farmer  and  extensive  stock  raiser  and  feeder  of  great  droves  of  hogs  an- 
nually, preparing  the  best  grades  for  the  markets  and  no  small  portion  of  his 
competency  has  been  derived  from  this  source.  His  two  farms  consist  of 
eighty  acres  each.  They  are  both  well  improved  and  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.  He  has  himself  retired  from  active  life,  merely  overseeing  his 
farms  in  a  general  way,  leaving  the  actual  operating  of  them  to  his  sons. 

Mr.  Keys  is  a  staunch  Progressive,  and  while  interested  in  public  af- 
fairs has  never  been  an  office  seeker.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Jericho  Friends  church,  a  church  which  his  father  and  grandfather  helped 
(88) 


1390  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

to  found.  The  latter,  Benjamin  Keys,  came  to  this  country  from  North 
Carolina  and  his  old  flint-lock  musket  is  owned  by  Ira  J.  Keys,  his  great 
grandson.  The  weapon  was  brought  along  from  the  old  Tar  state  for  de- 
fense while  threading  the  great  wildernesses  of  those  primitive  days. 


WILLIAM  W.  SMULLEN. 

One  of  the  twentieth  century  agriculturists  and  stock  men  of  Randolph 
county  who  has  shown  himself  to  be  decidedly  progressive  in  his  ideas  is 
\A''illiam  W.  Smullen,  and  it  is  a  pleasure  to  visit  his  tastily  kept  and  pro- 
ductive farm.  He  has  been  a  close  student  of  everything  that  pertains  to 
his  vocation,  realizing  that  farming  is  as  complicated  a  business  as  any  other 
and  that  one  must  be  alert,  far-seeing  and  energetic  to  make  the  most  of  his 
opportunity,  realizing  the  value  of  labor-saving  equipment  because  of  short- 
age of  help,  the  necessity  of  preventing  the  waste  of  labor  and  time  and  of 
making  the  most  of  every  day,  striving  for  the  largest  rewards  by  the  mini- 
mum amount  of  labor,  looking  out  for  improved  methods  and  labor-saving 
applicances.  Such  a' citizen  as  Mr.  Smullen  not  only  succeeds  in  a  material 
way  but  his  example  to  the  community  results  in  incalculable  good. 

Mr.  Smullen  was  born  in  Stoney  Creek  township,  Randolph  county, 
April  27,  1853.  He  is  a  son  of  Smith  and  Margaret  (Reed)  Smullen,  and 
is  one  of  three  children,  having  two  sisters,  Mary  J.,  who  lives  in  Medina 
county,  Ohio,  married  J.  L.  Offterdinger,  a  farmer,  and  they  have  three  chil- 
dren; Alice  married  Austin  Freidline,  a  real  estate  dealer  of  Farmland,  and 
they  have  one  child.  Smith  Smullen  was  born  in  Stoney  Creek  township,  this 
county,  on  the  old  home  place  and  there  he  spent  his  life,  successfully  en- 
gaged in  general  farming  and  there  his  death  occurred  August  19,  1900. 
His  wife  was  a  native  of  Kentucky.  Her  death  occurred  in  1905  at  the  age 
of  seventy-four  years.  They  were  an  honest,  hospitable  and  hard-working 
couple  who  were  highly  esteemed  by  their  neighbors  and  acquaintances. 
Randolph  Smullen,  our  subject's  grandfather,  came  from  Highland  county, 
( )liio,  to  Randolph  county  in  pioneer  days  and  entered  eighty  acres  in  wnaf 
is  now  Stoney  Creek  township,  the  patent  being  signed  by  President  John 
Quincy  Adams  in  1826,  which  patent  is  now  in  possession  of  the  subject 
of  this  review.  The  country  was  a  wilderness  indeed  at  that  time  and  the 
elder  Smullen  endured  the  usual  hardships  and  privations  of  those  who 
braved  the  wilds  where  settlers  were  very  few  and  far  between.  Later  he 
entered  another  eighty,  in  1837.  the  patent  being  signed  by  President  Martin 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I39T 

Van  Buren.  This  land  Mr.  Smullen  cleared  and  improved  into  a  farm  and 
spent  his  last  days  thereon,  dying  in  1851. 

William  W.  Smullen  grew  to  manhood  on  the  old  home  place  and  he 
received  a  good  practical  education  in  ihe  common  schools  of  Stoney  Creek 
township.  He  has  devoted  his  life  to  general  farming  and  stock  raising  on 
the  homestead,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  years  when  he  was  engaged  in 
the  mercantile  business  in  Muncie.  He  has  kept  the  farm  well  improved 
and  carefully  tilled  so  that  it  has  retained  its  original  fertility,  and  the  build- 
ings are  in  good  repair.  He  has  been  successful  above  the  average  farmer 
and  is  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  his  township.  He  is  a  stockholder 
and  a  director  in  the  State  Bank  at  Farmland. 

Mr.  Smullen  was  married  July  23,  1876,  to  Nancy  Gilmore,  and  to 
this  union  two  children  were  born:  Tessie  S.,  a  son,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-six  years,  and  Margaret,  who  was  born  February  7,  1896.  Mr.  Smul- 
len subsequently  married,  on  September  21,  1906,  Sarah  Vance,  of  Davies 
county,  Indiana,  and  to  this  union  one  child  has  been  born,  Winifred,  born 
May  8,  1907. 

Politically,  Mr.  Smullen  is  a  Democrat  and  has  been  something  of  a  lo- 
cal party  leader  for  many  years.  In  1912  he  was  elected  county  commissioner 
for  a  term  of  three  years,  the  first  Democrat  elected  to  this  office  for  a  period 
of  fifty  years.  This  would  indicate  the  popularity  of  the  man  and  the-  fact 
that  the  people  have  implicit  confidence  in  him.  Personally,  he  is  a  gentle- 
man of  pleasing  address,  friendly,  capable,  public-spirited  and  of  honest  con- 
victions, enjoying  the  respect  and  good  will  of  all. 


SAMUEL  C.   PUCKETT. 

The  inclination  to  study  the  soils  and  the  planting  of  crops  suitable  to 
their  peculiar  composition;  the  ever-increasing  clover  and  grass  acreage,  the 
adoption  of  the  silo,  which  not  only  conserves  but  tremendously  expands  the 
feeding  value  of  the  acres  represented  in  its  contents,  are  among  the  things 
which  have  not  only  greatly  increased  the  actual  profits  of  thb  farm  but  have 
safeguarded  the  farm  operations  and  increased  many-fold  the  attractions 
of  farm  life.  One  does  not  have  to  spend  much  time  in  looking  over  the 
well  kept  and  productive  farm  of  Samuel  C.  Puckett  of  Stoney  Creek  town- 
ship to  realize  the  fact  that  he  deserves  to  rank  among  our  up-to-date  Ran- 
dolph county  farmers. 

Here  Mr.  Puckett  has  spent  his  life,  having  been  born  on  the  old  home- 


1392  RAXDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

stead,  August  i,  i860.  He  is  a  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Sarah  J.  (Spray) 
Puckett.  The  father  was  born  also  in  the  above  named  township  and  county, 
the  date  of  his  birth  being  February  28,  1825.  He  was  one  of  the  early 
pioneer  children  here,  his  father  having  braved  the  wilds  of  this  locality  when 
settlers  were  very  few  and  the  principal  occupants  of  the  land  were  wild 
beasts.  Nathaniel  Puckett  was  a  son  of  Zachariah  and  Edith  Puckett,  the 
father  a  native  of  North  Carolina.  His  death  occurred  in  1865.  The 
early  life  of  Nathaniel  Puckett  was  passed  on  the  home  farm  which  he  helped 
clear  and  develop,  there  acquiring  that  courage,  industry  and  thrift  which 
stood  him  in  good  stead  in  later  life.  He  began  farming  for  himself  early 
in  life  and  soon  had  a  good  start  and  purchased  a  farm  of  his  own,  becoming 
one  of  the  leading  farmers  and  respected  ctizens  of  his  community.  He 
came  into  possession  of  the  place  upon  which  he  remained  until  his  death 
[March  18,  1880.  The  home  farm  which  was  in  White  River  township 
and  consisted  of  one  hundred  and  six  acres,  remained  in  possession  of  the 
family  nearly  a  century.  He  was  married  April  11,  1864,  to  Sarah  Adamson, 
daughter  of  John  and  Phoebe  Adamson,  natives  of  Randolph  county  and 
descendants  of  early  pioneer  families  of  northeastern  Indiana.  Abraham 
Adamson,  father  of  John,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Randolph  county; 
Mrs.  Phoebe  Adamson  was  the  daughter  of  Samuel  Spray,  also  a  pioneer 
of  Randolph  county,  having  moved  here  from  South  Carolina  at  an  early 
period  of  the  county's  history.  These  children  were  born  to  Nathaniel 
Puckett  and  wife,  Zachary  Taylor,  a  farmer  near  W'inchester ;  Samuel  C, 
of  this  review ;  James,  a  farmer  of  W'^hite  River  township ;  Elmer,  also  a 
farmer  of  \\'hite  River  township;  Elizabeth  is  living  in  this  township; 
Chester  has  a  farm  in  the  same  township;  Phoebe  died  in  youth;  Mary  E. 
died  in  infancy.  Nathaniel  Puckett  was  a  birthright  member  of  the  Friends 
church,  the  pure,  simple  faith  of  which  he  exemplified  in  his  daily  walk  and 
conversation  and  was  a  good  citizen  in  every  respect. 

Samuel  C.  Puckett  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  there  worked 
when  a  boy.  He  received  a  good  education  in  the  common  schools,  and  he 
began  life  for  himself  as  a  teacher,  but  followed  this  vocation  only  eighteen 
months.  After  his  father's  death  he  took  charge  of  the  home  farm  which 
he  operated  successfully  until  his  brothers  were  old  enough  to  take  the 
work  in  hand.  He  then  farmed  with  John  Clayton  for  nine  years,  men 
purchased  his  present  fine  farm  of  eighty  acres,  two  and  one- fourth  miles 
from  Farmland,  which  place  he  has  now  under  excellent  improvements  and 
cultivation,  has  a  pleasant  home,  convenient  outbuildings  and  keeps  a  good 
grade  of  livestock. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1393 

Mr.  Puckett  was  married  October  15,  1887,  to  Minnie  A.  Cheesman, 
a  daughter  of  Davidson  and  Ann  Cheesman,  of  Wayne  county,  Indiana. 
To  this  union  two  children  liave  been  born,  Ina  J.,  born  Christmas  day, 
1 89 1,  was  educated  in  the  local  schools  and  in  DePauw  University;  she  is  a 
teacher  in  English  history  and  Latin,  and  is  at  this  writing  principal  of  the 
Modoc  High  School,  and  is  giving  much  promise  of  a  prominent  educator ; 
Anna  Frances,  the  second  daughter,  was  born  December  15,  1909. 

Mr.  Puckett  and  family  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
of  which  he  has  been  trustee  for  a  period  of  six  years.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican.     In  1908  he  was  elected  trustee  of  Stoney  Creek  township. 


JOHN  W.  SIPE. 

One  of  the  best  farmers  of  the  vicinity  of  Saratoga,  Randolph  county, 
is  John  W.  Sipe,  who  never  was  lured  away  from  the  pleasant  hills  and  vales 
of  his  native  locality  by  the  wanderlust  spirit,  has  been  content  to  spend 
his  life  here  at  home,  and  he  has  succeeded  because  he  early  grew  familiar 
with  the  local  conditions  governing  soils,  crops  and  the  various  phases  of  the 
calling  which  he  has  been  pleased  to  follow. 

Mr.  Sipe  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  March  15,  i860.  He 
is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth  Sipe,  who  had  a  large  family,  eleven  sons 
and  two  daughters,  named  as  follows :  Irvin,  of  Muncie,  married  M.  Mans- 
field, and  they  have  six  children ;  George  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years ; 
Allen  who  married  Catherine  Limbert,  is  living  retired  at  Saratoga;  Samuel 
makes  his  home  at  Gas  City;  Frank  is  farming  in  Jackson  township,  this 
county;  Lorenzo  died  when  twenty-five  years  of  age;  Mary  lives  in  Sara- 
toga; William  died  when  forty-five  years  old,  leaving  a  widow;  John  W.,  of 
this  review ;  Elliott  is  farming  in  Ward  township,  married  Etta  Shireling,  and 
they  have  eleven  children ;  Laura  lives  in  Pennsylyania ;  James,  of  Saratoga, 
married  twice,  had  five  children  by  his  first  wife,  three  of  whom  are  de- 
ceased, and  three  children  were  born  of  his  second  union ;  Daniel  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

Henry  Sipe,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  where  he 
spent  his  earlier  years  and  received  such  educational  advantages  as  the 
early-day  schools  afforded.  He  eventually  removed  to  Indiana,  locating  in 
Randolph  county  where  he  engaged  in  general  farming  until  his  death  which 
occurred  June  29,  1890,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  His  wife  was  born 
March  22,  1824,  and  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years. 


1394  .  RANDOLPH   COUNT Yj  INDIANA. 

John  W.  Sipe  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  where  he  worked 
when  a  boy  and  he  received  his  education  in  the  common  rural  schools  of  his 
neighborhood.  On  September  8,  1888,  he  married  Emma  Fields,  a  daughter 
of  Harrison  Fields,  a  farmer  in  Ward  township,  Randolph  county.  Here 
she  grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated  in  the  rural  schools. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  four  children  have  been  born,  named  as  fol- 
lows :  Lorenzo,  who  married  Carrie  Coby,  is  engaged  in  the  butcher  busi- 
ness at  Saratoga;  Earl  is  teaching  school  in  Ward  township,  this  being  his 
second  year ;  he  was  educated  in  the  local  schools  of  Saratoga  and  at  the  State 
Normal  in  Terre  Haute  and  is  making  a  success  as  an  educator;  Herschel 
was  born  in  1894  and  is  at  home;  Murrill  was  born  in  1901,  is  also  with  his 
parents. 

Mr.  Sipe  began  farming  for  himself  when  a  young  man  and  this  has 
continued  to  be  his  life  work.  He  is  owner  of  a  finely  improved  and  well 
cultivated  farm  of  fifty  acres  two  miles  from  Saratoga,  where  he  has  a  good 
home  and  is  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock  raising.  Politically,  he 
is  a  Democrat.  He  has  been  township  supervisor  for  the  past  eight  years 
and  has  discharged  the  duties  of  this  office  in  a  manner  that  reflects  much 
credit  to  himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  people  in  general.  He  at- 
tends the  Methodist  church. 


JOHN  E.  ORR. 

One  of  the  families  of  Randolph  county  who  have  lived  to  pass  through 
the  various  gradations  of  things  and  who  can  witness  the  fact  that  "the  old 
order  changeth,"  is  the  Orr  family  who  located  in  the  locality  of  which  this 
history  deals  in  the  pioneer  epoch  when  there  were  few  of  the  conveniences 
of  the  present  time,  at  a  time  when  they  were  compelled  to  be  self-sus- 
taining for  the  most  part  and  to  undergo,  like  all  new-comers  to  an  unim- 
proved and  sparsely  settled  country,  many  hardships  and  inconveniences; 
but  being  people  of  sterling  fibre  and  indomitable  fortitude  and  courage  they 
were  not  given  to  backing  out  or  even  to  complaining  and  they,  in  due  course 
of  time,  became  comfortably  situated  and  wielded  no  small  amount  of  in- 
fluence in  their  community  and  from  that  early  day  to  this  the  various  mem- 
bers of  the  family  have  been  useful  and  highly  respected  citizens. 

One  of  the  best  known  of  the  present  generation  is  John  E.  Orr,  now  a 
successful  general  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  but  formerly  one  of  our  most 
noted  local  educators,  having  devoted  a  quarter  of  a  century  to  that  field  of 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I395 

endeavor  here  with  continued  success.  He  was  born  in  Randolph  county, 
December  8,  1862,  and  is  a  son  of  Darius  and  Louisa  (Jenkins)  Orr,  whose 
family  consisted ,  of  three  children,  namely :  Josephine,  who  married  John 
Vanasdal,  a  lineman  who  fell  from  a  pole  and  was  killed  in  1901,  leaving 
two  children,  Murley  and  Walter,  both  now  living  in  Indianapolis;  John 
E.,  of  this  sketch,  was  second  in  order  of  birth;  William  is  employed  by 
the  Citizens  Telephone  Company,  at  Holland,  Michigan,  married  Retta  Kin- 
near,  and  they  have  two  children,  Harry  and  Gladys. 

Darius  Orr,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Fayette  county,  Ohio, 
and  he  came  to  Indiana  in  young  manhood  with  his  parents  who  settled  in 
Green  township,  Randolph  county.  Darius  Orr  spent  the  rest  of  his  life 
successfully  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  and  merchandising,  in  Green 
township  and  later  at  Powers  Station  and  at  Deerfield  where  he  had  moved 
in  November,  1876,  his  death  occurring  there  in  1906.  The  mother  of  the 
subject  was  also  born  in  Fayette  county,  Ohio  and  when  quite  young  she  was 
brought  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  where  she  grew  to  womanhood  and 
married  Mr.  Orr.     She  is  still  living,  being  now  seventy-two  years  ola. 

John  E.  Orr  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  in  this  county  and  there 
he  assisted  with  the  general  work  during  crop  seasons,  and  he  received  his 
education  in  rural  schools  of  his  community  and  the  high  school  at  Ridge- 
ville,  later  attending  the  Central  Normal  school  of  Indiana,  and  also  the 
University  of  Chicago.  Thus  exceptionally  well  equipped  for  his  chosen  life 
work  he  began  teaching  in  Ward  township,  this  county,  later  teaching  in 
Green  and  Jackson  townships  for  a  period  of  four  years,  then  taught  at 
Geneva,  Indiana,  three  years,  also  at  Fortville  in  high  school  work,  then 
taught  at  Albany  two  years,  and  four  years  at  Redkey,  about  twenty- 
five  years  in  all.  He  gave  eminent  satisfaction  in  all  those  places,  being 
popular  with  both  pupils  and  patrons  and,  keeping  Well  abreast  of  the 
times  in  all  educational  matters  he  did  much  to  build  up  the  work  wher- 
ever he  was  employed.  In  the  school  room  he  was  regarded  as,  both  an 
instructor  and  an  entertainer  and  his  services  were  always  in  great  de- 
mand. He  became  one  of  the  best  known  educators  in  this  section  of 
the  state.  Finally  tiring  of  the  school  room  he  took  up  farming,  moving  in 
1904  to  the  place  where  he  now  lives  in  Ward  township,  wnich  consists  of 
two  hundred  and  fifteen  acres,  which  he  has  brought  up  to  a  high  state  of 
improvement  and  cultivation  and  on  which  he  is  carryirig  on  general  farming 
and  stock  raising  successfully.  He  has  a  pleasant  home  and  a  good  group 
of  outbuildings-. 

Politically,  Mr.  Orr  is  a  Democrat  and  while  he  has  always  been  inter- 


1396  RANDOLPH   COUNTY^  INDIANA. 

ested  in  public  matters  he  has  never  sought  pubhc  office  or  leadership. 
Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons  at  Redkey,  Indi- 
ana. He  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  advisors  of  his  township.  He  at- 
tends the  United  Brethren  church. 

:\Ir.  Orr  was  married  December  25,  1888  to  Minnie  Lollar,  a  daughter 
of  Elisha  Lollar,  a  farmer  of  Ward  township  where  she  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated. Her  father  on  whose  homestead  our  subject  lives,  was  a  soldier  dur- 
ing the  Civil  war,  serving  in  th»  Eighty-fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infan- 
try. He  saw  much  hard  service  and  was  dangerously  wounded  at  the  battle  of 
Chickamauga.     His  death  occurred  in  1885. 

To  Mr.  and  ]\Irs.  Orr  three  children  have  been  born,  named  as  follows : 
Jessie,  born  October  i,  1889,  was  educated  in  the  State  Universities  of 
Indiana  and  Ohio;  Ruth,  born  September  2,  1891,  and  Mary  Louisa,  born 
August  27,  1899. 


LEE  L.  DRIVER. 


Among  Indiana  educators,  Lee  L.  Driver,  superintendent  of  the  schools 
of  Randolph  county  occupies  a  place  in  the  front  rank.  He  was  born  Febru- 
ary 22,  1867,  in  Stoney  Creek  township,  Randolph  county,  Indiana.  His 
father  was  Joab  Driver,  son  of  Jacob  Driver,  an  early  pioneer  of  the  county ; 
his  mother  was  Mary  (Burres)  Driver,  daughter  of  Samuel  C.  Burres.  Both 
antecedent  families  have  been  well-known  and  highly  esteemed  throughout 
the  county.  Mr.  Driver  has  three  brothers,  Alton  D.,  Elverson  T.  and  Hal 
E.,  and  one  sister,  Mrs.  Myrtle  Reece. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  to  manhood  in  his  native  county 
and  attended  the  country  district  school  one  winter,  then  the  schools  of  Fann- 
land  and  graduated  from  the  Central  Normal  College  at  Danville,  Indiana, 
in  1883.  He  then  taught  school  a  year  in  Stoney  Creek  township,  four  years 
in  Monroe  township  and  one  year  in  Green  township. 

Mr.  Driver  was  married  April  15,  1886,  to  Carrie  A.  \\'ood,  daughter 
of  William  H.  and  Margaret  Wood,  then  in  her  twentieth  year,  having  been 
born  January  21,  1867.  Oscar  M.  Wood  and  Mrs.  Emma  O.  Reed,  of  near 
Parker,  are  brother  and  sister  to  Mrs.  Driver.  Four  children  ha^e  been  born 
to  this  union,  i.  e. ;  Clarence  W.,  born  March  8,  1887,  Herschel  W.,  born 
March  10,  1892;  Mary,  born  December  7,  1896  and  died  January  25,  1897, 
and  Agnes,  born  January  22,  1904.  Both  Clarence  and  Herschel  are  gradu- 
ates of  the  Winchester  high  school  and  also  graduates  of  Purdue  Universitv, 
Clarence  in  the  class  of  1910  and  Herschel  in  1913. 


(  y 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 397 

In  the  fall  of  1895  the  family  moved  to  Winchester  and  Mr.  Driver  be- 
gan teaching  in  the  city  schools.  For  two  years  he  was  in  charge  of  the 
eighth  grade,  and  was  teacher  of  mathematics  and  botany  in  1897,  and  was 
then,  for  ten  years,  in  the  high  school,  seven  years  of  which  time  he  was 
principal.  He  attended  the  State  Normal  school  two  terms  in  1895.  He  is 
also  an  under-graduate  of  the  Indiana  State  University.  He  was  elected 
superintendent  of  schools  of  Randolph  county,  June,  1907,  and  has  continu- 
ously held  that  office  until  the  present  time. 

Mr.  Driver  has  proved  himself  a  school  man  of  marked  ability.  He 
has  constantly  raised  the  standard  of  teaching  in  his  county  year  by  year ;  is 
a  fine  organizer  and  has  enlisted  the  aid  of  teachers  and  school  trustees  to 
that  degree  that  great  uiianimity  of  action  has  resulted  in  building  up  a  fine 
school  spirit.  Today  no  other  county  in  the  United  States  has  so  great  a 
number  of  pupils  in  consolidated  schools  as  has  Randolph  county.  There  are 
eighteen  commissioned  or  certified  high  schools  in  the  county.  In  ten  out  of 
twelve  townships,  agriculture  is  taught,  likewise,  manual  training  and 
domestic  science.  As  a  rule  college  graduates  are  in  charge  of  the  high 
school  courses.  The  buildings  are  all  modern  in  almost  ■  every  respect,  in- 
cluding toilets,  pressure  tanks,  hot  air  or  steam  heat,  engine  and  ventilation 
fans  and  libraries.  More  than  three  hundred  thousand  dollars'  have  been 
expended  in  this  splendid  work  and  all  the  buildings,  except  one,  have  been 
erected  since  Mr.  Driver  became  superintendent. 

The  name  of  superintendent  Driver  has  been  heralded  throughout  the 
State  of  Indiana  and  many  demands  have  been  made  upon  him  for  public 
addresses  in  all  sections,  upon  the  value  of  consolidation.  For  a  number  of 
vears  he  has  "been  active  before  the  State  Teachers'  Association.  In  1909  he 
was  made  a  member  of  the  Legislative  Comrnittee  of  County  suprintendents, 
which  had  charge  of  Indiana  school  affairs,  in  General  Assembly,  and  was 
chairman  of  the  same  committee  in  the  sessions  of  191 1  and  1913.  At  the 
present  time  he  is  chairman  of  the  Legislative  Committee  of  the  State  Teach- 
ers' Association.  He  was  vice-president  of  the  Northern  Indiana  Teachers' 
Association  for  the  years  1912-1913;  and  president  of  the  State  Association 
of  County  Superintendents  in  the  years  191 3-19 14. 

In  an  extended  article  contributed  by  Mr.  Driver  to  the  19 12  Report 
of  State  Superintendent  Greathouse,  he  set  forth  the  value  of  consolidation. 
The  demands  for  this  report  have  come  from  England,  Germany  and  Canada. 
Last  year  Mr.  A.  E.  Winship,  editor  of  the. Journal  of  Education,  Boston, 
journeyed  to  Indiana  solely  to  inspect  the  Randolph  county  system  of  con- 


I39f^  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

solidation.  He  visited  all  the  townships  and  later  published  a  glowing  ac- 
count of  his  observations  in  his  Journal. 

Our  subject  has  been  for  many  years  active  in  church  and  fraternity 
circles.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  has  been  a 
teacher  in  the  Sunday  schools  ever  since  his  advent  into  Winchester.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen,  Knights  of  Pythias  and  Masonic  lodges 
and  has  served  as  the  master  of  Summer's  Lodge  Free  and  Accepted  Masons 
for  a  period  of  five  years. 

Mr.  Driver  is  an  entertaining  speaker  and  writer,  fluent,  and  forceful. 
For  several  years  he  has  been  giving  an  illustrated  lecture  recounting  pioneer 
history  of  Randolph  county,  which  has  been  heard,  not  only  throughout  this 
county,  but  in  the  many  adjacent  counties.  He  is  also  a  welcome  contributor 
to  the  leading  educational  journals  of  the  country  and  keeps  abreast  with  all 
the  latest  and  best  educational  philosophy  of  the  times.  The  person  who 
peruses  this  history  will  readily  discern  Mr.  Driver's  ability  as  a  historian. 

In  this  community  where  he  is  best  known  he  is  highly  esteemed  as  a 
man  of  fine  ability  in  educational  work,  public-spirited  as  to  all  matters  per- 
taining to  his  city,  county  and  state,  and  ever  alert  to  their  best  interests. 
He  is  a  generous  neighbor  and  a  loyal  friend,  and  it  would  be  a  source  of 
great  pleasure  to  a  host  of  his  fellow  citizens  to  see  him  advance  to  higher 
stations  of  preferment  in  his  chosen  field  of  labor. 


WILLIAM  JULIAN  LOSCH. 

Some  men  speak  loudest  by  talking  volubly  and  frequently,  while  others 
speak  loudest  by  their  actions.  It  has  been  said  that  we  should  never  torm 
our  opinions  of  men  on  what  they  say,  but  only  on  what  they  do.  Talking, 
dreaming,  planning  amount  to  but  little;  it  is  what  a  man  does  that  counts. 
Realizing  this  early  in  life  William  Julian  Losch,  farmer  of  Randolph  county 
wisely  decided  to  "saw  wood  but  say  nothing,"  and  thus  by  the  habit  of 
keeping  his  well-laid  plans  and  schemes  to  himself  and  keeping  industriously 
engaged  he  has  forged  gradually  to  the  front  in  his  vocation  and  at  the  same 
tinie  has  established  a  reputation  for  good  citizenship. 

Air.  Losch  was  born  in  Jay  county,  Indiana,  March  31,  1862.  He  is  a 
son  of  Frederick  Charles  and  Eliza  (Stick)  Losch,  and  is  one  of  two  chil- 
dren ;  his  brother  John  lives  in  Bond  county,  Illinois,  on  a  farm,  he  married 
Spicy  Brown  and  they  have  six  children. 

Frederick  C.  Losch,  father  of  our  subject,  was  four  years  old  when  he 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1399 

was  brought  from  Germany,  where  he  was  born,  to  the  United  States.  The 
family  settled  in  New  Madison,  Ohio,  where  they  remained  some  time,  then 
came  on  to  Jay  county,  Indiana,  where  the  paternal  grandfather  of  our 
subject  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.  He 
entered  a  farm  from  the  government  of  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres, 
which  he  cleared  and  developed  and  became  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of 
his  locality.  The  parents  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  were  married  in  Jay 
county  and  there  established  their  home. 

William  J.  Losch  grew  to  manhood  in  Jay  county  and  worked  on  the 
farm  when  a  boy.  He  received  a  common  school  education,  and  on  Decem- 
ber 24,  1884,  he  married  Emma  S.  Iliff,  a  daughter  of  William  T.  Ilifif,  a 
farmer  of  Ward  township,  Randolph  coiinty,  where  she  was  born  and  grew  to 
womanhood  and  she  received  her  education  in  the  public  schools  there.  Mrs. 
Losch  is  one  of  ten  children. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Losch  seven  children  have  been  born,  namely :  Hettie 
married  Frederick  Toumey,  a  farmer  of  Jay  county,  and  they  have  three 
children,  Mary  Esther,  Harriet  Elizabeth  and  Frederick  Losch;  Lloyd  M. 
died  in  infancy ;  Carrie  L.  married  Chauncy  V.  Lindley,  professor  in  a  busi- 
ness college  at  Picjua,  Ohio,  and  they  have  two  children,  Byron  and  Loren 
Lee;  Rosa  died  when  ten  years  of  age;  Gertie,  born  January  19,  1894;  Mary, 
born  December  i,  1897,  is  preparing  herself  for  teaching;  George  Raymond, 
born  January  5,  1900. 

Mr.  Losch  is  owner  of  a  fine  farm  of  one  hundred  acres,  on  which  stand 
substantial  and  convenient  buildings  He  makes  a  feature  of  fruit  growing 
and  is  one  of  the  best  informed  men  on  horticulture  in  the  county.  He  is 
deserving  of  a  great  deal  of  credit  for  what  he  haS  accomplished,  having  to 
start  out  empty-handed  and  forge  to  the  front,  entirely  on  his  own  account. 
He  was  two  years  old  when  his  father  died,  his  death  having  occurred  from 
the  effects  of  a  disease  contracted  during  the  Civil  war,  while  chasing  Mor- 
gan the  invader.  Our  subject  was  bound  out  when  he  was  only  six  years  of 
age  to  Henry  Stick,  with  whom  he  remained  until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age. 
After  he  regained  his  freedom  he  worked  out  seven  years,  and  with  the  aid 
of  a  small  legacy  left  him  by  his  Grandfather  Losch  and  what  he  had 
saved  by  economy  he  was  enabled  to  begin  farming  for  himself.  He  was 
to  receive  a  horse,  saddle  and  bridle  at  the  termination  of  the  period  during 
which  he  was  bound  out,  but  he  received  only  a  colt  of  small  value. 

Mr.  Losch  is  a  Republican  in  politics.  He  belongs  to  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Red  Men  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 


I400  RANTDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

D.  E.  BARBER. 

To  attain  a  worthy  citizenship  by  a  Hfe  that  is  always  honored  and  re- 
spected, even  from  childhood,  deserves  more  than  a  cursory  glance  by  the 
biographer  and  a  casual  mention  by  the  historian.  All  will  agree  that  it  takes 
a  man  of  sterling  mettle  to  successfully  overcome  the  rrianifold  temptations 
of  youth  and  early  manhood  and  establish  a  character  in  the  minds  and 
hearts  of  those  with  whom  he  is  fated  to  associate  that  will  remain  an  un- 
tarnished figure  throughout  the  future  years.  But  this  is  what  D.  E.  Bar- 
ber, well  known  citizen  of  the  vicinity  of  Saratoga,  Randolph  county,  has  ac- 
complished. Here  his  life  has  been  spent  and  he  has  looked  so  well  to  his 
habits  of  living  that  no  one  speaks  ill  of  him.  He  has  become  one  of  our 
leading  farmers  and  contractors  and  is  a  splendid  native-born  citizen,  a 
typical  representative  of  this  thriving  community. 

Mr.  Barber  was  born  in  Saratoga,  Indiana,  September  ii,  1867.  He  is 
a  son  of  George  W.  and  Amanda  (Diehl)  Barber  and  was  one  of  five 
children,  also  had  a  half-brother:  David  died  in  infancy;  Amy  is  the  wife 
of  C.  A.  Ballard,  a  railroad  man  of  Springfield,  Illinois,  and  they  have  four 
children,  two  boys  and  two  girls ;  O.  L.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  fence  manu- 
facturing business  at  Muncie,  Indiana,  married  Lilly  M.  Milliken  and  they 
have  one  child;  D.  E.,  of  this  sketch,  was  next  in  order  of  birth;  Rosa  died 
when  thirty-eight  years  old,  leaving  a  husband  and  four  children;  Ora  R., 
half-brother  of  our  subject,  is  engaged  in  railroading  at  Amherst,  Wisconsin. 

George  W.  Barber,  father  of  the  above  named  children,  was  born  in 
Portsmouth,  Ohio,  and  when  three  years  old  his  parents  brought  him  to 
Randolph  county,  Indiana,  locating  at  Saratoga  and  in  that  vicinity  the 
parents  established  their  home  on  a  farm  in  the  pioneer  period  and  there 
George  W.  grew  to  manhood  and  spent  his  life  successfully  engaged  in  gen- 
eral farming.  He  was  an  honored  and  industrious  citizen.  His  death  oc- 
curred September  23,  191 1.  His  wife,  Amanda  Diehl,  was  born  in  Jackson 
township,  this  county,  and  here  grew  to  womanhood.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  Ephraim  Diehl  and  wife,  and  was  one  of  eleven  children.  Her  death 
occurred  February  22,  1873. 

D.  E.  Barber  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  where  he  worked 
when  a  boy  and  he  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  at  Saratoga. 
In  early  life  he  learned  the  painter's  trade  which  he  followed  for  some  time, 
but  he  has  devoted  his  attention  to  general  farming  and  stock  raising  since 
he  reached  manhood.  He  has  prospered  through  close  application  and  good- 
management  and  is  now  owner  of  two  splendid  farms  of  sixty-five  acres  near 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I4OI 

Saratoga,  which  he  has  brought  up  to  a  high  state  of  improvement  and 
cultivation  and  on  which  stand  a  commodious  residence  and  substantial  out- 
buildings. An  excellent  grade  of  live  stock  is  to  be  found  about  his  place  at 
all  times.  Although  a  very  busy  man  with  his  general  fannmg  and  stock 
raising  he  finds  time  to  do  a  great  deal  of  contracting,  doing  a  great  deal  of 
cement  work  and  road  building  and  turns  out  some  large  jobs  annually. 
His  work  is  always  high-grade  and  is  promptly  done. 

j\Ir.  Barber  was  married  February  4,  1890,  to  Sarah  Almonrode,  a 
daughter  of  Alexander  Almonrode,  a  successful  farmer,  now  deceased.  Here 
Mrs.  Barber  grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated.  Five  children  have  been 
born  to  this  union,  namely:  Dorothy,  born  January  2,  1891,  married  Charles 
Hesser,  a  farmer  of  Jackson  township,  and  they  have  two  children,  Virginia 
and  Nerval  Edgar;  Tracy,  born  July  25,  1894;  Noel  A.,  born  October  5, 
1896;  Juanita,  born  December  20,  1900;  Cordelia,  born  July  7,  1904. 

Mr.  Barber  is  a  Republican  in  politics.  He  attends  the  Methodist 
church.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Encamp- 
ment Red  Men  and  Loyal  Order  of  Moose. 


ALBERT  E.  ZIMMERMAN. 

Randolph  county,  Indiana,  has  furnished  comfortable  homes  for  many 
of  the  enterprising  citizens  hailing  from  the  great  German  empire  who  have 
been  settling  within  her  borders  since  the  pioneer  epoch  when  the  land  was 
still  the  haunts  of  various  tribes  of  Indians,  the  Weas,  Rickapoos,  Miamis 
and  others,  and  also  the  haunts  of  many  species  of  wild  denizens  of  the 
northern  woods.  We  have  always  welcomed  those  of  Germanic  blood,  and 
this  is  as  it  should  be,  for  they  have  been  courageous  and  not  afraid  of  hard 
work  and  have  been  of  untold  assistance  to  us  in  clearing  the  fertile  soil  of 
its  heavy  timber  of  beech,  oak,  ash  and  other  wood  common  to  this  lo- 
cality, and  they,  too,  have  helped  build  our  substantial  dwellings,  comfortable 
public  buildings  and  attractive  business  houses.  Few  of  these  visitors  from 
that  alien  land  had  any  capital  when  they  arrived,  at  least,  very  little,  not 
enough  to  be  of  much  consequence ;  but  they  didn't  need  much,  for  they  were 
strong  in  body  and  mind  and  did  not  hesitate  at  obstacles,  and  thus  in  due 
course  of  time  they  attained  a  competency  and  a  position  of  influence  in  the 
locality  in  which  they  chose  to  reside. 

Of  this  large  band  from  the  Fatherland  should  be  mentioned  Emanuel 
Zimmerman,  father  of  Albert  E.  Zimmerman,  well  known  hardware  mer- 
chant of  Ridgeville,  -Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  which  county  the  latter,  our 


I402  RAXDOLPH   COUNTY,   IXDIAXA. 

subject,  was  born  May  22,  1874.  Both  the  father  and  the  mother,  who  was 
known  in  her  maidenhood  as  Anna  \Mse,  were  born  in  \\'ittenTDurg.  Germany 
and  there  they  spent  their  earher  years,  finally  emigrating  to  America,  the  fa- 
ther landing  in  Xew  York  City  with  but  seventy-nine  cents,  and  he  began 
work  in  that  cit}-  at  fifty  cents  a  day,  subsequently  coming  west  and  locating 
in  Dayton,  Ohio.  He  worked  in  a  saw  mill  several  years,  during  which  he 
saved  his  money  and  was  eventuall}-  enabled  to  buy  a  farm  in  Darke  county, 
Ohio,  where  he  lived  for  two  }'ears  then  came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana, 
and  purchased  a  farm  in  Green  township  where  he  prospered,  becoming  one 
of  the  leading  general  farmers  and  stock  raisers  in  the  county,  and  at  his 
death  in  1905  he  left  an  estate  valued  at  twenty  thousand  dollars,  which  he 
had  made  b}'  his  own  persistency,  good  management  and  honest  dealings. 
His  wife  preceded  him  to  the  grave  in  1902.  Their  family  consisted  of  ten 
children,  two  of  whom,  a  son  and  daughter,  died  in  infancy  and  eight  grew 
to  man  and  womanhood,  namely :  Jacob,  an  insurance  man  of  Ridgeville, 
married  Emma  J.  Jones,  and  the}'  ha^e  tAvo  children;  Emanuel  was  next  in 
order  of  birth;  John  is  engaged  in  the  hardware  business  with  our  subject 
at  Ridgeville,  married  Flora  Mendenhall,  which  union  has  been  without  is- 
sue; George,  a  farmer  of  Green  township,  married  Rosella  Gantz,  and  they 
have  two  children,  a  boy  and  a  girl;  William,  mail  carrier  out  of  Ridgeville 
married  Flora  Pace  and  they  ha\'e  two  sons ;  ^Martin,  J.,  a  painter  and  paper- 
hanger  of  Dayton,  Ohio,  married  Cassie  Heniser  and  they  have  six  chil- 
dren; Philip,  a  farmer  of  Green  township,  married  Delia  Boyer,  and  they 
have  six  children;  Albert  E.,  of  this  sketch  is  the  youngest. 

Albert  E.  Zimmerman  grew  to  manhOod  on  the  home  farm  and  he  re- 
ceived a  common  school  education.  September  11,  1897,  he  married  Eva 
Shoemaker,  daughter  of  Charles  W.  and  Sarah  J.  Shoemaker,  whose  family 
consisted  of  six  children.  INIr.  Shoemaker  was  a  progressive  farmer.  He 
and  the  family  are  members  of  the  Evangelical  church. 

!Mr.  Zimmerman  worked  on  his  father's  farm  until  he  was  twenty-three 
years  old,  then  farmed  for  himself  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-nine. 
Although  he  was  making  splendid  success  as  a  farftier  he  decided  to  take 
up  the  merchandise  business,  and  accordingly  moved  to  Ridgeville  where  he 
went  into  the  grocery  business.  He  enjoyed  a  large  trade,  but  finding  a  bet- 
ter opportunity"  in  the  hardware  business  with  his  brother  John  in  Ridgeville 
he  went  into  that  three  years  ago.  having  remained  in  the  grocery  business 
five  years  with  his  brother  Jacob.  He  now  has  a  double  store  and  carries  a 
large  stock  of  up-to-date  and  carefully  selected  goods  and  enjoys  a  large 
and  rapidly  growing  trade  with  the  surrounding  country. 


EANbOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  X4O3 

"Ml".  Zimmerman  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  he  has  been  township 
trustee  for  a  period  of  six  years,  filling  the  office  to  the  entire  satisfaction 
of  all  concerned.    Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen. 


OLLIE  M.  PAINTER. 


One  of  the  native-born  sons  of  Randolph  county  who  has  been  content 
to  spend  his  life  in  his  own  locality,  rather  than  seek  uncertain  fortunes  in 
"the  west,"  that  vague  yet  facinating  phrase  which  has  lured  many  a  lad  from 
a  good  home  in  the  Eastern  states  and  then  ruining  him  for  his  pains.  Our 
subject  was  formerly  in  business  in  the  county-seat,  but  having  the  love  of 
the  soil  born  in  him  he  did  not  fit  in  exactly  with  the  mercantile  life  in  a  city 
and  returned  to  the  farm  where  he  is  most  successful  and  happiest,  which  in- 
deed is  not  strange  to  us  who  love  the  country  and  have  little  use  for  the 
cramped  and  artificial  life  of  the  town. 

Mr.  Painter  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  February  25,  1864.  He  is 
a  son  of  James  K.  and  Margaret  (Ellis)  Painter,  and  he  is  one  of  two 
children,  the  other  being  Charles  F.  Painter,  a  carpenter  and  builder  of 
Hartford  City,  Indiana;  he  married  Lina  Cox,  and  they  have  two  children, 
Clarence  and  Harold ;  Cecil  O.  died  when  thirteen  months  old. 

James  K.  Painter,  the  father,  was  a  native  of  Ohio  where  he  spent  his 
boyhood  years  and  received  a  common  school  education.  When  a  young 
man  he  came  to  Monroe  township,  Randolph  county,  Indiana  ^nd  here  finally 
bought  a  farm,  devoting  his  life  to  agricultural  pursuits,  although  he  was  a 
mechanic  by  profession  which  he  followed  in  early  life  for  some  time.  He 
moved  to  Michigan  but  did  not  remain  long  in  the  Wolverine  state,  coming 
back  to  Randolph  county  and  bought  a  farm  in  Franklin  township,  where  he 
continued  to  reside  until  his  death  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years.  The  mother 
of  our  subject  came  from  Perinsylvania,  and  the  grandmother  from  Eng- 
land, having  been  abducted  when  a  child,  according  to  the  tradition  of  her 
family.  The  parents  of  our  subject  were  both  of  English  descent.  The 
mother  is  living  in  Ridgeville,  Indiana  at  this  writing.  After  the  death  of 
the  father  of  our  subject  she  married  Rev.  Thomas  Addington,  a  minister 
in  the  Christian  church. 

Ollie  M.  Painter  grew  to  manhood  on  the  farm  and  assisted  his  father 
with  the  general  farm  work  when  a  boy,  and  he  received  his  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  his  locality.  On  October  24,  1887  he  married  Rosa  B. 
Burton,  a  daughter  of  David  Burton,  a  millwright  by  profession,  but  who  is 


1404  RANDOLPH  COUXTY,  INDIANA. 

now  engaged  in  farming  in  Franklin  township.  Mrs.  Painter  is  one  of  a 
family  of  nine  children. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Painter  one  child  has  been  born,  Hermieone  Goldie, 
whose  birth  occurred  December  21,  1888;  she  received  a  good  education  in  the 
local  schools  and  married  T.  E.  Driver,  of  Tampa,  Florida. 

]\Ir.  Painter  engaged  in  the  shoe  business  at  Winchester  a  short  time, 
and  although  he  was  building  up  a  good  trade,  he  longed  to  get  back  to  the 
soil  and  purchased  a  fine  farm  not  far  from  Winchester.  He  lived  on  tne 
homestead  thirty-five  years,  and  has  lived  on  his  present  farm  ten  years. 
He  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising  on  a  large  scale,  and  he  has 
a  cozy  home  and  good  outbuildings.  He  takes  a  delight  in  keeping  every- 
thing about  his  place  in  ship-shape. 

]\Ir.  Painter  has  been  a  life-long  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Christian  church. 


DANIEL  BRAGG. 


The  gentleman  to  a  review  of  whose  life  and  characteristics  the  reader's 
attention  is  herewith  directed  is  among  the  favorably  known  and  representa- 
tive citizens  of  Randolph  county.  ^Ir.  Bragg  has,  by  his  indomitable  energy 
and  enterprise,  contributed  to  the  material,  civic  and  moral  advancement  of 
his  community  during  the  course  of  an  honorable  career  and  he  has  ascended 
through  his  individual  methods  from  the  bottom  of  the  ladder  to  a  place  of 
importance  in  his  locality,  being  a  man  of  decided  progressive  ideas,  and 
ever  known  as  a  man  of  unswerving  industry,  sound  judgment  and  honesty 
of  purpose. 

Daniel  Bragg  was  born  in  Grant  county,  Indiana,  May  11,  1858.  He  is 
a  son  of  \\"esley  and  'Slary  E.  (Aliller)  Bragg  and  was  one  of  twelve  children, 
nine  of  whom  survive,  namely  :  Daniel,  of  this  review,  is  the  eldest ;  Austin, 
a  farmer  of  Ward  township,  married  Delia  Sarff,  and  to  them  nine  children 
were  born,  six  of  whom  survive :  Lewis,  a  farmer  of  \\'ard  township,  mar- 
ried Jennie  Simmons,  and  they  have  two  children;  Samantha,  who  married 
James  H.  AA'arren,  a  farmer  in  Ohio,  has  six  children;  Ephraim,  who  is 
farming  in  Ohio,  married  Alary  O.  Warren;  Sarah  married  Alva  Arnold,  a 
farmer;  John  W.,  a  real  estate  dealer  of  AA'inchester,  married  Alta  Peacock, 
and  they  have  two  children;  Charles,  a  farmer  of  Jackson  township,  mar- 
ried Ada  Craig,  and  to  them  six  children  were  born,  four  of  whom  are 
deceased;  Theodore,  who  is  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  with  his 
brother  in  A\'inchester,  married  Gertie  Craig,  and  they  have  six  children. 


MR.  AND  MUS.  DAXIKL  BRAGG. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I405 

Wesley  Bragg,  father  of  the  above  named  children,  was  born  in  Ward 
townshijD,  this  county,  and  here  grew  to  manhood  and  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools;  he  has  devoted  his  life  successfully  to  general  farming  in 
Randolph  and  Grant  counties.  His  wife  was  eleven  years  old  when  she 
came  to  Grant  county,  and  there  she  married  Mr.  Bragg  and  they  established 
their  home  there,  but  later  removed  to  this  county,  and  settled  in  Ward 
township.  Our  subject's  paternal  grandfather  came  from  Tennessee  in  an 
early  day  and  settled  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  spending  the  rest  of  his 
life  on  a  farm  two  miles  north  of  Saratoga.  He  was  three  times  married, 
and  he  was  the  father  of  eight  children,  all  by  his  first  wife;  only  one  of  the 
children  survives  at  this  writing. 

Daniel  Bragg  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  there  he  worked 
when  a  boy.  He  received  a  good  common  school  education.  He  has  been 
twice  married,  first,  on  May  26,  1877,  to  Rhoda  P.  Hinkle,  by  which  union 
the  following  children  were  born,  namely :  Henry  D.,  a  farmer  near  Win- 
chester, married  Almeda  Gurton,  and  they  have  four  children,  Lola  May, 
Albert,  Orin  and  Pauline;  Bessie  married  Charles  Ditmer,  a  farmer  of 
Arcanum,  Ohio,  and  they  have  three  children,  Mildred,  Blanch  and  Naoma; 
Elsie,  of  Eaton,  Indiana,  married  Charles  Steed,  and  they  have  four  children, 
Marvin,  Marjorie,  Ruth  and  Jessie  D. ;  Perrie  A.,  a  farmer  near  Winchester, 
married  Maggie  Courtner,  and  they  have  four  children,  Neva,  Charlotte, 
Gladys  and  Edgar;  Delia  May  married  Charles  Owens,  a  farmer  near  Win- 
chester, and  they  have  three  children.  Pearl,  Roy  and  Grace;  H.  E.,  a  rail- 
road man  of  Chicago,  married  Glee  Collett,  and  they  have  one  child;  Ken- 
neth Newton.  The  second  marriage  of  Daniel  Bragg,  of  this  sketch,  was  to 
Mary  (Adamson)  Evans  on  June  i,  1904.  She  was  born  in  Randolph 
county,  and  here  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  Ira. Adamson,  a  farmer  of  White  River  township  and  a  highly 
respected  citizen.     This  second  union  has  been  without  issue. 

Mr.  Bragg  began  farming  for  himself  when  a  young  man  and  he  has 
continued  with  ever  increasing  success,  until  now  he  is  deserving  of  a  place 
in  the  foremost  ranks  of  local  agriculturists.  He  owns  a  well-kept  and 
finely  improved  farm  of  sixty  acres,  on  which  he  carries  on  general  farming 
and  stock  raising  on  an  extensive  scale,  and  on  which  stand  a  neatly  fur- 
nished residence  and  large  outbuildings.  He  is  a  good  judge  of  live  stock 
and  keeps  a  good  grade  at  all  seasons.  Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  is 
influential  in  local  party  affairs.  He  was  supervisor  of  his  township  for  four 
terms,  discharging  his  duties  in  a  manner  that  met  the  hearty  approval  of 

(89) 


I40t»  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

all  concerned,  and  doing  a  great  deal  toward  the  general  improvement  of  the 
township.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  and  the  Modern  ^^'oodmen,  being  a  charter  member  of  the  latter. 
He  belongs  to  the  United  Brethren  church  at  Saratoga,  in  which  he  is  active. 
He  is  popular  in  his  community  and  a  pleasant  gentleman  to  meet. 


EMANUEL  ZIMMERMAN. 

Another  of  the  enterprising  farmers  and  public-spirited  citizens  of  Ran- 
dolph county  who  hails  from  the  old  Buckeye  state  and  whom  we  take  a 
delight  in  giving  special  notice  in  this  volume  is  Emanuel  Zimmerman,  of 
Green  township.  He  is  a  man  who  would  have  succeeded  at  his  chosen  life 
work  in  whatever  locality  he  might  have  selected  in  view  of  the  fact  that  he 
is  a  hard  and  persistent  worker,  a  man  of  sound  judgment  and  quick  mind. 
He  has  never  been  content  to  live  along  the  line  of  least  resistance,  but  has 
tried  in  every  possible  manner  to  improve  existing  conditions,  studying  the 
soil,  various  fertilizers,  seeds,  climatic  conditions  and  everything,  in  short, 
that  he  felt  was  necessary  to  insure  a  large  measure  of  success  as  a  general 
agriculturist. 

Mr.  Zimmerman  was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  August  6, 
1857.  He  is  a  son  of  Emanuel  and  Anna  Elizabeth  (Wise)  Zimmerman, 
who  were  born  and  educated  in  Alsace-Lorraine  and  married  there,  and  from 
that  country  came  to  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  later  moving  to  Darke 
county,  Ohio,  and  then  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  when  our  subject  was 
young  and  here  he  grew  up  and  received  a  common  school  education,  al- 
though he  was  not  able  to  get  any  schooling  after  his  twelfth  year.  He  re- 
mained under  his  parental  roof  tree  and  assisted  with  the  general  work  on 
the  farm  until  reaching  his  majority. 

On  November  28,  1871,  Mr.  Zimmerman  married  Phoebe  J.  Gantz, 
whose  father,  James  Gantz,  was  born  in  Germany  where  he  spent  his  boy- 
hood and  received  his  education,  and  when  a  young  man  he  left  the  Father- 
land and  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  locating  in  Virginia.  His  wife, 
Elizabeth  Ann  French,  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey..  They  finally  removed 
to  Indiana  and  established  their  future  home. 

Six  children  were  born  to  Emanuel  Zimmerman  and  wife,  three  sons 
and  three  daughters,  namely:  Anna  E.  married  Garfield  Carter,  a  farmer 
of  Green  township,  and  they  have  two  daughters,  Mildred  Loretta  and  Olive 
Lucille ;  Delpha,  a  school  teacher,  lives  at  home ;  Everett  ,Edward  is  super- 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I407 

intendent  of  the  Farmland  schools;  Harrison  Joseph  is  cost  accountant  and 
secretary  of  the  Muncie  Wheel  &  Jobbing  Company,  which  is  the  largest 
concern  of  its  kind  in  the  world;  Dorsie  Etta,  born  September  5,  1893,  is  at 
home;  John  Arthur,  born  November  25,  1896,  is  at  home. 

Mr.  Zimmerman  has  devoted  his  attention  to  farming  all  his  life  and 
has  been  very  successful  as  a  general  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  and  is  owner 
of  a  valuable  and  well-kept  place  of  one  hundred  acres  in  Green  township, 
on  which  stands  a  good  set  of  outbuildings  and  where  may  be  seen  an  excel- 
lent grade  of  livestock. 

Mr.  Zimmerman  attends  and  supports  the  Methodist  Protestant  church. 
Politically,  he  is  a  Republican  and  has  been  active  in  local  party  afifairs.  He 
has  been  township  trustee  for  a  period  of  six  years,  proving  to  be  a  most 
faithful  and  able  public  servant.  Green  township  is  indeed  fortunate  in 
having  a  man  for  this  office  with  the  business  capacity  of  Mr.  Zimmerman. 
He  has  done  much  for  the  township  since  he  became  trustee,  among  the 
notable  things  being  the  erection  of  the  Central  school,  the  finest  in  the  state 
of  Indiana  for  the  expense  incurred.  This  he  accomplished  with  the  aid  of 
his  advisory  board  which  consisted  of  Jas.  H.  Moore,  now  deceased,  J.  W. 
St.  John  and  George  Wise,  Jr.  He  is  a  most  popular  public  servant  and  has 
the  good  will  and  confidence  of  all  the  people,  irrespective  of  party  align- 
ment.    He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  of  the  Red  Men. 


ARTHUR  S.  SLONAKER. 

Among  the  thrifty  and  painstaking  farmers  and  stock  raisers  of  the 
vicinity  of  Farmland,  Randolph  county  none  are  deserving  of  specific  men- 
tion more  than  Arthur  S.  Slonaker,  as  he  has  one  of  the  best  kept,  most 
productive  and  valuable  farms  in  Monroe  township.  It  has  been  his  per- 
sistent work  and  good  management  that  has  made  it  so,  for  he  is  a  man  who 
has  never  depended  upon  others  to  do  what  he  should  do  for  himself,  and 
he  is  not  only  a  good  farmer  but  a  citizen  in  whom  those  who  he  has  dealings 
with  repose  the  utmost  confidence,  since  he  is  unquestionably  honest,  chari- 
table and  neighborly. 

Mr.  Slonaker  was  born  on  March  27,  1864,  in  Randolph  county.  He 
is  a  son  of  Adam  and  Nancy  (Morris)  Slonaker.  Adam  Slonaker  was  born 
in  what  is  now  Hampshire  county.  West  Virginia,  in  1824,  and  when  but 
an  infant  lost  his  father,  the  mother  later  marrying  William  Parish,  and 
they  settled  in  Frederick  county,  Virginia,  where  both  spent  the  rest  of  their 
lives.     When  ten  years  old  Adam  began  working  out  on  a  farm,  which  he 


1408  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

continued  to  do  until  reaching  his  majority-  Two  years  later  he  came  to 
Ohio,  in  the  fall  of  1848  and  continued  working  at  farm  work.  In  1851  he 
married  Nancy  Morris,  who  was  born  in  Highland,  county,  Ohio,  October  i, 
1826,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Maria  (Cooper)  Morris.  Adam  Slonaker 
resided  in  Highland  county,  Ohio,  six  years,  and  in  1855  came  to  Monroe 
township,  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  wild  land  on  which  he  resided  until  1864,  when  he  removed  to  a 
farm  just  east  of  Farmland,  buying  one  hundred  and  eighty-eight  acres  and 
here  spent  the  rest  of  his  active  life,  dying  in  Farmland,  November  26,  1899. 
The  farm  he  owned  then  is  now  occupied  by  our  subject.  In  politics  he  was 
a  Republican.  He  was  county  commissioner  for  two  terms  and  was  trustee 
of  his  township  for  two  terms.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Holland.  Nancy 
Morris,  mother  ©f  our  subject,  is  still  living,  making  her  home  in  Oregon. 
Her  grandmother  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-eight  years. 

To  Adam  Slonaker  and  wife  eight  children  were  born,  namely:  Alice 
v.,  married  diaries  W.  Paris,  formerly  superintendent  of  schools  of  Farm- 
land; they  now  live  in  California,  and  have  twelve  children:  William  N.  died 
in  early  childhood;  Julia  Emily  died  when  three  years  old;  Anna  Marion 
died  in  infancy;  Cornelia  B.,  who  lives  in  Mankato,  Minnesota,  married 
John  A.  Hancock,  superintendent  of  schools,  and  they  have  two  children, 
one  having  died;  Charlotte  E.,  who  lives  in  the  Hood  River  valley,  Oregon, 
married  James  H.  Jeffrey,  a  fruit  grower,  formerly  of  New  Castle,  Indiana ; 
Arthur  S.,  of  this  review;  James  Rowland  is  a  professor  in  Leland- Stan- 
ford University,  Palo  Alto,  California,  married  Marion  Esta  Stratton,  of 
Worcester,  Massachusetts,  and  they  have  three  children. 

Arthur  S.  Slonaker  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools.  On  September  29,  1885,  he  married  Nettie 
Gray,  of  Farmland,  a  daughter  of  Nathan  E.  Gray,  who  was  a  furniture 
dealer  in  that  town  for  some  time,  later  making  his  home  in  Dayton,  Ohio; 
he  was  a  builder  and  contractor.  His  family  consisted  of  eight  children, 
four  sons  and  four  daughters,  there  being  two  pairs  of  twins.  The  mother 
was  from  Holmes  county,  Ohio. 

Four  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Slonaker,  namely :  Mil- 
dred Virginia,  a  teacher  in  the  Farmland  schools,  was  born  April  8,  1887; 
Myron  G.,  an  electrical  engineer,  was  educated  at  Purdue  University;  he 
was  born  January  24,  1889;  Richard  L.,  who  lives  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  where 
he  has  employment  with  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  was  born 
December  28,  1891 ;  Mary  Lou,  born  June  5,  1896,  is  a  graduate  of  Farm- 
land high  school. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 409 

Politically  Mr.  Slonaker  is  a  Republican,  and  he  and  his  family  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Our  subject  has  devoted  his  life  successfully  to  general  farming  and 
stock  raising.  He  is  now  owner  of  a  fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
eight  acres,  pleasantly  located  one-half  mile  from  Farmland,  where  he  car- 
ries on  farming  according  to  advanced  methods  and  handles  an  excellent 
grade  of  livestock.  On  his  place  stands  a  comfortable  residence  and  good 
outbuildings. 


sa:\'Iuel  m.  cougill. 

The  name  of  Samuel  Cougill,  farmer  and  banker  of  Farmland  is  too 
well-known  to  the  people  of  Randolph  county  to  need  any  introduction  by  the 
biographer.  He  occupies  a  prominent  place  in  the  esteem  of  the  people  and 
is  universally  respected.  He  is  a  worthy  representative  of  one  of  the  ex- 
cellent old  pioneer  Hoosier  families,  .members  of  which  have  figured  more 
or  less  prominently  in  the  affairs  of  this  section  of  the  state  for  several 
generations,  ever  lending  such  aid  as  was  their  just  due  in  futhering  any 
movements  having  as  their  object  the  general  upbuilding  of  their  respective 
communities  in  a  material,  civic  and  moral  way.  They  have  not  been  neglect- 
ful of  their  duty  in  any  of  the  avenues  of  life  and  they  have  long  ranked 
among  the  best  farmers,  being  advocates  of  progressive  methods  in  order 
to  get  the  largest  results  from  the  minimum  expenditure  of  labor.  There  is 
much  satisfaction  in  offering  biographies  of  such  people  in  a  work  of  "this 
nature. 

Samuel  M.  Cougill  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  February  15, 
1846.  He  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Eliza  (Tunes)  Cougill.  He  is  of  Scotch 
ancestry,  seemingly  inheriting  many  of  the  sterling  traits  of  his  forbears, 
and  he  is  one  of  a  family  of  nine  children,  namely:  Asbury,  deceased,  left 
several  children,  only  two  of  whom  survive,  Emily  died  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
years;  George  Wiley  died  in  Missouri  in  1910,  leaving  a  widow  ana  seven 
children,  he  was  both  a  teacher  and  minister  of  the  gospel;  Samuel  M.,  of  this 
review;  Filinda  died  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years;  Lewis,  who  is  farming 
in  Delaware  county,  is  married  and  has  four  children ;  Cornelia,  who  married 
John  Ralston,  a  carpenter  and  builder,  is  deceased,  two  children  surviving; 
Martha,  of  Findlay.  Ohio,  married  John  Grooms,  and  they  have  six  children, 
all  boys ;  Albert,  who  conducts  a  hotel  at  Portland,  married  Nora  Linstell,  first, 
later  married  Cora  McLaughlin,  and  he  has  three  children.    The  father  of  our 


I4IO  RANDOLPH  COUNTY^  INDIANA. 

subject  was  three  times  married;  his  second  wife  was  May  Savage,  by  whom 
two  sons  and  one  daughter  were  born;  his  third  wife  was  a  Miss  Hunt  and  to 
them  one  child  was  born,  Lloyd. 

Robert  Cougill,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Ohio  where  he  grew 
to  manhood,  received  his  education  and  married,  soon  after  this  event  he 
brought  his  bride  to  Indiana.  He  engaged  successfully  in  school  teaching  tor 
a  period  of  twenty-seven  years,  and  three  of  his  sons  were  school  teachers. 
His  father  enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  from  Pennsylvania,  his 
native  state,  but  he  died  in  Indiana.  Robert  Cougill  purchased  a  farm  in 
Randolph  county,  consisting  of  two  hundred  acres.  His  death  occurred  in 
Missouri  in  1897,  after  devoting  the  latter  part  of  his  life  to  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  one  of  nine  children. 
Her  parents  were  farmers  and  they  came  from  Ohio  to  Indiana  in  an  early 
day  where  the  future  home  of  the  family  was  established. 

Samuel  M.  Cougill  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  had-  the 
advantages  of  a  good  education  and  he  began  life  as  a  school  teacher  which  he 
followed  for  eight  years,  during  which  his  services  were  in  great  demand. 
He  has  been  twice  married,  first  on  April  29,  1869  to  Eliza  Meeks,  by  whom 
six  children  were  born,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy;  Thomas  Harvey  died 
in  1903,  he  was  a  farmer  and  school  teacher,  he  married  Gertrude  Bond, 
and  to  them  one  child  was  born,  Thomas  Harold;  Lona,  who  married  Will- 
iam Tharp,  a  farmer  of  Delaware  county,  has  seven  children;  Robie  mar- 
ried Irene  Brewington,  is  a  farmer  and  dairyman,  and  has  two  sons ;  Arthur 
lives  near  Lynn  on  a  farm,  married  Anna  Ross,  and  they  have  two  daughters 
and  one  son;  Myrjile  married  Earl  Swander,  a  farmer  and  school  teacher 
of  Delaware  county,  and  they  have  two  children.  Mr.  Cougill  married  for 
his  second  wife  Emma  Learel-Brewington,  which  union  has  been  without 
issue.  She  had  three  children  by  her  former  husband,  namely :  Glenn,  who 
died  when  seven  years  old;  Mary  and  Matilda,  twins,  born  July  31,  1892; 
the  former  married  John  Strong,  a  farmer  near  Redkey;  Matilda  married 
Walter  Hook,  a  farmer  near  Albany. 

Mr.  Cougill  began  life  for  himself  as  a  farmer,  and  he  is  now  owner 
of  a  finely  improved  and  productive  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres. 
He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Farmland  State  Bank  in  i8»7,  was 
one  of  its  first  directors  and  is  still  one.  He  was  at  one  time  vice-president 
of  this  sound  and  popular  institution,  and  is  now  president  of  the  same.  Its 
fine  prestige  and  large  success  has  been  due  for  the  most  part  to  the  manage- 
ment of  its  directors  and  cashier.  A  general  banking  business  is  carried  on 
and  this  bank  ranks  with  the  best  in  the  county  and  northern  Indiana. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTYj  INDIANA.  I4I 1 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Cougill  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  and  politically  he  is  a  Republican,  and  is  loyal  in  his  support  of 
the  party.  He  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  is  a  liberal 
supporter  of  same. 


DAVID  EDGAR  HILL. 


The  state  of  Ohio  has  sent  large  numbers  of  her  best  and  most  enter- 
prising citizens  into  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  where  they  have  carried  for- 
ward the  good  work  of  civilization,  reclaimed  the  rich  soil  from  the  wilder- 
ness and  so  skillfully  operated  the  farms  that  they  have  retained  the  original 
richness  and  productiveness  of  soil  and  they  have  built  cities  and  towns, 
erected  churches  and  school-houses  and  brought  this  locality  up  to  an  equality 
with  any  other  in  the  Union.  So  we  owe  the  old  Buckeye  state  a  great  debt 
of  gratitude,  so  great,  indeed  that  we  cannot  hope  to  repay  it  in  any  way. 
One  of  the  worthy  families  she  has  sent  to  us  is  the  Hills,  of  the  vicinity  of 
Parker  whose  residence  here  of  over  forty  years  has  been  productive  of  much 
good  to  both  themselves  and  the  county. 

David  Edgar  Hill,  to  whose  life  record  we  give  briefly  especial  at- 
tention here,  was  born  in  Highland  county,  Ohio,  May  22,  1869.  but  prac- 
tically all  of  his  life  has  been  spent  in  Randolph  county,  he  having  been  an 
infant  when  brought  here  by  his  parents,  Benjamin  and  Sarah  (Morris) 
Hill.  He  is  one  of  five  children,  named  as  follows :  Daniel,  lumberman,  of 
Colorado  Springs,  Colorado,  married  Etta  Biser  and  they  have  five  children : 
David  Edgar,  subject  of  this  sketch;  Sarah  Alice,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Oscar  Tharp  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-four  years;  Marion,  who  is  farming 
on  the  old  homestead,  married  Belle  Hinchman,  and  they  have  four  chil- 
dren; Elizabeth  lives  with  her  parents  in  the  village  of  Farmland. 

Benjamin  Hill  was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  Ohio  and  there  he 
and  Sarah  Morris  were  married.  In  1870,  when  twenty-six  years  old,  he  re- 
moved with  his  family  to  Indiana,  locating  in  Randolph  county  where  he  be- 
came a  successful  general  farmer.  He  is  owner  of  four  large  and  valuable 
farms.  He  is  now  living  retired  in  his  pleasant  modern  home  in  Farmland, 
where  he  and  his  good  wife  are  held  in  high  esteem  by  a  host  of  warm  friends. 

David  E.  Hill  was  reared  on  the  old  home  place  where  he  worked  when 
a  boy,  and  during  the  winter  he  attended  the  district  schools  in  his  neighbor- 
hood. He  has  been  twice  married,  first,  to  Cora  Thornburg,  by  which  union 
five  children  were  born,  namely:  Paul,  Earl,  Iris,  Marcus  and  Marie.  The 
wife  and  mother  was  called  to  her  rest  on  November  16,   1905.     In  July, 


141 -V  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

1907,  Mr.  Hill  married  Eva  McGunegill,  of  Monroe  township,  Randolph 
county.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  R.  McGunegill  and  wife.  This  union 
has  been  without  issue. 

Mr.  Hill  has  devoted  his  life  successfully  to  general  farming  and  stock 
raising,  and  is  operating  a  well-managed  and  productive  farm  of  three  hun- 
dred acres. 

Politically,  Mr.  Hill  is  a  Republican.  He  has  served  his  township  as 
supervisor.    He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


MRS.  MARY  ADAMSON-EVANS  BRAGG. 

Words  of  praise  cannot  clearly  convey  the  personal  characteristics  of 
the  estimable  lady  whose  name  forms  the  caption  of  this  article,  for  only 
those  who  have  the  good  fortune  to  know  her  personally  can  see  the  true 
beauty  of  her  character  and  individual  traits,  which  have  been  the  resultant,' 
very  largely,  of  an  industrious  and  wholesome  life  spent  in  the  devotion  to 
duty,  a  life  filled  with  good  deeds  to  others  and  led  along  worthy  planes,  and 
as  a  result  of  her  commendable  characteristics  she  enjoys  the  friendship  of 
a  large  circle  of  acquaintances  in  Randolph  county. 

Mrs.  Mary  (Adamson-Evans)  Bragg,  wife  of  Daniel  Bragg,  a  sketch 
of  whom  appears  on  another  page  of  this  volume,  was  born  in  Randolph 
county,  Indiana.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Ira  and  Nancy  A.  (Wilmore)  Adam- 
son.  Mr.  Adamson,  a  highly  respected  farmer  of  White  River  township, 
this  county,  came  to  this  locality  when  it  was  little  developed  and  here  he 
became  a  successful  agriculturist,  bringing  an  excellent  farm  up  from  the 
wild  state.  When  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  nine  months  old  he  moved 
with  his  family  to  a  farm  a  half  mile  west  and  two  miles  south  of  the  town 
of  Saratoga,  and  there  Mrs.  Bragg  grew  to  womanhood.  The  place  con- 
sisted of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  only  seven  acres  of  which  was  at  that 
time  cleared.  The  land  was  originally  owned  by  her  maternal  grandfather, 
Willis  C.  Wilmore,  who  gave  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Nancy  A.  Adamson,  mother 
of  Mrs.  Bragg,  eighty  acres,  Mr.  Adamson  purchasing  the  additional  eighty. 
But  Mr.  Adamson  was  a  man  of  industry  and  courage  and  he  set  to  work 
with  a  will  to  clear  and  place  all  his  land  under  cultivation,  and  it  was  not 
many  years  until  he  had  one  of  the  choice  farms  of  the  locality  and  a  com- 
fortable home.  Jesse  Adamson,  brother  of  Mrs.  Bragg,  is  living  on  the 
homestead  at  this  writing.  He  was  born  and  reared  there ;  in  fact,  has  never 
lived  anywhere  else.  Ten  children  were  born  to  Ira  Adamson  and  wife, 
namely:     Willis  A.  married  Angeline  Warren,  and  they  live  near  Saratoga. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I4I3 

Randolph  county;  Mary,  the  immediate  subject  of  this  review;  Sarah  is 
hving  in  Mason  City,  IlHnois ;  Jesse,  who  hves  on  the  home  farm,  married 
Etta  McQraw,  and  they  have  one  son,  Ray ;  Mrs,  Ahce  Leach  lives  in  Mun- 
cie,  Indiana,  and  has  one  child,  Jesse  Merril;  John,  deceased,  was  married 
and  had  ty^o  children,  Paul  and  Loveday;  James  is  married  and  has  one 
child,  Lcis,  and  lives  with,  his  family  in  Westerville,  Ohio ;  George,  who  is 
living  in  Everett,  Washington,  is  married,  but  has  no  children ;  Mrs.  Hannah 
HolloAVay,  who  lives  near  Lynn,  Lidiana,  has  two  children,  Ardath  and 
Hubert ;  Mrs.  Edith  Gulp,  who  lives  in  Mason  Gity,  Illinois,  has  one  son, 
Ray. 

Mrs.  Bragg  spent  her  girlhood  days  assisting  with  the  household  work 
on  the  home  farm,  and  in  the  winter  months  she  attended  the  district  schools, 
first  attending  school  in  an  old  log  house,  a  considerable  distance  from  home, 
the  path  to  which  was  through  such  heavily  timbered  country  that  her  father 
found  it  necessary  to  blaze  the  trees  along  the  path  to  keep  his  children 
from  getting  lost  while  going  to  and  from  school.  It  was  known  as  the 
"lost  school  house,"  from  the  fact  that  a  United  Brethren  minister  got  lost  in 
the  wilderness  in  attempting  to  go  but  a  half  mile  to  the  little  log  school 
house,  where  he  intended  preaching.  The  country  round  about  was  low, 
and  in  the  seasons  of  mud  and  ice,  was  difficult  to  travel  over.  A  large  pond 
came  almost  up  to  the  door  of  the  school  house,  and  Mrs.  Bragg  recalls 
man}'  a  'pleasant  time  spent  in  skating  on  this  pond  during  her  school  days. 

Mrs.  Bragg  remained  at  home  on  the  farm  until  her  marriage  to  Dr. 
G.  S.  Evans,  of  Saratoga,  this  county,  and  they  lived  in  that  town  until  his 
death,  in  1891,  after  they  had  been  married  six  years,  and  to  this  union  two 
children  were  born,  Harry  A.  Evans,  who  lives  at  Vancouver,  British  Col- 
umbia, married  Maud  V.  Calliew,  who  was  born  in  Sussex,  England ;  Ma- 
belle  Evans  married  Raymond  Lasley,  and  they  live  on  a  farm  two  miles 
southwest  of  Winchester,  Indiana,  and  to  this  union  one  son  has  been  born. 
Evan  Arnold  Lasley. 

Dr.  Evans  was  one  of  the  successful  doctors  of  Randolph  county  and 
a  highly  respected  citizen.  After  his  death,  his  widow  removed,  with  her 
two  small  children,  to  Mason  City,  Illinois,  where  they  resided  from  Septem- 
ber, 1 891,  to  March,  1901,  when  they  moved  back  to  the  old  home  farm,  Mrs. 
Evans  keeping  house  for  her  brother  and  father,  after  the  death  of  her 
mother.  On  June  i,  1904,  she  married  Daniel  Bragg,  and  they  are  living  on 
a  farm  in  this  county.  This  second  union  has  been  without  issue.  Their 
place,  known  as  the  "Revenue  farm,"  is  located  in  pleasant  surroundings,  six 
miles  north  of  Winchester. 


I414  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

The  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Bragg's  mother  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  and  by  virtue  of  this  fact,  Mrs.  Bragg  is  now  a  member  of  the 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  her  membership  bein^  accepted 
April  18,  1 9 14.  Mrs.  Bragg's  great-grandmother  was  a  Harrison,  a  sister 
of  President  William  Henry  Harrison. 

Mrs.  Bragg  is  known  among  her  friends  as  a  neighborly,  hospitable 
and  genial  lady,  who  takes  a  great  pride  in  her  home  and  the  affairs  that  are 
of  vital  interest  to  the  community. 


OLIVER  G.  SMITH 


One  of  the  most  conspicuous  stock  dealers  and  agriculturists  in  the  pres- 
ent-day history  of  Randolph  county  is  Oliver  G.  Smith,  of  near  Farmland,  a 
man  actively  identified  with  the  business  interests  of  this  locality  and  for 
many  years  widely  known  as  one  of  the  representative  men  of  this  section 
of  the  great  Hoosier  commonwealth.  Equally  noted  as  a  citizen  whose  use- 
ful career  has  conferred  credit  upon  the  community  and  whose  marked  abili- 
ties and  stirring  qualities  have  won  for  him  much  more  than  local  repute, 
he  holds  today  distinctive  precedence  as  one  of  the  most  progressive  and 
successful  men  that  ever  forged  his  way  from  an  environment  none  too  au- 
spicious and  that  ever  here  inaugurated  and  carried  to  successful  termination 
large  and  important  undertakings.  Strong  mental  endowment,  invincible 
courage  and  a  determined  will,  coupled  with  an  honesty  of  purpose  that  hesti- 
tates  at  no  opposition,  have  so  entered  into  his  composition  as  to  render  him 
a  dominant  factor  in  the  business  world  and  a  leader  of  important  local 
enterprises.  He  is  essentially  a  man  of  affairs,  sound  of  judgment  and  far- 
seeing  in  what  he  undertakes ;  and  every  enterprise  to  which  he  has  addressed 
himself  has  resulted  in  liberal  financial  returns,  while  at  the  same  time  he 
has  won  and  retained  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all. 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Highland  county,  Ohio,  October  2,  1855.  He  is 
a  son  of  Barclay  and  Sophia  (Grove)  Smith,  and  is  one  of  a  family  of  six 
children,  he  being  the  eldest,  the  others  are  Everett  W.,  a  farmer  near 
Parker,  married  Nancy  Dragoo,  and  they  have  four  children;  Edgar  Oscar, 
a  painter  of  Parker,  married  Alice  Cultice,  and  they  have  a  son  and  daugh- 
ter ;  Charley,  a  machinist  of  Muncie,  has  remained  single ;  Ida  M.  lives  in 
Columbus,  Ohio;  Sadie,  who  lives  on  the  old  homestead  near  Parker,  mar- 
ried William  Morris,  and  they  have  eight  children. 

Barclay  Smith,  the  father,  was  born   in  Highland  county,   Ohio,  and 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I4I5 

there  grew  to  manhood,  was  educated  and  married.  His  death  occurred  in 
1909.  The  paternal  grandfather  came  from  Maryland  to  Ohio  in  an  early 
day.  The  great  grandfather  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  from  which  country 
he  emigrated  to  America.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  bom  in  Ken- 
tucky, but  was  reared,  educated  and  married  in  Ohio.  Her  death  occurred 
in  1913  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  The  maternal  grand- 
father was  a  Virginian,  a  large  plantation  owner,  and  at  one  time  he  had 
one  hundred  and  twenty  slaves  which  he  finally  freed.  He  removed  from 
Virginia  to  Kentucky,  thence  to  Ohio,  purchasing  in  the  last  named  state 
two  hundred  acres  on  which  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  at  the  age  of 
eighty  years.  He  was  a  philanthropist  and  among  his  innumerable  charitable 
acts  he  fed  scores  of  poor  people  during  the  Civil  War.  He  was  a  pros- 
perous farmer  and  an  exceptionally  strong  business  man  and  influential  citi- 
zen. 

Oliver  G.  Smith  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  was  reared 
in  the  Quaker  faith,  much  pains  being  taken  in  his  early  training.  On  Janu- 
ary 26,  1877,  he  married  Mary  Etta  Wood,  a  daughter  of  John  F.  Wood, 
of  Farmland,  whose  family  consisted  of  twelve  children,  eight  of  whom 
survive  at  this  writing.  To  our  subject  and  wife  four  children  have  been 
born,  three  daughters  and  one  son,  namely:  Burley  Beatrice,  born  in  1884, 
married  Omar  Bennett,  a  farmer  in  Randolph  county;  Stella  married  H. 
Hawkins  of  Farmland  and  they  have  two  children ;  John  B.  who  lives  on  the 
home  farm,  was  born  in  1892  and  has  just  graduated  from  Purdue  Uni- 
versity where  he  spent  four  years;  Flossie,  born  in  1894,  married  Oscar  Hub- 
bard, June  26,  1913;  Mr.  Hubbard  is  a  machinist  and  lives  in  Farmland.  All 
the  above  named  children  were  well  reared  and  all  are  graduates  of  the  high 
school  at  Farmland. 

Mr.  Smith  is  deserving  of  a  great  deal  of  credit  for  what  he  has  ac- 
complished for  he  started  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder,  working  by  the  month 
as  a  farm  hand  for  seven  years.  He  assisted  with  the  work  on  his  father's 
farm  until  he  reached  his  majority.  He  now  owns  one  of  the  finest  farms 
in  Randolph  county,  which  is  modernly  improved  and  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation.  He  is  one  of  the  most  extensive  buyers  of  live  stock  in  north- 
ern Indiana  or  perhaps  in  the  state. ,  His  start  was  made  by  buying  a  pig  for 
which  he  paid  with  savings  from  wages  at  thirty-five  cents  a  day.  Something 
of  the  enormous  growth  of  his  business  in  this  line  of  endeavor  may  be  gained 
from  the  fact  that  during  the  year  of  1912  he  paid  out  to  the  farmers  of 
Randolph  county  for  livestock  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars.     In  the  spring  of  1913  he  shipped  from  the  state  of  Texas  to  this 


1416  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

county  forty-one  car  loads  of  young  cattle,  which  he  prepared  for  the  market 
on  his  farm  here.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Farm- 
land. Besides  buying  all  kinds  of  livestock  for  the  market  he  breeds  fancy 
hogs,  Percheron  horses  and  short  horn  cattle  on  an  extensive  scale,  and  his 
fine  stock  always  find  a  ready  sale  at  fancy  prices,  owing  to  their  superior 
qualities.  Personally  he  is  a  good  mixer,  genial,  obliging  "and  straightfor- 
ward in  all  his  relations  with  his  fellow  men. 


MANFORD  AUKERMAN. 

The  name  of  Aukerman  has  been  an  honored  one  in  Randolph  county 
for  forty  years,  and  the  gentleman  of  that  name  who  is  the  immediate  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  is  richly  deserving  of  the  universal  respect  which  is  ac- 
corded him  by  all  with  whom  he  is  acquainted.  He  is  one  of  the  painstaiking 
and  energetic  farmers  of  Jackson  township ;  still  in  the  fulness  of  years,  he  is 
to  be  found  at  the  helm  of  a  large  and  growing  agricultural  business. 

Manford  Aukerman  was  born  in  German  township,  Darke  county,  Ohio, 
April  25,  1868.  He  is  a  son  of  Daniel  Aukerman,  who  was  born  in  Darke 
county,  Ohio,  in  1834,  there  spent  his  early  life,  married  Sarah  Elizabeth 
Spencer,  who  was  born  in  that  county,  September  5,  1838,  a  daughter  of 
William  and  Margaret  (Erwin)  Spencer.  The  father  of  William  Spencer 
was  Frank  Spencer.  Daniel  Aukerman  finally  moved  with  his  family,  in 
1873,  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  located  on  a  farm,  now  owned  and 
occupied  by  his  only  child,  Manford  Aukerman.  The  father  cleared  and 
improved  this  farm  and  devoted  his  life  to  general  farming.  His  death 
occurred  in  1895.  His  wife  died  December  5,  1910.  They  both  spent  their 
last  years  with  our  subject.  They  were  excellent  people,  honest,  hard-work- 
ing and  hospitable.  Lewis  Aukerman,  father  of  Daniel  Aukerman,  was  an 
early  pioneer  of  Germantown,  Darke  county,  Ohio,  and  there  he  spent  the 
rest  of  his  life.  He  married  Elizabeth  Brower.  The  Aukerman  family  is 
of  German  origin. 

Manford  Aukerman  was  five  years  old  when  he  moved  with  his  parents 
from  Ohio  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  here  he  grew  to  manhood  on 
the  homestead  which  he  assisted  his  father  to  develop  from  the  wilds.  He  re- 
ceived a  common  school  education.  He  has  remained  on  the  home  farm 
which  consists  of  seventy  acres,  and  is  located  in  the  northeastern  corner 
of  the  county.  He  has  kept  the  place  well  improved  and  well  cultivated  and 
has  a  good  set  of  buildings. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I417 

Mr.  Aukerman  was  married  May  22,  1887,  to  Anna  Jane  Welburn, 
who  was  born  in  Mississinewa  township,  Darke  county,  Ohio,  February  9, 
1864.  She  is  the  daughter  of  George  J.  and  Sarah  Ann  Welburn,  who  are 
still  living  on  a  farm  in  Ohio,  of  which  state  they  were  natives  and  in  which 
they  have  always  resided.    They  are  of  English  ancestry. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Aukerman  the  following  children  have  been  born : 
Bessie  F.,  born  May  28,  1888,  married  Wesley  Whitacre,  a  brick  mason  by 
trade,  and  they  reside  in  Chicago;  Lewis  C,  born  June  25,  1893,  is  attend- 
ing Normal  school  at  Muncie,  preparing  himself  for  a  teacher;  Oliver  M., 
born  ;May  28,  1896;  Marshall  G.,  born  February  28,  1899.  These  children 
have  received  excellent  educational  advantages. 

Mr.  Aukerman  and  his  three  sons  are  members  of  the  Mississinewa 
Valley  band,  which  was  organized  four  years  ago  and  is  regarded  as  one  of 
the  leading  bands  of  the  county.  This  family  has  much  natural  ability  as 
musicians.  Our  subject  has  been  leader  of  the  choir  in  the  local  United 
Brethren  church  for  the  past  fifteen  years,  and  his  sons  are  also  members 
of  this  choir.  He  has  attended  this  church  since  he  was  five  years  old  or 
ever  since  the  family  came  to  this  locality.  His  father  was  a  leader  in  the 
Zion  church  choir  for  many  years.  Our  subject  has  taught  vocal  music 
very  successfully  for  several  years.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  politically  he  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  United  Brethren  church. 


ELIJAH  W.  McFARLAND. 

A  man  of  unswerving  industry,  sound  judgment  and  progressive  meth- 
ods is  Elijah  W.  McFarland,  farmer  of  Jackson  township,  Randolph  county. 
His  career  may  well  be  studied  with  profit  by  the  youth  whose  fortunes  are 
yet  matters  for  future  years  to  determine,  for  it  shows  what  one  may  ac- 
complish if  one  has  courage,  fortitude  and  energy,  backed  by  right  princi- 
ples, although  starting  out  under  none  too  favorable  an  environment. 

Mr.  McFarland  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  in  Jackson  township, 
this  county,  February  29,  1856.  He  is  a  son  of  Nimrod  McFarland,  who 
was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  in  1828,  and  there  he  grew  to  manhood,  re- 
moving to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1850  and  locating  in  Jackson  town- 
ship where  his  death  occurred  in  1856.  In  1849  he  married  Jane  Hendrix, 
a  daughter  of  James  Hendrix.  She  survived  her  husband  thirty-eight  years, 
dying  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  in  1894.  She  was  twice  married,  her  last  hus- 
band being  Robert  Byram.     The  subject  of  this  sketch  has  one  brother  liv- 


1 41 8  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

ing,  William  A.  McFarland,  a  farmer  of  Jackson  township,  and  he  also  has 
three  half-brothers,  Thomas  W.  Byram,  Robert  F.  Byram  and  Eli  M.  By- 
ram.  The  first  named  lives  in  Redkey,  Indiana,  and  the'  two  latter  make 
their  homes  in  Jackson  township.  The  paternal  grandfather,  William  Mc- 
Farland, was  born  December  25,  1793.  He  spent  the  latter  part  of  his  life 
in  Jackson  township,  this  county,  and  here  he  laid  out  the  town  of  Pittsburg. 
His  death  occurred  in  1888  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-five  years,  and  he 
was  buried  in  Pittsburg  cemetery.  His  wife,  Flora  Tebo,  was  born  De- 
cember 17,  1793,  there  having  been  only  eight  days  difference  in  their  ages. 
They  were  born  five  hundred  miles  apart,  he  in  Ohio  and  she  in  Virginia. 
The  maternal  grandfather,  James  Hendrix,  was  a  soldier  in  the  standing 
army.  He  disappeared  about  the  year  1838  and  nothing  further  of  his 
whereabouts  was  ever  learned. 

Elijah  W.  McFarland  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  there 
he  worked  when  a  boy.  He  attended  the  neighboring  rural  schools  in  the 
wintertime.  On  October  26,  1876,  he  married  Melissa  J.  Hindsley,  who 
was  born  in  Jackson  township,  September  10,  1856,  and  here  she  grew  to 
womanhood  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools.  To  our  subject  and 
wife  three  children  have  been  born,  namely :  Olive  A.  married  Henry  Peden 
and  they  have  two  children,  Clarence  W.  and  Harold;  and  they  reside  on  a 
farm  in  Jackson  township ;  Anna  P.  married  Troy  Doherty  and  they  are  tne 
parents  of  five  children,  Estel,  Erma,  Orville,  Carl  and  Wilbur;  Raymond 
G.,  born  February  18,  1893,  died  October  15,  1900. 

Mr.  McFarland  began  farming  for  himself  when  a  young  man  and  this 
has  continued  to  be  his  occupation.  He  occupies  the  old  homestead,  con- 
sisting of  ninety-five  acres,  which  his  father  purchased  in  1850  of  Demas 
Lindley.  Our  subject  began  earning  his  own  money  when  but  fourteen 
years  of  age,  working  on  a  farm  at  four  dollars  per  month  and  his  board, 
continuing  three  years  at  the  same  work  and  same  wages,  however  he  spent 
the  last  two  winters  of  that  period  in  school  at  the  Lisbon  school  house,  this 
township.  In  the  spring  of  1875  he  came  into  possession  of  the  home  place 
by  buying  out  the  other  heirs,  and  in  1895  built  the  house  in  which  he  now 
resides.  He  has  kept  the  old  farm  well  improved  and  well  cultivated.  He 
makes  a  specialty  of  raising  tobacco  and  the  raising  and  feeding  of  a  good 
grade  of  hogs.  He  takes  an  abiding  pleasure  in  his  home  and  family.  His 
wife  is  a  daughter  of  Stephen  and  Anna  Hindsley,  ,a  record  of  whom  ap- 
pears elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Politically,  Mr.  McFarland  is  a  Democrat, 
and  he  was  road  supervisor  for  a  period  of  twelve  years,  during  which  he 
built  a  splendid  system  of  roads  in  this  locality  and  won  the  lasting  grati- 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I419 

tude  of  his  neighbors.     Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  and  in  religious  matters  belongs  to  the  Christian  church. 

Mr.  McFarland's  grandson,  Clarence  W.  Peden,  who  is  now  fifteen 
years  of  age,  is  a  natural  musician  of  rare  ability,  in  fact,  is  a  boy  of  fine 
mental  equipment,  being  now  in  his  third  year  in  high  shool  and  is  a  bril- 
liant student.  He  is  proficient  on  the  violin  and  clarinet.  He  will  receive 
every  advantage  in  music  and  general  education  and  a  bright  future  is  pre- 
dicted for  him. 


FRANK  ARTHUR  ZELLER,  M.  D. 

In  every  life  of  honor  and  usefulness  there  is  no  dearth  of  incident  and 
yet  in  summing  up  the  career  of  any  man  the  biographer  needs  touch  only 
those  salient  points  which  give  the  keynote  to  his  character.  Thus  in  set- 
tiilg  forth  the  life  record  of  Dr.  Frank  Arthur  Zeller,  of  Union  City,  and  one 
of  the  most  capable  of  the  younger  general  physicians  of  Randolph  county, 
sufficient  will  be  said  to  show  that  all  who  know  him  will  freely  acquiesce 
in,  that  he  is  one  of  the  worthy  citizens  and  representative  of  a  sterling  old 
family. 

Dr.  Zeller  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  October  ii,  1870.  He  is 
a  son  of  Dr.  B.  F.  Zeller,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  from  which  state 
he  removed  to  Darke  county,  Ohio,  where  he  lived  many  -years  and  finally 
came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  is  now  living  practically  retired  in 
Union  City,  after  a  successful  and  honored  career  as  a  physician  for  over 
forty  years.  His  father,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  also,  spent  a  large  portion 
of  his  life  there,  but  eventually  removed  to  Ohio  where  his  death  occurred. 
Dr.  B.  F.  Zeller  married  Emily  Bauder,  a  native  of  Fort  Plain,  Montgomery 
county,  New  York.  These  parents  have  three  sons,  all  practicing  physicians 
of  prominence,  namely:  Dr.  Frank  A.,  of  this  sketch;  Dr.  Henry  Rush,  of 
Akron,  Ohio;  and  Dr.  Ward  Clifton,  of  Union  City,  Indiana. 

Dr.  Frank  A.  Zeller  spent  his  boyhood  in  Ohio  and  received  his  prepa- 
ratory'education  in  the  high  school  at  Greenville,  from  which  he  was  gradu- 
ated with  the  class  of  1888.  He  began  studying  medicine  when  but  a  boy 
and  entered  the  Ohio  Medical  University  in  1894  and  was  graduated  from 
that  institution  in  1898,  later  taking  a  post-graduate  course  in  the  Polyclinic 
Institute  of  New  York  City,  also  post-graduate  courses  in  Chicago,  Paris 
and  Berlin.  He  commenced  practice  as  a  surgeon  in  1898,  in  the  Spanish- 
American  war,  and  he  came  to  Union  City,  Indiana,  in  March,  1899,  where 
he  opened  an  office  which  he  has  maintained  to  the  present  time,  building  up 


1420  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

the  meanwhile  a  large  and  lucrative  practice  and  meeting  with  great  success 
which  has  placed  him  in  the  front  rank  of  his  professional  brethren.  He 
established  an  emergency  hospital  in  Union  City  in  19 12,  which  was  much 
appreciated  by  the  people  here,  filling  a  long-felt  want,  but  which  was  aban- 
doned after  the  establishment  of  the  Francis  Ford  Hospital  in  1914. 

Dr.  Zeller  is  a  member  of  the  Randolph  County  Medical  Society,  the 
Indiana  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Association,  also  the 
Clinical  Congress  of  Surgeons  of  North  America,  and  is  a  fellow  ot-  the 
College  of  Surgeons.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Masonic  Order  and  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He  is  an  independent  voter  in 
political  affairs,  and  religiously  is  of  the  Lutheran  faith. 

Dr.  Zeller  was  married  in  March,  1905,  to  Mabelle  Rosenbush,  who 
was  born  in  Union  City,  Indiana,  in  1885,  and  here  grew  to  womanhood  and 
was  educated.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  A.  Rosenbush,  a  druggist  of 
Union  City. 

Personally  Dr.  Zeller  is  a  gentleman  of  pleasing  address  and  exemplary 
character  and  is  popular  with  all  classes. 


ISAAC  M.  BORROR. 


Few  young  men  could  study  the  life  history  of  Isaac  M.  Borror,  one  of 
the  substantial  and  progressive  citizens  of  White  River  township,  without 
experiencing  a  thrill  of  ambition  well  up  within  his  breast,  for  it  shows  how 
one  may  succeed  in  the  face  of  great  obstacles  and  at  last  win  the  good  things, 
the  things  worth  while  which  the  world  has  to  offer,  if  one  has  perseverance, 
sound  common  sense,  fortitude  and  is  imbued  with  honest  impulses.  He 
started  in  life  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder,  having  arrived  in  Randolph  county 
not  such  a  long  time  ago  with  nothing  in  the  way  of  material  wealth,  and  he 
gradually  forged  to  the  front  as  a  business  man  and  citizen,  becoming  one  of 
our  most  extensive  general  farmers  and  stock  raisers  and  feeders  and  accu- 
mulating an  ample  competency. 

Mr.  Borror  was  born  September  22,  1863,  i"  Pendleton  county.  West 
Virginia.  He  is  a  son  of  Isaac  and  Sarah  (Carrier)  Borror,  both  natives  of 
West  Virginia,  where  their  fatpilies  had  long  resided,  which  section,  however, 
in  their  day  was  known  as  a  part  of  old  Virginia.  They  were  honorable, 
hard-working  people,  but  not  of  the  thriftier  classes.  There  the  parents  of 
our  subject  grew  to  maturity  and  were  married  and  there  continued  to  reside 
until  1889  when,  with  their  large  family,  eight  sons  and  three  daughters,  they 


m 


J-  nm.  &c 


(D^n^^lry^ 


RANDOLPH  COUNTYj  INDIANA.  I42I 

left  their  native  state  and  came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  settled  on 
a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  four  miles  northwest  of  Winchester. 
Isaac  M.,  of  this  review,  did  not  accompany  the  rest  of  the  family  to  their 
new  home  in  Hoosierdom,  .remaining  in  his  native  state  eighteen  months 
after  they  left  there,  not  following  them  here  until  July  4,  1890.  When  he 
left  West  Virginia  he  had  nothing  but  a  dog  and  gun,  which  he  sold  in  order 
to  get  money  to  defray,  in  part,  his  expenses  here.  He  had  a  wife  and  child. 
They  traveled  on  foot,  working  a  day  here  and  a  day  there,  using  the  money 
for  food  and  such  articles  of  clothing  as  they  were  compelled  to  buy.  They 
walked  the  entire  distance  from  West  Virginia.  They  had  nothing  with 
which  to  begin  life  when  they  arrived  here.  Mr.  Borror  began  working  by 
the  month  for  Sol  Dull,  living  in  a  log  cabin  on  his  farm  for  a  year  and  a 
half.  He  then  moved  to  the  farm  of  Frank  Adams,  in  the  same  locality, 
renting  a  two-hundred  acre  place.  Then  went  to  work  in  earnest  and  man- 
aged so  well  that  he  soon  had  a  fairly  good  start.  He  remained  on  this  farm 
three  years,  during  which  time  he  bought  forty  acres  of  timbered  land.  He 
did  not  have  any  money  beyond  operating  expenses,  but  he  cleared  his  forty 
acres  and  paid  for  it.  When  he  left  the  Adams  farm  he  moved  to  the  Gideon 
Shaw  place  of  two  hundred  acres,  which  he  rented  from  Mr.  Shaw's  widow, 
for  a  period  of  five  years,  for  twenty-five  hundred  dollars  cash  rent.  In  four 
years  he  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  the  Shaw  farm  and  on 
this  he  has  made  his  home  ever  since.  He  prospered  and  from  time  to  time 
purchased  other  land  until  he  became  owner  of  four  hundred  and  fourteen 
acres,  all  of  which  advanced  in  value  rapidly  under  his  care  and  management 
and  he  has  become  one  of  the  wealthy  men  of  the  county.  In  connection 
with  his  extensive  general  farming  he  has  been  a  large  stock  raiser  and 
feeder,  especially  of  hogs,  but  has  also  raised  and  fed  large  numbers  of  cat- 
tle and  horses.  Some  years  he  has  fed  and  sold  as  high  as  three  thousand 
hogs  in  a  year.  He  has  a  commodious,  pleasant  home  and  numerous  good 
outbuildings  and  his  land  is  under  modern  improvements  and  a  high  state 
of  cultivation. 

When  a  boy  Mr.  Borror  never  had  any  school  privileges  and  he  could 
not  read  or  write  until  after  he  came  to  Randolph  county.  He  has  become  a 
well-read  man  and  is  an  accurate  and  rapid  calculator,  in  fact,  one  would 
think  he  was  an  expert  accountant  if  one  saw  him  doing  sums  in  arithmetic 
or  similar  work. 

Mr.  Borror  was  married  September  29,  1888,  to  Dolly  Hedrick,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Sebual  and  Mollie  (Dean)  Hedrick,  of  Pendleton  county.  West  Vir- 
(90) 


1422  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

ginia.  To  this  union  four  daughters  and  three  sons  have  been  born,  namely : 
Millard,  an  automobile  inspector  of  Cleveland,  Ohio;  Lydia,  who  married 
John  Gray,  of  Jay  county;  Goldie,  who  married  William  Alexander7  of  Win- 
chester ;  Rosie  is  the  wife  of  Ralph  Young,  and  they  live  on  our  subject's 
farm ;  Clarence,  Estie  and  Oliver  are  all  at  home. 

Politically  Mr.  Borror  is  a  Republican  and  has  always  been  very  active  in 
public  matters,  but  never  an  office  seeker.  He  is  a  strong  factor  in  the  local 
organization  and  he  advocates  all  movements  that  have  as  their  object  the 
general  upbuilding  of  his  locality,  and  the  proprietor  of  Grand  View  Farm  is 
.one  of  the  most  influential  and  highly  esteemed  men  of  his  township. 


EDAR  SIMMONS. 


Every  human  being  either  submits  or  rises  above  the  controlling  influ- 
ence which  touches,  controls,  guides  or  misdirects  others.  If  he  be  honest 
and  successful  in  his  chosen  field  of  endeavor,  investigation  will  brighten  his 
reputation  and  point  the  way  along  which  others  may  follow  with  like  suc- 
cess. The  career  of  Edar  Simmons,  one  of  the  most  progressive  of  the 
younger  generation  of  agriculturists  of  Jackson  township,  Randolph  county, 
is  one  of  that  class  of  enterprising  citizens  whose  example  is  calculated  to  be 
an  incentive  to  others,  for  his  efforts  have  met  with  a  large  degree  of  ma- 
terial success  in  life's  affairs,  and  he  has  established  a  reputation  for  up- 
rightness and  honor. 

Mr.  Simmons  was  born  in  the  above  named  township  and  county,  Sep- 
tember 15,  1879.  He  is  a  son  of  William  K.  Simmons  who  was  born  on  the 
old  homestead  in  Jackson  township,  which  is  now  owned  by  our  subject, 
August  31,  1 84 1,  he  being  a  scion  of  one  of  our  sterling  old  pioneer  families, 
and  here  he  grew  to  manhood,  received  such  educational  advantages  as  the 
early-day  schools  afforded,  and  here  married,  June  3,  1865,  Malinda  A.  Sell, 
who  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  May  11,  1845.  To  this  union  three 
children  were  born,  Edar,  of  this  review;  Dora,  born  March  29,  1868,  mar- 
ried W.  P.  Noffsinger;  and  Esta,  born  November  11,  1871,  married  Melvin 
N.  Rensberger;  they  reside  at  Redcliff,  Alberta,  Canada,  and  have  one  son, 
Gorman  B.,  born  March  27,  1899.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  K.  Simmons 
also  took  an  orphan  child  to  raise,  Rachel  Fidelia  Byrum,  who  was  born 
June  I,  1881 ;  they  took  her  when  less  than  two  years  old  and  cared  for  her 
as  their  own,  and  when  twenty-two  years  old,  she  married  on  Thanksgiving 
day,   1903,  Noah  Onkst,  a  local  engineer  of  Dayton,   Ohio;  to  them  one 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I423 

child  has  been  born,  James  Taylor  Onkst,  whose  birth  occurred  July  22, 
1908.  William  K.  Simmons  has  been  very  successful  in  a  financial  way, 
being  a  man  of  industry  and  good  management.  He  is  a  stockholder  m  tne 
Atlas  Bank  of  Union  City,  and  he  has  devoted  his  life  to  general  farming 
and  stock  raising  with  a  larger  measure  of  success  than  falls  to  the  aver- 
age farmer.  He  at  one  time  owned  two  hundred  acres  of  choice  farm  land, 
but  has  sold  and  divided  with  his  children  until  now  his  place  consists  of 
sixty  acres.  He  and  his  wife  have  taken  great  pains  in  rearing  their  chil- 
dren of  whom  they  may  be  justly  proud.  The  parents  are  members  of  the 
Dunkard  church,  in  which  the  father  has  been  an  earnest  and  popular  min- 
ister for  many  years.  His  father,  Aaron  Simmons,  located  in  Randolph 
county  in  1838,  having  entered  his  land  in  1837,  and  was  always  known  as 
a  thrifty  and  honorable  citizen.  He  was  born  in  Miami  county,  Ohio,  Feb- 
ruary I,  18 10.  In  1840  he  married  Rebecca  Marquis,  who  was  born  in  Ross 
county,  Ohio,  February  2,  1819.  They  established  their  home  on  what  is 
now  the  Salem  Pike,  two  and  one-half  miles  northwest  of  Union  City,  at 
the  old  homestead,  now  owned  and  occupied  by  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
On  this  place  is  a  magnificent  flowing  well  of  water  which  W.  K.  Simmons 
put  down  in  1875  and  has  ever  produced  an  abundance  of  fine  water.  The 
death  of  Aaron  Simmons  occurred  March  6,  1884,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
four  years,  his  wiciow  surviving  until  November  26,  1895,  dying  at  the  age 
of  seventy-six  years.  The  father  of  Aaron  Simmons  was  Adam  Simmons, 
who  was  born  March  25,  1786,  and  died  June  16,  1866.  He  married  Mary 
Heckman,  who  was  born  July  5,  1786,  and  died  August  14.  1851.  Their 
family  consisted  of  thirteen  children,  Aaron  having  been  the  second  son. 
The  father  of  Adam  Simmons  was  John  Simmons,  who  was  born  February 
II,  1761,  married,  but  there  is  no  record  of  his  wife.  The  old  home  place 
mentioned  repeatedly  above  was  entered  from  the  government  by  Aaron 
Simmons  in  1837,  and  it  has  been  in  the  possession  of  the  family  ever  since. 
The  Simmonses  are  of  German  descent,  with  a  mixture  also  of  French  and 
Swedish  blood.  W.  K.  Marquis,  father  of  Mrs.  Rebecca  (Marquis)  Sim- 
mons, and  great  grandmother  of  Edar  Simmons,  was  a  soldier  in  the  war 
of  1812,  and  was  stationed  at  Norfolk,  Virginia. 

Edar  Simmons  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  there  worked 
hard  when  a  boy.  He  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
locality,  and  when  a  young  man  took  up  general  farming  which  he  has  fol- 
lowed ever  since.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until  he  was  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  then  commenced  for  himself,  renting  land  for  two  years,  then 
purchased  a  farm  of  forty  acres  and  remained  on  the  same  until  1903  when 


1424  RANDOLPH  COUNTYj  INDIANA. 

he  exchanged  it  for  the  farm  he  now  has,  which  is  known  in  history  as  the 
old  Indian  boundary  farm,  consisting  of  one  hundred  acres.  It  is  well  im- 
proved in  every  respect  and  has  a  substantial  group  of  buildings  on  it,  in  fact 
a  new  residence  was  recently  erected,  which  is  modernly  equipped,  having 
hot  and  cold  water  appliances,  furnace,  acetylene  lights,  in  fact,  is  as  aesir- 
able  as  any  city  home  in  its  appointments.  It  is  two  and  one-half  miles 
north  of  Union  City.  Mr.  Simmons  takes  a  great  pleasure  in  his  home  and 
family.  He  has  been  a  highway  superintendent  for  eight  years,  during 
which  time  he  has  done  much  to  build  good  roads  in  this  community.  Po- 
litically, he  is  independent  and  religiously  is  a  member  of  the  German  Bap- 
tist church. 

Mr.  Simmons  was  married  February  28,  189 1,  to  Effie  M.  Warner,  a 
native  of  Jackson  township,  Randolph  county,  where  she  grew  to  woman- 
hood and  was  educated.  She  is  a  daughter  of  George  W.  Warner,  a  sketch 
of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simmons  the  following  children  have  been  born: 
Gleemer,  born  April  19,  1892,  was  graduated  from  the  local  high  school, 
and  is  farming  with  his  father  on  the  home  place;  Glade,  born  July  29,  1897, 
is  attending  the  Jackson  township  schools,  and  is  at  home  with  his  parents. 


CLARE^X"E  MULLEN. 


One  can  see  the  superior  results  obtained  by  scientific  farming  by  looking 
over  the  splendidly  cultivated  and  well  kept  farm  of  Clarence  Mullen,  in  Ward 
township ;  for  he  has  always  made  an  effort  to  combine  brain  and  brawn  in  his 
operations  of  husbandman,  and,  while  clinging  to  some  of  the  methods  r.^ed 
by  a  former  generation  he  has  been  ready  to  adopt  such  new  ones  as  he 
deemed  well  adapted  to  present  century  conditions,  realizing  that  time  brings 
many  changes  in  farming  as  well  as  other  things  and  that  one  must  keep 
vigilant  and  studious  or  be  surpassed  by  his  neighbors. 

yiv.  :\Iullen  was  born  July  9,  1871  on  a  farm  two  miles  northeast  of 
Lynn,  Randolph  county.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  G.  and  Elmina  (Shaw) 
:\Iullen,  the  mother  a  daughter  of  Gideon  Shaw,  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of 
this  locality  who  became  a  successful  and  prominent  citizen.  He  reached  an 
advanced  age,  dying  on  July  3,  191 1,  honored  and  respected  by  all,  for  his  life 
had  been  most  exemplary  and  conducive  of  much  good.  His  good  wife  pre- 
ceded him  to  the  grave  many  years. 

Clarence  Mullen  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  where  he  worked  when 
growing  up,  and  he  received  a  common  school  education,  including  one  term 


MItS.  CLARENCE  MULLEN. 


CLARENCE  MULLEN. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 425 

in  the  Winchester  high  school.  He  remained  at  home  until  his  marriage  on 
February  6,  1891';  He  was  then  farming  the  old  home  farm  in  Ward  town- 
ship, four  miles  north  of  Winchester,  where  his  parents  had  moved  in  1876 
from  near  Lynn. 

Two  sons  have  been  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  Thomas  R.,  born 
September  6,  1892 ;  and  Claude  D.,  bom  September  3,  1897.  The  oldest  child 
is  a  graduate  of  the  Winchester  high  school,  after  which  he  spent  one  year 
in  Purdue  University.  He  was  married  December  14,  1912  to  Gertrude 
Hesser,  daughter  of  Frank  and  Amelia  (Weaner)  Hesser,  of  Jackson  town- 
ship, Randolph  county.  Thomas  R.  is  assisting  his  father  with  the  work  on 
the  home  farm,  in  fact,  is  now  the  manager  of  the  place.  The  youngest  son 
is  a  student  in  the  high  school  at  Winchester. 

After  the  marriage  of  Clarence  Mullen  he  continued  to  work  on  the 
home  farm,  and  in  due  course  of  time  had  a  good  start.  In  the  spring  of 
1912  he  purchased  the  old  homestead,  and  will  hold  same  in  the  famil}^ 
He  has  kept  the  land  well  tilled.  Crops  properly  rotated,  fields  well  fertilized, 
so  that  the  old  place  has  retained  its  original  fertility  of  soil  and  is  today 
one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  community.  He  has  other  landed  interests 
and  property  in  Winchester.  He  is  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Ridgeville,  Randolph  county,  and  Mr.  Mullen  was  one  of 
the  promoters  of  the  Farmers  Telephone  Company,  which  was  organized 
in  the  spring  of  1910.  He  was  its  first  president,  which  office  he  held  for  two 
years,  discharging  the  duties  of  the  same  in  a  manner  highly  satisfactory 
to  all  concerned,  in  fact,  he  has  been  principally  responsible  for  the  large 
success  of  this  company.  He  is  still  one  of  its  largest  stockholders,  and 
is  a  director.  He  is  an  extensive  stock  feeder,  and,  his  stock  being  al- 
ways of  the  best  grade,  brings  top  prices  on  the  market. 

Mr.  Mullen  has  always  been  a  loyal  Democrat,  active  in  party  affairs, 
and  has  frequently  been  a  member  of  the  County  Democratic  Central  Com- 
mittee, and  a  frequent  delegate  to  district  and  state  conventions,  where  he 
always  made  his  influence  felt  for  the  general  good  of  the  party  and  the 
people:  In  the  general  election  in  the  fall  of  191 2  he  was  elected  one  of 
the  three  county  commissioners,  and  took  office  on  January  i,  191 3,  for  a 
term  of  three  years,  and  he  is  proving  to  be  a  most  faithful  and  conscien- 
tious public  servant. 

Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  the  Encampment.  He  and  his  family  belong  to  the  Christian  church, 
and  he  is  a  member  of  the  official  board  of  the  same,  and  is  teacher  in 
the  men's  class  in  the  Sunday  school,  and  has  long  been  active  in  all  church 
and  Sunday  school  work. 


I./|26  RAXDOLPH   COUXTY,  IXDIANA. 

ISAAC  XEWTOX  MAXGAS. 

The  history  of  Randolph  county  is  not  a  very  old  one,  comparatively 
speaking.  It  is  the  record  of  the  steady  growth  of  a  community  planted 
in  the  wilderness  three-quarters  of  a  century  ago  and  has  reached  its  mag- 
nitude of  today  without  other  aids  than  those  of  industry.  The  people  who 
redeemed  it  from  its  primitive  wilds  were  strong-armed,  hardy  sons  of  the 
soil  who  hesitated  at  no  difficulty  and  for  whom  hardships  had  little  to  ap- 
pall. The  ^langas  family  was  of  this  courageous  band,  the  name  having 
been  well  known  here  for  many  decades,  one  of  the  best  known  of  the  pres- 
ent generation  being  Isaac  X'ewton  Mangas,  one  of  our  most  progressive  and 
successful  general  farmers  and  stock  raisers. 

;\Ir.  INIangas  was  born  in  Jackson  township,  this  county,  September  12, 
1873.  He  is  a  son  of  Emanuel  Mangas,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
August  25,  1826.  He  attended  the  common  schools  of  Ohio  and  Indiana, 
and  on  December  20,  1855,  he  married  Catherine  Ely,  who  was  born  April 
12,  1838,  which  union  resulted  in  the  birth  of  two  children,  Jacob  J.,  born 
December  21,  1859,  died  February  20.  1865;  and  Sarah  B.,  born 
April  8,  1865,  died  August  13th  of  the  same  year.  The  wife  and 
mother  passed  away  also  on  that  date.  On  October  15,  1868,  ^Ir.  Mangas 
married  a  second  time,  Caroline  L.  Castle,  who  was  born  July  14,  1834,  and 
to  this  union  two  children  were  born,  namely:  Oliver  M.,  born  August  11, 
1869,  died  January  3,  1873;  and  Isaac  X".,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  is 
the  only  surviving  child.  Emanuel  Mangas  was  a  prominent  citizen  here 
in  the  early  days.  He  was  a  successful  farmer,  and  he  held  the  office  of 
township  assessor  for  several  terms.  He  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the 
Disciple'  church.     He  was  a  staunch  Democrat. 

Isaac  X'.  Mangas  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  received 
his  education  in  the  rural  schools  of  his  township,  from  which 
he  was  graduated.  He  began  working  on  the  homestead  early  in  life  and 
has  followed  farming  all  the  while.  At  the  time  of  his  father's  death  in 
1897  ^^  took  up  the  work  where  the  elder  Mangas  had  left  off,  inheriting 
the  old  homestead  of  eighty  acres,  and  he  purchased  an  adjoining  eighty  in 
1907.  In  19 1 3  he  bought  thirty-five  acres  adjoining,  making  in  all  a  valu- 
able and  productive  farm  of  one  hundred  and  ninety-five  acres,  which  he 
has  brought  up  to  a  high  state  of  improvement  and  cultivation.  He  built  a 
fine  home  in  1898,  and  everything  about  his  place  denotes  good  manage- 
ment and  thrift,  in  fact,  he  is  one  of  the  most  prosperous  young  farmers  of 
Jackson  township.  Politically,  he  is  independent,  and  religiously  he  belongs 
to  the  Christian  church. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I427 

Mr.  Mangas  was  married  in  December,  1898,  to  Maggie  Warner,  who 
was  born  in  Jackson  township,  Randolph  county,  July  16,  1878,  and  here 
she  grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  George  W.  Warner,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in 
this  volume. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mangas  three  children  have  been  born,  named  as  fol- 
lows:  Claude  Leon,  whose  birth  occurred  April  18,  1900;  Gorman  Nile 
died  when  three  and  one-half  years  of  age;  Stanley  Warner,  born  March 
14.  1907- 


ISAAC  W.  WARREN. 


Agriculture  has  been  an  honored  vocation  from  the  earliest  ages  and  as 
a  usual  thing  men  of  honorable  and  humane  impulses,  as  well  as  those  of 
energy  and  thrift,  have  been  patrons  of  husbandry.  The  free  out-of-door 
life  known  to  the  tiller  of  the  soil  has  a  decided  tendency  to  foster  and  de- 
velop that  independence  of  mind  and  self-reliance  which  characterizes  true 
manhood,  and  no  truer  blessing  can  befall  a  boy  than  to  be  reared  in  close 
touch  with  nature  in  the  healthful,  life-inspiring  labor  of  the  fields.  Isaac 
W.  Warren  one  of  the  influential  citizens  of  Jackson  township,  Randolph 
county,  was  fortunate  in  being  born  and  reared  on  the  farm  and  wise  in 
deciding  to  spend  his  life  tilling  the  soil.  He  has  been  privileged  to  spend 
the  major  portion  of  his  life  on  the  old  home  place,  for  all  will  agree  that  it 
is  indeed  a  privilege  to  remain  where  we  were  born  and  reared,  if  it  happens 
to  be  on  a  good  farm,  in  a  favored  country  like  this.  He  has  made  a  care- 
ful study  of  agricultural  methods  as  they  advance  with  the  times  and  is  one 
of  our  most  progressive  farmers. 

Mr.  Warren  was  born  in  Jackson  township,  this  county,  February  22, 
1859.  He  is  a  son  of  Dolphin  and  Nancy  (Taylor)  Warren,  a  record  of 
whom  will  be  found  on  another  page  of  this  work,  hence  need  not  be  repro- 
duced here.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  they  were  among  the  worthy  early  families 
of  this  community  and  noted  for  their  thrift  and  honesty.  Here  our  sub- 
ject grew  to  manhood  and  received  a  good  practical  education  in  the  rural 
schools.  Upon  reaching  manhood  he  was  successfully  engaged  in  operating 
the  home  place  on  which  he  remained  until  his  father's  death  in  1907,  re- 
ceiving two-fifths  profit  of  the  annual  sale  of  grains  and  livestock  of  the 
place,  his  father  furnishing  everything.  He  managed  well  and  worked  hard 
and  laid  by  a  comfortable  competence,  and  is  now  owner  of  two  valuable 
and  productive  farms,  one  consisting  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 


1428  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

choice  land  in  Jackson  township,  and  another  splendid  place  of  one  hundred 
and  four  acres  in  another  location,  both  of  which  are  improved  in  an  up-to- 
date  manner  and  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  .  He  erected  modern  and 
substantial  buildings  on  his  home  place  and  is  well  fixed  in  every  way  to 
enjoy  life,  everything  about  his  farm  denoting  thrift  and  good  management. 
Mr.  Warren  was  married  in  March,^  1910,  to  Narcissus  Sell,  who  was 
born  in  Jackson  township,  Randolph  county,  in  1878,  and  here  she  grew  to 
womanhood  and  was  educated  in  the,  common  schools.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  Jonathan  Sell  and  wife,  a  highly  respected  family  of  this  township.  Po- 
litically, Mr.  Warren  is  a  Republican,  but  he  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for 
public  office. 


WILLIAM  ADAMSON. 


There  has  been  a  very  steady  increase  in  the  value  of  producliip  per 
farm  in  the  United  States  during  the  past  quarter  of  a  century.  Not  as  great 
an  increase  as  in  other  lines  of  industry,  perhaps,  but  in  this  respect  Amer- 
ican farmers  compare  favorably  with  farmers  of  other  nations.  Reliable 
statistics  show  that  the  record  by  decades  is  as  follows :  The  average  farm 
produced  in  1890  five  hundred  and  thirty-eight  dollars;  1900,  eight  hundred 
and  twenty-two  dollars,  anrfin  191  o,  thirteen  hundred  and  thirty-six  dollars. 
We  also  show  during  this  period  an  increase  of  over  two  million  farms.  One 
of  the  citizens  of  West  River  township,  Randolph  county,  who  has  pro- 
gressed during  the  past  thirty  years  as  a  general  agriculturist  is  William 
Adamson,  one  of  our  venerable  native  born  citizens,  who  was  born  in  this 
township  and  county,  February  5,  1837,  and  who  has  thus  come  down  to  us 
from  the  pioneer  days,  having  lived  to  note  and  take  part  in  the  wonderful 
changes  here,  and  he  is  not  only  widely  known  but  is  respected  by  all,  as  a 
result  of  his  careful  and  well  spent  life. 

Mr.  Adamson  is  a  son  of  Abraham  and  Nancy  (Botkin)  Adamson,  very 
early  settlers  here,  the  father  having  come  from  Ohio  to  what  is  now  West 
River  township  and  entered  land  from  the  government,  which  he  cleared  and 
developed  into  a  good  farm  and  here  reared  his  family  of  eight  children,  who 
were  named  as  follows:  Ira  and  Eleanor,  both  deceased;  William,  of  this 
sketch ;  Susie  is  deceased ;  George  is  living  in  West  River  township ;  Ann  and 
Martha  are  both  deceased ;  Phoebe,  the  youngest,  is  living  in  West  River  town- 
ship. The  father,  Abraham  Adamson,  was  twice  married;  his  first  wife  (nee 
Puckett)  died  leaving  two  children,  a  son  and  a  daughter.  The  paternal 
grandfather,  John  Adamson,  came  from  Kentucky.    The  death  of  Abraham 


WILTJAM  ADAMSOX. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 429 

Adamson  occurred  in  1856  at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years,  his  widow  surviv- 
ing until  seventy-seven  years  of  age. 

William  Adamson  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm,  and  he  was  edu- 
cated in  the  rural  district  schools.  On  September  25,  1867,  he  married 
Mary  Stanley,  a  daughter  of  James  Stanley,  a  farmer  and  merchant.  To  this 
union  four  children  were  born,  namely :  Willie  Edgar  died  in  infancy ; 
Carrie  married  Alden  Edwards,  a  farmer  of  West  River  township,  and  they 
have  one  child,  Carver;  Orrie  B.,  who  married  Ada  Hutchins,  is  farming  on 
a  place  adjoining  the  old  homestead;  India  Myrl  married  Charles  Bales,  a 
farmer  in  ^Vest  River  township,  and  they  have  one  child,  Ruby. 

Air.  Adamson  engaged  in  farming  until  August  9,  1862,  when  he  en- 
listed in  the  Sixty-ninth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  very 
faithfully  for  a  period  of  three  years,  taking  part  in  a  number  of  important 
battles  in  the  South;  in  fact,  was  in  every  engagement  of  importance  in  the 
western  army.  He  was  taken  prisoner  at  Richmond,  Kentucky,  but  was 
paroled  at  once.  He  was  in  the  ixiemorable  siege  of  Vicksburg.  He  was  hon- 
orably discharged  at  Mobile,  Alabama,  July  5,  1865,  after  gallantly  defending 
the  flag.  Returning  home  soon  thereafter  he  resumed  farming,  which  he  has 
continued  successfully  to  the  present  time.  He  pre-empted  his  farm  from  the 
government,  the  papers  being  signed  by  the  great  name  of  Andrew  Jackson. 
He  has  one  hundred  twenty-four  acres,  which  he  has  kept  well  improved  and 
well  tilled,  and  he  has  a  good  home  and  convenient  outbuildings,  and  always 
keeps  a  splendid  grade  of  livestock.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  his 
township.  Politically  he  is  a  Progressive  and  is  influential  in  local  public 
afifairs. 


JAMES  B.  SUTTON. 

One  of  the  progressive  tillers  of  the  soil  in  Jackson  township,  and  a 
representative  of  a  splendid  old  family  of  Randolph  county  is  James  B.  Sut- 
ton, formerly  in  the  mercantife  business,  but  whose  chief  occupation  through 
life  has  been  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  meeting  with  encouraging 
success  all  along  the  line,  as  a  result  of  his  perseverance  and  good  management. 
He  believes  in  doing  well  whate\er  he  attempts  and  in  dealing  squarely  with 
his  fellow  men,  consequently  he  enjoys  the  confidence  of  all  who  know  him. 

Mr.  Sutton  was  born  in  Jackson  township,  Randolph  county,  November 
18,  1856.  He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  H.  Sutton,  who  was  born  in  Greene  county, 
Ohio,  January  26,  1810,  and  there  he  spent  his  boyhood  and  was  married  to 
Martha  Johnson.     He  came  with  his  parents  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in 


1430  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

1840.  His  father,  Cornelius  Sutton,  was  born  in  Xew  Jersey,  June  20,  1780, 
and  he  entered  in  1847  the  farm  which  is  now  owned  and  occupied  by  James 
B.  Sutton.  He  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  this  locality.  His  wife  was 
Judith  Babcock,  a  native  of  Ohio.  Her  death  occurred  late  in  the  forties. 
The  death  of  Cornelius  Sutton  occurred  at  thp  advanced  age  of  eighty-nine 
years.  His  family  consisted  of  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely :  Amos, 
Joseph  H.,  Thomas,  Sampson;  Sarah  who  married  Ezekiel  Davis;  Martha, 
who  married  Daniel  Coblentz.  They  are  all  now  deceased.  Cornelius  Sutton 
was  a  native  of  England,  who  emigrated  to  America  when  young  and  settled 
in  Xew  Jersey,  sometime  about  1765.  He  reached  the  remarkable  age  of 
ninety-nine  years,  dying  in  Greenbriar  county,  Virginia,  now  a  part  of  West 
Virginia,  and  was  buried  there.  His  wife,  a  Miss  Aplecut,  was  a  native  of 
Xew  Jersey.  Their  family  consisted  of  three  sons  and  four  daughters, 
namely :  John,  Cornelius,  Amos,  Hanna  married  Joseph  Davis ;  Nellie  mar- 
ried William  Stevenson;  Sarah  married  Jesse  Maxon;  Jane  married  James 
Davis.  The  father,  Joseph  H.  Sutton,  devoted  his  life  to  farming,  and  his 
family  numbered  seventeen  children,  namely:  Elizabeth  married  .Isaac 
Hoover;  Martha  Jane  married  James  Phillips;  Jacob  was  next  in  order; 
Cornelius  married  Xancy  E.  Huffman,  and  they  had  three  daughters  and  one 
son;  Eva  L.  married  A.  M.  Henderson;  L.  Ossa  is  single  and  is  a  stenog- 
rapher; Martha  E.  married  O.  B.  Taylor;  R.  H.  married  Etta  Brubeck,  a 
jeweler;  Lewis,  Thomas,  Stephen  A.;  !Mary  married  H.  A.  Bunger;  Xancy 
married  M.  P.  Hinckel;  Isaac  W. ;  and  James  B.,  subject  of  this  sketch;  four 
died  in  infancy. 

James  B.  Sutton  grew  to  manhood  on  the  old  homestead  and  was  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  Jackson  township,  and  when  twenty-one  years  of  age 
began  life  for  himself,  farming  the  homeplace  on  the  shares.  In  1879  he 
engaged  with  his  brother,  Thomas  C.  Sutton,  in  the  boot  and  shoe  business, 
in  Union  City,  continuing  in  that  line  for  five  years,  and  enjoying  a  very  good 
trade,  then  sold  out  and  returned  to  the  home  farm,  buying  out  the  heirs. 
The  place  consisted  of  seventy-eight  acres,  and  he  nearly  paid  for  the  same 
raising  tobacco,  in  about  ten  years.  He  has  kept  the  place  well  improved, 
and  in  1904  built  a  model  and  attractive  residence,  the  old  home  having  been 
burned. 

Politically,  ^Ir.  Sutton  is  a  Democrat  and  he  was  a  member  of  the  ad- 
visory board  for  four  years,  and  cast  the  deciding  vote  to  bring  about  the 
Jackson  township  graded  school,  he  and  James  W.  Hindsley  pushing  the  mat- 
ter to  a  successful  issue.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Farmers'  Co-operative 
Tobacco  Association  and  belongs  to  the  Christian  church. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I43I 

Air.  Sutton  was  married  December  25,  1884  to  Nellie  D.  Johnson,  who 
was  born  in  Brookville,  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  June  21,  1865.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  John  E.  and  Fannie  Johnson,  both  of  whom  died  many  years  ago. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  the  following  children  have  been  born :  Bessie 
F.-,  born  May  9,  1886,  was  graduated  from  the  Jackson  township  schools, 
married  June  24,  1905,  Thomas  C.  Monks,  an  engineer  of  Muncie,  Indiana, 
and  they  have  one  child,  Cleo;  Grace  G.,  born  September  3,  1887,  was  edu- 
cated in  the  Jackson  township  schools  and  graduated  therefrom,  married 
Leroy  Kemp,  in  November,  1906 ;  they  reside  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  and  have  one 
child,  Arthur  W. :  Mr.  Kemp  is  employed  in  an  automobile  generator  factory. 
Claude  J.  Sutton,  born  February  27,  1893,  was  educated  in  the  local  schools 
and  graduated  from  the  same ;  he  fs  a  telegraph  operator  at  Dunkirk,  Indiana, 
for  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company ;  he  has  remained  unmarried,.  Ralph 
Sutton,  who  also  attended  the  Jackson  township  schools,  was  born  November 
25,  1902,  is  at  home. 


OLIVER  J.  SUTTON. 

One  of  the  most  scientific  general  agriculturists  of  Jackson  township  is 
Oliver  J.  Sutton,  a  scion  of  one  of  Randolph  county's  sterling  pioneer  families, 
whose  honored  record  he  has  sought  to  keep  untarnished.  He  is  a  student- 
farmer,  believing  that  since  "the  old  order  changeth"  with  advancing  years,  it 
is  up  to  the  tiller  of  the  soil  to. study  new  conditions  and  labor  under  improved 
methods.  He  also  delights  in  studying  nature  in  her  ever  varying  moods 
and  is  a  broad-minded,  far-seeing  gentleman.  For  many  years  he  was  one  of 
our  most  progressive  school  teachers  and  did  much  the  meanwhile  to  establish 
a  higher  system  of  work  in  our  public  schools. 

Mr.  Sutton  was  born  in  Jackson  township,  this  county.  May  10,  1873, 
and  here  he  has  been  content  to  spend  his  life,  believing  that  as  good,  if  not 
better,  opportunities  existed  right  at  his  own  door  as  anywhere.  He  is  a  son 
of  Thomas  Sutton,  Jr.,  also  born  in  Jackson  township,  Randolph  county,  the 
date  of  his  birth  being  April  29,  1849.  He  was  a  son  of  Thomas  Sutton.  Sr., 
who  was  a  son  of  Cornelius  Sutton,  who  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this 
\:ounty,  he  having  entered  the  farm  which  our  subject  now  owns  from  the 
government  in  1837,  the  grant  being  signed  by  President  Martin  Van  Buren, 
and  from  that  early  day  to  this  the  Suttons  have  been  well  and  favorably 
known  in  Randolph  county,  playing  a  leading  part  in  the  general  development 
of  the  same  and  ranking  among  our  best  citizens  in  every  respect.  Here 
Thomas  Sutton,  Jr.,  grew  to  manhood  amid  pioneer  environment  and  assisted 


1432  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

with  the  arduous  work  of  developing  the  home  place.  He  received  such  edu- 
cational advantages  as  the  early-day  schools  afforded  and  here  devoted  his  life 
successfully  to  general  farming.  He  married  Martha  Auker,  a  native  of 
Preble  county,  Ohio,  whose  death  occurred  in  1889  at  the  early  age  of  thirty- 
nine  years.     The  father  is  still  living. 

Oliver  J.  Sutton  grew  to  manhood  on  the  old  home  place  and  he  received 
his  preparatory  education  in  the  rural  district  schools  of  Jackson  township — ■ 
the  Mt.  Holly  school,  later  studied  ofle  term  in  the  Normal  at  W'inchester, 
under  Denney,  Caldwell  and  Bowers,  then  spent  one  term  at  the  Central  Nor- 
mal College  at  Danville,  Indiana,  also  was  a  student  at  the  National  Normal  at 
Lebanon,  Ohio.  He  also  spent  one  year  in  the  Indiana  State  Normal  school 
at  Terre  Haute.  Thus  exceptionally  well  equipped  for  his  life  work  he  began 
teaching  in  the  public  schools  and  continued  with  great  success  for  a  period  of 
thirteen  years,  during  which  he  gave  eminent  satisfaction  wherever  he  was 
employed  and  his  services  were  in  great  demand.  He  kept  abreast  of  the 
times  in  all  that  pertained  to  his  chosen  vocation  and  was  regarded  as  both  an 
instructor  and  entertainer  in  the  school  room  and  was  popular  with  both 
students  and  patrons.  Finally  tiring  of  the  school  room  he  abandoned  teach- 
ing and  turned  his  attention  to  farming,  in  1904,  buying  fifty-two  acres  of  the 
old  home  place,  which  he  has  kept  well  improved  and  well  cultivated  and  is 
making  a  comfortable  living  as  a  general  farmer  and  stock  raiser. 

Politically,  Mr.  Sutton  is  a  Democrat,  and  in  1910  he  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  advisory  board  of  Jackson  township*  and  when  his  term  expires  in 
19 14  he  will  have  served  four  years  in  this  capacity.  He  rs  giving  every  de- 
gree of  satisfaction  to  all  concerned  and  is  looking  closely  after  the  general 
good  of  the  township.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  Religiously,  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Disciple  church. 

Mr.  Sutton  was  married  June  28,  1899  to  Daisy  V.  Evans,  who  was  born 
in  Jackson  township,  this  county,  ■May  7,  1881,  and  here  she  grew  to  woman- 
hood and  received  her  education.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Mahlon  O.  and 
Lovina  C.  Evans,  an  excellent  family  of  Jackson  township.  Mrs.  Evans  was 
born  and  reared  here  and  has  always  lived  on  the  same  farm.  She  was  known 
in  her  maidenhood  as  Lovina  C.  Shire.  Mr.  Evans  has  devoted  his  life  to 
general  farming. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sutton  one  child  has  been  born,  Acil  Allen  Sutton, 
whose  birth  occurred  July  31,  1901.  He  is  now  in  his  sixth  grade  and  fourth 
term  in  school  and  is  making  rapid  advancement,  giving  promise  of  a  brilliant 
scholar. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I4_^,5 

GEORGE  A.  ULLERY. 

There  can  be  no  impropriety  in  scanning  the  acts  of  any  man  as  they 
affect  his  pubHc,  social  and  business  relations,  so  in  this  biographical  work 
will  be  found  mention  of  worthy  citizens  of  all  vocations,  and  at  this  juncture 
we  are  permitted  to  offer  a  resume  of  the  career  of  George  A.  Ullery,  one  of 
the  substantial  representatives  of  the  agricultural  interests  of  Randolph  county, 
where  he  has  long  maintained  his  home  and  where  he  has  won  a  reputation 
for  honesty,  industry  and  public-spirit. 

Mr.  Ullery  was  born,  like  many  other  good  citizens  of  this  locality,  in 
Darke  county,  Ohio,  October  i8,  1855.  He  is  a  son  of  George  A.  and  Eliza- 
beth (Sword)  Ullery,  the  latter  still  living,  making  her  home  with  our  subject, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two  years.  Adam  Ullery,  the  paternal  grand- 
father, spent  his  life  on  the  farm  and  died  in  the  early  seventies  in  Miami 
county,  Ohio.  His  wife  was  Charlotte  Ullery.  Jonathan  Sword,  the 
maternal  grandfather,  married  Hannah  Kane,  who  was  born  December  28, 
1807,  and  died  October  30,  1894. 

George  A.  Ullery  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Adams  township,  Darke 
county,  Ohio.  He  was  reared  by  his  grandfather,  his  own  father  having 
been  killed  by  a  limb  falling  from  a  tree  while  he  was  working  in  the  woods, 
which  happened  just  previous  to  the  birth  of  our  subject.  This  grandfather, 
Jonathan  Sword,  died  when  our  subject  was  seventeen  years  old,  and  the  lad 
was  left  to  take  charge  of  the  farm,  which  he  operated  successfully  for  a 
period  of  seventeen  years,  then  moved  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and 
purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  where  he  now  resides,  also 
bought  eighteen  acres  near  Union  Gity.  He  has  been  very  successful  as  a 
general  farmer  and  is  also  now  engaged  in  a  lucrative  fire  insurance  business, 
representing  the  German  Baptist  ^Mutual,  of  Randolph,  Henry  and  Delaware 
counties.  Mr.  Ullery  being  a  director,  adjuster  and  agent  of  the  company, 
and  this,  in  connection  with  his  general  farming  makes  a  handsome  annual 
income  for  him.  He  has  a  well  kept  and  attractive  place  and  always  keeps 
some  good  livestock. 

Politically,  Mr.  Ullery  is  a  Democrat,  and  religiously  is  a  staunch  mem- 
ber of  the  German  Baptist  church.  The  Ullerys  are  of  German  ancestry, 
but  have  long  been  in  America,  and  ha\e  been  noted  for  their  thrift  and 
honesty  wherever  they  have  lived. 

Mr.  Ullery  was  married  March  6,  1881  to  Harriet  Miller,  who  was  born 
in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  October  15,  1861,  aijd  there  she  grew  to  womanhood 
and  received  a  common  school  education.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Aaron  K. 
Miller,  who  died  February  9,  1899,  after  a  successful  life  as  farmer  in  Darke 


1434  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

county,  Ohio.  His  wife,  Susan  E.  Miller,  died  October  14,  1904.  To 
these  parents  three  sons  and  six  daughters  were  born,  namely:  Israel  B., 
Noah  D.,  Mary  A.,  John,  Sarah,  Elizabeth,  Ella,  Anna  and  Harriet. 

The  following  are  Mr.  Ullery's  brothers  and  listers :  David  J.,  ]Mary 
J.,  and  these  half  brothers  and  sisters,  Samuel  Wise,  \\'illiam  Wise,  Hanna 
\\'ise  and  Martha  Wise. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ullery  the  following  children  were  born:  Martha  A., 
born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  February  4,  1882,  married  Clyde  Earl  Hinshaw, 
December  24,  191 1,  and  they  have  one  child,  Ruth  Harriet,  born  in  1912;  he 
is  a  farmer  and  lives  in  Randolph  county.  Bertha  Ellen,  second  of  Mr. 
Ullery"s  children,  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  March  8,  1886,  married 
Herbert  C.  Slick  in  1909,  and  they  have  one  child,  Crystal  Ray,  who  was 
born  in  1912;  Mr.  Slick  is  engaged  in  farming.  \\'ilbert  Ray  Ullery,  born 
in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  December  11,  1894,  lives  at  home;  Laura 
Thelma,  born  in  this  county,  August  28,  1896,  died  September  9,  1908.  The 
above  named  children  received  good  educational  advantages  attending  the 
common  schools,  and  Martha  finished  at  the  Union  City  high  school,  and 
taught  a  term  in  Washington  township ;  Bertha  finished  at  Xorth  ^Manchester 
College,  and  taught  four  terms  in  Greensfork  township.  Randolph  county, 
also  one  term  in  Jackson  township. 


DANIEL  WESLEY  BROWN. 

Having  never  been  seized  Avith  the  roaming  desires  that  have  led  many 
of  Randolph  county's  young  men  to  other  fields  of  endeavor  and  other  states, 
where  they  have  sought  their  fortunes,  Daniel  Wesley  Brown,  farmer  of 
Jackson  township,  has  been  content  to  remain  in  his  native  community  and 
here  direct  his  efforts ;  and  he  has  met  with  encouraging  success  in  his  chosen 
vocation  and  has  at  the  same  time  so  conducted  himself  before  his  fellow 
men  as  to  gain  their  respect  and  confidence.  He  is  a  noted  breeder  of  fancy 
Duroc-Jersey  hogs. 

Mr.  Brown  was  born  in  this  county,  April  26,  1857.  He  is  a  son  of 
Joseph  Brown,  who  was  born  in  ^Maryland.  After  spending  his  boyhood  in 
the  East  he  came  west  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  being  among  the 
early  settlers  in  Randolph  county.  Indiana,  and  here  he  developed  a  good  farm 
and  died  in  October,  1901 ;  his  wife,  who  was  known  in  her  maidenhood  as 
Nancy  Harshman,  passing  to  the  life  beyond  February  4,  1895.  To  these  par- 
ents were  born  six  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely :  William  S.,  whose  death 
occurred  in  February,  1913;  ilary  A.,  who  married  Ira  Porter,  died  in  Janu- 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 43 5 

ary,  1907;  Lilly  C.  married  Harvey  Haley  and  they  live  at  Ridgeville ;  Abra- 
ham, when  last  heard  from,  was  living  in  Iowa;  Isaac  E.  died  October  13, 
1885:  Frank  is  a  carpenter  in  Union  City,  this  county;  Albert  died  in  1895; 
and  Daniel  W.,  of  this  sketch. 

Daniel  W.  Brown  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm,  and  he  received 
his  education  in  the  common  scliools.  He  took  up  farming  when  but  a  boy 
and  has  always  followed  this  line  of  work,  commencing  business  for  himself 
when  twenty-five  years  of  age,  first  buying  the  twenty  acres  where  he  now 
resides,  and  on  this  made  good  improvements,  later  buying  ten  acres  more, 
then  bought  sixteen  acres,  finally  secured  fifty-one  and  one-half  acres  addi- 
tional, and  his  father  left  him  forty,  making  him  in  all  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
seven  and  one-half  acres  of  fine  land,  all  of  which  he  has  placed  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation  and  is  carrying  on  general  farming  successfully,  also  is 
making  a  specialty  of  breeding  thoroughbred  hogs — Duroc  Jerseys,  which 
business  he  has  carried  on  most  successfully  for  a  period  of  thirty-three  years, 
and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  hog  raisers  in  the  county,  his  fine  stock 
finding  a  very  ready  market,  owing  to  their  superior  quality.  He  has  a  good 
dwelling  and  numerous  large  outbuildings  on  his  place.  He  has  taken  many 
premiums  with  his  fine  hogs  at  the  Indiana  state  fair,  at  Indianapolis.  At  the 
fair  of  19 1 3  the  following  premiums  were  awarded  his  exhibits,  he  having 
very  strong  competition  by  the  best  breeders  of  Ohio,  Illinois,  Indiana  and 
Kentucky :  First  premium  on  aged  boar,  first  and  third  under  one  year  boar, 
first  on  under  year  sow,  first  on  under  year  herd,  first  on  get  of  boar,  first  on 
produce  of  sow,  champion  on  under  year  boar,  champion  on  under  year  sow ; 
American  specials,  first,  under  year  herd ;  national  special,  first  on  under  year 
herd,  and  silver  trophy  on  under  year  herd.  Mr.  Brown  has  judged  swine 
four  times  at  the  Indiana  state  fairs  of  the  past,  three  times  at  the  Ohio  state 
fair,  and  once  at  the  Kentucky  state  fair,  also  once  at  the  International  Live 
Stock  Exhibition  in  Chicago,  and  many  county  fairs.  No  better  judge  of 
hogs  is  to  be  found  in  the  middle  west,  and  Mr.  Brown  is  widely  known 
among  the  leading  stock  men  of  the  county.  He  and  his  son  raise  and  sell 
about  seventy-five  head  of  hogs  annually  for  breeding  purposes,  their  ship- 
ments going  to  all  parts  of  the  United  States  and  Canada,  and  one  shipment 
went  to  Honolulu,  Sandwich  Islands.  They  are  in  position  to  fill  orders  for 
their  fine  stock  at  all  times,  at  prices  and  quality  to  suit  the  customers.  Theirs 
is  all  registered  stock.  While  a  great  deal  of  their  attention  is  thus  claimed 
by  their  hogs,  they  raise  large  numbers  of  fine  draft  horses  and  carry  on  a 
general  farming  business. 

Mr.  Brown  was  married  October  18,  1881  to  Ida  Nofifsinger,  who  was 


143^3  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

born  in  Bond  county,  Illinois,  October  i8,  1862.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Eli  P. 
Noffsinger,  whose  death  occurred  August  6,  1910.  Her  mother,  Mrs.  Martha 
Noffsinger,  lives  with  Dr.  Noffsinger  in  Union  City.  Mrs.  Brown  had  five 
brothers  and  three  sisters,  one  of  the  brothers  being  now  deceased.  The 
Noffsinger  children  were  named  as  follows :  Henry  is  a  practicing  physician 
at  Union  City ;  Ida,  wife  of  Mr.  Brown ;  Elizabeth  died  when  six  years  old ; 
Noah  lives  in  Union  City;  Joseph  resides  in  Ohio;  Edward  died  in  1893; 
Clara  Jane  died  in  1908;  Ora  A.  lives  in  Ohio. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  the  following  children  have  been  born :  Glee, 
born  July  13,  1884,  was  educated  at  North  Manchester,  Indiana,  married 
Jessie  M.  Richer,  and  they  reside  in  South  Whitley,  Indiana,  where  he  is 
practicing  dentistry;  Joseph  E.,  born  July  27,  1887,  also  educated  at  North 
Manchester,  is  uhmarried,  and  is  at  home,  being  a  third  partner  with  his  father 
in  the  Hvestock  and  farming  business;  Vera,  born  December  28,  1888,  a 
graduate  at  North  Manchester,  later  spent  one  term  at  the  State  University  at 
Bloomington ;  she  married  Elmer  E.  Jones,  a  professor  in  the  University,  and 
they  reside  in  Bloomington.  Mr.  Brown  has  no  grandchildren.  Politically, 
he  is  a  Democrat,  but  is  no  politician  preferring  to  devote  his  attention  ex- 
clusively to  his  large  livestock  and  farming  business.  He  is  a  man  whose 
word  is  regarded  by  those  who  know  him  as  being  as  good  as  the  bond  of 
most  men,  and  he  is  a  genial,  obliging  gentleman. 


JOHN  WILLIAM  FARABEE. 

From  sterling  old  Pennsylvania  stock  comes  John  William  Farabee,  one 
of  the  most  enterprising  farmers  of  Randolph  county,  and,  like  the  rest  of 
the  good  citizens  which  the  old  Keystone  state  has  sent  within  our  borders, 
we  have  profited  by  his  coming,  for  he  has  proven  to  be  not  only  an  enter- 
prising agriculturist  and  stock  man  but  a  public-spirited  citizen  who  is  al- 
ways willing  and  ready  to  do  his  full  share  in  the  work  of  promoting  the 
best  interests  of  his  adopted  county. 

Mr.  Farabee  was  born  in  Washington  county,  Pennsylvania,  October  25, 
t86s.  He  is  a  son  of  Stacy  F.  Farabee,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  m 
1837,  where  he  spent  his  earlier  years,  was  educated  and  married,  and  from 
there  he  moved  with  his  family  in  1870  to  Darke  county,  Ohio,  locating  on 
a  farm  on  which  he  remained  about  eleven  years,  then  came  on  to  Randolph 
county,  Indiana,  buying  a  farm  here  on  which  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life. 


z 


o 


RANDOLPH  COUNTYj  INDIANA.  I437 

dying  in  1890.  He  was  a  successful  farmer  and  a  good  man  in  every  re- 
spect. In  1 86 1  he  married  Elizabeth  Hickesenbaugh,  and  to  this  union  eight 
children  were  born,  John  W.,  of  this  sketch  being  the  oldest;  the  others  are 
Frederick,  who  resides  at  Fort  Wayne;  Jane  married  Thomas  Fields,  and 
they  live  at  Saratoga,  this  county;  Eva  married  Wesley  Warren  and  they 
also  live  in  Randolph  county,  on  a  farm ;  James  E.  is  deceased ;  Adeline  mar- 
ried Arthur  North  and  they  live  at  Traverse  City,  Michigan,  and  are  en- 
gaged in  truck  farming;  Joseph  lives  in  Randolph  county;  Ella  married 
William  H.  Reitenhour,  and  they  also  reside  in  this  county.  The  paternal 
grandfather,  Edward  Farabee,  was  a  native  of  Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania, 
and  there  he  engaged  in  farming,  but  late  in  life  removed  to  Ohio,  where  his 
death  occurred  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety  years.  His  wife,  known  in 
her  maidenhood  as  Catherine  Plants,  died  several  years  ago. 

John  W.  Farabee  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Darke  county, 
Ohio,  and  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  early  in  life  he  began  farming  with 
his  father  in  the  former  county,  and  when  twenty-two  years  old  commenced 
for  himself  and  bought  a  farm  in  Ward  township,  Randolph  county,  Indiana, 
on  which  he  remained  a  few  years,  getting  a  good  start,  then  sold  out  and 
bought  his  present  fine  farm  of  two  hundred  acres.  He  continued  to  prosper 
through  close  application  and  hard  work,  good  management  and  wise  fore- 
sight, until  he  was  enabled  to  buy  another  excellent  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  which  lies  in  Greensfork  township,  this  county.  Both  farms 
are  well  improved  and  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  on  them  stand 
substantial  and  well  arranged  buildings.  He  carries  on  general  farming  and 
stock  raising  on  an  extensive  scale.  He  spends  his  entire  time  looking  after 
his  farms.  He  lived  one  year  in  Union  City,  at  which  time  he  was  a  member 
of  the  city  council.  Politically  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  in  religious  matters 
belongs  to  the  Baptist  church. 

Mr.  Farabee  was  married  September  21,  1889,  to  Lillie  C.  Warren,  who 
was  born  in  Randolph  county  on  August  9,  1870.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Elihu 
Warren  and  wife.  The  father  died  in  March,  191 1,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two 
years.  Mr.  Warren  devoted  his  life  to  farming,  always  highly  respected  and 
well  known  in  Randolph  county. 

The  following  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Farabee :  Frederick 
E.,  born  December  i,  1893,  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Randolph 
county,  is  living  at  home  and  assisting  his  father  with  the  farm  work ;  Homer 
C,  born  January  25,  1897;  William  Ralph,  born  December  14,  1898. 

(91) 


1438  .  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

JAMES  D.  MONEY. 

The  march  of  improvement  is  accelerated  day  by  day,  and  each  successive 
moment  seems  to  demand  of  men  a  broader  intelligence  and  a  greater  discern- 
ment than  did  the  preceding,  showing  that  successful  men  must  be  live  men  in 
this  age,  bristling  with  activity.  The  purpose  of  biography  is  to  preserve  the 
records  of  such  men  for  the  edification  of  succeeding  generations ;  thus  the 
lesson  of  biography  may  be  far-reaching  to  an  extent  not  superficially  evident. 
A  man's  reputation  is  the  property  of  the  world,  for  the  laws  of  nature  have 
forbidden  isolation.  One  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Jackson  township,  Ran- 
dolph county  whose  reputation  will  bear  the  closest  scrutiny  is  James  D. 
Money,  a  progressive  farmer  and  business  man  and  a  citizen  who  has  done 
much  to  encourage  the  upbuilding  of  his  community  along  all  lines. 

Mr.  Money  was  born  in  Jay  county,  near  Portland,  Indiana,  December 
30,  1852.  He  is  a  son  of  Samuel  Money,  who  was  born  in  Virginia,  in  1828, 
whose  death  occurred  April  18,  1894.  When  only  three  years  of  age  his 
parents  brought  him  to  Mercer  county,  Ohio,  locating  near  the  Wabash  river, 
and  there  he  grew  to  manhood  and  followed  farming  and  preaching,  first  in 
the  old  Christian  persuasion,  later  in  the  Disciple  church.  He  married  Susan 
Davis,  who  was  born  in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  from  which  state  she  came  to 
Indiana  with  her  parents  when  young  and  settled  in  Jay  county.  She  was 
born  January  lo,  1829,  and  died  March  16,  1907.  The  paternal  grandfather, 
William  Money,  was  born  in  Virginia,  and  his  death  occurred  in  Mercer 
county,  Ohio  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.  The  grandmother  was  Martha 
Anderson,  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry.  Samuel  Money,  mentioned  above,  was 
a  first  cousin  of  General  Fernando  De  Soto  Money,  of  the  Confederate  army. 
During  the  Civil  war,  Samuel  ]\Ioney  served  in  Company  K,  Eighty-fourth 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  William  Money,  the  paternal  great  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Ireland  and  in  an  early  day  he  emigrated  to 
America,  locating  in  Virginia,  near  where  were  fought  many  years  later  the 
two  battles  of  Bull  Run.  The  maternal  grandfather,  James  Davis,  was  born 
in  Baltimore,  Maryland.  ?Ie  was  a  tanner  by  trade  and  later  followed  farm- 
ing. He  came  to  Jay  county,  Indiana  about  1833  with  the  early  pioneers, 
and  was  a  successful  man  of  affairs.  His  wife  was  a  Miss  Zimmerman,  of 
Pennsylvania  Dutch  ancestry. 

James  D.  Money  of  this  sketch,  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm,  and 
received  his  education  in  the  common  schools,  graduating  from  the  high  school 
at  Fort  Recovery,  later  from  Liber  College,  and  also  Lebanon  College,  in  Ohio. 
He  began  life  for  himself  by  teaching  in  the  public  schools  of  Jav  county. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1439 

which  he  followed  for  eight  years.  He  taught  in  Noble  township  in  1873, 
then  began  farming  in  1877,  on  the  farm  belonging  to  Henry  Handschey.  He 
cleared  most  of  this  place  himself,  the  farm  consisting  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  and  improved  it  in  many  ways.  He  has  continued  farming  ever 
since  with  ever  increasing  success,  now  owning  the  above  mentioned  farm, 
which  he  has  kept  well  improved  and  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and 
he  has  an  attractive  dwelling  and  substantial  outbuildings.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder in  the  Atlas  Bank  of  Union  City,  also  vice-president  and  a  stockholder 
in  the  Union  Loan  &  Trust  Company  of  Union  City.  He  is  vice-president  and 
a  stockholder  in  the  Union  City  &  Lightsville  Telephone  Company,  the  capital 
stock  of  which  is  fifty  thousand  dollars ;  he  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Pierce 
Elevator  Company.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  a  business  way,  being 
a  man  of  keen  discernment,  untiring  energy  and  honorable  ideals.  Politically, 
he  is  independent,  and  back  in  the  early  eighties  he  was  trustee  of  Jackson 
township  for  two  terms.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Masonic  order  and 
religiously  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church. 

Mr.  Money  was  married  September  8,  1877  to  Amanda  J.  Handschey, 
who  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  September  9,  1858,  and  here  she  grew  to 
womanhood  and  was  educated.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Sarah 
Handschey.  Tier  father  was  born  in  Perry  township,  Muskingum  county, 
Ohio  in  1820,  and  his  death  occurred  March  15,  1913.  He  married  Sarah 
Smith,  who  was  born  in  1819,  and  whose  death  occurred  September  8,  1894. 
Mr.  Handschey  was  a  millwright  by  trade  and  erected  one  of  the  first  mills 
in  Randolph  county,  and  dug  a  race  for  the  mill  when  a  boy  of  nineteen  years, 
about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  in  length,  a  depth  of  fifteen  feet  and  through 
the  woods  in  some  places.  Mrs.  Money's  grandfather,  Henry  Handschey, 
was  born  in  Switzerland,  and  there  his  father,  also  Henry  Handschey,  was 
born  and  spent  his  life.  The  grandmother  was  Mary  Ann  Walters,  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Money  the  following  children  were  born:  Charles  H., 
born  May  10,  1880,  was  educated  in  the  Danville  Normal,  later  graduated 
from  the  State  Normal  at  Terre  Haute ;  later  entered  the  State  University  at 
Bloomington,  from  which  he  was  graduated ;  he  has  followed  teaching  for  a 
vocation  and  is  at  this  writing  superintendent  of  schools  at  Frankfort,  Indi- 
ana. He  married  in  September,  1901,  Zelma  Moore,  and  they  have  one  child, 
Leonadas  Wayne,  born  on  Thanksgiving  day,  1903.  Mary  E.,  our  subject's 
second  child,  was  born  July  15,  1884,  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Randolph 
county,  married  Ralph  C.  Flory,  Augu.st  14,  1900,  and  to  them  two  sons  have 
been  born,  Wilbur,  born  April  7,  1903;  and  David  Lowell,  born  August  18, 


I-)40  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

191 1 ;  Mr.  Flory  is  a  farmer  and  resides  in  Jackson  township,  this  county. 
Flora  Alice,  youngest  of  our  subject's  children,  was  born  Xovember  25,  1893, 
was  graduated  from  the  high  school  in  Jackson  township,  and  on  September 
28,  1912  she  married  George  Clayton  DeBolt.  a  mechanic  of  Union  City. 


JOHN  W.  MANGAS. 

One  of  the  careful  agriculturists  and  respected  citizens  of  Randolph 
county,  is  John  W.  Mangas,  a  m.an  whose  history  furnishes  a  splendid  example 
of  what  may  be  accomplished  through  determined  purpose,  laudable  ambition 
and  well  directed  efforts.  Starting  out  in  life  a  poor  boy,  he  has  steadily 
worked  his  way  upward,  winning  success  in  his  chosen  field  of  endeavor  and 
gaining  the  public  confidence,  which  he  has  retained  through  careful  "hewing 
to  the  line"  in  all  the  relations  which  he  has  sustained  to  his  fellow  men. 
He  seems  to  have  inherited  some  of  the  winning  traits  of  his  sterling  father, 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  county,  the  name  Alangas  having  been  well 
known  here  for  many  decades,  and  it  is  a  name  of  which  any  community 
might  well  be  proud  to  include  in  its  list  of  citizens. 

Mr.  Mangas  was  born  in  Jackson  township,  Randolph  county,  April  22, 
1862.  He  is  a  grandson  of  Jacob  Mangas,  who  was  born  in  York  county, 
Pennsylvania,.  November  25,  1800.  On  October  25,  1825,  Mr.  Mangas  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Hoke,  sister  of  Seth  Hoke,  of  Union  City,  Indiana,  and  lived 
with  her  happily  and  peacefully  until  his  death  in  Jackson  township,  August 
8,  1883  when  lacking  two  months  and  a  half  of  his  fifty-eighth  birthday.  His 
family  consisted  of  eleven  children,  ten  sons  and  one  daughter,  two  of  whom 
died  in  infancy,  twins;  eight  sons  and  one  daughter  survive.  Jacob  Mangas 
moved  from  Pennsylvania  to  Richland  county,  Ohio,  in  1832  and  from  there 
to  Jackson  township,  Randolph  county,  Indiana  in  1837,  when  this  region  was 
a  vast  wilderness,  with  but  few  white  settlers  and  no  modern  conveniences. 
He  was  endowed  with  habits  of  frugality  and  industry,  integrity  and  economy, 
so  he  succeeded  in  becoming  an  influential  and  substantial  citizen.  When  he 
came  to  this  county  he  possessed  a  fortune  which  the  young  men  of  today 
might  well  envy,  an  iron  constitution,  a  steady  nerve,  a  solid  muscle,  a  brave 
heart,  an  honest  purpose,  an  unswerving  will,  and  a  faithful,  loving,  working 
wife.  He  had  but  fifty  dollars  in  money,  one  horse  and  a  one-horse  wagon 
into  which  he  packed  all  his  earthly  goods,  and  his  wife  and  babies  and  came 
overland  from  his  home  in  the  East.     Here  he  and  his  industrious  wife  fought 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 44 1 

forest,  wild  beasts,  inconvenience  and  hardships  until  a  large  measure  of 
success  crowned  their  efforts.  They  began  with  forty  acres  in  the  woods, 
atid  added  to  this  until  they  possessed  two  hundred  acres,  and  then  divided 
and  sub-divided  with  their  children  until  they  lived  to  see  each  child  in  posses- 
sion of  a  home  and  in  good  circumstances  and  themselves  a  sufficiency  for  all 
probable  needs  while  sojourning  here.  He  joined  the  Christian  church  at 
Lisbon,  October  i,  1870,  his  wife  having  joined  the  same  September  29,  1868. 
They  lived  a  quiet  life  and  set  a  good  example  for  correct  Christian  conduct 
before  the  world  arjd  their  family.  They  lived  to  see  all  of  their  children  and 
companions,  and  nearly  all  their  grandchildren  who  were  old  enough  in  the 
Christian  church  with  them.  The  following  are  the  children :  Emanuel,  born 
in  1827,  died  in  1899;  ^rs.  Sarah  Smiley,  born  in  1829,  died  in  ±910;  Casper, 
born  in  1831 ;  John,  born  in  1833 ;  Jacob,  Jr.,  born  in  1836,  died  in  1901 ;  Eli, 
born  in  1839;  Abraham,  bom  in  1840;  Absalom,  born  in  1843;  Samuel,  born 
in  1848;  David  and  Saloma,  twins  died  in  infancy.  At  the  time  of  Jacob 
Mangas'  death  there  were  thirty-five  grandchildren,  five  great-grandchildren, 
and  with  his  own  children  made  a  total  of  forty-nine.  During  his  last  illness 
he  bore  his  suffering  with  great  fortitude,  never  complaining. 

Eli  Manga^  was  the  first  born  of  the  immediate  generation  in  Randolph 
county,  his  birth  occurring  May  12,  1839.  J-Iere  he  grew  to  manhood  and 
first  married  Jemima  Smith  in  the  early  sixties  and  to  them  these  children 
were  born:  John  W.,  the  immediate  subject  of  this  sketch;  Hannah  Samantha 
died  in  1864  when  about  nine  months  old;  Mary  Elizabeth  died  in  1865  and 
was  also  about  nine  months  old;  William  O.,  born  June  3,  1866,  married 
Minnie  Coby  of  this  county,  and  they  live  on  a  farm  here;  Rufus  S.,  born  in 
October,  1868,  who  married  Cora  Brewer,  is  engaged  in  farming  and  they 
have  one  daughter;  Jason  died  in  infancy;  Cora  B.,  born  October,  1876, 
died  in  1893;  Dora  died  in  1894;  Carrie  married  a  Mr.  Brooks  and  died 
March  7,  1904;  Clinton  F.,  born  June  30,  1888,  married  Ida  Whitesell,  and 
they  have  one  child,  Carl  born  in  March,  19 12.  The  second  marriage  of  Eli 
Mangas  was  to  Ann  Hawkins. 

Eli  Mangas  had  no  educational  advantages  when  a  boy,  but  by  the 
assistance  of  his  good  wife  and  by  close  home  reading  he  became  a  well  in- 
formed man.  When  nineteen  years  old  he  and  his  brother  took  a  contract  to 
cut  one  hundred  cords  of  wood,  for  forty-five  cents  per  cord,  and  he  spent 
much  time  in  the  woods  in  his  early  life,  getting  out  timber  for  many  different 
purposes  and  making  baskets.  Immediately  after  his  marriage  he  moved  to 
his  father's  forty  acre  farm,  which  he  cleared,  and  there  set  out  an  orchard. 


1442  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

and  later  bought  the  place,  and  added  another  forty  to  it.  He  bought  the 
old  homestead  in  1870  and  at  once  commenced  to  remodel  the  same,  built 
fences,  a  fine  farm  and  other  outbuildings.  He  also  bought  a  tract  of  land  in 
1882  (the  Catholic  cemetery  tract  of  seven  and  one-half  acres),  just  south  of 
the  old  home  place.  On  this  land  is  a  valuable  gravel  pit.  He  put  buildings 
on  same  in  1883  and  moved  thereto  the  following  year  and  there  he  still  re- 
sides. He  was  one  of  the  first  to  agitate,  help  organize  and  lay  out  the  Lisbon 
cemetery  and  he  was  one  of  the  first  trustees  of  the  same  and  is  now  serving 
as  trustee.  At  the  start  there  was  no  money  but  now  there  is  three  thousand 
dollars  on  interest.  The  success  of  the  proposition  has  been  due  very  largely 
to  Mr.  Mangas.  He  has  been  appointed  inspector  of  highways  and  is  per- 
forming his  duties  very  acceptably.  He  united  with  the  Disciple  church 
December  14,  i860,  and  has  been  an  elder  in  the  same  for  forty-three  years. 
Since  1884  he  has  voted  the  Prohibition  ticket,  being  one  of  the  first  to  espouse 
the  cause  of  temperance  in  this  neighborhood. 

John  W.  Magnas,  of  this  sketch  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and 
received  his  education  in  the  common  schools,  and  when  only  eighteen  years 
old  he  commenced  earning  his  own  living,  in  different  ways,  and  by  industry 
and  shrewdness  he  has  accumulated  a  fine  property,  consisting  of  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres  of  choice,  well  improved  and  productive  land,  on  which 
stand  a  substantial  residence  and  good  outbuildings.  He  carries  on  general 
farming  and  stock  raising  on  an  extensive  scale.  When  a  young  man  he  did 
a  good  deal  of  contracting,  such  as  ditching  and  wood  cutting  and  other 
things  and  in  this  way  got  a  good  start.  In  January,  1890  he  bought  a  tile 
factory  which  he  operated  successfully  four  years.  In  June,  1884  he  took  the 
first  public  contract  in  ditch  work  which  he  finished  in  a  few  months.  In 
1 89 1  he  took  a  contract  to  build  the  sewer  for  Union  City  school  building, 
also  one  square  on  North  Plum  street.  His  next  contract  was  in  1895  when 
he  excavated  the  cellar  for  the  Kuntz  building  and  in  1904  he  finished  the  north 
end  of  Plum  street.  In  1905  he  managed  a  gang  of  hands  for  another  con- 
tractor. In  1906  he  excavated  the  cellar  for  the  Ross  Carriage  works,  built 
East  Carter  street  and  built  a  square  of  High  street,  and  in  1907  he  com- 
menced stone  road  contract  work,  building  the  Carson  road  in  \\  avne  and 
Jackson  townships,  also  the  Cox  road  in  the  latter  township.  In  1908  he 
built  the  Alexander  road  and  the  I.  J.  Hill  road  in  Greenville  township.  In 
1909  he  built  the  Evans  road  in  Green  township,  and  in  191 1  built  the 
Gittenger  road  in  Jackson  township.  In  191 2  he  built  the  D.  Warn  road  in 
Jackson  township,  and  in  19 13  constructed  the  Thornburg  road  in  Wayne  and 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I443 

Greensfork  townships  and  the  Alexander  road  in  Wayne  and  Jackson  town- 
ships in  1 9 14.  He  has  been  most  successful  as  a  road  contractor,  being  the 
best  known  man  in  this  field  of  endeavor  in  the  county,  and  no  small  part  of 
his  competency  has  been  secured  in  this  manner.  All  the  while  he  was  con- 
ducting his  tile  factory  and  his  farm,  being  thus  a  very  busy  man  with  his 
three  departments  of  labor,  but  a  good  manager,  energetic  and  persistent  man 
of  affairs,  he  made  a  great  success  of  all  and  is  one  of  the  men  of  wealth  of  his 
section  of  the  county.  He  has  always  been  regarded  as  being  in  the  pro- 
gressive list,  and  he  is  public-spirited,  doing  his  full  share  of  promoting  any 
movement  that  has  for  its  object  the  public  good.  He  was  one  of  the  organ- 
izers of  the  Union  Loan  &  Trust  Company  of  'Union  City  and  one  of  its 
directors  and  stockholders. 

John  W.  Mangas  was  married  March  8,  1885  to  Wilda  Gittenger,  who 
was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  June  4,  1865.  She  received  a  good  educa- 
tion and  is  a  lady  of  many  praiseworthy  traits.  She  is  a  daughter  of  William 
P  Gittenger,  who  died  in  October,  191 1  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two 
years.  He  followed  farming  during  his  active  years,  and  came  to  Randolph 
county  when  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Mangas  was  young.  His  wife  was  known  in 
her  maidenhood  as  Catherine  Berkheimer,  who  died  February  12,  1900  at 
the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  Mrs.  Mangas  has  four  sisters  and  one  brother, 
namely :  Louisa,  who  married  Haskell  Rush ;  Malinda  who  married  Dr.  E. 
L.  Welbourn;  Minnie,  a  twin  of  Mrs.  Mangas,  married  Daniel  Lindley; 
Benjamin  Gittenger  married  Mary  Reynolds ;  Dora  married  Carl  Thornburg. 
Ruby  M.  Brooks,  niece  of  Mr.  Mangas,  was  born  December  22,  1902,  a 
daughter  of  Augustus  and  Carrie  Brooks.  Carrie  Brooks  was  the  only  living 
sister  of  Mr.  Mangas.  Her  death  occurred  March  7,  1904,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
^langas  have  cared  for  little  Ruby  ever  since  as  their  own  child. 

The  following  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mangas :  Nova 
who  married  Harry  L.  Powers,  has  one  child,  Robert  Wayne  Powers,  born 
September  20,  1909;  Mrs.  Powers  was  born  December  23,  1885,  was  educated 
in  the  schools  of  Jackson  township,  from  which  she  was  graduated;  she  and 
her  husband  reside  in  Wa3'ne  township  on  a  farm.  Jesse  G.  Mangas,  second 
child  of  our  subject,  was  born  December  25,  1887,  was  educated  in  Jackson 
and  Wayne  townships,  lives  at  home  and  is  operating  his  father's  farm.  Clar- 
ence B.  Mangas,  the  youngest  child,  was  born  November  18,  1895,  lives  at 
home  and  is  a  graduate  of  Union  City  high  school,  class  of  1914. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mangas  are  pleasant  people  to  meet,  hospitable,  genial  and 
neighborly  and  they  have  a  wide  circle  of  friends  throughout  the  county. 


1444  RANDOLPH  COUNTY^  INDIANA. 

DANIEL  WORTH  OSBORN. 

"Agriculture  is  the  oldest  alchemy,"  says  a  distinguished  writer,  "for 
it  turns  earth  and  even  refuses  into  gold  and  confers  upon  its  cultiva- 
tor the  additional  reward  of  health."  The  oldest  human  vocation  and 
noblest  of  them  all  has  been  honored  by  the  successful  career  of  Daniel 
Worth  Osborn,  for  years  one  of  the  enterprising  farmers  of  Washington 
township,  and  worthy  native  sons  of  Randolph  county.  His  record  shows 
few  mistakes  and  abounds  in  much*that  is  honorable  and  of  good  report, 
showing  industrious  habits  and  a  character  above  reproach  which  is  more  to 
be  desired  according  to  the  prophet  of  old,  than  great  riches. 

Mr.  Osborn  was  born  in  West  River  township,  this  county,  October  19, 
i860,  the  son  of  Charles  W  and  Asenath  (Wood)  Osborn.  The  father  who 
was  born  near  Economy,  Indiana,  lived  many  years  on  a  farm  in  West 
River  township,  this  county. 

Charles  W.  Osborn  was  born  in  Perry  township,  Wayne  county,  Indiana. 
February  8,  1833.  He  was  a  son  of  Isaiah  and  Lydia  (Worth)  Osborn, 
the  former  a  native  of  England,  whose  great,  great  grandfather,  Mathew 
Osborn,  was  the  founder  of  the  family  in  America.  The  great  grandpar- 
ents were  Daniel  and  Margaret  (Stout)  Osborn,  the  former  a  native  of 
Sussex  county,  Delaware,  and  the  latter  of  York  count)^  Pennsylvania,  where 
their  marriage  was  celebrated.  The  grandfather,  Charles  Osborn,  was  born 
in  Guilford  county.  North  Carolina,  in  1775  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
went  to  Tennessee.  In  1798  he  married  Sarah  Newman,  daughter  of  John 
and  Sarah  (Fallowfield)  Newman,  natives  of  England.  Charles  was  a 
farmer  and  a  preacher  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  Removing  to  Mt.  Pleas- 
ant. Ohio,  in  1816,  he  there  published  The  Philanthropist,  the  first  abolition 
paper  ever  published  in  the  United  States.  In  1819  he  went  to  Wayne  county, 
Indiana,  and  laid  out  and  his  son  Isaiah  named  the  town  of  Economy;  the 
name  being  suggestive  of  his  economical  habits.  In  1842  he  moved  to  Cass 
county,  Michigan,  where  he  spent  much  of  his  later  life,  but  his  death 
occurred  in  Porter  county,  Indiana,  in  1850.  He  was  twice  married  and  was  the 
father  of  seventeen  children,  all  of  whom  reached  mature  years.  He  traveled 
extensively  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  visiting  every  state  where  there  were 
meetings  of  his  denomination,  much  of  the  time  riding  on  horseback  and 
preaching  two  and  three  times  a  day.  He  spent  1832  and  1833  i"  Europe 
engaged  in  church  work.  He  was  a  man  of  much  more  than  ordinary  ability, 
was  prominent  in  abolition  work  and  was  a  leading  man  in  his  church. 

Isaiah   Osborn  was  born  in   Knox  county,   Tennessee,   November   25, 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I445 

1803.  He  went  from  there  to  Jefferson  county  with  his  father,  and  thence 
to  Mt.  Pleasant,  Ohio,  in  1816,  where  he  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the  printer's 
trade.  In  1819  he  went  with  his  parents  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  where 
he  worked  on  a  farm  until  1822,  when  he  went  to  Greenville,  Tennessee,  and 
worked  there  as  a  printer.  Returning  to  Indiana  in  1825  he  continued  his 
trade  at  Centerville  and  Indianapolis  until  1828,  when  he  went  to  Economy 
and  taught  school,  served  ^s  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  was  married  to  Lydia 
Worth,  June  24,  1829.  He  entered  eighty  acres  of  land  about  this  time,  built 
a  log  cabin  in  the  midst  of  the  forest,  and  began  the  development  of  a  farm, 
upon  which  he  lived  until  his  death  which  occurred  June  16,  1846.  His 
wife,  the  daughter  of  Job  and  Rhoda  (Macy)  Worth,  was  born  November 
I,  1805,  and  came  to  this  state  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  residing  with  her 
mother  in  West  River  township,  Randolph  county,  teaching  school  up  lo  the 
time  of  her  marriage.  She  lived  to  an  exceptionally  advanced  age.  Both 
were  members  of  the  Friends  church  and  were  elders  in  the  same,  also  both 
served  as  clerks  of  the  monthly  meetings.  Eight  children  were  born  to  them, 
named  as  follows :  Caroline,  married  William  Edgerton  and  they  established 
their  home  on  a  farm  in  Plenry  county ;  she  became  a  woman  of  ability,  was 
president  of  the  Organizer  Publishing  Company,  of  Indianapolis,  the  state 
organ  of  the  Women's  Christian  Temperance  Union.  She  was  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  managers  of  the  Hadley  Industrial  School  for  Girls, 
was  state  superintendent  of  temperance  literature  for  the  union  and  for 
many  years  was  actively  engaged  in  temperance  and  philanthropic  work. 
Rhoda  who  received  a  high  education  and  was  a  successful  teacher,  died 
in  1859  at  the  age  of  twenty-four;  Edmund  remained  on  the  old  homestead 
in  Wayne  county;  Laurinda  was  a  successful  teacher  for  more  than  twenty 
years,  and  in  1876  she  married  Thomas  Ward,  a  banker  of  Winchester; 
Charles  W.,  farmer;  Narcissa  was  also  a  teacher,  married  Henry  Charles, 
a  farmer  of  Wayne  county,  and  she  died  in  1878,  at  the  age  of  thirty-seven 
years;  Martha  and  Eunice  died  in  1848,  aged  five  and  two  years  respectively. 
Charles  W.  Osborn,  father  of  the  immediate  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
taught  to  read  by  his  mother  as  he  sat  near  her  spinning-wheel  while  she 
worked  to  clothe  her  family.  Until  large  enough  to  work  on  the  farm  he 
attended  the  denominational  or  Friends  school.  His  father  died  when  he 
was  thirteen  years  old,  and  the  work  of  the  farm  devolved  on  him,  so 
that  he  seldom  got  more  than  two  months  schooling  out  of  the  year  till  he 
was  twenty  years  old.  In  1S53  he  attended  the  Union  Literary  Institute,  a 
manual  labor  school  in  the  eastern  part  of  Randolph  county,  where  students 
could  work  out  a  part  of  their  board  and  tuition.    He  was  in  the  school  twelve 


1446  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

months  under  Professor  Ebenezer  Tucker,  meeting  his  own  expenses  and  a 
part  of  his  sister  Rhoda's  by  his  own  labor  and  keeping  up  his  studies.  In 
later  years  he  assisted  the  professor  in  the  preparation  of  a  history  of  Ran- 
dolph county.  For  some  time  Mr.  Osborn  had  the  entire,  superintendency  on 
the  farm,  the  providing  for  forty  boarderg,  attending  to  the  correspondence, 
keeping  the  books  and  doing  a  number  of  other  things,  in  connection  with 
keeping  up  five  studies  and  hearing  a  class  recite  each  day.  Seven  years' 
experience  and  training  at  home  had  made  it  possible  to  attend  to  such  busi- 
ness, and  it  vv'as  any  way  to  get  an  education  so  it  was  honest  and  honorable. 
After  leaving  the  institute  he  taught  two  terms  of  school  in  Wayne  county ; 
one  in  Henry  county,  and  then  raised  a  crop  on  the  farm,  and  entered 
Antioch  College  in  the  fall  of  1856.  Here  he  supported  himself  in  part  by 
sweeping  the  floors  of  the  college  and  dormitory.  A  portion  of  his  earn- 
ings heretofore  was  given  to  his  mother  for  the  support  of  the  family.  He 
was  at  Antioch  six  months,  then  removed  to  Wayne  county  and  farmed  in 
the  summer  and  taught  school  in  the  winter.  In  the  spring  of  1858  he  mar- 
ried Asenath  W.  Wood,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Phoebe  (Pickering)  Wood, 
of  Henry  county,  and  continued  the  operation  of  the  old  homestead,  teaching 
in  the  winter  until  1870,  when  he  removed  to  a  farm  in  West  River  township, 
Randolph  county,  his  place  consisting  of  sixty  acres. 

To  Charles  W.  Osborn  and  wife  six  children  were  born,  named  as  fol- 
lows: Arthur  W.  was  the  eldest;  Daniel  W.,  of  this  sketch;  Laura  Cordelia 
died  at  the  age  of  eleven  years;  Edgar  C.  died  when  two  years  old;  Carrie 
died  in  infancy ;  William  E.  was  the  youngest  of  the  family. 

Charles  W.  Osborn  and  wife  were  always  active  members  in  the  Friends 
church  and  he  was  a  local  preacher  in  the  same.  For  eighteen  years  he 
served  his  monthly  meeting  as  clerk  and  presiding  officer.  He  was  long  promi- 
nent in  Sunday  school  and  temperance  work,  and  did  everything  in  his  power 
to  advance  the  cause  of  Christianity.  He  was  an  Abolitionist  from  boyhood, 
as  were  his  parents  before  him.  His  father  cast  the  only  vote  for  James  G. 
Birney  in  1840  that  was  cast  at  Economy.  As  the  Republican  party  was 
pledged  to  the  non-extension  of  slavery,  Charles  W.  Osborn  was  identified 
with  it  from  the  first,  and  got  leave  of  absence  from. Antioch  College  to  go 
home  to  vote,  casting  his  first  presidential  ballot  for  John  C.  Fremont.  Up- 
on the  abolition  of  slavery  he  turned  his  attention  to  temprance  work.  On 
becoming  convinced  that  the  question  of  intemperance  could  not  be  settled 
by  the  Republican  party,  he  assisted,  in  1884,  in  the  organization  of  the 
Prohibition  party  in  Indiana,  and  continued  to  vote  with  that  party  and 
labor  for  its  success,     \^'hen  old  age  came  on,  he  retired  from  active  life 


KANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I447 

and  moved  to  Economy  where  his  death  occurred  May  22,  1905.  His  widow 
IS  still  living  in  that  town,  being  now  advanced  in  years,  but  she  is  in  full 
possession  of  her  faculties. 

Daniel  W.  Osborn  was  reared  in  his  native  community  and  when  grow- 
ing to  manhood  assisted  with  the  general  work  on  the  farm.  He  received 
his  education  in  the  common  schools.  He  began  life  for  himself  as  a  farm- 
er and  this  continued  to  be  his  vocation  through  life.  He  moved  on  his 
present  well-kept  and  productive  farm  in  Washington  township  in  1885. 
In  connection  with  general  farming  he  raised  and  fed  stock  for  the  market. 
He  was  a  Prohibitionist  and  a  member  of  the  Friends  church. 

Mr.  Osborn  was  married,  first,  March  25,  1887  to  Magnolia  Hammer, 
who  was  born  October  17,  1865,  at  Milton,  Wayne  county,  Indiana.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  Jesse  and  Mary  (Farquhar)  Hammer.  To  this  union 
three  children  were  born,  namely :  Alma  L.,  whose  birth  occurred  January 
31,  1888;  Mary  A.,  born  August  7,  1889,  and  Edgar  L.,  born  February  27, 
1 89 1.  They  are  all  living  at  home.  The  wife  and  mother  was  summoned 
CO  her  rest  on  March  6,  1891.  On  October  19,  1893  our  subject  married 
Alma  L.  Hammer,  a  sister  of  his  first  wife;  she  was  born  August  6,  1867. 
To  this  union  one  child  was  born.  Magnolia  E.,  whose  birth  occurred  May 
22,  1909,  died  three  days  later.  Jesse  Hammer,  father  of  Mrs.  Osborn, 
was  born  April  9,  1838  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana.  He  was  a  son  of  Joseph 
and  Alatilda  (Macy)  Hammer.  Joseph  Hammer  was  born  in  Tennessee, 
from  which  state  he  came  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  when  seventeen  years 
old.  His  death  occurred  in  1889.  The  following  is  from  the  home  paper 
prepared  by  a  friend. 

"On  January  24,  1914,  Mr.  Osborn  died  at  the  Home  Hospital  at  La- 
Fayette,  Indiana.  He  was  buried  at  Economy.  Mr.  Osborn  had  spent  his 
entire  life  in  Randolph  county  where  he  was  well  and  most  favorably  known. 

Mr.  Osborn  enjoyed  a  birthright  membership  in  the  society  of  Friends. 
He  came  of  a  long  line  of  illustrious  Quaker  ancestry,  reaching  back  for  at 
least  five  generations  in  the  past.  The  life  of  Mr.  Osborn  has  reflected  credit 
on  the  religious  training  of  his  predecessors  in  the  fact  that  the  quiet  forms 
of  worship  which  were  peculiar  to  the  Friends  in  the  years  that  are  past 
were  reproduced  in  this  manner  of  worship  through  his  life.  Although  never 
making  as  much  of  an  outward  demonstration  as  some  he  aimed  for  his  life 
to  show  for  itself,  and  while  he  frequently  expressed  himself  as  not  fully  un- 
derstanding some  things,  he  said  that  nothing  more  come  than  the  fact  that 
he  was  accepted  of  God.  At  the  time  of  the  surgical  operation  on  his  body 
when  he  recovered  sufficiently  from  the  anesthetic  and  they  thought  it  best 


144°  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

to  inform  him  of  his  condition  he  was  as  calm  as  if  being  told  he  was  about 
to  leave  home  on  a  short  'journey. 

He  referred  during  his  sickness  to  some  of  his  brightest  experiences  in 
the  old  Lebanon  church  and  later  in  the  Jackson  school  house  before  the 
church  at  Martindale  was  built  and  later  in  this  church.  For  many  years 
he  was  an  efficient  Sabbath  school  worker  and  teacher  and  always  faith- 
ful to  the  church  of  Christ. 

Mr.  Osborn  coming  from  staunch  abolition  stock,  it  was  natural  that 
he  should  ally  himself  with  the  great  reform  movements  on  the  anti-slavery 
and  temperance  questions  and  before  he  was  a  legal  voter  he  worked  ardently 
for  the  overthrow  of  the  liquor  traffic  and  when  he  reached  his  majority  he 
cast  his  first  vote  for  John  P.  St.  John  in  1884  and  he  has  always  voted 
with  the  reform  party  through  life.  Although  he  was-  chosen  by  the  tem- 
perance committee  of  the  Cherry  Grove  Monthly  Meeting  to  obtain  speakers 
for  their  meetings  he  declined  to  do  so  rather  than  wound  the  feelings  of 
those  who  did  not  see  things  as  he  did.  He  also  gave  of  his  time  and  means 
and  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  our  great  national  conventions  as  well  as  in 
state  and  county.  His  earthly  life  has  come  to  an  end  but  his  influence  will 
live  a  tireless  force  for  good  in  all  the  coming  years." 


WILLIAM  HARRIS. 


Through  an  active  and  interesting  career  duty  has  ever  been  the  mo- 
tive of  action  of  William  Harris,  the  present  popular  and  capable  ex-mayor 
of  Union  City,  and  one  of  the  progressive  business  men  of  Randolph  county, 
and  usefulness  to  his  fellow-men  has  not  been  by  any  means  a  secondary 
consideration.  He  has  performed  well  his  part  in  life,  and  it  is  a  com- 
pliment worthily  bestowed  to  say  that  this  locality  is  honored  by  his  citizen- 
ship, for  he  has  achieved  definite  success  through  his  own  efforts  and  is 
thoroughly  deserving  of  the  proud  American  title  of  self-made  man,  the 
term  being  one  that,  in  its  better  sense,  can  not  but  appeal  to  the  loyal  ad- 
miration of  all  who  are  appreciative  of  our  national  institutions  and  the 
privileges  afforded  for  individual  accomplishment,  and  it  is  a  privilege,  ever 
gratifying,  in  this  day  and  age,  to  meet  a  man  who  has  the  courage  to  face 
the  battles  of  life  with  a  strong  heart  and  steady  hand  and  to  win  in  the  stern 
conflict  by  bringing  to  bear  only  those  forces  with  which  Nature  has  equipped 
him, — self-reliance,  self-respect,  energy,  foresight  and  integrity. 

Mr.  Harris  was  born  at  Ovid,  Seneca  county.  New  York,  August  21, 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1449 

1845.  He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Amanda  (Osborn)  Harris,  natives  of 
Seneca  county,  New  York.  The  former  died  there  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight 
years,  and  the  latter  made  her  home  with  our  subject  at  Union  City,  dying 
at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years.     William,  our  subject,  was  the  only  child. 

William  Harris  spent  his  boyhood  in  his  native  state  and  there  received 
a  meager  education  in  the  public  schools,  but  being  ambitious  he  has  studied 
■  at  home  and  by  this  means  and  by  actual  contact  with  the  world  has  become 
a  well-informed  man.  He  commenced  life  without  capital,  a  poor  boy  with- 
out assistance  or  influential  friends,  but  he  persevered  in  the  face  of  ob- 
stacles until  success  abundantly  crowned  his  life  work.  He  earned  his  first 
money  when  only  eight  years  of  age  by  dropping  corn,  receiving  five  dol- 
lars in  all  for  his  work.  With  that  he  purchased  a  pair  of  fine  boots  for 
himself.  He  assisted  his  maternal  grandfather  on  the  farm,  working  out 
among  the  neighbors  when  he  could  find  spare  time  from  his  grandfather's 
farm.  When  sixteen  years  old  he  had  earned  and  saved  sufficient  money  to 
buy  a  horse  and  buggy,  also  a  cutter  or  sleigh,  and  was  as  well  equipped  in 
that  respect  as  any  of  the  neighbor  boys  whose  fathers  had  purchased  for 
them.  Immediately  afterwards  he  got  severely  injured,  his  foot  being  crushed 
in  the  cog  wheels  of  a  cider  mill,  and  he  was  on  crutches  for  nearly  a  year. 
Upon  his  recovery  he  hired  out  on  a  farm  for  twenty  dollars  per  month, 
and  worked  eight  months,  during  which  he  spent  only  twenty  dollars  of  his 
entire  wages,  that  sum  being  spent  for  a  suit  of  clothes.  He  had  a  large 
doctor  bill  to  pay  which  he  paid  by  selling  his  horse,  buggy  and  cutter.  In 
October,  1865,  when  twenty  years  old,  he  went  to  Findlay,  Ohio,  and  clerked 
in  a  store  and  produce  house,  remaining  there  five  months.  At  that  time  the 
firm  for  which  he  was  working  bought  a  produce  house  in  Union  City,  In- 
diana, in  1866,  and  Mr.  Harris  was  sent  back  home  where  he  remained  six 
weeks,  then,  came  to  Union  City  and  commenced  work  for  the  same  people 
at  a  salary  of  twenty-five  dollars  per  month  and  board,  and  he  worked  at  the 
new  place  six  months,  then  the  firm  sent  him  out  on  the  road  at  a  salary  of 
one  thousand  dollars  a  year  and  expenses.  He  worked  thus  for  one  year; 
then  in  1867,  he  organized  the  firm  of  Turpen  &  Harris  and  they  launched 
out  in  the  grocery  and  produce  business,  wholesale  and  retail,  and  continued 
with  ever-increasing  success  until  1894,  building  up  a  large  trade  which  ex- 
tended over  a  vast  territory,  in  fact,  the  business  rapidly  grew  to  proportions 
that  far  exceeded  their  most  sanguine  dreams  at  the  beginning,  and  at  three 
dififerent  times  the  firm  was  worth  a  half  million  dollars,  but  they  were  com- 
pletely wiped  out  during  the  panic  of  1894  and  dissolved  business.  After- 
wards Mr.  Harris  took  a  position  with  a  firm  in  New  York  City  to  travel  and 


1450  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

he  remained  with  the  concern  for  a  period  of  six  years,  giving  eminent  satis- 
faction as  he  had  with  all  his  former  employers,  his  efforts  being  very  largely 
responsible  for  an  increase  in  the  business  from  five  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars to  eight  and  a  half  million  dollars  annually.  He  then  took  a  position 
with  another  firm  in  New  York  City,  subsequently  working  for  a  company 
in  Boston,  being  connected  with  the  two  latter  for  a  period  of  six  years 
also  with  equal  success,  thus  making  twelve  years  of  consecutive  work  as  a 
commercial  traveler,  during  which  he  covered  a  vast  territory  and  became 
widely  known  and  was  very  popular  with  the  trade.  In  1908  he  opened  up  a 
brokerage  business  of  his  own  in  Union  City  and  is  continuing  in  the  same 
business  with  gratifying  results. 

In  1909  the  people  of  Union  City  insisted  on  him  becoming  their  mayor 
which  he  consented  to  do  and  was  accordingly  elected  on  a  Democratic 
ticket  against  a  heavy  Republican  majority,  and  the  entire  council  was  also 
elected  on  the  Democratic  ticket.  He  did  a  most  commendable  work  as 
mayor,  doing  much  for  the  permanent  good  of  the  town.  Union  City  be- 
ing conceded  by  all  to  be  in  better  condition  financially,  morally  and  cleaner 
from  a  sanitary  standpoint  than  ever  before  as  a  result  of  his  efforts.  More 
important  improvements  were  made  within  a  shorter  time  than  in  the  history 
of  the  place,  and  all  was  so  skilfully  managed  that  at  the  close  of  his  admin- 
istration the  city  was  no  deeper  in  debt  than  before.  He  was  regarded  as 
one  of  the  best  financiers  in  Randolph  county,  conservative,  certain,  far- 
seeing,  making  few  mistakes.  He  has  always  practiced  following  the  Golden 
Rule  in  all  relations  of  life  and  everyone  reposes  implicit  confidence  in  him. 
To  his  efforts  the  first  gas  well  of  Union  City  is  due.  In  fact,  he  put  down 
the  first  gas  well  in  the  state.  The  well  reached  a  depth  of  eighteen  hun- 
dred feet.  A  flash  of  gas  was  found  at  eleven  hundred  and  fifty-five  feet, 
enough  to  ignite.  Ten  other  wells  were  put  down  in  this  vicinity  but  none 
were  successful.  Mr.  Harris  was  also  interested  in  the  development  and 
growth  of  Muncie,  Marion  and  many  other  cities  and  towns  of  Indiana. 

Mr.  Harris  was  married  in  Union  City  in  1867  to  Anna  Eliza  Turpen, 
who  was  born  in  New  Madison,  Ohio,  March  20,  1847.  She  was  a  woman 
of  many  praiseworthy  characteristics  and  a  favorite  with  a  wide  circle  of 
friends.  Her  death  occurred  on  September  17,  191 1.  To  this  union  the  fol- 
lowing children  were  born:  Stella  A.,  who  died  in  1894,  was  the  wife  of 
Elmer  E.  McRay,  of  Kendalville,  Indiana,  where  he  was  a  large  manufac- 
turer of  refrigerators ;  Carrie  May  died  at  the  age  of  five  and  one-half  years ; 
Jeanette  T.  died  unmarried  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years;  Juliette,  also  re- 
mained single,  and  is  living  at  home ;  Grace  A.  married  Harry  C.  Piatt,  who 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I45I 

has  a  store  in  Union  City,  handling  groceries  and  electrical  supplies,  and  to 
them  one  child  was  born,  Anna  C.  Piatt,  born  August  20,  1909,  died  in  early 
life;  Crissa  Anna  died  at  the  age  of  two  and  one-half  years.  The  five  de- 
ceased daughters  came  to  their  deaths  by  the  same  cause,  appendicitis,  ac- 
cording to  the  statement  of  skilled  physicians,  which  is  undoubtedly  a  heredi- 
tary disease  in  the  Harris  family.  The  father  of  our  subject  died  from  the 
same  cause  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-eight  years,  passing  away  five  months 
prior  to  the  birth  of  our  subject. 

Politically  Mr.  Harris  is  a  Democrat.  He  was  a  member  of  Governor 
Gray's  staff  for  a  period  of  four  years.  He  maintains  liberal  views  on  the 
question  of  religion.  He  was  made  honorary  member  of  the  Hoosier  Club 
of  Union  City  by  a  unanimous  vote  of  its  members  which  comprise  one  hun- 
dred of  the  best  young  men  of  Union  City.  This  action  came  as  a  surprise 
to  Mr.  Harris,  but  he  is  very  proud  of  the  honor.  At  the  expiration  of  his 
term  of  office  as  mayor  Mr.  Harris  was  presented  with  a  beautiful  solid 
gold  watch  by  the  citizens  of  Union  City,  as  a  slight  appreciation  of  the  serv- 
ice he  had  rendered.  The  following  is  engraved  on  it,  "From  Citizens  Union 
City,  Indiana,  to  William  Harris,  Their  Mayor,  1910-1914."  Mr.  Harris 
is  one  of  the  first  and  foremost  citizens  of  Union  City,  always  a  leader  in 
promoting  the  city's  advancement  in  every  way.  He  has  assisted  many  a 
worthy  young  man  to  a.position,  when  starting  out  in  life  in  a  business  way, 
and  many  a  man  today  in  this  and  other  localities  will  tell  you  that  they  have 
worked  their  ways  to  positions  of  prosperity  and  influence  through  the  early 
assistance  of  Mr.  Harris.  He  is  a  gentleman  whom  it  is  a  pleasure  to  meet, 
being  genial,  obliging  and  courteous. 


MILES  J.  FURNAS. 

Miles  J.  Furnas,  well-known  business  man  and  politician  of  Winchester, 
was  born  November  10,  1866,  in  Bridgeport,  Marion  county,  Indiana.  He  is 
a  son  of  Isaac  H.  and  Jane  M.  (Coffin)  Furnas.  The  father  was  born  in 
Bridgeport,  Indiana,  and  the  mother  was  a  natixe  of  Winchester.  The  family 
lived  in  Bridgeport  until  1883,  then  moved  to  Clayton,  Indiana,  and  in  1888 
took  up  their  residence  in  Winchester.  Isaac  H.  Furnas  devoted  his  active 
life  to  farming  and  stock  raising,  but  is  now  living  retired  in  this  city. 
Politically,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  while  deeply  interested  in  the  success  of 
the  party,-  has  never  been  an  office  seeker.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Friends  church.  Only  two  children  were  born  to  them,  our  subject  and 
Joseph  L.,  of  Westfield,  Indiana. 


1452  RANDOLPH   COUNTYj  INDIANA. 

Miles  J.  Furnas  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  received  his  early 
education  in  the  district  schools  of  his  neighborhood.  On  November  24, 
1887,  ^^  was  married  to  Ozella  E.  Hadley,  a  daughter  of  Matthias  and 
Matilda  (Bringle)  Hadley,  of  Hendricks  county,  Indiana.  In  March,  1888, 
he  located  on  a  farm  near  Lynn  and  later  moved  to  Winchester.  To  our 
subject  and  wife  one  son  has  been  born,  I.  Lester  Furnas,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred September  13,  1888.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Win- 
chester and  Indianapolis  and  graduated  from  the  Indiana  Dental  College  in 
1910,  since  which  time  he  has  been  connected  with  the  faculty  of  the  above- 
named  institution.  He  was  married  October  2,  1909,  to  Agnds  M.  Revels,  a 
daughter  of  P.  J.  and  Beatrice  (Loftus)  Revels,  of  Scranton,  Pennsylvania. 
To  this  union  one  child  has  been  born,  Eleanor. 

Mr.  Filrnas  is  a  stanch  Republican  and  has  long  beeti  an  influential 
leader  in  his  party.  In  the  fall  of  1906  he  was  elected  representative  from 
Randolph  county  to  the  state  Legislature,  and  he  was  twice  re-elected,  in 
1908  and  1910.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Friends  church  and  teacher  of  the  young  men's  class  in  the  Sunday 
school. 


JOHN  LAWRENCE  SMITH. 

John  Lawrence  Smith,  a  native  of  New  England,  was  born  November 
30,  i860.  His  father  was  a  native  American  and  his  mother  a  daughter  of 
Erin.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  the  father  enlisted  and  was  in  the 
Union  army  a  year  or  more  when  he  was  transferred  to  the  navy.  He  was , 
killed  by  an  explosion  on  the  flag-ship  of  the  fleet  sometime  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  war.  The  widow,  then  left  with  three  small  children — the  subject  of 
this  sketch  aged  five,  Kate  three,  and  Minnie  one — found  herself  penniless  and 
homeless  in  the  streets  of  New  York  City.  Sickness  and  exhaustion  had  over- 
taken her,  and  she  was  lifted  to  an  ambulance  in  Bleeker  street  one  autumn 
day  and  taken  to  Bellevue  Hospital  to  die.  Her  three  fatherless  children 
were  transported  up  the  Hudson  to  Randall's  Island,  and  consigned  to  the 
House  of  Refuge.  Here,  after  a  few  months,  Minnie  sickened  and  died. 
In  May,  1867,  John  and  Kate  were  given  over  along  with  thirty  other  chil- 
dren from  Randall's  Island,  to  Charles  Loring  Brace,  at  the  head  of  the  Chil- 
dren's Aid  Society  at  that  time,  §nd  when  taken  across  the  river,  found  them- 
selves a  portion  of  two  passenger  coach  loads  of  orphan  children  and  waifs 
gathered  up  in  the  city,  preparatory  to  finding  homes  for  them  in  the  West. 


JOHN   L.   SMITH. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 453 

On  account  of  Mr.  Brace's  ill  health,  he  was  on  the  Pacific  coast,  and  these 
children  were  assigned  to  the  charge  of  Mr.  Roosevelt,  father  of  former 
President,  Theodore  Roosevelt.  After  two  days  and  two  nights  journey,  the 
train  made  its  first  stop  at  Williamsport,  Indiana,  and  the  children  were 
marched  two  successive  days  to  the  court  house  for  inspection  by  those  who 
might  desire  to  furnish  homes  for  the  fatherless  little  ones.  John  and  Kate 
Smith  were  taken  by  a  young  lawyer  of  Williamsport.  After  two  or  three 
weeks  the  lad  was  turned  over  to  a  local  baker  and  after  a  few  months  given 
to  a  farmer  ten  miles  down  the  Wabash. 

Here  the  boy's  life  was  one  of  hardship  and  often  of  torture.  He  was 
beaten  brutally  by  the  man  and  nagged  constantly  by  the  peevish  wife.  After 
six  years  on  the  farm  the  family  moved  to  Williamsport,  and  the  head  of  the 
house  opened  up  a  saloon.  The  young  lad,  now  thirteen  years  of  age,  was 
put  behind  the  bar  to  wait  upon  customers  and  bade  to  drink  every  time  one 
proffered  to  treat.  Three  times  a  week  he  was  required  to  drive  a  team  to 
Attica  for  wagon  loads  of  beer.  Every  inducement  was  presented  the  boy 
to  make  him  a  debauchee  but  by  Providential  grace  and  an  inherent  will  to 
turn  from  evil,  he  escaped.  Two  years  later,  when  the  saloon  keeper  had 
broken  up  and  was  closed  out  by  the  sheriff,  in  the  middle  of  February,  bare- 
footed, the  boy  ran  away  from  his  brutal  taskmaster,  traveling  ten  miles  over 
the  frozen  ground  that  day.  Up  to  this  time  he  had  no  schooling  worthy 
of  mention,  but  now  he  arranged  to  have  a  home  for  his  labor  on  a  farm 
and  the  privilege  of  attending  school  in  the  winter  months.  Four  winters  he 
thus  managed  to  attend  the  district  schools.  In  1878  he  went  to  Newport, 
Vermilion  county,  and  worked  on  a  farm  for  wages.  In  the  school  year  of 
1 88 1  and  '82  he  attended  the  State  Normal  school  at  Terre  Haute,  qualifying 
himself  to  teach.  For  six  consecutive  years  he  then  taught  in  the  district 
schools. 

In  the  spring  of  1887  he  bought  the  Dana  News,  a  Democratic  weekly, 
as  it  was  about  to  suspend,  and  built  it  up  into  a  successful  journal.  In  1891 
Mr.  Smith  became  superintendent  of  the  Dana  schools,  also  continuing  as 
editor  of  the  paper.  In  January,  1893,  he  was  candidate  before  the  Legisla- 
ture for  State  Librarian  at  the  suggestion  of  Governor  Claude  Matthews. 
For  this  position,  however,  he  was  defeated,  but  in  July  of  the  same  year  he 
was  appointed  postmaster  of  Dana  by  President  Cleveland.  After  a  year 
he  sold  the  newspaper,  and  within  the  next  year  resigned  the  post-office  to  get 
back  into  newspaper  work.  In  September,  1895,  he  bought  the  Winchester 
Democrat  and  moved  to  Randolph  county  the  same  month.     Through  the 


3  454  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

memorable  campaign  of  1896  he  conducted  a  red-hot  WilHam  Jennings  Bryan 
paper,  having  been  a  delegate  to  the  convention  that  nominated  the  Nebraskan. 

In  May,  1897,  Mr.  Smith  retired  from  the  Winchester  Democrat  and 
bought  a  half  interest  in  the  Richmond  Daily  Sun  and  removed  to  Richmond. 
After  a  few  months  he  withdrew  from  this  partnership  and  engaged  in  the 
insurance  business.  In  June,  1899,  he  again  removed  to  Winchester  and  was 
associated  for  something  more  than  two  years  with  A.  C.  Hindsley  in  the 
publication  of  the  Winchester  Demgcrat.  In  November  1901  he  engaged  in 
the  insurance  work  again  and  during  the  past  ten  years  has  been  manager  of 
the  Insurance  department  of  the  Peoples  Loan  &  Trust  Company. 

In  November,  1887,  Mr.  Smith  was  married  to  Kate  Jordan,  a  native  of 
Vermilion  county,  Indiana.  Two  children  have  been  born  to  the  union, 
Marian  Bernece,  now  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Randolph  county,  and 
Lawrence  J.,  who  died  when  five  and  a  half  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  Democrat  of  the  most  pronounced  Jeffersonian  type,  and 
has  an  abiding  faith  in  the  political  tenets  advocated  by  his  party. 

Our  subject  has  been  an  ardent  lover  of  books,  particularly  the  standard 
American  and  English  authors.  He  is  reputed  to  have  the  largest  private 
library  now  in  the  state,  his  collection  amounting  to  nearly  six  thousand 
volumes.  He  is  an  untiring  reader,  and  is  well  abreast  of  all  the  advanced 
thinking  of  the  day. 

Likewise,  Mr.  Smith  is  devoted  to  nature,  a  lover  of  flowers  and  birds 
and  trees.  To  his  city  lot  he  has  transplanted  forty-three  varieties  of  wild 
flowers,  and  bird  song  is  life  among  the  trees  because  he  has  furnished  homes 
for  them,  houses  for  purple  martins  and  house  wrens,  leafy  trees  for  others. 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows. When  seventeen  years  of  age  he  united  with  the  Christian  church  at 
West  Lebanon,  Indiana,  but  at  present  is  a  member  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
church  of  Winchester. 

Mr.  Smith  has  been  quite  active  with  his  pen,  writing  both  in  verse  and 
prose.  He  has  contributed  to  "The  Forum,"  "The  Arena,"  "The  Christian 
Register,"  and  the  "National  Magazine,"  as  well  as  to  the  state  and  local 
papers.  In  1892  he  contributed  two  monographs  to  the  State  Board  for  the 
Columbian  Exposition  for  which  he  received  an  honorarium  of  one  hundred 
dollars  each.  In  preparation  of  a  literary  history  of  Indiana  he  has  collected 
more  than  six  hundred  volumes  of  the  works  of  Indiana  writers.  In  1896 
and  '97  he  was  secretary  of  the  Western  Association  of  Writers,  and  formed 
lasting  friendships  with  the  genial  souls  that  assembled  at  the  annual  meetings 
for  many  years. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  I455 

HENRY  E.  BUTTERWORTH. 

In  examining  the  life  records  of  self-made  men,  it  will  invariably  be 
found  that  indefatigable  industry  has  constituted  the  basis  of  their  success. 
True  there  are  other  elements  which  enter  in  and  conserve  the  advancement 
of  personal  interests, — perseverance,  discrimination  and  mastering  of  expedi- 
ents— but  the  foundation  of  all  achievement  is  earnest,  persistent  labor.  At 
the  outset  of  his  career  Henry  E.  Butterworth,  well-known  business  man  of 
Winchester,  Randolph  county,  recognized  this  fact  and  he  did  not  seek  any 
royal  road  to  the  goal  of  prosperity  and  independence,  but  began  to  work 
earnestly  and  diligently  to  advance  himself  and  the  result  is  that  he  is  now 
numbered  among  the  progressive,  successful  and  influential  citizens  of  this 
locality  where  he  has  always  made  his  home  and  whose  interests  he  has  ever 
had  at  heart  and  sought  to  promote  in  every  legitimate  way. 

Mr.  Butterworth  was  born  in  Winchester,  near  where  he  is  now  living. 
He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Susan  (Edwards)  Butterworth.  The  father  was 
born  in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  and  the  mother  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana. 
Grandfather  Thomas  Butterworth  emigrated  to  America  from  Europe  in 
1819,  locating  in  Baltimore,  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  engaged  in 
his  trade  as  weaver.  His  son,  Thomas,  came  west  in  1843,  ^^'^  ^^^^  settled  in 
what  is  now  Fountain  City,  Wayne  county,  Indiana.  He  had  learned  the 
wagon  maker's  trade  at  which  he  worked  after  coming  west.  All  vehicles 
were  made  by  hand  in  those  days.  The  Edwards  family  came  from  North 
Carolina  in  the  early  thirties.  They  entered  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  which  is  now  a  part  of  the  county  farm,  two  miles  south  of  Win- 
chester. Thomas  Butterworth,  father  of  our  subject,  came  to  Winchester 
about  1844  and  opened  a  wagon  shop  on  what  is  now  East  Washington 
street.  He  and  Susan  Edwards  were  married  in  Winchester  in  1845,  and 
two  children  were  born  to  them,  Henry  E.,  of  this  sketch,  and  Annetta,  now 
the  wife  of  David  Hippenheimer,  a  farmer  in  White  River  township,  living 
one  mile  east  of  Winchester.  Politically,  Mr.  Butterworth  was  a  Republican 
and  active  in  political  matters  but  never  held  office.  His  death  occurred  July 
25,  1885,  his  widow  surviving  until  March  17,  1896.  They  are  both  buried 
in  White  River  Cemetery. 

Henry  E.  Butterworth  was  reared  in  Winchester  and  there  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools.  He  was  born  July  10,  1846  and  when  he  was 
eleven  years  old,  in  1857,  the  family  moved  to  their  farm,  two  and  one-half 
miles  south  of  Winchester  where  the  father  spent  the  rest  of  his  life  and 
where  our  subject  grew  to  manhood,  continuing  to  farm  on  the  home  place 


1456  RANDOLPH  COUNTY^  INDIANA. 

until  1886  when  he  moved  to  the  county-seat  and  engaged  in  buying  and 
shipping  livestock,  also  the  hay  business  for  about  four  years,  when  he  turned 
his  attention  to  the  ice  business  in  which  he  has  been  continuously  engaged 
to  the  present  time.  He  has  a  large  and  rapidly  growing  business,  one  of  the 
most  extensive  of  its  kind  in  this  section  of  the  state.  He  cuts  and  packs 
his  own  ice  from  Funks  lake  and  has  controlled  the  local  ice  trade  ever  since 
he  started  in  business.  Promptness  and  honesty  are  his  watchwords.  He  is 
well  equipped  in  every  way  for  the  successful  handling  of  his  large  trade. 

Mr.  Butterworth  was  married  on  October  10,  1871,  to  Sarah  Alice 
Irvin,  daughter  of  George  and  Eliza  (Quinn)  Irvin,  of  Randolph  county, 
of  which  Mr.  Irvin  is  a  native,  but  his  wife  was  born  in  Preble  county,  Ohio. 

The  union  of  our  subject  and  wife  has  been  without  issue. 

Politically,  Mr.  Butterworth  is  a  Republican,  but  has  never  been  an  of- 
fice seeker,  although  interested  in  whatever  promoted  the  affairs  of  his  city 
and  county. 


ISAAC  ROUTH  GILMORE. 

One  of  the  well  remembered  men  of  a  past  generation  in  Randolph  county 
was  the  late  Isaac  Routh  Gilmore,  who  devoted  his  life  successfulUy  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  proved  to  be  a  good  neighbor  and  citizen.  He  was  one 
of  the  honored  veterans  of  the  great  a\  ar  between  the  states.  Such  men  are 
worthy  of  both  material  success  and  the  esteem  of  their  acquaintances,  for 
it  has  been  by  such  men  as  Mr.  Gilmore  that  this  locality  has  been  reclaimed 
from  a  wild  state  and  brought  up  to  one  of  the  foremost  agricultural  sections 
of  Indiana.  He  left  his  descendants  an  inheritance  of  which  they  may  well 
be  proud,  a  good  example  and  an  untarnished  family  name. 

Mr.  Gilmore  was  born  near  Pendleton,  Madison  county,  Indiana,  No- 
vember II,  1839.  He  was  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Nancy  (Roberts)  Gilmore,  the 
father  a  native  of  Virginia  and  the  mother  of  Tennessee.  To  them  the  fol- 
lowing children  were  born:  John  R.,  Eleanor  Jane,  Isaac  R.  (subject  of  this 
memoir),  Nancy,  James,  Malinda  Susan,  Thomas  E.,  Joseph  W.,  Adaliza 
Marie,  Martha,  Emily,  Samuel,  Henry,  William,  Rachael,  Robert  C.  and 
Sarah  Ann.  This  exceptionally  large  family  is  now  all  deceased  except 
Robert  C,  Adaliza  Maria  and  Rachael. 

Isaac  R.  Gilmore  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  he  received  a  com- 
mon school  education.  He  assisted  his  father  to  clear  the  home  farm  and 
later  cleared  and  developed  a  farm  of  his  own,  erecting  thereon  good  build- 
ings and  became  a  substantial  farmer.     When  quite  young  he  removed  with 


ME.   AND  MPlS.   ISAAC   It.   (ilLMORE. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I457 

his  parents  to  Illinois,  where  he  lived  until  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  War, 
when  he  enlisted  in  Company  I,  Thirtieth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which 
he  served  faithfully  until  the  close  of  the  struggle,  seeing  much  hard  service 
and  taking  part  in  many  of  the  important  engagements.  A  f ter  the  war  he  re- 
sumed farming,  eventually  moving  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana  where  the 
rest  of  his  life  was  spent.  At  his  death  he  owned  a  finely  improved  and  pro- 
ductive farm  of  one  hundred  acres  in  Nettle  Creek  township,  which  his  widow 
still  owns.  He  previously  owned  much  more  land  which  he  divided  among 
his  children  and  gave  them  a  good  start  in  life. 

Mr.  Gilmore  married  Elizabeth  Thornburg,  March  24,  1864.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  Edward  and  Susannah  (Thornburg)  Thornburg,  the  father  a 
native  of  Ohio  and  the  mother  a  native  of  Indiana.  They  were  the  parents 
of  twelve  children,  namely:  Eliza  Jane  and  Peggie  are  both  deceased;  Mrs. 
Mary  Ann  Terrell,  lives  in  Delaware  county,  Indiana ;  Martha  is  deceased ; 
Isaac  Henry,  Joseph  Morris  and  Sarah  Ellen,  all  died  in  infancy ;  Mrs. 
Rebecca  Gilmore,  lives  in  Iowa ;  Elizabeth,  who  married  Mr.  Gilmore,  of  this 
sketch;  John,  lives  at  Economy,  this  state;  Mrs.  Carolina  Dudley,  lives  in 
Marion,  Indiana;  George  is  a  resident  of  Delaware  county. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Isaac  R.  Gilmore  the  following  children  were  born : 
Mary  Luella,  the  oldest  died  at  the  age  of  nine  months,  ten  days ;  Mrs.  Venora 
Ann  Chamness,  of  Henry  county;  Mrs.  Addie  Udora  Campbell,  of  Muncie, 
who  has  two  children,  Frank  and  Ina.  They  are  both  married  and  FranE 
has  four  children,  Edith,  Lois,  Jonathan  and  Joseph  William.  Ina  has 
three  children,  Marcile  Luella,  Thelma  Ruth  and  Cletis  Cornelus  Geneviene; 
Wellrose  Douglass,  third  child  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  lives  in  Ran- 
dolph county  and  has  one  child,  Revillo ;  Andrew  Clayton  died  leaving  three 
children,  Valetta  Carrel,  Carcie  Harold,  and  Lois,  all  except  the  last  named 
now  making  their  home  with  their  grandmother,  Gilmore;  Joseph  Henry, 
also  died  and  left  two  children,  Arline  and  Richard  Harold;  Mrs.  Ora  Es- 
tella  Jones,  who  lives  in  Parker  and  has  two  children,  Survetus  and  Lelia; 
Arthur  Edward,  of  this  county,  has  three  children,  Oletta  Blanche,  Raymond 
Leo,  and  Cleo  Lavon;  Lee  Dennis,  youngest  of  our  subject's  children,  lives 
in  North  Dakota  and  has  one  child,  Lucille  Estella. 

The  first  home  built  by  Mr.  Gilmore  was  destroyed  by  fire,  but,  nothing 
daunted,  he  at  once  set  about  to  build  another  and  left  his  family  in  good 
circumstances  and  the  widow  occupies  the  old  home  and  the  place  is  operated 
by  his  son,  Arthur  E. 

For  forty  years  Mr.  Gilmore  was  a  worthy  member  of  the  Christian 
church,  devoting  a  great  amount  of  his  time,  labor  and  money  for  the  benefit 


1458  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

of  the  church  and  the  betterment  of  his  community  in  every  way;  At  the 
organization  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  he  became  a  member  of 
that  order  and  was  ahvays  devoted  to  its  work.  On  September  23,  1871,  he 
was  made  a  master  Mason  by  the  Blountsville  lodge,  and  in  all  ways  tried 
to  practice  the  teachings  of  this  great  order. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Gilmore  occurred  October  30,  1909  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
nine  years,  eleven  months  and  nineteen  days,  leaving  a  widow,  seven  chil- 
dren, twelve  grandchildren,  five  great  grandchildren,  a  brother  and  two  sis- 
ters and  a  host  of  devoted  friends. 


COLUMBUS  R.  CARTER. 

One  of  the  most  enterprising  and  substantial  citizens  of  Lynn,  Randolph 
county,  is  Columbus  R.  Carter,  who  has  been  engaged  in  a  number  of  things 
in  all  of  which  he  has  shown  himself  a  capable  man  of  affairs,  and,  having 
accumulated  a  handsome  competency  he  is  now  living  practically  retired,  al- 
though still  in  the  full  vigor  of  manhood.  He  was  well  prepared  for  life's 
serious  work,  being  given  a  good  education  and  excellent  training  by  an  able 
and  worthy  father.  Another  thing,  he  selected  a  splendid  woman  to  share 
his  triumphs  and  defeats,  his  joys  and  sorrows,  which  come  in  the  course  of 
the  years  to  everyone.  And  thus  ecjuipped  he  began  the  battle  of  life  on  his 
own  account,  and  so  it  is  not  surprising  that  success  has  attended  his  efforts 
all  along  the  line. 

Mr.  Carter  was  born  in  the  northeastern  corner  of  Howard  county,  In- 
diana. He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  Wesley  Carter  and  Lydia  (Rhoades)  Carter. 
The  father  was  born  October  11,  1836,  near  Mt.  Zion  neighborhood.  White 
River  township,  Randolph  county.  He  was  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Mariam 
(Cartwright)  Carter.  Thomas  Carter,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Randolph  county, 
North  Carolina  and  he  came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in ,  the  latter 
twenties,  entering  eighty  acres  of  land  in  White  River  township,  and  was 
thus  one  of  our  earliest  settlers.  He  began,  clearing  and  improving  his  land 
here,  but  death  overtook  him  about  three  years  later,  and  he  passed  away  in 
early  manhood,  leaving  a  wife  and  several  children.  He  and-  Mariam  Cart- 
wright  were  married  in  North  Carolina,  of  which  state  she  was  a  native,  and 
she  spent  the  rest  of  her  life  in  this  locality. 

Thomas  W.  Carter  was  left  an  orphan  at  the  age  of  eleven  years.  He 
made  his  home  with  an  elder  sister  and  worked  on  a  farm,  and  suffered  the 
privations  and  hardships  incident  »to  a  parentless  boy  in  the  pioneer  days. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1459 

He  secured  a  colt  for  some  of  his  services  and  with  that  for  a  start  he  gradu- 
ally worked  his  way  up.  When  twenty  years  old  he  married  Lydia  Rhoades 
and  soon  after  located  on  a  farm  east  of  Snow  Hill,  this  county  and  in  i860 
moved  to  Howard  county  where  he  continued  farming  until  the  fall  of  1875, 
then  moved  back  into  the  same  house  he  had  before  occupied  near  Snow  Hill, 
and  farmed  there  one  year  then  moved  to  the  farm  where  he  spent  the  rest 
of  his  life,  dying  November  26,  1906,  when  a  little  past  seventy  years  of 
age.  He  and  Lydia  Rhoades  were  married  October  19,  1856.  She  was  born 
in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  October  22,  1839.  She  was  a  daughter  of 
Miles  and  Margaret  Rhoades.  Miles  Rhoades  was  a  native  of  North  Caro- 
lina. The  death  of  Mrs.  Carter  occurred  July  16,  1876.  Mr.  Carter  subse-i 
quently  married  Hannah  Baldwin.  Nine  children  were  born  to  this  first 
union,  two  of  the  daughters  preceding  him  to  the  Silent  Land.  He  was  a 
worthy  member  of  the  Christian  church.  He  was  regarded  by  all  as  being 
a  good  and  useful  man  in  every  respect. 

Columbus  R.  Carter  received  a  common  school  education,  and  attended 
Roanoke  Academy  one  term,  also  attended  the  Converse  high  school.  He' 
began  life  for  himself  by  teaching  school,  after  one  term  he  began  farming 
and  alternated  the  two  for  a  period  of  years,  being  very  successful  in  both. 
He  then  engaged  in  merchandising  at  Snow  Hill,  also  was  a  grain  dealer 
there  for  a  period  of  fourteen  years,  building  up  a  large  trade  in  the  mean- 
time. He  then  went  to  Lynn  and  engaged  in  the  real  estate,  loan  and  insur- 
ance business,  and  also  became  secretary  and  manager  of  the  Lynn  Tile  & 
Brick  Company,  which  he  conducted  for  four  years  building  it  up  to  large 
proportions,  also  had  a  splendid  real  estate  and  insurance  business.  In  1912 
he  traveled  extensively  throughout  the  West.  He  is  now  living  practically 
retired.  He  owns  one-third  interest  in  the  splendid  cement  block  building 
on  Main  street  in  Lynn,  also  other  valuable  properties,  including  a  handsome 
residence.  Politically  he  is  a  Prohibitionist,  and  religiously  belongs  to  the 
Church  of  Christ. 

Mr.  Carter  was  married  September  12,  1885,  to  Mary  Jane  Buroker, 
who  was  born  in  Grant  county,  Indiana,  November  22,  1863.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  William  and  Julia  Buroker.  The  father  was  born  October  18, 
1834,  in  Grant  county,  Indiana,  and  his  death  occurred  March  22,  1871 ;  his 
wife  died  April  6,  1876. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carter  two  children  have  been  born,  a  son  dying  in 
infancy  and  Thelma  lona  who  is  now  attending  the  Lynn  high  school  and 
will  graduate  with  the  class  of  1916. 


7460  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

The  descendants  of  Thomas  Carter,  Sr.,  hold  their  family  reunion  an- 
nually near  Snow  Hill  Station  and  the  descendants  of  INIiles  Rhoades,  Sr., 
hold  their  family  reunion  annually  at  the  old  homestead  near  Converse,  In- 
diana. The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  president  of  both  these  reunions, 
thus  shpwing  that  he  is  an  honored  member  of  both  families. 


ROBER'J  G.  HUNT. 

Such  a  life  as  that  of  Robert  G.  Hunt,  successful  farmer  and  stock  man, 
of  Union  City,  for  a  long  lapse  of  years  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Ran- 
dolph county  and  a  veteran  of  the  Ci^il  ^Var,  is  an  inspiration  to  others  who 
are  less  courageous  and  more  prone  to  giving  up  the  fight  when  obstacles 
thwart  their  way,  or  their  ideals  have  been  reached  or  definite  success  has 
been  obtained  in  any  field  of  endeavor.  In  the  life  history  of  Mr.  Hunt  are 
found  evidences  of  a  peculiar  characteristic  that  always  makes  for  achieve- 
ment, persistency  coupled  with  fortitude  and  honest  traits,,  and  as  the  result 
of  such  a  life  he  has  acquired  not  only  material  success  but  also  an  honored 
place  in  the  community. 

Mr.  Hunt  was  born  in  Kentucky,  September  20,  1843.  ^^  is  a  son 
of  Hugh  ^I.  Hunt,  a  native  of  Union  county,  South  Carolina  where  he  spent 
his  boyhood  years,  removing  to  Kentucky  when  twenty-three  j^ears  old,  where 
he  remained  until  1848  when  he  moved  with  his  family  to  Indiana,  locating 
on  a  farm  two  miles  west  of  Huntsville,  Randolph  county,  where  he  spent 
the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  January  24,  1888.  He  married  Maranda  Hunt,  a 
daughter  of  Rev.  Bazel  Hunt,  (no  relation).  Her  death  occurred  May  29, 
1 89 1.  Grandfather  Elisha  Hunt  died  in  South  Carolina  many  years  ago.  He 
was  of  Scotch  ancestry.    The  Hunts  are  an  old  southern  family. 

Robert  G.  Hunt  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  was  educated  ■ 
in  the  common  schools  of  Randolph  county,  and  when  only  eighteen  years  of 
age  he  enlisted  in  Company  E,  Thirty-sixth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  un- 
der Col.  Grose,  of  New  Castle,  and  Capt.  Kerney.  He  saw  considerable  hard 
service  and  proved  to  be  a  gallant  and  faithful  soldier  for  the  union.  He 
fought  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh  where  he  was  wounded  and  discharged  for 
disability  not  long  thereafter ;  but  as  soon  as  he  was  able  he  re-enlisted,  this 
time  in  Company  B,  Seventh  Indiana  Cavalry,  and  was  made  quarter-master 
sergeant,  the  duties  of  which  position  he  discharged  in  a  highly  commendable 
manner  until  he  was  honorably  discharged  at  Austin,  Texas,  February  18. 
1866.  After  his  military  career  he  remained  in  the  Lone  Star  state  until  the 
spring  of  1867  when  he  returned  to  Randolph  county,   Indiana,  removing 


> 


W 
O 
W 
H 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 46 1 

to  Ringgold  county,  Iowa  two  years  later,  where  he  remained  nearly  a  year, 
then  returned  to  this  county  and  bought  a  small  farm  in  West  River  township, 
and  in  connection  with  farming  he  began  buying  and  shipping  livestock 
on  an  extensive  scale,  his  business  growing  to  large  proportions.  In  1885  he 
moved  to  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Nettle  Creek  township, 
he  having  purchased  this  place  in  1883.  He  sold  out  in  1889  and  bought 
a  farm  immediately  across  the  road  from  his  last  place,  in  West  River  town- 
ship, the  latter  farm  consisting  of  two  hundred  and  thirteen  acres,  which 
was  poorly  improved,  and  he  improved  same  and  sold  it  in  two  years  and 
moved  to  Indianapolis.  About  1895  he  bought  a  farm  in  West  River  town- 
ship to  which  he  removed  soon  thereafter  and  lived  on  it  two  and  one-half 
years  when  he  sold  out  and  moved  to  Modoc.  After  remaining  there  a 
few  months  he  moved  back  to  Indianapolis,  and  in  1909  bought  a  farm  in 
Jay  county  on  which  he  lived  until  1912  when  he  sold  out  and  moved  to 
lUnion  City,  buying  a  fine  home  on  the  Ohio  side  of  the  city  where  he  now 
resides,  surrounded  by  every  convenience  and  comfort  and  here  he  expects 
to  spend  his  old  age  in  quiet.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  his  life  work, 
always  made  good  trades  in  his  various  farms  and  is  now  in  very  comfortable 
circumstances  financially.     Politically,  he  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Hunt  was  married  May  12,  1878  to  Elvira  H.  Hunt,  (no  relation). 
She  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  October  19,  1856,  and  here  she  grew  to 
womanhood  and  was  educated.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  W.  Hunt,  for 
many  years  a  well-known  and  highly  respected  citizen  of  Randolph  county. 
His  death  occurred  March  22,  1870.  He  was  of  English  ancestry.  His 
wife,  Rachael  Andrews,  was  a  daughter  of  Barton  Andrews,  and  her  death 
occurred  April  17,  1873.  The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert  G.  Hunt  has 
been  without  issue. 


BENJAMIN  WORTH  DAGGETT. 

Notwithstanding  opinions  to  the  contrary,  much  depends  upon  being  well 
born,  and  the  old  adage  that  "blood  will  tell"  is  not  only  true,  but,  profoundly 
philosophical.  In  a  large  measure  we  are  what  our  ancestors  were,  their 
characteristics  and  their  attributes  as  a  rule  constituting  a  heritage  which  has 
had  a  powerful  influence  in  moulding  our  lives  for  good  or  evil.  "Like  pro- 
duces like,"  a  recognized  law  of  the  physical  world,  also  obtains  in  matters 
of  mind  and  morals,  as  the  experience  of  the  human  race  abundantly  attests. 
That  parents  have  a  wonderful  influence  upon  the  minds  and  hearts  of  their 
offspring  cannot  for  a  moment  be  gainsaid,  hence,  the  necessity  of  measuring 


1462  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

up  to  the  high  standard  which  both  Nature  and  the  Creator  require  of  father- 
hood and  motherhood.  In  matter  of  birth  Benjamin  Worth  Daggett,  of  the 
vicinity  of  Union  City,  Randolph  county,  has  been  fortunate,  inheriting  as 
he  does  the  sterhng  characteristics  of  his  ancestors. 

Mr.  Daggett  was  born  in  Adams  county,  Ohio,  May  2;^,  1852.  He  is  a 
son  of  George  Daggett,  who  was  born  near  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  where 
he  spent  his  boyhood  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools.  When 
twenty-one  years  of  age  he  left  his  native  state  and  came  to  Ohio  where  he 
bought  a  small  farm.  He  learned  the  cooper's  trade  when  young  and  worked 
at  the  same,  maintaining  a  shop  of  his  own  for  many  years.  His  family  con- 
sisted of  ten  children,  namely:  Andrew  Jackson  died  in  infancy;  Martin 
Van  Buren,  Richard  Johnson,  Camora  H.,  Martha  E.,  Thomas  K.,  Virginia 
A.,  Mary  I.,  Sarah  E.,  and  Benjamin  Worth.  Benjamin  F.  Daggett,  paternal 
grandfather  of  the  above  named  children,  was  born  in  Virginia,  August  4, 
(790.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  181 2,  in  which  war  his  father  was  a 
captain. 

Benjamin  W.  Daggett  grew  up  on  his  father's  farm  in  Ohio  where  he 
worked  when  a  boy  and  he  received  his  education  in  the  country  schools  in 
his  neighborhood  in  Adams  county,  at  the  old  Foster  school-house,  which  was 
three  miles  distant  from  his  home.  When  eighteen  years  of  age  he  began 
auctioneering  which  he  followed  successfully  for  a  number  of  years,  later  in 
life  turning  his  attention  to  farming.  He  came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana 
in  1900  and  here  he  has  been  engaged  in  farming,  principally,  ever  since. 
During  the  past  four  years  he  has  been  running  the  school  wagon  in  vicinity 
of  Union  City  and  has  never  had  an  accident.  He  purchased  his  present  home 
farm  of  forty-four  acres  on  January  5,  1901.  He  has  improved  it  and  has 
a  comfortable  home.  He  is  a  self-made  man,  for  he  received  little  assistance 
from  his  parents  who  had  a  large  family  to  rear,  educate  and  provide  for. 

Mr.  Daggett  was  married  July  18,  1883  to  Julia  Ann  Wilson,  who  was 
born  in  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  November  27,  1861,  and  there  she  grew  to 
womanhood  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
James  AVilson,  a  farmer,  who  was  born  on  a  farm  January  i,  1810,  and  died 
May  3,  1880.  He  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  and  he  reared  a  family  of  nine 
children.  He  married  Margaret  Plymire.  Mrs.  Daggett  was  the  youngest 
of  their  family.  Her  father,  James  Wilson  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife 
having  been  Katherine  Childers,  and  to  this  union  three  children  were  born, 
namely:  Mary  Elizabeth,  John  A.,  and  Thomas  C.  The  following  children 
were  born  to  his  union  with  Margaret  Plymire  :  Susanna,  Katherine,  Martin 
A.,  James  B.,  Margaret  Ellen,  Samuel  P.,  Lovina.  Lewis  and  Julia  Ann.  The 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I463 

paternal  grandfather  of  the  above  named  children  was  Joshua  Wilson,  who 
was  born  April  ii,  1763,  and  died  June  2,  1831,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years, 
one  month  and  three  days.  James  Wilson  was  owner  of  a  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  reared  four  boys  who  never 
drank,  chewed  or  smoked. 

Six  children  were  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  namely:  Olin,  born  in 
Grant  county,  Indiana,  March  7,  1884  and  was  married  January  18,  191 1  to 
Nettie  Kaufman.  They  have  one  child  Florence ;  Anna  Pearl,  born  in  Grant 
county,  Indiana,  October  10,  1887  and  married  Melvin  Douge,  agent  for  the 
traction  company  hl  Eaton,  Indiana ;  Minnie  Margaret  born  in  Adams  county, 
Ohio;  February  12,  1890  and  is  a  stenographer  at  Eaton,  Indiana;  Leila  L., 
was  born  in  Adams  county,  Ohio,  December  29,  1892  and  is  a  stenographer 
at  Muncie,  Indiana;  May  Thelma  born  in  Union  City,  Indiana,  May  2,  1902; 
and  Leo  Worth  born  in  Union  City,  Indiana,  March  15,  1908. 

Politically,  Mr.  Daggett  is  a  Republican  and  religiously,  he  and  his  wife 
belong  to  the  JMethodist  Episcopal  church. 


WILLIAM  KING. 


One  of  the  enterprising  farmers  and  public-spirited  citizens  of  Jackson 
township,  Randolph  county,  who  is  deserving  of  specific  mention  in  this 
volume,  is  William  King,  a  man  who  has  never  been  inclined  to  depend  upon 
others  to  do  his  work  or  lay  his  plans,  and,  as  a  result  of  his  habits  of  self- 
reliance,  foresight,  close  application  and  integrity  he  now  finds  himself  very 
comfortably  situated  and  one  of  the  highly  respected  men  of  his  township. 

Mr.  King  was  born  in  the  above-named  township  and  county  August  i, 
1855.  He  is  a  son  of  Dr.  James  V.  King,  one  of  the  prominent  pioneer 
physicians  of  Jackson  township,  who  died  here  about  1890.  The  mother  of 
our  subject  was  known  jn  her  maidenhood  as  Mary  Jane  Devor,  who  survived 
her  husband,  the  Doctor,  some"  sixteen  years,  dying  in  1906.  The  paternal 
grandfather  of  our  subject  was  William  King,  a  farmer  in  Brown  county, 
Ohio,  in  the  early  days,  who  eventually  moved  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana, 
and  located  in  Jackson  township,  of  which  he  became  trustee,  holding  the 
office  many  years.  He  is  long  since  deceased,  as  has  also  his  wife,  Mary 
(Bowd)  King. 

William  King,  of  this  review,  was  reared  in  his  native  community  and 
he  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Jackson  township  and 
Ridgeville  College,  finishing  his  education  by  home  study.     He  began  life  for 


1464  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

himself  as  a  teacher,  which  profession  he  followed  with  very  gratifying  re- 
sults for  a  period  of  sixteen  years,  during  which  time  he  became  one  of  our 
most  popular  and  efficient  teachers.  Most  of  his  teaching  was  in  Randolph 
county.  He  finally  gave  up  teaching  and  turned  his  attention  to  general 
farming,  which  he  has  followed. ever  since.  He  owns  fifty  acres,  on  which 
he  makes  a  very  comfortable  living,  and  he  has  a  cozy  home.  He  is  con- 
tented to  lead  the  simple  life,  not  caring  to  put  forth  the  strenuous  efforts 
necessary  to  horde  up  a  large  fortun?,  knowing  that  happiness  is  not  gained 
in  such  a  course. 

Politically,  Mr.  King  is  a  Progressive,  and  while  he  is  deeply  interested 
in  public  matters,  he  is  not  a  seeker  after  the  emoluments  of  office.  Frater- 
nally, he  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 

Mr.  King  was  married  September  i.  1881,  to  Sadie  Johnson,  who  was 
born  in  Jackson  township,  Randolph  county,  November  3,  1858,  and  here 
she  was  reared  and  educated.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Edward  Johnson,  whose 
death  occurred  in  1894.  The  mother,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Johnson,  died  in  1900. 
They  were  highly  respected  by  all  who  knew  them,  having  lived  a  life  above 
reproach. 

To  William  King  and  wife  the  following  children  were  born :  Lota, 
born  August  14,  1882,  who  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  Union 
City  High  School,  finishing  at  Marion  College,  from  which  institution  she 
was  graduated.  She  has  been  a  successful  teacher  for  the  past  eleven  years, 
and  has  been  superintendent  of  the  Spartanburg  schools  for  the  past  three 
years;  Vesta,  second  daughter  of  our  subject,  was  born  March  22,  1884, 
was  educated  in  the  Jackson  township  schools,  passing  through  the  Union 
City  high  school  and  Marion  College,  having  specialized  in  the  scientific 
course,  later  graduating  at  the  University  of  Indiana.  She  is  now  a  student 
at  Chicago  University.  She  has  been  teaching  with  most  gratifying  results 
for  the  past  eight  years;  Hazel,  third  child  of  our  subject,  was  bom  August 
28,  1886,  passed  through  the  Jocal  public  schools,  was  graduated  from  the 
Union  City  high  school,  also  Marion  College,  and  Indiana  University  in 
1909.  She  did  work  later  on  an  advanced  degree,  and  has  been  one  of  our 
popular  teachers  for  the  past  six  years.  She  married  A.  J.  Thompson  on 
September  i,  19 12,  and  they  reside  in  Ellettsville,  Monroe  county,  Indiana. 
Mollie  King,  born  July  7,  1888,  passed  through  the  home  public  schools,  was 
graduated  from  the  Union  City  high  school  and  Indiana  University,  and  is  at 
present  attending  the  Indiana  Medical  College  in  Indianapolis,  preparatory 
to  a  career  as  a  physician.  Elsie  King,  born  May  22,  1890,  received  her 
education  in  the  local  public  schools,  the  high  school  at  Union  City,  and  is 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 465 

now  a  student  at  Indiana  University.  Ethel  King,  born  May  9,  1892,  was 
educated  in  the  same  manner  as  her  elder  sisters,  graduating  from  Indiana 
University  with  honors  in  191 3.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa 
fraternity.  Cecil  King,  born  December  22,  1899,  is  at  this  writing  a  student 
in  the  Jackson  township  high  school.  Our  subject  and  wife  are  very  proud  of 
their  children,  and  not  without  just  cause,  for  they  are  the  possessors  of  fine 
minds,  cultured  and  ambitious  to  accomplish  something  worth  while. 


JOHN  H.  BICKEL. 

Darke  county,  Ohio  has  sent  a  large  number  of  her  enterprising  citizens 
to  Randolph  count)^  Indiana  and  they  have,  almost  invariably,  proved  to  be 
industrious  and  public-spirited,  and  excellent  farmers,  for  nearly  all  of  them 
have  chosen  husbandry  for  their  vocations.  Of  this  number  John  H.  Bickel, 
of  near  Union  City  is  deserving  of  special  mention.  He  has  made  a  success 
as  a  general  farmer  and  has  proven  to  be  a  valuable  man  in  public  matters. 

Mr.  Bickel  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  October  29,  1863.  He  is  a 
son  of  Daniel  W^.  and  Rebecca  (Chenoweth)  Bickel.  The  father  was  born  in 
Miami  county,  Ohio,  in  November,  1838.  He  devoted  his  life  to  farming, 
laying  by  a  competency  sufficient  to  insure  his  old  age  free  from  want,  and  he 
is  now  living  retired.  His  wife  died  in  1900.  Tobias  Bickel,  paternal  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  but  spent  most  of  his  life  on  a 
farm  in  Ohio  where  he  died  a  number  of  years  ago.  This  is  an  old  Pennsyl- 
vania family  and  has  always  been  noted  for  Its  sterling  honesty  and  unwaver- 
ing industry. 

John  H.  Bickel  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  worked 
there  with  his  father  during  the  crop  seasons  when  he  became  of  proper  age. 
In  the  meantime  he  attended  the  district  schools  of  his  neighborhood  in  the 
wintertime.  He  subsequently  attended  the  Normal  school  at  Ada,  Ohio, 
now  known  as  the  Northwestern  Ohio  Normal.  He  thus  acquired  a  good 
practical  education. 

Mr.  Bickel  began  life  for  himself  as  a  farmer  upon  reaching  manhood 
and  this  line  has  continued  to  claim  his  attention  to  the  present  time  with  ever- 
increasing  success.  While  working  his  fathers  land  as  a  boy  he  used  his  ob- 
serving powerfe  and  thereby  acquired  a  definite  knowledge  of  the  various 
phases  of  husbandry.  He  worked  the  homestead  for  some  time  on  the 
shares,  and  when  he  married  he  purchased  his  present  home  near  Union  City, 
Indiana  where  he  came  when  a  young  man  from  Darke  county,  Ohio.  He 
now  owns  eighty  acres  of  well  improved  and  valuable  land  where  he  carries 


1466  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

on  di\'ersified  farming  and  stock  raising,  and  on  v>'hich  stand  a  cozy  dwell- 
ing and  good  buildings  in  general.  He  operates  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres.  He  keeps  large  numbers  of  live  stock,  making  a  specialty  of  raising 
and  fattening  one  hundred  or  more  annually,  hogs  for. the  market,  and  no 
small  portion  of  his  income  is  derived  from  this  source. 

Mr.  Bickel  was  married  October  5,  1887  to  Florence  A.  Cole,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Edmund  and  Eliza  Cole,  of  Darke  county,  Ohio.  IMr.  Cole  died  about 
1889,  after  a  successful  life  as  a  farmer.  Mrs.  Cole  survives  and  is  now  ad- 
vanced in  years.     The  union  of  ~Sir.  and  Mrs.  Bickel  has  been  without  issue. 

Politically,  Mr.  Bickel  is  a  Republican.  In  1910  he  was  appointed  ditch 
commissioner  of  Randolph  county  which  office  he  still  holds,  discharging  its 
duties  in  a  manner  entirely  acceptable  to  all  concerned.  In  religious  matters 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church. 


FRANCIS  FRAZIER. 


The  history  of  Randolph  county  reveals  the  handiwork  of  many  a  great 
and  noble  soul  who  wrought  heroically  and  unselfishly.  Her  smiling  fields 
and  splendid  homes,  her  high-grade  institutions,  her  happy,  prosperous  people 
speak  volumes  of  someone's  steadfastness  of  puri^ose,  of  someone's  strength 
of  arm,  courage  of  heart,  activity  of  brain — of  someone's  sacrifice.  But  timcy 
that  grim  obliterator,  before  whose  destroying  fingers  the  stubborn  granite 
must,  in  the  end  succumb,  is  ever  at  his  work  of  disintegration.  Beneath  his 
blighting  touch  even  memory  fails,  and  too  often  a  life  of  glorious  achieve- 
ment is  forgotten  in  a  day.  Lest  we  forget,  then,  this  tribute  to  the.Fraziers, 
one  of  our  very  earliest  pioneer  families,  is  paid.  It  is  the  desire  of  the 
biographer,  as  it  must  be  of  all  who  know  the  family,  that  their  deeds  and 
characters  be  recorded  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  follow.  One  of  the  well- 
known  members  is  Francis  Frazier,  for  a  long  lapse  of  years  a  popular  black- 
smith of  Wayne  township.  By  no  means  rich,  as  mere  worldly  possessions 
are  estimated,  he  is  rich  in  a  thousand  thronging  memories  of  the  rugged 
days  of  his  boyhood,  which  were  spent  in  a  pioneer  environment  in  this 
locality. 

Mr.  Frazier  was  born  in  Randolph  county  ]\Iarch  7,  1842.  He  is  a  son 
of  Francis  Frazier,  Sr.,  who  was  born  February  16,  1802,  in  Guilford 
county,  Xorth  Carolina,  and  there  he  spent  his  boyhood,  removing  with  his 
father  to  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  in  181 1.  They  remained  there  until  1817, 
when  they  removed  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  finding  here  a  vast  wilder- 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  ^4^7 

ness  where  settlers  were  very  few.  They  settled  east  of  the  present  village 
of  Lynn  on  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  which  was  entered  from  the  gov- 
ernment. The  land  was  cleared  and  improved  by  our  subject's  father,  and 
here  he  farmed  and  engaged  in  blacksmithing,  maintaining  a  shop  on  his 
farm.  He  did  all  kinds  of  blacksmithing,  but  made  a  specialty  of  bell  making, 
also  made  pocket  knives  and  razors,  some  of  the  latter  being  still  in  use.  His 
first  home  was  a  hut  in  the  woods.  He  had  a  pile  of  logs  ready  to  erect  a 
more  substantial  log  house  when  a  band  of  Indians  camped  near  them  one 
night,  built  a  camp-fire  near  them,  and  when  the  smoke  and  fire  was  seen  by 
Mr.  Frazier  he  began  to  investigate,  and  explained  to  the  Indians,  who  under- 
stood English,  that  the  logs  were  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  house,  the 
red  men  moved  further  away  and  established  their  camp,  and  he  observed 
that  they  prepared  their  suppers  by  cooking  wild  turkey  and  sc^uirrels  without 
dressing  them.  Mr.  Frazier  prospered  on  his  farm  here  and  spent  the  rest 
of  his  life  engaged  in  farming  and  blacksmithing,  dying  in  1883.  He  mar- 
ried Letitia  Clearwater,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Clearwater.  Her  death  oc- 
curred in  August,  1891.  Our  subject's  grandfather,  James  Frazier,  was  born 
in  1772  in  North  Carolina.  He  married  Susanna  Stanley,  who  was  born  in 
North  Carolina  in  1767.  His  death  occurred  in  1822.  He  was  also  a  black- 
smith and  bell  maker  by  trade.     His  father  was  also  a  blacksmith. 

Francis  Frazier,  our  subject,  was  reared  in  his  native  community  and 
received  a  common  school  education,  his  first  school  being  in  an  old  log  house. 
He  began  life  as  a  farmer,  later  learning  the  blacksmith's  trade,  an  adaptation 
for  which  was  inherited  through  several  generations  before  him,  and  in  a 
short  time  he  became  expert,  and  he  continued  to  ply  the  forge  with  much 
success  for  a  period  of  twenty-five  years.  He  had  four  brothers,  who  also 
followed  the  blacksmith's  trade,  and  his  son,  Hugh,  is  a  blacksmith,  with  a 
finely  equipped  country  shop  and  is  doing  an  excellent  business.  Our  subject 
was  always  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  skilful  workmen  in  the  county  and 
always  had  all  the  work  he  could  do,  many  of  his  regular  customers  coming 
from  remote  distances. 

Mr.  Frazier  was  married  in  1861  to  Sarah  Whitson,  whose  death  oc- 
curred December  17,  1862,  leaving  one  daughter,  Sarah  L.,  and  on  March  3, 
1864,  he  married  Jane  C.  Shockney,  who  was  born  in  Wayne  township,  Ran- 
dolph county,  who  proved  to  be  a  true  and  worthy  helpmeet,  a  fond  and 
loving  mother,  living  a  most  exemplary  life.  Mr.  Frazier's  first  marriage  was 
blessed  with  one  child,  viz.  :  Sarah  L.,  who  married  Addison  Hockett,  lives 
at  New  Madison,  Ohio,  and  they  have  five  children,  Clarence,  who  married 
Kate  Miller;  Carrie  F.  married  Clarence  Flater,  of  New  Madison,  Ohio; 


1468  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

Frank  is  deceased;  Earl  is  single.  Dorothy  is  the  youngest.  The  following 
children  were  of  our  subject's  second  marriage :  John,  who  married  Rosa 
Jenkins,  lives  in  Blackford  county,  Indiana,  near  Hartford  City,  and  they 
have  eight  children,  Edith,  Raymond,  Gould  Frazier,  who  married  Maud 
Robins,  has  two  children,  Francis  and  Elizabeth;  Homer,  George,  Ruth, 
Esther,  Mary;  Neomi,  Eunice,  Hannah  is  deceased;  Jesse  married  Lizzie 
Hassher,  and  they  have  five  children,  Cecil,  Mary  M.,  Catherine  and  Martha 
E.  Hugh  Frazier  married  Cora  Johnston,  and  they  have  four  children, 
Francis  Leroy,  Charles  H.,  Ralph  and  Harry  James.  Martha  married  Charles 
Welch,  of  near  Spartanburg,  and  they  have  eight  children,  Florence  V.,  Paul, 
Esther,  Ruth  C,  Edna,  Bertha  A.,  Myrtle  and  Donald  E. ;  Mary  J.  married 
John  Hinshaw,  and  they  have  two  children,  Miriam  C.  and  Everett  F.  James 
A.  Frazier  being  the  youngest  of  the  family.  The  children  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  received  good  educational  advantages  in  the  schools  of  Wayne 
township  and  the  Winchester-  high  school.  James  later  attended  the  Normal 
at  Muncie,  also  Valparaiso  University,  and  has  followed  teaching  for  seven 
years,  being  at  this  writing  principal  of  No.  10  school,  near  .Union  City. 


WILLIAiM  H.  WARREN. 

The  Warren  family  has  long  been  one  of  the  best  known  and  classed 
among  the  most  industrious  in  Jackson  township,  Randolph  county,  a  very 
creditable  representative  of  the  present  generation  being  William  H.  Warren, 
who  was  born  and  reared  here  and  who  has  spent  his  life  at  home,  and  he 
has  done  what  he  could  to  develop  and  advertise  to  the  world  the  wonderful 
resources  of  a  county  that  now  occupies  a  proud  position  among  the  most 
progressive  and  enlightened  sections  of  Indiana. 

The  date  of  Mr.  Warren's  birth  was  January  i,  1857.  He  is  a  son  of 
Dolphin  Warren,  who  was  born  in  North  Carolina  and  there  he  spent  his 
boyhood  years,  removing,  when  a  young  man,  with  his  parents  to  Hollins- 
burg,  Ohio,  where  he  commenced  the  trade  of  brick  mason  at  which  he  work- 
ed for  two  3'ears.  At  twenty  years  of  age  he  owned  a  horse  and  cow  and 
had  eighty  dollars  in  money.  He  purchased  some  land  at  one  dollar  and 
twenty-five  cents  per  acre,  the  farm  where  his  son,  William  H.  Warren  of 
this  review,  now  lives,  having  decided  to  take  up  his  permanent  abode  in  Ran- 
dolph county,  Indiana,  and  he  eventually  became  one  of  the  leading  farmers 
of  Jackson  township.  This  land  was  all  timbered.  Here  he  erected  a  primi- 
ti'^'e  log  cabin,   with  rude   furnishings,  the  cabin  having  no  floor  and  the 


w 
d 


RANDOLPH  COUNTYj  INDIANA.  1 469 

cracks  between  the  logs  served  for  windows,  and  openings  for  doors,  over 
which  blankets  were  hung  to  keep  out  the  cold.  Here  he  worked  and  struggled, 
his  good  wife  assisting  in  clearing  and  getting  the  land  seeded  for  crops, 
and  here  they  reared  their  eleven  children  and  eventually  prospered.  All  the 
children  are  still  living  but  three.  Dolphin  Warren  lived  to  be  nearly  eighty- 
nine  years  of  age.  He  was  always  robust  and  appeared  much  younger  than 
he  really  was.  He  owned  at  one  time  nine  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  good 
land,  all  in  one  body.  He  managed  well  and  was  far-seeing,  and  eventually 
became  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  his  township.  He  took  great  pleasure 
in  his  home  and  his  family.  He  was  constantly  at  work,  always  delighting 
in  being  busy.  Politically,  he  was  a  Republican,  and  the  only  one  of  this 
party's  adherents  in  the  family.  He  was  a  faithful  member  of  the  Christian 
church.  His  death  occurred  in  1904.  His  wife,  Nancy  L.  Taylor,  died  in 
1902.  The  paternal  grandfather,  James  Madison  Warren,  spent  his  earlier 
years  in  North  Carolina  and  the  latter  part  of  his  life  in  Ohio,  he  too,  reach- 
ing the  advanced  age  of  eighty-nine  years.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War.  He  and  his  wife  both  died  when  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
young. 

William  H.  Warren  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  there  he 
did  his  share  of  the  work  when  a  boy.  He  received  his  education  in  the 
rural  schools  of  his  community,  and  when  but  a  boy  took  up  general  farm- 
ing which  he  has  continued  to  follow  to  the  present  time,  with  very  gratify- 
ing results.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  began  renting  land  of  his 
father,  working  thus  for  five  years  when  he  bought  seventy  acres,  and  in 
1905  he  purchased  the  old  homestead  where  he  now  lives,  his  place  consist- 
ing of  one  hundred  and  forty-nine  acres,  in  which  he  takes  a  great  pride  and 
has  brought  it  up  to  a  high  state  of  improvement  and  cultivation.  The 
house  was  built  in  1859  and,  having  been  kept  well  repaired  is  yet  in  splendid 
condition.  He  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  keeping  a  good 
grade  of  livestock.  He  has  served  his  locality  as  road  supervisor  for  more 
than  twenty  years.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  he  belongs  to  the 
Methodist  church.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows. 

Mr.  Warren  was  married  in  1878  to  Elizabeth  J.  Girton,  who  was  born 
in  Wayne  township,  Randolph  county,  June  27,  1861,  and  here  she  grew  to 
womanhood  and  was  educated.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Levi  P.  Girton,  a  soldier 
in  the  Civil  war,  who  served  under  Gen.  Sherman  and  was  on  the  memor- 
able march  to  the  sea.     He  was  a  private  in  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and 

(93) 


1470  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

Twenty-first  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was  honorably  discharged  Au- 
gust 31,  1865  at  Greensboro,  North  Carolina.  He  was  born  in  Wayne  town- 
ship, Randolph  county,  Indiana  in  1835,  and  was  of  one  of  our  pioneer  fami- 
lies.    His  death  occurred  in  1890. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Warren  the  following  children  were  born :  Daisy,  born 
December  12,  1879,  married  Eli  Puterbaugh,  a  farmer  of  Jay  county,  and 
this  union  has  been  without  issue ;  Dora,  born  December  6,  1881,  married  Wes- 
ley Miller,  a  farmer,  also  of  Jay  county,  and  to  them  five  children  have  been 
born,  Tressie,  Vera  Myrtle,  Ralph,  Dale,  deceased,  and  Iva  Elizabeth ;  Edward, 
born  July  3,  1884,  married  Retta  Fowler;  he  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Jack- 
son township,  and  they  have  two  children,  Bessie  and  Arthur.  William  War- 
ren was  born  September  6,  1889,  married  Mamie  Whitesell,  and  to  them 
two  children  have  been  born,  Kenneth  William  and  Elva  Elizabeth;  Myrtle, 
born  January  31,  1893,  married  Willie  Lewis,  of  Jackson  township  and  they 
have  one  child,  Hanly  Berlin;  Wesley  A.,  born  January  i,  1898,  was  recently 
graduated  from  the  local  high  school  and  he  is  at  home  with  his  parents. 

Mr.  Warren,  of  this  sketch,  has  been  a  delegate  to  the  state  political  con- 
ventions of  his  party  a  number  of  times  and  has  always  made  his  influence 
felt  for  the  good  of  his  party  and  the  locality  where  he  lives,  also  a  delegate 
to  the  county  conventions  for  the  past  twenty  years  and  is  one  of  the  Repub- 
lican leaders  in  Randolph  county. 


LEROY  EMRICK. 


This  is  often  called  the  age  of  electricity  and  it  could  be  no  better  named, 
for  all  contemplative  minds  will  agree  that  this  subtle,  inscrutable,  indefin- 
able substance,  or  force,  or  whatever  it  is,  (not  even  the  great  Edison  or 
Tesla  knows)  has  done  more  toward  changing  our  present  modes  of  life  than 
anything  else  during  the  past  half  century,  and  it  is  not  within  any  seer's 
horoscope  to  predict  what  will  yet  be  accomplished  in  this  fascinating  field. 
It  is  a  vocation  rich  in  possibilities,  surprises  and  wonders,  a  field  wherein  its 
devotees  may  keep  on  going  without  ever  gaining  so  much  as  a  glimpse  of 
the  goal.  The  young  man  who  takes  up  the  study  of  electricity  and  is  per- 
sistent will  always  be  insured  of  a  good  livelihood,  his  services  will  be  in 
great  and  constant  demand  wherever  he  may  care  to  work.  It  is  about  the 
only  vocation  that  is  not  overcrowded.  Many  enter  it,  true  enough,  but  only 
a  few  make  anything  more  than  a  mediocre  success,  the  others  drifting  along 
or  falling  out  of  the  ranks  entirely.    LeRoy  Emrick,  who  is  engaged  in  the 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 47 1 

electrical  business  in  the  town  of  Lynn,  Randolph  county,  is  a  young  man 
who  will  doubtless  be  heard  from  in  this  great  field,  for  he  seems  to  have 
inherited  the  attributes  necessary  to  succeed  in  this  line,  besides  being  greatly 
enamored  of  his  work,  a  close  observer  and  a  deep  student  in  all  that  per- 
tains to  the  same. 

Mr.  Emrick  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  April  3,  1892.  He  is  a 
son  of  Orphus  and  Isaphene  (Sarver)  Emrick.  The  father  is  also  a  native 
of  Darke  county,  Ohio,  his  birth  having  occurred  there  on  September  9, 
1868.  He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Susanna  Emrick.  Orphus  Emrick  grew 
to  manhood  in  his  native  county  in  the  Buckeye  state  and  there  received  a 
common  school  education.  He  remained  there  engaged  in  carpentering  and 
farming  until  1906  when  he  removed  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana  and  lo- 
cated in  Washington  township  where  he  continued  general  farming  until 
1912  when  he  moved  just  west  of  Lynn  on  a  seven  acre  tract  where  he  is 
engaged  in  gardening  at  this  writing,  also  follows  carpentering,  being  re- 
garded as  an  exceptionally  skilled  workman.  Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat, 
and  in  religious  matters  he  belongs  to  the  German  Lutheran  church.  He  also 
belongs  to  the  Jr.  O.  U.  A.  M.  He  and  Isaphene  Sarver  were  married  in 
Darke  county,  Ohio,  in  1891.  She  was  born  in  that  county  March  6,  1872, 
and  there  grew  to  womanhood  and  received  her  education.  To  Orphus  Em- 
rick and  wife  four  children  have  been  born,  namely:  LeRoy,  of  this  sketch; 
Carl  is  at  home  with  his  parents ;  Fern  is  deceased ;  Hazel  is  at  home. 

LeRoy  Emrick  received  a  good  common  school  education,  and  between 
terms  he  worked  with  his  father  on  the  farm.  Having  a  bent  toward  elec- 
tricity he  took  the  electrical  course  provided  by  the  International  Correspond- 
ence School,  of  Scranton,  Pennsylvania,  and  made  rapid  progress  with  it, 
graduating  from  the  same  in  191 1.  He  at  once  began  working  in  Winches- 
ter for  a  Lighting  Company  located  in  Winchester.  The  work  was  between 
Winchester  and  Lynn,  Indiana,  and  in  Lynn,  remaining  there  a  year  and 
getting  much  practical  experience  the  meanwhile.  In  1912  he  came  to  Lynn 
and  opened  an  electrical  shop  which  he  has  disposed  of  and  is  now  working 
as  a  substation  operator  for  the  Commonwealth  Edison  Company  of  Chi- 
cago, Illinois,  one  of  the  largest  central  stations  in  the  United  States,  having 
fifty-six  substations  and  four  generating  plants.  This  company  supplies 
electricity  for  light  and  power  to  nearly  all  of  Chicago. 

Mr.  Emrick  is  a  Democrat,  a  member  of  the  Christian  church,  and  fra- 
ternally belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Encamp- 
ment.    He  is  unmarried. 


1472  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

JAMES  W.  HINDSLEY. 

It  is  the  progressive,  wide-awake  man  of  affairs  who  makes  the  real  his- 
tory of  a  community,  and  his  influence  as  a  potential  factor  of  the  body 
politic  is  difficult  to  estimate.  The  examples  such  men  furnish  of  patient 
purpose  and  steadfast  integrity  strongly  illustrate  what  is  in  the  power  of  each 
to  accomplish,  and  there  is  always  a  full  measure  of  satisfaction  of  advert- 
ing, even  in  a  casual  way,  to  their  achievements  in  advancing  the  interests 
of  their  fellow-men  and  in  giving  strength  and  solidity  to  the  institutions 
which  tell  so  much  for  the  prosperity  of  the  community.  A  man  of  this  type 
is  James  W.  Hindsley,  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Jackson  township,  Ran- 
dolph county  and  worthy  representative  of  a  splendid  old  family. 

Mr.  Hindsley  was  born  where  he  now  lives,  on  the  old  home  place,  in 
the  above  named  township  and  county,  August  14,  i860.  He  is  a  son  of 
Stephen  Hindsley  who  was  born  in  Chowan-  county.  North  Carolina,  August 

20,  1818.  He  was  a  son  of  John  Hindsley,  who  was  born  in  Maryland,  Janu- 
ary 17,  1767.  He  married  Hannah  Stone,  March  8,  1807.  She  was  born  in 
North  Carolina.  March  8,  1788,  and  died  September  6,  1866,  her  husband 
preceding  her  to  the  grave  August  16,  1847.  Stephen  Hindsley  moved  from 
North  Carolina  to  Tennessee  with  his  parents  in  1823,  but  remained  in  the 
latter  state  only  one  year,  then  removing  to  Darke  county,  Ohio  where  he 
grew  to  manhood  and  married  Anna  McConnell,  March  7,  1841.  To  this 
union  ten  children  were  born,  an  equal  mmiber  of  sons  and  daughters,  namely  : 
Sarah  A.,  bor«  January  19,  1842,  married  Wesley  Johnson,  and  they  had 
six  children ;  Malinda  is  deceased ;  Thomas  W.,  Bertha,  Joseph  and  William 
were  twins;  Alfretta  resides  in  Union  City,  Indiana;  Joseph  G.,  a  farmer  of 
Jackson  township,  b^rn  April  28,  1843,  married  Mary  C.  Musselman,  and 
to  them  two  children  were  born,  Jannetta  and  Eva;  Malinda,  born  August 
23,  i8zt4,  married  Absalom  Mangas,  and  to  them  three  children  have  been 
born,  Edward  C,  Marshall  O.  and  Charles  E. ;  Rufus  G.,  born  February 

21,  1847,  married  Malinda  A.  Noffsinger,  and  they  have  six  children,  Alva 
C,  O.  L.,  Minnie,  Audessa,  Almeda  and  Esther";  John  W.  born  July  6,  1849, 
married  Martha  J.  Johnson,  and  they  have  two  children  living,  Daisy  and 
Jessie;  Mary  E.,  born  December  8,  185 1,  died  in  September,  1853;  George 
M.,  born  March  23,  1854,  married  Caroline  E.  Warren,  and  they  have  two 
children,  Cora  and  Alfa;  Melissa  J.,  born  September  10,  1856,  married  E. 
W.  ^f cFarland,  and  they  have  two  children,  Olive  and  Pearl ;  Annetta,  born 
October  23,  1858,  died  July  15,  1882 ;  James  W.,  of  this  sketch,  is  the  young- 
est of  the  family.  The  father  A\as  always  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser  and 
successful  in  his  life  work  and  a  highly  respected  citizen. 


> 


V. 
5 


RANDOI.PH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I473 

James  VV.  Hindsley  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  received 
his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Jackson  township.  When  twenty- 
two  years  old  he  began  life  for  himself  and  has  followed  general  farming 
ever  since.  At  the  outset  he  built  a  small  dwelling  which  he  still  keeps  in  good 
repair,  but  in  191 3  he  erected  a  more  commodious  and  modern  residence, 
and  he  also  owns  the  old  family  home,  built  in  1848  by  his  father.  He  es- 
teems it  above  all  the  others  and  takes  a  delight  in  keeping  it  well>  repaired. 
It  is  the  house  in  which  he  was  born.  He  has  prospered  with  advancing 
years  and  at  one  time  owned  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  good  land.  He 
has  made  homes  for'  each  of  his  children  as  soon  as  they  married,  selling  each 
of  the  three  forty  acres  of  land  at  a  price  low  enough  to  enable  them  to  have 
a  good  start  in  life.  Our  subject  now  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
of  well  kept  and  very  productive  land. 

Politically,  Mr.  Hindsley  is  a  Democrat  and  is  active  in  local  public  af- 
fairs. H6  served  four  years  on  the  advisory  board  and  was  one  of  the 
first  in  assisting  to  establish  a  high  school  in  Jackson  township,  and  although 
there  was  considerable  opposition  he  together  with  other  progressive  citizens 
carried  the  project  through.  Now  everybody  is  much  pleased  with  the  result, 
seeing  the  good  of  the  institution.  Mr.  Hindsley  has  frequently  been  solicited 
to  become  a  candidate  for  various  offices  within  the  gift  of  the  people,  but 
had  steadily  declined,  preferring  to  devote  his  attention  to  his  home  and  farm. 
Ho\\-ever,  he  was  finally  prevailed  upon  to  become  a  candidate  for  county 
commissioner  in  1914.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  and  in  religious  matters  belongs  to  the  Christian  church. 

Mr.  Hindsley  was  married  September  28,  1882,  to  Fidela  Byrum,  known 
to  her  friends  and  acquaintances  as  "Delia."  She  was  born  in  Jackson  town- 
ship, Randolph  county,  March  15,  1863,  and  here  she  grew  to  womanhood  and 
was  educated.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Frank  and  Mary  Byrum,  for  many  years 
farmers  of  this  township.  The  death  of  the  father  occurred  when  Mrs. 
Hindsley  was  thirteen  years  old.    The  mother  is  still  living. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hindsley  the  following  children  have  been  born : 
Edith  A.,  born  in  June,  1883,  married  Volney  D.  Strader,  a  farmer,  an3 
they  have  one  child,  Doris  Louise,  born  September  11,  1907;  Cecil  M.,  born 
January  12,  1885,  was  graduated  from  Marion  Normal  College,  after  which 
she  taught  school  five  years,  then  married  Robert  R.  Kemp,  and  they  have 
three  children,  Thetis,  born  February  20,.  1907;  James  B.,  born  August  7, 
1909;  Roger,  born  August  14,  1912.  Mr.  Kemp  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  and  the  Marion  Normal  School,  and  has  taught  school  for  many 
terms,  also  engaged  in  farming.    Glen  G.,  third  child  of  our  subject,  was  born 


1474  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

September  i,  1886,  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Jackson  town- 
ship as  were  also  his  sisters,  and  he  later  studied  at  the  Marion  Normal 
and  the  State  Normal  at  Terre  Haute,  and  he  specialized  in  science  and  com- 
mercial law  and  was  graduated ;  he  married  Carrie  O.  Lynn,  and  they  have 
one  child,  Phillip  W.,  born  May  i,  191 3.  Glen  G.  Hindsley  is  in  the  rural 
mail  delivery  service  out  of  Union  City. 


JOHN  HENRY  JONES. 

One  of  the  most  progressive  and  painstaking  agriculturists  of  Washing- 
ton township,  Randolph  county,  is  John  Henry  Jones,  who  is  a  worthy  rep- 
resentative of  the  great  middle  class  of  Anglo-Saxons  from  which  the  true 
noblemen  of  our  republic  spring;  for  it  is  a  fact  patent  to  all  of  a  contem- 
plative mind  that  those  who  belong  to  the  respectable  middle  class  of  society, 
being  early  taught  to  rely  upon  themselves,  will  be  more  able  to  discharge  the 
duties  of  citizenship  in  a  commendable  manner. 

Mr.  Jones  was  born  in  Owen  county,  Indiana,  April  13,  1848.  He  is  a 
son  of  Warren  and  Sarah  (Stauffer)  Jones.  The  father  was  born  in  Wayne 
county,  Indiana,  and  was  a  son  of  Edmond  and  Ruth  Jones.  Edmond  Jones 
was  a  native  of  Virginia,  from  which  state  he  emigrated  to  Indiana  in  an 
early  day  and  entered  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Wayne  county, 
which  he  cleared  and  made  a  good  farm  of  and  there  he  spent  the  rest  of  his 
life.  He  was  a  man  of  influence  in  his  community  and  served  as  justice  of 
the  peace  for  many  years.  Warren  Jones  grew  to  manhood  amid  pioneer 
environment  and  worked  hard  when  a  boy.  When  a  young  man  he  went  to 
Owen  county,  Indiana,  and  purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land, 
which  he  farmed  eight  years,  then  removed  to  Randolph  county  and  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  three  miles  south  of  Winchester.  Here 
he  prospered,  adding  to  his  original  purchase  until  he  owned  a  tine  farm  of 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  which  he  farmed  on  an  extensive  scale  until, 
accumulating  a  competency,  he  retired  from  active  life,  moving  near  Salis- 
bury, where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  in  1902.  Politically,  he  was  a 
Democrat,  and  in  religious  matters  a  Baptist.  His  widow  survived  until  1908. 

John  H.  Jones,  of  this  review,  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm, 
where  he  did  his  full  share  of  the  work  when  a  boy  and  he  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools.  He  began  life  for  himself  by  teaching  school  in 
Randolph  and  Wayne  counties,  which  he  continued  with  success  until  1880, 
when  he  took  up  farming,  which  occupation  he  has  since  followed.  He  is  now 
owner  of  a  valuable  and  productive  farm  of  one  hundred  and  eight  acres. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1475 

where  he  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  specializing  in  hogs 
which  he  fattens  for  the  market,  shipping  from  his  place  about  six  hundred 
dollars'  worth  annually,  and  no  small  portion  of  his  income  is  derived  from 
this  source. 

Politically,  Mr.  Jones  is  a  Democrat,  but  has  never  been  especially  active 
in  pubhc  affairs.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Friends  church,  and,  fraternally, 
belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

Mr.  Jones  married  Ella  Helton  in  1872.  She  was  a  native  of  Randolph 
county,  and  here  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated.  Her  death 
occurred  in  1878,  leaving  three  children,  namely :  Clement  L.  lives  near  New 
Paris,  Ohio;  Jolin  E.  makes  his  home  in  California;  and  Eliza  F.  is  in  the 
state  of  Nevada.  Mr.  Jones  was  married  a  second  time  on  September  15, 
1882,  his  last  wife  being  Mary  C.  Shank,  a  native  of  Wayne  county,  Indiana. 
To  this  union  ten  children  have  been  born,  named  as  follows :  Ina  M.,  wife 
of  Omar  Piatt;  Estella,  wife  of  Fred  Moore;  James  T.  lives  in  Greenville, 
Ohio ;  Homer  V.  lives  in  Muncie,  Indiana ;  Herbert  T.  lives  in  Lafayette,  and 
Lester  also  is  in  that  city  at  this  writing  attending  Purdue  University;  John 
Paul,  Florence,  Everett  and  Ernest  are  all  at  home. 


NOAH  F.  SMILEY. 


Realizing  at  the  outset  of  his  career  that  success  never  comes  to  those 
who  dream  and  wait  beside  the  busy  arena  of  life,  Noah  F.  Smiley,  farmer 
of  Jackson  township,  Randolph  county,  and  formerly  one  of  our  popular 
teachers,  did  not  attempt  to  evade  the  responsibilities  of  life,  but  set  about 
equipping  himself  in  the  best  manner  possible  for  the  struggle,  and,  per- 
severing, not  infrequently  in  the  face  of  obstacles  that  would  have  daunted 
one  of  less  seasoned  fiber,  he  has  succeeded  and  is  today  very  comfortably 
situated  and  has  won  an  honored  position  among  his  neighbors  and  acquaint- 
ances, for,  while  laboring  for  his  own  advancement  he  has  also  tried  to  en- 
courage others,  believing,  with  the  inspired  writer  of  old,  "that  man  liveth 
not  for  himself  alone." 

Mr.  Smiley  was  born  in  Ward  township,  this  county,  December  13,  1876, 
and  has  been  contented  to  remain  in  his  native  locality.  He  is  a  son  of  John 
Smiley,  who  was  born  in  Botetourt  county,  Virginia,  March  i,  1824,  and 
grandson  of  Walter  and  Susan  Smiley,  also  of  Virginia.  His  father  received 
his  education  in  a  subscription  school,  taught  in  a  log  cabin  and  came  to  this 
county  in  1841,  and  settled  in  the  woods;  was  married  September  10,  1857, 
to  Miss  Louisa  Bragg,  who  was  born  February  9,  1836,  daughter  of  Ephraim 


1476  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

Bragg,  an  early  settler  of  this  county;  he  died  in  Ward  township  June  15, 
1886,  and  Louisa,  his  wife,  died  February  18,  1901. 

Mr.  Smiley  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  township  and  he  received  his 
education  in  the  common  schools  and  in  the  State  Normal  at  Terre  Haute, 
Indiana.  He  prepared  himself  for  a  teacher's  career  and  after  leaving  school 
began  teaching  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years.  He  had,  however,  followed 
farming  previously.  He  continued  teaching  for  a  period  of  seven  years  in  the 
public  schools  of  Randolph  county,  giving  eminent  satisfaction,  and  his  serv- 
ices were  in  great  demand,  for  he  was  a  thorough  and  entertaining  instructor, 
and  did  much  to  build  up  the  local  schools.  Finally  tiring  of  the  school  room 
he  returned  to  the  farm,  which  has  claimed  his  attention  ever  since.  In  the 
spring  of  1904  he  purchased  eight  acres,  where  he  now  resides  in  Jackson 
township.  He  works  this  and  also  rents  land  from  year  to  year  and  is 
making  a  comfortable  living  by  his  industry  and  good  management.  He  has 
a  cozy  home  and  keeps  good  live  stock.  Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and, 
religiously,  belongs  to  the  United  Brethren  church. 

Mr.  Smiley  was  married  August  14,  1904,  to  Lucy  L.  Cultice,  who  was 
born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  January  18,  1885.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John 
Cultice,  of  that  county.  However,  he  was  born  in  Virginia  and  after  mar- 
riage moved  to  Darke  county,  Ohio.  Here  Mrs.  Smiley  grew  to  womanhood 
and  received  a  good  common  school  education,  after  which  she  attended  school 
at  Dayton,  Virginia. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smiley  four  children  have  been  born,  namely :  Beulah 
L.,  born  May  23,  1905;  Lowell  E.,  born  December  19,  1906;  Dale  A.,  born 
October  13,  1910;  and  Merrit  E.,  born  August  27,  1913. 


EZRA  NOFFSINGER. 


It  is  a  well  attested  maxim  that  the  greatness  of  the  state  lies  not  in  the 
machinery  of  government  or  even  in  its  institutions,  but  in  the  sterling  quali- 
ties of  its  individual  citizens  in  their  capacity  of  high  and  unselfish  effort  and 
their  devotion  to  the  public  good.  To  this  class  belongs  Ezra  Noffsinger, 
one  of  the  well  known  farmers  of  Jackson  township,  Randolph  county.  He 
has  always  been  actuated  by  the  highest  motives  and  the  most  lofty  principles. 
He  is  a  scion  of  one  of  our  honored  pioneer  families,  the  name  Noffsinger 
having  been  a  familiar  one  in  this  locality  since  the  early  days  of  its  settle- 
ment. 

Mr.  Noffsinger  was  born  in  the  above  named,  township  and  county, 


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RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I477 

February  2,  1859.  He  is  a  son  of  Joel  Noffsinger,  who  was  born  in  Middle- 
town,  Indiana,  December  13,  1823,  but  who  grew  to  manhood  in  Montgomery 
county,  Ohio,  remaining  there  until  1848  when  he  removed  to  Randolph 
county,  Indiana,  and  settled  in  \\''ayne  township  on  a  farm.  When  twenty- 
one  years  old  he  made  a  trip  on  foot  from  Montgomery  county  to  Darke  county, 
leaving  his  home  about  five  miles  north  of  Dayton  at  sunrise  and  coming  within 
three  miles  of  Union  City  by  sunset,  there  being  at  that  time  but  one  dwelling, 
a  log  hut  on  the  present  site  of  Union  City  and  all  around  was  the  great 
woods.  Here  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  timbered  land  for  four  hundred 
dollars,  the  latter  being  known  as  the  Dan  Clapp  farm,  west  of  Union  City, 
near  the  Creek.  It  Avas  about  1853  that  he  purchased  the  old  homestead 
now  owned  by  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  on  this  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  life,  clearing  and  improving  the  same.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
was  Mary  Johnson.  She  married  Mr.  Noffsinger  about  1853  and  to  them 
six  children  were  born,  namely :  Saloma,  Mary,  Rebecca,  Ezra,  Jacob  and 
Eli  W.  The  death  of  the  father  occurred  here  October  16,  1901,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-eight  years,  and  was  buried  in  the  old  church  yard  nearby.  The 
death  of  the  mother  occurred  in  February,  1903,  and  the}^  both  rest  in  the 
Dunkard  cemetary  near  where  they  spent  the  major  portion  of  their  honest, 
industrious  and  useful  lives.  Eli  N^offsinger,  the  paternal  grandfather,  was 
born  in  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  and  he  came  to  Indiana  in  1848,  with  his 
family.  He  was  a  practicing  physician  of  the  old  school,  but  carried  on 
farming  also.  Later  he  moved  to  Illinois  and  died  there  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
four  years.  His  wife,  Mary  Pressle,  also  died  in  that  state  at  the  age  of 
seventy- four  years. 

Ezra  Noffsinger  grew  up  on  the  home  farm  and  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  of  Jackson  township,  and  he  has  always  devoted  his  life 
to  general  farming,  owning  now  the  homestead  of  eighty  acres  which  he 
has  kept  well  improved  and  well  cultivated.  He  takes  an  interest  in  local 
affairs  and  has  done  much  for  the  general  good  of  his  township.  He  has 
been  an  elder  in  the  church  of  the  Brethern  for  several  years.  He  votes  inde- 
pendently in  politics. 

Mr.  Noffsinger  was  married  May  i,  1884  to  Dora  D.  Isenhower,  who 
was  born  in  October,  1866.  To  this  union  was  born,  Grace,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred January  i,  1887;  she  married  Charles  Stocksdale,  March  24,  1906, 
and  they  have  these  children,  Theodore,  Grant,  Emerson,  Ezra  and  Larkin; 
they  reside  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  Mr.  Stocksdale  being  a  teacher  in  the 
public  schools  of  Washington  township,  is  also  a  minister  in  the  church  of 
the  Brethern.     Roy  D.,  second  child  of  our  subject,  was  born  October  30, 


1478  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

1890,  married  Hazel  Brown,  March  22,  191 1,  and  they  have  two  children, 
Robert  E.,  and  Elizabeth;  Mary  E.,  born  April  22,  1892  is  single;  Ruth,  born 
September  20,  1894,  is  also  unmarried.  Airs.  Xoffsinger,  mother  of  the 
above  named  children,  died  Alarch  30,  1902,  and  Mr.  Noffsinger  was  married 
a  second  time,  his  last  wife  being  Amanda  E.  Brumbaugh,  whom  he  espoused 
on  February  12,  1908.  She  was  born  July  4,  1868.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
John  R.  Brumbaugh,  whose  death  occurred  September  5,  1902  at  the  age 
of  seventy-two  years,  after  a  successful  life  as  a  farmer.  Mrs.  Noffsinger's 
mother  was  Xancy  J.  Heckman,  wfiose  death  occurred  November  5,  1909 
at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-two  years. 


GEORGE  W.  WARNER. 


Old  age  should  be  pleasant  to  such  a  man  as  George  W.  Warner,  of 
Union  City,  Randolph  county,  for  his  life  has  been  rightly  lived  and  through 
his  industry  and  good  management  he  has  laid  by  a  comfortable  competency 
to  insure  his  declining  years  from  want.  He  spent  the  major  portion  of  his 
life  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock  raising.  He  is  one  of  our  honored 
veterans  of  the  great  Civil  war.  Air.  Warner  was  born  in  Carroll  county, 
Alaryland,  Alarch  13,  1842.  He  is  a  son  of  Elias  and  Mary  Ann  (Morning- 
star)  \\arner.  The  father  was  a  wheelwright  by  trade  and  died  many  years 
ago,  as  did  also  the  mother,  in  the  early  seventies. 

George  W'.  Warner  spent  his  earlier  years  in  the  old  Oriole  state,  and 
there  he  received  a  common  school  education.  When  twelve  years  old  his 
father  put  him  on  the  farm.  He  earned  his  way  from  boyhood  and  is  a  purely 
self-made  man.  He  was  an  indefatigable  worker  and  was  successful  as  a 
general  farmer  from  the  start,  each  succeeding  year  finding  him  further 
advanced,  until  he  is  now  owner  of  three  well  improved,  productive  and 
valuable  farms.  He  formerly  operated  them  on  an  extensive  scale,  raising 
and  marketing  annually  large  numbers  of  live  stock,  but  he  is  now  living 
retired  from  the  active  duties  of  life,  enjoying  the  comforts  of  his  commod- 
ious home  in  town.  All  his  property  was  earned  solely  by  himself  with  no 
assistance  save  that  by  his  good  wife. 

Air.  Warner  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Union  army  in  1864,  in  Company 
B,  Forty-seventh  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  went  immediately  to  the 
front.  He  was  in  many  engagements,  including  the  battle  of  Fort  AIcAlester, 
which  was  taken  by  the  Federal  forces. 

Air.  Warner  has  been  twice  married,  first,  to  Albino  Skidmore,  a  native 


RANDOLPH  COUNTYj  INDIANA.  1479 

of  Darke  county,  Ohio.  This  marriage  took  place  on  August  28,  1870,  and 
to  this  union  the  following  children  were  born:  Effie  May,  born  August  16, 
1871,  married  Eder  Simons;  they  reside  in  Jackson  township,  Randolph 
county,  and  have  two  children,  Gleamer  and  Glade;  Elvin  Warner,  born 
December  4,  1875,  married  Clara  Woodbury,  a. daughter  of  Samuel  C.  Wood- 
bury, and  they  have  two  children,  Hugh  and  Samuel;  Maggie,  born  August 
16,  1878,  married  Newton  Mangus;  they  reside  in  Jackson  township,  Ran- 
dolph county,  and  have  two  children,  Claude  and  Stanley;  Goldie  married 
Orville  Hindsley,  and  they  have  three  children,  Dale,  Hubert  and  Pauline; 
Jesse  married  Ethel  Isenhart,  and  they  have  three  children,  Bennett,  Reva 
and  an  infant  son. 

The  first  wife  of  our  subject  was  a  daughter  of  Samuel  C.  Skidmore. 
She  was  a  woman  of  many  praiseworthy  characteristics  and  had  a  host  of 
warm  friends,  who  deeply  mourned  her  passing  away  to  the  Silent  Land  on 
August  8,  1903.  Mr.  Warner  subsequently  married  Mrs.  Carrie  L.  Oster- 
gren,  a  lady  of  culture  and  their  home  is  noted  for  hospitality  and  good  cheer. 

Mr.  Warner  is  independent  in  politics,  and  a  number  of  years  ago  he 
served  one  term  as  county  commissioner.  Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Christian  church. 


JOSEPH  F.  PIIGI. 

The  biographer  is  always  glad  to  give  a  self-made  man  specific  mention 
in  a  work  of  this  kind,  for  all  will  agree  that  he  who  starts  in  life  empty 
handed  and  with  no  assistance  carves  out  a  fortune  from  a  resisting  environ- 
ment is  deserving  of  far  greater  credit  than  the  man  who  has  influential 
friends  to  help  him  and  has  been  given  something  on  which  to  build  his  for- 
tune. One  of  the  men  of  the  vicinity  of  Union  City,  Randolph  county,  who  has 
forged  his  way  from  a  none  too  favorable  beginning  to  first  rank  as  an 
agriculturist  and  stock  man  is  Joseph  F.  Higi,  who  was  born  in  Butler  county, 
Ohio,  March  18,  1861.  He  is  a  son  of  Fidel  Higi,  who  was  born  in  1838 
m  Germany,  and  who  became  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war,  serving  throughout 
the  conflict  in  the  Sixteenth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  participated  in 
many  important  campaigns  and  leading  engagements,  including  the  battle  of 
Gettysburg,  the  greatest  of  the  war,  and  although  he  was  in  the  thickest  of  the 
fight,  he  was  fortunate  enough  to  come  out  only  slightly  wounded.  He  was 
with  the  army  when  Lee  surrendered  at  Appomattox.  He  finally  took  up  his 
residence  in. Jackson  township,  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  where  he  has  been 


1480  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

successfully  engaged  in  general  farming.  He  is  now  residing  at  Union  City. 
He  married  Caroline  Shetzley,  who  is  also  living.  Seven  children  were  born 
to  them,  three  sons  and  four  daughters,  namely :  William,  Stephen,  Joseph 
F.,  of  this  sketch;  Mary,  Clara,  Lizzie  and  Isabel. 

Fidel  Higi,  the  father,  spent  his  early  life  in  the  Fatherland,  and  was 
educated  there,  being  twenty-one  years  of  age  when  he  emigrated  to  the 
United  States.  He  at  once  took  up  farming.  His  father  served  for  some 
time  as  a  soldier  in  the  German  army  and  fought  against  France  in  the  wars 
that  proved  disastrous  to  the  latter  nation.  He  spent  his  life  in  his  native  land 
and  died  there  many  years  ago. 

Joseph  F.  Higi  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm,  and  he  received 
his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Jackson  township,  Randolph  county. 
When  only  eighteen  years  of  age  he  began  life  for  himself,  engaging  in  the 
lumber  business,  which  he  followed  for  four  years,  during  which  he  got  a 
good  start,  then  turned  his  attention  to  farming,  which  he  has  continued  to 
the  present  time.  He  bought  his  first  farm  in  1892,  consisting  of  forty  acres. 
He  has  managed  well  and  worked  hard,  adding  to  his  original  holdings  from 
time  to  time,  until  he  is  now  owner  of  three  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  choice 
farming  land,  where  he  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising  on  an 
extensive  scale.  He  had  to  borrow  money  with  which  to  start,  but  now  he 
is  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  the  neighborhood.  He  has  an  excellent 
group  of  buildings  on  his  farm  and  keeps  large  numbers  of  a  good  grade  of 
live  stock. 

Mr.  Higi  was  married  in  1895  to  Bridget  Ruan,  who  was  born  near 
Richmond,  Indiana,  March  26,  1861.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Garrett  Ruan,  of 
Irish  ancestry.  He  devoted  his  life  to  farming,  and  his  death  occurred  in 
1890. 

To  Mr.  arid  Mrs.  Higi  the  following  children  have  been  bom:  Elsie  M.. 
born  in  Jackson  township,  Randolph  county,  October  27,  1895,  was  educated 
in  the  local  common  schools,  and  was  graduated  from  the  Union  City  high 
school  and  is  at  this  writing  attending  the  State  University  at  Bloomington, 
Indiana,  where  she  is  making  a  brilliant  record  for  scholarship,  keeping  up 
her  record  at  the  head  of  her  classes ;  Joseph  Raymond,  born  in  Wayne  town- 
ship, Randolph  county,  May  4,  1899,  was  graduated  from  the  common 
schools  of  Union  City,  and  is  engaged  in  farming  between  school  terms; 
Clarence,  born  in  Wayne  township,  this  county,  March  19,  1903,  is  attending 
the  common  schools. 

Politically,  Mr.  Higi  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Columbus,  and  is  a  member  of  St.  Mary's  Catholic  church  at  Union  City. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY^  INDIANA.  I481 

JACOB  E.  CONKLIN. 

The  Conklin  family  is  eminently  entitled  to  specific  mention  in  a  work 
of  the  nature  of  the  one  in  hand,  for  the  name  has  been  an  honored  and  in- 
Huential  one  here  since  the  early  pioneer  days.  The  various  members  of  the 
family  have  played  well  their  parts  in  the  local  drama  of  civilization,  leading 
industrious,  helpful  and  honorable  lives,  taking  a  leading  part  in  the  general 
upbuilding  of  the  locality.  One  of  the  best  known  of  the  younger  generation 
is  Jacob  E.  Conklin,  successful  farmer  and  stock  raiser  of  Wayne  township. 

iNIr.  Conklin  was  born  in  the  above-named  township  and  county  on 
September  19,  1874.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  Conklin,  who  was  born  in  Ran- 
dolph county  on  April  14,  1846,  and  was  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Catherine 
Conklin,  who  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  the  county,  braving  the  wilder- 
ness here  when  neighbors  were  few  and  privations  and  hardships  many. 
Jacob  Conklin,  the  father,  grew  up  amid  pioneer  conditions  and  found  plenty 
of  hard  work  to  do  in  assisting  his  father  develop  the  home  farm  from  the 
\irgin  soil.  He  received  such  education  as  the  old-time  schools  of  the  rural 
districts  afforded.  In  1865  he  married  Mary  A.  Ingle,  and  to  them  six  chil- 
dred  were  born,  three  of  whom  are  still  living.  Mr.  Conklin  has  devoted  his 
life  to  general  farming  and  has  been  very  successful.  He  owns  a  valuable 
and  well-kept  farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  three  miles  west  of  Union 
City.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Christian  church  at  Harrisville. 
The  paternal  great-grandfather,  Samuel  Conklin,  was  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  Randolph  county.  He  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  from  which 
state  he  came  overland  to  this  county  when  it  was  considered  on  the  frontier 
of  American  civilization,  and  here  he  made  for  himself  and  family  a  home  in 
the  great  woods,  when  neighbors  were  few  and  far  between,  but  he  was  a  man 
of  resolute  determination  and  far-seeing  traits  which  have  ever  predominated 
in  the  Conklin  family,  so  he  directed  his  strength  and  efforts  with  that  iron 
will  which  such  hardy  frontiersmen  usually  possessed,  and  he  cleared  his  land 
to  fertile  fields,  a  comfortable  home  in  due  time  arising  as  a  result  of  his 
effprts.  This  family  to  the  present  day  are  all  people  of  industry  and  fru- 
gality and  are  prosperous,  prominent  and  highly  respected  citizens. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  has  two  sisters,  Mrs.  Melissa  Jones,  of  Wayne 
township,  and  Airs.  Catherine  Combs,  of  White  River  township,  this  county. 

Jacob  E.  Conklin  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  assisted 
with  the  general  work  there  when  a  boy.  He  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  his  community  and  at  the  Union  City  high  school.  Early  in  life 
he  took  up  farming,  which  has  continued  to  be  his  vocation  and  he  has  made 


1482  RANDOLPH  COUNTYj  INDIANA. 

a  pronounced  success  as  a  general  farmer  and  stock  raiser.  He  now  owns  a 
choice  and  valuable  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  Wayne  township,  where  is  to  be 
seen  a  tastily  kept  dwelling,  substantial  outbuildings  and  a  good  grade 
of  live  stock.  He  has  every  modern  convenience  about  his  home  and  farm 
and  everything  denotes  that  a  gentleman  of  good  management  and  thrift  is 
in  charge  here.    His  valuable  place  lies  just  north  of  Harrisville. 

Politically,  I\Ir.  Conklin  is  a  Democrat,  but  has  never  aspired  to  the 
emoluments  of  office,  although  interested  deeply  in  public  matters.  Relig- 
iously, he  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church. 

^Ir.  Conklin  was  married  on  September  12,  1896,  to  ^largaret  E.  Diehl, 
who  was  born  in  ^^''hite  River  township,  this  county,  December  28,  1878. 
Here  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  received  a  common  school  education.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  W.  R.  Diehl,  a  substantial  farmer  of  \^'^hite  River  township, 
this  county.  To  our  subject  and  wife  one  child  has  been  born,  Bessie  IMae 
Conklin,  whose  birth  occurred  July  23,  1913. 


THE  UNION  CITY  PUBLIC  LIBRARY. 

\\'hat  is  now  known  as  the  Union  City  Public  Library  had  its  inception 
with  a  society  of  young  ladies,  designated  as  the  G.  G.  G.'s.  This  society  was 
organized  April  23,  1887,  having  for  its  object  the  cultivation  of  social  ameni- 
ties and  the  performance  of  benevolent  works.  For  ten  years  its  surplus, 
raised  by  various  efforts,  was  distributed  among  the  poor  of  the  city,  but  with 
the  advent  of  better  times,  a  new  object  presented  itself  in  the  nature  of 
establishing  a  foundation  fund  for  a  public  library. 

The  efforts  of  the  G.  G.  G.'s  in  this  direction  were  ably  seconded  by  the 
married  G.  G.  G.'s,  the  Ticknor  Club,  the  Wednesday  Club,  the  Twentieth 
Centur}'  Club,  the  Research  Club,  the  Bancroft  Club,  the  IMerry  Nines,  the 
Cecelian  Club,  the  Over  the  Tea  Cups  Club,  the  Inseparable  Club,  the  Rath- 
bone  Sisters,  and  the  iNIerry-Go-Round  Club.  The  movement,  however, 
lacked  organization,  but  an  efficient  director  was  found  in  Mr.  Linneaus.N. 
Hines,  the  superintendent  of  the  public  schools  of  the  city.  Early  in  the  work, 
which  he  undertook  vigorously,  he  announced  a  "Book  Social,'  resulting  in 
the  donation  of  about  three  hundred  and  fift}-  volumes,  which  ranged  from 
juvenile  books  to  encyclopedia.  With  this  as  a  foundation.  Mr.  Hines  or- 
ganized a  public  library  in  connection  with  the  public  schools.  Miss  Susan 
\\'eimer,  a  member  of  the  high  school,  was  appointed  librarian,  giving  an  hour 
or  two  daily  to  the  care  and  distribution  of  the  books. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 483 

The  next  step  was  to  effect  an  organization  of  the  library  interests  under 
the  provisions  of  the  statute  of  1901.  Accordingly,  Mr.  Hines  prepared 
subscription  lists  for  an  organization  as  provided  by  the  said  statute.  As  a 
result,  the  following  library  board  was  appointed  by  the  judge  of  Randolph 
county  circuit  court:  Mrs.  J.  C.  Northlane,  for  three  years;  Mr.  Cyrus  M. 
Thompson,  for  two  years,  and  Mr.  S.  R.  Bell,  for  one  year;  by  the  board  of 
education,  Miss  Susan  Hardy  and  Mr.  George  P  Kennedy,  each  for  two 
years ;  by  the  common  council  of  the  city,  Miss  Nelle  Smith  and  Dr.  William 
Commons,  each  for  one  year.  This  board  met  and  formally  organized  April 
10,  1902,  by  the  election  of  Mr.  S.  R.  Bell,  president;  Mrs.  J.  C.  Northlane, 
vice-president;  and  Mr.  Cyrus  M.  Thompson,  secretary,  the  city  treasurer 
being  by  law  the  treasurer  of  the  board. 

The  board  procured  two  rooms  in  the  Wallace  building,  situated  in  the 
business  part  of  the  city,  and  at  the  close  of  the  school  year  of  1901-1902, 
moved  to  the  new  quarters  the  books  heretofore  accumulated.  Miss  Lizzie 
Ruby  was  installed  as  the  first  librarian. 

In  June,  1903,  Miss  Susan  Weimer  was  chosen  librarian.  The  library 
rooms  were  furnished  with  the  money  raised  by  the  G.  G.  G's.  Books  and 
magazines  were  purchased  or  donated  by  interested  citizens  and  various  lit- 
erary and  social  clubs  of  the  city,  until  the  library  approximately  contained 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  volumes,  besides  the  magazines. 

The  rapid  growth  of  the  library  soon  demanded  larger  and  permanent 
quarters.  Mr.  James  Moorman  had  previously  donated  to  the  city  four  lots, 
centrally  located,  forming  a  square  of  about  one  hundred  and  eighty-five  feet, 
to  be  used  as  a  public  park  and  as  a  site  for  a  public  library  building.  With 
this  in  view,  Mr.  L.  N.  Hines  solicited  Mr.  Andrew  Carnegie  for  funds  for  a 
library,  and  in  December,  1903,  the  common  council  of  the  city  accepted  his 
proposition  to  furnish  ten  thousand  dollars,  with  the  usual  conditions,  for  the 
erection  of  a  public  library  building  on  the  above-mentioned  site.  The  fol- 
lowing were  the  members  of  the  building  committee  :  Mr.  C.  S.  Hook,  presi- 
dent ;  Mr.  George  P.  Kennedy,  secretary ;  Mr.  S.  H.  Dunn,  treasurer ;  Mr.  L. 
C.  Huesmann;  Mr.  G.  Adolph  Rosenbush  (mayor)  ;  Mr.  L.  N.  Hines,  super- 
intendent of  schools)  ;  Mr.  C.  M.  Thompson;  and  Mr.  Frank  Fletcher  (mem- 
bers of  the  city  council)  ;  and  Mr.  Theodore  Shockney  (president  of  the 
school  board).  J.  M.  Steele  was  the  contractor  and  Wright  &  Duncan,  of 
Muncie,  Indiana,  were  the  architects. . 

The  building  was  completed  and  formally  opened  in  June,  1905.  From 
that  time  until  the  present,  the  interest  has  been  such,  that  not  only  the  city 
and  public  organizations,  but  also  private  citizens,  have  vied  with  one  another 


1484  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

in  efforts  to  make  complete  the  public  library  and  its  surroundings.  The 
grounds  have  been  beautified  by  many  donations,  among  which  was  an  artistic 
fountain.  The  building,  too,  has  been  furnished  and  completed  in  the  same 
way  in  a  most  modern  manner.  In  fact,  the  prevailing  interest  of  Union  City 
and  its  citizens  in  the  public  library  makes  it  a  most  efficient  intellectual  and 
social  center. 

The  splendid  work  of  librarianship  was  continued  by  Miss  Mina  Harris 
and  the  present  librarian,  Miss  Jessie  Kerr,  who  is  assisted  by  Miss  Nelle 
Carter.  Today  the  Union  City  library  contains  the  best  periodicals  and  maga- 
zines and  approximately  five  thousand  volumes  of  the  world's  best  books, 
covering  almost  every  subject  of  literature,  science,  invention,  travel,  adven- 
ture and  so  forth.  Donations  of  books  have  been  made  frequently,  not  least 
of  which  has  been. the  Catholic  Encyclopedia,  through  the  efforts  of  the  New- 
man club. 

The  recent  death  of  Mr.  S.  R.  Bell,  who  ably  served  as  president  of  the 
board  from  the  time  of  its  organization,  caused  a  reorganization.  The  fol- 
lowing is  the  present  board  of  the  Union  City  Public  Library :  Dr.  Gran- 
ville Reynard,  president;  Miss  Susan  Hardy,  vice-president;  Mr.  Cyrus  M. 
Thompson,  secretary  and  treasurer.  Mrs.  Frank  Parker,  Miss  Lena  Brady, 
Air.  George  P  Kennedy  and  Mr.  James  Hook. 


ISRAEL  J.  LORTON. 

It  is  not  every  one  who  can  make  a  success  of  stock  raising,  and  the 
breeding  of  high-grade  livestock,  any  kind  of  domestic  animals  or  fowls,  if 
a  success,  requires  an  infinite  amount  of  care,  much  patience,  wide  re- 
search and  close  study.  But  the  ultimate  amount  of  good  which  those  ac- 
complish who  specialize  in  this  field  of  endeavor  is  indeed  incalculable. 
Among  those  of  Randolph  county  who  make  a  specialty  of  raising  fine  live 
stock  for  the  market  is  Israel  J.  Lorton,  of  Jackson  township,  whose  reputa- 
tion as  a  stock  man  has  penetrated  to  remote  sections  of  the  country. 

yh.  Lorton  was  born  in  Wayne  township,  Randolph  county,  September 
21,  1870.  He  is  a  son  of  John  Lorton,  who  was  born  in  Jackson  township, 
this  county,  October  16,  1841,  spent  his  life  here  successfully  engaged  in 
farming,  and  died  on  July  19,  191 1.  His  wife,  Marguette  Elwell,  was  born 
in  Wayne  township,  Randolph  county,  and  her  death  occurred  in  April,  1872. 
Two  children  were  born  to  these  parents,  Israel  J.  Lorton,  of  this  sketch,  and 
Joseph,  who  died  in  infancy.     His  paternal  grandfather,  Israel  Lorton,  was 


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RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I485 

a  native  of  Virginia,  from  which  state  he  finally  came  west,  and  his  death 
occurred  in  Jackson  township,  Randolph  county  in  1858,  after  a  life  spent 
on  the  farm.  His  wife,  Sarah  Heckman,  also  a  native  of  Virginia,  came 
to  Clark  county,  Ohio,  with  her  parents  when  she  was  five  years  old.  She 
possessed  a  remarkable  memory  and  could  relate  many  an  interesting  story 
of  the  Indians  and  early-day  customs  and  events.  Her  death  occurred  in 
1906  at  the  unusual  age  of  ninety-eight  years,  and  she  retained  her  faculties 
until  within  a  short  time  of  the  end. 

Israel  J.  Lorton  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  received  his 
education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  locality,  and  when  only  eighteen  years 
of  age  he  commenced  farming  for  himself,  renting  land  on  the  shares,  and 
thereby  got  a  good  start.  In  1903  he  bought  a  forty  acre  farm  which  was 
the  property  of  William  Sutton,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject's  wife,  the 
latter  inheriting  forty  acres,  of  the  old  Sutton  homestead,  owned  by  her 
father.  Thus  our  subject  has  a  nice  eighty  acre  farm,  all  once  owned  by 
the  Suttons.  Fanny  Alberta  Sutton,  whom  Mr.  Lorton  married  November 
24,  1894,  was  born  December  28,  1875  in  Jackson  township,  this  county  and 
here  she  was  reared  and  grew  tO  womanhood  and  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools.  She  was  the  only  child  of  Robert  Sutton  who  was  born  in 
England,  where  he  spent  his  earlier  years,  finally  emigrating  to  the  United 
States,  located  on  a  farm  in  Jackson  township,  in  1855.  He  is  now  living  re- 
tired in  Jay  county,  Indiana.  His  wife,  Lavina  Fought,  died  January  10, 
1888. 

Israel  J.  Lorton  and  wife  are  the  parents  of  two  children.  Cloy  R..  born 
September  25,  1895,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Jackson  high  school;  Audry  F..  born 
December  4,  1900,  is  in  his  seventh  grade  in  school;  both  are  making  excellent 
records  as  students. 

\lr.  Lorton  makes  a  specialt}^  of  raising,  in  connection  with  general  farm- 
ing, Duroc-Jersey  hogs,  being  the  owner  of  some  of  the  finest  of  this  breed  in 
the  state  of  Indiana,  and  is  the  second  largest  private  salesman  in  the  state. 
He  is  an  exceptionally  good  judge  of  hogs,  and  his  fine  stock  has  taken  many 
blue  ribbons  at  the  state  fairs.  He  is  constantly  improving  his  drove.  His 
prices  are  never  exhorbitant,  and  he  finds  a  very  ready  market  for  all  he  offers 
for  sale,  and  satisfaction  is  given  his  customers  in  every  way,  and  they  all 
highly  recommend  his  fine  stock  and  praise  his  honest  and  straightforward 
dealings.  Mrs.  Lorton  is  a  breeder  of  White  Minorcas  and  has  taken  several 
blue  ribbons  with  her  fine  poultry  on  both  cockerels  and  pullets  at  the  Indiana 
Poultry  show  at  Indianapolis  and  at  other  places  in  the  state  and  at  Chicago. 
(94) 


I486  KANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

She  is  vice-president  of  the  White  Minorca  Chib  of  the  state  of  Indiana.  She 
ships  both  stock  and  eggs  in  season  to  all  parts  of  the  country,  there  being 
a  great  demand  for  both,  owing  to  her  superior  breed  of  fowls.  Her  customers 
are  to  be  found  all  the  way  from  Minnesota  to  New  York.  Each  customer 
invariably  sends  additional  orders,  showing  that  they  are  well  satisfied  with 
the  results.     She  is  well  informed  on  raising  fancy  poultry. 

Politically,  Mr.  Lorton  is  a  Democrat  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  advisory 
board  of  Jackson  township.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows. 


ISAAC  F.  BEESON. 


Randolph  county  can  boast  of  no  more  progressive  and  successful  stock 
breeders  and  agriculturists  than  the  well-known  gentleman  whose  name  fur- 
nishes the  caption  of  this  article.  He  is  known  as  one  of  the  best  judges  and 
handlers  of  horses  and  other  live  stock  in  northeastern  Indiana,  and  as  a  citizen 
is  intelligent  and  enterprising,  combining  within  himself  those  sterling  quali- 
ties of  manhood  that  make  not  only  a  useful  member  of  society,  but  a  leader 
in  whatever  he  undertakes.  He  has  ever  had  an  honest  determination  of  pur- 
pose and  an  obliging  nature  which  has  frequently  impelled  him  to  assist  others' 
on  the  highway  of  life  while  making  plain  the  path  of  prosperit}'  for  himself 
and  family.  Mr.  Beeson  is  a  public-spirited  man  and  has  not  withheld  his 
aid  from  any  worthy  movement  having  for  its  object  the  advancement  of  his 
community  in  any  way. 

Isaac  F.  Beeson,  of  Losantville,  Randolph  county,  was  born  in  Wayne 
county,  Indiana,  August  13,  1866.  He  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  B.  and  Olinda 
(Lamb)  Beeson,  and  was  the  eldest  of  four  children,  the  other  three  being 
Mary,  who  married  J.  C.  Taylor,  a  farmer  of  Wayne  county,  has  borne  her 
husband  six  children,  an  equal  number  of  sons  and  daughters;  Edward  O. 
and  Frederick  L.,  twins;  the  former,  who  is  engaged  in  farming  and  saw- 
milling  in  Wayne  county,  married  Lena  Waltz,  and  they  have  one  son  and 
one  daughter;  Frederick  L.,  who  is  farming  in  Randolph  county,  married 
Laura  Davis,  and  they  have  seven  sons  and  two  daughters.  The  father  of 
the  above-named  children  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  March  17, 
1843,  and  there  he  grew  to  manhood,  was  educated  in  the  district  schools, 
devoted  his  life  successfully  to  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  became  a 
large  land  holder  and  one  of  the  prosperous  farmers  of  his  locality.  At  one 
time  he  owned  seven  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land.     He  often  bought,  im- 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  '  ^4^7 

proved  and  sold  farms.  His  death  occurred  on  the  old  homestead  in' his  native 
country.  January  2,  1901.  His  father,  Isaac  W.  Beeson,  came  from  North 
Carolina,  where  the  family  had  long  resided.  Two  brothers  of  this  name 
emigrated  to  the  United  States  with  William  Penn,  and  they  finally  went  to 
North  Carolina  and  established  homes.  The  mother  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  1841,  and  there  reared  and 
educated,  and  she  is  still  living  on  the  old  home  place. 

Isaac  F.  Beeson  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  in  Wayne  county, 
and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  in  his  community.  On  October  6, 
1888,  he  married  Sarah  C.  Huffman,  of  Henry  county,  Indiana,  a  daughter 
of  Sylvester  H.  and  Margaret  (Bowman)  Huffman,  and  was  one  of  five  chil- 
dren, four  sons  and  one  daughter.  There  were  twins  in  both  families.  Mrs. 
Beeson  received  a  good  public  school  education. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  four  children  have  been  born,  namely:  Grace, 
born  September  5,  1889,  married  Louis  Bookout,  who  is  now  studying  theo- 
logy at  Upland-Taylor  University;  Benjamin  Paul,  born  February  3,  1892, 
was  graduated  from  the  high  school  at  Losantville,  then  studied  two  years  at 
Earlham  College,  Richmond,  then  was  graduated  from  the  State  Normal 
School  at  Terre  Haute;  he  has  taught  one  term  in  Nettle  Creek  township, 
and  for  two  years  was  principal  of  the  school  at  Dalton ;  he  married  Zola 
Chamness,  of  Richmond,  March  29,  191 3;  her  father  is  a  salesman  for  the 
Jesse  French  Piano  Company.  Margaret  Beeson  was  born  October  20,  1896, 
was  graduated  from  the  high  school  at  Losantville,  later  taking  a  normal 
course,  and  she  is  now  teaching  in  Nettle  Creek  township;  Donald  H..  the 
youngest  child,  was  born  August  12,  1901. 

Mr.  Beeson  was  engaged  in  the  grain  and  elevator  business  for  a  period 
of  thirteen  years  at  Losantville,  enjoying  an  extensive  trade,  and  becoming 
known  as  one  of  the  leading  grain  dealers  in  this  section  of  the  state.  He 
owns  a  valuable  and  well-managed  farm  of  one  hundred  acres,  located  one- 
half  mile  southeast  of  Losantville,  which  he  purchased  a  number  of  years 
ago,,  and  which  he  has  kept  well-improved  and  on  which  is  to  be  seen  an  at- 
tractive dwelling  and  large  outbuildings.  It  was  formerly  known  as  the  Bob 
Lumpkin  farm.  In  connection  with  general  farming  he  is  extensively  en- 
gaged in  stock  breeding,  making  a  specialty  of  Percheron  and  Belgian  horses, 
and  Jersey  cattle.  His  fine  stock  attracts  much  attention  owing  to  their  super- 
ior qualities,  having  no  superiors  in  the  county.  No  small  part  of  his  annual 
income  is  derived  from  this  source. 

Politically,  Mr.  Beeson  is  a  Prohibitionist,  and  while  he  is  pronounced 


1488  RAXDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

in  his  views,  he  has  never  been  very  active  in  pubHc  affairs,  having  no  ambition 
to  be  a  political  leader,  and  yet  he  readily  supports  all  measures  looking  to 
the  general  improvement  of  his  township  and  county. 


ARTHUR  R.  MOORE. 

Never  before  has  there  been  so  much  interest  taken  in  the  best  methods 
of  farming  and  in  the  conditions  of  rural  homes.  The  struggle  to  bring  rural 
life  from  the  present  to  ideal  conditions  is  not  an  easy  one,  nor  will  it  be 
speedily  accomplished.  Yet  there  are  now  farms  and  country  homes  which 
may  be  taken  as  models  worth  imitating,  such  as  that  of  Arthur  R.  Moore,  of 
near  Farmland,  Randolph  county.  In  different  localities  the  spirit  of  better 
things  manifests  itself  in  different  ways.  Sometimes  it  takes  the  form  of 
increasing  the  fertility  of  the  soil ;  at  other  places  there  is  a  demand  for  good 
roads;  it  is  shown  in  the  desire  to  keep  better  live  stock,  to  have  more  at- 
tractive farmyard  surroundings  or  to  grow  larger  crops.  It  is  shown  in 
rural  improvement  clubs,  in  home  economic  organizations,  in  the  consolida- 
tion of  rural  schools,  in  labor-saving  appliances  in  the  home,  in  making  the 
home  attractive  and  in  a  general  belief  that  farmers  are  entitled  to  as  pleasant 
surroundings  as  anyone  else,  and  that  a  richer,  fuller  life  may  be  better  de- 
veloped in  the  country  than  in  any  other  place  in  the  world. 

Air.  Aloore  was  born  August  23,  1870,  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and 
here  he  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  his  vicinity,  and 
here  he  has  been  content  to  spend  his  life.  He  is  a  son  of  David  W.  and 
Catherine  (Myers)  Moore.  The  paternal  grandfather,  George  Moore,  was 
one  of  the  early  settlers  in  West  River  township,  this  county,  and  here  he 
engaged  in  farming  on  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-two  acres  until  his 
death,  on  April  4,  1897.  Pie  was  born  in  the  state  of  Delaware  in  September, 
1808,  and  was  a  son  of  David  and  Mary  (Wilkins)  Aloore,  natives  of  Ireland. 
His  grandparents  were  Matthew  and  Sarah  (McDowell)  Aloore,  who  re- 
moved from  Delaware  to  Pennsylvania,  later  to  Ohio,  and  in  181 7  to  Wayne 
coimty,  Indiana,  where  David  and  Mary  Moore  spent  their  last  days.  The 
family  were  all  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  George  Aloore's  father 
was  a  blacksmith  by  trade.  His  family  consisted  of  nine  children,  namely : 
.Sarah,  Mrs.  Mary  Commons,  Mrs.  Rachael  Townsend,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Graves, 
Mrs.  Lydia  V  Alartin,  Henry,  George,  Benjamin  and  Alexander.  George 
Moore  grew  up  on  the  home  farm  and  when  twenty-two  years  ^old  he  married 
Alary  Hiatt,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Hannah  (Sulgrove)  Hiatt,  natives  of 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 489 

North  Carolina.  The  young  couple  located  on  a  farm  in  Wayne  county, 
where  Mr.  Moore  followed  his  trade  of  cooper  until  1839,  when  he  came  to 
Randolph  county  and  purchased  forty  acres  of  land  in  West  River  township. 
At  his  father's  death  he  received  eighty  acres,  later  buying  fifty-two  acres 
more,  making  one  hundred  and  seventy-two  acres.  He  built  a  split  log  cabin, 
which  continued  to  be  his  home  for  a  number  of  years,  but,  prospering,  he 
made  modern  improvements  in  due  course  of  time. 

To  George  Moore  and  wife  six  children  were  born,  namely:  Mahala, 
i^'illiam  A.,  Mrs.  Rachel  Feagins,  David,  Mrs.  Martha  Cox,  and  Henry  A. 
The  wife  and  mother  died  in  January,  1884,  after  which  his  neice,  Mrs. 
Armeda  Cougill,  kept  house  for  him,  she  being  the  daughter  of  Benjamm  and 
Hannah  (Wright)  Moore,  and  the  widow  of  B.  P.  Cougill.  Mr.  Moore  and 
wife  were  members  of  the  New  Light  church,  and  were  good,  honest  people. 

David  W.  Moore,  father  of  our  subject,  grew  to  manhood  in  West  River 
township,  this  county,  just  a  half  mile  from  his  present  home,  where  he  was 
born  December  13,  1839.  He  received  the  usual  meager  education  of  those 
early  days  and  when  a  boy  began  farming  for  himself,  which  has  continued 
to  be  his  life  work,  remaining  at  home  until  he  was  twenty-eight  years  old, 
when,  on  September  22,  1867,  he  married  Catherine  Myers,  daughter  of 
Benvell  and  Eliza  (Click)  Myers,  who  were  born,  reared  and  married  in 
Pennsylvania.  After  a  short  residence  in  Ohio  they  located  in  Stoney  Creek 
township,  Randolph  county,  Indiana.  David  W.  Moore  and  wife  began 
housekeeping  on  his  father's  farm,  where  they  lived  three  years,  then  operated 
a  rented  farm  a  year.  In  the  autumn  of  1872  he  purchased  seventy  acres  of 
partly  improved  land  and  moved  into  a  log  house,  which  he  later  replaced 
with  a  substantial  frame  dwelling.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore  two  children 
were  born,  Arthur  R.,  of  this  sketch;  and  Mrs.  Minnie  E.  Gordon.  The  wife 
and  mother  passed  to  her  rest  March  9,  1882.  She  was  a  faithful  member 
of  the  New  Light  church.  Mr.  Moore  subsequently  married  Mrs.  Mary  Alli- 
son, widow  of  John  Allison.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Catherine 
(Haper)  Moyer,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  who  settled  on  a  farm  in  this 
county  in  1858,  and  reared  the  following  children:  Mrs.  Martha  Townsend, 
Mrs.  Julia  Stakebake,  Henry,  Mrs.  Catherine  Brewer,  Mrs.  Mary  Moore, 
and  two  who  died  in  early  life.  The  death  of  the  father  occurred  in  1885, 
and  the  mother  died  in  May,  1898.  John  Allison  was  a  soldier  in  Company 
G,  Twelfth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  for  three  years.  He  and  Mary 
Moyer  were  married  December  23,  1869,  and  removed  to  Arkansas,  where 
he  lived  until  his  death,  August  i,  1877. 

David  W.  Moore  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war,  enlisting  for  one  year  in 


T490  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

February,  1865,  as  a  member  of  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-seventh 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Captain  Hiatt,  and  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged in  August  of  the  same  year.  Returning  home,  he  took  up  farming, 
owning  seventy  acres  of  good  land,  which  he  has  kept  well  improved  and  has 
devoted  considerable  time  to  raising  horses  and  sheep.  He  is  one  of  the 
directors  and  stockholders  in  the  Citizens  Bank  at  Modoc,  this  county.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  New  Light  church,  as  is  also  his  wife. 

Arthur  R.  Moore  was  married  on  March  17,  1893,  to  Sarah  J.  Stewart, 
who  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  IndiarTa,  March  24,  1874.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Hardwick)  Stewart.  The  father  was  born  near 
Bellefontaine,  Logan  county,  Ohio,  and  he  has  devoted  his  life  to  farming 
and  mechanical  work. 

Seven  children  have  been  born  to  Arthur  R.  Moore  and  wife,  namely: 
Mary  C,  born  September  8,  1893,  married  Elmer  Disinger,  and  they  live  in 
Union  City;  Paul  W.,  born  July  28,  1900,  died  March  28,  1901 ;  Ethel  P., 
born  Septem.ber  15,  1902;  Ralph  M.,  born  July  27,  1904;  Olive  I.,  born  Janu- 
ary 27,  1905;  Lewis  N.,  born  December  27,  1908;  Charles  L.,  born  December 
24,  1910. 

Mr.  Moore  has  always  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock  raising. 
Fle  owns  one  hundred  acres,  which  he  has  kept  well  improved  and  he  built  his 
own  home.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  raising  Jersey  cows,  Duroc  hogs  and 
general  purpose  horses,  and  is  one  of  the  successful  stock  raisers  and  general 
farmers  of  West  River  township.  He  is  a  stockholder  and  a  director  in  the 
Citizens  Bank  at  Modoc,  Indiana.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican,  but  has 
never  been  especially  active,  and  in  religious  matters  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Christian  church. 


JOSEPH  H.  THORNHILL. 

This  review  of  Joseph  H.  Thornhill,  well-known  cement  contractor  and 
builder  of  Winchester,  Randolph  couflty,  is  entitled  to  a  place  in  the  front, 
with  the  younger  successful  business  men  of  this  locality.  He,  by  his  pluck, 
energy  and  enterprise,  controlled  by  right  principles  and  founded  upon  un- 
swerving honor,  has  attained  to  a  position  meriting  the  respect  and  admiration 
of  his  fellow  citizens. 

Mr.  Thornhill  was  born  January  29,  1874,  in  Harrisville,  Randolph 
county,  Indiana.  Fie  is  a  son  of  James  and  Isabell  (Wickersham)  Thornhill. 
The  father  was  born  in  England,  of  an  excellent  old  Anglo-Saxon  family. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I49I 

but  the  major  portion  of  his  Hfe  has  been  spent  in  the  United  States,  he 
having  been  brought  to  America  when  six  years  of  age  by  his  parents,  the 
family  first  settUng  in  the  state  of  New  York,  later  coming  to  Preble  county, 
Ohio,  and  finally  coming  on  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana.  James  Thornhill 
was  loyal  to  American  institutions,  as  is  seen  from  the  fact  that  he  was  a 
soldier  for  the  Union  during  the  Civil  war,  enlisting  from  Preble  county,  Ohio, 
for  a  three-year  service,  during  which  he  proved  to  be  an  excellent  soldier. 
After  the  war  he  returned  north  and  joined  his  family  in  Randolph  county, 
Indiana,  where  he  and  Isabell  Wickersham  were  later  married  and  where 
their  son,  Joseph  H.,  was  born.  Here  James  Thornhill  became  a  successful 
general  farmer  and  stock  raiser.  In  1909  he  removed  to  Texas  with  his 
second  wife,  his  first  wife  having  died  some  years  previously. 

James  Thornhill  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  when  a  young  man  and 
he  worked  at  the  same  a  great  deal  in  later  life,  and  his  son,  Joseph  H.,  of 
this  sketch,  learned  the  trade  under  him  when  a  boy,  finding  time  the  mean- 
while to  receive  a  good  practical  education  in  the  public  schools.  After 
working  for  C.  A.  Peacock,  of  Winchester,  for  eleven  years,  during  which  he 
gave  eminent  satisfaction  and  learned  the  various  phases  of  the  business,  he 
became  a  building  contractor,  which  he  has  since  continued  with  ever-increas- 
ing success,  until  he  is  today  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  contractors  and 
builders  in  this  section  of  the  state,  and  many  of  the  most  substantial  and  at- 
tractive business  houses,  public  buildings  and  residences  in  Winchester  and 
vicinity  stand  today  as  monuments  to  his  skill  and  honesty  as  a  builder.  Re- 
cently he  has  turned  his  attention  for  the  most  part  to  cement  contracting  and 
the  manufacture  of  all  kinds  of  cement  building  blocks.  He  also  deals  in  all 
kinds  of  building  material.  He  contracts  for  every  kind  of  cement  construc- 
tion work,  making  a  specialty  of  bridge  building  and  has  erected  many  sub- 
stantial and  attractive  ones  for  this  and  other  counties,  also  the  state,  being 
regarded  as  an  expert,  reliable  and  thoroughly  up-to-date  bridge  man  of  high 
standing  throughout  this  section  of  the  state.  He  has  a  wide  reputation  as  a 
builder  of  cement  block  porches  and  verandas  for  residences. 

Mr.  Thornhill  was  married  on  December  23,  1897,  to  Nora  E.  Hinkle, 
a  daughter  of  Mahlon  P.  and  Nancy  (Sutton)  Hinkle,  an  honored  old  family 
of  Randolph  county,  the  father  being  a  successful  farmer  of  Jackson  town- 
ship, where  he  and  his  wife  are  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  know  them. 

The  union  of  our  subject  and  wife  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  two  sons, 
namely :    Ernest  A.  and  Kenneth  M. 

Mr.  Thornhill  is  a  progressive  business  man  and  devotes  his  attention 


1492  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

exclusively  to  his  large  business  affairs ;  however,  he  has  been  more  or  less 
active  in  public  affairs.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  and  the  Sons 
of  Veterans.  He  and  his  wife  belong  to  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  are  active 
in  church  and  Sunday  school  work.  The  family  home,  one  of  the  attractive 
residences  of  Winchester,  is  located  at  6i6  East  North  streeet. 


GEORGE  W.  HARTER. 


The  character  of  George  W.  Harter,  of  Wayne  township,  Randolph 
county,  certainly  needs  no  embellishing  on  the  part  of  the  biographer,  for  it 
has  stood  the  test  of  a  long,  useful  and  worthy  life  in  this  vicinity,  he  never 
having  cared  to  live  elsewhere.  He  is  a  worthy  scion  of  one  of  our  sterling 
old  families,  none  being  more  eligible  for  special  mention  in  a  work  of  the 
nature  of  the  one  in  hand  than  the  Harters. 

George  W.'  Harter  was  born  in  the  above  named  township  and  county 
February  7,  i860.  He  is  a  son  of  Solomon  J.  Harter,  who  was  a  soldier  in 
Company  F,  Sixty-ninth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which  he. became  a 
sergeant  for  meritorious  conduct,  serving  under  Col.  Orrin  Perry.  Mr.  Harter 
was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Fort  Blakely  April  6,  1865,  a  little  more  than  a  week 
before  the  close  of  the  war.  He  had  served  the  Union  faithfully  from  1862. 
He  was  only  thirty-three  years  old  at  the  time  of  his  death.  His  wife  was  Mar- 
tha Margaret  Fisher,  who  died  April  5,  1913,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years. 
Mr.  Harter  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  also  followed  farming,  and  in  his  early 
life  he  taught  school  several  terms.  Of  his  family  four  sons  and  two  daughters 
are  living,  namely :  Mrs.  Mary  J.  Stidham,  widow  of  Oscar  Stidham,  who  died 
in  1884,  but  left  no  children:  John  H.,  who  married  Ida  Hartman,  is  a  farmer 
of  Wa,yne  township,  but  they  have  no  children;  James  R.,  who  married  Sarah 
J.  Maxwell,  lives  at  Canyon,  Texas,  is  a  blacksmith,  and  has  three  children, 
Charles  S.,  Ralph  E.,  and  Blanch  Mabel;  Parmelia  Viella  married  Jonathan 
Bowman,  a  farmer  near  South  Salem,  but  they  have  no  children ;  Solomon  F. 
married  Rosa  L.  Hoffman,  by  whom  he  had  two  children.  Earl  E.  and  Mary 
Myrtle  Harter  who  died  February  8,  1904;  and  George  W.,  of  this  sketch. 
The  paternal  grandfather,  Solomon  Harter  at  one  time  lived  in  Darke  county, 
Ohio.  The  mother  of  our  subject  died  when  Mrs.  Harter  was  born  and  was 
a  daughter  of  John  Fisher.  Her  birth  occurred  in  Clinton  county,  Indiana, 
and  when  young  she  moved  to  Darke  county,  Ohio.  Her  mother  was  Martha 
McCrary,  of  Irish  ancestry. 

George  W.  Harter  of  this  sketch  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  and 


GEOKGIO  W.   HAKTER. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 493 

in  early  life  took  up  farming  which  he  continued  until  his  marriage,  then 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Bartonia,  Randolph  county  where  he  has 
kept  a  general  store  ever  since,  and  has  always  enjoyed  a  good  business,  having 
a  large  trade  with  the  surrounding  country,  and  carrying  a  large  and  well 
selected  stock  of  goods  at  all  seasons,  and,  dealing  courteously  and  honestly 
with  his  many  customers  he  has  retained  their  good  will  and  confidence.  He 
has  been  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Union  Loan  &  Trust  Company  of  Union 
City  for  two  years  and  is  also  one  of  the  stockholders  in  this  popular  bank. 
He  purchased  the  old  Macy  homestead,  containing  ninety-three  acres,  which 
is  well-improved  and. on  which  is  to  be  found  a  good  set  of  buildings. 

Mr.  Harter  was  married  November  22,  1892  to  Rose  Belle  Macy,  who  was 
born  in  Wayne  township,  Randolph  county,  October  i.  1865,  and  to  this  union 
one  child  has  been  born,  Macy  Harter,  whose  birth  occurred  October  2,  1896, 
and  who  is  now  in  his  third  year  in  high  school  and  is  making  a  splendid 
record.  Mrs.  Harter  grew  to  womanhood  in  this  county  and  here  received 
her  education.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Jacob  C.  Macy,  who  was  born  ^Nlay  2. 
1839,  and  who  died  in  September,  1882.  Her  mother  was  Mary  Shreeves, 
born  in  Maryland  in  1838,  and  died  in  1882 ;  she  and  Mr.  Macy  were  married 
December  25,  1858.  Jacob  C.  Macy  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  in  Wayne 
township,  which  place  was  entered  from  the  government  by  his  father,  William 
A.  Macy,  who  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  this  locality,  having  come  here 
from  North  Carolina  in  early  life.  He  married  Jemima  O.  Rogers  in  North 
Carolina,  and  they  came  to  Indiana  soon  afterward.  The  following  were 
Tacob  C.  Macy's  children :  Cora  May,  who  married  Morton  Chenoweth,  a 
carpenter  of  Omaha,  Nebraska,  had  three  children,  Roy  was  drowned  when  a 
school  boy  at  Greencastle,  Indiana ;  Viola,  who  married  Clarence  Horner,  lives 
at  Lynn,  Indiana  and  has  two  children;  Nina  Chenoweth  married  George 
Tiffany,  also  of  Omaha,  Nebraska ;  William  A.  Macy  married  Malinda  Brum- 
field,  and  they  have  three  children,  Chester,  Merle  and  Mary;  Rose  Belle,  who 
married  our  subject ;  Elwood  Macy  married  Olive  Kunkle,  of  Union  City,  and 
they  have  four  children,  George,  Ralph,  Rhoda  and  Lloyd ;  Henry  Macy  mar- 
ried Flora  Locke,  and  they  have  one  child,  Harold;  Christine  Macy  married 
Charles  Ebling,  and  she  died  in  1896;  Rufus  Macy  married  Lillian  Kennon, 
and  they  have  two  children,  John  and  William,  twins;  Lorenzo  Dow  Macy, 
the  youngest  child,  is  single. 

The  father  of  Jacob  C.  Macy  was  William  A.  Macy,  born  in  Guilford 
county,  North  Carolina,  November  6,  1809.  His  father  was  Obed  Macy, 
who  married  Mary  Armfield;  his  father  was  Paul  Macy  who  was  a  son  of 
Joseph  Macy,  a  son  of  Thomas  Macy,  a  son  of  John  Macy,  a  son  of  Thomas 


1494  KANDOI.PH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

Macy,  the  first  of  the  name  in  America  of  which  we  have  direct  knowledge. 
He  married  Sarah  HopCott.  He  was  a  native  of  England,  from  which  country 
he  emigrated  to  Nantucket,  Massachusetts.  He  was  a  merchant  and  planter, 
a  selectman  of  the  town,  and  often  held  positions  of  honor.  He  was  also  a 
juryman  and  a  preacher  of  the  Baptist  persuasion.  Sarah  Hopcott  was  bom 
in  Chilmark,  England,  in  i6i-2,  and  died  at  Nantucket  in  1706.  William  A. 
Macy  married  Jemima  O  Rogers.  Jacob  C.  Macy  was  born  in  Randolph 
county,  Indiana,  May  2,  1839,  and  he  married  Mary  R:  Shreeves,  a  daughter 
of  Elisha  and  Minerva  Shreeves;  they  were  married  at  Union  City,  December 
25,  1858.     Thomas  Macy  came  to  America  prior  to  1644. 

Our  subject  and  wife  were  born  almost  on  adjoining  farms  and  played 
together  when  children,  were  later  schoolmates,  and  it  would  seem  that  they 
made  no  mistake  by  deciding  to  tread  the  path  of  life  together,  for  theirs  has 
been  a  singularly  happy  and  harmonious  union,  as  well  as  mutually  helpful, 
and  they  can  look  backward  with  no  compunction  and  forward  with  no  fear. 


HENRY  S.  CURRY. 


"Through  struggle  to  triumph"  seems  to  be  the  old-time  maxim  which 
holds  sway  for  the  majority  of  our  citizens,  and,  though  it  is  undoubtedly 
true  that  many  fall  exhausted  in  the  conflict,  a  few,  by  their  inherent  force  of 
character  and  strong  mentality,  rise  above  their  environment  and  all  which 
seems  to  hinder  them  until  they  reach  the  plane  of  affluence  toward  which 
their  face  was  set  through  the  long  years  of  struggle  that  must  necessarily 
precede  any  accomplishment  of  great  magnitude.  Such  has  been  the  history 
of  Henry  S.  Curry,  who,,  after  a  long,  busy  and  useful  life,  is  living  in  honor- 
able retirement  in  his  pleasant  home  at  Winchester,  Randolph  county,  having 
started  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder  and  is  now,  when  past  his  three-score  and 
ten  milepost,  the  possessor  of  a  handsome  competency  and  several  valuable 
farms. 

Mr.  Curry  was  born  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  January  23,  1842.  He  is  a  son 
of  Robert  H.  and  Elizabeth  (Summers)  Curry,  whose  family  consisted  of  six 
children,  named  as  follows :  Elizabeth,  who  lives  in  Indianapolis,  married 
F.  M.  Curran,  a  railroad  man,  who  died  in  191 1,  leaving  one  child,  Florence 
M. ;  Richard  J.,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war,  was  killed  at  the  battle  of 
Port  Gibson,  Mississippi;  Flenry  S.,  of  this  review;  Elmira,  who  remained 
single,  is  deceased ;  Nancy,  who  married  Wesley  Stephens,  a  farmer  in  Illi 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY^  INDIANA.  1495 

nois,  is  deceased ;  David,  a  farmer  living  in  Richland  county,  Illinois,  married 
a  Miss  Byers,  and  they  have  six  children. 

Robert  H.  Curry,  father  of  the  above-named  children,  was  born  and 
reared  in  Pennsylvania,  near  the  city  of  Pittsburg,  and  there  he  was  educated 
in  the  early-day  schools  and  then  went  to  Dayton,  Ohio,  where  he  married, 
after  which  he  went  to  Illinois.  His  death  occurred  in  1870.  His  father  was 
born  in  Scotland,  emigrating  to  the  United  States  when  a  young  man  and 
locating  on  a  farm  in  Pennsylvania,  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life.  The 
mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Virginia,  and  there  she  spent 
her  girlhood,  being  sixteen  years  of  age  when  her  parents  brought  her  to 
Dayton,  Ohio.  Later  they  moved  to  Winchester,  Indiana,  then  moved  to 
Illinois.  Mrs.  Curr3r's  father  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife  having  been  a 
native  of  Germany. 

Robert  H.  Curry  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools.  On 
June  2.  1866,  he  married  Nancy  Wright  in  Winchester,  Indiana,  a  native  of 
Randolph  county.  .  She  was  a  daughter  of  Edward  Wright,  whose  family 
consisted  of  four  daughters,  all  of  whom  survive  at  this  writing. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curry  three  sons  have  been  born,  namely :  David  H., 
who  operates  a  creamery  in  Winchester,  married  Ida  N.  Leslie,  and  they  have 
two  children,  English,  born  March  13,  1891,  and  Lester,  born  June  2,  1892 
Edward  W.  Curry,  second  son  of  our  subject,  is  in  the  employ  of  the  Oliver 
Chilled  Plow  Company,  of  South  Bend,  Indiana;  he  married  Maude  S.  Ash- 
ville,  and  they  have  one  child,  Joseph  G.,  born  December  13,  1894.  Simeon 
D.  Curry,  youngest  son  of  our  subject,  is  farming  in  White  River  township; 
he  married  Alice  Rosa,  and  they  have  one  child,  Robert  J.,  born  April  26, 
1911. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  the  above-named  children  came  from  Ohio 
to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  among  the  very  first  settlers,  and  he  was  well- 
known  in  Winchester  and  vicinity  in  its  early  history.  The  Currys  have  been 
noted  for  their  piety  for  many  generations,  being  strict  Protestants  as  far 
back  as  the  history  of  the  family  can  be  traced,  and  they  left  Scotland  to 
escape  persecution  by  the  Catholics.  Our  subject  attends  the  Christian 
church.  Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat,  but  has  never  been  specially  active  in 
public  affairs.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  Lodge  No. 
56.  He  is  a  member  qf  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  by  virtue  of  the 
fact  that  he  was  in  the  active  service  of  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil 
war,  having  enlisted  in  April,  1864,  in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty- 
fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  proving  to  be  a  faithful  soldier  in  defense 
of  the  flag. 

Mr.  Curry  has  devoted  his  life  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  stock  raising. 


1496  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

and  he  has  prospered  with  advancing  years,  until  he  now  owns  several  of  the 
best  farms  of  Randolph  county,  which  he  rents,  merely"  overseeing  them  in  a 
general  way.. 


JAMES  B.  HUMPHREYS. 

The  farmer  has  been  criticised  by  those  who  know  nothing  of  the  basic 
principles  of  husbandry  but  who  think  they  know  its  every  phase  since  civil- 
ization began  and  will  continue  to  the  end  of  time.  The  delinquents  we  will 
always  have  with  us,  and  likewise  the  frivolous,  the  indulgent  and  the  enthu- 
siast, but  those  who  would  assist  the  farmer  must  turn  from  them  and  co- 
operate with  the  bone  and  sinew  of  agriculture.  Those  who  have  no  personal 
knowledge  of  agriculture  appear  to  judge  the  farmer  by  the  isolated  cases  of 
incompetency  and  take  his  frivolous  achievements,  consider  him  incapable  of 
comprehending  his  own  problems,  and,  unconscious  of  his  possibilities,  regard 
him  as  a  public  ward,  to  be  assisted  but  not  consulted.  One  of  the  broad- 
minded  and  capable  farmers  of  Randolph  county,  who  has  succeeded  all  along 
the  line,  being  able  to  meet  changing  conditions  successfully  is  James  B. 
Humphreys  of  West  River  township. 

Mr.  Humphreys  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  July  2,  i860.  He  is  a 
son  of  George  W.  and  Ruth  Ann  (Banks)  Humphreys,  whose  family  con- 
sisted of  three  sons,  Lemuel  C,  the  eldest;  James  B.,  of  this  review;  and  one 
who  died  in  infancy.  The  father  was  born  in  Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania, 
and  he  came  to  Indiana  when  a  youth,  his  father  settling  in  the  southeastern 
corner  of  Randolph  county.  George  W.  Humphreys  spent  his  life  here 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  and  his  death  occurred  in  1864  as  a  result 
ot  exposure  and  over  work  during  the  Civil  war.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio.  Her  family  was  from  Virginia.  She  re- 
mained a  widow  for  a  period  of  eighteen  years  after  the  death  of  the  father 
of  our  subject,  her  two  sons  growing  to  manhood  the  meantime.  She  finally 
married  Martin  Alexander,  a  farmer  in  Missouri,  in  which  state  she  spent  the 
balance  of  her  life,  dying  in  1901. 

James  B.  Humphreys  grew  up  on  the  farm  and  he  worked  hard  when  a 
boy  assisting  in  the  support  of  his  mother.  He  received  a  common  school 
education.  He  has  been  twice  married,  first,  to  Emnia  Bowen,  by  whom  nine 
children  were  born.  His  second  wife,  Mrs.  Iva  M.  Helm,  had  one  child  by 
her  first  husband,  and  one  child,  Ruth,  by  her  second  husband,  our  subject. 
The  following  children  were  born  to  Mr.  Humphreys  and  his  first,  wife: 
Maude  G.,  married  Clarence  Pittman,  a  rural  mail  carrier,  and  has  three 


JAS.   B.   HUMPHREYS. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1497 

children;  Merl  G.,  working  in  a  factory  at  Connersville,  married  Fanny  Retz 
and  has  six  children;  Mabel  G.,  a  telephone  operator;  Minnie  G.,  married  a 
Mr.  Johnson,  butcher,  at  Lynn  and  has  one  child;  Mary  G.,  a  bookkeeper; 
Mervyn  G.,  teaching  school;  Squire  B.,  in  insurance  business;  Harry  W.,  at- 
tending Indiana  University ;  and  Belle,  attending  school. 

Mr.  Humphreys  has  devoted  his  later  life  to  general  farming  and  has 
lived  on  his  present  farm  for  the  past  fifteen  years.  It  is  well  located,  con- 
sists of  ninety  acres  and  has  been  well  kept  and  well  tilled.  He  has  a 
pleasant  home  and  good  outbuildings  and  a  good  grade  of  livestock  is  always 
to  be  seen  about  his  place. 

Mr.  Humphreys  is  a  well  read  man  and  well  educated.  Besides  the 
common  schools  he  attended  the  Spartanburg  high  school,  and  a  business  col- 
lege in  Indiafiapolis,  and  he  began  life  for  himself  by  teaching  school  which 
he  followed  for  a  period  of  nineteen  years  in  different  parts  of  Indiana,  giv- 
ing earnest  and  faithful  service  and  ranking  among  the  state's  most  pro- 
gressive and  popular  educators.  His  services  were  in  great  demand.  His 
son,  Mervyn  taught  four  years  at  Lynn,  this  county.  Merl  is  a  skilled 
mechanic. 

Politically,  Mr.  Humphreys  is  a  Republican  and  while  he  has  always 
been  deeply  interested  in  local  public  affairs  and  has  always  stpod  ready  to 
support  any  measure  looking  toward  the  general  improvement  of  Randolph 
county,  he  has  never  sought  to  be  a  political  leader.  He  is  a  gentleman  of 
friendly  address  and  is  neighborly  and  honest  in  his  relations  with  his  fellow 
men.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  since  1883,  and  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  since  1885. 


NATHAN  C.  SIMMONS. 

One  of  the  successful,  honored  and  deserving  native  sons  of  Randolph 
county  is  Nathan  C.  Simmons,  well-known  real  estate  dealer  of  Winchester. 
He  has  come  down  to  us  from  pioneer  days,  and  is  now  getting  along  toward 
his  three-score  and  ten  milestone,  these  long  years  having  nearly  all  been 
spent  within  the  borders  of  the  county  of  which  this  history  treats,  and  he  has 
lived  to  see  and  take  part  in  the  great  changes  that  have  come  to  this  locality. 
He  is  one  of  the  gallant  veterans  of  the  greatest  civil  war  recorded  in  history 
and  for  that,  if  for  no  other,  is  deserving  of  special  attention  by  the  biographer 
in  this  work. 

Mr.  Simmons  was  born  in  this  county  May  26,  1844.  He  is  a  son  of 
James  and  Aveline  (Hawkins)  Simmons,  and  is  one  of  a  family  of  twelve 


1498  RANDOLPH   COUKTY,   INDIANA. 

children,  an  equal  number  of  sons  and  daughters,  of  whom  four  girls  and 
three  boys  survive.  The  paternal  grandfather  came  here  from  North  Caro- 
lina when  our  subject's  father  was  three  years  old  and  erected  his  log  cabin 
in  the  wilderness,  cleared  and  developed  a  farm,  establishing  the  future  home 
of  the  family.  Our  subject  is  of  Scotch  descent,  his  great-grandfather  having 
emigrated  from  Scotland  to  America  at  an  early  age.  His  sire  was  a  ship 
builder  of  repute.  The  Hawkins  family,  which  is  descended  from  Sir  John 
Hawkins,  who  was  among  the  early  ^slave  dealers  and  a  record  of  which 
extends  back  to  the  seventeenth  century,  came  to  Randolph  county  from 
Preble  coimty,  Ohio.  The  father  of  our  subject  grew  to  manhood  in  Ran- 
dolph county  and  here  spent  his  life  successfully  engaged  in  general  farming 
and  stock  raising. 

Nathan  C.  Simmons  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  community  and  he 
received  his  education  in  the  rural  schools  of  his  day,  later  attending  college 
at  Ridgeville,  also  Liber  College.  On  October  21,  1875,  he  married  Malinda 
E.  Kem,  a  daughter  of  William  Kem,  a  farmer,  who  emigrated  to  this  state 
from  Virginia  in  an  early  day,  settling  in  Wayne  county.  His  family  con- 
sisted of  nine  children.  Eight  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simmons, 
namely :  Detroit  M.  is  assistant  cashier  of  the  Farmers  and  Merchants  Bank 
of  Winchester;  he  married  Rosa  Holdaman,  of  Winchester,  and  they  had  six 
children,  Margaret,  Alice,  Mary  and  Ruth  are  twins,  Pauline  and  Rosa  Belle ; 
the  wife  and  mother  died  in  1913;  Mattie  O.  lives  in  Winchester;  Everett 
Earl,  who  is  with  the  Central  Supply  Company,  of  Indianapolis,  married 
twice ;  William  C.  is  in  the  postoffice  at  Winchester ;  Bashie  is  secretary  of  the 
Monarch  Gas  Company ;  Icie  L,  is  teaching  in  the  Winchester  schools ;  Walter 
C.  is  at  this  writing  a  student  in  Purdue  University;  Nolan  V  is  employed 
in  the  furniture  store  of  Thomas  H.  Johnson. 

Early  in  life  Mr.  Simmons  devoted  his  attention  to  farming,  but  for 
many  years  he  has  conducted  a  large  real  estate  business  in  Winchester  and  is 
regarded  as  being  one  of  our  best  posted  men  on  the  values  of  Randolph  real 
estate,  both  farm  and  city.  He  attends  the  Friends  church,  and  politically,  he 
is  a  Progressive.  He  was  at  one  time  deputy  county  treasurer.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

Mr.  Simmons  enlisted  in  June,  1862,  in  Company  F,  Sixty-ninth  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Capt.  L.  K.  Harris.  He  saw  much  hard  service,  in 
all  of  which  he  proved  to  be  a  faithful  and  brave  soldier  for  the  Union.  He 
was  in  nine  general  engagements  and  a  number  of  lesser  note.  He  was  in  the 
battles  at  Richmond,  Kentucky,  Chickasaw  Blufifs,  Mississippi,  Arkansas  Post, 
Port  Gibson,  Thompson's  Hill,  Champion  Hills,  Black  River  Bridge,  Jackson, 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1499 

Mississippi ;  siege  of  Vicksburg ;  then  was  in  the  Red  River  expedition  with 
General  Eanks.  He  was  sick  during  the  winter  of  1863-64  and  was  in  the 
hospital  at  Memphis,  and  was  later  discharged  for  disability  and  sent  home, 
receiving  an  honorable  discharge  in  April,  1864.  In  common  with  most  vet- 
erans, Mr.  Simmons  still  suffers  from  his  exposures  during  the  war,  but  he 
has  never  regretted  his  service  to  his  country. 


CHRISTOPHER  C.  BROSEY. 

Christopher  C.  Brosey,  of  ^^''est  River  township,  Randolph  county,  was 
born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  July  27,  1864.  He  is  a  son  of  Noah  and  Mahala 
(Smith")  Brosey,  and  was  one  of  seven  children,  namely:  Hiram,  Frank, 
William,  Lizzie,  Angeline,  Christopher  C,  and  Lucy.  The  father  of  the  above- 
named  children  was  a  farmer  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  and  he  removed  to  West 
River  township,  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1892,  and  purchased  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  place  is  now  cultivated  by  our  subject  and 
his  brother.  The  death  of  the  father  occurred  on  October  7,  1901.  Gottlieb 
Brosey,  the  paternal  grandfather,  was  born  in  Germany,  from  which  country 
he  emigrated  to  the  United  States  when  a  young  man  and  settled  in  Mary- 
land with  the  rest  of  his  family,  later  coming  west  to  Clark  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  established  his  home.  The  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
a  native  of  Indiana  and  her  death  occurred  in  Ohio  at  the  age  of  sixty-four 
years. 

Christopher  C.  Brosey  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm,  where  he 
did  his  full  share  of  the  general  work  during  crop  seasons  when  he  became  of 
proper  age,  and  he  received  his  early  education  in  the  district  schools.  He  has 
devoted  his  life  to  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  remaining  on  the  home- 
stead, as  related  above,  which  he  has  kept  well  improved  and  well  cultivated 
and  the  buildings  well  repaired.  He  is  a  careful  and  successful  farmer  in 
every  respect. 

Mr.  Brosey  has  been  twice  married,  first,  to  Sarah  M.  Gordon,  by  whom' 
one  child  was  born,  Bernice  May,  born  December  13,  1896,  is  a  graduate  of 
the  Modoc  high  school.  The  wife  and  mother  passed  to  her  rest  on  March  28, 
1904.  On  March  6,  1907,  Mr.  Brosey  married  Agnes  Ulrich,  a  daughter  of 
Daniel  D.  Ulrich,  of  Hagerstown,  Wayne  county,  Indiana.  Mrs.  Brosey  is 
one  of  nine  sisters.  She  grew  to  womanhood  in  her  native  community  and 
was  educated  in  the  common  schools.  Politically,  Mr.  Brosey  is  independent, 
and  he  and  his  wife  attend  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 


1500  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

JOHN  B.  FORTENBAUGH. 

One  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Harrisville,  Randolph  county  is  John  B. 
Fortenbaugh,  formerly  engaged  in  the  milling  business  and  tontracting  here 
but  long  since  one  of  our  best  farmers.  He  has  long  been  connected  with 
public  affairs  in  his  township  and  has  become  known  as  one  of  our  worthy 
public  servants,  always  discharging  his  duties  with  that  fidelity  and  earnest- 
ness that  stamps  the  truly  public-spirited  man,  and  as  a  result  of  these  com- 
mendable qualities  he  enjoys  the  esteem  of  all  who  know  him.  Like  many  of 
our  best  citizens  he  hails  from  the  old  Keystone  state. 

Mr.  Fortenbaugh  was  born  April  14,  1848  in  York  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania. He  is  a  son  of  Peter  Fortenbaugh,  also  a  native  of  that  county  and 
state,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  1839.  He  devoted  his  life  to  agricultural 
pursuits,  dying  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  His  wife  was  Elizabeth 
Brubaker,  whose  death  occurred  at  an  advanced  age  in  1902.  Abraham 
Fortenbaugh,  the  paternal  grandfather,  was  a  resident  of  Pennsylvania  and 
he  died  many  years  ago.     This  family  is  of  old  Pennsylvania  Dutch  ancestry. 

John  B.  Fortenbaugh  grew  to  manhood  in  York  county,  Pennsylvania 
and  there  he  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools.  He  left  home 
when  seventeen  years  of  age  and  began  life  for  himself.  He  came  to  Ohio 
and  engaged  in  contracting  and  building  at  Wooster,  Wayne  county,  remain- 
ing there  in  that  business  four  years,  then  came  to  Randolph  county  where 
he  continued  in  that  line  of  endeavor,  also  ran  a  milling  business  in  connection 
with  the.  same  for  four  years.  He  made  a  pronounced  success  of  both  and 
many  buildings  yet  stand  in  Wooster,  Ohio  and  in  Harrisville  and  vicinity  as 
monuments  to  his  skill  and  honesty  as  a  builder. 

In  1882  Mr.  Fortenbaugh  was  elected  township  trustee.  He  performed 
his  duties  so  satisfactorily  that  he  was  re-elected  to  the  same  office  and  served 
two  terms.  The  principal  part  of  his  early  life  was  spent  in  contracting.  In 
1894  he  purchased  a  fine  farm  near  Harrisville  containing  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  acres  of  choice  farm  land,  adjacent  to  the  village,  and  here  he  has 
■  since  resided  engaged  successfull}^  in  general  farming  and  stock  raising.  He 
was  elected  to  the  office  of  county  commissioner  in  1906  which  office  he  held 
with  his  usual  satisfaction  for  three  years.  At  the  present  time  he  is  chair- 
man of  the  advisory  board  and  a  member  of  the  county  council.  Politically, 
he  is  a  staunch  Republican.  He  belongs  to  the  Christian  church  and  fratern- 
ally is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  Knights  of 
the  Golden  Eagle,  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

Air.   Fortenbaugh  was  married  December  9,    1875  to  Martha   Naome 


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RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I5OI 

Whitesel,  who  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  June  6,  1853.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Tobias  and  Mary  (Shelly)  Whitesel.  She  grew  to  womanhood 
in  her  native  community  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools.  She  proved 
to  be  a  most  faithful  helpmeet,  and  the  large  material  success  of  her  husband 
was  due  in  no  small  measure  to  her  assistance.  To  their  union  four  children 
were  born,  namely:  Gracie  Elizabeth  died  in  infancy;  Bessie  May  married 
Solomon  Ingle,  a  farmer  of  Harrisville,  and  they  have  two  children,  John  F., 
and  Garold  C. ;  Blanche  D.  married  Clyde  F.  Shultz ;  Mary  Madge  died  when 
two  years  old. 

The  living  daughters  were  educated  in  the  common  schools  at  Ridgeville, 
Bessie  May  finishing  her  education  at  Ridgeville  College.  Blanche  D.  finished 
at  Earlham  College,  Richmond,  Indiana. 

Mrs.  Martha  N.  Fortenbaugh  became  a  member  of  the  Harrisville 
Christian  church  in  December,  1877,  and  remained  a  faithful  and  worthy 
member  of  the  same  for  a  period  of  thirty-six  years,  or  until  her  death  which 
occurred  on  August  9,  19 13  at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  She  was  well  and 
favorably  known  in  the  community  where  she  spent  her  entire  life.  While 
health  permitted  she  was  very  faithful  in  her  attendance  at  church  and  Sun- 
day school,  often  coming  to  church  when  it  taxed  her  physical  powers  to  the 
limit.  Her  home  was  ever  open  to  her  neighbors  and  friends,  and  was  surely 
the  welcome  retreat  of  the  ministers  of  her  church.  During  her  married 
life  it  was  evident  to  all  that  every  sacrifice  was  made  for  the  best  interests 
of  her  family,  their  comfort  and  happiness  being  uppermost  in  her  thoughts. 
Hers  was  a  busy  life,  her  active  mind  and  willing  hands  ever  finding  some- 
thing to  do.  During  her  last  illness  she  was  patient  and  long-suffering,  and 
she  faced  the  great  Unknown  with  true  Christian  fortitude  and  unswerving 
faith. 


THOMAS  P.  MILLER. 


There  is  a  vice  in  much  of  the  publicity  given  to  agriculture  that  should 
he  eliminated.  It  is  true,  isolated  cases  of  ignorance  and  indolence  exist,  but 
these  instances  are  always  the  exception  in  any  community,  and  the  percentage 
of  delinquents  is  no  greater  than  in  any  other  line  of  industry.  Men  who 
are  unable  to  make  their  way  in  the  highways  of  trade  move  from  the  cities 
to  the  farm  and  perish  for  want  of  adaptability.  Agricultural  missionaries, 
sometimes  inclined  to  be  sensational,  startle  the  public  with  reports  of  thrill- 
ing rescues  made  from  the  furrows  of  ignorance.    To  encourage  our  boys  we 

(95) 


1502  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

sometimes  give  them  the  garden  spot  of  the  farm  and  give  it  first  preference 
in  cultivation.  The  result  is  a  larger  yield,  and  it  is  heralded  to  the  world 
that  the  child  can  beat  his  father  farming.  Those  who  are  inclined  to  be 
eccentric  practice  fancy  farming,  and -enthusiasts  announce  the  discovery  of 
visionary  methods  of  culture  that  will  revolutionize  farming,  and  these  in- 
stances could  be  multiplied  indefinitely.  One  of  the  citizens  of  West  River 
township,  who  seems  to  know  what  to  accept  from  the  current  agricultural 
journals  and  general  literature  regarding  farming  and  what  to  reject  and  who 
is  making  a  success  of  general  farming  is  Thomas  P.  Miller. 

Mr.  Miller  was  born  in  Washington  township,  Randolph  county,  Decem- 
ber 7,  1874.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Margaret  Jane  (Porter)  Miller,  and 
was  one  of  twelve  children,  four  of  whom  are  deceased,  namely :  Sophia  is 
deceased;  Sarah  Ellen;  Ida  is  deceased;  Minnie  J.,  Letitia,  Thomas  P.,  John, 
Elizabeth  is  deceased;  the  other  four  are  Georgia  E.,  deceased;  Harry,  Maud 
and  Mabel. 

The  father  of  the  above-named  children  was  born  in  Donegal,  Ireland, 
and  when  nine  years  of  age  he  was  brought  to  the  United  States,  and  here  he 
grew  to  manhood  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools.  It  was  in  the 
year  1844  that  they  landed  in  this  country,  and  the  family  established  their 
future  home  in  West  River  township,  Randolph  county,  Indiana.  The  father 
of  our  subject  removed  to  Washington  township  in  1861  after  his  marriage. 
He  made  a  success  as  a  general  farmer  and  he  is  still  living  at  the  advanced 
age  of  seventy-eight  years.  The  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
born  in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  and  from  there  moved  to  Indiana  in  1855,  and 
she  died  March  22,  1878,  at  the  age  of  thirty-three  years. 

Thomas  P.  Miller,  of  this  sketch,  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm 
and  was  educated  in  the  district  schools.  He  has  devoted  his  life  to  general 
farming  and  stock  raising.  He  purchased  his  present  finely  improved  and 
productive  farm  in  secton  20,  West  River  township,  in  1897.  It  consists  of 
one  hundred  acres,  and  on  it  stand  well  repaired  and  convenient  buildings. 

Mr.  Miller  was  married  December  19,  1896,  to  Martha  Wadman,  a 
daughter  of  T.  J.  Wadman,  a  farmer  of  West  River  township,  whose  family 
consisted  of  nine  children,  seven  daughters  and  two  sons,  one  son  and  one 
daughter  being  now  deceased.  Mrs.  Miller  was  reared  to  womaiihood  in  her 
native  community  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  one  child  has  been  born,  Nina  A.,  whose  birth 
occurred  June  26,  1898.     She  is  a  graduate  of  the  high  school  at  Huntsville. 

Politically,  Mr.  Miller  is  a  Republican,  and  he  attends  the  Methodist 
church.    He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I503 

PARKER  BOGUE. 

There  is  nothing  in  the  world  more  beautiful  than  the  spectacle  of  a  life 
that  has  reached  its  autumn  with  a  harvest  of  good  and  useful  deeds.  It  is 
like  the  frost  in  October  days  when  the  leaves  have  borrowed  the  richest 
colors  of  the  light  and  glow  in  the  mellowed  sheen  of  the  Indian  summer,  re- 
flecting in  their  closing  days  all  the  radiance  of  their  earthly  existence.  The 
man  who  has  lived  a  clean,  useful  and  self-denying"  life  and  has  brought  into 
potential  exercise  the  best  energies  of  his  mind  that  he  might  make  the  world 
brighter  and  better  for  his  being  a  part  of  it,  while  laboring  for  his  individual 
advancement,  cannot  fail  to  enjoy  a  serenity  of  soul  that  reveals  itself  in  his 
manner  and  conversation.  When  such  a  life  is  preserved  in  its  strength  and 
integrity  so  that  even  in  age  its  influence  continues  unabated,  it  challenges  the 
added  admiration  of  those  whose  good  fortune  it  is  to  be  brought  into  contact 
with  it.  Such  a  life  has  been  that  of  Parker  Bogue,  long  one  of  the  substantial 
agriculturists  of  \^''e,st  River  township,  Randolph  county,  who  is  now  living 
in  honorable  retirement.  He  has  played  no  inconspicuous  part  in  the  affairs 
of  the  community  long  honored  by  his  citizenship,  for  he  has  ever  had  its 
interests  at  heart,  and  now,  when  past  his  three-score  and  tenth  milepost  of  a 
life  that  has  been  noted  for  its  industry,  integrity  and  sterling  honesty,  and 
devotion  to  farnily,  church  and  his  country  he  can  look  backward  with  no 
compunction  of  conscience,  for  misdeeds  and  look  forward  to  the  mystic  be- 
yond, with  no  fear.  Such  a  life  merits  the  record  of  its  deeds,  that  the  debt 
due  it  may  be  acknowledged  and  that  it  may  serve  as  a  stimulus  to  others  to 
endeavor  to  emulate  it.  But  his  record  is  too  familiar  to  the  people  of  this 
locality  to  require  any  fulsome  encomium  here,  his  life  work  speaking  for 
itself  in  stronger  terms  than  the  biographer  could  employ  in  polished  periods. 
There  is  no  doubt  but  that  his  long  life  has  been  due  to  his  wholesome 
habits,  pure  living  and  right  thinking.  He  is  hospitable  and  his  many  acts  of 
kindness  have  sprung  from  a  charitable  impulse  rather  than  from  a  moti\-e 
to  win  the  plaudits  of  men. 

Mr.  Bogue  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  February  26,  1841.  He 
is  a  son  of  Josiah  and  Harriett  S.  (Peele)  Bogue,  and  was  one  of  five  chil- 
dren, three  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely:  Martha  J.,  who  married  Henry 
Newburn,  a  farmer  near  Centerville,  Indiana,  and  has  three  children ;  Parker, 
of  this  review ;  Henry  married  Ella  Baldwin,  and  they  had  one  child ;  all  three 
are  now  deceased,  he  dying  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years.  Sarah  Ann,  who 
died  when  twenty-eight  years  old,  married  Lee  Huff,  a  minister  and  farmer, 
and  a  boy  and  girl  were  born  to  them ;  Josiah,  a  farmer  and  painter  of  Foun- 


1504  KANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

tain  City,  Indiana,  married  Mary  Christ,  a  native  of  California,  and  to  them 
six  children  have  been  born.  The  father  of  our  subject  died  when  Parker 
Bogue  was  a  boy.  He  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade.  The  paternal  grandfather 
was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  from  which  state  he  came  to  Indiana  and 
settled  in  Wayne  county  when  the  country  was  wild  and  there  began  farming. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  survives,  having  attained  the  unusual  age  of 
ninety-one  years.  She  also  followed  shoemaking  in  order  to  feed  and  clothe 
her  family  of  little  ones  and  keep  them  together.  Her  ancestors  were  also 
North  Carolinians.  She  is  a  fine  type  of  the  courageous,  hospitable  and  kind 
pioneer  woman. 

Parker  Bogue  grew  up  on  the  farm,  where  he  worked  when  a  boy,  and 
he  received  his  education  in  the  old-time  schools.  On  May  i,  1872,  he  mar- 
ried Mary  E.  Madison,  a  daughter  of  William  Madison,  a  farmer  of  Henry 
county,  Indiana,  whose  family  consisted  of  thirteen  children,  eight  of  whom 
lived  to  maturity.  Eleven  children  have  been  born  to  our  subject  and  wife, 
named  as  follows :  Arley,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years,  left  a 
widow,  whose  maiden  name  was  Martha  Baker;  Minnie  M.  died  in  infancy; 
Everett  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight  5'ears;  Hattie  J.  married  Fred  Tanner, 
of  Saratoga,  Indiana,  a  farmer,  and  they  have  five  children;  William  J.,  an 
electrician  of  Indianapolis,  married  Donna  Elsberry,  and  they  have  one  son; 
Reuben  R.,  a  cabinet-maker  of  Newcastle,  Indiana,  married  Nettie 
Shaeffa',  and  they  have  two  children;  Lillie  Ann  is  the  wife  of  Arley  Shep- 
pard,  a  farmer  of  West  River  township,  and  they  have  one  child ;  Arthur 
Paul,  born  January  9,  1888,  was  educated  in  the  local  schools  and  later  was 
graduated  from  DePauw  University,  and  is  now  taking  up  the  study  of 
medicine;  Jesse  Parker,  born  August  14,  1890,  was  educated  in  the  local 
schools,  later  was  graduated  from  DePauw  University,  has  been  preaching 
since  he  was  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  is  an  exceptionally  splendid  public 
speaker.  He  won  the  state  oratorical  contest  of  Indiana  in  1913,  and  is  re- 
garded as  a  young  man  of  much  promise.  Oro  Charles,  born  September  11, 
1892,  also  a  graduate  of  DePauw  University,  is  preparing  himself  for  a 
teacher  of  mathematics;  Archie  Lee,  born  September  5,  i8g6,  will  also  grad- 
uate from  DePauw  University. 

Parker  Bogue  is  one  of  our  honored  veterans  of  the  Civil  war,  having 
enlisted  August  20,  1861,  in  Company  C,  Eighth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry, 
was  sworn  in  at  Williamsburg,  and  he  saw  considerable  hard  service  in  the 
South,  was  wounded  at  Magnolia  Hills,  Mississippi,  in  the  right  shoulder, 
and  was  in  the  hospital  three  months;  he  was  in  the  battle  of  Bea  Ridge. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY^   INDIANA.  1 505 

Arkansas,  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  battles  of  Winchester  and  Cedar  Creek, 
Virginia,  after  which  his  regiment  was  transferred  to  Savannah,  Georgia,  and 
placed  on  patrol  duty,  later  moved  to  Augusta,  Georgia.  Mr.  Bogue  proved 
to  be  a  faithful  and  able  soldier.  He  was  mustered  out  at  Indianapolis  in 
1865. 

Mr.  Bogue  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  in  early  life  and  this  he  has 
followed  in  connection  with  his  building  and  farming  to  the  present  time  and 
has  been  very  successful  in  a  business  way.  He  lived  in  Alabama  for  a  period 
of  twenty-one  years,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  where  all  his  children 
were  born,  except  three.  He  is  now  living  in  retirement  in  his  cozy  home  at 
Huntsville.  Politically,  he  is  a  Prohibitionist,  and  he  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  church. 


JOHN  A.  MILLS. 

The  history  of  Randolph  county  is  not  a  very  old  one,  from  the  view- 
point of  a  historian.  It  is  the  record  of  a  steady  growth  of  a  community 
planted  in  the  wilderness  three-quarters  of  a  century  ago  and  has  reached  its 
magnitude  of  today  without  other  aids  than  those  of  industry.  The  people 
who  redeemed  it  from  the  primitive  wilds  were  strong-armed,  hardy  sons  of 
the  soil  who  hesitated  at  no  difficulty  and  for  whom  hardships  had  little  to 
appall.  The  early  pioneers,  having  blazed  the  path  of  civilization  to  this  part 
of  the  state,  finished  their  labors,  and  many  of  them  have  passed  from  the 
scene,  leaving  the  country  to  the  possession  of  their  descendants  and  to  others 
who  came  at  a  later  period  and  builded  on  the  foundation  which  they  laid  so 
broad  and  deep.  The  Mills  family  is  of  this  class  and  its  members  have 
played  no  inconspicuous  part  in  the  upbuilding  of  Randolph  county,  a  very 
creditable  representative  of  the  present  generation  being  John  A.  Mills,  who 
was  born  and  reared  here  and  who  has  spent  his  life  in  his  native  vicinity, 
having  done  what  he  could  to  develop  and  advertise  to  the  world  the  wonder- 
ful resources  of  a  section  singularly  favored  by  Mother  Nature. 

Mr.  Mills  was  born  in  West  River  township  July  i8,  1854.  He  is  a  son 
of  Thomas  W.  and  Nancy  (Miller)  Mills.  The  father  was  born  in  Granger 
county,  Tennessee,  April  21,  1826,  and  was  a  son  of  John  and  Nancy  (Mum- 
bov/ers)  Mills,  the  former  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1796  and  was  a  son  of 
Hardy  and  Sarah  Mills.  He  twice  enlisted  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  served  for 
one  year  under  General  Jackson.  He  devoted  his  life  to  farming,  and  resided 
in  Warren  county,  Ohio,  from  183 1   until   1833,  then  came  to  West  River 


1506  KANDOLPli  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

township,  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  where  he  entered  eighty  acres  of  land 
from  the  government.  He  afterwards  returned  to  Warren  county,  where 
his  death  occurred  in  1847,  his  widow  surviving  until  August  30,  1881.  They 
were  faithful  members  of  the  Methodist  church.  The  Mills  family  numbered 
seven  children,  namely:  "William  A.,  James  M.,  Joseph  C,  Thomas  W. 
(father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch),  James,  Perry  G.  and  Elizabeth. 

Thomas  W.  Mills  was  five  years  old  when  his  parents  brought  him  to 
Ohio.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  when  twenty-three  years 
old  he  began  learning  the  carpenter's  trade,  serving  three  years  of  apprentice- 
ship. He  then  worked  as  a  journeyman  at  different  places  until  1852.  Pre- 
vious to  this  time  he  had  purchased  the  eld  homestead  in  this  county;  how- 
ever, after  moving  here  he  continued  his  trade  for  six  seasons,  then  turned  his 
attention  to  his  farm  exclusively.  In  1889  he  purchased  a  home  in  the  town 
of  Huntsville,  where  he  removed,  giving  up  active  farm  work,  and  spent  the 
rest  of  his  life  in  retirement,  dying  September  11,  1898,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
three  years.  The  eighty  acres  which  Grandfather  Mills  entered  from  the  gov- 
ernment is  still  owned  by  the  family. 

Thomas  W.  Mills  was  married  in  Randolph  county  January  15,  1852,  to 
Nancy  Miller,  who  was  born  in  Ireland  April  15,  1830,  and  was  a  daughter 
of  William  and  Sarah  (Clyde)  Miller.  The  family  emigrated  to  America  in 
1844,  and  in  1846  located  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana.  To  Thomas  W. 
Mills  and  wife  the  following  children  were  born:  Catherine  J.  married 
Ishmaei  Mills,  a  traveling  man  of  Stewart  county,  Iowa;  John  A.,  the  im- 
mediate subject  of  this  sketch;  ^^'illiam  W.,  now  deceased,  was  in  the  mercan- 
tile business  at  Huntsville;  Sarah  Ann  is  the  wife  of  George  Starbuck;  !Mary 
Agnes  married  John  I.  Johnson,  of  Buena  Vista,  Indiana;  and  Martha  Ellen, 
who  married  N.  Puckett.  The  mother  of  the  above-named  children  was  four- 
teen years  of  age  when  she  left  her  old  home  in  Donegal  county,  in  the  Emer- 
ald Isle,  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Philadelphia.  Later  they  came  on  to 
Indiana  and  her  father  took  up  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  from 
the  government.  Grandfather  Miller  died  at  the  age  of  sixty  years,  leaving  a 
family  of  eight  children,  having  previously  lost  one.  The  mother  of  our 
subject,  who  was  born  in  1830,  died  April  15,  1899.  She  and  her  husband 
were  faithful  members  of  the  Christian  church  and  took  an  active  interest  in 
its  growth  and  upbuilding.  In  politics,  Thomas  W.  Mills  was  a  Republican, 
and  in  1873  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  serving  until  1876.  The  follow- 
ing year  he  was  re-elected  and  filled  the  office  until  1881. 

John  A.  Mills,  of  this  sketch,  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  IS07 

he  received  a  very  practical  education  in  the  common  schools.  He  was  mar- 
ried on  November  2,  1876,  to  Ida  Gordon,  a  daughter  of  William  S.  Gordon, 
a  farmer  near  Winchester,  and  her  death  occurred  in  1897.  To  this  union  six 
children  were  born,  namely:  Ada,  who  married  I.  J.  Farquhar,  of  West 
River  township,  and  has  three  children :  Jeanette  May  married  John  Shores, 
of  Muncie,  and  they  have  two  children;  Ethel  married  D.  C.  Moore,  cashier 
of  the  National  Bank  at  Greens  Fork,  Wayne  county;  Marie  married  Glenn 
Batcheller,  a  railroad  man  of  Ross,  Ohio;  Eunice  C,  born  March  14,  1894,  is 
living  at  home;  Alice  Elizabeth,  born  March  12,  1906,  is  also  at  home.  Of 
these  children  two  became  teachers,  Ethel  teaching  eight  years  before  her 
marriage  and  six  years  afterwards ;  Marie  taught  for  seven  years. 

Mr.  Mills  has  devoted  his  life  successfully  to  general  farming  and  stock 
raising,  and  he  is  owner  of  a  well-kept  and  productive  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  ten  acres,  on  which  stands  a  good  set  of  buildings.  Politically,  he  is  a 
Republican,  and  he  and  his  family  attend  the  Methodist  church. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
P"el]ow3. 


THE  WINCHESTER  PUBLIC  LIBRARY. 

It  has  not  been  so  very  long  ago  when  public  libraries  were  to  be  found 
only  in  the  great  cities ;  now  almost  every  town  throughout  the  country  can 
boast  of  a  good  library.  Their  usefulness  to  a  community  is  too  apparent  to 
need  any  comment  here.  The  city  of  Winchester  is  not  behind  in  the  matter 
of  a  library,  her  citizens  maintaining  one  of  the  best  in  the  state  of  Indiana 
outside  of  the  largest  cities,  although  it  has  not  been  long  established.  For 
several  years  there  had  been  a  local  library  association,  being  organized  in 
1907,  consisting  of  various  women's  clubs.  They  obtained  funds  in  various 
legitimate  ways  for  the  establishment  of  a  library,  and  in  the  early  part  of 
1912  a  tax  levy  was  made  for  this  purpose,  and  a  library  board  was  then  ap- 
pointed. By  March  things  had  taken  a  tangible  shape  and  through  the  inde- 
fatigable industry  and  persistency  of  the  following  members  of  the  board  the 
plans  were  consummated :  O.  R.  Baker,  president ;  Mrs.  John  Engle,  vice- 
president  ;  George  Leggett,  secretary ;  James  Goodrich,  A.  L.  Bales,  Mrs. 
John  Myers  and  Mrs.  May  Grey.  This  is  a  purely  home  product  and  not  a 
Carnegie  library.  Forty-five  thousand  choice  books  of  the  world's  best  litera- 
ture, in  every  branch,  have  already  been  received  and  the  list  will  gradually 
be  increased.     These  books  are  tastily  and  systematically  arranged  in  the 


1508  '        RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

Miller  building.  Mary  Jane  Diggs  is  the  librarian  and  is  well  qualified  for 
the  successful  discharge  of  her  duties,  not  only  knowing  well  all  phases  of  the 
work  of  a  librarian,  but  is  uniformly  courteous  and  obliging. 


GEORGE  W.   EDWARDS. 

Formerly,  nearly  all  the  people  of  the  earth  were  in  direct  contact  with 
the  soil,  but  the  past  three-quarters  of  a  century  has  been  one  of  city  building, 
with  the  population  gravitating  toward  the  centers  of  population,  leaving  the 
small  number  remaining  on  the  farm  to  provide  the  food  necessary  to  pre- 
serve the  lives  of  the  city  dwellers.  Very  often  the  dependent  ones  have 
looked  down  on  or  treated  with  indifference  the  man  who  stayed  on  the  job 
of  producing  things  to  eat.  Agriculture  has  too  long  been  considered  a  less 
desirable,  a  less  honorable,  a  less  remunerative  vocation  than  a  business  car- 
ried on  in  the  city.  One  of  our  citizens  who  has  taken  a  delight  in  farming 
and  has  always  found  it  profitable  is  George  W.  Edwards,  of  West  River 
township,  Randolph  county. 

Mr.  Edwards  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  December  29,  1843,  ^"^ 
is  a  scion  of  one  of  our  oldest  families,  a  son  of  Zebulon  and  Sarah  (McNeil) 
Edwards,  and  was  one  of  eight  children,  namely :  Florin  T.  is  deceased ; 
George  W.  of  this  sketch ;  James  lives  at  Modoc ;  Andrew  lives  in  Winchester ; 
Francina  lives  in  Atlanta,  Iowa;  Ely  lives  in  Randolph  county;  Alva  is  de- 
ceased; Jason  lives  in  Randolph  county.  The  father  of  these  children  was 
born  in  Guilford  county,  North  Carolina,  October  23,  1818,  and  his  parents' 
brought  him  to  Ohio  when  he  was  a  child,  but  not  long  thereafter  they  re- 
moved to  Randolph  county,  Indiana  and  the  grandfather  of  our  subject  took 
up  land  from  the  government  here  where  he  established  the  future  home  of  the 
family.  Here  Zebulon  devoted  his  life  successfully  to  farming  and  his  death 
occurred  September  15,  1890.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Wayne 
county,  Indiana,  January  25,  1820,  and  died  July  26,  1897.  Her  people 
were  from  Virginia. 

George  W.  Edwards  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  received 
his  education  in  the  local  schools.  On  July  20,  1865  he  married  Victoria 
Harris,  a  daughter  of  William  P.  Harris,  a  farmer,  whose  family  consisted 
of  six  children.  To  our  subject  and  wife  three  children  were  born,  a  daugh- 
ter and  two  sons,  namely:  Ida  Olinda,  born  September  12,  1866,  married 
Cliff  Gordon,  a  farmer  of  West  River  township,  and  they  have  two  children, 
Willia  O.  and  George  W. ;  Alden  J.,  born  April  5,   1869,  married  Carrie 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I509 

Adamson,  is  farming  in  this  county,  and  they  have  one  son,  Garver  Hobart ; 
William  Zebulon,  born  June  19,  1880,  married  L.  Olive  Sharp,  and  they  have 
one  child,  Idris  Irene.  The  last  named  son  seems  to  be  a  natural  born  horse- 
man, is  a  good  trainer  and  he  now  has  five  valuable  stock  horses. 

George  W.  Edwards  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war,  having  enlisted  in 
the  Sixty-ninth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  from  which  he  was  discharged 
on  account  of  sickness,  but  after  he  recovered  he  re-enlisted  in  "the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Fortieth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry  in  which  he  served  faithfully 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Richmond, 
Kentucky,  but  was  soon  paroled.  He  was  in  all  the  important  engagements 
of  his  regiment. 

Mr.  Edwards  has  devoted  his  life  successfully  to  general  farming,  and  is 
now  owner  of  a  finely  improved  farm  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  on 
which  stands  a  modernly  appointed  dwelling  and  good  outbuildings.  He  is 
well  fixed  to  enjoy  life  in  every  respect,  owning  an  automobile,  good  horses, 
the  latest  patterns  in  farming  machiner}'-,  and  everything  about  his  place 
denotes  thrift  and  good  taste.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist church,  and  politically  he  is  a  Republican. 


RILEY  SMITH  LEE. 


Since  the  days  of  the  first  plowman,  it  has  been  the  custom  to  regard  the 
farmer  as  a  man  who  should  be  satisfied  with  a  fair  living  and  only  small  cash 
returns.  With  many  the  belief  is  inherent  that  the  farmer  is  a  man  who 
should  be  glad  that  he  is  alive,  whether  he  is  out  of  debt  or  not.  These  peo- 
ple, and  there  are  altogether  too  many  of  them,  are  among  the  class  who  talk 
about  the  advantages  of  going  back  to  the  farm — for  other  people,  but  never 
for  themselves.  They  seem  to  be  inherently  capable  of  realizing  that  the 
farmer  may  have  the  same  hopes,  desires  and  aspirations  for  better  things  as 
the  city  man.  They  are  prone  to  deplore  the  fact  that  the  farmer's  children 
want  to  go  to  the  city,  and  they  like  to  expatiate  upon  the  health  of  the  coun- 
try, its  pure  air,  uplifting  scenery  and  the  joys  of  living  close  to  nature — and 
all  that  sort  of  thing,  but  they  always  recommend  this  life  for  someone  else. 
One  of  the  citizens  of  Randolph  county  who  has  been  contented  to  remain  in 
the  country  and  has  succeeded  as  a  farmer,  not  only  to  the  extent  that  he  has 
always  made  a  comfortable  living,  but  has  laid  by  a  competency  as  well,  is 
Riley  Smith  Lee. 

Mr.  Lee  was  born  in  West  River  township,  Randolph  county,  August  1 7, 


1 5 10  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

1 87 1,  and  is  a  member  of  one  of  our  oldest  and  most  widely  known  agricul- 
tural families.  He  is  a  son  of  Ezra  S.  and  Alice  (Jordan)  Lee,  the  father 
also  a  native  of  this  township  and  county  and  here  he  grew  to  manhood,  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  early-day  schools  and  married,  and  has  spent  his 
life  engaged  in  farming.  He  is  now  sixty-two  years  old,  and  is  living  on  the 
old  Lee  homestead,  which  he  has  kept  well  improved.  His  father  was  a 
native  of  Tennessee  and  came  to  this  locality  when  settlers  were  few  and  here 
he  developed  a  good  farm  from  the  woods. 

Six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  were  born  to  Ezra  S.  Lee 
and  wife,  namely:  Rilej^  S.,  of  this  review,  is  the  oldest;  John,  who  is  farm- 
ing in  West  River  township,  married  Martha  Howell  and  they  had  four  chil- 
dren, one  of  whom  is  deceased;  Bessie  married  Charles  R.  Farquhar,  a  farmer 
of  West  River  township,  and  they  have  five  children;  Jennie,  who  married 
Homer  Hernley,  a  railroad  man  of  Chicago,  has  two  children;  Josie  is  single 
and  living  at  home ;  Graydon  died  in  youth. 

Riley  S.  Lee  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  worked  hard  in 
the  summer  months,  and  in  the  winter  attended  the  district  schools.  Later 
studied  at  a  normal  school  and  at  the  State  University  at  Bloomington.  He 
began  life  for  himself  by  teaching  school  in  West  River  township  for  a  period 
of  thirteen  years,  during  which  his  services  were  in  great  demand  and  he 
was  ranked  among,  the  county's  leading  educators,  for  he  waas  a  man  of 
progressive  methods  and  both  instructor  and  entertainer  in  the  school  room. 
He  taught  eight  years  in  the  home  school  at  Modoc.  He  has  for  some  time 
devoted  his  attention  to  general  farming  and  stock  raising  and  has  been  very 
successful,  owning  a  valuable  and  well-improved  farm  and  he  has  a  pleasant 
home. 

Mr.  Lee  was  married  December  27,  1893,  to  Victoria  Gaines,  of  West 
River  township,  Randolph  county,  where  she  was  reared  to  womanhood  and 
was  educated.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Alden  Gaines,  a  farmer,  carpenter  and 
builder  and  a  well-known  citizen  of  this  county  for  many  years.  Mrs.  Lee 
has  one  sister.  Six  children  have  been  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  namely : 
Roberta  is  a  student  of  domestic  science  at  Peoria,  Ilbn'^is;  she  was  born 
October  7,  1894;  Oleta  died  in  infancy;  Reed,  born  August  6,  1898;  Albert, 
born  December  19,  1902;  Walter,  born  October  20,  1904;  Alice  Elizabeth, 
born  January  15,  1907. 

jNIr.  Lee  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  is  active  in  local  public  affairs. 
He  has  served  as  trustee  of  his  township  for  some  time  and  was  influential  in 
building  two  consolidated  school  houses,   and  repaired  two  country  school 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I5II 

buildings.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  also  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  Order  at  Huntsville.  He  attends  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church. 


CYRUS  BOUSMAN. 


In  this  country  of  ours  it  is  necessary  that  some  people  should  follow  the 
occupation  of  farming,  some  store-keeping,  some  banking,  some  the  profes- 
sions, and  so  on.  All  are  necessary  to  each  other  and  form  parts  and  parcels 
of  the  great  body  of  society.  There  was  a  time,  in  the  days  of  our  grand- 
fathers, when  each  family  was  also  wholly  self-sustaining,  when  the  mother 
made  the  garments  and  the  father  secured  the  food,  but  this  older  order  of 
affairs  has  been  done  away  with  by  advanced  methods  more  in  accordance 
with  our  progress  and  present-day  institutions.  The  farmer  can  not  get  along 
without  the  store-keeper  and  the  banker,  and  the  two  latter  are  depending  on 
the  farmer  under  the  new  order  of  things.  The  dependence  is  mutual  and 
each  is  required  to  fill  his  position.  One  of  the  modern  business  men  of  Ran- 
dolph county  who  has  lived  to  see  the  transformation  of  this  locality  from  the 
pioneer  epoch  to  the  twentieth  century  advancement  of  which  we  of  today  are 
acquainted  is  Cyrus  Bousman,  for  many  years  a  successful  merchant  and  now 
head  of  the  State  Bank  of  Saratoga,  and  one  of  our  best  known,  most  useful 
and  highly  honored  native  sons,  who  has  done  much  for  the  general  improve- 
ment of  his  locality  and  is  rounding  out  the  Psalmist's  allotted  life-span  of 
three  score  and  ten  years  in  a  manner  that  stamps  him  as  the  possessor  of 
rare  attributes  of  both  head  and  heart. 

Afr.  Bousman  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  October  27,  1845. 
He  is  a  son  of  George  W.  and  Sarah  (Almonrode)  Bousman,  a  sterling  old 
pioneer  family,  who  braved  the  wilds  of  this  locality  three-quarters  of  a  cen- 
tury ago.  Their  family  consisted  of  eight  children,  named  as  follows :  Su- 
sanna is  the  wife  of  Benjamin  Mace,  a  farmer  near  Browerville,  Minnesota, 
and  they  have  six  children;  Mary,  who  died  at  the  age  of  sixty  years,  was 
twice  married,  first,  to  John  Coats,  by  which  union  three  children  were  born, 
and  secondly  to  Frank  Holmes,  by  whom  four  children  were  born;  Cyrus, 
subject  of  this  review;  John  H.,  who  lives  on  the  old  homestead  in  White 
River  township,  has  been  twice  married,  first  to  Mary  Clear,  by  whom  one 
child  was  born,  and  secondly  to  Mahala  Mowry,  which  union  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  six  children;  Sarah  J.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-one  years,  married 
N.  J.  Beard,  a  farmer  of  White  River  township,  and  to  them  eight  children 


I  5  12  RANDOLPH   COUNT i^,   INDIANA. 

were  born;  Luchion  and  Martin  died  a  number  of  years  ago,  also  one  when 
quite  small. 

George  W.  Bousman,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Preble  county, 
Ohio,  February  22,  1822,  and  there  he  spent  his  boyhood  and  received  such 
educational  advantages  as  those  early  times  afforded.  He  was  sixteen  years 
old  when,  in  1838,  he  came  to  Indiana,  entered  a  section  of  land  in  White 
River  township,  Randolph  county,  which  he  cleared,  developed  into  a  good 
farm  in  due  course  of  time  and  there  eetablished  the  future  home  of  the  fam- 
ily and  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  there,  dying  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight 
years.  He  was  a  successful  farmer  and  a  good  citizen,  highly  respected  by 
all  who  knew  him.  The  county  was  practically  a  wilderness  when  he  came 
here  and  he  endured  the  usual  privations  and  hardships  of  first  settlers.  His 
father  was  a  native  of  Germany  who  emigrated  to  America  in  an  early  day 
and  settled  in  Preble  county,  Ohio.  The  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  born  in  what  is  now  West  Virginia,  and  there  she  grew  to  womanhood 
and  married  her  first  husband,  Simon  Holmes,  by  whom  two  children  were 
born.  She  subsequently  removed  to  Ohio  where  she  and  Mr.  Bousman  were 
married.  Her  death  occurred  May  30,  1908,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety- 
one  years.  After  the  death  of  her  husband  she  made  her  home  with  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch.  She  was  a  splendid  woman  of  the  old  school,  possessing 
many  fine  traits  of  character. 

Cyrus  Bousman  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  community  in  this  county 
and  he  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools.  He  assisted  with  the 
general  work  on  the  farm  when  a  boy  and  he  began  life  for  himself  as  a 
farmer,  which  he  followed  for  six  years,  then  turned  his  attention  to  merchan- 
dising, conducting  a  general  store  at  Saratoga  for  a  period  of  twenty-eight 
years,  during  which  time  he  built  up  a  large  and  lucrative  patronage,  doing  a 
most  satisfactory  business  with  the  surrounding  country,  carrying  at  all  times 
a  large  and  well-selected  stock  of  goods,  and,  dealing  honestly,  and  courteously 
with  his  many  customers,  he  alwa3^s  enjoyed  their  good  will  and  respect.  Fi- 
nally, selling  out  his  store  he  started  the  Saratoga  State  Bank  in  Saratoga,  in 
partnership  with  George  Edger,  and  has  been  head  of  the  same  for  the  past 
ten  years.  His  able  management  and  wise  foresight  has  made  this  one  of  the 
sound,  safe  and  popular  banks  of  this  section  of  the  state  and  it  has  a  large 
number  of  patrons  which  is  constantly  growing  and  the  institution  is  a  pro- 
nounced financial  success  and  has  been  of  great  assistance  in  the  progress  of 
the  community  during  the  past  decade,  being  the  center  of  a  large  and  thriv- 
ing agricultural  community.     Mr.  Bousman  has  been  very  successful  in  a 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I513 

biisiness  way  and  is  one  of  the  most  substantial  and  influential  business  men  in 
this  part  of  the  county.  He  owns  considerable  valuable  property,  including  a 
handsome  and  modernly  furnished  residence. 

Politically  Mr.  Bousman  is  a  Progressive,  and  while  he  exerts  a  potent 
influence  on  local  public  affairs  is  not  a  politician  in  any  sense.  He  has  for 
years  been  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren  church  and,  in  fact,  a  pillar  in 
the  same. 

Mr.  Bousman  was  married  November  ii,  1865,  to  Margaret  A.  Fraze, 
a  daughter  of  John  Fraze,  a  prominent  early-day  farmer  of  Randolph  county, 
where  she  was  reared  and  educated.  She  is  one  of  a  family  of  six  children. 
The  union  of  our  subject  and  wife  has  been  without  issue,  but  they  have 
reared  three  children,  namely:  Bessie  Fraze,  who  married  Victor  Harmon, 
and  Delia  Jenkins  and  Thomas  Davis. 

Personally  Mr.  Bousman  is  a  genial  and  companionable  gentleman  whom 
it  is  a  pleasure  to  meet.  He  is  a  man  of  the  best  character  and  reputation 
and  is  one  of  the  county's  foremost  citizens  in  every  respect. 


JOHN  FINK. 

Among  the  present  generation  of  progressive  farmers  of  Randolph 
county  who  are  especially  worthy  of  notice  as  having  been  active  in  the  im- 
provement and  prosperity  of  their  localities  and  have  acquired  valuable  prop- 
erty through  their  individual  enterprise,  at  the  same  time  building  up  a  repu- 
tation which  shall  endure  the  test  for  generations  to  come,  none  have  exerted 
a  more  beneficial  influence  on  those  about  them  than  the  gentleman  whose 
name  introduces  this  biographical  review. 

John  Fink  was  born  August  9,  1861,  in  Bedford  county,  Pennsylvania. 
He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  Fink  and  wife.  Both  his  parents  and  grandparents  were 
of  German  descent  and  were  among  the  thrifty  and  respected  people  of  the 
old  Keystone  state.  To  Jacob  Fink  and  wife  seven  children  were  born,  six 
sons  and  one  daughter,  namely :  Lewis  is  a  railroad  man  and  lives  at  Kan- 
kakee, Illinois;  Henry  lives  in  Colorado;  Samuel;  Daniel  was  next  in  order 
of  birth;  Jacob  is  fruit  farming  in  the  state  of  Washington;  John,  of  this 
sketch;  and  the  daughter's  name  was  Mary. 

John  Fink  spent  his  earlier  years  in  his  native  state  and  there  received  a 
common  school  education  which  has  in  later  life  been  greatly  augmented  by 
home  reading  and  contact  with  the  world.  He  left  his  native  state  in  1906  and 
came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  where  through  his  industry  he  soon  got  a 


1 5 14  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

good  foothold  and  here  he  has  remained  to  the  present  time,  gradually  ad- 
vancing his  interests  with  passing  years.  He  is  owner  of  an  excellent  farm  of 
i6o  acres  which  he  has  brought  up  to  a  high  state  of  improvement  and  cul- 
tivation and  where  he  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  being 
regarded  as  one  of  the  best  farmers  in  the  vicinity  of  Ridgeville.  He  has  a 
pleasant  home  in  the  midst  of  attractive  surroundings  and  a  good  set  of  out- 
buildings, everything  about  his  place  denoting  good  management.  He  is  an 
excellent  judge  of  all  kinds  of  livestock  and  keeps  some  good  herds  and 
droves,  which  he  prepares  for  the  market  annually. 

Mr.  Fink  was  married  March  lo,  1897,  to  Nannie  McFarland,  of  Ward 
township,  Randolph  county.  She  is  a  daughter  of  William  and  Maria  (Mit- 
chell) McFarland.  The  father  died  in  March,  19 12.  The  mother  is  living 
at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years. 

Mrs.  Fink  was  born  in  Pittsburg,  November  11,  1878,  in  Ward  town- 
ship, and  received  a  good  education.  She  is  a  lady  of  talent  and  has  taken  a 
■great  part  in  temperance  work,  for  years  lecturing  in  support  of  the  cause,  and 
her  services  are  in  great  demand  in  this  field  of  endeavor.  She  is  an  earnest, 
instructive  and  entertaining  speaker  and  a  woman  of  engaging  personality, 
broad-minded,  cultured  and  genial  and  makes  friends  wherever  she  goes. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fink  three  children  have  been  born,  namely :  Fern,  born 
March  5,  1898,  was  graduated  from  the  Saratoga  high  school.  She  has  de- 
cided tastes  toward  the  field  of  medicine  and  proposes  to  educate  herself  to  be 
a  physician.  Henry,  the  second  child,  was  born  February  15,  1900,  and  at 
this  writing  is  in  his  first  year  in  the  Saratoga  high  school;  Pauline,  born 
September  25,  1902,  intends  to  prepare  herself  for  a  trained  nurse. 

Politically  Mr.  Fink  is  a  Progressive.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  attends  the 
Methodist  church.  He  and  his  wife  are  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  their  lo- 
cality and  number  their  friends  only  by  the  limits  of  their  acquaintance. 


JOHN  M.  WALLACE,  M.  D. 

Devoted  to  the  noble  work  which  his  profession  implies,  the  gentleman 
whose  career  we  essay  to  briefly  outline  in  the  following  paragraphs  has  been 
faithful  and  indefatigable  in  his  endeavors  and  is  not  only  earning  the  due 
rewards  of  his  efforts  in  a  temporal  way  but  has  also  proved  himself  emi- 
nently worthy  to  exercise  the  important  functions  of  his  calling,  by  reason 
of  his  ability,  his  abiding  sympathy  and  his  earnest  zeal  in  behalf  of  his  fel- 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I515 

low-men.  His  understanding  of  the  science  of  medicine  has  always  been  re- 
garded by  those  who  know  him  as  being  broad  and  comprehensive,  and  the 
profession  and  the  public  accord  Dr.  Wallace  a  distinguished  place,  although 
yet  a  young  man,  among  the  men  of  his  class  in  northern  Indiana. 

Dr.  John  M.  Wallace,  of  Ridgeville,  Randolph  county,  was  born  Septem- 
ber 13,  1878,  in  Richland,  Logan  county,  Ohio.  He  is  a  son  of  Andrew  M. 
and  Susan  (Manifold)  Wallace,  who  grew  up,  married  and  established  their 
home  in  Ohio  and  were  among  the  highly  respected  citizens  of  Logan  county. 
Only  two  children  were  born  to  them,  a  son,  John  M.,  of  this  sketch;  and  a 
daughter,  Anna  Gammel,  wife  of  Rev.  J.  H.  T.  Gordon,  who  was  a  minister 
in  the  United  Presbyterian  church;  they  live  in  Huntsville,  Ohio,  and  have 
three  children,  Andrew,  Miriam  and  Philip. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  came  from  Pennsylvania,  hav- 
ing long  been  a  resident  of  York  county,  and  located  on  government  land  in 
Ohio  in  pioneer  days.  He  drove  a  flock  of  sheep  overland  from  his  old  home 
to  his  new  one.  He  was  a  man  of  imposing  stature  with  a  heavy  head  of 
white  hair  and  he  was  greatly  admired  by  the  Indians  with  whom  he  had  no 
difficulty  in  making  friends.  He  was  a  typical  pioneer,  rugged,  honest,  hard- 
working, and  he  cleared  his  land  in  the  Buckeye  state,  redeeming  a  good  farm 
from  the  wilderness.  His  family  consisted  of  six  children,  five  sons  and  one 
daughter,  the  latter  was  accidentally  killed,  and  one  of  the  sons  died  in  youth. 
The  father  of  our  subject  and  two  brothers  are  still  living,  the  father  remain- 
ing on  the  old  homestead  in  Logan  county,  Ohio.  The  place  consists  of  five 
hundred  acres,  and  he  is  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  his  community  and  an 
influential  man  there.  He  burned  the  brick  with  which  his  dwelling  was  con- 
structed without  any  assistance.  His  wife,  mother  of  the  Doctor,  was  of 
English  descent  and  she  was  born  in  York  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  her 
father  settled  after  emigrating  from  England.  The  paternal  great-grand- 
father was  of  direct  descent  from  Sir  William  Wallace,  famous  in  history. 
The  father  of  our  subject  and  his  brothers  all  worked  their  way  through  col- 
lege. The  father  milked  twenty-four  cows  to  get  money  to  pay  his  tuition, 
and  he  taught  school  for  a  period  of  ten  years,  during  which  he  conducted  the 
farm,  raising  a  crop  in  the  summer-time.  He  was  very  successful  as  a  school 
teacher  and  has  been  ecjually  successful  as  a  general  farmer  and  stock  raiser. 

Dr.  John  M.  Wallace  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  in  Logan 
county,  Ohio,  and  there  he  worked  hard,  when  he  became  of  proper  age,  dur- 
ing the  summer  months,  attending  the  district  schools  in  the  winter-time,  later 
was  a  student  in  the  high  school  at  Belle  Center,  Ohio.  He  then  entered  col- 
lege at  Monmouth,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  until  his  graduation  in  1900, 


I516  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

receiving  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  He  then  entered  the  medical  col- 
lege at  Indianapolis  where  he  made  an  excellent  record  and  from  which  he 
was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1903.  He  spent  nine  months  as  interne  in  the 
Deaconess  hospital  in  Indianapolis  and  eighteen  months  as  interne  in  the  City 
Hospital  there,  giving  the  utmost  satisfaction  in  both  to  all  concerned.  He 
then  practiced  his  profession  at  Franklin  and  also  Mount  Carmel  for  a  short 
time,  then  came  to  Ridgeville  in  June,  19 10,  where  he  has  since  remained,  and 
here  he  has  built  up  a  large,  lucrative»and  rapidly-growing  practice,  taking  his 
place  among  the  leaders  of  his  professional  brethren  as  a  general  physician. 

Dr.  Wallace  was  married  March  15,  1906,  to  Dolores  Strickler,  a  young 
lady  of  many  admirable  characteristics,  and  a  daughter  of  Martin  V.  Strickler 
and  wife,  a  highly  esteemed  family  of  Franklin,  Indiana. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  county,  state  and  American  Medical  Associations. 

Fraternally,  Dr.  Wallace  belongs  to  the  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Ma- 
sons and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  church. 

The  union  of  our  subject  and  wife  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  one 
child,  Martha  Ellen  Wallace,  born  August  3,  1907. 


JOSEPH  W.  LOLLAR. 

One  of  the  venerable  native  sons  of  Randolph  county  who  has  made  a 
success  of  his  life  work  and  at  the  same  time  has  conferred  honor  upon  his 
locality  is  Joseph  W.  Lollar,  who,  after  an  active  and  useful  career,  is  now 
living  retired  at  Saratoga.  He  has  always  been  looked  upon  as  a  man 
thoroughly  in  sympathy  with  any  movement  looking  to  the  betterment  or 
advancement  of  the  community  in  any  way,  never  shirking  his  duty  when 
questions  involving  the  general  good  are  at  stake,  for  he  believes  it  the  duty 
of  every  citizen  while  laboring  for  his  own  advancement,  to  look  to  the 
progress  of  his  locality  and  the  happiness  of  his  neighbors  as  well.  He  has 
always  been  regarded  as  a  man  of  sterling  honesty  and  worthy  of  the  utmost 
confidence  and  respect,  which  his  fellow  citizens  have  been  free  to  accord, 
owing  to  his  genial  disposition,  his  public-spiritedness,  and  his  uniformly  up- 
right and  industrious  life. 

Mr.  Lollar  was  born  December  22.  1844  in  Ward  township,  Randolph 
county,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Sarah  (Pogue)  Lollar,  an  excellent 
pioneer  family,  whose  children  were  six  in  number,  namely:  John  C,  a 
farmer  of  Ward  township,  married  Amanda  J.  Bousman,  became  the  parents 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I517 

of  six  children,  and  they  are  now  both  deceased;  Elisha  D.,  who  died  in  1895 
at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years,  leaving  a  widow  and  three  children,  his  wife 
having  been  Mary  A.  Warner,  was  a  soldier  for  three  years  in  the  Civil  war, 
a  member  of  Company  E,  Eighty- fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry;  he  was 
wounded  at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  and  was  discharged  for  disability  in 
March,  1865.  Mary  Elizabeth,  third  child  of  Joseph  and  Sarah  Lollar,  died 
in  youth;  Joseph  W.,  of  this  sketch,  was  next  in  order  of  birth;  Mariah  and 
Charlotte  also  both  died  in  youth. 

Joseph  Lollar,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  at  Lebanon,  Ohio, 
October  18,  1800,  and  died  December,  1869.  He  came  to  Indiana  in  1838 
and  located  on  a  farm  in  Ward  township  where  his  children  were  all  born  and 
reared.  He  was  twice  married,  first,  in  Ohio,  where  his  first  wife  died.  He 
then  married  in  Greene. county,  Ohio,  Sarah  Pogue,  who  was  a  daughter  of 
a  farmer  in  Ward  township,  this  county,  and  was  one  of  eight  children. 
Her  grandfather  Pogue  was  a  native  of  Virginia. 

Joseph  W.  Lollar,  of  this  sketch,  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  in  Ward 
township,  as  above  indicated,  and  there  he  assisted  with  the  general  work. 
He  received  his  education  in  the  rural  schools  of  his  locality  and  early  in  life 
he  took  up  farming  which  he  has  continued  to  follow  successfully,  however, 
he  is  now  living  practically  retired  in  his  pleasant  home  at  Saratoga,  having 
accumulated  a  competency  for  his  declining  years.  He  owns  a  finely  im- 
proved and  well  kept  farm  of  200  acres  near  Saratoga  on  which  stands  an 
excellent  group  of  buildings,  and  which  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  choice  farms 
of  this  part  of  the  county.  He  has  been  a  hard  worker  and  has  managed 
well  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  general  farmers  of  the  community. 
Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat  and  has  been  influential  in  local  public  affairs. 
He  belongs  to  the  United  Brethren  church. 

Mr.  Lollar  was  married  December  26,  1865  to  Sarepta  Ford,  a  native  of 
Fairfield  county,  Ohio,  who  came  to  Indiana  when  she  was  nine  years  of  age 
and  here  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated.  She  proved  to  be  a  true 
and  faithful  helpmeet.  Her  death  occurred  February  21,  1912.  She  left 
to  her  children  and  grandchildren  the  priceless  heritage  of  a  noble  Christian 
life.  To  this  union  two  sons  and  two  daughters  were  born,  namely :  Erastus 
E.  was  born  September  25,  1866  and  died  October  18,  1913.  He  was  a 
lawyer  and  school  teacher  and  married  Lizzie  Dentner  who  survives  with  four 
children,  Horace,  Homer,  Freda,  and  Pauline.  Enos  D.  was  born  May  24, 
1868  and  was  married  to  Nora  McFarland  who  was  a  teacher  before  her 
marriage.     To  this  union  three  children  have  been  born,  namely,  Wallace 

(96) 


I518  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

Eugene  born  November  28,  1896  was  accidentally  killed  May  29,  191 3.  He 
was  a  bright  and  promising  lad  and  was  on  the  eve  of  graduating  from  high 
school ;  Gordon  Wright  was  born  September  9,  1900 ;  and  Alice  Elizabeth  was 
born  December  18,  1908.  Enos  D.  Lollar  is  a  druggist  and  was  formerly  a 
teacher.  He  has  a  large  store  in  Saratoga  and  is  a  successful  business  man. 
'Clara  J.,  eldest  daughter  of  J.  W.  Lollar,  was  born  February  16,  1870,  and 
married  E.  A.  Fields,  a  farmer  and  lumber  manufacturer  of  Saratoga.  The 
following  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fields :  Hazel,  born  May 
21,  1889;  Merritt,  born  September  24,  1894;  Sarepta  Constance,  born  August 
4,  1899,  died  November  21,  1903;  Noble,  born  April  8,  1908;  Richard,  born 
September  27,  191 1 ;  Carol  Lorraine,  born  April  6,  1913.  Luella  May,  fourth 
child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lollar,  was  born  January  26,  1874  and  was  married 
to  J.  B.  Sarff,  a  farmer  and  breeder  of  Percheron -horses.  They  have  the 
following  children :  Bernice  deceased ;  Beatrice,  Edna,  Lola,  Prudence  and 
Delight. 


LOUIS  C.  GABLE. 


Although  we  are  not  supposed  to  covet  our  neighbor's  good  things,  if  we 
are  making  an  effort  to  carry  into  our  every-day  lives  the  admonitions  of  the 
Mosaic  laws,  yet  it  would  be  difficult  for  most  people  who  are  doomed  to  spend 
their  lives  in  the  city,  living  in  undesirable  homes,  mostly  rented,  to  view  the 
beautiful  modern  home  and  finely  kept  farm  of  Louis  C.  Gable  in  Monroe 
township,  Randolph  county,  and  not  envy  him.  He  has  for  many  years  ranked 
among  the  leading  agriculturists  and  stock  men  of  this  section  of  the  county, 
where  his  entire  life  has  been  spent,  resulting  in  the  accomplishment  of  a 
comfortable  living  for  himself  and  family  and  no  little  amount  of  good  to  the 
locality  in  general,  for  the  base  element  of  selfishness,  it  seems,  has  never 
formed  a  very  large  part  of  his  nature,  and  he  believes  in  assisting  others  on 
the  rugged  highway  of  life  while  striving  for  his  advancement. 

Mr.  Gable  is  a  descendant  of  sterling  German  stock,  but  he  was  born  in 
the  above  named  township  and  county,  on  June  17,  1877.  He  is  a  son  of  John 
M.  and  Nancy  J.  (Cecil)  Gable,  and  is  one  of  a  family  of  three  children,  a 
brother  and  sister  both  dying  in  infancy.  The  father  was  born  in  Delaware 
county  and  still  survives,  living  on  a  good  farm  in  Monroe  township,  near 
that  of  our  subject.  The  date  of  the  father's  birth  was  185 1,  and  the  mother 
first  saw  the  light  of  day  in  the  year  1856  in  Monroe  township,  this  county. 
These  parents  grew  to  maturity  in  their  respective  communities  and  received 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  15  19 

common  school  education,  and  they  were  married  and  began  housekeeping 
in  this  locality. 

Louis  C.  Gable  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  where  he  worked  when  a 
boy  and  received  his  education  in  the  local  public  schools.  On  December  24, 
1898,  he  married  Ella  E.  Starbuck,  daughter  of  W.  E.  Starbuck,  a  farmer, 
who  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  who  served  three  years  in  the  Civil  War,  a  faith- 
ful soldier  for  the  Union.  Leaving  his  nati\'e  state  after  the  war,  he  moved 
to  Ridge^'ille,  Randolph  county,  Indiana.  Later  he  was  married  to  Mary 
C.  McKinney.and  their  family  consisted  of  six  children,  an  equal  number  of 
sons  and  daughters.  Mr.  Starbuck  was  a  man  of  sterling  character,  both  mor- 
ally, socially  and  intellectually,  taking  a  leading  interest  in  church  and  political 
enterprises,  and  was  widely  known  throughout  the  county,  while  Mrs.  Star- 
buck  proved  herself  to  be  a  woman  of  rare  financial  ability,  as  well  as  an  en- 
thusiastic worker  in  church  relationship  and  temperance  and  missionary  move- 
ments. The  father's  death  occurred  in  1893  and  that  of  the  mother  in  May, 
1912. 

Jesse  B.  McKinney,  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Gable,  was  one  of  the  wealthy 
and  popular  citizens  of  Green  township,  who  was  born  in  1822  in  Clark 
county,  Ohio,  and  was  brought  by  his  parents  that  year  to  Randolph  county, 
Indiana,  where  he  grew  up,  began  life  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder  and  by  the 
exercise  of  good  judgment  and  industry  forged  to  the  front,  as  a  miller,  mer- 
chant and  farmer,  finally  acquiring  some  two  thousand  acres  of  valuable  land 
here,  and  was  regarded  as  a  man  who  possessed  a  financial  ability  of  a  high 
order.  His  farm  was  generally  regarded  as  the  best  in  Randolph  county,  and 
on  it  he  erected  what  might  be  called  a  mansion  in  that  day,  the  cost  of  which 
was  thirty  thousand  dollars.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  Febru- 
ary 14,  1888,  he  had  besides  his  extensive  landed  estate,  large  herds  of  live- 
stock and  vast  sums  of  money  invested  in  other  and  safe  enterprises.  He 
was  an  influential  man  in  local  public  affairs  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  this  part  of  the  state. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gable  two  children  have  been  born,  Fredora  Hope, 
whose  birth  occurred  December  11,  1900,  and  John  William,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

Mr.  Gable  has  followed  farming  all  his  life  and  is  now  owner  of  a  fine 
farm  of  eighty-four  acres,  which  was  purchased  from  his  grandfather  Cecil. 
He  has  kept  the  place  well  fertilized  and  improved,  and  he  has  just  recently 
erected  thereon  one  of  the  most  modernly  appointed  and  attractive  bungalows 
in  the  county.  He  pays  considerable  attention  to  the  livestock  business,  and 
takes  especial  interest  and  pleasure  in  cattle  feeding. 


1520  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

Politically,  he  is  a  Republican  and  fraternally  he  belongs  to  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  he  and  his  family  are  members  and  lib- 
eral supporters  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


CHARLES  L.  THORNBURG. 

The  Thornburg  family  is  certainly  entitled  to  representation  in  a  history 
of  Randolph  county,  partly  because  Hiey  have  been  among  those  who  helped 
redeem  the  rich  land  from  the  wilderness  and  encourage  material,  civic,  and 
moral  progress,  and  partly  because  they  have  lived  honest,  industrious  and 
patriotic  lives,  consequently,  have  ever  enjoyed  the  respect  and  good  will  due 
the  best  citizens  of  a  thriving  community.  One  of  the  well-known  members 
of  the  present  generation  of  this  name  is  Charles  L.  Thornburg,  successful 
business  man  of  Farmland,  where  he  conducts  an  extensive  undertaking  and 
livery  establishment,  a  man  who  seems  to  have  inherited  many  of  the  sterling 
and  commendable  characteristics  of  his  honored  father  and  grandfather  be- 
fore him. 

]\Ir.  Thornburg  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  March  i,  1875.  He  is  a 
son  of  Tilnias  and  Aliranda  (Ralston)  Thornburg,  whose  family  consisted  of 
five  children,  namely:  Lydia  J.,  of  Wayne  county,  married  'M.  J.  Yoke,  a 
farmer,  and  they  had  five  children,  two  of  whom  are  deceased;  Myrtle,  of 
Farmland,  married  Charles  Hobley,  a  commercial  traveler,  and  they  have  one 
child,  Stewart;  Charles  L.,  of  this  review;  Cora,  who  lives  in  Colorado,  mar- 
ried William  A.  ^loore,  a  farmer;  Ella  who  lives  in  Richmond,  Indiana, 
married  Leonard  J.  Brooks,  and  they  have  two  children,  Ralston  and  Alarcile. 

Tilnias  Thornburg,  father  of  the  above  named  children,  was  born  on  the 
old  homestead  in  Randolph  county,  which  place  is  well  located  in  Stoney  Creek 
township,  and  which  was  entered  from  the  government  by  Job  Thornburg, 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  in  1825,  he  having  thus  been  among  the  earliest 
settlers  here.  He  began  life  in  typical  pioneer  fashion,  erecting  a  log  cabin 
and  clearing  the  land  of  its  heavy  timber.  Here  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life, 
dying  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-four  years.  On  this  same  farm  the  fa- 
ther of  our  subject  lived  for  a  period  of  sixty-four  years,  successfully  en- 
gaged in  general  farming  and  stock  raising;  but  he  has  been  retired  from 
active  hfe  during  the  past  nine  years,  making  his  home  in  Farmland.  This 
family  is  of  Irish  descent,  all  of  Quaker  faith.  Job  Thornburg,  the  grand- 
father, was  born  in  Xorth  Carolina.  James  Ralston,  father  of  the  mother  of 
our  subject,  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  and  was  one  of  ten  children,  three 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 52 1 

sons  and  seven  daughters,  of  a  pioneer  family.  James  Ralston  spent  his  life 
on  a  farm  here,  dying  in  1900.  The  mother  survives,  being  now  sixty-three 
years  old. 

Charles  L.  Thornburg  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  educated  in  the 
public  schools.  He  was  married  on  February  20,  1896,  to  Maggie  Holder, 
daughter  of  Henry  and  Catherine  Holder,  in  fact,  their  only  child.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Thornburg  six  children  have  been  born,  two  of  whom  are  deceased, 
namely:  Irene  died  in  infancy;  Roger  cHed  in  1910  when  six  years  old;  Mar- 
garet, born  October -27,  1907;  Dolores,  born  March  10,  1909;  Glen,  born 
September  27,  1912;  Ralph,  born  November  22,  1913. 

Mr.  Thornburg  left  the  farm  when  twenty-nine  years  old,  and  went  into 
the  furniture  and  undertaking  business  at  Farmland  in  1904,  and  was  success- 
ful from  the  first.  In  1912  he  took  in  H.  Wasson  as  a  partner  in  the  livery 
and  undertaking  business,  having  sold  out  the  furniture  business.  They  are 
now  among  the  leading  undertakers  and  liverymen  in  Randolph  county  and 
do  an  extensive  and  rapidly  growing  business,  their  customers  coming  from  all 
over  this  section  of  the  state.  They  are  well  equipped  in  every  way  for  these 
enterprises,  everything  modern  and  first-class.  Honesty  and  prompt  service 
are  their  watchwords. 

Politically,  Mr.  Thornburg  is  a  Republican,  as  are  all  his  family,  and  they 
have  been  loyal  in  their  support  of  'the  party  from  the  time  of  its  founding 
back  in  the  fifties.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.    He  attends  the  Friends  church. 


JAMES  P.  GOODRICH. 

James  P.  Goodrich  was  born  in  Winchester,  Indiana,  February  19,  1864, 
the  second  of  six  sons  born  to  John  B.  and  Elizabeth  (Edger)  Goodrich. 
The  father  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1831,  but  when  only  one  year  old  was 
brought  by  his  parents  to  Randolph  county.  Thus  the  Goodrich  family  was 
among  the  early  pioneers,  and  devoted  arduous  labors  to  the  material,  civic 
and  moral  welfare  of  the  country.  John  B.  Goodrich  was  prominent  as  an 
attorney,  reading  law  with  his  uncle,  Carey  S.  Goodrich.  He  was  subse- 
quently associated  in  the  practice  with  the  late  Enos  L.  Watson.  From  1861 
to  1869  he  served  as  clerk  of  the  Randolph  circuit  court.  He  died  in  the 
prime  of  life  in  1872. 

James  P.  Goodrich  was  educated  in  Winchester,  graduating  from  the 
high  school  in  1881,  in  the  same  class  with  Prof.  John  R.  Commons,  of  Wis- 


1522  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

consin  University,  and  Hon.  James  E.  Watson,  former  congressman,  and  for 
the  following  year  and  a  half  taught  school  in  the  rural  districts  of  his  native 
county.  In  1884  he  entered  DePauw  University,  Greencastle,  Indiana,  where 
he  remained  two  years,  pursuing  a  literary  course.  After  studying  law  in  the 
office  of  Watson  &  Engle  a  short  time  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Winches- 
ter in  1887,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  his  uncle,  John  W.  Alacy,  which 
continued  for  several  years  under  the  firm  name  of  Watson,  Macy  &  Good- 
rich. Later  E.  L.  Watson's  place  in  tjie  firm  was  taken  by  John  J.  Cheney,  the 
firm  name  changing  to  Cheney,  Macy  &  Goodrich,  which  continued  for  five 
years,  when  Air.  Cheney  retired  and  A.  L.  Nichols  became  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Alacy,  Nichols  &  Goodrich.  Air.  Alacy  went  out  on  the  bench  in  1901, 
and  the  firm  became  Nichols,  Goodrich  &  Bales,  A.  L.  Bales  having  been  ad- 
mitted to  partnership.  When  Judge  Alacy  left  the  bench  he  returned  to  the 
old  offices  and  the  firm  became  Alacy,  Nichols,  Goodrich  &  Bales,  continuing 
thus  until  the  death  of  Judge  Macy  in  19 12,  when  his  son,  J.  W.  Macy,  Jr., 
succeeded  to  the  vacancy  in  the  firm.  In  1910  Mr.  Goodrich  opened  offices  in 
Indianapolis  with  Judge  L.  J.  Monks  and  John  W.  Robbins,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Alonks,  Robbins  &  Goodrich,  with  offices  in  the  Pythian  building. 

Mr.  Goodrich  is  regarded  as  a  most  thorough,  painstaking  and  alert  at- 
torney, an  earnest,  forceful,  and  at  times,  an  eloquent  pleader,  having  great 
weight  with  juries  and  equally  impressive  to  the  bench.  He  has  remained  a 
profound  student  of  all  that  pertains  to  his  vocation  and  has  kept  fully  abreast 
of  the  times  in  all  that  pertains  to  legal  matters,  being  familiar  with  the  stat- 
utes of  Indiana  and  the  latest  decisions  of  tribunals  of  higher  courts  of  the 
United  States. 

However,  while  Mr.  Goodrich  holds  a  high  position  in  the  estimation  of 
the  public  for  his  legal  talents,  he  has  a  greater  genius  for  constructive,  com- 
mercial and  fiduciary  enterprises  than  for  the' love  of  Blackstone,  and  in 
these  he  has  been  pre-eminently  successful.  He  has  extensive  interests 
throughout  the  state  in  various  public  utility  enterprises,  likewise  similar  en- 
terprises in  other  states. 

Air.  Goodrich  was  appointed  receiver  for  the  Chicago,  Cincinnati  & 
Louisville  Railroad  in  1908,  and  sold,  in  191 1,  the  road  to  the  Chesapeake 
&  Ohio  Railroad  Company,  which  is  now  known  as  the  Indiana  division  of  the 
last  named  road.  His  business  acumen  in  this  capacity  soon  manifested  itself. 
He  was  also  made  receiver  of  the  Noelke,  Richards  Iron  Works  of  Indian- 
apolis and  Pittsburg,  having  been  but  recently  appointed  to  the  latter  position. 

Politically,  Air.  Goodrich  is  a  loyal  Republican  and  is  one  of  the  party 
leaders  of  the  state.     He  was  at  one  time  chairman  of  the  Indiana  Republican 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I  523 

State  Committee,  holding  this  important  office  from  1901  to  1910,  discharging 
the  duties  of  the  same  in  a  manner  that  reflected  much  credit  upon  himself  and 
to  the  eminent  satisfaction  of  all  concerned  and  doing  much  to  insure  the 
success  of  the  party  in  Indiana.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Republican 
National  Committee  from  Indiana  since  1912,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the 
National  Executive  Committee.  For  many  years  he  was  an  ardent  member  of 
the  Knights  of  Labor  and  was  in  charge  of  the  labor  department  of  the  last 
named  committee  in  the  campaign  of  1912.  Prior  to  his  connection  with 
state  politics  he  was  county  chairman  for  many  years  in  Randolph  county, 
and  was  a  member  of  the  Winchester  school  board  for  thirteen  years.  He 
has  been  trustee  of  Wabash  College  of  Crawfordsville  since  1902.  While 
deeply  and  actively  interested  in  political  and  public  affairs  for  many  years, 
he  has  never  been  a  candidate  for  office.  Religiously,  he  is  a  Presbyterian, 
and  since  early  life  has  been  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday  school,  and  since  1910 
he  has  held  a  men's  Bible  class  of  over  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  members 
for  the  purpose  of  teaching,  which  he  returns  to  Winchester  every  Sunday 
if  possible,  even  if  he  has  to  travel  half  across  the  continent.  While  in  col- 
lege he  was  a  member  of  the  Phi  Kappa  Psi  fraternity.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  order,  having  attained  the  thirty-second  degree  in  this  time-hon- 
ored lodge.     He  also  claims  membership  in  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

Mr.  Goodrich  was  married  on  March  15,  1888,  to  Cora  I.  Frist,  a  lady 
of  talent  and  culture,  whose  many  estimable  attributes  have  made  her  a  long 
favorite  with  a  wide  circle  of  friends.  She  was  born  in  Middleborough, 
Wayne  county,  Indiana,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Jonas  and  Amy  (Powell) 
Frist,  old  settlers  of  the  county,  and  a  highly  esteemed  and  influential  family. 
The  union  of  our  subject  and  wife  has  been  graced  by  the  birth  of  one  child, 
Pierre  F.  Goodrich,  who  at  this  writing  is  a  student  of  Wabash  College,  and 
is  a  young  man  of  bright  mind  and  rare  promise. 

Personally,  James  P.  Goodrich  is  a  gentleman  of  the  strictest  integrity, 
and  his  private  character  and  important  trusts  have  always  been  above  re- 
proach. He  is  a  vigorous  as  well  as  an  independent  thinker,  extensive  reader 
of  the  best  in  literature,  and  he  has  the  courage  of  his  convictions  upon  all 
subjects  which  he  investigates.  He  is  also  strikingly  original  and  fearless, 
prosecutes  his  researches  after  his  own  peculiar  fashion  and  cares  little  for 
conventionalism  or  for  the  sanctity  attaching  to  person  or  place  by  reason  of 
artificial  distinction,  tradition  or  accident  of  birth.  He  is  essentially  cosmo- 
politan in  his  ideas,  broadly  democratic  in  the  non-political  sense  of  that 
term,  a  man  of  the  people  in  all  the  term  implies  and  for  the  people — a  friend 
of  the  common  man,  and  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word,  a  representative  type 


1524  RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

of  that  strong  American  manhood  whkh  commands  and  retains  respect  by 
reason  of  inherent  merit,  sound  sense  and  correct  conduct. 

He  has  so  impressed  his  individuahty  upon  his  county  and  state  as  to 
win  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens  and  has  become  a  strong 
and  influential  power  in  leading  them  to  high  and  noble  things.  Measured  by 
the  accepted  standard  of  excellence,  his  career,  though  strenuous,  has  been 
eminently  honorable  and  useful,  and  his  life  fraught  with  great  good  to  his 
fellows  and  to  the  world.  Unpretending  as  to  piety,  yet  few  men  more 
dutifully  fulfill  the  Master's  command  to  care  for  the  needy — ^to  minister  unto 
the  sick,  clothe  the  naked,  feed  the  hungry  and  speak  cheer  to  those  in  prison. 
Many  the  circumstances  in  which  his  left  hand  knoweth  not  the  generosity  of 
his  right.  In  fact,  Mr.  Goodrich  is  a  well-rounded  man  in  all  directions, 
keen  in  business,  forceful  in  public  counsel,  decisive  in  action,  faithful  to  con- 
fidences reposed  in  him,  a  friend  and  well-wisher  of  all  human  kind. 


WILLIA]M  C.  BOSWORTH. 

In  reading  over  the  record  of  the  lives  of  many  leading  citizens  of  a 
county  like  Randolph,  one  becomes  impressed  with  the  fact  that  certain 
families  show  at  the  outset  their  strong  inclination  toward  books  and  learning 
generally  or  in  at  least  keeping  up  with  the  times  on  current  topics,  especially 
dealing  with  educational  or  national  affairs.  Among  the  people  of  the  agri- 
cultural counties  of  Indiana  it  is  the  rule  and  not  the  exception  to  find  ordin- 
ary educations,  but  occasionally  a  family  is  met  with  that  rises  above  many  of 
their  neighbors  in  the  scale  of  education  and  the  capacity  to  grasp  the  larger 
questions  of  mental  improvement.  Such  families  are  somewhat  numerous  in 
Randolph  county,  and  it  is  a  sign  that  this  county  is  equal  to  any  in  the  Union 
in  point  of  citizenship.  One  such  is  that  represented  by  William  C.  Bosworth, 
the  Bosworths  having  long  been  potent  factors  in  the  educational  and  civic 
affairs  of  the  county.  They  are  people  who  in  every  way  are  deserving  of  the 
high  esteem  in  which  they  have  ever  been  held  by  their  acquaintances,  for  their 
lives  have  been  industrious,  helpful  and  honorable. 

\^'^illiam  C.  Bosworth  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  July  4, 
1871.  He  is  a  son  of  Marcus  and  Colista  (Barnes)  Bosworth,  being  their 
only  child.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Jay  county,  Indiana,  where  he  spent 
his  boyhood  and  received  a  common  school  education.  When  a  young  man 
he  moved  to  Ridgeville,  Randolph  county  and  began  life  for  himself  as  a 
teacher.  He  taught  there  for  a  number  of  years  in  both  the  common  and 
high  schools  with  much  success.     He  was  a  born  teacher  and  was  a  gram- 


w.  c.  Boswoirn-i. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 525 

marian  of  considerable  note.  He  was  the  author  of  a  grammar  text-book 
which  was  widely  adopted  in  the  schools  of  the  country  and  which  received 
high  praise  from  critics  and  educators  over  the  land.  He  subsequently  taught 
in  the  schools  of  Farmland.  After  teaching  for  a  period  of  ten  years  in  this 
county,  he  went  to  Denver,  Colorado,  much  to  the  regret  of  the  people  here, 
for  he  had  in  that  time  become  the  foremost  teacher  in  the  county  and  was 
popular  with  all  classes.  He  continued  to  teach  in  Denver,  giving  his  usual 
high  grade  service,  until  his  untimely  death  which  occurred  at  the  early  age 
of  thirt_v-nine  years.  He  was  buried  in  that  city.  During  the  Civil  war  he 
served  gallantly  for  the  Union  as  a  member  of  Company  B,  One  Hundred 
and  Twenty-sixth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  seeing  much  hard  service  in 
the  campaign  and  battles  with  the  army  in  the  South. 

Colista  Barnes,  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  spent  her  girlhood 
years  at  Ridgeville  and  received  a  common  school  education,  and  there  she 
met  and  married  JNIarcus  Bosworth  while  he  was  teaching  in  that  town. 
Her  family  originally  lived  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  and  moved  from  there 
to  Ridgeville.  Our  subject's  paternal  grandfather  came  from  Virginia  to 
Jay  county,  Indiana  in  pioneer  days  and  there  engaged  in  farming.  He  was 
a  friend  of  education  even  in  those  early  times  and  was  one  of  the  prominent 
advocates  in  organizing  Liber  College  south  of  Portland.  Our  subject  had 
three  uncles  who  were  influential  and  successful  teachers  and  ministers  in 
the  Christian  church. 

William  C.  Bosworth  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  his  boy- 
hood home  and  in  Ridgeville  College.  He  married  on  October  28,  1893, 
Zella  Cortner,  a  daughter  of  Washington  Cortner,  a  successful  farmer  of 
Monroe  township,  Randolph  county  where  he  still  resides.  His  family  con- 
sists of  six  children,  four  daughters"  and  two  sons. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bosworth  three  children  have  been  born,  namely: 
Chester  Orlan,  born  December  13,  1894,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Farmland  high 
school,  is  now  a  pupil  of  Professor  Williams  of  Winchester;  he  will  follow 
music  as  a  profession,  being  gifted  as  a  musician  and  is  a  young  man  of  much 
promise.  Leo  Lawrence,  our  subject's  second  child,  was  born  November  30, 
1898;  the  third  child  is  Helen,  born  March  30,  1913. 

Mr.  Bosworth  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church.  He  has  been  secre- 
tary of  the  Eastern  Indiana  Christian  Conference  for  the  past  three  years  and 
still  holds  same  position.  He  has  also  been  county  superintendent  of  Sunday 
schools  for  three  years. 

Mr.  Bosworth  has  followed  farming  through  life  and  now  owns  a  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  eleven  acres,  all  under  cultivation  except  six  acres  of 
timber.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party. 


J  526  RAND'OLPH   county,  INDIANA. 

CAPT.  EDAIUND  ENGLE. 

Capt.  Edmund  Engle,  for  years  one  of  the  most  prominent  insurance 
agents  in  Winchester,  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  was  a  native  of  Chester 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  was  born  August  8,  1831.  His  father,  Isaac  Engle, 
was  also  a  native  of  Chester  county,  and  was  born  in  1804.  He  was  reared  on 
a  farm,  but  learned  the  wagonmaker's  trade,  and  followed  that  occupation 
until  1842.  In  1830  he  married  Miss  Catherine  Tussey,  a  native  of  Chester 
county,  whose  ancestors  settled  in  Pennsylvania  as  early  as  1648.  In  1835 
he  removed  with  his  family  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  and  in  1842  came  to 
Randolph  county,  Indiana.  He  located  in  Washington  township,  where  he 
purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  upon  which  only  a  partial  clearing  had  been 
made.  He  completed  the  labor  of  clearing  and  developed  a  fine  farm,  which 
he  cultivated  successfully  for  many  years.  Edmund  was  reared  on  the  home 
farm,  and,  during  the  greater  part  of  his  early  life,  his  time  was  occupied  in 
the  performance  of  farm  work,  in  the  winter  he  attended  school,  and  ac- 
quired a  good,  practical  education.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  began  an 
apprenticeship  at  the  plasterer's  trade,  working  at  this  trade  during  the  sum- 
mer and  fall,  and  clerking  in  various  business  houses  during  the  winter.  He 
was  thus  engaged  until  1864.  In  February  of  that  year  he  enlisted  as  a  pri- 
vate soldier  in  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Indiana  Regi- 
ment, but  upon  the  organization  of  the  regiment  he  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  orderly  sergeant.  In  July,  1864,  he  was  advanced  to  the  office  of 
second  lieutenant,  for  meritorious  services,  and  in  December  of  the  same 
year  was  promoted  to  the  office  of  first  lieutenant.  He  was  with  his  regiment 
in  all  the  battles  of  the  Atlanta  campaign,  and  after  the  fall  of  Atlanta  the 
regiment,  under  command  of  General  Thomas,  fell  back  to  Tennessee,  and 
took  part  in  the  battles  of  Franklin  and  Nashville.  On  the  9th  and  loth  of 
IMarch,  1865,  they  participated  in  the  battle  of  Wise's  Fork,  North  Carolina, 
where  Capt.  J.  L.  Neff  was  killed.  Lieutenant  Engle  was  commissioned  cap- 
tain, and  continued  in  command  of  this  company  until  he  was  mustered  out, 
at  Greensboro,   North  Carolina,   August  31,    1865. 

He  returned  from  the  army  with  his  health  greatly  impaired  and  for  a 
few  months  remained  out  of  active  business.  Later,  however,  he  engaged 
in  the  sale  of  agricultural  implements,  in  connection  with  the  insurance  busi- 
ness, associated  with  his  son,  John  R.  Engle.  In  the  meantime,  in  connec- 
tion with  Dr.  ^larkle.  he  laid  out  the  Engle  and  ^Nlarkle  addition  to  the  town 
of  Winchester,  and  was  extensively  engaged  in  the  sale  of  lots.  Later  on, 
the  captain  turned  his  attention  exclusively  to  the  insurance  business,  repre- 


UANUOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1527 

senting  for  years  a  number  of  the  safest  and  wealthiest  fire  insurance  com- 
panies in  the  country,  as  well  as  several  life  insurance  corporations.  Mr. 
Engle  was  married  October  i6,  1856,  to  Miss  Gertrude  K.  Bishop,  daughter 
of  John  W.  Bishop,  late  of  Randolph  county.  By  this  union  they  became 
the  parents  of  seven  children  four  of  whom  are  now  living,  viz :  John  R., 
Emma  G.,  Charles  F.,  and  Walter  J.  His  wife  is  an  estimable  lady,  and 
possesses  the  affectionate  regard  of  all  who  know  her.  She  is  a  member  of 
the  Disciple  church,  as  was  also  her  husband.  His  death  occurred  Septem- 
ber 5,  1895.  Although  he  never  occupied  public  office,  Mr.  Engle  took  quite 
an  active  part  in  local  politics,  always  wielding  his  influence  in  the  favor  of 
the  Republican  party.  He  was  identified  with  both  the  Masonic  and  Odd 
Fellows  of  \A"inchester. 


STEPHEN  E.  CLAYTON. 

In  the  past  few  years  a  great  change  has  been  made  in  the  manner  of 
general  farming,  of  constructing  farm  buildings.  Formerly,  farmers  and 
dairymen  treated  the  matter  of  farm  buildings  principally  from  the  stand- 
point of  dollars  and  cents.  Labor-saving  features  were  secondary  in  con- 
sideration, and  sanitation  was  scarcely  thought  of  about  the  outbuildings  and 
ventilation  was  practically  lost  sight  of  in  both  barns  and  homes.  But  now 
all  these  kindred  subjects  are  given  careful  consideration  by  the  tiller  of  the 
soil  and  he  is  therefore  more  prosperous,  happier  and  healthier.  One  of  this 
class  of  modern  agriculturists  in  Randolph  county  is  Stephen  E.  Clayton,  a 
representative  of  one  of  our  oldest  and  most  industrious  families,  his  grand- 
father having  braved  the  wilds  of  this  locality  with  the  early  frontiersmen  and 
here  he  and  his  father  did  much  in  advancing  the  cause  of  civilization. 

Mr.  Clayton  of  this  review  was  born  on  the  old  home  place  in  White 
River  township,  this  county,  September  21,  1864.  He  is  a  son  of  Samuel  A. 
and  Elizabeth  M.  (Ludwig)  Clayton.  The  father  was  born  on  the  farm 
which  our  subject's  grandfather,  Stephen  Clayton,  owned,  March  7,  1834,  and 
there  he  grew  to  manhood,  spent  his  life  in  his  native  county  successfully  en- 
gaged in  general  farming  and  here  his  death  occurred  in  1900.  He  was  one 
of  seven  children.  The  grandfather  was  born  February  jo,  1787,  and  his 
death  occurred  on  June  29,  1834;  his  wife,  Mary  Cheffins,  was  born  August 
4,  1796.  They  were  married  February  i,  1821.  They  are  buried  in  the 
Alaxville  cemetery. 

Stephen  E.  Clayton  is  one  of  three  children,  the  other  two  being  Mary 
C,  who  married  John  Cheesman,  a  farmer  in  White  River  township,  this 


1528  .       RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

county,  and  they  have  five  children,  two  daughters  and  three  sons;  William 
R.,  a  farmer  of  Stoney  Creek  township,  Randolph  county,  married  Rachel 
Mclntyre,  and  they  have  four  children. 

Mr.  Clayton  of  this  sketch  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  as- 
sisted with  the  general  work  there  when  a  boy,  and  during  the  winter  months 
he  attended  the  neighboring  schools.  August  20,  1897.  he  married  Sarah  Mc- 
Intire,  a  daughter  of  Henry  Mclntire,  a  farmer  of  White  River  township, 
Randolph  county,  where  Mrs.  Clayton  grew  to'  womanhood  and  received  her 
education.    She  was  one  of  seven  children,  one  of  whom  is  now  deceased. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  two  children  have  been  born,  namely:  Henry, 
born  March  20,  1899;  Esther,  born  January  31,  1901. 

Politically  Mr.  Clayton  is  a  Republican,  but  has  never  been  active  in  lo- 
cal public  affairs.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  he  attends  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  has  always  followed 
farming  and  "has  kept  the  old  home  place,  consisting  of  foo  acres,  well  culti- 
vated and  well  improved  and  the  buildings  carefully  repaired.  He  is  a  pains- 
taking farmer  and  has  made  a  comfortable  living. 


THOMAS  WILLARD  HOUGH. 

It  is  an  axiom  demonstrated  by  human  experience  that  industry  is  the 
keynote  of  prosperity.  Success  comes  not  to  the  man  who  idly  waits,  but  to 
the  faithful  toiler  whose  work  is  characterized  by  sleepless  vigilance  and 
cheerful  clerity,  and  it  has  been  by  such  means  that  Thomas  Willard  Hough, 
widely  known  and  capable  young  undertaker  and  funeral  director  of  the 
town  of  Spartanburg,  Randolph  county,  has  forged  to  the  front  and  won  an 
honored  place  among  the  substantial  and  enterprising  citizens  of  this  locality. 
He  is  a  young  man  of  high  character  and  therefore  enjoys  the  confidence  and 
respect  of  all  who  know  him. 

Mr.  Hough  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  in  Greensfork  township,  this 
county  May  28,  1886.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  B.  (Manning)  Hough, 
a  sketch  of  whom  appears  on  another  page  of  this  work. 

Thomas  W.  Hough  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  there  he 
worked  when  a  boy,  and  he  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of 
his  vicinity,  and  was  graduated  from  the  Spartanburg  high  school  in  June, 
1906.  He  then  entered  the  Columbus  Medical  College  at  Columbus,  Ohio, 
where  he  made  an  excellent  record  and  was  graduated  from  the  department 
of  undertaking  and  embalming  in  1913.  He  located  for  the  practice  of  his 
protession  at  Spartanburg,  Indiana,  and  is  building  up  a  large  and  lucrative 


RANDOLPH   COUNTYj  INDIANA.  1 529 

patronage.  I^e  has  learned  his  business  thoroughly  and  is  a  deep  student, 
keeping  abreast  of  the  times  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  same,  and  high-grade, 
honest  and  prompt  service  are  his  watchwords.  He  is  well  equipped  in  every 
respect,  having  the  latest  model  hearse  and  other  equipment  and  a  neat  office. 

Politically,  Mr.  Hough  is  a  Progressive,  and  religiously  he  belongs  to 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows  and  has  passed  all  the  chairs  in  the  local  lodge.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Encampment  and  has  also  passed  all  the  chairs  in  it.  He  has 
been  representative  to  the  Grand  Lodge  from  both  the  above  named  orders. 

Mr.  Hough  was  married  on  December  25,  1896  to  Ethel  Mitchel,  who 
was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  November  7,  1885,-  and  to  this  union  three 
children  have  been  born,  namely :  Mary  Frances  is  in  school ;  Thomas 
Hubert  and  John  Gordon  are  at  home. 


RUFUS  G.  HINDSLEY. 


Rufus  G.  Hindsley  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  February  21,  1847. 
He  is  a  son  of  Stephen  Hindsley,  who  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  August  20, 
1 81 8,  and  when  about  six  years  of  age  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Darke 
county,  Ohio,  where  he,  grew  to  manhood,  was  married  and  began  life  for 
himself  and  there  he  remained  tmtil  1848,  when  he  removed  to  Randolph 
county,  Indiana,  and  settled  in  Jackson  township,  buying  a  farm  on  which  he 
spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  here  March  29,  1893.  His  wife,  who  was 
known  in  her  maidenhood  as  Anna  McConnell,  survived  him  less  than  two 
weeks,  dying  April  10,  1893,  and  they  were  buried  in  Lisbon  cemetery.  This 
family  all  lived  to  good  ripe  ages  and  the  sixteen  of  them  are  all  buried  in  two 
cemeteries  only  twenty'three  miles  apart,  Lisbon  and  New  Madison  ceme- 
teries. The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  typical  pioneer,  courageous,  hospitable 
and  honest  and  by  hard  work  he  gained  prosperity  in  later  years. 

Rufus  G.  Hindsley  grew  up  on  the  old  homestead  and  he  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  and  attended  Ridgeville  College  three  terms.  He 
began  life  for  himself  by  teaching  school,  which  vocation  he  followed  for 
fifteen  years,  but  tiring  of  teaching  he  began  general  agricultural  pursuits  in 
1882,  which  he  has  continued  to  the  present  time,  and  is  now  owner  of  a  val- 
uable farm  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  acres,  on  which  stand  a  substantial 
dwelling  and  large  outbuildings. 

Politically,  Mr.  Hindsley  is  a  Democrat,  having  served  two  terms  as 
trustee  of  Jackson  township,  and  assessor  one  term,  and  was  a  member  of 


1530  RANDOLPHCOUNTY,   INDIANA. 

the  county  council  for  one  term.     Religiously,  he  belongs  to  the  Christian 
church. 

Mr.  Hindsley  was  married  August  17,  1871,  to  Malinda  Noff singer, 
who  was  born  in  Randolph  county  November  17,  1849,  ^^^  '^^'"^  she  grew 
to  womanhood  and  received  a  common  school  education.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  Absolem  and  Elizabeth  fjohnson)  Noffsinger.  The  grandfather,  John 
Noff  singer,  was  born  January  27,  1767,  and  he  cast  his  first  vote  for  George 
Washington  in  his  first  race  for  President  of  the  United  States. 

Six  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hindsley,  namely:  Alvah 
C,  born  December  24,  1872;  Orvah  L.,  second  son  of  our  subject,  was  born 
February  15,  1875;  Minnie  E.,  third  child  of  our  subject,  was  born  Novem- 
ber 13,  1877;  Odessa  B.,  second  daughter  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
born  May  22,  1880;  Alice  Armeda  Hindsley,  born  February  20,  1883,  and 
Etta  A.  Hindsley,  born  March -30,  1887, 


SAMUEL  H.  HUNT. 


One  of  the  leading  educators  of  Randolph  county  is  Samuel  H.  Hunt,  at 
this  writing,  principal  of  the  high  school  at  Huntsville  and  for  eight  years  a 
teacher  in  various  other  local  schools  of  this  locality.  During  his  successful 
career  he  has  also  been  merchant  and  husbandman.  He  grew  to  manhood 
amid  the  healthful  scenes  of  rural  life.  During  his  earlier  years  his  employ- 
ments were  such  as  were  common  to  farmers'  boys.  He  alternated  farming 
with  schooling,  made  progress  in  study  and  books,  and  laid  a  few  foundation 
stones  upon  which  some  parts  of  his  life's  structure  yet  rest.  To  these  early 
years,  under  the  tutelage  of  father  and  mother,  whose  chief  ambitions  were  to 
impress  upon  the  minds  of  their  children  such  principles  as  would  make  possi- 
ble lives  of  usefulness  and  honor,  Mr.  Hunt,  like  myriads  of  others,  is  deeply 
indebted  for  that  probity  of  character,  and  those  justifiable  aspirations  that 
prominently  characterize  him  as  a  citizen  in  all  the  passages  of  life.  In  these 
immature  years,  when  the  mind  is  taking  its  bent,  when  youthful  ambitions 
are  shaping  themselves  for  manhood  achievements,  no  influences  have  ever 
been  found  more  prolific  or  potential  for  good,  than  those  which  the  farm 
with  such  accompaniments,  has  afforded.  The  farmer's  home, — the  chaste 
purity  of  its  teachings, — ^the  broad  fields,  the  forest,  the  orchard,  the  meadow, 
hill  and  dale,  the  song  of  birds,  the  hum  of  bees,  the  merry  brook,  the  silent 
river — all  the  opulence  of  beauty  that  Nature  spreads  out  with  lavish  hand,  are 
teachers  of  youth  whose  lessons  are  never   forgotten.     It  was  amid  such 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  153  f 

scenes  and  influences  that  the  early  years  of  our  subject  were  spent ;  and  he  is 
■still  a  lover  of  Nature  and  a  student  of  her  secrets. 

Mr.  Hunt  was  born  in  Nettle  Creek  township,  Randolph  county,  In- 
diana, January  7,  1873.  He  is  a  son  of  Fairfax  and  Mary  A.  (Hunt)  Hunt, 
and  is  one  of  ten  children,  namely:  Artaminca  B.,  Charles  Edward,  Schuyler 
Colfax,  Loretta,  Samuel  H.  (subject),  Lula  Florence,  Nancy  Catherine  (de- 
ceased), America  Ellen,  Pearl  Lee,  and  Grace  Greenwood. 

Fairfax  Hunt,  father  of  the  above  named  children,  was  born  in  Nettle 
Creek  township,  this  county,  in  1842,  being  a  son  of  one  of  our  old  pioneer 
settlers,  and  from  that  early  day  to  this  the  Hunts  have  been  among  the  best 
known  and  most  industrious  people  of  the  county.  Fairfax  Hunt  grew  to 
manhood  on  the  old  homestead  and  received  such  educational  advantages  as 
the  old-time  rural  schools  afforded.  He  began  farming  when  a  boy  and  de- 
voted his  life  to  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  also  learned  the  carpen- 
ter's trade  when  a  young  man  and  became  a  carpenter  and  builder.  The  last 
twenty  years  of  his  life  were  given  to  the  latter  occupation.  His  death  oc- 
curred Septernber  10,  1909.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  also  a  native  of 
Nettle  Creek  township,  this  county,  and  represented  an  old  family.  Here  she 
grew  to  womanhood  and  received  her  education  in  the  early-day  schools.  Her 
birth  occurred  on  April  16,  1845.  She  is  still  living,  having  spent  her  life  in. 
her  native  locality,  and  now  although  advanced  in  years  is  active  and  has  the 
appearance  of  a  much  younger  woman.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject was  born  in  Kentucky,  from  which  state  he  came  to  Indiana  in  an  early 
day,  and  purchased  land  from  the  government  which  he  improved  through 
hard  work.  He  married  a  native  woman  of  this  township.  The  Hunt  family 
is  of  English  descent. 

Samuel  H.  Hunt  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  com- 
munity, as  already  intimated,  and  he  began  life  for  himself  by  teaching,  which 
profession  he  followed  with  pronounced  success  for  a  period  of  eight  years  in 
the  public  schools  of  Randolph  county,  then  turned  his  attention  to  business 
affairs  and  conducted  a  store  at  Modoc  for  eight  years,  during  which  he  en- 
joyed an  excellent  trade  as  a  result  of  his  honest  and  courteous  dealings  with 
his  hundreds  of  customers,  many  of  whom  were  from  remote  parts  of  the 
county.  Selling  out  his  mercantile  business  in  March,  1912,  he  turned  his  at- 
tention again  to  educational  work,  and  in  order  to  further  equip  himself  for 
the  same  he  attended  the  Tri-Siate  College  at  Angola,  Indiana,  and  was  grad- 
uated from  that  institution  in  191 3.  He  then  accepted  a  position  as  principal 
of  the  high  school  at  Huntsville,  which  he  is  now  filling  in  a  manner  to  reflect 
much  credit  upon  himself  and  to  the  eminent  satisfaction  of  all  concerned. 


1532  KANDOLPHCOUNTY,    INDIANA. 

In  the  school  room  he  is  both  an  instructor  and  entertainer,  and,  being  a  close 
student  has  kept  well  abreast  of  the  times  in  everything  educational,  and  he 
easily  ranks  among  the  leading  teachers  in  this  section  of  the  state.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  United  Brethren  church  at  Modoc,  of  which  his  brother,  C.  E. 
Hunt,  is  pastor. 


ERNEST  THORNBURG. 

This  is  an  age  in  which  the  farmer  stands  pre-eminently  above  any 
other  class  as  a  producer  of  wealth,  and  there  is  a  rapidly  growing  sentiment 
among  the  dwellers  of  the  great  cities  that  the  rural  districts  are  the  best,  so 
they  are  going  back  to  the  soil  in  ever-increasing  numbers,  for  there  they  not 
only  find  a  greater  independence  but  really  have  more  of  the  good  things  of 
life,  riot  the  least  of  which  is  better  health  of  both  body  and  mind.  The 
farmer  does  not  have  to  put  forth  such  strenuous  efforts  to  feed  himself  and 
his  family.  He  simply  takes  advantage  of  the  winds,  the  warm  air,  the  bright 
sunshine,  the  life-giving  rains,  and,  handling  Nature's  gifts  rightly,  reaps  the 
rewards  that  always  come  to  patient,  persistent  toil.  One  of  Randolph 
county's  foremost  agriculturists  is  Ernest  Thornburg,  whose  tastily  kept  and 
altogether  model  farm  lies  one  mile  southeast  of  the  city  of  Winchester. 

Mr.  Thornburg  was  born  March  18,  1873,  on  Little  White  river,  on  a 
farm  in  the  southwestern  part  of  Randolph  county.  He  is  a  son  of  Joab  A.  and 
Harriet  (Parrott)  Thornburg.  The  father  was  a  native  of  this  county,  but 
the  mother  was  born  near  Lebanon,  Warren  county,  Ohio.  The  Thornburgs 
were  early  pioneers  of  Randolph  county,  the  paternal  grandfather  locating 
here  when  the  country  was  a  wilderness  and  settlers  were  few  and  here  he 
developed  a  good  farm  through  thrift  and  spent  the  rest  of  his  life  and  here 
the  father  of- our.  subject  grew  to  manhood  and  engaged  successfully  in  gen- 
eral farming,  and  he  and  his  wife  are  now  living  on  a  farm  near  Jerico, 
where  they  moved  when  their  son,  Ernest,  was  quite  young,  and  there  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  manhood  and  assisted  his  father  with  the 
general  work  on  the  place,  attending  the  rural  schools  the  meantime.  He  had 
about  three  years  study  in  high  school.  He  remained  at  home  until  his  mar- 
riage, on  October  18,  1893,  when  he  espoused  Irene  Turner,  a  daughter  of 
John  M.  and  Mary  Jane  (Hartman)  Turner.  The  mother  died  when  the 
daughter,  Irene,  was  about  ten  years  old,  but  the  father  is  still  living.  Two 
children,  a  son  and  daughter,  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thornburg, 
namely:  Marvin  H.,  whose  birth  occurred  March  30,  1896,  and  Margaret 
Harriet,  born  August  26,  igoo.  They  are  both  attending  the  public  schools 
of  Winchester. 


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ERNEST   THORNBURG  AND  FAMILY 


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RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I  533 

Mr.  Thornburg-  began  farming  for  himself  on  part  of  his  father's  farm, 
where  he  remained  three  3'ears,  thereby  getting  a  Httle  stock  around  him.  He 
then  moved  to  a  farm  two  miles  southeast  of  Winchester,  where  he  lived  ten 
years,  and  in  1908  he  bought  his  present  farm,  which  adjoins  the  farm  where 
he  previously  lived.  The  place  consists  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres 
of  fine  land,  which  he  has  kept  well  improved  and  exceptionally  well  tilled. 
It  was  pretty  much  run  down  when  he  moved  here,  but  being  a  scientific 
farmer  as  well  as  an  industrious  one  he  set  to  work  with  a  will,  employed 
natural  fertilizers,  carefully  rotated  his  crops,  etc.,  until  the  land  today  is  as 
fertile  as  it  was  when  first  reclaimed  from  the  wilderness.  He  has  also  con- 
structed a  splendid  set  of  buildings  on  the  place.  Today  no  land  in  Ran- 
dolph county  surpasses  it  in  point  of  productiveness  and  few  farms  equal  it. 
One  only  has  to  glance  at  his  substantial  dwelling,  large  barn,  ample  granaries 
and  sheds,  also  implement  store  rooms  to  quickly  see  that  he  is  aj:wentieth- 
century  husbandman  of  the  first  rank,  to  say  nothing  of  his  well-ordered 
fences,  clean  fence-rows  and  fields  without  weeds.  However,  in  his  recently 
erected  residence  is  to  be  seen  the  acme  of  perfection  reached  in  the  modern 
styles  of  architecture.  It  is  built  of  vitrified  brick,  with  stone  trimmings. 
It  is  modern  in  its  appointments  throughout  and  is  symmetrical  and  attract- 
ive in  general  appearance.  It  is  installed  with  all  up-to-date  appliances,  elec- 
tric lights,  water  system  direct  from  the  well,  with  hot  air  furnace,  in  base- 
ment for  heating,  also  a  thoroughly  equipped  laundry,  a  dairy  room  for  the 
care  of  milk  and  butter,  a  fruit  room  for  the  storage  of  both  canned  and 
stored  fruit;  a  work  room,  equipped  with  all  kinds  of  tools  and  work  bench; 
a  fuel  room  and  other  apartments,  all  being  reached  from  the  ground  floor  by 
an  elevator  so  there  is  no  necessity  for  carrying  articles  up  or  down  steps.  A 
chute  from  the  bath  room  on  the  second  floor  carries  all  soiled  clothes  to  the 
laundry.  On  the  living  floor  is  a  raodernly  equipped  kitchen,  with  range,  cup- 
boards, closets  and  sinks  supplied  with  well  water  and  cistern  water,  both  hot 
and  cold.  The  dining  room  is  large,  as  are  also  the  drawing  room  and  living 
room,  all  tastily  arranged  and  elegantly  finished  in  hardwood.  The  bed- 
rooms above  are  large,  well  ventilated,  well  lighted  and  pleasant  in  all  sea- 
sons. Above  them  is  the  attic,  which  is  a  convenient  store  room.  This  mag- 
nificent residence  must  be  seen  to  be  fully  appreciated.  It  has  been  pro- 
nounced by  many  as  being,  not  among  the  largest,  but  perhaps  the  most  up- 
to-date  country  residence  in  the  state. 

Mr.  Thornburg  has  devoted  his  life  to  general  farming  and  stock  raising, 
both  of  which  he  carries  on  on  a  large  scale,  feeding,  from  year  to  year, 

(97) 


1534  RANDOLPHCOUNTY,   INDIANA. 

many  head  of  live  stock  for  the  markets.  He  is  a  lover  of  good  stock  and  a 
most  excellent  judge  of  all  kinds.  There  are  always  to  be  seen  about  his 
barns  some  fine  specimens  of  the  Norman  breed  of  horses,  Durham  cattle, 
and  his  hogs  are  among  the  best  in  the  county,  as  are  also  his  Barred  Plymouth 
Rock  chickens.  Whatever  he  raises,  his  aim  is  to  have  the  best.  For  a  period 
of  five  years  he  has  secured  the  medal  for  champion  corn  raiser  of  Randolph 
county,  quality  and  quantity  per  acre,  these  being  the  two  main  points  con- 
sidered in  the  contest.  Whatever  he  attempts  he  keeps  in  mind  the  motto, 
"Raise  the  best."  Mr.  Thornburg  has  i^assed  the  examination  and  qualified 
as  an  expert  judge  of  corn  and  is  entitled  to  act  in  that  capacity  at  any  county 
or  state  fair  or  exposition  in  the  country.  He  was  one  of  the  promoters  and 
organizers  of  the  Randolph  County  Agricultural  Association,  the  aim  of 
which  is  to  encourage  better  methods  of  tilling  the  soil  in  every  manner 
possible.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Indiana  State  Corn  Growers'  Association, 
and  is  the  scorer  in  the  Randolph  county  boys  contest.  He  is  chairman  of  the 
Randolph  County  Farmers'  Institute  work,  is  widely  known  over  the  eastern 
part  of  the  state  as  one  of  the  most  influential  and  ambitious  of  the  modern 
twentieth-century  agriculturists,  is  actively  interested  in  all  organizations 
and  movements  that  have  for  their  object  agricultural  progress. 

Politically,  Mr.  Thornburg  is  a  Republican  and  is  deeply  interested  in 
local  public  affairs,  but  is  not  an  office  seeker  or  desirous  of  becoming  a 
political  leader.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 
He  and  his  family  belong  to  the  Friends  church,  and  are  highly  esteemed  by 
their  neighbors  and  wide  circle  of  friends. 


JOHN  R.  ENGLE. 

John  R.  Engle  was  born  in  Winchester,  Indiana,  December  i,  1857,  ^"^ 
is  a  son  of  Capt.  Edmund  and  Gertrude  (Bishop)  Engle.  The  father  was  in 
his  day  and  generation  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Randolph  county, 
prominent  in  both  business  and  public  life.  His  death  occurred  here  on 
September  5,  1895.  His  widow  survives,  being  now  advanced  in  years,  and 
is  making  her  home  in  Winchester  with  her  son,  whose  name  initiates  this 
sketch. 

John  R.  Engle  grew  to  manhood  in  Winchester,  and  here  he  attended 
the  public  schools.  In  1875  he  accepted  a  clerkship  in  the  office  of  the  clerk 
of  the  circuit  court,  in  which  he  remained  until  August,  1877.  In  August, 
1881  he  again  became  deputy  clerk  under  I.  P.  Watts,  serving  four  years. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 1535 

In  the  fall  of  1888  he  was  elected  clerk  of  the  circuit  court  for  Randolph 
county,  and  assumed  office  in  August,  1889,  serving  four  years.  He  had 
been  a  law  student  all  these  years  and  was  admitted  to  practice  on  the  same 
day  that  his  term  of  office  as  clerk  of  the  court  expired.  He  at  once  formed 
a  partnership  with  Hon.  John  W.  Macy  and  James  P.  Goodrich,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Macy,  Goodrich  &  Engle,  giving  special  attention  to  probate 
practice  and  abstracting.  When  he  was  a  young  man  he  had  formed  a  part- 
nership with  his  father  in  the  general  insurance  and  real  estate  business  which 
continued  through  all  the  years  until  his  father's  death.  The  partnership  of 
Macy,  Goodrich  &  Engle  continued  for  some  tirne,  Mr.  Engle  finally  becom- 
ing state  agent  and  adjuster  for  various  insurance  companies,  which  line  of 
endeavor  he  has  since  followed  with  great  success,  giving  every  satisfaction 
to  the  companies  which  he  represents.  His' business  frequently  takes  him 
into  all  parts  of  the  country.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  a  business  way 
and  is  a  director  in  the  Peoples  Loan  &  Trust  Company,  and  a  stockholder  in 
various  other  banks  and  business  enterprises. 

Mr.  Engle  has  ever  remained  an  uncompromising  Republican  and  has 
long  been  active  in  local  party  affairs,  and  has  been  a  frequent  delegate  to 
party  cenventions  and  conferences. 

Mr.  Engle  was  married  February  26,  1879  to  May  A.  Hammond,  a 
daughter  of  George  F.  and  Martha  (Duncan)  Hammond,  a  prominent  family 
of  Winchester  at  that  time,  formerly  of  Zanesville,  Ohio,  where  Mrs.  Engle 
was  born.  The  family  finally  removed  to  Topeka,  Ivansas,  and  subsequently 
to  Los  Angeles,  California,  where  the  father's  death  occurred  and  where  the 
mother  still  resides.  Mrs.  Engle  had  the  advantages  of  a  good  education 
and  is  a  lady  of  refinement. 

Four  children  have  blessed  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Engle,  named  as 
follows :  George  Edmund  is  married  and  resides  in  Chicago ;  Robert  L.  is 
married  and  lives  in  Louisiana ;  Helen  is  a  student  at  Hanover  College ; 
Russell  B.  is  a  student  in  the  Winchester  high  school. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Engle  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  he 
often  attends  organizations  of  this  order.  He  and  his  family  are  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  ^hurch,  of  Avhich  he  is  a  trustee,  and  is  active  in  church 
and  Sunday  school  work.  He  is  a  man  of  decided  literary  tastes  and  has  a 
large  and  well-selected  library.  The  family  is  prominent  in  the  social  life 
of  the  city  of  their  residence,  and  Mrs.  Engle  is  active  in  philanthropic  work, 
and  was  one  of  the  potent  factors  in  securing  the  public  library  for  Win- 
chester. She  is  now  a  member  of  the  public  library  board,  the  first  board 
under  the  present  organization. 


1536  KAXDOLPHCOUXTY,    [XDIAN A. 

JOHX  HOUGH. 

The  enterprising  citizen  whose  name  introduces  this  sketch  is  one  of 
the  painstaking  farmers  of  Randolph  county,  where  most  of  his  hfe  has  been 
spent  and  in  the  development  of  which  during  the  past  half  century  he  lias 
taken  a  part,  for  his  parents  brought  him  here  in  the  pioneer  epoch  and 
-  established  the  family  home.  He  has  been  taught  to  do  well  whatever  was 
worth  doing  and  he  is  therefore  very  comfortably  situated,  having  a  good 
farm,  the  old  homestead,  where  he  has  been  fortunate  enough  to  spend  the 
major  portion  of  his  life.  He  takes  a  great  pride  in  keeping  the  same  well- 
tilled  and  well-improved  and  the  buildings  in  good  repair,  and  he  has  so  order- 
ed his  daily  life  that  he  has  kept  untarnished  the  splendid  name  of  Hough. 

John  Hough  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  September  18,  1847.  He  is 
a  son  of  Thomas  and  Alary  W  (Randolph)  Hough.  The  father  was  born 
in  Jefferson  county,  Ohio,  in  1807  and  in  his  boyhood  days  moved  with  his 
parents  to  Butler  county,  Ohio,  where  he  grew  to  manhood  and  received  his 
education.  In  1843,  iri  Cincinnati,  he  married  Mary  W.  Ronney,  where  he 
lived  a  few  years  then  in  Alarch,  1849,  he  moved  to  Spartanburg,  Indiana 
where  he  owned  and  operated  a  good  farm  until  his  death,  July  3,  1886.  He 
was  a  progressive  man  of  affairs  and  served  as  justice  of  peace  of  his  town- 
ship for  twenty-four  }ears,  being  esteemed  by  all.  He  was  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican and  although  not  a  soldier  in  the  front,  he  was  a  strong  supporter  of  the 
Union  and  wielded  a  venerable  influence.  His  wife,  ]\Iary  W.,  was  born  in 
IMiddleton,  Connecticut,  August  2,  1807,  and  early  in  life  came  west,  locating 
at  Cincinnati,  where  she  met  and  married  ]Vlr.  Hough,  proving  a  worthy-  help- 
meet and  a  fine  mother.  She  died  at  Spartanburg  July  3,  1873,  having  been 
a  consistent  member  of  the  Episcopalian  church. 

John  Hough  grew  up  on  the  home  farm  and  worked  hard  when  a  boy, 
receiving  a  meager  education  in  the  rural  schools,  ^^^hen  a  boy,  his  parents 
removed  from  Ohio  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  located  on  a  farm  in 
Greensfork  township,  and  here  he  has  since  lived,  being  still  a  resident  of  the 
old  homestead,  which  he  has  kept  well-improved  and  has  made  a  success  as  a 
general  farmer  and  stock  raiser. 

Politically,  Air.  Hough  is  a  Republican,  but  is  "progressive"  in  his  ideas. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  advisory  board  of  his  township  for  a  period  of  twelve 
years,  and  is  still  a  member.  He  has  been  president  of  the  same  for  ten  years, 
and  has  discharged  his  duties  in  a  manner  eminently  satisfactory  to  all  con- 
cerned, as  might  be  surmised  from  his  long  retention  on  the  board.  He  was 
at  one  time  a  member  of  the  Republican  County  Central  Committee.  He  has 
long  been  active  and  influential  in  local  public  affairs.     Fraternally,  he  belongs 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  ^S?>7 

to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  which  he  joined  in  1870,  and  he 
has  passed  all  the  chairs  in  the  local  lodge.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  En- 
campment and  has  passed  all  the  chairs  in  it. 

Mr.  Hough  was  married  on  September  19,  1872,  to  Mary  B.  Manning, 
who  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  January  21,  1856.  To  this  union  seven 
children  have  been  born,  two  of  whom  are  deceased,  the  living  being  named 
as  follows :  Clarence  R.,  of  Wayne  county,  Indiana ;  Elizabeth  F.  married 
L.  Chenoweth,  and  they  live  in  Greensf ork  township,  this  county ;  Chester  A. 
is  at  home;  Thomas  W.  is  an  undertaker  at  Spartanburg;  Ethel  J.  is  the  wife 
of  Xoral  Anderson  and  they  live  in  Greensfork  township,  this  county. 


ALDEN  L.  GAINES. 


It  is  no  doubt  possible  for  every  able-bodied  young  man  to  prepare 
against  a  period  of  ill-luck  which  comes  to  everyone  sometime  along  the  high- 
way of  life ;  but  some  instead  of  doing  so,  trust  to  fate,  which  is  an  elusive  and 
capricious  thing,  and  so,  believing  in  the  optimism  of  the  future,  they  spend  all 
on  the  present.  Alden  L.  Gaines,  farmer  of  Randolph  county,  has  been  wiser,  it 
seems,  his  prudence  having  urged  him  at  the  outset  to  pursue  a  different  course, 
which,  all  contemplative  minds  will  agree,  is  wiser,  and  therefore  his  example 
and  that  of  his  worthy  father  before  him  as  well,  are  to  be  commended  to  the 
younger  readers  of  this  work  whose  destinies  are  yet  matters  for  future  years 
to  determine,  and  who  now  hesitate,  apparently  unable  to  clearly  determine 
which  course  it  were  better  to  pursue.  Mr.  Gaines  is  one  of  those  who  believes 
in  keeping  busy,  being  honest,  enjoying  life  as  he  goes  along,  but  at  the  same 
time  laying  by  a  competency  for  the  unknown  future. 

Mr.  Gaines  was  born  March  17,  1848,  in  Herkimer  county.  New  York. 
He  is  a  son  of  Hoyt  and  Sophia  (Klingin)  Gaines,  and  was  one  of  four  chil- 
dren, the  first  a  son  died  in  infancy;  Mary  Elizabeth  died  when  a  little  more 
than  eight  years  old;  Alden  L.,  of  this  sketch;  and  Wilbur  H.,  a  merchant  of 
Huntsville,  who  married  Zerelda  Botkin,  and  they  have  four  children,  Frank, 
Martha,  Frederick  and  Florence. 

Hoyt  Gaines,  the  father,  was  born  near  Brattleboro,  Vermont,  in  1812. 
When  young  he  removed  to  Herkimer  county,  New  York,  where  he  engaged 
in  farming  and  cheese  making,  removing  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in 
1853  and  locating  on  a  farm  in  West  River  township  and  there  engaged  in 
general  agricultural  pursuits  on  his  farm  until  the  death  of  his  wife  in  1864, 
after  which  he  made  his  home  with  relatives  until  1870,  after  which  he  lived 


i538  RANDOI.PHCOUNTY,   INDIANA. 

with  his  son,  Alden  L.,  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1889.  His  wife  was' 
born  in  the  state  of  New  York,  grew  up  and  married  there,  and  her  death 
occurred  in  this  township  in  1864,  when  forty-eight  years  of  age. 

Alden  L.  Gaines  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  received  his 
education  in  the  district  schools.  He  learned  the  ins  and  outs  of  general 
farming  and  stock  raising  under  his  father  and  when  a  young  man  he  launched 
out  in  this  line  of  endeavor  for  himself  and  has  followed  the  same  to  the 
present  time  with  gratifying  results,  and  he  is  now  owner  of  a  farm  of  two 
hundred  and  seventy-three  acres  in  West  River  township,  on  which  stand  a 
comfortable  dwelling  and  convenient  outbuildings.  He  raises  considerable 
live  stock  in  connection  with  general  farming.  When  only  sixteen  years  of 
age  he  was  thrown  on  his  own  resources.  He  learned  the  carpenter's  trade 
when  a  boy,  which  he  followed  for  some  years.  In  the  summer  of  1868  he 
worked  on  the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  then  resumed  his  trade,  which  he  fol- 
lowed until  1883.    He  has  been  farming  now  for  a  number  of  years. 

Mr.  Gaines  was  married  March  18,  1869,  to  Celia  E.  Harris,  of  West 
River  township,  a  daughter  of  William  P.  Harris,  and  was  one  of  six  children, 
four  sons  and  two  daughters.  She  was  born  October  21,  1851,  and  her  death 
occurred  May  3,  1910,  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years,  six  months  and  twelve 
days.  She  was  an  excellent  woman  in  every  respect,  kind,  neighborly  and  had 
many  friends. 

Two  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gaines,  namely :  Clara  L.,  who 
married  Andrew  F.  Yetter  (now  deceased)  of  Hancock  county,  and  Charlotte 
v.,  the  second  child,  married  Riley  Smith  Lee,  of  this  county,  a  sketch  of 
whom  appears  on  another  page  of  this  work. 

Mr.  Gaines  is  a  stand-pat  Republican  in  politics,  and  he  attends  the 
Methodist  church. 


THOMAS  A.  ALMONRODE. 

It  is  not  uncommon  for  one  to  take  his  place  in  public  life  through  some 
daring  or  fortunate  stroke  of  public  policy,  and  ever  hold  an  abiding  place  in 
the  hearts  of  friends  and  neighbors,  but  to  attain  a  position  of  honor  in  a 
community  by  dint  of  the  practice  of  an  upright  life  and  without  being  ambi- 
tious for  exaltation  merely  for  selfish  ends,  whose  principal  desires  seem  to 
be  to  serve  others  and  lead  a  life  of  usefulness  and  honor,  is  worthy  of  the 
highest  commendation.  Such  a  gentleman  is  Thomas  A.  Almonrode,  widely 
known  contractor  and  agriculturist  of  Randolph  county. 

Mr.  Almonrode  was  Ijorn  in  the  above  named  county  on  February  12,, 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY^  INDIANA.  1539 

1857,  and  here  he  has  been  content  to  spend  his  Hfe.  He  is  a  son  of  Alexander 
and  Delilah  Jane  (Pierce)  Almonrode,  whose  family  consisted  of  four  chil- 
dren, namely :  Anthony  R.,  who  is  farming  near  the  town  of  Saratoga,  this 
county,  married  Rhoda  Ann  Dickover,  and  they  have  three  children ;  Thomas 
A.,  of  this  sketch,  was  second  in  order  of  birth;  Luther,  an  engineer  living 
at  Saratoga,  married  Nora  O'Connor;  Sarah  E.  is  the  wife  of  D.  E.  Barber, 
a  farmer  and  contractor  of  Saratoga,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in 
this  work,  and  they  have  five  children. 

Alexander  Almonrode,  father  of  our  subject,  was  a  -native  of  Virginia, 
from  which  state  he  came  to  Ohio  when  young,  but  shortly  afterwards  moved 
on  to  Indiana,  his  mother  taking  up  a  homestead  here  and  establishing  the 
future  home  of  the  family  thereon.  This  old  home  place  is  now  owned  by 
our  subject,  he  having  in  his  possession  the  original  deed,  signed  by  President 
James  Buchanan.  The  homestead  was  proved  up  in  1840.  Alexander  Al- 
monrode spent  his  life  on  a  farm  and  was  a  well-known  and  highly  respected 
citizen  in  this  locality  for  many  decades.  His  death  occtirred  in  Saratoga, 
March  13,  1909,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two  years.  Grandmother 
Pierce  was  a  native  of  Randolph  county,  being  of  one  of  our  earliest  families. 
Her  death  occurred  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  In  fact,  the  progenitors 
of  our  subject  on  both  sides  of  the  house  were  among  the  substantial  people 
of  this  locality  in  the  early  days  of  its  development. 

Thomas  A.  Almonrode  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  there 
he  assisted  with  the  general  work  when  a  boy.  He  received  his  education  in 
the  local  rural  schools  and  he  has  devoted  his  life  principally  to  general  farm- 
ing and  stock  raising.  He  has  lived  on  his  present  farm  for  a  period  of 
twenty  years,  and  his  industry  during  that  time  has  resulted  in  improving  one 
of  the  best  farms  in  the  township  and  also  in  the  accumulation  of  a  substan- 
tial competency.  He  has  a  good  set  of  buildings  on  his  place  and  keeps  an 
excellent  grade  of  live  stock.  In  connection  with  general  farming  and  stock 
raising  he  finds  time  to  do  a  great  deal  of  general  contracting,  his  work 
always  coming  up  to  a  high  standard. 

Mr.  Almonrode  was  married  on  December  29,  1882,  to  Katherine  Kelley, 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Bridget  (Hurley)  Kelley.  The  father  died  when 
]\Irs.  Almonrode  was  a  child.  He  was  a  farmer  and  his  family  consisted  of 
eight  children,  only  two  of  whom  now  survive,  Mrs.  Katherine  Almonrode 
and  John  Kelley.  They  both  grew  up  in  this  county  and  were  educated  in 
the  common  schools.  Mrs.  Kelley  lived  with  our  subject  and  wife  for  twenty- 
seven  years,  dying  on  December  13,  1910. 


1540  RANDOLPHCOUNTY,   INDIANA. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Almonrode  has  been  without  issue,  but  they 
have  reared  two  children,  namely :  Charles  Almonrode  and  Lena  Schaffer. 
Mr.  Almonrode  is  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren  church  and  is  active 
in  the  affairs  of  the  same.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  he  served  as  county 
assessor  for  two  years  in  a  highly  acceptable  and  praiseworthy  manner.  He 
is  an  influential  and  substantial  man  of  his  locality,  a  successful  farmer  and 
has  a  large  and  valuable  estate,  and  is  a  man  respected  by  all  who  know  him. 


LUTHER  L.  WILLIAMS. 

The  day  of  the  pioneer  in  this  country  is  gone,  and  we  are  in  the  midst 
of  a  settled  stability  and  permanency.  Nevertheless,  as  we  look  about  us  we 
find  a  few  representatives  of  the  early  days,  who  become  at  once  the  center 
of  interest  because  they  carry  in  their  minds  recollections  of  our  hardy  fore- 
fathers. In  this  connection  we  make  reference  to  one  of  the  sturdy  farmers 
of  Randolph  county,  Luther  L.  Williams,  who  having  nearly  reached  his 
three  score  and  ten  milestone,  has  come  down  to  us  from  ithe  pioneer  period 
of  which  he  can  relate  many  interesting  things,  and  he  has  lived  to  take  part 
in  the  momentous  transform.ation  of  the  country.  Mr.  Williams  is  one  of 
the  veterans  left  to  us  who,  in  the  stormy  and  turbulent  days  of  the  great 
rebellion,  gallantly  went  forth  to  preserve  the  Union,  thus  being  entitled  to 
our  undying  gratitude. 

Mr.  Williams  was  bom  in  Fountain  City,  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  July 
30,  1846.  He  is  a  son  of  Nathan  and  Mary  Ann  (Brown)  Williams,  whose 
family  consisted  of  five  children.  The  father  was  three  times  married,  and 
three  children  were  borne  by  his  third  wife,  two  of  whom  are  deceased;  his 
children  are  Elizabeth,  widow  of  Nathan  Addington,  a  farmer,  lives  in  Rich- 
mond, Indiana,  and  has  three  children;  Luther  L.,  of  this  review;  Mahala 
married  Aaron  Adams,  a  farmer  who  is  now  deceased,  and  to  them  twelve 
children  were  born,  ten  of  whom  are  still  living ;  Joel  H.,  of  Winchester  mar- 
ried Mary  E.  Wright,  now  deceased,  and  to  them  three  children  were  born, 
one  of  whom  is  deceased ;  John  Wesley,  who  is  living  retired  in  Parker,  mar- 
ried Rebecca  Herron,  and  they  have  four  children. 

Nathan  Williams,  father  of  the  above  named  children,  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania  where  he  spent  his  childhood,  being  fourteen  years  of  age  when 
he   came   to   Wayne   county,   Indiana   with   his-  parents.     He   learned   the 


LUTHER  L.   WILLIAMS. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 541 

carpenter's  trade  when  a  young  man  which  he  followed  in  connection  with 
contracting  and  building.  After  his  marriage  he  moved  to  Randolph  county 
and  bought  a  farm  of  forty  acres  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  dying 
at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.     His  wife  came  from  Ohio. 

Luther  L.  Williams  grew  to  manhood  on  the  farm  and  he  received  his 
early  education  in  the  common  schools.  He  has  devoted  his  life  successfully 
to  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  and  is  the  owner  of  a  valuable  and 
highls'  improved  farm  of  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  Franklin  town- 
ship, Randolph  county,  and  he  has  a  good  home.  Mr.  Williams  was  elected 
a  director  of  the  Ridgeville  State  Bank  at  its  organization  in  1901,  and  is  still 
serving  in  same  capacity.  Although  a  mere  bo}-  in  his  teens  when 
the  Civil  war  was  in  progress,  he  proved  his  courage  by  enlisting 
in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty- fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry 
in  which  he  served  three  months,  then  enlisted  in  Company  A,  One  Hundred 
and  Forty-seventh  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  faithfully  in  the 
great  army  of  the  Potomac  until  the  close  of  the  war  when  he  was  honorably 
discharged  from  the  service  at  Harper's  Ferry,  Virginia.  After  the  war  he 
returned  hom.e  and  resumed  farming,  and  on  December  25,  1866  he  married 
Elizabeth  A.  Roe,  a  daughter  of  Abraham  and  Hannah  Roe.  Mrs.  Williams' 
father  was  a  notable  character  in  his  day  and  generation.  He  was  one  of-  the 
very  earliest  settlers  of  Randolph  county.  He  was  a  great  hunter  and  had  a 
record  of  killing  nine  hundred  and  eighty-seven  deer.  The  Indians  pre- 
dominated in  this  country  when  he  came  here  and  the  wilderness  had  scarcely 
become  familiar  to  the  sound  of  the  axe.  He  worked  for  some  time  in  Fort 
Wayne  at  six  dollars  a  month.  There  was  but  one  store  there  at  that  time. 
He  walked  from  Randolph  county  to  that  place  to  obtain  the  job  referred  to 
above.     Abraham  Roe  died  in  191 1  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-two  years. 

Luther  L.  Williams  is  a  prominent  member  and  a  liberal  supporter  of  the 
Friends  church.  Politically,  he  is  a  staunch  Republican  and  he  served  one  term 
as  county  commissioner.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
Moses  Herron  Po.st,  No.  261,  of  Farmland. 

Four  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williams,  namely: 
Schuyler  Colfax,  born  in  1867,  owns  and  Qperates  a  farm  adjoining  that  of 
his  father's;  he  married  Efifie  Addington,  and  they  have  one  child,  Doris; 
Arlam  Roy,  a  farmer  of  Franklin  township,  married  Maud  Gordon,  and  they 
have  three  children,  Ruth,  Esther  and  Gordon ;  India  married  Harvey  Allen, 
a  farmer  of  Franklin  township  and  they  have  two  children,  Martha  and 
Charles  Lee;  Nova  married  Clayton  Addington,  a  farmer  and  to  them  one 
child  has  been  born,  Bernice. 


J  542  RANDOLPH  COUNTY,   INDIANA. 

WILLIAM  D.  JERLES. 

The  agricultural  interests  of  Randolph  county  is  well  represented  by 
William  D.  Jerles,  one  of  our  most  typical  twentieth  century  farmers,  enter- 
prising and  progressive.  His  thorough  system  of  tillage,  the  well-cared  for 
condition  of  his  fields,  the  excellent  order  of  his  buildings  and  fences,  demon- 
strate his  successful  management  and  substantial  thrift.  This  is  the  result  of 
his  having  inherited  from  his  ancestors  a  nature  that  believes  in  doing  things 
well  and  in  keeping  at  it. 

Mr.  Jerles  was  born  in  Greene  county,  Ohio,  February  i8,  1857.  He  is  a 
son  of  Henry  and  Caroline  (]\Iinton)  Jerles,  whose  family  consisted  of  four 
children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely :  Laura  is  deceased ;  she  was 
the  wife  of  John  W.  Bird,  a  farmer  of  Delaware  county,  Indiana,  and  to  them 
three  children  were  born,  Bertha  G.,  Mavie  O.  and  Goldwin.  William  D.,  of 
this  sketch,  was  the  second  child;  one  son  died  in  infancy;  and  Eva,  now 
deceased,  married  H.  G.  Hayes,  a  farmer  of  Randolph  cotmty. 

Henry  Jerles,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Ohio,  where  he  spent 
his  earlier  years  and  recei\-ed  such  education  as  the  early-day  schools  afforded. 
He  eventually  removed  to  Indiana  and  established  the  family  home  in  Ran- 
dolph county,  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  his  death  being  caused  from 
a  disease  contracted  while  a  soldier  in  the  Union  army,  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany B,  First  Indiana  Heavy  Artillery.  He  was  mustered  in  on  March  18, 
1864,  and  discharged  January  21,  1866,  with  an  excellent  record.  Caroline 
Minton,  mother  of  our  subject,  was  also  a  native  of  Ohio  and  there  she  grew 
to  womanhood,  received  a  meager  common  school  education  and  there  she  and 
Henry  Jerles  were  married  and  established  their  home  for  a  time  in  Greene 
county.  Both  she  and  her  husband  died  Avhen  our  subject  was  young,  how- 
ever she  had  married  a  second  time,  her  last  husband  having  been  G.  H. 
Byrd.  After  the  death  of  her  first  husband  she  kept  a  toll  gate,  and  thus 
she  managed,  by  the  help  of  her  children,  to  keep  the  wolf  from  the  door. 
^Ir.  Jerles  was  always  a  farmer. 

William  D.  Jerles  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm,  where  he  worked 
when  a  boy,  and  during  the  winter  attended  the  neighboring  schools,  receiving 
a  practical  education.  He  has  devoted  his  life  to  general  farming  and  stock 
raising,  having  begun  early  and  has  advanced  with  succeeding  years  until  he 
is  now  owner  of  a  finely  improved  and  valuable  farm  on  the  banks  of  the 
Mississinewa  river  in  Randolph  county,  where  he  carries  on  general  farming 
and  stock  raising,  and  where  he  has  a  pleasant  home  and  a  good  set  of  out- 
buildings. 


RANDOLPH  COUNJY,   INDIANA.  I  543 

Mr.  Jerles  was  married  November  12,  1880,  to  Lucinda  E.  Wright,  a 
daughter  of  Washington  and  Hannah  (Thornburg)  Wright,  who  Hve  on  a 
farm  near  Farmland,  this  county,  and  whose  family  consisted  of  ten  children. 
Here  J\Irs.  Jerles  grew  to  womanhood  and  received  a  common  school  educa- 
tion. 

Two  children  have  been  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  namely:  Harry 
Garfield,  born  October  19,  1881,  married  Gladys  V.  Goodwin  and  they  have 
two  children,  Gilaff  Mariam,  born  May  21,  1908,  and  James  William,  born 
December  8,  191 1.  Harry  G.  Jerles  is  engaged  in  farming  in  this  county. 
Earl  W.,  second  child  of  our  subject,  is  farming  in  Green  township,  this 
county;  he  married  Lizzie  Stephens  January  10,  1903,  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren, Garnett  I.,  born  October  28,  1903,  and  Mary  P.,  born  May  26,  191 1. 

William  D.  Jerles  attends  the  Methodist  church.  Politically,  he  is  a  Re- 
publican. He  has  served  as  trustee  of  his  township  four  years  in  a  highly  ac- 
ceptable manner. 


BARZILLA  C.  MENDENHALL. 

That  the  products  of  the  farm  will  continue  to  have  a  reasonably  safe 
market  is  indicated  by  a  constantly  increasing  consumption  in  our  own  coun- 
try ;  that  the  business  of  farming  as  a  business  compares  favorably  with  any 
other  vocation  in  stability;  that  the  security  of  farm  investment  assured, 
invites  and  encourages  the  inclination  landward.  With  all  of  these  influences 
working  in  one  direction  supported  by  the  incalculable  forces  of  the  agricul- 
tural schools  and  colleges,  the  press,  and  vast  aggregation  of  brains  identified 
with  the  vocation,  it  would  seem  that  the  most  radical  predictions  of  the  present 
day  may  prove  far  too  conservative  before  another  decade  has  passed.  So 
that  man  is  indeed  fortunate  who  is  well  established  in  agricultural  pursuits, 
like  Barzilla  C.  Mendenhall,  of  Randolph  county. 

}.Ir.  ^lendenhall  was  born  in  Stoney  Creek  township,  this  county,  April 
18,  1869.  He  is  a  son  of  William  H.  and  Eunice  R.  (Clark)  Mendenhall, 
and  was  one  of  nine  children,  six  sons  and  three  daughters,  namely:  Schuy- 
ler, who  is  engaged  in  the  real  estate  and  insurance  business  in  Winchester; 
Addison,  a  farmer  of  Stoney  Creek  township ;  Leander,  a  farmer  of  Winches- 
ter; Barzilla  C,  of  this  sketch;  Alice,  who  married  Arthur  W.  Moore,  a 
farmer  of  Randolph  county;  Florence,  who  married  S.  Ben  Templino,  an  at- 
torney of  Winchester;  Elwood,  a  successful  doctor  and  surgeon;  Clara  mar- 
ried Seward  Bollinger,  a  merchant  of  Muncie;  Arthur,  who  was  graduated 
from  the  Pennsylvania  University,  is  a  physician  in  Jamestown,  Rhode  Is- 


1544  RANDOLPHCOUNTY,   IISTDIANA. 

land;  William  H.  Mendenhall,  the  father  of  the  above  named  children,  was 
born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  where  his  family  had  located  upon  coming 
from  North  Carolina.  He  was  also  one  of  nine  children.  He  settled  in 
Stoney  Creek  township,  Randolph  count}^  when  a  young  man  and  here  he 
spent  the  rest  of  his  life  engaged  in  general  farming,  his  death  occurring  at 
the  age  of  fift3'-nine  years.  His  wife  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  from 
which  state  she  came  to  Indiana  in  her  girlhood.  Her  death  occurred  at  the 
aeg  of  sixty-seven  years.     She  was  one  of  a  family  of  twelve  children. 

Mr.  Mendenhall,  of  this  review,  grew  to  nianhood  on  the  old  home- 
stead and  there  he  assisted  with  the  general  work  when  a  boy.  He  received 
his  education  in  the  rural  schools  of  his  native  community  and  early  m  life 
took  up  general  farming  for  a  livelihood,  which  he  has  continued  to  follow  to 
the  present  time,  owning  a  valuable  and  well-kept  farm.  He  believes  in  keep- 
ing his  buildings  in  good  repair  and  making  the  most  of  his  opportunities.  He 
was  married  February  22,  1896,  to  Gertrude  Clevinger,  a  daughter  of  George 
E.  and  Sophia  (Shockley)  Clevinger,  a  farmer  of  Nettle  Creek  township,  and 
was  one  of  four  children.  She  grew  to  womanhood  in  her  native  community 
and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools. 

Three  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mendenhall,  namely : 
George  Byron,  born  June  4,  1898;  Frank  C,  born  December  16,  1903,  died 
August  14,   1904;  Paul,  born  March  16,  1905. 

Mr.  Mendenhall  is  a  member  of  the  Friends  church. 


SAMUEL  PAUL. 


We  of  the  present  generation  cannot  realize  what  the  young  men  of  the 
early  sixties,  had  to  go  through  with,  what  a  sacrifice  they  made  of  home  ties, 
business  opportunities  and  even  health  and  life  itself,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
suffering  in  both  body  and  mind ;  but  they  did  it  all  gladly  for  the  sole  purpose, 
as  the  martyred  Lincoln  said,  "in  order  that  this  nation,  under  God,  might 
live."  Had  they  not  sacrificed,  fought  and  bled,  what  a  difference  in  every- 
thing there  would  have  been  today !  No  united,  prosperous,  happy-people  con- 
stituting the  richest,  mightiest  and  best  nation  on  the  globe.  So  we  owe  these 
veterans  of  the  Union  army  every  possible  amount  of  respect,  as  we  owe  their 
fallen  comrades  every  degree  of  reverence. 

One  of  this  heroic  and  honored  host,  whose  place  of  abode  is  Farmland, 
Randolph  county,  is  Samuel  Paul,  one  of  our  most  substantial  and  worthy 
citizens,  a  successful  man  of  affairs  and  a  large  land  owner.    He  was  born  in 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1545 

Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania,  December  31,  1846,  and  is  a  son  of  James 
and  ^lary  J.  ( SnIIenberger)  Paul,  and  is  one  of  nine  children,  namely:  x\llen 
E.,  a  merchant  in  Santa  Anna,  California,  married  Mary  Lowe,  of  Gallon, 
Ohio,  and  they  have  one  child;  Samuel,  of  this  review;  Margaret,  Ella,  John 
and  William,  twins;  Anna;  Donnan  and  Frank  died  in  infancy. 

The  father,  James  Paul,  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade  in  his  early  life,  and 
was  a  minister  in  the  United  Brethren  church,  in  later  life  his  confirmation 
certificate  dated  from  1873.  He  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  from  which 
state  he  removed  to  Gallon,  Ohio,  where  his  death  occurred  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-four  years.  His  wife  was  a  native  of  Lancaster  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, where  her  birth  occurred  on  February  6,  1826;  she  died  at  Gallon, 
Ohio,  in  1884.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a  minister  in  the 
Presbyterian  church. 

Samuel  Paul  received  a  common  school  education.  When  the  Civil  war 
came  on  he  enlisted  in  Philadelphia  in  Company  D,  Second  Pennsylvania  Vol- 
unteer Cavalry,  under  Capt.  William  P.  Briton  and  Col.  R.  B.  Price,  serving 
gallantly  and  faithfully  for  three  years  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  He  is 
one  who  survived  the  horrors  of  Libby  prison,  where  he  was  confined  four 
months,  having  been  captured  by  the  enemy.  Mr.  Paul  served  in  the  army 
under  Gen.  Phil  Sheridan,  and  he  Wcis  orderly  for  some  time  under  General 
Gregg,  during  the  last  year  of  his  service.  He  fought  in  the  greatest  battles 
of  the  war,  such  as  Gettysburg,  the  Wilderness,  Fredericksburg,  Cold  Harbor, 
and  many  of  lesser  note,  including  skirmishes  and  raids.  He  had  a  horse  shot 
from  under  him  at  the  time  of  Stewart's  raid  on  Washington  City. 

After  being  honorably  discharged  from  the  army,  Mr.  Paul  returned  to 
the  peaceful  pursuits  of  life,  and  for  a  period  of  forty  years  was  engaged  in 
railroading,  being  a  passenger  conductor  for  twenty-five  years  on  the  Erie,  the 
Wabash  and  Lake  Erie  &  Western  railroad ;  in  fact,  was  one  of  the  first  con- 
ductors on  the  last  named  road.  He  was  one  of  the  best  known  railroad  men 
in  his  part  of  the  country  and  his  long  continued  service  is  criterion  enough  of 
his  faithfulness  to  duty  and  of  the  confidence  reposed  in  his  ability,  industry 
and  honesty  by  his  employers.  He  has  for  some  time  made  his  residence  near 
Farmland,  where  he  has  a  commodious  and  comfortable  home.  He  owns  two 
well-improved,  productive  and  valuable  farms  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-five 
acres  in  this  locality  which  claim  his  attention,  however  he  takes  life  easy  and 
merely  oversees  his  property.  He  lived  in  Moberly,  Missouri,  twenty-five 
years. 

Mr.  Paul  was  married  August  30,  1870,  to  Rebecca  A.  Gray,  of  Ran- 


1546  RANDOLPHCOUNTY^   INDIANA. 

dolph  county,  where  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  received  her  education.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  Lemuel  Gray,  a  highly  respected  farmer,  whose  family  con- 
sisted of  nine  children,  and  who  owned  a  good  farm  in  Monroe  township, 
where  his  death  occurred  on  January  19,  1909.  His  son,  P.  W.  Gray,  now 
lives  on  the  home  place,  retired  from  active  life.  The  paternal  grandfather  of 
Mrs.  Paul  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war. 

The  following  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  ]\Irs.  Paul :  Stella 
May,  born  September  28,  1875,  married  George  C.  Deskin,  a  railroad  man, 
and  they  have  two  children,  Anna  JNIildred  and  Paul  Cortland;  Rolla  S., 
born  March  28,  1879,  is  a  traveling  salesman,  married  Mildred  White,  and 
thev  have  three  children,  Pauline,  Richard  S.  and  Mildred. 


IRA  E.  SMITHSON. 


Among  the  native  born  farmers  and  stock  men  of  Randolph  county  who 
have  forged  to  the  front  alone  and  unaided  in  their  own  accord,  proving  that 
Aesop's  old  adage  of  the  crow  "where  there  is  a  will  there  is  a  way,"  is  Ii-a  E. 
Smithson,  who  owns  a  valuable  place  in  the  vicinity  of  Farmland,  where  he 
is  held  in  high  esteem,  like  his  father  before  him,  for  these  gentlemen  always 
tried  to  be  good  citizens  and  neighbors  as  well  as  good  farmers.  The  same 
may  also  be  said  of  the  grandfather. 

Mr.  Smithson  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  March  20,  1879.  He  is  a 
son  of  John  E.  and  Caroline  (Beck)  Smithson,  whose  family  consisted  of  ten 
children,  named  as  follows :  Jane  lives  in  California ;  Elvin  L.  lives  in  Ridge- 
ville;  George  M.  is  deceased;  William  H.  lives  in  Ridgeville;  Safer  lives  in 
Long  Beach,  California;  Kelley  S.,  lives  near  Ridgeville;  Charles  W.  lives  in 
Ridgeville,  as  does  also  John  M. ;  Finley  T.  resides  at  Farmland;  and  Ira  E.,  of 
this  sketch.  The  father  of  the  above  named  children  was  born  in  Randolph 
county  also,  being  a  son  of  a  pioneer  who  came  from  Virginia  in  an  early  day 
and  here  developed  a  farm  by  hard  work,  from  the  virgin  soil,  and  from  that 
day  to  the  present  time  the  Smithsons  have  borne  excellent  reputations  for  in- 
dustry and  honesty.  Here  the  father  of  our  subject  grew  to  manhood,  re- 
ceived a  meager  education  in  the  log  cabin  schools  and  here  he  devoted  his  life 
to  general  farming.  It  was  in  Nettle  Creek  township,  or  more  properly  in 
what  was  later  designated  as  that  township,  that  the  paternal  grandfather, 
Wesley  Smithson,  took  up  land  from  the  government,  and  here  he  spent  the 
rest  of  his  life  dying  at  the  unusual  age  of  ninety-seven  and  one-half  years. 
The  father  of  our  subject  also  reached  an  advanced  age,  dying  at  eighty  years, 


RANDOLPH   COUNTYj  INDIANA.  1547 

in  fact,  was  buried  on  what  would  have  been  his  eightieth  birthday.  He  was 
one  of  a  family  of  only  four  children,  rather  small  for  that  day. 

Ira  E.  Smithson  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  there  worked 
during  the  summer  months  and  during  the  winter  months  attended  the  district 
schools. 

On  June  4,  1902  he  married  Elsie  G.  Foster,  a  daughter  of  Charles  E. 
Foster,  of  Farmland,  a  shoe  dealer  and  well-known  citizen,  whose  family  con- 
sisted of  two  sons  and  a  daughter. 

Two  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smithson,  Helen  Dolores, 
born  March  9,  1903  ;  and  John  Ellsworth,  born  February  22,  19 10. 

Mr.  Smithson  has  devoted  his  life  to  farming  which  he  began  when  a 
young  man,  however  he  spent  two  years  in  the  dry  goods  business.  He  has 
lived  on  his  present  excellent  farm  for  a  period  of  nine  years,  during  which  he 
has  improved  his  place  until  it  is  equal  to  any  in  point  of  producti\'eness  in  the 
township,  and  on  it  stand  a  commodious  dwelling  and  convenient  outbuildings. 
In  connection  with  general  farming  he  pays  considerable  attention  to  raising 
livestock,  always  keeping  a  good  grade. 

He  has  been  assessor  of  his  township  for  a  period  of  six  years,  discharg- 
ing the  duties  of  this  office  in  an  entirely  satisfactory  manner  to  his  constitu- 
ents. He  is  a  member  of  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men,  and  the  Woodmen. 
He- attends  the  Friends  church. 


PHILIP  ZIMMERMAN. 


The  gentleman  whose  name  forms  the  caption  of  this  brief  outline  is 
peculiarly  entitled  to  mention  in  this  volume  along  with  other  leading  citizens 
of  Randolph  county.  Philip  Zimmerman  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Green  township,  Randolph  county,  September  25,  1870,  and  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  his  family  history  is  set  forth  on  other  pages  of  this  book  it  will  not 
be  reproduced  here,  the  biographer  respectfully  referring  the  reader  to  the 
sketches  of  Emanuel  and  A.  E.  Zimmerman.  Mr.  Zimmerman,  like  all  coun- 
try lads,  grew  to  manhood  very  close  to  nature  and  in  the  crop  seasons  as- 
sisted with  the  general  work  about  the  farm.  In  the  winter  months  he  at- 
tended the  rural  schools  in  his  neighborhood,  receiving  a  practical  education. 
He  remained  at  home  tmtil  arriving  at  his  majority,  when  he  began  life  for 
himself  as  a  farmer,  which  vocation  he  has  followed,  having  been  very  success- 
ful and  has  acquired  a  beautiful  home  largely  through  his  own  efforts  and  that 
of  his  worthy  wife. 


1548  RANDOLPHCOUNTY^   INDIANA. 

Mr.  Zimmerman  was  married  October  21,  1897,  to  Amy  D.  Boyer,  a 
daughter  of  A.  C.  Boyer,  a  successful  farmer  of  Jay  county,  Indiana,  now 
deceased.  Mrs.  Zimmerman  was  reared  to  womanhood  in  Jay  county  and 
there  received  her  education  in  the  public  schools.  She  has  two  sisters,  both 
married. 

Six  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  :\Irs.  Zimmerman,  namely  :  For- 
rest John,  born  September  14,  1898;  Charles  Edward,  born  June  18,  1900; 
Mary  Marie,  born  August  22,  1902;  Howard  Boyer,  born  September  15, 
1904;  Harold  Leroy,  born  October  12,  1907;  Willard  Frank,  born  March  18, 
191 1.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Zimmerman  are  now  enjoying  the  fruits  of  their  labors 
surrounded  by  many  friends.  Mr.  Zimmerman  is  a  thorough,  up-to-date 
farmer  and  raises  a  good  grade  of  stock  and  is  most  favorably  known. 

Mr.  Zimmerman  and  family  are  members  of  the  Evangelical  church  at 
Emmettsville  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  at 
Ridgeville,  Indiana. 


WILLIAM  H.  SARFF. 


The  name  of  William  H.  Sarff,  one  of  our  venerable  native-born  citizens, 
was  too  well-known  to  the  readers  of  this  biographical  compendiurn  to  need 
any  formal  introduction  here,  where  he  was  for  many  decades  regarded  as  a 
representative  citizen  of  Randolph  county,  in  every  relation  of  life,  for  he 
discharged  every  duty  devolved  upon  him  with  commendable  fidelity  and 
proved  himself  eminently  worthy  the  high  esteem  and  confidence  in  which  he 
was  universally  held.  He  was  always  interested  in  whatever  tended  to 
promote  the  prosperity  of  his  community  and  to  him  as  much  as  to  any  other 
man  in  the  county  is  indebted  the  development  which  has  characterized  it  of 
recent  years.  He  used  his  influence  in  behalf  of  its  material,  civic,  and  moral 
upbiiilding  and  benevolent  enterprises,  being  a  friend  and  liberal  patron  of  the 
church  and  the  school,  believing  these  to  be  the  most  potential  factors  for 
sul>stantial  good  that  the  world  has  ever  known  or  can  know. 

Mr.  Sarff  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  October  4,  1843,  ^.nd 
therefore  attained  his  threescore  and  ten  years,  the  span  of  mortal  life  allotted 
by  the  divinely  inspired  Psalmist.  He  was  a  son  of  John  and  Saloma  (Hoke) 
Sarff,  whose  family  consisted  of  eleven  children,  ten  sons  and  one  daughter, 
named  as  follows :  Isaac,  Jonas,  Catherine,  John,  Jacob,  who  was  a  minis- 
ter, and  Seth,  all  now  deceased,  the  last  named  being  accidentally  killed; 
]\[annases  is  a  retired  farmer,  living  in  Minnesota:  Peter  is  deceased;  Joshua 
has  been  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  a  period  of  twenty-five  years;  Joseph  is  a 


> 


k! 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1549 

truck  farmer  in  Oregon;  AVilliam  H.,  of  this  sketch,  now  deceased,  was  the 
youngest  of  the  family. 

John  Sarff,  father  of  the  above-named  children,  was  born  in  York 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  there  he  grew  to  manhood,  received  a  meager  edu- 
cation in  the  early-day  schools  and  was  married,  remaining  in  his  native  state 
until  several  of  his  children  were  born,  then  removed  to  Richland  county, 
Ohio,  subsequently  coming  on  to  Indiana  and  located  in  Jackson  township, 
Randolph  county,  in  1840,  and  here  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  August 
13,  1869.  He  devoted  his  life  to  farming  and  was  a  hard-working,  honest 
man,  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Germany, 
from  which  country  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States  when  seventeen  years 
old  and  settled  in  the  state  of  Pennsylvania.  The  latter's  father  was  an  offi- 
cial in  Germany.  The  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  York 
county,  Pennsylvania.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John  Hoke  and  was  one  of  a 
large  family.  Her  death  occurred  September  8,  1869,  al  the  age  of  sixty- 
nine  years. 

William  H.  Sarff,  of  this  sketch,  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  in 
this  county,  and  there  worked  hard  when  a  boy  and  he  received  a  good  com- 
mon school  education  which  was  greatly  supplemented  in  after  years  by  wide 
home  study  until  he  was  a  well-informed  man  on  various  topics.  He  first 
married  Mahala  Warren,  of  Saratoga,  this  county,  December  4,  1862,  and  to 
this  union  eight  children  were  born,  namely :  Joseph,  a  farmer,  of  Minne- 
sota, married  Emma  Goff,  and  they  have  seven  children;  Laird  M.,  who  lives 
in  Missouri,  married  twice,  first,  Rosa  Barber,  and  then  Jessie  Davis,  and  he 
had  four  children  by  his  first  wife;  Delia  May  married  Austin  Bragg,  a 
farmer  near  Saratoga,  and  they  have  six  children;  Justin  B.,  a  farmer  near 
Saratoga,  married  May  Lollar,  and  they  have  five  children;  Clara  A.,  who 
married  H.  Stuckman,  a  farmer  of  Minnesota,  has  four  children;  Florence 
L.,  who  married  John  Jeanette.  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-three  years; 
Llewallyn  died  as  a  result  of  an  accident,  at  the  age  of  eleven  years;  John 
W.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  in  Missouri,  married  May  Shaw, 
and  has  three  children.     There  are  also  three  great-grandchildren. 

Mr.  Sarfif's  first  wife  died  February  3,  1886,  and  on  November  4,  1886, 
he  married  his  second  wife,  who  was  Celena  M.  Halverson,  a  native  of  Iowa, 
a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Eliza  A.  (Ross)  Halverson.  The  father  was  a 
native  of  Iowa  and  the  mother  a  native  of  Canada.  The  following  children 
were  born  to  this  second  union:  Harold  G.,  born  June  26,  1890,  is  farming 
in  Randolph  county;  Nellie  F.,  born  in  Minnesota,  September  26,  1892; 
(98) 


a  1550  EANDOLPHCOUNTY,   INDIANA. 

Helen  Irma,  born  February  10,  1900,  just  one  hundred  years  younger  than 
her  grandmother. 

Mr.  Sarff  moved  to  Minnesota  in  1870,  when  twenty-seven  years  old, 
and  remained  there  for  a  period  of  twenty-five  years,  engaged  in  the  ministry 
of  the  United  Brethren  church,  occupying  one  pulpit  for  a  period  of  sixteen 
years,  his  long  retention  being  sufficient  criterion  of  his  ability  as  a  minister 
and  of  his  popularity  with  his  congregation.  He  had  studied  at  home  five 
years  preparing  for  the  ministry,  and  being  by  nature  an  earnest,  logical  and 
.forceful  speaker,  he  was  a  great  success  in  this  field  of  endeavor,  doing  an 
incalculable  amount  of  good  wherever  he  labored.  He  returned  to  Indiana 
in  1896  and  took  up  farming,  which  he  continued  in  connection  with  preach- 
ing occasionally,  but  failing  health  made  it  necessary  for  him  to  give  up  the 
regular  work.  Rev.  Sarff  was  called  to  his  reward  May  10,  19 14,  aged  nearly 
seventy-one  years.  Politically,  he  was  a  Prohibitionist,  also  an  influential 
•man  in  his  community. 

The  following  is  taken  from  a  Winchester  paper: 

'"In  December,  1856,  William  H.  Sarff  was  converted  and  united  with 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Old  Prospect  and  was  elected  class  leader, 
in  which  capacitj^  he  served  for  ten  years.  In  the  year  of  1875  Brother  Sarff 
was  deeply  impressed  and  felt  his  call  to  the  ministry.  He  promised  his 
Lord  that  he  would  go  into  the  great,  worthy  and  noble  calling.  Shortly  after 
the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Brother  Sarff  returned  to  that  much  needy  field- 
of  God's  kingdom  to  preach  his  everlasting  gospel.  Brother  Sarff  received  his 
first  appointment  in  the  Minnesota  U.  B.  conference  by  Rev.  S.  D.  Kemerer, 
presiding  elder  of  the  United  Brethren  church.  He  traveled  what  was  called 
the  Long  Prairie  Mission.  On  September  7,  1878,  he  joined  the  Minnesota 
Annual  Conference,  which  \yas  held  in  Faribault  county,  and  was  licensed  as 
an  annual  conference  preacher  by  Bishop  Milton  Wright,  the  father  of  the 
great  modern  inventors,  Orval,  who  now  resides  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  Wilbur 
having  died  a  little  better  than  a  year  ago.  At  this  conference  he  received  his 
first  appointment  by  the  authority  of  the  conference  and  was  returned  to  his 
former  charge,  serving  this  circuit  for  almost  sixteen  years.  The  greater 
part  of  his  twenty-three  years  was  spent  in  Minnesota.  Receiving  from  his 
first  year's  labor  $75.00  from  the  Mission  Board  and  $43.00  from  his  charge 
as  a  remuneration  and  traveling  about  5,000  miles,  preaching  three  times  on 
Sunday  and  often  through  the  week ;  Brother  Sarff  said  in  his  diary :  'The 
country  was  new,  roads  bad  and  the  people  poor  financially,  but  rich  in  grace, 
kindness  and  full  of  love.'  He  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  by  Bishop 
Jonathan  Weaver  at  an  annual  conference  held  at  Cardova,  Minnesota,  Octo- 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 55 1 

ber  13,  1883.  He  continued  preaching  in  this  section  until  1896,  when  his 
health  began  failing  and  he,  with  his  famil_v,  moved  back  to  the.  vicinity  of 
Saratoga.  His  sons  and  daughters  are  only  left  to  duplicate  his  life  in  the 
Christian  faith.  It  can  be  well  said  of  him, /I  have  fought  a^ood  fight,  I 
have  kept  the  faith,  I  have  run  the  race,  with  patience;  henceforth  there  is 
laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  life  which  the  Lord,  the  righteous.  Judge,  shall 
give  unto  me,  and  not  only  to  me,  but  unto  all  that  love  his  appearing.'  " 


MARY  FRANCES  GWIN. 

Mary  Frances  Gwin,  an  efficient  and  popular  teacher  at  Huntsville,  Ran- 
dolph county,  was  born  August  22,  1875  in  this  county,  and  is  a  representative 
of  one  of  our  sterling  and  influential  old  families.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Josephine  (Paschall)  Gwin,  the  father  who  was  a  carpenter  and  builder, 
was  also  a  native  of  Randolph  county,  where  his  people  settled  in  pioneer 
days,  and  here  he  grew  to  manhood,  received  his  education  in  the  early-day 
schools,  and  spent  his  life  in  his  home  community,  dying  at  the  early  age  of 
twenty-seven  years,  in  1882.  Mr.  Gwin  was  the  son  of  Oliver  and  Eliza 
(Worth)  Gwin.  The  Worths  came  from  the  Carolinas  and  were  noted  for 
their  zeal  in  the  abolition  movement.  The  Rev.  Aaron  Worth,  the  Prohibi- 
tion w^orker  is  an  uncle  of  Mr.  Gwin. 

Jesse  Zane  Paschall,  the  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  learned  the  trades  of  cabinet  and 
wagon  making.  From  that  state  he  removed  to  Ohio  where  he  remained 
only  a  short  time,  then  came  on  to  Indiana,  locating  in  Randolph  county, 
where  he  followed  his  trades,  and  here  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  in 
1865.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  as  a  result  of  his  military 
career  he  lost  his  membership  in  the  Quaker  church.  The  maternal  grand- 
mother of  our  subject,  who  was  known  in  her  maidenhood  as  Mary  A.  Shep- 
pard,  was  a  native  of  Virginia  where  she  grew  to  maturity,  and  from  there 
emigrated  to  Indiana  when  twenty-five  years  of  age,  and  married  Ezra 
Doughty  of  Centerville.  He  lived  but  a  few  months  and  after  his  death,  she 
married  Jesse  Paschall.  In  1866  Mrs.  Paschall  was  appointed  postmistress  at 
Huntsville  (Trenton  postoffice),  which  position  she  held  satisfactorily  until 
her  death  in  1901.  The  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in 
Huntsville  and  here  grew  to  womanhood,  received  such  educational  advan- 
tages as  the  early-day  schools  afiforded  and  here  has  continued  to  reside.  Too 
much  can  not  be  said  of  the  sterling  character  of  Mrs.  Gwin,  who  was  left 


J  552  RANDOLPHCOUNTY,   INDIANA. 

when  young  with  a  family  of  three  sinall  children  and  limited  means;  how- 
ever, she  has  done  well  her  part  having  reared  her  family  to  manhood  and 
womanhood,  giving  each  an  excellent  education.  To  John  "Gwin  and  wife 
three  childreg  were  born,  named  as  follows:  Mary  Frances,  of  this  review; 
Albert  and  Alma,  twins,  born  January  9,  1881 ;  Albert  is  farming  near  Hunts- 
ville,  and  Alma  married  Herbert  Kabel  of  Winchester  and  they  have  two 
children,  Roger  and  Virginia. 

Mary  Frances  Gwin  grew  to  worrpnhood  in  her  native  vicinity  and  she 
received  her  early  education  in  the  common  schools,  then  entered  Central 
Normal  school  at  Danville,  Indiana,  and  was  graduated  there,  completing  the 
scientific  course.  She  subsequently  took  additional  work  at  the  State  Uni- 
versity and  at  Winona,  and,  being  ever  a  profound  home  student,  she  has 
become  exceptionally  well  educated,  and  has  long  been  regarded  as  one  of 
the  most  scholarly  women  of  Randolph  county.  By  force  of  strong  indi- 
viduality, she  has  achieved  more  than  ordinary  success  in  one  of  the  most 
responsible  and  exacting  callings,  and  won  for  herself  an  enviable  position 
among  the  leading  educators  of  the  section  of  Indiana  of  which  this  volume 
treats.  She  has  devoted  her  life  to  teaching  since  leaving  college  and  has  been 
very  successful,  her  services  being  in  great  demand,  and  she  is  popular  with 
both  pupils  and  patrons.  She  has  kept  fully  abreast  of  the  times  in^H  that 
pertains  to  educational  work.  She  first  taught  five  years  in  the  county  schools, 
then  four  years  in  the  intermediate  grades  in  the  Modoc  schools,  and  for  ,the 
past  eleven  years  she  has  been  in  the  Huntsville  school,  her  long  retention 
being  sufficient  criterion  of  her  eminent  satisfaction. 


ANDREW  C.  DRAGOO. 


The  biographies  of  the  representative  men  of  a  county,  either  of  a  past  or 
present  generation,  bring  to  light  many  hidden  treasures  of  mind,  character 
and  courage,  well  calculated  to  arouse  the  pride  of  their  descendants  and  of 
the  community,  and  it  is  a  source  of  regret  that  the  people  are  not  more  familiar 
with  the  personal  history  of  such  men,  in  the  ranks  of  whom  may  be  found 
tillers  of  the  soil,  merchants,  teachers,  as  well  as  lawyers,  physicians,  bankers 
and  members  of  other  vocations  and  professions.  Randolph  county,  Indiana, 
has  been  the  home  and  scene  of  labor  of  many  men  who  have  not  only  led 
lives  which  should  serve  as  a  lesson  and  inspiration  to  those  on  the  stage 
of  life's  activities,  but  who  have  also  been  of  commendable  service  in  im- 
portant avenues  of  usefulness  in  various  lines.    The  late  Andrew  C.  Dragoo 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1553 

was  such  a  man.  He  was  for  many  decades  one  of  the  most  progressive  and 
substantial  general  agriculturists  and  stock  men  of  Delaware  county,  and  was 
one  of  the  gallant  veterans  of  the  Civil  war,  a  man  who,  while  laboring  for 
his  own  advancement  sought  to  do  his  full  share  of  the  general  work  of  de- 
velopment in  his  community  as  a  good  citizen. 

Mr.  Dragoo  was  born  August  23,  1844  in  Clinton  City,  Ohio,  and  he, 
was  a  son  of  Andrew  and  Nancy  (Curtis)  Dragoo,  whose  family  consisted 
of  eleven  children.  The  father  was  five  years  old  when  he  was  brought  by 
his  family  to  Indiana  and  here  he  grew  to  manhood  and  purchased  eighty  acres 
of  land  near  the  town  of  Parker  from  the  government,  which  he  cleared  and 
developed  by  long,  persistent  work,  and  which  is  still  owned  by  the  family. 
The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of  Ripley  county,  Ohio 
and  he  devoted  his  life  to  farming.  The  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir 
was  also  a  native  of  Ohio. 

Andrew  C.  Dragoo  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  there  he 
worked  when  a  boy.  He  received  a  practical  education  in  the  common  schools 
of  his  community.  On  June  15,  1871  he  married  Mary  C.  Baughn,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Lystra  Baughn.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dragoo  were  born  seven  children, 
namely :  William  Arthur,  who  is  farming  near  Muncie,  Indiana,  married 
Gertrude  Philip  and  they  have  two  daughters ;  Frank  Cameron,  assistant 
cashier  of  the  bank  at  Parker,  Indiana,  married  Isca  Cunningham,  and  they 
had  three  children,  losing  one;  Charles  W.  died  in  infancy;  Clara  Alma,  who 
married  Edward  Sipe,  lives  on  the  old  homestead  and  they  have  two  sons ; 
Anna,  born  July  27,  1882,  is  at  home;  Inez  O.  married  Russell  Gabel,  lives  on 
one  of  the  home  farms,  and  they  have  three  children;  Susie  died  in  infancy. 
The  living  children  received  good  educational  advantages  and  are  well  situ- 
ated in  life  and  well  thought  of  in  their  respective  communities. 

Mr.  Dragoo  was  one  of  the  patriotic  and  courageous  sons  of  the  North 
who  offered  his  services  and  life,  if  need  be,  to  the  government  during  the 
crisis  of  the  early  sixties,  serving  most  faithfully  as  a  member  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  during  which  time 
he  contracted  a  disease  that  eventually  caused  his  death  half  a  century  later, 

in  1912. 

Mr.  Dragoo  devoted  his  life  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and,  being  a  pei'sist- 
ent  worker  and  a  man  of  exceptionally  sound  judgment  and  wise  foresight 
he  prospered  with  advancing  years,  and  he  left  his  widow  four  well-improved, 
productive  and  valuable  farms,  a  beautiful  home  and  a  comfortable  compet- 
ency.    Fraternally,  he  belonged  to  the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and,  ac- 


1554  RANDOLPHCOUNTY,   INDIANA. 

cording  to  those  who  knew  him  best,  he  evidently  made  an  effort  to  carry  the 
sublime  precepts  of  this  time-honored  lodge  into  his  every-day  life,  for,  like 
the  one  referred  to  in  Holy  Writ  "he  was  a  good  man  and  just,"  charitable, 
hospitable,  neighborly,  scrupulously  honest  and  was  highly  esteemed  by  all 
who  knew  him. 

Mrs.  Dragoo  is  a  woman  of  many  commendable  qualities  which  have 
attracted  to  her  a  host  of  warm  friends  who  delight  in  visiting  her  neatly 
furnished  and  attractive  home  in  Parker. 


PHILIP  KAEEL. 


The  character  of  a  community  is  determined  in  a  large  measure  by  the 
lives  of  a  comparatively  few  of  its  members.  If  its  moral  and  intellectual 
status  be  good,  if  in  a  social  way  it  is  a  pleasant  place  in  which  to  reside,  if 
its  reputation  for  the  integrity  of  its  citizens  has  extended  into  other  locali- 
ties, it  will  be  found  that  the  standards  set  by  the  leading  men  have  been 
high,  and  their  influence  such  as  to  mould  their  characters  and  shape  the 
lives  of  those  with  whom  they  mingle.  In  placing  Philip  Kabel,  the  able  and 
popular  cashier  of  the  Farmers  and  Merchants  Bank  of  Winchester,  in  the 
front  rank  of  such  men  as  referred  to  above,  justice  is  rendered,  a  biographi- 
cal fact  recognized  throughout  Randolph  county  by  those  at  all  familiar 
with  his  life  record.  Although  a  qviiet  and  unassuming  man,  with  no  ambi- 
tion for  public  position  or  leadership,  he  has  contributed  much  to  the  mater- 
ial and  civic  advancement  of  the  community,  while  his  admirable  qualities  of 
head  and  heart  and  the  straightforward,  upright  course  of  his  daily  life, 
have  tended  greatly  to  the  moral  standing  of  the  circles  in  which  he  moves 
and  have  given  him  a  reputation  for  integrity  and  correct  conduct  such  as 
few  achieve. 

Mr.  Kabel  was  born  February  i,  1879,  in  Winchester,  Indiana.  He  is 
a  son  of  John  and  Rebecca  (Alendenhall)  Kabel,  two  sterling  old  families 
of  this  county,  the  grandparents  on  both  sides  of  the  house  having  emi- 
grated from  Germany  to  this  state  in  an  early  day,  and  here  became  well 
established  and  influential.  The  paternal  grandfather,  Philip  Kabel,  was 
born  in  18 10,  grew  up  in  Germany  and  was  educated  there,  and  when  twenty- 
two  years  old,  in  1832,  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  locating  first  in- Port- 
land, Maine,  later  moved  to  Massachusetts,  then  to  Ohio,  and  finally  to  In- 
diana. ■  His  death  occurred  in  1897.  The  maternal  grandfather,  Nathan 
Mendenhall,  died  when  his  daughter,  Rebecca,  was  a  small  girl.     She-  was 


& 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1555 

born  in  October,  1855,  in  Randolph  county,  where  she  grew  to  womanhood 
and  was  educated,  and  here  she  spent  her  Hfe,  dying  December  22,  1898. 
John  Kabel  was  bom  in  this  county  in  April,  1846,  and  here  .he  grew  to 
manhood  and  was  educated;  for  many  years  he  was  a  traveling  salesman, 
later  engaged  extensively  in  the  wholesale  produce  business,  but  is  now  living 
retired. 

His  wife  was  an  active  member  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  and  was  a 
woman  of  commendable  Christian  character,  and  had  a  host  of  friends.  To 
these  parents  two  children  were  born — Alonzo  J.,  born  March  5,  1876,  who 
is  manager  of  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  office  in  Winchester ;  and  Philip, 
of  this  review. 

Philip  Kabel  was  reared  in  Winchester  and  here  received  his  early 
education,  graduating  from  the  high  school  in  1896,  then  attended  Earlham 
College  at  Richmond,  Indiana.  When  a  boy  he  spent  considerable  time  on  a 
farm,  herding  cattle,  also  worked  in  a  factory,  clerked  in  a  store  in  Win- 
chester and  did  a  number  of  things  in  order  to  get  a  start  in  the  business 
world.  After  leaving  college  he  taught  school  for  a  period  of  eight  years  in 
Randolph  county  in  a  highly  acceptable  manner  and  was  regarded  as  one  of 
the  county's  leading  educators,  for  he  promulgated  modern  ideas  in  his  work 
and  was  both  an  instructor  and  entertainer  in  the  school  room,  but  believing 
that  the  business  world  held  greater  opportunities  for  him  he  accepted  a  posi- 
tion as  assistant  cashier  of  the  Farmers  and  Merchants  Bank  of  Winchester 
in  1906,  and  his  work  was  so  faithfully  and  conscientiously  done  that  he  was 
advanced  to  the  responsible  position  of  cashier  at  the  death  of  the  former 
cashier  in  1909,  the  duties  of  which  he  is  now  discharging  in  a  manner  that 
not  only  reflects  credit  upon  himself  but  is  eminently  satisfactory  to  the 
stockholders  and  patrons  of  this  sound,  conservative  and  popular  institution. 
He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  same.     This  is  a  state  bank. 

Mr.  Kabel  was  married  August  14,  1901,  to  Alice  Reynard,  who  was 
born  in  Randolph  county  July  12,  1885,  and  here  she  grew  to  womanhood 
and  was  educated.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Elza  and  Martha  (Adamson) 
Reynard,  both  natives  of  this  county,  also,  and  here  they  grew  up  and  were 
married.    The  father  survives,  but  the  mother  has  been  deceased  some  time, 

The  union  of  our  subject  and  wife  has  been  graced  by  the  birth  of  two 
children — Martha  Rebecca,  born  January  27,  1903,  who  is  attending  school; 
and  Elbert  Ivan,  born  November  15,  1910. 

Mr.  Kabel  is  active  in  local  public  affairs.  In  1910  he  was  elected  a. 
member  of  the  Winchester  school  board  for  a  term  of  three  years,  and  he 
did  so  much  toward  improving  local  educational  conditions  that  he  was  re- 


1556  RANDOI,PHdOUNTY,   INDIANA. 

elected  for  another  term  in  1913.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Fountain 
Park  Cemetery  Board.  He  belongs  to  the  National  Geographical  Society 
and  the  American  Historical  Association,  having  been  elected  to  the  latter 
as  &  result  of  his  work  on  "The  Underground  Railroad."  He  has  long  been 
interested  in  the  history  of  his  native  county,  from  its  earliest  days  to  the 
present,  and  is  exceptionally  well  versed  in  the  same.  Fraternally,  he  be- 
longs to  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 


JAMES  M.  FLETCHER. 

One  of  the  well-known,  influential  and  worthy  citizens  of  Winchester, 
Randolph  county,  is  James  M.  Fletcher,  the  present  able  and  popular  pro- 
bate officer,  who  formerly  served  the  county  as  sheriff  and  the  city  as  mar- 
shal. He  has  proven  himself  to  be  a  man  of  quick  perception,  broad  ideas 
and  honorable  character,  every  ready  to  serve  his  community  whose  inter- 
ests he  has  long  had  at  heart,  and  the  high  esteem  which  is  universally  ac- 
corded him  is  therefore  well  desei'ved.  He  was  for  a  number  of  years  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  the  cooperage  business  here,  his  being  one  of  the  leading 
industries  of  our  thriving  county-seat.  He'  is  a  man  who  is  eminently  de- 
serving of  special  mention  in  the  present  historical  and  biographical  work, 
both  for  what  he  is  and  for  what  he  has  accomplished  for  the  community. 

Mr.  Fletcher  was  born  May  20,  1856,  in  New  Burlington,  Clinton 
county,  Ohio.  He  is  a  son  of  George  and  Nancy  (Pomeroy)  Fletcher.  In 
1865  the  family  moved  from  the  Buckeye  state  to  Muncie,  Indiana,  and 
after  a  few  years  they  came  on  to  Winchester,  this  county,  where  the  family 
has  ever  since  resided.  The  father  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  and  -here  he 
established  himself  in  his  business  and  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  as  did 
also  his  wife,  and  they  are  buried  in  the  cemetery  here.  Since  that  time 
James  M.  Fletcher,  of  this  sketch,  has  remained  a  continuous  resident  of 
Randolph  county.  He  received  a  common  school  education,  and  when  a  boy 
learned  the  cooper's  trade  under  his  father,  who  was  skilled  in  every  phase 
of '  the  business,  consequently,  the  son  learned  it  right  and  became  also  a 
skilled  artisan.  He  worked  for  some  time  for  Henry  Carter  and  Wysong 
Miller  in  Winchester.  He  then  engaged  in  the  cooperage  business  for  him- 
self until  he  was  twenty-two  years  old,  when  he  was  elected  city  marshal, 
which  office  he  held  for  a  period  of  twelve  years,  his  long  incumbency  being 
sufficient  criterion  of  his  exceptional  ability,  his  careful  attention  to  the 
city's  well-being  and  to  his  popularity.     In  1890  he  was  elected  sheriff  of 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1557 

Randolph  county,  and,  filling  the  office  so  satisfactorily  was  elected  for  a 
second  term,  thus  serving  in  all  four  years,  making  one  of  the  best  officials 
the  county  has  ever  had,  according  to  the  consensus  of  opinion.  After  the 
expiration  of  his  term  of  office  he  engaged  with  much  success  in  private 
detective  work.  He  then  became  probation  officer  and  has  continued  to 
serve  in  that  capacity  for  a  period  of  nine  years,  or  since  1904,  giving  the 
public  his  usual  high-grade  service  and  general  satisfaction.  He  seems  to  be 
well  qualified  by  nature  for  the  duties  of  such  offices  as  he  has  filled,  being 
ready  to  grasp  a  situation  in  an  instant  and  knowing  v(fhat  to  do  and  having 
the  courage  to  do  it,  besides  he  is  broad-minded,  capable,  honest  and  perse- 
vering, always  looking  out  for  the  best  interests  of  the  public. 

Mr.  Fletcher  was  one  of  the  promoters  of  the  Eastern  Indiana  Tele- 
phone system,  of  which  company  he  has  been  a  director  for  the  past  fifteen 
years,  and  has  done  much  to  make  it  a  successful  venture,  this  concern  having 
grown  to  be  a  large  and  important  institution. 

He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  active  in  party  affairs,  and  has  fre- 
quently served  as  a  member  of  the  Republican  County  Central  Committee. 
Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men. 

Mr.  Fletcher  has  been  twice  married,  first,  in  May,  1878,  to  Ellen 
Deardorf,  daughter  of  Lafayette  and  Jane  Deardorf,  of  Winchester.  To 
this  union  one  daughter,  Esther,  was  born;  she  is  now  the  wife  of  Thomas 
M.  Thornbury,  of  Winchester.  The  wife  and  mother  was  called  to  her 
rest  in  the  fall  of  1879.  On  April  30,  1881,  Mr.  Fletcher  married  Anna 
Doyle,  daughter  of  Michael  and  Bridget  Doyle,  of  Winchester,  and  to  this 
union  was  born  one  child.  May,  who  is  at  home. 

]Mr.  Fletcher  and  family  affiliate  with  the  Presbyterian  church,  although 
they  are  not  members  of  the  same.  The  family  home  is  at  235  South  Main 
street,  Winchester,  Indiana. 


FREDERICK  S.  CALDWELL. 

Frederick  S.  Caldwell,  of  Winchester,  at  present  a  member  of  the  ap- 
pellate court  of  Indiana,  was  born  at  Long  Bottom,  Ohio,  January  17,  1862. 
He  was  educated  in  the  district  schools  of  that  state,  and  in  1885  he  was 
graduated  from  the  National  Normal  University  at  Lebanon,  Ohio,  re- 
ceiving the  highest  class  honors,  and  was  made  valedictorian  of  his  class.  In 
1882,  when  but  twenty  years  of  age,  he  was  chosen  as  principal  of  the  schools 
at  New  Amsterdam,  Harrison  county,  Indiana,  where  he  served  with  marked 


1558  RANDOLPH'COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

success  for  two  years.  In  August,  1885,  having  already  received  a  state 
license  in  Ohio,  he  came  to  Winchester  and  was  chosen  principal  of  the  city 
schools.  Later  he  secured  a  state  license  in  Indiana,  the  youngest  applicant 
ever  receiving  such  license  in  the  state  up  to  that  time. 

He  taught  continuously  foi^  a  period  of  six  years  as  principal  of  the 
Winchester  schools,  and  was  then  chosen  superintendent,  but  retired  at  the 
end  of  one  year  to  take  up  the  practice  of  law,  a  subject  to  which  he  had 
devoted  studious  energy,  both  day  and  night,  for  several  years. 

In  1892  Mr.  Caldwell  formed  a  law  partnership  with  Wesley  W. 
Canada,  now  United  States  consul  at  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico.  In  1897  he  be- 
came a  law  partner  of  Mr.  A.  L.  Nichols,  whose  term  as  county  clerk  had 
then  expired,  and  in  1899  he  joined  with  Hon.  James  S.  Engle,  present  cir- 
cuit judge,  which  partnership  lasted  until  Mr.  Engle  assumed  his  duties,  five 
years  ago.  He  was  then  for  about  a  year  associated  with  Mr.  Walter  S. 
Parry  in  the  practice. 

In  1886,  at  Long  Bottom.  Ohio,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Emma  Stewart.  To  this  union  were  born  two  daughters,  namely :  Bernice 
Stewart  Caldwell,  now  the  wife  of  Fred  Tucker,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and 
Gladys  Lucile  Caldwell,  now  the  wife  of  Harry  Oliver,  of  Winchester. 

In  the  spring  of  1912  Mr.  Caldwell  became  a  candidate  for  supreme 
judge  before  the  Democratic  State  Convention  at  Indianapolis.  While  de- 
feated in  that  race,  yet  so  highly  was  he  esteemed  by  those  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact,  and  particularly  so  well  impressed  with  him  was  Governor 
Samuel  M.  Ralston,  that  he  resolved  to  know  him  better.  To  this  end  Judge 
Caldwell  was  chosen  as  one  of  the  governor's  legal  advisers  to  pass  upon  the 
enactments' of  the  General  Assembly  of  1913.  A  vacancy  occurring  on  the 
appellate  bench  on  the  first  of  September,  1913,  Governor  Ralston  appointed 
Judge  Caldwell  to  the  position.  On  March  19,  1914, -he  was  nominated  by 
acclamation  at  the  Democratic  State  convention  to  continue  in  the  same 
office. 

Judge  Caldwell  is  accredited  by  his  friends  as  being  a  very  eminent 
lawyer  and  judge  of  the  law.  To  its  study  he  has  brought  a  clear,  analytical 
mind ;  keen  in  the  discernment  of  complicated  problems  and  especially  en- 
dowed with  that  temperament  so  desirable  in  a  judicial  capacity. 

Since,  1892  Judge  Caldwell  has  been  active  in  each  and  every  campaign, 
speaking  throughout  eastern  Indiana.  He  wins  favor  with  men  of  all  poli- 
tical parties,  because  of  his  attitude  of  fairness  and  the  manifest  conviction 
in  his  own  political  principles.  He  is  also  popular  as  a  speaker  on  educa- 
tional, fraternal  and  religious  matters,  and  is  a  favorite  at  family  reunions. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1559 

J\Ir.  Caldwell  is  a  member  of  the  Disciples  church,  and  for  many  years  has 
taught  a  Sunday  school  class  of  men  and  women,  enrolling  more  than  a 
hundred  members.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Odd 
Fellows  and  the  Masons,  all  of  Winchester, 

Among  his  colleagues  on  the  appellate  bench.  Judge  Caldwell  is  held  in 
high  esteem  and  some  very  important  cases  have  been  turned  over  to  him 
on  which  to  prepare  the  opinions.  They  regard  his  briefs  as  models  of 
precision,  and  when  knotty  problems  come  up  for  solution  he  is  not  satisfied 
until,  he  gets  to  the  bottom,  and  knows  the  whole  law  pertaining  to  any  set 
of  circumstances. 

Judge  Caldwell's  democracy  has  been  subjected  to  the  acid  test,  for  he 
has  long  resided  in  a  county  normally  Republican  by  twenty-five  hundred 
majority,  yet  the  fervor  of  his  Jeffersonian  principles  has  undergone  no 
abatement.  Equality  before  the  law  for  all  men  is  an  axiom  he  backs  up  with 
manly  vigor.  Judge  Caldwell's  friends  take  great  satisfaction  in  his  eleva- 
tion to  the  bench,  and  all  voice  the  sentiment  that  his  career  may  be  extended 
through  the  coming  years,  that  he  may  prove  his  worth  to  his  state. 


CHARLES  L.  BOTKIN,  M.  D. 

Conspicuous  among  the  younger  physicians  of  Randolph  county  is  Dr. 
Charles  L.  Botkin,  of  Farmland,  a  worthy  representative  of  one  of  our 
sterling  old  families,  members  of  which  have  long  made  their  influence  felt 
for  the  general  upbuilding  of  this  locality.  The  Doctor  has  led  a  well- 
regulated  life,  thereby  gaining  the  confidence  and  respect  of  all  with  whom  he 
has  come  into  contact. 

Doctor  Botkin  was  born  in  Randolph  county  July  6,  1878.  He  is  a 
son  of  Thomas  W.  and  Mary  E.  (Irvin)  Botkin,  the  mother  a  daughter  of 
Lafayette  Irvin.  The  Doctor  had  two  brothers,  namely:  John  L.,  a  farmer 
in  this  county,  married  Suda  Cheesm.an,  and  they  have  two  children,  Marvin 
T.,  born  in  1897,  and  Harold  D.,  born  in  1899.  The  other  brother,  Clyde 
E.,  now  deceased,  was  a  physican  at  Parker  City,  was  graduated  from  the 
Indiana  Medical  College  at  Indianapolis,  with  the  class  of  1907,  after  which 
he  at  once  took  up  the  practice  of  medicine  at  Parker  City,  and  was  making 
a  great  success.  His  death  occurred  here  in  1910,  at  the  early  age  of  twenty- 
eight  years.  He  married  Ruby  Wood,  a  daughter  of  Henry  F.  Wood,  the 
present  county  auditor. 

Thomas  W   Botkin,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Randolph  county 


1560  RANDOLPHCOUNTY,   INDIANA. 

and  here  he  has  spent  his  life,  being  now  sixty-nine  years  old.  He,  too,  is  a 
physician,  his  name  having  long  been  a  household  word  throughout  the 
county.  He  has  practiced  for  a  period  of  forty-five  years,  principally  at 
Farmland.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Eclectic  Medical  College  of  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  and,  subsequently,  took  a  post-graduate  course  in  a  Chicago 
medical  school.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Sixty-ninth  Indiana  Volunteer 
Infantry  during  the  Civil  war. 

Dr.  John  W.  Botkin,  the  paternal  gfandfather  of  our  subject,  was  also 
born  and  reared  in  Randolph  county.  He  was  the  first  of  the  Doctor  Bot- 
kins  here,  having  been  also  a  graduate  of  the  Eclectic  Medical  College,  of 
Cincinnati,  Ohio.  He  began  practicing  medicine  at  the  age  of  twenty  years 
and  continued  with  uninterrupted  success  until  the  day  of  his  death,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-two  years.  He  was  one  of  the  leading  pioneer  physi- 
cians of  this  section  of  the  state,  and  was  hailed  as  a  leader  among  his  pro- 
fessional brethren  and  was  popular  with  all  who  knew  him.  His  father  was 
from  North  Carolina,  and  was  one  of  the  very  earliest  settlers  in  this  part 
of  Indiana.  He  was  a  sterling  type  of  frontiersmen.  The  mother's  people, 
the  Irvins,  also  hailed  from  North  Carolina,  but  she  was  born  in  Indiana. 
Her  mother  came  from  North  Carolina  to  Kentucky,  thence  to  Indiana.  The 
great-grandfather  of  our  subject  took  up  a  very  large  tract  of  land  from  the 
government. 

Dr.  Charles  L.  Botkin  received  his  early  education  in  the  Winchester 
high  school,  then  was  a  pupil  at  the  Indianapolis  Business  College,  after  whicli 
he  entered  the  Indiana  Medical  College,  from  which  institution  he  was  grad- 
i;ated  in  1904.  He  then  spent  a  year  and  a  half  in  the  Deaconess  Hospital, 
Indianapolis,  as  senior  house  surgeon,  then  took  up  the  practice  of  medicine 
in  Farmland,  March  i,  1906^  and  here  he  has  remained  to  the  present  time. 
He  seems  to  have  inherited  many  of  the  peculiar  attributes  of  head  and  heart 
necessary  to  the  success  and  popularity  of  the  general  physician  and  surgeon. 

Doctor  Botkin  was  married  April  19,  1910,  to  Myrtle  Garrett,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Fremont  and  Adaline  (Trueblood)  Garrett,  a  prominent  lawyer  of 
Randolph  county,  whose  family  consisted  of  three  daughters  and  one  son, 
namely:  Edna,  married  Walter  Ziegler,  a  salesman,  of  Toledo,  Ohio,  nad 
they  have  four  children;  Nellie  is  the  wife  of  J.  D.  Barger,  a  groceiyman, 
of  Ridgeville,  and  they  have  one  son,  James ;  Arthur,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  is 
with  the  Multigraph  Sales  Company,  is  married  and  has  seven  children; 
Myrtle,  wife  of  Doctor  Botkin.  Mrs.  Botkin's  mother,  Adaline  Trueblood, 
was  the  daughter  of  Jonathan  Trueblood,  who  was  a  native  of  North  Caro- 
lina.   The  parents  of  the  above  named  children  are  both  deceased. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 56 1 

Politically,  Doctor  Botkin  is  a  Republican.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to 
the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  is  a  Knights  Templar,  and  he  also  belongs 
to  the  Knights  of  Pythias.     He  attends  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


DANIEL  W.  GROVE. 


The  gentleman  of  whom  the  biographer  now  writes  is  widely  known  as 
one  of  the  honored  citizens  of  Randolph  county,  for  Mr.  Grove  has  been 
actively  identified  with  the  agricultural  interests  of  Monroe  township.  His 
well-directed  efforts  in  the  practical  affairs  of  life,  his  capable  management 
of  his  own  business  interests  and  his  sound  judgment  have  brought  to  him 
prosperity,  and  his  life  demonstrates  what  may  be  accomplished  by  the 
man  of  energy  and  ambition,  who  is  not  afraid  of  work  and  who  has  the 
"nerve"  to  continue  his  labors,  even  in  the  face  of  seemingly  discouraging 
circumstances. 

Daniel  \V.  Grove  was  born  in  ^Monroe  township,  Randolph  county, 
September  6,  1857.  He  is  a  son  of  David  H.  and  Susan  A.  (Hill)  Groves, 
to  whom  eight  children  were  born,  only  Daniel  W.,  of  this  review,  and  John 
B.  are  living  at  this  writing;  the  latter  lives  near  Redkey,  Indiana;  he  mar- 
ried Flora  Ludwick,  and  they  have  one  child,  Etta. 

David  H.  Grove  was  born  in  \\''est  Virginia,  from  which  state  he  moved 
to  Ohio  with  his  father,  where  he  was  married,  and  from  there  moved  to 
Indiana  in  the  early  fifties,  and  bought  a  farm  between  Parker  and  Farm- 
land, which  he  later  sold  and  moved  to  the  farm  in  Monroe  township  in 
1866,  which  place  is  owned  and  occupied  by  his  son,  Daniel  W.,  of  this 
sketch.  The  elder  Grove  was  a  successful  agriculturist  and  stock  raiser  and 
provided  well  for  his  family.  His  death  occurred  in  1901.  The  paternal 
grandfather  was  also  a  native  of  West  Virginia,  from  which  state  he  re- 
moved to  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  where  he  bought  a  farm,  but  subsec[uently 
moved  to  Indiana,  purchasing  another  farm,  on  which  he  spent  most  of  his 
subsecjuent  life,  dying  in  September,  1876.  The  elder  Grove  went  back  to 
Ohio  and  spent  nine  years.  He  followed  merchandising  at  Redkey  for  a 
period  of  seven  years.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  left  an  orphan  at  an 
early  age,  and  little  is  known  of  her  family  history. 

Daniel  W.  Grove  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  he  received  his 
education  in  the  public  schools.  On  December  14,  1879,  he  married  Martha 
E.  Hupp,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Hupp,  who  is  now  living  in  Parker  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-nine  years.     His  family  consisted  of  six  sons  and 


1562  RANDOLPHCOUNTY^  INDIANA. 

two  daughters,  namely:  Earl  H.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  oil  business  near 
Parker,  married  Luella  Ulhom,  and  they  have  one  son;  Herbert  P.,  of  Par- 
ker, married  Julia  Life,  and  they  have  two  daughters;  Charles  E.  married 
Mary  Hafkameyer,  and  is  living  on  a  farm;  Opal,  who  lives  in  Parker,  In- 
diana, is  the  wife  of  Hovey  James,  a  machinist;  David  H.,  of  Detroit, 
Michigan,  married  Stella  Kelley.  He  is  also  a  machinist  by  trade ;  Marce 
H.  married  Neva  Joy,  and  they  live  on  a  farm;  Lawrence,  at  home;  and 
Martha  E.,  wife  of  Mr.  Grove.  ^ 

Daniel  W.  Grove  has  devoted  his  life  successfully  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits, now  owning  a  large  and  well-cultivated  farm,  where  he  carries  on 
general  farming  and  stock  raising,  and  on  which  stands  an  excellent  set  of 
buildings. 

Like, the  rest  of  the  family,  Mr.  Grove  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and 
he  has  been  a  loyal  supporter  of  the  same.  He  has  been  township  trustee 
during  the  past  six  years,  filling  the  office  in  a  manner  that  has  won  the  hearty 
appreciation  of  all  concerned.  He  was  very  largely  instrumental  in  securing 
for  the  town  of  Parker  the  magnificent  new  school  house,  one  of  the  finest 
in  the  county,  one  that  would  be  a  credit  to  a  town  much  larger  than  this 
and  which  will  long  be  of  service  to  the  community.  Mr.  Grove  is  to  be 
heartily  commended  for  his  efforts  in  this  direction. 


HARRY  L  DROLLINGER. 

One  of  the  progressive,  talented  and  most  promising  of  the  younger 
journalists  of  the  section  of  the  Hoosier  state  of  which  this  biographical 
compendium  treats  is  Harry  1.  Drollinger,  editor  and  owner  of  The  Ridge- 
ville  Star,  and  one  of  the  influential  young  men  of  Randolph  county.  He 
seems  to  be  the  possessor  of  all  the  peculiar  attributes  that  go  to  make  up  the 
successful  newspaper  man,  and,  being  uniformly  fair  and  courteous  with  his 
numerous  patrons,  he  has  the  good  will  and  respect  of  all  who  know  or  have 
dealings  with  him. 

Mr.  Drollinger  was  born  in  Roann,  Wabash  county,  Indiana,  July  25, 
1890.  He  is  a  son  of  Martin  Van  Buren  and  Celia  A.  (Belden)  Drollinger, 
and  is  one  of  a  family  of  twelve  children,  namely :  Vadia  died  at  the  age  of 
thirty-five,  leaving  a  husband  and  four  children;  Aaron,  a  farmer  and  stock- 
man of  Arkansas,  is  a  widower  and  has  two  sons ;  Rose,  of  Roann,  married 
Marion  Miller,  a  farmer  and  stock  buyer,  and  their  union  has  been  without 
issue;  Leander,  a  farmer  of  Wabash  county,  married  Bessie  Appleman,  and 


RAlfDOLPH   COUNTYj  INDIANA.  1 563 

they  have  one  child;  William,  a  farmer  of  Wabash  county,  married  Bessie 
Swisher,  and  they  have  three  sons ;  Irwin  died  when  he  was  four  years  old ; 
Eva.  of  Albany,  Indiana,  married  Milton  S.  Bolerjack,  owner  of  The  Al- 
bany Chronicle,  and  they  have  one  son ;  Grace,  of  Fort  Wayne,  is  the  widow 
of  Edward  Quick,  a  guard  at  the  state  prison,  who  was  killed  by  a  trusty; 
Marie  died  in  infancy;  Grover  was  next  in  order  of  birth;  Harry  I.,  of  this 
review ;  Clyde,  of  Saratoga,  owns  and  edits  The  Independent,  and  he  enjoys 
the  distinction  of  being  what  is  doubtless  the  youngest  editor  in  Indiana ;  he 
took  charge  of  a  paper  when  seventeen  years  old,  formerly  owning  a  paper 
at  Bryan,  then  purchased  the  one  at  Saratoga;  he  is  a  practical  newspaper 
man,  started  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder,  and  the  future  holds  much  of 
promise  for  him,  as  it  does  our  subject. 

The  father,  Martin  V.  Drollinger,  was  reared  on  the  farm  and  received 
a  meager  education  in  the  early-day  schools.  He  devoted  his  life  success- 
fully to  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  rearing  his  large  family  in  com- 
fort and  respectability  on  the  old  home  place  and  gave  them  proper  educa- 
tional advantages.  He  was  born  in  Ohio,  but  was  brought  by  his  parents  to 
Indiana  when  an  infant,  the  family  locating  on  a  three-hundred-acre  tract 
which  our  subject's  paternal  grandfather  had  taken  up  from  the  govern- 
ment, which  he  cleared,  erected  a  log  cabin  and  began  life  here  in  typical 
pioneer  fashion,  and  in  due  course  of  time  had  one  of  the  best  farms  and 
most  comfortable  homes  in  the  township.  His  son,  Martin  V.,  became  owner 
of  this  place,  which  he  conducted  in  such  a  sjsillfuj  manner  that  it  retained 
its  original  fertility.  The  death  of  Martin  V.  Drollinger  occurred  in  Fort 
Wayne  October  27,  191 1.  His  widow  still  survives,  being  now  advanced  in 
years.  Like  her  honored  husband  before  her,  she  has  a  host  of  warm  friends 
in  Randolph  county. 

Harry  I.  Drollinger  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  there 
assisted  with  the  general  work  when  a  boy,  and  he  received  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Fort  Wayne,  which  has  been  greatly  supplemented  in 
after  years  by  wide  home  reading  and  by  contact  with  the  business  world. 

Our  subject  was  married  February  16,  1912,  to  Hattie  Stick,  a  daughter 
of  Samuel  and  Eunice  Stick,  a  highly  respected  family  of  Randolph  county, 
where  Mrs.  Drollinger  grew  to  womanhood  and  received  her  education  in 
the  public  schools.     Her  father  was  a  cabinet  manufacturer. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  one  child,  a  daughter,  was  born  on  January  i, 
191 3,  w^ho  bears  the  name  of  Marie  Dolores. 

Mr.  Drollinger  took  up  the  newspaper  business  when  a  boy  and  has 
mastered  the  various  departments  of  the  same.     He  has  owned  and  pub- 


1564  RANDOLPHCOUNTY,  INDIANA. 

lished  The  Ridgeville  Star  for  four  years  and  has  made  his  paper  a  moulder 
of  public  opinion  in  this  vicinity  and  a  factor  for  good,  upholding  whatever 
tends  to  promote  the  best  interests  of  the  township  and  county.  His  paper 
is  rapidly  increasing  in  circulation,  and  it  is  a  valuable  news  dispenser  as 
well  as  advertising  medium,  and  is  up-to-date  from  a  mechanical  standpoint; 
its  proprietor,  being  an  uncompromising  Democrat,  it  has  done  much  for 
the  success  of  the  party  in  this  section  of  the  state. 


ALBERT  C.  GADDIS. 


One  of  the  farmers  of  West  River  township,  who  has  carefully  studied 
agricultural  conditions  for  a  half  century  and  has  profited  thereby  is  Albert 
C.  Gaddis,  a  worthy  native  son  of  Randolph  county.  He  was  born  in  the 
above-named  township  and  county  October  28,  1844,  and  is  a  son  of  Elisha 
P.  and  Lydia  (Macy)  Gaddis,  and  is  one  of  eleven  children,  namely:  T.  W., 
Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Harris,  Albert  C,  of  this  sketch;  Allen  died  in  youth;  Warren 
also  died  in  early  life;  Mrs.  Nancy  E.  Shoemaker,  Mrs.  Phoebe  E.  Marshall, 
deceased;  Hiram  A.,  Mrs.  Caroline  Tague  died  at  the  age  of  forty  years; 
Austin  S.  is  deceased,  and  Mrs.  Nora  E.  Barker. 

The  father  of  the  above-named  children  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  but 
was  only  six  years  old  when  his  parents  brought  him  to  Ohio.  He  subse- 
quently removed  to  Indiana,  located  in  Randolph  county,  where  he  married 
Lydia  Macy  and  here  established  the  future  home  of  the  family  and  devoted 
his  life  successfully  to  farming.  His  death  occurred  in  1886,  his  widow  sur- 
viving until  1907.    Her  parents  came  to  this  locality  from  North  Carolina. 

Albert  C.  Gaddis  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  received  his 
education  in  the  rural  schools  of  his  neighborhood.  On  March  31,  1878,  he 
married  Clara  Evolen  Hunt,  a  daughter  of  Lewis  W.  Hunt,  whose  family 
consisted  of  five  chidren.  Air.  Hunt  established  his  home  on  a  farm  in  West 
River  township,  where  Airs.  Gaddis  grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools. 

Mr.  Gaddis  has  only  one  child.  Myrtle  A.,  who  was  born  January  25, 
1879,  and  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated  in  her  native  com- 
munity; she  married  James  L.  Tullis,  a  farmer,  and  they  have  two  children, 
Clara  N.  and  Albert  Harvey. 

In  May,  1864,  Air.  Gaddis  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Union  army  in 
Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry, 
in  which  he  served  one  hundred  days  and  was  honorably  discharged.     He  has 


RANDOLPH  COUNTYj  INDIANA.  1 565 

devoted  his  life  to  general  farming,  and  has  lived  on  and  operated  the  home 
farm  since  1881,  keeping  it  well-improved  and  under  a  fine  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, carrying  on  general  farming  and  stock,  raising  in  a  manner  that  has 
stamped  him  as  equal  to  our  best  husbandmen.  He  has  kept  the  buildings 
well  repaired,  and  a  good  grade  of  live  stock  is  always  to  be  seen  about  his 
place. 

Politically,  he  is  a  Republican. 


JAMES  ADAMSON. 

One  of  the  farmers  of  West  River  township,  Randolph  county,  who 
has  the  sagacity  to  grasp  properly  present-day  conditions  and  to  profit  by 
this  insight  is  James  Adamson,  a  scion  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  best-known 
families  of  the  locality  of  which  this  history  treats.  He  was  born  in  the 
above-named  township  and  county  January  14,  1844.  He  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Phoebe  (Spray)  Adamson,  the  father  born  in  West  River  township  and 
the  mother  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  from  which,  state  she  came  with 
her  people  first  to  Ohio,  later  to  Indiana.  Our  subject's  grandfather, 
Abraham  Adamson,  was  twice  married,  first  to  a  Miss  Puckett,  by  whom  two 
children  were  born,  and  secondly  to  Nancy  Botkin,  which  union  resulted  in 
the  birth  of  eight  children.  John  Adamson  married  Phoebe  Spray,  and  they 
had  nine  children,  namely :  James,  our  subject ;  Sarah,  Martha,  Abraham, 
Samuel,  Ehzabeth,  Charlotte,  Mary,  George.  His  first  wife  died  in  1872, 
and  subject's  father  married  second  to  Mary  Ann  McFarland,  a  native  of 
Jay  county,  and  they  had  two  children,  Edward  and  Annie.  John  Adamson 
died  in  1889.     He  was  a  farmer  through  life. 

James  Adamson  was  reared  on  the  home  farm,  where  he  found  plenty 
of  hard  work  to  do,  for  a  half  century  ago,  when  he  was  a  boy,  everybody 
worked  clearing  and  developing  farms.  He  received  the  usual  education  for 
those  days,  which  was  not  by  any  means  extensive,  but,  like  most  of  the 
people  of  that  period,  he  added  to  his  early  training  by  contact  with  the 
world  and  by  hom.e  reading,  and  is  now  a  very  well  informed  man  in  a 
general  way.  When  the  Civil  war  came  on  he  enlisted  in  Company  D,  of  the 
famous  Sixty-ninth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  three 
vears  faithfully  for  the  Union,  seeing  much  hard  service  and  taking  part  in 
engagements  at  Richmond,  Kentucky,  Alexandria,  Louisiana  and  Blakeley, 
Alabama.  He  was  mustered  out  at  Mobile,  Alabama,  July  5,  1865.  He  then 
returned  home  and  took  up  farming. 
(99) 


1566  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Mr.  Adamson  has  devoted  his  Hfe  to  general  farming  and  stock  raising, 
and  has  met  with  success  all  along  the  line.  He  is  now  owner  of  a  productive 
and  finely-improved  farm  of  -fifty-five  acres  in  West  River  township,  on 
which  is  to  be  seen  an  attractive  and  neatly  furnished  home  and  substantial 
outbuildings,  and'  here  also  may  be  found  from  year  to  year  large  numbers 
of  a  good  grade  of  livestock.  His  farm  equals  any  of  his  neighbors'  places 
in  every  respect,  and  he  is  one  of  the  bejt  citizens  of  his  community,  accord- 
ing to  his  neighbors. 

Mr.  Adamson  was  married  twice,  first,  to  Sarah  Bussear,  August  4, 
1867,  and  her  death  occurred  December  31,  1878.  Three  children  were  born 
to  this  union,  namely :  J  esse  Albert,  a  real  estate  dealer  in  New  Mexico, 
who  is  married  and  whose  family  consisted  of  seven  children,  four  of  whom 
survive;  Franklin  James,  who  lived  at  Dunkirk,  died  at  the  age  of  forty 
years,  leaving  a  widow  and  three  children,  the  date  of  his  death  being 
August  10,  1909.  John  James,  the  youngest  of  the  three  children,  was  born 
May  15,  1872,  lives  in  Oklahoma;  his  wife  is  deceased;  they  had  no  children. 
Our  subject's  second  wife  was  Sarah  Ward,  a  widow,  and  to  her  union 
with  Mr.  Adamson  one  child  has  been  born,  Mable  Ashton,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred October  28,  1886.  She  married  John  Marion  Ogle,  an  osteopathic 
doctor,  and  they  live  in  Kirksville,  Missouri,  the  home  of  osteopathy;  they 
have  one  child,  Mary  Elizabeth.  Mrs.  Adamson  was  formerly  Sarah  Eliza- 
beth Ashton.  She  was  born  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  August  5,  1851.  Her  par- 
ents were  born  in  England.  The  father,  William  Ashton,  was  a  civil 
engineer,  one  of  the  contracts  with  which  he  was  connected  was  the  tunnel 
under  the  Thames.  He  married  Mary  Ann  Copcutt  in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral, 
London,  England,  March  27,  1843.  The  next  year,  after  a  voyage  of  six 
weeks,  they  landed  in  New  York,  where  Mrs.  Ashton  had  relatives.  The 
voyage  was  so  trying  on  her  constitution  they  never  returned  to  their  native 
shore.  Mr.  Ashton  became  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  settling  first  in 
Columbus,  Ohio.  Here  they  became  Protestants  and  were  identified  with  the 
Presbyterian  denomination.  In  1853  they  came  to  Winchester,  Indiana, 
where  they  resided  the  remaining  years  of  life.  They  had  ten  children, 
namely :  Miles  Anthony,  George  Barber,  Sarah  Elizabeth,  Frances,  Thomas 
Jobie,  William  E.,  Simeon  Lucas,  and  Mary  Hanna.  Two  girls  died  in  in- 
fancy. Mrs.  Adamson  received  her  education  in  the  Winchester  schools  and 
is  one  of  the  "Old  Seminary  Girls.''  Two  children  were  born  to  Mrs. 
Adamson  and  her  first  husband.  Perry  Ward,  namely :  Emma  Florence 
married  Nelson  Hiatt,  and  they  have  two  children,  Hildreth  and  Delmas 
Edmond;  and  Emmett  Adney  married  Ella  Smithson,  and  they  have  two 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1567 

children,  Ralph  S.  and  John  Kenneth.  Emma  and  Emmett  are  residents  of 
Knightstown,  Indiana.  Mr.  Hiatt  is  superintendent  of  the  light  and  water 
plants,  and  Mr.  Ward  is  a  leading  harness  merchant. 

Mr.  Adamson  has  always  been  a  prominent  member  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  holding  the  office  of  commander  for  five  terms  in  the 
Frank  Jones  Post. 


JAMES  E.  ASHWILL. 

Winchester  is  the  home  of  a  number  of  gentlemen  who  ha^'e  labored 
most  industriousl}'  during  their  early  years  and  are  now  spending  their  old 
age  quietly  and  in  the  midst  of  plenty  as  a  result  of  their  former  industry. 
They  are  men  who  helped  redeem  the  ^'irgin  soil  of  this  section  of  the 
Hoosier  state  and  render  this  one  of  the  thriving  and  valuable  counties  of 
the  state.  Such  a  man  is  James  E.  Ashwill,  who,  like  many  of  our  older 
citizens,  came  from  the  great  Buckeye  state  to  spend  the  best  part  of  their 
years  with  us,  benefiting  thereby  both  themselves  and  us ;  and  we  are  glad 
that  they  have  done  well  from  a  material  viewpoint  and  can  take  things  easy. 

Mr.  Ashwill  was  born  in  IMarion  county,  Ohio,  May  6,  1843.  He  is  a 
son  of  William  and  Susan  (Bennett)  Ashwill,  and  is  one  of  a  family  of  ten 
children,  eight  sons  and  two  daughters,  of  whom  four  sons  and  one  daughter 
sur\ive  at  this  writing.  In  1844  he  came,  with  his  parents,  to  Indiana,  locat- 
ing at  Centerville,  Wayne  county,  remaining  there  two  years,  after  which  he 
moved  to  Benton,  Elkhart  county,  and  in  1852  came  to  Winchester.  On 
August  4,  1864,  he  proved  his  courage  and  patriotism  by  enlisting  in  Com- 
pany F,  One  Hundred  and  Fortieth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Cap- 
tain Smuck,  and  saw  considerable  hard  service,  having  fought  in  the  battles 
of  Nashville,  Stone  River,  Franklin,  Clifton,  Fort  Fisher,  Fort  Smith,  Fort 
Anderson,  Towns  Creek  and  Wilmington.  After  the  battle  of  Wilmington 
he  was  in  the  ho.spital  for  several  weeks,  again  joining  his  regiment  at 
Goldsborough,  and  continuing  on  the  Butler  expedition  after  Johnson  until 
the  surrender,  which  virtually  ended  the  war.  He  .was  transferred  tJD 
Greensborough,  North  Carolina,  from  which  place  he  was  mustered  out  of 
the  service,  July  11,  1865,  and  returned  to  Randolph  county,  his  former 
home,  and  engaged  in  farming  until  the  fall  of  1910,  when  he  removed  to 
Winchester,  where  he  now  has  a  pleasant  home. 

Mr.  Ashwill  was  married  July  19,  1866^  to  Susan  Martin,  daughter  of 
Elisha  and  Susan  (Kelley)  Martin,  of  Winchester.  To  this  union  were  born 
four  children,  one  son  and  three  daughters,  namely:     Charles  E.,  of  Seattle, 


1568  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Washington;  Estella  Duvall,  of  Washington,  D.  C. ;  Maud  S.  Curry;  and 
Alabel  Ross,  of  Winchester. 

Mr.  Ashwill  is  a  Republican  in  poHtics,  a  member  of  Nelson  Trusler 
Post  No.  60,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  a  member  of  the  Men's  Bible 
Class  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church. 


DAVID  E.  BARKER. 


Endowed  with  a  liberal  share  of  good  common  sense  and  possessing 
sound  judgment,  backed  by  a  well-founded  purpose  to  succeed,  David  E. 
Barker,  proprietor  of  a  well  patronized  harness  store  at  Modoc,  Randolph 
county,  has  labored  with  the  object  primarily  in  view  of  making  a  good  home 
for  himself  and  family  and  acquiring  a  competency  for  his  declining  years. 

Mr.  Barker  was  born  near  Farmland,  Randolph  county,  September  5, 
1865.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  M.  and  Laura  A.  (Macy)  Barker.  The  father 
was  born  on  a  farm  near  Farmland  September  26,  18.46,  his  people  being 
early  settlers  of  this  locality,  coming  here  when  the  land  was  little  improved. 
Here  the  father  grew  to  manhood,  assisting  in  the  early  settlement  and 
development  of  the  town  of  Farmland,  locating  there  in  1852,  when  six 
years  old.  Here  he  received  a  meager  education  in  the  old-time  schools  and 
was  married.  He  devoted  his  early  life  successfully  to  the  harness  business, 
and  is  one  of  the  township's  highly  respected  citizens.  The  mother  of  our 
subject  was  born  in  Henry  county,  Indiana,  and  her  death  occurred  in  April, 
1898. 

Seven  children  were  born  to  Jacob  M.  Barker  and  wife,  named  as  fol- 
lows:  David  E.,  of  this  sketch,  is  the  oldest;  Samuel  M.,  a  harness  maker, 
of  Farmland,  and  has  seven  children;  Nancy  P.  died  in  infancy;  Pearl  also 
died  in  infancy;  Leo,  who  is  conducting  an  elevator  in  Farmland,  married 
Media  Wagner ;  Nina  May  married  William  P  Glass,  a  tent  maker,  of  Day- 
ton, Ohio;  Letta  B.  married  Clyde  Burrows,  a  rural  mail  carrier  out  of 
Farmland,  and  they  had  three  children ;  John,  now  deceased. 

David  E.  Barker  was  reared  in  the  community  of  his  birth,  and  he  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Farmland.  When  ten  years 
of  age,  he  commenced  learning  the  harness  maker's  trade  under  his  father, 
and  became  quite  proficient  in  the  same  when  young  in  years.  In  1889  he 
established  a  harness  shop  in  Modoc,-  which  he  still  conducts.  He  was  suc- 
cessful from  the  first,  and  his  business  has  grown  steadily,  for  he  has  a  wide 
reputation  as  a  conscientious  and  skilled  workman,  and  he  handles  a  good 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 569 

grade  of  material.     Many  of  his  patrons  come  from  remote  parts  of  the 
county.     He  keeps  all  kinds  of  harness  and  leather  goods. 

Air.  Barker  has  been  twice  married,  first,  to  Nannie  A.  Flood,  whose 
death  occurred  after  nearly  four  years  of  married  life.  Mr.  Barker  subse- 
quently married  Mrs.  Nora  E.  Thomas,  who  was  born  August  9,  1864,  and 
was  reared  on  the  old  homestead,  one  mile  east  of  where  the  town  of  Modoc 
was  afterwards  located.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Elisha  and  Lydia  (Macy) 
Gaddis.  The  father  came  to  this  locality  from  Ohio  in  the  early  settling  of 
this  part  of  the  county.  The  mother  spent  her  entire  life  in  Randolph 
county,  Indiana.  They  were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  namely :  Thomas 
William,  of  Huntsville;  Sarah  A.  Harris,  deceased;  Albert  C,  of  near 
Modoc;  Allen,  deceased:  Warren,  deceased;  Nancy  E.  Shoemaker,  of  near 
Modoc;  Hiram  A.,  grain  dealer  of  Modoc;  Phoebe  E.  Marshal,  deceased; 
Austin  S.,  deceased;  Caroline  Teage,  deceased;  and  Nora  E.,  our  subject's 
wife.  Airs.  Barker  was  first  married  October  10,  1886,  to  James  Thomas, 
and  to  this  union  two  children  were  born:  Opal  died  in  infancy;  Otis  R., 
born  September  21,  1888,  and  is  engineer  in  the  flouring  mill  at  Modoc.  He 
married  Ival  Bennett,  and  three  children  have  been  born  to  them,  Kenneth, 
Juanita  and   Valaria. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  four  children  have  been  born,  namely:  Guy 
died  when  four  years  of  age;  Lena  Odell,  born  January  12,  1894,  married 
Leonard  Darah,  and  they  have  one  child;  Lucile  Esther,  born  July  12,  1898, 
is  preparing  for  a  teacher;  Cleo,  born  September  19,  1903,  is  the  youngest. 

Politically,  Mr.  Barker  is  an  independent,  Abe  Lincoln  Republican,  and 
a  stanch  fighter  of  political  graft  and  corruption.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Modern  Woodmen  and  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  and  his  family  attend  the  Methodist  and  United 
Brethren  churches,  there  being  no  Christian  church  there.  He  served  very 
acceptably  as  town  treasurer  for  a  period  of  ten  years. 


CHARLES  A.  FIELDS. 


Who  can  measure  the  results  of  a  life  work,  especially  such  a  life  work 
as  that  of  the  venerable  and  honored  minister  of  the  gospel  whose  name 
forms  the  caption  of  this  sketch?  The  practice  of  his  life  has  been  not  to 
condemn  but  to  aid,  devoting  his  best  energies  to  the  uplifting  of  humanity, 
and  the  world  is  better  and  brighter  because  he  has  lived  in  it,  and  the  spirit 
of  his  work  will  continue  to  abide  as  the  deep  undercurrent  of  a  mighty 
stream,    noiseless   but   irresistable,    his    wholesome    influence   pervading   the 


1570  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

world  like  the  scent  of  flowers.  He  possessed  rare  ability  as  a  pulpit  orator 
and  is  a  well-informed  man,  his  reading  having  covered  the  wide  realms  of 
science,  art,  history  and  classical  literature.  He  has  a  quick  eye  for  the 
beautiful,  the  heroic,  the  true,  the  purposeful.  He  has  found  all  manifesta- 
tions of  Mother  Nature  interesting,  genuine,  restful,  always  the  same — finds 
solace  for  the  ills  of  life  in  the  repose  and  sympathy  of  her  solitudes.  He 
is  a  versatile,  thoroughly  self-educated,  self-made  man,  having  left  unex- 
plored no  branch  of  true  culture,  truly  one  of  Nature's  noblemen. 

Mr.  Fields  was  born  in  Hawkins  ^ounty.  Butcher's  valley,  Tennessee, 
December  2,  1830.  He  is  a  son  of  Martin  and  Margaret  (Maness)  Fields, 
and  they  had  nine  sons  and  two  daughters.  Only  two  of  these  children 
now  survive,  our  subject  and  William  H. 

Martin  Fields,  the  father,  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  from  which 
state  he  moved  into  Tennessee  in  a  very  early  day,  then  came  on  to  Indiana 
shortly  after  the  birth  of  our  subject.  He  was  a  gunsmith  by  trade,  also  fol- 
lowed farming.  He  spent  the  latter  part  of  his  life  on  a  farm  in  Jackson 
township,  Randolph  county,  dying  there  in  1850,  and  was  buried,  in  Ward 
township.  His  wife  was  born  in  Tennessee  and  there  grew  to  womanhood. 
She  died  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1840. 

Charles  A.  Fields  grew  to  manhood  on  the  farm  in  this  county  and  he 
received  his  education  in  the  old-time  local  schools  and  by  continuous  home 
reading  and  study  in  later  life.  Early  in  young  manhood  he  began  preaching 
in  the  United  Brethren  church,  was  ordained  in  Allen  county,  Indiana,  and 
preached  under  the  auspices  of  the  Auglaise  conference  in  Indiana  and  Ohio, 
in  the  pioneer  days,  when  the  mail  was  carried  oh  horseback  from  Winches- 
ter to  Fort  Wayne,  and  the  carrier  often  slept  in  a  tree  to  keep  out  of  harm's 
way  by  the  wolves.  Our  subject  was  in  Indianapolis  in  1847,  when  the 
future  metropolis  was  only  an  acre  in  extent.  He  performed  a  great  service 
to  the  people  of  the  early  times  and  endured  many  hardships  and  privations 
in  order  to  carry  help  and  the  gospel  to  the  needy,  but  he  never  complained, 
regarding  it  as  a  great  privilege  to-  be  thus  called  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of 
the  lowly  Nazarene.  He  was  always  an  earnest,  forceful  and  not  infre- 
quently truly  eloquent  pulpit  orator,  and  well  versed  in  the  Bible. 

Mr.  Fields  was  married  April  15,  185 1,  to  Sarah  Diehl,  a  native  of 
Ohio,  and  to  this  union  the  following  children  were  born,  namely :  W.  S.,  a 
real  estate  dealer  of  Gas  City,  Indiana,  married  Minerva  Baker,  and  they 
have  six  children,  having  lost  two  by  death;  Etta  is  the  wife  of  W.  H.  Fraze, 
a  farmer  of  Union  City,  Indiana,  and  they  had  thirteen  children,  two  of 
whom  are  deceased ;  Rumina  married  Samuel  Sipe,  a  contractor  of  Gas  City, 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I57I 

and  they  have  five  sons  and  one  daughter,  and  they  lost  one  son  and  one 
daughter ;  E.  L.  is  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  at  Shreveport,  Louisiana, 
married  Ida  Ross,  and  they  have  three  children;  Eli  A.,  who  lives  at  Sara- 
toga, is  a  prominent  business  man  and  influential  citizen  of  that  vicinity, 
owning  three  hundred  acres  of  well  improved  and  valuable  land,  and  a  large 
saw  mill,  being  extensively  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  hardwood  lumber; 
he  married  Clara  LoUar,  of  Saratoga,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  W.  Lollar,  a 
successful  farmer  of  Ward  township,  where  Mrs,  Fields  grew  to  woman- 
hood and  was  educated.  To  Eli  A.  Fields  and  wife  the  following  children 
have  been  born :  Hazel,  Merritt,  Constance  died  in  youth ;  Noble,  Richard 
and  Carol.  William  M.  Fields,  son  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  a  con- 
tractor and  builder  at  Richmond,  Indiana;  he  married  Cora  Ballard,  and 
they  have  one  child. 

Charles  A.  Fields  is  now  living  retired  in  his  cozy  home  in  Union  City, 
this  county,  where  he  is  highly  esteemed  by  all  classes.  It  is  a  fact  worthy 
of  mention  here  that  when  seventy-five  years  of  age  he  verified  tax  titles  of 
transfers  that  were  made  when  he  was  thirteen  years  old.  He  has  passed 
his  eighty-third  milestone,  and  is  a  grand  old  man,  eminently  deserving  of 
the  high  esteem  in  which  he  is  universally  held. 


CHARLES  H.  LENNON. 


Charles  H.  Lennon  was  born  August  i6,  1869,  in  Winchester,  Randolph 
county,  and  here  he  has  been  pleased  to  spend  his  life,  contending  that  home 
was  good  enough.  He  is  a  son  of  Dennis  and  Susan  (Martin)  Lennon.  The 
father  was  born  in  Ireland  and  the  mother  in  Pennsylvania.  The  elder 
Lennon  emigrated  from  the  Emerald  Isle  to  the  United  States  when  a  young 
man,  landing  in  New  York  City,  where  he  remained  a  few  months,  then 
came  to  Winchester,  Indiana,  where  he  established  the  future  home  of  the 
family,  and  here  spent  the  rest  of  his  active  life  engaged  in  raifi-oading.  He 
and  his  wife  are  now  living  retired  from  the  active  duties  of  life.  She  came 
to  this  city  when  a  young  girl  with  her  family  from  Pennsylvania  and  here 
met  and  married  Mr.  Lennon. 

Charles  H.  Lennon  was  reared  in  Winchester,  spending  his  boyhood 
much  hke  that  of  other  town  boys  of  his  time.  He  received  his  education  in 
the  public  schools.  He  began  life  for  himself  by  railroading,  which  he  fol- 
lowed for  about  four  years,  then  became  connected  with  the  bridge  con- 
struction builders  of  the  Big  Four  railroad,  and  this  line  of  work  he  followed 


1572  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

for  about  thirteen  years,  during  which  he  gave  eminent  satisfaction  and 
mastered  the  ins  and  outs  of  the  work.  In  1901  he  began  the  business  of 
building  and  contracting  in  Winchester,  and  has  been  engaged  in  this  Hne  of 
endeavor  continuously  to  the  present  time,  during  which  he  has  erected  some 
of  the  best  public  and  private  buildings  and  residences  in  the  city.  His  repu- 
tation for  prompt  and  high  grade  work  is  widespread,  and  his  services  are 
in  great  demand.  He  carries  on  an  extensive  work  all  over  this  section  of 
the  state.  He  keeps  fully  abreast  of  the  times  in  all  that  pertains  to  the 
building  world,  and  is  well  equipped  in  every  respect  for  his  work.  He  con- 
tracts to  complete  buildings  from  cellar  to  roof.  He  always  has  many  con- 
tracts in  surrounding  towns  and  counties.  He  has  a  beautiful  residence  and 
is  one  of  our  substantia]  citizens. 

Mr.  Lennon  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  is  more  or  less  active  in 
public  affairs.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
.Fellows,  the  Encampment,  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  the  Modern 
Woodmen   of   America. 

On  October  13,  1889,  Mr.  Lennon  was  married  to  Viola  Hodson,  a 
daughter  of  Stephen  R.  and  Eliza  (Ellis)  Hodson,  of  Geneva,  Adams 
county,  Indiana,  and  to  this  union  the  following  children  have  been  born, 
namely :  Ava,  George,  Thelma,  Ida  and  Will,  twins,  and  Ralph,  all  at  home 
with  their  parents. 


CHARLES  W.  PIERCE. 


The  chief  characteristics  of  Charles  W.  Pierce,  one  of  the  best-known 
business  men  of  Union  City,  Randolph  county,  are  keenness  of  perception, 
an  unflagging  energy,  honesty  of  purpose  and  motive  and  every-day  common 
sense,  which  have  enabled  him  not  only  to  advance -his  own  interests,  but 
also  largely  contribute  to  the  moral  and  material  advancement  of  the  locality. 
He  worked  his  way  from  a  modest  beginning,  having  started  on  his  career, 
"a  youth  to  fortune  and  to  fame  unknown,"  and  step  by  step  has  risen  to  a 
position  of  no  mean  importance,  by  his  individual  efforts,  which  have  been 
practically  unaided,  which  fact  renders  him  the  more  worthy  of  the  praise 
that  is  freely  accorded  him  by  his  fellow-men,  his  life  having  been  one  of 
unceasing  industry  and  perseverance,  and  the  honorable  and  systematic 
methods  he  has  ever  employed  are  commended  to  others,,  if  they  court  the 
goddess.  Success. 

Mr.  Pierce  was  born  in  New  York  City  January  12,  1835.  He  is  a 
son  of  Levi  Pierce  and  wife,  and  a  descendant  of  Capt.   Michael  Pierce, 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1573 

who  emigrated  to  America  about  the  year  1645,  locating  in  Hingham,  Mas- 
sachusetts, in  1656,  removing  the  following  year  to  Scituate,  where  he  lived 
until  he  met  an  untimely  death,  in  1662.  He  was  born  in  England  in  1615, 
was  twice  married,  his  last  wife  being  Mrs.  Anna  James,  of  Hingham,  later 
of  Scituate.  She  was  killed  by  the  Indians  Sunday,  March  26,  1676.  The 
following  Avere  the  Captain's  children:  Persis,  Benjamin,  John,  Ephraim, 
Eliza,  Deborah,  Anna,  Abijah,  Ruth  and  Abigail.  The  present  Pierce  fam- 
ily, so  numerous  throughout  the  United  States,  is  directly  descended  from 
the  above-named  children. 

Levi  Pierce,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Rehoboth,  Bristol  county, 
Massachusetts,  and  was  brought  up  on  his  father's  farm.  When  nineteen 
years  of  age  he  became  dissatisfied  with  farm  life  and  started  for  the  city  of 
Providence,  Rhode  Island,  much  against  the  wishes  of  his  father.  There 
he  soon  mastered  the  trade  of  a  mason  and  in  a  short  time  became  a  con- 
tractor and  builder,  erecting  the  first  factory  near  Providence.  Later  he 
engaged  in  the  livery  business ;  selling  that  out,  he  next  started  in  the  manu- 
facture of  clothing",  which  grew  to  large  proportions,  and  he  became  a 
wealthy  man,  and  owned  two  schooners  which  he  loaded  with  clothing  and 
shipped  to  the  South.  Soon  afterwards  he  went  west,  taking  with  him  his 
son,  Franklin  F.  During  their  absence  the  family  moved  to  Bufifalo,  New 
York,  making  the  trip  on  a  canal  boat.  Soon  after  the  family  had  settled  in 
their  new  home,  news  came  to  them,  in  the  year  1838,  that  the  father  was 
dead.  As  Franklin  F.  never  returned  it  was  supposed  that  he,  too,  was  dead. 
Mr.  Pierce  was  a  man  of  fine  personal  appearance,  kind-hearted  and  gen- 
erous, fond  of  his  family  and  was  an  excellent  provider,  and  he  gave  his 
children  every  advantage  possible.  He  was  born  June  8,  1797.  On  March 
9,  1818,  he  married  Betsey  S.  Wheeler,  who  was  born  in  1800,  and  died 
February  23,  1881.  His  death  is  supposed  to  have  occurred  in,  1838.  The 
following  children  were  born  to  them:  Charles  W.,  of  this  sketch;  Levi  L., 
born  November  18,  1830,  married  Ellen  E.  Wright-;  Elizabeth  S.,  born  March 
22,  1822,  married  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  December  16,  1840,  to  Cortland 
Philip  Livingston  Butler,  who  was  born  March  8,  1813.  Levi  Pierce  was  a 
son  of  Isaac  Pierce,  born  September  12,  1763,  who  married  on  October  7, 
1782,  Anna  Fitch,  a  daughter  of  Capt.  Amos  Fitch,  of  Swansea,  who  was 
born  March  i,  1763,  and  died  November  15,  1809,  and  is  buried  in  the  Pierce 
cemetery  in  Rehoboth,  Massachusetts.  He  was  married  a  second  time, 
November  i,  18 10,  by  Elder  Preserve  Pierce,  to  Polly  Brown,  who  was  born 
August  21,  1789,  and  who  died  March  10,  1838.  His  third  wife  was  Eliza- 
beth Carpenter.     Isaac  Pierce  resided  at  Rehoboth,  Massachusetts,  where  his 


1574  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

death  occurred  November  26,  1849.  ^^e  following  were  his  children:  Hannah 
Hiram  W.,  Lyman,  Nancy,  Isaac,  Mahala,  Angia,  Levi,  Mary  A.  Watei'- 
man,  Betsey,  Poly,  Jeremiah  B.,  Delana,  Laura  A.,  Sophronia,  Cyrus  and 
Holiness — eighteen  in  all. 

Isaac  Pierce,  son  of  Nathan  Pierce,  was  born  in  Rehoboth,  Massachu- 
setts, in  1763,  and  always  resided  in  that  town  and  within  four  miles  of  the 
place  of  his  birth.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war  for  a  short 
time,  when  but  sixteen  years  of  age,  at  the  time  the  British  were  in  New- 
port. After  his  marriage  he  lived  a  short'-time  with  his  grandfather,  Michael 
Pierce,  at  the  end  of  a  year  returning  to  his  father's  farm,  where  he  passed 
the  remainder  of  his  days.  He  reared  a  large  family  in  comfort,  being  a 
man  of  industry,  and  kept  out  of  debt.  When  he  was  a  boy  there  was  not 
a  vehicle  in  the  town  of  Rehoboth — everybody  rode  on  horseback.  There 
were  a  few  heavy,  clumsy  ox-carts,  built  after  the  English  pattern.  He 
often  went  to  church  with  an  ox-team  and  wagon.  He  was  a  man  of  good 
sound  sense  and  judgment.  When  eighteen  years  of  age  he  joined  his 
father's  church,  but  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  he  was  excommunicated  from 
the  society,  because  he  went  twice  to  hear  a  Universalist  preacher. 

Rev.  Nathan  Pierce  was  a  son  of  Michael  Pierce,  born  February  21, 
1 71 6,  married  on  October  6,  1736,  Lydia  Martin,  who  was  born  July  17, 
1718,  and  she  died  December  21,  1798.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Ephraim 
Alartin  and  was  a  remarkably  smart  woman.  His  death  occurred  April  14, 
1793.  She  was  from  Barrington,  Rhode  Island,  was  noted  for  her  learning 
and  personal  attractiveness,  and  she  gave  her  husband  much  assistance  in  his 
work  as  a  Baptist  minister,  he  having  preached  for  forty  years  in  one  church. 
He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Rev.  Preserve  Pierce,  who  also  preached  in  the 
same  pulpit  for  a  period  of  forty  years,  a  remarkable  record  for  father  and 
son,  which,  perhaps,  is  not  paralleled  throughout  the  country.  The  church 
is  still  known  as  the  Pierce  meeting-house.  The  following  children  were 
born  to  Nathan  Pierce  and  wife :  Freelove,  Nathan,  Jr.,  Benjamin,  Pardon, 
Mary,  Martin,  Judah,  Hezekiah,  Peleg,  Preserve,  Isaac,  Chloe,  Lydia,  David 
and  Joseph.  Michael  Pierce,  mentioned  above,  was  born  April  24,  1692, 
married  Judith  Ellis,  a  daughter  of  Judge  Ellis,  and  she  was  born  in  1686, 
died  October  6,  1744.  His  death  occurred  October  18,  1786,  at  the  age  of 
ninety-four  years.  He  resided  at  Warwick,  Rhode  Island;"  Swansea  and 
Rehoboth,  Massachusetts.  His  children  were  Ephraim,  Wheeler,  Nathan, 
Mary,  Judith,  Michael,  Job,  Caleb  and  Joshua.  Michael  Pierce  was  a  son 
of  Ephraim,  the  third,  who  was  born  in  1674,  married  Mary  Law,  and  they 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1575 

lived  at  Rehoboth  and  Swansea,  Massachusetts.  Their  children  were  Mich- 
ael, David,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  Clothier  and  Ephraim. 

Ephraim  Pierce,  Jr.,  was  the  son  of  Ephraim,  St.,  who  married  Hannah 
Holbrook.  He  moved  to  Warwick,  Rhode  Island,  from  Weymouth,  Massa- 
chusetts, where  his  first  child  was  born,  and  according  to  the  town  records 
was  called  Isricum.  On  May  3,  1681,  he  was  made  a  freeman  of  the  colony 
from  Providence.  His  will  was  dated  July  18,  1718,  and  was  proved  in 
Warwick,  September  2^,,  1719.  His  death  occurred  September  14,  1719, 
and  his  wife  died  the  same  year.  Ephraim  Pierce,  the  first,  was  a  son  of 
Capt.  Michael  Pierce,  mentioned  at  the  outset  of  this  article. 

Charles  W.  Pierce,  the  immediate  subject  of  this  sketch,  received  a  prac- 
tical education  in  the  public  schools,  and  when  a  boy  he  started  out  in  the 
business  world.  He  came  to  Union  City,  Indiana,  in  1865  and  bought  a 
farm  and  soon  had  a  good  foothold.  In  1875  he  began  in  the  grain  and 
elevator  business  at  Union  City,  which  is  still  operated,  having  attained 
very  large  'proportions,  gradually  growing  from  a  small  beginning.  The 
company  was  first  incorporated  in  1899,  and  again  in  1905.  Today  the 
Pierce  Elevator  Company  is  one  of  the  best  known  in  northern  Indiana.  Mr. 
Pierce  is  also  owner  of  one  thousand  acres  of  valuable  and  productive  farm- 
ing land,  all  in  the  vicinity  of  Union  City,  the  farthest  being  only  seven  miles 
away.  He  manages  all  these  farms  himself,  visiting  them  several  times 
each  week.  He  owns  one-third  interest  in  the  Pierce  Elevator  Company. 
He  deserves  a  great  deal  of  credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished,  starting 
with  nothing  and  is  now  one  of  the  substantial  and  influential  citizens  of 
Randolph  county. 

Charles  W.  Pierce  is  independent  in  politics,  and  he  has  been  a  member 
of  the  INIethodist  Episcopal  church  for  a  period  of  fifty  years.  He  was  mar- 
ried, first,  to  Emma  Haddock,  whose  death  occurred  March  12,  1874.  To 
this  union  the  following  children  were  born :  Mary  C,  who  married  Will- 
iam R.  Craven,  of  Dayton,  Ohio,  he  being  vice-president  and  general  mana- 
ger of  the  Dayton  Savings  and  Trust  Company,  where  an  extensive  business 
is  carried  on  and  more  than  fifteen  clerks  are  employed.  Mrs.  Craven  re- 
ceived her  education  in  the  common  schools  and  in  DePauw  University. 
They  have  one  child,  Dorothy  Craven,  now  about  seventeen  years  of  age. 
Clarence  Stewart  Pierce  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  December  9,  1870, 
married  Bertha  Prior  in  March,  1894.  She  is  a  step-daughter  of  Charles 
Prior.  She  finished  her  education  in  the  college  at  Oxford,  Ohio.  Their 
children  are  Charles  Stewart  Pierce,  Jr.,  born  February  6,  1895,  was  grad- 
uated from  the  high  school  and  passed  his  first  year  at  Ann  Arbor,  in  the 


1576  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

University  of  Michigan.  Alary  Almeda  Pierce  was  born  July  18,  1897,  is 
now  in  high  school. 

Clarence  S.  Pierce  was  elected  mayor  of  Union  City  in  1898  and  was 
elected  to  the  legislature  of  Indiana  from  Randolph  county,  in  1912,  serving 
in  the  session  of  1913  where  he  made  his  influence  felt  for  the  general  good 
c-f  his  locality  and  the  entire  state  and  won  the  hearty  approval  of  hi«  con- 
stituents, proving  himself  to  be  a  faithful  and  conscientious  and  able  public 
servant.  He  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  school  board  in  Union  City  in 
1910  and  elected  a  member  of  the  same  in  1913  for  a  term  of  three  years. 
He  has  done  much  for  the  improvement  of  local  schools.  He  is  a  graduate 
of  the  high  school  of  Union  City,  later  studying  at  DePauw  University. 
He  has  held  business  connection  with  his  father  since  1890  and  is  now  the 
able  and  energetic  president  of  the  Pierce  Elevator  Company,  which  includes 
two  branch  elevators  in  other  localities,  all  doing  a  large  and  growing  busi- 
ness. 

Frank  AA'right  Pierce  resides  in  the  East.  This  son  was  legally  adopted 
bv  Levi  L.  Pierce,  a  brother  of  Charles  W.  Pierce,  when  an  infant. 

The  second  wife  of  Charles  AA'  Pierce  was  Anna  J.  Fisher,  who  was 
born  near  Richmond,  Indiana,  in  1837.  [Mr.  Pierce  died  a  few  weeks  after 
this  sketch  was  written.] 


FRAXK  R.  DAVIS. 


Frank  R.  Davis  was  born  at  Barton,  Ohio,  June  5,  1871.  He  is  a  son 
of  Frank  C.  Davis,  who  was  born  in  A'irginia,  April  15,  1840.  He  was 
engaged  in  the  piano  business  for  a  period  of  thirty-seven  years  and  spent 
the  major  portion  of  his  business  life  in  Boston,  [Massachusetts,  and  died  in 
that  city  from  an  injur}-,  !\Iay  29,  1896.  His  wife's  name  was  Phillips  and 
she  was  born  in  Virginia,  September  27,  1842.  She  at  present  resides  with 
one  of  her  sons  in  Columbus,  Ohio.  To  Frank  C.  Davis  and  wife  the  fol- 
lowing children  were  born:  Dr.  James  R.,  a  physician  of  Columbus,  Ohio; 
Dr.  Howard  H.,  a  dentist  of  Bridgeport,  Ohio;  George  S.,  formerly  a  well- 
known  ball  player,  who  is  now  practicing  law  in  Xew  York  City;  Mary  C. 
married  Henry  Simmons,  a  foreign  missionary ;  Loretta  X.  married  George 
L.  Hardy,  a  h-ardware  merchant  of  the  firm  of  Hardy  &  Scni,  of  Xew  Phila- 
delphia, Ohio,  and  Frank  R.,  our  subject. 

Our  subject's  paternal  grandfather,  H.  G.  Davis,  lived  in  Maryland, 
reaching  the  remarkable  age  of  one  hundred  and  two  years.  Henry  L. 
Phillips,  the  maternal  grandfather,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war, 
also  in  the  war  of  1812.     It  is  believed  that  he  died  in  Mississippi. 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY^  INDIANA.  '577 

trank  R.  Davis  grew  to  manhood  at  Barton,  Ohio,  and  there  he  re- 
ceived his  education.  After  graduating  from  the  high  school  he  spent  one 
}  ear  m  the  Ohio  State  University.  Following  in  the  footsteps  of  his  father 
m  a  business  way,  he  purchased  on  August  2'].  1910,  the  piano  business  at 
311  Oak  street.  Union  City,  Indiana,  and  here  he  still  maintains  his  store 
Avhich  he  has  made  a  great  success  from  the  start,  and  now  enjoys  a  very 
wide  and  rapidly  growing  business  which  extends  over  an  astonishingly 
large  territory.  He  has  mastered  the  various  phases  of  the  business,  having 
been  engaged  in  the  sale  of  pianos  from  early  manhood  and  is  familiar  with 
all  makes  and  grades  of  pianos,  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest,  and  his  edu- 
cation and  familiarity  along  that  line  gives  him  a  great  advantage.  His 
uniform  courtesy  and  fairness  to  his  hundreds  of  customers  have  won  him 
the  confidence  and  good  will  of  all.  He  was  engaged  in  selling  pianos  for 
seventeen  years  prior  to  locating  in  Union  City,  having  been  employed  by 
H.  P.  Nelson,  for  whom  he  traveled  from  coast  to  coast,  giving  his  employer 
the  utmost  satisfaction  in  every  respect.  He  was  brought  up  in  the  piano 
business  and  fully  understands  the  manufacture  as  well  as  the  sale  of  these 
instruments. 

Politically,  Mr.  Da\'is  is  a  Repubican,  but  he  has  never  been  an  office 
seeker.     Religiously,  he  belongs  to  the  Christian  church. 

Air.  Davis  was  married  June  22,  1909  to  Blanche  Grace  Hinkle,  who 
was  born  in  Xorth  Alanchester,  Indiana,  October  29,  1884.  To  this  union 
one  child  has  been  born,  Douglas  Davis,  whose  birth  occurred  December  18, 
J912.  Mrs.  Davis  is  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Jennie  Hinkle,  now  living  in 
retirement  in  Xorth  Manchester,  where  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  received 
her  education  graduating  from  the  high  school,  after  which  she  taught  school 
for  five  years,  teaching  in  the  eighth  grade  for  three  years.  She  was  also 
given  an  excellent  musical  education  at  North  Alanchester  and  naught  music 
for  several  years  in  the  Central  high  school.  She  is  very  proficient  on  the 
piano.  She  has  two  sisters,  Georgia  Ethel,  who  was  graduated  from  the 
North  Manchester  High  school.  She  married  Ben  H.  Willis,  in  September, 
igio,  and  thev  have  one  child,  Max  Harold  Willis,  born  November  30,  191 1. 
\A'ilma  M.,  the  other  sister  of  Mrs,  Davis,  was  born  November  16,  1893,  edu- 
cated in  North  Manchester,  and  married  Jack  Cone,  a  moulder  of  Indian- 
apolis where  they  reside.  Grandfather  Hinkle  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
from  which  state  he  finally  moved  to  Missouri,  later  to  Ohio,  thence  to  Indi- 
ana and  died  here  many  years  ago.  liis  wife  was  a  Miss  Flickenger  and 
died  about  li 


1578  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

EDWARD  I.  BROWN. 

The  most  of  people  who  have  never  lived  on  a  farm  think  that  it  does 
not  require  any  special  skill  to  conduct  the  operations  of  husbandry.  They 
are  accustomed  to  think  that  the  driving  of  a  team  of  horses  to  a  plow  or 
harrow,  a  reaper  or  a  wagon,  the  scores  of  other  duties  connected  with  gen- 
eral husbandry  do  not  require  a  finished  education  or  a  high  degree  of 
intellectual  activity.  Neither  does  it  to  conduct  a  grocery  store,  a  hotel  or  a 
foundry.  In  these  cases  it  does  require,  however,  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
the  subject.  The  farmer  must  know  how  to  sow  grain,  how  to  select  the 
best  varieties  and  whether  it  is  in  good  condition,  when  to  cut  his  wheat 
and  his  grass,  how  it  should  be  cured,  when  it  is  ready  to  stack,  whether 
it  has  gone  through  the  sweating  process  and  is  ready  to  thresh — in  fact,  "he 
must  know  a  thousand  such  things,  without  a  proper  knowledge  of  which  he 
is  certain  to  lose  heavily,  a  thing  he  can  not  afford  to  do,  because  the  farmer's 
profits  are  some  years  small  and  he  must  figure  very  close  if  he  is  adequately 
repaid  for  his  expenditure  of  hard  labor.  Such  a  farmer  is  Edward  I. 
Brown,  of  Washington  township,  Randolph  county. 

Mr;  Brown  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  April  29,  1850.  He  is  a 
son  of  Elisha  and  Nancy  W.  (Thomas)  Brown.  The  father  was  born  in 
the  same  township  and  county  as  was  our  subject  on  November  17,  18 19. 
He  was  a  son  of  John  Brown,  who  was  a  native  of  Maryland  from  which 
state  he  came  to  Ohio  when  a  young  man  and  was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers 
of  Darke  county,  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  as  did  also  his  wife  Sarah 
Stockdale,  who  was  a  native  of  Maryland,  too.  Elisha  Brown  grew 
to  manhood  amid  pioneer  conditions  and  had  little  opportunity  to  obtain  an 
education.  He  followed  farming  in  his  native  county  until  1867  when  he 
removed  to  Champaign  county,  Illinois  where  he  lived  two  years,  then  came 
to  Randolph  county,  Indiana  and  located  in  Greensfork  township,  buying 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  which  he  farmed  until  his  death,  May  30, 
1888.  Politically,  he  was  a  Democrat  and  while  living  in  Ohio  was  a  school 
director  in  his  district.  He  was  an  active  member  of  the  Christian  church. 
He  and  Nancy  W.  Thomas  were  married  March  i,  1849.  She  was  born  in 
Wayne  county,  Indiana,  November  28,  1833  and  her  death  occurred  May 
16,  1890.  To  the  parents  of  our  subject  seven  children  were  born,  five  sons 
and  two  daughters. 

Edward  I.  Brown  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  received 
a  common  school  education.  He  began  teaching  in  1868  which  he  con- 
tinued until  1871,  teaching  two  terms  in  West  River  township  and  one  in 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1579 

Greensfork  township,  this  county.  He  then  took  up  farming,  buying  forty 
acres  of  land  in  Washington  township  and  has  continued  general  farming  and 
stock  raising  to  the  present  time,  now  owning  a  valuable  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  here.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  Poland-China  hogs 
He  takes  a  great  interest  in  public  affairs  as  affecting  his  own  locality, 
especially  the  schools  and  has  done  much  to  improve  them.  Politically,  he 
was  formerly  a  Republican,  but  is  now  inclined  to  the  Progressive  party. 
In  religious  matters,  he  belongs  to  the  Christian  church  and  fraternally  is 
a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

Mr.  Brown  was  married  March  i,  1871  to  Mellsena  J.  Hinshaw,  who 
was  born  in  Washington  township,  February  22,  1852.  Her  death  occurred 
July  7,  1892.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Timothy  and  Jane  (Wright)  Hinshaw. 
To  this  union  four  children  were  born  namely :  Aria  M.,  who  is  secretary 
of  the  Poland-China  Record  Association  in  Winchester;  William  E.,  bom 
February  8,  1878,  died  October  16,  1897;  Anna  E.,  born  March  12,  1882, 
married  James  E.  Jennings,  a  farmer  in  Washington  township;  Grace  R., 
born  October  2,  1885  is  the  wife  of  Jesse  A.  Wright,  a  farmer  of  Washing- 
ton township.  Mr.  Brown  was  again  married  on  February  26,  1898,  his  last 
wife  being  Louisa  O.  (Wilmore)  Lesley.  She  was  the  daughter  of  John  L. 
and  Mary  Wilmore  and  widow  of  Charles  Lesley.  She  had  one  son,  Eldon 
T.  who  was  born  October  16,  1882.  He  graduated  from  Purdue  in  Civil 
Engineering  in  1908  and  is  located  at  Memphis,  Tennessee.  Mrs.  Brown 
before  her  marriage  was  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Randolph  county. 


SYLVANDER  G.   CLARK. 

Sylvander  G.  Clark  was  born  in  Greensfork  township,  this  county, 
September  25,  1855.  He  is  a  son  of  James  and  Martha  (Scott)  Clark.  The 
father  was  born  in  January,  1805,  in  North  Carolina,  and  there  he  remained 
until  he  was  fifteen  years  old,  in  1820,  coming  with  his  father  overland  to 
Randolph  county,  Indiana  and  entered  eighty  acres  in  what  is  now  Greens- 
fork township.  They  found  here  a  great  and  almost  interminable  forest 
for  they  were  among  the  earliest  settlers.  They  set  to  work  like  true 
pioneers  and  cleared  and  developed  the  land  into  a  good  farm.  The  mother 
of  James  Clark  had  died  in  1810  when  he  was  but  five  years  old.  He  con- 
tinued farming  here  the  rest  of  his  life,  but  retired  and  moved  to  Lynn  a  few 
years  prior  to  his  death  in  1890  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-five  years. 
Politically,  he  was  a  Democrat  and  in  religious  matters  was  a  member  of  the 


1580  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Christian  church.  He  married  Mary  Longfellow  who  died  in  the  early- 
forties  and  during  the  latter  forties  he  married  Martha  Scott,  whose  death 
occurred  in  1881  on  the  home  farm  at  the  age  of  sixty-one  years. 

Sylvander  G.  Clark  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  he  received 
his  education  in  the  common  schools.  He  worked  on  the  farm  until  he  was 
of  age  then  began  life  for  himself.  In  1894  he  went  into  the  lumber  busi- 
ness in  Spartanburg,  also  maintained  a  saw  mill  there,  and  built  up  a  large 
and  lucrative  business  which  he  continued'until  191 1  when  he.  went  into  the 
grocery  and  lunch  business.  He  was  also  the  local  undertaker  for  a  period 
of  nine  years  previous  to  1912.  He  has  always  been  a  man  of  industry  and 
good  judgment  and  has  made  a  success  of  whatever  he  has  turned  his  attention 
to. 

Politically,  Mr.  Clark  is  a  Democrat,  and  religiously  he  belongs  to  the 
Christian  church.  He  is  at  this  writing  janitor  at  Spartanburg  high  school. 
He  is  prominent  in  fraternal  circles,  being  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order, 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  in  which  he  is  Past  Grand  and  also 
belongs  to  the  Encampment  in  which  he  is  also  an  officer.  He  has  been  a 
delegate  to  the  Grand  Lodge  and  the  Encampment. 

Mr.  Clark  was  married  in  April,  1878,  to  Mary  E.  Harrison,  a  native 
of  Darke  county,  Ohio,  and  to  this  union  five  children  have  been  born,  named 
as  follows:  Ernest  is  in  the  undertaking  business  at  Winchester;  Everett 
lives  in  Winchester  also ;  Lester ;  Russell ;  Byron ;  and  Florence,  all  of 
Spartanburg. 


OLIVER  PERRY  BOTKIN. 

All  will  agree  that  the  country  has  many  advantages  over  the  city. 
Likewise,  it  has  its  disadvantages,  one  of  the  greatest  being  the  lack  of 
opportunity  to  gain  a  competency  within  a  reasonable  period  of  time.  Many 
farmers  have  grown  rich  through  increased  valuation  of  their  land,  others 
through  carefully  husbanding  their  resources,  rigid  and  economical  living  and 
good  business  ability,  ofttimes  combined  with  favorable  seasons  for  their 
principal  product.  But  the  farmers  throughout  the  land  should  be  receiving 
more  of  the  extra  high  prices  which  the  city  people  are  paying  for  their 
produce  than  they  are,  because  the  tillers  of  the  soil  are  entitled  to  it.  And 
it  costs  too  much  for  the  farmer  to  market  his  stuff,  the  middleman's  profits 
are  excessive  and  there  is  not  at  present  sufficient  security  for  the  farmer  to 
enable  him  to  secure  just  and  honest  returns  from  all  commission  dealers,  few 
of  whom  are  honest.     But  the  signs  of  the  times  are  pointing  to  a  day  when 


J/2 


td 
O 
H 


RANDOLPH   COUNTYj  INDIANA.  I581 

the  government  will  devote  its  talented  experts  to  the  task  of  enabling  the 
farmer  to  market  his  stuff  at  a  reasonable  price,  and  this  will  ultimately  be 
of  advantage  to  all  the  people.  One  of  the  successful  farmers  of  Randolph 
county  who  has  the  sagacity  to  manage  his  land  and  live  stock  so  that  he  not 
only  makes  a  comfortable  living  from  year  to  year  but  is  laying  by  sufficient 
for  his  old  age  and  family  is  Oliver  Perry  Botkin,  of  West  River  township. 

Mr.  Botkin  was  born  in  the  above-named  township  and  county  August 
15,  1859.  He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Martha  (Hiatt)  Botkin,  the  father 
having  also  been  born  on  the  old  homestead  in  West  River  township  in  1823, 
being  truly  a  pioneer  child,  for  his  parents  were  among  the  first  settlers  in 
this  vicinity.  They  entered  this  farm  from  the  government,  which  they 
cleared  and  developed  and  which  has  never  been  out  of  the  possession  of  the 
Botkin  family.  Hugh  Botkin,  the  grandfather,  was  a  native  of  Tennessee, 
and  he  died  in  Randolph  county  in  1833.  He  had  twelve  children  besides  our 
subject's  father.  The  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  died  in  October, 
1864,  when  he  was  five  years  old.  William  Botkin  subsequently  married 
Docia  C.  Butler.  Six  children  were  born  to  his  first  union,  namely :  Emma, 
who  married  R.  Clark,  a  farmer  and  merchant  of  Economy,  died  when  she 
was  twenty-eight  years  old ;  Mary  V.  married  Thomas  Harris,  and  they  have 
four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters;  Lewis  .A.,  who  is  farming  near 
Parker  City,  this  county,  married  Cora  Meeks,  and  they  have  three  sons ; 
Oliver  Perry,  of  this  review :  Elmer  E.,  a  lawyer  of  Muncie,  Indiana,  mar- 
ried Leota  Davis,  and  they  have  one  daughter;  Ira  M.,  a  farmer  near  Carlos, 
married  Minnie  Miller,  and  they  have  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  Three 
children  were  born  to  the  second  union  of  William  Botkin,  namely :  William, 
Jr.,  the  eldest;  Hattie,  who  died  when  twenty-five  years  old;  and  Mrs.  Thirza 
R.  Coffin. 

Oliver  P.  Botkin  grew  to  manhood  on  the  homestead,  where  he  made 
himself  useful  during  the  crop  seasons,  and  in  the  winter  months  he  attended 
the  neighboring  schools.  He  took  up  farming  for  himself  when  a  young 
man  and  this  has  continued  to  be  his  vocation.  He  owns  a  valuable  and 
well-kept  place  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  on  which  he  has  lived  for 
the  past  thirty  years,  and  here  he  keeps  a  good  grade  of  live  stock  from 
year  to  year,  and  is  very  comfortably  fixed  in  every  respect. 

Mr.  Botkin  was  married  September  21,  1883,  to  Celia  E.  Christopher,  a 
daughter  of  Addison  G.  Christopher,  whose  family  is  mentioned  on  another 
page  of  this  work.  Mrs.  Botkin  grew  to  womanhood  in  West  River  town- 
ship and  here  received  a  common  school  education. 

(too) 


1582  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

To  our  subject  ond  wife  six  children  have  been  born,  namely :  Blanche, 
who  married  Thomas  Gaddis,  a  minister,  and  they  have  four  children ;  Edith, 
who  married  Walter  A.  Pursley,  a  farmer  of  West  River  township,  and  they 
have  one  child,  Virginia,  born  May  4,  1910;  Gilbert,  a  veterinary  physician  of 
Mooreland,  Indiana,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Indianapolis  Veterinary  College, 
married  Edna  McGonegal,  and  they  have  two  sons,  Dragoo,  born  May  24, 
1910,  and  Kermit,  born  June  4,  1911;  Olive,  born  December  12,  1890,  was 
graduated  from  Winchester  high  school  in  1910,  and  later  attended  Earlham 
College,  of  Richmond,  Indiana;  Nellie,  born  March  9,  1897;  Robert,  born 
February  10,  1903. 

Politically,  Mr.  Botkin  is  a  Republican  and  he  and  his  family  attend  the 
Methodist  church. 


FRANK  FLETCHER 


Another  enterprising  citizen  of  Union  City,  Randolph  county  who  hails 
from  Darke  county,  Ohio,  from  which  locality  so  many  of  our  best  people 
came,  is  Frank  Fletcher,  widely  known  real  estate  man.  Mr.  Fletcher  was 
born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  March  24,  1865.  He  is  a  son  of  John  C. 
Fletcher,  a  contractor  who  retired  early  in  life,  and  died  in  1906.  He  mar- 
ried Rebecca  Campbell,  \\'ho  is  now  living  at  Union  City. 

Mr.  Fletcher  did  not  have  the  advantages  of  a  high  education,  but  he 
made  the  best  use  possible  of  what  opportunities  he  did  have  in  that  line,  and 
he  possesses  by  nature  certain  attributes  which  make  up  for  the  lack  of  book 
learning.  He  is  now  a  well-informed  man,  being  a  keen  observer  and  a  wide 
reader  of  general  literature.  He  came  to  Union  City  in  early  life  and  has 
built  up  gradually  by  persistent  endeavor  and  honest  dealings  one  of  the 
largest  and  most  lucrative  real  estate  businesses  in  Randolph  county.  He 
has  owned  many  properties  in  Union  City  which  he  has  improved  and  beauti- 
fied, thereby  doing  much  for  the  better  appearance  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Fletcher  was  married  August  4,  1887  to  Anna  T.  Warren,  who 
was  born  in  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  near  Deerfield,  in  October,  1863. 
She  has  proven  to  be  a  most  faithful  helpmeet  and  is  a  lady  of  many  com- 
mendable characteristics.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Henry  T.  Warren,  a  highly 
respected  citizen  of  Union  City. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fletcher  one  child  has  been  born,  namely:  Noble  J. 
Fletcher,  whose  birth  occurred  July  17,  1892;  he  is  a  graduate  of  the  Unions 
City  high  school  and  is  a  young  man  of  much  promise. 

Politically,  Mr.  Fletcher  is  a  Republican  and  while  actively  interested  in 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,  INDIANA.  I  583 

public  affairs,  he  is  not  desirous  of  becoming"  a  political  leader  or  an  office 
holder,  preferring  to  devote  his  attention  exclusively  to  his  large  business 
interests.  Fraternally  he  belongs  to  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men  and 
religiously  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian-  church.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Union  City  council  for  two  terms. 


WILLIAM  HENDERSON  THORNBURG. 

If  anyone  within  the  borders  of  Randolph  county  is  entitled  to  special 
mention  in  a  volume  of  the  nature  of  the  one  in  hand,  it  is  William  Hender- 
son Thornburg,  one  of  our  venerable  native-born  citizens,  who  has  here  spent 
the  major  part,  practically  all  in  fact,  of  his  seventy-three  years,  during 
which  he  has  seen  the  country  develop  in  a  wonderful  way  and  has  done  what 
he  could  in  his  immediate  vicinity  for  the  general  progress  of  the  same. 
He  has  led  an  active  and  honorable  life  and  is  a  veteran  of  the  great  Civil 
war,  and  now  that  the  calm  Indian  summer  of  his  life  is  about  him  he  can 
watch  the  fading  of  the  yellow  leaf  with  no  compunction  or  regrets,  well 
knowing  that  he  has  done  the  best  he  could  on  life's  rugged  pathway,  under 
existing  circumstances. 

Mr.  Thornburg  was  born  on  the  farm  on  which  he  now  lives,  near  Lynn, 
Randolph  county.  May  ii,  1840.  He  is  a  son  of  Nathan  and  Elnora  L. 
(Neal)  Thornburg.  Nathan  Thornburg  was  born  on  a  farm  just  north  of 
his  son's  present  place  in  18 15  and  was  thus  among  the  earliest  white  chil- 
dren born  in  this  county,  his  parents  having  been  very  early  settlers  here. 
He  was  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Rachael  Thornburg.  Joseph  Thornburg  was  a 
native  of  Ohio,  from  which  state  he  came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana  and 
entered  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  what  is  now  Washington 
township.  This  he  cleared  and  farmed  until  his  death.  Nathan  Thornburg 
was  reared  on  the  farm  here  amid  primitive  frontier  conditions  and  when  a 
young  man  he  purchased  eighty  acres,  which  a  Mr.  David  had  entered  from 
the  government.  This  land  he  farmed  until  his  death  in  1872.  He  first 
married  Hannah  Johnson,  by  which  union  three  children  were  born,  two  of 
whom  are  now  living.  The  wife  and  mother  passed  away  after  four  years  of 
married  life.  Mr.  Thornburg  subsequently  married  Elnora  L.  Neal,  in 
1838.  She  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  her  death  occurred  in 
February,  1885. 

William  H.  Thornburg  grew  up  on  the  home   farm  and  he  received 
verv  little  schooling.     He  remained  with  his  parents  until  he  was  eighteen 


1584  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

years  of  age,  then  began  learning  the  blacksmith's  trade.  In  August,  1861, 
he  proved  his  patriotism  by  enlisting  in  Company  F,  Thirty-sixth  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  faithfully  in  a  number  of  campaigns, 
skirmishes  and  battles,  including  that  of  Pittsburg  Landing.  He  was  dis- 
charged for  disability  in  the  fall  of  1862.  He  returned  home  and  :on 
February  2,  1862,  re-enlisted  in  the  Forty-first  Regiment,  Second  Indiana 
Cavalry,  and  was  sent  to  the  South  a  second  time,  and  was  with  Sherman 
on  his  march  to  the  sea,  thence  down  the  "coast  to  Tallahassee,  Florida,  then 
back  to  Nashville,  Tennessee.  For  meritorious  service  he  was  made  a 
corporal.  He  was  honorably  discharged  July  29,  1865.-  After  returning 
home  he  followed  blacksmithing  tmtil  1882,  being  regarded  as  one  of  the 
most  skillful  workmen  in  the  county.  He  was  elected  sherifJ  of  Randolph 
county  in  1882  and  served  one  term  in  a  most  satisfactory  manner,  and  al- 
though he  was  urged  to  accept  a  second,  declined  to  do  so.  He  then  bought 
the  home  farm  where  he  has  since  lived,  successfully  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  stock  raising.  He  has  kept  the  place  well  improved  and  well 
cultivated. 

Politically,  ]\Ir.  Thornburg  is  Progressive.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Im- 
proved Order  of  Red  Men  and  the  Masonic  order.  Religiously  he  belongs 
to  the  Society  of  Friends. 

Mr.  Thornburg  was  married  in  February,  1864  to  Emily  A.  Chamness, 
who  was  born  in  Xorth  Carolina,  February  25,  1845.  To  this  union  eleven 
children  were  born,  seven  of  whom  are  still  living,  namely:  Malinda  J., 
who  married  \V.  J.  Roberts,  lives  in  Oregon;  Elizabeth  E.  is  the  wife  of 
J.  Clendenning,  of  Jay  county,  Indiana;  James  N.  lives  in  White  River  town- 
ship; J.  F  lives  in  Arkansas;  Raymond  A.  is  a  teacher  in  the  state  of  Wash- 
ington;  Emory  H.  is  a  veterinary  physician  of  Lynn,  this  county;  and  Reba 
is  the  wife  of  O.  Clark  and  they  are  living  in  Oregon. 

Emory  H.  Thornburg  was  born  August  3,  1888  in  Washington  town- 
ship, this  county,  and  here  he  grew  to  manhood  and  received  his  education 
in  the  common  schools  and  spent  one  year  in  the  Valparaiso  Normal,  taking 
the  teachers'  course.  He  taught  school  two  years  in  Jay  county,  then 
entered  the  Indiana  Veterinary  College  at  Indianapolis,  from  which  he  was 
graduated,  in  1912,  having  made  a  splendid  record  there.  He  practiced  with 
Dr.  Clevenger  at  Winchester  a  short  time,  then  opened  an  office  at  Lynn 
where  he  has  remained  and  is  building  up  a  large  and  lucrative  practice. 
He  has  had  splendid  success  in  all  his  work.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  ^Masonic  order,  the  Friends  church  and  belongs  to 
the  Indiana  Veterinary  College  Association. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 585 

CHARLES  T.  BOLINGER. 

The  late  Charles  T.  Bolinger,  for  many  years  one  of  the  substantial  and 
well-known  agriculturists  and  merchants  of  Franklin  township,  Randolph 
county,  was  a  man  respected  and  honored,  not  alone  because  of  the  vigorous 
training  of  his  special  talents,  but  also  because  of  his  daily  life,  each  day 
having  been  one  that  was  above  criticism  and  passed  upon  in  the  light  of  real, 
true  manhood.  Strong  and  forceful  in  his  relations  with  his  fellow-men,  he 
not  only  made  his  presence  felt,  but  also  gained  the  good  will  of  both  his 
associates  and  the  general  public,  ever  retaining  his  reputation  among  men 
for  integrity  and  high  character,  no  matter  how  trying  the  circumstances,  and 
never  losing  that  dignity  which  is  the  birthright  of  the  model  gentleman. 
Consequently,  his  influence  for  good  in  the  general  upbuilding  of  his  locality 
was  most  pronounced  and  still  continues,  although  the  material  man  has  been 
engulfed  in  the  "inevitable  hour,"  which  awaits  all  that  is  mortal,  and  he 
will  long  be  sadly  missed  from  the  various  circles  in  which  he  moved,  ^and 
over  which  his  infl'uence  was  like  sunshine  on  a  field  of  ripened  wheat. 

Mr.  Bolinger  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  March  30,  1865.  He  is  a 
son  of  Moses  E.  and  Mariah  L.  (Miller)  Bolinger,  and  was  one  of  a  family 
of  five  children,  two  sons  and  three  daughters,  namely :  Rosa  married 
Emerson  Addington,  a  farmer  of  this  county,  which  union  has  been  with- 
out issue;  Waldo,  a  farmer  near  Ridgeville,  married  Rose  Smith  and  they 
have  six  children;  Charles  T.,  of  this  memoir,  was  next  in  order;  Minnie 
married  S.  Smithson,  a  farmer  near  Ridgeville,  and  they  have  two  sons 
and  two  daughters ;  Pearl  married  Asa  Addington,  also  a  farmer  near  Ridge- 
ville, and  they  have  a  son,  Harry,  and  a  daughter,  Catherine. 

Moses  E.  Bolinger,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  spent  his  boyhood  and  was  educated,  coming  to  Indiana  when  a 
young  man,  he  located  near  Farmland  on  a  farm,  and  here  he  met  arid  mar- 
ried Mariah  L.  Miller,  who  was  born  in  that  vicinity  and  there  reared  and 
educated. 

Charles  T.  Bolinger  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  near  Farmland 
village  where  he  was  born  and  he  assisted  his  father  with  the  general  work 
during  crop  seasons  when  he  became  of  proper  age,  and  during  the  winter 
he  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  neighborhood,  receiving  a  practical  edu- 
cation which  was  added  to  in  later  life  by  contact  with  the  business  world 
and  by  home  reading. 

Mr.  Bolinger  was  married  on  June  16,  1887  and  by  this  marriage  one 
child  was  born,  Ernest  C,  whose  birth  occurred  August  5,  1888.     He  was 


1586  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

graduated  from  the  local  public  schools  and  is  now  operating  the  home  farm 
in  Franklin  township  in  a  decidedly  successful  manner,  and  is  a  young  man 
of  much  promise.  He  married  Inez  Wise,  a  daughter  of  Riley  Wise,  a 
farmer  of  the  vicinity  of  Ridgeville,  their  wedding  taking  place  in  1910. 
They  have  a  son,  AVayne  LeRoy,  born  March  30,  191 2. 

Charles  T.  Bolinger  began  farming  when  a  young  man  and  this  con- 
tinued to  be  his  chief  life  work  and  he  prospered  with  advancing  years 
through  good  management  and  close  application  and  he  "became  owner  of  a 
productive  and  valuable  farm  on  which  his  widow  and  son  still  reside.  It 
has  been  placed  under  an  excellent  state  of  cultivation  and  improvement^ 
He  also  engaged  in  the  general  merchandise  business  in  this  vicinity  for  a 
period  of  thirteen  years,  conducting  his  farm  in  the  meantime.  He  enjoyed 
a  large  trade  with  the  surrounding  country,  treating  his  many  customers  with 
uniform  fairness  and  courtesy.  Politically,  he  was  a  Republican  and  was 
influential  in  local  politics.  He  served  as  assessor  of  his  township  for  four 
years  in  an  eminently  successful  manner.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  moral 
character,  and  he  was  faithful  in  his  attendance  of  the  Quaker  church. 

The  death  of  Air.  Bolinger  occurred  after  a  brief  illness  on  October  4, 
19 12  at  the  early  age  of  forty-seven  years,  when  in  the  prime  of  life. 


FERMEN  C.   FOCHT. 


Examples  that  impress  force  of  character  on  all  who  study  them  are 
worthy  of  record  in  the  annals  of  history  wherever  they  are  found.  'By  a 
few  general  observations  the  biographer  hopes  to  convey  in  the  following 
paragraphs,  succinctly  and  yet  without  fulsome  enconium,  some  idea  of  the 
high  standing  of  Fermen  C.  Focht,  of  Winchester,  as  an  attorney-at-law  and 
public  benefactor,  one  of  the  representatix'e  citizens  of  Randolph  county.  Those 
who  know  him  best  will  readily  acquiesce  in  the  statement  that  many  elements 
of  a  solid  and  practical  nature  are  united  in  his  composition,  and  which  during 
a  series  of  years  have  brought  him  into  prominent  notice  in  the  northern  sec- 
tion of  Indiana,  his  achievements  earning  for  him  a  conspicuous  place  among 
his  compeers. 

Mr.  Focht  was  born  May  30,  1867,  in  Gi'atis,  Preble  county,  Ohio.  He  is 
a  son  of  Alfred  C.  and  La\-ina  (Zimmerman)  Focht.  The  father  was  reared 
on  the  farm,  and  in  his  youth  learned  the  backsmith's  trade.  When  only  sev- 
enteen years  old  he  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil 
war.     His  health  was  impaired  by  the  exposure  and  after  returning  home  he 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  158? 

took  up  farming,  which  he  followed  the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  in  September, 
1873.    His  widow  survives,  making  her  home  in  Gratis,  Ohio. 

Fermen  C.  Focht  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  in  Preble  county,  Ohio, 
and  there  worked  hard  when  a  "boy  during  the  summer  months,  attending  the 
district  schools  during  the  winter.  He  was  only  six  years  old  when  his  father 
died,  so  when  he  became  old  enough  he  found  it  necessary  to  do  all  he  could 
toward  the  support  of  the  family.  When  sixteen  years  old  he  determined  to 
obtain  more  schooling  than  that  acquired  during  the  few  winter  months  he  had 
been  a  student  up  to  that  time,  so  he  started  out  for  himself,  without  assist- 
ance from  any  one.  He  worked  at  a  livery  stable  and  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Gratis.  The  following  summer,  1884,  he  worked  for  a  farmer  near 
Germantown,  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  helping  to  raise  a  crop  of  tobacco. 
On  September  13th  of  the  same  year  he  came  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana, 
and  found  a  home  with  John  W.  Jarnegin,  who  lived  a  mile  south  of  Winches- 
ter. In  the  fall  of  that  year  he  entered  the  high  school  in  Winchester 
and  assisted  in  the  farm  work.  He  remained  with  Mr.  Jarnegin  four 
years,  working  on  the  farm  and  attending  high  school,  completing  the  high 
school  course.  He  then  attended  the  Holbrook  Normal  School  at  Lebanon, 
Ohio,  two  terms,  making  an  excellent  record.  Thus  well  equipped  for  the 
more  serious  duties  of  life,  he  began  teaching  in  the  fall  of  1888  in  the  district; 
schools  of  White  River  township,  Randolph  county,  continuing  there  for  four 
years  and  was  giving  every  satisfaction,  but  believing  that  his  true  bent  was 
in  the  direction  of  a  legal  career,  he  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  spring  of 
1891  in  the  office  of  Hon.  A.  O.  Marsh  and  Joseph  M.  Thompson;  however, 
he  continued  teaching  until  the  spring  of  1892,  pursuing  his  law  studies  at  the 
same.tiine.  During  the  years  1893  and  1894,  in  addition  to  assisting  Mr, 
Thompson  in  completing,  revising  and  proof-reading  his  pubication,  The  In- 
diana Citations,  he  carried  on  his  other  work.  The  above  publication  is  rec- 
ognized as  a  standard  authority  in  Indiana. 

Mr.  Focht  was  admitted  to  practice  his  profession  prior  to  this,  how- 
ever. Fie  remained  in  the  office  of  Marsh  &  Thompson,  and  continued  to 
practice  with  the  latter  until  Mr.  Marsh's  retirement.  In  1898  our  subject 
formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Thompson,  which  lasted  until  the  fall  of  1901, 
when  the  latter  removed  to  Indianapolis,  after  which  Mr.  Focht  continued  to 
practice  alone  until  December  3,  1906,  when  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
Thomas  W.  Hutchens,  which  still  continues,  this  firm  ranking  among  the 
strongest  in  Randolph  county,  and  is  one  of  the  busiest.  Mr.  Focht  has  been 
admitted  to  practice  in  all  the  .state  and  federal  courts.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Randolph  County  Bar  Association,  and  is  recognized  by  all  as  one  of  the 


1588  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

most  painstaking,  earnest  and  capable  lawyers  in  the  county,  and  one  of  the 
best  pleaders  before  a  jury.    He  has  built  up  a  large  and  lucrative  practice. 

Mr.  Focht  has  long  been  active  and  influential  in  the  affairs  of  the 
Republican  party,  and  at  this  writing  is  secretary  of  the  Republican  Central 
Committee  of  Randolph  county.  He  was  elected  mayor  of  the  city  of  Win- 
chester, serving  one  term  with  satisfaction  to  all  concerned,  doing  much  for 
the  general  good  of  the  city.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Fountain  Park  Cemetery 
Board  of  Trustees.  Fraternally,  he  belong*  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and 
was  the  chancellor  commander  when  the  Winchester  lodge  first  occupied  its 
magnificent  new  home,  and  he  has  passed  all  the  chairs  in  the  local  lodge,  and 
he  has  served  on  the  state  board  of  by-laws  for  the  order.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  order,  and  is  treasurer  for  the  Winchester  lodge  of  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons,  also  belongs  to  the  Chapter,  Council  and  Eastern  Star.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  William  T.  Sherman  Camp,  Sons  of  Veterans,  No.  44. 

Mr.  Focht  was  married  December  2,  1896,  to  Mary  A.  Hiatt,  a  daughter 
of  Riley  A.  and  Mary  A.  (Clark)  Hiatt.  She  was  born,  reared  and  educated 
in  Winchester,  where  Mr.  Hiatt  was  a  successful  merchant  for  many  years 
and  one  of  the  substantial  and  leading  citizens  of  Randolph  county.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  were  deceased  at  the  time  their  daughter  married  Mr.  Focht. 
She  was  bookkeeper  at  the  Farmers  and  Merchants  Bank,  a  position  she  had 
held  for  a  period  of  seven  years. 

Two  children  have  been  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  namely :  Wilbur 
H.,  whose  birth  occurred  December  4,  1897,  is  attending  high  school;  and 
Frank  A.,  born  October  2,  1899,  is  also  a  student  in  high  school.  The  parents 
and  children  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  our  subject  being  super- 
intendent of  the  Sunday  school  and  has  long  been  active  in  church  and  Sun- 
day school  work. 


JAMES  C.  JARRETT. 


James  C.  Jarrett,  well-known  liveryman  of  Lynn,  was  born  in  Wavne 
county,  Indiana,  June  24,  1874.  He  is  a  son  of  Jonathan  and  Lydia 
(Fender)  Jarrett.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  born  in  January, 
1826.  He  was  a  small  boy  when  his  parents  brought  him  to  Wayne  county, 
Indiana  and  there  he  grew  to  manhood  amid  pioneer  conditions.  He  devoted 
his  life  to  trading  in  livestock  and  was  very  successful,  being  an  exception- 
ally good  judge  of  stock.  His  death  occurred  in  February,  1911,  at  an  ad- 
vanced age.  He  was  a  Prohibitionist,  a  Methodist  and  a  !\Iason,  also  be- 
longed to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.     He  and  Lydia  Fender 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1 589 

were  married  about  1851.  She  was  a  native  of  Illinois,  born  in  1834.  She 
is  still  living,  now  nearing  her  four-score  years.  She  makes  her  home  in 
Paris,  Ohio. 

James  C.  Jarrett  received  a  good  common  school  education,  and  in  his 
earlier  career,  he  farmed  and  raised  livestock  in  Butler  and  Preble  counties, 
Ohio,  thereby  getting  a  good  start  in  life.  Turning  his  attention  to  the 
livery  business  he  engaged  in  that  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  with  much  success  for 
two  years,  then  carried  on  the  same  at  Eldorado,  that  state  three  years.  Then 
in  September,  1912,  he  came  to  Lynn,  Indiana  and  resumed  the  livery  busi- 
ness and  has  built  up  a  large  and  rapidly  increasing  patronage  and  at  the 
same  time  won  a  wide  circle  of  friends  who  repose  every  confidence  in  him 
as  a  man  and  citizen. 

^Ir.  Jarrett  is  independent  in  politics.  He  belongs  to  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Order  of  United  American  Mechanics. 

Mr.  Jarrett  was  married  June  10,  1899  to  Susan  E.  Rupe.  She  was 
born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  July  22,  1877,  and  there  she  grew  to  woman- 
hood and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools. 

To  our  subject  and  wife  three  children  were  born,  namely :  Ellen,  born 
June  28,  1904;  Clifford  C,  born  June  30,  1907;  and  Esther,  born  July  20, 
1913. 


LEAVELL  &  HOLSAFPLE. 

The  livery  firm  of  Leavell  &  Holsapple,  of  Winchester,  has  never  had 
a  superior  in  this  line  of  business  in  Randolph  county  and  it  well  deserves 
the  large  patronage  and  pronounced  success  which  it  can  claim  for  its  pro- 
prietors, Thomas  C.  Leavell  and  Samuel  J.  Holsapple,  are  not  only  enter- 
prising and  progressive,  but  are  men  of  splendid  moral  and  commendable  civic 
principles,  desiring  at  all  times  to  do  their  full  share  in  furthering  movements 
calculated  to  be  of  general  good  to  the  city  and  county  of  their  residence. 

Mr.  Leavell  was  born  July  i,  1859,  in  Randolph  county.  He  is  a  son  of 
James  and  Matilda  (Jones)  Leavell.  The  father  was  born  in  Henry  county, 
Indiana,  in  181 1,  and  he  died  in  1863  in  this  county,  whither  he  came  after 
his  marriage,  spending  the  rest  of  his  life  here.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
was  born  in  Taylor  coimty.  West  Virginia,  in  1836,  and  her  death  occurred 
in  1910.  James  Leavell  was  twice  married,  our  subject  being  by  his  second 
wife.  To  this  union  five  children  were  born,  namely:  Samuel  and.  Sarah  R. 
are  both  deceased;  Thomas  L.,  subject  of  this  sketch;  Lewis  H.  is  deceased, 
and  Susan  M.,  who  is  the  youngest  of  the  family. 


1590  RANDOLPH    COUXTY,    INDIANA. 

Thomas  L.  Leavell  received  a  common  school  education,  and  on  No- 
vember I,  1 88 1,  he  married  Emma  F.  Read,  who  was  born  August  14,  i860, 
in  Randolph  count}-.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Cyrus  O.  and  Sarah  (Lawrence) 
Read,  both  natives  of  Greene  county,  Ohio.  2\[ts.  Leavell  received  a  common 
and  high  school  education.  To  our  subject  and  wife  five  children  have  been- 
bom,  namely:  Jessie  R.,  born  June  17,  1884;  D.  Kemp,  born  August  28, 
1889:  Came  A.,  born  November  i,  1891 ;  Elenore  E.,  born  February  22, 
1900,  and  James  C,  born  August  4,  1901.     ' 

Mr.  Leavell  has  devoted  most  of  his  life  to  agricultural  pursuits,  at 
which  he  made  a  pronounced  sviccess  and  is  now  owner  of  a  number  of  val- 
uable farms,  containing  one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  acres  in  all.  His  land 
is  productive  and  well-improved.  However,  he  makes  his  home  in  Winches- 
ter,  where  he  is  dealing  in  real  estate  to  some  extent.  In  April,  1912,  he 
formed  a  paiiinership  with  ^Ir.  Holsapple  in  the  livery  business,  and  they  also 
bu}-  and  sell  livestock  on  an  extensive  scale.  They  have  a  large  and  well- 
equipped  livery  barn,  keeping  up-to-date  rigs  and  good  horses  and  prompt 
and  high  grade  service  are  their  watchwords. 

Politicall}'  Air.  Lea\ell  is  a  Republican  and  fraternally  he  belongs  to 
the  ]\Iasonic  order,  the  Blue  Lodge  and  the  Council;  and  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Knights  of  Pj-thias.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Alethodist  Episcopal 
church. 

Samuel  J.  Holsapple  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  June  26,  1876. 
He  is  a  son  of  Xoah  and  Susan  ( Alunich)  Holsapple.  The  father  was  born 
in.  Aliami  county,  Ohio,  and  died  when  our  subject  was  small,  August  4, 
1887.  The  mother,  also  a  native  of  Darke  county,  Ohio,  died  September 
25,  1891.  Xoah  Holsapple  engaged  in  the  saw  mill  business  most  of  his  life. 
His  family  consisted  ui  five  children,  all  still  living,  namely:  Thomas  W., 
\A''illiam  H.,  John  ^V.,  ]\Iary  'M.,  and  Samuel  J.,  of  this  sketch. 

Samuel  J.  tlolsapple  received  a  common  school  education  in  Jav  county, 
Indiana,  whither  he  removed  -^\hen  about  ten  years  of  age,  with  his  parents, 
and  his  father  died  there.  Our  subject  left  Jay  county  about  1897  and  lived 
in  various  places  for  a  few  years,  locating  in  "^^'inchester,  Randolph  county, 
in  1901,  and  engaged  first  in  the  livery  business,  later  farmed,  and  in  1908 
resumed  the  liver\-  business,  forming  a  partnership  with  A.  L.  Thompson, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Thompson  &  Holsapple.  Later  our  subject  bought 
out  his  partner  and  conducted  the  business  alone  until  about  a  year  ago  when 
he  and  'Sir.  Leavell  formed  a  partnership  and  all  the  while  he  has  met  with 
much  success  because  of  his  energy,  honesty  and  good  judgment.     They  have 


RANDOLPH   COUNTY^  INDIANA.  159^ 

a  g(jn(l  hKiition  and  keep  on  an  average  of  twenty  good  horses,  and  in  con- 
nection with  their  regular  buggies  maintain  three  cabs. 

Air.  Holsapple  married  on  December  25,  1901,  Rosie  B.  Harruff,  who 
was  born  in  Jay  county,  Indiana,  October  12,  1874.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
James  P.  and  Juha  Ann  (Badder)  Harrui'f,  both  natives  of  Ohio.  Mrs. 
Holsapple  received  a  common  school  education.  The  union  of  our  subject 
and  wife  has  been  without  issue. 

Politically  Air.  Holsapple  is  a  Republican,  and  fraternally  he  belongs  to 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose. 


ALBERT  T.  DEL,ONG. 


One  of  the  successful  young  farmers  of  Randolph  count)'  who  has 
spent  his  life  here  is  Albert  T.  DeLong.  It  would  seem  that  he  has  been 
wiser  than  so  many  of  his  contemporaries  who  have  in  their  boyhood  left 
the  old  home  community  and  gone  out  into  other  states  to  seek  their  fortunes 
where  conditions  and  people  are  alike  strange  and  where  so  many  fortunes 
assume  the  marsh-light  aspect — alluring  to  the  sight,  but  hard  to  grasp  in 
tangible  form. 

Albert  T.  DeLong  was  born  in  Ward  township,  Randolph  county,  March 
24,  1877.  He  is  a  son  of  Calvin  and  Mary  E.  (Hinkle)  DeLong,  and  is  one 
of  a  family  of  ten  children. 

The  father  of  Mr.  DeLong  was  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  grew  to  man- 
hood, was  educated  and  married  in  his  native  state,  and  he  and  his  wife  are 
now  living  in  Saratoga,  this  county.  His  parents  came  from  Pennsylvania, 
and  her  parents  from  Virginia,  first  locating  in  Ohio,  later  moving  on  to 
Indiana;  both  the  DeLongs  and  Hinkles  were  early  settlers  in  this  locality. 

Albert  T.  DeLong  grew  to  manhood  in  Ward  township,  Randolph 
county,  and  when  of  proper  age  he  began  working  on  his  father's  farm. 
He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Saratoga,  later  attended  the 
Central  Norm.al  School  at  Danville,  Indiana,  then  studied  at  the  State  Normal 
at  Terre  Haute.  He  began  life  for  himself  by  teaching  in  Ward  township, 
which  he  followed  for  seven  years  in  a  manner  that  stamped  him  as  one  of 
the  leading  educators  of  the  county  and  his  services  were  in  great  demand. 
But  finally  tiring  of  the  school  room  and  believing  that  a  business  career  was 
more  to  his  liking,  he  took  up  merchandising  at  Deerfield  and  continued  in 
this  field  of  endeavor  for  a  period  of  six  years,  during  which  he  enjoyed  a 
large  and  lucrative  business,  then  sold  his  stock  of  goods  and  purchased  a  farm 
on  which  he  now  resides. 


1592  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Mr.  DeLong  was  married  November  4,  1899,  to  Lulu  Hooker,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Charles  Hooker,  of  Fort  Recovery,  Ohio.  She  was  one  of  eight  chil- 
dren, an  equal  number  of  sons  and  daughters,  two  sons  being  now  deceased, 
Mrs.  DeLong  being  the  eldest  of  the  daughters.  Mr.  Hooker  is  a  successful 
farmer.     Mrs.  DeLong  received  good  educational  advantages. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  DeLong  one  child  has  been  bom,  Rebecca  Elizabeth, 
bearing  the  good  old  name  of  her  grandmother.  She  was  born  February 
22,  1911,  on  the  anniversary  of  the  great  father  of  our  country. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  DeLong  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
at  Deerfield,  and  Mr.  DeLong  has  been  a  trustee  in  the  same  for  six  yeaers. 
Fraternally  he  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  having 
taken  all  the  degrees  in  the  same,  and  is  a  member  of  the  grand  lodge.  He 
also  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen.  He  wields  quite  an  influence  in  local 
public  affairs.  The  Jefllerson  school  was  built  under  his  direction,  in  the  face 
of  some  opposition;  but  it  is  the  finest  school  building  in  Randolph  county 
and  a  credit  to  the  same  and  should  be  the  pride  of  all. 


JOSEPH  H.  McFARLAND. 

It  is  not  everyone  who  coiild  make  a  success  as  a  commercial  traveler, 
and  the  reason  is  obvious.  One  must  possess  the  peculiar  temperament  neces- 
sary to  a  life  on  the  road,  must  be  able  to  adjust  himself  to  any  environment 
immediately,  must  take  the  dark  days  with  a  smile,  must  bear  the  many  trials 
with  fortitude,  must  be  a  good  mixer,  a  genial,  obliging,  courteous  gentle- 
man, whose  earnestness  and  candor  impresses  all.  One  of  the  best  known 
and  successful  traveling  in  northern  Indiana  is  Joseph  H.  McFarland,  who 
maintains  a  pleasant  home  at  the  town  of  Farmland,  Randolph  county,  where 
he  has  long  resided  and  where  he  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  all  who  knew  him. 

Mr.  McFarland  was  born  in  Jay  City,  Indiana,  July  16,  1863.  He  is  a 
son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Langte)  McFarland,  whose  family  consisted  of 
eight'  children,  of  whom  two  sons  and  three  daughters  survive.  John  Mc- 
Farland was  born  in  1840  at  Darke  City,  Ohio.  When  he  was  young  in  years 
he  was  brought  to  Indiana  by  his  father,  and  here  he  has  lived  for  a  period  of 
seventy  years  during  which  he  has  noted  and  taken  part  in  many  great 
changes  that  have  come  to  the  country  which  was  practically  a  wilderness 
when  he  first  arrived.  He  is  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  His  wife  was  born 
in  this  state,  in  October,  1843.  She  is  of  German  extraction,  and  her  parents 
came  from  Pennsylvania  to  Indiana  in  pioneer  days. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY^  INDIANA.  1593 

Joseph  H.  McFarland  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  locaHty  and  he 
received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  and  the  college  at  Ridgeville. 
He  has  had  a  remarkable  career  in  the  mercantile  business.  When  twenty 
years  old. he  went  to  work  in  a  general  store  in  Ridgeville,  where  he  re- 
mained about  eleven  years,  then  went  to  Marion,  Indiana,  and  worked  in 
the  Boston  store  for  seven  years  as  manager  and  buyer,  then  took  a  position 
with  the  W.  A.  McNaughton  Company,  of  Muncie,  with  which  he  remained 
ten  years  as  manager  of  the  carpet,  rug  and  drapery  department.  He  was 
then  road  salesman  for  the  Indiana  Steel  and  Wire  Company  for  two  years, 
then  was  with  the  Crescent  Paper  Company,  of  Indianapolis,  as  salesman  for 
a  year.  Then  bought  a  hardware  store  which  he  operated  a  year  and  sold  out 
at  a  profit  and  returned  to  the  road.  Since  he  first  entered  the  mercantile 
field  he  has  never  been  out  of  employment,  his  services  havirig  been  in  great 
demand,  and,  unless  to  add  that  they  were  always  most  satisfactory  in  every 
ixspect. 

Mr.  McFarland  was  married  Jurie  20,  1894,  to  Nellie  Korp,  a  daughter 
of  Charles  L.  Korp,  of  Harding  City,  Missouri.  Mrs.  McFarland  was  born 
in  Ridgeville,  Indiana.  When  she  was  quite  young  her  mother  died  and  she 
was'  reared  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alfred  Rice,  of  Winchester,  and  here  she  grew 
to  womanhood  and  was  educated,  graduating  from  the  high  school,  after 
which  she  taught  most  acceptably  in  the  schools  of  Winchester  for  four  years. 

Politically  Mr.  McFarland  is  a  Democrat,  fraternally  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  he  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  He  has  one  of  the  best  homes  in  Farmland,  and  he  and  his 
wife  are  popular  with  a  wide  circle  of  friends. 


CALVIN  SMITH,  M.  D. 


Success  in  what  are  popularly  termed  the  learned  professions  is  the 
legitimate  result  of  merit  and  painstaking  endeavor.  In  commercial  life 
one  may  come  into  possession  of  a  lucrative  business  through  inheritance  or 
gift,  but  professional  advancement  is  gained  only  by  critical  study  and  con^ 
secutive  research  long  continued.  One  of  the  leading  physicians  and  sur- 
geons of  a  past  generation  in  Monroe  township,  Randolph  county,  one  indeed, 
who  took  his  place  in  the  front  rank  of  medical  men  in  this  section  of  the 
Hoosier  state  during  a  period  of  thirty-six  years,  and  who  will  be  held  in 
grateful  remembrance  for  many  decades  to  come  was  the  late  Dr.  Calvin 
Smith.     The  large  success  which  crowned  his  life  work,  coupled  with  his 


1594  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

ripe  experience  and  kind  heart  enabled  him  to  bring  comfort,  hope  and 
confidence  to  the  sick  room  and  he  also  brought  sunshine  into  many  a  home 
erstwhile  shrouded  in  gloom.  Much  of  this  same  sunshine  and  happiness 
fled  when  the  people  among  whom  his  name  had  become  a  household  word 
heard  the  news  of  his  transition  to  a  higher  plane  of  endeavor. 

Dr.  Smith  was  born  in  Fayette  county,  Indiana,  August  25,  1845.  He 
was  a  son  of  Ezra  and  Phebe  (Brown)  Smith,  natives  of  New  York  anri 
Ohio,  respectively.  They  came  to  Fayette  county,  Indiana  when  young 
and  were  married  there,  and  there  Ezra  Brown  engaged  in  carpentering  and 
farming,  but  his  death  occurred  in  Marion  county,  this  state,  in  July,  1865 ; 
his  widow  survived  over  thirty  years,  making  her  home  at  Indianapolis.  They 
were  both  faithful  members  of  the  Christian  church.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  eleven  children,  five  sons  and  six  daughters,  all  now  deceased  but 
two  daughters. 

Calvin  Smith  spent  his  early  boyhood  in  Fayette  county,  being  nine 
years  old  when  he  removed  with  his,  parents  to  Marion  county,  Indiana, 
where  he  received  his  early  education,  and  then  attended  the  schools  of  In- 
dianapolis, where  he  prepared  for  college.  In  1872  he  went  to  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  where  he  attended  the  Eclectic  College  of  Medicine  two  terms,  from 
which  he  received  a  degree  in  1876.  He  also  attended  the  Eclectic  Medical 
Association,  of  Indianapolis,  from  which  he  was  graduated  on  May  13,  1885. 
From  1870  until  1876  he  was  engaged  in  practice  in  Indianapolis,  and  in  the 
latter  year  came  to  Farmland,  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  a  successful 
practitioner  of  medicine  for  a  period  of  thirty-six  years.  In  his  earlier 
career  he  also  practiced  for  a  time  in  Muncie.  He  remained  a  student  all  his 
life  and  had  great  success  as  a  general  practitioner,  building  up  a  large  and 
lucrative  practice  which  extended  over  a  wide  territory. 

Dr.  Smith  was  married  on  November  30,  1872,  in  Dayton,  O.,  to  Jennie 
Flood,  a  native  of  Montgomeiy  county,  that  state,  her  birth  having  occurred 
November  20,  1847.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John  L.  Flood  and  wife,  both 
natives  of  Ohio,  where  they  grew  up  and  married  and  lived  until  1850,  when 
they  removed  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  engaged  in  farming  until 
their  deaths,  the  father  passing  away  in  1902  and  the  mother  in  190^.  Their 
family  consisted  of  twelve  children.  Five  children  were  born  to  Dr.  Smith 
and  wife,  all  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  Politically  the  Doctor  Avas  a  Repub- 
lican, and  he  belonged  to  the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  church.  He  was  summoned  to  his  eternal  rest  on  July 
12,  1912,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years. 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  1595 

SAMUEL  C.  FRIDDLE. 

A  man  who  has  proven  himself  to  be  capable  of  making  a  success  of 
more  than  one  line  of  endeavor  is  Samuel  C.  Friddle,  one  of  Windsor's  most 
enterprising  citizens  and  one  of  Randolph  county's  worthy  native  sons.  As  a 
farmer,  blacksmith  and  now  merchant  he  has  forged  ahead  until  he  has  be- 
come very  comfortably  fixed  and  can  look  forward  to  an  old  age  free  from 
the  material  wants  that  some  experience.  Mr.  Friddle  was  born  in  Randolph 
county,  September  19,  1856,  and  here  he  grew  to  manhood  and  received  his 
education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  community.  He  is  a  son  of 
William  Friddle,  and  is  one  of  four  children,  he  being  the  oldest;  the  others 
are  Clel,  who  lived  at  Farmland,  this  county,  died  at  the  age  of  forty  years, 
leaving  a  widow  and  four  children;  Maggie,  who  married  Mock  Mills,  a 
farmer  in  Minnesota,  died  some  time  ago  and  left  one  son;  Grant,  who  is 
engaged  in  farming  near  Ridgeville,  Randolph  county,  married  Rosa  Greene, 
and  they  have  one  child  living.  The  father  of  the  above  named  children  was 
one  of  the  early-day  farmers  of  this  county  and  a  highly  respected  citizen. 

Mr.  Friddle,  of  this  sketch,  began  life  for  himself  by  farming  on  the  old 
homestead  for  a  few  years,  after  his  marriage.  When  a  young  man  he 
learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  at  which  he  became  quite,  skillful  and  this  he 
followed  with  much  success  for  a  period  of  twenty  years,  maintaining  a  sho]') 
at  Windsor  and  many  of  his  customers  came  from  remote  parts  of  the 
county.  Abandoning  his  trade  ten  years  ago  he  has  since  conducted  a  gen- 
eral store  in  Windsor,  being  associated  in  business  with  his  son,  Ralph 
Friddle,  a  young  business  man  of  exceptional  ability.  They  have  built  up  a 
large  and  growing  trade  with  the  surrounding  country  and  carry  a  splendid 
stock  of  well-selected  goods,  most  everything  used  by  a  farming  community. 

Mr.  Friddle  Avas  married  in  May,   1877,  to  Biirres,  who  was 

born  near  Farmland,  Indiana,  and  there  grew  to  womanhood  and  received 
her  education.  She  is  a  daughter  of  William  Burres  and  wife,  who  have  long 
been  engaged  in  farming  here,  whose  family  consisted  of  eight  children. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Friddle  four  daughters  and  one  son  have  been  born, 
namely:  Leona,  who  maried  George  E.  Swingley,  a  farmer  of  Delaware 
county,  Indiana,  has  three  children;  Glenwood  C,  of  Windsor,  married  O.  B. 
Cline ;  Maetie,  who  married  Charles  Rogers,  of  Muncie ;  Grace,  who  married 
Fay  Suplee.  of  Muncie,  has  one.  daughter ;  Ralph,  married  Daisy  Oxley,  a 
daughter  of  William  Oxley,  of  Newcastle,  Indiana.  Ralph  Friddle  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Windsor  and  by  wide  home  reading  and 
contact  with  the  business  world  is  noAV  a  well-informed  man  and  popular 


1596  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

with  all  classes,  is  a  live  wire,  a  competent  buyer,  showing  excellent  judg- 
ment in  what  and  when  he  buys,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  up-to-date 
business  men  of  the  county. 

Samuel  C.  Friddle  has  been  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  a  period  of  fifteen 
years,  discharging  the  duties  of  this  important  office  in  a  manner  that  has 
reflected  much  credit  upon  himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  people.  Re- 
ligiously he  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  fraternally 
belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men  and 
Knights  of  the  Golden  Eagle. 


WILLIAM  W.  FOWLER. 

One  of  the  well  remembered  citizens  of  a  past  generation  in  Randolph 
county  was  the  late  William  W.  Fowler,  who  for  a  long  lapse  of  years  was 
one  of  our  leading  carpenters  and  builders,  and  many  substantial  and  attrac- 
tive residences,  business  and  public  buildings  stand  throughout  this  locality 
as  monuments  to  his  skill  as  a  builder.  He  was  one  of  the  honored  veterans 
of  the  Civil  war  who  did  what  he  could  for  the  perpetuity  of  the  Union,  and 
he  remained  a  loyal  supporter  of  the  government  to  the  end.  He  was  one  of 
the  few  residents  of  this  county  who  came  from  the  West,  for  the  tide  of 
emigration  has  always  been  from  the  East  towards  the  lands  of  the  setting 
sun,  and  very  few  in  comparison,  have  taken  their  course  in  the  opposite 
direction.  He  was  a  man  whom  ever}'body  respected  because  he  was  of 
an  obliging,  kindly  and  helpful  nature,  never  failing  in  honesty  and  fairness 
when  dealing  with  his  fellowmen. 

AMlliam  \V.  Fowler  was  born  in  Liberty,  Clay  county,  Missouri,  December 
5.  1838,  but  little  of  his  life  was  spent  in  the  land  of  the  "big  muddy  water," 
he  having  been  small  when  his  parents  removed  from  there  to  the  state  of 
Ohio,  from  which  state  he  e\'entually  came  to  Indiana  and  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  He  was  a  son  of  John  and  ]\Iarinda  Alice  Fowler,  and  was  one  of 
a  family  of  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters.  John  Fowler,  the 
father,  was  a  contractor  and  builder  and  was  an  excellent  workman  for  his 
day. 

William  W.  Fowler  received  a  common  school  education  and  when  a 
boy  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  under  his  father,  becoming  quite  expert 
in  the  same,  and  he  followed  this  line  of  endeavor  the  major  part  of  his  active 
life,  or  until  his  health  failed,  when  he  took  up  the  fire  insurance  business  and 
also  secured  a  commission  as  notary  public,  engaging  in  these  lines  of  activity 


RANDOLPH  COUNTYj  INDIANA.  1 597 

until  his  death.    He  was  well  known  in  Farmland  and  vicinity  for  a  period  of 
half  a  century,  and  he  lived  in  one  house  for  forty-seven  years. 

Mr.  Fo\\ler  enlisted  on  August  5,  1862,  in  Company  A,  Eighty-fourth 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  very  faithfully  in  numerous  cam- 
paigns and  battles  until  his  discharge,  January  5,  1865,  having  won  the  ad- 
miration of  both  his  comrades  and  officers  for  his  faithful  bravery  and  pat- 
riotism. Politically,  he  was  a  Republican,  and  fraternally,  belonged  to  the 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons  in  Farmland.  He  attended  the  Christian  church. 
The  death  of  this  excellent  citizen  occurred  February  21,  19 11,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  seventy-three  years. 


BENJAMIN  F.  BOLTZ. 


Benjamin  F.  Boltz  was  born  in  Lebanon  county,  Pennsylvania,  Septem- 
ber lo,  1848.  He  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  and  Mariah  (Schneckengost)  Boltz, 
an  old  Pennsylvania  family,  in  which  state  the  parents  grew  to  maturity,  were 
educated  in  the  early-day  schools  and  married  and  spent  their  earlier  years, 
removing  with  their  family  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  in  1859,  locating  at 
Ridgeville,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county.  The  father  was  a  shoemaker 
by  profession.  Later  the  family  moved  to  Winchester,  where  the  parents 
spent  the  rest  of  their  lives,  both  being  long  since  deceased. 

Benjamin  F.  Boltz  was  reared  in  Ridgeville,  and  there  received  a  com- 
mon school  education,  also  attended  the  Ridgeville  College.  He  began  life 
for  himself  by  teaching  school,  which  he  followed  for  three  years,  then  came 
to  Winchester  and  clerked  in  the  store  of  John  Richardson  for  three  years. 
Then,  in  1875,  he  became  a  clerk  in  the  county  auditor's  office,  serving  seven 
years  as  deputy,  then  became  county  auditor  by  popular  election  and  served 
four  years.  During  his  long  service  in  this  office  he  gave  entire  satisfaction 
to  all  concerned,  proving  to  be  a  most  faithful  and  conscientious  public  official. 

After  leaving  the  county  auditor's  office,  Mr.  Boltz  engagedin  the  insur- 
ance business  for  some  years,  and  in  1888  he  began  the  manufacture  of  wash- 
ing machines,  in  which  he  was  immediately  successful  and  subsequently  he  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  stock-staves,  barrel  headings  and  other  wood 
novelties,  and  has  been  conducting  to  the  present  time  a  general  saw  mill  and 
wood  furniture  manufacturing  business,  which  has  grown  to  large  propor- 
tions and  is  constantly  increasing.  Prompt  and  high-grade  service  has  ever 
been  his  watchword,  as  well  as  scrupulous  honesty  in  all  his  dealings  with  the 
business  world. 

(lOl) 


1598  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

Mr.  Boltz  was  married  November  19,  1872,  to  Martha  J.  Spera,  a  daugh- 
ter of  George  and  Elizabeth  (Shook)  Spera,  an  excellent  family  of  Randolph 
county,  whither  they  came  from  Portage  county,  Ohio,  in  i860.  Both  par- 
ents are  now  deceased.  To  our  subject  and  wife  the  following  children  have 
been  born,  namely:  Myrtie,  who  married  W.  G.  Johnson,  of  Youngstown, 
Ohio;  Laura,  who  married  F.  W.  Howard,  of  Winchester;  Ralph  W.,  of 
Winchester,  and  Mary,  now  the  wife  of  Arthur  Purdy.  These  children  were 
all  given  excellent  educational  advantages,  and  are  all  well  situated  in  life, 
highly  respected  by  wide  circles  of  friends  and  acquaintances,  as  are  their 
parents. 

Mr.  Boltz  is  a  Republican  politically,  and  has  long  been  more  or  kss 
active  in  public  affairs.  He  was  at  one  time  chairman  of  the  Republican 
County  Central  Committee.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 
He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which 
he  is  a  trustee  and  is  active  in  church  and  Sunday  school  work. 


WILLIAM  J.  HOOK. 


William  J.  Hook  was  born  in  Montreal,  Canada,  August  15,  1845,  and 
therefore  now  getting  along  in  years,  but  it  hale  and  hearty  owing  to  a 
life  carefully  lived.  He  is  a  son  of  James  Hook,  who  was  born  in  Glouch- 
ester,  England,  from  which  country  he  emigrated  to  America  when  a  young 
man,  bringing  his  wife,  who  was  Martha  Constance  before  her  marriage, 
and  their  three  children.  James  W.  Hook  was  the  first  of  the  family  born 
in  the  new  world.  They  first  located  in  Troy,  New  York,  but  soon  there- 
after emigrated  to  Wisconsin,  and  in  1880  came  to  Indiana.  The  father  was 
employed  in  farming,  and  his  death  occurred  in  1885.  His  widow  surviving 
until  1895.  Besides  his  brother  Charles  Hook,  he  had  two  sisters,  Mrs. 
E.  M.  Higgs,  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  Mrs.  W.  B.  Sylvester,  who  resides  in 
New  Mexico.  The  maternal  grandfather,  William  Hook,  married  Con- 
stance Lane,  who  was  of  Welsh  ancestry. 

William  J.  Hook,  of  this  review,  was  educated  in  the  common  schools 
of  Wisconsin,  and-  he  commenced  business  for  himself  when  only  about 
sixteen  years  of  age  and  he  has  spent  his  life  in  partnership  with  his  brother, 
Charles  S.  Hook. 

Mr.  Hook  went  to  Morrow  county,  Ohio,  in  1868  and  began  the  manu- 
facture of  wooden  ware  with  his  brother,  Charles  S.  Hook,  and  in  1877 
came  to   Indiana   and   located   in   Union    City   in   the    same   business,    and 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA.  .  1599 

they  built  up  an  extensive  trade  all  over  the  United  States,  there  being  a 
great  demand  for  their  products  owing  to  their  superiority  in  w^orkmanship 
and  quality.  Shipments  were  also  made  constantly  into  Canada.  This  line 
of  business  was  continued  with  great  success  from  a  financial  viewpoint 
until  1898,  when  their  plant  burned,  since  which  time  Mr.  Hook  has  not 
been  regularly  engaged  in  business,  spending  most  of  his  time  looking  after 
his  large  holdings  in  city  real  estate.  He  is  one  of  the  stockholders  of  the 
Commercial  Bank  of  Union  City.  He  has  a  large  fine  residence  here  and  is 
one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  town.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican. 
He  belongs  to  the  Baptist  church,  and  fraternally  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias. 

William  J.  Hook  was  married  in  1871  to  Mary  St.  John,  who  was 
bom  in  Morrow  county,  Ohio,  in  1850,  and  her  death  occurred  in  1892.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  Anson  St.  John,  who  is  deceased. 

To  William  J.  Hook  and  wife  the  following  children  were  born:  Charles 
S.,  born  August  19,  1874,  married  Nellie  Anderson,  who  was  born  in  1875, 
and  they  have  one  child,  Helen  Hook,  born  November  28,  1906.  Warren 
S.  Hook  was  born  in  1877,  was  educated  in  music,  is  single  and  lives  at 
home;  Florence  Hook  married  Elder  Charles  S.  Pier,  a  Methodist  minister, 
station  now  at  Charleston,  Illinois,  and  they  have  one  child,  Ruth  Pier ;  Mary 
H.  Hook,  born  in  1893,  was  educated  in  the  high  school,  and  is  well  up  in 
music,  especially  vocal,  having  sung  many  times  to  an  appreciative  audience 
in  public,  and  is  now  taking  private  music  lessons  in  Chicago,  no  means  be- 
ing spared  to  give  her  the  very  best  advantages. 

Charles  S.  Hook,  Sr.,  brother  of  our  subject,  was  also  educated  in  the 
common  schools  of  Wisconsin  and  he  began  life  for  himself  when  sixteen 
years  of  age,  and  as  stated,  has  always  been  associated  in  business  with  our 
subject.  He  has  made  a  great  success  and  is  now  vice-president  of  the 
Commercial  National  Bank  and  a  director  in  the  same.  He  is  also  vice- 
president  of  the  German  Package  Manufacturing  Company  of  Chicago,  the 
largest  manufacturing  concern  of  dairy  and  creamery  supplies  in  the  world. 
Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  and  fraternally  belongs  to  the  Masonic  Order. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  Pie  married  in  1876,  Ella  Max- 
well, who  was  born  in  Morrow  county,  Ohio,  September  2,  1853.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  Levi  Maxwell,  a  lumberman,  who  died  in  1903,  his  wife  having 
died  in  1865.  Mrs.  Hook's  grandfather,  Abner  Maxwell,  was  of  Scotch- 
Irish  ancestry.  The  Maxwells  is  an  old  family  in  Virginia.  The  mother 
of  Mrs.  Hook  was  Lucinda  Page,  a  native  of  Montreal,  Canada.  The  grand- 
mother was  a  Bond. 


l600  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

To  Chailes  S.  Hook,  Sr.,  and  wife  the  following  children  were  born : 
Mary  C,  born  in  Union  City,  was  gradtiated  from  the  high  school  here,  later 
was  graduated  from  Dean  Academy,  at  Franklin,  Massachusetts,  also  was 
graduated  in  music  from  the  conservatory  at  Oberlin,  Ohio,  then  took  a 
business  course  in  Indianapolis.  James  M.  Hook,  the  second  child,  was 
graduated  from  the  Union  City  high  school,  later  taking  a  course  at  Purdue 
University,  Lafayette,  Indiana,  in  the  electrical  department. 


JOHN  A.  GATES. 


John  A.  Gates  was  born  November  15,  1852  at  Burlington,  Indiana. 
He  is  a  son  of  Albro  and  Lucy  (Russell)  Gates.  The  father  was  married 
twice  before.  Our  subject  was  one  of  five  children,  he  being  the  eldest;  the 
others  were  Henry  M.,  a  carpenter  of  Farmland;  Emily  lives  in  Anderson; 
Loring,  who  is  farming  in  Delaware  county;  Russell  lives  on  the  old  home- 
stead at  Burlington.  Albro  Gates,  the  father,  was  born  in  the  state  of  New 
York  and  he  spent  his  boyhood  in  Chautauqua  county  and  received  a  meager 
education  in  the  early-day  schools.  He  subsequently  removed  to  Erie  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  he  and  his  four  brothers  eventually  came  to  Indiana.  He 
had  but  fifty  cents  when  he  arrived  here,  but  he  was  a  man  of  courage  and 
thrift  and  went  to  work  with  a  will,  first  cutting  cord  wood  in  order  to  get  a 
start,  and  he  in  due  course  of  time  became  owner  of  a  valuable  farm  near 
Burlington.  His  father  was  a  captain  in  the  American  navy  and  followed 
the  sea  most  of  his  life. 

John  A.  Gates  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  where  he  worked 
hard  when  a  boy.  He  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his 
community  and  early  in  life  began  farming  for  himself.  He  worked  hard 
and  managed  well  and  has  prospered,  owning  now  a  finely-improved  and 
productive  farm  of  four  hundred  acres,  which  he  purchased  in  1895,  and 
here  he  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising  on  an  extensive  scale. 
His  dwelling  was  burned  in  1910,  but  he  soon  erected  a  large  attractive 
home,  one  of  the  most  desirable  in  the  township,  and  he  also  has  numerous 
substantial  outbuildings.  He  is  a  good  judge  of  livestock  and  large  num- 
bers of  well-graded  stock  are  always  to  be  found  on  his  place. 

Mr.  Gates  was  married  January  14,  1904  to  Olive  Clevenger  and  to  this 
union  three  children  were  born,  namely :  Frederick,  who  is  farming  in  Dela- 
ware county,  married  May  Kline,  and  they  have  three  children,  DeVoe, 
Francis  and  Marcella :  Letta  is  the  wife  of  Thurman  Porter,  of  Parker  City, 


RANDOLPH  COUNTY^  INDIANA.  160I 

Indiana,  and  they  have  one  child,  Sarah  EUzabeth;  Clarence,  a  druggist  of 
Muncie,  married  Helen  Durst. 

Mr.  Gates  is  a  thorough  and  practical  farmer  and  is  highly  respected 
wherever  known.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


E.  REED  ABEL. 


E.  Reed  Abel  was  born  July  ii,  1898,  in  Bryant,  Jay  county,  Indiana. 
He  is  a  son  of  Dr.  Oscar  E.  and  Ada  G.  (Miller)  Abel,  the  father  born  in 
Jay  county  and  the  mother  at  Portland,  this  state.  The  Abels  is  an  old 
family  of  Jay  county,  where  George  W.  Abel,  our  subject's  grandfather 
settled  in  1838.  A  complete  sketch  of  Dr.  Abel  is  to  be  found  on  another 
page  of  this  volume. 

E.  Reed  Abel  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Winchester, 
the  high  school  at  Huntsville  and  in  the  Normal  at  Marion,  Indiana.  Thus 
well-equipped  he  began  life  for  himself  as  a  teacher  and  taught  two  years 
in  the  district  schools,  then  attended  Purdue  University  one  term,  then  taught 
two  years  more.  He  gave  eminent  satisfaction  as  a  teacher,  but  pi'eferring 
the  outdoors  to  the  confinement  of  the  school  room  he  began  farming  on  the 
place  where  he  now  resides  near  Huntsville,  and  has  made  a  pronounced 
success  as  a  general  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  owning  a  productive  and  well- 
improved  farm,  where  is  to  be  found  a  good  grade  of  livestock  from  year 
to  year  and  an  excellent  group  of  buildings. 

Mr.  Abel  was  married  December  27,  191 1,  to  Lucille  Haines,  a  native 
of  West  River  township,  this  county,  where  she  grew  to  womanhood  and 
was  educated.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Asa  Haines  and  wife,  a  highly  re- 
spected family  of  this  community.  She  is  the  eldest  of  four  children,  her 
three  sisters  being  Jennie,  Ruth  and  Dorothy. 

Mr.  Abel  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


CHARLES  ALVIN  ROLL. 

Charles  Alvin  Roll,  liveryman  of  Lynn,  Randolph  county,  is  one  of  the 
fortunate  type  who  spent  his  younger  days  on  the  farm.  He  was  born  in 
Darke  county,  Ohio,  November  2,  1876,  and  is  a  son  of  John  C.  and  Matilda 
(Shields)  Roll.  The  father  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana  in  January, 
1832.  He  devoted  his  active  life  to  farming.  His  death  occurred  in  April, 
1908.     His  widow  who  was  born  in  May,  1839,  is  still  living,  now  nearing 


l602  RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA. 

her  seventy-fifth  birthday.  She  is  a  product  of  pioneer  days  and  talks  inter- 
estingly of  the  olden  times.  Like  her  husband  before  her  she  has  always 
enjoyed  a  wide  circle  of  warm  friends  throughout  the  locality  where  she  has 
lived  so  long. 

Charles  A.  Roll  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm  and  there  he  worked 
hard  when  a  boy,  assisting  his  father  with  the  crops  and  he  received  a  fair 
education  in  the  rural  public  schools.  He  remained  on  the  home  farm  until 
he  was  twenty-five  years  old,  then  turned  his  attention  to  the  livery  business 
which  has  continued  to  be  his  vocation.  He  first  established  himself  in  this 
line  of  endeavor  in  Greenville,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  nine  years,  during 
which  time  he  got  a  good  start.  He  then  went  into  the  same  business  in 
Arcanum,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  three  years  with  his  usual  success,  then 
came  to  Lynn,  Indiana,  and  has  been  in  the  livery  business  here  ever  since. 
He  has  a  large  patronage  being  popular  with  the  general  traveling  public  and 
is  well  equipped  for  prompt  and  high-class  service.  He  has  ten  good  horses 
and  substantial  rigs.  He  also  owns  a  hay-bailer  which  he  operates  in  season. 
Mr.  Roll  is  an  auctioneer  of  rare  ability  and  his  services  are  in  great  demand 
in  this  connection.  He  has  given  eminent  satisfaction  at  all  the  sales  which 
he  has  cried. 

Mr.  Roll  was  married  January  30,  1900,  to  Virginia  Creighton,  who 
was  born  in  Greenville,  Ohio,  October  20,  1883,  and  there  grew  to  woman- 
hood and  was  educated.  To  our  subject  and  wife  two  children  have  been 
born,  namely:  Mason,  born  January  10,  1902;  and  Creighton,  born  October 
2,  1905.     They  are  both  attending  school. 


CLARENCE  L.  MARLATT,  M.  D. 

The  life  of  the  scholarly  or  professional  man  seldom  exhibits  any  of 
those  striking  incidents  that  seize  upon  public  feeling  and  attract  attention  to 
himself.  His  character  is  generally  made  up  of  the  aggregate  qualities  and 
qualifications  he  may  possess  as  these  may  be  elicited  by  the  exercise  of  the 
duties  of  his  vocation  or  the  particular  profession  to  which  he  belongs.  But 
when  such  a  man  has  so  impressed  his  individuality  upon  his  fellowmen  as 
to  gain  their  confidence  and  through  that  confidence  and  his  individual  merit 
rises  to  an  important  place  in  the  locality  in  which  he  resides,  his  name  is 
worthy  of  mention  on  the  pages  of  history.  Dr.  Clarence  L.  Marlatt,  of 
Indianapolis,  one  of  Randolph  county's  boys,  not  content  to  hide  his  talents 
amid  life's  sequestered  ways,  has  by  force  of  his  will  and  a  laudable  ambition 
forged  to  the   front  in  a  responsible  and  exacting  calling  and  earned   an 


RANDOLPH    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  16.O3 

honorable  reputation  in  one  of  the  most  useful  of  professions.  His  life  has 
been  one  of  hard  study  and  research  from  his  youth  and  since  maturity  of 
laborious  professional  duty,  and  he  is  eminently  deserving  of  the  success  he 
has  achieved. 

Doctor  Marlatt  was  born  at  Winchester  January  2,  1875,  being  the  son 
of  William  P.  and  Hannah  (Moorman)  Marlatt,  who  are  both  natives  of 
Indiana.  (See  sketch  on  page  11 16  of  this  work.)  Doctor  Marlatt  had  the 
advantage  of  the  common  schools  of  Winchester  and  then  finished  the  high 
school  course  in  a  private  school  in  Indianapolis,  after  which  he  entered,  in 
1894,  the  Central  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  and  graduated  there- 
from in  the  spring  of  1897.  April  i,  1897,  he  began  the  practice  of  medicine 
on  Massachusetts  avenue,  near  St.  Clair  street,  and  a  year  later  located  at 
760  Massachusetts  avenue,  where  he  has  been  in  active  practice  since.  Doctor 
Marlatt  has  built  up  a  large  business  and  has  won  a  host  of  friends. 

He  has  been  twice  married,  first,  in  September,  1899,  to  Miss  Margaret 
Dwyer,  of  Aluncie,  Indiana,  a  graduate  nurse  of  the  City  Hospital  of  In- 
dianapolis. Her  death  occurred  in  January,  1901,  and  January  2,  1902, 
Doctor  Marlatt  married  Miss  Katharine  C.  Rottman,  of  Greenfield,  Indiana, 
where  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  was  educated.  Mrs.  Marlatt  is  the  young- 
est of  five  daughters  and  two  sons  born  to  John  H.  and  Elizabeth  (Geiss) 
Rottman,  who  are  both  of  German  extraction.  John  H.  Rottman  was  a 
native  of  Germany,  emigrating  to  America  in  early  manhood,  and  was  a  sol- 
dier in  the  Civil  war. 

Doctor  Marlatt  is  a  Democrat  in  politics.  He  served  as  physician  of  the 
county  infirmary  in  191 1  and  19 12,  and  since  that  time  has  been  physician  at 
the  county  jail.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and,  fraternally, 
belongs  to  the  Masons,  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows.